Several Berkeley County committee meetings and a special Finance Committee session produced a string of approvals on grants, contracts, zoning map amendments and change orders, the county reported during an evening of committee business.

Votes at a glance

- Jail expansion change order (COP 53): approved — Monteith change order of $15,374 for a concrete ramp to level old and new buildings; funded from sheriff discretionary funds. The Finance Committee recorded a roll count on the item; the motion passed 3–2.

- Monks Corner Baptist Soup Kitchen change order: approved — $76,676.13 total. Funding as presented: $25,000 from county CDBG, $26,435.13 from Monks Corner Baptist Church, $12,345.13 from Supervisor Cribb discretionary funds, contingent on a town contribution noted in the packet.

- Nexton Improvement District assessment resolution: approved — committee recommended approving the assessment rolls for the Nexton Improvement District. County and Nexton representatives said Assessment A is dedicated to capital improvements and Assessment B was designed for maintenance only if a nonprofit operator is used; if a public entity (town) takes park ownership, Assessment B would be eliminated.

- Accommodation tax distributions: approved — the countyAccommodations Tax Advisory Committee recommended awarding $143,000 across 13 organizations; the Administrative Services Committee approved the distribution as presented.

- Justice & public safety approvals: multiple grant acceptances and staffing funding were approved, including supplemental victim services funding (SAVS), South Carolina Department of Public Safety 2026 DUI enforcement grant, 2026 special DUI prosecutor grant, and the 2026 traffic safety unit participation. The Solicitor requested county support to convert an existing victim advocate position to a county employee after federal grant funding declined; the committee approved funding to retain the advocate pending further council action.

- Public utilities contracts: BCWS received bids for the Sandy Run water main extension; staff recommended awarding to Johnston Services LLC, the low responsive bidder, at $662,585.28; the public utilities committee approved the award. The committee also approved a bar screen contract for the Lower (Burbn) facility (details in packet).

- Operations committee resurfacing package: approved — county staff presented the 2025–26 local resurfacing package using the "worst-first" method. The package includes 181 roads totaling 60.6 miles. Staff said, if approved, packages would be advertised by the end of the year or early next year with construction expected to start mid-next year; typical resurfacing contracts are 15 months and construction windows can extend 15–18 months.

- Land use zoning map amendments: the Land Use Committee approved a group of zoning map changes at first, second and third readings for several parcels (bills numbered in the 25-40s to 25-57). Most were approved with little discussion; for one application (25-43) the applicant voluntarily agreed to a 25-foot buffer with a 6-foot opaque privacy fence to address neighbor concerns.

What council members said and why it matters

Council members repeatedly framed several approvals as routine grant or contract acceptances but pushed staff for clarity on funding sources and timelines. Solicitor Scarlett Wilson told the Justice & Public Safety Committee that her office has lost federal victim-advocate funding over time and requested that the county convert an advocate to county payroll to maintain services; committee members approved the request and asked staff to return to full council with details.

County staff flagged procurement and contractor experience during discussion of the Sandy Run water main extension. BCWS staff said they performed reference checks and found no red flags with the low bidder, a company based in Myrtle Beach. Some council members asked whether the low-bidder's age and experience posed a risk given past problems on other projects.

Ending: Committees approved the items and directed staff to return with implementation details, itemized budgets, and timelines where follow-up was needed. Several items, including the victim-advocate conversion and larger Cane Bay redesign options, will return to full council or committee with more specific cost estimates.