Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2009

Sandy Island ferry deal closer

Coast Regional Transportation Authority officials will meet with a contractor within the next week to negotiate for scheduled ferry boat service to Sandy Island.

For more than 30 years Sandy Island residents have been asking for reliable transportation to and from the island. There is no bridge or road to the island and residents must use private boats to get to Pawleys Island and other parts of Georgetown County for food, work, and doctor's visits. The push for better transportation was renewed after three residents drowned Feb. 18, on their way back home to the island during a storm.

Coast RTA officials, representatives from the Georgetown County Council and the Georgetown County School District met Monday to review the bids for the ferry service. Only one contractor, a boating company that operates in Georgetown County, submitted a bid, said General Manager Myers Rollins with Coast RTA.

Rollins declined to release the name of the company and the dollar amount of the bid as negotiations are pending. If negotiations are not successful, Coast RTA does have the option to rebid the project.

The transportation company put out a request for bid for a seven day service that could run four round trips a day for 52 weeks a year. The contract is on a yearly basis, and the vessel must be able to carry about 35 passengers and two emergency vehicles if necessary.

Coast RTA has applied for two federal grants to cover the service and is waiting to hear back, Rollins said.

Funding is one of the key issues in getting the service started.

Some funds could be available if the state legislature shifts the funds used for maintenance and operations of an aging state-owned school boat, to the ferry service. The school boat makes one round-trip for as many as 20 Sandy Island students during the school year to the mainland.

"Whatever we do moving forward we need assurances from the Coast RTA, School District and County that we have the funds to keep this initiative going in the short term and the long-term," Rollins said.

It's been eight months since the boating accident in which three people drowned, and no transportation has been secured for about 100 residents who live on the island. Rollins said he understood the need, but asked for people to bear with him a little bit longer.

"We, Coast RTA, the county, the school district, are 100 percent committed, and you can quote me on that, to finding a workable solution," Rollins said. "We know people would have the service sooner rather than later. We need people to work with us and understand we need a little more time so we can do this right."