By Lolita Huckaby
BEAUFORT
Beaufort County Council spent two days last week talking about budget priorities although real negotiations don’t start until next spring.
The retreat was designed by Administrator Michael Moore to give direction to department leaders and the financial team now lead by Pinky Harriott, who became the county’s Chief Financial Officer one year ago.
Much of the conversation was updates on projects that have been in the planning stages for years, such as the centralized law enforcement center between Camp St. Mary’s and Oldfield Plantation in Oaktie, south of the Broad River. Plans call for a new fire station and an EMS station, but apparently, according to conversational remarks, law enforcement officials are no longer interested in having a centralized headquarters located there but now prefer the current operation with scattered offices in Beaufort, Bluffton and on Hilton Head Island.
County officials are now thinking the site might be good for the expanded evidence space and crime lab while the detention center, which is scheduled for major expansion sometime in the future, would stay at its Beaufort location.
The county has been acquiring property for the complex which will require another entrance road at the S.C. 170/462 intersection, one of the busiest in southern Beaufort County.
Council Chairwoman Alice Howard repeatedly reminded her colleagues the two-day retreat was for information and brain-storming, no votes would be taken.
But Sheriff P.J. Tanner appeared successful in his appeal for a replacement helicopter that he thinks can be obtained for $2.5 million, less than the $3.9 million which was requested earlier this month at a council committee meeting.
The retreat concluded with a lively presentation by county engineer Jared Fralix on artificial intelligence (A.I.) on the advantages and disadvantages and the need for policies to regulate its use by county employees.
Council members were left with a lot to think about, including how many of the seven who are up for election next year, will be running again when those budgets get presented in the Spring.
Plastic bag ban: survey shows support for more
BEAUFORT — Last year, the Beaufort County Council asked the planning staff to develop a citizens survey questioning comments on the 2018 plastic bag ban and whether it should be strengthened to include plastic straws and utensils, Styrofoam cups and take-out containers.
The on-line survey ran from January to April of this year and the majority of responses, from residents and business-owners was a strong “yes.”
A report given by county Environmental Long Range Planner Juliana Zadik to the County Council Natural Resources Committee last month showed 6,062 citizens responded to the survey along with 138 business representatives.
Of that number, support was strongest for continuing the plastic bag ban and adding Styrofoam cups and take-out containers. Recommendations included making plastic straws and utensils available by request.
Working with the Keep Beaufort County Beautiful committee, she has presented the survey results to the town councils of Hilton Head Island, Bluffton, Port Royal and city of Beaufort.
After comments are collected from those governmental entities, a draft ordinance to address those responses will be presented to each for adoption.
Hopefully the effort to “keep the county beautiful” will gain traction and roadsides will look a little neater, plastics in our waterways can be a little less.
Mass transit survey seeks citizen input
How many times have you heard “someone needs to do something about getting some of these cars off the road?”
Or “how come we don’t have a better public transportation system?”
In the never-ending pursuit of an answer to that dilemma, the county planning department is also asking for input on an update of a northern Beaufort County mass transit plan.
The response information will be used to help get grants and develop plans for improved mass transportation. The project is being done in conjunction with the regional Lowcountry Council of Governments and Lowcountry Regional Transportation Authority which operates the Palmetto Breeze bus system.
For more information or to find the survey go to lowcountrycog.org
Hooray for Library friends
BEAUFORT — Hats off to the Friends of the Beaufort Library and all their volunteers who, indeed, made the recent book sale the biggest in town.
The annual sale in the Waterfront Park raised $23,195 to be used by the Friends for support of various projects at the Beaufort, St. Helena and Lobeco branches.
The weather was perfect and organizers estimated the crowd size was larger than ever.
The sale is made up of thousands of books donated to the Friends throughout the year. Those that do not get sold are shared with area thrift stores and donated to places like detention centers.
Lolita Huckaby Watson is a community volunteer and newspaper columnist. In her former role as a reporter with The Beaufort Gazette, The Savannah Morning News, Bluffton Today and Beaufort Today, she prided herself in trying to stay neutral and unbiased. As a columnist, these are her opinions. The Rowland, N.C. native’s goal is to be factual but opinionated, based on her own observations. Feel free to contact her at bftbay@gmail.com.
