[00:00:01]
LIKE TO CALL TO ORDER[1. Call to Order]
THE COMMUNITY SERVICE AND PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE MEETING FOR MONDAY, OCTOBER 24TH, 2 0 22.KRISTA, ARE WE IN COMPLIANCE WITH VOYA? YES, SIR.
UH, WOULD YOU PLEASE DO THE ROLL CALL? YES, SIR.
[4. Approval of the Minutes]
NEXT ITEM ON OUR AGENDA OF APPROVAL OF THE, UH, MINUTES FOR SEPTEMBER 26.IS THERE A MOTION FOR APPROVAL? SO MOVED.
ANY COMMENTS, QUESTIONS? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? RIGHT? RIGHT.
KRISTA, DO WE HAVE ANY CITIZENS THAT WISH TO COME FORWARD? NO, SIR.
WE DID NOT HAVE ANY CITIZENS SIGN UP FOR TODAY.
[6a. Consideration of a Proposed Ordinance Updating the Local Comprehensive Beach Management Plan for the Town of Hilton Head Island to Submit to the SC Department of Health and Environmental Control's Office of Ocean and Resource Management]
TO A NEW BUSINESS, WHICH IS CONSIDERATION OF A PROPOSED ORDINANCE UPDATING THE LOCAL COMPREHENSIVE, UH, BEACH MANAGEMENT PLAN.I'M TOWN ENGINEER AND HERE BEFORE YOU TODAY TO, UM, PRESENT, UH, UPDATES TO OUR LOCAL COMPREHENSIVE BEACH MANAGEMENT PLAN.
UM, JEFF, AS YOU BEGIN THIS, UH, FROM A HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE, THE, THE PLAN THAT WILL BE DISCUSSING TODAY WAS ORIGINALLY APPROVED WHEN, UH, THE LATEST APPROVAL WAS 2017.
AND WHAT WE'RE SEEING TODAY, DOES THAT REPRESENT ANY SUBSTANTIVE CHANGES? UM, MINOR CHANGES.
WE'VE HAD A FEW NEW ORDINANCES.
UH, WE, WE LOOK AT METRICS, WE LOOK AT BEACH PROFILES, PARKING SPACES, ET CETERA.
SO I WOULD RESPECTFULLY SUGGEST THEN THAT YOU HIGHLIGHT THE CHANGES AND THEN OF COURSE, ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS WE HAVE HERE FROM THE DIAS.
I ALSO HAVE WITH ME, UH, TWO FELLOWS FROM OLSON AND ASSOCIATES THAT IS OUR COASTAL ENGINEERING FIRM.
THEY'VE BEEN MANAGING, DESIGNING, OVERSEEING BEACH PROJECTS FOR OVER 30 YEARS HERE ON HILTON HEAD ISLAND.
AND THEY ARE GONNA PROVIDE AN OVERVIEW OF THE BEACH PROGRAM, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE'VE DONE IN THE PAST, WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO IN THE FUTURE, HOW WE MANAGE OUR BEACHES.
SO I THINK THAT'D BE VERY INTERESTING.
AND, AND THE EMPHASIS THERE IS, UH, UH, POTENTIAL EXPOSURES GOING FORWARD, IF YOU'D BE SO KIND.
THEY'LL, THEY'LL COVER ALL OF THAT.
AND SO THIS PLAN, HERE'S AN OVERVIEW OF THE PRESENTATION.
UH, BASICALLY, YOU KNOW, TABLE OF CONTENTS AND WHAT WE HAVE IN, IN THE PLAN.
I'LL GO OVER THE, UH, PURPOSE AND BACKGROUND, THE EXISTING CONDITIONS, OUR PROGRAM, I THINK IT'S BEEN VERY, VERY SUCCESSFUL.
UH, WE HAVE OVERLAY DISTRICTS IN OUR L MODE TO PREVENT FURTHER, UH, DEVELOPMENT TOWARDS THE BEACH.
UM, PUBLIC ACCESS IS A BIG, BIG DEAL WITH THE STATE, UH, ALLOWING THE PUBLIC TO GET TO THE PUBLIC BEACH.
UM, BEACH FRONT DRAINAGE, WE'RE IN A VERY GOOD, UH, POSITION WITH THAT.
UM, BEACH MANAGEMENT AUTHORITIES WHO, WHO HAS AUTHORITY REALLY OVER THE STATE'S BEACH.
UM, LOCAL LAWS AND ORDINANCES, EROSION CONTROL AND MANAGEMENT, WHICH IS REALLY THE BEACH RE-NOURISHMENT AND, AND SOME STRUCTURES WE HAVE OUT ON THE BEACH TO CONTROL EROSION.
AND, UM, GOING FORWARD, NEEDS, GOALS, IMPLEMENTATION, AND THERE ARE APPENDICES OF THE PLAN THAT THE STATE REQUIRES.
AND AT THE END, UM, WE'LL ASK, UH, IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS, AND OLSON WILL GIVE A, AN OVERVIEW, WHICH I, I THINK WILL BE VERY, UH, WELL RECEIVED AND APPRECIATED.
UH, SO THIS WAS AN OLD, UH, SLIDE ANYWAY, UM, I APOLOGIZE.
I SHOULD SAY COMMUNITY SERVICE AND PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE, UH, TO ENDORSE THE UPDATED PLAN.
UH, THE BACKGROUND HERE, IT'S, UM, THE HECK, O C M REALLY REGULATES THE BEACH.
THEY HAVE A BEACH MANAGEMENT ACT.
UM, THEY REGULATE ALL THE OCEAN FRONT BEACHES IN THE STATE.
THIS PLAN, UH, YOU'RE REQUIRED TO GET IT APPROVED AND UPDATED EVERY 10 YEARS.
UM, WE HAD IT LAST APPROVED BY SERM IN 17.
SO THIS IS A FIVE YEAR LOCAL UPDATE.
YOU KNOW, IT'S GOOD PRACTICE, AND THEY WANT THE LOCALS TO KEEP THE DATA CURRENT AND UPDATE THURSDAY EVERY FIVE YEARS.
BUT WE WON'T GO THROUGH THE FORMAL REVIEW WITH, UH, THE STATE AGAIN UNTIL 2027.
UH, BEACH MANAGEMENT ACT, BEACH FRONT MANAGEMENT ACT.
THEY, THEY LIST THE FOLKS WHO NEED TO HAVE THESE PLANS.
HERE'S WHAT'S ON THE CURRENT WEBSITE.
I KNOW THERE'S SOME FOLKS WHO HAVE NOT UPDATED THEIRS FOR A WHILE.
UM, DON'T KNOW ALL THE DETAILS OF THAT AS TO WHY, BUT WE HAVE KEPT OURS UP AND CURRENT AS WE SHOULD.
AND, UH, WHAT'S AT, WHAT'S AT RISK IF YOU DON'T, IF WE DON'T? WELL, THE, I THINK THE MAIN RISK IS IF YOU WERE EVER TO SEEK FUNDING, IF THE TOWN WAS EVER TO GO SEEK FUNDING, AND WE DID NOT HAVE A CURRENT BEACH MANAGEMENT PLAN, I THINK THAT WOULD, THAT IS A KEY TO UNLOCK FUNDING.
I DON'T KNOW THAT THERE'S BEEN ANY PUNITIVE, YOU KNOW, ANY, ANY, UM, DAMAGES OR ANY PENALTIES SOUGHT AGAINST ENTITY, YOU KNOW, MUNICIPALITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS THAT DON'T KEEP THEIR PLAN UPDATED, BUT, BUT THEY REALLY ENCOURAGE US TO DO SO.
AND, UM, LIKE I SAY, IT'S KEY TO FUNDING.
IF WE WERE TO PURSUE FUNDING, UM, YEAH, AS I JUST SAID, YOU
[00:05:01]
KNOW, EVERY FIVE YEARS THEY WANT THE LOCAL GOVERNMENTS TO, TO MAKE SURE THEY, UH, REVIEW AND UPDATE THEIR PLAN, AND THEN EVERY 10 YEARS GO BACK TO THE STATE AND IT'S A FORMAL REVIEW PROCESS AND, AND THEN THE STATE WILL ADOPT IT.UM, HISTORY OF OUR PLANS, YOU KNOW, FIRST DONE IN 92, AND ALTHOUGH THOSE ARE NOT FIVE YEAR INTERVALS, UH, YOU KNOW, IF THINGS HAPPEN, THINGS CHANGED ALONG THE WAY AND WHETHER WE WANTED TO UPDATE OUR PLAN OR THE STATE SAID, YOU NEED TO UPDATE YOUR PLAN.
BUT THOSE WERE THE, THE LAST DATES, UH, OF HAVING THE PLAN UPDATED.
SO IT WAS LAST DONE IN 17, THAT WAS AN OFFICIAL APPROVED BY THE STATE PLAN.
AND HERE WE ARE IN 22 WITH OUR FIVE YEAR LOCAL UPDATE, UM, EXISTING CONDITIONS OF THE BEACH.
THE OLSON ENGINEERS WILL, WILL GO OVER THIS.
BUT, UH, IN VERY, VERY GOOD STEAD, UM, LOOKING OVER THE LAST 32 YEARS OF HOW MUCH MORE SAND IS IN THE SYSTEM THAN THERE WAS.
UH, I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING TO BE VERY PROUD OF.
AND, AND IT'S ALL CAUSE OF OUR BEACH RE NOURISHMENT PROGRAM.
WE HAVE A FEW STRUCTURES, YOU KNOW, ROCK GROINS AT THE HILL, AT THE TOE, AT THE FOLLEY, ET CETERA.
SOME BREAKWATERS UP IN PORT ROYAL SOUND, UH, THAT ARE PERFORMING AS INTENDED, YOU KNOW, SERVING THEIR PURPOSE TO PREVENT FURTHER EROSION.
UM, EVERY YEAR WE DO SURVEYING AND MONITORING, UH, WITH OLSON, AND THERE'S SUB, UH, CONSULTANTS.
UH, WE, WE FLY, WE DO AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY, AND THEN WE DO SURVEYS AT THE BEACH TO SEE WHERE SAND IS ACCRETING, WHERE EROSION IS HAPPENING.
AND SO WE KEEP THOSE RECORDS, AND THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO HAVE IT AS WE GO FORWARD AND, AND MONITOR THE CHANGES AND ARE ABLE TO DESIGN THE NEXT PROJECTS.
BUT ALSO, IF WE WERE TO GET HIT BY A HURRICANE AND WE WERE TO SEEK FEDERAL MONIES, THEY WOULD WANNA KNOW WHAT WAS THE CONDITION BEFORE THE HURRICANE.
AND SO WE HAVE REAL RELATIVE RECENT DATA ON HAND, UM, AT ALL TIMES.
UM, AND THE PLAN HAS GRAPHICAL DATA.
LIKE I SAY, THESE FELLOWS HERE WITH THEIR SURVEYS AND, AND, AND THEIR MONITORING HAVE, UH, PROFILES, ET CETERA, THAT WE WILL TURN INTO THE STATE TO SHOW HOW THE BEACH IS CHANGING OVER TIME, OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS.
UH, THE, THE OVERLAYS PROTECTION AREAS, THESE ARE IN THE LMO.
UM, AND, AND THE BASIC INTENT IS TO PREVENT DEVELOPMENT FORWARDS TOWARDS THE BEACH.
UM, YOU WANNA HOLD PEOPLE WHERE THEY'RE AT.
SO, SO THESE ARE OUR GOOD POLICIES TO HAVE IN THERE.
THE STATE APPRECIATES THAT AT THE LOCAL LEVEL, WE ARE CONTROLLING, YOU KNOW, DEVELOPMENT ENCROACHING FURTHER TOWARDS THE BEACH.
UM, SO YOU CAN'T BUILD BUILDINGS, BUT, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE CAN BUILD POOLS AND, AND BOARDWALK, ET CETERA.
AND, AND WE GO OUT AND, AND LOOK AT THAT STUFF WHEN, WHEN IT'S GETTING PERMITTED.
UH, PUBLIC ACCESS, THIS IS A, A REALLY BIG DEAL WITH THE STATE.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT THE BEACH PARKS UP THERE, AND, AND AS A PUBLIC BEACH, OF COURSE, THEY WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE AS THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT, UH, ALLOW AND, YOU KNOW, PROVIDE ACCESS TO THE BEACH.
UM, WE, OUR, OUR BENCHMARK, OUR GOAL IS 1400 PUBLIC PARKING SPACES SERVING THE BEACH.
UH, WE, WE ARE OVER THAT BY A FEW NUMBERS.
WE'VE GOT 14, 12, I BELIEVE, SO, SO WE ARE, WE'RE IN A GOOD POSITION THERE.
JEFF, UH, JEFF, WHAT'S THE FORMULA FOR ARRIVING AT? THEY WANNA LOOK AT NUMBER.
THESE, THEY HAVE DIFFERENT CLASSIFICATIONS OF BEACH PARKS BY THE NUMBER OF SPACES AND HOW MANY ARE SERVED.
YOU KNOW, IF THERE'S 10 SPACES, IT'S THIS CLASSIFICATION.
IF THERE'S 25, IF IT'S A HUNDRED, UM, AND THEN PROXIMITY TO THE BEACH.
AND SO ALL OF THESE, YOU KNOW, OUTER LANE HAS, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S 20 SOME SPACES, UH, CLOSE ENOUGH PROXIMITY TO THE BEACH TO BE CONSIDERED PUBLIC BEACH PARKING.
UH, CAGNEY BEACH HAS, YOU KNOW, MORE SPACES.
IT'S MORE OF A REGIONAL PARK THAT WE DRAW PEOPLE TO, TO ACCESS THE BEACH.
AND SO THEY HAVE CRITERIA AT D HECK THAT, THAT SPECIFIES THE, THE KIND OF BASED ON THE SIZE OF THE PART NUMBER OF SPACES AND, AND YOU HAVE TO BE WITHIN A CERTAIN PROXIMITY.
UH, THE REASON I RAISED THAT, I JUST WONDER IF THAT'S A, I'M SURE IT IS A LEGITIMATE GOVERNOR, IF YOU WILL, ON VOLUME COMING TO HILTON HEAD FROM AFAR.
THERE ARE, YOU KNOW, SEVERAL PRIVATE BEACH OUTLETS, OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, WITHIN THE GATED COMMUNITIES AND, AND RESORTS, ET CETERA.
FOR THE PUBLIC BEACH ACCESS, YOU KNOW, FOLKS COMING HERE FROM OFF ISLAND, ET CETERA, THAT AREN'T GOING TO A RESORT.
THIS IS THE CONDUIT TO GET THEM ONTO THE BEACH.
SO, JEFF, IS THERE A THREAT, AND MAYBE NOT THE RIGHT WORD, IS THERE ANY EXPECTATION THAT THE STATE COULD REQUIRE US TO INCREASE THOSE NUMBERS? IN OTHER WORDS, COULD IT BECOME A STATE ISSUE RATHER THAN A LOCAL ISSUE? I DON'T THINK SO.
WE WORKED WITH, UM, OCRM, THEY HAVE A FELLOW NAMED ADAM BOYD.
HE'S THE COASTAL PLANNER, AND HE WORKED CLOSELY WITH, UH, MYSELF AND, AND HAD THE HELP OF OLSON UPDATING THIS PLAN.
UM, NO INDICATIONS THAT ANYTHING LIKE THAT IS LOOMING.
NO, NO FUTURE LEGISLATION THAT THAT IS, IS GOING TO MANDATE MORE.
UM, SO, BUT COULD, BUT COULD THEY, IS MY QUESTION.
I GUESS THEY COULD, UM, OR WHAT UN UNDER WHAT AUTHORITY.
UNDER THE BEACHFRONT MANAGEMENT ACT, UH, YOU KNOW, BUT, BUT WE, WE TRY TO KEEP UP WITH THEM.
[00:10:01]
THE SOUTH CAROLINA BEACH ADVOCATES.AND, AND SO WE, WE KEEP TRACK OF LEGISLATION.
UH, WE HAVE A LOBBYING GROUP THAT TALKS TO, UH, SENATORS AND, AND CONGRESSMEN TO SEE WHAT MAY BE, YOU KNOW, A FOOT, WHAT MAY BE HAPPENING.
BUT, BUT YEAH, IF SOMETHING LIKE THAT WERE TO HAPPEN, I THINK WE WOULD BE OUT IN FRONT OF IT WITH THE, UH, BEACH ADVOCATES FOLKS AND, AND TRY TO POSITION OURSELVES AS BEST WE COULD.
UM, YOU KNOW, THIS, THIS PUBLIC ACCESS, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A CERTAIN NUMBER OF PARKS AND, AND OF COURSE, BEACHFRONT LAND IS MOSTLY DEVELOPED.
UM, WHAT CAN WE DO TO BE BETTER, TO GET SOME MORE SPACES? UM, WE CAN DO SOME CAPITAL PROJECTS, AND WE ARE IN PROCESS OF DOING THAT AT ISLANDERS AND CHAPLIN, UM, WHERE WE CAN GET, UH, SOME ADDITIONAL PARKING SPACES.
AND JUST AS AN UPDATE TO, TO YOU HERE ON COUNCIL, TO LET YOU KNOW, WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF NEGOTIATING CONTRACT WITH THE PARKING MANAGEMENT COMPANY, PCI, WHO DID A PRESENTATION, UH, A MONTH OR SO AGO.
UM, SO THAT CONTRACT SHOULD BE EXECUTED SHORTLY.
AND, AND THEY WILL BE WORKING HERE IN, UH, NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER ON THE PARKING MANAGEMENT PLAN.
UM, HERE'S THE NUMBER OF SPACES, UH, I TOLD YOU ABOUT THESE DIFFERENT TYPES OF PARKS.
IS IT A PUBLIC ACCESS POINT? IS IT A LOCAL PUBLIC, A NEIGHBORHOOD, PUBLIC COMMUNITY? PUBLIC? SO THEY HAVE TIERS OF, OF DIFFERENT SIZE PARKS THAT, THAT, UH, THEY LOOK AT.
AND HERE ARE THE NUMBERS OF, UH, BEACH PARKING SPACES THAT WE HAVE ON OUR, UH, BEACH PARKS.
SO, LIKE I SAID, 14 WAS THE NUMBER THAT THAT WAS ARRIVED AT SEVERAL YEARS AGO.
AND, AND WE ARE OVER THAT NUMBER.
WE TOOK OUT THE 13 METER SPACE AT THE END OF BUR BEACH ROAD.
WE, WE LOST SOME SPACES IN THE NET.
WHEN LOW COUNTRY CELEBRATION PARK WAS DEVELOPED.
THERE USED TO BE THAT BIG SURFACE LOT, THE GRAVEL LOT WITH WILL STOPS THAT HAD A FEW HUNDRED SPACES.
AND SO IN THE NETS SINCE 17, WE'VE LOST, UH, ABOUT 42 SPACES, BUT WE'RE HOPING TO GAIN THOSE BACK WITH OUR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS PROJECTS AT ISLANDER AND CHAPLIN ALONG BE BEACH.
SO WE WILL GAIN SOME ADDITIONAL PARKING SPACES IN THOSE PROJECTS.
JEFF, I MAY BE JUMPING AHEAD, BUT IF WE ADD PARKING PLACES IN ONE PLACE AND IT JUMPS UP IN THEIR CATEGORY, DOES THAT REQUIRE ADDITIONAL CAPITAL EXPENSE ON OUR PART? WE NEED TO MEET THAT 1400 NUMBER.
AND SO YEAH, IF WE WERE TO, FOR SOME REASON DOWN BELOW AND NEEDED TO BUILD BACK THEN YES.
IF, IF WE'RE IN A NEIGHBORHOOD PUBLIC ACCESS PARK AT THIS POINT, AND SOMEHOW WE DOUBLED THE NUMBER OF SPACES AND IT BECAME A COMMUNITY PUBLIC ACCESS PARK, DOES THAT REQUIRE THE TOWN TO DO SOMETHING? NO.
THEY, THEY, THAT, THAT'S HOW THEY CATEGORIZE THEIR PARKS.
AND PART OF IT GOES BACK TO, REMEMBER THE ISLANDERS BEACH PARK AND THE 25 SPACES, THEY SAID, AND, AND I THINK, UM, I FORGET WHICH ONE OF THOSE IT WAS.
NOW IT MIGHT BE THE NEIGHBORHOOD PUBLIC ACCESS, BUT THOSE 25 SPACES, IT WAS UNDER THAT PARK CATEGORY TO GET THIS FUNDING, TO GET THAT MILLION DOLLARS FOR SAND ON THE BEACH, YOU NEED TO PROVIDE PUBLIC ACCESS WITHIN THIS PROXIMITY.
SO IT WAS A THOUSAND FEET FROM THE PROJECT, AND THE NUMBER WAS 25.
SO WHATEVER PART CATEGORY THAT WAS, I THINK IT WAS NEIGHBORHOOD PUBLIC ACCESS PARK, PERHAPS.
BUT ANYHOW, THAT'S HOW THAT NUMBER WAS DERIVED.
WHEN D H C SAID, YOU WANT THE MILLION DOLLARS, I NEED 25 SPACES WITHIN X FEET OF YOUR PROJECT.
AND SO WE PUT 25 METERS IN ISLANDERS.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THEY ASK ABOUT BEACHFRONT DRAINAGE FOR A LOT OF COMMUNITIES, IT'S A BIG ISSUE, RIGHT? I'M SURE YOU'VE EITHER BEEN OR SEEN MYRTLE BEACH WITH THESE STORMWATER OUTFALLS RIGHT ON THE BEACH.
UM, A LOT OF FOLKS HAVE THAT PROBLEM.
YOU CAN SEE THE MAP THERE WITH THE LITTLE, UH, YELLOW ARROWS.
THESE ARE DRAINAGE OUTFALLS FROM, FROM WATERSHED.
SO THE, THE COLORED AREAS THERE ARE DIFFERENT, UH, WATERSHEDS, UH, DRAINAGE BASINS.
AND, AND THE ARROWS INDICATE WHERE THEY FLOW OUT.
YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT THE FOLLEY, WHICH IS A NATURAL, UH, NATURAL CONDITION THERE.
AND THERE ARE SOME DEVELOPMENT LANDS, YOU KNOW, FOLLEY FIELD, NEIGHBORHOOD BEACH AND TENNIS, ET CETERA, FLOW OUT OF THAT.
BUT PRIMARILY YOU CAN SEE WHERE WHEN THE ISLAND WAS DEVELOPED AND PLUMED, WE TOOK EVERYTHING BACK TO THE, UH, THE CREEKS MOSTLY.
AND, AND WE DON'T HAVE DRAINAGE INPUTS OUT ON THE ATLANTIC BEACH.
SO THAT'S REALLY, REALLY A GOOD THING.
OTHER COMMUNITIES ARE FIGHTING THAT THEY HAVE TO MONITOR REGULARLY, AND WE MON D H C MONITORS OUR BEACH AS WELL, BUT, BUT THEY HAVE A LOT OF BEACH CLOSURES DUE TO RAINFALL EVENTS AND POLLUTION COMING OUT FROM THE, UH, STORM MONITOR OUTPUTS.
UM, YEAH, NOT A LOT OF, UH, WELL, NONE REALLY AT ALL.
ANY DRAINAGE ISSUES PER SE, YOU KNOW, FROM THE DUNES BACK TO DEVELOPMENT, I THINK VERY, VERY, UH, GOOD CONDITION THERE.
AND, AND LIKE I SAY, DEK KIND OF APPLAUDS WHAT WE'VE DONE AND WHERE WE STAND IN THAT REGARD, UH, FOR THE AUTHORITIES THAT MANAGE THE BEACH.
UM, OCRM, OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, UNDER THE BEACH MANAGE BEACH FRONT MANAGEMENT ACT, UM, STATE AND FEDERAL PERMITTING AGENCIES, WE ARE WORKING WITH OLSON RIGHT
[00:15:01]
NOW TO EMBARK ON THE DESIGN, YOU KNOW, OF THE NEXT PROJECT, THE 2025 RE NOURISHMENT PROJECT.AND SO THERE'S A HOST OF PERMITTING AGENCIES, UM, CORE OF ENGINEERS, US FISH AND WILDLIFE, UH, STATE DNR, STATE OCRM, ET CETERA.
AND THOSE AGENCIES ALL HAVE AUTHORITY IN, IN PERMITTING, UM, OBLIGATIONS ON THE BEACH.
AND THEN HERE AT THE LOCAL LEVEL, OF COURSE, WE HAVE THE LMO AND THE TOWN CODE.
UM, I'LL GET TO THOSE SECTIONS IN, IN A MOMENT HERE.
UM, LAWS AND ORDINANCES, YOU KNOW, SECTION EIGHT ONE IS THE BEACH ORDINANCE, AS WE CALL IT.
UH, YOU GOT THE GENERAL PROVISIONS, DEFINITIONS, ET CETERA.
UM, PROHIBITED ACTIVITIES, UH, PROTECT THE DUNES, UM, ET CETERA.
YOU KNOW, PEOPLE ALLOWED TO PARK BOATS ON THE BEACH.
THERE WAS A NEW ADDITION SINCE THE 2017 UPDATE.
UM, THAT'S ONE THING WE NOTIFIED OCR IN THE SEA TURTLE PROTECTION, WHICH IS REALLY THE LIGHTS OUT ORDINANCE.
UM, WE'VE ADDED THAT, WHICH IS A GOOD THING.
UM, YOU KNOW, OF COURSE, THEY'RE HAVE AN INTEREST IN PROTECTING, UH, ENDANGERED SPECIES AND WILDLIFE ON THE BEACH.
SO, SO THAT IS A CHANGE SINCE 17, AND THAT, THAT IS A POSITIVE IN, IN THE EYES OF OCRM.
UH, WE REVISED THE TOWN'S BEACH LIMITS.
UM, YOU REMEMBER THIS CAME BEFORE COUNCIL AND WAS APPROVED, UM, BACK IN THE SPRING, YOU KNOW, FEBRUARY OF LAST YEAR, I THINK.
SO THE, UH, FEBRUARY OF THIS YEAR, I'M SORRY.
BUT ANYWAY, YOU CAN SEE THERE, 4.1 MILES ADDED.
THE RED LINE WAS ADDED TO, TO OUR BEACH LIMITS.
OCRM STILL REGULATES THE ATLANTIC BEACH FRONT, BUT THE GOLD LINE IS, IS WHAT IT HAD BEEN FOR YEARS.
AND THEN WE ADDED, UH, THE RED LINE UP, POOR OIL SOUND TO ENCOMPASS, UH, PINE ISLAND BEACH UP TO PARK CREEK.
AND SO THAT'S PART OF THE, WHAT THEY'RE LOOKING AT IN THEIR RE NOURISHMENT TO, TO MANAGE THAT BEACH FRONT, ALONG THAT RED LINE AS WELL, UP TO THE END, EROSION CONTROL, UH, AND MANAGEMENT, YOU KNOW, THIS IS THE BEACH ITSELF, THE PHYSICAL BEACH, HOW WE MANAGE AND MAINTAIN IT.
UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS D HECK LOOKING AT? THEY SAY, WHAT DO YOU DO? WE HAVE A DEVOTED FUNDING SOURCE, WHICH IS, IS REALLY, UH, GREAT THING TO HAVE.
BUT WE HAVE A, A RE NOURISHMENT PROGRAM, YOU KNOW, GOING BACK TO 30 PLUS YEARS, UM, THAT THEY'LL GET INTO THE HISTORY OF THAT AND HOW IT EVOLVED AND DEVELOPED, AND WHY IT'S SUCH A GREAT THING.
BUT WE ALSO DO MONITORING, AS I SAID, WE DO SURVEYS AND, AND PHOTOGRAPHY, UH, TWICE A YEAR IN THE SPRING AND FALL.
UM, WE HAVE STRATEGIC STRUCTURES, THE ROCK GROINS I MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, AT THE FOLLEY, AT THE TOE, AT THE, UH, GROIN, UM, NEAR ISLAND SAND SOURCES.
THESE FELLAS TELL ME, THERE ARE PLACES IN FLORIDA, YOU HAVE TO GO PRETTY FAR TO GET SAND.
AND OF COURSE, THAT DRIVES UP THE PRICE.
WE HAVE FOUR SHO AREAS AT THE, THE END OF CALAB AND PORT OIL SOUND AS THEY SPIT OUT INTO THE OCEAN.
AND SO THOSE, UH, SAND DEPOSIT SEDIMENTS ARE, ARE WHERE WE WANNA CHOOSE OUR SAND.
WE HAVE TO GO THROUGH A WHOLE PERMITTING PROCESS TO, TO, YOU KNOW, SEE THE WILDLIFE, WHAT, EITHER ANY, UM, ARCHEOLOGICAL HISTORIC THINGS WITHIN THOSE SHOALS, ET CETERA.
SO LENGTHY PERMITTING PROCESS.
AND, YOU KNOW, THEY'VE DONE CORINGS TO LOOK AT THE GRAIN SIZE, ET CETERA, WHICH IS BEST, WHICH IS CLOSEST, WHICH WILL BE CHEAPEST, BUT WHICH IS PERMISSIBLE WITH THESE, UH, FEDERAL AGENCIES.
AND SO, UM, THAT'S, THAT'S SOMETHING THEY'LL SPEAK ABOUT AS WELL.
UM, CONTROL ADVANCEMENT OF SEAWARD DEVELOPMENT, YOU KNOW, THOSE, UH, OVERLAY DISTRICTS I SPOKE OF THAT, THAT HELPS IN THAT MEASURE.
AND, UH, WE PROTECT OUR DUNES.
WE ALSO HAVE, UH, IN THE ORDINANCE TO PROTECT OUR DUNES, UM, BENEFITS OF, OF A MANAGED PROGRAM, UH, WHICH YOU CAN ALL EXPECT, YOU KNOW, THE RECREATIONAL BEACH, WHY SO MANY PEOPLE COME HERE.
AND, AND, AND WE'RE REAL PROUD OF THAT.
THAT'S, THAT'S ONE OF THE BIG, UH, PRODUCTS, I GUESS, OF ALL THIS WORK.
UH, STORM PROTECTIONS, UH, BUFFERING AGAINST, UH, YOU KNOW, EVENTS.
UM, WE'LL SPEAK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT SEA LEVEL RISE WHEN THEY'RE DOING THEIR, THEIR, UH, PRESENTATION, UH, ENVIRONMENTAL HABITAT FOR THE ENDANGERED SPECIES, THE TURTLES, THE BIRDS.
UH, WE HAVE PIPING CLOVER AND RED KNOT HABITAT, UH, ON SOME OF OUR BEACHES.
AND BOTH OF THOSE ARE ENDANGERED SPECIES.
AND THE PUBLIC ASSISTANCE FROM FEMA.
BY HAVING THIS MANAGED PROGRAM AND HAVING THE MONITORING DATA KEPT CURRENT, IF IAN WOULD HAVE HIT AND, AND, YOU KNOW, HAD, UH, CATASTROPHIC LOSSES OF SAND ON THE BEACH, WE WOULD IMMEDIATELY HAVE GONE OUT AND SURVEYED AND, AND STARTED A PROJECT WORKSHEET WITH FEMA AS SOON AS IT WAS A DECLARED DISASTER TO SAY, WE LOST X YARDS OF SAND, WE NEED IT BACK.
AND, AND FEMA HAS A PROGRAM TO ASSIST, BUT IF YOU DON'T HAVE A MANAGED PROGRAM WHERE YOU'RE MANAGING THE BEACH AND YOU KNOW, WHAT WAS THERE BEFORE THE STORM, YOU, YOU PROBABLY WON'T BE SUCCESSFUL IN, IN GETTING MONEY FROM THE FEDS.
UM, I'VE GOT THESE PHOTOS, WHICH ARE, ARE REALLY, UH, MEANINGFUL.
AND, AND OLSON HAS SOME IN THEIR PRESENTATION AS WELL, BUT THIS IS DOWN IN THE CIG, NORTH FOREST BEACH AREA.
UH, YOU SEE THE, THE FIRST HOUSE THERE IN 90 WITH KIND OF THE, UH, A SHAPED ROOF FLYING.
AND, AND THAT'S SINCE BEEN TORN DOWN AND, AND A NEW BIG HOME BUILT.
BUT, BUT ANYWAY, BACK IN THE DAY, IN THE NINETIES, YOU KNOW, YOU HAD WATER LAPPING
[00:20:01]
UP AGAINST ROCKS AT, UH, LOW TIDE, EVEN IN SOME SEGMENTS OF THE BEACH.AND, AND SO FOR THE FOLKS WHO HAVEN'T LIVED HERE TOO LONG AND DON'T APPRECIATE WHAT IT USED TO LOOK LIKE OR WHAT IT COULD LOOK LIKE, IF THIS PROGRAM WASN'T SUSTAINED, IT'S, IT'S, YOU KNOW, QUITE ALARMING TO, TO LOOK AT THOSE PICTURES.
UH, THE RE NOURISHMENT PROGRAM, UM, WE'RE GEARING UP FOR A PROJECT IN 25.
WE'VE ALREADY, UH, THEY'RE WORKING ON THE DESIGN.
WE'RE HOLDING A PERMITTING MEETING WITH, UH, ALL THE AGENCIES UP IN CHARLESTON NEXT MONTH.
UH, BUT THIS IS A HISTORY OF WHAT WE'VE DONE.
UM, GOT DOLLAR VALUES ON THERE BACK, UH, BACK IN THE REPORT.
BUT, BUT THIS IS REALLY WHAT WE DO TO MAINTAIN THE BEACH.
I MEAN, THIS, THIS IS THE PROGRAM.
THIS IS THE MEAT OF, OF WHY WE HAVE SUCH A BEAUTIFUL WIDE BEACHES.
AND THE, THE PLAN HAS APPENDICES IN THERE.
UM, YOU KNOW, I'VE EXCERPTED FROM OUR TOWN CODE, UH, THE BEACH MANAGEMENT OVERLAYS.
WE HAVE AN INVENTORY OF ALL THE BEACH STRUCTURES.
FOLKS WENT UP AND DOWN THE, UH, THE COASTLINE LOOKING AT POOLS AND BOARDWALK AND ALL THAT.
WE NEED TO REPORT THAT TO D HECK, UM, UPDATED THE PARKING PUBLIC ACCESS INVENTORY TABLE.
THEY WENT DONE, YOU KNOW, PRIOR STUDIES.
THESE, UH, FOLKS HAVE BEEN DOING ANALYSIS AND DESIGNS AND STUDIES FOR SEVERAL YEARS.
UM, OUR LAWS OF AN ORDINANCE AND, UM, AND THE, THE JURISDICTIONS, JEFF, UM, ON THE STRUCTURES, HAVE ALL OF THOSE BEEN PERMITTED OR ARE THERE EXCEPTIONS, UM, VIOLATIONS? UM, ALL OF THE ROCK STRUCTURES HAVE, HAVE BEEN, UH, PERMITTED WITH STATE AND FEDERAL AGENCIES.
POOLS, OH, AND PATIOS AND SO ON.
YES, TO MY KNOWLEDGE, IF, UM, IF THEY WERE FOUND TO BE UN PERMITTED AND, UH, YES, CODE VIOLATION WOULD HAVE TO COME BACK AND, AND GET PERMITS.
BUT, BUT I DON'T KNOW THROUGH THIS PROCESS THAT, UH, THAT WE KNOW OF ANY THAT UN WHERE UN PERMITTED.
WHO WOULD KNOW THAT? CODE ENFORCEMENT? YES.
I COULD TALK TO THOSE FOLKS AND SEE IF THEY HAVE CAUGHT UNPERMITTED.
UM, I'D BE INTERESTED BUILDING, YEAH, MAKE A NOTE.
I WILL TALK WITH CODE ENFORCEMENT ABOUT THAT.
UM, YOU KNOW, GOING FORWARD, UM, WHAT DO WE WANNA DO IN THE FUTURE? UM, I MENTIONED THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS PROGRAM.
WE HAVE TWO PROJECTS ONGOING AT, UH, CHAP PARKS, BURKES, BEACH AREA, AND HIGHLANDERS.
UH, WE WANNA GET MORE PARKING SPACES IN THERE, UH, LAND ACQUISITION PROGRAM.
ANYTIME THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO GET LAND ON THE BEACH OR IF WE COULD EXPAND OUR BEACH PARKS, UH, I, I THINK THAT'S A GOOD THING.
UM, WHOLE DENSITIES ALONG THE BEACH FRONT AND, UH, LIMIT, UH, DEVELOPMENT TOWARDS THE BEACH.
UM, DON'T HAVE ANY LMO UPDATES REALLY RIGHT NOW IN THE WORKS OR IN MIND, BUT, BUT WE ALWAYS NEED TO LOOK AT THAT AND SEE IF, IF, UH, THERE ARE NEEDS TO, TO UPDATE THEM IN THAT.
UM, DEK WAS VERY, UH, HELPFUL WORKING.
THEY ASSIGNED A FELLOW TO WORK WITH US ON, ON THIS UPDATE, AND, AND HE WAS MOST HELPFUL.
AND HE'S, UH, YOU KNOW, APPROVES OR IN CONCURRENCE WITH WHAT WE'VE, UH, DONE THUS FAR.
UM, PROMOTE ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS. UM, YOU KNOW, THAT'S SOMETHING WE'LL CONTINUE TO DO.
UH, WE HAVE THE, THE TURTLE PATROL AND THOSE FOLKS, AND, AND WE'LL TRY TO DO MORE WITH THE, THE BIRDS AND OTHER WILDLIFE ON THE BEACHES.
UM, COORDINATE WITH THE CHAMBER TO PROMOTE THE BEACH, OF COURSE.
UM, THE STATE DOESN'T HAVE ANY, UH, RULES IN THE WORKS.
LIKE I SAID, IF THERE ARE LEGISLATION THAT WE NEED TO WORK ON, OR IF THERE'S A POINT WHERE THEY'RE GONNA UPDATE THE BEACHFRONT MANAGEMENT ACT, UH, WE, WE WILL PARTICIPATE IN THAT AND, AND HELP, YOU KNOW, LOOK AT OUR INTEREST IN, IN THE STATEWIDE BEACHES AS BEST WE CAN.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, WORK WITH DEVELOPERS AND POA ON, ON OPPORTUNITIES WHERE WE CAN.
AND, UM, AGAIN, PR ABOUT THE PUBLIC ACCESS AND BEACH POINTS WHEN WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA DO THIS, UH, PARKING MANAGEMENT CONTRACT, RIGHT? AS WE ROLL THAT OUT, THERE WILL BE A, UH, A BIG PUBLIC INFORMATION EFFORT TO NOT ONLY TELL FOLKS, YOU KNOW, HERE'S THE NEW PROGRAM, HERE'S WHERE YOU HAVE TO PAY TO PARK HOW MUCH, ET CETERA.
BUT ALSO TO HIGHLIGHT, YOU KNOW, THE, THE ACCESS POINTS AND, AND HOW TO GET THERE AND, AND SO FORTH.
UH, THERE'LL BE AN APP THAT PEOPLE CAN HAVE ON THEIR PHONES.
UH, JEFF, IN TERMS OF, IF YOU COULD GO BACK, PLEASE.
IN TERMS OF B AND C FROM A STAFF STANDPOINT, DO YOU HAVE ANY RECOMMENDATIONS OR ARE YOU, ARE YOU RE REVIEWING, UH, B AND C TO SEE IF, UH, THAT SHOULD BE OR COULD BE TIGHTENED UP? WELL, AS MOST THINGS ARE BUILT OUT, WE, WE DON'T HAVE ANY RECOMMENDATIONS PENDING FOR ELMO UPDATES AND, AND MOST OF THE BEACH FRONT AREA IS BUILT OUT.
UM, I THINK THOSE ARE ON THERE TO, TO ALWAYS BE AWARE AND, AND IF WE NEED TO UPDATE IT.
BUT, BUT WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING REALLY PENDING RIGHT NOW.
I MEAN, I THINK, I THINK THE POLICIES AND ORDINANCES ARE GOOD.
I GUESS ANOTHER WAY TO ASK THE QUESTION ARE, ARE THERE EXPOSURES OUT THERE BASED ON, UH, CURRENT RULES OF DENSITY BASED
[00:25:01]
ON THE EXISTING LMO THAT CREATE AN EXPOSURE THAT YOU'D RATHER AVOID? I WOULD NOT SAY THERE ARE.UM, IF ANYTHING COMES TO LIGHT VIA REDEVELOPMENTS OR THINGS LIKE THAT, UM, WE'LL ADDRESS IT.
BUT, BUT I'M NOT AWARE OF ANY EXPOSURES WE NEED TO, TO SEAL UP RIGHT NOW, IF THAT ANSWERS THE QUESTION.
UM, YOU KNOW, BEACH PARKING, PUBLIC ACCESS, UM, MANAGE THE EROSION THROUGH OUR PROJECTS, UH, CLIMATE ADAPTION, SEA LEVEL RISE, THESE FOLKS WILL, WILL GET INTO THAT ABOUT WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO TACKLE THAT.
AND, AND IT'S THROUGH AN ONGOING PROGRAM.
THERE IS NOT A SINGULAR PROJECT.
WE, WE BUILT THIS AND WE'RE GOOD FOR THE NEXT 50 YEARS.
UM, THE, THE KEY IS AN ONGOING SUSTAINED PROJECT OR PROGRAM, UH, THAT WILL, YOU KNOW, DEAL TO MITIGATE, UH, SEA LEVEL RISE ON THE BEACHES AND, UH, YOU KNOW, WORK WITH D HECK AS NEEDED, REGULATIONS, FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES, ET CETERA.
AND YEAH, WHILE WE WERE HERE TODAY, THIS WAS THE ASK OF THE COMMUNITY SERVICE AND PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE TO, UH, ENDORSE THE UPDATES TO THE LOCAL COMPREHENSIVE BEACH MANAGEMENT PLAN.
AND THIS DID PASS UNANIMOUSLY WITH THE, UH, PLANNING COMMISSION A FEW MONTHS BACK WHEN WE PRESENTED THAT.
ANY COMMENTS, QUESTIONS FROM OUR GROUP? I HAVE A COUPLE, BUT TAMMY, YOU OKAY? UM, TWO GENERAL QUESTIONS.
JEFF, APPRECIATE THE OVERVIEW.
IT REFERENCES 3015 POINTS THAT A HIGH SCORE, IS THAT A LOW SCORE? WHAT'S MYRTLE BEACH? I MEAN, I DON'T HAVE A CLUE WHAT THAT MEANS.
THE, THE POINTS, WHERE WAS THIS? THE POINTS THAT, UH, THE, UH, OUR COMMUNITY RECEIVED BASED ON THE CRITERIA, UH, THAT WAS ESTABLISHED.
UM, IF YOU DON'T HAVE THE ANSWER, I DON'T HAVE THAT.
LET ME, LET ME LOOK THAT UP AND SEE WHERE WE RANK RELATION TO OTHER COMMUNITIES.
AND THEN WHAT IS AN EXAMPLE OF A PUBLIC TRUST DOCTRINE ON HILTON HEAD? HAVE WE HAD AN EXAMPLE WHERE THAT'S, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT REALLY MEANS IN PRACTICAL TERMS. AND WHERE WAS THAT? WAS THAT IN PUBLIC TRUST DOC? JOSH? THERE WE GO.
SO IF I UNDERSTAND YOUR CORRECTION CORRECTLY, THE PUBLIC TRUST DOCTRINE ESSENTIALLY SAYS PROPERTY THAT'S HELD OPEN FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE PUBLIC.
AN EXAMPLE OF THAT WOULD BE ANY PROPERTY THAT'S LOCATED BELOW THE MEAN HIGH WATER MARK.
UH, IT'S ESSENTIALLY TERRITORY OF THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA THAT THROUGH THE PUBLIC TRUST DOCTRINE IS HELD OPEN FOR THE USE AND ENJOYMENT OF THE PUBLIC.
UM, SO YOU'LL GET MARSH AREAS, YOU CAN GET, UH, HUMMOCK ISLANDS, THINGS LIKE THAT, THAT BECOME PART OF THE PUBLIC TRUST IN ANY WAY.
HAS IT BEEN AN ISSUE ON HILTON HIT? IT CAN BECOME AN ISSUE.
UH, IF YOU DEAL WITH, UH, PROPERTY LINES THAT SOMETIMES COMES UP, UM, WHEN YOU HEAR ABOUT KING'S GRANT AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
THE WAY THAT YOU DEFEAT THE PUBLIC TRUST DOCTRINE IS BY GOING BACK AND BE ABLE TO SHOW A CONTINUOUS CHAIN OF TITLE BACK TO SOME KIND OF KING'S GRANT.
SO IT HAPPENS OCCASIONALLY, BUT IT'S, IT'S STILL PRETTY INFREQUENT.
SO PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS NT OKAY.
UH, IF, IF I COULD, UH, TAG ONTO THAT, UH, RECOGNIZING THE, THE SEA STORM OF POPULATION GROWTH, THAT, UH, AND WE'RE ALREADY SEEING SIGNS OF IT ON TWO, BETWEEN ONE 70 AND 95 TO THE RIGHT AND LEFT OF 2 78, UH, WE'LL HAVE, I WOULD PREDICT A DRAMATIC INCREASE IN DEMAND FOR ACCESS TO OUR BEACH.
UH, AND SINCE ACCESS IS, IS A RIGHT, I GATHER, UH, IF WE, IF WE TAKE MEASURES TO CREATE A GOVERNOR OR A LIMITATION ON ACCESS, JUST SO WE AVOID OVERCROWDING, WE CAN ONLY TAKE SO MANY PEOPLE.
ARE ARE WE PLACING OURSELVES IN AN EXPOSED POSITION FROM A LEGAL STANDPOINT? THERE, THERE HAS TO BE A BALANCE BETWEEN, UH, HAVING A NICE DAY AT, AT THE BEACH OR A CONEY ISLAND EXPERIENCE.
SO, BECAUSE THE BEACH ITSELF IS OWNED BY THE STATE UNDER THE PUBLIC TRUST DOCK, AND THAT WE'D, UH, JUST DISCUSSED, IF YOU CAN LEGALLY GET TO THE BEACH, YOU ARE ENTITLED TO BE THERE REGARDLESS OF THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT ARE THERE.
SO WHAT WE CONTROL ARE THE ACCESS AREAS THAT ARE OWNED BY THE TOWN, AND WE'VE DONE THAT BEFORE THROUGH REGULATIONS THAT ISLANDERS AND SOME OTHER PLACES.
SO IN TERMS OF REGULATING THE NUMBER OF
[00:30:01]
PEOPLE ON THE BEACH, WE CAN DO THAT SOMEWHAT INDIRECTLY BY CONTROLLING THE ACCESS POINTS THAT ARE UNDER OUR POWER AND AUTHORITY TO CONTROL.BUT IF SOMEBODY CAN OTHERWISE LEGALLY GET TO THE BEACH, THERE'S REALLY GONNA BE NO WAY THAT WE CAN, YOU KNOW, WITH SOMEBODY THERE WITH A CLICKER AND SAY, ALL RIGHT, WE'VE, WE'VE REACHED 1300, YOU'VE GOTTA STOP AND WE'RE GONNA PUT UP THE, UH, THE VELVET ROPE, AND THAT NEXT PERSON HAS TO WAIT UNTIL SOMEBODY LEAVES.
THAT'S GIVEN THAT THE BEACH ITSELF IS OPEN AND OWNED BY THE STATE.
THERE'S GONNA BE NO WAY TO DO THAT.
AND I CAN TELL YOU THERE'S BEEN SOME, SOME RECENT LITIGATION ABOUT THAT, PARTICULARLY IN THE AREA OF AISLE OF PALMS, UM, AND SULLIVAN'S ISLAND WHERE COMMUNITIES OUTSIDE OF THOSE AREAS HAVE ACTUALLY SUED THOSE JURISDICTIONS TO ENSURE THAT THERE IS MEANINGFUL ACCESS TO THE PUBLIC BEACHES.
I CAN JUST FORESEE WHEN YOU PULL INTO A, AN AIRPORT AND YOU GO INTO THE PARKING GARAGE AND IT SAYS LEVEL FIVE FILLED, LEVEL FOUR FILLED, I CAN SEE SOMETHING LIKE THAT ON THE NEW BRIDGE SOMEDAY.
WELL, MR. HARKINS, TO THAT POINT, THE AGREEMENT THAT WE HAVE WITH PCI AND OUR PARKING CONTRACTOR, THE TECHNOLOGY THAT WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT INSTALLING WILL BE ABLE TO GIVE A REAL TIME COUNT OF AVAILABLE PARKING SPACES, UM, AT, AT MOST, IF NOT ALL OF OUR BEACH PARK AREAS.
AND SO WHILE THERE WON'T BE A SIGN THAT'S OUT ON THE ROADWAY THAT SAYS THAT THERE WILL BE THE ABILITY FOR SOMEBODY TO PULL THAT UP AND SEE REAL TIME WHAT PARKING IS AVAILABLE AT THE TOWN BEACH PARKS.
UH, AS A RESULT OF THE SUCCESS YOU'RE HAVING IN, IN MANAGING THE BEACH, THE MEAN HIGH TIDE LINE IS MOVING OUT, UH, HAS THERE BEEN ANY ISSUES FROM RESIDENTS, UH, PERTAINING TO THE MOVEMENT OF THAT HIGH TIDE LINE? NO, I MEAN, THE, THE, THE STATE USED TO HAVE A POLICY OF, OF RETREAT, AND THEY CHANGED THAT A WHILE BACK TO SAY, PRESERVATION.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE HERE TO PRESERVE THE BEACH.
I, I KNOW WE'VE HAD AN ISSUE WITH, WITH ONE OF THE MAJOR RESORTS ON THE ISLAND AND LOOKING TO, TO DEVELOP A, A NON-PERMANENT, YOU KNOW, JUST USES OUT TOWARDS THE LAND.
BUT, UM, ALL IN ALL, I DON'T THINK, UH, YOU KNOW, WE HAVEN'T HAD FROM, FROM OTHER DEVELOPERS, UH, GOOD, GOOD.
I THINK MOST PEOPLE APPRECIATE WHAT IT IS AND HOW VALUABLE IT IS AND HAVE NOT.
AND YOU MENTIONED, UH, AN INCREASE IN SAND VOLUME ON OUR BEACHES, A 13 AND A HALF MILLION CUBIC YARDS.
IS THAT A FUNCTION OF ANNEXING, UH, THE SOUND BEACHES OF FOUR, FOUR MILES? OR IS THAT ACCRETA THAT, THAT WAS PHYSICAL SAND, NEW SAND? IT WAS NOT THROUGH ANNEXATION, NO, THAT, THAT'S SAND THAT HAS BEEN PLACED BACK INTO THE SYSTEM.
SO GIVEN, GIVEN THAT INCREASE IN VOLUME, UH, AND GIVEN OUR ANTICIPATED RE NOURISHMENT IN 2025, UH, AND X ANY STORMS, UM, IN BETWEEN, UH, YOU WOULD ASSUME THAT THAT'S GOING TO CONTINUE TO INCREASE.
IS FEMA, UH, IN LINE WITH THAT INCREASE VIS-A-VIS, UH, REPLACING THE SAND THAT WE HAVE ADDED TO THE EXISTING BEACH? YES.
AS OUR PROJECTS ARE PERMITTED BY ALL OF THE, YOU KNOW, AGENCIES REQUIRED TO DO SO.
UM, ONCE WE GET A PERMITTED PROJECT AND THEY'VE ACCEPTED THAT AS OUR BEACH, THIS IS THE BEACH, WE'LL CONTINUE TO MONITOR IT.
AND IF WE LOSE, SO THAT'S A NEW BASELINE.
THE, THE MANAGED BEACH PROFILE SLIDE, I THINK THAT WE'LL ADDRESS THEIR VERY QUESTION.
THAT'S, SO OUR BEACH IS GROWING AND, AND FEMA IS ACKNOWLEDGING THAT AND ESTABLISHING A NEW BASELINE SUCH THAT IF WE HAVE A STORM WE CAN REBUILD TO THE INCREASED BASELINE TO THE PRE STORM CONDITIONS ON THE MIC OR WHATEVER.
THAT'S, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
IT'S GROWING ONLY CUZ OF THE EFFORTS THAT YOU ALL PUT INTO IT.
AND YOU HAVE TO PERIODICALLY MAINTAIN IT TO KEEP IT LOOKING THAT WAY.
SO IT'S NOT LIKE IT'S GONNA GROW TO 15 AND A HALF AND THEN 17 AND A HALF AND THEN 20, UNLESS YOU CHOOSE TO PUT OUT THAT MUCH MORE MATERIAL, WHICH YOU DON'T REALLY NEED TO DO RIGHT NOW.
BUT THE 13 AND A HALF IS BASICALLY PROTECTIVE.
THAT'S INFRASTRUCTURE THAT YOU HAVE.
THAT IS, THAT'S PROTECTIVE INFRASTRUCTURE.
IT, I MEAN, IT'S A LOT OF SAND, WHICH YOU HAVE A LOT OF MILES OF BEACH TOO.
[00:35:01]
YEAH.NOT IN THE RIGHT POSITION TO SPEAK.
WELL, THAT'S, THAT'S GOOD NEWS.
AND, AND FEMA WOULD LOOK AT THE PRE-STORM CONDITIONS.
SO WE HAD A MANAGED BEACH AND SAY IF, YOU KNOW, IF THESE RE NOURISHMENT PROJECTS HAPPEN EVERY EIGHT TO 10 YEARS, IF WE WERE ON THE TELL END, HEY, WE'RE GETTING READY TO RE NOURISH IN TWO YEARS, WE KNOW WE HAVE LOST SAN IN SOME AREAS.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE WOULD LOOK AT THAT, BUT THE LOSSES DUE TO THE STORM, AGAIN, IF WE COULD TRACK AND PROVE THE ACTUAL QUANTITIES OF SAND LOSS, THEY WOULD PAY TO PUT THAT BACK.
SO IF WE HAVE A STORM BETWEEN NOW AND THE RE-NOURISHMENT IN 25, THE FUNDING SOURCES WOULD BE BE A COMBINATION OF THE BEACH RE NOURISHMENT RESERVE THAT WE'RE BUILDING PLUS FEMA.
IF A STORM HIT TOMORROW AND WE LOST A MILLION YARDS, WE WOULD SAY, LOOK, WE'RE GONNA DO IT PROJECTS IN TWO TO THREE YEARS.
LET US ADD THAT VOLUME OF SAYING TO THAT PROJECT.
AND IF, IF WE MAKE THE APPLICATIONS RIGHT AND HAVE THE DOCUMENTATION TO PROVE WHAT SANTA'S LOST, FEMA WOULD FUND THAT PORTION TO RECOUP THAT, THAT'S THE PROCESS.
MR. CHAIRMAN, THAT'S THE MOST IMPORTANT THING THAT COME OUT OF THIS MEETING.
AND SO WHETHER, YOU KNOW, IT'S CALLED A MANAGED BEACH OR AN ENGINEERED BEACH, THAT WE HAVE THIS, WE'RE NOT JUST LEAVING IT TO NATURE.
THAT'S WHAT FEMA WANTS TO KNOW, AND THAT'S WHAT THEY APPLAUD AND THAT'S WHERE THEY'LL INVEST THEIR MONEY INTO A COMMUNITY WHO HAS A PROGRAM TO DO THAT.
BUT JEFF, FOLLOWING UP ON THAT, UM, WHEN WAS THAT 13 AND A HALF ESTABLISHED, AND IF, IF WE WANTED TO ADD SAND IN 25, WOULD THAT BECOME OUR NEW NORMAL? WELL, WE'RE, WE'RE WANTING TO MAINTAIN IT.
THE BASELINE STARTED WHEN WE STARTED THE RE NOURISHMENT PROJECT PROGRAM, I SHOULD SAY.
SO, SO BACK WHEN YOU SAW THE ROCKER MENT IN EFFECT, THAT WAS ZERO.
IF YOU SAID THAT WAS THE BASELINE SINCE WE STARTED THE PROGRAM, HOW MUCH SAND HAVE WE PUT OR BUILT INTO THE SYSTEM NOW? AND SO YEAH, THAT WAS THE BASELINE.
AND YOU KNOW, AS AL SAID, IF WE HAD DONE NOTHING, IT WOULD'VE ERODED, IT WOULD'VE GONE NEGATIVE.
BUT IF YOU TAKE THAT AS A BASELINE, HERE'S WHEN THERE WAS NO PROGRAM.
WE'VE STARTED A PROGRAM, WE'VE PUT THIS MUCH SAND IN THE SYSTEM, BUILT THIS BEACH OUT, AND WE WANNA SUSTAIN THAT.
BUT DID WE ADD 13 AND A HALF DAY ONE? NO.
BUT, BUT WE BUILT UP SOMETHING NOW THAT WE WANNA MAINTAIN IS KIND OF THE ANSWER.
LET ME ASK A QUESTION, AND I'M NOT SURE IT'S A SENSIBLE QUESTION, BUT IF WE HAVE A CATASTROPHIC STORM AND WE HAVE A, A, A BEACH RE NOURISHMENT, UH, TAB, LET'S SAY 50 MILLION TO, TO BRING IT BACK TO WHAT IT WAS, AND WE HAVE IN OUR BEACH RESERVE ACCOUNT 20 MILLION.
SO DO, DO WE GO AFTER FEMA FOR 50? OR IS IT DISCOUNTED BY WHAT, WHAT'S IN OUR FUND? THE, I DON'T KNOW THAT THEY CARE WHAT'S IN OR FUND.
UH, TYPICALLY THE PUBLIC ASSISTANCE PROGRAM IS A 75 25 MATCH.
SO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WILL PROVIDE 75% OF THE, YOU KNOW, APPROVED LOSSES MM-HMM.
AND THE LOCAL COMMUNITY WOULD HAVE TO PROVIDE THE 25 THAT RESERVE WOULD FUND THE RIGHT.
AND SO YEAH, OUR BEACH PRESERVATION FEE IS A, IS A FENCED ACCOUNT DEVOTED.
CAUSE THIS IS TO THEREFORE WE'RE NOT GETTING, WE'RE NOT SELF PENALIZING OURSELVES BY CREATING THAT RESERVE.
AND IT'S NOT A WINDFALL EITHER.
SO I JUST WANNA RETURN BACK TO THE PARKING A LITTLE BIT BIT.
UM, SO WE'RE LOOKING TO, WE'RE IN YOUR REPORT, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT INCREASING PARKING SPACES AVAILABLE AND WE CURRENTLY EXCEED THE NUMBER REQUIRED.
WILL THOSE PARKING SPACES, IF THEY WERE TO, UM, TO BECOME REALITY, WOULD THEY BE RESERVED FOR, OR COULD THEY BE RESERVED FOR RESIDENTS? OR WILL WE BE IN A POSITION LIKE WE WERE AT ISLANDERS PARK WITH THOSE 25? UM, IF ANYTHING WE ADD, ARE THEY LIMITED TO, UM, PUBLIC SPACES OR CAN WE RESTRICT THEM IN ANY WAY TO JUST RESIDENTS? UM, I THINK THAT'S UP TO TOWN COUNCIL.
YOU KNOW, WE, WE EXCEED THE, THE THRESHOLD THAT, UH, OCRM HAS FOR US, THE 1400.
SO, SO YEAH, IF WE WERE INCORPORATING NEW SPACES WITHIN ISLANDERS, THOSE COULD BE FOR ISLAND RESIDENTS ONLY.
IF WE WERE TO ADD METERED SPACES OUT ON THE FOL FIELD RIGHT AWAY AND STILL BE IN A CLOSE ENOUGH PROXIMITY TO SERVE THE FUNCTION OF BEACH PARKING WHERE WE GOT OUR GRANT FROM D A C, THEN GOOD FOR US, UM, YOU KNOW, A CHAPLAIN, HOWEVER, WE TOWN COUNCIL CHOOSES TO, TO, YOU KNOW, BUILD NEW PARKING SPACES.
IT WOULD BE UP TO YOU, JEFF, IF, IF I COULDN'T JUST, LET ME ADD SOME ADDITIONAL INFORMATION TO THAT.
SO WE'VE GOT A, A CLEAR RESPONSE WITHIN THE STATE'S DEFINITION FOR PUBLIC PARKING.
IT, IT HAS TO BE ACCESSIBLE TO THE PUBLIC.
AND SO THE SPACES THAT ARE RESERVED FOR
[00:40:01]
RESIDENTS DO NOT COUNT TOWARDS OUR REQUIREMENT OF HAVING 1400.NOW YOU'RE ALLOWED TO CHARGE FOR THE SPACES, UH, BUT AS LONG AS THEY'RE AVAILABLE ON A FIRST COME, FIRST SERVE BASIS TO ANY MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC, LOCAL, OR OTHERWISE, THEN THEY'LL MEET THE STATE'S DEFINITION OF PUBLICLY ACCESSIBLE.
AND SO I WANNA MAKE CLEAR THAT WE, IF WE ADD SPACES OR IF WE REDESIGNATE SPACES TO MAKE THEM RESERVED FOR RESIDENTS, WE CERTAINLY HAVE THE ABILITY TO DO THAT ONE.
SO LONG AS WE DON'T GO BELOW THAT 1400, UH, THRESHOLD, WHICH IS PART OF OUR CONTRACTUAL, UH, AGREEMENT WITH THE STATE, OR IF WE ADD SPACES, WE JUST KNOW THAT WE'RE NOT GONNA ADD TO THAT, UH, THE OVERALL PUBLICLY ACCESSIBLE FIGURE IF THEY'RE OTHERWISE RESTRICTED.
SO I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THAT WAS CLEAR.
LET, LET ME CREATE AN EXAMPLE.
IF WE HAD, IF WE WERE REQUIRED TO HAVE 1400 SPACES AVAILABLE FOR THE PUBLIC, AND WE HAD A SUM TOTAL OF 1900 SPACES MM-HMM.
IS THAT CORRECT? I, I, I WOULD SAY THAT THAT WOULD MEET THE LETTER OF THE AGREEMENT IN THAT IT STATES THAT THERE ARE 1400 SPACES.
WOULD I BE SURPRISED IF THE STATE CAME TO US DURING OUR NEXT, YOU KNOW, UPDATE OF THE PLAN AND SAY, YOU SHOULD HAVE MORE THAN 1400 SPACES? BECAUSE IF YOU THINK BACK HISTORICALLY, ORIGINALLY, AND, AND JEFF, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU KNOW, THE, THE ORIGINAL NUMBER 1400 WAS NOT THE NUMBER THAT WE WERE SUPPOSED TO HAVE.
IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE SOMEWHERE NORTH OF 2000 PUBLICLY ACCESSIBLE SPACES.
BUT ULTIMATELY THE TOWN DETERMINED THAT WE'RE JUST NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO BUILD ENOUGH SPACES TO MEET THAT NUMBER.
SO WE RENEGOTIATED BACK DOWN TO 1400.
SO I THINK IF THE STATE HAD ANY KIND OF INFLUENCE IN THE PROCESS, THEY WOULD WANT THAT NUMBER TO BE BIGGER RATHER THAN SMALLER.
SO THE ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION IS YES, AS LONG AS WE'RE MEETING 1400, WE ARE IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE AGREEMENT.
JUST, I THINK WE HAVE TO BE COGNIZANT OF THE FACT THAT THE STATE WILL LIKELY PUSH US IF WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO HAVE MORE PUBLIC SPACES TO KEEP THEM OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.
AND JUST SO BY CREATING MORE SPACES, UH, WE'RE CREATING MORE EXPOSURE FOR GREATER PUBLIC USE.
SO THAT BEING MY POINT, I THINK THAT AS THIS IS REVIEWED AND THOUGHT OF IN THE FUTURE, WE DON'T WANNA HARM OURSELVES IN OUR BRAND IN THE PARADISE THAT WE LIVE IN BY CONTINUING TO PAVE IT OVER.
AND SO IF WE'RE SATISFIED WITH THE 1412, UM, THE INITIATIVE WITHIN YOUR, UM, NARRATIVE OF INCREASING SPACES, UM, MAY NOT BE THE WISEST THING WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD EXACTLY TO, SO I WOULD BE MORE FAR MORE CONSERVATIVE AND THINK OF RESIDENTS FIRST AND HOW THIS ISLAND MOVES INTO THE FUTURE WITH RETAINING ITS PAST AN IMPORTANT POINT FOR THE, THE NEXT COUNCIL TO WRESTLE WITH.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS, QUESTIONS? JEFF? THANK YOU.
YOU'RE TURNING IT OVER TO ENGINEERING.
WHAT'S THE BEST WAY CAN CHRIS WILL BRING THIS UP? HMM.
IF, JUST FOR THE RECORD, IF YOU COULD INDICATE, UH, WHO YOUR COMPANY IS AND WHAT YOU DO, AND ABSOLUTELY SORT YOUR CLIENT BASE.
I'M ONE OF THE VICE PRESIDENTS AND PRINCIPALS AT OLSON ASSOCIATES.
WE'RE A COASTAL ENGINEERING FIRM IN JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA.
UM, WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THE TOWN AT HILTON HEAD FOR SEVERAL DECADES, DATING BACK TO THE EIGHTIES.
UH, ERIC MAY SAY ACTUALLY DATING BACK TO THE SEVENTIES, I DON'T RECALL.
UM, NORMALLY YOU'D HAVE CHRIS CREED, ONE OF MY, OUR OTHER PRINCIPALS, MY BUSINESS PARTNER HERE.
HE, HE WAS OUT OF THE COUNTRY AND COULDN'T MAKE IT.
UM, TODAY WE HAVE ZACH BIDELL, HE'S THE ONE OF THE MAIN ENGINEERS WORKING ON YOUR PROJECT ON THE DAY TO DAY BASIS.
UH, JEFF HAD GONE THROUGH AND GIVEN A PRETTY GOOD OVERVIEW OF SOME OF THE ITEMS THAT I'M GONNA TALK ABOUT TODAY, SO I CAN FOCUS ON SOME OF THE, THE EXPOSURE ISSUES YOU ASKED ABOUT MM-HMM.
AND, AND ALSO IF YOU COULD, UM, TALK ABOUT BEST PRACTICE.
UH, YOU'RE A LARGE FIRM, YOU HAVE MANY CLIENTS.
ARE PEOPLE DOING THINGS BETTER THAN WE ARE? AND COULD WE LEARN FROM IT? DO WE BETTER THAN YOU GOT? NO, UH,
WHERE, WHERE IT'S APPROPRIATE.
THERE ARE A FEW, UM, REALLY SIMILAR EXAMPLES
[00:45:01]
TO THE PROGRAM THAT YOU HAVE HERE THAT, THAT WE HAVE IMPLEMENTED IN OTHER AREAS.AND THE FIRST ONE THAT COMES TO MIND IS AMELIA ISLAND, UH, THE SOUTH AMELIA ISLAND AREA, AMELIA ISLAND PLANTATION.
UH, IT'S ABOUT THREE MILES OF SHORELINE, BUT THE MANAGEMENT PRACTICE IS VERY MUCH THE SAME.
UH, IT'S PREDICATED ON BEACH NOURISHMENT AS BEING THE MAIN REASON, THE MAIN RESTORATION TECHNIQUE AND MAINTENANCE TECHNIQUE.
IT DOES HAVE SOME STRUCTURAL, UH, IMPROVEMENTS WHERE EROSION RATES HAVE BEEN SO HIGH THAT YOU JUST CAN'T, YOU CAN'T KEEP PUTTING SAND OUT THERE EVERY YEAR.
IT JUST BECOMES A REAL HASSLE AND IT'S VERY EXPENSIVE.
SO A LOT OF 'EM ARE DONE MUCH THE SAME WAY.
YOU KNOW, BEACH NOURISHMENT IS SORT OF A, AN AESTHETICALLY PLEASING SOFT SOLUTION TO COASTAL EROSION.
UM, BUT AGAIN, THERE ARE AREAS WHERE YOU JUST CAN'T KEEP UP WITH IT OR DON'T WANT TO AFFORD TO KEEP UP WITH IT.
SO STRUCTURAL INTERVENTION IS THE WAY TO GO.
AND WE'LL TOUCH ON A FEW OF THOSE.
UM, BUT AS FAR AS OTHER PEOPLE DOING IT BETTER THAN THAN YOU FOLKS DO, I HAVE TO BE SORT OF UNBIASED AND I WOULD SAY YOU GUYS AND AMELIA ARE RIGHT THERE DOING IT KIND OF THINGS THE SAME WAY AND IT'S JUST BEEN DECADES OF SUCCESS.
UM, AND I'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOUR QUESTION ABOUT HOW MUCH SAND YOU HAVE, WHAT'S, WHAT'S EXPOSED, WHAT'S, UH, WHAT'S AT STAKE WHEN A BIG STORM COMES BY.
I'LL GET INTO THAT IN A COUPLE OF SLIDES HERE, BUT IF YOU HAVE ANYTHING, OBVIOUSLY JUST JUMP IN AND ASK.
SO, UM, FIRST OFF, THIS SLIDE IS INTENDED TO SORT OF REPRESENT WHAT HAPPENS ON THE ISLAND.
WHAT ARE THE FORCES THAT YOU'RE TRYING TO HOLD BACK OR YOU'RE TRYING TO DEAL WITH? HERE ON HILTON HEAD ISLAND, IT'S A TRANSGRESSIVE BARRIER ISLAND, WHICH IS A VERY TECHNICAL WAY OF SAYING IT'S AN EROSIONAL SHORELINE.
YOU SEA LEVEL IS SLOWLY RISING.
THE BEACHES ERODE OVER TIME TO, DEPENDING ON WHERE YOU ARE IN ALONG THE ISLAND SHORELINE, YOU, YOU MAY BE EXPERIENCING OR YOU, THE ISLAND IS EXPERIENCING DIFFERENT FORCES, UM, ALONG THE OCEAN FRONT, PROPER IN RED HERE, IT'S PRIMARILY WAVE ATTACK FROM, FROM THE ATLANTIC.
OCEAN SAND MOVES, UH, BOTH WAVES DIFFERENT TIMES OF THE YEAR.
BUT IN THE NET, ON AVERAGE, YOU HAVE A, YOU HAVE A PATTERN OF WAVE CLIMATE ALONG YOUR BEACH THAT CAUSES MORE EROSION IN SOME AREAS, STABILITY IN OTHERS, MINOR EROSION IN OTHERS.
AND THESE ARROWS HERE ARE GENERALLY MEANT TO DESCRIBE THE BIG PICTURE OF WHICH WAY SAND TENDS TO MOVE IN AN EROSIONAL PROCESS.
UNFORTUNATELY, THAT'S, THAT'S WHY YOU'RE HERE FIGHTING THIS ISSUE, IS BECAUSE IT IS AN EROSIONAL BEACH.
AS YOU GET CLOSER TO THE INLET SPORT, ROYAL SOUND AND CALAB SOUND, THE TITLE CURRENTS HAVE AN EFFECT OF STRIPPING SAND OR MOVING SAND TO AND FRO ALONG THE SHORELINE.
USUALLY IT NEVER WORKS IN YOUR BENEFIT.
IT USUALLY WORKS AGAINST YOU BECAUSE AGAIN, IT'S A RISING, RISING SEA LEVEL, AND THE TIDES TAKE STAND AWAY AND DEPOSIT THEM IN THE DEEPER AREAS OF THE CHANNELS AND OUT ON THE SHOS.
SO WE'LL HIT THESE AREAS OF, UH, ONE AT A TIME IN DIFFERENT WAYS AS WE GO THROUGH THIS PRESENTATION.
I THINK THESE SLIDES OUGHT TO BE SHOWN IN EVERY BEACH PRESENTATION YOU HAVE FROM NOW TO THE REST OF TIME, BECAUSE THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING TO KEEP IN MIND.
AND BEFORE YOU FOLKS STARTED ALL THE EFFORTS YOU'VE PUT IN, IN THE LAST SEVERAL DECADES, THIS IS WHAT IT LOOKED LIKE AT HIGH TIDE.
THERE WERE MANY, MANY, MANY AREAS ALONG HILTON HEAD THAT DIDN'T HAVE ANY RECREATIONAL BEACH AT ALL, AND EVEN AREAS AT LOW TIDE THAT DID NOT HAVE ANY DRY RECREATIONAL BEACH ON IT.
THIS IS SORT OF THE CONDITIONS HERE AT NORTH FOREST BEACH IN 1990S.
YOU'LL SEE THE SAME PHOTO THAT JEFF SHOWED EARLIER, UM, SOME OTHER AREAS OF THE ISLAND UP TOWARDS THE FOLLEY.
THE FOLLEY WAS A WAS AND IS A PARTICULARLY DIFFICULT AREA OF THE BEACH TO MAINTAIN SIMPLY BECAUSE OF THE WAY WAVES WORK ALONG THE BEACH.
YOU HAVE A DIVERGENT AREA OF TRANSPORT THAT CARRIES SAND AWAY FROM THE FOLLEY IN SINGLETON BEACH AREA, CARRIES IT SOUTH, CARRIES IT UP TOWARDS THE HEEL, BUT NOTHING CARRIES SAND TOWARDS THE FOLLEY.
AND THAT'S WHY THE FOLEY STAYS OPEN PART OF THE TIME.
BUT THIS IS WHAT IT LOOKED LIKE, EXCUSE ME, BACK IN 95.
AND YOU CAN SEE THE FOLLEY IS A, IS A BIG DRAINAGE AREA AS JEFF MENTIONED, AND IT HAS TO ESCAPE TO THE BEACH AT SOME POINT DURING A RAINY SEASON CYCLES.
SO YOU HAVE TO TRY TO LIVE WITH WHERE THE WATER WANTS TO RUN BACK OUT TO THE ATLANTIC HERE.
AND YOU CAN SEE HOW THEY WERE DEALING WITH IT BACK IN THE EARLY NINETIES HERE.
LOTS OF STRUCTURES OF ALL SORTS OF DESIGNS AND TYPES.
I'M NOT SURE THAT ONE IN THE LOWER LEFT IS EXACTLY AN ENGINEERED STRUCTURE.
DOESN'T PARTICULARLY LOOK LIKE ONE, BUT THIS, THAT'S WHAT YOU DEAL WITH WHEN YOU HAVE A BEACH.
UH, THAT IS IT DONE, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT AREAS OF THE ISLAND ARE AFFECTED IN DIFFERENT WAYS.
MOVING AROUND THE CORNER HERE TO PORT ROYAL SOUND, SOME OF THE CONDITIONS THAT, YOU KNOW, HERE IN THE MID NINETIES, AGAIN, MORE TI CURRENTS AFFECTING THE SHORELINE HERE DOES GET SOME WAVE ACTION.
[00:50:01]
RESENTMENTS, A LOT OF, UH, REALLY WET, HIGH TIDE BEACH.SOMETIMES CASES OF EVEN WET AT LOW TIDE.
SO IT'S A VERY DIFFICULT ERODED CONDITION THAT WE HAD IN THE LATE EIGHTIES AND EARLY NINETIES.
UM, JUST A LITTLE BIT OF THE HISTORY OF HOW WE GOT TO THE PLANNING PARTS OF THIS.
OBVIOUSLY THE TOWN WAS INCORPORATED IN 83.
SHORTLY THEREAFTER, THE DEALING WITH THE BEACH EROSION PROBLEM BECAME ONE OF THE MAIN TOPICS THAT HAD TO BE ADDRESSED.
UM, PROTECTION TASK FORCE WAS CREATED SHORTLY THEREAFTER.
THE MONITORING PROGRAM THAT JEFF SPOKE ABOUT BEGAN RIGHT AROUND THIS TIME.
AND IT HAS PROVEN TO BE SORT OF THE BACKBONE OF YOUR ENTIRE BEACH MANAGEMENT, MANAGEMENT SITUATION.
IT GIVES YOU THE IDEA OF HOW TO QUANTIFY WHICH PROBLEM IS LIKE HOW MUCH SAND DO YOU NEED TO PLACE, HOW OFTEN DO YOU NEED TO PLACE IT.
IF YOU DON'T HAVE THAT MONITORING DATA, YOU'RE SORT OF SHOOTING BLIND.
AND AT SOME POINT, FEMA OR EVEN YOUR OWN COUNSELOR, YOU'RE GONNA SAY, WHAT ARE WE DOING HERE? YOU KNOW, WE DON'T KNOW WHERE WE ARE OR WHAT WE'RE, WHAT WE'RE REALLY UP AGAINST IN A QUANTITATIVE WAY.
UM, THAT THEN LED RIGHT INTO THE FIRST MAJOR FEASIBILITY STUDY THAT WAS CONDUCTED AND FINISHED IN 87 TO DETERMINE, OKAY, WHAT'S THE BEST PATH FORWARD? HERE? WE HAVE THIS GIANT ELEPHANT, YOU KNOW, WE CAN ONLY, WE CAN ONLY EAT IT ONE BITE AT A TIME.
HOW DO WE DO THAT? WHAT'S THE BEST PLAN? AND AT THE SAME TIME, YOU KNOW, IT WAS PRETTY OBVIOUS EARLY ON THAT WHAT YOU WANTED TO DO WAS PUT THE BEACH BACK.
YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU'D LIKE TO HAVE A BEACH OUT THERE, SO YOU'RE GONNA TAKE, YOU'RE GONNA NEED SAND TO DO IT.
SO THE FIRST BIG REGIONAL SAN SEARCH WAS DONE IN 88.
ALL OF THAT, UM, FEASIBILITY ANALYSIS AND SEDIMENT DEFICIT WORK LED TO SOME MAIN, MAIN CONCLUSIONS.
YOU KNOW, YOU, WE HIGHLIGHTED IN THE MAP WHERE THE EROSIONAL AREAS WERE, WHERE THE STABLE AREAS WERE.
OBVIOUSLY YOU GOT SOME AREAS THAT HAVE CHRONIC SEDIMENT DEFICITS.
THE NORTHERN TWO THIRDS OF THE SHORELINE UNFORTUNATELY FALL INTO THIS CATEGORY.
THEY'RE THE AREAS THAT NEEDED THE ATTENTION TO MOST STARTING BACK IN THE LATE EIGHTIES, EARLY NINETIES.
UM, YOU HAVE A, A REAL NEED OBVIOUSLY TO PROTECT UPLAND INFRASTRUCTURE.
YOU KNOW, YOU DON'T WANT, YOU DON'T WANT HOUSES TO BE IMPACTED.
YOU ALSO DON'T WANT ROADS, UTILITIES, ANY OTHER SORTS OF INFRASTRUCTURE.
YOU WANT TO PROVIDE PROTECTION TO THOSE CUZ THEY'RE EXPENSIVE.
I MEAN, AND AS TIME GOES ON WITH NO ACTION TAKEN YOUR BILLS FOR PROTECTING THOSE ITEMS, EITHER YOU AS A TOWN AS A WHOLE OR AN INDIVIDUAL, THOSE COSTS ARE JUST GONNA GO UP AND UP AND UP.
SO THIS WAS THE CONDITION THAT WAS ADDRESSED IN THAT REPORT IN THE LATE EIGHTIES.
AND AGAIN, AS I MENTIONED A COUPLE TIMES, LOTS OF AREAS ALONG THE SHORELINE WHERE THERE WAS LITTLE TO NO RECREATIONAL HIGH TIDE BEACH OR DRY BEACH, HIGH OR LOW IN SOME PLACES, AND 9,000 FEET OF OCEAN FRONT ARMORING, MOST OF WHICH WAS TAKEN ON BY INDIVIDUAL, YOU KNOW, PROPERTY MEMBERS.
SO KIND OF A MIXED BAG OF WHAT TYPE OF STRUCTURE YOU HAVE FROM ONE PROPERTY TO THE NEXT.
UH, ANY GOOD FEASIBILITY STUDY, UH, WENT THROUGH AND CATEGORIZED WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF NO ACTION WERE TAKEN, YOU KNOW, BASED ON THE PREVAILING RATES OF EROSION, THE LEVEL OF ARMORING, SEA LEVEL RISE, THOSE ITEMS, WHAT COULD YOU EXPECT IN VARIOUS TIMEFRAMES MOVING FORWARD? NONE OF THAT NEWS WAS GOOD, OBVIOUSLY.
UM, THE, THE FEASIBILITY STUDY ALSO TALKED ABOUT WHAT WOULD BE INVOLVED IF THE TOWN FACILITATED INDIVIDUAL PROPERTY OWNERS HAVING TO DEAL WITH EACH PARCEL.
WHAT WOULD BE ALLOWED, WHAT WOULDN'T BE, WHERE THE DEVELOPMENT LINES WOULD FALL, WHAT THE RETREAT POLICIES WOULD BE.
YOU NAME IT, IT, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO DEAL WITH EVERY LITTLE PARCEL INDIVIDUALLY, NOT, NOT A HAPPY, HAPPY TIME.
SO ULTIMATELY THE FEASIBILITY STUDY CONCLUDED THAT THE, THE BEST THING TO DO WAS FOR THE TOWN TO TAKE A VERY COMPREHENSIVE, BIG SCALE APPROACH.
MOST THINGS IN COASTAL ENGINEERING, IT DOES NOT PAY TO GO SMALL.
THE OCEAN IS A VERY UNFORGIVING CLIMATE.
AND SO YOU, YOU GO BIG OR YOU GO SMALL AND YOU LOSE IT OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN AND YOU PAY DEARLY.
SO THE COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH WAS ONE THAT WAS ADOPTED.
UM, THE WHOLE THING IS PREDICATED ON BEACH NOURISHMENT.
YOU KNOW, THE FIRST RESTORATION OF THE BEACH, WE TYPICALLY CALL BEACH RESTORATION.
AND IT IS MAINTAINED IN THE FUTURE WITH BEACH RE NOURISHMENT.
SO THAT'S THE MAINTENANCE PHASE OF IT.
NOW, YOU'RE IN THE MAINTENANCE PHASE.
AL COULD I STOP YOU? THERE ABSOLUTELY IS THE CORRECT WORD, RESTORATION, OR IS THE WORD RATHER CREATION IN YOUR CASE, DATING.
YOU HAVE TO GO, YOU KNOW, A HUNDRED YEARS, 200 YEARS, 300 YEARS, YOU ARE RESTORING A BEACH THAT I ASSUME WAS THERE AT ONE TIME.
THIS IS KIND OF THE STANDARD TERMINOLOGY THAT WE USED.
THE FIRST TIME YOU DO ONE AND YOU GO FROM THE RESENTMENTS AND THE NO DRY BEACH OPTION, YOU ARE RESTORING THE BEACH.
THAT IS THE BEACH RESTORATION PROJECT.
YOU HAVE PUT IT BACK AND THIS GETS TO THE 13 AND A HALF MILLION CUBIC YARDS AND THE RESTORATION AND ALL THAT STUFF.
ONCE YOU'VE DONE THE FIRST ONE AND YOU'RE MONITORING IT AND YOU'RE WATCHING HOW IT BEHAVES,
[00:55:01]
THE NEXT TIME YOU DO IT 7, 8, 9, 10 YEARS LATER, YOU'RE DOING A RE NOURISHMENT.RE NOURISHMENT IS A WEIRD WORD.
YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU FEED YOURSELF EVERY DAY, YOU'RE NOT RENOURISHING YOURSELF, BUT IT'S JUST A, A PARTICULAR TERM TO THE COASTAL ENGINEERING WORLD.
UM, WHAT YOU DO, YOUR MAINTENANCE, THE BULK OF YOUR MAINTENANCE IS ACCOMPLISHED THROUGH PERIODIC RE NOURISHMENT.
SO THAT'S JUST SORT OF THE TERMINOLOGY THAT HAS, HAS DEVELOPED OVER THE YEARS.
UM, THE FEASIBILITY STUDY IDENTIFIED THIS IDEA, THIS PLAN THAT YOU WOULD CONDUCT A LARGE SCALE RE NOURISHMENT, YOU WOULD MAINTAIN THAT PROJECT IN THE FUTURE THROUGH PERIODIC RE NOURISHMENT.
BUT EVEN THEN, IT RECOGNIZED THAT THERE ARE AREAS OF THE SHORELINE THAT ERODE AT FAR TOO HIGH OF A RATE TO SIMPLY KEEP UP WITH SAND.
BY PLACING SAND OUT THERE, YOU'RE JUST LITERALLY JUST DUMPING IT IN THE OCEAN AND IT'S DISAPPEARING.
SO IN A LOT OF AREAS, NOT A LOT OF AREAS, LIMITED NUMBER OF AREAS, THE STRATEGIC USE OF SHORE STABILIZING STRUCTURES WAS MEANT TO LOWER THE EROSION RATE, OR IN SOME, SOME CASES ALMOST ELIMINATE THE EROSION RATE SO THAT YOU COULD MANAGE THE ENTIRE SHORELINE WITH PERIODIC RE NOURISHMENT, BECAUSE OTHERWISE YOU'D HAVE AREAS OF THE ISLAND THAT WOULD ERODE BACK TO AN UNACCEPTABLE CONDITION IN TWO YEARS, THREE YEARS.
WHEREAS THE REST OF YOUR SHORELINES, YOU KNOW, HITTING A 7, 8, 9, 10 YEAR PERIOD, YOU DON'T WANT TO BE RUNNING OUT HERE AND DOING THESE LITTLE JOBS BECAUSE MOBILIZATION FEES EAT YOU UP.
THE COST OF SMALL PROJECTS EAT YOU UP AND IT, YOU'RE JUST DOING IT OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
SO THE STRUCTURES, UH, IS A WAY TO KIND OF GET EVERYBODY ON PAR THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE PROJECT LIMIT.
OBVIOUSLY THIS REQUIRES A LOT OF SAND AND ONE OF THE BIG, BIG ITEMS, YOU TALK ABOUT EXPOSURES, EVERY PROJECT ANYWHERE THAT RELIES ON BEACH NOURISHMENT, THE SAND IS THE PRIMARY EXPOSURE.
IT'S THE PRIMARY RESOURCE THAT YOU HAVE TO KEEP UP WITH.
YOU HAVE TO KNOW WHERE YOU'RE GONNA GET YOUR NEXT ONE FROM.
YOU NEED TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT WHAT YOUR NEAR, NEAR ISLAND RESOURCES ARE.
AND IT'S ALL A MATTER OF ECONOMICS.
I MEAN, IF YOU HAVE TO GO 20 MILES TO BRING YOUR SAND IN HERE, YOU'RE GONNA PAY THE PREMIUM TO GET IT.
IF YOU HAVE SAND SOURCES THAT ARE CLOSE BY YOUR INLET, SHOS, ANYTHING OFFSHORE, THOSE ARE GONNA BE THE CHEAPEST ONES.
SO LOOKING FOR THOSE ECONOMICALLY FEASIBLE SAND SOURCES IS KEY.
AND THAT WILL, THAT WILL BE AN ONGOING THING THAT WE MANAGE FOR THE TOWN.
THAT'S WHAT YOUR CONSULTANTS DO.
WHERE'S THE SAND GONNA COME FROM? AND THEN CONSERVING IT.
UM, WE, WE SPOKE ABOUT THE TOTAL VOLUME ON THE ISLAND AND WHAT IS NEEDED TO MAINTAIN THE BEACH.
HOW OFTEN DO WE HAVE TO RE NOURISHMENT RENER IT, EXCUSE ME.
AND THAT GETS TO SAND RESOURCE CONSERVATION.
YOU DON'T WANNA MAKE IT A WHOLE LOT BIGGER THAN IT IS NOW.
IF, IF YOU MAKE IT MUCH BIGGER THAN IT IS NOW, YOU'RE MOVING YOUR GOAL POSTS AND YOU'RE INCREASING THE AMOUNT OF SAND YOU'D HAVE TO COME UP WITH THE NEXT TIME.
AND SO YOU JUST START CHASING IT FARTHER AND FARTHER AND FARTHER.
SO ALL IT MAY BECOME VERY IMPORTANT.
LIKE DON'T, YOU DON'T WANNA MAKE IT ANY BIGGER, CUZ THEN YOU GOT THE RESPONSIBILITY OF MAINTAINING SOMETHING THAT'S EVEN BIGGER.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S ALWAYS A KEY THING.
SAND RESOURCE CONSERVATION IS VERY CRITICAL TO ANY BEACH RESTORATION PROJECT JEFF MENTIONED.
THERE ARE PROJECTS IN FLORIDA WHERE THEY'RE BRINGING IN THEIR ENTIRE BEACH PROJECTS BY TRUCK FROM A HUNDRED MILES AWAY.
IT'S, IT'S VERY, VERY EXPENSIVE.
UM, AND AGAIN, THAT GETS TO CONTROLLING THE, THE SEA ADVANCE OF DEVELOPMENT.
YOU KNOW, YOU'VE DONE A GREAT JOB KIND OF HOLDING WHERE THAT SHOULD BE CUZ YOU DON'T WANT TO DEFEND MORE AND MORE AND MORE.
AND THEN THE LAST ITEM THAT WAS TALKED ABOUT IN THE AT 87 STUDY WAS DEVELOPING THE SUSTAINABLE FUNDING SOURCE.
OBVIOUSLY THIS COSTS MONEY, AND SO THE FUNDING SOURCES THAT WERE SET UP BY THE TOWN ORIGINALLY HAVE, FRANKLY, THEY'VE SERVED AS A MODEL FOR A LOT OF OTHER COMMUNITIES THAT I KNOW OF AROUND THE SOUTHEAST.
EVERYBODY GOES, WELL GO LOOK AT HILTON HEAD AND SEE WHAT THEY DID AND HOW MUCH THEY CHARGE AND HOW THEY MANAGE IT.
IT'S BEEN A, IT'S BEEN A REALLY GOOD, EASY REFERENCE FOR ME.
SO IT'S BEEN A, A REALLY GOOD WAY OF PROVIDING FOR YOUR BEACH MANAGEMENT PROGRAM OVER THE YEARS.
UH, BENEFITS OF THE ISLAND WIDE APPROACH.
JEFF TOUCHED ON THIS, SO I'LL JUST GO, GO THROUGH THIS, UH, PRETTY QUICKLY UNLESS YOU HAVE A QUESTION.
UM, OBVIOUSLY YOU DO THIS BECAUSE YOU WANT TO PROVIDE PROTECTION TO THE UPLAND.
THAT'S THE PRIMARY REASON ANYBODY BUILDS A BEACH NOURISHMENT PROJECT.
YOU'RE TIRED OF LOSING, TIRED OF LOSING HOUSES, INFRASTRUCTURE, POOL DECKS, POOLS, ROADS, PAVEMENT, WHATEVER YOU NAME IT.
SO YOU, THE, THE BEACH PROVIDES A VERY EFFECTIVE BUFFER FROM STORMS TO DAMAGE TO THE UPLAND.
UM, SEA LEVEL RISE IS ANOTHER REASON WE DO THIS.
AND RESILIENCY OF THE WHOLE SYSTEM.
BEACHES ARE DYNAMIC, SHIFTING, MOVING THINGS.
THEY ARE ABLE TO ADAPT TO SEA LEVEL RISE.
THEY ARE ABLE TO SEA OATS GROW AND THEY TRAP SAND OR THEY'RE ABLE TO KEEP UP WITH A, A CERTAIN LEVEL OF SEA LEVEL RISE OVER TIME.
UM, THE NEXT BIG REASON IS RECREATION AND A TOURISM INDUSTRY.
IT'S A LITTLE BIT OF A, A LITTLE BIT OF A BACK AND FORTH THERE OF COURSE, BUT THAT'S ALSO ONE OF THE PRIMARY REASONS PEOPLE
[01:00:01]
BUILD BEACH NOURISHMENT PROJECTS IS TO PROTECT THE RECREATIONAL AMENITY VALUE OF THEIR SOFT SANDY BEACHES.IF YOU DON'T HAVE A BEACH AT HIGH TIDE, NOT TOO MANY TOURISTS WANT TO GO TO, UH, TO A PLACE LIKE THAT.
UM, OBVIOUSLY IT HAS A LOT OF ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS.
YOU'VE CREATED SEA TURTLE NESTING HABITAT WHERE YOU HAD VERY LITTLE BACK IN THE EIGHTIES AND WE'RE LOSING HABITAT.
UM, THAT'S ALWAYS GOOD FOR THE ENVIRONMENT.
IT'S ALSO GOOD FOR THE TOWN'S PR PROGRAM AND EVERYBODY INVOLVED.
UM, THE LAST THING HERE, FEMA, THE, THE PROJECT ITSELF IS A PIECE OF THE TOWN'S INFRASTRUCTURE.
SO THERE'S LIKE ANY OTHER PIECE OF INFRASTRUCTURE.
IF IT'S DAMAGED IN A DECLARED EVENT, IT'S ELIGIBLE FOR SOME COST SHARING ASSISTANCE TO REPAIR THAT DAMAGE.
UM, I HAVE ANOTHER SLIDE I'LL TOUCH AGAIN ON THE FEMA PART, BUT IT'S BEEN A, A REAL KEY ELEMENT TO WHAT HAS HAPPENED HERE ON HILTON HEAD STORM DAMAGES FROM MATTHEW AND IRMA AND JOAQUIN.
YOU'VE GOTTEN, YOU'VE GOTTEN A LOT OF FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE RESTORING THAT DAMAGE.
THEY DON'T RESTORE THINGS THAT WEREN'T BUILT AND ENGINEERED TO BEGIN WITH, BUT THEY DO REPAIR STORM DAMAGES TO ENGINEERED INFRASTRUCTURE.
UM, JEFF TOUCHED ON THE, THE PROJECT, UH, ACTIVITY HERE.
UH, 1990 WAS THE ORIGINAL BEACH RESTORATION THAT PUT THE BEACH BACK.
AND THEN THERE HAVE BEEN THREE RE NOURISHMENTS SINCE THEN, AND WERE GEARING UP FOR THE FOURTH ONE IN THE INTERIM.
THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL SMALLER PROJECTS THAT HAVE ARISEN AS THE BEACH HAS EVOLVED IN PARTICULAR WAYS ALONG THE SHORELINE.
SMALL EMERGENCY BEACH FILL, BUT NOT A RECURRING THING IS A ALWAYS A, A GOOD THING TO LOOK AT.
CAN YOU FIX IT AND GET BACK TO THE NORMAL SCHEDULE AND STRUCTURES, STRUCTURES THAT HAVE BEEN BUILT ALONG PORT ROYAL SOUND STRUCTURES THAT HAVE BEEN BUILT AT THE HEEL, WHICH WAS A PARTICULARLY EROSIONAL AREA.
ALL OF THESE THINGS HAVE SORT OF BEEN, BEEN DONE TO CUT DOWN ON THE LOSS OF SAND.
SO WE CAN MANAGE SAND RESOURCES AND GET EVERYTHING ON A, ON A REGULAR ROUTINE BASIS AS BEST AS POSSIBLE, WHICH ALLOWS YOU TO FINANCIALLY PLAN FOR IT.
OTHERWISE, YOU'RE JUST PULLING YOUR HAIR OUT AND SPENDING MONEY EVERY YEAR AND YOU'RE LIKE, EH, UH, SOME OF THE, SOME OF THE AREAS THAT WE TYPICALLY PAY A GOOD BIT OF ATTENTION TO.
IN TERMS OF MANAGEMENT, AGAIN, THE, THE, THE ITEMS IN PURPLE OR MAGENTA ARE STRUCTURES THAT HAVE BEEN BUILT TO LOWER EROSION RATES IN PARTICULAR AREAS.
AREAS IN YELLOW ARE YOUR ENGINEERED BEACH AND DUNES.
THE WORD ENGINEERED BEACH IS A FEMA TERM.
WE USE IT WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT FEMA.
ENGINEERED BEACH, PROBABLY NOT THE BEST FROM LIKE THE AD PR STANDPOINT AND THE TOWN'S TRYING TO SELL IT, BUT IT'S AN ENGINEERED BEACH.
AND DON'T LET ANYBODY TELL YOU ANY DIFFERENT.
UM, JEFF MENTIONED THE NEW PIECE THAT'S BEING ADDED UP HERE AT THE PLANTATION UP TOWARDS PINE ISLAND.
IT'S GONNA BE PART OF YOUR MANAGEMENT PLAN.
ONCE SOMETHING IS CONSTRUCTED UP THERE, IT WILL ALL, IF IT'S CONSTRUCTED BY THE TOWN, YOU'RE THE, YOU'RE THE PUBLIC APPLICANT THAT WILL ALSO BE IN THE CLUB, SO TO SPEAK, FOR FEMA PROTECTION.
IN THE EVENT OF STORM DAMAGE UP THERE, YOU'RE GETTING PRETTY FAR AWAY FROM THE WAVES UP AT THAT POINT.
SO YOU MAY NOT BE AS, AS AT RISK FOR THAT PIECE OF SHORELINE UP THERE AS YOU MIGHT BE OUT ON THE OCEAN FRONT.
BUT YOU'RE STILL EXPOSED TO A LOT OF TITLE CURRENT ACTION IN PORT ROYAL SOUND BEACH MONITORING, UH, THIS IS JUST A MEDICINAL DETAIL OF THE BEACH MONITORING PROGRAM THAT STARTED IN THE MID EIGHTIES.
IT'S PROBABLY THE BEST ONE OUT THERE.
UH, IT'S BEEN GOING SINCE THE MID EIGHTIES.
IT IS A WONDERFUL SOURCE OF DATA.
UH, I DON'T KNOW OF ANYONE WHO COULD ARGUE THAT, UH, THE INFORMATION, WHEN YOU TELL PEOPLE WHAT THE EROSION RATES ARE OR WHAT THE HISTORY OF THIS PLACE IS, IT'S LOCKED DOWN.
THE ANSWER HAS BEEN QUESTION, THE QUESTION HAS BEEN ANSWERED, EXCUSE ME.
UM, BUT THE ONGOING MONITORING IS WHAT ALLOWS US TO HIGHLIGHT TO FEMA HOW YOU ARE MANAGING THE BEACH, WHAT THE CURRENT STATUS OF THINGS IS PRE-STORM, GO BACK OUT THERE AND SURVEY IT AGAIN AFTER THE STORM.
YOU HAVE YOUR ANSWERS TO WHAT THE DAMAGES ARE RIGHT OUTTA THE GATE.
SUPPORTS A LOT OF THE POST-DISASTER PUBLIC ASSISTANCE FUNDING REQUEST.
OKAY, THIS IS THE SLIDE I WANTED TO MENTION ABOUT KIND OF WHERE WE ARE AND WHATNOT.
THIS IS A BEACH PROFILE UP ALONG NORTH HORSE BEACH.
IT'S KIND OF RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE, SORT OF THE TYPICAL OF WHAT HAPPENS AGAINST KIND OF AN EXAGGERATED STRETCH OF SCALE ROCK RESENTMENT LIKE WE SAW IN THE PICTURES EARLIER AND WHAT THE CONDITION OF THE, OF THE BEACH WAS.
AND THIS PARTICULAR PROFILE IN 1986.
SO YOU CAN SEE AT MEAN HIGH WATER, THE MEAN HIGH WATER LINE MEETS THE ROCKS.
NO PLACE TO WALK DRY ALONG THE BEACH AT HIGH TIDE IN THIS AREA.
LITTLE BIT OF LOW TIDE BEACH HERE, BUT GENERALLY, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE RIGHT UP AGAINST THE ROCKS.
NOT A LOT OF RECREATIONAL BEACH AT ALL.
AT, THERE'S A LABEL TO TELL YOU.
SO IN 2016, FOR EXAMPLE, BEFORE WE DID THE LAST RE NOURISHMENT PROJECT, THE BEACH WAS ABOUT, MM, 150, 200 FEET WIDER AT HIGH TIDE BEFORE WE BUILT THE LAST PROJECT.
SO THIS AREA HERE BETWEEN THE BLACK AND THE BLUE, COME BACK TO ME HERE,
[01:05:01]
GOT SOME DUNE GROWTH HERE.VEGETATED LOOKS VERY PICTURESQUE.
YOU SAW THE PICTURES, BUT THE BULK OF THE SAND, THE 13 AND A HALF MILLION CUBIC YARDS THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT IS IN THIS AREA HERE BETWEEN THE BLACK AND THE BLUE.
SO IN OTHER WORDS, IT, IT TOOK 13 AND A HALF MILLION CUBIC YARDS.
I MEAN, YOU HAVE A VERY LONG BEACH PROJECT HERE TO PUT THE NICE BEACH BACK TO RESTORE THE BEACH.
SO THAT'S 2016 PRE-PROJECT 2016 POST PROJECT.
WE PUSH IT OUT ANOTHER A HUNDRED, 150 FEET IN FRONT OF THAT.
SO YOU HAVE SORT OF THIS, THIS BASELINE BEACH OF YOUR 13 AND A HALF MILLION OR WHATEVER THE EXACT NUMBER IS EVERY YEAR.
YOU ALWAYS WANT TO HAVE IT OUT THERE.
THAT'S WHAT PROVIDES PROTECTION TO THE UPLAND IN CASE THE BIG ONE COMES.
AND YOU'RE AT THE END OF A RE NOURISHMENT CYCLE LIKE WE WERE IN 2016.
THEN IN 2016 WE RE NOURISHED THE BEACH.
WE KNOW THAT IT ERODES EVERY YEAR.
THAT'S PART OF THE DEAL THAT YOU ACCEPT IN YOUR BEACH MANAGEMENT PROGRAM, CUZ OTHERWISE YOUR OPTIONS ARE TO LIKE ARMOR THE WHOLE BEACH OR BUILD STRUCTURES EVERYWHERE, WHICH IS NOT A VERY AESTHETIC THING.
IT'S ENORMOUSLY EXPENSIVE UPFRONT.
SO THE LIFECYCLE COSTS THEN BECOME VERY EXPENSIVE AS WELL.
AND YOU STILL PROBABLY WANT TO NURSE THE BEACH ON TOP OF IT.
SO THE, THE IDEA THAT YOU HAVE A DESIGN BEACH IN THE, IN THE BACK, SO TO SPEAK, THAT ALWAYS STAYS IN GOOD HEALTH AND GOOD CONDITION.
AND THEN YOU PERIODICALLY REER IT AS SORT OF AN ADVANCED PAYMENT ON THE EROSION.
THAT'S WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING HERE FOR THE LAST THREE OR FOUR CYCLES.
SO YOU CAN SEE HERE AS A, AS A WHOLE THING, BY APRIL OF 2022, WE'VE MOVED FROM THE RED, SLOWLY RETREATING BACK TO THE SOLID BLACK LINE, BUT YOU STILL HAVE ALL THE STORM PROTECTION IN THE BACK HERE, SO THAT APRIL 22, YOU KNOW, WE'RE IN REALLY GOOD CONDITION TO WITHSTAND THE IMPACTS FROM A STORM EVENT.
YOU'RE NOT GONNA LOSE ALL 13 AND A HALF MILLION IN ONE STORM.
THAT THAT'S JUST NOT, IF THAT HAPPENS, YOU'D HAVE, WE WOULDN'T EVEN BE TALKING ABOUT ANYTHING.
IT'S A THE STORM THAT JUST STATISTICALLY HAS NEVER HAPPENED AND WON'T HAPPEN.
SO WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO PREDICT HOW MUCH SAND YOU NEED TO PROVIDE THE ADEQUATE PROTECTION TO THE UPLAND.
THAT'S SORT OF THE AREA BETWEEN THE, THE BLUE AND THE ROCKS THERE.
AND THEN WE KNOW FROM OUR HISTORICAL RECORDS HOW MUCH SAND NEEDS TO BE PLACED OUT THERE TO GET US TO THE NEXT RE NOURISHMENT INTERVAL AND THAT EIGHT TO 10 YEAR PERIOD.
I'M KIND OF GETTING AHEAD OF MY SLIDES HERE A LITTLE BIT.
SO THIS IS ABOUT RIGHT NOW, IT'S ABOUT 400 FEET ON AVERAGE WHEN YOU GO OUT AND YOU LOOK AT ALL THE BEACH PROFILES IN THE MONITORING PROGRAM AND YOU SAY, HERE'S THE UPLAND LINE OF DEVELOPMENT, HERE'S THE MEAN HIGH WATER LINE.
YOU NEED TO MAINTAIN A LITTLE OVER 200 FEET ALMOST ALL THE TIME SO THAT IF YOU HAD BAD LUCK AND GOT HIT BY THAT STORM EVENT AT THE WRONG TIME, YOU STILL WOULDN'T SEE MUCH OF ANY DAMAGE IN THE UPLAND.
ALL THE UPLAND INFRASTRUCTURE WOULD BE PROTECTED.
UH, HERE'S AN EXAMPLE THAT SORT OF PUTS INTO CONTEXT WHAT THIS MEANS.
THIS IS THE SAME MM, NORTH FORCE BEACH APP, SAME AREA WHERE YOU SAW SOME OF THE PICTURES BEFORE THE ROCK RESENTMENT, THIS IS IN 2007 EVEN.
AND NO ROCK RESENTMENT TO BE SEEN HERE AT ALL.
IT'S THERE, IT'S BEEN BURIED IN THE DUNES, IN THE UPLAND.
AND YOU GET A FEEL FOR WHEN THEY RUN THE BEACH NOURISHMENT PROJECTS.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'VE WITNESSED SOME OF THE BEACH NOURISHMENT GOING ON IN PRIOR CYCLES, BUT YOU KNOW, THEY'RE, THEY'RE PUMPING SAND DOWN THE BEACH.
THIS IS REALLY NOT WORKING FOR ME.
THIS PIPE COMING DOWN THE BEACH HERE MAKES A MESS WHEN THEY'RE, WHEN THEY'RE DOING IT, BUT THEY KEEP IT IN THEIR LITTLE WORK AREA AND THEN THEY CLEAN IT ALL UP AND THEY ADVANCE DOWN THE BEACH.
SO YOU CAN SEE HERE JUST HOW FAR THE BEACH GETS ADVANCED.
THIS IS THE 1990 SHORELINE LO PRE 1990 SHORELINE LOCATION.
SO UP UNDER THAT RED LINE IS WHERE THE ROCK RESENTMENTS AND ALL THE STABILIZATION WAS NO DRY BEACH.
NOW YOU HAVE THIS NICE PROTECTIVE BUFFER AND RECREATIONAL SPACE OUT IN FRONT.
THERE'S SOME PICTURES OF THE PRE, SO YOU GET AN IDEA OF HOW MUCH THE IMPROVEMENT HAS MEANT IN THIS PARTICULAR AREA AND IN, IN ALL AREAS THAT HAVE BEEN RESTORED ALONG HILTON AND SHORELINE.
IS THAT ROCK REV THAT'S BURIED, UH, PROVIDING, UH, ANY ASSISTANCE ACTIVELY TODAY? NO, IT IS THE, IT IS THE ULTIMATE INSURANCE POLICY.
IT IS PARKED BACK THERE WHEN THE, IT WOULD PROBABLY TAKE MULTIPLE STORMS TO GET BACK TO IT.
LIKE IF YOU GOT HIT, HEAVEN FORBID, OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN, LIKE THERE, OCCASIONALLY WE HAVE SEASONS WHERE IT'S PARTICULARLY BAD.
IT WOULD TAKE A LOT TO EXPOSE THAT THING.
BUT IF IT WERE TO BE EXPOSED, IT WOULD CONTINUE TO FUNCTION AS A, AN EXCELLENT BACKSTOP TO THE LOSS OF THE LOSS OF THE UPLAND INFRASTRUCTURE.
AND REALLY WHAT IT'S DOING IS PREVENTING DEFLATION.
LIKE IF YOU'RE, YOU KNOW, IF YOU OWN AN OCEAN FROM PROPERTY, KEEPS YOUR YARD FROM DROPPING OUT AND INTO THE WATER OR YOUR POOL DECK OR YOUR PARKING AREA OR WHATEVER.
[01:10:01]
SO IT'S NOT ACTIVELY PROVIDING PRODUCTION TODAY.BUT, YOU KNOW, STILL BACK THERE STILL IN, IN THE EVENT THINGS GO REALLY HAYWIRE.
ALL RIGHT, I WANT YOU TO STUDY THIS REALLY CAREFULLY.
I'M GONNA ASK YOU SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS AT THE END.
UH, THIS IS A SUMMARY OF ALL OF OUR MONITORING DATA OVER SEVERAL, SEVERAL YEARS.
UM, YOU CAN SORT OF SEE THE TIME HERE, THE 2006 TO 2022.
THIS IS HOW WE KEEP TRACK OF, YOU KNOW, WE USE THE MONITORING DATA TO KEEP TRACK OF SHORELINES AND VOLUMES.
WHAT'S HAPPENING WHERE, I'M NOT GONNA GET INTO MUCH MORE OF THIS, I WAS KIDDING ABOUT THE QUIZ, BUT THE THING I WANT TO DRAW YOUR EYE TO HERE ARE THE RED AND GREEN BARS BECAUSE YOU'LL SEE AREAS IN RED AND YOU'LL SEE AREAS IN GREEN.
SOUTH FOREST BEACH HEADING DOWN INTO C PINES.
HISTORICALLY IT'S BEEN A VERY STABLE AREA.
WE TYPICALLY DON'T HAVE TO NOURISH HERE, BUT THERE ARE PORTIONS OF SEA PINES DOWN INTO SOUTH BEACH THAT ARE ALWAYS HOT.
WE ALWAYS HAVE TO ADDRESS THOSE IN SOME WAY.
AGAIN, THE NORTHERN TWO THIRDS OF THE SHORELINE, SAME STORY THAT WE, WE TALK ABOUT, UM, THAT ALWAYS HAS TO BE ADDRESSED.
AREAS UP HERE HEADING, UH, NORTH OF THE FOLLEY ARE TYPICALLY STABLE.
AND THEN WE GET ISSUES AROUND THE HEEL.
AND DEPENDING ON WHAT THOSE CONDITIONS ARE, THE NEXT TIME WE GO TO RE NOURISHMENT, THESE WILL BE THE AREAS WE FOCUS ON AS TO WHETHER WE DO SOMETHING OR NOT.
THIS IS ONE OF THE WAYS WE, WE DON'T WANT TO GO OUT THERE AND JUST PASTE SAND EVERYWHERE CUZ YOU'RE JUST WASTING IT AND SPENDING A LOT OF MONEY.
AGAIN, SOME OF THE STRUCTURES THAT HAVE BEEN BUILT ALONG THE WAY HERE, I GO THROUGH THIS PRETTY QUICKLY.
UM, ONE OF THE EXAMPLES UP, UP BY FISH HALL, UH, CREEK IN FISH HALL PARK, UM, VERY SENSITIVE BIRD HABITAT AREA UP THERE, BUT ALSO AN AREA THAT'S POPULAR FOR, FOR USE FOR BEACH USE.
SO THERE WAS A NEED TO KIND OF SPLIT THE DIFFERENCE HERE, NOT BUILD AN ENORMOUS BEACH AND MAINTAIN IT IN A TRADITIONAL WAY, STABILIZE IT SO WE WOULDN'T HAVE TO RENOURISH IT VERY OFTEN.
SO WE CAME UP WITH, UH, A SERIES OF SIX LOW CRESTED BREAKWATERS THAT WOULD HOLD THE SHORELINE IN A PARTICULAR POSITION.
THE BREAKWATERS THEMSELVES PROVIDE A FORM OF HABITAT, BUT THEY ALSO PROTECT KIND OF A MARSHY AREA UP THERE.
IT'S VERY POPULAR WITH SHOREBIRDS.
SO THIS IS JUST AN EXAMPLE OF SOME OF THE STRUCTURAL, UH, INTERVENTIONS, INNOVATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN DONE TO TRY TO HOLD THE EROSION AND, AND KEEP THE ENVIRONMENTAL BALANCE IN CHECK.
ANOTHER PROJECT THAT WAS BUILT IN 97 ALONG ALONG THE PORT ROYAL SHORELINE, VERY EROSIONAL AREA BEING AFFECTED BY A MARGINAL TITLE CHANNEL THAT HAD MEANDERED UP AGAINST THE BEACH.
IT'S A PRETTY COMMON THING THAT HAPPENS IN A LOT OF INLETS.
UM, SO THE IDEA WAS TO MOVE THAT MARGINAL CHANNEL, GET THINGS AWAY FROM THE SHORELINE, MOVE THEM BACK OUT TOWARDS THE MAIN CHANNEL, GOING THROUGH PORT ROYAL SOUND TITLE.
INLETS WILL DRAW WATER IN FROM ALL DIRECTIONS AND USUALLY WHEN THAT HAPPENS, THEY CREATE THEIR OWN LITTLE SIDE CHANNELS AND THEY USUALLY NEVER SEEM TO HAPPEN IN A VERY CONVENIENT PLACE.
SO PERIODICALLY, THIS WAS JUST ONE THAT WAS CAUSING SO MUCH EROSION THAT WE NEEDED TO, TO STEP IN AND INTERVENE, CUT THE CHANNEL IN A NEW LOCATION, TOOK THE SAND THAT WAS DREDGED OUTTA THAT PROCESS, PUT IT ON THE BEACH DIRECTLY TO RESTORE THE PORT ROYAL SHORELINE HERE.
SO IT'S KIND OF A WIN-WIN IN THAT REGARD.
TOOK THE TITLE PRESSURE OFF OF THE, UH, OFF THE SHORELINE.
COUPLE OF OTHER STRUCTURED PROJECTS.
THE TERMINAL GROWING AT THE FOLLEY.
AGAIN, WE TALKED ABOUT THE FOLLEY.
IT HAS TO BREAK OUT TO THE, TO THE OCEAN PERIODICALLY, BUT IT'S LIKE THIS GIANT MEANDERING THING THAT WAS BEGINNING TO IMPACT STRUCTURES AND THE EROSION RATE WAS SO HIGH THAT WE COULDN'T REALLY KEEP UP WITH THE BEACH ADJACENT TO, TO THE OUTLET.
SO WE STABILIZE ONE SIDE OF IT.
NOW PARTICIPATING IN THE BEACH NOURISHMENT PROGRAM.
SOLVED THE, SOLVED THE PROBLEM THERE AND GREATLY LOWERS THE OVERALL EROSION RATE IN IN THAT SPOT.
FISH ALL BREAKWATERS WE TALKED ABOUT PREVIOUSLY.
THERE'S A LITTLE SHOT OF THEM.
YOU CAN SEE THAT THEY'VE, THEY'VE SORT OF GROWN AND COLLECTED THEIR, THEIR OWN LITTLE MARSHY SEAGRASS HABITAT AROUND THAT AREA.
UH, THE LANDS END TERMINAL GROIN IS ANOTHER EXAMPLE DOWN AT THE SOUTH END.
THAT STRUCTURE HAD DEGRADED AND WAS ACTUALLY JUST BLEEDING SAND TO THE NORTH AND UP INTO THE CHANNEL.
THEN THE, THE BIGGEST ONE PROBABLY IS AT THE HEEL.
THAT THING, THAT STRUCTURE THAT WAS BUILT IN 2012 SOLVED A A COUPLE PROBLEMS BOTH ON THE POOR ROYAL SHORELINE AND THE ATLANTIC FACING SHORELINE TO LOWER THE EROSION RATES IN THAT AREA.
IT'S BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL IN, IN KEEPING THE RATES DOWN AND KEEPING THEM ON TRACK WITH THE REST OF THE ISLAND.
UH, RECENT ACTIVITIES, I THINK JEFF TOUCHED ON MOST OF THESE, THE BEACH MANAGEMENT LINE, WE TALKED ABOUT THAT IN YOUR, YOUR UPCOMING RENEWAL OF THE BEACH MANAGEMENT PLAN, SETTING THE LINE AND NOT ALLOWING DEVELOPMENT TO CONTINUE TO ENCROACH OUT.
YOU'RE SAVING YOURSELF FROM INCREASING COSTS AS YOU GO ALONG.
UM, A LOT OF EFFORTS TO SUPPORT THE REMAPPING THAT WAS DONE FOR THE FLOOD INSURANCE RATE MAPS ON THE ISLAND.
THESE ARE JUST SOME OF THE ACTIVIT OTHER ACTIVITIES THAT WE'VE PARTICIPATED IN OVER THE YEARS WITH THE TOWN.
UM, DOCUMENTING THE SCOPE OF YOUR, YOUR ENGINEER BEACH AND YOUR STRUCTURES.
THESE AGAIN ARE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT
[01:15:01]
ARE ELIGIBLE FOR COST SHARING FROM FEMA IN THE EVENT THEY'RE DAMAGED.AND WE'VE UNFORTUNATELY HAVE SUFFERED SOME DAMAGE OVER THE YEARS.
JOAQUIN, MATTHEW IRMA, DORIAN, UM, TOWN HAS RECOUPED QUITE A BIT OF MONEY OVER THE YEARS.
AGAIN, JEFF MENTIONED THE STORM DAMAGES ARE TYPICALLY RE RESTORED AT 75%.
SO YOU'RE PAYING 25 CENTS ON THE DOLLAR TO REPAIR THE STORM DAMAGE PORTION OF IT.
UH, THE SPECIAL STUDIES WE'VE TALKED ABOUT ALONG THE WAY HERE.
UM, I'LL TALK VERY BRIEFLY ABOUT SAND RESOURCES.
AS I MENTIONED, ONE OF YOUR CONTINUING EXPOSURES IS ALWAYS HAVING AVAILABLE SAND RESOURCES.
THAT'S A VERY IMPORTANT THING TO KEEP UP WITH.
UM, THESE ARE JUST SOME OF THE MAIN AREAS VERY CLOSE TO SHORE THAT HAVE BEEN USED IN PAST PROJECTS TO PROVIDE SAND FOR BEACH NOURISHMENT.
THE FIRST PROJECT WAS BUILT FOR JOINER, SHOS AND GAS AND BANKS.
UM, AND NOW LATELY WE'VE MOVED TO BARRETT SHOS OFF OF COW SOUND AND BAYPOINT SHOS, WHICH, YOU KNOW, UNFORTUNATELY IF YOU USE THEM, THEY DON'T NECESSARILY ALWAYS REGENERATE.
THEY MAY NOT FILL BACK IN WITH MATERIALS THAT YOU WANNA PUMP ON THE BEACH AGAIN.
BUT BARRETT, SHOS, JOINER AND BAYPOINT PARTICULARLY, THEY REFILL WITH MATERIAL BECAUSE IT'S A VERY ACTIVE, ENERGETIC AREA AROUND THE INLETS.
SO SELECTIVELY MINING SAND FROM THE INLETS IS TYPICALLY A WAY TO MAINTAIN SAND QUALITY AND GET THE QUANTITY OF MATERIAL YOU NEED TO MAINTAIN YOUR PROGRAM.
WHEN WE GO OUT TO BID FOR RE UH, RE-NOURISHMENT, UH, WHO DETERMINES, UH, THE AVAILABILITY, UH, OF THE, THE SAND? DOES THE, THE, DO YOU AS OUR AGENT GO OUT AND SAY YOU DO A REVIEW AND YOU SAY THERE ARE SO MANY CUBIC YARDS HERE, HERE AND HERE.
OR DO WE RELY ON THE VENDOR TO COME IN? NO.
WE DO, AND THIS SLIDE SPEAKS TO THAT.
UM, THESE ARE, THIS IS A EXAMPLE OF SOME OF THE ANALYTICAL PRODUCTS THAT GET PRODUCED WHEN WE DO A, WHAT WE CALL A SAND SEARCH, SORT OF A GENERIC TERM FOR, FOR GOING OUT AND DOING A, A GEOTECHNICAL SURVEY TO FIGURE OUT WHERE WE HAVE GOOD BEACH COMPATIBLE SAND.
CUZ A LOT OF AREAS OF THE SEA BED OFFSHORE OF ANY PLACE IS USUALLY VERY POOR STUFF YOU WOULD NOT WANNA PUMP ON THE BEACH.
MUD, SILT, CLAY, SHELL REALLY SHELLY STUFF.
SO YOU HAVE TO BE VERY PARTICULAR ABOUT WHERE YOU GO, WHERE YOU LOOK, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE LOOKING FOR HIGH SPOTS, YOU'RE LOOKING FOR ENERGETIC AREAS THAT HAVE FLUSHED AWAY THE MUD AND THE SILT AND THIS, AND I DON'T WANNA EXPLAIN EVERY ONE OF THESE THINGS, BUT THIS IS KIND OF WHAT JEFF WAS TALKING ABOUT.
WE, WE, UM, WORKING WITH JEFF AND FOLKS OF THE TOWN, WE WORK ON HIRING SUBCONTRACTORS WHO HAVE THE NECESSARY EQUIPMENT TO GO OUT.
IT TAKES A 20 FOOT LONG PUNCH INTO THE SEA BED.
AND EVERY ONE OF THESE DOTS, THIS IS ZACH'S JOB, EVERY ONE OF THESE DOTS IS ONE OF THESE CORES.
SO YOU HAVE 20 FEET OF THE STRATA IN THE SEA BED AND WE CAN TELL WHERE THERE'S CLAY AND JUNK AND WHATEVER WE DON'T WANT AND WE CAN SEE WHERE WE HAVE GOOD NICE CLEAN MATERIAL THAT WE DO WANT.
AND SO YOU GET AIR, YOU GET MAPS LIKE THESE WHERE I'M HAVING TROUBLE WITH THIS.
WE'VE GONE OUT AND PUNCHED ALL THESE HOLES HERE AND WE'VE EVALUATED HOW MUCH GOOD SAND IS THERE ON THE TOP LAYER OF SAND, WHAT WE NEED FOR THE PROJECT.
WE TRY TO MATCH THOSE TWO VOLUMES UP.
WE DON'T WANT TO GO OUT AND LET THE DREDGER JUST GO WILLY NILLY DREDGE WHEREVER THEY WANT TO.
THAT'S NOT GONNA WORK GOOD FOR ANYONE.
WE GIVE 'EM VERY SPECIFIC DIRECTIONS ABOUT HOW DEEP THEY CAN CUT.
CUZ USUALLY WHAT HAPPENS IF THEY CUT TOO DEEP, THEY GET INTO UNDESIRABLE MATERIAL.
WE, WE CALL ALL OF THAT AND WE TAKE THE REPORT, WE TURN IT IN TO THE STATE CORE AND WE SAY, THIS IS OUR GEOTECH, THIS IS WHAT WE WANT TO DREDGE STATE LANDS ISSUES.
YOU KNOW, THIS IS ALL, YOU KNOW, LANDS OWNED BY THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA.
BUT WE DO ALL OF THE, OF THE WORK TO DICTATE WHAT HAPPENS.
WHAT, WHAT'S THE SHELF LIFE OF YOUR WORK? USUALLY VERY LONG.
UM, WHEN YOU GET AROUND IN INLET, YOU YOU'RE GONNA WANNA WATCH, LIKE THIS IS A GOOD EXAMPLE.
I'M SORRY, MY VISION'S GETTING IN AREAS AROUND INLETS WILL BE THE ONES THAT ARE MOST DYNAMIC.
THE SHOS WILL SHIFT IF THE SHOS WILL CHANGE.
YOU KNOW, WE DON'T, WE DON'T WANT TO SPECIFICALLY RELY ON SOMETHING ON A VIBRA CORE THAT WAS TAKEN IN THIS AREA 30 YEARS AGO OR 50 YEARS AGO.
BUT IF IT WERE OUT, SAY ON GASKIN BANK OR MAYBE FURTHER OFFSHORE CORE COULD BE REALLY OLD AND STILL BE COMPLETELY RELEVANT.
SO IT, IT'S JUST DEPENDS ON WHERE YOU'RE AT.
THE WAY YOU WOULD ADDRESS THAT IS YOU JUST GO OUT AND SURVEY IT.
YOU JUST DO A CONVENTIONAL HYDROGRAPHIC SURVEY AND SAY, OH, THE SCHS HAVEN'T CHANGED.
WE TOOK THIS COURSE IN 2006, WE'RE GOOD.
YOU KNOW, YOU DON'T WANNA FIND OUT, YOU DON'T WANNA FIND OUT THE ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION.
WHEN THE DREDGE IS GOING AND IT'S PUMPING STUFF ON THE BEACH AND THEN IT'S LIKE,
[01:20:01]
THAT'S NOT A GOOD TIME TO FIND OUT THAT THINGS HAVE CHANGED.NEVER GOOD ALL IS YOUR COMPANY THE PROJECT MANAGER FOR OUR RE NOURISHMENT? YES, THEY'RE OUR SOLE PRYING CONTRACTOR.
THEY HAVE SUB CONSULTANTS WHO DO THIS TYPE OF WORK, BUT THEY ARE THE MAIN, YEAH, CLEARLY THESE GUYS, LIKE THE GUYS WHO TAKE THE CORES, THEY'RE A SUB.
UM, THE PEOPLE WHO DO THE SURVEYS, THEY HAVE THE RIGHT EQUIPMENT.
THEY, THEY, WE SUBCONTRACT DOWN TO THEM TO TAKE THESE DATA.
THIS IMAGE IN THE LOWER LEFT, BY THE WAY IS, IS A SUB BOTTOM IMAGE.
THEY, THEY PUT GROUND, IT'S LIKE GROUND PENETRATING RADAR, BUT YOU USE IT IN THE WATER.
SO IT'LL TELL YOU WHAT THE LAYERS LOOK LIKE UNDERNEATH.
IT'LL GIVE YOU A REALLY GOOD PICTURE OF WHERE YOU'RE GONNA HAVE A PROBLEM.
IT'S PARTICULARLY USEFUL WHEN YOU HAVE CLAY LAYERS, WHICH ARE ALL OVER THE PLACE.
YOU CAN SEE WHERE YOU'RE GONNA HAVE A PROBLEM.
AND YOU'LL SEE SOME BORROW AREAS ARE DESIGNED WITH LITTLE BOXES IN THE MIDDLE OF 'EM WHERE THEY CAN'T CUT AS DEEP AS THEY WOULD ELSEWHERE.
THAT'S CUZ THERE'S SOMETHING NASTY UNDER THERE THAT THEY DON'T WANT TO GET INTO.
WE'LL GO THROUGH AND DO MAGNETOMETER SURVEYS, MAKE SURE THERE'S NOTHING METAL LIKE A SHIPWRECK OR A BOAT MOTOR OR SOMETHING IN THE AREA TO AVOID THAT.
SOME OF IT COULD BE CULTURALLY SIGNIFICANT THAT GETS HANDLED THROUGH A, A SPECIFIC SUBCONTRACTOR WITH US TO MAKE SURE WE DON'T HAVE ANY AVOIDANCE AREAS WE NEED TO STEER CLEAR OF.
AND THERE ARE CULTURAL RESOURCE AREAS EVERYWHERE.
SO THAT'S A PRETTY COMMON THING TO HAVE TO DEAL WITH.
BUT THAT'S SORT OF THE, THE WAY THE SAUSAGE IS MADE TO GET TO A BEACH NOURISHMENT PROJECT AND MAKE SURE THAT WHAT ENDS UP ON THE BEACH IS WHAT YOU WANT.
CUZ TWO YEARS LATER WHEN THE PROJECT'S DONE, THE ONLY THING PEOPLE ARE GONNA SEE IS WHAT YOU ACTUALLY PUMPED ON THE BEACH.
AND IF IT DOESN'T LOOK GOOD, THEN SOMETHING'S GONE WRONG.
SO, YOU KNOW, I'M JUST THINKING THAT THIS, UH, PRESENTATION, WHICH IS EX EXCELLENT A READER'S DIGEST VERSION.
IF YOU ASK THE RHETORICAL QUESTION, WHERE COULD WE USE THIS IN A FUN, PRODUCTIVE WAY? I, I WOULD THINK OF A, I WERE A HIGH SCHOOLER, THIS COULD BE FUN.
UH, IF I WERE RUNNING THE REAL ESTATE GROUP HERE, THIS WOULD BE, UH, WE, WE TRY AND, AND I'VE, I'VE TALKED, CHRIS AND I HAVE TALKED ABOUT THIS A BIT.
CHAMBER IS THE SORT OF THE PUBLIC OUT PUBLIC OUTREACH PORTIONS OF THESE PROJECTS.
IT'S IS GETTING BETTER AND BETTER AND BETTER AS WE GO ALONG.
I MEAN, THE MORE, THE MORE YOU CAN EXPLAIN THESE THINGS TO PEOPLE IN A SIMPLE WAY, THE LESS HEADACHES YOU HAVE WHEN CONSTRUCTION COMES BECAUSE YOUR PHONE WILL START RINGING.
WHAT ARE THEY DOING IN FRONT OF MY HOUSE, BLAH, BLAH.
YOU KNOW, THE MORE, THE MORE EDUCATION YOU CAN PUT OUT THERE AND THE SIMPLER YOU CAN DO IT, YOU KNOW, YOU PUT IT ON WEBSITES, YOU SEND OUT MAILERS, YOU HAVE TOWN HALLS, UH, EMAIL BLASTS, THOSE SORTS OF THINGS THAT ARE ALWAYS REALLY, REALLY, REALLY, REALLY HELPFUL.
AND PEOPLE WHO, YOU KNOW, IF THEY'VE SEEN IT FIVE YEARS BEFORE THE PROJECT STARTED, THEY KNOW WHAT A BEACH NOURISHMENT PROJECT IS.
SO THEY KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT AND THEY KNOW, YOU KNOW, THAT WHILE IT'S GOING ON, YOU'RE GONNA HEAR A BUNCH OF BACKUP BEEPERS AND YOU'RE GONNA SEE AN AREA OF THE, THE BEACH THAT'S CLOSED OFF THAT YOU CAN'T ACCESS.
BUT IT'S ALL PART OF MAKING THE BEACH LOOK GOOD FOR 10 YEARS, YOU KNOW, BEFORE YOU HAVE TO DO IT AGAIN.
SO YEAH, IT'S A, IT'S A, ANYTHING FOR PUBLIC OUTREACH, OUTREACH IS ALWAYS A, A WELL INTENTIONED AND, AND WELL USEFUL THING.
UM, I'LL JUST KIND OF SCOOT THROUGH THE REST OF THESE HERE.
OBVIOUSLY OUR GOAL, AND I'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS A LOT, IS WE WANT TO GET THE PROJECT ON AN EIGHT TO 10 YEAR LIFE.
BECAUSE MOBILIZING A DREDGE IS A VERY EXPENSIVE PROCESS.
BRINGING ALL THE EQUIPMENT OUT HERE IS VERY DISRUPTIVE, BUT IT'S A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME.
SO IF YOU CAN KIND OF SCHEDULE IT AND TIME IT RIGHT, AND YOU'RE ONLY DOING IT EVERY EIGHT TO 10 YEARS, SMALL PAIN TO MAINTAIN THE BEACH AND IT'S SUCH A HEALTHY CONDITION.
AND TO, AND TO MINIMIZE YOUR RISK AND EXPOSURE TO UPLAND INFRASTRUCTURE DAMAGE.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS WE DO IN EVERY PROJECT AND BECOMES MORE AND MORE IMPORTANT EVERY TIME WE DO IT IS LIMITING SAND PLACEMENT TO ONLY THOSE AREAS THAT REALLY NEED IT.
YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU HAVE GREAT SAND RESOURCES, WHICH YOU'RE CERTAINLY NOT IN A POSITION TO JUST, YOU KNOW, GO PAINT THE BEACH WITH 200 CUBIC YARDS PER FOOT EVERYWHERE YOU WANT TO.
YOU'RE GONNA TRY TO BE VERY STRATEGIC ABOUT IT WHERE YOU PUT THIS.
UH, THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF THE MAP FOR THE ELEMENTS IN 2016 WHERE WE DID AND DID NOT PLACE SAND ON THE BEACH IN VARIOUS AREAS.
AND YOU CAN SEE THAT IT'S PRETTY TARGETED.
SOUTH BEACH, CENTRAL ISLAND, COUPLE OF AREAS AROUND THE HEEL TO TOUCH UP AROUND THAT STRUCTURE.
AND THEN A FEW SMALL AREAS UP IN PORT ROYAL SOUND, YOU CAN SEE THE, THE BORROW AREAS IN BLUE.
WHERE DID WE TAKE SAND FROM? THE LITTLE SUBDIVISIONS REPRESENT, I ASSUME DIFFERENCES IN CUT DEPTHS, UM, WHERE WE, WE FOUND SOME BAD MATERIAL IN CERTAIN AREAS AND MADE SURE THE GUY STAYED UP ABOVE.
THOSE WERE NOT PUMPING MUD AND CLAY BALLS ON THE BEACH.
NOT A GOOD PHONE CALL TO RECEIVE WHEN THAT HAPPENS THAT DAY.
THIS IS JUST A, A EXAMPLE OF WHAT THE PROCESS LOOKS LIKE ON THE BORROW AREA AND DOWN
[01:25:01]
AT CA SOUND ON BARRETT SHOS, YOU CAN SEE THE CUTTERHEAD DREDGE HERE.THIS IS GREAT LAKE STRETCH AND DOCK GOING, UH, WORKING IN THE, IN THE BORROW AREA.
YOU CAN SEE THERE FLOATING HOSE COMING OUT THE BACK THAT ALLOWS THEM TO MOVE AROUND WITHIN THE BAR AREA.
IT'S LIKE A GIANT VACUUM CLEANER WITH TEETH.
THE ENTIRE PROJECT PUMPING SAND TO THE BEACH.
AND I THINK THEY HAD OVER SOME RIDICULOUS NUMBER OF MILES OF PIPELINE OUT TO GET TO THE CENTRAL PORTION OF THE ISLAND TO DELIVER THE SAND.
THAT WAS DETERMINED TO BE THE BEST STUFF TO PUT ON THE BEACH HERE.
SO YOU GET AN IDEA OF THE SCOPE OF, IT'S A LOT OF EQUIPMENT.
IT'S A, IT'S A BIG TIME OPERATION TO GET ONE OF THESE DREDGES OUT HERE THAT'S A 30 INCH, UH, CUTTERHEAD PIPELINE, DR.
AND IT'S A BIG, BIG, BIG PIECE OF EQUIPMENT.
SORT OF THE SUMMARY HERE, UM, GOING ALL THE WAY BACK TO THE LATE EIGHTIES IN THE FIRST PROJECT IN 19 90 13 AND A HALF MILLION CUBIC YARDS, THAT WORKS OUT TO OVER 14 MILES, ABOUT 180 CUBIC YARDS PER FOOT OF SHORELINE PER FOOT.
A DUMP TRUCK CARRIES 15 CUBIC YARDS.
SO YOU CAN KIND OF SEE HOW MANY DUMP TRUCKS OF SAND ARE ON EVERY, IT'S NOT EVERYWHERE, BUT THIS IS THE BIG, THE BIG AVERAGE, THE BIG PICTURE AVERAGE.
UM, AND SO WE TALKED ABOUT THAT NUMBER THE IS PART OF YOUR INFRASTRUCTURE.
SO WE'RE THERE TO BE A REALLY BAD STORM EVENT THAT CUT WAY BACK, YOU KNOW, BEYOND THE 2016 PROJECT BACK INTO THE OLDER PROJECTS THAT WOULD STILL BE ELIGIBLE FOR FEMA REIMBURSEMENT.
YOU HAVE AMPLE DOCUMENTATION THAT PROVES THAT THIS WAS AN ENGINEERED BEACH, IT WAS BUILT THAT WAY.
UM, IT WOULD TAKE ONE HECK OF A BLOW TO, TO KICK IT BACK THAT FAR.
SO I WOULDN'T, I DON'T WANNA PANIC ANYBODY HERE, BUT THAT'S, THAT'S NOT GONNA HAPPEN.
BUT THAT, THAT'S WHAT IT TOOK TO PUT THE BEACH BACK IN A BIG ENOUGH SIZE TO HAVE WHAT YOU HAVE NOW TO HAVE A, A NICE GREEN FIELD THAT'S NOW VEGETATED TO HAVE A NICE RECREATIONAL BEACH THAT'S DRY OVER THE COURSE OF THE ENTIRE TITLE CYCLE.
AND TO PROVIDE AN ADEQUATE LEVEL OF STORM PROTECTION TO THE UPLAND EVEN WHEN THE BIG ONE COMES AT THE END OF THE RE NOURISHMENT CYCLE.
IT, IT TAKES 13 AND A HALF MILLION CUBIC YARDS.
I MIGHT BE OFF BY A MILLION HERE OR THERE SOMEWHERE.
UM, AT ITS MINIMUM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE TRYING TO MAINTAIN A BEACH THAT'S AT LEAST 200 FEET WIDE EVERYWHERE SO THAT WE HAVE THAT MINIMUM LEVEL OF STORM PROTECTION.
UM, COMPARED TO 1990 WHERE YOU HAD THE ROCK RESENTMENTS AND SUCH, IT'S BEEN $80 MILLION SINCE 1990.
BUT WHEN YOU CONSIDER WHAT IT'S PROTECTING OVER 8 BILLION, BALLPARK, $8 BILLION IN SHORT PUN DEVELOPMENT VALUES.
IF YOU DO THAT ONCE EVERY 10 YEARS, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE, YOU'RE, YOU'RE IN PRETTY GOOD STEAD.
THAT'S A PRETTY GOOD, PRETTY GOOD TRADE OFF.
WHEN WE GO TO DO THE NEXT ONE IN 2025, THIS IS WHAT WE'RE BEGINNING TO PLAN.
NOW WE'RE GONNA GET INTO THE PERMITTING AGAIN.
WE'RE GONNA ADDRESS ONLY THE AREAS THAT PARTICULARLY NEED NEED ADDRESSING.
THAT'LL AT THIS POINT WE'LL BE AREAS ALONG SOUTH BEACH, THE CENTRAL ISLAND AND THE HEEL.
THOSE ARE THE AREAS WHERE YOU CAN EXPECT TO SEE CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITY AND THAT'S WHERE WE'LL PUT THE VOLUME.
RIGHT NOW WE'RE LOOKING AT A TARGET SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 1.6 AND 2 MILLION CUBIC YARDS OF SAND TO PLACE IN, IN THESE AREAS THAT WILL OF COURSE BE MONITORED UP UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE WHEN WE BEGIN TO PUT PRO UH, DOCUMENTS OUT, BID TO SECURE A CONTRACTOR AND YOU KNOW, IF THERE'S SOME STORM ACTIVITY IN BETWEEN, WE HAVE ALL THE INFORMATION WE NEED TO MAKE THOSE ADJUSTMENTS.
BUT RIGHT NOW THAT'S WHAT WE'RE, WE'RE ON TRACK FOR.
HOW, HOW MANY COMPANIES ARE OUT THERE TODAY THAT ARE CAPABLE OF BIDDING ON THIS? NOT ENOUGH.
UH, THERE'S PROBABLY, THIS IS, YOU KNOW, KIND OF SETS ITSELF UP TO BE A CUTTERHEAD PIPELINE DREDGE.
THERE MAY BE FOUR, FOUR TO FIVE THAT COULD BID ON THIS PROJECT.
UM, SO IT'S A A IT'S A VERY UNIQUE MARKET.
UH, NOT MANY PEOPLE HAVE THE EQUIPMENT THAT IS OCEAN GOING.
THEY CAN GO OUT HERE AND DO THIS.
SO IT'S, UM, THEY KNOW, THEY KNOW THIS PROJECT.
THEY KNOW EVERY OTHER PROJECT.
THEY KNOW WHAT WHAT THEIR COMPETITION IS DOING.
IT'S A VERY LIMITED GROUP THAT DOES.
DO THEY KNOW THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE WANTING THEM TO DREDGE IN 2025 AT THIS POINT? UH, THAT'S DEFINITELY A CHRIS CREED QUESTION.
UM, WE HAVE MENTIONED TO, TO THE PRIMARY CONTRACTORS.
YEAH, CRAIG LAKES, THE BIG FIRMS THAT DO THIS, WE'VE LET THEM KNOW THE CYCLE.
AND, AND YOU KNOW, IT'S A MARKET DRIVEN BUSINESS, RIGHT? SO IF SOUTH FLORIDA WAS HIT WITH A BUNCH OF STORMS RIGHT BEFORE WE'RE GONNA DO OUR PROJECT AND THEY HAD MOBILIZED THERE, OF COURSE WE'RE NOT GONNA GET GOOD BIDS.
WE TRY TYPICALLY MAY ALWAYS TO DEFER, I DUNNO, MAYBE A YEAR OUT, GIVE THEM A REALLY GOOD OVERVIEW.
LIKE WE'LL PRESENT IT AT A CONFERENCE OR SOMETHING, OR WE'LL SEND THEM THE ABSTRACT OF A REPORT OR SOMETHING THAT SAYS, HEY, KEEP IN MIND 2025, THERE'S GONNA
[01:30:01]
BE A REALLY NICE PROJECT HERE.WE ALSO, I MEAN FRANKLY, I'LL BE HONEST, WE, WE GO OUT OF OUR WAY TO MAKE THE PROJECTS AS SIMPLE AS WE CAN, ATTRACTIVE AS WE CAN SO THAT ALL OF THEM WANT TO BID ON IT.
YOU KNOW, WE DON'T TRY TO BURDEN THE PROJECT WITH A BUNCH OF BUREAUCRATIC STUFF IF WE CAN HELP IT, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T ASK 'EM TO DO WEIRD THINGS UNLESS IT'S ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY CUZ IT'S EXPENSE.
IT'S JUST ADDITIONAL EQUIPMENT TIME AND, AND EXPENSE.
SO WE TRY TO MAKE THE PROJECTS AS ATTRACTIVE AS POSSIBLE AND WE GIVE THEM PLENTY OF LEAD TIME TO, TO DO THINGS.
NOW, FOR AN EXAMPLE, HURRICANE SANDY IN 2012 HIT THE ENTIRE, BASICALLY HITTING THE ENTIRE EAST COAST OF THE US THAT JUST TRASHED THE DREDGING MARKET.
I MEAN, IT, IT MESSED THINGS UP.
SCHEDULES, PRICES, COSTS, I MEAN THINGS LIKE THAT.
LIKE REALLY SIGNIFICANT BROAD AREA STORM IMPACTS MAY BE A, A BAD INFLUENCE ON, ON THE MARKET FOR SURE.
YOU MENTIONED LEAD TIME AND YOU ALSO MENTIONED EARLIER SORT OF PUBLIC EDUCATION.
WE RAN INTO A PROBLEM THE LAST TIME WE DREDGED, UH, WITH HOTELS.
THEY SEEMED SURPRISED THAT WE WERE GOING TO DO IT.
AND I WONDER, JEFF, WHAT KIND OF LEAD TIME WE NEED TO BE PERSISTENT IN MAKING SURE THEY UNDERSTAND.
YEAH, JUST A COMMENT AT LEAST HERE.
WELL, NO, AND ONE OF THE THINGS, UM, THE LAST BULLET HERE, I I'VE KIND OF, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT ALL THESE PRETTY MUCH PRETTY THOROUGHLY HERE TODAY.
UH, THE LAST THING IS MANAGING COMMUNITY EXPECTATIONS FOR CONSTRUCTION YEARS.
ONE OF THE THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND IS YOU DO HAVE SOME PERMIT RESTRICTIONS FOR SHOREBIRDS IN PARTICULAR THAT WOULD PREVENT YOU FROM BUILDING IN CERTAIN AREAS DURING CERTAIN TIMES OF THE YEAR.
LIKE YOU WANT TO HAVE, IF YOU HAVE, IF YOU HAVE ROOSTING SHORE BIRDS AND THERE'S A PEAK SEASON FOR THAT, I THINK IT'S LIKE OCTOBER.
YEAH, I GET CONFUSED WITH THE DIFFERENT SPECIES AND THE DIFFERENT THINGS.
BUT YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO AVOID WORKING IN PARTICULAR AREAS AND THERE'S JUST NO ARGUING WITH THE US FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE OR WHOEVER THE PERMITTING AGENCY IS.
SO LIKE, WE DID THIS IN THE LAST ONE, WE HAD TO KIND OF STAGE WHERE WE GET TO BUILD WHAT PART OF THE BEACH.
BUT WE TRY TO DO IT IN SUCH A WAY THAT, YOU KNOW, AVOIDS THE PEAK OF THE TOURIST SEASON, AVOIDS THE INTERRUPTIONS TO THE EXTENT IT'S POSSIBLE, BUT LETTING PEOPLE KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON AND WHY WITH ADEQUATE LEAD TIME IS ALWAYS, YOU KNOW, VERY, VERY HELPFUL.
MAINTAINING A WEBSITE, EMAIL BLASTS, WHATEVER IT TAKES.
YOU KNOW, IT, THE MORE YOU DO, THE MORE IT REALLY WILL PAY OFF IN TERMS OF MINIMIZING CONFUSION AND COMPLAINTS.
WHEN YOU'RE DONE, I'LL STOP TALKING NOW.
HOW ABOUT THAT? WELL, I, I, I WANT TO SAY THAT I FEEL AS THOUGH I'VE JUST BEEN GIVEN A FULL, UH, COURSE IN COASTAL ZONE MANAGEMENT 1 0 1 AND I HAVE A THOUSAND QUESTIONS TO ASK YOU, AND I'M FASCINATED BY WHAT YOU'VE, UH, PUT IN FRONT OF US TODAY.
I WON'T ASK THE THOUSAND QUESTIONS, BUT I REALLY APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT, AH, IT'S OUR PLEASURE.
HAVE ALWAYS ENJOYED WORKING FOR THE TOWN.
ANY, ANY OTHER COMMENTS FROM THE DIAS THAT WAS JUST PRESENTATION, UH, MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC? ANY COMMENTS? ALEX, PLEASE POSSIB.
ALEX IS A MEMBER OF OUR TOWN COUNCIL.
YEAH, JU JUST A, THE, THE PHOTOS STARTED TO BRING BACK SOME MEMORIES AND PROVOKE A LITTLE OF A THOUGHT IN MY MIND.
SO I JUST WANTED TO OFFER THESE WHILE I HAD 'EM.
UM, AND COUNCILMAN LENNOX OF COURSE PUSHED A LITTLE BIT FURTHER WITH THE QUESTION OF, UH, RESTORATION OR CREATION.
AND I CAN REMEMBER WHEN WE WERE FARMING IN CHAPLAIN ON THE BROAD CREEK SIDE, WE TEND TO PLOW UP SEASHELLS THEIRS.
I'M NOT QUITE SURE WHERE THE SHORELINE WAS.
UM, BUT AS FAR AS THE NEW BEACH IS CONCERNED, UM, WE'VE HAD MUCH SUCCESS WITH WHAT WE'VE DONE, UH, PARTICULARLY IN THE FOLEY AREA.
I KNOW THAT'S A VERY CHALLENGING AREA.
UM, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, THE WILDLIFE IN THAT AREA REMAINS OKAY.
I'VE, I'VE SEEN THE FOLLEY KIND OF CHANGE TO A DEGREE, UH, BUT THE FISHING AND CRAB AND EVERYTHING IS STILL GOOD THERE.
SO I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THE MO THE NEW BEACH AS WE GET INTO MITCHELLVILLE AND FURTHER UP AS FAR AS, UH, HEALTH AND PLANTATIONS IS CONCERNED.
UM, YES IT IS RECREATIONAL FOR BEACH GOERS, BUT IT ALSO RECREATIONAL FOR FOLKS THAT ARE LOOKING TO CLAM AND THAT SORT OF THING.
UM, SO THE MORE SAND WE PUT THERE, THE LESS LIKELY WE'LL HAVE CLAM AND THOSE TYPE OF SHELLFISH IN THAT AREA.
SO JUST, UH, BE MINDFUL OF THAT.
AND THE OTHER IS, UM, AND THIS IS NOT NECESSARILY A TOPIC OF OUR BEACH MANAGEMENT, BUT THIS IS RESILIENCY IS WHERE I'M GOING HERE, RIGHT.
I THINK THIS BEACH MANAGEMENT PROGRAM SPEAKS TO RESILIENCY AND WHEN YOU START TO, TO THINK ABOUT THE FACT THAT WE ARE CHANNELING ALL OF OUR STORM WATER AND DRAINAGE TOWARDS THE CENTER OF THE ISLAND, OKAY.
TO BROAD CREEK, NOT TO THE BEACH, IT JUST STARTS TO,
[01:35:01]
UH, TO QUESTION THE AMOUNT OF, UH, INVESTMENT IN MY MIND.$80 MILLION TO PROTECT THE $8 BILLION INDUSTRY, SO TO SPEAK.
UM, BUT THAT IS, THAT IS TOURIST DRIVEN TO A DEGREE.
OKAY? WE CAN ARGUE THAT WE'VE GOT BEACHFRONT PROPERTY THAT NEEDS TO BE PROTECTED, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, THAT HAS A LOT TO DO WITH OUR MARKETING AND WHO WE ARE AS AN ISLAND.
BUT THE RESILIENCY PART AS FAR AS THE STORMWATER'S CONCERNED IN MY MIND, NEEDS TO HAVE THE SAME TYPE OF ATTENTION AND ADVANCEMENT.
AND I'M NOT QUITE SURE THAT WE ARE TAKING THAT INITIATIVE BY THE HORNS LIKE WE SHOULD.
UM, SO I JUST WANTED TO MENTION THAT TO STAFF AS WE MOVE FORWARD, UM, WITH RESILIENCY AS A COMPARATIVE TO WHAT WE'RE DOING WITH BEACH MANAGEMENT.
YEAH, ALEX MADE ME THINK OF THIS EXAMPLE WHEN I WAS DEVELOPING LONG COVE, WE WERE DIGGING LAGOONS AND WE HIT A STRATA OF OLD OYSTER SHELLS AND CLAMS AND SO ON THAT WERE ABOUT BIG ONES.
AND THEY WERE PROBABLY 10 TO 15 FEET, UH, BELOW WHAT OUR WATER LINE IS TODAY.
WE WERE ESTIMATING THAT IT WAS PROBABLY 15,000 YEARS AGO.
BUT I'M JUST, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S ACCURATE.
WHEN WE TALK ABOUT BEACH RESTORATION, I'M USUALLY TALKING ABOUT A HUNDRED, 200 YEARS, NOT, NOT LIKE THOUSANDS.
UM, SO GEOLOGICALLY SPEAKING, YEAH, THERE'S BEEN MUCH, MUCH DIFFERENT CONDITIONS AT DIFFERENT TIMES IN THE PAST.
IS THERE A, A MOTION FROM OUR GROUP TO SUBMIT THIS, UH, REPORT TO OUR COLLEAGUES ON TOWN COUNCIL FOR APPROVAL? I'LL MAKE THAT MOTION.
SECOND, ALTHOUGH ANY OTHER FURTHER DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? AYE.
GLAD TO, GLAD TO COME UP ANY TIME.
MAY I APPROACH THE PODIUM FOR A SECOND?
KRISTA, WE'RE USED TO TELL, HAVING YOU TELL US WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE.
UM, I JUST WANTED TO SIMILARLY WHAT, UM, WE EXPRESSED DURING, UM, MR. LENNOX LAST P UH, COMMITTEE MEETING.
THIS IS YOUR LAST COMMITTEE MEETING WITH US AS STAFF AND WE REALLY, REALLY APPRECIATE EVERYTHING AND YOUR GUIDANCE AND LEADERSHIP THAT YOU'VE PROVIDED TO ALL OF US AND TO THE COMMUNITY.
AND, UM, WE'RE SAD TO SEE YOU GO, UM, BUT UNDERSTAND AND WISH YOU ALL THE BEST IN EVERYTHING THAT YOU TAKE ON NEXT.