Oconee County`s New Detention Center

Transcription

Number 4
Volume 26
Oconee County’s
New Detention Center
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2015-16 SCAC OFFICERS
President
John Q. Atkinson, Jr.
Marion County Council Member
First Vice President
Julie J. Armstrong
Charleston County Clerk of Court
Contents
Second Vice President
Ronald Young
Aiken County Council Chairman
Third Vice President
Henry H. Livingston III
Newberry County Council Chairman
Secretary
F. Pickens Williams, Jr.
Barnwell County Administrator
Treasurer
Belinda D. Copeland
Darlington County Treasurer
Date of Issue: March 2016
2 Safety and Security of Citizens Must Be Driving Force Behind All Decisions Made in Washington
By U.S. Congressman Trey Gowdy (R-4th District, S.C.)
6 Oconee County’s New Detention Center
By W. Stuart Morgan III
SCAC Staff
Executive Director
Michael B. Cone
Deputy Executive Director and General Counsel
Robert E. Lyon, Jr.
Deputy General Counsel
Robert S. Croom
Assistant General Counsel
Timothy C. Winslow
Staff Attorneys
John K. DeLoache
Owen A. McBride
James F. Knox
Joshua C. Rhodes
M. Kent Lesesne
Alexander W. Smith
Public Information Director
W. Stuart Morgan III
Director of Insurance Services
Robert C. Collins, CPCU, CIC
Director of Risk Management Services
John D. Henderson, ARM, ALCM
Risk Manager, SCCWCT and SCCP&LT
Robert E. Benfield, ARM
Program Coordinator, SCCWCT and SCCP&LT
Pam S. Collins, ARM
SCCP&LT Claims Manager
John V. Jervey, AIC
Workers’ Compensation Claims Manager
Lang K. Kohel, ARM
Controller
H. Warren Counts, Jr., CPA
Director of Research and Training
Anna B. Berger
18 SCEMD, the Catastrophic Flooding in October and What County Officials Need to Know
25 Four County EMDs Discuss SCEMD, Lessons Learned During the
Catrastrophic Flooding in October and More
39 What Is an Experience Modification Factor?
By Pam S. Collins, ARM
44 The IMLA Report
By Charles W. Thompson, Jr.
Executive Director and General Counsel, IMLA
51 A Roadside Guide to Union, County Seat of Union County
By Alexia Jones Helsley
56
County Update
Special Projects Coordinator
Leslie M. Christy-Jennings
Senior Research Associate
Susan B. Turkopuls
Director of Administrative Services
Nilda A. Padgett
Deputy Director of Administrative Services
Tish F. Anderson
Special Program Coordinator
S. Ruthie Duvall
Special Program Assistant Coordinator
Sharon D. Berkowitz
Administrative Assistants
Dana T. Homesley
Pearlena A. Khalif-Govan
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
COVER PHOTOS: Top Photo—Oconee County’s New Detention Center (P. 6). Bottom
Photo—OCONEE COUNTY LEADERS—T. Scott Moulder, County Administrator; Joel
Thrift, Council Member; Edda Cammick, Council Member; Wayne McCall, Council Vice
Chairman; Paul A. Cain, Council Chairman; and Reg Dexter, Council Member. (Photos
by Stuart Morgan)
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.
Safety and Security of Citizens
Must be Driving Force Behind
All Decisions Made in Washington
By U.S. Congressman Trey Gowdy
(R-4th District, S.C.)
N
ational security and public safety are
plans to bring detainees to U.S. soil.
the preeminent functions of government.
As a member of the House ImmiAs members of Congress, it would be
gration Subcommittee, I have spent the
incongruent for us to undertake any act
last three years working to improve the
or fail to undertake an act calculated to
internal enforcement of our immigration
jeopardize the safety and security of those
laws, which is also critical to our national
who sent us here in the first place. People
security.
do not employ us to represent them so we
Currently, our border is porous and
can take risks with their security. They
there are insufficient internal security
send us to Washington, D.C., to put their
mechanisms in place. Non-enforcement
security at the top of our constitutional
of our existing immigration policy has
to-do list.
enabled localities to ignore our laws and
From combatting the rise of ISIS to
create benign-sounding things called
fixing our broken immigration system,
“sanctuary cities.” This creates gaping
there is no doubt national security chalholes in our criminal justice system, leadlenges are some of our most pressing
ing to deadly consequences for innocent
issues today. The decisions coming out of
Americans.
Washington impact the security of each
Sanctuary cities gained public attenand every American. It is critical we get
tion when a young woman was murdered
these decisions right.
in San Francisco by a criminal alien who
Congressman Trey Gowdy
Last summer, President Obama anhad been released by officials, despite
nounced he was planning to
having been deported five
close Guantanamo Bay and
times and convicted of mul “People do not employ us to represent them so
move some of these terrorists
tiple felonies.
we can take risks with their security. They send us
to the United States. There
In 2015, the House passed
to Washington, D.C., to put their security at the top
is wide concern that bringing
legislation to deny federal
of our constitutional to-do list.”
detainees to the U.S. would
funds to sanctuary cities, yet
— U.S. Congressman Trey Gowdy
make the localities targets for
the Administration refuses to
(R-4th District, S.C.)
terrorists and their sympathizseriously consider enforcing
ers. Members of the South
our immigration laws.
Carolina delegation, led by Senator Tim fer of detainees to U.S. soil.
Last fall, our nation and its leaders
Scott, have been fighting this action. Ad- Attorney General Loretta Lynch
were compelled to publicly examine our
ditionally, Congress as a whole has spo- confirmed these efforts would be illegal
immigration laws following the horrific
ken clearly on this issue many times. Just and the law “currently does not allow”
events in Paris and San Bernardino.
last year, the House and Senate passed by Guantanamo Bay detainee transfers to
We know ISIS terrorists are intent
bipartisan, veto-proof majorities, and the the United States. President Obama
on finding more ways to attack America
President signed, the National Defense should follow the law, and the counsel of
and her allies. CIA Director Brennan also
(See Safety, P. 4)
Authorization Act, which bars the trans- his Attorney General, and abandon any
2
Volume 26, Number 4
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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
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 26, Number 4
persecuted for their beliefs or otherwise
face imminent harm, we also have a duty
to ensure the necessary background in(Continued from P. 2)
vestigations can be done to stop terrorists
from exploiting Americans’ generosity
stated, “ISIS has an external agenda they
and ruthlessly taking more innocent lives.
are determined to carry out.” Another
The House also passed, by a bipartiadministration official said, “I don’t put
san landslide, legislation to close existing
it past ISIS to infiltrate operatives among
security gaps in the Visa Waiver Program
refugees, so that’s a huge concern of
(VWP). It also gives the Secretary of
ours.”
Homeland Security the authority to
And as the Assistant Director of
suspend a country’s participation in the
the FBI told the House Committee on
program if they fail to share counterterHomeland Security last year, “The conrorism information with the U.S. and
cern is in Syria, the lack of our footprint
denies VWP status to anyone who has
on the ground in Syria, that the databases
traveled to terrorist hotspots since 2011.
won’t have the information we need. So,
The President claims we are afraid of
it is not that we have a lack of process, it
“widows and orphans.” I am only afraid of
is there is a lack of information.”
a foreign policy that creates more widows
To address the gaps in information
and orphans.
in vetting refugees from Syria, the House
Ultimately, the Syrian refugee crisis
passed the SAFE Act by a veto-proof
will only be solved once ISIS is destroyed.
majority. This legislation effectively
The President should start with a foreign
suspends the admission of Syrian refupolicy in the Middle East, including
gees and requires intelligence and law
Syria, that allows people to go back to
enforcement officials certify each refugee
their homelands. The President must
granted access to the U.S. does not pose
defeat that “JV team” he said he had
a threat.
“contained.”
While America has a proud history of
The safety and security of our felproviding refuge for those who have been
low citizens are not
simply factors to
be considered in
broader policy objectives. They must
be the driving force
behind all decisions
we make in Washington. Congress
will continue to
take steps toward a
safer and more secure America. But
the President and
his Administration
have the ultimate
responsibility to
enforce these laws,
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Oconee County’s
Oconee County’s new detention center (Photo by Stuart Morgan)
conee County opened a new $16.2 million detention center
O
in January.
Constructed between April 2014 and May 2015, the detention center (jail) is located on S. Church Street between
the Oconee County Law Enforcement Center and Westview
Cemetery in Walhalla, the county seat. The facility replaces
capacity of 122 inmates, as
established by the South Carolina Department of Corrections Division of Compliance,
Standards and Inspections,”
said Oconee County Sheriff
Michael L. Crenshaw. “But other
than routine maintenance, no significant upgrades or
additions had ever
been made to the
facility.”
Oconee County’s inmate population has grown proportionately to the
county’s population
since the previous
jail was built about
See South Carolina
38 years ago. As a
County Map,
result, the old facilPage 63
ity has experienced
Oconee County
the previous jail, located
behind the law enforcement
Sheriff Michael L. Crenshaw
center, that was constructed
Oconee County
in 1978. The old jail had
deteriorated over the years. It was also overcrowded.
“Our county’s previous detention center had a rated
6
Volume 26, Number 4
average daily inmate populations that have consistently exceed- upgraded to handle the inmate laundry, and the HVAC system
ed its rated capacity since 2005. The average inmate population frequently broke down.
You probably get the picture by now.
averaged more than 160 in 2008 and 2009, and climbed as high Oconee County Council,
as 200 at one point.
recognizing these problems
According to Sheriff Cren The new Oconee County Detention Center—feaand many others, initiated
shaw, the old jail’s condition
turing intake, booking, magistrate, transportation,
the project to construct the
and overcrowding created
medical and dining sections—has solved all of
new detention center in 2011.
many problems. Corrections
these problems and alleviated concerns of local
However, council waited until
supervisors often had to overresidents.
the county’s new sheriff asride the facility’s classification
sumed office in 2013 before
system and house inmates in a
dormitory or unit for which they were not intended, making it moving forward.
“Council’s patience,” Sheriff Crenshaw noted, “allowed
difficult for the facility’s personnel to safely secure inmates.
The facility did not have sufficient safe, secure and enclosed my staff to provide input into the new facility’s design, and this
vehicle sally port space to accommodate an ambulance or a made a difference.”
prisoner transport van. It had only one small medical room, and
one shower/changeout room in booking that, out of necessity,
The New Oconee County Detention Center
often had to be used as a holding cell. The laundry and kitchen
were inadequate to serve the large inmate population.
The new Oconee County Detention Center—featuring
The previous facility’s plumbing, electrical, sewage and intake, booking, magistrate, transportation, medical and dinHVAC systems were problematic to say the least. Leaks in ing sections—has solved all of these problems and alleviated
the plumbing system had required significant work in recent concerns of local residents.
years. Deteriorating, broken drain lines were often clogged The S.C. Department of Corrections has rated the capacity
or obstructed. The electrical system was incapable of being of the two-story 65,078-square-foot detention center at 200 beds,
A bird’s-eye view, looking southwest toward the front of the Oconee County Detention Center (Photo by Aerial Innovations, courtesy of New South
Construction)
County Focus
7
Oconee County Detention Center Site Plan
8
Volume 26, Number 4
bunked cells) for medium and maximum security detainees; two
16-bed cells that house males who have special needs (medical
or mental) and males who have disciplinary violations; and a
34-bed unit that has 14 double-bunked steel cells, including a
separate section that houses six single-bed cells for inmates
facing disciplinary detention.
Forty-four of the single-bunked steel cells have pre-installed
mounting hardware to allow additional beds to be added as
needed.
A padded cell is located in the booking area so that the
booking officer can directly supervise the cell.
A video visitation system has been installed. Now, visitors
must use video terminals with phone handsets in the visitors’
area to communicate with inmates. For a fee, a friend or family member can use a home computer to setup a visit with an
inmate via the Internet.
Such communication is closely monitored and recorded to
prevent anything inappropriate from being said or done. This
system actually enables the facility to host more visitations than
is possible with traditional face-to-face visits. It also provides
more flexibility.
State-of-the-art video monitoring equipment in the de(See Oconee County, P. 14)
ä
based on the indirect supervision model. But in emergency situations, the facility is capable of housing up to 244 inmates. The
new detention center, based on population studies, is expected
to serve the county well for up to 30 years.
The facility has eight housing sections or “units” (six designated for males and two for females) that provide flexibility for
classifying and separating male and female inmates who have
been sentenced from other inmates awaiting trial who have not
been sentenced. Pre-trial inmates, housed in individual cells and
isolated from inmates who have been sentenced, have their own
showers.
Three of the eight housing units are open dormitories that
provide minimum security for non-violent inmates, consisting
primarily of those who have been sentenced. Two of these
dormitories, for male inmates, have a rated capacity of 44 and
24 each. The third dormitory, for females, has a rated capacity
of 24 inmates.
The other five housing units, four for males and one for
females, are for pre-trial detainees and any inmate who is in
disciplinary detention or protective custody. These five units,
consisting of prefabricated steel cells manufactured in Habersham, Ga., and shipped to the site, include: two 21-bed male
units (each including 15 single-bunked cells and 3 double-
Sally port entrance
A bird’s-eye view, looking northeastward toward the rear of the Oconee County Detention Center. The yellow arrow identifies the enclosed vehicle
sally port space that can accommodate an ambulance or a prisoner transport van. (Photo by Aerial Innovatios, courtesy of New South Construction)
County Focus
9
The video visitation room, adjacent to the public
lobby within the
detention center’s public entrance, includes
video visitation
stations. The stations allow up to
two individuals
to visit an inmate
seated at a similar station (inset lower-left) in
housing units. No
in-person or contact visits between
inmates and family or friends are
permitted in the
new facility. Visits
must be scheduled, using an onsite kiosk or via
the Internet.
ä
ä
The booking area where detainees are processed into the detention center. Booking stations are located on a raised platform behind the block wall. Correctional
officers use state-of-the art equipment to monitor inmate holding cells and to lock
and unlock cells throughout the facility, including slider doors in the facility’s vehicle
sally port. This area includes six holding cells for intoxicated, impaired or combative
inmates. One of the cells is padded to house any inmate who is self-destructive.
ä
The public lobby,
located immediately
within the public entrance at the front
of the new detention
center
Volume 26, Number 4
Looking down the inmate housing corridor, from
one end of the detention center to the other. Inmate
housing units flank each side of the corridor. A security gate is visible about midway down the corridor.
The facility’s support area, including kitchen and
laundry, are located at the far end of the corridor.
ä
äThe laundry room
includes commercialgrade washer and dryer appliances capable
of handling up to 120
pounds per load. The
room includes additional space that will
allow more washer
and dryer appliances
to be added later.
Photos of Oconee County’s
Captain Steve Pruitt, Director of Oconee
County’s new detention center, led a tour of
the facility in December so that the photos
on these pages (Pp. 10-14) could be taken to
show some of its key features.
He started the tour in the master control
room, located in the center of the facility
(right photo). The room includes state-ofthe-art equipment—including monitors
connected to cameras throughout the facility—that allows correctional officers to observe practically
every square inch inside and outside the facility. This capability
enhances the security that officers provide.
For example, when someone needs to acquire access through
a security door, they must first press an intercom
button next to the door that activates a camera
monitor in the master control room. Once an officer in the room verifies that the person should
enter, he or she opens the door electronically. The
master control room also allows officers to monitor
the facility’s fire alarm and smoke alarm systems.
Capt. Pruitt, appointed director of the
county’s previous detention center in April 2003,
has served the Oconee County Sheriff’s Office for
more than 37 years. He began his career as a patrol
deputy shortly after the county opened its previous
law enforcement center and jail.
Capt. Pruitt oversaw the transition from the
(Continued on next page)
ä
KITCHEN—Equipped with everything needed to prepare meals three times per day, 365
days a year for up to 244 inmates, the facility’s 1,760-square-foot kitchen is strategically
situated adjacent to the laundry area so that the kitchen and the laundry can be monitored efficiently by fewer correctional officers. A 310-square-foot walk-in cooler, including
freezer space, and 700 square
feet of general and dry goods
storage space (to the left and
out of the photo frame) adjoins
the kitchen.
ä
Each of the eight inmate
housing units has a multipurpose room like this one.
The room can be used for
educational, religious and
counseling programs. Such
rooms are used to minimize the
movement of inmates from the
housing units to other areas of
the facility.
Photos by
Stuart Morgan
ä
G-UNIT—A 44-bed male dormitory for sentenced inmates that can also house minimum security pre-trial detainees.
County Focus
11
old detention center to the new one, which
involved transferring 166 inmates from the
previous jail to the new one between 7 a.m.
to 4 p.m. on Jan. 29. For security reasons,
the move was kept secret and the opening
of the new facility was not announced.
Sheriff’s deputies provided security.
“Our correctional officers
did a superb job handling the
move from our old jail to our
new one. ... . We’re proud of the
hard work and dedication our
correctional officers displayed
during the transition.”
— Capt. Steve Pruitt
Director, Oconee County Detention Center
A-UNIT—This 24-bed female dormitory, primarily used to house those who have been sentenced,
has the capacity to house more females than all three of the female units had at the previous detention center. The detention center has eight housing units; six units are for males and two units are
for femailes. Each group of two adjoining housing units shares one exercise area (shown at left).
ä
“Our correctional officers did a superb job handling the move from our old
jail to our new one,” Capt. Pruitt said. “We
had additional staff on hand to operate the
old facility and the new one while inmates
were moved. There were no incidents or
significant problems. We’re proud of the
hard work and dedication our correctional
officers displayed during the transition.”
Not everyone fully appreciates the
critically important role that detention
centers or jails play in the criminal justice
system.
“Jails are often the last component of
the system to get much needed attention,”
Capt. Pruitt said. “So, my fellow correctional officers and I thank Sheriff Michael
Crenshaw; our county administrator, Scott
Moulder; members of our County Council; and our taxpayers for recognizing the
need for this new detention center and for
providing the funds needed to build this
safe and secure facility.” n
ä
B-UNIT—A 34-bed female housing unit that primarily houses pre-trial inmates and those on disciplinary
lockdown or in protective custody. This unit, which has
14 double-bunked steel cells on two levels, is separated
from another section, which has six single-bed cells.
One of two inmate housing control stations. Each
station oversees a group of four housing sections. The
officer manning the station has camera monitors that
allow him or her to view the units and the exercise areas
and to control access doors, including cell doors. When
lights are turned off at night, the officer still has a clear
view of most of the housing units. Inmates, however, are
not able to see inside the security station.
ä
Volume 26, Number 4
Looking from the reception area toward the facility’s medical unit. The
waiting area has a bench where inmates can be seated and a holding cell
for high security inmates. Inside, the medical room has two examination
rooms, a mental health interview room, a dental room, a pharmacy where
medications can be stored safely, a records storage room, an equipment
storage area and an office for a charge nurse.
ä
ä Looking from one of the rooms in the medical unit toward the
reception desk and window.
äThe enclosed sally port, behind the
facility, can hold four vehicles or a bus.
Transport officers must drive up to the
pedestal box at left where a camera and
intercom are mounted. Then, they must
notify booking control or master control
to ask an officer to open the access gate
to the sally port.
ä
The view upon entering the detention
center from the sally port. This intake
area is where detainees are initially received from
the arresting law enforcement
agency. Inmates arrive
here with
their hands
handcuffed
behind their
backs unless
they are restricted by a
physical disability. They
are searched by a correctional officer and screened for serious
injuries or illnesses, and charging documents are checked to
ensure that they are valid. Personal property—including shoes,
belts and jewelry—are removed from the detainee, inventoried
and delivered to a booking officer behind the glass at left. Uncooperative or combative inmates can be placed in one of two intake
holding cells at right. After custody of a detainee is accepted, he
or she is escorted to the booking area.
ä
Looking from inside the sally port toward the intake area where detainees are
County Focus
13
initially delivered to the detention center.
Oconee County ...
help expedite efficient processing.
Every effort was made to design a detention center that
(Continued from P. 9)
would limit inmate movement from the sally port to just three
areas upon arrival: 1) to intake/booking/clothing/medical exam
tention center’s master control room and two housing control 2) to Magistrate Court, and next, 3) to inmate housing.
stations, one for each group of four housing sections, are con- The City of Walhalla’s board of zoning appeals initially
nected to more than 100 closed-circuit cameras strategically rejected Oconee County’s request for a variance to construct
located throughout the facility. This allows officers to monitor the new detention center, delaying the project for about a year.
inmate activities in real time and practically every square inch Residents living near the site of the proposed detention center
of the center and its access areas (except restrooms and other had voiced concerns to the board about potential noise and
private areas).
safety issues, based on their experience with the previous jail
Every door and gate in the facility can be opened or closed that was also located within city limits. Some noted instances
from the master control room, which prevents correctional of- of inmates at the previous facility using loud profanity, and
ficers from having to carry keys. From the master control room, individuals trespassing across their property to pass contraband
every light and water source in the facility can also be turned to inmates.
on or off whenever necessary.
But as noted earlier, Oconee County gave Sheriff Crenshaw
Inmates will no longer be able to deliberately cause flood- and his staff sufficient time to successfully address these and
ings by flushing items down toilets and causing blockages and other concerns and recommend major changes in the detention
backups like they did in the older jail. Security pins and a system center’s initial design.
of screens installed in the wastewater system, and the ability to The recreation areas or “yards” adjacent to each of the
remotely cut off water anywhere in the facility will help prevent dormitories, where inmates exercise and get fresh air everyday,
inmates from creating such
are designed so that inmates
problems again.
never actually leave the facil “My philosophy is that a jail should be a secure
In fact, troublesome inity when they use the yards.
facility—a place that can provide safety for all prismates will discover that it is
The yards have high, heavilyoners and staff as well as a place that can ensure
difficult to get away with such
screened windows overhead
mischief. Corrections officers
that allow inmates to see the
the protection of citizens and victims of crime.”
— Sheriff Michael L. Crewnshaw
can now trace problems to
open sky above but prevent
Oconee County
individual cells, so that such
them from seeing the area
inmates can be reevaluated and
surrounding the center outreclassified based on any inappropriate activities.
side. This also prevents someone on the outside from seeing
The facility’s kitchen—equipped to prepare meals three inside the prison and helps eliminate noise.
times per day, 365 days a year for up to 244 inmates—is located Because the new detention center does not have any outside
adjacent to the laundry area so that fewer corrections officers recreation areas for inmates, citizens neighboring the new jail
are required to monitor the kitchen and the laundry.
will no longer have to endure hearing profanity and persons
The laundry is equipped with large commercial washers and trespassing on their property who are trying to pass contraband
dryers to serve the inmate population. To allow installation of over a fence to inmates.
additional laundry equipment whenever necessary, an oversized “Law abiding citizens want a jail to securely house those
security maintenance door has been added.
who are a danger to the community without allowing them to
Wet fire sprinkler protection systems are installed through- have the enjoyments of everyday life,” Sheriff Crenshaw said.
out the facility, including hallways. Security shrouds encapsulate “My philosophy is that a jail should be a secure facility—a place
utility lines and security cameras used to monitor and record that can provide safety for all prisoners and staff as well as a
inmate movement.
place that can ensure the protection of citizens and victims of
An enclosed, electronically controlled vehicle sally port crime. I also believe a jail, if at all possible, should have a dewith roll-up doors, which can be remotely-controlled from the terrent effect and not be a place one gets any enjoyment when
facility’s master control room, is located adjacent to the intake/ coming to the facility.
booking area. This provides a secure area for law enforcement “Our new jail has solid steel cells and 21st century technolagencies to transport detainees into the detention center for ogy that ensures safety and security,” he added. “The floors are
processing.
concrete. Amenities, such as televisions, will not be permitted
A breath analysis room for testing, and holding cells where in this new facility. Inmates also will not be able to smoke. No
detainees can be held temporarily for booking and processing, face-to-face visitations between inmates and visitors will be
are accessible from inside the sally port. Facilities for process- permitted, and inmates will only have a limited view of the
ing incoming detainees, including showers, are located in the outside world—a view of the sky from one of the recreational
booking area to limit the movement of inmates as they are areas. Even cell phones, considered a desired contraband in a
processed.
jail, will not work inside this facility.”
(See Oconee County, P. 16)
Magistrate Court is located adjacent to intake/booking to
14
Volume 26, Number 4
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CGL’s criminal justice experts apply their full range of services from the first planning meeting through the life of the facility.
CGL’s consulting services expertise in planning and design, construction, activation and maintenance
leads to justice facilities that provide better service to the community,
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Oconee County ...
for building the new detention center, but emphasized that the
safety of the facility’s personnel was a major consideration as
well. The old facility’s linear layout was obsolete, and its poor
sight lines made it difficult and labor-intensive to monitor in (Portable televisions and games will be provided to inmates mates and unsafe for correctional officers.
during designated hours as rewards for good behavior.)
Moulder said he is pleased with the new detention center,
Currently, 48 staff members are required to operate the new and that the cost of the facility was worth it. In fact, he described
Oconee County Detention Center—nine administrative staff the cost ($16.2 million) as phenomenal considering that 65,078
members, including a director, assistant director, administra- square-foot facility cost 30 percent less per square foot than the
tive assistant, training lieutenant, and five inmate program and current market rate for a detention center.
facility support personnel; and 39 correctional officers, divided The facility’s design and construction was funded by a
into four groups, who serve 12-hour shifts.
General Obligation Bond, approved in October 2011.
Medical services for the detention center were assigned Carter Goble Lee (CGL) was project manager for the
to a contract provider on July
design and construction of
1. Food services were assigned
Oconee County’s new deten Oconee County Administrator T. Scott Moulder,
to a contract vendor when the
tion center. The consulting
who said he is pleased with the new detention center,
facility opened and inmates
firm helped the county mancalculated that the price was phenomenal considerwere transferred to the new
age everything from start to
ing that the facility’s cost per square foot was about
detention center on January
finish and perform all studies
30 percent less than the current market rate for a
29.
and assessments required for
Sheriff Crenshaw said
the project. The firm also
detention center.
Oconee County Council has
hired the project’s architect,
approved the hiring of 12 new positions due to a staffing needs Wakefield Beasley, and contractor, New South Construction.
assessment completed on Jan. 24, 2015, by the South Carolina “We’re very pleased with our new facility,” Moulder said.
Association of Counties’s risk manager. The positions will “The design allowed for maximum usage for minimum square
include three additional supervisory positions, an additional footage, and we were also able to minimize the number of adtransportation officer, a classification officer, video visitation ditional staff needed to operate the facility. Carter Goble Lee’s
officer, records specialist and five correctional officers.
project managers are very experienced in jail design and conOconee County Administrator T. Scott Moulder said struction. They offered project oversight we could never do on
overcrowding at the previous jail was a major consideration our own. They were angels on our shoulders, watching all aspects
of design and
construction.”
Matt Berberick, Program
Manager, CGL,
said the group
assembled to
ensure that the
new detention
center’s design
team operated
meticulously to
produce a highly
efficient institutional facility.
“We’re grateful,” Berberick
said, “for having
had the opportunity to work
with such a professional and
knowledgeable
OCONEE COUNTY LEADERS—T. Scott Moulder, County Administrator; Joel Thrift, Council Member; Edda Cammick, team.”
Council Member; Wayne McCall, Council Vice Chairman; Paul A. Cain, Council Chairman; and Reg Dexter, Council
Member. (Photo by Stuart Morgan)
16
Volume 26, Number 4
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SCEMD, the Catastrophic Flooding
in October and What County
Officials Need to Know
More than 20,000 residents were displaced and 19 lost their lives when record
rainfall fell from October 1 to 6, causing 36
dams to fail across South Carolina. In the
flooding that followed, 32 shelters were setup
in 26 of the state’s 46 counties. The flooding
was the worst disaster for South Carolina
since Hurricane Hugo in 1989.
This article focuses on the role that
the S.C. Emergency Management Division
(SCEMD) has played, some of the most important lessons the agency has learned, and
what county officials across South Carolina
need to know.
In a companion piece immediately
following this article on page 23, four
emergency management directors (EMDs)
serving counties in the state discuss the
SCEMD. The EMDs also discuss some
of the lessons they have learned in recent
years, some concerns that they have about
emergency management, and what they
believe county officials—especially county
chief administrative officers and county
council members—need to know.
T
he Federal Emergency Managment Agency (FEMA) has removed
the disaster recovery centers that it
setup across South Carolina to help
residents after the catastrophic flooding in October.
As news of the disaster fades into
memory and media attention shifts to
other subjects, deadlines have passed
for homeowners, renters, small businesses, and nonprofits to complete
and return loan applications for assistance.
Yet, county officials need to know
that help is still available for counties
across the state. They also need to
know that some important lessons
have been learned since the flooding
that will help them prepare their local residents before the next disaster
strikes.
18
Volume 26, Number 4
S.C. Emergency
Management Division
Perhaps most important, county
officials need to know how the S.C. Emergency Management Division (SCEMD)
can help now.
SCEMD, which coordinates the
state’s response and assists local governments during disasters, played a critical
role in the state’s most recent disaster.
The agency provides support—equipment and personnel—when
many counties and other local jurisdictions ask for help
as they run out of resources
and capacity to handle disasters.
“It could be shelters, law enforcement people, firefighters and fire equipment, dump trucks, bulldozers or the
National Guard,” said SCEMD Director
Kim Stenson. “But when we send such
assets down to the local level, we basically
turn over control of those assets to the
local incident commanders. We do not
take charge.”
Stenson said the most important
messages he could convey to county officials are:
A S.C. National Guard helicopter (left) and other Guard vehicles (lower-left) transport equipment and supplies to counties as record rainfall floods much of South
Carolina during October. The S.C. National Guard deployed 4,100 personnel to
provide assistance during the disaster. (Illustrations and photos courtesy of SCEMD)
County Focus
19
1) SCEMD is working to make sure
local authorities are reimbursed for eligible expenses that they incurred in the
flooding, which involves making sure they
have the proper documentation—including backup paperwork—that FEMA
requires.
2) County leaders need to establish long-range recovery committees in
their counties to determine priorities
and needs, including the unmet needs
of families and inviduals, to ensure that
everyone has a good place to live.
When interviewed for this article
on December 16 at the joint SCEMD/
FEMA recovery center field office in Columbia, Stenson said the state was still in
the initial recovery phase of dealing with
problems caused by the flooding but had
already learned a couple of lessons that
he wanted to share.
“First,” Stenson said, “I think from
a personal perspective that the one big
takeway is that the flooding and the response to the disaster did, in fact, validate
our plans, procedures and protocols in
our state’s general emergency system
all the way from the local level up to the
federal level.
“Second,” he added, “I think we
need to take early action when a disaster
strikes as we did this during the flooding,
our state’s most recent disaster. We need
to be on the lookout, and know at least
a few days beforehand what we’re going
to need on the ground—whether it’s a
hurricane or flood—so we can pre-stage
assets and get everything ready to go.”
For example, SCEMD staged several
water rescue teams in Columbia before
much of the rain had fallen in October
and before the agency had been asked to
provide support.
“When you cut a lot of the notification and call up time,” Stenson emphasized, “you can actually speed up the
response time and provide assistance
more quickly.”
FEMA-Approved Hazard Mitigation
Plans and Mutual Aid Agreements
Stenson explained the importance of
FEMA-approved hazard mitigation plans
and mutual aid agreements.
FEMA-Approved Hazard
Mitigation Plans
It is important for county officials to
make sure their counties have FEMA-approved hazard mitigation plans to ensure
that they can reduce loss of property and
save money in the long run when mitigating after a disaster.
“In order to accept FEMA funds,”
Stenson explained, “you must have a
FEMA-approved mitigation plan that:
1) includes a hazard assessment, which
identifies the hazards within your local
jurisdiction, and 2) lays out at least a
conceptual project, such as the elevation
or retrofitting of buildings.
“The idea,” he added, “is to have a
plan to move forward, so that if you’re
lucky enough to get hazard mitigation
The S.C. Emergency Operations Center (EOC), located in West Columbia, is fully activated as catastrophic flooding occurrs across much of
South Carolina. Flooding occcurred after record rainfall fell from October 1 to 6, causing 36 dams to fail. (Photo courtesy of SCEMD)
20
Volume 26, Number 4
money you’ll have a baseline to accept
the money and move the process ahead.”
For more information abut FEMAapproved hazard mitigation plans, visit
www.FEMA.gov
Mutual Aid Agreements
It is also important for county officials to have mutual aid agreements.
“It’s very easy for a local jurisdiction
to not have enough resources to respond
to an event,” Stenson explained. “And so,
in many cases, as counties in South Carolina have done many times in the past,
they can have mutual aid agreements
with counties—particularly neighboring
counties—to contact each other if they
need assistance instead of contacting the
state.
“This cuts down on the notification
and deployment time required to provide state resources,” he added. “It’s a
resource-driven process. For example,
one county might say that it doesn’t have
enough fire trucks, dump trucks or whatever. So, that county might essentially
need to borrow
an adjacent
county’s vehicles. Having
a mutual aid
agreement in
place then becomes a force
multiplier.”
For more information on the Statewide Mutual Aid Agreement, including
a current listing of signatories to the
agreement, visit www.scemd.org
Connectivity
Something called “connectivity”
More than 500 roads
and bridges across
South Carolina were
closed during the October flooding. Many
bridges, as shown
above, sustained significant damage. Many
roads, as shown topright and below-right,
also sustained major
damage. (Photo above
by Lt. Col. Neil Baxley,
Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office. Photo topright courtesy of Roger
Riley, Barnwell County
Emergency Management Diretor. Photo
lower-right courtesy of
SCEMD)
County Focus
21
is critically important before a disaster
strikes.
According to SCEMD, connectivity
can be defined as “the relationship between a county administrator and county
emergency manager.”
“I’ll put it this way,” Stenson said.
“Connectivity is big. It’s very, very important because each needs to have a firm
understanding of what the emergency
manager’s role and responsibilities will be
in a disaster. In most cases, county emergency management agencies or sections
are relatively small. They’re going to need
help from throughout the county to operate the emergency operation centers, and
to respond and recover from a disaster.”
According to the four county emergency management directors (EMDs)
interviewed for this article’s companion
piece (Pp. 25 to 30), it is equally important
that such connectivity exist between the
county’s emergency management directors and SCEMD officials.
Individual Responsibility
SCEMD, FEMA, the Small Business
Administration (SBA) and many other
organizations play important roles in a
disaster.
But Stenson said there is an individual responsibility to be ready and
Views of the flooding in October as seen from an automobile (top-left) and a helicopter (bottom). Emergency management personnel used small boats (top-right) to transport residents
to safety as dams failed and water flooded neighborhoods. In fact, more than 1,500 water
rescues were performed. (Upper-left and lower photos courtesy of Roger Riley, Barnwell County
Emergency Management Director. Upper-right photo courtesy of SCEMD)
22
Volume 26, Number 4
prepared for a disaster.
“Personal preparedness is critical because emergency response is not always
instantaneous,” he explained. “Depending on the magnitude of the disaster, it
might also take awhile for some people to
be rescued, given food or provided medical assistance—whatever their situation
requires.”
Stenson encouraged county officials to visit SCEMD’s website at www.
SCEMD.org.
The site provides a wealth of information from providing quick links to
disaster recovery efforts and realtime
road conditions to identifying resources
provided by SCDHEC, FEMA and SBA.
Contact information for these and other
agencies is included.
The site also provides current weather conditions, including warnings and
alerts; the latest news on the flooding and
recovery efforts; and many other helpful
resources including free mobile apps that
anyone could use to keep in touch with
family members and to remain up-todate with response and recovery efforts.
“Our website,” Stenson said, “has
tons of information on how individuals
and businesses can get ready and prepare
themselves and get through a broad
range of disasters.
“In South Carolina, we tend to concentrate on hurricanes,” he added. “But
there’s a ton of other information on
preparing for other types of disasters on
our site. What you need to prepare for
a hurricane is very similar to what you’ll
need to prepare for any event.”
These are some of the simple things
that will help anyone prepare for a disaster:
lKnow your hazards and have a plan
in terms of what you want to do if
something happens.
l Have 72 hours worth of food and water, and have a ‘go to’ kit in case you
have to quickly leave your residence
that has things like your prescriptions, credit cards and eye glasses.
l Have an idea of where you could
go, perhaps to a friend’s or relative’s
house, and consider shelters to be a
last resort.
l Pay very close attention to the news
media, because public information is
critical, and counties, along with everyone else, are going to be pushing
out information on what everyone
needs to do, and when they need to
do it. Just prepare yourself in case
something happens.”
Update
SCEMD continues to work closely
with FEMA to provide individual and
public assistance.
“Everything is going well, and we
don’t really have any major issues right
now,” Stenson reported on January 20.
“The FEMA folks, who have been sent
here to help on the individual assistance
and public sides, are doing a great job.
Whenever you’re trying to manage something like this, it takes a lot of people and
a lot of effort. So, you’ve always got to
work through issues. But again, I can’t
imagine our recovery efforts working any
better than they are right now.”
Stenson spoke at the South Carolina
Association of Counties (SCAC) 2016
Annual Mid-Year Conference on Feb.
17 at Embassy Suites in Columbia. He
provided a brief overview of the flooding
in October and focused on some of the
“best practices” utilized by emergency
management services before, during and
since the recent disaster.
A “best practice” is defined as a
belief “that there is a technique, method,
process, activity, incentive or reward that
is more effective at delivering a particular outcome than any other technique,
method, process, etc.” It can also be defined as the most efficient (least amount
of effort) and effective (best results)
way of accomplishing a task, based on
repeatable procedures that have proven
themselves over time for larger numbers
of people.
Colonel Kevin A. Shwedo, USA
(Ret.), S.C. Disaster Recovery Coordinator, also discussed recovery efforts.
SCEMD intends to build upon the
practices learned during last year’s flooding and previous disasters and help counties prepare for future disasters. To do so,
SCEMD plans to schedule opportunities to talk with county administrators,
emergency management personnel and
other county officials about long-range
planning and other topics.
Important Reminders
Meanwhile, Derrec Becker, Public
Information Coordinator for SCEMD,
encouraged county officials to work
through their county emergency management directors or call SCEMD at (803)
737-8500 if they need assistance.
He also reminded county officials
that it is important to remember that
federal programs are available after a
disaster, but that such programs are not
available forever.
“During a major disaster response,
it is extremely important for all affected
counties to document, document, document,” Becker emphasized. “Record all
actual emergency costs associated with
your emergency response activities, any
damages to public infrastructure including roads and bridges, basically anything
and everything you can think of. The
more documentation you have to submit
to the state and to FEMA, the faster
your application will move through the
reimbursement process.
“SCEMD’s Public Assistance section,” he added, “will be ready to assist
you through the entire process and will
make you aware of any deadlines to apply.”
SCEMD posts a link on its website
at www.scemd.org that provides information on the Emergency Management
Institute, a national training site. The
site provides information on training
and a calendar of upcoming training and
events.
Editor’s Note: Please do not forget to
read the companion piece immediately following this article on page 25.
County Focus
23
South Carolina’s
2016 Directory
of
County Officials
South Carolina’s 2016 Directory of County Officials will
be published and distributed in March. So, order a copy if
you want to know “Who’s Who” in South Carolina county
government.
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 and 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.
Cost: $25.00 per copy (including tax, postage, shipping
and handling).
To order your copy of the 2016 Directory of County Officials, please contact:
South Carolina
P.O. Box 8207
Columbia, S.C. 29202-8207
(803) 252-7255
E-mail: [email protected]
24
Volume 26, Number 4
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Four County EMDs Discuss SCEMD,
Lessons Learned During the Catastrophic
Flooding in October and More
T
he catastophic flooding that devastated much of South Caro-
pump stations, lower waste water treatment plant—sustained
serious damage, and many homes were destroyed.
lina during October was the state’s most recent disaster.
But the disaster was not the first that S.C. Emergency Mario Formisano, Dorchester County Emergency Management DirecManagement Division (SCEMD) ofEmergency Management Directors,
tor (Presidentficials and county officials—including
Interviewed for this Article,
Elect of the
emergency management directors
Serve These Counties
S.C. Emergency
(EMDs)—have experienced in recent
Management
years. Winter Storm Pax of 2014 and
Spartanburg
Dorchester County
County
Association) is
the CSX train derailment in 2015 also
well-qualified to
provided recent opportunities for
discuss emerstate and local government emergency
gency manage- See SCEMA Ad, P. 30
management officials to work together,
ment.
learn lessons and validate best practices.
“Within the emergency management
County Focus Magazine wanted to
community, relationships and communiknow what county emergency managcations are stronger than ever,” Formiment directors thought about SCEMD’s
Abbeville
sano said. “We coordinate regularly
performance during the flooding in
County
through planning, training and exercises.
October and other recent disasters,
See
In my experience working in emergency
what county EMDs had learned, and
South Carolina
management at the state and local levwhat EMDs wanted to share with
County Map,
Barnwell County
els, relationships and communications
other county officials across the state.
Page 63
between emergency management and
So, we interviewed: Mario Formisano,
executive/policy levels can be
Dorchester County EMD;
challenging.”
Roger Riley, Barnwell County
“ ... communication and relationships can
Formisano knows about
EMD; Doug Bryson, Spartanbe challenging between emergency management
such challenges. He wrote
burg County EMD; and Aban article, titled “Preparing
personnel and personnel at the state and local exbeville County Director David
for Disasters at the Executive
Porter (the county’s previous
ecutive/policy levels. We have made improvements
and Policy Levels,” for the
EMD).
locally by identifying our administration and
summer 2015 issue of SCAC’s
council as the policy group, which primarily serves
County Focus Magazine (Vol.
Dorchester County’s
as a detached function of our county’s Emergency
26, No. 2). Emergency Management
“We have made improveOperation Center.”
Director
— Mario Formisano
ments locally by identify Overall, Dorchester CounDorchesteer County Emergency Management Director
ing our administration and
ty sustained significant damcouncil as the policy group,
ages in the October flooding.
In fact, some isolated areas sustained what could almost be which primarily serves as a detached function of our county’s
described as catastrophic. The county’s infrastructure—roads, Emergency Operation Center (EOC),” Formisano said. “The
County Focus
25
county administrator serves as the EOC commander within the
EOC, and during activations information flows from the EOC
to county administration and then to county council. This keeps
local decision makers informed in an emergency or disaster and
allows them to effectively communicate with their constituents.
For example, during the flooding in
October Dorchester
County convened
several emergency
council meetings
that allowed the
leadership of municipalities within
the county to participate. A unified
county/municipal
council works to
make unified deciMario Formisano
sions and commuDorchester County
nicates a common
Emergency Management Directort
message to the entire county, including towns and cities within its borders.”
Many counties and other local jurisdictions in South
Carolina, which do not always have the capacity and resources
to respond during a disaster, quickly run out of capacity and
resources when a disaster strikes.
“Our local resource management procedures work a process of elimination before we reach out to the state because
there are a lot of local/regional resources, including resources
from the private sector,” Formisano said. “Once we’ve determined that the resource can not be sourced locally, we then
contact the state for support. During the flooding in October,
we recogized that we could not be sourced locally, especially
with water rescue teams, but the South Carolina Emergency
Management Division was very responsive to our requests
for help. The state was also instrumental with logistical missions that were coordinated with the South Carolina National
Guard.”
SCEMD worked hard before the disaster to prepare the
business community and mechanisms to communicate disaster
recovery information to businesses so that the agency could help
businesses return to full operation as quickly as possible.
The agency also effectively supported county recovery efforts after the flooding, from conducting an initial community
needs assessments to setting up Federal Emergency Management (FEMA) disaster recovery centers and transitioning
counties to long-term recovery.
SCEMD also made it clear that local authorities would be
responsible for determining what the priorities would be and
what their local jurisdictions would require locally in the future.
Dorchester County responded by establishing long-range recovery committes to identify the unmet needs of families and
individuals so that they are taken care of, as far as housing is
concerned, for the long term.
“All disasters start and end at the local level, from the
26
Volume 26, Number 4
response to the recovery mission,” Formisano said. “Before
the flooding in October, we had been working closely with a
number of local churches and civic organizations—primarily
those that did not have a defined recovery/relief mission—to
establish emergency contacts with them, and to brainstorm
“We would be setting ourselves up for failure
in the next disaster if we didn’t look for and acknowledge shortfalls and incorporated changes
to make improvements. We actually learned a lot
from Winter Ice Storm Pax a couple of years ago
and made changes to improve the operation of our
county’s Emergency Operations Center during the
recent flooding.”
— Mario Formisano
Dorchesteer County Emergency Management Director
potential missions and setup training on preparedness basics.
“We expect some of these entities to join our local Voluntary Organization Active in Disasters (VOAD) forum, a tricounty effort consisting of Berkeley, Charleston and Dorchester
counties. Having such relationships in advance has helped us
establish the BCD Long-Term Recovery Committee, including emergency management coordination among these three
counties, that has been a regional success story for a number
of years.”
Disasters validate best practices of emergency response
organizations at the county and state levels, but they also expose
shortfalls.
“We would be setting ourselves up for failure in the next
disaster,” Formisano admitted, “if we didn’t look for and
acknowledge shortfalls and incorporate changes to make improvements. We actually learned a lot from Winter Ice Storm
Pax a couple of years ago and made changes to improve the
operation of our county’s Emergency Operations Center during
the recent flooding. Most notably, we’re taking a closer look at
our county’s resource request management procedures and a
few other logistical issues.”
Disaster recovery stakeholders at the state and local levels
have embraced the idea that everyone needs to work together
when a disaster strikes, and that it takes a whole community to
lift communities back up on their feet and into a “new normal.”
“The ‘whole community phrase’ is something that came
from FEMA several years ago,” Formisano said. “It basically
means that we can’t leave any stone unturned before and after
disasters—that it’s going to take effort from all levels of government as well from the private/nonprofits.”
Barnwell County’s Emergency Management Director
Barnwell County was not directly affected by the flooding
in October.
Yet, the county’s emergency management director, Roger
Riley, and his department’s personnel responded by helping
other counties that needed assistance. They responded on
October 1st, the first day of heavy rainfall that continued until
October 6th, when they learned that Clarendon County (located
two counties to the northeast) needed help.
“It was my pleasure to assist Clarendon County in October
because counties helped our county during Winter Storm Pax
in 2014. While I was there,”
Riley recalled, “I was treated like a lifelong resident
and made some lifelong
friends. Most importantly, I
was able to help emergency
responders protect their
communities.
“This,” he added, “is
what emergency management is all about—helping
others and helping keep our
communities safe.”
Barnwell County, fresh
on the heels of winning
Roger Riley
Barnwell County
SCAC’s top award in the J.
Mitchell Graham Memo- Emergency Management Director
“It was my pleasure to assist Clarendon County
in October because counties helped our county
during Winter Storm Pax in 2014. While I was
there, I was treated like a lifelong resident and
made some lifelong friends. Most importantly, I
was able to help emergency responders protect their
communities. This is what emergency management
is all about—helping others and helping keep our
communities safe.”
— Roger Riley
Barnwell County Emergency Management Director
rial Award Competition on Aug. 4, demonstrated the value of
SCAC’s J. Mitchell Graham Memorial Competition, part of the
Association’s J. Mitchell Graham/Barrett Lawrimore Memorial
Awards Competition that is held each year at the Association’s
annual conference.
The county loaned its award-winning mobile charging station, called the Power Wagon, to Georgetown County on Oct.
8 to help the county’s Browns Ferry community, one of the
hardest hit areas in the Lowcountry. First responders stationed
in Georgetown, as well as residents who chose to remain in the
area, used the Power Wagon to charge mobile devices, including cell phones and laptops, and acquire access to a wide area
network. In fact, Jackie R. Broach, Georgetown County Public
Information Officer, described Barnwell County’s mobile charging station as a “huge asset.”
Barnwell County’s EMD described SCEMD as “very proactive” in preparing him and other county EMDs shortly before
the flooding in October.
County emergency management directors were included
in conference calls with SCEMD. Items, such as sandbags and
water rescue equipment, were placed on standby. Emergency
managers in non-affected counties were asked to help if needed.
“As a result of this coordination,” Riley said, “Barnwell
Beaufort, Greenville and York counties were asked to help
“When we work together, we gain a level of
familiarity and confidence in each other. Both
become critical when we respond to disasters and
participate in recovery efforts afterward. I believe
having good relationships and effective communication explain why South Carolina responded so
successfully to flooding in October.”
— Roger Riley
Barnwell County Emergency Management Director
the Clarendon County EOC. Other counties across the state,
not affected by the flooding, helped counties that requested
assistance. Some county emergency management directors
supported the state’s EOC as well. This coordination and
cooperation prior to the flooding was extremely beneficial to
everyone who responded and provided assistance during this
disaster.
“Strong relationships and effective communication exist
between county and state agencies, and having both are keys
to making emergency management personnel the best they
can be,” he added. “When we work together, we gain a level
of familiarity and confidence in each other. Both become critical when we respond to disasters and participate in recovery
efforts afterward. I believe having good relationships and effective communication explain why South Carolina responded
so successfully to flooding in October.”
Spartanburg County’s Emergency Management
Management Director
Spartanburg County was the first county in South Carolina
to experience flooding on October 1, but the flooding was very
localized and short-lived. So, the county did not require any
immediate assistance from SCEMD. The county previously
experienced a federally-declared disaster about 10 years ago
due to a winter storm.
Doug Bryson, Spartanburg County’s Emergency Managment Director, said his county is one of the largest in the
state, and that it is fortunate to have a tremendous amount of
resources internally at its disposal.
“Our experience with asking the South Carolina Emergency Management Division for asssistance,” Bryson said, “has
typically been for personnel, in the form of asking regional
emergency managers to help staff our county’s Emergency
Operations Center during winter storms. They have always
been been very helpful in assisting businesses and nonprofits
obtain proper reimbursements. Once the recovery phase for the
recent flooding began, they helped our county by coordinating
individual and public assistance programs with FEMA.
“We gained invaluable information from FEMA regarding
County Focus
27
their updated individual and public assistance programs,” he
added. “The procedures for their programs have changed and
improved for the better over the last 10 years. The programs
are much more user-friendly.”
Spartanburg County did
not have any long-term housing
needs or requests as a result of
the flooding. So, the county has
not established a long-range
recovery committee.
“It is absolutely critical to
have good relationships and for
good communication to exist
among the South Carolina Emergency Management Division
and county EMD staff, county
administrators and county
Doug Bryson
council members,” Bryson
Spartanburg County
said. “South Carolina is a small Emergency Management Director
“During a disaster is not the time to exchange
business cards. We need to know each other, our
capabilities and our shortfalls before a major
event. It is equally important for South Carolina
Emergency Management Division officials to know
county EMDs and the capabilities and shortfalls
of counties as well, so they can concentrate on
helping counties that do not have an abundance
of resources and need support quicker or sooner
than resource-rich counties.”
— Doug Bryson
Spartanburg County Emergency Management Director
state. There are only 46 county emergency management directors, and most of us are on a first-name basis. We know we can
call on each other 24/7.
“During a disaster is not the time to exchange business
cards,” he added. “We need to know each other, our capabilities
and our shortfalls before a major event. It is equally important
for South Carolina Emergency Management Division officials
to know county EMDs and the capabilities and shortfalls of
counties as well, so they can concentrate on helping counties
that do not have an abundance of resources and need support
quicker or sooner than resource-rich counties. The agency’s
director maintains an open-door policy that allows county
emergency management directors to call or visit him at practically any time.”
Some challenges make it difficult to maintain good relationships between SCEMD officials and county officials, including
county EMDs.
“Turnover rates at the state and local level, and elections
make it a challenging task to maintain good relationships,”
Bryson explained. “There are 46 counties in South Carolina and
probably 46 different philosophies of what emergency manage28
Volume 26, Number 4
ment is and how it should be setup at the county level. There
is no true statewide consistency with this. County Emergency
Management can be responsibility of the Sheriff’s Office, or
“Turnover rates at the state and local levels, and
elections make it a challenging task to maintain
good relationships. There are 46 counties in South
Carolina and probably 46 different philosophies of
what emergency management is and how it should
be setup at the county level. There is no true statewide consistency with this.”
— Doug Bryson
Spartanburg County Emergency Management Director
a county’s 911 Department, fire administration, Emergency
Services Agency/Department, or be required to report directly
to the county administrator. This makes it a very difficult task
for South Carolina Emergency Management Division officials
to fully understand the unique peculiarities of each county
Emergency Management Office, and to fully understand the
county-specific priorities within each county.”
Bryson said developing and maintaining strong relationships between SCEMD and key county personnel, including
county emergency management personnel on a constant basis—not just during disasters or significant events—could help
make this less challenging.
Abbeville County’s Director and Former Emergency
Management Director
David Porter, Abbeville County Director, can provide a
unique perspective on emergency management.
Prior to assuming his current role, he served as director of
the county’s emergency management department. The department implemented the county’s new Community Paramedic
Pilot Program, the first such program in South Carolina. It won
SCAC’s 2014 J. Mitchell Graham Memorial Award Competition.
Abbeville County sustained infrastructure damage, and local residents experienced a minimal disruption in their normal
daily lifes for a short period during the flooding in October.
But overall, local residents fared much better than residents
“ … the South Carolina Emergency Management Division responded to our county’s needs and
requests after the flooding. Based on my experience
as the county’s emergency management director
and now as the county’s director, they’ve always
responded to our county’s needs and requests,
including the most recent disaster.”
— David Porter
Abbeville County Director
(County’s Former Emergency Management Director)
(See EMDs, P. 30)
A New Standard of Quality and Service in South Carolina
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• SiteCertification
• SolidWasteManagement
• StormwaterManagement
• LandPlanning&SiteDesign
• RoadwayDesign
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• Water&WastewaterPlanning&Design
• GrantApplication/AdministrativeAssistance
• ConstructionManagement
www.allianceCE.com
“Developing alliances
one county at a time.”
— Deepal Eliatamby, P.E.
Bluffton, SC | Charleston, SC | Charlotte, NC | Columbia, SC | Greenville, SC
EMDs ...
in neighboring counties and others living in the Midlands and
Lowcountry.
“Our county’s recovery
revolved around reparing roads
and bridges, and of course,
mitigation efforts,” Porter said.
“But the South Carolina Emergency Management Division
responded to our county’s needs
and requests after the flooding.
Based on my experience as the
county’s emergency management director and now as the
county’s director, they’ve always
responded to our county’s needs
and requests, including the most
recent disaster.”
David Porter
He said the “big takeaways”
Abbeville County Director
from the recent flooding disaster (County’s Former Emergency
are that:
Management Director)
lCounty officials need to
work proactively with citizens, particularly in flood-prone areas, to educate them
on the need to either evacuate or seek shelter until flood
waters recede to avoid having to be rescued later.
l County officials need to keep in touch with officials in
neighboring counties to maintain situational awareness,
and
l County officials, particularly public works staff members,
need to recognize the importance of documenting, including photographing and maintaining accurate records and
notes, to make it easier and quicker to make disaster declarations and complete applications for public assistance
from FEMA.
Bryson, Formisano, Porter and Riley agreed that one of
the best ways a community can prepare for a disaster is to have
developed good relationships with its local, state, non-governmental and federal partners before a disaster strikes. They also
agreed that it is absolutely vital that all county officials—not
just emergency management officials—be trained so that they
are prepared for disasters.
“During a large scale disaster, especially like the statewide
flooding disaster South Carolina just experienced,” Porter said,
“everyone, not just the public safety team, could be called upon
to help out.”
Bryson, Formisano, Porter and Riley reported that strong
relationships and effective communition exist among county
EMDs, and between EMDs and SCEMD officials.
However, they agreed that EMDs need to interact more
with county administrators and county council members. They
also said that county administrators and council members need
to attend emergency management meetings, and likewise, more
EMDs need to attend SCAC meetings.
“This recent flooding,” Bryson said, “has served as a wakeup call to our counties as well as our state as a whole because
many counties have not experienced a major disaster like this
in many years.”
South Carolina
Emergency Management Association
Mission Statement
To serve the Emergency Management community by
providing information, professional development and networking through State and Local agencies, private industries and volunteer organizations to advance the Emergency Management Profession.
Visit www.scemaonline.org
30
Volume 26, Number 4
POWERING
SOUTH CAROLINA
Working with the state’s electric cooperatives and the South Carolina Power Team,
Santee Cooper is an important resource for industries relocating and expanding
here. Since 1988, we have helped bring more than $9.4 billion in industrial investment
and more than 54,000 new jobs to our state. That’s a powerful partnership.
www.scpowerteam.com
SCAC
Corporate Supporters
SCAC appreciates its corporate supporters — all 85 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
Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers
Columbia, SC and Newnan, GA
BB&T Governmental Finance
Columbia, SC
Santee Cooper
Moncks Corner, SC
Brownstone
Columbia, SC
SCANA Corporation/SCE&G Company
Columbia, SC
Duke Energy
Florence, SC
South Carolina Power Team
Columbia, SC
Electric Cooperatives of South Carolina
Cayce, SC
SouthData, Inc.
Mount Airy, NC
GEL Engineering, LLC
Charleston, SC
Southern Health Partners, Inc.
Chattanooga, TN
McMillan Pazdan Smith Architecture
Spartanburg, SC
Tax Management Associates
Charlotte, NC
Pope Flynn Group
Columbia and Spartanburg, SC and Charlotte, NC
Sponsors
ABM Building Solutions
Alpharetta, GA
Blanchard Machinery
Columbia, SC
Five Star Computing, Inc.
Columbia, SC
AECOM
Columbia, SC
Blue Ridge Electric Cooperative, Inc.
Pickens, SC
GovDeals, Inc.
Montgomery, AL
Alliance Consulting Engineers, Inc.
Bluffton, Columbia and Greenville, SC and
Charlotte, NC
Celebrate Freedom Foundation
West Columbia, SC
Greene Finney & Horton, LLP
Mauldin, SC
All Pro Solutions, Inc.
Rock Hill, SC
Clemson University
Cooperative Extension
Clemson, SC
Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd, PA
Charleston, Columbia, Florence, Greenville and
Myrtle Beach, SC and Charlotte, NC
American Engineering Consultants, Inc.
Cayce, SC
Coastal Electric Cooperative, Inc.
Walterboro, SC
Hazen and Sawyer, PC
Raleigh, NC
Analog Digital Solutions, Inc.
Fuquay-Varina, NC
Coast2Coast Rx Card
Ponte Vedra Beach, FL
HDR | ICA Engineering
Columbia, SC
Archer Company, LLC
Rock Hill, SC
Compass Municipal Advisors, LLC
Columbia, SC
Holt Consulting Company, LLC
Columbia, SC
AT&T
Columbia, SC
Contract Construction
Ballentine, SC
Horry County Solid Waste Authority
Conway, SC
Bamberg Board of Public Works
Bamberg, SC
Davis & Floyd, Inc.
Charleston, SC
Horry Electric Cooperative, Inc.
Conway, SC
Becker Complete Compactor, Inc.
West Columbia, SC
Dennis Corporation
Columbia, SC
Howell Linkous & Nettles, LLC
Charleston, SC
Berkeley Electric Cooperative
Moncks Corner, SC
Fairfield Electric Cooperative, Inc.
Winnsboro, SC
Hulsey McCormick & Wallace, Inc.
Piedmont, SC
32
Volume 26, Number 4
Infrastructure Consulting &
Engineering, PLLC
Columbia, SC
J.M. Wood Auction Company, Inc.
Columbia, SC and Montgomery, AL
Lowcountry Billing Services, Inc.
Lexington, 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
Mid-Carolina Electric Cooperative, Inc.
Lexington, SC
Stantec
North Charleston, SC
Stewart l Cooper l Newell Architects, P.A.
Columbia, SC and Gastonia, NC
Thomas & Hutton Engineering
Columbia and Mount Pleasant, SC
Thompson Turner Construction
Sumter, SC
Time Warner Cable
West Columbia, SC
Upstate South Carolina Alliance
Greenville, SC
Vaughn & Melton Consulting Engineers
North Charleston, SC
Woolpert, Inc.
Columbia, SC
county governments
Moseley Architects
Charlotte, NC
Motorola Solutions – Palmetto 800
Columbia, SC
in government
Municode/Municipal Code Corporation
Tallahassee, FL
Musco Sports Lighting, LLC
Columbia, SC
NBSC, a division of Synovus Bank
Columbia, SC
nCourt
Kennesaw, GA
Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough, LLP
Charleston, Columbia, Greenville,
Myrtle Beach, SC and Washington, DC
education of county
officials
Newberry Electric Cooperative, Inc.
Newberry, SC
Nexus Solutions USA
Galivants Ferry, SC
Palmetto Electric Cooperative, Inc.
Hilton Head Island, SC
PalmettoPride
Columbia, SC
organizations
Parrish and Partners, LLC
Columbia, SC
government in South
Carolina
Piedmont Natural Gas
Greenville, SC
Pike McFarland Hall Associates
Myrtle Beach, SC
Public Works Equipment and Supply, Inc.
Monroe, NC
qPublic
Charlotte, NC
contact:
QS/1
Spartanburg, SC
South Carolina 811
Columbia, SC
South Carolina Farm Bureau Federation, Inc.
Columbia, SC
South Carolina State Library
Columbia, SC
South Eastern Road Treatment, Inc.
Evans, GA
Spirit Communications
Columbia, 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
33
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 37 or SCAC’s website to obtain
respective email addresses.
P.O. Box 8207
Telephone: (803) 252-7255
1-800-922-6081 (Toll-Free in South Carolina)
Email: [email protected]
Fax: (803) 252-0379
34
Volume 26, Number 4
SCAC Officers
&
Board Members
PRESIDENT
John Q. Atkinson, Jr.
Marion County
Council Member
First
Vice President
Second
Vice President
Third
Vice President
Secretary
Treasurer
Julie J. Armstrong
Charleston County
Clerk of Court
Ronald Young
Aiken County
Council Chairman
Henry E. Livingston III
Newberry County
Council Chairman
Barnwell County
Administrator
Belinda D. Copeland
Darlington County
Treasurer
SCAC
NACo
Board Member
S.C. Counties Workers’
Compensation Trust and
Property and Liability
Trust Chairman
Proudly Serving
South Carolina’s
46 counties since 1967.
Waymon Mumford
Florence County
Council Member
Diane B. Anderson
Laurens County
Council Member
Joseph R. Branham
Chester County
Council Vice Chairman
Johnny W. Jeffcoat
Lexington County
Council Chairman
Charles T. Jennings
McCormick County
Council Chairman
Dwight L. Stewart, Jr.
Clarendon County
Council Chairman
David K. Summers, Jr.
Calhoun County
Council Chairman
Joseph B. Dill
Greenville County
Council Member
Charles T. Edens
Sumter County
Council Member
L. Gregory Pearce, Jr.
Richland County
Carolyn B. Robinson
Fairfield County
Council Chairman
Claude Thomas
Abbeville County
Council Member
Joel R. Thrift
Oconee County
Council Member
Franklin F. Fulmore, Sr.
Williamsburg County
Council Member
Lois H. Roddey
Chester County
Probate Judge
Steve Willis
Lancaster County
Administrator
Donald E. Hancock
Saluda County
Council Chairman
Henry E. “Sel” Hemingway, Jr.
Georgetown County
Administrator
R. Archie Scott
Dillon County
W.B. Wilson
Williamsburg County
Council Member
K.G. “Rusty” Smith, Jr.
Florence County
Administrator
Johnnie Wright, Sr.
Orangeburg County
Council Chairman
Preparing Counties for Tomorrow ...
W
hat is the SCAC?
outh Carolina Association of CounS
Conferences
Education
 SCAC provides many opportunities for
county officials to meet and learn, among them:
 The Association, in cooperation with the
Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Center for Livable Communities, College of Charleston, and the Strom
Thurmond Institute at Clemson University,
conducts the 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.
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.
 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. SCAC offers a program
for the internet auction of surplus equipment
through GovDeals and property tax audit services via Tax Management Associates, Inc. The
Association also offers purchasing discounts in
line with state government contract pricing for
office supplies though Forms and Supply.
 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 Wage and Salary
Report, Home Rule Handbook, A
Handbook for County Governments
in South Carolina, and Case Law
Affecting Local Government are
made available 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] 
36
Volume 26, Number 4
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]
Tish F. Anderson
Deputy Director of Administrative Services
[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]
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]
H. Warren Counts, Jr., CPA
Controller
[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]
Dana T. Homesley
Administrative Assistant
[email protected]
John V. Jervey, AIC
Property & Liability Claims Manager
[email protected]
Pearlena A. Khalif-Govan
[email protected]
James F. Knox
Staff Attorney
[email protected]
Lang K. Kohel, ARM
Workers’ Compensation Claims Manager
[email protected]
M. Kent Lesesne
Staff Attorney
[email protected]
Robert J. Lyon, CPM, CPPB
IT/Procurement Director
[email protected]
Owen A. McBride
Staff Attorney
[email protected]
W. Stuart Morgan III
[email protected]
Nilda A. Padgett
Director of Administrative Services
[email protected]
Joshua C. Rhodes
Staff Attorney
[email protected]
Alexander W. Smith
Staff Attorney
[email protected]
Susan Turkopuls
Senior Research Associate
[email protected]
Rick K. Ucinski
Field Representative
[email protected]
Mary E. Williams
[email protected]
County Focus
37
SCAC-Sponsored Insurance Trusts
History of the Trusts
The S.C. Workers’ Compensation Trust (SCCWCT) dates back to Nov. 1, 1984, when 11 counties began the fund with
less than a half million dollars. More than 30 years later, the SCCWCT has grown to include 42 counties plus 47 additional
agencies with ties to county government. The Property & Liability Trust (SCCP&LT) began on Aug. 1, 1995, with four
members. The membership has grown to include 16 counties and 9 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
38
Volume 26, Number 4
VICE CHAIRMAN
Waymon Mumford
Florence County
Council Member
Gonza L. Bryant
Greenwood County
Council Member
What Is an Experience Modification Factor?
By Pam S. Collins, ARM
T
he South Carolina Counties Workers’ Compensation Trust
(SCCWCT), like all other workers’ compensation insurers, uses an
experience modification factor to determine how much to charge
an individual insured for their workers’ compensation insurance.
An experience modification factor, commonly referred to as a
“mod,” helps to accurately charge insureds with greater losses
more premium. It also helps to reduce the cost to insureds with
good or improving claims experience.
A mod is multiplied by the insured’s calculated premium
to determine their final premium. The average mod is a 1.00.
So, an insured with the average mod of 1.00 pays the calculated
premium x 1.00. An insured with better than average losses will
have a mod less than 1.00. For instance, a .90 mod indicates that
the insured will receive approximately 10 percent off the manual
rates/premium because the insured’s premium is multiplied by .90.
An insured with worse than average loss experience will have a
mod greater than 1.00. For instance, a 1.20 mod indicates that the
insured will be charged approximately 20 percent more than the
manual rates/premium due to the fact that the insured’s premium
is multiplied by 1.20.
The National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI)
experience mod formula calculates an insured’s experience mod
by mathematically comparing an insured’s actual incurred losses
over a three-year period to their projected or “expected losses”
over the same three-year period. A lot of entities complain that
a larger insured cannot possibly have as good an experience mod
as a smaller insured, because they have a greater number of employees or exposures. This is a common misconception and shows
that most insureds do not understand the mathematical formula
in detail. The “expected losses” that an insured is compared to
are actually calculated from his/her own audited payroll over the
same three-year period.
The NCCI formula calculates what an insured’s losses should
be, or are “expected” to be, by multiplying the audited payroll
per class code by the “expected loss rate” or ELR. Therefore, a
Donald E. Hancock
Saluda County
Council Chairman
Clyde B. Livingston
Orangeburg County
Council Member
larger insured is “allowed” to have more losses than a smaller
insured with a smaller payroll. Additionally, an insured with higher
risk class codes (more dangerous jobs) is also “allowed” to have
more losses than the same size insured with more clerical or less
dangerous payroll classifications. This is accomplished by entering
an insured’s audited payroll by class code into the formula. Each
class code is assigned an expected loss rate or ELR. The expected
loss rate is the statistically expected loss per $100 of payroll for
an individual class code or job. Higher risk jobs have higher rates
and lower risk jobs have lower expected loss rates.
So, what the experience mod formula basically does is
compare your actual losses to your expected losses. If your total
losses over the three-year period are greater than the “expected
losses” over the same three years, your mod will be greater than
1.00, causing your premium to be higher than that of the average
insured with your same size and type of exposures. If your total
losses over the three-year period are lower than the expected
losses over the same three years, your mod will be less than 1.00
and your premium would be less than that of an insured with the
same size and type of exposures.
In 1998, NCCI changed the experience mod formula to
discourage insureds from paying their own small claims in order
to “trick” the mod. This was accomplished by reducing the calculated value of medical-only claims (which are typically smaller
in amount) by 70 percent of their value. Therefore, medical-only
claims only count at 30 cents on the dollar. This change made it
more important than ever to get employees back to work sooner
and avoid loss-time claims. Insureds who pay their own small
medical-only claims will usually not see a reduction in their mod
factor. A disproportionate reduction in medical-only claims
could actually cause some insureds’ mods to rise. The reasoning
behind the NCCI formula change was that insureds attempting
to trick the mod have a higher frequency of unknown claims, and
therefore, are potentially more susceptible to a catastrophic loss.
(See Modification Factor, P. 40)
Barnwell County
Administrator
Steve Willis
Lancaster County
Administrator
SECRETARY/
TREASURER
Michael B. Cone
County Focus
39
Modification Factor ...
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Volume 26, Number 4
Another important thing to note about the experience mod
is that large claims are capped within the formula. The SCCWCT
uses an older cap that benefits the counties. Claims in excess of
$92,500 are capped at $92,500. This is to prevent any one claim
from ruining or causing your mod to dramatically deviate due to
one bad occurrence. Currently, the traditional insurance market
caps losses at $317,000 per claim. So, the SCCWCT mod formula
has a much greater benefit to members than the current NCCI
formula with the larger cap. An insured that has one bad claim
is not necessarily a bad risk. The whole idea of insurance is to
protect from unexpected events. The SCCWCT’s goal is to protect
members from unexpected swings in the cost of providing secure
workers’ compensation coverage for county employees.
The experience mod formula is very complicated, and other
factors are also used within the formula; including other caps,
discount ratios, etc. Ballast and weighting values are also used
within the formula. These other values help to stabilize the effect of a single loss and rate the credibility of the data based on
the size of the insured. An in-depth discussion about these other
factors is beyond the scope of this article.
If you are a county member of the SCCWCT, you receive an
experience mod ranking each year that compares your experience
mod with that of the other Trust members. If you would like to
know what your county’s current experience mod is, and what
your current mod ranking is, please call Pam S. Collins, ARM,
SCAC, at 1-800-922-6081.
Online Video Library of the
2015 J. Mitchell Graham/Barrett Lawrimore
Memorial Awards Competition
The SCAC is pleased to announce an online
video library of the J. Mitchell Graham/Barrett Lawrimore Memorial Awards Competition that was held in conjunction with the
Association’s 48th Annual Conference. The award presentations
are available via streaming video on the
SCAC website at:
http://www.sccounties.org/awards
The Association is grateful to Beaufort
County and the Beaufort County Channel
for providing video production resources.
As a result of this partnership, all county
officials are able to learn from the innovative ideas and solutions that were presented
during the competition.
Keep your county beautiful
with help from PalmettoPride
PalmettoPride would like to be your resource for community improvement, from grants to law enforcement
needs. Our Litter Trashes Everyone marionette show is free to all public elementary schools, providing a
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Broken Windows Training and Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design. Our PalmettoPride grants
can help you create litter eradication programs or create green spaces in your county.
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County Focus
43
The IMLA Report
By Charles W. Thompson, Jr.
Executive Director and General Counsel, IMLA
I
n the past few months, IMLA has experienced an increase in the number of requests for amicus support at the Supreme
Court and in State Supreme Courts and
the Federal Circuits. The requests involve
a wide array of interesting and important
issues to local governments. While some
cases in the state courts involve challenges
under the State’s Constitution, those
cases can provide persuasive authority
in other states interpreting similar constitutional provisions. IMLA has also been
active in other areas: adopting a Model
City/County Attorney Retainer Agreement that local governments and their
attorneys can use to retain the chief legal
officer for the community. This Model
follows the adoption this past Spring of
a Model City/County Attorney Employment Agreement for in-house counsel.
We’re working on a Model Retainer
Agreement for outside counsel which
should be ready by our Spring Seminar.
Following Reed v. Town of Gilbert, IMLA
began working on a content-neutral sign
ordinance and, with the help of members,
it is in its fourth draft. Reed has created
many issues for local governments as laws
extending far beyond sign regulation have
been struck down based on theories related to content based regulation. Among
the laws courts have concluded violated
the Reed content-based formula are laws
restricting panhandling, robo-calls, and
a state regulation limiting discrimination
between cash-based purchases versus
credit card purchases. We anticipate considerable activity flowing from Reed over
44
Volume 26, Number 4
the coming months until the law becomes
more settled. At our annual conference
in Las Vegas, IMLA held three programs
devoted to the Reed decision and we anticipate conducting more programs both
at our conferences and through distance
learning. Our Spring Seminar will include
a track devoted entirely to Section 1983
litigation as well as tracks with subjects
that cross the wide spectrum of legal issues that city and county attorneys must
handle.
In terms of our Amicus efforts, the
issues vary widely and involve significant
issues for local governments across the
country. What follows are a few of those
cases where we have agreed to provide
amicus support.
Hawaii Wildlife Fund et al. v.
County of Maui
This case involves an appeal to the
Ninth Circuit from a lower court decision
that concluded that Maui was required to
obtain an NPDES permit under the Clean
Water Act (CWA) based on a conduit
theory. Like many communities around
the country, Maui employed underground
injection wells as a method of disposing
of treated wastewater. Throughout the
permitting process for these wells, the
State and Federal governments concluded
that NPDES permits were not required as
the injection into the groundwater did not
create a point source discharge into the
navigable waters of the United States. All
concerned during the permitting process
recognized that the groundwater would
eventually seep into the ocean but the
state and federal governments did not
consider the discharge into the ocean to
be a point source discharge; however,
when a subsequent study using tracers
proved that the groundwater entered the
ocean, a citizens group sued asserting a
violation of the CWA.
The District Court accepted the
argument that the discharge violated
the CWA creating a substantial change
in policy should the lower court’s ruling
prevail. Underground injection wells are
used by many communities across the
United States with little doubt that the
groundwater might ultimately find its
way to navigable water whether directly
or through non-navigable waters. Complicating the issue for municipalities,
groundwater often contains a myriad of
constituents that alone or in combination
with treated wastewater exceed CWA
standards thereby making responsibility
for those constituents difficult to ascertain.
City of Asheville v. North Carolina
Asheville is a beautiful community
in the mountains of North Carolina and
the home to the Biltmore Estate, once
the home of the Vanderbilts. To serve its
residents as well as some of the properties outside the city, the city operated a
water system while a regional system operated the sewerage system. Apparently,
internecine warfare between residents,
non-residents and the State and regional
system led to a number of lawsuits over
the years and eventually to legislation
that transferred the water system from
the city to the regional authority without
compensation to the city. The city sued
and lost, ultimately in the State’s intermediate appellate court. The city will be
seeking review by its state’s highest court
and has asked IMLA to support it.
The legal issues in this case involve a
number of purely North Carolina constitutional questions, but among them are
issues that resound with municipalities
across the country and at least one important federal constitutional question.
Most understand that in the seminal
case of Hunter v. Pittsburgh, 207 U.S. 161
(1907), the Supreme Court laid to rest any
argument that a city charter amounted to
a contract protected by the U.S. Constitution. That case similarly laid to rest an
argument that the city’s governmental
property was protected by the federal
constitution. However, the case specifically avoided deciding whether the federal
constitution protected the city’s proprietary property. The intermediate appellate court in North Carolina nevertheless
relied on Hunter and Trenton v. New Jersey,
262 U.S. 182 (1923), to deny the City
protection under the Fifth Amendment.
Whether a city’s proprietary property is
protected under the Fifth Amendment
from the State remains an open question,
but cases such as United States v. 50 Acres
of Land, 469 U.S. 24 (1984), offer support for the argument that if the federal
government cannot take a city’s property
without compensation under the Fifth
Amendment neither can the state.
While purely a North Carolina question, the issue of whether legislation that
transfers a water system or other city
property to another entity constitutes a
“local law” finds similarities throughout
the country under state constitutional
provisions that limit the state legislature’s
authority to enact local laws where a city
has home rule authority. A decision interpreting the state’s action as local can
provide persuasive authority throughout
the country and merits our participation.
Wasatch County v. Ute Indian
Tribe—Supreme Court Petition
Stage
This case arises from the Tenth Circuit and has a long and tortured history.
The important question that IMLA seeks
to have the Supreme Court decide and
to reverse the Tenth Circuit is that of
whether a county and its state are in privity such that a suit by the state binds the
county without the county’s participation
in the case.
Relevant for our purposes is that
the Tenth Circuit enjoined Wasatch
County from prosecuting a member of
the tribe based on an exception to the
Anti-Injunction Act that permits enjoining a state court proceeding to enforce a
prior federal court judgment. Notably,
however, the county was not a party to the
prior case (which did not even produce
an enforceable judgment as the parties
settled the case). The Tenth Circuit
nonetheless held that every county was
in privity with the State who was a party
INC.
PrintSouth Printing, Inc.
to the prior suit even though there was no
evidence that the State had litigated the
prior litigation with any of the counties’
or specifically Wasatch County’s interests
in mind. To the contrary, the state settled
with the tribe and the county received
nothing under that settlement.
On this privity point, the Tenth Circuit noted “[i]t’s not just parties who are
bound by prior decisions: those in privity
with them often are too, and counties are
usually thought to be in privity with their
states for preclusion purposes when the
state has lost an earlier suit.” (emphasis
added).
IMLA believes that this case raises
significant issues associated with the
autonomy of local governments and the
interests that they represent that may vary
from those of their states. In many states
dominated by rural interests, the more
urban interests of cities can be thwarted
by State litigation decisions and vice versa
where a State can disregard its more rural
constituencies. During the foreclosure
crisis, many cities and counties began the
process of suing to recover from banks on
theories of Fair Housing Act violations
and other actionable violations of law. As
the cities and counties began succeeding
in their suits, states stepped in and entered settlement agreements that often
did not fully account for the losses that
cities and counties suffered but in doing
so limited the rights of recovery. Where
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County Focus
45
Home Rule exists and in issues that affect
the powers granted to cities and counties
under state law, the concept of privity
should be examined more carefully than
a blind assertion based on centuries old
principles that a county and a state are
always in privity.
With space limitations a consideration, I’ll only mention that we are
engaged in amicus activity to support a
police officer who was denied qualified
immunity based on the Seventh Circuit’s
conclusion that it could not reappraise
the facts considered by the lower court
in a summary judgment decision; in
Hyatt v. California Franchise Tax Board, a
merits stage case at the Supreme Court,
we are supporting the argument that a
state court must accord officials from
other states at least the same immunities
and protections it applies to officials of
its state rather than offering neither its
protections or the protections of the officials’ home state; and in Heffernan v. City
of Patterson, also a merits stage case at the
Supreme Court, we are arguing that cities
may impose limits on employees active
participation in political campaigns based
upon the employee’s position with the
government. Finally, we are joining with
Michigan to seek reversal of the Sixth
Circuit’s decision in Moody v. Michigan
Gaming Commission, a case that dramatically changes the dynamics between regulated entities and
regulated people
Want to know “Who’s Who” in South Carolina
by offering them
county government? If so, order a copy of the 2016
Fifth Amendment
Directory of County Officials by contacting:
protections based
on their permitted
Public Information Office
activities.
P.O. Box 8207
$25
per
copy
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 U.S. Supreme
Court and in the federal circuits and in
state supreme courts. IMLA provides 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. IMLA offers 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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Volume 26, Number 4
Support the
South Carolina
Association of Counties ...
... and receive the following benefits as a:
Sponsor ($250 per year):
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 at the group rate to 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
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For more information about the SCAC or to join, please contact:
South Carolina
Attn.: Public Information Director
P.O. Box 8207
(803) 252-7255
48
Volume 26, Number 4
Advertise in
September 15
December 15
Issue No. 1
Issue No. 2
Issue No. 3
Issue No. 4
South Carolina
P.O. Box 8207
(803) 252-7255
Photo courtesy http://courthouses.co
Justice. Preserved.
Designed by William
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constructed in 1914, the
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County Focus
49
Union County
A Roadside Guide to
Union, County Seat
of Union County
See South Carolina
County Map,
P. 63
By Alexia Jones Helsley
www.historyismybag.com
T
During its early years, the town
reflected the agricultural focus of its
environs. Located on the road from Spartanburg to Chester, wagonloads of cotton
passed through the town. Although cotton
brought economic prosperity and population growth to Union District, the town of
Union developed more slowly. In 1850,
the county seat had a population of 554.
The town boasted a newspaper that year,
The Union Times, and the following year,
a post office opened. By 1854, the thriving
county seat supported a variety of businesses including jewelry, saddle, shoe and
carriage shops. By 1859, the Spartanburg
and Union Railroad linked Spartanburg
with Charleston. The completion of the
railroad was a transportation boon for
Union.
Although the town saw little of the
ravages of war, the waning months of
the Confederacy brought unusual excitement. After Federal troops occupied Columbia in February 1865, S.C. Governor
Andrew G. Magrath temporarily moved
the seat of state government to the town
of Union. While there, Magrath made
the Thomas N. Dawkins House his center
of operations. Dawkins, at one time a
Unionist, served in the S.C. Legislature
Hidden History
of
Have
you ever Heard about…
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
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Greenville County
he history of the city of Union is intrinsically linked with the history of Union
County. The county seat bears the name
of the county, which was named for a
Union church in the area. After the S.C.
General Assembly created Union County
in 1785, Revolutionary hero Thomas
Brandon provided land for the erection
of the new county’s first courthouse and
jail. The location was afterwards known
as Jail Hill.
Colonel Brandon was born in Pennsylvania and immigrated to South Carolina.
During the Revolution, he fought in the
battles of Blackstock’s Farm, Musgrove’s
Mill, Kings Mountain and Cowpens.
After the war ended, Brandon served
in the S.C.General Assembly and
held several offices in Union County.
In fact, according to historian Allan
Charles, residents of the new county
so respected Brandon that many
wanted to name the courthouse town
Brandonburgh. That effort failed and
in 1837, the S.C. legislature incorporated the town once known as Union
Court House or Unionville, as Union.
In 1823, a Robert Mills-designed
courthouse replaced the original
building. Unfortunately, in 1911
officials demolished that structure
and erected the present courthouse.
Nevertheless, the Mills-designed jail
still survives. By 1826, the town had
a population of 200 and according to
Mills’ Statistics, a “handsome courthouse and jail,” “a respectable Presbyterian church,” and an academy.
AlexiA Jones Helsley
County Focus
51
and was a member of the state constitutional convention of 1865.
Magrath moved on to Greenville
where he tried to call a meeting of the
S.C. General Assembly. In early April,
Confederate President Jefferson Davis
and his entourage also passed through
Union and dined at the William H. Wallace House. Davis and his government in
exile were making their way west after the
surrender of Richmond, the Confederate
capital.
Although Union physically escaped
the Civil War unscathed, the post-Civil
War years were challenging times for
white and black residents. The dislocations of emancipation and market
economies created racial tensions that
resulted in the lynching of eight African
Americans in 1871. Six hundred Klansmen seized 10 men, accused of various
crimes, from the Union County jail.
Two escaped, but the vigilantes killed
the others. And in 1876, white Union
residents supported Wade Hampton’s
gubernatorial campaign. In October,
General Hampton addressed a group of
supporters from the second story porch
of the Culp House.
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.
52
Volume 26, Number 4
In 1877, fire destroyed many commercial buildings as well as the railroad
depot. But residents rebuilt and by
1881, the town had 1,000 residents, five
churches, various businesses and schools
for men and women. But by 1893, the
landscape was changing. That year,
Thomas Duncan erected the town’s first
textile mill—Union Mill. The enterprise
flourished and Excelsior Mill opened in
1897. By 1900, the mills employed more
than 1600 workers and mill villages on
the outskirts of town housed workers for
the newly opened Buffalo and Monarch
Mills. By 1902, Union had six textile
plants and in 1900, 5,400 individuals
lived in the county seat. Town amenities
included banks, an opera house and a
hotel.
During the early years of the 20th
century, there were several significant
developments. Of particular note were
the construction of the Carnegie library
and the Fair Forest Hotel. In 1905, the
Union Carnegie Free Library—the first
Carnegie library in the state—opened.
And in the 1920s, local investors financed
the erection of Union’s first and only
skyscraper—the Fair Forest Hotel.
Unfortunately, during the early
decades of the 20th century, economic
development slowed and the Great
Depression had devastating effects on
the town’s economy. Five banks failed,
but in 1933 Harry M. Arthur opened the
Arthur Depository, now Arthur State
Bank.
Among the better known products of Union are several professional
football players—Robert DeLafayette
Jeter, Jr. (1937-2008), who played for
the Green Bay Packers (including Super Bowls I and II) and for the Chicago
Bears; Darrell Austin who attended the
University of South Carolina and played
for the New York Jets and the Tampa
Bay Buccaneers; and Jim Youngblood
who played for Tennessee Technical
University and professionally for the
Los Angeles Rams and Washington
Redskins. Union was also the home
of the legendary Willie Jeffries, who
coached football at South Carolina State
University, Wichita State University and
Howard University and is a member of
the College Football Hall of Fame.
In addition, several individuals
involved in the entertainment business
were born in Union. Among these are
Don Rhymer (1961-2012), a screen
writer and movie producer and Kimberly
Leadbetter, professionally-known as
Mona Lisa, an R&B, pop music singer,
songwriter, actress and record producer.
Historically, perhaps Union’s bestknown son, was States Rights Gist (183164). Gist was a lawyer, educated at S.C.
College and Harvard Law School, who
rose to the rank of brigadier general
during the Civil War. On Nov. 30, 1864,
Gist was one of six Confederate generals
killed during the Battle of Franklin, Tenn.
Another significant son of Union
was Thomas Bothwell Jeter. Jeter served
in the S.C. General Assembly and as
president pro temp of the S.C. Senate.
As a result of the latter appointment, in
1880 Jeter served for three months as
governor of the state of South Carolina
completing the term of Governor William
D. Simpson, who became chief justice of
the S.C. Supreme Court. Jeter was also
president of the Spartanburg and Union
Railroad.
In 2000, according to U.S. Census
figures, the city of Union had a population of 8,793, but by 2010, the population
had fallen to 8,393. Nevertheless, Union
has a long and fascinating history and
enviable legacy of celebrating its rich
architectural heritage.
The Palmetto Directory
Businesses selling products and services
to South Carolina’s counties
Also see advertising index, page 64
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contact: (803) 408-4752 or
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Advertising here makes sense. For more information,
please call SCAC’s Public Information Office at
1-800-922-6081.
Want to know “Who’s Who” in South Carolina
county government? If so, order a copy of the 2016
Directory of County Officials by contacting:
Public Information Office
P.O. Box 8207
$25
per
(803) 252-7255
copy
County Focus
53
Purpose
of the SCAC
county governments
in government
education of county
officials
organizations
government in South
Carolina
contact:
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P.O. Box 8207
1919 Thurmond Mall
(803) 252-7255
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54
Volume 26, Number 4
Nothing Generates Interest in STEM Subjects
Like a Celebrate Freedom Foundation
SOaR™ Visit.
Pilots and aircraft technicians, using static helicopter displays,
talk to students at Battery Creek High School in Beaufort, S.C.
Aviation industry representatives talk to students about opportunities in aviation.
Celebrate Freedom Foundation’s exciting School/Student
Opportunities and Rewards (SOaR™) Program visits dozens of
schools across the Southeastern U.S. every year with more than
25,000 students participating annually.
The 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™, CFF’s educational program, emphasizes the necessity of STEM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering and
Mathematics) in middle schools and high schools. It connects the
classroom with real world jobs and career fields. The program’s
mission is to help build a workforce that can compete globally
for jobs in the future, and to ensure America’s technological
advantage in a global environment. STEM subjects provide
skills and competencies greatly needed here in the Southeast,
across the nation and globally.
For more information about CFF’s SOaR™ Program, which
generates interest in STEM subjects like nothing else can, please
contact:
2833 Aviation Way
West Columbia, S.C. 29170-5106
(803) 708-4752
[email protected]
Battery Creek High School in Beaufort, S.C., became the first school to host a fly-in by Maggie, CFF’s helicopter, when the school
hosted a Battery Creek High School/STEM Day event for local schools on Apr. 25, 2013. Approximately 700 students participated.
www.GoCFF.org
County Update
Counties Reporting in
This Issue of County
Update:
AbbevilleGreenwood
Aiken Hampton
Allendale
Horry
Anderson Jasper
Bamberg Kershaw
Barnwell Lancaster
BeaufortLaurens
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 63
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.
Bamberg County
lPalmettoPride recently awarded the
Bamberg County Litter Enforcement Department (BCLED) a $5,000 Litter Enforcement
Grant.
“Last year when we received this grant,
it helped to offset many costs associated with
starting this new department,” said Bill Johnson, Bamberg County Code Enforcement
SCAC Presidents
2015 John Q. Atkinson, Jr.
Marion County
2014 James R. Frazier
Horry County
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
56
Volume 26, Number 4
1999 Polly C. Jackson
Lancaster County
1998 Robert R. Nash, Sr.
Pickens County
1997 Alzena Robinson
Bamberg County
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
Humane Association are one step closer to
operation of a 22,000 square-foot facility to be
Director. “Receiving this grant again, for the
bringing their vision to fruition of a new $7
surrounded by open space and trails.
second year in a row, is only going to help us
million animal shelter facility in the Okatie
The County’s Animal Services staff will
achieve more goals.”
area. During county council’s regular meeting
treat and house animals, and the Humane
David Harley, the county’s litter officer,
on Dec. 14, Humane Association Executive
Association staff will manage a spay-neuter
has investigated more than 40 litter cases
Director Franny Gerthoffer affirmed the
clinic and adoption center at the facility. The
throughout Bamberg County. On a daily
Association’s commitment to the project by
proposed facility will feature new technology
basis, he patrols for litter and uncovered
presenting a gift of $1 million to Beaufort
to help reduce disease and improve the air exloads, conducts surveillance of litter spots,
County Council. The two groups recently
change system, which will provide a healthier
and investigates illegal dumpsites.
signed an agreement for the construction and
environment for staff and resident animals.
PalmettoPride recently awarded
$249,590 in enforcement grants to 19 enforcement agencies, and community grants
to 43 organizations and local governments
Thursday, March 24
in South Carolina.
9 a.m. to 12 Noon
l PalmettoPride also recently awarded
Sharpening Your Supervisory Skills
Bamberg County an $8,000 Keep Bamberg
County Beautiful (KBCB) Grant.
Thursday, May 12
9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
KBCB plans to use the grant funds
Planning and Zoning Continuing Education
to purchase trees and other shrubbery for
Bamberg County property; marketing maThursday, Oct. 6
terials to help fund the KBCB Scholarship
9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Fund; an office recycling program; signage
Taking Charge of Change
and beautification projects throughout the
For more information, please contact Leslie Christy-Jennings,
county; and materials needed for the new
SCAC, at (803) 252-7255 or [email protected]. Or visit SCAC’s
quarterly litter prevention program.
webcast page at: http://www.sccounties.org/webcast-training
“Writing this grant was a very exciting
process, because we were able to plan for
some of the largest projects we have done so
far,” said Mallory D. Biering, KBCB Director. “The KBCB Board, County Council and
Bamberg County Administration all worked
together to focus this grant towards projects
July 31–Aug. 3
Annual Conference
July 30–31
Institute of Government
which will highlight Bamberg County in ways
Hilton Head Marriott, Hilton Head Island
never done before—ways that will impact the
economic growth of Bamberg County.”
TBD
Setoff Debt/GEAR
The 2015-16 PalmettoPride Enforce
(Location TBD)
ment Grants, totaling $73,688, will provide
law enforcement agencies with equipment
TBD
Continuing Education Update for Risk Managers
needed to help enforce state and local litter
(Location TBD)
laws from citations to prosecution in courts.
Oct. 19
Institute of Government
The 2015-16 PalmettoPride Community
Oct. 20
County Council Coalition Meeting
Pride Grants, totaling $175,902, will provide
Embassy Suites, Columbia
organizations and local governments with
funds to help create successful litter eradicaNov. 18
S.C. Local Government Attorneys’ Institute
tion programs and beautification projects in
Embassy Suites, Columbia
their communities.
Dec. 1-2
Legislative Conference
PalmettoPride is a 501(c)3 nonprofit
The Mills House Wyndham Grand Hotel, Charleston
litter prevention and beautification organization in South Carolina. The organization
engages citizens to take an active role in
keeping their communities clean and beau- You can now register and pay online for SCAC conferences at www.sccounties.org/meetings.
tiful. Its programs have helped reduce litter
in the state by more than 60 percent.
For more information, including lists of
2015-16 grant recipients, please visit www.
palmettopride.org or contact Sarah Lyles
at (877) 725-7733 or slyles@palmettopride.
org.
July 22–25Annual Conference and Exposition
Beaufort County
Los Angeles County (Long Beach), Calif.
SCAC’S 2016 WEBCAST CALENDAR
SCAC’s 2016 Conference Calendar
NACo’s 2016
Conference Calendar
l Beaufort County and the Hilton Head
County Focus
57
The county has dedicated $500,000 to design
the facility and $3.5 million for the project.
The remaining $2 million of the facility’s estimated cost will come from private fundraising.
lBeaufort County has launched a new
website for Hilton Head Island Airport
(HXD)—www.hiltonheadairport.com. Staff in
the county’s Communications and Accountability Department developed the website
to give HXD its own online identity for the
first time. Previously, users had to navigate
the county’s main website to search under
the airports’ department page for general
information. The website, which gives users
a vibrant, interactive and practical overall
experience, is responsive and touch-screenfriendly, ensuring that it works well on multiple devices, from desktops and tablets to
smartphones. The new website features job
and bidding opportunities, as well as current
flight status information. A media page will
contain photo and video content related to the
airport. A unique feature of the website is the
HXD projects page, developed in conjunction
with the county’s Mapping and Applications
Department. The projects page includes a
GIS application designed to deliver information about the airport’s projects in a simple
manner. Users can see a map of the airport
and select projects via a legend to view more
information, such as project type, construction
dates and estimated budget.
Hilton Head Island Airport recently
received just over $13 million in Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) grant funds to assist with safety projects. A key undertaking will
be completion of the Taxiway A project, which
will relocate the taxiway 100 feet, expand its
distance from the runway to comply with FAA
safety standards, and ensure there will be no
reduction in parking area for private aircraft
at HXD.
“We are pleased to receive these funds
from our partners at the FAA to help us
achieve projects identified in the Airport’s
Capital Improvement Program,” said Beaufort County Airport Director Jon Rembold.
“We are especially thankful to Rusty Nealis
and Larry Clark at the FAA, for their great
support of our team and HXD.”
The grant is part of the FAA’s Airport
Improvement Program, which provides grants
for the planning and development of publicuse airports with commercial services. Eligible
projects include those improvements related
to enhancing airport safety, capacity, security,
and environmental concerns. Rembold added
that the award is a win for the county and the
FAA. “Beyond just the dollars, this grant is
significant because it indicates that we are
kicking off the first wave of important projects
at this airport after years of collaborating with
58
Volume 26, Number 4
the FAA to get to this point. The fact that we
are here shows the effects of our great teamwork.”
l Beaufort County recently revealed its
eleventh Land Preservation Calendar. The
annual calendar is designed to promote the
County’s Rural and Critical Land Preservation Program, which has conserved more
than 22,000 acres of vulnerable properties
throughout the County since 2000, thanks to
voters approving the funding of more than
$150 million to support the Rural and Critical
Land Preservation Program. The 2016 calendar theme, Ripple Effects: Wetlands and
Waterways, Creeks and Critters, gave local
photo contestants an opportunity to showcase
the wonder of the water habitat throughout
Beaufort County. Staff in the county’s Communications and Accountability Department
designed the calendar, which is on sale at the
county’s Planning Department and at locations throughout the county. The calendar is
also available for viewing and purchase online
at the county’s website www.bcgov.net.
l Beaufort County’s Library System announced in January that library patrons had
checked out more than 4,400 digital movies,
music and eBooks since the system launched
its Hoopla Digital Service last fall. Hoopla
Digital is a category-creating service that
partners with public libraries across North
America to provide online and mobile access to thousands of movies, TV shows,
music, eBooks, audiobooks and comics.
With Hoopla Digital, patrons can borrow,
instantly stream and download free dynamic
content with a valid library card. All content
is accessible via Hoopla Digital’s mobile app
and online at www.hoopladigital.com.
l Beaufort County’s Library System announced in October that library cardholders would have access to Morningstar’s Online Investment Research Center, an online
investment database with information on
more than 30,000 stocks, mutual funds, and
exchange-traded funds. Designed specifically
for libraries and other academic research institutions, it provides independent analysis,
industry information, stock charts, portfolio
building tools, and the Morningstar Investing
Classroom (SM) series of web-based educational tutorials. Morningstar, Inc. is a leading
provider of independent investment research
in North America, Europe, Australia, and
Asia. The company provides an extensive
line of products and services for individual
investors, financial advisors, asset managers,
and retirement plan providers and sponsors.
lThe Beaufort County Library System
held its biannual Staff Development Day on
Oct. 7 at the Hilton Head Branch Library. As
part of the day’s activities, Library Director
Ray McBride recognized four staff members
who had provided exceptional service. McBride and Monica Spells, Beaufort County
Assistant County Administrator of Civic Engagement and Outreach, then presented the
four staff members awards.
The Support Staff Award for 2015 was
a tie. Lisa Hunter, Hilton Head Branch Library’s Administrative Assistant, and Barbara Coffin, Assistant Systems Specialist for
the Library System both received awards.
Kelli Baxter, Bluffton Branch Library’s
Children’s Programmer, received the ParaProfessional of the Year for 2015.
Maria Benac, Branch Manager of the
St. Helena Branch Library, received the Librarian of the Year for 2015.
During the day-long training, all library
employees received sensitivity training from
a Memory Matters’ Purple Angel Project
representative. The training included guidance for serving customers with conditions
such as Alzheimer’s and Dementia. Library
employees also received an update on the
state of the library system, customer service training from Monica Spells, as well as
preparatory sessions for the library system’s
launch of the new Hoopla online resource.
l St. Helena Branch Library, designed by
Liollio Architecture of Charleston, has received more than half a dozen design awards
since its opening in fall of 2012.
Most recently, the library received an
award from the S.C. Chapter of the American Institute of Architects. Liollio received
the 2015 Interior Design Honor Award for
the branch library. The branch library was
also favored by the American Institute of
Architects in 2013 when Liollio was the recipient of the COTE Honor Award as well
as the Student’s Choice Award (Charleston
Section).
Another recent honor comes on behalf
of Library Journal. The branch library was
one of 11 winners in Library Journal’s 2015
Landmark Libraries competition. The building was selected “for demonstrating excellence in design and construction, response to
community context and constraints, sustainability, functionality, innovation, and beauty.”
In 2014, the library received the Best in
Show Award and the Government/Institutional Award from the Carolina’s Chapter
of the International Interior Design Association.
For a list of all of the awards the library
has received, visit the awards page on Beaufort County’s website at www.bcgov.net
Charleston County
l Charleston County announced on Dec.
30 that the Roper St. Francis Physicians Endowment had awarded the Charleston Development Corporation (CDC) two grants
totaling $10,000 in December 2014 and October 2015. CDC serves as a nonprofit entity
by which grant awards/private donations for
charitable causes within the county can be
accepted. Its mission is to further human, social and economic development in Charleston County and to promote a healthier and
safer community. Charleston Center’s Community Giving Campaign used the money to
fund its $50,000 for seven needs Community
Giving Campaign. The initiative provides
items and services such as recreation items,
furniture items, educational materials, indigent care items and assistance, infant care
items, client care and therapeutic décor.
The Center’s mission is to help residents of
Charleston County live productive lives, free
from the impact of alcohol, other drugs and
addictive behaviors.
lCharleston County leaders recently
broke ground for the future home Charleston County’s new Materials Recovery Facility
(MRF), a recycling center off 8101 Palmetto
Parkway in North Charleston. Charleston
County Council Chairman Elliott Summey
and Council Member Colleen Condon, who
chairs the county’s Solid Waste Committee,
spoke at the ground breaking ceremony, held
at 11 a.m. on Nov. 10.
l Charleston County Government and
the City of North Charleston celebrated the
completion of the Future Drive & Northside
Drive Extension project at 11 a.m. on Oct.
31. The Future Drive and Northside Drive
Extension project provides traffic congestion
relief by connecting U.S. Highway 78 to Palmetto Commerce Parkway and also Northside Drive, which runs parallel to I-26 and
connects to Ashley Phosphate Road. The
project built three new four-lane roads, each
with a multi-use path and a sidewalk, providing motorists, bicyclists, and pedestrians
additional routes to use in a congested and
growing area of North Charleston.
The project was funded by the Charleston County Transportation Sales Tax and was
one of the bonded projects specifically listed
on the 2006 referendum approved by county
voters. In 2009, the City of North Charleston and Charleston County agreed that the
city would manage the completion of the design and construction of the project, with the
county overseeing expenditures and providing the funds.
lCharleston County Consolidated 9-1-1
Center Awarded Communications Center
was recently named 2015 Communications
Center of the Year for South Carolina by
the S.C. Chapter of the National Emergency
Number Association (NENA) and the Association of Public-Safety Communications
Officials (APCO) at their recent annual conference in Myrtle Beach. The annual NENA/
APCO award is presented to the center that
has exemplified outstanding professionalism, leadership and innovation to the community it serves including its contribution to
the advances of Public Safety Communications through the use of technology, management and training of staff. Charleston
County council recognized the Center for its
achievement when it met on Oct. 27.
lCharleston County Consolidated 9-1-1
was also recently reaccredited by the International Academies of Emergency Dispatch
for their Emergency Fire Dispatch and
Emergency Medical Dispatch programs.
Chester County
l In an effort to build a better working relationship between the towns of Fort Lawn
and Great Falls, the Chester County Supervisor’s Office recently began sending a Community Outreach Representative to conduct
meetings in these areas. Tabatha Strother,
administrative assistant to Shane Stuart,
Chester County Supervisor, was at the Fort
Lawn Community Center on Thursday, Jan.
14 and the Great Falls Library on Thursday,
Jan. 21. She answered questions regarding
county related services and helped citizens
with their concerns. Strother encouraged
local residents to contact her at (803) 3771020; work (803) 374-2720; or tstrother@
chestercounty.org
Georgetown County
l SafeRack, LLC, located in the Georgetown County Business Center in Andrews, is
expanding its existing operations. The expansion will include a $20 million investment in
Georgetown County and creation of 100 new
jobs over the next five years, in addition to
temporary construction jobs. The announcement was made January, following an agreement with Georgetown County that provided incentives to the company to assist with
the expansion. SafeRack plans to add more
than 100,000 square feet to its facility at 219
Safety Ave. With SafeRack’s customer base
growing, expansion is necessary to meet demand, said Rob Honeycutt, SafeRack CEO.
Established in 2003, SafeRack manufactures
industrial safety products and provides turnkey services that improve worker safety and
productivity in truck, railcar and industrial
loading applications.
l Four firefighters with Midway Fire Rescue were presented with awards for meritorious action and extraordinary acts of bravery
last month. The awards were for their actions
during a swift water rescue they participated
in during a major flooding event in October.
Award recipients were Daniel Weihert and
Adam Maag, both of whom were hired in
2012, and Luke Vogler and James Costanza,
who joined the department in April. These
men were members of the team dispatched
during Hurricane Joaquin to the area of Pennyroyal and Saints Delight roads, where a vehicle was reported swept off the roadway by
floodwaters into a large swamp area on Oct.
4. The driver was still inside the vehicle when
responders were dispatched.
Crews on the scene came up with a plan
and went into action, launching a watercraft
with rescue swimmers into the fast-moving
water. After a search of the outlying area, the
crews quickly located the driver clinging to
a tree and suffering from hypothermia. The
boat crew affected a rapid removal and rescue of the victim, treating him and returning
him to the launch point for transportation
to the emergency room. Without the rescue
team’s rapid response and assessment during this situation, the victim would have been
lost to the rapidly moving flood waters, said
James Payne, Midway division chief of training and special operations.
l The Georgetown County Public Services Department announced in November that
it had recently received a prestigious American Public Works Association (APWA) reaccreditation. The department was only the
74th agency in North America to receive
accreditation when the county received its
original accreditation in 2011, and remains
one of just three agencies in South Carolina
to do so.
The APWA accreditation program recognizes public works agencies that go beyond the requirements of the management
practices established nationally in the public
works industry. Georgetown County’s reaccreditation indicates the department has met
all applicable accreditation documentation
and practices over time.
“The awarding of the APWA reaccreditation shows we have dedicated ourselves
to concepts of improvement and in-depth
self-assessment of department policies, procedures and practices,” said Ray C. Funnye,
director of Georgetown County Public Services. “The heroes of this prestigious APWA
award are the county’s public services staff,
whose mission is to provide public works services and programs that contribute to making Georgetown County a great community.”
County Focus
59
The Public Services Department is responsible for Georgetown County’s street
and road maintenance, drainage systems
and stormwater, the landfill, recycling and
collections, building maintenance for county facilities, airport operations and capital
projects management. The department’s
mission is “to effectively serve the public by
enhancing our transportation and facility infrastructures, preserving our environmental
resources, and planning for the needs of the
community and future generations.
l Georgetown County Public Services
employees Herb Puckett and Tim Chatman
were presented with top honors during the
S.C. Chapter of the American Public Works
Association’s annual conference on Nov. 3.
Puckett, manager for the department’s Facility Services Division, was recognized as
2015 Outstanding Public Works Manager.
He has worked for Georgetown County for
more than 13 years. Puckett and his division
are currently completing remodeling of the
44,000-square-foot historic county courthouse. They saved the county more than
$1.5 million by completing the renovations
in-house.
Chatman, compliance inspector with
the department’s Stormwater Division,
was presented the 2015 Outstanding Public
www.proprinters.com
803-796-4000
Commercial Printing
Offset/Web/Digital
Design • Online Storefronts
Promotional Products
60
Volume 26, Number 4
Works Employee award. He has been employed with the county for more than seven
years, beginning as the county’s mosquito
control supervisor.
l Scott McGuire, a master firefighter/
paramedic with Midway Fire Rescue, was
named the County Emergency Services
Department’s Employee of the Quarter for
the third quarter of 2015 (July-Sept). An
employee with Midway for eight years, McGuire was described by his battalion chief,
Brent McClellan, as a leader on his shift who
“performs his role every day without losing
sight of the organization’s vision.
“As a master firefighter, you often feel
as if you don’t have the kind of influence
as, say, a company officer,” McClellan said.
“However, Scott is different, and it shows.
He is often the centerpiece of his shift, handling situations well before they get to the
level that a company officer would need to
address. Scott doesn’t realize that the things
he does are even noticed, but all of his superior officers do notice. He’s making their jobs
much easier.”
l Two employees of Georgetown County’s Finance Department retired in late
October. John Porter, projects and grants
accounting coordinator, retired on Oct. 23.
Donna Bunn, senior buyer for the department’s purchasing division, retired on Oct.
30. Porter worked for the county for almost
11 years. Bunn worked for about five years.
l Georgetown County will host a Bassmaster Elite Series tournament from Apr. 7
to 10, expected to attract some of the nation’s
top professional bass anglers to Winyah Bay
and the rivers that feed into it. The Elite Series is known as the premier fishing tournament series in the world and has been shown
to generate economic impacts of more than
$2 million in other host cities.
“To fishing, this series is what the PGA
Tour is to golf,” said Georgetown County
Administrator Sel Hemingway. “Being selected to host an event of this caliber is a
huge achievement for our community and an
honor. This is the chance the county has been
looking for to prove we can host a large scale,
national event and not only compete with but
outdo other jurisdictions that are competing
for this type of event.”
The 2016 Winyah Bay Heritage Festival will be scheduled to coincide with the
tournament, making it a weekend not to be
missed for anglers and other outdoorsmen.
Introduced in 2007, the festival celebrates
the area’s rich outdoor heritage. While it traditionally brings together wildlife artists, conservationists and all manner of people with a
love for the outdoors, many of its activities
and displays are geared toward the interests
of those with a passion for fishing and hunting. Festival activities including a dock diving competition for dogs, a duck calling clinic
and contest, retriever trials and much more
are expected to return for 2016. More details
about the tournament and festival will be
made available as the events draw nearer.
l Georgetown County has been certified
as a Work Ready community through the
S.C. Work Ready Communities Initiative.
The announcement, made by Gov. Nikki
Haley’s office in September, demonstrates
that Georgetown County has a robust workforce development initiative in place that
links education and workforce development
together, and aligns them to economic development and job placement.
To receive Work Ready Community
status, a county must meet population-based
criteria set by the state regarding workforce
and supporting employers. Georgetown
County exceeded its goals on every level,
with a total goal of 681 potential employees
who have taken the WorkKeys assessment,
and 93 supporting employers. Georgetown
County had 1,455 potential employees complete the assessment and registered 96 supporting employers.
“Receiving our certification as a Work
Ready Community is further evidence that
Georgetown County is serious about recruiting businesses to our community,” said
Brian Tucker, director of the county’s Economic Development Department. Achieving
certification required collaboration between
county government, existing businesses in
the county, Horry-Georgetown Technical
College and Georgetown County School
District.
“This level of partnership signifies our
united effort to move the county forward,”
Tucker said. “Having a qualified workforce is
the driving factor in the recruitment process
and we will continue to work with our partners to provide our citizens with the needed
skills to compete for quality jobs.”
The Work Ready Community program
utilizes WorkKeys assessments and the National Career Readiness Certificate to measure an individual’s foundational workplace
skills, such as math, reading for information,
and other skills required for the majority of
today’s jobs. WorkKeys assessments measure
“real world” skills that are highly valued by
employers and that are critical to job success.
Employees score platinum, gold, silver or
bronze. Supporting employers specify the
level they are looking for when hiring and
can be assured by an employee’s assessment rating that candidates have the skills
they need. South Carolina’s Certified Work
Ready Communities initiative aims to ensure
the growth of South Carolina communities
by creating an environment conducive to
business and workforce development. The
Work Ready Community initiative enables
community leaders to rally behind the concept of a ready-to-work workforce. County
Council members, superintendents, principals, teachers and business leaders play a
part in this effort, creating a team approach
to workforce development and attracting
businesses to South Carolina and their community in particular.
Kershaw and York counties were also
recently certified, joining 33 others in the
state. South Carolina leads the nation with
the most Certified Work Ready communities. (Visit South Carolina Work Ready
Communities at www.scworkready.org and
www.workreadycommunities.org/SC for a
current listing of Work Ready Communities
in the state.)
“We have always said that our state’s
greatest asset is our workforce because of the
hardworking, skilled people who call South
Carolina home,” said Gov. Nikki Haley. “The
fact that (these counties) have now joined
33 other counties by being certified as work
ready proves that all of Team South Carolina
is hard at work toward providing our citizens
with opportunity and our companies with the
best workforce in the world.”
“We celebrate what this means for these
counties and our state,” said Cheryl M. Stanton, executive director for the S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce. “With
the Work Ready initiative, and a continuing
commitment to skilled workforce development, it is not surprising that employment
numbers have been at historic highs over the
last year and companies continue to expand
and choose South Carolina as the place to do
business.”
l David Murphy of Florence assumed his
new duties as Georgetown County Veterans
Affairs Manager on Oct. 12. He replaced Natrenah Blackstock, who managed the office
for five years. Blackstock, who led the office
through a period of tremendous growth, announced her plans to resign earlier in 2015.
Murphy served 20 years in the Air Force before retiring in 2005 as a technical sergeant.
He worked for the S.C. Employment Commission from 2006 to 2009, and is an adjunct instructor for Limestone and Virginia
colleges. He received his bachelor’s degree
from the University of South Carolina and
masters degree in human resource management from Webster University. Murphy, who
also has a master of divinity degree from
Shaw University Divinity School, has served
as volunteer chaplain at McLeod Regional
Medical Center since 2001.
The VA Office has more than 16,600 active case files and offers a wide range of services for veterans and their families. A “hail
and farewell” day for Murphy was held at the
Georgetown County Veterans Affairs Office
on Oct. 15.
l The Georgetown County Sheriff’s Office was recently awarded reaccreditation
by the S.C. Law Enforcement Accreditation
Agency.
The percentage of law enforcement
agencies that achieve accreditation is small,
and the number that receive reaccreditation is even smaller, said Jarrod M. Bruder,
executive director of the S.C. Sheriff’s Association. Fewer than 20 percent of law enforcement agencies in South Carolina are
accredited. The Sheriff’s Office was only the
19th agency in the state to receive accreditation when it was originally awarded in 2012. “It takes a tremendous amount of loyalty and dedication to this process to receive
accreditation,” Bruder said. “Accreditation
ensures that a law enforcement agency is
dedicated to the best possible practices in the
law enforcement community.”
The Sheriff’s Office voluntarily complied with nearly 300 standards of accreditation to maintain this prestigious status.
Maintaining accreditation requires a detailed on-site inspection of both policies and
procedures to ensure compliance.
l Jerry Tancil, a heavy equipment operator and highly valued employee at the
Georgetown County landfill, died on Sept.
21 at Georgetown Memorial Hospital. He
was 62. Tancil was responsible for maintaining and operating the landfill’s compactor, a
40-ton, spike-wheeled, all-steel machine responsible for compacting all solid waste disposed of at the landfill. Born in San Diego,
Tancil was a son of the late Joe Tancil and
the late Mary Pietz Tancil. He was an Army
veteran, having served in the Vietnam War,
and was an accomplished power lifter.
l Tracy Jones, Georgetown County’s
Stormwater Division Manager, and Chip
Balthis, who works for the GIS Division,
received the county’s Innovation Award in
September and were recognized by county
council for initiating innovative and costsaving processes.
The system the Stormwater Division
used to collect and manage data required
the staff to seek frequent assistance from
the GIS staff. So, a specialist from GIS was
needed to convert data collected in the field
to a layer that could communicate with the
county’s mapping system. The specialist
would then have to make changes to the data
where necessary, again requiring GIS staff
assistance.
Advertise in
September 15
December 15
Issue No. 1
Issue No. 2
Issue No. 3
Issue No. 4
South Carolina
P.O. Box 8207
(803) 252-7255
County Focus
61
Jones and Balthis, working together, led
an effort to find a solution that would make
the data useful, because they believed the
tasks were more time consuming and costly
than they needed to be. Their effort, which
resulted in a more efficient process that
will save time and money for their departments, might be able to help other departments in the future. The new system they
implemented for collecting and managing
data in the Stormwater Division eliminates
the need for a specialist to convert data. The
data collection process has been streamlined
and simplified, making better use of county
resources and creating a better product. The
option for incorporating photos to data collected was added and employees in multiple
locations now have instant access to data
collected in the field, Jones explained. The
Public Services Department is using this new
system in many ways across several divisions.
The Innovation Award is presented to
recognize innovative and cost saving processes and projects initiated by county employees, and to encourage and motivate employees to develop and implement such processes
and projects. Jones and Balthis were nominated for the award by Ray Funnye, director
of the county’s Public Services Department,
which houses the Stormwater Division.
l Agencies in Georgetown and Horry
counties, which are part of the local Maritime Emergency Response Team (MERT),
participated in training exercises on Winyah
Bay on Sept. 15. Hosted by the U.S. Coast
Guard’s Georgetown station, the training
brought together emergency response and
law enforcement officers from both counties
to practice water rescue and search procedures. Members of the Coast Guard worked
with representatives of other agencies to
help them practice how to begin operations
if they are the first to arrive on the scene during a water rescue.
“The idea is to teach them what we do
when we arrive, and if they get there first,
they can get things started while we’re on
the way,” said Travis Park, officer-in-charge
at the Coast Guard’s Georgetown Station.
“That saves us time and can lead to a faster
response, and could help save a life.”
Participating agencies included: the
Coast Guard, Georgetown County Emergency Management, Midway Fire Rescue,
Murrells Inlet-Garden City Fire Rescue, the
City of Georgetown and the Horry County
Police Department.
Horry County
l The Horry County Solid Waste Authority recognized Loris area resident Shakedra
62
Volume 26, Number 4
Jenerette and her son, Nakeem Jenerette, as
the “Caught Green Handed” recipients for
the month of December.
“The ‘Caught Green Handed’ recognition is presented monthly to a Horry County
resident caught in the act of recycling” stated
Esther Murphy, Director of Recycling and
Corporate Affairs for the Solid Waste Authority. “It’s the Solid Waste Authority’s way
of recognizing and thanking citizens who
have made the effort to recycle. Through
their recycling efforts, natural resources are
saved and the amount of waste being landfilled is reduced.”
l The Yaupon Garden Club and the Keep
Horry County Beautiful Committee, along
with PalmettoPride, held an Arbor Day tree
dedication ceremony at 11 a.m. on Dec. 4 at
Vereen Memorial Gardens, located in Little
River. The event was free and open to the
public.
The Garden Club was awarded a Community Pride grant in 2015 from PalmettoPride for the purpose of purchasing trees to
be installed at the gardens. Members of the
Garden Club, staff from Horry County Parks
and Recreation, and Horry County Planning
and Zoning designed and planted flowering
Dogwood, American Holly, Black Cherry
and Turkey Oak trees in the gardens in an
effort to beautify and recreate the natural
character of the Olde Kings Highway. Vereen Memorial Gardens contains a 300-foot
segment of the original Olde Kings Highway,
which was a 1,300-mile colonial road laid
out between 1650 and 1735. The highway
was ordered built by Charles II of England,
who directed his colonial governors to link
Charleston, S.C., to Boston, Mass. There are
few portions of the roadway that remain undeveloped or accessible to the public.
For 20 years, the Yaupon Garden Club
has participated with Horry County in the
care and maintenance of Vereen Memorial Gardens. These activities have included
planting trees and shrubs and removing litter, weeds, and debris from the 115 acres of
coastal forest, tidal marsh and waterfront
along the Intracoastal Waterway. The Club
formally adopted Vereen Memorial Gardens
in February 2015. By adopting the Gardens,
the Yaupon Garden Club has agreed to hold
six cleanups between February 2015 and
February 2017. Keep Horry County Beautiful, an affiliate of Keep America Beautiful,
has agreed to provide the gloves, vests, bags
and grabbers for the cleanups.
l The Horry County Board of Architectural Review’s Legacy Business Recognition
Program recognized Donzelle’s Restaurant
and Hucks & Washington Furniture Company on Dec. 2 with ribbon cutting ceremo-
nies. The ceremonies were held at 10 a.m.
at Donzelle’s Restaurant, and at 10:45 a.m.
at Hucks & Washington Furniture. The ceremonies were free and open to the public.
The Conway landmark known as Donzelle’s Restaurant began in 1962 by Willard
“Dick” Dickerson and his wife Donzelle
Dickerson. Hucks & Washington Furniture
Company was founded in 1946 by Curtis
Hucks and his nephew, Sam Washington. The Horry County Legacy Business
Recognition Program pays tribute to local
businesses that have contributed to the economic heritage of Horry County for more
than 50 continuous years.
Donzelle’s Restaurant is located at
1703 Main St. Hucks & Washington Furniture Company is located at 1506 Main Street
(both in Conway).
l After a national search, Joseph Tanner,
Fire Chief/Emergency Management Director for the City of Georgetown, was selected
as the new Horry County Fire/Rescue Chief.
He began his employment with Horry County on Dec. 7, 2015.
“The selection committee was focused
on numerous factors, especially strong management principles,” stated Horry County
Administrator Chris Eldridge. “We are very
pleased with our selection, as he possesses all
of the qualities that we were looking for to be
part of our leadership team. Tanner comes to
Horry County with an understanding of our
area and the ongoing challenges we face as
a growing community. He brings the strong
leadership and management skills needed
to provide effective fire/rescue services to
our citizens and will be instrumental in collaborating with internal and external departments/agencies.”
Tanner, who has been the Fire Chief/
Emergency Management Director for the
City of Georgetown since 1984, is well respected among his colleagues throughout
the state. Tanner replaces former fire/rescue
Chief Fred Crosby who left the department
in May 2015.
l The Horry County Board of Architectural Review’s Legacy Business Recognition
Program recognized Peaches Corner at 11
a.m. on Oct. 23 with a ribbon cutting ceremony. The Myrtle Beach landmark, known
as Peaches Corner, located at 900 N. Ocean
Blvd. in Myrtle Beach, has remained a symbol of summer for visitors and locals since it
opened its doors 78 years ago. The restaurant, originally known as the Atlantic Ale
House, was started by Lillian Justice Peach
in 1937. The location had previously been
used as a bath house, because of its close
proximity to the Old Myrtle Beach Pavilion
and the beach. In 1943, the restaurant was
Counties and County Seats
of South Carolina
purchased by Johnny and Eunice Burroughs.
They decided to keep the established name
“Peaches.” Ownership of the restaurant was
passed down to the Burroughs’s daughter,
Pamela Crutchfield, who managed the restaurant until the past decade when her sonin-law, Briggs Dickerson, took over as restaurant manager. The Horry County Legacy
Business Recognition Program pays tribute
to local businesses that have contributed to
the economic heritage of Horry County for
more than 50-continuous years.
lThe Horry County Solid Waste Authority recognized Mike Litzregand and his
daughter, Maddyn, as the “Caught Green
Handed” recipients for the month of August.
“The ‘Caught Green Handed’ recognition
is presented monthly to a Horry County
resident caught in the act of recycling,” said
Esther Murphy, Director of Recycling and
Corporate Affairs for the Solid Waste Authority. “It’s the Solid Waste Authority’s way
of recognizing and thanking citizens who
have made the effort to recycle. Through
their recycling efforts, natural resources are
saved and the amount of waste being landfilled is reduced.”
Richland County
lRichland County recently filled three
key positions by hiring two employees to
oversee public safety initiatives and economic development for the county, and tapping a
longtime employee to be the first new Richland County Assessor in nearly 40 years:
Kevin Bronson, Assistant County Administrator for Public Safety, comes to his
new role with 15 years of municipal work
experience within South Carolina. He served
as the Assistant City Administrator for the
City of Orangeburg, the City Manager for
the City of Camden and most recently as the
General Services Administrator for the City
of Rock Hill.
Jeffrey Ruble, Economic Development
Director, was most recently the vice president of global business development for the
South Carolina Power Team, which represents the economic development interests
of Santee Cooper and the state’s 20 electric
cooperatives. In his new role with Richland
County, he will lead efforts to recruit new industries and assist companies already located
in the County with expansions.
Liz McDonald, County Assessor, began
her career at the Richland County Assessor’s
Office in 1999 when she was first hired as
an appraiser. In 2014, she earned the highest certification available in her field: Cer-
County Focus
63
tified General Mass Appraiser. McDonald
has served as interim Assessor since former
Richland County Assessor John Cloyd re-
tired in January 2015 after 37 years, becoming the longest serving assessor in state history.
l R i c h l a n d
County introduced
a colorful new logo
that highlights the
“Uniquely
Urban...Uniquely Rural” tagline used by
the county for several years. The new
logo pays homage
to the county’s agricultural roots and
envisions a bright
future with images that represent
both the urban
and rural aspects
of the county. The
new logo also celebrates the county’s
PROVIDING
ENRICHING
natural resources
ADVOCATING
EXCHANGING
solutions for
public
and its status as
for counties
ideas and
cost-savings,
awareness
home to the state
before Congress efficiency and
building
of county
capital. The new
and the
new skills
quality services
government
logo, which will be
Administration
used for marketing
888.407.NACo (6226) | www.NACo.org
county-sponsored
events and projects, complements
STRONGER
COUNTIES.
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION of COUNTIES
STRONGER AMERICA.
the official county
NACo UNITES AMERICA’S 3,069 COUNTIES
seal that also features the image of the State
House.
l Richland County recently published
a new guidebook for residents and visitors.
About Richland: An Amazingly Cool County
is full of information about tourist attractions, local government, area history, annual
events, elected officials, shopping, entertainment, school districts, business and economy,
recreation, the military and more. A limited
supply of hard copies are available at various
locations throughout the county, such as the
public library and visitors bureau. The guidebook also can be viewed online, as well as
downloaded and printed by visiting www.rcgov.us and clicking the new “Uniquely Urban
... Uniquely Rural” logo.
ADVERTISING INDEX
Alliance Consulting Engineers, Inc. 5 & 29
ARIEL Third Party Administrators, Inc. 42
Carter Goble Lee 15
Celebrate Freedom Foundation 55
Electric Cooperatives of South Carolina
Inside-Front Cover
GEL Engineering LLC
47
Hidden History of Greenville County
51
McMillan Pazdan Smith
Inside-Back Cover
Lost Columbia52
Meares Auctions, Inc.
40
National Association of Counties 4 & 60
NBSC, a division of Synovus Bank
46
New South Construction
17
Palmetto Pride
41
Pike-McFarland-Associates, Inc.
50
PrintSouth Printing, Inc.
45
Professional Printers
23, 40, 54 & 60
QS/1
43
Santee Cooper
31
SCANA/SCE&G3
South Carolina Emergency Management Association
30
Stewart • Cooper • Newell Architects
49
64
Volume 26, Number 4
The Palmetto
Directory Index
(See page 53)
LISTINGS:
Alliance Consulting
Engineers, Inc.
BB&T Governmental Finance
GEL Engineering LLC
McMillan Pazdan Smith
QS/1
When flexible, cost effective space is your concern,
are you choosing the best planning and architectural
design partner?
Offering unique strategies to transform existing spaces
or create new ones.
Charleston
Greenville
Spartanburg

Oconee County`s New Detention Center

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