Votes at a glance: annexation, rezoning, master plans, grants and recognitions approved by Florence council

The Florence City Council recorded multiple formal actions during the meeting, including annexation and rezoning ordinances, adoption of utility master plans, approval of a stormwater grant subrecipient agreement, and recognition of an awareness month. Below are each item and the outcome as stated on the record.

- Bill 2025-35: Second reading, ordinance to annex and zone NC-15 the lot at 2507 West Andover Road (Florence County tax map number 01221-01-090). Outcome: Passed on second reading (voice vote: "the ayes have it").

- Bill 2025-36: Second reading, ordinance to rezone parcels from CA to MC (two lots at 235 East House Springs Road, Florence County tax map numbers 00152-01-127 and 00152-01-07). Outcome: Passed on second reading (voice vote: "the ayes have it").

- Bill (accessory dwelling units): Second-reading amendments to the Unified Development Ordinance regarding ADUs. Outcome: Amendments adopted at second reading (see separate article for details).

- Bill 2025-38: Introduction (first reading) of an ordinance to amend the fiscal-year 2025-26 budget to carry forward unspent funds and projects from the prior year; staff described the ordinance as a carryover of previously approved purchases and projects, including a $2,000,000 fire truck payment to be carried into the current fiscal year. Outcome: Introduced (first reading).

- Resolution 2025-28: Resolution committing the city to provide a local match for a Municipal Association of South Carolina "Big Idea" grant and to follow procurement policies when using grant funds. Outcome: Adopted (voice vote).

- Resolution 2025-29: Adopt the City of Florence Water Distribution System Master Plan (staff and AECOM presented the 20-year plan and said it supports grant applications). Outcome: Adopted (voice vote).

- Resolution 2025-30: Adopt the City of Florence Sewer Collection System Master Plan. Outcome: Adopted (voice vote).

- Resolution 2025-301: Adopt the City of Florence Stormwater Master Plan. Outcome: Adopted (voice vote). Staff stated the stormwater master plan was supported by a $250,000 grant from the South Carolina Office of Resilience.

- Resolution 2025-32: Authorize the city manager to execute a stormwater infrastructure program subrecipient agreement between the City of Florence and the South Carolina Office of Resilience to fund stormwater infrastructure improvements (Oakland Avenue corridor). Staff reported an additional $400,000 was added to the Oakland Avenue project, bringing the total award for that project to $3,400,000; staff described using 2021 bond funds of $7,000,000 to leverage roughly $14,000,000 in additional grant funds across multiple stormwater projects. Outcome: Authorized (voice vote).

- Resolution 2025-33: Resolution recognizing September as Spinal Cord Injury Awareness Month in Florence. Outcome: Adopted (voice vote). Councilman McKay indicated he will present the resolution to a local spinal-cord-injury advocacy group during their observance.

Other formal items recorded: approval of the Aug. 11 minutes, service recognition for Rico Windham (30 years in water production), committee reports, and appointments to boards and commissions (multiple appointments and deferrals noted). An executive session was held for personnel matters; the council returned to open session and stated no votes were taken in executive session.

Why it matters: The package of approvals and authorizations, especially the utility master plans and the resilience grant agreement, sets priorities for capital projects and positions the city to apply for and spend grant funds across water, sewer, and stormwater infrastructure.

What the record shows: Most votes were taken by voice and recorded as "the ayes have it"; the transcript does not include roll-call tallies for these items in the public record provided.