Laurens City Council appoints planning commissioners and adds executive session for personnel

At its September meeting the Laurens City Council approved Resolution 9-25-1 to appoint two nominees to the city’s Planning Commission, voted to amend the meeting agenda to add an executive session to discuss a personnel matter, and approved minutes from the Aug. 19 regular meeting.

The council took the actions by voice vote after brief discussion. The mayor introduced Resolution 9-25-1 and said there had been strong interest in the two available commission seats; the mayor said he had spoken with both nominees and was impressed by their backgrounds.

Councilor Sullivan voiced support for the appointments and said she trusted the nominees met statutory requirements, stating, "I trust, that they're in full compliance with South Carolina 8-13-740 and the Home Rule Act." The council then approved the resolution; the mayor announced the appointments were made.

Earlier in the meeting Councilor Lowry moved to amend the agenda to add an executive session to discuss a personnel matter; the motion was approved by voice vote and council members agreed to place the executive session between items 1 and 2 of new business. The council subsequently voted to enter executive session later in the agenda for that purpose.

The council also approved the meeting minutes from Aug. 19 after a motion and second were recorded and a voice vote in favor.

What was formal action and what was discussion: The planning commission appointments and the two votes to amend the agenda and to enter executive session were formal council actions recorded on the meeting’s consent and new business items. Councilor Sullivan’s statement about statutory compliance cites South Carolina statutory requirements relevant to appointing local board members.