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<p><strong>OKs purchase of new fire truck</strong></p>
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<p>The Beaufort/Port Royal Fire Department will be getting a new pumper truck in 2022.</p>
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<p>City Council approved the purchase of a Pierce pumper truck at its Oct. 26 meeting. The purchase price was $948,928.</p>
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<p>The truck is expected to be delivered in approximately 14 months. It will replace the current pumper at the Fire Department’s headquarters at 135 Ribaut Road. That truck, which is 10 years old, will go on a reserve status, and the Fire Department will retire its two oldest pumpers, which date from 1995 and 1996.</p>
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<p>Fire Chief Tim Ogden explained that trucks typically have a 10-year front-line life, and then are used for 10 years in reserve.</p>
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<p>The City is financing its portion of the purchase price through Fire Department impact fees, which are levied on developers of new properties to help cover the cost of providing fire service. It has obtained a 10-year loan from Truist Bank (formerly BB&amp;T) at an interest rate of 1.72 percent.</p>
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<p><strong>Operation Holiday Heroes registration under way</strong></p>
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<p>Operation Holiday Heroes is now taking applications for anyone who may need Christmas assistance this year.</p>
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<p>Operation Holiday Heroes is a countywide collaboration to assure that every child and family in need in Beaufort and Jasper county has toys at Christmas.</p>
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<p>This year, United Way of the Lowcountry is proud to partner with Marine Toys for Tots Foundation, The Agape Family Life Center Hardeeville, Antioch Educational Center, Bluffton Self Help, The Deep Well Project, Love House Ministries and The Salvation Army of the Lowcountry to bring the magic of Christmas to families in the Lowcountry.</p>
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<p>To participate in Operation Holiday Heroes, each family must register for assistance at one of the participating nonprofits. A complete listing of Beaufort and Jasper county registration dates, times and locations is available in English and Spanish at https://uwlowcountry.org/santa/.</p>
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<p><strong>County hosting public meeting on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive Pathway</strong></p>
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<p>Beaufort County is hosting a public meeting at 6 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 4, to discuss the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive Pathway. The meeting will be held at the St. Helena Branch Library, 6355 Jonathan Francis Senior Road, St. Helena.</p>
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<p>This project is one of the 14 priority locations as approved in the 2018 One Cent Sales Tax Referendum. Beaufort County staff will present the proposed design for the 8-foot shared-use path on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive from Jonathan Francis Senior Road to U.S. 21 (Sea Island Parkway). The pathway improves pedestrian and bicyclist safety by providing a separate facility from the roadway.</p>
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<p>Visit www.beaufortcountypenny.com/meetings to view the information. For questions or persons requiring additional assistance due to language barriers, contact the Capital Projects Department at 843-255-2700.</p>
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<p><strong>BJWSA publishes inaugural sustainability report</strong></p>
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<p>Beaufort-Jasper Water &amp; Sewer Authority (BJWSA) has published its inaugural sustainability report, in compliance with standards set forth by the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (“SASB”). SASB is an independent, not-for-profit organization which sets industry-specific standards for disclosing sustainability information. SASB metrics encourage reporting that is comparable and consistent, regardless of utility ownership. These standards can benefit organizations by improving transparency, risk management and performance.</p>
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<p>BJWSA is in the Water Utilities and Services Industry (IF-WU) category. Relevant sustainability topics include energy management, effluent quality, water affordability and access, drinking water quality, and resilience. The report, which was officially released at a regional Sustainability Workshop hosted by BJWSA, is available at www.bjwsa.org/sustainability.</p>
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<p><strong>Sheriff Tanner to speak at November LIBPA Meeting</strong></p>
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<p>Beaufort County Sheriff P. J. Tanner will be the featured speaker when the Lady’s Island Business Professional Association meets at 8 a.m., Tuesday, Nov. 9, at the Beaufort Realtors’ Association Headquarters at 22 Kemmerlin Lane, Lady’s Island. The public is invited to stop by for coffee and conversation concerning our community.&nbsp;</p>
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