Full meeting transcript - May 3, 2022

» Okay, we are live and we are now called to order. We have a quorum. Mr. Connell is on a deposition and won't be back. And so with that, I'll just lead us in invocation and pledge of allegiance. Would you please stand? Heavenly Father, we adore and worship you and invoke your presence here today to help us through this very important transition between administrators. And we know you'll be present in all our deliberations And we know that you'll give us both wisdom and guidance and all to the glory and honor of your son, our Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen. Amen. And join me in the pledge. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, one nation. Thank you very much, everybody. Can we have a, let's see, we have the agenda in front of you.

» Can we have a motion to approve the agenda? So moved. Second. And we have a first from Mr. Gardner, a second from Mr. Tucker. It's a single item, new business, it's a process to be used in the search for candidates for Kershaw County Administrator. There is, I don't believe, a tab associated with this, is there, Mary? Oh, there was a tab. It's on your electronic books. The electronic book had three items in it. One was the job description.

» Secondly was, thank you, secondly was the performance items that are associated with the administrator and thirdly was an organizational chart and if you all haven't seen us Mary I think maybe you can put that in the boxes for everybody with that I'm looking for a motion in which we would move forward with a process which begins by a selection of some HR agencies to help us choose search and find and choose I look to mr. Tucker to bring the motion in sir yes So I'd like to make a motion that we go on executive session for the process of search of a new candidate as administrator, and also would state my motion that there will probably be a vote following executive session. All right. Can we have a second? Second. And this is a personnel matter? Yes, sir, it is.

» Would we need the administrator there for that? I would like to include him, and we can always dismiss him if not needed once we get to that part. Do you see a lengthy executive session? No, sir. All right. Any further discussion? Yes. Yeah, Mr. Jones. I really have a little bit of problems going into executive session to discuss the process. I think the process should not be, I don't think it's warranted for an executive session. I think if we're going to be talking about an individual personnel, then we need to be in executive session. Mr. DuBose, can you come up, Mr. Jones? We're talking about an executive session. Thanks, Jimmy. I'm sorry. Thank you. Mr. DuBose, maybe you can give us your legal opinion on this.

» we're talking about going into a motion that's made to go into executive session to talk about the process we're going to use to hire and search for an administrator. And I'm just, I'm having a little bit of difficulties understanding how we can do that. I feel like we should be having the discussion in open session about the process. And then when we get down to individuals, even like with an interim, if we don't get down with names on the individual, we go into executive session. But to talk about or to discuss the process should be done in open session. Well, you can go into an executive session for personnel, contractual, legal advice, industrial development, and I just said contractual matters. But this is not a contractual matter.

» You have to have to fit under one of those categories. This is for a search, a process for the search of an administrator. Well, the process per se, how you can go about it, might not fit in any of those categories. Wait a minute, let him finish that. But if you can talk about a contract. Yes, we are. Contractual obligation for a search then yes, that would be appropriate.

» Yes, and that's why I invited also the administrator in you were here at the time But you were invited in as well, and we would dismiss you at the appropriate time But we are going to talk about some contractual matters And then we're going to come out here and we can discuss Anything that my colleagues want to discuss further detail There's nothing to hide from the public, but there's certain matters that I think the public is not privy to at this time. In which that's part of the contractual matter. - Yeah, so any action, of course, would be an open session. - Yes. - Mr. Tucker, you're correct. So any action taken as a result of it would be an open session, and then, of course, that would be subject to people having any comments or questions they want. - Correct. - Yes. - Yes.

» - So, thank you, Mr. Tucker. So I asked the question to go in executive session to discuss the process. - Well, Mr. Tucker indicates that he wants who made the motion I did mr. Tucker made the motion and mr. Tucker indicates that he wants to go in executive session to discuss the contractual framework to be used in the search for a candidate absolutely then when you went out of executive session mr. Tucker has indicated I will make a motion to the following process and then that motion would be subject to an open discussion by counsel absolutely thank you so under those confines mr. Tucker you're correct thank you sir other discussion excuse me so you're saying I was incorrect okay I think mr. Jones I did not mr.

» Tucker defined what he was going to talk about I was right no I wasn't incorrect what happened was you know the contractuals why we can do it thank you but I was correct on what I said Mary we had two other items that were to be brought today do you have those pay scale contract I think the stuff that was on the tablet is not on tablet the three items on the tablet again were job description performance measures and organizational chart Mary you can have those somewhere you know we can meet you in the room if that's what those would be discussed in open session wouldn't they let's see an executive session y'all may have a different view i don't know uh i think organizational chart uh yeah oh yeah those three would be absolutely that's that's what i told me they would be an open absolutely r

» ight jimmy thank you um secondly i would say i've asked the admin the uh the legal attorney to help us a bit on comps you know how pay scales and so on he has not completed that yet but we would look at comparable pay as a part of this process further downstream i think that's your intent right yes thank you mr tucker um are we going to be talking about the process for an interim as well because the under home rule we have to have absolutely yeah we have to have a county administrator absolutely but that will not be voted this time no no no i'm just saying you need to put that on the agenda for next time yeah okay great i hear that sir and i was just going to say mr jones i I appreciate your concern, because I share that.

» There's nothing more frustrating to the public than for them to come or listen in on what they're gonna do, and then we just go, boom, executive session. So I think this dialogue is good, because it helps inform the public. But I know for me, I know one of the reasons I would prefer to go to an executive session is, I know for me, just to try to figure out where we are. There may be some things that come up, names and services that come up, that we just need to discuss in executive session. and a lot of it pertains to the process, not just the process of who do we, what firm do we go with, but with you, I have the concern too about the interim because under home rule, we do need to act on that quickly, so.

» - Well, thank you for those words, and you had the contract was where I'm in agreement, but the thing I'm thinking about too, David, is that, Mr. Snodgrass, is that under home rule, we have to have a county administrator, and even though they may be named the interim, they still have full control of this county. They still have full authority to do. We can't put limits on the interim because the interim is the county administrator, but it's just an interim. Am I correct on that, Mr. Bowes? - You're correct. The county administrator is the county administrator. - Correct. - By any name. - Yeah. Well, I've been looking for Mr. Jones and Mr. Tucker to help us through this process. This is your second time through such a thing, Jimmy? You've done one for sure, and there he said it.

» - It's my third. - Yeah, and you've done one, two, three. Yes, this is my fourth. Okay. Well, I think we're ready to call the question. All those in favor, signify by raising your hand. And it's unanimous. Let's go into a quick session. Will you mark that down for Ms. Mary? We will take a second session. Mr. Chairman, make a motion to come out of executive session. Second. Okay, we have a first and second. Any discussion? Seeing there is none, we move a vote. All those in favor? And we're unanimous. We're back from executive session. Now, Mr. Tucker, I defer to you, sir. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and my colleagues.

» At this time, I would like to make a motion that we approve that the staff administration combined a list for the process of, not for a lack of words, for a lack of words of headhunters and their process to bring back to us in a timely manner. Second. Second. For Mr. Gardner, any discussion? Seeing there is none, yeah, Mr. Jones. What about the discussion we had on the interim? That will be on the agenda for Tuesday night. Okay, but should we state all that? Yes, sir. Yeah, yeah, it'll definitely. Mayor, I'll pass that along to you. With that, I think we're ready to vote. Thank you, Mr. Jones. Thank you, Mr. Tucker and Mr. Gardner. All those in favor, signify by raising your hand. And it's approved. Thank you very much, Sammy. That was a very wise discussion.

» With that, we're ready to move to an adjournment. Can we have a motion? Motion to adjourn. a second second second mr. Gardner any discussion with that next budget meeting is next Tuesday at 10 o'clock and our next council meeting it is next Tuesday at 17:30 oh can we have now a vote all those in favor signify by raising your hand and we are adjourned it's unanimous