DARLINGTON – On Tuesday, March 21, 2017, the Water & Sewer Committee met to consider if they should allow a request from Lafayette County to connect to the City of Darlington water and sewer lines to the county’s new Multi-Purpose building on Ames Road outside the city limits.
    Tom Jean, Lafayette County Highway Commissioner, was present representing the county and explaining the plans for the new building. The county would be paying all costs associated with the hook-up. After twenty minutes of discussion Water & Sewer Chair, David Gough, made a motion to grant the request to connect the Lafayette County Multi-Purpose building to the city’s water & sewer. The motion died for lack of a second.
    Alder Steve Pickett thought the city should talk with the city attorney and make a plan of annexing that property and all property that would connect the property to the city. Pickett and the entire committee believed the city will eventually approve the water & sewer connection. Pickett made a motion to table the issue until the first Water & Sewer meeting in April, approved.
Regular City Council Meeting
    Pickett asked if there could be an expansion of the campgrounds to accommodate the Quilt Block Wind Farm construction workers (who asked if they could camp there) when they come to build the wind farm. Discussion ranged from additional bathrooms needed if additional spaces are added; electrical hook-ups; effect on ATV vacationer campers; no reservations – first come, first serve; businesses in the city benefiting; policy on length of stay; Lafayette County Fairground camping facility. Policy is on the agenda for the next Park & Rec meeting which is Wednesday, March 29, 2017.
    Water and Sewer connection to Lafayette County’s Multi-Purpose building will be put on a future agenda.
    Candi Fitzsimons, Library Director, was on hand to give her report on the Johnson Public Library. What follows is the facts and figures for 2016 that were handed out: books in print – 25,265; e-books – 148,791; audio materials – 974; downloadable audio materials – 38,193; video materials (DVD’s) - 2,733; total annual circulation 32,045; circulation of children’s materials – 13,325; items loaned (to other libraries) – 6,836; items received (from other libraries) – 3,485; number of public internet uses – 9,720.
    Fitzsimons said, “We did about 250 programs, the attendance for all the programs was 3,200. That’s a way we try to get people into the library. Our summer reading program was down a little bit, at about 113. I think that number is down because of all the activities kid’s have to do in the summer. We are trying some different things this year.”
    In other business:
    Rehired Jim Polkingham and Jerry Douglas as part-time parks employees. Approved.