Greenwood County expands coverage of new records management system

Greenwood County is one step closer to a countywide records management system.

Greenwood County Council voted unanimously approving a resolution allowing to allow the county to enter into a contract with Caliber Public Safety to create a countywide RMS at Tuesday night’s meeting.

The original contract with Caliber included Greenwood Police Department and Greenwood County Sheriff’s Office mobile units as well as the E-911 system.

“They will add in the jail, the county sheriff’s office, the city police department along with Ware Shoals police and Ninety Six police for a total $540,000,” Josh Skinner, Capital Project Sales Tax project coordinator, said at the council meeting.

This would account for $780,000 in savings as the amount allocated for the project was approved at $1,326,535, Skinner said.

Council’s approval is contingent upon the other entities — mainly the Ninety Six Town Council and Ware Shoals Town Council — approving of the plan. Skinner made the presentation before leaving to go to the Ware Shoals Town Council meeting on Tuesday evening to seek its approval.

Skinner said he will seek Ninety Six’s approval next week.

The contract includes five years of annual service for Ware Shoals and Ninety Six and one year of annual service for the Greenwood Police Department, Greenwood County Sheriff’s Office and the jail.

The RMS will allow for law enforcement agencies in the county to share records with one another as well as share with agencies nationwide, information provided by Skinner said.

Skinner was not alone in working on the project. Danny Byrd, IT director for the City of Greenwood, worked with Caliber to secure this contract.

“Danny thank you for your work on that,” Councilman Theo Lane said. “You saved the county about three-quarters of a million dollars.”

Council also approved an intergovernmental agreement between the county and SCDOT for funding and administering the Highway 246 widening project.

Both projects were approved by county voters in 2016 as part of the Capital Project Sales Tax.

CPST recorded its third-highest revenue collection at $2,537,159 — just behind the $2.575 million reported in April 2020 and the $2.7 million collected in October 2020.

“A little less than our record,” Skinner said. “But we are still trending upward.”

The 1% sales tax has yielded $32,863,820.55 to date.

Skinner reported to council on the status of CPST projects.

“Parks are out of conceptual phase and moving into the actual construction and design phase,” Skinner said.

He said the plan for Grace Street is to demolish the old CPW water treatment plant to create a parking lot for the rest of the park.

Dr. Benjamin E. Mays Historic Site is now fully funded.

“They found a little extra money,” Skinner said.

Council also presented a proclamation to Anne Craig, former executive director of the Greenwood Arts Council, upon her retirement after 23 years of service.

“Continue to be the bright light and star you are in this community,” Vice Chairman Chuck Moates said.

Craig thanked council for its support over the years.

Council gave its blessing for the county tax assessor to begin the five-year reassessment of properties and also approved a list of roads to be submitted to the County Transportation Committee for funding.

Robert Russian, the county’s public works director, said the list is put together on a worst first basis — having the worst roads at the top of the list for funding.

Council also approved transferring $154,900 from the 2007 Capital Project Sales Tax fund to the Hydro fund to cover additional design work for the Lake Greenwood emergency spillway project.

Rett Templeton, the county’s engineer, said the project is progressing.

“We are getting closer,” he said.

Originally Published by Index-Journal on:Mar 17, 2021

By JAMES HICKS jhicks@indexjournal.com
Article Link: https://www.indexjournal.com/news/greenwood-county-expands-coverage-of-new-records-management-system/article_c7858c40-73b8-5f0f-958e-8786fac62cef.html