A billboard at the corner of McColl and Leisure roads will stay where it is following the city granting its owner a conditional use permit on Tuesday.

The billboard which has been at that spot for decades became an illegal nonconforming sign after the wording on the advertisement changed.

“There have been changes made to this sign since our current ordinance was adopted in 1993,” said city Planning Director Brandi Deese. “Therefore a conditional use permit must be granted or the sign will have to be removed.”

The sign currently displays an advertisement for Norris Storage Buildings.

Ronnie Hardin of Hardin Signs of Pembroke requested the permit, which the Laurinburg City Council approved unanimously on Tuesday.

In a related matter, council also approved a rezoning request from Union Grove Missionary Baptist Church. The church wants to rezone property at 1019 Shaw Street from residential to office-institutional to expand the church.

“We want a add a fellowship hall to our existing church facility to accommodate our members for re pass after a funeral and to fellowship on special occasions,” said James McDonald, chairman of the church trustee board. “We also plan to use the fellowship hall for meetings plays and otter events throughout the year.”

Council also voted 4 to 1 — with Councilman Kenton Spencer opposed — to postpone action on a request for road and ditch work off Beta Street.

Councilman J.D. Willis suggested that staff review the request and that council consider the matter at budget time.

“I thought we were going to take it up then with all the other projects and prioritize,” Willis said.

Spencer said the public is becoming frustrated with inaction and that he hoped that the city was not “kicking the can down the road.”

In other business, the council voted to:

Condemn a property at 202 Center Street as well as a property at 341 Sawdust Lane.

Approve the Annual Firefighters Certification. The certification determines eligibility for the $50,000 line -of-duty death benefit. About 38 fire fighters made the annual list;

Set a public hearing for Jan. 15 to consider a request to rezone 56.29 acres on Heck Norton Road from residential-mobile home to industrial. The request was made by the Scotland County Economic Development Corporation;

Adopt the 2012 Pee Dee Lumber Regional Hazard Mitigation Plan. The 400-page document which was delve loped to help municipalities reduce the long term risk to life and property during natural disasters. It replaces an earlier plan adopted in 2005. The multi-jurisdictional plan includes Laurinburg, Scotland County, East Laurinburg, Gibson Wagram , Anson County, Ansonville, Lilesville, McFarlan, Morven, Peachland, Polkton, Wadesboro, Montgomery county, Biscoe, Candor, Mount Gilead, Star, Troy, Richmond County, Dobbin Heights, Ellerbe, Hamlet, Hoffman, Norman, and Rockingham.

Council also recognized city employee with service awards.

James Monroe of the sanitation department was the employee with the most longevity among the honorees. He served the city for 30 years. Garage department worker Willie Grooms also qualified for city recognition after 25 years of service.

Also recognized were:

Twenty years - Kimothy Monroe (police), Jason Lighthall, (electric,) Timothy Scott (cemetery), Phillip Redbrook (water production) and Charles Sessoms(police);

Fifteen years - Tony Strickland (sanitation), Loren Dunn (water production), Cindy Carpenter (finance), Harold Clark (water distribution), Jason Locklear (sanitation), Patrick Cooper (police), Christopher Jackson (police);

Ten years - Randy Chavis (garage), Colden Strickland (water distribution), Marty Locklear (water distribution) Teddy Quick (electric), Mitchell Adkins (cross connection) and Shawn Chavis (police);

Five years -Andrew McNeill (billing), Angela Foster(electric administration), James Munger (police), Justin Jones (police),Rodney Byrd (cemetery), Vernon Jackson (police), Joshua Byrd (police), Merica Zabitosky (police) Joshua Munro (electric), Phillip Jones (sanitation) Mark Morris (billing) Kristy Crowley (police) and Barry Campbell (police).