City council meeting ends with the gavel
Outgoing City Attorney Albert James, III receives a Key to the City of Darlington presented by Mayor Gloria Hines.
Photo by Jana E. Pye
By Jana E. Pye, Editor, editor@newsandpress.net
Beware of meetings that begin quietly in Darlington…chances are, they will end up loud.
Such was the case at the September 6 meeting.
After Mayor Gloria Hines thanked outgoing City Attorney Albert James, III, she presented him with a key to the city. James served the city the past two years paving the way for a successful WalMart opening and cleared a full docket of cases.
“He’s a humble, sweet man,” said Mayor Hines. “We appreciate him for all he did for us here in Darlington.”
The meeting got into full swing thereafter, with residents speaking against the homeless shelter on Law Street, including compelling words from Kim Bryant, the director of the Kids Stop Daycare next a father of a 2 year old that attends the day care, and a neighbor that lives behind the daycare.
Near the end of the meeting, during the citizen comment section (which used to be at the beginning of the meeting) many citizens that spoke up to speak approached the podium. Others chose to speak from their seats. A few spoke out of turn, which was allowed by Mayor Hines.
After a long, heated exchange between a citizen regarding what she described as a lack of checking up on work done on roads near her home, Mayor Hines requested help from the city police chief who escorted the citizen to the hallway.
Hines held up the sign in sheet for the people in attendance, and reminded them that from now on if they did not sign up, they are not to speak out of turn.
Francis Parnell spoke on the health and vision issues that LED lights have on humans and nocturnal animals, and gave a demonstration. Councilwoman Elaine Reed asked him what he would like for the city to do, and Parnell asked that they give great caution until the lighting industry changes the amount of blue light that they emit to guard against the problems that other municipalities across the country have experienced.
Water and Sewer estimates for the proposed Recreation Ball Field Sites were given to council:
Lawson Road Site:
Sewer estimate $287,050.00
Water estimate: $188,900
Old Florence Road Site:
Sewer estimate: $74,700
Water estimate: $20,460
The cost estimates were prepared by Davis & Brown.
Council took the figures as information to add to the decision to build the proposed recreation center, to be added to the cost of the two locations that are being considered.
Darlington Recreation Director Lee Andrews answered questions regarding the wetlands/environmental report prepared by S & M E, Inc. of Conway. Council member Carolyn Bruce requested that the company representative come to the council to ask questions pertaining to the property himself; this may occur at the next council meeting in October.
The next monthly meeting will be held on Tuesday, October 4 at 7 p.m. at City Hall. Citizens are reminded to sign up to speak.