Serving Barnwell County and it's neighbors since 1852
The December 12 Williston Town Council meeting began like many others, with Mayor Brett Williams welcoming each person in attendance and thanking them for being there.
Clean-Ups & Toy Drives
Before new and old business was discussed, Williston resident Margo Huggins gave the council an update during public comment. Huggins has been organizing the Williston clean-ups part of the Keep Barnwell County Beautiful initiative, and reported no one volunteered at the recent clean-up event on Dec. 10.
Partly attributed to the bad weather and many other activities taking place in town, Huggins hopes to garner more volunteers for the next scheduled event on Monday, January 2, 2023.
The New Years Day Trash Bash will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and the meeting spot will be Folk Funeral Home in Williston.
Williston resident Judy Taylor also spoke during public comment to bring two items to the attention of the council. The first being the allocation of Christmas toys to Barnwell County as a part of the nonprofit 100 Suits for 100 Men from the Savannah River Site (SRS) “Toys for Tots” campaign.
Taylor explains the late Williston Town Councilman William Toney was formerly the liaison for this drive and would coordinate Barnwell County’s distribution of toys.
Since his passing, the transfer of toys has become rocky and Taylor is concerned the toys donated through SRS will not make it to Barnwell County from the Aiken distribution center in time to be given to the 350 applicants in need of gifts for their families.
Mayor Williams and the council assured her that these toys would be transferred to Barnwell County as Williston is not short of residents with large trucks who are willing to make the trip.
Taylor also requested council look into what can be done to honor the late Councilman Toney, and suggested something such as a memorial marker or plaque.
Business Opportunity
Bob Snead, incoming President/CEO of the Southern Palmetto Regional Chamber of Commerce and current director of the Palmetto Innovation Center, detailed the opportunities available to entrepreneurs and local businesses at the meeting.
Propel Business Lab is a 12-week program starting in January for anyone interested in starting or learning how to maintain a business. The lab is held at the Palmetto Innovation Center on Main Street in Barnwell, which houses over $80,000 of accessible equipment for business owners.
Taught by Alicia Davis of Davis Tax Consulting & Financial Services LLC, this course not only provides participants with insight on marketing and technology skills but offers a $10,000 grant to the winner of the pitch contest.
The deadline to apply for the Propel Business Lab was Dec. 16.
Three-Year Plan
The Williston Town Council and Town Administrator Michael Beasley plan to meet for a workshop on Monday, January 2, 2023 at 6 p.m. to discuss goals they have for the town in the next three years.
Administrator Beasley detailed his appreciation for the town and those who work to maintain it at the meeting. He hopes that this workshop will be a solid step toward establishing the many goals he and council members have for upcoming years.
One of the first items of the New Year is the January 31 election to fill the vacant council seat. The swearing in of this individual is tentatively taking place at the February council meeting.
Construction on Elko Street
The council approved to reject the continued construction by Han Construction & Management LLC based in Columbia to complete the demolition on Elko Street in Williston due to prior experiences with the company at the recommendation of the Lower Savannah Council of Governments (COG).
The Lower Savannah COG is managing this demolition project and recommended the town restructure the company responsible for this Elko St. project.
Now, Chaplin & Sons Clearing and Demolition based in Augusta will be handling the task.
Approved Event
The Williston-Elko Middle School (WEMS) Family Engagement Night will be held at the Williston Branch Library and museum on January 10, 2023 from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. after being approved by the council.
Due to Councilmember Adadra Neville filing the application to request this event on town property as a teacher at WEMS, she recused herself from the vote.
This event is open to the public.
