Council Clashes on Key Items

Monday night’s city council meeting revealed the first substantive disagreements since three new members were sworn in in January.

The first item that caused division was on a promotional video for the city by a program called Insights with Terry Bradshaw. The terms of the video would enable the five-minute long piece to air on the Discovery Channel and up to 19 more times on CNN Headline News. The cost of the video is $19,800 and the city would retain ownership, allowing it to be shown at will. It would be paid for with funds from accommodations and hospitality taxes.

The item passed 4-2, with council members Dale Black and Larry Goodson, who took office in January, voting against.

The next item where the council parted ways was on an Adopt-An-Interchange grant from the SC Department of Transportation in the amount of $400,000 that would go towards the enhancement of the Butler and Bridges Road exits on I-385.

The council was presented with three options:

A.) Choose to accept the grant as awarded. The total project cost for both interchanges is $534,204 and includes a 10% contingency. The city’s commitment for both interchanges is $134,204.

B.) Eliminate the I-385/Bridges interchange from the grant project scope.The total cost for the Butler interchange including a 10% contingency is $315,049.55. The city’s commitment would be $63,009.91. If we make a change to the grant, it may have to go back to the commission for approval. Again, enhancement funds are being evaluated and this program may be eliminated in the future. It may not be possible to choose to complete the Bridges project in the future.

C.) Eliminate the project. Again, be aware that the program may be eliminated and the $400,000 may not be available in the future.

Black called for a motion on Choice C and received support on it from Goodson. But, keeping in mind the commitment the city has made to being more business-friendly, councilman Gabe Hunter quickly responded by saying, “If we don’t invest in ourselves, we cannot expect others to.” 

Black’s motion was denied by a vote of 4-3, with Hunter, Mayor Dennis Raines, and council members Bob Cook and Patricia Gettys in the affirmative. That same group of four then voted in favor Choice B, which will limit the project to improving the Butler Road interchange.

“Our concern was that time was running out,” Raines said of the grant money which has been on the table for several months. “When you start turning down grant money, it might not be there when you need it.”

The final item that divided the council was on the hiring of Kim Hamel to serve as the city’s new Business and Development Services Director, a post that has been vacant for over three months.

Black suggested that the city attempt to outsource the position, which would result in what he said would be a cost reduction of as much as 65 percent, while noting that Simpsonville contracts out a similar position.

Goodson concurred with Black, saying that he was disappointed the city did not “think outside of the box.”

Goodson and Black’s remarks drew a sharp response from Cook, who said the city should set its own course and not concern itself with what Simpsonville does.

Black also expressed reservations about Hamel’s qualifications, saying that she had not acquired building and zoning experience while a Technical Review Manager with the City of Asheville.

Black and Goodson’s objections did not persuade the rest of the council, as Hamel’s appointment was approved by a vote of 5-2.*

Later, Raines said of Hamel, “I think she’ll be a breath of fresh air for Mauldin was very impressed. Even those who voted against her were impressed by her.”

Raines said he was not concerned about a possible division among council members. “There were some tough things we had to vote on and I think different opinions are healthy,” he said. “It would be Utopia if everything was always agreed on unanimously.”

* - This sentence originally indicated the vote was 4-2. All six members of the city council and the mayor cast votes on all issues.

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