Regional Development:
Transportation, Infrastructure, County Initiatives, Broadband-Region Wide
Chairman:
Jennie Johnson
Vice Chairman:
Tom Lennox
Mission:
Seek to help carve out a unique position for the Hilton Head Island, Bluffton, Beaufort, Port Royal, and Hardeeville areas, as being a place where intellectual prowess, meets an unbelievable quality of life.
Meeting Schedule / Location:
Given the geographical spread of the Committee members throughout Beaufort and Jasper Counties, meetings are held via Zoom on the Second Wednesday of the month at 8 AM.
Membership:
Membership is by invitation only. The Committee has a diverse mix of GIC members and non-members in order to achieve balanced input from government and business leaders. Interested individuals should contact the Chair or Vice-Chair.
Smart Region Plan:
A subcommittee of the Regional Committee researched and developed the concept of a Smart Region for Beaufort/Jasper County. This concept was presented as a strawman to the GIC Board at their February 2021 meeting. It was adopted as a long-range strategy to underlie various GIC initiatives going forward. There are two major components required to make Smart Region concepts possible; getting the Region wired for Broadband and then getting the residents connected to it.
The necessity of Broadband was dramatically highlighted by the Covid Pandemic and both the Federal and South Carolina governments have appropriated substantial funding to accomplish state-wide Broadband.
That still leaves the issue of connectivity which is the Sub-Committee’s focus.
A Smart Region is about creating an interpersonal relationship between a region and its people. It uses information and communication technology (ICT) to enhance its livability, workability and sustainability.
Infrastructure is a critical element
The plan includes examples from other communities with successful Smart Region implementations and identifies two key areas where Smart Region concepts could be employed in Beaufort/Jasper County: Education Achievement and Health Achievement.
You can view, download or print the PowerPoint presentation by clicking below:
Goals and Strategies:
Our efforts will be divided into two main focal areas:
- Broad Band Connectivity
- Regional/County Challenges
- Transportation
- Workforce Housing
- Investigated and referred to GIC Government Policy Committee
- Trash and Recycling
- A focus of GIC Sustainment Committee
- Open Land/Development Challenges
- Regional Parks
- A focus of GIC Park and Rec Committee
- County-wide Referendums
In those instances where a Regional issue is being addressed by another GIC Functional Committee, the Regional Committee has a member on the respective functional Committee. This dual-hatting keeps the Regional Committee informed while eliminating redundancy.
