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Batesburg-Leesville council adopts annexation, animal-control changes, approves ladder truck and JAG grant
Summary
At its December council meeting, Batesburg-Leesville approved second readings of an annexation ordinance and county-driven animal-control changes, authorized up to $95,000 to buy a federal-surplus ladder truck, and accepted a three-year JAG grant that funds a domestic-violence/child-abuse investigator (year one $162,372; 10% local match).
At its December meeting, the Batesburg-Leesville Town Council adopted several ordinances and approved major operational items affecting public safety and town property.
The council adopted on second reading an ordinance to annex 0.71 acres at 107 West Church Street (Lexington County TMS 0059000631). The mayor announced the second-reading motion carried after a roll-call vote. Council also adopted changes to the town’s animal-control ordinance to reflect modifications made by Lexington County; the second-reading motion carried after recorded votes (a single recorded 'no' was noted during roll-call before the mayor announced the motion carried).
Council authorized staff to purchase a federal-surplus ladder truck and allocate up to $95,000 for purchase, upfitting and repairs. Fire staff said the truck came from Fort Riley, Kansas, has roughly 40,000 miles and about 400 aerial hours; maintenance personnel and outside testers judged it mechanically sound. Council discussed staffing and training: the truck requires a minimum of one operator to position the aerial turntable, the town plans to use state-sponsored fire-academy training (described in the meeting as low-cost courses) plus internal practice, and older apparatus will be retired and sold to offset costs. The council voted to approve the expenditure and the motion carried.
The council approved acceptance of a three-year South Carolina JAG (Justice Assistance Grant) award to fund a domestic-violence/child-abuse investigator. The initial award for year one is $162,372 with a 10% local match ($16,238); staff said the match would be absorbed in the police department’s FY24–25 budget and that continuation for years two and three will require renewal and the same 10% match. The police chief confirmed a current staff member would be placed into the role and that interview/training supports are available.
Other formal actions recorded during the meeting included adoption of the November 2024 meeting minutes, excusing a council member’s prior absence, approval of 2025 council meeting dates, and a motion carried after executive session to proceed with an ordinance to sell/lease town property in agreement with a health cooperative (the transcript uses both “Eau Claire Cooperative Health” and “Oak Clear Health Cooperative”; the council voted to proceed but the cooperative name and final contract language require clarification from staff). Council also completed a first reading of a redistricting ordinance (first-reading approval; not final adoption).
What’s next: the annexation and animal-control ordinances were adopted (second reading) and take their ordinary legal effect under town rules; the ladder truck purchase and the grant acceptance proceed under staff implementation. Council set its next regular meeting for Jan. 13, 2025, and added a discussion of council salary to that agenda.
Votes and procedural notes: the transcript records roll-call votes and multiple instance counts (the mayor repeatedly announced when the motion carried); where the roll call recorded individual district responses, the meeting record announces the final outcome as passed or carried. Where the transcript records conflicting or incomplete item labels (for example the health cooperative’s name), the council’s action is described here as recorded in the meeting and staff should be consulted for contract text and the official ordinance language.
