With Jasper and the S.C. State Ports Authority exchanging curve balls in the state Supreme Court and General Assembly over county plans to build a $450 million shipping terminal on the Savannah River, some of the seven voting members of Jasper's Port Authority say they're ready to play ball.
"There has been no participation," said Joe Schilling a member of the Port Authority. "How much time does it take to pick up the phone or sit down for 10 minutes?"
The Jasper County Council formed the Port Authority in May, and in June appointed Schilling, Herbert Tyler, Jake Brown, Milton Woods, Quen Smith, Dennis Beach and Bailey Preacher as voting members. Also serving on the authority as nonvoting members are County Council Chairman George Hood and Vice Chairwoman Gladys Jones.
In September 2003, the state Supreme Court struck down Jasper's attempt to condemn 1,863 acres on the Savannah River, owned by the Georgia Department of Transportation, because, the court ruled, the county's plan didn't satisfy public use.
In January, Jasper signed a $450 million agreement with private developer SSA Marine to build the port. When the county Port Authority was formed last year.
county officials said it would add a public governing body to port plans and satisfy public use.
The Port Authority has met three times over the past year, and has been left out of ongoing discussions between the county, State Ports Authority officials and legislators.
"Appointing that authority was probably premature," said Jones. "I'm sure they have a lot of expertise in operating a port, but we're not there yet."
Schilling, a retired marine engineer and former principal surveyor with the American Bureau of Shipping, stepped down as chairman of Jasper's Planning Commission to join the Port Authority.
"Hood and the (county administrator) have done a fine job, but I would feel a lot better with more information shared," he said.
Beach, who serves as chairman of the county Port Authority, refused to comment on the group's role.
Woods said Port Authority members can't talk about the Savannah River project because of a county-issued "gag order."
"My hands are really tied," he said.
But County Administrator Andrew Fulghum said county attorneys have suggested that the authority not talk about any port-related lawsuits tied up in South Carolina and Georgia courts.
"It just pertains to the lawsuits -- not that they can't talk about the issue," he said. "They just need to be aware of the complexity of it."
Fulghum has said the authority's role is defined solely by the County Council.
Having the Port Authority members in place now will ensure success when the project gets up and running in the future, Jones said.
"Everything we're having to go through the with State Ports Authority and approvals from the legislature, that's politics, and that's what (the County Council) should deal with," Jones said. "It's legal, and it's political. The Jasper Port Authority will be, I think, operational."