From staff reports
Beaufort County staff presented an outline to the County Council Executive Committee on Dec. 6, on the planned usage of the Federal American Rescue plan funds. The recommendations come from the ARPA task force that included significant stakeholders from across the County.
“With the knowledge we have gained over the last six months, we believe we came up with a plan that benefits the entire county and is a good use of the federal funds,” Assistant County Administrator – Engineering Jared Fralix said in a release.
Taskforce members include representatives from Beaufort County Government, Hilton Head Island, Bluffton, Port Royal, Beaufort, Yemassee, Lady’s Island-St. Helena Fire District, Bluffton Fire District, Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office, Beaufort County School District, Beaufort Memorial Hospital, University of South Carolina – Beaufort, Technical College of the Lowcountry, Lowcountry Regional Transit Authority, and Beaufort Jasper Water & Sewer Authority.
Each item on this list will require further details and be presented to the respective County Committee and then County Council for individual approval and public comment.
Public Service Teacher Loan Payoff Program – $1,000,000
Partner with the Beaufort County School District to create a loan payoff program for teachers.
County Public Safety Recruitment and Relocation – $500,000
Create incentives for Human Resources to utilize in recruitment efforts through stipends, signing bonuses, and other incentives to hire and keep employees.
Nursing Pilot Program – $700,000
Beaufort County, in partnership with Beaufort Memorial Hospital (BMH), Technical College of the Lowcountry (TCL), and Beaufort County School District, will partner to offer a CNA degree track as an Academy in high schools both North and South of the Broad River.
Regional Housing Trust Fund – $1,200,000
Seed money to create the housing trust fund.
The goal is to create new housing units, or rehabilitate or preserve existing housing units, for households at or below 120% of Area Median Income, with a strong focus on households at or below 60% of Area Median Income.
County Talent Recruiter – $200,000
When needed, utilize a professional executive recruiter to recruit specialized and skilled workers to the county workforce
Example IT professionals
County upgrade to the Emergency Management Station Elerting System – $2,500,000
The system will fully integrate all notifications methods into one system
This will improve response times and streamline dispatching
Supporting Local Municipalities through the Good Neighbor Fund – $3,000,000/$500,000 per municipality
Municipalities would apply for the funds with the County for projects of their choosing that meet the guidelines and timelines of ARPA.
A one-time disbursement of $500,000 to each municipality once requirements are met.
Municipalities could be able to apply for one project or multiple projects.
St Helena Splashpad and Play Area – $1,250,000
A recreational facility that creates a space where children can come together to play while preserving and promoting the culture of St. Helena..
New Riverside Park (Bluffton) – $1,000,000
Funding would go toward phase 1 of the Conceptual Master plan, which includes:
Primary Park Entrance and Vehicular Access
Main Parking Lot, Trailhead & Restrooms
Garvey Hall Entrance & Vehicular Access
Hall Parking Lot and Trailhead and Restrooms
Hiking trails totaling approximately 6.15 miles of varying surfaces and difficulty
Burton Wells Waterpark & Campground – $1,000,000
Create tourist revenue-generating facilities similar to Greenville & Charleston County Parks & Recreation
Reconstruction Era National Historic Parks Network of Signs Program – $350,000
Signage that lends a unified County-Wide presence to our historic sites related to the Reconstruction Era.
Innovation – $1,900,000
Broadband Adoption – $500,000
Starlink Beta Test – $200,000
Electric Vehicle County & Community Readiness – $1,200,000
All three of these projects are placeholders as the county staff identifies funding opportunities at the State and Federal level.
South Coast Cyber Building – $500,000
Partner with the EDC, TCL, USCB, City of Beaufort, South Coast Cyber, and many other stakeholders to purchase and renovate a facility to establish a world-class center of excellence for cyber security and cyber defense education research innovation and business.
The Gullah Farmers Cooperative (GFC) – $250,000
Coordinate with EDC and GFC to complete critical facility upgrades, equipment purchases, upgrades, create an apprenticeship program and provide living wages for additional needed workers.
Beaufort County Economic Development Corporation (EDC) Land Purchase – $50,000
Support the Beaufort County EDC with a one-time grant of ARPA dollars towards land purchase intended to stimulate growth in underserved areas.
Community Buildings – $3,000,000
Garden’s Corner – $1,000,000
St Helena – $1,000,000
Daufuskie – $1,000,000
There is a lack of neighborhood community meeting spaces where various partners can reach residents and upgrade existing community buildings.
Mental Health Telehealth – $1,000,000
Work with Beaufort Memorial Hospital to recruit a Hospital Psychiatrist that can treat inmates via Telehealth for a predetermined period.
Potential funding from Beaufort County School District may be available to serve the student population.
Infrastructure
Regional Ferry Service – $500,000
General Infrastructure Fund – $8,000,000
Water and Sewer – $3,000,000
County ID Data Center – $400,000
Beaufort County Regional Ferry Study – $500,000
The $500,000 would be used to study and plan a County-wide ferry service.
Identify opportunities and incentives for improving/expanding marine access and transport services, e.g., ferry services for residents of Beaufort County.
Partnership with Savannah, Ga., and other municipalities as available.
Funds – $5,300,000
Airport Investment – $2,000,000
Solid Waste and Recyling Investment – $2,000,000
County Garage Capital Fund – $1,000,000
Daufuskie Island Improvements Fund – $300,000
ARPA Management – $905,000
Hire Project and fiscal Managers to ensure funds are spent timely, correctly, and reported to the Federal Government appropriately.
