New Council Member Sworn In, Stage 2 Drought Declared, and Capacity Fee Overhaul Advances at Clover Town Council Meeting

Town of Clover Town Council, Regular Meeting — Monday, May 11, 2026, Clover Community Center

The Clover Town Council opened its May 11 regular meeting with the swearing-in of newly elected Council Member Greg Holmes, who will serve through December 31, 2029. From there, the council moved through a full agenda that included second reading of an FY25-26 budget amendment, approval of alcohol sales for the July 4 / America 250 celebration, first reading of a significant rewrite of the town’s water and sewer capacity fee ordinance, the purchase of a new vehicle lift for the Streets Department, a proclamation declaring stage 2 drought conditions across the town, a Lupus Awareness Month proclamation, and recognition of the winning student teams from the Clover Middle School Entrepreneurship Expo. Two Clover High School seniors also pitched the council on building an accessible and inclusive playground at New Center Park. The meeting closed with council comments and updates on capital projects across town, from the Gwynn Street parking lot to the Clover Community Park restroom and tower renovation.

Swearing-in and opening business

After an opening prayer led by Council Member Bonnie Joyce and the Pledge of Allegiance, Town Clerk Ms. Dunbar confirmed compliance with the Freedom of Information Act. Mayor Legg then turned the meeting over to Zach and Beth for the formal swearing-in of Council Member Greg Holmes, who recited the oath of office and was congratulated by the full council.

A public hearing was opened on Ordinance 26-01 amending the FY25-26 budget, but no members of the public had signed up to speak.

Public address: Students pitch an accessible playground

Clover High School seniors Jillian Elkins and Chloe Adams used the public address portion of the meeting to pitch the council on a new accessible and inclusive playground at New Center Park. The students noted that there are 1,019 students with various disabilities in the Clover School District alone, and that while the existing New Center Park playground is wheelchair accessible, it is not accessible for small children with or without disabilities.

Working with Carolina Parks and Play and Landscape Structures, the students designed a playground built around a Volo — a piece of equipment featuring special netting and climbing obstacles that builds fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and balance while engaging different sensory systems — along with wider slides that allow caretakers to ride down with a child, communication boards to help children convey their needs, and a cozy dome where children with autism can take a break from overstimulation. They cited research showing more than 90% of parents believe communities should provide playground equipment that accommodates a wide range of abilities. The students said the companies are willing to adjust the design to fit any budget and have provided catalogs and samples to council, with the formal pitch emailed to Mayor Legg.

Entrepreneurship Expo recognition

Alicia Griffith presented to the council the top-finishing student teams from Clover Middle School’s two-semester Entrepreneurship Expo, run under the direction of Mrs. Feaster. Students were given $700 and challenged to develop a business plan, work as a team, solve problems, and run a successful business.

First semester winners: TLC (1st), Pause on the Go (2nd), and Grass Be Gone (3rd). Second semester winners: Makia (1st), Party Divas Celebrations (2nd), and Guardian Pause (3rd).

Council members posed for photos with the student entrepreneurs to a round of applause from the chamber.

Proclamations: Stage 2 drought and Lupus Awareness Month

Mayor Legg read a proclamation declaring mandatory water conservation measures for the Town of Clover under stage 2 drought conditions, in effect until conditions improve or the proclamation is amended. Mayor Legg also proclaimed May 2026 as Lupus Awareness Month, encouraging citizens to learn about lupus, support those affected, and join the “fight of the butterfly movement” to increase awareness and find a cure.

The minutes from the April 13 regular meeting and the April 27 and April 30 budget workshops were approved on a single motion with no discussion.

Second reading: Ordinance 26-01 budget amendment

Mr. Lester walked council through the second reading of the FY25-26 budget amendment, which he described as the town’s way of updating its financial game plan after the budget had been adopted. The amendment does four things: recognizes additional revenue that came in higher than expected, adjusts funding for completed or ongoing major projects, updates department budgets to reflect operational realities, and reallocates and balances funds between accounts.

Key changes by fund:

• General Fund — Use of fund balance increased by $23,815 to cover the final payment on Lease #16, split between Streets and Sanitation ($19,465) and Parks and Recreation ($4,350). Total expenditures rose from $9,981,185 to $10,005,000.
• Water/Sewer Enterprise Fund — Revenue increased by $115,000 (primarily from anticipated interest earnings on grant funds), with $47,000 added in capacity fee revenue. Use of fund balance decreased by $64,550 (a positive development for the town’s reserves). Expenditures increased by $50,450, driven primarily by an unanticipated $33,590 Sensus Analytics annual support subscription tied to the AMI water-metering infrastructure plan, plus the $16,860 final payment on Lease #16.
• Fire Department Supplemental Fund — $10,770 transferred to the Capital Projects Fund to complete final payment obligations on the fire substation project.
• Hospitality Tax Fund — Use of fund balance increased by roughly $133,000 to support expanded programming and capital, including a $93,000 increase for the Clover Community Park restroom tower upgrade (split between the General Fund and H-Tax), $20,000 in additional festival funding, $15,000 in special events funding (including the recent auto show), and $5,000 in additional overtime.
• Capital Projects Fund — Revenues increased by $194,138, including the $10,770 transfer from the Fire Department Supplemental Fund and a $100,000 increase in interest revenue tied to recreation facility grant funds. Expenditures increased by $94,138 for retainage and final payment on the now-complete fire substation project.

The motion to approve Ordinance 26-01 and Exhibit A carried unanimously with no discussion.

Resolution 26-06: Alcohol sales at the July 4 / America 250 celebration

Mr. Lester presented Resolution 26-06, which would authorize the sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages on town-owned property during the July 4 / America 250 celebration. Conditions include: all vendors must obtain required state and town permits and licenses; sales and consumption will be limited to areas designated and approved by the town; the town reserves the right to impose additional operational, safety, and security requirements; and authorization applies only during the official event dates and times.

One council member raised concerns about whether every family-oriented event in Clover should include alcohol, particularly on July 4 when DUI and roadway risks are elevated, and noted that the town has historically emphasized its family-friendly character. Other council members responded that alcohol availability would not be aggressively promoted — there will not be a “St. Patrick’s Day beer wagon,” as one member put it — and that the resolution simply provides authorization in case it is needed. The July 4 event is scheduled for roughly 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., with the Freedom Fun Run in the morning, a golf cart parade, vendors, inflatables, a stage with a singer, and food. The motion carried over the one dissenting concern.

First reading: Ordinance 26-02 capacity fee schedule overhaul

The most substantive new item of the night was first reading of Ordinance 26-02, a comprehensive update of the town’s water and sewer capacity fee structure. The current ordinance (21-13) has not been comprehensively updated in several years, and Mr. Lester explained that the new ordinance is backed almost entirely by a professional capacity fee study recently completed by Wildan, with input from Mark Gooch and Allison Harvey.

Key elements of the new ordinance:

• ERU methodology — The ordinance moves to an Equivalent Residential Unit (ERU) factor system that is an industry standard for utilities and supports a “growth pays for growth” approach. A three-quarter-inch tap equals one ERU; a two-inch tap equals two ERUs, and so on. Irrigation connections are calculated at 0.5 ERU on the recognition that irrigation water does not return to the sewer system.
• Updated capacity fees — Fees are increasing significantly. Mr. Lester acknowledged the jump is “a pretty significant jump,” noting that the rates set in 2021 were based on pre-COVID numbers — when a water meter cost roughly $150 — whereas today’s smart meters cost the town approximately $400 each before installation costs are added.
• Installation charges — Standard installation work is covered, with additional actual-cost charges built in for rock excavation, atypical road crossings, traffic control requirements, or other extraordinary site conditions.
• Restricted use of capacity fees — Capacity fees collected must stay within the water and sewer infrastructure system and be used for system improvements, operations, and preventive maintenance.
• Credits and offsets — A new provision allows the town to consider credits or offsets when a developer can contribute something of value to the system, such as donating land for a future water tower. Such arrangements would require engineering review and council approval, and would not be actively solicited but considered when proposed.

Council Member Holmes asked whether existing residents who have had service with the town for decades could be charged a capacity fee if a connection issue arose. Mr. Lester said certain situations warrant case-by-case judgment and committed to working on possible clarifying language for second reading, without opening the door to too many scenarios. He pledged to provide council with the full capacity fee study and a percentage-change breakdown before the next reading. Council members spoke favorably about the “growth pays for growth” approach. First reading passed unanimously.

Vehicle truck lift purchase for Public Works

Council approved the purchase of a BendPak HDS 14 XT vehicle truck lift for installation at the Armory facility for use by the Streets Department, at a cost of $13,885.97 from Advance Auto Professional under South Carolina state contract 4400306200. The lift is designed to handle heavier-duty town vehicles. Funding will come from remaining FY25-26 Armory shed project funds, with no additional budget impact. The motion carried.

In discussion before the vote, Council Member Holmes confirmed that the state contract pricing is effectively the lowest available bid, and emphasized the importance of clarifying the town’s long-term plans for the Armory before continuing to invest in the facility — confirming through staff that the town intends to keep the property.

Staff report

The town manager’s report covered a busy stretch of events and meetings:

• Upcoming events — Mustard Seed ribbon-cutting on Wednesday, May 13 at 10 a.m.; 30th annual police honor and memorial service event in Rock Hill (several Clover officers asked to speak); Food Truck Thursday on May 14; Economic Development meeting on May 20 at 8 a.m. followed by a special Architectural Review Board meeting at 9 a.m.; town council budget workshop on Thursday, May 21 at 5:30 p.m.; town offices closed Monday, May 25 for Memorial Day; Kickoff to Summer at New Center Park on Friday, May 29; On the K Move 5K at New Center Park on Saturday, June 6 hosted by Greater Things Ministries; and the regular town council meeting on Monday, June 8, which will include first reading of the FY26-27 budget. A special town council meeting on June 25 will hold second and final reading of the FY26-27 budget so it can be approved, printed, and distributed by June 30.
• Volunteer opportunities — Two seats are open on the Board of Zoning Appeals and two will be presented to council for the Planning Commission at the June 8 meeting.
• Drought details — The town purchases all its water from Two Rivers Utilities, which is asking Clover to reduce average daily water consumption by 15%. Mandatory restrictions: residents living above Highway 55 may irrigate Wednesdays and Sundays between 7 p.m. and 5 a.m.; residents below Highway 55 may irrigate Tuesdays and Saturdays during the same hours. No washing of non-commercial vehicles (including motorcycles and bikes), no washing of buildings, sidewalks, driveways, or streets except where required for public safety or regulatory compliance, and no operation of non-recirculating ornamental fountains, pools, or ponds. The closed-loop, chlorinated splash pad at New Center Park is recycled water and is unaffected. The town is working with anyone requesting a pool fill to postpone where possible, but recognizes that concrete pools must be filled promptly once construction is complete. The town manager noted that the Herald had incorrectly reported the town was charging fines; in fact, no fines are being enforced — staff is working with residents and businesses to bring them into voluntary compliance, with formal enforcement reserved for habitual violators. Council members urged staff to expand the communication push for elderly residents and others who are not active on social media.
• Capital projects —
  • New Center Park soccer field drainage — Posted for bids; pre-bid May 26, proposals due June 23 at noon, anticipated award July 14, notice to proceed July 20, with roughly two weeks of construction. Project addresses undermined steps between the upper and lower fields and adds drainage so kids can return to play sooner after rain. Council Member Easton raised a longstanding concern about an underground spring under the lower-right field that has produced ongoing water issues since the fields were built, urging staff to make sure the project actually addresses the source of the problem.
  • Clover Community Park restroom and tower renovation — Demolition is underway with Battament Construction; exterior rough-in work continues through May, with fixtures and finishes installed in May and June.
  • IT upgrades — Mostly complete; remaining work includes SharePoint site setup, police department workstation upgrades, and Wi-Fi hardware upgrades across town facilities, with municipal court done.
  • Sewer rehabilitation — Division 1 (slip-lining and priority point repairs) is in the short rows, with work focused on Memorial Drive, Shady Lane, and Bivin Circle. Division 2 includes the Griggs Road pump station; the pump has arrived, and wet well work should begin before July.
  • Gwynn Street parking lot — Three main items remain: compactor enclosure construction, compactor installation, and paving and striping. Kim Lineberger’s crews are scheduled to begin final paving and enclosure work this week. Striping will follow roughly a week later — around May 21-22 — to allow the new asphalt to seal so the paint will last longer. Bike racks are being considered with any remaining funds. Council Member Jackson asked for better proactive communication with affected businesses on the timeline.

Council comments

• Council Member Easton congratulated Holmes, plugged the Scouts’ flag retirement ceremony at Memorial Stadium on May 22 at 2 p.m. (working toward 200-300 veterans and the retirement of 400 flags), and welcomed working together going forward.
• Council Member Brewer thanked staff for their continued support and welcomed Holmes.
• Council Member Jackson welcomed Holmes back to the council and spoke about her passion for the town after 15 years in Parks and Recreation, two years with the Chamber, and six and a half years as an elected official. She announced she will pursue advanced certification training in Greenville and challenged the entire council to achieve 100% certification at the state level. She noted that she is not a “yes person” and that disagreement and independent votes are healthy.
• Council Member Holmes welcomed the opportunity to serve and reiterated the open seats on the BZA and Planning Commission, inviting applications.
• Mayor Legg recapped his April 28 visit with York County Economic Development to advocate for adoption of the Bailey Bill at the county level, noted National Police Week with a police prayer luncheon on May 13 at 11:30 a.m. in Rock Hill, mentioned Troop 239’s dinner fundraiser at the Methodist Church on May 13 (ham and green beans, prepared by Ms. Kathy), and reminded residents of the May 22 flag ceremony at Veteran Park behind the splash pad at 2 p.m.

The meeting adjourned following council comments, with no items reported out of executive session.