Final Reading of 2015-2016 Budget 
Tuesday June 23. 7 pm City Hall

Work session to review 
Parking Task Force report 
Tuesday June 30.  5 pm City Hall


Events in and around Beaufort
http://mayorbilly.com/local-event-calendar/


"The best way to lose is to quit." Morgan Freeman

 
Billy Keyserling

Apparently seismic testing for gas and oil off or our coast is around the corner and the decision to move forward was made by staff who are not accountable to the public.

I am sorry to say that the peoples' message in opposition to seismic testing and offshore drilling for oil and gas is falling on deaf ears in Columbia. Staff at the SC Department of Health and Environmental Control have issued three permits indicating that it is appropriate for oil companies to conduct seismic testing off our pristine shores.

The SC Environmental Law Project,  on behalf of citizens, Cities, Towns and environmental organizations petitioned the DHEC Board to review the decision that was made at the staff level.  The DHEC board refused the request to review the first permit, but is currently sitting on requests to review permits 2 and 3.  I am not sure anything will change. 

It is a shame that such important decisions are made at the staff level where there is not the same level of accountability and transparency there would be if the DHEC Board would come to the plate.  



Cultural and Heritage Tourism

During Beaufort County Council's discussion about Economic Development, Cultural and Heritage Tourism appeared to be a hot button for Council Members. It was discussed as a form of economic development.  

While, as citizen and Mayor, I fully endorse and am working to to enhance cultural and heritage assets and tourism because it distinguishes Beaufort County as a special place to visit and live, I do not classify this as economic development because of the limited financial nature tourism jobs.   

Economic Development should drive the creation or importation of better jobs than we have now and as leaders we cannot continue to ignore the challenge. .  When the potential for income mobility is less for young people, rich and poor, in Beaufrort County that it is in some of the less fortunate counties, we cannot settle for the status quo. We must work together to grow local businesses, to create a more business friendly climate and recruit businesses that are appropriate to our respective communities. 

That being said, and agreeing that destination tourism must be broadened to package, celebrate and share our rich cultural heritage in way in which we are proud, at the suggestion of County Council, the Municipalities are leading the conversation.  Under the leadership of Mayor David Bennett, the Mayors met to talk about how to more aggressively collaborate on improving the county wide cultural and heritage resources. We agreed that the place to start is to compile a simple inventory of historic sites and cultural activities currently in each of our communities and then to rate their viability.

With the help of Historic Beaufort Foundation, the City's Designated Marketing Organization and others, I have to this point identified no less than one-hundred important sites and/or institutions in the city and surrounding islands.  The Mayors of Port Royal, Hilton Head Island and Bluffton have assembled lists from their communities. 

The next step, is to rank sites in terms or what there is to see, what needs to be improved or highlighted and then to plot them on a map to make each of them more easily located. A representative advisory group will be enlisted to do this work.  

Fortunately, other than limited staff time, this should not be a financial burden, since each of the municipalities has a designated marketing organization already marketing our areas.  What we need is to give them the package to include in their current destination marketing tool box which is paid for through accommodations taxes generated form tourists.   

This kind of collaboration is important and I look forward to Beaufort City Council and our many partners working with the other municipalities to make living in and visiting the lowcountry an even richer cultural experience.

The Reconstruction Era: 
A Chapter in World History That is Unique to Beaufort


 
Thank you Gazette/Packet and New York Times for a series of stories, written over the past few weeks,  reminding us of the importance of a piece of Beaufort's history that is unique to the world.  


 
The following is from the NYT and reprinted in the Gazette/Packet. It is written by Dr Eric Foner, the DeWitt Clinton professor of history at Columbia University, who is one of the leading experts on the period and the author of many works on American history.


 
Reconstruction's successes, failures contain many lessons

BY ERIC FONER

The New York TimesJune 14, 2015 

 

 

The following was written by David Lauderdale of the Packet/Gazette

It's been a long march to tell a local story that helped reconstruct America

BY DAVID LAUDERDALE

June 12, 2015   

 

http://www.islandpacket.com/2015/06/12/3791466_its-been-a-long-march-to-tell.html?rh=1

 

And the following was written by Gina Smith of the Packet/Gazette

Reconstruction history long ignored, neglected: Are we finally ready to talk?

By Gina Smith

June 13, 2015

http://www.islandpacket.com/2015/06/12/3791699_reconstructing-reconstruction.html?rh=1

 

IF, AFTER READING THESE STORIES, YOU AGREE THAT BEAUFORT SHOULD HAVE A RECONSTRUCTION ERA INTERPRETATIVE CENTER, IF NOT MUSEUM, I HOPE YOU WILL HELP ME.  


 

I HAVE BROUGHT TOGETHER PEOPLE TO PURSUE THE IDEA, BUT WE CANNOT DO IT ALONE. AND THE CITY CANNOT PAY FOR SOMETHING OF THIS MAGNITUDE. 


 

ACCORDINGLY IT IS GOING TO TAKE PEOPLE LIKE YOU AND ME.    

 

IF YOU ARE INTERESTED, PLEASE LET ME KNOW.  I BELIEVE THE END RESULT WILL BE A GIFT TO THE YOUNG PEOPLE GROWING UP HERE, TO VISITORS WHO COME TO THE AREA, TO BUSINESSES EXPLORING THE AREA, AND IN FACT TO THE STATE OF SC IF NOT THE UNITED STATES.

 

WE HAVE A VERY IMPORTANT AND UNIQUE STORY THAT UNRAVELED RIGHT HERE. LET'S SEIZE THE OPPORTUNITY. LET'S GIVE IT OUT BEST!   

 

Beaufort City Council to review, discuss Parking Task Force 

report at June 30 work session


 

The Parking Task Force presented its findings to Beaufort City Council and the public at a special council meeting held June 11. The report was well received by those in attendance and by the Mayor and City Council, who thanked David Cargile, committee chair, and all the committee members for doing a very comprehensive report.

The report presented both short and long-term recommendations for staff and council to consider and implement. The presentation can be found on the City's website.

 

City Council has scheduled a work session for June 30 at 5:00 p.m. at City Hall in the Planning Conference Room.  Council and staff will discuss the Task Force recommendations and will develop an action plan for addressing the issues raised in the report.

 

The public is invited to attend and comment.

 

Since the temporary test of two hour free parking ends as of June 30, 2015, SP+, the city's parking management company, will be making the necessary changes to the signage and meters to reflect the resumption of standard parking rules and regulations effective July 1, 2015. 


 

 

An Interesting read for those interested in partisan politics

Millennial pushes back against party politics 

-News-Sentinel.com



In the vision statement I wrote before I threw my hat in the ring to run for Mayor,  I wrote about where I see Beaufort going into the future.  One of my visions that has yet to be realized is making our hometown a wellness destination for those who live here and those who visit us. Regrettably, while I have talked many about this, it has not yet achieved traction.  But it remains high on the to do list and,  thanks to Mark Senn at Beaufort Memorial Hospital's Life Fit and Mike Bostwick at the YMCA, some progress is taking place.

Public Health + Urban Planning = Quality of Life

Community Wellness Programs Require a Team Effort




Charleston is making slow but seemingly steady progress in burying overhead utility lines.  In the City of Beaufort, all new development is required to bury the lines, and the Boundary Street Redevelopment Project -- as well as other new city infrastructure plans -- require utility wires to be buried. I wish we had the money get the entire Beaufort electric grid underground. But again patience is required because it is a very expensive proposition.  Read about Charleston and see what we might be able to learn from their experience.

"Rev up efforts to bury power lines"

http://www.postandcourier.com/article/20150615/PC1002/150619662/1022/rev-up-efforts-to-bury-power-lines 

 

 

 





 

 

 

 

VETERANS' PLAQUE TO BE DEDICATED, NAT. CEMETERY, FRI., JUN. 19TH

 

Join fellow veterans, Beaufort National Cemetery (BNC) Director Craig Arsell, US Dist. 1 Representative Mark Sanford, friends & neighbors at BNC Friday, June 19th, 9:30 AM for the official unveiling & dedication of a memorial plaque honoring the Veterans Cemetery Committee of Beaufort. The committee was formed in 1994 by local vets and other concerned citizens to expand BNC. The VCCOB secured essential adjacent land for the BNC in 2007-keeping the sacred promise by our nation to her defenders for an eternal resting place. Details, contact Art Foster, Chairman, Veterans Cemetery committee of Beaufort, (843) 476-6788/<[email protected]>.

 


 

 

 

 


Beaufort Orchestra Schedule of Performances
http://www.beaufortorchestra.org/schedule.html

 

 



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