The Town of Chapin County Council held its meeting on August 15, chaired by Mayor Al Koon and Mayor Pro Tem Mike Clonts and Council Member Leland Teal in attendance.
Mayor Koon called the meeting to order at promptly at six and noted that there was a quorum and appropriate notifications on the FOI (Freedom of Information Act) had been met.
Mike Harvey of American Legion Post 193 led the attendees in the Pledge of Allegiance, and Patrick Hollohan with Lake Murray Evangelical delivered the invocation. The council reviewed and approved the July 18 Council meeting minutes and the minutes of the July 20 special council meeting.
There were no requests for public comments from the attendees.
Three notable awards were presented at the meeting, with the city first receiving the 2023 Municipal Association of SC Achievement award for the Chapin Art Trail Project. The award was presented by Naomi Reed from MASC and accepted by Mayor Koon and Administrator Burroughs accepted the award on behalf of Town and included special guests Yvonne Beyer and Barbara Tuesink of the Crooked Creek Art League.
Chief Griffin and the town’s Police Department received a promotional video and presentation from Ryan Burlison with Gray Television showcasing the work of the department and will serve as a template for other police departments across the country. The Chief thanked Mr. Burlison and Safety Officer Campbell for their help in putting together the video. Mr. Burleson was presented with a police department patch and a challenge coin.
The city also received an award from Keep the Midlands Beautiful organization committed to fighting litter and engaging in litter control in the Chapin area. Staff members Kevin Singletary and Kelsey Wise have worked with the organization to increase awareness for recycling and litter control in the area. Mayor Koon represented the town of Chapin in a commercial for Keep Midlands Beautiful, which will debut at the Columbia Fireflies game on August 20th.
Town Administrator’s Report
There were reports presented by Town Administrator Nicolle Burroughs that included a presentation having been made by Communications Specialist Dylan Francis on the Labor Day Festival to the Chapin Small Business Networking Group. Notable events include the August 26th – September 2nd – Taste of Chapin Restaurant week; Latin Night on September 2nd; Boots on Beaufort on September 3rd; and the Festival Labor Day Parade and Festival on September 4th.
Administrator Burroughs also took time to thank Pat Lewandowski for her support and donation to the renovation of the historic town hall and congratulated the town of Little Mountain on their successful reunion and parade and acknowledged the Labor Day Festival sponsorships.
Financial Report
Director Culler reported on fund balances as of July 2023. Year to date general fund revenues have exceeded expenses due to revenues being higher than what was originally budgeted. The Utility Fund showed a slight deficit as the lagoon fund closeout expenses were included and expect the deficit to be mitigated by expected “tap fees”.
Police Report
Chief Griffin updated the council on police-related activities which included 41 offenses, 19 tickets, 65 warnings, 9 arrests, and 20 motor vehicle collisions. There were 135 calls for service from Lexington County reported and 142 officer-initiated contacts. Chief Griffin also reported on a burglary at the Chapin Chop House that is under investigation.
On July 19th an active shooter training was held at Chapin High School. Chapin Police Officers also attended a Crisis Intervention workshop.
The department will also be hosting a scam and fraud prevention training for several area church groups and the SC Criminal Justice Academy will be conducting an audit of the policy manual to ensure compliance.
Utilities Report
Director Miskie provided dates on several topics noting that the town is meeting with SCDOT regarding the I-26 construction and widening of Columbia Avenue, including seeking additional reimbursement from SCDOT, who has agreed to update the council on upcoming issues, coordination, and projects. There was also a report on the lagoon contract with a plan to begin work on this in the next few weeks. There was also a discussion of Lake Tide Summit and working between the town staff and the developers to finalize a water agreement. There was also a report on the Boykin Hills and Palmetto Shores Developments, with expectations in the coming weeks for the two phases and Boykin Hills and phase 13 of Palmetto Shores. The council was updated on a meeting with the CATES center and noted that there were two open positions within the department.
Ordinances
There was a second reading of an ordinance providing for a general property tax millage rates adjustment for 2023 and it was approved, but not unanimously.
There was a first reading of an ordinance amendment on the business license ordinance for the town of Chapin to update the class schedule as required by Act 176 of 2020. This was approved unanimously.
Resolutions
There was also a Community Development Block Program explained by Administrator Burroughs and by agreeing to participate in the program the Town would be eligible for funding through the CDBG program and will be competing for funds with other towns in Lexington County instead of the entire state. There was a motion made and it received unanimous approval.
Action Items
Administrator Burroughs and the Council approve the appointment of Josh Edwards to the planning commission. The motion was passed unanimously.
Subsequently, Mayor Pro Tem Long made a motion to adjourn. This was seconded by Council Member Teal and the meeting was adjourned at 7:07 PM.
