Award Winners Showcase Creative Solutions to Common County Issues
Charleston County was honored for its innovative approach to addressing poll worker staffing shortages with the 2023 SC Association of Counties’ J. Mitchell Graham Memorial Award.
Barnwell, Aiken, Beaufort, Dorchester, and Hampton counties received the Barrett Lawrimore Memorial Regional Cooperation Award for their collective efforts in putting out a landfill fire in two days with no injuries.
These counties as well as four honorable mention recipients and all entrants to the 2023 SCAC Awards were recognized during the Association’s Annual Conference general session Aug. 2 in Isle of Palms.
Meet the J. Mitchell Graham Memorial Award Winner and Honorable Mention Honorees
Charleston County’s “Adopt a Polling Location” and “Day for Democracy” programs were honored for their creative strategy for solving a prevalent issue facing governments across the nation.
“Access to polling locations and voter confidence in elections are two top priorities at Charleston County Government. I'd like to commend staff at the Board of Elections and Voter Registration for this outstanding initiative,” said Charleston County Council Chairman Herb Sass. “Adequate staffing at polling locations cuts down on wait times and I'm proud to see our community partners play a critical role in elections as well."
The Adopt a Polling Location initiative offered opportunities for nonpartisan community organizations to adopt a polling location on Election Day 2022, and each group’s staff served as poll workers. Pay was donated to a local nonprofit organization of the group’s choice. The companion Day for Democracy offered Charleston County employees the chance to serve their community by working at a voting site and earning poll worker pay in addition to county pay.
Honorable mentions were awarded to Dorchester and York counties in the over 150,000 population category, Oconee County in the 50,000-100,000-population category, and Calhoun County in the under 50,000-population category.
Dorchester County promoted hurricane preparedness messages through a partnership with local Tradesman Brewing Company to create the “Know Your Zone” beer including a QR code on the can connecting citizens to evacuation routes and safety tips.
“Receiving this recognition from SCAC is a tremendous honor. It highlights the dedication and hard work put in by our entire team to develop new ways to reach residents with hurricane preparedness information,” said Dorchester County Council Chairman Todd Friddle. “We hope that other organizations can use this approach as an example to incorporate creative strategies that engage and interest their residents so that together we all become a stronger and more prepared community.”
York County’s effort to preserve 1,900 acres of woods, ponds and fields as a park for residents and visitors called Catawba Bend Preserve will make a lasting impact on citizens and the community far into the future.
“Catawba Bend is a very rare property, boasting over five miles of pristine riverfront along the Catawba River and is home to diverse native landscapes and ecosystems. Once slated for private access and development, as a result of York County’s bold vision, innovative planning, and county-wide engagement, Catawba Bend is now an asset for all citizens to enjoy,” said York County Chairwoman Christi Cox. “The Preserve will now be developed pursuant to a community driven masterplan, and its acquisition was funded responsibly through existing tax revenue streams.”
Oconee County focused on improving primary healthcare, addiction recovery and mental health support for residents with a variety of partnerships to offer little to no cost services for those in need.
“We have learned that placing mental healthcare professionals in key areas has proven to have a positive impact on our citizens and has expanded awareness for those suffering from mental health issues,” said Oconee County Administrator Amanda F. Brock. “This approach has helped address mental health as ‘healthcare’ and lessen the stigma surrounding mental healthcare.”
Calhoun County’s Community Paramedicine Program focused on providing medical care for underserved and vulnerable citizens, preventing unnecessary emergency department visits and maximizing ambulance resources.
“This recognition continues to validate the great work that’s being done by our EMS Department to help the citizens in our community,” said County Administrator John McLauchlin. “The program, while still in its infancy, is already showing great results. We strive to continue offering these services while collaborating to offer more.”
Five Counties Honored for Teamwork in Putting Out Fire Quickly, Safely
On May, 15, 2022, the Barnwell County landfill caught on fire, and six local fire departments worked to extinguish the blaze. However, the fire returned the next day, and Barnwell County Emergency Management worked quickly to secure assistance in workforce and resources such as bulldozers and dump trucks from other counties and state agencies to stop the fire with dirt.
Landfill fires often take months to put out, according to officials. Having the knowledge and ability to access needed resources from regional partnerships so quickly made a key difference in Barnwell County. Barnwell, Aiken, Beaufort, Dorchester, and Hampton counties received the 2023 Barrett Lawrimore Memorial Regional Cooperation Award for their teamwork.
“We also learned the importance of technology in the process of getting this fire under control. The Civil Air Patrol provided a drone with infrared cameras to see under the dirt to identify hot spots underground,” said Barnwell County Emergency Operations Center Manager Roger Riley. “This enabled us to place dirt only on those areas that were still a potential issue. The impact of this project was a benefit to all our citizens as we were able to contain the amount of burning pollution to a minimal amount. I am honored our county was recognized for this effort, but the main point of sharing our work is to give others ideas or solutions to similar problems they may face.”
SCAC’s annual awards—the J. Mitchell Graham Memorial Award and Barrett Lawrimore Memorial Regional Cooperation Award—recognize top innovative projects completed by counties in the past fiscal year. The winners represent the best qualities of local governance—attention to details, service to citizens, efficient use of tax dollars, and improvement in the quality of life. Projects are judged on written entries and 10-minute oral presentations before a panel of judges. The competition was held before a panel of judges in May at SCETV.
See videos of all presentations and project summaries at https://www.sccounties.org/awards.