Focusing on expanding access to facilities, Council members weigh in on volleyball lease
Last week, the Island Packet / Beaufort Gazette reported that Beaufort County provided a heavily discounted lease for a county facility to the Beaufort Elite Volleyball club. The club’s outgoing director is Mike Dixon of Beaufort, County Administrator Eric Greenway’s neighbor.
After the publishing of the article, Greenway addressed the council stating he had informed members of the council that Dixon was his neighbor. He said from the microphone on the chamber’s floor, “I made mention that the person that was (on) the lease, was my neighbor. I do recall telling you all that when I presented that item to you back then.”
Reviewing the recording of the Finance, Administration, and Economic Development Committee meeting on January 17, Greenway clearly mentions that he and Dixon lived in the same neighborhood. Not every voting member of the council is required to attend those meetings and several were not in attendance.
The papers reached out to each of the council people and found that of the 11 council members, four said they were not aware the club was run by Greenway’s neighbor, Puala Brown, York Glover, Tab Tabernik and Logan Cunningham. Two said they were aware, Mark Lawson and David Bartholomew. Tom Reitz said he didn’t recall if knew at the time of voting. The other four council members, Gerald Dawson, Alice Howard, Chair Joe Passiment and Vice Chair Larry McElynn, did not return calls for comment.
“I would have looked at it a little closer if I if I had picked it up,” said Glover. “Folks out there can use it as a good argument that currently is not being fair.”
Cunningham and Tabernik both said that the information should have been said at the full council meeting when the item was voted on and not just at the committee meeting.
Brown told the papers that knowing the club director was Greenway’s neighbor “probably would have” changed her vote. She’s the only council member who shared that sentiment.
For some council members: Open access is more important than lease rate
Council members were aware of the financial terms, but didn’t have an issue with the rate itself.
“I definitely think it would have prompted more questions but ultimately, the whole point of our job is to make sure that the county is represented,” said Cunningham “So, the more clubs that we can get into buildings and playing time, court time, field time. That’s got to be our ultimate job. Hopefully this prompts other people to reach out to us and the same opportunity that club was given, we should be giving the other clubs the exact same attention.”
“The rent is not an issue because the county doesn’t need money,” said Glover. “So it wouldn’t have been, necessarily, a big issue for me.”
“Beaufort County is a very small county,” said Lawson. “You’ll have connections all over the place.”
Greenway told the council Monday night that Holy Trinity School would be using the gym as well.
“We are happy to work with anyone who is a volleyball group who needs space to practice,” he said. “To try to fit them in and program them in to that facility.”
