On Monday, Mar 13, Clarendon County Council met for its regularly scheduled meeting. After approval of minutes and agenda from February the floor was opened to public comments.
Council then opened the floor to public comments. Chalmers Kennedy spoke on the need for the Walker Gamble Road sign to be replaced and Councilman Coker said that it has been ordered and as soon as it arrives it will be replaced.
The third speaker was Maureen Calvo, who along with Terry Streath, handed out a proposed bill by Senator Johnson from District 36 and Senator Hutto from District 40 for a toll road to be constructed if the bill is passed. The toll booth would be located on I-95 between Orangeburg and Clarendon Counties. Calvo spoke as a concerned citizen and posed several questions to the council, who agreed to reach out to the Senators for clarification.
Director of Clarendon County Procurement Tamika Malone gave an update. The county has begun a new 911 center as well as a new fire rescue station. Procurement is fully staffed and has been busy with training as well.
Next on the agenda was Jenna Windham. Windham requested $2,500 on behalf of the Turbeville Business Association (TBA) for the 2023 Puddin Swamp Festival. This money would be taken from the hospitality funds. Windham explained how much like when a family grows, expenses grow too and over the last several years the festival has become much larger. The request was unanimously approved.
Next on the agenda was a request from the Clarendon County Branch NAACP for $2,500 from the hospitality funds for the 2023 annual Briggs VS Elliott Cultural Festivities. These festivities honor the national case that began in Summerton. This request was approved unanimously.
Ted Felder then spoke on a request for authorization of a Weldon Study Committee and Committee Chair. Felder has been discussing with concerned citizens the future of Weldon Auditorium. He stated that he had spoken with many individuals whose thoughts and opinions ranged from keeping Weldon to selling the building. The one thing that is certain is that the facility has to be fixed. Felder suggested the chairman of the proposed committee be Chris Rowland of Paxville. Council agreed and the committee will be formed to decide the future of Weldon.
The meeting continued with Resolution 2023-01, the consideration of a request to approve a resolution authorizing compensation modifications and the implementation of classification schedules and the amendment of Clarendon County Employee Guidelines as related to Elected Officials of Clarendon County. The resolution passed.
The last order of business was the authorization to enter into an Architectural Services Agreement relating to a proposed branch of the library in Turbeville. The land has been donated and the funding has been acquired through grants. This was approved.
Upon reading the monthly reports, the meeting was then adjourned.
