ANNOUNCEMENT FROM THE COUNTY COUNCIL CHAIRMAN

FEBRUARY 1, 2021

Last year, Bamberg County Council passed Emergency Ordinance 2020-05, which addressed the County’s operations and policies during the COVID-19 pandemic.  The emergency ordinance remains in place for Bamberg County until the pandemic has ended, and is put into place to protect citizens, employees, and elected officials, all of whom continue to be at risk of COVID-19 until the majority of the population has been vaccinated. 

To that end, the Emergency Ordinance gives Bamberg County Council the authority to conduct public meetings by telephone or other electronic means in order to avoid creating a public health hazard.  These meetings are announced, advertised, conducted, and made publicly available in accordance with the South Carolina Freedom of Information Act, or FOIA.

Again, the County’s Emergency Ordinance allows for changes to the protocols in how meetings have traditionally been conducted, but they continue to adhere to FOIA requirements.  Given that just last week, two cases of the more aggressive “South African” strain of COVID-19 were found in our state, the Council will continue to hold meetings electronically to ensure social distancing and best practices that keep our citizens safe and healthy and out of hospitals.