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County reports progress on Daufuskie ferry operations and seeks council approval for Melrose Dock change order
Summary
County staff updated the committee on immediate safety work and a contractor kickoff for Melrose Dock repairs after the county took ownership; staff recommended a change order to replace additional decking for longer-term durability and will fund it from the Melrose Dock CIP allocation.
Beaufort County staff told the Public Facilities Committee on Jan. 20 that the county took ownership of the Melrose Dock property through a settlement in December, has addressed immediate safety concerns with temporary material, and issued a contract to O'Quinn Marine for repairs. Staff said contractor materials were ordered before the holidays and are expected shortly; initial repairs are estimated to take 4–6 weeks, and a proposed change order would expand the work to provide longer-term rehabilitation while the contractor is mobilized.
Assistant County Administrator Jared described three parallel work streams: immediate safety repairs (decking and structural shoring), near-term construction under the existing contract, and a potential midterm/long-term design and operational review of the ferry terminal as a port facility with operations rules and long-term capital planning. Staff said funding is available in the assigned CIP account (an earlier $1.5 million allocation) and that the proposed change order to Aquin Marine for additional decking and related work totals $146,650 with a recommended 10% contingency ($14,665), bringing the proposed change order to $161,315.
Staff argued the expanded scope—replacing all decking and addressing trip hazards—would increase useful life and provide better return on investment than strictly spot repairs. Committee members asked clarifying questions about scope and cost; no member objected to forwarding the change order to full county council for approval.
Next steps: staff will present the change order to full county council for approval from the Melrose Dock CIP account; staff also plans to post a project landing page to provide updates to island residents and ferry riders.
