[1. Call to Order ]
[00:00:04]
EVERYONE, WELCOME TO THE TOWN OF
THIS IS MONDAY, MARCH THE FOURTH, 2024.
I WANT TO GO AHEAD AND, UH, CALL THIS MEETING TO ORDER AND WELCOME EVERYBODY FOR COMING OUT AND MY COLLEAGUES AS WELL AND TO, TO OUR STAFF.
[2. Adoption of the Agenda ]
I DO HAVEN'T AGENDA TO SET THE FLOOR, SO, UH, AT THIS TIME, NO OBJECTIONS.I'D LIKE TO HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE IN AGENDA.
AND, UH, ANYBODY OPPOSED? NEXT
[3. Approval of the Minutes ]
WE HAVE, UM, THE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES FROM OUR DECEMBER 4TH MEETING.UM, HOPEFULLY YOU HAD A CHANCE TO REVIEW THOSE PAGES OF CORRECTIONS.
I'D LIKE TO ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES FROM THE DECEMBER 4TH MEETING, 2024 MR. HES IS DOING FOR A SECOND.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR APPROVE THAT, UH, MOTION HAS, UH, PASSED
UM, DO WE HAVE ANY APPEARANCE? NO, SIR.
[5. Staff Report ]
WE'LL MOVE RIGHT ALONG TO OUR STAFF REPORTS.UM, 2024 GULLAH GEECHEE CAST FOR, WELL, GOOD AFTERNOON.
AARON RUCKER, COMMUNITY PLANNING MANAGER.
UH, FOR THOSE, UH, THAT DO NOT KNOW ME, UH, AS YET, I'M GOING TO PRESENT THE, UH, FIRST ITEM ON THE AGENDA TODAY.
UM, BEFORE YOU GET STARTED, AARON, UM, I'M NOT SURE EVERYBODY KNOWS, UH, PLAN THAT YOU, UH, WHO YOU ARE IN YOUR RECENT POSITION TODAY.
SO, UH, AARON RUCKER, COMMUNITY PLANNING MANAGER, AND AS A MATTER OF FACT, I'VE BEEN HERE EXACTLY THREE MONTHS JOINING THE TOWN TODAY.
AND I'M HERE TO PRESENT THIS TO YOU ALL AND, AND WORK, UH, WITH YOU IN THE FUTURE, UM, ON A BUNCH OF GREAT STUFF.
ALRIGHT, SO STARTING US OFF HERE, WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT THE, UH, YOUR TASK FORCE, UH, GOALS.
BUT BEFORE WE GET THERE, I WANT TO JUST GIVE YOU A BRIEF, HIGH LEVEL OVERVIEW OF WHERE WE ARE WITH A COUPLE OF THOSE MAJOR INITIATIVES, THE DISTRICTS AND LMO.
SO DISTRICTS, LET'S START THERE.
SKULL CREEK AND PARKWAY ARTS ARE IN DEVELOPMENT.
YOU ALL HAVE REVIEWED, UH, MARSHES AND BRIDGE TO BEACH DRAFTS PREVIOUSLY IS MY UNDERSTANDING.
RECOGNIZE THAT THE DISTRICT PLANS COMING FORWARD WILL BE MORE STREAMLINED IN A MORE STREAMLINED FORMAT, UH, FOR DELIVERABLES THAN THOSE PREVIOUS TWO.
THE GOAL IS THAT ALL OF THESE EIGHT DISTRICTS WILL BE COMPLETED THIS YEAR.
AND THAT'S EXCLAMATION MARK, LML, LAND MANAGEMENT ORDINANCE.
SO WE HAD A, COULD I ASK? SURE.
WE HAVE TO HAVE A MAP OF THOSE, THOSE DISTRICT KIND OF STUFF UP.
UNFORTUNATELY, I DON'T HAVE THAT RIGHT HERE IN MY FINGERTIPS, UH, THAT I'M AWARE OF.
I THINK IT WOULD BE GOOD TO WE, UNTIL YOU JUST MENTIONED, WE CAN REFRESH OUR MINDS AS TWO.
IS LIE IN THE OVERALL OUTLINE? YES, SIR.
YOU WANNA SEE THE TWO AND THEN THE OVERALL EIGHT? YES.
READY FOR LMO LAND MANAGEMENT ORDINANCE.
UH, CODE CONSULTANT, UH, KICKOFF WAS LAST MONTH, MID-FEBRUARY.
HAD A TWO DAY KICKOFF WITH THE CODE CODE CONSULTANT.
UH, WENT VERY WELL, TALKED ABOUT CODE, AND THEN HAD A NICE ISLAND TOUR.
TWO MAIN OBJECTIVES ARE COMING OUTTA THIS INITIATIVE.
ONE IS APPROVING THE PRIORITY AMENDMENTS, THOSE QUICKER FIX AMENDMENTS AND AS WELL AS OVERHAULING THE ENTIRE CODE.
THE REMAINING CODE YOU ALL WILL BE UTILIZED TO REVIEW CHANGES SPECIFICALLY IMPACTING HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOODS CODE.
[00:05:02]
ALSO WANTED A, AN UPDATE ON OUR PRINCIPAL PLANNER HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOODS.WE HAVE A SIGNED OFFER FROM OUR PREFERRED CANDIDATE WITH THE START DATE SCHEDULED LATER THIS MONTH, MARCH 18TH.
SO WE'RE VERY EXCITED ABOUT THAT.
NOW, UM, LET'S GET INTO THE PRIORITIES FOR 2024.
THERE ARE THREE PUBLIC POLICY GOALS, CULTURAL PRESERVATION PRIORITY GOALS, AND THEN JUST CONTINUED EFFORTS AND REFINEMENT OF IMPLEMENTED RECOMMENDATIONS.
THIS IS WHAT WE'VE PREPARED BASED ON LISTENING TO YOU FOR THIS YEAR'S WORK PLAN, PUBLIC POLICY GOALS.
AND I'M READING RIGHT FROM THE AGENDA.
UM, UH, THE ATTACHMENT OF THE AGENDA, HISTORIC OVERLAY DISTRICT.
THIS EFFORT WILL BE ADDRESSED THROUGH TOWN DISTRICT PLANNING AND LMO OVERHAUL PROJECT EFFORTS AND WILL BE A PRIORITY FOR THIS YEAR.
HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOODS, GGP FCI T BE A KEY REVIEWER OF PLANS AND POLICIES WITHIN HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOODS.
FAMILY SUBDIVISION, FAMILY COMPOUND REGULATION REFINEMENT WILL BE COMPLETED AS PART OF THE LMO OVERHAUL PROJECT.
WORKFORCE HOUSING HOUSING INITIATIVES ARE PRIORITIZED AND MANAGED THROUGH THE TOWN'S CHIEF HOUSING OFFICER WHO IS AUDIENCE TODAY.
QUINCY IN THE APPROVED 2022 WORKFORCE HOUSING FRAMEWORK, PUBLIC OUTREACH INFORMATION CENTER CREATED AT TOWN HALL F INTERNAL COORDINATION COORDINATE WITH G-G-C-D-C EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, WHO IS THOMAS BOXLEY, I BELIEVE HE'S HERE AS WELL ON IMPLEMENTATION OF THE GAH GEECHEE CULTURAL PRESERVATION PROJECT REPORT.
MOVING ON TO CULTURAL PRESERVATION PRIORITY GOALS, A IMPLEMENT GOLA HISTORY AND CULTURAL AWARENESS PROGRAM.
THE CURRICULUM, THE CURRICULUM WAS APPROVED IN LATE 2022 FOR THIS YEAR.
24 STAFF WILL IMPLEMENT THIS RECOMMENDATION THROUGH COORDINATING WITH THE TALENT'S, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT DIVISION, AND THEN THREE CONTINUED EFFORTS IN REFINEMENT OF IMPLEMENTED RECOMMENDATIONS.
HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOOD PERMITTING AND DESIGN STUDIOS, FAMILY SUBDIVISION AND FAMILY COMPOUND IMPLEMENTATION, HEIRS, PROPERTY SUPPORT FOR PROPERTY OWNERS AND REGIONAL COORDINATION, DELINQUENT TAX SUPPORT PROGRAM, CONTINUED IMPLEMENTATION OF THE HOME SAFETY, REPAIR AND SEWER CONNECTION PROGRAMS. CONTINUE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE SMALL AND MINORITY OWNED DISADVANTAGED BUSINESS ENTERPRISE UTILIZATION PROGRAM.
SO THAT IS ARE THE PRIORITIES FOR 2024.
UM, DO YOU GUYS HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR, FOR HEARING RUCKER MR. HINTS? SO THESE PRIORITIES FOR THE, FOR FOR THIS COMMITTEE FOR 2024? YES.
UH, HOW WERE THEY, HOW DID THEY COME ABOUT? WELL, UH, SITTING DOWN TALKING WITH, UH, MEMBERS OF THE TASK FORCE,
YEAH, WE, UH, MET A FEW WEEKS AGO, WAS HERE, A COUPLE OF US DID.
SHE WAS AT THAT MEETING TOO, RIGHT? YEAH.
TO GO OVER OUR GOALS AND THIS IS SOMETHING WE FELT WAS, UH, IMPORTANT TO DO, YOU KNOW, CERTAINLY THE FIRST PART OF THE YEAR TO SEE AS WE'VE DONE IN PAST YEARS WHAT OUR GOALS ARE.
UM, HOW IS, ARE THEY A SUBSET OF THE GULLAH GEECHEE CULTURAL PRESERVATION PROJECT REPORT? 'CAUSE THAT'S THE, THAT'S THE LIST THAT WE HAD BEEN WORKING ON, I THINK 36 ITEMS. AND, AND HOW DOES, HOW DOES THAT LIST FIT WITH THIS LIST? AGAIN, SUBSET OR, OR PRIORITY OF, OF, OF THAT GROUP OR, OR SOMETHING DIFFERENT RIGHT.
THAN, THAN THE, UM, PROJECT REPORT.
SO, SO, UM, THAT'S FROM THE 2019 REPORT, RIGHT? YEAH.
SO MY UNDERSTANDING IS ALL OF THIS, ALL OF THIS PROGRAM IS CHANNELING THROUGH THAT, YOU KNOW, INITIAL DOCUMENT AND, UM, WORKED WITH YOU ALL.
AND I WILL SAY, I'LL BACK UP A SEC.
[00:10:01]
UM, THE FORMER HISTORIC, UH, NEIGHBORHOODS PRINCIPAL PLANNER, UH, TOOK A LOT OF HER NOTES AND INFORMATION THAT SHE HAD PUT DOWN, ORGANIZED THOSE IN GROUPS AND PRIORITIES AND WHO DOES WHAT.AND OUT OF THAT EFFORT TOO, WE CAME UP WITH THIS LIST.
SO IT'S TAKING THAT BACKGROUND INFORMATION AND REPORTING AND PUTTING IT INTO THIS BEFORE YOU NOW.
AND SO LET ME SEE IF I CAN HELP YOU OUT A LITTLE BIT HERE.
'CAUSE LIKE I SAID, I KNOW YOU'VE JUST BEEN HERE THE THREE MONTHS.
UM, TOM, MOST OF THESE DO COME OUT OF THE WORK WE'VE BEEN DOING WITH THE RECOMMENDATIONS.
NOW, OF COURSE, A COUPLE OF ITEMS HAVE COME ABOUT SINCE THAT REPORT WAS PUBLISHED, FOR INSTANCE.
SO, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE, UH, TALK ABOUT THE, UH, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION THAT IS NEWLY FORMED AND JUST, UH, COME INTO EXISTENCE, UM, THE WORKFORCE HOUSING PIECE IS PROBABLY SOMETHING THAT WAS NOT NECESSARILY IN OUR REPORT.
UH, BUT WHAT I DO APPRECIATE FROM STAFF IS THAT THEY ARE INCLUDING US AS STAKEHOLDERS, IF YOU WILL, INTO SOME OF THOSE PROJECTS THAT ARE GOING ON THAT ARE RELATED TO THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING.
AND THEN FINALLY, IF WE COULD HAVE THAT LIST SO THAT WE CAN, UM, HAVE IT BRING IT TO FUTURE MEETINGS TO, TO TRACK OUR PROGRESS LIST HERE YOU MEAN, OR, OKAY, SURE.
I, UH, I HAVE A QUESTION PLEASE.
REGARDING THE CONNECTION BETWEEN THE REDISTRICT TEAM AND THE OVERLAY, OR THE REDISTRICTING OVERLAY AND
YEAH, I GUESS THE CONCERN I HAVE WOULD BE, ARE THE, ARE THE TWO OF THOSE ENTITIES THAT MAKE SO CLOSELY TO ME WORKING TOGETHER THAT YOU DON'T HAVE A SITUATION WHERE YOU HAVE AN OVERLAY THAT HAS TO COMPETE WITH RULES IN THE
YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT I I'M SAYING RE REDISTRICTING IN TERMS OF VOTING DISTRICTS? NO, NOT, NO, NO, NO.
AND, AND, UM, I HAVE WHAT WE HOPING, WHAT WE'RE HOPING TO GET OUT OF THE REDISTRICTING, THE CONCERN I HAVE IS THAT YOU HAVE A, UH, THE, THE DISTRICTS ARE REALIGNED AND THEN THERE'S A COMPETING UN REMOTE THAT WE'VE HAD THAT IN THE PAST.
HAVE TO DEAL WITH THAT IN THE PAST.
I'M, I'M, I'M CONCERNED THAT THE TWO ARE GONNA BE KIND OF CLOSELY, YOU KNOW, THEY ARE MIGRATED TOGETHER TO THE POINT WHERE YOU DON'T HAVE THIS, THEN WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH, YOU KNOW, BACK LENSES.
MS. E LU, DIRECTOR OF PLANNING FOR THE RECORD, UH, YES.
BOTH PROJECTS ARE CLOSELY COORDINATED.
SO BOTH THE PROJECT TEAM ON THE LMO OVERHAUL AS WELL AS OUR DISTRICT PROJECT, UM, WE ACTUALLY HAVE A, UM, AN OWNER'S REP CONSULTANT THAT IS THE LINK BETWEEN THE TWO PROJECTS AS WELL.
AND, UM, THE DISTRICT PROJECT IS LEADING AHEAD OF THE LMO OVERHAUL AND ARE BEING CLOSELY COORDINATED.
AND WHEN THE DISTRICT PROJECTS OR THE DRAFT PLANS HAVE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FUTURE LAND USE OR LAND USE TYPOLOGIES, THOSE DISCUSSIONS ARE HELD.
UM, OR WE HAVE IN OUR PROGRAM SCHEDULE, WE HAVEN'T HAD THOSE YET, BUT WITH THE LMO TEAM TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S, THERE'S NOTHING IN CONFLICT AND THAT THE TWO PROJECTS ARE, ARE IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE INTENDED GOALS FROM THE DISTRICTS.
OTHER QUESTIONS ON OUR, UM, OUR PRIORITIES? I HAVE A QUESTION, MR. CHAIR? YES, MS. WRIGHT, MY QUESTION, UM, IS WHO WILL BE MANAGING THE PUBLIC OUTREACH, UH, FROM THE TOWN PERSPECTIVE? OR IS THAT DIRECTLY TO THE TASK FORCE? I'M THINKING THAT IT'S GOING TO BE THE PERSON THAT FILLS THE POSITION FOR WHAT WE KNEW AS THE HISTORIC, UH, PRESERVATION ADMINISTRATOR.
UM, YOU CAN CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, BUT, UH, JOYCE, IS YOUR QUESTION RELATED TO OUTREACH FOR GULLAH GEECHEE WORK PROGRAM ACTIVITIES OR THAT'S ON, THAT'S ON THE
WHICH ONE IS THE, OH, THE INTERNAL COORDINATION? YEAH.
SO THE COORDINATION THERE WOULD BE FROM THE COMMUNITY PLANNING TEAM, UM, THROUGH AARON AND THROUGH OUR NEW, UM, HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOOD PLANNER, UM, TO CONTINUE COORDINATION AND OUTREACH ON THE GULLAH GEECHEE WORK PROGRAM GOALS AND OBJECTIVES.
[00:15:01]
SO DO WE HAVE SOMEONE IN THAT POSITION? WE HAVE, UH, A CANDIDATE WHO HAS ACCEPTED AN OFFER AND WHO IS ANTICIPATED TO START ON MARCH 18TH.CAN YOU SHARE THAT PERSON WITH US? OR IS HE A LOCAL CANDIDATE OR, THIS PERSON DOES LIVE ON HILTON HEAD YES.
UNTIL THEY, UM, OFFICIALLY ARRIVE.
UM, I'M GONNA WITHHOLD ANNOUNCING A NAME.
UM, BUT, BUT THERE IS, UH, OUR PREFERRED CANDIDATE HAS ACCEPTED THE OFFER.
SO, AS I UNDERSTAND IT, BUT YES, WE WANT TO WAIT TILL TILL WE GET THAT PERSON, UH, IN PLACE.
UH, AS YOU ALL KNOW, WE'VE HAD A COUPLE PEOPLE IN THAT POSITION.
SO I THINK THAT MISSY AND THE STAFF ARE BEING CAUTIOUS TO MAKE SURE, MAKE SURE THEY SHOW UP ON THE FIRST DAY OF WORK.
AND, UH, OF COURSE MISSY LU, AS WE KNOW HER AS PLAN B, WILL PROBABLY BE JUST AS EXCITED TO HAVE SOMEONE IN THAT POSITION WHO I THINK WILL FILL A LOT OF THE GAPS.
UH, TO YOUR POINT, JOYCE, WITH THE PUBLIC OUTREACH AND THAT CONNECTION TO THE COMMUNITY.
AND THEN MY SECOND QUESTION IS WITH THE INTERNAL COORDINATION WITH THAT, WITH THE, UH, G-G-D-C-D-C.
SO THE TWO OF THEM WILL BE WORKING TOGETHER OR, AND, UM, YEAH, THE ORGANIZ ORGANIZATIONALLY, UH, WORKING TOGETHER WITH, UM, THE CDC EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR ON WHERE OUR WORK PROGRAMS HAVE OVERLAP, CERTAINLY THAT, UH, NEW PLANNER WOULD HAVE COORDINATION WITH, WITH THE CDC AS WELL AS OUR WHOLE COMMUNITY PLANNING TEAM.
AND, UH, MR. BOXLEY IS IN THE ROOM.
SO THANK YOU MR. BOXLEY FOR BEING HERE.
FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO DON'T KNOW HIM BY NOW, UH, HE IS OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE, UH, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CALLED CORPORATION.
UM, AND I ALSO, AS I'VE BEEN WATCHING THE PROCESS, UH, UNDERSTAND THAT THERE WILL BE SOME OVERLAP IN SOME OF THE WORK THAT HE'S DOING.
UM, BUT I THINK THAT THIS COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION WILL PROBABLY HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE LEGS TO IT, IF YOU WILL, AND THAT, UH, WE'LL BE ABLE TO SUPPORT THE WORK THAT HE'S DOING.
AND CERTAINLY HE IS OBVIOUSLY INTERESTED IN, UH, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE ARE DISCUSSING HERE IN OUR MEETINGS AS WELL.
MR. CHAIRMAN, I HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION.
I DON'T KNOW IF, IF IT'S APPROPRIATE OR NOT, BUT I HAVE TO ASK SO I CAN SETTLE MY, MY CURIOSITY.
IN REGARDS TO THE CULTURAL AWARENESS PROGRAM, WOULD, WOULD, WOULD IT BE APPROPRIATE FOR US TO, YOU KNOW, DEPEND THE SUCCESS OF THIS PROGRAM, EXTENDING THIS TO THE CHAMBER AS WELL? OR IS THAT A DIFFERENT, DIFFERENT IMPLEMENTATION AUDIENCE THAN WHAT WAS INTENDED? YEAH, THAT IS MAYBE, YOU KNOW, WE START WITH THE TOWN.
WE OFFERED TO THE CHAMBER SINCE THE CHAMBER'S SUCH A BIG PARTNER TO THE TOWN AND THE CULTURE IS SOMETHING THAT I KNOW FROM HISTORY.
WHEN THEY WENT, WHEN I WENT IN THE HOTELS, THE CHAMBER HAD AN AMBASSADOR PROGRAM THAT EVERY NEW EMPLOYEE AT THE HOTEL HAD TO GO TO.
AND I ASKED THEM ABOUT THE YELLOW CULTURE.
AND THIS AGAIN, THIS WAS 15 YEARS AGO.
AND THEY TOLD ME, WELL, WE DON'T DISCUSS THAT.
SO, I MEAN, IT'S LIKE, I'M THINKING THAT MAYBE THEY TOOK THAT POSITION BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH INFORMATION TO, TO AT LEAST APPROACH THE SUBJECT.
IT COULD BE AN AREA THAT WE LOOK TO EXPLORE AND BROADEN ADDITIONAL EDUCATION.
BUT RIGHT NOW, THE IMPLEMENTATION AUDIENCE FOR THAT PARTICULAR PROGRAM DOES NOT INCLUDE EXTERNAL, UM, ENTITIES.
UM, OTHER QUESTIONS ON THE PRIORITIES? UM, CAN YOU TELL US THE NAME OF THE, UH, CODE CONSULTANT FIRM THAT WE'VE ENGAGED FOR WHICH PROJECT? FOR THE, UH, UH, THE CODE? YEAH, THE CODE.
OH, CODE STUDIO IS THE NAME OF THE CONSULTANT TEAM.
AND WHERE ARE THEY FROM OR OUT OF? THEIR MAIN OFFICE IS OUTTA TEXAS.
THEY HAVE, UH, TEAM MEMBERS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY THOUGH.
OTHER QUESTIONS ON OUR 2024 PRIORITIES? I DON'T KNOW IF, UH, AARON WAS FINISHED OR NOT.
[00:20:03]
YES, MR. CHAIRMAN, I'M ALL FINISHED.UM, YOU ALL HAD A CHANCE TO LOOK AT THIS LIST.
DO YOU HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FOR, ALRIGHT.
UH, NEXT ON OUR AGENDA IS, UH, AN UPDATE ON THE HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOOD PERMITTING AND DESIGN STUDIO REPORT.
ALEXIS COOK, PRINCIPAL PLANNER FOR THE RECORD, I'M GONNA PULL UP MY REPORTS.
I'M GONNA SWITCH THE SCREEN REALLY QUICK.
I AM VERY EXCITED FOR THIS MONTH'S REPORT.
THIS ENCOMPASSES JANUARY AND FEBRUARY, 2024 AS WE'RE IN MARCH NOW, WHICH IS HARD TO BELIEVE, BUT WE HAVE A NEW FAMILY COMPOUND APPLICATION, WHICH I HAVE FOUND DOES TAKE A LITTLE BIT OF TIME TO WORK WITH THE APPLICANT THROUGH DESIGN STUDIO TO GET THEM TO THE APPLICATION PROCESS.
SO I'M VERY EXCITED TO HAVE A NEW FAMILY COMPOUND APPLICATION.
IT'S OUR 11TH ONE, UM, THAT DOES NOT INCLUDE FAMILY SUBDIVISION, BUT SO THAT'S VERY EXCITING.
THEY'RE DONE WITH DESIGN STUDIO, THEY HAVE MOVED ON AND, UM, WE'RE WORKING WITH THEM THROUGH THE PROCESS OF THEIR APPLICATION.
SO, AND THEN WE ALSO RECEIVED TECHNICALLY THREE NEW CASES, UM, FOR DESIGN STUDIO ONE IS A HISTORICAL CEMETERY CASE, WHICH IS VERY, VERY EXCITING.
UM, SO OVERALL I THINK THE DESIGN STUDIO PROCESS IS GOING PRETTY WELL.
UM, IF ANYONE HAS ANY QUESTIONS FOR ME, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO LET ME KNOW.
UM, I'M EXCITED ABOUT THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING AS A STUDIO AS WELL.
AND AGAIN, UM, ADAM HAVING AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK WITH MR. BOXLEY AND HOW THAT, UH, GULLAH GEECHEE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION WILL BE ABLE TO HELP AND ASSIST WITH PEOPLE WHO ARE TRYING TO DO THINGS WITH THEIR PROPERTY.
BUT THERE AGAIN, IS ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF SOME OVERLAP OF THE WORK THAT THE CDC IS DOING ALL ALONG WITH HOW WE CAN HELP SOME OF THE FOLKS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO HELP AS WELL WITH IN THE CULTURE.
NO OTHER QUESTIONS FOR MS. COOK? VERY GOOD, THANK YOU.
I GUESS BEFORE SHE LEAVE, UM, NO THANKS.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE ARE CURRENTLY GOING THROUGH THE FAMILY SUBDIVISION AND THE FAMILY COMPOUND.
AND I JUST WANT TO BACKTRACK JUST A LITTLE BIT.
UH, WE ARE TALKING ABOUT LMO CHANGES IN THE REDISTRICTING PLAN.
UH, AND I GUESS I'M GONNA MISS, MAY NEED TO COME BACK TO ANSWER.
AND IT GOES BACK TO, UH, ABRAM'S CONCERNS EARLIER.
IF WE HAVE THIS IN PROGRESS AND WE ARE APPLYING THE, WHAT I WOULD CALL THE NEW RULES, UH, I DON'T SUPPOSE WE ANTICIPATE WHEN WE GET TO THE REWRITE THAT ALL OF THIS THERE ARE GONNA BE CHANGES TO WHAT WE ARE CURRENTLY DOING.
THIS SHOULD GO FORWARD AS IT'S ALREADY BEEN DESIGNED AND LAID OUT AS FAR AS OUR CODES AND RULES AND EVERYTHING OVERALL.
I DON'T THINK, AND MISSY CAN CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, I DON'T THINK ANY OF THE MAJOR CHANGES WILL IMPACT THE LAYOUT, THE SITE LAYOUTS TO THE MAJORITY OF THE DESIGN STUDIOS AND WHEN THEY APPLY THAT DATE DOES STAMP THEM TO, UM, WHAT THE CURRENT REGULATIONS ARE.
SO, UM, WITH, UM, WHAT WE'VE IDENTIFIED IN THE PRIORITY SET OF AMENDMENTS, UM, THE FAMILY COMPOUND AND FAMILY SUBDIVISION CHANGES THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS WITH THE TASK FORCE ARE NOT IN THAT PRIORITY SET.
THEY WILL BE IN THAT, THE FULL OVERHAUL TIMELINE.
UM, BUT, AND I AM SORRY, I APOLOGIZE IT WAS A LITTLE BIT LATE SO I DIDN'T HEAR AARON'S UPDATE.
WE DO WITH, WITH ALL OF THE CHANGES THAT ARE COMING IN THE CODE AMENDMENT PROJECT, BOTH IN THE PRIORITY SET AND IN THE FULL OVERHAUL, WE, WE DO INTEND TO UTILIZE THE TASK FORCE AS A STAKEHOLDER BODY FOR REVIEW OF CHANGES PROPOSED IN ANY OF OUR HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOODS.
SO, UM, I DON'T KNOW YET KIND OF WHAT THAT SCHEDULE LOOK LIKE OR, UM, HOW THAT WOULD BE DELIVERED.
BUT, BUT WE HAVE ALREADY BUILT INTO THE, UM, INITIAL, UM, TIMELINE WITH THE CODE CONSULTANT THAT KIND OF REVIEW STEP WITH THE TASK FORCE.
SO WITH THAT, JUST KNOW THAT AS WE ANALYZE THE SECTIONS OF CODE THAT ARE GONNA COME FORWARD,
[00:25:01]
WHETHER IT'S IN THE PRIORITY SET OR THE FULL CODE OVERHAUL, WE WOULD HAVE THOSE DISCUSSIONS, UM, BEFORE THE CODE IS FINALIZED, WHEN IT'S STILL IN DEVELOPMENT WITH, WITH THE TASK FORCE, WITH THAT LENS OF THE HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOOD.SO ANY CHANGES ALONG THE WAY THAT COULD IMPACT LIKE FAMILY COMPOUND OR FAMILY SUBDIVISION, WE WOULD MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE CHECKING IN WITH THE TASK FORCE BOARD THAT WE HAVE IDENTIFIED ANY POSSIBLE, YOU KNOW, CONFLICTS, UM, AND WOULD HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS AS THEY ARISE.
SO, UM, I GUESS I CAN'T REALLY FULLY ANSWER YOUR QUESTION TODAY 'CAUSE WE DON'T HAVE THOSE CHANGES BEFORE US, BUT AS WE ANALYZE ALL OF THE CODE CHANGES, WE ARE GOING TO COME UP WITH, UH, LIKE A STAFF EVALUATION, UM, HANDOUT WHERE WE IDENTIFY, YOU KNOW, WHAT THIS CHANGE IS AS PROPOSED AND WHAT ARE THE CONSEQUENCES, YOU KNOW, POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE OR OR NEUTRAL.
AND SO THAT'S SOME OF THE BACKGROUND WORK THAT, THAT WE'VE JUST STARTED, UM, MAPPING OUT WITH, WITH THE TEAM THAT'S INVOLVED IN THAT PROJECT.
YEAH, AND AND I, I BRING THAT UP TO A POINT BECAUSE, UH, THERE'S BEEN A TIME OR TWO WHEN SOME OF WHAT WE FELT WE SENT BACK TO STAFF WERE THE, UH, DESIRES OF THE CHANGES THAT WOULD ALLEVIATE SOME OF THE, THE RED TAPE THAT'S BEEN SO PREVALENT IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS.
AND IT SEEMS SOMEHOW, YOU KNOW, UH, I REMEMBER, UH, PRECISELY ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE ISSUES ON LANDSCAPING AND BUFFERS, WHICH HAS BEEN ONE OF THE MAJOR, MAJOR ISSUES WHEN IT COMES TO THESE EITHER OF THESE, UH, DIVISIONS, EITHER THE FAMILY COMPOUND OR THE FAMILY SUBDIVISION.
THOSE ARE THE LITTLE THINGS THAT GET PUSHED ONE WAY OR THE OTHER THAT CAN MAKE A WORLD DIFFERENCE IN HOW THESE PROJECTS WILL GO FORWARD.
SO I I, YOU KNOW, WANNA MAKE SURE IT DOESN'T GET LOST SOMEWHERE BETWEEN THE TWO, UH, ORGANIZATIONS OR EVEN THE CODE AND THE LMO ITSELF WHEN YOU GET THERE BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THIS TOOK A LOT OF TIME.
SO I, I JUST WANT US TO BE VERY CAUTIOUS AS TO WHAT YOU'RE CURRENTLY APPROVING AND WHAT GETS TO A POINT WHERE YOU HAVE A CODE OR REWRITE IT JUST WIPES THIS OUT BECAUSE WHAT SHE'S CURRENTLY DOING IS TAKING A LOT OF WORK TO GET TO THAT POINT.
UM, AND WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WITH ALL THE CODE AMENDMENTS THAT WE AS A COMMUNITY ARE CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH WHERE WE'RE HEADED IN OUR DEVELOPMENT, UM, IN OUR DEVELOPMENT OF THE FUTURE.
AND CERTAINLY WANNA MAKE SURE THAT ALL OF THE WORK IN THE GALLAH GEECHEE PROJECT PRESERVATION REPORT AND THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS CAN BE IMPLEMENTED THROUGH THIS WORK.
AND THAT WE LOOK AT ALL OF THOSE INFORMING PLANNING DOCUMENTS, UM, AS THE BACKGROUND MATERIAL TO, TO ADVANCE THE PROJECTS.
AND, UM, AS MENTIONED BEFORE, YOU KNOW, WE WILL HAVE OPPORTUNITIES TO PUT EYES ON THOSE, UH, CHANGES AND DEVELOPMENTS AS THEY COME, UH, THROUGH THE WORK OF THE, UH, THE CODE WRITERS AND, AND OTHER POLICIES THAT MIGHT COME ACROSS THAT ARE RELATED TO THE HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOODS AS SUCH.
IT'S, SORRY, MR. CHAIRMAN, PLEASE.
SO I JUST WANTED TO ASK ABOUT THE 16 OF THE APPLICATION THAT IS ON HOLD, UM, AND, AND THERE FOR VARIOUS REASONS.
UM, AND I SAW THAT THAT THINGS THAT THE TOWN HAS ADDRESSED IN OTHER AREAS IN QUESTIONS.
SO HOW LONG OR WILL THOSE 16 APPLICATIONS EXPIRE OR, UM, UM, SO GOOD QUESTION.
I DO NOT EVER HAVE THEM EXPIRE.
WHAT HAPPENS IS, UM, AND THIS TRACKER WAS MADE BEFORE ME, BUT I'VE MADE A FEW JUST UPDATES.
SO EACH MONTH I CHECK IN ON A LOG OF EVERY DESIGN STUDIO AND THERE'S A STATUS FOR EACH ONE.
AND THEN AS THE MONTH KIND OF GOES ON, I EITHER KEEP IT ON HOLD OR I CHECK IN WITH THE APPLICANT OR I CHANGE IT, OR IT STAYS THE SAME IF IT LIKE, UNFORTUNATELY THE CAPITAL PROJECT ONES ARE IN RELATION TO SOME PARK PROJECTS AND IT'S JUST, IT'S A TIMING THING.
UM, BUT IN ESSENCE, IN THAT LOG FOR EACH APPLICATION EVERY MONTH I REVIEW THEIR STATUS AND THEN THEY, THEY DON'T CLOSE UNTIL ESSENTIALLY THE APPLICANT TELLS ME LIKE, OKAY, I'M READY TO MOVE ON, OR THEY MOVE ON TO AN APPLICATION OR, UM, LIKE, I'VE HAD A FEW MOVE ON TO PLAT STAMPING APPLICATIONS INSTEAD OF FAMILY COMPOUNDS.
UM, SO, AND I'M ALWAYS HAPPY TO REVIEW THAT LOG IF YOU EVER WANNA SEE IT.
IT'S, IT'S JUST IN EXCEL, RIGHT? IT'S NOT BEAUTIFUL, BUT IT'S FUNCTIONAL
[00:30:01]
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? THANK YOU.AND UM, NEXT WE HAVE ON OUR AGENDA, THE HOME AND SAFETY REPAIR PROGRAM UPDATE FROM TANTE.
TASK FORCE, TANTE ECONOMIC, UH, PLANNER ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FOR THE RECORD.
UM, SINCE OUR LAST UPDATE IN DECEMBER, UM, WE HAVE RECEIVED, UH, SIX MORE APPLICATIONS FOR THE HOME SAFETY AND REPAIR PROGRAM.
AND WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO COMPLETE NINE MORE PERMITTED JOBS.
UM, AND WE'RE CURRENTLY HAVE 26 JOBS THAT ARE PENDING OUR OR ARE UNDER CONTRACT.
UM, WE HAVE ALSO UPDATED THE MAP PER YOUR REQUEST TO BETTER IDENTIFY THE AREAS IN WHICH THE MAJORITY OF THE WORK IS BEING DONE.
UM, AND WITH THAT IS ALSO THEIR STATUS IN THE PROGRAM.
UM, SO YOU CAN SEE THE DIFFERENT COLOR CODED, UM, CIRCLES THERE.
UM, REPRESENT ALL OF THE UPDATES THAT WE HAVE FOR YOU OF THE COMPLETED PROJECTS, THE ONES THAT ARE UNDER CONTRACT, THE ONES THAT ARE PENDING, UM, APPROVED, ET CETERA.
ANY ADDITIONAL COMMENTS FOR THAT? I CAN TAKE THAT BACK TO THE TEAM, BUT I THINK THAT KIND OF OUTLINED EVERYTHING THAT YOU MENTIONED IN DECEMBER.
HOW'S IT GOING WITH THE CONTRACTORS? I DON'T WORK WITH THE CONTRACTORS UNFORTUNATELY, SO I'M NOT REALLY INVOLVED IN THAT STEP OF THE WAY.
UM, I CAN DEFINITELY GET ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FROM CHRIS ON THAT AND GIVE YOU A REPORT YEAH.
ON HOW WORKING WITH THE CONTRACTORS HAVE BEEN, IF YOU'D LIKE.
UM, OTHER QUESTIONS FOR T UM, YOU PROBABLY HAVE TOLD US BEFORE, UH, UM, THIS PROGRAM WILL ALSO, UM, BE IN THE NEXT BUDGET FOR THE TOWN AS WELL.
IS THAT MY UNDERSTANDING? YES, SIR.
AND UM, IS THAT IN LIKE JUNE OR JULY I THINK? YES, JULY.
UM, THE PROGRAM STARTED IN JULY OF, OF 2022.
THE, THE, THIS PROGRAM STARTED IN JULY OF 22.
UM, THERE IS, UM, IN A BUDGET AMENDMENT REQUEST THAT'LL BE COMING FORWARD SOON TO COUNCIL, UM, A REQUEST TO, UH, AMEND THE, THE BUDGET ALLOWANCES TO POTENTIALLY FUND ALL OF THE APPLICANTS THAT ARE IN BOTH THE HOME SAFETY AND REPAIR QUEUE AND THE SEWER CONNECTION QUEUE.
SO IF APPROVED, THEN THAT WOULD ACCELERATE SIGNIFICANTLY THE FUNDING ALLOCATED FOR THE PROGRAMS AND WE WOULD BE ABLE TO IMPLEMENT, UM, THE, THE PROJECTS THAT ARE APPROVED BUT NOT YET UNDER CONSTRUCTION ON THE SCREEN.
IDEA HOW MUCH MONEY HAS KIND OF ANY IDEA HOW MUCH I'M LOOKING AT WHAT WE HAVE NOW.
THE NEW FUNDING IS APPROXIMATELY, UH, I DON'T KNOW THE TOTAL, BUT IT'S AROUND 900,000 AS THE QUESTIONS.
MR. HENS, IS THERE ANYTHING THAT WE NEED TO DO TO HELP WITH THAT APPROVAL OF THOSE ADDITIONAL FUNDS AS A COMMITTEE OR IS IT GOOD TO GO? ARE YOU GOOD TO GO? UH, WELL IT'S A DECISION OF COUNCIL.
UM, THIS BODY IS A RECOMMENDING BODY TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION, BUT YOU COULD, UM, DECIDE TO MAKE A MOTION AND RECOMMEND, UM, SOMETHING OUT TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION THAT THEN COULD BE RECOMMENDED, UH, UH, TO COUNCIL.
I'D LIKE TO MAKE THAT MOTION IF IT'S OKAY WITH CHAIRMAN.
I'M SORRY, WHAT IS THE MOTION? THE MOTION TO, UM, REFUND THIS PROGRAM TO THE TUNE OF $900,000 TO GET US ANOTHER YEAR'S WORTH OF FUNDING FOR, UM, HOME SAFETY REPAIR AND FOR SEWER CONNECTION.
UM, AND THAT IS SOMETHING THAT, UH, WE CAN DOCUMENT AND SEND UP TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION.
IF THERE'S A MOTION, I MEAN, I'D LIKE TO SECOND IT IF THERE'S A MOTION.
I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE I UNDERSTOOD THE MOTION, MADE IT CLEAR FIRST
[00:35:01]
AND WE ALL UNDERSTAND THE PROCESS.'CAUSE THIS IS JUST, UH, A RECOMMENDATION PRETTY MUCH WE DON'T HAVE ANY DECISION MAKING AUTHORITY HERE.
UM, BUT I MEAN, I MEAN I LESS, LESS, I GUESS TOM, MAYBE BE MISUNDERSTOOD THAT, UM, LET SEE, SAID THAT WE COULD MAKE A MOTION TO RECOMMEND, UH, TO, TO FOLLOW THROUGH THE RECOMMENDATION.
SO I THOUGHT THAT'S WHAT YOUR MOTION WAS ABOUT.
THAT'S HOW I UNDERSTOOD MR. HESS'S MOTION AS WELL, RIGHT? YEAH.
SO, MR. CHAIRMAN, IF YOU SEE FIT TO CARRY THAT, THEN I GUESS WE CAN MOVE FORWARD, BUT IF NOT YEAH, I MEAN THAT'S FAIR ENOUGH.
I THINK WE CAN, CAN MAKE THAT MOTION.
UM, MR. HES HAS, UH, PRESENTED A MOTION AND MR. SIMMONS HAS SECONDED ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, UH, UPON ANY OPPOSED? OKAY.
WAS THAT UNANIMOUS? MS. WRIGHT? I DIDN'T KNOW IF I SAW YOUR HAND WAS YOUR HAND? OKAY.
THAT WAS UNANIMOUS FOR THOSE OF US WHO WERE PRESENT.
UM, OTHER QUESTIONS? I DO HAVE ONE MORE QUESTION.
ON THE, ON THE SEW CONNECTORS, THE MAP SHOWS YOU HAVE 24 COMPLETED CONNECTIONS.
IS THAT, IS THAT THE OVERALL PLAN THAT IS SUBMITTED INITIALLY TO I THINK DEEP WELL OR IS THAT JUST WHAT CAME THROUGH THE TOWN THAT DIDN'T QUALIFY THROUGH DEEP WELL? YEAH, SO EVERYTHING THAT WE GET FROM THE TOWN DOES COME FROM DEEP WELL, THE APPLICATION PROCESS GOES THROUGH DEEP WELL.
UM, THEN THEY FILTER OUT WHAT QUALIFIES FOR THEIR PROGRAM AND WHAT IS SENT OVER TO US FROM THE ONES THAT DON'T QUALIFY FOR THEM, THAT DO QUALIFY FOR US.
BUT I, LEMME MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND.
SO THIS IS A TOTAL NUMBER OF SEWER CONNECTIONS FROM JUST FROM THE TOWN, NOT FROM DEEP.
SO I GUESS GOING OFF OF THE SEWER CONNECTION, IF YOU'D LIKE ME TO PROCEED WITH THAT.
I THINK MR. HENS HAS A QUESTION.
SO, UM, JUST, JUST TO, UM, VERIFY DEEP WELL GETS A HUNDRED PERCENT OF ALL THE, UM, SEWER CONNECTION APPLICATIONS, THEY WILL FUND ALL OF 'EM THAT, THAT, UM, THEY'RE ABLE TO FUND BASED ON THEIR CRITERIA.
AND IF THEY CAN'T, ALL OF THOSE THAT WERE REQUESTED OF DEEP WELL, THAT DEEP WELL COULDN'T GET, THEY ALL COME HERE AND THAT'S WHAT WE SEE.
THESE NUMBERS ARE ALL THE ONES THAT, THAT WE DEALT WITH THAT DEEP WELL COULDN'T.
AND WHEN WE DO RECEIVE THEM AT THE TIME, THEY ARE ALREADY APPROVED.
SO FOR THE HOME SAFETY AND REPAIR, WE GO THROUGH THE APPROVAL PROCESS, BUT WITH THE SEWER CONNECTION, THEY, THEY COME IN ALREADY APPROVED.
SO WHEN WE RECEIVE THEM, UM, THEY ARE APPROVED AND READY TO GET ROLLING.
UH, MR. MALIK, YOU HAD A QUESTION? NO, NO, I'M DONE.
YEAH, SO, SO THE SEWER AND THE HOUSING ARE HANDLED SEPARATELY? IS THAT WHAT I UNDERSTAND YOU JUST SAID THE HOME REPAIR YOU MEAN HOME REPAIR, YEAH.
SEPARATE THROUGH DEEP WELL DOESN'T DO THE HOME REPAIR, NO.
NATAYA, I BELIEVE YOU ARE STILL, WELL YOU ALREADY MADE THAT, UH, REPORT AS WELL, RIGHT? YES.
UM, SAME THING, UM, AS FROM OUR LAST UPDATE IN DECEMBER, WE RECEIVED 15 MORE APPLICATIONS FOR THE SEWER CONNECTION PROGRAM.
UM, WE HAVE COMPLETED TWO MORE JOBS.
UM, THE JOBS ARE, ARE STILL NEEDED TO BE SCHEDULED AND 11 ARE, UM, PENDING APPROVAL, WHICH WE ARE WORKING WITH, AGAIN, NOT APPROVED FOR INCOME OR ANYTHING, IT'S JUST APPROVED, UM, APPROVAL BASED ON THE SITE.
AND WE ARE WORKING WITH THOSE APPLICANTS TO GET THOSE MOVING ALONG.
UM, WE ALSO CREATED, UM, A SIMILAR MAP TO THAT HOME SAFETY REPAIR, JUST SO YOU CAN SEE KIND OF THE HOTSPOTS OF LIKE WHERE THE CONNECTIONS ARE BEING MADE, UM, ON THE ISLAND.
UM, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ON THAT, PLEASE LET ME KNOW.
UM, WE CAN ALSO TAILOR THAT TO HOWEVER YOU'D LIKE.
UH, THE APPLICATION THAT WAS NOT QUALIFIED, UM, WHAT, WHAT WOULD CAUSE AN APPLICATION TO NOT QUALIFY INCOME? USUALLY IT IS INCOME.
[00:40:01]
ON THAT ONE SPECIFICALLY, BUT THAT WOULD BE THE TIP OF, BUT YEAH.UM, BEFORE I GET TO THE NEXT ITEM, I'M GONNA TAKE A MO MOMENT AND PAUSE AND JUST TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE PRESENCE OF OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS, MS. BECKER AND MR. BROWN.
THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING IN ATTENDANCE AS WELL.
I ALREADY RECOGNIZE MR. BOXLEY FROM OUR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION.
NEXT ON OUR AGENDA IS THE INTRODUCTION OF CHIEF HOUSING OFFICER QUINCY WHITE.
YOU GONNA INTRODUCE HIMSELF OR IS THERE BIRTHDAY CAKE OR SOMETHING, OR? GOOD AFTERNOON.
IT'S A PLEASURE TO MEET YOU ALL.
UM, SO I'VE BEEN HERE FOR ABOUT TWO MONTHS NOW.
UM, AS YOU CAN SEE IN THE MEMO, UM, IT'S A LOT ABOUT MY BACKGROUND.
SO I'VE WORKED IN THIS FIELD FOR ABOUT 15 YEARS NOW AND, UM, I'M HAPPY TO BE A PART OF THE TEAM AND BRING, UH, THE WORKFORCE HOUSING INITIATIVES TO A REALITY.
I'M NOT SURE IF THERE'S ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS.
UM, SO I'M SORRY, YOU SAID YOU'VE BEEN HERE ABOUT TWO MONTHS? YEAH, ABOUT TWO MONTHS.
WE'RE GLAD TO HAVE YOU, UH, IN THE COMMUNITY AND ON THE STAFF FOR SURE.
UM, HOW MUCH DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THE, UH, THE WORKFORCE HOUSING FRAMEWORK THAT YOU CAN POSSIBLY SHARE WITH US AT THIS TIME? SURE.
UM, SO I KNOW THERE'S SEVERAL PRIORITIES THAT ARE PART OF THE, UH, WORKFORCE HOUSING FRAMEWORK.
UM, MANY OF WHICH IN MY POSITION, I'M, I'M HELD RESPONSIBLE TO IMPLEMENT A LOT OF THOSE INITIATIVES.
UM, SO FROM OUR, UM, DISPLACEMENT MITIGATION, UH, SUPPORT PLAN, UH, TO, YOU KNOW, OUR SMALL HOME SERIES TO, UH, EXPANDING WORKFORCE HOUSING THROUGHOUT THE ISLAND, IF THAT'S THROUGH DENSITY, BONUSES OR COMMERCIAL CONVERSIONS, YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M RESPONSIBLE FOR REALLY TRYING TO IMPLEMENT THESE INITIATIVES AND TAKE IT A STEP FURTHER.
AND I'M ASSUMING YOU'VE, UH, FOUND YOUR WAY AROUND THE ISLAND AND, UH, FAMILIAR WITH MOST AREAS.
NOT QUITE THERE YET, BUT I'M GETTING THERE.
UM, I WAS ABLE TO MOVE ON THE ISLAND OFFICIALLY ABOUT TWO WEEKS AGO, TWO TO THREE WEEKS AGO.
UM, SO MY WIFE AND MY DAUGHTER AND I ARE REALLY HAPPY TO BE HERE.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GO OUT EACH WEEKEND TO GET A SENSE OF, UH, THE ISLAND AND THE CULTURE HERE.
AND THIS IS WHY WE THINK THAT THIS, UH, UH, PRESERVATION AWARENESS PROGRAM IS SO IMPORTANT SO THAT WHEN WE DO HAVE NEW PEOPLE ON STAFF THAT CAN FAMILIARIZE, FAMILIARIZE THEMSELVES WITH THE ISLAND AND IN PARTICULAR THOSE HISTORIC, UH, COMMUN COMMUNITIES THAT WE, UH, SERVE AND REPRESENT.
HAVE YOU HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE THE, UH, UM, THE TOUR? UNFORTUNATELY I WAS NOT ABLE TO.
UM, I WAS ACTUALLY STILL IN VIRGINIA, UH, WHEN THE TOUR WAS HAPPENING LAST, BUT I DO EXPECT TO BE ON THE NEXT TOUR THAT'S HAPPENING.
WELL, WE HAVE A, A MEMBER HERE ON OUR, UH, TASK FORCE THAT, UH, CAN PROBABLY TELL YOU A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT AND MAYBE EVEN GIVE YOU A DISCOUNT.
OH YEAH, NO, HE COULD GO FOR FREE.
SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL THE NEXT TIME, JUST RIGHT.
WE'LL DEFINITELY LET YOU ON THAT TOUR.
WELL IF YOU DON'T MIND, UM, AFTER THE COMMITTEE MEETING, IF I CAN CONNECT WITH YOU AND TALK FURTHER WITH YOU.
OTHER QUESTIONS FOR YES, MR. CHAIRMAN? YES, I THANK YOU VERY MUCH, SIR.
I JUST WANTED TO KNOW IF YOU HAVE ANY KIND OF, UM, HAVE BEEN GIVEN ANY KIND OF IDEA AS TO WHAT THE WORKFORCE HOUSING NEEDS ARE VERSUS WHAT WE HAVE NOW IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, THE TASKS OVERALL? WELL, UM, I KNOW THERE'S BEEN SOME REPORTS THAT HAVE COME OUT THAT SAID THAT WE NEED TO EXPAND HOUSING, YOU KNOW, UPWARDS OF, YOU KNOW, A THOUSAND TO 2000 UNITS A YEAR, WHICH IS REALLY HARD TO DO.
UM, I THINK RIGHT NOW WE'RE TRYING TO TAKE INCREMENTAL STEPS TO REALLY, UM, YOU KNOW, EXPAND ON OUR PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS.
AND NOW THE OTHER QUESTION I HAVE IS REGARDING THE, THE SMALLER HOME SERIES.
UM, AND I KNOW MAYBE IT WAS PUTTING WIFE ON IT THIS YEAR, BUT CAN YOU GIVE ANY IDEA AS TO HOW THAT WOULD FAVORABLY IMPACT THE GU COMMUNITIES? OH, WOW.
UM, I'M NOT SURE IF MAYBE IT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK MORE INTO THAT, BUT YOU KNOW, AT LEAST FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, UM, HAVING, UM, PLANS ALREADY DEVELOPED THAT ARE APPROVED BY THE TOWN THAT ARE AFFORDABLE, UM, IN REGARDS TO BUILDING ON THE
[00:45:01]
ISLAND, I THINK COULD NOT ONLY BENEFIT THE GULLAH COMMUNITY, BUT COULD BENEFIT, UH, THOSE THROUGHOUT THE ISLAND.SO THAT'S THE HOPE, UH, THAT, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU COME TO TOWN HALL, YOU WILL BE ABLE TO PICK OUT, UM, UH, PRE-APPROVED, UH, LAYOUT FOR A HOME.
AND IT COULD BE, YOU KNOW, FROM, YOU KNOW, UH, PARTNERS THAT WE'RE ALREADY WORKING WITH THAT HAVE BEEN PRE-APPROVED.
UH, IT COULD BE AT AN AFFORDABLE RATE.
HAVE YOU WORKED WITH ANYTHING LIKE THAT BEFORE? UM, THERE ARE MODELS, UH, SIMILAR TO THIS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY.
UM, YOU CAN SEE THOSE IN BLUFFTON.
UM, POOR ANGELES IS MODEL THAT MISSY AND I WERE LOOKING AT AS WELL.
UH, BUT THERE ARE PARTS OF THE COUNTRY THAT ACTUALLY DO THIS TYPE OF PROGRAM.
I THINK JUST TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION A LITTLE BIT MORE, I MEAN A LOT OF, UM, THE PROGRAM INNOVATION THAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR AND HOW IT COULD IMPACT SOME OF THE HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOODS IS TO REMOVE SOME OF THOSE DEVELOPMENT BARRIERS.
AND THE SMALL HOME SERIES DOES THAT BECAUSE IT ELIMINATES THE NEED TO HIRE AN ARCHITECT AND TO GO THROUGH SOME OF THE PLANNING AND PERMITTING REVIEW, UM, TIMELINE AND PROCESS STEPS.
SO IT SAVES MONEY AND IT SAVES TIME.
AND THEY'RE ALREADY PRE-APPROVED.
THEY MEET, YOU KNOW, ISLAND CHARACTER.
UM, AND WE'RE LOOKING TO DEVELOP A MENU OF, OF HOUSING OPTIONS THROUGH THE SMALL HOME SERIES.
UM, AND SO I THINK IT, IT COULD BE SOMETHING THAT COULD BE A REALLY GREAT IMPLEMENTATION TOOL ACROSS THE ISLAND AND, AND CERTAINLY ALSO WITHIN THE HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOODS.
AND IF I COULD JUST BECAUSE QUINCY DIDN'T SAY ENOUGH ABOUT HIMSELF, I DIDN'T KNOW THAT HE WAS, HE WAS SHY
BUT, UM, HE REALLY DID COME TO US WITH AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF HOUSING BACKGROUND, UM, MOSTLY IN HOMELESS SERVICES.
UM, BUT A LOT OF THAT WORK IS, IS TRANSLATABLE INTO OUR WORKFORCE HOUSING PROGRAM.
AND IN THE SHORT TENURE THAT HE'S BEEN ON STAFF, HE'S ALREADY DOVE IN AND, UM, TAKEN FULL OWNERSHIP OF THE WORKFORCE HOUSING PROGRAM, IDENTIFYING DETAILED, YOU KNOW, 20, 24 WORK PLANS AND, UM, TAKING OVER THE MEETINGS WITH THE CHAIR FOR THE HOUSING ACTION COMMITTEE AND, AND PREPARING ALL THE CONTENT AND MATERIALS FOR, FOR THAT BODY.
UM, AND, AND I THINK HAS, UH, UM, KIND OF GOTTEN TO KNOW THE COMMUNITY A LITTLE BIT MORE.
AND OUR STAFF INTERNALLY HAS PARTICIPATED IN SOME, UM, A, A DISTRICT PLANNING TWO DAY WORKSHOP, UM, WHEN HE FIRST STARTED AND REALLY UNDERSTANDS HOW ALL OF THE WORK PROGRAM THAT WE'RE DOING IN COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, UM, AND DEFINITELY, UM, IN THE PLANNING SECTION OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT IS ALL RELATED AND INTERRELATED AND HOW HOUSING IS A SIGNIFICANT, UM, COMPONENT OF THAT WORK PROGRAM THAT, THAT HE'S ON, ON TASK TO HELP US SOLVE.
SO I'M REALLY EXCITED TO HAVE HIM HERE AND HE DOES BRING A WEALTH OF, OF KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE TO THE TABLE, UM, AND, AND REALLY HAS ST STILL RIGHT IN, SO.
I'M SORRY, YOU HAD A QUESTION.
HAVE YOU HAD A CHANCE TO TALK TO THIS YOUNG GUY OVER HERE? ARE WE REFERRING TO MR. BOXLEY OR COUNCILMAN BARNWELL? MR. BARNWELL? I HAVE NOT.
UH, NOW I HAVE BEEN A PART OF, WELL, NOT A PART OF, BUT I DID SIT IN ON A, UH, THE CDC D'S MEETING AND I WAS ABLE TO HEAR HIM SPEAK, BUT I HAVEN'T HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO MEET HIM YET.
I WAS HOPING TO DO THAT TODAY.
HE DID THE FIRST LOW INCOME HOUSING DEVELOPMENT ON THE ISLAND NATIVE TOO, SO DEFINITELY TALK TO HIM.
UH, FIRST OF I'D LIKE TO SAY CONGRATULATIONS AND WELCOME TO HILTON HEAD.
UM, MR. WRIGHT, UM, I HAD A QUESTION IN REGARDS TO, YOU SAID THAT THERE WILL BE A MENU OF HOUSING, UH, POSSIBLE FOR WORK HOUSING, FOR APPLICATIONS COMING IN, SHOWING WHETHER OR NOT THEY COULD QUALIFY ON DIFFERENT LEVELS FOR HOUSING.
DID I HEAR YOU WRONG OR, UM, I, I DON'T THINK I SPOKE ON THAT.
UM, BUT YOU KNOW, OUR HOPE IS THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A RANGE WHEN IT COMES TO WORKFORCE HOUSING, WHEN IT COMES TO A AMI LEVELS.
UM, SO SEVERAL OF THE DIFFERENT PROGRAMS THAT WE HAVE, UM, YOU KNOW, ARE ALL AT DIFFERENT LEVELS, YOU KNOW, SO, UM, WHEN IT COMES TO THE C UH, CCDC, THEY'RE AT A DIFFERENT LEVEL WHEN IT COMES TO AMIS, BUT THE RANGE IS BETWEEN 60% A MI AND 150 A MI TO ACCOMPLISH ALL THE WORKFORCE HOUSING PROGRAMS THAT WE HAVE ON THE ISLAND.
BUT, UM, WE DON'T HAVE THAT TYPE OF MECHANISM YET.
SO WOULD THAT BE A COST TO ANYONE OR ANYONE CAN COME UP AND INQUIRE ABOUT THOSE OR INFORMATION PURPOSES? UH, I WOULD SAY SO THAT, THAT MAY BE SOMETHING THAT WE COULD PROBABLY DEVELOP, UH, TO ALLOW FOLKS TO HAVE MORE OF AN IDEA IF THEY QUALIFY OR NOT FOR THESE TYPE OF PROGRAMS. RIGHT.
I, I THINK THAT THEY SHOULD, YOU KNOW, AT LEAST THEY'LL HAVE SOME IDEA OF KNOWING WHETHER OR NOT THEY QUALIFY OR HOW FAR THEY CAN GO IN THE APPLICATION PROCESS.
WE COULD CERTAINLY WORK ON DEVELOPING THAT.
OTHER QUESTIONS? UH, MS. TON? YEAH, I WAS JUST GONNA ASK, UH, YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN, THIS IS
[00:50:01]
SUCH A CRITICAL, UM, UM, WORK FOR THE TOWN THAT I WAS WONDERING IF WE COULD HAVE MR. WHITE OR, OR MAYBE JUST, UH, SUMMARY INFORMATION AT, AT ALL FUTURE MEETINGS JUST TO, UM, KEEP ABREAST OF, OF THE, UM, PROGRESS THAT, THAT YOU AND YOUR AREA ARE MAKING HERE ON THE ISLAND.I'M SURE THAT THE STAFF IS GONNA BE WORKING PRETTY CLOSELY WITH IF WE CAN GET, UH, UH, A REPORT ON HIS PROGRESS OR WHATEVER CHALLENGES HE MAY BE FACING AND THAT, UH, WE HOPEFULLY BALL BE SUPPORT OF THE WORK THAT HE'S DOING.
UM, I'M NOT SURE IF YOU ASKED STANDING PART OF THE AGENDA, BUT, UH, AS OFTEN AS HE COULD.
I'M SURE HE WOULD LOVE TO COME TO OUR MEETINGS.
UM, BUT YEAH, I COULD WORK WITH STAFF TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE AN ONGOING UPDATE FOR YOU ALL IN REGARDS TO WORKFORCE HEALTH.
OTHER QUESTIONS FOR MR. WHITE? WELL, AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
AND IF THERE'S ANYTHING WE CAN DO TO, UH, HELP YOU FIND YOUR WAY AROUND OR WHATEVER, LIKE MR. HENS SAYS, SUPPORT YOU IN YOUR WORK, IT'S VERY IMPORTANT WORK.
I WILL SAY THAT WHILE YOU'RE STANDING THERE, BUT, UH, WE CAN SEE THE OVERLAP IN SOME OF THE AREAS THAT WE TALKED ABOUT BEFORE WHEN IT COMES TO EVEN DISTRICT PLANNING OR, UH, THE DESIGN STUDIO WORK AND, UH, HOW PROPERTIES ARE BEING USED.
AND WE KNOW THAT A LOT OF THE OPEN SPACES AND AVAILABLE PROPERTIES MAY FALL INTO THE HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOODS.
SO I'M SURE YOU WILL BE ABLE TO, UH, UH, RELATE TO SOME OF THE ISSUES THAT ARE GOING ON IN OTHER AREAS BESIDES WORKFORCE HOUSING.
I SEE THEM ALL BEING, UH, RELATED IN A LOT OF WAYS.
CERTAINLY THE WORK OF THE, UH, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION.
YEAH, THERE'S, THERE'S DEFINITELY GONNA BE A LOT OF OVERLAP IN REGARDS TO THE WORK THAT I'M DOING IN MR. BOXLEY AND STAFF.
UM, SO AGAIN, YOU KNOW, ANYTIME YOU WANT ME HERE, I COULD GIVE A FURTHER UPDATE ON WHERE WE ARE IN REGARDS TO WORKFORCE HOUSING.
[6. Discussion Items ]
OKAY, NEXT ITEM WE HAVE ON OUR AGENDA IS, UH, FORT HOW CONCEPTUAL PLAN REVIEW.THIS IS GEORGE PANINO AND THE PRESIDENT OF HILL AND ISLAND LAND TRUST.
I AM NOT THE, UH, POWERPOINT GURU
CAN'T READ THIS FAST PRESENTING ITSELF.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT OH, USE TIMING.
I'M THE PRESIDENT OF THE HILTON HEAD ISLAND LAND TRUST.
I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO TALK TO YOU TODAY.
[00:55:02]
UM, I WANT TO GIVE A VERY BRIEF PRESENTATION, UM, INTRODUCE YOU TO THE LAND TRUST AND MORE PARTICULARLY TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT FORT HOWELL AND OUR PLANS FOR FORT HOWELL ALL.SO THE FIRST THING IS, UH, WHAT IS THE LAND TRUST? THE LAND TRUSTS ARE FOUND THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY.
UH, THEY'RE NOT PARTICULARLY TIED TOGETHER, BUT THEY ALL HAVE THE SAME GOALS.
OURS FOR SURE, IS A PRIVATE NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION.
UM, WE ACQUIRE LAND EITHER BY OWNERSHIP OR THROUGH CONSERVATION EASEMENTS.
MOST OFTEN THROUGH CONSERVATION EASEMENTS AND ESPECIALLY IN HILTON HEAD ISLAND.
IT WAS SET UP TO LIMIT COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT, BUT ITS PRINCIPLE PURPOSE IS TO PRESERVE PARTICULAR HABITATS, IMPORTANT HABITATS AND IMPORTANT HISTORICAL PROPERTIES.
AS FAR AS HILTON HAD ISLAND LAND TRUST IS CONCERNED.
WE ARE A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION.
IT'S STRICTLY A VOLUNTARY ORGANIZATION.
OUR FIRST, UH, PROPERTY WAS, UH, BOTH THE WHOOPING CRANE CONSERVANCY AT 137 ACRES AND A CYPRUS CONSERVANCY, BOTH OF WHICH ARE IN HILTON HEAD PLANTATION.
UM, THEY'RE NOT EASILY ACCESSED BY THE GENERAL PUBLIC, BUT WE, UH, REGULARLY MAKE ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC TO GET TO THOSE TWO PROPERTIES.
WE HAVE SOMETHING OVER 300 ACRES AT THE NORTH END OF THE ISLAND THAT WE PROTECT, AND WE HAVE, UM, A NUMBER THAT ARE OWNED AND A NUMBER THAT ARE JUST, UH, PURELY, UM, CONSERVATION EASEMENTS.
WE HAVE A 12 MEMBER BOARD AND WE HAVE, UH, FIVE PROPERTIES, UH, AT THE NORTH END OF THE ISLAND.
I KNOW THIS IS A LITTLE BIT DIFF DIFFICULT TO SEE, BUT MAYBE I CAN DO IT THIS WAY.
THIS IS THE WHIPPING CRANE CONSERVANCY WITHIN HILTON HEAD PLANTATION FOR, FOR ORIENTATION.
UH, THIS IS 2 78 COMING DOWN IN HERE.
UM, THIS IS BEACH CITY ROAD IN HERE, AND THIS, OF COURSE IS THE AIRPORT.
SO WE HAVE THE CRANE CONSERVANCY AND CYPRUS CONSERVANCY.
WE HAVE A RELATIVELY SMALL PROPERTY THAT FRONTS ON MAIN STREET, UH, DIRECTLY ACROSS FROM MUSEUM STREET.
UH, THIS IS A NORTHRIDGE PROPERTY, UH, 67 ACRE PROPERTY.
THAT'S A BEAUTIFUL PIECE OF LAND WITH A COUPLE OF LAGOONS ON IT.
AND THEN SPECIFICALLY FOR TODAY, UH, THIS IS FORT HOWELL, JUST OFF OF BEACH CITY ROAD AND LIN ROAD, DILL ROAD AND FISH HALL ROAD.
MISSION OF THE, UH, THE LAND TRUST IS TO PRESERVE AND PROTECT CRITICAL HABITATS AND HISTORIC PAR PROPERTIES.
HISTORICAL PARCEL OF LAND ON THE ISLAND, UH, FOR THE FUTURE, UH, I WANT TO TALK PARTICULARLY ABOUT FORT HOWELL.
IT'S A FIVE AND A HALF ACRE SITE, NOT VERY LARGE, ADJACENT TO BEACH CITY ROAD.
UH, IT'S A LARGE DEFENSIVE EARTHWORK FORT THAT WAS BUILT FOR 27 CANNONS.
IT WASN'T INTENDED TO, UM, LIKE MOST FORTS, IT WASN'T INTENDED, IT WASN'T INTENDED TO, UH, PROTECT WATERWAYS, BUT IN INSTEAD WAS INTENDED TO PROTECT, UH, PROTECT MITCHELLVILLE SPECIFICALLY.
IT WAS CONSTRUCTED, UH, BY THE 32ND COLORED INFANTRY, AND, UH, WAS COMPLETED BY THE HUNDRED 44TH INFANTRY BUILT BETWEEN AUGUST AND NOVEMBER OF 64, PLACED SOUTHWEST OF, UH, MITCHELLVILLE, THE FREEMAN'S VILLAGE OF MITCHELLVILLE.
UH, NO BATTLES EVER TOOK PLACE THERE.
IT IS LISTED ON THE NATIONAL REGISTERED HISTORIC PLACES, AND WE HAVE BEEN FORTUNATE OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS TO RECEIVE GRANTS,
[01:00:01]
UH, FROM THE TOWN, UH, THROUGH A TAX FUNDS.UH, WE HAVE HAVE HAD A FEW SMALL GRANTS THROUGH THE BARGAIN BOX, AND WE HAVE RECEIVED A VERY GENEROUS, UH, GRANT FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF UM, RECREATION, UH, SOUTH CAROLINA.
ALL OF THESE GRANT FUNDS HAVE BEEN USED TO IMPROVE THE PROPERTY, UH, MOST RECENTLY.
AND WITH FUNDING FROM THE STATE, WE HAVE EMBARKED ON A LONG RANGE PLANNING PROJECT TO FURTHER DEVELOP THE PROPERTY.
AND THAT'S REALLY WHY I AM HERE TO TALK TO YOU TODAY.
THIS IS A MAP, IT'S A LITTLE BIT OF AN OLD MAP, PROBABLY ABOUT FIVE YEARS OLD OF THE PROPERTY.
UM, IT CONSISTS OF TWO PROPERTIES THAT, THAT NOW ARE ONE, UH, THESE TWO PROPERTIES RIGHT HERE AND OVERLAYING IT.
AND IT'S DIFFICULT TO SEE, I KNOW IS, UM, SOME TOPOGRAPHY THAT SHOWS THE ACTUAL OUTLINE ON THE FORT.
WHAT YOU'LL SEE WITH THIS IS THAT THE PROPERTY LINES ARE VERY, VERY TIGHT.
THE PROPERTY WAS GIVEN TO THE, UH, INDEED WAS GIVEN TO THE LAND TRUST IN 1991 BY GREENWOOD DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION.
GREENWOOD WAS THE DEVELOPER OF PALMETTO HALL, THE PLANTATION, THE COMMUNITY THAT IS ACTUALLY ON THREE SIDES OF FORT HOWELL.
THAT, UH, GREENWOOD DEVELOPMENT REALIZED THAT THEY HAD AN IMPORTANT PIECE OF LAND HERE.
THEY'RE LOOKING FOR A WAY TO PROTECT IT, AND THEY, UM, THEREFORE GAVE IT TO THE LAND TRUST.
IT'S ADJACENT TO, UM, A DRIVEWAY.
AND WE ACTUALLY SHARE THIS DRIVEWAY, UH, WITH PALMETTO HALL.
THIS DRIVEWAY SERVES AS THE BACK ENTRANCE, THE EMERGENCY ACCESS, REALLY TO PALMETTO HALL.
AND LASTLY, THIS AREA OVER HERE IS, UH, TO THE RIGHT IS A, UM, BALL FIELD AND RECREATION AREA.
SO THAT, THAT'S THE SETTING AS WE GO FORWARD WITH THE PLAN.
WHAT ARE OUR OVERARCHING GOALS? THESE ARE OUR OVERARCHING GOALS, PRESERVE AND PROTECT.
NUMBER ONE, THE DELICATE EARTH IN STRUCTURE.
AND, UM, BOTH FROM NATURAL FORCES AND FROM JUST A LOT OF USE, PEOPLE WALKING ACROSS AND OVER IT.
WE WANT TO EDUCATE VISITORS ABOUT THE FORT AND ITS PURPOSE AND HOW IT WAS BUILT, WHAT ITS HISTORY IS.
IMPORTANTLY, TO EXPLAIN THE FOURTH RELATIONSHIP TO MITCHELLVILLE, OF COURSE, IT'S, UM, RIGHT NEXT TO MITCHELLVILLE, JUST A FEW HUNDRED YARDS AWAY FROM OUR, UM, THE DEVELOPING PARK THERE.
AND FINALLY, TO IMPROVE THE VISITORS' EXPERIENCE, WE ENGAGED WOODEN PARTNERS, WHO'S WELL KNOWN ON THE ISLAND.
WOODEN PARTNERS DEVELOPED THE PLAN FOR, UH, MITCHELLVILLE FREEDOM PARK.
AND IT ALSO DEVELOPED MORE RECENTLY THE PLAN FOR THE MID ISLAND RECREATIONAL TRACT ON BEHALF OF THE TOWN.
AND, UM, WE ASKED THEM TO MAKE SURE THAT WHAT THEY DEVELOPED FOR THE LAND TRUST REALLY INTEGRATED WELL WITH WHAT HAS BEEN DONE ON OTHER PARTS OF THE ISLAND.
SO WE WEREN'T AN OUTLIER, AND THEY CAME UP WITH THIS PLAN.
THE, THE FORD ITSELF IS, UH, BASICALLY A FIVE-SIDED, FIVE-SIDED STRUCTURE.
UM, HERE WE EX CURRENTLY HAVE AN EXISTING THIS SUCH A SHORT, VERY WELL, WE HAVE AN EXISTING, LET ME DO IT THIS WAY.
WE HAVE AN EXISTING STRUCTURE RIGHT IN HERE, WHICH IS A KIOSK, WHICH HAS A LOT OF INFORMATION ABOUT THE FORT, ITS DEVELOPMENT AND ITS SLOPE, ITS RELATIVE LOCATION, ET CETERA, FOR VISITORS.
AND, UM, THEN WE HAVE NO ACCESS AROUND THE FORT.
THIS IS A PERIMETER PATH THAT WAS PUT IN OVER THE LAST THREE YEARS WITH FUNDING FROM THE TOWN, WHICH WE VERY MUCH APPRECIATE.
AND, UH, WE HAVE A PATH RIGHT THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF THE FORT TO, TO GIVE THE, UM, VISITORS AN OPPORTUNITY TO SEE WHAT'S THERE.
UH, ANOTHER IMPROVEMENT TO THE FORT, UH, AGAIN, WITH TOWN FUNDS WAS A NEW PARKING LOT.
PRIOR TO THE CHANGES, IT MIGHT HOLD SIX OR EIGHT CARS AND IT GOT PRETTY MUDDY AFTER RAIN.
IT NOW HAS BEEN EXPANDED TO, UH, 19.
IT HAS GOOD THROUGH TRAFFIC AND IT'S GOT A HARD PERMEABLE SURFACE TO IT.
[01:05:01]
SO OUR PLAN BASICALLY IS TO, UH, FURTHER ENHANCE THE PROPERTY, PUT IN SOME INTERIOR PATHWAYS FOR VISITORS TO WALK AROUND, UH, TO CREATE SOME VIEWPOINTS, BOTH INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL TO GIVE, UH, PEOPLE AND A SENSE OF WHAT THE FORT THE, THE MEETS AND ABOUNDS THE SCOPE OF THE FORT IS, UH, HOW IT RELATED TO THE AREA AROUND IT.UM, A LITTLE BIT MORE CLOSE UP.
SAME FORT, YOU SEE A SENSE OF WHAT'S THERE.
WE HAVE BEEN TRYING TO GATHER INFORMATION BEFORE WE FINALIZE THE REPORT.
THE, THE PLAN, EXCUSE ME, BEFORE WE FINALIZE THE PLAN.
WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO GET INPUT RESPONSES FROM THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE.
UH, WE HAVE BEEN MEETING, WE'VE HAD SEVERAL MEETINGS NOW WITH TOWN REPRESENTATIVES, UH, FOR THEIR REVIEW AND THEIR SUGGESTIONS.
UH, I MET BRIEFLY WITH COUNCILMAN, UH, BROWN, UH, ABOUT THIS.
AND WE'RE REALLY LOOKING TO GET INPUT FROM THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE.
SO, UM, AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED, A MEETING TODAY WITH YOU FOLKS IS PART OF THAT.
UH, I'M HOPING THAT WE CAN SOON HOST, UM, COMMUNITY AT THE SITE ITSELF AND SHOW PEOPLE AROUND, UH, SHARE WITH THEM THE PLAN THAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT AND GET A RE UM, THEIR THOUGHTS GET, UH, THEIR SUGGESTIONS.
SO I WANNA EMPHASIZE THAT THIS IS A DRAFT PLAN.
WE ARE LOOKING FOR SUGGESTIONS TO IMPROVE IT.
UH, WE'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO BEST TIE FORT HOWELL AND MITCHELLVILLE MORE CLOSELY TOGETHER FOR THE VISITORS THAT WE, THAT DO COME HERE.
AND FINALLY, HOW TO IMPROVE THE VISITOR EXPERIENCE.
WE DO GET, WE FAIR NUMBER OF PEOPLE TO FORT HOWELL.
WE HAVE A, A PEOPLE MONITOR, PEOPLE COUNTER, WE CALL IT.
AND WE GET FIVE, 6,000 PEOPLE A YEAR.
MOST OF THEM WE KNOW COME FROM BEYOND THE LOCAL AREA, FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
AND SURPRISINGLY OFTEN WE GET PEOPLE FROM OVERSEAS WHO ARE VISITING HERE AND COME AND VISIT.
SO WE'RE LOOKING TO MAKE IT BETTER FOR EVERYBODY INVOLVED.
BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
ONE LAST THING I HAVE, UH, OH, HERE IT IS RIGHT THERE.
UM, TO LOOK AT MORE CLOSELY IF YOU'D LIKE.
JUST TO COMMENT ON HOW TO TIE FORT HOWELL WITH MITCHELLVILLE MORE CLOSELY.
I, WHAT DID IT FOR ME? I, I DIDN'T KNOW UNTIL I VISITED FORT HOWELL THAT IT WAS BUILT SPECIFICALLY TO GUARD THE, THE ENTRANCE TO MITCHELLVILLE.
AND I THINK YOUR, YOUR, YOUR MAP HERE ON YOUR BROCHURE WHERE IT SHOWS THAT MITCHELLVILLE IS, IS PROTECTED ON ALL SIDES WITH WATER.
AND THE FORT IS, IS THERE TO PROTECT WHERE IT'S NOT SURROUNDED BY WATER COME IN, BY LAND.
SO IT'S A, A WONDERFUL FRONT DOOR, I GUESS, FOR MITCHELLVILLE.
AND I THINK, I THINK THAT'S PRETTY, PRETTY NEAT.
WELL, MITCHELLVILLE OF COURSE, IS, UM, THIS IS JUST WALK DOWN BEACH CITY ROAD A HUNDRED YARDS.
YOU GET TO, UM, FISH HALL ROAD, DILLON ROAD, YOU WALK ANOTHER A HUNDRED YARDS OR SO, AND YOU'RE AT THE ENTRANCE TO FREEDOM PARK.
THE PLANS THAT, UM, WOODEN PARTNERS PUT TOGETHER INCLUDE A RESTROOM, REST, A RESTROOM THERE.
UH, WE DON'T, THAT PROPERTY DOES NOT HAVE ANY UTILITIES.
IT DOESN'T HAVE WATER, IT DOESN'T HAVE SEWER.
UM, IF THAT WAS EVER DONE, IT WOULD BE VERY LATE PHASE OF THE PROJECT.
UM, BUT IT'S IN THE PLAN NONETHELESS.
ARE YOU ENGAGED IN ANY KIND OF ACTIVE MARKETING HOME FOR HOUR? WE DO.
WE, UM, WE, UM, HAVE, UH, ENGAGED A MARKETING CONSULTANT AND,
[01:10:01]
UM, WE, UM, IT, WE TIED TOGETHER WITH THE TOWN AND, AND SOME OF ITS MARKETING.UH, WE RECENTLY HAD AN A, UM, AN ARTICLE IN CONDE NAST MAGAZINE, TRAVEL MAGAZINE, IF ANYBODY'S AWARE OF IT.
YOU MAY BE AWARE THAT, UM, LAND TRUST HOSTS A, WHAT WE CALL A RAPTOR CAM.
SOME, UH, CAMERAS UP IN A HIGH TREE, HIGH PINE TREE THAT OVERLOOK INITIALLY EAGLES, BUT NOW THEY'RE OVERLOOKING, UH, RED HORNED OWLS.
AND WE FOR THAT, WE GET VIEWS FROM LITERALLY AROUND THE WORLD.
NOT A LOT OF COUNTRIES THAT HAVEN'T VIEWED, THAT HAVEN'T HAD SOMEBODY RE UH, LOOK AT THAT.
UM, AND WHEN WE DO THAT, WE VERY PURPOSELY HAVE PEOPLE GOING TO THE LAND TRUST WEBSITE.
THE LAND TRUST WEBSITE DOES A NICE JOB, UH, TYING THE LAND TRUST TO HILTON HEAD AND TO THE LONG COUNTRY IN GENERAL.
SO WE'RE WORKING HARD FOR, UH, MARKETING, GET THE WORD OUT.
I GUESS A FOLLOW UP TO THAT WOULD BE, UH, MITCHELLVILLE DOES SEVERAL MAJOR EVENTS EVERY YEAR.
MITCHELLVILLE DOES SEVERAL MAJOR EVENTS EVERY YEAR.
ARE YOU AWARE THAT THE MITCHELLVILLE COMMUNITY DOES SEVERAL MAJOR EVENTS EVERY YEAR? THEY COULD POSSIBLY BE A GOOD TIE FOR FORT HOWARD DURING, DURING THEIR TIMES WITH THEIR MAJOR EVENTS.
SO DO, ARE YOU, DO YOU KNOW THAT THEY, UH, MR. WARD WHO'S IN CHARGE OF THE MITCHELLVILLE PROJECT, IT'S LIKE A LOT OF QUESTIONS SAY IT'S A GOOD QUESTION.
WHAT WE'RE DEALING WITH HERE ARE DIFFERENT OWNERSHIPS OF THE PROPERTY.
SO THE LAND TRUST OWNS AND FEED THE PROPERTY.
OF COURSE, VILLE HAS LIKE, I ASSUME, IS OWNED BY THE TOWN AND HAS ITS OWN PARTNERSHIP.
WE TRY TO WORK TOGETHER WITH, UH, METRO VILLAGE.
WE, UH, TRY TO COMMUNICATE WITH THEM.
WE CAN DO A BETTER JOB FOR SURE.
AND, UM, AS WE LOOK DOWN THE ROAD AND WE START, START, START DEVELOPING THIS, UM, UH, WE'RE HOPING TO GET MORE AND MORE, UM, INTERACTION BETWEEN THE TWO ORGANIZATIONS.
SO IT'S A TWO WAY STREET, OF COURSE.
UM, BUT WE'LL TRY TO DO OUR PART FOR SURE.
I JUST WANNA MAKE A COMMENT ON THAT.
HOW ARE YA? UM, I WOULD LIKE TO, UH, COMMENT ON, UH, THE COLLABORATION BETWEEN MITCHELLVILLE AND FORT HOWELL.
UM, WE DO DO PROGRAMS WITH THEM.
UM, MOST RECENTLY WE INVITED THEM TO BE A PART OF OUR JUNETEENTH CELEBRATION THAT WE ARE DOING, UM, IN JUNE.
UM, AND, UH, ANY CHANCE THAT WE GET TO SEND PEOPLE FROM MITCHELLVILLE TO, UH, TO FORT HOWELL, WE DEFINITELY DO THAT.
UM, THAT HAVING TO BE A PARTNER WITH FORT HOWELL IS DEFINITELY SOMETHING THAT WE CANNOT JUST IGNORE.
WE HAVE TO DEFINITELY DO THAT.
SO, UH, WE DEFINITELY WELCOME AT ANY TIME, ANY CONVERSATION, AND WE DO SIT DOWN WITH YOU GUYS AND, AND STRATEGIZE AT TIMES ON THINGS THAT WE CAN INCORPORATE AND PARTNER WITH.
UM, FORT HOWELL, AS WE TALK ABOUT THE LAND TRUST, HAVE OTHER PROPERTIES, BUT IF WE ARE IDENTIFYING FORT, HOW, I DON'T THINK THAT THERE WOULD BE AN ISSUE WITH THAT.
AND I THANK YOU AND YOUR BOARD FOR PRESERVING, UH, FOR HOW, IN THE WAYS THAT YOU GUYS ARE DEFINITELY DOING THAT.
IT'S SO IMPORTANT TO THE STORY AND THE HISTORY OF MITCH, OF MITCHELLVILLE AND FOR HILTON HEAD ISLAND AS WELL.
I THINK THE WAY TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN IS MAKE, DEVELOP A STRUCTURE TO MAKE IT HAPPEN.
PERHAPS, UH, SCHEDULED, WHETHER IT'S MONTHLY OR QUARTERLY OR SOMETHING, MEETINGS TO TALK ABOUT AREAS OF MUTUAL INTEREST, HOW WE CAN SUPPORT EACH OTHER, WHICH REALLY IS PART OF THE GOAL OF THIS PLAN IS HOW DO WE TIE THE TWO CLOSER TOGETHER.
RIGHT NOW THEY DO, UNFORTUNATELY, UH, OPERATE PRETTY MUCH INDEPENDENTLY.
WHEN YOU GO TO FORT HOWELL AND YOU LOOK AT ALL THE SIGNAGE, ET CETERA, WE, ITS HISTORY.
ITS PURPOSE WAS MITCHELLVILLE.
SO WE'RE TRYING TO GET PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND
[01:15:01]
THAT.AND SURE, WE CAN DO, I'M SURE WE CAN DO A BETTER JOB DIRECTING PEOPLE TO MITCHELLVILLE, BUT AGAIN, IT'S A TWO-WAY STREET, YOU KNOW, IT'S OH, ABSOLUTELY.
AND I THINK THERE'S DEFINITELY ROOM FOR FUTURE CONVERSATIONS AND MORE WE CAN COLLABORATE ON, BUT IDENTIFYING THAT BEACH CITY ROAD IS THE ONLY ROAD ON HILTON HEAD THAT HAS OVER SEVEN HISTORIC MARKERS ON IT.
SO, YOU KNOW, THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THAT ITSELF IS JUST HUGE.
SO THERE'S A LOT THAT WE CAN ALSO, YOU KNOW, REACH OUT TO THE TOWN AND MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE, UM, PARTNERING WITH THEM AND THEY MARKETING THE IMPORTANCE OF WHAT, UH, BEACH CITY ROAD HAS TO OFFER.
YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT JUST FORT HALL MITCHELLVILLE, BUT IT'S, YOU KNOW, THE CHURCHES AND THE, IN THE SCHOOL THAT'S THERE AS WELL.
SO, AGAIN, IT'S THE ONLY ROAD ON THE ISLAND THAT HAS THAT MANY MARKERS, SO THAT'S SIGNIFICANT
I WAS HOPING THAT MS. WRIGHT WOULD SHARE SOME INFORMATION WITH US ABOUT THE RELATIONSHIP AND COLLABORATION WITH, UH, FORT HOWELL AND OF COURSE WITH MITCHELLVILLE.
UH, MR. BENIN, I HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS FOR YOU JUST ABOUT THIS PARTICULAR PROJECT IN PARTICULAR.
HOW, HOW TALL IS THAT GONNA BE? OH, IT WOULD BE FLAT ON THE GROUND.
IT'S GONNA BE FLAT ON THE GROUND, BUT WE'RE TRYING TO PROTECT THE EARTH IN STRUCTURE.
AND IT'S BETTER TO HAVE PEOPLE ON A WOODEN DECK THAN STANDING ON THE EARTH.
SO WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT SOMETHING UP IN THE AIR WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
THAT'S SOMETHING, THAT'S WHY I ASK THE QUESTION.
ON THE, ON THE PARAPET OF THE FORT.
UM, AND THIS, THIS PLANT SHOWS A MOAT AROUND THE FORT.
IS THAT MOAT STILL? IT'S NOT REALLY FILLED WITH WATER OR ANYTHING.
NOW, IS IT THAT THAT MOAT WAS CONSTRUCTED AS PART AND PARCEL OF THE FORT? IT NEVER WAS INTENDED TO BE A WET MOAT.
UH, IT'S, UH, BEEN DEPRESSED ABOUT THREE FEET.
IT WAS EXCAVATED ABOUT THREE FEET BELOW THE GROUND SURFACE.
UM, IT PROVIDED THE, THE SOIL FOR THE WALLS OF THE FORT.
UH, IT WAS ALSO OBVIOUSLY A DEFENSIVE STRUCTURE ON THE INTERIOR SIDE OF THE MOAT WAS AN ADDITIONAL THREE FOOT DITCH, ABOUT SIX FEET WIDE BETWEEN THE DITCH AND THE WALLS WAS A WOODEN PALISADE.
AND THEN YOU HAD THIS VERY STEEP SLOPE THAT STILL EXISTS THERE.
SO IF YOU WERE A CONFEDERATE SOLDIER AND YOU WANT TO GO AFTER THE FORT, YOU HAD A COUPLE OF ISSUES TO DEAL WITH BEFORE YOU GOT TO THE FORT
SO, UH, IT'S, IT'S ALL PART, UH, PART OF THAT, UM, STRUCTURE.
IT'S A LITTLE BIT, UH, SUBDUED BY ROAD, A LOT BY EROSION AND VEGETATION.
WE'VE SPENT A LOT OF TIME OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS AT A FAIR AMOUNT OF MONEY, FRANKLY, CLEARING A LOT OF THE VEGETATION OUT OF, ESPECIALLY THE INTERIOR OF THE FORT.
UH, TWO YEARS AGO, IF YOU WALKED INTO THAT INTERIOR PATHWAY, IT WOULD JUST BE A WALL OF GREEN ON EITHER SIDE OF YOU.
NOW, WHEN YOU WALK INTO THE FORT, YOU CAN ACTUALLY SEE IT FROM SIDE TO SIDE, FROM EDGE TO EDGE.
SO NOW FINALLY, PEOPLE WHO ARE VISITING THE FORT UNDER CAN UNDERSTAND WHAT'S THERE.
SO, AND SO YOU'RE DOING TOURS WHEN PEOPLE COME, OR YOU COULD SCHEDULE TOURS OR PEOPLE COME OUT AND YOU WANT TO DO OR GET TO YOUR, OR YOU'RE SCHEDULING TOURS FOR FOLKS WHEN THEY COME OUT THERE, THERE, AND YOU TAKE 'EM AROUND THE FORT, SO YOU HAVE A LITTLE MORE AREA TO SHOW THEM NOW? THAT'S CORRECT.
WE DO, WE DO HAVE A, UM, A FAIR NUMBER OF TOURS THAT GO THROUGH AND, UM, WE'LL GIVE TOURS IF, UH, SOMEBODY REQUESTS TO, UM, WE TRY TO ORGANIZE PERIODICALLY, NOT VERY OFTEN ORGANIZED TOURS.
UM, AS I SAID, WE'RE LOOKING FOR INPUT FROM THE COMMUNITY BEFORE WE FINALIZE THIS PLANT.
AND I'M HOPING BEFORE THE END OF THE MONTH, BEFORE THE LEAVES COME IN FULLY.
SO THERE'S STILL SOME REASONABLY GOOD VISIBILITY TO HOST THE COMMUNITY, UH, PARTICULARLY THE GULLAH COMMUNITY, AND, UM, PUT THE, THE PLAN UP, WALK PEOPLE THROUGH IT, ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
SO A LOT OF, I'M JUST ASKING DIFFERENT QUESTIONS AND LIKE WHAT THE, UH, THE REPLICA CANNON AND THINGS LIKE THAT, THOSE ARE THE ACTUAL PLACES WHERE THOSE, UH, THOSE THINGS WERE LOCATED? YES.
SO YOU ALL, ALL OF THE STUFF YOU HAVE IS IN PLACE.
THAT'S WHERE THEY WERE ACTUALLY LOCATED, LIKE THE REPLICA CANNON
[01:20:01]
AND ALL OF THAT.ALL, ALL OF THAT IS PRELIMINARY.
YOU KNOW, WHETHER WE PUT A CANNON THERE OR NOT, I'M NOT SURE.
WE'LL HAVE TO SEE IF WE HAVE ROOM FOR IT FOR ONE THING, ONCE WE GET KIND OF MEASURE EVERYTHING OUT, BUT, YEAH.
WELL, THE REASON I ASK THE QUESTION, OF COURSE, IS THE, YOU KNOW, THE HISTORY THAT IS THERE, IF IT'S AS CLOSE TO BEING CORRECT AS POSSIBLE, UH, WITH SOME OF THE THINGS THAT YOU'VE UNEARTHED, UH, DURING THE GENERAL LOCATIONS, LIKE THE MODE AND THE CANNON AND MM-HMM.
UH, BUT THAT, AS I UNDERSTAND IT, IT'S JUST A, A FLAT OBSERVATION DECK.
IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT YOU SAID YOU CAN'T GET UP IN THE AIR AND LOOK AROUND THE WHOLE FORT.
WELL, THESE ARE CONCEPTS THAT WOODEN PARTNERS HAS THROWN OUT TO US.
I MEAN, THAT CAN BE DONE, BUT THAT'S HUGE FUNDING, AND IT REALLY NO LONGER ARE YOU'RE PROTECTING, PRESERVING, AND PROTECTING.
NOW YOU'RE TRYING TO MAKE IT INTO SOMETHING DIFFERENT, IF YOU WILL.
UM, BUT WE WANNA SHOWCASE IT SO PEOPLE CAN UNDERSTAND IT.
IT'S A VERY SIGNIFICANT PART OF OUR HISTORY FOR SURE.
I, I JUST WANNA COMMENT, I THINK ONE OF THE, UM, SIGNIFICANT AND MOST IMPORTANT PART OF THE, UH, FORT, HOW IS THE FACT THAT IT IS AN EARTH AND FORT AND YOU DON'T FIND A LOT OF THOSE LEFT AROUND.
SO HAVING TO PRESERVE IT BY PUTTING SOME KIND OF WALKWAY BROADWALK IS, IS SIGNIFICANT TO THIS PLAN AS WELL.
SO PEOPLE WANT ACTUALLY, UH, WALKING ON TOP OF THE DIRT, YOU KNOW, AND HAVING IT CORRODE.
SO, YOU KNOW, HAVING THIS PLAN DEFINITELY WILL HELP WITH THE CONVERSION OF THE FORD AS WELL.
UM, WOODEN PARTNERS, THEY DO SHOW A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF WALKWAYS.
UH, ONE OF THEM INCLUDES CONCRETE, WHICH I DON'T THINK IS APPROPRIATE.
UH, WE WOULD NOT INCLUDE THAT.
WE'RE LOOKING AT SOME OPTIONS THAT ARE PERMANENT, BUT PERMEABLE THAT THEY WILL PROTECT THE SOILS, UM, OR WILL, WILL LOOK GOOD, CAN BE KEPT CLEAN, OR THAT GOES INTO, UH, WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR.
OTHER QUESTIONS FOR MR. BENINO? I HAVE, UH, ONE OTHER QUESTION FOR YOU THAT'S NOT RELATED TO FORT.
HOW WAS WORK RELATED TO THE WORK THAT HILTON HEAD ISLAND LAND TRUST DOES? IF, UM, IF PEOPLE HAVE PROPERTY ON THE ISLAND THAT IS LIKE WETLANDS OR, UH, WHATEVER, YOU KNOW, SITUATIONS THEY MAY HAVE, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT YOUR ORGANIZATION WOULD TAKE A LOOK AT AS FAR AS ACQUIRING POOL? ABSOLUTELY.
WE'VE HAD A NUMBER OF INQUIRIES OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS ABOUT PROPERTIES THAT PEOPLE WOULD LIKE US TO TAKE ON.
AND, UH, IT HAS TO MEET CERTAIN CRITERIA BEFORE WE'LL TAKE IT.
ONE PROPERTY, FOR EXAMPLE, WAS BEING OFFERED TO US BECAUSE IT WASN'T VERY USEFUL FOR ANYTHING ELSE, BUT IT WAS, UH, ACTUALLY IT WAS A TITLE MARSH.
UM, THE PROBLEM AT THAT PROPERTY, WE HAD TO REJECT THAT OFFER.
THE PROBLEM WITH THAT PROPERTY WAS TOTALLY LANDLOCKED, AND THERE WAS NO LEGAL ACCESS TO THAT PROPERTY, SO WE COULDN'T TAKE IT.
WE'RE LOOKING AT ANOTHER PROPERTY NOW.
THE HOMES ARE DEBATING HOW THEY WANT TO GO WITH DEALING WITH THAT PIECE OF LAND.
BUT DEFINITELY, UM, A GOOD EXAMPLE WOULD BE, UH, AN UNUSED OR UNUSABLE PIECE OF LAND THAT MIGHT BE A PART OF A WETLAND, UM, WOULD PROVIDE, THE OWNER WOULD PROVIDE PERHAPS, PROBABLY A CONSERVATION EASEMENT TO US IN RETURN, THE OWNER WOULD GET A TAX DEDUCTION AS A DONATION TO A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION FOR WHATEVER THE VALUE OF THAT PIECE OF LAND IS.
SO THERE'S A BENEFIT TO THE OWNER.
THEY DON'T HAVE TO DEAL WITH THAT PROPERTY.
THEY GET A, UH, RIGHT OFF ON THEIR TAXES FOR IT.
IN TURN, UM, THE LAND TRUST, UH, MONTHLY WE GO VISIT EACH OF THESE SITES, MAKE SURE THEY'RE BEING, NOT BEING USED FOR GARBAGE DUMPS OR ANYTHING OF THAT SORT, AND THAT THEY'RE BEING KEPT CLEAN.
UH, SO THERE'S PROTECTION THAT IS PROVIDED.
UM, OTHER QUESTIONS, COMMENTS? UH, WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION AND THAT'S, UH, VERY IMPORTANT WORK.
I DO HAVE A FEW MORE BROCHURES IF ANYBODY WANTS TO LOOK AT THEM.
[01:25:06]
OKAY.UM, JUST BEFORE WE ADJOURN, I WANTED TO, UH, TAKE TO MY COLLEAGUES THAT WE ARE, UH, EXCITED ABOUT SOME OF THE WORK.
I'M NOT, SHOULDN'T SHOULDN'T SAY IT LIKE THAT.
WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT ALL THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING.
UM, AND, UH, I HAVE TO COMMEND THE STAFF, OR THEY'RE FORGING AHEAD AND, UH, CERTAINLY EXCITED ABOUT FEELING, UH, TO POSITION FOR OUR, UH, COMMUNITY, HISTORIC DISTRICT PLANNER, WHATEVER THAT TITLE WILL BE.
UH, BUT THANK YOU GUYS FOR THE WORK THAT YOU DO.
AND, AND FOR THOSE OF US UP HERE, UM, AS WE DID LAST MONTH, IF WE HAVE SOME ITEMS THAT WE NEED TO ADDRESS, THEN WE WILL CONTINUE TO SCHEDULE THE MEETINGS.
BUT JUST BE AWARE THAT, UH, SOMETIMES, UH, IF WE NEED TO, YOU KNOW, CANCEL A MEETING, WE WILL.
DOESN'T MEAN THAT WORK'S NOT GETTING DONE, BUT I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE USING OUR TIME WISELY AS WELL AS THE TIME OF THE STAFF AND GIVING THEM TIME TO, UH, PREPARE AND MAKE SURE THAT OUR MEETINGS ARE MEANINGFUL, THAT WE'RE CONTINUING TO MAKE SOME PROGRESS.
AS ALWAYS, I ENCOURAGE YOU TO SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS, ASK QUESTIONS, GIVE INPUTS, BUT ALSO BE WILLING TO LISTEN AND, AND LEARN AS WELL AS, AS WE GO ALONG WITH THAT, I HAVE NO MORE ITEMS ON OUR AGENDA.
I'D JUST LIKE TO JUST LET EVERYBODY KNOW THAT THE GOLER MUSEUM OF
ARE TICKETS 11 UNTIL FOUR? 11 TO FOUR.
HOW MUCH ARE TICKETS? YOU GOTTA ACTUALLY CAN'T AFFORD IT.
BUT I HEARD ABOUT THE OYSTER ROAST THIS SATURDAY.
UH, YOU GOT ANY SPECIAL MUSICAL GUESTS ON THERE THIS SATURDAY? YES, SIR.
GOT A LOT OF MUSIC, SPECIAL GUESTS.
SOMEBODY YOU KNOW, SOMEBODY YOU SEE EVERY DAY.
IT'S, I WILL BE OUT THAT SATURDAY.
THE OYSTERS, ALL YOU CAN EAT IS 50 AND THE OYSTERS GONNA BE OTHER FOOD BUSINESS THERE AS WELL, AS WELL AS A PROGRAM.
AND MR. LAVAR, STEVEN IS A PART OF THAT PROGRAM.
ALONG WITH, UH, MS. SMALLS, WE HAVE, UH, SPOKEN WORD.
WE HAVE, UM, MUSICIAN, WE HAVE STORYTELLING, SOME OF THE TRADITIONAL, UM, ACTIVITIES.
BUT IT'S A GOOD DAY TO BE OUT.
I THINK THE WEATHER WILL BE GOOD.
IT'LL BE NICE, MR. WASHINGTON.
IF THERE'S NOTHING ELSE, UH, THANK YOU LINDA PICKETT FOR BEING HERE.
OF COURSE, CHAD AND THE REST OF, UH, MEMBERS OF OUR POWER.
BUT THANK YOU FOR SHARING YOUR TIME WITH US.
IF THERE'S NOTHING ELSE, THEN I WOULD ENTERTAIN A MOTION FOR ADJOURNMENT.
SO MOTION, WE FIND OURSELVES ADJOURNED.
THANK YOU, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.