[00:00:01]
IT IS MONDAY, MARCH 8TH, 6:00 PM.
THIS IS THE COUNTY COUNCIL MEETING OF THE BUFORD COUNTY COUNCIL.
I'D LIKE TO CALL THE MEETING TO ORDER AS I CALL YOUR NAME.
WOULD YOU PLEASE ANNOUNCE THAT YOU ARE PRESENT COUNCILMAN CUNNINGHAM PRESENT AND IN PERSON COUNCILMAN DAWSON, CONSEQUENTIAL WELLING, PRESIDENT COUNCILMAN GLOVER HERE, COUNCILMAN RASHAAN, PRESENT COUNSEL FROM AND HOWARD HEAR COUNCILMAN LAWSON, MARK LAWSON, PRESENT COUNSEL TO MCALLEN HERE.
COUNCILMAN RODMAN, COUNCILMAN SUMMERVILLE, PRESIDENT AND CHAIR.
ALL 11 MEMBERS ARE PRESENT TO CONDUCT THE BUSINESS OF COUNCIL, THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE AND INVOCATION.
AND A MOMENT IN SILENCE WILL BE CONDUCTED BY COUNCIL MEMBER STU GODMAN.
WOULD YOU ALL RISE FOR THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE, PLEASE MUTE YOUR PHONES.
AS WE, AS I LEAD US IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE TO THE PLAY AND TO GOD FOR ALL.
AND IF YOU WOULD JOIN ME IN A MOMENT OF PRAYER AND REMEMBERS OF DJ FIELDS JR.
THE YOUNG MAN WHO WAS KILLED IN BLUFFTON.
SO A MOMENT OF SILENCE AND PERHAPS YOUR, UH, PRIVATE PRAYERS
WE DO REMEMBER THE YOUNG MAN DJ FIELDS, JR.
WE ASKED JOLYNN SAYS FOR HIS FAMILY ALSO THE OTHER YOUNG MAN DJ GRANT WAS IN CRITICAL CONDITION.
WE ASKED FOR HIS FAMILY AND FOR WISDOM AND ATTENTION FROM ALL THE MEDICAL PEOPLE THAT ARE WORKING ON YET, FATHER, UH, IT'S A PRIVILEGE FOR US TO BE ABLE TO COME TO YOU.
AND, UM, IN PRAYER YOU RECOGNIZE THESE ARE VERY DIFFICULT TIMES IN PEOPLE AND UH, DIFFICULT TIMES.
AND SO WE, WE, AS A, AS A COUNCIL AND OUR STAFF BE SENSITIVE TO THE NEEDS OF OUR FOLKS AND OUR CITIZENS FATHER, WE DO PRAY FOR OUR STAFF.
AT THIS POINT IN TIME, WE ALSO LIFT UP OUR FIRST RESPONDERS AS WE'VE GONE THROUGH.
AND, UH, THEY'VE BEEN, UH, MORE IN THE HEARTBEAT WAY THAN THE REST OF IT IS.
AND WE ASK THAT YOU PRESERVE, AND AS WE FINISH OUT THE NW, AS WE TURN TO OUR MEETING AND WE ALWAYS PUT OUR AS CITIZENS FIRST, MAYBE WE SEEK WISDOM AND GUIDANCE AND WE ASK YOUR BLESSING UPON THIS MEETING.
AND HOPEFULLY WE'LL BE PLEASING TO YOU.
WE PRAY ALL THIS IN JESUS NAME.
PUBLIC NOTICE OF THIS MEETING HAS BEEN PUBLISHED, POSTED AND DISTRIBUTED IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE SOUTH CAROLINA, UH, FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT ITEM
[4. APPROVAL OF AGENDA]
NUMBER FOUR IS THE APPROVAL OF OUR AGENDA.AS DISCUSSED IN THE CAUCUS MEETING, THERE WILL BE MOTIONS TO AMEND THE AGENDA.
I WILL BEGIN WITH MR. CUNNINGHAM, WHO WISHES TO AMEND THE AGENDA.
UM, I'D LIKE TO ADD TO THE ACTION ITEM, THE REMOVAL FOR THE EMERGENCY ORDINANCE FOR THE MASK MANDATES.
UH, THIS IS FOR THE, UH, TO ADD AN AGENDA ITEM TO, UM, REMOVE THE CURRENT ORDINANCE TO RESCIND THE CURRENT ORDINANCE FOR A MASK MANDATE, WHICH WAS INSTITUTED ON FEBRUARY 13TH, RUNS FOR 61 DAYS THEREAFTER.
UH, BECAUSE THIS IS OF A UNIQUE NATURE.
[00:05:01]
SECOND AND EIGHT VOTES BY COUNCIL TO MAKE THIS AN AGENDA ITEM, SHOULD THE EIGHT VOTES BE GRANTED TO PUT IT ON THE AGENDA? WHEN ACTION COMES ABOUT, IT WILL TAKE EIGHT VOTES FOR THAT ACTUALLY TO TAKE PLACE BECAUSE WE HAVE TO DECLARE AS A BODY THAT THIS WAS OF A EMERGENCY MAJOR, THAT IT COULD NOT BE HANDLED AT ANY OTHER TIME.UH, AND OUR, UM, PARLIAMENTARIAN, WILL YOU WEIGH IN THAT? I HAVE EXPLAINED THAT CORRECTLY.
YOU'RE ON MUTE, MR. CHAIRMAN, DURING YOUR RECESS.
UM, MR. KEVIN TYLER AND I SPOKE BRIEFLY WITH REGARD TO REPEALING AN EMERGENCY ORDINANCE.
IT IS, UH, IT WILL BE A MATTER OF FIRST IMPRESSION.
UH, THE ISSUE IS ANY OTHER ORDINANCE WOULD REQUIRE THREE READINGS TO REPEAL IT.
THERE IS NOTHING IN OUR STATUTE THAT TELLS US THAT WE HAVE TO HAVE THREE READINGS OR REPEALING AN EMERGENCY ORDINANCE AND AN EXCESS OF CAUTION.
BUT I THINK THAT THAT IS AN ISSUE AND YOU MAY WELL NEED THREE READINGS TO REPEAL IT.
IN WHICH CASE, THE FIRST CREATING THIS EVENING WOULD NOT BE FINAL ACTION.
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT REQUIRES THAT EXIGENCE FINDING ONLY FOR ITS FINAL ACTION.
SO YOU WOULD NEED THREE READINGS IN ORDER TO ADD IT UNDER FOIL TO ADD IT TO THE AGENDA.
BUT IF IT WASN'T THE FINAL WEEDING AND YOU WOULDN'T NECESSARILY NEED A SUPER MAJORITY IN ORDER FOR IT TO GO FORWARD, IS THAT RIGHT? THAT WOULD BE BASED ON FOYA.
IF ALL IT COULD GET TONIGHT IS A FIRST READING.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO HAVE A SECOND TWO THIRDS VOTE.
IF THE CHAIR IS OF THE OPINION THAT BECAUSE IT'S AN EMERGENCY ORDINANCE ADOPTED WITH ONLY ONE READING THAT IT ONLY NEEDS ONE READING TO REPEAL IT.
THEN AS FINAL ACTION, YOU GOT TO HAVE TWO THIRDS VOTES TWICE.
I TOOK SOME OF THE TIME WE HAD IN THE RECESS AFTER THE CONVERSATION, THERE IS NO ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OPINION ON THAT.
AND THE SEVEN STATES THAT I LOOKED AT THE BORDER, MR. CHAIRMAN, CAN YOU HEAR ME? I'M SORRY.
THANKS FOR CLARIFICATION, PLEASE.
UM, AM I TO UNDERSTAND THEN YOU ARE BEING, UM, ADVISED THAT TO ADD IT TO THE AGENDA TONIGHT.
IT WILL JUST TAKE A MAJORITY AND FOR IT TO RECEIVE A POSITIVE VOTE FROM THE DISCUSSION, WE'LL JUST NEED, UM, A MAJORITY.
AND THEN WE WOULD PROCEED TO A SECOND READING AT THE NEXT COUNTY COUNCIL MEETING WHERE IT WOULD BE ON THE AGENDA.
IS THAT THE ADVICE YOU'RE BEING GIVEN, SIR? NO, SIR.
IT STILL REQUIRES TWO THIRDS TO BE PLACED ON THE AGENDA, WHETHER IT'S FINAL ACTION OR NOT.
THIS IS SHANNON ON MY WAY IN, BEFORE WE MAKE A DECISION.
UM, IF WE DO GET THE, TWO-THIRDS PUT IT ON THE AGENDA.
JUST TO EVEN HAVE A DISCUSSION ABOUT THIS, MR.
WELL, BASED ON ONE OF THE THINGS MRS. MCFADDEN JUST SAID IS THAT YOU HAVE THE ULTIMATE DECISION.
IF IT NEEDS THREE READINGS, OR IF WE FOLLOW THE SAME SUIT THAT WE PUT IT IN PLACE WITH ONE VOTE ON SUPER MAJORITY.
SO I WOULD HOPE THAT WE WOULD FOLLOW THE SAME BASIS THAT WE PUT IT IN PLACE FOR ONE AND TWO.
FROM MY UNDERSTANDING, WHEN WE FIRST CREATED THIS ORDINANCE, WE SAID WE WERE DOING IT WITH THE RECOMMENDATION OF FOLLOWING THE SAME RULES AND PROCEDURES AS THE GOVERNOR.
UM, AS YOU KNOW, AND EVERYONE ELSE KNOWS ON FRIDAY, UH, THE GOVERNOR HAS LIFTED THOSE RESTRICTIONS
[00:10:01]
INSIDE OUR STATE BUILDINGS.UM, OUR LOCAL ORDINANCE IS STILL STAY IN PLACE, BUT IF WE FOLLOWED HIS LEADERSHIP BEFORE I SAY, WE CONTINUE TO FOLLOW THAT LEADERSHIP BECAUSE IT'S LED US TO THE POSITIVE OUTCOME THAT WE'RE AT NOW.
UM, MULTIPLE STATES HAVE ALREADY REMOVED THEIR MANDATES.
AND I THINK IT'S TIME WE FOLLOW SUIT MR. RODMAN.
UM, I WILL VOTE IN FAVOR OF US PUTTING THIS ON THE AGENDA JUST BECAUSE I THINK IT DESERVES DISCRETION AND I WOULD RESERVE JUDGMENT ON HOW I WOULD VOTE ON IT.
UH, CERTAINLY OPEN UP THE POSSIBILITY TO FOLLOW THE GOVERNOR WHERE WE MIGHT NOT MOVE IT, BUT WE MIGHT MAKE A MODIFICATION AND IT WOULD SEEM TO ME I'M NOT A PARLIAMENTARIAN, BUT IT SEEMS TO ME, IF WE COULD PUT IT ON ONE VOTE, YOU OUGHT TO BE ABLE TO PICK IT OFF WITH ONE VOTE.
UM, AND IT, IT SEEMS TO ME THAT WOULD BE THE MORE LOGICAL WAY TO TREAT THIS, BUT I WOULD BE ABLE TO THE PARLIAMENTARIAN OTHER DISCUSSION, MR. MCKELLEN, UH, WITH REGARD TO THIS, UM, THE GOVERNOR'S ACTION TO ALLOW PEOPLE TO DINE IN RESTAURANTS, YOU ACTUALLY CAN'T DINE WITHOUT A MASK ON.
SO I GET THE LOGIC THERE, BUT, UM, IT'S PRETTY CLEAR FROM THE CDC, DESPITE THE DISCUSSION THAT OCCURRED AT THE CAUCUS, THE PEOPLE WHO ARE FULLY VACCINATED AGAINST COVID CAN SAFELY MEET WITH ONE ANOTHER OR WITH OTHERS FROM A SINGLE HOUSEHOLD.
AND THAT'S FROM THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL.
THEY WARN THOUGH THAT EVEN FULLY VACCINATED, PEOPLE SHOULD STILL WEAR MASKS AND RESPECT OTHER RESTRICTIONS WHEN IN PUBLIC PLACES OR LARGER GATHERINGS.
AND TO BE CLEAR, IT SAYS THAT IN PUBLIC SETTINGS, VACCINATED, PEOPLE SHOULD CONTINUE TO FOLLOW ALL PUBLIC HEALTH RECORD ACTIONS, INCLUDING WEARING A WELL-FITTED MASK, IT'S PHYSICAL DISTANCING AND AVOIDING POORLY VENTILATED SPACES.
SO DESPITE THE SMACK THAT THE GOVERNOR HAS SAID, YOU CAN EAT WITHOUT A MASK, WHICH AS I SAID, SOUNDS VERY LOGICAL TO ME.
UH, THIS DOESN'T SEEM TO INDICATE SIMPLY BECAUSE THERE ARE VACCINATIONS THAT IS ACTUALLY NEEDED.
PEOPLE CAN WANDER AROUND IN PUBLIC WITHOUT A MASK BECAUSE IT DOESN'T APPEAR FOR WHAT THE CDC HAS SETTING THAT SAID THAT TODAY'S ACTION SIMPLY REPRESENTS A FIRST STEP.
IT IS NOT YOUR FINAL DESTINATION.
SO I THINK THAT IT IS INCUMBENT UPON US TO ALLOW THIS MASK MANDATE, TO EXPIRE ON THE DATE THAT WE SAID IT WOULD, WHICH I BELIEVE IS APRIL 12TH.
IF I MAY PIGGYBACK, IF I MAY ADD TO SOME OF THE THINGS MR. MCKELLEN JUST SAID, UH, WHAT HE SAID IS TRUE.
UH, THE OTHER THING THAT WAS LEFT OFF THOUGH, IS THE GOVERNOR DID REMOVE THE MANDATE FOR STATE BUILDINGS, MEANING OUR EMPLOYEES INSIDE THIS BUILDING RIGHT NOW, WHICH I SEE ABOUT 15 TO 20 HERE CURRENTLY WOULD NO LONGER BE REQUIRED TO WEAR THOSE MASKS IF WE REMOVE THE ORDINANCE AS WELL.
UH, I DON'T BELIEVE THIS IS A STATE BUILDING.
IS THAT A STATE BUILDING CHAIRMAN DUDE ON TO FURTHER OUR LEGAL COUNSEL ON HOW THEY REFERRED TO THE STATE? UM, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE GOVERNOR'S WORDING WAS, BUT, UH, IT CAN TAKE ON TO MEANING IS IT COULD, IT COULD UPSET A STATE AS IN MEANING ANY BODY, UH, LOCAL GOVERNMENT AS A MEMBER OF THE STAGE, UM, UH, GOVERNING FACILITIES OR
AND IT THINKS IT'S GOING TO TAKE EIGHT VOTES TO ADD IT TO THE AGENDA, MR. MCKELLEN.
[00:15:01]
UH, I THINK, I THINK WHEN THE GOVERNOR REFERS TO STATE EMPLOYEES, WE ALL KNOW WHO HE'S TALKING ABOUT.AND I THINK WHEN HE TALKS ABOUT STATE BUILDINGS, IT'S PRETTY CLEAR THEY'RE NOT COUNTY BUILDINGS.
UM, I ALSO, I ALSO BELIEVE THAT WE HAVE AN ORDINANCE IN PLACE AND IT WAS REINFORCED BY A MEMORANDUM RECENTLY BY OUR COUNTY ATTORNEY.
I HAVE TO TELL YOU PERSONALLY HOW DISAPPOINTED I AM TO SEE MEMBERS OF OUR OWN BODY FLAUNTING THIS, UM, THIS ORDINANCE BY SIMPLY BEING ENGAGED IN A PUBLIC PLACE WHERE MASKS ARE REQUIRED AND THEY SIMPLY REFUSE TO WEAR THEM.
I, UH, I'M VERY, VERY DISAPPOINTED AT THAT DISPLAY OF ARROGANCE.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS? ALL RIGHT.
IT IS GOING TO TAKE EIGHT MEMBERS OF COUNCIL TO ADD THIS AS AN AGENDA ITEM.
IT WILL THEN IF IT IS IN FACT ADDED, IT WILL TAKE EIGHT VOTES TO APPROVE IT.
WHEN IT COMES UP FOR ACTION ON THE AGENDA SINCE, UH, COUNCILMAN CUNNINGHAM MADE THE MOTION, HE WILL GO FIRST.
VOTE IS TO ASK TO ADD IT TO THE AGENDA.
NO COUNCILMAN
THE GUESSES ARE TWO, THREE, FOUR ONE TWO, THREE, FOUR, FIVE, YES.
UM, I WOULD ASK SOMEONE FROM COUNCIL TO MAKE A MOTION, TO AMEND THE AGENDA, TO REMOVE ITEM NUMBER 11 FROM THE ACCIDENT, AND THEN TO MOVE ITEM NUMBER TWO FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA AND NUMBER FIVE FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA TO THE ACTION ITEMS, THEY HAVE SUCH A MOTION.
PLEASE MENTION MS. HOWARD MAKES THE MOTION.
AND THE SECOND IS FROM MR. RODMAN.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION REGARDING THOSE SEEING NO DISCUSSION? THIS WILL BE DONE WITHOUT OBJECTION.
ARE THERE ANY OBJECTIONS CHANGING THE AGENDA SEEING THEN THE AGENDA WILL BE ALTERED NEXT? I WOULD LIKE A MOTION FROM A MEMBER TO APPROVE THE AGENDA AS AMENDED.
I'LL SECOND, MR. CHAIRMAN, UH, I'M SORRY.
I DID NOT HEAR WHO THE FIRST WAS.
COUNCILMAN SOMERVILLE AND TELLS THEM YOU SOMERVILLE.
WERE YOU THE MOTION MAKER? YES.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION SEEING NO DISCUSSION? THE AGENDA WILL BE ALTERED AS, UH, APPROVED WITHOUT OBJECTION.
WE WILL NOW MOVE ON TO THE ADMINISTRATOR'S
[5. ADMINISTRATOR'S REPORT]
REPORT.I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY, UM, OWN, SO IT'LL WORK LIKE, CAN EVERYONE HEAR ME? OKAY.
UM, ON ONLINE, I CAN'T HEAR YOU WITH THE MASK ON MR. GREENWAY.
I'M GONNA REMOVE IT TEMPORARILY THEN.
UM, SO JUST TWO ADMINISTRATIVE THINGS, REAL, UH, ONE ADMINISTRATIVE THING AND REAL QUICK, WE WILL BE REOPENING THE COUNTY BUILDINGS HERE, UH, AT BUFORD ON, UH, BOUNDARY AND REBO ROAD AND ALSO THE BLUFFTON OFFICE BUILDING UP MARDELL PARK ON MARCH 15TH.
UH, THOSE WILL BE REOPENING TO THE PUBLIC.
WE WILL LIMIT THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT CAN COME INTO THE BUILDINGS.
[00:20:01]
EMPLOYEE STATION AS WE DID, UH, WHEN WE PREVIOUSLY REALLY WENT TO THE PUBLIC TO HELP CONTROL THE FLOW OF TRAFFIC AND TO PROVIDE ASSISTANCE TO THOSE, UH, THAT MAY NOT NEED TO COME ALL THE WAY INTO THE BUILDING, UH, THROUGH INFORMATION DESK AND, UM, PEOPLE THAT WILL DIRECT TRAFFIC ONSITE, THOSE BUILDINGS.SO THAT WILL BE, THAT IS SLATED TO BEGIN MARCH 15TH, WHICH IS, UM, NEXT MONDAY, UM, AS I'VE BEEN ACCUSTOMED TO DOING, SINCE I'VE BEEN IN THIS ROLE IS I LIKED HIM HIGHLIGHT EMPLOYEES.
UH, TONIGHT WE'RE GONNA HIGHLIGHT FOR EMPLOYEES, UH, FOR US AND OUR FIRST EMPLOYEE THIS EVENING IS WITH ME HERE IN THE ROOM.
AND I'M GOING TO ASK MS. ELLEN WILSON TO COME UP AND STAND WITH YOU.
SHE, SHE HAS NO IDEA WHAT'S GOING ON NOW, BY THE WAY.
SO THIS IS KIND OF A SURPRISE FOR US ANYWAY, STAND RIGHT THERE ON THAT PIECE OF TAPE FORM, IF YOU DON'T MIND.
UM, CAROLYN HAS BEEN WITH US FOR 15 YEARS.
SHE WORKS IN THE BUSINESS SLICES DEPARTMENT.
SHE IS THE BUSINESS LICENSE CLERK.
SHE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR SUPERVISING, DIRECTING AND MONITORING THE DAY-TO-DAY ACTIVITIES AND COLLECTION FUNCTIONS OF THE BUSINESS, LICENSED STAFF ALONG WITH CONDUCTING AUDITS AND FIELD INSPECTIONS.
UM, THIS NEXT STATEMENT I'M GOING TO READ IS A VERY TRUE, UH, MS. WILSON IS THE HEART AND SOUL OF THE LICENSING DEPARTMENT.
AND TO A VERY LARGE EXTENT, THE BUILDING HERE, UH, FOR US, I THINK CAROLYN WAS LIKE THE THIRD PERSON I MET AF OUTSIDE OF THE PLANNING AND ZONING STAFF.
UH, WHEN I CAME TO WORK HERE IN 2018, UH, SHE MADE AN IMPRESSION ON ME THAT DAY AND CONTINUES TO MAKE AN IMPRESSION ON ME.
UH, EVERY DAY THAT WE WORKED TOGETHER, SHE CARRIES A SMILE AND POSITIVE ENERGY THAT LIGHTS UP EVERYONE AND EVERYTHING IN OUR PRESENCE.
OUR LOVE OF HUMANITY SPREADS TO INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL CUSTOMERS TO A POINT THAT OUR CUSTOMERS SEEK HER OUT JUST FOR A HUG, UH, THAT WAS PRE COVID.
CAROLYN IS PART OF THE BUSINESS LICENSE DEPARTMENT IS SHE ALWAYS BRINGS JOY TO THE TEAM.
IS THERE ANYTHING YOU WANT TO SAY? I MEAN, I'M OVERWHELMED AND I THANK HIM.
I JUST COME TO WORK AND SPREAD AS MUCH JOY AS I CAN.
SO IF IT WORKS, IT WORKS SO THAT I CAN SEE IT MAY HAVE WORKED.
UH, OUR NEXT, UH, EMPLOYEE HAS ALSO HERE WAS, UM, MS. PAMELA ACTUALLY WORKS IN OUR REGISTERED THESE DEPARTMENT.
SHE'S THE SENIOR REGISTER OF DEEDS AND SHE HAS BEEN WITH US 20 AND A HALF YEARS PLUS THREE YEARS WITH THE CITY OF BUFORD.
UH, SHE, UH, HER JOB DUTIES IS CUSTOMER SERVICE, RECORDING AND INDEXING OF DOCUMENTS ASSUMES OPERATIONAL DUTIES IN ABSENCE OF DIRECTOR AND DEPUTY REGISTRAR OF DEEDS AND MANY OTHER ROLES, SOMETHING UNIQUE ABOUT MS. BAXLEY TO SHARE PUBLICLY.
UH, WE DON'T ALL, THEY DON'T ALWAYS RECEIVE COMPLIMENTS FROM CITIZENS IN THE DEEDS BUSINESS, BUT MS. BAXLEY HAS RECEIVED HER FAIR SHARE.
ONE PERSON RECENTLY WROTE THANK YOU AND YOUR STAFF VERY MUCH FOR YOUR EFFORTS.
WE HAVE BEEN TRYING TO LOCATE THE ARCHITECT'S PLAN SINCE 1992.
AND WE'RE TOLD EXHIBIT B WAS NEVER FILED.
YOU FOUND THE NEEDLE IN THE HAYSTACK.
I AM VERY GRATEFUL FOR YOUR EFFORTS.
THANK YOU FOR WORKING DURING COVID STAY SAFE AND KEEP YOUR FAMILY SAFE.
ACCORDING TO OUR REGISTERED DEEDS, MR. BUTTS, THIS IS ONE OF THE NUMEROUS EMAILS AND NOTES HE HAS RECEIVED ABOUT MRS. BAXLEY.
SHE WILL BE THE FIRST TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT IN IT'S A TEAM EFFORT AND THE PSALM OF US ALL MAKES US AN OUTSTANDING AND STRONG STAFF, AND I'M GOING TO PUT HIM ON THE SPOT, BUT I KNEW COUNCIL MEMBER FLUE, ELLA MAY HAVE WORKED THE MS BAXLEY.
AND IF THERE'S ANYTHING HE WOULD LIKE TO SAY BEFORE SHE SPEAKS, THAT WOULD BE, UH, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
SO I WORK WITH PAM BAXLEY EVERY DAY.
I CAN TELL YOU, I DON'T FEEL LIKE I'M BEING PUT ON THE SPOT AND ACTUALLY BEING GIVEN AN OPPORTUNITY TO, UH, TO LET Y'ALL KNOW A REALLY GREAT PAM BAXLEY AS IF HER JOB SHE DOES THE COUNTY, A TREMENDOUS SERVICE BY BEING ONE OF OUR EMPLOYEES.
SHE IS SO HELPFUL AT EVERY OPPORTUNITY.
SHE'S POLITE, SHE'S KIND, SHE'S THOUGHTFUL, SHE'S THOROUGH.
UM, WE'RE JUST VERY LUCKY TO HAVE SO MANY EMPLOYEES AND PAYING BACKS IN CALIBER.
AND, UH, AND ALSO YOU FORGOT TO SAY THAT HER HUSBAND IS A NOTED AUTHOR.
[00:25:01]
QUICK? I JUST THINK THE COUNTY FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE OUR CITIZENS, UM, THAT'S WHAT I'VE ALWAYS DONE.AND I ENJOYED THE HAVE GREAT COWORKERS THAT MAY SOME JOBS
SHE'S A WORKERS' COMPENSATION SPECIALIST.
SHE IS NOT WITH US THIS EVENING, BUT WE DO HAVE A PHOTO, UH, FOR HER.
UM, WHILE I'M READING THROUGH THIS, SHE HAS WORKED FOR THE COUNTY SINCE 2005 IN HER POSITION.
SHE HELPS EMPLOYEES WHO HAVE BEEN INJURED ON THE JOB.
UH, SHE HELPS THEM NAVIGATE THE PAPERWORK INVOLVED IN WORKERS' COMPENSATION, CLAIMS. SHE ASSISTS PLAN ADMINISTRATORS INCORPORATED OUR THIRD PARTY ADMINISTRATOR IN ADMINISTERING CLAIMS AND ATTENDS INFORMAL CONFERENCES, MEDIATIONS, AND HEARINGS WITH OUR EMPLOYEES AS SOMETHING, UH, UNIQUE ABOUT MS. PARSONS TO SHARE PUBLICLY BEING INJURED ON THE JOB.
AS YOU ALL MAY IMAGINE AS A TRAUMATIC EVENT IN AN EMPLOYEE'S LIFE, UH, THEY ARE IN PAIN, THEIR SALARY HAS BEEN REDUCED, AND SOMETIMES THEY ARE AFRAID FOR THEIR SECURITY OF THEIR JOB.
MS. PARSON TRIES TO ALWAYS BE EMPATHETIC, EMPATHETIC, AND LISTEN TO WHAT THE EMPLOYEE HAS TO SAY AND CARES FOR THEM, UH, THROUGH THOSE DIFFICULT TIMES.
SO LET'S GIVE THEM THIS PARSONS ROUND-TABLE APPLAUSE, EVEN THOUGH
AND I WILL TELL YOU THAT IT GIVES ME A PLEASURE TONIGHT TO SPEAK AGAIN ABOUT, UH, HE AND I HAVE WORKED FAIRLY CLOSELY TOGETHER ON A LOT OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING ISSUES.
UH, AND HE HAS BEEN HONORED RECENTLY WITH THE JOHN BAREDDY COMMUNITY SERVICES AWARD.
AND THAT IS MR. FRED LYDA WITH WHO IS OUR HUMAN SERVICES DIRECTOR.
UH, HE, THIS IS THE FIRST ANNUAL LOOP COUNTRY, LEGAL VOLUNTEERS, JOHN BREAK, COMMUNITY SERVICES AWARD, AND THAT'S BEEN, UH, AWARDED TO HIM, UH, FOR HIS LONGSTANDING COMMITMENT, UM, TO, UM, ALRIGHT, LET ME RE LET ME RESTART AIR, SORRY ABOUT THAT.
UM, THE JOHN BAHRAINI COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD WAS ESTABLISHED IN 2020 AND RECOGNITION OF MR. BERETTA, LONGSTANDING COMMITMENT TO THE IDEALS AND COVENANTS ASSOCIATED WITH LOW COUNTRY LEGAL VOLUNTEERS, MISSION AND CALL FOR EQUAL ACCESS TO JUSTICE, THE AWARD HONORS, ANOTHER PEER ORGANIZATION, OR INDIVIDUAL WHO SERVICE TO OUR COMMUNITY AND TO THOSE WHO ARE MOST IN NEED MERE THE STEADFAST COMMITMENT THAT MISSION
AND AS THE FIRST RECIPIENT OF THE JOHN BRADY COMMUNITY SERVICES AWARD, MR. LYDA SETS A HIGH BAR AND A REMINDER TO US, ALL THAT CONSENSUS REAPS THROUGH OPEN DIALOGUE AND COLLABORATION REPRESENT THE BEST REFLECTION OF WHO WE ARE AND WHO WE SHOULD ASPIRE TO BE.
AND I THINK THAT DOES A GOOD JOB OF CONVEYING WHO FRED LEIDA IS AS A PERSON, UH, AS A COWORKER, UH, HE IS A GREAT COMMUNICATOR.
HE HAS A GREAT ATTITUDE AND IS ALWAYS OPEN TO ASSIST, UH, WHENEVER HE'S CALLED UPON TO DO SO.
UH, HE WAS AWARDED THIS ON JANUARY 18TH, 2021, MY FINAL PART OF MY REPORT.
AND I DON'T WANT TO TURN IT OVER TO MR. CHUCK ACTS IN OUR ACA FOR COMMUNITY SERVICES.
HE'S GOING TO GIVE YOU ALL A UPDATE ON THE DISTANCE LEARNING, UH, GRANT AWARDS.
AND THAT'LL COMPLETE MY REPORT, MR. CHAIRMAN, WHEN HE FINISHED.
BEFORE THE REST OF THE REPORT IS GIVEN OUT.
AND I JUST WANT TO PICK THIS UP WHEN WE DO CONGRATULATE YOU, FRED, YOU ARE WELL DESERVING OF THIS AWARD, UH, WITH YOUR DISPLAY OF THE JUDICIARY FOR THE HUMAN SERVICES ALLIANCES ARE COMING ON SHELDON TOWNSHIP, COMMUNITY SUPPORT, PARTNERSHIP, AND HELPING TO BETTER THE LIVES OF THE CITIZENS IN OUR COMMUNITIES.
I WORK IN THE SAME DIVISION AS FRED, NOT GOING TO TEST THAT HE IS A, UH, A REAL LIFE SUPERHERO.
HE AND HIS STAFF DO AN OUTSTANDING JOB, AND IT'S AN HONOR TO WORK WITH THEM EVERYDAY.
SO THANK YOU FOR THE, FOR ALL YOU DO FOR IT.
[00:30:01]
THANK YOU, UH, EACH FOR THE OPPORTUNITY, UH, TO PROVIDE AN UPDATE ON OUR BUFORD COUNTY DISTANCE LEARNING FUND PROGRAM, UH, THIS PROGRAM, THE DISTANCE LEARNING FUND PROGRAM WAS ESTABLISHED IN DECEMBER OF 2020 AS A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN BUFORD COUNTY AND THE COASTAL FOUNDATION.AND IT WAS FORMALIZED VIA AN MOU AND A FUNDING AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE TWO ORGANIZATIONS YOU'VE HEARD COUNTY HAS PROVIDED A GENEROUS FUNDING IN THE AMOUNT OF A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS AND AS AUTHORIZED AN ADDITIONAL A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS OF FUNDING THAT WILL BE DISPERSED ONCE THE INITIAL FUNDS HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFULLY AWARDED IN JANUARY, THE COASTAL COMMUNITY FOUNDATION ANNOUNCED THE ACTIVATION OF THE PROGRAMS, ONLINE INFORMATION AND APPLICATION PORTAL THAT CAN BE FOUND ON THE FOUNDATION'S WEBSITE@COASTALCOMMUNITYFOUNDATION.ORG, A DIFFERENT CAMP.
THE BUFORD COUNTY DISTANCE LEARNING FUND WAS CREATED TO SUPPORT NONPROFITS IN BUFORD COUNTY WHO ARE IMPLEMENTING AND OPERATING PROGRAMS TO ASSIST WITH DISTANCE LEARNING FOR STUDENTS WITHIN THE COUNTY.
THE FUND SUPPORTS NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS WHO ARE CURRENTLY OFFERING DISTANCE LEARNING SERVICES, AS WELL AS THOSE WHO WOULD LIKE TO BEGIN OFFERING, UH, DISTANCE LEARNING COMPONENTS WITHIN THEIR EXISTING PROGRAM, ORGANIZATIONS WHO MEET THE FOLLOWING CRITERIA ARE ELIGIBLE AND ENCOURAGED TO APPLY.
THEY MUST BE A NONPROFIT RECOGNIZED AS A FIVE OH ONE C3 ENTITY OR QUALIFIED HOUSE OF WORSHIP.
THEY MUST BE OPERATING SERVICES IN BUFORD COUNTY, SERVING BUFORD COUNTY STUDENTS.
THEY MUST BE ABLE TO DEMONSTRATE IN WRITING THE ABILITY TO PROVIDE SERVICES AND OUTLINE HOW THE FUNDS WILL BE SPENT.
NEW AND EXISTING PROGRAMS ARE ELIGIBLE TO APPLY.
AWARD RECIPIENTS MUST AGREE TO PROVIDE A WRITTEN REPORT.
ONCE FUNDS ARE EXPENSE OR SIX MONTHS AFTER RECEIPT OF THE GRANT, WHICHEVER COMES FIRST BRAND AWARDS ARE LIMITED TO 10% OF THE ORGANIZATION'S BUDGET OR $25,000.
THE CCF HAS BEEN HARD AT WORK PROMOTING THIS PROGRAM AND PROCESSING APPLICATIONS TO DATE.
THE CCF HAS RECEIVED EIGHT APPLICATIONS, APPLICATIONS ARE ACCEPTED ONLINE, AND THEY, THE CCF OFFERS TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO ANY ORGANIZATION WHO'S INTERESTED IN APPLY.
APPLICATIONS ARE PLACED UNDER REVIEW BY THEIR GRANTS COMMITTEE, UH, AS SOON AS THEY EVER SEE, AND IN THE ORDER IN WHICH THEY HAVE RECEIVED MARKETING AND VISIBILITY ACTIVITIES INCLUDE, UH, ONE ROUND OF SOCIAL MEDIA, UH, WHICH HAS BEEN EXECUTED AND COMPLETED AS OF LAST WEEK 43 ENGAGEMENTS ON LINKEDIN.
UH, IT INCLUDES LIKES COMMENTS AND SHARES RESULTING IN 500 PLUS USER VIEWS WITH 7.8% IN ENGAGEMENT RATES.
AS A REFERENCE, THE AVERAGE FOR CCF ENGAGEMENTS IS THREE TO 4%.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE GAINING TRACTION AND WE'RE, UH, WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT THE DIRECTION THIS PROGRAM IS GOING IN.
AND THERE ARE 15 ENGAGEMENTS ON FACEBOOK VIEWED BY 240 PLUS USERS.
A 6.2% ENGAGEMENT RATE, UH, WITH SIGNIFICANT SHARES BY INDEPENDENT USERS, 24 ENGAGEMENTS ON INSTAGRAM 300 PLUS IMPRESSIONS AT A 7.9% ENGAGEMENT RATE INFORMATION POSTED ON UBER COUNTY'S WEBPAGE.
UH, THERE'S THREE SHARES THERE, AND A LOT OF COMMUNITY COMMENTS AND LIKES, UH, STORIES THAT HAVE OUTLINED THIS PROGRAM HAVE BEEN PUBLISHED BY THE SAVANNAH BUSINESS JOURNAL, THE ISLAND NEWS, AND JUST LAST WEEK BY THE ISLAND PACKAGE BECAUSE THAT ADDITIONAL MARKETING AND OUTREACH EFFORTS ARE SCHEDULED TO CONTINUE THROUGHOUT THE SPRING AND THE SUMMER, UH, DURING THE COMMUNITY SERVICES PRESENTATION THAT DID A WEEK AGO, THE QUESTION WAS ASKED, UH, COULD APPLICANTS BE IDENTIFIED? I DIDN'T COMMUNICATE WITH THE CCF AND THEY PLAN ON PUBLISHING, UM, AWARD RECIPIENTS, AS SOON AS THAT COMES AVAILABLE, AS SOON AS I GET IT, I'LL PASS IT ALONG TO EACH.
AND WITH THAT, I CONCLUDE MY REPORT.
[6. DISABILITIES AWARENESS MONTH PROCLAMATION]
TO MOVE ON TO ITEM NUMBER SIX.THIS IS DISABILITY AWARENESS MONTH, AND THERE IS GOING TO BE A PROCLAMATION.
AND I'M GOING TO ASK COUNCILMAN GLOVER TO READ THAT PROCLAMATION.
UM, IT'S AN HONOR FOR ME TO DO THIS.
UM, ESPECIALLY BOY YOU'RE WELL-DESERVING AGENCY THAT ARE DOING SUCH A GREAT JOB, REACHING OUT TO A LOT OF OUR SPECIALTIES AND DISABILITIES, UM, FAMILY MEMBERS, AND THIS IS A PROCLAMATION AND IT READS, WHEREAS MORE THAN 500,000, SOUTH CAROLINA RESIDENTS AND FAMILIES ARE IMPACTED BY A SEVERE LONG LIFELONG DISABILITIES, INCLUDING
[00:35:01]
AUTISM, UH, DRAMATIC BRAINS, CALMER BRAIN INJURY, SPINAL CORD INJURY, AND INTELLECTUAL RELATED DISABILITY, WITHOUT REGARD OF COLOR, CULTURE, GEOGRAPHY, AGE, OR ECONOMIC CLASS.AND WHEREAS PEOPLE WITH LIFELONG DISABILITIES ARE PRODUCTIVE, CITIZENS, NEIGHBORS, AND FAMILY MEMBERS DESERVING OF RESPECT AND OPPORTUNITY FOR ECONOMIC SELF-SUFFICIENCY INDEPENDENCE AND PERSONAL GROWTH.
AND WHEREAS WE RECOGNIZE WITH HEARTFUL GRATITUDE AND APPRECIATION THE CAREGIVERS WHOSE SELFISHLY PROVIDE PHYSICAL AND EMOTIONAL SUPPORT TO BUFORD COUNTIES RESIDENTS WITH DISABILITIES OR SPECIAL NEEDS.
AND WHEREAS 2021 OBSERVANCE DISABILITIES AWARENESS MONTH CELEBRATES THE SUCCESSFUL PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES AND WITHOUT, AS WELL AS THE INCREASING INVOLVEMENT OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES IN EDUCATION, EMPLOYMENT, AND COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES.
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT BC COUNTY COUNCIL PROCLAIMS MARCH, 2021, JUST THE ABILITIES AWARENESS MONTH DATED THIS 18TH.
I MEAN, I'M SORRY, DATED THIS EIGHTH DAY OF MARCH, 2021 SIGNED BY, UM, CHAIRMAN, UH, JOSEPH HASSELMAN FOR COUNTY COUNCIL.
AND I THINK THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE, YES, WE HAVE THE VISUALS FROM THE DISABILITY BOARD CHAIRMAN, HELLO, COUNCIL MEMBERS ON WIND RUSSO AND I'M CHAIR OF THE BSN ADVISORY BOARD
UM, WE REALLY LIKE TO THANK YOU FOR THE
UM, THE CFT HAS THAT REALLY WORKS HARD ON BEHALF OF HUNDREDS OF CHILDREN AND ADULTS WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES, SORRY, BUT THERE'S DOWN SYNDROME AND AUTISM, AND IT'S VERY CHALLENGING, BUT EXTREMELY IMPORTANT JOB, UM, AS CONSUMERS FOR JOBS WITHIN THE COMMUNITY.
AND IT HELPED THEM UNDERTAKE MANY DAY-TO-DAY FUNCTIONS THAT WE ALL THE REST OF US DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT, THE PROCLAMATION AND SUPPORT IT IS INDIVIDUALS AND OUR STAFF REALLY HELPS TO MAKE, UM, PUBLIC AWARENESS MUCH MORE PREVALENT, AND IT REALLY PUTS IT OUT THERE.
SO PEOPLE ARE MUCH MORE AWARE OF THIS.
AND I WANT TO SAY HI TO COUNCILWOMAN HOWARD FROM COUNSELING AND GLOVER.
UM, I KNOW THEM THROUGH OUR WORK AND I REALLY APPRECIATE ALL THE WORK THAT THEY HAVE DONE ON OUR BEHALF.
AND I THANK ALL OF YOU FOR THIS.
IT'S, IT'S REALLY HEARTWARMING AND IT'S NOT AN EASY JOB.
AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT.
AND I SAID IT ALL, SO THANK YOU.
[7. US 278 INDEPENDENT REVIEW PRESENTATION]
NEXT ITEM ON OUR AGENDA IS A PRESENTATION ABOUT THE U S TWO 78 INDEPENDENT REVIEW.AND I'M GOING TO ASK GERALD SPRAY LIPS TO BEGIN THAT PRESENTATION.
WE HAVE, AS YOU ALL ARE AWARE, STARTED THE INDEPENDENT REVIEW FOR THE TWO 78 OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE.
WE STARTED IN JANUARY MONTH AND OUR S INITIALLY GEARED TOWARDS THE END OF MARCH.
THAT'S HELPING FACILITATE AND DO THIS REVIEW FOR US.
UM, WE'VE HAD SEVERAL MEETINGS TO DATE AND OUR, UM, AGAIN, APPROACHING OUR LAST FEW MEANS INTO WHAT DO YOU HAVE BEFORE US TO JUST AGREE FOR AGENTS WE ARE INTERESTED IN IS HERE WITH US TO TALK THROUGH IT AND GO THROUGH THE ITEMS, THE SOME ITEMS THAT WE'VE DISCUSSED AND HAVE, UH, BROUGHT SOME RESOLUTION TO THUS FAR, AND SOME OTHER ITEMS THAT WE STILL NEED TO EASE OUT AS WE WORK THROUGH THE REST OF THIS PROJECT.
SO ARE THE INDEPENDENT REVIEW PROJECT.
SO, UH, PHILIP, ARE YOU THERE? I FULFILLED, IF YOU WANT TO TALK THROUGH THAT A FEW SLIDES, WE JUST HAVE A FEW SLIDES TO GIVE YOU AN UPDATE ALSO TO PUT IT IN YOUR PACKET WAS THE OUTLINE OF THE DRAFT FOR, FOR, UM, AND AGAIN, OUR REPORT WILL BE COMING.
UM, WHEREAS THE END OF MARCH, WE WILL MAKE DATE ON PRESENTATION OF THAT REPORT IN APRIL.
UM, SO YOU WANT TO START BY SAYING THANKS TO COUNCIL FOR GIVING US THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK, UM, ON THIS PROJECT.
AND SO WE'LL TRY TO KEEP IT LIKE RIGHT AROUND 10
[00:40:01]
MINUTES OR SO FAIRLY, FAIRLY QUICK, BUT MY NAME IS PHILLIP HUTCHISON AND I SIT IN THE HDR OFFICE IN COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA.AND THEN ALSO, UM, ON THE CALL TODAY IS JEFF DAYTON WHO SITS IN A RALEIGH NORTH CAROLINA OFFICE.
AND SO THE TWO OF US ALONG WITH OTHER PLANNERS AND ENGINEERS HAVE BEEN WORKING ON, UM, THIS INDEPENDENT REVIEW.
SO AS WE STARTED, UH, AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS YEAR, WE REACHED OUT TO DOTD TO, TO GET INFORMATION FROM THEM.
UM, WE RECEIVED, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THEIR TECHNICAL REPORTS THAT WOULD BE PART OF THEIR ENVIRONMENTAL STATUS MEDS AND GOOGLE EARTH FILES AND TRAFFICKING OFFICE FILES AS WELL.
AND THEN ALSO ON THE, UM, TWO 78 CORRIDOR WEBSITE, THERE'S, THERE'S A LOT OF INFORMATION THAT WE WERE ABLE TO OBTAIN.
SO FIRST WE CHECKED THE DOCUMENTS FOR, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT THEY MEET FEDERAL AND STATE GUIDELINES, UM, BECAUSE THE NEPA GUIDELINES MUST BE MET FOR ANY OF THE PROJECTS THAT RECEIVED FEDERAL FUNDING LIKE THIS ONE.
SO, UM, FOR THIS PROJECT, ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AS THE NEPA DOCUMENT THAT THEY ARE LOOKING THROUGH.
SO WE CHECK THE GUIDELINES FOR THAT.
UM, OUR NEXT TASK FOR THE TWO OF YOU, ALL THE ALTERNATIVES STUDIED BY THE OT, I INCLUDED THE PRELIMINARY ALTERNATIVES AND THEN WHICH THOSE WERE NARROWED DOWN TO THE REASONABLE ALTERNATIVES.
AND THEN AS WELL, THEY ALSO INCLUDED INTERSECTION DESIGN CONCEPTS, UM, PARTICULARLY FOR INTERSECTION EAST OF THE EXISTING BRIDGES.
SO, UM, ON THE ISLAND, AND THEN, UH, WE BEEN MEETING WITH THE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE, UM, AS JARED MENTIONED, WE'VE MET, UM, FOUR TIMES WE'LL HAVE FIVE MEETINGS.
SO, UM, OUR FIRST MEETING WAS JANUARY 19TH AND OUR LAST MEETING WILL BE, UM, NEXT TUESDAY.
AND SO WE WERE ABLE TO INTERACT WITH THEIR OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE AND, UH, GIVE THEM SOME INSIGHT INTO SOME MORE EXACT QUESTIONS THAT THEY HAD, UH, ON THEIR, ON THE PROJECT.
SO MANY OF THOSE QUESTIONS THAT WE'RE GOING TO COVER TONIGHT.
UM, AND ALSO, I WOULD LIKE TO JUST SAY, I APPRECIATE ALL THOSE PEOPLE THAT HAVE VIEWED THOSE MEETINGS ONLINE.
WE'VE GOTTEN SOME FEEDBACK FROM THAT SET AND IT'S GREAT.
AND THANKS FOR MOVING THIS FIVE FOR ME.
SO, UM, KNOW CAROLYN COUNCIL, AS WELL AS LOOKING AT TALENT COUNCIL PUT TOGETHER KIND OF FOUR QUESTIONS THAT WERE IN OUR SCOPE.
UM, AND YOU CAN SEE THOSE ON THE SCREEN THERE.
UM, FIRST TWO QUESTIONS SORT OF ADDRESS THE, THE GROWTH RATE IN THE AREA AND ALONG THE CORRIDOR.
UM, AND THEN FOLLOWED BY A QUESTION CONCERNING SAFETY, UM, ALONG SAFETY CONCERNS WITH THE FUTURE IMPROVEMENTS TO THE PROJECT.
AND THEN LASTLY VERIFYING THAT ALL THE ALTERNATIVES WERE CONSIDERED.
SO IN OUR INTERIM REPORT THIS EVENING, UM, THERE'S SEVERAL ITEMS OF VOT, UM, ANALYSIS THAT WE WANT TO GO OVER.
AND THEN SEVERAL ITEMS THAT WE GOT OUT OF THESE, UM, OVERSIGHT COMMUNITY THAT WE WANTED TO GO OVER.
UM, SO MOVING ON TO OUR NEXT SLIDE, UM, THE FIRST ITEM WE LOOKED AT WAS THE ALTERNATIVES.
SO THE, THERE WERE 19 PRELIMINARY ALTERNATIVES THAT DOTD STUDIED AT, YOU KNOW, THESE WERE STAYED AT A VERY HIGH LEVEL AND, YOU KNOW, MANY OF THEM HAD NEW, UM, MANY OF THEM WERE NEW LOCATION OPTIONS AND IT HAD VARYING BEGINNING END POINTS, UM, ALONG THE CORRIDOR AND THEY WERE STUDIED MORE FOR RIGHT AWAY IMPACTS AND WETLAND IMPACTS AND NEIGHBORHOOD IMPACTS AND ALL THE ALTERNATIVES HAD THE SAME ASSUMPTIONS, UM, FOR COMPARISON PURPOSES.
SO FOR EXAMPLE, ALL THE ALTERNATIVES, UM, ESTIMATED SIX LANES IN EACH DIRECTION, UM, SIX LANES TO MOODLE.
SO I HAVE FOR THE DESIGN YEAR OF 2045.
SO WE LOOKED AT THOSE AND FOLLOWING THAT, UM, SIX ALTERNATIVES, WHICH WERE, WHICH WERE THEN SLIGHTLY MODIFIED, UM, TO MAKE NINE ALTERNATIVES AND MOVE FORWARD, UM, INTO FURTHER INVESTIGATION AND THESE ALTERNATIVES, UH, ALL THESE ALTERNATIVES ACTUALLY INCLUDED REPLACING THE BRIDGES EITHER ON THE EXISTING SITE OR IMMEDIATELY ADJACENT TO THE EXISTING SITE.
UM, SO BASED ON THE PRELIMINARY ALTERNATIVE MATRIX, THEY SEEM LIKE THE BEST ALTERNATIVES TO MOVE FORWARD.
UM, AND THEN A NEW IMPACT MATRIX WAS MADE WITH THE NINE ALTERNATIVES WITH MORE DETAILED EVALUATION CRITERIA, SUCH AS SPECIFIC RELOCATIONS THAT WOULD OCCUR AND SPECIFIC IMPACTS TO NEIGHBORHOODS.
UM, SO IT DIDN'T NOTICE THAT THE ALTERNATIVES THAT INCLUDED RELOCATING TO 78, UM, LIKE AROUND THE STUDENT AND COMMUNITY HAD HIGHER IMPACTS IN THE ALTERNATIVES ON THE, ON THE EXISTING CORRIDOR.
AND, UM, SINCE THERE ARE REASONABLE ALTERNATIVES AVAILABLE, THIS, THAT, UM, MY THINKING MADE SENSE AND WERE PROBABLY MOST ACCEPTABLE BY THE AGENCIES THAT WE NEED TO SIGN OFF ON THE PERMIT SUCH AS, UM,
[00:45:01]
D HECK AND SHIPPO AND AS WELL AS FEDERAL HIGHWAYS.UM, SO SINCE MANY OF THE, THE REASONABLE ALTERNATIVE HAS SORT OF HAVE A SIMILAR FOOTPRINT ON TWO 78, UM, THE TOT CAME UP WITH INTERSECTION DESIGN CONCEPTS AND THEY CAME UP WITH, I THINK, 14 OPTIONS IN THE SQUARE POPE, SPANISH FROZE AREA, AND SEVEN OR EIGHT OPTIONS IN THE AREA, UM, AND THE JENKINS ON AREA.
SO THIS SEEMS TO BE THE PORTION OF THE PROJECT THAT HAS KIND OF GARNERED THE MOST ATTENTION.
UM, DUT HAS NARROWED THOSE CONCEPTS DOWN PRETTY GOOD BIT.
UM, THE STUDIES ARE STILL ONGOING WITH THOSE SINCE THERE'S NOT A RECOMMENDED PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE.
UM, HAVEN'T BEEN SELECTED SO DETAILED DESIGN IS STILL GOING ON AT DDOT, AND WE LIKE TO CHAT POINT ANALYSIS FOR THE ALTERNATIVES THAT THEY HAD AND AS WELL AS THE IMPACT TO COMMUNITY.
AND WE ARE STUDYING THOSE ALONG WITH THE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE TO, UM, INCLUDE THOSE IN OUR FINAL REPORT.
UM, ALSO AS FAR AS THE GROWTH RATE, UH, THAT WAS IN RESPONSE TO MANY QUESTIONS WE HAD, UH, SO TYPICALLY ALONG THE REDUCE THE LONG RANGE PLANS FROM THE COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS, UM, HOWEVER WITH THE LATEST MODEL, THE ACTUAL 2040 TRAFFIC NUMBERS HAVE ACTUALLY ALREADY BEEN EXCEEDED.
UM, AND THIS WAS, THIS WAS KIND OF BASED ON SEEING THE HIGH GROWTH IN THE BLUFFTON AREA, BECAUSE WHAT WE WERE LOOKING AT, BUT THE GROWTH RATE THAT THEY CAME UP WITH, THE 1.19% THAT, THAT YOU HEAR A GOOD BIT IS PRETTY ACCURATE DEPICTION OF THE GROWTH, UM, FOR THIS SECTION ROADWAY.
AND JUST, UM, JUST AS KIND OF A, AN IDEA OF HOW MUCH TRAFFIC IS THERE.
UM, I'M, IT HAS VERY SIMILAR TRAFFIC AND ACTUALLY TO THE
SO THAT SEEMS TO BE ABOUT THE SAME NUMBER OF CARS GOING THROUGH THAT AREA AS GOING THROUGH TWO 78 ON THESE BRIDGES.
UM, SO WHILE TRAVEL TO THEN BEYOND 2045 IS, IS VERY DIFFICULT TO DO BECAUSE OF, UM, CHANGES IN LANDLORD, MCS AND OTHERS.
UM, WE WILL VERIFY THAT ALL THE DEITY CONCEPTS, UM, AS WELL AS ANY OTHER ALTERNATIVES THAT WE LOOKED AT HAVING AN ACCEPTABLE LEVEL OF SERVICE, UM, 30, 20, 45, AND MAYBE SEVERAL YEARS AFTER THAT.
UM, SO BESIDES THE HIGH NUMBER OF VEHICLES IN THE AREA, UM, ANOTHER REASON TO NEVER YOU'RE LOOKING AT THIS IS BECAUSE OF VEHICLE CRASHES IN THE VEHICLE CRASHED INTO, SO THERE ARE CURRENTLY A VERY HIGH NUMBER OF REAR END COLLISIONS THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE CORRIDOR AND NOT JUST DOING ONE SECTION.
THIS IS DEFINITELY AN INDICATOR, A VERY HIGH CONGESTION IN THE AREA, UM, ESPECIALLY FOR THE FOUR LANES THAT ARE CURRENTLY THERE, UM, AS WELL, THERE'S A REALLY HIGH NUMBER OF ANGLE CRASHES THAT OCCUR AT SIGNIFICANT INTERSECTIONS, UM, WHICH LEADS US TO THINK THAT WE NEED TO LIMIT THE NUMBER OF CONFLICT POINTS, OR MAYBE NOT MAKE FULL INTERSECTIONS, BUT SOMEWHAT PARTIAL INTERSECTIONS.
AND THEN LASTLY, ON THIS SLIDE, THE AVAILABLE FUNDING, UM, I KNOW THAT THERE'S A $240 MILLION CURRENTLY AVAILABLE, AND WE RECOGNIZE THE EFFORTS OF THE COUNTY TO SECURE THOSE FINES AND THE ABILITY OF THE COUNTY TO SECURE ADDITIONAL FUNDS.
YOU HAVE DEFINITIONAL POINTS WHERE NEEDED.
UM, BUT SEVERAL QUESTIONS WERE ASKED ABOUT, UM, IF THEY ARE AVAILABLE, FUNDING HAS A POTENTIAL IMPACT ON ANY ALTERNATIVES LIKE THAT.
BUT, UM, BASED ON THAT COST INFORMATION THAT WE RECEIVED FROM DMT, IT ACTUALLY DOES NOT APPEAR THAT ANY ALTERNATIVES WERE DISK WERE DISCOUNTED DUE TO, UM, JUST 20 $240 MILLION.
SO GIVEN A POINT THAT OUT, AND THEN, UM, MOVING INTO THE LAST SLIDE THAT WE'VE GOT, THESE ARE, THESE ARE SOME THINGS THAT WE LOOKED AT BEYOND WHAT CAME FROM VOT.
UM, SO AS PREVIOUSLY ALLUDED TO, UM, THE NEW ALTERNATIVES THROUGH THE JENKINS AND STONY AREA SEEM TO BE A KEY AREA OF CONCERN FOR MANY STAKEHOLDERS, SO ALTERNATIVES AND THIS AREA YEAH, VERY GREATLY, UM, INCLUDING, YEAH, A FREE FLOW MOVEMENT ON TWO 78, UM, GREAT SEPARATED INTERCHANGES, REDUCE CONFLICT INTERCHANGES AS WELL AS DO NOTHING ALTERNATIVE AND KEEPING IT FOUR LANES AS WELL.
SO WE'VE LOOKED AT MANY ALTERNATIVES IN THIS AREA AND BASED ON A PRELIMINARY TRAFFIC ANALYSIS, WE FEEL THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, SYNCHRONIZED TRAFFIC SIGNALS MAYBE LIMITING THE PHASES OF THOSE TRAFFIC SIGNALS, UM, WILL WORK WELL, BUT WE'RE STILL RUNNING THE DETAILED ANALYSIS ON SOME OF THOSE, UM, INTERSECTION CONCEPTS THAT WE'VE COME UP WITH.
AND WE WILL INCLUDE THAT IN OUR FINAL REPORT ON NEXT AND OUR RIVERSIDE COMMUNITY MEETINGS.
UM, WE WERE LUCKY TO HEAR FROM
[00:50:01]
MS. MILANA SELLERS, UM, WITH COORDINATING WITH DLT ABOUT THE IMPACTS TO THIS DOWNEY COMMUNITY.AND WE ALSO HAVE MR. HERBERT FORWARD ON THE, ON THE COMMITTEE TO BRING HIS INPUT.
AND SO FOR MANY, UM, IN THE AREA, JUST NOT TAKING AWAY THAT SENSE OF COMMUNITY TO THE PROJECT, UM, IS A KEY.
AND WE HAVE SPOKEN TO THE OVERSIGHT COMMUNITY ABOUT WAYS TO DO THAT, WHICH WE'LL POINT OUT IN THOSE LAST THREE BULLETS HERE.
SO REGARDING A BIKE AND PEDESTRIAN SAFETY, UM, WE DO ANTICIPATE, UM, A HIGHER NUMBER OF BICYCLE PEDESTRIANS IN THE AREA BASED ON THE ADDITION OF THE MULTI-USE PATH ACROSS THE BRIDGES, UM, FROM ON THAT TO BLUFFTON.
UM, SO WON'T THAT THE ROADWAY IMPROVEMENTS WILL NEED TO INCORPORATE SAFETY ELEMENTS.
SO THOSE BOUGHT OF THOSE BIKES, INCLUDING, UM, THE ABILITY TO CROSS TWO 78, UM, AS SEVERAL LOCATIONS.
SO ALSO WITH, UM, THE REDUCED CONFLICT INTERSECTIONS THAT I MENTIONED, EITHER FREE FLOW OF MOVEMENTS OR, OR OTHERS, THERE IS AN IMPACT TO THE LOCAL TRAFFIC PATTERNS, UM, WHEN WE'VE CONCENTRATED ON TRYING TO MINIMIZE THOSE PATTERNS.
SO PEOPLE MAY HAVE TO TAKE A DIFFERENT ROUTE TO THE HOME OR TO A BUSINESS THAT THEY'RE GOING TO.
UM, AND SO THIS CAN BE DONE WITH YOU TURNS OR SOME TYPE OF LOCAL MEASURES THAT WE ARE ALSO LOOKING INTO AS WELL.
AND THEN THE LAST BULLET, UM, THE ROADWAY CHARACTER IS A KEY, ESPECIALLY IN THE, IN THE JENKINS AND STONEY COMMUNITY.
AND WE'VE TALKED TO THE COMMITTEE ABOUT WAYS TO DO THIS.
UM, FOR EXAMPLE, MOVING PATHWAYS FURTHER AWAY FROM THE ROADWAY THAN A TYPICAL DOD PROJECT WOULD, UM, STREET LIGHTING, PAINTING, CROSSWALKS, LANDSCAPE, MEDIANS, UM, BUFFERS, ALL OF THOSE THINGS.
AND THESE, THESE IMPROVEMENTS CALL ATTENTION TO VEHICLES, DRIVING THROUGH AN AREA, UM, THAT THEY GIVE THEM AN IDEA OF WHAT'S GOING ON AROUND THEM AND ALL THESE, UM, CHARACTER IDEAS WE'LL INCLUDE IN OUR FINAL REPORT.
SO THESE ARE THE ITEMS WE LOOKED AT TO DATE, AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO LOOK AT AS WE FINALIZE OUR REVIEW.
SO MOVING FORWARD AS JARED STATED EARLIER, UH, WE PLANNED TO MEET WITH THE RIVERSIDE COMMUNITY ONE MORE TIME ON TUESDAY 16TH, AND THEN WE'LL HAVE OUR DRAFT REPORT TO THEM AT THE END OF MARCH.
AND THEN ONCE THAT IS DONE, WE WILL SUBMIT THE REPORT TO BOTH COUNTY COUNCIL AND, UM, THAT TOWN COUNCIL.
SO BEFORE I CLOSE, I JUST WANTED TO ADD ONE MORE THOUGHT.
SO DURING ONE OF OUR CONVERSATIONS AND OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE, UM, SO MANY HAVE MENTIONED THIS PROJECT AS A GENERATIONAL PROJECT, WHICH, WHICH REALLY AGREES.
SO WITH THAT IN MIND, I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT WE'RE, WE'RE EXCITED TO HELP THE COUNTY COUNCIL AND THE FOLKS IN THE COUNTY HELP ADDRESS SOME CONCERNS THAT YOU MAY HAVE, UM, WITH THE PROJECTS THAT ARE GOING ON.
AND THANKS FOR LETTING US PRESENT TODAY.
AND WE ARE EXCITED ABOUT COMING BACK, UM, AND MAYBE NEXT MONTH TO ADDRESS COUNCIL ON THE FINDINGS OF OUR FINALIZED REPORT.
SO WITH THAT, THAT CONCLUDES OUR INTERIM REPORT.
UH, JEREMY, BETH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
IS THERE ANY COMMENTS ON THE COUNCIL MEMBERS, MR. VISHAAN? THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN.
I'VE GOT ONE CLARIFYING QUESTION AND THE QUESTION TO FOLLOW UP WITH THAT, BUT DID I HEAR CORRECTLY THAT THE CURRENT TRAFFIC LEVELS IN THAT AREA OR THAT STRETCH OF ROAD IS BEYOND THE 2040 PROJECTED TRAFFIC THAT WE HAD SOME TIME AGO? YEAH.
JEFF, DO YOU WANT TO, UM, TALK TO THAT ON ME ABOUT NOW? SO YEAH, IT'S ONE OF THE, THE DOCUMENT WHERE THEY ORIGINALLY WERE LOOKING AT THE GROWTH RATES, WHAT IT WAS SHOWING THAT AND WHAT THEIR FUTURE GROWTH RATES WERE ALREADY AT THE EXISTING LEVEL.
SO THEY HAD TO MAKE SOME CHANGES TO THE MODEL.
UM, SO THAT'S KINDA WHAT HE WAS INFERRING ABOUT THAT, BUT SO THE GROWTH RATE, UM, NOW AT THE 1.1 NIGHT, ACTUALLY IT WAS A LITTLE BIT LESS THAN SOME LOCATIONS, BUT THE GROWTH RATE ON ACTUALLY THE, THE CONNECTOR BETWEEN BLUFFTON AND HILTON HEAD, UM, ACTUALLY WAS AT A HIGHER RATE OF A LITTLE OVER 2% PER YEAR GIVE OR TAKE.
SO, UM, WHEN THEY FLUSHED EVERYTHING OUT AND THAT'S WHERE THEY CAME OUT WITH A 1.19% GROWTH.
SO THEY DIDN'T HAVE 2018, UH, COUNTS THAT THEY DID AND GREW THAT 1.19% EVERY YEAR TO THIS 2045 NUMBER.
UM, AND THEN THE SECOND QUESTION IS THAT PRESUMABLY EVERYBODY'S HAD
[00:55:01]
AN OPPORTUNITY TO READ THE LETTER THAT WAS SENT BY THE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE THIS AFTERNOON.UH, MY READ OF THAT LETTER, UH, IS QUITE CONCERNING, FRANKLY, AND IT SEEMS TO ME LIKE THIS WHOLE EXERCISE WAS MEANT TO BE A CONSENSUS BUILDING EXERCISE WITHIN THE COMMUNITY.
AND IT SEEMS LIKE BASED ON MY READ OF THAT LETTER, THAT'S NOT WHAT'S HAPPENING.
SO, UM, I'M WONDERING IF THE MEETING AND THE FINAL MEETING ON TUESDAY, IF THAT'S GOING TO ADDRESS ALL THE CONCERNS THAT THEY RAISE, OR IF THERE'S GOING TO BE ADDITIONAL WORK THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE, OR, YOU KNOW, HOW THAT'S GOING TO PLAY OUT, I'LL ANSWER THAT.
UM, I DID RECEIVE THAT LETTER AS WELL.
AND, UM, AND I SPOKE TO SOME OF THE MEMBERS REGARDING THAT LETTER.
UM, IN ESSENCE, THOSE THREE QUESTIONS AS HIGHLIGHTED IN THE REFERENCE, SPLINTER ARE THE SAME QUESTIONS THAT WE'RE IN AN INTERVIEW.
YOU ANSWERED SOME OF THOSE WE'VE ANSWERED, UM, AS MR. HUTCHINSON DESCRIBED THE INTENTS TO TEASE THAT OUT, UM, IN OUR, IN OUR LAST MEETING AND IN OUR BATTLE FOR FOOD TO CRAFT OUR REPORT.
UM, BUT IN ESSENCE, THOSE WERE THE SAME QUESTIONS THAT WERE PART OF THE FOOD.
UM, AND WE INTEND TO, TO ADDRESS THAT, MR. LONZA.
YEAH, JUST SAID A ONE JUST POINT, ALMOST LIKE MR. HERBERT SEAN'S WAS I W DID I HEAR THAT, UH, YOU SAY THAT, UM, TRAFFIC ON TWO 78 BRIDGES IS AS MUCH AS 95, UH, GOING INTO GEORGIA WAS THE FIRST THING THAT KIND OF SURPRISED ME.
AND THEN SECONDLY, UM, I AGREE THAT THE BIKE PATHS AND WALKING TRAILS WILL BE HEAVILY TRAVELED.
UM, MY CONCERN IS THAT YOU MENTIONED HAVING PEOPLE CROSS OVER IS HOW THAT'S GONNA WORK WITHOUT STOPPING TRAFFIC, WHICH IS WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO AVOID TO KEEP TRAFFIC GOING.
SO I KNOW I'M KINDA THROWING, THROWING THEM A MONKEY WRENCH AT YOU HERE, BUT JUST KINDA, UM, I KINDA CAUGHT MY ATTENTION THAT WE WOULD EVEN CONSIDER CABINET CROSSOVER TO 78, UM, OR, OR, OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
SO JUST, JUST THOUGHTS ON THAT, OR YOU MIGHT NOT EVEN HAVE AN ANSWER FOR THAT.
SO IN THE, UM, IN THE STONEY COMMUNITY, RIGHT, RIGHT NOW THAT HAVE THE ABILITY TO CROSS OVER THE ROAD AND FROM WHAT WE HAVE SEEN, UH, BASED ON THE TRAFFIC THAT DUT HAS GIVEN US, WE'VE KIND OF RERUNS AND SCENARIOS.
AND BASICALLY AS LONG AS WE LIMIT THE PHASES OF THOSE SIGNALS, AND IN ESSENCE, BASICALLY GIVE THE TWO 78 TRAFFIC AND A LOT MORE GREEN TIME THAN THEY'RE GETTING RIGHT NOW.
UM, YOU WOULD STILL BE ABLE TO CROSS VEHICLE ACROSS PEDESTRIANS ACROSS TWO 78, WHICH I THINK IS, IS KIND OF A KEY.
UM, BUT IT JUST, THE ABILITY TO GET BACK AND FORTH ONE OPTION YOU COULD HAVE IS ACTUALLY GO UNDERNEATH, UM, THE BRIDGE.
I THINK THERE'S ACTUALLY A ROAD UNDERNEATH EXISTING VERSUS SOMETHING SIMILAR TO THAT, BUT JUST TO HAVE THE ABILITY TO CROSS THOSE, UM, PEDESTRIANS ACROSS THERE, I THINK IS, IS KEY AS LONG AS YOU'RE NOT STOPPING TRAFFIC FOR A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF TIME THAT IT WAS TIED BACK IN THE LAB.
UM, MR. RODMAN WAS NEXT, MR. GLOVER.
JUST TO REMIND US OF, UH, HOW WE GOT, WHERE WE ARE, UH, BACK, UH, IN THE MIDDLE OF LAST YEAR, UH, THERE WAS A GROWING, UH, INQUEST WITH SOME KIND OF A PEER REVIEW, INDEPENDENT REVIEW.
SO COUNCIL INITIATIVE THAT THE TOWN JOIN WITH US AND, UH, THIS IS WHAT WE ARE LOOKING AT NOW.
UH, SO THAT WAS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT COMMUNITY WANTED.
SECONDLY, I THINK THE REPORT IS SUGGESTING THAT SEVERAL OF THE ITEMS THAT WERE QUESTIONS THAT ARE RAISED, UH, HAVE BEEN ADDRESSED AND YOU DON'T DISAGREE WITH, UH, UH, THE PATH THAT WE'RE ON, THINGS LIKE THE GROWTH RATE AND THE, THE, UH, THAT THE HIGHWAYS OF THOSE ROOMS, UM, THAT LEAVES US THEN AS THEY FINISH UP THEIR REPORT, TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL OF THE ALTERNATIVES HAVE BEEN LOOKED AT AND PROPERLY EVALUATED AND, AND INCLUDING, UH, ALTERNATIVES THAT THEY MAY PUT ON THE TABLE.
SO, UH, AS WE, UH, COME DOWN TOWARD THE END, I THINK IN THE FRONT OF THE COMMUNITY, IF THERE ARE ANY ISSUES THAT, UM, THAT HAVE NOT BEEN PUT ON THE TABLE OR PUT ON THE TABLE AND ARE NOT BEING ADDRESSED, THOSE REALLY NEED TO COME FORWARD ALMOST IMMEDIATELY SO THAT WE DON'T GET TO A POINT THAT, YOU KNOW, A MONTH FROM NOW, SOMEBODY SAYS, OH, BY THE WAY, WHY DON'T WE DO THIS
[01:00:01]
OR DO THAT.SO, UH, FOR THOSE THAT ARE LISTENING, THAT MAY HAVE SUBMITTED IDEAS THAT HAVE NOT BEEN COVERED YET, OR THINGS THAT THEY WANT TO SUGGEST, YOU KNOW, NOW IS THE TIME OR FOREVER HOLD YOUR PEACE.
BUT I THINK A GOOD WORK PRODUCT.
WAS CHAIRMAN, UM, I DON'T KNOW HULU TO ADDRESS THIS QUESTION TOO, BUT IN THE REPORT OUTLINE HERE, UM, NUMBER FOUR, DRAFT RECOMMENDATIONS FOR, UH, SOCK LAND.
UH, YOU TALK ABOUT, UM, NOT PROPERLY EVALUATING TWO MAJOR INTERSECTION IN THE COMMUNITY, PARTICULARLY, UM, AROUND THE STONY COMMUNITY, THAT'S THE, UM, SPANISH, UM, WELLS ROAD INTERSECTION, OR, UH, EITHER SECTION, ARE YOU ASKING, OR ARE YOU SAYING THAT THOSE, THOSE TWO INTERSECTIONS WAS REALLY THAT TOTALLY EVALUATED PROPERLY BY ELT? AND ARE THEY GOING TO BE ADDRESSING THOSE CONCERNS BECAUSE THOSE ARE MAJOR INTERSECTIONS FOR THE HISPANIC, I MEAN, FOR THE BLACK COMMUNITY.
AND JEFF, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU TO CHIME IN ON THAT AS WELL, BUT SO, YEAH, THEY, THEY ACTUALLY CAME UP WITH A GOOD NUMBER OF ALTERNATIVES, UH, THROUGH THAT AREA.
AND I THINK A LOT OF THOSE, UM, WERE ADDRESSED PRETTY WELL.
UM, THERE ARE SOME OF THEM THAT SEEM TO, LIKE, FOR EXAMPLE, SOME INNER INTERCHANGE OPTIONS THERE THAT WERE, UM, TAKEN OUT OF CONSIDERATION DUE TO IMPACTS LOCAL IMPACTS AND THINGS LIKE THAT, BUT IT DIDN'T GET PUSHED FORWARD TO THE LEVEL OF DETAIL AND THE LEVEL OF ANALYSIS THAT WE SAW.
UM, THEY MAY HAVE ACTUALLY GONE THAT FAR.
WE, WE JUST DIDN'T GET THAT INFORMATION, WHICH I'M ASSUMING THAT'S PROBABLY THE SITUATION.
SO WE HAVE BEEN IN CONTACT WITH DUTY VIA EMAIL ASKING QUESTIONS.
CAN YOU GIVE US A LITTLE BIT MORE INFORMATION HERE AND THERE? SO THAT WILL BE THINGS THAT WE ASKED FOR, BUT AS FAR AS IF THEY EVALUATE THOSE INTERSECTIONS, YES, SEVERAL OF THOSE INTERSECTIONAL TERMS WERE EVALUATED IN GREAT DETAIL AND HAD A LOT OF TRAFFIC ANALYSIS, TRAFFIC ANALYSIS, AND THE SYNCHRO, WHICH IS THE SOFTWARE ON BACKSEAT GAVE US THOSE, UM, SOFTWARE RUNS FOR US TO LOOK AT.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS, MR. ROBIN, MAKING A SIMILAR PRESENTATION TO THE TOWN COUNCIL AT THEIR WORKSHOP ON TWO 78 ON WEDNESDAY.
I THINK THERE'LL BE COVERED ON THE, UH, COUNTY JAIL.
UM, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS BEFORE WE MOVE ON SEEING NONE? WE'RE NOW AT THE CITIZENS
[8. CITIZEN COMMENTS]
COMMENTS, UM, ITEM NUMBER, AGE, UH, I BELIEVE THEY'RE IN SOMEONE AT THE COUNTY COUNCIL CHAMBER THAT WISHES TO MAKE A COMMENT, IF SO, WILL THAT PERSON COME TO THE MICROPHONE? IDENTIFY THEMSELVES? YEAH.I AM AN OWNER AT A LOT, ONE 22 MAY RIVER ROAD, WHICH IS ON THE AGENDA TONIGHT TO LOOK AT THE ZONING.
UH, I APPRECIATE, AND I'M VERY THANKFUL FOR THE TIME TO TALK TO YOU GUYS AND GIVE YOU A LITTLE HISTORY, UM, OF THE LOT ITSELF AND MYSELF AND MY FAMILY AND HOW WE CAME INTO OWNING THE PROPERTY.
UM, I'VE BEEN, UH, SITTING ON THE PROPERTY FOR ABOUT 16 YEARS.
SO I REALLY AM LOOKING FORWARD TO A FEW MINUTES TO TRY TO EXPLAIN TO YOU THE SCENARIO THAT OCCURRED.
SO, UM, HISTORY, MY, UH, MY FOLKS MOVED DOWN HERE IN 90 AND, UM, TOOK WHAT THEY HAD TO BUY, UH, A LITTLE BUSINESS THAT WAS GOING UNDER AND, UM, STARTED INVESTING IN THE COMMUNITY AND, UM, STARTED TO GROW THAT BUSINESS ON HILTON HEAD AND BLUFFTON.
UM, A FEW YEARS LATER THEY WERE DOING WELL AND THEY STARTED TO EXPAND AND EMPLOY PEOPLE.
UM, AND THEN SUDDENLY IN 1997, MY DAD DIED UNEXPECTEDLY.
I WAS, UH, NOT LIVING HERE, BUT I DECIDED TO MOVE TO THE AREA TO HELP MY MOM KEEP THE BUSINESS ALIVE.
AND, UH, WE, WE DID THAT AND WE STARTED WORKING.
UM, AND THEN A COUPLE OF YEARS LATER, MY MOM REMARRIED AND, UM, MY STEPDAD, GEORGE CAME INTO THE BUSINESS A LITTLE BIT AND STARTED HELPING OUT.
AND IN OH FIVE WE DECIDED THAT WE WANTED TO EXPAND.
AND WE STARTED LOOKING AT PROPERTIES,
[01:05:02]
UM, OUT IN BLUFFTON AND FURTHER, AND WE FOUND THIS LOT IN PRINCEVILLE.SO IN 2005, THIS PROPERTY WAS ZONED AS A COMMERCIAL LOT.
UH, THE, THE GENTLEMAN WHO OWNED IT, GARY, WHETHER IT'S IN, WHO'S LIVED HERE FOR A VERY LONG, HE OWNED AND OPERATED, UH, CONVENIENCE STORES AND GAS STATIONS.
AND HIS PLAN WAS TO YOU PUT A GAS STATION ON THIS PROPERTY.
UM, WHEN WE BOUGHT IT, WE HAD NO INTENTIONS OF PUTTING A GAS STATION ON.
IT WOULD NOT THINK THAT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE.
OUR GOAL WAS TO PUT A SMALL COMMERCIAL PROFESSIONAL CENTER, THE LITTLE OFFICE.
UM, SO WE PURCHASED THE PROPERTY AS A RENTAL PROPERTY A FEW YEARS LATER, AS WE STARTED TO GET READY TO MOVE AND EXPAND.
UH, WE GOT HIT WITH THE RECESSION IN A WAY, WHICH SET US BACK AND NOW WE JUST WAITED IT OUT.
AS THINGS BEGAN TO PERK UP AND LOOK, UM, LIKE WE MIGHT HAVE ANOTHER SHOT AT IT IN ABOUT 2013, I APPROACHED THE, THE COUNTY AND I STARTED ASKING QUESTIONS ABOUT USES.
AND THAT'S WHEN I FOUND OUT THAT HAD IT HAD BEEN REZONED IN 2011, UNKNOWINGLY TO US, WE WERE NEVER CONTACTED.
WE, UM, HAD NO OPPORTUNITY TO BE INVOLVED IN THAT DECISION.
SO WE PUT IT ON THE BACK BURNER AGAIN.
AND AS THINGS BEGAN TO PICK UP AGAIN IN THIS CYCLE OF THE ECONOMY THAT WE'RE IN, WE BEGAN TO LOOK AT OUR OPTIONS AGAIN.
AND WE JUST DECIDED AT THIS POINT THAT EVEN THOUGHT OF PUTTING A RESIDENTIAL, UM, STRUCTURE OR SEVERAL STRUCTURES ON THAT PROPERTY AT THIS POINT SEEMS VERY UNFEASIBLE AND WOULD NOT BENEFIT THE AREA AS IT'S A VERY BUSY ROAD.
AND, UM, WE ARE NOW LOOKING AT GETTING A ZONING, NOT QUITE AS COMMERCIAL AS IT ORIGINALLY WAS, BUT WE WOULD REALLY LIKE TO GET THE T2 ROLL CENTER, WHICH GIVES US SOME COMMERCIAL OPTIONS WHERE WE WOULD BE ABLE TO PUT A NICE BUILDING, A TASTEFUL, AESTHETICALLY PLEASING, DAYTIME USE BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, UM, ADD SOME VALUE TO THE AREA, PROFESSIONAL SERVICES, BUSINESS HOURS ONLY.
UH, SO THE THING THAT BLENDS IN AND GIVES OPTIONS TO THOSE PEOPLE IN THE IMMEDIATE VICINITY, RATHER THAN ALWAYS HAVING TO GO TO A BIG COMMERCIAL CENTER, THEY COULD HAVE A SMALL TASTEFUL, UM, PLACE TO ACCESS SOME OF THOSE SERVICES.
WE ARE NOT INTERESTED IN ANY SORT OF FRANCHISED COMMERCIAL BUSINESS OR A BOTTLE STORE OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, UM, IS A PIECE OF PROPERTY DOWN THE ROAD THAT I HAVE SOME PHOTOS OF THAT LOOKS VERY GOOD.
AND WE HAVE GOTTEN THE SUPPORT OF OUR NEIGHBORS TO DO THIS KIND OF BUILDING, UM, EVEN CEDAR LAKE, WHICH IS ACROSS THE STREET WHERE WE'VE HAD A LOT OF OPPOSITION.
WE HAVE NOW, UH, GOTTEN OUR HANDS ON A WHERE THEY HAVE CHANGED THEIR MIND SINCE WE HAVE DISCUSSED THE TYPE OF PROPERTY THAT WE ARE INTERESTED IN PUTTING THERE.
AND THEY ARE ALSO IN SUPPORT OF WHAT WE ARE TRYING TO DO.
SO THAT CONCLUDES, I KNOW I WENT OVER MY TIME, BUT I HAD A LOT TO SAY, AND I REALLY DO APPRECIATE EVERYBODY TAKING THIS INTO CONSIDERATION.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER COMMENTS, ANYONE IN THE AUDIENCE OR SOMEONE WHO HAS CALLED IN BRENDA? YOU HAVE SOMEONE, OH YEAH.
UM, I JUST WANTED TO REITERATE WHAT GREG JOHN WAS SAYING.
THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBERS FOR HEARING WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING.
UM, WE HAVE UNFETTERED SUPPORT FROM THE ADJOINING NEIGHBORS FOR THIS PROJECT.
THEY WOULD BE THE ONES, UH, ADVERSELY IMPACTED.
IF THERE WASN'T AN ADVERSE IMPACT.
THEY KNOW THAT WE WANT TO PUT A LOW IMPACT DEVELOPMENT THERE, WHICH I THINK DEVELOPMENT IS PROBABLY THE WRONG WORD.
IT'S A, IT'S AN OFFICE BUILDING TO SERVICE THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITY AND THOSE, UH, THE NEED THERE IS GOING TO BE, UH, YOU KNOW, A CPA FIRM, A DESIGN STUDIO, PERHAPS, UM, A COUNSELING CENTER, BUT VERY LOW IMPACT OFFICE TYPE BUSINESSES.
THE ZONING THAT WE'RE APPLYING FOR, DOESN'T ALLOW FOR IN FRONT PARKING, ON THE MAYOR OF THE ROAD, IT'LL BE, UH, SIDE PARKING AND REAR PARKING.
UM, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT IT WON'T BE A PAID PARKING LOT.
IT'LL BE A GRAPPLE DRIVE, WHICH IS IN KEEPING WITH ANY COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT THAT'S BEEN PUT IN THAT AREA ALREADY.
UM, AND SO, UH, AS JOHN MENTIONED, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT
[01:10:01]
TO HIGHLIGHT AND REITERATE THAT THIS IS NOT A SPOT ZONING ISSUE.THIS IS A CORRECTING, WHAT WAS, I GUESS, SPOT DESIGNED BY THE COUNTY WHEN THEY BLANKETED THIS AREA.
THIS WAS A UNIQUE COMMERCIAL SITE IN THE MIDDLE OF A RESIDENTIAL COMMUNITY.
AND WHEN IT WAS, I GUESS, REASONED AND THEY CHANGED THE NOMENCLATURE OF WHAT THE ZONING IS, THEY, UH, INCLUDED THIS WITH ALL THE SURROUNDING RESIDENTIAL PIECES.
AND THIS WAS THE ONLY ONE THAT WAS AFFECTED IN THAT REGARD.
SO I KNOW THE WORD SPOT ZONING IS NOT FAVORABLY WITH THE PINE, BUT I DON'T CONSIDER THIS A SPICE ISSUE FOR THE COUNTY.
THIS IS A CORRECTING OF WHAT WAS ONCE, UH, ALREADY, UH, USE AS A COMMERCIAL SITE.
AND WITH THAT, UH, NOW KNOW THAT GREG JOHN MENTIONED IT, BUT WE, UM, ON THE SITE, COMMERCIAL PERMITS WERE APPLIED FOR, BUT NEVER PICKED UP BECAUSE OF THE RECESSION.
SO THIS HAS BEEN APPLIED FOR APPROVED.
AND THE ONLY REASON THOSE PERMITS WEREN'T PICKED UP FOR THE GENERAL STORE AND GAS STATION WERE BECAUSE OF THE RECESSION IN 2008.
SO SINCE THAT TIME, THE MARKET'S COME BACK AND OBVIOUSLY FROM A FINANCIAL STANDPOINT, PLENTY ORIGINALLY EFFECTED BY THIS.
AND WE'D LIKE TO PROPOSE GETTING THAT BACK TO, TO WHAT IT WAS ORIGINALLY, A ZONE FOUR, AND BECAUSE THE NOMENCLATURE HAS CHANGED IN MEETINGS WITH THE PLANNING COMMISSION, UM, WE WERE ADVISED THAT TEACHER ROLE WOULD SATISFY THE, UH, THE ZONING THAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR.
SO IT'S NOT AS EVEN, WE'RE NOT EVEN APPLYING FOR EXACTLY WHAT WAS ONCE ALLOW.
WE'RE APPLYING FOR A LESSER COMMERCIAL USE, WHICH IS TO T2 RURAL CENTER.
AND, UH, THAT WAS BY DIRECTION OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION.
UM, WE DIDN'T MEET WITH, UH, THE NATURAL RESOURCE COMMITTEE LAST WEEK.
AND I THINK IT WAS A SIX TO ONE FAVORABLE THOUGH, UH, IN THE DIRECTION OF WHAT WE WANT TO DO.
SO I JUST WANTED TO OFFER THAT AS WELL.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER COMMENTS? I HAVE TWO THAT WERE GIVEN TO ME.
ONE IS REGARDING THIS ISSUE RIGHT HERE.
IT'S ACTUALLY FROM A FORMER COUNCILMAN COVERT.
UM, HE, HE SENT A LETTER IN, IF YOU GUYS WILL INDULGE ME FOR A MOMENT TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN AS THE MOST RECENT PAST COUNTY COUNCIL MEMBER REPRESENTING DISTRICT SEVEN OF BUFORD COUNTY AND CURRENT CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATE.
I WRITE TODAY TO EXPRESS MY SINCERE THOUGHTS OF A SMALL PIECE OF DEVELOP DEVELOPMENT ALONG MAY RIVER ROAD IN PRINTABLE AREA OF BLUFFTON BY MR. GREG, JOHN AND HIS ASSOCIATES.
I HAVE OFFERED DIFFERING OPINIONS OVER THE COURSE OF MY TENURE REGARDING DEVELOPMENT, ZONING CHANGES AND APPLICATIONS, THE STRUGGLES OF PLANNING, COMMISSION, PAPERWORK, PROCESS, AND PROCEDURES, AND THE NEED FOR SIMPLIFICATION TO THE PROCESS WHILE STILL MAINTAINING INTEGRITY AND OUR CARE FOR THE ENVIRONMENT.
THE CONCEPT OF THIS DEVELOPMENT IN WHICH GREG, JOHN AND I HAVE SPOKEN AT LENGTH JUST MAKES SENSE FOR THIS AREA, THEIR ATTENTION TO KEEPING THE FOOTPRINT AND THE PERSPECTIVE USE TO SOMETHING THAT WOULD NOT INFILTRATE THE DAILY ROUTINES OF THE LIVES OF THE PEOPLE WHO ALREADY LIVE HERE IS A BREADTH OF POSITIVITY AND THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS.
THESE FOLKS NOT ONLY WANT TO BE GOOD NEIGHBORS AND A PART OF THE SUCCESS OF BLUFFTON.
THEY'VE HAD FAMILY ROOTS SETTLE HERE FOR CLOSE TO THREE DECADES.
NOW THEIR CHILDREN GO TO SCHOOL HERE.
THEY PAY THEIR TAXES HERE, AND THEY ARE A PART AND A FACE OF BLUFFTON.
I BELIEVE THE END RESULT OF THEIR PLANS FOR THIS PARCEL.
IT COULD EQUAL OR EVEN BETTER THE RELATIVELY NEW PARCEL JUST EAST OF THIS LOCATION DIRECTLY ACROSS FROM THE INTERSECTION OF GILBERT ROAD AND MAY RIVER ROAD.
THE PARCEL HAS TWO SMALL STATURE BUILDINGS THAT OCCUPY HIGH PAYING JOBS, SUCH AS A HOME BUILDER, AN ARCHITECT, A WINDOW MANUFACTURER.
THESE TWO BIG BUILDINGS HAVE EVEN HAVE A WAITING LIST OF OTHERS WANTING TO LOCATE THEIR OFFICES IN THIS AREA.
THIS TYPE OF USE IS ALSO BENEFICIAL TO LIVABILITY IN THIS AREA AS A ZERO, AS THERE IS A ZERO NOISE POLLUTION, ZERO LIGHT, OR INVENT ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION, MINIMAL TRAFFIC IMPACT, AND THEY CAN EVEN SUSTAIN THE STORMWATER RUNOFF ON THE PROPERTY.
I FULL I FULLY UNEQUIVOCALLY SUPPORT THE REQUEST FOR THE CHANGE AND THE ZONING, AS WELL AS MOVING THE PROJECT FORWARD TO THE NEXT STEPS.
I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BUY A PERVERSE, UH, PERSONAL INPUT FOR THESE APPLICANTS, AND I WISH THEM THE ABSOLUTE SUCCESS AND THEIR ENDEAVORS.
SHOULD YOU WISH TO CONTACT ME, PLEASE SEE BELOW INFORMATION? MY BEST MICHAEL E COVERT.
UM, IT'S FROM ROBIN OUT OF ST.
HELENA AND HER COMMENT IS THE UNCONSTITUTIONAL MASK MANDATE MUST END.
WE HAVE KNOWN SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE CHINESE PLUG THAT THE MASS DO NOT WORK AND CAUSE MORE MEDICAL PROBLEMS FOR THE CITIZENS, SOUTH CAROLINA.
IT NEEDS TO BE A LEADER IN THE TRUTH AND STOP THESE DANGERS, THESE DANGERS AND OUR GOVERNMENT LIFE,
[01:15:01]
LIBERTY, AND THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS.ANY OTHER COMMENTS? UH, YES SIR.
MR. CHAIRMAN, UH, WE HAVE FOUR, UH, THAT WAS SUBMITTED TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING.
I DO UNDERSTAND THAT THE APPLICANTS HAVE SPOKEN PREVIOUSLY REGARDING THE REZONING SAID THAT THEY'VE MET WITH THE CEDAR LAKE, UH, HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION.
AND NO, THOSE FOLKS NO LONGER OPPOSE THAT, BUT I DO NOT HAVE ANYTHING RIDING TO THAT EFFECT.
I DO HAVE FOUR, UH, COMMENTS THAT WERE SUBMITTED PRIOR TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING THAT I FELT WAS NECESSARY TO READ INTO THE RECORD SINCE THEY ARE A PART OF THE RECORD.
UH, IT SAYS I AM WRITING ON BEHALF OF MYSELF AND THE HUSBAND AND FAMILY THAT LIVE IN CEDAR LAKE.
WE HAVE BEEN HOMEOWNERS IN CEDAR LAKE SINCE 2006, AND OUR PROPOSED ARE, ARE OPPOSED TO THE PROPOSED ZONING CHANGE.
WE HAVE SEEN A HUGE INCREASE IN TRAFFIC AND NOISE OVER THE PAST 15 YEARS.
IF THIS IS ZONING CHANGE AS ALLOWED TO HAPPEN, WE ARE UNSURE AS TO HOW TRAFFIC PLANS WOULD CHANGE AND HOW THAT WOULD AFFECT ACCESSIBILITY INTO OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
IT IS A LOT HARDER TO GET IN AND OUT OF OUR STREET NOW THAN IT WAS THEN IT WAS IN 2006.
WE'RE ALSO CONCERNED WITH WHAT TYPE OF ESTABLISHMENT WILL BE ALLOWED AROUND IT, AN ALL RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND IF THAT WOULD AFFECT OUR PROPERTY VALUES IN A NEGATIVE WAY, WE ARE PLEADING WITH THE COMMISSION TO PLEASE CONSIDER OUR CONCERNS COMMENT.
NUMBER TWO, WE LIVE IN THE CEDAR LAKE IN PRINCEVILLE AREA OFTEN WOULD LIKE TO WAS OUR VERY STRONG OBJECTION TO THE REZONING OF THE THREE AIR TRAFFIC ON 46 I'M PRICHARD ADVIL.
THANK YOU, HOWARD AND LINDA HATCHER.
THE FIRST COMMENT WAS FROM JENNY PERKVILLE P A R T L E.
THE THIRD COMMENT, PLEASE RECORD THAT I'M OPPOSED TO REZONING THE PROPERTY ADJACENT TO CEDAR LAKE NEIGHBORHOOD FOR COMMERCIAL USE THAT STEVE USE, AND THEN FINALLY, UM, UH, COMMENT BY A PERSON NAMED MICHELLE.
PLEASE ALLOW THIS EMAIL TO STATE MY CONCERN AND DISAGREEMENT OF THE REZONING REQUEST.
I AM A RESIDENT OF CEDAR LAKE AND VERY MUCH ENJOY THE CURRENT RESIDENTIAL ZONING IN PLACE.
AND THAT'S ALL OF THE COMMENTS.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER COMMENTS SEEING NONE? WE WILL CLOSE THE CITIZEN COMMENTS AND MOVE ON TO
[9. LIAISON AND COMMITTEE REPORTS]
COMMITTEE REPORTS, COMMITTEE REPORTS, COMMITTEE CHAIR, WISH TO REPORT AT THIS TIME BEFORE WE MOVE TO THE CONSENT AGENDA.MR. MCKELLEN, THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN.
UM, THIS, UM, REPORT WILL BE BRIEF AND IT SIMPLY DEALS WITH THE PRIORITY LIST THAT WAS CREATED.
I DO FOR COUNTY COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, UM, AS A RESULT OF THE LOW COUNTRY COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS PRESENTATION TO US, UH, THERE WERE A NUMBER OF GRANT APPLICATIONS THAT WE PREPARED FOR MONIES THAT MAY BE AVAILABLE TO ASSIST, UM, THIS COMMUNITY.
AND THIS WAS PUT TOGETHER BY THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT UNDER MR. ATKINSON.
I CAN SAY THAT, UH, ONE OF THE DEADLINES WAS ALREADY MET, THAT WAS MARCH 1ST AND THAT HAD TO DEAL WITH, UH, GRANTS THAT WERE AVAILABLE TO PROVIDE NOODLE AND, UH, NEW PUBLIC SERVICES HAVE MATERIALS THAT WILL BENEFIT LOW INCOME FAMILIES JUST RELATED TO PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT AND MEASURES RETRAINING TO PREVENTING THE SPREAD OF THE COVID-19 VIRUS.
SO THOSE, UH, APPLICATIONS THAT WERE ALREADY BEEN SENT IN THIS SEMESTER.
HI, TROUGH, WOULD YOU, UH, IF YOU'RE PREPARED, WOULD YOU TALK ABOUT ITEMS TWO, THREE, AND FOUR, KEEPING IN MIND ALL OF THESE, UM, ITEMS THAT I'VE ALREADY BEEN DISTRIBUTED TO ALL OF THE MEMBERS OF COUNCIL AND WE HAVE REQUESTED TO MAKE, OR ANY COMMENTS YOU'VE OBSERVATIONS YOU BE REPORTED BY THE MIDDLE OF MARCH SO THAT WE CAN GET THIS MATERIAL FINALIZED FOR SUBMISSIONS IN APRIL.
SO CHUCK, IF YOU WOULD, UH, DEAL WITH ITEMS TWO, THREE, AND FOUR, UH, BRIEFLY, UH, I'D APPRECIATE IT.
I'LL BE HAPPY TO, SO ITEMS TWO, THREE, AND FOUR, THESE ARE PREREQUISITES.
UH, WE HAVE TO PROVIDE THE WHOLE COG WITH A LIST OF OUR PRIORITIES OR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PRIORITIES.
AND WHEN A GRANT OR GRANT OPPORTUNITIES COME UP, WE HAVE TO HAVE THIS ON FILE WITH THEM, UH, QUALIFY TO APPLY FOR THAT GRANT.
SO NUMBER TWO IS DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENTS AND LOW AND MODERATE INCOME NEIGHBORHOODS.
I NOTIFIED IN OUR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN.
[01:20:01]
PUBLIC FACILITIES, TRANSPORTATION, AND SERVICES, OTHER ACTIVITIES THAT STRENGTHENED, UH, EXISTING QUALITY OF LIFE AND PARKING EVENT CENTERS, EDUCATION, WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, PUBLIC HEALTH, AND SAFETY, AND NUMBER OF WORK, UH, IS SORT OF ALL ENCOMPASSING A HOUSING PROGRAM ITEM.IT SAYS WATER, SEWER HOOKUPS TO REPLACE FAILING SEPTIC SYSTEMS, WELLS AND LOW AND MODERATE INCOME COMMUNITIES AND OUR NEIGHBORHOODS HOUSING REPAIR FOR LOW AND MODERATE INCOME HOMEOWNERS.
AND FOR RENTAL UNITS OCCUPIED BY LOW AND MODERATE INCOME RENTERS, UH, PROGRAMS TO PROMOTE NEW AND AFFORDABLE RENTAL HOUSING PROGRAMS AND POLICIES TO PROMOTE OWNERSHIP FOR LOW AND MODERATE INCOME, HOUSING, AND INCENTIVES TO PROMOTE AFFORDABLE, UH, INFILL HOUSING, AND THEN ITEM NUMBER FIVE IS STREETSCAPES, WHICH IS, UH, PRETTY CLOSELY RELATED TO NUMBER FOUR WITH THAT.
I'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT ANYBODY ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS? SO IF YOU CAN JUST DIRECT CONSUMER FROM YOU WITH REGARD TO THESE ITEMS THAT WERE DEVELOPED IN NEW YORK COMMUNITY SERVICES DEPARTMENT.
THANK YOU, MR. ATKINS, YOU AND I APPRECIATE THAT PERSON, JEFFERY PRESENTATION, ANY OTHER COMMITTEE CHAIR, MR. RODMAN.
AND NOW WE HAVE TWO ITEMS ON THE CONSENT AGENDA, WHICH RELATE TO THE KIND OF MINOR KIND OF ALMOST HOUSEKEEPING, WHERE WE'VE GOT SOME, UH, UH, EASEMENTS THAT WE'RE GOING TO DELIVER, UH, ACROSS COUNTY LAND TO JAZZ PERK, BEEN THROUGH ALL THE READINGS.
SO WE'RE AT THIRD READING ON THOSE.
UH, THE OTHER PIECE IS WE HAVE PUBLIC FACILITIES A WEEK FROM TODAY, AND I THINK, UH, CERTAINLY WE'VE GOT A FULL AGENDA, BUT TO ADD TO THAT, I'LL HIGHLIGHT BRIEFLY.
I THINK WE'LL PROBABLY COME BACK AND BE REVISITING WHERE WE ARE IN THE TWO 78 QUARTER BASED ON, UH, THE PRESENTATION THAT WE'VE MADE AND, AND REALLY MAKE SURE WE HAVE ON THE TABLE, ANY ITEMS THAT WE WANT TO SEE, YOU KNOW, ADDRESSED GOING FORWARD.
SECONDLY, WE'RE GOING TO SPEND SOME TIME ON THE SOLID WASTE TO PAY.
REMEMBER AT OUR PRIOR MEETING, UH, WE GOT INTO THE APPROVAL OF THE ENTERPRISE FUND AND THEY WERE, WE WERE ALL IN AGREEMENT WITH THAT, BUT THERE WAS SOME EXHILARATING ISSUES, ANCILLARY ISSUES THAT, UH, WE WANTED TO GET ANSWERS TO.
SO STAFF'S BEEN WORKING ON THOSE AND WE'LL BE GETTING UPDATED ON WHAT'S GOING ON IN THAT AREA AND HOPEFULLY BE EIGHT, OUR ENTERPRISE FUND FOR THE GERMAN, THIS HOWARD.
YES, MR. CHAIRMAN FROM THE NATURAL RESOURCE COMMITTEE ON THE CONSENT AGENDA, WE HAVE AN ITEM REGARDING THE, UM, THE 12 MONTH CONTRACT RECOMMENDED AWARD TO A EXTENSION OF THAT TO YOU FOR COUNTY OWNED LAND TRUSTS.
THAT WILL BE FOR $170,000 A YEAR.
AND THERE'S TWO THERE'S THREE COMMITTEE, OTHER BOARD MEETINGS THIS WEEK.
AND SO NEXT COUNCIL MEETING I'LL HAVE REPORTS ON THEM.
UH, THE STORM WATER BOARD AND CRITICAL LANDS NEEDS THURSDAY, AND THEN THE LIBRARY BOARD MEETS WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON.
OUT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE FOR THE CONSENT AGENDA, WE HAD A FEBRUARY 25TH MEETING, WHICH WE, UH, WENT THROUGH THE AWARDS OF LOCAL COMBINATIONS IN HOSPITALITY TAX.
UM, AND THIS WILL BE THE FIRST READING.
IT DID COME OUT OF A FINANCE COMMITTEE, A UNANIMOUS VOTE THAT WE HAVE RECOMMENDED WHAT OUR COMMITTEE HAS BROUGHT TO US.
UH, SO AGAIN, THAT IS FOR THIS EVENING, UM, FROM THE FINANCE COMMITTEE.
AND MR. SUMMERVILLE, THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN OUT OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE COMES A PROPOSAL FOR AN ORDINANCE, UH, REACTIVATING THE, UH, THE B TAG, UM, THE TAG GROUP ADVISORY GROUP.
THIS HAS BEEN OVER THE YEARS OVER THE DECADES HAS BEEN AN ON AGAIN OFF AGAIN, GROUP IT'S, UM, FROM TIME TO TIME TO, UH, TO GET INPUT FROM PARTICULARLY THE, UH, MUNICIPALITIES, BUT ALSO FROM OTHER ENTITIES IN THE ACADEMY TO ALL THE LIST AND FOLKS WHO ARE ELIGIBLE FOR PARTICIPATION IN BE TAG.
THE LAST TIME IT WAS ACTIVATED WAS WHEN THE, WHEN THERE WAS A MAJOR WORK BEING PROPOSED AND ULTIMATELY DONE ON TWO 78, UH, AFTER THAT WORK WAS, WAS CITED ON AND WELL UNDERWAY.
THE BTA KIND OF DIED OF THE LACK OF INTEREST OR A LOT OF PEOPLE INVOLVED AND POTENTIALLY, AND YOU'VE GOT TO GET A LOT OF PEOPLE TOGETHER TO HAVE THAT.
UH, I VOTED AGAINST IT AT, UH, TIMIDITY BECAUSE NOT BECAUSE I'M THE HOST, BUT I THINK IT'S A GREAT IDEA.
I JUST DIDN'T THINK IT WAS TIMELY.
I DIDN'T THINK THERE WAS ANYTHING OF PARTICULAR IMPORTANCE THAT NEEDED TO GO BEFORE BJ.
I THINK IT'S A GREAT THING TO HAVE.
IF THERE ARE PROJECTS THAT NEED, UH, REGIONAL INPUT OR THE COUNTY FROM OTHER ENTITIES, THE SHERIFF, UH, LOW COG, UH, NORMAN ON THE LIST GO.
[01:25:02]
UH, FROM, UH, ON THE, UH, ON THE, UH, WELL, IT'S ACTUALLY BEEN TAKEN OFF, IT'S GOING TO BE VOTED ON SEPARATELY.ANY OTHER REPORTS, MR.
UH, MR. SOMMERVILLE SAID THAT IT WAS AN ORDINANCE, IT'S ACTUALLY A RESOLUTION I WANT TO CLARIFY.
IS THAT A RESOLUTION? THANK YOU.
MR. DAWSON, YOU'RE STILL ON MUTE, UH, UH, PUBLIC INFORMATION, THE VETERAN AFFAIRS OFFICE, UH, CURRENTLY LOCATED AT CITY HALL.
THEY WILL BE MOVING, UH, TO A NEW LOCATION ON MARCH 22ND.
THERE'LL BE MOVING, MOVING OVER TO THE BSN BUILDING LOCATED ON 120 A WATERWAY.
UM, THE OFFICE WILL BE CLOSED FROM MARCH 19TH THROUGH THE 26, UM, TO MAKE THIS TRANSITION, HOWEVER, THEY WILL OPEN ON 29TH FOR BUSINESS IN THE NEW LOCATION, A NEW OFFICE, UM, ANY VETERANS OR ANYONE NEEDING, UM, UH, INFORMATION OR ASSISTANCE FROM THE VETERAN AFFAIRS OFFICE.
YOU CAN STILL CALL CON CALL A CONTACT NUMBER AT (843) 255-6880.
AND SOMEONE WILL ASSIST YOU WHILE THEY'RE IN THIS PROCESS OF TRANSITIONING FROM CITY HALL TO THE DSN LOCATION.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS SEEING NONE?
[10. CONSENT AGENDA]
WE WILL NOW MOVE TO THE CONSENT AGENDA.I WOULD BE LOOKING FOR A MEMBER OF COUNCIL TO MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS, ITEM NUMBER ONE ON THE AGENDA ITEM, NUMBER THREE ON THE AGENDA ITEM, NUMBER FOUR ON THE AGENDA ITEM, NUMBER SIX ON THE AGENDA.
ITEM NUMBER SEVEN ON THE AGENDA AND ITEM NUMBER EIGHT ON THE AGENDA MAY HAVE SUCH A MOTION.
MR. CHAIRMAN, MR. MCKELLAN MAKES THE MOTION A SECOND, PLEASE.
ALSO I CAN HAVE AS CHAIRMAN, MR. CLAWSON MAKES THE SECOND, IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION ABOUT THE AGENDA ITEMS ON THE CONSENT AGENDA? SEEING NONE, THE AGENDA WILL BE APPROVED WITHOUT EXCEPTION OR OBJECTION.
ARE THERE ANY EXCEPTIONS ARE OBJECTIONS SEEING NONE? THE CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS ONE, THREE, FOUR, SIX, SEVEN, AND EIGHT ARE APPROVED.
WE ARE NOW DOWN TO THE ACTION ITEMS. ITEM NUMBER 11 ON THE AGENDA HAS BEEN REMOVED.
IT IS BEING REPLACED BY ITEM NUMBER
[2. APPROVAL OF A RESOLUTION FOR THE BEAUFORT COUNTY TRANSPORTATION ADVISORY GROUP KNOWN AS BTAG.]
TWO FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA.SO ME I'LL HAVE A MOTION FOR THE APPROVAL OF A RESOLUTION FOR THE BLUFORD COUNTY TRANSPORTATION ADVISORY GROUP, KNOWN AS B TAG GERMANS THERE.
MAY I HAVE A SECOND PLEASE? MR. FALWELL, I MIXED THE SECOND PAGE DISCUSSION, UH, MR. HARVEY, SEAN CHAIRMAN, UM, CONCERNING THAT ON THE ONE WHO, UH, WHO ASKED FOR THIS TO BE TAKEN SEPARATELY.
UM, I INTEND TO VOTE AGAINST THIS TONIGHT, UH, AS FAR BACK AS I CAN GO.
THE LAST TIME I SAW IT, THIS COMMITTEE MET WAS, UM, MARCH OF 20 OR 2012.
SO WE'RE ABOUT A FULL NINE YEARS REMOVED AS FAR AS I CAN TELL.
ANYWAY, I FIND THE TIMING OF THIS TO BE A BIT CURIOUS.
IT SEEMS LIKE WE'VE HAD PLENTY OF PROJECTS THAT HAVE COME BEFORE US IN THE LAST DECADE OR SO WHERE WE DIDN'T NEED TO BE TIED.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE HAD THE REFERENDUM FOR THE BRIDGE.
WE HAVE THE CURRENT TWO 70 QUARTER PROJECT GOING ON.
UM, ALL OF THOSE THINGS HAVE BEEN PUT IN MOTION WITHOUT THE NEED FOR B TAG, AND WE'VE GOT OTHER METHODS TO ADDRESS SOME OF THESE CONCERNS.
I JUST THINK THAT THIS IS ADDING ONE MORE LAYER OF BUREAUCRACY, WHICH WE DON'T NEED MY OPINION.
SO I INTEND TO VOTE AGAINST IT.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS, MR. RODMAN? YEAH, I'LL SPEAK IN FAVOR OF THIS.
COULD I BASICALLY PUT IT FORWARD? UM, ESSENTIALLY WHAT WE HAVE, THIS HAS NOT GONE AWAY.
WE CAN CALL IMMEDIATE ANYTIME.
WE WANT TO HAVE THE PEOPLE THAT ARE ON THE LIST.
HOWEVER, WHEN I LOOKED AT IT AND I REMEMBER WHEN WE WERE USING IT BACK IN THE DAY, I, IT WAS A LITTLE BIT LARGER THAN IT NEEDED TO BE.
THERE'S SOME OTHER THINGS THAT COME ALONG LIKE LATS PROBABLY WEIGH
[01:30:01]
IN ON SOME THINGS, BUT NOT ALL THINGS.AND I THOUGHT IS THAT WE'RE GOING INTO A, THE TEN-YEAR CAPITAL PLAN FOR TRANSPORTATION.
UM, JARED HAD MENTIONED THAT PROBABLY LOOKING AT A BILLION DOLLARS.
UM, SO I ACTUALLY DO VIEW THAT THIS IS TIMELY TO CONVENE THAT GROUP WHEN WE NEEDED IT.
WE ONLY CONVEYED IT WHEN WE, UH, WHEN WE, UH, WHEN WE NEEDED IT.
SO WE DO HAVE SOME MAJOR WORK IN FRONT OF US.
AND I ALSO THINK THAT, UH, PARTICULARLY IF WE GET TO LOOKING AT DOING A REFERENDUM, THIS IS A GOOD MECHANISM FOR THE MUNICIPALITIES THROUGH THE MAYORS TO ACTUALLY WEIGH IN AND GAIN POLITICAL SUPPORT.
UH, SO FOR THOSE REASONS THAT I CAN THINK OF MADE SENSE, BECAUSE I HATE TO SAY, LET'S JUST GO BACK AND I HAVE TWO LARGE GROUPS, AND THIS IS REALLY SKINNING IT DOWN TO WELL, WHAT I THINK WE NEED TO EFFECTIVELY GET DONE ON THOSE ITEMS THAT ARE BEFORE US AND IT IS TIMELY.
I BELIEVE THIS GROUP IS ADVISORY IN NATURE.
IT'S IN THE NAME IT'S IN VERY NAME AND THEY'RE NOT REGULATORY DANNY LARGED.
I THINK OTHER THAN PERHAPS, UM, REQUIRING US TO ACT OR MAKE A DECISION ON SOMETHING.
UM, SO I THINK IT REALLY DOESN'T ADD A LOT TO THE PROCESS EXCEPT, UM, ADVICE.
AND I THINK ADVICE IS ALWAYS WELCOME.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS SEEING NONE? I'M GOING TO CALL THE ROLE BEGINNING WITH, UH, MR. RODMAN.
NO, THE CHAIR SAYS YES, WE HAVE ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR, FIVE, SIX, SEVEN, YES.
[5. FIRST READING OF AN ORDINANCE REGARDING A ZONING MAP AMENDMENT/REZONING REQUEST FOR 1.96 ACRES (R600 036 000 015E 0000) AT THE INTERSECTION MAY RIVER ROAD AND BENTON LANE FROM T3 EDGE TO T2 RURAL CENTER:]
IS ITEM NUMBER FIVE.I WOULD, UH, HAVE A COUNCIL MEMBER MAKE A MOTION FOR THE FIRST READING OF AN ORDINANCE REGARDING A ZONING MAP AMENDMENT REZONING REQUEST FOR 1.96 ACRES AT THE INTERSECTION OF MAY RIVER ROAD AND THEN LANE FROM T2 T3 EDGE TO T TO RURAL CENTER.
MAY I HAVE SUCH A MOTION PLEASE? SO MOVEMENT'S CHAIRMAN, UM, MR. CUNNINGHAM MADE THE MOTION.
MR. LAWSON MAKES THE SECOND DISCUSSION.
UM, I AM AS CHAIRMAN OF THE NATURAL RESOURCE COMMITTEE AND WE HAD A LONG DISCUSSION AT THAT MEETING.
UM, ABOUT THIS, ABOUT THIS REZONING.
UM, I APPRECIATE THE COMMENTS MADE BY THE OWNER, BUT, UM, I STILL CONSIDER THE SPOT ZONING AND THIS AREA, AND I ALSO, UH, CONSIDERED THE LOCATION OF IT, TRAFFIC PATTERNS, ALL OF THOSE THINGS.
UM, I WILL BE VOTING AGAINST THIS REZONING.
SO THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN, I'LL BE BRIEF.
UM, I'M GOING TO GO TO THE GIFTS THAT I APPRECIATE THE COMMENTS FROM THE OWNERS.
I DO CONSIDER IT TO BE SPOT ZONING AND, UH, I DON'T ALWAYS AGREE WITH THE PLANNING COMMISSION, BUT IN THIS INSTANCE, I DO AGREE WITH THEM.
I WAS CONCERNED THAT, UH, THE COMMENTS THAT THEY WERE, THAT THE OWNERS WERE NOT INFORMED WHEN THOSE REZONING TOOK PLACE.
I WOULDN'T NOT LOOK INTO THAT, BUT THAT'S A FACT THAT I'M GOING TO VOTE ON IT TODAY.
I'M GOING TO VOTE IN FAVOR OF THIS ON FIRST READING OUT WITH THE RIGHT TO A READING.
UM, I'M GOING TO VOTE AND PAY WHEREVER.
AND AT FIRST READING, BECAUSE GENERALLY I LIKE TO GO ALONG WITH THE COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO'S DISTRICT, UH, JUST KIND OF THING, UH, RESIDES.
UM, BUT, UM, I'M VERY UNCOMFORTABLE ABOUT THIS OWNING NATURE OF THIS AND THE INCREASE IN TRAFFIC.
AND ADDITIONALLY, I BELIEVE THAT THEY INTEND TO HAVE ANY DEVELOPMENT ON A SEPTIC SYSTEM AS OPPOSED TO CITY WATER, CITY SEWER.
[01:35:01]
THANK YOU.ANY OTHER COMMENTS MR. RODMAN? UM, YES, I WOULD HOPE YOU MIGHT MOVE THIS FORWARD.
I'M VERY INTERESTED AT SOME POINT, UM, AS TO WHAT THE, WHAT THE STAFF THINK.
CAUSE THERE WAS SOME CONFLICTING, UM, THE COMMENTS THAT THEY MADE, SOME PEOPLE IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT THEY WERE OPPOSED TO IT.
AND THERE WAS COMMENTS MADE BY THE OWNERS THAT, UH, SOME PEOPLE HAD CHANGED THEIR MINDS AND I DON'T KNOW MUCH ABOUT SPOT ZONING, BUT I INTERESTED IN STAFF'S OPINION OF WHETHER OR NOT THIS AFT ZONING IS MR. LAWSON.
UM, YES, THIS IS ACTUALLY IN MY DISTRICT.
IT'S ON THE EDGE OF MY DISTRICT, UH, OUT IN PRICHARD ADVIL.
UM, AND UH, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THIS PROPERTY BEING ZONED COMMERCIAL PREVIOUSLY, THE OWNERS HAVE HELD ONTO IT A EXTREMELY LONG TIME.
I, THEY HAD A COMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMIT AT ONE TIME, WHICH THEY DIDN'T MOVE FORWARD FOR, BUT IT WAS ACTUALLY, UM, APPROVED.
AND, UM, UH, SO AGAIN, WHERE THIS SETS, IT SETS BETWEEN GIVE IT ROAD AND THE CIRCLE, WHICH YOU'VE GOT ALL THE COMMERCIAL AREA THAT NOW IS BEING DEVELOPED, UM, RIGHT AT THE GIBBON ROAD, UM, UM, MAIN RIVER ROAD AND THEN EVERYTHING IS HAPPENING WITH PUBLIX RIGHT DOWN THE STREET, AS BUSY AS THIS ROAD IS, UM, UH, I WAS SURPRISED TO FIND OUT THAT IT WASN'T ZONED COMMERCIAL AND ESPECIALLY SINCE THE OWNERS DO HAVE THE BACKUP TO SHOW THAT IT WAS COMMERCIAL BEFORE, UM, YOU KNOW, I AM SOMEONE THAT'S FOR PROPERTY RIGHTS.
AND SO I THINK THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I'M GOING TO VOTE FORWARD.
AND AT THIS TIME I'D LIKE TO SEE A GO-TO PUBLIC COMMENT, UM, UM, OR THE, UM, UH, IN, IN OUR NEXT READING, UH, MR. CUNNINGHAM YORK WAS BEFORE ME, UH, YOU CAN GO AHEAD.
UM, AND THE NATURAL RESOURCES COMMITTEE, I WAS VERY HESITANT ABOUT THIS.
UM, I VOTED YES, BECAUSE I WANTED TO DO MORE RESEARCH AND I BELIEVED THAT DESERVE THE RIGHT FOR THAT TO, FOR EVERYBODY ELSE TO HEAR IT, UM, AFTER DOING SO I DID REACH OUT TO MR. GREENWAY TO FIND OUT IF NOTICE WAS GIVEN TO THE PEOPLE THAT OWN THE LAND LIKE MR. SOMERVILLE WAS.
SPEAKING OF THE ONLY NOTICE THEY WERE GIVING, ACCORDING TO OUR RECORDS WAS A NEWSPAPER OR A BLANK STATEMENT FOR THE ENTIRE AREA THAT WAS REZONED.
UM, NEVER DIRECT COMMUNICATION TO THAT INDIVIDUAL THAT WE COULD SEE.
THE OTHER THING, IF THOSE OF YOU THAT HAVE NOT BEEN DOWN THERE, I DROVE DOWN THERE THE OTHER DAY.
I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT I GOT ALL MY FACTS OF THE LOCATION, WHAT THE PROPERTY LOOKED LIKE.
UM, BEFORE I MADE A DECISION, UH, I'M HONESTLY PRETTY, PRETTY SURPRISED IT'S NOT COMMERCIAL AS WELL BASED ON WHAT IT'S SURROUNDED BY AND THE AREA THAT'S GROWING AROUND IT.
I AM GOING TO SUPPORT THIS, DEFINITELY GOING TO THE SECOND READING.
I BELIEVE THERE SHOULD BE PUBLIC COMMENT AND, UH, I, THAT YOU GUYS CAN SUPPORT US ON THAT AS WELL.
UH, THEY HAD THE PERMIT ACTUALLY APPROVED, NOT ONCE, BUT TWICE FOR A GAS STATION, THANKFULLY THAT IS NOT THEIR INTENTIONS ANYMORE.
THEY ARE LOOKING FOR SOMETHING A LOT SMALLER, UM, SOME OFFICES, LIKE THEY STATED BEFORE FOR POSSIBLY A LAWYER OR A CPA, SOMETHING ALONG THOSE LINES.
UM, AND THEY ALSO SAID THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT BUSINESS HOURS, SO IT SHOULDN'T AFFECT ANYTHING LATER ON THAT NIGHT FOR NOISE COMPLAINTS THAT WERE BROUGHT UP.
THANK YOU, MR. GREENWAY, DID I SEE YOU STANDING THERE BEFORE HE GO TO MR. GLOVER? UH, YOU CAN GO TO MR. GLOVER.
I WAS JUST RESPONDING TO COUNCIL MEMBER.
RODMAN'S QUESTION, MR. GLOVER, MR. GLOVER.
UH, YES, I APPRECIATE, UH, MS. SCREAMY, I WOULD LOVE FOR YOU TO RESPOND TO THE QUESTION OF, UH, THE, UH, CURRENTLY DO SOME OF THE THINGS THAT THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT DOING WITHOUT REZONING.
UM, MY COMMENT IS THAT I KNOW I VOTED TO BRING THIS OUT OF COMMITTEE TO BRING BEFORE COUNCIL TO HEAR MORE.
UM, BUT I AM TOTALLY AGAINST SPOT ZONING.
AND I THINK THAT, UM, FOR THE, SO I'M REALLY GOING TO BE POSING THIS AS RECOMMENDATION COMING FORWARD, BUT I ALSO THINK THAT, UM, I WANT TO BELIEVE THAT THERE'S ANOTHER WAY TO REZONE THIS, UH, FROM THE COMMUNITY STANDPOINT AND, UM, CHARRETTE WAS DONE.
UM, THE OWNERS BASICALLY WAS NOT IN INVOLVED OR WAS NOT NOTIFIED PROPERLY THAT SOMETHING, UH, THIS AREA IS GOING TO BE REZONED.
UM, I STAND WITH MR. SUMMERVILLE OF INVESTIGATING THAT TO SEE WHERE THE PROPER NOTIFICATION WAS GIVEN OR WHAT KIND OF NOTIFICATION WAS ACTUALLY GIVEN.
BUT, UM, I WOULD HATE FOR, UM, A SPOT IS GOING TO BE AFFECTING THE, MY COMMUNITY.
SO I'M GOING TO JUST VOTE AGAINST IT BECAUSE THE COMMUNITY SAID NO, EARLY ON.
[01:40:01]
AND IF YOU WANT TO DO SOMETHING, I THINK IS PROPER FOR THEM TO GO BACK TO COMMUNITY AND SAY, CAN WE CHANGE THE ZONING ON THIS HERE? SO, UH, THAT'S WHERE I STAY IN.UH, MR. GREENWAY, YOU WANT TO DO RESPOND? YES.
ONE, UH, TO ANSWER MR. RODMAN'S QUESTION, AS STAFF RECOMMENDED DENIAL OF THE REZONING FOR THE VERY REASONS STATED THAT IT IS A SPOT ZONING, WE FELT LIKE T2 RURAL CENTER WOULD BE, UM, WOULD BE JUST THAT.
AND WE ALSO HAD CONCERNED, OR HOW CONCERNS ABOUT THE POTENTIAL IMPACTS ON THE SURROUNDING RESIDENTIAL AREAS.
I WOULD LIKE TO POINT OUT IN THE COUNCIL THIS EVENING THAT YOU HAVE HEARD A VARIETY OF POTENTIAL USES ON PROPERTY FROM THE VERY PEOPLE THAT SPOKE TONIGHT AND THE APPLICATION THEY PUT THAT THEY WANTED TO DO A COFFEE SHOP.
UH, EARLIER THIS EVENING, YOU HEARD WE WANT TO DO A DAYTIME BUSINESS.
AND THEN FROM THE SECOND SPEAKER YOU HEARD, UH, WE WANT TO DO AN OFFICE, UH, USED.
IF YOU RAISE THE OWN THIS PROPERTY TO TEACH YOU RC, THEN THEY'RE GOING TO BE ALLOWED TO DO ANYTHING THAT'S ALLOWED IN THAT ZONING DISHER REGARDLESS OF WHAT THEY STATE IN THIS MEETING.
AND HOW MANY TIMES IN THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS HAVE I STOOD BEFORE THIS COUNCIL AND TRIED TO EXPLAIN WHY YOU ALL ARE BEING FACED WITH, UH, USES OWN PROPERTY THAT YOU DIDN'T EXPECT HAPPEN BECAUSE OF THIS VARIOUS SITUATION WHERE SOMEBODY TOLD YOU ONE THING IN A MEETING, AND THEN IN REALITY, WENT OUT AND DID SOMETHING TOTALLY DIFFERENT.
SO IF THERE'S REZONING IS APPROVED RETAIL ON THIS PROPERTY, UP UNTIL ABOUT 25,000 SQUARE FEET CAN BE, UH, CAN BE BUILT ON THIS PROPERTY.
THEY'VE ALREADY STATED ON THE RECORD THAT THEY HAVE, UM, APPLIED FOR A GAS STATION.
AGAIN, THAT'S NOT ALLOWED HERE, UH, IF IT WERE TO BE REZONED CURRENTLY, BUT THERE ARE A LOT OF USES THAT ARE ALLOWED TO TEACH YOU RFC, THAT STAFF FEELS WOULD BE INAPPROPRIATE AND OUT OF CHARACTER, UH, WITH THE SURROUNDING AREA.
AND I'M GLAD TO ANSWER ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS.
AND THEN A COMMENT IF I MIGHT, UM, YES, PLEASE.
HOW, HOW FAR AWAY FROM THE PUBLIX IS THIS DOWN MAY RIVER ROAD.
UM, CAN YOU PULL UP, I'D SAY LESS THAN A QUARTER MILE, LESS THAN A QUARTER OF A MILE.
AND PUBLIX IS LIKE THAT OLD COMMERCIAL.
THAT'S IN THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON.
UM, WHAT ABOUT THAT CORNER THERE AT THE CIRCLE? UM, STILL LOCATION FOR THE NEW LIBRARY, NO POTENTIAL OTHER CORNER, THE RED BARN, THE CORNER THERE'D BE ON THE SAME SIDE OF THE ROAD, BASICALLY ACROSS FROM, UM, WAS THAT CEDAR LAKE.
YEAH, THE NEAREST, UH, COMMERCIALS OWNING THIS G2 RC WOULD BE BACK IF YOU'RE STANDING IN THIS PROPERTY, LOOKING AT THE RAY, WOULD IT BE BACK TO THE RIGHT PAST A LINE OAKS LANE? SO THERE IS, AND I'M SURE ONCE WE GET THE MOUTH UP HERE AND THE END OF THE AERIAL PHOTOS, WE WILL BE ABLE TO SHOW YOU OVER TO THAT.
CAN I ASK ONE OTHER QUESTION IN THE MEANTIME FOR REFERENCE, WHAT WOULD 25,000 SQUARE VIEW LOOK LIKE? I'VE ASKED YOU THIS QUESTION ON OTHER STUFF BEFORE, SO I KNOW, YOU KNOW, WHAT I'M ASKING, UM, DOLLAR GENERAL IS 2000 SQUARE FEET, PROBABLY SMALLER THAN A DOLLAR GENERAL.
UM, AND I'LL, I'LL GO WITH MY COMMENT.
WELL, WELL, YEAH, I ALREADY SAID, AND THEN I'LL MAKE MY COMMENT.
SO YOU CAN SEE, THIS IS A MAP PROBABLY TO THE RIGHT AND WHITE OR TO MY LEFT AND WHY IT IS IN THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON.
UH, THE PUBLIX IS UP IN THAT AREA RIGHT THERE, PROPERTY BACK TO MY RIGHT WHERE YOU SEE THE BRIGHT GREEN THERE.
THAT'S THE NEAREST, UH, T2 RC, UH, ZONING, UM, AT THE BOTTOM IN THE BOTTOM OUT, IS THAT THE RIGHT IS THE NEAREST AND, AND THE ONE THAT'S KIND OF LIKE BOXED OUT THAT'S THE PROPERTY IN QUESTION THAT, YEAH, THAT'S CORRECT.
WITH THE RED BOX, THAT'S PROBABLY THE QUESTION.
SO WHAT HAPPENED HERE IS THIS PROPERTY DID INDEED HAVE COMMERCIAL ZONING.
AND THEN IT WENT INTO THE, UM, COMMUNITY PRESERVATION DISTRICT, UH, THAT TOOK AWAY THE COMMERCIAL ZONING.
AND THEN, BUT THE COMMUNITY PRESERVATION DISTRICT THAT WAS ADOPTED BASICALLY SAID, IF YOU HAD COMMERCIALS ON PROPERTY PRIOR, THEN WHENEVER WE DID THE COMMUNITY PRESERVATION DISTRICT, YOU HAD THAT RIGHT.
THEN YOU COULD CARRY THAT RIGHT.
FALL FOLLOWER UNDER THE COMMUNITY PRESERVATION DISTRICT.
AND THEN WHENEVER WE ADOPTED THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CODE IN 2014, THAT WENT FROM A TRADITIONAL ZONING
[01:45:01]
CODE TO A FORM-BASED CODE.THERE WAS A WHOLESALE RE ZONING DONE OF A LOT OF THE COUNTY THAT BROUGHT PROPERTIES IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE FORM-BASED CODE THAT WAS BEING ADOPTED AT THAT TIME, WHAT WE CALL NOW, THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CODE AND ALL OF THESE PROPERTIES, MANY OF THESE PROPERTIES IN THIS AREA WERE REZONED TO THE T3 EDGE THAT'S CURRENTLY THERE.
SO THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN NO WAY FOR US TO, THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN VERY COSTLY AND PROBLEMATIC TO, UH, NOTIFY EVERY INDIVIDUAL PROPERTY OWNER IN THE COUNTY, SPECIFICALLY AS TO WHAT THEIR ZONING WOULD BE GOING TO UNDERNEATH THAT TYPE OF WHOLESALE REZONING.
SO THE PROPER NOTICES REPLACED IN THE PAPER ADVERTISED, UH, THINGS LIKE THAT, UH, THROUGH, UH, VARIOUS WORKSHOPS, A COUNCIL MEMBER FOR WILLING CAN PROBABLY ELABORATE ON THAT MORE THAN I CAN ABOUT THAT.
SO, UM, THAT, THAT WAS, THAT'S WHY WE'RE, YOU'RE, THAT'S HOW WE GOT TO THIS POINT.
SO I'D LIKE TO YIELD TO COUNCILMAN FLOWING, BUT I STILL WANNA MAKE A COMMENT WHEN, WHEN YOU'RE DONE.
NO, I JUST WANTED TO SAY YES, I COULD COMMENT ABOUT HER, BUT IT'S REALLY NOT NECESSARY.
WE ALL SUBMITTED COMMENT FOR OVER A YEAR ON THIS.
WE READ EVERY SINGLE PARAGRAPH OF THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CODE, UM, ON THE, ON THE WEB AND, UH, TOOK PUBLIC COMMENT FOR, WELL OVER A YEAR, UH, JUST WAS EVERYBODY KNEW WHERE THEY WERE GOING OR HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO.
SO MY COMMENT IS, I MEAN, IT'S SITTING BETWEEN A PROPERTY THAT'S GOING TO BE, OR THAT THEY'RE REQUESTING THE SAME ZONING FOR IN A VERY HEAVY COMMERCIAL AREA.
AND WE HAVE THESE, THESE DISCUSSIONS ALL THE TIME WHILE THIS IS COMMERCIAL.
SO THE THING NEXT TO IT'S GOTTA BE COMMERCIAL AND YOU KNOW, THIS, WHAT I CALL PROLIFERATION OF ZONING, WHICH I GENERALLY FIND PROBLEMATIC.
UM, YOU KNOW, IN, IN THIS CASE, I UNDERSTAND WHAT COUNTS WITH WELLING IS SAYING AND THAT THERE, YOU KNOW, THERE HAS BEEN AMPLE TIME IN PUBLIC HEARING AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE SOMEBODY WHO DOESN'T SIT HERE AND PAY ATTENTION TO COUNTY GOVERNMENT ALL DAY, EVERY DAY, I CAN SEE WHERE THAT COULD GET LOST.
AND SO THAT OPPORTUNITY IS, I MEAN, IT'S GREAT, BUT WE SHOULD HAVE PROACTIVELY REACHED OUT TO THESE FOLKS, UM, ON A PERSONAL NOTE, IN MY OPINION, I FIND IT REALLY PROBLEMATIC WHEN, UM, THE GOVERNMENT CREATES OR DESTROYS WEALTH AND ESPECIALLY WITHOUT GIVING WHAT I WOULD DEEM TO BE PROPER NOTICE IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE.
UM, YOU KNOW, SO FOR ALL OF THOSE REASONS, THE PROXIMITY TO COMMERCIAL, THE FACT THAT THEY'RE NOT ASKING FOR PARTIAL, I DON'T VIEW 25,000 SQUARE FEET IN THAT CONTEXT AS SOMETHING THAT'S TOTALLY NOXIOUS.
UM, AND THE FACT THAT I DON'T FROM WHAT I'M HEARING ANYWAY IS THAT THEY WEREN'T GIVEN PROPER NOTICE.
I'M GOING TO GO AHEAD AND SUPPORT THOSE.
UH, CAN I HAVE THEIR QUESTIONS? YEAH.
I WOULD LIKE TO ADD SOMETHING AS WELL.
UM, IF YOU LOOK AT THAT MAP AS WELL, I KNOW THAT, UM, SOME PEOPLE IN CEDAR LAKE ARE FOR, AND SOME PEOPLE ARE AGAINST, UH, YOU'RE GOING TO GET THAT ANY TIME COMMERCIAL COMES IN, I'M DEALING WITH THAT RIGHT NOW AT ANOTHER AREA IN BLUFFTON.
BUT I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THAT THIS PROPERTY IS NOT LINED UP WITH THE ENTRANCE OF CEDAR LAKE.
THERE IS A COMPLETE OTHER LOT THAT LOOKS IDENTICAL IN SIZE OF ABOUT TWO ACRES.
THAT IS THE PROPERTY IN FRONT OF THE ENTRANCE TO CEDAR LAKE.
UM, SO I, I JUST WANT TO POINT THAT OUT THAT, UH, IT, IT'S NOT RIGHT THERE IN FRONT OF CEDAR LAKE.
NOW, THERE IS SOME THAT ROAD DOES BEND, BUT IT IS NOT THE ENTRANCE.
SO IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE IMPACT OF TRAFFIC, WE'RE GOING TO GET A LOT MORE TRAFFIC FROM OUR LIBRARY, UM, THE PUBLIC SHOPPING CENTER, UH, THE NEIGHBORHOODS RIGHT THERE, AND, AND THAT SCHOOL THAT'S OVER THERE AS WELL.
SO A COUPLE OFFICES COMPARED TO WHAT COULD HAVE HAPPENED 15 YEARS AGO WITH A GAS STATION.
UM, AND, AND LIKE CHRIS SAID THAT I DON'T FEEL THAT'S THE RIGHT WAY FOR PUBLIC NOTICE.
UM, WE HAVE RESOURCES AND I FEEL LIKE WE SHOULD MAKE SURE THAT WE DON'T CRUSH THE WEALTH OF THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE COMMITTED TO THIS COMMUNITY AND THAT'S OUR JOB.
SO I AM GOING TO VOTE IN FAVOR OF THIS FOR THE SECOND READING.
UM, I ENCOURAGE YOU GUYS TO DO THE SAME, SO YOU GUYS CAN AT LEAST GET THE OPPORTUNITY TO VISIT THE PROPERTY, UM, AND MAYBE DIG FOR SOME MORE RESEARCH.
MR. CHAIRMAN, I HAVE ONE LAST COMMENT MS. HOWARD.
I THINK IT'S NAIVE TO THINK THAT SOMEONE WHO GETS SOMETHING REZONED WILL ALWAYS DO IT.
I PROMISE YOU IN A MEETING AND I'M GOING TO VOTE AGAINST THIS FOR THAT REASON.
UH, MR. RODMAN QUESTION FOR ERIC AGAIN, UM, THERE ARE THREE TYPES OF USERS THAT THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT.
IF THERE'S SOME OTHER ZONING CLASSIFICATION WOULD WORK OR IS THIS REALLY THE ONLY ONE THAT'S, UH, AVAILABLE? UM, I WOULD NOT BE PREPARED TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION.
NOW WE CAN, UH, WE CAN EVALUATE THEM IN THE OUTCOMES ABOUT WHAT THEIR TRUE INTENTIONS ARE ON WHAT THEY WANT TO DO WITH THE PROPERTY.
BUT AGAIN, RIGHT NOW WE'VE HEARD SEVERAL DIFFERENT THINGS THROUGH THE COURSE OF DEALING WITH THIS.
[01:50:01]
HAPPY TO DO THAT.IF YOU ALL WANT TO GIVE FIRST READING THIS EVENING AND HOW MUCH EVALUATING WE WORK WITH THEM, THEN WE CAN LOOK AT DOING AN AMENDMENT DOWN, UH, UH, PRIOR TO SECOND READING.
SO, UM, ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, IS THERE TO ADDRESS THE COMMENTS? THE GENTLEMAN REITERATING THE NEGATIVE AT THE SECOND, UM, UH, COMMENTS SECTION FROM INDIVIDUALS NOT NOW.
THE TERM SPOT ZONING HAS BEEN THROWN OUT SEVERAL TIMES IS THIS IN FACT, A SPOT ZONE THAT WOULD BE CREATED BY APPROVING THIS AT FIRST READING, I'M GOING TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION WITH, UM, WITH WHAT I'VE WITH MY EXPERIENCE AND FROM, FROM OTHER JURISDICTIONS AND DON'T WORK IN, UH, BASICALLY ONLY THE COUNTY BASED ON WHAT I'VE BEEN TOLD IN THE PAST BIAS LEGAL COUNCILS THAT DON'T WORK WITH OTHER COUNTY JURISDICTION IS THAT THE COUNTY COUNCIL IS ULTIMATELY THE ONLY, UH, BODY SHORT OF GOING TO COURT THAT CAN MAKE THAT DETERMINATION.
THE DEFINITION OF SPOT ZONING, UH, IN THE STATE LAW IS A ZONING CATEGORY THAT IS ESTABLISHED IN AN AREA THAT IS SO OUT OF CHARACTER WITH THE SURROUNDING USES OF THE AREA, THAT IT WOULD COST AND SHOOT, UM, SPOT ZONING TO ESTABLISH WHO USE ON A PIECE OF PROPERTY IN AN AREA WHERE THERE ARE NO OTHER SIMILAR USES.
SO IT'S NOT JUST A MATTER OF LOOKING AT THE ZONING MOUNTAIN, SAY, OH, WELL, YOU GOT THIS MUCH ANCHORAGE IN THERE.
UH, YOU REZONE THAT PROPERTY, THAT SPOT ZONING, BECAUSE YOU COULD HAVE A ONE ACRE SPOT ZONING.
YOU COULD HAVE A A HUNDRED ACRE SPOT ZONING DEPENDING ON WHAT THE SURROUNDING CONDITIONS OF THE COMMUNITY AND THE REST OF THE CHARACTER ARE.
SO, UH, THAT'S THE BEST AND TRACKING GIFT TO COUNCIL.
YOU ALL HAVE TO MAKE THAT COMBINATION.
IT DOES SOUND LIKE TO ME IN THIS PERIOD CASE THAT IF THERE ARE OTHER SUMMER OR COMMERCIAL USES IN THE AREA, THEN YOU ALL MIGHT BE ABLE TO PREVAIL.
IF YOU WERE TO BE CHALLENGED ON THAT, THAT IS, IT'S NOT SPOT ZONING THAT YOU'RE FOLLOWING THE, UH, YOU'RE FOLLOWING THE CHARACTERISTICS OF WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE COMMUNITY.
IT MAY NOT BE IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE LAND USE PLAN AMOUNT.
THERE'S OTHER REASONS TO APPROVE REZONINGS, UH, SHORT OF THAT.
THERE COULD BE, YOU COULD RECOGNIZE YOU'RE CHANGING CONDITIONS IN A COMMUNITY.
YOU COULD SAY THAT THERE WAS A MISTAKE IN THE ORIGINAL ZONING OF THE PROPERTY.
UH, THERE'S A LOT OF REASONS HOW, HOW YOU CAN RESOLVE ON THIS PROPERTY AND WITHSTAND THE CHALLENGE IF ONE WERE TO BE BROUGHT BY SOME ADJACENT PROPERTY OWNER.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS BEFORE WE TAKE A VOTE, MR. ROD? YEAH, IT SOUNDS TO ME LIKE WE WOULD BENEFIT FROM SOME ADDITIONAL INPUT FROM ERIC AND GROUP HAS THE CHANCE TO GO AND LOOK AT IT AND GO ON.
SO I'M GOING TO, I'M GOING TO MAKE A MOTION THAT WE POSTPONE THIS UNTIL OUR NEXT MEETING SO THAT WE CAN GET SOME ADDITIONAL INPUT FROM OUR, UH, FROM ERIC.
WE'RE ASKING FOR AN AMENDMENT TO TABLE THIS TO A SPECIFIC TIME IN THE FUTURE POSTPONE OR TABLE.
WELL, POSTPONE TABLE IS THE SAME THING.
APRIL MEANS YOU GOT TO HAVE A VOTE TO BRING IT BACK MY UNDERSTANDING, RIGHT? OKAY.
UM, OUR, A PARLIAMENTARIAN NEEDS TO WEIGH IN ON WHAT WOULD BE THE PROPER MOTION TO REMOVE THIS FROM A VOTE.
THE SAME THING, WHAT RODMAN SAID IS CORRECT.
TITLING TAKES ANOTHER MOTION TO COME BACK THE MOTION TO POSTPONE, MAKE IT A GENERAL ORDER FOR YOUR NEXT MEETING AS HE IS CORRECT.
THAT WOULD NOT TAKE ANOTHER VOTE TO BRING IT BACK ALL.
SO, UH, MR. RODMAN, YOU WOULD BE ASKING US TO HAVE A MOTION TO POSTPONE THIS TO THE NEXT COUNCIL MEETING, CORRECT.
IS THERE A SECOND FOR MR. RODMAN'S MOTION TO POSTPONE THIS TO THE NEXT COUNCIL MEETING? OKAY.
I DO NOT SEE A SECOND, SO THAT WILL FAIL.
AND WE'RE BACK TO ANY DISCUSSION BEFORE WE TAKE A VOTE.
I, I THINK WITH THAT FAILING THE WAY
[01:55:01]
IT JUST, IT, YOU KNOW, I THINK, BUT WE STILL DO WANT THE OTHER INFORMATION.SO I DO ENCOURAGE YOU GUYS TO VOTE.
SO IT GIVES US THE OPPORTUNITY TO GATHER MORE INFORMATION AS WELL AS THE LAND OWNERS THAT SO WE CAN GET THAT CHANCE.
UH, SEEING NO FURTHER DISCUSSION, WE WILL TAKE A VOTE.
WE BEGIN WITH MR. CUNNINGHAM WHO MADE THE MOTION? YES.
YOU WERE THE SECOND MARK LAWSON.
NO, RIGHT NOW WE HAVE ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR, FIVE, YES.
AND THE CHAIR IS GOING TO VOTE.
WE'RE APPROACHING THAT EIGHT O'CLOCK HOUR AND I'M NOT GOING TO VOTE FOR EXCHANGE.
[Items 12-15]
NOW AT BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, I WOULD LINK A MOTION FOR, UM, THE APPOINTMENT, UH, IN ITEM NUMBER 12 FOR, UH, ROGER GEODON, THE APPROACH APPROVAL OF, UM, JOHN, UH, LAFFITE MASSEY TO THE RURAL AND CRITICAL LANDS, THE APPOINTMENT OF BLAKE WHITE TO THE ALCOHOL AND DRUG ABUSE BOARD AND THE RECOMMENDATION TO THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE FOR THE APPOINTMENT OF PRISCILLA, PRISCILLA, DRAKE FROM DISTRICT FOUR TO THE DISABILITIES AND SPECIAL NEED BOARD.SO MOVE, MR. FULLING MAKES THE MOTION.
AND I HEARD MR. GLOVER AS THE SECOND.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? UH, YES.
UM, UH, PRISCILLA DRAKE IS ACTUALLY, UH, THAT'S NEW TO MY DISTRICT, SO JUST WANT TO MAKE THAT NOTATION ALRIGHT.
MAKE THAT CORRECTION AND ANY OTHER DISCUSSION, UH, THESE INDIVIDUALS WILL BE APPOINTED OR RECOMMENDED TO THE GOVERNOR WITHOUT OBJECTION.
ARE THERE ANY OBJECTIONS SEEING NONE, THEN THOSE INDIVIDUALS HAVE BEEN APPOINTED OR RECOMMENDED TO THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE? UH, WE RAN OUR SECOND
[16. CITIZEN COMMENTS]
CITIZENS COMMENTS.ARE THERE ANY COMMENTS FROM ANYONE IN THE AUDIENCE AT THE COUNTY COUNCIL? I'M SORRY.
SO, UM, I JUST WANTED TO, UH, MENTION THAT SOME OF THE COMMENTS THE GENTLEMEN MENTIONED EARLIER THAT WERE NEGATIVE TO THAT ADDRESS.
UH, WE HAVE TAKEN COMMENTS PER PERSONALLY FROM THE ADJOINING PROPERTIES, WHICH WE DON'T CONSIDER A SIERRA LIKE THE BE JOINING IT'S A, IT'S A NEIGHBORHOOD ACROSS THE STREET, BUT ALL THE ADJOINING PROPERTIES, UM, THEY'VE SUBMITTED COMMENTS TO ME PERSONALLY AND HAS SPOKEN UP AT THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND COMPLETE SUPPORT OF, UH, THE PROPERTY.
AND THEN SOME OF THE COMMENTS THAT HE MENTIONED ARE ANTIQUATED.
WE'VE ADDRESSED THE CONCERNS, THOSE NEIGHBORS IN CEDAR LEGS.
AND THEY ASSURED US THAT WE HAD THEIR SUPPORT AT THIS TIME.
SO I THINK THERE COULD BE SOME UPDATING TO SOME OF THOSE COMMENTS FROM THE PEOPLE THAT WERE POLY HOME, UM, UH, DURING THE REVIEW.
UM, I JUST THOUGHT IT WAS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT, SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER COMMENTS SEEING COMMENTS? THE SECOND SESSION IT'S CLOSED.
UM, UH, I ALSO HAVE A, AN UPDATE TO, UM, MICHELLE WHO IS ON THE INITIAL, UM, COMPLAINT OR OBJECTION THAT YOU MENTIONED FROM AN EMAIL WHO LIVES IN CEDAR LAKE HAS REACHED OUT TO ME.
AND, UM, AFTER HEARING THE PLANS AND DISCUSSING WHAT WE WOULD LIKE TO DO, UM, I THOUGHT SHE HAD ALREADY SENT AN EMAIL THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN BROUGHT UP TONIGHT, BUT I GUESS IT HADN'T BEEN RECEIVED YET BY THE COUNTY, BUT BASICALLY, UM, SHE HAS TOLD ME THAT YES, HAVING ACQUIRED ADDITIONAL INFORMATION TONIGHT, I WOULD SUPPORT A PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT 100%.
AND I UNDERSTAND THAT THE CONCERN, I, YOU KNOW, IF I LIVED AROUND THAT AREA, I WOULD BE VERY INTERESTED IN WHAT PEOPLE WERE PLANNING
[02:00:01]
ON DOING.AND, UM, NOW THAT WE'VE, YOU KNOW, MADE IT CLEAR WHAT OUR INTENTIONS ARE AND, UM, YOU KNOW, IF WE NEED TO, UM, MAKE IT CLEARER SOMEHOW COUNSEL, UM, THAT WE WILL STICK TO OUR INTENTIONS.
YOU KNOW, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S DISCUSSED AS WELL, BUT, UM, THE COMMUNITIES, UH, IN SUPPORT OF THIS.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER COMMENTS SEEING NO OTHER COMMENTS? IT IS NOW 8:00 PM AND THIS MEETING IS NOW ADJOURNED.