Council approves chamber, festival and recovery contracts; several funding votes unanimous

Simpsonville City Council took a series of unanimous votes at its Jan. 28 Committee of the Whole meeting on funding and contracts related to tourism, post-storm recovery and downtown park amenities.

The council voted 7-0 to approve the Welcome Center budget submitted by the Simpsonville Area Chamber of Commerce, to accept staff’s recommendation to contract with ICF for FEMA public-assistance support (7-0), and to approve Crown and Bloom Coffee Company as the tenant for the former fire department administrative building (7-0). Council also approved, 7-0, amended allocations from the city’s accommodations tax advisory committee, moving additional funds into the Everything Outdoor Fest. Separately, the council directed staff to engage SCDOT and design teams on an East Curtis Street pedestrian crossing (7-0).

One procedural vote on a separate item—whether non-mayoral council members should be granted the same direct communication access to the city website and other city communication channels as the mayor—was…