Committee of the Whole accepts JAG grant, approves IT contract extension and short curbside contract extension; also OKs ‘dining on the dam’ letter

The Lexington County Committee of the Whole on Jan. 14 approved multiple administrative actions including acceptance of a federal justice assistance grant, an information‑technology contract extension, a short curbside collection extension and a county letter permitting dining on the dam.

The committee accepted $49,880 from the FY2024 Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant. County staff reported the award’s allocations as $5,986 for the magistrate court system, $38,408 for the sheriff’s department and $5,486 for Sister Care. Staff told the committee the magistrate court’s share will fund audiovisual equipment (including monitors, a distribution amplifier and iPads), the sheriff’s portion will purchase five in‑car radios, and Sister Care’s share will be a partial reimbursement for counseling services. Committee members noted the grant requires no local match; staff said the county had held the required public hearing prior to the vote. The committee approved acceptance of the grant on a voice vote.

The committee also approved a one‑year extension, from April 1, 2025 through March 31, 2026, of the on‑call information technology consulting and project‑management contract with Blue Sonic Technology Partners LLC of West Columbia. Procurement staff reported the contract was originally approved on March 26, 2024 for one year with up to four one‑year extensions; the estimated annual value for the extension was reported as $120,000. Committee members asked about the contractor’s role and whether the county planned to consolidate IT functions; staff said Blue Sonic provides continuity and handles Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS)‑related requirements for the sheriff’s systems and that consolidation discussions are ongoing. The committee approved the extension on a voice vote.

After an executive session to discuss procurement and franchise negotiations, the committee returned and approved a three‑month extension of the curbside collection contract with GFL for Solid Waste Area 4, through March 2025. The motion and second were recorded in committee and the voice vote passed with no opposition recorded.

Separately, the committee approved a county letter authorizing dining on the dam that had been included in the meeting packet. That item was described in committee as routine and passed on a voice vote.

All actions in committee were recorded as voice votes; the committee did not present roll‑call vote tallies in the meeting transcript. Some items involved discussion and questions from council members; staff indicated further follow up or return items for the council where necessary.