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IT IS FEBRUARY NIGHT, HAPPY NEW YEAR.
IT'S OUR SECOND MEETING OF THE YEAR.
ALL OF COUNCILS HERE AND WELCOME EVERYBODY TO TUESDAY, FEBRUARY NIGHT, BLUFFTON, REGULAR TOWN COUNCIL MEETING.
WE WILL CALL THIS MEETING TO ORDER AND WE WILL BEGIN BY THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE FOLLOWED BY THE INVOCATION, THEIR SUPPLY AG.
I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL COUNCILWOMAN FRAZIER.
I BELIEVE YOU HAVE BEEN VOCATION, ISAIAH AND FEDERAL AND PRAY WITH ME.
WE ASK ALWAYS FOR YOUR GUIDANCE IN OUR WAYS, AND PRAY FOR THE COURAGE TO BE A BEACON OF HOPE, COURAGE, AND STRENGTH FOR ALL WE ASK THAT YOU CONTINUE TO BLESS OUR TOWN AND OUR ENDEAVORS.
THESE IN ALL OF THE THINGS WE ASK IN JESUS NAME.
MA'AM UM, THE ADOPTION AGENDA, UH, MR. MARSHALL, ANY CHANGES ON THE AGENDA ON THE AGENDA? OKAY.
IF, UH, WOULD SOMEONE LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE AGENDA PER SECOND? ANY DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR, STEP OF SAYING AYE, ANY OPPOSED THAT'S UNANIMOUS.
ONE WAS OUR REGULAR MEETING ON JANUARY 12TH, FOLLOWED UP BY A WORKSHOP.
SO FIRST THE REGULAR MEETING MINUTES OF JANUARY 12TH HAVE Y'ALL SEEN ANY CHANGES THAT NEED TO BE MADE.
IF NOT, IS THERE A MOTION TO ACCEPT THE REGULAR MEETING MINUTES OF JANUARY 12TH, 2021? IS THERE A SECOND, ANY DISCUSSION, ALL IN FAVOR STATE BY SAYING AYE, ANY OPPOSED THE SAME HOLDS WITH THE WORKSHOP MEETING MINUTES OF JANUARY 19TH, 2021, IF NO CHANGES, IS THERE A MOTION TO ACCEPT YOUR SECOND, ANY DISCUSSION, ALL IN FAVOR STATE BY SAYING AYE, THAT'S POST UNANIMOUS.
WE HAVE ONE PRESENTATION, WHICH IS OUR MONTHLY PRESENTATION, WHICH IS THE STUDENT OF THE MONTH.
AND I SAY THIS EVERY MONTH, BECAUSE I DO THINK WE GET NEW, UM, PEOPLE THAT WATCH OUR COUNCIL MEETINGS LOVE, AND IT'S OUR SCHOOL CLUSTER IS HALF OF THE STUDENT POPULATION AND BUFORD COUNTY SCHOOLS.
SO WHOLE CLUSTER OF STUDENTS, THEY MAKE A RECOMMENDATION FOR STUDENTS OUT OF EACH CLASSROOM.
THEY GET BUNDLED INTO A REALLY LARGE PILE FROM PRE-K TO 12TH GRADE AND THEY'RE VOTED ON AND, AND WE GET A BLUFFTON CLUSTER STUDENT OF THE MONTH.
THIS ONE IS GOING TO A PRICHARD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENT, HER NAME'S GRACE KENNEDY, AND SHE HAS A SWEET SMILE.
NORMALLY THEY WOULD BE WITH US.
AND HOPEFULLY THAT WILL HAPPEN AGAIN SOON.
SHE GOT THE DESIGNATION OFF OF COMPASSION AND KIM I DON'T.
UM, SO I'M JUST GOING TO READ A LITTLE BIT ABOUT IT.
SHE'S A FIRST GRADE STUDENT AND SHE'S PROOF THAT COMPASSION CAN BE SHARED AND LIVED OUT LOUD AT ANY AGE.
SHE NEVER MISSES AN OPPORTUNITY TO ENCOURAGE OTHERS AND SPREAD POSITIVITY WHEREVER SHE HAPPENS TO BE.
AND HER COUNSELOR RE RECOGNIZED THIS AND NOTICED THIS FIRSTHAND WHEN SHE VISITED HER CLASS FOR A CHARACTER EDUCATION LESSON, A STUDENT SITTING IN YOUR GRACE SEEMED SHY ABOUT JOINING IN, AND SHE WAS THOUGHT SO LITTLE UNCOMFORTABLE WITH THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE.
SO GRACE AND QUIETLY INCLUDE HER BY SHARING HER FRIEND'S FAULTS.
WHEN SHE WHISPERED HER THOUGHTS TO GRACE FROM ACROSS THE TABLE.
UH, THE FIRST GRADE TEACHER SAID SIMILAR ACTS OF COMPASSION ARE A DAILY OCCURRENCE IN HER CLASSROOM.
AND THAT GRACE HAS ALWAYS WILLING TO INCLUDE EVERYONE AT RECESS AND GOES OUT OF HER WAY TO ASK OTHERS TO JOIN THAT'S PRECIOUS AND JUST WISH SHE WOULD BE WITH US TODAY, BUT SHE'LL GET A CERTIFICATE IF HER MOM'S WATCHING.
AND WE'RE JUST SO PROUD OF HER AND JUST LOOK FORWARD TO FOLLOWING HER GROWTH AS SHE MAKES IT THROUGH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, MIDDLE SCHOOL AND HIGH SCHOOL.
UM, PUBLIC COMMENT, WE HAVE A PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD IS NEXT THAT'S ITEM SEVEN ON OUR AGENDA.
PUBLIC COMMENT IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT FROM DAYS PAST.
WE, UH, THEY SUBMIT IT ELECTRONICALLY, BUT THE PEOPLE ARE PUT INTO A WAITING ROOM SO THEY CAN READ THEIR OWN PUBLIC COMMENT.
THEY HAVE THREE MINUTES AT THREE MINUTES, IT CUTS OFF AND WE ALL KNOW AND ASK THEM TO BE POLITE, BE RESPECTFUL, KEEP IT IN A CONFLUENCE
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OF WHAT OUR COUNCIL CAN DO.SO WE WILL START AT ONCE CAM CALLS HER NAME AND THEN I'LL REMIND HER OF NAME AND ADDRESS.
CAUSE I DON'T THINK THEY CAN HEAR US.
KIM, CAN THEY, SO WHO'S THAT? I'M SORRY.
UM, FIRST MOVED VIVIAN JOINER.
AND LET ME REMIND HER ABOUT NAME, ADDRESS BEFORE YOU ALL START YOUR TIME.
VIVIAN, ARE YOU ON VIVIAN JOINER? OKAY.
VIVIAN, IF YOU CAN TURN DOWN YOUR FACEBOOK OR YOUR COMPUTER IT'LL, IT'LL NOT BE GOOD AND WE WON'T BE ABLE TO HEAR YOU.
I COULD JUST GIVE US YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS AND YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES.
I'M ONE OF THE HEIRS TO THE PROPERTY THAT SITS AT EITHER NINE BREWEN ROAD OR 2 0 9 BLUFFTON ROAD.
UM, IT HAS BEEN DEEMED AS A HISTORICAL PROPERTY AND, UM, MY FAMILY, UH, HAS OWNED THAT PROPERTY FOR WELL OVER A HUNDRED YEARS.
IT IS OUR DESIRE THAT IT BE ALLOWED TO, UM, BE CONSIDERED FOR VARIANTS.
IF YOU WOULD, IS AS FAR AS HISTORICAL PROPERTIES ARE CONCERNED, UM, THE STRUCTURE ON THE, ON THE PROPERTY, WHICH IS MY FATHER'S HOME AND, YOU KNOW, UM, IT MEANS A LOT TO OUR FAMILY, BUT THAT HOUSE IS NO LONGER A HOME.
THAT STRUCTURE IS, UH, IN, IN BAD REPAIR.
UM, IT IS BEYOND THE ABILITY TO SAFELY OCCUPY, UM, AND IT IS, UH, COST PROHIBITIVE TO REPAIR IT.
WE'VE HAD A STRUCTURAL ENGINEER COME IN AND LOOK AT IT AND, UM, IT'S JUST, IT'S JUST NOT SALVAGEABLE.
UH, SO TO DEEM IT, UM, AS A HISTORICAL PROPERTY, SIMPLY BECAUSE IT HAS SOME HISTORICAL REFERENCE TO THE OLD TOWN OF BLUFFTON, WHICH WE ALL LOVE, UM, IS, UH, IS MORE THAN, UM, CRIPPLING.
SO WE ASKED FOR A VARIANCE TO CONSIDER IT.
UM, WE ALL BELIEVE THAT OUR HISTORY IS IMPORTANT TO US.
THE HISTORY OF, UH, BLUFFTON, THE HISTORY OF MY FAMILY, THE JOINERS THAT HAVE BEEN A PART OF BLUFFTON FOR, UM, MORE THAN OUR LIFETIMES, SOME OF THEM PUT TOGETHER.
UM, BUT IT IS, IT IS OUR BELIEF AND OUR DESIRE TO HOLD ON TO OUR HISTORY, BUT ALLOW THE FUTURE TO TAKE PLACE.
AND THERE HAS BEEN OFTEN TIMES IN OTHER PROPERTIES IN BLUFFTON THAT THOSE TWO THINGS HAVE BEEN ABLE TO WORK, UH, CONCURRENTLY.
AND WE ASK THAT THAT, UH, BE ABLE TO HAPPEN HERE.
WE, WE APPRECIATE THE HISTORY OF IT AND IT NEEDS TO BE INDICATED SOME WAY, BUT SIMPLY BECAUSE IT IS A SHOTGUN HOUSE THAT WAS BUILT OR REBUILT IN THE LATE FORTIES, 1940S, THERE'S THERE'S, THERE'S NOT ENOUGH TO SAY, YOU KNOW, THIS IS WHAT IF IT WAS ONE OF THOSE BEAUTIFUL GRAND HOUSES.
THERE'S NOTHING THAT YOU CAN MOVE.
THERE'S NOTHING THAT YOU COULD HOPE TO.
I APPRECIATE YOUR INPUT, YOUR, YOUR, YOUR TIME.
AND I THANK YOU FOR FORGIVING ME AT THE MOMENT.
AND I APOLOGIZE FOR YOUR NAME.
WE WILL HAVE SOMEONE ON STAFF GET WITH YOU ON PROCESS AND PROCEDURE.
WE DON'T ANSWER AND RESPOND TO PUBLIC COMMENT THAT, BUT I KNOW YOU'LL GET BACK IN THAT ROOM AND YOU WON'T HEAR US.
UM, BUT, BUT SCOTT MARSHALL WE'LL GET SOMEONE TO AT LEAST LET YOU KNOW WHAT PROCESS IS.
ARE YOU ON ANTOINETTE? NOT YET.
IT'S LISA SILKA AND TOWN COUNCIL.
AND IF YOU WOULD GIVE ME YOUR NAME AND YOUR ADDRESS FIRST.
UM, YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES AND, UM, WE'LL LET YOU SPEAK YOUR PUBLIC COMMENT.
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IS ANTOINETTE JOINER.AND WHAT ELSE DID YOU NEED? MY ADDRESS IS 43 0 8, CARLY COURT, WINSTON SALEM, NORTH CAROLINA, 2 7 1 0 6.
I AM AN HEIR TO THE PROPERTY AT NINE BRUIN, UH, ROAD.
AND WE HAVE BEEN ACTIVELY INVOLVED IN THE PROPERTY FOR FOUR YEARS.
SINCE MY FATHER PASSED IN 1981, WE HAVE NEVER BEEN MADE AWARE THAT THERE WAS EVEN A HISTORICAL DESIGNATION PUT ON THE PROPERTY.
UM, AND NOW THERE'S, THERE'S, THERE'S, THERE'S HISTORICAL DESIGNATION IS ON THE PROPERTY AND THERE IS NOTHING HISTORICAL ABOUT THE PROPERTY THAT IS SITTING THERE.
IF YOU WALK ON THE FLOOR, YOU'RE LIABLE TO GO THROUGH THE STRUCTURE IS, IS VERY UNSOUND.
AND I DON'T UNDERSTAND THE PURPOSE OF A HISTORICAL DESIGNATION ON A PIECE OF PROPERTY THAT IS ABOUT TO REALLY LITERALLY FALL DOWN WITH, UH, WITH, UH, NOT EVEN A VERY STRONG WIND.
SO I'M REQUESTING THAT THE HISTORICAL DESIGNATION BE MOVED FOR TWO REASONS, THAT IT WAS NEVER TOLD TO THE JOINER FAMILY THAT THEY WERE EVEN THINKING ABOUT PUTTING A HISTORICAL DESIGNATION ON THE PROPERTY AND THEN TO, UM, BECAUSE THERE'S NOTHING HISTORICAL HISTORICAL ABOUT THE, UM, THE PIECE OF PROPERTY.
THERE IS SOME SENTIMENTAL VALUE TO THAT PROPERTY BECAUSE MY FATHER HELPED TO BUILD IT.
BUT THERE'S NOTHING HISTORICAL ABOUT THAT PROPERTY SITTING THERE ON THAT CORNER.
THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
AND I KNOW WHEN YOU LEAVE, YOU MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO HEAR US.
WE'LL HAVE STAFF GET WITH YOU ON, ON YOUR QUESTIONS AND GET YOU SOME ANSWERS.
WE DON'T RESPOND AT PUBLIC COMMENT, BUT WE ARE LISTENING AND WE'LL GET SOMEONE IN TOUCH WITH YOU.
IF YOU HAD GIVEN OUR TOWN CLERK, YOUR EMAIL, THAT NUMBER.
IS IT JULIANA? IT'S JULIANA JULIANA.
IT'S A MAYOR AND COUNCIL HERE WANTING TO HEAR YOUR PUBLIC COMMENT.
IF YOU WOULD GIVE US YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS AND THEN CAN START WITH YOUR COMMENT BECAUSE YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES.
I LIVE AT 27 18 OAKLAWN STREET AND BUFORT 2 9, 9 0 2.
AND I AM COMMENTING ON BEHALF OF THE COASTAL CONSERVATION LEAGUE THIS EVENING.
SO WHEN YOU'RE READY TO START, THERE WE GO.
SO TONIGHT I AM COMMENTING IN SUPPORT OF THE ADOPTION OF BOTH THE SOUTHERN LOW COUNTRY STORM WATER ORDINANCE AND DESIGN MANUAL, AND THE PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO THE FLOOD DAMAGE PROTECTION ORDINANCE.
MY COMMENTS PERTAIN TO AGENDA ITEMS 10, TWO AND 11 ONE RESPECTIVELY.
UM, FIRST THE SOUTHERN LOW COUNTRY STORMWATER ORDINANCE AND DESIGN MANUAL BEFORE YOU TONIGHT ARE THE CULMINATION OF THREE AND A HALF YEARS OF EFFORTS TO STUDY AND IMPROVE STORMWATER STANDARDS REGIONALLY THROUGHOUT BOTH BUFORD AND JASPER COUNTIES.
EACH DOCUMENT TAKES A CRITICAL REGIONAL APPROACH THAT IMPROVES WATER QUALITY BY ENCOURAGING THE PRESERVATION AND ENHANCEMENT OF FORESTED WETLANDS AND TREE CANOPY.
BY DISCOURAGING CLEAR, CUTTING BY PRIORITIZING GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE AND LOW IMPACT DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS BY SUPPORTING INCORPORATION OF NATURAL AREAS AND OPEN SPACES INTO NEW DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS.
AND BY PROVIDING LONG-TERM MAINTENANCE FOR IMPLEMENTED STORMWATER MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS THROUGHOUT THE LIFE OF DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS, EVEN IN THE FACE OF RISING REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT PRESSURES, EACH OF THESE INITIATIVES WILL IMPROVE WATER QUALITY ON A WATERSHED SCALE BY INCREASING NATURAL FILTRATION OF STORMWATER AND DISCOURAGING ALTERATIONS OF OUR NATURAL DRAINAGE PATHWAYS IN OUR LANDSCAPES AS A RESULT CONTAMINATION OF IMPORTANT WATER BODIES LIKE THE MAY RIVER AND THE PORT ROYAL SOUND WILL BE DRAMATICALLY REDUCED ENSURING THAT COMMUNITIES AND BUFORD AND JASPER COUNTIES CAN CONTINUE TO ENJOY THE NATURAL ABUNDANCE SEAFOOD OF OUR WATERSHEDS, AS WELL AS THE MANY RECREATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES AND NATURAL ECOSYSTEM SERVICES THEY PROVIDE.
WE AT THE COASTAL CONSERVATION LEAGUE SUPPORT ADOPTION OF THE NEW ORDINANCE AND DESIGN MANUAL, AND WE APPRECIATE YOU AND STAFF'S LEADERSHIP IN PROTECTING OUR LOCAL WATERSHEDS AND ENCOURAGING REGIONAL COOPERATION.
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FINALLY, VERY QUICKLY IN THE FACE OF RISING WATERS.WE ALSO APPRECIATE THAT THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON RECOGNIZES THAT DESPITE THE NEWLY RE-EVALUATED FEMA FLOOD MAPS MORE IS NECESSARY TO PROTECT CITIZENS AND FEATURE DEVELOPMENT INVESTMENTS.
THIS IS WHY WE SUPPORT REQUIRING THREE FEET OF FREEBOARD FOR ALL FUTURE CONSTRUCTION PROPERTIES.
THIS ADJUSTMENT BETTER ACCOMMODATES THE RE-EVALUATED MAPS BY MAINTAINING PROTECTIONS AGAINST FLOOD LOSSES AND SPECIAL HAZARD FLOOD ZONES.
WHILE PROVIDING OPPORTUNITY FOR RESIDENTS TO RECEIVE IMPROVED FLOOD INSURANCE RATES.
WE APPLAUD Y'ALL'S RECOGNITION OF THIS NECESSARY INCLUSION OF ADDED FREEBOARD, AND THAT'S ALL FOR ME.
WELCOME TO OUR VIRTUAL COUNCIL MEETINGS.
SO HOPEFULLY WE'LL SEE YOU IN PERSON SOON.
HOPEFULLY KIM, WHO'S THAT A BRIAN WHITMER AND DECEMBER FOUR OUT OF EIGHT.
WE HAVE, UH, PAUL SCOTT AND MIKE USELESS, ALL WHO DO YOU HAVE? TOMMY THAT'LL HELP HER PAUL SCOTT, WHICH IS NUMBER SEVEN AND MY CUES, WHICH IS NUMBER EIGHT.
SO WE MISSED TWO WHO WERE THE OTHER TWO THAT YOU OKAY.
HE WAS GOING TO BE PUSHED TO GET IN AND THEN RON CALL-INS.
AND WE LOOK FOR THEM AND WE'LL JUST DO THESE OTHER TWO.
WHO IS IT AGAIN, KIM, BUT ALL SCOTT THOUGHT.
IF YOU COULD GIVE US YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS, YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES.
UM, ONCE YOU DO THAT, SO YOU ARE UP.
MY NAME IS PAUL SCOTT AND I LIVE IN SAVANNAH, GEORGIA AT, UH, 16 MORNINGSIDE DRIVE.
UH, MY NAME IS PAUL SCOTT AGAIN, AND I REPRESENT FIRST CHATHAM BANK OF SAVANNAH.
UM, AS MANY OF YOU MAY KNOW, WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THE DEVELOPER ON ONE 70 AND HIGHWAY 46.
THEY'RE KNOWN AS THE PUBLIC'S DEVELOPMENT.
AND, UH, WITH THAT PUBLIC DEVELOPMENT, WE HAVE A COLLATERAL THAT ARE THE OUT PARCELS.
THERE ARE THREE OUT PARCELS THERE, UH, ON BOTH HIGHWAYS.
WE ALSO HAVE SOME BANK RETAINED PROPERTY.
UH, SO WE HAVE A LOT INVESTED THERE.
UH, WE FEEL THAT THE, UH, NEW STORMWATER ORDINANCE THAT YOU'RE CONSIDERING TONIGHT WILL IMPACT OUR VALUES THERE, A NEGATIVE TO NEGATIVELY.
UM, AS YOU REMEMBER, WE WENT UNDER A LOT OF SCRUTINY TO GET, UM, THE MASTER PLAN APPROVED AND WE SIZED THOSE OUT PARCELS AND WE VALUE THOSE OUT PARCELS, WHICH HAVE BEEN ON THE MARKET FOR OVER A YEAR, UH, BASED UPON WHAT WAS APPROVED THERE.
SO WE WOULD RESPECTFULLY ASKED TO BE GRANDFATHERED IN IF YOU WILL, UNDER OUR APPROVALS THAT WERE DONE AT THAT TIME, UH, WHICH INCLUDES THIS, UH, STORMWATER, UH, ORDINANCE AT ALL.
AND PLEASE FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK.
UM, CAUSE I DON'T THINK YOU'D BE ABLE TO HEAR COUNSEL IN THIS ROOM IF YOU CAN FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK.
YOU'LL SEE WHEN WE GET TO THAT, UM, ITEM AND I'M SURE WE'LL HAVE QUESTIONS.
WE'VE GOT DAN KIEFER IN THE WAITING ROOM NOW.
LET'S PUT HIM UP SINCE HE WAS FIRST, BUT SEE BEFORE WAS HE NEXT TO THE CAMP? YES.
AND HE IS CONNECTING AND Y'ALL, IF MY DOG HAPPENS TO BARK, I MIGHT HAVE TO MUTE ME AND RUN HIM OUT.
CAUSE MY HUSBAND ISN'T HOME YET.
SO JUST WARNING IN Y'ALL YOU'RE MUTED.
HEY GUYS, IT'S BRIAN WHITMER HERE.
WELL, IF YOU WOULD GIVE US YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS AND YOU START AND WE'LL, WE'LL PUT YOUR NAME, NOT DAN KEIFER.
UM, BRIAN WHITMER 12 AZALEA STREET, HILTON HEAD, SOUTH CAROLINA.
UM, I WAS, UM, MY COMMENT IS ABOUT THE SOUTHERN LOW COUNTRY CONSTRUCTION STORMWATER ORDINANCE DESIGN MANUAL.
UM, JUST SOME CONCERNS I HAVE ABOUT IT.
UM, I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO SEE SOME LOCAL ENGINEERS AND PLANNERS RUN THROUGH MULTIPLE CASE STUDIES, UH, READING THIS 300 PAGE MANUAL.
UM, IT'S HARD TO KNOW EXACTLY HOW IT'S GONNA IMPACT PLANNING ENGINEERING.
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UM, AND I WOULD LOVE TO SEE THESE CASE STUDIES BECAUSE IN THE PAST WHEN THESE CASE STUDIES HAD BEEN DONE, THEY HELPED TO REFINE IT.UM, AND IF YOU HAVE PEOPLE THAT ARE GOING TO HAVE TO BE RUNNING PROJECTS THROUGH, UM, THIS MANUAL, UM, WORK WITH TOWN STAFF TO REFINE IT AND VET IT AND FIND THE RIGHT BALANCE BETWEEN WATER QUALITY AND PRACTICAL APPLICATION.
I THINK THAT MAY BE, UM, PERFECT.
I JUST WOULD LIKE TO SEE A LITTLE BIT MORE VETTING.
I WOULD LOVE TO SEE THOSE CASE STUDIES AS ATTACHMENTS IN THE MANUAL.
UM, THOSE REAL LIFE APPLICATIONS I THINK WOULD HELP, UM, TO SIMPLIFY THIS IS MANUAL WAS OVER 300 PAGES.
I READ A GOOD BIT, BUT THIS IS ONE OF THE MORE COMPLICATED ONES.
SO I THINK IT COULD REALLY USE SOME CASE STUDIES.
UM, AND WE MAY FIND THAT THERE'S SOME REFINEMENTS THAT ARE MADE TO IT TO MAKE IT BETTER AND TO MAKE SURE THE FIRST COUPLE OF PROJECTS THAT COME THROUGH, UM, GO SMOOTHLY.
SO THOSE ARE MY COMMENTS ABOUT IT.
AND WE WILL, UM, WRITE THOSE NOTES AND ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS WHEN THE ITEM COMES UP ON THE AGENDA.
SO PLEASE KEEP A WATCH OUT ON FACEBOOK AND WHO DO WE HAVE LEFT? MAYBE THAT FIGHT I SEE IS AUDIO BUT VIDEO, BUT I DON'T SEE ALL OF YOU.
NAME AND ADDRESS AND THEN YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES.
UH, MY NAME IS MIKE HUGHES WITH THOMPSON DUTTON.
UH, I LIVE AT FOUR HERON'S NEST IN SAVANNAH.
UH, I WORK AT THOMPSON, AN ENGINEERING COMPANY, 50 PARK OF COMMERCE WAY.
FIRST JUST, I LIKE TO SAY TOWN OF BLUFFTON HAS THE MOST AMAZING STAFF.
UM, THEY'RE THE GREATEST TO WORK WITH.
UM, I'VE HAD THAT PLEASURE NOW FOR ALMOST 20 YEARS WORKING IN BLUFFTON, UM, AND EVEN DATING BACK TO WHEN WE DID THE LAST STORM WATER ORDINANCE REVISION BACK IN 2011.
UM, IT WAS A GREAT PROCESS WHERE THERE WAS A BACK AND FORTH DIALOGUE BETWEEN THE TOWN, UH, AND THE CONSULTANTS AND THE DESIGN TEAMS OF THE AREA.
UH, ONE OF THE CHALLENGES WE'VE HAD WITH THE NEWEST, UM, IMPLEMENTATION OF THE SO LOCO MANUAL IS THAT IT IS BEING RUN BY, UM, BY BUFORD COUNTY, WHICH HAS ITS BENEFITS BECAUSE IT WILL BE IMPLEMENTED HOPEFULLY, UH, ACROSS THE REGION, BUT THE DISADVANTAGES, WE DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE TOWN STAFF RUNNING ALL THE PROSTITUTES.
SO, UM, KIND OF DATING BACK IN JANUARY 30TH, 2019, WE WERE ASKED TO PROVIDE INPUT AND I BELIEVE, UM, UH, MOST MUNIS OR MOST CONSULTANTS DID.
AND THEN WE WERE PROVIDED ALSO AN OPPORTUNITY TO REVIEW THE 460 PAGE DOCUMENT BACK IN 2020, UH, JANUARY OF 2020 NOW, FAST FORWARD, OCTOBER 27TH, 2020 PLANNING COMMISSION, UH, MADE A RECOMMENDATION TO ADOPT THE ORDINANCE.
UM, AND AT THAT POINT WE REALIZED THAT A LOT OF THE COMMENTS, UM, THAT WERE MADE, WE NEVER REALLY HEARD WHAT HAPPENED WITH THEM.
SO IT ENDS UP, WE FOLLOWED UP AND THERE WERE ABOUT 125 COMMENTS MADE BY THE DESIGN PROFESSIONALS IN THE AREA.
UM, AND 25 OF WHICH AT THAT TIME, IT'S STILL BEEN LEFT UNRESOLVED.
SO, UM, UH, KIM AND BRIAN WERE KIND ENOUGH TO GET A MEETING TOGETHER.
UM, SO WE HAD A CONFERENCE CALL, UH, SOMEWHERE AROUND JANUARY 5TH, FOLLOWED UP BY A WORKSHOP THAT WE DID, UM, IN JANUARY 26TH.
UM, UNFORTUNATELY A LOT OF THE QUESTIONS RAISED TO THE DESIGN TEAM OR TO THE, THE TEAM THAT WROTE IT, UM, WEREN'T NECESSARILY ANSWERED.
UM, THERE ARE A LOT OF TECHNICAL QUESTIONS THAT WERE NOT FULLY, UH, EXPLAINED.
UM, SUBSEQUENTLY THE COUNTY ALSO HAD A WORKSHOP THAT WAS ON JANUARY 28TH AND THERE WERE SOME INCONSISTENCIES ON THEIR IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PLAN, ALTHOUGH THEY ADOPTED THE ORDINANCE ALREADY, UH, THEY ARE NOT GOING TO ENFORCE THE SITE DESIGN PRACTICES THAT ARE BEING WRITTEN INTO THE TOWN OF LONDON'S ORDINANCE.
SO I THINK WE HAVE SOME CONSISTENCY ISSUES WITH IMPLEMENTATION.
ADDITIONALLY, THEY'RE NOT GOING TO BE DOING THE INSPECTION AND ENFORCEMENT BECAUSE THEY SAY THEY'VE NOT HAVE THE STAFF TO DO SO.
SO IT'D BE NICE IF WE KNEW IF WHAT MUNICIPALITIES WITHIN THE SO LOCO WERE GOING TO ADOPT IT.
AND, UH, I STRUGGLE WITH THE INCONSISTENCIES OF NOT HAVING A FULL ADOPTION.
UH, THE OTHER THING IS SOME OF THE DESIGN PRACTICES THAT WERE REVIEWED WHEN REACHED OUT TO SEG HECK OCRM, THESE ARE NOT PRACTICES THAT ARE ACCEPTED BY THE STATE.
SO WITH REGARD TO THE COMPLIANCE CALCULATOR, UH, THERE ARE DEFINITE PROBLEMS WITH THE CALCULATION SYSTEMS VERSUS WHAT THE STATE REQUIRES.
SO I RESPECTFULLY REQUEST IF WE CAN LET'S TABLE THIS AGENDA ITEM, LET'S DIG A LITTLE DEEPER, LET'S WORK WITH TOWN STAFF, AND LET'S TRY TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE AN ORDINANCE THAT IS SUITABLE AND ACCEPTABLE TO THEM.
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WON'T HEAR US SOME YOUR ZOOM ROOM, BUT IF YOU'LL GET ON FACEBOOK AND GO TO OUR PAGE, YOU'LL BE ABLE TO FOLLOW US.YOU WERE ABOUT A 15 SECOND DELAY.
DO YOU KNOW THAT? AND WE DON'T LOOK AT COMMENTS ON FACEBOOK, BUT JUST FOLLOW US ALONG AND WE'LL ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS AND GET BRIAN TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS THEN.
WE HAVE COMMUNICATIONS FROM MAYOR AND COUNCIL, UM, IN I'LL LET COUNSEL SPEAK FIRST.
I JUST WANNA SAY MAYOR THAT, UM, I PERSONALLY AM VERY PROUD AND I'VE RECEIVED A LOT OF POSITIVE FEEDBACK ON THE BANNERS THAT ARE DOING IN THE TOWN.
I THINK IT'S GREAT THAT WE'RE RECOGNIZING THAT BLACK HISTORY IS AMERICAN HISTORY.
SO, UM, KUDOS TO ALL WHO PUT THAT UP AND FOR THE VISION BEHIND IT.
I KNOW MARY DID THE ARTWORK AND EVERYTHING FOR IT.
I THINK THEY SHOT, THEY DIDN'T WANT US TO KNOW UNTIL THEY WERE UP, BUT, UM, IT WAS QUITE A NICE SURPRISE.
LOOK AT SCOTT SMILE AND RIDING DOWN THE ROAD LAST WEEK WHEN THEY WERE PUT UP ANYONE ELSE WITH ANYTHING, UM, THEN WE WILL MOVE.
WE HAD A LONG MEETING, BUT I THINK EVERYTHING ON THIS AGENDA IS WORTHY OF OUR ATTENTION.
AND, UM, I PROMISE WE'LL, WE'LL GET THROUGH IT EXPEDIENTLY BUT THOROUGHLY.
LET ME SPEAK ABOUT BLACK HISTORY MONTH.
I KNOW THERE'VE BEEN A LOT OF THINGS ON OUR SOCIAL MEDIA, JUST SOME FUN FACTS AND SOME THINGS I DON'T KNOW IF WE'RE DOING ANYTHING FORMAL OR JUST, JUST GREAT LITTLE TIDBITS EACH, EACH DAY.
I MEAN, I'M LINDSAY HOUSEMAN AND IN LINDY SEMINAR WAS HER IDEA.
I THINK, TO EVEN LOOK INTO THIS AND GET A LOCAL ARTIST INTO IT.
SO JUST SHOWS, WE'RE ALWAYS THINKING OUT OF THE BOX AND IT'S JUST VERY COOL.
WE HAVE WORKSHOP ITEMS. UM, NUMBER ONE IS DISCUSSION AND DIRECTION ON UPDATES TO SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS, ACCOMMODATIONS TAX ALLOCATIONS, FUND BALANCE PROCEDURES.
CAN YOU ALL SEE THE PRESENTATION? YES, WE CAN.
SO WE HAVE, UH, TWO MAIN TOPICS, UH, THIS EVENING AND, UM, THE FIRST, OUR SPECIAL REVENUES, UH, REVIEW THAT WE DID.
AND, UH, I'LL PAUSE WHEN I GET TO THE END OF THAT FOR COMMENTS AND FEEDBACK FROM YOU ALL.
AND THEN, UH, AND THEN I'LL MOVE ON TO THE SECOND TOPIC, WHICH IS OUR FUND BALANCE POLICY REVIEW.
SO JUST AS A REVIEW, UM, THE, UH, SAY ACCOMMODATIONS TAX IS A 2% ON ACCOMMODATIONS.
AND THE USE OF THAT IS 25,000.
UM, THE FIRST 25,000 GOES TO GENERAL FUND.
THE NEXT 5% IS ALSO ALLOCATED GENERAL FUND.
AFTER THAT THE NEXT 30% GOES TO THE TOWNS, DESIGNATED MARKETING ORGANIZATION, WHICH IS HILTON HEAD ISLAND, BLUFFTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.
THE REMAINING BALANCE CAN BE USED FOR ALL OF THESE ITEMS LISTED HERE, ADVERTISING EMOTION FOR TOURISM ARTS, CULTURAL YOU'RE STILL ON PAGE ONE, OR YOU WANTING US TO FOLLOW ON SOMETHING.
WHEN YOU, WE'RE NOT ABLE TO SEE YOUR PRESENTATION, YOU PROBABLY NEED TO SWITCH SCREENS.
HOW FAR ALONG THIS WAY I GOT DON'T DO DUAL MONITORS HERE.
SO THE, UH, THESE ARE THE ITEMS THAT THE REMAINING BALANCE CAN BE USED FOR, UM, RELATED TO TOURISM AND THAT'S ADVERTISING PROMOTION ARTS AND CULTURAL EVENTS, UH, UH, CULTURAL, UH, CIVIC FACILITIES, UM, MUNICIPAL SERVICES THAT ARE TOURISM BASED, UH, PUBLIC FACILITIES, UH, TOURIST, TRANSPORTATION, WATERFRONT EROSION VISITOR CENTER.
UM, ALSO WE ALLOCATE AS PART OF THE BUDGET PROCESS AND AMOUNT TO THE HISTORIC BOSTON FOUNDATION, WHICH IS OUR HABER HOUSE.
UM, AND, UH, AND THEN LAST YEAR, OR THIS YEAR RATHER IT WAS 190,000, WHICH IS ABOUT 40% OF, OF THE, UM, THE STATE TAX.
AND OF COURSE THE NON-PROFIT GRANTS THAT, UH, NON-PROFITS CAN APPLY FOR, FOR THEIR EVENTS THAT WE AWARD THROUGH THE ATEC RECOMMENDATIONS.
AND, UH, THE STATE, UH, COMBINATIONS TAX REVENUES HAS TO BE SPENT WITHIN TWO YEARS OF RECEIPTS.
YES, WE HAVE A LOCAL COMBINATIONS TAXES AND, UH, BY SALE, A TOWN CAN, UH, LOVELY UP TO 3%, WHICH IS WHAT WE DO.
AND AGAIN, THE REVENUE, UH, MUST BE USED FOR THESE TOURISM RELATED ITEMS. UM, ALSO A PORTION CAN BE USED FOR OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE ON THESE
[00:30:01]
RELATED TO THESE ITEMS. UM, AS WELL AS EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS OPERATIONS AS PART OF TOWN ORDINANCE, THE COUNCIL SET ADDITIONAL, UM, GUIDELINES FOR THIS.AND, UM, AND THE DMO GETS UP TO 8% AND THAT'S, THAT'S AN IMPORTANT, UH, UH, POINT TO MAKE.
THERE IS, UH, YOU ARE NOT REQUIRED TO ALLOCATE 8% OF LOCAL ACCOMMODATIONS ON AN ANNUAL BASIS, BUT YOU MAY, UH, ALLOCATE UP TO 8% AS PART OF THE BUDGET PROCESS TO LOOK FOR COMBINATIONS TO THE DMO FOR LOCAL NOMINATIONS, OPERATIONS, MAINTENANCE, UM, UP TO 10% CONFUSED.
AND A 1% GOES INTO THE COMMON TAX RESERVE FUND.
NOW AS PART OF OUR ANNUAL BUDGET ORDINANCE, WE HAVE TRADITIONALLY GIVEN 51% OF THESE REVENUES OVER TO THE CIP FOR CAPITAL PROJECTS.
AND, UH, AND THAT IS AN ANNUAL PRACTICE THAT WE HAVE DONE, BUT IT IS NOT A PART OF STATE LAW OR, OR TOWN.
SO LOCAL HOT HOSPITALITY TAXES.
UM, CAN I SAY 2%? AND AGAIN, THESE ARE THE TOURISM RELATED, UH, UH, UH, PURPOSES THAT THEY CAN BE USED FOR AS WELL AS, UM, BEACH AND RIVER ACCESS RENOURISHMENT, UM, HARLEYS ROADS SHEETS FOR, UH, TOURIST DESTINATIONS, UM, ALSO WATER AND SEWER INFRASTRUCTURE, SERVING TOURISM RELATED AREAS, UH, PATROL, REPAIRING, FLOATING, UH, DAMAGE AND, UH, SITE PREP, INCLUDING DEMOLITION PAIR INFRASTRUCTURE.
THAT'S A RELATIVELY NEW, NEW ADDITION TO THE LAW ON HOSPITALITY TAXES.
A TOWN ORDINANCE DOESN'T HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL, UM, REQUIREMENTS.
PART OF IT IS SIMPLY MIRRORS THE STATE CODE.
AND AS PART OF THE BUDGET ORDINANCE IN PAST YEARS, WE HAVE ALLOCATED 500,000 IN HOSPITALITY TAX TO THE GENERAL FUND.
AND THAT, AGAIN, THAT'S NOT POLICY.
I MEAN, THAT'S NOT TOLERANT IT'S OR STATE LAW.
IT'S BEEN A PART OF A PRACTICE THAT WE'VE WE'VE HELD.
SO HERE'S A LOOK AT SOME OF OUR, UH, PEERS AND WHAT THEY'RE DOING DIFFERENT COUNTY.
THEY HAVE THE 3% LOCAL COMBINATIONS TAX.
UH, THEY GIVE A PORTION TO THE VARIOUS CHAMBERS.
UM, THEY HAVE 20% TO A RESERVE FUND, 20% TO A RIVER ON BEACH ACCESS AND A 60% TOWARDS THEIR TOURISM RELATED, UH, GRANTS.
HILTON HEAD HAS 1% ACCOMMODATIONS TAX AND 2% FOR THEIR BEACH PRESERVATION FEE.
UH, AND THAT IS PART OF THEIR, THEIR, THEIR, UH, THEIR EMERGENCY RESERVES.
THEY ALSO HAVE 5% SET ASIDE FOR, UH, AN FOR SPECIAL EVENTS, PRODUCTION VOLUNTEERS, AND HOSPITALITY TRAINING CHARLESTON.
UH, THEY HAVE THEIR 2% TAX, UH, SUPPORT TOURISM AND TOURISM RELATED ACTIVITIES.
THEY HAVE THEIR TOURING FEE OF 50 CENTS ON EVERY TICKET.
AND, UM, THESE ARE USED FOR THEIR, UH, TOURIST MANAGEMENT PROGRAM, UM, GOVERNING THE USE OF STREETS BY TOURIST OPERATIONS AND PERSONNEL FOR SAFETY.
CITY OF GREENVILLE SPLITS IT UP, UH, 2.3%, UH, DESIGNATED FOR THEIR ARENA CONSTRUCTION.
AND THEN THEY HAVE A 0.7% THAT GOES TOWARDS THEIR TOURISM MARKETING.
SO JUST, UH, SOME ITEMS FOR DISCUSSIONS AND I, AND THIS IS REALLY JUST TO START THE CONVERSATION.
WE DON'T NEED ANSWERS, BUT, UH, GOING INTO OUR BUDGET, ESPECIALLY, UM, WE'LL, WE'LL FLUSH OUT KIND OF HOW WE WANT TO APPROACH THIS, BUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE SOME OF THE GOALS OF, OF COUNCIL WITH, WITH THESE SPECIAL REVENUES? I'M POINTING TO POINT OUT THAT STATE A TAX IS PRETTY RESTRICTIVE.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE CANNOT, UM, YOU KNOW, WE CANNOT AS A TOWN ESTABLISH OUR OWN DMO OR, OR, YOU KNOW, ALLOCATING STATE TAX DOLLARS FOR OUR OWN GENERAL FUNNIEST IS, IS PRETTY RESTRICTED, BUT WE HAVE A LOT MORE FLEXIBILITY ON THE APEX AND ATEC SIDE.
UM, WHETHER WE WANT TO DO SOME OF OUR OWN, UH, PROMOTION AND ADVERTISING REGARDING, UH, TOURISM.
UM, WE HAVE SOME FLEXIBILITY WITH THOSE TYPES OF FUNDS ALSO, YOU KNOW, IS THERE, UM, YOU KNOW, AS PART OF THE BUDGET PROCESS, DO WE WANT TO ADJUST WHAT THE LOCAL ALLOCATION TO THE DMO IS? YOU KNOW, WE CAN DO UPDATE PERCENT, UM, BUT THAT CAN BE ADJUSTED WITHIN, FROM ZERO TO EIGHT, AND ALSO LOOKING AT THE SORT OF BLUFFTON FOUNDATION.
UM, DO YOU ALL WANT TO KEEP THAT AS PART OF THEIR ANNUAL REQUESTED AMOUNT? UH, DO WE WANT TO ADJUST THAT TO, UH, A SITUATION SIMILAR TO THE DMO WHERE THEY GET A PERCENT ON AN ANNUAL BASIS? UM, JUST SOME, SOME IDEAS FOR CONSIDERATION.
SO ANY, UH, DISCUSSION ITEMS ON THESE SPECIAL REVENUES YOU WANT TO STOP AND TO GET QUESTIONS? UM, THIS CHRIS WOULD BE OKAY.
DID I INTERRUPT SOMEBODY'S QUESTION COUNSEL ON THIS OR COMMENTS? UM, I'LL START.
I, YOU WERE GOING TO, I DIDN'T REALIZE IT WAS CALLED THE HBS.
[00:35:01]
THAT'S THE FIRST THING THAT ACRONYM.UM, BUT THAT'S NOT A GUARANTEED AMOUNT, NOT JUST A QUESTION.
I DON'T BELIEVE THAT YOU CAN TAKE OUT REQUEST EVERY YEAR BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO GIVE US A BUDGET AND THEY COME TO US.
AND I THINK, I THINK I REMEMBER LAST YEAR IT WAS INCREASED.
SO I JUST THROW THAT OUT TO YOU, CHRIS.
I KNOW YOU'VE BEEN HERE LONG ENOUGH, JUST THAT'S MY COMMENT ON THAT.
SO IS IT SOMETHING YOU'D LIKE TO SEE TO WORK ON BUDGET COUNCIL? DO YOU ON EITHER OF THE THREE, DO YOU WANT TO JUST KEEP MOVING AND AS THE TIME APPROACHES GET MORE INTO THE DETAILS, OR DO YOU HAVE QUESTIONS OR THOUGHTS TO HIM NOW? WELL, I I'LL JUMP IN MAYER.
THE, I THINK THE 8% REQUESTS, UM, TO THE DMO CERTAINLY CAN BE LOOKED AT, YOU KNOW, BETWEEN WHAT THEY RECEIVED FROM THE STATE ACCOMMODATION.
UH, LAST 2019 WAS ABOUT 134,000, EXCUSE ME.
NO, I THINK SOMEBODY MUST HAVE A FACEBOOK ON, OR EITHER THEY HAVE NOT MUTED.
I THINK EVERYONE'S MUTED NOW AS TO IT'S JUST YOU AND CHRIS NOW.
SO KEEP TALKING TO HIM ANYWAY, THE, UM, WE SPENT, UM, WITH THE DMO IN 2019 ABOUT $194,000, UH, 80% OF THAT WAS 60.
UM, YOU KNOW, THE PERCENTAGES THAT THE WAY IT'S WRITTEN IN PERCENTAGES WILL ALL BE, I DON'T KNOW WHO'S COMING IN LIKE THAT, BUT MAYBE NO, I HAVE NOTHING ON IT'S WEIRD ANYWAY.
UM, ANYWAY, I THINK THAT'S WORTH CONVERSATION TO MAYBE LOWER THAT DOWN A LITTLE BIT ON THE 8%.
WELL, WELL, BECAUSE ON THE STATE LEVEL, AS WELL AS THEY PERCENT LEVEL, WE'VE BEEN BLESSED IN THE SENSE THAT OUR, UH, OUR FUNDING GOES UP EVERY YEAR ON THOSE TO BE IN THE STATE AND LOCAL AID TAX.
UM, AND I, AND AGAIN, YOUR COMMENTS REGARDING HBF, I THINK WE LEAVE THAT AS IS MAYBE WE REVIEW THEIR BUDGET.
I DON'T WANT, I WOULDN'T WANT TO GIVE THEM A PERCENTAGE, UH, OF ANYTHING RIGHT NOW.
I THINK WE TAKE IT ON AN ANNUAL ALLOCATION AND AGAIN, THAT WHOLE SITUATION COULD EVENTUALLY CHANGE IN THE FUTURE.
SO I THINK WE JUST SLEPT OUT AND WE'D GO OVER THE BUDGET PERIOD.
ANYONE ELSE WITH COMMENTS ON THIS? YES.
MAY I HAVE ONE FOR CHRIS? UM, CHRIS, I WAS FOLLOWING YOU THERE, YOU KNOW, IN THE RULES AND SAID THAT EVERYTHING HAS TO BE USED WITHIN TWO YEARS, UM, OF THE TIME IT'S COLLECTED.
WHERE DO WE STAND WITH THAT OBLIGATION? ARE WE, ARE WE APPROACHING TWO YEARS WHERE WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT OR, OR WE HAVE NO PROBLEM USING IT ALL BEFORE WE GET BEFORE? SO A AS OF, AS OF RIGHT NOW, WE REVIEWED THIS WITH, UH, NATALIE AND WE ARE IN GOOD SHAPE.
UM, WE'RE NOT AT JEOPARDY TO LOSE ANY OF OUR, UH, UH, STATE TAX DOLLARS.
UM, I WILL SAY THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, BEFORE A YEAR AGO, YOU KNOW, BEFORE NATALIE, UH, HAD TAKEN OVER, THERE WAS A, A PUSH TO USE LOCAL COMBINATION STACKS FIRST, AS FAR AS THE SPECIAL GRANT REQUESTS, UM, AND THEN STATE COMBINATIONS TAXES AFTER THAT, WHICH WAS ACCUMULATING A BALANCE THAT KIND OF PUT US IN A POSITION WHERE WE MAY HAVE LOST SOME OF THE STATE DOLLARS.
SO WE, UH, NATALIE ADJUSTED LAST YEAR, UH, TO HER CREDIT AND, UH, IS USING UPSTATE DOLLARS FIRST SO THAT WE DON'T, UH, UH, HIT THAT, THAT THRESHOLD WHERE WE MIGHT LOSE STATE DOLLARS AND ALSO PRESERVES A MORE BALANCED IN OUR LOCAL ACCOMMODATION SEX.
UM, JUST ONE MORE THING WHEN YOU WERE SHOWING THE COMPARISON.
SO I DID SEE ON HILTON HEAD WHERE THEY, THEY ONLY CHARGE 1% AND YOU KNEW YOU HAD A 5% SET ASIDE FOR ONE ORGANIZATION FOR SPECIAL EVENTS, PRODUCTION, AND VOLUNTEERISM, HOSPITALITY DISPLAYING THAT 5% SET ASIDE FROM THE ONE, CORRECT.
IS THAT THE WAY? SO, SO WHAT DO THEY DO WITH THE REST OF IT? UM, YOU KNOW, IN COMPARISON TO LIKE WHAT WE DO, RIGHT? SO THAT I DON'T KNOW THE FULL ALLOCATION THAT THEY DO, BUT THEY DO GIVE THEIR OWN, UM, A TAX GRANTS FROM THAT AS WELL.
AND I'M, I DON'T KNOW IF THEY GIVE A PORTION OF LOCAL TOWARDS THEIR BMO, LIKE, LIKE WE DO.
UM, I'M, I'M JUST NOT SURE I CAN LOOK INTO THAT AND GET BACK TO YOU THOUGH.
I WAS JUST CURIOUS BECAUSE IT WAS A LITTLE DIFFERENT THAN EVERYWHERE ELSE, BUT THANK YOU.
[00:40:01]
MAY I HAVE ONE MORE FOR THE COUNCIL? UM, CAN WE, LET ME, LET ME JUST DOUBLE CHECK AND MAKE SURE EVERYONE ELSE SHOULD GO BACK TO YOUR FRIENDS.DID YOU HAVE A, YOU SPOKE FRED, DID YOU HAVE ANYTHING? OKAY.
DAN GOING UP, WHICH PUTS YOUR, YOUR, YOUR QUESTIONS BACK UP.
THE TOP ONE THERE, I WAS JUST CURIOUS WHAT COUNCIL OF ANYBODY ON COUNCIL HAD ANY THOUGHTS ON? YEAH, I HAD A, UM, A THOUGHT OR QUESTION ON THAT.
SO CHRIS MENTIONED THAT, UM, WE COULD USE A PORTION OF IT FOR OUR OWN, FOR THE PROMOTION OF OUR OWN TOURISM.
UM, I'D BE INTERESTED TO KNOW IF WE WOULD ROUTE THAT CURRENTLY THROUGH, UM, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT'S BEING DONE LIKE THROUGH THE PAGER OR WHATEVER.
UM, BUT I WOULDN'T BE INTERESTED IN THAT AND BEING ABLE TO CAPTURE MORE AUTHENTIC, UM, VOICE FOR WHAT, UH, WHAT BLUFFTON IS MY ONLY THOUGHT ON THAT IS I DON'T WANT TO COMPETE WITH THE DMO AND WE JUST HAVE TO MAKE SURE THE MESSAGING IS THE SAME.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF WE HAVE PEOPLE IN PLACE THAT I DON'T KNOW HOW TO DO THAT.
SO I WOULD BE LIKE, UH, YOU KNOW, DEER IN THE HEADLIGHTS.
SO I JUST DON'T WANT TO COMPETE WITH THAT, BUT MAYBE WE HOLD MORE BACK FOR, UM, FOR MOST, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE ALL KIND OF THINGS THAT COULD POPPING UP AND MAYBE WE HAVE KIND OF A POCKET OF MONEY WE COULD SPEND ON THAT.
IF IT MATCHED THE REQUIREMENTS NEEDED TO SPEND THAT MONEY, IT'S JUST MY FAULT, BUT RIGHT.
I DON'T THINK WE SH WE SHOULD COMPETE WITH OUR DMO, BUT I THINK, UM, IT, AN EXAMPLE OF THIS WAS GIVEN WHEN WE WENT TO THE, UM, THE MUNICIPAL ASSOCIATION, UM, WORKSHOP LAST YEAR AND, UH, CHARLESTON WAS DOING A LITTLE BIT OF THAT, LIKE HOW THEY WOULD HAVE VIDEOS FROM WHETHER IT WAS LIKE LOCAL CHEFS OR LOCAL ARTISTS AND THINGS LIKE THAT, JUST HIGHLIGHTING, UM, WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE TOWN.
AND, YOU KNOW, IN ADDITION TO WHAT WAS BEING DONE WITH THE DML.
SO IT WASN'T LIKE A SEPARATE, UM, MESSAGING.
THE MESSAGING WAS THE SAME, IT JUST CAPTURED MORE OF THAT LOCAL FIELD.
CAUSE LIKE, IF OUR DMO IS CURRENTLY WHAT THE, UM, WHAT THE CHAMBER LIKE OUR, YOU KNOW, WE HEAR IT OFTEN, YOU KNOW, BLUFFTON IS UNLIKE ANY OTHER PLACE.
SO I, I THINK IT WOULD BE SOMETHING WORTH LOOKING INTO TO SEE HOW WE, HOW WE COULD IF POSSIBLE, UM, CREATE THAT FOR A SPOT OR SCOTT KADO, DON'T, Y'ALL THROW THAT OUT AT THE STAFF, WHO'S CREATIVE AND SEE WHAT THEIR THOUGHTS ARE.
THEY SEEM TO REALLY THINK VERY CREATIVELY OUT OF THE BOX AND WE HAVE PEOPLE THAT ARE USED TO THIS KIND OF THING, JUST TO SEE, AND MAYBE RE-LOOK IT.
I FORGOT ABOUT THE CHARLESTON PRESENTATION, BRIDGET, MAYBE RELOOK AT THAT PRESENTATION FROM, FROM THAT MUNICIPAL ASSOCIATION, I'M SURE THEY HAVE IT ARCHIVED AND I'LL RELOOK AT IT TOO.
IS THAT FORGOTTEN ABOUT THAT? I THINK THE OPPORTUNITIES ARE PRETTY LIMITLESS.
IT JUST DEPENDS ON WHAT WE HAVE AN APPETITE FOR.
I MEAN, IT COULD BE ANYTHING FROM ESTABLISHING OUR OWN WELCOME CENTER THAT WE RUN THROUGH THE TOWN ITSELF, UH, TO BEING ABLE TO TARGET, UH, TOURISTS.
WHEN THEY COME INTO THE TOWN, THE DMO IS LIKE A HUGE FUN WHEN IT BRINGS PEOPLE IN FROM ALL OVER.
BUT ONCE THEY GET INTO THE TOWN, THEY HAVE THE HEYWARD HOUSE, WHICH IS ALWAYS BEEN TRADITIONALLY OUR WELCOME CENTER, BUT THEY SPECIALIZE MORE IN WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE HISTORIC DISTRICT VERSUS ALL IN BLUFFTON.
SO WE WOULD HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY WITH THESE KINDS OF DOLLARS TO DO SOMETHING SPECIALIZED WITH REGARD TO BEING A WELCOME CENTER FOR THE TOWN.
UM, AND AS WE, UH, DEVELOPED SOME OF THE PROPERTIES THAT WE RECENTLY PURCHASED IN THE HISTORIC DISTRICT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO ESTABLISH SOME SPACE IN THOSE AREAS, WHETHER WE CONTRACT WITH THOSE FUNDS OR WHETHER WE USE ORGANIC STAFF FOR IT, THAT'S THAT REMAINS TO BE SEEN, BUT THERE ARE ALL KINDS OF OPTIONS WE HAVE FOR THESE DOLLARS.
IT SOUNDS LIKE THERE IS A BULLET POINT BECAUSE SOMEBODY'S THINKING OF IDEAS.
SO I'M CURIOUS, MAYBE WE DISCUSS IT.
AND IF IT'S SOMETHING WE HAVE A FEW MONTHS ON, JUST KNOW, THERE MAY BE MAYBE HOLD IT BACK AND LET'S FIGURE IT OUT.
WE SEEM TO WORK FAST WHEN WE AGREE ON AN IDEA.
SO, UM, IF NO, AGAINST THAT, I HEARD DAN BRING IT UP.
BRIDGET Y'ALL ARE ON AGAINST IT.
LET THEM DO A LITTLE WORK ON BULLET POINT.
AND I AGREE WITH DAN ON NUMBER THREE, EVEN THOUGH I HAVE TO RECUSE MYSELF ON THAT, BUT I DO THINK ANY MOU WE HAVE WITH PEOPLE NEED TO SHOW US THEIR BUDGET.
AND THAT IS A REQUIREMENT OF THAT, OF OUR WELCOME CENTER NOW TO SUBMIT A BUDGET, LET US HAMMER THAT OUT.
CAN I COMMENT ON IT? FRED, JUST SPEAK A LITTLE LOUDER.
[00:45:01]
I, YOU WERE THANKED CENTER DEVICE HERE.I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S WRONG, BUT I THINK WHEN YOU HEAR ME NOW, IT'S VERY, VERY FAINT, BUT JUST SPEAK LOUDLY.
I THINK BRIDGET, UM, IDEA HAS GONE.
IT'S VERY, UM, EASY TO, TO, FOR US TO, UH, IMPLEMENT.
ALL WE HAVE TO DO IS GIVE THE DMO, UM, OUR DESIRES AND, AND, AND, AND LET THEM DO EXACTLY WHAT SHE WANTED DONE.
UH, WE'LL SEE, SUGGESTING WITHOUT TRYING TO, TO CREATE ANOTHER VEHICLE TO DO THAT.
SO WE, WE, I THINK BE COMPLICATED BY LOOKING FOR OTHER MEANS LET'S JUST WORK WITH THE, WITHOUT DM OR, AND SAY, THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT WE'D LIKE FOR YOU TO, UM, TO WORK IN YOUR, IN YOUR MARKETING STRATEGY.
I HEARD YOU DID EVERYONE HERE, COUNCILMAN HAMILTON.
HIS SUGGESTION IS TO LET THE TWO GET WITH THE DMO AND SIT WITH THEM ABOUT OUR DESIRES AND SEE HOW THEY CAN IMPLEMENT IT RATHER THAN REINVENTING THE WHEEL KIND OF BASIC.
IS THAT HOW I HEARD YOU FRED? EXACTLY.
ANYTHING ELSE YOU NEED FROM US, CHRIS? OKAY, WELL, WE'LL MOVE.
SO NOTHING IS VOTED ON AND WE'RE JUST GIVING HIM THOUGHTS.
IF YOU NEED MORE FROM US, PLEASE LET US KNOW.
NEXT IS ITEM TWO UNDER WORKSHOP ITEMS, THE NUTS.
SO AGAIN, AS PART OF ONE OF THE STRATEGIC INITIATIVES WAS TO REVIEW OUR FUND BALANCE POLICY.
AND, UM, SO THIS LIBRARY HERE REPRESENTS WHERE WE CURRENTLY ARE.
SO WE HAVE OUR EMERGENCY RECOVERY FUND, WHICH IS, UH, CURRENTLY CALCULATED AS 15% OF BUDGET GENERAL FUND EXPENDITURES.
WE HAVE OUR UNASSIGNED FUND BALANCE, UM, POLICY, WHICH IS TO MAINTAIN A BALANCE OF, UH, AT LEAST 25% OF BUDGET GENERAL FUND EXPENDITURES.
AND THEN WE HAVE OUR VEHICLE AND EQUIPMENT REPLACEMENT RESERVE, WHICH IS CURRENTLY, UM, WE ALLOCATE 115% OF THE MOST RECENT YEARS DEPRECIATION COSTS.
UM, AND IT HAS A CAPITAL, A MILLION DOLLARS.
SO THE CHART BELOW SAYS KIND OF WHERE WE WERE AT, UM, WHAT THE POLICY AMOUNT IS AND THEN WHAT THE CURRENT BALANCES.
SO WE HAVE ABOUT 2.9 AND EMERGENCY RECOVERY FUND, UM, AROUND 800,000 IN VEHICLE AND A CRIMINAL RESERVE AND ON ASSIGNMENT, UH, FUND BALANCE RESERVE IS THE 12TH POINT ABOUT 12.19.
SO, UM, ONE OF THE THINGS WE DID IS LOOK INTO THE GOVERNMENT FINANCE OFFICERS ASSOCIATION RECOMMENDED BEST PRACTICES ON FUND BALANCE.
AND SO SEE, THESE ARE SOME OF THE BULLET POINTS THAT COME OUT OF THERE, UH, UM, RECOMMENDED BEST PRACTICE.
UH, FIRST THING THEY SAY IS MAINTAIN AN UNRESTRICTED FUND BALANCE OF NO LESS THAN TWO MONTHS.
AND THAT IS THE BARE MINIMUM, UM, USED FOR ANY TYPE OF COMMUNITY, WHETHER THEY FACE CERTAIN RISKS OR NOT.
UM, AND NOW THEY CAVEAT CAVEAT THAT STATEMENT WITH THAT, THE FACT THAT THE ADEQUACY OF YOUR FUND BALANCE SHOULD REALLY BE BASED ON A RISK ASSESSMENT.
THAT'S UNIQUE TO EACH MUNICIPALITY, WHICH I'LL GO INTO IN A BIT, UM, OTHER ITEMS THAT YOU SHOULD CONSIDER AS PART OF YOUR POLICY IS DEFINING APPROPRIATE USES OF FUND BALANCE, UH, DEFINE THE PUNISHMENT RESERVES.
AND IN WHAT TIMEFRAME IN CASE YOU DO YOU USE YOUR RESERVES, UH, DEFINE APPROPRIATE USE OF ON ASSIGNED FUND BALANCE IN EXCESS OF RESERVES AND LIMIT THOSE TO ONE ONE-TIME USES.
UM, ALSO LOOKING AT, UH, CAPITAL RENEWAL AND REPLACEMENT NEEDS AND CONSIDER A CAPITAL REPLACEMENT RESERVE.
AND THEN ALSO MAKE SURE YOU CONSIDER, UM, ANY IMPACTS ON YOUR BOND RATING AS YOU APPROACH YOUR FUND BALANCE POLICY.
SO I WILL GO INTO THIS RISK-BASED RESERVE ASSESSMENT.
SO AS PART OF THEIR BEST PRACTICE, THEY RELEASED LAST YEAR, A TOOL WHERE YOU, UH, UH, ADMINISTER MANAGEMENT CAN ASSESS RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH A, A TOWN OR A LOCALITY, AND IT BREAKS IT INTO THESE CATEGORIES RIGHT HERE.
AND YOU RANK THOSE RISKS ON VERY IMPORTANT TO VERY UNIMPORTANT, UM, ON HOW IT MAY IMPACT, UH, YOUR RESERVES.
SO EXTREME EVENTS, OBVIOUSLY, UH, GIVEN OUR LOCATION, HURRICANES AND FLOODING IS, IS A MAJOR CONCERN FOR US.
UM, THEY GO INTO REVENUE STABILITY.
UM, LOOKING AT THIS ABOUT, UH, 53% OF OUR REVENUES ARE LICENSING PERMITS.
[00:50:01]
16% OF OUR REVENUES IS RELATED TO GROWTH REVENUE, WHICH IS A PERMIT AND, UM, OUR SPECIAL, UH, REVENUES, UH, FOR, FOR NEW NEW BILLS.SO THAT'S A SIGNIFICANT PORTION OF OUR GENERAL FUND THAT'S, THAT'S CURRENTLY BEING FUNDED BY OUR GROWTH, UM, THAT AS WE APPROACH BUILD OUT WILL, WILL DIMINISH OVER TIME.
SO THERE'S SOME SIGNIFICANT, UH, REVENUE RISKS BASED ON OUR REVENUE SOURCES.
AND THEY ALSO TELL YOU TO LOOK AT EXPENDITURE VOLATILITY, UM, OBVIOUSLY GIVEN EXTREME, UH, WEATHER EVENTS, THERE'S POTENTIAL SPIKES, UM, BUT ON AN ANNUAL BASIS THERE MUCH VOLATILITY IN EXPENDITURES.
UH, TAKE A LOOK AT THE LEVERAGE.
UM, WE HAVE A LOW DEBT AND WE HAVE A PRETTY SUFFICIENT DECK CAPACITY OF ABOUT $10 MILLION, UH, STILL.
SO, UM, WE'RE PRETTY GOOD THERE.
LIQUIDITY CASH FLOWS CURRENTLY, UH, IF YOU ASKED, UM, MY PREDECESSOR WAS SEVERAL YEARS AGO, THE CASHFLOW WAS AN ISSUE, BUT NOW WE ARE IN A MUCH BETTER POSITION AND WE HAVE SUFFICIENT CASH FLOWS TO GET THROUGH THE YEAR, THE FLUCTUATIONS OF RELATIVE, UH, COLLECTIONS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
UH, THIS IS, UH, LOOKING AT HOW MUCH OTHER FUNDS DEPEND ON GENERAL FUND SUPPORT.
UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S PRETTY LOW, BUT YOU KNOW, WE CURRENTLY DON'T DO A, A, A BIG ASSESSMENT OF WHAT LEVEL OF GENERAL FUND, UH, COSTS ARE SUPPORTING THE OTHER OPERATIONS OF FUNDS.
UM, SO JUST AN AREA THAT YOU COULD LOOK AT IT, BUT IT'S NOT A MAJOR DEPENDENCY GROWTH OBVIOUSLY IS A CONCERN FOR US.
UM, YOU KNOW, AS WE GROW, THERE'S, THERE'S OBVIOUSLY PUBLIC SERVICES AND FACILITIES THAT WE HAVE TO MEET AND THEN CAPITAL PROJECTS, UM, BECAUSE OF GROWTH, THERE ARE STILL SOME VERY SIGNIFICANT COUNT PROJECTS THAT WE'RE LOOKING TO IMPLEMENT TO MEET THOSE NEEDS.
SO YOU SCORE THESE IN, UH, ADDED UP AND YOU GET PUT IN ONE OF THESE CATEGORIES, WE FELL ON A 25 TO 31, AND THEIR GUIDANCE IN THAT CATEGORY IS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE FACE MODERATE TO HIGH LEVEL OF RISKS THAT CAN BE RETAINED THROUGH RESERVES, UM, CONSIDER ADOPTING A MINIMUM AMOUNT, MUCH HIGHER THAN THE GEOFF I RECOMMENDED.
AND THEY PUT AN EXAMPLE OF 35% AS AN EXAMPLE, AS A MINIMUM.
UM, THEY ALSO GO ON TO SAY THAT YOU SHOULD TAKE A LOOK AT YOUR, UH, BENCHMARKING APPEARS AND, UH, ALSO TRYING TO IDENTIFY, UH, COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH YOUR MAJOR RISK FACTORS.
SO I ATTEMPT TO DO THAT, UM, IN THE COMING SLIDES, UH, I TOOK A LOOK AT SOME OF OUR PEERS.
I TRY TO FOCUS ON MOSTLY COASTAL TOWNS.
UM, I'LL BE HONEST, WHEN I WAS LOOKING AT THESE, UH, COMMUNITIES AND THEIR FUND BALANCE POLICY, I WAS SURPRISED AT HOW INSUFFICIENT THE, THEIR RESERVES WERE FOR MAJOR DISASTERS, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF ONE, WHICH I'LL FOCUS ON MOSTLY AND THAT'S FILLING AT ISLAND AND FOR GOOD REASON, UH, AS YOU ALL KNOW, IN 2016, THEY HAD HURRICANE MATTHEW AND THEY HAD ABOUT AROUND $52 MILLION IN, UH, RECOVERY COSTS RELATED TO MATTHEW.
AND SO AFTER THAT, THEY BEEFED UP THE RESERVE POLICY AND THEY SAID THAT THEY'RE A GENERAL FUND ON ASSIGNED RESERVES SHOULD BE BETWEEN 35 AND 40%.
AND, UH, THEY WOULD SET THEIR EMERGENCY RESERVE AT $2 MILLION.
THEY JUST SIMPLY USE THE AMOUNT THAT IT COST THEM TO RECOVER.
UM, AND THAT WAS BROKEN DOWN INTO THREE CATEGORIES.
THEY HAVE THEIR DISASTER RESERVE, WHICH IS 28 MILLION, UH, BEACH PRESERVATION RESERVE, 12 MILLION.
UM, AND THEN THEY PUT IN THEIR POLICY THAT THEY WILL MAINTAIN AT LEAST $20 MILLION IN DEBT CAPACITY AT ALL TIMES FOR EMERGENCY PURPOSES.
UM, THIS LAST COLUMN HERE IS REFLECTS, UM, THEIR COMBINED, UM, COMMITTED EMERGENCY RESERVE PLUS THEIR ON ASSIGNED RESERVES AS A PERCENT OF THEIR GENERAL FUND BUDGET.
SO THIS IS OUR ACTUAL PERCENTAGES.
UM, OURS IS 77% HILTON HEAD ON IS 129%.
YOU CAN SEE THE OTHER IS THERE.
SO NETS, UH, I TRIED TO LOOK AT WHAT ARE THE POTENTIAL COSTS ASSOCIATED, UH, WITH OUR MAJOR AT RISK CATEGORY, WHICH IS OBVIOUSLY A HURRICANE AND FLOODING.
AND, UM, SO I FOUND A STUDY THAT WAS DONE BY FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY.
UM, IT'S A BIT DATED, UM, THEN IN 1999, BUT I DID ADJUST THEIR FIGURES FOR INFLATION TO KIND OF GET A LOOK AT WHERE WE'RE AT TODAY.
UM, I WILL CAVEAT THESE NUMBERS BY SAYING THAT, UM, THEY, THEY STUDIED 90 COMMUNITIES THAT WERE IMPACTED BY HURRICANES.
UM, NOW MOST OF THOSE WERE IN FLORIDA AND YOU CAN MAKE A REASONABLE ASSUMPTION THAT THOSE COMMUNITIES HAD BUILT UP INFRASTRUCTURE OVER THE YEARS THAT COULD WITHSTAND CERTAIN HURRICANES.
UH, SO THESE COSTS ARE PROBABLY VERY CONSERVATIVE.
UM, AND, UH, SO WHAT THEY DID IS THEY IDENTIFY THE PER CAPITA COST OF RECOVERY BASED ON HURRICANE CATEGORY.
AND THEN THE LAST COLUMN THERE, BASED ON OUR CURRENT POPULATION, I DID AN ESTIMATE OF WHAT THAT WOULD BE FOR US.
SO THIS IS JUST KIND OF A GAUGE AGAIN, I THINK THIS IS FAIRLY CONSERVATIVE, BUT IT GIVES YOU A LOOK AT WHAT A POTENTIAL COST OF A HURRICANE WOULD BE.
[00:55:01]
I BELIEVE A ONE HURRICANE CATEGORY ONE WHEN IT HIT, UH, HELEN HEAD AND THEY SPENT 52 MILLION, WHICH IS ROUGHLY FOUR $1,400 PER CAPITA.THEY SPENT, UM, TO RECOVER FROM THAT.
SO OBVIOUSLY THEY HAD A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ALSO LOOKING AT RATING AGENCIES AND HOW THEY STAND ON, ON, UH, ON A FUND BALANCE.
UM, THE TYPICAL, UH, BENCH THEY USE FOR AAA COMMUNITIES WITH OUR AA CURRENTLY.
UM, BUT FOR AAA COMMITTEES, THEY LIKE TO SEE A HUNDRED ASSIGNED, RESERVED, GREATER THAN 30%.
UM, THEY ALSO TALK ABOUT, UH, SPENDING DOWN, UH, THE UNASSIGNED RESERVE AND THEY ACTUALLY THAT QUOTE RIGHT THERE IS DIRECTLY FROM OUR OWN, UH, WRITING COMMENTS THAT, UM, THEY SAID THAT SIGNIFICANT DRAWS AND RESERVES COULD DO TO IMBALANCE, UH, OPERATIONS OR ONE-TIME USES, UH, COULD NEGATIVELY IMPACT OUR, UH, RATING IN THE FUTURE.
SO IT'S KIND OF A WARNING POINTING TO US, UM, IN EVERY RATING CALL I HAD JUST BEEN TO, SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE, UH, THEY HAVE BROUGHT UP THE CONCERN ABOUT WHAT WE'RE DOING, UH, TO MITIGATE, UH, UH, THE IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE AND THE INCREASED LIKELIHOOD OF WEATHER RELATED DISASTERS.
SO THAT IS DEFINITELY ON RATING AGENCIES, MINDS, UM, AND THEY ALSO BROUGHT UP BOTH TIMES THE CONCERN WITH, UM, UH, OR RELIANCE ON GROWTH REVENUE AND WHAT OUR PLAN WOULD BE IN THE FUTURE AS, AS WE BUILD OUT IN THAT REVENUE SOURCE DIMINISHES OVER TIME.
UH, NEXT I WILL TAKE A LOOK AT OUR CAPITAL ASSET GROWTH, AND I PUT THIS IN HERE REALLY TO, TO KIND OF GET AT THE RECOMMENDATION FROM JEFF WAY ABOUT HAVING A CAPITAL ASSET RESERVE.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY WE ARE GOING THROUGH SIGNIFICANT GROWTH AND IT'S NOT JUST PRIVATE GROWTH.
IT'S ALSO A PUBLIC ASSET GROWTH.
UM, YOU KNOW, OUR APPRECIABLE ASSETS INCREASE 88% OVER THE 10 YEARS, UH, 56% OVER FIVE YEARS.
SO OUR FOOTPRINT IS EXPANDING.
AND IF YOU LOOK AT OUR CIP, IT'S GOING TO BE EXPANDING EVEN MUCH MORE OVER THE NEXT THREE YEARS AND BEYOND.
SO THEY'RE OBVIOUSLY LOOKING OUT TO THE FUTURE, UM, AS THOSE ASSETS THAT WE'RE PUTTING OUT, UM, IT'S OPERATIONS THERE, THEY'RE GOING TO BE COMING UP FOR RENEWALS AND REPLACEMENTS, UM, IN THE NEXT FIVE TO 10 YEARS.
AND, UH, SO THE QUESTION THERE IS WHAT ARE WE DOING TO PREPARE FOR WHO WOULD THAT NEED, UM, AS OTHER REVENUE SOURCES CHANGE IN, IN THE FUTURE? SO JUST SOME, SOME KEY CONSIDERATIONS.
UM, ONE THING THAT WE, WE SHOULD BE DOING ALREADY, UH, UH, IS REALLY WHEN WE CALCULATE THIS EMERGENCY RESERVE, WE SHOULD BASE IT ON ALL BUDGETED GOVERNMENTAL FUNDS.
SO INSTEAD OF JUST ON THE GENERAL FUND, IT SHOULD BE ACROSS ALL OF OUR FUNDS, OBVIOUSLY AT OUR, UM, NATURAL DISASTER, WHAT A BUDGETARY IMPACTS ON ALL OF OUR FUNDS, INCLUDING, YOU KNOW, CAPITAL PROJECTS, UM, AND STORM WATER, OBVIOUSLY.
UM, IT WOULD IMPACT THEM AS WELL.
SO, UM, DOING THAT CALCULATION ON ALL BUDGETED FUNDS RATHER THAN THE, JUST THE GENERAL FUND WOULD INCREASE THAT RESERVE FROM THAT 2.9 TO ABOUT 5.1 BASED ON CURRENT, UM, CURRENT BUDGET, UM, ALSO CONSIDER INCREASING THE UNASSIGNED RESERVE KIND OF TO BE IN ALIGNMENT WITH, WITH HILTON HEAD, AS WELL AS SOME OF THE RATING AGENCIES GUIDANCE ON, ON HAVING SOMETHING IN EXCESS OF 30%.
UM, SO AS AN EXAMPLE, HERE, I PUT 40%, WHICH WOULD BE OUT $7.7 MILLION.
UM, ALSO TO CONSIDER IS, UH, EXPANDING OUR CURRENT, UH, VEHICLE AND EQUIPMENT RESERVE TO INCLUDE A CAPITAL ASSETS, UH, ALL CAPITAL ASSETS FOR RENEWAL AND A PLACE IN, AND, UH, INCREASING THE CAP.
AND I'M LOOKING AT WAYS THAT WE CAN BEEF UP THAT RESERVE TO, TO MEET THE DEMAND OVER THE NEXT FIVE TO 10 YEARS FOR, FOR THOSE ASSETS ALSO DEFINING WHAT THE, UH, SURPLUS RESERVES CAN BE USED FOR AND RESTRICTING THOSE TWO, ONE TIME UNEXPECTED AT NON-RECURRING COSTS.
YOU DON'T WANT TO GET INTO A TREND WHERE YOU'RE USING RESERVES FOR A FIXED COST FOR ONGOING OPERATIONS.
AND THEN ONE OF THE OTHER CONCERNS THAT HAS BEEN BROUGHT UP IN THE PAST IS, YOU KNOW, EVERY YEAR, UM, WE, WE TEND TO, UM, HAVE SURPLUS, UH, BUDGET THAT GOES INTO RESERVES.
AND THERE'S A CONCERN OF, ARE WE GROWING THAT, THAT FUND BALANCE TOO QUICKLY OR UNNECESSARILY? AND, UH, OBVIOUSLY GIVEN HOW FAST WE'RE GROWING, UH, REVEREND ESTIMATION IS VERY, UH, VOLATILE AND DIFFICULT.
AND, UH, WE TEND TO BE VERY CONSERVATIVE SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO, UH, PUT OURSELVES IN A DIFFICULT SITUATION MID YEAR.
UM, SO WHAT DO WE DO ON AN ANNUAL BASIS, UH, WITH THOSE EXCESS, UH, SURPLUSES, UM, DO WE IDENTIFY BY POLICY, UH, WHERE THOSE FUNDS SHOULD GO TO RATHER THAN ACCUMULATE UNNECESSARILY IN AN UNASSIGNED FUND BALANCE? SO WE DO, WE
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DESIGNATE THEM FOR THE ASSET RESERVES THAT WE GET THE DESERT TO IMPROVE LAND ACQUISITION OR WHATEVER THE PRIORITIES MAY BE.SO THESE ARE JUST SOME THINGS, UH, FOR YOUR COMMENT AND CONSIDERATION, UM, AS WE GO INTO THE NEXT BUDGET CYCLE, RIGHT.
VERY WELL THOUGHT OUT, AND I LIKED THE BACKGROUND YOU DID ON ALL OF IT.
AND I HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS, BUT I'LL LET COUNSEL ASK FIRST, ANY QUESTIONS AT COUNCIL OR SUGGESTIONS.
SO HE'S LOOKING FOR ADVICE AND FEEDBACK.
I'LL JUMP IN TO QUESTIONS, HAVE QUESTIONS UNDER A LOVE YOUR 1, 2, 3 FIFTH BULLET, I THINK GOING DIRECTLY TO SOME CATEGORY AND I'D LOVE YOUR THOUGHTS.
I LIVE AND BREATHE IT EVERY DAY.
WHAT IS IT THAT, THAT JUST PUTS IT IN THERE AND BUILDS UP OVER TIME AND COULD HELP US MAYBE PERHAPS WITH DENSITY REDUCTION, LAND ACQUISITION KIND OF THING.
I DON'T REMEMBER THE AMOUNT EVERY YEAR, BUT I DO HAVE A QUESTION.
UM, ASSET RESERVE DO, DO IT MAY BE, UH, DO WE HAVE A FUND FOR MAINTENANCE OF OUR PROJECTS? SO WE HAVE THE, UH, EQUIPMENT AND VEHICLE RESERVE, WHICH IS FOR BASICALLY THE PRINCIPLE AND INTEREST PAYMENTS ON, UH, OUR EQUIPMENT AND VEHICLES.
BUT WE DO NOT HAVE A FUND, UH, FOR SET ASIDE FUNDS FOR MAINTENANCE.
IT'S JUST OUT OF THE ANNUAL BUDGET AND, UM, ENGINEERING AND PUBLIC WORKS.
YOU EVER KEEP TRACK OF WHAT OUR MAINTENANCE REQUIREMENTS ARE ON OUR, OUR PARKS AND OUR BUILDINGS.
AND I MEAN, THAT IS SOMETHING I THINK IS WE'RE BUILDING, WE FORGET IN 10 YEARS, WE NEED TO MAINTAIN IT.
AND, UM, AND JEFF QUESTION, MAYBE THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING YOU'D PUT IN ANOTHER RESERVE FUND.
I DON'T KNOW, BUT THOSE ARE MY QUESTIONS.
IF I COULD, UM, LIKE WHAT YOUR, THE WAY YOU WERE SHOWING US ALL THIS, CHRIS IT'S, UM, PRETTY IMPRESSIVE.
WE GOT SOME DECISIONS TO MAKE, BUT, UM, I WOULD COME IN ON THE COMPARISON TO HELP IN THE HEAD, UM, IS, YOU KNOW, LIKE WHEN THE HURRICANE, YOU GOT TO REMEMBER, THEY'RE SURROUNDED BY WATER, YOU KNOW, SO A HUGE PART OF THAT 52 MILLION WAS FOR WATERFRONT WATER DAMAGE, WATERFRONT DAMAGE.
SO TO SPEAK NATURALLY THERE, THEIR LIABILITY IS A LOT GREATER THAN OURS WOULD BE WHEN YOU CONSIDER THAT WE ONLY HAVE A, YOU KNOW, WHAT, THE EXCEPTIONAL PEMBINA BLUFF.
WE ONLY HAVE, UH, A, OF A MILE OR SO IF THAT FAR, YOU KNOW, ACTUAL WATERFRONT THAT'S WITHIN THE TOWN, YOU KNOW, THAT WE'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR SPREADING SO TO SPEAK.
BUT, UM, I DON'T, UH, I HOPE YOU, WE DON'T HAVE TO ANSWER ALL THESE THINGS TONIGHT, BUT IT'S, IT'S VERY INTERESTING.
AND, UM, I THINK YOU DID A GREAT JOB OF, OF PUTTING IT TO US NOW.
WE JUST GOT TO FIGURE OUT WHAT EVERYBODY WANTS TO DO.
MA'AM UM, I WANT TO FOLLOW UP.
I, I LOOKED AT THIS, UM, ACTUALLY I HAD QUESTIONS.
I MET WITH CHRIS YESTERDAY A LITTLE BIT.
I WAS SO IMPRESSED WITH THE WORK THAT HE PUT INTO THIS.
UH, TH TH THE FORWARD THINKING DIVISION, UH, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT OTHER COMMUNITIES, UM, IT, I CAN'T EVEN SAY IT ENOUGH.
IT WAS, IT'S JUST AN EXCELLENT PROFESSIONAL PIECE OF WORK.
JUST GIVING US INFORMATION THAT NONE OF US HAD AVAILABLE TO US BEFORE.
UM, I DO WANT TO POINT OUT THAT ON THE HILTON HEAD SITUATION, THAT $52 MILLION, IF MY MEMORY SERVES ME CORRECTLY, WHEN THEY ORIGINALLY STARTED WITH RORY STORM RESTORATION, THEY WEREN'T GOING TO DO ALL OF THE PUDS.
AND THEN THEY LATER DECIDED TO GO INTO THE PUDGE AND WORKED WITH THEM TO HELP GET THE RESTORATION PROCESS BACK UP.
SO THAT IS SOMETHING WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO CONTEMPLATE IN THE FUTURE.
MAYBE, UM, THEIR SITUATION IS DIFFERENT IN THE SENSE THAT THAT IS 100% TOURISM RELATED, UH, ISLAND.
AND SO IF A POUND WOULD HAVE DUNES OR A C PAS DOESN'T GET UP AND RUNNING, IT IMPACTS THEIR, THEIR, UH, FINANCIAL BASE GOING FORWARD, UH, DRAMATICALLY.
SO THAT'S ONE THING WE HAVE TO LOOK AT.
UM, I, CHRIS, I GUESS ONE QUESTION I HAVE TOO IS THE, WHEN YOU TALKED ABOUT USING THE PERCENTAGE INCREASES UP, WHICH, WHICH IS NOT A BAD THOUGHT, UM, FOR THE RESERVE FUND AND, AND THE, UM, ON ASSIGNED FUND, WHAT ARE THE OTHER COMMUNITIES THAT YOU LOOKED AT WHERE THERE'S BASED ON THE GENERAL FUND PERCENTAGE OR WAS IT BASED ON THE OVERALL CONSOLIDATED FUND? ARE THEY THE EMERGENCY PORTION? UM, IT WAS FOR THOSE THAT WERE
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HAD PERCENTAGES, IT WAS BASED ON ALL GOVERNMENT BUDGET FUNDS.AND THAT ACTUALLY IS ALSO, UH, A, A GF WAY, A RECOMMENDED PRACTICE.
NOW THE HILTON HEADS, UM, WAS A FLAT DOLLAR AND THEY SET IT AT 52 MILLION AND THEN THEY IDENTIFIED WHICH POTS OF MONEY WOULD MAKE UP THAT 52 MILLION.
SO IT WAS A LITTLE DIFFERENT FOR THEM.
AND WHEN YOU ADD THE INCREASES PERCENTAGES THAT YOU PROPOSE BASED ON THE NEW GAO INFORMATION, UM, THAT'S A 38% INCREASE OF WHERE WE ARE WITH THE 15% OF THE 25%.
UM, THAT TOTAL NUMBER, WHEN YOU ADD IT ALL UP, UH, TO PROTECT US, IT LOOKS LIKE ON YOUR CHART.
I DON'T KNOW WHICH ONE IT WAS, IT MIGHT'VE BEEN CHARGED 12.
UM, LET'S SEE, GO TO WHERE YOU HAD THE HURRICANE RIGHT DOWN WHERE THAT WAS AT RIGHT THERE.
SO HURRICANE CATEGORY THREE, WHICH IS JUST UNDER 8 MILLION, UM, THAT'S WHERE YOU WOULD BE TAKEN US TO, I BELIEVE IT'S 4.1%.
I MEAN, 8.1 MILLION, WHICH IS 42% OF GENERAL FUND.
SO REALLY WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, IF WE FOLLOW THIS RECOMMENDATION, YOU'RE PUTTING US CAPABLE PRIMARILY OF HANDLING A CAT THREE HURRICANE AS WE SIT AT THIS MOMENT BASED ON THESE ESTIMATES.
AND THEN THE LAST QUESTION I HAVE IS ON THE VOLUNTEER SITUATION BECAUSE WHEN YOU GET TO A CAT FOUR OR A CAT FIVE, NONE OF US CAN PREDICT THAT WE CAN'T PREDICT WHAT THE DAMAGE WOULD BE.
I MEAN, WE THINK WE COULD MAYBE COULD, BUT YOU JUST, YOU CAN'T.
UM, SO WITH BOND, IT WAS SOME FORM OF BONDING STRATEGY PLAN TO OUR THINKING ON THAT, BECAUSE YOU DON'T WANT TO GET YOUR BUDGET, YOUR, YOUR FUND RESERVES SO BIG, YOU KNOW, IF YOU CAN BRING THEM DOWN SLIGHTLY, AND I'M NOT SAYING YOUR NUMBER, I, I LIKE YOUR NUMBERS, BUT IF YOU DON'T HAVE TO GO OVERBOARD WITH THAT WOULD BOND WITH A BOND, PLAY INTO THE, UH, KEEPING YOU FROM HAVING TO RAISE SO MUCH MONEY.
IT COULD, IT DEFINITELY COULD, UH, YOU KNOW, WE COULD DO SOMETHING SIMILAR TO HOW HELEN HAS SET UP THEIR, UM, THEIR RESERVE AND THEY, THEY DID, THEY PUT A, UH, UH, A REQUIREMENT THAT THEY MUST MAINTAIN, UH, 20 MILLION IN BOND CLASS AT ALL TIMES FOR, FOR EMERGENCY PURPOSES.
YOU WOULDN'T KNOW THAT THAT IS TO THEIR BUDGET BY CHANCE.
EXCELLENT PIECE OF WORK AND A VERY INFORMATIVE, THANK YOU EVERYBODY ELSE.
ANYONE ELSE? MY ONLY, MY ONLY COMMENT WAS I'M IN AGREEANCE WITH THE LAST, UM, BULLET POINT THERE ON OPTIONS OF CONSIDERATION IN, UM, TERMS OF USING, UM, CERTAIN, A CERTAIN PERCENTAGE OF THE FUND BALANCE TO GO TOWARDS THINGS LIKE LAND ACQUISITION.
I THINK THAT'S GOING TO BE VERY IMPORTANT, UM, TO US AS WE ARE GROWING AND LOOKING AT PLACES WHERE WE CAN ADD GREEN SPACE OR PLACES WHERE WE CAN, UM, YOU KNOW, WORK ON LIKE REFORESTATION, STUFF LIKE THAT.
SO I WOULD BE IN AGREEMENTS FOR THAT.
ANYONE ELSE, CHRIS? UH, MAZING, VERY AMAZING.
IT HELPS ALL OF US SEEM TO KIND OF UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU DO, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF ANY OF US COULD PUT TOGETHER WHAT YOU DID.
SO LOOK FORWARD TO BUDGETING TOM AND TALKING MORE ABOUT THIS.
AND DID YOU GET WHAT YOU NEEDED? ABSOLUTELY.
NEXT WE HAVE ANOTHER WORKSHOP ITEM AND IT IS A DISCUSSION ON THE CODE CHAPTER 23 OF OUR UNIFIED DEVELOPMENT ORDINANCE, AND IT IS ZONING DISTRICTS AND DEFINITIONS.
I AND HEATHER AND YOU ARE PRESENTING.
IF THIS, CAN YOU SEE MY PRESENTATION HERE? GOOD.
LIKE CRES USING MULTIPLE SCREENS.
SO, UM, WE ARE HERE FOR THE WORKSHOP CONCERNING AMENDMENTS TO THE UNIFIED DEVELOPMENT ORDINANCE RELATED TO VARIOUS, UM, CONTRIBUTING STRUCTURES, INVENTORY OF THAT.
UM, THE DEFINITIONS AND THINGS RELATED TO THAT AS THEY'RE OUTLINED IN THE UNIFIED DEVELOPMENT ORDINANCE, WHY ARE WE HERE? WELL, THESE ITEMS WERE ALL ADDRESSED ONE WAY OR ANOTHER IN THE STRATEGIC, UM, PLAN.
AND AS I'LL GO THROUGH AND INCLUDE ALIGNMENT OF THE NATIONAL AND THE LOCAL HISTORIC DISTRICTS, AS WELL AS CHANGING CHANGES TO THE CONTRIBUTING STRUCTURES.
AND A LOT OF THAT IS RELATED TO A SURVEY THAT WE RECENTLY CONDUCTED IN 2019.
AND THAT SURVEY IS THE DATA, THE BASIS OF
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WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING, SOME CHANGES MOVING FORWARD.THE LAST SURVEYS THAT WE DID WERE IN THE INITIAL ONE WAS 1996, AND THEN THAT WAS FURTHER UPDATED IN 2008.
THIS HERE IS THE HISTORIC DISTRICT MAP.
THE AREAS IN ALL OF THE AREAS THAT ARE EITHER RED, GREEN, OR ORANGE, THAT IS THE ENTIRE OLD TOWN BLUFFTON HISTORIC DISTRICT.
THAT ORANGE AREA IS OUR EXISTING NATIONAL REGISTER DISTRICT AND THE RED AREA THAT OUTLINES WHERE WE PUT, EXPAND THAT NATIONAL REGISTER DISTRICT.
AND THAT WOULD BE THROUGH COMPLETING A NOMINATION, UM, FOR THAT.
AND THAT IS BASED ON INFORMATION THAT WAS RESULTED FROM THE SURVEY AND THOSE EXISTING STRUCTURES.
SO THAT'S ONE THING THAT WE WILL BE BRINGING FORWARD, BUT BEFORE WE GET TO THAT POINT, WE WANT TO GET SOME CHANGES, UH, OUTLINED AND CLARIFIED, AND MEDIAL HERE OUTLINES THOSE UDL AMENDMENTS THAT I WAS REFERRING TO.
AND AGAIN, THOSE ARE RELATED TO CONTRIBUTING STRUCTURES, UM, AND THAT JUST IS MAKING SURE THAT ALL OF THE TERMINOLOGY IS ALIGNED AND CONSISTENT THROUGHOUT STREAMLINING.
THE REVIEW CRITERIA FOR, UM, CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS IS AS THEY RELATE TO CONTRIBUTING STRUCTURES.
AND AGAIN, UM, JUST MAKING SURE THAT DESIGNATION OF THOSE CONTRIBUTING STRUCTURES, THAT CRITERIA, THAT THAT'S ALL CODIFIED ENLISTED, UM, IN THE UDL, THIS ALSO INCLUDES PROACTIVE PRESERVATION.
SO THAT'S WHAT PREVIOUSLY WAS TERMED DEMOLITION BY NEGLECT THAT MAINTENANCE, UM, OF CONTRIBUTING STRUCTURES THAT THAT'S DONE PROACTIVELY.
AND AGAIN, THAT AS I TALK ABOUT CONTRIBUTING STRUCTURES, CONTRIBUTING STRUCTURES AND WHAT IS CONSIDERED TO BE A CONTRIBUTING STRUCTURE, THAT'S ONE OF THE QUALIFYING, UM, REQUIREMENTS AGAIN FOR THAT PRACTICE PRESERVATION, AS WELL AS OTHER ITEMS THAT ARE IN THE STRATEGIC ACTION PLAN, SUCH AS BAILEY BELL, WHICH IS AN INCENTIVE FOR, UM, PRESERVATION.
THIS IS WHAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE IN THE EDO OR CONTRIBUTING STRUCTURES AND HOW THAT IS DEFINED.
I WON'T READ THROUGH IT, BUT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE ARE PROPOSING TO, UM, REVIEW, MODIFY AND EXPAND IT BEYOND STRUCTURES, BECAUSE WE DO HAVE TWO CODES THAT ARE LISTED AS CONTRIBUTING.
UM, THEY'RE NOT NECESSARILY STRUCTURE.
SO AGAIN, JUST SOME, UH, MAKING SURE THAT OUR WORDS ARE ALL ALIGNED AND ACCURATE IS HERE.
AGAIN, EXPLAINS JUST FURTHER WHAT OUR GOAL IS IN UPDATING THAT, UM, THAT REFERENCE JUST AGAIN, WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE ALIGNED WITH THE STATE'S REQUIREMENTS, WHAT'S CONSIDERED, UH, A CONTRIBUTING RESOURCE, UM, MORE APPROPRIATELY, UH, THAT COULD INCLUDE SIGNIFICANT TREES AGAIN, UM, THE COVES AND THINGS THAT ARE SIGNIFICANT TO OUR COMMUNITY.
THIS IS OUR COUNTRY, OUR CURRENT CONTRIBUTING STRUCTURES THAT ARE ON THAT 2008 LIST.
THIS IS A TOOL THAT WE DO HAVE ON OUR TOWN'S WEBSITE.
IT'S HARD TO SEE ON THE SCREEN HERE, BUT YOU'LL SEE THESE LITTLE FLAGS, UM, THAT SHOW WHAT THE STRUCTURES ARE.
AND THEN THERE'S A NAKED ZOOM IN ON YOUR COMPUTER HERE TO SEE WHAT THOSE STRUCTURES ARE.
THOSE STRUCTURES INCLUDE, THIS SHOWS, UM, HOW WE'RE MOVING FORWARD, AS FAR AS DRAFTING THOSE REVISIONS, UM, THAT NEW REVISED DEFINITION, AS FAR AS CONTRIBUTING RESOURCE, WHAT WE'RE ALSO, UM, RESEARCHING AND FURTHER LOOKING INTO, I DON'T HAVE FINAL SOLUTIONS OR DIRECTIONS AT THIS POINT, BUT TRYING TO, UM, MAKE SURE THAT WE CODIFY AND ACKNOWLEDGE WHAT STRUCTURES ARE CONTRIBUTING EITHER THROUGH REFERENCE OF THE, NOT NECESSARILY THE LIST BECAUSE THAT SURVEY AND LIST IS THE DATA, BUT AFTER REVIEWING THAT DATA, WHICH STRUCTURES OR RESOURCES ARE DEEMED TO BE CONTRIBUTING.
SO, UH, AGAIN, STAFF IS WORKING WITH, UM, OTHER CONSULTANTS, HISTORIC PRESERVATION CONSULTANTS AS WELL, TERRY FINGER AND RICHARD SILVER, BRUCE, AND OUR TOWN ATTORNEYS TO FIGURE OUT THE MOST EFFICIENT WAY TO, UM, HOW TO FIND THAT LIST AND ACKNOWLEDGE THAT CONTRIBUTING RESOURCES.
AGAIN, THIS IS JUST THE APPLICABILITY LANGUAGE RELATED TO THE CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS AND THOSE CRITERIA.
AND THEN, LIKE I SAID, THAT DESIGNATION OF THAT CONTRIBUTING STRUCTURES, WHAT WE ARE LOOKING TO IS, UM, THIS IS PROBABLY THE MOST APPLICABLE OF THE SLIDES CONCERNING THE CRITERIA OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS.
I KNOW I HAVE COME BEFORE YOU ON SOME CONTRIBUTING STRUCTURES TO REQUEST THAT WORD, TO POSSIBLY BE REMOVED FROM THE LIST AND REALLY LOOKING AT THAT CRITERIA, THE CURRENT CRITERIA THAT WE HAVE,
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UM, YOU'LL SEE HERE, THERE'S AN ANNE STATEMENT.THE CURRENT CRITERIA HAS OR STATEMENTS.
SO YOU ONLY HAD TO MEET ONE OF THE CRITERIA LISTED HERE.
WHAT WE ARE PROPOSING IS THAT IT'S AN ANT STATEMENT.
SO NOT ONLY DO YOU HAVE TO BE 50 YEARS OR OLDER, YOU HAVE TO MEET ONE OF THE OTHER REQUIREMENTS.
THIS LIST HERE IS WHAT THE MUNICIPAL ASSOCIATION DOES INCLUDE IN THEIR MODEL ORDINANCE.
WE HAVE REACHED OUT TO THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF ARCHIVES AND HISTORY, AND, UM, THIS LIST IS ACCEPTABLE TO MOVE FORWARD.
WHAT WE WILL DO IS AS WE CONTINUE TO REFINE THE VIDEO AMENDMENTS, WE WILL WORK WITH THEM TO MAKE SURE THAT WHATEVER WE PROPOSE AS A STAFF DOESN'T DO ANYTHING TO JEOPARDIZE OUR CERTIFIED LOCAL GOVERNMENT DESIGNATION.
AND THAT DESIGNATION IS ONE THAT, UM, IS ONE THAT MAKES US ELIGIBLE FOR GRANT DOLLARS.
WE'VE USED THOSE FOR THE STABILIZATION AND THE RESTORATION OF THE GARBIN GARVEY HOUSE STABILIZATION OF THE, UM, SQUARE POPE HOUSE AT WRIGHT FAMILY PARK.
SO WE DON'T WANT TO DO ANYTHING TO JEOPARDIZE THAT STATUS.
UH, NEXT STEPS FOR THIS, LIKE I SAID, I'M JUST WANTED TO BRING THIS FORWARD TO YOU AS BASICALLY A STATUS OF WHERE WE'RE AT WITH ALL OF THOSE RELATED UDL AMENDMENTS.
UM, SHOULD WE MOVE FORWARD? THE NEXT STEP WOULD BE, UH, INPUT FROM THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION THROUGH A WORKSHOP, AND THEN WE WOULD MOVE FORWARD WITH WHATEVER NOTIFICATION IS REQUIRED SPECIFICALLY AGAIN, FOR THOSE CONTRIBUTING STRUCTURES.
UM, SINCE PUTTING THIS PRESENTATION TOGETHER AND CONTINUED THE DISCUSSIONS WITH TERRY FINGER AND BELIEVE THAT THERE MAY BE A MORE EFFICIENT WAY TO CODIFY AND ACKNOWLEDGE THAT LIST, WANT TO MAKE BASICALLY WHAT TO APPROVE AND MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT CURRENT EXISTING LIST, UH, ALONG WITH ANY REQUESTS THAT WE'VE RECEIVED FROM PROPERTY OWNERS, FOR EXAMPLE, UM, SOME OF THE OWNERS THAT WE'VE HEARD FROM DURING PUBLIC COMMENT, IF THERE'S A REQUEST TO BE REMOVED FROM THE LIST, WE WOULD REVIEW IT AGAINST THE CRITERIA THAT IS THAT'S MOVED FORWARD WITH AND MAKE ANY RECOMMENDATIONS CHANGES FROM THERE.
AND THEN WE WOULD IDENTIFY A PROCESS AND PROCEDURE TO EITHER BE REMOVED FROM THE LIST OR ADDED TO THE LIST.
AND THAT'S THE DETAILS THAT WE'RE STILL STILL MOVING FORWARD WITH AND WORKING OUT AS FAR AS RECOMMENDATIONS MOVING FORWARD, BUT THAT WOULD BE THE STEP THREE.
AND THEN OBVIOUSLY IT WOULD GO TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION FOR A PUBLIC HEARING, AND THEN BACK TO YOU FOR FIRST AND SECOND AND FINAL READING.
AND THAT'S ALL I HAVE AGAIN, JUST WANTED TO PROVIDE AN OVERVIEW OF WHERE WE'RE AT AND, UM, THERE'S MANY LAYERS OF THIS ONION THAT WE CONTINUE TO PEEL BACK, BUT WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYTHING'S CAPTURED, UH, AND MOVING FORWARD AT THE SAME TIME, OTHER REALLY GOOD PRESENTATION, OR THERE IS A WORKSHOP ITEMS. ARE THERE ANY THOUGHTS REGARDING, UM, THIS PRESENTATION OR QUESTIONS OR SUGGESTIONS? YEAH, SO I HAVE A SEA OF THOUGHTS, UM, ON THAT MAYOR, I THINK IN, UM, IN GREAT PRESENTATION, HEATHER, IN THE INFORMATION I WAS PROVIDED, UM, I THINK AT SOME POINT WE NEED TO REVISIT THE IDEA OF HIRING A FULL-TIME, UM, PRESERVATIONISTS.
UM, I KNOW IN SEEING SOME OF THE CONCERNS COMING UP WITH RESIDENTS TOO, WE NEED TO HAVE SOMETHING THAT'S A LITTLE MORE USER-FRIENDLY ON, UM, UH, MAKING THOSE WHO ARE TRYING TO SELL THEIR PROPERTY OR EVEN TRYING TO DO UPGRADES ON THEIR PROPERTY, UM, MAKING THEM AWARE OF WHAT'S GOING ON.
UM, I'VE HAD A FEW PEOPLE REACH OUT TO ME AND I KNOW IT'S, IT'S NOT AN EASY PROCESS.
IT'S SOMETHING THAT MANY ARE, I HAVE NO KNOWLEDGE OF.
AND IT SEEMS A LOT OF PEOPLE FEEL THAT THEY'RE GETTING THE, UM, UH, THE RUN AROUND IN, IN TERMS OF GOING FROM PERSON TO PERSON ON, YOU KNOW, ANSWERING A QUESTION AS TO WHAT CAN THEY DO ON THEIR PROPERTY AND NOT REALIZING THAT IF IT HAS A DESIGNATION OF THAT CONTRIBUTING STRUCTURE, THAT THEY CAN'T JUST, YOU KNOW, DEMOLISH IT OR, OR HAVE A REMOVED.
UM, SO I'M SAYING ALL THAT TO SAY AGAIN, LIKE IF WE CAN COME UP WITH SOMETHING THAT GIVES THEM MORE SO LIKE A CHECKLIST OR STARTING POINT, UM, ON TO WHERE TO GET STARTED AND HOW TO NAVIGATE THAT, UM, I THINK WOULD BE BENEFICIAL BECAUSE WE'RE GOING TO START SEEING A LOT OF THESE, UM, UH, REQUESTS.
I THINK WE'VE ALREADY SEEN A LOT OF THEM AND I'M, I DON'T WANT PEOPLE TO FEEL LIKE THE TOWN IS SHUTTING HIM OUT OF, OF TRYING TO CAPITALIZE OR MAXIMIZING THEIR PROPERTY.
UM, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE US BE MORE HELPFUL TO THEM WITH THAT.
OTHER ADVICE TO HEATHER? UH, HEATHER, I THINK, UM, I THINK WE'RE SEEING KIND OF REGROWING UP AND NOW A LOT OF SIBLINGS ARE OUR
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CHILDREN OF THESE FAMILIES, AS WE SAW AT PUBLIC COMMENT, DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY WE ARE, WHAT ARE, SO PERHAPS THAT DO WANT TO HEAR MORE AT BUDGET TIME ABOUT A PRESERVATIONIST, I THINK IT'S DESPERATELY NEEDED.AND THAT'S A JOB FOR THAT PERSON TO EDUCATE THE PEOPLE WHO GET THE TAX BILL NOW EXACTLY WHY THEY ARE, WHERE THEY ARE AND, AND WHAT IS THE PROCESS, UM, BECAUSE THEY ALL HAVE THE RIGHT TO ASK.
SO I BELIEVE, AND I, AND DAN, AND I'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS A LONG, LONG, LONG TIME AGO.
UM, THERE ARE BUILDINGS NOW THAT IF WE, YOU KNOW, THEN THEY'RE LISTED FOR SALE, HOW DID, HOW CAN WE HELP AT LEAST GET GOOD INFORMATION FROM THE TOWN? UM, WHAT, WHAT WE WANT, YOU KNOW, IF YOU SEE PROPERTIES FOR SALE, JUST SAY, YOU KNOW, WE'RE A RESOURCE, THIS IS A CONTRIBUTING STRUCTURE, A CONTRIBUTING RESOURCE, BUT WE CAN HELP YOU IN THESE WAYS, OR WE CAN GET YOU TO THE RIGHT PERSON OR GROUP THAT CAN HELP YOU, UM, BECAUSE IT'S NOT HELPING US EMPATHY AND, YOU KNOW, AND SOMEONE WHO BUYS IT BUYS INTO OUR VISION OF A HISTORIC DISTRICT.
UM, I JUST THINK IT CUTS OUT A LOT OF TEMPERAMENT, KIND OF ADAM FOSTER, BRIDGET, ANY OTHER THOUGHTS TO HEATHER? I JUST, JUST HAVE ONE, UM, MAYOR, THEY, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE, YOU KNOW, THE, WHAT IT HAS TO BE, WHETHER IT'S ONE OR TWO OR THREE OF THOSE ITEMS, WE HAVE TO REMEMBER, YOU KNOW, WHERE SOME OF THESE PLACES ARE EXPIRING, YOU KNOW, LIKE WE'VE SEEN IN THE PAST.
AND LIKE WE HEARD ABOUT TONIGHT, WE'RE ALSO ADDING TO THE LIST, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE IT WASN'T LIKE EVERYTHING WAS BUILT AT ONE TIME.
SO TO ADD IT ON THERE, WHEN IT BECOMES 50 YEARS OLD, EVERY YEAR, THERE SHOULD BE NO MORE STRUCTURES ADDING ON, I WOULD THINK TO MEET THE SAME CRITERIA SO THAT WE DON'T LOSE OUR, UM, ABILITY, YOU KNOW, TO GET THE GRANTS FROM AND ALL THAT STUFF.
BUT WE JUST, WE DEFINITELY JUST GOT TO GET THIS WORKED OUT SO THAT IT'S A WAY THAT PEOPLE CAN NAVIGATE, AS BRIDGET SAID, TO, TO NOT HAVE TO GO THROUGH MONTHS AND YEARS OF LOSING OPPORTUNITIES TO BETTER THEMSELVES SORT OF EDIT THEIR CHILDREN JUST BECAUSE THERE'S AN OLD HOUSE THAT'S ROTTEN AWAY.
COUNCIL, MAYOR PRO TEM, HAMILTON RAISED HIS HAND.
IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION OR A COMMENT, OR DID YOU KNOW YOU PUT THE RAISED HAND FEATURE ON YOUR ZOOM? YES, MA'AM.
I HAVE A, I HAVE A SERIOUS CONCERN THAT LIKE I'VE ALWAYS HAD THAT WHEN WE CONSIDERED A PROPERTY CONTRIBUTED TO, THAT WAS STRUCTURED, THAT WE WANT TO, UM, PUT IN THAT BANK.
WHEN IS, WHEN IS BEYOND REPAIR, IT PUTS A SERIOUS HARDSHIP ON THEIR FAMILY TO, TO MAKE REPAIRS.
AND IF, AND IF, IF WE, IF YOU IMPOSE THAT ON THEM, WITHOUT A MEANS OF HELPING THEM TO RESTORE IT, THEN IT'S A, IT'S A BURDEN ON BOTH ON BOTH PARTIES, A BURDEN TO THE TOWN BECAUSE THAT STRUCTURE IS GOING TO CONTINUE TO BE, UM, AND I SAW GET EVEN FURTHER DILAPIDATED AND IT PUTS THE BURDEN ON THE FAMILIES BECAUSE THEY CAN'T BRING IT TO, UM, CURRENT STANDARDS.
SO I THINK WE NEED ALSO PITCHES VERSUS THE ADDRESS OF A PLACE ON THE MAP OR WHAT THESE STRUCTURES ARE THAT WE HAVE.
I THINK WE NEED, UH, UM, SOME, SOME, SOME FORM OF HOW WE CAN IDENTIFY THESE HOUSE PITCHES AND ADDRESS, AND, UM, COUNSELORS SHOULD GO OUT AS WELL AS, UM, STAFF AND, AND REEVALUATE.
WHAT WE THINK IS GOING TO BE SOMETHING THAT THE TOWN, OUR COMMUNITY WILL APPRECIATE.
UM, FAMILIES SHOULD HAVE AN INPUT AT SOME POINT IN TIME, IF THIS STRUCTURE IS, UM, SHOULD BE ON THE LIST.
AND EVEN WHEN WE FEEL THAT THE FAMILY MAY, UM, NOT UNDERSTAND WHY IT'S ON THE LIST, THAT EDUCATION PIECE AND THAT, AND THAT PERSONAL DIALOGUE WITH THEM SHOULD ALSO BE FACTORED IN.
SO LET'S, UM, WE, WE, WE'VE HAD A LOT OF, UM, SITUATION WHERE WE MAY SPECIAL EXCEPTIONS WHEN THEY'RE ASKED TO BE REMOVED FROM THE DESCRIPTION.
AND, UM, I'VE BEEN AROUND LONG ENOUGH
[01:25:01]
IN BLUFFTON TO KNOW WHEN SOMETHING IS SIGNIFICANT OR NOT.SO I LIKE TO ALSO KNOW THAT WE NEED, UM, SOME COUNCIL INPUT.
UM, PROBABLY WHEN, WHEN WE HAVE THAT KIND OF, UM, KNOWLEDGE OF THESE HOMES OR THESE FAMILIES, THAT'S ALL I HAVE.
IT SOUNDS LIKE WE HAVE A CONTINUING THEME OF EDUCATING AND, UM, YOU KNOW, I JUST PULLED UP THE CONTRIBUTING STRUCTURE SLASH RESOURCE LIST, AND I THINK IT'D BE REALLY EASY TO BE ABLE TO CLICK ON, LIKE WE DO OUR CAT PROJECTS.
AND IF YOU CLICK ON, YOU KNOW, NUMBER ONE ON THE LIST, A LITTLE POP-UP COULD COME UP AND SHOW THE PICTURE ON THAT.
I THINK THAT WOULD GET TO A CHANGE, YOU KNOW, OTHER THAN JUST AN ADDRESS AND A NUMBERS.
UM, YOU KNOW, AND A LOT OF THESE, SOME OF THESE THAT PEOPLE WANT TO MOVE IT'S BECAUSE THEY ARE FOR SALE.
SO, YOU KNOW, ARE WE HELPING THE PEOPLE WHO WANT TO SELL THEIR PROPERTY FOR WHATEVER REASON THEY'RE NOT COMING BACK OR WHATEVER, BUT IT'S IMPORTANT TO US.
I THINK THAT'S WHEN WE REALLY TRY TO HELP THAT, THAT HOME, THAT SELLER NOW AT LEAST KNOW WHAT TO EXPLAIN TO THE BUYER AND HELP THE BUYER FEEL ENCOURAGED IF IT IS A STRUCTURE THAT CAN'T BE REMOVED.
ANYTHING ELSE, HEATHER? DO YOU NEED ANYTHING ELSE? ARE YOU GETTING WHAT YOU, I AM.
UM, AND WE ACTUALLY HAVE TO JUST TO RESPOND QUICK TO SOME OF THE THINGS, UH, ONE OF THE PROCEDURAL THINGS THAT WE TALKED ABOUT WAS ANNUALLY REVIEW THE LIST.
UM, THE LAST TIME THE LIST WAS CHANGED WAS 2008, LIKE WE SAID, SO MAYBE WE'LL BRING FORWARD THAT PROCEDURAL, UM, PART OF IT AND THE ECONOMIC HARDSHIP, UH, THAT CANNES COUNCILMAN HAMILTON REFERRED TO THAT.
I KNOW WE'VE, UM, WE HEARD AT, AT ONE OF THE LAST WORKSHOPS AND INCORPORATING THAT IN THE PROACTIVE PRESERVATION PIECE.
AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO EXPAND ON THAT AS WELL AS THE MAP CAPABILITIES AND CONTINUE TO, UM, UPDATE THAT AND WORK WITH, UM, TOM SUNDAY AND HIS, HIS STAFF TO DO THAT.
SO WE'LL CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE CRITERIA AND, UM, BRING IT FORWARD TO YOU ALL THIS SPRING.
IF I COULD, JUST FOR A MOMENT, HEATHER, YOU HAD ONE SLIDE WHERE YOU WERE ASKING FOR INPUT ON A CRITERIA AND THERE WAS AN AND, OR STATEMENT, UM, DO YOU NEED SPECIFIC INPUT FROM COUNCIL ON THAT? WE ALREADY DO THIS.
SO I THOUGHT WE WERE THE ONES YES, WE HEARD AND WOULD BE, UM, THE RECOMMENDATION AT ONE OF THE WORKSHOPS WAS TO CHANGE THE OARS TO, AND SO THAT'S WHAT WE DID HERE IN OUR DRAFT, UM, TO MOVE FORWARD.
THE ONLY, I DON'T WANT TO SAY EXCEPTION TO THAT, BUT YOU HAVE NUMBER ONE, SO, YOU KNOW, KIND OF, YOU CAN'T GO PACK, GO TO THAT NEXT STEP.
YOU, YOU BEAT NUMBER ONE YEAR, 50 YEARS OR OLDER.
UM, YOU MEET NUMBER TWO, THAT THERE'S A QUALITY OF SIGNIFICANCE.
UM, AND THEN THREE, THIS IS WHERE THERE'S A, A, B, C OR D.
SO YOU HAVE TO MEET ONE OF THOSE ITEMS AND NUMBER THREE.
SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING TO MOVE FORWARD WITH WITH THAT CRITERIA, IF THAT, UM, MEETS YOUR INTENTIONS FROM THOSE PREVIOUS WORKSHOPS, OR IF YOU HAD ANY OTHER COMMENTS, UM, LET ME KNOW.
YEAH, WE WE'VE HAD MULTIPLE WORKSHOPS ON, WE ALL NEED KIND OF A MEMORY CHECK, BUT THAT RIGHT THERE WAS TO HELP SOME THAT MIGHT'VE FALLEN THROUGH THE CRACKS WHERE WE CAUSED A LOT OF, UM, ANC STUFF, RESIDENCES.
IT HELPS THEM TO HAVE TO HAVE ALL THREE RATHER THAN JUST ONE.
SO THAT ACTUALLY BENEFITS THE RESIDENTS IN A WAY.
YEAH, I DO HAVE ONE MORE QUICK QUESTION IF I MAY.
UM, AND NUMBER TWO, WHERE IT SAYS AT THE END OF THAT, WHERE IT SAYS LOCATION, DESIGN, SETTING, MATERIALS, WORKMANSHIP, FEELING DEFINED, FEELING FOR ME AS, AS A, I CAN SIMPLY SCRAPE THAT.
I MEAN, WE CAN'T, WE CAN'T GO ON FEELING.
THAT'S VERY SUBJECTIVE, KIND OF LIKE BLUFFTON CHARACTER, BUT I MISSED THAT GOOD CALL, GOOD KID.
UH, WE CAN SIMPLY, WE CAN SIMPLY STRIKE THAT.
I BELIEVE THAT WAS JUST, AGAIN, FOLLOWING THAT MODEL LANGUAGE, BUT WE CAN, WE CAN STRIKE THAT ONE EASY ENOUGH, WHAT WE'LL BE BRINGING FORWARD THIS TO A HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION FOR THEIR INPUT PLANNING COMMISSION, AND THEN, UM, MORE PUBLIC MEETINGS ON IT.
SO, SO IF YOU HAVE OTHER COMMENTS AS YOU REVIEW THIS THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS, UM, W PLEASE LET ME KNOW.
AND, UM, LIKE I SAID, IT'S, IT'S FAIRLY STRAIGHTFORWARD AND THEY,
[01:30:01]
THEY GO ALL MOVING FORWARD, BUT IT, IT IS, UM, IT CAN BE COMPLICATED AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GET IT AS RIGHT AS WE CAN.IT'S YOU GOT A GOOD START, HEATHER, AND THEN I DON'T KNOW IF IT GOES TO YOU, BUT MORE TO SCOTT, THE PRESERVATIONIST.
I KNOW I BROUGHT IT UP TIME AND TIME AGAIN.
UM, COUNCILWOMAN FRAZIER BROUGHT IT UP.
I WAS TOLD WE HAVE ONE HIRED PART-TIME.
CAN YOU CONFIRM WHERE WE ARE IN THE PRESERVATIONIST SPOT? UH, YES.
MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT WE HAVE A PRESERVATIONIST.
WE ARE LOOKING AT CONTRACTING, UM, PUTTING ON A CONTRACT, UH, TO SEE HOW THAT WORKS OUT.
WE HAVE NOT HAD A LOT OF GREAT LUCK IN LOOKING FOR A FULL-TIME PRESERVATIONIST TO HIRE, BUT WE MAY BE ABLE TO A CONTRACT ONE, AND WE HAVE ONE WHO IS VERY WELL QUALIFIED FOR THE POSITION RIGHT NOW.
AND I BELIEVE HEATHER IS MOVING FORWARD ON, RIGHT.
I THINK THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT IN AN A AND A TOOL THAT CAN GET TO THESE PEOPLE THAT CALL US.
AND THAT CAN BE ONE OF THEIR ROLES IS TO EDUCATE, BRING THEM IN, HOLD THEIR HANDS.
AT LEAST SHOW THEM THERE MIGHT BE THE ANSWER MIGHT BE NO, BUT AT LEAST YOU HAVE A PROCESS.
YOU'RE NOT BEING PUSHED ASIDE.
AND I DON'T WANT THAT FOR THIS NEXT GENERATION.
THEY DON'T, THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND THE RULES.
AND I HAVE SOMEONE TOO THAT JUST TEXTED ME AND I WANT THEM TO UNDERSTAND THE PROCESS.
THANK YOU, HEATHER, FOR THAT, I HAVE SOMETHING ELSE.
YEAH, WE ONLY, WE ONLY HAD, UH, ONE PROPERTY THAT, UM, PUBLIC COMMENT OR WANTED TO, UH, SPEAK ON TONIGHT AND, UM, SO CAN STAFF MAKE SURE THEY GET WHAT THAT WOULD, WHAT THOSE FAMILY MEMBERS AND GIVE THEM THE GUIDANCE.
THEY NEED ALL THE SUPPORT THEY NEED TO.
UM, SO WE CAN, UM, THIS IS BEEN A WORKSHOP ITEM, AND OBVIOUSLY THAT'S THE ONLY FAMILY THAT'S REALLY, UM, THOUGHT ENOUGH TO, TO SHARE WITH US A NICE, AND LET'S MAKE SURE THAT THEY FEEL LIKE WE HELPING THEM IN ANY SHAPE OR FORM.
I'VE WRITTEN DOWN BOTH OF THEIR NAMES.
I'LL GET THEIR CONTACT INFORMATION FROM THE CLERK AND WE WILL FOLLOW UP WITH THEM, MR. HAMBLIN.
UM, I'M GLAD THAT THAT'LL BE GOOD.
WE HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING AND FINAL READING ON TWO ITEMS. THE FIRST IS OUR ANNUAL, UM, VISIT FROM MICHELLE KNIGHT WITH LOW COG.
I DON'T SEE HER YET, BUT I KNOW SHE'S COMING.
THIS IS ON OUR NEEDS ASSESSMENT FOR HOUSING, PUBLIC FACILITIES AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
WE KNOW WE HEAR IT ALL THE TIME, BUT IT, BY LAW, YOU HAVE TO DO IT, BUT, UM, YOU CAN JUST HIT THE HOT POINTS.
WE'LL LOVE YOU FOR HOWEVER, WAS OUR MEETINGS CONTINUE TO BE LONG AND I GET, I GET FUSSED AT SO WELCOME.
AND I'M GOING TO TRY TO HURRY THROUGH, I'VE GOT THREE SLOTS THAT ARE NEW, THAT I'M MORE FOCUSED ON AT THE END FOR A FEW MINUTES, BUT I'LL TRY TO GET THROUGH THE REST OF IT AS QUICK AS I CAN.
SO THIS IS OUR 2021 ANNUAL NEEDS ASSESSMENT PUBLIC HEARING.
UM, WE'LL DO OUR LITTLE COMMERCIAL ANNOUNCEMENT FIRST TO, UM, GO AND STATE THAT THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON DOES NOT DISCRIMINATE AGAINST THE PROTECTED CLASSES IN THE FAIR HOUSING ACT IN THE SALE AND RENTAL OF REAL ESTATE OR RENTAL OF HOUSING AND RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE TRANSACTIONS AND PROBATION OF BROKERAGE SERVICES.
UH, IF YOU HAVE ANYONE WHO FEELS THAT THEY HAVE BEEN DISCRIMINATED AGAINST, JUST HAVE THEM CONTACT US AT LOW COUNTRY COUNSELOR GOVERNMENT.
SO THAT NUMBER AT THE END OF THE SLIDE, UM, JUST TO CONTINUE ON THIS YEAR'S ALLOCATION TO THAT FOR THE YEAR IS EXPECTED TO BE 20.2 MILLION IS DIVIDED AMONG OUR THREE GENERAL CATEGORIES AS USUAL COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, AND REGIONAL PLANNING, UM, TO GIVE YOU THE, THE MEDA BY HERE, UM, OUR SPRING ROUND COMMUNITY INFRASTRUCTURE, UM, SET ASIDE HAS 12.3 MILLION IN IT.
WE HAVE A MARCH APPLICATION REQUESTED DEADLINE AND APRIL FULL APPLICATION DEADLINE, AND THIS IS OUR WATER SEWER DRAINAGE ROAD TROUT.
UM, MAXIMUM AMOUNT OF FUNDING IS $750,000 PER PROJECT.
MINIMUM AMOUNT OF FUNDING IS 50,000.
THERE'S 3 MILLION IN OUR COMMUNITY.
[01:35:01]
ASIDE.THIS HAS A FALL APPLICATION REQUEST OF AUGUST, MID AUGUST WITH A DEADLINE OF MID SEPTEMBER.
AND THIS IS WHAT WE CALL OUR FACILITIES SET ASIDE.
THERE'S A MAXIMUM THAT YOU CAN APPLY FOR THEIR $500,000 FOR PROJECTS WITH THE EXCEPTION OF DOWNTOWN STREETSCAPE IMPROVEMENTS THAT YOU CAN APPLY FOR UP TO $750,000.
UM, THIS IS TO DO THINGS LIKE LIBRARIES, UM, PUBLICLY OWNED FACILITIES, DEMOLISHED PROPERTY, HEALTH CLINICS, UM, DEMOLITION OF BROWNFIELD SITES.
OUR SPECIAL PROJECTS SET ASIDE, UM, IS BASICALLY OUR, UM, IT STOPPED BEING A PILOT PROGRAM.
WE, WE GOT A MAXIMUM AMOUNT OF FUNDING OF $200,000 THERE WITH A MINIMUM OF 50,000.
AND THIS IS TO DO SMALLER PROJECTS THAT DON'T REALLY FIT IN OUR OTHER SET ASIDES, SUCH AS HISTORIC PRESERVATION, ENERGY CONSERVATION, PAST TRAILS AND GREENWAYS, UM, SOME PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY PROJECTS AS WELL.
AND THEN GOING ON TO THE NEXT SLIDE ARE, UM, READY TO GO SET ASIDE IS OUR NON-COMPETITIVE PROGRAM.
THE APPLICATION REQUESTS DEADLINES AND, AND FULL APPLICATION DEADLINES ARE ROLLING.
THEY'RE 30 DAYS FROM THE POINT YOU MAKE A REQUEST AND BASICALLY YOU CAN DO ANY ACTIVITY THAT YOU CAN DO IN COMMUNITY INFRASTRUCTURE, COMMUNITY RICHMOND.
UM, THE MAXIMUM AMOUNT OF FUNDING, THERE IS $500,000 FOR A PROJECT.
NEIGHBORHOOD REVITALIZATION HAS A MILLION DOLLARS SET ASIDE THERE, AND THIS IS AGAIN, A FALL ROUND PROJECT.
THIS IS LIKE YOUR GUTHY SHELTER PROJECT, WHERE YOU PREPARE A NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN FOR A NEIGHBORHOOD THAT'S WITHIN WALKING DISTANCE OF YOUR COMMERCIAL CENTER.
AND YOU GO WHEN YOU ADDRESSED ALL THE ACTIVITIES THAT NEED TO BE ADDRESSED IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD, WHETHER IT'S INFRASTRUCTURE, WHETHER IT'S LIGHTING, UM, SIDEWALKS, THOSE SORTS OF THINGS, WHETHER IT'S, UM, LIMITED, UM, EXTERIOR HOUSING REHAB DEMOLISHING, OR CLEARING VACANT OR DILAPIDATED PROPERTIES AND SOME PUBLIC SERVICE ACTIVITIES THAT YOU CAN DO THERE TOO.
THERE'S A MAXIMUM AMOUNT OF, UM, $500,000 TO APPLY FOR THIS, UNLESS YOU'RE DOING A PROJECT THAT HAS AN INFRASTRUCTURE ACTIVITY.
IF YOU DO A PROJECT THIS YEAR THAT HAS AN INFRASTRUCTURE ACTIVITY, UM, IN IT A NEIGHBORHOOD PROJECT, THEY WILL ALLOW US TO APPLY FOR $750,000 BECAUSE THEY'VE REALIZED OVER THE YEARS THAT, UM, WATER SEWER ROADS DRAINAGE TENDS TO BE VERY EXPENSIVE.
AND OFTENTIMES WITH A $500,000 PROJECT, THAT'S ALL YOU ENDED UP DOING.
UM, AGAIN, THE MATCH REQUIREMENTS ARE THE SAME AS A 10% REQUIRED MATCH FOR ANY OF THESE PROJECTS.
ANY OF THESE PROJECTS HAVE TO BENEFIT LOW TO MODERATE INCOME, OR EITHER DELAYED, UH, AID IN THE PREVENTION OF SLUM OR BLIGHT OR MEET ANOTHER URGENT COMMUNITY NEED.
UM, THE OTHER SET ASIDES THAT ARE IN PLACE OR THE OTHER BROAD CATEGORIES ARE A BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM, WHICH IS WHAT USED TO BE OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM.
AND THIS IS WHERE WE PROVIDE INFRASTRUCTURE, UM, PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE TO BUSINESSES THAT ARE EXPANDING OR LOCATING IN AN AREA WHERE THERE'S PRIVATE INVESTMENT INVOLVED AND JOB CREATION INVOLVED.
AND TYPICALLY THESE PROJECTS, UM, THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT YOU CAN APPLY FOR TIED TO THE NUMBER OF JOBS THAT YOU, UM, HAVE COMMITTED IN THAT PROJECT.
THE REMAINDER OF THE 20.2 MILLION IN FUNDING FOR THIS YEAR IS SET ASIDE FOR REGIONAL PLANNING FOR US TO DO THESE TYPES OF PUBLIC HEARINGS, TO HAVE PROJECT DEVELOPMENT MEETINGS, WHICH ARE A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THIS YEAR.
WE CAN, UM, WE HAVE A GOOD GRANTS MANAGER.
WE CAN ARRANGE FOR A ZOOM MEETING WITH LOCALITIES, IF THEY HAVE SPECIFIC PROJECTS THAT THEY'D LIKE TO TALK ABOUT THEIR STAFF AND GO FROM THERE, BUT WE'RE NOT HAVING A LARGE GATHERING, OBVIOUSLY BECAUSE OF THE PANDEMIC, LIKE WE NORMALLY WOULD, UM, TO DO THIS.
AND THEN THE BALANCE OF THE MONEY IS FOR STATE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND ADMINISTRATION.
ALSO, UM, WE TALKED BRIEFLY ABOUT OUR HOME CONSORTIUM, AS Y'ALL KNOW, WE ARE IN OUR 10TH YEAR NOW OF, UM, HAVING A REGIONAL HOME CONSORTIUM, UH, ARE ALL OF OUR COUNTIES AND OUR MUNICIPALITIES PARTICIPATE IN THIS CONSORTIUM.
[01:40:02]
AND CURRENTLY OUR TOP THREE OBJECTIVES ARE STILL REHABILITATION OF SUBSTANDARD HOUSING, INCREASING ACCESSIBILITY TO ADEQUATE AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND SUPPORTING THE DEVELOPMENT AND AVAILABILITY OF SAFE, DECENT, AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING.UM, ALL THAT TO SAY, BARBARA JOHNSON AND OUR OFFICE WILL BE DOING HER ANNUAL ACTION PLAN IN APRIL.
AND IF THERE ARE OTHER THINGS THAT WE NEED TO CONSIDER, UM, OUTSIDE OF RANKING YOUR NEEDS TONIGHT, WHICH I THINK YOU'LL DO AFTER THIS PUBLIC HEARING, UM, WE WOULD LIKE YOU TO, TO GET IN TOUCH WITH US OR HAVE YOUR CONTACT PERSON, YOUR HOUSING PERSON THERE AT THE, AT THE TOWN, GET, GET WITH US, OR SIT DOWN WITH US AND GO OVER SOME OF THOSE THINGS.
NOW I WANT TO TALK FOR JUST A MINUTE ABOUT SOME NEW MONEY, UM, THAT COMMERCE HAS THIS CHEER.
UM, SOUTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE HAS RECEIVED, UM, MONEY TO RESPOND TO THE CORONA VIRUS THROUGH THE CARES ACT.
AND ALL OF THIS MONEY HAS TO DO THE SAME THINGS THAT THEIR REGULAR PROGRAM DOES.
WE HAVE TO MEET A NATIONAL OBJECTIVE, MEANING THAT WE'RE BENEFITING LOW TO MODERATE INCOME PEOPLE AIDING IN THE PREVENTION OF SLUM OR BLIGHT OR MEETING AN URGENT NEED.
AND WE HAVE TO HAVE, UM, OTHER, UM, BUT OUR, WE HAVE TO HAVE THE OTHER REQUIREMENTS MET TOO.
IF IT'S A PROJECT, THAT'S A BUILDING PROJECT, THERE HAS TO BE AN ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW.
UM, IT DOESN'T ANY PROJECT THAT WE APPLY FOR HERE DOES NOT, UM, GO AGAINST THE TOWN'S GRANT THRESHOLD.
AND I DIDN'T REALLY DISCUSS THOSE, THOSE ITEMS, BUT I KNOW YOU'RE AWARE OF THOSE THAT YOU CAN'T HAVE A PROJECT OVER 30 MONTHS OLD, THAT YOU CAN ONLY HAVE THREE OPEN ACTIVE PROJECTS AT ONE TIME AND YOU LIMIT THE NUMBER OF PROJECTS BASED ON NEIGHBORHOODS AND THAT KIND OF THING.
SO, BUT IT'S IN THE PRESENTATION FOR YOU TO GO BACK AND LOOK AT, BUT THIS MONEY IS OUTSIDE OF THAT THRESHOLD REQUIREMENTS.
SO APPLICATIONS CAN BE MADE HERE.
THERE ARE BASICALLY TWO SET ASIDES IN IT.
THE FIRST ONE IS, UM, COMMUNITY PUBLIC SERVICES AND OF THE TOTAL.
I THINK IT'S AROUND 12 MILLION THAT THE STATE'S RECEIVING, UM, IN THIS CARES ACT MONEY.
UM, THROUGH CDBG, LOW COUNTRY REGION CAN ALLOCATE UP TO 858,000 OR RECEIVE UP TO $858,000 IN FUNDS FOR PUBLIC SERVICE TYPE PROJECTS UNDER THIS, THE DEADLINE FOR US TO PROVIDE FUNDING PRIORITIES FOR THIS IS MARCH 1ST.
AND THOSE POSSIBLE ITEMS COULD BE PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT, UM, LEASE OF A FACILITY OR EQUIPMENT OR OTHER ITEMS THAT ARE NEEDED, UM, FOR A PUBLIC SERVICE LIKE VENTILATORS FOR HOSPITALS, MEDICAL EQUIPMENT, OUR VEHICLE FOR MOBILE HEALTH CARE.
IT CAN BE USED FOR COVID-19 TESTING AND CONTACT TECH TRACING FOR FOOD PANTRIES BECAUSE OF, UM, PEOPLE BEING DISPLACED BECAUSE OF EMPLOYMENT ISSUES OR THINGS LIKE THAT DUE TO THE PANDEMIC FOOD DISTRIBUTION AND, UM, DELIVERY FOR ELDERLY OR OTHER LMI RESIDENTS THAT ARE VULNERABLE, UM, AFTERSCHOOL EDUCATION AND SENIOR SERVICES.
AND THEN THERE'S ALSO A PUBLIC FACILITY SET ASIDE.
UM, THE PURPOSE BEHIND IT IS TO DO MORE, UM, UM, LARGER SCALE PROJECTS, SUCH AS HVAC AND AIR FILTRATION IMPROVEMENTS TO BUILDINGS, UM, EXPANSION OR REMODELING OF CLASSROOMS TO, UM, FACILITATE SOCIAL DISTANCING, OUR EQUIPMENT OR PUBLIC IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED TO EXPAND OR IMPROVE INTERNET ACCESS, UM, FOR PEOPLE IN RURAL AREAS THAT HAD DON'T HAVE THAT ACCESS, BUT THEY'RE HAVING TO WORK AND LEARN FROM HOME.
UM, THE DEADLINE ON THIS SET ASIDE IS JULY 1ST AND THERE'S 3 MILLION THIS AVAILABLE STATEWIDE.
SO ANYTHING THAT'S LOW COUNTRY COUNCIL GOVERNMENTS PUT IN ON BEHALF OF, UM, A COMMUNITY OR COMMUNITIES JOINTLY, UM, WITH HAVE TO COMPETE AGAINST OTHER PROJECTS IN THE STATE, THE PUBLIC SERVICE SET ASIDE THERE'S $858,000.
THAT'S BASICALLY, UM, SET ASIDE FOR OUR REGION TO UTILIZE ON ELIGIBLE ACTIVITIES.
[01:45:01]
SLIDE, UM, TOWN STAFF, AND I HAD TALKED BRIEFLY EARLIER THIS WEEK, AND BASICALLY THIS LAST SLIDE IS A LIST OF THE NEEDS THAT WERE APPROVED LAST YEAR FOR YOUR NEEDS ASSESSMENT, PUBLIC HEARING, UM, ALL OF THESE NEEDS, EXCEPT ITEM NUMBER SIX, WHICH IS IN BLUE, ARE THE NEEDS IN THE RANKING THAT YOU DID LAST YEAR.STAFF HAS FELT THAT, UM, UNLESS THERE'S SOME DIFFERENT FEELING OF, FROM THE GROUP TONIGHT, THAT, THAT, UM, THE PRIORITIES WOULD PROBABLY BE THE SAME.
SO HAVING SAID THAT, THE ONLY THING THAT I DID TO THE SLAB WAS I ADDED, UM, THAT BULLET ABOUT ACTIVITIES THAT HELP PREPARE FOR RESPOND TO AND PREVENT CORONA VIRUS, BECAUSE THAT'S KIND OF THE TAG THING THAT WE HAVE TO DO WITH THAT CARES ACT MONEY.
AND WHAT WE'RE HOPING TO DO THERE IS TO PUT IN A JOINT APPLICATION FOR THE MARCH DEADLINE FOR SERVICES, EITHER ONE APPLICATION FOR THE REGION AS A WHOLE, THAT WILL BE COORDINATED WITH THE FOUR COUNTIES.
AND HOPEFULLY WITH THOSE MUNICIPALITIES WITHIN THE COUNTIES, OR AT LEAST AT MOST ONE APPLICATION PER COUNTY, THAT THE COUNTY COORDINATES WITH THEIR MUNICIPALITIES ON, UM, THAT'S ALL THAT I HAVE AS FAR AS PREPARED STATEMENTS THAT I TRIED TO HURRY THROUGH THAT.
SO, UM, BUT BEFORE WE DO QUESTIONS, LET'S DO THE PUBLIC HEARING BECAUSE YOU GOT TO HAVE THAT.
KIM, DO WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT FOR THIS PUBLIC HEARING? NO, MA'AM HEY, I'LL JUST GO THROUGH IT FIRST AND SECOND AND THIRD BY FIRST READING FOR PUBLIC COMMENT ON THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR OUR NEEDS, A SET ANNUAL NEEDS ASSESSMENT, SECOND COMMENT, UH, OR PUBLIC COMMENT FOR OUR ANNUAL BLUFFTON NEEDS ASSESSMENT THIRD AND FINAL CALL FOR PUBLIC COMMENT ON OUR ANNUAL TOWN OF BLUFFTON NEEDS ASSESSMENT, PUBLIC COMMENT, PUBLIC COMMENT OF THE PUBLIC HEARING IS CLOSED.
AND NOW ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS OR ANY THOUGHTS? SO TO MICHELLE? YEAH, I HAVE A QUESTION MA'AM UM, I SAW IN ONE OF THE, UM, ONE OF THE SLIDES THAT THE FUNDS COULD BE USED FOR, UM, LIKE AFTER-SCHOOL CARE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
UM, I WOULD WOULD JUST SAY THAT, I THINK IT'D BE A GOOD IDEA TO, TO SEE LIKE WHAT THAT, UM, WOULD LOOK LIKE.
HOW WOULD THAT WORK IN TERMS OF DOES THE, DO WE APPLY FOR THAT FUNDING? AND THEN THAT FUNDING IS, YOU KNOW, BECOMES LIKE A VOUCHER OR SOMETHING TO FACILITIES WHO ARE ALREADY OFFERING AFTERCARE SERVICES.
UM, BECAUSE I JUST, I THINK ABOUT, UM, YOU KNOW, THE WORKERS WHO ARE AFFECTED THE MOST THROUGH THIS, UM, AND MANY ARE OUR SERVICE WORKERS AND WORK IN HOSPITALITY.
AND, UM, IF, IF THAT BECOMES ONE OF OUR PRIORITIES, I THINK THAT'D BE A GREAT BENEFIT TO BE ABLE TO, UM, YOU KNOW, GIVE SOME TYPE OF REPRIEVE TO THOSE WHO ARE WORKING DAY IN AND DAY OUT, UM, IN OUR COMMUNITIES, BUT WHO ARE FINANCIALLY IMPACTED BY THAT WHO COULD BENEFIT FROM, UM, CHILD SERVICES LIKE THAT? I THINK THAT IF WE WERE TO DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT, IT WOULD PROBABLY HAVE TO BE SOME KIND OF A VOUCHER SITUATION, JUST BECAUSE OF THE FACT THAT THE GOAL BEHIND THE CARES ACT MONEY IS TO GET IT OUT INTO THE PUBLIC QUICKLY.
WE HAVE A COCK DIRECTOR'S MEETING.
I THINK IT WAS MONDAY MORNING, UM, WHICH I WAS INVITED TO AND MY COUNTERPARTS ACROSS THE STATE, BECAUSE IT WAS A DISCUSSION, UM, WITH THE CONSULTANT THAT'S GOING TO BE OVERSEEING THE, THIS CORONAVIRUS MONEY AND THE PROGRAMMING OF IT.
AND I THINK REALLY A LOT OF THIS IS GOING TO BE WHAT YOU BRING TO THEM, IF WE CAN MAKE IT FIT AND WE CAN EXPEND IT QUICKLY, UM, THEN THAT'S GOING TO BE THE WAY THAT IT GOES, BECAUSE THE GOAL IS RIGHT NOW, UM, AS FAR AS THE STATE'S CONCERNED IS TO BE ABLE TO HOPEFULLY DO PROJECTS THAT WILL HAVE THIS MONEY EXPENDED BEFORE DECEMBER 31ST, 2021, WHICH, UM, THOSE OF YOU THAT HAD BEEN DEALING WITH, UM, OUR PROGRAM OVER THE YEARS, YOU KNOW, THAT'S PRETTY AMBITIOUS, UM, FOR THE STATE CDBG PROGRAM, BECAUSE WHILE IT'S A GOOD PROGRAM THERE, A LOT OF HOOPS THAT WE HAVE TO GO THROUGH.
SO MICHELLE REAL QUICK ON THIS, THIS IS A SEPARATE ITEM THAT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE RUN THROUGH
[01:50:01]
THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON.IF THERE WERE MONEY FOR FOOD PANTRIES, DO WE HAVE TO GO TO THE COUNTY AND, AND I'LL FOLLOW UP, KEEP IT SIMPLE, WHO ON OUR STAFF WORKS WITH YOU ON THIS? SO WE CAN GET TO OUR STAFF ON OUR FAULTS.
MOSTLY THE STAFF THAT I WORK WITH MOST OFTEN IS, UM, FELICIA, RALPH, AND, UM, SOME OF THE PEOPLE IN ENGINEERING, MARK MAXWELL, PAT ROONEY, JOHN HUTCHINSON, AND THEN TO A SMALLER EXTENT TOO, AS WELL.
UM, SOME OF THE PLANNING STAFF SUCH AS HEATHER.
SO, I MEAN, IT KIND OF DEPENDS ON THE PROJECT WHERE WE GO, BUT FELICIA HAS BEEN, UM, PRETTY ACTIVE SINCE SHE'S GOTTEN ON STAFF, AS FAR AS COGNITIVE AND LOOKING AT THESE THINGS, UH, UH, HAVE TO RUN THROUGH LIKE THIS, THE TOWN HAVE TO OWN THE FOOD PANTRY.
THAT'S WHAT I'M TRYING TO GET OUT.
CAUSE ALL WE PUT ON BEHALF OF OTHER NON-PROFITS, IF, IF WE WANT TO, WE BASICALLY, WE WOULD BE LOOKING AT FUNNELING IT PROBABLY THROUGH NONPROFITS OR EXISTING ENTITIES, WHETHER IT BE, YOU KNOW, IF WE'RE LOOKING AT PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT, PROBABLY THROUGH THE LOCAL D HECK OFFICES, YOU KNOW, IF IT WILL CONTACT, TRACING THAT KIND OF THING WITH THE FOOD DISTRIBUTION, IT WOULD PROBABLY BE THROUGH EXISTING PANTRIES THAT YOU HAVE, UM, FROM THE TOWN, THERE'S A NO MATCH REQUIREMENT ON ANY OF THIS MONEY.
UM, BUT THERE IS A REQUIREMENT.
I SAY, A REQUIREMENT THERE, THE CONTENTION OF THE GROUP IS THAT WE TRY TO MINIMIZE THE NUMBER OF APPLICATIONS THAT WE TRY TO DO COORDINATED APPLICATIONS, MEANING THAT EITHER THERE'S ONE APPLICATION, UM, THAT'S JOINTLY DONE BY THE FOUR COUNTIES FOR THE REGION OR AT MOST THERE IS ONE APPLICATION PER COUNTY THAT IS JOINTLY DONE WITH SAY FOR INSTANCE, BUFORD COUNTY AND THE MUNICIPALITIES WITHIN BEAVER COUNTY.
I THINK WE CAN DISCUSS THAT OFFLINE AND FIGURE OUT A WAY IF IT'S SOMETHING WE GOT SOME MONEY FOR ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, UM, CAN YOU PUT THE LIST OF THE MOTION BACK UP? UM, MICHELLE, SO WE HAVE A LIST THAT GOES FROM YEAR TO YEAR AND THE RANKING IT'S RANKED, BUT IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT ONE IS NO MORE IMPORTANT, IMPORTANT THAN THE OTHER.
UM, SO LOOKING AT THAT, IS THERE A MOTION THAT COUNCIL ESTABLISHED THE FOLLOWING RANKING OF COMMUNITY NEEDS AND PRIORITIES AND PEDESTRIAN SAFETY INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS, INCLUDING SEWER, WATER, AND DRAINAGE, RESIDENTIAL REHABILITATION OF HOUSING FOR SAFE AND DRY HOUSING RESTORATION OF PROPERTIES OR FACILITIES, A SPECIAL VALUE TO THE COMMUNITY, AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR LOW TO MODERATE INCOME INDIVIDUALS, FAMILIES, AND SENIORS AND ACTIVITIES THAT HELP PREPARE FOR RESPOND TO AND PREVENT CORONAVIRUS.
YES, MA'AM UM, I NOTICED THAT COUNCILMAN HAS HER HAND RAISED, I DIDN'T FIRST AND SECOND.
AND THEN WE'LL GET TO QUESTION OUR DAN D DID YOU HAVE A QUESTION BEFORE WE DID A FIRST AND SECOND, IS THAT MODE SARAH EMOTION WITH WHAT I JUST SAID THERE SECOND.
ANY DISCUSSION, MICHELLE, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR COMING IN.
I APPRECIATE YOUR, YOUR SPEEDINESS, YOUR THANK YOU ALL IN FAVOR, ALL IN FAVOR, SAY AYE.
THOSE OPPOSED THAT HAS PASSED.
AND I KNOW STAFF WILL BE IN TOUCH WITH YOU.
WE'VE DONE VERY GOOD EVENING TO, UM, WE HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING AND FINAL READING ON ITEM NUMBER TWO, WHICH IS, UH, TO AMEND THE TOWN OF CODE ORDINANCES CHAPTER 23 ON STORM WATER MANAGEMENT.
AND IT'S RELATED TO THE SO LOW CODE STORMWATER ORDINANCE.
I DO WANT TO BRING UP SOMETHING BEFORE BRIAN GOES UP AND WE DO NEED TO HAVE THE PUBLIC HEARING, LISTENING TO SOME OF THESE THINGS AND OUR REQUESTS FROM A VERY GOOD PARTNER THAT WORKS A LOT WITH US.
DO YOU THINK THERE IS ENOUGH INFORMATION TO DO THIS, OR SHOULD WE TABLE THIS UNTIL NEXT MONTH TO GIVE THESE PROFESSIONALS THAT CHANCE TO REALLY SIT DOWN WITH OUR STAFF? JUST A QUESTION THAT WAS ON MY NOTES.
WHEN WE WERE LOOKING AT PUBLIC COMMENTS, MAY I RECEIVED A FEW CALLS AS WELL AND CONCERNS, UM, THAT, THAT, THAT SOME PEOPLE HAVE.
SO I WOULD BE IN FAVOR IF WE COULD POSTPONE THIS,
[01:55:02]
YOU KNOW, UNTIL LET SOME OF THESE PEOPLE EXPRESS THEMSELVES A LITTLE BETTER.UM, I'M FOR IT THE WAY I THOUGHT I WAS A HUNDRED PERCENT FOR IT, BUT NOW THAT I'M HEARING SOME CONCERNS, UM, I DON'T THINK WE HAVE TIME TO ADDRESS THEM ALL AND ARGUE IT, YOU KNOW, TO REALLY THOROUGHLY VET IT TONIGHT, BUT IT'S UP TO THE REST OF COUNCIL.
UM, UM, BUT I'M FINE WITH IT TOO.
I HAVE LIKE EIGHT QUESTIONS JUST FROM TWO PUBLIC COMMENTS AND I PROBABLY GOT EIGHT PHONE CALLS JUST ASKING.
AND, UM, I'D RATHER THAN ALL OF US, I'D LOVE FOR US TO GET WITH BRIAN ASKED HIM JUST SOME PROCEDURE OF WHERE PEOPLE ARE IN TERMS OF DEVELOPMENT, ALL IN FAVOR OF IT.
IT'S SO LOW, BUT I THINK WE GOT TO DO THIS, RIGHT.
HERE'S NO, IF WE'RE GOING TO GIVE IT MORE TIME, IT NEEDS TO HAVE A TIMESTAMP ON IT.
IT NEEDS TO BE LIMITED TO A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF TIME.
YOU CAN'T LET THIS GO ON FOR MONTHS.
I MEAN, YOU KNOW, IF THEY WANT TO RUN SOME SCENARIOS, WE NEED TO GIVE THEM 30, 60 DAYS.
FOR 30 DAYS, I AGREE WITH A LONGER THAN 60.
I KNOW WE HAVE A VERY BUSY YEAR, BUT THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT.
UM, SO, AND I, AND I WOULD LIKE TO GET WITH BRIAN TOMORROW AND JUST ASK HIM A FEW QUESTIONS TOO.
AND MAYBE BRIAN, YOU AND SCOTT CAN SEND IT OUT ANSWERS TO ASSAULT.
CAUSE I THINK WE'RE ALL GETTING DIFFERENT PHONE CALLS.
A LOT OF WORK'S BEEN DONE TO IT AND I'M ON THAT PATH, BUT, UM, WOULD LIKE NO LONGER THAN 60, I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE 30, 30, BRIAN, DO YOU THINK WE COULD GET ENOUGH FROM, FROM JUST MAYBE THE TWO THAT SPOKE THAT TOOK THE TIME TO CALL? DO YOU THINK WE COULD RUN SOME THINGS TO BRING BACK NEXT MONTH WITH JUST TWO? YEAH.
UM, WE HAD A WORKSHOP WITH THEM, LIKE MIKE MENTIONED, IT WAS, UM, I BELIEVE LAST WEEK OR WEEK AND A HALF AGO.
AND WE WENT THROUGH DIFFERENT PROJECT SCENARIOS WITH THEM AND SHOWED HOW THEY WOULD WORK AND HOW THEY COULD ACHIEVE COMPLIANCE TO EXISTING PROJECTS.
UM, MY CONCERN IS WHO DO YOU WANT? I WOULD PUT IT BACK ON THEM, SHOW ME HOW A PROJECT OF YOURS CAN'T WORK WITH THIS NEW MANUAL BECAUSE MY STAFF IS OVERWHELMED AS IT IS.
AND I DON'T HAVE A TIME TO RUN THROUGH A, UM, YOU KNOW, AN EXAMPLE HYPOTHETICAL PROJECT ON THEIR BEHALF, PROVE TO ME WHY IT DOESN'T WORK.
UH, BUT WE RESPECT YOU ENOUGH TO TAKE YOUR REQUEST.
I AGREE WITH BRIAN, NOT BRIAN, YOU DON'T NEED ADDED WORK AND I'M NOT AN ENGINEER, NOT SUBTLY TRUST ON YOU.
AND UM, I CAN CALL YOU LATER TO ASK JUST A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS FOR MYSELF TO GET A LITTLE MORE EDUCATED, BUT NOT TO BE AN ENGINEER.
I'M HAPPY TO MEET WITH ANYBODY I'VE MET WITH COUNCILMAN WOOD TODAY AND WE WENT OVER SOME OF HIS QUESTIONS.
SO I'M HAPPY TO DO THAT FOR ANYBODY.
WELL, LET'S HEAR A MOTION TO TABLE THIS FOR 30 DAYS.
AND WE WILL ASK, ESPECIALLY THE TWO THAT SPOKE AT PUBLIC COMMENT TO BRING TO US THE SCENARIOS AND CASE STUDIES AND GO THROUGH THE FINAL TECHNICAL QUESTIONS THEY MAY HAVE.
BRIAN MAKES SURE I'M NOT, I'M HEARING YOU CLEARLY.
YOU THINK YOU'VE PUT IN ENOUGH WORK.
YOU THINK THAT THIS IS READY TO GO.
SO IT'S TABLING IS ALSO GIVING YOU MORE WORK.
I DON'T WANT TO SAY IT'S JUST ME.
YOU KNOW, THERE'S BEEN THIS IT'S THIS COMMITTEE, THIS TECHNICAL COMMITTEE OF THE SO LOCO, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON THIS FOR OVER TWO YEARS.
WE HAD AT LEAST THREE OPEN PUBLIC MEETINGS ALONG WITH THE SO LOCA MEETINGS, ALONG WITH THE TOWN COUNCIL MEETINGS, THERE'S BEEN NUMEROUS CHANCES FOR PEOPLE TO SPEAK UP UNTIL THE DAY OF THE FINAL READING.
I DON'T THINK THIS IS MORE WORK FOR ME.
LIKE I HAD JUST SAID, LET THEM PROVE IT, THAT IT DOESN'T WORK.
AND IF THERE'S SOMETHING WRONG AND WE'RE WRONG, THEN YEAH, WE'LL TAKE IT.
BUT, UM, I MEAN, IT'S BEEN TWO PLUS YEARS IN THE MAKING, SO, AND NOW WE'RE JUST HEARING ABOUT IT.
THAT'S, THAT'S THE FRUSTRATING PART FROM STAFF SAYING, AND AGAIN, IT'S NOT JUST THE TOWN, IT'S A BEAVER COUNTY, CITY OF HARTSVILLE, UH, JASPER COUNTY.
SO YOU'D BE FOR THE, HAS BEEN A GROUP EFFORT.
SO WE'LL SAY THE COUNTY HAS ALREADY APPROVED IT.
I, I, I WANT TO LISTEN TO WHAT BRIAN IS SAYING.
WELL, I DON'T WANT TO PUT MORE WORK ON BRIAN, BUT I HAVE A LOT OF QUESTIONS, A LOT OF QUESTIONS.
[02:00:01]
I WANT TO MAKE SURE WE DO IT RIGHT.I DON'T WANT TO JUST, I GOT A LOT OF, I MEAN, I'VE GOT JUST FROM THE TWO PUBLIC COMMENTS AND THEN I WROTE A FEW OTHERS DOWN AND I JUST WANT IT RIGHT.
I THINK THAT, UM, I UNDERSTAND.
AND, AND, AND, AND I RESPECT THAT, BUT I THINK, I THINK WE STILL HAVE TIME TO MAKE IT RIGHT.
I THINK BRIAN SAYS SOMETHING THAT I THINK IS MORE IMPORTANT.
HE SAID, IF WE GOT IT WRONG, WE WILL FIX IT.
I MEAN, THIS WOULD, BUT, BUT I ALSO WANT TO NOT ONLY SUPPORT STAFF WHEN WE CAN, I WANT TO SUPPORT COUNSELORS AS WELL.
SO LET'S DO, LET'S DO IT RIGHT.
IS, IS, IS TABLING IT AND LET'S TABLE IT.
BUT, BUT I THINK, I THINK, UM, HE SAID, RIGHT, MEANS THAT IF HE DID SOMETHING WRONG, WE WILL FIX IT.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT I AGREE, BUT IF IT DOESN'T PUT IT ON HIM AND WE CAN KEEP THE SAME PRESENTATION AND GET, YOU KNOW, AT LEAST HERE THE PROFESSIONALS THAT BRING IT TO US AND THEY KNOW THEY HAVE TIME.
DID THE PROFESSIONALS COMMENT IN A FORMAL LETTER TO YOU, DID WE, AS A TOWN GET A LETTER FROM THEM ASKING ABOUT THIS OR DID THEY JUST PROVIDE COMMENT TO YOU AT A WORKSHOP LEVEL? UH, 30 DAYS DOESN'T HURT YOU? I WOULD.
I'M STILL IN FAVOR OF THAT, BUT I AGREE.
I DON'T WANT TO WORK ON YOU, BRIAN.
YEAH, NO, 30 DAYS IS FINE WITH ME.
LET'S MAKE, YOU KNOW, I DON'T THINK YOU'RE EVER GOING TO MAKE EVERYBODY HAPPY, BUT THERE'S GOTTA BE A MEDIUM THAT WE CAN MEET.
SO MAYOR AND COUNCIL AND BRIAN, UH, IF I COULD SUGGEST IN ORDER TO ALLOW TIME FOR MORE COMMENTS TO COME FORWARD, IF WE'RE SEEKING THE ADVICE OF THE PROFESSIONALS WHO ARE GIVING US FEEDBACK TONIGHT, UM, PERHAPS WE TABLE IT UNTIL APRIL.
THAT GIVES RYAN TIME TO SYNTHESIZE THE COMMENTS, UH, REDEVELOP A STAFF REPORT IF HE NEEDS TO OTHERWISE, HE REALLY ONLY HAS ABOUT TWO WEEKS TO WORK THE ISSUE.
SCOTT MAKES A GOOD POINT BY THE TIME I'D HAVE TO TURN IT AROUND TO YOU ALL TO SUBMIT IT.
THAT'S TWO WEEKS, UM, THAT IF EVERYONE ELSE'S WELL, IS THERE A MOTION TO TABLE ITEM 10 DASH TWO UNTIL OUR APRIL MEETING WITH THE BURDEN TO BE ON THE PROFESSIONALS TO BRING OUR CASE AND OUR SCENARIOS AND OUR STUDIES TO BRIAN MAC WITH LIK WITHIN WHAT TWO WEEKS WITHIN 30 DAYS TO HIM, OR TWO WEEKS, TWO DAYS, TWO WEEKS IS FINE WITH ME, FOR THEM TO, TO COME WITH THEIR SITUATION.
SO THAT, THAT GIVES HIM MORE TIME TO WORK ON THEM AND SOLVE THEM IF SOLVABLE, IF WE CAN.
WITHIN TWO WEEKS, WITHIN 14 DAYS, THAT'S FINE.
DID YOU S DID YOU MAKE THAT MOTION? I'LL MAKE THAT MOTION THERE.
ANY DISCUSSION? DOES THAT WORK, BRIAN? YES.
AND I KNOW ALL OF COUNCIL DOES AND, UM, BUT IT'S, I THINK THERE'LL BE A GOOD PATH TO GET IT RIGHT.
ALL IN FAVOR OF SAYING I, AS OPPOSED FOR LEVITY, YOU CAN, MY DOG HAS DECIDED TO SIT ON THE CHAIR BEHIND ME AND BE PART OF COUNCIL.
UM, WE HAVE FORMAL ITEMS, UH, FINAL READING IS ITEM NUMBER 11 ONE, AND IT'S CONSIDERATION OF AN AMENDMENT TO OUR CODE OF ORDINANCE.
SO CHAPTER 19 FLOOD DAMAGE PROTECTION, SPECIFICALLY AS IT RELATES TO THE UPDATES OF THE NATIONAL FLOOD PLAIN, WE HAD FIRST READING LAST MONTH, FINAL READING, HEATHER, UM, WERE THERE ANY REQUESTS FOR CHANGES OF THIS? UH, NO.
THERE WERE NOT ANY OTHER, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, HEATHER, DO YOU WANT HER TO GET THROUGH THIS AGAIN? SHE WENT THROUGH IT PRETTY IN DEPTH IN, UM, IN JANUARY.
NO, MA'AM GO THROUGH THE MOTION.
WELL, IF NO OTHER QUESTIONS, ITS FINAL RATING.
IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE, AMENDING THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON CODE OF ORDINANCES CHAPTER 19, UM, AS IT RELATES TO THE UPDATES AND THE NATIONAL FLOODPLAIN INSURANCE PROGRAM REGULATIONS AND FEMA'S REEVALUATION OF FLOOD HAZARDS IN THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON REFLECTED IN THE UPDATED FLOOD INSURANCE RATE MAPS.
YOUR SECOND I'LL SECOND, SECOND.
ANY DISCUSSION ARE THESE MAPS? ARE THEY GOING TO BE PART OF OUR MAP GALLERY, HEATHER? UH, WE WILL, WE WILL WORK TO HOPE.
WE DON'T HAVE ELECTRONIC VERSIONS AT THIS POINT FROM THE STATE, BUT WHEN WE DO, WE WILL WORK TO GET THOSE ELECTRONIC, UM, AND PUT ON THAT MAP GALLERY.
[02:05:01]
SO WE CERTAINLY WILL WE'LL WORK TO GET THAT DONE.ANY OTHER DISCUSSION ALL IN FAVOR, SAY AYE, AYE.
ANYBODY OPPOSED? THAT'S UNANIMOUS ITEM NUMBER TWO CONSIDERATION OF AN ORDINANCE AMENDING THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON FOR 2021 BUDGET TO PROVIDE FOR EXPENDITURES OF CERTAIN FUNDS AND TO ALLOCATE SOURCES OF REVENUE FOR SAID FUNDS.
THIS IS FIRST READING AND WE HAVE CHRIS.
SO THIS IS, UM, UH, RELATIVELY STRAIGHTFORWARD BUDGET AMENDMENT.
UM, IT'S JUST A MAINTENANCE ITEM.
UH, WHAT IT DOES IS RECOGNIZES, UM, THE BOND PROCEEDS THAT WERE RECEIVED AND IT CREATES A PROJECT FUND FROM THE BOND PROCEEDS, UH, TO FUND THE, UH, THE STORMWATER SEWER PROJECTS OUT OF, AND IT, UM, TRANSFERS INTO THE DEBT SERVICE FUND, THE AMOUNT NEEDED FOR THE PRINCIPAL AND INTEREST PAYMENT.
UM, THAT'S DUE IN JUNE AND THERE IS A SMALL IMPACT TO GENERAL FUND.
WE'VE RECEIVED A $9,000, UH, DONATION, UH, FOR A AED DEVICES, UM, THAT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, UH, UH, EITHER IS GETTING OR HAVE, HAVE ALREADY GOTTEN.
UM, WE RECEIVED THAT DONATION A FEW WEEKS AGO.
I BELIEVE ANY QUESTIONS ON, ON THIS? ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS, MORE OF A HOUSEKEEPING MATTER? ANY QUESTIONS AT COUNCIL? OKAY.
UM, IS THAT THE RECOMMENDATION THERE? IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE PROPOSAL ORDINANCE AMENDING THE 2021 BUDGET INCREASING THE DEBT SERVICE TO 1,000,001 OH 3, 4 0 8, THE STORM WATER UTILITY TO 93 0 5 1 AND THE NEW CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS PROGRAM PROJECT TO 5 MILLION, 80,000 TO REFLECT THE SALE OF GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS 2028 FOR THE PURPOSE OF FUNDING, THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON FROM WATER UTILITY FUND CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS, PROGRAM AND ASSOCIATED FEES, AS WELL AS INCREASE THE GENERAL FUND OF NON THOUSAND REFLECT PRIVATE DONATION TO PROVIDE AED EQUIPMENT FOR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
SECOND, ANY DISCUSSION? UM, I HOPE WE HAVE SENT A VERY PROPER THANK YOU TO THIS PRIVATE DONATION.
I THINK ALL OF COUNCIL WOULD BE THRILLED TO SIGN ANY LETTER, THANKING THEM IF YOU COULD GET IT TO KIM.
WHOEVER MADE THAT WELL COUNTRY, COMMUNITY CHURCH, AND THAT LETTER SHOULD BE REACHING YOU SOON.
AND WE WOULD ALSO LIKE TO RECOGNIZE THEM IN A FUTURE COUNCIL MEETING.
I THOUGHT IT WAS ANONYMOUS, BUT IT'S A PRIVATE, WELL, THANK YOU.
YOU WERE JUST ALWAYS THERE TO HELP US IN ALL WAYS.
SO ANY OTHER DISCUSSION, ALL IN FAVOR STATE BY SAYING, AYE, AYE.
THOSE OPPOSED THAT'S UNANIMOUS.
WE HAVE ITEM NUMBER 11, THREE CONSIDERATION OF AN EMERGENCY ORDINANCE AT THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON EXTENDING AND RECLINING OF INDIVIDUALS REAR FACE COVERINGS IN LIGHT OF COVID AND MATTERS RELATED THERE TO SCOTT, OUR INTERIM TOWN MANAGER.
HELLO, GOOD EVENING AGAIN, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
THIS IS A RENEWAL OF OUR MASKING ORDINANCE.
OUR CURRENT ORDINANCE EXPIRES FEBRUARY 12TH.
THIS RENEWAL WILL TAKE US, UH, 61 MORE DAYS AND IT WILL TAKE US OUT TO APRIL 14TH.
IF YOU CHOOSE TO RENEW THIS, NOTHING IN THE ORDINANCE HAS CHANGED VERSUS WHAT WE'VE RENEWED THE PREVIOUS, UH, THREE TIMES.
SO, UM, ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE ORDER? ANY QUESTIONS OF, UH, MR. MARSHALL, DO YOU NOT? I KNOW HILTON HAD A SAW RUNNING ACROSS THE SCREEN.
I'M GUESSING COUNTY EXTENDED BAYER'S OR ARE WE ALL ON THE SAME TRACK? UH, THE COUNCIL EXTENDED THERE IS LAST NIGHT.
UH, THERE'S EXPIRES NOW ON APRIL 15TH.
HILTON HEAD IS CURRENTLY IN EFFECT THROUGH APRIL 1ST CITY OF BUFORD DOES 30 DAY EMERGENCY ORDINANCES.
UH, AND IT'S ON THEIR AGENDA FOR DISCUSSION THIS EVENING.
I DO NOT KNOW HOW THAT DISCUSSION WENT AND THE TOWN OF PORT ROYAL ALSO GOES ON THERE AS MONTHLY AND THERE'S IS AN EFFECT UNTIL THE END OF FEBRUARY.
ANY QUESTIONS FOR COUNCIL? NOT AS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE EMERGENCY ORDINANCE SAID THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON REQUIRING INDIVIDUALS TO REAR FACE COVERINGS IN CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES IN LIGHT OF COVID 19 PANDEMIC AND MATTERS RELATED THERE TOO.
AND SEVERABILITY OR SECOND, ANY DISCUSSION IT'S ENCOURAGING TO SEE THE NUMBERS GO DOWN A BIT AT, WITH BATED BREATH.
IT WAS A GOOD ARTICLE IN THE PAPER TODAY.
SO I APPRECIATE THE PAPER, KEEPING US UPDATED ON THAT.
UM, MAYBE THE BEST IS YET TO COME.
ANY OTHER DISCUSSION ALL IN FAVOR STATE BY SAYING AYE OPPOSED THAT'S UNANIMOUS.
[02:10:01]
SECTION 11 AND THAT'S CONSIDERATION OF THE EMERGENCY ORDINANCE TO THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON, TO ARTHRITIS, TOWN MANAGER, TO DEVELOP AN EX SUCH PLANS AND POLICIES NEEDED TO ENSURE CONTINUITY AND THE DELIVERY OF GOVERNMENT SERVICES IN LIGHT OF COVID 19.MR. MARSHALL, THIS ORDINANCE IS ALSO UNCHANGED SINCE THE LAST READING.
UH, IT EXPIRES FEBRUARY 12TH AND IF WE RENEW IT, IT IS GOOD THROUGH APRIL 14.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS ON THIS ORDINANCE? ANY QUESTIONS ON THIS, RIGHT.
IF THERE'S NOT, IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE EMERGENCY ORDINANCE OF THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON CONTINUING THE SUSPENSION OF THE NORMAL OPERATING PROCEDURES OF THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON TOWN, COUNCIL MEETINGS, AND OTHER TOWN OF BLUFFTON PUBLIC MEETINGS AND MODIFYING THE AUTHORITY OF THE MANAGER TO DEVELOP IN AN EX SUCH PLANS AND POLICIES NEEDED TO ENSURE CONTINUITY AND THE DELIVERY OF GOVERNMENT SERVICES IN LIGHT OF COVID 19 OUTBREAK.
THANK YOU, MR. WOOD, ANY DISCUSSION ALL IN FAVOR STATE BY SAYING AYE, ANYONE OPPOSED THAT'S UNANIMOUS AND NUMBER FIVE CONSIDERATION OF AN ORDINANCE IN MANY OF THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON CODE OF ORDINANCES, CHAPTER 23, ARTICLE FIVE, HEATHER, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT BUILDING TYPES AND FOOTPRINT AND HEIGHT, AND WE SEE WE SEE YOUR SCREEN.
SO THIS IS FIRST READING OF PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO THE UNIFIED DEVELOPMENT ORDINANCE RELATED TO BUILDING TYPES, THE MAX BUILDING FOOTPRINT SIZE AND HEIGHT IN OUR HISTORIC DISTRICTS.
UM, AS I KNOW YOU'VE SEEN THROUGH THROUGHOUT, UH, THIS PAST YEAR, UH, FOR CERTAIN THAT THERE HAS BEEN AN INCREASE IN THE COMMERCIAL AND MIXED USE INFILL DEVELOPMENT WITHIN OUR OLD TOWN HISTORIC DISTRICT, AS NEW BUILDINGS AND PROJECTS HAVE BEEN APPROVED IT'S, UM, COME TO STAFF'S ATTENTION THAT SOME OF THOSE BUILDINGS AND WHAT'S INCLUDED IN THE UNIFIED DEVELOPMENT ORDINANCE, MAYBE JUST TOO LARGE IN TERMS OF THE MASS AND SCALING AND THAT, UH, SPECIFIC BUILDING TYPE, THAT MAIN STREET BUILDING TYPE AS WELL AS ADDITIONAL BUILDING TYPES, UM, SHOULD BE REVISITED RELATED TO THOSE STANDARDS.
THE BACKGROUND, UM, OF THIS, LIKE I SAID, THE DEVELOPMENT, UM, HAS BEEN OCCURRING ALONG, UM, IN THAT HISTORIC DISTRICT AND THE COMPATIBILITY WITH THAT OLD TOWN CHARACTER, SPECIFICALLY THE OLD TOWN MASTER PLAN.
UM, BUT THAT IS KEY TO THE ECONOMY AND IS VERY, UH, SIGNIFICANT CHARACTERISTICS.
UM, WE'VE HAD NUMEROUS MEETINGS ON THIS SPECIFIC TOPIC.
WE'VE HAD A WORKSHOP ON THIS ITEM, UM, IN NOVEMBER AND AT THE TIME, THE DIRECTION, UH, WAS AT THAT TIME WAS TO FOCUS ON AT NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER THAT HISTORIC DISTRICT, WHICH I'LL SHOW YOU A MAP IN A MOMENT, BUT THAT'S, UM, BASICALLY CALHOUN STREET AREA.
WE BROUGHT THIS, UH, PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION FOR THEIR INPUT.
AND, UM, THEY HAD A LOT OF COMMENTS THAT WILL, WE WILL FURTHER, UH, REVIEW AND LOOK INTO, BUT JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT THE, THAT THERE'S GOOD DESIGN, UH, OVERALL, UH, WE CONTINUED THAT DISCUSSION WITH THE PROPOSED AMENDMENTS AS THEY WERE, UM, AS WE CONTINUED THAT, UH, PROCESS AND THE PLANNING COMMISSION ALSO HELD A PUBLIC HEARING ON THIS ITEM AND THEY DID RECOMMEND UNANIMOUSLY THAT, UH, THE AMENDMENTS BE FORWARDED TO YOU FOR APPROVAL.
THIS HERE IS THE MAP THAT I WAS REFERRING TO THIS LIGHT BROWN AREA IS THAT NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER HISTORIC DISTRICTS THAT WE'RE FOCUSING ON FOR THE PROPOSED CHANGES AT THIS POINT.
UM, THE NEIGHBORHOOD CORE IS THIS DARKER BROWN HERE WHERE THE PROMENADE IS.
AND THE REASON I POINT THOSE TWO DISTRICTS OUT IS BECAUSE THOSE TWO DISTRICTS ARE THE DISTRICTS THAT ALLOW THAT MAIN STREET BUILDING TYPE, WHICH IS ONE OF THE LARGEST BUILDING TYPES THAT IS, UM, INDICATED IN THAT FORM-BASED CODE.
AGAIN, THIS JUST OUTLINES HERE, THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE NEIGHBORHOOD CORE AND THAT NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER DISTRICT AND THE SIZES THAT ARE SPECIFIC, UM, EXCUSE ME, THOSE BUILDING TYPES AND FORMS THAT ARE SPECIFIC TO THAT NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER, HISTORIC DISTRICT, IT SAYS THE CURRENT REGULATIONS AND WHAT IS CURRENTLY IN THE UNIFIED DEVELOPMENT ORDINANCE CONCERNING THAT MAIN STREET BUILDING TYPE RIGHT NOW IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD CORE NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER DISTRICT.
THE SIZE RANGE FOR THAT PARTICULAR BUILDING IS TWO TO 8,000 SQUARE FEET, THE MAX FOOTPRINT.
SO WHAT ACTUALLY TOUCHES THE GROUND IS LIMITED TO A MAXIMUM OF 3,500 SQUARE FEET AND THE BUILDING HEIGHT OF TWO TO THREE STORIES.
AND THAT IS THE SAME REQUIREMENTS FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD CORE AND THE NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER.
SO THAT PROMINENT AREA THAT I SHOWED
[02:15:01]
PREVIOUSLY, AS WELL AS CALHOUN STREET, THIS IS JUST A DESCRIPTION OF THOSE, THAT NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER HISTORIC DISTRICT, JUST TO GIVE YOU, UM, A RELATIONSHIP HAS IN TERMS OF SIZE THAT PLANTERS MERCANTILE BUILDING GETS SHOWN IN THE UNIFIED DEVELOPMENT ORDINANCE IS THE FIRST FLOOR IS A LITTLE BIT OVER 2100 SQUARE FEET.THE SECOND FLOOR IS, UM, 936 SQUARE FEET WHERE THE TOTAL BUILDING SIZE OF, UH, 3060.
SO JUST TO GIVE YOU A SIZE COMPARISON, AND LIKE I SAID, THAT MAIN STREET BUILDING TYPE, THE MAXIMUM IS 8,000 SQUARE FEET.
AGAIN, TO GIVE THAT COMPARISON, THE PEARL, WHICH WAS BUILT IN 2005, A LITTLE BIT MORE RE MORE RECENT BUILDING THAN THE PLANNER'S MARKET TAIL.
THAT ONE IN TOTAL IS 30, A LITTLE BIT OVER 3,800 SQUARE FEET WITH A FIRST FLOOR OF 2156 AND A SECOND FLOOR OF 1660.
SO JUST TO GIVE YOU CONTEXT, AS WE MOVE THROUGH THE AMENDMENTS, UH, AGAIN, THE OTHER THINGS THAT PLAY INTO THAT MATH AND SCALING THAT WE DISCUSSED THAT MAIN STREET BUILDING DOES HAVE A BUILD TWO LINES.
SO ZERO, IF YOU ARE BUILDING A MAIN STREET BUILDING, UH, IN THAT DISTRICT, YOU CANNOT BUILD FURTHER BACK THAN 10 FEET.
SO THAT ADDS INTO THAT MASS AND SCALING.
SO IF YOU'RE WALKING ALONG CALHOUN STREET, THE CLOSER THAT BUILDING IS TO THE STREET, THE MORE THAT THAT MASS AND SCALE, UM, MAY NOT BE APPROPRIATE WITH WHAT IT IS CURRENTLY IN THE VIDEO.
SO THE RECOMMENDATION WAS IS TO ADJUST THAT, TO MAYBE PUSH THAT A LITTLE BIT FURTHER BACK.
THE OTHER THING THAT I WILL POINT OUT IS THERE IS AN ADDITIONAL BUILDING TYPE THAT IS INDICATED IN THE UDL, AND THAT IS TO ALLOW FOR FLEXIBILITY.
AND, UM, JUST MAYBE SOME THINGS THAT WEREN'T THOUGHT OF AS FAR AS A FORM-BASED CODE.
SO JUST ALLOW THAT CREATIVITY.
HOWEVER, WITH THAT, THERE IS NO, UM, THERE'S NO, UH, MAXIMUM SQUARE FOOTAGE OR MAXIMUM BUILDING FOOTPRINT THAT'S IDENTIFIED.
IT IS SIMPLY AN ADDITIONAL BUILDING TYPE.
SO THAT IS SOMETHING THAT, UH, WE WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS FURTHER.
AGAIN, THIS IS JUST A LITTLE BIT MORE DESCRIPTION OF THAT ADDITIONAL BUILDING TYPE, YOU KNOW, IT'S MEANT TO ALLOW FOR FLEXIBILITY AND INNOVATIVE DESIGN.
WHAT WE FIND IS A LOT OF APPLICANTS MAY COME FORWARD WITH A, FOR EXAMPLE, AN ADDITIONAL BUILDING TYPE WITH MAIN STREET BUILDING CHARACTERISTICS.
SO, UM, WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE WERE SOME DESCRIPTION FOR THE SIZE OF AN ADDITIONAL BUILDING TYPE.
NOW THE PROPOSED AMENDMENTS, HOW STAFF HAS PROPOSED TO MOVE FORWARD WITH, UH, THE CHANGES IS AGAIN, TO FOCUS ON AT MAIN STREET BUILDING TYPE.
SO WHAT WE'VE DONE IS SEPARATE OUT BETWEEN THE NEIGHBORHOOD CORE, SO THAT NC DISTRICT, AS WELL AS THE NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER.
SO CURRENTLY, UM, THAT RANGE IS TWO TO TWO TO 8,000 SQUARE FOOT SQUARE FEET.
THE FOCUS WAS, UM, ON AGAIN, THAT NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER DISTRICT.
SO WE'RE NOT PROPOSING ANY CHANGES TO THAT PROMENADE AREA NORTH OF MAY RIVER ROAD, BUT TO REDUCE IT IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER, HISTORIC DISTRICT.
SO TO LOWER THAT TO TWO TO 5,000 SQUARE FEET, THE MAX FOOTPRINT WOULD ALSO REMAIN THE SAME FOR THAT NEIGHBORHOOD CORE DISTRICT, BUT IT WOULD LOWER FROM 3,500 SQUARE FEET TO 2,500 SQUARE FEET.
AND THEN THE HEIGHT WOULD BE TWO TO THREE STORIES.
THE SAME AS IT IS NOW FOR NEIGHBORHOOD CORE, BUT LIMITED TO TWO TO TWO AND A HALF STORIES FOR THAT NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER DISTRICT.
THE OTHER PROPOSED CHANGE IS TO ADJUST THAT BILL TO LINE.
LIKE I STATED TO YOU JUST PUSH IT BACK SLIGHTLY TO ALLOW SOME MORE ROOM FOR THAT PERCEPTION OF THAT MASS AND SCALING TO BE BETWEEN 10 AND 25 FEET, RATHER THAN ZERO TO 10, THERE ARE ALREADY PROVISIONS IN THE UTO THAT ALLOW IF THERE ARE TREES OR SIGNIFICANT TREES THAT THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION CAN APPROVE A DEVIATION, SO THEY CAN APPROVE SOME ADJUSTING OF THAT BILL TO LINE, UM, YOU KNOW, TO AGAIN, TO ACCOMMODATE FOR TREES BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT REMOVAL OF SNIP SIGNIFICANT TREES SIMPLY TO MEET THAT BUILD TWO LINE.
SO THAT REMAINS UNCHANGED, BUT WE ARE REQUESTING THAT THAT BE PUSHED BACK.
SO YOU COULD STILL BUILD IT THAT 10 FEET, BUT YOU COULD ALSO BUILD A LITTLE BIT FURTHER BACK AGAIN TO THAT MASSIVE SCALING, THE ADDITIONAL BUILDING TYPES.
WE'RE ALSO, UM, MAKING THOSE CHANGES, SAME CHANGES TO MAKE THEM ALIGN WITH MAIN STREET BUILDING.
AND THE REASONS IS BECAUSE SINCE THE MAIN STREET BUILDING IS THE LARGEST BUILDING, THAT'S ALLOWED IN THAT DISTRICT, THAT AN ADDITIONAL BUILDING TYPE SHOULD NOT BE A WAY TO SURPASS THOSE MAXIMUMS. AND AGAIN, THIS, UM, THIS ADDRESSES THAT SAME REQUIREMENT, HOWEVER, THIS WOULD BE FOR ALL OF THE DISTRICTS.
SO IF YOU CHOOSE TO USE AN ADDITIONAL BUILDING TYPE THAT THE SIZE AND THAT FOOTPRINT, THAT THAT SHALL NOT EXCEED
[02:20:01]
THE LARGEST BUILDING FOOTPRINT, THAT'S PERMITTED IN THAT DISTRICT.I WON'T GO THROUGH ALL OF THESE SPECIFICALLY, BUT IN THE EDO, THERE ARE REVIEW CRITERIA THAT WE REVIEW THE PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO AS FAR AS CONSISTENCY WITH THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, UM, THE OLD TOWN MASTER PLAN AND ALL THE CRITERIA LISTED THAT WAS REVIEWED BY STAFF AS WELL AS PLANNING COMMISSION.
AND IT WAS FOUND BY THE PROPOSED AMENDMENTS.
DO YOU MEET THE REVIEW CRITERIA? UH, THIS IS, UH, THIS IS FIRST READING.
SO IF YOU SHOULD MOVE FORWARD, IT WOULD COME BEFORE YOU FOR A SECOND AND FINAL READING, AS WELL AS PUBLIC HEARING.
HERE'S A PROPOSED MOTION AND AS WELL AS NEXT STEPS, AGAIN, THIS IS WHERE WE ARE IN THE PROCESS.
AND I AM HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE.
UM, MY I'LL HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT SOMEONE ANYONE'S MUTING LOG DIDN'T.
WE LOOK AT THE HISTORIC, WHY DID WE JUST LOOK AT THIS DISTRICT? WHY DIDN'T WE EXPAND ON MAY RIVER ROADS DISTRICT, THE NEIGHBORHOOD CORE HISTORIC DISTRICTS, JUST CURIOUS, UM, THAT WAS, THAT WAS SEEN AS AT LEAST THE FIRST STEP, UM, KIND OF LIKE THAT FIRST PEELING OF THE ONION, UH, START WITH WHAT WE KNOW IS DEFINITELY AN ISSUE AND WHAT HAD BEEN IDENTIFIED THROUGH, UH, THROUGH PUBLIC COMMENTS REVIEW BY STAFF OF PREVIOUS APPLICATIONS.
SO THAT WAS THE, THE, I DON'T WANT TO SAY EASY FIX, BUT THAT WAS THE CLEAR, UM, THE CLEAR AMENDMENTS TO MOVE FORWARD WITH.
AND THEN WHERE WE PLAN ON CONTINUING TO, UM, REVIEW THE CRITERIA FOR THE OTHER DISTRICTS.
WHAT ALSO WE HAVE, UM, NOTED IS THAT WITH THE KICKOFF OF OUR COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, THAT WE'RE GOING TO DIVE DEEPER IN THE REVIEW OF THAT OLD TOWN MASTER PLAN.
AND, UM, AND MOVING FORWARD WITH WHATEVER ADDITIONAL AMENDMENTS WOULD, WOULD BE REQUIRED, BUT JUST BASED ON JUST WHAT, WHAT WE'VE SEEN UP TO DATE, BUT WE CAN CERTAINLY EXPAND IT.
YOU SAID PLANNING COMMISSION, BUT THEY DID HAVE A WORKSHOP.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OF COUNCIL? CAN WE DO THIS UNDER PENDING DOCTRINE SINCE THIS IS AN ORDINANCE? UM, OKAY.
NOW WHERE THERE WORK, HEATHER, I THINK YOU YOU'RE FIXING THINGS NOW.
WE'RE SEEING THINGS GROW UP AND, AND I DO ENCOURAGE YOU TO LOOK AT THAT NEXT DISTRICT CAUSE YOU'D HATE TO PUSH IT ALL OUT THERE.
AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN WE HAVE THESE TALL BUILDINGS, SOME OF THE STREETS, WELL USING THE PIN LINE DOT ORDINANCE, UH, IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE A MINUTE? SO THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON CODE OF ORDINANCES, CHAPTER 23, ARTICLE FADS, IS THERE A SECOND? ANY DISCUSSION? SO IS THAT THE RIGHT WAY TO SAY IT, HEATHER? YOU KNOW, IT'S UNDER PENDING DOCTRINE, SO IT GOES INTO A TWO NIGHT.
ALL IN ALL A FAVOR BY SAYING AYE, ANY OPPOSED? THAT'S UNANIMOUS, REALLY GREAT JOB, HEATHER, THANK YOU.
IT'S A LOT OF WORK CHANGING THINGS AND I'M BE INTERESTED TO SEE WHERE THAT GOES.
UM, WE DO NEED TO PULL, SINCE WE TABLED THE ITEM ON THE AGENDA, WE NEED TO PULL ITEM FOUR UNDER CONSENT AGENDA.
AND SO WE'LL PULL THAT AND VOTE ON THE REMAINING ITEMS AND CONSENT AGENDA UNLESS EVERY, ANYBODY WANTS TO HAVE MORE INFORMATION ON THE REMAINING SIX ITEMS. IF NOT, IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA WITH THE EXCEPTION OF ITEM FOUR, WHICH IS TABLED ALONG WITH THE, UH, PUBLIC HEARING ITEM THERE? SECOND, I THINK I GOT A SECOND AND I MOVED BACK HERE.
ANY DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR, STATE BY SAYING AYE.
MOVING ON TO EXECUTIVE SESSION, THERE ARE TWO ITEMS MATTERS RELATING TO PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS DEVELOPED AFFORDABLE HOUSING, AND THAT'S FOR YOU AT 34 78, 5 AND CONTRACTUAL MATTERS RELATING TO THE PALMETTO BLUFF PLAN UNIT DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT.
IS THERE A MOTION AND GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION.
SO MOVED SECOND, SECOND, ALL IN FAVOR SEVEN SAYING AYE.
WE ARE GOING INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION.
THERE'LL BE ACTION AFTER EXECUTIVE SESSION.
TERRY, DO YOU THINK FOR SCOTT ON ONE?
[02:25:01]
I DO NOT ANTICIPATE ANY ACTION AFTER EXECUTIVE SESSION.I'M JUST LOOKING FOR SOME DIRECTION FROM AFTER MY PRESENTATION.
I'M JUST LOOKING FOR SOME DIRECTION FROM COUNSEL.
NO, I DO NOT ANTICIPATE ANY VOTES AFTER EXECUTIVE SESSION.
I JUST WANTED EVERYONE TO KNOW.
SO, UM, WE, SCOTT, DO YOU NEED US? DO YOU NEED ME OR STEPHANIE? I DO NOT.
I DO NOT NEED THANK YOU TO CALL HIM AND TELL HIM WHO WAS ME AND THOUGHT IT WAS MISERABLE WITH THE HERE WE ARE.
IS THERE A MOTION TO MOVE OUT OF EXECUTIVE SESSION THERE A SECOND WE'RE OUT OF EXECUTIVE SESSION.
THE VOTES WERE CAST AND WE HAVE NO ACTION FROM EXECUTIVE SESSION.
UM, SO IS THERE A MOTION TO ADJOURN YOUR SECOND FOR THE NIGHT?