Rick Patrick
rick@greenepublishing.com
What has been a frequent topic in Greenville Town Council meetings was again part of the conversation during the regular meeting of the Greenville Town Council on Monday, June 12. During the citizen's input portion of the meeting, one citizen spoke about a boil water notice that had been sent to residents on Tuesday, May 23. The citizen stated she was informed the notice was expected to last a few hours. The citizen said it was eight days before she received notice that the boil water notice had been lifted. Later in the meeting, Greenville Public Works Director Wayne Malone explained there had been a problem with the filters in the water system. His department bypassed the filtering system so the water is now sourced from a well. Malone admitted the water was slightly discolored, but assured everyone that the water was safe. “It's well water with a little chlorine,” said Malone. “It is safe. A little tainted water ain't gonna hurt anybody.” The town has received a $3.4 million grant to overhaul the entire process in terms of water.
Greenville Town Manager/CEO Lee Jones informed the council of an Army Corps of Engineers study to address the issue of flooding and storm water drainage. Jones also informed the council that Greenville had been awarded a $5 million grant from the State of Florida to help deal with water issues such as flooding, storm water drainage, etc. This will cover the entire town of Greenville, focusing on the westside and downtown areas. Mayor Brittni Brown acknowledged the role citizen input had in the awarding of the grant.
Jones informed the council of the need to name a Supervisor of Elections for the town. In the past the Town Clerk served in this capacity. Jones stated he could not serve in that capacity and suggested Judy Inglett, the Administrative Assistant for the Town of Greenville, be named to that position. Upon a vote from the council, Inglett was approved on a unanimous vote. Council member Carl Livingston asked that measures be taken to assure that the problems that arose during the last election not be repeated. During the previous election cycle, candidates' information was not filed with the Madison County Supervisor of Elections, as required by town charter. This resulted in names being left off the ballot. Livingston requested both Barbara Dansy and Brandy Tillman be placed on the ballot. Dansy and Tillman were two candidates who had their names left off the ballot for the now vacant council seat. The qualifying period for the next election is from Saturday, June 17, through Friday, June 23. There will be a special meeting of the Greenville Town Council on Tuesday, June 20, at 6 p.m. in order to address the current vacancy on the council.
Jones presented a financial report for the second quarter that ended in March of this year. Jones said total income for the town was $335,000 and total expenditures equaled $289,000. Councilman Calvin Malone questioned grant money being intermingled with operating funds. Jones said grant money is always kept separate from operating funds, since grant funds are awarded for very specific purposes. Jones said he would have a detailed report for grant funds at the special meeting on Tuesday, June 20.
Mayor Brown raised the issue of zoning maps and land use. She stated that it had been many years since the maps have been updated and there are instances of businesses being operated in residential areas and vice versa. No action was taken, but, it was agreed that zoning was an issue that needs to be addressed.
Councilman Livingston asked about the progress of the grocery store. Jones stated the interior of the store was 75 percent complete. There had been a deadline of August to spend $455,000 in funding or the town could lose that money. Much of those funds were spent on refrigeration units for the store, which have been ordered, but have not yet arrived. “In a grocery store, everything is built from scratch,” said Jones. When asked for an estimate on when the store might be finished, Jones was unable to give a definite answer. “It’s hard when you deal with construction,” said Jones. “I’m meeting weekly with the contractors, the store operators, the architects and the people at the state.” According to Mayor Brown, the store operators have hired and are training employees. Mayor Brown also stated that the pharmacy will serve as a training ground for pharmacy techs.
Councilman Malone raised questions about Tracy Stevens Park policies. Mayor Brown said park policies had been voted on by the council during the regular council meeting in April. Councilman Malone suggested those policies were not being followed. Councilman Malone questioned why the Greenville team traveled to Madison this past weekend to play a game when they could have played in Greenville.
Jones informed the council that the contract with the magistrate, Conrad Bishop, had been signed and code enforcement hearings were expected to move forward.
Vice Mayor Kathleen Hamilton suggested that Recreation Department activities should be posted on the town’s web site in order to inform citizens of those activities. Mayor Brown suggested that the town re-establish a Facebook site in order to communicate on social media.
The next regular meeting of the Greenville Town Council is scheduled to take place on Monday, July 10, at 6 p.m. The meeting will take place at Town Hall, located at 154 SW Old Mission Ave., in Greenville.