From The Mayor's Desk

By: Mayor Melissa Brazell Emmons

Note: From The Mayor’s Desk is submitted by Mayor Melissa Emmons and is not the official minutes of the Elgin Town Council.

The Elgin Town Council conducted a workshop on Tuesday, July 18, 2023, to discuss some concerns and upcoming changes for Potter Community Park. Those present included Councilwoman Cristy Bradley, Councilwoman Dana Sloan, Councilman Brad Hanley, Mayor Melissa Emmons, Elgin Police Chief, Alan Anders, and Town Clerk, Becky Summey. We were also joined by residents who live around the park and within the Elgin Community.

The topics of discussion included such items as the hours of operation of the park, the cleanliness of the park, security/safety in the park, landscaping at the park, the future projects at the park, parking for the park and the conditions of the roads surrounding the park. With the upcoming construction/development of the Elgin Community Center, we wanted to allow the community the opportunity to express their concerns and ask any questions that they may have with the new developments of the park.

We reminded them that the park hours have not changed, they are from dawn to dusk, which varies throughout the year. We have placed signage in various locations with this information for the public. The Elgin Police Department has jurisdiction in the park and are the enforcement agency for any violations that occur at the park. Chief Anders discussed the current procedures/protocol that his officers follow and stated that the park is an area that they are encouraged to keep a close eye on due to the number of visitors in the area. It is also our goal to ensure that the quality of life for those who reside nearby is affected as little as possible, which is the main reason we have specific hours of operation. Another concern that was discussed is the amount of trash that is being left behind after events and/ or the overflowing permanent trash receptacles. We have placed additional portable trash cans in the area to encourage groups to dispose of their items in them rather than the permanent receptacles since they will hold more and are easier to move around in the park to accommodate the location of an event. We will also be including some language in our user agreement that will remind groups that it is their responsibility to clean up following their events.

We also discussed some safety concerns regarding the possibility of individuals sleeping in the porta-potty and individuals that are hanging around the park for extended periods of time, which is an extremely concerning issue for the nearby residents and those who walk throughout the day. In addition, we have discovered that some vandalism has occurred on the walking trail and in areas throughout the park. In order to assist the police department as they will investigate/monitor future activity, we will be installing some new surveillance cameras throughout the park. We hope this will hinder any malicious activity and will allow us the opportunity to monitor more closely the activity in the park.

We have contacted our current landscaper to remind him that our flower bed near the Military Salute needs to be maintained better as it is stated in our contract. The mulch is scheduled to be replaced (2) times a year and the bed should be repaired following damage from an auto accident in 2021. We are also working to have the sign replaced that was destroyed during this incident.

We are having conversations with SCDOT regarding the current condition of the roadways surrounding the park and determine who is responsible for maintaining them. Wooten Court is in awful shape and it needs immediate attention. We are exploring a few temporary solutions until a permanent solution can be determined. We will also be designating a specific area in the park to be used for parking. We have too many vehicles pulling off on the grass and parking around the playground area and the walking trail and some have been reported as parking in the middle of the street. Since the area around the community center will be paved for parking, we will begin to use that location now for parking.

We have an enclosed message board that is located near the picnic shelter. We will place the park rules and a monthly calendar that shows the current reservations for any upcoming events to make it

See MAYOR'S DESK, See Page 9 >>

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