Winnsboro Town Council devoted the majority of Monday night’s 2-hour work session to debate over adoption of the International Property Maintenance Code (IPMC). In 2009 Fairfield County adopted sections of the IPMC, but as council and Mayor Roger Gaddy reviewed and read further into the IPMC, they realized that their existing codes were very similar.
“I don’t see that we need to approve a whole new book of ordinances,” Gaddy said. “I think we need to enforce what we already have.”
With the similarities already in place, council members then considered hiring a code enforcement officer to enforce current codes and ordinances.
“We’ve got to hire someone who is passionate, level headed, but firm,” Gaddy said. “That somebody needs to have the patience and is willingness to sit down and explain the ordinances.”
After considerable discussion, Councilman Bill Haslett called for a motion to hire a code enforcement officer, which was seconded by Clyde Sander and was so approved.
In new business, Billy Castle presented the council with a revised edition of the new zoning ordinances for the town. For all intents and purposes, the new zoning ordinances have been approved, but will need to pass through two separate readings, with the first to take place at Tuesday’s town council meeting. For all the time and hard work put into the zoning ordinances by Castle and his committee, councilman Haslett made a motion to provide an award and certificate ceremony. The motion was approved and the ceremony will be held once the zoning ordinances have gone through their official readings.
Council also discussed a new ordinance to prevent the dumping of grease and oil into the sewer system. Council noted that they had, on two separate occasions, been written up by the Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) and have been advised to come up with some type of grease and oil ordinance. Due to years of build-up and the storms this summer, there was a large amount of grease, oil, sludge and fatty substances that had washed into the sewer lines, causing drainage to slow. A new ordinance would call for grease traps and would help prevent a build-up in the next 20-25 years.
Finally, council agreed to hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new annex building on Oct. 21 at 3 p.m.
