Latest / Saluda County Unplugged / August 10, 2026 County Council Preview
Transcript
- Josh Morton: This month, building permit fees are back on the agenda. Council will take the final vote on the county's updated comprehensive plan. Fire training gets another upgrade, And EMS takes another step toward a long-term station in the traffic circle area. Let's take a look at what's coming up at Monday night's County Council meeting this week on Saluda County Unplug. Welcome back to Saluda County Unplugged, shining a light on Saluda County government. I'm Rachel. And I'm Josh. As with each month, today's episode is your preview of the August 10th County Council meeting. We'll walk through the agenda, explain what some of these items actually mean, and hopefully make local government just a little easier to understand. One quick reminder before we begin: this episode is being recorded several days before the meeting. We're working from the latest agenda available, but the agenda is always subject to change before Monday night. Like most meetings, Council will begin by approving the agenda and reviewing the minutes from its July 13th meeting. Council members will then give their reports and comments before the floor opens for public comments. After that, they'll move into old business. The first item under Old Business is second reading of Ordinance Number seven twenty six, which deals with the tea hangers at the Saluda County Airport. The primary purpose is to update the rental rates for the county owned hangars. The ordinance also includes minor housekeeping changes intended to make the language clearer and easier to administer. Because this is second reading, the ordinance will still need one more vote before becoming final. The second item is probably the biggest vote of the evening. Council will hold third and final reading of ordinance number one twenty six, which would amend and restate the county's comprehensive plan. We've talked about this document several times over the past few months, but it's worth repeating that a comprehensive plan isn't a list of projects the county has to build. Instead, it's a long-range planning document that helps guide the future decisions about growth, infrastructure, transportation, housing, recreation, economic development, and many other topics. Council held the required public hearing last month, giving residents an opportunity to comment on the plan. If the ordinance passes Monday night, it will officially adopt the county's updated comprehensive plan. The first item under new business may sound familiar. Council will again consider first reading of ordinance number eight twenty six, which would adopt an updated building permit fee schedule. This item appeared on last month's agenda, but council deferred it because Chairman Moore wanted representatives from Safe Built, the company that provides the county's building inspection services, to attend and explain the proposed changes. So if you've been curious about why permit fees are being updated. This meeting should provide you with an opportunity to hear that presentation before council considers first reading. Next, Council will consider approving the purchase of stairwell components for the county's fire training facility. The purchase would continue building out the facility so firefighters can practice skills they may need in multi-level structures and other emergency conditions. Having this kind of equipment available locally allows volunteer firefighters to train closer to home while strengthening safety and preparedness across the county. Council will also consider authorizing staff to begin searching for property for a future EMS substation in the traffic circle area. It's important to point out that this does not approve the purchase of any property. It simply gives county staff permission to begin identifying potential locations that could serve as a future EMS station. One reason this has become more urgent is the condition of the current EMS substation in the Circle community. Because the facility is located next to the recycling center, EMS crews recently had to relocate temporarily after the building experienced a significant bug and rodent infestation. The immediate problem has been addressed and EMS is back operating from the facility for now, but the incident highlighted the need for a long term solution. EMS needs a safe, reliable station for its crews while continuing to provide coverage in the circle area. Identifying property in the traffic circle area is the first step toward making that possible. If you followed our discussions about the Capital Project sales tax, you may remember that a future EMS substation in the traffic circle area is one of the projects included in the proposed referendum. Monday's action would only begin the search for a suitable site so that the county can be prepared when that project moves forward. Council will also appoint an alternate member to the fire board representing Circle Fire Department. And before we move on, I think it's important to recognize that this agenda item comes during a difficult time for the county's fire service. It it definitely does. Last week, Saluda County lost Circle Fire Chief Donnie Longshore. Donnie was a founding member of the Circle Fire Department and dedicated countless hours serving both his community and the entire county. His leadership, experience, and commitment really helped shape the fire service that we have today. So, on behalf of all of us in Saluda County government, we'd like to extend our condolences to his family, the Circle Fire Department, and everyone in the community. Donnie leaves behind a tremendous legacy and he will truly be missed. The final item under New Business deals with transferring reserve funds for equipment lease payments. We've talked about these payments in previous episodes. They relate to the county's motor graders and the planned replacement approach that we use for major roads and bridges equipment. Using lease financing allows the county to replace equipment on a more predictable schedule, which helps reduce downtime and avoids relying on equipment until it's no longer dependable. this agenda item would transfer reserve funds to make the scheduled equipment lease payments. Council may also enter executive session to receive legal advice as allowed under South Carolina law. as always, any action resulting from executive session would have to be taken after council returns to open session. So that's a look at what's coming up at Monday night's County Council meeting. If you'd like to attend, the meeting begins at six PM in Council Chambers at the Saluda County Administration Building located at four hundred West Highland Street in Saluda. Meetings are open to the public and recorded. Video is available through the Saluda County SC Government Facebook page. And if you miss the meeting, don't worry, we'll be back next week to recap everything that happened. Have questions or an idea for an upcoming episode? Email us at publicinfo at salutacounty.sc.gov. And remember, adventure is out there. We'll see you next week on Saluta County Unplugged.