Lawmakers hammer SPA chief
By Allyson Bird
The Post and Courier
Groseclose
Tough questions from state lawmakers hit the State Ports Authority's top executive in rapid succession Wednesday:
How have we slipped so far behind Savannah? Should the SPA maintain total control of the working waterfront, or should the Port of Charleston be partly privatized? Is anyone evaluating the SPA's administration?
The port's mainstay container business dropped 10 percent in the latest fiscal year, which ended June 30, said Bernard Groseclose Jr., the SPA's president and chief executive. Though break-bulk, or non-containerized cargo, and cruise business both picked up, container cargo accounts for 90 percent of port traffic.
Charleston, Groseclose said, took a harder hit than most ports last year.
He noted Savannah's status as the fastest-growing port, rich in distribution centers.
"The growth Savannah and Norfolk (Va.) have experienced the past few years has offset the growth we've seen," Groseclose said.
Savannah moved the equivalent of 2.6 million 20-foot-long containers last year versus Charleston's 1.8 million, according to Groseclose.
State Senate President Pro Tem Glenn McConnell said that when he drives by on Mondays, the Columbus Street terminal often looks desolate, and longshoremen's hours have been cut in half over the past few years. Groseclose explained that the Wando Welch terminal sees more Monday traffic and that fewer hours for longshoremen are a result of the volume drop.
McConnell wondered if keeping the SPA in total control to the exclusion of private industry really fits the port best.
"I've got longshoremen living in my district, and they're looking for work," he said. "I'm seeing empty docks."
House Majority Leader and ports subcommittee Chairman Jim Merrill asked if the SPA board of directors would evaluate Groseclose and his staff. S
PA Chairman David Posek said this year will see a more stringent assessment of the administration, with seven points under review.
Wednesday's meeting at North Charleston City Hall was packed as the subcommittee led Groseclose down a list of hot topics.
Merrill wondered if the SPA would make public a new appraisal of its Daniel Island property, which a residents' association proposed to buy earlier this year. The SPA rejected the group's $25 million offer as too low.
Groseclose said he would recommend at the next SPA board meeting to put the Daniel Island property back on the market. But he said the appraised value would not be made public.
Echoing the concerns of Daniel Island residents, Sen. Chip Campsen said, "We could look like South Beach, Miami, or we could look like the Lowcountry, depending on what y'all put there."
Groseclose responded that the SPA's development plans call for 45 percent green space for the project.
Lingering transportation and infrastructure concerns debated at the meeting were left largely unresolved.
McConnell questioned whether the $182.5 million appropriated for the construction of a port access road at the terminal being built at the former Navy base in North Charleston is enough, when original estimates put the cost of the road at more than $280 million.
"Is $182 million enough or is it not?" McConnell asked. "I don't want the legislature blamed for lack of infrastructure."
Groseclose said that amount should be enough, since most of the money sits in an interest-bearing account and will be used over time.
But Ron Patton with the state Department of Transportation wasn't so sure.
"I wouldn't feel comfortable from DOT saying today we'd have the money to do the project without certain things falling into place," Patton said.
The subcommittee also questioned Groseclose on railroad concerns at the new terminal, specifically that track owner CSX could exclude rival Norfolk Southern.
S.C. Public Railways President Jeffrey McWhorter said only a federal agency, the Surface Transportation Board, can legislate for both CSX and Norfolk Southern to operate at the site, so the idea of access for both rail companies remains up in the air.
Raising quality of life concerns, Campsen suggested letting trucks into the Port of Charleston earlier than 7 a.m. to keep them out of rush hour traffic.
Groseclose said facilities are not open at night to receive the trucks.
"Yes, there is a problem," Merrill said, directing the meeting toward other concerns. "We all nod our heads, end the meeting and walk out. It gets very frustrating."
Reach Allyson Bird at 937-5594 or abird@postandcourier.com.
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redman1959 (anonymous) says...
BIG DEAL Glenn.....I feel for those guys that are longshoremen and out of work but, guess what? There is a lot of that going around, particularly in the construction industry. Lets have a question and answer session for bankers. A question and answer session for the State Housing Authority,
If you folks up there and throughout government would quit kissing Coastal Conservation Leagues collective butts as well of every little special interest group that comes along, the port could have expanded, gotten more business and be in a ready osition when the Panama Canal widening is finished.
August 7, 2008 at 5:44 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
truthseeker (anonymous) says...
The nerve of the politicians questioning Groseclose and the SPA.
Why is the SPA building another terminal that cant ship rail when they cant keep what they got running at anything close to full speed?
Why is Savannah and Norfolk kicking our ass ? What was the answer ?
And the arrogant disrespect Groseclose shows not telling our leaders what he is going to do with our land on Daniel Island.
Lets get private companies running the port terminals paying money to us taxpayers for every box they handle like they do out west .
August 7, 2008 at 9:54 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
oakpoint (anonymous) says...
Truly unbelievable!!! For years the Port of Charleston as been assailed by The Coastal Conservation League and their local lapdog legislators. For years the port has been unable to expand due to endless legislative stonewalling, lawsuits, and general harassment from every little group opposed to any expansion. It is not surprising that the port traffic is down considerably. It is common knowledge that international carriers look at the long term capabilities of any port when deciding when and where their cargos should be shipped. When that confidence is lost, these same shippers look for a port with greater capacity and the willingness to support their needs. The port of Savannah has made great efforts to expand its' capabilities and storage capacity and has shown the international shipping companies that they are ready to take on the challanges of the future. During this same period of almost ten years our legislature has shown only lukewarm (that is being kind) support of one of South Carolina's most enduring economic engines with virtually nothing being done to further the expansion we so desperately need to keep the international shippers even remotely encouraged about the future of this once great port. It is no surprise that container traffic is down. What IS surprising is the apparent surprise of our legislators when questioning Mr. Groseclose as to why traffic is down while Virginia and Georgis ports are showing steady and significant increases of the same traffic. How incredible stupid can our lowcountry legislators be? The loss of jobs and time on job for the Charleston longshoremen can and should be laid directly at the feet of the lowcountry legislative caucus which has done a dismal job of supporting one of South Carolina's greatest economic generators.
August 7, 2008 at 10:19 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
scgaffer2u (anonymous) says...
A poor state like South Carolina can ill afford to continue squandering its meager assets on another underutilized terminal. Shippers are abandoning The Port of Charleston in droves. Attributing this loss to a lack of facilities is absurd. The SPA's own berthing reports indicate less than 50% utilization of the Wando terminal. The other terminals utilization rates are all considerably lower. Port traffic is down because shippers can't get truckers to service a grid locked urban port.
It should be obvious that Charleston's terminals (Columbus Street in particular) are being engulfed by urban sprawl. The port has been dying for decades - just like all the other ports engulfed by urban sprawl. It's long past time to move on.
The port being one of South Carolina's greatest economic generators sounds like an Al Parish sales pitch. Why then, is South Carolina in such pitiful economic straights when compared to the majority of other states that lack a Global Gateway?
August 8, 2008 at 1:20 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
zoomru (anonymous) says...
WHOLLY CRAP !!!
Readers and Commentors....perk UP !!! THE TRUTH was NOT EVEN MENTIONED !!!
This article IS all ..SMOKE !! ..at total PUSS WART !!
Glenn McCONNELL ...you mean to tell US that your partners in "PORK"....HARRELL AND RILEY are not even mentioned in this ARTICLE !! Ha! You ARE GOING it ALONE ?? YOU DON'T FOOL US ...YOU RAVENEL'er !!!
McCONNELL..you mean that WE are just going to FORGET the land that was just "donated" by Norfolk-SOUTHERN?? THE JASPER PORT....backslappin' !!
"..The subcommittee also questioned Groseclose on railroad concerns at the new terminal, specifically that track owner CSX could exclude rival Norfolk Southern..."
LOOK OUT ...TAXPAYERS !! McConnel wants to "PLAY"..FAIR !!
Readers...anyone with a knats BRAIN ..knows that ol' RILEY wants a CITY BOARDWALK ...all the way from the BATTERY to the BRIDGE and the "PROMENADE LANDFILL" !! That RAVENEL Bridge wasn't built for NOTHING !!!
McConnell...YOU KNOW THIS and you have the "GALL" to mislead the TRUTH !! MY BACKSIDE !! McCONNELL....stop draping yourself in the civil WAR and START trying to do YOUR CIVIC ...DUTY !! YOU ...PIMP !! That's RIGHT...YOU DON'T think WE realize what is going ON !! YOUR BUSTED !!!
Your spewing just as much SMOKE as the INCINERATOR..all by yourself !!
Your using this to PORK the Midlands and UPSTATE during the next SESSION !!
McConnell....I highly suggest YOU start REVEALING...the TRUTH !! BOBBY and JOE ... STOP SMILING !!~!
Next UP!....CHIP CAMPSEN !! You ...COAT-TAILER !!
"..Raising quality of life concerns, Campsen suggested letting trucks into the Port of Charleston earlier than 7 a.m. to keep them out of rush hour traffic. .."
QUALITY of LIFE ?? LOL !! Q. O. L. ??? LOL !!
YOU have the GALL not to stand up to the LANDFILL issues we have going ON; BUT yet pile on this issue?? YOU ..weenie!!
I highly suggest YOU just SHUT UP !! YOUR BUSTED..!!
Trucks at 7AM?? TRUCKS ?? YOU ..know this terminal will be CLOSED (RELOCATED)and play along with the LIE !! Stop grabbing your ANKLES..and enjoying IT !! Have you ever been to the BEACH?? Do you know WE have coastal WIND?? If you don't ...CALL Lindse' Suave' Graham-nista! He had to be called to move ..SAND; SO I guess YOU will need to call him about OUR WIND with NO WINDFARMS !! CHIP...DO NOT LIE TO US !!!
Groseclose, RON, and McWhorter.....can either of YOU look at yourself in the MIRROR !! What are you proud OF ??
August 8, 2008 at 8:34 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
algorelost (anonymous) says...
The reason that Charleton is slipping to Savannah is simple, Charleston has no infrusturce for the distabution centers and warehouses that are needed by the shipper.
For example if a shipper wanted to open a warehouse outside the gate at the Wando, where land is zoned industral, it would probably cost 175K an acre. In savannah they can get land right out side the gate much cheaper.
Also, when trying to construct the warehouse, in savannah they will not get sued by everyone like they would in Charleston.
Also Charleston's answer is to develope orangburg, but as a shiper why would I want to go 30-40 miles down a two lane highway with all the traffice issues we have on 26. I would go to savannah build 1 mile from the port, and have quick access to i-95.
What is saving charlseton is they have great productivity, it is cheaper to work vessels in charleston because you can work them so quickly and time is money.
However if the end user is demanding the shipping lines to call Savannah, that is where the ships are going to go.
Savannah runs a different busisness model, they go after the end users (home depot, peir one, ikea), where Charleston goes after steam ship lines, trying to offer them a quick, inexpensive port to work their vessels.
Also savannah has ondock rail, which the wando lacks.
August 8, 2008 at 10:13 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
zoomru (anonymous) says...
McConnell.....!
"Is $182 million enough or is it not?" McConnell asked. "I don't want the legislature blamed for lack of infrastructure."
BLAME? BLAME? You ...CYA'er!!
Well...what about SC STATE Unversity??..
http://thetandd.com/articles/2008/08/...
* $5 million in lottery and supplemental funding for deferred maintenance.
* $3.3 million for the state to match the U.S. Department of Agriculture's funding for S.C. State's 1890 programs.
* $500,000 for academic initiatives.
* $1.1 million for the James E. Clyburn Transportation Center.
* $1 million for S.C. State's nursing program.
Are you concerned that the SC STATE President will come BACK and BLAME you for NOT funding his WHOLE CAMPUS !!
Glenn....this is NUTz !!! Are you going to stand for the 1.1 million PORK for the CLYBURN center?? WHAT !! Are you not MAN enough to call "GRAND MASTER FLASH" CLYBURN...OUT !.. on this blantant PORK !!! HE PORKS ENOUGH FROM DC..SO he should be getting ALL the funds FOR it! Especially if his name is going to be ON the BUILDING !!!!
VOTERS.... ARE WE GOING TO STAND FOR THIS CORRUPTION ??
My BACKSIDE !!!
August 8, 2008 at 1:21 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
truthseeker (anonymous) says...
OAKPOINT- dont blame anyone but the spa for the lack of volume going through our port terminals in charleston.
the spa's website states they can currently handle 2.6 million teus' per year right now - which is the volume savannah is handling- so they can do 50% more volume right now but they are unable to do it .
instead of addressing their lack of volume they want to build the most expensive container terminal in the world - without rail access.
dont blame the environmentalists -place the blame where it all belongs- on groseclose and company -
August 8, 2008 at 1:52 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
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