County Council OK's sale of old jail

After a public hearing, Marion County Council approved the third and final reading of an ordinance authorizing the posting for sale of the old Marion County jail on U.S. Highway 76.
The sale will require the purchaser of the property to demolish and dispose of the debris within 60 days of the date of the closing on the property, County Attorney Charles McLain said.
In other business, third reading of an ordinance amending the text and map of the Marion County Zoning Ordinance was approved. The move creates an Industrial Park District and changes the zoning district classification of over 400 acres of land zoned as the General Development District.
Final reading was also approved for an ordinance amending the Planning and Zoning fee schedule, which allows a $250 fee to be charged for the work done to advertise and rename a Marion County road. McLain said it is to defray the cost of the request.
An ordinance to approve the lease of the Marion County Animal Shelter to Paws to the Rescue Inc. was introduced during the meeting.
The group is scheduled to take over the operation on Oct.1. However, McLain said the proposed lease for the shelter needs a public hearing.
In his legal update to council members McLain said he would like to transfer the County Council Procedure Rules from hard copy to computerized data. “For me to amend that properly I have to have it in a text format,” he said.
City Administrator Tim Harper in his update informed council members of the Oct. 20 Tri-County Council meeting with Dillon and Marlboro council members. That meeting will take place in Bennettsville.
He told council members they are to attend the Marion County Progress Inc. annual meeting on Oct. 23. Council voted to cancel the group’s night meeting since they will be holding a Tri-County meeting, and have a day meeting planned for Oct. 14.
Harper said the county received a letter from the state that the local government funds were cut three percent across the board. Harper added that $2,188,356 was budgeted and the cut would amount to $65,671.
Council members discussed citizen’s complaints regarding mosquitoes. Council member Tom Shaw asked if something could be done for rural areas.
Harper said the county used to spray the area but that spraying for mosquitoes is not in the budget. He left the matter up to council to decide, saying “It would be nice if we could spray the whole county,” but I can’t see where it would do much good and where the funds would come from.
Harper added that there is so much standing water in the county that it would take a continuous spray to be effective. “If we show effort, at least we show we’re trying,” Shaw said.
Council member Elista Smith mentioned getting the word out to citizens on what they can do to help alleviate the problem to which Harper agreed, things such as keeping grass cut and removing things that hold water.
Council member Allen Floyd said he’s seeing the biggest mosquitoes he’s ever seen and Council member Milton Troy II said municipalities like Mullins and Marion spray and it seems to work at that time. Harper said the density of population, with houses clumped together makes spraying easier for the cities.
Council agreed they would like to look at coming up with a way to get assistance from the state.
Council Members appointed Elaine Barkley to the PDRTA committee and Allen Floyd, William Penn Troy and John Q. Atkinson to represent the county with Pee Dee Council of Governments.