The next County Council meeting will be held Monday, March 28 at St. Helena Library (map). County Council caucus will begin at 4:30 p.m. with County Council meeting beginning promptly at 6 p.m.

The agenda for both the Caucus and Council meeting can be found here.

The meeting will begin with the recognition and presentation of two proclamations honoring the Montford Point Marines. They will lead attendees in the Pledge of Allegiance. 

The first proclamation will recognize the 80^th Anniversary of the first black Marine basic training group (1942) to go through Montford Point in Jacksonville, NC.

Montford Point Marines fought in the Pacific, with Okinawa being their biggest battle, even while victims of racism and segregation. The Black Marines arrived in Montford Point in 1942 after President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued Executive Order 8802, which prohibited racial discrimination in the services.

By 1949, nearly 20,000 Black Marines had gone through boot camp there while White Marines trained at Parris Island, S.C., and San Diego. At Montford Point, the men were housed in spare huts and only allowed on the main base of Camp Lejeune if a White Marine escorted them.

They were honored in 2012 with the Congressional Gold Medal.

The second proclamation will be presented to Stoney Tommer, a resident of Lady’s Island. He is a member of The Montford Point Marines, the first African-Americans allowed to enlist in the Marine Corps, and was on hand with his fellow veterans to receive the Congressional Gold Medal in 2012.

Following the presentations, items of interest on the agenda will include:

• Impact fees
• $7.5 in surplus funds
• Hilton Head Island Airport Terminal Upgrades
• Hilton Head Island Bridge SCDOT Project 
• Third and final reading approving ATAX and HTAX project funding.