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Votes at a glance: Clemson council approves first reading of nonconformity amendment, CAT Bus safety plan, and committee appointments
Summary
At its Feb. 3 meeting the council approved the first reading of an amendment to the city's nonconformity/vesting ordinance, approved the CAT Bus agency safety plan required by the Federal Transit Administration, and confirmed several committee appointments; minutes were also approved.
Clemson City Council on Feb. 3 approved several procedural and policy items, including the first reading of an amendment to the city’s vesting/nonconformity rules, adoption of the CAT Bus agency safety plan required by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), and appointments to advisory committees.
Votes at a glance
- Approval of minutes (Jan. 13, 2025): Motion to approve the minutes was made and carried by voice vote; no roll‑call count was recorded in the transcript.
- First reading: amendment to 2024 R.O.5 (vesting/nonconformity). The council approved the first reading of an amendment clarifying that structures damaged by causes “beyond the control of the owner” may be rebuilt to their prior nonconforming condition, subject to permitting rules for additions or changes. The motion for first reading was made and approved; recorded discussion clarified that insured losses and a range of causes (including collision or weather) were intended to be covered but that the ordinance does not grant owners the right to expand or change the structure without meeting current standards.
- CAT Bus agency safety plan (Federal Transit Administration requirement): The council voted to approve the CAT Bus agency safety plan as presented. Brian Fisher, the city’s new CAT Bus director, was introduced earlier in the meeting; the approved plan is the FTA‑required safety document for the municipal transit operation.
- Appointments and nominations: The council nominated and approved John Shaughnessy to the Economic Development Advisory Committee (EDA K) for a three‑year term and appointed Shirley Gear and John Heiliger to the Sustainability Committee for two‑year terms.
- Executive session: The council recessed into executive session to discuss personnel, pending litigation and property negotiations; upon return the council announced no reportable action from executive session.
Details and clarifications
The council discussion on the vesting/nonconformity amendment focused on the definition of covered causes. Council members asked whether the phrase “forces beyond the control of the owner” might be broader than insurance industry terminology such as “acts of God”; staff said the ordinance text aligns with insurance language and that the intent is to permit restoration to the prior nonconforming condition after damage from events outside an owner’s control, but not to allow permitted additions to bypass current standards.
Several motions were made from the floor; the transcript records the motions and that each was approved by voice vote, but the names of motion makers and seconders were not always recorded in the meeting transcript. Where term lengths or committee assignments were discussed, the council stated terms explicitly: the EDA appointment was for three years and the Sustainability Committee appointments were for two years.
Ending: No further action was reported from the executive session; the council adjourned after completing committee appointments and routine business.
