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CLOSED CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY BUFORT COUNTY.
THANK YOU FOR JOINING US, EVERYONE.
UM, IT IS 10 0 1, SO LET'S GET GOING.
I'M SURE WE WILL HAVE, UH, MORE JOINING US, BUT, UH, LET'S GET GOING WITH TODAY'S AGENDA.
UM, THE FIRST THING WE HAVE ON OUR, ON OUR AGENDA IS THE UPDATE AND DISCUSSION ON THE GROWTH COMMITTEE THAT WE RECENTLY FORMED.
UH, THANK YOU, UH, COUNCILWOMAN HOWARD FOR SPEARHEADING THAT.
UH, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO YOU NOW.
UH, ROB MERCHANT HAS SOME SLIDES TO PRESENT, SO I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO HIM.
THEY'VE MET, WE'VE, THEY'VE MET TWICE SINCE FORMATION
THANK YOU FOR STEPPING UP TO BE THE CHAIR OF THIS COMMITTEE RIGHT HERE.
THAT BETTER? WELL, GOOD MORNING.
AND, UM, JUST, UH, I THINK IT'S A PRIVILEGE TO, TO BE HERE TO TALK ABOUT THIS PROCESS.
UM, SO I JUST WANTED TO KIND OF BRIEFLY GO OVER, UM, I THINK THAT THIS CAME ABOUT, MAYBE EARLIER THIS YEAR.
THERE'S BEEN TALK AMONGST SO LOCO ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF DOING SOME JOINT PLANNING WORK AND HAVING A AGREED UPON, UM, GROWTH FRAMEWORK AND GROWTH BOUNDARIES.
UH, ESPECIALLY, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE CERTAIN AREAS WHERE, UM, WE HAVE MULTIPLE JURISDICTIONS THAT OVERLAP, YOU KNOW, LIKE ONE 70, YOU KNOW, WHERE THERE'S, UH, A GREAT CONCERN ABOUT GROWTH, ABOUT THE FUTURE, THAT CORRIDOR.
AND IT REALLY REQUIRES US TO WORK COOPERATIVELY TO, TO PLAN FOR FUTURE GROWTH.
UM, SO OUT OF THAT DISCUSSION AT THE, SO LOCO COMMITTEE CAME THIS, UM, SO LOCO GROWTH SUBCOMMITTEE, AND LET ME SEE HERE.
AND BASICALLY, THIS COMMITTEE IS MADE UP OF PLANNING DIRECTORS OR, UM, MANAGERS OF THE MUNICIPALITY.
SO WE HAVE, UH, SEAN COLLIN, WHO, THE WHO, THE, THE ASSISTANT TOWN MANAGER FOR, UH, HILTON HEAD ISLAND.
MATT DAVIS, THE DEPUTY CITY MANAGER OF HARDY DAN FRAZIER, PRINCIPAL PLANNER WITH BLUFFTON, KURT FREEZE WITH THE, UH, CITY OF BUFORT.
MATT GARNS, TOWN ADMINISTRATOR, TOWN OF YEEE, NOAH KREPPS, PLANNING DIRECTOR OF PORT ROYAL, DANNY LUCAS, THE DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DIRECTOR OF JASPER COUNTY AND MYSELF.
UM, SO BASICALLY, YOU KNOW, THE, THE PLANNERS OR THE, THE PEOPLE WHO ARE, UM, DIRECTLY OVERSEEING THE, THE PLANNING DIVISION ARE ALL REPRESENTED ON THIS COMMITTEE.
WE MET, UH, IN EARLY JULY AND IN LATE JULY JUST TO KIND OF TALK ABOUT WHAT WE ANTICIPATE BEING A BROAD SCOPE OF WORK THAT WE THINK IS NECESSARY TO HAVE THIS SHARED VISION FOR THE RE REGION.
UM, THE FIRST THING WE DID, WE JUST, I MEAN, WE, WE CAME UP WITH A MISSION STATEMENT FOR THE PURPOSE OF, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS IT THAT WE'RE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH OUT OF THIS? AND SO WE CAME UP WITH THIS KIND OF STRAIGHTFORWARD TO DEFINE A SHARED FUTURE GROWTH CONSERVATION AND LAND USE FRAMEWORK FOR THE SO LOCO REGION, WHILE RECOGNIZING THE UNIQUE QUALITIES OF EACH LO LOCAL JURISDICTION.
AND, UM, THIS APPROACH WE THINK THAT WOULD BENEFIT THE RE REGION.
I MEAN, I THINK THAT, THAT WE ALL KNOW THAT PEOPLE WHO, WHO HAVE, WHO LIVE IN BEAUFORT COUNTY AND IN JASPER COUNTY, THIS REGION WHO'VE MOVED HERE, THEY DON'T NECESSARILY PAY ATTENTION TO JURISDICTIONAL BOUNDARIES, BUT THEY'RE DEFINITELY IMPACTED BY SUCH THINGS AS TRAFFIC, UM, STORMWATER RUNOFF.
AND SO THEY, I, I BELIEVE THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT REALLY BENEFITS THE REGION AND THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE HERE BY HAVING A UNIFIED SHARED APPROACH AND BEING ABLE TO KIND OF PROBLEM SOLVE TOGETHER.
SO THE ADVANTAGE OF THIS APPROACH WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, ONCE, YOU KNOW, UNIFIED PROACTIVE VISION, IF WE CAN KIND OF GET AHEAD OF GROWTH OR GET AHEAD OF, UM, UH, INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS OR, UM, COMMUNITY FACILITY NEEDS, THEN, YOU KNOW, THAT IS A A A PLUS.
I MEAN, AS FAR AS, I'M NOT, YOU KNOW, CRITICIZING OUR REGION, BUT A LOT OF WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING, YOU KNOW, FOR THE LAST 30 YEARS HAS BEEN CATCHING UP OR REACTING TO
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GROWTH AND THE IMPACTS OF GROWTH.UM, POLICY DIRECTION ON LAND USE DECISIONS, YOU KNOW, WHEN EACH OF THE LOCAL JURISDICTION WHERE WE'RE CONSIDERING A REZONING OR A, UM, UH, ANNEXATION PROVIDING A LITTLE MORE GUIDANCE ON, ON HOW THAT INDIVIDUAL LOCAL DECISION FITS INTO A BROADER REGIONAL FRAMEWORK.
UM, AND THEN ONCE AGAIN, YOU KNOW, THERE'S THE GROWTH SIDE AND THERE'S ALSO THE PRESERVATION SIDE.
SO IF WE'RE ABLE TO AGREE AS A REGION, THESE ARE AREAS WE WANNA PRESERVE, THESE ARE TYPES OF NATURAL RESOURCES OR FEATURES THAT WE WANNA PRESERVE, ONCE AGAIN, YOU KNOW, THAT REALLY BENEFITS THE REGION.
AND NOT ONLY FROM A CONSERVATION ZONING, YOU KNOW, A REGULATORY STANDPOINT, BUT ALSO BEING PROACTIVE.
YOU KNOW, THE COUNTY HAS, IS, IS ITS GREEN SPACE PROGRAM IS, IS GETTING UP AND RUNNING.
AND SO NOW WE HAVE TOOLS TO STEP IN IF THERE'S REALLY, UM, OPPORTUNITIES FOR PRESERVATION OR, OR LAND THAT WE WANNA, UH, CONSERVE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE, UH, MORE TOOLS TO USE IN THAT CASE.
UM, THE COMPONENTS OF A SHARED VISION.
UM, WHEN WE LOOKED AT THIS, AND, YOU KNOW, I, I WAS INVOLVED CLOSELY 15 YEARS AGO WHEN THE COUNTY, THE TOWN OF PORT ROYAL AND THE CITY OF BEAUFORT, UM, DID THE NORTHERN REGIONAL PLAN.
AND, UM, REALLY WE SAW THAT AS A MODEL FOR HOW TO WORK COOPERATIVELY IN WITHIN THE SOUTH CAROLINA, YOU KNOW, THAT WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK THAT THE STATE GIVES US, WE HAVE NOTHING COMPELLING US TO WORK TOGETHER.
BUT THE IDEA IS IF WE'RE ABLE TO KIND OF MOVE IN STEP AND AGREE ON A SHARED VISION AND THEN ADOPT INTERGOVERNMENTAL AGREEMENTS OR THINGS THAT HELP KIND OF, UM, PROVIDE LOCAL, UM, FRAMEWORK FOR FOLLOWING THE, THE, THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT HAVE COME OUT OF THIS PROCESS, THAT'S KIND OF THE, THE TOOLS THAT WE SEE.
SO THE FIRST IS THAT WE REALLY BELIEVE THAT IT IS NECESSARY TO HAVE A, UM, SHARED FUTURE LAND USE PLAN.
AND WHEN I SPEAK OF A FUTURE LAND USE PLAN, THIS IS KIND OF A, MAYBE A 20,000 FOOT VIEW.
THIS IS NOT ZONING, YOU KNOW, WHERE YOU'RE GETTING DOWN TO THE DETAIL OF, OH, YOU KNOW, THIS MUCH, UH, RESIDENTIAL, THIS MUCH DENSITY, THIS MUCH COMMERCIAL.
THIS IS MORE SAYING, THIS IS AN AREA WE ANTICIPATE FOR BEING LOW DENSITY RESIDENTIAL WITH SMALL COMMERCIAL AT INTERSECTIONS.
YOU KNOW, SOMETHING LIKE THAT THAT PROVIDES SOME FRAMEWORK.
AND THE IDEA THERE IS THAT IF WE'RE, WE'RE, YOU KNOW, AND, AND WE WOULD START WITH LOOKING AT OUR COMPREHENSIVE PLANS, LOOKING AT OUR ZONING, LOOKING AT APPROVED DEVELOPMENT ALREADY.
AND IF WE'RE ABLE TO, THROUGH THAT PROCESS TO FIND, OKAY, IF, IF THIS AREA REZONES OR IF, IF, UM, WE ANNEX THIS PROPERTY, THIS IS THE, BASICALLY THE GUARDRAILS THAT WE'RE WORKING IN, IN, IN, UM, FUTURE LAND USE IN THAT AREA.
AND THAT'S REALLY A NECESSARY COMPONENT BECAUSE IT'S NOT JUST DEFINING GROWTH BOUNDARIES, DEFINING HOW, HOW FAR PEOPLE GROW.
THE ISSUE IS WHAT HAPPENS WITHIN THOSE AREAS, AND IS THAT GONNA BE SOMETHING THAT IS FAR DIFFERENT THAN WHAT A, WHAT ANOTHER JURISDICTION MAY HAVE ENVISIONED OR WHAT THE PUBLIC ENVISIONED FOR THAT AREA.
UM, SO WE HAVE THAT, WE HAVE THE GROWTH BOUNDARIES, JUST BEING ABLE TO DEFINE WHAT IS THE FUTURE BOUNDARY OF MUNICIPAL GROWTH.
AND THEN THE IMPORTANT THING WITH THAT IS WHAT ARE THE RULES OF THE JU OF THE MUNICIPALITIES WITHIN THE GROWTH BOUNDARIES AND THE COUNTIES OUTSIDE OF THE GROWTH BOUNDARIES? THIS BECAME AN ISSUE IN, IN NORTHERN BEAUFORT COUNTY IN THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, THE CITY OF BEAUFORT AND TOWN OF PORT ROYAL, UM, WERE, YOU KNOW, PERFECTLY FINE WITH AGREEING ON A GROWTH BOUNDARY, BUT THEY WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THE BEAUFORT COUNTY WASN'T COMPETING WITH THEM JUST BEYOND THE GROWTH BOUNDARY.
SO IF WE UPZONED AND DID A HIGH DENSITY DEVELOPMENT IN AN AREA THAT, THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN RURAL IN A WAY THAT'S, YOU KNOW, THAT'S COMPETING FOR, UM, GROWTH THAT IS BETTER SUITED TO BE WITHIN THE MUNICIPALITY.
AND SO COMING UP WITH THAT GENERAL, UM, AGREEMENT ABOUT THE RULE OF THE, THE MUNICIPALITY AND THE COUNTY WITHIN AND WITH OUTSIDE OF THE GROWTH BOUNDARIES, AND THEN FINALLY IDENTIFYING SHARED STANDARDS THAT HAVE CROSS JURISDICTIONAL, UH, IMPACTS.
YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT THESE, THE NUMBER ONE I WOULD SAY IS TRANSPORTATION.
I THINK WE ALL KNOW, YOU KNOW, UM, WHAT'S HAPPENING ON ONE 70.
AND, AND WE LOOK TO THE FUTURE OF THAT, AND WE REALIZED THAT THAT FUTURE GROWTH IS GONNA BE IMPACTED BY THE ACTIONS OF BEAUFORT COUNTY, BY JASPER COUNTY, THE CITY OF HARDY V AND MAYBE TO A LESSER DEGREE, THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON.
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YOU KNOW, SO HAVING, YOU KNOW, AGREED UPON STANDARDS FOR, UM, TRAFFIC IMPACT ANALYSIS, WHAT TRIGGERS THE TRAFFIC IMPACT ANALYSIS, COORDINATING WHAT TYPES OF IMPROVEMENTS WE SHOULD BE ASKING FOR, YOU KNOW, OFFSITE IMPROVEMENTS, UM, THAT THAT ARE TRIGGERED BY DEVELOPMENT ARE REALLY IMPORTANT.YOU KNOW, ANOTHER ONE, WHICH WE'VE TAKEN GREAT STRIDES IN THIS REGION, OF COURSE, IS STORM WATER.
WATER DOESN'T NECESSARILY STOP AT JURISDICTIONAL BOUNDARIES.
IF WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, AGREED UPON STANDARDS, THEN, YOU KNOW, WE'RE MAKING SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, UM, PROTECTING WATERWAYS AND DRAINAGE AND, AND, AND FLOODING, UM, YOU KNOW, IN A MULTI-JURISDICTIONAL APPROACH.
AND, YOU KNOW, WHEN IT COMES TO DOWN TO IMPACTING CROSS-JURISDICTIONAL, AND, AND, AND THIS IS, YOU KNOW, MAYBE MY OPINION, BUT THERE'S A CERTAIN POINT WHERE YOU KIND OF DRAW THE LINE.
I DON'T KNOW THAT NECESSARILY WE ALL HAVE TO HAVE THE SAME DEFINITION FOR WHAT A SPECIMEN TREE IS OR WHAT IS PRESERVED.
YOU KNOW, THAT THERE MIGHT BE THOSE TYPES OF THINGS BECOME MORE LOCAL ISSUES, BUT THERE ARE, UM, DECISIONS THAT IMPACT THE REGION.
AND THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT WE WANNA FOCUS ON.
UM, THE NEXT SLIDE IS HOW TO GET THERE.
YOU KNOW, WE HAVE THIS COMMITTEE TOGETHER.
WE'RE ACTUALLY MEETING AGAIN RIGHT AFTER THIS MEETING.
AND WHAT WE ANTICIPATE IS THAT, YOU KNOW, THE FIRST PROCESS IS SHARING INFORMATION, SHARING, UM, EXISTING DEVELOPMENT THAT HAS BEEN APPROVED.
SO WE HAVE AN IDEA ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT'S ALREADY BEEN ENTITLED, UM, OUR FUTURE LAND USE PLANS AND OUR COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
YOU KNOW, PUTTING ALL THAT TOGETHER TO BEGIN TO HAVE AN IDEA ABOUT WHERE FUTURE GROWTH IS GONNA HAPPEN ALREADY BASED ON DECISIONS THAT HAVE BEEN ALREADY MADE BY LOCAL JURISDICTIONS.
UM, AND THEN TAKING THAT INFORMATION AND LOOKING AT WHAT THINGS AFFECT GROWTH, YOU KNOW, AND SO WHAT WE ANTICIPATE IS A SERIES OF MEETINGS WITH DIFFERENT PARTNERS, UM, MEETING WITH BUFORT JASPER WATER SEWER AUTHORITY, LOOKING AT THE CAPACITY FOR FUTURE GROWTH, UM, UH, OF PARTICULAR AREAS.
UM, WHAT, WHAT THE CAPACITY IS THERE, UM, WITH, UH, DOT, WITH, UM, THE ENGINEERING DEPARTMENTS TO TALK ABOUT ROAD INFRASTRUCTURE.
UM, WE, WE WANTED TO TALK ABOUT ELEC, YOU KNOW, UM, UTIL ELECTRICAL UTILITIES, OTHER THINGS THAT IMPACT GROWTH TO GET A BETTER PICTURE ABOUT WHERE FUTURE GROWTH SHOULD BE TARGETED AND WHERE WE REALLY WANT TO TARGET, YOU KNOW, PRESERVATION OR LOW DENSITY DEVELOPMENT.
SO THROUGH THAT PROCESS, WE'RE DEFINING, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S, YOU KNOW, THIS FRAMEWORK, THIS, THIS, UH, FUTURE LAND USE VISION BEGINS TO KIND OF START TO COME INTO FOCUS.
AND THEN ONCE WE DO THAT, IT'S DEFINING THOSE, UM, THOSE STANDARDS THAT IMPACT CROSS-JURISDICTIONAL AND MAYBE COMING UP WITH SOME TOOLS, UH, TO USE IN THE FUTURE IN, IN SOUTHERN BEAVER COUNTY.
UM, COMING OUT OF THE SOUTHERN REGIONAL PLAN, WE CAME UP WITH THIS PROCESS CALLED PROJECTS OF REGIONAL SIGNIFICANCE.
UM, AND THE IDEA IS THAT DEVELOPMENT THAT CROSSES A THRESHOLD, WHETHER IT'S, UH, A CERTAIN, UM, SIZE IN ACREAGE OR NUMBER OF DWELLING UNITS OR SQUARE FOOTAGE OF COMMERCIAL THAT WE'RE SHARING THAT INFORMATION WITH NEIGHBORING JURISDICTIONS AND THEN GIVING THEM AN OPPORTUNITY TO COMMENT.
SOMETIMES IF IT'S ENTITLED DEVELOPMENT, IT'S INFORMATION SHARING, OR IT MIGHT BE SAYING, HEY, YOU MIGHT WANNA LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, THE TRAFFIC IMPACTS ON THIS INTERSECTION WHEN IT COMES TO DECISIONS ABOUT ANNEXATION OR REZONING.
THEN IT'S, YOU KNOW, PROVIDING INPUTS, YOU KNOW, BASED ON THE AGREED UPON WORK THAT DONE BY THE BY.
AND, UM, I KIND OF TALKED ABOUT THE STAKEHOLDERS, YOU KNOW, THIS IS PART OF THE PROCESS.
WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE, WE'RE LOOKING AT ALL THE, THE FACTORS THAT IMPACT GROWTH AND ARE IMPACTED BY GROWTH.
YOU KNOW, SO I HAD MENTIONED ROADS, UH, UTILITIES, UM, I FORGOT TO MENTION EARLIER SCHOOLS.
UM, YOU KNOW, IN WORKING WITH ALL THESE AGENCIES TO KIND OF INFORM, YOU KNOW, AS, AS, AS WE MOVE FORWARD AND WHAT WE LOOK AT IS THE FINAL PRODUCT, YOU KNOW? ALRIGHT, I'M SORRY, I'M LOOKING AT THE WRONG SLIDE.
SO WE REALLY, WE, WHAT WE SEE IS, YOU KNOW, THIS, THIS IS KIND OF WHERE WE'RE LOOKING AT DIRECTION FROM THIS COMMITTEE.
UM, IT COULD BE AS SIMPLE AS AN ADOPTED FUTURE LAND USE MAP THAT IDENTIFIES THE GROWTH BOUNDARIES OF EACH JURISDICTION, AND THEN A INTERGOVERNMENTAL AGREEMENT THAT OUTLINES THOSE THINGS.
LIKE THE, THE, THE RULES OF THE MUNICIPALITIES WITHIN THE, WITHIN THE GROWTH BOUNDARIES, THE, THE COUNTY OUTSIDE THE GROWTH BOUNDARIES.
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WITH THE CITY OF BEAUFORT AND TOWN PORT ROYAL, WE HAVE AN AGREEMENT IF, IF A PROPERTY IS CONTIGUOUS THE COUNTY, WE GIVE THE MUNICIPALITY RIGHT, OF FIRST REFUSAL FOR UPSO.YOU KNOW, SO IT'S, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY HAVE THE OPTION TO ANNEX THE IDEAS IF THEY'RE IN THE GROWTH BOUNDARY.
ANNEXATION SHOULD OCCUR RATHER THAN THE COUNTY COMPETING WITH THE MUNICIPALITIES.
WE EVEN HAVE AN AGREEMENT IF A PROPERTY IS ONE OR TWO PROPERTIES REMOVED, WE STILL GIVE THE MUNICIPALITY OPPORTUNITY TO EXPLORE OPTIONS OF CREATING CONTINUITY.
SO THINGS LIKE THAT, THAT, THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, PROVIDES BETTER COOPERATION.
UM, YOU KNOW, 'CAUSE THE IDEA IS THAT WITHIN A GROWTH BOUNDARY, PRIMARILY THAT SHOULD BE MUNICIPAL JURISDICTION, OUTSIDE COUNTY JURISDICTION.
UM, BUT THAT OF COURSE, I THINK WILL COME DOWN TO THE WORK OF THIS COMMITTEE.
THAT'S JUST AN EXAMPLE OF WORK THAT'S BEEN DONE IN ANOTHER PART OF THE COUNTY.
UM, AND THEN FINALLY, CERTAIN DOCUMENTS, YOU KNOW, WE MENTIONED THAT PROJECTS ARE REGIONAL SIGNIFICANCE.
I THINK THAT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S VERY SIMPLE AND STRAIGHTFORWARD.
IT COULD BE ADOPTED BY RESOLUTION, BY EACH LOCAL JURISDICTION.
UM, YOU KNOW, ALLOWING THAT, THAT SHARING OF INFORMATION.
UM, YOU KNOW, AND I THINK ALSO WITH THAT, THEY, THERE MAY BE SOME HOMEWORK GIVEN THE COMMITTEE, YOU KNOW, WE, WE'VE, UH, AGREED ON THIS FRAMEWORK.
I, I WANT YOU TO LOOK, YOU KNOW, IT MAY BE THAT WE LOOK CLOSER AT, UM, OUR TRAFFIC IMPACT ANALYSIS REQUIREMENTS OR TAKING ANOTHER LOOK AT STORMWATER, YOU KNOW, OR DIFFERENT THINGS THAT WE'VE IDENTIFIED IS IMPACTING THE REGION.
SO THAT'S IN A, IN A SENSE, WHAT WE SEE AS THE DELIVERABLES OUT THIS PROCESS.
AND WHAT I ANTICIPATE OUR NEXT STEPS AS A COMMITTEE IS WE REALLY WANT TO HEAR FROM SO LOCO ABOUT THIS APPROACH, WHETHER THIS IS WHAT YOU ENVISIONED, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU CREATED THIS COMMITTEE.
AND THEN ALSO, UM, AFTERWARDS WHAT WE WANT TO DO, OUR SUBCOMMITTEE WILL BE MEETING, I GUESS, TO, YOU KNOW, BASED ON THE INPUT OF THIS COMMITTEE TO START CHARTING WHAT OUR SCHEDULE LOOKS LIKE MOVING FORWARD AND, AND HOW WE WANT TO GET THERE.
SO, WITH THAT, I WANTED TO CERTAINLY, UM, ENTERTAIN QUESTIONS AND DISCUSSION.
SO, WELL, FIRST OF ALL, BEFORE I OPEN IT UP TO THE BOARD, WOW, WHAT, WHAT A GREAT PRESENTATION AND, AND WHAT, UH, A WONDERFUL FRAMEWORK AND, AND IN SUCH A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME.
SO MY COMPLIMENTS TO YOU AND YOUR ENTIRE COMMITTEE ON, ON WHAT YOU'VE ACCOMPLISHED SO FAR.
UM, ANYONE FROM THE BOARD FIRST, AND THEN WE'LL GO TO THE PUBLIC MAYOR MARY, ROB, THANKS FOR, THANKS FOR A GREAT, A GREAT PRESENTATION.
AND THE WORK COMMITTEE'S ALREADY ACCOMPLISHED IN A COUPLE OF SHORT MONTHS.
UM, YOU REFERENCED IT A FEW TIMES, AND I JUST SORT OF WANNA BE ON THE RECORD THAT I, I MAINTAINED THE NORTHERN REGIONAL PLAN THAT THE THREE JURISDICTIONS SORT OF SAT DOWN AND WORKED THROUGH BACK IN THE EARLY TWO THOUSANDS, I GUESS IS AN EVERGREEN DOCUMENT.
AND I THINK ACKNOWLEDGING THAT NORTH AND SOUTH WE HAVE SORT OF DIFFERENT ISSUES AROUND LAND USE AND, UM, GROWTH BOUNDARIES AND, AND THOSE ISSUES.
I I, I'M OF THE OPINION THAT IT'S WORKED REALLY WELL IN NORTHERN BEAUFORT COUNTY BETWEEN THE TOWN OF PORT ROYAL, THE COUNTY, AND, AND THE CITY.
UM, AND SO I WOULD JUST WANNA PUT IT IN A GOOD WORD FOR THE NORTHERN REGIONAL PLAN.
AND I THINK OUR COUNCIL AND THE CITY WILL HAVE A HARD TIME SORT OF STRAYING FROM THE LAND USE AGREEMENTS, UH, AND THE, AND THE GROWTH BOUNDARIES IN, IN THE PLAN.
I DON'T KNOW IF PORT ROYAL FEELS DIFFERENTLY THAN, THAN THAT.
UM, I, I MIGHT SUGGEST THAT WE GET INTO MAYBE SOME OF THE TACTICS OF THE NORTHERN REGIONAL PLAN AND THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS.
FOR EXAMPLE, YOU KNOW, HOW DOES THE COUNTY NOTIFY THE MUNICIPALITIES OR NOTIFY THE APPLICANTS THAT ARE WITHIN THE GROWTH BOUNDARIES THAT THEY SHOULD CONSIDER ANNEXATION? 'CAUSE I'M AWARE OF A FEW PROJECTS AS OF LATE THAT I'M NOT, I'M NOT SURE THAT WE'VE BEEN NOTIFIED, AND I DON'T KNOW IF THE APPLICANT HAS EITHER.
SO, UM, I THINK FROM OUR STANDPOINT, IF THERE'S A WAY THE COMMITTEE CAN AGAIN, SORT OF DIVE DEEPER INTO THE NORTHERN REGIONAL PLAN, JUST TALK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, EXECUTION ITEMS, UM, OR HOW THEY'RE MONITORED AND MANAGED LONG TERM, THAT MIGHT BE MORE IMPORTANT FOR THE NORTHERN SIDE OF THE COUNTY THAN RE-LOOKING AT THE FUTURE LAND USE MAPS AND THE GROWTH BOUNDARIES.
'CAUSE I THINK OUR COMP PLANS, THE NORTHERN REGIONAL PLAN, THE LADIES ON PLAN, THEY ALL SORT OF POINT US IN THAT SAME DIRECTION.
I CAME IN THE TAIL END OF IT, SO I'M NOT GONNA GO BACK AND ASK QUESTIONS.
UM, I KI I'M KIND OF A STUDENT OF WESTON NEWTON WHEN MM-HMM.
SO YOU, AND YOU WERE ALSO VERY, YOU AND I THINK WERE THE ONLY TWO THAT CAME TO THE SOUTHERN REGIONAL PLAN
IT WAS A TABLE THIS BIG AND MAYBE FOUR OF US SHOWED UP, BUT I REALLY DO BUY IN AND I'D LOVE YOUR THOUGHTS ON IT.
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YOU'VE SEEN BOTH MM-HMM.WE ARE MORE THAN A LITTLE, WE ARE VERY DIFFERENT.
YOU HAVE A YIN AND YANG WITH PORT ROYAL AND BEAUFORT, AND THEN WESTON JUST FELT, WHICH IS COMING TRUE TODAY.
HELENA HOUSE SO MUCH IS RURAL.
I DON'T KNOW THAT BLUFFTON, BLUFFTON NEVER CONNECTS WITH HILTON HEAD, WITHOUT BEAUFORT COUNTY RUNNING INTO IT.
BEAUFORT COUNTY DOESN'T CONNECT ALL THE WAY WITHOUT JASPER COUNTY RUNNING INTO IT.
SO WE ARE REALLY KIND OF A MESS OF WHO OWNS WHAT.
SO I DON'T THINK WE CAN TAKE ONE THAT YOU THINK WORKS SO WELL AND ENFORCE IT ON, ON ANOTHER.
SO I THINK YOUR COMMITTEE'S GONNA HAVE TO, I'M WITH STEVEN, THE TACTICS OF IT ALL, THE, WHERE'S THE PERMIT FINDER OVERALL, WHERE'S PUBLIC TRANSPARENCY OF WHERE THESE PROJECTS ARE GOING FOR THE PUBLIC TO SEE? AND WHAT ARE THE POINTS WHERE YOU'VE GOTTA BRING IN YOUR NEIGHBOR? AND I THINK YOU ALL ARE ON THAT, BUT I'M JUST CAUTIONING YOU NOT TO USE SOMETHING THAT WORKS SO WELL.
AND YOU MENTIONED IT SEVERAL TIMES UNTIL YOU REALLY DIVE INTO THIS PART OF THE WORLD THAT YOU HAVE TWO TOTALLY DI MEAN, WE ALL CAN'T AGREE ON A STORMWATER, REGIONAL STORMWATER PLAN.
SO, AND THAT WAS MY OTHER THING ON YOUR STORMWATER.
I WOULDN'T GO DOWN THAT RABBIT HOLE SO MUCH BECAUSE WE DON'T ALL, AND I'M LEARNING FROM HARDY BILL EVEN THAT WHAT THEY FOUND IS THEIR SOILS ARE FAR DIFFERENT FROM BLUFFTON SOILS.
SO THEY'RE JUST SOME REASONS WHY.
AND MAYBE THAT'S, I DON'T KNOW, IT'S JUST A COMMENT.
BUT WHY DIDN'T EVERYONE BUY INTO THAT? SO PLEASE DON'T GO DOWN A RABBIT HOLE.
STAY BIG PICTURE TO HELP MAYBE WITH ALL THE THINGS THAT YOU SAID.
AND I REALLY LOVED YOUR PRESENTATION.
FINALLY, I'M JUST INTERESTED IN TIMELINE AT SOME POINT.
BUT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE WHEN WE'RE GONNA END AND GET SOMETHING DELIVERABLE.
I DON'T NEED ANSWERS TO ANY OF IT.
MR. PASSMAN, CAN YOU GO BACK TO YOUR SLIDE, HOW WE GET THERE? OKAY.
I THINK THIS IS THE ESSENCE OF THE DIRECTION WE SHOULD BE GIVING YOU.
THAT FIRST ONE OF SHARE IS YOUR BEGINNING POINT.
WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT EACH OF US HAS THE EXISTING PLANS AS A STARTING POINT.
ALL OF THE THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN TALKED ABOUT ARE RELEVANT, BUT UNTIL WE FIND OUT WHERE WE ARE, THEIR RELEVANCY IS IN THE BACKGROUND.
SO I THINK THAT'S THE STARTING POINT RIGHT THERE.
OH, WE'RE MISSING A GREEN CIRCLE ON THIS.
SO ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD BEFORE I ASK THE PUBLIC? ONE MORE? NO ONE ELSE.
LISA, YOU INSPIRED AN ADDITIONAL COMMENT.
UM, I, I WOULD SAY TWO THINGS.
ONE, YOU TALK ABOUT TRANSPORTATION, UM, AND WHEN I SEE THAT THE COMMITTEE MAKE UP, YOU, YOU'RE ALL VERY BUSY PEOPLE WITH LOTS OF RESPONSIBILITIES AND LOTS OF MEETINGS ALREADY TO GO TO.
SO I'M, I'M COGNIZANT OF THE BANDWIDTH AND THE RESOURCE OF, OF THE GROUP.
UM, AND SO LIKE LATS, RIGHT? LATZ HAS BEEN DOING A REALLY GOOD JOB.
AND NOW WITH THE COMBINED NPOS TALKING ABOUT TRANSPORTATION PLANNING.
AND SO THERE'S A LOT OF GOOD WORK UNDERWAY.
I JUST, I JUST MENTIONED THAT BECAUSE STORMWATER'S ANOTHER ONE WHERE I THINK I AGREE WITH LISA.
WE'VE, WE'VE SORT OF TACKLED THAT 800 POUND ELEPHANT AND EVERYBODY'S SIGNED ON MOSTLY.
SO I, I, I JUST, THE WORD OF CAUTION WAS DON'T, DON'T BE DUPLICATIVE OVER WHAT COMMITTEES AND OTHER PROCESSES THAT WE'VE ALREADY SORT OF TAKEN ON WOULD BE BE ONE PIECE OF GUIDANCE.
AND THE SECOND THING WAS, I I I WANT US TO BE CAREFUL THAT, YOU KNOW, THE PLAN DOESN'T SEEK TO ASSIMILATE ALL OF THE JURISDICTIONS.
BECAUSE I THINK IT'S COOL THAT WE EACH HAVE OUR OWN FLAVOR.
WE EACH HAVE DEVELOPED DIFFERENTLY.
I THINK DE LISA'S POINT, RIGHT? BUT WE ARE DIFFERENT.
UM, JOHN O'TOOLE MAKES THIS ANALOGY ABOUT BEAUFORT COUNTY AND, AND JASPER, WE'RE A STAINED GLASS WINDOW.
AND EACH OF THE COMMUNITIES ARE DIFFERENT.
THEY LOOK DIFFERENT, BUT THE SUM OF OUR PARTS, WE MAKE A PRETTY COOL WORK OF ART.
UM, AND SO I, I JUST, I CAUTION AS WE LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, THESE REGIONAL, BIG REGIONAL PLANS, THERE ARE THINGS THAT WE CERTAINLY SHOULD ALIGN ON, BUT I ALSO THINK WE HAVE TO ACKNOWLEDGE EACH COMMUNITY'S INDIVIDUALITY AND, AND THE COUNTY'S INDIVIDUALITY.
UM, AND THERE ARE GONNA BE PLACES WHERE I THINK OVER TIME, THAT THAT CREATES GREATER INTRINSIC VALUE FOR, FOR ALL OF US.
UM, SO LET'S NOT TRY TO FORCE US ALL TO ASSIMILATE TO THE SAME CODES
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AND DESIGN STANDARDS AND, AND ALL OF THOSE THINGS.'CAUSE I DON'T THINK LONG-TERM THAT'S HEALTHY FOR US.
AND IF I WOULD FOLLOW UP TO, UH, BOTH MAYOR'S, UH, COMMENTS.
I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS I WOULD LIKE TO SEE, UH, IS AT LEAST THE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND THE AWARENESS OF THOSE DIFFERENCES.
AND I'LL, I'LL GO BACK TO THE STORMWATER PLAN.
HARVILLE STILL HASN'T ADOPTED IT.
NOT THAT WE'RE NOT GOING TO, BUT WHATEVER WE END UP ADOPTING, WE'RE GOING THROUGH THE MCDO, UM, REVIVAL OR REVISIONS.
NOW, IT WILL BE DIFFERENT THAN WHAT WAS, UM, RECOMMENDED BY.
SO, LOKO, WE DID EXACTLY WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
WE'RE TRYING TO ADAPT IT TO WHATEVER SOIL NEEDS IT.
BUT I THINK IT ALL STARTED WITH THE AWARENESS OF WHAT WE SHOULD DO.
AND I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT YOU THIS COMMITTEE CAN ACCOMPLISH IS THAT AWARENESS.
THERE ARE, I'LL USE THE OKEE REGION AND ALL THAT ENCOMPASSES THAT AFFECTS BEAUFORT COUNTY, JASPER COUNTY.
IT AFFECTS HARDY, IT AFFECTS BLUFFTON.
AND ULTIMATELY THE ROOTS OF GOING FROM MILTON HEAD TO BEAUFORT ARE AFFECTED BY WHAT HAPPENS IN THAT AREA.
AND SO, WHAT I WAS THINKING AS YOU WERE GIVING IT, PERHAPS ONE OF THE TECHNIQUES AND TACTICS THAT WAS REFERRED TO IS THAT SO THAT A LOT OF DEVELOPERS COME, LET'S SAY TO HARDY BILL AND THEY'LL COME TO US IN EXECUTIVE SESSION TO TAKE OUR PULSE ON, ON, ON, ON A FUTURE PROJECT.
WELL, WE WANT TO, IT, IT'S GOOD TO SHARE THAT BECAUSE IT'S A PROJECT OF REGIONAL SIGNIFICANCE, BUT WE'RE RESTRICTED BECAUSE IT WAS AN EXECUTIVE SESSION.
SO WHAT I'M SUGGESTING PERHAPS, IS THAT WE HAVE A, UH, TACTIC TO INVITE THOSE JURISDICTIONS TO AN EXECUTIVE SESSION WHEN WE NEED TO SHARE INFORMATION ON FUTURE PROJECTS.
AND SO THAT MIGHT BE ONE OF YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS WHEN YOU DISCUSSED.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS, MAYOR PERRY? YEAH.
SO IN, IN LOOKING AT THIS, FIRST THING THAT JUMPS OUT TO ME IS, UM, IS MOVING THE NATURAL RESOURCES, WETLANDS AND OTHER FACTORS A LITTLE BIT EARLIER, BECAUSE THAT SHOULD BE A DEFINING FACTOR AS TO WHERE DEVELOPMENT SHOULD OR SHOULD NOT GO.
UM, AND THEN GOING BACK TO MARY MURRAY'S POINT, UM, IT'S, IT'S A MEASUREMENT OUTCOMES.
WHERE, WHERE DO WE SEE OURSELVES AS A LOW COUNTRY WITHIN OUR INDIVIDUALITY? WHAT IS IT THAT WE'RE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH? AND WHAT DO WE WANT TO BE TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT, UM, WE'RE MEETING THE NEEDS OF STORMWATER, WE'RE MEETING THE NEEDS OF TRANSPORTATION, WE'RE MEETING THE NEEDS OF FUTURE DEVELOPMENT.
WE'RE MEETING ALL THOSE NEEDS WITHIN OUR CHARACTER, BUT WHAT IS THAT OUTCOME THAT THAT FITS? SO I THINK THAT IF, IF THE COMMITTEE COULD SOMEHOW FIGURE THAT OUT, WHICH IS NOT AN EASY TASK, UM, WOULD BE GREATLY BENEFICIAL FOR EVERYBODY.
ANYONE ELSE FROM THE BOARD? MR. KEMP? UH, I'D LIKE TO SEE COMMONALITY TO START OUT WITH COMMONALITY.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE TALKING ALL THE TIME ABOUT SPECIFICS, BUT I THINK COMMONALITY IS WHERE WE START OR SHOULD START.
SO ONCE YOU HAVE THE COMMONALITY, YOU CAN WORK IT OUT.
AND THEN FROM THERE YOU'LL BE ABLE TO GO INTO TO DEEPER SUBJECTS.
I MEAN, THE ONE THING THAT COMES OUT, AND IT'S ALWAYS COMES OUT, WE DON'T, YOU DO SOMETHING IN BUFORD, WE DO SOMETHING IN JASPER.
SOMETIMES WE DON'T KNOW WHAT WE'RE DOING.
ALL I'M SAYING IS, IS COMMONALITY.
THE COMMONALITY IS COMMUNICATION.
ONCE WE START THAT, THEN WE SEE THAT'S GONNA WORK.
THEN WE GO A LITTLE BIT DEEPER.
I MEAN, IT'S A LONGER PATH, BUT IT'S A SOLID PATH.
ANYONE ELSE FROM THE BOARD? I, I JUST WANTED TO, UM, GO OVER 'CAUSE WE WERE, WE WERE CONCERNED ABOUT THIS VERY ISSUE.
I THINK THAT'S BEEN BROUGHT UP A FEW TIMES THAT, UM, AND I AGREE THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S DEFINING WHAT IS THAT COMMONALITY AND WHAT ARE THE THINGS THAT WE VALUE THE MOST AS A REGION THAT WE WANT TO PROTECT.
[00:30:01]
BUT WE ARE VERY MINDFUL, YOU KNOW, IN THE MISSION STATEMENT, PROTECTING THE UNIQUE QUALITIES OF EACH LOCAL JURISDICTION.SO THAT'S WHY, YOU KNOW, I DON'T THINK WE'RE, AND I DON'T THINK WE WANT, WE HAVE THE TIME TO GET INTO THE WEEDS OF NORMALIZING ALL THE STANDARDS OF ZONING OR DESIGN STANDARDS AND EVEN STORMWATER.
YOU KNOW, IT MAY BE THAT THERE ARE DIFFERENT FACTORS IN HARDY AND BLUFFTON, BUT THERE MIGHT BE SOME OVERALL BROAD, YOU KNOW, THINGS THAT WE NEED TO LOOK AT THAT, THAT AFFECT CROSS JURISDICTIONAL BOUNDARIES.
AND THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT I BELIEVE WE NEED TO WORK ON.
YOU KNOW, I, I THINK THAT THERE'S A HAPPY MEDIUM BETWEEN THAT, YOU KNOW, EACH OF US HAVING, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT LOCAL FLAVOR AND, AND, AND DISTINCTION.
BUT MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE ADDRESSING THOSE THINGS THAT HAVE COMMON IMPACTS.
AND, AND I'M WITH YOU, I GUESS, TO LOOKING AT THE COMMITTEE AND ALL AND REALLY HAVE THOSE HARD DISCUSSIONS WITH EACH MM-HMM.
AND THERE'S AN EXAMPLE JUST RIGHT ACROSS FROM MICHAEL C. RILEY THAT IS IN THE COUNTY AND IT'S FOR SALE, BUT THEY'RE COMING TO US AND THEY WON'T WAY MORE, I DIDN'T REALIZE HOW GOOD YOUR, I DON'T UNDERSTAND YOUR CODE.
I DON'T UNDERSTAND THESE LETTERS AND NUMBERS, BUT WHEN YOU GET FOR DUMMIES VERSION, IT'S MUCH BETTER THAN WHAT WE ALLOW.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S WHERE I THINK WE ARE GONNA WORK WELL IN THIS AND MM-HMM.
BUT THEN FIND YOUR PEOPLE WHO AROUND THE TABLE.
THERE MAY BE EMY MAY WANT MULTIFAMILY ALL OVER THE PLACE, OR BUFORT OR BLUFFTON MAY WANT IT.
SO JUST GET THOSE HARD DISCUSSIONS OUT OF THE WAY AND WORK AROUND IT.
I THINK YOU'RE ON A REALLY GOOD PATH.
MAYOR SOKO KEEPS MAKING ME THINK, SO THAT'S GOOD.
YEAH, THAT WAS, I'LL TAKE THAT AS MY WIFE'S GONNA SEND YOU A THANK YOU CARD, UM, GIFT CARD, BRIAN.
SO ROB, I, I APPRECIATED YOUR, YOUR COMMENT ABOUT OUR REACTIVE NATURE WITH A LOT OF THE WORK THAT WE DO.
'CAUSE I FIND OURSELVES, YOU KNOW, WE, WE CREATE THESE VISION PLANS AND I THINK WE ALL DO A PRETTY GOOD JOB ON OUR COMP PLANS OR, YOU KNOW, LADIES ON PLANS.
BUT WE, WE OFTENTIMES FAIL TO TAKE THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS OR THAT VISION, VISION AND THEN CODIFY IT INTO OUR SORT OF REGULATORY STRUCTURE THAT ACTUALLY GUIDES THE LEGAL PROCESS FOR NEW DEVELOPMENT.
AND THEN WE KINDA GET SURPRISED WHEN A SAY A, A PINE ISLAND COMES OUTTA THE GROUND, OR IN OUR CASE, THESE BIG MULTI-FAMILY THAT'S COMING OUT THAT SORT OF WORKS COUNTER TO OUR, TO OUR VISIONING PLANS.
UM, BUT FOR LIKE, THE NOTIFICATION, I'LL, I'LL SORT OF, I'LL TOUCH ON THAT.
YOU KNOW, ONCE A, ONCE YOU'VE GOT A PROJECT IN THE HOPPER, ONCE THEY'VE PUT IN THEIR APPLICATION, IT'S VERY DIFFICULT FOR US TO, TO STOP THAT PROJECT WITHIN THE LEGAL MEANS.
AND I THINK THAT'S WHY DOING THIS HARD WORK UPFRONT TO REALLY MAKE SURE THAT THE TABLE HAS SET APPROPRIATELY ON THE PUBLIC SIDE IS, IS REALLY IMPORTANT.
SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, THE FOCUS IS ON, UM, AGAIN, VISION ONE THING, BUT THE TACTICS OF HOW DO WE TAKE THAT VISION AND CODIFY IT SO IT REALLY GUIDES NEW DEVELOPMENT.
AND WE'RE VERY CLEAR WITH, WITH ALL STAKEHOLDERS, RIGHT? CITIZENS OF WHO ARE CARED ABOUT PRESERVATION, BUT ALSO DEVELOPERS WHO NEED TO INVEST IN OUR, IN OUR RESPECTIVE COMMUNITIES.
UM, BUT TO THAT POINT, I THINK SOMETIMES WE FAIL TO THINK ABOUT THE ECONOMICS OF DEVELOPMENT WITH, WITHIN OUR COMMUNITIES.
AND IS THERE AN OPPORTUNITY THAT AS YOU D DETERMINE THE VISION, YOU DETERMINE THE, THE TACTICS FOR EACH OF US TO HELP PUT THOSE IN PLACE? UM, IS THERE A BROADER DISCUSSION ABOUT HOW WE INCENTIVIZE OR DISINCENTIVIZE GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT WHERE WE WANT IT TO GO REGIONALLY? UM, IMPACT FEES MIGHT BE A GOOD EXAMPLE.
WE'VE, IN BEAUFORT COUNTY HAVE SAID WE WANT IMPACT FEES TO BE THE SAME ACROSS THE BOARD, YOU KNOW, VERSUS NORTH AND SOUTH.
UM, BUT IF WE'RE TRYING TO SHAPE IN NORTHERN BEAVER COUNTY, WE'RE TRYING TO SHAPE GROWTH INTO THE URBAN CENTERS, WHICH ARE IN THE MUNICIPALITIES, AND WE'RE TRYING TO DISCOURAGE GROWTH IN THE UNINCORPORATED AREA, RIGHT? WHAT TOOLS DO WE HAVE TO DO THAT? WE HAVE OUR REGULATIONS.
SO IN MY MIND, WE SHOULD MAKE IT MAYBE MORE STREAMLINED AND PREDICTABLE TO DO DEVELOPMENT IN THE MUNICIPALITIES VERSUS THE UNINCORPORATED COUNTY.
AND THEN THERE'S THE COST INVOLVED WITH DOING THOSE DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS.
SO, AND AGAIN, HYPOTHETICALLY, COULD THE IMPACT FEES BE MORE EXPENSIVE IN THE UNINCORPORATED COUNTY AND LOWER IN THE URBAN SORT OF MUNICIPAL BOUNDARIES AS AN INDUCEMENT TO SHAPE THAT GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT WHERE WE ALL AGREE THAT WE WANT IT TO GO.
UM, SO I JUST OFFER THAT AS AN EXAMPLE OF MAYBE THIS COMMITTEE, UM, COULD GIVE US SOME STRATEGIES ABOUT HOW WE WORK TOGETHER REGIONALLY
[00:35:02]
TO USE MORE THAN JUST OUR, OUR VISION TO SHAPE GROWTH WHERE WE, WHERE WE WANT IT TO OCCUR.DOES THAT MAKE, DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? MM-HMM.
UH, I'M GONNA TAKE ONE MORE QUESTION FROM THE BOARD AND A COUPLE MINUTES FROM THE PUBLIC, BECAUSE WE STILL HAVE THE SECOND ITEM OF OUR AGENDA.
UH, JOE, UM, OBVIOUSLY THIS IS THE NEXT BIG THING FOR SO LOKO.
SO I WOULD CHARGE OUR REPRESENTATION HERE THAT REPRESENTS OUR INDIVIDUAL JURISDICTIONS.
WE SHOULD LET OUR INDIVIDUAL COUNTY COUNCILS, TOWN COUNCILS TO BEGIN TO UNDERSTAND WHAT WE ARE GOING TO DO, WHAT WE'RE GOING TO TRY AND DO TO ENSURE THAT THEY'RE ON BOARD, THAT WE HAVE A UNITED VISION.
YES, WE'RE GOING TO BE INDIVIDUALS.
YES, WE HAVE GROWTH BOUNDARIES THAT WE WANT TO PROTECT.
YES, WE WANT TO DO CERTAIN THINGS, BUT RIGHT NOW WE HAVE A SHARED VISION FOR THE FUTURE OF WHERE WE LIVE, WORK AND PLAY.
UH, LET'S, I'M GONNA GIVE FIVE MINUTES TO PUBLIC SUGGESTIONS, UH, AND THEN WE'RE GONNA GO ON TO THE HOUSING TRUST.
ANYONE FROM THE PUBLIC LIKE TO, UH, YES SIR.
DO YOU HAVE ANY PROVISIONS FOR SHARED USE PATH OR ANY, UH, WRITTEN DOCUMENTS THAT ARE ALREADY PUBLISH? MY NEXT QUESTION IS PART OF THE STANDARDS.
ARE YOU GONNA CONSIDER USING NATIONAL STANDARDS?
LATS, WHICH IS THE MPO THAT IS INCLUDES ALL OF US REALLY, I THINK, IS GONNA FOCUS ON THOSE THINGS WITH BEAUFORT COUNTY CONNECT.
SO I DON'T, I WOULDN'T WANT HIM TO GO DOWN THAT RABBIT HOLE, BUT LATS AND OUR PLANNING DEPARTMENTS ARE, ARE WHERE I WANT YOU TO KEEP FOCUSED ON AS WELL.
SHE MENTIONED TRANSPORTATION AND YEAH.
BUT I JUST WANTED TO JUMP IN 'CAUSE I'M THE CHAIR OF LATS.
I WILL, UH, IF THEY START GOING TO THAT RABBIT HOLE OF TRANSPORTATION, STEPHANIE AND I, WHICH I DON'T SEE STEPHANIE TODAY, WE'LL, WE'LL START HAVING, AND JARED WILL START HAVING FITS
THAT'S HOW KAREN HEITMAN DID IT.
AND THAT'S WHY WE HAVE PATHWAYS TODAY IN BLUFFTON.
SO, SORRY, I DIDN'T NO, THAT'S GREAT.
AND I THINK THAT COMMENT EARLIER ABOUT DUPLICATING AREAS THAT SOMEONE, ANOTHER COMMITTEE'S ALREADY FOCUSING ON IS, IS GOOD AND APPLICABLE TO YOUR SUGGESTIONS, SIR.
UM, ANYONE ELSE FROM THE PUBLIC HAVE ANY COMMENTS OR IDEAS? YES, JOCELYN.
UM, I WAS WONDERING IF THIS WOULD BE AN APPROPRIATE COMMITTEE, THE WHERE TRANSFER STATIONS ARE, OR, I JUST WAS CURIOUS IF THIS MIGHT BE APPROPRIATE.
I THINK THAT WOULD ALL BE UNDER THE ENVIRONMENT ISSUES THAT WE HAVE.
AND I, AND I THINK IT'S THE, THE COMMITTEE IS WELL ON OUR WAY TO DEFINING WHAT THOSE THINGS ARE, BECAUSE THERE'S, THERE'S ONLY SO MUCH AND BROAD YOU CAN BE.
AND LET, AND LET THE COMMITTEE DEFINE THOSE THINGS AND COME BACK TO US.
IS THAT, MM-HMM?
MY NECK DOESN'T TURN AS GOOD AS I GET OLDER.
JUST A QUICK UPDATE FOR THE BOARD.
A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT ARE WORKING THROUGH LATS ON TRANSPORTATION SIDE.
UM, THERE'S SEVERAL CORRIDOR STUDIES THAT ARE, THAT ARE BEING KICKED OFF ON ALL THE MAJOR ROUTES.
ONE 70 FROM THE DRAFT CIRCLE AND TON ALL THE WAY TO BOUNDARY STREET 2 78 FROM INTERSTATE TO SEA PINE CIRCLE, UM, TON PARKWAY FROM ONE 70 TO 2 78, AND THEN THE SOUTHERN REGIONAL FROM 46 TO ALL THE ABOVE.
UM, SO THAT'S ONE MAJOR INITIATIVE THAT'S GOING ON.
THERE'S APIA ORDINANCE, A TRAFFIC IMPACT ANALYSIS ORDINANCE THAT WE'RE WORKING THROUGH IN THE TECHNICAL COMMITTEE, WHICH BASICALLY SAYS ANY PROJECT THAT CREATES SO MANY TRIPS, A HUNDRED TRIPS OR
[00:40:01]
GREATER, UM, THAT ON THE SET SELECT GROUP OF TRAFFIC CONSULTANTS WOULD, WOULD DO THAT WORK.SO IF THEY'RE OUT OF TOWNERS, THEY WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR THAT, UM, THAT LOCAL TRAFFIC CONSULTANT.
SO BASICALLY THAT KNOWLEDGE, RATHER THAN HAVING IT OUT OF TOWN OR FROM ATLANTA, COME DO SOMETHING FOR THEIR SPECIFIC PROJECT.
WE HAVE A GROUP OF CONSULTANTS THAT ARE LOOKING OUT FOR THE REGION VERSUS THE SPECIFIC PROJECT.
UM, SO THAT WOULD BE A REGIONAL ORDINANCE THAT WE TRY TO GET EVERYBODY TO ADOPT FIRST RELAPSE AND THEN ALL JURISDICTIONS.
AND THEN LASTLY IS, I DON'T KNOW THE, THE TERM YET, BUT BASICALLY A SUPER DESIGN.
UM, SO WE KNOW THERE, FOR INSTANCE, THERE MAY BE A DEDICATED STOPLIGHT AT A PARTICULAR INTERSECTION.
POTENTIALLY WE WAIT UNTIL THE DEVELOPMENT COMES AND WE MIGHT WAIT TWO OR THREE YEARS, BUT IF WE HAD THAT ALREADY IDENTIFIED, ESPECIALLY ON THE CORRIDOR ACCESS MANAGEMENT PLAN, WE COULD POTENTIALLY GO IN AND INSTALL THAT SIGNAL AND GENERATE A FORMULA WHERE WHEN DEVELOPMENT COMES, THEY CAN PAY BACK THE COST OF THAT SIGNAL WAS PART OF THEIR DEVELOPMENT FEES.
UH, SO THOSE ARE KIND OF THREE THINGS IN THE HOPPER ON TRANSPORTATION REALM.
GOTTA FEED INTO WHAT THIS GROWTH COMMITTEE WAS WORKING ON.
AND, UH, YOUR NAME'S GONNA COME UP A LITTLE LATER, SO I'M GONNA CUT IT OFF FROM THERE.
SO DON'T GO ANYWHERE AND, AND YOU KNOW WHAT IT IS.
UH, WE HAVE NEXT ON OUR AGENDA AN UPDATE AND DISCUSSION FROM THE HOUSING TRUST.
AS YOU KNOW, UH, THAT WAS THE MAIN FOCUS OF OUR MEETING, UH, LAST MONTH.
AND THERE WERE A LOT OF QUESTIONS.
SO WE WANTED TO PUT, UM, THE TRUST BACK ON, ON THE DAY.
SO IF THERE WERE QUESTIONS THAT WERE NOT ANSWERED LAST TIME, UH, THERE WAS SOME INFORMATION THAT WAS SENT, PARTICULARLY WITH THE, THE, THE PROJECTS THAT ARE WERE IDENTIFIED.
UM, I HAD ALSO ASKED TAMMY, UH, ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT HAVE COME UP IS TO HAVE AN, AN UPDATE ON, UH, THE, THE FUNDRAISING, FOR LACK OF A BETTER TERM, BRAD, OR PROBABLY, UH, THE FINANCIAL COMMITTEE IN TRYING TO GET OTHER SOURCES OF, OF, UH, BUILDING UP THE TRUST SIMILAR TO WHAT GREENVILLE HAS DONE.
SO, MR. BRAD MALL, I'M TURNING IT OVER TO YOU.
UM, SO WE DO HAVE A FEW BOARD MEMBERS, QUITE A FEW BOARD MEMBERS FROM THE HOUSING TRUST THAT'S IN THE, UH, AUDIENCE AS WELL.
UH, SO LAST MONTH, AS YOU MENTIONED, WE DID COME AND GIVE A SIX MONTH, UH, UPDATE TO YOU ALL ON OUR ACTIVITIES, UH, WITH THE HOUSING TRUST.
UM, ONE OF THOSE, UM, ASK, LEAVING THAT MEETING AGAIN, AS YOU MENTIONED, WAS THAT WE BRING BACK TO YOU, UM, A MORE DETAILED LIST OF THOSE PIPELINE PROJECTS, THOSE INDIVIDUALS ORGANIZATIONS AND, UH, LANDOWNERS AND DEVELOPERS THAT WE'VE SPOKEN TO.
SO WE DO HAVE THAT IN YOUR, UH, YOU DO HAVE THAT IN YOUR PACKETS AND WE PROVIDED THAT TO YOU ALL.
UM, SO I'M JUST GONNA KIND OF JUST, UH, WE DO HAVE 24 LISTED HERE, SO I'M NOT GONNA READ OR EVEN, UH, THROUGH 24 OF 'EM.
BUT I DO JUST KIND OF WANNA MENTION A FEW THINGS AS I JUST KIND OF SCROLL THROUGH.
UM, AND THEN AFTER I FINISH FOR A FEW MINUTES, IF YOU GOT ANY QUESTIONS, UH, COMMENTS CONCERNING THE, UH, PIPELINES, UH, UM, THAT YOU HAVE IN YOUR PACKAGE, AND I'M HERE TO ANSWER THOSE QUESTIONS FOR YOU.
UM, AFTER THAT, UM, WE WILL HAVE OUR CHAIRMAN, WENDY, ZARA, THAT'S GONNA COME UP TO YOU ALL, UH, KIND OF, UH, GIVE YOU MORE INSIGHT INTO, UH, THAT DISCUSSION AS YOU MENTIONED THAT WE'VE HAD ON, UH, UM, CONCERNING TAX CREDITS.
SO SHE'LL MENTION THAT AS SHE COME UP AND GIVE YOU SOME FURTHER, UM, UPDATES, UM, AS WELL AS YOU MENTIONED AS FAR AS, UM, SEEKING OUT THOSE, UM, UM, RESOURCES AND SOURCES, UM, UNDER THE, UH, DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE.
UH, SO JUST WANNA, UH, MENTION TO YOU RIGHT QUICK, OF COURSE HERE IT DOES KIND OF DOES LIST, UM, SPECIFICALLY SOME OF THOSE, UH, 24 INDIVIDUALS THAT WE'VE, WE'VE SPOKEN TO ARE HAVING CONVERSATIONS WITH.
OF COURSE, OUT OF THIS LIST, WE DO HAVE SEVEN RESPONDENTS TO OUR MAY RFP THAT WE PUT OUT THAT HAS CLOSED.
UM, BUT WE ARE HAVING DISCUSSIONS WITH THOSE INDIVIDUALS.
OUT OF THOSE SEVEN, UM, TWO DID NOT, UH, FULLY COMPLETE, UH, AN APPLICATION, UH, A FULL APPLICATION, BUT WE AGAIN, ARE WORKING WITH THEM, UM, ON SOME TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.
WE DO HAVE FIVE THAT ARE AT SOME LEVEL, UM, AND EITHER UNDERWRITING OR GETTING US, UH, MORE INFORMATION, UM, WITH THE, UH, GOAL OF, UH, PUSHING THEM, UM, UM, TOWARDS UNDERWRITING.
AGAIN, THESE, UH, UH, FIVE, UH, FOR EXAMPLE, THESE FIVE, UM, THEY ARE, THEY HAVE WENT THROUGH OUR PROJECT EVALUATION COMMITTEE.
OF COURSE WE HAVE, UH, TONY HERE, THE HILTON HEAD REP WHO'S CHAIRMAN OF THAT COMMITTEE.
UM, AND SO THESE FIVE, UH, UH, INDIVIDUALS WHO DID FILL OUT A FULL APPLICATION,
[00:45:02]
UH, THEY HAVE WENT THROUGH THE, UH, PROJECT EVALUATION COMMITTEE.UM, AGAIN, THERE ARE, WERE SEVEN RESPONDENTS TO THE RFP, UH, 17, UH, INDIVIDUALS OUTSIDE OF THAT NEXT PIPELINE THAT WE HAVE, UM, OUTSIDE OF THE RFP PIPELINE IS, IS A PIPELINE OF JUST SMALL, SMALLER DEVELOPERS, UH, LANDOWNERS AS TAMMY CALLED IT, TIRE KICKERS.
OF THOSE, UH, WITHIN THE AREA WHO HAVE CONTACTED US, UM, EITHER THROUGH AN ELECTED OFFICIAL HAD DIRECTED THEM TO, TO, TO HAVE, UH, UH, SOME INITIAL CONVERSATIONS WITH US SO THAT WE CAN HELP POINT THEM IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
OR SOME OF THEM HAVE RESPONDED BASED ON ARTICLES THAT THEY'VE SEEN ON THE HOUSING TRUST OVER THE PAST FEW MONTHS.
AND SO THEY KIND OF WANTED SOME DIRECTION ON EITHER, UM, WHERE SHOULD THEY GO? WHO DO THEY NEED TO TALK TO AGAIN, WE DID TAKE THAT DIRECTION.
UM, EVEN FURTHER AS MENTIONED IN OUR, IN THE LAST, IN THE MEETING LAST MONTH, UM, A VALUABLE COMMENT THAT SAID, BASICALLY, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE PUSHING THESE INDIVIDUALS, ESPECIALLY THE LANDOWNERS TO, UM, THE PLANNING STAFF FOR, FOR EACH JURISDICTION.
UM, SO SINCE OUR MEETING LAST MONTH, WE DO HAVE TWO LANDOWNERS AGAIN, THAT HAVE HAD SOME, UH, SIT DOWN MEETINGS WITH THE PLANNING DEPARTMENTS, UM, I BELIEVE, AND WE HAVE ONE DEVELOPER THAT HAS SAT DOWN WITH, UH, THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT OF THE MUNICIPALITIES REPRESENTED, I BELIEVE ONE WAS IN, UH, HILTON HEAD, A DEVELOPER SAT, UH, DOWN WITH THE STAFF THERE TO DISCUSS, UH, UM, POTENTIAL PROJECT, AFFORDABLE HOUSING, SMALL PROJECT HE WANTED DO OVER THE SPANISH WELLS.
UM, VICTORIA AND I, WE SAT DOWN WITH THE PLANNING STAFF, PLANNING STAFF WITH THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON, UH, WITH, UH, MR. WILLIE COHEN TO DISCUSS A POSSIBLE AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECT, UH, ON, UH, GOTHE ROAD.
AND THEN ALSO, UH, ONE OF THE INDIVIDUALS THAT DID NOT COMPLETE A FULL APPLICATION, UM, UH, ALEX NAVARRO.
UM, HE'S HAS SOME PROPERTY IN, IN, UH, PORT ROYAL THAT HE WOULD LIKE TO, UM, TO DISCUSS TO SEE HOW HE CAN BUILD AFFORDABLE HOUSING ON THAT PROPERTY.
UM, AGAIN, SO MOVING FORWARD, UH, MOVING FORWARD, WE DON'T, WE, WE AGAIN, WILL CONTINUE THE BOARD, UM, AND COMMUNITY TO WORK STAFF, AS WE HAS BEEN.
WE'LL CONTINUE TO WORK WITH THESE INDIVIDUALS, UM, TO OFFER, AGAIN, SOME TYPE OF TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE OR POINT THEM IN THE DIRECTION OF THE PLANNING STAFF FOR THE, UH, PARTNERING JURISDICTIONS, UM, OR POINT THEM INTO THE DIRECTION OF SOME OTHER ORGANIZATIONS THAT MAY HELP THEM.
UM, FOR EXAMPLE, ONE OF THE ORGANIZATIONS, UH, WOULD LIKE TO PUT TOGETHER A, A HOUSING PLAN.
AND SO WE DIRECTED THEM TO THE STAFF AND WORKING WITH THE STAFF WITH, UH, UM, LOW COG TO TRY TO HELP THEM GET THAT DONE.
SO AGAIN, THAT'S A, A KIND OF JUST A QUICK UPDATE OF WHAT I HAVE AS FAR AS THE, UM, PIPELINE PROJECTS THAT, UM, WE HAVE UP HERE.
AND BEFORE YOU, IF YOU GOT ANY QUESTIONS OR, UM, COMMENTS, CONCERNS ON THAT, UH, I'M WILLING TO, UM, ANSWER THOSE FOR YOU.
AND AGAIN, I'D LIKE TO THANK EVERYBODY WHO'S VOLUNTEERED AND BEEN ON THIS COMMITTEE FOR THE FINE WORK THAT, THAT YOU'RE DOING.
WE'RE, WE'RE VERY PROUD TO OF, UH, WHAT YOU'RE DOING AND, AND, AND YOUR MISSION.
UM, ONE OF THE PURPOSES OF, OF TODAY, UH, WITH THE, THE, UH, HOUSING TRUST IS TO MAKE SURE IF THERE WERE ANY RESIDUAL QUESTIONS THAT WERE MISSED AT LAST MONTH'S MEETING, AND GIVE EVERYBODY THE OPPORTUNITY IF, OR IF SOMETHING OCCURRED TO THEM IN THE LAST MONTH.
SO I'M JUST GONNA OPEN IT UP FOR ANY FOLLOW UP QUESTIONS, ANYONE FIRST FROM THE BOARD, AND THEN WE'LL GO TO THE PUBLIC AND MAYOR.
UM, I DO HAVE WENDY, WENDY ZA IS GONNA COME UP AND AGAIN, UH, KIND OF GIVE THAT LITTLE PRE PRESENTATION AS FAR AS AGAIN, UM, UH, KIND OF MORE INSIGHT INTO THAT TAX CREDIT DISCUSSION.
SO IF THEY DO HAVE SOME QUESTIONS SPECIFICALLY FOR, UM, FOR THIS PIPELINE, I COULD ANSWER THOSE AGAIN, IF THERE ARE SOME QUESTIONS, KIND OF MORE INTO THE DIRECTION OF, UM, UH, UH, TAX CREDIT PROJECTS, THEN WE CAN MAYBE WAIT TILL AFTER SHE SPEAK AND, AND THEN WE CAN ASK THOSE QUESTIONS.
ALRIGHT, GOOD MORNING EVERYBODY, AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH, UH, FOR GIVING US TIME AGAIN TO DO AN UPDATE ON THE ACTIVITIES OF THE HOUSING TRUST.
UM, IT, IT WAS APPARENT AT LAST MONTH'S.
WENDY, COULD YOU GET THAT, UH, MICROPHONE A LITTLE CLOSER? HOW'S THAT? BETTER? EVERYBODY, EVERYBODY HERE, WENDY, BACK THERE.
IT'S WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU'RE SHORT.
UM, THE TAX, THE IDEA OF TAX CREDIT, AFFORDABLE HOUSING LOOMED REALLY LARGE IN THAT CONVERSATION.
AND, UH, WE DO HAVE TONY ALRE HERE.
HE IS OUR PROJECT ANALYSIS CHAIR, BUT ALSO HIS CAREER WAS IN TAX CREDIT FINANCING.
IN CASE WE GET ANY REALLY TECHNICAL QUESTIONS, BUT I WANTED TO
[00:50:01]
JUST GIVE YOU AN OVERVIEW, UM, OF, THEY'RE CALLED LITECH, L-I-H-T-C IS THE ACRONYM.IT STANDS FOR LOW INCOME HOUSING TRUST.
UM, SO THESE ARE JUST THE GENERAL PARAMETERS.
BY STATUTE, THEY ARE AFFORDABLE FOR 30 YEARS.
THE QUALIFIED CONTRACT LOOPHOLE IS, THIS IS WHAT GETS TO THE 15 YEAR.
THE QUALIFIED CONTRACT LOOPHOLE IS LEFT OVER FROM THE IRS CRAFTING OF THE TE SECTION 42 OF THE TAX CODE THAT BASICALLY NEEDED AN EXIT AFTER 15 YEARS FOR TAX OPINION PURPOSES, APPROXIMATELY A HUNDRED THOUSAND HOMES OR UNITS HAVE BEEN SUBJECT TO QCS, WHICH IS A QUALIFIED CONTRACT, ALLOWING THE RENT TO GO TO MARKET.
SINCE INCEPTION IN 1986 THROUGH 2021, THE LITECH PROGRAM HAS DEVELOPED OR REHABBED 3.7 MILLION HOMES, AND LESS THAN 3% OF THOSE HAVE GONE TO MARKET RATE, UH, AS A RESULT OF A QUALIFIED CONTRACT.
THE, ONE OF THE THINGS WHY INVESTORS INVEST IN IT IS OF COURSE, BECAUSE THEY GET A FEDERAL TAX BENEFIT FOR 10 YEARS.
UM, AND PROJECTS THAT GO THROUGH A QUALIFIED CONTRACT HAVE AFFORDABILITY FOR 15.
HOWEVER, DEVELOPERS SEEKING TO EXIT THE PROGRAM ARE OFTEN BANNED FROM FUTURE AWARDS VIA THE STATE'S QUARTERLY QAP QUALIFIED ALLOCATION PLAN.
SOUTH CAROLINA HOUSING, BOTH BANS FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS AND AWARDS, QAP POINTS ON NEW TRANSACTIONS THAT WAIVE THE RIGHT TO A QUALIFIED CONTRACT.
UM, THE HALLMARK TEAM, WHICH I BELIEVE WAS BROUGHT UP AT THE LAST MEETING ON A PARTICULAR DEVELOPMENT, UM, UH, THEY WERE GETTING OUT OF THE BUSINESS AND BLUFFTON DID AT LEAST GET 15 YEARS WORTH OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING FROM THAT PROJECT.
UM, THE HOUSING TRUST REQUIRES AFFORDABILITY FOR AT LEAST 20 YEARS.
AND SINCE 1986, BEAUFORT COUNTY HAS, THROUGH 2021, WE'VE HAD 33 DEVELOPMENTS COMPLETED THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY, WHICH WAS 1,968 AFFORDABLE HOMES.
AND IN JASPER COUNTY IS 168 AFFORDABLE HOMES IN FIVE DIFFERENT PROJECTS.
SO THOSE, THE SORT OF THE QUICK AND DIRTY GENERAL IDEA OF HOW LITECH DEALS WORK.
UM, WE ALSO, AND WHEN I SAY WE, I MEAN PRIMARILY TONY HAS SPENT SOME TIME TRYING TO COMPARE LITECH DEALS WITH AFFORDABLE HOUSING THAT DOES NOT HAVE THE BENEFIT OF THE TAX CREDIT.
AND, UH, HE HAS SPREADSHEETS AND STUFF IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN IT.
I JUST, TOO COMPLICATED TO PUT UP ON A SCREEN.
BUT BASICALLY FOR A HYPOTHETICAL, 100 UNIT MULTIFAMILY APARTMENT WITHOUT THE TAX CREDIT WOULD NEED TO HAVE A SUBSIDY OF $175,000 PER UNIT.
UM, WHERE DOES THE SUBSIDY COME FROM? YOU KNOW, IT COULD COME FROM MULTIPLE PLACES.
ANYTHING FROM, UM, YOU KNOW, CONTRIBUTIONS OUTTA THE GENERAL FUND TO WORKING WITH THE WATER AUTHORITY TO IMPACT FEES.
THERE'S A LOT OF PLACES TO TRY AND COME UP WITH THAT SUBSIDY.
BUT, UM, SO THAT'S WHAT THE ASSUMPTION IS.
THE INVESTORS' EQUITY IN THE LITECH DEALS MAKES UP THE BULK OF THE SOURCES, UM, PLUS MORTGAGE FINANCING ON WHICH THEY GET BETTER TERMS THAN A CONVENTIONAL MORTGAGE, AND THEY'RE READILY SELLABLE IN THE SECONDARY MARKET TO FANNIE MAE OR FREDDIE MAC OR SOME OTHER PRIVATE INVESTOR.
ADDITIONALLY, THE RISK OF DEFAULT ON THE TAX CREDIT INVESTORS, WHICH IS USUALLY MAJOR BANKS AND INSURANCE COMPANIES, UM, GETS THEM BETTER RATES ON THEIR MORTGAGES.
THE THREE LITECH DEALS IN OUR PIPELINE NOW TOTAL 2.6 MILLION AND THEREFORE 263 UNITS.
UM, AND LESS THAN 10,000 HOMES, UM, PER 15 YEAR REPAYMENT, AFFORDABLE, 60 TO 80% OF AMI THAT'S 175,000 PER UNIT OUT WORKFORCE AT A HUNDRED PERCENT, A HUNDRED PERCENT OF AMI IS ABOUT $62,000 PER UNIT AT 60 TO 80.
SO I KNOW THOSE ARE REALLY BIG NUMBERS, BUT IT GIVES YOU AN IDEA OF WHY WE DO NOT SEE AFFORDABLE HOUSING
[00:55:01]
BEING BUILT IN EITHER ONE OF THESE COUNTIES.THE LAND PRICES AND THE CONSTRUCTION PRICES, ET CETERA, HAVE GONE UP SO MUCH IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS, MUCH LESS 20 YEARS THAT OTHER THAN HABITAT REALLY AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS NOT BEING BUILT EXCEPT THROUGH LITECH PROJECTS.
BRETT, WERE WE TO HAND THIS OUT? OBVIOUSLY IT'S HARD TO READ WITH GRASP, I THINK THERE, TONY, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD TO WHAT I JUST SAID? UM, NO.
IT'S, IT'S JUST A NATIONAL PROBLEM.
UH, AFFORDABLE HOUSING TO, YOU KNOW, CREATE, CREATE THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, INDOOR WORKFORCE HOUSING TO ADDRESS THE MISSING MIDDLE THAT, THAT'S, UM, DESCRIBED IS, UM, JUST REALLY HARD WITHOUT, UH, LOCAL GOVERNMENT SUPPORT, STATE SUPPORT AND FEDERAL SUPPORT.
SO FEDERAL OF SUPPORT, CERTAINLY KNOW AND UNDERSTAND WHAT'S HAPPENING AT, AT THE STATE LEVEL.
WHAT, UH, GOOD MORNING AND THANK YOU.
UH, NOW WENDY, I ACTUALLY DON'T HAVE ANYTHING ELSE TO, TO ADD.
UM, ACTUALLY IT WAS THE, THE BOARD THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, PUT THIS TOGETHER.
I ORIGINALLY, UM, RAN THE NUMBERS AND, AND DISCUSSED IT WITH THE BOARD AND A COUPLE OUTSIDE, UM, UNDERWRITERS IF, IF YOU WILL.
BUT, UM, IT'S A NATIONAL PROBLEM.
UM, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN PICK UP THE NEW YORK TIMES, WASHINGTON POST OR YOU KNOW, ANY, ANY PERIODICAL AND YOU'RE, YOU'RE HEARING ABOUT AFFORDABLE HOUSING ISSUES ALL OVER THE COUNTRY.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, TO GET DEALS DONE, YOU NEED LOCAL COMMUNITY SUPPORT, YOU NEED STATE SUPPORT, AND YOU NEED NATIONAL SUPPORT.
SO PRIMARILY THE NATIONAL SUPPORT IS THE LOW INCOME HOUSING TAX CREDIT, WHICH HAS BEEN AROUND SINCE, UM, 1986.
UM, THE STATE SUPPORT WOULD BE EACH STATE'S, UM, HOUSING AREA.
SO SC HOUSING, WE, WE WORK WITH THEM AND THEN OBVIOUSLY THE, THE LOCAL SUPPORT IS, UM, YOU KNOW, THE FUNDING SOURCES THAT WE GET FROM YOU ALL.
SO THANK YOU FOR THANK YOU TONY FOR THAT.
I GUESS, AND WE CAN GO WAY INTO THIS, BUT JUST KIND OF AT THE TOP, SOME OF THESE WOULD'VE, IF WE DIDN'T EXIST, I THINK THEY STILL WOULD BE GOING THROUGH THE PROCESS TO GET IT.
UM, SO I WONDER HOW MANY OF YOUR THREE WERE DISCOUNTED FROM THE FUNDING? YOU SAID THERE WERE SOME NON-RENEWALS OF SOME OF THESE COMPANIES.
SO IS, I DON'T BELIEVE BENNETT AND RLE HAVE BEEN, UM, NO.
THEY HAVE YET TO BE AWARDED A TAX CREDIT AWARD FROM SE HOUSING.
I ACTUALLY TALKED TO INTERIM DIRECTOR HUDU, UM, OF SE HOUSING JUST LAST WEEK.
WE FULLY EXPECT THE QUALIFIED ALLOCATION PLAN FOR 2020, UM, FOUR TO, TO COME OUT, UM, IN DECEMBER.
WE MIGHT NOT HAVE A ROUND OF CREDITS IN 2023.
SO, UM, THE, THE TWO DEALS ARE, UM, NOT YET AWARDED CREDITS ARE THE, THE WDA COOPER DEAL.
AND THEN, UM, YOU KNOW, AS, AS YOU MADE MENTION THE BENNETT RYDEL DEAL, SO DO, DO WE PAY 'EM CONTINGENT ON THEN GETTING THOSE AWARDS? 'CAUSE OURS HAS ABSOLUTELY A DROP IN THE BUCKET.
THAT THE DEAL WOULD PROBABLY GET UNDERWRITTEN TWO OR THREE TIMES IN THE PROCESS.
AND I THINK WE, WE KNOW THAT THE, THE TAX CREDIT TRANSACTIONS ARE COMPLICATED.
THEY TAKE A COUPLE YEARS TO CLOSE SOMETIMES.
UM, SO WHAT WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IS, UM, WE WOULD SEND OUT A, A COMMITMENT LETTER AND, YOU KNOW, BUT IT, IT NEEDS TO HAVE A, A FULLY SOURCED DEAL.
IT'S OBVIOUSLY NEEDS TO HAVE AWARDS, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO HAVE THE MONEY TO BE ABLE TO DO IT.
UM, THE, THE ONE TRANSACTION, UM, THAT WE ARE CURRENTLY UNDERWRITING IS THE COMMON, UH, COMMONWEALTH TRANSACTION.
THEY'RE, THEY'RE A DEVELOPER BASED OUTTA WISCONSIN.
THEY'RE, THEY'RE DOING A DEAL, UM, JUST, UH, ON BOUNDARY STREET THAT ACTUALLY HAS A 2022 AWARD.
SO IT HAS GONE THROUGH THE, THE STATE PROCESS THAT THAT IS OUR, OUR BEST PROSPECT FOR FUNDING.
[01:00:01]
ABOUT IT YESTERDAY AS, AS A BOARD, UM, WE EXPECT COMMUNITY WORKS.OUR, UM, AGENT AND PARTNER TO, UM, DO HALF OF THE, THE TRANSACTION AND THE BUFORT, JASPER HOUSING TRUST WOULD POSSIBLY DO THE OTHER HALF.
BUT THAT TOO, WE'RE, WE'RE IN UNDERWRITING FOR THAT.
AND THEN FINALLY, I JUST, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE BOARD SUPPORT.
I KNOW THAT MAYOR WILLIAMS AND MYSELF SAT IN BLUFFTON AND HARDY V HAD THREE.
SO MAYOR WILLIAMS AND I SAT WITH VICKY, AND THEN WE'VE INDIVIDUALLY SAT WITH OUR MEMBERS.
SO WE'VE SAT WITH THREE, AND I THINK ALL OF US WERE REALLY SUPER CLEAR.
NOT A HUNDRED PERCENT WHAT WE'RE SEEING ON THIS PAPER.
I I DON'T WANNA DO A HUNDRED PERCENT OF THE TOWN'S MONEY TOWARD SUBSIDIZED SECTION EIGHT HOUSING.
AND YOU'RE GONNA, I LISTENED TO YOUR MEETING AND I'M NOT SITTING THROUGH A SEVEN HOUR MEETING THE WAY YOU DID.
YOU'RE, THIS WASN'T THE PURPOSE, BUT I FEEL LIKE IT'S GETTING TO BE THE PURPOSE.
'CAUSE IT'S LOW HANGING FRUIT, SO YOU DON'T NEED TO, YOU DON'T NEED TO JUST UNDERSTAND IT BECAUSE OH, ABSOLUTELY.
I COULDN'T AGREE MORE WITH YOU.
I MEAN, IT WOULD BE WRONG FOR US TO PUT ALL OUR EGGS IN ONE BASKET.
IT WOULD BE WRONG FOR US TO SHUT OUT LOCAL DEVELOPERS THAT DO REALLY SMALL DEALS.
I, I, I KNOW AND UNDERSTAND THAT.
BUT TO YOUR POINT AROUND SECTION EIGHT, UM, MANY OF THESE PROJECTS DO NOT HAVE SECTION EIGHT VOUCHERS FROM THE, THE HOUSING AUTHORITY OR TRAVELING VOUCHERS.
THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, UH, WAGE EARNERS MAKING 60% OF AREA MEDIAN INCOME.
AND I JUST FELL ON MY SWORD THAT I GET MAD AT.
I SHOULDN'T HAVE SAID NO, NO, NO.
I SHOULDN'T HAVE SAID SECTION EIGHT.
BUT IT'S THIS, IT'S DEFINITELY THE 60 AND BELOW, WHICH I THINK IS NEEDED, BUT NOT A HUNDRED PERCENT OF OUR MONEY.
WHEN WE CLEARLY POURED, VICKY HAS HEARD IT TO AD NAUSEUM, THAT WAS LIKE NUMBER 50 ON OUR LIST OF WHERE TO PUT IT.
AND I FEEL LIKE WE'RE PUTTING IT IN THOSE 15 YEAR LOANS, AND IT DOESN'T DO A BIT OF GOOD.
IT, IT, IT'S, UM, AGAIN, I TRIED TO MAKE THIS POINT AT THE LAST MEETING AT WHAT WAS PRESENTED TO US AFTER OUR RFP AND UM, LOI PROCESS.
WE, WE DIDN'T GO OUT AND MARKET, YOU KNOW, FREE MONEY TO THESE DEVELOPERS.
YOU KNOW, UM, DAVID COOPER LIVES IN PALMETTO BLUFF.
HE CAME TO THE ORIGINAL MEETING, IT STARTED US OFF.
WE, WE KNOW HIM AND HIS HISTORY.
THE COMMONWEALTH FOLKS, THEY'VE DONE DEALS ALL OVER THE COUNTRY.
THEY KNOW ENOUGH TO, UM, YOU KNOW, ASK FOR SOFT HOUSING WITHIN MUNICIPALITIES.
SO IT'S, UM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE DIDN'T STEER THE, THE PIPELINE THAT WAY.
IT'S JUST, UM, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE, THEY'RE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPERS.
THEY, THEY KNOW HOW TO GET US NUMBERS AND, AND GO THROUGH AN APPLICATION PROCESS.
AND I AGREE WITH YOUR, YOUR POINTS RELATIVE TO THE EGGS IN ONE BASKET.
UM, SO MY QUICK ADDITION, ROUGH MATH OF THE 7 23 UPDATE IS, UM, IT'S JUST OVER $5.1 MILLION IN COMMITTED BUFORT JASPER HOUSING, UH, TRUST COMMITTED FUNDS, UM, FOR 278 TOTAL UNITS.
WE HAVE NOT COMMITTED ANY FUNDS YET BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE ANY PROJECTS THAT HAVE ACTUALLY FINISHED OR COMPLETED UNDERWRITING.
UM, BUT I GUESS OF THE REQUEST THAT WE DO HAVE IN THE HOPPER, IT'S 278 UNITS FOR JUST OVER $5 MILLION.
AND I BELIEVE WE ONLY HAVE ABOUT A LITTLE OVER 7 MILLION BETWEEN THE STATE ALLOCATION AND THE EIGHT JURISDICTIONS ALLOCATIONS.
AND I GUESS WHAT I'M HEARING THIS MORNING IS FROM THE LOW INCOME TAX CREDIT PROJECTS, WHICH I, THEY'RE CERTAINLY A NEED AND IT'S ONE OF THE ONLY MECHANISMS THAT'S CURRENTLY BEEN BUILDING AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
UH, BUT 15, 20 YEARS GOES BY AWFULLY FAST.
AND I, I HEARD YOUR FACT ABOUT 3%, BUT I CAN TELL YOU THREE PROJECTS IN NORTHERN BEAUFORT COUNTY THAT THE COMPLIANCE PERIOD HAS, HAS ENDED.
THEY FLIPPED OWNERS, UH, THEY SUGARCOATED THE UNITS, THEY KICKED ALL THE LOW INCOME FOLKS OUT, RIGHT? AND NOW THEY RESET TO MARKET RATE.
SO I MIGHT ARGUE OUR PERCENTAGE IS A LITTLE HIGHER THAN WHAT THE NATIONAL AVERAGE LOOKS LIKE.
UM, I GUESS I KNOW WE'RE SHORT ON TIME.
KEEP, KEEP IN MIND MR. MAYORS, WAIT ONE SECOND.
I'M, UM, SO MY, MY CONCERN IS WE STARTED THIS AS A, YOU KNOW, LOW INTEREST INPATIENT GAP FUNDING, UH, MODEL SO THAT WE HAD THIS REVOLVING FUND.
AND, AND I ACKNOWLEDGE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE ARE LEARNING AS WE GO.
AND SO THAT'S PROBABLY NOT GONNA WORK TO ACTUALLY INDUCE HOUSING.
BUT I GOT A LETTER FROM YOU RECENTLY THAT HAD THREE OR FOUR RECOMMENDATIONS FOR REGULATORY REFORM.
UM, FRANKLY THAT SEEMED LESS THAN COMPREHENSIVE CONSIDERING ALL THE EIGHT JURISDICTIONS.
AND SO I, MY FIRST QUESTION IS HOW DID THAT SORT OF LIST OF THREE OR FOUR ITEMS COME ABOUT AND WHAT'S THE COMMITTEE DOING TO LOOK AT REGULATIONS ACROSS ALL JURISDICTIONS? UM, 'CAUSE I THINK TO MR. TONY'S POINT, IT'S GOTTA REALLY HAVE LOCAL, LOCAL SUPPORT.
[01:05:01]
SO HOW ARE YOU WORKING ON THAT, THAT ISSUE WITH THE, THE REGULATIONS? UM, NOW WE GOT A LIST, A, A REQUEST FOR LAND, AND SO IS THE TRUST GONNA BE A LAND BANK AND NOW GET INTO THE SORT OF LAND MANAGEMENT BUSINESS? HAVE YOU HAD A CONVERSATION WITH THE HOUSING AUTHORITY BECAUSE THEY OWN A LOT OF, OF LAND ASSETS.THEY HAVE TA THEY THE ABILITY TO DO TAX-FREE BONDS? UM, I, I GUESS I'M JUST CONCERNED THAT WE'RE HAVING A LOT OF MEETINGS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT NOW, SORT OF DILUTING ALL OF THE MONEY INTO LONG-TERM FINANCING AND TO BUILD 250 UNITS.
LET'S DON'T THINK THAT'SS WHAT WE TAKE, I DON'T THINK THAT'S WHAT WE WENT INTO THIS'S TO DO.
LET'S TAKE THIS ONE THING AT A TIME.
AS I POINTED OUT, WE HAVE ONE PROJECT IN UNDERWRITING, AND IT IS THE ONLY ONE THAT'S BEEN AWARDED TAX CREDITS.
THE OTHER TWO, THE EARLIEST THAT THEY WOULD BE AWARDED TAX CREDITS IS SOMETIME NEXT YEAR WOULD BE ON A DIFFERENT BUDGET CYCLE.
WE'VE HAD, WOULD'VE HAD TIME TO RAISE MORE MONEY.
WILL YOU TALK ABOUT THAT ONE PROJECT IN UNDERWRITING AND WHAT THAT DEAL LOOKS LIKE FROM THE TRUST STANDPOINT? UM, YOU, YOU MEAN IN TERMS OF ACTUALLY UNDERWRITING THE PROJECT? YEAH, THE AMOUNT OF MONEY, THE TERM, THE RATE IT, THAT HASN'T BEEN FINALIZED YET, BUT IT'S BEING UNDERWRITTEN ESSENTIALLY.
UH, WHERE WE WOULD BE MATCHED 50%, A HUNDRED PERCENT BASICALLY BY COMMUNITY WORKS, WE WOULD PUT IN 50%.
THEY WOULD BE PUT IN 50%, BUT IT'D BE LONG-TERM FINANCING.
RIGHT? IT WOULD BE 15 YEAR FINANCING, AND IT WOULD BE, THE PAYMENTS WOULD COME OUT OF CASH FLOW UP UNTIL THE END OF 15 YEARS AND THEN IT WOULD BE PAID OFF.
BUT THAT GUY, AGAIN, I'M JUST, I, I KNOW WE'RE SHORT ON TIME, SO I JUST WANNA SAY I'M, I'M CONCERNED THAT WE'RE, WE'RE HAVING A LOT OF MEETINGS, WE'RE THROWING A LOT OF STUFF AT THE WALL, BUT THERE'S NO REAL CLEAR DIRECTION OF THE TRUST AND HOW WE ACTUALLY INDUCE HOUSING.
AND I'M NOT, I I'M SORRY TO SORT OF PICK ON YOU, BUT I HAVE ALL THE CONSTITUENT COMPLAINTS I HEAR TODAY.
IT'S ABOUT THE HOUSING CRISIS THAT WE HAVE FOR OUR YOUNG PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO LIVE IN OUR RESPECTIVE COMMUNITIES.
AND SO THERE IS A SENSE OF URGENCY, UM, THAT I HOPE WE GET SOME CLARITY IN THE VERY NEAR FUTURE.
KEEP IN MIND IT'S TAKEN MANY YEARS FOR THIS PROBLEM TO GET REACH THE CRISIS PROPORTIONS THAT IT HAS THAT NOW IS IN EVERY MAJOR PUBLICATION OR ANY, YOU KNOW, MEDIA THAT YOU WATCH.
UM, IT'S, IT HAS ACTUALLY REALLY GOTTEN TO CRISIS MODE.
AND THERE'S A NUMBER OF REASONS, PROBABLY MOST OF WHICH YOU'VE HEARD.
UM, BUT, YOU KNOW, GETTING OVER TO THE LETTER THAT WE SENT ABOUT POSSIBLE ORDINANCE CHANGES, UM, THOSE ARE NOT, THAT IS NOT A COMPLETE LIST.
IT'S GONNA BE DIFFERENT FOR EACH MUNICIPALITY AND JURISDICTION, BUT SIMPLY SPEAKING, THE, THE, THE ONES WE PUT IN THAT LETTER ARE THE MOST OBVIOUS ONES, MOST OF WHICH PEOPLE HAVE PROBABLY ALREADY HEARD ABOUT, UH, FOR EXAMPLE, DENSITY BONUSES.
UM, YOU CAN SEE JUST FROM THESE NUMBERS THAT IF YOU'VE GOT A PIECE OF LAND AND YOU CAN ONLY PUT A CERTAIN NUMBER OF UNITS ON IT AND THE ACREAGE COSTS, WHAT IT COSTS, IT'S GONNA COST MORE TO BUILD THOSE UNITS THAN IF YOU CAN, LET'S SAY DOUBLE OR TRIPLE THE NUMBER OF UNITS YOU PUT ON THERE.
UM, AND THAT IS THE TYPE OF THING THAT'S BEEN GOING ON, UH, ON A NATIONAL LEVEL WHERE DIFFERENT ENTITIES AND STATES, AND I'M NOT SURE IF ANY OF 'EM HAVE ACTUALLY ACCOMPLISHED THIS YET, BUT STATES HAVE ACTUALLY THREATENED TO, UM, TAKE AWAY SINGLE FAMILY DETACHED ZONING BECAUSE NOT ENOUGH MULTIFAMILY IS BEING BUILT AND THE NUMBERS DON'T WORK WELL, THE CITY
I, I THINK, UM, IF I COULD MAKE A SUGGESTION, THERE'S A NUMBER OF GOOD POINTS THAT BROUGHT UP AND, UH, AS MAYOR SKA SAID, YOU KNOW, THANK YOU, IT WAS GOOD POINT TO, UH, BRING UP.
UM, I SUGGEST THAT PERHAPS WE CONTINUE THIS CONVERSATION.
I HAVE A SUGGESTION FOR NEXT MONTH, BUT COME OCTOBER, BUT IN THE MEANTIME, WHAT I WOULD SUGGEST THAT EVERY ONE OF US AT ON THE BOARD SIT DOWN AND HAVE THIS CONVERSATION WITH WHOEVER OUR REPRESENTATIVE IS AND IF THERE ARE CONCERNS REGARDING THE POINTS THAT BROUGHT UP THAT THEY, THAT BE HANDLED WITH OUR INDIVIDUAL REPRESENTATIVES, UM, AND THEN WE CAN COME BACK IN OCTOBER.
WE ARE PLANNING A SYMPOSIUM, WHICH IS BEING PLANNED BASICALLY WITH ALL THE ENTITIES FOR NOVEMBER.
UM, SCOTT WMAN OF THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF THE LOW COUNTRY, AND TOM HENS OF THE BLUFF, THE BLUFFTON HILTON HEAD CHAMBER, UH, HAD PUT TOGETHER A MEETING, A WHOLE BUNCH OF US MET ANYBODY WITH ANY, ANYTHING TO DO WITH AFFORDABLE HOUSING, WHICH WOULD INCLUDE ENTITIES LIKE THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.
UM, AND WE'RE PLANNING, UH, A HALF A DAY SYMPOSIUM.
IT'LL BE SOMETIME IN NOVEMBER.
WE HAVEN'T, WE HAVEN'T IDENTIFIED WHERE IT WILL BE YET.
[01:10:01]
UM, BUT THAT'S ANOTHER, UH, AND WE WOULD LIKE TO DO THAT KIND OF THING ON A REGULAR BASIS, BUT I JUST WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW THAT.WENDY, AND YOU'LL SEND, UH, SEND US OUT THAT DATE AND THE LOCATION WHEN IT'S FINALIZED.
UM, THIS IS WILL BE ANGO ONGOING CONVERSATION, I'M SURE.
UM, JUST TWO LAST THINGS IN TERMS OF, UH, THE FUTURE AGENDA, UM, THE, FOR OUR NOVEMBER MEETING, UM, WE DO HAVE SOME ELECTIONS COMING UP IN NOVEMBER THAT WILL CHANGE THE MAKEUP OF THIS BOARD.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT I'M GONNA DO IF I DON'T HAVE MA WHEN I DON'T HAVE MAYOR SKA TO LEAN OVER AND TALK TO.
UM, BUT, SO I'LL CALL FOR ELECTION OF OFFICERS AT THE NOVEMBER MEETING, PLEASE.
UM, WE'VE EXPANDED THE, UH, SCOPE OF SO LOCO, UH, I'VE BEEN THE CHAIR NOW FOR THE SIX YEARS THAT WE'RE IN EXISTENCE.
IF, UM, IF ANYONE FEELS THEY WANNA STEP UP TO THEIR ROLE, YOU DON'T, YOU WON'T HURT MY FEELINGS, BUT, UM, WE, WE WILL NEED A CO-CHAIR BECAUSE, UH, MAYOR SULKE IS NOT RUNNING FOR REELECTION.
SO, UH, GIVE SOME THOUGHT TO THAT.
ON, ON, UH, IF THERE'S ANY CHANGES ON HOW YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE THIS COMMITTEE RUN, UM, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO OFFER THEM BY NOVEMBER.
UM, THE ONE LAST THING THAT, UM, I'M GONNA SUGGEST TO THIS COMMITTEE IS FOR SEPTEMBER, I WOULD LIKE TO INVITE, UM, JARED FICK TO GIVE THIS COMMITTEE A OVERVIEW OF THE 25 YEAR PROJECTED NEEDS OF TRANSPORTATION IN THE REGION.
AND AT THE SAME TIME, INVITE EVERYONE FROM THE BEAUFORT AND THE BEAUFORD JASPER STATE DELEGATIONS TO COME TO HEAR THAT THE PURPOSE IS TO INFORM THEM OF ALL THE TRANSPORTATION NEEDS THAT ARE GOING FORWARD.
UM, I WOULD, UH, IS, DOES EVERYBODY AND ANYBODY HAVE ANY COMMENTS ABOUT THAT OR OBJECTIONS TO THAT AGENDA FOR SEPTEMBER? THE NEXT MEETING IS SCHEDULED FOR, UM, HARDY BILL.
SO I'VE ALREADY ASKED THE REC CENTER TO HOLD THAT DATE, AND I THINK THE BIGGER FORM, UH, AT THE REC CENTER WOULD BE GOOD.
UM, AND I WOULD ASK EVERYBODY ON THE BOARD TO CONTACT THE, THE DELEGATIONS.
I'LL SEND OUT THE INVITATION, BUT LET'S ALL OF US, UH, TRY TO CONTACT EVERYBODY AND MAKE SURE, TRY TO GET THEM TO SHOW UP JUST SO THEY UNDERSTAND.
THIS IS NOT TO GRILL THEM, IT'S TO MAKE THEM AWARE OF WHAT WE FEEL OUR TRANSPORTATION NEEDS ARE IN THE NEXT 25 YEARS.
ANY LAST COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? SORRY, I'M 14 MINUTES LATE.
UM, THANK YOU FOR ALL FOR JOINING US AND WE'LL SEE YOU NEXT MONTH.
THE COUNTY CHANNEL IS ALSO AVAILABLE ON VIDEO ON DEMAND.
GO TO BEAUFORT COUNTY SC.GOV, SCROLL DOWN TO PUBLIC MEETINGS, CLICK WATCH NOW, AND THEN CLICK THE VIDEO ON DEMAND BUTTON AND SELECT YOUR PROGRAM FROM THE LIST.
CALL THE MEETING TO, UH, ORDER.
IF YOU'D LIKE ADVD OF THIS PROGRAM, CLICK ON THE LINK ON THE RIGHT AND FILL OUT THE ORDER FORM.
AND THANK YOU FOR WATCHING THE COUNTY CHANNEL.
THIS IS THE BEAUFORT COUNTY MOMENT.
THE SUBJECT OF THIS MOMENT IS THE PHOSPHATE INDUSTRY LOST TO FOLKS TODAY, BUT THE ARTIFACTS, THE PHOSPHATE INDUSTRY ARE AROUND US.
[01:15:01]
PHOSPHATES WERE KNOWN IN SOUTH CAROLINA BEFORE THE CIVIL WAR.THEY WERE FIRST DISCOVERED UP AROUND SOMERVILLE AND NORTH OF CHARLESTON.
AND BENEATH THE MARL WAS THE PHOSPHATE ROCK.
GEOLOGISTS AND SCIENTISTS KNEW ABOUT IT.
PHOSPHATE WAS VERY IMPORTANT TO THE AGRICULTURAL OF THE SOUTH BECAUSE IT IS THE BASIS OF MOST FERTILIZER.
AND MANY OF THE COTTON LANDS OF THE OLD SOUTH WERE MUCH EXHAUSTED BY THE COTTON INDUSTRY BEFORE THE WAR.
SO AFTER THE CIVIL WAR, THE PHOSPHATE INDUSTRY WAS INTRODUCED FIRST IN CHARLESTON IN 1867, AND THEN LOOKING FOR BEDS OF HIGH CONTENT PHOSPHATE ROCK.
THESE PHOSPHATE EXPLORERS AND ENTREPRENEURS DISCOVERED BEAUFORT COUNTY.
BEAUFORT COUNTY BECAME THE PRIMARY SOURCE OF PHOSPHATE IN THE UNITED STATES, AND ONE OF THE RICHEST SOURCES OF PHOSPHATES KNOWN IN THE WORLD.
BETWEEN 1870 AND 1900, THIS BECAME THE CENTER OF THE MINING PART OF THE PHOSPHATE INDUSTRY.
MANY OF THE FERTILIZER FACTORIES WERE IN CHARLESTON, BUT THE MINING AND THE PHOSPHATE WORKS, AS THEY CALLED THEM, WHERE THEY BROKE THE ROCK DOWN INTO POWDER AND THE PURE PHOSPHATE AND SHIPPED IT OUT.
THOSE INDUSTRIAL CENTERS WERE MOSTLY IN BEAUFORT COUNTY AT THE HEIGHT OF THIS INDUSTRY.
IN THE 1880S, 3000 AUER TOWNIANS WERE EMPLOYED IN THE PHOSPHATE BUSINESS.
$5 A DAY IN MANY CASES WAS A RULE OF THUMB WHEN THE PHOSPHATE BUSINESS BEGAN IN THE 1870S, THAT THE RICHEST VEINS OF PHOSPHATE WERE UNDERWATER UNDER THE OSA RIVER, UNDER THE BEAUFORT RIVER UNDER BATTERY CREEK.
SO INITIALLY, LOCAL SEA ISLANDERS WOULD DIVE DOWN FOR THE ROCK AND FILL UP BASKETS AND THEN GET PULLED UP IN A ROW, NOT ONLY LIMITING THE DEPTH TO WHICH THEY COULD MINE AT, BUT LIMITING THEIR HEALTH AS WELL, GOING UP AND DOWN.
BUT VERY QUICKLY IN THE 1870S, ENGINEERS DISCOVERED THAT THEY COULD BUILD VERY LARGE UNDERWATER STEAMING POWER DREDGES ON FLOATING BARGES.
AND SO THEY BEGAN TO MECHANIZE THE INDUSTRY AND RATHER THAN EMPLOYING FEWER PEOPLE THAT ACTUALLY EMPLOYED MORE, MORE THAN HALF OF THE PHOSPHATE PRODUCED IN THE UNITED STATES.
AND 80% OF THE PHOSPHATE PRODUCED IN SOUTH CAROLINA CAME FROM BUFORT COUNTY.
THE PHOSPHATE INDUSTRY BETWEEN 1870 AND 1900 WAS THE LARGEST INDUSTRY IN THE HISTORY OF BUFORT COUNTY AND THE LARGEST MINING INDUSTRY IN THE HISTORY OF THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA.
AND PEOPLE HAVE PRETTY MUCH FORGOTTEN ABOUT IT, BUT IT WAS THE SOURCE OF GREAT PROSPERITY IN BEAUFORT COUNTY.
BETWEEN 1870 AND 1890, THE POPULATION OF BEAUFORT COUNTY GREW.
BAY STREET BECAME A FINANCIAL AND COMMERCIAL CENTER.
PHOSPHATE WORKS, IN OTHER WORDS, FACTORIES WHERE THEY BURNED THE PHOSPHATE ROCK AND BROKE IT DOWN INTO POWDER.
WERE LOCATED ON SPANISH POINT, WE'RE LOCATED ON LUCY CREEK, AND THE LARGEST WAS LOCATED FIRST ON SAU PLANTATION, AND THEN OUT AT THE END OF CHISHOLM HIGHLAND ON SUMMER HOUSE POINT, ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE SAU RIVER, SMALLER PHOSPHATE COMPANIES AND PHOSPHATE RIDGES AND THE TUGBOATS IN THE SUPPORT SYSTEMS THAT HAD TO, UH, SUPPORT THIS INDUSTRY FOR 30 YEARS WERE AN ENORMOUS BOON TO BEAUFORT COUNTY.
EVENTUALLY, THE SMALLER PHOSPHATE COMPANIES WERE CONSOLIDATED INTO ONE VERY LARGE COMPANY CALLED THE SAU MINING COMPANY.
THE SAU MINING COMPANY, BY 1892, WAS THE LARGEST PHOSPHATE MINING COMPANY IN THE UNITED STATES.
BUT IN THOSE SAME YEARS, IN 1888, RICHER VEINS OF PHOSPHATE WERE DISCOVERED NEAR TAMPA, FLORIDA.
AND DURING THE 1890S, THE PERCENTAGE OF PHOSPHATE EXTRACTED FROM BEAUFORT COUNTY DECLINED IN THE PERCENTAGE OF PHOSPHATE DISCOVERED AND EXTRACTED FROM FLORIDA.
AND OTHER PLACES LIKE NEAR NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE WAS RICHER PHOSPHATE AND EVENTUALLY IT PUT THESE PHOSPHATE MINES OUT OF BUSINESS PHOSPHATE IN BEAUFORT COUNTY.
THE RIVER ROCK, AS IT WAS CALLED IN THOSE DAYS, WAS 60% PURE PHOSPHATE, WHICH IN 1870 WAS THE BEST IN THE COUNTRY.
BY 1888, THE FLORIDA ROCK WAS 80% PURE PHOSPHATE, AND THE ECONOMICS OF THAT SIMPLY PUT THE BEAUFORT COUNTY PHOSPHATE BUSINESS OUT OF BUSINESS.
SAU MINING COMPANY STOPPED MINING IN 1905.
THE VIRGINIA CAROLINA COMPANY TRIED TO CONSOLIDATE SOME OF THE OLD WORKS AND FINALLY WENT BANKRUPT IN 1914.
AND THAT WAS THE BITTER END OF THE PHOSPHATE BUSINESS.
A CONSEQUENCE OF THE END OF THE PHOSPHATE BUSINESS WAS THE BEGINNING OF THE GREAT EXODUS OF THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN POPULATION OF THE SEA ISLANDS, WHO WITHOUT GOOD WAGE JOBS, BEGAN TO MOVE NORTH AND DEPOPULATED MUCH OF BEAUFORT COUNTY.
BUT THE OTHER EVENT WHICH HASTENED THE DEMISE OF THE PHOSPHATE INDUSTRY IN BEAUFORT COUNTY WAS OF COURSE THE GREAT HURRICANE OF 1893, WHICH WAS ONE OF THE 10 LARGEST HURRICANES AND MOST DESTRUCTIVE
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HURRICANES EVER TO HIT.THE UNITED STATES KILLED AS MANY AS 2000 PEOPLE ON THE SEA ISLANDS AND WRECKED THE PHOSPHATE FLEET.
SO THE INVESTORS IN THE PHOSPHATE FLEET MOVED THEIR CAPITAL TO FLORIDA AND THE PHOSPHATE BUSINESS DECLINED IN BEAUFORT COUNTY.
THIS HAS BEEN A BEAUFORT COUNTY MOMENT.
TO SEE MORE BEAUFORT COUNTY MOMENTS GO TO THE BEAUFORT COUNTY LIBRARY HOMEPAGE AND CLICK ON THE LOCAL HISTORY TAB.
CHRISTINA PORTO HAD AN ARGUMENT WITH HER PARENTS.
UH, THE NIGHT SHE DISAPPEARED, HER MOTHER REPORTED HER HER MISSING.
UH, CHRISTINA WENT TO THE PAYPHONE AT THE BYLAW, WHICH IS A SUPERMARKET ACROSS THE STREET FROM WOODLAKE VILLAS WHERE CHRISTINA LIVED CALLED A FRIEND TO COME PICK HER UP AND TOLD HER TO MEET HER AT THE POOL AREA OF WOODLAKE VILLAS.
WHEN THE FRIEND ARRIVED TO PICK CHRISTINA UP, SHE FOUND A RED SWEATER.
UH, WE KNOW FROM THE INVESTIGATION THAT CHRISTINA HAD A STRAINED RELATIONSHIP AT HOME.
UH, SHE DID NOT TAKE ANY BELONGINGS WITH HER.
SO THE CIRCUMSTANCES SURROUNDING HER DISAPPEARANCE ARE EXTREMELY SUSPICIOUS.
THREE-YEAR-OLD PAUL BAKER WAS REPORTED MISSING BY HIS STEPMOTHER FROM THEIR SHELL POINT HOME IN 1987.
THE STEPMOTHER BECAME A PERSON OF INTEREST IN HIS DISAPPEARANCE.
EARLY ON, THERE WAS EVIDENCE THAT, UH, SHE BEAT PAUL'S OLDER SISTER.
SHE WAS LATER CHARGED AND CONVICTED OF THAT, AND THEN MOVED TO FLORIDA WHERE SHE WAS ALSO CONVICTED OF ABDUCTING ANOTHER CHILD AND IS CURRENTLY SERVING TIME IN FLORIDA.
PAUL'S NOT BEEN SEEN SINCE 37 YEAR OLD.
APRIL V WAS REPORTED MISSING FROM HILTON ISLAND IN 1991.
SHE HAD A FIGHT WITH HER BOYFRIEND.
SHE WAS LAST SEEN AT A CHURCH WHERE SHE RECEIVED MONEY FOR A BUS TICKET.
SHE HAS NOT BEEN SEEN SINCE SUSPICIOUS CIRCUMSTANCES.
KAY HAMILTON WAS REPORTED MISSING IN YEE BY HER GRANDMOTHER IN NOVEMBER OF 1995.
THE GRANDMOTHER REPORTED THAT SHE HADN'T SEEN KAY IN A COUPLE WEEKS AND BECAME CONCERNED.
KAY HAD SOME MEDICAL CONDITIONS THAT NEEDED ATTENTION.
AN EXAMINATION OF KAY'S HOUSE REVEALED THAT A CRIME SCENE HAD BEEN CLEANED UP.
IT IS BELIEVED THAT HER DISAPPEARANCE IS EXTREMELY SUSPICIOUS.
SEAN JONES AND TOBY BING WERE REPORTED MISSING BY FAMILY MEMBERS IN 1999 FROM HILTON ISLAND.
IN THE INVESTIGATION, IT WAS LEARNED THAT THEY WERE TO MEET WITH SOME SUSPICIOUS CHARACTERS IN BLUFFTON.
THAT WAS THE LAST TIME ANYBODY SAW SEAN AND TOBY.
ALSO, IN THE INVESTIGATION, A CRIME SCENE WAS LOCATED AT A HIGH ON ROAD RESIDENCE IN BLUFFTON.
BULLET HOLES WERE FOUND INSIDE OF THE TRAILER IN A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF BLOOD THAT MATCHED TOBY BINGING WAS FOUND BENEATH THE PORCH.
ATM FOOTAGE FROM DOWNTOWN SAVANNAH, GEORGIA REVEALED THAT SEAN JONES TRUCK HAD BEEN DROPPED OFF BY UNKNOWN SUSPECTS.
AT THE NIGHT OF THE DISAPPEARANCE, A SUBJECT WAS CHARGED IN THE MURDER OF TOBY BAIN.
BASED ON THAT INFORMATION, THOSE CHARGES ULTIMATELY WERE DROPPED, AND THAT SUBJECT WAS CONVICTED INTO FEDERAL COURT AND ACTUALLY IS STILL SERVING TIME TODAY.
OTHER PERSONS OF INTEREST WERE ALSO CONVICTED IN A FEDERAL CONSPIRACY CASE.
BASED ON THE INFORMATION THAT WE OBTAINED DURING THE INVESTIGATION, IT'S CLEAR THAT, UH, SEAN AND TOBY, UH, MET A VERY VIOLENT END.
AS OF THIS POINT, WE HAVE NOT FOUND SEAN AND TOBY.
ON MARCH 4TH, 2008, JOHN ELIZABETH CALBERT, WHO OWNED THE HARBORTOWN YACHT BASIN, WERE REPORTED MISSING BY ELIZABETH'S BROTHER IN ATLANTA.
IN INVESTIGATING THE CASE, UH, WE DISCOVERED THAT THEY HAD IN FACT HAD A MEETING WITH DENNIS GERWIN,
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WHO WAS THE ACCOUNTANT AT THE CLUB GROUP IN C PONDS.DENNIS GERWIN HANDLED THE FINANCES FOR THE CALVERS, AND THEY HAD DISCOVERED THAT HE HAD BEEN EMBEZZLING MONEY FROM THEIR ACCOUNTS.
ELIZABETH HAD A MEETING ON SUNDAY, WHICH WOULD'VE BEEN MARCH 2ND, 2008, AND THEY WERE SCHEDULED TO HAVE A MEETING, UH, JOHN AND ELIZABETH WITH DENNIS GERING AT HIS OFFICE AT THE CLUB GROUP IN INE CENTER ON MARCH 3RD.
AT ABOUT FIVE O'CLOCK IN THE AFTERNOON, IT WAS LEARNED THAT DENNIS GERING HAD RUN OFF HIS EMPLOYEES FROM THE OFFICE.
SO HE WAS ALONE WHEN JOHN CALVERT, UH, APPEARED SOMETIME AFTER 5:00 PM ELIZABETH WAS RUNNING LATE, BUT WE DO BELIEVE THAT SHE ALSO JOINED JOHN AT THAT OFFICE.
AND DENNIS, IN THAT MEETING, IN INTERVIEWING DENNIS GERING, HE ADVISED THAT THEY HAD WENT TO DINNER WITHOUT HIM AFTER THE MEETING, AND THEY WERE FINE WHEN THEY LEFT.
IT WAS LEARNED THAT PRIOR TO THE MEETING ON MONDAY, MARCH 3RD, 2008, DENNIS GERING HAD WENT TOCO HARDWARE ON HILTON HEAD ISLAND AND PURCHASED COMMERCIAL GRADE DROP CLOTHS.
IT WAS ALSO LEARNED THAT AFTER THE MEETING WITH THE CALIBERS, THAT DENNIS APPEARED AT THE CVS PHARMACY ON THE SOUTH END OF
WHEN CONFRONTED WITH THAT INFORMATION, DENNIS GERWIN SAID THAT HE HAD CUT HIS HAND ON A WINE BOTTLE, BUT THERE WAS NO BROKEN WINE BOTTLE AT HIS HOUSE.
DENNIS HAD AN INTERESTING CUT ON HIS HAND.
FOLLOWING THE DISAPPEARANCE OF THE CALIBERS, HE HAD WHAT'S CALLED SLIDE BITE.
IT'S A LACERATION THAT GOES ALONG THE WEB OF THE HAND, WHICH IS COMMONLY CAUSED BY AN SEMI-AUTOMATIC PISTOL.
A HOLSTER WAS RECOVERED IN DENNIS GROWING'S HOUSE, WHICH WE LATER FOUND OUT BELONGED TO A 22 CALIBER SEMI-AUTOMATIC BERETTA HANDGUN.
THAT HANDGUN HAS NEVER BEEN FOUND, NOR HAVE THE CALIBERS FAMILY MEMBERS OF MARGUERITE AMAZON REPORTED WERE MISSING.
IN 2013, UH, FAMILY MEMBERS INDICATED THAT, UH, SHE HAD BEEN AT A PARTY THE NIGHT BEFORE, UH, HER DISAPPEARANCE, UH, WITH HER LIVE-IN BOYFRIEND WHO HAD ALSO DISAPPEARED SUSPICIOUSLY.
THERE WERE SIGNS OF A STRUGGLE IN THE HOUSE WHERE THERE MAY HAVE BEEN SOME DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.
THERE WAS ALSO JEWELRY FOUND OF MARGARITE AL AMAZON OUTSIDE OF THE RESIDENCE.
IN THE DAYS FOLLOWING HER DISAPPEARANCE, WE WERE ABLE TO TRACK HER BOYFRIEND TO SAVANNAH, GEORGIA.
HE HAD BOUGHT A PLANE TICKET BUT FAILED TO RETURN.
TO GET ON THAT PLANE, WE FOUND A RESIDENCE HE STAYED AT IN THE GREATER SAVANNAH AREA, AND THE PEOPLE THAT WERE THERE ADVISED THAT HE HAD A SCRATCH ON HIS FACE THAT WAS CONSISTENT WITH DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.
MARGUERITE'S VEHICLE WAS ALSO FOUND IN SAVANNAH IN THAT SAME AREA ABANDONED NEAR THE KELLER FLEA MARKET.
MARGUERITE'S MOBILE TELEPHONE WAS FOUND ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD ON HIGHWAY ONE 70 COMING OUT OF BLUFFTON INTO BEAUFORT.
WE BELIEVE THAT HER BOYFRIEND FLED THE COUNTRY AND WENT BACK TO GUATEMALA WHERE HE IS FROM.
WE ENLISTED THE HELP OF THE FBI'S LEGAL ATTACHE, ALSO KNOWN AS A LEAGUE AT WHO ATTEMPTED TO GET ASSISTANCE FROM THE GUATEMALA AUTHORITIES WHO ADVISED THAT THERE'S CERTAIN PARTS OF GUATEMALA THE POLICE JUST WON'T GO TO.
AND IT JUST SO HAPPENS HER BOYFRIEND WAS FROM THAT AREA.
WE HAVE NOT SEEN OR HEARD FROM MARGARITA SINCE IN 2017, KENNETH JENKINS WAS REPORTED MISSING BY HIS MOM FROM ST.
KENNETH WAS IN THE UNITED STATES ARMY.
HE JUST GOT AN OUT WAS WORKING.
AND WE BELIEVE BASED ON OUR INVESTIGATION, WHICH WE CAN'T DISCLOSE A LOT OF DETAILS THAT, UH, FOUL PLAY'S INVOLVED IN HIS DISAPPEARANCE.
ANYONE WHO HAS INFORMATION ON ANY OF THE MISSING PERSONS WE'VE DISCUSSED IS ENCOURAGED TO CONTACT THE BEAUFORT COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE OR CRIME STOPPERS OF THE LOW COUNTRY.
WE APPRECIATE YOUR PARTNERSHIP IN THE SAFETY OF OUR COMMUNITY.