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Committee approves MOU to collaborate on First South Carolina Volunteers park; county plans $56,500 toward master plan
Summary
After public comment and debate over wording about funding, the committee approved a memorandum of understanding with the City of Beaufort to collaborate on the First South Carolina Volunteers of African Descent Park master plan; staff said $56,500 is available in the Passapark construction account and the city budgeted $100,000.
The Natural Resources Committee voted Nov. 3 to approve a memorandum of understanding that formalizes county collaboration with the City of Beaufort on the First South Carolina Volunteers of African Descent Park and authorizes staff to move forward on a joint master plan process.
Beaufort County resident and City Councilman Mitch Mitchell opened public comment urging the county to support the project and asked the committee to approve an MOU authorizing the county administrator to collaborate with the city. "This MOU requests that the county obligate $56,500 towards the creation of the park's master plan," Mitchell said during his remarks, noting the city had budgeted $100,000 and that the negotiated master plan price was about $156,500.
Staff explained the MOU formalizes the county’s agreement to include county-owned parcels as part of the park, support the city's master plan procurement and collaborate on grant-seeking and maintenance. A staff presenter said funding for the county’s intended contribution is available in the Passapark construction account and described the negotiated master-plan scope and price.
The city manager addressed the committee and said initial bids were substantially higher but that negotiations reduced the scope and price to roughly $156,000 for a conceptual master plan. He emphasized that the project includes a strong historical-interpretation component and said historians and experts are needed to ensure historical materials are accurate.
Several members questioned paragraph 2 of the draft MOU because it both states the MOU "does not obligate county or city funds" and then lists the intended contributions ($100,000 by the city and $56,500 by the county). One member moved to delete the portion of that paragraph after the first sentence to remove the specific funding amounts from the MOU; the amendment failed on a voice vote. The committee then voted on the resolution that includes the MOU; the resolution carried after debate about whether final expenditures would require separate administrative or council approval.
The committee did not appropriate funds directly at the meeting; staff said the $56,500 is below the council-level appropriation threshold and can be authorized at the staff/administrator level from the Passapark construction account if the administrator and staff proceed.
