Hartsville City Council tables two big issues to future meetings

After a lengthy executive session, Hartsville City Council reconvened its regular meeting Tuesday night to discuss the final reading of Ordinance 4003, the residential rental licensing ordinance, and the bid award for the broadband feasibility study.

The proposed rental licensing program is aimed at alleviating problems that occur with some rental residential properties in the city, particularly neglected properties. Officials say the criminal activity and disruptive behavior at those properties hurts the quality of life in residential neighborhoods and decreases property values.

After much discussion and an amendment, council tabled Ordinance 4003 until January once it realized the proper public notice of this final public hearing and reading weren’t published. City Attorney Marty Driggers noted the ordinance was listed on the agenda as a final reading and public hearing.

“This was an omission because it (the ordinance) has gone on for so long,” City Clerk Sherron Skipper said.

The ordinance last came up for a vote on final reading in July.

“Mayor (Michael) Holt was adamant that there’d be another hearing,” Driggers said.

“I agree with Marty that we said we’d get back in touch with homeowners before we passed this bill,” Council Member Bernice Wilson said. “Even what we’re doing here … it should’ve been run in the paper.”

“I can’t think of an ordinance that’s been more discussed and more debated than this one,” Driggers said. “It’s a lightning rod to some people.”

“If this is not done this month, it’s going to die, and I don’t know if I have the passion to pick it up again,” Council Member Johnny Andrews said.

The ordinance has been under discussion for at least two years in some form. The main urgency to pass the ordinance before the first of the year was remedied by an amendment to Section 2.

Andrews proposed the amendment that excludes small landlords with one to four rental units from purchasing business licenses to address council’s previous concerns. City business licenses are renewed at the beginning of the year.

Under current law, these small landlords don’t pay for a business license and with the amendment that would stay the same. Landlords who own multiple rental units still purchase one business permit.

“If I have an up-to-code house, I don’t have anything to worry about,” Andrews said. On the other hand, he said, what if someone has a substandard rental unit?

“Is that what we want to promote?” he asked.

“When I try to explain it to people, they don’t see it,” Wilson said. “There’s a catch-22 in there.“

Mayor Mel Pennington said the upcoming census will likely verify that half of the city’s residents rent.

“If we let substandard housing get out of control, it affects a wide margin of our population,” Pennington said. “We are not talking about the good landlords. We are talking about the ones preying on the poor.”

The mayor said council has to stand up for those without a voice and those who don’t have a voice have to stand up, as well, to help council push the change the city needs.

“There are people living in the Pizza Hut because they can’t afford housing,” Pennington said.

In its current form, the ordinance places the burden of responsibility for the rental property’s physical condition and the conduct on the property to the landlords.

“The whole ordinance is designed to put requirements on both parties,” Driggers said.
Council discussed striking the excessive conduct law if landlords had stronger contracts.

“The one component that needs to be a part of this in some way is the education process,” Pennington said. “We need to education landlords on what their rights are.“

After confirming that the ordinance could take effect upon signing, council agreed to table the vote until January when adequate notice could be given to interested parties and the general public.

Council then tackled another hot topic: the broadband feasibility study.

Council received three proposals for the study of a possible city-owned fiber optic network that could enable the city to provide broadband services to city residents and businesses.

The federal government has set aside $7 billion in stimulus funds through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to bring broadband to areas of the country considered underserved by broadband. Pennington, who is pushing to have a study done, said $4 billion of that has been allocated in a first round of funding, while another $3 billion remains for a second round.

If the city were to seek a portion of the funding, it would be in the second round. But City Manager Jim Pennington said federal officials have delayed first-round funding for 15 days, giving the city more time to study the study proposals before council.

A feasibility study could cost up to $50,000. The city has already agreed to allocate $5,000 in city funds toward a study. Officials have commitments for private funding to cover the remaining portion of the cost.

Council moved the vote to the agenda for Thursday’s special meeting at City Hall.