Simpsonville City Council held a regularly scheduled business meeting on Sept. 9, 2025 in Council Chambers a.k.a. “The Ellipse.” Below is a recap of the meeting:
Present: Councilman Chad O’Rear (Ward 1), Councilman Aaron Rupe (Ward 2), Councilwoman Shannon Williams (Ward 3), Councilwoman Sherry Roche (Ward 4), Councilman Tim Pinkerton (Ward 5), Councilman Lou Hutchings (Ward 6), Mayor Paul Shewmaker
- Mayor Paul Shewmaker read and presented to the Nathaniel Greene Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution a proclamation declaring Sept. 17, 2025 to Sept. 25, 2025 “Constitution Week.”
- City Council approved the minutes as written.
- During the Citizen Comments item of the agenda, Mr. John Freeman expressed his concern about the safety of the entry/exit into The Cedars on Tollgate Road regarding the traffic and speed of motorists on East Curtis Street. Mr. Freeman requested that the City place radar speed or driver feedback signs for motorists entering and exiting city limits to slow down driving speeds. Mr. Kenneth Whitman also expressed concerns about traffic congestion at the corner of East Curtis Street and Tollgate Road and made the same request as Mr. Freeman.
- By a vote of 7-0, City Council approved the correction to the Approved Minutes of the Committee of the Whole meeting for July 22, 2025. Mayor Shewmaker made the motion; Councilman Pinkerton made the second to the motion.
- By a vote of 7-0, City Council approved 1st reading of Ordinance O-2025-09, Short-Term Rental Ordinance. Councilwoman Roche made the motion; Councilman Rupe made the second to the motion. Council also approved by a vote of 7-0 a motion by Councilman O’Rear to amend Sec. 10-295.(a)(8) to read “a written certification of a short-term rental agent that for properties located in a neighborhood within an HOA that the covenants and by-laws of the neighborhood permit short-term rentals” and Sec. 10-297.(e) to read “the owner or owners may change their designation of a short-term rental agent temporarily or permanently; however, there shall always be one such agent for a property at any given time.” Councilman Rupe made the second to Councilman O’Rear’s motion to amend.
- By a vote of 7-0, City Council approved 1st reading of TX-2025-02, Miscellaneous Refinements to the Zoning Ordinance. Councilwoman Williams made the motion; Councilman Hutchings made the second to the motion. Council also an approved by a vote of 7-0 a motion by Councilman O’Rear to amend Sec. 3.2.44.A.5. “to delete the second paragraph,” which states, “All parking areas shall be surfaced with concrete or asphalt pavement. Parking on-street or on unpaved surfaces, including, but not limited to, grass, dirt, or gravel surfaces shall be prohibited.” Mr. O’Rear explained: “I just don’t understand why someone has to have their driveway paved or their parking paved in order to have a short-term rental.” Councilman Rupe made the second to the motion.
- By a vote of 7-0, City Council approved 1st reading of Ordinance O-2025-09, Appropriate Funds from the sale of the Old City Hall property to a Stormwater Initiative Fund. Councilman Pinkerton made the motion; Councilman O’Rear made the second to the motion. Council rejected by a vote of 6-1 a motion by Mayor Shewmaker to amend the ordinance to change the funds to be appropriated to $500,000 instead of $840,000. Councilwoman Williams made the second to Mayor Shewmaker’s motion to amend. Council approved by a vote of 6-1 a motion by Mayor Shewmaker “to direct the city attorney to add a mechanism for getting easements when work is proposed to be done on private property.” Councilman Rupe made a second to Mayor Shewmaker’s motion to amend. Councilman O’Rear opposed the motion. Council had an extensive discussion about the ordinance with all of Council and the Mayor expressing support for a stormwater initiative fund to begin addressing the challenges posed by stormwater throughout Simpsonville city limits. Mayor Shewmaker expressed concern about committing $840,000 to a specific expenditure without knowing what future economic conditions may require from the General Fund. Council and City Attorney Daniel Hughes discussed the legal ramifications of making improvements to private property with taxpayer dollars. Mr. Hughes stated that making improvements to private property with taxpayer dollars violates South Carolina state law and added that obtaining easements from private property owners to make stormwater improvements on their property would satisfy state law. Councilman O’Rear made the point that the addition of a mechanism for getting easements to the ordinance is unnecessary since making improvements to private property with taxpayer dollars without an easement is already a violation of state law.
- By a vote of 7-0, City Council approved “an authorization to the city administrator to expend the funds to address equitable compensation concerns for certain city employees.” Councilwoman Roche made the motion; Councilman Lou Hutchings made the second to the motion. The vote by Council took place after an executive session “to discuss employee compensation and contractual arrangements.” Council entered executive session at 6:57 p.m. and re-entered public session at 8:39 p.m.
The meeting started at 6 p.m., and City Council adjourned at approximately 8:40 p.m.
Visit the meeting webpage at the following link: Business Meeting 09-09-2025.