LAURINBURG — The Scotland County Board of Commissioners voted Monday night to transfer the control of a revolving loan fund to the Scotland county Economic Development Corporation.
EDC Director Mark Ward made the request so the EDC could make changes to the terms of loans. Currently, the fund only allows loans for land improvements and office equipment. The EDC wants to include loans for inventory.
The fund is available to existing businesses that need short-term loans when traditional banks fail to provide a loan in the full amount the business requires.
The $75,000 fund was provided to the county by the Economic Development Association in a grant and no county tax dollars are used. The money has been used to help five companies so far.
“We’ve had this loan [fund] in existence for six or seven years, but the policy states that the county commissioners have to approve any change,” Ward said. “There’s no taxpayer money coming into it, so we’re coming to the county commissioners to state the Scotland County Economic Development Corporation would like to be the one to manage that. Let us make decisions of how to change policy as needed whether or not we can use inventory as collateral currently the only collateral that’s allowed is real estate.”
Ward points out that the EDC’s board already contains three commissioners and two city council members and asking commissioners for another approval is redundant.
The money paid back from those loans is returned to the EDC fund other loans. The EDC currently has two outstanding loans to companies and $30,000 capital available for loans.
Commissioner Carol McCall said that she hopes the changes encourage more entities to take advantage of the fund and benefit the county.
In other business, Col. Terry Parker requested $5,000 for ‘Tis the Season — a group that is trying to develop a Hallmark-movie-like Christmas event for downtown Laurinburg with Christmas themed events like carolers, window, light and tree displays and an ice skating rink.
“Basically what we’re trying to do is put some pride back in the community and put some soul into it,” Parker said. “We’re asking for the county to put some skin into our initiative, and we will ask others. We’re hoping to get some from the city, the TDA [Tourism Development Authority], the downtown advisory council and some fundraising.”
Parker said the budget for the event would be $40,000. The board said it would consider the request during budget planning.
Resident John Laky who lives in the Jamestown subdivision, asked the board to support a proposed gun ordinance. Sheriff Ralph Kersey met with the board at a planning session last week and will meet with County Attorney Ed Johnston to tweak the ordinance. The new proposal will be brought back to the board at a later date for a public hearing and a vote.
“I hope that you will give a lot of thought to what Sheriff Kersey is trying to present as far a gun safety especially in our residential areas,” Laky told the board. “I live in a subdivision where my neighbors like to go out and shoot their guns. I have neighbors behind me and in front of me who like to discharge their weapons without even checking where they’re shooting from or shooting at. Its kind of scary when they start shooting at night.”
The current proposed ordinance restricts firing a weapon within of 200 feet of an occupied school, daycare, or church and 100 feet of a residence, occupied building or livestock, prohibit shooting across roadways and require shooters have an adequate backstop such as a dirt berm to stop bullets. It would also forbid shooting by anyone under the influence of drugs or alcohol. The law would not apply to legal hunters or permitted firing ranges.
Commissioners had previously suggested that the sheriff’s office require a minimum height, width and thickness for a backstop or berm and asked Sheriff Ralph Kersey to consult with District Attorney Kristie Newton in order to make sure the ordinance was written as well as it could be and was enforceable.
Commissioners also approved a regional hazard mitigation plan after a presentation from Scotland County Emergency Management Director Roylin Hammond.
A mitigation plan is created by local governments which are required to have a hazard mitigation plan in place in order to apply for mitigation grant money and funds after a disaster. A regional plan combines the plans of counties and municipalities in a given region into a one plan based on shared risks.
The plan must be approved by all counties in a region. Scotland County is partnered with Richmond, Robeson, Anson, and Montgomery counties.
Having a regional plan in place makes counties eligible for funds above the normal amount provided for disasters.
Ward also updated the board on bids to update rail access and utilities to the Laurinburg Maxton Certified Site where the new Mountaire feed mill will be located.
The board accepted a bid from Queen City Railroad Construction to build and extend existing rail line to the site with steel railroad ties that have a 50 year life span. The cost of the bid was $1,914,730. Four bids were received after bidding opened.
