Facilities committee advances amended waterways ordinance; delays broader permitting and enforcement rules

The Beaufort County Facilities Committee voted May 18 to forward an amended waterways ordinance to county council after hours of public comment focusing on barge access to Daufuskie Island and how commercial operations should be regulated.

Public commenters representing Daufuskie Island and local captains urged the committee to preserve freight access and to distinguish cargo barges from recreational and visitor-oriented uses. "We believe that the ordinance should clearly distinguish essential freight operations from recreational and visitor-oriented marine activities," said Mike Hubbard, who identified himself to the committee as the chair of the Daufuskie Island council and urged nondiscriminatory access for qualified freight operators. Representatives from the Lowcountry Waterways Alliance asked the county to adopt a permit process, require commercial marine liability insurance and establish a modest user fee to fund landing improvements. "We would like to see commercial marine liability insurance at a minimum of $1,000,000 to protect the county," said Heather Rath of the Lowcountry Waterways Alliance.

County staff summarized the ordinance's long drafting history and the specific edits proposed over several workshops, which include a definition clarifying barges and exemptions for barges traveling to and from Daufuskie and other barrier islands. Staff signaled that requiring proof of insurance and a separate permit would expand the county's regulatory obligations; doing so would require separate ordinance language and additional enforcement capacity. "If we are going to require proof of insurance and a permitting regime, that would expand our regulatory scheme and our enforcement needs," said Dylan (staff), who briefed the committee on the draft language and options for enforcement.

Committee members expressed consensus around four core priorities discussed in the meeting: business licensing, insurance/proof of coverage, reasonable fees, and effective enforcement. Several members said they preferred to move the substantive ordinance forward now to secure clearer authority and then return with implementation details and enforcement resources after the county has gathered data from the summer season. One motion to forward the amended ordinance to the full council as time sensitive passed without objection; committee members asked staff to return with proposed permitting language and enforcement options at a later date.

The committee's action sends the amended waterways ordinance to county council with direction to refine enforcement and permitting. The item will appear on the council agenda at the next meeting.