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Newberry council adopts emergency ordinance, authorizes mutual aid with county ahead of Hurricane Helene
Summary
At an Oct. 2 emergency meeting, the Newberry City Council unanimously adopted Ordinance No. 2024-1021, giving Mayor Foster Senn authority to declare a city state of emergency and to enter a mutual aid agreement with Newberry County to address Hurricane Helene; the minutes do not specify mutual-aid details.
The Newberry City Council unanimously adopted Ordinance No. 2024-1021 on Oct. 2, authorizing Mayor Foster Senn to declare a state of emergency for the City of Newberry and to enter into a mutual aid agreement with Newberry County in preparation for Hurricane Helene.
Councilmember Jackie Holmes moved to approve the ordinance on its first and final reading; Councilmember David T. Force seconded the motion. Mayor Foster Senn declared the motion carried following a unanimous vote of the councilmembers present. The minutes record five councilmember affirmative votes; the mayor’s vote is not recorded.
Members present, as listed in the minutes, were Mayor Foster Senn and Councilmembers R. Lemont Glasgow, Carlton L. Kinard, David T. Force, Jackie Holmes and David E. DuBose. City staff in attendance included City Manager Jason Taylor, Assistant City Manager Jeff Wicker, Finance Director Shannon Smith and Public Works Director Joe Kitchen. Media attendance was noted as Elyssa Haven. Municipal Clerk Katelyn Piester attested the minutes.
The ordinance, described in the minutes as both a first and final reading, grants the mayor the authority to declare a city state of emergency and authorizes entering into a mutual aid agreement with Newberry County "to deal with the effects of Hurricane Helene." The minutes do not provide text of the mutual aid agreement or specify operational details, such as the scope of services, resource sharing, or duration.
The minutes contain inconsistent time stamps: the meeting heading lists "October 02, 2024 - 3:30 P.M.," the record states "Mayor Senn called the meeting to order at 5:30 p.m.," and the adjournment is recorded at "3:46 P.M." The council minutes provided do not resolve these discrepancies.
With no additional business recorded, Councilmember Glasgow moved to adjourn; Councilmember DuBose seconded and Mayor Senn declared the motion carried. The minutes do not record further steps or a public-comment period related to the ordinance.
The ordinance gives the mayor delegated authority to act during the storm and enables formal coordination with Newberry County; the minutes show the council acted quickly at an emergency session but do not include the mutual aid agreement language or implementation details. If the city makes the mutual-aid agreement available, it should provide specifics about resource responsibilities and any costs or timelines.
