Calhoun County, S.C., Moves to Improve Network Security

(TNS) — Calhoun County is enhancing the security of its computer network. Officials are hoping a federal grant will help pay for it.

County Council unanimously approved a contract with Verinext to provide the service.

The county is hoping to receive a portion of a $1.2 million U.S. Homeland Security grant to help pay for the upgrade.

County Deputy Administrator Richard Hall said if the county does not receive the grant, it will have to pay about $34,764 a month for the system. If the grant is received, the lease cost for the equipment is $15,840 for 60 months.

The county currently has security protocols in place through staff, Windstream and Corsica.

"With the constant evolution in technology, bringing on a team with the ability to have a managed service component allows us to stay ahead of cybersecurity concerns without the need to add multiple additional staff," Hall said.

The upgrade will happen immediately and will be funded in the next fiscal year's budget, Hall said.

Councilwoman Rebecca Bonnette asked if council could wait until after it knows if it will receive the grant before voting.

"We have to do this regardless if the grant comes through," Hall said. "Based on the review that we did, the project is a priority and has to be done so the county and sheriff's office can continue to comply with state and federal requirements."

Hall said the county should know if it received the grant in November.

Hall noted one of last year's county audit recommendations was to upgrade its cybersecurity network.

In other matters during last week's council meeting:

• Council unanimously agreed to spend $67,820 with G.H. Smith Construction to extend the waterline along U.S. Highway 601 near Fort Motte.

The two-inch PVC pipe waterline will be about 1,250 feet long and will serve homes along U.S. 601 near New Bethany Road. Three houses will benefit from the extension.

County Administrator John McLauchlin said the homes were left off the larger water extension project some eight to ten years ago and those three asked to be put on the capital project sales tax list.

"We have proceeds left over in a line item of that project to be used in the Ft. Motte area for this extension," McLauchlin said.

The work should begin in about 1-1/2 months and will take about three days to complete, he said.

• The county's 2023 audit, ending June 30, 2023 , received an unmodified or clean opinion. It's considered the best possible outcome for a county audit.

The county had $16.9 million in total general fund revenues and $17.5 million in total general fund expenditures for the year.

The county saw a $1.8 million decrease in its fund balance during its 2023 fiscal year, ending the year with a $3.8 million general fund balance.

Calhoun County Council unanimously approved the audit. There were no public comments.

• A Trunk or Treat event is scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 29 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Calhoun County Courthouse Annex parking lot at 102 Courthouse Drive in St. Matthews.
  
• Orangeburg County Development Commission Executive Director Merle Johnson provided an overview of Birla Carbon's plans to invest $1 billion and create 124 new jobs in Orangeburg County at the Tri-County Electric Cooperative -owned industrial site.

Employment opportunities will be available in 2025. The company will pay an average of $36 an hour.

Operations are expected to be online in 2026.

It is the largest single announced capital investment by a manufacturing company in Orangeburg's history.

• Public Service and County Planning Committee Chair Ken Westbury noted the county has had a lot of requests to accept private roads into the county's road maintenance system.

"We are getting ready to develop a policy to deal with that," Westbury said.

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