Port of Columbia begins comp plan process

DAYTON – The Port of Columbia Commissioners held its regular meeting November 10, 2022, at the Port’s conference room and on Zoom. Commissioners Genie Crowe, Seth Bryan, Johnny Watts, and Executive Director Jennie Dickinson were present. Members of the public attended using Zoom and in person.

In the public comment portion of the meeting, Melissa Bryan requested an update on the status of 214 E. Main, the former Woody’s Bar & Grill. An update was given later in the Director’s report.

The Port Director introduced Abbi Russell and Sarah Sieloff from Maul, Foster, & Alongi (MFA), who are contracted to work with the Board on the Comprehensive Plan. The consultants gave a brief presentation on the scope of the project.

Russell shared that the process would include public communication beyond the required public meeting. They will hold workshops with the Board and community engagement with stakeholders to gain input on economic development needs and data. Finally, they will give the Board a final report, a well-structured document to help the port move forward with the plan’s update.

A comprehensive plan, or comp plan, is a legally required document through the Port District Act of 1911. It is a keystone document for Port Commissioners to provide open and proactive communications with their constituents on plans managing public assets.

The consultants said the document should not be rigid but act as a guideline for the future and coordinated with the Port’s strategic plan and budgets. Requirements for updating the plan include public notice, a public hearing, adoption by the commissioners, and a State Environmental Protection Agency review.

The consultants estimated the process to take about nine months and presented two options for the cost of the work. One where MFA consultants attend all meetings in person, the second has the MFA representatives attending half the meetings in person and half virtually.

The Commissioners voted unanimously for the full in-person option for an additional $10,000, with the estimated total $50,000. Before the vote, Dickinson said the port’s budget could handle the increased cost of working with the consultants in person.

Dickinson presented a quick summary of the proposed budget for 2023. Crowe opened and then closed the public hearing on the budget after there were no public comments. The Commissioners passed the budget, which is available to the public at https://tinyurl.com/3vkmppyp.

Dickinson reported on three leases, one for the fenced garden at BMS, effective immediately for one year. The second is a one-year lease with Jordan Henderson Fine Art at the Cameron Street facility, and the third is a two-year addendum to the lease with the Hospital District for their building.

The Director described the audit process. First, the auditors send questions to the staff to provide information on how the port resolved recommendations from the 2019 audit. Next, the auditors will have an entrance interview to describe what they are going to do and an exit interview to tell the board what they have found.

During the port asset update, Dickinson described winterization projects at Rock Hill.

The Port began work on the annual planning report for Lions Ferry Marina with the Army Corp of Engineers. She described the port receiving a massive packet of information from the Corps to fill out. The first report is due January 1, and a more extensive report is due April 1.

Regarding the CWW Railroad line, Dickenson said she was waiting for information from the appraiser who bid $7,500 to $12,000 to apprase the property. Bryan had requested a more defined estimate.

Bryan and Watts argued in favor of getting the assessment for the railroad right-of-way before the comp plan update is completed. Bryan said he wanted to schedule a public hearing on selling the railroad to the current railroad operator before updating the comp plan.

Bryan said he felt the board was dragging its feet on the potential sale of the railroad land and the proposal from Table Rock Meat Company.

Crowe said they received a brief email from the operator about interest in purchasing the property, not a formal proposal.

Dickenson said that a sale of such a significant asset must be in the Comp Plan as it is the legal path giving transparency and public input on the action.

Crowe questioned getting an appraisal before the comp plan since it could take nine months to complete. She said the appraisal should be done closer to when the port could accept an offer or proposal.

Dickinson gave an update on the proposed sale of the two lots to Table Rock Meat Company for a planned processing plant. Dickinson said there are “next steps” on the Table Rock Meat Company proposal, and she disagreed that the board was dragging its feet. Since the Table Rock proposal is allowed under the current comp plan and does not need to wait for an update. A public hearing is scheduled for the Port Commissioner’s meeting on January 11, 2023, and the deal could close as soon as February 1, 2023.

In response to an earlier public comment, Dickinson said she had been working on the sale of Woody’s for over a year before the fire. Since the fire, the structural integrity of the building cannot be evaluated by the Port’s contractor because they have not been allowed access to the Eagles’ property to assess the shared wall. Progress is at an impasse; however, the Eagles’ property was recently sold, and there is hope for a resolution.