Oct 04, 2022 Hilton Head Island Town Council

UH, MOVE TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION FOR THE REASONS SET FORTH, UH, BY MR. STANFORD, YOU SAY, OKAY.

ALL FAVOR.

GOING TO EXECUTIVE SESSION.

WE WILL NOW MOVE INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION.

EXECUTIVE SESSION.

UH, OUT OF COURTESY TO THE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC.

AND BECAUSE WE HAD AN OPEN DEBATE IN EXECUTIVE SESSION THAT PROBABLY WAS NOT GOING TO BE RESOLVED IN ANY TIME SOON.

I'M WITHDRAWING MY SECOND ON THAT MOTION.

LET'S MOVE ON.

MOTION FAILS.

I HAVE ONE, I HAVE ONE HERE THAT THE MINUTES OF FROM OUR LAST MEETING WAS ALREADY APPROVED.

BEFORE THE TOWN MANAGER APPROVAL.

OH, SIR, JUST POINT OF ORDER.

SO IT'S ON THE RECORD WITH MR. AMES, UH, WITHDRAWING HIS SECOND.

[6. Approval of the Minutes]

THAT WHAT I SEE ON HERE, RIGHT HERE.

WELL, WHAT'S, WHAT'S THIS ON HERE THEN? OH, WE HAVE THREE SETS OF MINUTES HERE.

USE THIS, USE MINE TOO.

UH, MR. MAYOR, WE HAVE THREE SETS OF MINUTES BEFORE US.

I WOULD MOVE, UH, FOR APPROVAL, UH, OF THE REGULAR MEETING, AUGUST THE 16TH, 2022, UH, THE SPECIAL MEETING, SEPTEMBER 6TH, 2022.

AND FINALLY, THE STRATEGIC PLAN WORKSHOP ON SEPTEMBER THE EIGHTH.

SECOND, ANY DISCUSSION? ADDITIONS? THE LESIONS OF THOSE MINUTES? CHRISTIAN, MAKE THE GOAL CALL, PLEASE, MR. BROWN.

THE BOARD.

MR. HARKINS? UH, YES.

[7. Report of the Town Manager]

REPORT OF THE TOWN MANAGER, UH, FOR SAKE OF TIME AND A LARGE AGENDA, I'LL DEFER MY ITEMS OF INTEREST FROM THIS MEETING TO NEXT AND MOVE STRAIGHT TO THE HISTORIC MITCHELLVILLE FREEDOM PARK BY ANNUAL UPDATE, UH, BY NONE OTHER THAN MR. MOD.

HELLO, UH, OUR MITCHELLVILLE PRESERVATION PROJECT EXEC DIRECTOR.

GOOD AFTERNOON.

GOOD AFTERNOON, SIR.

UM, GREETINGS TO MR. MAYOR, THE COUNCIL TOWN MANAGER.

UH, IT IS A, UH, IT IS A

[00:10:01]

GOOD TIME FOR US AT VILLE, SO I'LL KIND OF MOVE QUICKLY THROUGH SOME OF THESE EVENTS FOR YOU TO LET YOU KNOW WHAT WE'RE GOING, WHAT'S GOING ON AT THE ORGANIZATION, AND SOME COOL THINGS WE THINK ARE COMING DOWN THE PIPELINE.

SO, LET ME SEE.

THERE WE GO.

SO WE ARE VERY PROUD EARLIER THIS SUMMER TO HAVE PARTNER WITH THIS SMITHSONIAN NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AMERICAN HISTORY TO HOST OUR NATIVE ISLAND AND HILTON HEAD COMMUNITY AND THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE TO GIVE FEEDBACK ON THE EXHIBITION ON GOLIC GEI CULTURE THAT WILL OPEN UP IN FALL 2024.

THE, UH, MUSEUM OF, UH, NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AF OF AMERICAN HISTORY, I'M SORRY, HAS THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF ELEMENTS FROM THIS AREA.

UH, THEY'RE LOOKING AT BASKETS GETTING BACK TO THE FORTIES AND FIFTIES.

THEY HAVE A BAU THAT IS AT LEAST 80 YEARS OLD, AND IT'S JUST BEEN SITTING IN STORAGE AT VARIOUS SMITHSONIAN MUSEUMS FOR THE LAST 50 YEARS OR MORE.

AND SO THEY FINALLY DECIDED TO BRING THESE THINGS OUT AND TO SHOW PEOPLE.

SO WE WOULD BE, UH, THE GUINEA PIGS, FOR LACK OF A BETTER TERM.

UH, THEY'RE GONNA BE DOING PRESENTATIONS LIKE THIS IN SAVANNAH AT MOUNT PLEASANT AND ALSO IN CHARLESTON'S.

WE ABLE TO GET THEM A KICKOFF AND GET SOME GREAT FEEDBACK TO THEM BY WHAT WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE, UH, IN THIS, UH, EXHIBITION WHEN IT OPENS A COUPLE YEARS FROM NOW.

AND, UH, THEY ACTUALLY OFFERED, NOT SURE THIS IS GOING TO HAPPEN, BUT THEY TALKED ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF SPONSORING A BUS TO BRING PEOPLE FROM HILTON HEAD TO COME UP TO THE OPENING OF THE EXHIBITION.

SO WE'LL DEFINITELY KEEP EVERYBODY, UH, INFORMED WITH THAT.

I DON'T HAVE TO TELL YOU HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH ANY SMITHSONIAN MUSEUM AS WE'RE TRYING TO BUILD.

THE THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING AT THE PARK ARE ANNUAL FORUMS COMING UP AT USC B HILLHEAD ISLAND CAMPUS, UH, ON OCTOBER 29TH, 2022.

TICKETS ON SALE RIGHT NOW, UH, $30 TO COME AND HANG OUT WITH US FROM NINE TO TWO.

UH, WE ARE LOOKING AT 160 YEARS OF MITCHELLVILLE.

THIS IS THE HUNDRED AND 60TH COMMEMORATION OF THE HISTORIC COMMUNITY, AND WE'RE USING THE WATERWAYS AS A WAY TO LOOK AT IT.

AND SO OUR OWN CAROLYN GRANT IS ONE OF OUR SPEAKERS, HASAN KAME JEFFRIES FROM OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY, AND ALSO A GUY NAMED KAMAL SADIKI, WHO WORKS WITH A ORGANIZATION CALLED DIVING WITH A PURPOSE.

THESE ACTUALLY UNDERWATER ARCHEOLOGISTS, AND THEY SPECIFICALLY DO WORK LOOKING AT THEIR OLD SLAVE SHIPS AND GET IN INFORMATION, UH, SO THEY CAN FIND OUT WHAT THE ROUTES WERE AND HOW IT PERTAINS TO OUR HISTORY.

SO IT'S GONNA BE REALLY GOOD FOR 'EM.

UH, THERE ARE SOME SPACES AVAILABLE FOR US, SO PLEASE COME OUT AND HANG OUT WITH US ON OUR OCTOBER THE 29TH.

UH, WE'VE RECENTLY, UH, PLACED SOME LESSON PLANS DEVELOPED BY SOUTH CAROLINA TEACHERS ON OUR WEBSITE, AND WE COVER, UH, GRADES, ELEMENTARY, MIDDLE, AND HIGH.

AND SO YOU CAN GO TO OUR WEBSITE RIGHT NOW AND GO TO LESSON PLANS AND PULL THESE UP.

THEY ARE AVAILABLE FOR ANYBODY TO USE BECAUSE THESE STANDARDS ARE ALSO CLOSELY RELATED TO NATIONAL STANDARDS.

SO WE WOULD EXPECT THAT TEACHERS IN CALIFORNIA, TEXAS, OREGON, CAN ALSO USE THESE PLANS TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE LOW COUNTRY IN THIS IMPORTANT HISTORIC COMMUNITY OF VILLE.

SO WE HAD A, A LITTLE JUNETEENTH PARTY A COUPLE MONTHS AGO, AND WE ACTUALLY SAW 1300 PEOPLE THAT CAME TO VISIT US AT MITCHELLVILLE.

AND IT WAS A GREAT, YOU KNOW, WE WERE TIRED AFTERWARDS, OBVIOUSLY, BUT IT WAS GREAT TO SEE ALL THESE PEOPLE FROM 10 DIFFERENT STATES.

SO WE CONTINUE TO MOVE OUTSIDE OF OUR GENERAL SOUTHEASTERN AREA.

ACTUALLY HAD A GENTLEMAN FROM DETROIT, MICHIGAN TELL ME HE WAS COMING BACK NEXT YEAR.

AND SO PEOPLE ARE STARTING TO PLAN THEIR VACATIONS TO HILTON HEAD AROUND JUNETEENTH.

AND SO WE THINK THAT'S A BIG THING FOR US TO BE HIGHLIGHTED.

AND SO WE'RE IN NEGOTIATION WITH CATHERINE SEBER, UH, WHO IS NOW WITH NEW SOUTH ARCHEOLOGY TO CONDUCT THE ARCHEOLOGICAL SURVEY WITH THE PARCELS THAT WE RECENTLY, UH, GOT FROM THE TOWN.

AND THE COUNTY WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE COVERING ALL THE GROUND THAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN AT THOSE, UH, ACREAGE.

UH, THIS WOULD BE THE FUTURE HOME, UH, PARKING AREA AND OUR MASTER PLAN, AND ALSO A CLASSROOM LAB SPACE.

UH, THAT CLASSROOM WILL ALLOW US TO DO EDUCATION PROGRAMS FOR KIDS.

AND ALSO THE LAB IS REALLY FOR ARCHEOLOGICAL RESEARCH SO THAT KATIE AND HER TEAM CAN DO SOME LIMITED THINGS ON SITE WITH HAVING TO MOVE THINGS OFFSITE.

AND SO WE WILL BE, UH, HOPEFULLY GETTING PROPOSAL THIS OCTOBER THIS MONTH, AND THE PROJECT WILL BE FUNDED BY OUR PROCEEDS FROM OUR BLUES AND BARBECUE FUNDRAISER THAT WE HAD EARLIER TO THIS, UM, YEAR IN MARCH.

SO WE ARE ACTUALLY WORKING ON A REVISION OF THE FREEDOM PLAZA SECTION OF THE MASTER PLAN TO ACCOMMODATE THE DISCOVERY OF THE BRICK HAR PARK AND THE PARK.

I THINK THE LAST TIME I WAS IN FRONT OF YOU, WHICH WAS PROBABLY AROUND MARCH, UH, WE NOTICED THAT SOME RESEARCH THAT WE WERE ABLE TO DO FROM THE, AND I'M GONNA GET THIS ALL OUT IN ONE BREATH.

AFRICAN AMERICAN CULTURAL HERITAGE ACTION FUND FOR THE NATIONAL TRUST FOR HISTORIC PRESERVATION .

YEAH, THAT'S RIGHT.

WELL DONE.

UH, , WE RECEIVED $50,000 FROM THEM IN IN 2020.

IT WAS A MATCHING GRANTED, SO IT WAS A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS PROJECT, UH, TO MAP THE ENTIRE PARK AREA SO WE'D KNOW WHERE WE NEED TO BUILD THINGS.

WELL, DURING THAT, WE FOUND AN ENTIRE BRICK HEARTH UNDER THE GROUND THAT WE THOUGHT HAD BEEN TAKEN OUT, AND IT'S ABOUT FOUR FEET INTO THE GROUND, ABOUT FIVE FEET ACROSS.

SO I HAD A REALLY NICE, BEAUTIFUL POND IN THAT AREA, WHICH

[00:15:01]

IS NOW GONE .

BUT WE HAVE A FREE STANDING ELEMENT FROM THAT HISTORIC COMMUNITY THAT WE WILL HIGHLIGHT.

AND SO WE'RE LOOKING AT REVISIONS TO OUR PLAN, AND OF COURSE, WE'LL KEEP THE TOWN COUNCIL ABREA WILL COME UP WITH AND MAKE SURE WE WE CHANGE THAT IN THE MASTER PLAN THAT WE'VE GIVEN TO YOU SO THAT WE CAN EFFECTIVELY PROTECT THAT HEARTH, BUT ALSO THAT EVERYBODY WHO COMES TO THE PARK SEE IT AND ENJOY A PART OF THAT HISTORY.

AND, UH, COMING UP.

LAST BUT CERTAINLY NOT LEAST, WE WERE WORKING ON SEVERAL NATIONAL FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES THAT WILL HELP RAISE THE FUNDS NECESSARY TO MAKE THE PARK CULTURAL ATTRACTION.

WE ARE EXTREMELY EXCITED ABOUT THE APPROVAL OF STATE CAROLINA BUDGET THAT CONTAINS MISFIELD FUNDING, TOLD 1.2 MILLION FOR INFRASTRUCTURE, THOSE STRUCTURES, THE CHURCH REFLECTION AREA AND WAY FINDING WOULD LIKE TO THANK TO BE FOR COUNTY DELEGATION AND THE SENATOR TOM DAVIS, WHO'S IN THE ROOM WITH US FOR ALL OF THEIR WORK ON THIS, UH, TO GET US CLOSER TO THIS, UM, BECOMING A REALITY FOR EVERYTHING.

I, I LIKE TO TELL YOU, WITHOUT GOING DEEP INTO DETAIL, INTO ANY KIND OF CAMPAIGN SITUATIONS, IT IS WELL NOTED THAT WE HAVE TO RAISE 23 MILLION TO MAKE THIS THING HAPPEN.

BUT I'M HAPPY TO ANNOUNCE IF ALL GOES WELL AND CONTINUES DOWN THE PATHWAY THAT IT IS NOW, WE COULD FEASIBLY END THE YEAR, MAYBE FIVE BEING AT HAND.

SO WE ARE MOVING VERY QUICKLY TOWARDS GETTING THESE GOALS TOGETHER.

THE BEAUTIFUL PART ABOUT HOW WE'VE SET THIS UP IS THESE WILL WORK IN PHASES.

AND SO WHEN MONEY COMES IN, WE CAN AUTOMATICALLY GO OUT THERE AND START BUILDING THINGS RIGHT NOW TO HELP US TO KIND OF SPARK, UH, FLAME AND GET A CATALYST TO BRING MORE MONEY IN TO MAKE THESE THINGS HAPPEN.

AND SO, UH, AS AS HALF HERE, WE EXPECT THIS WORK.

WE HOPE THIS WORK MAY START BEFORE THE END OF THE CAL YEAR CALENDAR YEAR WITH SOME, UM, CONVERSATIONS WITH CIVIL ENGINEERS, MAYBE MOVING SOME DIRT AROUND AND GETTING US IN POSITION TO, UM, GET THESE GHOSTED STRUCTURES UP.

AND SO WHEN I SAY GHOSTED STRUCTURES, I MEAN WE ARE GOING TO GIVE YOU THE FEEL OF THE HOME, BUT IT REALLY IS TO BE THE FRAMEWORKS OF THOSE HOMES WITH SOME PANELS THAT'LL GIVE YOU SOME MORE INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT HOME LIFE WOULD'VE BEEN LIKE AT MITCHELLVILLE.

SO THIS IS GONNA HAPPEN SOONER RATHER THAN LATER.

PEOPLE HAVE BEEN LOOKING FOR THINGS TO HAPPEN IN THE PARK STRUCTURALLY.

SO I'M HAPPY TO SAY WE ARE THERE AND WE LOOK FORWARD THERE TO BE SOME NEW ADDITIONS TO THE PARK AS EARLY AS NEXT YEAR.

AND THIS, OF COURSE, TO GIVE US EXTRA LEVERAGE AS WE GO, CONTINUE TO TALK TO NATIONAL FUNDERS ABOUT SUPPORTING THIS PROCESS.

WE KNOW THIS IS A NATIONAL STRATEGY THAT WE HAVE TO GO THROUGH, AND WE HAVE SOME NATIONAL POTENTIAL TO MAKE SURE THAT WE MAKE THIS HAPPEN.

SO, WITH THAT, AS ALWAYS, THIS IS HOW YOU CAN CONTACT US.

PLEASE GO TO OUR WEBSITE, EXPLORE MITCH.ORG.

WE ARE FACEBOOK, TWITTER, UH, MY EMAIL IS THERE, AND IF ANYONE HAS ANY QUESTIONS, WE WILL ENTERTAIN THOSE RIGHT NOW.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND WE APPRECIATE YOUR SUPPORT PROMISE, AMAD.

GOOD, GOOD WORK.

DR.

JEFFRIES, ON THE 29TH, WILL HE BE MAKING A PRESENTATION? YES.

WHAT TIME? UH, SO THE, THE SESSION WILL BE NINE TO TWO.

HE WILL PROBABLY BE IN THE, IN THE SEGMENT AFTER LUNCH, SO YOU CAN COME.

SO IN THE AFTERNOON AROUND 12 30, 1 O'CLOCK.

EXCITING THINGS HAPPENING THERE.

I SAW YOU DUE TO THE WHOLE OHIO STATE THING.

ANY OTHER QUESTION? I REMEMBER GWEN, A GREAT REPORT.

GREAT REPORT.

DID I UNDERSTAND YOU TO SAY THAT THE HEARTH WAS FOUR FEET UNDERGROUND? UH, IT WAS, WE THOUGHT WE HAD FOUND SOME LEFTOVER BRICKS, BUT IT REALLY WAS THE TOP OF THE HEARTH.

SO IT ACTUALLY GOES FOUR FEET INTO THE GROUND.

SO OVER THE LAST HUNDRED 60 YEARS, THE EARTH HAS SWEPT IN OR, OR STUFF HAS FALLEN OUTTA TREES, UH, HAS ACCUMULATED ABOUT FOUR FEET OF STUFF.

THAT SAND DOESN'T HOLD THINGS UP VERY WELL, I GUESS.

THANK YOU, .

GREAT JOB, TAMMY.

FIRST OF ALL, GREAT REPORT.

THE VISUALS WERE PHENOMENAL.

UM, YOU HAVE A NEW CHAIR? YES.

LOLA CAMPBELL, A LOLA CAMPBELL'S COMING IN.

YES, SHE'LL BE COMING, TAKEN OVER IN NOVEMBER.

HAD A GREAT CONVERSATION WITH HER LAST EVENING ABOUT THIS PROJECT, AND I REALLY THINK THAT YOU GUYS ARE HEADING IN A WONDERFUL DIRECTION.

IN THE CHAMBERS TODAY WE HAVE TWO COUNTY COUNCILMEN, STU RODMAN AND LARRY MCALLEN.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

AND FOR THOSE WHO ARE UNAWARE, LOLA CAMPBELL IS A NATIVE ISLANDER, AND SHE WILL OFFICIALLY SINCE, UH, TOM, UH, TOM BARNWELL STARTED THIS BALL ROLLING, UH, BE OUR FIRST NATIVE ISLANDER, UH, PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD IN, IN QUITE A WHILE.

SO WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT WHAT SHE'S GONNA BRING TO THE TABLE.

AND JUST AS AN ADDED BONUS TO THAT, UM, SHE WAS HELPED ME OUT WITH AN EVENT LAST NIGHT, AND I WAS VERY GRATEFUL TO HER.

SHE BROUGHT ALONG, UM, SOME OF HER WEARS, MANY OF WHICH YOU SEE IN THE PICTURES, UM, GREAT REPRESENTATION OF THE NATIVE ISLANDER COMMUNITY.

AND HER SHOT BINYA IS DOING FABULOUSLY.

AND CONGRATULATIONS TO HER AND TO THE, UM, PROJECT FOR HAVING HER AS PART OF THE THANK YOU.

I APPRECIATE IT.

DAVID, ANY QUESTIONS? TOM? UM, IT IS MR. BROWN.

THAT CONCLUDES MY REPORT, SIR.

IN,

[00:20:01]

WELCOME.

AND WE HAVE SEVERAL CANDIDATES HERE, BOTH FOR WARD OFFICES AND FOR MAYOR.

WELCOME TO YOU ALSO A REPORTS

[8. Reports of the Members of the Town Council]

BY MEMBERS OF THE TOWN COUNCIL.

ARE THERE ANY GENERAL REPORTS? OKAY.

COMMUNITY SERVICE BILL.

UH, THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR.

IN OUR LAST MEETING, UH, WE, UH, APPROVED A EDUCATIONAL FORMAT, UH, FOR ALL NEW, UM, PEOPLE JOINING THE TOWN FOR, UH, PEOPLE, UH, UH, JOINING THE TOWN AS NEW ELECTED OFFICIALS AND FOR, UH, EMPLOYEES.

AND IT'S A, IT'S A FORMAT THAT I WISH WAS IN PLACE WHEN I STARTED.

UH, AND IT'S A FORMAT THAT I THINK WILL ENDURE TO THE BENEFIT OF THE COMMUNITY.

UM, THE MORE INFORMED, UH, ANY, ANY OF US ARE, I THINK THE BETTER WE CAN SERVE THE PUBLIC.

SO, UH, AND I THINK KRISTA DESERVES SOME RECOGNITION BECAUSE SHE PULLED ALL THIS TOGETHER.

SO THANK YOU CHRISTA.

UH, AND THE OTHER IS, UH, UH, CHIEF TADLOCK CERTAINLY LEFT US IN GOOD HANDS.

UH, WE HAD THE FIRST PRESENTATION BY OUR NEW CHIEF, UH, CHRIS, UH, BLANKENSHIP.

A COUPLE OF WHAT, ABOUT A, A WEEK, A WEEK AGO.

UH, THE REPORTING FORMAT HAS CHANGED.

UH, WE ENJOYED EXCELLENT INFORMATION FROM, UH, CHIEF CADILLAC.

UH, I PERSONALLY LIKE THE NEW FORMAT.

IT'S EASIER TO UNDERSTAND AND YOU CAN DRAW CONCLUSIONS FROM THAT.

SO, UH, WE THANK YOU FOR THAT.

CHIEF, PLEASE STAND UP SO WE CAN PUBLISH.

PLANNING.

MS. AMES.

NO REPORT FINANCE ADMINISTRATION.

MR. LENNOX, UH, NO REPORT.

BY CITIZENS CHRISTO, OTHER APPEARANCE BY CITIZENS TODAY? YES, SIR, THERE ARE, UH, SEVERAL CITIZENS SIGNED UP.

THE NEXT FNA MEETING WILL BE OCTOBER 18TH, TWO WEEKS FROM TODAY.

APPEARANCE

[9. Appearance by Citizens]

OUR FIRST CITIZEN IS SKIP HOLAND.

MR. HOLAND, PLEASE.

OH BOY.

SKIP HOLAND WINDMILL HARBOR COMMENTS TO BOTH BEAUFORT AND HILTON HEAD COUNCILS.

I HAVE QUESTIONS TODAY THAT ANYONE CAN UNDERSTAND, REGARDLESS OF YOU ARE HONEST, EDUCATED, INCOMPETENT, CROOKED, OR CORRUPT.

WHY DO YOU AFTER BEING INFORMED FACTUALLY AND EDUCATED FOR SIX YEARS, KEEP ILLEGALLY VOTING TO APPROVE THE ILLEGAL AND EVEN CRIMINAL MISUSE OF MILLIONS OF TAX FUNDS BY THE HILTON HIP BLUFFTON CHAMBER, THE BEAUFORD CHAMBER CB, AND THE BEAUFORD BLACK CHAMBER UNDER EIGHT TAX LAWS.

WHY EVEN HAVE A BLACK CHAMBER? ALL THE CITIES IN THE USA ARE OPEN TO EVERYONE WANT SEGREGATE.

WE NEED TO END THE COLOR OF YOUR SKIN AND FOCUS PURELY ON THE CHARACTER OF THE MAN AND THE WOMAN.

YOUR HONEST PUBLIC SERVICES APPRECIATED, NOT YOUR DISHONEST, AS WE EXPERIENCED WITH THE PAST CHAIRMAN ROBIN IN SUMMERVILLE, WHO GO BOTH GOT THE BOOT FOR GOOD REASON.

LENNOX, WHY DO YOU VOTE? IN FAVOR OF ILLEGAL CHAMBER OF AAC ACCOUNTING WITH ZERO OVERSIGHT, NO DMO CONTRACT, SPELLING OUT LEGAL USE, NO ACCOUNTING VIOLATIONS, AAX LAWS, PROCUREMENT LAWS, SOUTH CAROLINA NONPROFIT CORPORATION ACT LAWS, IRS 5 0 1 DASH C SIX NONPROFIT TAX CODES AND IRS EBIT LAWS.

SOUTH CAROLINA CONSTITUTIONAL LAWS ILLEGALLY SOME TAX FUNDS BY MANAGERS, ORLANDO GREENWAY AND GRUBER TO JOIN THE CHAMBERS AS TOWN COUNTY MEMBERS.

IT'S A QUID PRO QUO AND OVER 1 MILLION OF EIGHT TAX FUNDS TAKEN TO CANADA BY THIS CROOK.

BILL MILES IN THE HILTON HAD BLUFFTON CHAMBER FOR A DMO WEBSITE DEVELOPMENT THAT HAS CAUSED UNFAIR TRADE COMPETITIVE PRACTICES BY SELLING ILLEGAL ADVERTISING AGAINST LOCAL FOR-PROFIT MEDIA, INCLUDING NEWSPAPERS AND MAGAZINES.

AND WHY DO YOU KEEP APPROVING MILLIONS AND AAX LINES OF THE PRIVATE CHAMBERS AND THE CVBS AND THE DMO S WHEN TOURISM PROMOTION IS DONE FOR FREE BY TECHNOLOGY, LOCAL SEARCH, SOCIAL MEDIA? CERTAINLY YOU ALL UNDERSTAND THIS.

IF YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND TECHNOLOGY, YOU'RE NOT QUALIFIED FOR PUBLIC SERVICE.

THIS ILLEGAL FUNDING AND USE OF MILLIONS OF TAX FUNDS BY THESE CHAMBERS MUST END.

THIS IS NOT MONOPOLY AND FUNNY MONEY BANKER LENNOX.

I ASKED FOR ACCOUNTING FROM THE BEAUFORT CHAMBER CVB UNDER THE SOUTH CAROLINA NONPROFIT CORPORATION ACT LAW.

I WAS KICKED OUT OF THIS CHAMBER BY LAWYER, JIM WEGMAN, BLAKE LEE WILLIAMS, AND ED DUKES, JUDGE DUKE'S BROTHER.

THAT'S ANOTHER STORY FOR ANOTHER DAY.

AND THREE BEAUFORT COUNTY COUNCIL MEMBERS COVID FORUM AND HER VOTE KON WERE REFUSED ACCESS BY BILL MILES IN THE HILTON HEAD CHAMBER RECORDS WITH A FRAUDULENT LYING RESPONSE.

LENNOX AND THIS COUNCIL, DO YOU AGREE TO VOTE TO FIX HIS MULTI-MILLION CHAMBER CVB DMO TAX

[00:25:01]

SCAM AND FRAUD TO ALL TAXPAYERS TODAY? JUST ANSWER YES OR NO TO EVERYBODY IN THIS ROOM AND ERIC, AND, AND, AND LET'S MAKE A NOTE HERE THAT MANAGERS JOSH GRUBER, MARK ORLANDO, ERIC GREENWAY, CURTIS COL TRAIN, AND MANY OTHERS ARE ALL CROOKS AND HAVE, AND HAVE ILLEGALLY BEEN CAUGHT USING OUR TAX FUNDS.

THIS TOWN MUST UNDERGO A FORENSIC AUDIT AND AN FBI INVESTIGATION IMMEDIATELY.

IT'S THAT CROOKED.

CHRISTA.

YES, SIR.

UH, JOAN CAMPBELL, MS. CAMPBELL, HELLO.

HELLO, JOAN.

I'M A RESIDENT OF HILTON MED ISLAND AND A MEMBER OF THE HOME COALITION.

HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES MUST EXIST.

WHERE WILL TOMORROW'S TEACHERS, NURSES, FIREMEN, SERVICE STAFF, AND OUR TOWN LEADERS COME FROM IF THEY CAN'T AFFORD TO LIVE ON AND REMAIN ON OUR ISLAND? PEOPLE NEED OF AFFORDABLE WORKFORCE HOUSING FOR THEIR EMPLOYEES AND THEMSELVES WOULD COME TO THIS MEETING, BUT THEY MUST WORK TO KEEP THEIR JOB AND OR BUSINESS VIABLE.

PEOPLE SUCH AS LOU, WHO HAS BEEN THE MANAGER OF THE HILTON HEAD DINER FOR 20 YEARS AND GAVE THIS STATEMENT TO PASTOR JUNE OF CHRIST LUTHERAN CHURCH FOR US TO READ.

HE SAYS, OUR BIGGEST STRUGGLE IS STAFFING.

WE'RE STRUGGLING TO GET STAFF EVERY DAY.

WHEN SOMEONE CALLS IN SICK, THERE'S NO BACKUP.

PEOPLE WHO HAVE WORKED HERE FOR 20 YEARS, THEY'RE LUCKY THEY HAVE HOMES HERE, BUT ALL OF OUR NEW PEOPLE COME FROM OFF THE ISLAND.

TRYING TO FIND A LONG TERM RENTAL HERE IS IMPOSSIBLE.

THE RENTS IN BLUFFTON ARE GROWING TOO, AT A CRAZY RATE.

AND PEOPLE DON'T WANNA COMMUTE, COMMUTE FOR AN HOUR TO WORK HERE WHEN THEY CAN WORK NEAR TO WHERE THEY LIVE AND WE'RE LACKING TRANSPORTATION TO THE ISLAND.

AND ON THE ISLAND, IF I HAVE TO PAY MORE, THEN WE'LL HAVE TO RAISE PRICES, THEN WE LOSE BUSINESS.

IT'S A VICIOUS CYCLE.

A LOT OF RESTAURANTS ARE NOW CLOSING ON SUNDAY AND MONDAY JUST TO GIVE THEIR STAFF A BREAK.

IF JUST COUPLE OF PEOPLE CALL HIM SICK, YOU CAN'T FUNCTION.

WE USED TO BE OPEN 24 HOURS IN TWO, 2019, WE STARTED TO CLOSE AT 10:00 PM WE HAVE AN OVERFLOW ROOM, A ROOM FOR LARGE PARTIES THAT CAN MAKE A LOT OF MONEY.

WE CAN'T USE IT.

WE HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO USE IT.

WE CAN'T TAKE BIG PARTIES LIKE WE USED TO BECAUSE WE CAN'T SPARE THE WAIT STAFF WITH THE KITCHEN STAFF.

THIS ISSUE WAS HERE ON HILTON HEAD LONG BEFORE COVID, BUT CUSTOMERS JUST DIDN'T NOTICE IT.

THIS PROBLEM STARTED AROUND 2018 RESTAURANT.

PEOPLE ALL SAW IT COMING, BUT COVID ESCALATED IT TREMENDOUSLY.

NOW WE CAN'T HIDE IT.

HOW MANY MORE TOURISTS CAN WE FIT ON THE ISLAND IF WE CAN'T SERVE THEM? WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO TO FIX THIS? IT'S FRUSTRATING.

WE CAN'T SERVE PEOPLE AFFORDABLE WORK, FOREST HOUSING IS NECESSARY ON THAT ISLAND.

THANK, THANK YOU.

VERY GOOD.

KRISTEN, KEN CAMPBELL, PLEASE.

MR. CAMPBELL MAYOR, COUNSEL, UH, PLEASURE TO BE BEFORE YOU.

YOU'VE HEARD FROM MY WIFE, YOU'VE HEARD FROM LOU.

AND, UH, UH, I WOULD SAY WE RECOGNIZE, FIRST THING IS TO RECOGNIZE THERE'S AN ISSUE THAT'S BEEN WELL RECOGNIZED.

YOU HAVE LONG TERM PLANS FOR IT.

NEXT THING TO DO IS ACTION.

AND THAT I'M ALSO A MEMBER OF THE HOME COALITION WHERE ADVOCATES FOR YOUR PROCEEDING AS QUICKLY AND AS FULLY AS POSSIBLE, AND THAT YOU GET HOUSING FOR OUR WORKERS.

UH, PASTOR, VERY ELOQUENTLY MENTIONED HOW FORTUNATE WE ARE DURING HIS PRAYER TO BE RESIDENTS OF THIS ISLAND.

HOW MUCH MORE VIABLE WOULD THIS ISLAND BE IF MORE OF THE PEOPLE THAT WORKED HERE WERE INVESTED IN THE ISLAND AS RESIDENTS? LONG TERM VIABILITY IS ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL.

WERE ON THE WRONG SPIRAL.

WE HAVE TO GET IT CHANGED.

AND, UH, HOME I KNOW LOOKS FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU TO HELP MAKE THAT HAPPEN.

GOOD AFTERNOON, MR. MAYOR, MEMBERS OF THE TOWN COUNCIL.

MY NAME IS RICHARD BUSY AND I WANNA ADDRESS ONE PRIMARY ISSUE, AND THAT IS LISTENING TO THE PUBLIC.

AS YOU WELL KNOW, NEARLY 10,000 PEOPLE HAVE SIGNED A PETITION THAT CALLS FOR MORE CREATIVE AND

[00:30:01]

LESS INTRUSIVE PLANS THAT ARE PROVEN TO ACTUALLY WORK.

I BELIEVE THAT THE TOWN SHOULD EMBARK ON ITS OWN INDEPENDENT REVIEW TO LOOK AT ALL OPTIONS IRRESPECTIVE OF THE MOU BEFORE YOU TODAY.

AS YOU KNOW, THE COUNTY AGREED LAST WEEK TO SELECT THE COMMITTEE FOR THE INDEPENDENT REVIEW, THREE BY THE COUNTY AND THREE BY THE TOWN.

QUITE A, A COMPROMISE.

WELL, THERE SHOULD BE THREE MORE.

THREE CITIZENS WITH AN ENGINEERING BACKGROUND SELECTED BY THE TOWN OF HILTON HEAD COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR.

GREENWAY TOLD THE COUNTY COUNCIL LAST WEEK THAT TWO ADD CITIZENS TO THE REVIEW PANEL, WILL SIMPLY QUOTE, DELAY THE PROJECT.

HE SAID, ONLY PROFESSIONAL STAFF SHOULD BE INCLUDED.

A TYPICAL BUREAUCRATIC RESPONSE HATS OFF TO SENATOR DAVIS WHO TOWED THE COUNCIL LAST WEEK, THAT BY INCLUDING CITIZENS, IT WOULD GO.

AND I QUOTE, A LONG WAY IN RESTORING CONFIDENCE TO THIS PROJECT, AND THAT HITS THE NAIL ON THE HEAD.

APPARENTLY THE COUNTY COUNCIL DOES NOT UNDERSTAND, BY AND LARGE, THE COUNTY COUNCIL IS NOT TRUSTED BY THE PUBLIC.

SO THE QUESTION FOR THIS TOWN COUNCIL IS REAL SIMPLE.

ARE YOU LISTENING IN CASE YOU'RE NOT, OR IN CASE YOU'VE NEVER BOTHERED TO READ THE PETITION OR SOME OF THE COMMENTS OR THE HUNDREDS OF COMMENTS MADE ON THAT PETITION.

LET ME SHARE JUST A FEW.

I'M SIGNING BECAUSE THE CHARACTER OF HILTON HEAD IS BEING COMPROMISED BY THE GREED OF THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

WOULD HATE TO SEE OUR APPROACH TO OUR BEAUTIFUL ISLAND RESEMBLE I 2 85 ATLANTA.

I'M SIGNING BECAUSE OF A LACK OF TRANSPARENCY, PRIVATE EMAILS, IGNORING CITIZEN CONCERNS AND SECRET MEETINGS.

I DON'T WANT THE NORTH END OF THE ISLAND DESTROYED.

DID YOU SEE WHAT HAPPENED AT SANTA BE ISLAND? REMINDS ME OF SIMON AND GARFUNKEL BRIDGE OVER TROUBLED WATER.

STOP THE MADNESS.

SO I ASK YOU, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, ARE YOU LISTENING? I HOPE SO.

MOVE AHEAD WITH GREAT URGENCY TO MAKE FUNDING AVAILABLE TO NURTURE PUBLIC PRIVATE RELATIONSHIPS, TO IDENTIFY APPROPRIATE TRACKS BEYOND NORTH POINT AND TO MAKE IT HAPPEN.

JEFF ALDERMAN.

MR. ALDERMAN, PLEASE.

JEFF ALDERMAN.

MR. MARY, I'M MEMBERS ON COUNCIL.

THANKS FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO, UH, SPEAK TODAY.

I WANNA TALK ABOUT WORKFORCE HOUSING.

UH, THANK YOU FIRST OF ALL FOR THE TOWN EFFORTS TO DATE IN IN RECENT MONTHS ON THIS SUBJECT, I HAVE FINALLY BECOME A BELIEVER THAT MOST ON TOWN COUNCIL AND IN TOWN GOVERNMENT UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS ISSUE.

UH, I AND A, UH, COMMITTEE HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH THE HOME COALITION TO TALK ABOUT, UH, WHAT THE MOST IMPORTANT ISSUES ARE AND WHY WE NEED TO MOVE THIS AHEAD WITH URGENCY.

HERE ARE SEVERAL OF THEM.

UH, WORKFORCE HOUSING IS VITALLY IMPORTANT TO EVERYONE ON HILTON HEAD, IVAN, BECAUSE FIRST, THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR ALL HILTON HEAD, IVAN RESIDENTS IS VERY CLOSELY LINKED TO THE AVAILABILITY AND QUALITY OF EMPLOYEES STAFFING OUR BUSINESSES AND SERVICES.

SECOND, EVERYONE ON HILTON END RESIDENTS AND VISITORS, RETIREES, AND WORKING FAMILIES BENEFITS WHEN GOOD HOUSING IS AVAILABLE CLOSE TO WORK FOR THE IVANS VALUED EMPLOYEES.

THIRD, IT'S IMPORTANT THAT OUR ESSENTIAL WORKERS, TEACHERS, FIRST RESPONDERS, PROFESSIONALS, HEALTHCARE WORKERS, BE ABLE TO LIVE IN THE COMMUNITY THEY SERVE.

FOURTH, FAILURE TO ACT ON WORKFORCE HOUSING WOULD HAVE AN IMPACT ON IMPORTANT ECONOMIC FACTORS, INCLUDING PROPERTY VALUES, COST OF LIVING, AND BUSINESS VIABILITY.

FIFTH, THERE'S A STRONG OFF ISLAND COMPETITION FOR OUR WORKFORCE.

EMPLOYEES THAT CAN LIVE NEAR THEIR WORKPLACE ON HILTON HEAD ISLAND WILL REDUCE TRAFFIC ON OUR BUSY ROADS.

SIX.

HILTON HEAD ISLAND IS FULLY CAPABLE OF CREATING INNOVATIVE WORKFORCE HOUSING THAT WILL MAKE OUR COMMUNITY PROUD AND DONE IN A VERY HIGH QUALITY WAY.

SEVENTH, THERE IS NO INITIATIVE THAT WILL DO MORE THAN THIS TO KEEP HILTON HEAD ISLAND RELEVANT, ATTRACTIVE, AND VIBRANT FOR MANY YEARS TO COME.

HERE ARE MY TWO PRIMARY POINTS.

THIS ISSUE IS GRAINING HUGE PUBLIC SUPPORT.

THAT'S A CHANGE OVER THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS.

NOW, MOST PEOPLE, I WOULD SAY ON HILTON HEAD ISLAND ARE VERY MUCH IN FAVOR AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE NEED FOR WORKFORCE HOUSING.

SECONDLY, THIS WILL NOT HAPPEN WITHOUT STRONG SUPPORT FROM TOWN GOVERNMENT ON HILTON HEAD ISLAND, UH, FOR THE CURRENT PROJECTS, WHICH I'M, I'M GRATEFUL FOR, UH, AND FOR ALL THE FUTURE PROJECTS TO COME.

SO I'M HERE TODAY TO ASK YOU TO

[00:35:01]

COMPARISONS WERE OTHER OPTIONS.

THANK YOU AGAIN, STEVE BEAR.

MR. BEAR.

THANK YOU, COUNSEL.

UH, THE MOA BEFORE YOU TONIGHT IS VERY DEEPLY FLAWED.

IT REMINDS ME OF THE 7 37 MAX AND THE TITANIC.

AMONG AS MANY FLAWS THAT DEVIATES SIGNIFICANTLY FROM SENATOR DAVIS' PLAN.

IT DOES NOT ALLOW ALTERNATIVE ANALYSIS DOES NOT PROPERLY DEFINE OUTPUT METRICS AND DOES NOT INCLUDE CITIZEN INPUT AND OVERSIGHT.

SO CITIZENS WON'T TRUST IT.

THE COUNTY APPEARS TO BE DEATHLY AFRAID OF WHAT A FAIR INDEPENDENT REVIEW WOULD SHOW.

DEATHLY AFRAID, LET ME UNDERLINE THAT.

UM, MISSING AND HIDDEN PARTS WOULD BE SHOWN.

POOR PERFORMANCE, ACTUAL COSTS, WHICH WE DON'T KNOW.

SOME INTERESTING LEAK DOCUMENTS SHOW THE COUNTY STRATEGY IN DESTROYING THE 2020 INDEPENDENT REVIEW.

THE CORRIDOR CZAR OF THE COUNTY SAID, YOU INDICATED THAT THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE SCOPE INCLUDES GROUPS LIKE COIN AND RIGHT ROADS, WHICH IS INAPPROPRIATE AT THIS POINT IN TIME.

IN 2021, THE CORRIDOR CZAR SAID FOR SOME TIME THERE'S BEEN SUGGESTION THAT A QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS REQUIRED.

I'M GLAD HE NOTICED THAT I AM AS SKILLED AS ANY IN TRYING TO DO SUCH ANALYSIS.

IN 2022, HE SAID STONY DESIGNED THAT WE CAN'T DISCUSS UNTIL THE EA PROCESS IS COMPLETE.

SO IS TO NOT COMPROMISE THE NEPER PROCESS.

SO THERE'S SOMETHING SECRET AND HIDDEN THAT WE HAVEN'T BEEN TOLD.

INSTEAD OF SECURING THE BEST OUTSIDE HELP POSSIBLE, THE CZAR TRIED TO DO THE ANALYSIS HIMSELF, KEPT CITIZENS OUT, WORKED IN BACK ROOMS AND PRIVATE EMAILS, AND FOSTERED HIDDEN AGENDAS.

THE NET RESULT, THERE IS NO PROOF THAT THE PLAN ON THE TABLE WILL SOLVE OUR CONGESTION PROBLEM.

AND I CHALLENGE ANYONE TO SHOW ME A PROOF.

IT WILL.

THE TOTAL COST ARE STILL UNKNOWN AND THERE'S A LOSS OF INSIGHT INTO POSSIBLE ALTERNATIVES.

IT'S BIZARRE THAT THE COUNTY IS NOW RUSHING US AFTER THEY CAUSED ALL THE DELAY.

FOR EXAMPLE, SENATOR DAVIS TO FIND A PATH FORWARD IN APRIL, WE'VE LOST OVER FIVE MONTHS DIDDLING AROUND ON MOU THAT MEAN NOTHING.

THE COUNTY THREW OUT OUR APPROACH, WASTED FIVE MONTHS AND THEN REPEATING THEIR TACTICS IN 2020, PUSHED A DILUTED MOA DESIGNED TO HIDE INFORMATION.

AND THAT'S WHAT THIS ONE IS, IS DESIGNED TO HIDE INFORMATION EXACTLY LIKE 2020.

THE PLAN IS INTENSELY UNPOPULAR OVER ALMOST 10,000 PETITION SIGNERS.

AND A PACKET SURVEY MAJORITY OPPOSES PACKET SURVEY WAS 50 TO 35%.

ITS MANY FLAWS WILL ALMOST CERTAINLY CAUSE A NEPA DELAY INSTEAD OF PRO PROVIDING PROPER DUE DILIGENCE.

THIS MOA STARTS YET IN OTHER INCOMPLETE STUDY LIKE 2020 VOTING YES WILL BE COLOSSAL WASTE OF TIME AND MONEY.

A FAKE CRUTCH IS WHAT YOU'RE GONNA VOTE FOR TONIGHT.

IT IS MUCH BETTER TO DO NOTHING AND WAIT FOR THE NEW TOWN COUNCIL TO PROPERLY DEAL WITH IT.

THIS WILL BECOME AN ELECTION ISSUE, AT LEAST WITH AN ELECTION ISSUE.

CITIZENS WILL HAVE A SAY IN 38 DAYS.

YOU THANK YOU DIETRICH ADVOCATE.

MR. ADVOCATE, I MAY JUST HAND YOU OUT TO THE LITTLE PAPER, MAKES IT EASIER AS UNDERSTAND WHAT I'M SAYING.

JUST GIMME, I'LL GIVE HAND OUT.

UH, WE ARE GONNA RUN, RUN OVER COSTS, UH, ON A MONTHLY BASIS BY ABSURD AMOUNTS.

I'LL KEEP ONE.

OTHERWISE, I ONE SAYING, UM, FIRST AND FOREMOST, I WOULD LIKE TO GIVE CREDIT TO, UH, TAMARA WHO SUED UP FOR THE CITIZENS AT THE LAST COUNCIL MEETING, WHICH, UH, UH, IS VERY MUCH APPRECIATED, UH, FOR SOMEBODY TO REALLY MAN UP AND, UM, UH, FOR THE, FOR THE RIGHTS OF THE CITIZENS.

UM, AND FRANKLY, I WATCHED THE, THE COUNCIL MEETING, UH, ON MY COMPUTER AND IT REALLY LOOKED MORE LIKE A BANANA REPUBLIC AT WORK.

UM, AND IT'S SAD TO SEE THAT, AND I WISH THERE WAS A LITTLE MORE, UM, UH, UM, COMMITMENTS ON THE SIDE OF THE, OF THE COUNTY COUNCIL.

UM, SO, UM, I'M NOT GONNA GO THROUGH ALL THE USUAL, UH, UH, UH, UH, ISSUES, BUT I DO WANT TO, TO, UM, UH, DIFFUSE SOME THINGS.

AND, UM, MR. RODMAN IS VERY CLEVER IN, IN PERSUADING PEOPLE, BUT SOMETIMES, UH, THESE ARGUMENTS, THEY DON'T STAND, UM, TO TELL PEOPLE THAT, UM,

[00:40:02]

IT SIMPLY IS NOT TRUE.

AND IT PUTS FEAR INTO PEOPLE BECAUSE THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND THESE ISSUES.

BUT IF YOU LOOK AT A PROJECT OF 300 MILLION ROUGHLY, I PUT IT DOWN ON THE THIRD PAGE AND $200 MILLION GOES INTO MATERIALS CEMENTS ITS ON, THEN THE INFLATIONARY PRESSURES ONLY COME INTO PLAY ON THOSE MATERIALS.

AND THOSE INFLATIONARY PRESSURES COME ONLY INTO PLAY ONCE THESE MATERIALS CEMENT ARE BEING ACQUIRED.

SO, AND THEN INFLATION AT THE MOMENT IS AT 6.3%.

SO, UH, IN, IN, IN TWO, THREE YEARS THAT WILL COME DOWN GIVEN THE FEDERAL, UH, RESERVE POLICIES.

SO, UM, AS, AS, UH, AS YOU THEN CAN CALCULATE OUT THE EXTRACT COSTS THAT YOU WILL HAVE IS ROUGHLY REALLY BACK OF THE ENVELOPE.

12 30 MILLION OVER FOUR YEAR, OVER FOUR YEAR PERIOD.

SO, AND IT'S TIME AND TIME AGAIN THAT THE RULE GETS PULLED OVER OUR EYES AND I REALLY WANT YOU TO MAKE THE RIGHT DECISION BECAUSE THE RIGHT DECISION WILL FOLLOW YOU AS WE GO FORWARD.

SO WITH THIS MOU, PLEASE, LET'S BE SENSIBLE.

LET'S INCLUDE SOME CITIZENS WHO ARE WILLING TO HELP, UH, WHO ARE QUALIFIED TO HELP AND MAKE THIS PROJECT A REAL SUCCESS.

THANK YOU, PETER CHRISTIAN.

RAY SMITH.

MR. SMITH, SORRY.

HI, GRAY SMITH, 11 WEERS CREEK WAY AND HILTON HEAD ISLAND ON BEHALF OF THE MAJORITY OF HILTON HEAD RESIDENTS AND CLOSE TO 10,000 PETITION SIGNERS.

I URGE YOU NOT TO SIGN THE COUNTY COUNCIL VERSION OF THE MOU.

SHOULD YOU AND THE REST OF TOWN COUNCIL SIGN THIS VERSION, SEVERAL THINGS WILL HAPPEN.

YOU WILL, YOU WILL TOTALLY SUBJUGATE THE TOWN COUNCIL TO THE CONTROL OF THE 2 78 CORRIDOR PROJECT BY COUNTY COUNCIL.

YOU WILL ESSENTIALLY BE PLACING TOTAL CONTROL OF ALL DECISIONS ON THIS PROJECT TO THE, INTO THE HANDS OF ONE UNELECTED BUREAUCRAT, THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR ERIC GREENWAY.

IS THAT WHAT YOU WANT? DO YOU THINK THAT'S WHAT THE 40,000 RESIDENTS OF HILTON HEAD ISLAND, WHOSE BEST INTERESTS YOU WERE ELECTED TO REPRESENT? WANT NUMBER TWO, I WILL QUOTE TO YOU FROM AN EMAIL THAT ONE OF YOUR TOWN EMPLOYEES SENT TO ALL OF YOU TOWN COUNCIL MEMBERS ON SEPTEMBER 26TH.

HE WAS REFERRING TO THE CONTENTS OF THE PROPOSED COUNTY COUNCIL MOU THAT THEY WANT TO YOU TO ACQUIESCE TO HERE TODAY.

AND I QUOTE FROM THE EMAIL, THE MAIN POINT IS THAT THE EVALUATION OF ADDITIONAL ALTERNATIVES CANNOT BE PART OF THE SCOPE OF WORK FOR THE INDEPENDENT REVIEW.

THAT ONE SENTENCE SHOWS THE EXPRESS INTENT OF THE COUNTY COUNCIL TO ONCE AGAIN, TOTALLY SUBVERT THE PURPOSE AND ENTIRE REASON FOR ENGAGING A TRAFFIC CONSULTING FIRM.

THE REASON WHY TOWN COUNCIL IS HIRING SAID FIRM IS TO HAVE THEM PERFORM A THOROUGHLY INDEPENDENT STUDY OF ALL ASPECTS OF THE 2 78 CORRIDOR PROJECT AND THEN MAKE OBJECTIVE RECOMMENDATIONS HOW TO BEST SOLVE OUR PEAK TRAFFIC FLOW PROBLEMS. IT IS CLEAR THAT THE INTENT OF COUNTY COUNCIL AND THE MOU THAT THEY HAVE PROPOSED TO YOU IS TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT NEVER HAPPENS.

IF YOU SIGN THEIR VERSION, IT MEANS THAT YOU TOO DO NOT WANT TO SEE THE INDEPENDENT CONSULTANT STUDY, PRODUCE ANYTHING OF IMPACT OR VALUE AS IT PERTAINS TO THE FUTURE IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS PROJECT.

AND NUMBER THREE, IT MAKES ABSOLUTELY NO SENSE TO LOCK IN A MISGUIDED AND OUTTA SCALE BRIDGE CONFIGURATION PRIOR TO HEARING THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE INDEPENDENT CONSULTANT.

NOBODY I TALKED TO UNDERSTANDS THE MOTIVATION FOR COUNTY COUNCIL TO BE PUSHING SO HARD TO DO JUST THAT.

WHY WOULD YOU WANNA SIGN ONTO THAT AND RELINQUISH YOUR ABILITY TO MAKE PROJECT CHANGES BASED ON THE CONSULTANTS EXPERT INPUT? AND FINALLY, ONE THING THAT I DIDN'T WRITE DOWN, A NUMBER OF YOU WILL BE LEAVING TOWN COUNCIL SHORTLY.

THINK ABOUT YOUR LEGACY.

I'M SURE YOU ALREADY HAVE.

DO YOU WANNA BE PART OF THE TOWN COUNCIL THAT APPROVED A GIGANTIC BRIDGE? THAT IS A, A HORRIBLE ENTRANCE TO OUR ISLAND IN PERPETUITY.

THINK ABOUT HIM.

[00:45:01]

A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT TONE.

MR. MAYOR, MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL, MR. TOWN MANAGER, PLEASURE TO BE HERE.

I'M REPRESENTING MYSELF.

I'M NOT SPEAKING FOR HILTON HEAD PLANTATION OR ANY GROUP.

FIRST I WANT TO COMPLIMENT TOM DUNN AND THE FIRE AND RESCUE STAFF AND COUNCIL MEMBERS JOSH GRUBER, WHO KEPT COMMUNICATIONS ALIVE ALL DURING THE PREPARATION FOR IAN, WHICH MISSED US.

THANK GOD.

AND THE COMMUNICATION THAT WENT OUT THROUGH THIS BODY TO THE LOCAL CONSTITUENT SO WE COULD PUSH IT OUT WAS INVALUABLE.

AND I, ONCE AGAIN, WE DIDN'T KNOW WHERE IT WAS GONNA GO AND WITHIN 24 HOURS, WE STILL DIDN'T KNOW WHERE IT WAS GONNA GO, BUT WE WERE READY FOR IT.

AND IT WAS BY ALL OF THAT GOOD WORK THAT YOUR FOLKS PUT TOGETHER.

SO COMPLIMENTS TO FIRE AND RESCUE DEPARTMENT, TOM DUNN IN PARTICULAR.

UM, FOR ALL THAT WORK I WAS GONNA MENTION THE BRIDGE PROJECT , BUT MAYBE I'M NOT.

UM, WHAT I DO KNOW FROM JUST LISTENING TO FOLKS IS THAT AT SOME POINT YOU GOTTA PUT A STAKE IN THE GROUND AND MOVE FORWARD.

AND IT'S BEEN A WHILE.

WE HAVE A DEFECTIVE BRIDGE.

UM, WE HAVE HURRICANES AND WATER TO SEE THE DEVASTATION THAT OCCURRED.

AND WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WHATEVER IS BUILT IS BUILT TO A STANDARD, UM, THAT WILL STAND, THAT WILL STAND A MAJOR HIT.

LAST COMMENT IS ALL OF YOU SIT UP HERE TO TAKE HITS FROM THE PUBLIC AND TAKE PUBLIC INPUT.

THAT'S WHAT YOU SIGNED ON FOR AND YOU'RE VERY GOOD AT IT.

TOM, YOU'RE GONNA BE LEAVING US AFTER SEVERAL YEARS ON THE, ON THE COUNCIL.

MAYOR MCCANN, YOU'RE GONNA BE LEAVING US AFTER SERVING AS A COUNCIL MEMBER AND AS MAYOR AND BILL, YOU ARE GONNA BE LEAVING US AFTER WHAT, 14 YEARS ON THE COUNCIL.

AND SOMEONE MENTIONED LEGACY AND I JUST WANNA MENTION A FEW OF THE THINGS THAT HAVE OCCURRED DURING YOUR TENURE.

YOU KNOW, WE REDID OUR PLAN, WHICH WAS THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN OVER THAT SPAN OF TIME WE ENDURED AND RECOVERED FROM HURRICANE MATTHEW.

WE RE REBUILT OUR RESERVES FOR THE TOWN AND THE TOWN, AND YOU MADE SURE THAT THE COMMUNITY WAS CLEANED UP, CAPITAL PROJECTS WENT FORWARD.

WE HAVE THE FIRST STEPS OF WORKFORCE HOUSING.

YOU HAVE THE BRIDGE PROJECT, YOU HAVE CELEBRATION PARK, YOU HAVE GUIDED US THROUGH THE PANDEMIC.

EVERYONE'S FORGOTTEN ABOUT THAT.

WE'RE ALL SITTING VERY CLOSE TOGETHER.

A YEAR AGO WE WEREN'T SITTING AT ALL.

WE WERE DOING EVERYTHING VIRTUALLY.

UM, THE GUAG GEI NEIGHBORHOOD TASK FORCE, ALL OF THE SCIENTISTS THAT HAS GONE UP AND ALL THAT HISTORICAL ISSUES THAT HAVE GONE FORWARD SECURING THE SERVICES OF THAT MAN RIGHT THERE.

MARK ORLANDO, MAJOR WIN FOR THE TOWN, MAJOR WIN.

ALL OF THE BEERY NOURISHMENTS THAT YOU'VE GONE THROUGH AND REBUILDING THE BEACHES AFTER MATTHEW, THE PARTNERSHIP WITH U S C B AND BRINGING THAT CAMPUS TO OUR LOCATION.

THESE ARE JUST A FEW OF THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS THE THREE OF YOU HAVE BEEN WITNESS TO.

AND I WANT TO THANK ALL OF YOU, BUT THESE THREE GENTLEMEN IN PARTICULAR FOR THEIR HARD WORK AFTER YOU RETIRE.

THANK YOU PETER.

THAT ALL.

MR. SIR, THAT CONCLUDES APPEARANCE BY CITIZENS.

OKAY, GOT THE CONSENT, CONSENT AGENDA NOW ON THE RIGHT PAGE.

AGENDA FOR TODAY IS THE SECOND READING PROPOSED ORDINANCE TO REPEAL REPLACE CHAPTER ONE OF TITLE 17 OF THE MUNICIPAL CODE, UH, REFERRING TO ANIMAL CONTROL.

CONSENT AGENDA.

CONSENT

[10. Consent Agenda]

UH, THIS IS ONE PART OF THE CONSENT AGENDA.

DOES ANYBODY DISAGREE WITH THE CONSENT? GO AHEAD.

UM, I DO NOT DISAGREE.

I JUST WANT ONE CLARIFICATION FOR THE PUBLIC, UM, WITH REGARD TO, UM, ANIMALS AND LEASHES ON THE BEACH.

AND IF JOSH, I KNOW WE SPOKE ABOUT THIS EARLIER, YOU CONFIRMED TO ME THAT NOTHING HAS CHANGED WITH OUR ORDINANCE AS IT HAS BEEN HISTORICALLY.

AND BY SIGNING OR GOING THROUGH THE SECOND READING OF THIS, NOTHING CHANGES.

ANIMALS ARE ALLOWED ON THE BEACH UNDER VOICE CONTROL AND NOT REQUIRED TO BE ON THE LEASH, CORRECT? YES, MA'AM.

THE, THE REFERENCE WITHIN THE DOCUMENT THAT'S BEFORE YOU TODAY INDICATES THAT SECTION EIGHT DASH ONE DASH TWO 11 SUBSECTION EIGHT OF THE TOWNS CODE REMAINS IN PLACE.

AND THAT IS THE CITATION TO THE EXISTING RULES AND REGULATIONS WITH REGARDS TO ANIMALS ON THE BEACH.

JUST FURTHER DISCUSSION BY COUNSEL CHRISTER, MR. BROWN BOARD.

UH, MOVE, MOVE FOR APPROVAL OF THE CONSENT AND AGENDA TO INCLUDE ITEMS A AND B.

SECOND, ANY

[00:50:01]

[11a. Consideration of a Resolution of the Town of Hilton Head Island Authorizing the Execution of a Revised Memorandum of Understanding with Beaufort County Outlining the Critical Path of the William Hilton Parkway Gateway Corridor Project Including an Independent End-to-End Analysis and Simulation of the Corridor]

UNFINISHED BUSINESS ITEM 11, CONSIDERATION OR RESOLUTION OF THE TOWN COUNCIL.

VINET AUTHORIZED IN THE EXECUTION OF THE RISE MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING WITH BEAUFORD COUNTY OUTLINING THE CRITICAL PATH OF THE WILLIAM HILTON PARKWAY GATEWAY CORRIDOR PROJECT, INCLUDING AN INDEPENDENT END-TO-END ANALYSIS AND STIPULATION OF THE CORRIDOR MOVE FOR APPROVAL.

SECOND.

DISCUSS MY MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL, MR. AMES.

I'D PREFER TO LISTEN TO MY COLLEAGUES FIRST AND ALSO THE PUBLIC AND SENATOR DAVIS.

GOOD.

SEAN, WOULD YOU LIKE SENATOR DAVIS TO GO FIRST BEFORE YOU, SEAN? IS THAT YES.

YES SIR.

I WOULD.

SENATOR DAVIS, WE CALL CAN CLEAR.

COLIN, YOU STAND BESIDE ME HERE TOO.

WE'RE JUST, UH, MR. MAYOR, UM, MEMBERS OF COUNCIL, UM, LET ME, LET ME START OFF BY JUST RELAYING SOME FACTS.

SO I THINK HAVING FACTS IN FRONT OF US MAYBE WILL FACILITATE SOME OF THE DISCUSSION AS WE MOVE FORWARD.

UM, THE CURRENT ESTIMATED COST OF THIS PROJECT, UM, IS 328 MILLION.

UM, THAT WAS BASED ON AN ESTIMATE DONE BY SC D O T STAFF ABOUT THREE OR FOUR WEEKS AGO.

UM, BUILT INTO THAT 328 MILLION ESTIMATED COST IS A 20% HEDGE OKAY.

AGAINST COST OVERRUNS, INFLATION, SUPPLY CHAIN PROBLEMS. SO IT'S A, IT'S A FAIRLY HEALTHY HEDGE THAT'S BUILT IN.

SO JUST, JUST MAKE A NOTE.

THAT'S ROUGHLY WHAT, UM, 60 MILLION ROUGHLY.

WITH COUNTY COUNCIL WITH, WITH THE BEST INFORMATION I COULD CUZ I KNEW IT WAS MAKING SOME HARD DECISIONS IN REGARD TO THIS PROJECT.

SO THAT'S, THAT'S BUILT IN AS A HEDGE.

UM, THAT 328 MILLION ESTIMATED COST CURRENTLY IS ENTIRELY FUNDED, BUT FOR ABOUT 29 MILLION.

AND LET ME BREAK DOWN WHAT THE COMPONENTS ARE CAUSE I THINK THAT'LL HELP YOUR DISCUSSION GOING FORWARD.

UM, YOU'VE GOT ABOUT 101 MILLION OF THAT COMING FROM THE COUNTY, LARGELY THROUGH THE PENNY.

SALES TAX WAS RAISED 80 MILLION, UM, THAT WAS APPROVED BACK IN 2018.

UM, AND THAT'S BEEN DISCONTINUED NOW BECAUSE THOSE DOLLARS HAVE BEEN RAISED ALONG WITH THE ADDITIONAL $40 MILLION FOR OTHER PROJECTS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY.

SO THAT'S, THAT'S 101 MILLION PIECE OF IT.

UM, 72 MILLION IS COMING FROM THE D O T SC.

D O T HAS EARMARKED AND SET ASIDE 72 MILLION, UM, FOR THIS PROJECT.

120 MILLION IS COMING FROM THE STATE INFRASTRUCTURE BANK.

THAT'S A, UM, A GRANT THAT WAS APPROVED, UM, GOSH, ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO NOW.

I GUESS WE GOT THE, THE 120 MILLION SHARED.

IS THAT ABOUT RIGHT? UM, AND SO IF YOU ADD UP ALL OF THOSE FIGURES, THE 101 MILLION FROM THE COUNTY, UH, THE 72 MILLION FROM D O T 120 MILLION FROM THE C THAT'S WHERE YOU COME UP WITH A 29 MILLION CURRENT SHORTFALL IN IN THE OVERALL FUNDING FOR THE PROJECT.

UM, I HAVE HAD DISCUSSIONS, UM, WITH THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE IN REGARD TO THAT $29 MILLION.

THERE'S GOING TO BE ROUGHLY, UM, IN ADDITION TO THE MONEY WE SET ASIDE LAST YEAR, UM, AND I THINK I MENTIONED IN PRIOR COUNCIL MEETINGS, WE SET ASIDE A BILLION DOLLARS IN LAST YEAR'S BUDGET IN A CONTINGENCY RESERVE FUND FOR CAPITAL PROJECTS OR ONE TIME PROJECTS.

UH, IN ADDITION TO THAT BILLION DOLLARS THERE IS ESTIMATED BY THE BOARD OF ECONOMIC ADVISORS TO BE ANOTHER BILLION DOLLARS PLUS IN NON-REOCCURRING ONE TIME MONEY FOR THE NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET.

WHAT THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE ATTENDS TO DO IN ITS EXECUTIVE BUDGET IS OUTLINE AREAS WHERE IT THINKS THOSE DOLLARS SHOULD GO.

IN TALKING WITH THE GOVERNOR'S CHIEF OF STAFF, THE 29 MILLION THAT WE CURRENTLY NEED TO, TO MEET THE DELTA HERE WILL BE A PRIME CANDIDATE FOR INCLUSION IN THE EXECUTIVE BUDGET.

SO I I I CAN MAKE A REPRESENTATION TO THIS COUNCIL THAT I FEEL PRETTY GOOD ABOUT OUR CHANCES OF COMING UP WITH THE DOLLARS WE NEED, UM, FOR THE, UM, THE ESTIMATED 328 MILLION FOR THE PROJECT.

NOW I MENTION ALL OF THAT BECAUSE ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE GONNA DISCUSS, AND WE MIGHT AS WELL PROVIDE ON THE TABLE IS, UM, THE 120 MILLION COMPONENT OF THAT, UM, THAT IS FROM THE STATE INFRASTRUCTURE BANK.

UM, I WENT UP, UM, A COUPLE WEEKS AGO NOW, UH, TO SPEAK WITH CHRISTIE HALL CUZ CUZ I WANTED TO PROVIDE THIS COUNCIL AND

[00:55:01]

AND, AND I WANTED TO BE CLEAR AS TO WHAT THE NATURE OF, UH, THESS POSITION WAS ON THIS.

THE DOT'S POSITION ON THIS WAS.

AND SO THAT'S WHY I DROVE THE COLUMBIA, SAT DOWN WITH CHRISTIE HALL AND SAID, OKAY, THIS IS WHAT WE'RE DOING DOWN AT THE LOCAL LEVEL.

UM, IT WAS RIGHT AFTER THE TOWN OF HILTON HEAD HAD, UM, THE LAST MEETING YOU HAD AND YOU PASSED A, UM, NO, I DON'T THINK YOU PASSED ANYTHING YOU DISCUSSED OPENLY.

UM, THE COUNTY APPROVED MOA AND I HAD MADE NOTES IN REGARD TO FOUR OR FIVE ITEMS THAT IT WASN'T A VOTE BY COUNCIL, BUT IT WAS A SENSE OF COUNSEL FOR THINGS THAT YOU ALL WOULD LIKE TO HAVE INCLUDED IN THE MOA, UM, IN ORDER FOR IT TO BE ACCEPTABLE.

AND SO I THINK IT WAS THE DAY AFTER THAT, OR MAYBE TWO DAYS AFTER THAT, I DROVE TO COLUMBIA TO HAVE MY CONVERSATION WITH SECRETARY HALL.

UM, SHE INDICATED TO ME THAT THAT ONE OF HER PRIMARY, TWO PRIMARY PINCH POINTS, ONE IS SHE NEEDS TO AT SOME POINT IN TIME REQUEST A RECORD OF DECISION FROM THE CORE OF ENGINEERS.

OKAY? THAT'S ONE OF THE STEPS IN THE PROCESS.

SHE WON'T DO THAT UNTIL SHE KNOWS WHERE THE 328 MILLION IS COMING FROM.

SO THAT ASPECT OF THE PROCESS RELATES TO WHERE ARE THE DOLLARS COMING FROM TO PAY FOR THIS PROJECT.

AND SHE INDICATED TO ME THAT YOU HAVE TO IDENTIFY WHERE THAT 29 MILLION SHORTFALL, HOW THAT'S GONNA BE COVERED.

BEFORE I ASK THE CORE OF ENGINEERS TO, TO FOR A RECORD OF DECISION, WHICH IS A STEP ALONG THE PROCESS TOWARD LETTING OUT BIDS AND BEGINNING CONSTRUCTION.

UM, SHE TOLD ME THAT INCLUSION OF A 29 MILLION SUGGESTED APPROPRIATION IN THE GOVERNOR'S EXECUTIVE BUDGET WOULD SUFFICE FOR PURPOSES OF SUBMITTING THAT REQUEST FOR RECORD OF DECISION.

SO, SO THAT WAS ONE OF THE THINGS I WANTED TO PIN DOWN WAS WHEN COULD SHE BEGIN THAT PROCESS? AND THE GOVERNOR TYPICALLY ISSUES OUR, OR SUBMITS HIS EXECUTIVE BUDGET TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY, UM, RIGHT BEFORE SESSION STARTS IN JANUARY.

SO I ANTICIPATE THAT THAT EXECUTIVE BUDGET WILL COME OUT IN JANUARY, SOMETIME THE FIRST WEEK, SECOND WEEK IN JANUARY OF 2023.

AT THAT POINT IN TIME, SECRETARY HALL WILL BE IN A POSITION TO SUBMIT THAT REQUEST FOR RECORD DECISION TO THE CORE OF ENGINEERS.

BUT THERE IS ANOTHER TIME CONSTRAINT OR PART OF THE PROCESS THAT, THAT SHE WANTED TO DISCUSS WITH ME.

SHE SAID ALSO MATERIAL IN THIS PROJECT TIMELINE IS THE CONVERSION OF THE CONDITIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT.

THAT'S IN PLACE CONVERTING THAT INTO WHAT THEY INTEND TO MAKE IS A FORMAL FINDING OF NOTION TO GET THE IMPACT, UM, FROM THE FEDS IN REGARD TO THIS PROJECT SO-CALLED FCI.

AND SO WHEN WE REFER TO FONZI, F O N S I, YOU'RE REFERRING TO A FINDING OF NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT IN, IN REGARD.

AND, AND, AND THAT IS ALSO, UH, PART OF THE CRITICAL PATH FORWARD IN THIS PROJECT.

SO I WANNA KEEP YOU, THOSE TWO THINGS IN MIND ARE, ARE RELATED BUT DIFFERENT.

ONE IS THE RECORD DECISION FROM THE CORE.

THE OTHER IS A FONZI FINDING AS PART OF THE NEPA PROCESS.

SHE INDICATED TO ME THAT, UM, AND SHE HAD A COPY OF HILTON HEADS, TOWN OF HILTON HEADS PROPOSED MEMORANDUM AGREEMENT, WHICH WE HAD ATTACHED A SCOPE OF WORK TO, UM, WHICH I WILL JUST SAY HERE AND NOW I HAD A HAND IN DRAFTING, UM, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY IT WAS APPROVED BY COUNCIL AND, AND, AND MR. ORLANDO MET WITH MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY AND WITH COUNCIL IT'S THEIR WORK PRODUCT.

BUT, UM, I I WAS A PART OF THAT PROCESS AND I STAND BY IT.

I MEAN I THINK THAT'S A, A GOOD WORK PRODUCT THAT YOU ALL GENERATED.

SHE HAD THAT IN FRONT OF HER AND SHE SAID TO ME, UM, SENATOR DAVIS, IF THIS SORT OF SCOPE OF WORK IS GOING ON LOCALLY, IF, IF IF THIS, IF THIS IS WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO BE DOING.

UM, AND, AND IF YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE AN INDEPENDENT REVIEW THAT INCLUDES AN ASSESSMENT OF ALTERNATIVES THAT HAVE BEEN PREVIOUSLY CONSIDERED BY THE D O T AND THAT HAD BEEN REJECTED BY THE D O T IN FAVOR OF A PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE THAT THEY'VE PUT FORWARD, THAT IF THERE WAS THAT WORK GOING ON DOWN AT THE LOCAL LEVEL BY THE COUNTY AND THE TOWN THAT SHE FELT IN GOOD FAITH AND IN GOOD CONSCIENCE, THAT SHE COULD NOT MAKE A REQUEST THAT THAT CONDITIONAL EA BE CONVERTED INTO A FORMAL FINDING OF NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT, KNOWING THAT THOSE, THAT DUE DILIGENCE WAS ENGAGING ON THE GROUND.

AND SO I SAID, WELL WHAT'S THE CONSEQUENCE OF THAT? OKAY, THE, SO YOU'RE NOT GOING TO REQUEST A FONZI FINDING UNTIL IF WE DO THIS, YOU'RE NOT GONNA REQUEST IT UNTIL THAT DATA IS IN HAND.

UM, AND SHE SAID THAT'S RIGHT.

AND SHE SAYS SHE DIDN'T NECESSARILY HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THAT, BUT SHE SAID SOME OF YOUR FUNDING PARTNERS ARE GOING TO HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THAT, BY WHICH SHE MEANT THE 120 MILLION THAT THE STATE INFRASTRUCTURE BANK HAD GIVEN A GRANT.

RIGHT THEN AND SAID THIS IS WHAT WE'RE DOING DOWN AT THE LOCAL LEVEL.

UM, I TALKED TO JOHN WHITE CALLED HIM DIRECTLY, RIGHT, RIGHT,

[01:00:01]

UM, THIS IS SOME WORK PRODUCT THAT I WORKED WITH THE TOWN OF HILTON HEAD AND WITH CITIZENS GROUPS AND PUTTING TOGETHER, UM, IT'S CALLING FOR, UH, AN INDEPENDENT REVIEW THAT INCLUDES AN ASSESSMENT OF ALTERNATIVES.

I JUST HAD A CONVERSATION WITH SECRETARY HALL AND SHE INDICATED TO ME THAT IF THAT DEGREE OF DILIGENCE WAS HAPPENING LOCALLY, THAT SHE WAS GOING TO DEFER REQUESTING A FSO DETERMINATION FOR, AND I SAID SIX TO EIGHT MONTHS.

I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S EXACTLY RIGHT, BUT THAT'S, THAT'S THE FIGURE THAT I USED IN KIND OF LAYING OUT.

AND HE INDICATED TO ME AT THAT POINT IN TIME THAT THAT WOULD QUOTE, JEOPARDIZE DIE THE HUNDRED 20 MILLION GRANT.

HE DIDN'T SAY THAT IT WOULD CAUSE THE 120 MILLION GRANT TO BE RESCINDED.

HE DIDN'T SAY THAT.

WELL, WE'RE GONNA GO AHEAD AND, AND ALLOCATE THAT MONEY TO OTHER PROJECTS CUZ THERE ARE OTHER PROJECTS THAT WOULD LIKE THE MONEY.

BUT HE DID SAY IT WOULD JEOPARDIZE THAT GRANT.

AND, AND SO I WANNA BE VERY CLEAR AND GIVE YOU THE BEST INFORMATION THAT I POSSIBLY CAN IN THAT REGARD.

UM, I BELIEVE IT WAS THAT PARTICULAR AND, AND I THINK I SENT CONTEMPORANEOUSLY LATER THAT DAY INFORMATION THAT I HAD LEARNED TO, UH, TOWN COUNCIL AND I THINK ALSO TO COUNTY COUNCIL SO THAT EVERYBODY WAS KIND OF AWARE OF THE FACTS AS WE WERE DEALING WITH THEM.

UM, AS A CONSEQUENCE OF THAT, UM, I BELIEVE, UM, AND THEN I APPEARED A FEW DAYS LATER BEFORE COUNTY COUNCIL, UM, TO DISCUSS OR TO KINDA LAY OUT TO THEM THE TOWN'S FEEDBACK CUZ I, I FELT LIKE IT WAS NOT MY OBLIGATION, BUT I FELT LIKE I WAS IN A POSITION TO LET COUNTY COUNCIL KNOW WHAT THE SENSE OF TOWN COUNCIL WAS IN REGARD TO THE DRAFT THE COUNTY HAD SET OVER.

AND I FOCUSED ON FOUR THINGS.

I I FOCUSED FIRST ON THE SCOPE OF WORK, UM, AND, AND NOTED THAT THERE WAS A, UM, OBVIOUSLY A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE SCOPE OF WORK THAT YOU ALL HAD APPROVED, WHICH INCLUDED AN, UH, REVIEW OF THOSE INDEPENDENT ALTERNATIVES THAT HAD BEEN REJECTED AND THE ONE THAT THE COUNTY WAS CONSIDERING, WHICH WAS MORE OR LESS ALONG THE LINES OF WHAT THE D O T OH, I SHOULD BACK UP.

SO I SAID TO CHRISTY, I SAID, OKAY, GIVEN THE FACT THAT YOU'RE NOT GONNA REQUEST AN ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT, UH, IF YOU'RE GONNA HAVE AN ASSESSMENT OF ALTERNATIVES, OKAY, UM, AND I WANTED TO COME, COME UP WITH AN ALTERNATIVE THAT WAS THE BEST ALTERNATIVE POSSIBLE IN LIEU OF THAT.

AND I SAID, WELL, WHAT, WHAT CAN THEY DO? WHAT CAN THEY DO LOCALLY IN TERMS OF TRYING TO MAKE THIS PROJECT BETTER IN TERMS OF DOING A SIMULATION, IN TERMS OF EXTENDING THE SCOPE OF THAT SIMULATION OUT TO THE CROSS ISLAND PARKWAY IN, IN REGARD TO LOOKING AT WHAT THE IMPACT OF ADAPTIVE TRACK SIGNAL ADAPTIVE TRAFFIC SIGNALIZATION WOULD BE, WHAT IS THE MOST THAT THEY COULD DO DOWN HERE? WELL, THAT AT THE SAME TIME JEOPARDIZING OR, OR WITHOUT THE SAME TIME CAUSING YOU TO DEFER REQUESTING THAT FONZI.

BECAUSE I WANTED THERE TO BE BEFORE YOU ALL THE BEST CASE ALTERNATIVES.

I WANTED, I WANTED, I DIDN'T WANT JUST SIMPLY SAY FOR INSTANCE, UM, YOU CAN'T HAVE WHAT THE TOWN HAS PROPOSED BECAUSE IT'S GONNA LIKE, IT'S GONNA DELAY THE REQUEST FOR A FONZI AND THAT JEOPARDIZES 120 MILLION IN FUNDING AND WE CAN TALK ABOUT THAT.

I ALSO WANTED TO, TO PRESENT BEFORE YOU GUYS THE NEXT BEST ALTERNATIVE.

WHAT COULD YOU DO WITHOUT JEOPARDIZING THAT? SO I PRESSED HER ON THAT.

I DIDN'T HAVE A HAND IN DOING THAT, BUT I SIMPLY SAID TO HER, I WANT THERE TO BE AS MUCH OF A, OF AN EXHAUSTIVE STUDY AND MAKING THIS AS MEANINGFUL AS POSSIBLE TO MAKE THIS A BETTER PROJECT.

GIVE ME WHAT THAT IS WITHOUT IT CAUSING YOU TO DELAY REQUESTING THAT FONZI, THAT'S THE WORK PRODUCT THAT SHE, SHE THEN SUBMITTED ON FRIDAY.

THAT SHE SAID, THESE ARE THINGS THAT YOU COULD DO DOWN AT THAT LOCAL LEVEL.

THAT WOULD BE MEANINGFUL.

OR, OR YOU COULD ASSESS FOR YOURSELF WHERE THAT'S MEANINGFUL, BUT IT'S NOT GOING TO, IT'S NOT GOING TO CAUSE ME TO DELAY THE REQUEST FOR ALFONSI.

AND SO THAT'S WHERE THAT WORK PRODUCT CAME FROM.

IT WAS D O T STAFF REACTING TO THAT URGING ON MY BEHALF.

IS THAT, IS THAT PRETTY MUCH CLEAR? OKAY.

SO, UM, THE TOWN, THE COUNTY THEN TOOK UP ON THAT FOLLOWING MONDAY, UM, A MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT, WHICH HAD ATTACHED TO IT, THAT WORK PRODUCT THAT HAD BEEN PREPARED BY CHRISTIE HALL ON FRIDAY, YOU KNOW, AT MY REQUEST BECAUSE I WANTED TO PRESENT ALTERNATIVES FOR, FOR YOU ALL COUNTY COUNCIL AND TOWN COUNCIL TO CONSIDER.

UM, SO THAT'S WHERE THAT CAME FROM.

SO IN, IN TALKING TO THE COUNTY ON THAT MONDAY EVENING, I POINTED OUT THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THROUGH SCOPE OF WORK, THE SCOPE OF WORK THAT, THAT THE TOWN HAD PASSED AND SENT OVER, AND THE SCOPE OF WORK THAT WAS BEFORE, UM, THE COUNTY COUNCIL THAT NIGHT.

UM, THE MATERIAL DIFFERENCE BEING THE ABSENCE OF ANY ASSESSMENT OF REJECTED ALTERNATIVES IN, IN THE ONE CONSIDERED BY THE COUNTY AS OPPOSED TO THE ONE THAT HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN SUBMITTED BY THE TOWN.

AS YOU'LL RECALL, UM, THE COUNTY HAD SET OVER A DRAFT THAT WAS BEFORE YOU, THAT HAD FIVE MEMBERS, I BELIEVE THREE MEMBERS FROM THE COUNTY, TWO MEMBERS FROM THE TOWN.

SO THAT WAS THE FIRST POINT OF DEPARTURE BETWEEN THE TWO AGREEMENTS.

THE SECOND WAS IN REGARD TO THE SELECTION COMMITTEE.

UM, AS,

[01:05:01]

AND THE DISCUSSION AMONG THE MEMBERS HERE WAS THAT IF YOUR PARTNERS AND IF YOU'RE IN GOOD FAITH WORKING TOGETHER AND YOU'RE GONNA BE COLLABORATIVE, IT OUGHT TO BE THREE AND THREE.

TO HILTON HEAD AND THERE WAS A JOINT MEETING BY THE TOWN AND THE COUNCIL, AND I THINK A LOT OF MEMBERS FROM, FROM BOTH WERE THERE, IF NOT, IF NOT IN THE ENTIRETY.

UM, SO I POINTED OUT THAT, AND, AND, AND TO THEIR CREDIT, THAT THAT HAD BEEN INCLUDED IN THE COUNTY'S VERSION.

IN OTHER WORDS, THEY HAD ADJUSTED WHAT THEY HAD SENT OVER HERE TO INCLUDE A THREE AND THREE.

UM, AND I TRIED TO GIVE THE REASON FOR THAT AS WAS, WAS QUOTED EARLIER, I GUESS I WAS QUOTED ACCURATELY BY SAYING, I THINK THAT THAT COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT IN THAT SELECTION PROCESS WOULD LEND A GREATER DEGREE OF CREDIBILITY TO THE, UH, TO THE CONSULTANT.

AND I DIDN'T MEAN TO SUGGEST BY THAT, THAT OTHERWISE THE COUNTY OR THE TOWN WOULD BEHAVE CORRUPTLY.

I WASN'T MEANING THAT AT ALL.

BUT IN POLITICS AND PUBLIC POLICY, PERCEPTION IS REALITY MOST OF THE TIMES.

AND IF YOU HAVE MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY INVOLVED IN THAT SELECTION PROCESS, I THINK IT ADDRESSES THAT PARTICULAR, UH, ISSUE.

UH, I POINTED THAT OUT TO THEM.

I, I INDICATED THAT, UM, UM, WE NEEDED TO BE, OR THAT THE, THE AGREEMENT SHOULD BE DECLARATIVE IN REGARD TO IT NOT BEING AN IMPLICIT OR EXPLICIT CONSENT BY THE MUNICIPALITY, UH, TO THE PROJECT.

THAT, MY SENSE WAS THAT THE TOWN COUNCIL WASN'T IN A POSITION OR DIDN'T FEEL LIKE IT WAS IN A POSITION YET TO GIVE THAT FINAL CONSENT.

THAT IT WANTED TO SEE THE RESULTS OF WHATEVER THIS INDEPENDENT STUDY WAS GOING TO BE, UM, AND RECEIVE WHAT OTHER INPUT IT WANTED BEFORE IT GAVE ITS MUNICIPAL CONSENT.

AND, AND TO ITS CREDIT, THE, THE, THE COUNTY PUT INTO THIS MEMORANDUM OF AN AGREEMENT AND EXPRESSED ACKNOWLEDGEMENT THAT IT DOES NOT CONSTITUTE MUNICIPAL CONSENT.

UM, AND, AND SINCE THAT WAS A MATTER OF SOME SIGNIFICANCE THAT WAS DEBATED, I, WHEN I MET WITH CHRISTIE HALL, UM, ON THAT PREVIOUS THURSDAY, I SAID, THIS IS GOING TO CONTAIN, THIS MEMBER OF AGREEMENT IS GONNA CONTAIN A RECITATION THAT IS NOT MUNICIPAL CONSENT.

AND SHE GOES, I UNDERSTAND THAT, THAT'S FINE.

MUNICIPAL CONSENTS OFTEN DON'T COME UNTIL MUCH FURTHER IN THE PROCESS WHEN WE'RE ACTUALLY STARTING TO GET RIGHT AWAY ACQUISITIONS OR WE ACTUALLY START TO IMPLEMENT THE PROJECT.

SO WE'RE NOT LOOKING FOR THAT RIGHT NOW.

AND I SAID, WELL, LET ME KNOW WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN, SECRETARY HALL, IF THE THE TOWN DOESN'T GIVE ITS CONSENT, WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN? WHAT'S THE PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS OF THAT? AND SHE SAID TO ME THAT IF THE TOWN DOESN'T GIVE ITS MUNICIPAL CONSENT, AT THE END OF THE DAY THIS PROJECT'S DONE, UM, THAT IT'S NOT GOING FORWARD.

THAT THEY'RE NOT GONNA GO FORWARD, UH, WITH THE PROJECT IN THE ABSENCE OF MUNICIPAL CONSENT.

AND, AND I FELT LIKE I NEEDED TO ASK THAT QUESTION BECAUSE THERE'S BEEN SOME DISCUSSIONS ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT CERTAIN ASPECTS OF THE PROJECT COULD GO FORWARD WITHOUT THE TOWN'S INVOLVEMENT, OR PERHAPS IT COULD BE BIFURCATED AND THE, AND THE PIECE OVER WHICH THE COUNTY HAD JURISDICTION COULD GO FORWARD AND THAT THE PIECE THAT THE TOWN HAD JURISDICTION OVER THAT WOULD BE IN ADVANCE.

NO, THE PROJECT AS A WHOLE, AS AS A PROJECT, IS NOT GONNA GO FORWARD UNLESS THERE'S THAT MUNICIPAL CONSENT AND THIS AGREEMENT, WHATEVER YOU DECIDE TO DO, WHATEVER VERSION YOU ACCEPT, DOES NOT CONSTITUTE THAT MUNICIPAL CONSENT.

SO YOU RETAIN THAT AS A TOWN COUNCIL.

UM, AND THAT IS SOMETHING THAT YOU CAN EITHER GIVE OR NOT GIVE FURTHER DOWNSTREAM.

UM, I THINK THERE'S ONE OR TWO AREAS I POINTED OUT IN REGARD TO, UM, UH, NOMENCLATURE, UM, JUST VARIOUS, UH, DRAFTING STUFF, NOT, NOT REALLY MATERIAL.

THOSE ARE THE MAIN, THE MAIN POINTS OF DIFFERENCE.

UM, SO THAT'S, THAT'S SORT OF WHAT I'VE DONE SINCE TOWN COUNCIL HAD ITS LAST MEETING, UM, SENDING, YOU KNOW, SOME COMMENTS BACK OVER TO THE TOWN.

AND I THINK STAFF HAS BEEN, YOU KNOW, SEAN AND JARED HAVE BEEN WONDERFUL IN THIS, I MEAN, EXTREMELY, VERY, VERY COMPETENT, UM, FOR BOTH TOWN COUNCIL AND COUNTY COUNCIL.

YOU'RE VERY WELL SERVED BY THEM.

UM, SO I THINK THERE'S INFORMATION GOING BACK AND FORTH.

UM, THAT'S WHAT I'VE DONE SINCE I WAS LAST BEFORE YOU.

UM, I'VE TRIED TO PROVIDE YOU AND AS OBJECTIVE WAY AS POSSIBLE, SORT OF LIKE THE, THE FACTORS THAT I THINK YOU NEED TO CONSIDER.

UM, I, I I WILL SAY, UM, AS A MATTER OF, UM, WHERE I STAND ON THIS, UM, THERE'S SOME FRUSTRATION ON MY PART BECAUSE AS WAS ALLUDED TO EARLIER AND EARLY APRIL, THERE WAS AN IMPASSE BETWEEN THE TOWN AND THE COUNTY.

AND I REMEMBER THAT CUZ IT WAS A TUESDAY AND OF THE GENERAL SESSION DAY, AND I GOT LEAVE FROM BEING IN GENERAL SESSION AND CAME DOWN

[01:10:01]

UM, AND WHAT WAS APPROVED BY THIS TOWN COUNCIL ABOUT A MONTH AGO, OR A MONTH AND A HALF AGO, WAS ESSENTIALLY WHAT WE HAD AGREED UPON EVERYBODY IN THAT ROOM IN APRIL.

AND THERE'S A DEGREE OF FRUSTRATION ON MY PART BECAUSE HERE WE ARE SIX MONTHS DOWNSTREAM FROM THAT.

AND, AND WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE DONE, WHICH DOES INCLUDE AN ASSESSMENT OF ALTERNATIVES IS SAID TO HAVE BEEN TIMED OUT OR, OR IT'S TAKING TOO LONG, OR DELAYS WHEN WE COULD HAVE BEEN DOING THIS LAST APRIL.

ALL RIGHT.

I GOT THAT OUTTA THE WAY.

THAT'S WATER UNDER THE BRIDGE, NO PUN INTENDED, BUT IT IS FRUSTRATING TO BE TOLD THAT, THAT WHAT I THINK IS MATERIAL AND WHAT I THINK WOULD PUT THIS TOWN COUNCIL IN THE BEST POSITION TO MAKE A DECISION.

IT IS FRUSTRATING FOR ME TO BE TOLD YOU CAN'T DO THAT.

CAUSE IT'S TAKING TOO LONG AND THE PROJECT'S BEING DELAYED.

WHEN I WAS TRYING TO GET THIS THING DOCUMENTED LAST APRIL, AND AFTER THAT MEETING, I WENT AHEAD AND DRAFTED UP AGREEMENTS.

YOU KNOW, I MEAN, I I'M A REAL ESTATE LAWYER, OKAY? I'M NOT, NOT, I MEAN, I'M NOT, I MEAN, BUT I WANTED THIS THING TO BE DONE AND FOR WHATEVER REASON IT WASN'T DONE.

AND ULTIMATELY, THE TOWN FINALLY TOOK A BULL BY THE HORNS, PASSED A MEMOR AGREEMENT AND SENT IT OVER.

WANNA GET THAT OUTTA THE WAY? AND I WANT YOU TO LET YOU KNOW WHERE I STAND, OKAY? I STAND, I, I STILL THINK THAT HAVING A REVIEW OF THOSE ALTERNATIVES IS MATERIAL TO YOU MAKING AN INFORMED DECISION.

HOWEVER, AS AN HONEST BROKER, I'VE GOTTA GIVE YOU THE ALTERNATIVES.

I GOTTA GIVE YOU GOOD FACTS UPON WHICH TO BASE YOUR DECISIONS.

UM, THE 120 MILLION GRANT HAS BEEN TOLD BY ME, BY THE SIP CHAIRMAN TO BE IN JEOPARDY IF THE REQUEST FOR A FONZI IS DELAYED BY SIX TO EIGHT MONTHS.

THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT HE TOLD ME.

NOW, LET ME SAY THIS, IT'S A PAYMENT BUTT TO GO AHEAD AND GET THAT 120 MILLION.

I MEAN, I REMEMBER TRYING TO GET IT WORKING WITH COUNTY COUNCIL ASHLEY JACOBS AT THE TIME, THE CITY MANAGER, I MEAN THE, UH, THE COUNTY MINISTRY AT THE TIME.

UM, AND WE GOT IT.

WE GOT THE 120 MILLION GRANT, AND THAT WAS THE LARGEST GRANT THAT ANY, ANY OTHER AREA GOT.

I MEAN, EVERYBODY PULLED TOGETHER THE TOWN, THE COUNTY DID A GREAT JOB AND GETTING THAT $120 MILLION AND IT WOULD BE A PAIN TO GO AFTER IT AGAIN, BUT WE COULD GO AFTER AND GET IT AGAIN.

OKAY? SO I, I SAY THAT TO SAY THIS, IF THE 120 MILLION ENDS UP BEING REALLOCATED ELSEWHERE, BECAUSE SOME OTHER PROJECT IS FURTHER ALONG IN BEING READY, THAT DOES NOT FOR STALL THE POSSIBILITY OF GETTING MONEY IN THE FUTURE, OKAY? I WANNA BE VERY CLEAR ABOUT THAT.

HILTON HEAD IS A HUGE ECONOMIC DRIVER FOR THE STATE.

THE STATE IS NOT GOING TO LEAVE HILTON HEAD CRIPPLED AND UNABLE TO PROVIDE FOR THE SAFETY OF ITS CITIZENS AND TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S A VIABLE AND, AND, AND HEALTHY ECONOMIC ENGINE THAT'S NOT GONNA DO THAT.

OKAY? SO YEAH, I I DON'T WANT SEE THE 120 MILLION GO AWAY AND BE ALLOCATED SOMEBODY ELSE AND MAY MAKE ME ANGRY.

OKAY? BUT BY THE SAME TOKEN, I WANNA BE HONEST WITH YOU, AND THAT WE COULD IN ANOTHER APPLICATION TO THE C GET FUNDS, WE'RE GONNA GET FUNDS AT SOME POINT.

MOREOVER, AND THE REASON I BROKE DOWN IN ADVANCE, THOSE COMPONENTS OF THE, OF THE 328 MILLION OVERALL COST, THE REST ARE STILL IN PLACE.

THE HUNDRED 1 MILLION THAT THE COUNTY HAS, THE $72 MILLION THAT THE D O T HAS, UM, THE PIECE THAT'S TAKEN OUT, OF COURSE IS 120 MILLION.

AND THAT'S A LOT OF MONEY.

I UNDERSTAND THAT.

SO I GUESS THIS IS PROBABLY A GOOD TIME AS I NEED TO BE QUIET AND ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS Y'ALL MIGHT HAVE.

WHY DON'T WE GET RIGHT INTO, SEAN, CAN YOU STAY AROUND? SURE.

I'LL, I'LL MOVE TO ONE SIDE.

AND SEAN, YOU AND JAR YIELD TO SEAN MAYOR, COUNCIL ACCOUNT MANAGER, SENATOR DAVIS.

UM, WE'RE ALSO PREPARED TO TALK ABOUT THE NEPA PROCESS AND, AND PUT UP A WORKFLOW.

HAPPY TO BE BEFORE, BE BEFORE YOU AGAIN.

UM, AT THIS MEETING, I THINK SENATOR DAVIS COVERED, UH, PROBABLY 90% OF WHAT I WAS GONNA WALK THROUGH WITH YOU TODAY.

BUT JARED AND I, UM, WE'RE GONNA DO THE COMPARATIVE ASSESSMENT OF THE DOCUMENT THAT WE DELIVERED TO THE COUNTY, UM, AS, UH, THAT COMPILED THE FEEDBACK THAT TOWN COUNCIL PROVIDED ON SEPTEMBER 20TH.

UM, AND THEN THE REACTION OR THE, OR THE REVISIONS THAT WERE MADE BY THE COUNTY AND, AND BE ABLE TO DISCUSS THEM WITH YOU.

I THINK THE SENATOR HAS COVERED THE MATERIAL CHANGES, UH, BETWEEN WHAT WE HAD DELIVERED AND, UM, AND, AND WHAT THE COUNTY, UH, COUNCIL ADOPTED ON MONDAY.

UM, MR. MAYOR, I'M HAPPY TO GO THROUGH THAT IF, IF YOU NEED.

UM, BUT OTHER THAN O UH, I WOULD SAY OTHER, UH, SENATOR DAVIS HAS COVERED EVERYTHING OTHER THAN THE FACT THAT I WILL CONTINUE TO CALL IT THE WILLIAM MILTON PARKWAY GATEWAY CORRIDOR PROJECT, AND THE COUNTY WILL CONTINUE TO CALL IT THE US TWO SEVENTY EIGHT, UM, GATEWAY PROJECT.

[01:15:01]

UM, BUT MAY, I'M GONNA LEAVE IT UP TO YOU IF YOU WANT US TO WALK THROUGH THE, THE RED LINE VERSION OF THE MOA, UM, AT WHAT WE'VE SENT TO THE COUNTY AND, AND WHAT WAS DELIVERED BACK.

ANYBODY WANT TO GO THROUGH LINE, LINE? CAN SEE, I BE, PARDON, SIR? ANYBODY WANT TO GO THROUGH LINE BY LINE? I DON'T HAVE A NEED TO GO THROUGH IT LINE BY LINE.

I'VE STUDIED THE VERY CAREFUL MEMO THAT YOU PREPARED FOR US, AND SO I DON'T FEEL A NEED FOR THAT.

AND, AND I THINK SENATOR DAVIS DID A A GREAT JOB CLARIFYING, I MEAN, HE HIT ALL THE MAJOR CHANGES FROM THE COUNTY'S VERSION TO, OR THE TOWN'S VERSION TO THE COUNTY'S VERSION.

SO, JOEL, FOR WELL, I, I WAS PREPARED IF, IF, UH, DESIRE TO KIND OF TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE NEPA PROCESS AND WHAT FONZI IS, IF THAT'S DESIRED WORKFLOW.

SO SEAN, SEAN'S ABLE TO FIND A GOOD WORKFLOW OF THE NEPA PROCESS.

IS THAT US? UH, UH, JARED, BEFORE YOU BEGIN, COULD YOU TELL US WHAT THE GOAL OF THE NEPA PROCESS IS? YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.

UM, LET'S PULL UP A DIAGRAM AND THEN THAT'LL FEED INTO THE GOAL AND THE PURPOSE.

IS THAT HELPFUL? YES.

THEY THINK BASED OFF PROJECT EXPERIENCE AND OTHER PROJECTS THEY'VE WORKED ON WHERE THEY THINK THIS SHOULD RUN.

ABSOLUTELY.

ALL RIGHT.

SO THIS WILL HELP US AS WE TALK THROUGH WHAT NEPA IS AND THE GOAL AND THE PURPOSE.

SO, NEPA IS A NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION ACT, WHICH WAS SIGNED INTO LAW BY, UH, PRESIDENT NIXON IN 1970.

UM, THERE'S TWO MAIN, THIS IS THE FIRST MAJOR ENVIRONMENTAL LAW THAT WAS ESTABLISHED.

UM, SO IT WAS A BIG DEAL BACK IN THE 1970.

OBVIOUSLY WE STILL USE IT.

SO IT WAS VERY SIGNIFICANT.

UH, THERE'S TWO MAIN PURPOSES OF NPA.

IT WAS, ONE, TO MAKE BETTER INFORMED DECISIONS ON FEDERALLY FUNDED PROJECTS AND TO ENSURE THAT THERE WAS ADEQUATE CITIZEN INVOLVEMENT.

SO THOSE WERE THE TWO PURPOSES.

UM, SO ONCE A PROJECT IS A ESTABLISHED OR INITIATED, THERE'S A PROPOSED ACTION, UM, OR NEED PURPOSE NEED STATEMENT.

UM, FOR THE PURPOSE AND NEED OF THIS PROJECT IS TO REPLACE THE, UH, SPAN OF BRIDGES THAT ARE, THAT ARE IN AN UNSAFE CONDITION AS FAR AS NOT UNSAFE, BUT A, UM, STRUCTURALLY DEFICIENT, UH, POSITION AS WELL AS CONGESTION.

THOSE WERE THE TWO PURPOSE AND NEEDS AT THE, AS THE ACTION STATEMENT FOR THIS PROJECT, THERE'S ALWAYS A LEAD AGENCY.

SO DEPENDING ON WHAT TYPE OF PROJECT IT IS, UH, WHETHER IT'S LEAD IS IS THE ARMY OR FAA, OR IN THIS CASE, FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION.

SO THAT IS THE LEAD AGENCY OF THE PROJECT.

UH, WHEN THEY DO THAT, THEN YOU START WORKING THROUGH.

SO THAT'S WHERE, UM, AND MAYBE IF I ZOOM IN A LITTLE BIT, LET ME TRY TO, JARED, IS THERE A MINIMUM SIZE TO QUALIFY FOR THIS? YES, THERE IS.

AND THAT'S WHERE THIS, THERE'S THREE AVENUES.

SO FIRST, UM, YOU KIND OF ESTABLISH THAT PURPOSE IN NEED.

UH, THEN THE NUMBER TWO, YOU GO DOWN AND SAY, OKAY, WHAT IS THE SIZE OF THE PROJECT? THE SCALE OF THE PROJECT, UM, DEPENDING ON THE SCALE OF THE PROJECT, YOU HAVE THREE ALTERNATIVES.

ONE IS A CATEGORIAL EXCLUSION.

SO THAT'S BASICALLY, WE DON'T ANTICIPATE THERE'RE BEING VERY MUCH NEED OF, UH, IMPACTS.

UM, THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING LIKE A, A SIGNAL IMPROVEMENT.

UM, SO WE MIGHT HAVE TO BUY SOME RIGHT AWAY TO MAKE SOME DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENTS, BUT OVERALL IT'S PRETTY CONTAINED.

WE DON'T SEE THIS BEING A BIG ISSUE.

UM, SO THAT WOULD TAKE YOU DOWN THE LEFT SIDE OF THIS BLOW CHART.

THE SECOND ONE IS AN ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT.

SO THAT ONE'S SAYING THAT YES, THERE'S PROBABLY SOME ANTICIPATED IMPACTS, UH, AND THE WAY THEY QUALIFY THAT AS HUMAN ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS.

SO EVERYTHING THAT IS ENCOMPASSED, ENVIRONMENTAL, HUMAN, SOCIAL, ALL OF THE ABOVE.

SO IF THERE IS IMPACTS, PARTICIPATE, LET, LET ME JUMP IN.

UM, AND HE IS RIGHT.

IT'S HU IT'S THE HUMAN ENVIRONMENT.

AND A LOT OF TIMES WHEN YOU HEAR ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT, EVERYONE THINKS IT'S NATURAL RESOURCE IMPACT, BUT IT IS, IT'S SOCIAL, IT'S CULTURAL, IT'S ECONOMIC AND NATURAL RESOURCE IMPACT.

AND I'LL JUST POINT OUT FOR THE EA IT KICKS INTO EA TOO WHEN THERE, WHEN THERE'S, UM, MORE THAN ONE WAY TO ACHIEVE THE, THE RESULT, RIGHT? AND SO BECAUSE THERE'S A RANGE OF ALTERNATIVES, KICKS IT INTO THE EA, UM, WHETHER OR NOT IT HAS MORE IMPACT AND THE HUMAN ENVIRONMENT WILL KICK IT POTENTIALLY IN THE E, BUT I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY THAT POINT.

YEP.

SO, UM, AND THEN THIRDLY, ON THE RIGHT IS AN ENVIRONMENTAL, UH, IMPACT STUDY.

SO EACH OF THESE ARE THE NAME OF THE DOCUMENT THAT IS WORKED UP AND THEN SUBMITTED AT THE END.

SO AS YOU GO THROUGH ON THE LEFT, UH, AGAIN, THAT'S THE CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION.

UH, AND THEN IN THE CENTER, UM, AT THE BEGINNING OF THE PROJECT, THE LEAD AGENCY WORKS WITH THE COOPERATING AGENCIES AND OTHER SPONSOR AGENCIES TO DETERMINE WHAT

[01:20:01]

NOW, UM, EACH ONE OF THESE, AS YOU CAN SEE AS IT GOES FROM THREE TO FOUR, YOU GET TO A DECISION POINT.

AND IF YOU DID RUN INTO A CIRCUMSTANCE AND IT GOES BACK UP AND STARTS IN THE MIDDLE AT NUMBER FIVE, SAME THING IN THE MIDDLE IS THE EA YOU GET DOWN TO A DECISION POINT.

DID YOU ACTUALLY RUN INTO SIGNIFICANT IMPACTS? IF SO, YOU GO BACK UP TO NUMBER EIGHT.

AND NUMBER EIGHT IS THE E WHERE THE MAJOR STUDY GOES.

IT'S NOT SAYING THAT THE IMPACTS, UM, WHEN WE SAY FONZI, UM, THAT IS A FINDING OF NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACTS.

THAT DOES NOT MEAN THERE ARE NO IMPACTS TO THE PROJECT.

THIS IS ON A RELATIVE SCALE.

SO AGAIN, WE HAVE A SMALL INTERSECTION PROJECT VERSUS A CORRIDOR PROJECT VERSUS A PORT PROJECT ON A UNDISTURBED BARRIER ISLAND, THAT WOULD BE AN ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STUDY.

SO THOSE ARE RELATIVE TO ONE ANOTHER ARE THE IMPACT SIGNIFICANT.

NOW, EVERY IMPACT THAT WE HAVE ON A PROJECT IS SIGNIFICANT TO THAT INDIVIDUAL OR THAT HOMEOWNER OR PROPERTY OWNER THAT IS, THAT IS NOT MAKING LIGHT OF THAT SITUATION.

IT'S JUST RELATIVE TO ALL THE PROJECTS THAT THE FEDERAL AGENCIES WORK THROUGH.

UH, SO JAR, WHEN THE PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE WAS IDENTIFIED, UH, PRECEDING THAT, WHAT, WHAT IMPACT OR WHAT INFLUENCE OF ANY DID NEPA HAVE ON THAT? SO, UM, IN OTHER WORDS, WERE ARRIVING AT THE PREFERRED CHOICE.

PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE.

WAS THAT OBLIVIOUS OF THIS PROCESS, OR WAS IT, UH, IT WAS IN LINE WITH THIS PROCESS.

IT WAS IN LINE WITH THAT PROCESS.

SO YEAH.

SO THIS PROCESS, AS YOU'RE GOING DOWN TO, SO, SO WE'VE BEEN INDIRECTLY BUILDING A A LO WE'VE BEEN BUILDING A LOGIC YES.

PATH, UH, THAT'S BEEN GUIDED, UH, VERY CAREFULLY BY NPA.

YES, I'M PUTTING VERY CAREFULLY WITH WAS, LET ME EXPLAIN, UM, WHAT'S BEEN INVOLVED AND WHAT'S TAKEN PLACE SO FAR.

AND YOU'LL GET A BETTER UNDERSTANDING THAT THIS HAS BEEN A VERY THOROUGH PROCESS, UM, TO AGAIN, ENSURE THAT BETTER DECISIONS ARE MADE.

WE'RE ALL MAKING A BETTER DECISION THAN WHAT WE WOULD'VE MADE TWO YEARS AGO, THREE YEARS AGO ON THIS PROJECT BECAUSE OF ALL THE INVOLVEMENT WE'VE HAD.

AND THERE'S BEEN A TON OF PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT IN THIS PROJECT.

SO, UH, ON THIS SPECIFIC PROJECT, UH, AS MENTIONED, FEDERAL HIGHWAY IS THE LEAD AGENCY.

HOWEVER, FEDERAL HIGHWAY AND E D O T ARE JOINT TOGETHER AS THE JOINT LEAD AGENCIES.

THEY'RE WORKING TOGETHER TO HELP, UM, DIRECT THE PROCESS.

UM, THE FEDERAL HIGHWAY AT THE BEGINNING HELPED DETERMINE WHICH AVENUE THAT WE SHOULD GO DOWN BASED OFF THEIR EXPERIENCE.

THAT'S HOW WE ENDED UP IN THE MIDDLE, IN THE EA.

UM, THERE'S A QUARTERLY OR A, UM, A COORDINATED MONTHLY MEETING BETWEEN FEDERAL HIGHWAY AND SC D O T ALL THE WAY SINCE 2018 WHEN THIS WAS INITIATED.

THEY MEET QUARTERLY.

SO FEDERAL HIGHWAY IS VERY INVOLVED.

THEY'RE ALSO A PARTICIPANT AT ALL THE PUBLIC INFORMATION MEETINGS.

THEY HAVE BEEN THERE AND BEEN INVOLVED THROUGH THAT PROCESS.

IN ADDITION TO THE TWO LEAD AGENCIES, THERE'S THREE COOPERATING AGENCIES, WHICH IS THE US CAR, UH, ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS, THE US FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE, AND THE US COAST GUARD SERVICE.

THOSE ARE THREE MAJOR STAKEHOLDERS.

IN ADDITION TO THAT, THERE'S EIGHT, UM, FEDERAL, STATE, TRIBAL OR LOCAL AGENCIES IDENTIFIED AS AGENCIES WITH INTEREST.

AND THOSE INCLUDE THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY, UH, NOAH, NATIONAL MARINE FISHERIES SERVICE, CATAWBA, INDIAN NATION, SOUTH CAROLINA, DEPARTMENT OF ARCHIVES AND HISTORY, SOUTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT, HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL, DHEC, UH, SOUTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT HEALTH, UH, OCEAN AND COASTAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT, OCRM AND SOUTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES.

SO THERE'S, UH, SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE PROJECT, ALL THOSE ENTITIES, FEDERAL AGENCIES AND STATE AGENCIES, UM, HAVE BEEN MEETING ON A PERIODICAL BASIS.

THERE HAS BEEN FIVE COORDINATING AGENCY MEETINGS, UM, THROUGHOUT THE LIFE OF THIS PROJECT ALL THE WAY BACK TO 2018.

SO IS IT FAIR TO SAY THEN THAT THE OPTION, THE PREFERRED OPTION, UH, REFLECTS OR IS CONSISTENT WITH THE THINKING OF THESE AGENCIES? ALL OF THOSE AGENCIES HAVE BEEN REVIEWING AND ADDRESSING COMMENTS AND PROVIDING COMMENTS TO EACH OF THE ALTERNATIVES FROM WHEN WE STARTED THE 17, TO NARROW IT DOWN TO NINE, TO NARROW IT DOWN TO ONE, TO NARROW IT DOWN TO A MODIFIED ONE.

THEY HAVE ALL PROVIDED IMPACT THROUGH THAT PROCESS.

ADDITIONALLY, ON THE PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT, CITIZEN INVOLVEMENT, UM, THE FEDERAL HIGHWAY, THEY REQUIRE ONE SINGLE PUBLIC HEARING.

D O T GOES A STEP

[01:25:01]

FURTHER.

WHENEVER THEY INITIATE A PROJECT, THEY REQUIRE ONE PUBLIC INFORMATION MEETING AND ONE PUBLIC HEARING.

WHAT WE'VE DONE ON THIS PROJECT, WE'VE HAD THREE PUBLIC INFORMATION MEETINGS AND ONE HEARING.

SO WE'VE GONE ABOVE AND BEYOND IN THAT PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT PROCESS.

UM, ADDITIONALLY, AS FAR AS GETTING THE WORD OUT, UH, THERE'S BEEN NEWSPAPER ADS, UH, ROAD SIGN, PHYSICAL ROAD SIGNS, BUS WRAPS, OVER 4,500 POSTCARDS TO RESIDENTS, FLYERS WITHIN THE WATER BILLS, SOCIAL MEDIA, TRADITIONAL MEDIA NEWSLETTERS, EMAILS, SMALL BUSINESS OUTREACH AND CHURCH OUTREACH.

UM, ONE, ONE COMMUNITY THAT'S DIRECTLY AFFECTED AS THE STONY COMMUNITY ON THE ISLAND.

14 CULTURAL, UM, COMMUNITIES WITHIN THE ISLAND.

THREE OF THOSE, UM, ARE, ARE WITHIN THE STONY AREA.

UM, AND THERE HAVE BEEN 12 MEETINGS WITH THE DESIGN TEAM AND THE COMMUNITY SPECIFICALLY ON THIS PROJECT.

UM, SO THERE HAS BEEN A CONTINUED EFFORT THROUGH NEPA AS THE GUIDING FUNNEL TO GET TO WHERE WE ARE TODAY.

UM, SO IT'S NOT AS IF THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS THOUGHT OF AND THEN WE WENT TO WORK.

THIS IS ALL LEADING TOWARDS THE PROCESS.

SO THE FINDING OF NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT IS NOT THE END.

IT'S JUST ANOTHER STEP IN THE PROCESS.

UM, IF THEY GET TO THE FACT THAT THERE IS IMPACTS FOUND, UH, THEN AGAIN, IT WOULD LEAD US BACK TO THE E.

HOWEVER, CO THROUGH COORDINATION WITH FEDERAL HIGHWAY, UM, THEY'VE BEEN INVOLVED FROM THE VERY ONSET.

THEY'RE THE ONES THAT DIRECTED D O T TO START AND GO THROUGH THE ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT BECAUSE THEY FELT THAT THAT WAS THE APPROPRIATE, UM, LEVEL FOR THIS CORRIDOR PROJECT.

AND THEY'VE BEEN ON THE QUARTERLY MEETING OR THE MONTHLY MEETING AND ALL THE PUBLIC INFORMATION IN PUBLIC HEARINGS.

UM, SO THEY'RE COMFORTABLE WHERE THE PROJECT IS IN ITS CURRENT STATUS AND ARE BASICALLY WAITING THIS SUBMITTAL FROM D O T.

SO THAT'S AN OVERVIEW OF NPA AND WE GLADLY TAKE ANY QUESTIONS TO THAT PROCESS OR WHAT WE'VE DONE ON OUR PROJECT REGARDING THAT.

YEAH, I GOT, I GOT JUST, JUST TWO, MR. MAN.

UM, SO, UH, JARED, YOU, YOU MENTIONED A, UM, A NUMBER OF AGENCIES THAT ARE INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS.

ARE THOSE WHAT YOU WERE, UH, DESCRIBING AS PARTNERS? SO THE, I WOULD SAY THE KEY STAKEHOLDERS AND PARTNERS ARE, ARE THE COUNTY, THE TOWN, D O T, AND FEDERAL HIGHWAY.

THOSE ARE, AND, AND THE CIV.

THOSE ARE WHERE THE FEDERAL FUNDINGS ARE COMING FROM.

, UM, EVERYBODY ELSE IS A STAKEHOLDER OR PARTNER, SO WHATEVER TERM YOU CHOOSE.

AND, UH, I GUESS MY, MY OTHER QUESTION IS FOR SENATOR DAVIS AS IT RELATES TO THIS CHART THAT'S IN FRONT OF US.

UH, SO I, I GUESS WHAT I'M HEARING FROM THE SIP CHAIR, SENATOR DAVIS, IS THAT THE WHOLE IDEA OF RESPECTING THE NEPA PROCESS AS IT RELATES TO IF FONZI WAS NOT, UH, GIVEN, BUT THEN, UH, THE WHOLE IDEA OF E AND THAT ROUTE, THEY DON'T RESPECT THAT, IS WHAT I'M UNDERSTANDING.

FOR FUTURE GRANT APPLICATIONS.

I THINK I CAN ANSWER THAT.

SURE.

SO IT'S NOT THAT THE CB DOESN'T RESPECT THAT, UM, THAT WHEN WE APPLIED TO THE CB APPLICATION, UH, THE COUNTY AND THE TOWN, UM, WE HAD ALREADY INITIATED THE ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT PROCESS BASED OFF THE DIRECTION WITH FEDERAL HIGHWAY AND S E D O T.

SO SHOULD THAT CHANGE, THAT WOULD CHANGE THEIR VIEW OF THAT THIS BEING AS CLOSE TO SHOVEL READY AS IT COULD BE? OKAY.

THEY MAY, THEY MAY, UM, CHANGE THEIR, THEIR TIMING OF THE FUNDING.

NOW, AS SENATOR DAVIS MENTIONED, IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT YOU CAN'T GO BACK, BUT THIS WOULD DEFINITELY BE AN EXTENDED PROCESS.

THAT'S, THAT'S ENOUGH.

THAT ANSWERS MY QUESTION.

AND, AND, AND PUT A FINE POINT ON THAT.

JARED JUST SAID, AND CHAIRMAN WHITE SAID THIS TO ME AS WELL, THAT, THAT HE WANTS TO WORK WITH US DOWN HERE AND HE, AND HE WANTS TO ACCOMMODATE DOWN HERE, BUT HE ALSO SAID THAT WHAT HE IS ESTABLISHING IS PRECEDENCE OKAY.

AND, AND HE STRESSED TO ME THAT HE WAS WORRIED ABOUT THE PRECEDENT IT WOULD SET, UM, IF, IF THIS NEPA PROCESS WAS DELAYED EVEN FURTHER.

SO, SO I, I, I WANTED TO MAKE THAT COMMENT AS WELL.

LET'S DO IT.

LET'S DO IT THIS WAY.

TO CONSIDER APPROVAL OF THIS REVISED MOA.

MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL, HOW QUESTIONS READY FOR SENATOR DAVIS, GARRETT AND SEAN, AND THEN WE'LL GO TO THE PUBLIC QUESTIONS, COME LOOKING BACK FOR VOTE.

ANY QUESTION FOR SENATOR DAVIS BY MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL? I THINK I WOULD HAVE A QUESTION, AND I'M NOT SURE WHETHER IT GOES TO THE SENATOR OR TO OUR, UH, TWO ABLE, UH, EXPERTS HERE, BUT WE ARE HERE

[01:30:01]

AND WHAT I WANT TO KNOW IS, ARE THERE MATERIAL DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE COUNTY'S POINT OF VIEW ON THIS MOA AND THE TOWN'S POINT OF VIEW ON THE MOA? IT APPEARS TO ME THAT THEY HAVE MELDED TOGETHER.

UM, I UNDERSTAND THE SENATOR'S FRUSTRATION ABOUT THE FACT THAT WE WON'T BE ABLE TO RECONSIDER ALTERNATIVES, BUT OTHER THAN THAT, THERE ARE THERE MATERIAL DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE TOWN AND COUNTY, I WOULD SAY OTHER THAN THE, UM, ANALYZING THE OTHER ALTERNATIVES, THAT THAT WAS PROBABLY THE BIGGEST SUBSTANT OF CHANGE, UM, FROM WHAT WAS PREVIOUS TO WHERE WE ARE TODAY.

YEAH, AND I, I'D SAY THERE'S ONE OTHER SORT OF MATERIAL DIFFERENCE.

THE MOA THAT TOWN COUNCIL, UM, SUPPORTED AND WE SENT, UM, SAID THAT WE WOULDN'T SUBMIT FOR THE FONZI UNTIL IT WAS THE, UNTIL THIS END TO END ASSESSMENT WAS COMPLETE.

AND IN THE, IN THE APPROVED COUNTY COUNCIL MOA, IT SAYS THAT THAT WOULD BE SUBMITTED CONCURRENTLY WITH A CAVEAT THAT ANY FINDINGS FROM THE END TO END COULD BE PROVIDED IN A SUPPLEMENTAL DOCUMENT AFTER THE FONZI.

IS THAT CORRECT? YEAH, YOU'RE RIGHT.

THE EXPLANATION THAT YOU'VE GIVEN US HERE ABOUT HOW THE FONZI OCCURS AND THAT IT, IT WOULD BE STIMULATED BY S E D O T RESOLVES THAT ISSUE TO ME, IT'S JUST PART OF THE PROCESS.

IS THERE ANY QUESTIONS FOR GARY? WELL, MAY I FOLLOW UP ON THAT THOUGH? SURE CAN.

OKAY, THANKS.

SO IF THROUGH THE, UM, INDEPENDENT STUDY, UM, NEW FACTORS, NEW DATA ARE DETERMINED TO EXIST AND THE FONZI HAS ALREADY BEEN SUBMITTED, DOESN'T THAT REQUIRE THAT THE FNC BE RECONSIDERED? YES.

SO JUST BECAUSE THEY GO CONCURRENTLY DOESN'T NECESSARILY MEAN THAT IT GETS APPROVED PRIOR TO THE INDEPENDENT REVIEW.

SO THERE WOULD BE AN OPPORTUNITY SHOULD, UM, A FINDING OUT OF THE INDEPENDENT REVIEW BE, UH, IDENTIFIED.

UH, IF IT WAS SIGNIFICANT ENOUGH THAT IT CHANGED THE IMPACT ANALYSIS MM-HMM.

, UM, THEN NEW DOCUMENTS COULD BE UPDATED AND PROVIDED BACK TO FEDERAL HIGHWAY, UM, FOR THE DECISION.

IF IT WAS A SIGNIFICANT CHANGE BUT IT DIDN'T IMPACT THE DECISION, THEN IT COULD JUST BE INCORPORATED INTO THE FINAL DESIGN.

SO WHAT I, I HEARD A COUPLE OF LITTLE THINGS THAT I JUST WANNA GET CLARIFICATION ON AND, AND ONE OF THOSE HAS TO DO WITH WHETHER OR NOT THERE WOULD BE A REVISITATION OF THE PREVIOUSLY CONSIDERED ALTERNATIVES.

AND, AND I'M NOT SURE THAT THAT'S NECESSARILY THE ROUTE THAT WERE, THAT THE DATA MIGHT DRIVE US TO, RIGHT? IT MAY IN FACT DRIVE US TO A DIFFERENT CONCLUSION, SOME CHANGES THAT WEREN'T CONSIDERED BEFORE.

THIS IS NEW DATA, REAL TIME FACTORS HAVE CHANGED EXPECTATIONS, ASSUMPTIONS HAVE CHANGED.

AND SO THEREFORE, THOSE THAT WERE PREVIOUSLY IDENTIFIED VERY WELL MAY NOT BE THE TITLE.

LOOK, THAT MAY BE GIVEN, THERE MAY BE SOMETHING NEW.

AND ACTUALLY I THINK THAT'S PROBABLY VERY LIKELY, I THINK WE CAN ALL KIND OF AGREE ON THAT.

SO THE FONZI THEN WOULD NECESSARILY HAVE TO BE REVIEWED AND REDONE IN LIGHT OF THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WOULD COME OUT OF THE END TO END STUDY? CORRECT.

SO WITH THE SCOPE OF THE STUDY AS, AS D O T PROVIDED AND SENATOR DAVIS SENT OUT TO EVERY, AND THAT'S WHAT GOT INCLUDED IN THE COUNTY, UM, APPROVED MOA, THE, THE CONSULTANT WOULDN'T BE LOOKING AT, WE ALL REMEMBER THE SPAGHETTI MODEL.

SURE.

WITH, SO THEY WOULDN'T BE LOOKING AT THE SPAGHETTI MODEL OF ALTERNATIVES, BUT THEY WOULD BE LOOKING AT ALTERNATIVES WITHIN THE CURRENT ALIGNMENT.

SO IF THERE WAS IMPROVEMENTS THAT, SAY SPECIFICALLY, I THINK WE ALL CAN REMEMBER IN THE PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE, WE DIDN'T HAVE A LEFT TURN ON THE SQUARE POPE AND YOU HAD A DOUBLE LEFT TURN ON THE OLD WILD HORSE AND A U-TURN MOVEMENT.

SO IN THE MODIFIED THAT GOT, UH, ADJUSTED AND BASICALLY MOVED BACK TO SQUIRE POPE AS, AS ORIGINALLY DESIRED.

SO IN DOING THAT, IT ACTUALLY, THE TRAFFIC ABILITY GOT SLIGHTLY NOT AS WELL, BUT IT, THE IMPACTS THE, UM, ENVIRONMENTAL AND OTHER IMPACTS WERE THE SAME OR NEGLIGIBLE OR ARE SLIGHTLY EVEN BETTER.

SO IF THERE WAS OTHER ALTERNATIVES IN THE CURRENT ALIGNMENT THAT IMPROVED THAT WERE EQUAL OR BETTER THAN WHAT'S BEEN DESIGNED THUS FAR, THOSE WOULD, UM, GLADLY BE WELCOMED AND INCORPORATED GLADLY AND BE WELCOMED, INCORPORATED BY HOME, BY THE

[01:35:01]

PROJECT, BY THE PROJECT.

THE SIX PEOPLE SITTING ON THAT PANEL.

SO THOSE SIX PEOPLE SITTING ON THE PANEL WOULD, EVA WOULD UH, SELECT THE CONSULTANT, THE CONSULTANT AND HELP GUIDE THE CONSULTANT THROUGH THEIR PROCESS.

O T, SO OUT OF, OUT OF THE AREA CONSULTANT.

AND THEN THE CONSULTANT WOULD MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS OR PRESENT PRESENTATION TO BOTH CITY AND OUR TOWN STAFF, OUR TOWN COUNCIL AND COUNTY COUNCIL.

SO, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT I'VE ARRIVED AT A PLACE WHERE I WANNA BRING UP THE FACT THAT WHEN WE BEGAN THIS PROJECT FOUR YEARS AGO OR BETTER, THERE WAS A FOCUS BY THE TOWN OF HILTON HEAD TO, UM, ARRANGE FOR A CITIZEN ADVISORY COMMITTEE.

RIGHT? THE 2 78 CORRIDOR COMMITTEE, ALL STAKEHOLDERS AND CITIZENS OF HILTON HEAD TOWN COUNCIL SAT BACK, I'M NOT GONNA SAY ACQUIESCED THOUGH, I OFTEN FEEL THAT WE GAVE OUR, UM, LEADERSHIP OVER TO THIS CITIZEN COMMITTEE AND THEN HERE WE ARE AT THIS JUNCTURE WHERE WE'RE TRYING TO AGREE ON WHO IT IS THAT WILL MAKE THESE FINE DETAIL DECISIONS.

ONCE THIS DATA IS COLLECTED, AND WE ARE ONCE AGAIN GIVING UP THAT RESPONSIBILITY TO OUR RESIDENTS AND OUR CITIZENS OF HILTON HEAD TO SIX UNELECTED, SOME WHO DON'T EVEN LIVE ON HILTON HEAD STAFF MEMBERS, IT IS ABSOLUTELY IMPERATIVE THAT WE INCLUDE CITIZENS AND PERHAPS EVEN A COUNCIL MEMBER OR TWO ON THIS PROJECT.

THAT'S THE WAY IT STARTED.

THAT'S THE WET MESS HAPPENED IN THE END.

AND THIS COUNCIL NEEDS TO BE RESPONSIBLE TO THE CITIZENS NOT ONLY WHO SIGNED THAT PETITION, BUT WHO LIVE ON THIS ISLAND, WHO, IF YOU LOOK THROUGH THIS DOCUMENT RIGHT FROM PAGE ONE, IT WILL HAVE A SIGN.

I DIDN'T WRITE IT.

IT WILL HAVE A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON PARTS OF BAUER COUNTY, THE TOWN OF BLUFF, AND ESPECIALLY THE TOWN OF HILTON HEAD ISLAND.

THE VISUAL SIS, I CALL IT IN ICONIC VIEW, WELCOMING EVERYONE TO THE BEAUTY OF THE ISLAND, NEGATIVELY IMPACT THIS ENTRY ARE MAJOR CONCERN TO THE RESIDENTS AND THE VISITORS WHO COME TO HILTON HEAD ISLAND.

AND WE'RE GOING TO ACQUIESCE, YES, I'LL SAY IT, OUR RESPONSIBILITY IN OUR LEADERSHIP TO OUR TOWN AND OUR VISITORS AND THE 10,000 PEOPLE WHO TOOK THE TIME TO MAKE COMMENTS AND SIGN A PETITION TO DEMAND THAT WE ASK FOR AND WE CONSIDER TO DO BETTER.

I DON'T SEE HOW WE ACCEPT THIS MOA WITHOUT INCLUDING CITIZENS ON THIS COMMITTEE.

SO, GREAT FOR NOW.

IS THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR SEAN JAR? UH, I, I DO THE, THE INDEPENDENT CONSULTANT AS THE INDEPENDENT CONSULTANT MOVES ALONG ON THIS PROCESS.

AND LET'S CREATE A TIMEFRAME, SAY, OF SIX MONTHS AS THE INDEPENDENT CONSULTANT STARTS TO COME TO, UH, CONCLUSION ON VARIOUS ASPECTS THAT THEY COULD, AS THEY, UH, WALK THROUGH THIS PROJECT.

WILL THE INDEPENDENT CONSULTANT HAVE THE ABILITY TO, IN A DYNAMIC WAY, CONTINUE TO FEED THEIR VIEWPOINT? OR DO THEY, WILL THEY NEED TO WAIT TILL THEIR ENTIRE STUDY IS COMPLETED? NO, THERE'LL BE MILESTONES WITHIN THE CONTRACT THAT WE CAN ESTABLISH AS BOTH STAFF, UM, DETAIL THE SCOPE OF THE, OF THE INDEPENDENT STUDY.

RIGHT.

AND, AND WHAT DO YOU THINK SOME OF THE KEY FEATURES OF THE SELECTION PROCESS ARE GOING TO BE AS THEY CHOOSE THE, AS THAT CONSULTANT IS, IS CHOSEN? WHAT, WHAT, WHAT WOULD YOU BE LOOKING FOR IN TERMS OF DESCRIBING THAT CONSULTANT? UM, SOMEONE WHO'S, UM, EXPERIENCED KNOWLEDGEABLE WITH TRAFFIC, UM, AND BE ABLE TO DO THE INDIAN SIMULATION TO TAKE AN ACCOMMODATION TO ADAPTIVE SIGNAL TECHNOLOGY, UM, TO TAKE A LOOK AT ALL THE DATA THAT'S BEEN PROVIDED THUS FAR.

UM, AND, AND THE MERIT THAT THAT DATA IS ACCURATE AND WORTHWHILE TO USE AS THE STARTING POINT, UM, FOR THE EVALUATION.

UM, THE, THAT THEY'RE NOT, ONE OF THE KEY FACTORS WAS THAT THEY'RE NOT CURRENTLY DOING BUSINESS WITH THE COUNTY, THE TOWN OR D

[01:40:01]

GOOD.

AND I ASKED THAT CUZ I, WELL, I, THAT ANSWER GIVES ME A LOT OF COMFORT.

I'D ADD ONE MORE TOO, THAT, UM, THEY CAN ACT ALSO IN ADVOCACY ROLE FOR RECOMMENDATIONS THAT ARE GENERATED FROM THE END TO END ANALYSIS TO PUT US IN A POSITION WHERE, UM, IT CAN BE CONVEYED TO PROJECT PARTNERS THAT THIS IS, THESE ARE OPTIONS THAT YOU SHOULD CONSIDER.

SO, UM, I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT, RIGHT? THAT THEY'VE DONE THAT IN THE PAST.

UH, SEAN AND JARED, THE, THE COMMITTEE OF SIX, UH, WITH THREE FROM COUNTY STAFF AND THREE FROM TOWN STAFF, THAT COMMITTEE'S SOLE RESPONSIBILITY IS TO SELECT THE INDEPENDENT CONSULTANT.

ONCE THAT OCCURS, BY DEFINITION IN THIS MOA, THERE ARE NO ADDITIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES.

IT NOWHERE SAYS THEY WILL ANALYZE THE DATA AS A RESULT OF THE INDEPENDENT ANALYSIS.

THAT'S IN PARAGRAPH OF FOUR.

A PARAGRAPH FIVE SAYS, ALL RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE INDEPENDENT REVIEW FOR AREAS WITHIN THE PROJECT BOUNDARY WILL BE CONSIDERED FOR INCLUSION IN THE PROJECT, AS YOU SAID BY WHO? SO FIRST OF ALL, AS FAR AS ONCE THE COMMITTEE MAKES THE SELECTION, UH, THERE STILL HAS TO BE SOMEBODY TO OVERSEE THE CONTRACT.

SO WHEN THEY HAVE A QUESTION OR THEY'VE GOTTA PICK UP THE PHONE AND CALL SOMEBODY, THAT PERSON AND PERSONS WILL BE SEAN AND MYSELF TO HELP FACILITATE THAT.

UM, AS, AS THEY'RE WORKING ON THEIR SCOPE, UH, AND THEY'RE AT THE POINT WHERE THEY'RE READY TO MAKE THEIR FINDINGS, THAT WILL BE PRESENTED TO BOTH COUNCILS.

AND THEN, UM, COLLECTIVELY WE CAN COORDINATE, WE, THE COUNTY AND THE TOWN COORDINATE THE FINDINGS AND COORDINATE WITH D O T AND FEDERAL HIGHWAY ON THE FEASIBILITY OF THOSE, UH, RECOMMENDATIONS.

AND I FEEL GOOD ABOUT THAT.

AND SO IT'S IMPLIED THAT, THAT YOU AND SEAN WILL BE INVOLVED WITH THE INDEPENDENT CONSULTANT DURING THE PROCESS? YES SIR.

THERE'S THE PROCUREMENT, THE SELECTION, BUT THEN THERE'S THE CONTRACT MANAGEMENT TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE PERFORMING AGAINST THE SCOPE OF WORK, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, THAT'S DRAFTED AND AND WITHIN THEIR CONTRACT.

YES, SIR.

AND THE RESULTS COME BACK TO BOTH COUNCILS? CORRECT.

JARED AND SEAN, DO NOT SAY WE AGREE OR DISAGREE.

FACT, FIVE STUDIES I PRESENTED AND FULLY CONFIRMS THAT FURTHERMORE, BEING AN ISLAND CANNOT OPEN ITS FLOODGATES TO EVERYBODY.

WE SHARE IT WITH, UH, THE POLICY BOARDS, COUNTY COUNCIL, TOWN COUNCIL, AND, UM, PRESENT YOU ALL THE FACTS AND YOU CAN CHOOSE WHICH ONES MAKE SENSE TO REC, TO RECOMMEND, UM, BE INCLUDED IN A, A REVISED SUBMISSION, UH, TO THE EA THAT DOESN'T NEGATE THE NECESSITY TO HAVE A CITIZEN OVERSIGHT.

WE STARTED THIS PROJECT THAT WAY.

WE SHOULD END THE PROJECT THAT WAY WITH A CITIZEN OVERSIGHT RESPONSIBILITY INCLUDED IN WHATEVER WE DO NEXT.

AND THERE'S NO MORE COMMENT FROM THE COUNCIL TO JAR, UM, THE COMMUNITY WOULD LIKE TO SAY, PLEASE COME UP NOW, WANTS TO, I, YES, I BELIEVE RODMAN, UH, MR. MAYOR, COUNCILMAN, MR. ADMINISTRATOR, IT'S ALWAYS GOOD TO BE BEFORE YOU, UM, GIVE YOU A SENSE OF WHERE I THINK WE'VE BEEN COMING FROM, FROM A COUNCIL STANDPOINT.

OBVIOUSLY IT'S BEEN THROUGH US A COUPLE TIMES AND WE'VE UNANIMOUSLY UM, OPPOSED OR APPROVED WHAT'S, WHAT'S BEFORE YOU, IT'S BEEN COORDINATED WITH C D O T AND FEDERAL HIGHWAY, I THINK HAS BEEN POINTED OUT.

UM, I THINK THAT MUCH OF WHAT YOU ALL HAVE REQUESTED HAS BEEN INCORPORATED IN THE AGREEMENT AS IT NOW STANDS BEFORE YOU.

I THINK WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE SPLITTING THE BRIDGES, UM, WHICH I BELIEVE HAS BEEN WITHDRAWN BY YOU ALL.

UM, I THINK THE MKS K UH, RECOMMENDATIONS HAVE BASICALLY BEEN ADOPTED AND WE'VE AGREED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE, IN THE FUNDING OF THOSE.

IF YOU LOOK AT IT FROM PURELY A TRANSPORTATION PLAN, IT'S PROBABLY A PRETTY GOOD TRANSPORTATION PLAN IN THE TRANSPORTATION WORLD, BUT THE JURY'S STILL OUT ON THE AESTHETICS, WHAT IT'S GONNA LOOK LIKE, WHAT THE GATEWAY IS GONNA BE, AND YOUR RIGHT TO WITHHOLD APPROVAL UNTIL YOU GET SATISFIED ON THAT PARTICULAR POINT.

BECAUSE WE ALL ARE VERY SENSITIVE TO THE ARRIVAL EXPERIENCE THAT, THAT PEOPLE HAVE.

WE'RE VERY SUPPORTIVE OF THE INDEPENDENT REVIEW AND HAS BEEN POINTED OUT, UM, THERE'S AN ENVIRONMENTAL FOOTPRINT THAT'S UP, IS TO BE APPROVED

[01:45:01]

AS PART OF THE PONZI.

SO ANY CHANGES WITHIN THAT THAT COME OUT OF THE INDEPENDENT REVIEW, THOSE CAN BE INCORPORATED IF SOMETHING FALLS OUTSIDE OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL FOOTPRINT.

I THINK YOU HEARD THAT THAT CAN STILL COME FORWARD AND BE PART OF AN MODIFIED, UH, FEMA FEMA PROCESS, UM, GOING FORWARD, A EPA PROCESS GOING FORWARD.

UM, AND THEN KEEP IN MIND THERE IS AN INDEPENDENT, THERE IS A VALUE ENGINEERING PHASE THAT TAKES PLACE AND THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT.

AND I THINK SOME OF THE ISSUES THAT WE ALL ARE STRUGGLING WITH CAN BE TAKEN CARE OF THERE, EVEN IF THEY'RE NOT FULLY TAKEN CARE OF IN THE INDEPENDENT REVIEW.

I THINK MANY PEOPLE, INCLUDING MYSELF, ARE CONCERNED ABOUT WHETHER THE GROWTH FACTOR IS TOO AGGRESSIVE AND SECONDLY ABOUT THE WIDTH OF THE, THE BRIDGES.

SO THERE'S, THERE'S MANY MORE TIMES TO HAVE A BITE AT AT THO THOSE APPLES.

I THINK ALL OF THIS REALLY HONORS SENATOR DAVIS AND THE HARD WORK THAT HE'S DONE WITH DONE.

WE OWE HIM A GREAT DEAL OF GRATITUDE FOR ALL THE WORK THAT HE HAS DONE LEADING ALL THIS, THE TIME HE'S PUT IN AND ALL THE OTHER THINGS THAT HE, HE DOES FOR US.

SO I THINK SENATOR DAVIS, I VIEW THAT THERE'S TWO ISSUES IN PLAY AT THIS POINT IN TIME.

ONE IS THE COST AND THE OTHER IS THE SUBMISSION FOR THE FONZI.

UM, WHAT YOU'VE HEARD IS THAT IF WE END UP DELAYING THE REQUEST FOR THE FONZI, UM, THERE'S GONNA BE MORE TIME TO FINISH MAYBE CERTAIN CONTINGENCIES THAT D O T HAS.

BUT FROM A PRACTICAL STANDPOINT, OVER THE LAST FIVE TO SIX MONTHS, THE SHORTAGE HAS, UH, SHORTFALL ON COST HAS, UM, INCREASED, UH, BY ABOUT THE 30 MILLION AND IT WAS MENTIONED, IF WE ADD ANOTHER SIX OR NINE MONTHS TO THAT, IN MY VIEW, THAT GROWS TO 80 90 MILLION.

YOU'VE HEARD THAT SI MONEY IS IN JEOPARDY.

SO I DON'T BELIEVE THAT NOT SUBMITTING IS, IS AN OPTION.

I THINK WE HAVE TO SUBMIT IT.

OTHERWISE, I THINK WE GET INTO SOME KIND OF A, A DESK SPIRAL.

AND I DO BELIEVE THAT WHAT WOULD ACTUALLY HAPPEN IN THE INTERVENING PERIOD IS THE FEDS MAY JUST STEP IN AND REPLACE THAT ONE BRIDGE THAT'S DEFECTIVE.

THEY PROBABLY HAD THEIR OWN TIMELINE ON HOW LONG.

SO I'M WRAPPING UP.

SO I, I THINK THERE'S, THERE'S TWO THINGS.

I THINK THERE'S A, A GOOD OUTCOME HERE IS IF WE'RE SUBMITTING THE PONZI REQUEST IN ORDER TO MITIGATE ANY COST INCREASE.

AND SECONDLY, THE MUNICIPAL CONSENT IS PRESERVED FOR YOU AND YOU HAVE THE ULTIMATE VETO OVER EVERYTHING THAT GOES ON, OVER ALL OF THE CONCERNS.

THANK YOU, MR. MAN.

NO MORE DISCUSSION.

THE MOTION ON THE TABLE IS HERE.

YEAH, I'M JUST, UH, THE DEVIL IS IN THE DETAILS AND THE DEVIL'S VERY BIG HERE THAT WE JUST HEARD, BUT I'M JUST GONNA MAKE ONE BRIEF COMMENT.

THERE WERE NOT TWO MOU AND SOS, THEY WERE THREE.

YOU HAD THE COUNTY MOU IN STATEMENT OF WORK, YOU HAD THE TOWN MOU AND STATEMENT OF WORK, AND THOSE HAVE BEEN COMBINED FAIRLY WELL.

BUT IN APRIL YOU HAD SENATOR DAVIS' AND THE CITIZENS MOU AND STATEMENT OF WORK AND THOSE HAVE BEEN THROWN AWAY.

THEY CONTAINED A METHOD OF DEALING WITH ALTERNATIVES.

THEY CONTAINED CITIZEN INPUT, THEY COVERED THE SCOPE, WHICH HAD TO GO DOWN TO INTERSECTIONS WITH THE CROSS ISLAND PARKWAY, INCLUDING THAT ONE LANE INTERSECTION THAT'S NOW GONNA SERVICE THE 11 LANE BRIDGE.

IT HAD TO DO WITH METRICS WHICH ARE NOT IN YOUR PRESENT, UH, STATEMENT OF WORK AND MOU.

HOW DO YOU MEASURE THE RESULTS? WHAT'S GOING TO COME OUT OF THIS STUDY? IT'S NOT IN ANY OF THE PIECES OF PAPER YOU HAVE.

AND IT HAD CITIZEN INPUT, WHICH HAS DISAPPEARED COMPLETELY.

SO I REPEAT, YOU HAD THREE DOCUMENTS.

YOU'VE MERGED THE COUNTY IN TOWN AND YOU'VE THROWN THE CITIZENS AWAY, INCLUDING SENATOR DAVIS'S, APRIL.

ALL GOOD, MR. GAN.

ANYBODY ELSE? MR. HOLDEN? COME ON.

COME WAIT MINUTE.

MR. HOGAN'S EXIT.

HE WANTS TO SPEAK.

NO, I'M, I'M, I'M BEING COURTEOUS LETTING I DON'T LET YOU BE COURT.

MS. LOGAN, YOU, YOU BE CALLING, YOU KNOW, YOU WORK FOR US.

WE DON'T WORK FOR YOU.

YOU'RE GONNA SPEAK YOUR, NOT YOU.

SKIP HOGAN.

I'M A 47 YEAR RESIDENT.

IT'S NOT JUST THE BRIDGE AND GREENWAY IN ORLANDO.

CAN'T BE TRUSTED TO PICK ANY KIND, ANY COMMITTEE.

I RECEIVED THIS AND THOUGHT IT WAS WELL DONE AND FULLY PAINTS A PICTURE ON WHY AN ISLAND WITH ONE BRIDGE, ONE ROAD ALL THE WAY TO I 95 CANNOT SUPPORT OUR CURRENT OVERDEVELOPMENT TRAFFIC AND TOURISM.

[01:50:01]

EVERYTHING COMING AND GOING IS GOING THROUGH BLUFFTON.

JUST BUILD AND REPAIR THE BRIDGES.

STOP MARKETING TO TOURIST.

DO A MASTER LAND PLAN FOR HILTON HEAD, BLUFFTON, HARDY VILLA AND BEAUFORD BEFORE IT GETS WORSE, STOP THE INSANITY.

SO I RECEIVED SAVED THE GOLDFISH.

JUST HOW MANY GOLDFISH CAN YOU PUT IN A GOLDFISH BOWL BEFORE THEY EITHER DIE OR START EATING EACH OTHER? I OFTEN ASK MYSELF THAT QUESTION.

WHEN I WAS PRACTICING AS A PROFESSIONAL ENGINEER AT LAND PLANNER AND CONSULTING FOR LARGE DEVELOPERS, I RETIRED TO THE LOW COUNTRY AND THOUGHT IF THIS WASN'T HEAVEN, IT HAD THE SAME ZIP CODE.

FAST FORWARD TO 2 22 NEW APARTMENTS AND CONDOS.

500 HERE, 300 THERE IN BLUFFTON.

EVERYTHING GETS APPROVED BY THE CROOKED FULL-TIME REAL ESTATE AGENT.

AND PART-TIME MAYOR LISA SOCA BRING IT ON, INCLUDING HER LAWYER FINGER WITH ALL HIS DEVELOPMENT CLIENTS ENOUGH ALREADY BAR THE DOORS BEFORE WE START EATING EACH OTHER LIKE THE GOLDFISH.

EVENTUALLY DO THE NEXT TIME OUR MUNICIPALITIES ADVERTISE TO SEE THEIR MASTER MASTER PLANS, WHICH DON'T EXIST.

CALL FOR PUBLIC COMMENT AND ATTEND THE MEETINGS AND DON'T SAY NO, SAY HELL NO.

HELP US LIVE OUR REMAINING YEARS IN AN UNCROWDED GOLDFISH BOWL.

IN THIS LITTLE BIT OF HEAVEN OF THE LOW COUNTRY OF SOUTH CAROLINA FOLKS, FACT IS KICK THE CAN DOWN THE ROAD.

POLITICIANS, MAYORS WHO WERE BUILDERS, DEVELOPERS, REAL ESTATE AGENTS, LAWYERS, BIG SPENDERS, ALL IN CONFLICT WITH HORSES IN THE RACE.

AND A 30 YEAR TOWN MANAGER RILEY THAT NEVER DEVELOPED THE MASTER LAND PLAN TO CONTROL WISE AND RESPONSIBLE GROWTH, TAKING, TAKING THE ENVIRONMENT AND ONE BRIDGE AND ONE ROAD INTO CONSIDERATION, THEY FO OFF THEIR FIDUCIARY RESPONSIBILITIES TO ALL OF US.

THIS IS A ROOT CAUSE OF WHERE WE ARE TODAY.

AND WE NEVER WOULD'VE NEEDED A 300 MILLION BRIDGE EXPANSION, WHICH IS NOTHING BUT LIKE A STENT FOR YOUR HEART, WHICH WILL ACTUALLY INCREASE TRAFFIC TO HILTON HEAD.

ASK AN ENGINEER, LAND PLANNER, OR JUST GO TO THE PET STORE AND ASK HOW MANY GOLDFISH WILL FIT, FIT IN THE GOLDFISH BOWL TO LIVE HEALTHY, SURVIVE UN UNCROWDED AND WHAT'S NEEDED AND WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE TO KEEP THE WATERS FROM BEING POLLUTED.

THE POLLUTED OYSTERS ARE THE FIRST BAD SIGN.

WE GOTTA WAKE UP.

OPEN OUR EYES.

JONI MITCHELL'S SONG LYRICS I FOUND VERY INTERESTING FROM THIS MAN THAT SENT THIS TO ME.

SO THEY PAVED PARADISE AND THEY PUT UP A PARKING LOT.

DON'T ALWAYS SEEM TO GO THAT YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU GOT UNTIL IT'S GONE.

THEY TOOK ALL THE TREES, PUT THEM IN A TREE MUSEUM AND CHARGE ALL THE PEOPLE AND ARM AND A LEG TO SEE 'EM.

GREED ALWAYS FINDS ITS WAY TO FIND ITS WAY OVER RESPONSIBLE, UH, GOVERNMENT AND THE ENVIRONMENT.

AND IT'S VERY, VERY SAD.

WE MUST ALL WAKE UP.

MR. MAYOR, TOWN COUNCIL SENATOR DAVIS.

NINE TO FIVE TO C PINES APPLY COMMON SENSE AND EFFICIENCY, THINK AND PLAN STRATEGICALLY, FINALLY, AND SEPARATELY.

SO MY NAME'S TOM CLEARY AND I'M SPEAKING AS A RESIDENT AND A FORMER CANDIDATE FOR MAYOR AND I'LL GET TO THAT LATER.

I URGE THE TOWN COUNCIL TO DELAY VOTING ON THE 2 78 PROJECT MOLA WITH THE BEEF COUNTY COUNCIL UNTIL AFTER THE NEW COUNCIL IS SEATED.

DECEMBER, THEY'RE, THEY ARE GOING TO BE ON THE LANDING OR CRASH DEPENDING ON THE OUTCOME.

SO THIS SHOULD BE ON THE, IN ON THE TAKEOFF.

WITH RESPECT TO THE 2 78 MOLA OFFERED THE FOLLOWING SUGGESTIONS, THIS PROJECT HAS MORE STAKEHOLDERS THAN JUST HILTON HEAD ISLAND RESIDENTS AND THE BEAUFORD COUNTY COUNCIL.

BLUFFTON IS A KEY STAKEHOLDER AND SHOULD BE PARTICIPATING.

SO AT A MIN, AT, AT A MINIMUM ONE SEAT FROM BLUFFTON MAKES SENSE TO ME.

STILL NOT CLEAR ON WHY THE, THE ONE SPAN HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED SINCE WHENEVER THAT REPAIR COUPLE WOULD RUNNING THREE LANE TRAFFIC AND PEAK HOURS USING THE TRAFFIC ZIPPER, WHICH WOULD COST ABOUT A MILLION DOLLARS, WILL QUICK, QUICKLY REDUCE TRAFFIC CONGESTION.

IF YOU LOOK AT THE TOTAL HOURS IN A YEAR AND YOU PULL OUT THE ACTUAL TRAFFIC CONGESTION HOURS OF PEAK ON SEASON TRAFFIC, WHICH IS SIX HOURS A DAY AND WEEKDAY WORKDAY TRAFFIC, WHICH IS THREE HOURS A DAY, THIS IS ONLY 10% OF THE HOURS IN A YEAR.

WHY THE IMMENSE SCOPE CREEP AS A PART OF THE END TO END REVIEW, ENGAGE BLUFFTON TO PARTNER AND PLACE NUMEROUS PARK AND RIDE LOTS FOR WORKERS TO EITHER CARPAL AND OR SHIFT PALMETTO BREEZE SERVICE TO INCLUDE THESE LOTS.

ANALYZE THE TRAFFIC ZIPPER, CONSIDERED THE USE OF HOV LANES.

EMBRACE ALL, EXCUSE ME, ALL OPTIONS IN THIS ANALYSIS WITH THE HILTON HEAD ISLAND RESIDENT INPUT PARAMOUNT.

THE NOW THE ANALYSIS SHOULD START FROM I

[01:55:01]

WHEN I ENTERED THE RACE FOR MAYOR OF HILTON HEAD ISLAND WAS LED TO BELIEVE THAT THIS WAS A PART-TIME JOB FOR WHAT? FROM WHAT I'VE LEARNED, I FEEL THE OPPOSITE IS TRUE.

AFTER MUCH REFLECTION AND CONSIDERATION, I WITHDREW FROM THE HILTON HEAD, MEER HILTON HEAD ISLAND MAYOR OF CAMPAIGN RACE.

THIS IS BASED ON THE FACT THAT I'M WORKING FULL-TIME AND EVEN IF IN THE EVENT I WAS SUCCESSFUL, MY TIME WILL BE SPLIT BETWEEN MY CURRENT FULL-TIME JOB AND THE MAYOR POSITION.

ETHICALLY AND PROFESSIONALLY.

I FEEL THE MAYOR POSITION WOULD REQUIRE MORE THAN A HUNDRED PERCENT EFFORT AND I WOULD WANT TO BE COMPLETELY FOCUSED ON THE TASK OF BEING THE MAYOR, DEVOTING MY UTMOST FOR THE RESIDENTS OF HILTON HEAD ISLAND.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.

THANK YOU CHRIS RUFFNER.

WHEN MILL HARBOR, UH, I DON'T HAVE SPEECH OR ANYTHING AND ACTUALLY I HAVEN'T REALLY BEEN FOLLOWING THIS THE WHOLE WAY ALONG.

THAT'S WHY YOU DON'T HEAR MY BIG MOUTH UP HERE, .

UM, I KNEW THAT A BUNCH OF MY FRIENDS HAD IT.

I ALWAYS GOT UPDATES FROM THEM.

I DIDN'T READ THROUGH IT BECAUSE THEY'RE HUGE, BUT I TRUSTED THEM AND I THOUGHT, WELL THEY'VE GOT THIS AND ANY INFORMATION I'VE GOTTEN ON THIS IS BECAUSE OF THEM.

AND I THOUGHT, GEEZ, THIS IS GOING ON AND ON AND ON.

I'M GONNA START GETTING INTO THIS.

WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THIS? IT'S TAKEN FOREVER AND I THINK IT'S JUST SHAMEFUL TO FIND OUT, CUZ I KNOW HOW MUCH STUFF THEY'VE SENT ME THAT YOU GUYS JUST THREW IT ALL AWAY AND DIDN'T LISTEN TO IT.

AND THEY'RE HERE ALL THE TIME.

THEY'RE INVOLVED AND YOU'RE JUST GONNA SAY, OH WELL, YOU KNOW, TOO BAD.

WE COME HERE, THEY SIT AND TALK EVERY WEEK, I GOTTA LISTEN TO THEM.

AND YOU GUYS JUST DO WHATEVER YOU WANNA DO ANYWAY AND YOU DON'T TAKE ANY INPUT.

UH, I KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ALL SUPPOSED TO KNOW EVERYTHING THAT'S GOING ON BECAUSE OF NEWSPAPERS.

WELL, I DON'T SUBSCRIBE TO THE ISLAND RACKET.

UM, I KNOW YOU SAID IN CHURCH WE HEARD IT, BUT THEN YOU SHUT DOWN THE CHURCH FOR A COUPLE YEARS.

SO I DON'T KNOW HOW THAT, YOU KNOW, WE GOT THAT INFORMATION.

I DON'T KNOW WHY THERE AREN'T.

I GOT SIGNS ALL OVER SAYING WHERE MY MASK AND C WHY WOULDN'T THEY HAVE ASSIGNED BY THE BRIDGE SAYING, HEY, WE'RE HAVING A HEARING ON THIS, OR WE'RE, YOU KNOW, THIS IS GOING ON OR WHATEVER.

THERE'S NOTHING LIKE THAT.

SO ANYWAY, I JUST HOPE THAT YOU DO, YOU KNOW, LISTEN TO AND HAVE, UM, SOME OF MY FRIENDS THAT HAVE BEEN INVOLVED THIS WHOLE TIME, COME AND LISTEN TO WHAT'S GOING ON.

I DON'T KNOW ONE WAY OR THE OTHER, WHICH ONE'S BETTER, BUT I KNOW THAT THEY'VE GOT A LOT OF INPUT.

THEY'VE BEEN FOLLOWING IT AND I DON'T KNOW WHY YOU WOULDN'T WANT THEIR KNOWLEDGE CUZ THEY'VE GOT A LOT OF IT.

THEY SEND US STUFF ALL THE TIME.

SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE REMI IF YOU DON'T LISTEN TO WHAT THEY HAVE TO SAY.

SO THANK YOU.

THANK I ASKED, UH, EARLIER IN MY PUBLIC COMMENTS.

EXCUSE ME, ARE YOU LISTENING? AND QUITE FRANKLY, I THINK THE ANSWER IS, UH, RESOUNDING NO.

I GUESS THE VOTE IN A FEW MINUTES WILL PROVE MY POINT.

UM, OTHER THAN COUNCILWOMAN BECKER WHO TALKED ABOUT THE NEED TO HAVE CITIZEN INVOLVEMENT, I MEAN, I'M HEARING NOTHING FROM THE COUNCIL ON THAT ISSUE.

MR. HARKINS ASKED THE QUESTION, OR MR. STANFORD, I'M SORRY ABOUT, ARE THERE ANY DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE TOWN COUNCIL AND THE COUNTY COUNCIL? UH, MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT OR MEMORANDUM UNDERSTANDING? IT GETS CALLED BOTH.

UM, AND WHAT WAS NOT ANSWERED WAS THE FACT THAT CITIZENS ARE NOT PART OF THE AGREEMENT.

YOU HAVE SENATOR DAVIS, UH, ESPOUSING AND, UH, ADVOCATING THE NEED FOR CITIZEN INVOLVEMENT TO RESTORE SOME TRUST IN THE COMMON COUNCIL.

THE COUNTY COUNCIL.

EXCUSE ME.

AND I, I I REALLY HOPE BEFORE YOU VOTE THAT I, WE HEAR FROM EACH OF THE REPRESENTATIVES, MR. AMES, MR. LENNOX, MR. BROWN, MAYOR MCCANN, MR. HARKINS, MS. BECKER, AND MR. STANFORD AS TO EXACTLY WHY YOU'RE VOTING THE WAY YOU'RE VOTING TONIGHT.

FLAW IN THIS WHOLE PROCESS ALONG THE WAY.

HAVING SEEN NO MORE PUBLIC COMMENT, THE MOTION HERE IS TO REVIS MEMORANDUM UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN JU COUNTY OUTLINE THE CRITICAL PATH WILLIAM HILTON PARKWAY CAR, INCLUDING INDEPENDENT AND ANALYSIS FOR TO VOTE NOW CHRISTIAN CALLED VOTE BY WATCH ON.

IS THERE A MOTION YET? YEAH, I I MADE A MOTION AND

[02:00:01]

BUT CAN I COME BACK FOR FINAL COMMENT BEFORE WE TAKE THAT VOTE COMMENT? YOU DO.

I I ABSOLUTELY DO.

SOMEONE I THINK, UM, MENTIONED THAT THE SPLITTING OF THE BRIDGES HAD BEEN WITHDRAWN.

THAT SUGGESTION HAD BEEN WITHDRAWN BY THIS COUNCIL.

I ATTEND ALL THE MEETINGS I HAVE FOR YEARS PRIOR TO EVEN BEING ON COUNCIL, SAT IN THIS CHAMBER, LISTENING TO ALL THE MEETINGS IN THIS PARTICULAR, UM, COMMENT FROM EVERYTHING I'VE EXPERIENCED AND HEARD IS UNTRUE.

WE DID NOT TAKE A VOTE TO WITHDRAW THE IDEA OF HAVING TWO BRIDGES.

IN FACT, AS I RECALL, UM, WE WERE TOLD POINT BLANK THAT THE COUNTY REFUSED TO ENTERTAIN A TWO BRIDGE OPTION.

AND SO WE ACQUIESCED.

I DON'T THINK THAT'S HOW WE RUN THE TOWN.

AND OUR THEREFORE WE HELD ACCOUNTABLE BY THE RESIDENTS AND THE ISLAND WHEN WE DO SUCH A THING.

SO WE DID NOT WITHDRAW THAT AS A COUNCIL.

WE WERE TOLD, AND WE ACQUIESCED.

THAT'S A SHAMEFUL STATEMENT, FIRST OF ALL.

AND ESPECIALLY IN LIGHT NOW AS WE ARE ACKNOWLEDGED THAT WE HAVE A DEFECTIVE BRIDGE AND WE SEE THE RESULT OF WHAT HAPPENED IN SANDAL, PERHAPS THAT TWO BRIDGE OPTION MIGHT MAKE A LOT MORE SENSE EVEN TO COUNTY.

I'VE HEARD THE WORD JEOPARDY THROWN AROUND TONIGHT.

IN, IN OTHER MEETINGS, JEOPARDY DOES NOT MEET A FAA COMPANY.

JEOPARDY MEANS IT'S AN, IT'S A POSSIBILITY.

AND HERE WE ARE TALKING ABOUT IT AS THOUGH IT'S ASSURED THAT IF WE DON'T DO THIS IN THIS TIMEFRAME, ON THIS MANNER TONIGHT, THAT IT IS A FINE, A FATA COMPANY, THAT WE WILL LOSE THAT MONEY.

JEOPARDY DOES NOT MEAN THAT.

MOREOVER, SENATOR DAVIS MADE IT PARTICULARLY CLEAR TO ALL OF US, AND I THANK HIM IMMENSELY FOR HIS SUPPORT AND HIS EFFORTS TO BRING THE TWO COUNTY, UH, THE TWO COUNCILS TOGETHER TO SPEAK FOR THE RESIDENTS.

HE'S ADMIRED, HE'S APPRECIATED, AND HE'S RIGHT.

HE HAS TOLD US THAT MONEY COULD, THE $120,000 SI MONEY, MILLION DOLLAR, SORRY MONEY COULD BE IN JEOPARDY.

HE HAS ALSO TOLD US THAT HILTON HAD MEANS SO MUCH TO THIS STATE THAT THE LIKELIHOOD OF US REDOING THAT APPLICATION WOULD IN FACT GET US THAT MONEY AGAIN.

AND SO THERE IS NOTHING THAT WE HAVE TO ALL BE SITTING HERE AND SHAKING IN OUR BOOTS AND THAT WE HAVE TO DO SOMETHING TODAY, TONIGHT IN THIS WAY WITHOUT CITIZEN INPUT THAT DOES NOT EXIST ON PAGE TWO OF THE DOCUMENT THAT I REFERRED TO BEFORE.

ADDITIONALLY, BUFORD COUNTY REMOVES THE EVALUATION OF ADDITIONAL ALTERNATIVES FOR THE CORRIDOR ALIGNMENT AFTER RECEIVING INPUT FROM THE C D O T, UH, SECRETARY HALL.

I DON'T KNOW WHERE THE END TO END CORRIDOR STUDY WILL TAKE US.

SO WHY IN THE WORLD WOULD WE AGREE TO SOMETHING AND PUT OURSELVES IN A BOX LIKE THAT? SO, UM, I SAID, THAT'S ALL I HAD TO SAY FOR NOW.

BUT I WANT EVERYONE TO KNOW THAT WHEN I REPRESENT THE RESIDENTS OF HILTON HEAD ISLAND, I REPRESENT ALL OF YOU EVERY DAY.

AND I LISTEN TO YOU AND I TRY TO RESPECT EVERYTHING THAT I HEAR AND I BRING IT TO THE DICE AND TO MY CONVERSATIONS WITH MY COLLEAGUES, AND TO STAFF AND EVERYONE THAT I CAN.

AND I WILL CONTINUE TO DO THAT FOR THE NEXT FOUR YEARS.

THANK YOU, COUNCIL.

THANK YOU, MR. MAYA.

UM, INFORMATION IS POWER AND, UM, WONDER AGAIN, PUBLICLY THANK SENATOR DAVIS FOR ALL THE WORK THAT HE'S DONE.

I WAS POINTED IN MY QUESTIONING AS TO WHO THE PARTNERS THAT WERE INVOLVED IN THE NEPA PROCESS WERE.

AND IF IT WASN'T FOR SENATOR DAVIS, WE, THE TOWN WOULD NOT BE A PARTNER.

AND I THINK THAT'S BEEN A HUGE

[02:05:01]

AND LET'S FACE IT, THE, THE, THE WHOLE IDEA OF NOT ONLY REPLACING THE DEFICIENT BRIDGE, BUT TO REPLACE EVERYTHING WAS AN IDEA THAT WAS COOKED UP IN A BACK ROOM.

OKAY? THAT WAS NOT A PUBLIC EFFORT.

THAT'S RIGHT.

AND HERE WE ARE NOW TRYING TO MAKE IT RIGHT.

SO SINCE WE ARE JUST TAKING A VOTE AND NOT HAVING THE OPTION TO REVISED THE MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING, THERE'S TWO POINTS THAT I WANNA MAKE SO THAT EVERYONE UNDERSTANDS WHY I WILL BE VOTING.

NO ONE IS' VERY CONFUSING TO ME WHY WE WOULD NOT PAUSE THE FONZI WHEN THAT IS PART OF A FEDERAL PROCESS.

AND YES, EISENHOWER PUT IT IN PLACE, BUT LET'S FACE IT, SOME OF THE WORK THAT EISENHOWER DID IS GETTING TORN UP NOW BECAUSE OF THAT SAME PROCESS, BUT HERE WE ARE NOT RESPECTING IT.

SO IF THERE WAS OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO PAUSE THE FONZI AS WE DO OUR INDEPENDENT STUDY, I COULD NUDGE A BIT.

AND THE SECOND, WHICH IS PROBABLY MORE IMPORTANT, I UNDERSTAND THAT THE SCOPE OF WORK HAS TO BE MANAGED BY THIS TEAM OF SIX THAT WE'RE PUTTING TOGETHER.

BUT AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, INFORMATION IS POWER.

AND IF WE WERE TO HAVE THE PROCUREMENT PROCESS, THE ANALYSIS OF THE SCOPE OF WORK AND ANY OTHER MILESTONES THAT INCLUDED ALL BE PUBLIC WITH THE OPPORTUNITY FOR THE PUBLIC TO COMMENT, I COULD GO ALONG WITH IT.

BUT THAT'S NOT IN PLACE.

SO THOSE ARE MY REASONS AS FAR AS THE CURRENT MOU IN FRONT OF US.

THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR.

THANK YOU, MAYOR.

I APPRECIATE AND RESPECT THE EFFORTS OF THE COUNTY AND TOWN LEADERSHIP AND STAFF TO BRIDGE OUR DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES.

I HAVE TO THANK SENATOR DON DAVIS FOR HIS PIVOTAL ROLE IN BRINGING US CLOSER AND MKS K FOR ITS PARTICIPATION.

I DO BELIEVE PROGRESS HAS BEEN MADE, BUT I HAVE SERIOUS RESERVATIONS ABOUT THE MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE COUNTY AND THE TOWN BECAUSE IT ACCEPTS THE PARAMETERS OF THE PROJECT.

AS A PHAC HOME PLEA, I CAN'T SUPPORT THOSE PARAMETERS BECAUSE OF WHAT THEY WILL PRODUCE.

THEY DO NOT HAVE CONFIDENCE.

THE FINAL PRODUCT WILL BE GOOD FOR HILTON HEAD ISLAND RESIDENTS OR THE ISLAND'S REPUTATION, AND ULTIMATELY WILL HURT THE ECONOMY.

THE BLUNT FORCE SCALE OF THE BRIDGE AND ROADWAY OVERWHELMS THE ISLAND.

IT IS IN CONFLICT WITH THE ISLAND'S BRAND OF BEING ENVIRONMENTALLY SENSITIVE IN NATURE, BLENDING OF BEING DIFFERENT AND UNDERSTATED AND OF BEING IN SCALE WITH THE ENVIRONMENT.

ODE, IT PASSES THROUGH.

I DO NOT HAVE CONFIDENCE.

THE BRIDGE DESIGN WILL BE ANYTHING MORE THAN A TYPICAL C D O T HIGHWAY BRIDGE THAT APPLIES THE TREAT AND, AND APPLIES TO THE SAME TREATMENT OF JENKINS ISLAND AND STONY.

ALSO, ISLANDERS HAVE NOT BEEN HEARD.

THERE IS LITTLE BENEFIT IN CITING MISSED OPPORTUNITIES OVER THE LAST 30 THAT HAVE OCCURRED OVER THE LAST 30 MONTHS.

BUT SUFFICE IT TO SAY, PUBLIC MEETINGS HAVE NOT PRODUCED SENSITIVE DESIGN OPTIONS.

OUR ISLAND'S EXPECTATIONS OF AN ISLAND APPROPRIATE SOLUTIONS HAVE BEEN CHIPPED AWAY BIT BY BIT, AND NOW WE ARE LEFT WITH A PROPOSAL.

I HAVE CONCLUDED GENERATIONS TO COME WILL REGRET, I'M SURE I SPEAK FOR THE MANY PEOPLE WHO VOTED IN FAVOR OF THE PENNY TAX.

THIS IS NOT WHAT WE ENVISIONED.

I SUPPORT THE ADAPTIVE SIGNAL SYSTEM, BUT WONDER WHY THAT WASN'T A PART OF THE CORRIDOR PLAN.

AT THE OUTSET, I SUPPORT THE INDEPENDENT REVIEW, BUT I DOUBT IT WILL MATERIALLY CHANGE THE SCALE OF THE PROJECT.

LITTLE, IF ANYTHING, WILL CHANGE THE BUREAUCRATIC MOMENTUM.

NOW, SADLY, IT LOOKS AS THOUGH WE ARE GOING TO GET A C D

[02:10:01]

O T HIGHWAY SOLUTION FOR OUR GATEWAY.

DESPITE THE INERTIA TO MOVE FORWARD THE PROJECT FORWARD, I WILL VOTE AGAINST THIS AGREEMENT.

BUT HAVING SAID THAT, I WILL BE FULLY ENGAGED TO MAKE IT THE FI MAKE THE FINAL SOLUTION.

ABSOLUTELY THE BEST GATEWAY IT CAN BE.

I AM NOT WILLING TO PUT THE CB GRANT, THE STATE INFRASTRUCTURE BANK GRANT AT RISK.

IT IS SPECULATION ABOUT WHETHER WE WOULD EVER GET IT AGAIN.

I REFLECT BACK FIVE YEARS.

THIS WAS PUT TO A VOTE OF THE CITIZENS OF BEAUFORT COUNTY AND IT OVERWHELMINGLY PASSED TO RESOLVE MANY OF THE ISSUES THAT EXISTED BETWEEN THE TOWN AND COUNTY.

THE IDEA CAME FORWARD TO HAVE AN INDEPENDENT REVIEW OF THE PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE.

THIS AGREEMENT PUTS THE INDEPENDENT REVIEW IN PLACE SO THAT WE WILL KNOW IN A MATTER OF SIX TO NINE MONTHS ABOUT THE DETAILS OF THIS PROJECT.

I'M NOT VOTING IN FAVOR OF THE PROJECT NOW.

I'M VOTING IN FAVOR OF HAVING THE INDEPENDENT REVIEW, WHICH IS WHAT THIS AGREEMENT DOES.

THANK YOU, MAYOR.

I THINK MAYOR, LET ME, UH, ADD TO WHAT YOU SAID.

UH, I THINK SENATOR DAVIS WAS VERY EFFECTIVE IN, IN CLEARLY DEFINING FACTS AND CLEARLY DEFINING A COUPLE OF ASSUMPTIONS.

UH, I THINK HIS FACTS ARE ACCURATE AND I ACCEPT THOSE.

IT'S THE TWO ASSUMPTIONS THAT I'M, I FIND I DIFFER WITH.

THE FIRST ASSUMPTION IS THAT THE INFRASTRUCTURE BANK GRANT FUNDING, UH, IF RESCINDED, UH, COULD EASILY BE OBTAINED.

AGAIN, I THINK THAT'S A BIG IF.

AND THE SECOND IS THAT, UH, WITH IMMENSE PUBLIC INPUT AND PUBLIC FEEDBACK ALL THROUGH THIS PROCESS, THAT ADDITIONAL PUBLIC IMPACT AND FEEDBACK ON THIS COMMITTEE WOULD MAKE THE COMMITTEE MORE EFFECTIVE.

THAT MAY BE THE CASE.

HOWEVER, I'M NOT CONVINCED.

I THINK, UH, OVER MY 40 YEARS IN BANKING AND FINANCE, UM, MY JOB WAS TO EVALUATE AND MANAGE RISK, AND I'M APPLYING THE SAME TO THIS QUESTION AND THIS ISSUE.

I AGREE WITH GLEN.

UH, THE RISK OF LOSING THAT 120 MILLION AND KILLING THIS PROJECT, I THINK FOREVER IS UNACCEPTABLE.

I WILL CALL THE VOTE NOW TO, HE HAS SOMETHING TO SAY.

CHRIST, ALL THE VOTE, PLEASE.

MRS. BECKER, I BELIEVE IN WHAT OUR SENATOR TOLD US, AND I WANT HIM TO KNOW THAT HIS HARD WORK DID NOT GO IN VAIN AND ABSOLUTELY NO.

THE CITIZENS HAVEN'T BEEN HEARD.

MOTION CARRIES FOUR TO THREE, SIR.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

READING PROPOSAL, WITNESS REPEAL.

REPLACE CHAPTER ONE, THE MUNICIPAL CODE FOR THE ON LEVEL CONTROL.

YOU, YOU'RE BEHIND RIGHT HERE.

YOU'RE IN THE WRONG PLACE.

YOU WANT ME TO MAKE THE MOTION? NO.

IN FAVORING YOU CONSIDERATION RESOLUTION.

, I KNOW.

BACK

[12a. Consideration of a Resolution of the Town of Hilton Head Island Authorizing the Execution of an Agreement with Mauldin and Jenkins, LLC for Financial Audit Services for the Fiscal Years Ending June 30, 2023 through 2027]

COUNTY LOCALIZED THE INSTITUTION AGREEMENT FOR A NEW FINANCIAL SERVICE FIRM, COUNTY FIRM.

UH, MOVE FOR APPROVAL IS DISCUSS NOVEMBER ELIGIBLE.

ANY COMMENT? YES, I HAVE ON THIS SUBJECT.

MR. HOLDEN.

PARDON ME ON THIS SUBJECT.

UH, YES.

[02:15:01]

KNOW.

I THINK I KNOW THE RULES BY NOW.

WELL, I WANNA MAKE SURE YOU DO.

YEAH, I'M, I'M SURE I KNOW THE RULES.

B DEALS WITH THE, THE TIMING OF THE, THE OUTSIDE COUNCIL'S, UM, CONTRACT AND IT MOVES TO MOVE IT TO THE TOWN'S FISCAL YEAR.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

IS EVERYBODY OKAY? 10 OF HILTON HEAD AUDITS ARE A LIE IN A CRIMINAL FRAUD WHERE THE OVERCHARGED LEGAL FEES AND THE MILLIONS HANDED TO THIS CHAMBER.

THIS COUNCIL HIRING GREEN FINNEY AND NOW A NEW AUDIT FIRM, MA MALDEN JENKINS AS AUDITORS OF TOWN OF HILTON HEAD HIRED BY THE CROOKS, ORLANDO AND JOSH GRUBER BOTH COMMITTING ILLEGAL ACTS WOULD TOWN CPA JOHN TROYER AND FINANCE CHAIRMAN TOM LENNOX.

AND TOW IS A SHAM.

YOU CALL THIS A POSITIVE INDEPENDENT AUDIT.

THIS COULD NOT BE FURTHER FROM THE TRUTH.

THIS IS NOT AN EXTERNAL INDEPENDENT FINANCIAL AUDIT.

IT'S AN, IT'S AN INTERNAL AUDIT HIRED BY TOWN INSIDERS AND PAID WITH TOWN TAX FUNDS TO HIDE IN CHEAP TAXPAYERS.

THIS AUDIT ONLY SHOWS WHAT TOWN INSIDERS WANT US TO SEE.

ONLY A TRUE INDEPENDENT EXTERNAL FORENSIC AUDIT SHOWS REAL NUMBERS ON HOW AND WHERE TAX FUNDS WERE USED ILLEGALLY AND WASTED.

PEOPLE ARE OFTEN CONFUSED ABOUT THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A FINANCIAL STATEMENT AUDIT PREPARED BY INSIDERS AND THE DETAILED EXTERNAL AUDIT.

THIS NEW MALDEN JENKINS AUDIT WILL NOT ANALYZE EVERY TRANSACTION OR LOOK FOR FRAUD.

SPECIFICALLY, I CALLED GREEN FITTY AND GREEN FINNIE AND THEY AGREE WITH MY ASSESSMENT.

A FORENSIC AUDIT ON THE OTHER HAND, IS CONDUCTED BY A FORENSIC ACCOUNTING EXPERT, SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED TO UNCOVER FRAUD, WAS AND EMBEZZLEMENT ILLEGAL CRIMINAL USE AND ISSUE OF TAX FUNDS, WHICH WE ALREADY HAVE CAUGHT THIS TOWN AND OFFICIALS DOING.

ORLANDO'S A PERFECT EXAMPLE.

ALSO, CPA TROYER AND TOM LENNOX WOULD NEED TO AGREE TO A FORENSIC AUDIT, AND I'D LIKE FOR THEM TO AGREE TO THAT TODAY.

OF COURSE, THEY'RE NOT GONNA DO IT.

MR. MR. LENNOX WOULD JUST SIT THERE AND GRIN.

IF NOT, WHY NOT? AND IF YOU HAVE NOTHING TO HIDE, WHICH SADLY WE ALREADY KNOW YOU DO.

SO MR. LENNOX FACT IS YOU AND THIS ENTIRE COUNCIL HAVE NEVER SEEN THE ACCOUNTING PREPARED BY JOHN FROYER, STEVE RILEY OR ORLANDO, UH, FROM BLUFFTON.

UH, AND, AND YOU'VE NEVER SEEN IT.

NOBODY'S SEEN IT.

YOU DON'T HAVE A CLUE WHERE THIS MONEY'S GOING.

LET ME HELP YOU WITH A STATISTIC.

NEVER IN THE HISTORY OF THE ENTIRE UNITED STATES AS A FORENSIC AUDIT BEEN CONDUCTED ON A TOWN GOVERNMENT, A CHAMBER, A SCHOOL DISTRICT, WHICH I'M RUSHING TO GET TO RIGHT NOW, WHERE WRONGDOING, WASTE FRAUD WAS NOT DISCOVERED AND PRISONED THE RESULT MUCH OF THE TIME.

THE AG AND THE FBI NEEDS TO ACT ON THIS FRAUD, MR. LENNOX.

AND THEY NEED TO DO A FORENSIC AUDIT ON ORLANDO AND CPA.

TROYER BANKER LENNOX.

YOU SCHEME THE CORRUPTION TO HIDE TAX ACCOUNTING FOR BILL MILES ON THE HILTON HEAD CHAMBER WITH, WITH ALL INVOICES AND MATCHING RECEIPTS ON HOW HE STEALS AND ILLEGALLY USES MILLIONS OF A, UH, IN AAX FUNDS.

NOWHERE TO BE, NOWHERE TO BE FOUND, JUST DISAPPEARED.

AND COLTRAIN LAWYERS, COLTRAIN GROUPER AND LAWYER FINGER FROM BLUFFTON, YOU UNFORTUNATELY, ALL THE TAXPAYERS GOT THE MIDDLE FINGER.

THAT'S WHAT WE GOT FROM TERRY.

FINGER VOTE OR SHACK FOR NEW MAYOR ALAN PERRY.

KIM LICHENS.

STEVE ARNOLD, OUR INSIDER CROOKS.

IF SOMEONE CALLED ME A CROOK, I WOULD SUE THEM.

ALSO, YOU CAN'T USE PUBLIC FUNDS FOR PRIVATE NONPROFIT PURPOSES THAT DOES NOT BENEFIT THE PUBLIC GOOD REASON, USE, AND BENEFIT AND PURPOSE.

MITCHELLVILLE AND BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB MIGHT BE WORTHY, BUT IT'S ILLEGAL TO FUND THESE ORGANIZATIONS.

THESE ORGANIZATIONS MUST BE FUNDED BY THEIR PRIVATE MEMBERS AND THEIR PRIVATE DONORS.

YOU MUST STOP ILLEGALLY ISSUING AND ILLEGALLY USING OUR TAX MONIES.

THIS MUST STOP DECISIONS.

GO BACK TO THE COUNCIL ONE MORE TIME.

ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? HE DISAPPOINTED, LET, DIDN'T GO CHRIS, CALL THE VOTE.

OKAY? YES, SIR.

MR. BROWN, THE BOARD.

[12b. First Reading of Proposed Ordinance 2022-19 Amending Section 2-11-40(a) of the Municipal Code for the Town of Hilton Head Island; Town Council Appointment of a Town Attorney to Align with the Town's Fiscal Calendar]

CALENDAR.

MOVE FOR APPROVAL.

SECOND.

DISCUSSION OF MEMBERS OF COUNCIL DISCUSSION BY MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY HAVING SEEN NONE.

CHRISTIAN, CALL THE ROLL.

[Additonal Item 2]

DO WE NEED AN EXECUTIVE SESSION, SIR? YES.

WITH ONE CAVEAT.

IF YOU INTEND

[02:20:01]

TO DISCUSS EXECUTIVE SESSION 13 B NEGOTIATIONS INCIDENT TO THE PROPOSED SAILOR PURCHASE OF PROPERTY AND BRADLEY CIRCLE AREA, SO BE IT.

IF YOU'D LIKE TO REMOVE THAT ITEM FROM THE AGENDA PRIOR TO GOING INTO EXEC SESSION, PRIOR TO THAT MOTION WE DID MADE, YOU'D HAVE TO MAKE A MOTION TO AMEND THE TOWN COUNCIL AGENDA.

YOUR CALL AS A COUNCIL DEFER TO YOU COUNSEL.

DIDN'T WE AMEND THAT COMING OUT? NO, SIR.

THAT MOTION, UH, DID NOT GO THROUGH MR. BROWN'S MOTION FAILED.

, THAT'S WHAT WE DID.

MR. BROWN'S MOTION FAILED FOR ONE OF A SECOND.

YOU NEED A MOTION TO TAKE IT OFF THE AGENDA? I'LL MAKE THAT A MOTION.

SECOND.

AND ANY DISCUSSION OR I DO HAVE A QUESTION.

IS THIS, IS THIS PERMANENTLY OFF THE AGENDA? NO.

NO.

I CAN PUT IT BACK ON WHEN YOU CALL AND TAKE ME TO LUNCH.

, I'M JUST KIDDING YOU.

UH, OKAY.

DISCUSSION.

NO DISCUSSION TO VOTE ON THE COUNCIL TO TAKE IT OFF.

SIR, DID YOU WANNA CALL ROLL ON? SURE.

[13. Executive Session]

EXECUTIVE SESSIONS ITEM A AND C AS THEY SHOW ON THE AGENDA.

UM, PERSONNEL MATTERS RELATED TO ISLAND REC ASSOCIATION BOARD, AS WELL AS LEGAL ADVICE FROM TOWN ATTORNEY.

UM, RELATED AMOUNT.

CALVARY MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH AT ALL VERSUS TOWN OF HILTON HEAD ISLAND.

WILL WE GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION FOR THE REASON SET FORTH BY THE TOWN MANAGER? SECOND, ALL THEY RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND BACK FROM THE EXECUTIVE SESSION OF YES, MR.

[14. Possible actions by Town Council concerning matters discussed in Executive Session]