[00:00:11]
SO THIS MORNING, UM, JUST KIND OF A QUICK REMINDER OVERVIEW OF WHAT OUR DAY IS TODAY.
WE GOT A LOT DONE YESTERDAY IN TERMS OF, UM, WORKING THROUGH THE PRIORITIES.
UM, BUT I KNOW YOU HAD SO MUCH FUN WITH THOSE CLICKERS.
WE'RE GOING TO GIVE YOU MORE OPPORTUNITIES TO DO IT AGAIN, BUT ALSO TO KIND OF SHARE WITH YOU WHAT YOU, WHERE YOU ENDED UP.
BECAUSE I DO FEEL LIKE WHEN YOU'RE NOT SEEING IT ALL IN ONE PLACE, IT'S A LITTLE DISJOINTED.
SO WE'RE GOING TO GO THROUGH ALL OF THE STRATEGIES THAT HAVE BEEN PRIORITIZED WITHIN EACH OF THE VALUES.
I SAID IT JUST RIGHT AND SHOW YOU WHAT YOU HAVE.
AND THEN I THINK WE'LL ALSO JUMP ON THE, UM, THE NEAR ONES AND DO THE EXERCISE THAT WE DID YESTERDAY WITH THE NEAR GOALS, SO THAT YOU CAN PRIORITIZE THOSE STRATEGIES WITHIN THOSE GOALS AS WELL.
WE ALSO ARE GOING TO HAVE SOME IMPORTANT CONVERSATIONS AND THAT'S HOW THE DAY WILL START.
WE'RE GOING TO KICK IT OFF WITH A CONVERSATION ABOUT HIGHWAY TWO 78.
UM, AND THEN WE'LL JUMP INTO THE STRATEGY PRIORITIZATION AND THEN CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THE PARKING STUDY AND JUST MAKE SURE WE'RE ALL IN THE SAME PLACE WITH REGARDS TO, UM, WHAT'S NEXT FOR PRIORITIES.
SO WE'LL GET YOU OUT OF HERE BY FOUR O'CLOCK AGAIN, I PROMISE SOMETIMES COULD BE BEFORE THAT.
YOU NEVER KNOW, UM, QUESTIONS ABOUT THE AGENDA, QUICK DEBRIEF ON YESTERDAY.
WHAT'D YOU LIKE, WHAT DID YOU, WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN BETTER? YOU WERE TIRED.
I'M NOT SURE HOW THOUGHTFUL OUR DECISIONS WERE BECAUSE THEY WERE OFF THE, OFF THE TOP OF THE YEAH.
BUT THAT'S WHAT WE HAD TO DO TO WAIT THROUGH 128 ITEMS OR WHATEVER IT WAS.
SO, UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WAS REALLY GREAT WAS BEING ABLE TO USE THE CLICKER TO EXPRESS OURSELVES AS GLENN SAID, I, I AGREE, UM, KIND OF OFF THE TOP OF OUR HEAD WITH, IN A QUICK AMOUNT OF TIME TO GIVE REACTION, UM, AUTONOMY, MOSTLY SLEEP.
UM, AND ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THAT COIN, I THINK, I THINK I, I MISS THAT INTERACTION OF BEING ABLE TO GET UP AND TO PARTICIPATE TOGETHER.
UM, BUT WITH THAT, YOU ALSO HAVE SOME BIASES THAT COME INTO YOUR DECISION-MAKING WITH REGARD TO VISUALLY SEEING HOW MANY DOTS ARE IN ONE PARTICULAR PLACE OR ANOTHER.
SO, UM, I THINK OVERALL I LIKED THE CLICKER, BUT I MISS THE INTERACTION.
IN THIS TIME, TOO, WHEN I'VE TRIED TO USE DOTS, YOU KNOW, WE ONLY CAN GO UP ONE OR TWO AT A TIME AND YOU HAVE SOCIAL DISTANCING AND STUFF.
SO I'M GLAD WE HAVE A TECHNOLOGICAL SUBSTITUTE THAT CAN BE STERILE.
ANYTHING ELSE ON YESTERDAY'S REFLECTIONS BEFORE WE JUMP IN? ALL RIGHT.
WELL, YOU ALL HAVE MENTIONED YESTERDAY IN SOME OF YOUR OPENING COMMENTS THAT PERHAPS, UM, THE, ONE OF THE BIGGEST DECISIONS THAT YOU ALL WILL MAKE AS A COUNCIL IS WHAT HAPPENS WITH THE HIGHWAY TWO 78.
SO IT'S BIG AND IT'S DAUNTING AND THERE ARE NO RIGHT ANSWERS.
PERHAPS THERE'S ONLY A SERIES OF THINGS THAT ARE LESS WORSE THAN THE NEXT ONE, RIGHT.
IN TERMS OF NO, NO REALLY GREAT ALTERNATIVES.
SO I WANT TO GIVE YOU AN OPPORTUNITY TO, TO, TO UNDERSTAND WHERE THINGS ARE.
AND I DON'T KNOW, JUST CHECKING IN, JUST DID YOU ALL HAVE A QUICK HIGHLIGHT OF WHERE THE, WHAT THE TIMING IS OR WHERE THINGS ARE WITH TWO 78 BEFORE THE BOARD ENGAGES IN A CONVERSATION AND REMEMBER YOUR MICROPHONES? UM, SO WHERE WE'RE AT IN TERMS OF PROCESS STANDPOINT, THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION IS STILL IN THE MIDST OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT PROCESS.
THAT IS THE PREREQUISITE TO GETTING APPROVAL FROM THE FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION.
UH, AS YOU KNOW, IT'S A SERIES OF STUDIES THAT HAVE TO BE DONE TO EXAMINE
[00:05:01]
VARIOUS FACTORS RELATED TO THE PROJECT.UH, OUR UNDERSTANDING IS IT IS THEIR, THEIR, THEIR CURRENT TIMELINE ENVISIONS BRINGING FORWARD A, UM, PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE, WHICH IS BASICALLY WHAT THEY BELIEVE TO BE THE BEST OPTION, UH, IN TERMS OF DESIGN LOCATION LAYOUT, ALL OF THOSE FACTORS, SOMETIME IN MAY, THAT THAT IS THE MOST RECENT DATE THAT WE'RE BEING GIVEN AT THIS POINT.
AND THEN THE WAY THE PROCESS WILL WORK ONCE THEY'VE BROUGHT FORWARD, THE PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE, THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE PUBLIC TO REVIEW AND COMMENT ON THAT PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE.
UH, AND THEN ULTIMATELY THOSE COMMENTS GET RESPONDED TO, THEY GET POTENTIALLY INCORPORATED INTO THE PROCESS.
AND THEN ULTIMATELY THERE'S GOING TO BE APPROVAL FROM BOTH THE TOWN AND THE COUNTY, UH, TO THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION THAT THEY CAN MOVE FORWARD WITH SUBMITTING THAT PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE TO THE FEDERAL HIGHWAY FOR PERMITTING APPROVAL.
UH, AS FAR AS THE, THE SUB AFTER THEY'VE RELEASED THE PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE, UM, THAT WILL LIKELY BE SOMETIME, PROBABLY IN THE 30 TO 60 DAYS AFTER THEY'VE RELEASED THE PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE.
UH, THEY WANT TO GIVE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE PUBLIC COMMENT TO OCCUR FOLLOWING ITS RELEASE.
UH, SO THAT'S, I WOULD ENVISION SOMETHING AT LEAST 30 DAYS AND PROBABLY NO MORE THAN 60 DAYS.
I QUESTIONED WHETHER 30 TO 60 DAYS AFTER RELEASE OF THE PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE IS CLOSE TO REALISTIC.
TO ME, IT'S GOING TO TAKE A LOT OF STUDY.
WE'RE GOING TO NEED TO HEAR FROM OUR THIRD PARTY, INDEPENDENT ENGINEER, WE'RE GOING TO NEED TO HEAR FROM THE PUBLIC.
UH, AND I JUST CAN'T IMAGINE WE COULD DO THAT IN 30 DAYS.
AND 60 DAYS TO ME IS ALSO VERY MUCH OF A STRETCH.
SO I THINK WE OUGHT TO BE CONSIDERING IF OTHER PEOPLE AGREE WITH ME ABOUT THAT.
WE SHOULD BE CONSIDERING LETTING DOD KNOW IT'S GOING TO TAKE US.
IT'S TAKING THEM A LOT MORE TIME THAN THEY SAID.
AS I RECALL BACK IN THE BEGINNING OF THIS, IT WAS GOING TO BE PRESENTED TO US BY NOVEMBER NO LATER THAN DECEMBER OF LAST YEAR, THEN IT WAS GOING TO BE JANUARY.
NOW IT'S THE SPRING, OR MAYBE EVEN THE EARLY SUMMER.
SO WE NEED TO HAVE THE SAME GRACE PERIOD TO STUDY THIS THING, TO LISTEN, TO CONSTITUENTS, TO LISTEN TO EXPERTS, AND MAYBE TO CROSS EXAMINE THE EXPERTS EVEN FURTHER, OR BRING IN OTHERS WITH EXPERTISE TO DEAL WITH IT.
SO I THINK IT'S TIME TO LET DLT KNOW, UH, WE WILL DECIDE, BUT LET'S BE REALISTIC ABOUT THE TIMEFRAME.
LET, LET ME PREFACE MY COMMENTS BY SAYING THIS IS NOT
THIS IS MY BELIEF AS TO WHAT MAY BE COMING ALONG.
I DON'T KNOW THAT THEY HAVE A HARD AND FAST DATE FOR ANY OF THIS.
I THINK THERE CERTAINLY IS SOME FLEXIBILITY.
NOW I WOULD SAY WITH THE INDEPENDENT ENGINEERING STUDY, IT'S OUR HOPE THAT THAT'S ACTUALLY COMPLETED BEFORE THEY RELEASE THE PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE.
THAT WAY, IF THERE'S ANY KIND OF ALTERATIONS OR AMENDMENTS THAT NEED TO BE DONE, THOSE ARE DONE BEFORE THE PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE IS RELEASED.
UH, SO FROM THAT STANDPOINT, I WOULD, I WOULD SEE THAT BEING DONE ON THE FRONT END RATHER THAN THE BACKEND.
BUT TO YOUR POINT, I THINK THERE IS FLEXIBILITY THERE.
ULTIMATELY WE, YOU AS A BODY NEED TO FEEL COMFORTABLE BEFORE YOU SIGN OFF ON THAT.
AND SO, DOC, I DON'T THINK IS GOING TO FORCE YOU INTO, TO A DECISION UNTIL YOU FEEL COMFORTABLE, BUT THERE'S ULTIMATELY A REALIZATION THAT WE CAN'T CONTINUE TO STRETCH THIS OUT FOREVER BECAUSE THERE IS A FINITE POINT AT WHICH TIME DLT WILL HAVE TO BEGIN WORK ON SOME PROJECT.
WE HAVEN'T, WE HAVEN'T DELAYED ANYTHING.
WE HAVE RESPONDED WHEN ASKED WE HAVE, UH, GIVEN THE INFORMATION WAS NECESSARY.
SO ANY DELAYS HAVE NOT BEEN OCCASIONED BY THE TOWN OF HILTON HEAD ISLAND, IN MY OPINION AGREED, BUT THAT'S, AND THAT'S WHY I THINK THAT THERE'S CERTAINLY FLEXIBILITY THERE FOR YOU, FOR YOU TO WORK ON THAT.
THAT WHEN WE GET INTO THAT PERIOD OF TIME, A GREAT DEAL OF OUR RESIDENTS HATE FOR THE MOUNTAINS WE GET INTO JUNE, JULY, MAY, JUNE AND JULY, GREAT DEAL OF HILL THAT HITS IN THE MOUNTAINS.
SO THE PEOPLE WE WANT TO ADDRESS, ARE WE GOING TO BE, UH, JOSH, COULD YOU DETAIL THE SPECIFIC FUNCTIONS OF OUR INDEPENDENT ENGINEERING FIRM? SURE.
AND WHAT IMPACT THEY MAY OR MAY NOT BE ABLE TO HAVE ON THE ULTIMATE ALTERNATIVE OF CHOICE? YES, SIR.
THE INDEPENDENT ENGINEER IS OPERATING UNDER A SCOPE OF WORK THAT WAS APPROVED BY BOTH THE TOWN AND THE COUNTY.
AND IT OUTLINES ESSENTIALLY WHAT IT IS THAT THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO BE DOING.
GENERALLY SPEAKING, WHAT IT IS THAT THEY'RE DOING IS A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW
[00:10:01]
OF THE DATA AND THE ANALYSIS THAT HAVE BEEN PERFORMED UP UNTIL THIS POINT, ESSENTIALLY WITH AN EYE TOWARDS EITHER IDENTIFYING OTHER ALTERNATIVES THAT NEED OR WARRANT FURTHER EXPLORATION OR CONFIRMATION OF THE EXISTING ALTERNATIVES AS BEING THE MOST REALISTIC OR, UH, BENEFICIAL UNDERNEATH THE PARAMETERS TO WHICH THIS PROJECT IS BEING OPERATED.UH, SO I KNOW THERE'S SOME MORE NUANCES TO THAT, BUT ULTIMATELY IF YOU WANT TO KNOW WHAT THOSE ARE, I WOULD REFER YOU BACK TO THE SCOPE OF WORK THAT WAS APPROVED BY BOTH BODIES.
CAUSE THAT, THAT IS WHAT IS GOING TO DRIVE THEIR PROJECT.
SO, UH, IT SOUNDS LIKE THEY HAVE TWO FUNCTIONS THEN, UH, EITHER EMBRACE THE ALTERNATIVE CHOICE OR COME UP WITH SOMETHING BETTER AND ALSO TO CHECK THE, THE ANALYTICS IN TERMS OF THE PREFERRED DIRECTION.
SO WE MAY, WE MAY POSSIBLY SEE, UH, SOME DISPARITY OF THOUGHT FROM THE INDEPENDENT ENGINEER AND THE STATE, IS THAT CORRECT? CERTAINLY.
BUT I WILL TELL YOU THAT IF THE INDEPENDENT ENGINEER IDENTIFIES THE NEED FOR ANALYSIS OF ALTERNATIVES, UH, IN A MANNER THAT THE STATE HAS NOT DONE OR SOMETHING THAT WARRANTS A, AN ALTERATION, IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION IS CERTAINLY OPEN TO THAT.
IT IS NOT A ALL OR NOTHING DISCUSSION WITH THEM.
IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE JUST THAT AN INDEPENDENT REVIEW, BECAUSE IF THERE'S A DIFFERENT, IF THERE'S SOMETHING THAT WAS NOT LOOKED AT THE FIRST TIME AROUND BY DOD, THIS IS THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE AWARE OF IT.
I AM ACTING ON THE ASSUMPTION THAT ANY REPORTS THAT THE TOWN RECEIVES FROM THE INDEPENDENT ENGINEER, BY THE WAY, WHAT'S THE NAME OF THE INDEPENDENT ENGINEER? H D R AND AGAIN, YEAH.
I COULDN'T TELL YOU WHAT THE HDR STANDS FOR, BUT THAT IS THE NAME OF THE FIRM IN DURHAM AND RICHARDSON OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
EVERY ENGINEERING FIRM HAS THREE NAMES IN THEIR TITLE.
BUT ANY REPORTS, UH, VERBAL OR OTHERWISE WILL BE SHARED WITH COUNCIL.
UM, SO WE HAVE A STAFF MEMBER WHO'S PARTICIPATING AS A PART OF THAT, UH, PROCESS.
UH, HE IS PROVIDING UPDATES TO YOU ALL AS THEY GO THROUGH THAT REVIEW.
AND SO OF COURSE, ANYTHING THAT COMES OUT OF IT, YOU WILL BE NOTIFIED.
I THINK GLEN, A LOT OF THAT SHOULD BE SHARED WITH THE PUBLIC TOO, AS WE GET HERE, NO BIG SURPRISE AT THE END.
BUT MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THESE MEETINGS ARE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC VIEWING THEM.
SO THROUGH, AND THEY'RE STILL VIRTUAL, BUT THERE'S THE OPPORTUNITY FOR THE PUBLIC TO WATCH THE MEETINGS TAKING PLACE.
UH, I AGREE WITH YOU, MR. MAYOR, IN TERMS OF THE SHARING OF INFORMATION, IT'S BEEN DIFFICULT THIS WHOLE TIME, AS WE'VE ENGAGED WITH S DLT TO, TO GET INFORMATION.
SO IF THE THIRD PARTY, UH, EXERCISE IS ONE THAT WE ARE CONTROLLING, I THINK WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO CONTROL INFORMATION, MAKE SURE IT'S GETTING TO US AND THE PUBLIC, UM, YOU KNOW, A FEW THOUGHTS.
UH, I MAKE THE FIRST OFFER UP THAT, UH, COUNSEL, UH, KEEPS FRONT OF MIND THE GUIDING PRINCIPLES THAT WE ADOPTED.
AND IF IT'S NOT TOO ELEMENTARY FOR US, I'D ALMOST LIKE TO HAVE THOSE READ EACH TIME WE HAVE A DISCUSSION ABOUT TWO 78 BECAUSE I THINK THEY'RE IMPORTANT.
I THINK THAT SHOULD REALLY BE TO THE DISCIPLINE.
AND, UM, I'M HOPING THAT WE ALL AGREE THAT, UH, WE ARE TO CLIENT HERE AND THAT SE DLT IS NOT NECESSARILY IN CHARGE, RIGHT? UH, IT'S A PROJECT THAT'S DEFINITELY GOING TO AFFECT US IN THE LONGTERM.
UH, SO WE NEED TO BE IN THE DRIVER'S SEAT MORE SO THAN S C D L T.
UM, AND THE ONLY WAY THAT THINK WE CAN MAKE THAT HAPPEN IS IF WE APPLY OUR GUIDING PRINCIPLES, UH, THAT WE ADOPTED, UH, THE VERY OUTSET OF THIS, THIS, UH, THIS EXERCISE.
UM, I, I DON'T, I'D LIKE TO ASK STAFF IF THEY COULD GIVE US A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL ON THE COORDINATION OF THE LAND PLANNING EFFORT THAT'S SUPPOSED TO, UH, COINCIDE WITH THE THIRD-PARTY REVIEW.
SO THE LAND PLANNING EFFORTS BEGUN WITH STAFF, UH, WORKING TO ORGANIZE A NUMBER OF LOCAL LAND PLANNING FIRMS HERE ON HILTON HEAD ISLAND, UH, TO COME TOGETHER FOR A PUBLIC CHARETTE, UH, WHICH IS A PLANNING EXERCISE.
THAT'S GOING TO LOOK AT THE NEIGHBORHOOD, LOOK AT ITS DESIRES, AND THEN ULTIMATELY THE PRODUCT THAT COMES OUT OF THAT, THE PLAN IS TO
[00:15:01]
ISSUE A PUBLIC REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS TO HIRE AN INDIVIDUAL FIRM.THAT'S GOING TO TAKE THAT INFORMATION AND MOVE IT FORWARD WITH THE COMMUNITY FOR MORE OF A DEEP DIVE ANALYSIS.
SO I GUESS I'M MORE INTERESTED IN HOW THAT WORKS WITH THE THIRD PARTY REVIEW, OR IS IT A SEPARATE WE'RE VIEWING IT AS A SEPARATE OCCASION, BUT AGAIN, THE SCOPE OF WORK FOR THE INDEPENDENT ENGINEERING REVIEW SPECIFICALLY LAYS OUT THE WORK THAT'S BEING DONE AS A PART OF THAT PROCESS.
NOW THEY CAN GO HAND IN HAND, BUT THE INDEPENDENT ENGINEERING REVIEW IS ESSENTIALLY LOOKING AT THE DATA AND THE ANALYSIS THAT GOES INTO THE PROJECT ITSELF, THE LAND PLANNING EFFORTS, GOING TO LOOK AT THE IMPACT TO THE SURROUNDING AREAS AND WHAT CAN BE DONE AS A PART OF THAT PROJECT.
I JUST THINK THAT THE, THE, THE TWO GO HAND IN HAND TO ME, I THINK THAT THE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE SOME INFLUENCE ON WHATEVER RECOMMENDATIONS THEY MAY HAVE BACK TO TOWN AND COUNTY COUNCIL BASED ON THE LAND PLAN AND EFFORT.
SO AGAIN, THE, THE SCOPE OF WORK THAT THE INDEPENDENT ENGINEER IS WORKING ON IS VERY CLEARLY DEFINED.
AND THE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEES EXISTENCE IS TO UNDERSTAND THE PROCESSES THAT THE INDEPENDENT ENGINEER IS GOING THROUGH, UNDERSTAND THE DATA THAT'S BEING ANALYZED, ASK QUESTIONS ABOUT IT SO THAT THEY FULLY UNDERSTAND HOW THAT PROCESS IS GOING ON.
AND THEN ULTIMATELY BE ABLE TO TAKE THAT INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATE IT BACK TO THE PUBLIC.
UM, THERE IS NOT A LAND PLANNING COMPONENT WITHIN THE SCOPE OF WORK OF THE, OKAY, I'M SORRY, I I'M I'M MISTAKEN BECAUSE I THOUGHT THAT THAT PIECE WAS ADDED.
AM I INCORRECT ON THAT THOUGHT WE ADDED THAT AS A COUNCIL.
I CAN TELL YOU THAT THE DOCUMENT THAT WAS APPROVED BY COUNCIL IS IN THE SAME FORM AS IT WAS PRESENTED AND APPROVED.
I THINK WE DID HAVE DISCUSSIONS AROUND THE LAND PLANNING, AND I THINK THERE WAS SOMEWHAT OF AN EXPECTATION DURING THOSE CONVERSATIONS THAT, UM, THE LAND PLANNING EFFORT MIGHT IMPACT OUR CHOICE OF THE PREFERRED OPTION.
OKAY, WELL, SO THAT, EXCUSE ME, SO THAT IT WOULD BE IN MY MIND NECESSARY TO CONNECT THOSE TWO IN ORDER TO GIVE THE LAND PLANNING EFFORT, THE OPPORTUNITY TO IMPACT OUR CHOICE AS A COMMUNITY IS WHAT OUR PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE MIGHT BE.
FROM AN ENGINEERING STANDPOINT, THE DATA IS GOING TO DRIVE THE NEED FOR THE PROJECT AND OUTLINING THE PARAMETERS FOR WHICH IT NEEDS IN ORDER TO MEET THE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES THAT WERE SET FORTH AT THE OUTSET OF THE PROJECT AND UNDERSTANDING WHERE THAT DATA IS GOING TO DRIVE THAT ALTERNATIVE.
LOOKING THE LAND PLANNING THEN COMES IN AND SAYS, ONCE WE KNOW WHERE THE ALTERNATIVE IS GOING TO GO, HOW DO WE TAKE THAT AND APPLY IT IN SUCH A WAY THAT WE CAN LOOK AT THE SURROUNDING PROPERTIES THAT ARE IMPACTED THE POINT BEING, IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHERE THE PROJECT IS GOING TO GO, YOU CAN'T PLAN AROUND IT BECAUSE IF IT ENDS UP GOING TO THE NORTH, IT ENDS UP GOING TO THE SOUTH.
THE LAND PLAN THAT YOU'VE CREATED IS NO LONGER APPROPRIATE FOR THAT PARTICULAR USE.
SO I THINK ONE NEEDS TO NECESSARILY PRECIPITATE THE OTHER BECAUSE THE LAND PLANNING IS A FUNCTION OF LOOKING AT THE PROJECT AND THEN PLANNING AROUND IT WITH ALL DUE RESPECT.
I LOOK AT IT SOMEWHAT FROM THE OPPOSITE ADVANTAGE POINT, AND THAT IS THE PRIORITIES THAT THE COMMUNITY SHOULD DICTATE WHAT THE PARAMETERS ARE FOR THE ENGINEERING PROJECT.
NOT THAT THE ENGINEERING PROJECT, THE INFRASTRUCTURE SHOULD BECOME THE DOMINANT ISSUE IN WHERE OUR COMMUNITY GOES.
AND JUST TO FOLLOW UP ON GLENN'S COMMENT THAT THE 30 AND 60 DAY WINDOW, UM, OUTLOOK, WHILE I REALIZE IT'S NOT HARD AND FAST FROM THE DISCUSSION THAT WE'VE ALL ENGAGED IN.
NOW IT'S CLEAR THAT THAT IS WILL FALL VERY SHORT OF WHAT'S NECESSARY BECAUSE THE OTHER PIECE THAT I HEAR IS THE EXPECTATION THAT THERE'LL BE A PRESENTATION AND AN APPROVAL AND IT'LL MOVE ON AND WE'LL MOVE ON.
I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF INFORMATION THAT NEEDS TO BE PRESENTED TO NOT ONLY US, BUT TO OUR CONSTITUENTS AND THOUGHT THAT NEEDS TO BE PUT INTO WHETHER THIS IS THE RIGHT CHOICE FOR US.
AND, UM, YOU CAN HEAR THAT THERE'S A LOT OF INFORMATION THAT WILL HAVE TO GO AND INTO THAT.
AND SO, UM, I'M NOT IN A RUSH OR HURRY TO DO ANY OF THIS, OR TO EVEN SAY THAT I WILL VOTE TO APPROVE.
I'M VERY INTERESTED IN HEARING HOW IT ALL FITS TOGETHER AND HOW IT IMPACTS OUR COMMUNITY IN A POSITIVE WAY TODAY AND FOR THE FUTURE.
SO, UM, I THINK WE SHOULD DISREGARD, UM, OR HOLD BACK ON ANY EXPECTATION ON 30 TO 60 DAYS.
[00:20:04]
ALL RIGHT.LET'S BRING US BACK TO COUNCIL HAS A REAL DISCUSSION ON IT.
AND WHEN YOU BRING IT BACK, MR. MAY, IF YOU DON'T MIND, I KNOW THAT WHEN, UM, THE LAST VOTE THAT WAS TAKEN ON THIS SUBJECT WAS FROM THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE U S TWO 78 CORRIDOR COMMITTEE THAT WAS COMMISSIONED.
AND THE ONE ITEM THAT WAS MISSING WAS THE MITIGATION AND THE STONY AREA.
AND, UH, UM, I BELIEVE JOSH CAN, UH, SUPPORT THIS, UH, DURING THE CONVERSATIONS WITH THE STONEY COMMUNITY AND SE DLT, UH, TOWN STAFF HAS BEEN THERE.
UM, I THINK IT'S APPROPRIATE AT THIS TIME FOR US TO REVISIT THAT.
UH, SO THAT IS, UH, YOU KNOW, MORE CONCRETE THAT THE TOWN IS ACTING IN A, IN A, IN A MITIGATION FACTION TO A DEGREE NOT TO CUT ANY DEALS, BUT I THINK THE TRUST ISSUE CONTINUES TO BUBBLE UP BECAUSE IT HAS NOT BEEN A COMMITMENT.
I THINK WE NEED TO DO YOU SUGGEST WE START BRINGING IT BACK TO DAVID'S COMMITTEE THAT YOU WERE ON? NO, I WOULD, I WOULD SUGGEST THAT YOU JUST ALLOW STAFF TO ENGAGE IN SOME SOLID CONVERSATIONS WITH THOSE INDIVIDUALS THAT AFFECTED BASED ON THAT MITIGATION PLAN THAT WAS RECOMMENDED TO BEGIN WITH.
WE CAN REVIEW THAT AS IT'S SPELLED OUT.
I THINK WE JUST NEED TO TAKE ANOTHER LOOK AT IT.
THE ONLY THING I WOULD ASK EVERYBODY IS THAT ALL THE NEWS OR ANNOUNCEMENTS, OR THE STRATEGIES THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT AND DOING ONLY COME OUT THROUGH CAROLINE, WE HAVE TO, FROM THIS POINT ON, COME OUT WITH ONE VOICE AS TO NOT CONFUSE IT ANY MORE THAN WE DON'T WANT THE REST OF THE WORLD.
SO WE SHOULD PACK THEM WHICHEVER RELEASED AS OFTEN AS WE POSSIBLY CAN.
BUT IT'S, YOU ALL GO THROUGH CAROLINE GUYS OKAY.
YOU OKAY WITH THAT, MR. MR. GOODMAN, THANK YOU, MAYOR JULIAN.
YESTERDAY I SPOKE BRIEFLY ABOUT THE ROLE OF LEADERSHIP OF THIS COMMUNITY.
AND I SEE THIS SITUATION OF TWO 78 CORRIDOR, THE STONY COMMUNITY AS BEING AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THIS COMMUNITY TO LOOK AT THIS PROJECT THROUGH A DIFFERENT LENS OF JUST THE STANDARD HIGHWAY DESIGN COMMUNITY RESPONSE.
UH, WE HAVE LONG-TERM PROPERTY OWNERS IN THAT AREA OF I MINORITY POPULATION WHO HAVE BEEN GREATLY IMPACTED BY THE DECISIONS THAT THE BROADER COMMUNITY HAS MADE FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
THESE ARE SITUATIONS THAT ARE NOT UNLIKE SCORES OF EXAMPLES, OF MINORITIES OVER HISTORY AND HOW THE MAJORITY RESPONDS TO THEM.
AND SO I THINK THE OPPORTUNITY FOR OUR COMMUNITY IS TO RECOGNIZE THAT THIS TRULY IS SOMETHING THAT OUR BRAIN CELLS CAN LOOK AT IN A DIFFERENT WAY.
WE HAVE COMMUNITY PROPERTY UP THERE, PUBLIC PROPERTY UP THERE.
WE HAVE A SITUATION WHERE A PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE IS GREATLY IMPACTING THEIR QUALITY OF LIFE.
NOT WITHSTANDING IT ALREADY HAS BEEN GREATLY IMPACTED.
SO I THINK THAT OUR CHALLENGE IN THIS CONVERSATION AROUND LAND PLAN AS MUCH MORE TO DO THAN THE TWO DIMENSIONAL SURFACE OF THE LAND, BUT IT HAS TO DO WITH HOW OUR COMMUNITY RESPONDS TO THE, THE, THE DECISIONS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE OVER TIME, THE IMPACTS THAT THEY'VE HAD AND WHETHER OR NOT THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY THROUGH THAT LAND PLAN TO RECOGNIZE ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES ON THAT PROPERTY, NOT ONLY FOR THE BROADER COMMUNITY, BUT CERTAINLY FOR THE INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE IN THAT AREA.
AND SO I'M LOOKING AT THE OPPORTUNITY THERE OF HOW THIS LAND PLAN CAN LOOK AT, NOT JUST THE 500 FEET ON EITHER SIDE OF THE CORRIDOR, BUT THAT BROADER AREA, AND LOOK AT IT THROUGH THE LENS OF AN ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY FOR THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE THERE AND FOR THE COMMUNITY.
THERE'S A LOT IN THAT, BUT IT IS AN OPPORTUNITY.
SO YOU, AND I THINK OUR MINDSET SHOULD BE WHATEVER DAVID JUST SAID, BUT FOR THE WHOLE ISLAND, WILL YOU VIEW ANYTHING ON YOUR ISLAND THAT SHOULD BE DONE FOR THE WHOLE WORLD? AND WE SHOULD NOT MAKE THIS A NORTH END ART PROJECT.
YOU SHOULD BE OUR MINDSET FOR EVERYTHING WE DO, AND JUST START ON THE NORTH END TO MAKE SURE IT WORKS.
[00:25:01]
I CAN GO.I, THIS, THIS IS OUR CHANCE OF UNDERSTANDING HOW WE CAN DEAL WITH A BROADER ISSUE ON THIS ISLAND.
AND I THINK THIS, THIS LAND PLAN, THE CHARRETTE SHOULD BE CREATED WITH, WITH THE EXPECTATION THAT IT'S NOT JUST A TWO DIMENSIONAL EXERCISE, THAT IT DEALS WITH THE ECONOMY, THE ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES WITHIN THAT AREA AND HOW THEY CAN BE, UM, ASSOCIATED WITH LAND OWNERSHIP IN THAT AREA.
THE, UH, A FEW WEEKS AGO IN MY PRIVATE LIFE, I WAS, UH, DEALING WITH, UH, UH, UH, A NATIONAL ARCHITECTURAL FIRM.
AND, UH, THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT HOW THE PROCESS HAS CHANGED.
AND, UH, BEFORE THEY INDICATED THE ARCHITECT WOULD BE HIRED AND IN THEIR SILO OF ACTIVITY, THEY WOULD, UH, MOVE FROM CONCEPT TO DESIGN.
AND THEN THE ENGINEERING PEOPLE WOULD COME IN AND FIGURE OUT HOW THEIR SYSTEMS COULD WORK WITHIN THAT DESIGN.
AND THEN THE INTERIOR DESIGN, THE CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT GROUP WOULD COME IN AND SAY HOW THEY CAN MANAGE THE ENTIRE CONSTRUCTION PROCESS.
AND THEN THE OTHER SILO, THE INTERIOR DESIGN AND THE EXTERIOR LANDSCAPE PEOPLE WOULD COME IN AND SEE, UH, HOW THEY COULD, UM, PIVOT FROM WHAT'S BEEN DONE BEFORE THEM.
AND THE MAJOR CHANGE I AM TOLD IS THAT THOSE SILOS ARE BEING REMOVED AND THOSE DISCIPLINES SIT AROUND THE TABLE TOGETHER, NOT A HUNDRED PERCENT, BUT IT'S A VERY CONCURRENT PROCESS SO THAT I DON'T DESIGN SOMETHING, THAT'S GOING TO BE AN ENGINEERING DISASTER IN TERMS OF, UH, HEATING AND COOLING AS AN EXAMPLE.
UH, I SHARE THAT BECAUSE, UH, I THOUGHT ON THIS PROJECT HERE IN ONE OF OUR MORE RECENT CONVERSATIONS, UH, WE USE THE WORD CONCURRENT VERSUS SEQUENTIAL IF I RECALL.
AND WE, UH, YES, WE'RE W WE ARE PIVOTING FROM THE, UH, FIRST EFFORT AT, UH, WITH THE STATE ENGINEERS.
UH, AND NOW WE, UH, HAVE ENGAGED HDR.
AND THEN IN SEQUENCE, WE ARE ENGAGING THE LAND PLANNER, UH, TO DO IT AS RIGHT AS POSSIBLE FOR THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY.
UH, I KNOW WE'RE DEALING WITH DIFFERENT DISCIPLINES AT DIFFERENT TIMES HERE, BUT, UH, WITH ALL DUE RESPECT TO YOUR COMMENT ON TIMING, I DON'T THINK WE HAVE A LOT OF TIME.
UH, I THINK IF WE DON'T DO THIS RIGHT, UH, THIS MONEY COULD DISAPPEAR.
UH, SO IF THAT'S THE CASE, THEN I THINK THE CHALLENGE BEFORE IS, IS, AND THESE AREN'T ABSOLUTES, BUT TRY TO MOVE FROM THE SEQUENTIAL PROCESS TO AN INTERACTIVE, CONCURRENT PROCESS, MORE THAN WE'RE DOING.
AND I WOULD RESPECTFULLY SUGGEST WE THINK ABOUT THAT.
AND WITHOUT DISAGREEMENT, I WOULD SAY THAT AS LONG AS WE ARE ALL PARTICIPATING AND UNDERSTANDING EACH ONE OF THOSE STEPS AND HOW, ESPECIALLY, I AGREE, IT'S WORKING CONCURRENTLY, THERE'S A BIGGER PICTURE IN FRONT OF US.
WE DON'T HAVE TO WAIT FOR THE NEXT SLIDE TO SHOW UP, TO KNOW HOW EVERYTHING IS INTERACTING.
SO IN THE END, WE TAKE A VOTE AND WE MAKE A DECISION.
AND EACH ONE OF US HAS AN OBLIGATION TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE MAKING THE VERY BEST DECISION THAT WE CAN FOR OUR CONSTITUENTS, FOR THE ISLAND AS A WHOLE, AND FOR THE FUTURE OF THE REGION.
SO THE MORE INFORMATION WE HAVE, THE MORE DATA WE CAN ANALYZE AS WE'RE MOVING THROUGH THE PROCESS, THE SHORTER, THE TIMEFRAME I IMAGINE BEING
JUST A DETAILED QUESTION, JOSH, WHAT IS THE SCHEDULE POTENTIAL DATE
[00:30:02]
OF THE CHARRETTE? I WILL NEED TO TURN AROUND AND THROW THAT MID FEBRUARY.BIG ISSUES GOING ON ON YOUR ISLAND, FOR SURE.
LET'S GO BACK AND CHECK IN WITH YESTERDAY A LITTLE BIT.
THEN MAYBE WE WILL WAIT TO DO THAT.
JULIE, MAY I JUST MAKE ONE OBSERVATION? I DIDN'T SAY SOMETHING EARLIER, BUT I THINK THAT, UH, YESTERDAY, UM, WAS A, ALMOST A FOG OF CHOICES.
AND, UM, AND I'M LOOKING FOR THE SYNTHESIS OF WHAT DID WE REALLY SAY ABOUT WHERE THIS COMMUNITY IS GOING IF WE FOLLOW THE, THE, THE SIGNPOSTS OF OUR CHOICES YESTERDAY.
WELL, LET ME GIVE YOU A FIVE MINUTES TO GET A NEW CUP OF COFFEE, UM, AND, UH, WE'LL, UH, TAKE A FIVE MINUTE BREAK AND BE BACK WITH YOU.
THANK YOU FOR LETTING US, UM, GET BACK INTO ZOOM OR BLUE JEANS.
SO WE HAVE OUR BLUE JEANS ON AND WE ARE READY TO GO.
UM, AND DAVID, I REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENT THAT IT WAS, YOU KNOW, WE WERE, WE WERE DRIVING IN THE FOG WITH OUR, UH, BRIGHTS ON LAST NIGHT, WHICH HAS NEVER, NEVER A THING TO DO.
AND SO WE DO WANT TO KIND OF BRING YOU BACK TO WHERE YOU ARE, UH, AS YOU ENDED YESTERDAY AND JUST KIND OF GO THROUGH IT JUST SO YOU CAN SEE, THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT YOU SAID ARE A PRIORITY, AND MAYBE AS WE DO THAT, IT WILL HELP YOU ALL MAKE THAT INTERPRETATION, GIVEN THAT THESE ARE OUR PRIORITIES.
THIS IS WHERE WE'RE SAYING WE WANT TO GO AND HOW WE WANT TO FOCUS THE ENERGY OF THE TOWN STAFF.
I THINK IT WILL ALSO BE USEFUL FOR US TO TAKE ANOTHER CUT AT THIS BECAUSE THERE'S SOMEWHERE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, STILL HAVE MAYBE 50 ISH ITEMS, MORE OR LESS, THAT ARE PRIORITIES.
AND IF YOU HAVE 50 PRIORITIES, DO YOU HAVE ANY PRIORITIES? SO WE MIGHT MAKE YOU MAKE SOME TOUGH CHOICES.
WE ALSO WANT TO REVISIT THE NEAR, UM, BECAUSE THOSE ARE THINGS THAT ARE CERTAINLY ON YOUR HORIZON.
AND WE WANT TO DO THE SAME EXERCISE WE DID YESTERDAY, WHERE THE STAFF WILL LET YOU KNOW THE THINGS THAT THEY'RE ALREADY DOING WITH THE STRATEGIES, FOR THE GOALS IN THE NEAR GROUP.
AND HAVE YOU ALL TAKE A SHOT AT, AT WINNOWING THAT DOWN AS WELL.
SO FIRST KIND OF WHERE WE ENDED UP.
SO KATHERINE'S GONNA SHARE THESE ARE BY, UM, VALUES.
SO WITHIN EACH OF YOUR EIGHT VALUES, YOU HAVE IDENTIFIED A NUMBER OF PRIORITIES.
SO WITHIN EXCELLENCE, THERE ARE SIX.
SO IF YOU FOLLOW THE BIG, THE STRATEGIC OUTCOMES WORKBOOK, YOU CAN KIND OF MAKE A NOTE BY 1.1, 1.2, 2.1, TWO POINT 10, 3.4 AND 3.8.
THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT YOU HAVE SAID ARE PRIORITIES.
SO I'D BE INTERESTED IN SOMEONE LOOKING AT THOSE SIX ITEMS AND TAKING A STAB AT DOING EXACTLY WHAT DAVID SAID, WHICH IS, WHAT DOES THIS MEAN TO YOU? IF THESE ARE OUR PRIORITIES, WHAT DOES THIS MEAN? WHAT ARE WE SAYING?
[00:35:06]
YES, I DO.I THINK EVERYTHING PIVOTS OFF, NUMBER ONE, THE BRAND, RIGHT? IF WE DECIDE WE'RE GOING TO BE THE MERCEDES BRAND, UH, VERSUS THE CHEVROLET OR THE FORD BRAND, THEN THAT DICTATES ON A QUALITATIVE KIND OF LEVEL, HOW WE'RE GOING TO PRESENT OURSELVES IN EVERYTHING THAT WE DO.
UH, BUT IT'S, IT'S A GUIDING PRINCIPLE.
SO EXCELLENCE PIVOTS ON BRAND.
DAVID, I THINK YOU BUILD THE BRAND BY DOING THESE THINGS.
THE PROBLEM I HAD WITH ESTABLISH A BRAND IS IT SOUNDS THAT IT'S AS THOUGH IT'S SORT OF A, WELL, WE PLUCK IT OUT OF THE AIR AND THEN WE DO THINGS TO GET THERE.
UM, AND, AND I THINK THAT HAS A LOT TO DO WITH WHAT I WAS SAYING YESTERDAY.
WHAT DO WE, WHAT'S A SOUL OF A COMMUNITY.
WHAT DO WE WANT TO REPRESENT TO THE REST OF THE WORLD? SO I THINK THAT W IN, IN SOME WAYS WE HAVE A BRAND ALREADY AND WE JUST HAVE TO REINFORCE IT, BUT THEN WE ALSO HAVE TO DECIDE, WHERE DOES THAT BRAND TAKE US IN THE NEXT 10 YEARS? WHAT DOES IT MEAN TODAY? IF THIS IS STILL YOUR BRAND, WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO DO TO KEEP IT THERE? BECAUSE IT WON'T JUST STAY THERE.
SO THAT'S SORT OF THE PART THAT I GET HUNG UP ON THIS ONE AS WELL, BECAUSE IT'S ESTABLISH A BRAND FOR THE TOWN.
THE FIRST WORD, UM, ESTABLISH HILTON HEAD HAS AN ESTABLISHED BROWN BRAND, IN MY OPINION.
UM, WHAT WE NEED TO DO IS TO ENSURE THAT THE BRAND REFLECTS OUR IDEAS OF EXCELLENCE AND CORE VALUES.
SO UNLESS WE WANT TO TALK ABOUT CHANGING OUR BRAND, WHICH IS A BIG DISCUSSION AND PROBABLY WORTHY OF, YOU KNOW, ANOTHER TWO-DAY RETREAT, UM, I THINK THAT WE HAVE SOMETHING THAT WE'VE ALL BOUGHT INTO, THAT WE'VE ALL HELPED TO BUILD OVER THE COURSE OF TIME IN ONE WAY OR ANOTHER.
AND THAT WE JUST NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE REFLECT THAT IT REFLECTS OUR IDEAS OF EXCELLENCE, WHICH HAVE BEEN ESTABLISHED, UM, AS WELL, BUT REINFORCED IN THIS DOCUMENT THAT WE HAVE NOW.
SO PAGE SEVEN OF THIS LITTLE HANDOUT HAS WHAT YOUR 14 IDEALS OF EXCELLENCE ARE.
AND THE IDEA THEN IS THAT YOUR BRAND REFLECTS THOSE IDEALS.
ACCORDING TO THIS ITEM, IT JUST MIGHT'VE BEEN ONE OF THE ITEMS THAT WE HAD, UM, PRETTY STRONG AGREEMENT.
I MADE SMILEY FACES YESTERDAY, NEXT BREAK, AND WENT BACK TO FIND MY FEET.
I THINK THAT EXCELLENCE IS OUR OBJECTIVE.
IN MANY WAYS, WE ALREADY HAVE EXCELLENCE, BUT IN SOME WAYS WE DON'T HAVE EXCELLENCE WHEN WE ARE TALKING ABOUT BRAND.
TO ME, WHAT I THINK IS, I THINK I KNOW WHAT IT IS, BUT I CAN'T EXPRESS IT.
WE HAVE A HIGH DEGREE OF PROTECTION OF OUR ENVIRONMENT.
WE HAVE A HIGH LEVEL OF TOURISM.
WE HAVE AN, A BRIGHT AND INTELLIGENT POPULATION THAT IS ENGAGED IN VOLUNTEERISM, ET CETERA, BUT THAT'S NOT REALLY EXPRESSING THE BRAND.
AND SO THAT'S WHY I SAY I HAVE TROUBLE QUANTIFYING WHAT THAT IS.
AND IT'S INTERESTING THAT THIS PARTICULAR STRATEGY DEALS WITH ESTABLISH A BRAND RATHER THAN REINFORCE THE BRAND OR POLISH THE BRAND, OR, UH, SHARE THE BRAND, PUBLISH THE BRAND, WHATEVER TERMS YOU WOULD USE THERE.
SO AGAIN, I, THIS IS ONE OF THESE THINGS THAT I HAVE TROUBLE GETTING A HOLD OF.
WHEN I THINK OF A BRAND, I THINK, UH, I AGREE IT'S AN AMORPHOUS CONCEPT.
[00:40:01]
IT TO SOMETHING TANGIBLE TO ME, IT'S A BEST IN CLASS WITH EVERYTHING WE CHOOSE TO DO.SO IF WE CHOOSE TO HAVE A PART THAT SHOULD BE BEST IN CLASS, IF WE CHOOSE TO HAVE A TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM THAT SHOULD BE BEST IN CLASS, IF WE CHOOSE TO HAVE, UM, AN EDUCATION SYSTEM, ET CETERA, ET CETERA, I GUESS I'M NOT, I'M NOT AS HUNG UP ON, UH, THE REBRAND.
I THINK WHEN YOU, YOU STILL HAVE TO REALLY PEEL BACK ON THE STRATEGIES, IT'S POINTING US IN A DIRECTION OF, UH, PROTECTING WHAT WE ALREADY HAVE, BUT ALSO FEEL AS IF IT'S REALLY SAYING THAT WE'RE, WE'RE SHOPPING IN OUR TOOLS TO A DEGREE, RIGHT? UM, NO, WE'VE, UH, WE'VE DONE A GREAT JOB IN THE PAST.
UM, BUT ANY ORGANIZATION, ANY MUNICIPALITY, ANY COMMUNITY WANTS TO CONTINUE FOR EXCELLENCE AND GET BETTER.
UH, SO WHEN YOU START PEELING SOMEBODY BACK AND I'M GOING TO FOCUS ON, UH, ON 3.8, UM, YOU KNOW, BEST PRACTICES AND STANDARDS FOR PROCESSES AND POLICIES AND PROJECTS, UH, YOU KNOW, I'LL GO BACK TO A COMMENT THAT I MADE ON YESTERDAY.
YOU KNOW, HOW WE MEASURE AGAINST THESE GOALS AND STRATEGIES IS IMPORTANT.
UM, SO I, I THINK WE SHOULD REALLY FOCUS ON THE, THE STRATEGIES AND WHERE THAT'S TAKEN US.
I THINK IT TAKES US TO, THIS IS PROBABLY BAD TERMINOLOGY, BUT NEW EXCELLENCE, SO TO SPEAK.
UM, YOU KNOW, I, I MENTIONED YESTERDAY THAT AS THINGS CLIMB THE LADDER BEFORE THEY GET TO TOWN COUNCIL, THERE ARE A LOT OF, UH, COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT, UH, PARTICULARLY THAT, UH, BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS AND HOW THOSE FOLKS IN IRAQ DECISION-MAKING, UM, MAYBE THE CHANGE, YOU KNOW, I'LL USE AN EXAMPLE.
WE, UH, WE HEARD PLANNING COMMISSIONER LAST WEEK HAVE TO MAKE A DECISION BASED ON REZONING IN AN AREA.
AND I'M NOT QUITE SURE THAT, UH, THE TOOLS THAT THEY WERE USING WAS SHARP ENOUGH FOR US TO GET TO EXCELLENCE.
UM, SO MAYBE IT'S, UH, UH, NO RESET OF THE WAY THAT WE FOLLOW A PROCESS TO GET THE POLICY CHANGES THAT MAY HELP US CONTINUE TO HOLD UP OUR BRAND OF EXCELLENCE.
NOT SURE IF I ARTICULATED IT WELL ENOUGH FOR YOU TO CAPTURE IT, BUT ALEX, I THINK THAT'S A TARGET WE OUGHT TO BE SHOOTING AT.
AND I AGREE WITH WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
SO IT'S REALLY THE, IN ALL OF THIS, AND I KIND OF GO BACK TO THE WAY YOU ALL FRAMED IT.
IT'S OUR PLACE, OUR PEOPLE, OUR PLANNING AND PROCESSES.
AND IT, IT ALMOST SOUNDS TO ME LIKE WE'RE GOING TO LEVEL UP, WE'RE GOING TO BE INTENTIONAL ABOUT FOCUSING ON THESE 14 ITEMS THAT ARE LAID OUT IN PAGE SEVEN AND LEVELING UP EVERYTHING WE DO AS IT RELATES TO PLACE PEOPLE AND PLANNING PROCESS.
IS THAT KIND OF WHERE YOU'RE GOING? OKAY.
UM, I'M GETTING CONFUSED ABOUT WHAT OUR JOB IS HERE.
UH, I THINK AT THE END OF THIS PROCESS, I THINK WE'LL, WE WILL BE, WE, WE HAVE A LIMITED AMOUNT OF FUNDING AND WE WILL BE VOTING ON MOVING IN A DIRECTION OR A PARTICULAR DIRECTION.
UH, AND LET'S USE PARKS AS AN EXAMPLE.
THEN I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S OUR CORE FUNCTION.
HOW, AND THEN WE, WE PUT, UH, WE CREATE, UH, A FEATURE ANALYSIS GRID FOR THE STAFF SAY, OKAY, WE WANTED TO BUILD A PARK HERE.
IT HAS TO BE SOMETHING THAT IN YEARS TO THE BENEFIT OF NOT ONE GROUP, BUT THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY, ET CETERA.
[00:45:02]
DIVING INTO THIS, UM, I'M HEADING INTO A GRAY ZONE BETWEEN OUR ROLE IN THE STAFF WORLD.SO I THINK WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO RIGHT NOW IS LOOK AT THE DETAIL OF WHAT YOU DECIDED YESTERDAY, OR WHAT YOU COMMUNICATED YESTERDAY AS PRIORITIES, AND TURN THAT INTO, BACK TO THAT BROAD DIRECTION TO THE STAFF.
IT'S LIKE, SO IT'S WHAT WE'RE TELLING YOU BY HAVING IDENTIFIED THESE SIX ITEMS AS PRIORITIES IS DOT.DOT.
AND I, AND I, BASED ON THE CONVERSATION, I TRIED TO SAY THAT IT'S LIVE OUT, BE INTENTIONAL WITH THOSE IDEALS OF EXCELLENCE AND LEVEL UP EVERYTHING WE DO WITH REGARD TO PLACE PEOPLE AND PROCESS, BUT THAT'S THE BROADER DIRECTION.
SO IF WE HIT THAT, IF WE NAILED IT, WE CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
IF YOU AGREE WITH THAT'S, WHAT THE MESSAGE IS.
WE'RE TRYING TO, UM, PROVIDE CONTEXT AGAIN FOR THE WORK THAT YOU DID YESTERDAY, WHICH GOT VERY TEDIOUS AND VERY GRANULAR AND SAY, OKAY, HERE'S WHAT WE DID.
THIS IS WHAT WE'RE COMMUNICATING TAMRA.
I THINK THAT LEVELING UP IS CERTAINLY, UM, THE GOAL.
UM, AND MAYBE, UM, I GET HUNG UP ON 1.1 BECAUSE OF THE WORD SMITHING THAT I WOULD HAVE RATHER SEEN, UM, WITH THE FIRST WORD.
SO THE IDEA BEHIND IT ISN'T AS MUCH IN CONTENTION FOR ME AS IT IS.
UM, I'M JUST NOT HAPPY WITH THE WORD.
SO WHEN YOU READ IT, YOU COULD PUT R E IN FRONT OF ESTABLISH, OR YOU COULD SAY REFRESH, OR YOU COULD, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN TWEAK THAT TO MAKE IT WORK, WORK FOR YOU.
I SEE WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS THAT'S THE STRUGGLE IS WE HAVE A BRAND IT'S HOW DO WE EVEN ENHANCE THAT EVEN YEAH.
ANYTHING ELSE ON EXCELLENCE BEFORE WE MOVE TO THE NEXT GROUPING? YES.
I THINK, UH, IN, IN THIS ENVIRONMENT THAT WE'RE CHOOSING TO COMPETE WITH AND PARTICIPATE IN, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT AND I WILL USE TWO, THE EXAMPLES THAT ARE VERY CLOSE TO US, KIAWAH ISLAND AND SEA ISLAND IN THIS ENVIRONMENT, EXCELLENCE IS THE BASELINE AND THE RESIDENTS AND CUSTOMERS OF THESE ENVIRONMENTS EXPECT NOTHING BUT THIS.
AND SO YOU AREN'T RECOGNIZED FOR SUPPLYING OR CREATING AN EXCELLENCE ENVIRONMENT AS THE ENTIRE CUSTOMER BASE, IF YOU WILL ALREADY EXPECTS IT.
SO WE HAVE TO MAINTAIN THIS TO COMPETE WITH AND SURVIVE IN THAT ENVIRONMENT.
AND I THINK IF YOU WENT TO STAFF AND AS WE GO THROUGH ALL OF THESE, ALL OF THESE TACTICS, IF YOU WENT TO STAFF AND SAID, DO ALL OF THIS, UH, I, MY GUESS IS THE RESPONSE WOULD BE, I CAN DO ALL OF THIS IF YOU ALLOCATE THE RESOURCES.
SO AT THE END OF THE DAY, ALTHOUGH WE WANT ALL OF THESE THINGS, AND I GUESS WE SHOWED IT YESTERDAY, ALTHOUGH WE WANT ALL OF THESE THINGS, UH, THE TOUGH JOB IS, UH, HOW ARE WE GOING TO ALLOCATE THE RESOURCES AMONG THAT WHOLE LIST, UH, RECOGNIZING THAT WE CAN'T DO IT ALL.
SO A LITTLE, A LITTLE SIMPLER PERHAPS HERE.
UM, THERE WERE A LOT OF ENVIRONMENT GOALS THAT ENDED UP IN THE NEAR OR NEXT CATEGORY.
SO WE HAVEN'T REALLY DEALT WITH THOSE STRATEGIES.
THE ONES THAT YOU PRIORITIZED ARE THESE TO COURAGE AND OFFER OPTIONS FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF STRUCTURES AND SITES, SO SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT, AND FIND WAYS TO USE TOWN PROPERTY, TO SHOWCASE ENVIRONMENTAL PRESENTATION ITEMS 2.2 AND 4.2 UNDER ENVIRONMENT, WHICH STARTS ON PAGE TWO PAGES TWO AND THREE.
THIS IS SHOCKING AND DISAPPOINTING.
HOW SO? BECAUSE ONE OF OUR ABSOLUTE
[00:50:01]
CORE INGREDIENTS OR CHARACTERS OF OUR BRAND IS ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP.AND WE ARE SHOWING BASED ON JUST TWO ITEMS, VERY LITTLE COMMITMENT TO DOING THINGS PROACTIVELY IN THE AREA OF ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP, RESILIENCY, WATER, PRESERVATION, AND SO ON AND SO FORTH.
WE VOTED NOT TO PARTICIPATE IN BEING PROACTIVE IN ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP BY JUST LOOKING AT THESE TWO ITEMS. SO WHAT I WOULD ADD TO THAT THOUGH, IS A NEED TO REMEMBER THAT WHEN WE WENT, WHEN JOSH WENT THROUGH THE LIST OF ALL THE THINGS THAT YOU WERE ALREADY DOING, SO MANY ITEMS IN THIS CATEGORY CAME OFF THE LIST.
SO MANY POTENTIAL NEW STRATEGIES, BECAUSE THEY WERE THINGS THAT YOU'RE ALREADY DOING.
AND SO I, YES, THERE'S TWO NEW THINGS THAT YOU'VE ADDED THAT I THINK THAT THAT'S A PIECE OF THIS PUZZLE.
I MEAN, I PARTICIPATED IN THAT VOTE AND IN A LOT OF CASES, I DIDN'T CLICK ON A PRIORITY THAT WOULD SUGGEST THAT WE'RE BEING PROACTIVE FOR A VARIETY OF REASONS.
UH, BUT I'M JUST MAKING THE OBSERVATION THAT THIS COMMUNITY, WHICH STANDS ON THE FOUNDATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP IS NOT SUGGESTED IT'S NOT BY THIS VOTE IS NOT SUGGESTING THAT WE ARE GOING TO BE DOING MUCH ABOUT ENERGY, WATER PRESERVATION, SO ON RESILIENCY.
SO YEAH, I HAVE A REACTION TO THAT, AND THAT IS THAT IN THE SELECTION PROCESS THAT WE WENT THROUGH YESTERDAY, WE DIDN'T SAY, OR AT LEAST I DIDN'T SAY IN THE ENVIRONMENTAL AREA, I ONLY WANT TO DO THESE TWO THINGS.
RATHER WHAT WE DID WAS WE REACTED TO WHAT THE TOWN IS ALREADY DOING IN STAFF EFFORTS AND ADDED THESE IN ADDITION TO THE LIST.
AND I DON'T, WE'RE NOT GOING TO TAKE TIME NOW TO GO THROUGH AND READ EVERYTHING THAT THE STAFF IS ALREADY DOING, OR THE TOWN IS ALREADY DOING HERE.
UM, BUT THAT'S THE WAY I SEE IT, DAVID, AND I DON'T THINK WE HAVE EXCLUDED PROTECTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT, UM, FROM, UH, OUR GOALS AND OBJECTIONS OBJECTIVES IN THIS PLAN.
THE ONE THAT I WILL JUST KIND OF ADD, YES, I AGREE WITH WHAT YOU SAID.
AND THAT CONTEXT OF WHAT WE'RE ALREADY DOING IS REALLY IMPORTANT.
IT IS TRUE THAT WITHIN THIS ENVIRONMENTAL CORE VALUE, FOUR OF THE SEVEN GOALS LANDED IN NEAR OR NEXT, AS OPPOSED TO NOW.
SO THREE OF THE GOALS ARE HERE IN NOW, AND WE HAVEN'T TALKED ABOUT, WE HAVEN'T TALKED ANY FURTHER ABOUT WASTING RESILIENCE, WHICH WOULD BE IN NEAR AND THEN ENERGY AND AIR QUALITY, WHICH ARE NEXT.
SO WHAT I HEAR DAVID SAYING IS, ARE WE, ARE WE DOING ENOUGH? ARE WE SAYING WE WANT TO DO ENOUGH IN THIS AREA AS A QUESTION OR A CONCERN? IS THAT FAIR? OKAY, TAMARA, YOU JUST WANT TO PUT A SPIN ON, UM, ON THESE THAT, UM, I'M ENCOURAGED BY.
AND I THINK STAFF ALREADY, YOU KNOW, THOUGH IT WASN'T TAKEN OFF BECAUSE DEF HAS CURRENTLY DOING IT, I THINK THEY DO CURRENTLY DO IT.
UM, I THINK THAT THEY CURRENTLY DO IT AND ARE EAGER TO DO IT MORE, WHICH WE'VE ALLOWED OR SUGGESTED OR WHATEVER THE WORD IS THROUGH THESE, WHICH IS FOR INSTANCE, FIND WAYS TO USE TOWN PROPERTY, TO SHOWCASE ENVIRONMENTAL PRESERVATION.
I KNOW THAT TOWN STAFF HAS BEEN HEARING FROM SOME GROUPS THAT HAVE SUGGESTIONS WITH REGARD TO HOW THEY MAKE A CORRIDOR THAT ENHANCES, UM, PEOPLE'S ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND KNOWLEDGE OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL AND ECOLOGICAL ATTRIBUTES AND RESOURCES THAT ARE HERE ON THE ISLAND.
SO I BELIEVE THEY ARE DOING THAT.
AND NOW WE'RE SAYING DEFINITIVELY CONTINUE TO DO THAT.
UM, AND WE WANT YOU TO, TO, UM, HYPE, TO COME THROUGH ON MAKING THOSE PRESENTATIONS TO US AS A COUNCIL SO THAT WE CAN MOVE FORWARD AND IMPLEMENT THEM.
OKAY, MS. NOVICK, I DON'T, I DON'T WANT TO, UH, I DON'T WANT TO TURN TO THE BACK OF THE BOOK YET, BUT TO GIVE US SOME CONFIDENCE, BECAUSE
[00:55:01]
I'M SURE WE'RE GOING TO RUN INTO THIS SCENARIO AGAIN.UM, JUST BECAUSE IT'S IN THE NEAR COLUMN, DOESN'T MEAN THAT IT'S GOING, IT'S NOT GOING TO BE IN OUR REPORT OUT AT THE END OF THE DAY.
IS THAT, AM I SAFE IN SAYING THAT IT DOESN'T MEAN IT WILL BE IN THE REPORT? IT DOESN'T MEAN IT'LL BE THE TOP PRIORITY DIRECTION TO THE STAFF.
SO I, I WOULD SAY THIS, THERE'S JUST A SENSE OF MAYBE QUESTION OR CAUTION HERE.
HAVE WE DONE ENOUGH? MAYBE WE HAVE, LET'S BE MINDFUL OF THAT AS WE THINK ABOUT THIS WHOLE PLAN AS KIND OF LOVELINESS UP AND REINFORCING OUR COMMITMENT THAT THIS MAY BE AN AREA AS WE EXPLORE NEAR THAT MAYBE WE MAYBE THERE ARE NEW THINGS WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO ADD TO THE LIST.
OKAY, LET'S GO TO THE ECONOMY.
THIS IS AN AREA WHERE THERE'S A LOT OF NEW THINGS.
IF YOU WILL, TO READ THESE NINE ITEMS AND YOU CAN LOOK AT THEM IN YOUR BOOK, TRY TO MAKE THEM VERY AT 1.1, 2.3, 2.5 1.1 2.3, 2.5 3.4, 4.6 5.1 5.4 6.1 AND 6.4, READ THOSE.
AND LET'S TAKE A STAB AT WHAT IF THESE ARE OUR NINE NEW PRIORITIES? WHAT ARE WE SAYING? AND ARE THESE IN SOME KIND OF A PRIORITY ORDER BASED ON OUR VOTES, THEY ARE NOT YET.
ALL OF THESE WERE THE PRIORITIES, BUT WE CAN DO THAT STEP.
SHOULD WE WANT TO? WE ARE PREPARED.
SO IN THIS AREA IN ECONOMY, ALL OF THE GOALS WE'RE IN THE NOW CATEGORY, NONE WERE NEAR OR NEXT, ALL WERE IN THE NEAR NOW.
SO WHAT IS THIS SAYING TO YOU? WHAT'S THE OVERALL MESSAGE THAT YOU'RE COMMUNICATING BY SELECTING THESE ITEMS AS YOUR PRIORITIES? UM, I'M GOING TO JUMP IN WITH MY FIRST REACTION, BECAUSE I THINK, UM, FOR ME, IT'S A PRIORITY.
I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THE, UM, ECONOMY AND OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT HERE ON THE ISLAND SPECIFIC TO OUR ISLAND.
AND I THINK IT SHOULD BE A PRIORITY THAT WE'RE ALL FOCUSED ON.
UM, SO THAT'S THAT'S ENOUGH FOR NOW, BUT I THINK THAT OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT NEEDS TO BE DRIVEN AND BROUGHT TO LIFE.
SO THERE'S A NEED TO BE PROACTIVE.
OKAY, JULIA, UH, TWO, THREE THINGS COME TO MY MIND.
UH, AND IN A COUPLE OF THE AREAS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT DOING THINGS TO ATTRACT NEW TYPES OF BUSINESSES AND YOUNGER, YOUNGER, A YOUNGER POPULATION COHORT.
I THINK THAT THOSE TWO ARE INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT IN THE LONG-TERM.
UH, THE SECOND WHERE THE SECOND PART OF THAT, THE ATTRACTING THE YOUNGER COHORT, WE NEED TO THINK ABOUT WHERE THE NEXT GENERATION OF LEADERS ARE GOING TO COME FROM ON THIS ISLAND.
AND THERE IS A LOT OF ENERGY AND TALENT ON THIS ISLAND AT THIS POINT.
AND WE SHOULD BE REINFORCING THAT IN AS MANY WAYS AS WE CAN TO ATTRACT EVEN MORE OF THOSE PEOPLE.
SECONDLY, COVID HAS GIVEN US A GLIMPSE OF WHAT A BUSINESS AT HOME LOOKS LIKE, AND WE SHOULD
[01:00:01]
BE DOING EVERYTHING TO ATTRACT THOSE PEOPLE WHO WOULD LIKE TO LIVE HERE ON THE ISLAND.THE SECOND IS THE HEALTHCARE ISSUE, AND THAT IS INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT TO OUR RETIREE POPULATION AND THE FUTURE OF SORT OF THE BEST IN CLASS RETIREMENT, UH, GOAL.
AND THEN THIRDLY, THE WHOLE HOUSING ISSUE IS INVOLVED IN THIS.
AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT OUR COUNCIL HAS BEEN WRESTLING WITH FOR A FEW YEARS AND TO MY, UH, UH, WAY OF THINKING, UH, WE HAVEN'T DONE ENOUGH.
WE HAVEN'T MADE THE COMMITMENT THAT'S NECESSARY TO MAKE A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT IN THAT PARTICULAR AREA.
SO I WOULD SAY THAT'S ONE OF THE BIG PRIORITIES IN THIS LIST UNDER OUR ECONOMY.
SO BROADEN OUR, UM, OUR INTEREST IN ATTRACTING WORK FROM HOME PROFESSIONALS, REINVIGORATE THE ECONOMY THAT WE HAVE HERE IN TERMS OF FILLING STOREFRONTS AND, AND BUSINESSES, UM, BECAUSE THEY'RE LEAVING, MAKE SURE WE HAVE HEALTHCARE FOR OUR RETIREES AND HAVE HOUSING AND TRANSPORTATION FOR THE PEOPLE WHO SUPPORT THE SERVICE ELEMENT OF THE ECONOMY.
THE ONLY THING THAT YOU DIDN'T MENTION THERE IS THAT I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO BE INTENTIONAL IN ATTRACTING A YOUNGER DREAMT GENERATION OF PROFESSIONALS WHO ARE ENTREPRENEURIAL AND BRING CASH AND CAPITAL INTO OUR COMMUNITY.
HOW WOULD YOU DO THAT? I THINK THERE'S A, THERE IS A GROUP OF THOSE PEOPLE ON THE ISLAND AT THIS TIME.
I THINK WE SHOULD BRING THEM TOGETHER AND ASK THEM HOW TO DO THAT.
AND I SECOND WHAT HE SAID IN THE, THE CATEGORIES THAT HE BROKE THESE DOWN INTO.
UM, BUT I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE KEEPING THE WORKFORCE HOUSING ELEMENT IN THERE.
UH, AND IT, IT IS I GUESS, TO A DEGREE SECONDARY TO THAT, BUT WE NEED TO MAKE SURE IT REMAINS A PRIORITY.
SO I APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS, BABY, GOING TO GO AWAY.
SO I JUST WANTED TO FOLLOW UP ON THAT BECAUSE I THINK THAT THE IDEA OF BRINGING THAT COMMUNITY OF INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE OUR FUTURE WITH, IN TERMS OF LEADERSHIP AND BUSINESS SUFFER ATTORNEYS, ET CETERA, TOGETHER IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE WE, WE DO TALK ABOUT WORKFORCE HOUSING AND WE TALK ABOUT WORTH, OF COURSE, HOUSING THROUGH INITIATIVES.
WE HAVEN'T IN MY MIND, HAVEN'T SEEN IT.
MAYBE SOMEONE CAN CORRECT ME, BUT I THINK THAT IF WE'RE GOING TO BE INTENTIONAL AND DELIBERATE WITH THAT, WE NEED TO FIND WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? I USED THE TERM YESTERDAY.
IS IT JUST BEDS AND PILLOWS, OR IS IT A COMMUNITY AND AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE PEOPLE WANT TO COME START, THEIR BUSINESSES BEGIN THEIR LIVES AND CREATE, UM, THEM PUT THEMSELVES IN TO THE, UM, INTO THE COMMUNITY AS ACTIVE PARTICIPANTS.
WHAT IS IT THAT FOLKS WANT? IS IT THE SAME THING WE WANTED? IS THERE SOMETHING NEW? I DON'T KNOW IF PEOPLE HAVE BEEN ASKED, I'VE ASKED YOUNG PEOPLE RECENTLY WHO ARE CONCERNED ABOUT, UM, AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND THAT QUESTION HAS NEVER BEEN ASKED TO THEM, WHAT TYPE OF ENVIRONMENT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR? WHAT DO WE NEED TO DO? I HAVE FRIENDS WHO HAVE SUCCESSFUL BUSINESSES ON THE ISLAND WHO ARE ENCOURAGING ME TO ASK THE QUESTION, HOW DO WE SET UP A SYSTEM HERE THAT WILL BRING YOUNG PEOPLE ON THE ISLAND WHO CAN WORK FROM HOME OR COME TO AN OFFICE AND WORK, BUT THERE'S AN INTEREST IN ALL OF THAT.
SO PEOPLE WANT JOBS, THEY WANT A PLACE TO LIVE.
DO THEY JUST WANT A BED AND A PILLOW, OR DO THEY WANT AN ENVIRONMENT BUILT IN FOR THEM INTO OUR COMMUNITY? I'M NOT SURE IF THAT MADE SENSE, BUT, UM, THERE'S A LOT MORE TO THAT DISCUSSION THAN JUST INCENTIVES AND WORKFORCE HOUSING AND PUT IT OUT THERE.
UM, WE NEED TO BE INTENTIONAL.
SO IT'S MORE THAN JUST LIVING HERE.
IT'S ENGAGING HERE AND BEING A VIBRANT PART OF THE COMMUNITY COUNSEL WENT BACK.
AND, UM, I'M IN AGREEANCE WITH WHAT HAS BEEN SAID, THE BEAUTY TO ALL OF THIS, ALTHOUGH IT DOES STRETCH OUT OF OUR REALM OF BEING A LIMITED SERVICE
[01:05:01]
GOVERNMENT, WE HAVE ALREADY STARTED TO ENGAGE WITH INDIVIDUALS THAT HAVE THIS INTEREST BECAUSE THAT'S HOW THIS WAS DEVELOPED.RIGHT? SO, UM, THE CONTINUATION OF THAT I THINK IS, IS KEY.
AND, UM, ALSO WANT TO TAKE A MOMENT.
I AGREE WITH COUNCILMAN LINUX IN TERMS OF BEING, YOU KNOW, CONSERVATIVE HERE, BECAUSE WE'VE GOT LIMITED RESOURCES, RIGHT.
AND IT'S GOING TO BE DIFFICULT TO, TO PULL ALL THIS TOGETHER, UH, USING OUR CURRENT AMOUNT OF FUNDING, SO TO SPEAK.
UM, BUT I THINK IT'S UPON US TO, UH, THE CHARGE MR. ORLANDO WITH FINDING US SOME NEW MONEY.
THERE HAS TO BE PROGRAMS OUT THERE THAT SUPPORT SOME OF WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO THAT WE HAVE NOT TAPPED INTO YET.
I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO KEEP, KEEP IN MIND MOVING FORWARD.
AS I LOOK AT THAT LIST, I'M ASKING MYSELF THE QUESTION, WHERE IS THE, WHAT IS THE MOST SIGNIFICANT CAPITAL CALL FOR THE TOWN? AND I THINK IT'S, I WOULD SUBMIT IT'S A NUMBER OF FIVE, 4.6, AND THE OTHERS CAPITAL CALL YOU INTO INVEST MONEY, RIGHT? AND FOR MANY OF THE OTHERS, TO A LARGE EXTENT, UH, THROUGH INCENTIVES OF THROUGH A RECRUITMENT, WE CAN BRING OTHER PARTIES INTO THE COMMUNITY, A KID TO HELP.
UH, FOR EXAMPLE, ON A WORKFORCE HOUSING, WE PROBABLY CAN DO A LOT IN TERMS OF INCENTIVE.
WE COULD USE INCENTIVES, UH, TO HELP IN MY COMMENTS AREN'T EXCLUSIVE.
BUT WHEN YOU COME TO PARKS AND RECREATION, I THINK THAT WE HAVE TO STAND TALL ON THAT ONE.
AND THEN THE OTHERS, UH, TO OUR LESSER EXTENT ARE GOING TO BE COMING TO US FOR THE SINGULAR SOURCE OF CAPITAL.
MY CONCERN IS YOU'LL LOOK AT 3.4, NUMBER FOUR, 3.4.
WE'VE BEEN DISCUSSING THAT FOREVER.
SO EITHER WE CAN DO SOMETHING, WE CAN'T DO SOMETHING.
WHAT I SEE IN FRONT OF ME, HE HAS A LOT OF GOOD IDEAS, A LOT OF WORDS, HOW DO WE GET ANYTHING DONE? I MEAN, WHAT, WHAT'S THE ACTION ITEM OF SOME OF THIS STUFF? I MEAN, YOU NEED TO ENCOURAGE RE-PURPOSING OF EXISTING COMMERCIAL SPACE.
THAT'S BEEN ON THE AGENDA FIT EVER SAW ME BETWEEN THIS COUNCIL.
AND THREE, BEFORE THAT WE HAVEN'T THOUGHT OF A SOLUTION SOMEWHERE ALONG THE WAY, YOU SORT OF BITE THE BULLET AND MOVE ON.
BUT HOW MANY MORE LIKE THAT? I MEAN, YOU NEED SOME ACTORS FROM TIME TO TIME SCHEDULES ON YOU, SOME DEADLINES OR THE LIST WILL GET BIGGER EVERY YEAR.
THIS IS, THIS IS A GOOD, IMPORTANT POINT.
YOU ALL TALKED YESTERDAY ABOUT PRIORITIES, THEN ASSIGNING RESPONSIBILITY AND ENSURING ACCOUNTABILITY.
AND THESE THINGS WILL GO BACK TO STAFF TO DEVELOP A WORK PLAN AROUND WITH THE SPECIFIC, WHAT ARE WE GOING TO AND BRING IT BACK TO YOU WITH WHO'S IN CHARGE AND WHEN WILL THINGS BE DONE.
AND OBVIOUSLY IT ALL CAN'T BE DONE BY MARCH 31ST.
THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE TO PACE IT OUT OVER A PERIOD OF TIME, BUT THAT'S, THAT'S THE NEXT STEP.
YES, MAYOR, UM, THE RE-PURPOSING AND REVITALIZATION OF EXISTING COMMERCIAL STRUCTURES DEPENDS ON OUR BEING ABLE TO MASTER PLAN AREAS THAT HAVE A PREDOMINANT PREDOMINANCE OF THOSE STRUCTURES AND DECIDE WHAT IS BETTER, WHAT WOULD BE A HIGHER AND BETTER USE FOR THOSE STRUCTURES IN TODAY'S ECONOMY AND THE ECONOMY THAT WE'RE ANTICIPATING OVER THE NEXT 10 YEARS? SO THE FIRST THING WE OUGHT TO BE ASKING STAFF TO DO IS DESIGNATE TWO OR THREE AREAS IN THIS TOWN THAT HAVE A PREPONDERANCE OF UNDERUTILIZED COMMERCIAL SPACE, DILAPIDATED BUILDINGS, AND SO ON, AND TRY TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THE PROGRAM OUGHT TO BE OF THAT REVITALIZATION OF THAT AREA.
SO I SAY IT'S A MASTER PLANNING EXERCISE.
THEN SECONDLY, WE, AREN'T GOING TO BE ABLE TO HAVE A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON THE, UM, DEBT ASSOCIATED WITH THAT, UH, THOSE STRUCTURES, UNLESS WE DEVELOP A PROGRAM MUCH LIKE OUR, UM, UH, OPEN SPACE PROGRAM BACK IN THE NINETIES, WHEN WE SAID, WE WANT TO TAKE LAND THAT HAS DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS OFF THE TABLE TO PRESERVE OPEN SPACE ON THIS ISLAND TODAY, WE NEED TO HAVE A PROGRAM THAT SAYS THERE IS A FUND TO PURCHASE THESE BUILDINGS, REDESIGNED
[01:10:01]
WHAT WE WANT ON THAT PIECE OF GROUND, AND THEN PUT IT BACK TO THE PRIVATE SECTOR TO DEVELOP.SO IT'S A COMBINATION OF MASTER PLANNING AND THEN AN ECONOMIC PACKAGE THAT CREATES THE ENVIRONMENT FOR THE PRIVATE SECTOR TO GET INVOLVED IN A WAY THAT THIS COMMUNITY WOULD BENEFIT.
AND I DON'T DISAGREE WITH YOU, BUT I THINK IT SHOULD ALL COME OUT OF THE COUNCIL.
YOU SENDING IT BACK TO THE STAFF TO DO SOMETHING, A LOT OF STUFF THAT WE SEND BACK, THE STAFF SHOULD BE DONE AT A COUNCIL LEVEL.
SO WHEN IT GETS US THERE, THEY ALREADY KNOW THAT AT THE BACKING AND DIRECTION AND OUTLINE FROM THE DOCTOR.
I MEAN THIS HERE WITH THE MASTER PLANNING AND EVERYTHING, YOU WOULD NEVER EXPECT THE STAFF TO COME UP ON THAT, THAT IDEA OF TICKLE DOWN ON THAT IDEA.
THERE WERE SO MANY ITEMS WE TALK ABOUT, LET ME REPHRASE TO GET AWAY.
THERE WERE SO MANY ITEMS WE DISCUSSED ALL THE TIME, THEN A RECOMMENDATIONS BY STAFF.
I SEE VERY FEW RECOMMENDATIONS BY COUNCIL TO STAFF.
I MEAN, WE LOOK LIKE WE'RE A COUNCIL THAT JUST REACTS TO THINGS THAT COME UP THAT'S WRONG.
I MEAN, YOU MENTIONED, YOU JUST MENTIONED THAT THE MASTER PLANNING THAT SHOULD COME FROM COUNCIL, THAT SHOULD BE DIRECTED.
THERE HAS SOMETHING THE COUNCIL IS GOING TO DO, NOT THE STAFF.
WELL, I MEAN, JUST IN TERMS OF ROLES, I MEAN, YOUR ALL'S JOB IS TO PROVIDE THE DIRECTION AND THE STAFF DOES THE IMPLEMENTATION.
SO THEY KNOW WHAT THEY'RE COMING BACK TO YOU WITH.
I MEAN, JUST TAKE THIS, TAKE OUR PLAN AS AN EXAMPLE, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY DO THE WORK AND BRING IT BACK TO YOU FOR ADOPTION.
AND THEN NOW YOU'RE PRIORITIZING AND SENDING IT BACK TO THEM FOR IMPLEMENTATION.
I MEAN, THERE'S THE POLICY ROLE OF THE BOARD AND THE ADMINISTRATIVE AND IMPLEMENTATION ROLE OF THE STAFF.
YEAH, NO, WHAT WE DON'T WANT TO PLAY, GO FISH WITH THE STAFF.
CAN I FOLLOW UP ON THAT? BECAUSE I AGREE.
I THINK THAT WE NEED MORE WORKSHOPS WHERE WE SIT AND WE TALK ABOUT THOSE THINGS THAT WE WANT COLLECTIVELY TO SEE HAPPEN ON THIS ISLAND.
OTHERWISE WE SET POLICY AND THEN WE WAIT FOR SOMETHING TO COME BEFORE STAFF FROM AN OUTSIDE ORGANIZATION, PRESS HATS, OR MAYBE SOME OF THEIR CREATIVE THINKING, WHICH IS ALWAYS WONDERFUL THAT PUSHES IT FORWARD, BUT IT DOESN'T COME FROM US.
AND I THINK THAT WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT IT DOES ONE OF THE THINGS THAT ALEX SAID THAT, UM, I'M AN AGREE WITH HERE.
AND MAYBE IT WAS GLAD I FORGET NOW I'M I'M AGREE WITH WHOEVER SAID IT, UM, IS THAT WHEN A REZONING APPLICATION CAME THROUGH RECENTLY AND THE PLANNING COMMISSION HAD TO CONSIDER OUR SAM'S CLUB IN THE MIDDLE OF OUR ISLAND TO BE TURNED INTO POTENTIALLY STORAGE UNITS, THAT DOES NOTHING FOR OUR ISLAND BRAND.
IT DOES NOTHING FOR OUR ECONOMY.
IT DOES NOTHING TO CONTINUE THE QUALITY OF LIFE ON THIS ISLAND.
AND THERE ARE CERTAINLY DAVID ARE HIGHER AND BETTER USES FOR THAT PROPERTY.
SO I WOULD ASK IF I WOULD ASK THAT WE SET SOME TIME UP AFTER THIS MEETING TO GET TOGETHER WITH OUR NEW TOWN MANAGER AND OUR STAFF AND TO GIVE THEM SOME, OR MAYBE JUST OURSELVES, HOWEVER, IT WORKS OUT, Y'ALL FIGURED THAT, BUT I THINK WE NEED TO DRIVE THAT MESSAGE JUST AS THE MAYOR HAS JUST INDICATED AND BE CAREFUL OF WHAT HAPPENS NEXT, JUST BECAUSE IT'S OKAYED BY THE ORDINANCE, JUST BECAUSE IT CAN GET THROUGH THE PLANNING COMMISSION DOES NOT MEAN IT SHOULD GET THROUGH THIS COUNCIL.
THIS COUNCIL NEEDS TO BE SMARTER THAN THAT.
I THINK WHEN WE LOOK AT THE, WHEN WE LOOK AT THE ISLAND OF, I THINK SOME 30, 30, 5% OF THE COMMERCIAL SPACE IS, IS VACANT.
AND THE, AND I DON'T HAVE THE ANSWER TO THE RHETORICAL QUESTION, BUT WHAT, WHAT, WHAT ARE WE DOING, UH, TO CREATE INCENTIVES, TO COME IN TO THIS ISLAND AND, AND CHANGE THAT SPACE? YOU KNOW WHAT, WHAT'S OUT THERE IN THE BAG OF TRICKS THAT IN OTHER COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE DEALT WITH THIS, WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM THERE? UH, I THINK IT'S LITERALLY A DISGRACE TO CONVERT SAMS INTO A STORAGE UNIT, UH, SMARTER PEOPLE THAN ME SHOULD BE ABLE TO GO OUT AND LOOK AT THAT SPACE.
[01:15:01]
AND MAYBE THAT'S, THAT'S A GREAT LOCATION IN TERMS OF TRANSPORTATION.IT'S NEAR SCHOOLS NEAR ACROSS THE STREET FROM A FUTURE PARK.
UH, WHY CAN'T WE CREATE INCENTIVES FOR THAT TO BE CONVERTED INTO AFFORDABLE HOUSING? I DON'T KNOW, BUT WE W W WE HAVE A PROBLEM RIGHT IN FRONT OF US OVER 30% IS VACATED.
WHAT ARE WE DOING TO CHANGE THAT? I THINK WE'RE WAITING FOR PEOPLE TO KNOCK ON OUR DOORS.
AND I THINK WE NEED TO GO OUT AND KNOCK ON DOORS OR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT NEEDS TO BE STARTED HERE, HOME GROUND GLEN.
I THINK I REMEMBER WHAT I WAS GOING TO SAY.
UH, I'M TYPING AS FAST AS I CAN.
THE FIRST COMMENT I WOULD HAVE IS THAT I THINK TAMMY WAS RIGHT.
WE NEED TO HAVE MORE WORKSHOPS.
AND I THINK THERE SHOULD BE A WORKSHOP BUILT AROUND EACH ONE OF THESE GOALS SO THAT WE CAN INDEED DRILL DOWN AND GIVE INSTRUCTIONS, UH, ADVICE TO THE STAFF ABOUT HOW WE WANT THESE THINGS ACCOMPLISHED.
THE SECOND THING THAT I WANT TO SAY IS THAT I WAS SHOCKED WHEN I SAW THE IDEA OF STORAGE SITES, BEING STORAGE UNITS, BEING PULLED, PUT INTO SAMS, BUT THAT DECISION IS GOING TO BE EASY FOR ME NOW, BECAUSE I AM FOCUSING ON THE CONCEPT OF EXCELLENCE AND THAT FALL AWAY WAY SHORT FROM EXCELLENCE.
THAT'S JUST FILLING UP A SPACE.
NOW, ALL OF THAT, WE HAVE TO REMEMBER THAT WE HAVE PRIVATE PROPERTY HERE.
AND THE OWNER OF A PIECE OF PRIVATE PROPERTY IS ENTITLED TO USE THAT PIECE OF PROPERTY IN ACCORDANCE WITH ZONING.
AND AS LONG AS THAT PARTICULAR USE IS IN ACCORD WITH THE ZONING, WE CAN'T PREVENT IT.
I'VE HAD CITIZENS SAY, HOW CAN YOU PUT STORAGE UNITS IN THE SANDS? I'M NOT.
AND SO I RESPOND WITH THE ZONING RESPONSE.
WE'RE ASKED TO DO A ZONING, AND IF I UNDERSTAND IT CORRECTLY, IT'S A DOWNSVILLE ZONING.
BUT LIKE I SAY, RIGHT NOW, THAT DECISION SEEMS PRETTY EASY FOR ME.
JUST ONE FINAL COMMENT, IF YOU DON'T MIND.
UM, JUST SO WE HAVE CONSENSUS AROUND THE WHOLE, UH, COMMUNICATION THROUGH POTENTIALLY WORKSHOPS.
I'M IN AGREEANCE ON THAT ALSO.
AND I THINK WHAT I HEAR TO ME AS SAYING IS, UH, YOU KNOW, COUNCILMAN BECCA, NOT HIS FAVORITE WORD IS WE NEED TO BE MORE INTENTIONAL ABOUT GETTING STUFF OFF OF OUR LIST.
AND I THINK THE WAY THAT WE DO THAT, UM, ONCE WE GIVE STAFF DIRECTION OUT OF WORKSHOPS, IS THAT TIMELINE AND ACCOUNTABILITY THAT FOLLOWS, RIGHT.
UM, I THINK IS SO, SO IMPORTANT HERE.
UM, SO THAT WE DON'T CONTINUE TO HAVE THE SAME CONVERSATION YEAR AFTER YEAR.
I FEEL LIKE WE DID A GOOD JOB OF SYNTHESIZING THIS AT MAYBE ABOUT TWO DISCUSSIONS AGO.
AND THEN WE'RE, WE DON'T LIKE SELF STORAGE AT SAM'S AND WE WANT TO HAVE LOTS OF WORKS SHOPS, SO, OKAY.
48 OF THEM, IF YOU HAVE ONE ON EACH GOAL, I'M JUST SAYING, HOW ABOUT OUTSIDE QUESTION CHOCK BEFORE WITH JOSH BEFORE WAS SHOCKED? ARE WE GOING TO PUT A PAUSE IS ON THE OTHER CORNER, EACH QUESTION AGAIN, BEFORE IT COMES AS A SHOCK TO US, LIKE READING ABOUT SAM'S AND THE PAPER, IS THERE A PARK IS COMING TO THE OTHER CORNER WHERE SEA TURTLE MARKETPLACES.
IT IS IN THE DEVELOPMENT REVIEW PROCESS.
AND HOW FAR ALONG? UM, AGAIN, YEAH, IT'S FAIRLY FAR ALONG AND THAT NOTICE IS PROVIDED RIGHT? THE TOWN COUNCIL.
SO WE SHOULD SEE THAT IN THE PACKET WITHIN NEXT 30 DAYS.
I CERTAINLY CAN'T SPEAK FOR THE PACKET, BUT THE INFORMATION HAS BEEN OUT.
THE INFORMATION HAS BEEN OUT THERE PUBLICLY FOR SOME TIME.
IT WAS A, IT DIDN'T SOUND LIKE A QUESTION.
OUR MOTHER WAS A GAS STATION ON EVERY CORNER AND THAT'S WHAT KIND OF ACCOMPLISH HERE, CHICKEN IN EVERY POT.
AND THEN WE'LL GIVE YOU A LITTLE BREAK.
WE'VE GOT ABOUT FOUR MORE AREAS TO DO SO INCLUSIVE.
AGAIN, THIS IS AN AREA WHERE YOU ALL IDENTIFIED SEVEN PRIORITIES.
I'M GOING TO READ THEM SLOWLY SO YOU CAN LOOK AT THEM ON YOUR PAPER.
THEY START ON PAGE FIVE AT THE VERY BOTTOM WITH 1.1.
AND THEN WE ADD 1.4, 2.1, 2.8,
[01:20:03]
4.1 5.4 ALL THE WAY ON PAGE EIGHT, 8.5, READ THROUGH THESE AND SOMEBODY TELL US WHAT YOU'RE SAYING BY SELECTING THESE AS PRIORITIES.I WILL JUST REMIND YOU THAT IN THIS AREA, GOAL THREE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND GOAL SIX CULTURAL TOURISM, ONE WAS NEAR AND ONE WAS MIXED.
SO THEY ARE NOT IN THE NOW CATEGORY.
ANYBODY READY TO TAKE A STAB AT IT? WHAT ARE YOU SAYING WHEN YOU MAKE THESE, YOUR PRIORITIES? I WOULD SAY THAT I SEE THE ITEMS THAT WE SELECTED DEALING WITH EDUCATION IS NOT THE BUSINESS OF THE TOWN TO PROVIDE PUBLIC EDUCATION.
WE SHOULD BE COOPERATIVE AND SUPPORT WERE REQUESTED BY THE SCHOOL BOARD, BUT I DON'T SEE US SUCCESSFULLY PROMOTING EARLY EDUCATION.
SO I WOULD CLASSIFY THOSE IN A SECONDARY SENSE, STILL RECOGNIZING THEIR VITAL IMPORTANCE TO OUR LIFE AND THE LIFESTYLE HERE ON THE ISLAND.
I AM VERY SUPPORTIVE OF THE CONCEPTS OF PROTECTING HISTORIC LANDMARKS, PROTECTING THE CULTURE AND CHARACTER OF THE COMMUNITY, PROMOTING THOSE THINGS, HAVING PROGRAMS WITH THOSE AND EDUCATING THE PUBLIC ABOUT THEM.
I THINK THAT THOSE THINGS DO IN FACT WORK TO ACCOMPLISH THE GOAL OF INCLUSIVE AS DEFINED BY THE PLAN.
SO IMPORTANT TO KIND OF JUST RECOGNIZE HERE THAT THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT YOU CONTROL AND DO AS A TOWN, AND THEN THERE'S OTHER THINGS THAT YOU CAN ONLY INFLUENCE THAT YOU ARE NOT THE DIRECT SERVICE PROVIDER.
AND SO UNDERSTANDING YOUR LANE AND THOSE THINGS IS IMPORTANT.
YES, TOM, PAGE 10 OF THE GUIDE, UH, THE INCLUSIVE GOAL TALKS ABOUT TWO CHALLENGES, SUSTAINABILITY AND EQUITABLE, AND, UM, GIVEN THOSE TWO CHALLENGES AND FOCUSING ON THOSE CHALLENGES.
I THINK THAT NUMBER SIX ON THAT SCREEN, UH, GOES A LONG WAY TOWARD THAT.
ANYTHING ELSE IN TERMS OF SYNTHESIS HERE, MARRIAGE TO YOUR LIGHT ON, OH, THAT'S ALEX.
UM, YEAH, AGAIN, I THINK THIS IS JUST CONTINUATION OF THE, UH, THE MUCH NEEDED DIALOGUE.
UM, JENNIFER CAN CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE HAD, UH, PARTICULARLY THE EDUCATION PIECE INDIVIDUAL FROM THE EDUCATIONAL FIELD HELP US TO WORK ON THIS PRODUCT.
AND I AGREE WE NEED TO STAY IN OUR LANE, BUT WE ALSO NEED TO RECOGNIZE SOME OF THE CHALLENGES THAT THE SCHOOL DISTRICT MAY HAVE, THAT THE TOWN MAY BE ABLE TO PLAY A PART IN OUR USE A NEIGHBORHOOD
[01:25:01]
OUTREACH CONNECTION.AS AN EXAMPLE, I KNOW THEY JUST GOT A NEW BUILDING.
UM, AND THAT IS SOMETHING THAT IS, UH, COMBATING THE, UH, EDUCATIONAL GAP THAT WE HAVE HERE ON HILTON HEAD.
RIGHT? SO IF THE OPPORTUNITIES WHERE THE TOWN CAN, CAN GET INVOLVED TO ASSIST, I THINK WE NEED TO BE READY AND AVAILABLE.
UM, SO I'M NOT SURE WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE AT THE MOMENT, BUT CONTINUING TO DIALOGUE.
AND IF THERE'S OPPORTUNITY THERE, I THINK THAT WE SHOULD BE, UH, READY AND WILLING TO, TO, TO HELP OUT AND, UM, BACK TO, TO COME FROM A LENNOX THIS POINT ON 5.4, I BELIEVE THE MAYOR MAY HAVE MENTIONED THIS IN HIS OPENING COMMENTS ON YESTERDAY.
UM, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT DEMOGRAPHICS HERE ON HILTON HEAD.
UH, WE'VE GOT, UH, WE'VE GOT A HOMELESS POPULATION ON HILTON HEAD.
WE, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T LIKE TO TALK ABOUT THAT, BUT IT'S REAL.
UH, SO W W WHAT, WHAT INTENTIONAL EFFORTS ARE WE MAKING TO COMBAT THAT PROBLEM? I AGREE WITH THE MAYOR.
I DON'T WANT TO BUILD SHELTERS, UH, BUT I DO WANT TO SUPPORT, UH, DR.
I'M NOT SURE HOW WE DO THAT, BUT THERE'S GOTTA BE A WAY TO SUPPORT HER.
UM, SO TO ME, THIS IS JUST A, AGAIN, CONTINUATION OF MUCH NEEDED DIALOGUE, BECAUSE THERE ARE, YOU KNOW, AREAS ON HILTON HEAD THAT HAVE NOT BEEN INCLUDED ALONG THE WAY, AND WE NEED TO BE INTENTIONAL ABOUT INCLUDING THEM.
I THINK EVERYTHING ON THIS CHART IS IMPORTANT.
AND I THINK STAYING IN OUR LANE IS, IS IMPORTANT.
UH, THE, UH, WHEN I ASKED THE QUESTION, WHICH ONE OF THESE IS GOING TO PROVIDE THE MOST BENEFIT TO THE MOST PEOPLE, UH, IS NUMBER SEVEN.
I THINK THAT'S ENJOYED BY PEOPLE OF EVERY SOCIOECONOMIC, UM, LEVEL, EVERY CULTURAL LEVEL, UH, EVERY AGE GROUP.
SO I LOOK AT THAT AND I SAY, IMPLEMENT RECOMMENDATION FOR THE PARKS AND RECREATION MASTER PLAN.
AND I'M IMAGINING HOW MANY ITEMS ARE IN THAT PROBABLY ANOTHER 148.
ANYTHING ELSE ON, ON INCLUSIVE? UM, JULIA, I JUST WANT TO SAY PICKING UP ON WHAT YOU JUST SAID.
YEAH, ACTUALLY, UM, I THINK PROBABLY 3.8, 2.8, 3.2 0.8 AND 4.1 AND 8.5 ALL GO TOGETHER.
THERE'S SOME INTERCONNECTION WITH THOSE ITEMS. UM, SO THERE'S MANY ASPECTS THAT, THAT CAN BE PULLED TOGETHER FROM THAT LONGER LIST.
SO, UM, I JUST WANT TO POINT THAT OUT.
SO, AND THEN SECONDLY, UM, I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE STAY IN OUR LANE.
WE DO HAVE INFLUENCE, WE ARE A LIMITED GOVERNMENT.
UM, AND I THINK OUR ROLE AS A COUNCIL AND, AND OUR TOWN MANAGER AND STAFF IS TO USE OUR INFLUENCE, UM, AND SUPPORT THE WORK OF THE NONPROFITS AND OUR PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT, ET CETERA.
UM, BUT SOME OF THE ITEMS THAT SPEAK TO THE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM WHILE IT'S HIGHLY IMPORTANT, EVERYBODY KNOWS, UM, HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO ME.
I'VE SAT ON BOARDS OF EDUCATION.
UM, IT'S STILL IS SOMETHING I BELIEVE IN OUR CASE, SEPARATE AND DISTINCT FROM OUR ACTUAL WORK HERE AS A COUNCIL.
SO YOUR BIGGEST OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE AN IMPACT IS IN THOSE AREAS WHERE YOU ARE IN THE BUSINESS.
SO PARKS AND RECREATION AND HISTORIC, AND THEN THE OTHER IS MORE AWARENESS AND INFLUENCE BLEND.
DID YOU HAVE SOMETHING OR WAS IT DAVID? I WOULD AGREE WITH BILL THAT IT'S EASIEST FOR US TO SAY IMPLEMENT THE RECOMMENDATIONS.
IT'S A CAPITAL COST, IT'S FAIRLY DEFINED, BUT I ALSO AGREE WITH WHAT TAMMY SAID, THAT THERE ARE A FEW OTHER ITEMS IN THERE THAT NATURALLY SHOULD BE INCORPORATED IN THE DEVELOPMENT OR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PARKS ISSUE.
UM, ON THE EDUCATION, UM, VOLUNTEERS IN MEDICINE IS A, UM, A FEATHER THAT WE CAN PUT IN OUR COMMUNITY HEAD DRESS.
UH, IMAGINE FOR A MOMENT THAT THIS ISLAND, WHERE TO COALESCE AROUND, UH, VOLUNTEERS AND EDUCATION AND CREATE THAT THAT'S NOT A TOWN PRIORITY.
IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD TAKE ON AS A COUNCIL, BUT
[01:30:01]
IT IS THE KIND OF IDEA THAT WOULD ADD ANOTHER FEATHER TO THIS COMMUNITY AND SOLVE AN ISSUE OF HOW DO WE GET YOUNGSTERS IN THIS COMMUNITY GROWING UP IN SITUATIONS WHERE THEY DON'T HAVE CONNECTIONS TO THE INTERNET, WHERE THEY PROBABLY DON'T HAVE BOOKS.THERE MAY NOT BE A LOT OF, UM, UH, ENCOURAGEMENT IN A PRESCHOOL LEARNING AND SO ON.
HOW DO WE GET THAT POPULATION TO A POINT WHERE IT IS ACTING OR INTERACTING IN THE EDUCATIONAL, UH, CONTINUUM IN A POSITIVE AND A, UH, ACCOMPLISHED WAY.
AND I, SO I, I THINK THAT, YES, THIS TOWN HAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO, AND THIS COUNCIL TO, UH, ENCOURAGE THAT KIND OF THINKING IN THIS COMMUNITY, JUST AN IDEA, MAYOR IT.
I ALSO BELIEVE THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S IMPORTANT TO MEMBERS OF THIS COUNCIL VOLUNTEER IN THE HIGH SCHOOLS.
WE HAVE HERE TO TALK ABOUT GOVERNMENT, TALK ABOUT WHO WE ARE AND TO TALK ABOUT THE TOWN.
I MEAN, I DID LAST YEAR, HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF GOING OVER TO HERITAGE ACADEMY IS PROBABLY THE BRIGHTEST STUDENTS AROUND A COUPLE OF OVER THE WORLD, BUT THEY WANT SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
THEY'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
WE CAN MAKE OUR MARK THAT WAY.
I MIGHT TALK TO THE HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPAL EVERY OTHER MONTH AND THE CHANCELLOR EVERY MONTH, BUT THERE'S A NEED FOR US.
WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO BE OUT THERE AND SAY, WELL, WE WANT TO COME IN.
WE WANT TO HELP YOU ALONG THE WAY.
WHAT DO YOU REALLY NEED, ET CETERA, MOST TALKING ABOUT THEM, MENTORSHIP IN THOSE HIGH SCHOOLS, BOTH PRIVATE AND PUBLIC GOES A LONG, LONG, LONG WAY.
WELL, I TAKE THAT AS A CHALLENGE.
I THINK EACH ONE OF US HOW TO SIGN UP AND MAKE SURE THAT WE WERE BEING ACTIVELY ENGAGED.
AND ON THAT CHALLENGE NOTE, LET ME GIVE YOU A 10 MINUTE BREAK.
WE'VE GOT A FEW MORE OF THESE TO WALK THROUGH WHEN WE COME BACK, I THINK FOUR MORE GOALS TO WALK THROUGH.
I HAVEN'T HEARD A WORD FROM THEM ANYMORE.
[01:35:01]
IT.SO JUST SO YOU KNOW, WE ARE TRYING TO, UM, WE ARE CAPTURING SOME OF THIS HIGHER LEVEL THEME CONVERSATION AND WHAT DO WE GET THROUGH THE NEXT FOUR? WE'LL SHOW YOU THAT IMAGE ON THE SCREEN.
UM, WE'VE GOT FOUR MORE VALUES TO GET THROUGH.
UM, AND SO WE WANT TO DO THAT.
SO FOR CONNECTED, WE HAVE FIVE ITEMS. AND AGAIN, WHAT WE'RE DOING IS HAVING YOU REVIEW THESE AND IDENTIFY, WHAT IS IT YOU'RE SAYING AT A HIGH LEVEL POLICY DIRECTION IS IMPORTANT TO YOU BY IDENTIFYING THESE AS YOUR PRIORITIES.
AND WE'RE STARTING ON PAGE EIGHT AND IT'S 1.1, 1.2, 2.3, 2.4 AND 4.13 COLLABORATION IS IN THE NEAR CATEGORY.
SO YOU DID NOT PRIORITIZE THOSE.
SO WHAT ARE YOU ALL SAYING AS YOU READ THESE, TAKE A MINUTE AND READ THEM, AND THEN SOMEONE TAKE A STAB AT WHAT YOU'RE SAYING FOR CONNECTED
UH, I THINK NUMBER FOUR AND NUMBER FIVE, GO A LONG WAY IN DOING THAT.
SO LIKE TAMRA WAS SAYING FOR WHAT IT MEANS TO NOT JUST LIVE HERE, BUT BE ENGAGED HERE AND BE CONNECTED TO YOUR NEIGHBORS HERE.
DOES THAT SIT WITH COLTS IN TERMS OF WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, BILL NELSON, I HEARD ANYBODY ELSE ON THIS ONE.
I WANT TO COMMENT ON QUALITY OF LIFE IDEALS FOR PROPOSED RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENTS.
THIS BRINGS ME BACK TO A PET PEEVE OF MINE.
UM, WE GOT A LITTLE LAZY ABOUT ENFORCING SOME OF OUR RESTRICTIONS.
I LEARNED THAT WE DO HAVE THE RESTRICTIONS, BUT SOMEHOW PEOPLE WERE GETTING BY THEM.
AND, UH, STAFF CAME UP WITH CREATIVE SOLUTIONS AND THOSE THINGS ARE STARTING TO BE ENFORCED NOW, BUT THEY NEED TO BE EMPHASIZED MORE, IN MY OPINION, TO THE DEVELOPERS, UH, IN DESIGN GUIDES AND THE LIKE, SO THAT THEY UNDERSTAND THAT THAT QUALITY OF LIFE OBJECTIVE IS IN FACT KEY TO THE SUCCESS OF THEIR DEVELOPMENT AND THE SUPPORT OF THE TOWN FOR THEIR DEVELOPMENT.
SO THAT KIND OF TAKES US REALLY BACK TO THE VERY BEGINNING.
SO CONNECTING THREAD BACK TO EXCELLENCE AND WHAT THAT MEANS.
YOU IDENTIFIED THREE ITEMS HERE UNDER REGIONAL, AND THEY START ON PAGE
[01:40:02]
NINE AND YOU IDENTIFIED 1.3, 1.4 AND 3.1.THE OTHER ITEMS I'M JUST DOUBLE CHECKING.
WORKFORCE HOUSING, WHICH WAS NICE OF THEM TO GO TO AND THEN ENVIRONMENT GOAL FOR, AND WE'RE NEAR AND TOURISM GOAL FIVE IS NEXT, JUST TO KIND OF REINFORCE THAT.
WHAT'S YOUR MESSAGE ABOUT THESE AS YOUR PRIORITIES?
SO I'LL JUST JUMP IN WITH A COMMENT TRYING TO, UM, I THINK THAT AT LEAST CERTAINLY ONE AND TWO SPEAKS TO THE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT THAT WE CAN'T DO EVERYTHING ALONE AND THAT, UM, WE'RE NOT SET UP TO DO EVERYTHING ALONE.
AND SO TAKING OUR STRENGTHS AND WHAT WE CAN DO AND REACHING OUT, UM, AND COLLABORATING WITH THOSE WHO DO OTHER THINGS VERY WELL.
IT'S ALMOST LIKE SAYING WE'RE NOT AN ISLAND, BUT YOU ARE AN ISLAND, RIGHT? SO YEAH.
SO THE CONNECTION, THE IMPORTANCE OF THE REGION, AND IT MAY BE THAT WHAT YOU'RE, WHAT YOU'VE PRIORITIZED ABOUT THE REGION PIECES IS ALSO IMPORTANT TO SAY BY WHAT YOU DIDN'T PRIORITIZE ABOUT THE REGION PIECE.
WHAT YOU'VE SAID HERE IS THAT WE'RE GOING TO FOCUS OUR, OUR ENERGY WITH REGARD TO BEING A REGIONAL PLAYER AND REGIONAL PARTNER OR REGIONAL LEADER IS GOING TO BE AROUND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PARTNERSHIPS, GETTING THE PRIVATE SECTOR INVOLVED IN SOME OF THESE ISSUES THAT WE CARE ABOUT, LIKE HOUSING, CLIMATE, AND EDUCATION, AND DEALING WITH THE TRANSPORTATION ISSUES BECAUSE THEY BECOME AN ISSUE FOR THE ISLAND.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE WANT TO FOCUS ON WITH REGARD TO REGION.
SO YOU'RE NOT SAYING THE OTHER ISSUES AREN'T IMPORTANT.
YOU'RE JUST PRIORITIZING WHERE YOU WANT YOUR REGIONAL FOCUS TO BE HERE.
YES, GLEN, AND THEN BILL ONE TO DROP DOWN TO AN AREA I'M NOT SUPPOSED TO GO TO.
THAT IS THE ACTUAL TACTICS, BUT I KNOW THAT THE MAYOR HAS BEEN REACHING OUT TO, UH, COUNTY LEADERS TO, UH, OTHER MAYORS AND SO FORTH IN THE REGION.
BUT I THINK THAT SOMETHING WE CLEARLY SHOULD DO IS HAVE PERIODIC SOCIAL LUNCHES WITH LEADERS OF OTHER COMMUNITIES.
SO WE GET TO KNOW THEM BETTER ON A ONE-ON-ONE BASIS.
AND SO THAT WE CAN UNDERSTAND THEIR ISSUES, THEY CAN UNDERSTAND OUR ISSUES AND WE CAN DEVELOP, REACH REGIONAL SOLUTIONS.
RIGHT NOW WE'RE KIND OF IN A BUBBLE.
UM, OR AT LEAST I FEEL LIKE I'M KIND OF IN A BUBBLE.
UM, AND I'M PROUD TO BE IN THIS BUBBLE, BUT I THINK WE NEED TO EXPAND OUR OUTREACH, UH, IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE SOME OF THESE REGIONAL GOALS.
AND IT'S INTERESTING, THE OTHER MAY IS FEEL THE SAME WAY.
THE MAYOR OF SAVANNAH, THE MAYOR OF BUFORD, BLUFFTON, THEY ALL FEEL THE SAME WAY.
JUST A MATTER OF WHEN THE VIRUS LEAVES, WE CAN DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.
UM, WHEN THE VIRUS LEAVES, YOU ALL WANT TO MAKE SURE YOU'RE CONNECTING WITH YOUR PEERS AND OTHER COMMUNITIES.
FOR EXAMPLE, GLENN BELONGS ON THE GROUP THAT REPRESENTS US.
THE LAST GROUP AND TOM BELONGS ON THE LOW COUNTRY GROUP REPRESENTS US.
TAMMY HAS A GROUP IN, UM, STAN MEDIC, MOVIE OF MALTA, THE HOMELESS PEOPLE.
SO EVERYBODY'S INVOLVED IN SOME, DAVID HAS THE HE'S ON THE AIRPORT ADVISORY BOARD FOR US.
DOES EVERYBODY HAS REACHED OUT TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT? YEAH.
I THINK WHEN WE TALK ABOUT REGIONALISM WITHOUT GETTING INTO A KUMBAYA FEELING ABOUT WORKING TOGETHER, I THINK WE HAVE TO FOCUS ON PARTICULAR AREAS THAT MAYBE DOESN'T MAKE SENSE FOR, FOR US OR FOR AN INVESTOR
[01:45:01]
TO DO JUST WITH US.IT HAS TO CREATE BENEFIT IN A FAIRLY TANGIBLE WAY FOR THE OTHER LOCALES TOO.
SO I THINK AS WE TALK ABOUT REGIONALISM, WE NEED TO SHARPEN OUR PENCIL AND FOCUS ON SOME THINGS THAT ARE GOING TO CREATE A GOOD PAYBACK FAIRLY QUICKLY.
UH, UH, I THINK IN THE AREA OF, UH, INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY, CONNECTIVITY, A RAPIDLY GROWING AREA OF SOPHISTICATION, UH, WE OURSELVES MAY NOT CREATE THE CRITICAL MASS, BUT IF WE START BRINGING IN BLUFFTON, IF WE START BRINGING IN HURTSVILLE, UH, WE SWOOP INTO SAVANNAH, THEN WE CAN START CREATING AN INTEREST THAT WE ALONE.
BUT, BUT LET ME, LET ME ASK A QUESTION.
UH, BILL JUST BROUGHT TO MIND, UM, THE INTERNET, UH, TELECOMMUNICATION, DIGITAL WORLD, AND SO ON.
DID WE EVEN TOUCH ON THAT IN INFRASTRUCTURE? IT'S W THE WORD HASN'T BEEN MENTIONED YET, THAT'S INCREDIBLE.
AND SO IT'S, I CERTAINLY THINK IT OUGHT TO BE, IT'S NOT UP THERE, BUT IT CERTAINLY IS A REGIONAL ISSUE, BUT IT IS ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL FOR HILTON HEAD IN ORDER TO TRACK THE ENTREPRENEURIALS, WORKING AT HOME AND SO ON AND SO FORTH.
SO I THINK WE LOST IT SOMEWHERE.
AND THIS IS AS A PIECE OF INFRASTRUCTURE, WHICH IS, I THINK, WHERE WE GO NEXT FROM HERE.
THAT'S A GOOD EXAMPLE THAT SOMEDAY IT COULD BENEFIT HARTSVILLE BLUFFTON OR SO SAVANNAH, RIGHT.
SO ON INFRASTRUCTURE OVERSEAS
SO TO, TO DAVID'S CAUTION OR POINT OR WHATEVER TECHNOLOGY, WHICH WAS GOAL SEVEN UTILITIES, TRANSPORTATION, BOTH AIR AND LAND, ALL OF THOSE ITEMS ARE IN THE NEAR CATEGORY AND RESILIENCE IS IN THE NEXT.
SO YOU JUST HAD TWO AREAS, HOUSING AND PUBLIC SERVICES THAT WERE IN THE NOW CATEGORY.
SO WHAT ARE YOU SAYING AND WHAT ARE YOU COMMUNICATING WITH THESE TWO AS YOUR PRIORITIES BESIDES TRANSPORTATION'S HERE? SO THE MAYOR'S HAPPY.
SO I THINK WE MISSED IT IN THAT WE DID NOT PICK UP ANYTHING AS DAVID POINTS OUT UNDER ITEM SEVEN TECHNOLOGY POLICIES TO ACCOMMODATE THE NEW TECHNOLOGIES 5G.
AND THE, LIKE, I KNOW WE DID ADOPT AN ORDINANCE THAT WOULD PREVENT OBSTRUCTIONS TO 5G TECHNOLOGY, BUT I DON'T KNOW THAT WE DON'T NEED, I THINK WE PROBABLY NEED TO DO MORE IN THAT REGARD.
AND SO I WOULD SUGGEST THAT THAT BE ADDED, UM, AS A PRIORITY, MAYBE THAT'S AN IN THE NEXT LEVEL, BUT THAT'S JUST A THOUGHT WE'VE BEEN WRESTLING WITH THIS ONE AT THE COUNCIL LEVEL FOR SEVERAL YEARS.
AND I THINK IT'S AN RECOGNITION THAT WE, WE, AS A COUNCIL, DON'T HAVE
[01:50:01]
A LOT OF LEVERAGE IN INFLUENCING THE PRIVATE SECTOR TO INVEST ON THE ISLAND.HOWEVER, I DO BELIEVE THAT IT IS A REGIONAL ISSUE THAT WE HAVE TO COME TO GRIPS WITH.
SO, UH, I WOULD JUST MAKE THE COMMENT THAT TECHNOLOGY TELECOMMUNICATION IS IMPORTANT TO THE ISLAND, BUT PROBABLY IS A REGIONAL ISSUE THAT HAS TO BE LOOKED AT IN THAT PERSPECTIVE.
AND WHEN WE TALK ABOUT, UH, ENCOURAGING YOUNGER PEOPLE TO COME HERE, PROFESSIONALS, UH, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT, UM, UPGRADING HEALTHCARE, UH, PEOP PEOPLE CAN DO THREE 3D, UH, DESIGN, UH, IN MANY FIELDS, AS LONG AS WE HAVE THE RIGHT TECHNOLOGY.
UH, LET ME GO BACK TO WHAT'S UP ON THE SCREEN, UH, THAT DOESN'T SAY A LOT TO ME.
UM, IT IMPLIES THAT, UH, WE'VE GOT OUR INFRASTRUCTURE, UH, PRETTY WELL, UH, HANDLED.
AND MY CONCERN IS THAT THERE, THE, THE ABSOLUTE CONNECTION BETWEEN INFRASTRUCTURE, UH, LAND USE AND QUALITY OF LIFE IS IN THERE.
AND THAT, UH, AS POPULATION INCREASES ON THIS ISLAND WITH OUR LIMITED, UH, ROAD NETWORK, OUR QUALITY OF LIFE IS GOING TO BE, UM, DAMAGED.
UH, AND SO I THINK THAT THIS IS AN AREA THAT WE OUGHT TO THINK ABOUT AS A COUNCIL AND MAKE SURE THAT THOSE THREE THINGS ARE ALWAYS ON OUR MIND INFRASTRUCTURE, LAND, USE, AND QUALITY OF LIFE.
AND, AND SO THIS IS ONE OF THOSE AREAS THAT, UM, I THINK STAFF HAS ACTUALLY, I MEAN, KIND OF OBVIOUSLY ALREADY INVOLVED IN FIVE POINT 11 OR NUMBER ONE UP THERE IN TERMS OF PLANNING AND COORDINATION OF FUTURE TRANSPORTATION EFFORTS WITH REGARD TO THEY'RE HEAVILY INVOLVED IN TWO 78, HOWEVER, I'M HAPPY TO SEE IT AS A DISTINCT ITEM, BECAUSE THAT SHOULD NOT BE OUR ONLY PLAN.
I THINK AS MAYOR CORRECTLY POINTED OUT, THERE ARE OTHER ALTERNATIVES THAT WE NEED TO, UM, THINK ABOUT, UM, AND BECOME INVOLVED IN TERMS OF HOW THEY CAN BECOME PART OF OUR TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM HERE ON THE ISLAND.
SO HAPPY TO SEE IT, UM, FROM WHAT IS CURRENTLY BEING WORKED ON.
UM, AND THEN THRILLED AS EVERYONE KNOWS THAT I WOULD BE 6.3, THE EVALUATE, THE PROPOSED CHANGED PROPOSED CHANGES TO RESIDENTIAL DENSITY TO ENSURE THAT THEY ARE APPROPRIATE FOR THE CHARACTER OF THE AREA, THE NEIGHBORING PROPERTIES.
THERE COULDN'T BE A MORE IMPORTANT PIECE OF THIS THAN THAT.
UM, SO I'M JUST GOING TO LEAVE IT AT THAT CAUSE EVERYONE KNOWS WHY I SAY IT.
DAVID, WHEN YOU START BUILDING UP, PUT A HOLD ON BUILDING TO MAKE SURE THE INFRASTRUCTURE CAN HANDLE IT.
I MEAN, TWO 78 HOURS IN INDIA NOW FOR POTHOLES AND BROKEN UP BESIDE THAT, THERE'S ONLY SO MUCH BANDWIDTH ONCE YOU 70, 80 AND ANYBODY AROUND.
AND IF WE KEEP BUILDING AND A CHRISTIAN BROTHERS ACADEMY BILLS OUT, BUT THE DO ALL APARTMENTS, THEY'RE THE ONE THEY'RE LOOKING AT ON TWO 78.
I MEAN, WE'LL LOOKING FOR CONGESTION ALL THE TIME.
THAT'S WHY IT'S SO IMPORTANT FOR US TO UNDERSTAND AT EVERY INCIDENT OF UP ZONING THAT WE UNDERSTAND THE DOWNSTREAM IMPACT OF THAT UP ZONING.
WE, WE MAKE DECISIONS TO, UH, STIMULATE PRIVATE SECTOR INVESTMENT, SOMETIMES NOT LOOKING AT THE DOWNSTREAM IMPACT ON THE NEED TO HAVE CAPITAL INVESTMENTS AND CAPITAL INVESTMENTS, EXPONENTIALLY INCREASE IN URBAN AREAS.
AND SO I THINK EVERY TIME WE MAKE A DECISION TO UPS OWN PROPERTY ON THIS ISLAND, WITHOUT A BROADER CONTEXT, WE'RE MAKING A MISTAKE.
SO I, AGAIN, TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE, LAND USE AND QUALITY OF LIFE HAVE TO BE CONSIDERED TOGETHER.
AND SO I WOULD CAUTION US TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, WE UNDERSTAND THAT WHEN WE HAVE REZONING ISSUES, UM, THE, UM, I'LL LEAVE IT AT THAT FOR NOW.
SO JUST KIND OF A THREAD THAT I'VE OBSERVED GOING BACK THROUGH ALL THE DIFFERENT THINGS THAT YOU ALL HAVE PRIORITIZED HOUSING AND TRANSPORTATION COME UP IN SOME WAY AS A PRIORITY
[01:55:01]
IN FOUR AREAS UNDER THE ECONOMY UNDER CONNECTED, UNDER REGIONAL, AND AGAIN NOW UNDER INFRASTRUCTURE.SO WITHIN THOSE EIGHT VALUES THAT YOU HAVE FOUR OF THEM KEEP TAKING YOU TOWARDS THESE TWO PRIORITY ISSUES, HOUSING, WHETHER IT'S THROUGH YOUR ZONING, THROUGH WORKFORCE HOUSING INITIATIVES, REGIONAL PARTNERSHIPS TO ACCOMPLISH IT, AND THEN THE TRANSPORTATION ISSUES THAT YOU HAVE.
UM, AND SO THAT'S, UH, THAT'S AN IMPORTANT THREAD TO JUST KIND OF SEE, COME TO AS, UH, A PRIORITY IN EVERYTHING THAT YOU'VE DONE THAT WAS THROUGH TOM JULIE THAT'S BECAUSE TRANSPORTATION AND HOUSING ARE JUST TWO ELEMENTS OF PROBABLY THE BIGGEST THREAT WE HAVE TO THE ISLANDS LONGEVITY.
AND THAT IS OUR ABILITY TO ATTRACT A QUALIFIED WORKFORCE.
HOUSING AND TRANSPORTATION ARE TWO VERY SIGNIFICANT ELEMENTS OF THAT.
WELL, YOU ALL, YOU ALL CONTINUE TO MAKE IT A PRIORITY.
YES, BILL IN SOME RECENT CONVERSATIONS WITH OTHERS OFF THE ISLAND.
UM, UH, I'M HEARING A COUPLE OF THINGS.
ONE, OUR UNEMPLOYMENT RATE IS QUITE LOW IN BUFORD COUNTY AND TWO, AS A CONSEQUENCE OF, UH, SUCCESS WITH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, UH, INDUSTRIES ARE STARTING TO COME INTO VIEW FOR COUNTY AND THEIR HOURLY RATES ARE MUCH HIGHER THAN, UH, WHAT'S BEING PROVIDED TO OUR SERVICE INDUSTRY.
SO, UH, W UH, ON ONE END, WE, WE SEE, UH, HOURLY RATES GOING UP FOR MORE SKILLED WORKERS OR WORKERS THAT AREN'T SKILLED, BUT ARE BEING TRAINED TO BE SKILLED.
AND THEN IT'S GOING TO PUT MORE PRESSURE ON THAT SERVICE SECTOR.
UH, THAT'S IN THE, IN THE BACKROOM OF A RESTAURANT OR CLEANING IN A HOTEL ROOM.
ONE OF THE MAJOR SERVICE PROVIDERS ON THE ISLAND ANNOUNCED TODAY, THEY'RE GOING TO CUT OUT VACATION BENEFITS AND EVERYTHING FROM PART-TIME EMPLOYEES.
THAT'S NOT GOING TO HELP A SITUATION.
YEAH, WELL, YOU'RE CONSISTENT BECAUSE THIS IS, WE SPENT A WHOLE TWO AND A HALF, THREE HOURS ON THIS A YEAR AGO AS WELL.
YOU KNOW, A WORKFORCE HOUSING, WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AND HOUSING THAT THAT'S, UH, IT CONTINUES TO BE A PRIORITY AND IT'S BORN OUT IN YOUR COMP PLAN.
SO IT WILL CONTINUE TO BE A FOCUS.
UM, BUT IT'S SOMETHING WE WANT TO TACKLE.
NO, I THINK THAT WOULD BE A SUBJECT FOR A FAIRLY, UH, WORKSHOP, IMPORTANT WORKSHOP.
BEFORE WE LEAVE TECHNOLOGY AND INFRASTRUCTURE, A BIT OF A REPORT, I SPOKE TO OUR INTERNET ENGINEERS BACK THERE DURING THE BREAK, WE HAD 40 CITIZENS LIVE LOBBYING, AND FOLLOWING THIS ONGOING DISCUSSION, UH, THIS MORNING, THE NUMBERS DECLINED A LITTLE BIT, BUT PEOPLE ARE WATCHING AND PEOPLE CARE, AND WE KNOW WE HAVE A CONNECTED AND INVOLVED COMMUNITY.
SO LET ME ASK YOU ALL, YOU PUT TECHNOLOGY IN THE NI CATEGORY OVER HERE.
DO YOU FEEL LIKE IT WAS A MISS? DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU WANT TO MOVE IT INTO NOW? THERE'S ONLY TWO INITIATIVES THERE.
I THINK THERE'S, I'M PRETTY SURE.
TWO, DO YOU WANT TO MOVE HIM? GLENN SAID HE WOULD LIKE TO DO WE WANT, OKAY.
MOVE IT TO THE NOW IT'S IT'S IN THE, IT'S IN THE BEER.
IS IT A MIST? IT'S YESTERDAY? YEAH.
THAT'D BE ACCEPTABLE TO FOLKS ON THIS.
WE'LL ADD THESE TO THE PRIORITY LIST.
UM, JOSH, BECAUSE I KNOW YOU DID THIS, UM, FOR THOSE TWO INITIATIVES, ARE THERE THINGS HERE THAT YOU FEEL THAT YOU WANT TO MENTION THAT THE TALENT IS ALREADY DOING CORRECT? TO JUST CONTINUE TO THE TECHNOLOGY IMPROVEMENTS AND PROVIDE QUALITY INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AT TOWN FACILITY AT TOWN FACILITIES, THAT'S AN ONGOING INITIATIVE.
SO 7.1 THOUGH, WOULD BE THE NEW PRIORITY TO ADD HERE UNDER INFRASTRUCTURE.
WE'VE GOT ONE MORE, WHICH IS PARKS AND RECREATION.
AND SO ONCE CATHERINE FINISHES, THIS WILL, SHE'S SO FAST.
SO AGAIN, YOU HAVE EIGHT HERE, SO WE'LL GO SLOWLY AND IDENTIFYING THE NUMBERS.
THEY BEGIN ON PAGE 13 OF YOUR BOOK,
[02:00:02]
A HANDOUT, AND THEY ARE 1.144 2.3 3.1 5.1 5.2 6.1 7.1 AND 8.3.AND TELL ME WHAT THE MESSAGING IS.
IN ADDITION TO THESE OTHER ITEMS, ANYBODY WANT TO TAKE STAB AT WHAT'S BEING COMMUNICATED? HI, UH, ONE THING THAT I MIGHT'VE OBSERVED IS THAT, UM, THERE IS A PASSIONATE GROUP OF PEOPLE ON THE ISLAND WHO HAVE BEEN POLITICALLY EFFECTIVE, UM, AND THAT THEY HAVE RAMPED UP PARKS AND RECREATION, UH, ON OUR PRIORITY LIST, TO THE EXTENT THAT IT'S INESCAPABLE, UH, HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO THE COMMUNITY'S QUALITY OF LIFE AND TO, UH, THE, THE BRAND, IF YOU WILL, OF PEOPLE COMING ONTO THE ISLAND.
SO I THINK THAT WE ARE AT A PLACE WHERE WE HAVE TO RECOGNIZE ITS IMPORTANCE AND, AND, AND I GUESS FIND THE MONEY TO, UH, IMPLEMENT THIS PLAN.
HAVING DAVID HAVING SAID THAT, UM, ONE OF THE THINGS, UM, IS WE DO HAVE A PLAN.
THERE IS, UM, THAT IN EXISTENCE, BUT THERE ARE OTHER, UM, PIECES TO, UM, WHAT CAN BE PROVIDED.
AND WE HAVE A GREAT OPPORTUNITY AS WE EXPLORE THE MID ISLAND TRACK THERE TO, UM, IMPLEMENT SOME OF THE MORE IDEAS THAT HAVE BEEN PRESENTED TO ME THAT I FIND ENCOURAGING AND, UM, ADD TO THE HISTORICAL NATURE OF OUR ISLAND IN A WAY THAT'S DIFFERENT THAN MONUMENTS AND, AND IN OTHER THINGS, BUT THAT OUR HISTORY SAYS THAT WE HAVE ECON SYSTEMS THAT, UM, NEED TO BE PRESERVED AND PROTECTED.
AND SO WHEN IMPLEMENTING, OR THINKING ABOUT IMPLEMENTING THE PARKS AND REC PLAN, SOME OF THOSE OTHER IDEAS SHOULD ALSO BE BECOME PART OF THOSE PLANS IN SOME OF THOSE PASSIVE AREAS, SOME OF THOSE EDUCATIONAL MOMENTS WITH REGARD TO, UM, OUR ECOSYSTEM AND WHAT CAN BE PROVIDED FOR US TO BETTER UNDERSTAND OUR ENVIRONMENT SHOULD BECOME PART OF THAT AS A PRIORITY IN MY MIND.
AND SO ANYWAY, WHEN YOU PRIORITIZE THOSE INITIATIVES, THE ENVIRONMENT AND THE INTERPRETATION AND THINGS, THEY'RE NEW, SO YOU'RE SEEING A CONNECTION BACK HERE.
WELL, I SEE THE PARKS AND REC BEING SUCH A PRIORITY IN SUCH A STRONG, UM, INFLUENCED BY THE, BY THE RESIDENTS TO TAKE PLACE THAT AS WE THINK ABOUT IT, THAT WE NOT LIMIT OURSELVES JUST TO THAT PLAN, BUT THAT WE LOOK BROADER TO THE OTHER OPPORTUNITIES THAT LIE ON THE ISLAND.
I THINK, UH, MANY, I'M NOT SURE ALL OF US HAVE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO, UH, LISTEN TO, UM, MR. HERON AND, AND OTHERS, UH, WHERE I THINK THEY HAVE IN A VERY THOUGHTFUL, CREATIVE AND EDUCATIONAL WAY, UM, CREATED ON PAPER, A PATHWAY, UH, THAT CELEBRATES, UM, MANY DIFFERENT TYPES OF ECOSYSTEMS THAT CELEBRATES OUR CULTURE THAT CELEBRATES
[02:05:01]
THE BEAUTY, UH, OF THE ISLAND.AND IT, IT WEAVES ITS WAY THROUGH MANY AREAS, INCLUDING POSSIBLY PARKS.
AND I THINK I WOULD SUGGEST THAT WE INVITE THEM SOMETIME IN THE NEAR FUTURE TO SEE, UM, HOW CREATIVE THIS PLAN IS, FRANKLY, HOW INEXPENSIVE IT IS.
UH, AND, AND FOR THE FORD'S INHERENT ABILITY TO ALIGN ITSELF IN A VERY COMPLIMENTARY WAY WITH THE, THE PARK REPORT PER SE, JULIE.
WAS IT, UM, IN THE INCLUSIVE SECTION THAT WE REFERENCED 8.5, WOULD IT BE TOO MUCH TO ASK TO GO BACK TO THAT? NO, NOT AT ALL.
WHAT I THINK WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IS THAT, UH, AND WE POINTED THIS OUT WHEN WE WERE DISCUSSING IT, IMPLEMENT RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE PARKS AND RECREATION MASTER PLAN, BUT INCLUDED IN THAT WAS THE IDEA THAT WE WOULD BE INCORPORATING 4.1 AND FOUR, 5.4, WHICH HAVE, I THINK, HAVE EVERYTHING TO DO WITH WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT NOW.
AND SO IF WE'RE, IF WE FOCUS ON 4.1, 5.4, 8.5, THEN WE'RE DEVELOPING THAT MULTI-DIMENSIONAL RECREATIONAL PLAN FOR THE ISLAND.
IT'S NOT SIMPLY, YOU KNOW, BASEBALL'S FOOTBALL, SOCCER BALLS, KIND OF SMALLS.
HEY, I JUST WANT TO SAY, I THINK JUST TAKE A SECOND, BECAUSE I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT IS SUCH A HIGHLIGHT WHEN WE ALL GET TOGETHER AND TALK IS JUST WHAT HAPPENED.
I WAS ABLE TO PRESENT A THOUGHT THAT BILL DEVELOPED MORE COMPLETELY.
HE KNOWS EXACTLY WHERE I WAS HEADING.
AND DAVID WENT BACK AND WE PICKED UP ON OTHER ASPECTS.
AND SO TOGETHER WE'VE CREATED A SENSE OF WHAT THAT IS, UM, MASTER PLAN AND IMPLEMENTING THAT CAN BE BROADENED TO, TO BE, AND THAT WOULDN'T HAVE HAPPENED IN OUR OWN LITTLE SILOS TALKING THAT HAPPENS WHEN WE COME TOGETHER.
I JUST WANT TO POINT OUT THANK YOU FOR YOUR ASSISTANCE.
YOU'RE GOING TO SAY THAT IT HAPPENED BECAUSE YOU'RE SITTING NEXT TO ME, IT HAPPENS BECAUSE I'M SURROUNDED BY BRILLIANT PEOPLE, GLENN JULIET, I GUESS I'M, I WOULD SAY ABOUT THIS, THIS PARKS AND RECREATION ITEM.
I'M SURPRISED TO SEE THESE EIGHT ITEMS HERE THAT JOSH DIDN'T CHECK A NUMBER OF THEM OFF BEFORE WE EVER GOT INTO THIS PRIORITY, BECAUSE I SEE THAT WE ARE IN FACT, DOING A LOT OF THESE THINGS ALREADY NOW WITNESSED THE OPENING OF THE LOW COUNTRY CELEBRATION PARK WITNESSED THE REPORT THAT WE GOT FROM SCOTT LIGATE, UH, AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS SESSION, TALKING ABOUT, UH, PRIORITIZING AND MOVING FORWARD WITH THAT, UH, LINEAR TRAIL BECAUSE OF THE POTENTIAL EXPLORATION OF THE FUNDING BEHIND THAT, AS WELL AS THE DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES THAT ARE ONGOING ABOUT WHAT TO DO WITH A KNIT ISLAND TRACK.
SO I AM A PASSIONATE SUPPORTER OF PARKS AND RECREATION, BUT I THINK THAT WE'RE ALREADY DOING A LOT OF THESE THINGS HERE AND ADOPTION OF THE PLAN, WE'LL SUBMIT THAT AS NOT ONLY A GOAL, BUT AN OBLIGATION WE HAVE.
YES, TOM, JULIE, OF ALL THE DIFFERENT INITIATIVES THAT WE HAVE THAT HAVE A DIRECT AND INDIRECT IMPACT ON QUALITY OF LIFE.
I THINK PARKS AND RECREATION MOVES THAT NEEDLE PROBABLY MORE THAN ANY OF THEM.
I VIEWED THIS ALMOST AS A TIF DISTRICT, TO THE EXTENT THAT WE GO INTO A MID ISLAND TRACK THE OLD PORT ROW GOLF COURSE AND DEVELOP THAT INTO A, UH, AN INCREDIBLE PARK FACILITY.
UH, AS WE RECENTLY DID WITH CELEBRATION PARK NOW IN THE COLLECT THE AREA, I THINK THAT HAS THE SAME IMPACT THAT MANY OF THE INVESTMENTS THAT THE TOWN HAD IN TIF DISTRICTS.
AND I SEE IT AS AN ENORMOUS MOVER, UH, OF THE QUALITY OF LIFE NEEDLE, IF I COULD ADD TO THAT, UH, I THINK THAT UNDERSCORE IS WHEN THE MAYOR IN THE FIRST HOUR OF THIS MEETING SAID, WE'RE HE HE'S LOOKING FOR A WOW FACTOR.
AND I THINK THAT COULD BE IT BEFORE A ONE PAGE VIEW OF WHAT TERRY HARRIS
[02:10:01]
IS TALKING ABOUT.ALEX, DO YOU HAVE YOUR HAND UP OR LIGHT ON? UM, YEAH, WELL, UH, I'M ABSOLUTELY DELIGHTED TO, UH, EMBRACE THIS IDEA OF IMPROVING OUR QUALITY OF LIFE TO PARKS AND RECREATION.
AND, UH, I'M GOING TO TAKE THIS MOMENT TO THE THRONE OF A PLUG.
UM, IT, THIS, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO BE SUSTAINABLE.
YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT A PARKS AND REC AS A PRIORITY HERE AT THE MOMENT, BUT INDEED 20, 30, 40 YEARS FROM NOW, IF WE'RE GOING TO SUSTAIN OUR, UH, A PLACE OF EXCELLENCE, IT NEEDS TO BE CONTINUED.
UM, SO I GUESS I'M JUST PREPARING US, UM, IF, IF MR. ORLANDO COMES BACK TO US AND THE PARKS AND REC, UH, WORKSHOP AND SAYS THAT HE NEEDS TO CREATE A NEW ARM, WHICH IS A PARKS AND REC DEPARTMENT, WE NEED TO EMBRACE IT TO A DEGREE WHERE WE HAVE IN A TRUE INTENTIONAL CONVERSATION ABOUT THAT.
UM, BECAUSE IT CAN'T BE TALKED ABOUT IN A VACUUM, IT NEEDS TO BE ONGOING.
I THINK YOU'VE WORKED YOUR WAY THROUGH ALL OF THE PRIORITIES.
UM, LET ME JUST TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT KIND OF WHAT I THINK MAKES SOME SENSE FOR TODAY.
UM, I, I FEEL LIKE THIS CONVERSATION THAT YOU'VE HAD THIS MORNING IS PROBABLY, UM, MORE IMPORTANT THAN HAVING PRIORITIZED ALL THE THINGS, BUT IT'S HOW WE GOT TO HAVE THE CONVERSATION.
AND SO I THINK IT SENDS A GOOD MESSAGE TO THE STAFF, UM, BECAUSE WHAT HAS TO HAPPEN NEXT IS WORK PLANNING AND ALL OF THESE THINGS NEED TO COME BACK TO YOU ALONG WITH THE THINGS THEY'VE ALREADY SAID, THEY'RE DOING, AND WE'VE GOT THE AMPLIFIED LIST OF THINGS THAT YOU WANTED MORE INFORMATION ON THAT MAYBE YOU WERE SURPRISED TO HEAR WHAT THEY WERE, THAT THEY WERE DOING SOMETHING.
SO YOU WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT IT, JUST INFORMATION REQUEST.
SO WE, AND WE HAVE THAT LIST FOR YOU.
I DO NOT FEEL LIKE GOING THROUGH THE CLICKER EXERCISE ON THE NEAR GROUP WOULD REALLY BE USEFUL.
UM, I THINK THERE'S A LOT HERE ALREADY.
AND MARK AND JOSH NEED TO WORK WITH THE TEAM OF STAFF TO COME BACK TO YOU ALL AND PROBABLY PLAN FOR A SERIES OF ADDITIONAL WORKSHOPS AROUND WHAT YOU'VE REALLY CRYSTALLIZED AS BEING YOUR PRIORITIES, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT WORKFORCE, OR I'M JUST GOING TO SAY HOUSING AND TRANSPORTATION AND THIS QUALITY OF LIFE, WHICH IS SO CONNECTED AND EVERYTHING YOU'VE SAID TO THIS PARKS AND RECREATION PIECE AND AN EXPANDED DEFINITION OF PARKS AND RECREATION IN HOW YOU'RE LOOKING AT THINGS.
SO THOSE ARE THE THREE THINGS THAT KEEP BUBBLING TO THE TOP.
DOES THAT SEEM, DOES THAT CONCEPT KIND OF RESONATE WITH YOU ALL AFTER HAVING GONE THROUGH THIS? ARE YOU GOING TO BE REALLY SAD IF YOU DON'T GET TO USE THE CLICKERS AGAIN, HE'S GOING TO TAKE IT HOME.
IT'S NOT GOING TO WORK ON YOUR TV, SO CATHERINE, WILL YOU STOP SHARING? AND THEN WE CAN SEE JULIE'S IMAGE A LITTLE BIT BETTER.
SHE'LL NEVER BE ABLE TO SHARE AGAIN, BUT YOU KNOW, WE'LL GO.
UM, SO WE CAN PUT THE GRAPHIC IMAGE ON THE MAIN SCREEN.
SO JULIE WAS TRYING TO PULL THESE THREADS TOGETHER WITH US AS YOU ALL SYNTHESIZE THIS CONVERSATION.
AND IT WOULD BE MUCH MORE DRAMATIC IF IT WAS ON FOUR BY EIGHT PAPER, WOULDN'T IT TAMRA? SO, BUT IT'S, IT LOOKS PRETTY GOOD UP THERE.
SO AGAIN, THIS IS JUST REMINDERS TO YOU ALL AND GOOD INFORMATION FOR THE STAFF OF, OF WHERE WE GO FROM HERE.
BUT I THINK WE S I THINK WE STOP THIS NOW IN TERMS OF THE PRIORITIZATION AND WHERE YOU ARE.
WE HAVE A COUPLE OF OTHER CONVERSATIONS THAT YOU ALL WANTED TO HAVE TODAY.
AND I WANT TO GIVE MARK AN OPPORTUNITY TO KIND OF REFLECT A LITTLE BIT WITH YOU ALL ABOUT WHAT HE'S BEEN HEARING AND HOW HE'S GOING TO TACKLE THIS WHEN HE ACTUALLY STARTS WORKING FOR YOU IN IT, BEFORE WE LEAVE IT THERE, I WOULD APPRECIATE SOME KIND OF CONSENSUS BEFORE WE LEAVE HERE TODAY, AS TO WHICH OF THE PARKS WE'RE GOING TO WORK ON, WHAT ARE WE GOING TO WORK ON IT AND SOME DIRECTION WHAT WE WANT THERE.
I MEAN, IF WE SAY WE'RE GOING TO WORK ON THE PARKS WILL BE BACK IN THREE MONTHS AND WE'LL PICK A PARK OUT AND DO THE ONE PUP I NEED, WE NEED SOME CLARIFICATION ON WHICH IS THE PARK WE'RE GOING TO WORK ON.
IS IT GOING TO BE THE WELLPARK UP BY THE TREE, BY THE COMMERCIAL AREAS WE'D LIKE TO GET LIKE THE STAFF HAVE DIRECTION WHEN WE LEAVE HERE TODAY, THEN YOU FOCUS ON THE WELL PARK, NOT WE'LL DO ALL THREE PARKS AND COME BACK TO US AND IT WILL BE SIX MONTHS AWAY.
I CAN JUMP RIGHT IN BECAUSE OF MANY FACTORS,
[02:15:01]
NOT JUST THE DEVELOPMENT OF ITS PARK, THE PARK ITSELF, BUT THAT, WHAT I THINK IS THE RELATED ECONOMIC BENEFIT TO THE AREA.I WOULD SAY THE MID ISLAND TRACK NEEDS TO BE THE FOCUS, BECAUSE AS THAT DEVELOPS VERY MUCH, THOSE SURROUNDING AREAS WILL DEVELOP JUST AS WE SAW DOWN AT THE LOW COUNTRY, UM, CELEBRATION PARK, THOSE NEIGHBORING BUSINESSES THAT HAVE HAD A BOOM.
AND WE CERTAINLY, UM, WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT HAPPEN IN THAT MID ISLAND AREA.
AND, UM, WHAT I WOULD SUPPORT, IF I MAY ASK YOU, WHEN YOU SAY MID ISLAND, ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT THE PORT ROYAL? OH, I'M SORRY.
YES, THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT I MEAN.
THE, UM, I TH I THINK, I THINK FROM AN OPERATING STANDPOINT, THIS IS GOING TO BE BORING, BUT I THINK WE NEED TO ASK OURSELVES, UH, GIVEN WHAT WE HAVE, UH, WHAT ARE THE ISSUES, WHAT ARE THE OPERATING ISSUES WITH WHAT WE HAVE AND, UH, ARE THEY CRYING OUT FOR IMMEDIATE INTERVENTION? AND I SAY, THAT'S BORING BECAUSE IT'S JUST TRYING TO UPGRADE IT AN ASSET THAT YOU ALREADY HAVE, THAT YOU'RE ALREADY USING ON A, ON A PSYCHOLOGICAL LEVEL, IF YOU'RE REALLY WANT TO CREATE A WOW FACTOR, UH, YOU LOOK AT PORT ROYAL AND YOU ASKED THE QUESTION, CAN THAT BE OUR CENTRAL PARK? AND CAN WE CREATE SOMETHING NEW THERE THAT SETS A STANDARD OF, FOR THE ENTIRE ISLAND AS WE GO BACK TO THE OTHER PARKS AND UPGRADE THEM OVER TIME.
SO THIS IS A CONVERSATION, I SENSE, A LITTLE ENERGY AROUND WANTING TO HAVE, SO I I'LL LET'S AGREE TO DO IT.
I DON'T KNOW THAT WE WANT TO, WELL, WE COULD DO IT RIGHT NOW.
I DON'T KNOW IF STAFF FEELS READY TO JUMP IN AND BE SUPPORTIVE.
DO YOU WANT TO DO IT NOW? YES.
LET'S JUST GO NEW AGENDA ITEM.
LET'S TALK ABOUT WHAT PART WE WANT TO TACKLE FIRST.
DO YOU HAVE ANY KIND OF STAFF OVERVIEW THAT YOU WANT TO SHARE OR KIND OF BETWEEN YOUR MIC ON? THANK YOU.
UH, PRESUMABLY JUST TO START THE CONVERSATION, WE'RE FRAMING IT FROM DISCUSSION OF THE THREE THAT WERE PART OF THE MASTER PLAN PROCESS, UH, THAT HAVE BEEN DEVELOPED UP UNTIL THIS POINT.
I KNOW THAT THERE WAS SOME CONVERSATION ABOUT SOME NEW ONES.
I WOULD TELL YOU, WE ARE NOT IN A POSITION TO DISCUSS ANY OF THOSE AT THIS POINT, BECAUSE THERE'S BEEN NO WORK OR ANALYSIS OR ANYTHING DONE WITH THEM.
BUT IF THOSE THREE ARE THE ONES THAT WE'RE KIND OF LOOKING AT AND PRIORITIZING WHICH AMONGST THOSE THREE, THEN ABSOLUTELY WE'RE PREPARED TO, TO AT LEAST HAVE THAT CONVERSATION.
AS LONG AS YOU HAVE A MICROPHONE, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
BASED ON YOUR DIRECTION, UM, WHEN YOU SAID TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE PARKS AND REC RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE CONSULTANT STAFF JUST WRAPPED UP WHAT WE WERE CALLING PART THREE PART.
ONE WAS THE WORK THAT THE CONSULTANT DID.
PART TWO WAS INCORPORATING IT INTO OUR PLAN.
AND PART THREE WAS TO BEGIN PRIORITIZATION AND PROGRAMMING FOCUSING ON THOSE BIG THREE, BUT THEN ALSO LIKE MR. HARKINS SAID, LOOKING AT WHAT WE ALREADY HAVE THAT MIGHT NEED SOME WORK.
SO OVER THE FALL WINTER, WE ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY IN SEVERAL DIFFERENT WAYS TO GIVE US INPUT ON WHAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE AT THOSE BIG THREE PARKS.
AND THEN THE ORDER OF MOVING FORWARD WITH THE OTHER THINGS, WE PRESENTED THAT TO THE PARKS AND REC COMMISSION AT THEIR MEETING EARLIER THIS MONTH OF JANUARY.
AND THEY MADE A RECOMMENDATION TO MOVE FORWARD WITH ISSUING THE RFQ.
SO IT WENT OUT ON THE STREET ALREADY.
IT, IT WAS ADVERTISE THIS WEEK IS TO HIRE A CONSULTANT, TO DO, UM, PARKS AND RECREATION IMPROVEMENT.
SO IT'S VERY BROAD, BUT THE FIRST SCOPE ITEM, THE FIRST TASK WAS TO DO A DETAILED MASTER PLAN SO THAT WE CAN TAKE THE RECOMMENDATIONS AND DRAW THEM OUT FOR THOSE THREE PARKS, CHAPLAIN CROSSINGS, AND MID ISLAND AT THE SAME TIME TO WORK ON THE THREE OF THEM AND DO A SERIES OF ENGAGEMENT AND RECOMMENDATIONS ON PHASING SO THAT THEY COULD COME BACK TO PARKS AND REC COMMISSION AND ULTIMATELY TO TELL COUNCIL AND SAY, THIS IS THE RECOMMENDATION FOR WHERE TO START FROM BY CONSTRUCTION STANDPOINT, JENNIFER, WILL YOU SAY THE NAMES OF THOSE THREE PARKS KIND OF SLOWLY OR INTENTIONALLY WITH THE IDEA THAT SOMEONE'S WRITING THEM DOWN IS THE EXISTING CROSSINGS PARK CROSSINGS PARK, THE EXISTING CHAPLAIN COMMUNITY PARK
[02:20:01]
CHAPLAIN, AND THEN THE NEW MID ISLAND, CORRECT.AND THE NEW MID ISLAND ONE IS THAT THE ONE THAT BILL AND YOU WERE CALLING WAR PLANNERS, ROW GOLF, PORT ROYAL.
SO THE NEW MID ISLAND IS PORT ROYAL.
SO WE WORKED WITH THE COMMUNITY AND THE CONSULTANTS RECOMMENDATIONS AND HAVE A PROPOSED PROGRAM FOR EACH OF THOSE THREE PARKS.
AND WHEN I SAY PROGRAM, I MEAN, IT MIGHT SAY AT CROSSINGS REHAB, THE EXISTING BALL FIELDS BUILD MORE BALL FIELDS BECAUSE THE THOUGHT WAS TO CONSOLIDATE THERE AND TO MEET THAT NEED TO ADD A BETTER PLAYGROUND.
YOU KNOW, THOSE TYPE OF THINGS.
WE OUTLINED WHAT THE COMMUNITY AND THE CONSULTANT RECOMMENDED, PLUS STAFF'S PROFESSIONAL OPINION.
AND THAT WOULD BE A STARTING POINT FOR THE CONSULTANT.
WE WOULD WANT THEM TO BRING THEIR PROFESSIONAL OPINION, KNOWLEDGE OF TRENDS, THEIR EXPERTISE TO IT AS WELL, BUT THAT'S WHERE THEY WOULD START ON PREPARING THOSE DRAWINGS SO THAT Y'ALL IN THE COMMUNITY CAN SAY, YES, THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE IN MIND WHEN WE'RE THINKING ABOUT A CENTRAL PARK AT MID ISLAND, OR WHERE, WHEN WE THINK ABOUT ACTIVE RECREATION SOMEWHERE, THEY ALSO HAD THE BENEFIT, THE PARKS AND REC COMMISSION OF HAVING A PRESENTATION BY RICH AND TERRY AND JOHN PARSONS AT THEIR MEETING.
SO THEY ARE FULLY AWARE OF THAT, UM, IDEA TOO, ABOUT THE, THE TRAIL, WHICH IS CONSISTENT WITH STAFF'S IDEAS THAT WE'VE BEEN DISCUSSING AND THE CONSULTANT WAS RECOMMENDING AS WELL.
SO THERE'S A LOT OF SYNERGY THERE, WHICH IS GOOD NEWS THAT WE'RE ALL KIND OF WORKING ON THE SAME PAGE, BUT THAT CONSULTANT, UM, IT'S DUE THE PROPOSAL'S DUE FEBRUARY 23RD WITH THE IDEA THAT WE WOULD VERY QUICKLY SHORT LIST INTERVIEW AND HAVE SOMEONE ON BOARD TO KICK OFF EARLY IN APRIL TO DO THOSE THREE, THREE PLANS.
IF YOU WANT TO, WE CAN MODIFY IT TO FOCUS ON JUST ONE, BUT WE ALSO HAVE OTHER PROJECTS THAT YOU HAD GIVEN US APPROVAL TO MOVE FORWARD BACK IN.
UM, I BELIEVE IT WAS MAY, MAY OR JUNE IF SOMEBODY ELSE ON STAFF REMEMBERS, BUT ALSO CHAPLAIN LINEAR PARK, WHICH IS THE CONNECTION PIECE AND THE ENHANCEMENT FROM SHELTER COVE.
THOSE ARE THINGS THAT ARE IN THE WORKS AS WELL TO BRING THE WHOLE PARKS AND RECREATION SYSTEM UP TOGETHER AND TO MEET THE LEVEL OF SERVICE THAT THE COMMUNITY DESIRE.
OKAY, THEY'RE THE CORRECT ANSWER FROM THE CONSULTANT MIGHT NOT BE THE RIGHT ANSWER FOR US.
IF THEY LOOK AT THE THREE BLOCKS AND COME BACK WITH A RECOMMENDATION ON NUMBER TWO, THAT MIGHT NOT BE WHAT'S BEST FOR THE COMMUNITY IN MY MIND WAS BEST FOR THE COMMUNITY.
NOW WITH SOMETHING ON THE NORTH END TRACK, WHERE WE COULD DO ECONOMIC INCREASE IN ONE-ON-ONE THERE ON THE ISLAND, BECAUSE THERE'S NOTHING AROUND THAT TOLL GOING BAD.
SO THE RIGHT ANSWER FOR THE CONSULTANT MIGHT NOT BE THE BEST ANSWER FOR US.
THERE ARE BASICALLY TWO DIFFERENT THINGS.
I THINK YOUR CONVERSATION, UM, YOU'RE, YOU'RE LOOKING AT IT FROM A BROADER CONTEXT OF WHAT BENEFITS THE COMMUNITY.
AND I THINK THE, UH, UM, WHAT JENNIFER WAS PRESENTING WAS THIS PARK SPECIFIC PROGRAM FOR THREE PARKS, JENNIFER, OUT OF CURIOSITY, WHEN WOULD YOU EXPECT A REPORT BACK FROM THE CONSULTANT? I MEAN, WHEN WOULD WE HAVE AN ANSWER ON THOSE PROGRAMS? WELL, WE GAVE THEM A PROGRAM TO START WITH, AND THEN WE EXPECT IF THEY START SOMETIME IN EARLY APRIL, THAT IT WOULD TAKE A TWO OR THREE MONTHS PROBABLY TO GET THROUGH AND COME BACK TO US WITH A RECOMMENDATION ON A PLAN TO APPROVE SUMMER MID SUMMER.
SO THAT THEN WE CAN PICK ONE AND START CONSTRUCTION, START DETAILED DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION.
OBVIOUSLY WE CAN'T BUILD THREE CLARKS OF THAT SCALE THE SAME TIME.
PLUS WE'RE CONCERNED ABOUT TAKING RECREATION OFFLINE.
IF WE TRIED TO DO THAT, IF WE HAD ALL THAT UNDER UNDERWAY AT THE SAME TIME.
SO, WELL, I, WHAT, WHAT I'M ANTICIPATING, UH, AND I'M SUPPORTING WHAT THE MAYOR IS SUGGESTING IS THAT A MASTER PLANNING EFFORT IN THE GENERAL AREA OF THE MID ISLAND PARK OR PORT ROYAL PARK COULD BEGIN THAT THAT COULD BE A PRIORITY TO, UH, INITIATE.
I WOULD ALSO SAY THAT THE CROSSINGS PART RELATES TO A CORRIDOR OF OPPORTUNITY AS WELL.
SO I, I, I'VE BEEN PUSHING THIS IDEA OF MASTER PLANNING, ONE, TWO OR THREE AREAS OF THE ISLAND TO BENEFIT NOT ONLY PRIVATE SECTOR AND RE-INVESTMENT HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES, UH, BRAND ENFORCEMENT AND IN THIS CASE, CONNECTION TO RECREATION AND SO ON.
SO I THINK, I THINK OUR DECISION, UH, AS
[02:25:01]
A COUNCIL IS HOW MUCH OF A PRIORITY WE WANT TO PUT ON MASTER PLANNING, ONE, TWO OR THREE AREAS OF THE COMMUNITY.DAVID, ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT MASTER PLANNING FROM THE LAND USE AND PLANNING PERSPECTIVE? ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT MASTER PLAN IN THE ACTIVE PARK? NO, I'M, I'M SAYING THAT THE PARKS AND REC, UH, W UH, CONSULTANT WILL COME BACK WITH A DETAILED REPORT MID JULY, THAT A MASTER PLANNING EFFORT FOR LAND USE, UH, AND, AND, UH, BUILDING FORM COULD BE INITIATED SOONER THAN THAT, AND PROBABLY DOVETAIL NICELY BECAUSE OF THE SEQUENCE.
SO I HAVE SOME COMMENTS ON THIS, JULIA.
UM, FIRST I WOULD SAY THAT JENNIFER'S REPORT REINFORCES WHAT I SAID AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS DISCUSSION.
THESE ARE THINGS THAT THE TOWN STAFF IS ALREADY DOING.
THAT BEING SAID, I THINK THE MAYOR IS ABSOLUTELY CORRECT THAT WE NEED TO DECIDE ON THE PRIORITY.
AND IT'S EASY TO SAY THE PRIORITY IS SOMETHING SHINY AND NEW, BUT THAT'S MORE EXPENSIVE AND BIGGER.
WHEREAS WE HAVE TWO EXISTING, LARGE PARKS THAT ARE A LITTLE LONG IN THE TOOTH.
THEY NEED, THEY NEED WORK, THEY NEED POLISHING, THEY NEED IMPROVING.
THAT CAN BE DONE MORE QUICKLY FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE PUBLIC.
AND THAT CAN BE DONE AT A LOWER EXPENSE, I GUESS.
SO, IN TERMS OF THE PRIORITIES, WHILE I AM A STRONG BELIEVER IN THE POWER AND IMPORTANCE OF PASSIVE PARKS, AND I THINK THAT, UH, THE MID ISLAND TRACK CENTRAL PARK CAN BE THE CROWN JEWEL FOR THIS TOWN.
I THINK THAT WE OUGHT TO CONSIDER MAYBE THE PRIORITY IS TO UPGRADE, IMPROVE THE EXISTING PARKS THAT WE'VE GOT AS A FIRST PRIORITY.
WELL, WORKABLE, I MEAN, THE BASEBALL FIELDS DOWN HERE WITH JACK GILL AND EUNICE GROUP, THERE WILL WORK FUNCTION THE MINUTE THE CHAPLIN CLOCK FUNCTIONS MEAN WITH NOT, NOT THINKING SHUT DOWN NEXT WEEK, BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT TAKEN CARE OF RIGHT.
OR THEIR RULE, SO THEY CAN BE ALIVE THEN TWO OR THREE YEARS WITHOUT A TECHNIQUE.
WHAT GOES ON IN THOSE PARKS WITH THIS PARK, YOU WOULD BE SOMETHING NEW THAT WOULD GIVE US A RUNNING SPOT ON EVERYTHING ELSE.
WE'LL JUST SEE WHAT THE STALL LOOKS LIKE.
THEN YOU'LL ANTICIPATE THE OTHER, TUPAC'S GOING TO BE THAT WAY.
I WILL GO WITH THE MAJORITY OF YOU ON THIS, FOR SURE.
UH, MY VIEW IS THIS THAT I THINK TO DO THIS, UM, LOGICALLY WE AUTO, UH, IN, UH, WITH DELIBERATE SPEED, UH, UH, COME UP WITH A MASTER PLAN FOR, FOR RECREATION.
SO, AND IN THAT MASTER PLAN, WE LOOK AT OUR EXISTING, AND WE LOOK AT PORT ROYAL BECAUSE WHAT WE DESIGNED FOR ONE WILL HAVE AN IMPACT ON THE OTHER, I BELIEVE, UH, 0.2 IS ON THE ROLLOUT.
THEN WE MOVE RIGHT TO PORT ROYAL AND WE ROLL OUT THERE WITH SOMETHING, SOMETHING NEW, SOMETHING THAT IS GOING TO BE A MAJOR STATEMENT FOR THE ENTIRE ISLAND.
WE WILL CONTINUE OBVIOUSLY TO DO DAY TO DAY MAINTENANCE ON THE EXISTING PRODUCT THAT WE HAVE.
UH, BUT I, I THINK THIS ISLAND NEEDS A SHOT IN THE ARM WITH SOMETHING VERY, VERY SIGNIFICANT.
THAT'S GOING TO BENEFIT EVERYBODY, BUT WITH LIMITED RESOURCES, A LITTLE BIT WITH LIMITED RESOURCES AND LIMITED MAN POWER HERE, WE SHOULD JUST PICK ONE, GO WITH THE ONE, RUN WITH THE ONE, THIS COMMUNITY COMING OUT OF THE PANDEMIC.
WE'LL NEED SOMETHING, EVERY LITTLE THING WE CAN GIVE THEM AS A PLUS.
SO WE DON'T WANT TO EVALUATE ALL THREE PARKS AGAIN, IN THE WASTE TIME.
YOU WANT TO GO WHERE YOU WANT TO GO AND YOU WANT TO COME OUT OF IT.
AND I THINK THAT'S A PRAGMATIC APPROACH AND THAT DOESN'T MEAN IT'S NOT A GOOD APPROACH.
UH, UH, WE COULD BEGIN WITH THE MASTER WITH A MASTER PLAN FOR PORT ROYAL AND THEN, AND START IMPLEMENTING THAT AND THEN PIVOT FROM THAT AND COME BACK TO OUR EXISTING WHEN WE CAN, I CAN LIVE WITH THAT.
ARE YOU GOING TO NEED A REFERENDUM TO DO THIS? NO.
[02:30:01]
THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.HAVE, UM, I'LL JUST MAKE MY POINT AND THEN YOU CAN CONTINUE WITH IT.
UM, HOPEFULLY I'LL ADD SOME VALUE HERE WITH THE RISK OF REPEATING MYSELF, UH, FOX AND RECREATION IS IT'S SO IMPORTANT TO WHERE IT WAS ADDED AS AN ADDITIONAL CORE VALUE TO OUR COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
STAFF HAS TAKEN THE TIME TO TRULY PUT TOGETHER A MASTER PLAN.
UM, AND WE DON'T WANT THAT TO SIT ON A SHELF SOMEWHERE.
WE WANT TO SEE IMPLEMENTATION IS WHAT I'M HEARING AROUND THIS TABLE.
AND IT'LL PRIORITIES IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, WHERE THE NEXT PARK IS BUILT, WHAT PROGRAMS GO AROUND IT.
UM, SO, SO AGAIN, I'M OFFERING UP THAT, UH, WE MAY NEED TO DO BUSINESS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT HERE ON HILTON HEAD.
AND REALLY HAVE AN ASSIGNMENT OF THIS INITIATIVE.
UM, UH, E PARKS AND REC DEPARTMENT, I WILL ALSO ADD TO THE CONVERSATION THAT I'M IN AGREEANCE THAT WE NEED, UH, WE NEED A WHILE WE NEED A, WE NEED A WIN.
UH, BUT, BUT IF YOU, IF YOU THOUGHT TO TAKE INVENTORY ON SOME OF THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS AROUND PARKS, THERE AREAS ON HILTON HEAD THAT HAVE HEALTHY RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT IN KNOW PARK ASSESSABILITY, SOMEHOW THAT NEEDS TO BE FORMULATED INTO OUR PLAN.
AND I THINK IF YOU HAVE SOMEONE ASSIGNED TO THAT, OBJECTIVE WILL BE MAKING MORE QUALIFIED DECISIONS MOVING FORWARD VERSUS POPUPS ALONG THE WAY IS HOW I DESCRIBE IT.
UM, I WILL SAY, I'LL START HERE.
I WILL SAY THAT ONE OF THE, UM, PRIDE AND JOYS OF THIS ISLAND IS OUR PROTECTION OF LAND.
AND PART OF THAT IS OUR DEVELOPMENT OF A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF PARKS.
WE HAVE A VERY, UM, ENTHUSIASTIC AND VIBRANT YOUTH COMMUNITY WHO NEEDS ACCESSIBILITY TO QUALITY, UM, PARKS, UM, FOR THEIR BALL PLAYING.
UM, AND EVENTUALLY QUITE HONESTLY, SOME SPORTS TOURISM THAT AS A MOTHER OF ATHLETES, UM, OVER THE YEARS, I CAN TELL YOU, UM, I BELIEVE IS A VALUABLE, UM, ENDEAVOR.
AND WE HAVE AN ANOTHER ORGANIZATION THAT IS VERY ENTHUSIASTIC AND EXCITED ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR PICKLE BALL AND THE TOURNAMENT'S THAT THEY HOLD.
SO THOSE ARE PRIORITIES FROM THOSE, SOME OF THOSE AREAS.
AND I THINK THEY NEED TO BE THOUGHT THROUGH AND INCORPORATED, UM, INTO THE OVERALL PLAN MOVING FORWARD, UM, AS PRIORITIES, THE THING I COME BACK TO THOUGH IS NOT ONLY DO I BELIEVE THAT THE PORT ROYAL TRACK, UM, PARK ISN'T POSITIONED IN AN AREA WHERE WE NEED AN ECONOMIC INFLUX INFLUX OF BUSINESSES AND ENTHUSIASM AND EXCITEMENT TO GET THOSE CORNERS IN THOSE AREAS THAT, UM, WE TALK ABOUT THROUGHOUT THIS, RIGHT? SO AS WE TALK ABOUT ALL OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT, WE CLICKED ON EVERYTHING THAT WE'VE GONE THROUGH, MUCH OF WHAT WE SAY ARE PRIORITIES AND IMPORTANT TO US AND PROVIDE FOR HIGHER QUALITY OF LIFE AND BRING A WORKFORCE IN THAT BECOME PART AND PARCEL OF OUR COMMUNITY IS BY DEVELOPING THAT MID-CENTURY THAT MIDDLE AREA, THAT PORT ROYAL AREA, AND BECAUSE OF THAT INTERCONNECTIVITY, AND BECAUSE OF THAT IMPORTANCE TO OUR QUALITY OF LIFE AND FUTURE, UM, I THINK IT NEEDS TO BE, UM, IT NEEDS TO BE THE TOP PARK PLAN THAT WE MOVED FORWARD ON WITHOUT LOSING SIGHT THAT WE HAVE AREAS AND MAYBE THE IDEA OF MONEY HAS TO BE DISCUSSED AND THOUGHT OF, BUT MAYBE THERE ARE WAYS TO ALSO PROVIDE THE PICKLEBALL OPPORTUNITIES TO PROVIDE FOR SOME UPGRADES IN TERMS OF THE PARKS FOR THE BALL PLAYING FOR OUR YOUTH.
BUT I THINK THAT WE HAVE TO START, AS DAVID SAID, WITH A MASTER PLAN THAT INCORPORATES MANY OF THOSE IDEAS THAT WE'VE HIGHLIGHTED ALREADY TODAY, AND THAT IS IN THE CENTRAL AREA, PORT ROYAL AND THE CROSSINGS AREA DOWN ON PALMETTO BAY AREA,
[02:35:01]
NOTHING QUITE BEAT US TO DEATH.THE MAJORITY OF CHILDREN THAT HAVE NO PARKS AT ALL LIVE RIGHT NEXT TO THE PLOT.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WHEN YOU RIDE DOWN DILLON ROAD AND THE NUMBER OF FAMILIES THAT ARE THERE OF WORKERS ON THIS ISLAND ARE ASTRONOMICAL LAST YEAR, STEVE IMMEDIATELY TOURED THE FIRE DEPARTMENT FOR CHRISTMAS.
IF NOT THOUSANDS OF KIDS LIVE ON DILLON AVENUE OR YOU KNOW THAT, BUT ANYBODY ELSE THERE WAS NOTHING FOR THEM, RIGHT THERE, NOTHING.
THERE WAS NOTHING THEY CAN WALK TO.
WE TALK ABOUT HIM, COULD TAKE CARE OF ALL OF OUR PEOPLE, THE PEOPLE IN THAT AREA, AREN'T GETTING ANYTHING.
I'M JUST GOING TO TAKE A WALK, YOU KNOW, PUFFS.
THEY CAN BIKE RIGHT TO THAT'S AN AREA THAT IS UNDERSERVED AND THEY NEED SOMETHING AS SOON AS WE POSSIBLY CAN.
IF WE HAD ASKED FOR FIVE MINUTES, CAUSE THEY WANT TO, THEY WANT TO GET THEIR HEADS TOGETHER AND THEN THEY FEEL LIKE THEY CAN BE MORE SUPPORTIVE TO YOU.
SO I'M GOING TO CALL A FIVE MINUTE BREAK, ASK YOU NOT TO LEAVE YOUR CHAIR, UNLESS YOU REALLY NEED TO GO GET, ADJUST YOUR FLUID LEVELS, BUT FIVE MINUTES, GET YOUR ACT TOGETHER, COME BACK IN.
AND WELL, JOSH OR SCOTT, WHO, YOU KNOW, THE FIRST WORD OF IMPROV IS YES.
WHILE WE WERE HUDDLING UP JUST NOW I THINK STAFF UNDERSTANDS HOW IMPORTANT OF A DISCUSSION THIS IS WITH YOU ALL.
AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT YOUR DISCUSSION IS AS PRODUCTIVE AS POSSIBLE.
AND SO WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING TO DO IS BASICALLY PUT A PAUSE ON THE RFQ.
NOW HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO COME BACK TO YOU WITH SOME ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE DISCUSSIONS THAT HAVE BEEN HAD WITH THE PARKS AND REC COMMISSION, SOME OTHER INFORMATION THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO GATHER AND BASICALLY MAKE SURE THAT YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT'S IN THIS SCOPE, WHAT IT'S INTENDED TO DO, WHAT THE IMPACTS WOULD BE BEFORE THEN, CARRYING FORWARD WITH IT SO THAT YOU KNOW WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO GET BACK AS A RESULT.
UH, AND I THINK IT'S GOING TO HELP GUIDE THIS CONVERSATION A LITTLE BIT MORE JUST BECAUSE WE WILL HAVE MORE INFORMATION IN FRONT OF YOU, UH, THAN WHAT WE DO NOW, WHEN WE HAVE THAT, WE CAN LOOK TO SCHEDULE THAT FAIRLY QUICKLY.
I THINK WHAT THEY'RE TRYING TO SAY IS IF YOU WANT IT BAD, YOU MIGHT GET IT BAD.
SO GIVE THEM TIME TO DO IT RIGHT.
SCOTT
IT WAS THE BASIS FOR THE BUDGET.
[02:40:01]
AND THEN WE CAN RE-ENGAGE COUNSEL.
THEN AFTER YOU HAVE THE BENEFIT TO SEE BOTH WHAT WE THOUGHT WAS KIND OF A LONGER TERM STRATEGY, AND THEN THERE'D BE MORE IMMEDIATE TASKS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS RESPONSE TO THE RFQ AND HIS CONTENT.
YOU SEND IT, YOU SEND THAT STUFF OUT.
COULD WE HAVE A WORKSHOP MEETING THOUGH? WEAKNESS COMING TUESDAY.
WE'LL, WE'LL LOOK TO SCHEDULE THAT VERY QUICKLY.
CAN I ADD SOMETHING TO ME, UH, AS PART OF THAT DISCUSSION AND I DON'T NEED ANSWERS TODAY, BUT IT'D BE NICE TO HAVE WHEN WE MEET, UM, ONE, I, I KNOW THAT THERE HAVE BEEN SOME COMMUNITY BLOCK GRANTS WE'VE RECEIVED FUNDING FOR SOME PARKS.
UM, SO I'D LIKE TO INCORPORATE THAT INTO THE CONVERSATION.
AND ALSO I KNOW THAT THERE'S TIF MONEY THAT WE, THAT WE NEED TO SPEND.
I MEAN, ALAN, I'M NOT SURE HOW THAT RELATES TO THIS CONVERSATION.
ALSO WITH THAT MONEY CAN BE TRANSFERRED POTENTIALLY SOMEWHERE ELSE.
I WAS GONNA SAY, I CAN ADDRESS THAT SECOND ONE VERY QUICKLY.
THE TIF FUNDING, YOU HAVE TO USE THAT MONEY TO FUND PROJECTS THAT WERE IDENTIFIED AT THE OUTSET OF THE TIFF.
AND SO THAT'S WHERE THE CHAPLAIN LINEAR PART COMES IN.
THAT IS THE LAST PROJECT THAT WAS IDENTIFIED ON THE TIF PLAN.
AND SO THE REMAINING MONEY THAT WE HAVE LEFT HAS TO GO TOWARDS THAT PROJECT.
DO WE KNOW HOW MUCH MONEY THAT IS? UH, W WE'RE RECONCILING IT BECAUSE IT CHANGES BASED UPON PROPERTY TAX COLLECTIONS, BUT SOMEWHERE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF ABOUT $3 MILLION, JOSH AND SCOTT, I WOULD ASK YOU IF YOU'RE GOING TO BE SENDING US A STACK OF DOCUMENTS, ALSO GIVE US A SUMMARY REPORT ON TOP OF THAT.
I HAVE A, UM, I GUESS A QUESTION, MAYBE IT'S A REQUEST BASED ON OUR CONVERSATIONS TODAY, WHERE WE RECOGNIZED THAT PARKS AND REC WAS A HIGH PRIORITY, BUT WITHIN THAT WAS THE REQUEST TO INCLUDE, UM, THE OTHER COMPONENTS OF INCLUSIVENESS THAT WE, UH, PONIED UP THE TWO ITEMS, UH, DEALING WITH GULLAH, GEECHEE, ECO TOURISM, UM, UM, HISTORY.
AND SO ON THAT, THAT AS A PART OF THE RFP, SOMEHOW THOSE, THOSE IDEAS GET INCORPORATED INTO THE CONSULTANTS WORK.
AND THAT'S WHERE, PART OF WHAT I THINK IS IMPORTANT FOR YOU TO UNDERSTAND THE DISCUSSIONS THAT HAVE ALREADY TAKEN PLACE AND, AND SOME OF THE DIRECTION THAT WE'VE ALREADY RECEIVED, BUT MAKE SURE THAT YOU ARE ON THE SAME PAGE AS WE ARE BEFORE THAT DOCUMENT REALLY GETS PUT IN, IN ACTION.
SO WHAT IS THE, WHAT'S THE SYNTHESIS NEXT STEP HERE THEN IT'S, IT'S A WORKSHOP MEETING IN A WEEK.
I WON'T BE WITH YOU YET, BUT I HEAR YOU.
I HEAR YOU LOUD AND CLEAR, AND I KNOW, AND I CAN CONFIRM THAT THIS AMAZING STAFF HEARS YOU LOUD AND CLEAR.
ONE, THE ONE COMMENT I HAD IS, IS RIGHT.
JUST TRYING TO JUMP IN A LITTLE BIT, IS THE RFP COMPLETELY ALIGNED WITH YOUR GOALS BECAUSE THAT RFP RFQ, THAT RFQ NEEDS TO BE DEFINED PROPERLY SO THAT WE KNOW HOW TO SELECT THE APPROPRIATE TEAM.
IF THE APPROPRIATE TEAM IS, IS, IS, IS MISSING SOME OF THESE KEY COMPONENTS, SUCH AS THE INCLUSIVENESS THAT YOU JUST SPOKE ABOUT, WE WON'T BE PUTTING OUR BEST FOOT FORWARD TO PUT THAT TEAM BACK IN PLACE TO WORK WITH US.
THERE'S, THERE'S SOME, UH, A DECENT SIZE BUDGET FOR SOME REAL, REAL, INTENTIONAL, GLOBALLY IMPORTANT LAND PLANNING TO GO ON THE MONEY'S THERE TO MASTER PLAN.
UM, AND I KNOW THAT THE STAFF IS CHOMPING AT THE BIT.
AND SO THE POSITIVE IS THEY'RE ALREADY OUT OF THE GATE.
THE OBSERVATION I HAVE IS YOU NEED SOME CONFIRMATION THAT YOUR RF QUEUE, YOUR STAFF BUILT THAT RFQ BASED UPON YOUR GOALS.
WELL THAT BROUGHT US HOME QUICK.
UM, ANY OTHER POP QUIZZES? HOW ABOUT LET'S DO THE QUICK UPDATE ON THE PARKING STUDY? I THINK WE CAN DO THAT.
AND THEN IT'LL BE LUNCHTIME BACK THIS OCTOBER.
IF YOU'LL RECALL, WE RECEIVED A PRESENTATION FROM WALKER CONSULTANTS.
THEY'RE THE FIRM THAT WE HIRED TO COME IN AND CONDUCT OUR PARKING STUDY AND PROVIDE US WITH KIND OF A GUIDEBOOK ON WHAT WE CAN DO TO MOVE FORWARD WITH IMPLEMENTING, UH, THE POTENTIAL
[02:45:01]
OF PAID PARKING AT MOST, IF NOT ALL OF THE TOWNS BEACH PARK PROPERTIES.AND THAT OF COURSE WAS A RESULT OF NOT ONLY DISCUSSIONS WITH YOU ALL ON COUNCIL, BUT DISCUSSIONS WITH MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC AND ULTIMATELY UNDERSTANDING WHERE IT IS THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO GO WITH BEING ABLE TO REGULATE, UH, ADMINISTER AND ENFORCE OUR PARKING PROGRAM, BUT TO DO SO IN A VERY COMPREHENSIVE MANNER.
AND SO WHERE WE FIND OURSELVES NOW, AS WE'VE RECEIVED THIS GUIDEBOOK, AND IT HAS A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT THINGS, IT'S GOT SOME IMMEDIATE ACTION ITEMS, IT'S GOT SOME MIDTERM ACTION ITEMS AND IT HAS SOME LONGER-TERM ACTION ITEMS. AND WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT WHERE DO WE GO IN TERMS OF IMPLEMENTING THESE RECOMMENDATIONS? DO WE WANT TO TAKE THEM AS PRESENTED? DO WE WANT TO MODIFY THEM, UH, MAYBE MORE, UH, TO SOMETHING THAT WE THINK MAY MEET OUR NEEDS A LITTLE BIT BETTER THAN WHAT THE CONSULTANTS PROPOSED, AND THEN IF SO, HOW DO WE WANT TO GO ABOUT EXECUTING IT? AND SO THAT INVOLVES, I THINK, BEGINNING OF DISCUSSION, AND I THINK DAVID, YOU HAD BEGUN AT LEAST DISCUSSION WITH SOME OF OUR STAFF ABOUT POTENTIALLY BRINGING THIS FORWARD TO A PUBLIC PLANNING COMMITTEE MEETING TO ESSENTIALLY BEGIN THAT.
AND SO THAT'S WHERE I THINK WE KIND OF FIND OURSELVES AS GEARING UP TO TALK ABOUT, ALL RIGHT, WE'VE GOT THIS LIST THAT TELLS US THESE THINGS, YOU KNOW, ARE KIND OF WHERE WE START.
DO WE AGREE WITH THAT? IF SO, LET'S GO AHEAD AND START THOSE IN MOTION.
IF NOT, WHAT DO WE NEED TO CHANGE WITH THEM? UH, AND THEN IS THERE ANY OTHER FACTORS OR VARIABLES THAT WE NEED TO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION, BUT I THINK ULTIMATELY, WELL, FROM WHAT I CAN TELL IN SPEAKING WITH YOU ALL ABOUT THIS, WHERE WE'RE LOOKING TO GO IS TO CREATE A NEW PLAN THAT IS GOING TO REGULATE BEACH PARKING, UH, ACROSS THE ISLAND.
AND, UH, ULTIMATELY TO PRIDE OF PACKAGE IT IN A MANNER IN WHICH WE CAN OUTSOURCE IT TO A THIRD PARTY TO ADMINISTER ON OUR BEHALF, TO BE ABLE TO EFFECTIVELY ENFORCE THE REGULATIONS AND MONITOR THE PARKING THAT GOES ON IN THOSE PROPERTIES.
AND THEN THE REVENUE THAT'S ANTICIPATED TO BE GENERATED FROM THAT PROGRAM.
WE THEN HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DISCUSS HOW DO WE WANT TO REINVEST THAT WITHIN, UH, TOWN FACILITIES, TOWN, PARKS, TOWN, UH, BEACH ACCESSES, AND ALL OF, ALL OF THOSE THINGS.
SO THAT'S WHERE I SEE OURSELVES RIGHT NOW WITH REGARDS TO THE PARKING PLAN AND WHERE I SEE US GOING FORWARD QUESTIONS FOR JOSH MAYER.
WHEN DO YOU THINK HE CAN SAY THAT LOUDER? AND WHEN DO YOU THINK HE CAN PUT IT ON THE PUBLIC PLANNING AGENDA? PROBABLY THE FEBRUARY MEETING.
IT WOULD BE THE SUBSEQUENT MEDIUM AT THE END OF THE MONTH.
I WANTED TO ASK THE MAYOR, UM, A FOLLOW-UP, UH, QUESTION REGARDING THE PARKS AND REC CONVERSATION.
UH, I LIKED WHAT THE STAFF IS RECOMMENDING.
UM, I THINK WE NEED THAT TIME.
SO THAT DEALS WITH THE BOUNDARY OF THE PARK.
IT WAS YOUR INTENTION TO INITIATE A MASTER PLAN OF THE AREA OR THE DISTRICT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
SO ISN'T THAT A CONVERSATION THAT WE SHOULD BE HAVING AS A GROUP AND DEVELOP SOME SORT OF CONSENSUS TO ASK STAFF, TO LOOK INTO THAT HAVING BEGIN THE PROCESS.
BUT I THOUGHT YOU WERE GOING TO TALK, KEEP THAT AS A SEPARATE WORKSHOP IN THE WORKSHOP WE HAD AT ONE O'CLOCK MY IMPRESSION IS THAT THE STAFF IS AHEAD OF US ON THIS, THAT, UH, UH, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT HAS BEEN GIVING THIS SOME THOUGHT AND THAT PERHAPS WHAT WE CAN DO IS, IS ACKNOWLEDGED THAT, BUT ASK THEM TO COME BEFORE PUBLIC PLANNING AND GIVE US AN UPDATE ON WHAT THEIR THOUGHTS ARE AND WHAT IT WOULD TAKE TO MASTER PLAN, THE GENERAL AREA OF THE MATTHEWS DRIVE 10 78 AREA IN ADVANCE OF, UH, INITIATING SPECIFIC, UH, IDEAS ON.
I UNDERSTAND, GOOD IDEA WHEN THAT IS DONE.
I WOULD APPRECIATE LISTENING TO THAT COMMUNITY GROUP, UH, THE TERRY HEROINE GROUP AND SEE HOW THEIR IDEAS FIT IN TO WHAT YOUR LITTLE WORKSHOP BUILDING.
I ALREADY CUT THAT RIGHT, ALEX.
UH, BACK TO THE PARKING STUDY.
AND, UH, I GUESS I NEED A LITTLE BIT OF CLARITY IN TERMS OF THE DIRECTION WE'RE GOING, UM, AS A COMMUNITY WITH THE, UH, THE IDEA OF, OF PAID PARKING HERE, AND I'M GOING TO GO, I'M GOING TO GO AGAINST THE GRAIN JUST A LITTLE BIT HERE TO, TO PROVOKE SOME THOUGHT, RIGHT.
UM, TRANS ALTERNATIVE TRANSPORTATION, UM, UH, AS JULIA HAS POINTED OUT, CONTINUES TO SHOW UP AND I HAVEN'T SEEN PARKING SHOW UP
[02:50:01]
AT ALL.UM, I'M JUST CURIOUS TO KNOW IF THIS PARKING INITIATIVE IS GOING TO SOMEHOW TAKE PRECEDENCE OVER OUR TRANSPORTATION NEEDS.
AND WHERE I'M GOING WITH THAT IS, UH, WITH THE CELEBRATION PARK.
NOW THEY, UH, UM, WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, GOING TO REQUIRE MORE PARKING, UM, THE BUSINESSES NOW STARTING TO THRIVE.
YOU DON'T WANT TO HAVE A CONFLICT THERE WHERE FOLKS ARE CHOOSING NOT TO PAY FOR PARKING AND INSTEAD PARKING AND A BUSINESS'S PARKING LOT.
IT MAY BE, UH, MAYBE WISE FOR US TO CONSIDER MAYBE SOME PARKING IN AN AREA THAT DOES NOT AFFECT BUSINESSES.
IT THEN US HAVE THE ABILITY TO TRANSPORT FOLKS TO OUR HOTSPOT AREAS ON HILTON HEAD.
UM, JUST OFFERING IT UP AS AN IDEA.
UM, I THINK THAT, WELL, I KNOW FOR A FACT THAT BUSINESSES WOULD APPRECIATE THAT MORE SO THAN HAVING TO FIGHT A FIGHT OFF BEACH GOAL IS IN, IN THEIR PARKING LOTS.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, MOST OF OUR PARKING LOTS, UM, YOU KNOW, THEY AT CAPACITY NOW, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE THROWING RESOURCES IN TERMS OF ENFORCEMENT BEHIND SOMETHING THAT MAY NOT BE MOVING IN A DIRECTION OF QUALITY OF LIFE, UH, FOR, UH, BUSINESS OWNERS AND OUR VISITORS.
AND AGAIN, JUST OFFERING UP AS A DIFFERENT THOUGHT, WELL, WE'VE BEEN BLESSED IN THE SHORT TERM WHERE WE CAN USE THE COLLEGE.
THE COLLEGE HAS BEEN VERY GOOD TO US USING THE UP OFTEN LIVE FROM MAY UNTIL SEPTEMBER.
SO WE'LL VERY, THAT BUYS US TIME TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THE RIGHT ANSWER IS.
I THINK WE NEED TO BE REALISTIC ABOUT PEOPLE'S USES USAGE OF THESE AREAS AND HOW TO CHANGE HABITS AND NORMAL ACTIVITIES THIS PAST SUMMER, EVEN THOUGH WE HAD A PANDEMIC, WE KNOW WE HAD A LOT OF TOURISTS HERE.
WE HAD SHUTTLE THAT WOULD CONNECT PEOPLE FROM S CB TO COLIGNY FOR FREE, AND PEOPLE DIDN'T USE IT.
IT WAS NOT A VERY SUCCESSFUL EFFORT.
NOW, HOW DO YOU TRAIN PEOPLE THAT THEY DO THAT YOU HAVE TO HAVE FROM PARKING ENFORCEMENT TO WHERE THEY FEEL LIKE THEY HAVE NO CHOICE, BUT TO GO THAT WAY AND OH, IT'S FREE AND IT'S CONVENIENT.
SO THERE'S GOING TO BE AN EDUCATION COMPONENT TO WHAT GOES ON HERE.
UM, I HAVE ASKED, UH, SEVERAL WEEKS AGO ABOUT HOW SOON WE WERE GOING TO BE IMPLEMENTING THIS.
AND THE RESPONSE THAT I RECEIVED WAS NOT THIS SEASON, THAT'S COMING UP BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE ALL OF EVERYTHING IN PLACE.
WE HAVEN'T ADOPTED THE PROCEDURES AND SO FORTH, AND I'M ACCEPTING OF THAT, BUT IT NEEDS TO STAY AS A PRIORITY FOR US BECAUSE OF THE IMPACTS ON BUSINESS.
AND I WOULD SAY EQUITY AND FAIRNESS AND PEOPLE'S ACCESS, UH, TO THESE, UH, BEACH AMENITIES, WHICH IS THE MAIN PROBLEM THAT WE'VE GOT HERE.
AND SO WE'VE GOT AN EDUCATION COMPONENT COMING AHEAD, BUT THE WORK WE'RE NOT, WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT JUST BY SAYING, PLEASE, IT NEEDS TO BE A CARROT AND A STICK APPROACH.
AND THE STICK NEEDS TO BE A SIGNIFICANT FUND TO PEOPLE WHO ABUSE THE PARKING REGULATIONS.
AND AS I RECALL, THE PARKING STUDY, UH, ADDRESSES EVERYTHING THAT I'M HEARING.
UH, AND I THINK WE HAVE TO BE ON ONE HAND, WE'RE LOOKING AT A POSITIVE OPPORTUNITY TERMS, REGIONALISM.
AND ON ONE HAND, ON THE OTHER HAND, UH, LOOK, LOOK AT THE EXISTING AND THE GROWTH POTENTIAL IN MARGARITAVILLE, THE ARGENT TRACK.
SO IN CITY, UM, THE, YET TO BE DEVELOPED HORN PROPERTY, UH, AND AS FAR AS WHERE THE MARKETING, THOSE PROPERTIES, WHERE THEIR, WHERE THEIR MARKETING HEALTH NET.
ANYTHING ELSE ON THE PARKING STUDY? DO YOU NEED ANYTHING, JOSH? DO YOU ALL NEED ANYTHING? NO.
THEN WE'RE GOING TO GO AHEAD AND BREAK FOR LUNCH.
WE HAVE A, WE'RE GOING TO START BACK AT ONE 15 TODAY, SO WE WILL SEE YOU THEN.
[02:55:06]
JUST IN TERMS OF CHECKING THINGS OFF OUR LIST.AS WE LOOK AT THE AGENDA, UM, THERE'S REALLY ONLY ONE KIND OF SIGNIFICANT CONVERSATION THAT WE HAVE LEFT TO HAVE.
WE HAVE GONE THROUGH THE PROCESS OF PRIORITIZATION AND SENDING SOME CLEAR DIRECTION TO THE STAFF.
YOU'VE TALKED ABOUT TWO 78 AND THE PARKING STUDY AND, AND, UH, AND THE, THE PARK, WHICH YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE A SPECIAL WORKSHOP ABOUT.
NOW, THE THERE'S TWO THINGS I'D LIKE TO DO IN THE TIME THAT WE HAVE LEFT TODAY.
ONE IS TO HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT BRAND AND TWO IS GIVE MARK A CHANCE TO KIND OF REFLECT SOME THINGS BACK TO YOU THAT HE'S HEARING.
I KNOW HE'S REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THE THINGS THAT HE'S HEARING, BUT I WANT HIM TO HAVE A CHANCE TO JUST TALK WITH YOU A LITTLE BIT AS WELL.
SO THAT MEANS WE'RE GOING TO JUMP INTO THIS CONVERSATION ABOUT BRAND.
YOU MEAN BY, HEY SIRI, HEY SIRI.
SHE WANTED TO COME TO OUR MEETING TODAY, BUT I DIDN'T LET HER, SO SORRY ABOUT THAT.
SO WE'RE GOING TO HAVE THIS CONVERSATION ABOUT BRAND, AND I KNOW FOR YOU ALL, YOU LIVE, YOU LIVE ON THE ISLAND, YOU LOVE THE ISLAND, AND YOU THINK ABOUT THE BRAND AS KIND OF WHAT THAT, UH, WHAT IT MEANS TO OTHER PEOPLE, UH, WHEN THEY COME HERE, WHAT IS, WHEN THEY'RE THINKING ABOUT BUYING A HOME HERE, WHEN THEY'RE VISITING HERE, WHEN THEY'RE VACATIONING HERE.
AND, AND I WOULD SAY THE CONVERSATION WE WANT TO HAVE TODAY IS MORE ABOUT IS, IS MORE THAN JUST LOGOS AND TAGLINES.
IT REALLY IS KIND OF WHAT IS THAT EXTERNAL BRAND? NOT BECAUSE WE'RE GONNA MAKE A BRAND TODAY, BUT BECAUSE IT'S IMPORTANT AS THE STAFF WORKS TO DO ALL THESE THINGS, IT'S IMPORTANT FOR THEM TO UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SHOOTING FOR SO THAT THEY ARE IN GOOD ALIGNMENT THERE.
BUT THE OTHER PIECE OF BRANDS THAT I THINK IS IMPORTANT FOR YOU ALL TO GIVE SOME THOUGHT TO IS THE BRAND OF THE TOWN GOVERNMENT.
AND SO FOR THIS ORGANIZATION, THE THINGS ABOUT IT BEING OPEN FOR BUSINESS AND WHAT THE RESIDENT'S SATISFACTION IS, THOSE ARE THE OTHER TYPES OF THINGS I WANT YOU TO TALK ABOUT BECAUSE YOU'RE ALSO THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THIS ORGANIZATION THAT PROVIDES SERVICES TO THE PEOPLE ON THE ISLAND.
AND SO WHAT IS IT? YOU HOPE THAT BRAND IS FROM A MUNICIPAL SERVICES STANDPOINT.
SO I'M GOING TO GIVE EACH OF YOU AN OPPORTUNITY TO TALK.
JULIE IS GOING TO BE DOING A CAPTURE AND WE'LL HAVE SOME FOLLOW-UP CONVERSATION ON IT TO JUST SO I WANT YOU TO BE PAYING ATTENTION TO THINGS THAT YOUR COLLEAGUES SAY THAT YOU'RE EXCITED ABOUT, THAT YOU AGREE WITH, THAT YOU'RE CONCERNED ABOUT, THAT YOU DISAGREE WITH IN ALL OF THIS.
WHO WOULD LIKE GO FIRST, TODAY? COULD I JUST READ A DEFINITION OF BRAIN BRAND? YES.
YOU CAN READ A DEFINITION OF BRAND AND WHY, AND JUST TELL US WHY IT'S IMPORTANT TO YOU THAT YOU DID THAT BECAUSE WORDS CAN TAKE ON DIFFERENT MEANINGS TO DIFFERENT SETS OF EARS.
SO, UM, THIS IS JUST ONE, UH, OOPS.
UH, BRAND IS A NAME TERM DESIGN SYMBOL, OR ANY OTHER FEATURE THAT IDENTIFIES ONE SELLER'S GOODS OR SERVICE AS DISTINCT FROM THOSE OF OTHER SELLERS HARD? WELL, WHAT I THINK THE OPERATIVE WORD THERE IS DISTINCT.
WHAT, WHAT DISTINGUISHES US FROM OTHERS? UH, IF YOU, FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT HAVE MERCEDES AS AN EXAMPLE OF THAT, THAT'S A, A PRODUCT THAT IN THE MINDS OF THE PUBLIC REALLY DISTINGUISHES A MODE OF TRANSPORTATION FROM A, A FORD OR A CHEVY, UH IT'S UH, YOU KNOW, PRECISION ENGINEERING, SAFETY, POWER, WHATEVER.
SO WHEN YOU START LOOKING AT A COMMUNITY, UH, YOU, YOU ASKED THE QUESTION, WHAT, WHAT, WHAT MAKES US DIFFERENT IN A POSITIVE WAY?
[03:00:02]
AND, BUT WE BEING THE TOWN GOVERNMENT, I THINK, IS WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.SO THIS IS WHERE, YOU KNOW, MAKE SURE MY THING IS ON.
I W I THINK YOU, I WANT YOU TO TALK ABOUT BOTH BECAUSE YOU ARE GOING TO TALK ABOUT BOTH.
YOU'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT THE COMMUNITIES BRAND EXTERNAL, BUT I ALSO WANT YOU TO THINK ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION, THE TOWN GOVERNMENTS BRAND.
I WOULD ASK THE QUESTION TWO QUESTIONS.
IS IT WHAT WE WOULD LIKE IT TO BE? OR IS IT WHAT THEY EXPERIENCE IT AS WELL? SO I THINK THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.
I WOULD THINK W W WHAT WE WOULD LIKE IT TO BE.
WELL, THE REASON I ASKED THAT QUESTION IS I KEEP HARPING ON WHAT I PERCEIVE TO BE THE IN SORT OF VALUES AND, AND BRAND OF HILTON HEAD.
UH, AND WHEN I TALKED TO THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND THEY MAKE A DISTINCTION, PEOPLE ARE EXPERIENCING HILTON HEAD ISLAND IN A VERY DIFFERENT WAY FOR VERY DIFFERENT REASONS TODAY.
AND SO, UH, YOU KNOW, ARE, ARE WE AS COUNCIL SAYING, THIS IS WHERE WE WANT TO BE, OR ARE WE ANSWERING THE QUESTION? THIS IS THE WAY OUR CONSTITUENTS ARE EXPERIENCING THE ISLAND.
SO I WOULD LIKE FOR YOU TO TALK ABOUT WHAT YOU WANT THE BRAND TO BE AND HOW YOU CAN HELP SHAPE AND SUPPORT THAT.
IS THAT GOOD, TOM? OKAY, PERFECT.
TOM LENNOX HELPED US THE OTHER DAY.
I THINK TOM LENNOX HELPED US THE OTHER DAY WHEN HE JUMPED INTO A KIAWAH.
AND YOU TALKED ABOUT THE EXPECTATION WHEN YOU PULL IN ON YOUR CAR OR YOU'RE DRIVEN, THERE IS FROM THE DAY YOU GET OUT OF THAT CAR, YOU EXPECT EXCELLENCE, EXCELLENCE IN THE WELLCOME EXCELLENCE IN TERMS OF MOVING YOUR GOODS TO YOUR ROOM EXCELLENCE IN TERMS OF, UH, FURNISHINGS, TERMS OF SERVICE IN TERMS OF FOOD AND BEVERAGE, UH, EXCELLENCE IN TERMS OF THE GOLF COURSE AND EVERYTHING YOU TOUCH IS EXCELLENT.
AND SO WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU COME TO HILTON HEAD, CAN WE SAY THAT? AND IF WE CAN'T SAY THAT, WHY AND WHAT CAN WE DO ABOUT IT? I'M JUST THINKING OUT LOUD TO ME BRAND IS A COLLECTION OF ASPECTS OF OUR COMMUNITY AND OUR LIFE HERE.
THE FIRST ONE IS TO ME, SOUTHERN HOSPITALITY AND FRIENDLINESS.
UM, PEOPLE SAY THAT A LOT ABOUT THIS TOWN AND OUR COMMUNITY.
THE BEACH CLEARLY IS PART OF THE BRAND.
IT IS ONE OF, IF NOT THE MAJOR DRAW TO OUR BIGGEST INDUSTRY, UM, CLEARLY ALSO AN INGREDIENT OF THE BRAND IS OUR ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION, LARGELY PROTECTION OF TREES, BUT ALSO OTHER ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTIONS.
AND THEN YOU ADD THE COMPONENT OF ABUNDANT PRESERVED, OPEN SPACE.
IS IT EVER ENOUGH? NO, BUT THAT IS CLEARLY A PART OF IT.
AND THEN YOU HAVE THE LIFESTYLE, UH, WHICH IS LAID BACK.
AND I HAVE TO MENTION ON TOP OF THAT, THE EFFORTS THAT WE CONTINUE TO MAKE TO PRESERVE THE HISTORIC CULTURE THAT IS HERE IN THE FORM OF THE GULLAH CULTURE, THOSE INGREDIENTS, AND NO DOUBT MORE GO TOGETHER TO MAKE UP WHAT IS OUR BRAND IN MY MIND, I THINK OVER TIME, SOME OF THE LUSTER HAS BEEN LOST FROM THAT BRAND, AND THAT HAS BEEN OCCASIONED BY SOME DETERIORATION.
[03:05:02]
VACANT COMMERCIAL SPACE.NOW WE HAVE BUSINESSES LEAVING AND SO FORTH, BUT WE ALSO HAVE SOME OLDER HOUSING HERE THAT HAS NOT BEEN KEPT UP, OR IT'S NOT BEEN UPDATED.
I WANT TO PUSH THOSE THINGS ASIDE AND SEE IF WE CAN POLISH THE BRAND, WHICH I THINK INCLUDES THE INGREDIENTS THAT I EXPRESSED.
THOSE ARE MY COMMENTS FOR NOW.
WHAT ABOUT THE TOWN, GOVERNMENT, GLEN? SO I HEARD YOU TALK ABOUT THE COMMUNITY AND WHAT IT'S KNOWN FOR, BUT WHAT ABOUT THOSE, THIS ORGANIZATION THAT YOU'RE ON THE BOARD OF? WE ARE, WE ARE CLEARLY ON THE MIND OF JOHN AND JANE Q CITIZEN HERE.
UM, AS I SAID EARLIER, WE HAVE A NUMBER OF SEVERAL DOZEN PEOPLE WATCHING US RIGHT NOW.
WHY? BECAUSE THEY'RE INTERESTED IN WHAT WE'RE DOING.
AND SO OUR DECISIONS HAVE BIG IMPACTS.
UM, I THINK MOST OF THE CITIZENS RESPECT US FOR WHAT WE DO, BUT THEY'RE ALSO QUICK TO POINT OUT WHEN WE MAKE MISTAKES AND THERE'S NO DOUBT WE MADE MISTAKES.
UM, AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO DO THAT.
WE'LL TRY TO AVOID THOSE MISTAKES, BUT I THINK THAT THE, IN TERMS OF THE BRAND OF THE COUNCIL, IT IS BASICALLY GOOD IN THAT THE CITIZENS SEE US AS WORKING HARD TO PROTECT THE INTERESTS, NEEDS, DESIRES, AND SAFETY OF THE PUBLIC.
I GUESS THAT ANSWERS YOUR QUESTION.
ARE YOU READY TO GO? I THINK WE HAVE TWO BRANDS.
I THINK WE HAVE THE BRAND OF THE RESIDENTIAL COMMUNITY, WHICH IS GETTING BIGGER AND BIGGER.
AND I THINK WE HAVE THE BRAND OF THE TOURISM WE DON'T NEED.
I THINK IT'S PRETTY HARD TO MIX THE TWO BRANDS TOGETHER.
MY, MY REACTION TO THAT MAYOR IS THAT THE ISLAND HAS A SINGLE BRAND THAT ATTRACTS PEOPLE TO IT, WHETHER THEY DECIDE TO LIVE HERE ON A PERMANENT BASIS OR, UH, COME HERE FOR A WEEK.
UM, WELL, SO WHEN I THINK OF BRAND, WE STARTED COMING HERE ROUGHLY 1983.
ELIZABETH WAS JUST ONE AND KATIE WASN'T HERE YET.
AND WHAT KEPT BRINGING US BACK, OR PERHAPS SOME OF WHAT DAVID WAS MENTIONING WITH REGARD TO ENDURING VALUES.
THIS WAS A PLACE WHERE WE FELT SAFE WITH OUR FAMILY, UM, WHERE THERE WERE JUST AN ABSOLUTE, UM, IT JUST A SENSE THAT FAMILY WAS TRULY AN IMPORTANT PIECE OF EVERYTHING.
THE ISLAND WAS ABOUT THAT THE OVERWHELMING ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL SETTING WAS COMFORTABLE AND SOMETHING THAT WE WANTED OUR CHILDREN TO EXPERIENCE.
SO THOSE ARE PERHAPS SOME OF THE ENDURING VALUES THAT I BELIEVE FOR THE, I BELIEVE THAT STILL TODAY, PEOPLE COME TO HILTON HEAD ISLAND FOR, AND SO I WOULD SAY THAT THAT IS PART OF THE ESSENTIAL CORE OF OUR BRAND.
UM, WE CERTAINLY HAVE OTHER ATTRIBUTES TO ADD TO THOSE THAT CORE NOW THAT WE SH HAVE TALKED ABOUT AND PRIORITIZED AND WORKED ON THE LAST TWO DAYS IMPORTANT.
AND SO FOR ALL OF US, I THINK WHO CAME HERE, PERHAPS WE CAN REFLECT ON WHAT IT WAS THAT KEPT BRINGING US BACK HERE, CAME HERE AS VISITORS AND KEPT BRINGING US BACK UNTIL WE BECAME PART OF THE COMMUNITY.
AND NOW SO MUCH PART OF THE COMMUNITY WITH SUCH LOVE FOR THIS ISLAND THAT WE SPEND OUR TIME ON THIS GOVERNMENT BODY.
AND SO TO ANSWER THAT PIECE OF IT, I THINK THAT OUR BRAND, MAYBE I'M HOPING THAT OUR BRAND AS A GOVERNMENT BODY IS THAT WE ARE DELIBERATE, THOUGHTFUL, DELIBERATE,
[03:10:01]
INTENTIONAL, PRETTY MUCH AND RESPONSIVE TO THE ISLAND'S NEEDS IN A CONSTRUCTIVE WAY THAT PROVIDES NOT ONLY THAT BRAND, THOSE ENDURING VALUES THAT WE ALL SOUGHT THAT SPOKE TO US AND THAT WERE MANAGED RIGHT.THAT NOT THAT OTHERS MANAGE US, BUT THAT WERE MANAGED IN OUR APPROACH.
AND I THINK THAT, UM, THAT'S MY BEST ANSWER RIGHT NOW.
YOU READY? I THINK IT WAS 2008.
THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE DID A LARGE SURVEY AT AT LEAST A REGIONAL, UH, IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN NATIONWIDE.
UH, AND, UH, THEY WERE IN SEARCH OF WHAT THE OUTSIDE WORLD THOUGHT THE HILTON HEAD BRAND WAS.
AND I RECALL EVERYONE WAS EXPECTING IT TO COME BACK, UM, FEATURING AND EMPHASIZING GOLF AND TENNIS.
UH, AND THAT DID NOT, UH, IT CAME BACK WITH THE EMPHASIS ON FAMILY RELAXATION AND PICTURE, IF YOU WILL, A YOUNG FAMILY OF FOUR WALKING AMONG THE DUNES ON A PRISTINE BEACH, THAT'S WHAT THE OUTSIDE WORLD THOUGHT HILTON HEAD WAS.
AND I'M NOT SURE THAT'S STILL, ISN'T THE CASE, UH, FAMILY, UH, RELAXATION.
I CONTINUE TO SEE YOUNG FAMILIES, UH, ON THE ISLAND, ON THE BEACH, UH, IN THE RESTAURANTS AND IN THE STORES.
UH, AND I THINK THAT'S A PRETTY ATTRACTIVE BRAND TO HAVE, BECAUSE IT IS THE YOUNG FAMILIES LIKE THAT.
AND LIKE YOU TAMMY AND 83 THAT ULTIMATELY BECOME, UH, ISLAND RESONANCE.
WHAT ABOUT THE TOWN GOVERNMENT, TOM? UH, I THINK WE WOULD BE SURPRISED.
UH, AND I THINK WE FLATTER OURSELVES THINKING THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE ON THE ISLAND THAT ARE CONCERNED ABOUT WHAT WE DO BECAUSE OF THE PEOPLE THAT I COME INTO CONTACT MOST ARE SIGNIFICANTLY UNAWARE OF WHAT WE DO.
AND MAYBE THAT'S, THAT'S OUR FAULT FROM A COMMUNICATION STANDPOINT, BUT I THINK WE SURPRISE OUR, I THINK WE OVERESTIMATE THE, OF PEOPLE THAT REALLY, UH, ARE SIGNIFICANTLY INVOLVED IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND THAT MAY BE OKAY BECAUSE THAT WOULD ALSO THEN ASSUME THAT WE'RE DOING THINGS OR LOCAL GOVERNMENT IS DOING THINGS IN A WAY THAT THERE IS NO CONCERN ON THE ISLAND OVER WHAT IS EITHER BEING MISSED ON OR UNDONE.
UH, THERE ARE THOSE OUT THERE THAT WOULD WANT YOU TO BELIEVE THAT THERE IS GROSS MISTRUST OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT.
UH, THERE ARE THOSE OUT THERE THAT WOULD WANT YOU TO BELIEVE THAT LOCAL GOVERNMENT LACKS TRANSPARENCY, UH, AND, UH, I AM OFFENDED BY THAT BECAUSE I KNOW THAT TO BE NOT TRUE.
CAN WE DO THINGS BETTER? ALWAYS, ALWAYS, UH, BUT BASED UPON, UH, WHAT I SEE IN HERE, UH, AND SOMETIMES WHAT I DON'T HEAR, UH, LEADS ME TO BELIEVE, UH, THAT THE BRAND OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT, UH, IS ONE OF, UH, ADEQUACY, UH, AND PERHAPS EVEN EFFICIENCY.
YOU WANT TO JUMP IN PART, PART OF OUR BRAND IS THE, THE, UH, THE FACT THAT THERE'S A DIFFERENCE IN HOW WE VIEWED A BRAND.
UM, LET, I'M SLOW TO SPEAK HERE BECAUSE I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT ARTICULATE THIS WELL.
THERE'S A, THERE'S A, THERE'S A OUTSIDE VIEW OF HILTON HEAD.
UM, AND THEN THERE'S ALSO, UH, AN INTERNAL VIEW OF HILTON HEAD AND BOTH CAN BE VERY DIFFERENT.
UM, I GUESS I'M GOING TO FOCUS ON THE INTERNAL
[03:15:01]
VIEW OF HILTON HEAD AS A, AS A COMMUNITY, AND THEN I'LL TOUCH ON THE GOVERNMENT PIECE ALONG THE WAY.UM, MY, MY, UH, MY FIRST GOAL WHEN I DECIDED TO RUN FOR COUNCIL WAS TO PRESERVE THE GULLAH PRESENCE ON HILTON HEAD.
EMORY CAMPBELL SAID, DO WE NEED TO BE CAREFUL HOW WE DEFINE, PRESERVE AND DEFINE CULTURE, PARTICULARLY WHEN IT COMES TO THE GULLAH PEOPLE, BECAUSE WE TOO EASILY WANT TO TIE IT TO OUR FOOD, THE WAY WE TALK, BUT THE SUSTAINABILITY HADN'T CHANGED FROM THE 18 HUNDREDS, WHICH WAS GULLAH PEOPLE AND THEIR CULTURE LOOKING TO SUSTAIN THEMSELVES ON THEIR PROPERTY IN PERPETUITY.
SO I WOULD ARGUE THAT FROM AN INTERNAL VANTAGE POINT, GULLAH PEOPLE DON'T FEEL AS IF THEY'RE PART OF THE BRAND.
AND HOW DO WE BRING GOVERNMENT INTO THAT? WELL, WHEN HILTON HEAD WAS FIRST ESTABLISHED AS A TOWN IS BECAUSE WE WANTED TO CONTROLLED THE LAND OUTSIDE OF THE PUD, WHICH MAINLY WERE GULLAH OWNED PROPERTIES.
SO YOU'VE GOT THESE LAWS THAT HAVE BEEN IMPOSED UPON PEOPLE.
THEY DIDN'T, FIRST OF ALL, IT DIDN'T ACCEPT THEM.
AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, THEY DIDN'T NECESSARILY LINE UP WITH THEIR VALUES AND THEIR WAY OF LIFE.
THAT'S WHY WE TODAY HAVE CONTRADICTIONS WHEN IT COMES TO LAND USE ON HILTON HEAD.
AND MR. PALMA SIMMONS WAS A NEIGHBOR OF MINE.
WE WOULDN'T BE HAVING THE SAME DISCUSSION THAT WE HAVE HIM WITH HIM BEING A NEIGHBOR OF THE OAK MARSH COMMUNITY.
SO I THINK WE NEED TO BE VERY CAREFUL WHEN WE START TO DEFINE BRAND IN A CALL OURSELVES INCLUSIVE.
IF WE'RE NOT UNDERSTANDING IT TO THAT DEGREE FROM THAT LENS, UH, I FEEL LIKE OUR GOVERNMENT HAS DONE A GOOD JOB IN A LIMITED SERVICE CAPACITY, BUT I THINK WE CAN BE BETTER AT THAT, THAT WE HAVE TO BE BETTER AT THAT.
I THINK WE CAN BE MORE TRANSPARENT AND MORE INCLUSIVE.
AND WHEN I SAY ABOUT MORE INCLUSIVE, THEY ARE DIFFICULT CONVERSATIONS THAT NEED TO HAPPEN WITH THE MINORITY PORTION OF THIS COMMUNITY THAT WE ARE NOT VERY DELIBERATE ABOUT.
AND I THINK THE REASON THAT WE ARE SOMEWHAT INTIMIDATED BY THOSE CONVERSATIONS IS TWO THINGS.
ONE IS THE REACTION OF THE MAJORITY BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT THE POLITICAL WILL COMES FROM, RIGHT? AND THE OTHER IS THERE IS THIS HUGE MISTRUST.
SO WHEN YOU HAVE MISTRUST, YOU ARE HESITANT BEFORE YOU GO IT.
AND THAT PIECE HAS TO BE WORKED ON.
SO NOT, NOT TO PUT A DAMPER ON THINGS, BUT I THINK WE NEED TO REALLY SELF CHECK OURSELVES AND ACKNOWLEDGED IT.
PART OF OUR BRAND AS FAR AS GOVERNMENT IS CONCERNED, HAS MISTRUST INCLUDED IN IT.
AND IT MAY NOT BE THE MAJORITY, BUT IT'S A PIECE OF IT.
THIS NEW COMP PLAN THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, IT LEAVES FALL OFF A PATH OF REDEMPTION ON THAT, BUT WE'VE GOTTA BE INTENTIONAL ABOUT IT.
ALEX, YOU, YOU TALKED, UM, ABOUT THE FACT THAT NOT EVERYONE WHO LIVES HERE EXPERIENCES OR FEELS MAYBE CONNECTED TO THE BRAND.
CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT YOU HOPE WOULD BE TRUE ABOUT THE BRAND FOR ALL THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE HERE? ABSOLUTELY.
UH, THE MALE OFTEN REFERENCES, UH, THE BAHAMAS, I THINK
[03:20:01]
EVERYTHING DOESN'T NECESSARILY LOOK ALIKE.UH, SO, YOU KNOW, MY WAY OF LIVING MAY NOT BE SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE PORTRAYED IN AN AD.
THAT'S GOING OUT TO THE WORLD TRYING TO INFLUENCE SOMEONE TO MOVE TO HILTON HEAD.
BUT WITH THAT BEING SAID, MY WAY OF LIVING IS CULTURAL IS WHAT MAKES HILTON HEAD DIFFERENT FROM OTHER PLACES.
THAT'S WHERE I'M GOING WITH IT.
SO JUST THE EMBRACING LIFE AS THE PEOPLE WHO LIVED HERE FOR A LONG TIME, ENJOY IT AND APPRECIATE IT AS WELL AS PEOPLE WHO COME HERE FOR THE PRISTINE BEACHES AND, AND DO OKAY.
UM, I THINK IT'S BENEFICIAL AND IMPORTANT THAT WE LISTEN TO WHAT OUR COLLEAGUE HAS TO SAY.
UH, THE PERSPECTIVE OF A PERSON WHO IS IN A MINORITY POPULATION ON THE ISLAND.
UM, HAVING SAID THAT, UM, I THINK THE BRAND THAT I VALUE THE MOST SORT OF THE BEDROCK OF WHAT I WOULD LIKE HILTON HEAD TO REPRESENT TO BE THOUGHT OF IN THE WORLD, HAS TO DO WITH THE WAY THE ISLAND THINKS ABOUT THINGS AND THE WAY THE ISLAND DOES THINGS.
UM, I CAN BE CRITICIZED FOR RECALLING, UH, MY EXPERIENCES WITH THE SEA PINES COMPANY EARLY ON AND SO ON AND SO FORTH.
BUT SO MUCH OF WHAT I BELIEVE BEGAN IN THAT TIME AND HILTON HEAD ISLAND WAS THINKING DIFFERENTLY AND IMPLEMENTING DIFFERENTLY THAN THE REST OF THE WORLD.
THE TENANTS OF THAT THINKING, AS I SAID YESTERDAY, HAD TO DO WITH ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP, INNOVATIVE, CREATIVE, AND CREATIVE COMMUNITY PLANNING AND QUALITY IN ITS DEVELOPMENT.
I THINK THOSE STILL SURVIVE TODAY AND IN SOME WAYS OUGHT TO BE EMPHASIZED ON A DAILY BASIS IN THE THINGS WE DO.
AND THE THINGS WE THINK ABOUT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT EXCELLENCE AND THAT TOUCHES ON SOMEWHAT WHAT I'M REFERRING TO, BUT, BUT OUR COMMUNITY HAS EVOLVED OVER TIME AND WE ARE BECOMING MORE AND MORE AWARE OF OTHER THINGS THAT JEOPARDIZE THE BRAND, UH, OR THAT SUGGESTS THAT THE BRAND OUGHT TO EVOLVE.
AND I THINK LISTENING TO ALEX, TALKING ABOUT THE STONEY COMMUNITY, TALKING ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY THAT ARE INVOLVED IN THAT THINKING SUGGESTS TO ME THAT THERE MAY BE A PART OF OUR BRAND THAT OUGHT TO HAVE TO HAVE TO DO WITH COMMUNITY UNITY, SOMETHING THAT DRAWS THIS COMMUNITY TOGETHER IN A WAY THAT OTHER COMMUNITIES IN OUR WORK WE'RE ON 28,000 ACRES, WE'RE SURROUNDED BY WATER.
WE OUGHT TO THINK OF US AS HAVING AN OPPORTUNITY THAT SOME OTHER PLACE THAT CAN CONTINUE TO EXPAND ALMOST INFINITELY.
WE OUGHT TO THINK ABOUT SOLVING OUR PROBLEMS WITH OUR 40,000 PEOPLE ON THE ISLAND WHO LIVE HERE AND THE 40,000 PEOPLE WHO IMPACT US ON VIRTUALLY EVERY DAY BASIS.
SO I, I THINK THAT THE, THE BEDROCK IS THE WAY WE THINK ABOUT THINGS AND THE WAY WE DO THINGS AND HOW WE BEGIN TO THINK ABOUT THE CHALLENGES THAT WE HAVE IN FRONT OF US TODAY.
AND I THINK A BIG PART OF THAT IS COMMUNITY UNITY IS, IS OUR OPPORTUNITY IN GOING FORWARD.
UH, IN TERMS OF OUR GOVERNMENT, THE REASON I ASKED THE QUESTION IS AT WHAT WE WOULD LIKE IT TO BE, OR IS IT WHAT PEOPLE PERCEIVE IT TO BE? AND I THINK IT OBVIOUSLY MATTERS, UH, WHO IS, WHO IS THE PERSON BEING ASKED? UH, IT WAS MENTIONED THAT TO SOME DEGREE AND PERHAPS TO A LARGE DEGREE
[03:25:01]
BECAUSE OF THE WAY OUR GEOGRAPHY IS BROKEN UP INTO GATED COMMUNITIES.AND THOSE GATED COMMUNITIES ARE SOMEWHAT SELF-SUFFICIENT AND SELF SATISFIED IN THEIR STYLE AND, UH, UH, LIFE'S LIFESTYLE AND QUALITY OF LIFE THAT WE HAVE SOME APATHY AND DISINTEREST IN OUR TOWN GOVERNMENT.
UH, SO IF YOU ASK THOSE PEOPLE, WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT OUR TIME, THE GOVERNMENT, THEY MIGHT USE A WORD LIKE FINE, YOU KNOW, IT DOESN'T IT'S OKAY.
BUT THE, THE CALLS AND EMAILS WE GET ARE OFTEN FROM PEOPLE WHO ARE DISSATISFIED WITH SOMETHING THAT THE GOVERNMENT IS DOING.
SO FOR THEM, THE BRAND IS NOT GOOD.
FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, WE HAVE DONE A GOOD JOB RESPONDING TO THE PUBLIC'S DESIRE TO MANAGE GROWTH, TO PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT, TO BUILD A APPROPRIATE INFRASTRUCTURE, HOPEFULLY IN ADVANCE OF, OF, UM, OF THE NEED AND SO ON AND SO FORTH.
SO I THINK THAT WE HAVE, AS PEOPLE OFTEN SAY KEPT THE LOCOMOTIVE RUNNING ON TIME.
UM, FROM MY STANDPOINT, UH, I WOULD LIKE OUR GOVERNMENT TO BE THINKING SOMEWHAT MORE BOLDLY THINKING IN A DIFFERENT WAY OF DOING THINGS IN A DIFFERENT WAY.
SO IT COMES RIGHT BACK TO WHAT I SAID.
I THINK THE BEDROCK OF THIS COMMUNITY, IT, IT OUGHT TO BE RECOGNIZED FOR DOING THINGS IN A DIFFERENT AND BETTER WAY AND IMPLEMENTING THINGS OF QUALITY, OR IF YOU WANT TO ENACT OF EXCELLENCE.
SO I THINK WE HAVE A WAYS TO GO.
I THINK WE SHOULD RECOGNIZE THAT OUR BRAND EVOLVES, BUT I ALSO THINK THAT THERE ARE SOME TENANTS OR ELEMENTS OF OUR BRAND THAT SHOULD SURVIVE AND ACTUALLY BE REINFORCED AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
I THINK I ANSWERED THE QUESTION, BUT, UM, WHAT I WANTED TO ADD TO THAT IS THAT MAYBE SEQUENTIAL THIS CONVERSATION SHOULD HAVE BEEN FIRST IN OUR, UM, WORK ON ALL THE BOARD SHOULD HAVE COME SECOND.
BUT, AND I ONLY SAY THAT BECAUSE I THINK TO ANSWER, DAVID IS WE JUST SHOWED OUR VALUES AND OUR STRIVING FOR EXCELLENCE BY THE WORK WE PUT ON THE BOARDS, WE PARTICIPATED IN THAT NOW WE HAVE TO LIVE UP TO IT AND BILL'S RIGHT.
JUST LIKE ANOTHER PLACES WE SHOULD NOT ONLY BE EXCELLENT, BUT WE SHOULD BE THE BEST, THE HIGHEST.
AND I DON'T REALLY NEED TO SAY ANYMORE.
I THINK, YOU KNOW, THE, THE THREAD THAT'S IMPORTANT TO THIS CONVERSATION AS IT GOES BACK TO YOUR COMMENT IS IT'S ALL ABOUT WHAT YOU'RE STRIVING FOR AND WHAT THE TOWN GOVERNMENT CAN DO.
YOU KNOW, YOU CAN COMMIT TO EXCELLENCE IN YOUR PLANNING.
YOU CAN COMMIT TO EXCELLENCE IN YOUR PROGRAMMING AND HOW YOU'RE GOING TO BE INCLUSIVE OF PEOPLE.
AND ALL OF THAT BUILDS TOWARDS THIS BRAND AND THESE VALUES THAT ARE IMPORTANT TO YOU.
SO I APPRECIATE THE INDULGENCE BILL.
UM, I'M GOING TO TRY TO ANSWER THIS AS, FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF THE, THE ROLE OF, UH, OF GOVERNMENT, THAT THE ROLE OF THE TOWN.
AND I THINK TO BEGIN WITH, UH, WE CAN ALWAYS DO SOMETHING BETTER.
SO I THINK THAT, UH, JUST LIKE VERY SUCCESSFUL COMPANIES, UH, A CERTAIN PERCENT OF THEIR OVERALL GROSS REVENUE IS, IS DIRECTED TOWARDS, UH, RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT.
SO THEY CAN ALWAYS STAY ON THE LEADING EDGE.
AND I WOULD SUGGEST THAT WE DO THAT HERE, OR WE CAN KEEP SCANNING THE ENVIRONMENT, SEE WHO'S DOING SOMETHING BETTER THAN WE ARE IN AND LEARN FROM THEM AND SEE WHAT THE DIRECTION THAT THEY'RE HEADING TOWARD FITS.
UH, I THINK, UH, UH, GOOD GOVERNMENT WILL, UH, BE FOCUSED ON, ON THE BASICS FIRST TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE A GOOD INADEQUATE, UM, WATER SUPPLY, SEWER SEWER FOR EVERYBODY,
[03:30:02]
UH, SAFETY, UH, SAY SIMILAR SAFETY IN ALL OF OUR NEIGHBORHOODS.UM, GOOD ACCESS TO HEALTH, THROUGH A VARIETY OF, OF WAYS, UM, EDUCATION RECOGNIZED THAT THAT SHOULD BE A CONTINUOUS PROCESS IN LIFE.
UH, SO THAT SHOULD BE AVAILABLE IN MANY OF THESE THINGS ON LISTING.
WE EITHER DIRECTLY, UM, ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THESE, OR WE ARE IN A VERY ENVIABLE, UH, BULLY PULPIT TO ENCOURAGE OTHERS TO DO THE SAME THING.
UH, I, I THINK, UH, UH, UNDERSTANDING OUR HISTORY AND OUR CULTURE, SHARING IT AND CELEBRATING IT IS IMPORTANT, UH, TRANSPORTATION, UH, LOOKING AT WHERE WE ARE TODAY AND TRANSPORTATION AND LOOKING AT WHAT OTHER COMMUNITIES ARE DOING.
UM, AND IN TERMS OF, UH, GETTING PEOPLE TO WORK ON TIME, UH, GETTING PEOPLE TO THE STORES, UH, THE, THE ACTIVITIES OF DAILY LIFE, UH, WHAT ARE WE DOING TO HELP THEIR, UH, TECHNOLOGY, UH, MOVING AT A VERY RAPID RATE? UH, WE WANT YOUNGER PEOPLE TO COME HERE.
WE WANT CLEAN BUSINESS TO COME RIGHT HERE.
UH, ALL OF OUR LEARNING DOESN'T HAVE TO COME HERE, BUT IT HAS TO GET HERE AND TECHNOLOGY CAN BE A MAJOR, YOUR HELP THERE.
UM, BECAUSE SPIRIT LIKES REC RECREATION AGAIN AT ALL LEVELS.
IS IT AVAILABLE? IS IT WELL KEPT, UH, ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY? EVERY TIME WE DIG DIRT HERE, WE CREATE A REACTION.
UH, WE'RE IN AN ENVIRONMENT THAT'S CHANGING.
WHAT ARE WE DOING? UH, RECYCLING.
JUST THINK OF ALL THE PLASTIC THAT WE'VE SEEN AROUND HERE AT THE PAST TWO DAYS, IS THAT THE WAY WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO HEAD, UH, UH, UM, UH, BUILDING CODES, IF SOMEONE PUTS THEIR HARD EARNED MONEY INTO A FACILITY OR A HOME, UH, ARE THOSE BUILDING CODES, UH, GOOD FOR THAT INDIVIDUAL? ARE THEY GOOD FOR THE COMMUNITY, UH, BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY? ARE WE DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN TO PROVIDE, UM, THE BASIC COMMON, UH, ASSETS, UH, SO THAT PEOPLE CAN LOOK AT THIS AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO COME AND ESTABLISH A BUSINESS? UH, I THINK FOR, UH, TO CREATE A SENSE OF COMMUNITY, WHICH IS REALLY IMPORTANT, UH, ARE WE, UH, CREATING, UM, GATHERING PLACES WHERE THAT CAN TAKE PLACE? ARE WE ENCOURAGING CELEBRATORY EVENTS THAT WOULD ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO COME TOGETHER? AND, UH, FROM A TAX STANDPOINT, ARE WE STAYING, UH, W HOW ARE WE BEING GOOD STEWARDS OF THE, THE MONEY THAT PEOPLE SEND US EVERY MONTH, EVERY YEAR IN TERMS OF TAXES, AND FROM A ASSET STANDPOINT, UH, WHEN PEOPLE COME HERE, WHEN THEY PUT THEIR MONEY AT RISK, DO THEY HAVE A REASONABLE OPPORTUNITY TO, UH, ANTICIPATE, UH, THAT THAT WILL BE AN EVENT, UH, AS OPPOSED TO JUST TREADING WATER OR ACTUALLY DECLINING? I THINK, UH, GOVERNMENT, UH, AGAIN, UH, SCANNING THE ENVIRONMENT AT ALL TIMES TO SEE WHAT WE CAN DO BETTER IN THESE AREAS IS ONE OF THE KEY FUNCTIONS.
UM, I USED TO ALWAYS USE THE PHRASE THAT WHEN PEOPLE CROSS THE BRIDGE AND A HILTON HEAD, THEY LEFT THEIR PREVIOUS WORLD BEHIND THEM.
WHEN THEY CAME HERE, THEY BECAME SOMEONE ELSE.
THEY BECAME WHOEVER THEY WANTED TO BE IN A REASON WHY THEY WERE HERE.
UH, WE FIRST STARTED COMING IN 1985.
UM, THIS WAS A VERY UPSCALE COMMUNITY.
THE, UH, THE PEOPLE HERE ARE PAID TO BE BETTER THAN WHERE WE CAME FROM.
UH, THE FRIENDLINESS WAS DIFFERENT THAN BEFORE PEOPLE SAY HELLO TO YOU HERE AND MENTAL LOW.
BUT WHEN HE SAID HELLO TO YOU IN BIG CITIES THAT YOU ACCOUNT AND YOUR WALLET TO SEE IF IT WAS ALL THERE WHEN YOU LEFT, BUT THEIR FRIENDLINESS HERE WAS UNIQUE AND GENUINE AS DIFFERENT THAN OTHER PARTS OF THE COUNTRY, ALONG THE WAY.
SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT WHO WE WERE ON 85, WHEN WE ARRIVED, UH, AS TOURISTS, WE NEVER
[03:35:01]
KNEW THE GULLAH GEECHEE COMMUNITY WAS HERE, WHICH IS PART AWFUL FOR NOT ADVERTISING ALL THE TIME.WE HAVE A TIES AT THE CERTAIN SECTIONS OF THE ISLAND, NOT TO EVERYBODY.
WE KNEW HOBBIT TOWN WAS HERE BECAUSE I'D HAVE A WHITE HOUSE, BUT IT WAS DIFFERENT.
IT WAS ALMOST, IT WAS A PIECE OF MIND.
YOU COULD COME TO HILTON HEAD, YOU COULD PLAY GOLF, YOU COULD PLAY TENNIS.
YOU COULD SIT ON A BEACH AND DO NOTHING.
DOING NOTHING IS JUST AS IMPORTANT AS DOING SOMETHING.
YOU NEED THAT DOWNTIME ON A VACATION OR A WEEKEND OR A DAY UPON DOING NOTHING BECOMES VERY, VERY IMPORTANT, ESPECIALLY IN EVERYBODY'S CRAZY LIFE TODAY.
SO IT WAS A PEACE OF MIND PLACE.
AND YOU JUST FELT AT HOME WHEN YOU CROSSED THAT BRIDGE RIGHT AWAY.
BUT I MUST SAY PEOPLE THAT ARE CROSSING THE BRIDGE TODAY ARE DIFFERENT THAN WHEN WE STARTED CROSSING THE BRIDGE IN 1985, 1986, ALONG THE WAY PEOPLE COME DOWN HERE TODAY AND THEY'VE HAD A SHORTENED BUSINESS CAREER, AND THEY'RE STILL HYPER.
THEY STILL KNOW MORE THAN EVERYBODY ELSE DOES.
IT'S A DIFFERENT COMMUNITY THAN BEFORE PEOPLE THAT COME DOWN HERE NOW HAVE NO SENSE OF COMMUNITY BECAUSE EVERYTHING HAS BEEN GIVEN TO THEM, WORK FOR THEM.
AND THEY DIDN'T COME FROM THE COMMUNITY.
THEY CAME FROM A PLACE WHERE THEY LIVE A LOT OF COMMUNITY ALONG THE WAY.
SO IT'S DIFFERENT THAN PEOPLE THAT CROSSED THAT BRIDGE NOW.
AND OF COURSE THAT BEFORE, AS FAR AS GOVERNMENT GOES, UH, YOU KNOW, THE REASON DAVID GETS A, WE MET SO MANY EMAILS AND I DO TOO, IS THAT PEOPLE ARE RETIRED EARLIER.
THEY FIND THEY HAVE NO PURPOSE IN LIFE BESIDES PLAYING GOLF A WEEK.
SO EVERYTHING THEY SEE THAT WE DO, WE DON'T DO YOU GET AN EMAIL WHEN YOU HAVE TIME, THEY WALK AROUND WITH THIS FRIENDLY DEVICE ALONG THE WAY AND KEEP ON TYPING EMAILS, WHATEVER THEY SEE, THEY DON'T SEE.
AND SOMETIMES WE TAKE THOSE EMAILS TOO STRONG.
I MEAN, I RESPOND TO EVERYBODY'S EMAIL WHO SENDS ONE TO ME, BUT IF THEY SEND ONE THROUGH THE WHOLE COUNCIL, I JUST READ IT MOVING ON, BUT YOU CAN'T ANSWER EVERYBODY ALL THE TIME, BUT THAT'S HOW PEOPLE HAVE TIME.
PEOPLE HAVE THIS ALONG THE WAY, BUT GOVERNMENT HERE HAS TO BE MORE OPEN THAN BEFORE.
OUR COMMUNICATION WITH THE WORLD WAS VERY, VERY POOR.
I MEAN, NOW JOSH HAS HIS OWN THING.
ONCE A WEEK, I HAVE MINE ONCE A WEEK.
THERE'S NO SUCH THING AS HAVING TOO MUCH COMMUNICATION OUT THERE.
THE MORE THINGS YOU GET OUT THERE, THE EASIER LIFE IS FOR EVERYBODY HERE AT THIS TABLE.
SO THE GOVERNMENT HAS TO BE OPEN.
YOU HAVE TO COMMUNICATE BETTER THAN BEFORE, AND WE HAVE TO BE THOUGHTFUL.
WHAT'S FOR THOSE THAT ARE HERE TODAY AND FORCEFUL OF THOSE THAT ARE COMING TOMORROW, IT'S A GREAT PLACE TO LIVE.
UM, I JUST HAVE TO FOLLOW UP ON SOMETHING THAT MAYOR SAID.
UM, YOU, UM, MADE A COMMENT ABOUT THE PEOPLE WHO ARE ARRIVING ARE DIFFERENT.
CAN YOU IMAGINE WHAT THOSE OF US WHO LIVED ON THE ISLAND BEFORE 1980 THREES THOUGHT WHEN YOU MOVED ONTO THE ISLAND, IT WAS A WOMAN I'M JOKING, OF COURSE, BUT I BRING, I BRING THE POINT, UH, UP BECAUSE THAT'S PART OF THE EVOLUTION OF THE ISLAND AND IT'S HOW CLOSE WE ADHERE TO THOSE THINGS THAT MAKE US DISTINCTIVE.
AND I THINK THAT IS NOT ONLY UNDERSTANDING WHAT IS DISTINCTIVE AND BEING SPECIFIC ABOUT IT, BUT IT REQUIRES US ON AN ONGOING BASIS TO REMIND PEOPLE, BOTH WHO LIVE HERE AND WHO ARE COMING HERE, THOSE ARE THE DISTINCTIVE QUALITIES OF THIS COMMUNITY.
AND WE WOULD APPRECIATE IT IF YOU ALSO ENJOYED THEM AS WE DO.
AND SO I THINK THERE'S A, THERE'S A COMMUNITY MARKETING PLAN THAT ISN'T ONLY FOR THOSE PEOPLE WHO ARE COMING TO THE ISLAND, OR WE WANT TO COME TO THE ISLAND.
BUT IT'S A REMINDER FOR ALL OF US WHO ALREADY LIVE HERE.
THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT WE HOLD, DEAR.
W MAY I HEARD YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT IT WAS WHEN YOU CAME AND WHAT YOU SEE THAT'S DIFFERENT NOW? WHAT DO YOU WANT IT TO BE? WELL, A LOT OF PEOPLE, IT CAN'T BE, I WANT IT TO BE 1985 AGAIN, BUT THAT'S NOT REALLY GOING TO HAPPEN ALONG THE WAY.
I THINK THERE HAS TO BE RELAXING MOMENT IN PEOPLE'S LIVES.
LIKE WHEN I CROSS OVER THE BRIDGE THAT THEY CAN ENJOY WHAT'S HERE.
THERE WAS AN AWFUL LOT TO EUROPE.
AND UNTIL YOU LIVE HERE FULL TIME, YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT'S REALLY HERE BECAUSE YOU LIVE HERE AND YOU LIVED IN SHIPYARD OR YOU LIVE ANYWHERE.
YOU'RE KIND OF TO WHERE YOU ARE.
YOU DON'T, YOU WANT A VACATION, YOU DON'T WANT TO SPEND TOO MUCH TIME.
BUT I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO EXPOSE TO THEM WHAT WE HAVE AS PEOPLE I KNOW NEVER HAD BEEN A HUNTING HORN THERE'S PEOPLE I KNOW, AND NEVER BEEN TO A LOT OF PLACES, NEVER BEEN TO THE CHERRY HILL SCHOOL FOR THE FOOD ON THE AFTERNOONS, ALONG THE WAY.
THERE'S PEOPLE DON'T REALLY KNOW WHAT WE HAVE HERE.
AND WE HAVE AN AWFUL, AWFUL LOT.
WE WENT TO NEW YORK A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO.
I W STEVE RILEY, WHEN THIS, IT, THIS
[03:40:01]
EVENT, BY THE WAY, UM, WHEN WE MET WITH OUR, UH, PEOPLE THAT DID OUR BOND RATING, AND HE SAID TO ME, WHAT IS THE BIGGEST ASSET HILTON HAS? HAS I SAID, JUST THE VOLUNTEERISM AND THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE HERE, IT'S NOT OUR BEACHES.IT'S NOT THAT WE HAVE A GOOD BOND RATING.
IT'S THE QUALITY OF THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE HERE.
I BELIEVE THAT IT'S SO, SO IMPORTANT.
EVEN TODAY, THE QUALITY OF PEOPLE THAT WE LIVE HERE, WHETHER IT BE THE NATIVE ISLAND, THE COMMUNITY, OR AN HISTORIC AREA, AND SEE POINTS OF THE BEST IN THE WORLD.
THEY'D GIVE YOU THEIR SHIRT OFF THEIR BACK.
IF THEY, IF THEY COULD HELP YOU ALONG THE WAY.
AND THAT'S MY BIGGEST ASSET IS THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE HERE, THE VOLUNTEERISM THAT WE HAVE, ANYBODY ELSE, YES.
BRING SOMETHING BACK TO MEMORY FOR ME, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HOW LONG WE'VE BEEN COMING HERE.
I'VE BEEN COMING HERE SINCE I WAS IN HIGH SCHOOL.
AND TRUST ME, THAT'S A LONG TIME AGO, 10 YEARS, SINCE SHORTLY AFTER THE FIRST BRIDGE.
AND SO I FELL IN LOVE WITH THE PLACE A LONG TIME AGO, BUT THAT'S NOT WHAT I WAS GOING TO SAY.
I PARTICIPATED IN THE INTERVIEW OR COMMITTEE INTERVIEW OF A CITIZEN TO GO TO A BOARD HERE.
AND I THINK HE WAS GOING TO THE TAX BOARD IF I RECALL.
AND WE ASKED HIM WHAT HE THOUGHT THIS ISLAND WAS ABOUT.
AND HE SAID, IT'S ABOUT FAMILIES BUILDING MEMORIES.
I JUST WANT TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION THAT YOU ASKED THE MAYOR.
I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT ACTUALLY FOR EVERYBODY TO TAKE SOME TIME AND THINK ABOUT IS WHAT DO YOU WANT IT TO BE? WHAT DO YOU WANT THE ISLAND TO BE? AND WE CAN'T ROLL BACK TIME AND THINGS ARE WHERE THEY ARE.
BUT I THINK THAT WE CAN TAKE A GOOD STOCK OF WHERE WE ARE AND, AND THINK ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT IT FITS THAT PICTURE OF THE FUTURE THAT WE WANT IT TO BE AND WHAT STEPS WE NEED TO TAKE, UM, TOGETHER TO ENSURE THAT WE HAVE A FUTURE THAT WE PLANNED ON.
AND THAT MEANS, UM, FOR ME, MANY THINGS ROLLING BACK TIME DOESN'T HAPPEN.
BUT THE DEVELOPMENT ON THE ISLAND THAT HAS HAPPENED, UM, NEEDS TO BE MANAGED, UM, NEEDS TO BE THOUGHTFUL.
UM, THE TYPE OF, UM, THE TYPE OF BUSINESSES AND, AND, AND THINGS THAT WE HAVE ON THE ISLAND NEED TO REPRESENT, UM, WHO WE ARE AND WHAT WE WANT TO BE AND MAKE SURE THAT THOSE ARE THE DECISIONS THAT ARE BEING MADE.
SO ANYWAY, FUTURE THAT WE PLAN FOR, I THINK THAT ENDEMIC HAS SET US BACK A LITTLE SO WE CAN SIT AND THINK WHAT WE SHOULD BE, WHO WE ARE, WHO WE WANT TO BE AND HOW MUCH WE CARE ABOUT OUR NEIGHBORS AND EVERYTHING.
IT HAS BEEN A BAD THING FOR THE WORLD, BAD THING FOR THIS ISLAND, BUT IT'S BEEN A GOOD TIME TO SIT, REFLECT WHERE WE ARE AND WHAT WE WANT TO DO.
GLEN, MY ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION IS WE'VE ALREADY SAID IT MANY, MANY TIMES OVER THE LAST TWO DAYS, BEST IN CLASS.
I CAN JUST MAKE ONE MORE COMMENT.
THE, UH, I THINK, UH, WE TALK ABOUT EXCELLENCE IN TERMS OF TOWN MANAGEMENT.
I MEAN, OURSELVES TOO, OF COURSE, DOES THAT WOULD BE GOOD IF WE COALESCED ON THE KEY TRENDS THAT WE REALLY DON'T HAVE ANY CONTROL OVER THAT ARE HAPPENING THROUGHOUT THE WORLD AND THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY AND THOSE TRENDS, UH, PEOPLE ARE LIVING LONGER.
UH, TECHNOLOGY, UH, IS CHANGING THE WAY WE LIVE.
IT'S CHANGING THE WAY WE WORK.
WHAT DOES THAT TREND, UH, MEAN TO US? UH, IN TERMS OF POPULATION, WE ARE SEEING POPULATION GROWTH WITH MORE DIVERSITY.
AND THEN BEFORE I THINK THE GREEN SUNDAY, WHAT THOSE TRENDS ARE, AND REMEMBER FIVE OR 10 YEARS AGO, WE COULD, WE'D GO TO THE SEMINARS AND IT WAS THE MEGA TRENDS.
THESE ARE THE MAJOR CHANGES THAT ARE TAKING PLACE IN SOCIETY, THAT THERE ARE OUT THERE.
WE NEED TO RECOGNIZE THEM AND TO BE ABLE TO RESPOND TO THEM.
ANY OTHER OBSERVATIONS OR REFLECTIONS ON THINGS YOUR COLLEAGUES HAVE
[03:45:01]
SAID, THINGS THAT YOU AGREE WITH AND YOU'RE EXCITED ABOUT, OR ANYTHING PEOPLE SAID THAT YOU'RE NOT ON BOARD WITH OR DON'T AGREE WITH OR HOPE DOESN'T HAPPEN? NO.WELL, THANKS FOR INDULGING IN THIS.
UM, AGAIN, I THINK IT BRINGS US ALL BLACK AND BACK TO THIS WHOLE THING, YOU SAID, PLAN FOR THE FUTURE THAT YOU WANT.
AND CERTAINLY THE LAST TWO DAYS HAVE BEEN ABOUT THAT.
IT'S BEEN ABOUT YOUR PLAN ABOUT OUR PLAN.
AND SO, UM, THAT IS THE PLAN THAT YOU HAVE DECIDED TO, TO IMPLEMENT AND TAKING A LOT OF STEPS TODAY.
I WANT TO GIVE MARK A CHANCE TO HAVE A CHAT WITH YOU ALL A LITTLE BIT AND TALK ABOUT HIS OBSERVATIONS AND REFLECTIONS AS HE THINKS ABOUT STARTING WORK HERE.
SO OBSERVATIONS, WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH TIME, UH, IN THE REST OF THE DAY FOR ME TO SHARE MY OBSERVATIONS, UM, FROM TODAY, UH, I'LL SAY, AND FIRST AND FOREMOST, I'M HONORED TO BE A PART OF THIS, THIS TEAM RIGHT HERE, BUT I'M ALSO AS HONORED AS THAT, I UNDERSTAND THAT I HAVE A JOB TO DO, AND IT'S TO REPRESENT THIS COMMUNITY AS THE TOWN MANAGER IS TO SERVE US AS THE TOWN MANAGER, UM, AS A GREAT PRIVILEGE, UH, I WROTE A STATEMENT DOWN AND IT'S IN, IT'S NOT FROM JUST WHAT I HEARD TODAY, BUT IT'S A STATEMENT THAT I'VE MADE A FEW TIMES BEFORE.
AND HERE'S WHAT I THINK MY JOB IS WALKING OUT OF HERE.
SO I, IF NOTHING ELSE, REGARDLESS OF HOW MANY STRATEGIC PLAN ACTION AGENDA ITEMS THERE ARE, I THINK THE TAKEAWAY IS THIS MEANINGFUL MEANINGFULLY PROVIDE BEST-IN-CLASS SERVICE AND IMPLEMENT AWARD WINNING PROGRAMS AND PROJECTS, RIGHT? SO WE CAN ATTACH THAT TO EVERYTHING WE WANT TO DO.
I THINK THE, THE, THE MORE ROBUST, UM, THING THAT WE NEED TO DO IS HUDDLE AS A TEAM AND FIGURE OUT WHAT IT IS WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE WORKING ON FIRST, SECOND, THIRD, AND 20TH.
RIGHT? SO THROUGHOUT THE LAST MONTH TODAY, SO I TAKE NOTES, I TAKE NOTES.
I ONLY TAKE KIND OF SOME HIGH-LEVEL NOTES, BUT I STARTED WRITING DOWN THE MANY THINGS THAT I THINK WE NEED TO BE DOING.
ONE IS US TWO 78, TWO IS MID ISLAND, PERHAPS THREE IS BRAND DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION.
SO THERE'S, THERE'S A REAL ACTION AGENDA THAT STILL NEEDS TO GET BUILT THAT I KNOW WE'RE NOT GOING TO WALK OUT OF HERE TODAY, AND YOU'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO SAY, ALL RIGHT, WHO'S, WHO'S ON TWO 78.
WHO IS IT ASSIGNED TO? WHEN IS IT DUE? WHEN ARE WE SEEING IT? HOW ARE WE INVOLVED? AND SO I THINK THAT THAT'S WHERE, UM, THAT'S REALLY MY FIRST, THE NEXT STEP AS I ARRIVE ON THE 22ND OR SHORTLY THEREAFTER, FIRST AND FOREMOST, THE BIGGEST THING TO DO, THAT'S NOT REALLY ON ANY LIST ANYWHERE IT'S BUILD THE STRATEGIC PLAN, BUILD THE ACTION AGENDA AND MAKE SURE THAT THAT ACTION AGENDA IS ALIGNED WITH THE COMP PLAN AND THE BUDGET.
SO THAT'S THE BIGGEST THING TO DO.
UM, SO I'M GOING TO HELP WITH THAT.
I KNOW THAT WE HAVE IN JOSH AND I HAVE BEEN TALKING A LOT AND APPRECIATE JOSH SO MUCH, AS YOU ALL KNOW, HE'S, HE'S A GEM OF A PERSON AND, AND, AND VERY MUCH A SERVANT LEADER.
AND HE'S HELPED ME SO MUCH JUST EVEN UNDERSTAND WHAT THE ISSUES ARE BEFORE I WALKED IN THE ROOM WITH YOU.
SO, UM, I DO WANT TO THANK JOSH PUBLICLY AND IN PERSON AND IN FRONT OF ALL OF YOU, SO THAT, THAT HE HEARS THAT, AND HE KNOWS HIS VALUE HERE, AND YOU'RE IMPORTANT.
AND I NEED YOU, AND I APPRECIATE YOU.
UM, SO MY OBSERVATIONS ARE REALLY JUST GETTING TO WORK.
I CAN'T GET STARTED QUICK ENOUGH, ALTHOUGH I NEED A COUPLE OF DAYS TO TRANSITION AND, UM, I WANT TO BE ABLE TO BRING YOU BACK.
WHAT WE THINK IS THE ACTION AGENDA.
WHAT ARE THOSE ACTIONABLE ITEMS? WHAT'S THE PLAN SCHEDULE, WHERE, AND HOW DO WE INVOLVE YOU FIRST, BEGINNING, MIDDLE, AND END, AND THROUGH THE WHOLE LIFE CYCLE OF WHATEVER IT IS WE'RE DOING AND REALLY GET, AND REALLY GET TO WORK.
I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF WORK TO DO, BUT I'LL ASK YOU FOR THIS FOR A LITTLE BIT OF TIME TO TRANSITION BECAUSE I HAVE TO GET NEW.
I HAVE TO GET ACQUAINTED AS WELL.
I HAVE TO FIGURE OUT HOW THINGS ARE DONE AS MUCH AS I NEED TO BE ABLE TO LISTEN AND LEARN OVER MY FIRST 90 DAYS.
I WANT TO UNDERSTAND HOW SHAWN THINKS BEFORE SEAN UNDERSTANDS.
SO I THINK, UM, IT'S IMPORTANT TO ME.
UM, I'M COMING INTO AN AMAZING ORGANIZATION, AN AMAZING OPPORTUNITY, AN ISLAND THAT I KNOW THOUGH.
SO, SO KNOW THAT I'VE THE TOPICS YOU'VE RAISED OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF DAYS ARE NOT NEW TO ME.
I GO TO THE PARKS, MY KIDS PLAY THERE.
I'M ALSO A, A, A RESONANT IN A CERTAIN SENSE, EVEN THOUGH I'M ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE BRIDGE.
SO, UM, I'M AS PASSIONATE AS, AS I COULD BE.
AND, AND SO I THINK WE HAVE TO WORK TOGETHER ON WHAT THOSE OUTCOMES ARE FROM
[03:50:01]
THESE LAST SEVERAL DAYS, SO THAT WE CAN REALLY TURN IT INTO ACTIONABLE RESULTS.UM, AT SOME POINT I WANT TO SIT IN FRONT OF YOU AND ASK YOU, WHAT ARE YOUR FIVE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS YOU WANT ME TO FOCUS ON OUTSIDE OF ME WITH MY STAFF IN THE ORGANIZATION.
AND SO I THINK WE HAVE TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION SOON.
I, I BELIEVE I KNOW WHAT SOME OF THE ANSWERS ARE, RIGHT? MID ISLAND TRACK PLANNING, TWO 78, OF COURSE, WHAT ARE THE REAL BIG THINGS YOU NEED FOCUS ON SO THAT THERE'S THERE'S SOLIDARITY OR AT LEAST INPUTTING CONSENSUS.
AND SO THAT WE KNOW THAT WE'RE ON THE RIGHT TRACK, THE TRACK THAT YOU WANT US TO BE ON.
SO I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S GOING TO BE MY, UH, THIS IS GOING TO BE MY FOCUS STRAIGHT OUT OF THE GATE.
SO QUESTIONS FOR MARK? NOTHING, NO QUESTION.
IT'S JUST HURRY UP AND GET HERE.
OH, I'LL MAKE A COMMENT ON, ON WHAT MARK SAID.
AND MARK, WE APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE.
AND, UH, THE ONE THING THAT GOT MY, MY EARS REALLY PERKED UP WAS, UH, YOUR DESCRIPTION OF, UH, THE INVOLVEMENT OF TOWN COUNCIL FROM BEGINNING TO END.
WE'VE KIND OF THOSE IN A ROOM OPPORTUNITIES TO HAVE A DISCUSSION.
IT GOES BACK TO WHAT THE MAYOR SAID EARLIER ABOUT US HAVING STUFF ON THE WALL, AND IT JUST NEVER GETS DONE IN.
IT'S PROBABLY NOT GETTING DONE FOR A REASON EITHER.
SO HOW CAN THE POLICYMAKERS ASSIST YOU IN GETTING IT DONE? RIGHT? AND THAT'S THE DIALOGUE THAT WE NEED TO HAVE BACK AND FORTH.
UM, ONE LITTLE TRICK TRICK OF THE TRADE THAT I'VE ALWAYS, OR THAT I'VE STARTED TO USE THAT REALLY BENEFITED ME.
AND THE TEAM THAT I WORK WITH IS, IS WORKING WITH THE MAYOR.
AND I WILL WORK CLOSELY WITH, WITH MAYOR MCCANN TO, TO SHOW NOT ONLY THE ACTION AGENDA, WHAT ARE THE, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S THE TO-DO LIST LOOK LIKE? WHO IS IT ASSIGNED TO? WHEN ARE WE STARTING? WHEN DO WE THINK WE'RE FINISHING? IT'S THE AGENDA PIPELINE? SO WHEN IS IT COMING TO A COMMITTEE OR COMMISSION A COUNCIL? IS IT A WORKSHOP? IS IT FIRST READING? IS IT SECOND READING? IS IT A CONTRACT APPROVAL WHEN YOU REALLY GET INTO THE AGENDA PIPELINE? FOR ME, WHEN HE'S REALLY GOING TO FORCE THIS TEAM TO STEP BACK AND LOOK AT PROCESS, WE ARE NOTHING WITHOUT PROCESS, RIGHT? YOU SUCCESSFUL BUSINESSES ARE REALLY BASED UPON TWO THINGS, PEOPLE AND PROCESS, GREAT PEOPLE, BUT THAT PROCESS I'M GOING TO TAKE A LITTLE BIT OF TIME TO GET TO KNOW IS WHAT GOES TO WHAT COMMISSION OR COMMITTEE, BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY, WITH MAYOR MCCANN, WHAT WHAT'S ON YOUR COUNCIL AGENDA AND WHEN.
AND SO, UM, THAT'S WHAT I'VE REALLY BEEN PAYING ATTENTION TO THE LAST COUPLE OF DAYS, UM, YOU KNOW, BRAND, WHEN ARE WE GOING TO COME BACK AND FIGURE OUT WHAT THE BRAND IS? WHERE, AND WHEN IS THAT A WORKSHOP? IS THAT A COUNCIL AGENDA AFTER FIVE OTHER THINGS, IT'S TRYING TO FIGURE OUT THAT TEMPO SO THAT I HAVE YOUR ATTENTION AND YOU HAVE OURS WHEN, WHEN WE'RE READY TO FOCUS.
UM, AND SO WE CAN GET SOME REAL MEANINGFUL WORK DONE.
THIS IS MY PHILOSOPHY, AT LEAST RIGHT, MARK.
I AM EXCITED TO HAVE YOU ON BOARD ALMOST THAT IS ALMOST ON BOARD AND ALMOST EXCITED.
AND I, AND I, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU.
I GUESS MY COMMENT TO WHAT YOU JUST SAID IS THAT YOU NEED TO STAY IN CONTACT WITH EACH OF US ABOUT THOSE THINGS.
YOU GO TO THE MAYOR FIRST, BUT YOU HAVE TO STAY IN TOUCH WITH EACH OF US BECAUSE WE ALL HAVE POINTS OF VIEW AND WE ALL HAVE CONSTITUENCIES THAT WE ARE RESPONSIBLE TO.
AND SO I ENCOURAGE YOU TO DO THAT.
I LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR REPORTS.
I LOOK FORWARD TO A FRESH APPROACH TO MANAGEMENT OF THIS TOWN.
I THINK I ALREADY SEE IT IN ITS INFANCY.
AND I LOOK FORWARD TO ABSORBING THAT.
AND I WILL CLARIFY MY COMMENT ABOUT THE MAYOR WAS SIMPLY AS HE SETS THE AGENDA.
I WILL BE YOU, YOU WILL BE TIRED OF HEARING FROM ME AT SOME POINT SOON.
DID YOU HAVE SOMETHING, UH, JUST, UH, A SINCERE WELCOME, A LOT EXCITEMENT, UH, WITH THE TEAM NOW WITH, UH, I THINK, UH, MOVING FORWARD, UH, I WOULD ENCOURAGE, UH, THE, UH, THE LEADERSHIP ON OUR STAFF WHEN WE'RE, WHEN WE'RE FALLING OFF THE RAIL OR MOVING IN THE WRONG DIRECTION OR COULD IMPROVE WHAT WE'RE DOING.
UH, I VIEW THAT AS VERY CONSTRUCTIVE AND I'D LIKE TO HEAR, THANK YOU.
SO NEXT STEPS, UM, WE'RE SHIFTED INTO BEING DONE A LITTLE
[03:55:01]
BIT EARLIER.IS THAT OKAY WITH EVERYBODY? I KNOW.
SO I FIGURED, I'D SAY NEXT STEPS.
SO WE WILL PREPARE A REPORT FROM TODAY.
WE WILL ALSO BE PROVIDING, UH, MARK AND JOSH WITH ALL OF THESE STRATEGIES, UM, ARRANGED BY VALUE.
UM, SO THAT IT'S CLEAR WHAT YOU ALL HAVE SET OUR PRIORITIES AND ALSO ALL THOSE THINGS THAT ARE ONGOING AND THE LIST OF THINGS THAT YOU SAID YOU WANTED TO KNOW MORE ABOUT.
SO WE WILL PROVIDE ALL OF THAT.
YOU KNOW, I WOULD SAY THE, THE HARD WORK BEGINS WHEN WE LEAVE, BECAUSE THEN IT'S REALLY ABOUT IMPLEMENTATION.
AND SO I IMAGINE THERE WILL BE A SERIES OF WORKSHOPS AT LEAST 48, MAYBE 50, UM, NOT JUST WITH THE GOVERNING BODY, UM, ALSO MARK WITH THE TEAM AND FIGURING OUT HOW DO WE BRING THESE THINGS FORWARD AND WHERE DO WE GO NEXT? SO, UM, IT IS A DIFFERENT KIND OF WORKSHOPS SLASH WORK SESSION SLASH I'M NOT SAYING RETREAT.
WHEN YOU FOCUS ON YOUR COMP PLAN, IT WAS TEDIOUS.
IT WAS A LOT TO GET THROUGH A LOT OF VOLUME.
AND I THINK Y'ALL DID A GREAT JOB TODAY.
KIND OF ELEVATING THE WORK AND REMINDING EVERYONE OF THE WHY BEHIND THE, WHAT, WHAT YOU SAID, WHERE YOUR PRIORITIES.
AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, WE UNDERSTAND WHY, SO THAT THE COMMANDER'S INTENT IS CLEAR.
AND IF WE HAVE TO PIVOT LIKE YOU DO IN A PANDEMIC, THEN EVERYBODY KNOWS STILL WHAT WINNING LOOKS LIKE AND WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE.
SO WE WILL PROVIDE ALL OF THAT.
I APPRECIATE YOU STICKING WITH US THROUGH THIS AGENDA.
AND, UH, IT'S ONLY SOMETHING YOU HAVE TO DO ONCE EVERY 10 YEARS.
SO THAT'S A GOOD THING, RIGHT? SO WE'LL END WITH JUST A PARTYING THOUGHTS.
MARY, DO YOU WANT TO GO FIRST OR LAST, LAST, OKAY.
PARDON ME? I LEARNED THAT FROM DAVID.
I'M GOING TO GO TO TOM PARTYING THOUGHT.
UH, JULIA, I DIDN'T THINK YOU'D BE ABLE TO COVER THE GROUND YOU COVERED.
SO CONGRATULATIONS JOB WELL DONE.
AND THANK YOU FOR FACILITATING.
UM, THANK YOU TO EVERYONE IN THE ROOM.
AND I HOPE THOSE FOLKS, AS GLEN HAS SAID, WHO HAVE LOGGED ON AND ARE WATCHING US, UM, FOUND SOME VALUE AND, UM, INSIGHT INTO HOW WE WORK, WHAT WE'RE THINKING AND, UM, WHERE WE'D LIKE TO HEAD FOR THE FUTURE.
UH, AGAIN, MY APPRECIATION TO EVERYONE AND WE, UH, LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING Y'ALL AGAIN.
WE GIVE YOU A CHANCE TO JUMP IN KIND OF NEVER KNOW WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO SEE AS WE GO THROUGH THIS, BUT I KNOW HAVING HEARD FROM ALL OF YOU THAT THERE'S A LOT OF INFORMATION THAT WE CAN TAKE AWAY AS WE WORK ON THOSE NEXT STEPS.
AND SO I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU CONTRIBUTED.
I KNOW IN HEARING FROM A NUMBER OF YOU YESTERDAY, IT WAS A TIRING SESSION.
I'M SURE YOU PROBABLY FEEL THE SAME WAY TODAY.
UM, SO THANK YOU FOR STICKING WITH IT.
I THINK THERE IS A LOT OF REALLY GOOD INFORMATION THAT COMES OUT OF THIS, UH, AND THE MORE THAT YOU PUT INTO IT, THE MORE THAT WE GET OUT OF IT.
SO JUST WANT TO SAY, THANK YOU.
ANYTHING ELSE MARK FROM YOU? YOU GOOD? ALL RIGHT.
AND THANK YOU TO, UH, FROM THE ENTIRE STAFF FOR, FOR THIS PROGRAM.
UH, I'M LEAVING THIS WITH A SENSE, A GREATER SENSE THAN I'VE EVER HAD BEFORE THAT THERE'S MORE SYNCHRONIZATION OF THOUGHT AND DIRECTION, UH, WITH TOWN COUNCIL AND WITH TOWN STAFF, AND YOU'VE HELPED A LOT WITH THAT.
UM, I WANT TO GO BACK TO THE, THE, UH, THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AND YOU'RE RIGHT.
UM, THIS SESSION WAS DIFFERENT.
I HAVE NOT PARTICIPATED OF COURSE IN THE PAST, BUT I HAVE, UM, I'VE WATCHED IN THE PAST AND THE, THE OUTCOME TODAY IS, UM, YOU KNOW, A DIFFERENT SENSE IN WHAT WE, UH, ACCUSTOMED TO.
UM, BUT WITH THAT BEING SAID, UH, YOU KNOW, TH THE, THE WORK THAT WAS PUT INTO THE CONFERENCE OF PLAN BY THE COMMUNITY, BY THE STAFF AND THE COMMITMENT OF THIS COUNCIL AND IN PREVIOUS COUNCILS AND SUPPORTING IT IS SO IMPORTANT.
SO I APPRECIATE, UH, YOUR ABILITY, UM, TO GET US TO THIS PLACE.
BECAUSE I KNOW IT WAS CHALLENGING.
IT TOOK US A COUPLE OF YEARS TO PUT TOGETHER AND ASKED US TO PULL THINGS OUT OF IT IN A FEW DAYS.
SO, YOU KNOW, UH, KUDOS TO YOU AND YOUR TEAM, UM, CATHERINE, YOU, YOU, YOU'RE BETTER THAN THE WIZARD BEHIND THE CURTAINS.
I'M AMAZED AT HOW YOU CAN GET THIS
[04:00:01]
TOGETHER.UM, BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, GRAVELY DEBT OF YOUR SERVICE, WE REALLY APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE IN AND KEEPING US TOGETHER.
YOU'VE TAUGHT US HOW TO EAT AN ELEPHANT.
THE LAST COUPLE OF DAYS, THE CLASSIC STATEMENT IS BITE AT A TIME.
AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR ORGANIZATION, CATHERINE, FOR YOUR ABILITY TO KEEP US KEEP THESE THINGS IN FRONT OF US.
I WANT TO EXPRESS A SINCERE THANK YOU TO OUR STAFF FOR ALL OF THE WORK AND EFFORT THAT YOU HAVE PUT IN NOT ONLY TO THIS PROJECT, BUT TO THE DAY-TO-DAY OPERATIONS OF THE TOWN OF HILTON HEAD ISLAND.
UM, PEOPLE ASK ME, WHAT'S IT LIKE TO WORK ON THIS COUNCIL? AND I'VE BEEN SAYING THAT WE HAVE A COLLEGIAL COUNCIL, AND I REALLY DO BELIEVE THAT.
AND I THINK THAT COLLEGIALITY HAS BEEN ENHANCED FOR ME WITH TODAY AND YESTERDAY'S ACTIVITIES THAT HAVE GONE ON.
SO I THANK MY COLLEAGUES AND I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING FURTHER.
THANK YOU, JULIE AND CATHERINE, AND I THINK WE ALSO OUGHT TO RECOGNIZE THE GRAPHIC DESIGNER, JULIE, AND WHEREVER SHE IS IN CALIFORNIA AND APPRECIATE HER WORK.
I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING IT IN PERSON.
UM, I THINK STARTING OFF WITH TOO MANY DISPARATE GOALS, I WAS ENCOURAGED TODAY TO END UP SORT OF UNDERSTANDING OUR OVERARCHING THEMES.
I THINK WE S WE TALKED YESTERDAY ABOUT GOALS AND TODAY THEMES, UH, THAT'S SORT OF AN OPTIMISTIC LOOK AT THE FUTURE.
I THINK UNDERNEATH THOSE GOALS ARE THREATS.
AND MY, MY PERSPECTIVE IS THAT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE GOALS WE NEED ON THE COUNCIL TO MORE GRAPHICALLY OR GRA GRANULARLY, UNDERSTAND THE THREATS, AND I USE HOUSING AND TRANSPORTATION, AS AN EXAMPLE, WE HAVE VERY DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES ON THIS COUNCIL.
AND I THINK IT IS, UH, IMPEDING OUR ABILITY TO MAKE STRATEGIC DECISIONS THAT WILL, UH, ACCELERATE A DECISION IN BOTH DIRECTIONS OR ONE OR THE OTHER.
AND SO I THINK WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND AND HAVE DEPICTED THAT THE ANALYTICS, WHATEVER IT IS TO ASK STAFF, TO GIVE US A DEFINITION OF THREAT OF NOT INADEQUATE, UH, EMPLOYEE EMPLOYEES ON THIS ISLAND.
AND, AND SO THAT WE CAN DECIDE, IS THIS SOMETHING WE HAVE TO KICK IN SOME MONEY TO SOLVE, OR IS IT GOING TO BE SOMEBODY ELSE'S DECISION? I THINK THAT IS A THREAT.
TRAFFIC IS A THREAT CONGESTION OVERPOPULATION ON THE ISLAND.
I THINK THERE'S A POLITICAL ISSUE ON THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO WANT TO, WE WANT TO HAVE LIVE ON THE ISLAND, TOURISM.
ALL OF THOSE THINGS ARE AMORPHOUS ACKNOWLEDGED BY COUNCIL.
AND I'M SUGGESTING THAT PERHAPS AT SOME POINT, AH, ANOTHER WORKSHOP WE OUGHT TO BETTER UNDERSTAND WHAT THOSE THREATS REALLY TRULY MEAN TO OUR, UH, OUR COMMUNITY YESTERDAY.
I BEGAN BY TALKING ABOUT THE SOUL OF THE COMMUNITY.
UM, THE SOUL OF THE COMMUNITY IS REALLY HOW WE INTERPRET OUR CORE VALUES.
AND SO WE TALKED ABOUT CORE VALUES, AND I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT TO HAVE THEM, BUT I THINK IT'S OUR INTERPRETATION OF THEM.
THAT REALLY IS IMPORTANT AS WE GO FORWARD.
AND I ALSO MENTIONED LEADERSHIP IN A FEW, UH, IMPORTANT PLACES.
UH, I THINK THAT HAS SO MUCH TO DO WITH, UH, COMMUNITY PRIDE AND THE THINGS THAT ATTRACT PEOPLE TO WANT TO EMULATE US, OR ACTUALLY LIVE WITH US.
UM, I APPRECIATED MARK'S TALKING ABOUT ACCOUNTABILITY AND MEASURE.
I'VE HEARD ALEX TALK ABOUT IT.
I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE REALLY NEED AS A COUNCIL AND AS A STAFF TO CONCENTRATE ON, AND TO THE DEGREE, MARK, THAT YOU CAN BEGIN TO DEVELOP HOW WE AS A COUNCIL CAN ANTICIPATE WHO'S RESPONSIBLE AND WHEN IT'S GOING TO BE DONE AND HOW WE'RE GOING TO MEASURE SUCCESS ON AN ANNUAL BASIS OR A BI-ANNUAL, WHATEVER.
[04:05:01]
I APPRECIATE THAT.FIRST OF ALL, I'D LIKE TO THANK YOU AND YOUR TEAM VERY, VERY MUCH.
I'M LOOKING FORWARD, LIKE SEEING US ALL BACK IN PERSON NEXT YEAR, JUST AT THE BACK OF SOMEONE'S HEAD FOR TWO AND A HALF DAYS, THEY CAN ALL BE, SHE DOES A NICE JOB.
I NOTICED THIS MORNING, IT WAS DIFFERENT THAN YESTERDAY, BUT I THANK YOU ALL VERY, VERY MUCH.
I THANK YOU FOR PUTTING UP A META LAST TWO WEEKS OF DUPONT, SUGGESTING HOW YOU'VE CHANGED YOUR GENDER MALE UNTIL YOU REMINDED ME.
THAT'S WHAT WE PAY YOU FOR TO CHANGE THE GENDER AROUND.
I MUST HAVE BEEN A, YOU DID THAT.
AND I APPRECIATE THAT CONVERSATION AND I CAN'T GO TOO FAR WITHOUT THANKING CHRISTIAN AND KAREN FOR HELPING US GET WHERE WE ARE
AND I THINK JOSH FOR HIS LEADERSHIP WILL TO THESE DANGEROUS AND CRITICAL TIMES FOR US TO KEEP US A LITTLE FLOAT ALONG THE WAY.
AND IT'S LIKE MARK, I'VE BEEN HERE WHEN I FIRST STARTED COMING HERE FULL TIME TO THE CHAMBERS.
MOST OF THE TIME I LEARNED WHAT A GREAT STAFF WE DO HAVE.
I MEAN, THEY'RE REAL PEOPLE, BUT THEY'RE REALLY VERY, VERY BRIGHT.
AND THE MORE THINGS WE ALLOW THEM TO DO ON THEIR OWN UNDER MANAGEMENT FOR MOCK, UH, I THINK WE'LL GET A LOT MORE DONE.
HAVING THEM USE THEIR OWN TALENTS, ET CETERA, OUTSOURCING EVERYTHING AND DO EVERYTHING.
I THINK A STAFF CAN DO AN AWFUL LOT OF IT THEMSELVES BECAUSE THEY HAVE THE ABILITY AND THE TECHNOLOGY TO DO IT ALONG THE WAY.
I WELCOME MOCK AND LONG PROCESS.
WELL, AS THE COUNCIL GOES, THIS IS THE MOST IN MY SIX OR SEVEN YEAR COUNSELING RETREAT MEETINGS THAT THE COUNCIL HAS BEEN THIS OPEN.
THIS IS THE MOST WE'VE EVER TAUGHT OPENLY WITHOUT JUST STICKING TO THE AGENDA AND THE POINTS THERE.
I'VE HEARD MORE OPINIONS TODAY AND FEELINGS TODAY, AND I'VE HEARD ON MY SIX OR SEVEN YEARS HERE, IT'S VERY, VERY GOOD.
AND IT'S BETTER THAN NO, THAT I'M VERY CONFIDENT.
WE DON'T BELIEVE IN THE SAME THINGS.
AND IT MAKES A BETTER ACCOUNT BEFORE THAT EVERYBODY HAS THEIR OWN OPINION, THEIR OWN SENSE OF VALUE, WHERE WE ARE.
AND I THINK WE'VE DONE A GREAT, GREAT JOB, AND I'M VERY APPRECIATIVE OF ALL THE COUNSEL THAT WE HAVE GOT TODAY.
ONCE AGAIN, I THANK YOU AND YOUR TEAM AND TRAVEL SAFE.
THANKS FOR HAVING US AND ENJOY THE REST OF YOUR DAY.
IT'S A LITTLE CHILLY, BUT IT'S A BEAUTIFUL DAY.