WHITMIRE — Whitmire Town Council discussed the next steps the town will take in filling the position for part-time recreation director and the mayor announced he was restructuring the Recreation Committee effective immediately during Monday night’s council meeting.

“We decided that we would advertise for a part-time recreation director and that has been done. Applications closed on Sept. 30,” Mayor Billy Hollingsworth said Monday night. “I’m going to restructure the Recreation Committee effective immediately. Dwight Lane will chair that committee, Galen Roche will be on with him and Debbie Harris. They will take the applications now and set up individual interviews. We’re not going to try and rush it, we’re taking our time and have a decision in place by Dec. 1.”

Hollingsworth said the Dec. 1 decision was chosen due to the starting of basketball season. He said this will give whoever is chosen for the position the opportunity to start planning for the 2018 year. Recommendations for candidates will be brought back to Council at next month’s regular Council Meeting.

Other business:

• Whitmire Police Chief Jeremiah Sinclair reported there were a total of 87 incidents filed and 105 citations issued for the month of September. Calls the Department responded to included: burglary, DUI, possession of marijuana, possession of meth, domestic violence and larceny. There was one investigated wreck.

• The Town of Whitmire saw a beginning balance of $12,037.38 with $56,253.64 deposited. In expenditures, Whitmire saw a total of $46,293.39, which left the Town of Whitmire with an ending balance of $21,997.63.

• The Public Works Department had a beginning balance of $920.03 with $64,817.57 in revenue plus a voided check for $1,343.26. Expenditures totaled at $66,562.79 for an ending balance of $518.07.

“We are three months into the year and we’re 24.94 percent ahead of the budget. It is dead on budget, so we haven’t had to overspend on our water budget at this point and that’s amazing with some of the things we’ve had going on,” Hollingsworth said.

• Kim Wallace with the Citizens Advisory and Tourism Committee came to Council to find out if they would be moving forward with the Shred Day event that was discussed during last month’s meeting. There is no official date for the event.

“I’d hate for us to vote to spend $600, which may not sound like a lot of money, but on the town’s side it is, and then 10 people show up outside to have items shredded. I would suggest we advertise it and see what response we get and we’ll come back and say either yes or no at our next meeting,” Hollingsworth said.

• The Town of Whitmire’s Halloween Carnival put on by the Whitmire Jaycees will be held Oct. 28 at 8 p.m. Councilwoman Debbie Harris made the motion and Councilman Dwight Lane seconded the motion to celebrate Halloween town-wide on Oct. 28.

• Hollingsworth told Council the water committee was being reestablished.

“The water committee will be put back into effect and all decisions will be made by them and if they need to bring them before Council then they will, otherwise they will handle it and that will be the end of it,” Hollingsworth said.

The committee will be Councilman Jimmy Dunaway serving as chairman, Councilwoman Chrystal Harsha and Councilman Michael Thomas.

Hollingsworth
https://www.newberryobserver.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/web1_Hollingsworth.jpgHollingsworth

By Kelly Duncan

kduncan@newberryobserver.com

Reach Kelly Duncan at 803-768-3123 ext. 1868 or on Twitter @TheNBOnews.