Lancaster County ad hoc personnel committee holds executive session on county administrator's evaluation

Committee Chair called the Lancaster County ad hoc personnel committee to order and asked for a motion to approve the agenda. The motion was seconded and, by voice/hand-raise, the committee approved the agenda and proceeded to action items.

A subsequent motion to approve the minutes from the Oct. 1 meeting was made, seconded and approved unanimously.

The committee then moved to convene in executive session. As stated on the record, the executive session was requested "for a discussion of personnel matters pursuant to South Carolina Code of Laws §30-4-70(a)(1) related to the county administrator's office and the county administrator's evaluation." The motion to enter executive session was seconded and the chair announced the committee was in executive session.

After approximately one hour in closed session, a motion to come out of executive session was made and seconded. Upon reconvening in open session, the chair said that the executive-session discussion concerned the administrator's evaluation and reported explicitly that "no votes were taken. No motions were made." The meeting concluded after a motion to adjourn was seconded and carried.

No formal votes on policy or personnel actions were recorded in open session, and the committee did not disclose further details of the closed-session discussion on the administrator's evaluation. The committee cited South Carolina Code of Laws §30-4-70(a)(1) as the legal authority for the closed meeting, which permits a public body to meet in executive session to discuss certain personnel matters.