Horry County Public Safety Committee Meeting - August 11, 2026

The Horry County Public Safety Committee met on August 11, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. in Multipurpose Rooms B & C. Chairman Danny Hardee presided. The committee approved the agenda with one modification (moving the inmate cost update to item four) and approved the minutes from June 10, 2026. Multiple resolutions were passed unanimously, and updates were received from the Police, Clerk of Court, and Magistrate offices. No public input was received.

Consent Calendar

• Approved the agenda contents as amended.
• Approved the minutes from the June 10, 2026, meeting.

Public Comments & Testimony

• No public comments were received.

Discussion Items

• Local Training and In-House Service Initiatives – Chief Leonhardt reported that since the last meeting, two additional supervisor training sessions (entry-level and mid-level) had been completed. The new training center and drug lab are coming online. The national accreditation (CALEA) process is progressing, with policy manuals being updated. Council members commended the department's progress and emphasized the importance of training.
• Clerk of Court Update – Presented by a representative on behalf of Clerk Renee Elvis. The office has collected over $1 million in set-off debt (income tax intercept) over five years and $2.2 million in bail bond forfeiture money since 2022. The representative highlighted the need to update courtrooms with computers and requested a new cost estimate. Council asked for a report for the upcoming budget.
• Magistrate Update – Chief Magistrate Arakas reported that the magistrate system is fully staffed with ten magistrates, the highest number in some time. Horry County has the most filings and adjudications in the state. A new animal and litter court has been established and is well-received. Plans for a central court complex are moving forward, with some pushback from Conway. Council expressed support and appreciation.
• Inmate Cost Update – This item was moved to discussion item #4 on the agenda but was not addressed during the meeting. It was deferred to a later date.

The committee also received written department reports for Police, Fire/Rescue, Animal Care Center, Emergency Management, 911, Sheriff’s Office, and Detention Center.

Key Outcomes

• Resolution R- -26 (Fire Prevention Week) – Unanimously passed designating October 4–10, 2026, as Fire Prevention Week with a theme on lithium-ion battery safety.
• Resolution (Fire Service Agreement) – Unanimously passed approving a standard form fire service agreement with the City of Conway.
• Resolution (Emergency Management Performance Grant) – Unanimously passed accepting the 2026 grant of $87,682 (50/50 match met by in-kind) from the state.
• Resolution (Transfer for Public Safety Application) – Unanimously passed transferring $94,500 from the General Fund and $94,500 from the Fire Fund to fund the Aware Plus public safety application (total $189,000).
• Resolution (Casino Boat Revenues) – Unanimously passed transferring $75,000 in excess FY2026 casino boat revenues to support the Little River Chamber of Commerce's Halloween Fright Nights event.
• Community Benefit Fund Resolutions – Unanimously approved three allocations: $1,900 (District 7) for youth summer camp fees at James R. Frazier Community Center; $3,000 (Districts 9 & 10) for Green Sea Floyds Recreation’s 12U softball team travel to the Dixie World Series; $14,000 (Chairman, Districts 9 & 10) for Simpson Creek Primitive Baptist Church roof repair.
• Resolution (K9 Surplus) – Unanimously passed declaring K9 Gass surplus and transferring ownership to its handler, Zachary McDermott, upon retirement.
• Executive Session – The committee briefly entered executive session to discuss negotiations incident to proposed contractual arrangements. No decisions or votes were taken.
• Next Meeting – Announced for October 13, 2026.