The mission of the City of Beaufort is to provide responsible, cost-effective, and courteous service with professionalism and integrity.
 

Beaufort is a community of choice, building on our history and working in harmony with our natural environment to provide diverse opportunities for the highest quality of life.
 

1.   Waterfront Park Renovations--Construction is underway on the $6.6 million project.  Brantley Construction of Charleston is overseeing the renovations, which should be complete in late Summer, 2006.

2.   New Police/Court Facility--The City has hired LCK Construction as construction managers and Liollio Architects for the development of a new Municipal Complex which will include the Municipal Court and Police department.  The facility will be located across from the County complex on Boundary Street.  The project will be a state-of-the-art facility to replace rented space currently used by the courts and police department.

3.   Preserve County Seat Status--As Beaufort County continues to grow, pressures to move County facilities outside of the City increase.  Beaufort City Council is dedicated to maintaining the City's status as Beaufort's County seat.  Council has directed staff to work closely with County agencies to ensure that all options for facilities expansion in the City are explored before alternate locations in outlying areas are pursued.

4.  Relieve Traffic Congestion on U.S. 21--City staff are working with representatives from SCDOT to explore creative methods of traffic relief on U.S. 21.  The City has hired Dover Kohl and Partners to develop a master plan for the Boundary Street corridor.  One important component of the effort will be traffic relief on Boundary Street. 

5.   Primary Route Access Control on Major Corridors--Council believes that one of the keys to mitigating traffic congestion along major corridors in the implementation of access control techniques along heavily traveled arteries.  Council has directed staff to study the potential tools to implement access control strategies along SC 170, U.S. 21, and other primary routes.  The Boundary Street Master Plan, currently under development, will be helpful in addressing access control on this important corridor.

6.   Implement Open Space Program--As development and population continue to grow, the preservation of open space, particularly Beaufort's waterfront viewshed, will become increasingly important.  City Council has adopted the Open Space Master Plan in conjunction with the 2004 update to the City's Comprehensive Plan.  The Open Space plan calls for the acquisition and preservation of these priceless resources.

7.   Diversify Economic Base/Downtown Redevelopment--Council has directed staff to identify those economic sectors that will increase wage levels, provide training in desirable skills, and diversify the economic base of the City.  To further this goal, Council has established the Redevelopment Commission, a body designed to assist Council in the recruitment and retention of high quality industry, without compromising Beaufort's unique quality of life.

8.   Identify and Pursue Alternate Sources of Revenue--City Council is seeking to reduce dependence on real estate tax revenue for City services.  To this end, staff is seeking out alternate sources of revenue such as grants to fund capital and programmatic needs.