[00:00:01]
EVENING EVERYONE.I WOULD LIKE TO CALL THE COUNTY COUNCIL MEETING OF MONDAY, NOVEMBER 14TH TO
[1. CALL TO ORDER]
ORDER WITH THE, UH, CLERK TO COUNCIL.COUNCIL MEMBER CUNNINGHAM, PRESENT IN PERSON.
COUNCIL MEMBER FLEW ELLEN PRESENT LAWSON.
COUNCIL MEMBER LAWSON MARK LAWSON.
WOULD YOU ALL RISE? UM, BEFORE WE DO THE PLEDGE
[2. MOMENT OF SILENCE FOR MAYOR SAMUEL E. MURRAY]
OF ALLEGIANCE, JUST RECENTLY, ONE OF OUR LONGTIME MAYORS, SAMUEL MURRAY, PASSED AWAY.SO IF YOU WILL JOIN ME IN A MOMENT OF SILENCE, PLEASE.
WE ARE GOING TO DO THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE AND THE INVOCATION WILL BE DONE BY COUNCIL MEMBER RODMAN AT PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE.
FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS.
ONE NATION UNDER GOD INVISIBLE WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
PLEASE BALL AND PRAYER WITH ME.
UH, WE DO THANK YOU FOR THE LIFE AND SERVICE OF MAYOR MURRAY, AND WE ASK THAT YOU WOULD, UH, COMFORT HIS, UH, HIS FAMILY AND AND FRIENDS.
HEAVENLY FATHER, YOU ORDAINED THE, THE NATIONS AND, UH, WE'VE JUST GONE THROUGH AN ELECTION, A PEACEFUL ELECTION.
AND, UH, WE TRUST THAT EVERYBODY WILL START TO COME TOGETHER NOW AND OVERLOOK THE DISAPPOINTMENTS THAT PEOPLE HAVE.
AND HEAVENLY FATHER, THESE ARE, THESE ARE DIFFICULT TIMES FOR MANY PEOPLE.
SO AS WE GATHER TO DELIBERATE FOR ALL OF THE CITIZENS OF BEAUFORD COUNTY, WE JUST, UH, HOPE THAT WHAT WE DO WILL BE PLEASING TO YOU, AND THAT WE WILL BE SENSITIVE TO THE NEEDS OF ALL OF OUR CITIZENS.
I ASK THIS IN THE PRECIOUS NAME OF JESUS.
PUBLIC NOTIFICATION OF THIS MEETING HAS BEEN PUBLISHED, POSTED, AND DISTRIBUTED IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE SOUTH CAROLINA FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT.
[5. APPROVAL OF AGENDA]
COUNSEL TO MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE AGENDA AND WE WILL ALSO HAVE, UH, AN AMENDMENT TO THE AGENDA.SO, FIRST, A MOTION TO APPROVE THE AGENDA.
A MAKES THE MOTION A SECOND, PLEASE.
MR. MCCLELLEN MAKES THE SECOND.
UM, MR. MCCLELLEN, I UNDERSTAND YOU WANT TO AMEND THE AGENDA.
UM, I WOULD LIKE TO AMEND THE AGENDA, UH, AND INCLUDE, UH, I'M GONNA MAKE A MOTION TO INCLUDE THAT WE, UH, UM, INSTITUTE A PROGRAM AGAIN THIS YEAR FOR PAID LEAVE CASH OUT FOR OUR EMPLOYEES TO RECEIVE, UH, COMPENSATION, UH, DURING THE, UH, PERIOD BETWEEN THANKSGIVING AND, UH, CHRISTMAS FOR A ANY LEAVE THAT THEY WOULD TURN IN.
AND I BELIEVE THERE'S A MAXIMUM, UH, HOURLY AMOUNT SET FOR THAT.
WHAT'S THAT NUMBER? IN THE PAST, WE'VE LIMITED IT TO 60 HOURS.
DULY SECONDED BY MR. CUNNINGHAM.
IS THERE A DISCUSSION ON THE AMENDMENT? I SEE NO DISCUSSION ON THE AMENDMENT, THEREFORE, THE MOTION TO AMEND THE AGENDA WILL BE APPROVED WITHOUT ANY OBJECTIONS.
SO WE'RE NOW AT THE ORIGINAL MOTION WITH THE AMENDMENT.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION ON THE MOTION NOW WITH THE AMENDMENT? SEEING NONE, THE AGENDA AS AMENDED WILL BE APPROVED WITHOUT OBJECTION.
NEXT, MR. CHAIRMAN, WHAT NUMBER ARE YOU GONNA PUT THAT MOTION ON? UH, VERY GOOD.
UH, I BELIEVE WE WILL DO THAT AS, UH, THE NEW ITEM NUMBER 15.
[6. APPROVAL OF MINUTES - 10.24.2022 Caucus and Council Minutes]
UM, APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES FOR 10 24 22 CAUCUS AND COUNSEL MINUTES.I MAKE THE MOTION TO PUT THE MINUTES.
MS. HOWARD MAKES THE MOTION A SECOND PLEASE.
MR. RODMAN MAKES THE SECOND DULY MOTIONED
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AND SECONDED.IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? SEEING NO DISCUSSION? THE MINUTES OF, UH, 10 24 WILL BE APPROVED WITHOUT OBJECTION AND THERE ARE NO OBJECTIONS.
[7. ADMINISTRATOR'S REPORT]
TO OUR ADMINISTRATORS' REPORT.UH, MR. CHAIRMAN, UH, COUNTY COUNCIL MEMBERS, UM, MEMBERS OF THE AUDIENCE AND THOSE THAT ARE AT HOME WATCHING US ON TELEVISION OR ONLINE, UH, I'LL KEEP THE ADMINISTRATOR'S REPORT BRIEF TONIGHT OF A FEW OF YOU ALL OVER THE NEXT FEW WEEKS, MAYBE, UM, OR YOU MAY ALREADY HAVE RECEIVED QUESTIONS ABOUT THE GREEN SPACE, UM, PROGRAM THAT WAS PASSED, UH, ON NOVEMBER AND NOVEMBER.
I WANNA LET YOU ALL KNOW THAT I'VE ALREADY STARTED DEALING WITH THAT INTERNALLY, UH, TO SET UP THAT PROGRAM TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE'RE GONNA HANDLE, RECOMMEND TO YOU ALL TO HOW TO HANDLE BOARD APPOINTMENTS TO THAT, HOW WE'RE GONNA DIVIDE THE COUNTY UP IN ACCORDANCE TO A STATE LAW TO HAVE ONE APPOINTEE NORTH, ONE APPOINTEE SOUTH, ONE APPOINTEE EAST, AND ONE APPOINTEE WEST.
UH, IN ADDITION TO THE OTHER APPOINTEES SPECIFIED IN STATE LAW.
UH, THAT MEETING WILL OCCUR TOMORROW AT 11 O'CLOCK.
UM, COUNCIL MEMBER HOWARD HAS BEEN INVITED TO ATTEND THAT MEETING.
UH, IF ANY OF YOU, UH, THE OTHER ONES WANT TO ATTEND, AS LONG AS I DON'T GET HIMSELF INTO A QUORUM SITUATION WHERE I HAVE TO ADVERTISE IT, UH, I'M HAPPY TO OPEN THAT UP, UH, FOR YOU ALL AS WELL.
BUT IT'LL BE AN INTERNAL STAFF MEETING FOR US TO BEGIN THE DISCUSSION, TO DEVELOP THE PLAN TO COME BACK TO YOU ALL TO RECOMMEND HOW WE DO THAT PROGRAM.
WE WILL NOT START COLLECTING THAT TAX UNTIL MAY, SO WE HAVE SOME TIME.
UH, BUT WE WILL BE RECOMMENDING THE BONDING MECHANISM AS TO WHETHER OR NOT WE RECOMMEND THAT YOU ALL ISSUE A BOND, WHICH WAS ALSO APPROVED AS WELL.
SO, DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTION, LOGAN CUSTOMER? ANYHOW, HONESTLY, I KIND OF DID HAVE A QUESTION.
I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S APPROPRIATE, BUT I'M GONNA ASK ANYWAY SINCE WE'VE ALREADY COME THIS FAR.
I WAS JUST CURIOUS HOW IT WAS DECIDED THAT MS. HOWARD WAS INVITED WHEN WE HAD SEVEN OTHERS THAT SUPPORTED YEAH.
THE REFEREND AND MOVE FORWARD.
UH, WHAT? CAUSE SHE'S CHAIRMAN OF NATURAL RESOURCES COMMITTEE.
JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THERE WAS SOME TYPE OF REASON.
CHAIRMAN, QUICK QUESTION, MS. GREENWAY.
UM, EVEN THOUGH THE FUNDING WOULDN'T GET STARTED UNTIL MAY, UH, THAT THAT CREW, THAT GROUP OR THAT COMMITTEE CAN START WORK NOW, RIGHT? THAT'S CORRECT.
AND WE'LL BE BRINGING THAT FORWARD AS QUICKLY AS WE CAN.
AND THAT CONCLUDES MY REPORT, UNLESS THERE'S ANY OTHER QUESTIONS.
WE DO HAVE SOME PRESENTATIONS NOW.
[8. PRESENTATION OF THE GOLDEN PALMETTO AWARD TO THE BEAUFORT COUNTY DISABILITIES AND SPECIAL NEEDS DIVISION]
NUMBER EIGHT, THE PRESENTATION OF THE GOLDEN PALMETTO AWARD TO THE BEAUFORD COUNTY DISABILITIES AND SPECIAL NEEDS DIVISION, UH, MR. BARRY MAL AND MR. EDDIE MILLER OF THE SOUTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF DISABILITIES AND SPECIAL NEEDS COMMISSION.WOULD YOU PLEASE STEP FORWARD, MR. CHAIRMAN? WE WILL GIVE MR. MALS BECAUSE HE'S FROM BEAUFORT, SOUTH CAROLINA.
THANK Y'ALL VERY MUCH FOR ALLOWING ME TO, ALLOWING ME TO BE HERE.
UM, HE JUST SAID WHAT I WAS GOING TO SAY FIRST, WHICH IS THAT I WAS BORN AND RAISED IN BEAUFORT.
UM, I DID SPEND QUITE A BIT OF TIME IN JASPER COUNTY BECAUSE I WENT TO HIGH SCHOOL THERE AND, AND MY FAMILY SPENT SOME TIME BACK AND FORTH IN BOTH OF THOSE PLACES.
SO I'VE, I'VE BEEN, I'VE BEEN IN THIS AREA ALL OF MY LIFE, UNLIKE MOST OF THE PEOPLE PROBABLY IN THIS ROOM.
WE DON'T WANNA POLL 'EM BECAUSE THEY PROBABLY EMBARRASS SOMEBODY
BUT, UM, IT'S ASTOUNDING TO ME HOW MUCH GROWTH WE, GROWTH, GROWTH WE'VE HAD HERE, WHICH IS, IS GOOD AND BAD DEPENDING ON HOW YOU LOOK AT IT.
SO, UM, PRIMARILY GOOD, I WOULD GUESS.
BUT WHAT WE ARE HERE TO TALK ABOUT TODAY IS THE GOLDEN POUND ME AWARD, WHICH BEAUFORT COUNTY IS RECEIVING THE ANNUAL COUNTY AWARD FOR BASICALLY COUNTY PROVIDER AWARD.
FOR THAT WE GIVE IN THE COMMISSION FOR DISABILITY AND SPECIAL NEEDS.
AND WE WOULD LIKE TO THANK Y'ALL, PARTICULARLY FOR YOUR COMMITMENT TO PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, PARTICULARLY, I MEAN, THERE'S A LIST OF THINGS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF MY SHEET, WHICH I'M NOT EVEN GONNA BOTHER WITH, EXCEPT TO SAY THAT THE THING THAT STRIKES ME THE MOST IS THAT Y'ALL EMPLOY THE COUNTY EMPLOYS SO MANY OF OUR, UM, OF THOSE OF US THAT HAVE DISABILITIES.
AND I AM VERY THANKFUL FOR THAT.
IS THAT IS MY, ONE OF MY PASSIONS IN LIFE IS TO GET AS MANY PEOPLE EMPLOYED AS WE CAN, BECAUSE THAT ENCOURAGES INDEPENDENCE, WHICH IS WHAT WE ALL STRIVE FOR.
I ACTUALLY HAVE A DISABILITY, AS MOST PEOPLE IN HERE KNOW, OR MIGHT HAVE NOTICED IS CEREBRAL PALSY.
AND I'VE BEEN, I'VE WORKED FOR MYSELF SINCE I WAS
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WELL IN MY EARLY TWENTIES, WHICH I WON'T TELL YOU HOW LONG THAT IS CUZ IT'LL SHOW MY AGE.BUT, UM, I WORKED FOR MY FATHER SINCE I WAS 15 IN HIS CONVENIENCE STORE, AND I'VE BEEN WORKING FULL-TIME EVER SINCE.
AND, AND I WAS FORTUNATE ENOUGH THREE YEARS AGO TO BE APPOINTED BY OUR WONDERFUL GOVERNOR TO, UM, MCMASTER TO THE COMMISSION ON DISABILITIES AFTER SERVING FOR 25 YEARS ON A COUNTY BOARD FOR, FOR DISABILITIES.
AND SO WE'VE BEEN HERE FOR, I'VE BEEN ON IT NOW FOR THREE YEARS, AND MR. ED HERE, WHO'S BEHIND ME SOMEWHERE, I GUESS, IS, UM, OUR SIXTH DISTRICT REPRESENTATIVE.
AND I'M THE FIRST DISTRICT REPRESENTATIVE.
SO WE'RE THANKFUL TO HAVE HIM HERE TOO.
AND THE ONLY OTHER THING I WAS GOING TO SAY TODAY IS THAT I THINK THAT IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO REALIZE THAT GOD'S GIFT TO EACH OF US IS OUR POTENTIAL.
AND WHAT WE DO WITH THAT POTENTIAL IS OUR GIFT BACK TO HIM.
AND SO I'D LIKE TO THANK Y'ALL FOR Y'ALL'S COMMITMENT TO ALLOWING PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES TO REACH THEIR POTENTIAL.
I WILL BE LONG WILL THE SOUTH CAROLINA, THE BEAUFORT COUNTY BOARD, PLEASE STAND IF YOU'RE HERE.
MR. CHAIRMAN, IF I MAY USE ONE OF MY PRIVILEGES, I HAPPENED TO BE TRAVELING WITH THE MAYOR OF MAYSVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA, HOME OF DR.
AND, UH, WE WERE MARRIED FOR 49 YEARS.
SO I JUST WANT HER TO STAND, SHE'S THE GRAND NIECE OF DR.
IF YOU CARE TO, I WOULD LOVE FOR YOU TO COME UP AND THAT WE CAN DO THE PRESENTATION.
AND TO THOSE OF YOU THAT ARE NOT AWARE, BEAUFORD COUNTY, THERE ARE 46 COUNTIES IN SOUTH CAROLINA, BUT BEAUFORD COUNTY, WHEN IT COMES DOWN TO RECOGNIZING, YOU KNOW, SOME PEOPLE, THEY SAY, I'M GONNA HELP YOU, AND THEN YOU LOOK AROUND AND THERE'S NO MONEY.
AND I SAY TO EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU, THE FOLKS THAT YOU ARE HELPING, SOUTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF DISABILITIES AND SPECIAL NEEDS, THESE ARE UNIQUE PEOPLE THAT IS DESERVING, HOPEFULLY, AND PRAYERFULLY THE OTHER 45 COUNTIES WILL ONE DAY BE ABLE TO SAY THAT THEY HAVE FOUR WARDS TO GIVE YOURSELVES A HAND TURN.
I'M GONNA TURN AROUND MR. NELSON, WE'RE GONNA DO IT THIS WAY, MR. CHAIRMAN, YOU DESERVE IT.
[9. PRESENTATION OF THE J. MITCHELL GRAHAM AND BARRETT LAWRIMORE TROPHIES]
IS THE PRESENTATION OF THE J MITCHELL GRAHAM AND BARRETT LAURA MOORE TROPHIES WILL BE PRESENTED BY MR. TIM WINSLOW, WHO IS THE PRESIDENT OF THE SOUTH CAROLINA ASSOCIATION OF COUNTIES, AND HE WILL INTRODUCE THE OTHERS WHO ARE WITH HIM.THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN AND MEMBERS COUNCIL.
I'M EXEC DIRECTOR OF THE SOUTH CAROLINA ASSOCIATION ACADEMY.
THAT I KNOW, BUT IT WAS WRITTEN HERE THIS WAY.
UM, ONE OF THE PLEASURES OF MY JOB IS TO BE ABLE TO PRESENT THE AWARDS THAT THAT COUNTIES RECEIVE FOR THE, THE VARIOUS THINGS THAT THEY DO ON BEHALF OF THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA.
AND IN THIS CASE, THE AWARDS COMPETITION THAT THE SOUTH CAROLINA ASSOCIATION, SOUTH CAROLINA ASSOCIATION OF COUNTIES PUTS ON.
UM, Y'ALL HAVE MADE MY LIFE A LOT EASIER BECAUSE Y'ALL SWEPT THE ENTIRE AWARDS COMPETITION, SO I ONLY HAVE TO MAKE ONE PRESENTATION THIS YEAR.
SO THANK Y'ALL FROM MY BEHALF FOR NOT HAVING TO DO THIS TWICE.
UM, AS YOU SAID, YOU, YOU WON BOTH.
YOU WON THE BARRETT LAMORE AWARD AND THE, UM, JAMES TILL GRHAM AWARD.
THE BARRETT LAMORE AWARD IS FOR REGIONAL COOPERATION.
UM, IT'S FOR, IT'S VERY INNOVATIVE AND VERY SMART FOR COUNTIES AND CITIES TO BAND TOGETHER TO, TO DO INNOVATIVE THINGS, TO
[00:15:01]
ACHIEVE RESULTS.SOMETIMES YOU JUST CAN'T KEEP IT IN THE COUNTY ALONE.
AND THIS YEAR, BEFOR COUNTY WON FOR, FOR DESIGNING THE LOW, THE SOUTHERN LOW COUNTRY DESIGN MANUAL, WHICH, WHICH, UH, IS A DESIGN MANUAL FOR STORM WATER MANAGEMENT IN THE REGION.
UM, YOU, YOU JOINED WITH JASPER AND FOUR OTHER MUNICIPALITIES TO DO THIS, THIS MANUAL.
AND IT'S REALLY A PRETTY CLEVER IDEA BECAUSE WHAT YOU DO IS THAT WAY YOU, YOU HAVE A REGIONAL APPROACH TO DEVELOPING STORM WATER MANAGEMENT, WHICH HELPS WITH SWIMMING AND FISHING AND DRINKING WATER, WHICH SOMETHING THAT THE ENTIRE REGION NEEDS.
AT THE SAME TIME YOU STOP JURISDICTIONALS SHOPPING, WHICH MEANS THAT, THAT PEOPLE DON'T, DON'T KIND OF LOWER YOUR STANDARDS WHEN YOU'RE DEVELOPING STORM WATER MANAGEMENT.
Y'ALL REALLY DESERVE THE AWARD.
SO WITH THAT, I'D LIKE TO PRESENT Y'ALL WITH THE BARRETT LAMORE AWARD.
AND IT'S THIS COOL NEW AWARD THAT LOOKS SOMEWHAT DANGEROUS.
WE'D LOVE TO GET THE WHOLE COUNCIL IF THEY WANT BE IN ON THE PICTURE, BUT THAT'S UP TO COUNSELING THEMSELVES.
COUNCIL MEMBERS, PLEASE JOIN ME.
OKAY? ASK KATE, KATE, KATE TO COME UP.
YOU HAVE TO BE HERE TO, TO, OR ANYTHING.
YOU COURTNEY, IT WASN'T FOR HER.
IT WASN'T FOR THE WHOLE, ALL OF HER WOULDN'T HAVE THIS
BUT AS I SAID, THAT'S NOT ALL.
Y'ALL ALSO WON THE J MITCHELL GRAHAM AWARD, WHICH IS THE, THE AWARD THAT WE GIVE FOR INDIVIDUAL COUNTY FOR INNOVATION, UM, THIS YEAR.
AND I WILL SAY, I ACTUALLY, Y'ALL, WHICH Y'ALL DID THIS YEAR IS KIND OF NEAR AND DEAR TO MY HEART, WHICH IS Y'ALL PRESENTED A A, A METHOD OF CONTROLLING CONVENIENCE CENTER DROPOFFS.
AND THAT IS, Y'ALL HAVE A TAG THAT Y'ALL GIVE TO RESIDENTIAL HOMEOWNERS SO THEY CAN COME TO THE CONVENIENCE CENTERS THREE TIMES A WEEK, DROP OFF THEIR, THEIR TRASH AT THE CONVENIENCE CENTERS, AND YOU DON'T HAVE, SOMETHING HAPPENS.
AND I'M NOT GONNA TELL YOU WHERE I GO TO THE CONVENIENCE CENTER, BUT I WILL TELL YOU WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU GO THERE.
YOU'LL SEE RESIDENTS FROM OTHER COUNTIES, YOU'LL SEE COMMERCIAL VEHICLES.
YOU'LL, YOU'LL SEE COMMERCIAL VEHICLES WITH STICKERS OF UN MUNICIPAL THAT AREN'T IN THE COUNTY, THAT THEY'RE DROPPING THE, THE TRASH OFF APP.
WELL, AS YOU KNOW, THAT CAN LEAD TO, YOU KNOW, EXPENSES FOR YOUR TAXPAYERS.
AND YOUR TAXPAYERS BASICALLY THEN ARE PAYING FOR THINGS THAT THEY'RE NOT DROP, DO DUMPING.
SO THIS YEAR, BY Y'ALL CREATING THAT STICKER PROGRAM AND USING THE SCANNERS WITH OLD IPHONES, Y'ALL DEVELOPED A PROGRAM THAT SAVED YOUR TAXPAYERS MONEY AND LEADS TO LESS TRAFFIC AT YOUR CONVENIENCE CENTERS IS SOMETHING I SUSPECT THAT EVERY COUNTY PROBABLY NEEDS TO LOOK AT.
THE WHOLE IDEA BEHIND THE AWARD IS FOR OTHER COUNTIES TO STEAL THOSE IDEAS FROM Y'ALL.
AND I HOPE ALL 46 COUNTIES EVENTUALLY STEAL THAT IDEA AND USE IT EXACTLY THE WAY Y'ALL DID.
UM, WITH THAT, I CONGRATULATE YOU.
UM, AND PRETTY SIMPLE TOO, WHICH IS EXACTLY WHAT INNOVATION IS, RIGHT? SIMPLE, COOL, CREATIVE, SAVING TAX, DOLLAR DOLLARS, TAXPAYER DOLLARS.
I MEAN, THAT'S ALL YOU CAN ASK OUT ACCOUNTING.
AND I'D LIKE TO PRINT Y'ALL WITH THE JANE MITCHELL GRAHAM AWARD, THIS BIG GIANT.
AND THE NIGHT THAT THIS WAS AWARDED, EVERY COUNTY AROUND US WAS GROWING.
I WASN'T, I'M NOT GONNA BEGRUDGE OTHER.
OKAY, YOU'RE GETTING READY TO GO? YES.
[10. PRESENTATION OF A PROCLAMATION FOR GULLAH/GEECHEE - SIERRA LEONE CONNECTION DAY]
IS A PROCLAMATION FOR THE GULLAH GEECHEE SIERRA LEON CONNECTION DAY COUNTY COUNCIL GLOVER, WOULD[00:20:01]
YOU DO THE HONORS FOR THE PROCLAMATION? UH, YES.UM, THERE'S A, UH, FUNCTION THAT'S GONNA HAPPEN ON THE SECOND OF, UM, DECEMBER 1ST.
THE FIRST I'M GONNA LET HER TELL ABOUT IT.
SO THIS HERE IS TO RECOGNIZE THAT OCCASION, UM, BECAUSE IT IS GONNA BE SOMETHING I CONSIDER SPECIAL AND THAT REPRESENTATIVES FROM SIERRA LEONE WILL BE HERE.
AND SO, UH, WITH THIS PROCLAMATION THAT READS, WHEREAS THE SIERRA LEONE PEOPLE ARE ANCESTORS OF THE GULLAH GEECHEE PEOPLE WHO LIVE ALONG THE GULLAH GEECHEE CO CULTURAL HERITAGE CORRIDOR, A FEDERAL NATIONAL HERITAGE AREA ENCOMPASSING THE COASTAL AREAS OF THE ATLANTIC OCEAN, UM, BERRY ISLANDS OF NORTH CAROLINA, SOUTH CAROLINA, GEORGIA, AND FLORIDA.
AND WHEREAS BECAUSE OF THE ANCESTRAL CONNECTION OF TO SIERRA LEONE, THE GULLAH GEECHEE PEOPLE HAVE THEIR OWN CULTURE OF CRAFTS, STORYTELLING, FOOD WEARS MUSIC, SPIRITUALITY, AND LANGUAGE, WHICH CAN BE TRACED THROUGH CENTURIES.
AND WHEREAS THE WEST AFRICANS BROUGHT FORTH THEIR KNOWLEDGE OF RICE CULTIVATION, SPECIFICALLY WET RICE FARMING SYSTEMS, WHICH WERE ESTABLISHED IN THE 17TH AND 18TH CENTURIES HERE IN THE LOW COUNTRY.
AND WHEREAS AMONG THE, THE RICE FARMERS IN SIERRA LEONE, THE TIM TIM TIMNEY PEOPLE SET FORTH AND ECONOMIC FOUNDATION FOR THE SOUTH BY SUCCESSFULLY MANIPULATING WATER REGIONS, UM, REGIMES, UH, AND DEVELOPING SOPHISTICATED IRRIGATION INFRASTRUCTURE.
AND WHEREAS BEFORD COUNTY AND THE GULLAH TRAVELING THEATER INCORPORATED RECOGNIZED THE CULTURE AND ECONOMIC CONTRIBUTION OF SIERRA LEONE THROUGH THEIR RICE PRODUCTION AND, AND CULTIVATION.
AND WHEREAS BEAUFORD COUNTY CONTINUES TO ADVANCE TO ADVOCATE ALONG WITH THE COUNTRY OF SIERRA SIERRA LEONE, THE CULTURAL AND ECONOMIC RELATIONS DEDICATED TO BUILDING PARTNERSHIPS, OPPORTUNITIES, AND ULTIMATELY THE SHARING OF RESOURCES THAT PROVIDE NEWLY ENHANCED GLOBAL SUCCESS THROUGH THE PROMOTION OF HERITAGE AND ENTERPRISE.
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT BUFORD COUNTY COUNCIL DOES HEREBY PROCLAIM NOVEMBER 14TH AS GULLAH GEECHEE SIERRA LEONE CONNECTION DAY IN BEAUFORD AND URGE ALL CITIZENS TO ENCOURAGE AND FOSTER AN ENVIRONMENT OF GOODWILL, EDUCATIONAL ENHANCEMENT, LEADERSHIP AND, AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP AMONG ALL OF THE COUNTY OF BEAUFORT COUNTY, THE GULLAH GEECHEE SIERRA, EARLY ON CONNECTION DAY, DATED THE 14TH OF NOVEMBER, AND SIGNED BY CHAIRMAN, UH, MR. JOSEPH PASSMAN JUNIOR.
WELL, I WANT TO THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR THIS.
UH, THE PRESIDENT OFFICE OF SIERRA LEONE, UH, WANTS TO CONTINUE THIS RELATIONSHIP.
SO HE WILL BE SENDING HIS AMBASSADOR OF TOURISM, HIS, UH, MINISTER OF TOURISM, HIS GOVERNANCE ADVISOR WILL BE COMING TO TALK ABOUT HOW WE CAN CONTINUE THIS RELATIONSHIP TO BRING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AS WELL AS EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES ON BOTH SIDES OF THE ATLANTIC.
WE HAVE FOUR STUDENTS THAT ARE NOW, UH, ENROLLED AT U S C B IN THEIR TOURISM PROGRAM.
THEY'RE THE FIRST GRADUATING CLASS OF TOURISM MAJORS IN SIERRA LEONE, AND THEY ARE NOW PART OF THE S C B UM, SAND SHARK.
SO WE JUST THANK BE FOR CONTINUING.
THIS IS ALL OF OUR CULTURE DOESN'T BELONG TO JUST BLACK FOLKS, BUT IT BELONGS TO ALL OF US AND WE'VE BEEN PRIVILEGED TO BE PART OF THE KEEPERS OF THE CULTURE.
YOU BE TELLING US ABOUT THE DECEMBER 1ST.
ON DECEMBER THE FIRST, WE WILL BE HAVING THE FIRST INAUGURAL, UM, SIERRA LEONE GULLAH GEECHEE CULTURAL,
[00:25:01]
UH, CONNECTION SYMPOSIUM.UH, WE'LL BE TALKING ABOUT THE FOUR OVER THE LAST 33 YEARS.
IT WAS FOUR GROUPS OF US THAT WENT TO SIERRA LEONE.
WE WERE THE PART OF THE LAST GROUP THAT WENT IN 2019.
CAMPBELL WAS THE FIRST GROUP IN 1989.
AND WE'VE HAD TWO OTHER GROUPS.
AND SO THAT'S, WE'RE GONNA SORT OF GIVE THAT, UH, OVER VIEW OF THE FEELINGS WHEN WE WENT.
BUT THE SECOND HALF OF THE, OF THE SYMPOSIUM WILL BE HOW DO WE INCORPORATE THIS INFORMATION INTO OUR CURRICULUM FOR OUR STUDENTS? HOW DO WE, UH, TURN IT INTO, UH, MORE INFORMATION FOR HERITAGE TOURISM AND HOW, WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? HOW DO WE SAVE OUR CHILDREN, UM, FROM KILLING THEMSELVES? THEY HAVE TO KNOW WHO THEY ARE AND THE IMPORTANCE OF THEM KNOWING THAT HISTORY AND HOW THAT HISTORY IS NOT JUST KNOWING THE HISTORY, BUT NOW HOW THAT HISTORY CAN HELP TO SAVE THEM OFF OF THESE STREETS.
WE CANNOT COMPETE WITH DRUG MONEY, BUT TOURISM MONIES CAN.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE WANT OUR YOUNG PEOPLE TO KNOW, THAT THEY HAVE GOLD IN THEIR HANDS.
WE JUST NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY HAVE THE INFORMATION AND HOW TO USE IT AND HOW TO TURN IT INTO ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND BE CITIZENS THAT CAN CONTRIBUTE TO THIS COMMUNITY.
WE JUST HAVE TO REMIND THEM OF THAT.
UM, WE WANT EDUCATORS TO COME.
WE WANT OUR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS TO COME TO START LEARNING ABOUT THIS TOURISM.
A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T KNOW THE HISTORY, DON'T KNOW THE CONNECTION.
DO NOT KNOW THAT TOURISM IS OUR NUMBER ONE INDUSTRY HERE IN SOUTH CAROLINA, IN BEFOR COUNTY AND IN THE WORLD.
ONLY SECOND TO HEALTHCARE IN AMERICA.
AND SO WE HAVE TO GET THAT MESSAGE OUT.
AND SO TO SYMPOSIUM WILL DO THAT.
[11. PRESENTATION ON WATER DEMANDS AND IRRIGATION MANAGEMENT]
OF THE EVENING IS ON WATER DEMANDS AND IRRIGATION MANAGEMENT.AND I WOULD LIKE MR. JOE MANURA, WHO IS THE GENERAL MANAGER OF THE BEAUFORD JASPER WATER SEWAGE AUTHORITY ADDRESSES.
UH, GOOD EVENING, MR. CHAIR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS.
AND YES, I'M JOE MANURA, GENERAL MANAGER FOR BUTFOR JASPER WATER AND SEWER AUTHORITY.
AND I AM HERE TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT THE VERY EXCITING TOPIC OF WATER AND WATER, THE, UH, TOPIC THAT MANY PEOPLE TAKE FOR GRANTED UNTIL THERE'S AN ISSUE.
BUT WE WANTED TO THANK YOU AGAIN FOR THE OPPORTUNITY.
UH, WE WANTED TO SHARE SOME, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON AND IN PARTICULAR, UH, AN ISSUE THAT WE'RE DEALING WITH IN TERMS OF WATER DEMAND MANAGEMENT.
SO IF WE COULD MOVE TO THE SLIDES.
UH, MY PLAN FOR THIS EVENING IS TO COVER A, AS I MENTIONED, STATUS OF THE AUTHORITY, JUST TO GIVE YOU SOME BACKGROUND ON SOME OF THE THINGS WE'RE WORKING ON.
UH, IN PARTICULAR TALKING ABOUT THE ONGOING CHALLENGE THAT WE HAVE WITH SOME OF OUR, UM, WATER DEMANDS DURING SOME OF THOSE WARM DRY MONTHS AND HOW WE'RE DEALING WITH THAT IN THE LONG TERM, OUR SHORT TERM SOLUTION THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH THE COMMUNITIES.
AND THEN JUST TAKE ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE.
SO JUST TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND, I'LL START WITH OUR MISSION STATEMENT, WHICH IS TO PROVIDE QUALITY WATER AND WASTEWATER SERVICES TO OUR CURRENT AND FUTURE CUSTOMERS IN THE LOW COUNTRY, WHERE YOU CAN SEE WE COVER QUITE A BIT OF GROUND SERVING, UH, VARIOUS PARTS OF THE TWO COUNTIES.
UH, WE DO THAT THROUGH, UH, TWO WATER, UH, TREATMENT FACILITIES, EIGHT WASTEWATER TREATMENT FACILITIES, FOUR LABORATORIES.
AND OF COURSE WE HAVE, UH, ROUGHLY 213 EMPLOYEES.
OF COURSE, AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, EMPLOY THAT THESE DAYS.
THAT NUMBER CHANGES ALMOST ON A WEEKLY BASIS, GOING UP AND DOWN WITH THE WAY THE LABOR MARKET IS.
UH, WE SERVE OVER 170,000 SOUTH CAROLINIANS IN THE TWO COUNTIES, UH, THROUGH OUR 65,000 CONNECTIONS AND OUR SEVEN WHOLESALE CUSTOMERS, WHICH INCLUDES THE MILITARY IN THE AREA, AS WELL AS SEVERAL OTHERS.
NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE, UH, TELL YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT ON THE WATER SIDE.
SO WE, OUR PRIMARY SOURCE, UH, MAJORITY OF THE DRINKING WATER THAT WE PROVIDE TO THE COMMUNITY COMES FROM THE SAVANNAH RIVER.
OUR, OUR, UH, PERMIT FROM, FROM D HECK IS FOR UP TO A HUNDRED MILLION GALLONS FROM THE SAVANNAH.
WE HAVE CURRENTLY OUR TWO TREATMENT PLANTS, THE CHELSEA PLANT, WHICH IS LOCATED AT OUR HEADQUARTERS OVER ON SNAKE AT SNAKE IN ONE 70, WHERE WE HAVE A CAPACITY OF 24 MILLION GALLONS.
AND AT OUR PERRYSBURG PLANT, UH, IS CURRENTLY RATED AT 15 MILLION GALLONS.
SO PUT THAT IN PERSPECTIVE TO YOU.
OUR DAILY DEMAND, FOR EXAMPLE, TODAY WAS PROBABLY ABOUT 18 OR 19 MILLION GALLONS.
THAT NUMBER GOES UP AND DOWN, PARTICULARLY IN THE WARMER MONTHS, PRIMARILY DUE TO IRRIGATION.
I'LL TALK ABOUT THAT IN A LITTLE BIT.
AND AS YOU CAN SEE, WE HAVE QUITE A BIT OF INFRASTRUCTURE, OVER 1500 MILES OF PIPE IN THE GROUND.
BOOSTER STATIONS, A NUMBER OF TANKS, FIRE HYDRANTS, VALVES,
[00:30:01]
A LOT OF INFRASTRUCTURE.ON OUR WASTEWATER SIDE, AS I MENTIONED, WE HAVE EIGHT DIFFERENT WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANTS LOCATED THROUGHOUT THE TWO COUNTIES.
UH, WE SERVE ABOUT 43,000 RESIDENTIAL AND 3,400 COMMERCIAL CUSTOMERS, UM, TREATING ABOUT 10 AND A HALF MILLION GALLONS PER DAY.
UM, WE TRY TO BE, UH, SUSTAINABLE.
WE'VE GOT SOLAR ARRAYS HELPING PROVIDE POWER AT OUR NORTH, SEVERAL OF OUR NORTH OF THE BROAD PLANTS.
WE'RE ACTUALLY IN THE PROCESS OF, UH, ADDING SOLAR ARRAYS AT SOME OF OUR SOUTH OF THE BROAD PLANTS, WHICH WILL HELP POWER THOSE FACILITIES.
AND OUR TREATMENT PROCESSES INCLUDE, UH, UV LIGHT AND CHEMICAL DISINFECTION AND OUR, UH, RECLAIMED WATER, BASICALLY AT A LEVEL OF NEAR DRINKING WATER STANDARDS.
SO WHAT WE PUT BACK INTO THE RECEIVING WATER IS, IS ALMOST TO DRINKING WATER STANDARDS.
AND WE ALWAYS TRY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE KEEPING OUR CUSTOMERS IN MIND.
UM, AS YOU CAN SEE, ONE OF OUR STRATEGIC GOALS IS FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY.
THIS YEAR WHEN MANY UTILITIES AROUND THE REGION AND THE COUNTRY WERE, UH, WE'RE ALL FACED WITH A LOT OF RISING COSTS FROM THE SUPPLY CHAIN ISSUES, UM, LABOR ISSUES, UH, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO WORK TO KEEP OUR RATES AT A REASONABLE AMOUNT.
UH, THIS YEAR'S RATE INCREASE WHEN A LOT OF PLACES WERE RAISING 8, 9, 10, EVEN UP TO DOUBLE DIGIT RATE INCREASES, WE WERE ABLE TO KEEP OUR, UH, RATE INCREASES TO BETWEEN THREE AND 4%.
UH, SO WE, WE ALWAYS WANT TO TRY TO KEEP THAT COST IN MIND.
AND AS YOU CAN SEE, WE'RE DELIVERING THE WATER AND WASTE WATER FOR JUST ABOUT A PENNY A GALLON.
NEXT, I'D LIKE TO, UH, TOUCH ON ONE OF THE QUESTIONS WE GET ALL THE TIME.
SO EVERYBODY THAT LIVES HERE SEES ALL THE DEVELOPMENT THAT'S GOING ON AND EVERYBODY WANTS TO KNOW, OH MY GOSH, DO WE HAVE THE CAPACITY? ARE WE OKAY? WELL, JUST TO SHARE WITH YOU SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE DO, STARTING WITH, WE HAVE A MASTER PLANNING PROCESS, WHICH WE DO EVERY FIVE YEARS.
AND PART OF THAT PROCESS, WE GET THE LATEST DATA, WE GET THE, UM, HISTORICAL USAGE DATA, AND OUR ENGINEERS WORK TOWARDS DEVELOPING A MASTER PLAN THAT HELPS US DETERMINE WHAT WE'RE GONNA NEED DOWN THE ROAD, THAT WHAT WE NEED TO INVEST INTO OUR CAPITAL PROGRAM.
UH, WE JUST COMPLETED THE LATEST MASTER PLAN THIS YEAR, WHICH TAKES US OUT THROUGH THE YEAR 2045.
UM, SO THAT LEADS US TO OUR CAPITAL PROGRAM.
WE HAVE A VERY ROBUST PROGRAM THIS FISCAL YEAR, FY 23, WE HAVE 66 MILLION ALLOCATED FOR CAPITAL INVESTMENTS THAT WILL HELP WITH OUR, UH, PROJECTS THAT WE NEED.
AND OUR OVERALL THREE YEAR PLAN IS, UH, ABOUT 170 MILLION THAT WE HAVE SLATED FOR NEW PROJECTS AND EXISTING PROJECTS.
SOME OF THE KEY PROJECTS I'VE TALKED ABOUT, THE WATER DEMAND, AND I'M GONNA GET INTO THAT IN A LITTLE BIT HERE.
UH, WE'RE CURRENTLY EXPANDING THE PERRYSBURG PLANT.
THAT'S A A 52 MILLION ESTIMATED CONSTRUCTION PROJECT, WHICH, UH, COINCIDENTALLY WE'RE TAKING BIDS ON THAT TOMORROW, TOMORROW AFTERNOON, WE'LL BE RECEIVING BIDS FROM OUR CONTRACTORS.
WE'RE ALSO BUILDING A NEW ELEVATED STORAGE TANK.
ACTUALLY NOT TOO FAR FROM HERE, JUST UP THE ROAD IN BLUFFTON, WHICH WILL GIVE US ANOTHER MILLION AND A HALF GALLONS OF STORAGE CAPACITY IN THE SYSTEM.
THAT'S ABOUT AN EIGHT, EIGHT AND A HALF TO $9 MILLION PROJECT.
THAT ONE'S GONNA PROBABLY START CONSTRUCTION IN EARLY 23 ALONG WITH THE PERRYSBURG PROJECT.
AND THEN ON THE WASTEWATER SIDE, WE ARE ALSO IN THE PROCESS OF DESIGNING A PLANT EXPANSION AT THE CHERRY POINT FACILITY TO HELP DEAL WITH, AGAIN, THOSE, THOSE INCREASED, UM, ALL THE DEVELOPMENT THAT'S GOING ON IN THE AREA.
SO NOW LET ME TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE CHALLENGE THAT WE HAVE AND WHAT WE WANT YOU ALL TO BE AWARE OF, WHICH IS WITH ALL THOSE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE EXPERIENCING ABOUT 3000 NEW CONNECTIONS EACH YEAR, CONTINUING TO SEE THAT GROWTH.
WE HAVE NOT SEEN ANY SLOW DOWN.
IT DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE SLOWING DOWN.
UH, WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF BUILDING ADDITIONAL CAPACITY AT OUR PERRYSBURG PLANT.
BUT WHAT WE'RE SEEING, AND THIS IS, THIS IS TYPICAL, IS THAT IRRIGATION IS A BIG DRIVER.
AND PARTICULARLY, LIKE I SAID, IN MAY, JUNE, JULY, THAT'S WHEN WE GET, WHEN WE GET THOSE EXTENDED DRY PERIODS, WHEN PEOPLE ARE OUT WATERING THEIR LAWNS, THAT'S WHERE WE SEE A LOT OF OF DEMAND.
AND IT'S THE BIG, BIG PUSHES IN THE MORNING.
SO WHAT WE'RE DOING ABOUT IT, NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
THAT INCREASING DEMAND IS JUST ADDING RISK TO OUR SYSTEM.
AND I'LL GO BACK A FEW MONTHS TO JUST GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT WE'RE, WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO PREVENT, WHICH WAS IN MAY, WE HIT AN ALL TIME PEAK OF ABOUT 34 MILLION
[00:35:01]
GALLONS.AND AS I SAID TODAY, FOR EXAMPLE, 18 TO 19 MILLION GALLONS WAS OUR DEMAND.
34 MILLION GALLONS, ALMOST DOUBLE.
AND MAJORITY OF THAT WAS DRIVEN BY IRRIGATION.
SO WE, WHEN WE GET THOSE EARLY DEMANDS IN THE MORNING, UH, YOU, YOU RUN THE RISK OF DROPPING PRESSURE, WHICH HAS SEVERAL IMPACTS, NEGATIVE IMPACTS, WHICH COULD BE, UH, IF THE PRESSURE DROPS TOO LOW, THEN YOU MAY HAVE A BOILED WATER ISSUE THAT YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO DEAL WITH.
UM, IT ALSO CAN CAUSE DISCOLORED WATER EVENTS.
AND IT IT ALSO CAN PREVENT YOU FROM HAVING ENOUGH, UH, PRESSURE, FOR EXAMPLE, IN PARTICULAR IN FIGHTING FIRES, WHICH IS, WHICH IS A SAFETY ISSUE.
SO IN ORDER TO, NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
WHAT WE'RE DOING LONG TERM, AS I MENTIONED, IS WE'VE GOT OUR PERRYSBURG PLANT, WHICH WE'RE EXPANDING THE CAPACITY.
WE HAVE 15 MILLION GALLONS THERE TODAY.
THE PROJECT THAT WILL START IN EARLY 23 WILL GIVE US ANOTHER 15 MILLION GALLONS.
AND THAT, WHEN THAT PLANT WAS ORIGINALLY DESIGNED, IT WAS LAID OUT TO HAVE THREE PIECES OF 15 MILLION GALLONS EACH.
SO IN ADDITION TO THE 15 MILLION GALLONS THAT WE'RE BUILDING NOW, WE'VE GOT ANOTHER 15 MILLION GALLONS THAT WE CAN BUILD DOWN IN THE FUTURE.
SO WHEN THOSE FUTURE MASTER PLANS COME BACK AND SAY, NOW'S THE TIME TO START BUILDING THAT NEXT CAPACITY, THAT'S WHEN WE'LL ADD THE THIRD PIECE TO THE PLANT.
SO 15 NOW, IN A COUPLE OF YEARS, WE'LL BE AT 30 AND WE'VE GOT ANOTHER 15 DOWN THE ROAD.
BUT THE CONSTRUCTION WON'T BE DONE UNTIL SOMETIME IN 2025.
SO UNTIL WE GET THAT CONSTRUCTION, WHAT WE'RE REALLY LOOKING FOR PEOPLE TO DO IS HELP US MANAGE THOSE MORNING PEAKS.
UH, THAT'S WHEN WE'RE, AGAIN, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A FEW MONTHS OUT OF THE YEAR WHEN WE HAVE DRY WEATHER, WHEN WE HAVE PEOPLE IRRIGATING.
AND IT'S PARTICULARLY A PROBLEM IN THE MORNING.
SO WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING, WE'VE BEEN MEETING WITH LANDSCAPERS, WE'VE BEEN MEETING WITH COMMUNITIES, WE'VE BEEN TALKING TO PEOPLE ABOUT JUST CHANGING YOUR IRRIGATION PATTERNS, CHANGING YOUR HABITS.
MOST PEOPLE WANNA WATER EARLY IN THE MORNING.
UH, WE ARE REALLY ENCOURAGING TO TRY TO SPREAD THAT DEMAND OUT BY HAVING PEOPLE WATER EVERY OTHER DAY AND WHICH IS REALLY ALL YOU NEED.
CUZ MONDAYS ARE TYPICALLY THE BIGGEST DEMAND THAT WE HAVE, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY IS JUST DON'T WATER BETWEEN THREE AND NINE IN THE MORNING.
THAT'S WHEN WE REALLY, WHEN EVERYBODY'S GETTING UP, TAKING SHOWERS, GETTING READY FOR THE DAY, THAT'S WHEN WE SEE THE BIGGEST PUSH.
SO IF WE CAN GET PEOPLE TO JUST NOT WATER DURING THOSE TIMES, WE WON'T HAVE THESE DEMAND ISSUES.
SO WE'VE BEEN, WE'VE DEVELOPED STICKERS WE'VE BEEN GIVEN OUT, AND WE ARE ASKING PEOPLE TO PUT THOSE.
AND I JUST WANT TO EMPHASIZE ONE POINT HERE.
WE'RE NOT ASKING PEOPLE TO WATER LESS, WE'RE JUST ASKING THEM NOT TO ALL WATER AT THE SAME TIME.
SO WHEN, WHEN WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS, SOMETIMES PEOPLE THINK, OH, YOU'RE RESTRICTING US, BUT NO, WE'RE JUST ASKING PEOPLE TO SPREAD OUT SO WE CAN MANAGE THAT DEMAND.
FIRST WE JUST WANTED, AND AGAIN, I THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY BECAUSE JUST WE WANNA MAKE SURE YOU'RE AWARE, AWARE OF THE SITUATION AND HELP US SPREAD THAT WORD.
UNDERSTAND THESE ARE SOME OF THE CHALLENGES THAT YOU FACE WHEN YOU'RE DEALING WITH A HIGH GROWTH AREA.
UH, HELP, HELP US SPREAD THE WORD.
UH, WE'VE MET WITH ERIC NOT LONG AGO AND TALKED ABOUT UTILIZING THE COUNTY CHANNEL TO HELP US SPREAD SOME OF THESE MESSAGES.
SO WE APPRECIATE THAT OPPORTUNITY AND THEN JUST HELP US EDUCATE THE COMMUNITY ON THIS BECAUSE WE REALLY DON'T WANT TO GET INTO RESTRICTIONS AND WE DON'T NEED TO, BUT THAT WOULD BE THE NEXT STEP IF WE'RE NOT ABLE TO REALLY GET PEOPLE TO, TO CHANGE THESE BEHAVIORS.
SO AS I WRAP UP HERE, JUST WANNA MENTION REAL QUICKLY THREE THINGS THAT WE'RE ASKING FOR HELP, WHICH IS ASKING OUR COMMUNITY TO JUST AD ADJUST THEIR IRRIGATION CONTROLS AND DON'T WATER MORE THAN THREE DAYS A WEEK.
UH, DO THAT ALTERNATING SCHEDULE.
WE WANT PEOPLE TO TUESDAY, THURSDAY, SATURDAY, WEDNESDAY, FRIDAY, SUNDAY AND DON'T, AND MORE, MOST IMPORTANTLY, JUST PLEASE DON'T WATER BETWEEN THREE AND NINE IN THE MORNING AND WE ASK THAT YOU APPLY THOSE STICKERS.
SO WITH THAT LAST SLIDE, I THINK THIS WILL BE OUR LAST SLIDE.
WE JUST WANT YOU ALL TO BE AWARE OF THIS AND, UM, AT THIS POINT, HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS.
ANY QUESTIONS? UH, JUST A COMMENT FROM ME.
UH, THERE WAS A GREAT PRESENTATION BY YOUR STAFF.
SUN CITY COOPERATED, AND WE REDUCED THE VOLUME OF WATERING IN SUN CITY.
SEVERAL OF THE COMMUNITIES JUMPED RIGHT ON THAT.
MY, THE COMMUNITY I LIVE IN DID ODD EVEN NUMBERS ON THE STREETS.
[00:40:01]
AND SO IT'S WORKING.OH, I THOUGHT YOU WAS GETTING READY TO SAY SOMETHING TO HIM.
UM, I'M JUST GONNA MAKE ONE COMMENT.
UM, I DO THINK THAT, UM, AS, AS COMMUNITY, WE NEED TO START LOOKING AT CONSERVATION PERIOD.
UM, WHAT'S HAPPENING OUT WEST COULD HAPPEN HERE.
AND I THINK EDUCATION IS A KEY FACTOR IN THAT.
AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, NOW THAT WE DON'T REALLY NEED IT, IT'S NOT URGENT.
I DO REALLY THINK THAT EDUCATION TOWARDS, UH, CONSERVATION OF WATER IS SOMETHING THAT IS, IS GOOD TO IMPLEMENT AND START NOW, UM, BEFORE IT ACTUALLY BECOME A CRISIS THOUGHT.
UM, I THINK PEOPLE DO, UM, WATER, UM, AND THEY WANT A, UH, UH, A NICE LUSH, UM, UH, LAWN.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS FARMERS DID YEARS AGO, UM, WAS THEY USED TO OVERHEAD IRRIGATE FOR TOMATOES AND THEY BROUGHT IN THE TECHNOLOGY OF, UH, DRIP SYSTEMS. SO THEY'RE CONSERVING A LOT OF WATER NOW AND THEY'RE STILL GETTING THE SAME RESULTS.
AND SOMETIMES PEOPLE JUST NEED TO BE AWARE OF THAT, THAT THEY CAN ACTUALLY START LOOKING AT BETTER WAYS OF CONSERVING WATER AND STUFF.
SO I JUST WANNA MAKE THAT COMMENT.
AND I THINK YOU'RE RIGHT ON WITH EDUCATION BECAUSE ONE OF THE THINGS WE'VE LEARNED IS MANY PEOPLE MOVE INTO A HOUSE, THEIR IRRIGATION IS SET WHEN THEY MOVE IN, THEY HAVE NO IDEA UNTIL YOU TELL THEM, HEY, YOU, YOU'RE PROBABLY OVERWATERING, WHICH IS JUST RUNNING UP YOUR BILL.
AND IT'S MAKING US BUILD FACILITIES THAT MAYBE WE DON'T NEED IF WE CAN BETTER MANAGE THAT DEMAND.
SO YEAH, I AGREE A HUNDRED PERCENT EDUCATION IS, IS CRITICAL.
UH, MR. MANTU, UH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR COMING IN AND POINTING OUT A PROBLEM.
BUT MY IMPRESSION IS THAT REALLY IT'S NOT A, A WATER, UM, AVAILABILITY QUESTION.
IT'S A TRANSMISSION ISSUE YOU'RE HAVING, YOU'RE HAVING PROBLEMS GETTING WATER FROM YOUR SOURCE TO THE CONSUMER.
AM I, AM I INCORRECT IN THAT? UH, IT REALLY IS MORE OF A, I MEAN, WHAT IT REALLY COMES DOWN TO IS CAPACITY, ALTHOUGH, YOU KNOW, THE TRANSMISSION IS A PIECE OF IT, BUT RIGHT NOW, UH, IT'S MORE OF THE DEMAND AND THE CAPACITY THAN IT IS THE TRANSMISSION.
WELL, WELL, CORRECT, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, BUT AS LONG AS THERE'S WATER IN THE SAVANNAH RIVER, UM, QUITE FRANKLY, IF WE DON'T USE THAT WATER, IT JUST GOES OUT INTO THE OCEAN.
AM I INCORRECT IN THAT RECOLLECTION? WELL, THE ISSUE IS REALLY, THERE'S, THERE'S, THERE'S TONS OF WATER IN THE SAVANNAH RIVER, BUT IT HAS TO BE TREATED AND WE ONLY HAVE A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF CAPACITY THAT WE CAN TREAT.
AND THE REAL ISSUE IS WHEN, WHEN IT'S, IT'S A, IN THE MORNINGS WHEN EVERY, IF EVERYBODY'S TRYING TO DRAW THAT WATER AT THE SAME TIME, THAT'S WHEN OUR PEAK DEMAND REALLY SHOOTS UP.
AND, AND THAT'S THE REAL ISSUE RIGHT THERE, IS BEING ABLE TO TREAT ENOUGH WATER AT THAT ONE MOMENT IN TIME DURING THOSE FEW HOURS.
IT'S THAT, THAT'S, THAT'S THE CHALLENGE THAT WE FACE.
WELL, I GUESS MY POINT WAS TO ADDRESS THE, UH, A DISCUSSION OF CONSERVATION, UM, THAT QUITE FRANKLY, THAT'S IN, IT'S MY IMPRESSION THAT, THAT THAT'S NOT REALLY WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO DO.
YOU'RE JUST TRYING TO SPREAD OUT THE USAGE THAT YOU HAVE.
YOU WOULDN'T REALLY APPRECIATE US USING LESS WATER ALTOGETHER, WOULD YOU
IF THEY DON'T USE AS MUCH WATER, WE DON'T HAVE TO EXPAND AND WE DON'T HAVE TO BUILD LARGER FACILITIES.
SO, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT'S A TRICKY QUESTION.
UM, I MEANT TO PUT YOU ON THE SPOT, JOE.
THAT'S, I WAS TRYING TO DO THAT.
OKAY, MR. RODMAN, UM, DO YOU HAVE A SENSE OF WHAT THE, THE ROUGH SPLIT SPLIT IS BETWEEN, UH, HOME USE AND, AND IRRIGATION ACROSS THE COUNTY IS AMOUNT OF WATER? UH, WELL, AS I SAID, YOU KNOW, WE LOOK AT, ON A, THE WINTERY DAYS WHEN THERE'S REALLY NOBODY WATERING THEIR LAWNS, WE'RE PROBABLY PRODUCING ABOUT
[00:45:01]
18, 19, 20 MILLION GALLONS A DAY.UM, WHEN, WHEN WE HIT OUR PEAK IN MAY, WE PRODUCED ABOUT 34 MILLION GALLONS.
SO YOU CAN SEE THAT'S A, IT'S CLOSE TO 50.
THAT'S A PRETTY BIG PUSH JUST FOR IRRIGATION.
SO, YOU KNOW, SOME PLACES, I THINK THERE'S A FEW HERE, SOME OF THE GOLF COURSES USED THE SO-CALLED GRAY WATER REPROCESSED WATER.
THERE, THERE, AND THAT, AND WE HAVE TRIED TO DO THAT.
THERE ARE, THERE ARE COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE THOSE SYSTEMS. THE MORE OF THOSE TYPES OF SYSTEMS WE CAN BUILD, THE BETTER.
BUT IT REALLY GETS DOWN TO WHEN A DEVELOPER COMES IN AND DECIDES TO BUILD A NEW SUBDIVISION, THEY WOULD NEED TO INVEST IN THAT INFRASTRUCTURE.
UH, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
I HAVE A SOMEWHAT STUPID QUESTION, BUT I'M GONNA ASK IT ANYWAY BECAUSE I'M CURIOUS.
SO I UNDERSTAND THAT THE SOURCE OF OUR WATER IS THE SAVANNAH RIVER, BUT WHAT IS THE SOURCE OF THAT WATER? SO IN OTHER WORDS, IF WE WERE TO EVER HAVE WATER PROBLEMS HERE, WHAT WOULD BE THE SOURCE OF THAT? THE, MAYBE IT WASN'T A DUMB QUESTION.
WELL, UM, YEAH, I MEAN THE, THE SAVANNAH, WELL, I GUESS IF YOU'RE ASKING WHERE THE SAVANNAH IS FED FROM, BASICALLY YEAH.
WHAT'S, WHAT'S THE WATERSHED? HIGHER? YEAH, YEAH.
WELL, I MEAN, IT'S REPLENISHED THROUGH RAIN AND OTHER, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, ESSENTIALLY THE, WHERE, WHERE DOES IT, THIS IS WHERE I WOULD BE LOOKING FOR ONE OF MY ENGINEERS TO BE AND ANSWER YOUR FAIR ENOUGH.
LIKE THURMAN I THINK IS ONE SOURCE.
IS IT, IS IT NOT? WE HAD A PROBLEM A COUPLE YEARS AGO WHEN THERE WAS A DROUGHT AND WATER LEVELS ON LAKE THURMAN HAD GONE DOWN SO SIGNIFICANTLY.
IT'S ACTUALLY THE, UM, IT'S ACTUALLY THE MOUNTAIN IN THE BLUE RIDGE AND THE RAINFALL COMING DOWN.
THAT'S A PICTURE OF THE SAVANNAH RIVER BASIN.
THERE'S THE SAVANNAH RIVER BASIN
YOU ALL RIGHT? ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? WELL, WE PUT YOU ON THE HOTSPOT.
[12. CITIZEN COMMENTS]
OUR AGENDA IS OUR CITIZEN COMMENTS.AND WE HAVE FIVE INDIVIDUALS WHO WISH TO ADDRESS COUNTY COUNCIL.
AND WE'LL BEGIN WITH GLORIA WILSON.
I HOPE I MAKE THIS IN THREE MINUTES.
I LIVE AT 21 SAND LIVE OAK DRIVE IN THE MEADOWS, WHICH IS OFF OF NEW RIVERSIDE.
AND WE ARE HERE TO ADDRESS A NOISE ISSUE THAT WE HAVE HAD FOR OVER A YEAR WITH, WITH THE PROPERTY BEHIND US AT HUT OAKS ON 2 0 5 STILLWELL ROAD.
IT WAS PREVIOUSLY A CHURCH RETREAT, A NON-PROFIT, NO LOUD NOISE OR CONTINUAL FUNCTIONS ONLY BIBLE SCHOOL ONCE A WEEK IN THE SUMMER, AND A FEW CHURCH RETREATS DURING THE YEAR.
IT WAS SOLD TO THE HEWITTS AT THE END OF 2019.
THEY APPLIED FOR AND RECEIVED FROM THE BEAUFORT COUNTY ZONING BOARD, WHAT IS REFERRED TO AS BEING GRANDFATHERED.
THEY CAN DO ALMOST ANYTHING THEY PLEASE BECAUSE OF THE GRANDFATHERING WITHOUT HAVING TO HAVE PERMITS OR APPROVAL.
IT IS NOW A FOR-PROFIT COMMERCIAL BUSINESS WITH SEVERAL WEEKLY OUTDOOR ENTERTAINMENT.
LIVE BAND DJ FUNCTIONS PLAYING THREE AND A HALF TO FOUR HOURS A NIGHT CONTINUOUSLY.
THEY HAVE ONE GOING ON TONIGHT FOR OVER A YEAR.
WE HAVE SUBMITTED LETTERS FROM OUR HOMEOWNERS COMMITTEE TO THE COUNTY AND THE ZONING.
WE'VE SUBMITTED SIGNED PETITION BY 46 RESIDENTS ABOUT THE NOISE.
WE'VE SENT CITIZEN GRANTS FROM VARIOUS RESIDENTS AND WE HAVE HAD AT LEAST 16 REGISTERED NOISE COMPLAINT CALLS TO THE BEAUFORT COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE.
THIS ONE PROPERTY IS ALLOWED TO CONTINUOUSLY DISTURB OVER 72 RESIDENTIAL HOMES AND AN EQUESTRIAN CENTER THAT SURROUND THIS ONE PROPERTY.
THESE ADJACENT HOMES ARE TAXPAYER AND BEAUFORD COUNTY PROPERTY OWNERS ASKING THE COUNTY'S ASSISTANCE TO RETURN US TO A PEACEFUL COMMUNITY BY
[00:50:01]
CONSIDERING AN AMENDMENT TO THE COUNTY CODES, THE DECIBEL LEVEL FOR THAT PROPERTY.WE ARE LESS THAN 20 FEET APART.
THEY'RE DIFFERENT, THE HOURS ARE DIFFERENT.
AND WE WOULD LIKE FOR THE COUNCIL TO CONSIDER AN AMENDMENT OR WHATEVER CAN BE DONE CUZ WE DON'T KNOW THE RULES THAT MUCH TO MAKE THEM CONSISTENT WITH EACH OTHER.
AND TO SEE ABOUT SOME KIND OF BAND RESTRICTION OR SOMETHING ON OUTDOOR ENTERTAINMENT, THEY PUT IT UNDER A TENT AND THEY SAY, OH, IT'S A PRIVATE PARTY.
CUZ I CAN SIT IN MY LIVING ROOM AND I CAN HEAR EVERYTHING GOING ON.
I CAN SING THE WORDS, I COULD GET UP AND DANCE IN MY BACKYARD.
I SEE ARETHA FRANKLIN COMING ACROSS THE DRIVEWAY.
AND SO WE'RE ASKING YOUR ASSISTANCE TO HELP US KNOW WHAT CAN WE DO ABOUT IT.
UH, GAIL, I'M ALSO A HOMEOWNER IN THE MEADOWS AREA, UH, NOT FAR FROM GLORIA.
WE ARE RESPECTFULLY REQUESTING THAT YOU READDRESS AND AMEND THE CURRENT NOISE ORDINANCE TO ADDRESS THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN BLUFFTON AND BEAUFORD COUNTY.
THE COUNTY IS AT 80 DECIBELS AND BLUFFTON IS AT 50.
OUR PR OUR PROBLEMS STEM FROM HEWITT OAKS AND THEY'RE FOR PROFIT WEDDING VENUE IN PRITCHARD, WHICH IS 20 STEPS AWAY FROM OUR YARDS.
THESE EVENTS RUNNING FROM TUESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY HAVE CREATED A PUBLIC NUISANCE WITH THEIR PA SYSTEM.
THE DJS AND THE LIVE BANDS AND STAGES SET UP FOR THEIR FREQUENT OUTDOOR WEDDING EVENTS.
THEY ARE STEPS AWAY FROM BLUFFTON TOWN LAWS AND USE A BLUFFTON ADDRESS INSTEAD OF PRITCHARD FOR THEIR MEDIA SALES PITCHES TO SNUGGLE UP TO PALMETTO BLUFF IMAGES, AND YET CONVENIENTLY HIDE BEHIND BEAUFORT COUNTY RURAL LAWS FOR THEIR EVENTS.
BEAUFORT IS THE FASTEST GROWING COUNTY IN SOUTH CAROLINA PER WIKIPEDIA AND OTHER SOURCES.
THE SHERIFF DEPARTMENT IS SO SWAMPED THEY ACTUALLY FARM OUT A FEW OF THESE CALLS TO THE BLUFFTON POLICE DEPARTMENT.
AND WHEN THEY ARRIVE, THEY'RE SAID THEY'RE, THEY'VE SAID THAT THEY WOULD CITE THESE, UH, OWNERS FOR THE NOISE LEVEL ISSUES, BUT THEY CAN'T BECAUSE THEY'RE IN BEAUFORT COUNTY.
OUR COMMUNITIES HAVE CALLED THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT NUMEROUS TIMES, AT LEAST 16 THAT WE COULD COUNT TODAY.
AND WE HAVE A PUBLIC NUISANCE ISSUE THAT WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH DAY IN AND DAY OUT BETWEEN THE CONSTANT NOISE DURING THEIR DAY BLOWING OF LAWNS, UM, GRASS CUTTING DUMPSTER PICKUPS AT 4:00 AM AND YET WE CAN'T GET ANYONE TO HELP US WITH THE FOUR TO FIVE HOURS OF LIVE BAND NOISE WE HEAR MOST OF THE WEEK.
WE CAN HEAR IT INSIDE OUR HOMES.
OUR HOMES SHOULD BE OUR CASTLE.
AND YET THERE'S AN EVENING TONIGHT AGAIN WHEN WE'RE GONNA GO HOME AND HEAR ANOTHER EVENT.
THE TROLLEYS ARE ALREADY THERE WHEN WE LEFT.
IT'S TIME TO TIGHTEN UP THESE LOOPHOLES THAT EXIST WITHIN THE COUNTY AND ESPECIALLY IN THE FAST GROWING AREAS OF BLUFFTON.
WE ARE NO LONGER IN A RURAL FARMLAND COMMUNITY AND NEITHER ARE THEY.
THEY ARE UP AGAINST 25 HOMES ON ONE SIDE.
PLEASE AMEND AND TIGHTEN UP THESE NOISE ORDINANCES THAT YOU HAVE ON RECORD TO MEET OUR TOWN LEVELS, AT LEAST THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE SAYS YOU HAVE AT LEAST 200 NOISE COMPLAINTS ON A TYPICAL SATURDAY.
YOU DON'T HAVE ENOUGH SHERIFFS WITH SOUND METERS.
YOU HAVE TWO FOR THE ENTIRE COUNTY.
I ACTUALLY LIVE NEXT DOOR TO GLORIA.
AND I'M NOT GONNA BELABOR THE POINT CAUSE THEY COVERED MOST OF WHAT I WANTED TO SAY TODAY.
BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, WE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO TALK TO A FEW OF YOU GUYS, UH, A COUPLE MONTHS AGO AND, YOU KNOW, THE ROUTE WAS GO THROUGH THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT, FILE THE NOISE COMPLAINTS AND SEE WHAT WE CAN DO ABOUT, YOU KNOW, MAKING THEM A PUBLIC NUISANCE.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE'VE TRIED TO TALK TO THE HEWITTS.
YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY ADVOCATE THAT THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, GREAT NEIGHBORS ARE THERE FOR THE COMMUNITY, BUT WE ARE THE COMMUNITY AND YOU KNOW, WE CAN'T, WE CAN'T DO ANYTHING.
[00:55:01]
THESE DONUT HOLE, UM, AREAS AROUND, YOU KNOW, BLUFFTON THAT'S PART OF THE COUNTY, BUT IT'S COMPLETELY SURROUNDED BY THE TOWN AND THEY OPERATE ON COMPLETELY DIFFERENT NOISE ORDINANCES.AND WHEN I CAN GO INTO MY, YOU KNOW, HOUSE AND TAKE A SHOWER AND HEAR CHICAGO PLAYING AS CLEARLY AS I'M TALKING TO YOU GUYS NOW FROM, UH, A PLACE THAT, I MEAN, WE LIVE 150 YARDS FROM WHERE THEY'RE DOING IT AND I CAN STILL HEAR IT.
I CAN GO OUT IN FRONT OF MY HOUSE ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE PROPERTY FROM WHERE THEY'RE PLAYING THIS AND, AND HEAR EVERYTHING.
AND YOU KNOW, WE CALL THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT AND THEY SHOW UP AND THEN THE NEXT SONG THEY'RE PLAYING ISN'T THAT LOUD SO THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY DON'T CITE 'EM OR, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE AT LIKE 70 DECIBELS.
AND I DON'T THINK THAT'S APPROPRIATE.
LIKE IF THEY'RE DOING, YOU KNOW, YOU IF THEY'RE DOING LANDSCAPING OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT DURING THE DAY, WE UNDERSTAND.
BUT WHEN WE COME HOME AFTER WORK AFTER SIX O'CLOCK IN THE AFTERNOON AND WE HEAR FOUR TO FIVE HOURS OF THUMPING OR WHATEVER IT IS THEY'RE DOING, AND WE'RE NOT GETTING ANY ENJOYMENT OUT OF IT, I UNDERSTAND THEY'RE THERE TO MAKE A PROFIT, BUT HAVE 'EM MOVE IT INSIDE.
MAYBE ADJUST THE NOISE ORDINANCE, YOU KNOW, IN PROPERTIES IN THESE DONUT HOLES OR SURROUNDING THE TOWN TO BE MORE CONDUCIVE TO LIFE IN THE TOWN.
GOOD EVENING, UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS, MY NAME'S ANNA MARIA TABERNAC AND CURRENTLY I SERVE AS THE CHAIR OF THE BEAUFORT COUNTY LIBRARY BOARD OF TRUSTEES.
SO FIRST I'D LIKE TO THANK COUNTY COUNCIL FOR APPROVING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A NEW LIBRARY BRANCH IN PORT ROYAL.
THAT WILL BE OUR SIXTH BRANCH FOR OUR LIBRARIES.
AND IT'S A GREAT ADDITION TO THAT AREA.
SO WE'RE VERY GRATEFUL THAT YOU DID THAT AND THAT WE CAN USE IMPACT FEES TO FUND THE RENOVATIONS.
AND FINGERS CROSSED RIB RIBBON CUTTING WOULD BE IN SUMMER OF 2023.
SO NOW I'D LIKE TO ADDRESS ITEM NUMBER 21 ON YOUR AGENDA TODAY, WHICH IS THE RESOLUTION TO SWAP IDENTIFIED PROPERTIES BETWEEN BEAUFORT COUNTY AND THE RURAL AND CRITICAL LANDS PROGRAM.
FIRST COUNTY COUNCIL, THE LIBRARY BOARD OF TRUSTEES AND COUNTY ADMINISTRATION ARE ALL IN AGREEMENT THAT GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT IN SOUTHERN BEAUFORT COUNTY HAS CREATED A NEED FOR ANOTHER LIBRARY.
THE BLUFFTON BRANCH CURRENTLY HAS THE HIGHEST VOLUME OF ANY IN THE COUNTY.
JUST TO GIVE YOUR PERSPECTIVE, MAKE SURE I DON'T RUN OUTTA TIME.
UH, LAST IN FISCAL YEAR 2022, BLUFFTON HAD 80,000 PATRONS.
HELENA, 22,000 AND LICO AROUND 8,000.
SO YOU CAN SEE THE BLUFFTON BRANCH OUTPACED THE HILTON HEAD BRANCH BY OVER 9,000 AND THE BEAUFORT BRANCH BY 12,000.
IN RECENT STRATEGIC PLANNING ACTIVITIES CONDUCTED BY THE LIBRARY RESIDENTS INDICATED A DESIRE FOR A LIBRARY IN THE SOUTH OF THE BROAD AREA.
THE LIBRARY TRUSTEES HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH AMANDA DICKMAN, OUR LIBRARY DIRECTOR, AND OUR ESTEEMED CHUCK ATKINSON FROM, UH, THE ADMINISTRATION OF DEVELOPMENT AND RECREATION.
AND WE HAVE BEEN EXPLORING A VARIETY OF SITES OVER THE LAST YEAR OR SO, AND YOU'RE WELL AWARE OF THAT FOR A POSSIBLE NEW BRANCH IN THE PRITCHARD AREA TO BEST SERVE THIS INCREASING POPULATION.
CURRENTLY, AS WE ALL KNOW, THERE'S LIMITED AVAILABLE PROPERTY IN PRINCEVILLE AND THE PRICES ARE JUST ASTRONOMICAL.
I MEAN, I CAN'T EVEN BELIEVE THAT THEY'RE CHARGING.
THEREFORE, THESE CONSIDERATIONS HAVE LED THE TRUSTEES TO PROPOSE THAT A LIBRARY BE CONSTRUCTED ON THE PROPERTY KNOWN AS THE EVERGREEN TRACT OFF OF ROUTE ONE 70.
IT IS IN THE COUNTY'S BEST INTEREST SINCE THIS PROPERTY IS ALREADY A COUNTY OWNED PROPERTY AND IS AN EXCELLENT VISIBLE AND EASILY ACCESSIBLE LOCATION FOR LIBRARY.
THE PROPOSED LAND SWAP WOULD ALLOW FOR TWO PROPERTIES, CAMP ST.
MARY'S SITE AND BLUFFTON PARKWAY PARCEL, BOTH OF WHICH THE COUNTY HAS NO CURRENTLY IDENTIFIABLE PURPOSE.
AND THOSE WOULD BE SWAPPED OUT AND ADDED TO RURAL CRITICAL LANDS AND THAT WOULD RELEASE THE EVERGREEN TRACT FOR DEVELOPMENT AS PROPOSED IN TODAY'S RESOLUTION.
THE LAND SWAP IS IN LINE WITH THE ORIGINAL, ORIGINAL REASON TO PURCHASE THE PROPERTY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF INFRASTRUCTURE IN SOUTHERN BEAUFORD COUNTY.
I KNOW THE TRUSTEES AND RESIDENTS APPRECIATE YOUR CONSIDERATION OF THIS LAND SWAP AND WE CAN'T WAIT UNTIL YOU APPROVE ANOTHER LIBRARY BRANCH IN PRITCHARD.
JESSE WHITE ON BEHALF OF THE COAST OF CONSERVATION LEAGUE.
FIRST I JUST WANTED TO CONGRATULATE YOU ALL FOR ONCE AGAIN LEADING THE STATE IN CONSERVATION AND WITH THE PASSAGE OF THE GREEN SPACE PENNY PROGRAM AND
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OFFER THAT THE CONSERVATION LEAGUE IS, UM, WILLING AND, AND ABLE TO SERVE IN ANY CAPACITY AS A RESOURCE TO THE COUNTY STAFF.AS, UM, IMPLEMENTATION AND PROCESS IS FLUSHED OUT, I TOO WANTED TO, UM, COMMENT ON ITEM 21 ON YOUR AGENDA, WHICH INVOLVES A POTENTIAL LAND SWAP OF 60 ACRES FROM RURAL AND CRITICAL LANDS PROGRAM TO CONSTRUCT THE NEW LIBRARY, NEW PARK AND REC FIELDS AND WASTE AND RECOVERY.
WE BY NO MEANS QUESTION THE NEED FOR THESE FACILITIES.
WE SIMPLY QUESTION THE, THE CHOICE OF THE LOCATION BECAUSE WE BELIEVE RURAL AND CRITICAL PROPERTY MUST BE CAREFULLY SCRUTINIZED IN ORDER TO ANY TRANSFER MUST BE CAREFULLY SCRUTINIZED IN ORDER TO UPHOLD THE INTEGRITY OF THE PROGRAM AND TO ENSURE THAT THE ORIGINAL INTENT OF THAT PROPERTY'S INCLUSION IN THE PROGRAM IS HONORED.
HERE WE ARE WONDERING IF THERE IS ADDITIONAL INFORMATION THAT COULD BE PROVIDED IN TERMS OF THE LAND, UM, EXCHANGE, THE VALUES OF THE DIFFERENT PARCELS THAT ARE BEING CONSIDERED TO BE SWAPPED, UM, IN ORDER TO ENSURE THAT THERE'S A COMPARATIVE VALUE IN WHAT'S BEING LOST FROM THE ROLE AND CRITICAL LANDS PROGRAM AND WHAT'S BEING GAINED CURRENTLY.
THERE IS NOT AN ANALYSIS, AT LEAST THAT WAS PROVIDED IN THE AGENDA PACKET.
AND SO WE SIMPLY BELIEVE THAT'S AN IMPORTANT PIECE OF INFORMATION THAT SHOULD FACTOR INTO YOUR DECISION, UM, ON ITS FACE.
60 ACRES BEING LOST IN EXCHANGE FOR 18 IS A LITTLE CONCERNING, BUT THAT'S WHERE THE, UM, RESOURCE VALUES THAT ARE AT STAKE COME INTO PLAY AND ARE REALLY CRITICAL IN LOOKING AT WHAT THE TRANSFER IS GOING TO LOOK LIKE.
WE UNDERSTAND THAT EVERGREEN AND NEW LEAF TRACKS WERE INCLUDED IN THE ROLE AND CRITICAL PROGRAM FOR STORMWATER MANAGEMENT AND TO PROTECT THE HEADWATERS OF THE OJI.
AND SO THERE NEEDS TO BE AN ASSESSMENT OF WHETHER THE REMAINING NEW LEAF, UM, TRACKED, CAN CONTINUE TO FULFILL THOSE PURPOSES, ESPECIALLY IF THE 60 ACRES ADJOINING ARE CONVERTED TO IMPERVIOUS UPLAND DEVELOPMENT.
SO WE ENCOURAGE, UM, THE COUNCIL TO THE COUNCIL TO REQUIRE OR ASK STAFF TO PERFORM THAT ANALYSIS OF THE RESOURCE VALUES THAT ARE AT STAKE ON THE DIFFERENT PROPERTIES.
WE ALSO UNDERSTAND THAT THE RULE AND CRITICAL BOARDS, UH, RULE AND CRITICAL BOARD WILL BE TAKING THIS UP IN DECEMBER.
AND WE BELIEVE THAT THEIR RECOMMENDATION COULD ALSO BE VALUABLE TO COUNSEL IN, IN MAKING A DECISION.
SO WE WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO POSTPONE YOUR DECISION IN ORDER TO COLLECT THAT INFORMATION AND MAKE AN INFORMED DECISION.
THAT, UH, COMPLETES OUR, UH, CITIZEN COMMENTS.
THERE IS, UH, ADDITIONAL CITIZEN COMMENTS AT THE END OF THE MEETING.
[13. LIASION AND COMMITTEE REPORTS]
TO LIAISON AND COMMITTEE REPORTS AND A MEMBER OF COUNCIL WISH TO MAKE A REPORT FROM THEIR COMMITTEE.UH, THE COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMITTEE, UM, RESCHEDULED A, UH, MEETING THAT WAS TO BE HELD IN NOVEMBER TO THE AVAILABLE MONTH OF DECEMBER.
AND AT THAT MEETING THERE WILL BE A REPORT PROVIDED WITH REGARD TO THE, UH, MAINTENANCE OF PRIVATE UNPAVED ROADS IN BEAUFORD COUNTY.
THAT REPORT WILL COME TO THE COMMITTEE FOR ITS REVIEW AND CONSIDERATION AND THEN A VOTE TAKEN AS TO WHETHER THAT WILL BE FORWARDED TO THE, UM, FULL COUNSEL FOR THE FINAL MEETING OF THIS CALENDAR YEAR FOR THEIR REVIEW AND CONSIDERATION.
ANY OTHERS? I JUST HAVE A QUESTION, MR. CHAIRMAN? I'M, YES.
UM, I HAD A COUPLE EMAILS COME ACROSS, UH, MY DESK THIS WEEK.
MAYBE, I DON'T KNOW IF BRIT HERE, IF JARED'S HERE COULD HELP ME, UM, WHAT THE STATUS IS OF, UH, RAINBOW WROTE BEING PAVED.
I THINK WE'RE UNCLEAR ON, UH, THAT WE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THAT TONIGHT, BUT WE'LL LOOK INTO IT AND GET YOU AN ANSWER TOMORROW.
ANY OTHER? YES, MR. GLOVER? YES.
UH, I, UM, THIS IS NOT A COMMITTEE OR NO LIAISON REPORT, BUT I, I DO WANT TO, UM, UM, AND I FAILED TO DO SO, UM, ACKNOWLEDGE AND RECOGNIZE COUNTY STAFF, UM, AT TWO DEDICATION, UH, RECENTLY FOR, UM, ONE WAS THE TENNIS COURT AND THE OTHER ONE WAS THE, UH, NAMING OF THE POOL.
THIS A THIS MORNING AND I WANT TO JUST SAY, UM, THAT I APPRECIATE THE STAFF, UM, MR. GREENWAY AND HIS STAFF AND THOSE THAT WERE THERE.
UM, CHRIS, UM, PR UH, APPRECIATE YOU AND, UM, I'LL CLERK, UM, AND WHAT ALL THEY DID
[01:05:01]
AND ESPECIALLY, UH, CHUCK ATKINSON AND UH, SHANNON BECAUSE THEY DID A GREAT JOB, UM, UM, FOR EACH, FOR BOTH EVENT AND IT WAS WELL ATTENDED.AND SO I GOT TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO THE STAFF CUZ THEY REALLY DID A, A GOOD JOB OF PR TO GET A LOT OF FOLKS HERE AND IT WAS WELL RECEIVED AND I JUST WANT TO PUBLICLY THANK THE STAFF FOR WHAT THEY DID FOR THOSE TWO DEDICATIONS.
UH, YOU'LL SEE A LOT OF ITEMS ON OUR AGENDA FROM A NATURAL RESOURCE COMMITTEE MEETING, BUT I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO REPORT, UH, THE PORT AS PORT OIL, UH, LIAISON.
THEY HAD THEIR CONTRACTOR PRESENT THE, UM, PLANS FOR REDEVELOPMENT ALONG REBEL ROAD, WHICH WILL BLEND WELL WITH OUR OVERALL PLANS FOR REBOLT ROAD.
AND IT HAD SOME REALLY, UM, INTERESTING AND, UH, CREATIVE IDEAS TO IMPROVE ALONG REBUILT ROAD, THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT POTENTIALS.
ANY OTHERS? MR. LAWSON? FROM THE FINANCE COMMITTEE.
WE DO HAVE, UH, ONE ITEM ON THE CONSENT AGENDA, AND THAT IS THE THIRD READING OF AN ORDINANCE, WHICH HAS PASSED UNANIMOUSLY THE PAST TWO TIMES, UM, FOR THE AUTHORITY AND DUTIES OF THE PURCHASING DIRECTOR AND CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER.
AND THEN NEXT, UM, MONDAY IS OUR NEXT MEETING, WHICH IS AT TWO O'CLOCK.
BEFORE WE GO TO THE PUBLIC HEARINGS AND ACTION ITEMS FOR THOSE IN ATTENDANCE AND ONLINE AND AT THE DAAS, OBVIOUSLY EVERYBODY KNOWS THAT ON NOVEMBER 8TH, WE HAVE AN ELECTION, UH, THERE.
THIS YEAR THERE WERE EIGHT SEATS UP FOR COUNTY COUNCIL AS A RESULT OF THAT ELECTION.
AS A RESULT OF THAT ELECTION, WE HAVE FOUR MEMBERS WHO WILL BE JOINING US AS NEWLY ELECTED COUNCIL MEMBERS, AND THEY HAPPEN TO BE IN THE AUDIENCE.
MR. DAVID BARAL, IF YOU WILL STAND, MISS PAULA BROWN, MISS ANNA MARIE TABERNAC AND MR. TOMMY WRIGHTS.
THEY HAVE BEEN ELECTED AND THEY WILL BE TAKING THEIR SEATS IN JANUARY.
LEAVING US AFTER CAREERS ON COUNTY COUNCIL FOR A VERY LENGTH OF TIME WILL BE MR. BRIAN
AND WE WILL HAVE A SPECIAL, UH, PRESENTATION FOR THEM AT OUR FINAL MEETING OF THE YEAR, WHICH WILL BE IN DECEMBER.
AND FINALLY, WE HAD FOUR MEMBERS OF COUNCIL REELECTED.
THEY WERE MR. MARK LAWSON, MR. LARRY MCCLELLAN, MISS ALICE, HOWARD, AND MYSELF.
AND SO THE NEW COUNCIL WILL BE SEATED ON JANUARY 3RD, SO CONGRATULATIONS TO THOSE WHO WERE ELECTED AND REELECTED AND WILL SAY GOODBYE TO OUR GOOD FRIENDS ON COUNCIL IN DECEMBER.
[14. APPROVAL OF CONSENT AGENDA]
BEGIN THE PUBLIC HEARINGS AND ACTION ITEMS, AND I WOULD ASK FOR APPROVAL OF THE CONSENT AGENDA.MR. CHAIRMAN, IF I MIGHT INTERJECT VERY QUICKLY.
HAS ANY THOUGHT BEEN GIVEN SINCE YOU BROUGHT UP THE SUBJECT OF EIGHT PEOPLE BEING SWORN IN ON JANUARY 1ST? HAS ANYBODY BROUGHT UP THE SUBJECT OF STAGGERING THE TERMS SO THAT WE CAN GET A MORE EVEN SPLIT? UM, AMONGST, UH, THE REPRESENTATIVES BEING VOTED EVERY TWO YEARS? I BELIEVE THAT IS SET BY STATUTE THAT IT IS ONE MORE THAN THEN HALF OF COUNTY COUNCIL, WHICH IS OBVIOUSLY SEVEN.
UM, AND THE EIGHTH ONE JUST MAKES IT UNIQUE THIS TIME AROUND.
SO I DON'T THINK THERE'S, I DON'T THINK THAT'S THE WAY THE LAW WORKS.
I THINK THAT ONE OF, ONE OF THE NEWLY ELECTED PEOPLE OR SOMEONE ON COUNTY COUNCIL NEEDS TO BE A TWO YEAR TERM.
I MIGHT WANNA HAVE THE LAW, UH, SECTION TAKE A LOOK AT THAT.
WHO MADE THE MOTION TO DO THE CONSENT AGENDA? I WAS GOING, I WAS GOING TO.
MR. GLOVER, YOU WILL BE THE MOTION.
SECOND, MR. RODMAN WILL BE THE SECOND DUALLY MOTION.
THEN SECOND, ANY DISCUSSION ABOUT THE CONSENT AGENDA? SEEING NONE, THE CONSENT AGENDA WILL BE APPROVED WITHOUT OBJECTION.
[15. MATTERS ARISING OUT OF THE CAUCUS EXECUTIVE SESSION]
ITEM IS MATTERS RISING OUT OF THE CAUCUS EXECUTIVE SESSION AND I WILL TURN TO MR. MCALLEN.YEAH, I THINK THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE, UH, TWO
[01:10:01]
ITEMS, UM, COME OUT OF THAT.UM, THE FIRST, THE FIRST MATTER, UM, IS A MOTION TO HAVE COUNSEL INSTRUCT THE BEAUFORD COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR TO INSTITUTE THE IMMEDIATE ACTION, THE PAID LEAVE CASH OUT PROGRAM FOR ELIGIBLE BEAUFORD COUNTY EMPLOYEES.
THIS PROGRAM SHOULD BE STRUCTURED SO THAT A MAXIMUM AMOUNT OF 60 HOURS OF LEAVE IS ELIGIBLE FOR THE PAID LEAVE CASH OUT PROGRAM.
THAT'S NOT REALLY THE MATTER RISING OUT OF EXECUTIVE SERVICE.
WELL, THAT WAS ANOTHER ONE COMING OUT OF THERE AS WELL.
THERE, THERE'S ONE OUT OF EXECUTIVE AND, UM, THIS ONE WAS THE AMENDMENT TO THE AGENDA.
SO, UM, LET'S DEAL WITH THE MATTER RISING OUT OF EXECUTIVE SESSION FIRST.
UM, I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO PROVIDE THE CURRENT COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR THE 5% COST OF LIVING ALLOWANCE, WHICH WAS VOTED BY COUNCIL FOR COUNCIL AND OTHER ELECTED AND APPOINTED OFFICIALS AND ALL OTHER COUNTY EMPLOYEES IN APRIL OF THIS YEAR.
COLA IS TO BE EFFECTIVE IN THE FIRST PAY PERIOD OF JANUARY, 2023, AND THE FUNDS WILL COME FROM THE ADMINISTRATOR'S BUDGET.
I'D LIKE TO SECOND THE MOTION.
MR. MCCLELLEN MADE THAT MOTION.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? I HAVE DISCUSSION IF NOBODY ELSE WANTS TO GO FIRST.
UM, BEFORE I, I SAY ANYTHING, THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE PERFORMANCE.
UM, MY BELIEF HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE PERFORMANCE OF ERIC.
I THINK HE'S DONE A GREAT JOB.
UM, I'VE TOLD HIM MULTIPLE TIMES, ANYTIME I'VE NEEDED ANYTHING, HE'S GOTTEN BACK TO ME IMMEDIATELY.
ANYTIME MY CONSTITUENCY, ANYTHING, HE'S POINTING ME IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
UM, I THINK HE'S DONE A GREAT JOB FOR THE COMMUNITY.
UM, I DO HAVE AN ISSUE WITH THE WAY, UM, THAT WE ARE GOING ABOUT DOING THIS.
UM, HE NEGOTIATED HIS CONTRACT, UH, LESS THAN A YEAR AND A HALF AGO.
UM, I THINK WE ARE 17 MONTHS INTO THE CONTRACT.
UM, I THINK IT SHOULD BE DONE IN NEGOTIATIONS OF A CONTRACT AND NOT ADDED INTO A COLA BECAUSE HE IS A CONTRACTED EMPLOYEE, UM, THROUGH US.
THE REASON WE ARE TAKING IT UP OURSELVES IS CUZ THEY'RE THE ONLY, UM, EMPLOYEE THAT TECHNICALLY WORKS FOR US FOR US TO NEGOTIATE THOSE CONTRACTS.
UM, BASED ON THE NUMBERS, UM, WHICH IS ALL PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE.
UM, ORIGINALLY THE CONTRACT GIVEN WAS ALREADY 20,000 MORE THAN OUR ORIGINAL COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR.
AGAIN, NOTHING TO DO WITH ERIC.
I JUST DID NOT THINK IT WAS THE RIGHT MOVE.
UM, AS WELL AS THREE TIMES THE AMOUNT FOR THE CAR ALLOWANCE, UM, JUST SHY OF THREE TIMES THE AMOUNT FOR THE CAR ALLOWANCE, UM, WHICH ALSO I DID NOT SUPPORT.
AND NOW WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A LITTLE OVER $10,000 INCREASE FOR THIS YEAR, UM, DONE AT 5% FROM THE VALUE OF THE SALARY.
UM, IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT I JUST BELIEVE HAS DONE THE RIGHT WAY AND A SINGLE READING ON COUNTY COUNCIL COME OUT OF EXECUTIVE SESSION.
I THINK IT'S SOMETHING THAT SHOULD BE DONE IN NEGOTIATED ON WITH ALL OF US WITH AMPLE TIME.
UM, NOT SAYING AN INCREASE OR A PAY RAISE ISN'T PROVIDED, AND A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE GONNA COME OUT AND SAY THAT IT'S BECAUSE OF THE INFLATION.
I UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT I ALSO UNDERSTAND THE VALUE OF THAT SALARY COMPARED TO OTHER VALUES, VALUES OF SALARY THAT WE HAVE IN BEAUFORT COUNTY THAT ARE GETTING 5% BASED ON THEIR 35 40 AND $45,000 SALARY IS NOT COMPARABLE TO THE INCREASE OF FIVE, 5% SALARY INCREASE THERE.
UM, SO I WILL VOTE AGAINST THIS.
ANY OTHERS? I I'LL JOE, MR. LAWSON.
UM, AND, AND, UM, I THINK THAT, UM, THAT, UH, ONE THAT WE SHOULD REWARD OUR EMPLOYEES, WHICH WE'VE DONE FOR, UM, OUR OTHER COUNCIL OR OTHER, UM, EMPLOYEES TO THE COUNTY.
UM, I THINK THAT, UH, MR. GREENWAY SHOULD ALSO GET THE COOLER AND IF, UM, UH, IF, IF WE'RE RECOMMENDING A PAY RAISE, I'D ACTUALLY GO FOR A PAY RAISE AS WELL.
I THINK THAT'S HOW GOOD A JOB HE'S DONE.
WHICH AGAIN, THESE ARE TWO SEPARATE ISSUES.
SO VOTING ON THE, THE ISSUE TODAY, WHICH IS RAISING SALARY BECAUSE OF INFLATION, UM, I WILL VOTE FOR THAT.
AND AGAIN, MR. GREENWAY DONE A GREAT JOB.
I, IN THE FUTURE, I WOULD BE HAPPY TO VOTE FOR ANY TYPE OF, OF PAY INCREASE AS WELL FOR THE JOB YOU'VE DONE.
I DRAW A DISTINCTION IN GENERAL BETWEEN SALARIES AND COST OF LIVING.
UM, AND, UH, IT, IT DOES SEEM TO ME, IN THE CASE OF COST OF LIVING, I WAS ACTUALLY SURPRISED THAT HE WAS NOT ALREADY GETTING THAT.
BUT, UH, I THINK GENERALLY WE DO THAT FOR EMPLOYEES FOR A VARIETY OF REASONS, BUT, BUT CERTAINLY TO REFLECT WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE ECONOMY AND THE INFLATION.
SO I THINK IT PENALIZES HIM IF WE'RE NOT DOING
[01:15:01]
THAT BECAUSE HE'S SUBJECT TO THE SAME INFLATION THAT WE'RE, WE'RE ALL SEEING.MR. CHAIRMAN, ANY OTHER COMMENTS? THIS WILL BE DONE WITH ONE OBJECTION.
UM, IF THAT IS ACCEPTABLE TO EVERYONE, WE'LL PASS THIS WITH, UM, UH, NINE YES AND ONE NO, AND THAT ENDS THAT MATTER OUT OF EXECUTIVE SESSION.
THE NEXT ITEM IS 15 A I WILL TURN TO MR. MCCLELLAN AGAIN.
WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO READ THAT ONE AGAIN? YES, PLEASE.
UM, I'D LIKE TO HAVE A, MAKE A MOTION TO HAVE COUNSEL INSTRUCT THE BEAUFORT COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR TO INSTITUTE THROUGH IMMEDIATE ACTION, A PAID LEAVE CASHOUT PROGRAM FOR ELIGIBLE BEAUFORT COUNTY EMPLOYEES.
THIS PROGRAM SHOULD BE STRUCTURED SO THAT A MAXIMUM AMOUNT OF 60 HOURS OF LEAVE IS ELIGIBLE FOR THE PAID LEAVE CASHOUT PROGRAM.
I'LL SECOND THAT MOTION AS CHAIRMAN.
QUESTIONS? ANY COMMENTS? I'LL MAKE ONE COMMENT.
AND WHILE YOU'RE, WHILE HE'S MAKING COMMENTS, COULD YOU MAKE SURE THAT MR. FLYWELL AND MR. SOMERVILLE, WE CAN SEE THEM SO IF THEY HAVE THEIR HAND RAISED OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT DIFFERENT? OKAY, GO AHEAD, MR. GLOVE.
UM, JUST WANNA MAKE A COMMENT THAT, UH, IT DOES NOT REALLY IMPACT THE COUNCIL OR THE FUNDING AT THIS TIME.
AND, UM, IN SPITE OF WHAT A LOT OF OUR EMPLOYEES HAVE BEEN GOING THROUGH, NOT ONLY WITH COVID, BUT ALSO WITH THE, UH, COST OF LIVING, UM, INFLATION, UM, THIS IS STILL A GOOD PROGRAM TO ADVANCE, UM, AND TO HELP OUR EMPLOYEES, ESPECIALLY DURING THE TIME OF CHRISTMAS.
SO, UM, SO I'M, I'M SUPPORTING THIS, UH, EFFORT GOING FORWARD.
UM, FINANCIALLY IT DOES NOT IMPACT US ONE WAY OR THE OTHER.
THE MONEY'S GONNA GO OUT SOONER OR LATER.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS? MR. JIM? MR. HARON? THANK YOU.
I I WOULD RESPECTFULLY DISAGREE, UM, WITH THE PRIOR COMMENT.
UM, NO, IT'S NOT AN ADDITIONAL EXPENSE TO THE COUNTY, BUT IT IS ADDITIONAL CASH OUT THE DOOR FOR THAT REASON.
I HAVE NOT SUPPORTED THIS FOR, I THINK IT'S THREE YEARS AT THIS POINT.
I'M NOT GONNA SUPPORT IT TONIGHT, BUT I FRANKLY DON'T WANNA VOTE AGAINST IT, SO I'M GOING TO ABSTAIN.
UM, BUT I WANT TO BE CLEAR THAT I, UH, IN MY OPINION, IT'S THERE IS A, THERE IS A FINANCIAL IMPACT AND IT IS CASH OUT THE DOOR.
UM, DID ANYONE ONLINE HAVE THEIR HAND UP? NO.
UM, MR. LONG, UM, AND, AND I, I WILL VOTE FOR THIS, UM, BUT AS USUAL, I'M GONNA STEAL ONE OF CHRIS'S LINES.
I'M SURE WHAT CHRIS DIDN'T SAY IT IS.
SO, SO WHERE'S THE MONEY COMING FROM FOR THIS? CUZ OBVIOUSLY WE, WE DIDN'T, UM, UH, BUDGET THIS IN OUR BUDGET.
UM, AND YES, I AGREE IT IS AN EXPENSE BECAUSE, UM, YOU KNOW, FOR US, WE GAVE AWAY MORE VACATION DAYS.
UM, SO PEOPLE HAD MORE VACATION DAYS SAYING THAT IT WAS NOT AN EXPENSE TO US.
BUT OBVIOUSLY COME THE END OF THE YEAR, IF SOMEONE HAS WORKED EVERY DAY POSSIBLE, UM, AND THEY'VE GOTTEN PAID, WE'RE NOW PAYING THEM BACK FOR THEIR VACATION.
SO AGAIN, IT IS AN EXPENSE FOR US THIS YEAR, WHENEVER THEY CASH OUT.
UM, IT IS AN EXPENSE FOR US IF THEY WAIT UNTIL THEY RETIRE AND WE, WE PAY THEM.
SO AGAIN, WE, WE OWE THEM THAT MONEY ANYWAY.
BUT MY BIG QUESTION IS, IS, IS THIS SOMETHING THAT, UM, AGAIN, I SHOULD KNOW THIS, I'M THE FINANCE CHAIRMAN, SO, BUT I'M, I'M LOOKING TO ERIC FOR, UM, FOR, FOR, UM, GUIDANCE ON THIS OR ACTUALLY, UM, MS. RICHLAND, IF YOU COULD HELP US WITH WHERE WE ARE ON THIS? YES, SIR.
UM, MR. WILLIAMS LOOKED EARLIER TODAY AT OUR BUDGET.
UM, WE ARE TRENDING ABOUT 5% LOWER IN OUR SALARIES AND BENEFITS, UM, CATEGORY OF OUR BUDGET THIS YEAR.
SO HE BELIEVES THAT WE HAVE APPROXIMATELY 1.4 MILLION IN GAPPED POSITION SAVINGS.
AND WE DON'T ESTIMATE THAT THIS CASH OUT WOULD COST NEAR THAT AMOUNT, SO WE SHOULD BE FULLY COVERED FROM A BUDGETARY PERSPECTIVE.
AND LAST YEAR, I KNOW IT WAS ESTIMATED AT 700,000.
WHAT DID WE END UP WITH? UM, AT, BY THE TIME WE WERE DONE, IT WAS AROUND 775,000 AND OUR INITIAL ESTIMATE FROM HR AT THE TIME WAS SEVEN 60.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? YES, SIR.
JUST TO MAKE SURE THE RECORD IS CLEAR, IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THIS ITEM WAS NOT DISCUSSED IN EXECUTIVE SESSION.
THIS IS AN ITEM THAT WAS ADDED TO THE AGENDA THAT'S CORRECT.
AND CAUCUS, CORRECT? YES, I DO MAKE THAT DISTINCTION.
UH, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? THIS WILL BE, UH, DONE WITH, UH, ONE ABSTENTION,
[01:20:01]
SO IT WILL BE NINE YES.THIS IS DONE WITHOUT THAT OBJECTION.
AND WE MOVE ON TO ITEM NUMBER 16.
I BELIEVE THERE WAS A 15 B RELATING, WHICH REALLY SHOULD HAVE BEEN 15 A BUT RELATING TO DIRECTION GIVEN TO THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR.
YEAH, BUT I'M GOING TO GIVE HIM THAT DIRECTION AT THE END OF THE MEETING.
THAT MOTION, WE DON'T HAVE TO HAVE AN ACTUAL MOTION OF THAT.
IT WILL BE A DIRECTION FROM COUNTY COUNCIL TO DO THAT.
[16. FIRST READING BY TITLE ONLY OF AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND CHAPTER 2, ARTICLE II, SECTION 2-28 OF THE BEAUFIORT COUNTY CODE OF ORDINANCES BY DELETING AND REPLACING A PORTION OF THE CURRENT TEXT]
NUMBER 16 IS THE FIRST READING BY TEXT ONLY OF AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND CHAPTER TWO, ARTICLE TWO, SECTION TWO DASH 28 OF THE BEAUFORD COUNTY CODE OF ORDINANCE BY DELETING AND REPLACING A PORTION OF THE CURRENT TEXT.THIS WAS ORIGINALLY DISCUSSED IN, UM, AUGUST OF THIS YEAR.
UH, IT WAS AUGUST 15TH TO BE EXACT.
I'D LIKE TO, UH, MAKE THAT MOTION.
MR. MCCLELLEN WILL MAKE THE MOTION A SECOND, PLEASE.
MR. CUNNINGHAM WILL MAKE THE SECOND DISCUSSION WILL BEGIN WITH MR. MCCLELLEN.
UH, THIS IS A, UH, FIRST READING BY TITLE ONLY.
THE ORDINANCE THAT'S BEING PRESENTED HERE ADDRESSES TWO DISTINCT ISSUES AND CALLS ON COUNSEL TO REPEAL A PORTION OF BEAUFORT COUNTY ORDINANCE 2 0 2 SLASH 27, REPLACE SAID PORTION WITH THE RELEVANT LANGUAGE FROM BEAUFORT COUNTY ORDINANCE TWO 11 SLASH 21 AND APPROVE A SALARY ADJUSTMENT IN 2004 AND AGAIN, IN 2011, COUNTY COUNCIL APPROVED AND ADOPTED ORDINANCES 2011 SLASH 21 AND 2004 36, WHICH DISTINCTLY AUTHORIZED MEMBERS OF COUNTY COUNCIL TO RECEIVE BEAUFORD COUNTY'S ANNUAL COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENT IN CONJUNCTION WITH ALL OTHER COUNTY EMPLOYEES AND WITHOUT ANY STIPULATIONS.
THESE ORDINANCES PASSED BY COUNTY COUNCIL IN 2004 AND 2011 WERE CONSTITUTIONAL LEGISLATIVE ENACTMENTS AND WERE BINDING UNTIL AN ACTION TO REPEAL WAS UNDERTAKEN BY THE AUTHORIZING BODY OR UNTIL THE ORDINANCE WAS CHALLENGED AND DECLARED INVALID BY A COURT OF COMPETENT JURISDICTION.
IN 2019, COUNTY COUNCIL APPROVED A COLA FOR ALL EMPLOYEES.
THIS COLA WAS MEANT TO ADDRESS INFLATIONARY PRESSURES IN THE LOCAL ECONOMY AFFECTING THE PURCHASING POWERS OF EMPLOYEES LOCATED IN THAT LOCAL ECONOMY.
THE COLA WAS ENACTED TO PROVIDE IMMEDIATE ASSISTANCE FOR ALL EMPLOYEES, INCLUDING ELECTED AND APPOINTED OFFICIALS TO DEAL WITH THE RISING COSTS OF FUEL, FOOD, CLOTHING, CAR REPAIRS, MEDICAL BILLS, PRESCRIPTION COSTS, AND OTHER ITEMS AFFECTED BY INFLATIONARY CONDITIONS.
COUNSEL RECEIVED THE COLA IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE BEAUFORD COUNTY ORDINANCE PASSED IN 2004 AND 2011, NEITHER OF WHICH HAD BEEN REPEALED OR RULED INVALID AT THIS POINT.
SHORTLY THEREAFTER, THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR AT THAT TIME REQUESTED AND RECEIVED AN OPINION, THE COUNTY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE STATING THAT THE CONTEMPORANEOUS GRANTING OF A CALL AT A COUNTY COUNCIL CONFLICTED WITH SOUTH CAROLINA CODE 49,100, WHICH CONTROLS THE TIMING OF COUNTY COUNCIL SALARY CHANGES THAT STATUTE STATES THAT BASE SALARY CHANGES SHALL NOT BE EFFECTIVE FOR COUNTY COUNCIL UNTIL THE COMMENCEMENT OF THE TERM OF AT LEAST TWO MEMBERS BEING ELECTED.
AT THE PRIOR GENERAL ELECTION, THAT OPINION FROM THE COUNTY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE CAUSED THE RETURN OF THE COLA PAYMENTS ALREADY RECEIVED BY COUNSEL AND DELAYED FURTHER PAYMENT OF THE COLA FROM 2019 UNTIL JANUARY OF 2021 PERIOD OF 18 MONTHS.
IN 2020, THE SAME COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR CAUSED AN ORDINANCE TO BE CREATED AND PRESENTED TO COUNTY COUNCIL SEEKING TO REPEAL THE EXISTING AND VALID COUNTY ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING CONTEMPORANEOUS COLA PAYMENTS WITH THE EXPLANATION THAT THE COUNTY ORDINANCE CONFLICTED WITH SOUTH CAROLINA CODE 4 9 100.
THE BASIS FOR THIS ACTION WAS THE SAME OPINION ISSUED BY THE COUNTY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, THUS CAUSING THE COUNTY ORDINANCE THAT WAS VALID IN BINDING TO BE REPEALED BY THE AUTHORIZING BODY.
IN THE MISTAKEN BELIEF THAT THE COUNTY ORDINANCE CONFLICTED WITH SOUTH CAROLINA CODE 49 100 IN APRIL OF 2022, ANOTHER COLA WAS GRANTED TO ALL EMPLOYEES AND IT WAS DELAYED UNTIL JANUARY OF 2023 FOR COUNTY COUNCIL USING THE SAME LOGIC THAT APPEARED TO BE PLAUSIBLE BUT WAS NOT.
IT HAS SINCE BECOME CLEAR THAT THE ORDINANCES PASSED BY COUNTY COUNCIL
[01:25:01]
IN OH FOUR AND 11 WERE CONSTITUTIONAL VALID AND BINDING.NEITHER HAD BEEN REPEALED NOR DEEMED INVALID BY A COURT OF COMPETENT JURISDICTION AND WERE THEREFORE STILL VALID IN BINDING.
WHEN THE ADVERSE ACTION REVERSING THE JULY 19 COLA WAS UNDERTAKEN IN SEPTEMBER OF 22, A SOUTH CAROLINA ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OPINION WAS REQUESTED ON THIS MATTER.
THE QUESTION WAS NOT WHETHER COLAS WERE PERMITTED, BUT WHETHER A CONTEMPORANEOUS COLA IN CONFLICT WAS IN CONFLICT WITH SC 49 100.
THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OPINION STATED AFTER FOUR PAGES OF ANALYSIS, AND I QUOTE, THE ORDINANCE AS PROPOSED MAY BE IN CONFLICT WITH SOUTH CAROLINA 49 100 AND QUOTES.
ON THE OTHER HAND, THE SOUTH CAROLINA ASSOCIATION OF COUNTIES WEIGHED IN STATING THAT SO LONG AS THE ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING COLAS IS ADOPTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH SOUTH CAROLINA CODE 49 100 IN ITS FIRST YEAR, IT IS VALID AND BINDING IN SUCCESSIVE YEARS.
WE BELIEVE THE LANGUAGE CONTAINED IN THIS ORDINANCE TODAY RECTIFIES THE INAPPROPRIATE ACTION TAKEN IN 2020 AND CORRECTLY REINSTATES THE FORMER COUNTY ORDINANCES AUTHORIZING CONTEMPORANEOUS GRANTING OF COUNCIL RELATED COLAS.
A SEPARATE ISSUE TO BE DISCUSSED REFERENCES SECTION 49 100 AGAIN, WHICH STATES COUNCIL MAY ADJUST ITS BASE SALARY IN AN ELECTION YEAR WHEN TWO OR MORE COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE ELECTED.
THE LAST BASE SALARY ADJUSTMENT WAS MADE IN 2020.
PRIOR TO 2020, THE LAST ADJUSTMENT WAS MADE IN THE YEAR 2011.
PRIOR TO THAT, IT WAS ADJUSTED IN THE YEAR 2004.
THE NEXT ADJUSTMENT PERMITTED AFTER THIS YEAR WILL BE AT THE END OF 2024 WITH AN EFFECTIVE DATE OF JANUARY, 2025.
CURRENTLY COUNTY COUNCIL'S SALARY IS 27,000 7 97.
THIS PROPOSED ORDINANCE WILL ADJUST THAT SALARY TO $30,000.
A DIFFERENCE OF $2,303 ON AN ANNUAL BASIS WITH A 16% PREMIUM FOR THE CHAIR AND AN 8% PREMIUM FOR THE VICE CHAIR.
NO BASE SALARY ADJUSTMENT CAN BE MADE IN 2023 OR IN 2024 AS THE NEXT BASE SALARY ADJUSTMENT THAT CAN BE CONSIDERED FOR COUNSEL WILL BE IN THE YEAR 2024 IN LINE WITH THE NEXT SCHEDULED GENERAL ELECTION.
OTHER MEMBERS ADDRESSING THE ISSUE? I'LL, I'LL STEP IN.
UM, MS. HOWARD, COUNCILMAN MCALLEN DID AN ELOQUENT JOB OF DESCRIBING WHAT HE THOUGHT AND, AND WHAT HE HE THOUGHT WAS THE RIGHT THING TO DO.
UH, I DON'T THINK WE NEED TO DO THIS.
I DON'T THINK WE, WE GAVE OURSELVES A RAISE BEFORE.
I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT WE NEED A COLA, ALTHOUGH WE DO HAVE NEW COUNCIL MEMBERS COMING ON.
I KNOW THEY ALL ENTERED INTO THE RACE TO BE ELECTED TO SERVE NOT FOR A PAY INCREASE AND I WILL NOT VOTE FOR THIS.
ANYONE ELSE? CHAIRMAN? MR. CUNNINGHAM? THANK YOU.
I THINK IT'S KIND OF INTERESTING THAT THESE KIND OF COME BACK TO BACK WHEN IT WASN'T REALLY PLANNED THAT WAY.
UM, I'VE HAD THE SAME LOGIC ABOUT THIS, UM, SINCE I CAME ON COUNTY COUNCIL SINCE BEFORE I RAN.
UM, HONESTLY, THE RAISE OF THE 2000 OR 3000 THAT THAT'S ON THERE, I THINK IT'S THE STEP, BUT MY LOGIC ALWAYS BEEN THE SAME.
IT'S KIND OF AN UNPOPULAR OPINION, UM, ESPECIALLY WHEN PEOPLE FIRST START TO SAY IT.
UM, BUT THIS JOB IS VERY LIMITED TO THE PEOPLE THAT CAN RUN FOR IT.
UM, AND I SAY THAT BECAUSE OF THE PAY ITSELF.
UM, IF YOU LOOK ACROSS COUNTY COUNCIL OR PAST COUNTY COUNCILS, IT USUALLY CONSISTS OF THE EXACT SAME THING.
UM, AND THAT IS USUALLY AN AVERAGE AGE OF OVER 55 TO 60.
UM, PEOPLE THAT ARE RETIRED CLOSE TO RETIREMENT OR OWN THEIR OWN BUSINESS.
UM, THERE'S A FEW THAT CONTINUE TO WORK, UM, OR A PART-TIME OR WORK FOR SOMEBODY ELSE.
AND RIGHT OFF THE BAT, WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT A SALARY OF 20 SOME THOUSAND DOLLARS, THAT CUTS THE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE THAT CAN RUN FOR THIS POSITION DRASTICALLY.
UM, ANYBODY THAT WORKS AT NINE TO FIVE IS VERY, VERY LIMITED TO BE ABLE TO DO THIS JOB JUST BASED ON MEETINGS AND SCHEDULES, AND IT MAKES IT NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE.
UM, SPEAKING FOR SOMEONE THAT GOES TO WORK USUALLY AFTER THIS MEETING, I, I GO BACK TO WORK EVERY SINGLE TIME.
UM, I I'VE ALWAYS TOLD PEOPLE I THINK IT SHOULD BE, I HEARD IT FROM CHRIS HERAN YEARS AGO.
UM, IT SHOULD BE ON THE SAME PAY SCALE AS OUR OTHER ELECTED OFFICIALS, LIKE OUR TREASURER AND OUR AUDITOR.
IF YOU WANT TO GET THE BEST PEOPLE FOR THAT JOB.
UM, I'VE ALWAYS SAID EVERYBODY
[01:30:01]
UP HERE SHOULD BE CONTESTED IN AN ELECTION.UM, WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO EARN THAT RIGHT TO CONTINUE TO REPRESENT PEOPLE, MYSELF INCLUDED.
UM, I SUSPECT THAT ESPECIALLY WITH ME SAYING IT TIME AND TIME AGAIN, I WOULD BE CHALLENGED DURING A PRIMARY AND A GENERAL, UM, AS I SHOULD.
UM, AND IF I DO A GOOD JOB, I'LL BE REELECTED.
IF NOT, THEN IT'S TIME FOR ME TO GO.
I DO THINK THAT THIS IS SOMETHING WE NEED TO LOOK AT IN THE FUTURE THAT IF WE WANT TO GET THE BEST PEOPLE ON COUNTY COUNCIL AND THE BEST RESULTS FOR THE COMMUNITY, THAT IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO DIVE IN DEEPER TO.
ANY OTHERS? THIS, JIM, I JUST WANT TO TRY, UM, SAY THAT I, I'VE NEVER, UM, ACTUALLY SUPPORTED A, A PAY INCREASE AND, UM, I'M NOT GONNA DO THAT NOW.
SO, UM, JUST WANTED GO ON THE RECORD SAYING THAT.
ANY OTHERS? MR. ROD? THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN.
AND I KIND OF REMEMBER I COULDN'T BE STAND CORRECTED, BUT WHEN WE DID THE PAY INCREASE TWO OR THREE YEARS AGO, WE HAD A THING WHERE WE HAD A LOWER BASE PAY.
WE HAVE, SO WHEN WE DID THE INCREASE A COUPLE YEARS AGO, UH, WE HAD A SYSTEM WHERE WE HAD A LOWER BASE PAY AND THEN A, A STIPEND OF $40 PER MEETING AND, AND, AND COVERING OTHER EVENTS.
AND SO WE ESSENTIALLY ELIMINATED THAT SYSTEM AND ROLLED IT INTO THE SALARY, INTO, INTO THE SALARY.
UM, YOU CAN ARGUE WITH THE AMOUNT, BUT I DON'T FIND IT TO BE, UH, UNFAIR.
AND I THINK IT'S PROBABLY STILL UNDERPAYING THOSE THAT ACTUALLY ARE ON COUNCIL AND, UH, YOU KNOW, PUT IN A LOT OF TIME.
ARE WE, UM, DONE WITH COMMENTS? UM, WOULD YOU CALL THE ROLE ON THIS ONE, PLEASE? MR. MCALLEN WILL BEGIN.
COUNCIL MEMBER CUNNINGHAM? YES.
COUNCIL MEMBER LAWSON MARK LAWSON? NO.
[17. PUBLIC HEARING AND SECOND READING OF AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND THE ZONING MAP OF BEAUFORT COUNTY TO CHANGE 175 FORDING ISLAND ROAD (PARCEL ID NUMBER R600 022 000 011A 0000) FROM T2 RURAL TO C5 REGIONAL CENTER MIXED USE]
GLASSES.ITEM NUMBER 17, PUBLIC HEARING AND SECOND READING OF AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND THE ZONING MAP OF BUFORD COUNTY TO CHANGE 1 75 40 ISLAND ROAD FROM T TWO RURAL TO C FIVE REGIONAL CENTER MIXED.
I'D MAKE A MOTION TO CHANGE THE ZONING.
IS THERE ANY MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC WISHES TO ADDRESS THIS PARTICULAR ISSUE? SEEING NONE WILL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING PORTION.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION BY COUNTY COUNCIL? SEEING NONE, THIS WILL BE APPROVED WITHOUT OBJECTION.
[18. PUBLIC HEARING AND SECOND READING OF AN ORDINANCE FOR A TEXT AMENDMENT TO THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CODE (CDC): SECTION 5.11.60 (RIVER BUFFER) TO CLARIFY PENALTIES FOR REMOVING TREES FROM THE RIVER BUFFER WITHOUT APPROPRIATE PERMITS.]
A PUBLIC HEARING AND SECOND READING OF AN ORDINANCE FOR A TEXT AMENDMENT TO THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CODE SECTION 5 11 60 RIVER BUFFER.TO CLARIFY PENALTIES FOR REMOVING TREES FROM THE RIVER BUFFER WITHOUT APPROPRIATE PERMITS.
I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO, TO, UM, DO THIS TO CLARIFY REMOVING TREES FROM RIVER BUFFER.
THANK YOU MR. FLUELLING MOTION.
AND SECOND IT IS THERE A MEMBER, ANY MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC WHO WISHES TO ADDRESS THIS ITEM? SEEING NONE, WE WILL, UM, MOVE ON TO DISCUSSION FROM COUNTY COUNCIL SAYING NONE.
THIS WILL BE APPROVED WITHOUT OBJECTION AND THERE ARE NO OBJECTIONS.
[19. PUBLIC HEARING AND SECOND READING OF AN ORDINANCE AMENDING THE BEAUFORT COUNTY CODE OF ORDINANCES, CHAPTER 74 – BUILDING AND BUILDING REGULATIONS, SECTION 74-64, ADOPTION OF BUILDING CODES (AMENDS CODE OF ORDINANCES TO ADOPT THE 2021 STATE MANDATED CODE EDITIONS)]
19 IS A PUBLIC HEARING AND SECOND READING OF AN ORDINANCE AMENDING THE BEAUFORT COUNTY CODE OF ORDINANCE CHAPTER 74, BUILDING AND BUILDING REGULATIONS SECTION 74 DASH 64 ADOPTION OF[01:35:01]
BUILDING CODES WHICH AMENDS THE CODE OF ORDINANCE TO ADOPT THE 2021 STATE MANDATED CODE.MR. CHAIRMAN, I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO ADOPT THE 2021 STATE MANDATED CODE ADDITIONS.
MS. HOWARD MAKES THE MOTION A SECOND, PLEASE.
MR. GLOVER WAS FIRST, UH, DULY, MOTIONED AND SECONDED.
UH, ANYONE FROM THE PUBLIC WISH TO WEIGH IN ON THIS PARTICULAR ITEM? SEEING NONE WILL CLOSE THE PUBLIC PORTION.
ANY MEMBER OF COUNSEL WISH TO MAKE A COMMENT QUESTION? MR. RODMAN? I FIND IT KIND OF INTERESTING, MR. CHAIRMAN, THAT WE HAVE TO VOTE ON SOMETHING THAT'S MANDATED BY THE STATE.
UM, YOU'RE STILL GONNA GET IT
UH, ANY OTHER COMMENTS? THIS WILL BE, UH, DONE WITHOUT OBJECTION AND I SEE NO OBJECTIONS.
[20. PUBLIC HEARING AND SECOND READING OF AN ORDINANCE FOR A TEXT AMENDMENT TO THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CODE (CDC): SECTION 5.3.20 (ARCHITECTURAL STANDARDS AND GUIDELINES APPLICABILITY) AND APPENDIX, DIVISION A.1.20 (COMMUNITY PRESERVATION DISTRICTS -RELATIONSHIP TO THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CODE) TO RESTRICT THAT A SHIPPING CONTAINER OR OTHER SIMILAR PORTABLE STORAGE CONTAINER IS NOT CONSIDERED A DWELLING.]
IS A PUBLIC HEARING AND SECOND READING OF AN ORDINANCE FOR A TEXT AMENDMENT THROUGH THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CODE.SECTION FIVE, DO THREE, DO 20, WHICH IS ARCHITECTURAL STANDARDS AND GUIDELINES, APPLICABILITY AND APPENDIX DIVISION A.ONE DOT TWO ZERO, WHICH IS COMMUNITY PRESERVATION DISTRICTS RELATIONSHIP TO THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CODE TO RESTRICT THAT A SHIPPING CONTAINER OR OTHER SIMILAR PORTABLE STORAGE CONTAINER IS NOT CONSIDERED A DWELLING.
MR. RODMAN MAKES THE MOTION A SECOND, PLEASE.
MS. HOWARD, UM, WE'LL GO TO THE PUBLIC FIRST.
ANY MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC WHO WISHES TO MAKE A COMMENT ON THIS PARTICULAR ITEM, SEEING NO COMMENTS, WILL GO TO THE, UH, MEMBERS OF COUNSEL.
YOU HAD QUESTIONS REGARDING THIS BEFORE.
WERE THEY ANSWERS SUFFICIENTLY? YES, THEY WERE.
THOUGH I'D LIKE TO MAKE A SHORT STATEMENT IF I COULD PLEASE, SIR.
THAT YES, GENERALLY I'M IN FAVOR OF, IN FAVOR OF, UH, LETTING PROPERTY OWNERS DO WHATEVER THEY WANT ON THEIR PROPERTY AS LONG AS IT DOESN'T NEGATIVELY AFFECT A NEIGHBOR.
AND IN THIS CASE, I'M CONCERNED THAT, UM, THAT IT REALLY BRINGS DOWN THE WHOLE COMMUNITY.
THAT'S IF THE STANDARDS AREN'T EQUALLY APPLIED ACROSS THE BOARD, WHICH THEY COULD NOT BE FOR THIS TYPE OF STRUCTURE, I THINK THAT, UH, I'M GONNA HAVE TO VOTE IN FAVOR OF THIS.
AND, UM, I THINK THE CLARITY OF STAFF, MR. ATKINSON DID A REALLY REMARKABLE JOB OF EXPLAINING IT AND, UH, PRETTY MUCH SATISFYING ALL MY CONCERNS.
ANYONE ELSE? MR. HER? THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN.
UH, I WOULD ECHO WITH MR. PU DWELLING.
SAID MR. ATKINSON DID A, A PHENOMENAL JOB EARLIER PRESENTING THIS, AND THE DISCUSSION WAS VERY VALUABLE FOR ME.
I DEFINITELY WOULDN'T DO THIS.
UM, THE, THERE'S A LOT OF CONCERNS WITH THE SHIPPING CONTAINER AND, UM, CONVERTING IT TO A RESIDENCE, IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE A GOOD IDEA TO ME.
BUT IF THE COUNTY SIGNING THE CEO IS NOT GONNA HAVE ANY SORT OF LIABILITY, I GENERALLY TEND TO LEAN TOWARD, UH, THE HOMEOWNER OR THE PROPERTY OWNER AND SAY, YOU CAN DO WHATEVER YOU WANT SO LONG AS YOU ARE NOT INFRINGING ON SOMEBODY ELSE.
UH, SO FOR THAT REASON, I'M GOING TO VOTE AGAINST THIS, BUT I DEFINITELY APPRECIATE THE CONVERSATION AND APPRECIATE, UH, THE PROS AND CONS.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS, MR. CUNNINGHAM? THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN.
CHUCK DID A GREAT JOB, UM, WITH HIS PRESENTATION EARLIER.
UM, I DO SHARE SOME OF THE SAME CONCERNS.
UH, IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT I'M LOOKING TO DO, UM, BUT I DON'T BELIEVE IT'S MY PLACE TO TELL SOMEBODY IF THEY CAN MEET THE CODES, UM, AND SPEND WHATEVER DOLLAR AMOUNT THEY WANT THAT THEY'RE NOT ALLOWED TO DO IT.
UM, AND IT ALSO STILL KIND OF RUBS ME THE WRONG WAY, THAT IF IT WAS ON WHEELS, THEN IT'S A WHOLE NOTHER BALL OF WAX THAT SOMEBODY COULD PUT SOMETHING THAT'S LESS SUITABLE, THEN THESE SHIPPING CONTAINERS COMPLETELY REMODELED, BUT PUT IT ON WHEELS AND THEN IT IS ALLOWED.
SO I, I DO STILL WRESTLE WITH THAT AS WELL.
UM, SO I I WILL BE AGAINST IT AS WELL FOR TIME BEING.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS, JOE? YES, MR. LAWSON? UM, I'M GONNA VOTE FOR THIS EVEN THOUGH I, I'M A PROPERTY RIGHTS GUY AND IT'S, IT'S, IT'S BECAUSE, UM, THIS IS A, A, A LIFE SAFETY ISSUE.
UM, ANYTIME YOU HAVE CONTAINERS LIKE THIS AND PEOPLE START USING THEM AS DWELLINGS WITHOUT HAVING THE PROPER CODES AND THINGS ENFORCED, UM, THAT, THAT YOU, YOU MUST HAVE A, A PERMIT AND DO THINGS THAT A STRUCTURAL ENGINEER REQUIRES.
I MEAN, FOR US, WE ARE, UM, VERY, VERY STRICT ON HURRICANE CODE ENFORCEMENT.
[01:40:02]
UM, MOST OF THESE ITEMS THAT ARE MENTIONED, UM, IT IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO, UM, HAVE WINDOWS AND DOORS THAT WILL MEET HURRICANE STRUCTURE CODES.AND THEN YOU ALSO THINK ABOUT JUST, UM, LIFE AND FIRE ISSUES THAT YOU HAVE ONE DOOR IN, ONE DOOR OUT OF ONE OF THESE CONTAINERS AND YOU HAVE A FIRE.
UM, YOU MUST HAVE A SECOND EGRESS, SO THAT MEANS YOU'RE CUTTING A SECOND HOLE IN THAT CONTAINER.
SO AGAIN, THIS IS NOT JUST ABOUT LETTING PEOPLE DO WHAT THEY WANT, THIS IS ACTUALLY, UM, PROTECTING THE PUBLIC, UM, FROM PEOPLE LIVING IN ILLEGAL AND DANGEROUS STRUCTURES, UM, THAT ARE NOT PERMITTED AND NOT, UH, GIVEN THE, THE PROPER, UM, REVIEW FROM FROM THE COUNTY.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS? UM, JUST CHAIRMAN, JUST ONE COMMENT.
I, UM, I'M, I'M GOING TO SUPPORT THE, THE, UM, MOTION THAT'S ON THE FLOOR.
UH, HOWEVER, UM, I DO HAVE RESERVATION, UM, ABOUT THE STANDARD.
AND, UM, I, I DO KNOW THAT THERE ARE OTHER COMMUNITIES THAT ARE ACTUALLY DOING THIS AND, BUT I CAN'T TELL YOU THAT I AGREE WITH IT, BUT I DO KNOW THAT THEY'RE DOING IT AND THEY'RE DOING IT FOR DIFFERENT REASONS.
UM, SO I'M GONNA SUPPORT THE MOTION, BUT I DO HAVE RESERVATION IN THAT SUPPORT.
UM, THE WAY I SEE IT, THIS WILL BE APPROVED BY EIGHT YES.
AND THE MOTIONS CHAIRMAN, I REQUIRE A VOICE VOTE, PLEASE.
COUNCIL MEMBER CUNNINGHAM? NO.
COUNCIL MEMBER LAWSON MARK LAWSON? YES.
[21. APPROVAL OF A RESOLUTION TO SWAP IDENTIFIED PROPERTIES BETWEEN BEAUFORT COUNTY AND THE RURAL AND CRITICAL LANDS PROGRAM IN ORDER TO BUILD AN ADDITIONAL LIBRARY, ADDITIONAL PARKS AND RECREATION FIELDS AND A SOLID WASTE MATERIAL RECOVERY FACILITY IN SOUTHERN BEAUFORT COUNTY]
ITEM NUMBER 21 IS APPROVAL OF A RESOLUTION TO SWAP IDENTIFIED PROPERTIES BETWEEN BEAUFORD COUNTY AND THE ROYAL AND CRITICAL LANDS PROGRAM IN ORDER TO BUILD AN ADDITIONAL LIBRARY, ADDITIONAL PARTS AND RECREATION FIELDS, AND A SOLID WASTE MATERIAL RECOVERY FACILITY IN THE SOUTHERN BEAUFORD COUNTY.MR. CUNNINGHAM MAKES THE MOTION A SECOND, PLEASE.
MS. HOWARD MAKES THE SECOND DUALLY MOTION AND SECOND DISCUSSION.
UH, I THINK HE'S THERE TO, I AM.
ANY QUESTIONS WE HAVE REGARDING THIS RESOLUTION? I'D LIKE TO INQUIRE ABOUT THE, UM, COMPLETENESS OF THE INFORMATION WE HAVE WITH REGARD TO THE COMMENTS THAT WERE MADE EARLIER.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF YOU CAN DO THAT, MR. ATKINSON OR MR. GREENWAY WITH REGARD TO, ARE YOU SATISFIED THAT WE HAVE RECEIVED ALL THE INFORMATION THAT WE NEED TO MAKE A DETERMINATION HERE TONIGHT, THAT THIS IS HOW WE WANT TO PROCEED? SO SPECIFICALLY THE TOPIC THAT WAS BROUGHT UP WAS, UH, THE VALUE OF THE LAND IN THE SWAP.
WE DID NOT GET APPRAISALS BECAUSE WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT COUNCIL IS OKAY WITH BEFORE WE SPEND A LOT OF MONEY PUTTING THE PLANS TOGETHER AND GETTING THE APPRAISALS.
WHAT WE DO HAVE IS THE HISTORY, THE, UH, RURAL AND CRITICAL PROPERTIES.
UH, IF I CAN, CAN I JUST SHARE THIS? OKAY.
I'LL GO THROUGH IT REAL QUICK.
SO I'M HOPING YOU CAN SEE THIS.
I KNOW THE, THE PICTURES IN THE ROOM ARE PRETTY SMALL.
I THINK THE FOLKS ONLINE WILL BE ABLE TO SEE IT BETTER.
OR IF YOU HAVE A LAPTOP IN FRONT OF YOU, THESE ARE THE TWO PROPERTIES THAT ARE CURRENTLY IN THE RURAL AND CRITICAL LANDS PROGRAM.
THE TOP LEFT PARCEL IS THE EVERGREEN TRACK.
THAT'S 22.48 ACRES THAT WAS PURCHASED IN 2016 FOR $1 MILLION.
AND THERE WAS A, UH, A FUND SPLIT BETWEEN RURAL AND CRITICAL.
AND THE STORM WATER UTILITY STORM WATER, UH, PUT IN $155,694.
THAT SEEMS LIKE A PRETTY ODD SPLIT BEING ONLY 10%.
[01:45:01]
FUNDED THE INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECT OF THE, UH, STORM WATER POND THAT NOW EXISTS, WHICH WAS PART OF THE REASON WHY ALL OF THIS WAS PURCHASED IN THE FIRST PLACE.THE SECOND HALF, THE LOWER PORTION IS THE NEW LEAF TRACK.
THAT'S 86.5 ACRES THAT WAS PURCHASED IN 2016 FOR 2 MILLION.
AND THERE WAS ANOTHER 10%, ALMOST 10% SPLIT.
SO IF I GO DOWN ONE MORE, WHAT WE ARE PROPOSING, AND I WANNA SAY THIS, AND IT'S A LITTLE SORT OF SIDEBAR.
I AM A STAUNCH SUPPORTER OF RURAL CRITICAL LANDS, AND I AM A STAUNCH DEFENDER OF RURAL CRITICAL LANDS.
WHAT IT STANDS FOR, AND THE PROPERTIES THAT ARE IN THAT INVENTORY, THIS PROPERTY AMONG ALL OF THE OTHER PROPERTIES IS UNIQUE.
IT WAS BOUGHT AS A PARTNERSHIP SPECIFICALLY TO PROTECT WATER QUALITY FOR THE WATERSHED THAT FLOWS BEHIND SUN CITY UNDER ONE 70 GOING OUT TO THE MARSHES.
IT IS STAFF'S BELIEF THAT WE CAN ACCOMPLISH THAT AND DO WHAT I'M ABOUT TO PRESENT TO YOU ALL AT THE SAME TIME.
IF WE DID NOT FEEL THAT WE COULDN'T ACCOMPLISH ALL OF THAT, WE WOULD NOT BE PRESENTING IT.
AND I PROMISE COUNCILMAN MCCLELLAN, I I'M GONNA ANSWER YOUR QUESTION.
UM, THE TOP PORTION IS WE, WE WOULD LIKE TO SPLIT THE PARCEL INTO THREE SECTIONS.
THE TOP PORTION IS A 20 ACRE TRACK WE WOULD LIKE TO USE, PULL THAT OUT OF ROLLING CRITICAL THAT'S GONNA CONTAIN A LIBRARY IF APPROVED.
AND THE REASON WE MADE THAT 20 ACRES, WE MOVED THE LINE SOUTH OR TO, TO THE BOTTOM, UH, TO WHERE THE, UM, THE WETLANDS LINE IS APPROXIMATELY BECAUSE WE WOULD LIKE TO KEEP THE STORM WATER POND ON THAT PARCEL IN ITS ENTIRETY SO THAT WHEN WE DESIGN THE LIBRARY, WE'RE NOT MODIFYING A STORM WATER POND THAT IS SITTING ON ROLLER CRITICAL LANDS.
THERE WILL BE A BUFFER FROM THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE LIBRARY AND RURAL AND CRITICAL, WHICH WOULD BE, UH, THE CENTER PORTION AND THEN THE, UM, STORMWATER POND WOULD BE INCREASED IN SIZE.
SO THAT'S WHY THAT IT SEEMS 20 ACRES IS A LOT, BUT THE ACTUAL AREA FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE LIBRARY IS ONLY ABOUT SIX ACRES.
SO THAT'S THE REASON WE DID THAT.
THE PORTION THAT WILL STAY IN RURAL AND CRITICAL LANDS IS THE CENTER PORTION, WHICH IS 46 ACRES.
AND THEN THE BOTTOM PORTION, WHICH WILL CONTAIN A FAIRLY LARGE BUFFERS, 40 ACRES, ABOUT 25 OF THAT WOULD BE TURNED INTO BALL FIELDS.
AND ALSO WE WOULD PUT BMP FOR STORM WATER TO ENSURE WATER QUALITY FOR BOTH THE LIBRARY AND THE LOWER SITE.
SO ALL OF THESE PROPERTIES, RIGHT NOW, THE COUNTY HAS 3 MILLION IN THIS SECTION, PLUS THE COST OF WHAT WE HAVE PUT IN WITH THE STORMWATER PONDERS.
I'M REALLY NOT SURE WHAT THAT ACTUAL COST WAS.
SO NOW WHAT IS RURAL AND CRITICAL GET OUT OF THE DEAL? WHICH COUNCIL MEMBER MCKEN, I GUESS THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE ASKING.
DID YOU SAY THE REC B IS STAYING THE SAME OR A IS? YEAH.
UM, WE'RE NOT DEVELOPING A JUST B OR ARE WE DEVELOPING BOTH THE ONE THAT SAYS EVERGREEN TRACK ON THE TOP? CORRECT.
WE'RE GONNA DEVELOP, WE'RE GONNA CHANGE THE POND, PUT A LIBRARY IN, THAT'S GONNA TAKE ABOUT SIX ACRES.
AND THERE'S ACCESS OFF OF ONE 70, THE LOWER PORTION, THE 40 ACRES, WE'RE GONNA DEVELOP ABOUT 25 ACRES OF THAT.
THE CENTER 46 STAYS IN RURAL AND CRITICAL.
WHEN YOU SAY DEVELOP IT, WHAT DO YOU MEAN? SO THE BOTTOM PORTION, WE WOULD LIKE TO PUT BALL FIELDS ON, SORRY, BALL FIELDS.
BALL FIELDS FOR PARKS AND REC.
AND IF YOU LOOK AT IT RIGHT NOW, IT HAS BEEN CLEAR CUT.
SO FOR A, UM, A LARGE PORTION OF ITS LIFE, IT'S GONNA BE A VACANT FIELD ANYWAY, UH, AND AS A VACANT FIELD, BUT HAS BEEN, UH, HARVESTED, YOU THINK ABOUT THE RUNOFF AND DIFFERENT THINGS THAT WOULD, UH, TAKE PLACE AS A RESULT OF THAT.
OVER TIME, WE WOULD LIKE TO MANAGE THAT, IMPROVE IT WITH NATURAL TURF, TURN IT INTO BALL FIELDS, CREATE STORM WATER INFRASTRUCTURE THAT ACTUALLY INCREASES THE QUALITY OF WATER DOWNSTREAM.
SO NOW WE GET INTO THE VALUES.
NO, I DO NOT HAVE A CURRENT APPRAISAL.
UH, IT'S IN THE RURAL AND CRITICAL LANDS PROGRAM.
IT CAN'T BE DEVELOPED RIGHT NOW.
UH, AND THAT COULD ALSO BE SAID FOR THE OTHER, UH, PROPERTIES BECAUSE WE OWN THEM.
BUT LIKE VALUES, WHAT IS ON THE SCREEN RIGHT NOW IS AN EIGHT ACRE TRACK KNOWN AS THE CAMP ST.
THIS IS A VERY VALUABLE PIECE OF PROPERTY.
IT IS, UH, RIGHT ON THE, UH, DEEP WATER.
IT HAS I THINK THREE OR FOUR BUILDINGS ALREADY ON IT.
[01:50:01]
THIS WAS APPRAISED FOR, I BELIEVE IT WAS ONE LITTLE OVER A MILLION AND A HALF IN 2018.AND WE ALL KNOW WHAT PROPERTY VALUES HAVE DONE OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS.
SO IN MY OPINION, I AM NOT AN APPRAISER.
THIS MAKES UP THE LARGEST CHUNK, UH, VALUE TO VALUE.
SO ACRE FOR ACRE, WE HAVE A MUCH MORE VALUABLE PIECE OF PROPERTY HERE THAN WHAT YOU WOULD HAVE, UM, AT THE EVERGREEN AND NEW LEAF SITE.
SO IF WE GO TO THE OTHER PIECE OF PROPERTY, THIS IS A 12.9 ACRE, UH, PARCEL THAT'S OFF OF BUCK WALTER.
IT'S, UM, WE PURCHASED IT UNDER CONDEMNATION TO PUT THE PARKWAY THROUGH BACK IN 2008.
THE CONDEMNATION WAS A HALF MILLION BUCKS.
WE ESTIMATE THE 10 ACRES THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO TRANSFER INTO RURAL CRITICAL LANDS TO BE WORTH SOMEWHERE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF $250,000.
SO IT IS STAFF'S CONTENTION WITHOUT AN ACTUAL APPRAISAL THAT WE ARE APPLES TO APPLES.
SO THERE IS A PORTION, UH, CAN WE ASK YOU A QUESTION ABOUT THAT? ABSOLUTELY.
THE, THE VALUE OF THAT PROPERTY TO RURAL CRITICAL WOULD BE WATER QUALITY OR, SO WE WOULD LIKE TO TURN THIS INTO PASSIVE PARKS, THE ONE AT BLUFFTON PARKWAY.
SO EVEN THOUGH IT IS LOW, IT IS DEVELOPABLE AND FOR A PASSIVE PARK, IF I GO DOWN ONE MORE SLIDE.
I THINK ON THIS ONE, WITHIN THE, UH, AGENDA ITEM, IT TALKS ABOUT THE MERF, THE RECYCLING, UH, CENTER.
AND THE REASON THAT'S PART OF WHAT WE ARE PRESENTING IS WE WOULD LIKE TO SPLIT OFF THREE ACRES OF THAT 12, WHICH WAS ALREADY SORT OF, UH, GRABBED BY JARED AND HIS CREW AS PART OF THE MERF DEVELOPMENT.
IF YOU MOVE TO THE RIGHT OF THE GREEN PARCEL BEE, THE COUNTY IS CURRENTLY LOOKING AT PURCHASING THAT PIECE OF PROPERTY.
AND THEN THE, UM, THE, WHAT DO YOU CALL IT, THE TRASH COLLECTION SITE? THE CONVENIENCE CENTER IS NEXT TO THAT.
SO WHAT WE WOULD LIKE TO DO IS PRESERVE THIS TO THE LEFT OF PARCEL A IS A BALL FIELD THAT'S OWNED BY A SCHOOL.
AND WE WOULD LIKE TO PUT BOARDWALK AND PROTECT THIS AND MAYBE EVENTUALLY TURN THAT WHOLE CRO CORNER INTO SOME TYPE OF A PARK, MAYBE WAY DOWN IN THE FUTURE IF THAT BECOMES AVAILABLE.
SO THAT'S, IF THAT ANSWERS YOUR QUESTION OF WHERE WE'RE GETTING THE APPLES TO APPLES.
NO, WE HAVE NOT GOTTEN APPRAISALS HAPPY TO DO SO IF WE ARE DIRECTED TO GO IN THAT DIRECTION.
BUT WE DIDN'T WANNA SPEND A LOT OF MONEY IF COUNCIL DID NOT HAVE AN APPETITE, UH, FOR THIS PROPOSAL.
UH, ALSO IT WAS BROUGHT UP THE TIMELINESS OF WHY WE'RE PRESENTING THIS.
UH, IT WAS REQUESTED COMING OUT OF, UH, PUBLIC FACILITIES THAT THIS BE SENT TO, UH, THE ROLLING CRITICAL LANDS BOARD AND GET THEIR INPUT COUNT OR, UH, ROLLING CRITICAL LANDS IN NOVEMBER, HAD A RETREAT.
WE ARE SCHEDULED RIGHT NOW TO PRESENT THIS.
IT'S ON THEIR AGENDA FOR DECEMBER THE EIGHTH.
I AM MORE THAN HAPPY TO PRESENT IT ON DECEMBER THE EIGHTH.
THE REASON I'M PRESENTING IT TONIGHT IS BECAUSE WE HAVE A JAM PACK AGENDA ON THE 12TH, AND THE ONLY OPPORTUNITY OUTSIDE OF THAT IS PROBABLY LATE JANUARY OR FEBRUARY.
UM, AND THAT WAS GETTING A LITTLE, THE TIMELINE WAS STRETCHING OUT.
WE WANTED TO PRESENT THIS, GET THE INFORMATION TO YOU AND LET YOU PROVIDE US GUIDANCE ON HOW YOU WANT TO GO FORWARD CONSIDERING, UM, THE, THE TIME RESTRAINTS THAT WE'RE ON.
UM, AND WE'RE HAPPY TO ACCOMMODATE, UH, ANY, ANY DIRECTION THAT COUNSEL GIVES US.
MR. CHAIRMAN MOTION TO GO PAST EIGHT O'CLOCK? YES.
SECOND, MR. HERAN MADE THE SECOND DUALLY MOTIONED AND SECONDED.
UM, ANY OBJECTION? I'LL OBJECT, SIR.
ANY, ANYBODY ELSE? SO IF I UNDERSTAND CORRECTLY, YES, IT COULD STILL GO.
IT COULD STILL GO TO RULE AND CRITICAL LANDS AT THEIR DECEMBER MEETING FOR THEIR INPUT IS WHAT? SO IT'S A RESOLUTION.
IF IT PASSES TONIGHT, WE'RE DONE.
THE SWAP IS, AND THEN WE WILL BRING THE DESIGNS BACK TO YOU FOR THE TWO PARCELS.
WE'LL DO THE PROPERTY SPLIT FOR THE ONE THAT'S ON BLUFFTON PARKWAY.
AND WHEN WE BRING THIS BACK, IT'LL BE A LIBRARY DESIGN AND A PARKS AND REC DESIGN ON THE, UH, THE LOWER HALF.
UM, ONE, ONE OF THE REASON THAT I DESIRE THIS TO GO BACK TO THE RULE AND CRITICAL LAND FOR INPUT, NOT FOR THEM TO TELL US WHAT TO DO.
I THINK COUNCIL HAS THE RIGHT TO DO WHATEVER THEY WANT TO DO, BUT I THINK IS, IS REALLY RESPECTING THAT COMMITTEE, THAT BOARD, WE HAVE COMMISSION, UM,
[01:55:01]
TO, TO, TO, TO DO THEIR JOB.AND FOR US TO, UM, WEIGH IN ON THEM AT THIS TIME WITHOUT ANY INPUT, TO ME, SEEMS AS A DISSERVICE TO THAT BOARD.
UM, IN THE PAST, THAT'S WHAT COUNCIL HAVE DONE.
UM, THEY'VE BEEN PATIENT, THEY HAVE BEEN WAITING AND THEY HAVE TAKEN IT BACK AND, UM, VALUE THE OPINION OF THAT BOARD.
UM, PERSONALLY SPEAKING, I I THINK THE LIBRARY IS IMPORTANT.
I THINK THE LIBRARY HAS BEEN CUT OUT HERE.
IF I WAS SITTING HERE, I WOULD, I WOULD SUPPORT THE 20 ACRES OR LESS OUT OF THIS PROGRAM RIGHT HERE WITH A SWAP OF THE 10 ACRES PLUS TO 10 ACRES.
UM, I THINK THAT'S A GOOD EXCHANGE WITHOUT EVEN DOING AN APPRAISAL.
UM, THIS COMMUNITY JUST PASSED A REFERENDUM AND THEY ENTRUSTED US TO DO GREEN SPACE.
THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE DONE IN THE PAST.
A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE SAID TO ME, ALL THE RULING CRITICAL LAND BOARD IS DOING IS BUYING UP PROPERTY FOR THE COUNTY IN THE FUTURE.
I SAID, NO, THAT'S NOT THE CASE.
UM, THIS RIGHT HERE GIVES ME THAT IMPRESSION THAT THE RULING CRITICAL LAND IS BUYING UP PROPERTY FOR BEAUFORT COUNTY.
AND I DON'T THINK THAT'S A GOOD MESSAGE TO SEND TO THE PUBLIC.
I THINK WE ARE DOING CONSERVATION.
WE ARE DOING CONSERVATION, AND THAT'S WHAT WE WANT TO DO.
I THINK WE CAN SWAP, WE HAVE DONE THAT IN THE PAST, AND I THINK AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED, 20 ACRES IS GOOD FOR 20 ACRES.
I WILL POINT OUT THAT, UH, THE ORDINANCE REQUIRES A TWO-THIRDS MAJORITY TO PULL PROPERTY OR TO DO THE SWAP.
UH, SO I JUST POINT THAT OUT FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES, MR. ROBIN? YEAH.
UM, UM, I THINK CONCEPTUALLY THIS MAKES AN AWFUL LOT OF SENSE AND I'M NOT OVERLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE, THE DIFFERENTIAL AND THE VALUE.
AND I THINK WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE CAMP ST.
MARY'S PIECE, THAT'S A PRETTY WELL ARGUMENT THAT, THAT THAT'S VERY VALUABLE.
AND, UH, LIKE YORK, I'M A BIT CONCERNED THAT WITH BYPASSING RULE AND CRITICAL, UM, BOTH OUTTA RESPECT FOR THEM AND THE TRUST THAT PEOPLE PUT IN US AND THEM WHEN THEY VOTE FOR THIS.
SO I THINK I WOULD BE IN FAVOR OF POSTPONING GETTING THEIR INPUT IF, IF IT DOESN'T CAUSE ANY OTHER PROBLEM FOR US TO MOVE FORWARD.
MR. CUNNINGHAM, UH, THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN.
UH, FIRST QUESTION I GUESS WOULD BE, UM, THIS LIBRARY AREA.
IS THERE ENOUGH ROOM TO EXTEND FOR MORE OFFICES THAT MR. GREENER WAS TALKING ABOUT A LOSS OF SPACE TO BIRDS ONE STONE WITHOUT CUTTING INTO THE STORM WATER? NO, SIR.
NO, I'M GONNA SAY NO, THERE'S NO, YEAH, THAT'S FINE.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS I WILL SAY, I, UM, I, I GUESS I DISAGREE ON SOME OF MY OTHER COUNTERPARTS IS RURAL AND CRITICAL LANDS IS DIFFERENT THAN THE GREEN SPACE REFERENDUM THAT WAS PASSED.
UM, THERE ARE DIFFERENT LAWS, THERE ARE DIFFERENT RULES.
ONE OF THOSE IS APPOINTED BY US.
THE OTHER ONE, WE HAVE TO FOLLOW THE STATE STATUTE OF THE LAW.
UM, WE CANNOT SELL OR DEVELOP ANY OF THE PROPERTY THAT WE PURCHASE IN THE GREEN SPACE REFERENDUM.
THAT IS NOT NECESSARILY THE SAME CASE IN RURAL AND CRITICAL LANDS.
I DON'T THINK ACREAGE FOR ACREAGE IS THE SAME AS WHAT IS MOST BENEFICIAL TO THE COMMUNITY.
AND BY THAT I MEAN IF PRESERVING CAMP ST.
MARY'S ALONG WITH THE STORM WATER, BUT GIVING UP 30 OR 40 ACRES GIVES US A BETTER BENEFIT THAN KEEPING THOSE 40 ACRES AND NON-DEVELOPMENT.
WE'RE, WE'RE SAVING THE WATERSHED ON THE COAST AS LONG AS WELL AS THE STORM WATER.
WE STILL HAVEN'T IMPACTED THAT AT ALL.
UM, FROM, BASED ON WHAT WE'RE SAYING, UM, I'M IN FAVOR.
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT, UM, I'LL BE HONEST, I I, WE TALKED ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF AGO, A YEAR AGO, RIGHT WHEN I GOT ON COUNTY COUNCIL, UM, WE WERE IDENTIFYING DIFFERENT PROPERTIES.
UM, I THINK IT'S A GREAT LOCATION FOR THE LIBRARY.
IT'S A GREAT, UM, LOCATION TOWARDS SUN CITY.
UM, IT'S ALSO A GOOD LOCATION BEING ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF BLUFFTON TO KIND OF DIVIDE THE USE UP OF THOSE LIBRARIES.
AND OUR BALL FIELDS ARE MAXED OUT.
UM, THE LAST TWO MEETINGS AGO WHEN I GOT THE REPORTS OF THE AMOUNT OF REGISTRIES FOR KIDS FOR SOFTBALL, BASEBALL, AND SOCCER, UM, IT'S PAST TWO TO ONE BLUFF TO THE REST OF THE COUNTY.
UM, IT'S JUST A LOT OF WHERE OUR FAMILIES ARE LIVING.
UM, SO I I'M IN FAVOR OF THE SWAP.
I THINK IT'S A GOOD LOCATION AS WELL FOR THE AREAS THAT WE'RE SWAPPING DOWN
[02:00:01]
ON THE BLUFFTON PARKWAY NEXT TO THAT AREA.UM, AND I THINK IT'S SOMETHING THE SCHOOL BOARD WOULD ALSO SUPPORT, CONSIDERING THAT IT DOES BACK UP RIGHT NEXT TO RIVER RIDGE ACADEMY.
UM, COUNCILMAN ING, I KNOW YOU JUST RAISED YOUR HAND.
I'M HOPING YOU WILL COMMENT ABOUT CAMP ST.
UM, WE, YEAH, IT, MY HAND'S BEEN UP SINCE THE BEGINNING, BUT THANK YOU ALICE.
AND, AND HE, I'M TRYING TO GET TO, HE HAD SOME PUBLIC MEETINGS THAT I WENT TO WITH A HUGE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE AT HIM.
WAS THAT THREE YEARS AGO? MM-HMM.
AND, UM, SO I, I REALLY WELCOME A WAY TO PRESERVE THAT.
OTHER PEOPLE WOULD LIKE TO DO A LOT OF OTHER THINGS WITH THAT PROPERTY.
ARE YOU READY FOR ME, MR. CHAIRMAN? YES, GO AHEAD,
I WAS JUST TRYING TO GET RID OF EVERY, ALL THE COMMENTS AT THE DIAZ BEFORE WE WENT ONLINE.
WHAT DO YOU MEAN? JUST RID OF EVERY SURE.
I APPRECIATE IT, BUT IT, IS IT MY TURN, SIR? I'M, YES.
WE'RE DONE WITH, UH, EVERYBODY AT THE DIAZ.
WE ARE, UM, YOU KNOW, I HAVE A LOT OF PROBLEMS WITH THIS.
THE FIRST ONE IS THAT THE RURAL CRITICAL LANDS BOARD HAS NOT HAD A CHANCE TO WEIGH IN ON THIS.
AND I WOULD ASSUME THAT, THAT WE WOULD NOT TAKE ANY KIND ACTION WITHOUT THE RURAL AND CRITICAL LANDS AHEAD OF TIME.
THE SECOND THING IS, I KNOW THE NATURAL RESOURCES COMMITTEE, WHICH IS, UH, HAS OVERSIGHT OR LIAISON WITH THE RURAL CRITICAL L BOARD, ALSO H NOTIFIED HAD AN OPINION ON THE ACQUISITION OR THE SWAP THAT'S NECESSARY.
I, I THINK THAT THERE ARE ALREADY RESTRICTIVE COVENANTS ON, UH, CAMPS, ST.
MARY'S, I THINK WE PLACED THEM ON THERE A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, UH, WHEN WE INCLUDED IN IN OUR PARKS PLAN.
I THINK THAT IN ADDITION TO THAT, IN, UH, IN ADDITION TO THAT, THERE'S THE GENERAL SENTIMENT OF THE COMMUNITY.
BEAUFORT COUNTY IS NOT GONNA SELL CAMP ST.
MARY'S FOR A RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT, AND WE'RE NOT GONNA SELL IT.
THERE'S NO WAY WE'RE GONNA SELL IT FOR ANYTHING OTHER THAN A PARK.
AND SO I'M, UM, YOU KNOW, POTENTIALLY THERE COULD BE A, A SMALL USAGE OF IT IN ONE CORNER, ONE QUARTER ACRE LOT POTENTIALLY FOR THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
BUT HONESTLY, THIS IS NOT GONNA BE ANYTHING BUT A PARK.
AND FOR US TO SWAP PROPERTY THAT HAS REAL VALUE, UM, TO THE PROGRAM IT WAS BOUGHT WITH, UH, WITH BONDED MONEY.
AND WE HAVE OBLIGATIONS TO OUR BOND HOLDERS TO, TO PRESERVE THOSE ASSETS, TO SWITCH THAT FOR SOMETHING THAT REALLY HAS NO VALUE.
IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT, UM, THERE'S, THERE IS NO VALUE TO CAMP ST.
AND WE'VE ALREADY INVESTED A LOT OF MONEY IN IT AS A PARK.
AND SO FOR US TO THINK THAT, THAT IT HAS VALUE TO THE WORLD AND CRITICAL LAND PROGRAM, IT DOES BECAUSE IT'S ALREADY IN IT IN, IN A LOT OF RESPECTS.
SO I, I THINK THAT I'M GONNA VOTE NO ON THIS, AND I SPECIFICALLY AM SAYING I WILL, I WILL VOTE NO UNTIL THERE'S A FAVORABLE VOTE BY THE RURAL AND CRITICAL LANDS BOARD AND THE NATURAL RESOURCES COMMITTEE.
I WILL, I WILL CONTINUOUSLY SAY NO AS LONG AS I HAVE A VOTE ON THIS COUNCIL FOR THAT SWAP.
UH, MR. SOMERVILLE, DID YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS BEFORE I GO TO MR. HER ON FOR THE LAST COMMENT? UH, DETECTIVE CHAIRMAN, ACTUALLY, I DO NOT, I DO SUPPORT THE SWAP.
I'M NOT SURE THAT, UH, I HOPE MR. FLOWING IS CORRECT AND WHAT HE SAID THAT THERE'S ALREADY A, A, UH, PROTECTIVE EASEMENT ON THAT PROPERTY.
I WAS NOT, I'M NOT AWARE THAT THERE IS ONE.
THERE IS, UH, I HOPE HE'S CORRECT THAT, THAT THERE IS.
IF IF THERE'S NOT ONE, I THINK THAT SHOULD BE PART OF THE DISCUSSION AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
MR. HERAN, WOULD YOU COMMENT MR. GREENMAN? YEAH, UH, TWO THINGS, UH, FOR COUNSEL CONSIDERATION.
ONE IS, UH, THE REASON WE DID NOT TAKE THIS, AND I DON'T REMEMBER IF CHUCK STATED THIS OR NOT TO THE RULING CRITICAL LANDS BOARD, IS THAT THIS WILL BE OUR LAST OPPORTUNITY TO DEAL WITH THIS UNDERNEATH THIS PRESENT COUNCIL, BECAUSE THERE HAS ALREADY BEEN A DECISION MADE NOT TO CONDUCT BUSINESS ON DECEMBER 12TH, UH, IN ORDER TO HONOR AND RECOGNIZE THE OUTGOING COUNCIL MEMBERS.
SO WE BROUGHT IT BACK BEFORE COUNCIL THIS EVENING WITHOUT GOING TO THE RURAL CRITICAL LANDS BOARD WHO DECIDED NOT TO HOLD A BUSINESS MEETING IN NOVEMBER, BUT INSTEAD TO GO ON A FIELD TRIP, UH, TO LOOK AT, AT PROPERTIES THAT THEY HAD ALREADY PRESERVED, UH, INSTEAD OF, UH, CONDUCTING A BUSINESS.
SO THIS IS OUR LAST OPPORTUNITY TO DO THIS.
IF YOU ALL WANT TO POSTPONE IT, JUST UNDERSTAND THAT IT'S GONNA HAVE TO COME BACK IN JANUARY WHEN NOT ONLY DO WE HAVE TO REEDUCATE YOU ALL AGAIN IN TWO MONTHS ABOUT THIS ISSUE, BUT WE'RE ALSO GONNA HAVE TO BRING FOUR NEW COUNCIL MEMBERS UP TO SPEED ON THIS ISSUE TO TRY TO GET AN AFFIRMATIVE VOTE.
[02:05:01]
THE SECOND THING IS, IS THIS IS SOMETHING YOU ALL ASK US TO DO.MANY MONTHS AGO, WE BROUGHT THIS TO YOU ALL AS A PROPERTY THAT THE SCHOOL DISTRICT HAD REACHED OUT TO US TO PURCHASE, UH, TO EXPAND, UH, TO PUT ON MIDDLE SCHOOL OR SOME TYPE OF SCHOOL ON THIS PROPERTY.
AND YOU ALL SAID, WE DO NOT SUPPORT DOING THIS FOR A SCHOOL, BUT IF YOU NEED IT FOR BALL FIELDS, GO PUT TOGETHER A PROPOSAL AND BRING THAT BACK TO US.
AND WE WILL CONSIDER THAT YOU WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO BUY THIS AMOUNT OF PROPERTY INTO BLUFFTON TOWNSHIP FOR A LIBRARY AND BALL FIELDS AND RECREATION FIELDS, UH, AT THIS AMOUNT OF MONEY.
AND I UNDERSTAND IT WAS PURCHASED WITH RURAL AND CRITICAL LANDS MONEY.
BUT THE PURPOSE OF THAT PURCHASE WAS TO PROTECT THE HEADWATERS OF THE OAT T RIVER AND TO PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT.
AND CHU HAS STATED, I WILL STATE TO YOU ALL BECAUSE IT IS MY BELIEF THAT WE'RE DOING JUST THAT.
EVEN IF WE CONSTRUCT THINGS ON THIS PROPERTY, THEREFORE WE ARE STILL SATISFYING THE PURPOSE AND INTENT OF THE RULING CRITICAL LOUNGE PROPERTY.
AND THAT IS TO PROTECT THE HEADWATERS OAK RIVER AND IMPROVE THE WATER QUALITY THEREOF.
THE THIRD THING, THERE ARE NO COVENANTS AND RESTRICTIONS ON COUNT ST.
THE PREVIOUS COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR DID NOT DO THAT.
UH, WHENEVER WE HAD THAT MEETING, COMMUNITY MEETING THREE YEARS AGO.
SO THERE ARE NO, THERE ARE NO COVENANTS AND RESTRICTIONS ON IT.
THERE SOME INDICATION THAT IT WAS GONNA BE ADDED TO THE ACTIVE PARK PROGRAM.
BUT THE REALITY OF THE COUNT ST.
MARY'S PROPERTY IS THAT THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE ALONG THAT ROAD DO NOT WANT ANYTHING DONE WITH CAMP ST.
MARY'S OTHER THAN TO BE, UH, WHAT IT IS RIGHT NOW, WHICH IS A VACANT PIECE OF LAND.
SO THERE'S NOT GONNA BE MUCH IMPROVEMENT THAT'LL EVER OCCUR THERE.
WE'RE NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO PUT ACTIVE BALL FIELDS THERE AS WE ORIGINALLY THOUGHT, BECAUSE THE TRAFFIC WOULD BE TOO GREAT TO A RESIDENTIAL AREA.
YOU DO NOT HAVE THAT SITUATION HERE.
SO I'M DONE WITH MY LONG EXPLANATION.
THANK YOU TO COUNCIL MEMBER HERAN.
I, THERE'S, I GOTTA THERE'S A LOT TO DIGEST THERE.
UH, SO CHUCK, I I APPRECIATE THE PRESENTATION YET AGAIN.
I DON'T DISAGREE WITH ANYTHING THAT YOU SAID.
I ABSOLUTELY UNDERSTAND THE NEED FOR BALL FIELDS AS A PARENT OF THREE SMALL CHILDREN WHO DRAGS THEM AROUND TO EVERY SPORT AND IMAGINABLE AND SEES HOW BASICALLY OVERCROWDED WE ARE NOW IN BLUFFTON.
IT, I UNDERSTAND THE NEED FOR THE LIBRARY.
WHERE MY CONCERN IS, IS THAT WE HAVE CLEARLY NOT CIRCUMVENTED THE RURAL AND CRITICAL LANDS BOARD, BUT IT HASN'T GONE THROUGH THEM.
AND I THINK THAT IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE POTENTIAL PUBLIC PERCEPTION THAT WE'RE PLAYING GAMES WITH RURAL AND CRITICAL LANDS PROPERTY, I PERSONALLY VIEW THAT PROGRAM AS SACRED.
I THINK EVEN IF WE'RE DOING THE RIGHT THING, EVEN IF THE VALUES ARE ONE FOR ONE, EVEN IF THE, THE STORMWATER IMPACT IS EXACTLY THE SAME, I THINK THE PUBLIC PERCEPTION OF YOU TOOK A PROPERTY, YOU SWAPPED IT OUT, DID IT WITH ONE VOTE, DIDN'T SEND IT BACK TO ROYAL CRITICAL, I THINK IT POTENTIALLY BREAKS THE TRUST OF US WITH THE PUBLIC WITH THAT PROGRAM.
AND I THINK THAT ONCE THAT'S DONE, IT'S AN UPHILL BATTLE FROM THERE.
AND, UH, I WOULD, I WOULD BE CONCERNED WITH OUR ABILITY TO CONTINUE THAT PROGRAM GOING FORWARD TO GET THE AMOUNT OF SUPPORT PUBLICLY THAT WE'VE GOTTEN HISTORICALLY.
UH, I JUST DON'T THINK IT'S A GOOD THING THE WAY THAT WE'RE GOING ABOUT THIS RIGHT NOW.
TODAY, I WOULD BE IN SUPPORT OF POSTPONING THIS AND FRANKLY, I THINK I WOULD BE A LITTLE BIT MORE COMFORTABLE IF THIS WAS A UNANIMOUS VOTE THAT CAME THROUGH RURAL AND CRITICAL.
UH, IT DOESN'T BOTHER ME EVEN A LITTLE BIT.
IF THIS WERE TO GET POSTPONED TO JANUARY AND FOUR NEW COUNCILS MEMBERS COMING ON BOARD.
I WON'T BE HERE, BUT THEY'RE ALL SITTING RIGHT HERE.
I DON'T KNOW THAT WE HAVE TO DO A WHOLE BUNCH OF REEDUCATION.
THEY'VE SEEN THE PRESENTATION, THEY'VE SEEN THE DEBATE.
UH, I DON'T THINK THAT THAT'S THAT BIG OF A LIFT, FRANKLY, SO I WOULD BE IN FAVOR OF POSTPONING IT IF MR. RADNER WANTS TO MAKE THAT MOTION.
I THINK HE WAS THE FIRST ONE TO MENTION IT.
I'M HAPPY TO MAKE THE MOTION IF SOMEBODY WANTS ME TO.
UM, BUT THAT'S WHERE I'M AT RIGHT NOW.
UH, SECOND THE O THE OTHER OPTION THAT WE HAVE, UH, JUST FOR COUNCIL'S CONSIDERATION IS TO, UH, IN ORDER TO KEEP WITH THE DE UH, THE DECEMBER 12TH, UH, EVENTS OF HONORING THE COUNCIL MEMBERS, IS TO PERHAPS, UH, START THE MEETING AT FIVE 30, A REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING TO TAKE UP THIS ITEM, UH, FOR THE FIRST 30 MINUTES AND THEN MOVE INTO HONORING THE COUNCIL MEMBERS.
AND THAT WOULD BE THE ONLY ITEM ON THE AGENDA.
A RULE AND CRITICAL LANDS BOARD MEETS DECEMBER 8TH.
OKAY, SO WE, WE HAVE A MOTION AND SECOND ON THE FLOOR TO POST.
I'M SORRY, CAN WE HAVE A DATE ON THE POSTPONEMENT? YEAH, IT, I WAS GOING TO SAY
[02:10:01]
MOTION AND SECOND IS TO POSTPONE ACTION UNTIL THE COUNTY COUNCIL MEETING OF DECEMBER 12TH, WHICH IN FACT WOULD ALLOW NATURAL RESOURCES TO TAKE IT UP AT THEIR MEETING NEXT MONDAY.EVERYBODY UNDERSTAND THE MOTION IN SECOND? MM-HMM.
UM, IS THERE ANYONE OPPOSED TO THAT? SEEING NO ONE OPPOSED TO THAT, THAT MOTION WILL BE DECLARED UNANIMOUS.
THAT TAKES US, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
OKAY, SO IT WILL BE ON YOUR AGENDA COME MONDAY.
AND AN ACTION ITEM AT THE DECEMBER 12TH MEETING.
[22. APPROVAL OF A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR TO EXECUTE THE NECESSARY DOCUMENTS AND PROVIDE FUNDING FOR THE PURCHASE OF DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS ON TAX MAP SERIAL NUMBER R700 037 000 0131 0000 AND ALSO KNOWN AS LOBECO FARMS]
NEXT ONE IS ITEM 22, APPROVAL OF RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR TO EXECUTE THE NECESSARY DOCUMENTS AND PROVIDE FUNDING FOR THE PURCHASE OF DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS ON TAX MAP KNOWN AS LICO FARMS. A MOTION PLEASE SAS.JIM, MR. GLOVER MAKES THE MOTION.
MS. HOWARD MAKES THE SECOND DUALLY MOTION AND SECONDED ANY, UH, DISCUSSION? MR. FLYWELL IN YOUR HAND IS UP.
DO YOU WISH TO MAKE A COMMENT OR IS THAT'S, NO, I'LL TAKE THAT DOWN.
THIS WILL BE DONE UNANIMOUSLY WITHOUT OBJECTION AND I SEE NO OBJECTIONS.
[23. APPROVAL OF A RESOLUTION TO THE AMENDED OYSTER FACTORY PARK MASTER PLAN (2022 OYSTER FACTORY PARK MASTER PLAN) AND SITE LAYOUT PLAN]
NEXT ITEM IS APPROVAL OF A RESOLUTION TO AMEND THE OYSTER FACTORY PARK MASTER PLAN AND SITE LAYOUT.MS. HOWARD MAKES THE SECOND DUALLY MOTION AND SECONDED.
ANY DISCUSSION? I'D JUST LIKE TO SAY THAT THIS IS A GOOD EXAMPLE OF HOW WE WORKED WITH BLUFFTON TO GET TO WHERE WE WANTED, UM, AND WOULD COMPROMISE, AND I THINK EVERYBODY IS SATISFIED.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS? SEEING NONE.
THIS WILL BE APPROVED, UH, UNANIMOUSLY WITHOUT ANY OBJECTIONS, AND I SEE NO OBJECTIONS.
[24. APPROVAL OF A RESOLUTION TO UPDATE POLICY 19- ACQUISITION OF STORMWATER DRAINAGE EASEMENTS]
24 IS APPROVAL OF A RESOLUTION TO UPDATE POLICY 19, WHICH IS ACQUISITION OF STORM WATER DRAINAGE.A MOTION, PLEASE? I'D LIKE TO MAKE THAT MOTION.
MS. HOWARD MAKES THE MOTION A SECOND, PLEASE.
MR. GLOVER MAKES THE SECOND DUALLY MOTION AND SECONDED.
MR. GLOVER? UM, MR. CHAIRMAN, UM, TURN YOUR MIC ON, PLEASE.
UH, I'M GONNA SUPPORT THIS MOTION MOVING FORWARD, UH, BUT I DO WANT, UH, THE ADMINISTRATION TO LOOK AT, UM, CERTAIN SECTION OF, OF THE, UM, STANDARD OPERATION.
SO P THAT'S IN HERE, UM, PARTICULARLY AS IT DEALS WITH, UH, THE LEGAL ASPECT, UM, THAT'S IN HERE.
AND WHEN I SAY THE LEGAL ASPECT, A LOT OF DRAINAGE INITIATIVE OR PROBLEMS, UH, CENTER AROUND LAND THAT'S REALLY AIRS PROPERTY.
AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT TRYING TO GET OWNERSHIP AND ALL THE SIGNATURES OF OWNERS, UM, THAT COULD BE NEXT TO IMPOSSIBLE, BUT YET THE PROBLEM OF STORM WATER DRAINAGE WILL STILL BE THERE.
SO JUST WANNA LOOK AT THAT TO SEE HOW WE CAN ADDRESS THAT, UM, THAT ISSUE, PARTICULARLY AROUND AIR'S PROPERTY THAT'S ON MR. SCHIMMER.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS? SEEING NONE, THIS WILL BE DONE UNANIMOUSLY WITHOUT OBJECTION, AND I SEE NO OBJECTIONS.
[25. APPROVAL OF A RESOLUTION TO ADOPT A COUNTY-OWNED REAL PROPERTY LEASE POLICY]
OUR FINAL ITEM IS APPROVAL OF A RESOLUTION TO ADOPT A COUNTY OWNED REAL PROPERTY LEASE POLICY.MOTION, PLEASE, MR. CHAIRMAN, MR. CUNNINGHAM MAKES THE MOTION.
SECOND, MR. MCALLEN MAKES THE SECOND DUALLY MOTIONED.
AND SECOND, ANY COMMENTS BY ANY MEMBER OF COUNSEL, MR. FLUELLING? THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN.
I, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, GENERALLY I'M IN FAVOR OF THIS, HOWEVER, WHEN WE CONSIDER NON-PROFIT CORPORATIONS WHO, WHOSE WHOLE REASON FOR EXISTENCE IS TO SERVE THE SAME MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY THAT, THAT THE FACILITIES WERE ORIGINALLY INTENDED TO, UH, TO SERVE, IT JUST SEEMS LIKE IT'S, UM, LIKE IT'S AN UNWARRANTED BURDEN ON THESE NON-PROFITS THAT ARE, THAT ARE ALREADY STRUGGLING AND ALREADY SERVING A SIGNIFICANT PART OF OUR, OUR CITIZEN RATE.
AND SO I'M GONNA MAKE A MOTION, SIR, THAT WE AMEND SECTION THREE C
[02:15:01]
UNDER TYPE OF TENANT.SO THAT NON-PROFIT, THE TYPE OF DEDUCTION WOULD BE UP TO NINE OR 90.
WAS WOULD BE 99% SAYING, UM, YOU KNOW, CUZ QUITE FRANKLY FOR SOME OF THE CORPORATIONS OR SOME OF THE NONPROFITS THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, A DOLLAR A YEAR IS REALLY ALL THAT, THAT, QUITE FRANKLY, THE COUNTY IS HARMED AS A WHOLE BY LOSING SOME OF THESE RESIDENTS, SOME OF THESE LEASEHOLDERS, UM, OR I GUESS RIGHT NOW THEY'RE NOT LEASEHOLDERS, BUT IT REALLY WOULD BE A SIGNIFICANT DISADVANTAGE TO OUR COMMUNITY TO HAVE THESE FACILITIES BE MOVED.
SOME OF THESE FUNCTIONS BE MOVED.
AND, UH, THAT'S MY MOTION, SIR.
MR. GLOVER, ANY DISCUSSION ABOUT THE MOTION? MR. JIM? I'D LIKE TO, UM, JUST CHIME IN ON WHAT I THINK THE STAFF IS REALLY LOOKING AT, UM, UM, PUTTING TOGETHER A DOCUMENT.
AND I, I AGREE WITH THAT, THAT WE NEED TO HAVE THAT TYPE OF DOC A DOCUMENT LEASE AGREEMENT WITH OUR TENANT, EVEN THOUGH WE MAY NOT, UM, COLLECT ANYTHING FROM THEM, BUT I THINK WE NEED TO HAVE SOME TYPE OF AGREEMENT.
UM, AND I THINK WE NEED TO HAVE A STANDARD, AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE TRYING TO DO HERE.
UM, WE, WE ARE LEASING A RENTING PROPERTY THAT, THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE JUST PAYING ZERO FOR AT THIS TIME, OR VERY LITTLE.
UM, WE ACTUALLY, UM, BOUGHT A BOND AND, UM, WE LEASED IT BACK TO THE OWNERS AND THEY'RE GETTING VERY LITTLE FOR IT.
SO I, YOU KNOW, I UNDERSTAND THAT WE NEED SOMETHING THAT'S STANDARD.
UM, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, THERE ARE AGENCIES THAT ARE WITH US THAT ARE SERVING OUR COMMUNITY.
THEY ARE, UH, PRESENTING SERVICES, UM, TO OUR COMMUNITY.
THEY'RE ALMOST LIKE OUR STAFF, UM, EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE SEPARATE, THEY'RE SEPARATE AGENCIES, BUT IT IS ALMOST LIKE THEY'RE PROVIDING US SERVICES, SERVICES FOR OUR CONSTITUENTS.
UM, SO I'M, I'M KIND OF TORN BETWEEN THAT AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
UM, I THINK, YOU KNOW, I WOULD LIKE TO WALK, UM, SOFTLY AT THIS TIME, UH, HAVING A, A STICK THAT WE CAN USE, BUT I THINK WE WANNA WORK WITH THESE AGENCIES AS WE MOVE FORWARD IN DEVELOPING SOMETHING.
SO THAT'S WHY I SUPPORTED THIS AMENDMENT TO THIS MOTION.
JUST KIND OF WALK SOFTLY AT THIS TIME.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS? UM, MR. CHAIRMAN? MR. HERAN, THANK YOU.
I I PERSONALLY AM NOT GONNA SUPPORT THIS.
I THINK WE'VE GOT FACILITY ISSUES THAT HAVE BEEN WELL DOCUMENTED FOR A VERY LONG TIME.
IT DOESN'T SEEM TO MAKE SENSE TO ME THAT WE'D BE LEASING PROPERTY OUTSIDE OF COUNTY OPERATIONS, FRANKLY.
UM, SO FOR THAT REASON, I'M NOT GONNA, I'M NOT GONNA SUPPORT THOSE.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS? MR. CHAIRMAN? MR. CHAIRMAN, I DO HAVE A QUICK COMMENT.
UH, YOU KNOW, BY SUB, BY SUBSIDIZING, UH, NON-PROFITS LIKE THIS WE'RE PICKING WINNERS AND LOSERS.
I MEAN, THEY CAN, UH, THEY NEED TO BE SELF-SUPPORTING, UH, AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.
AND WE HAVE METHODOLOGIES IN OUR COUNTY FOR THEM TO APPLY FOR SUBSIDIES AND GRANTS.
UH, SO I'M GONNA OPPOSE THE, THE MOTION TO, UH, TO, UH, AMEND ITEM 21, OR, I'M SORRY, 25.
JUST TO CLARIFY, COUNCILMAN HARON, YOU'RE GONNA VOTE AGAINST THE AMENDMENT, CORRECT? THE AMENDMENT AND THE LEASE POLICY TOGETHER? I, I, I CONCUR WITH, UM, COUNCILMAN SUMMERVILLE AND COUNCILMAN RIVERSHIP ON THE A.
ANY OTHERS? I WOULD JUST ASK FOR A ROLL CALL.
WOULD YOU CALL THE ROLL ON THE AMENDMENT? COUNCIL MEMBER FLEW ELLING? UH, YES.
COUNCIL MEMBER CUNNINGHAM? NO.
WE'RE BACK TO THE ORIGINAL MOTION.
ANY OTHER DISCUSSION BEFORE WE TAKE A ROLL CALL? VOTE ON THE RESOLUTION.
[02:20:01]
A NO, SIR.YEAH, WE'RE GONNA CALL A ROLL CALL ON THE, UH,
UH, I WOULD JUST SAY THAT AND THE NATURAL RESOURCE COMMITTEE RAN BY, UH, COUNCILWOMAN HOWARD.
UH, THEY DID A GREAT PRESENTATION ON THIS.
IF YOU DIDN'T WATCH IT, I WOULD DEFINITELY GO BACK AND TAKE A LOOK AT IT.
IT GOES A LOT MORE IN DEPTH OF AREAS THAT WE NEEDED TO IMPROVE ON, AND I THINK THIS ADDRESSES THAT.
WOULD YOU CALL THE ROLE PLEASE? COUNCIL MEMBER CUNNINGHAM? YES.
VICE CHAIR OF SOMERVILLE? YES.
OKAY, WE ARE DONE WITH THE, UM, ITEMS OF ACTION.
[26. CITIZEN COMMENTS]
WE'RE AT THE SECOND CITIZEN COMMENTS.IS THERE ANYONE IN THE AUDIENCE WHO WISH WISHES TO ADDRESS COUNTY COUNCIL? HI, KATE SCHAFFER WITH THE OPEN LAND TRUST.
UM, I DIDN'T THINK I'D MAKE ANY TIME FOR THE FIRST, BUT JUST WANTED TO SAY, UM, A PUBLIC THANK YOU AND, UM, EXPRESS MY ENTHUSIASM FOR SUPPORTING THE GREEN SPACE PENNY AND THE GOOD THAT IT WILL, UM, BE ABLE TO DO IN BEAUFORD COUNTY.
UM, I THINK WE HEARD A LITTLE BIT ABOUT SOME OF THE DETAILS AND DETAILS OF LAND PROTECTION ARE HARD TONIGHT.
UM, DETAILS OF LAND PROTECTION, OF EASEMENTS, UM, OF THINKING ABOUT WHAT FOREVER MEANS FOR LAND PROTECTION, THAT THAT'S A CHALLENGE AND YOUR STAFF DEALS WITH THAT.
WE DEAL WITH THAT WITH LANDOWNERS AT THE OPEN LAND TRUST.
BUT, UM, IT'S IMPORTANT TO GET THROUGH THE DETAILS AND MAKE SURE THAT THEY LEAD TO MEANINGFUL RESULTS FOR CONSERVATION AND EFFICIENT RESULTS FOR THE TAXPAYER.
AND I THINK WE'RE ALL CAPABLE OF DOING THAT.
AND SO TONIGHT I'D JUST LIKE TO TAKE A 30,000 FOOT VIEW AND SAY THAT WE THINK THIS IS A GREAT THING FOR BEAUFORT COUNTY AND WE'RE REALLY PROUD OF BEAUFORT COUNTY FOR, UM, FOR PUTTING THIS ON THE BALLOT AND FOR IDENTIFYING, UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE BELIEVE ARE THE PUBLIC BENEFITS OF PROTECTED GREEN SPACE.
I THINK IT WILL LEAD TO GREAT THINGS TO COME.
UM, AS YOU MAY KNOW, BEAUFORT COUNTY WAS ONE OF THREE COASTAL COUNTIES WITH A LAND PROTECTION MEASURE ON THE BALLOT.
ALL THREE OF THEM PASSED, BUT BEAUFORT COUNTY CONTINUES TO BE A LEADER BECAUSE OUR ORIGINAL ROLE AND CRITICAL PROGRAM REALLY LED TO THIS GROUNDSWELL THAT WE CONTINUE TO SEE ACROSS THE COASTAL PLAIN.
AGAIN, RECOGNIZING THOSE PUBLIC BENEFITS OF, UM, PROTECTED GREEN SPACE LIKE WATER QUALITY AND FARMLAND PROTECTION AND GROWTH MANAGEMENT AND, UM, CRITICAL RESOURCE PROTECTION.
SO WE'RE EXCITED, UM, FOR WHAT'S TO COME AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU ALL, UM, HELPING THESE LOCAL DOLLARS ATTRACT STATE AND FEDERAL DOLLARS AND ACHIEVING MEANING LAND AND CONSERVATION WHEREVER POSSIBLE.
ANYONE ELSE? MR. CHAIRMAN? MR. CHAIRMAN? YES, MR. GREENWAY.
UM, ONE QUICK ANNOUNCEMENT FOR COUNTY COUNCIL AND MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC AND MEMBERS OF STAFF THAT MAY HAVE NOT HEARD.
UM, I MADE AN OFFER, UH, FOR THE POSITION OF COUNTY ATTORNEY FOR ADMINISTRATION AND DEPARTMENT HEADS TO MS. BRITTANY WARD, AND SHE ACCEPTED THAT OFFER.
SO SHE WILL BE THE COUNTY ATTORNEY, UH, THAT WILL REPLACE KURT TAYLOR, UH, IN ADDITION TO SERVING WITH TOM CAVY, UH, AS COUNTY ATTORNEY FOR ELECTED AND APPOINTED OFFICIALS.
SO IF YOU ALL HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT, PLEASE UH, REACH OUT TO ME INDIVIDUALLY.
I'LL BE GLAD TO, UH, ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE.
BUT CONGRATULATIONS, BRITTANY.
BEFORE THE MEETING IS ADJOURNED, UM, UH, COUNSEL WOULD LIKE, UH, OUR, UH, COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR TO DO THE FOLLOWING THING.
UH, WE WOULD ASK FOR YOU IN THE FUTURE TO BRING TO US THE LIST OF NAMES OF ANYONE IN THE COUNTY WHO IS ALSO A CONTRACT EMPLOYEE, AND IF THEY ARE A CONTRACT EMPLOYEE, HAVE THEY RECEIVED A COLA AS PART OF THEIR CONTRACT IN THE PAST OR IS IT PART OF THEIR CONTRACT NOW? DID I GET EVERYTHING? MR. HERON CAN, CAN WE CLARIFY THAT? SURE.
THOSE ARE EVERYBODY RECEIVING A W2.
AND IT'S EVERYBODY WHO RECEIVES A W2 BECAUSE WE DO KNOW THERE MAY BE SOME CONTRACTED INDIVIDUALS WE'RE CONTRACTING WITH A FIRM.
WE PAY THEM A 10 99 AND THEY PAY THE INDIVIDUAL A W2.
[02:25:01]
WE'RE A LITTLE LATE, BUT THIS MEETING IS ADJOURNED.