By Arthur Northrop
Roger LeDuc, Edgefield County’s Interim Administrator, has developed a plan for residents to participate in the development of the County’s Land Management Ordinance (LMO). LeDuc who has served as the County’s Interim Administrator two previous times has experience developing Comprehensive Plans and LMOs.
LeDuc’s plan involves having as many small meetings as needed to make sure every Edgefield County resident has the opportunity to voice their concerns and ask questions. Each meeting will have a small number of people attending so everyone will feel comfortable speaking and asking questions.
As of Friday, April 16, LeDuc said over 150 people had signed up but he was expecting more to attend. Kevin Singletary (County Planner) and Hart Clark (Building and Planning) will lead the meetings. If more than twenty residents sign up for a meeting, the group will be divided in half with Clark and Singletary leading the smaller groups.
Each District’s County Council member and its appointed Planning Commission member will attend the meetings to observe and support the process. If a County Council member or Planning Commission member cannot attend a meeting in their District, a Council member or Planning Commission member from another District will attend in their place.
LeDuc explained that residents will be limited to attending one meeting because he wants to make sure no-one dominates the conversations. He said many people who have things to say will not speak up if a group is too large.
LeDuc said two to three meetings a week will be scheduled and he expects the community input will take four to six weeks to complete. After the smaller District meetings, the LeDuc said if there was a need there could be an at-large or possibly a Zoom meeting for those who are homebound. “We won’t leave anyone out of the process,” stressed LeDuc.
Clark and Singletary who will lead the meetings will take notes of what is said in each of the small group get-togethers. Clark and Singletary will have a brief five-minute presentation and then ask the same questions at each meeting. The notes from the meetings will be written on large flip charts and then photographed and posted on the County’s website.
LeDuc feels strongly that the small meetings will allow all interested County residents the opportunity to be a part of the process of developing the County’s LMO. “We want everyone to be on the same page,” said LeDuc.
Residents interested in attending a meeting in their District can 803.637.4000 to get on the list and receive more information regarding the time and place.
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