The Lyman Town Council met for its regular monthly meeting on Monday night, discussing stormwater issues in the Lyman Mill Village. Members of the public commented on storm drain and alleyway maintenance.Â
The main item on the Council’s budget was approving the retainer of Whitner S. Bishop, P.A. Law Firm for investigatory legal services. The request for legal services comes in response to some stormwater pipes failing in the Lyman Mill Village.
According to Noel Blackwell, Town Administrator, the records show that the town of Lyman does not own any of the faulty pipes. Rather, documents show that the S.C. Department of Transportation controls them.
The Council motioned to approve legal services to further investigate if the town has any legal authority to access, remove or repair the faulty pipes. If it does, Blackwell stated that the town will act accordingly. If not, however, then the town is considering potential legal action against third parties to compel acts that will fix the stormwater issues.
The cost for these legal services is up to $5,000, and the council motioned to pull from the general fund to cover the cost.
The Council also opened the floor for public comments on Monday evening. Lyman residents Andrew Karas and Dillon Lindsay addressed the Council during this period.
Karas spoke on aging infrastructure in Lyman Mill Village. Karas states that the drain lines are not adequately handling water runoff. He reports that these issues have caused flooding and sinkholes in many residents’ yards. No motion was made by the Council.
Lindsay spoke to the Council regarding the alleyways that serve residents in the Village. According to Lindsay, there are several alleys that the town does not maintain. These alleys are instead private property of the residents, with maintenance responsibilities falling on them. Lindsay argued that resident upkeep is not feasible, however, and many of the alleys have fallen into disrepair.
Lindsay requested the Council to motion to hold a vote to return alley ownership to the town. Council member Rick Hellams did put forth a motion, but there was no second. Several in the room remarked angrily at the lack of motion, with some leaving the council chambers. Lyman Mayor Glenn Greer remained firm that the alleyways were private property and that the town was not responsible for their maintenance.Â
The Council also held two private executive sessions during the meeting, which lasted about an hour in total. Council adjourned at around 7:45 p.m. To view the minutes of this meeting and all other Lyman Town Council meetings, visit the Council’s website.
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