Machine transcript of the county's live stream - raw and unedited, so expect misspellings of names. For the readable version see the recap; the official record is the county's minutes.
Mhm. >> Mhm. >> I think everybody's going to settle down after this. >> Where's that chair from? >> Somebody move >> Good evening. I'd like to welcome everyone out to this Tuesday, June 23rd, 2026 Kershaw County Council meeting. I hope everybody got the opportunity to vote in the special election today. Very important part of our community, nation, and representative republic. So glad to have you here tonight. We're going to go ahead and get started with the agenda, and we have um Councilman Tomlinson in route from work. He should be here tonight. We've been called >> Mr. Chairman. >> Mr. Jones. >> Point of order. My chair is so far down, I feel like Sammy Tucker sitting in the hole. >> [laughter] >> I can't get you go up so we >> That's a good feeling. >> Mr. Administrator, can we get the special chair operator to assist Mr. Jones? >> Somebody switched my chair. I don't know who. >> [clears throat] >> Switch with Brent. He won't notice. >> All right, we'll just we'll just have a complaint from Brent later. >> [laughter] >> All right, now that we've got Jimmy's chair situated, >> Thank you so much. have an invocation and prayer from Mr. Tucker. Maybe you could pray for the chair. And then in all seriousness, let's have a pledge of allegiance as well. Mr. Tucker. >> Will we stand, please? >> [clears throat] >> Let us bow our heads and open our hearts. Lord Father God almighty, we come to you as humbly as we know how, thanking you for all the great blessings and all the things that you've given us that we don't deserve, but as being your children, you always take care of us. We ask Lord now, Father, that you bless the citizens that have come here in person and the ones that's watching online. The employees and this diocese here that you give us the wisdom and understanding and the courage to make good decisions that you will be pleasing with. Continue to watch over our men and women that is fighting for our freedoms and liberties overseas. And Lord Father, we thank you for our democracy and being able to vote and go out and make this world, this county, this state a better place. We ask these things in your precious son Jesus' name. Amen. >> Amen. >> I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America. And to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. >> Thank you very much, Mr. Tucker. >> You're welcome. >> Next up, we have adoption of the agenda. Do we have a motion on the agenda? >> Make a motion we adopt the agenda. >> Okay, and then I would seek is there a second on that? >> I'll second. >> We got a second. I would seek a motion to remove items number 9A, 11A, and 15A as no longer necessary or relevant. Is there such a motion to amend? >> I'll make that motion. >> We have a motion to amend. Is there a second? >> Second. >> We have a second. Any discussion on the motion to amend? and just for the public's benefit that is first reading uh extending Clean Community Commission uh term limits. That is 9A. 11A is Clean Community Commission appointments. And then [snorts] 15A is an executive session matter that's no longer needed. Any discussion? >> Yeah, one more time. What's the 9A? >> Yeah, one more time. Item number 9A is >> I got it. >> the uh >> Clean Community? >> Clean Community Commission term I mentioned you got it, Mr. Jones? >> Yes. >> The next one is 11A which is appointments related to the same commission, Clean Community Commission. And then the third one is 15A for removal. Um executive session and [clears throat] it's no longer needed for particular matter. Any discussion on the motion to amend by Mr. Shoemake? Seeing none, we'll move the motion to amend uh to a vote. All in favor, raise your hand. Miss Hannah, it's unanimous in favor uh on the amendment. That puts us back on the original motion. Any further discussion on the agenda on the original motion to approve? Seeing none, we'll move to a vote. All in favor, raise your hand. It's unanimous, Miss Hannah, and the agenda is amended as stated. All right. Um I've got a few things that I'm use chairman's prerogative to move. First up for budgetary purposes, we have to do this generally each year. Uh in your agenda items number 10D and 10E are going to be moved up prior to the third reading of the budget which is item number 9 I. Those are related to budgetary matters and they have to be discussed and potentially voted on before council before the budget can be approved. And then we're also going to move up item number 10F which I think a majority of the room might be here tonight uh with interest in item number 10F is a second excuse me second reading related to project Ballast on economic [clears throat] development. It'll be the first item in the ordinances section. So it'll be right before 9B, new 9B. Okay? And we'll proceed in that way, gentlemen. Next up we have public comments. Do we have anyone signed up, Mr. DeBose? >> There are nine speakers for public comments. >> Okay. >> The first speaker is Denise Rollins. The subject [snorts] is Bethune Plant. >> Okay. And as you're coming up, um I'll just let you know they'll have a clock that'll let you know how much time you have divided amongst the speakers. There's a half an hour for public comments. It's the time for Council to hear from the public. It's not a Q&A. We're interested to hear what you have to say. Yes, ma'am. >> Yes, good evening council members. My name is Denise Rollins and I'm here tonight on behalf of my family who live on Timrod Road. James and Sue Gainey, Dale and Pam Gainey, Robbie Rollins and myself. We are asking you to reject the proposed natural gas plant that's planned less than 2 miles from our homes. Our family has lived in this area for generations. This land is not simply a place on a map. It is our home, our history and our legacy. I have spent more than 60 years here and I hope future generations of our family will have the opportunity to enjoy the same clean water, healthy environment and rural way of life that we have. We are deeply concerned about the potential impacts this facility could have on our ground water, our air quality and our local ecosystem. My husband and I depend on a private well for all of our drinking water. We also grow much of our own food relying on clean soil, clean water and a healthy environment to sustain us. We currently have an organic elderberry grove that we use to make elderberry syrup for our family and friends. Once groundwater is contaminated, the damage can last for decades and in some cases may never be fully reversed. Even a small risk is too great when the health of families, farms, and future generations is at stake. We should not be asked to bear that burden so close to our homes. This rural community has long been defined by its quiet farmland. A large industrial facility does not fit with the character of the area or the values of the people who live here. We urge you to place the protection of our water, our land, and our community above the interest of this project. Some decisions can be corrected. The loss of clean groundwater and environmental quality cannot. Please protect the families who already live here and preserve this land and community for the generations that will follow. Thank you. >> Thank you, ma'am, for coming out tonight. Mr. DeBose. >> Next speaker is Pam Gainey. >> Yes, ma'am. Ms. Gainey. >> Sir. Good afternoon. I also live on Timrod Road and have lived there for over 45 years. My husband having lived there his whole entire life. And I just have a few questions I would like to present to you as you consider the possibility of building this facility out so closely to our homes. And I also have copies of the questions if you'd be interested. Has a full environmental impact statement or equivalent environmental review been completed? If so, where can residents view the completed report? What alternatives were considered and why was the location so near existing homes selected? What cumulative impacts were evaluated including air emissions, noise, traffic, and water use? Were impacts to local agriculture and home food production evaluated? What pollutants will be emitted during this construction and the normal operations of this plant? What are the projected annual emissions of nitrogen oxides, particulate matter, carbon monoxide, and greenhouse gases? How will the emissions be monitored and will monitoring data be publicly assessable? What health impact assessment has been conducted for residents who live from 1 to 3 or even 5 mi away from this facility? Have any permits been issued and which are public or current which permits are currently open for public comment? What is your emergency response plan in case of fires, explosion, chemical releases, or gas leaks? Has the local fire department reviewed and approved the emergency response plan? What additional training or equipment will local first responders need and who would pay for it? What are the projected noise levels for nearby homes during the construction and operation? Will noise levels be monitored after the plant begins operating? What recourse do residents have if noise exceeds permitted levels? Has an independent property value impact study been completed? If nearby property values decline because of the project, how will the affected homeowners be compensated? What baseline groundwater testing will be conducted before construction ever begins? Who will pay for independent testing of nearby private wells before, during, and after construction. If this facility is safe enough to be located 1 mile from my family's well, the food we grow, and the homes of our neighbors, what specific evidence can you provide tonight that demonstrates that there is no meaningful risk to our groundwater or our quality of life? Thank you. >> Yes, ma'am. Thank you for coming out tonight. >> I can I request that we get a copy of those questions to be turned over? >> Sure. Mr. DeBose, who's up next? >> Next speaker is Tommy Gainey, Thiem Plant. >> You said Mr. Gainey? >> Yes, Tommy. >> Tommy Gainey. >> Be careful, Tommy. You're getting older. >> Jimmy's got a comfortable chair up here for you. Yes, Mr. Gainey. >> Jimmy, hey councilman, how y'all doing? My name is Tommy Gainey. I live at 3335 Thiem Road. >> Sir, if you could pull the mic up so folks can hear you just a little bit better. >> Uh I live at 3335 Thiem Road Road. This facility is probably going to be built about 1,800 ft behind my house. The noise that it will have from it is going to be possibly unbearable. They can put all the trees up they want. You're still going to hear it. My property value is going to drop. There's no doubt about it. It's going to plummet. We wouldn't be able to sell our house for pennies on the dollar. And the one thing I wanted to ask y'all is how many of y'all would like to step out your backyard with a plant 1,800 ft behind your house? 1,800 ft. That's not very far. And the noise is going to be terrible. It I said, I probably would never move anyway. I love where I live. I love my community. But it's going to be rough. So I hope y'all take into consideration overseeing what the Kershaw County is going to make. And think about the poor people that live on Tam Road Road. We've lived here all our lives. And I never thought this would happen. So please take into account the distance it is from our property. Because no barrier is going to stop it. It's not going to bring any economic development to Bethune. Maybe 2 years when the construction workers are there. After that, they're gone. None of their people is going to live in our area. They don't want to hear it. So please when y'all make your decision, take into consideration the people that's going to be close to this thing. That's where we live. That's where we retired. And that's it. Thank you. >> Thank you for coming out, Mr. Gainey. Mr. DeBose, who's up next? >> Lee Reed, the subject is EMS. >> Good evening. >> Yes, sir, Mr. Reed. >> I'm here tonight because of the proposed fiscal year 2026-2027 excludes any funding for EMS ambulatory or even QRV coverage stationed in our area, that being Liberty Hill, Beaver Creek, Baron DeKalb, and the upper Highway 97 corridor. That is troubling because the lack of timely EMS response to our area is not new. County Council has been aware of the issue for some time. EMS management has openly acknowledged the coverage issues in recent meetings and has publicly confirmed in this room that the average response time to our area does not come close to meeting their standard target response time or to average response times in other zones. As a matter of fact, Liberty Hill ranks dead last in overall response average response time as presented by EMS earlier this year and a full 17 and a half percent longer than the second longest average response time, Baron DeKalb. Residents have complete had repeatedly raised this concern these concerns. Yet despite the documentation long standing awareness, the proposed budget once again does not contain funding to address the problem. And what makes this year's preliminary budget particularly troubling is that the county will receive substantial additional revenue as a result of the recent property assessments. Residents are paying more yet those additional revenues will not result in expanded EMS coverage into Liberty Hill or other rural areas where documented needs exist. The proposed budget does however provide funding for a new ambulance and eight FTEs in Camden. Budgets reflect priorities. While every budget involves difficult decisions, the absence of funding for adequate EMS coverage in Liberty Hill and other underserved areas of the county sends a clear message about where this issue ranks among your priorities. Council members, this is not Camden County. This is not Lugoff County. This is Kershaw County where over 70% of the population does not live in either Camden or Lugoff. Public safety and EMS services are among the most fundamental responsibilities of local government. Adequate EMS coverage is a core public safety service and expectation. Every resident of this county deserves emergency medical services. It's simply a matter of priorities, not a question of whether something can be done. It is a question of whether or not it will be done. I respectfully ask Kershaw County Council to reconsider its priorities and make a local EMS coverage for the Liberty Hill area a priority in this year's budget. The citizens affected by our coverage gaps deserve more than acknowledgement of the problem. They deserve action. Thank you. >> Thank you for coming out, Mr. Reed. Mr. DeBose, who's up next? >> [applause] >> Next speaker is Joel Hubbard, EMS. >> Mr. Hubbard. >> Good evening. Uh my name is Joel Hubbard, as everybody is uh aware of. I am not only a resident uh a resident of this area, I'm also a business owner in this area. I own the uh up-and-coming opening uh Doc 97's old place. It's going to be Dock and Dine. So, I'm not only worried about the coverage for my personal health and my wife. My daughter and son-in-law also live in this area. And everybody that patronizes my place of business, I have a concern for. If we have an emergency at my my place of business, on average it takes 35 to 40 minutes for response time in Beaver Creek. Unacceptable. We can do better, guys. We voted for you guys to sit in these chairs. We need a response to show the reason why we put you in the place you're at. We need a response time that is I I mean, anybody in this in this room besides the ones that live out there, can you actually say that you have seen that in your lives? I know you haven't. I had an emergency last year. It took 39 minutes for them to get to me. Only time I've ever been carried out of my house in an ambulance before. If I'd have had a stroke or a heart attack, probably wouldn't be standing here talking to you. You know, we can do better. We've got funds. We've got people that are willing to donate, including myself. I own Hubbard Heating and Cooling in Lancaster, South Carolina. I am willing to donate the materials and the labor to put HVAC in a structure to house somebody to take care of our area. Okay? That's all I got to say, guys. Thank you. >> Thank you for coming out tonight. >> [applause] >> Mr. DeBose. >> Buster Beckham, Vietnam vets. >> Yes, sir. Mr. Beckham. >> Thank you, sir. Thank you. Appreciate it. Appreciate the tough job your elected officials have. It's uh being stewards of the public trust and and the public wallet. It's tough. It really is. Having been there before, I know and understand. I'm the semi official speaker for the Vietnam veterans. We have over 100 names plus names of Vietnam veterans in the county. We've also accumulated over 200 names of World War II veterans and a couple dozen Korean veterans that live here. What we're asking for is that is some type of joint commission between our group and your group, okay? Some type of committee where we can study some type of monument or award, award, assist, or whatever. Uh Bishopville has a Veterans Museum. Heath Springs has a uh display for all the veterans who've been in the wars there. We don't have an answer. We don't have a solution. We're just asking that we can work with you in some capacity, so we can come up and have you know, and and have some recognition at a personal level for the people who had served you know, who served our country. All right? Thank you, sir. >> Thank you, Mr. Beckham, for coming out tonight. I appreciate that. >> [applause] >> Mr. DeBose, who's up next? >> Jim Curley. The subject is Bethune plant. >> Yes, sir, Mr. Curley. >> Good evening. Uh my name is Jim Curley. My family and I stay on Timrod Road. Um we'll be a close neighbor to this plant. Um I um teach physics and astronomy at Winthrop University and York Technical College. We moved here about 22 years ago for peace, quiet, and rural living in a small community. And that that plan is about to be ruptured um by the natural gas-fired power plant if it comes. Um I'm most concerned about the health issues. That's why I'm going to talk about this evening. But, I'd be lying to say if I wasn't worried about environmental issues, the decline of my property value, and the fact that the plan is to purchase 800 acres, but the footprint of the plant is only 100 acres. So, what about the other 700 acres? It's not all going to be a buffer forever. In 5 or 10 years, is there going to be a solar panel farm? Is there going to be a data center? Is there going to be more power plant there? You know, something we don't know. Um So, um So, briefly on health issues. There's a plant going up in Colleton County. It's bigger than the plant plan for Bethune, but presumably it has new technology, the cleanest the cleanest emissions around, and yet the Harvard University School of Public Health issued a report in 2025 saying in part, I quote, "Emissions modeling revealed that more than 2 million people would be impacted by additional particulate matter exposure from the gas plant." Um especially the particulate matter is a harmful form of air pollution unsafe at any level of exposure. Um and they go on to talk talk about the increase in health care costs for that community. The EPA in fall of 2025 said this about natural gas-fired power plants. They can have significant effects on the health of members of the close community. Nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, particulate matter all contribute to respiratory problems and heart disease. So, this plant in Bethune it's going to in some ways destroy our way of life if not take our very lives ourselves or our health. I understand there's financial benefits for the county and the community for for a project like this, but when you talk about even if it's just a minority of the residents that are going to suffer various ways environmentally, health-wise, it's not a bargain. There's no nothing that balances this scale. So, I oppose I oppose this construction of the plant. I oppose oppose any tax incentives, fee lows offered to um to um facilitate the construction of this plant. And just on that note, I'm wondering how much money the county is going to lose in tax revenue by awarding the fillo because um I couldn't really see that in the in the reading that was included on the agenda online. Anyway, thank you very much. Have a good evening. >> Thank you for coming out, Mr. Curley. Mr. DeBose, who do we have next? >> Chris Crimminger, EMS service. >> Yes, ma'am. Ms. Crimminger. >> Good evening, gentlemen. Thank you for letting me speak this evening. My name is Chris Crimminger. I'm a resident and a business owner on Lake Wateree. We have talked about the lack of emergency services. We are still facing lack of emergency services in the Beaver Creek-Liberty Hill area, which also affects all the way to the county line, the northern end of the county. First, let me emphasize that this is not a criticism of our EMTs and firefighters. They do the toughest job in the world, and what they are our heroes. I'm aware that there this has been a problem for years. This has been a problem for at least 20 to 25 years. I've talked to the oldest older people that have lived in the Beaver Creek area, and they say that there has been no emergency services what there up there whatsoever. It just seems like the past councils have just kicked it down the road every time the subject has come up. We need y'all, meaning all of you, to stop this kicking it down the road. We need y'all to fund an EMS service to upgrade one of the fire stations, either Baron DeKalb or Beaver Creek, and you've had the offer from Mr. Hubbard to help so that we can have the services that the rest of the county enjoys. We've heard there's no money in the budget. Our tax assessments have just come through. We know there's going to be more money in that budget because y'all are going to Well, I say y'all, but the county is going to be bringing in more money with the higher assessments. I do not understand how with these assessments and with this money coming in, you cannot allocate funds to cover our area with EMTs and firemen. I know there was a talk of having some kind of truck at either Beaver Creek or Baron DeKalb, but I understood that it was only supposed to be stationed there during the day. Emergencies don't just happen between 8:00 and 5:00. Most emergencies happen between 12:00 a.m. and 4:00 a.m., the deadest time of night. So, we're still going to have a problem getting service. It's up to y'all to find the funding. This is your job. This is what we elected you to be our representatives for. Please find this funding. Keep this funding in the budget for all the coming years because that end of the county is not going to lose people. It's going to gain people. People are moving further out. Please do the right thing before somebody dies because there's no ambulance service or because the ambulance took 45 minutes to get there. Thank you, gentlemen. >> Thank you for coming out tonight. >> [applause] >> Mr. DeBose, who do we have next? >> Joanne Holland Deal is the next speaker. >> I didn't catch the name. Helen Neal? >> Joan Deal. >> Joan Neal, Ms. Neal, please. >> Deal. >> Sorry. >> D is yes, D is in both. Ms. Deal. >> Yes, ma'am. Ms. Deal. >> I'm kind of unprepared, but I knew if I didn't come that I would probably back out. I've been dealing with this problem for years. And I've had uh the highway departments to uh people coming out to observe my land. >> can you >> And they're not taking me seriously. They're not taking me seriously. They're not taking >> They're not >> We're just trying to >> They're not taking me seriously. But we've taken up petitions to the farm across the street, your brother. We uh because the fertilizer was causing flies and all to come in our yard. But I have a runoff pipe under my yard under in my yard. And it's washing away my land. It's terrible. I've already had one tree come out of the ground that was huge. Roots and all hit my house. And then now it's running down and it's my yard is washing away. I've asked for help and I've said I had Clemson come out. They're doing evaluation. They came last week. Uh the county came out three or four weeks ago and they were supposed to give me they said environmental engineers did this. Put this pipe in here. We had nothing to do with it. And I said, "Well, when was this done?" He said, "Oh, way before cuz I said, "Why would they put a pipe in the middle of somebody's yard?" That yard was undeveloped over there. I'm 70. I've had I've been on disability. I've had so many surgeries, but I work for my yard. It's my therapy. But now it's not therapy. It's work. And I plant I have planted trees along the highway. I have planted shrubbery. I have planted put rocks slate rocks to river rocks who stones everything to try to do it and they said you have really worked hard to try to stop it by yourself. But now it's getting worse. And even the fertile soil on the left side of my house that was just I left it natural it's not even flat now. I went to walk on it today and it's it you saw again the roots on the tree it's a tree like this the roots are shining like this. They're shining like this. I ain't it's just and it's running to the neighbor's yard. And they just have ignored me. I've asked them to kind of repay for the driveway comes in it's never been done. They said they couldn't do it. Um even when the mailman comes there's a dip and right beside the driveway is I've gone out there and poured bags of cement myself. The it look at my Lowe's bill it'll tell you how much I've worked to do this. I moved off Pebble Lane and let my daughter move up there cuz I thought I'll move in the smaller house of my mom's and >> [clears throat] >> I've almost regretted it because it's been so hard. And I just want y'all to please see about this because it's there's no I'm losing all my worms all my dirt that I used to take over to the other place. I've been always doing I have blackberries pears uh peaches I have uh raspberries blueberries and I have lots of roses I have I know work hard. I have to dig the dirt out from underneath my shed because I had to pull cinder blocks myself cuz I have to pull it out because I don't want my wood to rot. And it's just I I've I've tried to work with y'all for for that with them for years and years and they keep avoiding me. And they they come and they look I I even called Jimmy and I said who who you know anybody to haul this haul it So I went down there and they just ignore me. But I would really appreciate it. >> try to give folks an additional 20 or 30 seconds if they need it to conclude their remarks. I don't want to assume too much. I assume that you've left your contact information along with all the other folks tonight. >> I appreciate it. I appreciate y'all coming out tonight. But thank you. >> Thank you for coming out tonight. >> big on the environment and I agree I'm so glad all these people are speaking. >> Yes, ma'am. Thank you. [clears throat] Thank you, ma'am. Mr. Bose, any other comments? >> No, sir. >> That concludes public comment. Thank you everyone for coming out tonight. That brings us to a series of public hearings. We've got two public hearings on the agenda for tonight. The first one is item number 6A. This is a public hearing in relation to the issuance of Kershaw County Council authorizing general obligation bonds $2 million related to acquiring, constructing, equipping, rehabilitating, improving the county's waste water infrastructure and other capital projects and matters related thereto. I'm going to go ahead and open up the public hearing. No vote's going to be required. The public hearing is open. Do we have anyone signed up, Mr. Bose? >> No speakers, Mr. Chairman. >> No speakers on item number 6A. Anyone present wishing to speak on item number 6A for public hearing? Seeing none, we'll go ahead and close the public hearing and move on to item number 6B. This is a public hearing on item number 6 B to provide budget appropriations for county purposes in the county of Kershaw for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026 and ending June 30, 2027. Also setting the millage rate for Kershaw County for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026 and to adopt and implement charges and collections of services user rates and fees and for other tax purposes and county appropriation purposes and matters related thereto. We'll go ahead and open up the public hearing. Mr. DeBose, do we have anyone signed up for 6 B on the budget this year? >> No, sir. >> No one signed up for the budget. Anybody present wanting to speak on the budget for the public hearing? Seeing none, we'll close item number 6 B. No votes required. We'll move on to public presentations placed on the agenda for item number 7 A. This is by Councilman Jimmy Jones Clay Young regarding Book of South Carolina Courthouses. Do we have a motion? >> I so move. >> We have a motion. Is there a second? >> Second. >> Any discussion before we have the presentation? >> Just I say we I'm very proud to have Clay here. He's a former county administrator here as well. He's got Bridges as his son, who's now grown up. And uh Clay has put 10 years into this book on courthouses. He's going to issue us I don't I think he put one on your desk for us to have here. But job well done. He just wanted to share that with us about 5 minutes. He knows we're got a lot of important things to do, but it's just be about 5 minutes. >> All right, let's move it to a vote on having the public presentation. All in favor who are present and voting. Miss Hannah, it's unanimous for those who are present and voting. Mr. Brazell had to step out for a moment. Yes, sir. >> Thank you, Jimmy, for all those kind words and appreciate I'd like to thank Kershaw County Council for letting me come tonight to uh Same here. It feels a little bit >> up just a little bit. >> It feels a little bit different being on this side the >> Yes, sir. >> microphone and then being back there for the number of years that I did spend here all the time, but I do appreciate Kershaw County Council. Do want to recognize my son Bridges Young over here. When when I was in Kershaw County, some of y'all remember he was probably this tall. So he's he's a little taller now. And he also lives in Lugoff. >> He knows a great place >> He He lives in Lugoff. So I'm We're excited about that. So hopefully you'll see more of me in in the future whenever I come to see him too. But yeah, I appreciate y'all letting me come tonight. I'll be brief. Um I won't get into too much detail on this too, but we did a we did a book We started about 10 or 15 years ago writing a book on the courthouses of South Carolina. And the book is basically as the title says is South Carolina's county courthouses. And I said, you know, it's also a book that also has the Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court in it too. Cuz that's as we got into doing the courthouses around the state, we found out that the Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court also played a very important role too how they were constructed and how they became a part of the state South Carolina. But this book here like I said started a number of years ago probably 10 plus years ago and we basically did it by county. So I not being historian but we lived in who also helped me write the book is a historian. We did it by county. So we went to every county in South Carolina and we researched every courthouse ever built by county. So it's It's as you can tell it's a coffee table book. It's It's It represents a We have about 396 pages in the book. It's about 700 I guess pictures or images in the book. So it does give you a wide variety of information in there. It has the picture everybody ask what is the picture of the court of the courthouse on the front of the book? Everybody always asks that question. Of course this is the Charleston County Courthouse the one at four corners of the law down in downtown Charleston. Charleston County also has a judicial center in North Charleston, but this is the actual courthouse that's located there. I did start my career there in county government. So, I started my career actually in the back part of the Charleston County Courthouse. So, it does bring back memories. But, the reason we one reason we chose this courthouse here, too, was that it's the oldest courthouse in South Carolina. And it also is the site where the former State House used to be at that particular time, too. But, uh >> [clears throat] >> We also have a bunch of courthouses on the back of the court on the back of the cover of the book, too. But, uh We got this book here and we started putting it together and do um we decided as we plowed through the through the materials and went to every county taking pictures and getting pictures. I did find out that the only time that you could take a picture of a courthouse was either on a Saturday or a Sunday. You couldn't take them any other time because people were moving around and if you you never could get a good picture on that, too, and on that part of there, too. But, one of the things we did find out as we were doing the research on the different courthouses um it by by county and um uh we did find out that before we did anything, we needed to write a little history about every county because you just didn't want to start out talking about a particular courthouse in a particular county. We want to talk to most people wanted to know how did the county get started. So, we put that information in there and I'm glad we did now looking back on it is that now it's turned out to be a history book for the state of South Carolina. It's not only South Carolina's county courthouses, but it's also a history book for the for the state of South Carolina dealing with all 46 counties and and Supreme Court Court of Appeals. Uh I've been very lucky. The schools have bought a a number of copies throughout South Carolina. The state library has bought numbers of copies. The USC Law School, the Charleston Law School have all purchased copies. The Supreme Court Court of Appeals has got that, too. But, uh it's been a it's been a long process. It's been a process that uh we finally got it done. Uh Uh as you can see, it's uh hopefully y'all will take a look at it, and read the book, and see you see the importance of the book here, too. But, uh I wrote the section on Kershaw County. Uh I'm the one that took the picture of the court of the current courthouse in Kershaw County. Uh I'm the one here also worked with uh the county for Tommy Cooper to have a court session in the old courthouse. Uh the Robert Mills courthouse. Uh you're very lucky in Kershaw County to have to still have a Robert Mills courthouse. A lot of Robert Mills courthouses were torn down over the years, and so you're very lucky to for Kershaw County to still have to have maintained their uh a courthouse of Robert Mills courthouses. But, uh like I said, I could go on and on and on about different aspects of the book, but I hope to you will take the opportunity and I'm and I'm very privileged to come here and present a copy to you. Um I'm very happy that uh I can make this copy available to Kershaw County and County Council for their >> Thank you very much. >> Danny, would you hand it to the chair, please? >> And I I can't promote uh your sales from up here, but I am personally curious. Is it just available online? >> Yes, it's available online. >> Because a few of us up here have have probably been in just about every courthouse that you'll have listed in there. So, that's That's a very unique project that you've done, and I'm glad that you're able to feature Kershaw County. >> Yeah, it's I want to tell everybody that, Ben. Yeah, it's uh you can we got I left um the the clerk with some information on the courthouse. It's uh sccourthouses.com is the website. So, if you want to go on the website, you can go sccourthouses.com, and you can pull up more information about the information. I've got some flyers here, too. Bridge got some, and I'm going to leave some right here in case anybody's interested. >> Thank you for that information. Uh Councilman, any discussion? Any comments? Mr. Jones. >> Just want to say thank you, Clay. Appreciate you being here. >> I just wanted I just want our chairman to clarify why he was in all those courthouses, was it for work? >> I was defending Russell Brazel >> [laughter] >> in numerous legal matters, but due to attorney-client privilege, I'm not able to disclose exact nature of those matters. >> Yeah, I will I will say well I'll end with this too is like I said, South Carolina has has got a very diversified group of courthouses around South Carolina and they are very uh, interesting to go if you've got some time to look at some look at this book and look at some of the courthouses cuz they would be very interesting to go and see some of the old courthouses cuz we we're very blessed to have some brand new courthouses along with some old historical courthouses. >> If I may Mr. Jones, please. >> I see Steven smokes out there. Of course Clay Worthy Stevens as well, too. One thing that Clay said to me and it it Clay meant a lot. I said, "What do you miss most about Kershaw County?" He said, "Jimmy Jones." Thank you. >> [laughter] >> He was yeah, he's very close to my neighbor. Yes, sir. >> One of the things I wanted to point out Mr. Young was the Kershaw County part of this book. Myself and Mr. Jones talked about this before before the meeting tonight and it has a picture of Mr. Albert Kirkland >> Kirkland does. >> And for us old-timers in law enforcement, we can remember him being the court crier. And if any of you's ever heard a court crier, he would call the session into order. You could always hear him out front going, "Hear ye, hear ye, hear ye." And it I mean, he would shout to the >> The last one. He was the last one. >> last one here in Kershaw County and he would shout it to the top of his lungs. And I can still remember hearing him and it's a very it's it's very special if you've ever heard it and it's very unique. But I just wanted to point that out. >> Yeah, I'm glad you brought that up, too, cuz he was the last one. Mr. Jones was right. He he was the last last crier that they had in the state. >> Mr. Jim. >> Yes, sir, Mr. Tucker. >> Uh, thank you. Uh, Mr. Clay Young, I I can't say thank you enough. Um, it was uh, great working with you when you were here. Um, we know that two things about you. you're a financial wizard and you're historian buff. So, those are the things that that you carried dear and near to you. Um >> [clears throat] >> this book on the courthouses, I need you we need you to write one more on how do you finance a new courthouse? I do not want to repeat Lancaster County's way of getting one. I don't think the people will be proud of us, but we do need to be able to to fund and look at the future and they're so expensive to do now and keep the historical value of what the original courthouse is. But, thank you for all of you have done for Kershaw County and for the other 45 counties on your tour here of gathering all this information and you know the door's always open here. This is home even though your son is still be living here, you know, you always got an invite to come up here and visit the administration council, whatever you need. But, thank you for all your hard work. >> Thank you, Mr. Tucker. Mr. Shumpert. >> Yeah, I just want to echo everyone's thanks. The book is amazing. We all got a chance to look at it and I actually bought two copies. So, cuz it's pretty cool. They'll be it's really amazing too cuz it's not like you pointed out not just the courthouse information but the history stuff for 46 counties. I can't imagine the undertaking. So, thank you. I mean we don't get enough of that South Carolina specific history. So, thank you so much. >> Thank you, Mr. Shumpert. Council members, any other comments or discussion? >> Clay, I'd like to say thanks to you. We've talked about this previously. I think it's real interesting and I wanted to answer Sammy's question. I don't know how to finance it, but I know when to finance it. It will be right after we fully fund EMS. >> [laughter] >> They're probably Thank you for coming out. >> Thank you. I want to play thank y'all for letting me come. >> Appreciate you very much. No further votes required. That concludes public presentations. Again, thank you so much. Gentlemen, next up on the agenda is item number 8A approval of the minutes. Do we have a motion? >> Make a motion we approve the minutes. >> Mr. Cato has a motion. Is there a second? >> Second. >> We have a second from Mr. Tucker. Any discussion on the minutes? >> Thank you, Mr. Anna. >> Yes, thank you, staff, for putting that together. Thank you very much. Seeing no discussion, we'll move to a vote. All in favor of the minutes, raise your hand. It is >> Abstaining. >> Oh, that's right. Mr. Brazell Brazell is absent, so he's abstaining. Otherwise, it's unanimous in favor for those who are present and voting. Minutes are approved. All right. Um onto ordinances. So, the first one that we're going to have is item number 9F. This is a second reading. First reading occurred on May 12th, 2026. This is a second reading for an ordinance authorizing um a fee in lieu of ad valorem taxes agreement between Kershaw County, South Carolina, company identified as Project Ballast, and related to one or more sponsor affiliates. Um And special SS This also includes uh I'm just getting past the summaries that I usually use. SSRC credits. It's special source revenue credits for the benefit of project in the county. Do we have a motion on second reading? >> I'll make a motion. >> Mr. Shumpert has a motion. Do we have a second on second reading? >> Second. >> We have a second from Mr. Tucker. Mr. Shumpert, you have the floor. >> Um I'll yield uh enough for one explanation from the uh county attorney. Otherwise, I yield. >> So, uh this FILOT has a um anticipated investment of 900 million, a minimum investment of uh >> Mr. Brazell, if you could grab the mic just so people can hear a little better. >> This has a um approximate intended investment of 900 million. Uh believe the floor investment for FILOT qualification here is the super fee low floor 400 million anticipates 15 new full-time jobs of course locks a military and 4% assessment ratio the fees based on ultimate payment for megawatt hours further details would defer to economic development and Mr. Burgess. >> Could you also explain the SSR C? >> Correct. So the special source revenue credit will allow um basically a credit against investments in the site facility property acquisition um property development essentially allows a industry to back out and get credit for those land development costs that went into the project and it's typically signed again you sign it as a percentage of the what would have been the normalized tax amount. >> Okay. Thank you Mr. Shumake you still have the floor. >> No I just you know I know there's been some talk of this tonight there's been some talk on social media I think you know I've personally met with the folks doing this and done some of my research I'm going to be supportive of this tonight. This would be as I understand it the largest economic development project Kershaw County's ever done and you know I think it's important to note that the use that is being done here is an allowed use this is not a use that is not allowed or prohibited at that site what we're doing voting here is solely as in a tax package which are very common for these sizes of business again this does not authorize the business nor does it prohibit it it is a permitted use and so again I think this you know given the economic revenue my own research about the risk and benefits of these types of projects I'm I'm for this for Kershaw County. >> Mr. Shumpert, thank you. uh Mr. Tucker, you have the second. >> Uh yes, I would just like to ask and I know we have um copies. I think Miss Hannah may have them or they're floating around on um these questions that was given to us. Um can we get those and then I would like to sit down either with staff >> in public presentation tonight? >> Right, in public comments. >> Public comment, I mean public comment tonight. >> Yeah, uh and get with staff and Mr. Burgess and just uh I've heard a lot about the uh project malice, but um those were some legitimate questions that I would like to know the answer to uh before third reading, please. So, that's the that's the only question or comment I have. >> Thank you, Mr. Tucker. Council members, any other comments or discussion? Any questions? >> I do. >> Mr. Chairman, >> I would like to ask uh either the county attorney or Mr. Burgess, I I've got a question that I want Well, not a question. I want something explained to the people here. I want the explanation of what is the reason for the first title title first reading of title only and the disclosure um law that we have. I because a lot of people don't understand that and I'd like for that to be explained. >> So, uh two things. Um first reading in title only um and occur, they're allowed in state law um often utilized by um counties to advance matters. Um second part of the question regarding uh project code names. Um Mr. Burgess could probably be way further in the weeds than me, but um it's generally to protect the privacy of the industry that's going to come in and I say privacy in that um a lot of industries um might be first to a certain market or might face other competitors trying to locate um if they catch wind of it. Um further, um, a business's expansion plans or location plans, um, can again also impact competitors, but also land and market speculation, um, around the project. So, uh, again, it is a privacy mechanism uh, routinely used for fee low SSRC projects, um, and again, it is to more or less protect the business interest in the early stages of the, um, project sponsor. Um, public hearing notices and, uh, will often reveal again the exact industry name and typically the industry name is placed in the third reading version of of any economic incentive. >> Thank you. >> And if you could share how, just real quick, how many days in advance do the public, um, hearing notices go out? >> Uh, 15 days in advance, uh, due to the unique timing of the Chronicle Independence publication schedule and your all's meeting schedule, uh, the notices, in fact, end up being, um, it's a 15-day notice, but because of the publication, it ends up being basically a, um, 21-day notice, 20-day notice. >> That That's fine. Thank you. Thank you for clarifying that. Uh, I got several things that I want to say say tonight in reference to this project. I know that it is a huge economic impact to Kershaw County and I recognize that. It could bring a lot of good stuff. Maybe it help fund EMS. But, and and I want to say this before I get to my butt. I have talked numerous times with Mr. Casey. And I appreciate your time that you've spent with me. And he's been very attentive. If someone wanted to talk to him, I know he's called him, he's talked with him. And I appreciate that more than he knows. And he'll probably have more phone calls and more questions, a lot more questions. I grew up in this area. For many years I lived in that community. Family, friends, and loved ones that I care for deeply live in that area. I can't sit here and discredit this company cuz the company's done everything that so far that I've asked him to do and I've got a few more things if this goes forward tonight, I've got more things I want them to do because there's a lot of things that I feel like maybe some of the property owners, especially adjacent to this, needs to needs to have their answers if if it goes forward. But I cannot, with a clear heart and a clear conscience, vote for this tonight. I cannot turn my back on the people that I was raised around in the community that I was raised around. When I ran for this office, my motor my motto was to be the voice of the people. I may not agree with everything that was said tonight, but I'm going to be the voice for the people up there. And tonight, I'm sorry, but I cannot support this tonight. >> Thank you, Councilman Cato. >> [applause] >> Mr. Jones. >> Well, I I want to start by there's no wrong or right here, it's just what your priorities are, how you feel. And I I'm very proud of you, Mr. Cato. I really am. That was well said and and I'm going to tell you, Tommy and Susan and the rest of you, Miss Gainey, you know, I've known a lot of y'all's families for many years and uh I have a lot of friends over there, but I always said when I ran for this office 20 years ago >> [snorts] >> that I would always put people before money. Let me tell you something. This is a lot of money. I mean, it's it's a big operation and you know, of course, I listened to what they mean and it sounds really good and everybody's done their due diligence and their job. But when you talk about how much 900 900 what? >> million >> 900 million and 15 jobs, something worries me there a little bit, but that's just that's just me. That's just me. And I but I tell you, these are good people up here. I know they're doing what they think is right, but I have to side with Mr. Cato tonight. There's no way I could look you folks in the eye and uh vote for something like this that might affect your your your livelihood or your where you live. So, having said that, that's how I've been that way for 20 years and I'm not going to change now. I've got 6 months left. But uh I I would hope that we could have a little more clarification and understanding as to what's going on. And you know, I might could support it, but I but let me let me tell you this, I always said this and I Steve and Smokey, he's probably gone and he know what he knows how I am. I always said if property owners voted against don't want it, protest against it, I'm not going to support it. Cuz you got to go back to putting the people over the money. We'll be okay with or without this. Okay? But anyway, that's just my position and I mean, no ill intent to my colleagues up here, okay? I I really don't. They're doing what they think is right. I'm doing what I think is right, but I'm not going to change my mind. That's just where I feel, so thank you. >> Thank you, Mr. Jones. Any other council members who haven't Any other council members who have not spoken yet wish to speak? >> I'd like to >> I'd like [clears throat] to say I'd like to say one thing. Do I see Mr. Rollins? Good to see you, sir. It's been a long time. An old friend. It's good to see you tonight. Um Bethune, I'm standing with you tonight. >> [applause] >> Okay, thank you, Mr. Brazell. Mr. Thomas. >> I just wanted to to clarify that by having second reading of this FILO, there's no agreement going forward that a power plant is going to come, right? This is just a an agreement that we have put in place setting some parameters. It could eventually not come. Is that correct? >> Uh I would defer to legal counsel and administrator, but as I understand it, yes, hypothetically anything is possible. >> Yep. So, it we're not by passing this second reading, there's no setting stone. >> No, by by second reading, it's just saying on second reading prior to third reading, it is moved on to the next step so it could be voted on and researched further. >> Uh one last question. So, if it say we were to go third reading in a couple years down the road, we are coming and facing having a gas-powered plant coming in Bethune, we would then have the ability to look at setbacks and measures in place decommissioning to make sure that all the environmental aspects will be taken care of. Is that that correct? >> So, yeah, the I believe this use type is allowed within the ZOLDR and it would prescribe the development standards that would apply to any any um gas plant that is placed >> Yeah. >> in the service or developed, yes. And to the earlier question, um these economic incentive agreements certainly make the projects feasible from an economic standpoint, but there's uh no guarantee um often happens, but there's no guarantee that a project will proceed. Um Point in fact, this county's approved some solar projects that um the economics and the relationship with Santee Cooper just didn't work out, and um solar projects did not proceed that were approved through FILOTs and and whatnot. So, >> One of them potentially was on this property or one right near there that didn't pan out, right? That we did an agreement similar to this. Um I just wanted to to kind of have that stated for the record and for everybody's knowledge, but thank you. >> Thank you, Mr. Thompson. So, I never beat around the bush. I'll go ahead and say for second reading tonight, I can support it, and I want to explain my rationale. I'm open to hearing from everyone else that would like to contact me. My cell phone's available publicly online, or I'll share it with you tonight, whoever's interested. Um I have received a few calls. I've heard uh I got a couple emails, and I've gone through the data and researched as best as I can, also relying on staff and other professionals um about some of the objections that were raised. Um first off, I even heard reference tonight a Colleton County location, which I think would be in the town of Canady's or or I'm not sure if I'm not pronouncing that right. Um that's a little bit apples and oranges because that project would be roughly or I think a little over 2,300 MW. The one that we're considering tonight would be approximately 500 MW. That project would be approximately five times larger than the one that we're [clears throat] talking about here. And in some ways, that's governed by the utilities that are accessible potentially at the site. For those folks that live in the area, there is a large gas line that goes through your area historically, and there's a large electric transfer lines that go through your area historically, and it is zoned appropriately for this type of use. So, somebody can come in and and uh do this. It's appropriate for the land as the zoning code goes. So, I respect property rights and there are particular property rights involved in this piece of property. Um, the next thing I would mention is the Kennedy's project, the one that was 2300. That's the only one I've heard reference right now as as a possible issue for 2300 [clears throat] megawatts. It was being proposed on a brownfield site, which is, as I understand it, is a designated hazardous waste location. It was previously a coal-fired plant that did not have significant EPA restrictions, didn't have DES or DHEC prior to DES, uh, breathing down their throat to make sure they did the right thing. And, as I understand it, disturbance on that site would even cause potential issues, maybe health-wise or environmentally. And so, we are not looking at a project of that size or on a designated brownfield hazardous waste site. This is a location that is generally timber, and the property owner has apparently desired to sell the property, which, um, of course, I'm not involved with and no one up here is involved with. The property owner felt like it's the right time in their lives to do that. I've done the research to determine roughly there are 22 natural gas power plants in South Carolina. We've got 46 counties, there's roughly 22 of them. Um, and some of them are rolling on and rolling off. And, of those, I wasn't able to identify any reportable issues on significant health concerns or any, uh, clusters related to local natural gas sites. All of them appear to be less than half a mile, excuse me, over 50% of them appear to be less than half a mile from a the closest primary residence. And so, I'm still researching these issues. I'm trying to understand fully what might be in the best interest of Kershaw County overall. Um, but those who have my email and have already emailed, please email me again if I've missed anything or there's other things we need to consider prior to third reading. Or again, please feel free to call my cell phone. Always the best way to reach me. Uh, any other comments or there from council members? Seeing none, we'll move it to a vote. On uh second reading, again, this is 9F. All in favor, raise your hand. >> [clears throat] >> That is Shoemake, Tucker, Connell, and Tomlinson in favor. All opposed on 9F, raise your hand. That is Brazil, Cato, and Jones opposed. It passes second reading and is sent up for the record. All right, thank you, gentlemen. That moves us to the next item on the agenda, which is item number 9B. Another uh economic development project. This is an ordinance authorizing the execution and delivery of a special source revenue credit agreement. Again, that's that SSRC we talked about under the prior one. Um between Kershaw County and a company known as Project Gemstone with respect to certain certain economic development uh property in the county. The property will receive under this agreement a special source revenue credit agreement and benefit and other matters related to the thereto. First reading, as reflected in the agenda, was on June 9, 2026. Do we have a motion? >> [clears throat] >> I'll make that motion. >> All right, we have a motion in favor. Mr. Cato, is there a second? >> I'll second. >> Mr. Shoemake has a second. Mr. Cato, you have the floor. >> Uh turn it over to our county attorney and let him explain the details of this motion. >> So, this is special source revenue credit of 50% during the credit term for the project. Um so, essentially, 50% um reduction of of um ad valorem at a 6% assessment rate at ratio. Um sets millage, uh minimum investment uh is 100 million uh within 10 years, 150 FTEs um within 10 years for minimum job creation. There's a 10-year investment period, 30-year credit term. Um and the nature of the project is commercial resort development. Uh Um more granular details, I believe project representatives are here for again any any more granular details, but those are the high points of the SSR C. >> Thank you, Mr. Cato. Anything further? >> Nothing further. >> Mr. Chairman >> Mr. Shumake, you had a second. >> Can you Can you repeat those numbers right quick on the just the highlights? >> Mr. DeBose, could you hit the numbers and then the SSR C reduction for Mr. Tucker, please? >> Correct. >> So the um summary agreement page uh has minimum investment of 100 million within 10 years. Um 150 full-time jobs within 10 years. Sets a 6% assessment 0.3413 uh millage. There is a annual escalator on that. Um You've got a 50% uh SSR C credit during a credit term of 30 years. And again, those job creation investment um periods are uh 10 years. >> Thank you. >> Mr. Chair >> Um one second, Mr. uh Shumake, you had the second. Do you yield? >> Yes, sure. >> Mr. Jones >> you know, I I think it's if Mr. Smoke's representing the company, can he come just give us some clarification? >> Okay, Mr. Smoke. Yes, sir. >> I've got uh Mr. Jones, and if I may ask the our attorney a question quickly just to clarify >> Absolutely. >> something. The 50% SSR C credits, um in addition to the fixed millage rate, um would that be the equivalent of a a 3% rate or how does that affect the ad valorem tax? >> So, it really the tax is impacted by um the investments received. Are you asking um total dollar amounts? I mean >> No, no, no, no. Just the the it set the fee low is set at 6%. Is that correct? >> Correct. >> With an additional 50% in SSRC credits. Is that correct? >> Yeah, I think a gross way of looking at it is yes. It's essentially a 50% reduction in the taxes owed. >> Is that for how many years? >> Um that is for the 30-year term. It's got a 30-year credit term, 10-year investment term. >> Is it a renewable term or year 31 does it change? >> investment terms are just set. Yes, it's a 30-year 30-year credit term set. Year 31, no more SSRC. >> So then it be set the millage rate will be the 2027 millage rate. Is that correct? >> I believe so. >> Versus 2026. >> Well, >> I just wanted to clarify that. >> The millage rate for the next 7-8 is not known. The 6-7 I believe was utilized in this agreement. So present millage rate. >> So 2026 millage rate is utilized. Well, good. It's a buzzer beater, Mr. Smoke. [laughter] >> You know, >> I'll just note historically it Mr. Jones will get back to you because you have the floor. I'll just note historically the highest SSRC in Kershaw County ever issued was 70% and so this is significantly below that. Mr. Jones. >> Well, you know, I'd like to say thank you for allowing me Mr. Smoke to come and speak having worked eight years with him here. I do have a trust in him. I've learned a lot from him over the years and I thank you for being here. And I seriously I'm going to look at your your your your advice is going to be a big part of my decision tonight. Thank you. >> Thank you, Councilman. >> I mean, it may not be 100% but I mean it's going to be >> Mr. Smoke gave me permission to share but we'll go ahead and have him share. Could you let the public know beyond Mr. DeBose's kind of uh entertainment description, what is the project going to be? >> Certainly. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Council, it's always an honor to to be in front of you and and that's no different this evening. So on On of my client, I am here to reveal that project gemstone is uh Candleroot Lodge Golf. Okay, I've been here uh in front of you before, so I don't think that's a big secret. Uh but on a really high level, I want to go over just very briefly a few of the important aspects of the project. Uh there will be four golf courses built when once it's fully built out, along with an additional par-3 course. Uh there will be a wellness element, um walking trails, uh at least one restaurant. Uh eventually accommodations, uh but most importantly, uh my client is really anticipating just being a part of the community here in Kershaw County. And um you know, we look forward to working with y'all. Uh it's going to be a a project that will take a number of years to to build. As you heard the details, it's a it's a 10-year build-out. Uh those job numbers, we feel very confident about, 150 jobs. The investment, $100 million. It's a significant investment. And um happy to answer any other questions that that you guys might have about the project. I have Gary Morris is here as well uh with uh Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd, and he's uh played a role in in this as well. So, um just thank you for your time and your consideration. >> Thank you, Mr. Smoke. Council members, Mr. Tucker. >> Yes, uh Mr. Smoke, how are you, sir? >> Very good. Thank you. >> Yes, it's good to see you. >> Hope you're well. >> you you sit here and approve some of these uh deals on these ordinances and saw where um the timetable has actually increased where, you know, you in year 10 or 12 of the 30 years that we need renegotiated because things are going so well before it ever gets to the uh 30-year or the 20-year mark. Is Is fair statement? >> Uh from what I recall, yes, they all varied. >> Right. >> Um there were certainly some like that from what I recall. >> And and this this has that potential, too, as it grows. We don't know what the crystal ball that we don't have what it tells, but I I feel that it's going to blossom and have a great positive effect on the area up there, and so for these reasons, I will be supporting it tonight. >> Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Tucker. Any other comments, questions? Mr. Shemick? >> Yeah, I just want to say thank you for coming. And obviously, anytime I see a former councilman up here, I always want to say thanks for your service cuz I know it's a substantial amount and the work you've done. You know, you've been here as part of the smart growth group, so you understand sort of the pains we've had with growth. And I think this sort of applies across the board to this project and the last project, which is, and I've said this before, you know, we've we've done a lot to limit some of this residential explosion we've seen. But a county grows or it dies. It's about how it grows. If there's not a single person in here that wouldn't want to look out of their backyard and see 100 acres of farmland as their view every day. We would all want that. But unless you own that 100 acres, your ability to demand that it stay farmland is only so constricted or is quite constricted in, you know, in both of these examples, we're talking about people that had farmland that tried to create something for themselves that also will benefit the county. And if we say no to residential growth, and if we say no to industrial growth, and we say no to the other types of growth, then we're going to die. And we have to move forward. And you cannot tell someone who owns 100 acres that you can not sell your land. You have to sit on it. Your family doesn't get to make money off of it. So, people And that's a balance. And I think we've created that balance in the last vote. And I'm extremely supportive of this because by opening the door to industry and projects, you get things that create huge economic development and things that I think people can really get behind like a golf course. But you have to be attractive to businesses. And so, I appreciate you being here for the business because I think it's critical. I think it's a great use of this this land. And I think the people are going to benefit greatly from it and creating jobs. So, again, thank you. I'm obviously extremely supportive of this project as I was with the last one. >> Thank you, Mr. Shoemake. Mr. Cato. >> Mr. Shoemake, I just want to clarify and again, thank you. You we've spent a many hours on the phone talking and discussing this project, but I want to clarify tonight and I want you to say it again. This involves absolutely zero residential development. >> That is correct. >> Thank you, Mr. Cato. Any other questions? Mr. Jones. >> I just say Mr. Shoemake, you genuinely earned my vote tonight. I'm going to vote in favor cuz I had some questions, but that was important what you just said too about zero residential growth and some other things. Thank you so much. >> Thank you, counselor. Thank you, Mr. Jones. >> double. >> You can't get the owner to move now? >> What's that? >> You can't get the owner to move to Kershaw County? >> Well, we're working on that. We're working on that. >> Thank you, Mr. Shoemake. I think that's all the discussion and questions we have. Seeing no further discussion or questions, we'll move it to a vote. This is 9B on second reading. All in favor raise your hand on Gemstone. Miss Hannah, it is unanimous in favor and it passes on second reading. That's 9B. This brings us to item number 9C on the agenda. It's an ordinance to amend the agreement for the development of a joint industrial park between Kershaw County and Fairfield County. It increases the boundaries of park of the park by adding certain real property associated with economic development and the project known as Gemstone. This is generally a state law requirement for adding and making projects eligible for fee loaders or SSRCs. First reading on June 9th, 2026. Do we have a motion on second reading on Gemstone? >> Make a motion we pass. >> Mr. Tucker has a motion. Is there a second? >> I'll second. >> We have a second from Mr. Cato. Any further discussion on second reading 9C? Seeing none, we'll move it to a vote. All in favor on 9C raise your hand. Ms. Hannah, it is unanimous and passes on 9C second reading. Item number 9D is a second reading related to a lease of real property that the county has at 632 West DeKalb Street and it's in relation to the Department of Natural Resources first reading on June 9th, 2026. Do we have a motion on second reading? >> I'll make that motion, Chairman. >> Mr. Cato has a motion, is there a second? >> Second. >> We have a second from Mr. Tucker, any discussion? This is a bit of a housekeeping thing. Thank you so much. Seeing no discussion, we'll move it to a vote. All in favor on 9D, raise your hand. It is unanimous in favor, Ms. Hannah. 9D passes. >> I would like to briefly say thank you, Mr. DeBose, for taking care of these leases. >> Next up is another lease, item number 9E, second reading. It's a lease of property at 632 West DeKalb Street owned by Kershaw County related to the Forestry Commission commission. >> [clears throat] >> First reading was also on June 9th. Do we have a motion on second reading? >> I'll make that motion, uh Mr. Chairman. >> Mr. Cato has the motion, is there a second? >> Second. >> Mr. Tucker has the second. Any discussion on 9E second reading? >> Mr. Chairman, it's the same thing, just uh clearing up some housekeeping on lease of a property. >> Yes, sir. Thank you, sir. Seeing no further discussion or questions and nothing from staff, we'll move it to a vote. All in favor on 9E, raise your hand. Ms. Hannah, it is unanimous and passes second reading, that's 9E. We've already addressed item number 9F, so we can move uh to the next item. This is um series of third readings that we have up next, so this will be the third and final reading. First one is 9G. This is an ordinance to amend the code of ordinances in Kershaw County uh amending article four related to building codes and the Board of Adjustments and appeals so that it conforms more naturally with the administrative appeals procedure set forth in the IBC or international building code. We had first and second reading as indicated in the agenda. Do we have a motion? >> [clears throat] >> I'll make the motion. >> Mr. Shewmaker has the motion. Is there a second? >> Second. >> Mr. Tucker has the second. Any discussion on third reading for 9G? >> It's just a clean up ordinance like the other one so that we our stuff comports with state law. That's it. >> Any further discussion from council members? And we have nothing from staff so we'll move it to a vote on third reading 9G. All in favor raise your hand. It is unanimous on 9G third reading and it passes fully. Miss Hannah. Item number 9H is the next one up. Third reading relates to an ordinance by Kershaw County Council authorizing the issuance of GO bonds or general obligation bonds. It's $2 million. This is the same matter that we had the public hearing on earlier related to acquiring, constructing, and equipping, rehabilitating, and improving the county's wastewater infrastructure and other capital projects. We have first and second reading already already occurring as indicated in the agenda. Do we have a motion on third reading 9H? >> I'll make that motion. >> Mr. Shewmaker has the motion. Is there a second? >> I will second it. >> Mr. Tucker has the second. Any discussion, questions, or comments on third reading? Seeing none, we'll move it to a vote. All in favor on third reading for 9H raise your hand. That is Shewmaker, Tucker, Connell, Cato, and Tomlinson in favor. All opposed on 9H. That is Brazell and Jones [clears throat] opposed. It passes on third reading. Miss Hannah, for the record. And then we have two other items I mentioned we're going to move up prior to third reading of the budget. This is so that they can be considered appropriately in the budget. So before we get to 9I, we will have item numbers [clears throat] 10D and 10E in that order. So first we'll take the finance committee update and related budget amendment. >> say D and then E? Okay. >> Yeah. First item number 10D. Do we have a motion to get the finance committee update? Mr. Tucker. >> Mr. Chairman, I make a motion that we get an update. We got a motion. Is there a second? >> I'll second. >> Mr. Cato has a second. You have the floor. >> Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you my colleagues. Um just wanted to brief you on some things that um finance committee met last Thursday um morning approximately about 9:30. The three of us and um we did have a um request that we heard on the pro rate judge's request. So um that motion is in your packet. Um it is proposed as revenue neutral. Um it is recommended by the finance committee that we approve that. It's like a holding place. If something falls through, we've had conversation and I'm pretty sure most of y'all have already talked to the pro rate judge as well, Miss Debbie Branham. Um we have to get a MOU uh discussed, written, and signed. Uh we'll be working on that immediately after we get this uh approved in the budget if we so do tonight. Um and I'm going to ask the finance committee is going to ask for your support on that. Um and then staff will dive into a MOU that has to come back before us to be approved. So it'll outline a lot of the a lot of the details on where the money's spent, what the duties are, when you're going to be paid, those type things. So with that, that's pretty much the update on it. Um we had another uh um Trying to think. We talked about several other things um >> [snorts] >> in the finance committee that is not brought before your favor, but we were um we're going to be looking at those for the 27 28 year. Um the finance committee will be meeting after the 4th of July on a regular basis just to get a head start on some um clean up stuff that we got to do financially and reports and then give staff time to close out so we can um get those numbers to report back to you. And at this time, I'm just going to ask my colleagues, is there anything they'd like to say? Councilman Donaldson? >> I'm all good, Mr. Tucker. >> Okay. Councilman Schumacher? >> Yeah, just on the probate judge thing, just to be very clear, uh what this does is all the vote that we're doing tonight, the amendment just creates an account. It does not fund the account. The funding's going to come from Judge Branum working with the state to develop a contract. So, these funds will come in uh be dispersed through this contract. And so, this will be a revenue addition, a revenue stimulus to the county. It will be very little to no cost up front beyond just a tiny amount of personnel time to do the initial contract. So, this is a way to treat some mental health folks throughout the state, allow Judge Branum to do that while also increasing uh some income into the probate court system. So, it's something that Judge Branum's on board with, her staff's on board with, and it's a revenue positive for the county. >> Mr. Schumacher? >> Yes, sir. Mr. Jones? >> Well, uh yeah. I'm really appreciative Mr. Schumacher of your involvement in this and Mr. Tucker, yours as well, too, because I was supporting her in the very beginning on the first proposal I think she brought to you. But, you recognized some things that needed to be addressed. I appreciate that. I think you did a good job, and I certainly support this memorandum of understanding. Thank you. >> Thank you, Mr. Jones. Any other comments or discussion? Well, and I'll just state for the record to the finance committee has before us three appropriate potential motions when we get to item number I and they will be have to have to be made in the form of a motion. First one is the probate judges finance committee presented recommendation and then there is a properly submitted A-tax amendment which the administrator is about to take us through in item number 9E. And then there's a grants amendment which is properly submitted related to a proviso in the budget. Beyond that any further discussion, comments or questions? Okay, seeing none. >> Can you explain the budget? >> That's going to be the next part. >> Yeah, the next budget's up next and just for clarification belt and suspenders Mr. DeBose, we are just receiving a finance committee update no votes required. >> Correct. These these finance reports and recommendations would be more properly motions within item 9I the budget itself. >> Correct. Thank you. All right. No votes required. That concludes item number 9D. Next up we have item number excuse me that was 10D. Item number 10E A-tax recommendations placed on the agenda by the administrator Mr. Templar. Do we have a motion? >> Make a motion that we hear from the A-tax. >> Okay, we have a second. >> Second. >> All right. All in favor on this presentation. Go ahead. >> Thank you Mr. Chairman members of council. We have Casey Brazell here from the A-tax commission to give the presentation and make her case. So if I can get her >> Make her case. You don't have to do it in all 46 counties that we just mentioned in that book. Miss Brazell, yes ma'am. >> Hello council and administration and all everybody here. My name's Casey Brazell. I'm here on behalf of the A-tax committee and I'm here to present the F-27 um budget for you guys, and it I do believe that it's in your packet. Um it's we didn't have as much as as last year, but we've allotted as best as we could to everybody, and I think that you'll be pleased with the outcome that we've given to the grants. We also wanted to mention that um last year and the previous years, you had to submit grants on paper, but this year, there'll also be a website, and so you'll be able to go to the website and submit grants there as well. And one last thing that I would like to mention is that our new chair that we elected is Monica Frazier, so if you have any questions, she would probably know more than I would, but I will be glad to look into anything that you need. I've really taken this seriously, and I've researched and written down lots of things, so if you have any questions, you know where to find me. And do y'all have any questions now? >> Any questions or comments from council? No flirting, Mr. Brazell. >> [laughter] >> Mr. Jones, go ahead. >> to go first. I I have some comments. Thank you for being here, and thank you for the work you do, and then you present it so well. I will say this, I didn't know that you I thought you were here just to be staring at Russell all night, but you did a good [laughter] job on that presentation. >> She got better things to do, Councilman Jones. >> Thank you. Thank you. >> Thank you, Mr. Jones. Council members, any other Sorry, good. Mr. Tucker. >> I just want to say to Ms. Brazell, thank you for your willingness to serve. That is huge in our county, and people like you which makes the county so much better when you're able to take your family time and your professional time and give back to uh the citizens of Kershaw County, and I saw your recommendations uh week, and I uh I'm wholeheartedly in support. >> Yes. I thought you've been fair to everybody, but y'all had an incredible amount of requests that you couldn't fund if you wanted to. >> Yes, we we were kind of surprised at some of the numbers we saw, but I really appreciate that and and I love to learn and I'm just learning more and more about the county every day. So, thank you guys. >> Thank you, Mr. Tucker. Any other comments? >> Just that thank you again. That's awesome work. I know it was a tough year for a tax, so thanks. >> Mr. Brazell. Nope. >> I've confirmed that this is not a conflict of interest for you. You can vote on this one. >> [laughter] >> But it doesn't mean I need to speak. >> No, you don't have to. >> You better thank your wife. >> This will solve things at home, I'm sure. >> All right. Thank you so much, Kathy. We appreciate your service very much. >> Thank you. >> All right, no votes required, but it should be presented as motion when we get to item number I. Uh that concludes that matter. And now we will move to item number 9I. This is third reading of the budget. Do we have a motion on third reading of the budget? First reading and second reading occurred as indicated in the agenda. Go ahead. >> Um I would like to uh make the motion and find it, but uh to um Okay. I would like to Okay, I would like to adopt the 2026-2027 uh budget for Kershaw County. Uh >> All right, let's get to um a second. Think we have a motion. We have a second. And then I'm open to entertaining um as a slate. I I want to make sure one thing, Mr. DeBose. We're not required to have Lugoff Fire present at all. They're okay. We just adopt theirs. I just want to make sure we adopt the presentation that happens under 10A. >> Correct. >> Okay, I just want to make sure. All right, I'm open to entertaining the uh the three amendments that would could be appropriately before the body as a slate if the body is open to that. >> Okay. Um well, you want to do them as a slate all three at once? >> If there's a motion to amend, yeah, we could take them as a slate if there's no objection. >> With with a good explanation as to what you're talking about. >> We can break them down. >> You want to do it? >> Yeah. >> Um I would like first to address the probate judge that we um we approve a hundred and uh twenty thousand dollars for revenue neutral um funding to the probate judge office for mental health. Meaning that um we'll be able to um uh approve the one twenty or thereabouts, whatever comes in cuz this is new to us. And then um uh the expense should be that or less of what we take in. That is that is my motion. >> I second. >> You're doing them as a slate. >> Okay. Are you doing it nominations or >> No, no. Um I've got one more that I'm going to uh put on to this motion. >> All right, so that's the first part of the motion and then under your finance presentation we would technically have A-tax and the grants amendment. >> So um let's do the A-tax if you have that sheet in front of you. What uh I'd ask that we approve the hundred and seventy-five thousand five hundred and sixty-three dollars for the um A-tax recommendations from our committee. You've heard from one of our A-tax committee members. Um their request was um two forty-four two hundred but um we only had seventy-five five sixty-three. And then my last one is find it. Somebody help me out. The grants. Let's see if we have that. Have that written. Yeah, so let me um >> I'll jump it up. >> Let me make the motion to for uh grants and those with new personnel requests and um consider approve as a uh presentation with the budget adoption to a available budget match dollars. All other grants will require individual council approval prior to award acceptance. So, that is my motion. >> Okay, thank you, Mr. Tucker. Again, to summarize, Mr. Jones, and for any other council members interested, the motion would amend expenditures and revenue neutral related to the probate court, the A-tax amendment that we just had presented by Ms. Brazel, and then the grants amendment. And so, that is the slate on the budget amendment. It is on the floor as an amendment, and so we will discuss and then vote. >> Second. >> Okay, you got a second. >> Mhm. >> We have a second. Any discussion on the amendment before we get back to the original motion on the budget. I can support all of these. I'll just say that frankly there's not a lot of rhyme or reason to them. One of them is revenue neutral. The other one approves a amount of expenditures in A-tax that specifically are designated for tourism related purposes, and so we have to spend those monies in that way. And then the grants amendment frees us up to take advantage of grant opportunities. So, we're applying for funds, and we want to be able to receive those funds from granting entities, whoever they might be, and this budget provides or allows us to do that for the relevant fiscal year. >> Mr. Chair. >> Yes, sir. >> If I just may to share, I just want to make sure that everyone watching as well and who's out in the audience that these were all written out with the income and the expense into our budget prior to the budget being published. So, we followed our rules and and policies ordinance that we set. >> Okay, any other discussion or questions, Mr. Jones? >> Yeah, I do have some concerns. Just get some clarification. Um Is there it I know I won't be here probably, but that is there money in this budget, Mr. Templer, to where like if someone like Ms. Joan who came and spoke to us about her property and damage, if we deemed it was something that we were responsible for you could find the money to make sure that was fixed. >> So Mr. Jones, these would be more of like federal grants and grant matches, but with with that particular issue >> I wouldn't >> if we were liable for something or if we had to fix something then >> Okay. >> there would be funds available. >> And I'm sorry I wasn't clear. I I wasn't referring to the grants. I was referring to the budget overall. >> Understood. >> As far as what's there. Um What about the uh the EMS? For uh Liberty Hill. >> Uh you want me to address that Mr. >> Please. >> Um so the EMS um through our our growth and our reassessment has received a little over a million dollars and Mr. uh Templar can talk more in detail if he likes, but I've got some um information. Um we're going to um stand up another ambulance this year. Um we're doing um trying to finish up Battleship Road uh transition. Um we uh hired on the other four FTEs. So there's a lot of good things EMS actually got out of the budget from the natural growth and >> What what about Liberty Hill? >> Um right now we got a QRV up there. So we stand up another ambulance that's just going to give the countywide more services in whatever areas are needed. And these uh recommendations came from staff. Now um I'm happy to let Mr. um K uh K Templar let me uh Mr. Templar explain any further in detail or his staff member if he likes, but >> Can I just do a quick point of order? It It feels like I'm not I think this discussion is important, but right now we're discussing the amendments. So it seems more clear to get the amendments voted on. Just a thought. >> Um I I we I I agree. Excuse me. >> You Okay, so you yield? >> Yeah, yes, sir. >> Okay, I can only rule on points of order that are a controverted issue. It sounds like there's been a yield. Perfect. All right. Any other discussion on the budget amendment that has been submitted by Mr. Tucker. Again, that's on the amendment then we'll have to get back to the original motion to approve. >> Right. >> Any other discussion, comments, questions? >> Then I get my chance to >> You can talk generally about the the budget after we get through the amendment. >> Yeah, before exactly before we vote on it. Yes. Okay. >> Seeing no further discussion, we'll vote on the amendment. All in favor of the amendment, raise your hand. This is the Tucker amendment. That is everyone, so it's unanimous, Ms. Hannah. The amendment passes and now we're back on to the budget as amended. >> Correct. >> Uh amended. Any further discussion on the budget as amended? >> Okay, uh >> Any other Any council member wishing to speak that has not spoken yet? >> I would like to. >> Mr. Braswell, go ahead. >> Um so being that I represent Liberty Hill and had um requested EMS services in that area, we had discussed bearing the cab. >> [snorts] >> I was highly disappointed to learn that after especially after realizing the the amount of revenue increase that that we're having this year, that there was no allocation. Um I'll say thank you to Chairman Connell for a wonderful meeting yesterday with the administration and I'll say thank you to Danny as well as as our EMS leaders. Um they did provide some light on on the subject, but I can't enunciate that as well as they could. Is Will Glover here tonight? >> Yes, sir, he's standing by. >> I'm happy to go through it. >> I would um I would like to for the record hear from Mr. Glover as to how we are going to address these issues in phases moving forward as we discussed them yesterday and as I found it to be a very positive conversation. And I would I would like to um I would like to hear from him how that is going to be a positive influence for those areas because we heard loud and clear together at a town hall and we also heard loud and clear a couple of months ago from the community and tonight yet again we heard loud and clear from that community. So thank you Mr. Glover for being here. I appreciate the job that you do and um I I I really think you do Kershaw County a great job. So with that being said I'm going to yield to you, sir. >> Chairman members county council what I'll do is is kind of go back to how this all started FY26 and just kind of go go forward of of what we discussed yesterday. FY26 EMS initiated a phase staffing approach to scale our fleet from a five ambulances and two QRVs to optimal resource allotment of eight ambulances and three QRVs. Expansion directly targeted three regions of the county. The greater Camden area addressing high call volume. We were looking at the highway five corridor in Lugoff enhancing high growth and coverage over in that area. And then also the northern Camden region including Beaver Creek, Baron de Kalb, and Westville. FY26 Council was able to to pass as a body EMS billing rate increases which were able to stand up that first four FTEs towards our sixth ambulance. Um because of the economic um uncertainties, because of the government shutdown and different things, we we waited to hire those employees to make sure our revenue projections were going to meet uh actuals. So, moving into uh FY27, uh we were able to complete the four more FTEs to stand up the sixth ambulance moving into next year's budget to to help out the call volume in the greater Camden area. Uh that call volume pulls other units into that area a lot, so we have to address that high call volume. Uh also in FY27, uh we were looking at our Battleship Road infrastructure, which actually helps out the Highway 5 corridor issue. So, it talk Then we start looking more at that northern Camden issue. Uh also in FY27, we've allocated $300,000 for uh land purchase or renovations to support future expansions such as northern Camden. Um >> Could you say that one more time? >> [snorts] >> There's a There's a capital allotment for future station allocations. >> And that was You referred to that as North Camden. >> Yeah, yeah. >> But that's Bearing the Cab, to be clear. >> Correct. Yes. >> Okay. >> Yeah. >> I I just I This is going to be reported in the papers, and I want for the people who live in those areas to understand that we are working towards the goal of having a station at Bearing the Cab. >> Yes, that's That's the target right now. Northern Camden, Bearing the Cab would be the location right now. Yes. >> Okay. So, I I just wanted to clarify for anyone who would confuse Northern Camden with Bearing the Cab. That That is the the area in which we've we have a facility. >> [laughter] >> Um also want to highlight while working towards full station coverage in in certain areas, we've initiated a a roaming QRV program to where one of the two QRVs tries to roam to remote areas. We've logged 300 hours of that that time so far in rural zones. That is including Beaver Creek, Baron DeKalb, Westfall, Buffalo Mount Pisgah. So, we're we're trying to get our QRVs when they're not tied up on calls or other duties, we're trying to push them further out into some of the remote remote areas of the county. We will continue to try to do that and enhance that program as we move forward. >> Um >> Also, you know, with [snorts] uh the direction of of, you know, admin and council, we put together a package to where every year we're going to ask for four more FTEs. So, the goal would be every year if we could fund four more FTEs, we would stand up a a QRV one year and then an ambulance the next. A QRV one year and then an ambulance the next to try to reach that optimal eight ambulance, three QRV goals. Uh those if we got to eight ambulances, one more would go to the Westwater area, Highway 5 corridor, and then that one would be the northern Camden area, Baron DeKalb as it sits right now. >> So, to be clear, those would serve both sides of the lake in those far-reaching areas. >> Yes. Yeah. Yeah. We We've We're We're fixing the critical core of our call volume right now. If we were to push ambulances further out into the county without addressing high call volume areas, those ambulances further out in the remote areas would get sucked into the the town all the time, um reducing the effectiveness. So, you know, this this phased approach, we can do it with staffing, uh timelines, uh you know, as far as getting new stations or renovating stations or everything else, getting ambulances in, hiring staff, the phased approach will will get us there. >> If you had um the money today for those eight new staff members along with what you you've already been allocated, what would be the timeline for getting something implemented? >> Uh it would be well into probably 27. Um to to do anything I mean as as far as getting staff in, training them, hiring medics, or doing a EMT recruit class like we're we're starting to look at doing, uh ordering ambulances, getting them in, station renovations, the timeline expands. >> Is is there any part of that that we can start now without the allocations knowing that we're going to have the allocations in the future? >> That's what that capital projects line item would be for as far as um looking at the renovations or or additional station locations. And then also EMS has already started running in-house EMT classes. Then we took our EMTs and made them advance, you know, a certain amount. Uh starting in September, we're actually doing an advanced to paramedic program. So, we're training in-house already. We're trying to build our own in-house instead of trying to steal from other people. So, the training process has already started, and some of the programs that we would be looking at if we did do a big hire, that [clears throat] those processes are started with our training officer division in EMS. >> So, do you think we're losing months or years by waiting to fund it, or do you think that that we're going to still be able to streamline this process in in getting people to that Liberty Hill area in a reasonable amount of time? Because you know that's very important to me as it is to you as well. >> Major >> Yeah, I've I've got to bring up a point of order. So, to the extent we're getting outside of fiscal year 27 ending June 30, 27 expenditures or recommendations or budget items, we have to keep it at least the council's only given me permission to allow us all to talk about third reading of the budget. 2026 to June 30, 2027. And so, we can stay to recommendations within that window for spending to extent we go outside of that. We can put it on for another council meeting or talk about it in council briefings for a public presentation or some other form. >> Mr. Chair. >> Mr. Jones. >> I would like to ask for a point of order that I think this is all in the realm of where we're going with EMS and it's it's about cuz we were talking about funding it this time, but I don't think it's there, so you know, I don't see really how it's outside the border. Of course, then you're the chair and I respect your decision. >> Well, y'all can appeal the the rule point of order whatever. >> okay. I I've I've I've heard a lot of positive and I I feel like that we're going to be moving in that direction regardless. So, thank you. Um >> Any other comments or questions from from Mr. Glover, council members? >> Mr. Glover, I just want to thank you for for your hard work as well. I know um we've talked about this many years back and and trying to work towards this and Russell's kind of picked up the ball and and ran with it. And thank you, Russell, for for what you're doing, but I just want to thank you. I know that y'all work hard and I know that y'all want to do what's best for the communities and I I too think that we're headed in a positive direction. So, I just want to thank you for that. >> All right. Thank you, Mr. Glover. No other comments or questions for you. >> money. It takes money for it. >> Sir? >> I said in it all it takes money to fund it as well. >> Okay. Thank you, Mr. Jones. All right. So, we're back on the original motion. Any other discussion, comments, or questions on the original motion to approve the budget is 9I on third reading. >> If I may. >> Mr. Jones. >> I had I want to make a comment about the budget, something that was that bothered me. But I sat down with Mr. Templer and we got it straight out. One, the pecan orchard money is still in the budget. >> Yes, sir. It's it's held over. >> Got you. And you guys almost Councilman elect Jonathan going to make sure that gets taken care of, aren't we? Thank you so much. Uh also also I was when I read about the recycling centers closing on Sundays I said, "Oh my goodness, we're losing a full day there." But you informed me that you're also going to be open up a full day on Saturday where we've been open up on a half day on Saturday, correct? >> Correct for the landfill. >> And it would be a big savings. >> Correct. There are no savings in >> Yeah. Yeah, and that that made me feel better, you know, when I when we when you and I sat down and talked about that. So actually I mean, that really helped me in the direction I was going as far as my support. >> Yes, sir. >> You follow me? And I appreciate it. So you said what the new hours will be Saturday >> Mr. Mr. Jones, I'll just mention that to you. You know you're going to do that. Well, it's item number 10c on the agenda. >> I mean, I can't argue with you because I know you're right. >> will have a motion in a second on I anticipate soon. >> Anyway, thank you, Danny. >> Thank you. >> Thank you, Mr. Jones. >> I'm I have no argument. You're right. >> Thank you, Mr. Jones. I didn't see anything else from Oh, Mr. Tucker. Did you have your hand up? >> No. No. No. No. >> Okay. Staff, anything else on the budget before we move to a vote? >> No, sir. I appreciate everybody's hard work. >> Okay. >> Can I ask one more thing? >> Mr. Jones. >> This is pertaining to the budget. Now, this is a balanced budget with no current tax increase, correct? >> No millage increase. No >> Now, however, I want to make sure this clarification everybody would know this. With the reassessment and of course because they're 5 years, there will be a millage increase because of the reassessment which is mandated by the state to do. But this Council has not increased the millage one bit as far as the operations of this budget and the you know, the the the parts of this budget court. Correct? >> Correct. The The rate is the same from last year to this year. >> Okay. >> This budget >> Because it seems to be just a misunderstanding so I think with some of the citizens well, I thought you were raising taxes but I got a tax increase. Well, the reassessment is what's causing an increase in revenue. >> Correct. And and it's it's natural growth every year. >> Got you. Got you. I would thank and Mr. Chairman, thank you for not calling a point of order on me and thank you Mr. Chairman for >> That was very relevant to the budget. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. >> you. >> Mr. Tucker. >> Um uh >> [clears throat] >> I just want to tell staff how much we appreciate them. Um from Ms. Brown on down, Mr. Templer, um your two right-hand and left-hand folks, Ms. Branham and um well she's a leader now. Um And uh Mr. Blanchard, uh I want to thank my two colleagues that sit on finance with me. Um I know um how much time you've taken out of your schedules and stuff. Uh it's been a um a year of a lot of meetings up here. Uh and we're not complaining but we just want you to know that we do put in the time and the effort to make sure that we uh get best information from staff to move this budget along and um I know some of my colleagues have a hang-up on a a few things in the budget but I'm going to ask uh all of you that sit on this dais that if if you can in your heart uh please support the budget tonight. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. >> Thank you, Mr. Tucker. Any comments or discussion on the original motion to approve the agenda as amended? >> One last. >> Mr. Brazell. >> I'm very encouraged by what I heard from Mr. Glover and um Mr. Tucker, your words that you just spoke were heard. And I would like for everyone to hear mine. Please help us follow through with the EMS plan. >> How about my words? >> And and Will Will Glover has earned that tonight from me. >> Well, he's earned it before. He He He's great done some great He and staff done some great presentation to the finance committee and all of the finance committee recommendations came straight from staff and his leadership and Mr. Templar's and and all of the folks. So >> Any other comments or discussion? I'll just summarize before we call it for a vote. Overall, there was about a $3 million plus revenue increase based on the reassessment. A lot of that went to various issues in the county due to inflation or otherwise or competitive salaries or otherwise or cost of living increased or otherwise. But EMS received the largest sing largest single department increase of roughly $1.1 million, I think was what was reported tonight. And the priorities as a plan was mentioned, the priorities are being followed. They want to take care of the Battle Road station being increased or renovated, improved. The capital money's there for that. And then the Highway 5 corridor, which will be addressed some. And then getting to funding for the Baron de Kalb station, which again is not for discussion. It's It's in a future budget cycle. And some of the comments in public comment just made me reflect on the The stuff just takes time, unfortunately. Remember we had the fire study, it's been 8 years. We could still be doing a a fully volunteer fire service in Kershaw County with very few professional people at the administrative level and then all volunteers. Imagine doing that um and then having the type of population growth and additional calls that we've had without professional fire service. And that's brought us to this point where we're kind of keep keeping up. It's the same for EMS and we're following a plan as recommended by staff. They could have used that money and spent it on something else, but that their top priority was full-time employees. Um and then any council member up here could have made a motion to spend it in some different way if they wanted to. But, this is the budget that we have before us. And so, if there's no further comments, discussions, or questions, we'll move it to uh a vote on the budget as amended. This is 9i on third reading. All in favor, raise your hand on the budget. That is Shoemake, Tucker, Brazell, Connell. It's unanimous, Ms. Hannah. All in favor uh have raised their hands. >> [laughter] >> Take my breath away. >> That's the first time in over 10 years. Thank you, Mr. Jones. >> All right. Ms. Hannah, it passes. It's unanimous. The budget is approved. I know staff can breathe easy, and thanks for your help on that. Next up, uh Chief Spitzer, you've been sitting patiently. Let's get a motion in a second for a presentation and um acceptance from Luverne Fire. Do we have a motion? >> Make a motion that we approve Luverne Fire or um have its presentation, I'm sorry. >> Okay, then we have a second. >> Second. >> All right. Uh it's on the table, and so we'll bring you up, Chief, for your presentation, and then we'll have a motion on accepting and approving the budget. >> Where is he at? Right there, sitting there. >> Behind the mayor? >> [laughter] >> He is too big to be hidden out there. >> Shrinking. [laughter] >> Hey, good evening. Thank you all for having me up. I appreciate it. Thank you, Mr. Templer, for getting me in here, and especially Ms. Hannah. She takes very good care of us. And uh she does a fantastic job with keeping up with my gibber-jabber when I send her a lot of emails. Um so, I'm here and willing to take any questions. I think you should have received your uh resolution and budget proposal I think May 26th. Does that sound about right, Ms. Hannah? It should have been before you at that time. Um not asking for an increase. Uh we got our increase last year. Uh we did not ask for a tax increase for roughly 12, 13 years, something like that. So, we used our millage uh last year, and our rollback millage, which helped us tremendously. Um we're no different than anybody else. Um we saw a difference in the reassessment. Kind of took advantage of it. Um and I hate to say it in that nature, uh but it did help us in some areas and it has allowed us, if you remember, um last year I spoke about possibly laying off um some part-time firefighters uh through the county uh and of course my my board of uh commissioners, uh which we have a fantastic board of commissioners and they have strong support for us. Uh and also through uh county council, uh we were able to retain those uh part-time firefighters and uh hire a few more. Um we are in the process now of doing a hiring stage to um fill some gaps that we have on a particular shift. Uh it's not due to um turnover, it's due to we're just growing and we're just trying to keep up. Um by raising the millage for us last year, uh that allowed us to cautiously approach um being able to hire that additional firefighter. Uh plans are in the future to be able to hire a few more firemen and staff our station two area out on Whitehead Road. That's a really hot area for us. That That area is just it's kind of growing and we're seeing a lot of uh a lot of different issues out there and then, you know, when they have to leave um from our headquarters, it's it's quite a ride. So, um that is our uh initial um goal. Um I will tell you that we do um have in um in our plans in the future and I have spoke to Director Glover and both uh EMS uh supervisor and coordinator Jim Edge, uh we are fully intending at Lugoff Fire Department to put a medic unit in our facility within the next 2 years. Um, that could affect how the response is given. We are uh we have met a couple times with um with our county resources. Initially, our plan was to be able to put that medic unit on by 2027. That's not going to be obtainable. Uh we want to do what's best for our community um and kind of ease the burden a little bit on the uh Kershaw County EMS side of things. But talking with Director Glover and um Mr. Edge, Jim Edge, we also know that that would possibly put a deficit into the Kershaw County's uh EMS revenue. Um so we're going to kind of work through those things and figure that out. Um but we do intend on um in uh putting that unit in. We have many EMTs in our organizations. We have paramedics. Uh we just finished the class, which we do teach in house as well. Uh we have nine EMTs coming out of just our organization on um Uh they just finished, actually. So they'll be testing for national registry. Um I kind of got off the budget a little bit, but I do want that to um kind of take into consideration of I don't know what the exact plans are of the corridor on Highway 5. Um but that could uh could help alleviate those issues. But again, that's something that I feel like I have to work through with uh Director Glover and Jim Edge. So again, the millage didn't uh we did not increase our millage. We got a balanced budget. Uh we're comfortable this year. And um you know, we put a lot of effort into being extremely um transparent uh and being extremely fiscally responsible for everything that we do forward um in our fire department and with our um with our citizens. Um, other than that, uh I think you should have that in front of you. I don't want to sit up here and take up any of your time by breaking down every line item by line item by line item. I know you have a lot on your plate. So, uh >> Yes, sir. It's been submitted. It Everybody's got it in the packet. >> Everybody's got it. >> Well, I got something I need >> Just to clarify, I understood the motion is having presentation and accepting the budget as presented. And then we had a second on that, correct? >> Yes, Mr. Cato, sir. >> So, we can't say anything? >> Huh? >> Then yes, we're we're in the discussion period now, Mr. Jones. You can go ahead if you want to. >> voting to bring him up. Okay. >> Listen. Chief, I want to tell you something. This is going to be my last budget with you. And I'm going to tell you uh going back to Dennis Ray, you know, four, five, years, six years before you were the chief, we had a our community was just us. We sit down and the the fire department had to fight for their support. Y'all had to fight. And I'm very proud to say that I was with you every time you did. And uh now you got a council with this with you. Almost I would say unanimously. Everybody up here sees it, they care for you. You got what second to none uh when it comes to professionalism. And I'm very proud of my fire department. I just want to let you know that. And I'm also very excited about the fact that what you talking about when you talk about, you know, expanding, that might help our uh ambulance service. You talked about that cuz you know, we used to do that years ago when Chief Hammond was at Camden. He had the same Well, it's similar same thing. >> Yes, with the rescue squad. >> Yes, sir. But but thank you so much for all you do. And I mean, and it's been a a joy and a pleasure to work with you. You've been a great source of information and help to me throughout the last 20 years or 15 Well, however long you were there. And I appreciate that. I just wanted you to know that. So, thank you very much. >> Uh thank you, Councilman Jones. And you know that we have a very um particularly great relationship um We have a many years that we would not have accomplished remotely where we are now without you. Um, you have been a dear, dear friend to me for many, many years way before I ever became chief. Um, and we have a great past and uh, I appreciate your support. You have stood up here and fought for me on many occasions and that's not to say that uh, council was not along with you, but you have been a voice for us and we have certainly, certainly taken advantage of that and we want you to understand how much you mean to us and we really appreciate you, >> [cough] >> especially when you live in our district and you have taken care of us for many, many years. >> Appreciate you, too. >> Thank you. >> Thank you, councilman. Any other discussion, Mr. Tucker? >> Yes, sir. I just have one slight request there, Chief Spitzer. Um, and we we talked about this as well. Um, can you pencil us in next year on the finance committee before we get to third reading uh, to sit down just with us before so we can tie you into the budget. We we missed a few folks. We didn't send you out an invite or call you. So, that's on us, but I just want to give you a heads up. We will want you to bless us with your presence next year before we get to this point in the third reading if you can put us in your schedule. >> Yeah, usually I try to get um, I try to get this budget in to you in the first week of June. Uh, it was unfortunate that I was not able to do that this year. Um, I had a lot of things going on. Had a couple surgeries and some other things and I have a very, very competent assistant chief that could do uh, the same, but there was a few things that we wanted to make sure we found alone, make sure we were sitting in the right place. Um, looking at the calculating millage is is a guess and Dennis Arlis does such a great job. I'm telling you he is such an asset to this county. He is absolutely unbelievable. He is a great friend, a great mentor, and somebody I can call on whenever I need him. And I do again, I'm usually done with our budget by April, the beginning of May. But everything's just a guesstimate. You know, I'm I'm guesstimating what our financials are going to be. Our health insurance, I don't get final numbers until August. >> We feel your pain, Mr. Khan. >> August. Everything is in August. And you know, we're just kind of basically doing a guesstimate, doing doing the best we can. So, I'm making a note here um to get with um to get [snorts] with y'all >> Okay. >> during that that time frame. >> And that way we can have some dialogue. So, if you foresee some things coming up, we can we can be brainstorming with you and trying to figure things out. And and then we can go from there. But no no problem, no issues. >> All right. I appreciate it. Thank you. >> too. >> Thank you. >> You're welcome. >> Thank you, Mr. Tucker. Any other comments or discussion? >> We're going to have to give Dennis Sellers more money. If he hears that. >> I'd like that. >> [laughter] >> Mr. Braswell. >> You'll get his retirement papers. >> I'd like to say thank you, Chief. You guys do a great job and Lou Golf helped us out on many occasions and many other businesses and homes. So, we appreciate your service. We value what you do for our community. And we appreciate you. Appreciate you all. Very much. >> I appreciate that. And our folks um and my co-workers do as well. >> Absolutely. We thank all of them. >> Thank you. >> Thank you very much, Mr. Braswell. Any other comments or discussion? Thanks again, Chief. Appreciate appreciate you very much. And again, I understood the motion is have the presentation and accept the budget as presented. We had a second. Let's just re-record the votes for Ms. Hannah. And Mr. Jones, I'm not sure if I saw you raise your hand initially. Everybody in favor of accepting the budget as presented, raise your hand. And it's unanimous in favor. Thank you, Ms. Hannah. So, it is adopted and included in the >> ask your excuse? >> All right. Thank >> Thank you again. >> Thank you very much. >> All right. Thank you and your staff, man. >> All right. That moves us on to item number 10B. Uh Kershaw County Human Resources policies placed on the agenda by the administrator, Mr. Templar. Any background before we have a um or do we need a motion? Is it just informational? >> It It's just more informational. It won't be long at all. I just wanted to point out that there's a link in your packet that is going to point to pretty healthy-sized document, but it's just for your consumption over the next few meetings or or the several weeks. Um if any of y'all have any questions on it, please let me know. Um if you want a paper copy of it, be glad to create one, but it's um pretty thick, probably thicker than more most of our agenda packets. So, uh but it it is addressing and bringing us up-to-date on some of the more current HR policies, so it's going to be rather important in some areas. Um but just wanted to put that on your radar and um >> Can you and I set up a meeting up so I can >> Abs- absolutely. >> If any of the rest would join with me, up to up to three. >> That's a great point. Um so, if anyone wants to sit down and and kind of get a 10,000-ft view or just whatever, um please let us know. We'll have HR staff standing by as well as myself. >> All right. Well, I the summer took care of it. Didn't need a motion or a second. We're good. >> [laughter] >> Thank you very much, Mr. Templar. And no vote required on 10B. Um 10C, solid waste convenience centers standardized hours. Um do we have a motion to hear from the administrator on this? >> I'll make a motion that um we have the administrator present us the new solid waste convenience center hours, please. >> All right. We have a second. >> I'll second. >> We got a second. Are you going to anticipate any voters or is this for background information? >> It It's It's more for background and just the initiative and to let y'all know what we're doing, why we're doing it, and what we expect to get out of it. >> Will we be looking at a vote potentially in some future meeting, or is it a policy change, or is it just a unilateral policy change you can make? >> Yes, sir. This is under the administrator's ability to do so, ma'am. >> So, Mr. So, it's already in the budget, what he's talking about. >> I think we're about to get the update now. >> Yes, sir. So, I have Chris Thomas from Solid Waste. He's our Solid Waste Director to come in and give us a short presentation. Um and this is just what we intend to do to uh clean up the hours of our recycle centers. Um namely on Sundays and Mondays. And um so, I'll let Chris do his presentation, and then we'll continue to discuss. >> Yes, sir. >> Okay. Again, my name is Chris Thomas. I'm the director of the Solid Waste Department for Kershaw County. Been here since about May of 2025. It's a little over a year. Uh I first like to thank County Council and County Administration for the opportunity to discuss the improvements we want to make in the Solid Waste Department. Uh before I get started, because I am new to everybody, just a brief background on myself. Uh I was born and raised in Columbia, South Carolina. >> I'm sorry. >> [laughter] >> I am a graduate of the University of South Carolina in finance. Uh for the past 30 years, I've been in the interstate transportation industry. But before coming to Kershaw County, I was the assistant director of Solid Waste for Richland County. But enough about me. Um I believe the goal of government leadership is to accomplish three objectives. Uh one, provide great service for the residents. Two, provide the service in the most cost-efficient manner. And three, provide that service in a moral fashion. And I believe the improvements that we're going to discuss will accomplish all three of those objectives. >> Any any comments or you >> Okay, it just started. I'm sorry. I didn't see it pop up. [laughter] Now it's right in my face. >> Great presentation. >> go ahead. >> All right. First of all, as we get into the nuts and bolts of kind of the improvements we want to make, just wanted to show everybody that the net result of of the improvements we want to make is going to lead to about $167,000 of yearly savings. What's great about this savings is that most savings programs or most savings initiatives there used to have to be a big initial investment and you got to get a return on your savings. We can accomplish these savings starting day one. Just with doing things in a more logistical manner. Adjusting the way we we do business. First of all, currently we we have 10 10 convenience centers with six different hours of operation. So we want to firstly standardize hours of operation for all centers. Change it to Tuesday through Saturday 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Closed on Sunday and Monday. This is really the foundation of the improvements that we want to make to permanently reduce expenses. Working 5 days a week with two consecutive days off will produce the following savings. The manning of sites will we won't need as many employees to man the sites. That's about a $70,000 savings. Vehicle fuel savings um by being closed two consecutive days that allows us one off day, which will be Sunday. So we wouldn't have to run any equipment, no trucks. We will save about $35,000 in fuel over year. Along with that, maintenance. Maintenance runs about 15 cents per mile. We would save about $7,000. And then the driver savings will be about $8,000. So that comes about $120,000 of the savings. Um again, some positives. Um A study showed that a healthier we have a healthier, safer workforce with two continuous rest days as opposed to one that we have now. Um I think uh everybody can attest to that. I think most people in this room work with 5-2 schedules, so I think everybody can kind of attest to that. Um we'll also have a greater pool of applicants due to a better work-life balance and hopefully get some people that want to come in and and uh start a career with solid waste. All right, the the biggest point of the um having the two days off would be the Sunday closure. Um we would get less outside county waste uh based on the amount of cars we get outside of the county. Uh we estimate about a 15% reduction in out-of-county waste. Uh just for Elgin, that would be about $12,000 a year. For the other centers, about $6,000. Uh that comes to a total savings of about $18,000. Uh we pay, you know, at 15% we pay $35 a ton uh to dispose of the waste at at um at Northeast Landfill and not counting the cost of transportation, um you know, we're looking at about $18,000. Um again, uh the 15% we feel that that's that's um you know, we wanted to stay within um you know, a [snorts] conservative number. Uh we really feel like that's probably would be more like 25 to 30%, but um but, you know, we stayed at 15%. Um as as you see, four of our neighboring counties are closed on Sundays, >> Yep. >> Richland, Lexington, Chesterfield, and Darlington. Those residents come to Kershaw County on on Sundays. And in an effort of full disclosure, I have to say that probably most of the Richland County waste we're getting is probably my fault because when I was with Richland County >> You sent them away. >> I spearheaded the to change their to change the schedule and for them to be off on Sunday. So that's that's probably some of my fault, but I'm here to fall on the sword and correct my mistakes. So Uh um This the next improvement large loads been routed to the landfill. We're currently you know, we pay about twice as much to transport the waste if we have to uh transport it from the center um to the landfill. Now this does not include include household garbage. What we're talking about is just construction demolition and yard waste. And really this is just a clarification of the current convenience center requirements. If you go on the website, it says now that large loads are supposed to go to the landfill. But the problem is that we never specified what's considered a large load and what's not. So it's hard to enforce it when you don't have the the clarification of what's a large load. So to spell it out no motor vehicles larger than 3/4 ton pickup trucks and no trailers longer than 8 ft and or more than one axle. Um that covers when you get larger than that, you're pretty much looking at commercial businesses. Um and that's really the what we're trying [clears throat] to avoid. Um the convenience centers were never set up for commercial businesses. It's supposed to be for the residents and and their waste, but we get a lot of commercial um commercial businesses with these big $20,000 trailers saying it's personal business. So um again we figured that'll be about 15% less loads transported. >> [clears throat] >> Um again that number's conservative. Um I think it's probably higher than that, but um just at 15% less loads, we saved $26,000 in fuel about 5,000 in vehicle maintenance, which comes about 31,000. Um again, the uh the last um improvement would be to extend extend landfill hours to Monday through Saturday 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Again, since we're going to be uh restricting the large loaders from the from the uh centers, we need to have more hours at this landfill to accommodate uh for the heavier traffic. Now, uh extending those landfill hours will raise payroll about $3,500 for the year. But, we felt like it was worth it given the other savings that that we would have. Uh so, again, um uh in conclusion, we're looking at about 167 166,000 in savings. Um uh we really think it's a win-win for the county, for the residents, and for the employees. And um I hope you all will look favorably upon our recommendation. >> Thank you for the presentation, Mr. Templer. Any other summary before we have discussion from council members? >> Uh just one point is that uh currently we have half our sites closed on Sunday. We have 10 sites in total. Wednesday, seven of them are closed, and Thursday, one of them are closed. It just consolidates and makes it more streamlined with Sunday, Monday being the reset days. That's it. >> All right, thank you. Uh discussion from council members, questions, comments? Mr. Jones. >> Um welcome. Glad to have you. >> Right. >> Uh I've heard some good things about you. And uh we're glad to have you with us. Uh this almost seems too good to be true to some degree. $166,000 in savings. But, I have to say that the administrator is exactly right when he said, "Nobody really knows what the hours are at the moment of the recycling center." I don't. I mean, I've been here 47 years. Not not I mean, working wise, I've been here 47. Not not as long >> You older than me, man. >> But uh >> [laughter] >> I I think I like this. I was against it when I first heard about it, but I think I like this. How in Columbia, Richland County where you where you come from, how was the response when you first closed 2 days you know consecutive? >> I'll tell you the the most contentious part was the trailer requirement. >> Yes, that was my next question. >> Yeah, a lot of people have bigger trailers, but you know, to be to be fair and consistent, you just have to stick with the letter >> Yeah. >> of of what you >> And and that concerns me that the the the the single wheel trailer. That that concerns me, but you know, you're the expert. And uh >> Yeah, it's it's it's going to be a rough couple months, but we're we're good. >> So, you're going to start this January 1? >> Uh July >> to be a a rough couple months. >> [laughter] >> Looking at about July 18th to kind of give you give you a time >> easy. You'll be gone. That's what that's what I'm saying. That's [laughter] what I mean. No, I I think you got a great plan. It sounds good. And you know, change is inevitable. And sounds like you you got a plan for it. You got a plan for the resistance as well, I'm sure. >> Yeah. >> Cuz you've been there. >> Yeah, I I yeah, I've done it. So, I'm I'm familiar with how it >> Cuz you know, we're going to get the phone calls. Okay, thank you. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chair. >> Thank you very much, Mr. Jones. Any other comments discussion, Mr. Tucker? >> Yes, sir. Um Mr. Thomas, I want to say thank you. Thank you, Danny. Th- this is going to create some conversations, which is fine. And I appreciate too that you guys took in consideration with the finance committee when we were presented this presentation, our concerns on what um was probably going to be a hard pill to swallow. So, thank you for that. And um I'm sitting here because when I was talking to a few of my um friends and relatives um about the single axle trailers um that was a sticking point. Uh as Mr. Jones said um I've got a car trailer. And I want to do a little bit of bush work, but it's more than a pickup load, but it's not a car trailer load. And it's got two axles cuz it carries, you know, 8,000, 5,000, 6,000 lb on it. >> [clears throat] >> I'm not going to be able to use the only trailer cuz I don't have a single axle utility trailer. And that's some of the I guess >> too mad at me about having to come out to the landfill, do you? >> Yeah, yeah. It's going to start with my darn brother. I'm just going to tell you just like it is. [laughter] And he don't live too far He lives in Lugoff off of Wildwood Wildwood. He's not too far from that recycle center. >> He'll tell you what he thinks. >> Yeah, but you know what? I Yes, he will. That's right. >> [laughter] >> Uh if my colleague to my right, Councilman Summey, can bite the bullet with his dad >> Which I have. >> [laughter] >> on closing the recycle centers on Sunday, I can handle my brother. >> Thank you. >> Thank you very much, council members. Any other discussion, comments, questions? Mr. Brazell. >> If I may, um really nice presentation and thank you. Um I do hate to be the one, but I'm going to be the one tonight to state that I don't think this is a good idea. Um while you're addressing parts of the county that maybe are close to Richland County, you have rural areas that are that are being punished that are It's it's very unequal. Um if say you had a place at Lake Wateree and you were going to stay for the weekend, whether or not you are a resident or not, you pay taxes on that house as a as um if it's a second residence, you may be paying 6 to 10,000 dollars a year for your place at the lake. But when you come to enjoy your your house Thursday through Sunday and and then you go home, um there's nowhere to take the trash off. I think that this is going to be a major issue in Kershaw County and not just for Lake Wateree, but other areas. I would hope that you would reconsider being open on Sunday. Um I think it'll tell on itself. Okay? I mean, I don't think you'll need me to And you've been through this. So, you know what's coming is Everybody got a cell phone with them? Y'all look forward to start ringing. >> That's a good point, Mr. Casson. >> It's It's is I think people are going to end up littering. I think people are going to be upset and don't be surprised if there's bags of garbage sitting at a closed gate. I mean, I'm not condoning that. I'm not encouraging that. But frankly, I'm just I'm giving you my my raw thoughts. And um if if we see this kind of pushback, I'd I'd really like to see uh us work together as to that solution. So, um Thank you for everything so professional. Thank you for trying to save us money. Um I just think that with a working class people on top of people enjoying a vacation home, Sunday's been trash day all my life. >> Now, you got me worried. >> And um I just think it's going to be a really tough habit to break for 70,000 people that live in Kershaw County. And and people that visit Lake Wateree. I mean, there on the Lugoff side of the lake, there is a recycling center just as you turn off of Lake Road. And again, this is just going to be a major major problem. So, um with that being said, respectfully, I thank you for your your time and your efforts. I do. Um, but but those are real concerns for me. Thank you. >> Thank you, Mr. Brazell. I am curious, did you have a mutiny or anything like that in Richland County when y'all did this? >> kind of had the same words [snorts] uh in Richland County, but it it didn't uh it didn't it it didn't We had just more people upset about not being able to use their larger trailers, but as far as people littering and leaving trash all over, I mean, everybody lives here. Nobody wants, you know, people have property values. They don't want to put trash all over the street and disrupt the property values. So, uh we had the same fears, but uh again, uh it it it didn't nothing happened to that effect. >> Well, I feel comfortable knowing he's got it. >> Can you get Richland County reverse their hours so we can dump over in their Richland >> [laughter] >> I don't think they'll do it. >> Thank you, council members, and thank you for the presentation, Mr. Administrator. Anything else? >> No, sir. That's all. >> All right, no votes required. Thank you very much. Uh that concludes item number was that 10C. >> Yes. >> And then we already took care of 10D and 10E. >> Correct. >> We have removed 11A. That brings us to uh council member briefings. And I was just going to mention it was great to see um our clerk, Ginger Farmer, Judge Branham, and uh and I don't know if I can be presumptuous and I think it's councilman-elect Proctor because you're unopposed in November, by the way. >> Councilman-elect will be after November. >> Yeah, I didn't know if I was being presumptuous, but by the way, it's great to have the primary winner in here who is currently unopposed. Thanks for attending the meetings and uh checking in on the issues and the details. Um, Mr. Cato, any briefing for us? >> Got just a few comments tonight. Um, first of all, I want to announce the ribbon cuttings and long-awaited ribbon cuttings on June the 30th. Uh we will start at 10:00 a.m. in Boyd Young in Westville, and we will cut the ribbon for the new ballparks there. And then we will travel over to Bethune, and at 11:15 we'll have the ribbon cuttings at the Copeland field for those two ball fields as well. Very proud of these ball fields. They look awesome. It took us a little bit longer than we anticipated, but I'm very proud of them, and I I ask that you please come out for these ribbon cuttings if you will and if you're available. Um, tonight was a very, uh, tense night, I guess you would say. But, I appreciate the people coming out to voice their opinion, but I also appreciate the way they did it. They came up, they used their time, they spoke properly, and and they really handled their selves well, and I appreciate that, and I'm sure my colleagues do as well. Um, we we all, whether the vote goes your way or not, we all value your opinion. Um, I have strong opinions, um, about the project, and, um, I feel very strongly about the area that I live in, but, um, that's why the council's made up of seven and not just one. So, I I think I want to thank all those people that come out tonight and spoke. Uh, that ends my briefing. >> Thank you, Mr. Cato. Mr. Tomlinson. >> Mr. Chairman, I have nothing this evening. >> Thank you, Mr. Tomlinson. Mr. Jones. >> Yes, have I told y'all that my wife is expecting we're going to have another? >> [laughter] >> No, the the stand-up comedy hour will be later. >> I'm joking. I'm joking. Now, I just thought get make sure everybody's awake. I'd be swinging from the rafters upside down if that was true. Um, listen. I want to welcome soon-to-be councilman-elect uh Jonathan Proctor. And I said, "I will make sure I said all of y'all." And I'm going to say it to the public as well. I invite him I I I'm glad to see him sitting out there. I want him to be involved in every single thing that we can legally let him do. I don't want Mr. FOIA lawyer there to get on us like Sammy does as well, too. But seriously, I I I think he needs to be involved in every single thing we can. I want this to be Jonathan the most smoothest transition that there is, positive. And I'm very proud of you, by the way, too. You bugged me for 5 years. Um but cuz unlike myself, I know what it was not to be able to get any information till maybe the month before when I was elected 20 years ago. But I But I'm so appreciative of him being being here and so appreciate this council willing to and the administrator to work with him to make sure that we keep him involved and in the loop as we move forward. And uh let me say this, [clears throat] too. I don't agree with these guys a lot, but I think tonight, you know, it's all about the budget, first time in 10 years. But you know what, though? We went through the nuts and bolts of it. The finance committee did a good job. You made me feel secure that the money's there for the pecan orchard. You made me feel secure on the other issues that were at hand. The ambulance service is important to all of us, and I know that. And I feel sure that especially with Councilman Cato, Councilman Brazell's leadership as far as that being areas they're concerned about, which we all are, that that will be resolved in some way, fashion, or whatever. But anyway, having said that, thank you, and that's all I have, Mr. Chair. >> Thank you, sir. >> And please, please, that was not true, the first part. >> Mr. Shoemaker, you're recognized. >> Indeed. Um to piggyback on what Councilman Cato said, on July 10th at 10:00 a.m. we'll be doing the ribbon cutting at KC West for the improvements there. So, again, excited to usher in these what what have been the greatest recreation improvements in the county's history that this seen, I hope, which will be soon to followed by the greatest economic development project in the county's history. So, I just wanted to say that. I want to thank the Humane Society. We lost our little furry friend yesterday and but yeah, but but they do a great job out there. So, we appreciate all that they did. But yeah, so speaking of people that love dogs, also I think most everyone knows now we lost Jeff Maddox and you know, I don't think Jeff and I agreed on anything other than that we both loved Kershaw County. But we would text occasionally and he is a man who is consistent in his principles and I wish his family well through this period of morning and wish him well and in heaven cuz I know he was a faith-based man by and large. Although you know, he'd waffle on that, but I I think he found it in the end. And lastly with Jimmy, I just wanted to say you know, 20 years of doing this is a pretty amazing thing. I almost resigned during the solid waste presentation 5 minutes ago. So, I can't imagine what 20 years of doing this is like. So, again, this is your last budget. I know we got several months with you, but that's the single most important thing we do every year is clearly the budget. So, congrats on your 20th budget, my friend and again, on and your work in the several months you have here to come. So, that's all I have. >> Thank you, Mr. Shemwick. Mr. Tucker. >> Yes, sir, Mr. Chairman and colleagues. My my last thank you um I am also very grateful for this council being a unanimous vote. Like I said, it hadn't happened in over a decade. So, I I appreciate my our colleagues' support. Can't say enough good things about staff. And um I'm looking forward to getting a early start after we get through the the holidays and um that way we can be ahead [clears throat] of the curve come January. Um I'm was sorry to hear about Jeff Maddox's death as well. And um I um going to miss the puppets. I think he thought I was his number one character. Uh that guy made a puppet of me out of >> Yours just stood out. >> [laughter] >> Well, thank you, Councilman Nixon. >> It did. >> Like I stand out. >> [laughter] >> So, with that being said um I'm I'm deeply saddened about his demise and I hope that his family and loved ones are able to mourn properly and and heal. So, um thanks. This took longer than I thought, but good discussion. Staff, I can't tell you thank you enough for uh some of the administrative things that you've done in this budget um that that needed to be and I would ask you >> [clears throat] >> as um we're dealing with these recycle centers, if something's not working, don't be afraid to make the adjustments. Um but I think it's worth a try and you got to put yourself out there and see what works and what doesn't work. So, thank you, Mr. Templer. With that, that concludes my reports. >> Thank you, Mr. Tucker. Mr. Brazell. >> I'll be brief. Um I really appreciate uh the the conversation and and the forward motion on EMS. Um that that was something that was really bugging me for the last few days is how do we how do we fix this? How do we how do we keep moving forward in the right direction? And I'll be honest with you, Sunday night I didn't fall asleep at 2:00 a.m. And that's how much it has bothered me. So, um >> It'd be up to >> It's it's Pe- people think we might not take our job seriously, but I can assure you I think everybody up here does. Um I was uh I was thankful to be able to agree with my colleagues tonight um on the on the budget. Um I'm not thrilled with reassessment. It's uh something that the state mandates. I'd like to see um I'd like to see more work done for seniors in in the homestead exemption area. Um I would continue to advocate for that. I'm going to continue to advocate for that wherever I sit or stand. On or off council, in or out of politics, I'm going to continue to advocate for uh seniors being able to keep their homes and live in their homes without having to pay property taxes on their primary residences. Um I think that's obtainable. I think it's feasible, and I think it's something that we need to fight for. Um I'd like to thank Councilman Jones. This is uh our last budget together. Councilman Jones has uh certainly whipped many of us in the shape with his black belt politics over the years. We've grown to be great friends uh through many adverse nights here on this council, and uh Jimmy, I want to just say, man, I I care about you and I love you and your family. >> Same here. Back at you. >> And uh it's it's been it's been a pleasure. You are a tough guy on this dais, and nobody fights harder or loves more uh than than Jimmy has over the years. So, 20 years well done, and uh I know we've got a few more meetings, but typically after budget, it starts to kind of slow down. To all of my fellow colleagues, I know uh there's always some angst about topics, Danny, as as you mentioned. Um I'm glad that we're able to get through these things together and uh do it with civility. So, and uh awful proud of my wife presenting tonight. She did a great job, so. Thank you all. >> Thank you, Mr. Brazell. Um two primary things I'd like to share. First, we had a a death up at Lake Wateree. This was a member of the armed services at Shaw Air Force Base, an airman, excuse me. 23-year-old Carlin Haley from Los Angeles uh passed away in a drowning incident up at the lake recently. And so, we pray for his family and share deep condolences. And it just reminds us again of the importance of some of the swimming programs we've been talking about. I hope uh the school district or otherwise can incorporate some of that into their curriculum or parents will take it very seriously to have uh their children I think the the most effective data is and third-graders who really learn how to swim. That's the age when they're exposed the most to um pools or it's at least the second highest cause of death. And once you learn how to swim, it's like riding a bike, hopefully, and you can retain that for the rest of your life. And again, it's just a sad event. Um uh on a different note, I want to say that the the projects that we're doing for ribbon cuttings and have a lot of excitement for, those are the same types of things that some of this FILOT money can go to to help in the future. And uh I encourage everyone to get behind and support those projects in the future. It makes it much easier to direct funds to various areas if we've got the support there to make these projects happen. It's either that or we have to figure out some other way through a fee or increase taxes or maybe grant applications if we get lucky and fortunate where a grant actually aligns with some of our um goals and we can land those funds, but fee revenue really does make a difference. And uh as you know, I've dedicated my life for this past term and uh the term I anticipate coming up to generating business interest in Kershaw County, having good relationships uh with the governor's office, with the Department of Commerce, and stakeholders to bring either jobs or significant economic development to Kershaw County because it makes a difference. It really does. These are These are dollars that we do not have to raise taxes on generally that we can spend uh in the county and they also get a lot of other entities that that generally really need them. That's all I have for my report. Mr. Administrator, any briefing for us? >> Just one quick note on the up and coming holiday as it relates to scheduling. Um our Kershaw County government offices will be closed on Friday to uh observe July 4th, which actually falls on Saturday, so um the landfills and convenience centers will be open on Friday, but they will close on the actual holiday. So, that's all I have. Thank >> Would they be open? >> Um they will be open July 3rd. >> be They won't be closed three consecutive days. >> No. >> And if you would >> Sorry, I just need to make sure. >> Since you're talking about scheduling, if for the next um agenda, if we could place on uh summer scheduling as a new business item. I mean, we'll discuss it, we may vote on it, but like this time and also towards the end of the year, we usually see if there's any meetings that we need to either reschedule, postpone, or just cancel based on some summer travel plans coming up. Um and that's again just this time of year we talk about that. If you could place it on the agenda, Ms. Hannah. >> Mr. Mr. I have a question for the administrator. >> Yes, sir. >> Um on these new hours, have we done any type of campaign publicizing um ahead of time or will that start tomorrow because I think the educational piece is so important moving forward for uh the citizens to get adapted and ask questions and you know, address their concerns. So, if we haven't done anything, I would highly recommend that we do a hard hit before July 1 if possible, Mr. Templar, so we can try to eliminate as much concerns and worries as possible. >> We intend to do a campaign to educate. >> Yes, sir. And even though we're starting in July, it probably still needs to be continued. I'm not telling you how you do your job, but you you know where I'm going with that. And Mr. Chair, also, um I don't know because my ears are getting old, but um Miss Susan, our former mayor from Bethune, I don't know if she was included in your recognition of folks. >> I was just thinking the same thing. >> [laughter] >> But she has sat through this whole campaign here from council, and I think she deserves to be recognized. [clears throat] >> Thank you for being here, Susan. >> the same thing, Susan. Don't give him all the credit. >> Welcome. >> I've got I've got campaign exhaustion. >> Right. How about this one? >> Yeah. [laughter] >> Thank you, Mr. Chair. >> Thank you. Uh anything else for the administrator? >> That's all I have. >> Any non-privileged legal briefing? And we've removed item number 15A previously under the agenda. Seek a motion to adjourn. >> Make a motion to adjourn. >> We have a motion. Is there a second? We have a second. Any discussion on adjournment? Seeing none, all in favor