The Rock Hill City Council convened on Monday, June 9, 2025, for a regular session that included recognitions, ordinance readings, and discussions on community development.
The meeting began with an executive session for board appointments and attorney/client privilege discussions. The regular session featured recognitions for police cadets and an athlete, approval of consent agenda items, and the second reading and adoption of several ordinances related to annexation and zoning. The council also held first readings for ordinances concerning a textile mill site recertification and property disposition. Discussions on the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Consolidated Plan and final allocations took place, followed by an announcement of utility winners and committee reports. The meeting concluded with another executive session for appointments.
Details of Each Agenda Item and Council Action:
1. Executive Session (5:00 PM):
- Purpose: To discuss appointments to city boards and commissions and matters covered by attorney/client privilege.
- Council Action: The council considered holding an executive session for these purposes. No specific action was noted on the agenda beyond consideration.
2. Regular Session (6:00 PM):
- Call to Order, Pledge of Allegiance, Proclamations/Recognitions:
- Police Department Cadets: Chief Watts introduced the second class of cadets, highlighting the program’s role in youth engagement, leadership, and exposing them to law enforcement.
- Khamoni Rockeymore-Crews: Recognized for athletic achievements in Track & Field, including winning 100m and 200m sprints, anchoring the 4×100 relay, breaking a 38-year-old high school record, and being named 2025 Rock Hill High School Female Athlete of the Year. She received a full scholarship to NC A&T. Due to traffic, she was recognized later in the meeting.
- Retiring Finance Team Member: A finance team member, Hardy, who had been with the city for 20 years, was recognized for her integral role in the finance department and presented with a key to the city for her contributions to Rock Hill’s growth and improved per capita income and reduced poverty rates.
- Consider Approving the Consent Agenda:
- Items: Minutes of the Special Session on May 27, 2025, and Minutes of the Special Session on June 5, 2025.
- Council Action: A motion to approve the consent agenda passed.
- Consider Ordinances for Second Reading and Adoption:
- Item 5a & 5b: Karis Cold Annexation and Rezoning:
- Description: An ordinance to amend Chapter 7, Annexations, for the I-77 & Lazy Hawk Road Area I, providing for its annexation, zoning, and ward designation. Concurrently, an ordinance to amend the zoning map for approximately 42.59 acres on Lazy Hawk Road from Planned Development (PD) to Industry General (IG) and Design Overlay District (DOD).
- Council Action: At the applicant’s request, items 5a and 5b were deferred until the next council meeting.
- Item 5c: York Highway/Main Street West Annexation:
- Description: An ordinance to amend Chapter 7, Annexations, for the York Highway/Main Street West Area I, providing for its annexation, zoning, and ward designation.
- Council Action: A motion to approve the ordinance for annexation passed.
- Item 5d: York Highway/Main Street West Rezoning (Park Pointe Village Ph II):
- Description: An ordinance to amend the zoning map for approximately 108.9 acres located on York Highway and Main Street West from Residential Mixed 20 (RMX-20) to Master Planned Residential (MP-R).
- Council Action: A motion to approve the zoning ordinance passed.
- Item 5a & 5b: Karis Cold Annexation and Rezoning:
- Consider Ordinances for First Reading:
- Item 6a: Recertify Baxter Mill Site as Textile Mill Site:
- Description: An uncodified ordinance to amend the original ordinance adopted on May 8, 2017, and amended on April 8, 2019, to recertify the Baxter Mill site as a Textile Mill site under the South Carolina Textiles Communities Revitalization Act.
- Council Action: A motion to approve the ordinance passed.
- Item 6b: Disposition by Sale of Property on Allen Street and Haynes Street:
- Description: An ordinance to provide for the disposition by sale of properties on Allen Street and Haynes Street by the City of Rock Hill to the Housing Development Corporation of Rock Hill.
- Council Action: A motion to approve the ordinance passed.
- Item 6a: Recertify Baxter Mill Site as Textile Mill Site:
- Other Items:
- Item 7a: Consider 2025-2029 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Consolidated Plan for Final Approval:
- Discussion: A draft of the five-year consolidated plan (2025-2029) was circulated for public comment, and a needs assessment survey (161 respondents) identified affordable housing, fair housing, and support services for individuals with special needs as top priorities. Other needs included recreational services for youth, downtown development, small business assistance, job skills development, roadway fixes, and historical preservation. The plan’s goals are to increase/maintain affordable housing, alleviate homelessness, improve public infrastructure, and support public service programs.
- Council Action: A motion to approve the CDBG Consolidated Plan passed.
- Item 7b: Consider Final Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Allocation:
- Discussion: The city will receive $478,911 for the 2025-2026 program year, a slight decrease from original estimates. Projects receiving decreased funding include the agencies, owner-occupied rehab program, and PRT sparks program. Project managers have been consulted and expressed no issues.
- Council Action: A motion to approve the funding allocations passed.
- Item 7a: Consider 2025-2029 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Consolidated Plan for Final Approval:
- Announce Smart Switch and Customer Connect Winners: Matthew Lindsey and Abigail Sam were announced as winners, each receiving a $50 credit on their next utility bill.
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