After an approximately 30 minute closed meeting Monday night to discuss a possible appointment of a commissioner to the Bamberg Board of Public Works, Bamberg City Council members reconvened to open session without coming to an agreement on a replacement for the late commissioner Buddy Sandifer. Mayor McCollum stated that nine people had applied for the position, but he was unable to disclose the names of the applicants at this time.

Bamberg City Council members gave Harry Crissy, Community and Economic Development Agent with Clemson University, the green light to implement step-one of the city’s Downtown Revitalization Plan, removing the fencing downtown and reestablishing retail shopping in the downtown area.

“The fence was put up as a buffer to protect people from the traffic. With the addition of parking there would be no need for fence,” Crissy commented.

It was noted that step one of the Downtown Revitalization Plan must be implemented first before step two of the plan, which includes the establishment of truck routes around the city, could be justified and put into place. In the meantime, downtown Bamberg will remain open to truck traffic coming through town. “The truck route (which has been a point of contention) is a matter of establishing demand with crosswalks and parking lanes,” Crissy added.

“I guess the bottom line is we’re good to go with reestablishing our parking downtown,” Crissy said. Crissy talked with officials at the Lower Savannah Council of Governments (LSCOG) who agreed that if the city of Bamberg removed the fence on main street they (LSCOG) would repaint the parking lines back to open up downtown for retail shopping.

A meeting with the Department of Transportation (DOT) must be held before a date to bring down the fence can be set.

Bamberg City Council members wanted documentation to make sure that there was money available for the project that would include; crosswalks, parking lanes on both sides of the street, elimination of the left turn lane and double lanes for traffic.

“I was told there was some money that will be taken out of the other intersection money,” Crissy said. “We should be able to move fairly quickly.

In other Business:

• Council members approved first reading of Ordinance 10-5 known as the Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance for the City of Bamberg. This Ordinance brings the city of Bamberg in compliance with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Flood Plane Map so citizens of Bamberg can buy flood insurance.

• Council members approved the Tax Credit Factor for the 2010 Tax Year of .001760. Which was described the roll back to citizens of sales taxes in the form of a tax credit based on the appraised value and not the assessment value of property. City of Bamberg Clerk/Treasurer Bruce Watson noted that he received the delinquent tax figures from the courthouse that showed the city of Bamberg had delinquent taxes in the amount of $187,000 to $189,000 which he needed to calculate what the credit factor would be. He said the City of Bamberg would operate on 112.5 mills this year. “The citizens of Bamberg are getting a deal with all the services provided by the City of Bamberg,” Watson said.

Council members appointed Councilman Bo Griffin to the County of Bamberg 1% Capital Projects Committee.