2026-08-24 - City Council Formal Meeting
Summary
Built from the official minutes. No video is posted for this meeting, so there is no transcript or timing.
- Formal meeting in Council Chambers, 5:30 to 6:29 PM; Mayor White presiding. Councilmember Gibson absent. Minutes of August 10 approved as submitted.
- The Fork Shoals Road rezoning to industrial failed; the minutes record the motion failing 0-7.
- Public hearing on the 75 percent annexation of the Merovan Center area on Woodruff Road (87.46 acres plus 47.60 acres of right-of-way); first reading passed unanimously. It would be the City's largest annexation.
- Five small annexations passed first reading unanimously.
- Three consent ordinances passed on second and final reading: $110,863 Zoo conservation funding, Waterworks System Revenue Bonds up to $275,000,000, and the Accommodations Fee agreement amendment.
- First reading, unanimous: $38,098 Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant, $8,279,571 for Augusta Street undergrounding Phase I, and abandonment of part of Spartanburg Street.
- Three speakers asked Council to remove automatic license plate readers or disclose City contracts.
- Public Works received national APWA accreditation (only 231 agencies nationwide, under 1 percent).
Fork Shoals Road Industrial Rezoning
- Z-4-2026, 5.06 acres from RH-B to IG. John Darrohn spoke for the applicant. Councilmember Dowe opposed because of the creek and terrain; Councilmember Belge questioned like-for-like rezoning of annexed land. Motion failed 0-7 as recorded.
Merovan Center Annexation
- AX-21-2026. Michael Frixen: 84.6 percent of owners signed, holding 97.6 percent of assessed value; zoning BG, BH and IX requested. No public comment. First reading moved by Councilmember Brasington, seconded by Councilmember Dowe; unanimous.
Small Parcel Annexations
- AX-19, AX-20, AX-22, AX-23 and AX-24, each passed first reading unanimously.
Waterworks Revenue Bonds
- Second and final reading on the consent agenda, moved by Councilmember Dowe, seconded by Councilmember Belge; unanimous.
Arena Accommodations Fee Agreement
- Second and final reading on the consent agenda; unanimous.
Augusta Street Utility Undergrounding
- First reading of the $8,279,571 appropriation, moved by Councilmember Flemming, seconded by Councilmember Dowe; unanimous.
Spartanburg Street Right-of-Way Abandonment
- First reading (AB-3-2026), moved by Councilmember Dowe, seconded by Councilmember Flemming; Councilmember DeWorken asked staff to keep considering traffic management on Stone Avenue. Unanimous.
Automatic License Plate Readers
- Elias Ryan, Billy Taylor and Tim Simpson spoke; see the issue page for their positions.
Other business
- Consent agenda (items 11a to 11c) moved by Councilmember Dowe, seconded by Councilmember Belge; unanimous.
- First reading of the $38,098 FY2025 Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant appropriation, moved by Councilmember Dowe, seconded by Councilmember Brasington; unanimous.
- Presentations: a youth contest winner who will perform at Downtown Alive on August 27, and the APWA accreditation, presented by Bill Spearman to Dave Derrick, who credited Business Manager Jennifer Simpson for compiling the documents. Public Works was evaluated on 241 practices, and seven are being suggested nationally for other agencies.
- Staff reports from City Manager Lavrin: Greenlink employees honored (Transit Finance and Compliance Administrator Kat Moreland named to Mass Transit Magazine's 40 Under 40; Transit Projects Coordinator William Flake named 2026 Support Staff of the Year (Urban System) by the Transportation Association of South Carolina); the Solid Waste Division received the Workplace Wellness Award from the Solid Waste Association of North America and the Tim McClure Award from the National Recycling Coalition.