2/14/2025
Hampton County First Steps will be having a Special Board Meeting on Tuesday, February 18, 2025 at 5:00pm. The purpose of this meeting is to consider proposed amendments to the current bylaws. The meeting will be held at the Hampton County Library, 12 Locust St. E., Hampton, SC 29924 in the conference room. The public is welcomed to attend.
HCFS FY25 Board Meeting Agenda
February 18, 2025 – 5:00PM
Hampton County Library
12 Locust Street E., Hampton SC
I. Call to Order
II. Welcome/Invocation
III. FOIA Media Notification
IV. Approval of Minutes – 8.13.24
V. Old Business
- Health & Wellness in the Workplace Update
- Annual Budget Increase
VI. New Business
- Carry Forward Funds Approval
- Adopt Amended Bylaws
- Executive Director Evaluation
- Board Sponsored Event Idea
- Board Meeting Dates & Importance of Attendance
VII. Finance Report
VIII. Announcements & Adjournment
Next scheduled Board Meeting – March 11, 2025 (Hybrid Schedule)
Summary of Amendments to Local Partnership Bylaws
Technical Amendment – Organization (Section III(a))
A technical amendment to change the description of the Corporation from “non profit organization”
to “nonprofit corporation.”
Local Partnership Board Composition (Section VI(b))
The following amendments to board composition are required to be in compliance with the statutory
changes found within Act 81 (2023) and directly reflect the updated statute.
Voting Majority: Appointed members shall comprise a voting majority of the board.
Minimum/Maximum Membership: These provisions are removed entirely. There is no longer a
statutory requirement of a total minimum membership of twelve and maximum membership of
thirty.
Delegation Appointments:
The county legislative delegation shall appoint up to six (6) directors to the Board. Previously, the
delegation could appoint up to four (4) directors to the board.
A provision was added to account for multicounty partnerships, clarifying that the legislative
delegation shall modify their appointments based on the multicounty partnership plan approved by
the South Carolina First Steps Board of Trustees.
Delegation Appointments – By Recommendation:
The Department of Social Services, the Department of Public Health, and Head Start or early Head
Start shall each recommend one individual to the legislative delegation for appointment by the
delegation. Previously these entities designated individuals to serve as a director and they were not
appointed positions.
County Library Recommendation – Appointment:
The county public library system in the partnership’s coverage area shall recommend one employee
of the system to the County Council for appointment by the Council. Previously the county public
library system located within the partnership’ coverage area designated an individual to serve as a
director and this was not an appointed position.
Public School Board Appointments:
Each public school district board located within the partnership’s coverage area shall appoint on
individual to serve as a director. Previously the public school district designated an individual to
serve as a director and this was not an appointed position.
Delegation to County Council: The legislative delegation may, by resolution, delegate some or all of
its appointments to the County Council of the partnership’s coverage area.
Election of Directors:
No more than four directors may be elected by the local partnership board. Of the individuals
nominated for an elected position, the individual who receives a plurality of the votes shall be
deemed to have been elected.
Previously, there were a list of categories for elected members and no more than four from any of
the categories could be elected to sit on the Board.
Terms, Resignation, Removal and Vacancies (Section VI(c))
Terms: Appointed directors are no longer subject to the maximum cap of serving eight consecutive
years. Previously, all directors (appointed and elected) could not serve more than eight consecutive
years.
Additionally, a new sentence is added to clarify that elected directors may not serve in a holdover
capacity after their term ends.
Removal:
Clarification that directors who miss more than three consecutive meetings without excuse are
considered terminated from membership and a vacancy on the board is created.
If the Board removes a director, notice must be given to both the removed director and if the director
is appointed, also to the delegation, council, or agency appointing such director.
Vacancies:
Clarifying amendment to state that when any vacancy occurs, the vacancy must timely be filled with
a person from the same category and in the same manner of election or appointment as the vacated
director.
Committees (Section VI(m)
Committee creation and appointments to Committees shall be made by the approval of a majority of
all directors in office at the time action is taken. Previously, the Chairman had authority to select and
remove Committee members.
Clarifying amendment to list a variety of situations where a committee may never be authorized to
take action.
Service without Compensation (Section VI(n))
Clarifying amendment to state that Directors, including those serving as Officers, shall serve without
compensation.
Compensation (Section VII(a)(4))
Clarifying amendment, related to the amendment in Section VI(n), to state that only employees may
be paid reasonable compensation. Directors, including those serving as Officers, shall serve without
compensation.
A new provision is included to ensure compliance with the new provision within Act 81 (2023)
regarding the local partnership board’s duty to submit for approval by the South Carolina First Steps
Board of Trustees any request to hire an executive director, requests to set the initial salary, and
requests for any salary increases for the executive director, and the requirement
Hampton County First Steps 