An ordinance to include provisions for paving county roads got the second of three nods by County Council, but not without some discussion.

The new ordinance will require residents to petition County Council to have existing county-maintained roads paved. To have the road paved, each landowner adjoining the road must give the county the right-of-way for the road. A majority of landowner participation will no longer suffice.

Through-roads require a 50 feet right-of-way and cul-de-sacs must have a 40 feet right-of-way.

Councilman Les Hipp asked how many miles of unpaved county roads the county has and was told several hundred by Councilman Bill Waldrop.

Council Chairman Henry “Buddy” Livingston asked if the six or seven roads on the books to be paved could be grandfathered into the new ordinance.

“It is not a good idea to start a new rule with exceptions,” stated Hipp.

Also discussed was how many of the roads meet the new requirements.

Public Works Director Kyle Nash says there is a prioritized list of the order the county roads are to be paved, but with the new requirements it will need to be redone.

Hipp suggested that the list be put on the county’s Web site: www.newberrycounty.net.

The final reading and public hearing on the ordinance is set for the April 15 council meeting at 7 p.m. at the Courthouse Annex on College Street.

In other business discussed Wednesday by County Council:

• A fair housing resolution was approved.

• Third reading was given to rezone 20.37 acres of land on Highway 76 at Kiblers and Candy Kitchen roads from single family residential to general commercial.

• Second reading was given to transfer an unused county right-of-way on Scurry Island Road in Chappells to Denise O’Shields.

• Second reading was given to adopt the past six months ordinances approved by County Council into the Code of Ordinances. This is a normal practice, which occurs twice a year to update the county ordinance books.

• First reading was given to rezone 1.26 acres of land on Highway 121 at the former location of BJ Graphics from rural to general commercial. This property is located between Wilson Road and I-26.

• Sharon Graham was appointed to serve as the District 2 Councilman Steve Stockman representative on the Accommodations Tax Committee. Brian Alvarez from Chappells was appointed to serve on the Newberry County Water and Sewer Authority board.

County Council will meet again on April 15 at 7 p.m.

The council finance committee will meet on April 13 at 6 p.m. and the personnel and intergovernmental committee will meet on April 27 at 6 p.m.

All of the meetings will be held at the Courthouse Annex on College Street and are open to the public.