Daufuskie ferry’s latest response in non-compliance battle comes in at the deadline.

A month after the Daufuskie Island ferry received a notice of non-compliance , Beaufort County is evaluating a response from its embattled contractor to determine if his company is able to comply with the contract.

Last month, the new Beaufort County Administrator, Michael Moore, gave the contractor, Lowcountry Ferry, an Aug. 9 deadline to secure a proper backup boat for the transit to and from Daufuskie Island. The deadline comes after Moore submitted a letter of non-compliance July 3 to ferry owner Neil Turner, citing an inadequate backup boat and problems with the air conditioning. It was the first time in seven months of operations that the county publicly acknowledged any service issues.

Turner then submitted his plan to address the issue, claiming Lowcountry Ferry had secured access to two other boats with capacities of over 40 passengers. Moore responded by asking for definite proof that Lowcountry Ferry secured the use of the boats and that they pass a satisfactory inspection from the U.S. Coast Guard by the given deadline.

Turner waited until Friday afternoon to submit his response to the county, according to Moore. But Moore did receive a submission by the end of the day and is currently “evaluating it,” he said. As of Monday morning, no changes to the contract with Lowcountry Ferry had been made, according to county spokesperson Hannah Nichols.

The timeline for any further action is uncertain with the County Council canceling their meeting scheduled for Monday night. Their next meeting is scheduled for Aug. 26 at 5 p.m.

If the submitted response proves inadequate, the county has the right to default on the contract.

Lowcountry Ferry took over Daufuskie Island’s ferry service in January. It ended seven years of Haig Point Community Associates providing the service. Haig Point asked the county to pay $1.02 million annually for the contract, up from the past year’s $375,000. Lowcountry Ferry submitted a lower bid than the previous Haig Point at $365,000.