Latest / Saluda County Unplugged / County Council Preview - October 12, 2026
Transcript
- Josh: It's County Council Meeting Week, and we've got a few things to talk about. Building permit fees, a library renovation, and a study looking at public transportation in Saluda County. We'll also explain what a philo is because county government does enjoy a good acronym. And Rachel's out of town, so you're stuck with just me this week. Let's see what's coming up Monday night this week on Saluda County Unplug. Welcome back to Saluda County Unplugged, where we shine a light on Saluda County government. I'm Josh, and I'm glad you're joining me this week. Rachel is away, but we've still got a meeting to preview. I'll walk us through the agenda, explain what council's being asked to consider, and point out where an item still has more steps ahead of it. As a reminder, Saluda County Council will meet Monday, October 12th, 2026 at 6 p.m. in the Council Chambers at the Saluda County Admin Building. That's at 400 West Highland Street in Saluda. The meeting is open to the public and will be live streamed. You can access the video through the county's Facebook page, Saluda County SC Government. Now before we dive in, one more reminder. These preview episodes are recorded a few days before they air so that we have time to get them edited and published. That means that the agenda is still considered a draft when we're recording, and it's always possible that items could be added, removed, or changed before Monday night's meeting. I'll cover the agenda as it's posted today, but be sure to check the county website for the most up-to-date version before the meeting. And since this is a preview, we're talking about what council is scheduled to consider. The votes in the discussion are still ahead of us. The meeting will open with the usual call to order, approval of the agenda, and approval of minutes from previous meetings. After that, the agenda includes reports and comments from council members followed by public comments. If you're coming to speak, be sure to sign up to speak ahead of the meeting. There are no public hearings scheduled for this meeting, so the only opportunity for the public to speak is during the public comment period. Under Old Business, Council is scheduled to once again consider second reading of Ordinance No. eight hundred twenty six, an ordinance adopting an updated building permit fee schedule and other matters related to it. In plain language, this is about the schedule of fees associated with building permits. If you're planning a construction project that requires a permit, that schedule is one of the things you'll want to understand as you plan your costs. If council approves second reading, that moves the proposed ordinance another step forward. If second reading is approved, the ordinance will still need to go through a third and final reading at a later date. The first item under new business is ordinance number nine twenty six. This will be first reading by title only of an ordinance providing for a philo for a long term corporate business in Saluda County. Now, let's unpack that because the abbreviation is probably familiar to some listeners and completely new to others. Philo stands for fee in lieu of taxes. It's a property tax incentive agreement between a company and the county. Where the company's project is located. The phrase in lieu of simply means in place of. That's the general meaning of the term. The specific agreement is what establishes the terms for the particular business and property involved. This is only first reading of this ordinance, which would still need to go through two additional readings and a public hearing before it could become official. As the proposal moves forward, the substance of the agreement will matter. What property does it cover? What obligations would the business have? And what would the arrangement mean for the county? Those are questions about the actual proposal. We don't have the agreement's terms in this agenda, so we'll leave those answers for the documents and discussion that establish them. Monday's scheduled step is first reading by title only. That's the point to carry with you as you listen to the meeting. Next up, council is scheduled to consider approval of an updated Freedom of Information policy. You may hear Freedom of Information shortened to FOI or FOIA, with FOIA referring to the Freedom of Information Act. This is the part of government that deals with public access to records in open meetings, subject to the rules and exceptions in state law. For residents, the practical interest in a county policy is understanding how to request public records and how the county handles those requests. The agenda doesn't spell out the revisions, so we can't say from the agenda whether the changes concern request procedures, fees, staff responsibilities, or another part of the policy. Council's discussion in the policy document should give us a better basis for explaining the update. For now, this is a proposed policy approval on the agenda, and we'll report the action after the meeting. Council will also consider approval of a bid award for the library renovation. This renovation is for the old Longs Drugstore located across from the stadium. The building was purchased with funds from the Capital Project Sales Tax approved eight years ago. Funding for the renovation is being provided through a grant. As this comes before council, the details to listen for are the recommended award, the cost, and the work included in that recommendation. A bid award is an important decision, but it doesn't tell us by itself that work starts the next day. The meeting will help establish what council approves and what the next steps are. If you're a regular library patron, this is one to keep an eye on. We'll look for the details that help you understand what the renovation would mean in everyday terms along with the outcome of council's votes. The last item listed under New Business is a presentation of the Public Transit Feasibility Study. Rick Green from the Upper Savannah Council of Governments, often called the Upper Savannah COG, will present the study. A feasibility study looks at whether an idea could work and what would be involved in making it work. We'll hear what the study actually examined and what it found on Monday night. After new business, the final item on the agenda says that council may go into executive session to discuss personnel matters in the assessor's office and public building contracts. Executive session is a portion of the meeting closed to the public for an allowed purpose. Council must vote in public before entering it and announce its specific purpose. While the discussion is closed, council can't take any substantive action or commit itself to a course of action while in executive session. Any resulting decision requiring council action must be handled once council returns to public session. As you follow Monday's meeting, keep an ear out for the stage each item reaches. Building permit fees are at second reading. The FELO ordinance is at first reading by title only. Council is being asked to consider the Freedom of Information Policy Update and the Library Renovation Bid, and Rick Green will present the public transit feasibility study. The details will help us understand the practical effects and the action council takes will tell us what moves forward. If you'd like to join us in person, the meeting is Monday, October the 12th at 6 p.m. in Council Chambers at 400 West Highland Street in Saluda. The meeting will also be live streamed on the Saluda County SC Government Facebook page. Be sure to check the county website for the latest agenda before the meeting. Then come back for our recap next week, where we can talk about what Council actually did and what we learned from the discussion. Have questions or an idea for an upcoming episode? Email us at publicinfo at salutacounty.sc.gov. And since Rachel isn't here to keep me on track, I'll borrow a little wisdom from Dory. Just keep swimming. We'll see you next week