<strong>County Council’s Dawson holding public meeting July 14</strong>

Beaufort County Council Member <a href="http://links.govdelivery.com/track?type=click&amp;enid=ZWFzPTEmbWFpbGluZ2lkPTIwMTkwNzA1Ljc3MjYwNjEmbWVzc2FnZWlkPU1EQi1QUkQtQlVMLTIwMTkwNzA1Ljc3MjYwNjEmZGF0YWJhc2VpZD0xMDAxJnNlcmlhbD0xNzQ5MDY5NiZlbWFpbGlkPXRoZWlzbGFuZG5ld3NAZ21haWwuY29tJnVzZXJpZD10aGVpc2xhbmRuZXdzQGdtYWlsLmNvbSZmbD0mZXh0cmE9TXVsdGl2YXJpYXRlSWQ9JiYm&amp;&amp;&amp;100&amp;&amp;&amp;https://beaufortcountysc.gov/council/council-members/dawson-gerald.html?utm_medium=email&amp;utm_source=govdelivery">Gerald Dawson (District 1)</a> will hold a public meeting at 5 p.m., Sunday, July 14 at the Burton Wells Recreation Center, 1 Middleton Recreation Drive, Beaufort.<span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span>

The purpose of the meeting is to primarily discuss changing the zoning at 126 Broad River Boulevard from Neighborhood Mixed Use to Regional Center Mixed Use to allow design flexibility for a proposed apartment project.<span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span>

A guest speaker will be Eric Greenway, Beaufort County’s Director of Community Development.<span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span>

Residents do not need to register in advance for the meeting. For more information, please contact Dawson at <a href="mailto:gdawson@bcgov.net">gdawson@bcgov.net</a>, 843-255-2192 or by mail at c/o Clerk to Council, Beaufort County, P.O. Drawer 1228, Beaufort, SC 29901.

<strong>Beaufort Sportfishing and Diving Club will meet Thursday</strong>

The Beaufort Sportfishing and Diving Club’s July meeting will be held Thursday at the Beaufort Yacht Club on Lady’s Island off Meridian Road.<span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span>

The social begins at 6:30 p.m.; the meeting at 7 p.m.

Our July guest speaker is Bryan Frazier, a marine biologist with the S.C. Department of Natural Resources, where he has been conducting research on sharks since 2001. His research focuses on studying habitat use and dynamics of estuarine and coastal fishes focusing on sharks.<span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span>

He is the principal investigator of several seasonal surveys investigating estuarine and coastal abundance of sharks in South Carolina. Current research projects include movement ecology of bonnethead and tiger sharks, life history of bonnethead and spinner sharks, distribution and trophic ecology of scalloped and Carolina hammerheads and post-release mortality of blacktip sharks.<span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span>

Frazier’s overall research focuses on providing data critical to effective management of shark populations in the United States.

<strong>Episcopal Church hosting Open Conversation</strong>

The Episcopal Church in South Carolina will host a public Open Conversation in Beaufort from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday at St. John’s Lutheran Church at 157 Lady’s Island Drive.

TECSC is offering this Open Conversation to provide information, listen, and answer questions about the life and ministry of our diocese and faith communities.
Led by Bishop Skip Adams of TECSC, the Open Conversation will include other clergy and lay leaders, including Archdeacon Callie Walpole and the Rev. Bill Coyne, Diocesan Missioner for Returning Congregations.

The event is open to the public, and will be of special interest to people who attend Episcopal/Anglican churches in the region, including those affected by the 2017 state Supreme Court decision to return the property of the Diocese of South Carolina and 29 parishes to The Episcopal Church.

“We encourage people in parishes who are affected by the court ruling to bring their questions and concerns to this Open Conversation,” Coyne said. “This is an opportunity to engage with one another with an open heart as we walk the road toward reconciliation together.”

<strong>County Accommodations Tax Board accepting grant applications</strong>

The Beaufort County Accommodations Tax Board is now accepting applications from organizations in Beaufort County wanting to receive grants from the 2 percent state accommodations tax fund.<span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span>

South Carolina law allows for a 2 percent tax levy on the rental of all transient accommodations to help provide financial support to promote tourism and fund tourism-related activities in municipalities and counties within the state.<span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span>

As a result, individuals staying overnight in hotels, motels, inns, and vacation rentals pay 2 percent in addition to the statewide sales tax and any local sales and use tax applied to their lodging cost.

The current year application (2019/2020) is available online.

Applications will not be accepted if received incomplete or after 5 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 9. Questions regarding the application process should be directed to Linda Maietta at 843-255-2297 or <a href="mailto:atax@bcgov.net">atax@bcgov.net</a>.