Surrounded by about 20 state legislators, Pinckney, D-Ridgeland, pitched the proposal drafted by his office that he said could bring an end to more than two months of legal battles between Jasper and the S.C. State Ports Authority.
The two parties were split in their reaction to Pinckney's proposal with Jasper and its private development partner SSA Marine saying they'd consider the plan while the Ports Authority rejected the idea even before Pinckney finished presenting it.
"When a project offers these kinds of benefits, we must put aside our differences," said Pinckney, who was surrounded by legislative support from both sides of the aisle. "This project means thousands of jobs and millions of dollars to our region."
Jasper has spent more than a decade trying to bring a port to 1,863 Georgia-owned acres and reached a $450 million development, management and loan agreement with SSA Marine in January.
Since then, the Ports Authority has started looking for its own private port developer for the Savannah River site and has filed a lawsuit in the state Supreme Court challenging Jasper's right to build the facility. Both groups are trying to condemn the Georgia land eyed for the port and used for dredge spoil from the expansion of the Port of Savannah.
Under Pinckney's proposal, Jasper County would finance the project through revenue bonds -- to be paid off with income generated from the terminal -- and SSA Marine would act as developer and manager of the facility for the first 32 years before turning it over to the Ports Authority. The plan also calls for the Ports Authority to drop its lawsuit against the county.
Jasper would collect $4 million a year over the first 32 years, as it would under its existing plans with SSA Marine, but the $2 per-container fee that Jasper would receive under its deal with the developer would be paid to the Ports Authority.
"One to two million dollars a year would go straight to the State Ports Authority without spending taxpayer dollars," Pinckney said.
Pinckney's proposal eliminates SSA Marine's option to renew its contract to manage the site after 32 years. Jasper and SSA Marine also wouldn't set the port's rates, including shipping and container handling fees, lower than those at the Port of Charleston.
"We need to explore any and all options in coming up with a solution that expands aggregate capacity in South Carolina," Gov. Mark Sanford said Wednesday.
The governor's office said Sanford would continue to review the issue.
"We will meet with any and all groups on this," he said.
At about 11:45 a.m., with Pinckney still at the podium pitching the compromise, the Ports Authority released a statement stating it's disinterested in the plan.
"To clear up any misunderstanding, the Ports Authority has not agreed, and will not agree, to the compromise proposal being circulated at this time," the release states. "This proposal locks South Carolina into a deal that it didn't make."
Jasper County Council Chairman George Hood said he's willing to give the proposal a look.
"I'm looking forward to going through it," he said. "I'm willing to put it on the agenda and discuss it with council. The bipartisan support should be enough to get (the Ports Authority) to sit at the table and consider the proposal."
County Administrator Andrew Fulghum also said the proposal would be considered by the county.
"It's a little early to comment on the whole thing; we appreciate Sen. Pinckney's involvement and legislators' consideration," he said. "We've always said we'd welcome a chance to work with the state ports and this compromise is a step in the right direction."
Pinckney's plan has been endorsed formally by 25 of the state's 46 senators and 43 of the 124 members of the state House of Representatives.
"You can't underestimate a proposal by a majority of senators, bipartisan, and a (significant number) of the House members, also bipartisan," Andy McLauchlan, vice president of SSA Marine, said after Wednesday's announcement.
Sen. Scott Richardson, R-Hilton Head Island, and state Rep. Walter Lloyd, D-Walterboro, were the only members of Beaufort County's Legislative Delegation who haven't thrown their support behind Pinckney's plan, according to a list released by the Jasper Democrat. "I think it's a little premature," Richardson said, adding that he's still not sure whether operations of a state port should be left to a private firm.
Last week, Richardson introduced legislation to bring the South Carolina and Georgia ports authorities together to discuss a possible solution.
Carroll Campbell III, a member of the State Ports Authority's board of directors, said the state would have to review the proposal in detail before commenting.
"We haven't had the opportunity to evaluate it," he said.
Jasper County officials said they still plan to meet with members of the Senate's Ports Authority Subcommittee today to present their development plan to legislators.