[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":44,"_46":47,"_48":49,"_50":51,"_52":53,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":59,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":65,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6101638,"mediaKeyId","2807427-7f82c1e1d5f8bbb564b1d8792062ef06","parentId",2807427,"title","Fort Mill council approves event ordinance, budget amendment and property sale; first reading raises procurement threshold","audioSeconds",0,"startMs",2307000,"endMs","viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2807427-7f82c1e1d5f8bbb564b1d8792062ef06&start=2307&end=2307","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2807427-7f82c1e1d5f8bbb564b1d8792062ef06/thumbnail_2307000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6101638/South-Carolina/Fort-Mill-council-approves-event-ordinance-budget-amendment-and-property-sale-first-reading-raises-procurement-threshold","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6101638-6ac288caf2e0507bdaceac9f2f3937a6/orig.mp4?Expires=1771155851&Signature=nDM3YRsNVF97xDb0rod86xbYq5kQ1eWgWHaikg3IkOXkf5lsHTt13Xxk3X40LS5QDbHZr3iS6k0vDlqrwitd-airjR2cPiuKLOL8f1f2F7AFjXEn3h2YERhotKCHE7ho7XqYLiqgL~oGydhhV5-t1oZJ~-Ourrr4W0aSvbOlzrb6P8Wzuu1E-2kfhStLxBYvIEZcUzlliRbR2Hvi~PfukgMHddPB9IfjyrCw~iKg0oJbWjXhI2dGfEmC6MgLQgu10wgbLbBBVqD7A42dWv9FVxudreJNZCs3f3Imv-KpHZLCVUo9OLJohdRjK13keLvCVs2mAyfzzUsiUXLf9BWTiA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","fortmilltv","date","2025-03-24T00:00:00Z","article","The Fort Mill Town Council approved several ordinances and appointments during its regular meeting, adopting rules to streamline town-hosted events, approving a budget amendment, and authorizing the sale and short-term lease of a downtown building while moving forward with other administrative items.

On second reading the council approved an ordinance to amend the town’s event authorization process for town-hosted and town-sponsored events. Town staff described the ordinance as consolidating approvals so that town-hosted events can proceed through budget and council processes without additional ad hoc approvals. The ordinance passed by voice vote; no roll-call tally was given.

Council held a public hearing and on second reading approved Amendment 25-6 to the fiscal year 2025 budget, with staff and council members describing the amendment as a proactive adjustment to address vehicle and equipment needs.

Council approved an ordinance authorizing the sale of the building at 112 Confederate Street. Town staff said the police department is due to move out of the building on April 18 and closing on the sale was scheduled for April 25, 2025. Council later approved a related ordinance authorizing a month-to-month lease of approximately 4,343 square feet on the ground floor of the same building so the police department can house limited law-enforcement functions (9-1-1 communications center, data master breathalyzer and related uses) until a full relocation to the new town hall at 205 North White Street is completed.

On first reading the council approved an amendment to the town procurement code to raise the small-purchase threshold from $1,000 to $2,500, bringing the town’s threshold into alignment with the State of South Carolina; the change was presented by procurement staff as a means to speed routine purchases while keeping existing safeguards and three-quote requirements in place for procurements above the threshold.

Council also confirmed a slate of recommended appointments to advisory bodies, including reappointments and new appointments to the Board of Zoning Appeals, Historic Review Board, Planning Commission, Stormwater Advisory Committee and Keep Fort Mill Beautiful. Council approved the full slate in a single motion by voice vote.

Other business: Council approved minutes from prior meetings and heard an informational update on the town’s comprehensive-plan rewrite and associated downtown master plan and parks-and-recreation master plan. The council held an executive session on pending legal matters and potential claims and returned to open session with no action carried forward.

Votes at a glance

- Ordinance amending town event authorization process (Old Business Item 1) — second reading: approved by voice vote (mover/second not specified in record).
- Ordinance amending budget, Amendment 25-6 (Old Business Item 2) — public hearing and second reading: approved by voice vote.
- Ordinance authorizing sale of 112 Confederate Street (Old Business Item 3) — second reading: approved by voice vote; closing scheduled for April 25, 2025; police department to vacate April 18, 2025.
- Ordinance authorizing lease of space at 112 Confederate Street (Old Business Item 4) — second reading: approved by voice vote; lease month-to-month for 4,343 sq ft to house 9-1-1 communications and interim police functions.
- Ordinance amending procurement code (New Business Item 1) — first reading: approved (proposal to raise small-purchase threshold from $1,000 to $2,500; three-quote requirement retained).
- Advisory-board appointments (Committee Report) — approved in a single consent motion: multiple reappointments and new appointments to zoning, historic, planning, stormwater and Keep Fort Mill Beautiful committees.

Council did not record roll-call vote tallies in the meeting transcript; most approvals were taken by voice vote following a motion and second.

The meeting closed after an executive-session discussion and routine mayor/council remarks about upcoming community events.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Fort Mill Town Council Meeting March 24, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","At its regular meeting the Town Council approved a town-hosted events ordinance (second reading), a budget amendment (Amendment 25-6), the sale and temporary lease of 112 Confederate Street, and a slate of advisory-board appointments. Council also approved on first reading a procurement-code change to raise the small-purchase threshold to $2,500.","taxTitle","Fort Mill Township, Lancaster County, South Carolina","taxId",56442,"location","South Carolina","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_46":81,"_48":82,"_50":83,"_52":84,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":85,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":86,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":73},6101643,"Fort Mill council hears plan to seek South Carolina cultural-district designation for downtown",1928,360000,2288000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2807427-7f82c1e1d5f8bbb564b1d8792062ef06&start=360&end=2288","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2807427-7f82c1e1d5f8bbb564b1d8792062ef06/thumbnail_360000.jpg","/articles/6101643/South-Carolina/Fort-Mill-council-hears-plan-to-seek-South-Carolina-cultural-district-designation-for-downtown","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6101643-e7c25d6fc8aa8fb62ec9a0239db1d587/orig.mp4?Expires=1771155851&Signature=JqytFFSkPCKjdvdSrqvyK~AEEpwTT94YkMKtdEqMUONSFNOlJNbMktfzksfChvD0m0HXjGS9TD44X7cpIs4A5bsjpMdLxy9gxaUXtZ4T2lDv-0x~Elfa4zEO~H62Q6H32axQC~8oaU0vohHwc1Dziu1lJPyKMjxnCm8-7q3dHoPJpBJt21CZu3gL8W28prkfKNycT1VnV-URPhatcTjiwBj-23SxbrlJsViwIjez8RynMsXoD-05lj11OBC2EHu1cQLjHsCo825Tzmh7ofbjGxWeKg0zrfFLWOHxHCbaYXWrRuC3j1wyNihq3x1mrf1f-oeE9DQTglc-OpNCt3bY6g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Debbie Whitsett, owner of Olive's Mud Puddle and president of the Catawba River Art Guild, and Melanie Cooper, executive director of the Arts Council of York County, told the Town Council on the cultural-district application process and benefits for Downtown Fort Mill.

Whitsett said the application “requires very little from the town but brings great benefits to our area,” and described how a designated cultural district can attract artists, events and grant opportunities. Cooper said the designation creates access to marketing and grant funding and is renewable every five years.

The presenters outlined the typical steps: form a local steering committee approved by the South Carolina Arts Commission, compile an inventory and mapping of cultural resources, hold a public workshop with the Arts Commission, and have the town adopt a resolution confirming municipal support. Cooper said the commission assesses whether the proposed district is a “walkable” area and noted that as downtown grows a town can seek multiple, smaller cultural districts rather than a single sprawling district.

Council members described the timing as complementary to Fort Mill’s concurrent downtown master plan and broader 20-year planning work. Councilmember Alyssa asked whether multiple district applications (for example, Kingsley and downtown) would require separate reports; Cooper replied that “you have to do two separate reports, one for each of the districts.”

Presenters and council members cited previous examples and impact figures from neighboring programs. Whitsett and Cooper said Rock Hill’s cultural-district reporting showed increases in visitor counts and economic activity between 2017 and 2023; Whitsett quoted aggregate figures from those reports during her presentation. Cooper offered the Arts Council’s assistance compiling inventories and said the council’s staff liaison would be responsible for collecting required metrics for any application.

Council members asked about town cost and staff time. Whitsett and Cooper said the principal commitment would be volunteer time on the steering committee and periodic reporting; Cooper said the Arts Council often helps with much of the legwork. The presenters and council discussed possible programming—murals, festivals, concerts, public art experiences and youth art activities—as eligible activities within a cultural district.

Council did not vote on an application at the meeting. The mayor asked staff to find a template resolution and prepare the materials needed for a future council action; council members expressed support for moving forward. Council indicated they would return a formal resolution for consideration at a later meeting once staff and the proposed steering committee had prepared the application materials.

The presentation also included an offer from the Arts Council of York County to host and maintain an inventory of cultural assets online for Fort Mill. Cooper said that the district designation is “renewable every five years” and that council could request expansions or further mapping when renewing the designation.

The cultural-district discussion followed public comment earlier in the meeting and was placed on the agenda as a presentation; no ordinance or binding commitment was adopted at this session.","Presenters from the arts community urged council to back a South Carolina Cultural District application for Downtown Fort Mill, saying the designation requires minimal town investment but brings marketing, grant and tourism benefits. Council voiced support and asked staff to prepare a resolution/template; no formal council vote was taken.","actionData","errors"]

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Fort Mill council approves event ordinance, budget amendment and property sale; first reading raises procurement threshold

Fort Mill council hears plan to seek South Carolina cultural-district designation for downtown