Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the County Budget And Services topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Kershaw County council approves multiple measures, authorizes emergency jail medical contract
Summary
At its April 8 meeting Kershaw County Council approved first reading of a fire-hydrant requirement for some minor subdivisions, agreed to convey a water main to the regional water authority, awarded park construction and rehabilitation bids, and authorized an emergency procurement for jail medical services. Council also adopted two proclamations.
Kershaw County Council on April 8 voted on a series of ordinances, project contracts and a short-term emergency procurement after an executive session.
The council unanimously approved first reading of an ordinance to require installation of fire hydrants for certain minor subdivisions where sufficient water flow exists. The measure was introduced by county staff on the recommendation of the fire chief and will return with full legislative findings at second reading. Planning staff clarified the rule would apply where water system pressure and fire-flow capacity already exist and would not force developers to extend water lines into areas lacking flow.
Council also approved conveying a water main that serves the Governors Hill Industrial Park to the Kershaw and Lee Regional Water Authority. County staff said the line was constructed using grant funds, the county holds limited stake in the infrastructure and no customers were connected until Prestige Food located in the park in 2021.
On capital projects the council accepted the low bid for the KC West Park driveway and parking lot and approved a contractor to rehabilitate the baseball fields at Boyd Young and Copeland parks. Staff said those bids fit available project funding from ARPA and health-district allocations and that some recreation projects remain underway.
After a closed-session legal and contractual briefing under S.C. Code §30-4-70, the council voted to authorize the county administrator to enter an emergency procurement to retain Advanced Correctional Healthcare (doing business as ACH) for inmate health services at the Kershaw County Detention Center while staff readies a formal procurement for a longer-term contract. Staff said the urgent action prevented a costlier emergency alternative.
Staff presented numbers for the ACH engagement: the administrator reported the initial deployment will cost roughly $104,000 per month during the first 90 days to stand up services, and that thereafter the contract rate would be $69,000 per month — about $9,000 more than the countys current monthly cost but substantially less than other immediate alternatives staff had identified. Council members described the move as a stopgap while a full request-for-proposal is prepared for the next fiscal year.
The council also adopted proclamations recognizing April as National Child Abuse Prevention Month and honoring the life of Mary Elizabeth Mulligan; both proclamations were approved unanimously by members present.
All recorded motions were approved by unanimous voice or hand vote among those council members present.
