Laurens City Council Holds September 16 Session, Addresses Key Issues

The Laurens City Council met on Tuesday evening, September 16, with a number of important items on the agenda.

Mayor Nathan Senn opened the meeting by addressing the current political climate, announcing that the City of Laurens will pause all public interaction on social media for the next two weeks. He emphasized that necessary information about city services will continue to be available on the city’s website or by phone.

No residents signed up for public comment during the session.

Council unanimously voted to appoint new members to the Planning Commission, though no confirmations were finalized at this meeting. Following that item, Councilman Lowry requested an immediate executive session to discuss a personnel matter. The closed session lasted about 90 minutes.

When council reconvened, members were scheduled to consider Resolution 09-25-02, which would approve a new commissioner for the Laurens Commission of Public Works (CPW). CPW General Manager John Young and several CPW employees were in attendance. However, council voted unanimously to table the resolution. City Manager Eric Delgado told The Buzz that council members want additional time to interview candidates before moving forward.

Council did take action on two planning-related measures. Members unanimously approved the City of Laurens Housing Pattern Book, a vision document recommended by the Planning Commission. Mayor Senn noted, “This is not a requirement for any future builders but just a vision of what we would like our city to look like.”

Finally, council unanimously approved the final plat plan for Gibson Grove, a new subdivision planned for Laurens.