The bill removes the Ports Authority's responsibility to operate a terminal in Port Royal and orders that "marine operations at Port Royal shall cease as soon as practicable." It initially earmarked $2 million of the sale price for Port Royal infrastructure projects, but that was changed to 5 percent of the proceeds in the final bill.
Even though the bill has statewide ramifications, it has been viewed primarily as a local bill, said state Sen. Scott Richardson, R-Hilton Head Island, who sponsored the bill along with Sen. Clementa Pinckney, D-Ridgeland.
"Hopefully, it'll pass the House," Richardson said.
The House version of the bill is sponsored by Reps. Catherine Ceips, R-Beaufort, Thayer Rivers, D-Ridgeland, JoAnne Gilham, R-Hilton Head Island, Bill Herbkersman, R-Bluffton, and Walter Lloyd, D-Walterboro. It received a favorable committee report from the House Ways and Means Committee on Thursday.
"I'm glad that it happened. I'm elated," Port Royal Mayor Sam Murray said Thursday night after learning the Senate bill had passed. "Hopefully we're one step closer to closing the port and redeveloping."
The closure of the state-owned Port of Port Royal has been a hot topic since Gov. Mark Sanford publicly called for the shutdown in July. If the House bill passes, the last thing standing between Port Royal and a closed port -- which residents have complained about for years -- is Sanford's signature.
But there could be one small problem.
A second section of the bill dictating how the governor can remove certain state and county officials was added Thursday at the request of Horry County Democratic Sen. Dick Elliot, Richardson said. He said he hopes it won't affect the bill's passage.
The amended bill states that an officer "may be removed by the Governor for malfeasance, misfeasance, incompetence, absenteeism, conflicts of interest, misconduct, persistent neglect of duty in office, or incapacity; however, before removing the officer, the Governor shall inform him in writing of the specific charges brought against him and give him an opportunity after reasonable notice to be heard."
The amendment was a response to Sanford and former Gov. Jim Hodges removing so many board members from the Ports Authority and Santee Cooper, Richardson said.
"Hodges took about half the people off the Ports Authority (board of directors) and Santee Cooper," he said. "Sanford took Hodges' people off and put his people on."
While it can cause a problem in continuity, "A lot of people feel the governor should be allowed to take people off at will," Richardson said.
Although the port-sale legislation still has to pass through the House, officials say they're counting on the process moving forward.
"We're looking forward to redevelopment and the development of the Port Royal property for the benefit of the state and the surrounding area," Ports Authority spokesman Byron Miller said Thursday.
Port Royal Town Manager Van Willis said he was pleased that the Ports Authority will soon be able to move forward with the port's sale.
Meanwhile, the town will continue working with Design Collective, a Baltimore-based design firm, to develop a plan for the town's waterfront.
"Senator Richardson and Representative Ceips have been quite accommodating," Willis said. "They've kept the best interest of the town at heart."