[00:00:01]
CLOSED CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY BUFORT COUNTY.
I GUESS WE HAVE TO PUT, I AIN'T GETTING YOU.
THE CLOCK IN THE BACK IS TWO MINUTES BEHIND.
I SAW THAT YOU GOT DOWN ALL NOON.
[1. CALL TO ORDER]
LIKE TO CALL THIS MEETING TO ORDER.THIS IS THE COMMUNITY SERVICES AND LAND USE COMMITTEE.
PLEASE STAND FOR THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA INTO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS.
ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INADMISSIBLE OF LIBERTY, JUSTICE FOR ALL.
PUBLIC NOTIFICATION OF THIS MEETING HAS BEEN PUBLISHED, POSTED, AND DISTRIBUTED IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE SOUTH CAROLINA FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT.
UM, UM, IS THAT, DO YOU CONCUR, MS. BROCK? YES.
[4. APPROVAL OF AGENDA]
WE NEED TO HAVE APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA, BUT THERE'S ONE ITEM, UH, WE ARE, WE'D LIKE TO TAKE OFF.DO WE NEED A MOTION TO DO THAT? TAKE IT OFF THE AGENDA? YES.
I, I WILL RECOMMEND THAT WE AMEND THE AGENDA TO REMOVE ITEM NUMBER 12.
WITH THAT AMENDMENT, WE NEED TO HAVE A VOTE TO APPROVE THE AGENDA.
SO NOW WE HAVE TO APPROVE THE AGENDA AS THE AMENDED.
I NEED A MOTION TO APPROVE THE AGENDA AS AMENDED.
COUNCILMAN? UM, DAWSON MADE THE MOTION AND IT WAS SECONDED BY I SECOND IT.
UH, WITHOUT OBJECTION, THE AMENDED AGENDA IS APPROVED.
[5. APPROVAL OF MINUTES - September 11, 2023]
SEPTEMBER 11TH.I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES.
COUNCILMAN CUNNINGHAM MADE THE, THE MOTION.
MAY I HAVE A SECOND? I SECOND THAT.
THE MINUTES FROM SEPTEMBER 11TH ARE APPROVED.
[6. CITIZEN COMMENT PERIOD - 15 MINUTES TOTAL]
WILL TAKE CITIZEN COMMENTS, UH, FOR A TOTAL OF, DO WE HAVE ANY CITIZEN COMMENTS? YES, THERE'S ONE.AND IT, I WILL REMIND THE PUBLIC, UH, DECORUM IN SPEAKING, WHEN SPEAKING, EACH MEMBER SHALL ADDRESS THE CHAIRMAN, AVOID DISRESPECT TO THE COUNCIL AND ANY PERSONALITIES CONFINE THEMSELVES TO THE QUESTION OR THE COMMENTS.
AND, UM, WE HAVE A THREE MINUTE LIMIT AT THE TIME.
WE HAVE, UM, MR. DENNIS ROSS
IT'S, UH, DENNIS ROSS LIVE ON 13 RIDGE ROAD IN LADIES ISLAND.
AND THE SUBJECT IS A MORATORIUM.
SO, UH, MADAM CHAIR, MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE, I'D LIKE TO SPEAK TO YOU ABOUT THE POSITIVE IMPACT OF BEAUFORT COUNTY, CONSIDERING A MORATORIUM ORDINANCE ON NEW CONSTRUCTION AND LIMITING UPZONING TO BETTER SERVE.
THE EXISTING CITIZENS OF BEAUFORT COUNTY IS CURRENTLY STRUGGLING WITH OVERCROWDED SCHOOLS, THE STRESSED INFRASTRUCTURE, AND DETERIORATING NATURAL HABITATS BECAUSE OF UNCHECKED THE GROWTH.
IN A STUDY DONE BY THE MUNICIPAL ASSOCIATION OF SOUTH CAROLINA, THEY STATED THAT SOUTH CAROLINA IS GROWING FAST, AND THEY RECOGNIZE THAT IN PARTS OF THE STATE GROWTH IS HAPPENING FAR TOO QUICKLY.
THEY ALSO STATE THAT A MORATORIUM ON NEW BUILDING CONSTRUCTION CAN BE A USEFUL TOOL TO PAUSE THE PRESSURES OF A NEW DEVELOPMENT.
THIS PAUSED NOT COME WITHOUT RISK OF POSSIBLE ANNEXATION, ANNEXATIONS OF THE ASSOCIATED TAX, UH, IMPLICATIONS, BUT I FEEL AS DO MANY OTHERS, THAT IT'S A RISK WORTH TAKING.
A PRIME CONCERN OF MANY IS THE SCHOOL SYSTEM.
FORTUNATELY, THE BOND REFERENDUM WAS PASSED AND IS THE FIRST STEP IN HELPING OUR ALREADY OVERCROWDED SCHOOLS.
BUT THIS TOO IS ONLY A STOPGAP MEASURE, IF NOT TIMED CORRECTLY.
A COLLEAGUE OF MINE THAT IS INVOLVED IN COMMUNITY PLANNING FOUND THAT IN OLDHAM COUNTY, KENTUCKY, THERE WAS A SIMILAR ISSUE WITH OVERDEVELOPMENT.
THE COUNTY DECIDED UPON A REGULATION THAT WOULD REQUIRE, IN MANY CASES, EXCUSE ME, THAT DEVELOPERS FACE IN THEIR PROJECTS.
BY CAPPING THE NUMBER OF DWELLING UNITS THAT CAN BE CONSTRUCTED EACH CALENDAR YEAR AS A MEANS OF MITIGATING THE DEVELOPMENTS IMPACTS, AND ALLOWING SCHOOL BOARD ADEQUATE TIME TO PLAN FOR GROWTH TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PRACTICAL APPROVAL OF NEW RESIDENTIAL, OF NEW RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENTS SHOULD BE GRANTED BY THE COUNTY COUNCIL WITH A PLANNING COMMISSION'S RECOMMENDATION.
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IT CAN REASON REASONABLY BE EXPECTED THAT ADEQUATE PUBLIC SCHOOL FACILITIES WILL BE AVAILABLE TO ACCOMMODATE SUCH NEW DEVELOPMENT.THIS IS JUST ONE EXAMPLE OF WHAT CAN BE DONE TO RETARD THE PACE OF GROWTH.
AS YOU KNOW, JASPER COUNTY RECENTLY ENACTED A MORATORIUM AND HAS FOUND THAT IT CAN BE A DAUNTING CHALLENGE IF THE COUNTY DOESN'T ACT PROMPTLY TO IMPLEMENT CHANGES BASED ON AGGREGATE RESEARCH AND THE TIMELY IMPLEMENTING OF THOSE CHANGES TO THE ZONING ORDINANCE OR COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE WHEN A MORATORIUM IS ENACTED.
I REALIZE THAT A TASK FORCE WITHIN THE COUNTY HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED AND THEY'RE EXPLORING AND POSSIBLY RECOMMENDING ACTION FOR A
THE SCHOOLS AND THE ENVIRONMENT KEEP PACE WITH THIS ALREADY.
EXPLOSIVE GROWTH, MUCH MORE FORETHOUGHT NEEDS TO BE GIVEN TO LESSEN THE IMPACT DEVELOPERS MAKE ON THE COUNTY'S CURRENT RESIDENTS.
WE CAN'T BEGIN WELL-TIMED SMART GROWTH UNTIL WE FIRST TACKLE OUR CURRENT INFRASTRUCTURE AND ITS LIMITATIONS WITH POSITIVE, INSIGHTFUL THINKING, AND PRAGMATIC LEADERSHIP.
PLEASE CONSIDER BRINGING A MORATORIUM, REPLACING A HOLD ON UPZONING PROPERTIES TO YOUR FELLOW COUNCIL MEMBERS.
SMART GROWTH PROTECTS THE LONG
[7. UPDATE FROM ASSISTANT COUNTY ADMINISTRATORS]
THE UPDATE FROM THE ASSISTANT COUNTY ADMINISTRATORS, MR. ATKINSON AND MS. ADAMSON OGDEN.UM, WHO ARE YOU GOING GO FIRST.
UM, AS YOU MAY ALL RECALL, IN JULY OF THIS YEAR, A NEW DIRECTOR FOR THE VETERANS AFFAIRS OFFICE WAS APPOINTED CAROLINE FERMAN, AND I HAVE ASKED HER TO GIVE AN UPDATE OF THE DEPARTMENT FOR YOU THIS AFTERNOON.
THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR AND MEMBERS OF C UH, COMMITTEE.
THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME HERE TODAY.
UM, I'D LIKE TO THANK THE COUNTY, FIRST AND FOREMOST FOR THEIR, UH, UNWAVERING SUPPORT OF THE VETERANS AFFAIRS OFFICE.
I MEAN, SHE'S BEEN A, A PILLAR OF SUPPORT AND ALSO LAURA FINALE OUT OF THE COMMUNICATIONS, UM, SECTION.
SHE'S PROBABLY TRANSMITTED TWO TO THREE, UH, PRESS RELEASES A WEEK SINCE I STARTED.
UM, PLUS HER STAFF, CHLOE HAS DONE A LOT OF MY, UH, MY GRAPHIC ARTIST WORK.
I WOULD BE REMISS IF I DIDN'T INTRODUCE MY STAFF, UM, MR. JOHN ABNEY AND MS. VIRGINIA MCGOWAN, THIS IS VETERANS AFFAIRS.
AND, UM, WHILE I BROUGHT ON, UH, MR. MCGOWAN, I MEAN, MR. ABNEY ON THE 1ST OF AUGUST, SHE PRETTY MUCH CARRIED DOWN THE ENTIRE FORT FOR A COUPLE MONTHS UNTIL WE GOT ACCREDITED.
SO MUCH KUDOS TO, UH, TO BOTH OF THEM, BUT ESPECIALLY ANNE.
UM, LAST WEEK, AS YOU KNOW, WE HAD, UM, THE PARTNERSHIP WITH THE WREATHS ACROSS AMERICA, BUFORT, AND, UH, OVER A HUNDRED PARTICIPANTS CAME IN AND, AND VIEWED THAT EXHIBIT.
WE ALSO HAD THE VETERANS DAY PARADE, AND ONE OF THE GREAT TAKEAWAYS FROM THAT IS WE WENT FROM 17 PARTICIPANTS TO OVER 33 THIS YEAR.
SO WE HAD MUCH GREATER TURNOUT DESPITE THE, UH, THE WEATHER.
UH, IN THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS, I'VE STOOD UP A BEAUFORT COUNTY VETERANS ADVISORY COUNCIL AND A BEAUFORT COUNTY VETERANS ADMINISTRATION, UM, COUNCIL AND, AND THE REDHEADS THAT I, THAT I PROVIDED, UM, IT DESCRIBES WHAT EACH OF THOSE ARE, BUT ONE IS LIKE THE GRAY BEARDS IN THE MILITARY.
UM, THEY ADVISE AND MENTOR, YOU KNOW, MY OFFICE ON ALL THINGS VETERAN AND MILITARY.
AND THEN THE, UM, VETERANS AFFAIRS COUNCIL IS A GROUP OF ANYONE WHO TOUCHES VETERANS IN BEAUFORT COUNTY.
WE GET TOGETHER QUARTERLY, UM, JUST TO SHARE INFORMATION EVENTS AND, UH, COLLABORATE ON WAYS THAT WE CAN SUPPORT OUR VETERANS.
UM, ALSO IN THAT TIME, I'VE IMPLEMENTED THIS, UH, NEW BATTLE RHYTHM WHERE EVERY WEDNESDAY WE ARE ACRO ACROSS THE COUNTY.
AND I COULD TELL YOU A LITTLE STORY.
I HAD A CLIENT COME IN AND, UM, HE COULDN'T OPEN HIS PHONE.
I SAID, WELL, I THINK YOU JUST PUT YOUR FACE IN IT.
HE GOES, NO, I HAD TO BORROW A PHONE AND BORROW A CAR TO GET HERE.
SO IT MADE ME THINK, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT, WE'VE GOT A VERY LARGE COUNTY.
UM, SO THE FIRST TUESDAY OF THE MONTH WE'RE GOING TO HILTON HEAD.
WE ALSO BY, UH, ON DEMAND GO TO LOKO, ST.
HELENA AND BEAUFORT TO, TO MEET THOSE VETERANS WHERE THEY ARE.
UH, WE PLAN TO INCORPORATE M-C-A-S-M-C-R-D AND THE NAVAL HOSPITAL INTO THAT, UH, RHYTHM TO HELP THOSE VETERANS, THOSE THOSE MILITARY THAT ARE TRANSITIONING WITH THEIR BDD CLAIMS. UM, I'VE ALSO IMPLEMENTED AN END OF LIFE PLANNING WITH OUR AGED POPULATION.
UM, A LOT OF, WE, WE'VE NOTICED A SPIKE IN FOLKS COMING IN FOR, UM, DEATH BENEFITS AND ADIC, WHAT WE CALL DIC DEPENDENT INDEMNITY COMPENSATION.
[00:10:01]
A BRIEF THAT HELPS IDENTIFY AND EXPLAIN THE BENEFITS THAT THEY MAY BE ENTITLED TO.WE'VE HELD TWO OF THEM IN SUN CITY.
WE HAD OVER A HUNDRED PARTICIPANTS, VERY, VERY, UM, WELCOMED.
AND SO WE'RE GONNA INCORPORATE THAT INTO NORTH AND SOUTH OF THE BROAD ONE PER QUARTER, UM, NORTH AND ONE IN THE SOUTH.
WE'VE PARTNERED WITH THE SOUTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS WITH THE PALMETTO PATHFINDERS PROGRAM, THE COMBINED ARMS CO, UH, COALITION, AND THE LOW COUNTRY RURAL VETERAN ENGAGEMENT TEAM.
AND I'VE EXPLAINED WHAT THOSE THINGS ARE IN THE READ AHEAD, BUT THESE ARE OTHER WAYS, ESPECIALLY THE RURAL PART, IS TO GET OUT INTO THOSE AREAS IN BEAUFORT COUNTY WHERE THERE'S VETERANS WHO MAY NOT KNOW THAT WE EXIST OR WHAT WE CAN PROVIDE.
SO BY, YOU KNOW, REACHING OUT WITH MINISTERS, SOUTH CAROLINA WORKS, SOCIAL WORKERS, YOU KNOW, THE VA, UM, RALPH H. JOHNSON, WE CAN REACH SOME OF THOSE RURAL VETS AND, AND GET THEM IN, GET THEM INTO THE FOLD.
AND THE READ AHEAD, I DID MENTION THAT WE'VE GOT 24,000 VETS.
SOUTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS HAS ESTIMATED THAT 70% OF THE VETERANS IN SOUTH CAROLINA ARE UNTETHERED TO THE VA.
SO WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? THEY'RE NOT RECEIVING BENEFITS FOR WHATEVER REASON.
SO, YOU KNOW, MY TARGET IS ABOUT 40,000 FOLKS THAT STILL COULD USE ASSISTANCE, AND THAT'S, THAT'S OUR AIM, IS TO DEFINE THEM AND, AND TO GET THEM THAT ASSISTANCE.
UM, THE LAST THING THAT I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT WAS THE STORAGE AND ACCOUNTABILITY OF THE DD TWO FOURTEENS.
WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF TAKING THAT OVER, UM, FROM THE COUNTY.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE'LL BE WORKING WITH THE IT TO GET SOME SECURE SERVER SPACE THAT WE CAN, YOU KNOW, UM, STORE AND THEN RETRIEVE THOSE DD TWO FOURTEENS.
WILL YOU, WILL YOU TELL THIS GROUP WHAT THAT IS? THAT D I'M SORRY.
SO A DD TWO 14 IS WHEN, WHEN YOU SEPARATE FROM ACTIVE SERVICE, THE MILITARY GIVES YOU WHAT'S CALLED A DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE FORM TWO 14.
AND THAT'S YOUR CHARACTERIZATION OF SERVICE.
IT'S GOT YOUR AWARDS AND MEDALS THAT YOU RATE, IT HAS YOUR RE-ENLISTMENT CODE, UM, THE RANK THAT, THAT YOU RETIRED AT OR, OR SEPARATED WITH.
AND IT'S BASICALLY THE FORM THAT IDENTIFIES, UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT YOU'RE ENTITLED TO IN TERMS OF, OF ANY TYPE OF FUTURE BENEFIT.
LET ME OPEN IT UP FOR QUESTIONS.
UM, I WANNA THANK YOU FOR COMING TO SUN CITY.
IT WAS A GREAT TURNOUT, THE VETERANS RAVED ABOUT THE SESSION.
FIRST, WHEN'S YOUR NEXT TIME ON HILTON HEAD? WE ARE HILTON HEAD ON THE FIRST WEDNESDAY OF THE MONTH, SO IT'LL BE THE FIRST WEEK OF DECEMBER.
AND WE'RE IN THE COUNTY OFFICE ON HILTON HEAD ON 2 78 THERE.
AND THEN IN, UH, BLUFFTON, WE'RE AT THE COUNTY OFFICE.
I'M SORRY, MY, WE'RE AT THE LIBRARY.
AND THEN IN SUN CITY, WE'RE AT THE LAKE HOUSE.
HELENA, WE'RE AT THE LIBRARIES.
COUNCILMAN GLOVER, YOU HAVE A QUESTION? OH, NO, I, YES, MADAM CHAIRMAN, MADAM CHAIR.
I JUST WANTED TO, UH, CONGRATULATE YOU ON, UM, TAKING THE JOB.
I'M VERY HAPPY THAT YOU'RE THERE.
YOU BRING A GREAT DEAL OF KNOWLEDGE AND DIGNITY TO THE POSITION, AND I'M CONFIDENT THAT THE PROGRAM WILL GROW AND PROSPER UNDER YOUR DIRECTION.
SO GOOD LUCK AND, UM, THERE'S ANYTHING THAT I CAN DO, UH, I WOULD APPRECIATE YOU JUST PICKING UP THE PHONE AND GIVING ME A CALL AND, UH, I'LL HAVE A CHAT.
UH, I'M, I'M, I'M GONNA ECHO WHAT, UH, MR. MCCULLEN JUST SAID A FEW MINUTES AGO.
SO I'M GONNA SAY THE SAME THING.
IF THERE'S ANYTHING I CAN DO, LET ME KNOW.
I WOULD TELL YOU THAT, UH, YOU STOLE A GOOD COMPETITIVE BOWLER.
UM, AND MR. ABNER, UH, WE MISS HIM AT THE BOWLING SENIOR LEAGUE, BUT, UH, YOU GOT A GOOD MAN THERE AND, UH, WHATEVER YOU CAN DO.
WE TALK ABOUT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, UM, A LOT.
UM, I WILL SAY THIS, THAT THE MORE BENEFITS YOU CAN GET, GIVE, GET FOR OUR VETERANS, MORE BOOSTS WE'LL HAVE FOR OUR LOCAL ECONOMY AS WELL.
SO DO ALL YOU CAN, UM, I WOULD SAY THIS THAT I KNEW, I KNOW OF A VETERAN WHO FINALLY GOT HIS BENEFITS, BUT IT TOOK HIM YEARS TO DO.
AND A LOT OF TIME PEOPLE JUST GIVE UP ON SOME, WELL, WE'RE GONNA FIX THAT, SIR.
AND THAT STATISTIC THAT YOU MENTIONED WITH THE 24,000 VETS IN BEAUFORT COUNTY, THEY BRING IN ABOUT $179 MILLION DIRECT AND INDIRECT PAYMENT.
I MEAN, THAT, THAT'S ECONOMIC, YOU KNOW, POWERHOUSE FOR BEAUFORT COUNTY 'CAUSE THEY'RE LIVING HERE AND THEY'RE SPENDING THEIR MONEY HERE.
SO THE MORE BENEFITS THAT WE CAN
[00:15:01]
GET OUR VETERANS, THE ONES THAT THEY, THEY RATE AND THEY DESERVE, UM, AND THAT, THAT RETURNS BACK TO US AS A COMMUNITY.ANY OTHER THANK YOU, COMMENTS, QUESTIONS? WELL, YOU, YOU'VE DONE SOME GREAT THINGS IN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME AND WE WISH YOUR OFF YOUR VERY LARGE OFFICE BEST SUCCESS
BUT IF THERE'S ANYTHING WE CAN DO FOR YOU, I'VE LEFT MY CARD.
UH, IF, IF YOU HAVE ANY CONSTITUENTS THAT NEED ANY HELP, PLEASE REFER THEM TO US AND WE WILL TAKE CARE OF THEM.
OKAY, MR. ATKINS UPDATE, THAT'S, OH, I'M SORRY.
AND GOOD AFTERNOON TO EVERYONE.
SO WE HAVE TWO UPDATES FOR YOU.
UH, MR. MARK DAVIS, WHO IS OUR DEPUTY PLANNING DIRECTOR, IS GONNA GIVE AN UPDATE ON OUR GREEN SPACE PROGRAM AND MR. ROB MERCHANT, WHO IS OUR PLANNING DIRECTOR, UH, AFTER MARK CONCLUDES HIS PRESENTATION IS GONNA GIVE AN UPDATE ON THE, UH, LADIES ISLAND PLAN AND WHERE WE ARE WITH THAT.
SO WITH THAT, I INTRODUCE MR. MARK DAVIS.
UM, SO I'M GONNA QUICKLY, WE'RE TRY TO DO IT AS QUICK AS POSSIBLE, RESPECT TIME.
WE'RE GONNA GO BACK A LITTLE BIT IN TIME, AND THEN WE'RE GONNA MOVE FORWARD ON SOME OF THE WORK THAT WE'VE DONE.
AND THEN I'M GONNA KIND OF GIVE YOU AN UPDATE ON SOME OF THE DATES WE HAVE MOVING FORWARD IN THE PROCESS THAT WE'VE HAD AS ASSOCIATED TO THE STAFF'S WORK AND THE GREEN SPACE ADVISORIES COMMITTEE WORK.
SO THE FIRST SLIDE HERE, THAT IS A, WHAT YOU ALL WERE INVOLVED IN TO KIND OF UNDERSTAND THE DATES OF SEPTEMBER 25TH WHEN YOU ALL GAVE THE PROGRAM CRITERIA AND APPLICATION PROCESS.
THIRD, READING FROM THAT DATE, JUST GONNA SCROLL DOWN ONE.
UM, FROM THAT, THAT FOLLOWING DAY, STAFF IMMEDIATELY STARTED TAKING REQUESTS FOR PRE-APPLICATION MEETINGS STARTING SEPTEMBER 26TH.
SO THIS IS A SLIDE THAT'S GONNA KIND OF CAPTURE A LOT OF INFORMATION, BUT I'LL TRY TO GET THROUGH IT QUICKLY.
JUST KIND OF UNDERSTAND DATES OF THE PROGRAM AND KIND OF SIMPLIFY IT, IS THAT THE PROGRAM REQUIRES A PRE-APPLICATION MEETING.
THAT PRE-APPLICATION MEETING MUST OCCUR 15 DAYS PRIOR TO AN APPLICATION DEADLINE.
THE APPLICATION DEADLINE FOR THIS QUARTER WAS OCTOBER 31ST.
SO YOU CAN SEE WE HAD ABOUT A 15 DAY WINDOW THERE TO KIND OF FIT THOSE IN.
STAFF IS CURRENTLY GOING THROUGH WHAT WE CALL OUR APPLICATION COMPLETENESS CHECK, AND THAT IS THE MIDDLE BOX THERE.
AND THEN AFTER WE DO THAT, WE NOTIFY APPLICANTS ABOUT THEIR APPLICATION.
THEY THEN HAVE 10 DAYS TO RECTIFY ANY DEFICIENCIES IN THEIR APPLICATION AND PROVIDE THAT BACK TO STAFF.
AFTER WE'VE GONE THROUGH THAT, WE THEN TAKE THOSE COMPLETE APPLICATIONS AND THAT'S WHAT MAKES A GREEN SPACE ADVISORY COMMITTEE QUARTERLY MEETING AGENDA.
THAT MEETING HAS BEEN SCHEDULED FOR DECEMBER 6TH, AND WE WILL BE ADVANCING, AS OF RIGHT NOW, AT LEAST THREE APPLICATIONS.
WE HAVE THREE COMPLETES AND WE ANTICIPATE MAYBE A FOURTH, BUT THERE COULD BE A FIFTH.
AND AT THAT MEETING STAFF AND THE GREEN SPACE ADVISORY COMMITTEE WILL REVIEW THOSE APPLICATIONS, WEIGH THEM AGAINST THE ADOPTED PROGRAM, AND SIMPLY MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TO THIS COMMITTEE WHETHER OR NOT IT SHOULD FURTHER BE CONSIDERED AND DUE DI DILIGENCE BE CONSIDERED FOR THE EXPENDITURE AND THE TIMEFRAMES ASSOCIATED TO THAT.
KIND OF LOOK INTO THE APPLICATIONS THAT WE HAVE RECEIVED.
SO I WANNA SPEAK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE APPLICATIONS.
SO STAFF, AND MY JOKE IS PEOPLE WILL BE EATING ICE CREAM TONIGHT,
UM, SO STAFF AND THE GREEN SPACE ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING, INSTEAD OF JUST COMING UP WITH ONE APPLICATION TYPE CAPTURE EVERYTHING, WHICH I WOULD CALL A VANILLA FLAVOR, WE DECIDED TO CREATE MULTIPLE APPLICATION TYPES TO CAPTURE ALL THE VARIETY THAT DIFFERENT TYPES OF PROCUREMENTS REQUIRE.
SO WE CREATED SIX APPLICATION TYPES, AND AS YOU CAN SEE, WE HAVE A CONSERVATION EASEMENT APPLICATION TYPE THAT'S PRETTY STANDARD.
WE HAVE A FEE, SIMPLE PURCHASES APPLICATION TYPE.
WE HAVE A FARMLAND PRESERVATIONS APPLICATION TYPE, NATURAL SCENIC WILDLIFE CORRIDORS APPLICATION TYPE, AN EXISTING PLAN DEVELOPMENT AND DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT, BUY BUYDOWN APPLICATION TYPE.
AND THEN WE HAVE ONE THAT'S CALLED AN OTHER THAT'S KIND OF LIKE THE OUTLIER KIND OF CAPTURES OTHER THINGS THAT THOSE, WHAT WE CALL THE FIRST FIVE OR WHAT WE CALL THE FOCUSED PROGRAM PROCUREMENTS THAT THE PROGRAM IS SPECIFICALLY FOCUSED ON.
BUT WE DECIDED THAT IT COULD STILL OPEN UP SOME OPPORTUNITY.
[00:20:01]
AND THAT'S WHERE THE OTHER COMES IN.IN ADDITION TO THAT, BECAUSE THIS PROGRAM DOES ALLOW FOR APPLICATIONS OUTSIDE OUR GEOGRAPHIC BOUNDARIES, WE HAVE, IF YOU HAVE TO, IF YOU HAVE AN APPLICATION THAT IS OUTSIDE BEAUFORT COUNTY'S GEOGRAPHIC BOUNDARIES, AND I WANTED TO MAKE SURE EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS THAT THAT'S, THAT'S BEYOND MUNICIPALITIES WITHIN OUR COUNTY, THAT IS OUTSIDE OUR COUNTY.
IT REQUIRES AN ADDITIONAL APPLICATION ADDENDUM THAT GETS LAYERED ON TOP OF THE APPLICATION THAT KIND OF BEEFS IT UP SOME AND, AND PUTS THE APPLICANT KIND OF IN UNDERSTANDING.
THERE'S A DIFFERENT PROCESS TO THAT.
UM, I DO HAVE AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT SOME OF THE APPLICATIONS LOOK LIKE.
I'M TRYING TO MOVE THROUGH THIS, BUT, UM, IF ANYBODY HAS ANY QUESTIONS ON THAT OR WHAT WE'VE DONE SO FAR, I'LL TAKE THOSE BEFORE WE JUST QUICK QUESTION.
UM, WHEN ON THE OUTSIDE COUNTY BOUNDARY APPLICATION COMES FORWARD, UM, IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT, UM, UH, FUNDING FROM THE OUTSIDE ALSO HAS TO COME WITH IT AS WELL? CORRECT.
AND THAT FUNDING DOES NOT NECESSARILY HAS TO BE FROM THE COUNTY, IT COULD BE FROM OTHER SOURCES, RIGHT? CORRECT.
UM, SO HERE'S AN EXAMPLE OF ONE OF THE APPLICATION TYPES.
SO THIS IS THE CONSERVATION EASEMENT.
I FIGURED I'D USE THIS ONE AS EXAMPLE BECAUSE IT'S THE MOST COMMON ONE THAT WE USE OFTEN.
SO THIS IS WHAT PEOPLE HAVE RECEIVED AND THIS IS WHAT THEY'RE FILLING OUT.
UM, YOU CAN SEE IT'S VERY DETAILED.
WE WORK THROUGH THIS, STAFF WORK THROUGH THIS, AND ALL OF THESE APPLICATION TYPES THAT YOU SAW WERE ADOPTED BY THE GREEN SPACE ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
SO STAFF WORKED ON 'EM, TOOK 'EM TO THE COMMITTEE, WE EVALUATED THEM, WE WORKED THROUGH THEM, AND THEY OFFICIALLY ADOPTED THEM.
SO YOU CAN SEE THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, PRETTY USER FRIENDLY, ON THE EYES WELL ORGANIZED.
AND THESE WERE TO KIND OF CAPTURE ALL THE NUANCES THAT MIGHT EXIST.
AND THEN WE HAVE A NOTICE TO APPLICANT.
WE HAVE A DISCLAIMER THAT NOTICE TO APPLICANT WOULD BE IN, IN THE OUT OF COUNTY ONE.
AND I DO HAVE THAT ADDENDUM IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT AS WELL.
UM, THIS KIND OF CAPTURES SOME OF THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE PROGRAM FOR EACH APPLICATION TYPE THAT NOTICE THE APPLICANT CHANGES BASED ON THE APPLICATION TYPE.
THAT DISCLAIMER, HOWEVER, STAYS THE SAME.
AND THEN EACH APPLICATION TYPE, UH, HAS A SET OF QUESTIONS TAILORED SPECIFICALLY TO THAT TYPE OF PROCUREMENT.
SO QUESTIONS FOR A CONSERVATION EASEMENT WILL BE SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERENT THAN QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT FIND FOR AN EXISTING PLAN DEVELOPMENT TO BUY DOWN.
UM, CONSERVATION IS ARE USUALLY PRETTY, PRETTY SIMPLE.
SO THESE QUESTIONS WERE, YOU KNOW, NOT VERY DIFFICULT IN NATURE.
UM, WANNA GO THE NEXT ONE? SO THIS IS THE OUTTA COUNTY APPLICATION ADDENDUM.
AND YOU'LL SEE IT'S VERY, UH, SHORT AND SWEET, BUT IT PRETTY MUCH PUTS ALL APPLICANTS ON NOTICE, LETTING THEM KNOW THAT THERE'S A DIFFERENT PROCESS.
THERE'S A MUCH HIGHER LEVEL, WHAT WE WOULD CALL, UH, PARTNERSHIP CONTRIBUTION REQUIREMENT, A MUCH HIGHER THRESHOLD.
AND IT KIND OF WORKS THROUGH MORE OR LESS.
BASICALLY IT'S, IT'S KIND OF A LEGAL DOCUMENT IN A WAY, JUST THAT WHEN THEY SIGN THAT THEY REALIZE THAT THIS IS A DIFFERENT PROCESS AND THIS WILL BE PROCESSED IN DIFFERENT WAY THAN ANYTHING THAT WE RECEIVE INSIDE THE COUNTY.
THAT'S WHAT WE USE TO SUPPLEMENT ALL THE APPLICATION TYPES INSTEAD OF CREATING ONE FOR OUTSIDE THE COUNTY BECAUSE THERE COULD COUNCIL MCALLEN, DO YOU HAVE A QUESTION? NO, NO.
LEMME JUST ASK A QUESTION, MR. CHAIRMAN.
EXPLAIN TO ME A IN DOLLARS AMOUNT, UH, AND YOU CAN USE $10, A HUNDRED DOLLARS, BUT, UM, WHAT IS A 300% MATCH? A LOT
IS THAT WHAT YOU SAID? 300? THAT'S A LOT PERCENT.
SO I MEAN, BASICALLY ANY, AS YOU CAN SEE, SO PART WHAT THE PROGRAM DOES, IS THAT ANY APPLICATION THAT'S THE MINIMUM TOO.
SO THESE ARE ALL MINIMUMS THAT WE CAPTURE.
AND A LOT OF THAT NOTICE TO APPLICANT LANGUAGE, YOU SAW THAT THEY HAVE TO INITIAL PUTS THEM ON NOTICE THAT IT COULD BECOME MORE AS THIS STUFF BECOMES MORE EVALUATED, YOU KNOW, IT'S KIND OF A TWO STEP PROCESS IS THAT INITIAL STEP AND THEN IT GETS RECOMMENDED.
BUT THROUGH THAT PROCESS, IF YOU ALL RECOMMEND STAFF TO ALLOW TO SPEND THE DUE DILIGENCE, WE FURTHER GO INTO IT.
WE FURTHER LOOK INTO IT, AND THEN THAT'S WHEN WE KIND OF CAN GET TO A
[00:25:01]
FULL GRASP OF IS THIS A GOOD PURCHASE AND IS THIS A GOOD BUY? SO LET ME ASK YOU A QUESTION.UM, CONSIDER, LET'S LOOK AT, UH, THE BROAD RIVER, UH, FOR AN EXAMPLE.
AND, UM, BEAUFORT COUNTY HAS PROPERTY ON ONE SIDE OF THE BROAD RIVER, THEN JASPER HAS IT ON THE OTHER SIDE.
UM, SO IF THERE WAS A NEED FOR CONSERVATION, UM, AND BEAUFORT THINKS THAT REALLY FEELS THAT THAT SHOULD BE A GOOD MATCH, UH, THAT 300% COULD BE KIND OF PROBLEMATIC, WOULDN'T IT? IF IT WAS OUTSIDE THE COUNTY YEAH.
IS ON OBJECT? I DON'T THINK SO.
I DON'T THINK IT'S PROBLEMATIC.
UM, IF, IF, IF IT'S PROBLEMATIC, IF YOU LOOK AT BULLET 0.2, UM, I CALL THAT THE CARROT.
BUT IF OTHER LOCAL JURISDICTIONS AND COUNTIES ADOPT A GREEN SPACE OR A GREEN BELT PROGRAM, THEN WE CAN PARTNER WITH THEM AT A LOWER THRESHOLD.
BUT IF THEY'RE NOT GOING TO DO THAT, THAT 300% MATCH WILL ALWAYS BE THERE.
AND I, I THINK MR. JACKSON MIGHT WANNA SHARE, I JUST WANNA HELP CLARIFY.
SO THE IN-KIND MATCH FOR EVERY DOLLAR THE COUNTY OR GREEN SPACE PUTS IN THERE HAS TO BE A THREEFOLD MATCH.
SO $1, $3, $4 WOULD BE THE TOTAL PRICE.
BUT THAT $3 CAN BE AN IN-KIND MATCH.
THERE ARE A LOT OF DIFFERENT AVENUES THAT YOU CAN GET TO THAT $3.
WE MAY WANNA DO A WORKSHOP TO GET INTO THE ORDINANCE, WALK THROUGH ALL OF THE POLICIES AND ALL OF THE ADOPTED PROCEDURES.
BUT THAT'S SORT OF THE NUTS AND BOLTS.
WHEN YOU'RE OUTSIDE OF THE COUNTY, IT'S ONE TO THREE, THAT'S THE 300% MATCH.
BUT WHEN YOU GET IN KIND, IT CAN BE, THE VALUE OF THE PROPERTY CAN OFFSET THAT.
IT DOESN'T NECESSARILY HAVE TO BE CASH.
IT CAN BE, UH, ACREAGE, FEDERAL MONEY.
IT CAN BE OUTSIDE ENTITIES, MONEY, IT COULD BE, UH, PHILANTHROPY, MONEY.
THERE'S A LOT OF SOURCES FOR THAT.
MULTITUDE OF WAYS TO GET THERE AND ANY MATCH, UH, FALLS IN THAT SAME CATEGORY.
APPRECIATE YOU HAVE A LOT OF OPTIONS TO GET THERE TO, YES, SIR.
DO YOU HAVE MORE SLIDES TOO, OR? NO, THAT WAS IT.
I DUNNO IF IT'S A QUESTION OR STATEMENT.
MAYBE BOTH, BUT, UM, SO I KNOW WHEN WE FIRST STARTED THIS PROCESS, OUR GOAL WAS TO QUADRUPLE OUR FUNDING.
THIS IS ONE OF THE PROCESSES TO DO THAT, THAT THE BOARD'S PUT IN.
SO LIKE, WHY WE'RE REQUIRING THE MATCH IS TO TAKE OUR TAX DOLLARS FURTHER.
IT'S NOT JUST GONNA BE ON THE BURDEN OF THE COUNTY, BUT IF THE STATE WANTS TO PROTECT THIS AREA AS MUCH AS WE DO, OTHER PEOPLE ARE GONNA HAVE TO PUT SOME SKIN IN THE GAME.
THE MUNICIPALITIES, THE STATE, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, OTHER GRANT SERVICES.
BUT THAT FUNDING CAN COME FROM ALL THOSE DIFFERENT LOCATIONS FOR US TO BE ABLE TO QUADRUPLE THIS MONEY THAT WE'RE PULLING IN FROM THE TAXPAYERS.
THAT'S EXACTLY HOW IT'S STRUCTURED.
PASSMAN, DO YOU HAVE A QUESTION? NO.
COULD YOU JUST REMIND US HOW MUCH MONEY'S IN THE GREEN SPACE BANK RIGHT NOW? 'CAUSE I KNOW WE'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF A QUARTER, BUT WHAT DO WE WHAT WE'VE COLLECTED ALREADY? OH, BECAUSE I FORGOT I ALREADY, IT'S ALL, AND I'LL GIVE YOU THE, UM, I ACTUALLY HAD IT ON MY NOTES IN MY PHONE HERE.
I KNOW SOMEBODY'S GONNA ASK THAT.
SO AS OF, UH, OCTOBER THE 12TH, WHICH WAS THE LAST DEPOSIT, THERE WAS 18.33 MILLION.
THE POST DATES, AND I'M GONNA GO THROUGH 'EM INDIVIDUALLY, WAS JULY 17TH WAS A DEPOSIT OF 5.44 MILLION.
AND THEN 10 12 IS 6.58 MILLION.
AND EITHER IT HAS ALREADY HAPPENED OR WILL JUST ABOUT, UH, WILL SOON HAPPEN, WE'LL GET THE NOVEMBER DROP, WHICH WILL PROBABLY BE A LITTLE LESS 'CAUSE WE'RE OUT OF TOURIST SEASON.
BUT THAT'S WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS FOR, AND WE COULDN'T, WE PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE A WORKSHOP, UM, CLOSER TO WHEN WE'RE REVIEWING THAT, WHEN WE GET AS COUNTY COUNCIL GET THE APPLICATIONS.
COUNCILMAN CUNNING THIS POINT NEXT YEAR, WOULD WE, WOULD WE BE ABLE TO GET A BREAKDOWN OF LIKE YOU JUST DID WITH THE MONTHLY, BUT ACTUAL PERCENTAGE OF WHAT WE'RE PROJECTING CAME FROM TOURISTS, SO WE CAN ACTUALLY GIVE BACK TO THE PUBLIC.
WHEN WE ADVOCATED FOR THIS, WE TALKED ABOUT HOW A LOT OF THIS FUNDING IS GONNA COME FROM TOURISTS.
LIKE HOW YOU SAW THAT SPIKE DURING THAT TIME.
'CAUSE NEXT YEAR IS GONNA BE THAT FIRST FULL YEAR OF HAVING THIS PROCESS IN ORDER.
IS THERE A WAY WE COULD DO THAT FOR THE PUBLIC? ABSOLUTELY.
AND MAYBE EVEN BY MUNICIPALITY, IF, WELL, MAYBE NOT SURE.
I I DON'T KNOW HOW IT'S BROKEN OUT.
WE GET WITH THE, THE STATE I GET WITH OUR FINANCE FOLKS, HOWEVER IT'S BROKEN OUT.
WE'LL GIVE YOU AS MUCH DETAIL AS WE HAVE.
OBVIOUSLY WE'RE GONNA GIVE YOU QUARTERLY UPDATES OF WHERE WE ARE.
UM, 'CAUSE THAT'S HOW THE, UM, THE PROCESS RUNS.
SO EVERY TIME WE HAVE A QUARTER, WE'RE GONNA COME TELL YOU WHAT WE'VE DONE AND YOU'RE GONNA SEE ALL THE PROJECTS COME FORWARD, UM, FOR DUE DILIGENCE AND, AND FOR, UM, FOR ANY EXPENDITURE OF MONEY.
[00:30:01]
UH, WE WILL KEEP YOU WELL INFORMED AND WE'LL GIVE YOU ALL THE INFORMATION THAT WE HAVE ON IT.ANY OTHER UPDATES? DO YOU WANNA, AT THIS TIME TALK ABOUT THE ONE ITEM THAT WE HAD A, UH, IN CASE THERE'S PEOPLE IN THE AUDIENCE THAT CAME HERE 'CAUSE THEY THOUGHT WE WERE GONNA BE TALKING ABOUT MAIL AND BLUFF.
SO THERE WAS A, UH, TYPOGRAPHICAL ERROR IN THE ACTUAL ORDINANCE OF, I THINK IT WAS ITEM 11 ON THE AGENDA.
WE, UM, ACTUALLY COUNCIL MEMBER CHAIRMAN, UH, HOWARD CAUGHT IT SATURDAY MORNING.
REALLY APPRECIATE YOU DOING THAT.
UM, AND WE GOT TO WORK FIX THAT TYPOGRAPHICAL ERROR CHANGED, UH, THE ONLINE BACKUP AND, UH, IT IS CORRECTED NOW.
IT WAS IN ONE OF THE WAREHOUSES.
IT WAS A CUT AND PASTE ERROR, UH, FROM A PREVIOUS, UM, REZONING REQUEST.
SO, AND, AND I DON'T KNOW IF ANYONE'S HERE FROM FOR THAT, BUT I JUST WANTED TO LET 'EM KNOW.
AND YOU ALL HAVE OUR APOLOGIES FOR THAT.
SO, MR. CHAIRMAN, JUST ONE QUESTION.
ANY OTHER UPDATES THAT MR. ANY OTHER UPDATES? YEAH, SO MR. MERCHANT'S GONNA COME TALK ABOUT THE LADIES ISLAND PLAN VERY QUICKLY, AND THAT'LL CONCLUDE, UM, OUR DIVISION'S REPORT.
SO, UM, JUST A QUICK UPDATE ON LADIES ISLAND.
UM, I THINK AT THE LAST MEETING I HAD MENTIONED THAT WE WERE, WE REACH OUT TO THE CITY.
WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF HEARING BACK FROM THEM WELL, OF GOOD NEWS TO REPORT THAT WE MET WITH THE CITY, UH, WITH THEIR, UH, TOWN MANAGER AND SEVERAL MEMBERS OF COUNCIL.
I THOUGHT IT WAS A GOOD MEETING.
WE TALKED ABOUT THE BEST, UM, STEPS FORWARD TO DEVELOP A SCOPE.
AND SO, UM, WHAT THEY AGREED TO DO WAS FOR US TO PUT TOGETHER A STAFF WORKING GROUP.
AND SO WE HAVE OUR STAFF WORKING WITH OUR ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT WITH, UH, THE CITY'S, UH, PLANNING DEPARTMENT AND WITH THE TOWN OF PORT ROYAL.
UM, AND SO WE'VE HAD TWO MEETINGS SO FAR.
WE ACTUALLY MET THIS MORNING, AND IT SEEMS TO BE GOING PRETTY WELL.
WE'RE KIND OF LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, WHAT STEPS ARE NECESSARY, HOW TO REALLY MAKE THIS A HOLISTIC PLAN.
WHAT WE'RE SEEING IS THAT, THAT THERE IS A SIGNIFICANT TRANSPORTATION PORTION OF THIS, BECAUSE WE HAVE SOME UNRESOLVED ISSUES ON SEA ISLAND PARKWAY AND ALSO THE HIGH SCHOOL ACCESS.
IN ADDITION, UM, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE THE LADIES ISLAND PLAN AND ITS VISION FOR THIS AREA.
AND SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THE LAND USE VISION AND THE, THE, UH, UM, TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENTS GO HAND IN HAND, UM, AS THIS MOVES FORWARD.
AND SO WHAT WE ARE ANTICIPATING IS TO COME BACK, I WOULD SAY AFTER THE FIRST OF THE YEAR, ONE OF THE THINGS WE HAVE TO BE MINDFUL OF, OF THE CITY'S MAYORAL ELECTIONS.
WE DON'T REALLY WANNA GO TO THE CITY BEFORE THAT AND KIND OF WAIT TILL THE NEW MAYOR GETS UP TO SPEED.
UM, AND THEN SO WE ANTICIPATE COMING BACK WITH A PROPOSED SCOPE AND THEN ALSO SOME, UH, BALLPARK ESTIMATES ON COSTS.
WE'RE GONNA REACH OUT TO A FEW PLANNING FIRMS JUST TO GET SOME IDEAS AND, UM, WE'LL GO FROM THERE.
ANY QUESTIONS FROM ANYONE? YES.
JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU FOR THE AMOUNT OF WORK THAT Y'ALL ARE PUTTING IN.
UH, I KNOW I'VE TALKED TO COUNCILMAN MCFEE AND, UM, MM-HMM.
WE'RE, WE'RE ALL EXCITED ABOUT IT, SO I APPRECIATE IT.
JUST QUICKLY, ROB, UM, COUNCIL, A LOT OF DISCUSSION ON, UM, THE UM, HMM.
I MEAN, I THINK, AND OBVIOUSLY WE'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT, BECAUSE WE FORESEE A PROBLEM IN THE FUTURE, YOU KNOW, AND, AND WHEN THAT IS, WHETHER IT'S IN 20 YEARS, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN TO THE WOODS MEMORIAL BRIDGE? AND SO THAT DID COME INTO DISCUSSION TODAY ABOUT WHETHER THAT MIGHT BE ANOTHER EFFORT, YOU KNOW, TO LOOK LONG TERM, BECAUSE THEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, WELL, ARE WE TALKING ABOUT ONCE AGAIN A THIRD BRIDGE? AND HOW ARE WE GONNA THINK LONG TERM ABOUT THE VIABILITY OF THE WOODS MEMORIAL BRIDGE? SO WAS IT OUT TWICE LAST WEEK OR JUST ONCE? I, I DON'T KNOW.
I KNOW THAT ONE MORNING MY DAUGHTER MISSED THE BUS AND THERE'S THIS INCREDIBLE STREAM OF TRAFFIC COMING OVER THE, THE
I JUST, IT, YOU KNOW, I WAS NOT AWARE, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE I LIVE IN PORT ROYAL.
BUT, UM, IT'S AMAZING HOW MUCH IT DISRUPTS.
UH, MORNING COMMUTE TRAFFIC, MORNING TRAFFIC.
ANY OTHER, LET'S MOVE ON THEN.
UH, THE THANK YOU FOR THE UPDATE.
[8. BEAUFORT CONSERVATION DISTRICT ANNUAL REPORT]
THE BUFORT CONSERVATION DISTRICT ANNUAL REPORT.UH, MS. LESLIE, MS. LESLIE PRONOUNCE YOUR LAST NAME FOR ME SO I CAN, UM, I'M ACTUALLY HILLARY GALLUP.
LESLIE COULDNT BE HERE TODAY, BUT OLA
[00:35:01]
IS HOW YOU SAY HER LAST NAME.THIS, AND WE JUST, FOR COUNCIL'S BENEFIT, WE GET AN ANNUAL UPDATE FROM THE DISTRICT.
I'M THE EDUCATION COORDINATOR FOR THE BUFORT SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION DISTRICT.
UM, FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO MIGHT NOT BE FAMILIAR, LET'S SEE THE ARROW.
UM, WE ARE, SO EVERY COUNTY IN SOUTH CAROLINA AND JUST ABOUT EVERY COUNTY IN AMERICA HAS A CONSERVATION DISTRICT.
AND WE, UM, OUR BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS, WHICH IS A VOLUNTEER BOARD, THEY GET TOGETHER ONCE A MONTH AND WE FIGURE OUT HOW TO TACKLE THE CONSERVATION ISSUES IN OUR AREA.
UM, OUR BOARD IS MADE UP OF TWO, UM, TWO APPOINTED CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR, WHICH THEY WERE JUST AWARDED 40 YEARS OF SERVICE.
OUR CHAIR, ALAN ULMER, ALAN ULMER, AND THEN OUR VICE CHAIR, CLAUDE MCCLOUD.
HE WAS JUST AWARDED 35 YEARS OF SERVICE.
SO WE'RE VERY PROUD OF THEM FOR STICKING WITH US FOR SO LONG.
UM, AND THEY WERE THE TWO, UM, CLOSEST WITH THE SUSPENDERS AND THE KHAKI SHIRT ON.
AND THEN THE REST OF OUR COMMISSIONERS ARE ELECTED.
UM, AND THEN WE'VE GOT FOUR PART-TIME EMPLOYEES.
SO ALL OF US AT THE DISTRICT ARE EITHER VOLUNTEER OR PART-TIME.
UM, SO WE, WE DO OUR BEST WITH THE TIME AND THE RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE.
SO WE ARE ALSO THE U LOCAL U-S-D-A-N-R-C-S PARTNER.
SO WHAT THAT MEANS IS THAT WHEN, UM, THERE IS FEDERAL FUNDING FOR OUR LOCAL LANDOWNERS AND FARMERS, UM, WE ARE KIND OF THE MIDDLEMAN THAT CONNECTS OUR LOCAL, UM, LANDOWNERS AND FARMERS WITH OUR NRCS AGENT.
SO WE DO NOT HAVE AN OFFICE FOR NRCS IN BEAUFORT COUNTY.
UM, WE ARE THE ONES THAT CONNECT THEM AND THEN GET THEM THE SPACE TO MEET, UM, OR TRY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT THEY HAVE IF THEY CAN'T GET IN TOUCH WITH THE NR CS NRCS AGENT RIGHT AWAY.
UM, FOR FY 23, OUR CONSERVATION STEWARDSHIP PROGRAM, UM, OR CSP, AS YOU WILL SEE IT IN A LOT OF LITERATURE, UM, PAYOUTS TOTALED $3,438.
AND THEN FOR THE ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY INCENTIVES PROGRAM, WHICH IS EQUIP, UM, THOSE PAYOUTS TOTALED $30,777 AND 42 CENTS.
UM, AND THERE'S JUST A PICTURE OF A HIGH TUNNEL AS AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT SOME OF THAT EQUIP MONEY CAN GO TO FOR OUR FARMERS.
UM, IN MARCH OF LAST YEAR, THE NATURE CONSERVANCY, WE ENTERED INTO A PARTNERSHIP WITH THEM, UM, TO PROVIDE AN ASSESSMENT OF THE NEEDS OF THE CHALLENGES FOR OUR BEFOR COUNTY FARMERS.
UM, SO THEY PROVIDE US GRANT FUNDING TO HIRE A FIELD AGENT, UH, TO PERFORM IN-PERSON SURVEYS WITH FARMERS.
AND I AM READING MY SCRIPT HERE BECAUSE THIS IS A LITTLE BIT OUTSIDE OF WHAT I TYPICALLY DO FOR THE DISTRICT.
UM, SO THIS IS A ONE YEAR POSITION THAT REPORTS QUARTERLY BACK TO THE NATURE CONSERVANCY OF SOUTH CAROLINA WITH HIS ASSESSMENT FINDINGS.
UM, AND OUR BOARD WAS ASKED TO HIRE THIS PERSON, UM, BECAUSE WE ARE THE ONES IN THE COMMUNITY THAT HOPEFULLY KNOW THE RIGHT PERSON FOR THE JOB.
SO WALTER MACK IS WHO WE HIRED.
HE IS A VERY WELL-KNOWN FARMER ON ST.
AND HE HAS BEEN WORKING VERY, VERY HARD, UM, TO GET THIS INFORMATION.
SO WHAT THE NATURE CONSERVANCY IS LOOKING FOR, UM, THEY WANT TO KNOW, UM, WHAT THE FARMERS HAVE PLANNED OR IF THEY EVEN HAVE AN IDEA OF WHAT THEY WANNA DO WITH THEIR REGENERATIVE FARMING PRACTICES, THEIR CURRENT PARTICIPATION AND AWARENESS OF CONSERVATION PROGRAMS LIKE CSP LIKE EQUIP, UM, CHALLENGES RELATED TO CLIMATE CHANGE, BECAUSE THAT IS SOMETHING VERY REAL HAPPENING IN OUR COUNTY.
UM, AND INTEREST IN PARTICIPATING IN PROGRAMS AND ECONOMIC MARKETS.
SO AS THE EDUCATION COORDINATOR, WE ALSO FOCUS ON, UM, ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION.
SO MANY YEARS AGO, OUR BOARD DECIDED THE BEST WAY, ONE OF THE BEST WAYS TO TACKLE, UM, CONSERVATION IN BEAUFORT COUNTY IS THROUGH EDUCATION.
EVERY CONSERVATION DISTRICT DECIDES HOW THEY WANT TO DO THAT DIFFERENTLY.
BEAUFORT COUNTY HAS ALWAYS, UM, REALLY USED A LOT OF THAT TIME AND RESOURCES FOR EDUCATION.
UM, SO THIS PAST YEAR WE WERE ABLE TO GET INTO 133 CLASSROOMS, AND WE WERE ABLE TO MAKE CONTACT WITH 3,390 STUDENTS AND ADULTS THROUGHOUT BEAUFORT COUNTY.
WE'RE ALREADY ON TRACK TO PASS THAT NUMBER FOR THIS NEXT FISCAL YEAR.
UM, AND THESE ARE JUST A COUPLE OF PHOTOS OF OUR THREE MOST POPULAR PROGRAMS. SO WHAT WE DO IS WE TAKE CONSERVATION PROGRAMS INTO THE CLASSROOM.
UM, WE, SO OUR SOIL TUNNEL, UM, IS ACTUALLY ONE OF MY FAVORITES.
WE SET UP FOLDING TABLES IN THE CLASSROOM.
THERE'S SOME SHEETS OVER THEM.
[00:40:01]
THE SHEETS ARE PAINTED WITH WHAT YOU'RE GONNA FIND UNDERGROUND.SO WE'RE TEACHING THESE KIDS LIKE, YES, OKAY.
'CAUSE WE LIVE ABOVE GROUND, RIGHT? BUT WHAT'S UNDERNEATH US? WHAT CROPS ARE GROWING UNDERNEATH US? UM, WHAT, YOU KNOW, CRITTERS ARE LIVING UNDERGROUND AND A BIG THING IS WHAT'S UNDERNEATH OUR HOUSES.
SO MANY OF OUR, UM, HOMES HERE IN BEAUFORT COUNTY ARE STILL ON SEPTIC IN A WELL.
UM, AND WE OBVIOUSLY DRIVE HOME HOW FORTUNATE WE ARE THAT WE GET TO FLUSH OUR TOILETS AND NEVER THINK ABOUT IT AGAIN.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S PART OF THE CONSERVATION EDUCATION THAT WE'RE PROVIDING TO THESE KIDS.
UM, WE'RE ALSO PART OF THE OTHER PART OF THE SOIL TUNNEL PROGRAM.
WE BRING IN LIVE WORMS AND TALK ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF HEALTHY WORMS AND OUR SOILS.
AND, UM, MOST OF THEM END UP TOUCHING THEM.
AND, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT THEM WITH A MICROSCOPE, WHICH IS A PRETTY COOL EXPERIENCE FOR THEM.
THAT'S FOR KINDERGARTEN THROUGH SECOND GRADE.
OUR VIRUS SCAPE, UM, GOES UP IN AGE A LITTLE BIT.
WE CAN OBVIOUSLY DO IT WITH KINDERGARTEN, BUT MIDDLE SCHOOLERS REALLY LOVE THIS ONE.
IT'S AN EXAMPLE OF A WATERSHED AND WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU POLLUTE YOUR WATERSHED.
GREEN KOOL-AID IS FERTILIZER, RED KOOL-AID IS PESTICIDES.
WE TALK ABOUT THE DIFFERENT POLLUTANTS WE HAVE IN OUR COMMUNITY AND THEN WHAT HAPPENS WHEN IT RAINS, AND THEN WE RELATE IT ALL BACK TO OUR STORMWATER RUNOFF.
MANY OF THEM DON'T KNOW THAT THE CYPRESS WETLANDS ARE DUG FOR STORMWATER RUNOFF, YOU KNOW, SO WE TALK ABOUT THESE DIFFERENT THINGS IN THE COMMUNITY.
ALL OF OUR PROGRAMS, WE'RE NOT TRYING TO TEACH KIDS WHAT TO THINK.
WE'RE TRYING TO TEACH THEM HOW TO THINK.
SO WE'RE JUST TRYING TO LEAD THEM INTO ASKING MORE QUESTIONS.
AND THEN OUR SNAKE PROGRAM, OBVIOUSLY IF YOU HAVE A LIVE ANIMAL, YOU'RE GONNA BE THE MOST POPULAR ONE IN THE ROOM,
UM, AND WE REALLY TRY TO FOCUS ON TEACHING THESE KIDS ABOUT THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN VENOMOUS VERSUS NON VENOMOUS SNAKES.
'CAUSE THAT'S A REALLY IMPORTANT SKILL TO HAVE HERE IN THE LOW COUNTRY.
UM, AND THAT IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE PICTURES AS WELL.
HE WAS SHOCKED THAT HE EVEN TOUCHED THIS SNAKE, BUT THEN I GOT HIM TO HOLD IT.
AND WE DON'T TYPICALLY, WE DON'T ALWAYS MAKE KIDS, GIVE THEM THE OPPORTUNITY TO HOLD THE SNAKE IN CLASS.
BUT, UM, IF IT'S, YOU KNOW, IF THEY'RE CALM AND IT'S THE RIGHT CIRCUMSTANCES, WE'LL ABSOLUTELY GIVE THEM THE OPPORTUNITY
UM, WE ALSO HOST ECO CAMP EVERY YEAR.
SO THIS PAST YEAR WAS OUR 32ND YEAR HOSTING ECO CAMP.
AS A CONSERVATION DISTRICT, WE HAVE A DIFFERENT THEME EVERY YEAR.
UM, THERE IS NO EARTH WITHOUT ART WAS OUR, WITH LAST YEAR'S THEME.
SO EVERY SCIENCE LESSON HAD A LITTLE BIT OF AN ART PROJECT TO GO WITH IT.
UM, THAT FIRST PHOTO IS ONE OF OUR CAMPERS DISSECTING AN OWL PELLET.
SO, UM, FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO DON'T KNOW, OWLS SWALLOW THEIR FOOD WHOLE.
THEY CAN'T DIGEST EVERYTHING, SO THEY HAVE TO SPIT, SPIT IT BACK UP.
UM, AND THAT'S WHAT THOSE KIDS GOT TO DIGEST OR DISSECT TO SEE WHAT KIND OF BONES, MAYBE FEATHERS THEY COULD FIND IN IT.
AND THEN THEY COULD GLUE THEM, UM, TO MAKE A NEW CREATURE IF THEY WANTED TO.
UH, CLEMSON EXTENSION IS A HUGE PARTNER OF OURS.
UM, THEY ALWAYS JUMP IN FOR ECO CAMP.
THAT MIDDLE PHOTO, THEY DID A LESSON ON MARSH ECOLOGY AND THEN TAUGHT THE KIDS HOW TO, UM, PAINT A MARSH SCENE WITH WATERCOLOR.
THE GULLAH CO-OP IS ANOTHER BIG PARTNER OF OURS.
THEY CAME IN AND DID A LITTLE LESSON ON FARMING IN THE LOW COUNTRY, AND THEN THE KIDS MADE CORN HUSK DOLLS.
UM, OUR OTHER PARTNERSHIPS, UM, WE HAVE MANY OF THEM AND SOME OF YOU GOT THE PACKET AND ALL OF OUR PARTNERSHIPS ARE ON THAT LAST PAGE.
WE WERE REALLY PROUD TO SPONSOR A HIGH SCHOOL TEAM FOR THE EN HON COMPETITION.
THIS PAST YEAR WE SPONSORED BATTERY CREEK.
SO THIS COMPETITION TESTS STUDENTS ON THEIR KNOWLEDGE OF AQUATICS, WILDLIFE, SOILS, AND FORESTRY.
WE'RE HOPING TO SPONSOR A SECOND TEAM THIS YEAR.
WE'RE ALSO ACTIVE MENTORS IN THE GREEN STEPS PROGRAM, WHICH IS A SOUTH CAROLINA PROGRAM TO GIVE SCHOOLS AWARDS FOR THEIR SUSTAINABILITY EFFORTS.
SO WE'VE BEEN, UM, MENTORING BLUFFTON MIDDLE SCHOOL FOR THE PAST FEW YEARS.
THEY GOT AN AWARD THIS PAST YEAR.
UM, AND WE'VE ALSO BROUGHT ON THREE MORE SCHOOLS.
HELENA ELEMENTARY, WHALE BRANCH MIDDLE, AND ALSO LOW COUNTRY MONTESSORI.
UM, LOW COUNTRY MASTER NATURALIST IS ALSO A HUGE PARTNER OF OURS THAT WE'RE SO THANKFUL FOR.
SO, UM, I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE THE COURSE THIS PAST YEAR, WHICH IS AMAZING.
IF ANY OF YOU EVER GET THE OPPORTUNITY OR HAVE DONE IT, IT'S REALLY, REALLY COOL.
UM, BUT ALSO IT IS A RESOURCE NOT ONLY FOR OUR EDUCATORS, BUT ALSO FOR VOLUNTEERS.
SO, LIKE I SAID, WE ARE PART-TIME OR A VOLUNTEER ORGANIZATION.
SO WHEN WE PUT ON THESE THINGS LIKE ECO CAMP FOR THE COMMUNITY, WE RUN OFF OF VOLUNTEERS.
HALF OF MY ECO CAMP COUNSELORS WERE VOLUNTEERS FOR MASTER NATURALISTS THIS PAST YEAR.
UM, WE'VE ALSO ADOPTED THE BROAD RIVER, UM, AT THE SANDS BEACH THROUGH ADOPT A STREAM, WHICH IS A SOUTH CAROLINA PROGRAM.
IT'S A CITIZEN SCIENCE PROGRAM TO, UM, MONITOR WATER QUALITY.
AND I THINK THAT IS ALL THAT I HAVE FOR Y'ALL.
WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM THE COMMITTEE? I DO.
YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU ARE ONE OF MY FAVORITE, UM, GROUP TO COME BEFORE US BECAUSE I APPLAUD
[00:45:01]
YOU.UM, PARTICULARLY WHEN YOU START, UM, YOU KNOW, ADDRESSING EDUCATION, UM, AND, AND, AND, AND, AND THE ENVIRONMENT AND HOW, HOW, HOW IT REALLY WORKS TOGETHER.
YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I ALWAYS SAID IS THAT THERE'S, THERE'S MORE LIFE UNDERNEATH THE GROUND THAN IS ABOVE THE GROUND.
UM, THERE'S A LOT OF ACTIVITY THAT'S HAPPENING DOWN.
THERE'S SO VALUABLE THAT WE NEED TO PROTECT AND PRESERVE AND STUFF.
THE ONLY COMMENT I'M GONNA MAKE IS THAT, UM, I KNOW YOU DID THIS, UH, WITH THE SNAKES.
I KNOW YOU TOLD THE KIDS THIS IS A NON POISONOUS SNAKE.
UM, BUT IN THE ARTWORK, THE DISPLAY, IF YOU WOULD PUT NON-POISONOUS SNAKES, YOU KNOW, IT WOULD REALLY, 'CAUSE YOU KNOW, IF A CHILD SEES THIS AND THEY SEE A SNAKE OUT THERE, THEY THINK THEY CAN GO TOUCH IT.
BUT THAT'S A NON-POISONOUS SNAKE VERSUS A VENOMOUS SNAKE AND STUFF.
UH, AND THE OTHER COMMENT I JUST MADE JUST FOR COUNCIL IS THAT, UH, ONE OF THE PICTURES YOU HAD ON THE ROY GREEN, UM, HAS A, UM, A GREENHOUSE OR A HOOP HOUSE AND HE NEEDED ELECTRICITY, ET CETERA.
HE'S NOW PRODUCING, UM, UM, THAT BLUE BLACKBERRIES, UH, ON HIS FARM.
AND THAT WAS ACTUALLY, UH, BLACKBERRY WHAT WE SAW.
AND THAT'S THE COUNTY, I'M JUST SAYING THIS TO THE COUNTY RIGHT NOW.
'CAUSE THE COUNTY THOUGHT THAT HE WAS ACTUALLY PUTTING A TRAILER OR NOT A HOUSE THERE, WHICH WAS NOT ZONED FOR IT, BUT IT WAS REALLY AGRICULTURE.
SO, YOU KNOW, I THINK THE COUNCIL COUNTY NEEDS TO, UH, TRY TO PROTECT AGRICULTURE AS MUCH AS WE CAN AND MAKE IT MUCH EASIER AND STUFF.
BUT I APPRECIATE WHAT ALL Y'ALL SAY AND DO.
AND TO LIKE CIRCLE BACK ON THE SNAKES.
SO I LIKE MAKE, WE MAKE IT REALLY CLEAR IN OUR PROGRAMS, LIKE, WE DON'T WANT THESE KIDS RUNNING OUTSIDE AND GRABBING SNAKES.
IT'S A PICTURE THAT WAS THERE AND IT JUST SAID SNAKES.
YOU PUT NON-POISONOUS, YOU KNOW, NON VENOMOUS OR WHATEVER.
I'LL BE SURE TO DO THAT NEXT TIME.
MS. GALLOPS, WE REALLY APPRECIATE WHAT YOUR ORGANIZATION DOES AND NICK AND THROUGH Y'ALL, WE HAVE DONE A LOT OF PARTNERING FOR THE RURAL AND CRITICAL LANDS PROGRAM WITH THE GRANTS THAT YOU BROUGHT DOLLARS TO THE TABLE FOR SOME OF THE PROJECTS AND YOUR EDUCATION PROGRAM IN THE SCHOOLS IS INVALUABLE.
UM, MY DAUGHTER AND MY GRANDCHILDREN HAVE BEEN THROUGH ECO CAMP AND, UM, THEY LOVED IT.
OF COURSE, MY DAUGHTER WAS A LOT YOUNGER THEN
BUT, UM, 32 YEARS IS QUITE AN ACCOMPLISHMENT FOR ECO CAMP.
AND YOU ALWAYS HELP WITH THE, UH, LITTER, ANTI ANTI-LITTERING CAMPAIGNS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY, WHICH IS IMPORTANT.
UM, THANK YOU FOR COMING AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR ANNUAL REPORT.
[9. DISCUSSION ON FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES STAFF HAS IDENTIFIED FOR THE COASTAL COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION (CCDC) WORKFORCE HOUSING ]
A DISCUSSION ON, UM, FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE COASTAL COASTAL COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION WORKFORCE HOUSING.UM, AND MR. ROBERTSON IS GONNA TALK ABOUT THAT.
AND I, COUNCILMAN MCKELLEN, UM, IS ON, AND I KNOW THIS IS SOMETHING THAT HE WAS VERY INTERESTED IN, CERTAINLY.
WELL, JUST PRIOR TO THIS, UH, TO THIS MEETING, WE HELD A, UM, WORKFORCE HOUSING WORKSHOP.
UM, DURING THAT, DURING THAT MEETING, WE INVITED THE, UM, REGIONAL HOUSING TRUST, UH, OUR, OUR, OUR REGIONAL HOUSING TRUST FUND TO, UH, COME AND MAKE A PRESENTATION FOR US AS WELL AS, UM, JEREMY COOK FROM HANSWORTH SINKLER BOYD, WHO TALKED ABOUT SOME FUNDING OPTIONS FOR US.
UM, WE, UH, OF COURSE STAFF WENT AND LOOKED AT THIS SPECIFICALLY TO SEE WHAT KIND OF THINGS THEY WERE, THEY WERE AVAILABLE TO US.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE WERE, WE WERE CONCERNED ABOUT WAS USE OF OUR, OF OUR PUBLIC DOLLARS.
UM, AND IN THIS WAY, UM, IT IS, UH, IS UNDERSTOOD THAT WE, UM, HAVE FUND BALANCE AVAILABLE.
WE CAN BUDGET FUNDS FOR THE, FOR SPECIFIC PERSON PURPOSES, UH, FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING, NOT ONLY FOR THE, UH, COASTAL COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, BUT FOR OTHER AFFORDABLE OR WORKFORCE HOUSING, UM, UM, PROGRAMS AS WELL.
UM, SO I CAN TALK BRIEFLY ABOUT, UH, SOME, UM, FUNDS THAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE.
SO WE HAVE, UH, IN OUR FUND BALANCE RIGHT NOW IS RIGHT AROUND $60 MILLION, 30% OF OUR TOTAL, UH, BUDGET, UM, EXPENSE THAT WE'RE REQUIRED TO KEEP IS ABOUT $40 MILLION.
SO IT LEAVES US $20 MILLION ISH IN OUR FUND BALANCE THAT'S AVAILABLE PART OF THAT FUND BALANCE.
UM, WE DUG A LITTLE DEEPER INTO THAT, INTO THAT FUND BALANCE THAT'S THERE.
THERE'S, UH, ARPA FUND'S INTEREST, UM, THAT WE EARNED LAST YEAR, WHICH IS A LITTLE MORE THAN $1.2 MILLION MAKES UP PART OF THAT FUND BALANCE.
SO FOR INSTANCE, SO IF WE WANT TO DIG A LITTLE DEEPER
[00:50:01]
INTO WHAT MAKES UP THAT FUND BALANCE, WE CAN, WE CAN HAVE SOME MORE DISCUSSION ABOUT THAT.THERE'S SOME UNSPENT AT TAX AND AT TAX H TAX DOLLARS IN THERE AS WELL.
UH, THAT BECOMES A LITTLE MORE COMPLE COMPLEX IF WE USE, IF WE WANT TO USE THAT, UH, TOWARDS ONE OF THESE PROGRAMS. UM, MR. COOK WENT IN DURING THE, UH, WORKSHOP, TALKED ABOUT, UH, GEO BONDING.
UH, SO RIGHT NOW THE, THE COUNTY HAS, UH, STILL AVAILABLE CAPACITY, WHICH KEEPS US AT 8% OR BELOW OF, UH, $96 MILLION OF GEO BOND CAPACITY.
THAT'S AN OPTION THAT, UH, THAT COUNCIL HAS.
UM, OUR LOCAL AT TAX AVERAGES ABOUT TWO AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR.
UM, THE, THE NEW ACT ALLOWS US TO SPEND OR USE 15% OF THAT AT TAX DOLLARS, UH, TOWARDS, UM, WORKFORCE AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING, UH, PROGRAMS. UH, THIS YEAR IT'S ABOUT $388,000, UH, TO USE, UH, TO THAT MONEY.
OUR STATE AT TAX, UM, IT'S ABOUT AVERAGE IS ABOUT $1.5 MILLION RIGHT NOW.
THOSE, UH, STATE AT TAX APPLICATIONS ARE, UM, ARE IN REVIEW ACTUALLY.
WE BEGIN, UM, INTERVIEWS WITH, UH, THOSE APPLICANTS.
UM, UM, MR. COOK TALKED ABOUT, UH, TIFF DISTRICTS AS AN OPTION FOR US TO TIF DISTRICTS WOULD BE, UM, EASIEST USE, UH, USED IN THE, FOR THE COUNTY AS A WAY OF, UM, OF IMPROVING INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT IN THOSE AREAS.
UH, ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY FOR US IS TO, OF COURSE, BUDGET, UM, BUDGET FOR THESE KIND OF THINGS, UM, TO PURCHASE LAND AND THEN, UM, DO SOME DEED RESTRICTIONS OR OTHER OPPORTUNITIES AND PROVIDE THESE, UH, ORGANIZATIONS WITH THE LAND WITH WHICH TO DEVELOP THEIR PROJECTS, UM, IF THAT'S AVAILABLE.
UM, OF COURSE THE, UH, COASTAL COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, THEY PRESENTED TO US A FEW TIMES AND THEIR, THEIR ORGANIZATION IS LOOKING FOR, UM, EXISTING PROPERTIES THAT ARE FOR SALE THAT THEY WOULD PURCHASE AND REHAB AND THEN REUSE FOR, UH, AFFORDABLE OR WORKFORCE HOUSING, UM, PROPERTIES OR, OR OPPORTUNITIES.
UM, OF COURSE, UM, USING OUR REGIONAL HOUSING TRUST FUND, UH, IS, IS ALSO A GREAT OPTION.
SO WOULD WE, WE WOULD ENCOURAGE ALL FOLKS, OR ALL ENTITIES SEEKING FUNDING TO, UH, APPLY TO THE REGIONAL HOUSING TRUST FUND AND GO THROUGH THEIR PROCESS TO SEE IF WE CAN, WE CAN BETTER LEVERAGE THE DOLLARS THAT ARE THERE.
UH, THE REGIONAL HOUSING TRUST FUND HAS, UM, OPPORTUNITIES TO TAKE, UH, A, A $1 AND MAKE THEM INTO TWO.
UH, SO THAT IS, UH, IS ANOTHER GREAT ADVANTAGE TO US.
UM, THAT WAS JUST A LITTLE BRIEF OF, OF WHAT WE HEARD EARLIER.
UH, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR ME, ANYTHING ELSE I CAN, UH, I CAN HELP ANSWER, UM, ANY QUESTIONS.
MR. COOK IS STILL IN THE ROOM AS WELL.
ME, JUST IN CASE YOU GET TOO COMPLICATED FOR ME.
UM, WHEN YOU, YOU, YOU TALK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, IN PRESENT PRESENTATION, MR. KOCH TALKED ABOUT, UM, THE COUNTY BEING SO DIVERSE YES, SIR.
AND DIFFERENT, UM, PROJECT PROGRAM, UH, AS IT RELATES TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
LEMME JUST ASK YOU ONE QUICK QUESTION.
UM, IS, IS THERE A POSSIBILITY, UH, IN RURAL COMMUNITIES WHERE IF THE COUNTY WENT IN SAW OF, PURCHASED THE LAND, UH, WORKING WITH, UH, A GROUP LIKE THE HABITAT FOR HUMANITY AND DEVELOPING ON A SLOW PROCESS, NOW THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN'T DO THAT IN, IN BLUFFTON BECAUSE YOU NEED A LOT OF HOUSES, WAY
BUT IN A COMMUNITY LIKE, UH, ST.
HOLLANDER, UH, DALE, UH, WHERE HABITAT FOR HUMANITY COULD ACTUALLY WORK WITH THE COUNTY AND DEVELOPING A LITTLE COMMUNITY OF SOME SORT, UM, FOR PEOPLE LIKE MR. CUNNINGHAM SAID MM-HMM.
I I WOULD HAVE TO DO SOME RESEARCH AND ASK SOME QUESTIONS SPECIFICALLY FOR YES, FOR HABITAT, BUT AS FAR AS THE COUNTY, UH, PURCHASING LAND AND USING THAT LAND WITH A DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT TO LEVERAGE, UM, UH, DEVELOPERS OR WORKFORCE HOUSING DEVELOPERS TO DECREASE THEIR COST TO DO THAT, YES.
THAT, THAT IS ABSOLUTELY SOMETHING THAT, UH, A MODEL THAT WE WOULD LOOK FOR.
I THINK MR. COOK DESCRIBED IT BEST.
FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT WEREN'T HERE EARLIER, IT'S A BUFFET AND WE JUST NEED TO FIGURE OUT WHAT ALL WE WANT ON OUR BUFFET.
[10. DISCUSSION REGARDING POSSIBLE DEVELOPMENT MORATORIUM AND CURRENT ZONING ALONG HWY 170]
DISCUSSION REGARDING POSSIBLE DEVELOPMENT MORATORIUM AND CURRENT ZONING[00:55:01]
ALONG HIGHWAY ONE 70.THIS HAD COME UP BEFORE AND MR. ATKINSON IS GOING TO TALK ABOUT THAT AND ROB, MR. MERCHANT, OH, BOTH OF YOU TOGETHER, RIGHT.
AS JUST FOR BACKGROUND, JASPER COUNTY DID A SIX MONTH MORATORIUM, CORRECT? UH, ALONG HIGHWAY ONE 70.
OH, WAS IT COUNTYWIDE? WELL, IT WAS ALONG ONE 70 AND EXTENDED WEST TO 95 AND GOES UP TO RIDGELAND.
SO IT'S A, IT'S A SIX MONTH MORTGAGE.
WHERE IS YOURS? I HAVE A LITTLE MAP TO START OUT WITH TO KIND OF GIVE YOU SOME CONTEXT.
SO APOLOGIZE FOR THE QUALITY, BUT YOU KNOW, IT'S COMBINING BEAUFORT AND JASPER MAPS TOGETHER AND, YOU KNOW, TWO DIFFERENT PLATFORMS. BUT, UM, I JUST WANTED TO PROVIDE, I GUESS STARTING OUT A LITTLE BIT OF, UM, FRAMEWORK FOR WHAT'S GOING ON ON THE BEAUFORT COUNTY SIDE AND WHAT'S GOING ON ON THE JASPER COUNTY SIDE.
SO, UM, ON THIS MAP, ON, ON THE BOTTOM, YOU IS PRETTY MUCH THE INTERSECTION WITH 2 78 AND ONE 70 MC GARVEY'S CORNER.
UM, YOU HAVE SUN CITY, UH, OVER THERE AT THE BOTTOM, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, YOU GO NORTH ON ONE 70, UH, YOU HANG RIGHT OVER BY OLD FIELDS AND THEN IT GOES, PROCEEDS TO THE BRIDGE.
SO THAT KIND OF GIVES YOU SOME BACKGROUND.
AND I GUESS WHAT I WANTED TO DO WAS TALK ABOUT WHAT THE EXISTING ZONING IS IN THAT AREA AND, YOU KNOW, KIND OF SOME INITIAL STAFF THOUGHTS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT JASPER COUNTY DID ON THEIR SIDE WITH THE MORATORIUM AND HOW THAT WOULD, YOU KNOW, THE APPROPRIATENESS OF THAT IN BEAVER COUNTY? MM-HMM.
SO THAT'S RURAL, UH, T TWO, RURAL, T TWO RURAL NEIGHBORHOODS.
AND THEN YOU HAVE, IT'S A LITTLE BIT HARD TO SEE HERE, BUT IT'S A KIND OF A PINKISH, SPECKLED, UH, DISTRICT.
AND THAT'S EXISTING PS SO ALONG THAT CORRIDOR, YOU KNOW, STARTING FROM THE BRIDGE, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE KWASSA AND SPRING ISLAND.
SPRING ISLAND IS NOT APUD, IT'S, IT'S BASICALLY A RURAL, RURAL ZONE.
THEN YOU HAVE OLD FIELD RIVERS AND MALE AND BLUFF, RIVER OAKS, RIVER BENDS, AND SUN CITY.
SO YOU HAVE A PATTERN ON THAT CORRIDOR CURRENTLY WHERE YOU HAVE EXISTING PUBES.
AND THEN THE REMAINING LAND IS FOR THE MOST PART ZONE T TWO RURAL, WHICH ALLOWS ONE DWELLING UNIT FOR THREE ACRES.
AND, AND THEIR CODE THAT'S DEFINED AS, UH, FOUR LOTS OR LESS SO, UM, YOU KNOW, CURRENTLY THE MORATORIUM WOULD AFFECT ANY SUBDIVISIONS IN, IN THE AREA THAT IS A DARK GREEN IS THE AREA COVERED BY THE MORATORIUM.
SO ON THIS MAP, IT'S EVERYTHING IN JASPER COUNTY OUTSIDE OF HARDY V AND RIDGELAND, EXCEPT FOR SOME OF THOSE POCKETS OR YOU PATCHWORK QUILT ALONG ONE 70.
UM, AND OVER NEAR HARDY, THEY HAVE THE SAME ISSUES WE DO WITH THE, THE MULTIPLE JURISDICTIONS.
UM, SO THE AREA THAT THEY HAVE PROPOSED FOR THE MORATORIUM OR THAT THEY HAVE THE MORATORIUM ACTIVE IN THAT GREEN, ALMOST ALL OF THAT, WITH EXCEPTION OF APUD ALONG ONE 70 NEAR, UM, THE JOHN PAUL II ON THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT STRETCH OF ONE 70 IS ZONED.
UM, IT'S BASICALLY A RURAL CONSERVATION DISTRICT AND THEIR LEASED DENSE DISTRICT ALLOWS AT A MINIMUM ONE ACRE LOTS.
SO IT'S DIFFERENT THAN OUR RURAL IN THAT, YOU KNOW, IF YOU HAVE, AND THERE'S SOME VERY LARGE TRACKS ALONG THE 4 62 CORRIDOR, IF YOU HAVE, YOU KNOW, 500 ACRES, THEN, YOU KNOW, IN, IN A RURAL AREA, YOU COULD SUBDIVIDE 500 LOTS.
SO THE, THE PRESSURE THAT THEY'RE SEEING FOR, UM, I GUESS RUNAWAY DEVELOPMENT, YOU KNOW, MAYBE EVEN STILL LOW DENSITY, BUT ENOUGH THAT WOULD START TO CHANGE.
THE CHARACTER OF THE AREA IS A LITTLE GREATER THAN OUR RURAL ZONING, WHICH IS ONE PER THREE.
AND WHAT, WHAT WE'RE SEEING ALONG THE ONE 70 CORRIDOR IS THAT WHEN PEOPLE ARE INTERESTED IN DEVELOPING, THEY COME TO COUNCIL AND REQUEST AN UPSETTING.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD A FEW OF THOSE, OF COURSE, IN THE LAST YEAR OR SO.
SO, YOU KNOW, MY RECOMMENDATION IS STAFF IS THAT THE, IF WE'RE LOOKING AT LIMITING GROWTH ON THE ONE 70 CORRIDOR, IF WE ECHOED WHAT JASPER COUNTY DID, I DON'T THINK IT WOULD BE VERY EFFECTIVE BECAUSE MOST OF THE LAND IS EITHER ALREADY SUBDIVIDED, YOU KNOW, IN PLACES LIKE MA AND BLUFF, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN'T REALLY UNDO WHAT'S ALREADY BEEN SUBDIVIDED.
AND THEN THE RURAL ZONING, WE'RE NOT SEEING A BIG, A LOT OF PRESSURE TO DEVELOP AT THAT DENSITY.
WE'RE SEEING PEOPLE WANNA COME FORWARD AND, AND CHANGE
[01:00:01]
THE ZONING.SO, UM, I GUESS I WANTED TO START IT OUT WITH THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT CONTEXT IN MIND ON THAT CORRIDOR.
AND I DID, I DID NOT REALIZE THAT JASPER COUNTY WAS ONE HOUSE PER ACRE, VERY DIFFERENT FROM OUR RURAL RT TWO.
I WOULD LIKE TO OPEN IT UP FOR, UM, QUESTIONS.
ANYONE OR DISCUSSION? THIS IS DISCUSSION, SO ANY COMMENTS? YES, I, I'M NOT OPPOSED TO A MORATORIUM, BUT IF WE'RE GONNA BE DOING IT, I THINK WE NEED TO HAVE CLEARLY DEFINED PARAMETERS FOR WHAT WE WANT TO ACCOMPLISH.
SO THEY HAD A CLEAR GOAL, YOU KNOW, THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, 2 78 WAS CHOKED UP IN, ON THE ISLAND THAT, UM, EXPRESSWAY WAS GONNA PROVIDE A LOT OF RELIEF TO THAT.
AND SO THEY WANTED TO SLOW DOWN DEVELOPMENT UNTIL THAT WAS OPENED.
SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, THE, THE BEST ADVICE, AND I MEAN THIS IS FROM A PLANNER OR NOT A, UM, AN ATTORNEY, IS THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE TO HAVE A VERY CLEAR, UM, OBJECTIVE OR GOAL AT THE END.
YOU KNOW, IF, YOU KNOW, IF WE HAVE A PROJECT THAT IS UNDERWAY OR SOMETHING THAT IS GOING TO ADDRESS THE ISSUES OF CAPACITY OR, UM, YOU KNOW, ROAD CAPACITY OR SCHOOLS THAT, THAT WE'RE CONCERNED ABOUT.
SO LET'S TALK ABOUT THE TIMELINE REAL QUICK.
IF YOU DID 180 DAY MORATORIUM THERE, I, AS FAR AS I KNOW, THERE ARE NO APPLICATIONS FOR BUYRIGHT DEVELOPMENTS IN THIS AREA THAT ARE OF ANY CONSEQUENCE.
WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT DENSITIES, IF WE DID 180 DAY MORATORIUM, THAT REALLY DOESN'T HAVE AN END EFFECT ON ANYTHING AS, AS IT RELATES TO, UH, UP ZONINGS BECAUSE YOU ALREADY CONTROL THE KEYS TO THAT LOCK.
IF COLLECTIVELY YOU DON'T WANT UP, ZONINGS DON'T APPROVE UP ZONINGS.
SO IF WE DO 180 DAY MORATORIUM, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE PROCESS, UH, FOR WHAT IT TAKES TO DO THAT TYPE OF, UM, DEVELOPMENT, IT WOULD RUN CONCURRENTLY AND THEN THEY WOULD MAKE THE APPLICATION AT THE END OF THE 180 DAYS.
AND I THINK IF YOU RAN IT MUCH FARTHER THAN THAT, YOU WOULD RUN A FOUL OF IT HAVING A SPECIFIC REASON WITH A SPECIFIC TIMEFRAME.
SO, YOU KNOW, FROM STAFF'S PERSPECTIVE, YOU ALREADY CONTROL THIS.
THE BALL'S IN YOUR COURT, IF YOU DON'T WANT UP ZONINGS, YOU DON'T HAVE TO APPROVE UP ZONINGS WITH OR WITHOUT A MORATORIUM.
UM, WOULD IT CHANGE ANYTHING? NO, BECAUSE YOU ALREADY CONTROL IT.
AND I THINK THE DYNAMIC, AS ROB SAID, BETWEEN WHAT JASPER COUNTY AND, AND WHAT WE'VE DONE, THEY HAVE SOMETHING THAT WE DON'T.
AND THAT IS LARGE CONTIGUOUS TRACKS OF LAND THAT EXPAND OUT BEYOND I 95 WITH A ONE-TO-ONE BY.
THAT'S A VERY DIFFERENT SCENARIO THAN WHAT YOU HAVE ON OUR SIDE OF ONE 70, WHICH ARE SORT OF SPREAD OUT, I'M GONNA SAY SMALLER PIECES OF LAND WITH A MINIMUM ZONING OF ONE TO THREE.
AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT DEVELOPMENT COSTS, WE DON'T, WE DON'T SEE ANY PRESSURE ON THAT, UH, ON THAT END OF THE SPECTRUM.
COUNCILMAN CUNNINGHAM? THANK YOU.
UM, UH, I AGREE WITH YOU, UM, UNLESS THERE'S A SPECIFIC REASON FOR IT, LIKE A SPECIFIC PROJECT ON OUR HANDS THAT WE NEED TO DO AN ABSOLUTE HALT BECAUSE WE HAVE TO GET THROUGH SOMETHING BUILDING A NEW BRIDGE, WIDENING ONE 70, UM, A NEW SCHOOL BEING PUT IN, WHATEVER THE VARIABLE MIGHT BE.
I JUST SPENT LAST WEEK IN PORT ROYAL AND THEY'RE DISCUSSING IT RIGHT NOW.
THEY HAVE SOMETHING BIG GOING ON, TALKING ABOUT THE PORTS, TALKING ABOUT THEY NEED TO FIGURE THINGS OUT BEFORE THEY DECIDE IF THEY'RE GONNA EXPAND PORT ORAL OR NOT.
SO IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S ON THE TABLE.
BY THE WAY, CONGRATULATIONS KEVIN PHILLIPS.
JUST WON HIS, UH, MAYOR RACE THERE.
UM, SO I, I DO UNDERSTAND THE LOGIC.
THE, THE MAJORITY OF THIS COUNCIL IS BIG AND EVERY, EVERY SINGLE ONE OF US RAN ON SLOWING DOWN GROWTH AND WORKFORCE HOUSING.
SO IT'S JUST GONNA BE A MATTER OF, I MEAN, WE'RE TOGETHER FOR ANOTHER YEAR.
ANYTHING COULD HAPPEN AFTER THAT AND THEN TWO YEARS AFTER THAT.
BUT ARE WE GONNA SAY NO TO THE UP ZONING? LIKE WE JUST HAD TWO PIECES OF PROPERTY IN THIS SECTION IN THE LAST YEAR HAVE COME UP FOR UPZONING AND BOTH TIMES, YOU KNOW, IT GOT TURNED DOWN.
SO THE, THE QUESTION IS, IF WE'RE GONNA PUSH FOR MORATORIUM, IT'S GOTTA BE FOR A SPECIFIC REASON, REDOING
[01:05:01]
ONE 70 OR ARGENT ROAD OR WHATEVER THE AREA MIGHT BE.BUT AT JUST SOME POINT, WE HAVE TO TAKE ACCOUNTABILITY OURSELVES ON COUNCIL TO SAY, IF WE'RE GONNA SLOW DOWN GROWTH, THEN WE NEED TO PUT, PUT OUR MONEY WHERE OUR MOUTH IS AND SLOW DOWN GROWTH AND VOTE DOWN.
AND, AND THAT, THAT'S GOTTA BE THE BIGGEST THING.
I, I MEAN, SOMETIMES IT COMES OFF HARSH.
I KNOW I'M NOT THE MOST ELEGANT SPEAKER.
I'VE PUT MY FOOT IN MY MOUTH MORE TIMES THAN ONCE.
BUT ULTIMATELY THAT'S, THAT'S THE GOAL IS TO SLOW DOWN GROWTH SO WE CAN TAKE CARE OF OUR SCHOOLS FIRE, EMS AND THE ROADS.
AND AS LONG AS WE KEEP VOTING, NO, WE'RE DOING MORE WORK THAN THIS MORATORIUM WOULD DO AND THAT SHOULD FALL ON US AS THE ONES THAT GOT VOTED.
UNLESS I I DON'T REALLY HAVE ANY INTEREST IN IT SPECIFICALLY IN THIS AREA UNTIL WE'RE SAYING WE'RE GONNA REDO THIS ENTIRE CORRIDOR OR PORT ROYAL'S FOCUSING ON THAT.
OR LIKE, YOU USE THE EXAMPLE OF HILT HEAD.
AND I WILL SAY, AND, AND I THINK IF I'M WRONG, TOM, SPEAK UP, BUT, UH, EVEN IF YOU DID PUT A MORATORIUM IN PLACE, IF AN ANNEXATION TOOK PLACE, IT WOULDN'T PREVENT THAT.
AND IT WOULD DO NOTHING, UM, TO STAND IN THE WAY OF AN ANNEXATION.
AND I WOULD HOPE JASPER
SO WE'RE NOT TRYING TO PICK A SIDE, RIGHT.
WE JUST WANT TO GIVE YOU THE FACTS AND SORT OF GIVE YOU THE, LAY THE LANDSCAPE LITERALLY AS FAR AS THE ZONING IS CONCERNED SO THAT YOU CAN MAKE AN INFORMED DECISION.
AND THAT WAS THE PURPOSE OF THE YES MA'AM.
OF THE AGENDA ITEMS. EVERYONE COULD TALK ABOUT IT.
UM, FOR ALL THAT WE'VE HEARD THE LAST NUMBER OF MONTHS AND WHY MANY OF US ARE UP HERE NOW WAS FOR LABORATORY OR SLOW GROWTH.
SO I WOULD BE IN SUPPORTING THAT TO HELP, UH, TO SUPPORT JASPER AND OTHERS.
IT, YOU KNOW, UM, THE PEOPLE THAT WE REPRESENT, I THINK IT WOULD SHOW THEM, UH, A, A BIG DEAL THAT WE'RE SERIOUS ABOUT SLOW GROWTH.
WHETHER YOU SAY WE VOTE FOR IT OR NOT, THAT'S HOW YOU'RE THINKING TODAY.
WHAT ABOUT TOMORROW? SO IF WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO SUPPORT THE PEOPLE, LET'S SAY INFRASTRUCTURE'S GETTING HAMMERED, THE SCHOOLS ARE CAN'T KEEP UP WITH THE GROWTH, LET'S SUPPORT 'EM IN, IN SHOWING THAT WE WE'RE GONNA DO THIS.
AND IF IT HAS TO GO, UH, 360 DAYS, WHATEVER IT IS, WE CAN EXTEND IT AT THAT POINT.
BUT LET'S SHOW SUPPORT FOR THE COMMUNITY THAT HAS ELECTED US.
I I THINK GOING BACK TO THE FIRST POINT, THOUGH, WE HAVE BETTER TOOLS THAN JASPER COUNTY DOES IN PLACE ALREADY.
UM, WITH THE T TWO ZONING IS MORE STRINGENT THAN THE ONE PER ACRE.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY ARE DOING WHAT THEY CAN DO AT THIS, THIS PERIOD OF TIME, BUT ABSOLUTELY, I DON'T, UM, PERSONALLY I DON'T THINK WE HAVE A STRONG ENOUGH REASON TO DO A MORATORIUM.
WE JUST STAND STRONG AND, UM, IN THE, IN WHAT WE'VE DONE RECENTLY IN ZONING DECISIONS, AND I APPLAUD JASPER COUNTY, BUT LET'S NOT ALSO FORGET THAT JASPER COUNTY HAD NO PROBLEM APPROVING THE OTHER SIDE OF SUN CITY THAT WE'RE STUCK DEALING WITH IN BEAVER COUNTY.
SO I UNDERSTAND IT LOOKS CITYVILLE CITY PARTY.
UM, SO WE'RE, WE'RE STILL DEALING WITH THAT.
SO THERE, THERE IS MORE HISTORY TO IT, BUT THIS IS THE COUNCIL HERE TODAY AND THE COUNCIL NOW.
AND WE JUST GOTTA PUT OUR FOOT IN THE GROUND AT SOME POINT AND SAY ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.
SO AS TOM TALKED COUNCILMAN REESE, IT'S MORE, THAT WOULD BE MORE OF A PERCEPTION TO THE, THE COMMUNITY THAT WE'RE GONNA SLOW THE GROWTH, BUT WE CAN VOTE NO ON UPZONING.
NOT THAT WE COULD DO ABOUT HARVILLE.
THEY ARE EXPLODING AS WE SPEAK.
AND, AND THE ONLY, THE ISSUE HERE IS ONE 70.
WHY I BROUGHT IT UP IS TRAFFIC.
AND IF I HEAR JARED FREILICH TALK ABOUT ONE MORE TIME, THE TRIANGLE, HERE IT IS, 1 74 62, 2 78.
THIS PART OF TRAFFIC, ANYBODY THAT COMES UP, IT KNOWS THIS IS HORRIBLE, HORRIBLE, HORRIBLE.
AND HE HAS A SHORT-TERM SOLUTION, MEDIUM TERM AND LONG-TERM SOLUTION.
SO THAT'S NOT GONNA GET FIXED ANY TO ME.
BUT IF WE JUST HOLD A NO UP ZONING, WE'LL HAVE TO DO THAT.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS? YES, COUNCILOR GLOVER AND I, I AGREE WITH THE TAB THAT, UM, TRAFFIC IS A ISSUE.
UM, WE CAN DO A WHOLE FAST TWO HOUR ZONING AT THIS TIME, NOT ALLOWING FOR ANY UPGRADES, BUT IT DOESN'T STOP.
YOU COULD DRIVE JASPER COUNTY VILLE FROM CONTINUING.
AND I GUESS MY QUESTION REALLY IS, UM, DO WE MAINTAIN A GOOD RELATIONSHIP WITH JASPER COUNTY HOTVILLE ABOUT ZONING AND THE IMPACT IT MAY HAVE ON, UM, THE INFRASTRUCTURE? AND THAT'S 2 78 ARJUN BOULEVARD, 1 78, 1 70.
I MEAN, WE CAN STOP IT ON OUR SIDE, BUT IF WE, IF THEY DON'T DO IT ON THEIR SIDE,
[01:10:02]
I MEAN, IT BECOMES A NIGHTMARE.SO I CAN DEFINITIVELY SAY YES, WE HAVE VERY GOOD WORKING RELATIONSHIPS WITH ALL OF THE MUNICIPALITIES.
AND THIS HAS BEEN ON AN ONGOING ISSUE.
I MEAN, MY 21ST YEAR, UM, IT'S BEEN GOING ON A LONG TIME.
SO IF YOU LOOK AT WHERE THE LINE STOPS, IT'S, IT'S AT THE COUNTY BOUNDARY.
I THINK THE GROWTH BOUNDARIES WORK, I THINK THAT WAS COLLABORATIVE.
UM, SO YEAH, WE, WE DO HAVE A VERY GOOD WORKING RELATIONSHIP WITH ALL OF OUR MUNICIPALITY.
AND SO WHEN I SEE ALL THAT GREENNESS THERE IN JASPER COUNTY, THAT'S ALL WOOD RIGHT NOW.
HAVE WE COORDINATED WITH JASPER COUNTY DURING THEIR MORATORIUM TO SEE IF WE CAN LINE UP THE ZONING ALONG THAT AREA BETWEEN JASPER AND HARVILLE? AND THAT'S A GOOD IDEA.
NO, THAT'S JASPER AND NOT THAT I KNOW OF.
YOU WANNA ADDRESS THAT, ROB? THANK YOU.
YOU CAN, WE DO HAVE A GROWTH COMMITTEE OF SO LOCO, UM, THAT THEY SET UP LAST SUMMER.
AND ALICE HOWARD HAS, UH, BEEN TO, UH, THOSE MEETINGS.
BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING, WE'RE CURRENTLY WORKING ON A EXISTING GROWTH MAP SO THAT WE CAN GET A HANDLE ON ALL THE DEVELOPMENT WE'VE APPROVED AND KIND OF SHOW VISUALLY WHERE THOSE ARE SO WE COULD THEN BEGIN TO LOOK AT WHAT CAPACITY WE NEED FOR FUTURE GROWTH AND WHERE CAN WE DRAW THOSE BOUNDARIES.
SO WE'RE HOPING THAT THIS WORK THROUGH SO LOCO, YOU KNOW, THAT WE CAN KIND OF WORK THROUGH THAT COMMITTEE TO GET THIS ADOPTED LOCALLY.
BUT, UM, SO WE'RE HOPING OR HAVE AGREEMENT TO LOOK ON IT.
THAT WAS A MAJOR STEP, WAS TO HAVE AN AGREEMENT TO EVEN LOOK AT IT, I THINK.
I THINK I HAVE ONE MORE, ONE MORE AND THEN WE'LL GO ON.
SO HARVILLE UP AR BOULEVARD'S, 9,200 HOMES, 95, WHATEVER THEY'RE GONNA BUILD THERE.
IT'S AN EXTREME AMOUNT OF HOMES.
AND ARGIE BOULEVARD'S JUST A DEATH TRAP AND WE ALL KNOW THIS IS HAPPENING 'CAUSE IT'S PART OF THE TRIANGLE.
SO, UM, THERE IS MORE LAND TO BE DEVELOPED THERE.
AND I COULD TELL YOU THE DEVELOPERS ARE CHOMPING AT THE BID TO CONTINUE IN HARVILLE.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOUR RELATIONSHIP IS WITH HARVILLE, BUT THEY NEED TO LIKE CLAMP IT DOWN A BIT.
I I DON'T KNOW HOW TO SAY THAT OTHER THAN TO SAY IT BECAUSE IT'S IMPACTING EVERYBODY RIGHT AROUND THERE.
AND I THINK WHAT WE'RE DEALING WITH IS PREVIOUSLY APPROVED AND ENTITLED DEVELOPMENT AND, YOU KNOW, SO THAT CONVERSATION ABOUT IT, IT TAKES A LOT TO GO BACKWARDS ON THAT, THAT, UH, MADAM CHAIR AND I'LL SAY, MM-HMM.
UM, I KNOW THE MAP JUST DROPPED OFF, BUT NOTICE WE'VE YOU'RE FINE.
YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD TWO ZONING REQUESTS ON OUR SIDE WHERE JASPER'S AT LEAST PUTTING THEIR FOOT DOWN AND SAYING THEY'RE GONNA STOP IT.
AND I THINK WE VOICED THAT WE ARE IN THE SAME POSITION.
WE MIGHT NOT HAVE PUT SOMETHING IN PLACE, BUT THIS COUNCIL HAS SAID THAT WE'RE IN THE SAME BOAT.
IT'S JUST A MATTER OF US HOLDING TO THAT.
AND, AND WE HAVE ANOTHER AVENUE TOO OF, UM, GREEN SPACE.
EVEN THOUGH IT, IT WILLING LANDOWNERS, UM, IF THEY'RE OUT OF THE COUNTY AND THEY'RE WILLING, WE, WE COULD TAKE ANOTHER STEP THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE BEFORE.
[11. RECOMMEND APPROVAL OF AN ORDINANCE FOR A ZONING MAP AMENDMENT/REZONING REQUEST FOR 57 ACRES (R200 004 000 0301 0000, R200 004 000 0302 0000, R200 004 000 0300 0000, R200 004 000 0063 0000) LOCATED AT 1, 2, 3, 4 BENNETT POINT DRIVE FROM PLANNED UNIT DEVELOPMENT (PUD) TO T2 RURAL (T2R)]
GOT TWO MORE ITEMS ON THE AGENDA.UH, NUMBER 11 IS RECOMMEND APPROVAL OF AN ORDINANCE FOR A ZONING MAP AMENDMENT REZONING REQUEST FOR 57 ACRES, UM, AT 1, 2, 3, AND FOUR BENNETT POINT DRIVE FROM PLAN UNIT DEVELOPMENT TO T TWO RURAL.
AND MR. MERCHANT'S GONNA BRIEF THAT AND I, I'LL REMIND THE AUDIENCE THIS, THERE WAS A TYPO AND THE, AND THE CORRECT ORDINANCE IS ON THE SCREEN NOW, UH, REFERRING TO THE CORRECT LOCATION AND NAME OF THE LOCATION.
UM, SO IN LIGHT OF THE PREVIOUS DISCUSSION, I WOULD SAY THIS IS KIND OF REZONING, UH, APPLICATION THAT MAY THE COUNCIL WOULD PREFER TO SEE.
BUT, UH, WHAT WE HAVE IS, UM, 57 ACRES.
THIS IS OVER IN NORTHERN LADIES ISLAND, NORTH OF THE PLEASANT POINT SUB.
ACTUALLY IT'S PART OF THE PLEASANT POINT PLAN UNIT DEVELOPMENT.
UM, THERE ARE FOUR TRACKS THAT MAKE UP 57 ACRES, UM, THAT WERE ORIGINALLY PLOTTED AND APPROVED FOR 179 SINGLE FAMILY LOTS.
BUT THE OWNERS OF THESE PROPERTIES, UM, NOW HAVE A CONSERVATION EASEMENT ON THE PROPERTY.
SO THAT CONSERVATION EASEMENT LIMITS IT TO FOUR HOUSES ON FOUR LOTS.
UM, AND SO THE, UM, OWNERS HAVE, UH, APPROACHED THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT ABOUT CHANGING THE ZONING SO IT MATCHES MORE OF THE CHARACTER AND FUTURE LAND USE OF THAT PROPERTY VERSUS THE CURRENT PUD ZONING.
UM, YOU KNOW, IN ALL, YOU KNOW, THE CONSERVATION EASEMENT IS, UH, GOES WITH THE PROPERTY.
SO IT'S NOT THAT THIS REZONING IS NECESSARY TO PRESERVE THIS LAND, BUT IT DEFINITELY
[01:15:01]
IS CHOOSING A ZONING DISTRICT THAT IS COMPATIBLE WITH THE CHARACTER AND THE FUTURE DEVELOPMENT OF THIS AREA.UM, YOU KNOW, AND I WOULD SAY ALSO FROM A HOUSEKEEPING STANDPOINT, I'M A VERY VISUAL PERSON.
SO TO HAVE A MAP AND HAVE THE GREEN REFLECT WHAT IS RURAL OR WHAT IS PRESERVED WORKS A LOT BETTER THAN TO HAVE APUD THAT SOMEBODY IN THE FUTURE MIGHT LOOK AT THAT AND WANNA KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON THERE, WHY THAT HASN'T BEEN PLATTED.
SO, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT THIS IS A GOOD, UH, A GOOD CHANGE IN THE MAP AND IT REFLECTS OUR LAND USE POLICY IN THAT PART OF LADIES ISLAND.
UM, AND IF, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, UM, YOU CAN ANSWER THEM.
ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? YES.
THE, THE EXISTING ZONING IS, UM, FIVE PIECES OF PROPERTY, BUT FOUR ARE GOING TO BE RECOMMENDED TO BE REZONED.
UM, AND THE ONE WILL REMAIN YEAH.
NOT ALL 57 ACRES ARE GOING TO BE REZONED.
I'M THINKING THAT THAT ONE IN THE MIDDLE IS ACTUALLY A SEPARATE PIECE OF PROPERTY.
IT'S UM, SO THAT'LL NEVER BE DEVELOPED THEN.
OH, LET'S NOT SAY, WELL, YEAH.
THERE NEED FOR MORE OR WE CAN'T ECHO THIS TODAY.
IS THERE, CAN WE ACT ON THIS TODAY OR WE GOTTA WAIT? WELL, THIS, THIS WOULD BE A RECOMMENDATION.
GO TO RECOMMENDATION COUNSEL AND THEN IT WOULD GO IN DECEMBER'S MEETING.
ANYTIME HE DOWNS ON I ALRIGHT.
I MOTION TO HAVE, I'LL SECOND THAT.
DID YOU GET WHO DID THE SECOND? OKAY.
IF YOU LOOK AT ATTACHMENT A, OH, I AM, SORRY.
BUT THEN YOU HAVE TO ARTICULATE THE REASON WHY YOU'RE MAKING THAT MOTION.
AND IF YOU LOOK HERE ONE THROUGH, IF YOU LOOK HERE ON ATTACHMENT A, IT IDENTIFIES THE ONE THROUGH NINE.
SO YOU NEED TO MAKE THE MOTION AND YOU NEED TO SAY, I MOVE BECAUSE IT'S CONSISTENT WITH AND FURTHERS THE GOALS OF THE COMP PLAN.
UH, IT'S, UH, IS NOT IN CONFLICT WITH THE DEVELOPMENT CODE, ET CETERA, ET CETERA, ET CETERA.
SO, UM, COUNCILMAN GLOVER, WILL YOU WITHDRAW YOUR CURRENT MOTION AND WE JUST SAY RESTATE IT OR JUST SAY YOU MOVE TO APPROVE IT BECAUSE OF WHATEVER REASONS YOU CHOOSE ON THE ONE THROUGH NINE THAT ARE LISTED ON EXACT ATTACHMENT A.
UM, I DO WANT TO MAKE THAT MOTION.
UM, MS. MADAM CHAIRMAN, I JUST NEED TO FIND OUT WHERE THE ONE THROUGH NINE IS.
UM, UM, CAN WE USE ONE OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT'S IN THE BOTTOM THERE LISTED CURRENTLY? I JUST ONE IN TWO ON PAGE 10 0 9.
OR SHOULD I, UM, USE ONE AND TWO MAYBE.
OH, OH, I GOT IT RIGHT HERE AND STUFF.
UM, I DO MOTION THAT WE, UM, DOWN ZONE, UH, THE RECOMME, UH, A MOTION THAT WE ACCEPT RECOMMENDATION, UH, THAT'S PRESENTED TO US.
UM, IN CONSISTENT WITH, UM, ITEMS ONE AND TWO, WHICH IS INCONSISTENT WITH AND FURTHER THE GOALS AND POLICY OF THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AND THE PURPOSE OF THIS DEVELOPMENT CODE, UM, IN THE AREAS OF NEW DEVELOPMENT, A FINDING OF CONSISTENCY WITH THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN SHALL BE CONSIDERED TO MEET THE STANDARDS BELOW UNLESS COMPELLING WITH EVIDENCE DEMONSTRATES THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT WOULD THREATEN THE PUBLIC HEALTH, SAFETY AND WELFARE.
IF THE LANDS SUBJECT TO THE AMENDMENT IS CLASSIFIED TO BE CONSISTENT WITH THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AND ALSO, UM, TWO, WHICH IS, IS NOT IN CONFLICT WITH ANY PROVISION OF THIS DEVELOPMENT CODE OR THE CODE OF ORDINANCE.
SO DO YOU WANT ME TO READ ALL SIX? WELL, I MEAN, IF YOU FIND WE ACCEPT ALL NINE OF IT, IF YOU FIND THAT THE APPLICATION IS CONSISTENT WITH THOSE OTHERS, YOU CAN JUST ARTICULATE THEM KIND OF QUICKLY.
UM, YOU DON'T HAVE TO READ THEM ALL, BUT YOU CAN SAY, FOR INSTANCE, I DON'T, IT'S NOT UP ON THE SCREEN NOW, I CAN'T SEE IT.
[01:20:01]
YES.AND YOU CAN SAY THAT IT, FOR INSTANCE, THAT IT ADDRESSES A COMMUNITY NEED.
IF YOU BELIEVE THAT, THAT IT, IT, IT ADDRESSES THE COMMUNITY NEEDS.
SO IT'S USES NUMBER SIX WOULDN'T ADVERSELY IMPACT NEARBY LANDS, ET CETERA.
IT WOULD NOT ADVERSELY IMPACT NEARBY LANDS.
ANYTHING ELSE? WELL, IT'S UP TO YOU SIR.
NO ADVERSE IMPACTS ON NATURAL ENVIRONMENT.
THAT TWO, WHICH IS NUMBER EIGHT, WILL RESULT IN DEVELOPMENT THAT IS ADEQUATELY SERVED BY PUBLIC FACILITIES.
I THINK THAT SHOULD DO IT ALL.
YOU WANT ME TO SECOND THAT? I'LL SECOND THAT.
DAVID, I THINK YOU GOT ME ON THAT ONE.
I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SAY I BET YOU HE'S REGRETTING MAKING THAT RECOMMENDATION NOW.
UM, WITHOUT OBJECTION, THE MOTION PASSES.
THIS IS A GOOD ALL NUMBER 13 IS THE
[13. RECOMMEND APPROVAL OF A RESOLUTION TO ADOPT THE PASSIVE PARKS DEPARTMENT PRIVATE BUSINESS USE POLICY, APPLICATION AND FEE SCHEDULE]
LAST THING FOR BEFORE WE ADJOURN.UM, WE, IT JUST TO REMIND THE AUDIENCE WE TOOK OFF NUMBER 12, IT WILL COME BACK TO US, UM, AT ANOTHER MEETING.
NUMBER 13 IS, UH, THE NEW NUMBER 12 IS RECOMMENDED APPROVAL OF A RESOLUTION TO ADOPT THE PASSIVE PARKS DEPARTMENT'S PRIVATE BUSINESS USE POLICY, APPLICATION AND FEE SCHEDULE.
MS. NAGE WILL EXPLAIN WHY WE NEED TO DO THIS.
THANK YOU MADAM CHAIR COMMITTEE.
UH, STEPHANIE NADD, PASSIVE PARKS DEPARTMENT DIRECTOR.
UM, THIS YEAR HAS BEEN AN INTERESTING ONE, UM, EXCITING AND ALSO INFORMATIVE IN THAT, UM, WITH THE HIRING OF OUR PASSIVE PARKS NATURALIST AND IN HER DOING RESEARCH ON, UH, TRYING TO DEVELOP OUR OWN ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION PROGRAM, WE'VE COME ACROSS, UM, A NUMBER OF BUSINESSES THAT ARE ADVERTISING AND UTILIZING PASSIVE PARK PROPERTIES FOR THEIR, UH, PRIVATE USE WITHOUT GETTING, UM, PRIOR APPROVAL OR FO OR COMPENSATION TO THE COUNTY FOR USE OF PUBLIC LAND.
UH, IN DISCUSSIONS WITH THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT PRIVATE BUSINESSES SHOULD NOT BE USING PUBLIC PROPERTY, UM, WITHOUT THE PROPER APPROVAL, LIABILITY INSURANCE, BUSINESS LICENSE, YOU KNOW, UM, UH, INFORMATION AND, UM, COMPENSATION FOR THE USE OF THAT PROPERTY.
SO WE'VE HAD ACTIVITIES SUCH AS EGO TOURS, UM, STAGED PHOTOGRAPHY SESSIONS.
THESE ARE, UH, PEOPLE WHO ARE COMING TO THE PROPERTIES AND SETTING UP SETS.
UM, SO THEY'RE BRINGING PROPS, THEY'RE TYING THINGS TO TREES.
THEY'RE OCCUPYING SPACE THAT THE PUBLIC SHOULD BE UTILIZING.
UM, AND THEN ALSO PROFESSIONAL POP-UP PICNICS, UM, WHERE AGAIN, THEY'RE BRINGING SETS AND, UM, DECORATIONS AND, AND THINGS.
UM, THESE DO NOT NECESSARILY CONSTITUTE AN EVENT THAT, UH, MY CURRENT FACILITY RENTAL POLICY COULD, UM, WOULD APPLY FOR TO, UH, THESE ARE SMALLER TYPE SITUATIONS, UM, SMALLER AMOUNTS OF TIME.
THEY DON'T, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE NOT TYPICALLY ASKING FOR FOOD AND ALCOHOL AND, YOU KNOW, USE AFTER HOURS.
UM, BUT THEY ARE STILL OCCUPYING SPACE THAT THE PUBLIC, UM, IS OCCUPYING AS WELL AS POTENTIALLY HAVING, UH, NEGATIVE IMPACTS ON THE CONSERVATION VALUES OF THE PROPERTY.
AS WELL AS WITH OUR GROWING DEPARTMENT AND ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION PROGRAM, THEY COULD BE IN CONFLICT WITH OUR OWN STAFF DOING OUR OWN ACTIVITIES ON, ON THESE PASSIVE PARK PROPERTIES.
SO, SO FAR FOR THE LAST FEW MONTHS, I'VE BEEN ATTEMPTING TO USE THE EXISTING POLICY THAT I HAVE IN PLACE, WHICH IS THE ONLY APPROVED POLICY I HAVE FOR RENTAL OF PASSIVE PARK PROPERTIES AND THAT FEE SCHEDULE, UM, IT HAS BEEN A LITTLE BIT CHALLENGING BECAUSE IT'S NOT REALLY SUITED FOR THIS PARTICULAR TYPE OF USE.
SO I TOOK THAT POLICY AND AGAIN, UH, IN COORDINATION WITH THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT, REVISED IT, UM, TO BE SPECIFIC TO PRIVATE BUSINESSES UTILIZING PASSIVE PARKS.
SO I'VE BROUGHT THIS FORWARD, UM, AS A WAY TO POTENTIALLY MANAGE, UH, THIS TYPE OF USE ON PASSIVE PARK PROPERTIES.
HOWEVER, YOU'LL SEE THERE THAT THE MOTIONS FOR OPTIONS FOR COUNSEL ARE TO EITHER APPROVE AS PROVIDED AS WRITTEN, UM, MODIFY IF THERE IS DISCUSSION ABOUT THE POLICY AND ANY OF THE CONTENT WITHIN IT.
UM, PARTICULARLY IF YOU HAVE, UM, ANY COMMENTS ABOUT THE FEE
[01:25:01]
SCHEDULE OR TIMING, UM, TIMELINE DEADLINES, THAT KIND OF THING.UM, OR IF YOU WANTED TO DENY IT AND JUST SAY THAT PRIVATE BUSINESS DOESN'T HAVE A PLACE ON PASSIVE PARKS.
UM, SO THERE ARE VARIOUS OPTIONS FOR COUNSEL TO CONSIDER.
I'D LIKE TO OPEN IT UP FOR QUESTIONS BEFORE WE ENTERTAIN A MOTION.
UH, WHAT, WHAT WOULD ENFORCEMENT LOOK LIKE AS FAR AS, THIS IS ASSUMING THAT SOMEBODY'S ACTUALLY GONNA DO THE APPLICATION AND GO OUT THERE, OR DO WE HAVE ENOUGH PEOPLE TO ACTUALLY ENFORCE THIS PROVISION, UH, IN A MANNER? SO, UM, MY DEPARTMENT IS CURRENTLY THREE STAFF, MYSELF, MY RANGER, MY NATURALIST, UM, SO OF THE PARKS THAT ARE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC, WE DO HAVE, UM, COOPERATING AGENCIES LIKE THE CITY OF BEAUFORT, THE TOWN OF BLUFF, AND THE TOWN OF HILTON HEAD.
SO THEY, UM, ALSO KEEP EYES ON THE PROPERTIES THAT THEY MANAGE FOR US, UM, IN THEIR, IN THEIR JURISDICTIONS.
UH, THE NATURALISTS AND THE RANGER ARE ON THE OTHER OPEN PROPERTIES THAT THE COUNTY MAINTAINS FULL MANAGEMENT OVER, UM, ON A PRETTY REGULAR BASIS BASIS, AT LEAST WEEKLY.
SO WE DO HAVE EYES ON THE PROPERTY.
WE ALSO HAVE, UM, THE ENVIRONMENTAL CRIMES UNIT WITH THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE.
SO ANYTIME I HAVE A PROBLEM, UM, ON THE PASSIVE PARKS, UH, THAT INVOLVES, UM, A LEGAL ISSUE LIKE A, A, AN ENFORCEMENT ISSUE, THEN I HAVE MY CONTACT WITH THE ENVIRONMENTAL CRIMES UNIT.
HE HAS TRESPASSED PEOPLE BEFORE IN THE PAST WHERE WE'VE HAD PROBLEMS WITH THAT.
UM, ILLEGAL HUNTING IS HANDLED THROUGH OUR CONTACTS WITH DNR.
SO WE HAVE HAD ENFORCEMENT, YOU KNOW, THROUGH THAT.
SO THERE IS A MECHANISM FOR IT.
I MIGHT NOT CATCH EVERY SINGLE PERSON, BUT I, I CAN DO THE BEST, BEST THAT I CAN
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? GO AHEAD.
AFTER YOU, YOU MIGHT HAVE SOMEONE SAY AND I'D TALK ABOUT, SO GO AHEAD.
MY QUESTION WAS, WHEN WOULD THIS GO IN EFFECT AND HOW WILL YOU NOTIFY BUSINESSES THIS IS IN EFFECT? 'CAUSE THAT'S GONNA BE IMPORTANT.
IF IT IS APPROVED, THEN, UM, DECEMBER 11TH WOULD BE, IT WOULD COME TO FULL COUNTY COUNCIL FOR APPROVAL.
SO I WOULD HAVE IT IN EFFECT DECEMBER 12TH.
UM, I WOULD ALSO DO A PRESS RELEASE.
I'D HAVE A PRESS RELEASE READY TO GO SO THAT THE DAY AFTER WE WOULD PUT A PRESS RELEASE OUT INFORMING PEOPLE OF NOT ONLY THE RENTAL POLICY, BUT THIS NEW POLICY.
UM, ALL THE LINKS TO THE WEBSITE, MAKING SURE WE GET THE WORD OUT.
UM, I'VE ALREADY BEEN IN TOUCH WITH SEVERAL BUSINESSES, UM, SOME OF WHOM ARE COMPLYING AND SOME OF WHOM ARE NOT VERY HAPPY WITH ME
UM, FIRST ONE B, I SEE YOU, UH, PUT EVENT IN QUOTATION.
WHAT QUALIFIES WHAT NUMBER OF PEOPLE QUALIFIES IT FOR IT TO BE AN EVENT? 'CAUSE I UNDERSTAND IF SOMEONE'S COMING IN AND DOING A WEDDING MM-HMM.
LIKE I, I UNDERSTAND THAT CONCEPT.
UM, SO IS THERE A NUMBER ON THAT? IS THERE A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF PEOPLE? THERE IS NOT A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF PEOPLE.
UM, IT REALLY DOES DEPEND ON THE INTENT AND, UM, THE REQUEST OF THE PERSON FILLING OUT THE APPLICATION.
SO, UM, I HAVE HAD APPLICATIONS FOR A 20 PERSON WEDDING, BUT THEY'RE BRINGING IN FOOD.
THEY'RE BRINGING IN ALCOHOL, THEY WANNA BE THERE AFTER HOURS.
UM, IT'S, YOU KNOW, DECORATION OF THE BARN.
THERE'S A, UM, WE HAVE POLICIES IN PLACE FOR THOSE TYPE OF EVENTS CURRENTLY.
THAT IS THE EXISTING FACILITY RENTAL APPLICATION THAT I HAVE.
SO I GUESS MY, UH, ONE OTHER QUESTION, THAT STATEMENT.
UM, WHAT IS THE TURNAROUND TIME ON THE ANSWER FOR AN APPLICATION WHEN IT'S FILLED OUT? I USUALLY TURN IT AROUND WITHIN A COUPLE DAYS.
UM, I, I'LL BE HONEST, THIS KIND OF WORRIES ME.
I MEAN, WE'RE USING TAXPAYER DOLLARS TO PURCHASE THIS PROPERTY AND CREATE PASSIVE PARKS FOR THE PUBLIC TO USE IT.
UM, THE FACT THAT A LOCAL BUSINESS THAT'S ONE PHOTOGRAPHER WOULD HAVE TO FILE AN APPLICATION AND PAY A HUNDRED DOLLARS TO DO A PHOTO SESSION IN A PUBLIC PARK THAT THEY'VE ALREADY PAID TAXES ON, IT KIND OF WORRIES ME.
I MEAN, THEY'D HAVE TO PAY UP TO A HUNDRED DOLLARS ON, SO THEY'RE ALREADY LOSING PART OF THEIR REVENUE RIGHT OFF THE RIP JUST TO USE THE LOCATION THAT SOMEBODY WANTS TO USE THAT THEY'VE ALREADY PAID TAXES ON, UM, TO PURCHASE.
AND THEN SECONDLY, OUR, OUR BUSINESSES ARE PART OF OUR TAX BASE.
UM, THEY'RE THE ONES THAT PAY OUR EMPLOYEES THAT CAN TURN, TURN AROUND OR OUR PEOPLE THAT TURN AROUND TO PUT MONEY BACK INTO OUR ECONOMY, WHICH IS THE MONEY THAT WE PURCHASE THESE PARKS WITH.
UM, I, I SUPPORT THE BIG EVENTS.
I SUPPORT THE BIG WEDDINGS AND BRINGING IN FOOD AND TENTS ON STUFF.
BUT THE SMALL EVENTS LIKE THESE, TO BE HONEST, I'M NOT REALLY BEHIND IT.
I THINK IT SHOULD BE OPEN FOR THE PUBLIC TO BE ABLE TO USE DURING THE HOURS THAT WE HAVE PROVIDED OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.
CAN I MAKE A YEAH, YEAH, SURE.
[01:30:01]
WHY IT'S A, IT IS A, UM, ISSUE FOR, FOR ME AND THE PASSIVE PARKS DEPARTMENT IS UM, THE PROPERTIES THAT ARE BEING USED WITHIN MY DEPARTMENT'S PURVIEW HAVE BEEN PURCHASED PRIMARILY FOR CONSERVATION OR CULTURAL HISTORY VALUES.SO, UM, WITHOUT BEING ABLE TO MANAGE WHERE THE BUSINESSES ARE UTILIZING PROPERTY, THEY COULD BE HURTING THEN THE CONSERVATION VALUES THAT THE PROPERTY WAS PURCHASED FOR.
UM, THE SECONDARY REASON IS BECAUSE THEY ARE PUBLIC PROPERTIES, SO THEY DO BELONG TO THE PUBLIC TO BE ABLE TO COME OUT.
WE HAVE ALSO SEEN A NUMBER OF VISITORS HAVE HAVE TOLD ME PERSONALLY THAT THEY DON'T FEEL WELCOME IN A PARK WHEN THESE BUSINESSES ARE THERE.
UM, THEY FEEL LIKE THEY'RE INTERRUPTING OR DISRUPTING THE BUSINESS USE.
AND TO ME THAT'S NOT THE SECONDARY REASON.
WE DIDN'T MAKE THE PARKS FOR BUSINESSES TO USE THEM.
WE MADE THE PARKS FOR THE PUBLIC TO FEEL WELCOME AND TO COME OUT AND, AND ENJOY THE NATURAL RESOURCES AND CONSERVATION VALUES OF THE LAND.
AND THEN ALSO WE DO HAVE OUR NATURALISTS WHO IS GOING TO BE COMING EARLY NEXT YEAR WITH OUR ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION PROGRAM.
AND SO IF WE END UP WITH A GROUP OF 50 PEOPLE COMING OUT ON AN ECO TOUR AND OUR OWN 50 PEOPLE OUT THERE AT THE SAME TIME, THEN THOSE PEOPLE ARE TAKING UP THE ENTIRE PARKING LOT AND UTILIZING A SMALL SPACE OF LIKE A SMALL TRAIL.
SO THEN YOU HAVE MULTIPLE LARGE GROUPS DOING THE SAME THING.
AND THEN ALSO DISRUPTING THE PUBLIC'S USE AND CREATING AN ISSUE FOR CONSERVATION.
UM, SO TRYING TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT ALL OF THAT.
UM, IT'S REALLY JUST TRYING TO MANAGE THE PEOPLE THAT ARE THERE.
AND THE PHOTOGRAPHERS COMING OUT THAT THIS WOULD APPLY TO ARE THE PEOPLE WHO ARE BRINGING PROPS AND SETS WHERE WE DON'T WANT THEM TO TIE SIGNS TO TREES, TIE BLANKETS TO TREES TO TIE TO OUR EXISTING STRUCTURES TO BLOCK ACCESS.
UM, I DID HAVE ONE PHOTOGRAPHER ACTUALLY SET UP, 'CAUSE SHE THOUGHT IT WAS IN THE MOST APPROPRIATE LOCATION AT THE ACTUAL ACCESS POINT TO THE PUBLIC.
SO SHE WAS BLOCKING THE PUBLIC FROM UTILIZING THE PARK.
I, I UNDERSTAND A LOT OF THE GRAY AREAS THAT YOU CAN RUN INTO.
I JUST FEEL LIKE SOME OF THOSE SHOULD BE HANDLED ON AN AT LARGE BASIS.
I MEAN, HOW ARE WE TO TELL A GROUP OF PEOPLE OF SUN CITY THAT WANT TO GO OUT WITH A GROUP OF 20 PEOPLE TO GO LOOK AT ONE OF THESE, THAT THEY CAN'T GO LOOK AT IT THAT DAY UNLESS THEY FILL OUT AN EVENT FOR THEY CAN.
THE PROBLEM IS WITH BUSINESS GOING OUT THERE, THEY'RE CHARGING, THEY'RE CHARGING.
THIS WOULD BE ALSO APPLIED TO ANY OF US THAT OWN A BUSINESS.
WANNA TAKE OUR EMPLOYEES OUT TO GO SEE IT.
IF YOU CHARGE YOUR EMPLOYEES, THESE ARE BUSINESSES WHO ARE SETTING UP SHOP, MAKING MONEY, MAKING A PROFIT, NOT USING THE PARK FOR RECREATION.
SO, BUT HOW IS THAT? SO IF YOU, US BRINGING 50 PEOPLE OUT OURSELVES TO DO IT AND IT RUNNING INTO THE SAME TIMEFRAME, ARE ARE YOUR EMPLOYEES PAYING YOU FOR, FOR YOU TAKING THEM OUT THERE? NO, NO, NO.
SCHEDULING WAS HER BIGGEST THING.
THAT'S STILL, LET ME, LET ME SORT OF EXPAND THE SCOPE OF THIS.
WE'RE TRYING TO GET OUT AHEAD OF A PROBLEM THAT WE SEE COMING.
WE HAVE OKA T RIVER PARK THAT'S ABOUT TO OPEN UP RIGHT IN THE NEXT YEAR.
GREEN SPACE, A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS.
YOU'VE PROBABLY GOT 10 OR 12 PARKS THAT ARE GONNA COME OUT OF THAT.
I CAN IMAGINE IF WE OPEN THIS UP AND GO, IT'S FREE GAME.
YOU CAN DO WHATEVER YOU WANT ON THESE PARKS.
YOU'RE GONNA HAVE FLY FISHING LESSONS, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE SPORTS LESSONS, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE ALL SORTS OF THINGS TAKE PLACE FOR PROFIT AND THEY'RE GONNA UTILIZE THESE PARKS TO DO THAT.
SO WE'RE TRYING TO GET OUT AHEAD OF THAT PHOTOGRAPHY'S ONE EXAMPLE BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE KNOW IS GOING ON RIGHT NOW.
AND LITERALLY ON THE WEBSITE, THE PHOTOGRAPHER'S LIKE, I'LL BE THERE FROM 11 TO FOUR AND THEY SET UP A BOOTH AND THEY MAKE, AND PEOPLE SHOW UP AND THEY COME THERE AND THEY EAT UP THE PARKING LOT.
THEY'RE NOT THERE TO ENJOY THE PARK.
THEY'RE THERE TO HAVE THEIR PICTURE TAKEN BECAUSE IT'S A CHEAP PLACE FOR THEM TO DO BUSINESS.
SO, SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO GET OUT AHEAD OF.
AND IF WE NEED TO GO BACK AND REFINE THIS, WE CAN MOST CERTAINLY DO THAT.
THIS IS NOT AN ALL OR NOTHING PROPOSITION.
WE'RE JUST, WE SEE THIS COMING, WE'RE ALREADY DEALING WITH IT AND IT'S GOING TO GET WORSE AS WE OPEN MORE AND MORE AND MORE PARKS.
AND ALSO, I, I'D JUST LIKE TO ADD, TWO OF THE PARKS HAVE NESTING BALD EAGLES.
SO WE HAVE TO, WE HAVE TO SHUT CERTAIN AREAS DOWN.
AND THIS IS ONE WAY TO CONTROL THAT.
UH, FORT FREMONT HAS ARCHEOLOGICAL RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE TO PROTECT ALSO.
IT'S, IT'S, IT'S KINDA LIKE A GATE TO ME.
IF YOU OWN A BUSINESS AND YOU WANNA MAKE MONEY OFF OF OUR PARKS, IT'S A WAY TO BE A GATE.
UM, I, I GET THE CONCERN AND I
[01:35:01]
ACTUALLY SHARED AT FIRST READING IT, I, I SHARED A LOT OF HIS CONCERNS ABOUT IT.BUT AFTER HEARING FROM Y'ALL, UH, HAVE Y'ALL THOUGHT ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE EVENT APPLICATION MAKES SENSE THAT THAT'S ONE DATE AND TIME WHERE YOU CAN DO AN APPLICATION, GET THE PERMIT, GO AHEAD AND DO IT.
BUT WITH THIS, I THINK THERE'S GONNA BE AN ENFORCEMENT ISSUE WITH HAVING TO DO AN APPLICATION EVERY SINGLE TIME SOMEBODY WANTS TO GO OUT.
HAVE WE HAVE, HAVE WE THOUGHT ABOUT DOING A BUSINESS LICENSE ADDITION? SO ADDING, GOING, WHEN YOU DO YOUR YEARLY BUSINESS LICENSE, IF YOU INTEND TO USE ANY OF THE PASSIVE PARTS, YOU JUST GO AHEAD AND PAY A MONETARY FEE UPFRONT, UPFRONT ON IT.
AND THEN YOU GET AN ATTACHMENT THAT YOU HAVE TO CARRY WITH YOU WHEN YOU GO.
SO THAT WAY, ENFORCEMENT ISSUE WHEN THEY GO OUT THERE, HEY, WHERE'S YOUR PASSIVE PARK BUSINESS PERMIT? SO THAT, UM, THAT IS SOMETHING THAT HAS BEEN BROUGHT UP IN THE PAST AND, UH, BY ANOTHER BUSINESS IS AN ANNUAL FEE.
UM, THE PROBLEM WITH THAT, UM, FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF THE PARKS IS, UM, THERE ARE LAND MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES THAT DO OCCUR ON SOME OF THESE THAT INCLUDE HAZARDOUS CONDITIONS LIKE PRESCRIBED FIRE OR TIMBER HARVESTING OR VEGETATION CONTROL.
AND THE LAST THING I WOULD WANNA DO IS NOT KNOW THAT THERE'S SOMEBODY ON THE PROPERTY BRINGING PEOPLE AND THEN NOT BE ABLE TO LIKE, GET THEM OUT, YOU KNOW, UM, OR HAVE ADVANCED NOTICE OF WHEN THEY'RE GONNA BE THERE.
'CAUSE I, THERE'S SO MUCH THAT I DO THAT I HAVE TO SCHEDULE AHEAD OF TIME.
SO PART OF THE POLICY AS IT'S WRITTEN IS IF YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE ROUTINE VISITS, THEN YOU ONLY HAVE TO SUBMIT ONE APPLICATION AND THEN GIVE ME YOUR ANNUAL SCHEDULE.
AND THEN THAT WAY I CAN JUST PLUG IT INTO MY CALENDAR SO THAT AS I DO OTHER MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES, I KNOW HOW TO PLAN AROUND THINGS.
I ADDRESS ANY OTHER COMMENTS, QUESTIONS? MAY I ADDRESS THE ENFORCEMENT REAL QUICK? YES.
I KNOW WE'RE RUNNING OUT OF TIME.
SO WE DO A LOT OF DIFFERENT ENFORCEMENT ACTIVITIES.
UM, THROUGH MY DIVISION, I CAN TELL YOU THAT THE PRIMARY WAY THAT WE DO THAT IS THROUGH EDUCATION.
AND 99.9% OF THE TIME WHEN YOU TELL SOMEBODY THAT THERE IS A RULE IN PLACE AND YOU EXPLAIN POLITELY WHY THAT RULE IS THERE, THAT CAN COMPLY WITH IT, IT AND DEALING WITH THE, THE 0.01% OF FOLKS WHO ARE GONNA CHECK AN ATTITUDE AND JUST DO IT DESPITE THERE ARE AVENUES, UM, TO TAKE CARE OF THOSE ISSUES.
AND WE ARE WELL EQUIPPED TO DO THAT.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? WE NEED TO SECOND? I NEED A MOTION, PLEASE.
YEAH, I KNOW, I KNOW
BUT TO ADD ON THAT DISCUSSION, IF I MAY, UM, OKAY.
WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF TIME AND WE CAN, SO WE HAVE A SECOND.
'CAUSE WE STILL HAVE TO VOTE ON AGAIN AT COUNTY COUNCIL.
UM, I, IT'S NOT SAYING I DON'T LIKE THE IDEA, I JUST THINK THERE'S A LOT OF GRAY AREA THAT CAN CREATE A LOT OF CONFLICT.
UM, I UNDERSTAND IF BUSINESSES ARE GOING IN AND, AND MAKING A PROFIT I OR IF THEY'RE SCHEDULING EVENTS OR BIG GROUPS, BUT IT'S STILL A SYSTEM THAT STOPS GROUPS FROM THE PUBLIC WOULD HAVE TO FILE FOR THIS SAME THING AND NO, I DON'T THEY WOULD HAVE TO, IF YOU'RE SAYING THAT IT'S FOR SAFETY REASONS, WHICH YOU LISTED TWO OF THEM AND A GROUP FROM SUN CITY DECIDED TO GO WITH 20 PEOPLE, YOU WOULDN'T KNOW THEY WERE THERE WITHOUT THIS APPLICATION.
SO YOU'RE SAYING THAT THEY WOULD HAVE TO FILE IT IF THEY WOULD WANNA DO IT FOR YOU TO KNOW FOR SAFETY REASONS IF THEY'RE THERE THAT SOME THINGS THAT ARE JUST UNCONTROLLED, I UNDERSTAND RED TAPE AND WHY WE HAVE TO DO IT FOR PROTECTION, BUT SOMETIMES IT'S, ARE WE JUST MAKING MORE RED TAPE FOR MORE RED TAPE? THERE ARE, YES.
THAT'S THAT, THAT'S JUST SOME OF MY CONCERNS OF THE AREAS I'D LIKE FOR US TO HAVE EXP EXPLANATIONS AND CLEAN UP BEFORE THIS COMES A FINAL READING.
WE'LL HAVE THE OVERWHELMING CONCERN RIGHT NOW IS THAT THE PASSIVE PARKS ARE BEING USED FOR PROFIT, WHICH THAT WOULD NO INTENT.
WE'RE TOO BEAUTIFUL OF A PLACE AND PEOPLE ARE, YEAH.
SO WE HAVE A MOTION, UH, LIKE ROLL CALL.
COUNCIL MEMBER CUNNINGHAM? YES.
COUNCIL MEMBER BARTHOLOMEW? UH, NO.
[01:40:01]
COMMUNITY SERVICES AND NATURAL AND UH, LAND USE COMMITTEE IS NOW A CHAIR.