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CLOSED CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY BEAUFORT COUNTY ORDER.
[1. Call to Order]
MONDAY, JANUARY 8TH.UM, AND IF WE CAN, OH, WE USUALLY, UM, GO TO THE SLATE OF THE FLAG IF YOU CAN DO THAT.
FIRST ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC, WHICH IT STANDS.
ONE NATION A HUNDRED POUND, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
[2. Adoption of the Agenda]
AN ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA? I MOVED, UM,AND REMIND EVERYONE TO TURN ON THEIR MICROPHONES, UM, WHEN THEY SPEAKING SO THAT YOU'RE BEING HEARD AND RECORDED.
AND ARE THERE ANY CITIZENS, UM, TODAY WHO HAVE JOINED US WHO WOULD LIKE TO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK ABOUT ANY ITEM ON THE AGENDA OR ANYTHING ELSE? SORRY, I THINK WE HAVE THE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES OF THE LAST MEETING.
[3. Approval of the Minutes]
OVER THE PLACE.I DON'T HAVE QUESTIONS ON TODAY, SO ALL ASSISTANCE IS WELCOME.
UM, APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES FROM THE REGULAR MEETING OF DECEMBER 18TH, 2023.
[4. Appearance by Citizens]
APPEARANCE FIVE CIRCLE.I LIVE AT 1 23 FORT WALKER DRIVE, PORT ROYAL PLANTATION, HILTON HEAD.
UM, I'M HERE, UM, TO CALL TO YOUR ATTENTION AND TO ASK YOU TO DO YOUR FIDUCIARY ON ARBOR NATURE ON THE INTERNET.
SATURDAY MORNING THERE WERE SOME POSTS TALKING ABOUT A TERRIBLE SMELL.
SO SATURDAY AFTERNOON AT ABOUT 3 24, I DROVE OVER AND THERE WAS A SMELL.
IT WAS MORE LIKE ROTTEN EGGS, BUT IT WAS, BUT TO MY SHOCK AND AMAZEMENT, THE GATES TO THE FACILITY WERE WIDE OPEN AND I DROVE ALL THE WAY DOWN THE FACILITY.
I COULD HAVE DUMPED HAZARDOUS TOXIC WASTE OR WHATEVER ON THAT SITE.
UM, UM, I DROVE ALL THE WAY DOWN, TURNED AROUND.
I HAVE IT ON VIDEO, WHICH I WILL BE SUBMITTING TO THE CLERK.
I DID SUBMIT IT OVER THE WEEKEND TO A COUPLE CITY OFFICIALS, BUT MY TECHNOLOGICAL SKILLS ARE LACKING.
BUT, UM, UH, BUT THOSE, SOME OF YOU WEREN'T ON THE COUNCIL WHEN THIS ALL BLEW UP SEVERAL YEARS AGO.
THERE WAS A GROUP FORMED CALLED CITIZENS, UM, TO PROTECT FOR NEIGHBORHOOD PROTECTION THAT GREW TO OVER A THOUSAND PEOPLE IN LESS THAN 30 DAYS.
THESE FACILITIES WERE FULL MULTIPLE TIMES.
LONG RESULT IS COUNSELOR, UM, OUR NATURE ONE IN COURT.
THEY HAVE A SIGN THAT SAYS, WHICH IS IN THE, THE PICTURES I WILL BE SUBMITTING AND HAVE SUBMITTED THAT THEY'LL OPERATE 10 TO FIVE MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY, SATURDAY AFTERNOON.
IF THREE 30 IS NOT 10 TO FIVE SATURDAY AFTERNOON, HAVING UNMANNED GATE OPEN THAT ANYBODY CAN DRIVE IN IS NOT PROPER REGULATION.
UM, THERE WAS AN AGREEMENT THAT THE TOWN WAS PARTY OF, WHICH INCLUDED REGULAR MONITORING AND INCLUDED SEVERAL OTHER, WHAT I WOULD CALL BESHORES.
WELL, IT'S TIME TO DO YOUR BESHORES.
I ASKED YOU TO TAKE THIS VIOLATION.
DHEC IMMEDIATELY PETITION FOR SHUTDOWN FOR I ILLEGAL OPERATION.
UM, AND DON'T LET THIS MONS ATROCITY START.
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THANK YOU.TO YOUR, IF I MIGHT, SHOULD WE ASK, UM, THE STAFF ASKED THE TOWN MANAGER TO INQUIRE ABOUT THE STATUS OF THAT SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT AND THE PERMIT ON THAT SIDE.
I THINK THAT IT IS IN THE PUBLIC SAFETY TO DO SO.
UM, THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENT.
AND I THINK WE HAVE AN ADVANTAGE TODAY THAT NOT ONLY ARE, UH, WE JOINED BY OUR MAYOR, BUT OUR TOWN MANAGER AND SEVERAL OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS.
AND I'D LIKE TO WELCOME COUNCILMAN, UH, GLEN STANFORD AND DAVID AMES, MAYOR, UM, ALAN PERRY TO OUR MEETING THIS MORNING.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS AND FOR BRINGING US THE, UH, MATTER TO OUR ATTENTION.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS, COURTNEY KENIG.
COURTNEY KENWAY, I LIVE ON HILTON HEAD, 43 JARVIS CREEK LANE.
UM, I WANTED TO COME AND SPEAK ABOUT THE PARKING, THE PROPOSED, UH, PAID PARKING AT ALL THE BEACH PARKING LOTS IN HILTON HEAD.
UM, WE'RE A SMALL, MY WIFE AND I ARE SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS AND WE HAVE A BUSINESS AT K PLAZA.
AND I JUST WANT THE COUNCIL TO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION HOW THE PAID PARKING IS GONNA IMPACT ALL THE SMALL BUSINESSES.
WE RELY ON ENOUGH PARKING TO GET TRAFFIC DOWN THERE, TO HAVE LOCALS COME AND SHOP AT THE STORES AND PATRON ALL THE BUSINESSES DOWN THERE.
THE CONCERN IS IF WE HAVE ALL OF THESE NEW PAID PARKING SPOTS, PEOPLE ARE GONNA CHOOSE FREE PARKING OVER PAID PARKING.
AND THE FREE PARKING IS GONNA BE AT COLIGNY PLAZA, AT THE BEACH MARKET, AT ANY HOTEL THAT YOU CAN SNEAK BY THE SECURITY GUARDS.
AND THIS IS NOW GONNA COMPOUND THE PROBLEM WE ALREADY HAVE IN THE SUMMERTIME WITH PEOPLE ALREADY USING COLIGNY TO PARK THERE AND GO TO THE BEACH AND TIE UP PARKING SPOTS.
AND I JUST WANT THE COUNCIL AND EVERYBODY TO JUST FACTOR THAT IN GOING FORWARD, HOW THAT'S GONNA IMPACT EVERYBODY WHEN DECISIONS ON THIS ARE BEING MADE.
AND ONE ANECDOTE, I GREW UP ON HILTON HEAD AND I CAN REMEMBER WHEN THERE WAS PAID PARKING THERE.
AND AS A HIGH SCHOOL KID, WE ALWAYS CHOSE FREE PARKING OVER PAID PARKING.
WE WOULD GO TO BEACH MARKET UNTIL THEY PUT UP A SECURITY GUARD.
WE WOULD GO TO K CLICKY UNTIL THEY PUT UP SECURITY GUARDS.
SO IT WILL HAPPEN, PEOPLE WILL TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT SITUATION AND JUST MAKE THE PARKING WORSE EVERYWHERE.
AND IT'S JUST GONNA CAUSE END ALL THE SMALL BUSINESSES AND MORE EXPENSE AS THEY HAVE TO HIRE MORE SECURITY TO KEEP PEOPLE OUT.
AND UM, THROUGH THE DISCUSSIONS WITH REGARD TO PARKING, UM, AT THE BEACHES, WE ARE TAKING INTO, UM, CONSIDERATION ALL OF THOSE FACTORS.
WE DO KNOW, UM, THAT IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE COME TO, UM, A PLACE WHERE WE'VE IDENTIFIED AND CONSIDERED ALL OF THE, UM, CONCERNS OF THE BUSINESSES, THE RESIDENTS, AND HOW IT IMPACTS ALL.
I AM PAMELA MARTIN NEVINS AND I HAVE CHOSEN TO LIVE ON HILTON HEAD ISLAND FOR OVER 45 YEARS.
I'M HERE TO ASK YOU TO GO AHEAD TODAY AND BEGIN THE PROCESS OF REMOVING DANGEROUS PESTICIDE USE ON THE ISLAND.
MARY SCOTT AND I SPOKE WITH THE TOWN MANAGER MARK ORLANDO ON OCTOBER 22ND, 1922.
AND HE ASSURED US THAT HE WANTED THE SAME THING.
WE HAVE NO BUSINESS USING PRODUCTS THAT CONTAIN GLYPHOSATES AND OTHER CHEMICALS.
THESE CHEMICAL COMPANIES PAY LANDSCAPERS TO USE MORE AND MORE OF THEIR PRODUCTS.
IF THEY USED ORGANIC PRODUCTS, THE PRICE WOULD COME DOWN AS TIME WENT ON.
THE CHEMICAL COMPANIES THAT MAKE THESE PRODUCTS HAVE ACKNOWLEDGED THE DANGER OF THEIR OWN PRODUCTS BY PAYING HUGE SUMS OF MONEY TO USERS WHO GOT CANCERS.
SO WHY WOULD WE NEED TO DO ANY MORE TESTING DISCONTINUING? THE USE OF THESE DANGEROUS PRODUCTS BENEFITS EVERYONE EXCEPT THE CHEMICAL INDUSTRY.
IF THE TOWN CONTINUES TO ALLOW THE USE OF THESE DANGEROUS CHEMICALS, WE AS A TOWN ALSO WOULD BE SUBJECT TO LAWSUITS THAT RANGE IN THE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS WE LOVE OUR ISLAND AND THE PEOPLE, CHILDREN, WILDLIFE AND PETS THAT LIVE HERE.
I ALSO ASK THAT WE BAN RODENTICIDES BECAUSE THEY POISON THE RATS WHO EAT THEM.
AND THEN THE OWLS AND RAPTORS EAT THE RATS AND ARE POISONED.
THEY BLEED OUT IN A TERRIBLE DEATH.
WE HAVE TRULY MESSED WITH NATURE AND HOW IT IS SUPPOSED TO WORK.
IT WAS WORKING PRETTY WELL WITH THE OWLS AND OTHER RAPTORS, EATING THE RATS.
AND IF WE ADD IN SOME CATS, THEY WILL BE COMPLETELY GET RID OF THE RAT PROBLEM.
THEY WILL HAPPILY DO THIS FOR US FOR FREE.
PLEASE DO THE RIGHT THING AND BAN DANGEROUS
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CHEMICALS ON THE ISLAND.THANK YOU FOR MAKING THIS DAY A GOOD ONE.
MY NAME'S MELINDA TONNER PALMETTO HALL.
UM, MY QUESTIONS ARE ALIGNED TO THE TEST BEING RUN BY THE CLEMSON COOPERATIVE EXTENSION COMPARING THE RESULTS OF USING ROUNDUP TO ORGANIC HERBICIDES.
UM, THE DOCUMENT PROVIDED IN THE AGENDA LISTS THE STEPS THAT WILL BE TAKEN FOR THE TEST, BUT THE DOCUMENT DOES NOT INDICATE WHAT RESULT WILL BE CONSIDERED A SUCCESSFUL TEST AND WHAT HAPPENS IF THERE IS NOT A SUCCESSFUL TEST.
FIRST, IS THERE A DEFINITION THEY PROVIDED OF WHAT WOULD BE A SUCCESSFUL TEST? IS IT JUST COMPLETING THE ACTIVITY OR IS THERE A DESIRE TO FIND THE RIGHT MIX OF HERBICIDE TO GET A DESIRED OUTCOME? I THINK THAT IT'S IMPORTANT TO KNOW.
AND ALSO HOW WILL THE COST FROM THIS PROPOSED NEW PROCESS TO INCLUDE ALL THE REQUIRED COMPONENTS, EVEN THOUGH IT'S NOT TESTED, BE CALCULATED.
WILL EACH OF THE NINE CONTRACTORS DETERMINE THEIR OWN PRICE? AND ARE THERE ANY NEW ACCOUNTABILITIES OR WORK FOR TOWN RESOURCES GIVEN THIS PROCESS THAT NEED TO BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT AS WELL? THANK YOU FOR YOUR OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE FEEDBACK.
ALRIGHT, IS THERE ANYONE ELSE WHO'S JOINING US THIS MORNING WHO HAD NOT REGISTERED? WHO'D LIKE TO SPEAK? OKAY.
[5. Unfinished Business]
ON IN OUR AGENDA TO UNFINISHED BUSINESS AND A PRESENTATION[a. Presentation of the SWOT Findings for Solid Waste and Recycling on Hilton Head Island - Bryan McIlwee, Director of Public Projects and Facilities]
OF THE SWAT FINDINGS FOR SOLID WASTE AND RECYCLING ON HILTON HEAD ISLAND.AND BRIAN MCEE IS GOING TO MAKE THAT PRESENTATION FOR US.
SO A BRIEF INTRODUCTION BEFORE I TURN IT OVER TO ABBY.
UM, AS YOU KNOW, THE TOWN OF HILTON HEAD ISLAND 20 23, 20 25 STRATEGIC ACTION PLAN HAS A, UH, AN INITIATIVE TO IDENTIFY THE STRENGTHS, WEAKNESSES, OPPORTUNITIES, AND THREATS OF HILTON HEAD ISLAND, FOLLOWED WASTE AND RECYCLING, UM, IN MAY.
TOWN COUNCIL UNANIMOUSLY, UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED A RESOLUTION, UH, APPROVING THE APPROACH AND THE OUTLINE, UM, FOR THE SCOPE OF SERVICES.
AFTER, UM, THAT RESOLUTION WAS PASSED, WE CONTRACTED WITH A GOLDSMITH RESOURCES.
UM, ABBY GOLDSMITH, UH, HAS OVER 20 YEARS EXPERIENCE WORKING WITHIN THE COUNTY.
SHE HELPED PREPARE BEAUFORT COUNTY'S SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT PLAN, UH, THE LATEST EDITION 2022 TO 2041.
UM, SO SHE'S EXTREMELY FAMILIAR WITH OUR LOCAL PRACTICES.
UM, SO SHE'S CONDUCTED THIS ASSESSMENT AND NOW WILL PRESENT HER FINDINGS TO YOU.
AND THEN I'LL HOP BACK UP AND TALK ABOUT NEXT STEPS AFTER THAT.
UH, THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO PRESENT THE RESULTS OF THOSE, UH, STRENGTHS, WEAKNESSES, AND OPPORTUNITIES AND THREATS ANALYSIS FOR SOLID WASTE AND RECYCLING HERE IN HILTON HEAD.
UM, I'LL BE TALKING ABOUT THE GOALS THAT WERE ALREADY IN PLACE WHEN I STARTED THE ANALYSIS, UH, HOW SYSTEMS ARE OPERATING TODAY.
UM, AND THEN I'LL SHOW YOU IN OUR ASSESSMENT STRENGTHS, WEAKNESSES, OPPORTUNITIES AND THREATS FACING THE TOWN'S SOLID WASTE AND RECYCLING SYSTEM, AND SOME OPTIONS FOR ADDRESSING THOSE.
AND THEN WITH SOME CONCLUSIONS.
SO JUST TO PUT THIS IN FULL CONTEXT, STARTING UP AT THE COUNT AT THE STATE LEVEL, THE STATE HAS SOLID WASTE AND RECYCLING GOALS IN PLACE.
HAS SINCE THE EARLY 1990S, LIKE MOST OF THE STATES I WORK IN, THEY HAVE BOTH A RECYCLING GOAL AND A DISPOSAL GOAL.
THE DISPOSAL GOAL BEING CAN WE GET DOWN TO 3.25 POUNDS PER DAY, UH, PER PERSON, UM, OR BELOW THAT.
SO THE STATE HAS GOALS IN PLACE AND YOU COULD SEE HERE BASED ON THE REPORTS THAT THE COUNTIES SUBMIT TO THE STATE, THE COUNTY, WE DON'T HAVE IT TOWN BY TOWN, BUT THE COUNTY, UH, HAD NOT YET HIT THE DISPOSAL GOAL OR THE COUNTY OR THE, UH, RECYCLING GOAL.
SO THAT'S SORT OF THE CONTEXT.
THE, THE GOALS, THE 50% RECYCLING RATE AND GETTING BELOW 3.25 POUNDS PER PERSON PER DAY IS WHAT THE COUNTY AND TOWNS ALL OVER THE STATE ARE AIMING FOR.
ULTIMATELY, UH, THE STATE AND ITS SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT PLAN FROM 2022 HAD FIVE GOALS ALSO.
AND SO WE PUT THOSE, WE CONSIDER THOSE AS WE LOOKED AT, UH, WHAT HILTON HEAD IS DOING TO MOVE TOWARDS COUNTY GOALS AS WELL.
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BUT PROBABLY MOST IMPORTANTLY IS YOUR OWN TOWN'S COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, THE HOUR PLAN, UH, WHICH HAS A TOWN GOAL OF WORKING TOWARDS ZERO WASTE.SO THAT'S MUCH MORE AGGRESSIVE RIGHT THAN GETTING TO 3.25 POUNDS PER PERSON PER DAY.
AND YOU CAN SEE HERE, I'VE JUST CUT AND PASTE YOUR, OUR PLAN DOCUMENT TO SHOW THE, UH, GOALS, STRATEGIES AND TACTICS TO GET THERE AND JUST KNOW, WELL, I'M GONNA REVISIT ALL THOSE STRATEGIES BECAUSE WHEN I LOOKED AT STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES AND OPPORTUNITIES AND THREATS, WE LOOKED AT THEM IN THE CONTEXT OF THE GOALS AND STRATEGIES YOU'VE LAID OUT.
AND NOW OUR PLAN, SO DIDN'T WANNA START AT SQUARE ONE, WE WANTED TO START WITH WHAT YOU ALREADY HAD.
I KNOW YOU CAN'T SEE THE FONT PROBABLY HERE, BUT THE POINT IS IN YOUR IMMEDIATE, AS BRIAN SAID, IN YOUR CURRENT STRATEGIC ACTION PLAN TO IMPLEMENT WHAT WAS IN OUR PLAN.
SO FOR 2023 TO 2025, THE FIRST THING WAS TO CONDUCT THE SWAT THAT I'LL BE REPORTING ON TODAY.
SO LET'S JUST TAKE A QUICK LOOK AT WHAT YOU HAVE TODAY 'CAUSE THAT'S THE STARTING POINT FOR HOW DO WE GET TO THOSE GOALS AND STRATEGIES.
UM, RESIDENTS CAN ARRANGE FOR CURBSIDE COLLECTION THEMSELVES OR JUST USE THE COUNTY CONVENIENCE CENTERS.
UH, THERE'S SIX LICENSED HAULERS 'CAUSE THERE ARE SUPPOSED TO OPERATE WITH A LICENSE ACCORDING TO TOWN ORDINANCE.
UM, AND SOME OF THEM PROVIDE RESIDENTIAL SERVICE, SOME DON'T.
BUT THOSE, THAT IS THE BASKET FROM WHICH RESIDENTS CAN PICK MANY OF THE HOAS, POAS MAKE THOSE ARRANGEMENTS ON BEHALF OF THEIR RESIDENTS.
SO IT'S NOT ALWAYS AN AGREEMENT SIMPLY BETWEEN THE RESIDENT AND THE HAULER.
UM, THE, THE HAULERS, YOU DO HAVE PRETTY DEFINITIVE REQUIREMENTS ON THOSE HAULERS IN YOUR ORDINANCE TODAY.
UM, ONE OF THEM IS THAT YOU REQUIRE ALL THOSE HAULERS WHO ARE OFFERING RECYCLING SERVICE TO RES, OFFERING SOLID WASTE COLLECTION TO RESIDENTS TO OFFER, UH, VOLUNTARY OFFER RECYCLING TO THEM AS WELL.
IT'S VOLUNTARY FOR THE CITIZEN TO USE IT, BUT THE HAULERS ARE SUPPOSED TO BE OFFERING THAT SERVICE.
AS YOU KNOW, YOU ALSO HAVE COUNTY CONVENIENCE CENTERS, ONE RIGHT HERE IN HILTON HEAD THAT ARE NOW REQUIRE A DECAL TO GET INTO THEM, THE DECALS FREE.
BUT IT WAS, THE GOAL OF THAT WAS TO RESTRICT THE USE OF THOSE FACILITIES TO RESIDENTS, WHICH WAS ALWAYS A REQUIREMENT, BUT THERE WAS A LOT OF COMMERCIAL USE.
UM, AND PROPERTY OWNERS CAN APPLY FOR THE DECAL ONLINE RIGHT NOW, THERE'S NO COST ASSOCIATED WITH THAT DECAL, BUT IF THAT'S THE WAY THEY WANNA DISPOSE OF THEIR GARBAGE SOMETIMES OR ALL THE TIME, THAT'S AN OPTION FOR THEM.
UH, COMMERCIAL COLLECTION BUSINESSES ARE REQUIRED BY TOWN ORDINANCE TO CONTRACT WITH ONE OF THE LICENSE HAULERS.
THOSE SIX TODAY FOR SOLID WASTE COLLECTION AND DISPOSAL.
THERE'S NO REQUIREMENT RIGHT NOW FOR THEM TO ALSO PROVIDE RECYCLING SERVICES.
THOSE HAULERS THAT SERVE BUSINESSES DON'T HAVE TO PROVIDE RECYCLING LIKE THEY DO FOR YOUR RESIDENTS.
UH, YOU'LL HAVE A BEACH INTERESTING STRUCTURE FOR YOUR BEACH, BEACH COLLECTION OF SOLID WASTE AND RECYCLING.
IT'S WORKED INTO YOUR EXISTING BEACH PATROL AND, UH, TURTLE CONSERVATION CONTRACTS.
THOSE PEOPLE ARE ALSO, THOSE CONTRACTORS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR CLEANING UP THE RECYCLABLES, PICKING UP RECYCLABLES IN SOLID WASTE ON THE BEACHES.
THE FINANCIAL ARRANGEMENT IN BEAUFORD COUNTY IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT THAN I'VE SEEN ELSEWHERE IN THAT THE COUNTY PAYS FOR DISPOSAL OF ALL RESIDENTIAL WASTE COLLECTED, WHETHER THAT'S IN THE TOWN OF HILTON HEAD, ONE OF THE OTHER TOWNS OF THE UNINCORPORATED AREAS, AND THEY COLLECT A MILL ON THEIR PROPERTY TAX TO DO THAT AND PAY FOR DISPOSAL DIRECTLY.
UM, THE HAULER THAT'S COLLECTING FROM YOUR BUSINESSES HAS TO ACTUALLY PAY THAT DISPOSAL FEE AT THE LANDFILL.
SO THEORETICALLY, IF IT'S RESIDENTIAL WASTE COMING IN FROM THE TOWN OF HILTON HEAD TO HICKORY HILL LANDFILL, THEN THE COUNTY'S COVERING THAT COST.
IF IT'S COMMERCIAL COMING FROM ONE OF YOUR BUSINESSES, THE HAULER PAYS THAT COST.
AND YOU'LL SEE WHY THAT'S IMPORTANT.
WHEN WE LOOK AT OPTIONS, ON THE OTHER HAND, YOUR HAULERS, NO MATTER WHERE THEY'RE COLLECTING RECYCLABLES, WHETHER THEY'RE COLLECTING THOSE FROM RESIDENTS OR BUSINESSES, WHEN THEY GO TO THE RECYCLING FACILITY, THEY PAY THAT TIPPING FEE.
THEY, THE TIPPING FEE BEING THE FEE THEY PAY TO BRING A TON OF RECYCLABLES THERE.
SO YOU'LL SEE WHY THAT MATTERS TOO.
SO THAT'S THE WAY, THAT'S THE OVERVIEW OF THE CURRENT SYSTEM AND THE GOALS, AND THAT'S THE CONTEXT IN WHICH WE LOOKED AT STRENGTHS, WEAKNESSES, OPPORTUNITIES, AND THREATS.
NUMBER ONE STRENGTH THAT WE IDENTIFIED WAS THAT YOU'VE GOT DEMONSTRATED SUPPORT FOR, UH, SOLID WASTE AND RECYCLING
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AND WASTE REDUCTION.THE GOAL IN OUR PLAN TO WORK TOWARDS A TOWN-WIDE ZERO WASTE MODEL IS PRETTY, UH, AMBITIOUS.
UM, THE TOWN COUNCIL HAS PASSED A RESOLUTION TO WORK WITH THE COUNTY TO DEVELOP NEW LANDFILL AND RECYCLING AGREEMENTS.
SO YOU'VE GOT THIS COLLABORATION, THE INTENTION FOR COLLABORATION TO MAKE SURE YOU'VE GOT FACILITIES FOR THESE PLACES FOR THESE MATERIALS TO GO.
UH, THE TOWN COUNCIL ENDORSED THE GREATER ISLAND COUNCIL RESOLUTION TO ENHANCE, UH, THE RECYCLING ARRANGEMENTS AND TO DEVELOP A FACILITY CLOSER TO HILTON HEAD ISLAND THAN THE CURRENT ONE AT, UM, HICKORY HILL.
AND LASTLY, I FEEL LIKE YOUR TOWN ORDINANCE HAS SOME STRONG FOUNDATIONS FOR RESIDENTIAL RECYCLING.
SO WE'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT IMPLEMENTING OR ENFORCING THOSE WAYS THAT THAT COULD BE DONE.
BUT I THINK THE MEAT IS THERE AT LEAST AS A GOOD STARTING POINT.
OTHER STRENGTHS TO AVOID RECREATING THE WHEEL, JUST KNOW THAT I FEEL LIKE YOU'VE GOT A LOT OF RESOURCES OUT THERE TO IMPLEMENT SOME OF YOUR STRATEGIES FOR SOLID WASTE AND RECYCLING.
THERE'S A LOT OF GOOD TECHNICAL RESOURCES, EDUCATION AND OUTREACH MATERIALS SPECIFIC FOR SOLID WASTE AND RECYCLING BOTH.
THIS EXAMPLE IS FROM ONLINE AT THE COUNTY'S WEBSITE.
IT COULD BE LINKED TO YOUR WEBSITE THAT'S RELEVANT TO YOUR CITIZENS.
UM, THE STATE ALSO HAS TREMENDOUS RESOURCES, UH, FOR OUTREACH AND EDUCATION ON WASTE REDUCTION AND PROPER SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT.
THE CONVENIENCE CENTER HERE IN HILTON HEAD AND THE OTHER ONES YOUR CITIZENS MAY USE, I THINK IT'S A TREMENDOUS RESOURCE FOR RECYCLING AND AT LEAST FOR NOW FOR SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT, THERE'S ALREADY A PLACE WHERE THOSE ITEMS CAN GO.
SOME OF THE WEAKNESSES ON THE OTHER HAND, AND ALSO SORT OF THE SAME ISSUES IS YOU'VE GOT LIMITED CONTROL FOR RECYCLING IN SOLID WASTE.
THE, THE COUNTY IS CHARGED BY THE STATE TO MANAGE THOSE MATERIALS AS FAR AS, UH, HAVING FACILITIES FOR WHERE THEY GO.
THE WASTE REDUCTION GOAL IS SET, YOU KNOW, MEASURED AT THE COUNTY LEVEL, NOT BY THE TOWN LEVEL.
ON ONE HAND, THAT'S A STRENGTH 'CAUSE THOSE RESOURCES ARE THERE.
SOME OF THEM FOR YOU AS A TOWN ON THE OTHER HAND, IT MEANS YOU'VE GOTTA COLLABORATE.
YOU CAN'T DO ANYTHING IN THE VACUUM.
YOU'VE GOTTA COLLABORATE PRETTY TIGHTLY WITH THE COUNTY TO ACCOMPLISH ANYTHING.
NO CONSISTENT CURBSIDE COLLECTION.
YOU'RE THE ONLY TOWN IN THE COUNTY THAT DOESN'T HAVE DEFINITIVE REQUIREMENT.
THE RESIDENTS HAVE CURBSIDE COLLECTION OF GARBAGE AT A MINIMUM OR RECYCLABLES TO GET TO YOUR ZERO WASTE BILL.
UM, I KNOW YOU'VE DONE IT BEFORE I WAS HERE WHEN YOU DID IT, UH, WORKING FOR THE COUNTY.
AND THAT'S ANOTHER WEAKNESS IS THAT SOME PERCEIVE THAT ARRANGEMENT AS A NEGATIVE.
SO, UH, THAT NEEDS TO BE CONSIDERED MOVING FORWARD.
AS I SAY, I FEEL LIKE YOUR ORDINANCE HAS SOME GOOD OVERSIGHT OF YOUR LICENSE TOS.
THE FACT THAT YOU, THEY CAN ONLY OPERATE HERE, THEY HAVE A LICENSE IS GOOD AND THEY'RE REQUIRED TO DO CERTAIN THINGS.
THEY'RE NOT ALWAYS IN COMPLIANCE WITH THOSE REQUIREMENTS.
THEY DON'T CONSISTENTLY REPORT THE REQUIRED INFORMATION, HOW MANY CUSTOMERS THEY SERVE, HOW MANY RE HOW MUCH RECYCLABLES DIVERTED, HOW MUCH SOLID WASTE THEY COLLECT.
UM, THAT'S BEEN STRENGTHENED IN RECENT YEARS, BUT STILL THEY'VE GOTTA BE CHASED DOWN TO GET THAT INFORMATION TWICE A YEAR.
UM, SECONDLY, THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO OFFER RECYCLING TO ALL THEIR RESIDENTS.
UM, IT'S NOT A HUNDRED PERCENT CLEAR AND I'LL SHOW YOU SOME OF THE REASONS FOR THAT, THAT THAT'S BEING DONE AS PART OF THE BASE MONTHLY FEE.
THEY'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO CHARGE EXTRA, BUT THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO OFFER THAT SERVICE.
UM, AND LASTLY, CONTAMINATION OF RECYCLABLES IS A BIG PROBLEM.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS IN YOUR ORDINANCE TO HELP MINIMIZE THAT IS THAT THE HAULERS, IF THEY DON'T PICK UP A CONTAMINATED LOAD, WHICH IS OF RECYCLABLES, A CONTAINER OF RECYCLABLES, WHICH IS PROBABLY A GOOD THING FOR THEM NOT TO DO, THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO HAVE TO LEAVE A NOTE FOR THE CITIZEN AND LET THEM KNOW THAT WHY THEY WEREN'T PICKING IT.
THAT'S SORT OF AS AN EDUCATIONAL TOOL AND I'M NOT A HUNDRED PERCENT SURE THAT'S GETTING DONE.
OTHER WEAKNESSES IS THAT, AS I SAY, THAT THE CURRENT ARRANGEMENT FOR COLLECTING SOLID WASTE AND RECYCLING FROM BEACHES COULD BE IMPROVED IN THAT THOSE RESPONSIBLE FOR DOING IT HAVE A LOT OF OTHER RESPONSIBILITIES IN THOSE CONTRACTS THAT DON'T HAVE TO DO WITH SOLID WASTE AND RECYCLING, WHICH IS NOT THEIR EXPERTISE.
THERE ARE A COUPLE INCONSISTENCIES IN THE ORDINANCE THAT MAY WANNA BE ADDRESSED.
THEY'RE NOT MAKE OR BREAK TO DO FIRST THING.
BUT FOR EXAMPLE, IN YOUR ORDINANCE, YOU LIST THE MATERIALS YOU'RE HAULERS ARE, HAVE TO COLLECT FROM RESIDENCE.
[00:25:01]
CONSISTENT WITH THE MATERIALS THAT, FOR EXAMPLE, THE RECYCLING FACILITY NOW THAT THE COUNTY HAS A CONTRACT WITH, THEY ACCEPT.SO THAT, THAT'S JUST SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO BE TINKERED WITH.
UM, THE, THE ORDINANCE ALSO SAYS THE TOWN WOULD BE IDENTIFYING THE PROCESSING FACILITY WHERE ITS RECYCLABLES WOULD GO.
AND AS FAR AS WE CAN TELL STAFF AND OUR RESEARCH, I'M NOT SURE THAT'S BEEN DONE.
I'M NOT SURE IT NECESSARILY NEEDS TO BE DIFFERENT OR YOU COULD REPEAT WHATEVER THE COUNTY USES, BUT THAT'S NOT DONE.
SO THOSE HAULERS THAT SAY, WELL, YOU HAVEN'T TOLD US, YOU KNOW, COULD SAY YOU, WE HAVE TO COLLECT RECYCLABLES AND TAKE IT TO YOUR DESIGNATED FACILITY.
BUT WE HAVEN'T BEEN TOLD WHERE THAT IS.
UM, THE HILTON HEAD RE CONVENIENCE CENTER, I LOOKED FOR THE COUNTY AT ALL THE CONVENIENCE CENTERS A COUPLE TIMES.
IT'S, THERE'S A LOT OF TRAFFIC, PROBABLY LESS THAN WHEN I LOOKED BEFORE.
AND NOW THERE'S A DECAL SYSTEM, BUT IT'S CONSTRAINED.
THERE WERE SOME IDEAS IN SOME OF THE PLANNING DOCUMENTS AND OUR PLAN AND THE STRATEGIES TO EXPAND ACTIVITIES THERE AND THE GREATER ISLAND COUNCIL RESOLUTION.
IT'D BE AN GREAT OPTION TO HAVE A CONVENIENCE CENTER WITH MORE FUNCTION.
BUT THAT SITE RIGHT NOW IS VERY CONSTRAINED AND, AND, UM, I'M NOT SURE HOW MUCH COULD BE ADDED THERE.
AND YOU'VE GOT A LOT, AS I SAID, SHOWN IN FY 22 AT 300,000 VISITORS TO THAT PARTICULAR SITE.
AND IF YOU'VE BEEN THERE, YOU KNOW WHAT IT, ESPECIALLY ON A WEEKEND, YOU KNOW WHAT TRAFFIC LOOKS LIKE THERE.
UM, IF YOU REMEMBER I WAS SAYING THAT THE HAULERS AREN'T, MAY NOT BE RECYCLING TO THE DEGREE THEY'RE REQUIRED TO IN THE ORDINANCE.
THERE'S A BIG FINANCIAL DISINCENTIVE FOR THEM TO DO SO.
UM, AND IF YOU REMEMBER I SAID THAT THE COUNTY PAYS IF I, IF I COLLECT, IF I'M A HAULER AND COLLECT A TON OF RECYCLABLES ON MY TRUCK FOR A GIVEN DAY, IF I TAKE THOSE TO THE LANDFILL, 'CAUSE I CAN SAY THEY'RE CONTAMINATED OR WHATEVER THE COUNTY PAYS, IF I TAKE 'EM TO THE RECYCLING CENTER, I AS THE HAULER I'M PAYING FOR THAT TO THE TUNE OF IT CAN BE ANYWHERE FROM 60 TO A HUNDRED DOLLARS A TON.
SO YOU COULD SEE IF EVERY, IF THERE'S A GRAY AREA OF WHAT'S IN MY TRUCK, WHAT I COLLECTED FROM CITIZENS, YOU COULD SAY, SEE THERE'S A DISINCENTIVE TO PROPERLY RECYCLE THOSE MATERIALS.
UM, AND THEN LASTLY, I'M SURPRISED WITH THE ZERO WASTE GOAL.
I WILL SAY THAT THE FACT THAT I COULDN'T SEE A LINE ITEM IN YOUR BUDGET SPECIFIC TO SOLID WASTE AND RECYCLING OR IDENTIFY WHAT STAFF, A GROUP OF STAFF FOCUSED JUST ON THAT ISSUE TO ME, TO REALLY GET WHERE YOUR OUR, YOUR OUR PLAN DOCUMENT SAYS YOU WANNA BE.
UM, I KNOW YOU HAVE STAFF THAT TAKE ON THOSE RESPONSIBILITIES OR ASSIGN THOSE RESPONSIBILITIES, BUT MOST PLACES I'LL SEE WITH THE KIND OF PROGRESSIVE GOALS AND THE ORDINANCE REQUIREMENTS THAT YOU HAVE, FOR EXAMPLE, FOR REPORTING BY HAULERS, UM, YOU'D HAVE STAFF AND RESOURCES DEDICATED TO THAT FUNCTION.
SO OPPORTUNITIES, UH, IT, IT FRANKLY IS AN OPPORTUNITY THAT RIGHT NOW YOUR ARRANGEMENT IS THE COUNTY PAYS FOR DISPOSAL AT HICKORY HILL VILLE, FOR EXAMPLE, IF YOU CONTRACT FOR COLLECTION OR FOR YOUR RESIDENTS THAT HIRE A HAULER TO DO COLLECTION, THEIR BILL WILL NOT INCLUDE DISPOSAL WHAT THE HAULER WILL BE CHARGING YOUR CITIZENS OR WOULD BE CHARGING YOU BECAUSE THE COUNTY'S PAYING THAT.
IT WOULD JUST BE FOR THE COLLECTION TO GET IT FROM THE HOUSE TO THE LANDFILL.
BUT FOR, I SEE IT AS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR Y'ALL.
THE COUNTY HAS BEEN LOOKING AT SITES FOR A PROCESSING FACILITY FOR RECYCLABLES SOUTH ABROAD.
AND THEN YOU'RE OUR PLAN AND YOUR STRATEGY FOR 23 TO 25.
THE INTENTION WAS TO WORK WITH THEM TO IDENTIFY THEIR RECYCLING FACILITIES SOUTH ABROAD SO THAT IT'S NOT SO EXPENSIVE TO GET YOUR RECYCLABLES OR FOR THE COUNTY TO GET THE RECYCLABLES OR FOR THE HAULERS TO GET THE RECYCLABLES TO THE FACILITY OUT AT HICKORY HILL.
UM, THERE'S A STRONG FRAMEWORK FOR SOME SORT OF COLLECTION CONTRACT IF YOU CHOOSE TO MOVE THAT WAY FOR RESIDENTIAL WASTE AND RECYCLABLES IN THAT YOU'VE DONE IT BEFORE, UM, OTHER TOWN, THE THREE OTHER TOWNS IN THE COUNTY DO IT.
AND THE COUNTY ACTUALLY ISSUED AN RFP FOR THAT SERVICE IN CERTAIN DISTRICTS WENT IN ITS SOLID WASTE.
BUT IN THE RFP, I MEAN IN THE SOLID WASTE PLAN FOR THE COUNTY, THEY SAID ULTIMATELY WE'D LIKE TO GET THE COUNTY WIDE CURBSIDE COLLECTION.
JUST, JUST TO CLARIFY WHY COMMUNITIES, ESPECIALLY MORE DENSELY POPULATED ONES LIKE HILTON HAD GO THAT WAY IS IT REDUCES ILLEGAL DUMP DUMPING, IT COULD REDUCE TRUCKS ON THE ROAD.
YOU'VE BEEN THROUGH ALL THIS, THOSE WHO ARE ON COUNCIL AND THAT THAT DECISION WAS MADE.
UM, I SEE POTENTIAL FOR MORE DIVERSION TO GET TOWARDS YOUR ZERO WASTE GOAL,
[00:30:01]
UH, FROM COMMERCIAL AND YOUR OWN PUBLIC FACILITIES FOR A COUPLE REASONS.FIRST OF ALL, GENERALLY THE MATERIALS COMING OUTTA BUSINESSES, THE MATERIALS, MEANING RECYCLABLE MATERIALS ARE MORE HOMOGENOUS.
AND IN OTHER WORDS, THE WASTE, THERE'S NOT AS MANY MATERIALS AS THAT COMING FROM YOUR HOUSE.
A LOT OF CARDBOARD IN A HOSPITALITY BASED COMMUNITY, A LOT OF ORGANIC MATERIAL.
SO TO ME THAT'S THAT THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO DIVERT MORE FROM THOSE BUSINESSES.
ALSO, YOU HAVE A LOT OF LIKE, UH, NATIONAL COMPANIES HERE, ESPECIALLY IN, YOU KNOW, THE HOTEL INDUSTRY AND SOME OF THE CHA FAST FOOD CHAINS OR OTHER RESTAURANTS AND THEY HAVE CORPORATE COMMITMENTS TO DIVERSION.
UM, SO THAT COULD BE, UH, OPPORTUNITY FOR THE TOWN FOR TO GET TOWARDS ITS DIVERSION GOALS.
UM, YOU ALSO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO IMPROVE HOUSE SOLID WASTE AND RECYCLABLES ARE COLLECTED, UH, AT THE BEACH ON BEACHES AND THEN BEACH PARKS BY HIRING A SOLID WASTE PROFESSIONAL TO DO IT.
AND INCORPORATING OUTREACH AND EDUCATION ON LITTER PREVENTION AND RECYCLING IN THOSE ARRANGEMENTS.
SOME OF THE THREATS FROM WORKING WITH BEAUFORT COUNTY, THIS IS A TOUGH PLACE TO COLLECT AND TRANSPORT ANYTHING IN OR OUT, RIGHT? UH, ACCESS IS AN ISSUE, MAKING IT MORE EXPENSIVE TO GET NOT ONLY GOODS TO THE ISLAND, BUT GARBAGE OFF THE ISLAND.
I'VE WORKED FOR HAWAII, SOME OF THE ISLANDS IN HAWAII, SAME AS YOU ON A BIGGER SCALE TO BAR YOUR WASTE OFF THE ISLAND.
SO YOU DO FACE THE, IT, IT TAKES A LOT OF TIME AND THUS MONEY FOR GARBAGE AND RECYCLABLES TO GET OFF THE ISLAND.
IT MEANS IT'S GONNA BE MORE EXPENSIVE FOR YOU AND THUS FOR YOUR CITIZENS THAN IT MIGHT BE IN SOME OTHER COMMUNITY.
UM, RECYCLING ESPECIALLY, BUT SOLID WASTE AND LITTER PREVENTION ALSO INVOLVES A LOT OF OUTREACH AND EDUCATION.
THAT TOO IS TRICKIER IN A PLACE WHERE YOU HAVE PEOPLE COMING AND GOING MORE THAN PERMANENT RESIDENTS WE'RE ALWAYS THERE.
SO IT REQUIRES MORE INVESTMENT IN EDUCATING AND REEDUCATING.
I'M SURE YOU HAVE TO DO THAT ON A LOT OF ISSUES, BUT RECYCLING IS A BIG ONE.
UM, AND THEN LASTLY, AS YOU'VE STATED IN OUR PLAN, ANY SERVICE THAT YOU'RE PROVIDING THAT INVOLVES A LOT OF INFRASTRUCTURE AND ACCESS AND ESPECIALLY IN THIS CASE FOR SOLID WASTE AND RECYCLING, WASTE MANAGEMENT IS IMPACTED BY THE EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE.
SO AS YOU'VE IDENTIFIED THAT AS AN ISSUE IN OUR PLAN, IT'S CERTAINLY AN ISSUE FOR SOLID WASTE AND RECYCLING OTHER THREATS.
RIGHT NOW, HICKORY HILL'S THE ONLY PLACE WHERE HAULERS CAN GO DIRECTLY WITHOUT A TRANSFER STATION.
THIS IS WHY YOU LOOK AT TRANSFER STATIONS AND COMMUNITIES.
SO YOU HAVE SOME COMPETITION AND OPTIONS.
SO HAVING, THAT'S A THREAT TO HAVE ONLY ONE DISPOSAL FACILITY THAT YOU CAN GET TO WITHOUT A TRANSFER STATION COST EFFECTIVELY.
AND RIGHT NOW, THE CAPACITY IN THAT FACILITY'S ONLY A HANDFUL OF YEARS, LEFT A FEW YEARS NOT BUT 10 YEARS REQUIRED BY STATE LAW.
THEY'VE APPLIED FOR A PERMIT FOR EXPANSION AND THEY'RE LIKELY TO GET IT.
BUT, UM, IT IS NOT, ACCORDING TO MY CONVERSATIONS WITH DH IT HAS NOT BEEN GRANTED YET.
AS I SAY, YOUR CONVENIENCE CENTER HAS A LOT OF OPPORTUNITIES, BUT ALSO THERE'S A RISK IN THE, THE, THE SPACE AND CONFIGURATION MAKES IT CHALLENGING TO ADD ACTIVITIES.
UM, AND IT'S NOT EXACTLY A THREAT, BUT THE COUNTY'S PLAN WAS, IS TO TRANSITION TO CURBSIDE COLLECTION.
SO THAT CONVENIENCE CENTER MAY NOT BE YOUR LONG-TERM ANSWER FOR SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT RECYCLING, MOST LIKELY, YES.
UM, AND THEN SAME THING WITH THE ISLAND LOCATION AND DENSELY POPULATED AREAS.
IF YOU DID WANNA DEVELOP FACILITIES TO ACHIEVE THAT ZERO WASTE OR TO TRANSFER WASTE MORE COST EFFECTIVELY TO LANDFILLS, YOU DON'T HAVE A LOT OF SPACE FOR THAT ON, UH, HILTON HEAD ISLAND.
MORE GENERALLY ON THE BIGGER NATIONAL SCALE RECYCLING CHALLENGES, PEOPLE EXPECT TO MAKE MONEY FROM RECYCLING, THEY ALWAYS ASSUME IT'S GONNA BE CHEAPER.
THERE'S A LOT OF EDUCATION ANYWHERE FOR THAT.
BUT THE BOTTOM LINE IS YOU'VE GOTTA FACE THE FACT THAT UNLIKE OTHER THINGS YOU DO, RE THE COST OF RECYCLING WILL VARY DRAMATICALLY DEPENDING WHAT'S HAPPENING ON INTERNATIONAL MARKETS ASSOCIATED WITH RECYCLABLES, FOR EXAMPLE, WHEN THE PRICE OF OIL GOES UP, THEN WE HAVE, WE GET A LOT MORE MONEY FOR OUR PLASTICS WHEN WE RECYCLE THEM BECAUSE THAT'S SORT OF A REPLACEMENT.
SO THAT'S JUST AN EXAMPLE OF HOW THINGS COMPLETELY OUT OF YOUR CONTROL MAY AFFECT
[00:35:01]
THE ECONOMICS OF RECYCLING HERE IN HILL NET ISLAND.UM, MINIMIZING CONTAMINATION IS THIS HUGE ISSUE EVERYWHERE.
LIKE I SAY, IT'S ESPECIALLY AN ISSUE HERE WHERE YOU'VE GOT PEOPLE COMING AND GOING A LOT.
BUT, UM, IT, THAT JUST MEANS AS YOU IMPLEMENT PROGRAMS OR EXPAND PROGRAMS, YOU NEED TO PUT A LOT MORE INTO MONITORING EDUCATION AND ENFORCEMENT.
UM, AS I SAID, EXPLAIN RECYCLING OFTEN COSTS MORE THAN DISPOSAL.
CERTAINLY HERE WHERE THE HAULERS ARE PAYING AT THE RECYCLING FACILITY MORE PER TON TON THAN THEY, THEY HAVE THE LANDFILL IS IT IS THE CASE.
UM, CURRENTLY THE COUNTY'S CONTRACT FOR PROCESSING AND RECYCLABLES AT THE, AT A MURPH RECYCLING FACILITY AT HICKORY HILL, UH, HAS EXPIRED.
SO THEY'RE DOING A YEAR TO YEAR CONTRACT.
SO THAT'S, TO ME A BIT OF A THREAT, YOU KNOW, HOW CONSISTENTLY THAT'LL BE AVAILABLE AND WHETHER THE TERMS OF THAT CONTRACT MAY CHANGE AND THE COUNTY'S TRIED, BUT IT'S REALLY STRUGGLED TO IDENTIFY A CLOSER SITE FOR YOUR RECYCLABLES TO GO SOUTH ABROAD.
UM, AND FRANKLY IN MY TOURS OF HICKORY HILL, IT'S NOT REALLY DESIGNED TO MAXIMIZE DIVERSION FROM THE MATERIALS THE WAY THEY'RE COLLECTED HERE IN HILTON HADN AND IN MOST OF THE COUNTY EXCEPT AT THE CONVENIENCE CENTERS THAT IS RECYCLABLE IS ALL MIXED TOGETHER.
UM, AND THEN, UH, IT IS A BIG THREAT THAT PEOPLE HAVE MISINFORMATION ABOUT RECYCLING, FOR EXAMPLE, EXPOSED.
IT'S SUPPOSED TO MAKE MONEY OR YOU CAN RECYCLE YOUR CHRISTMAS TREE ORNAMENTS, THAT SORT OF THING.
UM, BUT ALSO ABOUT YOUR PAST CURBSIDE COLLECTION CONTRACT AND WHY IT WORKED AND DIDN'T WORK.
SO I WENT A LITTLE A STEP FURTHER TO IDENTIFY WHAT OPTIONS MAY I, MY, UH, CAPITALIZE ON THE STRENGTHS AND MAY MITIGATE SOME OF THE WEAKNESSES AND THREATS.
SO LET'S TALK ABOUT RESIDENTIAL COLLECTION.
UH, I'M GONNA LOOK AT THREE IN A LITTLE MORE DETAIL.
THE FIRST FEE IS STRICTLY TO CONTINUE TO STRENGTHEN THE ENFORCEMENT OF THE PROVISIONS IN YOUR ORDINANCE.
AND I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW THE BLUE BOXES OFF TO THE SIDE.
WHAT I TRIED TO DO IS MAKE SURE ALL THE OPTIONS ARE ALIGNED WITH STRATEGIES YOU'VE ALREADY IDENTIFIED IN OUR PLAN.
SO I'VE TAKEN THE STRATEGIES AND IDENTIFIED WHICH OF THOSE STRATEGIES ARE THESE OPTIONS ARE ADDRESSING.
UM, AND I GUESS I'LL ALSO SAY WHAT I'M PRESENTING HERE IS OPTIONS AND THEN I'M GONNA STOP BECAUSE BRIAN WILL TALK A BIT ABOUT NEXT, ABOUT NEXT STEPS.
BUT IN MY MIND, NEXT STEPS IS FOR COUNCIL TO DECIDE WHICH OPTIONS WOULD WORK HERE.
UM, BUT THE FIRST FOR RESIDENTIAL COLLECTION TO, TO ADDRESS THE WEAKNESSES IS TO CONTINUE TO STRENGTHEN THE ENFORCEMENT OF PROVISIONS IN ORD IN THE ORDINANCE.
SO THAT'S KIND OF THE LEAST CHANGING OF THINGS THE WAY THEY CURRENTLY OPERATE.
UH, AND THAT'S JUST TO BASICALLY IF, IF THE HAULERS ARE NOT SUBMITTING THOSE REQUIRED REPORTS ARE NOT OFFERING RECYCLING CONSISTENTLY TO THEIR CUSTOMERS AT NO ADDITIONAL COST, UH, THAN THAN TO REVOKE THEIR BUSINESS LICENSES, NOT LET THEM OPERATE.
UM, AND THEN THOSE LITTLE THINGS IN THE ORDINANCE THAT I SAID NEEDED TO BE MORE CONSISTENT THAN WOULD TO IDENTIFY MATERIALS MORE CONSISTENTLY WITH WHAT ACTUALLY CAN BE RECYCLED AT THE PROCESSING FACILITY THE COUNTY CURRENTLY HAS A CONTRACT WITH.
AND, UM, MAYBE REMOVE THAT PROVISION FOR THE TOWN TO IDENTIFY A PROCESSING FACILITY OR FOR YOU TO GO AHEAD AND IDENTIFY A PROCESSING FACILITY EITHER THAT THE COUNTY'S USING OR NOT.
YOU GO A LITTLE FURTHER AND YOU GO BACK TO RECONSIDERING RESIDENTIAL COLLECTION CONTRACTS FOR A, TO HIRE A HAULER OR MULTIPLE HAULERS TO COLLECT SOLID WASTE AND RECYCLABLES AND DELIVER THEM TO DESIGNATED LOCATION.
BUT LOCATIONS BEING THE LANDFILL THAT THE COUNTY HAS A CONTRACT WITH, UM, OR YOUR DESIGNATED OR THE COUNTY'S DESIGNATED FACILITY FOR RECYCLABLES.
A LOT OF QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT, YOU KNOW, PROBABLY MUCH BETTER THAN ME WHAT THE ISSUES WERE.
I'VE REVIEWED YOUR CONTRACTS AND ALL THE NEWS ABOUT REVOKING IT.
UH, BUT THE COUNTY HAD INTENDED TO HAVE A CONTRACT FOR EVERY SOLID WASTE DISTRICT IF THE TOWNS ONES THAT WERE INCORPORATED, UM, WANTED TO DO IT THAT WAY.
UM, SO THIS COULD BE A, A COUNTY DISTRICT THREE THAT'S YOUR SOLID WASTE DISTRICT FOR THE COUNTY OR A TOWN CONTRACT.
UM, THERE'S, BLUFFTON HAS A CONTRACT.
I I, THIS IS ALWAYS A CHALLENGE TO COLLABORATE WITH ANOTHER COMMUNITY, BUT WHEN I HAVE SEEN IT DONE IT'S EFFECTIVE BECAUSE HAULERS LIKE BIGGER CONTRACTS WITH MORE HOUSEHOLDS AND SO THE TERMS CAN BE MORE CONVENIENT BUT LEFT IN AS A CONTRACT AND OBVIOUSLY IT'S NOT THAT FAR AWAY.
[00:40:01]
POTENTIAL FOR COLLABORATING WITH THEM ON A CONTRACT AND ALSO THE INCORPORATION OF EXISTING.THERE ARE WAYS FOR, UH, TO NEGOTIATE AGREEMENTS THAT ALREADY EXIST WITH THE HOMEOWNER ASSOCIATIONS OR PROPERTY OWNER ASSOCIATION.
SOMETIMES THEY'RE THE ONES THAT STRUGGLE OR RESIST A TOWN-WIDE CONTRACT 'CAUSE THEY ALREADY HAVE AGREEMENTS THEY LIKE IN PLACE AND I, I THINK THOSE COULD BE INCORPORATED SUCCESSFULLY.
UM, ANOTHER OPTION YOU MAY AND THIS, THESE ARE NOT MUTUAL, I GUESS THE FIRST AND THE SECOND WERE KIND OF MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE, BUT THIS IS NOT, THIS CAN BE DONE IN CO IN CONJUNCTION WITH EITHER OF THE OTHER TWO, IS TO EXPAND ACTIVITIES AT THE HILTON HEAD CONVENIENCE CENTER.
AS I SAID, RIGHT NOW THERE'S A CHALLENGE TO INCORPORATE ANY ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES 'CAUSE OF THE FOOTPRINT.
SO THE QUESTION IS, CAN THAT BE EXPANDED AS PART OF THE CIP IN THAT AREA POTENTIALLY.
UM, AND HOW GIVEN THAT'S A COUNTY CONVENIENCE CENTER, HOW WOULD THE TOWN COLLABORATE WITH THE COUNTY AND WHO WOULD TAKE ON WHAT ROLES ON MANAGING AND THE EXPANSION OF ACTIVITIES IDENTIFIED IN SOME OF THE DOCUMENTS Y'ALL HAVE, THE, YOUR GREATER ISLAND COUNCIL AND THE TOWN COUNCIL HAVE IDENTIFIED BEFORE IS TO ADD A RE MORE RECYCLING OF MORE MATERIALS THERE AND ORGANICS DIVERSION MATERIAL.
AND ONE OF THE RESOLUTIONS EVEN SUGGESTED A TRANSFER STATION, A PLACE WHERE WASTE COULD BE CONSOLIDATED, MAYBE BALES AND SHIPPED TO SOMEWHERE GIVING YOU MORE CHOICES THAN JUST HICKORY HILL LANDFILL.
BUT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WOULD NEED TO BE DONE IN COLLABORATION WITH THE COUNTY.
UM, FOCUSING ON COMMERCIAL RECYCLING.
HOW TO INCREASE COMMERCIAL RECYCLING.
UH, THE FIRST WOULD BE TO CAPITALIZE ON EXISTING TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS, BUT THE COUNTY HAS TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE RESOURCES TO GET MORE BUSINESSES RECYCLING.
AND THE STATE HAS A PROGRAM CALLED SOUTH CAROLINA SMART BUSINESS RECYCLING PROGRAM THAT HAS A LOT OF TOOLS, UM, THAT COULD BE TAKEN WITH SOME TIME AND EFFORT AND STUFF AND RESOURCES TO THE BUSINESSES OF HILTON HEAD ISLAND.
BUT THERE'S NO REASON TO RECREATE THOSE MATERIALS.
THE COUNTY HAS CARDBOARD COLLECTION SITES WHERE PEOPLE COULD DROP OFF JUST CARDBOARD AND THOSE COULD, WE COULD EXPAND THOSE.
THOSE COULD BE ADDED SOME MORE OF THEM INTO HILTON HEAD ISLAND FOR BUSINESS JUST JUST TO TAKE THEIR CARDBOARD AGAIN, YOU DON'T WANT 'EM TO BE GARBAGE COLLECTION SPOTS.
SO THERE CAN QUESTIONS ABOUT FENCING AND STAFFING AND THOSE SORTS OF THINGS.
UH, OTHER OPTIONS YOU COULD REQUIRE YOUR HAULERS THAT ARE SERVING COMMERCIAL CUSTOMERS, THOSE LICENSE HAULERS, YOU ARE ALREADY GIVING THEM LICENSES TO ALSO COLLECT RECYCLABLES.
SOME PLACES REQUIRE THEIR BUSINESSES TO RECYCLE CERTAIN MATERIALS OR MAYBE BUSINESSES OF A CERTAIN SIZE TO RECYCLE CERTAIN MATERIALS.
UM, THE TOWN COULD FACILITATE SOME PLACES OF WORK TO FACILITATE MULTI-BUSINESS AGREEMENTS TO HAVE WHAT THEY CALL A MILK RUN FOR CARDBOARD OR OTHER RECYCLABLES GENERATED BY BUSINESSES.
AND LASTLY, AND THIS ONE IS TRICKY WITH A LOT OF INVESTMENT BECAUSE THE INFRASTRUCTURE TO PROCESS ORGANICS, ESPECIALLY FOOD RESIDUALS, FOOD WASTE FROM SOME OF THE HOSPITALITY INTEREST IS, HAS TO BE IN PLACE FIRST.
AND IT'S NOT ENOUGH DEGREE TO HANDLE ALL THE ORGANICS COMING OUTTA HERE.
BUT THAT WOULD HAVE, FOCUSING ON ORGANICS IN THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY WOULD MAKE HUGE PROGRESS TOWARDS YOUR ZERO WASTE GOAL.
UM, OTHER FOCUSING ON OTHER OPTIONS FOR ORGANICS DIVERSION, UH, AS I SAY FIRST MAKE SURE THAT FACILITY IS THERE AND AVAILABLE BEFORE YOU EVEN THINK ABOUT HOW IT WOULD THE MATERIALS WOULD GET COLLECTED.
I'D SAY THAT NOT JUST FOR ORGANICS BUT FOR ALL MATERIALS.
UM, CHARLESTON COUNTY IS OPEN, ONE THAT ACTUALLY DOES PROCESS FOOD RESIDUALS AND JUST UNDERSTAND THAT PERMITTING AND SITING IS A MULTI-YEAR PROCESS FOR ANY FACILITY LIKE THAT.
EVEN IF IT'S NOT ON THE ISLAND, EVEN IF IT'S NOT IN THE COUNTY, THAT TAKES SOME TIME AND EFFORT.
UM, WE HEARD OF THE COMMENTS ABOUT ARBOR NATURE, BUT THAT IS A SITE THAT'S CURRENTLY UM, ABLE TO TAKE ORGANIC MATERIAL AND PROCESS 'EM.
IF THEY COULD CLOSE THEIR GATES ON SATURDAY, MAYBE THAT'S A POTENTIAL COLLABORATOR FOR DIVERTING SOME OF THESE MATERIALS.
UM, OR TAKING A STEP BACK AND HAVING LESS OF AN ACTIVE ROLE IN DEVELOPING THIS CAPACITY.
UH, JUST DIVERT IT WON'T DIVERT AS MUCH MATERIAL, BUT YOU COULD START WITH JUST AN OUTREACH AND EDUCATION PROGRAM ON HOME COMPOSTING.
UM, AND YOU COULD DO THAT IN PARKS DEMONSTRATION SITES OR IN COLLABORATION WITH YOUR POAS.
UH, THE COUNTY HAS A PROGRAM TO PROVIDE AT HOME COMPOSTING BINS AND TRAIN MASTER COMPOSTERS.
[00:45:01]
SO JUST TO PROMOTE THAT AND ENCOURAGE YOUR CITIZENS TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT AS A LESS, UH, IS A, IS A QUICKER OPTION TO IMPLEMENT.UM, OPTIONS FOR RECYCLING AT YOUR OWN FACILITIES, BEACHES AND YOUR VENUES AND EVENTS.
UM, TO ENSURE SOME OF YOUR FACILITIES HAVE STRONG RECYCLING PROGRAMS, VERY VISIBLE USE FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION AND OUTREACH.
THAT MAY BE A GOOD STARTING PLACE.
UM, REQUIRE RECYCLING SOME COMMUNITIES REQUIRES PART OF A SPECIAL EVENT PERMIT REQUIRE SET UP FOR RECYCLING CONTAINERS AND WILL ALLOW THEM TO USE YOUR PROCESSING FACILITY OR WHATEVER PROCESSING FACILITY.
RESIDENTIAL RECYCLABLES ARE GOING TO UM, SOME JUST PUT RECYCLING CONTAINERS, NEXT TRASH CONTAINERS LIKE ON IN SOME OF YOUR MAIN SHOPPING AREAS FOR EXAMPLE.
UH, AGAIN IT'S IMPORTANT TO MAINTAIN THOSE SO THEY DON'T BECOME GARBAGE DUMPS AND TO MAKE SURE THEY'RE SERVICED.
UH, AND THEN LASTLY, CONSOLIDATE THE CONTRACT.
A POSSIBILITY TO TAKE SOLID WASTE AND RECYCLING OUT OF A BEACH CONTROL OR TURTLE CONSERVATION CONTRACT AND PUT IT INTO A CONTRACT MAYBE WITH SOME OF YOUR BEACH PARTS AND HAVE A PROFESSIONAL SOLID WASTE AND RECYCLING PROFESSIONAL HANDLE THOSE MATERIALS IN THE SAME WAY THEY'RE DOING OTHER PUBLIC SPACES.
TRANSFER AND DISPOSAL'S KIND OF HARD BECAUSE A COMMUNITY LIKE HILTON HAD BOTH BECAUSE OF YOUR SIZE AND BECAUSE OF THE DIFFICULTY IN ACCESS AND THE LACK OF LAND.
YOU REALLY DO NEED TO COLLABORATE WITH THE COUNTY, UM, WITH THE REGION TO MAKE SURE YOU ALWAYS HAVE A ONE OR BETTER YET MULTIPLE DISPOSAL OPTIONS TO KEEP COSTS DOWN.
UM, SO THE MAIN GOAL, THE MAIN STRATEGY OPTION HERE IS TO COLLABORATE WITH THE COUNTY TO ENSURE THE CONTRACT STAYS IN PLACE AND POSSIBLY DEVELOP TRANSFER STATIONS.
SO THERE'S MORE THAN ONE DISPOSAL OPTION FOR THE COUNTY AND FOR THE TOWN.
AND THAT'S DEFINITELY THEIR OBJECTIVE AND THEIR PLANS AS WELL.
SO THAT'S UH, CONSISTENT EDUCATION AND RESOURCE EDUCATION AND OUTREACH.
YOU'VE GOT RESOURCES THAT YOU COULD START WITH BOTH AT THE STATE AND THE COUNTY LEVEL.
UM, YOU COULD REQUIRE YOUR HAULERS, RESIDENTIAL HAULERS TO DISSEMINATE CONSISTENT INFORMATION AND MAKE SURE THEY STICK TO THOSE ORDINANCE REQUIREMENTS IF SOMEBODY'S CONTAMINATING THE RECYCLABLE SO YOU WON'T COLLECT THEM.
HERE'S SOME STICKERS TO EXPLAIN TO THEM WHY AND MAKE SURE THEY DO IT RIGHT INSTEAD OF JUST TAKING IT AND THROWING IN THE LANDFILL AND HAVING RESIDENTS CALL YOU AND SAY, I SAW MY HAULER PUT RECYCLABLE IN THE GARBAGE TRUCK.
UM, SO THAT'S AN EASY WAY TO START ON EDUCATION AND RESOURCES BEING KIND OF OVERARCHING ONE TO DO ANY OF THESE OPTIONS.
EVEN THE LEAST INVASIVE, THE LEAST ACTIVE.
CHANGING THINGS LIKE TO CAPITALIZE ON EXISTING RESOURCES REQUIRES DEDICATED STAFF AND FUNDING.
AND I'VE LISTED SOME OF THE FUNDING OPTIONS OTHER PLACES HAVE USED FOR SOLID WASTE AND RECYCLING.
UM, BECAUSE YOU WON'T GET ANYWHERE NEAR YOUR ZERO WASTE GOAL WITHOUT THE RESOURCES THAT BEING PRIMARILY STAFF AND FUNDING TO GET THERE.
SO JUST OVERARCHING CONCLUSIONS BEFORE YOU START ANY ADDITIONAL RECYCLING.
UM, I SEE A LOT OF TIMES PEOPLE ENTER INTO COLLECTION, LOCAL GOVERNMENTS ENTERING INTO COLLECTION FIRST AND THEN WE'LL FIGURE OUT WHAT TO DO WITH IT, MAKE SURE THE FACILITIES ARE IN PLACE AND UNDERSTAND THAT SOMETIMES LIKE FOR AN ORDER, A FOOD RESIDUAL COMPOSTING THAT COULD BE YEARS OF PERMITTING AND FACILITY DEVELOPMENT.
UM, BECAUSE THE COUNTY HAS OVERARCHING RESPONSIBILITY FOR RECYCLING FACILITIES, TRANSFERRING DISPOSAL OF WASTE, THAT COLLABORATION TO MAKE SURE YOU GET WHAT HILTON THEN NEEDS OUT OF IT HAS TO BE TIGHT AND CONSISTENT.
UM, THE TOWN DOES HAVE SEVERAL OPTIONS TO MAKE YOUR RESIDENTIAL COLLECTION WE'RE CONSISTENT AND EACH OF THEM HAS VARYING LEVEL OF OVERSIGHT.
IF YOU REMEMBER ONE'S JUST ENFORCED WHAT YOU GOT IN YOUR ORDINANCE TELLING DOLLARS THEY HAVE TO DO WHAT THE ORDINANCE SAYS THEY HAVE TO DO.
UM, AND THAT'S BEING STRENGTHENED BUT CONTINUE TO STRENGTHEN IT ALL THE WAY TO ENTERING INTO A CONTRACT FOR RESIDENTIAL COLLECTION.
UH, I THINK YOUR CURRENT ORDINANCES AND THE CURRENT EDUCATION RESOURCES AVAILABLE FROM THE STATE AND COUNTY ARE A GREAT STARTING POINT AND I WOULDN'T RECREATE THE WHEEL ON ANY OF THAT.
BIG PARTS OF YOUR ORDINANCE RIGHT NOW.
I THINK YOU CAN USE WHAT YOU'VE GOT AS A GREAT STARTING POINT.
AND THEN LASTLY AND MAYBE ONE OF THE BIGGEST MESSAGES
[00:50:01]
IS THAT ANY OF THESE STRATEGIES ARE GONNA TAKE SOMEONE RESPONSIBLE FOR IMPLEMENTING AND THE RESOURCES, THE FUNDING TO DO THAT.I'M HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE AND I KNOW BRIAN WANTS TO FOLLOW UP WITH WHAT NEXT FOR COUNCIL.
UM, AND ASK WHETHER OR NOT MY COMMITTEE MEMBERS HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.
ALEX, I NEVER, I WOULD ALWAYS END START AT THE BEGINNING.
SO I'M GONNA START WITH YOU TODAY.
ANY QUESTIONS? UM, I WAS, MOST OF OUR COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS.
UM, I GUESS THE FIRST ONE, UH, YOU, YOU SHOWED A SLIDE THAT PICKED THE STATE SORT OF GOALS AND WHERE WE CURRENTLY STAND AND BUT YOU HAVE NOT LISTED IN OPPORTUNITIES THAT THERE MAY BE SOME STATE FUNDING TO HELP US ACCOMPLISH THOSE GOALS.
IS THAT JUST NOT AVAILABLE, IS WHY IT'S NOT LISTED AS AN OPPORTUNITY? NO.
AND THAT SHOULD, THAT'S A GOOD POINT AND THAT I SHOULD HAVE.
NO, THE STATE ACTUALLY DOES AT LEAST DID A COUPLE YEARS AGO AND I THINK STILL DOES ISSUES GRANTS, NOT HUGE GRANTS, UM, BASED.
SO YEAH, THAT WOULD BE A WORTH LOOKING AT OPPORTUNITY.
I UNDERSTAND IT MAY NOT BE SOMETHING RECURRING, BUT I'M JUST BRINGING THAT TO OUR ATTENTION 'CAUSE IT MAY BE SOMETHING TO GET US OVER THE HUMP OF SOME OF THE STARTUP COSTS.
UM, THE SECOND ONE, UM, THIS PRESENTATION, HAS THE COUNTY SEEN THIS, WHICH YOU'VE PRESENTED TO US TODAY? YES.
AND COMMENTED WITH, CAN YOU SHARE JUST A SUMMARY OF THE COMMENTS THAT YOU RECEIVED BACK FROM THE COUNTY A MORE PARTICULARLY IN, IN, UH, WANTING TO KNOW ABOUT THE COLLABORATION PIECE? RIGHT, RIGHT.
THE COMMENTS ACTUALLY DIDN'T HAVE SAY ANYTHING ABOUT THE COLLABORATION PIECE EITHER WAY.
MOST OF THEM WERE ABOUT, UM, WORDING OF THE COUNTY'S GOALS TO GET.
WAS THERE ANYTHING ELSE SPECIFIC IT NOT ADDRESS WHAT THEY WEREN'T, UM, SUB SUBSTANTIVE ABOUT WE CAN'T DO THIS, WE CAN DO THAT.
IT WAS MORE WORDING, BUT YEAH.
DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING? YEAH, IT WAS, IT WAS MORE WORDSMITHING THAN ANYTHING, BUT I DIDN'T INTRODUCE, NEIL DECIDES THE COUNTY PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR AND HE WAS KIND ENOUGH TO JOIN TODAY.
SO IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT YOU'D LIKE TO SPECIFICALLY ASK THE COUNTY, UM, PERHAPS HE COULD, I I'LL WAIT TILL YOU OKAY.
COME UP WITH NEXT STEPS BEFORE I GO THAT, THAT WHOLE THANK YOU PATSY, AND THANK YOU.
UH, THANKS FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
I, I I, UM, THERE'S SO MUCH DETAIL IN THERE.
UM, I I DO HAVE A LIST OF COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS, BUT, UM, HERE, I WON'T USE ALL THESE RIGHT NOW
YOU KNOW, HAVING LIVED IN OTHER PLACES WHERE THERE WAS DEFINITELY A MORE PROGRESSIVE RECYCLING PROGRAM, UM, SO THAT WHEN MY HUSBAND AND I FIRST VISITED HERE, WE WOULD SEPARATE ALL OUR RECYCLING, PUT 'EM INTO SEPARATE BINS AND CARRY THEM BACK HOME TO RECYCLE.
SO THAT GIVES YOU AN IDEA OF MY SERIOUSNESS
UM, I, WHERE DO I START? UM, I I THINK PART OF THE ISSUE HERE, I I, YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M GLAD OUR PLAN WAS SO AGGRESSIVE ABOUT ZERO WASTE WHEN I SAW THAT, I'M GOING LIKE, REALLY
UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S A NICE GOAL, BUT WE'RE SO FAR AWAY FROM IT.
SO I LIKE SEEING THE OPTIONS THAT YOU'VE PRESENTED, UM, A LOT FOR US TO CHEW ON.
UM, BUT I, I THINK PART OF THE CHALLENGE RIGHT NOW IS THAT WE'RE OPERATING IN A, IN A SYSTEM OF MYTH VERSUS REALITY.
UH, BECAUSE THOSE FOLKS WHO RECYCLE EITHER THROUGH, UM, A PRIVATE WASTE HAULER OR TAKE THEIR RECYCLING TO THE CONVENIENCE CENTER DO NOT BELIEVE THAT THE RECYCLING IS ACTUALLY BEING DONE.
THEY, THEY ALL BELIEVE IT'S GOING TO THE LANDFILL.
UM, AND SO I THINK WE NEED TO TRULY UNDERSTAND WHAT'S REALISTIC.
UM, FOR INSTANCE, ARE PLASTICS STILL RECYCLABLE OR CERTAIN PLASTICS RECYCLABLE? ARE LEMON CANS MORE RECYCLABLE THAN PLASTIC IS WHAT IS BEING DONE ABOUT CARDBOARD? UM, I'M FAMILIAR WITH COMMERCIAL REQUIREMENTS WHERE THE REQUIREMENTS FOR COMMERCIAL ENTITIES HAVING TO DO RECYCLING OF CARDBOARD AND HAVING SEPARATE GIANT BINS FOR CARDBOARD OUTSIDE THEIR COMMERCIAL FACILITIES.
SO I DON'T, I DON'T SEE THAT AROUND HERE.
I I DON'T, I CONFESS I DON'T GO SNOOPING AROUND BACKS OF BUILDINGS A LOT
[00:55:01]
UM, YOU SET OUT A LOT OF, YOU KNOW, YOU SET OUT THE SWAT, BUT WHAT IS REALISTIC, UM, AS FAR AS RECYCLING IN TODAY'S MARKET AND WHAT YOU SEE FOR THE, FOR THE NEAR FUTURE? BECAUSE BEFORE I CAN AS A COUNCIL MEMBER MAKE A DECISION ABOUT WHAT TO DO, I NEED TO KNOW WHAT'S REALISTIC.UM, AND SO I'D, I'D LIKE TO SEE LIKE A LIST OF, HERE'S FIVE REAL, JUST MAKE A NUMBER FIVE REALISTIC THINGS WE CAN DO AND SHOULD DO.
UM, AND THAT'S WHAT I'D LIKE TO SEE BEFORE WE GO FORWARD.
UM, SO TO MY QUESTION ABOUT CARDBOARD RECYCLING, IS THERE A REQUIREMENT FOR COMMERCIAL ENTITIES TO HAVE CARDBOARD RECYCLING? NOT IN THE TOWN, NO.
HOW ABOUT IN THE COUNTY OR THE STATE? NO, NO, THAT IT, IT WOULD BE A LOCAL GOVERNMENT THING.
AND I'VE SEEN PLACES THAT DO IT.
UM, BUT YOU DON'T, AND HOPEFULLY UNDER THAT I'VE GOT THIS, UH, SEE THE SECOND BULLET? YES.
SO, SO IT'S AN OPTION FOR SURE.
UH, AND THE FIRST BULLET, THE HAULERS AREN'T, YOUR HAULERS ARE REQUIRED TO OFFER THAT SERVICE TO THEIR RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMERS, BUT NOT TO COMMERCIAL.
AND THE RESIDENTS, FOR THEM IT'S VOLUNTARY.
SO IF YOU MADE IT JUST LIKE THAT, IF YOU STRUCTURED IT THE SAME WAY IN YOUR ORDINANCE, YOU'D BE DOING THE FIRST BULLET.
BUT IF YOU WANTED TO REQUIRE THE BUSINESSES TO ACTUALLY SEPARATE AND RECYCLE CARDBOARD, YOU'D DO THE SECOND BULLET.
AND THEN BACK UP TO MY GENERAL QUESTION, UH, IS, UM, IS THERE, IS IT POSSIBLE FOR YOU OR YOU AND OUR STAFF TO COME UP WITH A LIST OF HERE'S FIVE THINGS THAT ARE REALISTIC THAT WE CAN AND SHOULD DO? IS THAT SOMETHING YOU CAN DO? OR, OR IF YOU NEED TO LOOK AT MR. M AND LET HIM RESPOND TO THAT LATER, I'M HAPPY FOR THAT TO HAPPEN.
SO I DO HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THAT.
ARE YOU THINKING SPECIFICALLY ABOUT, UH, THE MATERIALS, WHAT YOU HAD THE QUESTION OF WHAT REALLY CAN BE RECYCLED? LIKE EVERY, ARE, DO YOU WANT FIVE REALISTIC THINGS COULD BE RECYCLED? YEAH, YEAH, IT'S A LITTLE BIT BROADER THAN THAT.
SO OF ALL THE LISTS OF OPTIONS THAT YOU HAVE, I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY THERE ARE.
UM, I DIDN'T HAVE TIME TO COUNT THEM ALL, BUT LET'S SAY THERE'S 25.
SO OF THOSE 25, WHAT ARE THE FIVE THAT ARE MOST REALISTIC THAT, THAT WE CAN AND SHOULD DO RIGHT NOW? SO, OH, FOR, FOR PRIORITIES? YEAH.
UM, AND THEN, UM, THE OTHER THING WHILE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT OPTIONS IS THAT, UH, I SAW AN OPTION FOR RESIDENTIAL, UM, AND THEN FOR COMMERCIAL, BUT WHAT I'M ALSO CONCERNED ABOUT IS MULTIFAMILY.
SO WE HAVE A LOT OF CONDOS AND VILLAS AND
SO THOSE WHO LIVE THERE, UNLESS THAT PARTICULAR POA CONTRACTS WITH A WASTE HAULER TO PROVIDE, UH, RECYCLING, THEY HAVE TO GO TO THE CONVENIENCE CENTER, WHICH MEANS THAT THEN WITH A LOT OF THE VISITORS THAT WE HAVE COMING, WHERE DO THEY TAKE THEIR RECYCLING AS OPPOSED TO IN A MULTIFAMILY DEVELOPMENT HAVING, UH, A MORE CENTRAL LOCATION FOR RECYCLING.
SO I'D LIKE TO SEE SOME OPTIONS FOR MULTIFAMILY, UM, DEVELOPMENTS AS WELL.
UM, AND UM, THE, THE OTHER THING THAT YOU MENTIONED, UM, AND I MADE A FIRST NOTE ABOUT IS THAT I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE WAS, AND, AND YOU MENTIONED IT, THE HISTORY OF THE TOWN'S EFFORTS ON RECYCLING.
AND EVIDENTLY THERE'S, THERE WERE A LOT OF ISSUES WITH THAT.
SO THE TOWN SHUT IT OFF RIGHT AWAY.
SO, AND MAYBE THE STAFF CAN GIVE US, I, I'D JUST LIKE TO SEE A, A COUPLE OF PARAGRAPH SUMMARY ABOUT WHAT WAS DONE, WHAT WERE THE ISSUES AND, AND WAS IT COST, WAS IT THE, THE HOLLER SO THAT IF WE LOOK AT THESE OPTIONS AND PICK, I'LL USE THE NUMBER FIVE AGAIN AND, AND I'M NOT, WE ADD TO THE NUMBER FIVE.
UM, IF WE, IF WE PICK THOSE FIVE TO FOCUS ON, THEN HOW DO WE LEARN FROM WHAT HAPPENED IN HISTORY? SO I'D LIKE TO KNOW A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE HISTORY, JUST A SUMMARY ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED AND WHY IT FAILED.
UM, SO THAT WHEN WE SAY, ALL RIGHT, NOW IT'S MARCH FOUR AND DO OPTION NUMBER THREE, DID WE LEARN SOMETHING FROM HISTORY SO WE WON'T REPEAT PAST MISTAKES? UM, UM, I, I THINK THE OTHER THING THAT WE NEED TO DO FOR OUR, OUR RESIDENTS, UM, IS TO LET THEM KNOW A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE REALITY.
AND THIS GOES BACK TO THE MATERIALS LIST.
SO IF I TAKE ALL MY RECYCLING TO THE CONVENIENCE CENTER, WHAT KIND OF FAITH DO I HAVE THAT IT'S NOT JUST GOING TO THE LANDFILL? WHAT'S THE REALITY THERE?
[01:00:02]
AND I THINK THAT WOULD HELP US IN, IN MAKING SOME OF OUR DECISIONS ABOUT WHAT TO DO.I THINK THAT'S MY BRIEF LIST RIGHT NOW.
UM, STEVE, FOLLOW UP TO UH, SOME OF THE THREADS THAT IN MS. BRYSON'S COMMENTS, UH, AS TO WHAT IS REALITY AND LOOKING AT MY PARTICULAR SITUATION AS A RESIDENT, I DO SEPARATE MY RECYCLES RECYCLABLES FROM MY TRASH TRUCK THAT, UH, COMES BY, HAS TWO UH, PLACES AT THE BACK OF THE TRUCK TO PUT THINGS.
I ASSUME ONE IS FOR RECYCLING AND THE OTHER IS FOR WASTE.
UH, BUT THE GENTLEMAN WHO PICKS UP PUTS BOTH RECYCLABLES AND TRASH IN THE SAME BIG BASKET AND DUMPS 'EM THERE TOGETHER.
UM, I ASSUME THAT IS NOT UNCOMMON.
I WERE THE HAULER UNDER THESE CIRCUMSTANCES WHERE, UH, I GET PAID IF I JUST DUMP 'EM ALL IN TOGETHER AND I DON'T GET PAID IF I SEPARATE THEM.
NEED TO WONDER DO WE REALLY HAVE AT THE PRESENT TIME ANY EFFECTIVE RECYCLING GOING ON? SO I WOULD ANSWER THAT FOR THE, LET'S DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE CONVENIENCE CENTERS AND THE CURBSIDE COLLECTION.
AND I WOULD SAY WITH THE CONVENIENCE CENTERS, 'CAUSE IT'S STAFFED AND SOMEONE'S WATCHING WHAT GETS CONTAMINATED AND ENCOURAGES PEOPLE TO PULL THAT STUFF OUT BEFORE THEY PUT IT IN THE CONTAINER.
BECAUSE A LOT OF THE MATERIALS AT THE CONVENIENCE CENTER ARE WHAT WE CALL SOURCE SEPARATED.
IN OTHER WORDS, THE PLASTIC, THE GLASS, THE PAPER, THE CARDBOARD ARE NOT MIXED.
YOU HAVE A SEPARATE CONTAINER FOR EACH, THUS REDUCING CONTAMINATION AND INCREASING VALUE.
I WOULD SAY THAT GENERALLY MATERIALS COLLECTED AT THE CONVENIENCE CENTER ARE GETTING RECYCLED.
IS THAT FAIR? NEIL CURTAIN SIGN, YOU'VE, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT A TRUCK WITH TWO SEPARATE COMPARTMENTS AND A LOT OF TIMES SOME OF THE HAULERS ARE USING TWO TRUCKS.
I DON'T KNOW TO BE HONEST, WHAT HAPPENS WHEN IT'S COLLECTED THAT WAY? I KNOW, YOU KNOW, IN PLACES WHERE TWO TRUCKS ARE GOING DOWN THE ROAD, LIKE FOR ME IN THE CITY OF ATLANTA, THE CITY PICKS UP MY GARBAGE, THEN THEY BRING A SEPARATE TRUCK AND PICK UP MY RECYCLABLES.
THE FACT THAT THEY'RE INVESTING ALL THAT MONEY AND COLLECTING THE MATERIALS SEPARATELY GIVES ME CONFIDENCE THEY'RE TAKING IT TO A RECYCLING FACILITY.
'CAUSE THE EXPENSIVE PART IS THE COLLECTION.
SO NOW THAT YOU'RE MENTIONING ONE TRUCK WITH TWO COMPARTMENTS, THEY DON'T HAVE THAT SAME INCENTIVE.
NOT ONLY THAT THEY'RE PUTTING EVERYTHING IN THE SAME BARREL TO TAKE IT OUT TO THE TRUCK.
WHO'S DOING THAT COMPANY THAT DOES THE COLLECTIONS IN MY RESIDENTIAL AREA? YEAH.
SO I DON'T, I WOULD, YOU KNOW, IF I WAS DOING THE RESEARCH ON THAT, I WOULD FOLLOW THE TRUCKS AROUND.
I WILL SAY THAT UNLIKE OTHER PLACES, THERE'S AN EXTRA DISINCENTIVE FOR THOSE HAULERS TO PROBABLY RECYCLE THINGS.
SO ESPECIALLY IF THEY'RE EVEN THE LEAST BIT CONTAMINATED, WHICH IS THE OTHER ELEMENT WHEN MATERIALS LIKE, OR A SINGLE STREAM LIKE YOU'RE DOING IT WHERE ALL OF THE MATERIALS I ASSUME ARE GOING INTO THE SAME RECYCLING CONTAINER, NOT WITH GARBAGE, BUT PAPER, PLASTIC, GLASS, METAL, WHATEVER YOUR LIST IS.
UM, PEOPLE, IT'S, IT COST PROCESSORS A LOT OF MONEY TO PULL OUT.
FOR EXAMPLE, PLASTIC BAGS ARE THE BIGGEST PROBLEM WHEN I'M IN FACILITIES.
'CAUSE THEY GUM UP THE RECYCLING WORKS AND THEY HAVE TO SHUT EVERYTHING DOWN AND PULL 'EM OUT.
IF PEOPLE ARE PUTTING THEIR RECYCLABLES AND PLASTIC BAGS AND PUTTING THEM IN THE RECYCLING CONTAINER AT YOUR PLACE, THEY COULD CALL THAT CONTAMINATION AND HAVE A REASON TO SAY THIS IS TOO DIRTY.
MOST FACILITIES HAVE LIKE A 15, 10% CONTAMINATION.
IF IT, IF YOUR TRUCK HAS MORE THAN 10% CONTAMINATION, YOU CAN'T BRING IT TO ME 'CAUSE IT COSTS ME TOO MUCH MONEY TO PULL ALL THAT OUT.
SO I'M GIVING YOU A REALLY COMPLICATED ANSWER.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENING IN YOUR COMMUNITY OR THROUGHOUT THE TOWN WITH CURBSIDE COLLECTED RECYCLABLES.
I FEEL LIKE IF THE FINANCIAL STRUCTURE LOOKED A LITTLE DIFFERENT AND YOU HAD VERY POWERFUL EDUCATION FOR UH, WHAT CAN GO IN AND WHAT CAN'T AND WHAT'S A PROBLEM THAT YOU KEPT GIVING TO PEOPLE AS NEW PEOPLE CAME IN AND YOU PENALIZED HAULS FOR THROWING AWAY RECYCLABLES
[01:05:01]
IN THE LANDFILL.THOSE THREE THINGS, I THINK YOU'D BE MORE LIKELY TO SEE THE RECYCLABLES GOING TO A RECYCLING FACILITY.
AND THOSE THINGS ARE ALL DOABLE AND HAVE BEEN DONE OTHER PLACES.
YOUR INFORMATION HAS BEEN GREAT TODAY.
AND THE QUESTIONS HAVE BEEN, UM, VERY GOOD BY OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS.
UM, THERE IS A HISTORY, UM, WITH REGARD TO THE PAST AND, UM, AND IT IS IMPORTANT THAT WE REVISIT AND SEE SOME OF THAT AS A FORMER BOARD MEMBER OF A, UM, HOA AT THE TIME WHEN THAT WAS IMPLEMENTED.
I CAN TELL YOU AND HAPPY TO SHARE AS THAT'S BEING LOOKED AT, UM, THE ISSUES THAT WE HAD AND WHILE WE WERE, UM, VERY FRUSTRATED MOVING INTO THAT, UM, THAT PLAN AT THAT TIME AND THE EXPENSE THAT WE INCURRED AND, UM, WHAT HAPPENED THEREAFTER.
WHAT I WOULD BE VERY INTERESTED IN, I THINK THAT IT BEHOOVES US TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE QUITE AWARE IS WHAT OUR OWN LOCAL STATISTICS TELL US.
WHILE THE COUNTY STATISTICS ARE INFORMATIVE, UM, OUR LOCAL STATISTICS SHOULD BE WHAT DRIVES US TO OUR NEXT STEPS.
AND WITHOUT THOSE, UM, I THINK WHAT WE HAVE IS A LOT OF ANECDOTAL, UM, TESTIMONY.
AND, AND I WOULD CONCUR WITH WHAT WE'VE HEARD TODAY.
WE'VE ALL, UM, SEEN, HEARD OR EXPERIENCED, UM, THESE TYPES OF MIXING OF, UM, GARBAGE AND REFUSE.
UM, AND I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT YOU'VE SAID OVER AND OVER AGAIN WITH REGARD TO EDUCATION, WHICH IS PRIMARY, UM, IMPORTANCE, IS WHAT DOES CONTAMINATION MEAN, RIGHT? AND, AND, AND I RECALL BACK WHEN WE WERE STARTING, UM, THE WRITING OF OUR PLAN, AND WE WERE GOING THROUGH ALL OF THESE SESSIONS, UM, ANN, WHO USED TO WORK, UM, HERE AT THE TOWN WHO WAS WONDERFUL, SHE BROUGHT TOGETHER A, UM, A GROUP TO TALK ABOUT RECYCLING WASTE.
AND SHE HAD A REPRESENTATIVE FROM SEA PINES WHO CAME IN AND DID A FANTASTIC PRESENTATION ABOUT, UM, RECYCLING IN SEA PINES AND HOW THEY DID THE ORGANIC, AND THEY DID THIS, THAT AND THE OTHER THING.
AND, AND IT WAS, TO ME, WHO KNOWS NOTHING ABOUT ANY OF THIS, QUITE FRANKLY, UM, WAS EXTREMELY IMPRESSED AND REALLY FELT, UM, UM, THAT IT WAS WORTHY OF HEARING MORE ABOUT.
SO I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR MORE ABOUT, UM, HOW THEY DO THINGS THERE AND HOW, UM, HOW OUR TOWN CAN LOOK AT OUR ISSUES AND HOW WE, UM, MAKE BETTER DECISIONS FOR THE FUTURE HERE.
HAVING SAID ALL THAT, I WANNA STOP TALKING.
UM, BRIAN, IF YOU HAVE, UM, SAME THING YOU'D LIKE TO SHARE WITH US, UM, WE WELCOME YOU TO JOIN US NOW.
SO, JUST THE FINAL THING I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT, UM, AND TRY TO ANSWER MS. BRYSON'S, UH, COMMENT ABOUT THE PAST, UH, UH, CONTRACT.
WE ACTUALLY DID LOOK TO SEE IF THERE WAS A RESOLUTION OR ANYTHING THAT WAS, UH, PASSED CANCELING THAT WE COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING OTHER THAN THE TOWN MANAGER HAD, HAS THE RIGHT TO CANCEL ANY CONTRACT.
SO I THINK IT JUST WENT THROUGH THAT WAY.
UM, BUT WE'LL TRY TO KEEP RESEARCHING TO FIND MORE INFO.
UM, SO HERE WE ARE TODAY, JANUARY 8TH, PRESENTING THESE INITIAL FINDINGS TO YOU.
UM, WE'VE GOTTEN SOME GOOD FEEDBACK.
IF YOU HAVE ANY OTHER COMMENTS, PLEASE LET ME KNOW.
UM, SO WHAT I'M PRESENTING NOW WILL BE BROUGHT BACK IN FEBRUARY ALONG WITH THE DRAFT REPORT THAT ABBY'S WORKING ON.
UM, AND THEN WE WILL REQUEST THAT GO TO FULL COUNSEL, UM, AND ALONG WITH AN ADOPTION OF A RESOLUTION APPROVING THESE FINDINGS AND THE REPORT.
UM, SO THAT WOULD BE IN MARCH IF IT WAS APPROVED BY YOU ALL IN FEBRUARY.
UM, OTHER THAN THAT, I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS AND OFF OF WIND.
SORRY, SEAN, SEAN POLAND, UH, JUST FOR THE RECORD, UM, AT THE END WE'D LIKE TO ASK THAT YOU TAKE A MOTION THAT WE WE'RE TO GET CONCURRENCE THAT WE'RE MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT THE STRATEGIC ACTION PLAN, THE SWATS, THE FOUNDATION FOR, UH, FOUR OR FIVE OTHER ELEMENTS THAT WILL, UM, THAT WILL MOVE THROUGH, UM, IN THE FUTURE HERE, DISCUSSION WITH THE COUNTY, LOOKING AT OUR CODE AND SO FORTH.
BUT I THINK THIS PROVIDES A GOOD FOUNDATION FOR DECISION MAKING, UH, GOING FORWARD.
SO I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE'RE EXPECTING A MOTION FOR CONCURRENCE THAT THIS IS THE RIGHT DIRECTION ON THIS EFFORT.
I WOULD, I WOULD SO MOVE THAT THIS REPORT PRESENTED BY MS. GOLDSMITH, IT'S GIVES US A GOOD OUTLINE OF WHERE WE SHOULD BE GOING, AND THE STAFF WILL CONDENSE THAT INTO SOMETHING THAT WE CAN HAVE A LITTLE BETTER GRIP ON AS TO WHERE THE NEXT STEPS ARE.
[01:10:01]
IS THERE A SECOND, OR, UM, CAN YOU RESTATE THAT? I DIDN'T HEAR IT.MR. COLEN HAS REQUESTED THAT WE, UH, THE COMMITTEE, UH, ADOPT A MOTION, UH, THAT THE PRESENTATIONS TODAY BY MS. GOLDSMITH AND, AND MR. MACKLE, WE ARE THE DIRECTION THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO PROCEED.
I WAS WITH A SECOND MOTION FOR DISCUSSION PURPOSES.
WHAT, WHAT I WAS GONNA ASK IS I WONDER IF THE MAKER OF THE MOTION THE SECOND, WOULD AGREE TO AN AMENDMENT, UM, TO ADD THE FOLLOWING DIRECTION IN REVISING THE REPORT.
UM, AND THAT IS THAT THE REPORT INCLUDE, UM, PRIOR HISTORY ABOUT THE TOWN AND RECYCLING, AND THAT THERE'D BE A LIST OF, UM, FIVE OPTIONS, WHICH WE CAN DO AND SHOULD DO NOW.
AT SOME POINT WE'LL NEED TO ESTIMATE COSTS, BUT I WON'T ADD THAT RIGHT NOW.
UM, AND THAT, UH, IT INCLUDE, UM, A LIST OF MATERIALS THAT CAN BE RECYCLED NOW FOR THE PUBLIC THAT AND INCLUDE, UM, MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE STATUS OF THE COUNTY'S, UM, WORK SEARCH FOR A MATERIALS RECOVERY FACILITY OR MRF.
AND BAKER AND THE SECOND AGREE TO ADD THAT LIST TO THE REPORT.
DOES THAT HELP? UH, IT, IT, IT IS VERY HELPFUL THE, THE WAY THE ITEM IS OUTLINED IN THE STRATEGIC ACTION PLAN.
UM, IT WAS TO, UH, GET THE FIND, DO A SWOT ANALYSIS TO GET THE FINDINGS, UM, AND THEN BASED ON THE FINDINGS, UM, ENGAGE IN THE EFFORTS.
I THINK THAT YOU'VE MENTIONED.
UH, THE NEXT THING IS TO LOOK AT PROMOTIONAL AND EDUCATIONAL EFFORTS, FOSTER AND RECYCLING AND COMPOST AND LITTER CONTROL.
UM, 9.3 WAS TO ENGAGE WITH THE COUNTY, UM, AND ON DIALOGUE ABOUT THEIR LONG RANGE SOLID WASTE DISPOSAL AND RECYCLING.
UH, NINE FOUR, UH, TALKED ABOUT THE OFF ISLAND MATERIALS PROCESSING CENTER, NINE, FIVE, UM, COMPOSTING MODELS AROUND, UM, AROUND TOWN.
AND THEN 9.6 EVALUATE, UM, THE NEED TO AMEND THE TOWN CODE.
SO I THINK WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO, TO DO WITH THE S SWAT IS REALLY UNDERSTAND WHERE WE ARE IN THE SOLID WASTE AND RECYCLING, UM, ARENA, UH, TO THEN USE THAT TO PROVIDE SOME, UM, FOUNDATION FOR DECISION MAKING TO GO FORWARD.
UM, I'LL, I'LL LEAN ON BRIAN AND ABBY TO, TO LET YOU KNOW IF THEY CAN PROVIDE THE INFORMATION THAT YOU'RE REQUESTING AS PART OF THE FINDINGS, UM, OR IF THAT'S A SUPPLEMENTAL, UM, REQUEST OUTSIDE OF THIS INITIAL EFFORT.
IF, IF I CAN JUST STEP IN FOR ONE SECOND, UM, I THINK WE GOT A LITTLE BIT AHEAD OF OURSELVES WITH DUE RESPECT TO THOSE WHO HAVE JOINED US FOR, UH, THIS MEETING IN, UH, CHAMBERS HERE.
UM, SEAN, THANK YOU FOR YOUR, UM, SUGGESTION WITH REGARD TO THE RESOLUTION AND THE MOTION THAT CAME FORWARD.
BUT WE DID NOT HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR PUBLIC COMMENT ON THE, UM, DISCUSSION THAT WAS PRESENTED TO US.
AND I RECOGNIZE THAT WE HAVE AT LEAST ONE AUDIENCE MEMBER WHO WOULD LIKE TO MAKE COMMENTS.
SO I REALIZE IT'S OUT OF SEQUENCE, BUT I DO WANT TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THIS OPPORTUNITY AND INVITE LARRY TO THE PODIUM, PLEASE.
AGAIN, LARRY LANDRY, 1 23 FORT WALKER DRIVE, HILTON HEAD.
UM, THIS WILL JUST BE ADDITIVE TO WHAT YOU'VE HEARD, AND I WANNA AGREE WITH THE COUNCILMAN HERE.
UM, MY WIFE IS A DEDICATED RECYCLER.
WE GO TO THE DUMP A COUPLE DAYS A WEEK BY WE, I MEAN, I GO WITH HER, I, I GET VOLUNTEERED OR I VOLUNTEER.
UH, SO WE GO TO THE CONVENIENCE CENTER.
UM, SHE SEES OUR, OUR PICKUP AND SHE SEES THE DIVIDE, BUT SHE DOESN'T SEE THEM SEPARATE THE NON CYCLES WITH THE RECYCLES.
AND AS WAS POINTED OUT, THE CURRENT SYSTEM IS FUNDAMENTALLY FLAWED.
THERE'S A FINANCIAL DISINCENTIVE TO RECYCLE, OR THE HAULERS
[01:15:01]
HUMAN NATURE BEING WHAT IT IS.UM, SECOND, THE REPORT, WHILE EXCELLENT DID NOT BRING IN A VERY IMPORTANT FACTOR OF TECHNOLOGY FOR OVER 20 YEARS, AND I SPEAK AS A FORMER ME MEMBER OF THE CITY MANAGEMENT STAFF OF THE CITY OF PHOENIX, THERE'S BEEN A THING CALLED SHOE PACK TECHNOLOGY, WHICH MEANS YOU HAVE A MECHANICAL ARM PICK UP THE GARBAGE AND STUDIES AFTER STUDIES THAT HAVE BEEN PUBLISHED FOR OVER 20 YEARS SHOW HOW MUCH MORE EFFICIENT AND CHEAPER IT IS TO OPERATE SHOE PACK TECHNOLOGY IN GARBAGE DISPOSAL.
SO IF YOU'RE DOING CURBSIDE PICKUP, WHICH THINKS GREAT, AND WE NEED TO BECAUSE OF OUR HEAT, UM, I WOULD SUGGEST THAT YOU URGE THE COUNTY, UM, AND YOUR HAULERS TO USE SHOE PACK OR SOME TYPE OF TECHNOLOGY.
UM, IT WILL LOWER COST AND INCREASE EFFICIENCY, AND IT CAN EITHER BE PUBLICLY OR PRIVATELY OPERATED.
UM, THERE'S BEEN COMPARISON STUDIES DONE, WHICH, WHICH IS CHEAPER, WHICH IS BETTER SERVICE.
SO I JUST WANT TO ADD TO THOSE TWO.
YOUR CURRENT SYSTEM, AS YOU ALL KNOW, DOESN'T WORK.
UM, THERE IS A NEED FOR A NEW SYSTEM, UM, BUT WE SHOULD ALSO INCORPORATE TECHNOLOGY AS YOU GO FORWARD.
IS THERE ANYONE ELSE? UM, MAD CHAIR, IF WE COULD COME BACK TO MY REQUEST? YES, MA'AM.
AND, AND, AND THANK YOU MR. COLEN FOR THE, YOUR REMARKS.
UM, AS I SEE IT, YOU PRESENTED THE DRAFT SWAT TO US, AND THE SUGGESTIONS I MADE ARE, BECAUSE THOSE ARE ISSUES I BELIEVE ARE MISSING IN THE SWOT ANALYSIS, UM, NOT THE NEXT STEPS IN THE STRAT PLAN.
SO I, I WOULD ASK THE MAKER IN THE SECOND IF THEY WOULD AGREE AND, AND MAYBE THERE'RE SOMETHING THEY WANNA TAKE OFF OR ADD.
UH, MY REACTION, UH, MS. BRYSON, IS THAT THE REQUESTS THAT YOU'VE MADE, UH, BY AND LARGE ARE REASONABLE.
SOME OF THEM ARE ALREADY INCORPORATED IN THE, UH, PRESENTATION.
UH, MY CONCERN AT THIS STAGE IS THAT THE SCOPE OF THE MATERIAL THAT'S BEEN PRESENTED, PARTICULARLY BY MS. GOLDSMITH, IS VERY, VERY EXTENSIVE.
AND THAT, FROM MY STANDPOINT ANYWAY, THE STAFF NEEDS TO BE ABLE TO SIFT THROUGH THAT AND GET BACK TO US WITH SOME RECOMMENDATIONS.
SOME OF THE ITEMS WHICH YOU HAVE RAISED, I THINK CAN BE BETTER RAISED AT A LATER POINT IN TIME WHEN WE FIRST SEE HOW THE STAFF PUTS THIS ALL TOGETHER IN A, IN A RECOMMENDATION.
AND, AND, AND I THINK THE STAFF IS ASKING US FOR DIRECTION, NOW THAT WE'VE HEARD THIS, WHAT DO WE WANT THEM TO DO VERSUS ALL OF US WITH VARIOUS COMMENTS, HOW DO THEY PICK OUT FROM THOSE COMMENTS WHAT TO DO? WELL, IF I MAY INTERJECT, I THINK STAFF HAS, UM, UH, LISTENED AND I KNOW HAVE TAKEN NOTES, AND I THINK IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN THE PRACTICE THAT STAFF TAKES EACH OF OUR COMMENTS INTO CONSIDERATION AS THEY'RE PUTTING TOGETHER THE BIG PICTURE AND BRINGING THINGS BACK TO US FOR FULLER CON UH, CONVERSATION AND CONSIDERATION.
AND I WOULDN'T EXPECT THIS TO BE ANY DIFFERENT.
UM, AND EVEN THOUGH THOSE COMMENTS THAT EACH OF US MADE ARE NOT PART OF THIS, UM, AMENDED MOTION THAT YOU'RE SUGGESTING, I CERTAINLY WOULD ANTICIPATE MY COMMENTS, ALEX'S COMMENTS AND THE LIKE TO, TO BE INCLUDED.
SO I THINK THAT WE CAN ASSUME THAT THAT WILL INDEED HAPPEN.
UM, IF I'M WRONG ABOUT THAT, SOMEONE SHOULD INFORM ME, BUT THAT'S BEEN THE HISTORY.
AND, UM, I WOULD JUST SHARE THAT AS SHARE THAT WITH YOU.
GOT JUST A FEW OTHER THINGS I WANT TO, OKAY.
OFTEN SINCE, UH, STAFF IS, IS TAKING NOTES.
OKAY? THERE'S TWO THINGS I WANT TO UH, TOUCH ON.
UM, ONE IS I'M PAYING VERY CLOSE ATTENTION TO WHAT MS. GOLDMAN SAID AS FAR AS, UM, WE HAVE SORT OF MADE THIS GESTURE GOING THIS DIRECTION.
WE DO NOT HAVE THE INFRASTRUCTURE IN PLACE TO ACCOMPLISH IT.
OKAY? THAT'S THE INFRASTRUCTURE.
THAT CAN MEAN A LOT OF THINGS.
BUT IF WE'RE GOING TO SAY TO A HAULER THAT YOU HAVE TO PROVIDE A RECYCLABLE OPPORTUNITY AT RESIDENTIAL PICKUP, BUT WE DON'T HAVE THE MEANS TO CHECK AND VERIFY,
[01:20:01]
THEN WE'RE NOT DOING ANYTHING, RIGHT? SO I THINK AS WE'RE MOVING FORWARD, WE HAVE TO REALLY UNDERSTAND HOW WE'RE GETTING INTO THIS BUSINESS AND WHAT IT'S GOING TO COST US TO GET INTO THIS BUSINESS.UM, I'M, I'M NOT QUITE SURE WE'RE, WE'RE A HUNDRED PERCENT CLEAR ON THAT AT THE MOMENT.
AND THE OTHER PIECE IS THIS WHOLE IDEA OF COLLABORATION WITH THE COUNTY.
UM, I KNOW THAT THE COUNTY HAVE, HAVE HAD DISCUSSIONS AROUND THEIR CONTRACT WITH THE, UH, THE FACILITY.
AND I UNDERSTAND THAT THAT IS A PRIORITY.
WHAT I'M NOT CLEAR ON IS WHAT THE COUNTY'S LONG-TERM COMMITMENT TO THE RESIDENTS OF THE COUNTY WHEN IT COMES TO US ACCOMPLISHING THE GOAL THAT THE STATE HAS SET FORTH, OR WHAT WE HAVE ACCOMPLISHED AS A, WHAT WE'RE SETTING FORTH AS A GOAL AS A MUNICIPALITY.
ALRIGHT? UM, SO I, I'LL USE THIS VERY SIMPLE EXAMPLE.
COUNTY MAYBE LOOKING AT CLOSING CONVENIENCE CENTERS TO BRING DOWN THEIR COST AND AT THE SAME TIME ENCOURAGE US TO GO TO A CURBSIDE PICKUP.
I'M NOT SAYING THAT I'M OPPOSED TO THAT, BUT I DON'T UNDERSTAND THE COST I IMPLICATIONS OF THAT FOR OUR RESIDENTS.
'CAUSE CURRENTLY OUR RESIDENTS ARE PAYING INTO THE COUNTY RESPONSIBILITY.
AND HILTON HEAD IS, IS VERY UNIQUE BECAUSE OF OUR POA SCENARIO WHERE A LOT OF THE HAULERS HAVE CONTRACTS WITH POAS.
I'M MORE INTERESTED IN HOW WE'RE GOING TO APPROACH THIS WITH THOSE THAT ARE NOT CURRENTLY ON CONTRACT.
WHAT I WOULD DESCRIBE AS RURAL ON HILTON HEAD AND DO NOT HAVE PICKUP AT THE MOMENT.
YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT'S THE ULTIMATE COST? IS THERE GOING TO BE A TRADE OFF HERE DOWN THE ROAD SO THAT IT MAKES SENSE FOR THE COUNTY, IT MAKES SENSE FOR THE MUNICIPALITY.
AND RIGHT NOW, I DON'T THINK WE HAVE THAT UNDER OUR BELT AS FAR AS WHAT COLLABORATION REALLY MEANS.
UM, SO I STILL HAVE A LOT OF QUESTIONS.
UH, I THINK WE TO TO, TO SIMPLIFY.
ARE WE GOING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION? I THINK THE ANSWER IS YES.
UM, BUT THERE'S STILL A LOT OF DEVIL IN THE DETAILS THAT WE HAVE TO FIGURE OUT ALONG THE WAY.
SO, UM, I'M NOT WANTING TO STOP THE CONVERSATION BY ANY MEANS.
THAT'S WHY I SUPPORTED THE MOTION AND I SUPPORT, UM, THE, THE COMMENTS THAT ARE COMING FROM THE DAAS AND US MOVING FORWARD.
I'M SURE THERE'LL BE MORE WHEN WE GET IN FRONT OF THE ENTIRE TOWN COUNCIL.
UM, BUT, UM, I JUST WANTED TO, TO REALLY FOCUS IN ON THAT COLLABORATION PIECE.
UM, SOMEHOW WE'VE GOT TO GET THE CONCERNS AND THE COMMENTS IN THE COUNTY AND NOT THIRD PARTY BECAUSE WE NEED THOSE UPFRONTS AS FAR AS THE COUNCIL IS CONCERNED, WHERE THEY'RE TRYING TO GO SO THAT WE CAN REACT ACCORDINGLY.
UM, ALEX, I COULDN'T AGREE WITH YOU MORE.
UM, I THINK THAT THAT DISCUSSION AROUND COLLABORATION IS ESSENTIAL, UM, SINCE IT'S WITHIN THE PRESENTATION THAT IT IS INDEED ESSENTIAL THAT IT, UM, IS A FIRST STEP TOWARDS ANY OF THIS.
I ALSO WANNA HIGHLIGHT, UM, THE IDEA THAT ON OUR ISLAND AND ESPECIALLY, UM, HIGHLIGHTED BY THE COMMENTS WITH REGARD TO OUR CURRENT, UM, CONVENIENCE TRANSFER STATION ISSUES HERE ON THE ISLAND.
WE ARE A SMALL ISLAND AND WE DO NOT HAVE, UM, IN MY HUMBLE OPINION, NOT YET THAT I KNOW OF IN ANY CASE, UH, ROOM FOR ANY EXPANSION OF A LARGER, UM, FACILITY HERE.
SO THERE ARE A MULTITUDE OF ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS, AND THE DEVIL IS INDEED IN THE DETAILS.
UM, BUT IS IT WORTHY OF FURTHER DISCUSSION? YES.
UM, AND WITH THAT, UM, IF WE CAN TAKE A VOTE ON THE MOTION ON THE, UM, TABLE, I WOULD APPRECIATE IT.
ALL IN FAVOR? RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND.
SO, THREE TO ONE? I VOTED YES.
IT'S A UNANIMOUS VOTE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION.
SO IT WAS RIGHT THE FIRST TIME, THREE TO ONE.
THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION AND THE DISCUSSION.
[b. Consideration of a Resolution Adopting Environmentally Friendly Landscaping and Grounds Maintenance Practices - Bryan McIlwee, Director of Public Projects and Facilities]
AND THE NEXT, UM, ITEM UNDER UNFINISHED BUSINESS IS A CONSIDERATION OF A RESOLUTION ADOPTING ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY LANDSCAPING AND GROUNDS MAINTENANCE PRACTICES.AND BRYANT, THANK YOU AGAIN, UM, FOR YOUR NEXT PRESENTATION.
UM, YOU ALL HEARD ME TALK A COUPLE TIMES NOW.
I THINK I GAVE A, A PRESENTATION TO FULL COUNSEL REAL QUICK IN SEPTEMBER AND THEN HAD A MORE IN DEPTH, UH,
[01:25:01]
PRESENTATION TO YOU ALL IN NOVEMBER.BUT TO TAKE A STEP BACK, LIKE THE PREVIOUS ITEM, UH, ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY SPECIFICALLY TO ASSESS AND IMPLEMENT AN ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY LANDSCAPING GROUNDS BEST MANAGEMENT PROGRAM, UH, THIS IS IDENTIFIED IN THE STRATEGIC ACTION PLAN.
UM, I'M NOT GONNA GO THROUGH EVERYTHING THAT WE WENT THROUGH LAST MEETING, BUT JUST TO, TO REITERATE WHAT WE ARE DOING.
WE'VE RESEARCHED, UM, OTHER MUNICIPALITIES, UH, AND OTHER PESTS AND WEEDED CONTROL PRACTICES.
UM, WE HAVE INSTRUCTED OUR CONTRACTORS TO NOT SPRAY OR USE GLYPHOSATE AT TOWN PLAYGROUNDS, UH, DOG PARKS OR ALONG THE WATER'S EDGE, UM, INCLUDING THE BUFFERS WITHIN THE TOWN PROPERTY.
UM, WE DON'T BROADCAST SPRAY ON ANY OF THE SPORT FIELDS.
UM, WE CONTINUE TO WORK WITH THE, THE CERTIFIED PROFESSIONALS, INCLUDING CLEMSON UNIVERSITY, UM, ALL OF OUR CONTRACTORS TO ASSESS OUR PRACTICES AND TO, AND TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS IPM.
SO YOUR ALL'S GUIDANCE TO US WAS TO, UM, DEVELOP A DRAFT IPM AN INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT POLICY AND TO ASSESS, UH, A POTENTIAL TRIAL STUDY, UM, WHERE WE COULD LOOK AT THE USE OF, UM, CERTAIN ORGANIC HERBICIDES VERSUS MAYBE MORE, UM, THE SYNTHETIC, THE STUFF THAT WE'RE USED TO, UH, GLYPHOSATE, UH, ET CETERA.
SO AS WE GET INTO PEST MANAGEMENT, UM, THIS IS KIND OF WHAT IT IS.
IT'S USING ALL FOUR OF THESE CATEGORIES.
IT'S CULTURAL, UM, IT'S PHYSICAL AND MECHANICAL MEANS IT'S BIOLOGICAL MEANS, AND IT'S CHEMICAL MEANS THE USING THESE TOGETHER IN UNISON, UH, IS A FUNDAMENTAL PART OF WHAT IS KNOWN AS INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT.
UM, IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE DO TO A DEGREE RIGHT NOW.
WE HAVEN'T IDENTIFIED IT, IT'S NOT A POLICY, IT'S NOT WRITTEN ANYWHERE.
BUT WE WORK WITH OUR CONTRACTORS.
UM, YOU KNOW, THEY DON'T JUST SPRAY WHEREVER THEY WANT.
YOU KNOW, THEY USE IT IN, IN CERTAIN SPECIFIC AREAS ON SPECIFIC TARGETED PESTS, UM, INCLUDING WEEDS, INCLUDING, UM, INSECTS.
UM, AND LIKE I SAID, CHEMICAL CONTROL IS, IS A PART OF THAT, EVEN USING ORGANIC MATERIALS, WHICH SEEMS TO BE THE CRUX OF WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
SO HOPEFULLY YOU'VE HAD A CHANCE TO READ THE DRAFT POLICY THAT WAS IN YOUR PACKET.
UM, AND I'VE KIND OF HIGHLIGHTED KEY COMPONENTS OF THE POLICY.
UH, THE PURPOSE OF THE INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT POLICY IS TO OUTLINE A SUSTAINABLE, EFFECTIVE AND ENVIRONMENTALLY RESPONSIBLE APPROACH TO MANAGING PESTS AND MAINTAINING FACILITIES ON THE TOWN OF HILTON HEAD ISLAND, WHILE MINIMIZING THE RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH PEST CONTROL MEASURES TO THE HUMAN HEALTH ENVIRONMENT AND NON-TARGET ORGANISMS. UM, BASICALLY WE WANT TO USE WHAT'S EFFECTIVE ON THOSE SPECIFIC PESTS WHEN WE'RE SUPPOSED TO DO IT AND MINIMIZE IT AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.
UM, SO THIS POLICY WILL HELP US GUIDE OUR CONTRACTORS AND GUIDE THE, THE WORK THAT WE DO, UM, MAINTAINING OUR FACILITIES AND OUR PARKS A LOT.
I'M NOT GONNA READ IT ALL, BUT BASICALLY WITHIN THE IPM, WE TALK ABOUT THESE GUIDING PRINCIPLES.
UM, THE DECISIONS THAT WE MAKE ARE BASED ON THE MONITORING THE DATA THAT WE HAVE, THE PEST POPULATIONS THAT WE'RE SEEING, THE RISKS, THE, UH, THE BENEFITS OF USING THE MATERIALS AND THE CHEMICALS THAT WE HAVE AT OUR DISPOSAL.
UM, WE WANT TO USE A LEAST TOXIC APPROACH, UH, AGAIN, BY USING THOSE FOUR, UM, CONTROLS.
WE DON'T WANT TO JUMP STRAIGHT TO THE CHEMICALS.
WE WANT TO LOOK AT WHAT CAN WE DO TO, UM, ARE WE SELECTING THE RIGHT PLANTS? ARE WE, DO WE HAVE THE RIGHT SOIL? UM, ARE WE OVERWATERING UNDER WATERING? UH, YOU KNOW, ARE THERE OTHER THINGS THAT WE CAN DO TO, LIKE MISS OVEN SAID, ARE THERE THINGS THAT WE CAN DO THAT MAYBE THE NATURAL PREDATORS CAN TAKE OVER TO AVOID SOME OF THE PEST POPULATIONS? SO ALL THAT'S PART OF THE IPM.
UM, WHEN WE DO HAVE TO USE A CHEMICAL, UH, WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING IS TO USE AT LEAST CHEMICAL, LEAST CHEMICAL, LEAST TOXIC CHEMICAL, WHICH MAY INCLUDE ORGANIC PESTICIDES.
AND THEN TO GO THROUGH THE DIFFERENT EPA LEVELS, I THINK EPA LEVEL THREE IS, UH, CAUTION.
LEVEL TWO IS WARNING, AND LEVEL ONE IS DANGER.
UM, SO WE DON'T WANT TO GO TO ANY OF THOSE CHEMICALS THAT USE THOSE HIGHER, UH, THREAT LEVELS, IF YOU WILL.
AGAIN, WE WANNA LIMIT THE USE OF PESTICIDES WHERE CHILDREN IN THE PUBLIC CONGREGATE.
THIS INCLUDES, UH, PLAYGROUNDS, DOG PARKS, UM, BUFFERED AREAS ALONG THE WATER.
UH, SPECIFICALLY WE WILL NOT USE ROUNDUP GLYPHOSATE AT THESE PLAYGROUND LL PARKS, ET CETERA.
UM, WE WILL CONTINUE TO WORK WITH OUR, UH, CONTRACTORS TO IMPLEMENT THIS, TO EVALUATE, UM, TO ASSESS THE, I GUESS, THE EFFICACY OF THESE CHEMICALS AND, UM, CONSTANTLY EVOLVE THIS PROGRAM.
IT'S A, IT'S NOT SUPPOSED TO BE A STATIC POLICY.
IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE ALWAYS CONSIDER AND, AND KEEP MOVING FORWARD.
[01:30:02]
AGAIN, UM, JUST EDUCATION AND OUTREACH TO, TO CONTINUE THOSE EFFORTS SO PEOPLE UNDERSTAND WHAT WE'RE DOING AND WHERE WE'RE DOING IT.SO AGAIN, UM, WE WANT TO USE ORGANIC PESTICIDES FIRST AND THEN USE THE EPA LEVEL CAUTION THREE, UH, PESTICIDES WHENEVER IS DEEMED NECESSARY.
THIS IS FOR PARKS, UM, FIELDS, PLAYGROUNDS, BUT THIS, LIKE I SAID BEFORE, NO GLYPHOSATE AT THESE LOCATIONS.
PRETTY MUCH THE SAME THING HERE FOR OUR RIGHT OF WAYS.
AS YOU KNOW, WE HAVE, UM, I THINK WE HAVE NINE CONTRACTORS.
UH, WE MAINTAIN NOT ONLY TOWN ROADS, BUT COUNTY ROADS AND STATE ROADS, UM, AND THE VEGETATION AND LANDSCAPING IN THOSE AREAS.
UM, AS WE MOVE FORWARD, BASICALLY WHATEVER OUR CONTRACTORS, UM, THEY HAVE TO BE CERTIFIED PEST CONTROL APPLICATOR.
AND WE'RE REQUESTING THAT THEY WILL SUBMIT ALL THE CHEMICALS, ALL THE METHODS THEY USE TO MAINTAIN THE PESTS TO US FOR APPROVAL PRIOR TO, TO USING IT.
UM, AND THEY HAVE TO, LIKE I SAID, THEY HAVE TO BE A CERTIFIED, UM, COMMERCIAL APPLICATOR, AND THEY HAVE TO HAVE ALL THE RECORD KEEPING THAT'S REQUIRED BY THE STATE.
UM, SO WHENEVER WE ASK, WHAT DID YOU USE AND WHERE DID YOU USE IT, THERE'S CERTAIN STATE REQUIREMENTS THAT THEY HAVE TO MAINTAIN DOCUMENTS, AND THEY'LL PROVIDE THAT TO US AT THAT TIME.
A BIG ONE HERE, UM, APPROVAL AND, UH, APPLICATION OF THE PESTICIDES.
THE BIG ONE HERE IS THE POSTING OF SIGNAGE.
UM, WHEN WE DO HAVE TO USE A PESTICIDE, WE WILL MAKE SURE THAT IT'S POSTED AT THE AREAS OF APPLICATION.
SO IF THIS WAS A PARK, IT'D BE AT ALL PARK ENTRANCES.
WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT PUTTING A, A SIGN IN THE KIOSKS WITH A, UH, QR CODE OR A LINK BACK TO THE TOWN, BACK TO THIS POLICY.
ONCE IT'S APPROVED, UM, WE CAN LIST ALL THE, THE CHEMICALS WE USE.
AND I WANTED TO TAKE A, A PICTURE OF, I WAS WALKING THAT SHELTER COVE, UM, ON FRIDAY, AND THE GREENERY HAS SIGNS OUT THERE AND THEY DIE.
UM, THE CHEMICAL, SO WHERE YOU SEE THE WEEDS, THE, THE, THE WEEDS ARE NOW LIKE A BRIGHT GREEN, SO YOU CAN SEE WHERE IT'S BEEN APPLIED, AND I JUST DIDN'T GET A CHANCE TO GET THAT IN THE PRESENTATION.
BUT WE WANT TO, UH, NOTIFY PEOPLE WHEN WE DO IT.
SIGNS HAVE TO BE OUT THERE AND WE'LL POST 'EM FOR 24 HOURS AFTER THE APPLICATION IS COMPLETE.
AGAIN, ALL RECORDS OF THIS WILL, UM, AIM IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE STATE'S REGULATIONS.
UM, AND THEN I DIDN'T MENTION, BUT WE HAVE A NEW CHIEF ENVIRONMENTAL OFFICER, TJ JET.
UH, YOU MIGHT'VE SEEN THE PRESS RELEASE THAT WENT OUT OVER THE WEEKEND.
UM, A LOT OF HIS, HIS EFFORTS WILL BE FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION AND OUTREACH AND TO WORK WITH THE COMMUNITY, UM, TO HELP GET THIS, UH, MESSAGE OUT AND TO, I GUESS TO COLLABORATE WITH DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS, SCHOOLS, POAS, ET CETERA.
AND FINALLY, LIKE I SAID, UM, THIS WILL ALWAYS BE UNDER EVALUATION AND ASSESSMENT, UM, COLLABORATING WITH OUR PARTNERS, COLLABORATING WITH CLEMSON UNIVERSITY, MAKING SURE WE'RE DOING WHAT WE FEEL IS THE BEST WE CAN DO.
UM, AND THEN ANY NEW CHANGES, YOU KNOW, WE COULD BRING BACK TO YOU OR WE COULD ASSESS IT ANNUALLY, WE COULD COME BACK AND GIVE A REPORT AND HOW WE'RE DOING.
THE SECOND PART OF WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WAS A TRIAL STUDY.
UH, CLEMSON HAS BEEN GREAT TO WORK WITH SO FAR.
THEY PROVIDED A PROPOSAL, UM, FOR BASICALLY TWO LOCATIONS ON THE ISLAND.
I I'M IDENTIFYING CROSSINGS PARK, UH, THERE'S A LITTLE MEADOW THAT'S KIND OF TUCKED AWAY ON THE ONE PART I'LL SHOW YOU HERE IN A SECOND.
AND THEN THE MID ISLAND PARK, WHICH AS YOU KNOW, IS AN OLD GOLF COURSE.
THERE ARE A LOT OF OPEN AREAS AND ONE OF THE FAIRWAYS WE COULD CORDON OFF AND MAKE SURE WE COULD HAVE A, UM, GOOD TEST ENVIRONMENT THERE.
MADAM CHAIR, APOLOGIZE FOR INTERRUPTION.
UH, WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE TO DISCUSS THE POLICY FIRST AND TO SEPARATE OUT THE TRIAL STUDY PART? I'M OKAY WITH THAT.
YEAH, BRIAN? YEAH, I ASSUME THAT THAT MEANS YOU HAVE A QUESTION, MA'AM.
YES, ACTUALLY, I HAVE, UH, SOME QUESTIONS AND SUGGESTED REVISIONS, UM, WHICH I GUESS IS WHAT YOU WANT.
UM, FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR BRINGING A DRAFT POLICY TO US, AND, AND I ALSO WANT TO THANK COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO BROUGHT THIS TO OUR ATTENTION, UH, ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO'VE EMAILED ABOUT WALKING THEIR DOGS AND SEEING PESTICIDES BEING APPLIED AND ALL THE OTHER INFORMATION.
UM, AND, AND SO I THINK THAT'S BEEN VERY HELPFUL FOR US TO GET TO THIS STAGE.
UM, AND, AND I DID LOOK AT THE, UH, THIS DRAFT POLICY AS WELL AS THE DRAFT POLICY FROM NON-TOXIC NEIGHBORHOODS, WHICH THEY PROVIDED TO, UM, THE, UH, THE TOWN, TO THE STAFF AND TO COUNCIL MEMBERS.
AND ALSO, UM, I HAD FOUND THAT A DRAFT POLICY, I WAS TRYING TO LOOK AT WHAT POLICIES MIGHT HAVE BEEN ADOPTED BY JURISDICTIONS EITHER WITHIN SOUTH CAROLINA OR NEIGHBORING STATES.
AND I DID FIND ONE FROM THE TOWN OF HARBOR IN NORTH CAROLINA, WHICH I UNDERSTAND THE STAFF HAS LOOKED AT AND USED SOME PIECES OF.
[01:35:01]
UM, ALSO DID FIND, AND I, I DIDN'T, UH, SEND THIS TO STAFF, I JUST FORGOT TO DO IT, UH, CITY OF CHARLOTTESVILLE, VIRGINIA, UH, WHICH HAD A REAL SHORT SUMMARY PAGE ON THEIR WEBSITE.UM, SO I, I, I APPRECIATE STAFF TAKING TIME TO TAKE A LOOK AT ALL THOSE, UH, POLICIES AND TRY TO PICK OUT HOPEFULLY THE BEST LANGUAGE FOR OUR ISLAND.
UM, WITH THAT SAID, UM, THERE'S A COUPLE OF, UH, LET ME FIRST ASK A QUESTION.
AND THAT IS, I DON'T KNOW VERY MUCH ABOUT EPI LEVEL THREE, TWO, AND ONE, UM, BUT THREE IS CAUTION, AS YOU MENTIONED.
TWO IS WARNING AND ONE IS DANGER.
AND WHEN I SAY THE WORD DANGER, IT REMINDS ME OF THE OLD, UM, UH, SCIENCE FICTION SHOW ON TV THAT SAID, DANGER WILL ROBINSON DANGER
SO I, I, I'M WONDERING WHY WE NEED TO EVEN INCLUDE THAT AS AN OPTION.
UM, YOU CAN REMOVE IT, IT'S JUST, OKAY, CERTAIN CHEMICALS HAVE THOSE.
I, I COULDN'T TELL YOU WHICH ONES.
LIKE GLYPHOSATE ROUNDUP IS JUST A CAUTION.
UM, SO I, I DON'T EVEN KNOW IF WE USE ANYTHING THAT'S A ONE.
THAT'D BE SOME REALLY HIGH END.
SO, AND SOME OF THE ORGANICS THAT WE LOOK AT, BECAUSE THEY'RE ACIDS, THEY'RE ORGANIC, THEIR WARNING LABEL IS ACTUALLY WARNING, SO THEY'RE A LEVEL TWO.
SO MAYBE TAKE A, A LOOK AT THAT AND SEE IF MAYBE WE ONLY INCLUDE THE POSSIBILITY OF, UM, LEVEL THREE CAUTION AND NOT INCLUDE WARNING OR DANGER.
UM, BUT I, DANGER WILL ROBINSON.
SO
UM, AND I THINK THERE WAS SOME QUESTION IN SOME OF THE COMMENTS THAT I RECEIVED ABOUT STILL ALLOWING THAT TO HAPPEN.
SO, UM, THIS CLEARLY MAKES, UM, THAT, UM, THE, THE TOWN IS NOT GONNA USE IT ON TOWN PLAYGROUNDS, DOG PARKS, OR ALONG WATER SLASH MARSH EDGES, INCLUDING BUFFERS IN TOWN PROPERTY.
SO IF THERE'S SOME AREA THAT WE SHOULD BE INCLUDING THAT WE'RE NOT, IF, IF SOMEONE WILL TELL US THAT, WE CAN CERTAINLY CONSIDER THAT.
UM, THE OTHER, UM, GENERAL COMMENT AND REQUEST REVISION IS THAT, UM, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF PLACES WHERE, UM, IF YOU MOVE FROM, UH, LOOKING AT, FROM AN ORGANIC PESTICIDE TO ANOTHER TYPE OF PESTICIDE, UM, IS IT, IT'LL SAY LIKE, UM, MAYBE CONSIDERED OR, OR WHEN PESTICIDES ARE NEEDED OR WHEN DETERMINED.
AND I THINK WE NEED TO BE CLEAR WHO'S MAKING THAT DETERMINATION.
AND I DON'T THINK IT SHOULD BE LEFT UP TO THE LICENSED CONTRACTOR WHO'S DOING THAT WORK.
UM, I THINK IN SOME PLACES IT SEEMS TO REFER TO THE TOWN APPROVING, UM, SUCH AS ON PAGE, UM, PAGE FOUR, FIND THE RIGHT PAGE, NOT IN THE MATERIALS, BUT IN THE POLICY ITSELF.
BUT WHERE, UM, APPROVALS AND APPLICATION OF CHEMICAL PESTICIDES, NUMBER ONE SAYS A WRITTEN RECOMMENDATION, UM, SHALL BE PREPARED BY A LICENSED APPLICATOR AND SUBMITTED FOR APPROVAL BY TOWN STAFF.
SO I THINK WHEN, WHENEVER YOU MOVE FROM ONE LEVEL TO ANOTHER, THAT THE TOWN NEEDS TO HAVE APPROVAL RATHER THAN LEAVING IT TO THE LICENSED CONTRACTOR.
SO THERE'S SOME CLARIFICATION THERE OF YES.
UM, I THINK THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT.
UM, THE OTHER, UM, UH, GOING BACK TO PAGE ONE OF THE POLICY, UM, TOWN WIDE PEST MANAGEMENT GUIDING PRINCIPLES, UM, THE DECISIONS WILL BE BASED ON, AND IT SAYS POTENTIAL RISK AND BENEFITS.
AND I THINK THERE WE NEED TO BE CLEAR THAT IT'S GONNA BE A POTENTIAL RISK TO HUMANS, ANIMAL LIFE AND THE ENVIRONMENT.
SO WHO ARE WE TALKING ABOUT WHERE THE RISK, UM, CAN YOU CLARIFY THAT ONE FOR ME? YES.
SO THE LANGUAGE SAYS PEST MANAGEMENT DECISIONS WILL BE BASED ON MONITORING DATA, PEST POPULATIONS, REST THRESHOLDS, AND THE POTENTIAL RISK AND BENEFITS OF AVAILABLE CONTROL METHODS.
SO I THINK IT NEEDS TO BE CLEAR WHO'S AT RISK.
UM, SO POTENTIAL RISK TO HUMANS, ANIMAL LIFE AND THE ENVIRONMENT, I WOULD SUGGEST THAT PHRASE BE INCLUDED.
UM, SOMEWHERE IN THE POLICY IT NEEDS TO SAY THAT, UM, ALL CONTRACTS NEED TO INCLUDE, UM, UM, REQUIRED COMPLIANCE WITH THIS POLICY.
UM, THE OTHER THING THAT WE NEED TO, UM, HAVE IMPROVED IS ON THE TOP OF PAGE TWO, PESTICIDE APPLICATORS ARE REQUIRED TO NOTIFY TOWN STAFF OF WORKING AREAS FOR PESTICIDES OR SCHEDULED TO BE APPLIED PRIOR TO THE APPLICATION OF ANY PESTICIDES.
AND I THINK THAT NEEDS TO BE A NUMBER OF HOURS.
UM, IN MY NOTE THAT I WROTE IN, I THREW IN 72 HOURS BECAUSE HOPEFULLY THAT WOULD INCLUDE AT LEAST A WORKDAY.
[01:40:01]
TELL THE APPLICATORS, IT'S NOT LIKE I DON'T CALL YOU UP AND HOPE I REACH YOU IN FIVE MINUTES AND SAY, I'M OUT HERE SPRAYINGUM, SO WE NEED TO HAVE A CERTAIN, UH, NOTICE REQUIREMENT, WHATEVER THAT NUMBER OF HOURS MIGHT BE, WE CAN ADD THAT.
SO THE, THE ISSUE WE HAVE WITH THAT, AND IT'S NOT REALLY AN ISSUE, BUT LET'S SAY, UM, I DON'T KNOW, I'LL PICK LIKE CHAPLAIN PARK OR MAYBE ISLANDERS IS SMALLER.
THOSE MIGHT BE SERVICED ONLY ONCE A WEEK.
SO BASICALLY, ARE THEY JUST CALLING US, YOU KNOW, EVERY MONDAY AND SAYING, HEY, WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA SPRAY BECAUSE THEY WILL, YOU KNOW, IF THEY SEE WEEDS, THEY'RE GONNA SPRAY FOR IT.
IF THEY SEE A PEST, THEY'RE GONNA TREAT IT.
UM, SO I THINK IT'S JUST THOSE WEEKLY COORDINATION MEETINGS THAT MIKE PROBABLY HAS TO HAVE WITH OUR CONTRACTORS.
UM, BUT JUST NOTIFYING OR LETTING YOU KNOW, HOW IT ACTUALLY, HOW IT ACTUALLY WORKS OUT THERE WITH THE, WITH THE CONTRACTORS AND YEAH, SOME KIND OF NOTICE, SOME KIND OF NOTICE.
I WANNA BE PRACTICAL ABOUT IT.
UM, SO MAYBE 24 HOURS NOTICE, BUT WHATEVER IT IS.
UM, BUT THEN THAT GETS ME TO, UM, THE NOTIFICATION BY SIGNS ON.
CAN I JUST INTERJECT THERE FOR JUST A QUESTION? SO ARE WE DISTINGUISHING, IS THERE A DISTINGUISHED BE MADE BETWEEN THOSE, UM, SPONTANEOUS TYPES OF TREATMENTS WHEN YOU SEE A PEST OR WHATEVER, OR YOU SEE SOMETHING THAT'S GROWN THAT NEEDS TO BE TREATED THAT NECESS CAN'T NECESSARILY WAIT TILL THE NEXT GENERAL APPLICATION THAT GETS DONE VERSUS A REGULARLY SCHEDULED APPLICATION THAT COULD BE NOTICED? YEAH, SO I'M PROBABLY NOT THE BEST ONE TO TALK ABOUT THIS, AND YOU MIGHT HAVE TO HAVE MIKE COME UP AND TALK ABOUT IT, BUT AS, AS THEY, UM, THEIR WEEKLY SERVICES, RIGHT, THEY'LL, THEY'LL TREAT WHAT THEY SEE AT THAT TIME, BUT THEN THEY ALSO DO A SCHEDULED, IF THEY HAVE TO PUT A PRE-EMERGENT OR POST-EM EMERGENT DOWN, RIGHT? THEY CAN SCHEDULE THAT AHEAD OF TIME AND LET MIKE KNOW WHEN THAT'S GONNA HAPPEN.
BUT FROM A DAILY TREATMENT OR WEEKLY, WHENEVER THEY GO OUT TO THE SITE, IT'LL BE AS SEEN.
IT'D BE LIKE YOU WALK OUT TO YOUR YARD, SO DON'T ALREADY KNOW WHAT THEIR SCHEDULE IS WHEN THEY'RE GENERALLY ON THAT PARTICULAR SITE.
SO THEN THEY'S, YOU JUST HAVE A POSTING EVEN ON THE WEBSITE THAT SAYS, ISLANDERS PARK GETS TREATED ON WHATEVER, AND, AND THEN THAT'S SATISFIED.
WE COULD, WE COULD HAVE THE SERVICE SCHEDULES POSTED AT THE PARK AND THEN, UM, LIKE I SAID, LINK BACK TO THE, THE WEBSITE AND THIS IS WHO'S DOING IT, THIS IS WHEN THEY DO IT.
UM, AND IF THERE'S ANYTHING SPONTANEOUS THAT COMES UP THAT HAS THAT, THEN WE POST LOOKS IMMEDIATE, THEN THERE'S OBVIOUSLY A SIGN THAT'S POSTED, ET CETERA.
AND THOSE ARE EXTER EXTENUATING CIRCUMSTANCES AND IT GETS NOTED AND CORRECT.
YEAH, AND UM, AGAIN, IT'S JUST COMMUNICATION WITH THE CONTRACTORS, PROBABLY JUST WEEKLY MEETINGS, WEEKLY CHECK-INS, WHAT ARE YOU, WHAT ARE YOU PLANNING ON DOING TODAY, YOU KNOW, OR THIS WEEK.
AND IF SOMETHING LIKE THAT BEGINS TO EMERGE, THEN WE KNOW THAT POTENTIALLY WHATEVER THE CHANGE IN THE TREATMENT IS ISN'T EFFECTIVE THERE.
AND PERHAPS WE NEED TO REEVALUATE WHAT, WHAT PLANT IS GROWING OR ET CETERA.
AND IF THEY TELL US, HEY, WE'RE, WE'RE USING THIS AND IT'S JUST NOT WORKING, BUT WE, SO THAT'S PART OF THE ONGOING EVALUATION FOR THE FUTURE, CORRECT? YES, MA'AM.
DOES THAT, DOES THAT HELP? UH, SOME IF, IF THERE'S A WEEKLY APPLICATION OF SOMETHING? SURE.
BUT WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT, AND, AND MAYBE THIS IS THE MORE DETAILED PART, IS ON PAGE FOUR WITH THE, UH, THE NOTICE REQUIREMENTS.
SUBSECTION FIVE, UM, PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES SHALL BE EMPLOYED TO KEEP THE PUBLIC FROM ENTERING THE SPRAY ZONE FNG APPLICATION OF, UH, PESTICIDES.
AND SO IT TALKS ABOUT POSTING OF SIGNS, BUT IT DOESN'T, IT, IT SAYS WHEN APPLICATION OF PESTICIDES IS PERFORMED, WELL, IF I'M OUT WALKING MY DOG, I, I DON'T WANNA, YOU KNOW, START WALKING DOWN THE TRAIL AND ALL OF A SUDDEN THERE'S A SIGN THAT SAYS, OKAY, WE'RE, WE'RE APPLYING THIS.
OR IF THEY'RE OUT THERE APPLYING THE PESTICIDE AT THAT MOMENT.
SO THAT'S WHEN WE NEED THE PRIOR NOTICE SPECIFICALLY.
UM, AND THE, THE CAR BOROUGH ONE SAYS 72 HOURS AHEAD OF TIME.
UM, AND, AND WHAT I WAS LOOKING FOR WAS, IF YOU'RE GONNA USE HOURS, THEN WHAT ABOUT, UM, YOU KNOW, IF THERE'S A WEEKEND? UM, AND SO 48 AND 24 SEEM TO BE NOT ENOUGH.
SO I THINK THAT SHOULD SAY THE POSTING OF SIGNS HAVE TO BE AT LEAST 72 HOURS PRIOR TO APPLICATION.
AND IF, IF THAT'S MY FAVORITE DOG WALKING PLACE, THEN I'M SURE AS THE DICKENS NOT COMING THERE
UM, AND THEN, UM, UH, LIKE THERE WAS SOMEPLACE ELSE ABOUT THE NOTICE MAYBE.
ANYHOW, UH, LET'S BE CONSISTENT AND LET'S MAKE SURE THE PUBLIC HAS ADEQUATE NOTICE.
UM, AND I THINK YOU'VE GOT SOMETHING ABOUT THE PUBLIC EDUCATION AND OUTREACH AND, AND I'M NOT GONNA BE THE ONE TO TELL FOLKS HOW TO NOTIFY THE PUBLIC, BUT I THINK A LINK ON OUR WEBSITE,
[01:45:01]
UM, THAT FOLKS CAN GO TO AND FIND OUT WHEN, WHEN THINGS MIGHT BE SPRAYED WOULD BE VERY, VERY HELPFUL.AND IT, IT CAN BE A QR CODE THERE THAT LINKS YOU TO THE WEBSITE.
BUT IF I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHERE TO TAKE, YOU KNOW, MEMBERS OF MY FAMILY TO WALK NO MATTER THEIR AGE, UM, OR, OR MEMBERS OF MY FURRY FAMILY, THEN, UM, I WANNA KNOW, I, I DON'T WANT TO GO THERE AND FIND A PARKING PLACE.
AND THEN, SO NOW I CAN'T GO THERE.
SO, UM, THEN, UM, UH, BACK UP ON PAGE FOUR, UM, UM, AND IN SUBSECTION ONE, THE WRITTEN RECOMMENDATION SHALL BE PREPARED BY A LICENSED APPLICATOR AND SUBMITTED FOR APPROVAL BY STAFF.
I THINK WE NEED TO ADD A SENTENCE THAT SAYS NO WORK, UM, SHALL BE DONE UNTIL THE TOWN HAS APPROVED IT.
UM, THERE WAS ONE OTHER PLACE, UM, ABOUT PROVIDING RECORDS OF THE CHEMICALS BEING USED.
UM, THERE'S ONE PLACE WHERE THEY, THEY'RE REQUIRED TO PROVIDE THE RECORDS AND THEN ANOTHER PLACE WHERE IT JUST THAT, OH, OKAY, IT'S ON THE SAME PAGE.
UM, SO SUBSECTION THREE, UNDER APPROVALS AND APPLICATION, IT SAYS, RECORDS OF ALL OPERATIONS SHALL BE KEPT PURSUANT TO THE SOUTH CAROLINA, UM, DEPARTMENT OF PESTICIDE REGULATION REQUIREMENT AND RULES AND REGULATIONS PRO, YOU KNOW, PROMULGATED THERE UNDER, UM, BUT, UH, THEN ON DOWN IN THE NEXT SECTION, RECORDS AND REPORTINGS, IT SAYS, RECORDS SHALL BE RETAINED, UM, BY A CONTRACTOR AND COMPLIANCE WITH THOSE REQUIREMENTS.
BUT I THINK THAT NEEDS TO BE CLEAR THAT IT'S NOT JUST RETAINED, BUT PROVIDED TO THE TOWN AND RETAINED.
'CAUSE THEY'RE ALREADY HAVING TO, OKAY, SO WE CAN JUST ADD AND PROVIDED TO THE TOWN, PROVIDED TO THE ON REQUEST.
AND THEN THE NEXT SECTION, PUBLIC EDUCATION OUTREACH, SUBSECTION A, UM, REFERS TO, UM, EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS TO INFORM RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES.
I THINK WE NEED TO ADD VISITORS IN THERE TOO.
CAN YOU REPEAT THAT FOR ME? SURE.
SO IN, UH, THIS, AGAIN, ON PAGE FOUR, PUBLIC EDUCATION AND OUTREACH, IT SAYS, THE TOWN WILL DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT PUBLIC EDUCATION OUTREACH PROGRAMS TO INFORM RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES ABOUT IM PRINCIPLES, PRACTICES, AND BENEFITS.
AND I THINK WE OUGHT TO ADD VISITORS AS WELL.
WE WANT FOLKS WHO COME TO VISIT, THEY'RE LIKE, WELL, I DON'T WANNA TAKE MY KIDS OR MY DOGS TO THAT PARK TODAY BECAUSE IT'S BEING SPRAYED.
UM, I THINK THAT THERE, THERE ARE A LOT OF PLACES WHERE THERE'S DETERMINED BY WHOM TO CLARIFY THAT.
ANYONE ELSE HAVE ANY ALEX? YEAH, SURE.
UM, BRIAN, UM, FIRST THING, THIS POLICY, UH, WILL BE FOR FACILITIES AND PROPERTIES THAT THE TOWN IS RESPONSIBLE FOR MAINTAINING.
UM, THAT'S CLEARLY STATED IN THE PURPOSE HERE.
UM, AND I GUESS THE, THE, UH, I GOT TWO QUESTIONS AROUND THAT.
HELP ME A LITTLE BIT BECAUSE WE, WE TALKED ABOUT, UM, I'M, I'M REFERRING TO THE LIST OF DEFINITIONS AND I GUESS, UM, FEEL A LITTLE CONFUSED, BUT, UM, JUST THE RODENTS IS WHERE I'M REALLY GOING.
UM, CAN YOU TELL US HOW BIG OF A PROBLEM WE HAVE WITH RODENTS IN OUR FACILITIES AND PARKS? I'VE ONLY HEARD OF ONE ISSUE, IT WAS AT A BUS STOP DOWN BY MCDONALD'S WHERE THERE WAS SOME TRASH AND LITTER THAT WASN'T COLLECTED, AND WE HAD SOME RAT ISSUES THERE ALSO.
AND SO WE HAD OUR CONTRACTOR MAKE SURE THAT THEY FOCUS ON THAT AREA AND THEY DON'T JUST PASS BY IT WHEN THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO BE CLEANING AND BLOWING IT OUT AND PICKING UP LITTER.
IT, IT'S BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION BECAUSE I, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE MAINTAIN A GOOD FOOD CHAIN HERE ON HILL TO HEAD, AND THE SQUIRRELS ARE VERY IMPORTANT IN THAT FOOD CHAIN.
UM, SO, UM, I DON'T WANT US TO GET CRAZY IN THAT WORLD.
AND I GUESS THE, THE ONLY OTHER PIECE THAT I, I ASK OUT LOUD TO YOU, BRIAN, NOT THAT YOU HAVE TO ANSWER ME TODAY, BUT TO CARRY OUT THIS POLICY, DOES TJ CURRENTLY HAVE ENOUGH STAFF TO SUPPORT
[01:50:02]
WHEN TJ, MIKE, AND WHITAKER, UM, THEY ARE THE STAFF AND ME, BUT THEY SHOULD BE ABLE TO HELP COORDINATE WITH OUR CONTRACTORS TO IMPLEMENT THIS POLICY.AND I'M ALL CONCERNED ABOUT, AS YOU STILL HAVE ON THE SCREEN HERE, THAT THIS POLICY WILL BE REVIEWED AND EVALUATED PERIODICALLY SO THAT WE CAN MAKE CHANGES TO IT.
BECAUSE WHAT I HEAR A LOT OF ON THE DI HERE TODAY ARE, ARE DETAILS THAT AT SOME POINT WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO COME BACK TO THIS BECAUSE CONTRACTORS ARE LIVING IN THE WORLD, OUR RESIDENTS THAT ARE EXPERIENCING THE PARKS AND FACILITIES ARE LIVING IN THE WORLD.
AND THEN WE ARE LIVING ON THE WORLD.
AND RIGHT NOW I THINK WE'LL BE, WE'LL BE SORT, SORT OF BEING REACTIVE, WHICH IS OKAY 'CAUSE WE NEED TO GET SOMEWHERE.
BUT US GETTING TO A PLACE DOWN THE ROAD IS MORE IMPORTANT, UM, TO WHAT MAKES SENSE FOR EVERYBODY.
AND THAT'S WANNA MAKE SURE WE'VE GOT ADEQUATE STAFF SO THAT WE'RE NOT FIELDING PHONE CALLS AT THE DAAS ABOUT THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING OR NOT HAPPENING.
UH, I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO CONSIDER AS WE'RE MOVING FORWARD.
UM, THIS, SO NOT WANTING TO BELABOR, UM, THIS AT ALL.
UM, ONE, ONE THING THAT KELSEY POINTED OUT THAT I JUST WANT TO, THAT ONE, TWO, AND THREE.
AND THEN YOU'RE POINTING OUT THE FACT THAT WITHIN THE ORGANIC WORLD THAT UM, THERE'S AN ORGANIC PRODUCT THAT'S RATED AS A DANGER AS A WARNING.
AS A, SO WHERE DOES THAT LEAVE US? RIGHT, RIGHT.
WITH, WITH WHAT'S ABLE TO BE USED.
SO IS THE 1, 2, 3, AND I'M NOT, I HAVE NO ANSWERS.
I'M JUST ASKING, AND I DON'T EVEN EXPECT AN ANSWER FROM YOU TODAY, EVEN HERE.
BUT JUST A THOUGHT IS THE 1, 2, 3, THE LEVEL OF WARNING AND IN CONSIDERATION, UM, THAT'S ONE WAY TO LOOK AT IT IS ANOTHER, WE KNOW, WE KNOW OR WE BELIEVE WE KNOW THE KNOWN DANGEROUS PESTICIDES, HERBICIDES THAT ARE OF MAJOR CONCERN.
CLEARLY WE OUGHT TO LIST THOSE.
THEN WE HAVE THE ROOM FOR THE MORE ORGANIC NATURE ONES THAT WE BELIEVE SHOULD BE THE MOST HELPFUL.
THOUGH I SAY THAT NOT KNOWING IS, IS ACID ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT CLEARLY WE SHOULD BE AVOIDING AS WELL? AND SO THIS IS NOT MY REALM OF EXPERTISE.
I'M LEANING ON STAFF WHO I KNOW HOW LONG Y'ALL HAVE BEEN WORKING ON THIS AND HOW MUCH, UM, DEPTH OF RESEARCH YOU'VE PUT INTO IT.
SO I'M GONNA LEAVE THAT RIGHT THERE, UM, WITH YOU AND WITH REGARD TO RATS, IF YOU LIVE ALONG THE MARSH, YOU KNOW THEY EXIST AND I'LL LEAVE GOOD AT THAT
UM, AND ANYTHING ELSE, PLEASE? NO.
SO NEXT, JUST TO CLARIFY, I, WE TALKED ABOUT THAT TOO, FROM A STAFF LEVEL, DOES IT GET CONFUSING SAYING, YOU KNOW, LEVEL THREE, LEVEL TWO, LEVEL ONE, BUT KNOWING THAT SOME OF THE ORGANICS ARE A LEVEL TWO, UM, 'CAUSE THERE HAS BEEN CONCERN EXPRESSED BY OUR CONTRACTORS OF, HEY, IF YOU WANT ME TO SPRAY THIS ORGANIC, YOU'RE GONNA SEE A GUY OUT THERE IN A TY TYVEK SUIT, YOU KNOW, LOOKING LIKE A, A ASTRONAUT SPRAYING, YOU KNOW, IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SUMMER.
AND THAT'S GONNA DRAW A WHOLE LOT MORE ATTENTION THAN WHAT THEY DO NOW WHEN YOU SEE THAT PERSON DRESSED UP LIKE THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, IN A HAZMAT SUIT.
UM, BUT THEY HAVE TO DO THAT BECAUSE IT IS A, SOME OF THE ASSETS ARE VERY DANGEROUS TO THE APPLICATOR.
SO, UM, WE CAN, WE CAN FIGURE OUT A BETTER WAY TO WORD THAT, I THINK, TO ADDRESS THE LEVELS.
ONE OF THE, UM, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? UMT? I'M SORRY.
I, MR. COUNCILMAN RANKS HAD SUGGESTED SOMETHING ABOUT MAYBE, UH, REFOCUSING THE PURPOSE, AND I MAY NOT HAVE THIS EXACTLY RIGHT, BUT, UM, AND MAYBE WE CAN GET COMMENTS FROM HIM ON THE SPECIFIC LANGUAGE, BUT CAN YOU PULL IT BACK UP THAT PARAGRAPH, MR. M PURPOSE? I, I THINK IF I UNDERSTAND IT, IS, IS THE FOCUS WOULD BE ON MINIMIZING THE RISK, UM, TO HUMAN HEALTH ENVIRONMENT AND NON-TARGET ORGANISMS AND NOT DEVELOPING A APPROACH.
SO I THINK YOU WOULD FLIP IT TO SAY THE PURPOSE IS TO, GOING TO THE THIRD LINE, MINIMIZE THE RISK ASSOCIATED WITH PEST CONTROL MEASURES TO HUMAN HEALTH ENVIRONMENT AND NON-TARGET ORGANISMS BY OUTLINING THE SUSTAINABLE, EFFECTIVE AND ENVIRONMENTALLY RESPONSIBLE APPROACH, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH.
SO THE FOCUS IS ON MINIMIZING THE RISK TO ALL OF US BY
[01:55:01]
DEVELOPING THAT SYSTEM.IS THAT GOOD? AND MADAM CHAIR, THE ONLY OTHER QUESTION I WOULD HAVE IS, DOES THIS GIVE STAFF ENOUGH DIRECTION ON THE POLICY OR DO WE NEED TO BE, HAVE A SPECIFIC MOTION? I THINK THAT YOUR COMMENTS, UM, CERTAINLY ADD TO THE CONVERSATION WITH REGARD TO THE POLICY.
AND I SEE SEAN AS STEP FORWARD.
UM, I WOULD LIKE, UM, THEIR FEEDBACK TO YOUR FEEDBACK, UM, AS, AS WE'VE MOVED FORWARD, UM, IN TERMS OF HOW IT GETS INCORPORATED.
UM, OBVIOUSLY IT'LL BE BROUGHT BACK TO US BEFORE IT GOES TO, UM, BE RECOMMENDED TO TOWN COUNCIL.
UM, BUT TO ASK THE QUESTION, YOU HAVE THE NOTES, YOU'VE HEARD THE COMMENTS.
YEAH, I THINK ALL THE COMMENTS WERE PRETTY STRAIGHTFORWARD AND I SHOULD BE ABLE TO, TO ADDRESS, I MIGHT NEED SOME CLARIFICATION ON THE, THE PURPOSE OR THE POLICY STATEMENT.
UM, I MIGHT SUGGEST, UM, ANYONE OF US, UM, TO FORWARD TO, UM, TO BRIAN YOUR COMMENTS.
UM, SO IF YOU WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THEY'VE BEEN CLEARLY TAKEN, I'M HAPPY TO GIVE THE CLERK A COPY OF MY NOTES,
AND IF YOU CAN'T READ 'EM, I'M HAPPY TO TRY TO TRANSLATE.
UM, AND THEN FINALLY, I JUST WANTED TO HIT BACK ON THE, THE TRIAL STUDY, IF THIS IS SOMETHING WE STILL EVEN WANT TO PURSUE.
UM, CLEMSON GAVE US A PROPOSAL, IT WAS $6,000, BUT BASICALLY YOU'RE A, UH, A SMALL GRID AND YOU'D HAVE FOUR DIFFERENT TESTS.
WE WOULD USE, UH, A GLYPHOSATE PRODUCT.
WE WOULD USE, UH, THE ORGANIC SUPPRESSANT HOME PLATE OR ORGANIC, UH, MATERIAL.
AND THEN FINAL SAND IS A, UH, ORGANIC MATERIAL ACTUALLY PROVIDED BY THE NON-TOXIC NEIGHBORHOODS BY KIM CONTE TO US.
AND SO WE WANTED TO SEE THE EFFICACY OF THOSE, LIKE WHAT WILL IT LOOK LIKE OVER, YOU CAN SEE, UM, THE SEVEN, YOU KNOW, UH, ONE WEEK, TWO WEEK, THREE WEEK TREATMENT, WHAT'S IT GONNA LOOK LIKE? AND THEN 71 DAYS, AND WE'D HAVE A, A GOPRO CAMERA SET UP.
SO YOU COULD SEE, YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M ASSUMING WHEN THE ROUNDUP GETS SPRAYED, IT ALL DIES.
UM, AND WE'LL SEE THE OTHER ONES, UH, SEE HOW THEY WORK, AND THEN YOU CAN COMPARE THAT TO AN UNTREATED BECAUSE THIS WILL BE THE RESULTS THAT WE, WE HAVE IF WE START USING THESE MATERIALS.
AND THEN WE CAN EXTRAPOLATE THOSE COSTS.
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST FOR A GALLON OF SUPPRESS MIXED AT 18%? YOU KNOW, YOU EXTRAPOLATE THAT OUT AND I CAN SHOW YOU IT WILL COST US AS MUCH TO KEEP USING GLYPHOSATE OR IT'LL COST, MY GUESS IS MUCH, MUCH, MUCH MORE FOR THE ORGANICS.
UM, AND THAT'S FINE, BUT WE JUST HAVE TO BUDGET FOR IT.
AND I HAVE TO GIVE YOU ALL AN IDEA OF WHAT THAT'LL BE.
UM, I DON'T BELIEVE THIS TEST WILL SLOW DOWN THE POLICY.
I THINK IT'S SOMETHING THAT CAN BRING BACK TO YOU IN THE FUTURE, PROBABLY WITH OUR BUDGET.
UM, IF, IF THAT'S WHAT MARK WOULD LIKE YOU TO DO.
UM, BUT AGAIN, IF, IF IT'S NOT WORTH DOING THIS OR IF Y'ALL DON'T THINK THE TESTS ARE NECESSARY, WE CAN MOVE ON.
BUT CLEMSON'S BEEN VERY HELPFUL AND THEY'VE DONE THIS SEVERAL PLACES, SO, UH, IT'S BEEN, IT'S BEEN NICE TALKING TO THEM.
THANK YOU TO CLEMSON FOR THAT.
AND THANK Y'ALL FOR WORKING COLLABORATIVELY WITH THEM.
THAT'S A, TRYING TO PUT THE LITTLE, PUT IT SOMEWHERE THERE AND WE'D COORDINATE IT OFF WITH SOME, UH, SIGNS UP THERE, LIKE OF AN AREAS THAT, YEAH.
I THINK IT'S, UH, 10 FEET BY 20 FEET, SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
AND THEN I PICKED THAT FAIRWAY UP ONE, IT'S KIND OF OUTTA THE WAY, IT'S AWAY FROM THE PARKING LOT
AND SO THAT'S THE TRIAL STUDY.
UM, SO IF YOU'RE FEEDBACK ON THAT AND THEN A MOTION TO PROCEED WITH THESE COMMENTS AND OR THE TEST STUDY, UM, AS FOR A MOTION, TO WHAT EXTENT, UH, TO PROCEED WITH THE POLICY AS DIRECTED WITH THE COMMENTS, UM, THAT YOU'VE GIVEN US AND THEN WITH THE STUDY OR FOREGO THE STUDY.
UM, 'CAUSE I CAN GET THE STUDY GOING.
YES, I WOULD, I WOULD MOVE THAT WE PROCEED IN THE DIRECTION THAT YOU HAVE OUTLINED.
UH, I, I THINK IT IS ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL, UH, TESTING COMFORTABLE.
IF WE DIDN'T DO THAT, DOLLARS IS VERY MODEST.
I WOULD MOVE, WE PROCEED IN THE GENERAL DIRECTION AND CONDUCT THE TESTS AT THE INDICATED COST.
I'VE GOT A QUESTION ABOUT THE TRIAL STUDY.
CAN WE SECOND THE MOTION FOR BEFORE DISCUSSION? SURE.
[02:00:04]
BEING THAT THE POLICY IS WRITTEN IN SUCH A WAY THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE DIRECT INTERACTION WITH OUR CONTRACTORS, I THINK THAT IS GONNA BRING BACK VERY, VERY VALUABLE INFORMATION.HOWEVER, WILL WE BE EXPERIENCING ALL OF THE APPLICATIONS THAT WE WOULD TYPICALLY EXPERIENCE IN THE FIELD IN THE TRIAL STUDY? GOOD QUESTION.
I, I DON'T SAY I, SO THEY'LL TREAT IT THREE TO FOUR TIMES.
BUT I GUESS THE QUESTION IS WITH WHAT? I MEAN WE LOOK AT THAT WITH THOSE CHEMICALS.
SO THE, ARE YOU SAYING IS THAT THE SAME AS WHAT IT WOULD BE? YEAH, I GUESS, AND MAYBE I'M GETTING A LITTLE TOO DEEP IN THE DETAILS HERE, BUT IT JUST SEEMS TO ME THAT WHEN YOU WALK IN A SITE SITE ON HILTON HEAD THAT WE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR, IT MAY REQUIRE DIFFERENT TYPE OF APPLICATIONS TRYING TO KILL WEEDS THAT ARE IN, UM, GROUND COVERINGS.
THAT'S DIFFERENT THAN WHEN WE'RE TRYING TO KILL WEEDS AND GRASS, RIGHT? SO I'M ASKING, ARE WE GOING TO APPLY ALL OF THE CURRENT CHEMICALS THAT WE ARE APPLYING OUT IN THE FIELD IN THESE TRIAL STUDIES SITUATIONS? NOT EVERYTHING THAT WE HAVE AT OUR DISPOSAL, BECAUSE THAT TO BE AN INFINITE TEST, RIGHT? LIKE SO WELL WITH THAT, I'M NOT QUITE SURE THAT WE'RE GONNA GET AS MUCH BACK FROM THAT AS WE ALL WITH OUR CONVERSATION WITH THE CONTRACTORS IN THE FIELD.
UH, WE'VE, WE'VE TALKED TO OUR CONTRACTORS.
I'M NOT GONNA SPEAK FOR THEM, BUT THEY'VE BEEN PRETTY, UM, VOCAL ABOUT WHAT THEIR THOUGHTS ARE.
UM, BUT I STILL WANT TO PROCEED.
I WOULD PREFER TO PROCEED WITH THIS TEST TO SHOW YOU ALL, IT MIGHT NOT BE EXACTLY WHAT IT'S LIKE WHEN WE APPLY OUT IN THE FIELD, BUT AT LEAST YOU CAN SEE SOME, THIS IS HOW IT WORKS, RIGHT? AND THIS CONTROLLED TEST.
DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? I NOTICED, I, I GUESS I'M USING JUST THE LIMITED OF, UH, EXPERIENCE THAT I HAD IN THE LANDSCAPING WORLD THAT WHEN YOU'RE TRYING TO KILL WEEDS, THAT'S A, THAT'S A LOT MORE SEVERE THAN WHEN YOU'RE TRYING TO KILL, UH, OTHER ITEMS THAT MAY BE
I'M, I'M NOT NECESSARILY SOLD ON, I I UNDERSTAND WHY WE'RE DOING IT, BUT I'M NOT NECESSARILY SOLD ON FOLKS THAT WE'RE GETTING BACK THAT'S GONNA HELP US GET THE GOOD POLICY.
THAT'S, THAT'S WHERE I WANT TO BE.
UM, LET ME TALK WITH THEM AND FIGURE OUT IF THERE'S A BETTER WAY TO OUTLINE THIS PROPOSAL TO WHERE IT MAKES A LITTLE BIT MORE SENSE AND WHERE IT'D BE RIGHT WORD TO SAY, BUT UH, MORE CONSISTENT WITH WHAT YOU WOULD SEE, I GUESS ON A, OUT IN THE FIELD.
SO I THINK THE INTERJECTION THAT I WOULD MAKE IS THAT IN THE REAL WORLD, THEY'RE USING A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT CHEMICALS BASED ON THE SITUATIONS THAT THEY'RE COMING ACROSS.
AND PERHAPS THE STUDY COULD BE EXPANDED A BIT TO TAKE SOME OF THOSE COMMON, TAKE A COMMON CORE OF WHAT SEEMS TO BE THE CHEMICALS AND FIND SITUATIONS SO THAT THEY COULD BE USED.
AND THEN WE'D HAVE A BIGGER RESEARCH STUDY LIKELY, BUT MORE, UM, IMPACTFUL IN TERMS OF THE DATA WE RECEIVE.
UM, MY QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS ARE FROM A DIFFERENT ANGLE.
UM, AND, AND FIRST OF ALL, I HAVE NO BIAS FOR AGAINST ANY COLLEGE, UNIVERSITY OR RESEARCH FACILITY.
NO DOG IN THIS FIGHT AS FAR AS THAT GOES.
BUT, UH, THE QUESTION HAS BEEN RAISED IN THE COMMUNITY, UH, ABOUT, UM, UH, ANY COLLEGE, UNIVERSITY OR RESEARCH FACILITY WHICH RECEIVES FUNDING FROM THE MANUFACTURER, UM, ROUNDUP AND, AND USING THEM, WHICH I UNDERSTAND CLEMSON DOES.
UM, AND SO THAT CREATES IN MY MIND, UM, A A A BIAS AND RESEARCH FINDINGS AND INDEED PERHAPS A FINANCIAL CONFLICT OF INTEREST.
UM, SO I'M NOT PREPARED TO SUPPORT, UM, THE TRIAL STUDY BASED ON THIS PROPOSAL.
UM, I, I, I UNDERSTAND WHAT STAFF'S SAYING ABOUT IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO SEE THE RESULTS.
I UNDERSTAND THAT'S USED IN A LOT OF JURISDICTIONS TO COMPARE IS THIS WORKING VERSUS THAT WORKING AND THEN MAYBE WHAT THE COST AND BENEFITS ARE AND THE RISK, UH, FOR BOTH APPLICATIONS.
BUT I I, I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT WE TAKE A STEP
[02:05:01]
BACK AND SEE IF WE CAN FIND, UM, SOME, UH, OPPORTUNITY FOR, UM, A SOURCE WHICH WOULD NOT HAVE EITHER A, UH, A BIAS OR A FINANCIAL CONFLICT OF INTEREST.SO I WOULD NOT SUPPORT THIS PARTICULAR PROPOSAL.
AND WHILE I DON'T WANNA REWRITE THE RESEARCH PROJECT, AND I'D LOVE TO READ THE DETAILS OF IT, I LOVE A GOOD RESEARCH PROJECT.
UM, MAYBE A SOLUTION TO THAT, UM, CONCERN, UM, MIGHT BE, AND IT ALREADY IS, IS PARTLY THERE IS THE TOWN'S INVOLVEMENT, RIGHT? WE HAVE THE CAMERAS SET UP.
WE'RE GOING TO HAVE THAT LIPS OF, UM, OF TIME SEEING HOW ALL OF THESE VARIOUS SCENARIOS AND APPLICATIONS ARE IMPACTING, UM, THESE PLOTS OF LAND.
UM, BUT MAYBE WE CAN FIND SOME WAY TO, UM, INVOLVE FURTHER SOME INTEGRATION, COLLABORATION OF THE TOWN STAFF, UM, AND MAYBE COME UP WITH SOMETHING THAT MIGHT, I MEAN, BECOME PUBLISHABLE.
UM, MAYBE WE INVITE, UM, INVITE A COUPLE OF, UM, STUDENTS FROM THE LOCAL HIGH SCHOOL SCIENCE DEPARTMENT TO BECOME INVOLVED IN IT TOO.
I THINK THERE'S OPPORTUNITIES TO MAKE THIS A REALLY WORTHWHILE, UH, RESEARCH PROJECT, UM, AND ESTABLISH, UM, HILTON HEAD FOR WHAT WE KNOW WE ARE AND ENVIRONMENTALLY, UM, CONSCIOUS, UM, COMMUNITY AND PUT THAT OUT FOR OTHERS TO SEE AND TO READ AND DUPLICATE.
AND, UM, SO I THINK THERE'S TRUE VALUE ON MULTIPLE LEVELS OF THIS TRIAL STUDY.
AND, UM, I HOPE THAT THIS COMMITTEE WILL SUPPORT THE TRIAL STUDY.
AND I HAVE NEGLECTED AGAIN TO ASK FOR PUBLIC COMMENTARY, UM, THOUGH I THINK WE'VE HEARD, UM, FROM PAM WHO WAS HERE AND, AND OTHERS, BUT JUST SO I DON'T, UM, STEP ON ANYONE'S TOES.
UM, AND THEN, UM, TIME, IS THERE ANYONE WHO WANTS TO MAKE A COMMENT ABOUT THIS TOPIC FROM THE PUBLIC? YOU MAY.
I THOUGHT ABOUT THIS WHILE WE WERE LISTENING TO IT.
VINEGAR KILLS ALMOST ANYTHING.
I KILL POISON IVY WITH IT IN MY YARD.
AND, UM, THREE SISTERS FARM, WHICH IS A CERTIFIED ORGANIC FARM, USES A VINEGAR LIKE PRODUCT FOR WHEAT AND IT WORKS FOR THEM.
I JUST WANTED TO ADD FROM MY PERSONAL UPBRINGING.
MY GRANDFATHER HAD AN ORGANIC CITRUS FARM IN FLORIDA WHERE WEEDS GROW LIKE CRAZY AND EVERYTHING.
AND, UM, LAURA RIDING JACKSON AND SKYLAR JACKSON, YOU MAY LOOK UP WHO THEY ARE, HAD AN ORGANIC CITRUS FARM TOO.
AND, UM, THEY USED NO POISONS.
HE ALWAYS SAID, GIVE BACK TO THE EARTH WHAT IT GIVES TO YOU.
HE ALSO HAD A ZOYA GRASS IN HIS YARD.
IT CHOKES OUT WEEDS NATURALLY.
SO MAYBE WE COULD ALSO LOOK AT GRASSES AND THINGS THAT DO THAT WITHOUT ADDING CHEMICALS TO THEM.
BRIAN, ANY OTHER LAST MINUTE THOUGHTS THEN? UM, WE ARE, UH, VOTING ON THE MOTION THAT STEVE MADE.
UH, I'M A LITTLE BIT CONCERNED ABOUT THE MATTERS THAT, UH, MS. BRYSON BROUGHT UP IN TERMS OF POSSIBILITY OF APPEARANCE OR ACTUAL CONFLICT WITH THE CLEMSON IN TERMS OF FUNDING.
UH, HAVE YOU HAD ANY DISCUSSIONS WITH CLEMSON ABOUT THAT? UH, I, THEY'VE MENTIONED IT.
I MEAN, THEY, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE PROFESSIONALS.
CLEMSON OVERSEES THE STATE PESTICIDE CONTROL PROGRAM FOR, FOR THE STATE.
UM, YOU KNOW, I DON'T THINK THEY HAVE ANY, UH, INTENT ON, ON SWAYING THIS.
AND, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE PROFESSIONALS.
THEY DON'T WANT, UM, THEY DON'T WANT TO BE CHARGED WITH ANYTHING, YOU KNOW, IT WOULD BE LIKE ME SAYING UP.
I, I DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW TO REALLY ANSWER THAT.
THEY'RE JUST, I DON'T THINK THEY WOULD HAVE ANY CONFLICTS WITH THIS.
I CAN TRY TO GET A NON-CONFLICT STATEMENT, BUT THEY WON'T ACCEPT ANY BEAR.
I DON'T EVEN KNOW IF THEY DO THAT OR NOT THAT THEY WON'T GET ANY OF THE BEAR REWARDS.
WE DON'T KNOW WHETHER THE GRANT MONEY THAT CLEMSON MAY HAVE RECEIVED RELATES TO THESE PARTICULAR CHEMICALS, BUT THE MONEY THAT WE WOULD PAY THEM DOESN'T HAVE ANYTHING TIED TO THAT.
SO AS LONG AS THERE'S NO BIAS THERE.
UM, AND AGAIN, WE'RE INTRICATELY INVOLVED, WE'RE PARTNERS WITH THEM.
WE'LL BE ON, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, STAFF WILL BE ON SITE.
BE PART OF, WE ARE PART OF THIS RESEARCH PROJECT.
[02:10:01]
UM, I WAS GOING TO SUGGEST MADAM TO YOU.UM, BECAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE WE'VE GOT SOME CONSENSUS ABOUT MOVING THE POLICY PORTION FORWARD AND STILL HAVE QUESTIONS ON HOW PORTION AND ALFRED WHO MADE THE ORIGINAL MOTION IS WILLING TO AMEND IT AND SEPARATE THE TWO, UM, SO THAT WE CAN TAKE ACTION.
I THINK THAT WOULD PROBABLY GIVE STAFF A BETTER CHANCE TO ACCOMPLISH SOMETHING THAT'S FAIR.
THAT'D GIMME TIME TO TALK TO THEM.
AND SO POINT OF ORDER, UM, CAN WE, HOW DO WE SEPARATE THE MOTION INTO TWO SEPARATE MOTIONS FOR VOTING AND CHAIR? I MAY, I'LL LOOK AT THE CLERK AND SEE IF THIS IS EASIEST, IF THE MAKER AND SECOND WOULD AGREE TO WITHDRAW THAT MOTION ON THE TABLE AND THE SECOND ON THE TABLE AND, AND TO HAVE TWO SEPARATE MOTIONS.
ONE WOULD BE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE DRAFT POLICY WITH THE CHANGES REQUESTED TODAY.
AND THEN THE SECOND MOTION WOULD BE TO APPROVE OR NOT APPROVE THE TRIAL STUDY.
AND IF YOUNG WILL WITHDRAW IT, I'M HAPPY TO MAKE TWO SEPARATE MOTIONS, OR AT LEAST THE FIRST MOTION.
I THINK THAT'S A GOOD APPROACH AND I WILL WITHDRAW THE MOTION.
WE'LL SECOND, I WILL WITHDRAW MY SECOND AND I'LL MOVE TO, UH, APPROVE THE DRAFT POLICY SUBJECT TO THE CHANGES REQUESTED TODAY BY THE COMMITTEE.
AND NOW WITH REGARD TO THE TRIAL STUDY, UM, IT SOUNDS TO ME, I THINK, ALEX, YOUR POINT MAY HAVE BE WELL TAKEN, THOUGH I SUPPORT THE TRIAL STUDY, UM, AS IT'S CURRENTLY PROPOSED THAT MORE INFORMATION AND, AND PERHAPS THEY'VE EVEN MADE SOME SUGGESTIONS HOW TO STRENGTHEN IT.
IF WE COULD BRING BACK THE, UM, CONCEPT, UM, AT THE NEXT MEETING, THE NEXT CSPS MEETING, UH, COMMUNITY SERVICE, PUBLIC SAFETY, UM, I WOULD LIKE TO DO THAT PRIOR
[6. Adjournment]
RATHER THAN VOTING ON WHETHER TO ACCEPT IT OR NOT ACCEPT IT.AND IF THOSE IN THE DIARY AGREED, UM, WE CAN, UH, MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT AND ADJOURN THE MEETING TODAY.
UH, I WE'RE, WE'VE GOT A LOT TO TALK ABOUT AND WE'RE GONNA TRY TO TALK ABOUT IN A, ALL OF THIS IN A VERY SMALL KIND OF PRESENTATION TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC ABOUT WHAT WE WANT TO DO.
UH, IF Y'ALL REMEMBER, UH, WE STARTED WORKING ON A, A NEW SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICER OPPORTUNITY LAST YEAR, UM, BECAUSE WE KNEW, AND WE HAVE KNOWN THAT TRYING TO RECRUIT LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS TO BE CLASS ONE CERTIFIED, WHICH IS WHAT THE STATE REQUIRED.
UH, YOU KNOW, TO BE IN OUR SCHOOLS AS SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS, WHICH ARE, IS, IS A SPECIAL, I THINK WE ALL AGREE THAT THAT IS REALLY A SPECIAL CANDIDATE, UH, THAT WE CONSIDER TO BE THAT CLOSE IN ASSOCIATION TO OUR KIDS.
UM, AND, BUT WE KNOW THE IMPORTANCE OF THE SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICER PROGRAM BECAUSE OF THE SAFETY FACTORS IT CREATES, NOT ONLY IN OUR SCHOOLS, BUT WHAT OUR BUT OUR COMMUNITIES AS WELL, BECAUSE THE SCHOOL IS A MELTING POT OF THE COMMUNITIES THAT WE SERVE.
SO HAVING THAT RIGHT PERSON IN THAT JOB AND THAT ROLE TO PROVIDE SECURITY TO OUR KIDS LEADERSHIP, TO OUR KIDS, UH, AND GIVING TO CONFIDENCE TO THE STAFF TO WORK IN THE SCHOOLS.
I MEAN, IT'S IMPORTANT TO FIND THAT RIGHT PERSON.
SO IT'S DIFFICULT TO FIND A CLASS ONE AND A CLASS ONE LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER, FOR THOSE THAT DON'T KNOW, IS ONE THAT GOES TO THE ACADEMY FOR 12 WEEKS, SPENDS 12 WEEKS FOR THE MOST PART IN COLUMBIA.
WE DO SOME OF THE TRAINING HERE LOCALLY, BUT EVERYTHING ELSE, UH, HAS TO BE DONE IN COLUMBIA.
AND THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT WE'RE TRYING TO ATTRACT TO BE SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS THAT REALLY DON'T WANT TO GIVE UP THEIR LIFE AND THEIR FAMILY TO GO TO COLUMBIA AND GO THROUGH BOOTCAMP TO BE A CLASS ONE LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER.
[02:15:01]
TRAINING STAFF PUT TOGETHER A TRAINING SYLLABUS FOR A, WHAT WE CALL A CLASS THREE, UH, AND IT WAS A CLASS THREE DESIGNATION FOR SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICER.WHAT THAT DID IS IT ALLOWED US TO CREATE A TRAINING SYLLABUS THAT WE COULD TAKE A PERSON, UM, YOU KNOW, OF, OF ANY AGE, UM, AND THAT WE WOULD BRING THEM INTO LAW ENFORCEMENT ENVIRONMENT, YOU KNOW, WITH BLUFFTON OR BEAUFORT OR PORT ROYAL OR THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE.
UH, AND WE WOULD TRAIN THEM HERE IN BEAUFORT COUNTY.
ALL OF THEIR TRAINING WOULD BE DONE RIGHT HERE.
UH, IT WOULD BE EIGHT WEEKS, MAYBE A LITTLE MORE THAN EIGHT WEEKS OF TRAINING.
UH, WE WOULD LIKE TO START THIS, UH, THE, OUR FIRST CLASS.
WE'D LIKE TO START IT IN JUNE.
UH, THAT WAY WE CAN GET 'EM THROUGH THE PROGRAM AND BE READY FOR DEPLOYMENT, UH, WHEN SCHOOL STARTS IN AUGUST.
UH, I, I THINK IT'S AN AWESOME PROGRAM.
WE, WE, WE SENT THE TRAINING SYLLABUS TO THE ACADEMY THAT TRAINS ALL OF OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT IN SOUTH CAROLINA.
THEY APPROVED IT, UH, WITH THE BLESSING OF THE SOUTH CAROLINA TRAINING COUNCIL.
SO WE ARE READY TO GET THIS THING MOVING AND GET IT STARTED.
AND I THINK FOR US, UH, WE JUST NEED TO KIND OF TELL OUR CITIZENS, YOU KNOW, WHO ARE WE LOOKING FOR? UH, THE ROLE IS SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICER.
IT'S A CLASS THREE LAW ENFORCEMENT DESIGNATION.
UH, THEY HAVE ARREST POWERS, UH, AND THEY HAVE ALL THE POWERS OF ANY OTHER LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER ON THE SCHOOL GROUNDS, UH, THAT THEY'RE ASSIGNED TO.
SO WHAT DO YOU THINK, JOE, SHERIFF? I THINK IT'S A GREAT IDEA, AND THANK YOU FOR TAKING LEAD ON THIS.
UM, WE HAVE FOUR ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS IN BLUFFTON THAT CURRENTLY ARE NOT STAFFED BY CLASS THREE OR HIGHER OFFICERS.
AND I THINK THAT THIS PROGRAM IS GONNA ATTRACT PEOPLE TO THESE POSITIONS AND IT'S GONNA PROVIDE MORE OF A SECURITY BLANKET FOR OUR SCHOOLS TO INCLUDE OUR ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS.
SO WE'RE DEFINITELY EXCITED ABOUT IT.
WE'RE EXCITED TO BE PART OF IT.
WHO, WHO DO WE WANT TO ATTRACT? I THINK WE'VE GOT A, WE'VE GOT AN ENORMOUS NUMBER OF RETIRED MILITARY FOLKS HERE.
THEY MAY HAVE CHILDREN IN OUR SCHOOLS AND WITH THE, WITH THE PROGRAM THAT YOU WERE ABLE TO PUT TOGETHER.
UM, THEY'LL BE HOME WHEN THEIR CHILDREN ARE HOME, NOT IN SCHOOL.
AND, UM, AND I'VE ALWAYS SAID, AND YOU AND I HAVE HAD THIS CONVERSATION, SHERIFF, WE, WE NEED TO GET INTO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IF WE, IF WE WAITED UNTIL HIGH SCHOOLS WERE TOO LATE.
I'M, I'M GLAD THAT YOU TOOK THE LEAD ON IT.
UM, I'M EXCITED TO SEE IF WE CAN GET SOME PEOPLE IN, BUT I REALLY THINK THE YOUNG RETIRED MILITARY PEOPLE ARE, THEY'RE JUST MADE FOR THIS, YOU KNOW, AND WE'VE GONE THROUGHOUT OUR CAREERS, UH, IN THE COUNTY OF BEAUFORT, AND WE'VE HAD CONVERSATION AFTER CONVERSATION WITH DIFFERENT PEOPLE THAT SAY, YOU KNOW, I'M RETIRED, I'D LIKE TO FIND SOMETHING TO DO.
AND THEN YOU START TALKING TO 'EM, AND THEY'RE A RETIRED TEACHER OR RETIRED LAW ENFORCEMENT, RETIRED FIRE DEPARTMENT, RETIRED MILITARY, RETIRED BANKER, HAS RETIRED, I MEAN, RETIRED, THIS, THAT, AND THE OTHER.
AND THEY'RE STILL, STILL AT AN AGE THAT THEY COULD, UM, THEY COULD DO THIS JOB WITH NO PROBLEM AT ALL OF ANY KIND.
UM, AND THOSE ARE THE ONES THAT, THAT I'D LIKE TO SEE.
YES, I'D LIKE TO SEE, UH, THOSE THAT ARE STILL, THAT STILL FEEL LIKE THEY CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE, THAT MAYBE HAVE ALWAYS LOOKED AT LAW ENFORCEMENT AS BEING A JOB, BUT BECAUSE OF THE PAY AND BECAUSE OF THE, YOU KNOW, THE WORKING CONDITIONS AND FAMILIES AND, AND ALL THAT, THEY JUST DIDN'T WANNA DO IT.
BUT HERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY, UH, TO MAKE $45,000 A YEAR STARTING PAY TO WORK, BASICALLY THE SCHEDULE OF THE TEACHING AND SUPPORT STAFF OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, WHICH IS A PRETTY GOOD SCHEDULE.
IT IS, UH, TO HAVE BENEFITS, UH, TO BE IN THE RETIREMENT SYSTEM AND TO BE ABLE TO BRING THEIR MATURITY, UH, THEIR LIFE EXPERIENCE AND, AND, YOU KNOW, TO, TO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AGED KIDS WHO WILL BENEFIT GREATLY FROM JUST HAVING THAT OPPORTUNITY TO SOCIALIZE AND BE AROUND, UH, THESE FOLKS THAT BRING A LOT TO THE TABLE.
AND I, WE, IN OUR COMMUNITIES, YOU TAKE BLUFFTON AND BEAUFORT AND, AND IN THE COUNTY AND THEN IN PORT ROYAL, THOSE PEOPLE ARE HERE.
AND THEY'RE LOOKING FOR THINGS TO DO.
AND I JUST THINK THIS IS AN AWESOME OPPORTUNITY FOR THEM TO, YOU KNOW WHAT, JUST DO IT KINDA LIKE NIKE.
UH, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S, THE TRAINING IS, I THINK THEY'LL ENJOY THE TRAINING.
AGAIN, IT'S ALL DONE RIGHT HERE.
THEY, THEY'LL STAY AT HOME, THEY'LL SLEEP IN THEIR OWN BED, THEY'LL HAVE THEIR OWN PILLOW, AND THEN THEY CAN COME TO TRAINING.
AND ONCE THEY'RE CERTIFIED, UH, THEN THEY'LL START THE SCHOOL YEAR, UH, AUGUST OF THIS YEAR.
[02:20:01]
COMMUNITY REPRESENTS THAT OPPORTUNITY AS WELL.SO WHAT ELSE, WHAT ELSE YOU THINK THIS, UM, THIS PROGRAM'S GONNA DO IN TOTALITY FOR WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH? I THINK, I THINK THIS PROGRAM, ONE WILL BE ABLE TO GET US OVER THE TOP.
I THINK WE'LL BE ABLE TO GET, WE'LL BE ABLE TO GET A POLICE OFFICER IN EVERY SCHOOL IN BEFORD COUNTY, WHICH IS IMPORTANT.
A POLICE OFFICER AND I, AND I, AND YOU KNOW, WE, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS.
THERE'S A LOT OF TRAINING THAT GOES ALONG WITH THIS JOB.
THERE IS, AND YOU KNOW, THIS IS NOT A SECURITY OFFICER.
THIS IS A LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER, UH, THAT'S GONNA BE WELL-TRAINED, UH, IN THIS.
AND I, I THINK THAT AT THE END OF THE DAY, THAT'S, IT'S EXTREMELY IMPORTANT.
AND I THINK WITH THE YOUNG CHILDREN TARGETING THE RETIREES MM-HMM.
THEY'VE GOT THE LIFE EXPERIENCE FOR THE, FOR THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS.
AND, AND TO GET THAT STARTED OFF, SO HOW, HOW MANY, HOW MANY OPENINGS DO YOU HAVE FOR THIS PROGRAM? FOR THIS PROGRAM? WE, WE ONLY HAVE TWO CURRENTLY.
POSSIBLY A THIRD COMING ON BOARD.
I'VE GOT NINE JOE, I HAVE FOUR.
SO I MEAN, IN TOTAL, AND HERE'S THE THING.
IT DOESN'T MATTER IF YOU WORK AT THE CITY OF BEAUFORT OR THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON OR PORT ROYAL OR FOR THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE.
AND LAW ENFORCEMENT TO BE A CLASS THREE SRO, DOESN'T MATTER WHERE YOU GO, DOESN'T MATTER WHO YOU'RE EMPLOYED BY.
THE WORK ENVIRONMENT'S BASICALLY THE SAME.
THERE MAY BE A DIFFERENCE IN UNIFORM THAT YOU WEAR AT THE SCHOOL THAT YOU'RE ASSIGNED TO, UH, THE PAY.
I MEAN, EVERYTHING IS GOING TO BE BASICALLY THE SAME.
SO ALL WE WANT PEOPLE TO DO IS PUT THEIR APPLICATIONS IN, GIVE US THE OPPORTUNITY TO SIT DOWN AND EXPLAIN THE PROGRAM IN DETAIL.
AND IF YOU REALLY HAVE AN INTEREST IN IT, UH, THEN LET'S, LET'S, LET'S GET STARTED.
AND, AND ONE THING THAT I WANT TO HIT ON IS THIS PROGRAM IS IMPORTANT AND, AND REASON BEING IS NONE OF OUR KIDS SHOULD FEEL AFRAID GOING TO SCHOOL.
UM, THEY SHOULD BE GOING TO SCHOOL TO LEARN AND NOT WORRYING ABOUT THEIR SAFETY.
UM, AND WHAT THIS DOES IS THIS PROVIDES ANOTHER LAYER OF SAFETY FOR ALL OF OUR SCHOOLS, ESPECIALLY ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS.
UM, IT ALSO PROVIDES PEOPLE WITH AN OPPORTUNITY TO MENTOR THESE YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN.
AND SO, LIKE THE SHERIFF SAID, IF YOU TRULY WANT TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE, UH, THIS IS A POSITION THAT YOU REALLY, REALLY WILL BE MAKING A DIFFERENCE.
I JUST HOPE THE APPLICATION START POURING IN.
AND IF YOU GET MORE THAN, THAN YOU NEED THEN AND, AND WE NEED TO GO TO BEAUFORT OR WE NEED TO GO TO, UH, THE, THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE OR, OR PORT ROYAL, WE JUST NEED, WE NEED TO PUT THESE PEOPLE TO WORK.
WE NEED TO FILL THESE VACANCIES, UH, AND LET'S MAKE OUR SCHOOLS IN BEAUFORT COUNTY AS SAFE AS THEY POSSIBLY CAN.
AND I THINK THE UNIQUENESS OF THIS PROGRAM, THESE OFFICERS WILL BE TRAINED BY PEOPLE THAT HAVE CHILDREN IN THESE SCHOOLS.
THEY HAVE THE SAME DESIRES, THE OUTCOMES THAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR.
SO I'M, I'M LOOKING FORWARD, LOOKING FORWARD TO IT.
WELL, I MEAN, THE GREAT THING ABOUT IT IS THAT WE ARE, WE WILL BE DOING THE TRAINING TOGETHER.
IF YOU GET, IF YOU GET, IF YOU HIRE ONE OR TWO AND YOU HIRE FOUR, AND YOU KNOW, AND I CAN FILL THE NINE THAT WE NEED, WE'RE ALL GONNA BE TRAINING TOGETHER.
SO THIS IS GONNA BE ONE TRAINING SYLLABUS BUS TO BENEFIT, UH, THE SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICER PROGRAM.
I MEAN, THIS IS GOING TO BE, THIS, THIS PROGRAM IS FOR SOUTH CAROLINA AS A WHOLE.
THIS IS NOT JUST FOR BEAUFORT COUNTY.
BUT I'M EXCITED THAT WE'RE GOING TO START THIS AND INITIATE, YOU KNOW, THE SRO CLASS THREE POSITION HERE IN BEAUFORT COUNTY.
AND WE'RE GONNA SHOW THE STATE IT WORKS.
AND THE GREAT THING ABOUT THE TRAINING TOGETHER, SHERIFF, IS YOU'RE CREATING A NETWORK BEFORE YOU EVEN GET STARTED.
SO YOU'RE GOING TO KNOW PEOPLE FROM DIFFERENT SCHOOLS WHERE IF YOU CAN RUN INTO A PROBLEM, YOU HAVE SOMEBODY ELSE THAT YOU CAN CALL AND GET SOME ADVICE OR TALK TO THEM ABOUT THINGS GOING ON IN THEIR SCHOOL AND CURRENT TRENDS THAT ARE HAPPENING IN THEIR SCHOOL.
SO IT'S A GREAT COLLABORATION OF ALL THREE DEPARTMENTS AND THE ENTIRE COUNTY GETTING TOGETHER, BECAUSE HAVING THAT NETWORK AND PEOPLE THAT YOU CAN RELY ON FOR ADDITIONAL ADVICE IS INVALUABLE.
WELL, I TELL YOU WHAT, I MEAN, I WANT, I WANT PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO, TO MAKE THOSE PHONE CALLS OR GROW ONLINE AND RESEARCH, YOU KNOW, UH, JUST THE, THE, THE CLASS THREE SRO, UH, THROUGH ALL AGENCIES.
SO I THINK LINDSEY, IF WE CAN, I MEAN, AT THIS POINT, I THINK IF WE PUT THAT INFORMATION ON THIS VIDEO FOR BLUFFTON, BEAUFORT, PORT ROYAL, AND THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE WEBPAGE AND PHONE NUMBERS, UH, I THINK WE'LL HOPEFULLY WE'LL START GETTING CALLS.
THAT SOUND GOOD TO Y'ALL? YES, SIR.
[02:25:11]
HI, MY NAME'S VICTORIA HOFFMAN AND I'M THE RECYCLING COORDINATOR FOR BEAUFORT COUNTY.TODAY I AM GOING TO PROVIDE A QUICK COMPOSTING 1 0 1 TUTORIAL.
COMPOSTING IS A GREAT WAY TO DIVERT FOOD AND YARD WASTE FROM LANDFILLS, AND IT'S WONDERFUL FOR YOUR PLANTS.
A FEW REASONS WHY WE LIKE TO PROMOTE COMPOSTING ARE THE EPA REPORTED MORE THAN 63 MILLION TONS OF FOOD WASTE SENT TO LANDFILLS IN 2018 AND SOUTH CAROLINA.
ABOUT 30% OF WASTE TAKEN TO LANDFILLS IS YARD WASTE.
COMPOSTING REDUCES MATERIAL SENT TO LANDFILLS AND REDUCES METHANE RELEASED INTO THE ATMOSPHERE.
SO YOU MAY BE WONDERING WHAT IS COMPOSTING? COMPOSTING IS THE BREAKDOWN OF PLANT MATERIAL THROUGH DECOMPOSITION.
THIS HAPPENS IN NATURE, BUT AT A SLOWER PROCESS, ONCE THE MATERIAL BREAKS DOWN, YOU ARE LEFT WITH A NUTRIENT RICH DIRT LIKE MATERIAL THAT YOU CAN APPLY TO PLANTS YOUR GARDEN OR YOUR LAWN.
COMPOST HELPS RETAIN MOISTURE IN SOIL AND REDUCES THE AMOUNT OF CHEMICAL FERTILIZERS USED IN GARDENS.
IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN COMPOSTING, BEAUFORT COUNTY HAS EARTH MACHINE COMPOST BINS FOR SALE FOR A GREAT PRICE OF $50.
YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION ON PURCHASING ONE ON OUR WEBSITE.
THE BINS ARE ALMOST AT A 50% DISCOUNT OF THE NORMAL PRICE.
IT IS EASY TO ASSEMBLE AND DISCREET.
AS YOU CAN SEE, THE BINS COME IN THREE PARTS.
SO TAKING THEM HOME IN YOUR CAR IS SIMPLE.
THE BIN COMES WITH FOUR SCREW PEGS TO SECURE IT TO THE GROUND, A HARVESTER THAT CAN SLIDE UP AND HAS THE CAPABILITY OF BEING LOCKED.
ALSO, YOU HAVE A BASE, A TOP, AND A LID.
THE COMPOST BINS COME WITH A HANDBOOK THAT INCLUDES EASY ASSEMBLY INSTRUCTIONS.
CHOOSING THE LOCATION OF YOUR BIN IS IMPORTANT.
YOU WANT IT TO BE CLOSE TO YOUR HOUSE IN A SHADED AREA, AND YOU NEED A WATER SOURCE AVAILABLE.
YOU DON'T WANT IT TOO FAR FROM YOUR HOME BECAUSE YOU WANT THIS TO BE EASILY ACCESSIBLE.
YOU NEED A WATER SOURCE SUCH AS A WATER HOSE TO BE ABLE TO KEEP IT MOIST.
A COUPLE OF THINGS YOU WILL NEED TO START YOUR COMPOST BIN ARE SOME GREENS, WHICH IS YOUR NITROGEN SOURCES.
THIS INCLUDES GREEN GRASS AND LEAVES AND GARDEN CLIPPINGS, AND YOUR BROWNS.
YOU NEED YOUR BROWNS, WHICH ARE THE CARBONS.
EXAMPLES OF THESE ARE DRIED LEAVES, TWIGS, AND WOOD CHIPS.
SOME OTHER EXAMPLES OF YOUR NITROGEN AND CARBON SOURCES ARE LISTED ON THE SCREEN.
WHEN JUST STARTING YOUR COMPOST BIN, IT IS IDEAL TO LAYER YOUR GREEN AND BROWN MATERIAL IN AN ALTERNATING PATTERN.
BE SURE TO ADD WATER TO KEEP YOUR BIN MOIST, LIKE A RUNG OUT SPONGE.
NOW THAT YOUR COMPOST BIN IS SET UP, YOU'RE ALL SET TO BEGIN DIVERTING YOUR FOOD WASTE.
WHEN YOU ARE IN THE KITCHEN, PREPARING YOUR MEALS, INSTEAD OF TOSSING THOSE FOOD SCRAPS IN THE TRASH, YOU CAN SET THEM ASIDE TO DISPOSE OF IN YOUR COMPOST BIN.
THINGS LIKE PEELS FROM VEGETABLES AND FRUITS, EGGSHELLS, AND COFFEE GROUNDS CAN ALL BE PUT INTO YOUR BIN.
I LIKE TO KEEP A CONTAINER ON MY COUNTER FOR ANY SCRAPS THAT ARE COMPOSTABLE.
A SMALL BIN WITH A LID IS IDEAL TO DETER ANY PEST OR SMELLS.
YOU CAN ALSO STORE YOUR SCRAPS IN THE FRIDGE OR FREEZER UNTIL YOU'RE READY TO TAKE THEM OUT TO YOUR COMPOST BIN.
YOU WANNA BE SURE TO KEEP THESE ITEMS OUT, BONES, MEAT, AND TOXIC PLANTS.
HERE'S A LIST OF OTHER ITEMS YOU WANNA KEEP OUT OF YOUR BIN.
OFTEN I LIKE TO USE A PITCHFORK AND WORK MY WAY AROUND THE BIN THROUGH THE TOP.
YOU CAN ALSO USE A SHOVEL OR OTHER GARDEN TOOLS.
A PROPERLY MANAGED COMPOST BIN SHOULDN'T ATTRACT PESTS OR RODENTS, NOR SHOULD IT SMELL BAD.
IF YOU'RE UNABLE TO COMPOST OUTSIDE, YOU MAY WANT TO EXPLOIT VERBY COMPOSTING.
VERBY COMPOSTING IS WHEN YOU USE WORMS TO FACILITATE THE COMPOSTING PROCESS.
IT CAN BE DONE WITH A SMALL BIN AND KEPT INSIDE.
IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN COMPOSTING, PLEASE GO TO THE COUNTY WEBSITE TO ORDER YOUR BIN.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR WATCHING AND HELPING US TO DIVERT OUR ORGANIC WASTE.