CALLED MEETING -- BUDGET HEARING.
Citizens interested in the City of Clinton's new, proposed $30.3 Million budget can learn more tonight, at a called City Council meeting.
The June 13 meeting will be at 6 pm in the PS Bailey City Council Chambers of the MS Bailey Municipal Building, 211 North Broad St., Clinton. People can attend in person or view the meeting in real-time on the City's Facebook page. Before the budget, Council will vote itself into closed session to discuss personnel matters regarding the Court System; hiring, firing and disciplining employees is an acceptable grounds for an executive session under the South Carolina Freedom of Information Act (as amended).
Next, the council will consider a resolution applying to the SC Water Quality Revolving Fund Authority for a loan (state water pollution control revolving fund). Then, the council will conduct the Public Hearing on the $30,305,165 FY 2022-23 budget which does require a property tax increase (to 119.10 Mils next year from 113.78 Mils this year). The budget is 4.09% lower than FY 2021-22 - property taxes will be 4.7% higher, to generate $969,000. The City is trying to offset a $1 Million loss in water revenue from the Laurens County Water & Sewer Commission, which is buying less water now because its own, Lake Greenwood water plant has come on-line.
After the hearing, the council will consider 2nd and Final reading of the budget (current fiscal year's budget = $31,598,373).
Council will consider final reading of an ordinance to release a portion of the DE Tribble building in Uptown Clinton from a buy back option - this will allow a beer and wine tap room, The Lumberyard, to proceed with development, and possibly allow for the sale of a portion of the building for apartments. The meeting will conclude with reports.
The next regularly scheduled meeting of the Clinton City Council will be July 11 - its normal meeting day is the First Monday, but that is the Fourth of July/Independence Day Holiday. Part of that meeting will be devoted to a discussion of new infrastructure: "The proposed Florida Street Wastewater Pump Station and force main project includes replacement of the existing Florida Street Pump Station as well as approximately 4,800 linear feet of 6-inch force main to reroute the line from running under the railroad tracks. The City will also be discussing the Stone Creek Development Wastewater Pump Station and force main project which includes a new pump station and approximately 4,500 linear feet of 6-inch force main from the Stone Creek Development. In addition approximately 2,200 linear feet of 8-inch force main will also be constructed to tie the wastewate flows into an existing manhole."
The City is projected to get an 800-1,000 new homes subdivision by the DR Horton development company on a former light-industrial tract beside Eastside Elementary School, on the Hwy 56-72 Bypass.
