The Laurens County Council adopted a fireworks-specific ordinance at its Feb. 10 meeting, by a 3-2-1-1 vote.
That vote was: Chairman Jeff Carroll and Members Shirley Clark and Kemp Younts voting “yes”; Vice-chairman Matthew Brownlee and Member Justin Lane voting “no”; Member Arthur Philson Jr. not voting; and Member Brown Patterson absent.
However, once County Attorney Wes Meetze said the motion needed to be clarified - and he explained to Philson what was being voted on - Carroll called for a re-vote and Philson cast the “no” vote that sent the ordinance down to defeat.
It is likely that Patterson would have voted “no”, also, as he had spoken against the ordinance, and the idea of restricting Laurens County residents from firing fireworks on their own private property, in previous meetings.
Brownlee chaired the criminal justice and public safety committee that discussed the fireworks ordinance at Jan. 22 and Jan. 29 committee meetings, and recommended amendments.
The move was a disappointment for some farmers and ranchers in Northern Laurens County, who have advocated for this ordinance for more than a year.
It got to 3rd and final reading one time before, but was delayed when fireworks-specific ordinance opponents objected.
Proponents said last Fourth of July, fireworks fired from new subdivisions in the northern area onto their ranches burned and frightened horses. Opponents said these ranchers need to put their horses up in a barn on the two major holidays when fireworks are fired - New Years and the Fourth of July.
Philson wanted to know what happens to horses and cattle when emergency vehicles and law enforcement officers travel past them with sirens sounding.
Carroll said the discussion was not about “something else (that) makes noise.” He said this ordinance — #976 - was a chance to provide protections to farmers and ranchers that provide “the backbone” of an important industry - agriculture Laurens County.
Philson said there was no reason to have an ordinance about something that happens just twice a year; but Carroll countered that people have the right to shoot fireworks any time they want to (as long as they stay within the county’s noise ordinance).
The Council was not conducting a public hearing, even though this was final reading.
That was conducted earlier, when the proposed ordinance was delayed for final action.
Northern Laurens County resident Nancy Garrison, who presented the council with a sample ordinance, led off her comments with appreciation to the Laurens County Sheriff’s Office. She said officers have enforced the noise ordinance related to construction in the northern area - she said workers started building at 5 a.m. and kept up construction until 9:40 p.m., and officers responded to that.
“Then they started work at 6:15 and the sheriff was there to stop them from working,” Garrison said.
Garrison said she shot herself in the foot with regard to this ordinance, by proposing something that would affect Northern Laurens County, but not the county as a whole, to appease opponents. But she aid people opposed to the ordinance did not reciprocate her effort - “we were literally just trying to protect what we have build for years.”
Garrison said she has been on her property for 31 years, and “we had no idea what was coming next to us. People say they don’t want their rights taken away. But we have rights, too.”
Garrison said fireworks-specific ordinances are not new to South Carolina, citing Beaufort and Charleston counties.
Compromises also were made from first reading of the ordinance to the Feb. 10 final reading about the distance of allowable fireworks from fenced land with livestock.
Justin Holmes spoke in opposition. He said proponents at first talked about protecting livestock, and then their argument turned to being opposed to lights and noise. “There already is an option for these people to put their property in a fireworks-free zone,” he said. “The development near them in their bylaws says no fireworks. They have a way to enforce that.”
He said the fireworks-specific ordinance could be weaponized with someone making a phone call and limiting someone else’s rights.
In other business, Council provided special recognitions to Vicki Cheek, retired coroner, who started in 2001 with the late Nick Nichols and always said it’s “we” not “I” in the operations of the coroner’s office; and Cynthia Montgomery, retiring from the county library, after starting in 1992 and receiving a promotion in 1996 at the Clinton branch and then working on the bookmobile, advocating for works of black authors to be represented in the collection, and spending the last 10 years restoring books.
County Administrator Thomas Higgs reported that Hurricane Helene debris pickup is ongoing with the SC Department of Transportation. “They are very active in the county. They are taking the lead on it,” he said. “When the contract ends, the county is poised to take up the work.”
He said residents who have questions, concerns, and requests can call 855-467- 2368 and the information also is on the county website. There is no SC DOT end date in mind right now and the county will publish that date when they decide.
Council also heard concerns about the Veterans Monument not including some veterans, concerns that were brought forth at the previous meeting about training and preparedness at the Greenpond Volunteer Fire Department, and concerns about the sale of the former Smith Chevrolet property in Downtown Laurens and dilapidated houses in Laurens - speakers were told they need to address these concerns to the Laurens City Council.
Council approved a contract with GMC, at $100/hour, for Disaster Recovery Public Assistance and applying to FEMA for repayment of the county’s expenses related to recovery from Hurricane Helene; and a sole-source contract with R & R Recovery Service to transport deceased persons for autopsies on behalf of the Laurens County Coroner’s Office.
Council approved resolutions for Medicolegal Death Investigation Professionals Week and Black History Month. Council was given a proposed ordinance on Council Rules and will have a full discussion on that ordinance at a future meeting.
Also, the County is facing a charge by a former employee of the Finance Department to the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. That matter was discussed as legal advice, subject to attorney-client privilege, in a closed, executive session. No action was taken.
The Laurens County Council meetings the second Monday of each month, 6 p.m. at Hillcrest Complex East, 105 Bolt Dr., Laurens. The meetings are open to the public and live-streamed and archived on the county website.
