Jim Fair
Greer City council members remained after Tuesday night's meeting to follow the results posted for the commissioner for Greer CPW Commission election. Perry Williams won re-election. Members from the left are: Jay Arrowood, Wayne Griffin, Kimberly Bookert and Wryley Bettis.
The July meetings, generally 30-45 minutes in length, are mostly for adjusting figures on the closure of the previous year’s budget and tending to housekeeping duties entering the new fiscal year’s (2012/2013) expenses and revenues.
The city is $448,000 under budget with the final expenses to be documented by the end of the month. The transfer fund will get $200,000 or two mills as designated in the budget and the remainder will go toward operational expenses.
Council approved these items with slight adjustments to the ordinance’s wording with unanimous (5-0) consent (Council members Wayne Griffin, District 2, and Judy Albert, District 6 were absent).
• Annexation of 6.1 acres owned by the city at 237 Suber Road and zoned for R-S (residential-suburban).
• Annexation of 1.2 acres (Century Park) owned by the city at 3511 Brushy Creek Road and zoned R-20 (residential single family).
• Annexation of 12.25 acres (Century Park) owned by the city at 3505 Brushy Creek Road and zoned R-20 (residential single family).
• Approved first reading of rezoning property at 315 Buncombe Street from C-2 (commercial) and R-12 (residential, single family) to S-1 (service district). The property serves as a public service center for the city’s fleet of vehicles to be refueled.
• Authorized Driggers to enter into a lease/purchase agreement not to exceed $812,945 to purchase municipal equipment in the Capital Equipment Fund.
• Driggers’ administrative report reviewed the successful ‘Que Ball and dedication of the Cannon Centre last week. “We had a wonderful turnout for Sunday’s dedication, one of the largest crowds we had for an event like this,” Driggers said. “It shows the interest in that property from the public and the value to us.”
• Tammy Duncan was signaled out for her contributions in preparing for and executing the special election for the commissioner’s race for Greer CPW. Greenville County Election officials also complimented Duncan for her role in preparing City Hall and providing support for the night’s reporting of the results. Incumbent Perry Williams beat Jerry Balding.
• The Greer Fire Department was denied a SAFER grant that would have added 2-4 more firemen for fiscal year 2012/2013. Driggers advised council he will pursue the identical grant again.
• CPW General Manager Nick Stegall, in a letter to Driggers, commended Fire Chief Chris Harvey and his staff for answering and troubleshooting an electric circuit problem that caused smoke and heat to reach into a sensitive computer room. No damage was reported.
• CSI: Greer is a free police camp for adults that will be hands on activity for four-evenings next week. Participants will learn the techniques of processing crime scenes, reconstructing criminal activity, fingerprinting, shoe print analysis and other techniques.