Bluffton strategy session: Much accomplished, much left to do

From widening the boat ramp and building a public dock at Oyster Factory Park to launching a new website, the town of Bluffton completed dozens of projects and initiatives last fiscal year.

But as fiscal year 2017 — which began this month after the approval of a new $36.5-million budget — gets underway in earnest, town leaders have a slew of projects left to finish and many others that have not yet started.

“Lots got done, but there are some things that will transfer into (fiscal year) 2017,” town manager Marc Orlando said during a special Bluffton Town Council work session Tuesday evening.

Those projects were broken down into six categories and compiled into a new strategic plan.

Here are some of the highlights from the plan:

May River watershed

Bluffton leaders consider the May River to be heart of the town, and initiatives to improve conditions on the river are a high priority every year. Fiscal year 2017 is no different.

The town is in the process of applying to the state for a no-wake zone along a stretch of the river near Old Town. Town leaders say they hope the zone will improve safety as well ecological conditions.

In the coming year, town staff will work on developing a water quality model for the river to help identify new ways to reduce pollution and contamination, Orlando said.

Town organization

One of the most significant items on the town’s organization to-do list for the fiscal year has already been all but decided.

Last year, there was significant support from some Town Council members to explore expanding the governing body from five members to seven.

That proposal withered on the vine last month when town leaders opted not to put a referendum on the ballot that would have allowed voters to decide whether to add council members.

Upcoming priorities include improving public access to government meetings through online streaming broadcasts and moving the Don Ryan Center for Innovation into a new headquarters.

Orlando said he expects the center’s new office space in Buckwalter Place “to be delivered in the first quarter of 2017.”

Economic growth

Last month, Town Council granted preliminary approval for the sale of a town-owned property in Bluffton Village , which Bluffton leaders say helps economic growth by paving the way for the vacant property to be developed into new shops and restaurants.

Another objective set forth in the strategic plan — coordinating with other local governments on economic development — is on its way to fruition.

The newly formed Beaufort County Economic Development Corporation, whose board is made up of representatives from Beaufort County and other local municipalities, met for the first time last month.

Economic growth strategies still to be implemented include coordinating with Beaufort County School District on a residential development aimed at providing local teachers with affordable housing and developing an incentive program for historic preservation, according to the plan

Fiscal sustainability

Part of the town’s plan for the year was establishing a 2017 fiscal year budget that will allow for renovation projects at Town Hall.

That facelift is estimated to cost roughly $3.5 million.

The newly approved budget includes $2.5 million in capital improvement funds earmarked for Town Hall projects. Another $500,000 for building improvements is leftover from last year’s budget.

The new strategic plan implores town leaders to find new sources of revenue, which could come in the form of additional fees for special events on town property, grants and further sales of town property.

Community quality of life

Parking in the Old Town historic district is a concern for visitors, business owners and town leaders alike.

Town leaders took a bite out of that apple earlier this month by executing an agreement with Cornerstone Church that allows the public to use a church-owned lot.

In the 2017 fiscal year, town leaders plan to pursue additional parking along Dr. Mellichamp Drive, just north of the Promenade.

The plan to add about 75 spaces in that area has been hampered by the fact that the state rather than the town owns the roadway.

“We are hoping to get some money from the state to help us take over that road,” Mayor Lisa Sulka said Tuesday.

Infrastructure

Removing septic systems and connecting homes in the Buck Island-Simmonsville area to the sewer system has been a top priority for years. It remains one in the 2017 fiscal year.

This spring, the town wrapped up the third phase of the sewer project.

The remaining two phases — centering on the communities to the east and west of Bluffton Middle School, as well as near the intersection of Buck Island and May River roads — are expected to begin this fiscal year.

This story was originally published July 19, 2016 at 8:52 PM with the headline "Bluffton strategy session: Much accomplished, much left to do."