Daufuskie Ferry fixes stalled. Here’s what Beaufort County representatives have to say

After nearly six months of vocal resident and business complaints — and a state legal advocacy group’s criticism — over the ferry between Hilton Head and Daufuskie islands, more than half of Beaufort County council members wouldn’t comment on the future of the ferry contract. Those who did comment pointed toward members of the administration, county council and the ferry contractor working behind closed doors in executive sessions to resolve the issues raised by Daufuskie residents and business owners.

Daufuskie residents have called for the boats they were promised in Lowcountry Ferry’s proposal, which are different from the boat Lowcountry Ferry is currently using. Riders say they haven’t seen many results from the private executive session conversations. Additionally, there aren’t public records to show Beaufort County notified Lowcountry Ferry that it’s violating the contract, according to a public records request by The Island Packet and Beaufort Gazette.

Businesses continue to see lower traffic than in past years and those with disabilities experience much of the same ongoing accessibility issues, according to Daufuskie Island council member Kade Yarborough. The Daufuskie Island council doesn’t have legislative power but advocates for the island.

“The ferry has been very stagnant for the most part,” Yarborough said, mentioning that Beaufort County council members have been more communicative with the Daufuskie Island council in the past two months compared to when Beaufort County originally changed the contractor.

After seven years of Beaufort County contracting Haig Point Community Association to run the service, it switched the contractor to Lowcountry Ferry in January. Haig Point wanted the county to pay $1.02 million annually for the contract, up from the past year’s $375,000 and Lowcountry Ferry’s $365,000 proposal. Since then, the ferry has been on Beaufort County Council’s executive session agendas two times: April 8 and May 28. It’s set to make a third appearance in executive session at the next council meeting on Monday night.

Polling the council on their perspectives on the ferry

Of the 11 county council members, two declined to comment and four didn’t respond to multiple phone calls and texts. Members who didn’t respond to comment included chairman Joe Passiment and Daufuskie Island representative Mark Lawson.

Beaufort County has had two virtual meetings with the Daufuskie Island council in the past two months in an attempt to problem solve, according to Yarborough. He said that Daufuskie Island council has also had meetings with Neil Turner, Lowcountry Ferry’s owner.

“He seems to be very, I wouldn’t say vague, but ambiguous about his answers,” Yarborough said of Turner. “He said he’ll look into (problems) or he’ll have to check with the county and see what he can do.”

Here are the council members their responses to The Island Packet and Beaufort Gazette:

Mark Lawson

Lawson represents District 9, which includes Daufuskie Island. He didn’t respond to a call and text for comment made on June 17. When the newspapers called for comment again on June 20 Lawson didn’t answer and his mailbox was full.

Yarborough said that Lawson has been more responsive than previously when he wouldn’t answer calls or email.

Joe Passiment

When chairman Passiment was called by a reporter on June 17 and June 20 he responded with a text that he was in a meeting but did not respond to further requests for comment.

When reached previously, he has deferred to the administration about ferry-related topics.

Passiment represents District 5, which includes parts of Okatie, Sun City and some areas along Robert Smalls Parkway.

Larry McElynn

When vice chairman McElynn was reached by phone June 20 and asked by a reporter for comment McElynn said that he does not take “polls or interviews.”

McElynn represents District 10, which includes parts of Hilton Head Island.

Logan Cunningham

Cunningham said that the service Lowcountry Ferry is providing is not “necessarily a service that we were promised originally.” He said that the county should explore canceling ferry funding.

“Every option should be explored,” he said. “Including, the Daufuskie Island having their own type of ferry service.”

“I do not believe we should be in the rental business or the ferry service, to be honest,” he said.

Cunningham represents District 7, which includes portions of western Bluffton.

Alice Howard

Howard deflected to county administration’s expertise, explaining that she has “no way of knowing how to judge how (the contractor is) performing compared to what the requirements of the contract are.”

When asked about Disability Rights South Carolina’s letter to the county council saying the service is discriminatory and prevents people with disabilities from using it, Howard said she didn’t know who the group was.

“I’m not aware of that,” she said. “I didn’t read that.”

Howard’s county email was copied on the state legal advocacy group’s letter, sent in March.

Howard represents District 4, which mostly encompasses the parts of the City of Beaufort and Town of Port Royal.

Paula Brown

Brown suggested that the contract might be difficult to get out of. However, she didn’t say whether she believes the contract should be terminated.

“There’s no reason in the world why we can’t get out of a contract,” said Brown. “That contract was written to protect the vendor and not the county.”

Brown represents District 8, which is parts of eastern Bluffton and a small portion of Hilton Head Island.

York Glover

When asked if the county has moved to terminate the ferry contract, Glover said no.

He said that the county is “making sure that they are adhering to safety precautions” and “reviewing the service agreement with the company to make sure that they are adhering to everything that was outlined.”

Glover represents District 3, which mostly encompasses St. Helena Island.

Thomas Reitz

Reitz told a reporter he was interested in speaking about the ferry but was not available to talk before this story’s deadline.

Reitz represents District 11, the south end of Hilton Head Island and communities up the east coast of the island including Shipyard, Palmetto Dunes and Folly Field.

Anna Maria (Tab) Tabernik

When reached by phone on June 17, Tabernik declined to comment on the record about the ferry service.

She represents District 6, which includes parts of Sun City and the New Riverside area.

Gerald Dawson

Dawson didn’t respond to calls and messages June 17 and June 20.

Dawson represents District 1, which encompasses Sheldon and the northern areas of the county.

David Bartholomew

Bartholomew declined to comment on the ferry service when reached by phone June 20.

Bartholomew represents District 2, which includes Lady’s Island, a small portion of the City of Beaufort and the Marine Corp Air Station Beaufort.