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CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY BUFORT COUNTY[1. CALL TO ORDER – 2:00p.m. ]
STORM WATER UTILITY BOARD MEETING FOR OCTOBER 18TH.SORRY FOLKS, BUT SOME OF OUR MOST IMPORTANT PEOPLE HAVE TO LEAD A LITTLE EARLY PREVIOUS COMMITMENTS.
SO WE WANT TO MOVE THIS ON TIME.
UH, WE HAVE, UH, UH, AN APPROVAL OF AN AGENDA.
CAN I GET A MOTION TO APPROVE THE AGENDA TODAY? I'LL MAKE THE MOTION.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE AGENDA IN FRONT OF YOU? AYE.
SECOND THING ON OUR AGENDA, NOW THAT THE AGENDA IS APPROVED, IS OUR APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES FROM AUGUST 16TH.
HOPEFULLY YOU'VE HAD A CHANCE TO LOOK AT THEM.
UH, CAN I GET A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES? I SO MOVE.
ANY ADDITIONS OR CORRECTIONS? NO.
UH, MINUTES FOR AUGUST 16TH ARE APPROVED AS SUBMITTED.
[2. INTRODUCTIONS]
DO INTRODUCTIONS AND WE WILL START WITH THE BACK OF THE ROOM.UH, BRIAN DUR, CITY
OH, THEN YOU GET TO SIT OUT FRONT, SIR.
YOU MEAN I DON'T HAVE TO SIT UP HERE? THANK YOU ELMO.
PATRICK MITCHELL, REPRESENTING LADIES ISLAND.
BILL BARRER, TOWN OF BLUFFTON.
JAMES CLARK, UH, UNINCORPORATED FOR ROYAL.
AND I'M MARK FEINBERG, AND I REPRESENT UNINCORPORATED DISTRICT NINE IN DAUFUSKIE ISLAND.
I DON'T THINK THERE IS ANY, BUT I'LL OPEN IT UP FOR ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS.
THERE BEING NO PUBLIC AT LARGE HERE.
[4. REPORTS]
BUT BEFORE WE DO THAT, UH, FOR THE RECORD, WE'D LIKE TO WELCOME TAYLOR BREWER, UH, OUR NEW STORMWATER MANAGER.YOU KNOW, SHE SAID SHE'S IN PUBLIC WORKS, BUT WE'LL CONSIDER HER.
UH, OUR, OUR CLOSEST ALLY HERE IS THE STORMWATER MANAGER.
WOULD YOU COME UP AND DO UTILITY UPDATE, PLEASE? OH, YEAH.
SO I WAS HALF TEMPTED TO PULL OFF THE FIRST ITEM FOR DISCUSSION, THE SOCO MANUAL AND ORDINANCE.
UM, BUT THEN I RECALLED AN EMAIL WE GOT LAST WEEK FROM THE CITY OF CHARLESTON STAFF.
THEY HAVE KIND OF SAID THEY'RE USING OUR MANUAL AS GUIDANCE AND SOMETIMES RECOMMENDATIONS FOR DEVELOPERS IN THEIR COMMUNITY.
SO I JUST WANTED TO BRING THAT TO Y'ALL'S ATTENTION, THAT EVEN THOUGH WE ARE THE ONLY KIND OF MUNICIPAL GROUP THAT ARE IMPLEMENTING THIS, OTHER PEOPLE FOR THROUGHOUT THE STATE ARE LOOKING AT SOME OF THE WAY WE MANAGE STORMWATER AND DEVELOPMENT, UM, THEY'RE, THEY'RE TAKING A LOOK AT WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE.
SO FELT PRETTY ENCOURAGED TO HEAR FROM CITY OF CHARLESTON STAFF, UM, ABOUT A REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT.
AND I THINK BOTH THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON STAFF AND OUR TEAM WERE ABLE TO SUCCESSFULLY NAVIGATE THEM THROUGH THAT PROCESS.
SO, UM, JUST WANTED TO BRING THAT TO Y'ALL'S ATTENTION AS KIND OF A HIGHLIGHT OF WHY IT'S SO IMPORTANT WE DO WHAT WE DO HERE.
UM, THAT BEING SAID, I KNOW IT'S KIND OF ALREADY FALL, BUT IF THERE ARE ANY IDEAS FOR SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS, UH, LOCATIONS, WERE ALWAYS OPEN TO SUGGESTIONS.
UM, AGAIN, IT'S KIND OF COOLING OFF, SO NOT SURE HOW MUCH LONGER DECEMBER MIGHT BE A NO GO, BUT IF THERE WERE PLACES Y'ALL WANTED TO BE OUT AND ABOUT, UH, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO LET US KNOW.
UM, THIS IS A REMINDER TO ALL THE MUNICIPALITIES, THE
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PER OUR IGAS, THE UNAUDITED FINANCIAL INFORMATION FROM YOUR PREVIOUS FISCAL YEAR AS IT RELATES TO THE STORM WATER UTILITY IS DUE.UM, WE HAVE SOME OF THOSE IN, UM, BUT THAT REPORT DEADLINE, UM, REMAINS.
SO AGAIN, THIS IS JUST UNAUDITED INFORMATION.
'CAUSE TYPICALLY THAT FULLY AUTOMATED STUFF DOESN'T, OR AUDITED ITEMS DON'T COME BACK UNTIL, UM, THE SPRING.
SO JUST A REMINDER BEFORE YOU MOVE ON, KATIE, YOU HAVE A POINT HERE THAT SAYS THAT THE TOWN OF HILTON HEAD IS CONSIDERING ADOPTING SOLO CO.
DO THEY NEED MORE INFORMATION? IS IT POLITICAL? WHY ARE THEY HAVE NOT FALLEN IN LINE WITH THE OTHER MUNICIPALITIES? I'LL DEFER TO THE TOWN OF HILTON HEAD REPRESENTATIVE ON ON THAT ANSWER.
EVEN IF THEY DON'T HAVE AN ANSWER AT THIS TIME, NO ANSWER.
BUT WE ARE PICKING WHAT WE'D LIKE FROM COVID MANUAL AND GET INTO IT, BUT WE'RE NOT INVOLVED WITH ANY KIND OF ADOPTION AS SUCH.
IS IS, IS THERE A REASON, IS THERE SOMETHING IN THERE THAT, THAT POLITICAL NO,
WE'RE JUST FAIR ISLAND AND WE HAVE OUR OWN, UH, NUANCES ASSOCIATED WITH WHAT WE LIKE ASSOCIATED WITH SOMETHING LIKE BIO RETENTION, AREAS OF THE SORT.
UM, SO NO HARSH FEELINGS ASSOCIATED WITH THE LOCAL MANUAL DO LIKE IT, BUT IT IS JUST SOLELY WE TAKE WHAT WE'D LIKE OUT IT.
IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT WE CAN DO TO HELP
I'M JUST PROXY WITHIN WITHIN THE COUNTY
YEAH, CERTAINLY THE DEVELOPMENT PRESSURES EVEN BETWEEN TOWN OF BLUFFTON AND THE UNINCORPORATED BEAUFORT COUNTY LOOKS A LOT DIFFERENT.
SO I WOULD IMAGINE FOR HILTON HEAD IT'S VERY SIMILAR TO, SO IT'S TRYING TO SAY ONE SIZE DOESN'T FIT ALL, UM, TO SOME DEGREE.
AND THE LAST THING I WANT TO TOUCH BASE ON ABOUT THE UTILITY IS JUST THAT WE COMPLETED THE 2023 TAX RUN VERY SUCCESSFULLY.
AS YOU KNOW, EARLIER THIS SUMMER WE LOST OUR BUSINESS MANAGER.
AND SO THE EFFORT OF THE TAX RUN WAS PUT ON THE SHOULDERS OF OUR CONSULTANT.
AND THANKFULLY THAT WENT VERY SMOOTHLY.
THERE WERE, UM, SIX, UH, PARCELS THAT CAME BACK AS FLAGGED.
AND OF THOSE SIX, ONLY ONE OF WHICH WAS AN ERROR ON OUR SIDE.
AND THAT, I MEAN, THAT'S A PRETTY DARN GOOD SUCCESS RATE IF YOU ASK ME.
SO, UM, ALL THAT INFORMATION HAS BEEN PROVIDED TO THE AUDITOR AND THE MUNICIPALITIES HAVE BEEN UPDATED THAT THAT INFORMATION HAS BEEN PROVIDED AS WELL.
WE, WE USED A CONSULTANT TO DO THAT.
UH, WAS THAT IN THE BUDGET FOR NEXT YEAR ALSO? I DON'T SEE IT FOR NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET.
ARE YOU PLANNING, ARE WE PLANNING TO HIRE ONE? OH, FOR, UH, ARE YOU HIRE A CONSULTANT OR HIRE A BUSINESS MANAGER? EITHER OR? SO THE PLAN, WE ARE ACTUALLY GONNA BE STARTING A NEW STORMWATER BUSINESS MANAGER NEXT MONDAY.
SO, ONE HAS BEEN HIRED, ONE HAS BEEN HIRED, AND HOW SMOOTHLY THE PROCESS WENT WORKING WITH OUR CONSULTANT VERSUS THE AMOUNT OF STAFF TIME IT TAKES TO DEDICATE TO THE TAX RUN.
THAT MAY BE SOMETHING THAT THEY, WE CONTINUE TO PUT ON THE SHOULDERS OF OUR CONSULTANT.
SO I I, I JUST ASKED FOR YOU TO COME BACK TO US WHERE THAT CONSULTANT FEE IS.
IS THAT IN AN ADMINISTRATIVE? IT IS UNDER THE TAX, UH, SECTION UNDER PROFESSIONAL CONTRACTS.
IT'S SCOPE NUMBER 16 UNDER, SO ITEM G UNDER PROFESSIONAL CONTRACTS WITH WILPERT.
MINE, MINE DOESN'T GO THAT DEEP.
SO I'LL, I'LL, I'LL GO BACK AND LOOK AT IT.
IN THE, THE REPORT, THE MANAGER REPORT? NO, I WAS JUST LOOKING AT THE PROPOSED 2024 OR OVERVIEW OF, OF THE BUDGET.
OH, YEAH, NO, THAT'S, THAT'S LIKE SUPER HIGH LEVEL.
SO IT PROBABLY JUST HAS A LINE ITEM ASSOCIATED WITH PROFESSIONAL SERVICES.
AND OF THAT WILBERT IS APPROXIMATELY $365,000.
THERE WAS ONLY ONE ITEM BREAKOUT, AND THAT WAS SHELL POINT.
IT DIDN'T BREAK OUT ANYTHING ELSE.
UM, SO WE HAVE A MONITORING UPDATE, A LAB UPDATE, YES.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO DEFER THIS UPDATE TO THE
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U S C B LAB.TY PETTY, IF YOU'D LIKE TO COME UP AND PROVIDE THE UPDATE.
I HAVE MET A COUPLE OF YOU, BUT, UH, AS YOU ALL KNOW, UH, WELL, I'M HERE TO, TO UPDATE ON MONITORING.
I DON'T HAVE A LOT TO SAY ABOUT THAT, EXCEPT THAT WE'RE CONTINUING AS THE MOUS, UH, DICTATE FOR BLUFFTON AND THE COUNTY.
UM, BUT MAINLY AND INTRODUCE MYSELF AS THE NEW PI SLASH LAB MANAGER FOR THE WATER QUALITY LAB.
UM, AS YOU ALL ARE PROBABLY AWARE OF, UH, ALAN WARREN IS NO LONGER WITH THE LAB.
AND AS OF THIS SUMMER, WELL, IN AUGUST, DANIELLE MICKEL, WHO, YOU KNOW, RAN THE DAY-TO-DAY OPERATIONS OF THE LAB, UH, RESIGNED.
SO, UH, THE UNIVERSITY ASKED ME TO TAKE OVER THE WATER QUALITY LAB.
UH, IT'S NOT AT ALL OUT OF, UH, MY, MY EXPERIENCE AND EXPERTISE.
I HAVE A MASTER'S FROM COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON WITH AN EMPHASIS IN AQUATIC TOXICOLOGY AND THEN A PHD AND POSTDOC EXPERIENCE THAT ALL INVOLVES ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND THOSE SORT OF THINGS.
UH, AND WE ARE CURRENTLY, AS OF MONDAY, FINALLY GOT THE UNIVERSITY TO POST A POSITION TO, UH, PHIL, UH, DANIELLE NICHOLS POSITION.
SO WE ARE LOOKING FOR A NEW LAB MANAGER.
IF YOU KNOW OF ANYBODY, PLEASE SEND THEM OUR WAY.
UM, SOMEBODY LOCAL WOULD BE GREAT BECAUSE THEY KNOW THE AREA.
UM, BUT, UH, I'VE PUT THE ADVERTISEMENT ON NATIONAL JOB BOARDS TOO, TO TRY AND ATTRACT, UH, SOMEBODY, SOMEBODY GOOD, UH, LOOKING FOR SOMEBODY WITH, UH, PREFERABLY A MASTER'S.
BUT IF SOMEBODY HAS JUST A BSS WITH EXPERIENCE AND WATER QUALITY, THAT'S, THAT'S GREAT TOO.
UM, IN THE MEANTIME, I'M RUNNING DAY-TO-DAY OPERATIONS AND WE HIRED A PART-TIME, UH, RECENT UNDERGRAD, GRADUATED LAST YEAR FROM U S C B THAT'S BEEN HELPING IN MY RESEARCH LAB DOING ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND, AND THOSE SORT OF THINGS.
AND SHE'S ACTUALLY BEEN WORKING ON, UH, THE BLUFFTON MICRO MICROBIAL SOURCE TRACKING PROJECT PRIOR TO, TO HER HIRING FOR THE, THE WATER QUALITY LAB.
SO SHE'S IN ESSENCE HANDLING THE BLUFFTON SAMPLES FOR WA FOR THE WATER QUALITY LAB.
AND THEN AMP THAT MANY OF YOU MAY KNOW IS, UH, FOCUSING ON THE BUFORT COUNTY, UH, FIELD SAMPLING AND, AND RUNNING THOSE SAMPLES TOO.
AND, UH, I THINK THAT'S ABOUT IT.
I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE SOME I DO APOLOGIZE.
SO I OFFICIALLY TOOK OVER IN JUNE, JULY 1ST, SO I APOLOGIZE.
AND I WILL JUST SAY THAT THE SITUATION BEHIND ALL OF THIS WAS ABOVE MY PAY GRADE.
AND, UH, BUT I DO APOLOGIZE ON BEHALF OF THE UNIVERSITY.
UM, AND SO I'M HOPING THINGS WILL BE, UH, SMOOTH SAILING FROM, FROM ALEX.
ANY QUESTIONS? PLEASE ASK QUESTIONS.
PETTY, WE'RE GLAD TO HAVE YOU.
UH, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE GLAD THAT THE LAB, UH, IS, IS NOW STAFFING.
UH, WE, I WAS CONCERNED WHEN, OF COURSE, DANIELLE LEFT AND WHO YEP.
YOU KNOW, WAS IT A RUDDERLESS SHIP
I, UM, I WAS SAD TO SEE DANIELLE RESIGN 'CAUSE I, UH, YOU KNOW, I SPOKE WITH HER BEFORE THEY ASKED ME TO TAKE, TO POTENTIALLY THINK ABOUT TAKING OVER BEFORE SHE RESIGNED.
AND SHE'S BEEN DOING THIS FOR, WHAT, 15 YEARS NOW, AND KNOWS WHAT'S GOING ON.
SO, UM, SAD THAT SHE, UH, DIDN'T STICK AROUND, BUT WE'LL FIND SOMEBODY ELSE THAT CAN HOPEFULLY DO IS EQUALLY GOOD JOB.
I'M SURE YOU CAN, YOU CAN HANDLE IT.
NO, NO, I'M CONFIDENT WE'LL GET THINGS BACK TO, TO NORMAL NOW.
SO I GUESS THE ONLY THING I'LL ADD TO THAT IS, UM, THE M O U THAT WE HAVE WITH THE LAB WILL HAVE TO HAVE AN ADDENDUM JUST KIND OF STATING THAT DR.
PETTY'S COMING IN AS THE PI AS DANIELLE IS NO LONGER WITH THE PROGRAM.
SO THAT'S THE ONLY CHANGE THAT WE FORESEE WITH OUR EXISTING CONTRACT.
AND I JUST WANT TO ADD, WE UPDATED OUR M O M O U WITH DR.
SO, UH, THE STORM WATER IMPLEMENTATION COMMITTEE MET ABOUT AN HOUR AND A HALF AGO
ONE OF THOSE ITEMS IS THE, YOU KNOW, DISCUSSION ABOUT THE WATER QUALITY LAB.
[00:15:01]
BEEN VERY COMMUNICATIVE SINCE COMING ON BOARD, AND SO, UM, WE'RE EXCITED TO HAVE HIM, BUT WE JUST WANTED TO DISCUSS THAT AS A GROUP.WE ALSO HAVE DISCUSSED OUR EDUCATION CONTRACT, UM, AND WE WILL BE WORKING ON SOME EDUCATION INTERNALLY AS WELL.
THE, ANOTHER THING THAT WE DISCUSSED WAS THE STORM WATER UTILITY FEE.
UM, IN, AS YOU MAY REMEMBER, ABOUT A TWO YEARS AGO, WILPERT, WHEN THEY CAME ON BOARD, DID A MOCK AUDIT OF OUR PROGRAM.
AND SO AT THAT POINT, THEY WERE PROVIDED NOT ONLY OUR MS FOUR INFORMATION, BUT ALSO OUR INFRASTRUCTURE INFORMATION.
THEY WERE PROVIDED OUR UTILITY FEE INFORMATION, UM, JUST TO SEE, YOU KNOW, WHERE WE ARE AT.
THIS IS KIND OF WHAT COMPRISES OUR PROGRAM HOLISTICALLY.
AND AFTER THE TAX RUN WAS COMPLETED, WE HAVE MET TO DISCUSS THE, UM, COMPLICATIONS OF MANAGING SUCH A ROBUST FEE AND IF THERE ARE WAYS TO POTENTIALLY IMPROVE HOW WE'RE COLLECTING FEES.
UM, THE, THE THOUGHT RIGHT NOW IS MAKING SURE OUR UTILITY FEE IS ALWAYS DEFENSIBLE.
UM, AND CERTAINLY THE WAY WE'RE DOING IT NOW IS FINE, BUT IF THERE ARE WAYS TO IMPROVE IT TO MAKE IT EASIER FOR EVERYONE, INCLUDING TAXPAYERS, UM, THIS IS KIND OF THE TIME TO DISCUSS IT.
THE TIMING FOR OUR FIVE YEAR ADOPTED FEE RATE STRUCTURE ENDS AS OF THIS TAX YEAR.
SO THE DISCUSSION ABOUT UTILITY FEES AND WHAT WE CHARGE MOVING FORWARD IS GOING TO BE SOMETHING THAT YOU ALL VOTE ON BEFORE THE NEXT TAX YEAR TAX RUN BEGINS.
AND SO WE THOUGHT THAT THIS WAS A GOOD TIME TO TAKE A LOOK HOLISTICALLY AT THE FEE, HOW WE ASSESS IT, AND, UM, SEE IF THERE ARE, LIKE I SAID, WAYS TO IMPROVE CERTAINLY UNDER THE FINANCIAL CLIMATE THAT WE ARE NOW, MY INTEREST IS NOT TO INCREASE FEES ON TAXPAYERS, ESPECIALLY IF WE CAN CONTINUE TO OPERATE AT THE BUDGET WE HAVE CURRENTLY.
SO PROBABLY LOTS OF QUESTIONS ON YOUR END, BUT THIS WAS JUST A PREFACE TO KIND OF INTRODUCE THAT ITEM WITH THE MUNICIPALITIES SINCE THEY, WE MANAGE THE FEE FOR THEM.
AM I CORRECT IN SAYING THAT WE INCREASED THE FEES JUST RECENTLY FIVE TAX CYCLES AGO? SO IN 2019? 2019 WAS THE FIRST TAX YEAR OVER THE COURSE OF FIVE TAX YEARS THAT WE SAID WE WOULD NOT CHANGE OUR FEE.
S SO WE SAID WE ESTABLISHED SO, SO, SO WE'RE, WE'RE SITTING IN 2024 COMING UP TAX YEAR 24.
SO, SO THERE WILL NOT BE AN INCREASE TO THE PUBLIC.
WELL, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THEY'RE GONNA BE TAKING A LOOK AT FOR 2024 OR FOR 25 THROUGH 29.
WHAT WOULD THE TIMING BE ON THAT THIRD ANNUAL OR DECISION YOU WOULD'VE TO MAKE OLD TO ULTIMATELY OUR BUDGET IS GOING TO BE INFLUENCED BY THOSE FEES.
SO WE WOULD LIKE TO PRESENT THAT INFORMATION BEFORE THE BUDGET, WHICH IS FEBRUARY.
AND THE DETERMINATION MIGHT BE WE KEEP THE FEES THE SAME FOR THE NEXT TAX YEAR, BUT I WANT THEM TO TAKE A LOOK AT PREVIOUS FISCAL YEARS, FUTURE FISCAL YEARS, WHAT WE'VE KIND OF ANTICIPATED THINGS LOOKING LIKE AND DETERMINING WHETHER OR NOT WE NEED TO CHANGE THAT RATE STRUCTURE.
AND UH, UH, WHEN WE LOOKED AT THE PROPOSED 2024 BUDGET, THERE WAS AN INCREASE OF, UH, 1,000,008 IN THE BUDGET.
IT WASN'T NECESSARILY AN INCREASE, IT WAS AN INCREASE OF THE BUDGET, BUT THE, THE RESERVE BALANCE SUPPORTS HAVING THAT ADJUSTED 'CAUSE OUR FEES, OUR REVENUE.
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FOR HAVING TO DIP INTO THE RESERVE.SO IF WE HAD NO RESERVE, THEN THERE'D HAVE TO BE A TAX INCREASE.
IF WE WERE TO EXTEND THROUGH OUR ENTIRE BUDGET, RIGHT.
HOW LONG, I GUESS YOU, YOU'RE PROJECTING HOW LONG BEFORE WE GO TO ZERO IN OUR, IF, IF YOU KEEP USING THAT MONEY UP, EVENTUALLY YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO HAVE A TAX INCREASE.
DID HA HAVE YOU DONE THE, THE, THE NU RUN THE NUMBERS? NO, THEY'RE WE'RE WORKING ON THE SCOPE AND TASK ORDER FEE, ALL THAT THROUGH COUNTY PROCUREMENT.
NOW, WOULD WE GET THAT IN IN SOME TYPE OF INFORMATION BEFORE WE VOTE? YES.
THAT, THAT, THAT'S WHAT I REALLY WANNA GET TO.
IT, THE TIMING AGAIN, SINCE THEY'VE JUST GONE THROUGH THE TAX RUN, THERE'S A LOT THAT GOES IN BEHIND THE SCENES TO CREATING THE BUDGET, ESPECIALLY AS IT'S COST SHARED ACROSS THE MUNICIPALITIES.
UM, BUT AGAIN, IF THERE ARE WAYS TO IMPROVE, WE MIGHT AS WELL TRY AND BE IMPROVING THE, AS IT STANDS NOW, THE BUDGET FORECAST DOESN'T SHOW US GOING THROUGH ANY OF OUR RESERVE BALANCE UNTIL F Y 27, WHICH IS ONLY TWO AND THREE QUARTER YEARS FROM NOW.
UM, AND IF WE DON'T GET ANY GRANT FUNDS FOR SHELL POINT OR ANY OF OUR OTHER PROJECTS, IF WE WERE AT A COST BEAR, THE COST OF ALL OF THOSE LARGE SCALES PROJECTS, WE COULD SUSTAIN OURSELVES UNTIL F Y 27.
I DON'T THINK, MY GOAL IS TO HAVE THE UTILITY HAVING A MASSIVE FUND BALANCE, BASICALLY MAKING MONEY.
WE SHOULD BE OPERATING ZERO BASED BUDGET.
WE SHOULD BE, WE SHOULD BE EXPENDING THE BUDGET THAT WE'RE, WE'RE ALLOCATED MM-HMM.
SO CERTAINLY THERE HAVE BEEN CHALLENGES IN THE LAST COUPLE YEARS TO GET TO THAT POINT WITH STAFFING, UM, AND OTHER LARGE SCALE CAPITAL PROJECTS.
BUT THOSE ARE ALL THINGS THAT IN WORKING THROUGH THIS PROCESS, VERY SENSITIVE TO MAKING SURE IT WORK.
BE INTERESTING TO SEE THOSE NUMBERS YEAH.
SO THE G I SS DEPARTMENT HAS WORKED WITH A, ONE OF THEIR CONSULTANTS OR CONTRACTORS TO RUN A MODEL ON FLYING LIDAR TO DETERMINE THE IMPERVIOUS AREA OF A PROPERTY.
SO INSTEAD OF CHARGING BASED ON A, A RATE STRUCTURE, YOU WOULD CHARGE ON WHAT YOUR IMPERVIOUS FOOTPRINT IS ON YOUR PROPERTY, THAT'S YOUR DIRECT IMPACT TO THE ENVIRONMENT.
SO G I S HAD THEIR PERSON DO THIS EXERCISE AND WITHIN JUST A COUPLE DOLLARS, THEY WERE, THEIR FLIGHT INFORMATION SHOWED EXACTLY ALL THE CALCULATIONS WE RUN ON THE SIDE.
SO SOMETHING THAT TAKES MONTHS TO PUT TOGETHER TOOK, I DON'T KNOW, A WEEK
SO AGAIN, ANYTHING'S OPEN FOR DISCUSSION, UM, AND HOW WE MOVE FORWARD.
AND OBVIOUSLY THAT INFORMATION WILL BE PROVIDED TO THE BOARD FOR REVIEW AND DISCUSSION AND VOTE.
UM, BUT THAT'S JUST SOMETHING THAT'S KIND OF ON OUR RADAR AND WAS PRESENTED TO THE WIC MEMBERS EARLIER THIS AFTERNOON.
SO, UM, AND THEN IN PART OF THAT DISCUSSION, THE UTILITY DOES CHARGE A C W I FEE TO THE INCORPORATED AREAS TO MANAGE THE INFRASTRUCTURE WITHIN THOSE JURISDICTIONS THAT THE COUNTY IS NO LONGER GETTING THE FEE BASE FOR.
AND SO THAT WILL ALSO BE PART OF THE LARGER BUDGET DISCUSSION.
HOW DO WE MANAGE THE C W I FEES? DO WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO ASSESS THEM? CAN THEY BE PART OF THE IMPERVIOUS AREA STRUCTURE? ALL THAT IS BEING LOOKED INTO SO WE CAN PROVIDE THE BEST PROPOSAL TO MOVE FORWARD.
ANYTHING ELSE FROM SWIC?
SO WE MIGHT AS WELL, WE, YOU, YOU, YOU, YOU'VE, YOU'VE PUT YOUR TOE IN THE WATER, SO YOU MIGHT AS WELL CONTINUE TO JUMP IN
SO, UM, THERE, DO YOU WANT ME TO TALK ABOUT THE COUNTY PERSPECTIVE TOO AND WHAT I WAS PLANNING ON TALKING ABOUT AT THE END? OR
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SPECIFIC TO THE BOARD? WELL, YOU, YOU HAD IT IN UNFINISHED BUSINESS.I CAN LEAVE YOUR, YOUR CHOICE.
YOU CAN, YOU CAN JUMP IN OR YOU CAN WAIT.
UM, KNOWING THAT YOU HAVE A HARD STOP.
SO THE LEGAL TEAM, THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE PRESENTED THE BOARD CONSOLIDATION PROPOSAL TO, UM, MS. HOWARD.
WHICH COMMITTEE? COMMITTEE WAS THAT PUBLIC FACILITIES OR NO, ADMINISTRATION.
I THINK IT WAS FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION.
SO IT WAS GONNA BE AN AGENDA ITEM FOR THE COMMITTEE IN SEPTEMBER.
AND PRIOR TO THAT, BEING OFFICIALLY ON THE AGENDA, THE LEGAL TEAM WEIGHED IN AND SAID THAT THEY WANNA TABLE THE DISCUSSION FOR NOW, THE INFORMATION THAT STAFF HAD COMPILED WAS PROVIDED TO THEM.
THERE WAS A DISCUSSION ON OCTOBER 5TH ABOUT THAT.
UNFORTUNATELY I COULD NOT PARTICIPATE DUE TO OTHER WORK OBLIGATIONS.
BUT THE, AND SO MS. HOWARD, IF THERE'S SOMETHING I'M MISSING, WERE YOU IN THAT MEETING? OKAY,
SO WHAT I WAS TOLD WAS THAT THE LEGAL TEAM DIDN'T THINK THERE WAS, UM, THERE WAS NO LEGAL PRECEDENCE TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT.
AND SO CERTAINLY IF THE LEGAL TEAM DECIDES IT'S NOT FEASIBLE TO DO, THEN THAT'S KIND OF WHERE IT IS.
UM, OUR THOUGHT, THE RESPONSE THAT I PROVIDED BACK TO THEM WAS, I DIDN'T SEE IT IN STATE LEGISLATURE THAT IT WAS, YOU COULD NOT HAVE TWO UTILITIES BE OVERSEEN BY ONE BOARD.
BUT LONG STORY SHORT, THE DISCUSSION IS STILL ON THE TABLE WITH THEM AND NO DECISION HAS BEEN MADE ONE WAY OR THE OTHER.
WHEN WE DISCUSSED THAT IN THE SWCC COMMITTEE THIS AFTERNOON, THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON LEGAL TEAM SEEMS TO AGREE WITH THE COUNTY LEGAL IN THAT IT WOULD NOT BE SOMETHING THEY WERE ABLE TO DO OR EVEN INTERESTED IN SIGNING OFF ON.
SO CERTAINLY STAFF THOUGHT WE WERE FURTHER ALONG THAN WHERE ADMINISTRATION FEELS.
SO AT THIS POINT, THERE'S CERTAINLY NO CONSOLIDATION HAPPENING.
SO, AND AGAIN, JUST TO REITERATE, THIS EXERCISE WAS WENT, WE WENT THROUGH THIS EXERCISE AT THE REQUEST OF COUNTY COUNCIL.
SO IN THE EVENT THEY DECIDE IT'S NOT SOMETHING WORTH MOVING FORWARD THROUGH, OR I SHOULD SAY THE CHAIRMAN, UM, THEN THAT CERTAINLY WON'T HAPPEN.
BUT AS OF RIGHT NOW, IT'S STILL KIND OF WHERE WE LEFT IT PREVIOUSLY ASKING FOR MORE INFORMATION, I BELIEVE YES, FORTHCOMING THE INFORMATION THAT WE HAVE HAS BEEN PROVIDED, BUT I DON'T KNOW WHERE THEY'RE AT IN THEIR REVIEW.
THE INITIAL RESPONSE WAS THAT IT WASN'T SOMETHING THAT THE STATE STATUTES WOULD SUPPORT.
UH, IS THIS STILL ME? I'M AFRAID.
OUTREACH COORDINATION, BUT THAT'S PRETTY EASY.
SO OLD WOODLANDS, THE, LET ME GET BACK, LET ME GET TO MY NOTES.
SO THE SURVEY FOR THAT NEIGHBORHOOD HAS BEEN COMPLETED.
UM, WE NEED TO BE PROVIDED THAT INFORMATION FOR OUR REVIEW.
AND THEN AS WE KIND OF KICK OFF OUR BUDGET DISCUSSIONS FOR F Y 25, ANY SORT OF LARGE SCALE PROJECT WOULD BE INCORPORATED INTO THE BUDGET.
AT THAT TIME, THE EASEMENT BETWEEN THE 55 GARDNER PROPERTY AND INDIAN TRAIL, IF YOU'RE FAMILIAR, THE COUNTY IS MOVING FORWARD WITH HANDING THAT DRAINAGE EASEMENT TO THE TOWN OF HILTON HEAD.
UM, YEARS AND YEARS AGO, THERE WAS A DRAINAGE SYSTEM, BUT OVER TIME, DUE TO DEVELOPMENT, THAT SYSTEM REALLY DOES NO, DOES NOT EXIST.
AND IN 2020, THE EASEMENT WAS MODIFIED IN SUCH A WAY THAT THE PROPERTY OWNER WAS ABLE TO CHANGE THE DRAINAGE PATTERN.
AND SO BECAUSE OF THAT, THERE'S REALLY NOTHING FOR THE COUNTY INFRASTRUCTURE TEAM TO MAINTAIN
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IT'S ALL PRIVATE INFRASTRUCTURE AT THIS POINT.AND SO BECAUSE OF THAT, THE SENTIMENT WAS THIS SHOULD BE MANAGED BY TOWN OF HILTON HEAD, THE TOWN OF HILTON HEAD TEAM.
AND SO THEY'RE AGREEABLE TO THAT AND WE'RE WORKING THROUGH THE APPROVAL, UM, AT THE PUBLIC FACILITIES COMMITTEE IN NOVEMBER TO OFFICIALLY HAND THAT EASEMENT OVER.
ANYTHING ELSE ON RACHEL? THAT'S IT FOR NOW.
SO WE GET TO HAVE MS. BREWER SPEAK.
I MEAN, I KNOW YOU'RE ALL REALLY EXCITED TO HEAR FROM HER AND I KNOW SHE'S REALLY EXCITED TO TALK TO Y'ALL, BUT I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO MY MUNICIPAL PARTNERS FOR THEM TO TALK ABOUT THEIR OWN PROGRAMS AND REPORTS.
YOU WANT, YOU'RE THE OTHER GUY UP HERE STUCK UP HERE SINCE YOU GOT THE OUT THERE.
EVERYBODY, UH, TOWN OF BLUFFTON RIGHT NOW, WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT OUR HAYWARD COVE DRAINAGE STUDY BEING COMPLETE.
WE'RE EXPECTING THEM TO HAND OVER THE MODEL, UH, ANY DAY NOW.
SO WE'RE EXCITED FOR OUR FIRST ONE.
WE'RE IN, UH, A NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE, UH, WITH THE J BRAGG ON THE SECOND DRAINAGE STUDY, WHICH WOULD BE, UH, CALHOUN RESTAURANT AREA, UH, NORTH, UH, AND VERDE COVE TO HAYWARD OR HUGE COVE.
SO THAT'S THE NEXT DRAINAGE STUDY THAT'S IN, UH, TALKING TO THEM RIGHT NOW ABOUT THAT.
HOPEFULLY WE CAN GET STARTED ON THAT WITH THAT.
THE RESILIENCY PLAN FOR THOSE TWO AREAS IS ALSO, UH, BEING DISCUSSED AS PART OF THAT DRAINAGE STUDY.
IT'LL BE OUR FIRST RESILIENCY LOOK.
UH, SO WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT THAT.
UH, BRIDGE STREET, UH, RETROFIT AND, UH, STORM, OR EXCUSE ME, STREETSCAPE AND STORM WATER, UH, IMPROVEMENT PROJECT HAS BEEN CLOSED OUT AT, UH, UH, WITH THE THREE 19 GRANT.
UH, WE'RE JUST WAITING ON A LITTLE BIT MORE GRASS TO GROW AND THAT WILL BE COMPLETELY CLOSED OUT.
UH, THOSE ARE THE BIG THINGS THAT'S GOING ON RIGHT NOW, NOT COUNTING OUR NORMAL SAMPLING AND, UH, UH, FLOW MONITORING THAT WE'RE DOING.
UH, ANY ANYTHING FROM YOUR NORMAL MONITORING? ANY BLIPS, ANYTHING, ANY BLIPS? UH, WE'RE ALWAYS GETTING BLIPS DOWN THERE, UH, THROUGH THE M S T LAB, WE'RE, UH, WE'RE STILL DOING OUR, UH, UH, OUR INVESTIGATION IN THE NORTHERN PART OF THE MAY RIVER FOR, UH, 'CAUSE WE'RE STILL GETTING HITS UP IN THERE.
WE'RE STILL LOOKING AT, UH, A SEWING PROJECT FOR THE, UH, UH, HEADWATERS OF THE MAY RIVER, MAINLY AROUND PALMETTO BLUFF ENTRANCE AND MAY RIVER ROAD.
THAT AREA, UH, THAT'S STILL IN NEGOTIATION WITH B J W S A AND OURSELVES AND THE COUNTY.
THAT'S WHAT I WAS REALLY TRYING TO GET TO WAS WAS THERE SOMETHING GOING ON IN OUR STREAMS AND WATERWAYS THAT WE SHOULD BE AWARE OF AND THAT YOU HIT IT? THAT'S, THAT'S A, THAT'S A BIG QUESTION.
SO WE, WE THINK IT'S HUMAN FECAL AND IT'S PROBABLY COMING FROM FAILED SEPTIC.
CAN I MAKE A GENERALIZATION THAT IS ABSOLUTELY, UH, CONTRIBUTING TO, TO IT, BUT IT, IT'S MORE THAN JUST THAT.
AND, UH, WE'RE LOOKING TO SEE HOW MUCH THAT ACTUALLY CLEANS UP.
WE'VE BEEN MODELING THAT, UH, STONY CREEK AREA FOR A WHILE, UH, AND WE HAVE A LOT OF DATA.
SO NOW ALL WE NEED IS TO TAKE SOMETHING OUT OF THE, OUT OF THE EQUATION AND SEE HOW THAT CHANGES AND THAT THAT'LL GIVE US A BETTER DETERMINATION OF HOW WELL, AND HOW EFFECTIVE SEWING IS TO A, TO A WATERSHED OR TO A SUB-BASIN.
THAT THAT WOULD PROBABLY BE A GREAT REPORT TO HAVE SINCE THERE'S OTHER AREAS THAT HAVE ISSUES SIMILAR TO THAT.
ANY OTHER MUNICIPALITIES? YES, SIR.
TO THE MIC OR STAND UP? I'M SORRY.
PLEASE COME TO THE MIC BECAUSE THERE'S A TELEVISION THAT WANTS TO SEE YOUR PRETTY FACE.
THE BALD HEAD AND EVERYTHING LIKE THAT.
UM, WE HAVE TWO NEW STORMWATER INSPECTORS.
UM, THEY ARE NOW INSPECTING, UH, CONSTRUCTION
[00:35:01]
GENERAL PERMITS, SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL HOMES, DEMOLITIONS POOLS AND SPAS.WE RAN ON FRIDAY AFTERNOON, UM, HOW MANY INSPECTIONS THEY'VE BEEN DOING, AND THEY ACTUALLY ACCOMPLISHED IN THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER, 700.
150 ACTIVE, 150 PLUS ACTIVE, UH, SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL POOL SPAS AND DEMOS, AND AROUND 25 CONSTRUCTION GENERAL PERMITS.
WE HAVE BEGINNING PUSHBACK A LITTLE BIT ASSOCIATED WITH THIS.
BUT, UM, AFTER WE CLARIFIED THAT THESE ARE NOT RANDOM INSPECTIONS THAT YOU'VE ALWAYS BEEN SUBJECTED TO 'EM, WE JUST DID NOT HAVE THE FIRE POWER.
WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE STARTING THESE IN SUSPENSIONS, UNFORTUNATELY.
UM, OTHER THAN THAT, THE TOWN OF HILTON HEAD HAS ACCOMPLISHED, UM, DREDGING OUT THE TOWN, UM, HALL POND.
UM, CARRIE SCHUMACHER AND I, UH, DID BASICALLY A RUDIMENTARY VERSION OF A BATHYMETRIC STUDY AND FOUND THAT IT WAS ALMOST AT MAX CAPACITY FOR THE LOADING LIGHT, UH, LOADING RATE THAT WE HAD IN THERE FOR ORGANICS.
SO, UM, MALICE UTILITIES CAME IN WITH A, UH, DEVICE, AMPHIBIOUS DEVICE CALLED A ZULU, UM, AND DREDGED IT ALL OUT OVER THE CO A COURSE OF TWO WEEKS I THINK IT WAS.
SO WE HAVE CAPACITY BACK IN THERE, THANK GOODNESS.
UM, CAN I ASK A QUESTION? HOW BIG WAS THAT POND IN? OH, DON'T ASK ME THAT.
I WANNA SAY IT WAS RIGHT AT AN ACRE, MAYBE LIKE RIGHT LESS THAN AN ACRE.
IT'S, I WON'T HOLD YOU TO NO, NO, IT DOES.
SO, UM, BUT OTHER THAN THAT, THAT IS ALL THAT IS GOING ON IN THE TOWN OF HILTON HEAD.
ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT ANYTHING? THANK YOU.
SINCE PORT ROYAL IS NOT PRESENT, I DID SEE VAN TODAY, BUT SURE THERE'S A REASON.
I'LL SAY BEFORE WE GO ON THAT, UM, THE TOWN OF HILTON HEAD JUST HOSTED THE SOUTHEASTERN STORMWATER ASSOCIATION ANNUAL CONFERENCE, AND THEIR STAFF KIND OF SPEARHEADED TWO EDUCATION PROGRAMS, UH, WHICH WERE VERY, VERY WELL RECEIVED.
THE VOLUNTEERS FROM THE ASSOCIATION BAGGED 425 OYSTER BAGS FOR RESTORATION AND EROSION IN ABOUT AN HOUR AND A HALF, WHICH BEAT THE FORMER RECORD BY 25 BAGS.
AND THEN THEY, THE SECOND HALF OF THE DAY, WAS KIND OF AN IMMERSIVE EDUCATION PROGRAM THAT, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, THEY KIND OF COORDINATED ON THEIR OWN END.
SO SHOUT OUT TO THEM FOR HOSTING ANOTHER GREAT CONFERENCE.
SO THAT WAS ALL FOR STORM WATER RELATED PROJECTS.
WE CONTINUE TO MEET REGULARLY ABOUT ALL EASEMENTS AND DRAINAGE CONCERNS THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY.
UM, WE ARE GOING TO MEDIATION ON ITEM NUMBER THREE.
THAT MEETING WAS ORIGINALLY SCHEDULED FOR OCTOBER 25TH, BUT HAS BEEN RE MOVED TO NOVEMBER 8TH.
SO AGAIN, THAT'S ABOUT THE FACTORY CREEK POND.
UM, DAPHNE, DO YOU MIND CLOSING THAT OUT SO WE CAN SEE THE PICTURES? I WANTED TO SHOW Y'ALL SOME PICTURES OF THE WORK THAT'S BEEN DONE BY OUR CONSOL, OR I GUESS OUR CONTRACTOR IN SHELL POINT.
SO, UM, AS YOU KNOW, THAT WAS OFFICIALLY AWARDED IN LATE AUGUST, AND THEIR TEAM HAS GOTTEN TO WORK ON THE DRAINAGE SYSTEM.
THIS WAS THEIR, UM, FIRST RUN THROUGH TO KIND OF CLEAR AND GRUB OUT THOSE SYSTEMS. THEY DID HAVE SOME CHALLENGES.
WE WERE ON SITE KIND OF INSPECTING LATE LAST WEEK, AND 'CAUSE OF THE WEATHER AND TIDES, THEY'VE KIND OF PAUSED, BUT THEY'RE HOPING TO WRAP UP THAT EFFORT SOON.
SO THIS IS THE EASEMENT THAT CROSSES UNDER WALNUT STREET INTO THE LARGE PALMETTO RIDGE SYSTEM.
UM, CAN YOU GO TO THE NEXT ONE? THIS IS JUST, THIS IS CYPRESS STREET, SO I GUESS JUST EAST OF WALNUT.
UM, THERE WAS A PRETTY LARGE MAGNOLIA TREE IN THE DRAINAGE EASEMENT, SO THEY'RE GOING TO GRADE THE REST OF THAT OUT, BUT THEY WANTED TO GET RID OF ALL THE BIG DEBRIS FIRST.
SO NEXT PICTURE, THIS IS THE SYSTEM BEHIND DOGWOOD.
UM, AS YOU CAN SEE, THE SYSTEM'S PRETTY TAXED.
IT'S GOT A LOT OF, UH, WATER IN THERE.
UM, CAN YOU GO TO THE NEXT PICTURE? SO THAT'S THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE STREAM.
SO THERE'S DEFINITELY SOME CLOGGING GOING ON IN THAT SYSTEM, BUT ONCE WE, ONCE THEY GET THAT CLEARED OUT, THAT SYSTEM SHOULD START FLOWING NORMALLY.
SO WORK HAS BEGUN IN THE SHELL POINT AREA FOR SOME OF THESE MAINTENANCE PROJECTS.
[00:40:01]
I KNOW.MR. CLARK, YOU LIVE IN THE AREA.
ANY COMMENTS OR FEEDBACK THAT CLOSE TO MY HOUSE YET?
SO YOU'RE, YOU'RE COOL WITH IT.
HAS THERE BEEN ANY FEEDBACK FROM ANYBODY ELSE IN THE AREA THAT'S BEEN OBSERVING THE WORK AND, AND THEIR INPUT? NO, I'VE GOTTEN A LOT OF POSITIVE.
I WASN'T, THAT'S ALL I, THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO REPORT.
UM, THIS WAS A KIND OF TRICKY SECTION IN PARTICULAR.
SO THIS IS PALMETTO RIDGE STREET.
THE BIG PALMETTO RIDGE DITCH IS IN THE BACKGROUND OF THIS IMAGE, AND THEN WALNUTS ON THE OTHER SIDE.
SO THIS SECTION IN PARTICULAR, THE NEIGHBORS WERE VERY CONCERNED ABOUT BECAUSE THEIR FOUNDATIONS ARE VERY CLOSE.
UM, SO THEY DID A GREAT JOB, YOU KNOW, STEERING CLEAR OF THE PROPERTIES.
THERE IS A 30 FOOT DRAINAGE EASEMENT THROUGH THOSE TWO HOMES, BUT I DON'T THINK THAT QUITE MEASURES OUT, I'LL BE HONEST.
SO, UM, AGAIN, THERE, SO THERE, THERE'S THE PALMETTO RIDGE SYSTEM, AND THEN THAT CROSSES UNDER, UM, BROAD RIVER DRIVE TO EVENTUALLY OUTFALL THAT'S LOOKING DOWN IT.
SO THEY STILL HAVE SOME STABILIZATION AND SOME CLEARING TO, TO DO, BUT THE WORK HAS BEGUN TO, TO ALLEVIATE SOME OF THOSE DRAINAGE ISSUES.
SO I JUST WANTED TO SHARE THAT WITH Y'ALL.
SO, AND THEN FOR OUR ON-CALL CONTRACTOR, THE, UH, JH HIRES, THERE ARE SEVERAL PROJECTS THAT THEY ARE BEGINNING.
UM, IF YOU GO UP A LITTLE MORE, GO BACK UP.
UM, HUSSLE COURT NORTH, THEY HAVE BEGUN INSTALLING SEDIMENT AND EROSION CONTROL.
THIS IS GONNA BE A LARGE SCALE REROUTING OF THE DRAINAGE SYSTEM DOWN THAT COUNTY ROAD TO FALL IN LINE WITH THE PARCEL LINES OF THAT AREA.
SO BESSIE'S LANE IS ANO A SIMILAR PROJECT.
WE'RE WORKING WITH PROCUREMENT NOW TO MAKE SURE WE FOLLOW ALL THOSE RULES AND GET THE PROPER APPROVALS.
AND THAT WORK WILL ALSO BEGIN TO REROUTE THE DRAINAGE GOING FROM THE MIDDLE OF THEIR PROPERTY DOWN THE PARCEL LINES AND OUT TO THE, TO THE ROAD.
SO THE CHURCH OF GOD EFFORT WAS COMPLETED AND THERE ARE SOME ADDITIONAL EROSION ISSUES THAT ARE KIND OF OCCURRING DOWNSTREAM THAT WE WANNA GO AHEAD AND TAKE CARE OF AS WELL.
THAT WAS NOT PART OF THIS INITIAL PHASE.
AND SO WE'VE JUST GOTTEN A QUOTE BACK FOR ROUGHLY $80,000 FOR THEM TO MOVE FORWARD ON THAT.
SO AGAIN, WORKING DOWN THE PIPELINE, AND THIS IS ALL WOULD BE C W I WORK WITHIN THE TOWN OF PORT ROYAL AND UNFORTUNATELY THERE'S STILL NO UPDATE ON THE ARTHUR HORN FUNDS THAT PIF R WAS APPROVED.
AND I THINK IT'S STILL KIND OF HANGING OUT IN FEDERAL APPROVAL LAND, UM, FOR THE STATE TO GET THEIR, THEIR PIECE OF THE PIE FOR US TO MOVE FORWARD.
UM, IF YOU RECALL, WE GOT APPROVAL TO DO ROUGHLY $4 MILLION WORTH OF WORK ON SEVERAL DIFFERENT PROJECTS.
I THINK EIGHT TOTAL, UM, WITH A COUNTY MATCH OF ABOUT 1.2 MILLION.
SO ONCE THAT COMES TO FRUITION, WE'LL BE EXCITED TO GET THAT STARTED.
ONE OF THE PRESENTATIONS ACTUALLY FROM THE SOUTHEASTERN STORMWATER ASSOCIATION WAS ABOUT A SIMILAR SIZED PARK RETROFIT FOR THE PURPOSES OF STORM WATER MANAGEMENT, WATER QUANTITY AND QUALITY.
AND IT JUST KEEPS AMPLIFYING THE ONE, THE NEED FOR THE EFFORT, BUT ALSO WHAT GOOD IT CAN BRING TO THE COMMUNITY.
SO I'LL KEEP, KEEP TOUCHING THE WINDMILL
SAME WITH SOME OF OUR OTHER GRANTS AS WELL.
NOW THE MOMENT YOU'VE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR TAYLOR.
I COME TO YOU FROM THE FARAWAY LAND OF LEXINGTON COUNTY.
I WAS THEIR ENVIRONMENTAL COORDINATOR.
UM, BUT FAMILY ISSUES FORCED US TO MOVE AND SO WE CHOSE TO MOVE TO WHERE PEOPLE WHERE I COME FROM VACATION TO THE PLACE THAT Y'ALL CALL HOME.
SO I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO WORKING WITH Y'ALL.
GO GAMECOCKS, EVEN AFTER THIS WEEKEND.
UM, FIRST BEFORE I GET STARTED WITH OUR PROFESSIONAL CONTRACTS REPORT, DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR ME? UM, THE LAST COUPLE DID, DID YOU BRING SOME OF THAT BARBECUE FROM LEXINGTON BUILDING? LISTEN, UH, MY MAIDEN NAME IS HUDSON, SO MY DAD USED TO TELL PEOPLE WE DON'T SELL CARS AND WE DON'T MAKE BARBECUE, BUT, UM, IT'S, IT IS DELICIOUS UP THERE.
SO, BUT UM, ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR ME BEFORE I GET STARTED?
[00:45:01]
PERSONALLY, ASPIRATIONS, I'M ASPIRING TO BECOME A PE WITHIN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS, UM, WITH KATIE'S SUPPORT.SO SHE IS SUPPORTING MY ENDEAVORS AND WE'LL SEE WHERE THAT LEADS, UM, IN THE NEXT COMING YEARS.
SO WE'LL JUMP RIGHT INTO THE PROFESSIONAL CONTRACTS REPORT.
UM, MR. FEINBERG POINTED OUT THAT I'M REPLACING JULIANNA HUNTER.
I'M TAKING OVER A LOT OF HER, UH, FORMER RESPONSIBILITIES.
SHE'S NOW MISS, MISS MRS. CORBIN, AND SHE'S LOVING MARRIED LIFE, I THINK.
SO I HOPE THAT I CAN SERVE Y'ALL AS WELL AS SHE DID.
SHE'S FANTASTIC AND I'VE BEEN IN VERY CLOSE CONTACT WITH HER, SO HOPEFULLY, UH, I'LL BE WELL TRAINED.
UM, SO WE'RE GONNA JUMP RIGHT IN.
UM, SPEAKING OF WILPERT, UM, WHICH IS WHERE MS. JOLENE AND NOW WORKS, WE ARE WORKING WITH THEM ON A WEBSITE TO SHOW OFF OUR WATER QUALITY STATIONS.
DO YOU HAVE THE LINK? DID YOU WANNA SHARE THAT OFF? PULL IT UP.
WELL, WHILE WE'RE WAITING, I WILL MENTION THAT WE'VE BEEN IN DISCUSSIONS WITH THE PORT ROYAL SOUND FOUNDATION, UM, WHO HAS ALSO BEEN IN DISCUSSIONS WITH D N R ABOUT WATER QUALITY MONITORING STATIONS AND WHERE FUTURE ONES WILL BE PUT JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL OF THESE ENTITIES AREN'T PILING STATIONS RIGHT ON TOP OF EACH OTHER AND MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE ALL REACHING OUT TO THE AREAS THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO COVER.
SO HOPEFULLY GOING FORWARD IT WILL BE A COMBINED EFFORT, UM, BETWEEN MULTIPLE ORGANIZATIONS.
THIS IS THE ONE THAT THEY JUST INSTALLED A FEW MONTHS AGO? YES.
YES, WE DID SEE THE PICTURES OF THE TESTING.
AND I THINK WE WERE ALL IN AGREEMENT.
I THINK IT WOULD BE BENEFICIAL AND, YOU KNOW, THESE OTHER ORGANIZATIONS, IF NOT ONLY WILL IT BE MORE COST EFFECTIVE, BUT IF WE CAN SPATIALLY PLACE THEM OUT IN A WAY AND THEN NETWORK THEM TOGETHER, I MEAN, THAT INFORMATION COULD BE VERY POWERFUL.
I KNOW WE'VE COLLECTED AS A COUNTY A LOT OF INFORMATION OVER THE PAST COUPLE YEARS, BUT NOBODY'S REALLY DOVE INTO ANALYZING IT.
UM, SO WE'RE LOOKING AT THE POSSIBILITIES AND THE COSTS OF GOING BACK AND ACTUALLY ANALYZING ALL THE FANTASTIC DATA THAT WE HAVE COLLECTED.
MAKE SURE THERE'S NO OVERLAPS.
YOU KNOW, THE WASTED TIME ENERGIES.
AND ANY BASE WE CAN SET BASELINES, UH, ESTABLISH TRENDS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO HERE'S SOME REAL TIME INFORMATION.
UM, THIS IS KIND OF WHERE IT'S STAGING AT.
THERE'S YOUR WIND SPEED RAINFALL INFORMATION.
SO IT LOOKS LIKE THEY GOT, MIGHT HAVE GOT SOME RIGHT OVER HERE, UM, EARLIER THIS WEEK, I GUESS ABOUT A WEEK AGO ACTUALLY.
AND THEN HERE'S JUST THE INFORMATION ON DISSOLVED OXYGEN AND TEMPERATURE OF THE SYSTEM.
AND IF YOU REMEMBER FROM LAST TIME THE, THE TRIP TO BAND SENSOR HAS NOT YET BEEN INSTALLED, SO WE'RE NOT GETTING SOME OF THAT BACTERIA INDICATOR INFORMATION.
BUT AGAIN, THIS IS KIND OF WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE ON OUR END.
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, AS WE CONTINUE TO OBTAIN DATA, WE CAN START A TREND ANALYSIS, LOOK FOR ANY SORT OF BLIPS AS THE TOWN OF LEFT AND REFERRED TO THE AS
UM, SO THIS IS WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE ON OUR END.
ULTIMATELY, WE DO WANNA HAVE THIS BE A FORWARD FACING PLATFORM INTEGRATED ONTO THE G I S PAGE, BUT NOT QUITE THERE YET.
ANY QUESTIONS? OKAY, I JUST WANTED TO SHARE, I THOUGHT THAT WOULD BE PRETTY COOL TO SHARE.
IT PUTS IT IN PERSPECTIVE TO SEE IT VISUALLY, I THINK.
SO NEXT UP IS THE RIVERS IN WATER QUALITY IMPROVEMENTS.
UM, THE SURVEY AND HYDRAULIC MODELING IS COMPLETE AND THE PROJECT'S BEING Q A QC.
UM, AS KATIE STATED, THE TAX RUN WENT FANTASTIC.
[00:50:01]
NOT HAVE TO DEAL WITH THAT, BUT APPARENTLYDOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR ME GOING FORWARD? NO,
WELL, I'M GLAD TO BE HERE AND I LOOK FORWARD TO OUR INTERACTIONS IN THE FUTURE.
I WILL MAKE SURE I LEAVE SOME OF MY CARDS, SO IF Y'ALL DO THINK OF ANY QUESTIONS, IF YOU'RE LIKE ME, YOU WON'T THINK OF 'EM UNTIL, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE DRIVING HOME AND YOU'RE OFF THE CLOCK.
BUT, UM, FEEL FREE TO CONTACT ME ANYTIME.
BUT YOU'VE GOTTA STAND THERE 'CAUSE YOU'VE GOT THE NEXT OKAY.
WE HAVE TO SHOW OFF MY CHART THAT WE DID.
SO FOR THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER, WE HAD 21 COCS, 18 PLANS REVIEWED AND 72 PERMITS ISSUED.
I DID HAVE RIDE-ALONGS WITH ALL OF MY, UH, CONSTRUCTION INSPECTORS THIS PAST TWO WEEKS.
THAT WAS FUN GETTING ABOUT IN LEARNING ABOUT THE COUNTY.
I HAD TO KEEP COMING BACK AND FOCUSING ON WORK, BUT, UM, IT'S BEEN CHUGGING ALONG.
SO WE DID 605 INSPECTIONS FOR THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER.
WE HAD TWO DRAINAGE COMPLAINTS THAT I SENT MY INSPECTORS OUT ON, UM, ZERO IED ISSUES.
SO THAT'S APPRA 11 OF OUR INSPECTIONS RESULTED IN ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS AND WE HAD ZERO POST-CONSTRUCTION BMPS PERMITTED THIS YEAR, THIS MONTH.
ANY QUESTIONS ON THAT? I MEAN, IT'S PRETTY PER USUAL.
I THINK CONSTRUCTION'S BEEN RAMPING UP AROUND HERE, SO I EXPECT TO SEE HIGHER NUMBERS IN THE FUTURE.
ANY QUESTIONS, COMMENTS? OKAY.
I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO MS. OWEN.
SEPTEMBER AND OCTOBER HAVE BEEN BUSY AS FALL USUALLY IS, UM, KINDA LIKE THE HIGHLIGHTS OF WHAT'S BEEN GOING ON.
WE DID PARTICIPATE IN ASSESS WITH STORMWATER AWARENESS WEEK ON MID-SEPTEMBER.
THAT STARTED THE WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 18TH.
I WORKED WITH MY COLLEAGUES AT SEA GRANT, AS WELL AS THE OTHER CONSORTIUM FOLKS UP IN CHARLESTON TO KIND OF HIGHLIGHT, UH, DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF EDUCATION AND OUTREACH OPPORTUNITIES ON COASTAL SOUTH CAROLINA.
UH, WE EVEN GIVE AWAY A RAIN BARREL, UM, BUT I'VE ALSO BEEN ACTIVE IN THE FESTIVAL CIRCUIT.
WE'VE DONE SHRIMP FEST SO FAR.
WE'VE ALSO DONE OCTO PR FEST
UM, SO FAR THAT MEANS WE'VE ALSO HAD ABOUT 200 FOLKS SIGN UP ONCE AGAIN FOR THE PET WASTE PLEDGE, WHICH I'M VERY EXCITED ABOUT.
UH, THEN LOOKING FORWARD, UH, I WILL BE AT THE JUNIOR SERVICE LEAGUE B FIRST TOUCH A TRUCK EVENT DOING IN VIRUS SCAPE DEMONSTRATIONS.
UH, I WILL ALSO BE AT THE BEAVER CONSERVATION DISTRICT'S, UM, EVENT AT SHELL RING A WORKS, UM, THAT WILL BE ON THE 22ND AND I'LL ACTUALLY BE GIVING AWAY.
UM, I JUST GOT A WHOLE NEW SHIPMENT OF RAIN BARREL MANUALS, SO I'LL BE GIVING THOSE AWAY FOR FREE.
UM, THEN FINALLY, JUST KIND OF PIE IN THE SKY, WE ARE RAMPING UP TOWARDS OUR POND CONFERENCE, WHICH WILL BE IN BEGINNING OF DECEMBER THIS YEAR.
SO THAT'S WHERE A LOT OF MY TIME IS GOING, AS WELL AS I'M WORKING ON THE LOCUM STORMWATER PARTNERS NEXT FIVE YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN, UH, THAT SHOULD BE COMPLETED BY DECEMBER.
WOULD YOU MAKE SURE THAT WE ALL GET NOTIFIED OF YOUR CONFERENCE DATES? FOR SURE.
I'M, HOPEFULLY WE CAN LAUNCH REGISTRATION WITHIN THE NEXT TWO WEEKS.
SO, ANY QUESTIONS? THE, THE, THE, THE, THE ANIMAL PET PET WASTE WASTE, PET WASTE? YES.
WHAT, WHAT EXACTLY IS THAT? SO I HAVE, I MEAN, I KNOW WHAT PET WASTE IS.
SO I ACTUALLY GIVE AWAY, UM, PET WASTE BAGS WITHIN A CLIP THAT HAS A CARABINER SO THAT IT CAN BE ATTACHED TO EITHER THE LEASH OR A BELT LOOP.
BUT, UM, BEFORE FOLKS DO IT, THEY HAVE TO TAKE THE PLEDGE TO PROMISE TO ALWAYS, UH, BE PREPARED, ALWAYS BRING A BAG TO ALWAYS DISPOSE OF PET WASTE PROPERLY, EITHER IN THE TRASH OR IN A PET WASTE DIGESTER, AND TO PICK IT UP EVERY SINGLE TIME, BOTH ON WALKS AND IN THE YARD.
AND THAT IS A WAY THAT WE CAN PREVENT BACTERIAL POLLUTION IN OUR WATERWAYS.
UH, BEFORE ELLEN WOULD GIVE ME A BAG, I HAD TO TAKE THE PLEDGE.
SO SHE'S VERY DILIGENT ABOUT NOT HANDING THOSE THINGS OUT FOR FREE.
UM, AND I'M GLAD ELLEN MENTIONED STORMWATER AWARENESS WEEK.
SO TAYLOR GOT IN AND WE, SHE IMMEDIATELY GOT TO WORK ON THE COUNTY'S VERSION OF STORMWATER AWARENESS WEEK.
WE HAD NOT YET DONE THIS BEFORE,
[00:55:01]
AND IT WAS REALLY GREAT TO HAVE HER PARTICIPATE STATE, NOT ONLY STATEWIDE, BUT HERE DIRECTLY WITH COUNTY EMPLOYEES.SO SHE HOSTED A BINGO FOR STORMWATER EDUCATION, SAME WITH TRIVIA EVERY DAY.
UM, PEOPLE PROBABLY THOUGHT THAT I NEVER DID ANYTHING AT MY JOB BECAUSE TAYLOR GOT HIRED AND IMMEDIATELY GOT TO WORK ON THAT.
SO JUST WANNA SHOUT OUT TO HER EFFORTS ON LEADING THAT CHARGE.
SO THE STORMWATER AWARENESS, IS THAT FOR COUNTY EMPLOYEES? PRETTY MUCH.
AND DOES, DOES IT COORDINATE WITH ELLEN? WE DID NOT COORDINATE WITH ELLEN THIS YEAR BECAUSE OF OUR TURNAROUND, BUT WE WERE COORDINATING AT THE STATE LEVEL.
AND LIKE ELLEN MENTIONED, SOUTHEASTERN STORMWATER.
SO I THINK THERE, THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY THERE ARE DIFFERENT STORMWATER AWARENESS WEEK DATES, BUT SOUTH CAROLINA HAS KIND OF SETTLED ON THE LAST WEEK OF SEPTEMBER.
AND SO SHE HAD FIVE DAYS OF JUST, UM, HITTING IT HARD.
WE FILMED SOME SPOTS AT THE BREW MEMORIAL PARK, WHICH WAS REALLY GREAT.
UH, WE FILMED SOME STUFF RIGHT HERE AT THE ADMINISTRATION BUILDING, JUST HIGHLIGHTING THE DIFFERENT BMPS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY.
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, IT CERTAINLY DOESN'T HURT THAT BY PROXY, THE STAFF GETS EDUCATED AS WELL.
SO SHE HAD LOTS OF EAGER PARTICIPANTS, SO SHE HAD A GREAT INTRODUCTION TO THE, THE COUNTY.
AND JUST AS A QUICK STAFF UPDATE, RIGHT NOW WE'RE STILL WORKING WITH ABOUT 20 VACANCIES WITHIN THE STORMWATER PROGRAM, BUT CONTINUE TO ADVERTISE FOR THOSE POSITIONS.
THANKFULLY TAYLOR IS HERE AND ON BOARD, WORKING ON GETTING UP TO SPEED ON COUNTY SPECIFIC STUFF.
BUT AGAIN, SHE'S GOT QUITE A HISTORY WITH THE STATE LEVEL REQUIREMENTS.
SO SHE COMES VERY WELL EDUCATED AND A HUGE ASSET TO MYSELF, UM, AS WELL AS THE REST OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL TEAM.
SO WITH THAT, IS THERE ANYTHING FOR THE STAFF UPDATE? THAT WAS IT, THAT'S WHAT YOU JUST COVERED,
YEAH, JUST THAT WE CONTINUE TO HIRE FOR VACANCIES.
UM, I KNOW CURRENTLY STEVEN CARTER, OUR SUPERINTENDENT, IS OUT FOR SURGERY.
UH, WE WISH HIM A SPEEDY RECOVERY, BUT HE'S GOT THE, A TEAM BEHIND HIM MAKING SURE EVERYTHING'S STILL FUNCTIONING FOR THAT, THAT DEPARTMENT AS WELL.
UM, I THINK MRS. HOWARD WAS GOING, HAS ALREADY SPOKEN.
DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD REPRESENTATIVE HOWARD, PLEASE? I, I HAVE ONE THING.
UM, I, I, ANY, IF YOU GO ON FACEBOOK, THE BUFORT COUNTY SITE HAD A PICTURE OF, I'M NOT SURE THE RIGHT TERM, WAS IT A, I THINK A GOAT THAT COLLECTS TRASH.
IT, YOU KNOW, 'CAUSE TRASH WASHES INTO A STORMWATER POND.
I DON'T KNOW WHICH POND THAT WAS.
A GREEN POND? YEAH, RAISED POND.
BUT IF YOU GO TO THE COUNTY SITE ON FACEBOOK, YOU'LL SEE A PICTURE OF IT.
THE GREEN SPACE COMMITTEE'S BEEN MEETING.
I'M A MEMBER OF THAT AS A COUNTY REP ON IT.
AND, UH, WE HAVE FIVE PRE-APP APPLICATIONS TO DATE, AND WE'LL START PROCESSING THOSE THROUGH THE COMMITTEE.
THIS IS THE 1 CENT SALES TAX THAT WAS VOTED ON AND WE STARTED COLLECTING MONEY.
UH, AND WE'VE GOT OUR FORMS APPROVED.
AND OF COURSE, UM, KATIE'S BEEN INVOLVED WITH THAT BECAUSE ONE OF THE THINGS THAT IS BY, BY LAW, BY ORDINANCE WE CAN ADDRESS IS BUY DOWNS TO PREVENT, UM, MORE DEVELOPMENT AND ALREADY APPROVED DEVELOPMENTS AND ALSO STORM WATER QUALITY.
SO, UM, WE'LL KEEP YOU UPDATED ON THAT.
SO FOR THIS CYCLE, WE HAVE FIVE APPLICATIONS TO LOOK AT.
THAT DOESN'T MEAN THEY'LL ALL GO THROUGH, BUT, AND THEN WE'LL, IT'LL BE EVERY QUARTER FROM NOW ON, WE'LL TAKE APPLICATIONS.
IT HAS TO BE A WILLING OWNER IN BUFORT COUNTY OR IT CAN BE OUTSIDE THE COUNTY IF IT'S JUSTIFIED.
SO JUST WANT Y'ALL HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT? NO, BUT I'LL GO ON RECORD OF JUST, UH, THANKING MS. HOWARD AS BEING A GREAT LIAISON.
THE COUNCIL FOR THE STORM WATER UTILITY BOARD.
I'VE GOT, I'VE GOT UNDERSTAND, I THINK THAT'S, UH, THAT'S IT FOR REPORTS MAINTENANCE.
WE'RE A LITTLE, LITTLE MIXED UP.
SO, UH, NOT MIXED UP, BUT WITH
[01:00:01]
STEVEN CARTER BEING OUT, UM, WE'VE KIND OF HAD TO MOVE SOME THINGS AROUND.UM, MR. HOWARD GREEN, ONE OF OUR FOREMANS HERE, AND, UM, HE WOULD, HE WAS GONNA DO IT, BUT I WAS RUNNING LATE.
I WAS AT DUSKY ALL MORNING, SO I GOT HERE SO I CAN PRESENT THIS TO Y'ALL.
UM, BUT THE MAINTENANCE REPORT, UM, OBVIOUSLY THAT FIRST PROJECT LAYS ISLAND AIRPORT WAS A REALLY BIG PROJECT.
UM, KIND OF THE BULK OF IT WAS A LOT OF, IN THE KIND OF, IN THE, I CALL IT THE DRAINAGE END OF THAT RUNWAY WHERE THE KIND OF MARSH AREAS AND THE CRITICAL LINES ARE.
THERE WAS A LOT OF THE TREES HAD GROWN UP, UM, AND KIND OF GOT IN THAT AREA.
IT WAS, IT WAS, IT WAS A LOT OF CLEARING.
UM, AND THE AIRPORT HAD ASKED US, UM, IF WE COULD GET IN AND, AND CUT THAT DOWN.
'CAUSE IT WAS STARTING TO BE A, IN THE, IN THE FAS YOU KNOW, ONE OF THEIR CHECKLISTS WAS TO GET IT CLEARED OFF 'CAUSE THE TREES WERE GETTING A LITTLE TOO HIGH.
UM, SO ANYHOW, WOULD WITH DOING THAT, A LOT OF THAT HAD WAS VOLUNTEER STUFF THAT HAD GROWN UP.
SO I GUESS WHEN THEY BUILT THOSE, THOSE LAST SET OF HANGERS, THEY TOOK ALL OF THAT MUCK AND STUFF, THEY MUCKED OUT THERE AND THEY PILED IT UP AT THE END OF THE RUNWAY THINKING, WELL, YOU KNOW, IT'LL BE HERE FOREVER.
WELL, THEN WE END UP HAVING TO MOVE IT.
SO A LOT OF FIELD DIRT GOT MOVED OUT OF THERE.
I SAY FIELD DIRT, IT'S A LOT OF REUSABLE DIRT THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO USE ON OUR WORK SHELVES.
UM, SO I, AND I DON'T KNOW THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF YARDAGE, BUT WE PROBABLY HAULED OUT OF THERE SOMEWHERE AROUND A HUNDRED THOUSAND YARDS OF FILL.
UM, WHICH WAS, IT WAS, IT WAS A LOT.
UM, NOW WE'VE GOT THAT STOCKPILED AT SHANKLIN ROAD, SO WE CAN, WE'LL BE ABLE TO USE THAT IN A, A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT WAYS.
THIS REALLY DOESN'T SHOW, THIS IS KIND OF JUST SOME DITCH CLEANING THEY DONE ALONGSIDE AIRPORT ROAD.
THE AIRPORT WAS HAVING SOME ISSUES WITH THE WATER KIND OF BACKING UP AROUND THEIR FACILITY AND ON THAT ROAD.
UM, THIS WAS JUST SOME STANDARD MAINTENANCE, BUT THE BULK OF THIS WAS IN THE CLEARING.
UM, AND THE, AND REMOVING ALL THAT EXCESS MATERIAL OFF THE, UH, THE END OF THE RUNWAYS, THAT WAS THE BIGGER PART OF THAT JOB.
UM, MARBLEHEAD REPLACING A, UM, DRIVEWAY CULVERT AND THEN JETTING OUT SOME MORE DRIVEWAYS THERE.
UM, PRETTY STANDARD, UM, OLD WOODLAND, UM, STANDARD MAINTENANCE ON THAT ONE.
UM, THE PLEASANT POINT ROAD CHANNEL, THESE ARE ALL, YOU KNOW, STANDARD BASIC, YOU KNOW, MAINTENANCE JOBS, BLUFF AND SEEN COAL REPAIRS.
UM, ST HELA VALLEY DRAINS, IF YOU LOOK AT THAT, IF A LOT OF OUR VALLEY DRAIN ROADS, UM, IF I KIND OF GOT BACK ON BEHIND ON MAINTENANCE, IF YOU WILL, UM, THEY JUST, THEY GET BUILT UP WITH LEAVES AND PINE STRAW AND, YOU KNOW, DIRT GETS IN 'EM, AND THEN THE WATER BUILDS UP ON THE ROAD AND THAT DOESN'T STAY IN THE VALLEY, VALLEY DRAIN.
SO THAT WAS A, UM, PRETTY, PRETTY BIG, I SAY BIG PROJECT, IT'S TIME CONSUMING.
UM, AND WE DID, THEY ACTUALLY DID A LOT OF ROADS.
UM, THIS IS JUST, YOU KNOW, A PART OF 'EM.
UM, SOUTHERN MAGNOLIA DRIVE, LIKE I SAID, JUST ANOTHER, YOU KNOW, DRIVEWAY PIPES AND JETTING.
UM, I WILL SAY OUTSIDE OF THESE PROJECTS IN THE PAST, I GUESS MONTH OR TWO, UM, WE'VE DONE A LOT OF WORK ON THE, IN THE TOWN OF HILTON HEAD.
UM, JUST A BUNCH OF PROJECTS THAT NEEDED TO GET DONE IN THE, ON THE, IN THE TOWN OF HILTON HEAD.
UM, AND STEVENS, UM, DID A REALLY GOOD JOB OF SPEARHEADING THAT MEETING WITH THE TOWN, MEETING WITH, UM, CARRIE, UM, OVER THERE TO, YOU KNOW, GET THOSE DONE.
SO THAT'LL BE IN THAT, IN THE NEXT REPORT.
AND THOSE WILL BE SOME, THOSE WOULD BE SOME NICE, YOU KNOW, NICE JOBS THAT WE'VE DONE ON HILTON HEAD AS WELL TOO.
UM, ANYBODY GOT ANY QUESTIONS? ONE ON MAGNOLIA DRIVE? LOOKS GREAT.
LIKE I SAID, WE'RE STILL UNDERSTAFFED.
I MEAN, LIKE CARRIE, UH, KATIE SAID WE'RE PROBABLY 20 EMPLOYEES DOWN.
UM, SO REALLY WE HAVE TWO CREWS, AND WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, WITH THE AMOUNT OF MAINTENANCE STUFF WE HAVE, THAT'S, AND THAT'S JUST, YOU KNOW, THAT'S TWO CREWS.
AND WE HAVE SOME BUSH HOGS AND SOME OTHER, YOU KNOW, UH, MAINTENANCE GUYS, BUT JUST BASICALLY TWO CREWS THAT ARE TAKING CARE OF ALL THIS.
SO IT'S UNDERSTAFFED AS, AS KIND OF AN UNDERSTATEMENT STILL.
WE'VE ACTUALLY JUST HIRED TWO MORE, UH, MAINTENANCE WORKERS.
UM, WE PROMOTED A FOREMAN FROM WITHIN, UM, THAT HAD BEEN WITH THE COUNTY FOR QUITE A NUMBER OF YEARS.
UH, CARL WRIGHT WAS PROMOTED FROM A OPERATOR, ONE OR TWO UP TO A FOREMAN.
SO HE, HE'S TAKEN THAT ROLE, UM, AND, AND DOING A GOOD JOB.
SO, BUT THAT'S, LIKE I SAID, IF WE WERE STAFFED UP A LITTLE BETTER, I THINK WE COULD BRING MORE TO THE REPORT, BUT WE'LL GET THERE.
I GUESS NOW WE CAN MOVE INTO UNFINISHED
[5. UNFINISHED BUSINESS]
BUSINESS AND, UH, UNLESS, UH, MS. HERRERA HAS ANYTHING MORE ABOUT BOARD CONSOLIDATION TO STAY, STAY, UH, I GUESS I'M UP, UH, UH, ON, UH, UH, FOR EVERYBODY HERE.UH, UH, I REPRESENT UNINCORPORATED DISTRICT NINE FOR STORMWATER, AND ON SEPTEMBER 28TH, I ATTENDED A PUBLIC MEETING HOSTED BY BEAUFORT COUNTY COUNCIL.
UH, AT THAT MEETING, THERE WAS A LARGE CONTINGENT OF RESIDENTS FROM ALGER NEIGHBORHOOD, UH, WITHIN DISTRICT NINE, AND THEY VOICED THEIR UNHAPPINESS WITH THE COUNTY STORMWATER,
[01:05:02]
UH, RESPONSES IN THE PAST.I EXPLAINED THAT I WAS THEIR REPRESENTATIVE ON THE STORMWATER UTILITY BOARD.
UH, MIGHT HAVE BEEN A MISTAKE, BUT I DID IT, UH, BECAUSE I FELT IT WAS MY DUTY.
AND SINCE I WAS THERE AND I ASKED, UH, THEY ASKED IF I WOULD COME OUT PHYSICALLY AND SEE THEIR GRIEVANCES, UH, WHICH I AGREED TO DO.
UH, ON OCTOBER 3RD, UH, SEVERAL DAYS LATER, I MET WITH MS. LAURA WILSON, AND SHE TOOK ME AROUND ALL JOY IN A GOLF CART SO I COULD GET OUT AND WALK.
UH, AND SEVERAL OF THE NEIGHBORS CAME OUT, UH, OF THEIR HOUSES AND, UH, THEY KNEW I WAS COMING AND THEY WANTED TO POINT OUT ON THEIR PROPERTY WHERE THEY THOUGHT STORMWATER WAS NOT BEING ADDRESSED.
UH, UH, I TOOK THE FOLLOWING PHOTOS, UH, UH, THAT MORNING.
UH, THERE HAD NOT BEEN ANY APPRECIABLE RAINFALL FOR SEVERAL DAYS, SO IT WASN'T A, A RAINFALL EVENT.
AND, UH, THE, THE, THE TIDE WAS, UH, UH, PROBABLY A, UH, UH, SLACK TIED.
UH, SO THERE WASN'T A, A TITLE ISSUE.
UH, I, I DO WANNA SAY THAT, THAT, THAT THERE ARE HOUSES WITHIN THE AJOY AREA THAT ARE CLOSE TO THE WATER'S EDGE.
AND THOSE, THOSE, THOSE, THOSE AREAS, UH, THAT WERE BUILT OVER 50 YEARS AGO, SLAB ON GRADE, PROBABLY HAVE ISSUES WITH TIDAL FLOODING.
MOST OF THE HOUSES IN THAT AREA, THOUGH, UH, NOW HAVE BEEN RAISED OR BUILT, UH, WITH A SUFFICIENT, UH, UH, CLEARANCE UNDERNEATH THE HOUSE FOR SMALL PLAID, UH, UH, OCCURRENCES.
SO ANY FLOODING ON THE ROADS AND THE, AND ESPECIALLY THE HOUSES, YOU KNOW, MOSTLY HAVE BEEN ADDRESSED WITH NEW CONSTRUCTION.
YOU KNOW, THERE ARE A COUPLE OF OLD ONES THAT MOST LIKELY IN A HIGH TIDE, UH, OR A STORM EVENT WOULD GET FLOODED.
UH, AND I'M NOT SURE, YOU KNOW, WHAT THEY, THEY, THEY PERSONALLY NEED TO DO SOMETHING.
IT'S NOT SOMETHING FOR THE COUNTY TO DO.
IT'S SOMETHING FOR THEM PERSONALLY TO DO THE PHOTOGRAPHS THAT, THAT I TOOK.
UH, I TRIED TO TAKE PICTURES OF THE, THE STREET ADDRESS, UH, AND WHAT WAS NEXT TO IT AS FAR AS STORM WATER CONVEYANCE.
AND WE CAN SEE STANDING WATER HERE, UH, NOT REALLY BEING CONVEYED ACROSS THE ROAD.
UH, IF YOU JUST FLIP THROUGH THEM, UH, AGAIN, THAT WAS SCOTIA LANE.
UH, THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO BE, UH, UH, UH, A STORM WATER CONVEYANCE THERE.
AND YOU CAN SEE HOW OVERGROWN IT IS, YOU KNOW, AND WE ALL UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, THAT THINGS GROW PRETTY FAST HERE.
THIS IS MORE STANDING WATER, UH, DOWNSTREAM.
UH, UH, UH, AGAIN, I'M JUST POINTING OUT, UH, UH, WATER THAT'S, THAT'S NOT MOVING, UH, DURING THE SUMMER MONTHS.
UH, HERE, HERE'S A LARGE AREA OF WATER THAT ALMOST LOOKS LIKE A LAKE.
UH, AND AGAIN, IN THE SUMMER, IN THIS PAST YEAR, BECAUSE OF THE HEAT, UH, THEY HAD A HUGE AMOUNT OF MOSQUITO LARVAE.
SO MUCH SO THAT MOSQUITO CONTROL HAD TO GO OUT AND, AND SPRAY SEVERAL TIMES BECAUSE IT WAS JUST A, A, A HUGE INUNDATION.
UH, AND, AND WITH THE STANDING WATER, IT JUST GROWS.
UH, AND, AND, AND IT'S A, UH, AN INSECT WEIGHT WAVE WAITING TO HAPPEN.
UH, AGAIN, UH, THESE JUST SHOW, UH, WHERE THEY HAVE CONCERNS, UH, UH, THAT WERE, THEY DON'T BELIEVE ARE BEING ADDRESSED.
UH, I WENT BACK AND LOOKED AT OUR STORMWATER MINUTES IN THE LAST YEAR, COULD ONLY FIND, UH, 904 LINEAR FEET OF DITCH, UH, UH, WORKED ON, ON MARTHA LANE.
UH, WE'VE HEARD THE PROBLEMS, UH, OF STANDING WATER IN PAST COMMUNITY MEMBERS, UH, MINUTES AND, AND, AND, AND MEETINGS, UH, FOR THE PUBLIC OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS.
UH, IT WAS STATED AT ONE MEETING THAT THE STORMWATER OFFICE WAS APPLYING FOR A FEDERAL GRANT SOMETIME IN 2022.
UH, AND THAT WE WOULD KNOW SOMETHING ABOUT THAT FEDERAL GRANT IN 2023 IN FEBRUARY.
UH, TO MY KNOWLEDGE, I'M NOT SURE WE'VE HEARD ANYTHING ABOUT THAT, WHAT THE STATUS OF THAT FEDERAL GRANT, OR WHETHER IT WAS DENIED OR WHETHER IT'S JUST FLOATING THERE IN, IT JUST SAYS UNDER REVEAL, UH, UH, AGAIN, THE, THE PEOPLE THAT, THAT LIVE THERE JUST FEEL THAT THEY ARE NOT GETTING SERVICED.
UH, YOU CAN SEE THE, THE GROWTH, UH, PAST THOSE CARS IS THE MARSH, UH, UH, THAT YOU WOULD LIKE SOME OF THIS WATER TO DRAIN TO, UH, THE COUNTY.
UH, UH, THERE, THERE, THERE WAS A W SS
[01:10:01]
A V REPORTER THAT REPORTED, UH, ON THIS ISSUE, UH, UH, LAST YEAR.UH, AND THEY SPOKE TO A LOT OF THE PEOPLE IN THE COUNTY, AND THE COUNTY SPOKESMAN, UH, SAID, UH, THAT, THAT, THAT THERE'S A LOT OF CONTINUAL WORK BEING DONE BY THE COUNTY.
AND, UH, THE SPOKESPERSON NAMED, UH, SEVERAL AREAS THAT THEY FELT THAT WERE ADDRESSED.
AND THE RESIDENTS SAID THAT THOSE STATEMENTS WERE FALSE AND ALMOST NO WORK WAS ACTUALLY DONE, UH, SINCE THE I WAS THERE.
THE, THE, THE COMMUNITY HAS INUNDATED ME WITH PICTURES, UH, FROM SEVERAL TIMES OF THE YEAR, UH, ALMOST ALL SHOW SOME TYPE OF ROAD FLOODING AND STANDING WATER.
UH, AGAIN, THESE WERE ONES THAT I TOOK THAT WERE NOT, YOU KNOW, STAGED.
IT WASN'T RIGHT AFTER A RAINFALL.
UH, IT WAS SEVERAL DAYS WITHOUT RAIN.
UH, UH, UH, I THINK IT'S APPROPRIATE, UH, TO ASK THE STORMWATER MANAGEMENT TEAM, UH, UH, I SEE IN OUR BUDGET, UH, IN THE PROPOSED 2024 BUDGET, $120,000 FOR AN ALL DROID DRAINAGE STUDY.
I'M NOT SURE THAT'S GOING TO BE ENOUGH MONEY TO DO, UH, UH, WE'VE USED THE WORD HOLISTIC, BUT A COMPLETE STUDY OF THIS AREA.
UH, IN THE INTERIM, UH, UH, WE ALL KNOW THAT, THAT THIS AREA HAS INTERTWINED STREETS AND ROADS.
SOME ARE COUNTY AND SOME ARE STATE.
AND WE KNOW THAT WE DON'T GET OUT TO ALL OF THEM EVERY YEAR, SOMETIMES SEVERAL YEARS.
THE PROBLEM IS THAT WHEN YOU HAVE PARALLEL ROADS, ONE COUNTY AND ONE STATE ROAD, AND SOMEONE COMES OUT AND WE BUSH HOG OR WE CLEAR ONE ROAD, AND THE STATE DOESN'T COME FOR FIVE YEARS TO THE ONE RIGHT PARALLEL TO IT, THE NEIGHBORS DON'T UNDERSTAND STATE AND COUNTY WHO, WHO TAKES CARE OF THE ROADS.
THEY JUST SEE THEIR NEIGHBORS HAVE A WATER PROBLEM, AND THEY CLEARED MINE, BUT THEY DIDN'T CLEAR HERS WHERE SHE SAYS THEY CLEARED MINE.
BUT, YOU KNOW, WHY DIDN'T WE GO TO THE NEXT ROAD OVER? BECAUSE THE STATE CAME IN AND ONLY DID THE STATE ROADS.
AND I, I, I WOULD THINK THAT WE COULD SOMEHOW FIND A LIAISON BETWEEN THE LOCAL STATE PEOPLE AND OUR COUNTY PEOPLE WHEN WE DECIDE, AND IF WE DECIDE TO TAKE ON SOME OF THIS WORK AND ALL JOY THAT WE GET TOGETHER AND DO IT SIMULTANEOUSLY, AS OPPOSED TO DOING IT THREE TO FIVE YEARS DIFFERENT FROM STREET TO STREET.
IT DOESN'T MAKE A LOT OF SENSE TO ME AND NOR TO THE RESIDENTS, RIGHT? I THINK WE CAN DO A LOT BETTER JOB OF INTERGOVERNMENTAL WORK, UH, FOR THE COMMUNITY.
UH, IN ADDITION, UH, UH, TO THEIR STORMWATER ISSUES.
UH, THERE'S A PROPOSAL FOR THE COUNTY, RIGHT, UH, TO EXTEND A, UH, A WALKING SLASH BIKE PATH, UH, FROM THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON ALL THE WAY TO THE AJOY AREA, DOWN AJOY ROAD.
AND, UH, QUITE FRANKLY, IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE AN IMPERVIOUS, UH, IN THE PLANS, UH, EIGHT TO 10 FOOT WIDE CONCRETE STRUCTURE, WHICH IS THE PEOPLE THERE ARE SAYING TO ME, YOU KNOW, WE READ ABOUT RAIN GARDENS AND WHAT WE NEED TO DO ABOUT MAKING MORE PERVIOUS SURFACES, AND HERE YOU'RE GOING TO ALLOW MEANING THEY THINK THAT THIS BOARD HAS SOME CONTROL.
UH, WE'RE GOING TO ALLOW THEM TO EXACERBATE THE SITUATION BY PUTTING MORE IMPERVIOUS, UH, DOWN, INSTEAD OF FINDING A WAY TO PUT PERVIOUS MATERIAL DOWN IF THEY'RE REALLY GOING TO GO ALL THE WAY THROUGH ALL JOY AND DOWN AJOY ROAD BY PUTTING A PERVIOUS SYSTEM.
AND I WOULD JUST ASK, YOU KNOW, KATIE'S GROUP, UH, FROM AN ENVIRONMENTAL STANDPOINT AND A STORMWATER STANDPOINT, YOU KNOW, TO TAKE A REALLY GOOD LOOK AT AJOY ROAD, UH, IN THAT AREA THAT THEY'RE PROPOSING TO DO THIS.
AND I BELIEVE, UH, FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, IT'S ALREADY BEEN APPROVED BY COUNSEL TO DO THIS ALL THE WAY THROUGH AJOY.
UH, SO I THINK WE NEED TO TAKE A LOOK AT IT.
I'D ASK THAT, THAT, THAT, UH, THE PUBLIC WORKS PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, UH, EXAMINE THAT AND SEE IF THERE'S ANY, UH, ADJUSTMENTS WE CAN MAKE, UH, FROM A, A PERVIOUS
[01:15:01]
SITUATION, UH, INSTEAD OF PUTTING MORE IMPERVIOUS, UH, UH, SUBSTRATE DOWN.CAN I MAKE HONOR TO THAT? YES, PLEASE.
SO I'LL JUST SAY THAT THE BIKE PATH IS FULLY WITHIN THE STATE'S MS FOUR JURISDICTION.
SO FROM AN APPROVAL STANDPOINT, COUNTY STORM WATER HAS NO SAY SO, AND WHAT GETS PUT IN NOW, CAN WE MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS? CERTAINLY, BUT I DON'T KNOW THE, WHAT THE BUDGET CONSTRAINTS OF THAT PROJECT IS, ARE.
UM, CERTAINLY WE'VE PROVIDED WHAT WE THINK IS BEST, BUT AS FAR AS AN APPROVAL GOES, THAT DOESN'T COME FROM OUR PROGRAM, IT COMES FROM THE STATE.
WELL, I, I UNDERSTAND WE DON'T APPROVE, BUT I BELIEVE WE COULD GO ON THE RECORD OF, OF, UH, MAYBE NOT A, MAYBE OBJECTING IS TOO STRONG A WORD, BUT WE COULD, YOU KNOW, NOT LEND OUR SUPPORT FOR AN IMPERVIOUS SURFACE BEING SET DOWN A ROAD THAT HAS FLOODING AND HAS CONSTANT, UH, UH, STORM WATER ISSUES.
YEAH, I THINK, I MEAN, I'M, WE CAN CERTAINLY HAVE THAT CONVERSATION AGAIN WITH THE INFRASTRUCTURE TEAM.
'CAUSE WE'RE ALL HOUSED UNDER, UM, THE A C A FOR INFRASTRUCTURE.
SO IT CERTAINLY WOULDN'T HURT HAVING A DISCUSSION.
I'LL BE MEETING WITH HIM TOMORROW AND FRIDAY.
SO, UM, UH, AGAIN, WE CAN SEE, UH, UH, THE ISSUES, RIGHT? AND I KNOW THE COUNTY, AND I KNOW, UH, KATIE'S GROUP IN THE PAST HAS LOOKED AT ALL JOY, RIGHT? AND I'M NOT SURE WE'VE EVER COME UP WITH A BIG REPORT THAT THERE HAVE BEEN ISOLATED, UH, UH, RECOMMENDATIONS, RIGHT? UH, THAT, THAT, THAT THE NEIGHBORS DIDN'T WANT AT ONE TIME.
UH, BUT THERE WAS TALK ABOUT A PUMP STATION AND A RETENTION BASIN BECAUSE, UH, WE'D HAVE TO PUMP IT UPSTREAM RATHER THAN DOWNSTREAM.
UH, THEY ALSO, HA HA HAVE INDICATED TO ME, UH, THAT A LOT OF THESE OLDER HOMES, UH, THERE'S NO SEPTIC DOWN THERE.
SO THEY'RE ALL ON, YOU KNOW, DRAIN FIELDS AND LOW WATER TABLE, SO WE CAN UNDERSTAND WHERE THAT COLIFORM GOES OUT INTO THE MAY RIVER.
SO IT'S DEFINITELY NOT HELPING OR IMPROVING, UH, THE WATER QUALITY IN THE MAY RIVER.
SO AGAIN, UH, I THINK THAT, THAT WE MAY WANT TO LOOK AT, AGAIN, IT'S A VERY VOCAL GROUP.
IT'S AN OLD ESTABLISHED COMMUNITY, UH, WITHIN, UH, THE COUNTY, UH, OF, OF LOOKING.
AND WHETHER THE 120,000 IS ENOUGH, UH, WE SHOULD, MAYBE THE 120,000 WILL GET US TO WHERE WE NEED TO GO, UH, FOR, FOR, FOR A BIGGER HOLISTIC APPROACH, UH, TO THEIR PROBLEMS. BUT I, I, I PROMISED THESE PEOPLE THAT I WOULD BRING IT UP, YOU KNOW, TO THIS BOARD AND BACK TO THE ADMINISTRATION TO TAKE SOME POSITIVE ACTION.
DID WE NOT HAVE A REPORT ON THE ALWAY AREA? I THOUGHT SOMEONE DID.
SO DO A PRETTY DETAILED AND ESTIMATED LIKE A $10 MILLION.
IT WAS A, WAS A MULTIMILLION DOLLAR THAT WAS BACK IN 2019.
AND SO WE DID GO OUT THERE AND DO, I THOUGHT WE PAID SOMEONE TO GO DO IT.
AND THEN WHEN THE INFORMATION WAS PROVIDED TO THE RESIDENTS THAT THE PROPOSED SOLUTION WAS NOT SOMETHING THAT THEY WERE AMENABLE TO DOING, UM, SIMILAR TO THE WORK WE'RE DOING IN SHELL POINT, IT TAKES A COMMUNITY TO COME TOGETHER, WHICH SHELL POINT HAS DONE REALLY WELL TO GRANT EASEMENTS, UM, ET CETERA, FOR THE STAFF TO GO INTO.
SO THAT BEING SAID, THE, THE COUNTY AND THE, THE D O T, LIKE YOU MENTIONED, ARE ALL INTERTWINED.
THE COUNTY CANNOT PAY TO FOR WORK TO BE DONE.
AND THE DOTS, YOU KNOW, WITHIN THEIR RIGHT OF WAY.
SO THE THOUGHT PROCESS ON THE 120,000 WAS, THAT WAS THE COST ESTIMATE TO LOOK AT ALL OF THE COUNTY RESPONSIBLE DRAINAGE.
SO THAT'S THAT FUNDING AGAIN, BECAUSE OF THE PUSHBACK FROM, AND I THINK THINGS HAVE PROBABLY CHANGED SINCE THEN.
UM, BUT AT THIS POINT, THE STANCE THAT WAS TAKEN IS WE'RE GONNA GET, WE'RE GONNA HOPE TO GET THE FUNDING TO DO A FEDERAL STUDY SO THAT THAT WOULD TAKE STATE AND COUNTY ROADS INTO EFFECT.
NOT WE JUST COUNTY, BECAUSE AGAIN, WE CAN'T, WE CAN'T MAKE IMPROVEMENTS,
[01:20:02]
UM, WITHIN THE DOT'S RIGHT OF WAY.SO IN SHELL POINT, FOR EXAMPLE, THE D O T IS A, A WONDERFUL PARTNER, BUT THEY ARE DOING THEIR OWN IMPROVEMENTS ON THEIR DRAINAGE SYSTEM.
AND THE THINGS THAT WE'VE RECOMMENDED AREN'T NECESSARILY WHAT THEY WOULD HAVE AS FAR AS THEIR, UM, MAINTENANCE PLAN AND WITHIN THEIR MAINTENANCE SCOPE.
SO IT SOUNDS LIKE THE COUNTY REP IN A, THE STATE REP THAT WOULD HAVE CONNECTION TO THE D O T NEED TO GET TOGETHER, YOU WOULD THINK? CORRECT.
YOU WOULD HOPE WHAT STATE REP, SORRY? A STATE REPRESENTATIVE FROM, FROM, FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION THAT THE D O T PERSON? YEAH.
AND SO, UH, OUR DIS OR I GUESS OUR COUNTY OFFICE, WELL, AS I THOUGHT SHE WAS INVOLVED AS FAR AS THE S C D O T WAS CONCERNED, I'M NOT AS FAR AS OUR STATE REPRESENTATIVE THAT WE COULD HAVE CONTACT WITH.
I, I JUST MEAN, I, I DON'T KNOW IF SHE BLUFFTON THAT SHE REPRESENT BLUFFS THE QUESTION.
WELL, BUT WELL, I THINK EVEN IF SHE DOESN'T REPRESENT BLUFFTON, SHE'S ON THE FINANCE COMMITTEE THAT KIND OF DELEGATES FUNDS OUT FOR THE D O T.
SO I THINK EVEN IF SHE'S NOT, THAT'S NOT HER DISTRICT, SHE CAN STILL ASSIST.
AND I'M SURE SHE'S HAPPY TO DO SO.
UM, 'CAUSE AGAIN, THE COUNTY OFFICE FOR D O T IS VERY RESPONSIVE AND, YOU KNOW, AMENABLE TO DISCUSSIONS.
I MEAN, THEY PARTNER WITH US ON SHELL POINT.
UM, I, I WOULD THINK THAT, THAT WE WOULD, WE WOULD TRY AT LEAST TO REACH OUT TO THE COMMUNITY.
AND I KNOW THERE'S A DIFFICULT DIFFICULTY.
I WAS TOLD THAT THERE ARE TWO EXISTING ORGANIZATIONS REPRESENTING ALL JOY.
UH, THERE, THERE, THERE IS ONE PERSON WHO HAS FORMED A NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION WHO LIVES ON THE WATER VIEW, IF YOU WOULD, UH, UH, CLOSEST TO THE WATER, I GUESS CALL IT, UH, WHERE, UH, ALL OF THE OTHER PEOPLE WHO SEEM TO HAVE THE MOST PROBLEMS ARE THE ONES, UH, FARTHEST AWAY FROM THE WATER, UH, UH, ON AJOY ROAD.
UM, I GUESS IT WOULD BE NORTH OF AJOY ROAD.
SO THERE, THERE, THERE, THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF CONFLICT THAT I KNOW ABOUT WITHIN AJOY, BUT THE PREPONDERANCE OF, OF PEOPLE, UH, LIVE, UH, NORTH OF AJOY, AND THEY'RE THE ONES THAT ARE EXPERIENCING THE PROBLEMS. THE PEOPLE, UH, THAT, THAT HAVE, UH, IF YOU WANNA CALL 'EM BEACHSIDE HOUSES, UH, THEY'RE, THEY'RE MORE WORRIED ABOUT REPLENISHMENT OF BEACH EROSION.
WERE BOTH SIDES OF THE CONFLICT REPRESENTED AT REPRESENTED AT THE MEETING YOU WERE AT, AT? NO.
SO THEY, I MEAN, THAT'S, THAT'S ANOTHER, A LAYER, AN ISSUE THAT, THAT THEY NEED TO ADDRESS AMONG THEMSELVES.
UH, AND THEIR REPRESENTATIVE NEEDS, MR. LAWTON NEEDS, NEEDS TO GET INVOLVED IN THAT PIECE.
AND I'M GONNA REACH BACK OUT TO HIM.
WHO ABOUT THAT? MR. MARK LAWSON.
OH, HE IS THEIR REPRESENTATIVE ON COUNCIL.
SO IT, IT, IT, IT'S, IT'S, UH, AND THERE WAS ANOTHER ISSUE, BUT THE COUNTY HAS ALREADY FIXED THAT PERSONNEL IN THE ALT JOY AREA.
SO, UM, THAT, THAT THERE WAS SOME MISUSE OF, OF COUNTY RESOURCES IN THAT AREA.
SO ALLEGEDLY, I'M SORRY, IT'S ALL ALLEGED
SO, UH, I I I JUST BRING IT UP THAT, THAT, THAT, YOU KNOW, I SEE, I SEE IT, IT, IT'S IN OUR BUDGET, YOU KNOW? MM-HMM.
SO THE ONE 20 CO IS COMPRISED OF THAT GRANT FUND.
SO RIGHT NOW THE ALLOCATION AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL IS LIKE 108,000 IS GONNA BE COMING FROM THE WELL, IS HOW IT'S BEING REVIEWED WOULD COME FROM THE FEDERAL, THE COUNTY HAS TO MATCH, BUT WE STILL HAVE TO ACCOUNT FOR THE ENTIRE COVERING THAT ENTIRE COST, UM, WITHIN THE BUDGET.
MY, MY QUESTION, I GUESS TO YOU WOULD BE, IS, IS $120,000 ENOUGH? WELL, I MEAN, WE CONTINUE TO GET QUOTES ON THINGS AND PRICES CHANGE ALL THE TIME.
SO AT THE TIME, THIS WAS, I'M NOT GOING DOWN EITHER.
SO AT THE TIME THAT WE PUT IN THE PROPOSAL, THAT WAS AN ADEQUATE AMOUNT OF FUNDING TO DO THE COUNTY RELATED STUDY.
[01:25:01]
JUST CURIOUS, WOULD IT NOT BE, YOU KNOW, JUST LOOKING AT SOME OF THE MAINTENANCE RELATED PROJECTS THAT WE GO THROUGH THERE, THERE ARE SOME THAT HAVE THAT KIND OF PRICE TAG.IS IT NOT SOMETHING WE JUST FIT IN UNDER THE
THE THOUGHT BEHIND GETTING THAT THE STUDY DONE WAS SO THAT WE DON'T PIECEMEAL SOME OF THESE REPAIRS SOMETHING THAT THEN GETS RIPPED BACK UP A YEAR LATER.
SO THEY ARE GONNA MAKE THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS AND THEN WE CAN GO IN AND CREATE A CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECT PLAN FOR THAT AREA, SIMILAR TO SHELL POINT.
SO WE, WE, WE WOULD, WE WOULD FARM THAT OUT TO AN ENGINEERING COMPANY,
AND MORE THAN LIKELY THEY'LL WORK BECAUSE OF CURRENT STAFFING SITUATIONS FORM THAT ALSO.
POSSIBLY, POTENTIALLY, POSSIBLY.
THAT WAY, YOU KNOW, THE COUNTY JUST SIGNED AN I G S A OR SOMETHING WITH THE GOVERNMENT ENTITIES TO PROVIDE SERVICES AS WELL.
SO WE'RE TRYING TO MANAGE ALL OF IT.
AND HOPEFULLY CAN GET MORE ON-CALL PEOPLE.
UH, A A AGAIN, I, I THINK THESE PEOPLE HA HAVE A LEGITIMATE ISSUE.
IT, IT, IT, IT'S JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT THAT THE MOST EXPEDITIOUS WAY TO CURE IT.
HAVE, HAVE THEY TRIED TO DEBATE ON SOME OF THAT? YES.
AND IT JUST IMMEDIATELY INCLUDES, AGAIN, UM, I'M, TO BE HONEST, I'M NOT SURE A HUNDRED PERCENT, BUT, BUT YEAH, THEY'RE VERY RESPONSIVE TO BC CONNECT COMPLAINTS.
UM, AND AGAIN, THE THOUGHT IS, THIS'LL BE MASTER PLAN, MASTER IMPROVED.
I, I'D RATHER A HOLISTIC APPROACH.
I MEAN, UH, KATIE AND I TALKED ABOUT THIS BY EMAIL, BUT IF, IF EVERYONE WHO HAD AN ISSUE, EACH INDIVIDUAL SENT IN A BC CONNECT, AND THEN IT WOULD JUST INUNDATE THE SYSTEM.
EVERY SINGLE, YOU KNOW, 90% OF THE RESIDENTS WOULD ALL BE SAYING, YOU KNOW, NUMBER 19 AND THEN 21 AND 23 AND 25.
AND IT'S LIKE, OKAY, WE WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE GOING TO TRY TO GET TO YOU WHEN WE CAN.
DO Y'ALL KNOW IF, IF DOTS, IF THEY'RE COMPLAINING TO D O T AS WELL?
I WOULDN'T KNOW FOR SURE, BUT I WOULD IMAGINE THAT THEY HAVE AGAIN, UH, BECAUSE THESE STREETS, YOU KNOW, ONE STREET IS, IS A STATE STREET AND IT EMPTIES INTO A COUNTY STREET MM-HMM.
THEY'RE GOING, HEY, WE GOT A PROBLEM HERE.
AND AS A TAXPAYER, WE JUST WANT IT FIXED.
AND I UNDERSTAND THEIR FRUSTRATION.
THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND THE NUANCES THAT, THAT KATIE EXPLAINS BETWEEN, YOU KNOW, D O T AND THE COUNTY.
I WONDER IF, IS THERE A WAY TO CONVEY TO THESE PEOPLE, MUCH LIKE WE DID WITH SHELL POINT TO SAY, YOU KNOW, JUST TO KIND OF ASSUAGE SOME OF THEIR CONCERNS IN THE INTERIM.
'CAUSE WHILE THIS BUREAUCRATIC PROCESS TAKES PLACE, THEY'RE STILL GONNA BE GETTING FLOODED, THERE'S STILL GONNA HAVE DRAINAGE ISSUES.
BUT IS THERE SOMETHING THAT WE COULD PUT OUT TO THESE PARTICULAR INDIVIDUALS SINCE THEY'VE RAISED THIS CONCERN WITH YOU, THAT, HEY, THIS WAS DISCUSSED AND THIS IS, THIS IS WHERE WE'RE AT.
WE'RE LOOKING AT, WE'RE LOOKING AT D O T ISSUES TO TRY AND EXPLAIN TO THESE FOLKS.
THEY GO, WELL, OKAY, AT LEAST MAYBE THERE'S A PINPOINT OF LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL.
AND TO THIS PUBLIC MEETING, THERE WAS NOT AN INVITATION OR AN ADVERTISEMENT THAT THIS WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE BROUGHT UP FOR DISCUSSION.
BECAUSE IF THAT WERE THE CASE, THEN STAFF WOULD'VE BEEN THERE JUST AS YOU WERE.
THIS IS ONE OF TWO COUNTY COUNCIL MEETINGS WHERE IT SAYS, BRING, BRING YOUR ISSUES TO YOUR COUNCIL.
PEOPLE, WE'RE HERE TO HEAR YOU.
AND AGAIN, UH, THAT, THAT WASN'T THE ONLY THING.
IT WAS, UH, PROBABLY THE MOST VOCAL, BUT THERE, THERE WERE THINGS ABOUT A RECREATION FIELD THAT, THAT THAT'S, YOU KNOW, IN DEPLORABLE CONDITION AND, AND YOU KNOW, THE COUNTY ISN'T DOING ANYTHING TO FIX IT.
SO THERE WERE, THERE WERE OTHER ITEMS MENTIONED, UH, AT THAT, BUT IT WAS A, AN OPEN MIC MEETING FOR THE CONSTITUENTS, YOU KNOW, UH, OF THE BLUFFTON AREA.
WELL, I UNDERSTAND THAT WITH WHAT YOU'RE SAYING WITH THESE OPEN MEETINGS, BUT WOULDN'T IT BE, AND AGAIN, I KNOW YOUR WORK SCHEDULE AND YOUR WORKLOAD IS INSURMOUNTABLE SOMETIMES, BUT WOULDN'T IT BE BETTER SOMETIMES TO TAKE THE FOREFRONT ON THIS, NOT HAVE TO WAIT ON COUNCIL TO COME OUT AND SAY ANYTHING, SAY, LISTEN, WE HEARD YOUR
[01:30:01]
PROBLEMS. WE'RE AWARE OF IT.HERE'S ALL THE THINGS THAT WE NEED TO DO TO TRY AND GET THIS FIXED.
WE'RE WORKING ON IT, BUT CONTACT MR. LAWSON, GET HIM INVOLVED, KICK HIM IN THE BUTT AND GET HIM MOVING.
I, I CERTAINLY DON'T DISAGREE WITH STAYING OPEN ABOUT COMMUNICATION.
UM, I CAN ALSO SEE FROM THEIR PERSPECTIVE THAT THEY WILL CONTINUE TO HEAR THE SAME THING FROM US, AND THAT IT WOULD PROBABLY GET A LITTLE REPETITIVE ON THEIR END IN THE, BECAUSE WE CAN'T MOVE AS FAST AS PEOPLE EXPECT.
AND I KNOW THAT HAS BEEN EXPRESSED.
MAYBE AN UPDATE WOULD, WOULD AT LEAST IN THE INTERIM HELP A LITTLE BIT WHILE WE CAN TRY TO GET OUR DUCKS IN A ROW TO START MOVING FORWARD WHILE WE GET PEOPLE HIRED TO GO OUT AND DO SOME OF THIS MAINTENANCE STUFF.
AND, YOU KNOW, STAFF IS CONSTANTLY CONTACTED BY RESIDENTS OF THE COMMUNITY.
THERE ARE SEVERAL, I THINK MS. LAURA'S INCLUDED, THAT WILL HAVE AN EMAIL OF CONCERNS THAT COMES TO STAFF THAT KIND OF KEEPS EVERYBODY IN THE LOOP, AND THEN THE RESPONSE GOES UP THE CHAIN, UM, TO HER FROM THE TEAM.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF SHE'S ACTING AS ONE OF THE COMMUNITY REPRESENTATIVES, BUT SHE, SHE IS, SHE, SHE, THERE ARE TWO PEOPLE, I GUESS MR. WILLIAMS AND HER ARE, ARE THE KEY, UH, UH, DISSIDENT IN THIS ISSUE.
OH, I DON'T KNOW WHO THAT IS, BUT YOU KNOW, AGAIN, JUST TO REITERATE, THE COUNTY HAS NOT FORGOTTEN ABOUT AJOY.
AND, AND, AND HOPEFULLY THEY HAVE CABLE AND THEY CAN SEE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THEIR ISSUES AND, AND, AND WE BROUGHT, I'VE DONE MY JOB OF BRINGING IT TO LIGHT.
AND, AND, AND, YOU KNOW, COUNTY COUNCIL, YOU KNOW, NEEDS TO GET INVOLVED.
IF, IF THEY AREN'T AWARE, THEY'RE AWARE, UH, ESPECIALLY MR. LARSSON IS AWARE, LAW LAWTON, LAWSON LAWSON BREAKS THE LAWS, IS, IS AWARE OF THE ISSUE.
UH, AGAIN, UH, THEY WANT STORM WATER FIXED AS OPPOSED TO BE REPLENISHMENT AND BIKE PASS.
YOU KNOW, IT'S LIKE WE, WE'VE BEEN COMPLAINING FOR YEARS, BUT SOMEBODY WANTS A BIKE PATH AND THAT SEEMS TO MOVE REALLY FAST.
IT'S NOT OUR ISSUE, IT'S THEIR ISSUE, BUT MM-HMM.
MOVING TO NEW BUSINESS, UH, FROM THE ADMINISTRATION, IS THERE ANYTHING PUBLIC WORKS ON NEW BUSINESS FROM ANYBODY HERE ON THE BOARD? UH, NO ONE ELSE FROM THE, UH, PUBLIC HAS ENTERED THE BUILDING.
UH, IF ANY OF YOU AS, AS TAXPAYERS WANT TO SAY ANYTHING, GO, GO RIGHT AHEAD.
IF THERE IS NO, UH, PUBLIC CON COMMENT, UH, UH, OUR,
[8. NEXT MEETING AGENDA]
WE, WE HAVE ON HERE, UH, UH, OUR NEXT MEETING AGENDA, UH, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS THAT OUR NEXT MEETING, UH, IS DECEMBER 13TH.UH, EARLIER IN THE YEAR, UH, WE PUBLISHED DATES THAT GOT CHANGED.
SO YOU MAY HAVE INSIDE YOUR CALENDAR SOMEWHERE, A NOVEMBER MEETING, AND WE'RE NOT MEETING IN NOVEMBER, SO EVERYBODY CAN MAKE NOTE OF THAT.
UH, I'VE NOT DONE THIS BEFORE, BUT, UH, CAN I HAVE A MOTION TO ADJOURN?