A change in a town ordinance, approval for the police and fire department radio equipment and thank-yous for coming out to the Christmas festivities were some of the highlights at this month’s Town Council Meeting in Andrews.

Approval was given to the Andrews Police Department and Fire Department to purchase new radios for both departments. Myrtle Beach Communications, the state contractor for Motorola, will help make sure everything is legal by the first of the year.

Mayor Rodney Giles and Patsy Greene thanked everyone for coming out for the Christmas lighting ceremony and Christmas parade, especially the police and fire departments. Greene said she believed it was the largest turnout. Mayor Giles also thanked the town council members for doing a fine job all year.

Mattie McGee asked for assistance with the Christmas dinners and the need for more bags to put the children's toys in.

Accountant Wanda Charping, CPA passed along copies of the town's general fund and water and sewer statements.

"Your revenues don't come in until February or March so we always run a deficit at the end of the calendar year," she said, adding "everything is pretty much on budget and I don't see any problems."

In addition, a motion was passed to adopt the reasonable accommodations policy and a second reading was scheduled for the issuance of $450,000 in general obligation bonds for capital projects for the town of Andrews.

Charping said the town can't do anything until the projects are itemized. The Mayor said these were decided about three months ago but Charping had not received them.

The town council members tabled the motion until Charping has a copy of the projects.

Speaking on behalf of her friend, Andrews resident Patricia Brown, Cheryl Wigfall asked the council about an ordinance that states residents are not allowed to put a mobile home in the city limits. She requested the ordinance be looked at again.

Brown, who owns about 3.94 acres in Andrews, ran into some road blocks when looking for more information from the town of Andrews and Georgetown County as no one seemed able to let her know when this ordinance was passed.

Wigfall found an ordinance prohibition around the late 1980s. "We're not asking you to rescind your ordinance, what I am asking you to do is amend your ordinance," she said.

"In amending your ordinance it would not only help the residents obtain home ownership, what we're asking you to do here is amend your ordinance whereby the town would benefit in terms of revenue," Wigfall said.

She said the amendment needs to be for a double-wide, not a single-wide and needs to make application for de-titlization so the land and home can be taxed as real property and not as personal property. The council will take the matter under consideration.

Mayor Rodney Giles and Town Council members Mattie McGee, Thomas Alford, Sid Ackerman, Angela Anderson, David Tisdale and Patsy Greene were in attendance.

By Barbara Gengler

For The Times