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Beaufort County Council authorizes administrator to negotiate temporary Daufuskie Island ferry embarkation site during Highway 278 bridge work
Summary
At its April 27 caucus, the Beaufort County Council unanimously authorized the county administrator to negotiate and execute initial documents to locate a temporary embarkation site for ferry service to Daufuskie Island during Highway 278 bridge construction. The council entered executive session earlier to discuss litigation, property covenants and economic development.
Beaufort County Council on April 27 unanimously authorized the county administrator to negotiate and execute initial documents to identify a potential temporary embarkation site for ferry operations to Daufuskie Island during construction on the Highway 278 bridge.
The motion was introduced after the council met in executive session on matters the chair described as pending litigation, real-property covenants and economic-development discussions involving ferry services. "I move council authorized county administrator to be authorized to negotiate and execute initial documents related to location of potential site of an embarkation for Daufuskie Island Ferry operations during the construction of the upcoming Highway 278 bridge construction project," said a council member who moved the motion. The motion was seconded by Councilman Passamane. The chair announced the motion passed unanimously among those present and joining by Zoom: "That is unanimous of all who are present and on Zoom."
Why it matters: Highway 278 is a primary access corridor in the community, and the temporary embarkation site is intended to maintain ferry access while construction on the bridge is underway. The authorization directs the county administrator to begin negotiations and execute initial documents; the council did not set a public timeline or specify the exact site in the motion.
The caucus began with routine business. The chair asked for and received approval of the meeting agenda (a motion moved by Miss Brown and seconded by Council member Lawson), and then read three subjects for executive-session consideration under the South Carolina code provisions cited during the meeting. Those subjects were described as: (1) legal advice and negotiations incident to pending litigation identified in the meeting as "Cheryl Mundy, et al. versus Beaufort County Litigation," (2) legal advice related to proposed contractual arrangements and proposed sale or purchase of property tied to real-property covenants for Parcels 5A and 5B in Bluffton as part of a green-space grant, and (3) discussion of matters relating to location or expansion of businesses in the area served by the public body, specifically ferry services. The council voted to enter executive session on those items and later returned with the authorization for the county administrator to begin ferry-related negotiations.
No dollar amounts, specific parcels for the ferry site, or implementation deadlines were provided during the recorded motion; funding sources, permits and any state or federal approvals were not specified. The meeting record shows the council invited members of the public to sign up for public comment before the regular meeting, but the transcript provided ends at the sign-up announcement.
Next steps: The county administrator is authorized to negotiate and execute initial documents; the council did not announce a schedule for further public discussion or a subsequent vote on a final site selection.
