Clarendon County Council met Monday, Feb. 13 for its regularly scheduled meeting.
After approval of the agenda and minutes from the January meeting, the service awards recognition was given out.
Council Chairmen Dwight Stewart and County Administrator David Epperson presented Sheriff's Office Sergent Latisha Billie-Geter for her five years of dedicated service to the Clarendon County Sheriff's Department. Also recognized was Freddie Huth for his fifteen years of dedicated service with the county and Clarendon County Recreation Department maintenance. Supervisor Joey Henry was also recognized for his thirty-five years of dedicated service to the county. All recipients were presented with a certificate and pin.
Public comments were opened to the council.
Clarendon County Coroner Jaquline Blackwell spoke not as Coroner and not advocating any businesses, but as a lifelong citizen of the Alcolu community and asked council to consider fixing or possibly paving Grasshopper Lane in Alcolu. Blakcwell pointed out that many residents of the lane are elderly, sick or shut in and when it rains, many vehicles get stuck on the lane. William Flemming, who owns the local event venue Harvin Haven, presented pictures of the lane after the recent rains this past weekend along with signatures from more concerned citizens about the lane. Chairman Stewart asked County administrator Epperson if he would look into the matter. Epperson explained that the council and county were already aware of the road situation and the county engineer has looked into it and it is an ongoing issue.
Chairmen Stewart spoke on the challenges that the county faces with older roads that are not dedicated to the county. These roads often have no drainage at all and sometimes the roads may belong to an individual and the cost of repairing and paving has increased to have them repaired to SCDOT standards.
Terry Streath then spoke on the six commercial duck ponds at the end of Liberty Hill Road in Summerton. Streath explained how the water table has gone down in the last four years and that some residents had to install their wells forty feet down to obtain drinkable water. When the ponds are drained at the end of duck hunting season, the properties in the surrounding areas become waterlogged and residents can not use their own septic systems. The paved roads are also being affected as the water runs under the roads and causes erosion. The farm raised ducks that survive the season then take up residency on residents' properties and have caused an increase in the coyote population which leads to many other dangers. Streath has been to several agencies and none have taken responsibility for the situation. Streath said she appeared before council, not to obtain an immediate solution to the problem, but to be pointed in a direction so that she may find an agency to assist with the issues. Council agreed to look into it.
Next on the agenda was the authorization to re-appoint the following members to the Clarendon County Planning Commision to serve another term: Louis Griffith, Lannes Prothro, Robert Gibbons, Steve Gamble, Jr., and Willie L. RuRant. This re-appointment authorization passed unanimously. One open position remains on this board.
Immediately after this was the authorization to re-appoint the following members to the Clarendon County Archives Advisory Commission to serve another term: Sherry Stewart, Carole Summers, Robertha Harrison and Cynthia Mack. This re-appointment authorization passed unanimously.
Task nine on the agenda was the consideration of a request to approve and authorize the execution of two service agreements for the Clarendon Library System. The first agreement is with Idemia, a company that provides the service of taking fingerprints for individuals needing background checks for work. They would set up once a month in the Clarendon Harvin Library to provide this service. Administrator Epperson recommended approval and the council agreed unanimously. The second agreement involves the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act ( WIOA), which is a youth work program for certain ages in Clarendon, Kershaw, Lee, and Sumter counties to receive job training at the library no more than three months at a time and a maximum of 40 hours per week. WIOA is responsible for worker's compensation insurance, salary, and background checks of the youth. Administrator Epperson recommended this for approval and the council agreed unanimously.
Paul McCulloch introduced himself as the new director of the Clarendon County Recreation Department and gave a brief update on the recreation department. The basketball season just finished and baseball and softball registration is open until Friday, Feb. 17. McCulloch also spoke on several upcoming events for the 2023 year.
After the monthly reports were presented, the council went into executive session on a personnel matter. No action was taken.
