Lexington County Council approves proclamations, appointments, grant applications and contracts in March meeting

Lexington County Council approved a series of resolutions, appointments, grant-application authorizations, an ordinance on residential solid-waste franchise services and a one-year contract extension for landfill engineering services during its March meeting.

Proclamations and resolutions Council approved three proclamations recognizing April 2025 Communications Telecommunicators Week, National Community Development Week (April 21–25, 2025) and April as Fair Housing Month. Motions were made from the floor and seconded; each resolution passed on roll call with each council member voting in the affirmative.

Appointments Council appointed Jeff Sirokus to the Racial and Alcohol and Drug Abuse Council (motion by Councilman Hudson; second recorded). Council also appointed Patrick Chambers to the Board of Zoning Appeals to fill a District 5 vacancy (motion and second recorded). Minutes for the March 11, 2025 meeting were approved.

Ordinances and contracts Council approved second reading of Ordinance No. 25-03, described in the agenda as the residential solid-waste franchise contract. The motion for second reading carried on a roll call vote with all council members voting yes.

The Committee of the Whole presented Ordinance No. 25-05 (described as approving the director rotation franchise services) and council approved the ordinance on first reading by motion and vote.

Grants and subrecipient agreements Several committee recommendations were approved to authorize staff to apply for grants: - A subrecipient agreement with Homeless No More for HOME / American Rescue Plan funds and approval of restrictive covenants for the subject property (motion approved on committee recommendation). - State School Resource Officer grants (applications) for Lexington School Districts 1 and 4 (staff authorized to apply; grants require no local match; expenses not paid by grant would be 75% by the district and 25% by the sheriff’s office, as described in committee). - Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) grant application for $133,063 (Sheriff’s Department) to continue victim‑services staffing; Justice Committee recommended approval to apply. - VOCA (Victims of Crime Act) grant application for $176,356 to continue three law‑enforcement victims’ advocates; recommendation to apply approved. - Impaired Driving Countermeasures (DUI) highway safety grant application for $108,484 to fund traffic‑officer hours dedicated to DUI enforcement; recommendation approved. - Multi‑jurisdictional law‑enforcement training grant application (second year) for $191,240 to fund security, AV equipment and furnishings for training classrooms; the grant has a 10% match to be covered by the sheriff’s general fund; committee recommended approval to apply.

Public Works grant applications Public Works/Solid Waste committee members voted to recommend that council authorize staff to apply for several South Carolina Department of Environmental Services (SCDES) grants: a Waste Tire Grant ($333,897) to cover contractor costs for tire processing and recycling; a Used Oil Grant ($50,362) to support oil‑shelter materials and outreach; and the SCDES Solid Waste Management grant (Part 1 and Part 2, $115,000 total) to promote cardboard recycling and to develop a regional food‑waste hub.

Budget amendments and donated assets Council recorded several fiscal‑year funding increases to record donated or replacement assets so they could be asset‑tagged. Items reported included donated handheld AquaEye solar devices and thermal imaging equipment, traded/confiscated firearms for a night‑vision scope, a confiscated 2010 BMW, donated election equipment (32 scanners and 1 DS450 machine), and replacement network switches covered under warranty. The amounts recorded for those items were read into the record as part of an amendment resolution.

Contracts and purchases Council approved a one‑year extension to a contract for Highway 321 Landfill engineering and submediation services with a value stated as $266,000. The motion to extend the contract carried on roll call.

Adjournment After handling the evening’s business, council adjourned by motion.

Votes at a glance (selected items) - Resolution: Communications Telecommunicators Week (April 2025) — motion by Commissioner Cromwell; second by Mr. Brigham; vote: unanimous yes (Councilman Fisher; Councilman Cockrell; Councilman Hudson; Councilman Brigham; Vice Chair Conwell; Chairman Cullum). - Resolution: National Community Development Week (April 21–25, 2025) — motion and second recorded; vote: unanimous yes. - Resolution: April as Fair Housing Month — motion by Tom Will (Vice Chair); second by Councilman Cockrell; vote: unanimous yes. - Appointment: Jeff Sirokus to Racial and Alcohol and Drug Abuse Council — mover: Councilman Hudson; second recorded; vote: unanimous yes. - Appointment: Patrick Chambers to Board of Zoning Appeals (District 5) — mover/second recorded; vote: unanimous yes. - Ordinance 25‑03 (residential solid waste franchise contract), second reading — mover: Vice Chair (motion for approval of second reading); second: Councilman Hudson; vote: unanimous yes — ordinance advanced/approved on second reading. - Ordinance 25‑05 (director rotation franchise services), first reading — mover: Councilman Hudson; second recorded; vote: unanimous yes. - Subrecipient agreement: Homeless No More (HOME / ARP funds) and restrictive covenants — motion/second recorded; vote: unanimous yes. - Grant application approvals: multiple grants listed in committee reports (Sheriff’s Department and school resource officer grants, VAWA, VOCA, DUI highway safety, multi-jurisdiction training grant) — motions and seconds recorded; each authorized by council vote. - Public Works grants: SCDES Waste Tire grant ($333,897), Used Oil grant ($50,362), SCDES Solid Waste Management grants (Part 1 & Part 2, $115,000 total) — committee recommended and council authorized staff to apply. - Contract extension: Highway 321 Landfill engineering/submediation services — one-year extension for $266,000; motion carried unanimously.

The meeting record contains roll calls for each motion showing council members voting yes; no recorded nay or abstention was reported in the transcript.