Horry County Council, SWA now more on same page

Horry County Council and the Solid Waste Authority appear to have largely resolved some confusion stemming from a contract with Charleston County to process its recyclables. It is important to good government that the SWA board and the council are now on the same page.

As the kerfuffle developed, it became somewhat complicated. The Horry County Solid Waste Authority signed a contract with Charleston County to process the latter’s bottles, cans, cardboard and newspapers. Charleston County needed time to construct a new recycling facility after ending an arrangement with the firm that had been processing recyclables. For the processing, which includes baling and sending material to makers of products such as carpeting, the SWA will net more than $1.6 million over two years.

The problem was that SWA officials signed the agreement without the approval of the county council, which financially controls the SWA through budget approval. In this case, a budget amendment was required and when that came to second reading, four members opposed the change. Seven voted for it, but that was short of the supermajority (nine) required for approval. Uh-oh.

As reported by Charles Perry of The Sun News, some council members expressed frustration with the SWA’s handling of the contract, specifically the length of time in involving county government officials. For a time, the contract was in limbo. Then in September, Councilman Al Allen, one of the four who had voted “no” two weeks earlier, requested reconsideration of the second reading. By the council’s rules, a motion to reconsider may be made only by a member who voted in opposition.

Good for Allen for seeking the reconsideration. “We really want to see this thing go through so that our Charleston County folks can be helped with this,” Allen said. The vote was unanimous to reconsider with the stipulation that the contract go through the council’s Infrastructure and Regulation Committee before the council’s third reading or final vote.

On Oct. 8, the council unanimously approved the budget amendment. In the time between the council votes, SWA officials met with the Infrastructure and Regulation Committee and explained what the contract means to Horry County. Lance Thompson, SWA board chairman, and Danny Knight, executive director, pledged to provide the council with requested documentation on tonnage and transportation costs. The SWA officials also addressed council members’ concerns about additional truck traffic on S.C. 90, where the SWA center is located.

“We want this to work. We want this to be a partnership. We have the same goals,” Thompson said at the committee meeting, where apologies were made for the late notice to the council. Johnny Vaught, a council member who has been a critic of the SWA, had kind words for the authority taking responsibility for a communications breakdown. That meeting evidently was productive for both the authority and the council – and ultimately for good government.

Also at the meeting, council member Jody Prince revealed he had received a text from a SWA board member alleging misleading information was provided to the county. Thompson acknowledged having a board member working against the authority. “I’m afraid we have somebody that’s trying to tear down.” Neither Prince nor Thompson identified the SWA board person. Prince did declare that such underhanded behavior must stop, and he surely is right about that. “You need to find a fix. If you can’t find a fix, bring it right back here.”

This story was originally published October 26, 2015 at 9:38 AM with the headline "Horry County Council, SWA now more on same page."