CITY COUNCIL OF NORWAY: Two new councilors have been sworn in | Government and politics
RON BAXLEY JR. T&D correspondent
NORWAY – Newly elected Norway District 1 Councilor Almanda Holiday and newly elected Norway District 4 Councilor Shirley Spiers were sworn in during the Norway City Council Facebook Live meeting held and recorded in the evening of Monday, January 10.
The meeting was moved from Monday, January 3, as the town hall was given the day as a New Years holiday.
Mayor Tracie Clemons, earlier in the meeting, announced the receipt of the city’s first half of American Rescue Act funds, $77,073.25. Two days of business meetings on January 14 and 15 will be held for the mayor, council members and other officials to discuss the use of the funds. Some updates may be provided at the next board meeting live on Facebook on Monday, February 7 at 7 p.m. A recording will also be available on the Town of Norway Facebook page.
The city of Norway, after board approval in the middle of the meeting, also signed an agreement with the SC Low Income Assistance program.
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Clemons said: “It’s through OCAB. What it looks like is that OCAB already has their energy program where customers will fill out an application, and OCAB will approve it. Of course, it’s based on income. It’s the same for the water aid program.”
“They have to complete their application and submit it to OCAB. OCAB then checks if they meet the eligibility criteria,” added Clemons.
Clemons said, “OCAB will then look at our water system database, and they’ll write a check to the city of Norway, and those citizens’ bills will be paid.”
The Council approved the agreement.
Clemons gave the water and sewer report earlier in the meeting: “We are in compliance with the DHEC sewage service. However, we have maintenance problems at the treatment plant. »
She mentioned that a pump at the plant tripped the circuit breaker and they are ordering a pump.
The mayor then said citizens should always stop flushing wipes and other materials such as cotton balls, rags and dental floss down their toilets, which has been a problem for a number of years there. and that they just have to throw things that aren’t toilet paper in their trash can. “The wipes are not biodegradable. Wipes clog in our pumps,” she added.
Clemons said the city needs to hire a company to pump sewer water out of the lift station when the pumps are clogged. “Every time that happens, it costs us between $800 and $1,000. Please do not rinse wipes or paper towels. We also found toys and T-shirts in the system,” she added.
She mentioned that other municipalities are having the same problem across the state.
Clemons said, “Water and wastewater are our biggest expenses.
The town in Norway received a visit from the Department of Health and Environmental Control of SC on December 30, which showed that it was in compliance.
Clemons said, however, “The town in Norway has some of the oldest pipelines in SC.” She mentioned that it sometimes causes the water to discolor, but the water is still safe according to DHEC.
Clemons then mentioned a major water leak in the city. She said they will do a technical study on the water and sewer system once the funding is available and they want to make additional plans for the water system.
She also added that there was a radio communication problem with the water tower and that it was overflowing. She said that this problem has been solved.
Clemons said they are investigating new technology with a cellphone app that will alert officials to the water tank and its water level.
• Clemons said they were considering a grant for park improvements and put out a repair list for SCDOT in October for sidewalks and signs. She mentions that most of the work is finished.
• Police Chief Edgar Williams presented his report at the meeting. He mentioned that 25 traffic tickets have been given in the past month and two traffic collisions have occurred. Williams also mentioned that five warrants were produced and issued and eight incident reports were completed, including: 1 for assault, first degree; 1 for assault and battery, third degree; attempted armed robbery; contribute to the delinquency of a minor; conspiracy; financial fraud on credit card transactions; grand larceny; and hold up and present a firearm.
• The Board gave a second reading of a Business Licensing Order, and it was first and seconded. This was done, as noted earlier, to make the order consistent with state law. Contact the Norwegian Town Hall for more information.
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• COVID-19 testing will take place at Old Willow School at 2750 Cope Road on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Contact the Norwegian Town Hall for more information.