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Union County Council approves grants, jail radio upgrade and FEMA consulting contract
Summary
At its Nov. 12 meeting, the Union County Council accepted two state grants totaling about $54,145, approved a $30,121 radio (BDA) upgrade for the existing detention center, and authorized a contract with KCI not to exceed $50,000 to support FEMA storm-recovery reimbursement documentation.
Union County Council voted Nov. 12 to accept two state grants, approve a jail radio communications upgrade and hire a consultant to support FEMA reimbursement work.
Chairman Phillip G. Russell II said a $25,000 South Carolina Parks, Recreation & Tourism (SC PARD) grant would fund fencing around multipurpose fields at the South Hills Complex with "no out-of-pocket match" required from the county. Councilman John Glenn moved to accept the grant; the motion passed unanimously.
The council also accepted a South Carolina Department of Public Safety Body-Worn Camera grant for the Union County Sheriff’s Office of $29,144.53 to cover annual storage and maintenance costs; that award likewise required no county match and was approved unanimously.
Separately, council approved a $30,121 expenditure from the Capital Fund to install a Bi-Directional Amplifier (BDA) system in the existing Union County Detention Center, citing safety and the need to restore radio communications inside the concrete-and-steel building. Councilman Danny Bright moved to approve the installation; the motion carried unanimously.
On storm recovery, Chairman Russell explained that countywide storm damage remains under cleanup and that the county is eligible for FEMA reimbursement but that reimbursements are not guaranteed. He asked the council to authorize a contract with consulting firm KCI not to exceed $50,000 to document storm-related expenses on behalf of county operations, volunteer/quasi-governmental entities and fire departments. Council approved the KCI contract by motion. Russell said, based on current communications, "100% reimbursement is likely," but he did not guarantee the outcome.
All votes on these items were carried by the council members present (six yes, one member absent). The council did not identify required local matches for the grants and characterized the consultant contract as an expense the county expects to pursue for reimbursement through FEMA documentation.
