By Al Dozier
Irmo may soon get a new town flag.
Councilman Erik Sickinger made the recommendation at Tuesday’s Town Council Workshop.
“It will solidify our identity,” Sickinger said. “It’s something positive.
Irmo has a town flag, but its 21-years-old and rarely seen anywhere. Sickinger said it’s time for a new banner.
What it will look like remains to be seen.
The council agreed to form a committee and get citizen input. The town could come up with different choices and let people vote on it.
Sickinger also came up with another new idea for the town: a “School Minute.”
This would provide an opportunity for local schools to send a representative to briefly address the council at every meeting on education in the Irmo community. Sickinger called it a “school update.”
Local schools would receive a formal invitation to participate. The first address could start at the next council meeting on March 15.
In other action, the council agreed to reopen applications from non-profits for grant money, since there remains about $135,000 in the fund.
The council agreed to reconsider a request from the non-profit Soul-to-Soul, an organization that uses music to empower at-risk youth. The group promotes the concept to “vocalize your thoughts.”
Soul-to-Soul recently obtained access to a building on Woodrow Street to accommodate about a dozen young people participating in the program, President Tammy Rhubak told the council.
Mayor Barry Walker suggested the group may want to communicate with another youth advocacy group in the Irmo area, HeartED, which is led by Akil Ross, the new superintendent for Lexington Richland District 5.
In other action, the council discussed reviewing the town’s code violations and determining what should be deemed criminal and what should be categorized as civil.
The council was also advised that maintenance work on the Hidden Oaks bridge, an important access link, will soon be underway.
Councilman Bill Danielson announced a plan for a workshop session on communications that is designed to show council members how to understand a constituent’s point of view. Experts specialized in the practice will conduct the session.
