The October Lake Waccamaw Town Council meeting was short and to the point with all affairs in order Tuesday evening.
The voluntary annexation of Tops Tobacco was approved unanimously with no public comments last night. The property was on the agenda for last month, but the ordinance needed the appropriate signatures in order to be passed.
Also approved at the meeting was the resolution of the annexation of the Public Works and water tower. Waccamaw Outdoors and the Speedy Mart LLC. in that area are already part of the Lake Waccamaw city limits, but the tower was not.
“We are looking to annex some of our own property to tidy that corner up,” said Mayor Daniel Hilburn. A public hearing will be held at the next meeting to discuss the resolution.
The county use of the water tower for dispatch was also discussed at the meeting. Hilburn and Commissioner Rosemary Dorsey both attended the meeting in which the subject was addressed by the county commissioners recently.
Antennas and framework on the top of the tower are outdated now that emergency systems are switching over to the VIPER radio. The upgrade has a price tag of $127,000, but the county will be footing the bill for the work. The item was not on the agenda as voting item, but the mayor felt it was important for the board to show support to county emergency services by approving the upgrade. All town commissioners agreed that the work was needed.
Now full-time firefighter Jordan Smith was introduced to the town last night. Smith has been a member of the Lake Waccamaw Fire and Rescue Department for the last two years.
“She is a hard worker and very dedicated to her job,” said Town Manager Damon Kempski.
The final topic of discussion of the night left attendees with thoughts of sugar plums in their heads. The Lake Waccamaw tree lighting ceremony will take place on Dec. 3 and the Christmas Parade will be held on Dec. 4.
The town’s tree has not been serviced in many years and is in need of repair. Commissioner Wilson said that Robert Bailey, the utility supervisor, has received an estimate of $3382.16 to repair damage done to the tree. The board approved a $4,000 budget for new lights and connectors.
