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[I. CALL TO ORDER]
START TUESDAY, MARCH 12TH, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND RELIGIOU UNDER LIBERTY.FATHER, COME TO YOU NOW ASKING FOR YOUR GUIDANCE.
FATHER, ASK FOR YOUR PATIENCE.
FATHER, ASK FOR ALL CONSIDERATION.
FOR THOSE WHO ASK, GUIDE US BLESSING.
GIVE US THE WISDOM TO DO THAT JOB AND DO IT WITH CHASE AND HONOR AND DIGNITY, THESE AND ALL OTHER BLESSINGS.
ACTION IN YOUR MASTER SON JESUS NAME.
[IV. SWEARING IN AND SEATING OF COUNCIL EMILY BURDEN]
NEXT, WE'RE GONNA HAVE THE SWEARING IN AND SEATING OF OUR NEW COUNCIL MEMBER, MS. EMILY BURDENS.AND ANY, UM, FAMILY MEMBERS OR FRIENDS OR WHOEVER WANTS TO
MIGHT NOT BE ROOM FOR ALL OF YOU, A BIGGER BILL.
I, I, EMILY BURDEN DO SOLEMNLY SWEAR.
DO SOLEMNLY SWEAR THAT I'M DULY QUALIFIED, THAT I'M DULY QUALIFIED ACCORDING TO THE CONSTITUTION OF THIS STATE, ACCORDING TO THE CONSTITUTION OF THIS STATE, TO EXERCISE, TO EXERCISE THE DUTIES OF THE OFFICE, THE DUTIES OF THE OFFICE TO WHICH I HAVE BEEN ELECTED TO WHICH I HAVE BEEN ELECTED.
AND THAT I WILL TO THE BEST OF MY ABILITY, TO THE BEST OF MY ABILITY, DISCHARGE THE DUTIES THEREOF.
THE CONSTITUTION OF THIS STATE.
SO HELP ME GOD, AS COUNCIL MEMBER OF THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON, AS COUNCIL MEMBER OF THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON, I WILL EQUALLY, I WILL EQUALLY, FAIRLY.
AND IMPARTIALLY TO THE BEST OF MY ABILITY, TO THE BEST OF MY ABILITY AND SKILL AND SKILL.
THE TRUST PROPOSED IN ME, THE TRUST PROPOSED IN ME.
AND I WILL USE MY BEST ENDEAVORS.
AND I WILL USE MY BEST ENDEAVORS TO PRESERVE, TO PRESERVE THE PEACE, THE PEACE, AND CARRY INTO EFFECT AND CARRY INTO EFFECT ACCORDING TO THE LAW, ACCORDING TO THE LAW, THE PURPOSES FOR WHICH I HAVE BEEN ELECTED, THE PURPOSES TO WHICH I HAVE BEEN ELECTED.
[V. ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA]
ON TO THE ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA.UM, MR. SEE IF THERE ANY CHANGES TO THE AGENDA.
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UM, I HAVE NONE, SIR.I HEARD, DO YOU HAVE ANY THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO MAKE? YES.
UM, ONE, IS THERE A MOTION TO REMOVE THE EXECUTIVE SESSION? I MOVED.
SO THAT ANY OTHER, UH, CHANGES TO THE AGENDA? NO, SIR.
[VI. ADOPTION OF THE MINUTES]
THE ADOPTION OF THE MINUTES OF THE FEBRUARY 13TH 24 MEETING.ARE THERE ANY CHANGES TO IT? IF NONE ARE THERE, IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE? MOVE.
ANY DISCUSSION ON IT? ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
[VII. PRESENTATIONS, CELEBRATIONS, AND RECOGNITIONS]
CELEBRATIONS AND RECOGNITION.THE SCHOOL DISTRICT CHARACTER STUDENT OF THE MONTH.
AND THIS IS MS. CHASE HUDSON HUTS.
MR. CHASE HUDSON FROM BLUFFTON ELEMENTARY.
AND HIS CHARACTER TRAIT TRAIT IS PERSEVERANCE.
IF YOU WANNA SAY ANYTHING, TELL HIM ANYTHING YOU KNOW, WHY YOU'RE HERE.
MAYBE SOMEBODY CAN HELP US OUT HERE.
SO CHASE WON THE JANUARY STUDENT OF THE MONTH FOR HAVING A CHARACTER TRAIT OF PERSEVERANCE.
AND THIS IS FOR YOU, AND YOU GET ONE MORE BIG GIFT.
WHAT YOU LIKE TO EAT FOR LUNCH? AND I'M GONNA COME HAVE LUNCH WITH YOU.
WELL, WE'RE VERY PROUD OF YOU.
WE LOVE OUR KIDS HERE, AND WE'RE ALWAYS HERE IF YOU EVER NEED US FOR ANYTHING.
THIS IS, UH, DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES AWARENESS MONTH PROCLAMATION.
WHERE IS MORE THAN 500,000? SOUTH CAROLINA RESIDENTS AND FAMILIES ARE IMPACTED BY SEVERE LIFETIME LIFELONG DISABILITIES, INCLUDING AUTISM, HEAD INJURIES, SPINAL CORD INJURIES, INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES, AND RE RELATED DISABILITIES WITHOUT REGARD TO RACE, CULTURE, GEOGRAPHIC, GEOGRAPHY, AGE, SEX, OR ECO ECONOMIC CLASS.
ED EDWARD IS THE PEOPLE WITH LIFELONG DISABILITIES OR PRODUCTIVE CITIZENS.
NEIGHBORS AND FAMILY MEMBERS DESERVING OUR RESPECT AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE ECONOMIC SELF-SUFFICIENCY, INDEPENDENCE AND, AND PERSONAL GROWTH IN THE SOUTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF DISABILITIES AND SPECIAL NEEDS, ALONG WITH THE BEAUFORT COUNTY DISABILITIES AND SPECIAL NEEDS BOARD, WORK WITH FAMILIES TO PROVIDE SERVICES THAT PROMOTE INDEPENDENCE AND INCLUSION.
AND WHEREAS WE OWE A SPECIAL DEBT OF GRATITUDE TO THE CAREGIVERS WHO SELFLESSLY PROVIDE PHYSICAL, EMOTIONAL, AND SPIRITUAL SUPPORT TO OUR RESIDENTS WITH DISABILITIES AND SPECIAL NEEDS.
AND WHERE IS DEVELOPMENTAL? DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES AWARENESS MONTH CELEBRATES THE SUCCESS PARTNERSHIP OF BETWEEN PEOPLE WITH AND WITHOUT DISABILITIES, AS WELL AS INCREASING THE INVOLVEMENT OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES IN EDUCATION, EMPLOYMENT, AND COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES.
NOW, THEREFORE, I LARRY C TO, ALONG WITH LEFT IN TOWN COUNCIL DUE, HEREBY PROCLAIM MARCH 24TH AS DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES AWARENESS, AWARENESS MONTH IN THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON.
AND ENCOURAGE OUR CITIZENS TO WORK TOGETHER TO PROMOTE INCREASED OPPORTUNITIES FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, TO RECOGNIZE THE
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MANY CONTRIBUTIONS MADE BY THE PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES TO OUR COMMUNITY, AND TO HONOR THE DEDICATION OF THE CAREGIVERS WHO BRING SUPPORT AND HOPE TO THEIR FELLOW CITIZENS.WELL, I JUST WANNA THANK YOU AND THE COUNCIL FOR RECOGNIZING A DEPARTMENT OF THE COUNTY THAT DOES AS MUCH WORK AND THE STAFF THAT WORKS AS HARD AS THEY DO TO, UH, PROVIDE FOR THE PEOPLE IN NEED IN THE COUNTY.
SO THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU GAVE YOU.
NOW THE NEXT ONE IS SOMEONE I KNOW.
SO WE GONNA DO IT WITHOUT HER OR NO? PUT IT OFF UNTIL NEXT TIME.
SHE DID CONFIRM OR SHE'S NOT HERE.
I, SO I GUESS WE'LL JUST, YEAH.
NEXT ON OUR AGENDA, WHERE WE AT? LET'S SEE.
TRANSPORTATION UPDATES RIGHT HERE.
OH, THE COMMENT, RIGHT? OH, OH, THE, UM, YEAH.
BEAUFORT COUNTY TRANSPORTATION UPDATE BY JARED FRA, COUNTY ASSISTANT COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR INFRASTRUCTURE.
I DIDN'T SEE YOU BACK THERE EITHER.
UH, FIRST TIME TO GET TO SEE YOU ALL THIS YEAR, UH, AND FIRST TIME TO GET TO PRESENT WITH YOU IN THE MIDDLE.
SO, UH, I WAS, I WAS THINKING TO MYSELF IN THE BACK THAT THE PRESENTATIONS ARE MIXED WITH THE CELEBRATIONS AND PROCLAMATIONS,
SO, UH, ANYWAYS, UM, AND MS. BURDEN, CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR NEW SEAT.
SO, UH, I DO NOT HAVE ANY BACKUP SLIDES TODAY.
JUST WANT TO TALK, UH, KIND OF AT A HIGH LEVEL, A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT WE ARE WORKING ON, UH, TWO OF WHICH ARE MENTIONED HERE WITH THE, THE ACCESS MANAGEMENT PLAN ON BUCK WALTER, AND THEN A TRAFFIC IMPACT ANALYSIS ORDINANCE.
SO, JUST REAL QUICK, THE BUCK WALTER ACCESS MANAGEMENT PLAN, UH, I WAS HERE PROBABLY ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF OR TWO YEARS AGO.
WE WERE TALKING ABOUT BUCK WALTER ACCESS MANAGEMENT PLAN.
SO WHY AM I HERE AGAIN? WELL, THE REASON WAS, UH, THAT PLAN WAS AN UPDATE TO AN EARLIER PLAN.
WE HAD A PLAN, UH, IN 2007 OF WHERE WE'RE GONNA LAY OUT OUR TRAFFIC SIGNALS AND, AND OUR CONNECTOR ROADS.
UM, BUT IT WAS ONLY ON THE NORTHERN SECTION.
DON'T ASK ME WHY, HOW COME THEY DIDN'T DO THE WHOLE ROAD BACK IN 2007? I DON'T KNOW.
UH, BUT THEY BASICALLY DID FROM 2 78 DOWN TO THE NORTHERN SECTION OF BLUFFTON PARKWAY.
UH, SO ONCE WE GOT DONE WITH THAT UPDATE, WE SAID, YOU KNOW WHAT, WHY DON'T WE TAKE A LOOK AND GO AHEAD AND MAKE AN, UH, A FORMAL PLAN FOR THE REMAINDER OF BUCK WALTER.
AND AGAIN, TO PLAN OUR, OUR SIGNAL LOCATIONS AND ACCESS ROADS, UH, AS A FRAMEWORK FOR WHERE WE WANT THOSE ASSETS TO BE AS, AS THE REST OF THE AREA DEVELOPS.
SO WE'RE WORKING THROUGH THAT.
WE'VE BEEN COORDINATING WITH TOWN STAFF, UM, AND WE HAVE OUR, A DRAFT REVIEW OF THAT.
WE'RE GETTING READY TO OUR PROCESSES.
WE WOULD TAKE THAT TO OUR PLANNING COMMISSION FOR OUR PRESENTATION THERE, AND THEN AFTER THAT TO OUR PUBLIC FACILITIES COMMITTEE, AND THEN AN ORDINANCE WITH THREE READINGS AT OUR TOWN OR AT OUR COUNTY COUNCIL.
SO, UM, THAT'S KIND OF THE ORDER OF THE PROCESS WHERE WE ARE IN GENERAL, WHAT, WHAT WE HAVE IS, IS THE SIGNALS.
UM, THERE'S NOT AS MUCH VARIATION IN THE SOUTHERN SECTION AS THERE IS IN THE NORTHERN SECTION.
THE NORTHERN SECTION IS MORE COMMERCIAL THAN THE SOUTHERN SECTION OF BUCK WALTER, THE NORTHERN SECTION, WHEN IT WAS DEVELOPED IN 2007, UM, IT'S BEEN OVER 15 YEARS SINCE THAT WAS UPDATED.
AND SO DID WE, HOW DID WE DO WITH OUR INITIAL PLAN? DID WE STICK TO IT? ARE THERE UPDATES WE NEED TO, UH, THERE'S NOT AS MANY UPDATES, UH, IN THE SOUTHERN SECTION THAT WE EXPECT.
UM, ONE OF, ONE OF THE ONES BEING THE INTERSECTION AT THE START OF BUCK WALTER OR BLUFFTON PARKWAY.
UH, IF THAT WAS TO SHIFT, THEN, THEN THE NEXT SIGNAL DOWN AT THE PARKERS AT LAKE POINT DRIVE, THEN THAT WOULD NEED TO SHIFT.
SO WANT TO MAKE SURE OUR SPACING IS,
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IS CONSTANT, UH, THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO KEEP TRAFFIC FLOWING THROUGHOUT THE, THE AREA AND MAKE SURE OUR SIGNALS ARE, ARE EVENLY SPACED AS BEST AS WE CAN.ALSO DOWN ON THE SOUTHERN SECTION, NEAR, NEAR THE SCHOOLS AND NEAR THE RECREATION CENTER, WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE PROVIDING SAFE ACCESS FOR THE, UH, THE SCHOOLS, THE SCHOOL BUSES TURNING IN AND OUT.
UM, AS FAR AS IMPROVEMENTS THAT WE HAVE PLANNED FOR THE BUCK WALTER RECREATION CENTER EXPANSION, UM, BOTH AROUND THE SOCCER FIELD AREA AND ALSO AT 46.
SO MAKING SURE WE HAVE ACCESS ROADS AND CONNECTIVITY, UM, THE PLANS IN GENERAL, UM, WE'LL COME BACK TO YOU FORMALLY, UH, AND COORDINATE WITH STAFF ON THAT AS A, A FORMAL PRESENTATION.
BUT IT'S BASICALLY RUDIMENTARY AS FAR AS THE EXACT LOCATION OF THESE ACCESS ROADS.
BUT IT'S BASICALLY SETTING THE FRAMEWORK SO WHEN DEVELOPMENT COMES, WE HAVE THE FRAMEWORK TO SAY, HEY, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE CON CROSS CONNECTIVITY, UM, TO KEEP, KEEP THE MAIN ROAD, UH, FLOWING WITH TRAFFIC AS PLANNED.
SO, SO THAT'S WHERE WE ARE WITH THE ACCESS MANAGEMENT PLAN, AGAIN, FOR THE SOUTHERN SECTION.
UH, AS FAR AS THE TIA ORDINANCE TRAFFIC IMPACT ANALYSIS, UH, WHAT OUR GOAL IS AND INTENT IS TO CREATE A REGIONAL PLAN THAT ALL OF US, UH, THE COUNTY AND JASPER COUNTY AND THE MUNICIPALITIES CAN HAVE SOME FRAMEWORK WHERE WE'RE EVALUATING DEVELOPMENTS FROM A TRAFFIC PERSPECTIVE ON AN EVEN BASIS.
SO ONE MUNICIPALITY'S NOT TREATING, UH, DEVELOPMENT DIFFERENTLY.
SO WE KIND OF HAVE A CRITERIA, UH, BASE CRITERIA THAT WE'RE ALL EVALUATING PROPOSED DEVELOPMENTS.
UM, WE'VE CURRENTLY, WHERE WE ARE IN THAT, WE'VE, WE'VE COORDINATED THIS THROUGH LATS, OUR REGIONAL PLANNING ORGAN, UM, ORGANIZATION.
WE MADE A PRESENTATION BOTH AT THE POLICY COMMITTEE AND AT THE TECHNICAL COM COMMITTEE.
UM, WE'VE HAD TWO MEETINGS WITH THE TECHNICAL COMMITTEE TO DISCUSS THIS ONE, FIRST TO INTRODUCE IT, AND SECOND TO GET DOWN IN SOME OF THE DETAILS.
I BELIEVE AT THE NEXT TECHNICAL COMMITTEE WILL CONTINUE TO WORK THROUGH SOME OF THOSE DETAILS.
UM, ONE OF, ONE OF THE MAIN POINTS, THIS IS AN IDEA THAT CAME UP.
ONE OF OUR TRAFFIC ENGINEERS THAT DOES A LOT OF WORK SAID, HEY, MAYBE THIS IS SOMETHING YOU SHOULD THINK ABOUT.
UM, SOME, SOME OF THE MUNICIPALITIES AND ORGANIZATIONS IN, IN THE CHARLESTON AREA AND BERKELEY AND DORCHESTER AREA, THEY'VE DONE SOMETHING LIKE THIS AND THEY'VE SEEN SOME SUCCESS.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE PLANNED IN THE ORDINANCE IS LOOKING AT THE, THE DEVELOPMENTS AS THEY COME IN.
A LOT OF TIMES YOU MAY HAVE AN OUT OF TOWN DEVELOPER AND THEY HAVE THEIR OWN ENGINEER AND TRAFFIC ENGINEER, AND THEY COME IN, WELL, THEY DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE ALL THE INPUTS OF ALL THE OTHER DEVELOPMENTS THAT ARE NEXT TO 'EM, EITHER DIRECTLY ADJACENT TO THEIR PROPERTY OR JUST DOWN THE ROAD, THAT IMPACT THE WAY THEIR PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT WILL, UM, AFFECT THE TRAFFIC ON THE ROAD.
SO THE IDEA IS THAT IF WE HAVE A, A GROUP OF CONSULTANTS WE HAVE AT BEAUFORT COUNTY, A ON-CALL LIST OF THREE TRAFFIC CONTROL OR TRAFFIC DESIGN CONSULTANTS, UM, AND WE WOULD UTILIZE THAT LIST AND THEY, THEY WOULD BE THE ONES THAT A DEVELOPMENT COMES IN.
WE HAVE THIS PROPOSED PROJECT, AND THE DEVELOPER WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR OUTLINING THAT.
AND THEN WE WOULD DO THE ACTUAL TRAFFIC AND, UH, IMPACT ANALYSIS AS THE COUNTY AND WITH THEIR INPUTS WITH OUR ON-CALL DESIGN ENGINEER.
UM, AND THAT WAY, AGAIN, WE MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE A REPOSITORY OF ALL THE DIFFERENT DEVELOPMENTS AND INPUTS.
SO THIS DEVELOPMENT AFFECTS THAT DEVELOPMENT.
UM, VERSUS IN THEIR STUDY, IT MAY JUST BE THAT, HEY, WE JUST NEED TO PUT A SIGNAL IN FRONT OF OUR DEVELOPMENT, BUT THAT'S NOT THE WHOLE PICTURE.
SO THE INTENT IS TO KIND OF ATTACK THIS AT REGIONALLY.
THAT'S THE REASON WE'RE WORKING THROUGH LATS.
UH, ALL THE DIFFERENT MUNICIPALITIES AND, AND JASPER COUNTY ARE APPROACHING A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT, TRYING TO USE A SIMILAR PATH THAT WAS USED FOR THE SO LOCO STORMWATER MANUAL.
UM, SO WHETHER EVERYBODY PASSES THE EXACT SAME ORDINANCE OR SOME ITERATIVE, UH, ITERATION OF IT, UM, AT LEAST WE'RE ALL THINKING IN THE SAME MINDSET.
SO TRYING TO ADJUST OUR TRAFFIC WHERE WE'RE ALL, UM, EQUALLY VERSUS ONE'S DOING SOMETHING A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT.
UM, WE'RE WORKING THROUGH THAT.
AGAIN, WE'RE GOING TO GO BACK TO THE LATS TECHNICAL COMMITTEE AND TRYING TO IRON OUT SOME DETAILS AND THEN THAT TOO, WE WOULD TAKE TO OUR PLANNING COMMISSION AND THEN OUR PUBLIC FACILITIES AND THEN THE COUNTY COUNCIL.
SO THOSE ARE KIND OF TWO BIG THINGS THAT WE'RE WORKING ON.
JUST WANTED TO GIVE YOU GUYS A HEADS UP.
AND THEN WE'LL BE COMING BACK, UH, FORMALLY WITH THE ACCESS MANAGEMENT PLAN.
AND THEN TOWN STAFF, UH, IS WORKING ON, ON THEIR VERSION OF THAT, THAT IMPACT ORDINANCE, UM, AS MENTIONED.
SO GLAD TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS.
NOT, WOULDN'T IT HAVE BEEN GREAT IF WE'D HAVE THOUGHT OF THIS 25 YEARS AGO, AB ABSOLUTELY.
UM, SO IT'S GREAT THAT WE GET TO GET THESE UPDATES, UM, TO SEE HOW THE, YOUR PLANS ARE WORKING WITH BLUFFTON.
I'M INTERESTED TO KNOW THAT YOU GUYS HAVE
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SIMILAR CONVERSATIONS WITH LIKE S-E-D-O-T AS MANY OF OUR ROADS HERE ARE IN YOUR JURISDICTION AND THEIRS TO MAKE SURE LIKE THERE'S A COHESION AND, UM, MITIGATING THE ISSUES THAT WE ARE SEEING WITH TRAFFIC.SO IT'S, I'M GLAD YOU MENTIONED 90% OF THE ROADS IN, IN THE COUNTY AND THROUGHOUT THE STATE ARE DOT OWNED.
UM, SO A GOOD CASE EXAMPLE, WE HAD A PLAN ON ONE 70, WHICH IS BEYOND BLUFFTON, BUT ONE 70 TOWARDS 2 78, 4 62, AND DOT.
UH, WE SAID, THIS IS HOW WE'RE GOING TO PERFORM THIS, UH, THIS SECTION OF ROAD.
THIS IS WHERE THE SIGNALS ARE GONNA LINE OUT.
AND DOT WAS APPROVING PLANS THAT WERE NOT IN LINE WITH WHAT WE LOCALLY SAID WE WANTED, WHERE THE SIGNAL LAYOUT, UH, WELL, THEY HADN'T, WE HADN'T ADOPTED IT, AND SO THEY ARE NOT ENACTING IT.
SO THE IDEA OF US WORKING TOGETHER, UH, LOCALLY, BUT ALSO WITH DOT SO THAT THEY WILL UPHOLD WHAT WE APPROVE LOCALLY, WHAT WE WANT THE LAYOUT TO BE, WHETHER IT'S THEIR ROAD OR IN OUR CASE, UH, GLAD COUNTY OWNED ROAD.
UM, SO ON THE ACCESS MANAGEMENT LATS IS DOING STUDIES, YOU WOULD WAIT, UM, IT'S A QUESTION.
WOULD YOU WAIT TO GET THE LATS STUDIES IN BEFORE YOU DO THE ACCESS MANAGEMENT PLAN IN HALL? NOT, NOT ON BUCK WALTER.
SO THE PLANS THAT LATZ IS LOOKING AT, THERE'S ONE ON, ON BLUFFTON PARKWAY SPECIFICALLY, AND THEN THERE'S ONE ON SOUTHERN BEAUFORT COUNTY AND JASPER COUNTY.
UM, SO THE BLUFFTON PARKWAY WOULD CROSS THE SECTION OF BUCK WALTER.
UM, BUT WE MADE WHAT WE'RE WORKING ON RIGHT NOW, AND THE BUCK WALTER ACCESS MAN HAS A PROVISION IF THERE'S ANY CHANGES AT THAT CROSS LOCATION, UM, IT COULD BE ACCOMP ACCOMMODATED IN, IN WHAT WE'RE WORKING ON NOW.
AND THEN THE, UM, THE TIA ORDINANCE, UM, AND YOU MENTIONED, SO LOCO, ARE YOU GOING TO UTILIZE SO LOCO AS A JUMPING OFF ORGANIZATION TO MAYBE HELP COORDINATE THIS THROUGHOUT THE TWO COUNTY REGION? WELL, SO THE WAY WE APPROACHED IT SO FAR AS WE'VE USED LATS SINCE THEY'RE THE TRANSPORTATION PLANNER AS THE ORGANIZATION VERSUS SO LOCO, AND THEN WE'RE WORKING WITH THE STAFFS, UH, OF ALL THE MUNICIPALITIES THAT WHO ALSO ARE REPRESENTED AT LATS.
SO I THINK, SO LOCO IS ANOTHER PLACE FOR US TO PRESENT AND, AND PRESENT AT.
SO LOCO WHAT WE'RE WORKING TOWARDS, UH, JUST AS I AM RIGHT HERE TODAY.
UM, BUT WE'RE, WE'RE WORKING THROUGH LATS VERSUS, SO LOCO DIRECTLY.
MAYOR, MAY I ASK ONE MORE? CERTAINLY THE, UH, SIGNALIZATION SYNCHRONIZATION, HOW LONG BEFORE WE WOULD SEE THE MERITS OF SOMETHING LIKE THAT? SO THE PLAN DOESN'T SPECIFICALLY, UH, SPELL OUT THE SYNCHRONIZATION.
IT JUST IS MORE THE LOCATION AND THE ACCESS ROADS, THE GEOMETRY, BASICALLY.
UM, SO THAT'S MORE OF A, UH, ITS PLAN AND AT LATS AS WELL.
UM, WE'RE WORKING ON THE ARCHITECT FOR ARCHITECT AND ARCHETYPE FOR A REGIONAL ITS MASTER PLAN.
SO TO LAY OUT THAT SYNCHRONIZATION AND HOW THEY ALL INTERACT WITH ONE ANOTHER SIGNALS.
LATS HAS ABOUT FIVE DIFFERENT STUDIES THAT THEY'RE WORKING ON REGIONALLY.
AND THEN THAT'LL BE THE FRAMEWORK THAT WE CAN START IMPLEMENTING PROJECTS BASED OFF THAT PLAN.
HOW ARE WE UPGRADING THAT AND HAVE DIFFERENT DEVELOPMENT ALMOST COMING TO LINE AT THE SAME TIME? AND THEY HAVE SEPARATE TRAFFIC IN THAT, IN, UM, STUDIES ANALYSIS.
IT DOESN'T, IT DOESN'T, IT, THE MATH DOESN'T WORK.
SO HAVE YOU GUYS ADDRESSED THAT YET? SO WE CAN'T CORRECT THE PASS THE PASS, BUT WE'RE FROM THIS POINT FORWARD DRAWING A LINE IN THE SAND, AND THIS IS HOW WE'RE GONNA APPROACH IT MOVING FORWARD.
AND, AND THE GOAL IS THAT VERSUS HAVING ONE TRAFFIC STUDY RIGHT HERE AND THE NEXT ONE SAYING SOMETHING DIFFERENT, HAVING A CONNECT A REPOSITORY OF INFORMATION WHERE THESE KIND OF, FOR US, THE THREE FIRMS THAT WE HAVE READILY AVAILABLE SHARE THAT INFORMATION.
SO IF THEY'RE REVIEWING THIS ONE OR WORKING ON THIS ONE, THEY KNOW WHAT THE OTHER ONE IS SAYING SO THAT IT'S REPRESENTED.
SO THEIR IMPACT IS REPRESENTED EQUALLY IN BOTH STUDIES.
UM, THE OTHER QUESTION IS, WHY ARE WE DOING, UH, WHY ARE WE TRYING TO BRING THE REGION TOGETHER? WHAT KIND OF COOPERATION ARE YOU GETTING FROM OTHER MUNICIPALITIES? IT'S BEEN
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GREAT.SO AGAIN, USING LATS AS OUR FRAMEWORK, UM, THERE'S ALREADY A GOOD COOPERATIVE, UH, ENVIRONMENT THERE.
AND THEN, SO WE ARE WORKING AT A TECHNICAL COMMITTEE WITH ALL THE STAFFS.
AND AGAIN, EVERYBODY'S BEEN OPEN ARMS AND ANYTHING WE CAN DO TO WORK TOGETHER IS, IT'S BEEN, IT'S BEEN A GOOD PROCESS.
ANY QUESTIONS? THANK YOU, JARED.
UM, I, I THINK WHAT YOU WERE SAYING THAT YOU'RE WORKING ON TRYING TO CREATE, ANSWERED FRED'S QUESTION, UM, BY, BY TAKING IN CONSIDERATION WHAT'S COMING, NOT JUST WHAT'S COMING NEXT MONTH, BUT WHAT'S COMING NEXT YEAR.
AND REALISTICALLY, I WISH WE'VE DONE THAT 25 YEARS AGO.
WE WOULDN'T HAVE SOME OF THE SITUATIONS WE HAVE NOW, BUT WELL, IF WE DON'T DO IT NOW, THINKING ON THAT, AND WE CAN, IF WE CAN HELP IN ANY KIND OF WAY, WE ARE HERE TO LET US KNOW WHAT WE CAN DO AND GIVE YOU SOME MORE SUPPORT TO GET IT DONE.
[VIII. PUBLIC COMMENT]
TO MOVE TO PUBLIC COMMENT.IS THERE ANY MORE PUBLIC COMMENTS OR, YES, WE HAVE FOUR PUBLIC COMMENTS THIS EVENING.
SO, UM, YOU WANNA CALL THE FIRST ONE, LYNN? GREATLY.
DID SHE SAY MIKE RAYMOND? NO, NO, RIGHT NOW, HERE.
I NEED, I NEED TO BORROW, SINCE WE'VE ALREADY CALLED HER NAME, LET ME GIVE HER AN OPPORTUNITY TO APPEAR.
MS. GREELEY, ARE YOU IN THE HOUSE? I DON'T, I DON'T SEE HER HERE.
MR. RAYMOND, WOULD YOU LIKE TO GO NEXT,
GOOD EVENING MAYOR AND COUNCIL, AND CONGRATULATIONS TO THE HONORABLE EMILY BURDEN.
I LIVE ON GINKGO LANE IN BLUFFTON, AND I'M HERE TO TALK ABOUT SOMETHING I'VE TALKED ABOUT BEFORE, AND THAT IS EXPANDING THE NUMBER OF SEATS ON THIS COUNCIL.
YOU KNOW, BACK WHEN WE WERE ONE SQUARE MILE AND LESS THAN A THOUSAND PEOPLE, A FIVE PERSON COUNCIL WAS JUST FINE.
BUT TODAY OUR POPULATION IS 40 TIMES GREATER THAN IT WAS THEN.
AND OUR AREA IS 50 TIMES LARGER.
YET HERE WE ARE STILL WITH A COUNCIL OF FIVE.
IN FACT, THE FIRST TWO MEETINGS OF THIS YEAR, Y'ALL HAD A COUNCIL OF FOUR.
OUR 40,000 RESIDENTS DESERVE BROADER REPRESENTATION THAN WHAT WE HAD BACK IN THE 1960S.
AND THIS ISN'T JUST ABOUT AN EXPLOSION IN OUR POPULATION.
YOUR BUDGET HAS GROWN TREMENDOUSLY, YOUR STAFF HAS GROWN.
OUR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS ARE BIGGER AND MORE EXPENSIVE THAN EVER.
THE DEMAND FOR YOU TO BE INVOLVED, EACH ONE OF YOU ON COMMITTEE ASSIGN, Y'ALL SHOULD BE SCREAMING FOR HELP.
WHEN YOU EXPAND FROM FIVE SEATS TO SEVEN, YOU GAIN 40% MORE IN RESOURCES.
YOU GAIN KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND LIFE EXPERIENCES THAT CAN COME TO THIS TABLE AND BE PART OF THE DEBATE.
ALL OF THIS IS IN THE BEST INTEREST OF BLUFFTON, AND IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT YOU DO A STRAW, A STRAW POLL ON THE PUBLIC.
IT'S SOMETHING FOR YOU, THE LEADERSHIP, TO ADVOCATE ON BEHALF OF THE PUBLIC.
YOU WORK WITH STAFF TO BUILD A PUBLIC EDUCATION COMPONENT.
YOU WORK TO BUILD A POSITIVE CAMPAIGN, AND THEN YOU PUT IT ON THE BALLOT.
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT THE LEADERSHIP NEEDS TO DO.
KEEP BLUFFING GOVERNMENT CURRENT TO KEEP BLUFFING GOVERNMENT UP TO SPEED.
IT IS SOMETHING THAT I URGE YOU TO DO VERY QUICKLY.
GET BEHIND THIS, PUT IT ON THE NEXT BALLOT.
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L SOUTH CAROLINA, BRIDGET FRAZIER, CHEF B CHEF B'S FOOD TRUCK OWNER, OWNER OF MAR DAISY RESTAURANT, PRESIDENT OF MLK COMMITTEE, JUNETEENTH ORGANIZER THAT BRING THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE TO BLUFFTON, ORGANIZES WARMING SHELTER FOR THE HOMELESS DURING THE COLD MONTHS IN THE WINTER, WORKED WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT TO BRING ON A BOARD, A PERSONNEL PERSON FOR MENTAL HEALTH, AND PROVIDED OVER 20,000 MEALS TO STUDENTS FROM COVID, WAS HERE NOW.THE BLUFFTON POLICE DEPARTMENT VISION STATEMENT SAYS, WE WILL STRIVE TO BE INNOVATIVE, PROGRESSIVE, AND TRANSPARENT.
WE ARE COMMITTED TO SERVING OUR TEAM AND THE COMMUNITY WITH INTEGRITY, COURAGE, AND PROFESSIONALISM.
YOUR SHIELD CORE VALUES ARE SERVING WITH PASSION, HONOR, INTEGRITY, EX EXCELLENCE, LEADERSHIP, AND DEDICATION.
WELL, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT CURRENTLY DID NOT SHIELD THIS COMMUNITY LEADER, WHO IS A BEACON OF LIGHT AND ACTIVIST WORKING TOWARD INCLUSION AND EQUALITY OF ALL PEOPLE IN BLUFFTON.
THAT'S WHY I'M TRULY SADDENED AND TROUBLED BY THE ARREST OF BRIDGER FRAZIER, WHO WAS HANDCUFFED AND TREATED LIKE A CRIMINAL FOR AN ALLEGED TRAFFIC VIOLATION, AND WAS HAULED AWAY TO JAIL, PROCESSED AND PUT IN AN ORANGE SUIT, AND HAD A MUGSHOT ON SAT, UM, ON SATURDAY, MARCH 9TH WITH FALSE CHARGES OF DUS OFFENSE, WITH NO PRIOR CRIMINAL RECORDS.
NOW, FOR A FIRST OFFENSE, DUS THE POLICE OFFICER COULD HAVE ISSUED HER A CITATION.
THE CHIEF OF POLICE COULD HAVE INSTRUCTED THE POLICE OFFICER TO JUST LET HER GO.
BUT IF, TO MY UNDERSTANDING, THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN.
SO OUR BLACK COMMUNITY AND OTHERS WHO KNOW BRIDGETTE IS DEVASTATED THAT WHILE SHE WAS TREATED ON SATURDAY AS A CRIMINAL WITH FULL AND WITHOUT FULL AND THOROUGH INVESTIGATION OF THIS HIDEOUS ARREST FOR SOMEONE WHO IS BLACK AND HAS NO PRIOR CRIMINAL ARREST, AND WE WANT TO THE REMOVAL OF ANYONE COMPLICIT OF WRONGDOING, I AM REQUESTING THAT THE CHIEF OF POLICE SET UP A MEETING WITH THE AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY AND HAVE CONVERSATION AS TO WHY SHOULD WE TRUST THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AGAIN AFTER THIS, OUR COMMUNITY, WHEN IT COMES TO RACE, EQUALITY, INCLUSIVENESS, AND OUR COMMUNITY CONTINUES TO GROW, WE WANNA KNOW WHY WASN'T A CITATION IN ISSUED UNTIL FURTHER INVESTIGATION WITH THIS ARRESTS ON BRIDGET, THAT THE CHIEF TOWN OF BLUFFTON POLICE DEPARTMENT COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED? THE BLUFFTON POLICE DEPARTMENT, IT SAYS, WELL, LIKE THEY HAVE GONE AND WORKED WITH BRIDGET DILIGENTLY, CHIEF DILIGENTLY.
AND I CAN'T UNDERSTAND HOW YOU GUYS SHAME THIS WOMAN ARRESTED HER FOR A CITATION THAT NOBODY THOUGHT THERE COULD HAVE BEEN A CLERICAL ERROR.
THAT CONCLUDES OUR, UM, PUBLIC COMMENT, MOVE OVER TO
[IX. COMMUNICATIONS FROM MAYOR AND COUNCIL]
MAYOR AND COUNCIL COMMUNICATIONS, ANYTHING FROM COUNCIL? MS. BRIDGET, YOU WANNA START? I JUST WANTED TO, UH, RESPOND IN REGARDS TO THE TRAUMATIZING AND VERY UNFORTUNATE SITUATION I WAS SUBJECTED TO THIS PAST WEEKEND.UM, DON'T REALLY WANNA GO INTO MUCH DETAILS, BUT JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT, UM, I WILL BE VINDICATED, I WILL BE SEEKING JUSTICE FOR THOSE ACTIONS, BUT I ALSO WANTED TO THANK THOSE WHO'VE REACHED OUT TO ME AND MY FAMILY AND OFFERED SUPPORT AND ENCOURAGEMENT AND, UM, SUCH A, A VERY TRAUMATIZING EXPERIENCE.
AND, UM, JUST WANNA THANK YOU ALL AND ASK FOR YOUR CONTINUED PRAYERS AND SUPPORT, UM, IN THAT ENDEAVOR.
UM, I, I DID NOT MAKE THIS THE OTHER NIGHT, BUT I KNOW OUR DON RYAN CENTER WAS, UH, RECEIVING AN AWARD AND I THINK TOWN MANAGER CAN SPEAK TO THAT BETTER THAN I CAN IN A MOMENT, BUT, UH, I DON'T KNOW IF THEY'RE IN THE ROOM THIS EVENING, BUT I DO WANT TO CONGRATULATE, UM, CHRIS, I BELIEVE YOU WERE THERE.
GOLDEN OYSTER FROM THE, UH, GREATER BLUFFTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.
SO THAT'S A GREAT ACCOMPLISHMENT.
UM, I KNOW WHERE WE WERE WITH THIS ORGANIZATION AND THE DON RYAN CENTER A FEW YEARS AGO, AND I THINK WE'VE COME LIGHT YEARS, AND SO I THINK IT'S ALL POSITIVE AND A VERY GOOD THING FOR THE TOWN AND THE COMMUNITY.
I HAVE NOTHING, UH, THAT I WANT TO SHARE, BUT I DO WANNA WELCOME EMILY TO THE, AND HOPEFULLY WE CAN HELP YOU TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN THIS ENDEAVOR.
AND IF ANYTHING I CAN DO, I'LL BE GLAD YOU CAN COME.
[00:35:03]
AND ALL.I'VE GOT SOME BRIDGET ON THE, THE WHOLE SITUATION WITH YOU, YOU KNOW, THAT DOESN'T SOUND RIGHT, BUT, UM, WE'LL BE LOOKING INTO IT AND TRYING TO GET ALL THE INFORMATION THAT'S, THAT'S NEEDED AND WE'LL BE IN DISCUSSIONS ABOUT WHETHER SOMETHING NEEDS TO CHANGE OR NOT.
AND, UM, RIGHT NOW I PERSONALLY DON'T HAVE ALL THE INFORMATION OR DOCUMENTATION, HAVEN'T EVEN TALKED TO MANY PEOPLE INVOLVED.
SO WE WILL, UM, WE WILL BE LOOKING INTO IT AND SEEING IF IT'S SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO BE FIXED OR, OR JUST WHAT, WHAT IT IS.
UM, NEXT WE'RE GONNA MOVE ON TO OUR WORKSHOP, WORKSHOP AGENDA ITEMS, UM,
[X.1. Presentation on Opioid Settlement Funds and Proposed Uses - Chief Joseph Babkiewicz, Bluffton Police Department]
HAVE A PRESENTATION ON OPIOID SETTLEMENT FUNDS AND PURPOSES, OPIOID SETTLEMENT FUNDS AND PURPOSES PURPOSED USES CHIEF JOE BAITZ THAT WAS NEGOTIATED WITH PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES, UH, DUE TO THE OVER-PRESCRIBED AND RESULTING ADDICTION AND DEATHS.UM, THIS WAS HANDLED THROUGH THE STATE AND AS A PARTY TO THE SUIT, WE HAVE A DIRECT ALLOTMENT OF FUNDS.
THESE FUNDS WERE $25,915 AND 25 CENTS.
UH, THESE FUNDS DO COME WITH VERY SPECIFIC GUIDELINES FOR THEIR USE, AND WE'VE BEEN REVIEWING SOME OF THE OPTIONS, UH, THAT WE CAN UTILIZE THEM FOR.
UH, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT THEY, WE ARE RESTRICTIVE TO SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE CAN UTILIZE 'EM FOR.
UH, THE FIRST WORD OR THE FIRST IS NALOXONE, OR AS YOU GUYS MAY KNOW IT, AS NARCAN, WHICH IS A, A MEDICINE YOU CAN GIVE SOMEBODY THAT MAY HAVE JUST OVERDOSED ON, ON SOMETHING.
UM, MEDICAL ASSISTANT TREATMENT, PREGNANT AND POSTPARTUM WOMAN EXPANDING TREATMENT FOR NEONATAL ABSENTEE SYNDROME, EXPANSION OF A WARM HANDOFF PROGRAMS, TREATMENT FOR INCARCERATED POPULATIONS, PREVENTION EDUCATION PROGRAMS, EXPANDING SYRINGE SERVICE PROGRAMS AND EVIDENCE-BASED DATA COLLECTION.
UH, WHAT WE DID WAS WE IDENTIFIED SOME OF THE STAKEHOLDERS IN OUR COMMUNITY THAT INCLUDED, UH, PEOPLE WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED ADDICTION AS WELL AS SOME OF, UH, OUR NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS OUT THERE THAT ARE ALREADY DOING SOME REACH OUT PROGRAMS THAT CAN HELP US.
UM, SOME WHAT THEY IDENTIFIED THAT WE WERE LACKING IN THIS AREA WAS ACCESS TO INFORMATION FOR DETOX, RECOVER, AND REHABILITATION CENTERS INABILITY TO OBTAIN OR PURCHASE NARCAN BECAUSE OF THE COST OF NARCAN THAT TYPICALLY RUNS BETWEEN 40 AND $50 PER BOX, EDUCATING YOUNG, YOUNG ADULTS ON DANGERS OF OPIOIDS IN THE COMMUNITY, AS WELL AS EDUCATION FOR FAMILIES WHO HAVE SOMEONE WHO IS ADDICTED TO DRUGS AND OR ALCOHOL BASED ON THOSE INPUTS PROVIDED, UH, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, UH, THE NEEDS IN OUR COMMUNITY.
WE BELIEVE A WINNING GRANT TRAGEDY IS TO FOCUS ON PREVENTION PROGRAMS AS OUR CORE ABATEMENT.
TRAGEDY SPECIFICALLY THE EFFORTS OF MEDIA CAMPAIGNS AND MEDICAL PROVIDER EDUCATION AND OUTREACH PROGRAMS. WE'VE IDENTIFIED TWO COMMUNITY COALITION NONPROFIT PARTNERS ALREADY GENERATING THESE, UH, CAMPAIGNS AND, AND OUTREACH BY PROVIDING ADDITIONAL FUNDS, UM, FROM THE TOWN'S ALLOTMENT OF THE OPIOID SETTLEMENT.
THE FIRST ONE, AND YOU GUYS I'M SURE HAVE ALL HEARD OF LOW COUNTRY ALLIANCE FOR HEALTHY YOUTH.
NOVIN AND HOW WE COULD TEAM UP WITH THEM.
WE WANT TO DEDICATE $10,400 AND 96 CENTS FOR SOCIAL AND TRADITIONAL MEDIA CAMPAIGNS.
AND THAT'S TO GET, UH, EDUCATION OUT THERE TO OUR YOUNG ADULTS GOING THROUGH HIGH SCHOOL AND MIDDLE SCHOOL, NOT JUST IN BLUFFTON, BUT ALSO IN HILTON HEAD, BECAUSE THEY SERVE BOTH SCHOOLS.
UM, IT'S REALLY GEARED TOWARDS PROMOTION OF THE OPIOID ISSUE AND WHAT ADDICTION CAN DO AS THEY GROW OLDER.
SECOND GROUP IS A BEAUFORT COUNTY FIRST RESPONDERS PROJECT, AND WE WANT TO ALLOCATE $20,000 FOR THEM PURPOSE.
AND THE REASON WHY WE SET ASIDE MORE MONEY FOR THEM IS BECAUSE THEY'RE GONNA HELP US PURCHASE NARCAN THAT WE CAN ESSENTIALLY GIVE OUT TO PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY.
UH, WHAT THEY'RE DOING IS THEY'RE GOING AROUND AND THEY ARE TEACHING FAMILY MEMBERS ABOUT THE USE OF NARCAN AND HOW TO UTILIZE NARCAN.
AND AFTER THE CLASS, THEY WILL ISSUE THEM NARCAN
[00:40:01]
FOR FREE.UM, AND SO THEY'RE GONNA HELP US IF THEY ORDER IN BULK, UH, THE NARCAN, THEN WE CAN GET IT AT A MUCH LOWER COST.
IT WILL ALSO HELP US SUPPLY OUR OFFICERS WITH MORE THAN ONE NARCAN.
RIGHT NOW, THEY, WE HAVE TO GET NARCAN THROUGH DHC, BUT WE ONLY GET ONE BOX, WHICH CONTAINS TWO SPRAYS.
IF WE USE 'EM BOTH ON ONE SCENE, THEN THE OFFICERS ARE OUT UNTIL WE GET MORE FROM DHC.
THIS WILL PROVIDE MORE SUPPLY TO OUR OFFICERS, BUT ALSO PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY WHO HAVE FAMILY MEMBERS THAT ARE SUFFERING FROM ADDICTION.
UM, SO MY CONCERN IS, I KNOW THAT THE OPIOID ADDICTION IS DEFINITELY PREVALENT IN OUR SOCIETY.
UM, BUT MY CONCERN IS I DON'T WANT TO SEE LIKE THE FUNDING BE USED TOWARDS, UH, SYMBOLIC GESTURES IN TERMS OF, I THINK THE YOUTH OF HEALTHY ALLIANCE IS A GREAT, UM, PROGRAM.
THEY DO GREAT THINGS, BUT THE FOLKS WHO ARE SUFFERING WITH THAT ADDICTION, UM, MY CONCERN IS, ARE THEY GONNA BE THE ONES BEST SERVED BY THIS? LIKE, HOW DO WE REACH THE PEOPLE WHO ACTUALLY MAY NOT COME AND ATTEND A WORKSHOP OR FORUM, BUT WHO ARE USERS THAT ARE IN NEED OF SOME TYPE OF, UH, HELP TO, UM, TO BE ABLE TO OVERCOME THAT ADDICTION? HOW DO WE ENSURE THAT FUNDS ARE GOING TO THE FOLKS THAT NEED IT AND NOT NECESSARILY SOMEWHERE WHERE IT'S GONNA BE A PREACHING TO THE CHOIR TYPE, UM, EFFORT.
AND HAVE WE THOUGHT OF WAYS OF WHERE THOSE NEEDS ARE TO REACH THOSE WHO ARE ACTUALLY, UM, IN NEED OF, OF THAT ASSISTANCE RIGHT NOW? YES, MA'AM.
THAT'S WHY WE IDENTIFIED ONE, ONE OF OUR STAKEHOLDERS IS A RECOVERING ADDICT.
UM, SHE'S, UH, KRISTA FLANDERS.
SHE, SHE'S IN THE AUDIENCE NOW AND SHE KNOWS A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THAT REALM THAT CAN DRAW PEOPLE TO SOME OF THESE PRESENTATIONS THAT WE'RE GONNA BE DOING, UM, WHERE WE CAN ISSUE NARCAN AND WE CAN EDUCATE THEM.
SO HAVING, PARTNERING WITH HER IS DEFINITELY A PLUS FOR US TO REACH OUT TO THE PEOPLE THAT WE DON'T KNOW ARE SUFFERING FROM ADDICTION.
AND MY LAST QUESTION, 'CAUSE I SAW ONE OF THE ALLOWABLE USES WAS FOR THOSE WHO ARE, UH, INCARCERATED.
SO I'M ASSUMING IT'S A SENSE YOU MIGHT PICK SOMEONE UP AND SEE THAT THEY ARE A, UH, A USER OF THIS PARTICULAR, UM, DRUG.
UM, ARE THERE WAYS OR HAS THERE BEEN A STRATEGY AND HOW DO WE KNOW THAT THAT PERSON IS PROBABLY GOING TO BE RELEASED IN SOME TIME? HOW DO WE GET THEM FROM THAT POINT INTO, UM, EITHER PAIRING THEM UP WITH A, UM, SOME TYPE OF PROGRAM OR ONE OF THE ANONYMOUS NARCOTICS ANONYMOUS GROUPS IN THE AREA WHERE THEY COULD ACTUALLY GO RIGHT FROM, UH, RELEASE INTO SOMETHING THAT'S GONNA HELP THEM, UM, OVERCOME THIS? WHAT WE WOULD DO WITH THAT SITUATION IS WE WOULD USE OUR SOCIAL WORKER READING THE REPORTS, IDENTIFYING ANYONE THAT MAY HAVE DRUG ADDICTION THAT MAY HAVE BEEN ARRESTED, AND REACHING OUT TO THOSE FAMILIES AND LETTING THEM KNOW OF THE PROGRAMS THAT WE HAVE.
WE CAN'T FORCE THEM TO COME TO THE PROGRAMS. WE CAN CERTAINLY ENCOURAGE THEM AND EDUCATE THEM ON THE PROGRAMS THAT WE DO HAVE.
AND THE, THE BEAUFORT COUNTY DRUG COURT CAN ALSO HELP WITH, WITH THAT TYPE OF REQUIREMENT.
I, I, WE'VE HAD SOME CONVERSATIONS AND, AND I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU SOLVE THE ISSUE.
UM, THE ONLY PLACES TO GET TREATMENT ARE CHARLESTON AND COLUMBIA IN A, IN A STATE OF ABOUT 6 MILLION PEOPLE.
AND I THINK THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO EXPLORE CONVERSATIONS WITH OUR LOCAL JURISDICTIONS AND OUR COUNTY, UH, AT SOME POINT, MAYBE THIS, SHE HOPEFULLY TO DETERMINE IF THERE IS AN APPETITE TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO ADDRESS THAT PROBLEM.
UM, WHEN YOU'RE IN THIS LIFESTYLE, SOME PEOPLE MIGHT CAN AFFORD IT, BUT A LOT OF PEOPLE CAN'T, AND THEN THEY GET CAUGHT IN THAT RUT AND THEY CERTAINLY DON'T HAVE THE MEANS TO GO SEEK TREATMENT SOMEWHERE.
YOU KNOW, YOU MAY HAVE TO HAVE A PLACE TO STAY, HAVE TO HAVE THE TRIP THERE.
I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH IT ALL COSTS TO GO THROUGH THAT.
UM, SO I THINK WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT IS THERE AN ALTERNATIVE.
AND I KNOW THAT I DID TALK TO ONE HOSPITAL, CEO, I WAS SUPPOSED TO GET BACK TO HIM ON THIS TOPIC.
UM, I THINK THERE MIGHT BE AN OPPORTUNITY THERE, UH, TO GET SOME INFORMATION FROM THEM TO SEE HOW WE MOVE FORWARD WITH IT.
AND, AND SPEAKING WITH KRISTA, ONE OF THE BIGGEST ISSUES AROUND HERE IS IF YOU DON'T HAVE INSURANCE, IT'S VERY, VERY HARD TO GET IN AND AFFORD SOME TYPE OF TREATMENT.
UM, AND THEN GETTING UP TO COLUMBIA AND CHARLESTON, HOW DO PEOPLE GET UP THERE? UM, YOU WOULD HAVE TO HAVE A FRIEND THAT GIVES THEM A RIDE AND GET, GET UP THERE.
SO I WOULD CERTAINLY SUPPORT SOMETHING LOCAL WHERE PEOPLE WHO SUFFER FROM ADDICTION CAN GET THAT TREATMENT.
[00:45:01]
A GREAT START.AND SO THANK YOU FOR THIS, KRISTA, THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THIS TO, UM, ATTENTION.
I THINK, UM, I THINK THIS IS BADLY NEEDED IN, IN THE AREA.
I'M GONNA DO SOMETHING A LITTLE DIFFERENT.
KRISTA, WOULD YOU LIKE TO COME UP AND, AND SAY A FEW WORDS, VERY PROUD OF WHAT YOU, YOU SO ACCOMPLISHED, AND, UM, MAYBE YOU CAN TELL YOUR STORY A LITTLE BIT.
I'M JUST HONORED TO BE HERE INSTEAD OF SERVING.
I WOULD BE 10 YEARS IN MY 20 YEAR SENTENCE.
RIGHT NOW, I'M EIGHT YEARS SOBER.
I GOT, I GOT SOBER IN COUNTY JAIL.
I WAS OFFERED TREATMENT IN COUNTY JAIL BY A PUBLIC DEFENDER.
UM, I'VE BEEN ARRESTED NUMEROUS TIMES, DOZENS OF TIMES, AND THAT LAST TIME WAS THE ONLY TIME SOMEONE EVER OFFERED ME TREATMENT.
UM, I KIND OF HAD NO OTHER OPTION.
MY BOND WAS $25,000 AND I COULDN'T GO BACK TO HILTON.
SO I SOLD EVERYTHING I OWNED AND FOLLOWED HIS DIRECTIONS AND WENT TO GREENWOOD, SOUTH CAROLINA, STAYED FOR FIVE MONTHS, CAME BACK, AND I'VE BEEN SOBER EVER SINCE.
AND I RECOVER OUT LOUD, OUT LOUD SO PEOPLE DON'T HAVE TO SUFFER IN SILENCE.
UM, AS I'M SPEAKING RIGHT NOW, EVERY FOUR MINUTES SOMEONE DIES FROM AN OVERDOSE.
WE LOST 112,000 PEOPLE IN AMERICA LAST YEAR, AND THAT'S A WAKE UP CALL IN BEAUFORT COUNTY ALONE.
IT'S LITERALLY WHAT'S I'M MISSING.
MY SON'S 5-YEAR-OLD SOCCER PRACTICE RIGHT NOW, BUT EVERYONE ON THAT FIELD IS LIKE WHAT WE LOST LAST YEAR.
UM, JUST SPEAKING ABOUT IT, THERE'S NO PLACE FOR DETOX.
YOU CAN'T GO TO A HOSPITAL IN DETOX.
YOU CAN'T GO TO TREATMENT WITHOUT DETOX.
I'VE BEEN HELPING PEOPLE LEFT AND RIGHT.
MY OWN HUSBAND WAS SAVED BY A BEAU, A B LUPIN, B LEPTIN POLICE OFFICER WITH NARCAN FOUR YEARS AGO.
AND HE'S BEEN SOBER EVER SINCE.
AND WE HAD TO GO FAR AWAY FOR THAT.
AND THAT SHOULDN'T BE THE ISSUE.
THERE SHOULDN'T BE HARD TO CHANGE YOUR LIFE AS RECOVERING ADDICTS.
WE WORK ON OURSELVES EVERY SINGLE DAY.
WE'RE NOT, WE USED TO BE, IT TOOK A LONG TIME TO GET HERE, BUT WE ARE PROBABLY THE MOST HONEST PEOPLE YOU WILL EVER MEET.
AND THE WE'RE JUST SHARING OUR RECOVERY TO STAY SOBER.
AND I THINK EVERYONE'S LIKE LISTENING TO ME.
YOU GUYS ARE LISTENING AND THINGS ARE HAPPENING, AND CHANGES ARE HAPPENING, AND JASPER COUNTY'S MAKING MOVES AND WE'RE GONNA DO SOMETHING BIG HERE.
AND I'M JUST, MY INBOX IS FULL EVERY DAY OF PEOPLE GOING, WHERE DO I GO? WHERE DO I GO? AND I'M LIKE, I GUESS GUESS JUST TRY TO GO TO MUSC IN CHARLESTON AND ASK TO DETOX.
AND THEY USUALLY KICK YOU OUT.
SO WE HAVE A FOUNDATION RIGHT HERE IN OUR SEATS.
SPIRIT SEBASTIAN, THEY LOST THEIR SON ALMOST TO THE DAY A YEAR AGO.
HE DIDN'T KNOW HE WAS TAKING FENTANYL.
UM, BUT THEY SET UP, AND THEY HAVE STARTED A FOUNDATION TOO, AND THEY HAVE SENT NUMEROUS PEOPLE TO TREATMENT.
THEY HAVE THEIR FIRST ALUMNI WHO'S SEVEN, SEVEN MONTHS SOBER AND WORKING TOGETHER, WE'RE GONNA MAKE A CHANGE.
AND I, I, I'VE SAVED THOUSANDS OF LIVES, AND THAT'S JUST FROM ME TELLING MY WORST DAY AND GIVING HOPE.
SO THANK YOU FOR LISTENING TO ME AND THANK YOU.
THANK, THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU'RE DOING.
YEAH, I HAVE ONE MORE, UM, COMMENT.
I WANTED TO THANK KRISTA FOR THAT, UM, SHARING HER STORY AND TESTIMONY AND DEDICATING THAT, UM, TO HELPING OTHERS REALLY IMPACTFUL.
UM, I JUST WANTED TO PUT ON US WHILE WE'RE HAVING THE CONVERSATION ABOUT ADDICTION, TO GIVE SOME CONSIDERATIONS ALSO TO OTHER, UM, ADDICTS NOT NECESSARILY RELATED TO OPIOIDS IN A SENSE WHERE, UM, WE KNOW THAT OPIOID USE AND FENTANYL HAS BEEN HUMANIZED AS IT'S GONE FROM THE STREETS INTO THE SUBURBS AND SEEING THAT IMPACT, BUT WE STILL HAVE PEOPLE WHO'VE SUFFERED FROM, UH, COCAINE CRACK ADDICTIONS WHO DIDN'T GET THAT SAME TYPE OF, UH, HUMANIZATION OR EMPATHY TO BE ABLE TO GET ON A PATH OF RECOVERY.
AND AT SOME POINT, UM, IT'D BE NICE TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS TO INCLUDE THEM TOO.
AS SHE STATED, SOMETIMES IT'S NOT A CHOICE AND, UH, THEIR LIVES MATTER AND SHOULD BE VALUED TOO.
AND IF WE CAN HELP THEM, UM, WE SHOULD EXTEND THAT COURTESY AS WELL.
ANYTHING ELSE FROM COUNCIL CHAIR? UM, IF I COULD, UM, MAYOR AND COUNCIL, I HAD THE PRIVILEGE IN 2017 OF BEING CONTACTED BY A LAW FIRM IN NEW YORK WHO ASKED US TO GET INVOLVED WITH THE OPIOID LITIGATION THAT LED TO, UM, TO ME AND OUR FIRM BECOMING ONE OF THE FOUR PLAINTIFF LAWYERS FOR THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA IN THE OPIOID LITIGATION.
IT ALSO LED TO BEAUFORT COUNTY BEING ONE OF THE BELLWETHER COUNTIES WITH SPARTANBURG.
UM, LEXINGTON AND BEAUFORT WERE THE THREE BELLWETHER COUNTIES WHERE THE FIRST OPIOID LITIGATION TRIALS WOULD BE HELD IN SOUTH CAROLINA.
[00:50:01]
WE WERE ABLE TO HAVE 42 OF THE 46 COUNTIES IN OUR STATE UNDER OUR LITTLE UMBRELLA OF FOUR PLAINTIFF LAWYERS THROUGHOUT THE STATE.UM, THE SETTLEMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN REACHED SO FAR ARE GONNA GENERATE, WE BELIEVE, SOMEWHERE A LITTLE BIT NORTH OF $500 MILLION FOR THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA.
IT'LL BE PAID OUT OVER A LENGTHY PERIOD OF TIME, UNFORTUNATELY.
BUT WHAT WE'RE MOST PROUD OF IS THAT CONTRARY TO THE TOBACCO SETTLEMENTS AND THE ASBESTOS SETTLEMENTS, ABOUT 85% OF THE OPIOID SETTLEMENT DOLLARS ARE GOING TO THE LOCAL MUNICIPALITIES TO HELP LOCAL PEOPLE.
AND IT'S NOT GOING IN THE BANK IN, IN COLUMBIA.
UM, WE SHOULD BE GETTING SOMEWHERE IN THIS RANGE OF $30,000 FOR THE NEXT, I THINK IT'S 12 YEARS.
UM, CHIEF HAS DONE A GREAT JOB RESEARCHING WHAT WE CAN AND CANNOT DO WITH THE MONEY.
UM, BEAUFORT WAS NOT A NAMED LITIGANT IN THE, UM, IN THE LAWSUIT.
IT WAS JUST BEAUFORT COUNTY AS ONE OF THE, WE DID IT ON A COUNTYWIDE BASIS, AND THAT MEANT THAT BEAUFORT, I MEAN, I'M SORRY, BLUFFTON GETS MONEY, BUT DIDN'T HAVE TO PAY LEGAL FEES FOR IT.
SO IT'S, IT'S WORKED OUT WELL.
UM, CHIEF AND HIS STAFF HAVE DONE A GREAT JOB BECAUSE IT'S NOT JUST HOLDING OUT YOUR HAND AND GETTING THE MONEY.
YOU HAVE TO GIVE A SPECIFIC PROGRAM TO COLUMBIA BEFORE THEY APPROVE IT AND WRITE THE CHECK.
UM, WE ARE STILL FIGHTING THE PURDUE BANKRUPTCY ISSUES.
WE HAVE THREE OR FOUR OTHER, UM, UM, BANKRUPTCIES THAT WE'RE STILL WORKING ON ENDO, UM, AND A COUPLE OTHERS.
AND WE HAVE I THINK TWO MORE, UM, LEGITIMATE, UM, TARGET DEFENDANTS LEFT, AND THEN THE, THE LITIGATION WILL ESSENTIALLY BE OVER.
SO, UM, CHIEF, YOU'VE DONE A GREAT JOB.
HELP AS MANY PEOPLE AS YOU CAN BECAUSE EVERYBODY IN THIS ROOM HAS HAD SOMEBODY IN THEIR FAMILY OR A FRIEND THAT HAS BEEN IMPACTED OR LOST BECAUSE OF OPIOIDS.
[X.2. Discussion on Upcoming Items and Amendments to the Town of Bluffton Code of Ordinances - Kevin Icard, Director of Growth Management]
UPCOMING ITEMS AND AMENDMENTS TO THE TOWN OF BOSTON.CODE OF ORATES, MR. KEVIN
UH, GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
UM, COUNCILWOMAN BURDEN, UH, CONGRATULATIONS.
UM, I'VE GOT A COUPLE OF ITEMS THAT I'D LIKE TO, UH, GO OVER.
AND THIS IS, UH, MEANT TO BE VERY HIGH LEVEL OF PROJECTS THAT WE HAVE, UH, MOVING FORWARD OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS THAT WILL BE COMING TO YOU.
UM, SPECIFICALLY, UH, AS YOU HEARD, UH, ONE WAS THE TRAFFIC IMPACT ANALYSIS.
UM, JARED DID A GREAT JOB OF EXPLAINING LIKE THE OVERALL APPROACH TO IT, UM, FROM THE TOWNS PROCESS.
UM, THIS WILL BE INCORPORATED INTO THE UNIFIED DEVELOPMENT ORDINANCE.
UM, OUR GOAL IS TO BRING THIS, UH, LANGUAGE IN FRONT OF YOU WORKING CONCURRENTLY WITH THE COUNTY, SO THAT WAY WE CAN, UM, WE CAN TAILOR THE LANGUAGE TO, TO FIT IN OUR ORDINANCE, BUT THEN ALSO, UM, IT MEETS THE NEEDS THAT THEY HAVE.
UH, ONE OF THE ITEMS, UM, THAT WAS KIND OF TOUCHED ON, AND I THINK IT WAS COUNCILMAN HAMILTON, IT WAS ABOUT EXISTING, UM, TIAS THAT ARE USED.
UM, ONE OF THE GOALS OF WHAT WE'RE SAYING IS THAT THESE, UM, THESE TRAFFIC IMPACT ANALYSIS WOULD BE, UM, VALID FOR ONE YEAR IF THERE IS NO, NO DEVELOPMENT HAPPENS WITHIN ONE YEAR OF THEM ACTUALLY, UM, YOU KNOW, STARTING THE PROCESS AND THEN, AND THEN MOVING FORWARD WITH DEVELOPMENT.
IF THEY DON'T DO ANYTHING, LIKE, THEY WOULD HAVE TO COME BACK TO US TO GET THAT UPDATED.
SO, UM, THERE IN THE PAST IT'S BEEN WHERE, UH, TRAFFIC IMPACT ANALYSIS THAT WERE YEARS OLD WERE BEING USED AND, AND, UM, SO THAT WILL NO LONGER BE THE CASE.
YOU'D HAVE TO HAVE AN UPDATED TRAFFIC IMPACT ANALYSIS.
UM, WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO, IF YOU, IF YOU DON'T MIND, I'M GONNA KIND OF RUN THROUGH THESE TOPICS FIRST.
UM, AND THEN, UM, JUST GIVE YOU, UH, KIND OF THE TIMELINE FOR EACH ONE OF THEM AND THEN WE CAN ASK, UH, QUESTIONS FROM THERE, IF THAT'S OKAY.
UM, THE NEXT ITEM WE HAVE IS DEALING WITH SOME ADDITIONAL UDO, UH, EDITS WE DO HAVE, UM, BACK LAST YEAR, MAY OF LAST YEAR, UH, SUPREME COURT, UM, UH, MADE A, A, UM, A DECISION WHERE, UM, THE, UH, CLEAN WATER ACT, UM, IT, IT LOST PROTECTION OF SOME OF THE WETLANDS.
UH, SO WHAT HAPPENS IS THAT INDIVIDUALS NOW HAVE THE ABILITY TO, UH, FILL IN SOME OF THESE WETLANDS.
UH, THEY GAVE IT TO THE STATE, UH, TO, UM, TO, TO REGULATE IT AS OPPOSED TO ON THE FEDERAL LEVEL, STATE IS WORKING THROUGH, UM, MAKING CHANGES TO THEIR ORDINANCES.
AND IN THE INTERIM, UM, OUR GOAL IS TO, AND THIS IS A BANDAID, THIS IS MEANT TO BE A BANDAID, IS TO PRO, UH, PROVIDE A BUFFER AROUND, UM, EXISTING WETLANDS THAT WE HAVE.
NOW, IF YOU HAVE A PERMIT TO IMPACT A WETLAND THAT'S STILL VALID, YOU'RE STILL ALLOWED TO MAKE THE IMPACTS, UH, NECESSARY.
[00:55:01]
FROM THAT.NOW, IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A VALID, UM, WETLAND IMPACT, UM, THEN, THEN THIS BUFFER, UH, WOULD COME INTO PLACE.
UH, AS OF RIGHT NOW, WE'RE PROPOSING, UH, A 25 FOOT BUFFER AROUND THESE, UM, UH, THESE WETLANDS.
UH, WITH THAT WE ARE STILL WORKING THROUGH AS, UH, WE STARTED, UM, TO USE OUR, UH, THE NATIONAL WETLANDS INVENTORY, BUT I'M BEING TOLD THAT THAT'S PROBABLY NOT THE MOST ACCURATE DATA TO USE.
SO WE'RE GONNA CONFIRM THAT, UH, WE ARE WORKING WITH OUR WATERSHED DEPARTMENT AS WELL AS SOME OUTSIDE ENGINEERS TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS LANGUAGE, UM, IS, IS, UM, APPROPRIATE.
SO AS WE BRING THIS FORWARD, UH, NEXT WE'LL HAVE IT THROUGH PLANNING COMMISSION.
ULTIMATELY, UH, BACK IN FRONT OF TOWN COUNCIL.
UM, OTHER ITEMS IS AN UPDATE TO OUR COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
UM, AS YOU ALL KNOW, UH, STATE LAW, UH, NOW HAS THE ABILITY TO USE UP TO 15% OF STATE AT TAX TOWARDS AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
UM, WE CURRENTLY MEET TO USE, UH, THE LOCAL AT TAX, UM, FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING, BUT THIS IS SPECIFICALLY FOR THE STATE.
UH, SO OUR GOAL IS TO UPDATE THE COMPREHENSIVE, UH, PLAN TO MEET THE CRITERIA THAT THE STATE HAS PUT OUT THERE.
UH, AND THE LAST ITEM THAT WE HAVE IS WE ACTUALLY HAVE ONE OF OUR DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENTS THAT'S FINALLY EXPIRING, UH, THAT IS THE BLUFFTON VILLAGE, UH, PUD.
SO WE'RE WORKING, THAT IS, UM, THE EXPIRATION DATE ON THAT IS OCTOBER DATE ON THAT IS OCTOBER 17TH OF THIS YEAR.
UM, AND IN A SECOND HERE, I'LL SHOW YOU A TIMELINE.
OUR GOAL IS TO KIND OF BACK INTO THAT DATE SO THAT WAY WE CAN PUT PROVISIONS IN PLACE IN THE UNIFIED DEVELOPMENT ORDINANCE THAT CLEARLY DEFINES DENSITIES AND LAND USES THAT ARE CURRENTLY ALLOWED IN THE, UM, IN THAT PUD, BUT WE'RE MEMORIALIZING IT IN THE UNIFIED DEVELOPMENT ORDINANCE.
SO THAT WAY IN THE FUTURE, UM, IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS AS TO WHAT EACH LOT IS ALLOWED TO HAVE IN A DENSITY STANDPOINT, THERE'S A TABLE IN THE ORDINANCE THAT WILL CLEARLY INDICATE HOW MUCH, UM, DENSITY IS ALLOTTED FOR EACH USE.
UM, SO A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT WE HAVE IS, UM, DOES TOWN COUNCIL WANNA MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS PROPOSED, UH, TRAFFIC IMPACT ANALYSIS? UM, AND IF SO, HERE'S A TIMELINE THAT WE HAVE.
OBVIOUSLY WE HAVE A WORKSHOP THIS EVENING.
UM, AND THEN THE PLANNING COMMISSION, WE'LL HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING, WE'LL DO THAT IN APRIL AND BRING THIS BACK IN, UH, FIRST READING THE SECOND RE IN JUNE AND JULY, AND THAT DATE OF APRIL IS TENTATIVE, AND THAT'S JUST BASED OFF OF BEAUFORT COUNTY OF HOW, HOW THEY'RE MOVING FORWARD WITH THAT.
UH, THE NEXT ITEM IS THE WETLANDS IMPACT.
UM, IF YOU, UH, WISH TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE PROPOSED CHANGES, UH, ALONG THOSE BUFFERS, OUR GOAL IS TO ACTUALLY BRING THIS IN FRONT OF, UH, WE'RE TAKING THIS ON AN ELEVATED, UH, TIMEFRAME.
THIS WILL GO INTO, UH, PLANNING COMMISSION THIS MONTH, THIS THIS MONTH, UM, OF MARCH.
AND THEN WE'LL BRING IT BACK TO YOU IN APRIL AND IN MAY, AS FOR THE AT TAX FUNDING, UM, IF YOU SO CHOOSE TO MOVE FORWARD.
OUR GOAL IS TO, UM, HAVE A PLANNING COMMISSION WORKSHOP IN, UH, APRIL, UH, WITH THE PLANNING COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION IN MAY, UH, AS REQUIRED, UH, BY CODE, AND THEN A FIRST AND SECOND READINGS IN JULY AND AUGUST.
UM, AND WE ARE WORKING, UH, WITH THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT, UM, TO ENSURE THAT WE ARE MEETING ALL THE CRITERIA THAT THEY NEED.
AND THEN MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THE FIRST ROUND WOULD NOT BE UNTIL APPROXIMATELY SEPTEMBER TO WHERE WE COULD POTENTIALLY MOVE FORWARD WITH, UM, REQUESTING THOSE FUNDS.
AND THEN THE LAST ITEM IS JUST THE, UM, DOES TOWN COUNCIL WANNA MOVE FORWARD WITH AMENDING THE UDO? IF SO, UH, WHAT WE'D LIKE TO DO IS HAVE SOME COMMUNITY MEETINGS WITH INDIVIDUALS OVER AT, UH, BLUFFTON VILLAGE.
I'VE ALREADY BEEN IN CONTACT WITH THE, UM, THE MANAGEMENT GROUP THAT'S OUT THERE.
UH, THEY ARE AWARE, UM, AND WE WANT TO EDUCATE THEM ON WHAT'S HAPPENING.
UH, SO WE WOULD HAVE THOSE MEETINGS WITH THEM THROUGHOUT THE SUMMER.
UH, BRING THIS IN FRONT OF PLANNING COMMISSION IN JULY, AND THEN TOWN COUNCIL SEPTEMBER AND OCTOBER.
I WENT THROUGH THAT VERY QUICKLY.
I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE.
LET'S JUST GO BACK TO THE FIRST ONE, KEVIN, SIR, AND WE'LL CHECK IT OFF THE LIST AND MOVE TO THE SECOND AND SEE IF ANYBODY'S GOT ANYTHING.
UM, SO ANY COMMENTS ON THIS, BRIDGET, YOU HAVE ANYTHING ON THERE ON THE TRAFFIC IMPACT ANALYSIS? ANYBODY? OKAY.
AND, AND THIS IS, UH, THE AMENDMENT TO THE WETLANDS.
SO I SEE, UH, KEVIN, WE HAVE THE 25, UM, FOOT BUFFER PROPOSED HERE.
WE, UH, WERE IN SOUTH CAROLINA FOR THE, UM, UH, LEGISLATION DAY WITH OUR DELEGATES.
AND THIS WAS A ISSUE WE, UH, RAISED WITH, UM, THE EFFECT THIS HAS ON SOME OF OUR, UH, NATIVE RESIDENTS ON BUCK ISLAND, SIMMONS.
AND, UM, BECAUSE OF THE SUPREME COURT DESIGNATION THAT WAS REMOVED, WE HAVE HOME RULE AND ARE ABLE TO COME UP WITH OUR OWN POLICIES AS A STATE SAID THEY'RE PROBABLY GONNA TAKE A WHILE TO ENACT SOMETHING.
UM, SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, I WANT TO SEE SOME INCLUSION OF WHAT WE
[01:00:01]
CAN DO ON THE RESIDENTIAL SIDE, UH, SPECIFICALLY TO PROTECT THOSE RESIDENTS ON, UH, BUCK ISLAND AND SIMMONS VILLAGE, BECAUSE AS, UM, FOLKS ARE PURCHASING PROPERTIES THERE, WHAT WE'RE SEEING IS THEY'RE GOING INTO AREAS THAT ARE WETLANDS AND THEY'RE JUST PILING UP DIRT ON THAT PROPERTY.AND WHAT'S HAPPENING IS ALL THE WATER IS FLOODING BACK TO SOME RESIDENTS CAUSING, UM, FOLKS TO HAVE TO BE ABLE TO ELEVATE STORAGE SHEDS, UH, BECAUSE OF MOLD OR FEAR OF EVEN THAT THAT WATER IS GONNA RUIN, UM, THEIR CURRENT PROPERTIES.
BUT IT LEAVES, YOU KNOW, MANY FOLKS WITH YARDS IN THOSE AREAS LIKE, UH, PONDS WHEN IT RAINS.
AND, UM, IT'S A PROBLEM THAT IF WE DON'T GET AHEAD OF IS GOING TO, UM, CAUSE EVEN MORE, UH, DAMAGE FOR THOSE RESIDENTS.
UM, SO IF WE CAN EVEN LOOK AT MAYBE TRIGGERING SOME TYPE OF REVIEW WHEN THOSE, UM, PURCHASES HAPPEN TO ENSURE THAT PEOPLE AREN'T CIRCUMVENTING US AND JUST ADDING, UM, THE RIGHT NOW LIKE DUMP TRUCKS OF DIRT INTO THOSE AREAS, UM, OR BUILDING ON WHAT SHOULD BE WETLANDS.
'CAUSE IF YOU HAVE TO PILE UP THAT MUCH CLEARLY, YOU PROBABLY SHOULDN'T BE BUILDING ON IT.
SO I WANT US TO PUT SOME PROTECTIONS IN THERE FOR THOSE RESIDENTS.
I, I JUST, THE QUESTION I WOULD HAVE BASED ON THAT IS WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU DO ANYTHING TO THE UDO, IT'S UNIVERSAL, ISN'T IT? YES SIR.
THIS IS, UH, THIS WOULD BE NOT JUST TARGETING ONE AREA OR ANYTHING, IT'S UNIVERSAL.
UM, AND, AND AS I STATED WHERE, UH, IF YOU HAVE AN EXISTING WETLANDS IMPACT, YOU'RE STILL ALLOWED TO IMPACT THOSE WETLANDS.
UM, AND I WILL SAY THAT THE MAJORITY OF THE PLAN UNIT DEVELOPMENTS THAT WE HAVE, THEY HAVE, UM, UM, SELF-IMPOSED, UM, WETLAND BUFFERS ON THEM.
UM, SO SOME OF THE, MOST OF THEM ALREADY ARE ALREADY MEETING THIS REQUIREMENT.
UM, BUT WE DO NEED TO MEMORIALIZE IT, UM, THROUGH OUR CODE.
AND WHILE WE KNOW IT'S UNIVERSAL, THAT EXAMPLE WAS GIVEN SPECIFICALLY TO WHERE THE ISSUE IS.
WE ARE NOT SEEING THOSE ISSUES IN OTHER PLACES.
BUT IF SOMEONE IN ANOTHER JURISDICTION HAS THAT SAME PROBLEM, THEY SHOULD HAVE THOSE SAME PROTECTIONS AS WE DON'T WANT ANYONE BUILDING ON WETLANDS THAT THEY SHOULDN'T BE BUILDING ON.
COMMENTS PIGGYBACK, WHERE BRIDGET, UH, JUST LEFT OFF, WE HAVE THAT PROBLEM.
UM, NOT ONLY WHERE THERE MAY BE A POTENTIAL WETLAND, WE HAVE THAT PROBLEM WITH SOMEONE, BILL, UH, ACROSS THE STREET ARE, ARE, ARE NEXT DOOR TO YOU AND THEIR ELEVATION IS MUCH HIGHER, BUT THEY DON'T MAINTAIN WATER ON THEIR PROPERTY.
SO HOW DO WE, AND WE HAVE TO, WE HAVE TO ADDRESS THAT AS WELL BECAUSE, UM, NEW DEVELOPMENT IS DEFINITELY CAUSING, THERE'S A CAUSE AND EFFECT FOR, UM, CURRENT, UM, LANDOWNER.
WHAT WE CAN DO IS WE CAN WORK ON, UM, MAKING SURE CHECK OUR CURRENT, UM, ORDINANCE OF WHAT WE HAVE AND THEN ALSO DETERMINE IF WE DO NEED SOME IMPROVEMENTS TO THAT.
AND THEN ALSO FROM AN ENFORCEMENT STANDPOINT.
SO LIKE I SAID A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO WHEN WE JUST LEARNED ABOUT THIS, THIS NEW THING, WE NEED TO GET SOMETHING IN PLACE AS SOON AS WE ASAP.
NOW THIS IS ON THE A TAX FUNDS FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
BRIDGET GOT ANY COMMENTS ON THIS? NO.
THE TIMELINE LOOKS A LITTLE LONGER THAN ANY OTHERS.
UM, UH, WELL, NUMBER NUMBER ONE IS, UM, FROM A TIMING STANDPOINT, WE DO HAVE OUR PLANNING, WE'RE REQUIRED TO HAVE A PLANNING COMMISSION WORKSHOP ANYTIME WE DO AMENDMENTS TO COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
UM, SO WE HAVE THAT, UH, SCHEDULED FOR, FOR APRIL.
AND THEN, UM, WE HAVE TO HAVE A RECOMMENDATION FROM PLANNING COMMISSION.
SO THAT WOULD BE THERE NEXT MONTH.
WE DO HAVE A, A SKIP IN THERE AND THAT'S JUST TO MAKE SURE, UM, I MEAN WE CAN, WE CAN PUSH THAT UP TO A JUNE, UM, FIRST READING WITH TOWN COUNCIL AND THEN A JULY 2ND READING WITH TOWN COUNCIL.
COUNCIL DOESN'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THAT.
THAT WOULD BE MY RECOMMENDATION.
I'M, I'M SEEING NODS OF HEADS, SO I'LL, I'M
SO, UM, THIS IS ABOUT AS CLEAR AS MUD TO ME, SO
[01:05:01]
YES, YOU AGREE? YES.WELL I DIDN'T WANNA BE THE ONLY ONE
NO, I DIDN'T WANNA BE THE ONLY ONE IN HERE THAT THIS IS, I'LL WEAR IT.
I DON'T UNDERSTAND ALL WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE.
IT, IT, IT IS, I I WILL MAKE SURE THAT AS WE'RE BRINGING THIS FORWARD, IT, IT'LL BE CLEARLY, UH, CLEARLY OUTLINED.
UH, IT IS, IT'S A MATTER OF, UM, IT, IT'S GOING TO EXPIRE AND, AND IF WE DON'T, IF WE DON'T PUT PROVISIONS IN PLACE ON THE FRONT END TO, SO THAT WAY ON THAT DATE WHEN IT DOES EXPIRE, UM, IT'S, IT'S KIND OF, THERE'S, IT'S, IT'S A NO MAN'S LAND, SO WE, WE DON'T WANT TO BE, UH, SO BASICALLY IF IT EXPIRES AND WE DON'T HAVE SAFETY GUARDS OR NETS OR WHATEVER YOU WANNA CALL 'EM IN PLACE, THEY COULD DO MORE THAN WHAT'S ALLOWED POTENTIALLY THE ZONING IS NOW CONTROLLED BY THE DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT.
THE DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT SPECIFIES ESSENTIALLY WHAT THEIR ZONING IS.
IF THE DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT EXPIRES, THEN IT'S LIKE NO MAN'S LAND.
SO WE NEED TO HAVE SOMETHING IN PLACE, UM, A SAFETY NET AS, AS YOU MAY MENTIONED.
SO I THINK THAT'S WHAT EXACTLY WHAT KEVIN IS STAFF'S TRYING TO DO.
BEAT THE EXPIRATION, HAVE SOMETHING ON THE BOOKS BEFORE IT EXPIRES.
ANYBODY ELSE GOT ANY QUESTIONS ON THIS? OKAY, GREAT.
OKAY, WE'RE GONNA MOVE ON TO OUR FORMAL AGENDA ITEMS ON THE
[XII.1. Consideration of an Ordinance to Amend Chapter 26 – Traffic and Motor Vehicles, Article VII. – Towing and Wrecker Services – First Reading – Chief Joseph Babkiewicz, Bluffton Police Department]
FIRST ON THE LIST AS A CONSIDERATION OF AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND CHAPTER 26, APPLICANT MOTOR VEHICLES ARTICLE SEVEN TOWING AND RECORD SERVICES.GOOD EVENING AGAIN, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
UM, IN JANUARY WE DID A AUDIT OF SOME OF THE TOW COMPANIES IN TOWN, AND WE SAW SOME INCONSISTENCIES, UH, ACROSS THE BOARD WITH SOME OF THE CHARGES AND OTHER ADDITIONAL ISSUES, UH, WITH THE TOW ORDINANCE AND WITH WHAT SOME OF THE TOW COMPANIES WERE CHARGING.
UM, WE MAY SUGGEST THE UPDATES, UM, TOW ON THE RECORD.
UH, WE WANNA REDUCE TOW COMPANY BILLING ERRORS, IMPROVE COST REASONABLENESS, AND ESTABLISH BETTER CONSISTENCY IN CUSTOMER EXPECTATIONS.
UH, BEFORE WE TALK ABOUT THE TWO ADDITIONAL CHANGES, WE MET WITH ALL OF OUR LOCAL TOW COMPANIES, ALL THE STAKEHOLDERS INVOLVED, AS WELL AS SOME CITIZENS TO DISCUSS SOME OF THE ISSUES THAT THEY FACED WHEN THEY WENT TO GO PICK UP THEIR VEHICLE AFTER IT WAS TOWED.
AS WELL AS TALKING WITH SOME OF THE TOW COMPANIES AND TALKING ABOUT SOME OF THE CHALLENGES THAT THEY FACE WITH INCREASE IN COSTS AND SEVERAL OTHER ISSUES.
UH, TWO ADDITIONAL CHANGES WERE MADE TO THE ORDINANCE AS WELL AS THE, TO GO ALONG WITH THE FEES.
UH, THE PROCESS TO SUBMIT NEW OR REVISED QUALIFICATION PACKAGES WAS UPDATED, AS WELL AS CLARIFICATIONS TO THE REQUIRED INSURANCE COVERAGE AND EVIDENCE OF VEHICLE OWNERSHIP WERE SUGGESTED.
YOU'LL SEE THE CURRENT FEE IS ON THE LEFT AND OUR RECOMMENDED FEE SCHEDULE IS ON THE RIGHT.
UM, NOT ONLY DID WE MEET WITH THE, THE TOTAL COMPANIES AND STAKEHOLDERS TO TALK ABOUT THEIR RISING COSTS, BUT WE ALSO, COMPARED TO OTHER JURISDICTIONS, WE COMPARED TO THE BEAUFORT COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE AS WELL AS HIGHWAY PATROL, WHO ALSO USES SOME OF THE SAME TOW COMPANIES THAT WE DO.
AND THEIR COSTS WERE HIGHER THAN WHAT WE HAD, UH, SET ASIDE.
AND SO OUR REQUEST IS, UH, LEAVE THE POLICE OR THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON VEHICLES AT $75, UH, PICK UP DISABLED VEHICLES.
UH, WE CHANGED TO LAW ENFORCEMENT REQUESTED TOW, AND THAT'S FOR $200.
UM, WITHOUT GETTING SPECIFIC INTO THE DAYTIME AND NIGHTTIME AND EVERYTHING ELSE, WE JUST WANTED TO LEAVE IT AS ONE.
IF THERE WAS A COLLISION, BECAUSE OF THE COMPLEXITY OF THE COLLISION WE REQUEST, OR THE TOWN, THE TOW COMPANIES WE DISCUSSED, THE $300 WOULD BE A REASONABLE, UH, COST, UM, FOR EXTENSIVE TOWS OR TOWS THAT REQUIRE, UM, SOME ADDITIONAL, WHAT WE WERE SEEING WAS HAZARDOUS TOW OR ADDITIONAL FEES ASSOCIATED BECAUSE IF A VEHICLE WENT INTO THE WOODS, THEY WOULD CHARGE EXTRA FOR THAT AND REASONABLY SO BECAUSE IT TOOK MUCH LONGER.
SO INSTEAD OF DOING THAT, WE WANTED TO JUST SAY, OKAY, WE, LET'S COME UP WITH A SET RATE.
IF IT GOES PAST AN HOUR, AND THAT'S NOT AN HOUR FROM WHEN THEY RESPOND, IT'S AN HOUR.
WHEN THEY GET TO THE SCENE IS WHEN THAT HOUR STARTS.
AND SO IT'S $200 ADDITIONAL PER HOUR, UH, STORAGE FEES PER DAY.
UH, THEY ASKED, STOP YOU RIGHT THERE FOR A SECOND.
SO ONCE THEY'RE ON THE SCENE YES, SIR.
THAT'S WHEN THE CLOCK STARTS TICKING.
SO THE FIRST 300 IS HOW MANY HOURS? HOW MUCH, HOW, HOW MUCH TIME? SO IF IT'S A COLLISION, IF IT'S A COLLISION, IT'S FOR AN, IT'S FOR THE FIRST HOUR.
AND THEN IF IT'S OVER, IT'S 200 BUCKS AN HOUR? YES, SIR.
SAME THING WITH, UH, IF IT'S A LAW ENFORCEMENT, UH, REQUESTED TOW THAT'S NOT INVOLVED WITH THE COLLISION, IT'S $200.
[01:10:01]
HOUR, IT'S $300.VERY RARELY DO WE SEE ANYTHING OVER AN HOUR FOR A TOW, UNLESS IT'S A VERY COMPLEX ACCIDENT OR A ROLLOVER OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
UM, THE, UH, TOW COMPANIES ALSO ASKED, UM, THEY'RE OPEN EIGHT TO FIVE EVERY DAY, EIGHT TO SIX EVERY DAY.
THAT'S THEIR CONSIDERED THEIR NORMAL HOURS, BUT THEY ARE AVAILABLE AFTER HOURS.
BUT WHAT IT WAS HAPPENING WAS THEY WERE CALLING THEIR EMPLOYEES OUT AND THEY DIDN'T HAVE ANY MEANS TO PAY THEIR EMPLOYEES.
SO THEY WANTED TO ADD ON A GATE FEE FOR THEIR EMPLOYEES TO COME OUT AFTER HOURS TO OPEN UP THE GATE FOR PEOPLE COMING TO GET THEIR VEHICLE AFTER HOURS.
AND THEN THE ADMINISTRATIVE FEE IS WHERE WE SAW THE INCONSISTENCIES.
UM, THE ADMINISTRATION FEE IS SOMETHING THAT THEY HAVE TO APPLY FOR, UH, AFTER SEVEN DAYS.
IT'S A TITLE, TITLE THING THAT THEY HAD TO DO WITH DMV.
AND WHAT WE WERE SEEING WAS SOME, SOME PEOPLE WERE DOING IT AFTER ONE DAY.
SO IF MY VEHICLE WAS TOWED BECAUSE I DIDN'T HAVE INSURANCE, AND I WENT THE NEXT DAY, I GOT AN INSURANCE AND I CAME TO GET MY VEHICLE, THEY WERE CHARGING THEM $300 FOR THIS ADMINISTRATIVE FEE.
SO WE KIND OF SAT DOWN, THEY HAVE TO FILE IT WITHIN SEVEN DAYS.
WE SAID, WHAT WOULD BE REASONABLE? AND SO WE DECIDED ON FIVE DAYS.
SO THE FIRST FIVE DAYS, THEY WILL NOT BE CHARGED WITH AN ADMINISTRATIVE FEE AFTER FIVE DAYS, THEN THEY HAVE TO FILE THAT THROUGH DMV, AND THAT'S A $300 FEE.
UH, SO TOWN COUNCIL HAS THE AUTHORITY TO TAKE THE FOLLOWING ACTIONS ON THE FIRST READING, UH, THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE MODIFICATION, UH, APPROVE THE ORDINANCE AS SUBMITTED, APPROVE THE ORDINANCE WITH MODIFICATIONS OR DENY THE ORDINANCE AS SUBMITTED.
SO FIRST READING IS TODAY, AND SECOND AND FINAL READING WOULD BE SCHEDULED FOR APRIL 9TH.
UM, QUESTIONS, QUESTIONS, MS. BURDEN? UM, I DO NOT HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.
MR. HAMILTON, CAN YOU GO BACK TO THE FEES PLEASE? YES, SIR.
I KNOW WE HAVE, UM, EVERY, AND EVERYTHING IS, IT COSTS MORE TO DO BUSINESS, BUT THE RATE THAT YOU REQUESTING TO UPCHARGE, IF YOU WILL, SEEMS A LITTLE BIT DRASTIC.
$75 WOULD BE THE, THE ASKING PRICE.
UM, FOR G FEE, THAT'S AFTER HOURS THOUGH, RIGHT? YES, SIR.
ALL THEM IS ALL IS AFTER HOURS.
SO WE ARE LOOKING, WE ARE LOOKING TO, TO HAVE SOME BALANCE.
WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THE TOLL COMPANY IS COMPENSATED, BUT WE ALSO WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THE CITIZEN IS NOT OVER TAXED.
SO THAT, SO WE HAVE TO HAVE SOME BALANCE.
I'M WILLING TO ADJUST THE NEW FEE TO $50 INSTEAD OF 75.
UM, AND IN $125 TO $200, UM, THAT NUMBER BOTHERS ME AS WELL BECAUSE I THINK, UM, THAT SHOULD BE, AND I'M NOT, AND I DON'T HAVE A, AND I DON'T HAVE A GREAT NUMBER, BUT I LIKE TO HEAR FROM THE TOW COMPANIES TO GET A BETTER UNDERSTANDING.
UM, UH, I LIKE TO ALSO HEAR FROM THE TOW COMPANY.
YOU KNOW, I'VE, I HAVE NOT, UM, HAD A TOE IN A LONG TIME, BUT I CAN TELL YOU THAT, UH, THAT'S ONE OF THE AREAS THAT IS NOT COMFORTABLE.
IT'S FOR, FOR SOMEONE WHO'S, WHO'S GOING THROUGH A HARDSHIP ALREADY.
AND SO TO KEEP INCREASING, UM, THE HARDSHIP MAKES IT, MAKES ME, MAKES ME, UH, KIND OF CRINGE BECAUSE WHEN THEY CAN'T AFFORD THESE FEES, THEN ADMINISTRATIVE, UM, FEES COME INTO PLAY TRYING TO, TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW AM I GONNA PAY THIS? AND WITHIN FIVE DAYS NOW I GOTTA PAY ANOTHER $300.
IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT A GOOD THING.
SO WE DO HAVE SOME TO COMPANIES HERE, BUT, UH, BEFORE THAT, UH, COUNCILMAN HAMILTON, UH, JUST TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA, THE $200 IS THIS VERY, IS THE SAME EXACT THING THAT BEAUFORT COUNTY USE UTILIZES.
[01:15:01]
IS MUCH MORE EXPENSIVE.THEY START OFF AT 2 57 AND THEY RANGE ALL THE WAY UP TO 528.
LET ME, LET ME, LET ME, LET ME ADDRESS THAT FOR YOU.
HIGH PATROL DOESN'T HAVE A BLUFFTON DESTINATION.
BLUFFTON SAYS YOU HAVE TO BE A BLUFFTON BUSINESS TO GET OUT TO GET OUR BUSINESS.
SO WE, I DON'T WANNA COMPARE IT WITH THEM.
'CAUSE THAT'S NOT APPLES TO APPLES.
SO, UM, WE CAN TAKE IT BACK TO THE TABLE WITH, WITH THE, TO COMPANIES AND SEE IF WE CAN READJUST.
UM, WHAT WOULD BE YOUR OPINION ON A REASONABLE RATE? I'M NOT, THAT'S WHY I WANTED TO HEAR FROM THEM.
'CAUSE I'M NOT, I'M NOT SURE ON THAT.
UM, AS FAR AS A, GOING BACK TO THE ADMINISTRATIVE FEE, UH, IT SOUNDS UGLY WHEN YOU PUT IT ON PAPER, AND I SUPPOSE IT IS UGLY, BUT THE, IT'S A STATE LAW, YOU HAVE TO REPLY WITHIN SEVEN DAYS, AS THE CHIEF WAS SAYING.
AND SO, UM, I ACTUALLY PAY A A ANOTHER COMPANY TO DO THAT.
AND THEY HAVE JUST RECENTLY RAISED THEIR RATES TO $300.
SO, JUST SO WE'RE CLEAR, THAT IS, THAT IS A COST, UH, THAT'S NOT A PROFIT.
EXPLAIN THAT JUST A LITTLE BIT BETTER FOR ME 'CAUSE I DON'T UNDERSTAND YET.
UM, IT'S A, WE, YOU MOST TOWING COMPANIES, UM, SOME DO IT IN HOUSE, BUT MOST USE A TITLE PROCESSING COMPANY.
THERE'S A LOT OF PAPERWORK INVOLVED, A LOT OF EXTRA LEGWORK.
AND, UM, THAT FEE THAT WE PHYSICALLY PAY FOR THAT IS NOW $300.
IF, IF CAR'S IN A COLLISION, YOU KNOW, AND YOU PICK A CAR UP AND YOU BRING IT TO YOUR SHED, YOUR STORAGE AREA, THE NEXT DAY OR TWO, MOST OF THE TIME INSURANCE ADJUSTERS ARE GONNA BE IN TOUCH WITH YOU.
WHY WOULD YOU NEED A TITLE BEFORE YOU KNOW, IF THE ADJUSTER'S GONNA TOTAL THE CAR OR WHAT, WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN TO THE CAR? YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? THAT'S MY, MY DEALING SAY ONCE THE ADJUSTER LOOKS AT IT AND MAKES A DECISION WHETHER IT'S TOTALED OR NOT, UH, FROM A BUSINESS, AND PER, I DON'T MEAN TO INTERRUPT YOU, I'M SORRY.
AND, AND IF IT IS A TOTAL CAR, THEN THEY WANT IT TAKEN SOMEWHERE, YOU KNOW, WHERE THEY SALVAGE THE PARTS AND ALL THAT.
I MEAN, THAT'S, THAT'S THE WAY IT'S BEEN.
I'VE NEVER HAD A BAD WRECK, BUT I KNOW LOTS OF FAMILY THAT HAVE.
UM, SO EXPLAIN, WHY WOULD YOU HAVE TO HAVE A TITLE RIGHT AWAY ANYWAY, IF THE INSURANCE COMPANIES COME IN AND PICK UP THEIR CAR? THERE'S DEFINITELY SOME INCONGRUENCY WITH THE LAW, BUT, UH, THAT IS A STATE REQUIRED, UM, YOU KNOW, RULE THAT YOU HAVE TO APPLY WITHIN 10 DAYS.
UH, IT HAS TO DO WITH INFORMING A LIEN HOLDER.
IF THERE'S A CAR BEING HELD THAT'S BEING ACCRUING 25 OR $40 A DAY STORAGE, WHATEVER IT IS, UH, SO THAT THE LIEN HOLDER CAN BE INFORMED OF IT, YOU KNOW, SO IT DOESN'T GET LOST IN THE, IN THE, IN THE MIX.
UM, AND UNFORTUNATELY WE DO END UP WITH A LOT OF CARS THAT DON'T GET PICKED UP IN TIME.
SO EVEN IF THE INSURANCE COMPANY COMES THERE AND LOOKS AT THE VEHICLE, YOU STILL HAVE TO DO THAT? I DO NOT, BUT BY LAW, YES, SIR.
YOU DO, HUH? AND I LEAVE MYSELF OUT.
UH, I, I KIND OF HANG MYSELF OUT TO DRY WITH THAT.
UM, THERE'S ONLY SO MUCH OF THE STORAGE YOU CAN CHARGE IF YOU DON'T DO THINGS BY THE LAW.
SO I DO IT FOR THE RIGHT REASONS, BUT UNFORTUNATELY IT'S A, WELL, THANKS FOR EXPLAINING IT BECAUSE I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND, I'VE, I'VE HAD PEOPLE COMPLAIN ABOUT THAT AND I SAID, WELL, I DON'T KNOW WHAT RIGHT.
UNTIL YOU JUST TOLD ME WHAT YOU DID, I DIDN'T KNOW EITHER.
AND, AND OF COURSE SOUNDED LIKE A RIPOFF.
I MEAN, I THINK THAT'S OBVIOUS TO EVERYBODY.
FIVE DAYS IS KIND OF QUICK TOO, BUT UNFORTUNATELY THIS IS STATE LAW.
I MEAN, IT'S, YOU KNOW, UM, SO ONCE IT'S, ONCE IT'S ENTERED IN THE COMPUTER, IT'S DONE OR YOU HAVE TO RECEIVE NOTIFICATION BACK FROM THEM.
I MEAN, IS IT JUST A PROGRAM THAT YOU GO ON AND, AND PLUG IT IN WITH THE, WITH THE VIN NUMBER AND STUFF? I WISH IT WERE THAT EASY.
UM, NO, WE, WE HIRE A COMPANY, THEY COME BY AND PHYSICALLY LOOK AT THE VEHICLE AND GET THE PHYSICAL VIN NUMBER OFF THE CAR TO, YOU KNOW, REDUCE CLERICAL ERRORS AND, AND EVERYTHING ELSE MOVING FORWARD.
SO ON THIS ADMINISTRATIVE FEE, AFTER FIVE DAYS, WHEN YOU APPLY FOR IT, AND IT IS THE TOTAL THAT YOU CHARGE IT TO THE, TO THE, UH, INSURANCE COMPANY? UH, YES.
THAT WOULD, I MEAN, YOU GENERALLY YES.
WHOEVER, WHOEVER WANTS TO, WHOEVER WANTS THE, THIS CAR WOULD HAVE TO PAY THAT FEE.
[01:20:02]
YOU'RE SAYING THAT YOU'RE MANDATED TO DO THIS AND YOU'RE SAYING THIS IS ONLY A PASS THROUGH COST.YOU'RE NOT BENEFITING, PROFITING OFF THE 300.
WHEN WE WROTE THIS, WHEN WE, WHEN WE DISCUSSED THIS, IT WAS TWO 50, BUT HE'S GONE UP TO 300 SINCE THEN, THE COMPANY I USE.
AND I'M SURE THEY'RE ALL KIND OF THE SAME IN MY EXPERIENCE.
CAN I, CAN I HELP YOU? CERTAINLY.
I OWN GEARHEAD GARAGE AND I'VE BEEN ON THE ROTATION BLUFFTON PD ROTATION A LITTLE BIT OVER A YEAR NOW.
UM, THE WAY IT WORKS IS ONCE YOU GO, ONCE YOU TOW A VEHICLE INTO YOUR IN IMPLANT YARD THROUGH A BEFORD, UH, BLUFFTON PD, UH, ROTATION CALL, YOU HAVE FIVE DAYS TO FIND OUT THE LEGAL OWNER OF THE VEHICLE OR IF THERE'S A LIEN HOLDER ON THE VEHICLE.
AND WITHIN THAT FIVE DAYS, WE NEED TO FIND THAT INFORMATION OUT.
AND THEN WE NEED TO SEND CERTIFIED LETTERS TO THOSE TWO, UH, COMPANIES AND THE INDI UH, INDIVIDUALS SAYING THAT WHERE THE VEHICLE IS AT, HOW MUCH THE CHARGE IS SO FAR TO THAT DAY SO WE CAN CONTINUE CHARGING STORAGE.
BECAUSE IF WE DON'T SEND THE CERTIFIED LETTERS TO THE LIEN HOLDER OR THE LEGAL OWNER OF THE VEHICLE, WE CANNOT CONTINUE CHARGING STORAGE FEES.
NOW, PHILLIP MIGHT NOT BE ON TOP OF IT, BUT IF, UH, IF IT COMES TO SHOW AND A LEGAL OWNER DECIDES TO PICK UP THE VEHICLE FROM YOU, AND THEN YOU TRY TO CHARGE 10 DAY STORAGE FEE AND THEY SAID, HEY, I DIDN'T GET A CERTIFIED LETTER.
SO BY YOU CANNOT REALLY PUSH THAT STORAGE FEE.
THAT BEING SAID, IN THE, UH, YOU HAVE TO GIVE THEM 30 DAYS, HEY, THIS IS THE FEES YOU NEED TO COME AND PICK IT UP.
AND THIS IS WHAT, YOU KNOW, STORAGE FEES ARE OCCURRING PER DAY AFTER 30 DAYS.
WHAT WE DO IS, UH, WE SEND A TR TWO FORM, WHICH IS A, UH, ABANDONED DM
AND THEN AFTER THAT WE CAN CONTINUE WITH THE TITLE PROCESS.
SO THIS IS A LONG TAKING PROCESS.
IF THE VEHICLE IS REGISTERED IN GEORGIA, YOU GOTTA SEND, UH, THIS, UH, COMPANY THAT WE HIRED SENT CERTIFIED LETTERS TO GEORGIA DMV.
I HAD ONE DAD, UH, IT WAS IN TEXAS, DMV AND TOOK ABOUT EIGHT MONTHS AND THE CAR SET IN THE IMPALA WITHOUT GETTING PAID.
AND AT THE END WE ENDED UP, UH, YOU KNOW, GOT THE TITLE AND THEN WE SCRAPPED IT.
SO, UM, THAT'S WHAT THAT FEE COVERS BASICALLY.
THAT'S CLARITY TO, UM, A LOT OF US WERE, WE DIDN'T KNOW HOW DID THESE FEES COMPARE TO JUST IF A PRIVATE CITIZEN HAD TO HAVE THEIR CAR TOWED A LITTLE BIT, A LITTLE BIT HIGHER.
UM, BUT FOR THE PRIVATE CITIZEN TOW, WE DON'T, WE'RE NOT REQUIRED TO HAVE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS WORTH OF INSURANCE LIABILITY COVERAGE AND EVERYTHING ELSE.
SO A TOUCH HIGHER, BUT, BUT REALLY NOT.
I MEAN, MY MINIMUM TOW THESE DAYS IS 1 25.
YOU KNOW? UM, SOMETHING ELSE I WAS LOOKING AT HERE.
UM, I'VE GOT ONE MORE, UM, THING, AND I DON'T SEE THIS BEING ADDRESSED HERE, BUT I BROUGHT IT UP, UH, NUMEROUS TIMES.
I GET A LOT OF COMPLAINTS FROM PEOPLE SAYING THAT IF YOU DON'T HAVE CASH, YOU CAN'T GET YOUR CAR.
AND IN THIS MODERN DAY THAT WE'RE LIVING IN NOW YOU CAN TOUT, YOU CAN SWIPE, YOU CAN VENMO OR WHATEVER.
SO I HAD BROUGHT IT UP TO YOU.
I I DON'T SEE ANYTHING PERTAINING TO THAT ON HERE TO MAKE IT A REQUIREMENT THAT YOU GUYS HAVE MORE THAN HAVE A WAY THAT PEOPLE CAN PAY WITH A, A MODERN WAY INSTEAD OF DEMANDING, YOU KNOW, IF IT'S LATE IN THE DAY AND THEY MIGHT CAN'T GET THAT MUCH CASH TO COME AND GET THEIR CAR OUT AND THEN IT'S ANOTHER 40, 50 BUCKS TOMORROW.
SO I DON'T KNOW HOW IT'S WORDED OR IF IT'S WORDED, BUT HEY, I'LL TELL YOU THAT THAT HAS BEEN ADDED, UH, FELICIA ADDED THAT THAT'S PART OF THIS AMENDMENT AND AUDIT IT, IT'S NOT ON, IT'S, IT'S NOT ON THE SCREEN, NO.
UM, I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THAT, UH, USUALLY PEOPLE ARE, ARE FAIRLY UPSET IF THEY GOT ARRESTED FOR WHATEVER REASON.
AND SO, UH, IN THE PAST, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE, YOU'RE ALWAYS ABLE TO STOP PAYMENT ON A CREDIT CARD.
SO WHAT WE DO IS WE, YOU CAN EITHER PAY WITH A DEBIT CARD OR WITH CASH.
SO I DO GIVE THAT OPTION, BUT ONCE YOU PUT THAT PIN IN, IT'S HARDER TO, UM, JUST ARBITRARILY STOP PAYMENT ON IT.
SO THAT'S A KIND OF A PROTECTION SO THAT WE GET PAID FOR WHAT WE DO.
AND TO BE CLEAR, YOU KNOW, I'VE, I'VE HAD NUMEROUS PEOPLE THIS, THIS DAY WE'RE LIVING IN NOW WE HAVE TO, I MEAN, I'M, I'M A BUSINESS OWNER.
UM, I DON'T LIKE PAYING THOSE FEES TO THE CREDIT CARD COMPANIES ANYMORE THAN ANYBODY ELSE, BUT WE HAVE TO HAVE TO LIVE IN THE DAY THAT WE ARE LIVING IN.
[01:25:01]
WE HAVE TO MOVE ALONG WITH TECHNOLOGY AND OFFER MORE SURE.MESSAGE TO MAKE TO TAKE THAT PAIN AWAY A LITTLE BIT, YOU KNOW, ON THE REST OF, I CAN'T SPEAK FOR SAMMY, BUT ON THE REST OF MY BUSINESS, WE CERTAINLY TAKE CREDIT CARDS.
DO I DO, I DON'T, WE DIDN'T TALK ABOUT THE REST OF THE OWNERS WHEN WE MET ALTOGETHER WITH THE CHIEF AND EVERYTHING.
SO THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT NEVER DISCUSSED.
I DO ACCEPT CREDIT CARDS, CHECK CASH, I PREFER 'EM TO PAY WITH THE CREDIT CARD, TO BE HONEST WITH YOU.
NOW THE BANKS ARE CHECK CHARGING YOU CASH HANDLING FEES.
I, I KNOW I, I PAY THE SAME THING.
I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT AS WE MAKE THESE OTHER AMENDMENTS, THAT EVERYONE UNDERSTANDS THAT THAT'S A REQUIREMENT.
AND IF SOMEBODY COMES TO TOWN AND SAYS, THEY WOULDN'T LET ME GET MY CAR BECAUSE I DIDN'T HAVE $500 IN CASH OR WHATEVER THE NUMBER MAY BE, THEN THAT'S GONNA BE A PROBLEM WITH YOUR BUSINESS IN THE TOWN.
WE CAN DEFINITELY PUT IN ORDINANCES.
ANYTHING FROM ANYBODY ELSE? I HAVE SOMETHING ELSE.
UM, I DON'T KNOW, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU KNOW WHERE THIS IS IN THE STA IN THE ORDINANCE, UM, PAGE 34, PARAGRAPH G.
THE COMPANY MUST CONDUCT ADEQUATE BACKGROUND CHECKS ON ALL PERSONNEL AND OPERATORS AS CRIMINAL HISTORY OF OWNER OPERATOR OR OTHER PERSONNEL MAY DISQUALIFY A TOWING RECORD SERVICE COMPANY FROM INCLUSION ON THE BLUFFTON POLICE DEPARTMENT ROTATION LIST.
AND WE WENT THROUGH THIS WITH FOOD TRUCKS YEARS AGO.
UM, I LIKE TO TELL THE STORY THAT THE YOUNG MAN THAT CAME TO TOWN HALL THAT NIGHT WAS WITH HIS FATHER.
HE WAS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO MAKE A LIVING AND HIS DAD SAID HE BOUGHT, GAVE HIM THE FOOD TRUCK OR HELPED HIM FINANCE THE FOOD TRUCK.
BUT WE WERE GOING TO MAKE SURE THAT HE COULDN'T DO IT BASED ON IF HE HAD A CRIMINAL RECORD.
AND THAT DIDN'T SIT WELL WITH ME AND COUNSEL AT THAT TIME.
AND SO WE CHALLENGED THAT AND WE DID AWAY WITH THAT.
I DON'T WANNA START TARGETING SPECIFIC INDUSTRIES UNLESS IT'S A PEDOPHILE OR SOMETHING ALONG THOSE LINES, BUT, UH, I DON'T WANT TO KEEP ANYBODY FROM TRYING TO MAKE A LIVING THAT'S PAID THEIR DUES 10 OR 15 YEARS AGO, FOR EXAMPLE.
UM, I GOT MY DEALERSHIP LICENSE, SO I'M BOUNDED AND EVERY YEAR I GO FOR A BACKGROUND CHECK THROUGH THE SOUTH CAROLINA DA.
SO, UH, BUT I TOTALLY AGREE WITH YOU.
I DON'T THINK ANYBODY SHOULD BE FORCED, NOT BE ABLE TO MAKE A LIVING BECAUSE OF THEIR PAST.
EVERYBODY SHOULD DESERVE A SECOND CHANCE.
A HUNDRED PERCENT ON THAT ONE.
IF WHATEVER WE NEED TO DO TO, TO, SO IS IT COUNCIL RECOMMENDATION? YOU JUST REMOVE SECTION? CORRECT.
JUST REMOVE THAT SECTION AND YOU'RE FINE.
DO WE NEED REBUT ON THAT OR NO, I'M GOOD WITH THAT.
MR. MOND, ARE YOU OKAY WITH THE GATE FEE? YOU WERE, UH, I YOU ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS? I WASN'T SURE.
UH, YOU WERE READING THE SIGN IT WAS $25 PER STORAGE.
YEAH, IT WAS NOT A, THERE WAS NO GATE FEES ON THE ORIGINAL ORDINANCE ADDRESS AT ALL.
YOU SAID THERE WAS NO GATE FEES? THERE WAS NO GATE FEES IN ORIGINAL ORDINANCE.
CAN YOU LOOK AT THIS ON ITEM? YOU MISREAD THE, I MISREAD IT.
BECAUSE IT LOOKED LIKE, UM, IT LOOKED LIKE $25 FOR THE GATE FEES AND INCREASE 75.
THERE WAS A STORAGE FEES, STORAGE FEES INCREASED FROM 25 TO $40.
AND WE WOULD LOVE YOU TO HELP US WITH THIS ISSUE.
UM, IF WE ARE LOOKING AT THE SAME THING, IT SAYS STORAGE PER DAY FIRST 24 HOURS, $25 GATE FEE FOR CUSTOMER REQUEST PICKUP AFTER NORMAL BUSINESS HOURS.
IT LOOKS LIKE A LINE IS MISSING BECAUSE THE COMPARING LINE WAS SUPPOSED TO BE POLICE IMPOUND REQUESTS IS NOW 1 21 25.
SO IT LOOKS LIKE IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN, WHAT'S THIS? A PROPOSED FEE FOR POLICE IMPOUND BECAUSE STORAGE IS, UH, 25 AND SHOULD BE 40 RIGHT NOW.
SO WHAT'S THE, WHAT'S THE REQUEST FOR THE NEW IMPOUND FEE? UH, CHIEF, IF YOU SEE IT'S 1 25 RIGHT THERE, IT GOES FROM POLICE IMPOUND REQUEST 1 25 STRAIGHT TO STORAGE PER DAY.
AFTER FIRST 24 HOURS, 40 LOT DOESN'T LOOK GOOD.
WELL, THE 25, THE 1 25 IS TO PICK THE CAR UP AND BRING IT THERE.
NO, IT'S SAYING, AND THEN IT'S $40 A DAY STORAGE.
I WAS SAYING WITH, OH, IT IS NOT.
WITH THE CONFUSION THE CHART IS OFF.
I'M ASKING, IS THERE A A, WE HAVE CURRENT FEES FOR
[01:30:01]
ALL THE ONES ON THE LEFT.THE RIGHT SIDE IS SUPPOSED TO SHOW THE NEW FEE, SO HE CAN'T GO FROM 1 25 TO 40 BECAUSE THAT'S THE ONLY DECREASE.
SO I'M ASKING, IS IT SUPPOSED, SO WHAT WAS STORAGE BE? IT IS $25 A DAY AND IT STARTS AFTER 24 HOURS.
GATE FEE, THERE WAS NO GATE FEE BEFORE.
ADDRESS, GATE FEE OR ADMIN FEE.
SO THE STORAGE PER DAY IS GOING FROM 25 TO 40 IS WHAT YOU'RE ASKING FOR IF YOU LIKE, I LITTLE MORE, BUT YOU KNOW HOW, HOW, HOW MUCH LANCO AND BLUFF.
AND IF SOMEBODY COMES TO PICK UP THEIR CAR AFTER HOURS, IT'S AN ADDITIONAL $75 CORRECT.
FOR WEEKENDS OR CAN BE IF Y'ALL WANT TO HAVE A, IF YOU LIKE APPROVAL.
SO WITH THE CHART, WE UNDERSTAND THE STORAGE.
IS THE REQUEST TO KEEP THE POLICE IMPOUND COST AT 1 25 OR IS THAT SUPPOSED TO BE AN UPCHARGE AS WELL? NO, MA'AM.
BASICALLY WE JUST WANT EVERY TOW THAT COMES THROUGH THE ROTATION TO BE THE 200.
UNLESS IT'S AN ACCIDENT, WHICH IT CAN BE MORE THAN THAT BECAUSE THAT REQUIRES SPECIAL EQUIPMENT AND EVERYTHING ELSE.
SO THE IMPOUND, TOW IMPOUND REQUEST WOULD BE 200 AS WELL.
THAT'S NOT, THAT CHART WAS OFF.
SO ALL TOES BASICALLY GO FROM 1 25 TO 200 UNLESS THEY'RE ACCIDENT.
UNLESS IT'S, UNLESS, UNLESS IT'S AN ACCIDENT YES.
WHAT WE ARE TRYING TO DO WITH THE HELP OF THE CHIEF IS WE SIMPLIFY THE ORDINANCE BECAUSE RIGHT NOW THE ORDINANCE, THE WAY IT'S WRITTEN OR IT WAS WRITTEN IT CLEAR AS MUD.
AS YOU, AS YOU SAY, YOU
NON-BUSINESS HOURS IS $200 AND IT'S JUST, IT'S NOT, THE HOURS ARE NOT REALLY LINED UP.
AND THAT MADE US UNINTENTIONALLY MAKE MISTAKES.
IT'S KIND OF LIKE CALLING AN HBAC OR A PLUMBER.
THEY'RE GONNA CHARGE YOU A HUNDRED BUCKS TO SHOW UP AT YOUR HOUSE AND THEN THEY DO THE DIAGNOSTICS SPACE.
THAT'S, OH, IT'S THIS MUCH MORE.
I, I THINK THERE'S A FEW THINGS THAT WE, WE'D CLARIFY.
WE CAN GET THAT CLARIFIED BETWEEN FIRST AND SECOND TO MAKE SURE THE CHART IS REFLECTIVE OF WELL, YOU CAN JUST, JUST THE LINE UP BETTER, MORE QUESTIONS FROM YOU.
IGNORE THE CURRENT FEE DESCRIPTION WE'RE LOOKING AT.
SO EVERYTHING ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE, YOU THAT WANTED TO SHOW YOU GUYS A COMPARISON OF WHAT WE CURRENTLY CHARGE TO WHAT THE NEW ASKING CHARGES.
SO ANYTHING ON THE LEFT IS, IS JUST WHERE WE'RE AT RIGHT NOW.
IF THERE'S A MOTION TO APPROVE ON FIRST READING, YOU NEED TO, UM, YOUR MOTION NEEDS TO INCLUDE REMOVE G REGARDING CRIMINAL RECORDS.
AND I WANNA SEE THE, UM, REQUIREMENT TO TWO FOR THE YES SIR.
THE WORK, I, I DON'T NEED TO SEE IT NOW, BUT NEXT BETWEEN NOW AND THEN I'LL PUT UP ON THE SLIDE FOR YOU.
I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE ON FIRST READING, BUT I AS A WORK IN PROGRESS.
ALL THOSE IMPROVE EVERY, EVERYONE YOU FAVOR IN FAVOR.
YOU APPRECIATE YOUR, SO WHEN IT COMES BACK NEXT MONTH THEN WE, WE CAN, DO YOU HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS? THANK YOU.
[XII.2. Consideration of Accommodations Tax Advisory Committee Funding Recommendations for Quarter Ending December 31, 2023 - Natalie Majorkiewicz, Director of Finance]
CONSIDERATION OF ACCOMMODATIONS, TAX ADVISORY COMMITTEE FUNDING RECOMMENDATION, RECOMMENDATIONS FOR QUARTER ENDING DECEMBER 31ST.GOOD EVENING MAYOR AND COUNCIL AND CONGRATULATIONS.
UM, OKAY, WE HAVE THE QUARTERLY.
LET'S DO, LET'S DO 'EM ONE AT A TIME.
UM, SO I JUST WANTED TO GIVE A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND ON THE MEETING THAT WE HAD IN FEBRUARY.
WE PRESENTED A ROUGH DRAFT OF WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT PROPOSING FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 25, UM, BUDGET TO INCLUDE LOCAL ACCOMMODATIONS TAX.
UM, SO CURRENTLY WE'RE LOOKING AT TRANSFERRING IN $204,203 TO THE GENERAL FUND, WHICH WILL SUPPORT, UM, POLICE SERVICES, THINGS LIKE EVENTS, UM, AND THEN ALSO THE WELCOME CENTER.
ADDITIONALLY, WE INCLUDED INFORMATION ON ACT 57, UM, THAT KEVIN SPOKE ABOUT.
[01:35:01]
UM, WE INCLUDED BOTH THE LOCAL ACCOMMODATIONS TAX, WHICH WE ARE ESTIMATING TO BE $235,209 TO GO INTO THE GENERAL FUND TO SUPPORT THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSISTANCE PROGRAM AND THE REGIONAL REGIONAL HOUSING TRUST FUND.AND THEN ON THE STATE SIDE, WHICH WILL TAKE A LITTLE BIT, UM, MORE ADDITIONAL STEPS THAT KEVIN DISCUSSED.
UM, ON THE STATE ACCOMMODATIONS TAX SIDE WE'RE ESTIMATING $149,641 FOR THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECT IN CIP.
UM, THAT ACT SUNSETS ON DECEMBER 31ST, 2030, AND IT'S NOT TO BE USED AS FOR HOUSING COSTS SUCH AS RENT, MORTGAGE, UTILITIES, THOSE SORTS OF THINGS.
ADDITIONALLY, ON THE LOCAL SIDE WE'RE PROPOSING $1,204,127 TO SUPPORT FIVE PROJECTS IN THE CIP DISPLAYED HERE.
UM, AGAIN, THIS IS THE PROPOSAL.
THIS HAS NOT BEEN ADOPTED OR ANYTHING.
THIS WILL COME BEFORE TOWN COUNCIL, UM, FOR FIRST READING IN MAY WITH THE FISCAL YEAR 25 BUDGET.
WE HAD FOUR APPLICANTS THIS QUARTER.
UM, THE TOTAL REQUEST WAS $115,341.
ATAC IS RECOMMENDING, UM, 108 A TOTAL OF $108,250.
AND I'LL GO INTO THOSE INDIVIDUALLY.
NOW, UH, AFTER THIS, UM,
UM, REVENUES FOR THIS QUARTER ARE AROUND 8% HIGHER THAN THEY WERE LAST QUARTER, OR I'M SORRY, LAST YEAR, QUARTER THE SAME TIME.
AND THIS JUST SHOWS, UM, THE APPLICANTS THEIR SCORES AND IF THE TOTAL, UM, AWARD, WHICH IS RECOMMENDED AT $108,250, THEN THAT WOULD LEAVE THE AVAILABLE AT, UM, JUST SHY OF $190,000 TO GO INTO THE NEXT QUARTER.
SO THE FIRST ONE IS THE HILTON HEAD ISLAND BLUFFTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.
THEY'RE REQUESTING 45,000 IN SUPPORT OF THE OFFICIAL BLUFFTON, UM, VACATION PLANNER.
UM, THIS REQUEST IS A SUPPLEMENTAL REQUEST ASIDE FROM THEIR DMO PORTION, WHICH IS PAID OUT OF THE STATE, THE 30%.
UM, AT THE TIME WHEN THEY HAD PRESENTED THE BUDGET TO TOWN COUNCIL, IT HAD INCLUDED THE 8% OF THE LOCAL, WHICH WAS NOT APPROVED IN 24.
SO THIS IS WHY THEY'RE COMING BEFORE COUNCIL, UM, FOR THE SUPPLEMENTAL REQUEST.
UM, JUST TO CLARIFY, MM-HMM,
THE LEFT AND VACATION PLANNER.
I COULDN'T REMEMBER GETTING GET OUTTA YES, CORRECT.
UM, BRIDGET, YOU WANNA START? ANY QUESTIONS FOR NATALIE ANN? NO, SIR.
MR. HAMILTON, COME BACK TO ME.
I'M NOT BACK TO ME,
UM, AGAIN, IT SEEMS LIKE I, THE 8% IS WHAT WE TRIED TO AVOID PAYING BEFORE RIGHT OUT OF THE LOCAL.
AT THAT TIME WE HAD, UM, DESIGNATED 30% FROM THE STATE, WHICH IS PART OF STATE LAW, AND THEN THE TOWN HAD DESIGNATED 8% OF THE LOCAL ACCOMMODATIONS TAX FUNDS.
UM, BUT IN FISCAL YEAR 24, THAT 8% WAS NOT, UM, BUDGETED FOR THE DMO.
AND THE REASON, BECAUSE DAN MADE THIS POINT STRONGER LAST TIME, UM, SILENT TONIGHT, BUT
WE WERE TRYING TO MAKE THIS, UH, FIGURE OUT HOW WE COULD USE IT FOR THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON, UM, BECAUSE WE HAD THAT OPTION.
SO WHY ARE WE GIVING THEM THE TOTAL 8% AND NOT TRYING AGAIN WHEN WE SAID NO THE FIRST TIME, WE'RE NOT GIVING THEM YEAH, THAT'S NOT 8%.
JUST SAID IF WE DIDN'T BUDGET 8%, THEY'RE NOT GETTING 8%.
AND THAT WAS OUT OF THE LOCAL AT TAX.
AND SO THIS IS NOW THE REQUEST IS GONNA BE OUT OF THE STATE AT TAX.
AND THIS, AND THIS 45,000 REQUEST IS FOR THE VACATION PLANNER, RIGHT? THE BOOK THAT THEY PUT TOGETHER ONCE A YEAR.
UM, IS THERE A MOTION TO THE LORD?
[01:40:01]
WHERE'S, WHERE? DO WE HAVE A MOTIONS WRITTEN ANYWHERE OR JUST YES, SHE HAS IT UP.BUT, UM, I MAKE A MOTION TO GRANT HILTON HEAD ISLAND BLUFFTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 45,000 IN SUPPORT OF THE 2024 OFFICIAL BLUFFTON VACATION PLANNER AS PRESENTED IN THE STAFF REPORT BREAKDOWN FOR ADVERTISING AND PROMOTION OF TOURISM EXPENSES.
ANY, ANY CONVERSATION COMMENTS? ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
OPPOSED? I PASS THIS UNANIMOUSLY.
THE NEXT APPLICATION IS FOR THE GULLAH TRAVELING THEATER.
UM, THIS CAME BEFORE ATAC IN THE PRIOR, UM, QUARTER.
ATAC HAD RECOMMENDED THAT THEY COME BACK WHEN THEY HAD A 2024 SCHEDULE SOLIDIFIED IN WHICH THEY HAVE AND HAVE COME BACK, UM, TO REQUEST FUNDING.
THEIR REQUEST WAS FOR $26,841.
WHEN REVIEWING THE BUDGET, ATAC FOUND THAT $9,750 OF THE BUDGET WERE ELIGIBLE FOR SUPPORT.
AND SO THAT IS THEIR RECOMMENDATION.
ANY DISCUSS, ANY QUESTIONS, DAN? YES, SIR.
SOMEBODY WANNA MAKE A MOTION? MAY I, UH, I HAVE, CAN I ASK YOU A QUESTION? OH, SURE.
SORRY, I'VE BEEN SO QUIET, BUT JUST FOR CLARIFICATION, UM, PURPOSES, THE, I'M SORRY, LEMME GO BACK TO THE SLIDE.
THE 48,000 OF INELIGIBLE INELIGIBLE EXPENSES.
UM, CAN YOU GO INTO ANY OF THAT? SO SOME, UM, INELIGIBLE EXPENSES ARE, UM, IF YOU HAVE SOMEBODY COMING IN, LIKE OPERATIONAL EXPENSES OR IF YOU, UM, PAY YOURSELF AS, YOU KNOW, SALARIES, THOSE TYPES OF THINGS.
UM, THE PURPOSE OF ACCOMMODATIONS TAX FUNDS ARE TO SUPPORT VISITORS THAT COME TO AN EVENT OR AN, OR A FESTIVAL.
AND SO IN ORDER TO GRAB THOSE TOURISTS AND TO HAVE THEM ENJOY THE FESTIVAL AT A WILL, UM, SUPPORT ADDITIONAL RESTROOMS ADVERTISING TO GRAB THOSE PEOPLE TO COME IN TO VISIT BLUFFTON.
UM, BUT SO LIKE TOURIST TRANSPORTATION IS ONE BECAUSE YOU NEED TO HAVE SHUTTLES IF YOU HAVE, UM, VISITORS THAT NEED TO GO BACK AND FORTH TO DIFFERENT PLACES.
UM, I'M TRYING TO THINK OF SOME THAT WOULDN'T BE ELIGIBLE.
I DON'T MIND HELPING NATALIE IF YOU OH, THANK YOU.
IF EMILY LIKE IN THEIR BUDGET, THEY WANTED TO PAY FOR ENTERTAINMENT OR THEY WANTED TO PAY FOR A CATERER, OR THEY WANTED TO PAY FOR, UM, T-SHIRTS, THINGS LIKE THAT CAN'T BE INCLUDED.
IT HAS TO BE THINGS THAT WOULD BE NEEDED TO PUT THE EVENT ON.
SO LIKE THE STAGE OR THE, UM, RESTROOMS THAT THEY HAD TO BRING IN ADDITIONAL RESTROOMS OR THE SECURITY.
WELL NOW WE PAY FOR, UM, THAT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, BUT, UH, THINGS LIKE THAT OR TROLLEY SERVICE IS WHAT THEY'RE LIMITED TO.
SOME OF THE THINGS WERE MEALS, UM, ADMINISTRATION EXPENSES, THOSE TYPES OF THINGS THAT DON'T QUALIFY.
SAY IF YOU LOOK ON PAGE 75, THERE'S ACTUALLY A BREAKDOWN OF THEIR BUDGET REQUEST AND ABOUT 42,000 WAS FOR, UM, SALARIES AND PAYING PEOPLE TO PERFORM AND STUFF.
AND THAT WOULD BE LIKE SHE SAID, THE NON-ELIGIBLE EXPENSES SPECIFICALLY FOR THEIRS.
ANYBODY WANNA MAKE A MOTION? I MAKE A MOTION TO GRANT GULLAH TRAVELING THEATER INC.
$9,750 IN SUPPORT OF THE GULLAH KINFOLK COME TO BLUFFTON PERFORMANCES AS PRESENTED IN STAFF REPORT BREAKDOWN FOR ADVERTISING AND PROMOTION OF TOURISM AND FACILITIES FOR CIVIC AND CULTURAL EVENTS EXPENSES.
AND OUR THIRD APPLICANT IS AN ANNUAL REQUEST FROM OLD TIME BLUFFTON MERCHANT SOCIETY.
THIS IS FOR THE 2024 BLUFFTON AS A DESTINATION.
UM, IT IS ALL FOR ADVERTISING AND THEY'RE REQUESTING $28,500, UM, WHICH THE COMMITTEE IS RECOMMENDING.
OKAY, SOMEBODY MAKE A MOTION TO GRANT THE OLD TOWN BLOCK THE MERCHANT SOCIETY $28,500 IN SUPPORT OF THE 20 20 24 BLUFFTON AS DESTINATION PROJECT AS PRESENTED IN THE STAFF REPORT BREAKDOWN FOR ADVERTISING AND PROMOTION OF TOURISM AND EXPENSES.
[01:45:01]
ANY DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE.AND OUR FINAL APPLICANT IS THE ROTARY CLUB OF BL, CLUB OF BLUFFTON.
UM, AFTER REVIEW OF THEIR BUDGET, ATAC IS RECOMMENDING AN ADDITIONAL 10,000 FOR A TOTAL OF AN AWARD OF $25,000.
FOR THE RECORD, DAN WOODS RECUSED ON THIS ITEM, I GUESS.
I'VE NEVER SEEN AEX REC GIVE MORE MONEY THAN THEY ASK FOR.
WHY ARE YOU DOING THAT THIS TIME? OH, SAM'S HERE
MY, UM, COUNSEL, HOW ARE Y'ALL? GOOD.
UM, SO THIS APPLICANT WHO REALLY DOES KNOW BETTER, UM, FOR WHATEVER REASONS LEFT OFF THE MEDIC MUNICIPALITY AND TERRORIST TRANSPORTATION COSTS, UM, MOSTLY SHE SAYS BECAUSE IT'S TOO HARD TO DEAL WITH, BUT WE WON'T GIVE THEM THE MONEY UNLESS THEY'VE ACTUALLY GARNER THE EXPENSE.
UM, FORGIVE ME, THOSE TWO EXPENSES ARE BASED UPON TOURISM NUMBERS.
SO WHILE WE'VE AWARDED THE ABILITY FOR THEM TO, UH, REQUEST THE 5,000, UM, IF THEY HAVE A HUNDRED PERCENT TOURISM, WHICH THEY NEVER DO, THEY WOULD BE ELIGIBLE FOR THE, THE COST THEY'RE GENERATED BASED UPON TOURISM.
BUT, UM, THE PROBLEM THAT THIS APPLICANT USUALLY HAS IS DETERMINED HOW MANY TOURISTS, BASED UPON THE CRITERIA THAT OUR AT TAX COMMITTEE IN TOWN HAVE, UH, SET FORTH.
UM, YOU GUYS PROBABLY REMEMBER THAT, UH, LAST YEAR, MOST OF OUR APPLICANTS KNEW THAT THEY COULDN'T, UM, EXCEED 25%, I'M SORRY, 50% OF THEIR WHOLE BUDGET.
SO WE REMOVED THE ADVERTISING COSTS AS A, AS A LINE ITEM FOR THAT AGAINST THAT 50%.
SO THE NET RESULT WAS THAT SHE WAS ELIGIBLE FOR THOSE EXPENSES.
THEY ARE DEFINITELY RELATED TO THE EVENT.
AND IN THAT CASE, Y'ALL, AS YOU GUYS WHO'VE BEEN THERE, KNOW, PARKING IS MISERABLE.
THEY'VE GOTTA TAKE THE SHUTTLE FROM SOMEWHERE.
SO WE INCLUDED THOSE COSTS AS THEY WOULD COME ELIGIBLE FOR BASED UPON THE AMOUNT OF TOURISM.
UM, I, I THINK I CAN APPRECIATE THAT, BUT WE HAVE TO BE CONSISTENT.
YOU CAN'T DO IT FOR ONE IF YOU DON'T DO IT FOR THE OTHERS.
YOU CAN'T RECOMMEND OR, UH, SUGGEST IF THEY DON'T ASK FOR IT.
SO, OVER THE BOARD, LET'S BE CONSISTENT.
SO PEOPLE, SOMEONE ELSE DON'T SAY, YOU DID IT FOR JOHN, BUT YOU DIDN'T DO IT FOR MARY.
I'M GONNA MAKE A RECOMMENDATION THAT WE AWARD THIS EXTRA $10,000, BUT I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD BE DOING THAT.
UH, WITH, WITH ALL DUE RESPECT, I BELIEVE WE'RE PRETTY CONSISTENT ON LETTING PEOPLE KNOW WHAT IT TAKES TO, TO DO THE APPLICANTS.
UH, FOR A GREAT EXAMPLE WAS THE
WE AS A COMMITTEE WHEN THEY FIRST CAME, SAID, MEET WITH STAFF, FIND OUT WHAT YOU'RE ELIGIBLE FOR, FIND OUT HOW TO DO THE APPLICATIONS.
WE OFTEN LOOK AT SOMEBODY AND GO, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN, THAT NUMBER'S DIFFERENT.
SO WE DO TRY TO HELP OUR APPLICANTS THROUGH THE PROCESS.
'CAUSE WHILE WE LOOK AT THAT AS A COMMITTEE, OFTEN THEY'RE SOMETIMES A ONE TIME SHOT.
THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND THE PROCESS AND WHAT IS ELIGIBLE, ESPECIALLY WITH THE CHANGING RULES OVER THE PAST COUPLE, OVER THE PAST YEAR AND A HALF OR SO.
SO WE WOULD ALWAYS BE, UM, AS A, AS A MATTER OF FACT, UH, YOU MAY REMEMBER MR. HAMILTON THAT, UM, I DON'T REMEMBER WHICH, A FEW YEARS AGO WE MADE AN ADDITIONAL AWARD FOR SOME APPLICANT MAY RIVER THEATER BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T REALIZE THAT WE COULD FUND THE, IT'S NOT A COPYRIGHT, BUT THE THING WHERE YOU CAN PUT THE PLAY ON THE ROYALTIES YEAH.
SO WE, WE SAID, COME BACK AND MAKE AN ADDENDUM TO IT, WHICH THE REAL ANSWER WAS, IT WOULD'VE BEEN EASIER TO SAY, WHAT'S THOSE COSTS? LET'S ADD 'EM IN NOW.
SO WE'RE PRETTY, UM, WE'RE VERY CONSISTENT ON WHEN IT DOES APPLY, BUT SOMETIMES IT'S EASIER TO DO IT NOW, JUST LIKE YOU GUYS REMEMBER, WE USED TO MAKE PEOPLE COME EVERY QUARTER FOR AN ANNUAL REWARD.
WE AWARD NOT REWARD, BUT AWARD.
UM, SO WE DID THAT ON AN ANNUAL BASIS SO THEY DIDN'T HAVE TO EVERY QUARTER COME BEFORE US THAT ASK FOR THE NEXT PAYMENT DUE.
AND YOU GUYS, I I THINK YOU ALL APPRECIATE THAT OPPORTUNITY TOO.
SO WE DON'T HAVE TO DO THAT ALL THE TIME, BUT I I IT'S WELL TAKEN AND WE'LL DISCUSS
[01:50:01]
THAT AMONGST OURSELVES IN OUR NEXT MEETING.AND, AND, AND TRUST ME, PLEASE DON'T TAKE THIS AS IF I'M TRYING TO COMMEND YOU.
I, I JUST DON'T WANT, UM, JOHN TO COME BACK AND, UH, MARY TO COME BACK AND SAY, LOOK WHAT YOU DID FOR JOHN.
AND THEN, AND, AND, AND MY APPLICATION COULD HAVE HAD THE SAME, UH, ERROR THAT I DIDN'T DO IT, BUT, BUT IT DIDN'T HAPPEN.
AND, AND, AND, AND, AND I'M GONNA MAKE IT EVEN MORE CLEARER.
THE BLUFFTON ROTARY, UM, CLUB IS WELL KNOWN AND THEY DO SOME GREAT THINGS.
SO SOME COULD EASILY LOOK AT THAT AND SAY THEY GET IN FAVORITISM.
DEBBIE, WE GRANT THE BLUFFTON ROTARY CLUB OF, OF BLUFFTON $25,000 IN SUPPORT OF THEIR MAY RIVER 2024 MAY RIVER FEST WEEKEND IN THE BLUFFTON PROJECT AS PRESENTED IN THE STAFF REPORT BREAKDOWN FOR ADVERTISING AND PROMOTION OF TOURISM, MUNICIPALITY SERVICES AND TOURISM TRANSPORTATION.
[XII.3. Consideration of an Ordinance for Certain Amendments to the Town of Bluffton Code of Ordinances Chapter 23 – Unified Development Ordinance, Including Amendments to Article 3 – Application Process, Sec. 3.13 (Development Surety and Stormwater Surety), Sec. 3.14 (Certificate of Construction Compliance), Sec. 3.18 (Certificate of Appropriateness-Historic District), Sec. 3.19 (Site Feature-Historic District Permit); and, Sec. 3.25 (Designation of Contributing Resources); Article 4 – Zoning Districts, Table 4.3 (Uses by District); Article 5 – Design Standards, Sec. 5.10 (Stormwater); 5.11 (Parking); and, Sec. 5.15 (Old Town Bluffton Historic District); and, Article 9 – Definitions and Interpretations, Sec. 9.2 (Defined Terms) – First Reading – Kevin Icard, Director of Growth Management]
ITEM NUMBER THREE, CONSIDERATION OF AN ORDINANCE FOR CERTAIN AMENDMENTS TO THE COUNT OF BLUFFTON.CODE OF ORDINANCE CHAPTER 23, UNIFIED DEVELOPMENT ORDINANCE, INCLUDING AMENDMENTS TO ARTICLE THREE, APPLICATION PROCESS SECTION 3.13, DEVELOPMENT, SURETY AND STORM WELL SECURITY SECTION 3.14.
CERTIFICATE OF CONSTRUCTION OF COMPLIANCE SECTION THREE, 1.18.
CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATE HISTORIC DISTRICT, SECTION 3 1 9.
SITE FEATURE, HISTORIC DISTRICT PERMIT AND SECTION 3.25, DESIGNATION OF CONTRIBUTING RESOURCES.
ARTICLE FOUR, ZONING DISTRICTS, TABLE 4.3, ARTICLE FIVE, DESIGN STANDARDS, SECTION 5.10 STORMWATER, 5.1 11, PARKING AND SECTION 5.15.
OLD TOWN BLUFFTON HISTORIC DISTRICT.
AND ARTICLE NINE, DEFINITIONS, INTERPRETATIONS SECTION 9.22 DEFINED TERMS. KEVIN
UM, NO WONDER MR. MAYOR, MS. SKA LEFT
UH, GOOD EVENING COUNCIL AGAIN.
UM, YES, THAT WAS A, UH, A A LOT OF ITEMS THAT WE HAVE, UM, RELATED TO OUR UNIFIED DEVELOPED MORS THAT WE'RE BRINGING THROUGH THIS EVENING.
UM, UH, AND JUST AS A RECAP, UM, THE MAJORITY OF THE ITEMS THAT YOU'RE HEARING THIS EVENING HAVE ACTUALLY COME IN FRONT, COME IN FRONT OF YOU AT A FIRST READING.
UH, AND THIS WAS BACK IN, UM, THIS WAS BACK IN SEPTEMBER, UH, JULY OF LAST YEAR.
SO, UH, IN FRONT OF YOU RIGHT NOW IS OBVIOUSLY THIS IS BASED UPON OUR STRATEGIC PLAN AND OUR QUALITY OF LIFE, UH, FOCUS AREA.
UH, THE MAJORITY OF THESE EDITS THAT THEY GO THROUGH.
WE DID A, IF YOU REMEMBER BACK IN, UH, JANUARY OF 23, WE HAD THAT JOINT, UH, MEETING WITH THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND GAVE US A LIST OF DIFFERENT ITEMS FOR US TO WORK THROUGH.
UM, FROM THERE, WE BROUGHT THEM IN FRONT, IN FRONT OF THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION FOR ITEMS, SPECIFICALLY IN THE HISTORIC DISTRICT TO GET INPUT, NOT NECESSARILY RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THEM.
UH, FROM THERE WE HAD MULTIPLE MEETINGS WITH THE PLANNING COMMISSION, UH, TO BREAK IT APART SO THAT WAY WE COULD, UM, WE COULD SCRUB ALL THESE ITEMS, UH, IN, IN GREATER DETAIL, WHICH IS WHY WE USED FOUR MEETINGS TO GO THROUGH ALL THAT.
AND THEN WE BROUGHT 'EM ALL BACK TOGETHER FOR YOU.
UH, THERE, THERE WERE SOME QUESTIONS ON SOME OF THE ITEMS, WHICH WE THEN, UM, TOOK THAT PORTION OUT, UH, WHICH IS WHAT WE'RE GONNA GO THROUGH THIS EVENING.
UH, WE APPROVED, UH, THE OTHER PORTION OF IT, THE ITEMS THAT YOU HAD QUESTIONS ABOUT, BROUGHT IT BACK IN FRONT OF, UM, THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION THIS PAST JANUARY, AND THEN AGAIN IN, UH, JANUARY FOR PLANNING COMMISSION.
AND WE HAD A FEW ITEMS THAT WERE ADDED TO IT, AND I'M GONNA GO OVER IT HERE IN A SECOND TO THE FEBRUARY PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING.
UM, SO AGAIN, I'M KEEPING THIS VERY HIGH LEVEL.
UM, THERE WAS ALMOST 30 SOME ODD PAGES OF EDITS, UH, THAT WERE PROVIDED IN THE STAFF REPORT.
UH, HOPEFULLY I'VE, I'VE MET WITH, UH, TWO OF YOU INDIVIDUALLY.
YOU HAD A LOT OF GREAT QUESTIONS THAT WE WERE ABLE TO ANSWER.
UM, HAPPY TO, UH, UH, DIG DEEPER IN CASE YOU WANT TO, BUT I'LL JUST KEEP THIS VERY HIGH LEVEL AS WE GO THROUGH THIS.
AND FEEL FREE TO STOP IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS.
THE FIRST ITEM IS DEALING WITH, UH, DEVELOPMENT STORMWATER SURETIES.
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THIS IS, IS MORE OF, OF A, UM, A SCRIBNER'S ITEM WHERE WE ADDED, OR WE BROKE APART THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A DEVELOPMENT SURETY AND A STORMWATER SURETY AND THOSE REQUIREMENTS.UH, THE NEXT ONE WAS DEALING WITH, UH, CONSTRUCTION COMPLIANCE.
UM, AND THIS IS AN ITEM THAT, UM, WE HAD AN ISSUE WHERE, UM, I BROUGHT, UH, UH, CODE IN FRONT OF YOU LAST YEAR THINKING THAT WE WERE BEING, UM, MORE EFFICIENT.
AND WHAT WE WERE DOING REALIZED THAT WHAT HAPPENS, UH, IS THAT WITHOUT THIS TEMPORARY CON UH, CONSTRUCTION COMPLIANCE, UH, COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENTS COULD NOT MOVE FORWARD AND, AND RECEIVE, UH, THEIR, OR GET A BUILDING PERMIT ISSUE FOR, UH, TO START CONSTRUCTION.
SO WE WOULD ALLOW FOR A HORIZONTAL CONSTRUCTION, BUT WE WOULDN'T ALLOW THEM TO MOVE FORWARD WITH VERTICAL CONSTRUCTION WITHOUT THEM PROVIDING A BOND FOR 75% OF THE COST OF THEIR IMPROVEMENTS.
NOW, WHEN YOU'RE DOING A LARGE COMMERCIAL SITE, THAT COULD BE ANYWHERE FROM A MILLION TO $3 MILLION, UH, WHEN WE WERE WORKING WITH SOME APPLICANTS THAT WERE GOING THROUGH THE PROCESS OR ERROR, AND I WANTED TO FACILITATE THIS AS QUICK AS POSSIBLE, BRING THIS BACK FORWARD SO THAT WAY WE CAN MAKE THESE CHANGES.
'CAUSE ULTIMATELY, UH, A COMMERCIAL PROJECT, THAT CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY IS THE, THE FINAL ITEM THAT WE HAVE.
SO WE'RE MAKING SURE THAT THEY'RE GETTING ALL THEIR IMPROVEMENTS, THEIR PARKING LOT, THEIR STORM WATER, THEIR LANDSCAPING ALL IN PLACE WHILE THEY'RE FINISHING UP THE BUILDING BEFORE THEY CAN START OPERATION.
UH, WHAT WE WERE DOING WAS WE, IT WAS AN, AN, UM, UNDUE, UM, HARDSHIP ON INDIVIDUALS TO GET A LETTER OF CREDIT OR A BOND FOR MILLIONS OF DOLLARS WHEN IT WASN'T NECESSARY.
SO WE REALIZED THAT THERE WAS ERROR AND WE BROUGHT THAT IN FRONT OF PLANNING COMMISSION, UH, BACK IN FEBRUARY, AND THAT'S WHY IT'S HERE ON A FIRST READING, UH, WITH YOU IN MARCH.
UH, A COUPLE OTHER ITEMS WAS DEALING WITH STORM WATER.
UM, WE HAD, WE PROVIDED SOME CLARIFICATION.
UM, OUR CURRENT STORM WATER REQUIREMENTS, UH, REFERRED TO A, UM, DISTURBANCE OF 5,000 ACRES FOR, UH, NEW DEVELOPMENT REDEVELOPMENT.
WE REALIZED, UH, SPECIFICALLY IF WE HAVE REDEVELOPMENT, UH, THAT WE WOULD, UH, CHANGE THAT THRESHOLD TO 2000, UH, SQUARE FOOT THAT GIVES THE ABILITY TO, TO, UH, FOR AN INDIVIDUAL TO GET AN AFFIDAVIT SAVING THAT LIKE, LISTEN, I'M, I'M ADDING A, I'M ADDING A PATIO TO MY BACK OF THE HOUSE AND IT'S NOT GOING TO CAUSE, UM, UH, MAJOR CONCERNS THROUGH THE STORM WATER.
UH, SOME OF THE OTHER ITEMS, UM, THAT WE HAD, AND THESE WERE PREVIOUSLY BROUGHT IN FRONT OF YOU, UM, UM, AS THAT FIRST READING, BUT THEY WERE THEN PULLED, UM, SPECIFICALLY WAS FOR THE COMPACT SPACES.
UM, SO THIS ITEM IS APPLICABLE TO THE HISTORIC DISTRICT AND NON HISTORIC DISTRICT, AND THE GOAL WAS, IS THAT TO REDUCE, UM, THE PERCENTAGE OF, UH, COMPACT, UM, CAR SPACES THAT COULD BE ALLOWED AS WELL AS ELIMINATING, UM, THE ABILITY TO, UM, USE GOLF CART, UH, AN INTERCHANGEABLE BETWEEN COMPACT AND GOLF CART PAR UH, PARKING SPACES.
UH, THAT'S NOT TO SAY THAT YOU CAN'T HAVE GOLF CART PARKING SPACES, IT'S JUST THAT YOU CAN'T USE THOSE TO MEET YOUR PARKING REQUIREMENTS.
UM, SO THAT WAS ITEMS ONE AND FOUR THAT ARE UP THERE.
ITEMS TWO AND THREE ARE NOT APPLICABLE TO THE HISTORIC DISTRICT.
AND WHAT WE WERE HAVING IS, UH, WE HAD A PROVISION IN THE CODE THAT SAYS THAT ANYONE WITHIN 500 FEET OF A PUBLIC PARKING FACILITY COULD USE THAT TO MEET THEIR REQUIRED PARKING.
UM, SO IT'S, IT WAS NECESS, IT WAS NOT APPLICABLE TO ANY OF THE PROJECTS THAT WE'VE HAD BEEN GOING THROUGH.
SO WE REALIZED WE JUST NEEDED TO ELIMINATE THAT.
AND ALSO MORE OF A CLERICAL ITEM WAS, UH, CHANGING THE MAXIMUM TO MINIMUM IN THE NUMBER OF PARKING SPACES.
JUST BEFORE, ELIMINATE THE ABILITY TO USE PUBLIC PARKING FACILITIES WITHIN 500 FEET FROM COUNTING TOWARDS REQUIRED PARKING, SO THEY CAN USE NONE NOW ON STREET PARKING OR ANYTHING TO GET WHAT THIS IS SAYING IS FOR A, YOUR HONOR, MAYBE NOT IN THE HISTORIC DISTRICT.
I'M JUST THINKING, UM, MOVING ON OUT BLUFFTON ROAD, SO TO SPEAK, YOU KNOW, UM, OUT THAT WAY.
CAN ANY OF THE ON STREET PARKING BE USED THERE IF IT'S NOT OUT OF THE HISTORIC DISTRICT OR SO TYPICALLY? SO TYPICALLY, UM, WE HAVE NO, UM, ON STREET PARKING SPACES, THERE'S MAYBE LIKE A FEW, UH, PARCELS ALONG MAY RIVER ROAD THAT WOULD, THIS WOULD APPLY TO.
UM, BUT THE MAJORITY OF ON STREET PARKING IS LOCATED IN THE HISTORIC DISTRICT.
SO WE HAVE PROVISIONS THAT ALLOW YOU TO USE THAT TO MEET TOWARDS YOUR PARKING REQUIREMENTS.
WHAT, WHAT THIS DOES IS, BECAUSE THIS IS IN A, A PORTION OF THE UNIFIED DEVELOPMENT ORDINANCE THAT IS NOT ASSOCIATED WITH THE HISTORIC DISTRICT, UM, THIS PROVISION DOESN'T APPLY TO ANYTHING IN THE HISTORIC DISTRICT.
THIS APPLIES OUTSIDE OF THE HISTORIC DISTRICT.
AND WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IS IF WE HAD A, UM, A PUBLIC PARKING
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FACILITY, NOT NECESSARILY ON STREET, UH, PARKING, BUT A, A COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT, IF THEY WERE WITHIN THAT AREA, THEY COULD USE THAT, UH, TO MEET THEIR PARKING REQUIREMENTS.UH, IT'S, I THINK THERE WAS A, THERE WAS AN INTENT INTENTION TO IT WHEN IT WAS FIRST CREATED, BUT YOU KNOW, AS OF TODAY, IT, IT, IT DOESN'T, WE DON'T HAVE ANY, UH, WE DON'T HAVE ANY PARKING FACILITIES OUT OUTSIDE OF THE HISTORIC DISTRICT THAT I'M FULLY AWARE OF.
UM, THE CLOSEST ONE, I MEAN, YOU LEFT TO GO, YOU YOU GOT ONE RIGHT THERE BY, UM, POMONA STATE BANK WHERE WE WERE THE OTHER DAY.
AND THAT'S IN THE HISTORIC, SO THAT'S IN THE HISTORIC DISTRICT.
NO, DIDN'T, NOT THAT SIDE OF THE ROAD, RIGHT? YES, YES.
YOU'RE SO, YOU'RE, I'M, YOU'RE NOT, MY BUSINESS IS NOT, YOU'RE NOT, BUT THE PARKING LOT IS YES.
SO HOW FAR DOES IT GO THAT WAY, THAT PROPERTY? THE PARKING LOT? SO THE PARKING LOT, AND THEN IT'S THE PARKING LOT.
THE ADJACENT, UH, THE ADJACENT VACANT LOT THAT WE'RE STANDING IN, THAT IS IN THE HISTORIC DISTRICT.
UM, AND THEN ALSO SOME OTHER ITEMS, UM, MORE OF, UM, JUST CLARIFICATIONS ON INCREASING, UH, UH, ANGLES OF PARKING SPACES.
AND WE HAD A, UH, A DIAGRAM THAT WAS PROVIDED IN THE STAFF REPORT THAT, THAT CLEARLY EXPLAINED THAT, UH, THE NEXT ITEM, UM, IS TO, UH, INCLUDE STOREFRONT MANUFACTURING, SPECIFICALLY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD GENERAL HISTORIC DISTRICT.
UM, IF YOU REMEMBER A COUPLE YEARS AGO, WE BROUGHT THIS USE IN FRONT OF YOU.
THE GOAL WAS TO ALLOW FOR, UM, SMALL SCALE, UM, MANUFACTURING, UM, BUSINESSES.
AN EXAMPLE WOULD BE LIKE IF, IF YOU DO, UH, WEATHERING AND YOU'RE, YOU GET LARGE PIECES OF LEATHER COME IN, YOU CUT THEM UP, YOU CREATE, UM, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE LIKE, UH, SMALL PIECES OF SOMETHING AND YOU'RE ADDING IT TO IT.
YOU'RE CREATING A, YOU'RE MANUFACTURING A PRODUCT.
UM, IT'S, THERE'S NO OUTSIDE, UH, STORAGE, THERE'S NO SMELLS, THERE'S NO NOISES.
YOU KNOW, THERE'S NOTHING THAT'S GONNA IMPACT PROPERTY OWNERS ADJACENT TO YOU.
WE, WE ADDED THAT TO, UM, THE NEIGHBORHOOD CORE AND, AND NEIGHBORHOOD, UM, CENTER HISTORIC DISTRICTS.
AND WHAT WE REALIZED IS THAT THIS USE, UM, IT WAS ALSO APPROPRIATE AND SHOULD HAVE BEEN INCLUDED IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD GENERAL, UH, HISTORIC DISTRICT.
WE DO HAVE QUITE A BIT OF PROPERTIES ALONG BRUIN MAY RIVER ROAD, UH, THAT WOULD BENEFIT FROM ALLOWING, UH, THIS USE IN THERE.
NOW THERE ARE ALSO PROPERTIES THAT ARE ON SOME OF THE SIDE STREETS, UM, THROUGHOUT BLUFFTON THAT THIS COULD, UM, COULD HAPPEN AS WELL.
BUT AGAIN, THESE TYPE OF USES ARE COMPLETELY ENCLOSED IN A BUILDING.
UH, THERE'S NO LOUD NOISES, THERE'S NO FUMES, THERE'S NO DUST.
YOU KNOW, ALL THESE THINGS ARE NOT ALLOWED TO HAVE, WHICH WE WOULD PICK THAT UP DURING THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS, UM, TO MAKE SURE IF THEY'RE TRYING TO USE A USE, UM, THAT IT'S, THAT IT'S NOT CONSISTENT WITH THAT.
UM, ANOTHER GREAT EXAMPLE IS WE HAVE A, UM, UH, IF YOU WERE, UM, MAKING POPSICLES, UM, AND YOU'RE, ALL OF YOUR WORK IS INSIDE YOU'RE MANUFACTURING, YOU'RE CREATING, YOU KNOW, THIS, THIS PRODUCT, FINAL PRODUCT, YOU'RE, YOU'RE NOT GONNA NOTICE THAT ON THE OUTSIDE.
SO THAT WOULD BE ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF A USE, UH, THAT COULD GO INTO A, A BUILDING COMPLETELY ENCLOSED AND NOT IMPACT ADJACENT PROPERTY OWNERS.
UM, OTHER ITEMS, UH, THE MAJORITY OF THESE, UH, WERE ITEMS THAT WERE PREVIOUSLY BROUGHT IN FRONT OF YOU.
UM, I'LL JUST GO THROUGH THESE, UH, RELATIVELY QUICKLY.
UH, NUMBER ONE WAS THE PROCESS FOR RELOCATION OF BUILDINGS, BOTH CONTRIBUTING, UH, UH, RESOURCES AS WELL AS NON-CONTRIBUTING RESOURCES.
UM, AND THAT'S JUST BECAUSE WE DIDN'T, WE DID NOT HAVE A PROCESS IN PLACE AS TO TO FACILITATE, UH, IF SOMEONE WAS INTERESTED IN RELOCATING, UH, A PRO, UM, A, A STRUCTURE.
UH, THE OTHER ONE IS CLARIFYING TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, PRIOR TO RECEIVING A CERTIFICATE OF, UH, OF APPROPRIATENESS IN THE HISTORIC DISTRICT, THAT YOUR DEVELOPMENT PLAN, UH, IS REQUIRED TO BE APPROVED.
UM, WE DISTINGUISHED BETWEEN SHEDS AND GARDEN STRUCTURES.
UM, WE INCREASED, UH, FRONT BUILDING, UM, BUILD TO LINES, UH, IN THE, THE NEIGHBORHOOD THAT'S THE CENTER AND THE NEIGHBORHOOD CORE DISTRICTS, UH, FROM FIVE TO 10 FEET, UH, INCREASED SIDE SETBACKS FROM FIVE TO EIGHT.
AND THEN, UH, WE ADDED A ME MEDIUM HOUSE TYPE.
UM, WE WERE HAVING PROVI, WE WERE HAVING PROBLEMS WHERE, UM, WE HAD A LOT OF, UH, UH, ARCHITECTS THAT WERE COMING IN WITH DESIGNS OF HOUSES THAT DIDN'T NECESSARILY FIT ONE OF THE BUILDING TYPES THAT WE HAD.
AND WE WERE KIND OF PUSHING IT OFF INTO, UM, OUR ADDITIONAL BUILDING TYPE.
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WE ADDED THIS MEDIUM HOUSING TYPE, UM, AND IT FOLLOWS THE PARAMETERS OF THE ADDITIONAL BUILDING TYPE, BUT GIVES CLARIFICATION TO ARCHITECTS AS THEY'RE MOVING THROUGH THE PROCESS.GOING BACK UP TO ITEM NUMBER ONE, UM, WE RARELY HAVE SEEN, IF ANY EV ANYONE EVER USED THAT, UM, PARTICULAR UDO OPTION IN TERMS OF LIKE RELOCATING AND CONTRIBUTING STRUCTURE FROM ONE PROPERTY AND ALLOWING SOMEONE ELSE TO PUT IT ELSEWHERE BECAUSE OUR, UM, CURRENT CONTRIBUTING STRUCTURES ARE ON LIKE AN ARBITRARY LIST.
LIKE WE ONLY HAVE THREE STRUCTURES, I BELIEVE THAT ARE ON, IN LIKE THE HISTORIC NATIONAL REGISTRY LIST, OUR HISTORIC DISTRICT WE CREATED, UM, IN UNDERSTANDING THE PROCESS, I'M TRYING TO LIKE THINK OF DO WE NECESSARILY HAVE TO HAVE IT WHERE THEY CAN ONLY RELOCATE THOSE BUILDINGS THAT ARE TECHNICALLY NOT REALLY HISTORIC, UM, WITHIN THAT DISTRICT? BECAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE THAT CREATES CONSTRAINTS THAT WE DON'T REALLY HAVE THE SPACE.
IF SOMEONE HAS A STRUCTURE RIGHT NOW ON THEIR, THEIR PROPERTY, LIKE LET'S SAY THE ONE THAT WAS ON, UM, UH, BREWIN FOR INSTANCE, AND IT'S NOT, OR THE ONE THAT ON THE CORNER OF WHARF, IT'S REALLY NOT HISTORIC.
BUT IF SOMEONE WAS LIKE, YEAH, I'LL TAKE THAT STRUCTURE AND I WANTED TO MOVE IT TO GOTHE OR BUCK ISLAND, UM, WHY DO WE NOT HAVE ALLOWANCES THAT WOULD MAKE THAT MORE PRACTICAL IN SENSE OF FORCING IT TO HAPPEN WITHIN OUR CURRENT LIMITS, WHERE REALLY THERE'D BE NO SPACE TO DO THAT.
THE, THE PROBLEM IS WE, WE, WE DIDN'T HAVE ANYTHING SPECIFICALLY IN PLACE FOR SOMEONE THAT WANTED TO DO A RELOCATION.
UH, AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE IS WE'RE ADDING, WE'RE ADDING THE CRITERIA, WE'RE EXPLAINING HOW IT NEEDS TO BE DONE.
UM, OBVIOUSLY THE, OUR, OUR ULTIMATE GOAL IS ALWAYS FOR A CONTRIBUTING STRUCTURE IS TO STAY WHERE IT IS, UM, AND THEN, THEN MAKE IMPROVEMENTS AT ITS CURRENT LOCATION BECAUSE OF, YOU KNOW, ONCE YOU START MOVING STRUCTURES, YOU POTENTIALLY LOSE THE INTEGRITY OF BOTH THE STRUCTURE AS WELL AS THE HISTORICAL CONTEXT OF WHERE THAT STRUCTURE IS LOCATED.
BUT BECAUSE WE HAD THIS WORKSHOP THAT STRATEGIC, WE KNOW THAT THAT'S NOT NECESSARILY THE CASE IN THE SENSE OF WE'VE DESIGNATED AND WE MADE OUR OWN STRUCTURES HISTORIC THAT TECHNICALLY ARE AT OUR DISCRETION THAT REALLY DON'T HAVE THAT, THAT DESIGNATION.
SO NOT, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT, UM, ONES LIKE THE GARVIN GARVEY OR ONES THAT ARE LIKE THE LOCKWOOD, BUT ONES THAT ARE ON THAT LIST THAT PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE NEVER BEEN THERE.
I'M JUST THINKING OF, IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE TO HAVE A UDO PROCESS FOR SOMETHING WE WE'D NEVER REALLY GO THROUGH, OR THAT WOULD BE MORE RESTRICTIVE AND NOT REALLY SOMETHING THAT'S GONNA BE CONDUCIVE TO HELP AN OWNER OF A STRUCTURE THAT SHOULDN'T BE HISTORIC TO BE ABLE TO MOVE IT SOMEWHERE.
THAT WOULD ACTUALLY, THEY COULD APPLY THIS PROCESS CURRENTLY AS IS, WOULD WE EVEN BE ABLE TO APPLY THIS PROCESS TO ONE OF THOSE STRUCTURES IN OUR CURRENT DISTRICT IF WE NEEDED TO? I
LIKE IF SOMEBODY HAD, IF SOMEONE HAS ONE OF THOSE CONTRIBUTING STRUCTURES THAT ARE NOT CONTRIBUTING, LIKE WHERE ARE THEY GONNA MOVE IT IN OLD TOWN, BLUFFTON.
LIKE, THERE'S NO SPACE TO SAY THAT YOU HAVE TO KEEP IT IN A HISTORIC DISTRICT, BUT WE DON'T REALLY HAVE SPACE TO DO THAT.
UM, IF A PERSON WANTED THAT OPTION, WELL THAT'S PART OF IT.
SO IT COULD BE, UM, THERE, THERE ARE PARCELS, THERE ARE PARCELS OUT THERE.
WE HAVE QUITE A FEW UNDEVELOPED, UH, AREAS OF LAND, UH, OR, OR THROUGHOUT THE TOWN THAT POTENTIALLY COULD HAPPEN.
THE ISSUE IS, IS THAT WE HAVE NO PROVISIONS IN PLACE TO TELL SOMEONE HOW THEY COULD EVEN REMOTELY GO ABOUT DOING THAT.
SO WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO, AND, AND THERE'S DIFFERENT LEVELS OF CRITERIA BASED OFF OF IF IT IS A CONTRIBUTING STRUCTURE OR IF IT'S A NON-CONTRIBUTING STRUCTURE.
SO YOU STILL HAVE TO FOLLOW THAT.
ALSO, THE PROVISIONS IN HERE STATE THAT WHILE YOU MAY RECEIVE A CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS TO HAVE THE ABILITY TO MOVE IT, YOU NOW HAVE TO GET ANOTHER CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS TO SHOW WHERE YOU'RE GOING TO MOVE IT TO IF IT'S IN THE HISTORIC DISTRICT.
SO YOU CAN, YOU CAN GET APPROVAL TO MOVE IT, BUT YOU HAVE TO SHOW WHERE IT'S GONNA GO.
AND WITH THAT, YOU HAVE TO HAVE A DEVELOPMENT PLAN TO SHOW HOW IT'S GONNA BE PLACED, ALL THE INFRASTRUCTURE, ALL OF THAT, THAT'S GONNA BE GONNA BE IN THERE.
WE JUST, WE'VE NEVER, WE'VE NEVER HAD ANY PROVISIONS TO, TO CLEARLY OUTLINE.
SO THAT WAY WHEN SOMEONE COMES IN, WE'RE NOT JUST MAKING THIS UP.
WE'RE, WE'RE FOLLOWING THE CODE AND OUR CODE TELLS US TO DO, TO DO THIS.
I'M JUST SAYING, I REMEMBER NOW GOING BACK TO THE, UM, JOINER PROPERTY, THAT WAS ONE OF THE CONDITIONS THAT HPC ALLOWED THE OWNER AT THAT TIME TO DO.
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AND I REMEMBER FOLKS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT, WELL, IF HE'S WILLING TO ALLOW SOMEONE TO INHERIT THAT STRUCTURE, WHERE'S IT GONNA GO? AND THERE WAS NO, THERE WAS NO OFFER OR NO ONE TO EVEN DO THAT BECAUSE IT'S LIKE, WHERE ARE THEY GONNA PUT IT? I'M JUST SAYING LIKE, I UNDERSTAND THE PROCESS.I JUST THINK LIKE WE SHOULD INCLUDE THINGS IF WE'RE GONNA MAKE AMENDMENTS THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY GO BACK AND USE AND NOT JUST BUILD IN A PROCESS THAT ULTIMATELY IS GOING TO BE MORE RESTRICTIVE IN NATURE THAN IT IS GONNA HELP US AND HELP AN OWNER OF A PARTICULAR STRUCTURE ACTUALLY COME UP TO SOME TYPE OF SOLUTION.
LIKE WE CAN TALK OFFLINE SO THAT WAY, UM, I CAN HAVE ALL MY STAFF IN THERE SO THAT WAY WE'RE, WE'RE WORKING THROUGH THAT.
IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, UM, IF THERE'S ANY LIKE POTENTIAL MINOR ADJUSTMENTS TO THIS LANGUAGE, UM, THAT WE COULD PICK UP DURING SECOND READING, UH, DEFINITELY HAPPY TO DO THAT.
I THINK TOO, UM, AND I, AND I GET WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
I MEAN, I THINK THE JOINER WAS AN EXAMPLE.
THE SITE THAT YOU'RE ON WAS, NOBODY KNEW HOW TO FOLLOW THE RULES, I THINK, AND STAFF WAS CONFUSED ON THAT ISSUE AS WELL AS THE PROPERTY OWNERS.
UM, SO I GET THE CLARITY OF THIS, BUT ALSO, I KNOW THERE'S NOT A LOT OF SITES LEFT IN THE AREA THAT THIS PERTAINS TO, BUT IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT SOME EXISTING STRUCTURES MAY NOT WANT TO MOVE EVEN ON THEIR OWN PROPERTY TO BETTER UTILIZE THEIR PROPERTY.
UM, THAT WAS PART OF WHAT HAPPENED WITH THE JOINER PROPERTY.
IT MADE THE PROPERTY MORE ACCESSIBLE AND VALUABLE BY RELOCATING THAT STRUCTURE INS INSTEAD OF SAYING IT HAD TO STAY WHERE IT WAS.
SO I STILL THINK THERE'S A POSSIBILITY OF SOME OF THESE THINGS POPPING UP.
LIKE I, I DON'T EVEN KNOW, LIKE KIKI, UH, I DON'T KNOW HOW BIG HER LOT IS OR ANYTHING, BUT IT MAY BE THAT SHE MIGHT GO, I NEED TO MOVE THIS OVER TO HERE 'CAUSE I'VE GOT SOMEBODY WANTING TO DO SOMETHING WITH ME.
YOU KNOW? SO I, I SEE THERE'S POSSIBILITIES HERE TO, TO YOUR POINT, I DON'T KNOW HOW WIDESPREAD, BUT I GET WHAT STAFF IS TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH.
ANY QUESTION FOR, OR I GUESS WE'RE STILL IN THE MIDDLE OF YOUR PRESENTATION.
LET HIM GO AHEAD AND FINISH THE PRESENTATION.
UM, THEN WE HAD, UM, NUMEROUS LIKE MINOR REFORMING, UH, REFORMATTING ITEMS, UM, JUST, UH, SCRIBNER'S ITEMS. UH, THEY WERE ALL OUTLINED, UH, THROUGHOUT THE STAFF REPORT, UH, AND THE, THE ATTACHMENTS.
UM, THE OTHER ITEMS WAS JUST, UH, REWARDING SOME, UH, THIS WAS FROM PLANNING COMMISSION.
UH, WHEN THEY LOOKED AT THIS, UM, PART OF THEIR AMENDMENTS WAS DEALING WITH THAT, THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE, THE MEDIUM HOUSE TYPE.
IT WAS JUST THIS, THE STATEMENT THAT THEY WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY WAS CLEARLY UNDERSTOOD THAT THIS IS LARGER THAN A COTTAGE.
UH, WE DO HAVE PROVISIONS RIGHT NOW FOR BUILDING TYPE FOUR COTTAGE.
SO THEY WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, THAT SOMEONE WASN'T TRYING TO, TO MAKE A LARGER COTTAGE, BUT NECESSARILY CALL IT THE, THE MEDIUM HOUSE TYPE.
AND THEN ALSO DEALING WITH VEHICULAR OPENS OPENINGS IS WITH THE GARAGES.
UM, THAT IF YOU HAD A, UM, IF YOU WERE TO HAVE TWO GAR, UH, TWO, UH, GARAGE DOORS SIDE BY SIDE, THAT THEY COULD MAX OUT AT THE 10 FEET AS OPPOSED TO 12 FEET ON EACH ONE OF THEM.
AND WHEN YOU TAKE THAT IN CONSIDERATION, UH, A TWO CAR GARAGE, IF YOU HAVE 2, 2 12 FOOT, UH, GARAGE DOORS PLUS YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THE PORTIONS ALONG THE SIDE, YOU COULD BE ANYWHERE FROM, UH, 24 TO 28 FEET IN WIDTH, UH, FOR PARKING, UH, FOR, FOR A GARAGE.
WHAT THIS DOES IS IT, IT REDUCES IT DOWN SO THAT WAY IT'S ONLY THE, THE 20 FEET PLUS TYPICALLY, YOU KNOW, TWO TO THREE FEET ON EITHER SIDE.
UM, SO IT JUST REDUCES THE SIZE OF THE, THE GARAGE DOORS.
WHAT'S THE BENEFIT OF THAT? I MEAN, WHAT'S, I MEAN, IS IT TOTALLY AESTHETICS? YES, IT IS.
PROPERTY'S BIG ENOUGH FOR THE SQUARE FOOTAGE ON THE GROUND.
IT, IT IS MORE, IT'S, YEAH, IT'S DEALING WITH THE FORM-BASED CODE, UM, WHICH A, A FORM-BASED CODE VERSUS CONVENTIONAL ZONING.
IT'S JUST, IT, IT, IT'S DIFFERENT, BUT IT IS, IT IS THE, THE, THE AESTHETICS OF THE BUILDING, THOSE SMALLER GARAGE DOORS, UM, LARGER GARAGE DOORS IS MORE A SUBURBAN FEEL TO IT VERSUS A COMPACT DESIGN OF WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR IN THE OLD TOWN.
KEVIN, I DON'T KNOW, I DON'T KNOW IF I AGREE WITH THAT.
SO, YOU KNOW, SPACE, UH, A 10 FOOT GARAGE, UM, OPENING IS JUST A CAR.
CAN'T PUT A MOP OR BROOM IN IT.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF I AGREE WITH THAT.
NOW THAT'S JUST THE GARAGE DOOR ITSELF.
THAT'S NOT NECESSARILY THE SPACE INSIDE THE GARAGE.
SO IT'S JUST, JUST THE, THE WIDTH OF THE GARAGE DOOR,
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YOU'RE, YOUR BUILDING COULD BE, YOU COULD BE 20 FEET WIDE OF YOUR BUILDING AND YOU ONLY HAVE A ONE CAR GARAGE DOOR AND THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT WOULD BE 12 FEET.BUT IF YOU HAD TWO, LET'S SAY YOUR BUILDING WAS, YOU KNOW, 30 FEET WIDE, YOU'D BE ALLOWED THOSE TWO GARAGE DOORS THAT ARE AT, AT 10 FEET EACH, AND YOU'D STILL HAVE EXTRA BUILDING.
SO YOU'RE TRYING TO ELIMINATE, YOU'RE TRYING TO, IF SOMEONE WANT TO HAVE A THREE CAR GARAGE AND HAVE TO HAVE THREE DOORS, WELL, IN THE HISTORIC DISTRICT, YOU, YOU CAN ONLY HAVE TWO, UH, GARAGE DOORS.
DID YOU BUY ANOTHER CAR?
IF YOU DRIVE A BIG TRUCK OR MAYBE, MAYBE YOU'RE A BIG PERSON, YOU NEED ENOUGH ROOM TO GET BY THE SIDE OF THE TRUCK AND THROUGH THE DOOR AND 10 FOOT BY THE TIME YOU PUT AN EIGHT FOOT SOMETHING VEHICLE WITH, WITH BIG TIRES IN IT, YOU, YOU MIGHT CAN'T EVEN PUT YOUR TRUCK IN THERE, YOU KNOW, WITH WIDE TIRES ASKED.
SO, SO CURRENT CODE IS, CURRENT CODE IS 12, LET'S LEAVE IT, WE CAN LEAVE IT 12.
YEAH, THAT'S, THAT'S TELLING PEOPLE TOO MUCH A MONTH.
WE CAN, I CAN, I'LL JUST MAKE NOTE OF THAT SO THAT WAY AT AT TIME OF MOTION THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU WOULD JUST NOT NECESSARILY WANT TO APPROVE.
THAT'S MY OPINION ON WHATEVER, OR, OR, OR AGREE WITH THE PLANNING COMMISSION'S, UM, AMENDMENT FOR THAT.
DAN AND LARRY HAVE THE BIG CHUNK, SO I'M
I UNDERSTAND THE AESTHETICS THAT HAVE BEEN ASSIGNED TO THE OLD TOWN AREA WITH THE FORM-BASED CODE, I MEAN THE INFILL, EVERYTHING WE'RE DOING.
WHERE DID THIS COME FROM? I GUESS NOW THAT I'M THINKING ABOUT IT, WHERE, WHERE DID THIS COME FROM? THIS CAME FROM A SUGGESTION FROM THE PLANNING COMMISSION.
YEAH, IT'S, IT'S A SUGGESTION FROM THE PLANNING COMMISSION.
UM, AND I'M, I'M HAPPY TO REACH BACK WITH STAFF AND, UH, TALK WITH PLANNING COMMISSIONERS AS TO THE, THE LOGIC BEHIND THAT AND BRING IT BACK.
BUT, BUT TO GO BACK TO THIS, NOT THAT, I DON'T MEAN TO BE INTERRUPTING YOU, BUT SO AS FAR AS STAFF TO LARRY'S POINT AND FRED'S POINT, AS FAR AS STAFF WAS CONCERNED, YOU WERE FINE UNTIL PLANNING COMMISSION MADE A RECOMMENDATION.
AND, AND, AND THAT'S WHY WE'VE HIGHLIGHTED THIS OKAY.
AS PLANNING COMMISSION PROPOSED AMENDMENTS.
SO I THINK THEIR POINT IS WELL MADE.
UM, SO THAT, THAT'S, THAT'S KIND OF THE HIGHLIGHT OF, OF THE ACTUAL TEXT AMENDMENT, UH, PORTION OF IT.
WE DO HAVE THE REVIEW CRITERIA.
UM, ALL OF THESE AMENDMENTS, UH, MET THE REVIEW CRITERIA.
HAPPY TO GO THROUGH THEM IF YOU LIKE.
UM, AS FOR ACTIONS THIS EVENING, YOU CAN APPROVE, UM, THIS IS THE FIRST READING, SO THIS WILL COME BACK IN FRONT OF YOU AGAIN.
YOU CAN APPROVE, UH, THE APPLICATION AS SUBMITTED, APPROVE IT WITH AMENDMENTS OR TO DENY THE REQUEST.
UH, FROM A NEXT STEP STANDPOINT, YOU CAN SEE HERE WE'RE AT FIRST READING, UM, AND THIS WOULD BE THE, THE 2024 MARCH 12TH.
UM, AND THIS WILL COME BACK TO YOU AT THE APRIL 9TH MEETING FOR A FINAL READING AND PUBLIC HEARING.
UM, SO FROM A A MOTION STANDPOINT, YOU COULD, UM, YOU COULD A, YOU COULD EITHER APPROVE, UM, AS SUBMITTED, AND THEN WHAT WE DID WAS WE DID HAVE THE, UM, POSSIBLE AMENDMENTS FROM PLANNING COMMISSION.
SO, UH, BASED ON THE DISCUSSION THAT WE HAD, MY RECOMMENDATION WOULD BE APPROVED WITH AMENDMENTS.
AND THEN JUST READING NUMBER ONE AND NOT NUMBER TWO HAVE BEFORE, UM, WE MOVE ON THIS MOTION.
HAVE WE STUDIED THE, THE HOUSE TYPE, THE MEDIUM HOUSE TYPE? I KNOW HEATHER, WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH SOME SITUATIONS AND TRYING TO MAKE SENSE OF SOME THINGS.
IS THIS GONNA ACCOMPLISH WHAT WE NEED FOR SOME OF THE DESCRIPTIONS OF WHAT PEOPLE WANT? NOT NECESSARILY.
THAT WOULD BE IN THE NEXT SET OF AMENDMENTS THAT NEEDS, ALRIGHT, THIS, IN YOUR OPINION, THIS IS NEEDED FOR ANOTHER SITUATION THAT I JUST HAVEN'T BEEN? YES.
BEFORE WE GO ON, I, UH, ONE MORE, UM, ITEM IN HERE, KEVIN, THAT'S IN THE PROPOSED PROPOSED AMENDMENT.
I'M ON PAGE ONE 50, ITEM B UNDER, UH, CONTRIBUTING RESOURCES.
IS THIS UNDER THE RELOCATION? I'M SORRY.
MINE DOESN'T HAVE THE SAME NUMBER ON UNDER, UM, UNDER SECTION 3.1, 8.4, IT'S FOR RELOCATION AND FOR, UM, DEMOLITION PRETTY MUCH EVERYTHING RELATED
[02:20:01]
TO, UH, CONTRIBUTING STRUCTURES AND SOME OF THE, THE PROPOSALS TO LIKE, UM, AMENDMENTS OF IT.UM, SO IN THE LANGUAGE OF THAT ONE CONCERN THAT I HAD WITH IT, GOING BACK TO SOMETHING WE DISCUSSED BEFORE, A LOT OF OWNERS OF CONTRIBUTING STRUCTURES THAT ARE STILL RESIDENTIAL, UM, DO NOT HAVE THE FINANCIAL MEANS TO GO THROUGH SOME OF THE PROCESSES OF, UM, RESTORING THEM.
IT IS A VERY ALREADY LABORED BUREAUCRATIC PROCESS.
AND MY CONCERN IS ADDING IN MORE THINGS IN HERE.
LIKE ONE TALKS ABOUT, UM, UH, THE STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING REPORT AND LIKE SOME OTHER THINGS WHICH WERE ALREADY IN CONSIDERATION.
UM, HOW DO WE NOT ADD IN MORE, UM, MORE POLICIES? I GUESS THAT'S GONNA MAKE IT EVEN MORE STRINGENT.
AND LOOKING AT SOME OF THOSE RESIDENTIAL STRUCTURES NOW THAT ARE FALLING APART DILAPIDATED, UM, AND ADDING MORE ONTO THAT JUST MAKES IT EVEN HARDER FOR PEOPLE TO REALLY GET IN AND, AND MAKE THE, UM, IMPROVEMENTS THAT THEY NEED IF THEY FALL IN A CATEGORY LIKE A KIKI THAT DOESN'T HAVE THE FINANCIAL MEANS TO DO.
SO, UM, I WANNA MAKE SURE LIKE WE DON'T ADD IN MORE THINGS THAT MAKE IT EVEN MORE DIFFICULT FOR AN OWNER TO, TO MAKE THOSE CHANGES.
ONE, SO THIS WAS DEALING WITH PROCESS FOR, FOR RELOCATION.
SO THERE'S, THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT, YOU KNOW, WAYS THAT YOU COULD GO THROUGH SOMEWHERE IF, IF SOMEONE WAS LOOKING TO COME IN TO DO RENOVATIONS TO A STRUCTURE.
SO PROCESS WISE, IF IT'S JUST, IF IT'S NOT, UM, IF IT'S NOT CHANGING THE CHARACTER OF THE PROPERTY, THEN THAT'S A, A SITE FEATURE, WHICH IS $25 AND GOING THROUGH AND EXPLAINING WHAT YOU'RE, YOU'RE WANTING TO DO AND THEN GETTING A BUILDING PERMIT TO MAKE THOSE CHANGES.
UM, NOW IF YOU'RE LOOKING TO YOU, YOU WANT TO PHYSICALLY PICK UP THIS STRUCTURE AND MOVE IT AND DO ALL THIS, THEN YOU, YOU ARE GONNA HAVE TO PROVIDE SOME INFORMATION.
YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO, EVEN FROM A BUILDING CODE STANDPOINT, THEY'RE GONNA NEED TO SEE LIKE, HOW, HOW ARE YOU GONNA DO THIS? UM, HOW IS IT GONNA LOOK? HOW ARE, WHEN YOU MAKE THE CHANGES TO IT, WHAT IS IT GONNA LOOK LIKE? SO YES, THERE WILL BE COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH THAT.
AND EVEN PHYSICALLY, WHAT IS IT INVOLVED, RIGHT? YES.
I GUESS THAT WAS MY, MY CONCERN OR RECOMMENDATION.
WE DON'T HAVE LANGUAGE RIGHT NOW THAT SPEAKS SPECIFICALLY TO AN AVERAGE RESIDENT WHO DOES NOT HAVE THE FINANCIAL MEANS TO, UM, TO ABIDE BY A PROCESS TO RESTRUCTURE THEIR HISTORIC, THEIR CONTRIBUTING STRUCTURE THAT HAD THAT DESIGNATION.
UM, IS THERE A POSSIBILITY TO PUT SOME TYPE OF, UH, LANGUAGE OR PROCESS IN THERE THAT MAKES IT MORE PALPABLE FOR THEM TO, TO DO THAT? UM, WELL I THINK PART OF IT IS WE DO HAVE THE, THE GRANT PROGRAM.
SO IF AN INDIVIDUAL HAS A CONTRIBUTING RESOURCE, UM, AND I MEAN WE ARE CONSTANTLY PROMOTING THIS, UM, OBVIOUSLY WITH FUNDING, UH, MOVING FORWARD, UM, UH, I THINK IT'S 30,000 FOR RESIDENTIAL AND 20,000 FOR COMMERCIAL USES.
UM, SO $30,000 GOES A LONG WAY.
AND, AND SOME OF THAT FUNDS COULD BE, UH, FOR ENGINEERING COSTS.
SO, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE PROVISIONS IN PLACE, UM, THAT YOU COULD, UM, AND, AND YOU CAN GET IT OVER MULTIPLE YEARS.
SO AN INDIVIDUAL COULD SPEND $30,000 ON GETTING PLANS IN PLACE AS TO WHAT THEY WANT TO DO.
UM, AND IT'S, IT IS A, IT'S A, IT'S A REIMBURSEMENT, UM, YOU KNOW, ASPECT OF IT, ONE IN YEAR ONE, AND THEN IN YEAR TWO USING ADDITIONAL, UH, $30,000 TO HELP MAKE, UM, SOME OF THOSE IMPROVEMENTS.
SO I THINK WE HAVE, WE HAVE PROVISIONS IN PLACE, UM, AND AS PEOPLE ARE COMING THROUGH AND IF YOU KNOW A PEOPLE, WE ARE ALWAYS HAPPY TO, UM, HAVE THEM COME IN TO BE ABLE TO TALK TO THEM AND EXPLAIN THE PROCESS AND, AND WALK THEM THROUGH THE WHOLE THING.
UM, SO THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT AVENUES OF HOW SOMEONE WOULD WANT TO GO ABOUT MAKING CHANGES AND WE TRY TO WORK AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE WITH THEM, BUT, YOU KNOW, ON THESE LARGER, LARGER SCALE OF WHAT THEY'RE LOOKING TO DO, THEN IT DOES, IT DOES COST, IT DOES COST MORE.
BUT IF SOMEONE HAS A PROPERTY, THEY WANNA MAINTAIN IT, UM, WE HAVE THAT GRANT PROGRAM IN PLACE TO HELP THEM TO MAKE THOSE IMPROVEMENTS TO IT.
WELL, NUMBERS SOUND GOOD, BUT $60,000 IS DROPPING THE BUCKET
UM, I'M JUST GONNA HAVE TO LOOK TO CHRIS FOR THAT.
SO
SO, SO MOVING FORWARD HERE, IF, IF WE'RE READY TO MAKE A MOTION, THEN WE SHOULD
[02:25:01]
JUST MENTION SKIPPING TWO.SO SOMEBODY WANNA MAKE A MOTION AND SORRY, IF I COULD JUST REAL QUICK SURE.
BEFORE YOU MAKE THE MOTION, WE, WE'VE HEARD ALL THOSE COMMENTS AND WE CAN DISCUSS AND KIND OF LOOK AT LEGAL AID TO SEE IF THERE'S OTHER OPTIONS THAT WE CAN PUT IN THE CODE, SOME SOMETHING LIKE EQUIVALENT DOCUMENTS OR, OR, OR IS SOMETHING THAT WE CAN DO TO ADDRESS YOUR CONCERNS ABOUT THOSE DOCUMENTS.
BUT I DON'T HAVE THE ANSWERS RIGHT NOW,
BUT WE'VE HEARD THOSE COMMENTS AND WE WILL ADDRESS THEM.
YOU CAN PUT THAT TOGETHER, YOUR HONOR, WHEN IT COMES FOR A SECOND READING, WE CAN EITHER LIKE IT OR NOT AND APPROVE IT OR NOT AND MOVE ON SOME OF THE, SOME OF THE, SORRY, JUST MAKE SURE SOME OF THE CHANGES THAT COUNCIL COUNCILMAN FRAZIER WOULD LIKE TO SEE.
KEVIN, YOU ALREADY INVITED HER TO COME IN FOR SOMETHING ELSE.
UM, WHEN YOU GO, WHEN YOU GO TO SEE THEM, MAKE SURE COME BACK AND LET US KNOW WHAT WE, WHAT WE CAN DO TO HELP.
AND THAT INDICATION IS FOR ANYONE, ALL OF YOU, MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC, IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT THE AMENDMENTS OR IDEAS OR DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES WHERE, AND GRANTS POSSIBLY OUTSIDE THE CITY, RIGHT.
OTHER, OTHER OPTIONS FOR, I THINK OTHER OPTIONS, OPPORTUNITIES.
MAY I MAKE ONE MORE OBSERVATION, MAYOR DOUG? UM, THIS WAS IN THE, THE, THE LENGTHY HARD WORK THAT KEVIN HAD TO DO, BUT I, I KNOW ONE THING THAT COUNSEL'S ALWAYS BEEN CONCERNED ABOUT, UM, AND, AND I KNOW BRIDGET AND I HAD A CONVERSATION ABOUT THIS EARLIER, BUT SO IN BLUFFTON, CONTRIBUTING RESOURCE IS 50 YEARS OR OLDER.
AND MY UNDERSTANDING IS, AND I'M TRYING TO MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND THIS CORRECTLY SO ALL OF COUNSEL CAN HEAR IT, IS THE FACT THAT IN ORDER TO BECOME A BONAFIDE CONTRIBUTING RESOURCE, ONCE IT CROSSES OVER, LET'S SAY YEAR 51, THE PROPERTY OWNER HAS TO SIGN OFF AND AGREE TO THAT DOCUMENTATION TO MEET THE TOWN CRITERIA OF A CONTRIBUTING RESOURCE.
IT'S, IT'S THE, THE 50 YEARS PLUS.
UM, AND THERE'S LIKE FOUR, FOUR DIFFERENT CRITERIA THAT YOU COULD FALL UNDER, UM, YOU KNOW, A HISTORICAL, UH, YOU KNOW, PERSON, PLACE OR THING.
UM, AND THERE'S A FEW OTHER CRITERIA, AND I JUST OFF OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, JUST CAN'T REMEMBER.
BUT, UM, YOU THEN BECOME ELIGIBLE AND IF YOU GUYS REMEMBER, UH, WE BROUGHT FORWARD, UH, THE JENNY KITTY, UM, BUILDING AND THEN THE POST OFFICE.
SO THOSE TWO BUILDINGS FROM THE ARCHITECTURAL STANDPOINT, THEY HAD SIGNIFICANCE FROM A HISTORICAL COMPONENT TO IT.
AND THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WHY WE WERE ABLE TO BRING THOSE FORWARD.
THEY BECAME ELIGIBLE AND THEN ULTIMATELY YOU AS TOWN COUNCIL SAY YES, THAT IS A CONTRIBUTING, UH, STRUCTURE TO OUR LOCAL DISTRICT.
NO,
I KNOW THAT WE'VE HAD THIS DISCUSSION IN THE PAST AND SOME PEOPLE WERE GOING, WELL, I NEVER SIGNED ANYTHING WHEN THE 19, WHAT WAS THAT WHEN WE DID OUR 1986, THE LIST OF ALL CONTRIBUTING STRUCTURES, UH, AND I'M NOT TRYING TO TAKE AWAY FROM THE HISTORIC VALUE OF THE COMMUNITY OR THE TOWN, BUT WE HAD TALKED, WE HAD TALKED ABOUT THAT AND WE WERE GOING TO CHANGE THAT SO THAT THOSE PEOPLE WERE ACTUALLY NOTIFIED RIGHT NOW THERE I KNOW YOU'VE GOT ALL THE INFORMATION.
100% IS NOTIFICATIONS WITH THE PROPERTY OWNERS.
TYPICALLY IT'S WITH THE PROPERTY OWNERS.
AND WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO IS TALK WITH TERRY TO MAKE SURE FROM A LEGAL STANDPOINT, IS IF SOMEONE, IF SOMEONE WERE TO SAY NO, RIGHT? I DO NOT WANT THAT TO BE THE CASE, THEN THERE'S NO, IF SOMEONE SAYS NO IS NO, THEY OUGHT BE, THEY OUGHT TO HAVE THE RIGHT TO DENY YEAH.
PARTICIPATING IN, I MEAN IT'S, ALL IT DOES IS, WELL, I I WOULD SUGGEST THAT THAT KEVIN, HIS STAFF AND AND OUR OFFICE TRY TO COME BACK WITH YOU, COME BACK WITH A, A LOGICAL PROCEDURE ON THAT LOGICAL PROCEDURE.
WELL, WHAT IF SOMEONE IS, WHAT IF SOMEONE IS A, A CONTRIBUTING STRUCTURE NOW OR CONTRIBUTING RESOURCE, NOW IT GETS SOLD TO JOHN DOE AND JOHN DOE SAYS, I DON'T WANNA BE ANYMORE.
UM, SO I THINK WE NEED TO, UM, WE NEED TO THINK IT THROUGH.
THAT'S ALL I'M SUGGESTING IS WE THINK IT THROUGH JOHN DOE BOUGHT, JOHN DOE BOUGHT A CONTRIBUTING STRUCTURE, RIGHT? WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE ONES THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, JOHN, JOE, EVERY YEAR WE'RE TURNING INTO MORE AND MORE WE'LL TURN INTO I I UNDERSTAND.
[02:30:01]
IS DIFFERENT 'CAUSE HE BOUGHT A CONTRIBUTOR STRUCTURE AND SOMEBODY, UM, HAVE A PROPERTY NOW THAT'S 50 YEARS OLD AND THE TOWN SAYS, WE WANT THAT TO BE A CONTRIBUTOR STRUCTURE.THE OWNER SAYS, NO, I DON'T WANT IT ON THE LIST.
I DON'T WANNA BE ON THAT LIST.
WELL, THE QUESTION IS, IS DO YOU WANT, DO YOU WANT COUNSEL TO BE HANDCUFFED? UM, IF THERE IS A, A VALID REASON AND A LEGITIMATE REASON TO HAVE SOMETHING NAMED AS A CONTRIBUTOR RESOURCE, DO YOU WANT TO HAVE THE ABILITY TO DO IT OR NOT? WHETHER HE CONSENTS OR NOT, AND THAT'S FOR COUNSEL TO DECIDE.
YEAH, I, I WOULDN'T, I WOULDN'T WANNA FORCE ANYONE INTO THAT CATEGORY IF THEY DON'T WANT TO BE ALRIGHT.
AND ESPECIALLY NOT WITH US HAVING, UH, TO PUT UP FINANCIAL INCENTIVES TO ASSIST THEM BECAUSE THAT TAKES THAT PERSON FROM NOW BEING ABLE TO MAKE A CHANGE TO THEIR EXTERIOR BY JUST GOING THROUGH A PERMITTING PROCESS TO NOW THEY HAVE TO GO THROUGH HBC, THEY HAVE TO GO THROUGH, UH, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT, UM, ENTITIES AND IT'S GONNA BECOME MORE COSTLY.
AND I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD BE CREATING FINANCIAL BURDENS FOR PEOPLE WHERE WE DON'T, WE DON'T NEED TO.
AND, AND IT DOES AND IT DEFINITELY CREATES A FINANCIAL BURDEN TO THE, IT DOES TO THE OWNER WHEN IT BECOMES ON THAT LIST.
THINGS THAT ARE 50 YEARS OLD, TODAY'S MODERN TECHNOLOGY, WHETHER IT'S INSULATION, WIRING, WINDOWS, THE WHOLE THING, HOMES ARE A LOT MORE EFFICIENT NOWADAYS BEING BUILT THAN THEY ARE 10 YEARS AGO OR 20 YEARS MUCH LESS 50.
SO TO PUT THAT BURDEN ON SOMEONE SO THAT YOU CAN'T TOTALLY CHANGE THIS HOUSE, YOU KNOW, WHETHER, WHETHER IT BE WINDOWS AND IF IT'S A CONTRIBUTING STRUCTURE, YOU CAN'T TAKE THE WOODEN WINDOWS OUT AND PUT METAL ONES IN.
RIGHT? YOU, YOU CAN, YOU CAN, I MEAN THAT'S A, THAT'S A BUNCH OF, YOU CAN DO THAT PERMISSION TO GET TO YOUR OWN WINDOWS.
SO THERE'S, YEAH, THERE'S, I MEAN WE HAVE PROVISIONS IN PLACE AND, AND I THINK, I THINK THAT YOU GUYS HAVE A BIGGER, A BIGGER ITEM THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED.
AND I, AND I THINK THAT BEFORE WE, WE GO DOWN THAT RABBIT HOLE, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WORKING WITH LEGAL, WE CAN, UM, WE CAN COME WITH, WITH SOME LANGUAGE AND, AND THEN THAT WAY, THAT WAY WE'RE NOT MUDDYING THE, THE TEXT AMENDMENTS THAT ARE GOING THROUGH RIGHT NOW WITH, WITH A DIFFERENT, WITH A DIFFERENT PROCESS PROJECT.
KEVIN, IS ANYTHING IN THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT ON SECTION 3.25 DESIGNATION OF CONTRIBUTING RESOURCES, IS THERE ANYTHING IN YOUR, THESE EDITS THAT YOU'VE PUT FORTH TODAY THAT WOULD HANDCUFF COUNSEL FROM THIS CONCEPT THAT THEY'VE JUST TALKED ABOUT? UH, I'M NOT, I'M NOT AWARE OF THAT.
NO, I, I DON'T BELIEVE SO EITHER.
BUT, UM, WOULD YOU PREFER THAT IF THEY MOVE FORWARD AND APPROVE THESE AMENDMENTS THAT WE DELETE SECTION 3.25 CHANGES AND BRING IT BACK TO 'EM AT, AT A, AT A DIFFERENT TIME? UH, I, I DON'T, I, I, I THINK IT'S APPROPRIATE TO, TO CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD.
THERE, THERE, THERE ARE PROBABLY, IT'S A DOMINO EFFECT ONCE WE START FOCUSING ON SOMETHING, IF WE, IF WE TAKE THIS OUT, THEN WE, WE WOULD RE NEED TO RETHINK EVERYTHING AT THAT POINT.
UM, WELL IT, IT SOUNDED TO ME LIKE WHAT I HEARD FROM COUNCIL WAS COUNCIL WILL GET WITH STAFF.
'CAUSE THERE MAY BE SOMETHING THAT I'M MISSING HERE, BUT I THINK WE NEED TO HAVE THE DIALOGUE AND MAYBE A WORKSHOP DOWN THE ROAD SOMEWHERE TO SAY, OKAY, COUNSEL, IF THIS IS THE DIRECTION YOU WANT TO GO, THIS IS WHAT COULD HAPPEN.
AND THEN IF WE STILL CHOOSE TO DO THAT, SO BE IT.
AND I WOULD ADD IN THERE THAT IT DOES REFERENCE THE, UM, APPLICATIONS MANUAL SO THAT MAYBE THOSE SPECIFICS OF WHO CAN MAKE THE REQUEST AND HOW THAT MOVES FORWARD CAN BE ADDRESSED IN THE APPLICATION'S MANUAL AND HOW THAT WOULD MOVE FORWARD.
I DON'T THINK THIS SECTION WOULD AFFECT THAT.
EVERYTHING THAT'S 50 YEARS OLD DOESN'T GIVE ME, DOESN'T, DOESN'T MAKE, DOESN'T MAKE IT A CONTRIBUTING INSTRUCTION TO ME JUST BECAUSE IT HAS THE AGE, IT DOESN'T HAVE THE CHARACTERISTIC.
ALRIGHT, WELL I AM NOW A CONTRIBUTING STRUCTURE.
YOU CAN'T CHANGE THE RULES ON HIM.
WHAT, WHAT I'M HEARING COUNSEL SAY IS THAT IF A BUILDING GOES OVER 50 YEARS OLD, IT WILL NOT BECOME A CONTRIBUTING STRUCTURE UNLESS THE OWNER CONSENTS.
THAT'S THE WAY I FEEL ABOUT IT.
YEAH, THAT'S SOMETHING WE CAN, WE CAN WORK ON.
CLARIFY AND, AND ALSO RESEARCH OUR CURRENT CODE JUST TO MAKE SURE.
BECAUSE IF IT'S, AND I, I JUST OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, I DON'T KNOW, UM, IF WE CAN, IF THAT'S ALREADY IN THERE, WE MIGHT BE, MIGHT BE FINE WITH IT.
[02:35:01]
CLARIFYING IT AND THEN BRING IT TO THE FOREFRONT.DOES SOMEBODY WANNA READ THIS? UM, HERE I'LL MAKE THE MOTION.
MOTION ON TWO, RIGHT? I MOVE TO APPROVE THE AMENDMENTS TO THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON.
CODE OF ORDINANCES, CHAPTER 23, EXCUSE ME.
UNIFIED DEVELOPMENT ORDINANCE AS SUBMITTED WITH THE FOLLOWING AMENDMENTS.
ONE SECTION, 5.5, 8.1, MEDIUM HOUSE TYPE A REVISION OF THE OR, UH, CHARACTERISTIC LARGER THAN A COTTAGE AND SMALLER THAN A VILLAGE HOUSE TO LARGER THAN A COTTAGE THAT WHEN NEEDED.
ANY DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR? AYE.
I'M JUST QUIET AND FOR THE RECORD AND JUST A POINT OF CLARIFICATION, THAT'S AN I, NOT A ONE.
[XIII. CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS]
MOVING NOW INTO OUR CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS. IS THERE ANYTHING ON HERE THAT COUNCIL WOULD LIKE TO REVIEW, REMOVED OR TO BE DISCUSSED? IF NOT, IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE? COME MOVE.IS THERE A MOTION I MAKE THAT MOTION? IS THERE A MOTION TO ADJOURN? TO MAKE THAT MOTION? AS LONG AS HE'S HERE, ADJOURN.