Clinton Fire Chief Hagan Thornton updated the City Council this week on stormwater issues that residents on Weeks Street have been experiencing, as well as discussing the implementation of new water meters.
Last month, two residents who live on Weeks Street came before the council, pleading for aid with stormwater issues. Residents along and around Weeks Street have been struggling with stormwater issues for years, enduring property damage with little help. When Mayor Lew Starling heard these struggles, he assured the Weeks Street residents that he and the council would get right to work.
Thornton said firefighters have unclogged the culverts around Weeks Street and Martin Luther King Jr Boulevard, “and there’s no blockages when we’re working our way down towards Southeast” to clear up any blockages down that way.
“It’s got a long way to go, but we’re working our way down to see if we can find anything,” Thornton summarized.
City Manager James Duncan added that even with a heavy downpour for only an hour, it still takes a while for the stormwater to drain out.
“Stay right on top of that,” the mayor told Duncan and Thornton.
Thornton also mentioned that 33 new residential water meters and 13 commercial meters were installed in June. He clarified later that the entire city will be done in time. He said they started installing the new meters a few years ago. Thornton said as of July 10, 72 percent of the city’s residential water meters have been replaced.
With the new meters, he said, those getting readings would be able to do so without getting out of their vehicles every time.
“We’re getting closer…but the whole city will be Automatic Meter Readers, which is called AMR,” Thornton said. He also mentioned the commercial meters will take a little longer to complete due to higher costs, and so the fire department members are mainly focused on residential meters for the time being.
A separate resolution was approved by the Council, amending the official traffic map and declaring Holmes Street to have no on-street parking.
The Main Street Promotion Committee brought two proposals to the Council for approval.
Kay Raynor spoke first about how members of the Ol’ Lightnin’ Rods Car Club have hoped to do a Cruise-In along Main Street on Saturday morning, July 18, parking their classic and antique cars for people to come by and see. Raynor asked the mayor and City Council to consider the closing of Main Street — from Wall Street to Lisbon Street — from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.on the 18th for the Cruise-In.
The motion passed unanimously.
Downtown promotions committee member Debbie Roberts stood up to speak next and first gave her thanks to the council for previously supporting the Dinner on Main. Roberts then asked for the council’s OK to advance plans for the next downtown event — a Low Country Boil slated for Sept. 20.
Councilman Joel Rose asked when ticket sales would go online, bringing a chuckle from Roberts and many in the room. Tickets will go on sale Aug. 1 at 3 p.m., Roberts answered, noting that the number of seats will increase to 200 for this event.
Starling asked — and received — a go-ahead from the council for the Low Country Boil event.