Laurens City Council Recap: Free Movies, Emergency Generators, Fire Truck Financing and Legal Changes Discussed
January 28, 2026
The Laurens City Council covered a wide range of community updates and municipal business during its January 27, 2026 meeting, from downtown entertainment to emergency preparedness and major equipment purchases.
Mayor Nathan Senn opened the meeting with several announcements aimed at both community engagement and city operations.
He shared that the historic Capitol Theatre will begin hosting free movies every Friday night. Next Friday’s featured film will be The Minecraft Movie. Mayor Senn encouraged residents to make an evening of it by visiting downtown restaurants before or after the show to help support local businesses.
The mayor also announced that the City of Laurens has received generators funded through Hurricane Helene disaster assistance. The generators will be installed at City Hall and the municipal building to help ensure continuity of operations during future power outages.
In addition, Senn highlighted a Black History Month exhibit now on display at the Laurens County Museum. The South Carolina State Museum’s traveling exhibit, “The 521 All-Stars: A Championship Story of Baseball and Community,” explores the legacy of a historic African American baseball team and opened this week.
Council Business and Meeting Minutes
Council briefly addressed meeting minutes submitted by Councilor Sullivan. Council voted to add the minutes to the agenda over opposition from Councilmen Lowry and Bolt. However, when it came time for approval, Councilman Lowry pointed out the minutes were incomplete. After review, no motion was made to approve them. The official minutes for that meeting will instead be those submitted by the city clerk.
Fire Truck Lease-Purchase Approved
Council then voted on a resolution authorizing a lease-purchase agreement for a new fire truck at a cost not to exceed $900,000. The resolution passed with all members voting in favor, except Councilor Sullivan, who abstained.
Fire Chief Neil Roberts attended the meeting to answer questions about the purchase of a Pierce Saber Pumper Truck that was originally ordered in September 2023 for $822,426. The purchase order was signed by former County Administrator Eric Delgado. Following a site visit by the fire chief and city administrator, several changes were made to the truck, increasing the total cost to $893,000, which will be payable upon delivery.
Mayor Senn said he consulted with the former city attorney and was told no bond issue had been arranged to fund the purchase.
“Since there were no bond preparations, I have to assume this was intended as a lease-purchase agreement,” Senn said. “This is the same method the city used to acquire its fleet of trash trucks in 2023. It will not interfere with our bond capacity, and we desperately need this fire truck.”
Councilor Marian Miller voiced concerns about communication surrounding the purchase.
“We need to look at what’s on the table and what we’re spending,” Miller said. “This truck was ordered during COVID when we had the money, but we haven’t heard about it until now. This is about being informed and communicating better. We’re not sending the truck back—we’re bigger than that—but we have to do better.”
Chief Roberts noted the city will need to secure funding around March 15.
City Attorney Appointment
Council’s next action item was the appointment of Thomas J. Thompson, Esq., as city attorney. Prior to the vote, Councilor Cassandra Campbell read a statement outlining the responsibilities of a city attorney under South Carolina Municipal Code. Council unanimously agreed that Thompson’s appointment would be temporary, which aligned with his own request. The resolution passed unanimously.
Thompson’s appointment follows the resignation of Pope Flynn as legal counsel for the city. In written correspondence dated December 23 and December 30, Attorney Pope Flynn, LLC, stated the firm did not approve a recently passed ordinance. The correspondence cited significant legal defects and warned that the ordinance could expose the city and individual council members to legal and financial liability.
The meeting reflected a mix of community-focused initiatives and significant operational decisions as the city continues to address infrastructure, public safety, and legal matters.
