Friday Rewind

On Thursday, the Association of SC Mayors hosted a parliamentary procedure training for for its members in cities with population of less than 5,000. Fifteen mayors spent the day with a certified parliamentarian learning specifics of motions, rules of procedure and more. The day wrapped up with a mock council meeting led by Rock Hill Mayor Doug Echols and several Association staff members serving as councilmembers acting out the good, the bad and the ugly of council proceedings with coaching from the instructor. All agreed it was a great training session. The next session is May 13 for ASCM members in cities above 5,000 in population.

Big news for cities and towns at the General Assembly this week was seeing the Dilapidated Buildings Act get out of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Senators Martin, Hutto, Coleman, McElveen and Johnson led a lively debate on the bill that ended with a 15-7 vote. Read more in this week's From the Dome to Your Home.

As of today, 28 cities and two counties have signed on to accept the new statewide standardized business license application. This new application will help streamline the process in particular for transient businesses that work in multiple jurisdictions. Read the press release  and previous blog post about this new business-friendly practice.

This week has been observed as Sunshine Week around the country. Take a look at the variety of resources on the Association's website that answer questions about FOIA and other transparency issues. 

Also, read this Columbia Business Monthly article to learn what several South Carolina cities are doing to increase transparency  and read the shout out to the Association's FOIA training programs in this article by the Press Association's director, Bill Rogers.