No. 1 - South Carolina Association of Counties

Transcription

Number 1
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Volume 25
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Allendale County’s New
Emergency/Readiness Center
2013-14 SCAC OFFICERS
President
Joseph R. Branham
Chester County Council Vice Chairman
First Vice President
James R. Frazier
Horry County Council Member
Second Vice President
John Q. Atkinson, Jr.
Marion County Council Member
Contents
Third Vice President
Julie J. Armstrong
Charleston County Clerk of Court
Date of Issue: June 2014
Director of Insurance Services
Robert C. Collins, CPCU, CIC
Risk Manager, SCCWCT and SCCP&LT
Robert E. Benfield, ARM
SCCP&LT Claims Manager
John V. Jervey, AIC
Director of Administrative Services
Melinda L. Suddes
Controller
Doug L. Brockhard, CPA
Director of Research and Training
Anna B. Berger
Special Projects Coordinator
Leslie M. Christy-Jennings
Senior Research Associate
Susan B. Turkopuls
Meeting Planner/Administrative Assistant
Nilda A. Padgett
Special Program Coordinator
S. Ruthie Duvall
Special Program Assistant Coordinator
Sharon D. Berkowitz
Administrative Assistants
Pearlena A. Khalif-Govan Dana M. Tomlinson
Mary E. Williams
Field Representative
Rick K. Ucinski
Assistant Program Coordinator
SCCWCT and SCCP&LT
Susan L. Chambers
IT/Procurement Director
Robert J. Lyon, CPM, CPPB
Webmaster
Jennifer M. Haworth
49 A Roadside Guide to Orangeburg, County Seat of
Orangeburg County
By Alexia Jones Helsley
Workers’ Compensation Claims Manager
Lang Kohel
43 IMLA Legal Update
By Charles W. Thompson, Jr.
Executive Director and General Counsel, IMLA
Program Coordinator, SCCWCT and SCCP&LT
Pam S. Collins, ARM
Director of Risk Management Services
John D. Henderson, ARM, ALCM
33 SCCWCT and SCCP&LT Hold 2014 Annual
Insurance Trusts Membership Meeting
By John D. Henderson, ARM, ALCM
Public Information Director
W. Stuart Morgan III
Staff Attorneys
John K. DeLoache
Owen A. McBride
James F. Knox
Joshua C. Rhodes
M. Kent Lesesne
Alexander W. Smith
16 Three Rivers SWA, First Winner of SCAC’s Regional
Cooperation Award: “Alive and Well”
By W. Stuart Morgan III
Assistant General Counsel
Timothy C. Winslow
Deputy General Counsel
Robert S. Croom
Deputy Executive Director and General Counsel
Robert E. Lyon, Jr.
6 Allendale County’s New Emergency/Readiness Center
Executive Director
Michael B. Cone
SCAC Staff
It’s Time for South Carolina to Embrace the
Affordable Care Act
By U.S. Representative James E. Clyburn
(D-S.C., 6th District)
Treasurer
Belinda D. Copeland
Darlington County Treasurer
2
Secretary
F. Pickens Williams
Barnwell County Administrator
Immediate Past President
Charles T. Edens
Sumter County Council Member
TOP COVER PHOTO: Allendale County’s new emergency/readiness center, which includes
the county’s Emergency Medical Services, Emergency Management and Fire departments,
and a S.C. National Guard Readiness Center. BOTTOM COVER PHOTO: Allendale
County Leaders—Thessa G. Smith, Administrator; William E. Robinson, Council Member; J.W. Wall, Jr., Council Member; James L. Pinckney, Sr., Council Chairman; Theresa
H. Taylor, Council Member; and H. Carl Gooding, Council Member. (See article, P. 6)
County Focus Magazine is published quarterly by the
South Carolina Association of Counties
P.O. Box 8207
Columbia, SC 29202-8207
(803) 252-7255
Fax: (803) 252-0379
W. Stuart Morgan III, Editor
Copyright is by the South Carolina Association of Counties. All rights reserved. No portion of the
contents may be published or reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher.
County Focus
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It’s Time for South Carolina
To Embrace the
Affordable Care Act
By U.S. Representative James E. Clyburn (D-S.C., 6th District)
D
uring his lifetime, Dr. Martin Luther
King, Jr. made many timely and noteworthy speeches. He is quoted frequently,
and often persuasively. A quote from
one of his speeches, which I consider
very timely, was made in 1966 during
the National Convention of the Medical
Committee for Human Rights. On that
occasion Dr. King said, “Of all the forms
of inequality, injustice in health is the
most shocking and inhumane.” I agree
with Dr. King, and that is why I stand by
my statement that the Affordable Care
Act is the Civil Rights Act of the 21st
Century.
The Affordable Care Act (ACA)
outlaws requiring women to pay more
than men for healthcare coverage because of their gender. The ACA requires
insurance companies to pay out at least
80 percent of the premiums they collect
or give a rebate to their policy holders; it
also prevents health insurance companies
from discriminating against people with
pre-existing conditions. Before the ACA,
the number one cause of bankruptcy in
America was medical bills, but with outof-pocket caps mandated by law, getting
sick no longer means going bankrupt.
One might think all of these benefits
put directly into place by ACA would
cause anyone to defend the law. Instead,
we’ve seen just the opposite. The political
theater and gamesmanship taking place
in South Carolina are hurting people and
their families very directly and in very real
ways.
In South Carolina, nearly 200,000 in2
Volume 25, Number 1
U.S. Rep. James E. Clyburn
dividuals fall into what is called the coverage gap. By not expanding Medicaid, this
group of people will not have any health
insurance. Many of these individuals are
adults without children or have incomes
too high to receive health subsidies, but
too low to receive Medicaid. So, while
the elected officials in South Carolina
play political games, these individuals
are one illness away from bankruptcy.
The hurdles South Carolinians and their
families have to overcome are already
cumbersome without adding the lack of
health insurance on top of record unemployment. We can—and we should—do
better.
It is not just individuals who will
suffer, but our hospitals and businesses
too. Uninsured South Carolinians become a burden on the taxpayers of South
Carolina when they visit emergency
rooms because it’s the only access to
health care they have. President Ronald
Reagan passed the Emergency Medical
Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA),
requiring hospitals to treat all medical
emergencies regardless of ability to pay.
This is an extremely expensive way to
provide health services. According to
The Greenville News, “Hospitals will have
to provide unreimbursed charity care to
patients who would have qualified for the
expanded Medicaid program, and those
costs will be passed onto businesses and
individuals that buy health insurance.”
The United Health Foundation
ranks South Carolina as 43rd in overall
health. The average South Carolinian
dies nearly two years earlier than the
average American. This is not acceptable
to me, and I hope that it is not to the
members of our legislature. And let’s not
forget about jobs. Since ACA’s enactment
in 2010, we’ve seen 8.5 million private
sector jobs created across the country.
Unfortunately, in South Carolina we
are denying more than 40,000 people
new jobs that would be created with the
expansion of Medicaid. The disastrous
effects of South Carolina not expanding
Medicaid are clear. It’s time for this warfare on the poor and uninsured to end.
(See ACA, P. 4)
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of customers. Once completed, the new units will employ
up to 1,000 workers. The future of nuclear power in
South Carolina is happening at SCE&G.
Jason Ouzts, Leah Bush and Julie Ezell
SCE&G Engineers
sceg.com
County Focus
3
Purpose
of the SCAC
To promote more efficient
county governments
To study, discuss and
recommend improvements
in government
To investigate and provide
means for the exchange of
ideas and experiences
between county officials
To promote and encourage
education of county
officials
To collect, analyze and
distribute information
about county government
ACA ...
(Continued from P. 2)
The ACA has improved healthcare
for current and future generations. It has
not only ended abuses by some insurance
companies, but according to the Congressional Budget Office, it will also help
reduce the deficit by $210 billion over the
next 10 years.
And let’s be clear about one other
thing. The first three years of a state’s
expansion of Medicaid is at no cost to
that state. According to a report by Milliman for the S.C. Department of Health
and Human Services, by year 2020 South
Carolina will spend $180 million to
expand its Medicaid services while the
federal government will be putting $1.8
billion into our system.
Another statistic of note from the
S.C. Hospital Association is the annual
fiscal impact. From 2014 to 2020, if we
were to expand Medicaid in South Carolina, the required state match would be
$442.2 million, South Carolina’s administrative cost would be $192.6 million, and
the state tax revenue generated would be
$644.1 million. This leaves South Carolina with $9.3 million in revenue from the
Medicaid program.
It’s time for our elected officials
to step up and begin working for our
To cooperate with other
organizations
To promote legislation
which supports efficient
administration of local
government in South
Carolina
 For more information
about the SCAC, please
contact:
South Carolina
Association of Counties
P.O. Box 8207
1919 Thurmond Mall
(803) 252-7255
[email protected]
4
Volume 25, Number 1
l
Representing you before Congress
and the Administration
l
Helping you better serve your
residents
l
Saving you and your taxpayers’
money
l
Raising public understanding of
county government, and
l
Restoring the Federal - County
Partnership
The Voice of
America’s Counties
www.naco.org
citizens and communities. With hundreds
of thousands of people across our state
being affected by the lack of Medicaid
expansion, practically everyone is related
to or knows someone who is negatively
affected by this lack of visionary leadership. I often reflect on the experiences
growing up in a parsonage, and as I write
this piece, I am remembering Proverbs
29:18, “Where there is no vision, the
people perish.” That seems to be what
we are experiencing in South Carolina
and it is time for that to change.
It’s time to make government work
for the people. It’s time for South Carolina to be the rule, not the exception. It’s
time to embrace the Affordable Care
Act, and stop treating that law, and it is
the law, as a political pawn. More than
100,000 South Carolinians have enrolled
in the Affordable Care Act and every
South Carolinian is benefiting from it.
Too many South Carolinians are being
affected by the foolish actions from
our legislature debating, and in some
instances, passing laws seeking nullification and interposition. It’s time to stop
supplementing other states and show
some compassion for all our citizens.
Failure to expand Medicaid is a rejection of protection for our vulnerable
citizens, most of whom are children,
elderly and disabled. Poll-tested slogans
and catchy sound bites may help score political points, but they are not solutions to
our state’s and our nation’s growing need
for policies that work for all our citizens,
and not just a select few. South Carolina
cannot afford to continue trailing the rest
of the nation in health and wealth indices.
But that will continue to happen if we
don’t stop governing by political slogans
and start providing real solutions.
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rom the hills in the Upstate to the sands of the Lowcountry,
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Allendale County’s New
Emergency/Readiness Center
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llendale County recently completed
the construction of a new $6.5 million
emergency/readiness center in Allendale
that houses the county’s Emergency Medical Services (EMS), Emergency Management and Fire departments, and a S.C.
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National Guard Readiness Center.
See South Carolina
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The project was funded 75 percent by
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Page 59
the S.C. National Guard and 25 percent
by Allendale County’s One Penny Sales
Tax, a referendum approved by voters in November 2008. Lo- have a win-win for all,” said James L. Pinckney, Sr., Allendale
cated next to the Allendale County Courthouse in the center County Council Chairman, who served as project manager. “The
of town and designed to provide better public service, the new new state-of-the-art building benefits residents of our county,
41,784-square-foot complex was constructed between November because it houses at one location all of these county departments
and the National Guard Readiness Center that were previously
2012 and December 2013.
“This partnership with the National Guard allowed us to located in different areas of the county.”
Allendale County’s new emergency/readiness center houses the county’s Emergency Medical Services, Emergency Management and Fire departments, and a S.C. National Guard Readiness Center (Photo by Stuart Morgan)
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Hugh Carl Gooding, Allendale County Council Member, 28 workstations that provide up-to-date information during
said the county’s partnership with the S.C. National Guard emergencies, video conference capabilities, and a communicasaved taxpayers an “enormous
tions room for the entire buildamount of money.”
ing’s Internet and telephone
“This partnership with the National Guard
“Our citizens should be
systems.
allowed us to have a win-win for all. The new
proud to see their tax dollars
The Emergency Managestate-of-the-art building benefits the residents of
put forth for such a worthy
ment section also includes
cause,” Gooding said. “This
offices for the director and
our county, because it houses at one location all of
is a modern facility, which
assistant director, a conference
these county departments and the National Guard
has better amenities for our
room and a communication
Readiness Center that were previously located in
personnel. The facility also
room for the entire building,
different areas of the county.”
has the latest technology, and
and a supply room.
— James L. Pinckney, Sr., Chairman, Allendale County Council
provides emergency service
“We’re extremely pleased
staff members with comfortwith our new facility,” said
able accommodations during the very long hours they have to Gidget L. Stanley-Banks, Allendale County Emergency Manageserve our citizens.”
ment Director. “Before this building was constructed, we were
utilizing two different locations to accomplish our emergency
Emergency Medical Services Section
management mission. Now, with three agencies in one location,
this makes it easier for us to accomplish our job. We all work
Allendale County’s EMS Department staffs two 911 units closely together, and this makes it easier for us to help each
24/7, 365 days a year and a non-emergency transportation unit other when we encounter problems.”
from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
The EMS section, which includes 5,469-square feet, features
Fire Department Section
a large bay with two entrances that houses five ambulances and a storage room for generators, chain saws and turnout gear for The Fire Department section, which includes 6,456-squarestaff, and a supply room for restocking ambulances. The bay feet, features a large bay with two entrances that houses the Fire
includes space that can be used for training as well.
Department’s Pierce custom cab pumper, city pumper, pumper/
The section also includes offices for the department’s direc- tanker, and equipment/extrication unit. The bay includes space
tor and administrative support staff, an ambulance crews office, that can be used for training as well.
sleeping quarters, a break room, supply and janitorial closets, The section also includes offices for the chief and two clerks,
and rest rooms.
(See Allendale Co., P. 14)
“We are extremely pleased with our new facility,” said John
(See illustration and photos, Pp. 8-13)
Lawson, Allendale EMS
Director. “Having all
three of these essential
agencies—EMS, Emergency Management and
Fire—housed under one
roof allows these agencies to coordinate efforts
and provide citizens with
much more organized
responses to emergencies.”
Emergency
Management Section
T h e E m e r g e n cy Management section, which includes
1,767-square-feet,
houses the county’s
Emergency Operations
Center (EOC).
The EOC includes
ALLENDALE COUNTY LEADERS—Thessa G. Smith, Administrator; William E. Robinson, Council Member;
J.W. Wall, Jr., Council Member; James L. Pinkney, Sr., Council Chairman; Theresa H. Taylor, Council Member;
and H. Carl Gooding, Council Member. (Photo by Stuart Morgan)
County Focus
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(L to r) 1st Lt Lish Sabb, EMS; John Lawson, Director, EMS; Scott Jarrell, Emergency Medical Technician, EMS;
2nd Lt Nancy Wilson, EMS; SSgt. Robert Neal, Readiness NCO, S.C. National Guard; Gidget L. Stanley-Banks,
Director, Emergency Management; William Robinson, Assistant Director, Emergency Management; Sharon Summers, Administrative Assistant, Fire; and Rodney Stanley, Chief, Fire Department.
Allendale County’s new emergency/readiness center houses the county’s Emergency Medical Services (left), Emergency Management (center) and
Fire departments (right), and a S.C. National Guard Readiness Center in back (shown below).
County Focus
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Fire bay, looking
from the rear to
the front
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Fire day room
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Fire sleep room
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Shared conference room
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Sharon Summers, Administrative Assistant, Fire Department
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T h e v i e w, l o o k i n g
through the foyer
toward the front entrance.
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The view, looking from the foyer to
administrative offices and the door
leading to the fire bay.
The view, looking from the Emergency Operations Center toward
the door leading to the building’s
foyer and front entrance.
Gidget L. Stanley-Banks, Director, Emergency Management
The Emergency Operations Center, located in the Emergency
Management section.
The view, looking from the foyer to
administrative offices and the door
leading to the EMS bay.
County Focus
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Ambulance bay,
looking from the
rear toward the
front
EMS day room
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EMS sleep room
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EMS break room
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Volume 25, Number 1
John Lawson,
EMS Director
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Deployment and family readiness area
Training room, readiness center
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Training room, readiness center
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The view, looking out the roll-up door toward the
old S.C. National Guard fire station.
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The drill hall in the S.C. National Guard Readiness Center. Doors at left
and right lead to training rooms, offices and storage rooms. The large
roll-up door in the center of the far wall provides access to storage areas
and the old S.C. National Guard station in back (inset-right).
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County Focus
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Allendale Co. ...
sleeping quarters, a day room, showers, a laundry room, and rest
rooms.
“We are very pleased with our new facility,” said Rodney F.
Stanley, Allendale County Fire Chief. “We (EMS, Emergency
Management and Fire) have worked very closely together over
the years, and we’re now based in one building. Our communication has increased, and our resources are all in the same
location. This has greatly increased our response time for routine
calls for services as well as our ability to respond to natural and
man-made disasters within the county,’
“We also know,” Stanley-Banks added, “that this new facility will give us the room needed in the future to expand our
programs and services within the county.”
S.C. National Guard Readiness Center
The original National Guard Readiness Center will house
Detachment 1 of the 741st Water Purification and Distribution
Quartermaster Company, whose mission is to produce safe
potable drinking water for all units operating in combat or rear
theatres.
Constructed in 1968, the readiness center has been expanded from 15,462 square feet to 28,092 square feet. Approximately
6,066 square feet of the original structure has been renovated.
Connected by secure hallways but separated from the forward sections of the facility housing county emergency services
departments (EMS, Emergency Management and Fire), this
section now meets force protection requirements required by the
Department of Defense. The center’s front walls are lined with
steel plates, and the windows are blast resistant. If the facility
were to lose all electrical power, an emergency generator would
allow the facility to still operate.
“We are very pleased with the outcome of this readiness
center,” said Gary B. Grant, Senior Project Manager for the S.C.
National Guard Readiness Center. “It enhances the Guard’s
presence in Allendale County.”
Grant, who credited the county for the project’s success,
said the S.C. National Guard would never have been able to
renovate and expand its portion of the facility—the readiness
center—without the county’s help.
Allendale County leaders credited the S.C. National Guard
for saving the county money, and making it possible to construct
the emergency/readiness center that includes the county’s EMS,
Emergency Management and Fire departments, and the S.C.
National Guard’s readiness center.
Now that the project has been completed, directors of the
county’s EMS, Emergency Management and Fire departments
said they are looking forward to the S.C. National Guard moving
in and re-occupying its portion of the facility.
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14
Volume 25, Number 1
A New Standard of Quality and Service in South Carolina
• IndustrialParkMasterPlanning&Design
• SiteCertification
• SolidWasteManagement
• StormwaterManagement
• LandPlanning&SiteDesign
• RoadwayDesign
• Water&WastewaterPlanning&Design
• GrantApplication/AdministrativeAssistance
• ConstructionManagement
“Developing alliances
one county at a time.”
www.allianceCE.com
— Deepal Eliatamby, P.E.
Three Rivers SWA, First Winner of
SCAC’s Regional Cooperation Award*:
“Alive and Well”
T
“This project,” Summers said, “was
he Three Rivers Solid Waste Authorbeneficial for the U.S. Department of
ity (TRSWA) won SCAC’s first Regional
Energy, the Savannah River Site and the
Cooperation Award* in 1999 for building
Three Rivers Solid Waste Authority, and
one of the nation’s first publicly owned,
we’re extremely grateful for the cooperamulti-county landfills in 1997.
tion and commitment of these agencies to
The first cell of the 1300-acre Subtitle
this project.”
D Landfill near S.C. Highway 125 at the
Savannah River Site in Aiken opened in
TRSWA Receives National Attention
April 1998 and began accepting garbage
later that same year. The 11-cell landfill
TRSWA’s award-winning project
was designed to provide disposal of mureceived national attention
nicipal solid waste (household
and compatible garbage) for
“The Three Rivers Solid Waste Authority is most in 1997, but not for becoming one of the nation’s first
more than 50 years for nine
certainly a success. The regional landfill concept has publicly owned, multi-county
counties in the state’s Lower
served to cohesively unite the nine counties in our landfills. At least seven other
Savannah Region—Aiken, Allendale, Bamberg, Barnwell,
region. It demonstrates that local and federal gov- solid waste authorities across
Calhoun, Edgefield, McCorernmental cooperation for the benefit of taxpayers the nation operated similar
multi-county landfills around
mick, Orangeburg and Saluda.
is possible.”
the time TRSWA was formed
“The Three Rivers Solid
— David K. Summers, Jr., Calhoun County Council Chairman
in 1992. In fact, several other
Waste Authority is most cerChairman of the Three Rivers Solid Waste Authority
solid waste authorities opertainly a success,” said David K.
Summers, Jr., Calhoun County Council work, determination and cooperation ated multi-county landfills years earlier.
Chairman, who has served as Chairman has provided the region’s nine counties TRSWA received national attention
of the TRSWA since its formation in with a long term solid waste management for another reason.
1992. “The regional landfill concept has solution,” Summers added. “The political The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) pubserved to cohesively unite the nine coun- and financial commitment from the coun- lished a lengthy article on the TRSWA’s
ties in our region. It demonstrates that lo- ties and the U.S. Department of Energy multi-county landfill project on May 7,
cal and federal governmental cooperation (USDOE) are fundamental elements that 1997, that described the venture as a “pogreatly enhance the success of the Three tentially far-reaching municipal-finance
for the benefit of taxpayers is possible.
experiment,” one that financial experts
“A tremendous amount of hard Rivers Solid Waste Authority.”
The USDOE provided more than at the time believed would spark interest
*SCAC’s Regional Cooperation Award 1300 acres at the Savannah River Site beyond the state from cities and counties
was renamed in 2004 in honor of SCAC (SRS) for the facility.
looking to raise money.
President Barrett Lawrimore (Charleston SRS opted to utilize the Three Rivers The nine counties participating in the
County council member) who died shortly multi-county landfill for their municipal TRSWA’s multi-county regional landfill
after he was elected SCAC President that solid waste needs as opposed to construct- venture used a complex mixture of three
ing a Subtitle D Landfill.
same year.
types of bonds to fund the $21.5 million
16
Volume 25, Number 1
project:
ltraditional interest-bearing bonds,
commonly used in municipal finance,
which would be due between 1999 and
2007;
lzero-coupon bonds, which were sold
at a discount and structured to come
due between 2008 and 2019, later in the
landfill’s life when construction costs had
declined; and
la “super sinker” bond, whose profitability for investors would depend on how
quickly the landfill filled up with trash.
It is unclear if any of the other agencies across the nation actually followed
the TRSWA’s example and/or used the
Authority’s complex funding mechanism
to raise money to fund multi-county regional landfills, single county landfills or
any other projects.
But the WSJ article on the TRSWA’s
multi-county regional landfill project,
which focused on the project’s new complex financing mechanism, generated
considerable interest. Super sinker bonds
were used in the early 1980s to finance certain kinds of housing deals. But the super
sinker devised to finance the TRSWA’s
multi-county landfill project was different from the type used to finance housing
deals years earlier.
The newly-devised super sinker bond
was attractive to investors, because it
offered rates on what was effectively a
shorter-term security. At the same time,
it was attractive to the nine participating counties in South Carolina because
it provided them maximum flexibility in
financing the landfill’s future cells.
It also guaranteed that the landfill’s
tipping fee would always be aggressively
competitive.
lion per year by using the same landfill.
Summers said TRSWA’s finance experiment used to fund the construction of
the multi-county regional landfill, which
received so much attention 17 years ago,
worked well and greatly fostered longterm success of the TRSWA.
“The funding mechanism worked,”
he explained, “because it enabled the
construction of the facility without requir-
ing the nine participating counties to provide large sums of up-front funding. The
regional approach also helped because
it provided adequate waste volumes to
construct and operate a large Subtitle D
Landfill facility that would benefit people
in the region for years to come.”
Tim Fox, General Manager, TRSWA,
said that “the construction of the multi(See TRSWA, P. 19)
“Alive and Well”
Counties in the Lower Savannah
Region of the state each operated smaller
landfills before the construction of
TRSWA’s multi-county regional landfill
1997.
However, a study conducted by the
Lower Savannah Council of Governments
around 1993 shortly after the formation
of the TRSWA estimated that counties
participating in the multi-county landfill
project would save approximately $2 mil-
Standing behind a model of the Three Rivers Solid Waste Authority’s regional landfill in 1997
are: (l to r) Colin Covington, Projects Director for the TRSWA; David K. Summers, Jr., Chairman of Calhoun County Council and the TRSWA; and Eric P. Thompson, Executive Director
of the Lower Savannah Council of Governments and General Manager of the TRSWA. (Photo
by Stuart Morgan)
County Focus
17
What Some Say About the TRSWA’s Multi-County Landfill ...
County administrators serving the nine member counties of the Three Rivers Solid Waste Authority were recently asked what they thought
about the TRSWA and its multi-county landfill. Their responses follow:
“The greatest measure of the Three Rivers Solid Waste Authority’s success is really this asset we have—the regional multicounty landfill. Given Aiken County’s current usage, we project 80 to 100 years of landfill life. So, there is a great likelihood that
eventually we will be doing something else with the waste we collect before we run out of landfill space. Not having to worry about
siting a new landfill is also reason enough to celebrate this collaboration. Coupled with the fact that it is located on the Savannah
River Site, which provides Aiken County with a level of buffering and security, and you really see the benefits.”
— J. Clay Killian, Aiken County Administrator
“Allendale County is very pleased with the collaborative efforts we share with the Three Rivers Solid Waste Authority. The cost
associated with our county owning and operating a landfill would not be an economically sound decision for a county our size to
make. It’s great that our region has supported each other in this endeavor, and that it has worked well for all nine counties. I believe
the staff at Three Rivers should be commended for keeping counties informed and for ensuring that each of the participating counties pays its fair share for using the landfill.”
— Thessa G. Smith, Allendale County Administrator
“The Three Rivers Solid Waste Authority has created very competitive waste disposal rates. That competitive edge has, in
turn, helped Bamberg County maintain control of expenses. It’s helpful that the Three Rivers Solid Waste Authority collects and
distributes SCDHEC grants to the Authority’s nine participating counties or partners. Participating in the Three Rivers Solid Waste
Authority’s meetings also allows our elected officials to discuss not only solid waste issues, but many other issues affecting numerous
counties. These county officials have a chance to talk about their successes and best practices, as well as their challenges.”
— Joey R. Preston, Bamberg County Administrator
“I measure the Three Rivers Solid Waste Authority’s success by the provision of safe, reliable and reasonably-priced solid
waste disposal capacity that it provides for the long-term. Safety is important because you want to make sure it’s a DHEC-approved
landfill—one that has lining which prevents landfill leachate from getting into the groundwater. You also want to make sure that
you have knowledgeable professionals running the landfill site. Reliability is important because we estimate that we probably have
75 to 100 years of capacity still remaining in the landfill. It’s a good, long period during which we don’t have to be concerned about
where we’re going to send our county’s waste.
The fact that it’s reasonably-priced is important, too. The Three Rivers Solid Waste Authority’s prices may be a little higher
than what some of the private waste management industries out there charge at the moment, but I believe in the long term we’ll be
ahead of the game by having our own landfill that will last for years and years. Barnwell County has purchased landfill equipment
from and exchanged landfill equipment with the nine participating counties. The Three Rivers Solid Waste Authority’s staff provides
assistance with grant applications for tire disposal, equipment, etc.”
— F. Pickens Williams, Jr., Barnwell County Administrator
“The Three Rivers Solid Waste Authority has been a great asset to Edgefield County and the other counties involved. A benchmark for the Authority’s success is that they have been successful in keeping costs stable and operations running smoothly.”
— Lynn W. Strom, Edgefield County Administrator
“The Three Rivers Solid Waste Authority has done a great job of holding down the cost of solid waste disposal for McCormick
County by preventing our county from having to dispose of its own waste. Our county has been able to operate convenient waste
disposal sites by using part-time employees, most of whom are retired, and this has helped minimize our costs because we don’t
have to pay full benefits. Our county’s participation in the Three Rivers Solid Waste Authority allows county representatives to sit
on the board, and to keep abreast of the current trends in the handling of solid waste and costs associated with doing so. We are
always exploring ways to continue to hold costs down.”
— Columbus M. Stephens, McCormick County Administrator
“Saluda County is pleased with the Three Rivers Solid Waste Authority. Tim Fox, General Manager, along with his entire staff,
are a joy to work with, and it makes the solid waste management program much more affordable—especially for a small county.
Members of the Three Rivers Solid Waste Authority’s Board, representing the nine participating counties, work really well together
in my opinion. I believe our collaboration with the Three Rivers Solid Waste Authority helped spur a three-county agreement with
the Solicitor’s Office. We are also looking at more areas in which we can join forces with other counties for projects in different
areas.”
— Sandra G. Padget, Saluda County Director
18
Volume 25, Number 1
TRSWA ...
county landfill in conjunction with the
elimination of the smaller facilities created operational synergies and economies
of scale that reduced the member costs
while eliminating the need for a Subtitle
D Landfill at SRS.
“While the Three Rivers Solid Waste
Authority has faced many challenges over
the years, primarily related to balancing
the needs and desires of nine counties
while maintaining competitiveness in the
waste market,” he added, “the nature of
the solid waste business has also changed
as industrial and household recycling has
increased.”
Still, Fox said the continued commitment to cohesive, regional, long-term
planning and a state-of-the-art facility is
“alive and well” with the nine member
counties. The cooperative approach also
continues to ensure that the long-term
vision of the Authority is a primary driver
for the TRSWA’s success.
“The regional approach,” he explained, “greatly reduces the duplication
of effort required to provide solid waste
services on an individual county basis.
Economic and political strengths are
gained through a partnership. At current
disposal rates, the forecasted life span of
the multi-county landfill exceeds 100 years.
So, the Authority’s nine member counties have committed resources to accommodate the disposal needs of future
generations.”
Meanwhile, as part of the USDOE’s
agreement with the TRSWA to provide
more than 1300 acres for the site, a $1 per
ton fee of every ton that is deposited at the
multi-county regional landfill is set aside
to fund solid waste technology research
and development.
TRSWA’s Solid Waste Technology
Center, funded by this fee, serves as an
incubator of waste management technologies that could benefit the Authority, the
field of solid waste management, and
landfills across the United States.
The Situation 15 Years Later
Someday, other counties and governmental agencies seeking to provide
long-range solid waste disposal solutions
for taxpayers might decide to join and
participate in the TRSWA’s multi-county
regional landfill.
Counties in other regions of the state
might also decide to form their own multicounty regional landfills.
“After all,” Fox said, “the elimination of the continual cycle of solid waste
disposal contractual negotiations and
procurements represents considerable potential financial savings and security for lo-
Signing the complex $21.5 million bond issue to fund the construction of the Three Rivers
Solid Waste Authority’s multi-county landfill involved a mountain of paperwork. In the above
photo, David K. Summers, Jr., Chairman of Calhoun County Council and the TRSWA, signs
the necessary documents on Apr. 23, 1997, in Columbia. (Photo by Stuart Morgan)
County Focus
19
cal governments. The ability to determine
and control long-term solid waste service
needs also offers tremendous benefits to
governmental leaders.”
But 15 years after TRSWA won
SCAC’s first Regional Cooperation
Award (now known as the Barrett Lawrimore Memorial Regional Cooperation
Award), such efforts could become more
difficult, if not impossible, in South Carolina.
The Flow Control Bill, H. 3290,
threatens the ability of local governments
to determine and control long-term solid
waste needs. In fact, Fox warned that H.
3290 threatens to void each of the nine
counties service agreements with the
TRSWA.
“The nine member counties approved
ordinances that commit minimum tonnages to service bond debt for facility
infrastructure financing,” he explained.
“Passage of H. 3290 would place our
financial arrangement in jeopardy.”
Summers, Chairman of the TRSWA,
also warned about the dangers of the Flow
Control Bill.
“The Three Rivers Solid Waste Authority’s multi-county regional landfill,”
he explained, “is an example of a public
entity that provides the taxpayer with a
long-term and environmentally responsible solid waste disposal solution. Passage
of H. 3290, and the elimination of local
government’s ability
to direct the flow of
“ ... the ability to determine and control
waste would greatly
long-term solid waste service needs also offers
minimize the potential
tremendous benefits to local government leaders.
for similar efforts in
But H. 3290, the Flow Control Bill, threatens
the future.
to void each of the nine counties service agree “Without funding
commitments, which
ments with TRSWA.
— Tim Fox, General Manager, Three Rivers Solid Waste Authority
are typically based on
long-term tonnage
forecasts,” he added, “the ability to finance a similar facility could be greatly
compromised.”
This is the situation 15 years after
the TRSWA won SCAC’s first Regional
Cooperation Award for its multi-county
regional landfill—a project that successfully demonstrated how local and federal
governmental cooperation could benefit
taxpayers.
The Don’t Dump on SC campaign,
launched in 2013, which has educated and
informed South
Carolina voters
on H. 3290, continues to vigorsm
ously fight the bill
that threatens the
TRSWA’s multicounty regional landfill and the formation
of other landfills like it.
“We are thankful,” Summers said,
“for SCAC’s efforts and the coalition of
supporters that has formed to support the
Don’t Dump on SC effort.”
In addition to receiving the SCAC’s
first Barrett Lawrimore Memorial Regional
Cooperation Award in 1999, the Three Rivers Solid Waste Authority has also received:
l“1992 Innovative Award” for Regional
Waste Management Program from the
National Association of Development
Organizations (NADO)
l“1999 Innovative Award” of GPS
Tracking System from the NADO
l First recipient of the Governor’s Palmetto Partnership Award from the S.C.
Department of Commerce, and
l Solid Waste Association of North
America (SWANA) Bronze Excellence Award for Landfill Gas Utilization—2010
SCAC Announces Call for Entries for the
2014 J. Mitchell Graham/Barrett Lawrimore
Memorial Awards Competition
sm
20
Volume 25, Number 1
On May 5, SCAC officially announced its call for entries for the 2014 J. Mitchell Graham/Barrett Lawrimore Memorial Awards Competition. These awards recognize innovative
projects completed by South Carolina counties during the past fiscal year. The deadline for
project entries is 5 p.m. Friday, June 27.
The J. Mitchell Graham Award recognizes counties that address community challenges,
implement operational improvements, or enhance their citizens’ quality of life in a unique
way.
The Barrett Lawrimore Memorial Regional Cooperation Award highlights the growing
need for regional partnerships, strategies, and solutions. Competition for this award is open
to two or more political subdivisions (counties or county partnerships formed with city, town,
district or regional government organizations) that worked together on a project.
For more information, please access the NEW Awards Toolkit via http://www.sccounties.
org/awards. The toolkit allows counties to submit their applications online, provides a fillable
PDF application, addresses frequently asked questions, and includes examples of previous
projects.
Water
WaSteWater
Civil / Site
Solid WaSte
Surveying
environMental
ConStruCtion
ManageMent
ConStruCtion
adMiniStration
American Engineering Consultants, Inc.
1300 12th Street P.O. Box 2299 Cayce, SC 29171
(803) 791-1400 FAX: (803) 791-8110
www.aec-sc.com
County Focus
21
Lost Columbia: Bygone Images
of South Carolina’s Capital City
(Charleston: the History Press, 2008)
Lost Columbia combines an overview of
the turbulent history of Columbia with
rare and little seen images of the city’s
destruction in 1865, the Assembly Street
farmers’ market, the changing face of
Main Street and lost institutions and
neighborhoods.
Lost CoLumbia
C o l u m b i a
BYGONE IMAGES FROM SOUTH CAROLINA’S CAPITAL
HeLsLey
A l e x i A
J o n e s
H e l s l e y
Lost Columbia is available in bookstores
such as Barnes & Noble, from Amazon.
com, or by mail from AJH Historical Enterprises, P.O. Box 3683, Irmo, SC 29063.
As an elected official, you have plans and policies to put into action.
By partnering with a professional city, town, or county manager you
can set the wheels in motion—and know that they will run more
smoothly. Leverage their strengths in leadership, management,
efficiency, and ethics, and make your community great. Their job is
to bring your vision to life.
Log on today to learn more about how professional local government
managers work with you to build communities we are proud to call home.
LifeWellRun.org/elected-officials
South Carolina City and County
Management Association
22
Volume 25, Number 1
GFOASC
REPEAT
(Pull from
Vol. 24, No. 4)
1/6-Page
Vertical
Strengthening America’s Infrastructure®
icaeng.com
Roadway Design
Design-Build
Construction Inspection
Environmental Services
Traffic Engineering
Geotechnical Services
Ecological Restoration
Water Resources
Water/Wastewater
Hydraulic Engineering
Civil/Site Design
Structural Design
Municipal/Public Works
Bridge Safety Inspection
Stormwater Design
Contact: David Beaty, PE Email: [email protected] Office Locations: Charleston . Columbia . Greenville . West Columbia
Support the
South Carolina
Association of Counties ...
... and receive the following benefits as a:
Sponsor:
lSCAC’s County Focus Magazine, Carolina Counties Newsletter and annual Directory of County Officials
lRecognition in SCAC’s County Focus Magazine, annual Directory
of County Officials and Annual Conference Program
lAn invitation to register and attend SCAC’s Annual Conference each
year, and
lAn exhibitors’ notice around April 1 each year that provides an opportunity on a “first-come, first-served” basis to lease exhibit space at SCAC’s
Annual Conference.
As a Patron, you will also receive:
lA complimentary registration for one delegate to attend SCAC’s Annual
Conference
lTwo complimentary tickets to attend the Association’s Annual Conference Banquet, and
lGreater recognition in SCAC’s County Focus Magazine, annual Directory of County Officials and Annual Conference Program.
For more information about the SCAC or to join, please contact:
South Carolina
Attn.: Public Information Office
P.O. Box 8207
Columbia, South Carolina 29202-8207
(803) 252-7255
E-mail: [email protected]
24
Volume 25, Number 1
Strengthening America’s Infrastructure®
icaeng.com
Roadway Design
Design-Build
Construction Inspection
Environmental Services
Contact: David Beaty, PE Email: [email protected]
Geotechnical Services
Ecological Restoration
Water Resources
Water/Wastewater
Hydraulic Engineering
Civil/Site Design
Structural Design
Municipal/Public Works
Bridge Safety Inspection
Stormwater Design
Charleston . Columbia . Greenville . West Columbia
SCAC
Corporate Supporters
SCAC appreciates its corporate supporters — all 94 of them! If your company
would like to support the Association and receive sponsorship benefits, please contact
the SCAC Office at (803) 252-7255.
Patrons
ARIEL Third Party Administrators, Inc.
Columbia, SC
Progress Energy/Duke Energy
Florence, SC
BB&T Governmental Finance
Columbia, SC
Santee Cooper
Moncks Corner, SC
Carolina Office Systems, Inc.
Wando, SC
SCANA Corporation/SCE&G Company
Columbia, SC
Electric Cooperatives of South Carolina
Cayce, SC
South Carolina Power Team
Columbia, SC
McMillan Pazdan Smith Architecture
Spartanburg, SC
SouthData, Inc.
Mount Airy, NC
Musco Sports Lighting, LLC
Columbia, SC
Southern Health Partners, Inc.
Chattanooga, TN
Pope Zeigler, LLC
Columbia, SC
Tax Management Associates
Charlotte, NC
Sponsors
Alliance Consulting Engineers, Inc.
Bluffton, Columbia and Greenville, SC; and
Charlotte, NC
Broad River Electric Cooperative, Inc.
Gaffney, SC
Fairfield Electric Cooperative, Inc.
Winnsboro, SC
Carithers Real Estate
Anderson, SC
Five Star Computing, Inc.
Columbia, SC
CDM Smith Inc.
Columbia, SC
Fuss & O’Neill, Inc.
Columbia, SC
Celebrate Freedom Foundation
Columbia, SC
GMK Associates, Inc.
Columbia, SC
Asphalt Zipper, Inc.
Simpsonville, SC
Clemson University
Cooperative Extension Service
Clemson, SC
Greene Finney & Horton, LLP
Mauldin, SC
AT&T
Columbia, SC
Coastal Electric Cooperative, Inc.
Walterboro, SC
Bamberg Board of Public Works
Bamberg, SC
Coast2Coast Discount Rx Card
Ponte Vedra Beach, FL
Becker Complete Compactor, Inc.
West Columbia, SC
Community Eye Care, LLC
Charlotte, NC
The Benefit Bank of South Carolina
Lexington, SC
DataMax/Interstate Credit Collections
Winston-Salem, NC
Berkeley Electric Cooperative
Moncks Corner, SC
Davis & Floyd, Inc.
Charleston, SC
Blanchard Machinery Company
Columbia, SC
Dennis Corporation
Columbia, SC
Blue Ridge Electric Cooperative, Inc.
Pickens, SC
FacilityDude
Cary, NC
American Engineering Consultants, Inc.
Cayce, SC
Analog Digital Solutions, Inc.
Fuquay Varina, NC
Archer Company, LLC
Rock Hill, SC
26
Volume 25, Number 1
Hazen and Sawyer, PC
Raleigh, NC
Horry County Solid Waste Authority
Conway, SC
Horry Electric Cooperative, Inc.
Conway, SC
Howell Linkous & Nettles, LLC
Charleston, SC
Hulsey McCormick & Wallace, Inc.
Piedmont, SC
Hybrid Engineering, Inc.
Irmo, SC
ICA Engineering, Inc.
Columbia, SC
Infoscore, Inc.
Indian Land, SC
South Eastern Road Treatment, Inc.
Evans, GA
Infrastructure Consulting &
Engineering, PLLC
Columbia, SC
Southwest Securities, Inc.
Columbia, SC
J.M. Wood Auction Company, Inc.
Montgomery, AL
KeyMark, Inc.
Greenville, SC
LexisNexis Payment Solutions
Brentwood, TN
Lowcountry Billing Services, Inc.
Lexington, SC
Marlboro Electric Cooperative, Inc.
Bennettsville, SC
MBAJ - Boomerang Design
Lexington, SC
M.B. Kahn Construction Co., Inc.
Columbia, SC
McNair Law Firm, PA
Anderson, Bluffton, Charleston, Columbia,
Greenville, Hilton Head, Myrtle Beach and Pawleys
Island, SC; and Charlotte, NC
Spirit Communications
Columbia, SC
Stevens & Wilkinson
Columbia, SC
Stewart l Cooper l Newell Architects
Columbia, SC, and Gastonia, NC
Thomas & Hutton
Columbia and Mount Pleasant, SC
Thompson Turner Construction
Sumter, SC
Time Warner Cable
West Columbia, SC
Total Comfort Solutions
Greenville, SC
Upstate South Carolina Alliance
Greenville, SC
URS Corporation
Columbia, SC
Mid-Carolina Electric Cooperative, Inc.
Lexington, SC
VC3
Columbia, SC
Motorola Solutions – Palmetto 800
Columbia, SC
VEEAM Software
Alpharetta, GA
Moseley Architects
Charlotte, NC
W.K. Dickson
Charlotte, NC
Municode/Municipal Code Corporation
Tallahassee, FL
Woolpert, Inc.
Columbia, SC
NBSC, a division of Synovus Bank
Columbia, SC
Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough, LLP
Charleston, Columbia, Greenville,
Myrtle Beach, SC; and Washington, DC
Palmetto Electric Cooperative, Inc.
Hilton Head Island, SC
Pike McFarland Hall Associates
Myrtle Beach, SC
qPublic
Deland, FL
QS/1
Spartanburg, SC
S.C. Farm Bureau Federation, Inc.
Columbia, SC
To promote and encourage
education of county
officials
 For more information
about the SCAC, please
contact:
SEGAL Revenue & Expense Specialists, Inc.
High Point, NC
South Carolina 811
Columbia, SC
To investigate and provide
means for the exchange of
ideas and experiences
between county officials
To promote legislation
which supports efficient
administration of local
government in South
Carolina
Piedmont Natural Gas
Greenville, SC
S.C. Association of Community
Development Corporations
Charleston, SC
To study, discuss and
recommend improvements
in government
To cooperate with other
organizations
Parrish and Partners, LLC
Columbia, SC
Simplified Office Systems, Inc.
Irmo, SC
To promote more efficient
county governments
To collect, analyze and
distribute information
about county government
Newberry Electric Cooperative, Inc.
Newberry, SC
Siemens Corporation, Inc.
Irmo, SC
Purpose
of the SCAC
ATTENTION
CORPORATE SUPPORTERS
To continue receiving your sponsor-
ship benefits without delay, please contact SCAC’s Public Information Office
at (803) 252-7255 or smorgan@scac.
sc if your contact information changes.
We don’t want you to miss anything!
South Carolina
P.O. Box 8207
1919 Thurmond Mall
(803) 252-7255
[email protected]
County Focus
27
Contact
Links
Search
Building Stronger Counties for Tomorrow
Need Information? Visit SCAC’s
Website at www.sccounties.org
The South Carolina Association of Counties’ website is the primary Internet resource for
information about South Carolina’s counties and issues affecting county government. The website is a dynamic tool that provides access to information about services such as education and
training opportunities, research capabilities, and legal assistance.
Visitors to sccounties.org will find conference schedules, legislative initiatives, and numerous Association publications. The website has information on key financial programs offered by SCAC, unique county-specific publications, legislative monitoring, and ad hoc surveys.
The site provides general information for all 46 counties—including contact information for
county officials, links to county websites, and job postings. Sccounties.org is also a conduit
to a number of other resources such as the National Association of Counties, the S.C. General
Assembly, U.S. Congress, federal agencies, as well as national and state associations.
The SCAC staff remains ready to receive and assist with any special requests. To facilitate
this communication, please refer to the SCAC staff list on page 31 or SCAC’s website to obtain
respective email addresses.
P.O. Box 8207
Columbia, S.C. 29202-8207
Telephone: (803) 252-7255
1-800-922-6081 (Toll-Free in South Carolina)
Email: [email protected]
Fax: (803) 252-0379
28 28 Volume
25, 25,
Number
1 1
Volume
Number
SCAC Officers
&
Board Members
PRESIDENT
Joseph R. Branham
Chester County
Council Vice Chairman
First
Vice President
Second
Vice President
Third
Vice President
Immediate
Past President
Secretary
Treasurer
James R. Frazier
Horry County
Council Member
John Q. Atkinson, Jr.
Marion County
Council Member
Julie J. Armstrong
Charleston County
Clerk of Court
Charles T. Edens
Sumter County
Council Member
F. Pickens Williams, Jr.
Barnwell County
Administrator
Belinda D. Copeland
Darlington County
Treasurer
SCAC
NACo
Board Member
Proudly Serving
South Carolina’s
46 counties since 1967.
Waymon Mumford
Florence County
Diane B. Anderson
Laurens County
Council Member
William B. Banning, Sr.
Lexington County
Council Member
Henry E. (Sel) Hemingway, Jr.
Georgetown County
Administrator
Charles Jennings
McCormick County
Council Chairman
K.G. “Rusty” Smith, Jr.
Florence County
Administrator
S.C. Counties Workers’
Compensation Trust and
Property and Liability
Trust Chairman
David K. Summers, Jr.
Calhoun County
Council Chairman
R. David Brown
Fairfield County
Council Member
Henry H. Livingston III
Newberry County
Council Chairman
Dwight L. Stewart, Jr.
Clarendon County
Council Chairman
Gonza L. Bryant
Greenwood County
Council Member
L. Gregory Pearce, Jr.
Richland County
Council Member
Claude Thomas
Abbeville County
Council Chairman
James A. Coleman
Laurens County
Council Chairman
Lois H. Roddey
Chester County
Probate Judge
Joel R. Thrift
Oconee County
Council Chairman
Joseph B. Dill
Greenville County
Council Member
Franklin F. Fulmore, Sr.
Williamsburg County
Council Member
R. Carlisle Roddey
Chester County
Supervisor
R. Archie Scott
Dillon County
Council Member
Ronnie Young
Johnnie Wright, Sr.
Aiken County
Orangeburg County
Council Chairman
Focus
Council ChairmanCounty
29
Preparing Counties for Tomorrow ...
W
hat is the SCAC?
outh Carolina Association of CounS
ties, chartered on June 22, 1967, is the
only organization dedicated to statewide
representation of
county government
in South Carolina.
A nonpartisan,
nonprofit organization with a full-time
staff in Columbia,
SCAC is governed
by a 29-member
Board of Directors
selected by county
officials at the Association’s Annual Conference.
Counties have made tremendous
progress since the enactment of the Home
Rule Act in 1975. A lot has changed, and
so has county government. As county
government becomes more important to
the quality of life in the state, SCAC is
committed to preparing county officials
for tomorrow.
Conferences
Education
 SCAC provides many opportunities for
county officials to meet and learn, among them:
 The Association, in cooperation with the
Institute for Public Service and Policy Research
at the University of South Carolina and the
Strom Thurmond Institute at Clemson University, conducts an Institute of Government (Level
I, Level II and Advanced Level) for County Officials. This certificate program helps county officials enhance their skills and abilities. Courses
are offered at the Annual and Mid-Year Conferences and at the County Council Coalition
Meeting in the fall.
SCAC also sponsors a number of continuing education webcasts for county officials and
employees throughout the year at no charge
to counties. Within a few weeks after the webbased training is broadcast live, county officials
and employees are able to access the session as
a video on demand from the webcast library on
the SCAC website at http://www.sccounties.
org
 Mid-Year Conference — Held in late winter
in Columbia, this conference enables all county
officials to become better informed about the
Association’s legislative program. The Association also hosts a reception for all members of
the Legislature during this conference.
 Annual Conference — Held in August, this
conference is open to all elected and appointed
officials. The conference includes a business
session, general session, workshops, group
meetings, and exhibits of county products and
services.
 Legislative Conference — Held in December,
this conference allows members of the Legislative Committee to discuss and adopt a legislative
program for the upcoming year. The committee
is composed of each Council Chairman along
with the Association’s Board of Directors.
Financial Services
Legal Assistance
Setoff Debt Program
 SCAC offers a number of financial services
to its member counties. SCAC sponsors three
self-funded insurance Trusts designed specifically to meet the needs and requirements of local
government agencies, including the Workers’
Compensation Trust, the Property and Liability
Trust, and OPEB Trust. In cooperation with
the National Association of Counties Financial Services Center, SCAC offers purchasing
cooperative agreements with Independent Stationers, GovDeals and tax audit services with
Tax Management Associates, Inc.
 SCAC provides legal assistance to county
governments by rendering legal opinions, preparing Amicus briefs, drafting ordinances, and
consulting with other county officials.
The Association provides support to counties involved in litigation that might affect other
counties. It also sponsors the Local Government
Attorneys’ Institute, which provides six hours of
continuing legal education for local government
attorneys.
 South Carolina counties are able to collect
delinquent emergency medical services debts,
magistrate and family court fines, hospital
debts as well as other fees owed to the counties through SCAC’s Setoff Debt Collection
Program.
Debts are submitted through the Association to the South Carolina Department
of Revenue to be matched with income tax
refunds. The debt is deducted from a refund
and returned through SCAC to the claimant.
Legislative
Information
Public
Information
Research and
Technical Assistance
 The South Carolina General
Assembly convenes each January
in Columbia and adjourns sine die
in June. One in every four bills
introduced affects county governments.
SCAC monitors each bill
as it is introduced and keeps its
members up-to-date on all legislative activity with a weekly Friday
Report. The Association also dispatches Legislative Action Alerts
and publishes Acts That Affect
Counties each year.
 SCAC publishes an annual
Directory of County Officials
listing addresses and telephone
numbers of county offices and their
elected and appointed officials. The
Association also publishes Carolina Counties Newsletter five
times a year to keep the Association’s membership informed about
legislation and various county
news. County Focus Magazine
is published four times a year and
features articles on county trends,
innovations, and various other subjects of interest to county officials.
The magazine includes a section
called “County Update.”
 SCAC provides research and
technical assistance in many areas
to those counties that request it.
The Association staff annually
responds to hundreds of inquiries
from county officials ranging from
simple requests for a sample ordinance to more complex questions
requiring considerable research.
The Association also develops
technical research bulletins and
conducts surveys on a variety of
subjects. Regular publications
such as the W age and S alary
Report, Acts That Affect Counties, Home Rule Handbook, A
H andbook for C ounty G ov ernments in S outh C arolina ,
and Case Law Affecting Local
Government are made available
30
to county officials. SCAC’s website
address is:
http://www.sccounties.org
The site provides county officials with the latest information
on
SCAC programs, services and
meetings as well as legislative
information, research and survey
results and links to other local
government resources.
 SCAC  1919 Thurmond Mall  P.O. Box 8207  Columbia, S.C. 29202-8207 
 (803) 252-7255  Toll-Free in S.C.: 1-800-922-6081  Fax (803) 252-0379  E-mail: [email protected] 
 www.sccounties.org 
Volume 25, Number 1
SCAC Staff
South Carolina
P.O. Box 8207, Columbia, SC 29202-8207
(803) 252-7255
General office email: [email protected]
Website: www.sccounties.org
Michael B. Cone
Executive Director
[email protected]
Robert E. Lyon, Jr.
Deputy Executive Director
and General Counsel
[email protected]
Robert S. Croom
Deputy General Counsel
[email protected]
Timothy C. Winslow
Assistant General Counsel
[email protected]
Robert E. Benfield, ARM
Risk Manager
[email protected]
Anna B. Berger
Director of Research and Training
[email protected]
Sharon D. Berkowitz
Special Program Assistant Coordinator
[email protected]
Douglas L. Brockhard, CPA
Controller
[email protected]
Susan L. Chambers
Assistant Program Coordinator
SCCWCT and SCCP&LT
[email protected]
Leslie M. Christy-Jennings
Special Projects Coordinator
[email protected]
Pam S. Collins, ARM
Program Coordinator
SCCWCT and SCCP&LT
[email protected]
Robert C. Collins, CPCU, CIC
Director of Insurance Services
[email protected]
John K. DeLoache
Staff Attorney
[email protected]
S. Ruthie Duvall
Special Program Coordinator
[email protected]
Jennifer M. Haworth
Webmaster
[email protected]
John D. Henderson, ARM, ALCM
Director of Risk Management Services
[email protected]
John V. Jervey, AIC
Property & Liability Claims Manager
[email protected]
Pearlena A. Khalif-Govan
Administrative Assistant
[email protected]
James F. Knox
Staff Attorney
[email protected]
Lang Kohel
Workers’ Compensation Claims Manager
[email protected]
M. Kent Lesesne
Staff Attorney
[email protected]
Owen A. McBride
Staff Attorney
[email protected]
Robert J. Lyon, CPM, CPPB
IT/Procurement Director
[email protected]
W. Stuart Morgan III
[email protected]
Nilda A. Padgett
Meeting Planner/
[email protected]
Joshua C. Rhodes
Staff Attorney
[email protected]
Alexander W. Smith
Staff Attorney
[email protected]
Melinda L. Suddes
Director of Administrative Services
[email protected]
Dana M. Tomlinson
[email protected]
Susan Turkopuls
Senior Research Associate
[email protected]
Rick K. Ucinski
Field Representative
[email protected]
Mary E. Williams
[email protected]
County
ounty F
Focus
ocus
C
31
31
SCAC-Sponsored Insurance Trusts
History of the Trusts
The S.C. Workers’ Compensation Trust dates back to Nov. 1, 1984, when 11 counties began the fund with less than a
half million dollars. More than 25 years later, the Trust has grown to include 42 counties with total discounted premiums
in the $19 million range. The Trust also provides workers’ compensation coverage for 47 additional agencies with ties to
county government. The Property & Liability Trust began on Aug. 1, 1995 with four initial members. The membership
has grown to 16 counties and 8 county-related agencies.
Boards of Trustees
The Trusts were designed by and for county government with the goal of providing insurance to counties at the lowest
rates possible, while providing services uniquely tailored to the needs of county governments. The Boards of Trustees are
made up of county officials who are elected by the SCAC’s Board of Directors. Although not a requirement, both boards
currently share the same membership.
Risk Management
Because member contributions (premiums) are based both on the accident histories of the individual counties (experience modifiers) and on the membership as a whole, both Trusts employ very aggressive risk management strategies. The
philosophy adopted by the Trusts is that, if accidents are caused, they can be prevented. Risk Management services are
provided by the SCAC staff. The payoff is lower premiums and a safer working environment.
Claims Administration and Management
Ariel Third Party Administrators provides workers’ compensation claims administration for the Workers’ Compensation
Trust. The SCAC Staff provides claims administration for the Property & Liability Trust and provides the administration
of both Trusts. n
Boards of Trustees
for
South Carolina Counties
Workers’ Compensation Trust
and
Property & Liability Trust
CHAIRMAN
David K. Summers, Jr.
Calhoun County
Council Chairman
32
Volume 25, Number 1
VICE CHAIRMAN
James A. Coleman
Laurens County
Council Chairman
Gonza L. Bryant
Greenwood County
Council Member
SCCWCT and SCCP&LT Hold
2014 Annual Insurance Trusts Membership Meeting
By John D. Henderson, ARM, ALCM
he S.C. Counties Workers’ Compensation Trust and the S.C.
T
Supervisor, Office of OSHA, SC LLR.
Counties Property & Liability Trust held the 2014 annual Insur- On Thursday, Jan. 30, Robert Benfield, Risk Manager,
ance Trusts Membership Meeting on Jan. 29 & 30 in Myrtle SCAC, provided an overview of the newly effective Prison Rape
Beach. The 109 attendees heard several speakers address a variety Elimination Act (PREA). The new requirements for detention
of risk management topics. At the conclusion of the meeting, risk facilities were discussed as well as the potential consequences for
management awards were presented to several counties.
non-compliance with the Act.
On Wednesday, Jan. 29, Robert Collins, SCAC, began the David Morrison and John Jervey, Claims Manager,
meeting with an overview of cyber liability. Cyber liability is the SCCP&LT, also conducted a presentation that focused on govrisk posed by conducting business over the Internet, over other ernmental liability associated with violations of Title 42, U.S.C.
networks or by using electronic storage technology. Many will Section 1983. Next, Van Henson presented an update on recent
recall the recent news stories regarding the data breach at the OSHA developments. Paige Bowling, Director of Corporate
S.C. Department of Revenue in 2012. Liability for data breaches Accounts, Corporate Pharmacy Services, closed out the training
is a major exposure for all counties. The S.C. Counties Property with a presentation that gave members valuable tips for reduc& Liability Trust (SCCP&LT) provides cyber liability coverage ing costs for pharmaceutical services associated with workers’
for its members. All counties need to
aggressively safeguard their IT systems.
No IT system’s security can ever be
100 percent effective in repelling cyber
breaches.
Linda Edwards, Attorney, Gignilliat Savitz & Bettis Law Firm, provided a
legal update on employment law issues
that generated many questions from the
audience. Following the legal update,
John DeLoache, SCAC, presented a
legislative update on the progress of the
Flow Control Bill (H. 3290).
A round table discussion was then
held regarding risk management best
practices. Participants in this popular
segment included: Pam S. Collins,
Program Coordinator, SCCWCT and
SCCP&LT; David Morrison, Morrison
Law Firm; Linda Edwards; Lang Kohel, Claims Manager, SCCWCT; and SCCWCT and SCCP&LT’s 2014 Annual Insurance Trusts Membership Meeting, Myrtle Beach,
Van Henson, Training and Education S.C., Jan. 30 (Photo by Stuart Morgan)
Clyde B. Livingston
Orangeburg County
Council Member
Waymon Mumford
Florence County
F. Pickens Williams, Jr.
Barnwell County
Administrator
R. Carlisle Roddey
Chester County
Supervisor
SECRETARY/
TREASURER
Michael B. Cone
Executive Director, SCAC
County Focus
33
compensation claims.
Van Henson
Training and Education
Supervisor
Office of OSHA, SC LLR
The final segment of the meeting
was devoted to the presentation of
Paige Bowling
Director of Corporate Accounts
Corporate Pharmacy Services
risk management awards. County governments have long recognized that investment in risk management and safety programs
is good stewardship of tax payer dollars. Many counties were
recognized for their successful efforts to preserve county assets.
Linda Edwards
Attorney
Gignilliat Savitz & Bettis
Law Firm
David Morrison
Attorney
Morrison Law Firm
Risk Management Award Winners
See photos, Pp. 35-38
H Anderson County Outstanding Safety Achievement, Service Award—Charles Pinson
H Bamberg County
Best Experience Modifier
H Barnwell County
Sustained Excellence in Risk Management
H Beaufort County
Outstanding Safety Achievement
H Berkeley County
H Berkeley County Water & Sanitation
Lowest Experience Modifier Ever
Platinum Award (workers’ compensation claims reporting)
H Cherokee County
H Dorchester County
H Edgefield County
Gold Award (property & liability claims reporting)
H Fairfield County
H Greenwood County
Outstanding Safety Achievement, Service Award—Brian McKenna
H Hampton County
Service Award—Dobie Hiers
H Horry County
H Horry County Solid Waste Authority
Gold Award (workers’ compensation claims reporting)
H Lancaster County
Silver Award (property & laibility claims reporting)
H Laurens County
H Lexington County
H Marlboro County
Silver Award (workers’ compensation claims reporting)
H McCormick County
Runner Up Best Experience Modifier
Platinum Award (workers’ compensation claims reporting)
H Oconee County
H Saluda County
Platinum Award (property & liability claims reporting)
H Spartanburg County
Service Award—Terry Booker
H Three Rivers Solid Waste Authority
Silver Award (workers’ compensation claims reporting)
34
Volume 25, Number 1
Roundtable Discussion—Participating in the roundtable discussion on Best Practices in Risk Management on Wednesday, Jan. 29,
are: (left to right) Pam S. Collins, Program Coordinator, SCCWCT
and SCCP&LT; David Morrison, Attorney, Morrison Law Firm; Linda
Edwards, Attorney, Gignilliat Savitz & Bettis Law Firm; Lang Kohel,
Claims Manager, SCCWCT; and Van Henson, Training and Education
Supervisor, Office of OSHA, SC LLR.
John V. Jervey
Property & Liability Services
Claims Manager, SCAC
Robert E. Benfield
Risk Manager, SCAC
John K. DeLoache
Staff Attorney, SCAC
ä
John D. Henderson
Director of Risk Management
Services, SCAC
Robert C. Collins
Director of Insurance Services,
SCAC
Michael Medeiress and Tony Flaherty, Horry County Fire Rescue
Kim Carter, Laurens County Risk Manager
County Focus
35
Accepting a 2013 Outstanding
Safety Achievement Award
from the SCCWCT for Spartanburg County is Terry Booker, Spartanburg Risk Manager.
from the SCCWCT for Oconee
County is Sheila Wald, Oconee
County Risk Manager.
Accepting a 2013 Outstanding Safety Achievement
Award from the SCCWCT
for Anderson County is
Charles Pinson, Anderson
County Safety & Accredition
Manager/Transportation
Division.
Accepting a 2013 Outstanding Safety
Achievement Award from the SCCWCT
for Beaufort County are: (l to r) Laura L.
Von Harten, Council Member; and Miriam
Mitchell, Risk Manager/Safety Officer,
Beaufort County.
Accepting a 2013 Outstanding Safety Achievement Award from the SCCWCT for Fairfield County
are: (l to r) Hyatte Kelsey, Human Resources Director; Greg Gerber, Deputy Fire Marshall; Tony Hill,
Fire Marshall; Davis Anderson, Deputy Administrator; Rickie Mozie, Vehicle Maintenance Director;
and David Brown, Animal Control, Fairfield County.
for Cherokee
County is Lewis
Blanton, Cherokee County
Risk Manager.
36
Volume 25, Number 1
Accepting a 2013 Outstanding Safety Achievement Award from the SCCWCT for Berkeley
County are: (l to r) Patricia Travis, Safety
Manager; and Brenda Smith, Risk Management
Administration Specialist, Berkeley County.
Accepting a 2013
Outstanding Safety
Achievement Award
from the SCCWCT for Lancaster
County is Melissa
Fraunfelter, Lancaster County Risk
Management Coordinator
from the SCCWCT for Laurens County is Kim Carter,
Laurens County Risk Manager.
for Berkeley County Water
& Sanitation is Jerry Crolley,
Safety Manager, Berkeley
County Water & Sanitation.
Receiving 2013 Sustained
Excellence in Risk Management Awards are: (l to r)
Craig Legates, Risk Manager, Dorchester County;
Melisa Fraunfelter, Lancaster County Risk Manager
Coordinator; Terry Booker,
Spartanburg County Risk
Manager; Jerry Crolley,
Safety Manager, Berkeley
Water & Sanitation; Linwood Vereen, Risk Manager,
Horry County; and Roger
Riley, Emergency Management Director/Risk Manager, Barnwell County.
from the SCCWCT for Lexington County is Ed Salyer,
Lexington County Safety
Manager.
Accepting a 2013 Outstanding Safety Achievement Award
from the SCCWCT for Dorchester County are: (l to r) Craig
Legates, Risk Manager; and Amy P. Dixon, Claims Assistant,
Dorchester County.
Accepting a 2013 Outstanding Safety Achievement Receiving 2013 Service Awards from the SCCWCT are: (l to r) Dobie Hiers, Hampton
Award from the SCCWCT County Risk Manager; Terry Booker, Spartanburg County Risk Manager; Brian McKenna,
for Greenwood County is Greenwood County Risk Manager; and Charles Pinson, Anderson County.
Brian McKenna, Risk Manager, Greenwood County.
County Focus
37
The SCCWCT presented awards to recognize prompt reporting of workers’ compensation claims from July 1, 2012 to June 30, 2013. Accepting awards for their counties
are: (l to r) 2013 Silver Award for Marlboro County—Lewis Cooper, Assistant Risk
Manager, Marlboro County; 2013 Gold Award for Saluda County—Joshua Morton,
Emergency Management Director/Risk Management Manager, Saluda County; and
2013 Platinum Award for McCormick County—Crystal Barnes, Risk
Manager, McCormick County.
Also accepting awards from the SCCWCT to recognize prompt
reporting of workers’ compensation claims from July 1, 2012 to
June 30, 2013 are: (l to r) 2013 Gold Award for Horry County
Solid Waste Authority—Nannette A. Powell, Human Resources Manager/Safety
Coordinator, Horry
County Solid Waste
Authority; and 2013
Platinum Award for
Berkeley County Water & Sanitation—
Jerry Crolley, Safety
Manager, Berkeley
County Water &
Sanitation.
Accepting an award for the Lowest Experience Modifier
Ever for the SCCWCT are: (l to r) Jerry Crolley, Safety
Manager; and Angela Pinson, Director of Administration, Berkeley County Water & Sanitation.
SCCP&L presented awards to recognize prompt reporting
of property and liability claims from July 1, 2012 to June
30, 2013. Accepting awards for their
counties are: (l to r) 2013 Platinum
Award for Saluda County—Joshua
Morton, Emergency Management Director/Risk Manager, Saluda County;
and 2013 Silver Award for Lancaster
County—Melisa Fraunfelter, Risk
Management Coordinator, Lancaster
County.
Accepting the 2013 Best Experience
Modifier Award from the SCCWCT for
Bamberg County are: (l to r) Doretta
Elliott, Assessor/Risk Manager; and
Larry Haynes, Council Member, Bamberg County.
38
Volume 25, Number 1
Accepting the 2013 Best Experience Modifier Runner
Up Award from the SCCWCT for McCormick County
are: (l to r) Crystal Barnes, McCormick County Risk
Manager; and Columbus Stephens, County Administrator, McCormick County.
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IMLA Legal Update
By Charles W. Thompson, Jr.
Executive Director and General Counsel, IMLA
e have noticed a disturbing trend
W
throughout the country. Local govern-
McCutcheon v. Federal Election Commission: Supreme Court Strikes Down Two
Aggregate Limits on Campaign Contributions
ments that rely on outside counsel for
their statutory or charter position of
city or county attorney are being held
responsible for not withholding income
taxes from the attorney’s fees.
IRS issues guidance for local governments to determine if a person is an
employee.
While this information primarily
affects counties that have outside attorneys serving as “county attorney” as part
of their private practice, it may interest
others who wonder whether an elected
official is an employee for withholding tax
purposes. In a publication issued March
14, 2014, the IRS restated its position
regarding the classification of elected and
appointed officials. The IRS states:
Generally, any individual who serves
as a public official is an employee of
the government for whom he or she
serves. Therefore, the government
entity is responsible for withholding and paying Federal income tax,
social security and Medicare taxes,
and issuing Form W-2, Wage and Tax
Statement, to a public official.
http://www.irs.gov/Government-Entities/
Federal,-State-&-Local-Governments/
Classification-of-Elected-and-Appointed-Officials
IMLA has worked with several local
governments to address this issue. The
law is confusing because, while the IRS
may claim a statutory requirement for
all people holding public office to be
classified as employees for withholding
tax purposes, the same cannot be said for
social security and Medicare taxes, as that
classification is based on the traditional
common law method. Nevertheless, a
county who hires a law firm to act as
its county attorney should work closely
with the attorney to protect itself against
a claim by the IRS that it did not properly withhold taxes from the fees paid to
the attorney. The engagement letter or
contract needs to be carefully crafted to
protect each.
Supreme Court Update
This year, like most, the U.S. Supreme Court has decided a number of
cases that affect local government and in
the next two months will decide several
more. A couple of the cases garnered significant commentary while others seemed
to have been decided in a media vacuum.
The Federal Election Campaign
Act of 1971 (FECA), as amended by
the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act
of 2002 (BCRA), imposed two types of
limits on campaign contributions. Base
limits restrict how much money a donor
may contribute to a particular candidate
or committee while aggregate limits
restrict how much money a donor may
contribute in total to all candidates or
committees. The U.S. Supreme Court in
McCutcheon v. Federal Election Commission struck down the aggregate limits
as an unconstitutional restriction on the
First Amendment’s freedom of speech
guarantee.
The challenge to the aggregate limits came from Shaun McCutcheon, an
Alabama businessman who contributed
to 16 different federal candidates, complying with the base limits applicable to
each. He alleged that the aggregate limits
prevented him from contributing to 12
additional candidates and to a number
of noncandidate political committees.
McCutcheon was joined in his suit by the
Republican National Committee (RNC),
which would like to be allowed to accept
more contributions from donors like
McCutcheon.
Chief Justice Roberts authored the
opinion of the Court striking down the aggregate limits, and was joined by Justices
County Focus
43
Antonin Scalia, Anthony Kennedy and
Samuel A. Alito. Justice Thomas wrote
his own opinion arguing that more of the
contribution limits should be overturned.
“There is no right more basic in our
democracy than the right to participate
in electing our political leaders,” wrote
the Chief Justice, explaining that making
campaign contributions is included in that
basic right protected by the First Amendment. Congress may place reasonable
restrictions upon the exercise of that right
by limiting direct contributions to candidates, the opinion held, but only for the
limited purpose of guarding against corruption or the appearance of corruption.
However, the Chief Justice specified that
the making of campaign contributions
with the intent of gaining influence and
access does not constitute corruption. In
the court’s opinion, such influence and
access demonstrate “a central feature of
democracy—that constituents support
candidates who share their beliefs and
interests, and candidates who are elected
can be expected to be responsive to those
concerns.” The opinion explained that
the only kind of corruption that Congress
l
l
l
l
l
can try to combat by restricting campaign
contributions is so-called “quid pro quo”
corruption, which the opinion defined as
“a direct exchange of an official act for
money.”
The court’s definition of the type of
corruption that Congress may seek to
prevent by restricting campaign contributions was key to the outcome of the case.
Because Congress may only act to prevent
such “quid pro quo” corruption, the court
took the position that if there is no risk
of such quid pro quo corruption when a
donor gives to 16 candidates in compliance with the base limits, then there is
no risk of such quid pro quo corruption
if the donor gives the same amount in
compliance with the base limits to one
more candidate. The court also rejected
the government’s argument that the aggregate limits are necessary to prevent
evasion of the base limits.
Justice Stephen Breyer wrote the
opinion for the dissent, which was joined
by Justices Ruth Bader Ginsberg, Sonia
Sotomayor, and Elena Kagan. Justice
Breyer’s dissent took the position that the
Court’s decision “eviscerates our Nation’s
campaign finance
law, leaving a remnant incapable of
dealing with the
grave problems of
democratic legitimacy that those
laws were intended
to resolve.” The
Representing you before Congress
dissent argues that
and the Administration
Congress should
have the ability to
Helping you better serve your
restrict donations
residents
intended to obSaving you and your taxpayers’
tain influence and
money
access to elected
officials, and that
Raising public understanding of
such contributions
county government, and
constitute corrupRestoring the Federal - County
tion.
Partnership
Going forward, individuals
will continue to be
subject to a $2,600
limit on contributions to any individual candidate,
and to higher limits
The Voice of
America’s Counties
www.naco.org
44
Volume 25, Number 1
on contributions to any PAC or party
committee. The practical effect of this
decision is that donors will no longer be
limited in the number of candidates or
committees they may support.
Despite concluding that the First
Amendment protects “a central feature
of democracy—that constituents [can]
support candidates who share their beliefs and interests, and candidates who
are elected can be expected to be responsive to those concerns;” those contributions could prove to be wasted. Three
years ago, the Court decided Nevada
Ethics Commission v. Carrigan, ___ U. S.
____ (2011) in which it held that the First
Amendment did not protect a member
of a local legislative body from having
restrictions placed via ethics laws on when
the legislator could vote on a matter.
Construing the two decisions together, a
donor can give money to a candidate but
doing so may restrict the candidate once
elected from acting on a matter involving
the donor under a lawfully enacted ethics
law.
Navarette v. California: Supreme Court
concludes that an inherently reliable
anonymous tip allows a constitutionally
permissible traffic stop.
On August 23, 2008, a Mendocino
County 911 dispatch team for the California Highway Patrol (CHP) broadcast
facts of a call from a 9-1-1 call to its officers: “‘Showing southbound Highway 1
at mile marker 88, Silver Ford 150 pickup.
Plate of 8-David-94925. Ran the reporting party off the roadway and was last
seen approximately five [minutes] ago.’”
About 13 minutes later, a CHP officer
heading north toward the reported vehicle responding to the broadcast passed
the truck near mile marker 69. About five
minutes later, after making a U-turn, the
officer pulled the truck over. A second
officer, who had separately responded to
the broadcast, also arrived on the scene.
As the two officers approached the truck,
they smelled marijuana. A search of the
truck bed revealed 30 pounds of marijuana. The officers arrested the driver
and a passenger and both sought to have
the evidence excluded claiming that the
officers did not have a sufficient basis to
stop their truck since the officers only had
an anonymous report and had observed
them doing nothing wrong before stopping them.
After losing in their effort to exclude
the evidence, the two defendants pleaded
guilty to transporting marijuana and were
sentenced to 90 days in jail plus three
years of probation and the California
Court of Appeal affirmed. The court reasoned that the content of the tip indicated
that it came from an eyewitness victim
of reckless driving, and that the officer’s
corroboration of the truck’s description,
location, and direction established that
the tip was reliable enough to justify a
traffic stop. Finally, the court concluded
that the caller reported driving that was
sufficiently dangerous to merit an investigative stop without waiting for the officer
to observe additional reckless driving
himself. The California Supreme Court
denied review, but the Supreme Court
granted certiorari to review the case.
By a 5-4 vote, the Court held that
the police, consistent with the Fourth
Amendment, may stop a vehicle based on
an anonymous tip about reckless driving
even where the police did not personally
observe reckless driving. The Court found
that “under the totality of circumstances,
the officer had reasonable suspicion that
the driver was intoxicated.” In reaching that conclusion, the Court pointed
to various “indicia of reliability” in the
anonymous call: It described wrongdoing by a specific vehicle based on firsthand observation; it was made shortly
after the incident; and the caller used
the 911 emergency system, which can
be recorded. And, the Court added, the
alleged behavior objectively suggested
drunk driving, a serious offense.
The line-up of justices in this case
jumbles the usually firm division between the conservatives and liberals on
the court. Justice Breyer sided with the
majority and Justice Scalia wrote the dissent for himself and Justices Sotomayor,
Ginsburg and Kagan. The majority’s odd
reliance on the facts to conclude that the
driver might have been a drunk driver,
rather than adopting the California
court’s view that the report sufficiently
described “reckless driving” as to warrant an investigative stop, sought to avoid
deciding the question of whether a stop is
justified by the need to investigate nonfelonious completed criminal activity. Cf.
United States v. Hensley, 469 U. S. 221, 229
(1985).
Schuette v. Coalition to Defend Affirmative
Action: Supreme Court concludes that a
referendum to prohibit affirmative action
does not violate the Constitution.
dants and granted the motion to remove
Russell as an intervenor. The U.S. Court
of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit affirmed
in part and reversed in part by holding the
proposed amendment unconstitutional
and upholding the removal of Russell as
a party to the litigation.
By a 6-2 vote, the Court held the
constitutional amendment adopted by
Michigan voters does not violate the
Equal Protection Clause. Justice Anthony
M. Kennedy delivered the opinion for
himself, the Chief Justice and Justice
Alito. As this was the opinion on which
most of the justices voting to reverse the
6th Circuit it is the plurality opinion.
They pointed out that the case didn’t
involve the constitutionality of race based
admission policies but rather it sought
resolution about whether the voters of
a state can choose to prohibit the use
of race preferences in the decisions of
governmental bodies, specifically with
respect to school admissions.
In his opinion concurring in the judgment, Justice Scalia wrote that a state law
that provided equal protection by not
In the November 2006 election, a
majority of Michigan voters supported a
proposition to amend the state constitution to prohibit “all sex- and race-based
preferences in public education, public
employment, and public contracting.”
Shortly after the proposition passed,
a collection of interested people and
groups formed the Coalition to Defend
Affirmative Action, Integration and Immigration Rights and Fight for Equality
by Any Means Necessary (Coalition). The
Coalition sued the governor and the regents and boards of trustees of three state
universities in district court by arguing
that the proposition as it related to public
education violated
the Equal Protection Clause. About
a month later, the
Michigan Attorney
General and Eric
Russell, an applicant to the University of Michigan
Law School, filed
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45
South Carolina’s
2014 Directory
of
County Officials
Want to know “Who’s Who” in South Carolina county
government? Order a copy of the 2014 Directory of County
Officials while copies are available.
The Directory identifies all elected and appointed county
officials in the state. This popular, award-winning publication
also identifies SCAC’s Officers, Board of Directors, Past Presidents, Corporate Supporters, Regional Councils of Government,
Federal and State Officials and State Senators and Representatives. Addresses and telephone numbers are included for all
county officials, state officials and members of the S.C. General
Assembly.
The cost per copy is $25.00 (including tax, postage, shipping
and handling).
To order your copy of the 2014 Directory of County Officials, please contact:
South Carolina
P.O. Box 8207
(803) 252-7255
46
Volume 25, Number 1
allowing the use of racial preferences at
least facially did not violate the Constitution. He noted that there is no reason
to allow local subordinate authorities to
have more power over the use of racebased preferences than the voters of the
state. Since the amendment in question
prohibits the use of racial preferences, it
patently provides equal protection under
the law rather than denying it. Justice
Breyer wrote a separate opinion concurring in the judgment in which he argued
that the amendment took the power
to decide whether to implement raceconscious policies away from unelected
actors and placed it firmly in the hands
of the voters where he believed it should
be.
Justice Sotomayor wrote a dissenting opinion in which she argued that the
Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment protects against the
implementation of new laws that oppress
certain groups on the basis of race. In
this case, the voters chose to prohibit a
practice that the state had implemented
to achieve a diverse student body and that
by prohibiting the state from implementing those policies the voters had discriminated against minorities who benefited
from those practices.
IMLA provides assistance to local government attorneys whose municipalities are
members and it supports local governments
throughout the United States as an amicus
in many cases at the Supreme Court and
in the federal circuits and in state supreme
courts. We provide local government attorneys with a forum to seek help and to gain
understanding of the law. If you or your
county is not a member of IMLA, consider
joining. We offer a number of low cost programs each year to help attorneys and city/
county managers keep abreast of emerging
issues or to refresh their knowledge of local
government law. For more information on
membership, programs or getting involved
with IMLA contact Chuck Thompson at
[email protected] or call him at (202)
742-1016.
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magazine also publishes articles by
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Lost Columbia combines an overview of
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Issue No. 1
Issue No. 2
Issue No. 3
Issue No. 4
For more information, including current advertising rates and
a recent copy of County Focus
Magazine, please contact:
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48
Volume 25, Number 1
Orangeburg County
A Roadside Guide to
Orangeburg, County Seat
Of Orangeburg County
See South Carolina
County Map,
P. 59
By Alexia Jones Helsley
www.historyismybag.com
O
the condition of the courthouse and jail
as “they were too crampt & inconvenient
for the increasing population.” In 1857,
Edward C. Jones and Francis D. Lee designed a new jail. In 1865, Union troops
set fire to the building, but the county had
the structure repaired after the war.
Orangeburg was strategically located
on several key transportation routes.
Consequently, both British and American
forces vied to control the area. At one
point, following the surrender of Charlestown to the British, Gov. John Rutledge,
South Carolina’s governor in exile, spent
time in Orangeburg.
The Revolutionary War disrupted
economic and social development. But
Orangeburg recovered and adopted the
state’s new cash crop—short staple cotton. Eli Whitney’s invention of the cotton gin in 1793 made short staple cotton
commercially viable in South Carolina.
Cotton planting and slavery proliferated
in the Orangeburg District. By 1825, the
town had a population of 152. In 1831 the
S.C. General Assembly incorporated the
town. The coming of the railroad in 1840
further enhanced economic markets and
opportunities for area farmers. Given the
area’s economic dependence on planta-
Hidden History
of
H a ve
y o u e ve r H e ar d a bo u t …
the person for whom Paris Mountain was named?
the man who bought the town of Pleasantburg?
the time when Greenville was the
capital of south Carolina?
H
istorically, Greenville County owes much to its natural
advantages of scenery, location and abundant water, but it
has also benefited from its colorful characters, such as Richard
Pearis, Vardry McBee and the Earle family. Hidden History of
Greenville County details the personalities, places and events that
have given Greenville its progressive, diverse environment. Join
archivist and history professor Alexia Helsley as she explores
some of these individuals and their contributions, as well as littleknown events in the area and the ever-fascinating “Dark Corner.”
From mansions to murders, learn things about Greenville County
history that you’ve never encountered before.
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Greenville County
rangeburg, the county seat of Orangeburg County, is the historic settlement of German-Swiss in colonial South
Carolina. Known as the “Garden City,”
Orangeburg sits on the North Fork of the
Edisto River 37 miles below Columbia,
South Carolina’s Capital City. The name
of the city, and later the county, honor
William, Duke of Orange, the husband
of Mary, the daughter of the English
king James II. Fearful of James’s Catholic faith, in 1688, Parliament overthrew
James in the “Glorious Revolution.”
After James left England for France, Parliament invited William and his wife Mary
to jointly rule England. The College
of William and Mary in Virginia is
named for this royal couple.
The modern city traces its origins
to 220 German-Swiss who settled
on the North Edisto River in 1735.
Industrious, these immigrants flourished and shipped their produce to
Charleston. Devoutly religious, these
early settlers established the first
Lutheran church in South Carolina.
Nevertheless, by 1750 the congregation under the Rev. John Giessendanner adopted Anglicanism and
erected the town’s first church. The
Pioneer Graveyard on Bull Street is
Orangeburg’s first cemetery.
Under the Circuit Court Act of
1768, Orangeburg became the judicial center of Orangeburg District.
By 1772, the town had a jail and
courthouse. In 1810, the Orangeburg
District grand jury complained about
AlexiA Jones Helsley
County Focus
49
tion economy and slavery, Orangeburg
was a center of Nullification and Secessionist feelings. David F. Jamison, born in
Orangeburg, presided over the Secession
Convention.
During the Civil War, Orangeburg
residents enlisted in Confederate service,
but for most of the war, the home front
saw little of the direct impact of the war.
That changed in February 1865. Following an engagement at Edisto Bridge, Gen.
William T. Sherman and his Union forces
marched through Orangeburg en route to
Columbia. Although the “visit” was short,
Union forces occupied and burned parts
of the town—including the courthouse.
Robert Mills, the first trained architect
in the U.S., designed Orangeburg’s third
courthouse. In 1865, Union troops destroyed the structure which was erected
in 1826. After the Civil War, the county
built its fourth courthouse in 1875, but
demolished that building in 1928. Gen.
Sherman used the home of Judge Thomas
W. Glover as his headquarters.
Once again, Orangeburg recovered
economically and cotton was a prime
factor. Cotton mills and related busi-
50
Volume 25, Number 1
nesses produced a prosperous city by the
turn of the century. Looking to promote
their city in the 1920s, three civic groups
organized in to build a hotel. The Young
Men’s Business League, the Lion’s Club,
and the Rotary Club united to raise funds
to build the Hotel Eutaw, which was built
between 1926 and 1927. The building was
listed on the National Register in 1985.
In addition, Orangeburg had a library
and other civic amenities. The Old Dixie
Club Library housed Orangeburg’s first
library from 1924 to 1955.
Orangeburg celebrates its rich history
with several National Register Districts.
For example, the Whitman Street Area,
Ellis Avenue and Amelia Street Districts
are primarily residential areas. But the
Downtown Historic District includes the
city’s core commercial properties, including the city’s first textile mill, Orange
Cotton Mill (1880), the 1912 U.S. Post
Office, St. Paul’s Methodist constructed
in 1896 and the Fireman’s Statue, erected
in 1902. The bronze statue shows a fireman holding an oil lamp in one hand and
a small child with the other. The district
also includes the Blythewood Building,
the site of one of Orangeburg’s oldest
black businesses. The Orangeburg City
Cemetery, which opened in 1880, was
the city’s first non-church-associated
black burial ground. It is also listed on
the National Register.
The Claflin College Historic District
also celebrates Orangeburg’s African
American heritage. Methodists from New
England founded the college in 1869. The
name “Claflin” honors two significant
Methodists—William Claflin, governor of
Massachusetts, and his father, Lee Claflin, who provided much of the funding for
the new institution. Dr. Alonzo Webster
was Claflin’s first president. In 1872, the
S.C. legislature created S.C. State Agricultural and Mechanical Institute as part
of Claflin. In 1896, the legislature made
the S.C. State Agricultural and Mechanical Institute a separate institution, the
precursor of S.C. State University.
In 1968, students from Claflin and
S.C. State were involved in a fateful
and for three—Samuel Hammond, Jr.,
Delano Middleton and Henry Smith—
fatal conflict. Although most business in
Orangeburg desegregated after the Civil
Rights Act of 1964, All Star Bowling did
not. All Star Bowling, now listed on the
National Register, was the only bowling
center in Orangeburg; so, many efforts
were made to desegregate the business. On Feb. 8, 1969, according to the
historical marker, after three nights of
“escalating racial tensions,” members of
the S.C. Highway Patrol opened fire on
the protestors. Three students died and
27 other protestors were wounded. The
“Orangeburg Massacre” changed South
Carolina and remains a defining moment
in the state’s history.
Orangeburg also gave South Carolina
Alexander S. Salley (1871-1961). Salley
served as the first director of the South
Carolina Department of Archives and
History. He worked tirelessly to preserve
the state’s documentary heritage and to
publish priceless records of the state’s
early history. He was also responsible
for construction of the World War One
Memorial Building, now part of the University of South Carolina in Columbia.
Today, past and present live in
modern Orangeburg. Beautiful Edisto
Memorial Gardens, built on the site of
a Civil War engagement, honors those
who died in World War I, World II, the
Korean War and the Vietnam War. Laid
out in the 1920s, the gardens boast more
than 80 beds of roses, including the Noisette Garden. Philippe Noisette, a French
botanist, developed the Noisette rose in
Charleston. The gardens are a popular
tourist destination. Scenic, historic Orangeburg acknowledges its past, but looks
forward to the future.
The Palmetto Directory
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SCAC’s Magazine and Newsletter
Highlight County Achievements
SCAC’s publications, Carolina Counties Newsletter and
County Focus Magazine, highlight county achievements. Articles, which focus on significant county achievements, are published
on a space available basis in Carolina Counties Newsletter. Indepth articles are published in County Focus Magazine.
For more information, please contact SCAC’s Public Information Office at 1-800-922-6081 or [email protected].
Want to know “Who’s Who” in South Carolina
county government? If so, order a copy of the 2014
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P.O. Box 8207
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County Focus
51
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or more than a century, NBSC has been committed
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County Update
Counties Reporting in
This Issue of County
Update:
AbbevilleGreenwood
Aiken Hampton
Allendale
Horry
Anderson Jasper
Bamberg Kershaw
Barnwell Lancaster
Beaufort Laurens
Berkeley Lee
Calhoun Lexington
Charleston Marion
Cherokee Marlboro
Chester McCormick
Chesterfield Newberry
Clarendon Oconee
ColletonOrangburg
DarlingtonPickens
Dillon
Richland
Dorchester Saluda
Edgefield Spartanburg
Fairfield Sumter
Florence Union
GeorgetownWilliamsburg
Greenville
York
See South Carolina
County Map,
Page 59
Keeping you informed
about what’s happening in
South Carolina’s counties.
This section of County Focus Magazine provides South Carolina county officials
an opportunity to submit newsworthy items
that may be of interest to the magazine’s readers.
For more information, please contact
SCAC’s Public Information Office at 1-800922-6081.
Aiken County
l Aiken County dedicated the county’s
new Animal Shelter on March 23 and new
Government Center on Apr. 4. Articles on
both projects will be published in the summer
issue of SCAC’s County Focus Magazine
(Vol. 25, No. 2).
SCAC Presidents
2013 Joseph R. Branham
Chester County
2012 Charles T. Edens
Sumter County
2011 Joseph B. Dill
Greenville County
2010 R. Carlisle Roddey
Chester County
2009 Diane B. Anderson
Laurens County
2008 L. Gregory Pearce, Jr.
Richland County
2007 K.G. “Rusty” Smith, Jr.
Florence County
2006 Belinda D. Copeland
Darlington County
2004–05 Waymon Mumford
Florence County
2004 Barrett S. Lawrimore
Charleston County
2003 Gonza L. Bryant
Greenwood County
2002 James A. Coleman
Laurens County
2001 Steve S. Kelly, Jr.
Kershaw County
2000 James H. Rozier, Jr.
Berkeley County
1999 Polly C. Jackson
Lancaster County
1998 Robert R. Nash, Sr.
Pickens County
1997 Alzena Robinson
Bamberg County
54
Volume 25, Number 1
1996 Betty T. Roper
Clarendon County
1995 George E. Bomar
Greenville County
1994 Raymond C. Eubanks, Jr.
Spartanburg County
1993 William L. McBride
Beaufort County
1992 Belle J. Kennette
Greenwood County
1991 James R. McGee Orangeburg County
1990 Kenneth R. Huckaby Spartanburg County
1989 Lowell C. (Butch) Spires
Lexington County
1988 David K. Summers, Jr. Calhoun County
1987 Danny E. Allen Spartanburg County
1986 O.V. Player, Jr.
Sumter County
1985 Sue H. Roe
Aiken County
1984 Charlie I. Crews
Hampton County
1983 James P. Whitlock Pickens County
1982 Lonnie Hamilton III Charleston County
1981 Alfred B. Schooler Georgetown County
1980 Howard A. Taylor Charleston County
1979 Marjorie H. Sharpe
Lexington County
1978 Berry L. Mobley Lancaster County
1977 E.E. Johnson
Hampton County
1976 Harold L. King Darlington County
1975 Jack Q. Gerrald
Horry County
1974 Arthur H. Burton Charleston County
1973 James O. Thomason Spartanburg County
1972 J. Hugh McCutchen Williamsburg County
1971 John L. Greer
Union County
1969–70 J. Mitchell Graham
Charleston County
1967–68 Charles W. Lawrimore
Georgetown County
Beaufort County
l Beaufort County celebrated the opening
of the county’s new coroner’s building and
morgue on Apr. 14. The structure, which
previously housed Beaufort County Disabilities and Special Needs, was renovated
and expanded to 6,300 square feet to house
the Coroner’s Office, Sheriff’s Office, Victim
and Juvenile Services and a 2,000-square-
foot morgue. The project, which included
landscaping, cost $850,000. The Coroner’s
Office, which has never had its own building
or morgue, previously relied on the services
of local hospitals.
Charleston County
lThe Charleston County Consolidated
9-1-1 Center implemented the first phase of
Broadcast Location: SCAC Office
October 30, 2014
9:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Planning and Zoning — Part 2
For more information, please contact Leslie Christy-Jennings,
SCAC, at (803) 252-7255 or [email protected]. Or visit SCAC’s
Webcast page at:
http://www.sccounties.org/services/education/webcast-training.aspx
SCAC’s 2014 Conference Calendar
Aug. 2 & 3
Aug. 3 – 6
Institute of Government
Annual Conference
Hilton Head Marriott
Aug. 18
Setoff DEBT/GEAR
Embassy Suites, Columbia
Sept. 17 & 18
Steering Committees
SCAC Office
Sept. 24
Continuing Education Update for Insurance Trusts
Oct. 16
Oct. 17
Institute of Government
County Council Coalition Meeting
Nov. 12 & 13
Steering Committees
SCAC Office
Nov. 21
S.C. Local Government Attorneys’ Institute
DoubleTree, Columbia
Dec. 4 & 5
Legislative Conference
Renaissance, Charleston
NACo’s 2014
Conference Calendar
July 11 – 14
SCAC’s New
RSS Feed
Ever wonder how to best keep up to
date on all the latest news on issues that
matter to counties?
Consider using the RSS feature at
www.sccounties.org.
RSS feeds are great for reading blogs
or news sites, or any type of site that
frequently posts new articles or stories.
Instead of checking several different pages or sites to
find out what’s new,
RSS feeds offer one
place that presents a
“feed” of everything
new from all of one’s
favorite pages/sites.
There are lots of options for managing RSS feeds (called feed readers, or
readers, or aggregators). Some will even
deliver email with updated posts to your
inbox. Often there is a reader available
in the web browser you are already using (Internet Explorer, Safari, Chrome,
Firefox). There are many readers — tons
of sites, smartphone and tablet apps, etc.
— so one can access favorite content from
anywhere.
Just find the site’s RSS feed (almost
all sites have one — just look for a link)
and paste it into the reader to create a
subscription. In many cases, one can just
paste the URL of the site and the feed
reader will find the RSS feed.
The manner of subscription to an RSS
feed can vary from product to product.
You can find more information on RSS
feeds at http://www.office.microsoft.
com.
If you still run into problems, contact your county Information Services
department or contact SCAC and speak
with Jennifer Haworth, webmaster, via
email at [email protected] or by calling 1-800-922-6081.
Never miss out on the latest news
affecting counties again. On www.
sccounties.org, RSS is available for
recent news, published articles, and
position postings. n
Annual Conference
Morial Convention Center (Orleans Parish), New Orleans, La.
County Focus
55
Support the
South Carolina
Association of Counties ...
... and receive the following benefits as a:
Sponsor:
lSCAC’s County Focus Magazine, Carolina Counties Newsletter and annual Directory of County Officials
lRecognition in SCAC’s County Focus Magazine, annual Directory
of County Officials and Annual Conference Program
lAn invitation to register and attend SCAC’s Annual Conference each
year, and
lAn exhibitors’ notice around April 1 each year that provides an opportunity on a “first-come, first-served” basis to lease exhibit space at SCAC’s
Annual Conference.
As a Patron, you will also receive:
lA complimentary registration for one delegate to attend SCAC’s Annual
Conference
lTwo complimentary tickets to attend the Association’s Annual Conference Banquet, and
lGreater recognition in SCAC’s County Focus Magazine, annual Directory of County Officials and Annual Conference Program.
For more information about the SCAC or to join, please contact:
South Carolina
Attn.: Public Information Office
P.O. Box 8207
Columbia, South Carolina 29202-8207
(803) 252-7255
56
Volume 25, Number 1
station alerting on Apr. 9. This first of three
phases uses the Purvis automated voice over
radio to dispatch calls for fire and EMS
(medical calls). Basically, with the station
alerting system, fire and medical calls will be
dispatched more quickly using this automated
method because of the reduced amount of
steps needed to manually dispatch a call.
The system automatically chooses the correct
radio channels and, using an automated voice,
dispatches the call over the radio channels using information already in the 9-1-1 computer
system.
l The Charleston County Consolidated
9-1-1 Center began a month-long campaign
on Apr. 1 to help citizens better understand
9-1-1 services and the role it plays in ensuring
effective and efficient emergency response
in times of crisis. Various governmental
agencies, including the U.S. Congress and
the National Emergency Number Association, a leading public safety association, have
recognized April as National 9-1-1 Education Month. Collectively, these agencies are
encouraging the media, the 9-1-1 community,
the wireless industry, and public information
providers to engage in 9-1-1 awareness and
education activities.
l Charleston County’s Budget Office received the Distinguished Budget Presentation
Award for the county’s fiscal year 2014 budget
(July 1, 2013 — June 30, 2014) from the Government Finance Officers Association of the
U.S. and Canada. This is the 25th consecutive
year that the county’s Budget Office has won
the honor.
l Charleston County’s Environmental
Management Department will soon complete
the All-In-One residential single stream
recycling program, which has been incrementally expanding across the county, to make
recycling more convenient for residents. Two
expansion phases remain: Phase VII & Phase
VIII.
On March 20, about 9,500 homes located in James Island and North Charleston
selected for Phase VII received All-In-One
95-gallon roll carts. Residents are now able
to place all paper products (including cardboard) and all other recyclable containers
(plastics #1-7, glass, aluminum and steel) into
the new, large cart.
Cart delivery for Phase VIII neighborhoods is expected to begin early May. The
county anticipates completing delivery by
June 1 for those remaining areas currently
receiving curbside dual stream recycling
service, as well as 25,000 homes in these new
service areas: Buckshire in Ladson, Tupelo
Bay in Mt. Pleasant, and Portions of Hwy 162
past Stono Ferry.
l Charleston County’s Emergency Medical (EMS) Directory Don Lundy recently
received the Warren McBridge Award at the
S.C. EMS Network Symposium in Myrtle
Beach. Lundy received the prestigious award
for demonstrating outstanding contributions
to the improvement of EMS through a continuing long-term commitment to the citizens
of South Carolina.
He was recognized by county council
when it met on March 11. Lundy is serving in
his second term as President of the National
EMTs (NAEMT) Association.
His career in EMS has spanned four
decades. Lundy started as a paramedic and
became Charleston County EMS director in
2000. Under his leadership, the county won
the 2010 National EMS Service of the Year
Award.
l Charleston County Emergency Medical
Services (EMS) Director Don Lundy was invited to attend a meeting on Feb. 7 of National
EMS Leaders to provide input on related
topics to representatives from the National
Security Council Staff at The White House.
Lundy, President of the NAEMT, met
with Dr. Richard Hunt, Medical Director for
Medical Preparedness Policy for the National
Security Council Staff at the White House,
and several other national EMS leaders to
discuss the current status and future of EMS
in the United States.
l Charleston County hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony to open the Odfjell Terminals
(Charleston) LLC in North Charleston on
March 12.
l Charleston County Government employee LoElla C. Smalls recently passed the
S.C. Government Finance Officers Certification exam. She serves as Assistant Budget
Director for Charleston County.
In addition to serving as the Assistant
Budget Director for Charleston County,
Smalls facilitates customer service training
for county employees. In the community,
she speaks to youth about etiquette and selfesteem, participates in various mentoring
programs, and reads to children dressed as
the Cat in the Hat. Smalls previously served
as President of the Charleston County Library
Board and Secretary of the Orange Grove
Elementary Charter School Board.
She was the first participant in the City of
Seattle’s Women and Minorities in Governmental Finance Internship and Scholarship
Program, in conjunction with the University
of Washington. She received her Masters in
Public Administration from the University
of Washington in Seattle, Washington. Previ-
South Carolina’s
2014 Directory
of
County Officials
Want to know “Who’s Who” in South Carolina county
government? Order a copy of the 2014 Directory of County
Officials while copies are available.
The Directory identifies all elected and appointed county
officials in the state. This popular, award-winning publication
also identifies SCAC’s Officers, Board of Directors, Past Presidents, Corporate Supporters, Regional Councils of Government,
Federal and State Officials and State Senators and Representatives. Addresses and telephone numbers are included for all
county officials, state officials and members of the S.C. General
Assembly.
The cost per copy is $25.00 (including tax, postage, shipping
and handling).
To order your copy of the 2014 Directory of County Officials, please contact:
South Carolina
P.O. Box 8207
(803) 252-7255
County Focus
57
ously, she served as a Senior Finance Analyst
for the City of Seattle and as Assistant Director of Finance for Spartanburg School District
7.
Georgetown County
l Georgetown County hosted a ribboncutting ceremony and open house for the
county’s new $1.2 million Murrells Inlet Community Center on May 1. The new $1.2 million
facility, which replaces an older structure at
the same site, is designed to allow more flexibility of use and is energy efficient.
The facility’s largest room is a
3,000-square-foot multi-purpose area, which
houses a stage and an electrical graduated
platform seating system that can easily be
retracted to transform the area from an auditorium or theater to an open space and back
again. This area will be home to the Murrells
Inlet Community Theater, which will hosts its
first performance this fall. The stage includes
a 12-foot extension that allows for other configurations, such as a runway.
The Center houses three program rooms,
which can be used as classrooms or meeting
areas. The Center also has a small catering
kitchen, a dressing room behind the stage,
an office for recreation staff, and a small
area that will be utilized by the Georgetown
County Sheriff’s Office, which will house a
substation in the center.
l Georgetown County Sheriff A. Lane
Cribb recently recognized Corporal Jimmy
Smith as Correctional Officer of the Year for
2013 and Henry Betts as Deputy Sheriff of the
Year for 2013.
Smith has been employed by the Georgetown County Detention Center for three
and a half years. A native of Georgetown,
he started his employment as a floor security
officer and was transferred to booking officer.
Betts, employed with the Sheriff’s Office
for five years, is assigned to the Animal Control Unit. He is federally certified in animal
control by the National Animal Control Association, a member of the National Animal
Control Association and the S.C. Animal Care
and Control Association, and vice president
of the Coastal Carolina Shields. Betts retired
from the NYPD Highway Patrol as a Sergeant
after 23 years of service.
Georgetown and Horry Counties
l A multi-agency public safety exercise was
held in Georgetown and Horry counties on
Feb. 1 that provided emergency responders an
opportunity to test their skills and interagency
58
Volume 25, Number 1
communication and cooperation.
The full-scale exercise, “Operation
Coastal Response 2014,” was held in the
areas of Conway, Bucksport Marina, Sandy
Island, Wacca Wache Marina, and the Reserve
Marina. The exercise, which included the
S.C. National Guard’s exercise, “Palmetto
Thunder,” was designed to train and assess
the ability of Georgetown and Horry counties
to respond to a mass casualty/fatality incident—in this case, a commercial airline crash
near Myrtle Beach and the border between
the two counties. Led by the counties’ emergency management divisions, the exercise also
provided an opportunity to coordinate and
integrate multi-agency and multi-discipline
assets from local, state and federal agencies
that would likely provide support and assistance in a large-scale incident.
Other agencies participating in Operation Coastal Response included Georgetown
County Emergency Management, Georgetown County Fire/EMS, the Georgetown
Sheriff’s Office, Georgetown County School
District, Murrells Inlet-Garden City Fire
Department, Midway Fire Rescue, Georgetown County Public Information, Georgetown County Public Services Department,
Georgetown Memorial Hospital, Waccamaw
Community Hospital, the S.C. Helicopter
Aquatic Rescue Team, The Salvation Army,
Myrtle Beach International Airport, Horry
County Emergency Management, S.C. State
Guard and various supporting agencies.
Horry County
l The Horry County Solid Waste Authority
(HCSWA) has awarded 13 Environmental
Scholarships to eligible high school seniors
seeking a degree in an environmental field.
Each recipient receives a $1,000 scholarship
after having completed public education volunteering with the HCSWA. Every year the
Horry County Solid Waste Authority awards
one eligible graduating high school senior
from each high school in Horry County, a
one-time $1,000 scholarship. Over the past
eight years, the Solid Waste Authority has
awarded $82,000 in scholarships through this
program. The 2013-14 Environmental Scholarship
Recipients include: O’Chun Jones—Academy
of Arts, Science and Technology; Katelynn
Jones—Academy for Technology and Academics; Adam Doyle—Aynor High School;
Emilie-Kate Tavernier—Coastal Leadership
Academy; Spencer Causey—Conway High
School; Mackenzie Morton—Early College
High School; Quentin Strickland—Green
Sea Floyds High School; Holly Hardee—Loris
High School; Jessie Baker—Myrtle Beach
High School; Taylor Gerland—North Myrtle
Beach High School; Hannah Price—Saint
James High School; Laura Ouverson—Scholars Academy; and Jaime McKee—Socastee
High School
l Horry County Budget and Revenue
recently received the Distinguished Budget
Presentation Award from the Government
Finance Officers Association (GFOA) of
the U.S. and Canada. To receive the budget
award, the county satisfied nationally-recognized guidelines for effective budget presentation. These guidelines are designed to assess
how well an entity’s budget serves as a policy
document, a financial plan, an operations
guide and a communications device. This
is Horry County’s 25th GFOA consecutive
award.
l Horry County Amateur Radio Emergency Coordinator Matt McGuire was recognized
as the S.C. Emergency Management Association’s (SCEMA) Amateur Radio Operator of
the Year for 2014. He was nominated for the
award by Horry County Emergency Management for his dedication to Horry County and
his exemplary work as a volunteer.
McGuire, first licensed in 1995, has been
the Amateur Radio Emergency Coordinator
for Horry County since 1996. He created a
robust and sustainable amateur radio program within Horry County that has greatly
benefited the county and municipalities. McGuire’s network of amateur radio operators
supports the county Emergency Operations
Center, regional hospitals and hurricane
shelters. With McGuire’s assistance, Horry
County Emergency Management secured a
federal grant to procure essential equipment
to improve communications. He has also
worked closely with hurricane shelters, created amateur radio kits for each shelter and
continually trained himself and other amateur
radio operators.
l Horry County has announced the winner and two runner-ups for the Randy Faulk
Employee of the Year Award, named in honor
of the late Randy Faulk who received the first
Employee of the Year award in 2006. Faulk,
who worked in the Horry County Maintenance Department, was a role model for all
county employees, and demonstrated that
every employee can make a difference.
Horry County awarded Candy Debusk,
with the Randy Faulk Employee of the
Year Award. Debusk, the 15th Circuit Drug
Court Director at the Horry County Solicitor’s Office, won the Public Safety Division
Quarterly Award for her work with the 15th
Counties and County Seats
of South Carolina
Judicial Circuit Drug Court. Since assuming
leadership, the program has grown from fewer
than 10 participants in a single program to
two programs in Horry County and one in
Georgetown with a total of 90 to 100 participants.
DeBusk often works nights and weekends to ensure the success of the participants
and the programs. She implemented vocational rehabilitation and her forward thinking has seen an average unemployment rate
amongst participants of less than 5 percent.
She also applied for a federal grant that allowed the Drug Court to create a program
in Georgetown and doubled the capacity
of the Horry County programs. As a result,
the programs have graduated more than 150
participants that has saved the State of South
Carolina nearly $5 million in inmate costs and
decreased law enforcement and social service
needs.
Two runner-ups, previous Employee of
the Quarter winners, were also honored for
their contributions: Jackie Angus, a Library
Support Specialist in the Horry County
Memorial Library, and Stevie Brown, Chief
Plan Reviewer in Horry County Planning &
Zoning. They each received a check for $500.
l The Horry County Board of Architectural Review and Historic Preservation, the
Camellia Garden Club of Conway, the Horry
County Historical Society, and the Waccamaw
Archives Center at Coastal Carolina University hosted the first dedication for the Horry
County Patriot Tree Project on Feb. 28 at
Upper Mill Plantation in Bucksville.
The Horry County Patriot Tree Project
pairs live oak trees with soldiers from Horry
County who served during the Civil War.
Each one of the trees will have a QR code
marker that will direct smart phone users to
a website listing the soldier’s name, birth date,
birth place, death date, burial place, and other
available details of the soldier’s service.
During the dedication, 12 trees were
paired with Civil War veterans of Horry
County including Captain Henry L. Buck
who owned Upper Mill Plantation during
the war. Also recognized was Henry McCall,
an African American who accompanied the
soldiers from Horry County to the War and
surrendered with the troops at Appomattox.
l Horry County Administrator Chris Eldridge recently announced Pat Apone, current
Interim Airport Director, as the new Director
of Airports.
Apone, an employee of the Horry
County Focus
59
County Department of Airports since 1997,
served as the Deputy Director of Finance
and Administration until 2009, when she
was appointed Interim Director and Chief
Financial Officer until 2010. From 2010 until
2013, Apone served as the Assistant Director
of Airports. Most recently, she was appointed
Interim Director in September 2013.
Apone received her bachelor’s degree in
accounting and finance from Coastal Carolina
University, and master’s degree in finance
from Winthrop University. She is also accredited as an Airport Executive by the American
Association of Airport Executives.
Richland County
l Richland County’s Information Technology Department recently reported that it had
saved taxpayers more than $39,000 by automating a reporting system used by the Probate
Court to meet new state law requirements for
law enforcement officials.
The Probate Court had estimated additional money would be needed to pay
someone to manually go through more than
25,000 files and separately enter the data for
the 10-year reporting requirement. But the
technological enhancements eliminated the
Court’s need for additional personnel, and
allowed it to meet reporting requirements for
the State Law Enforcement Division (SLED)
ahead of the Aug. 1, 2014, deadline.
So, the Probate Court removed the request for the additional funding in March.
Since last August, probate courts have
been under a state mandate to report to
SLED all individuals ordered to treatment
for chemical dependency or mental illness
and individuals found to be incapacitated
and in need of a Guardian or Conservator.
SLED requires specific information to add to
a national database designed to prevent those
individuals from purchasing or possessing
handguns and ammunition.
l Richland County is updating its compre-
hensive plan this year to refine its blueprint
for growth and development over the next 25
years, and county residents’ participation is
an essential piece of the process. The effort
to update the policy is “Plan Together,”and
it seeks extensive public input as officials
demonstrate how all parts of Richland County
come together to form a common identity.
The first of three rounds of community meetings kicked off in April. Subsequent meetings
will be held in July and September.
The county is updating its 2009 comprehensive plan and is collaborating with the City
of Columbia, which is updating its plan as well.
Tracy Hegler, Richland County’s Planning
Director said having the county and Columbia
work together to update their respective plans
is an exciting opportunity for residents to take
part in creating policy that will directly affect
their lives for years to come. A website, www.
weplantogether.org, was developed to aid the
process.
Advertising Index
Alliance Consulting Engineers, Inc. 5 & 15
American Engineering Consultants, Inc. 21
Analog Digital Solutions 48
ARIEL Third Party Administrators, Inc. 53
Inside-Back Cover
Electric Cooperatives of South Carolina
Inside-Front Cover
GEL Engineering LLC
42
Government Finance Officers Association of S.C.
22 & 48
Hidden History of Greenville County
49
ICA Engineering
23 & 25
ICMA
22
Lost Columbia
22 & 48
Meares Auctions, Inc.
45
NBSC, a division of Synovus Bank
14 & 52
PrintSouth 24
Professional Printers47 & 52
QS/140
Santee Cooper
39
SCANA/SCE&G3
The Formation of Counties in South Carolina
50
URS
41
60
Volume 25, Number 1
The Palmetto
Directory Index
(See page 51)
LISTINGS:
Alliance Consulting
Engineers, Inc.
BB&T Governmental Finance
ICA Engineering
QS/1
Nothing Generates Interest in STEM Courses
Like a Celebrate Freedom Foundation
SOaR™ Visit.
CFF’s exciting School/Student Opportunities and Rewards (SOaR™) Program visits dozens of schools
across South Carolina every year. Hundreds of students from Robert Smalls Middle School, Broad River
Elementary School and Joseph S. Shankin Elementary School attended CFF’s SOaR™ visit to Battery Creek
High School in Beaufort on Apr. 25, 2013.
From Feb. 18 to Feb. 21 this year, hundreds of students from Orangeburg School Districts 2, 3 and 5 attended CFF’s SOaR™ visits to Bethune Bowman Middle/High School in Rowesville. From May 8 to May 27,
hundreds of other students attended CFF’s SOaR™ visits to Cane Bay High School, Fort Dorchester High
School and Summerville High School.
Pilots
and aircraft technicians, using static helicopter displays, talk to students at Battery Creek
High School on Apr. 25, 2013.
Aviation industry representatives talk to students
about opportunities in aviation.
Celebrate Freedom Foundation is a nonprofit educational and historical
501(c)(3) corporation dedicated to educating children, promoting lasting patriotism and honoring the military — past, present and future.
SOaR™, the Foundation’s academic outreach program, emphasizes the
necessity of STEM courses (Science,
Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) in middle schools and high
schools. The program’s mission is to
build a workforce that can compete globally for jobs of the future, and to
ensure America’s technological advantage and its freedom.
STEM courses provide skills and competencies greatly needed here
in South Carolina and across the nation.
For more information about CFF’s SOaR™ Program, which generates
interest in STEM courses like nothing else can, please contact:
Maggie, CFF’s AH-1 Cobra Attack Helicopter,
prepares to land.
1300 Pickens St., Suite 200
Columbia, S.C. 29201
(803) 708-4752
[email protected]
www.CelebrateFreedomFoundation.org

No. 1 - South Carolina Association of Counties

Transcription

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