Council approves $7,800 courthouse bench modification after court security concerns

Berkeley County Council voted to proceed with a $7,800 contract to modify benches in county courtrooms so court reporters and other courtroom staff have a direct exit behind the bench, council members said during the Committee on Justice and Public Safety meeting.

Council members and county staff said the change responds to concerns that personnel have limited escape routes if a defendant becomes violent. "Defendants are becoming more violent," a staff presenter said, citing recent incidents in the region and the risk to court personnel.

County staff described the planned work as a reconfiguration of the existing bench: moving and cutting portions of the bench to allow a path behind the bench rather than building new doors through concrete walls, which staff said could raise code and fire-safety issues. The work is intended to allow court reporters and other personnel to exit behind the bench without passing through the holding cell or walking around the courtroom to the main door.

The clerk's office had three written proposals with widely different totals: about $89,851, about $48,085, and $7,800. Council voted to accept the lowest $7,800 proposal. Staff acknowledged that one of the higher, more detailed proposals referenced work at another site (a church in Orangeburg), and that a third, lowest-priced response appeared as a typed message rather than a formal proposal in the uploaded packet. Staff told council the project was under the county's $50,000 threshold for council-specific procurement review.

Council also amended the motion to state the funding source as the general fund; during the discussion a staff member or council member later said the cost would be charged to IT, creating a discrepancy about the financing that was not resolved on the record before the vote. The motion carried after voice vote; no roll-call tally was recorded in the transcript.

Speakers pressed staff on scheduling and logistics: staff said the contractor would likely work in morning windows (around 6 a.m. for up to a few hours) and that work could be staged one courtroom at a time to avoid major disruption. Staff estimated the work could take about two weeks, with after-hours scheduling contributing to higher estimates on some bids.

Council members emphasized the need for complete procurement documents in future packets; one member asked the clerk's office to ensure all attachments are included before votes. The item passed and staff was directed to proceed under the approved contract amount.

Council did not identify a contractor by full corporate name in the meeting record for the winning $7,800 price, and staff indicated the missing formal third quote was not required for the request because the amount was under the procurement threshold for formal council consideration.

A follow-up report or updated packet with the final contract, contract documents, and a clarified funding source was not shown in the meeting transcript.