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CLOSED CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY BUFORT COUNTY.
CALL THE ORDER THE THURSDAY, MARCH 21ST, 2024
[I. CALL TO ORDER]
MEETING OF THE BUFORT COUNTY AIRPORTS BOARD.IF YOU PLEASE, UH, RISE, JOIN ME IN THE PLEDGE.
I PLEDGE ALL FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA TO REPUBLIC, WHICH STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY, JUSTICE.
PUBLIC NOTIFICATION OF THIS MEETING HAS BEEN PUBLISHED, POSTED, AND DISTRIBUTED IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE SOUTH SOUTH CAROLINA FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT.
[IV. APPROVAL OF AGENDA]
AS USUAL HAS RECEIVED A COPY OF TODAY'S AGENDA.ANY COMMENTS, SUGGESTIONS, CHANGES, ADDITIONS TO THE AGENDA? HEARING NONE, I'LL ACCEPT A MOTION TO APPROVE THE AGENDA.
ALL IN FAVOR PLEASE SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.
UH, MOTION TO APPROVE THE AGENDA PASSES.
[V. APPROVAL OF MINUTES – FEBRUARY 22, 2024]
THE MINUTES FROM THE FEBRUARY MEETING.EVERYBODY RECEIVED A COPY? ANY CORRECTIONS OR CHANGES LOOKING FOR MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES MOVED.
ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.
UH, WE NOW HAVE A THREE MINUTE TIME SPAN TO, UH, ACCEPT COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC.
I REMIND ANYBODY YOU'RE WELCOME TO SPEAK, ADDRESS THE BOARD.
UH, BUT PLEASE LIMIT YOUR COMMENTS TO THREE MINUTES.
IS THERE ANYBODY WHO WISHES TO SPEAK AT THIS TIME? HEARING NONE.
[VII. DIRECTOR’S REPORT]
ON.AND, UH, WELCOME TO MARCH, END OF MARCH, ALMOST ALREADY.
UM, FIRST I WANNA RECOGNIZE A FEW PEOPLE IN THE AUDIENCE.
UH, LISA KEN WELLS HERE FROM, UH, UH, CONGRESSWOMAN NANCY MAC'S OFFICE.
I DUNNO WHY YOU'RE SITTING WAY IN THE BACK, BUT YOU SHOULD BE RIGHT UP FRONT HERE.
UH, AND THEN OF COURSE WE HAVE SOME OF OUR PRESENTERS WITH US TODAY, BUT ALSO, UM, SOME OF YOU MAY NOT HAVE MET, UM, DEREK.
YEAH, DEREK'S A NEW, UH, MANAGER AT SIGNATURE.
SO HE'S A GM AT BOTH HILTON HEAD ISLANDS SIGNATURE AND SAVANNAH.
SO HE REPLACES BEN, WHO'S MOVED DOWN TO MIAMI.
AND ARE, IS THE TRANSITION COMPLETE NOW OR ARE YOU GUYS IT'S COMPLETE.
I'M NOT LIVING HERE YET, BUT I'M HERE FULL TIME.
SO, UM, WE'LL PROBABLY SEE BEN WILL PROBABLY VACATION BACK UP HERE.
MIAMI WILL GET TOO BUSY FOR HIM, SO WE'LL PROBABLY SEE HIM.
BUT, UM, DEREK'S OUR GUY AT SIGNATURE, SO WE WELCOME HIM.
SO HE IS, GOT A LOT OF GREAT EXPERIENCE, UM, DEALING WITH A LOT OF THE SAME CLIENTELE THAT WE SEE HERE ON HILTON AND ISLAND.
SO WE, UH, WE WELCOME DERRICK AND, UH, I'M GLAD HE IS HERE 'CAUSE I FORGOT TO TELL HIM ABOUT THE MEETING.
UM, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, JOHN O'TOOLE FROM THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION IS HERE TO SPEAK WITH HIM, UM, IS KELLY BRUNSON, WHO'S HIS NEWEST STAFF ADDITION, ALTHOUGH SHE'S NOT REALLY NEW ANYMORE.
UM, AND HANK AMUNDSON IS WITH BEAUFORT COUNTY.
AND, AND HANK IS, UM, HE'S A, A MAN WITH NO TITLE IN EVERY TITLE AT THE SAME TIME, I THINK.
UM, BUT, BUT HANK WORKS ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS AND, UM, SPECIAL THINGS THAT THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR SAYS, I NEED SOMEBODY TO DO THIS.
AND HE GRABS HANK AND SAYS, HANK, GO DO THIS.
UM, SO HANK IS, I GUESS WE CALL HIM THE FIXER, RIGHT? THAT'S BEEN HIS NICKNAME, THE FIXER.
SO HANK IS, IF YOU HAVE ANYTHING BROKEN, HANK WILL FIX IT FOR YOU.
UM, BUT THEY'RE ALL HERE TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, UM, PROJECT LONE PALMETTO.
YOU'VE HEARD IT REFERRED TO PREVIOUSLY AS PROJECT CLOUD.
UM, I'VE SENT YOU GUYS A LITTLE BIT OF A SUMMARY EMAIL.
WE DO WANNA KEEP IT A LITTLE SHORT 'CAUSE JOHN IS BOLTING RIGHT TO HIS BOARD MEETING TODAY, AND WE GOTTA KEEP HIM IN GOOD STANDING.
SO WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, I'M GONNA BRING JOHN HIS TEAM UP HERE AND, UM, WE'LL GO FROM THERE.
UH, IT'S GOOD TO BE WITH YOU ALL.
UH, THANK YOU FOR GIVING ME A LITTLE BIT OF TIME AND PERHAPS EVEN GOING OUTTA ORDER TO GET ME IN.
UH, WE HAVE A BOARD MEETING THAT USUALLY BEGINS AT 2:00 PM WE PUSH THAT BACK TO TWO 30.
UH, THE, I HAVE BEEN DOING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN BEAUFORT COUNTY SINCE, UH, OCTOBER OF 2017.
THE FIRST PROJECT THAT WE GOT WAS CALLED PROJECT CLOUD.
UH, UH, JOHN JOHN REBEL AND TOM DEIN HANDED THIS OFF TO ME TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT TO DO WITH THESE GENTLEMEN THAT WANTED TO DEVELOP HANGAR SPACE AT HILTON HEAD
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AIRPORT OFF OF SUMMIT DRIVE.AND IT WAS KIND OF COMPLEX BECAUSE THERE WAS SOME, HES PROPERTY, THERE'S TOWN PROPERTY.
HOW DO YOU ASSEMBLE ALL THIS? SO, UH, I JUST DOING THE MATH, I, THIS, UH, PROJECT HAS BE, HAS BEEN MEANDERING ITS WAY THROUGH THE PROCESS SINCE 2017.
THAT'S SEVEN COUNTY ADMINISTRATORS AND TWO TOWN ADMINISTRATORS HERE ON HILTON HEAD.
SO, UH, UH, WE'VE TRIED TO KEEP EVERYONE INFORMED ALONG THE WAY.
I DID HAVE THE PLEASURE OF SPEAKING TO THIS BOARD.
MANY OF YOU MAY NOT HAVE BEEN ON THE BOARD LAST TIME I BRIEFED YOU.
UH, BUT, UH, UH, A MANTRA I STICK WITH IN BEAUFORT COUNTY IS THAT IN THE ABSENCE OF GOOD INFORMATION, PEOPLE MAKE UP THEIR OWN.
SO WE TRY TO KEEP MOST OF THE PROJECTS THAT WE DO OUT IN THE PUBLIC EYE.
UH, WE'VE DONE 70 PROJECTS IN THESE SIX AND A HALF YEARS, AND WE HAVE NOT BEEN OPPOSED, UH, BY A, NOT IN MY BACKYARD GROUP OR AN ENVIRONMENTAL GROUP YET.
AND, UH, AS YOU CAN SEE, A LOT OF THE PROJECTS THAT WE HAVE LOCATED ACROSS BEAUFORT COUNTY, THE WHOLE IDEA OF THE ENVIRONMENT IS PROBABLY THE MOST IMPORTANT.
SPOKE IN OUR BALANCE WHEEL HERE IN BEAUFORT.
WE LOOK AT IT AS, UH, ENVIRONMENT, EDUCATION, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, HOUSING SKILLS DEVELOPMENT, AND THEN TRANSPORTATION.
AND, AND WE, WE DO HAVE THE PLEASURE OF WORKING WITH HANK EDMONDSON, WHO WAS ORIGINALLY BROUGHT ON TO BE MY LION TAMER, AND ULTIMATELY BECAME, AS JOHN REFERENCED, THE FIXER.
NOW, WHY DOES A, A COUNTY, UH, UH, LIKE BEAUFORT ENGAGE IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT? SOUTH CAROLINA WAS ON FIRE, WAS DOING GREAT THINGS ACROSS ALL THE DIFFERENT COUNTIES.
THE ONE COUNTY THAT DIDN'T HAVE AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OPERATION UP AND GOING UNTIL 2017 WAS BEAUFORT COUNTY.
WHY WOULD GOVERNMENT, UH, ORGANIZATIONS, THE MAYORS GOT TOGETHER WITH THE COUNTY COUNCIL BACK IN 2016, UH, AT THE, UH, UH, A REQUEST OF BOBBY HIT, WHO WAS THE STATE'S COMMERCE SECRETARY AND REALTORS THROUGHOUT BEAUFORT COUNTY AND SAID, BEAUFORT, IT'S GOTTA GET ITS ACT TOGETHER.
WHY DOES THE GOVERNMENT WANT TO DO IT? YOU WANT TO BROADEN YOUR TAX BASE.
YOU WANT TO BE ABLE TO FUND, UH, WHAT PEOPLE EXPECT, WHETHER IT'S ROADS OR, UH, SCHOOLS AND SO ON.
AND EVEN PRESERVING OPEN SPACE.
YOU WANT TO HAVE A TAX BASE IN ORDER TO BALANCE THAT.
AS WE WORKED ON THIS FOR SEVERAL YEARS, AND WE REFINED OUR MISSION, UH, UH, TALKING TO GROUPS ABOUT THE FACT THAT WE'RE GONNA DO THIS, BUT WE'RE ALWAYS GONNA HONOR THE ENVIRONMENT.
YOU COULD HEAR A COLLECTIVE SIGH IN BEAUFORT COUNTY THAT THESE FOLKS DOING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT UNDERSTAND WHAT WE VALUE.
SO IT'S BEEN MY BLESSING TO BE HERE FOR SIX AND A HALF YEARS AND GET TO DO THIS WORK.
SO WE HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH THE INVESTORS, UH, THEIR COMPANY IN LEBANON, INDIANA IS CALLED LONE MOUNTAIN.
THEY WILL NAME THIS OPERATION LONE PALMETTO.
UH, BUT THEY, UH, ARE LARGELY A RESELLER OF, UH, CIR AIRCRAFT, ALTHOUGH THEY SELL OTHER AIRCRAFT AS WELL.
AS I FIRST GOT THIS PROJECT, I'M THINKING IF, IF WE HAVE THE CLIENTELE THAT FLY THESE KIND OF AIRCRAFT COMING INTO TOWN, COMING INTO HILTON HEAD AS A, UH, UH, FRONT DOOR FOR BEAUFORT COUNTY, WE'VE GOT HIGH NET WORTH INDIVIDUALS WHO WILL TACKLE A BUILDING LIKE THE GRACO BUILDING THAT YOU SEE ON, UH, WILLIAM HILTON PARKWAY.
AND A LOT OF THE REDEVELOPMENT SITES THAT THE MAYOR AND THE TOWN WE'RE IN TODAY WOULD LIKE TO SEE.
NOT NEW, NEW GREEN SPACES TORN DOWN, BUT REDEVELOPMENT OF, OF AREAS IN OUR COUNTY, UH, THAT ARE GETTING A LITTLE TIRED.
SO THESE FOLKS, UH, HAD TO WRESTLE WITH HEIRS ISSUES ON SOME FOUR ACRES, AND THEY HAVE BEEN TALKING TO THE TOWN OF HILTON HEAD ISLAND ABOUT ASSEMBLING ANOTHER 9.72, UH, UH, UH, BUILD 5,000 SQUARE FOOT FIXED BASE OPERATION AND 94,000 SQUARE FEET OF HANGAR SPACE.
AND SO, UH, AS I, AS I SPEAK, I'LL HOLD THIS UP TO YOU.
UH, THESE ARE THE DECIBELS YOU'RE HEARING AS I SPEAK, UH, AND WE'LL GET INTO NOISE ISSUES IN A SECOND.
UH, BUT, UH, YOU CAN SEE WE'RE IN THE SEVENTIES, AND IF I PEAK, WE GET INTO THE EIGHTIES, AND THAT'S JUST CONVERSATION.
SO, UH, THEY ARE LOOKING TO DO A $23 MILLION INVESTMENT, 51 JOBS AVERAGING OVER 80,000, UH, TAXES FROM FACILITIES AND AIRCRAFT, UH, ARE EXPECTED TO BE OVER $2.5 MILLION.
WE HAD CLEMSON LOOK AT IT BECAUSE GOOD ECONOMIC POLICY SHOULD NOT ONLY LOOK AT LIKE THE STONE YOU THROW IN THE WATER, BUT THE RIPPLES.
AND SO CLEMSON'S, UH, UH, A REGIONAL ECONOMIC ANALYSIS LAB DID A, UH, UH, ECONOMIC IMPACT AND IT WOULD AVERAGE $163 MILLION, UH, EACH YEAR
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OVER EIGHT YEARS, UH, AFTER BEING BUILT.AND, UH, NOISE, UH, IMPACT, UH, IS ABOUT 70 DECIBELS.
AND IN OUR CONVERSATIONS WITH HILTON HEAD, THERE WOULD BE A CERTAIN PRECLUSION ON THE TYPES OF AIRCRAFT THAT COULD BE WORKED ON AT THIS SITE.
THE, UH, UH, SITE AS YOU SEE HERE, I'LL CALL IT, UH, AND, UH, USUALLY I GET CORRECTED BY LOCALS, BUT I'M GONNA CALL IT THE, AND, UH, BRIAN, I KNOW YOU SPENT SOME TIME THERE.
WE'LL CALL THAT THE NORTHEAST END OF THE, UH, RUNWAY.
SO IT'S, UH, THERE WAS A, HES PROPERTY OUT THERE CALLED THE CAN PROPERTY, WHICH THESE INVESTORS BOUGHT.
UH, OVER THOSE YEARS, WE'VE ALSO, UH, DONE SOME PRELIMINARY WORK WITH THE ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS AND, AND WORKING WITH, UH, JOHN REBEL, UH, TO GET THE, UH, UH, FA A'S, UH, GUIDANCE ON HOW TO PURSUE THIS PROJECT.
SO, UH, WE WORKED ON THAT WITH JOHN.
SO THE BLUE PROPERTY WAS THE HEIRS PROPERTY, UH, THAT THE DEVELOPER HAS ACQUIRED.
THE ISSUE HERE IS, IS THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, MANY OF, UH, DEVELOPER WOULD LOVE TO BE OUTSIDE THE FENCE, FAA FOR SECURITY PURPOSES IN TERMS OF THEIR WHOLE, UH, SYSTEM.
AND YOU ALL KNOW MORE ABOUT IT THAN I DO WANTS, WANT TO HAVE ALL THESE SECURITY BADGES INSIDE THE FENCE.
SO THAT'S WHY, UH, THE, UH, FAMILY THAT PREVIOUSLY OWNED THE BLUE PATCH KIND OF OWNED AN ISLAND INSIDE THE FENCE.
AND SO THE IDEA IS, YOU SEE WHERE A NATURE IS THERE.
UH, THE GREEN SPACE IS OWNED BY THE TOWN TODAY.
THE, I I SHOULD STICK WITH THAT A HALF, HALF SECOND MORE IF I CAN GO BACK.
UH, BUT, UM, THE IDEA WOULD BE TO ASSEMBLE THE PROPERTY, UH, UH, FOR THEM TO BUY IT FROM THE TOWN.
THE SECOND AFTER THEY BUY IT, THAT PROPERTY WILL TRANSFER TO THE COUNTY AND WILL BE, UH, INSIDE THE FENCE.
AND, AND THAT DEVELOPMENT, WHAT, UH, UH, UH, THE, YOUR, YOUR STAFF, UH, COUNTY STAFF WILL WORK ON IS HAVING A LONG-TERM AGREEMENT.
UH, IN, IN CONCEPT, WE ENVISION A 30 YEAR LEASE WITH, UH, TWO FIVE YEAR OPTIONS, UH, WOULD BE THE OPTION OF LONE PALMETTO.
UH, BUT THOSE DISCUSSIONS HAVE TO OCCUR.
AND THEN IF THE PROJECT DOESN'T GO FORWARD, HILTON HEAD WOULD TAKE THE PROPERTY BACK WHEN, UH, KIND OF A, A NICE PART OF THIS PROJECT IS, IS THAT WE MET WITH THE NEIGHBORS.
UH, THE TOWN COUNCIL DOESN'T WANT TO HAVE ANOTHER, A NATURE SITUATION WHERE YOU DO SOMETHING AND, UH, THE RESIDENTS ARE REALLY IN AN UPROAR.
UH, SO, UH, PROBABLY, OH GOSH, UH, PORT ROYAL PLANTATION, UH, WE MET WITH, UH, UH, UH, HOWARD.
WAS THAT IN JANUARY? WE MET WITH THEM.
UH, YOU WERE THERE AS WELL, BRIAN.
UH, AND WE HAD A GOOD CONVERSATION.
I, I CAN RECALL, UH, UH, UH, TWO CONVERSATIONS.
ONE GENTLEMAN SEEMED TO POSE TO IT SLIGHTLY, AND THEN ON THE WAY OUT, HE WAS ASKING THE INVESTOR IF HE COULD INVEST IN THE PROJECT
AND THEN THERE WAS ANOTHER, UH, WOMAN WHO HAD SOME REAL CONCERNS ABOUT THE PROJECT.
AND, UH, UH, ON THE WAY OUT, SHE THANKED US FOR HAVING THE MEETING.
UH, UH, THEN WE, UH, UH, OH GOSH, I'M HITTING THE WRONG BUTTONS.
BUT, UH, THEN WE ALSO MET WITH, UH, PALMETTO HALL, UH, UH, I BELIEVE THE BEGINNING OF THIS MONTH.
KELLY, WAS THAT THIS MONTH OR END OF LAST? YEAH, SO WE MET WITH THE FOLKS AT PALMETTO HALL.
I I ASKED THE FOLKS THERE, IS ANYONE OPPOSED TO THIS PROJECT? JUST RAISE YOUR HAND.
NOW, I CONCEDE THERE MAY HAVE BEEN A LITTLE PEER PRESSURE IF YOU WERE THE ONE PERSON WHO WANTED TO RAISE YOUR HAND, BUT NOBODY RAISED THEIR HAND.
ONE OF THE GENTLEMEN WHO COMMENTED TOWARDS THE END OF THE MEETING GOES, HEY, WE BOUGHT HOUSES NEAR, UH, AN AIRPORT.
YOU, YOU WOULD'VE EXPECTED PLANES WOULD FLY IN AND OUT OF IT.
SO, UH, THE RECEPTION WE GOT FROM THE NEIGHBORHOOD GROUPS WAS GOOD.
AGAIN, BACK TO MY THEORY THAT IF PEOPLE FEEL PROPERLY BRIEFED AND THEY FEEL LISTENED TO, YOU MITIGATE A LOT OF YOUR RESISTANCE.
SO OUR VERY LONG PROCESS, I THINK, UH, HAS WORKED OUT WELL.
UH, THIS IS WHAT THE, UH, GROUP ENVISIONS, UH, PUTTING ON THOSE SITES THAT I SHOWED YOU EARLIER.
THERE WOULD BE AN FBO, UH, ON THE LEFT SIDE, AND THEN HANGAR SPACES.
AND I THINK, UH, UH, TO A GREAT EXTENT THAT MAY ATTENUATE SOME OF THE, UH, NOISE WHEN YOU, UH, ARE LIVE NORTH OF, OF THE AIRPORT.
UH, WHAT WE, UH, THIS IS A, A RENDERING THINGS THAT HILTON HEAD'S GONNA BE, UH, CONCERNED ABOUT HAVING IN, IN, IN THE, UH, TRANSFER OF THE PROPERTY, THE LAND DEEDS, IS THAT THEY HAVE A, A VOICE IN WHAT THIS LOOKS LIKE.
THERE'S A REAL THOUGHT THAT THIS SHOULD, UH, BE A GREAT, UH, FRONT DOOR FOR BEAUFORT COUNTY AND FOR HILTON HEAD, UH,
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THAT, UH, HILTON HEAD WOULD HAVE A VOICE IN HOW THE STORM WATER IS TREATED, NOT ONLY ON THIS SITE, BUT DOWNSTREAM, SO IT DOESN'T CREATE NEW PROBLEMS, UH, ON HILTON HEAD.AND THEN, UH, THE, UH, TYPES OF AIRCRAFT THAT COULD BE SERVICED HERE.
AND, UH, I DON'T HAVE THE DEVELOPER WITH ME.
I HAVE NO DOUBT THAT YOU CAN, UH, UH, THIS BOARD COULD RUN CIRCLES AROUND ME IN TERMS OF THOSE AIRCRAFT.
BUT, UH, I THINK BRIAN AND HOWARD ARE FAMILIAR WITH SOME OF THAT CONVERSATION, AND THEY COULD FILL IN.
BUT BASICALLY, UH, IT'S NOT GONNA, THERE AREN'T GONNA BE NEW ENGINE RUN UP AT THIS LOCATION.
IT'LL BE THE EXISTING MAINTENANCE OR, OR, OR, UH, UH, UH, GROUP MOVING, UH, IN, INTO THIS NEW FACILITY SO THAT THEY'RE NOT DIVIDED UP IN TERMS OF THEIR OPERATIONS.
UH, WE TOOK DECIBEL READINGS, AND AGAIN, AS I AM DRONING ON, I'M HITTING EIGHTIES.
AND, UH, THE READINGS THAT WE TOOK, UH, UH, EVEN JUST DOWN, UH, I'LL CALL IT DOWN THE RUNWAY FROM THE RUNUP LOCATION, THE HIGHEST ONE WE GOT WAS 75.
AND THEN WHEN YOU GET OUT ON, UH, UH, DILLON ROAD, WE WERE GETTING FROM 68 TO 65, AND KEEP IN MIND, THERE WERE CARS DRIVING BY.
CARS ARE ACTUALLY CREATING MORE NOISE THAN THE RUNUP FROM THE, UH, UH, UH, ENGINE MAINTAINER, UH, UH, OR THE MECHANIC THERE AT THE AIRPORT WAS CREATING.
WE DID THE SAME, UH, PRIOR TO PRESENTING TO PALMETTO HALL.
AND, UH, THE READINGS WERE NEGLIGIBLE THERE.
AND AGAIN, UH, YOU CAN SEE JUST THE WHITE NOISE IN THIS ROOM IF I STOP TALKING, LIKE, UH, JUST SOUTH OF 50 DECIBELS.
SO, UH, I, I DON'T THINK, UH, UH, THERE WAS TOO MUCH CONCERN IN, IN THE AREA.
UH, WE HAVE BEEN WORKING THIS A LONG TIME.
UH, YOU KNOW, IF PEOPLE DON'T LIKE NOISE, THEN I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT THEY GO TO EE ZERO, UH, WHICH JUST OPENED UP IN BLUFFTON AND GET ELECTRIC LAWNMOWERS AND ELECTRIC BLOWERS, BECAUSE THE DECIBELS THAT ARE COMING FROM THE MAINTENANCE OF THESE GATED COMMUNITIES EXCEEDS ANYTHING COMING OFF OF, UH, THE AIRCRAFT THAT WE SEE ON THE EAST SIDE OF, UH, THE RUNWAY.
AND WITH THAT, I, I THANK YOU, UH, FOR HEARING ME OUT.
UH, I'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS IF YOU STUMP ME.
I WILL, UH, GET YOU THAT ANSWER.
I, I DON'T HAVE ALL THE ANSWERS, BUT WE HAVE BEEN WORKING ON THIS FOR SIX AND A HALF YEARS.
UH, A A THING, A CULTURE WE'RE TRYING TO CREATE IN BEAUFORD COUNTY IN SIX AND A HALF YEARS WON'T QUALIFY, BUT A, A QUICK YES OR A QUICK NO, UH, IS BETTER THAN A, A, A, A LONG, UH, PROTRACTED PROCESS.
BUT, UH, WE THINK THAT THIS'LL BRING, WE, WE, WE COULD SEE OVER $200 MILLION OF AIRCRAFT, UH, BEING HOUSED IN THESE FACILITIES.
AND, UH, WE DON'T HAVE EXACT NUMBERS, BUT THE THOUGHT IS, IS THAT, UH, MANY PEOPLE WILL HAVE THEIR, THEIR PLANE FLY INTO BEAUFORT, PICK THEM UP, AND THEN FLY OUT AFTER THEY RETURN 'EM.
SO SOME OF THOSE FLIGHTS COULD ACTUALLY BE TWO IF THE, IF THE AIRCRAFT WAS HOUSED HERE IN ON HILTON HEAD, UH, VERSUS BEING HOUSED IN PARTS OF, UH, GEORGIA OR ILLINOIS OR WHEREVER PEOPLE ARE KEEPING THEIR PLANES TODAY.
I DO HAVE A QUICK QUESTION FOR YOU EARLY IN YOUR PRESENT, AND THANK YOU FOR COMING TO EXPLAIN ALL OF THIS AND KEEP US UP TO DATE.
EARLY IN YOUR PRESENTATION, YOU NOTICE THAT THE INVESTORS ARE LOOKING TO BUILD HANGAR SPACE.
IS IT HANGAR SPACE ONLY OR IS IT HANGAR SPACE? THE SPACE PLUS MAINTENANCE PLUS FUEL.
IT, IT SHOULD INCLUDE, UH, HANGAR SPACE, MAINTENANCE SPACE, AND FUEL.
UH, YOU SAID IT'S 194,000 SQUARE FEET, UH, 99.
UH, WHAT, LET ME GET BACK TO THAT SLIDE.
WELL, THE, MY QUESTION IS, DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY AIRPLANES THAT EQUATES TO IN NEW HANGERS? I, IN MY NBA STUDIES? THE ANSWER WAS, IT DEPENDS.
UH, IT DEPENDS WHAT SIZE AIRCRAFT ARE HOUSED IN THERE.
BUT, UH, THE AIRCRAFT SPACE, UH, AND I COULD TRY TO GET YOU A BETTER ANSWER ON THAT.
UH, WE DO, WE DO A ACTUALLY, UH, UH, THE DEVELOPERS HAD SENT US A LIST OF WHAT THEY EXPECTED TO BE HOUSED IN THERE.
I'D BE HAPPY TO SHARE THAT WITH YOU.
BUT, UH, AGAIN, IT DEPENDS, UH, UH, HOW BIG THE DIFFERENT AIRCRAFT ARE.
BUT IT'LL BE 94,000 SQUARE FEET OF HANGAR SPACE AND 5,000, UH, FOR PILOTS AND, UH, OFFICES.
GIVEN THE FACT THAT IT, FROM YOUR DESCRIPTION, I, I GATHER THERE'S GONNA BE LAND ACTUALLY GIVEN TO THE COUNTY TO DO THIS.
IS THERE ANY COST TO THE COUNTY IN ANY OTHER WAY FOR THIS PROJECT? I THINK ANY COSTS WILL BE
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NEGATED BY A LEASE THAT JOHN, JOHN WILL, UH, EVENTUALLY BRING BACK TO THIS BODY AND HAVE THE COUNTY COUNCIL APPROVE.UH, WHAT WILL HAPPEN IS WE, WE, I DON'T HAVE THE PRICE THEY PAID FOR THE SMALLER PARCEL.
WE HAD IT APPRAISED AT, UH, I BELIEVE 360,000 AND THE TOWN PARCEL'S GONNA SELL FOR 1.1.
THE DEVELOPER'S GONNA ACQUIRE THOSE AND TRANSFER THOSE PROPERTIES TO THE COUNTY OR, YEAH, TO, TO THE COUNTY INSTANTANEOUSLY.
AND THAT IT, IT WOULD BE GIVEN CONSIDERATION IN THE LEASE.
BUT I, I, I EXPECT WITH FUEL SALES THAT, UH, UH, MR. REBEL WILL MATCH, UH, UH, IT WOULDN'T BE AN UNEQUAL DEAL TO YOUR EXISTING F-B-O-F-B-O, I DON'T THINK IT WOULD.
UH, SO YOU, YOU COULD EXPECT TO SEE REVENUES FROM THAT, BUT I'M SURE JOHN WILL STRUCTURE IT SO THAT IT'S REVENUE POSITIVE FOR THE COUNTY.
I KNOW IN THE MAKING THE ROUNDS, UM, YOU'RE AWARE OF THE FACT THAT THERE'S A SHORTAGE OF HANGAR SPACE FOR GENERAL AVIATION, UH, AIRCRAFT AT THE AIRPORT.
AND I, I THINK YOU COVERED THIS IN THE MEETING WHEN YOU CAME TO PORT ROYAL, AND THE SCHEMATIC HAS CHANGED A LITTLE BIT SINCE THEN, I THINK.
ARE YOU PLANNING ON HAVING SMALL BOX, SMALL HANGERS FOR THE GA AIRCRAFT OR LARGE BOX HANGERS WITH COMMON HANGER SPACE FOR MULTIPLE AIRCRAFT? OR IS IT TOO EARLY TO TELL? I WOULD, I WOULD, UH, I DON'T, THEY, THEY HAVE TO GET A, A DETERMINATION FROM THE ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS.
SO THAT WILL DEPEND ON WHAT THEY GET BACK.
UH, AND, AND ALSO THE CONSIDERATIONS ON STORMWATER.
SO CONCEPTUALLY, THE, THERE HAS BEEN NO CHANGE, UH, IN, IN THE SCHEMATICS SINCE, UH, SEPTEMBER OF LAST YEAR.
UH, BUT IT, IT DEPENDS WHAT, WHAT KIND OF DESIGN CONSTRAINTS THEY HAVE, UH, ONCE THEY HEAR BACK FROM THE ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS AND, AND THE COUNTY PLANNING STAFF AND THE TOWN PLANNING STAFF.
BUT THIS IS WHAT THEY WOULD INTEND TO DO.
AND IF I, IF I UNDERSTOOD WHAT YOU SAID EARLIER, WE DO HAVE MAINTENANCE OVER IN HILTON HEAD ALREADY.
IS THERE A MAINTENANCE? SO THEY WOULD BE WORKING TOGETHER TO BRING THE MAINTENANCE OVER TO THEIR, THEIR SIDE.
SO WE WOULD HAVE ONE STILL, JUST ONE MAINTENANCE.
YOU'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH JASON, OR, OR IS IT AGAIN, I'M USUALLY ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE AIRSTRIP.
HE'S RUNNING UP THE ENGINE AND I'VE GOT THE DEMETER, SO YEAH.
UH, DID, WAS THIS EVER BID, UH, PUT OUT FOR A PROPOSAL OR DID THEY, THE INVESTOR APPROACH DEVELOPMENT, THE, THE INVESTOR PROBABLY HAD THE INSIDE TRACK AND, AND WE WORKED THROUGH JOHN REBOLT TO FIGURE OUT HOW THE FFAA WANTED US TO DO IT.
WE WOULD'VE BID IT, UH, IF THAT'S WHAT THEY TOLD US TO DO.
BUT BECAUSE THEY BOUGHT THIS ISLAND INSIDE THE FENCE, BUYING THIS PARCEL OUTSIDE THE FENCE, AND THEN BRINGING IT TOGETHER AND TURNING IT OVER TO THE COUNTY WAS THE RECOMMENDATION.
IT TOOK US BETTER THAN TWO AND A HALF YEARS TO KIND OF DEVELOP A PATH FORWARD.
BUT THIS HAD BEEN REVIEWED BY THE FAA, BUT LONE MOUNTAIN WAS, WAS THE LEAD ON THIS.
YEAH, THEY ACTUALLY, UH, UH, DIDN'T COME TO, UH, WELL, ACTUALLY THEY CAME TO US, BUT SIMULTANEOUSLY THEY WERE NEGOTIATING AND GOING THROUGH HESS ISSUES TO, TO, UH, CONSOLIDATE OWNERSHIP AND BUY, UH, SOME 3.7 ACRES INSIDE THE FENCE.
THERE BEEN, I'M, I'M, I'M NOT TRYING TO THROW WATER OUT.
MY, MY BACKGROUND IN THE AIRLINE INDUSTRY ENDED IN THE CARGO WORLD, AND I DON'T THINK HILTON HEAD WOULD EVER BE A SORT CENTER, BUT, UH, WOULD FEDEX AND UPS PULLING ALL THE PACKAGES FROM BLUFFTON AND, AND WOULD THEY HAVE AN INTEREST IN THIS? UH, BUT SO YOU'RE SO FAR DOWN THE ROAD, BUT IT'S STILL SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, KNOWING THE KIND OF MONEY THOSE FOLKS SPEND, IS IT ECONOMICALLY POSSIBLY BETTER FOR HILTON HEAD IF WE HAD, WE HAD FEDEX AND UPS USING THAT, THAT SPACE? YOU KNOW, I'M JUST, I'M, I'M THINKING WITH MY OLD CARGO HAT, SORRY.
YEAH, IT, IT DEPENDS, YOU KNOW, IT, IT'S A DELICATE WALK HERE ON HILTON HEAD, UH, TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, WE'RE KIND OF KEEPING WITHIN THE SPIRIT OF WHAT PEOPLE EXPECT HILTON HEAD AIRPORT TO BE.
SO I, I DON'T KNOW IF, IF THAT'S POSSIBLE, IF THAT WOULD CHANGE THE TYPES OF AIRCRAFT, IF THE LENGTH OF RUNWAY MAY PRECLUDE THAT FROM BEING, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, ADVANTAGEOUS OR NOT, YOU PROBABLY KNOW MORE ABOUT IT THAN I DO IT, IT WOULD WORK, BUT IT WOULD JUST BE INTERESTING IF THERE'S ENOUGH VOLUME.
THAT COMES DOWN TO, WELL, YOU GUYS JUST WANNA MAKE SURE EVERYBODY GOT A NOTE FROM JOHNNY THE LAST NIGHT OF THIS MORNING EXPLAINING
[00:25:01]
IN DETAIL SOME OF THE COMPLEXITY OF TRYING TO RESOLVE THESE ISSUES.EVERYBODY RECEIVED THAT? YEAH.
AND JUST AS AN FYI, FEDEX HAS NOW CLOSED THEIR LOCAL SORTING FACILITY ON HILTON HEAD, AND UPS IS EITHER CLOSED OR IS ABOUT TO CLOSE, UH, THEIR FACILITY ON HILTON HEAD.
I DON'T KNOW WHERE THAT LEASE IS, BUT I KNOW FEDEX IS GONNA SORT IN SAVANNAH AND SEND THE TRUCKS UP FROM THERE INSTEAD OF SORTING HERE.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT UPS IS PLANNING ON DOING.
UM, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? WE'D BE HAPPY TO FOLLOW UP WITH THOSE COMPANIES TO SEE WHAT THEIR PLANS ARE THOUGH.
I, I, IT JUST, IT'S WORTH CHECKING ALL THE BOXES, UH, TO MAKE SURE WE DON'T CUT OFF OUR NOSE SPIDER FACE LONG TERM.
IF NOT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR COMING.
HOPE FROM TIME TO TIME YOU'LL COME BACK AND VISIT US AND LET US KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON.
YEAH, WE, UH, I THINK PEOPLE LIKE HAVING OUR BOARD MEETING ON HILTON HEAD, BUT WE COINCIDENTALLY HAVE OURS ON THE THIRD THURSDAY.
BUT, UH, AS THERE ARE ANY DEVELOPMENTS, I WOULD BE HAPPY TO BE BACK HERE.
UM, YOU KNOW, ACTUALLY ONE THOUGHT I HAD, UH, IN CLOSING, YOU KNOW, IT IS SOMETHING THAT I THINK WE SHOULD ALL THINK ABOUT IS THAT, UM, WITH THIS FACILITY, JUST MAKING SURE THAT, UH, UH, WE, IT, IT REMAINS AN ALTERNATIVE VERSUS CONSOLIDATED INTO ONE OWNERSHIP.
SO I THINK WITH YOUR TWO DIFFERENT SITES ON THE AIRSTRIP, THAT WOULD MAKE SENSE THAT YOU HAVE SEPARATE OWNERSHIP OF THE TWO FBOS.
AND JUST OUTTA CURIOSITY, HAS ANY OF THIS GONE TO THE TOWN OF HILTON HEAD YET, OR IS IT STILL TOO EARLY IN THE PROCESS? HILTON HAD, UH, HEARD, UH, LARGELY THE SAME PRESENTATION WITH A FEW OF THEIR CAVEATS THAT THEY'RE GONNA PUT IN THE PURCHASE AGREEMENT THAT HAVE TO DO WITH TIMING AND USE AND THINGS LIKE THAT, THAT ARE HAPPY, UH, MAKE THEM HAPPY WITH THE AGREEMENT THEY APPROVED IT.
SEVEN OH, IN FAVOR, THAT WENT TO ZONING? NO, THE, UH, TOWN COUNCIL WENT TO THE FULL COUNCIL, YES.
LET'S MOVE BACK ON TO, UH, DIRECTOR'S REPORT.
WE SEE THAT LITTLE, THAT YOUNG LADY CAME UP THERE, CLICK WHO WAS ALREADY THERE.
UM, THANKS TO JOHN AND THEM FOR COMING AND PRESENTING THAT.
I KNOW YOU GUYS HAVE HEARD SOME OF THAT, BUT I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT YOU HAD THE MOST UPTODATE INFORMATION.
I'M PROBABLY GONNA SEND THAT TO JOHN AS WELL, AND HANK SO THAT THEY KIND OF KNOW WHAT MY THOUGHTS ARE.
UM, I'VE GOT THE FAA LOOKING AT THIS AS WELL BECAUSE THERE ARE, AS I MENTIONED, THE MEMO, JUST PRETTY SERIOUS CONSIDERATIONS FROM THE AIRPORT STANDPOINT THAT WE'VE GOT TO LOOK AT.
WE HAVE AFTERTHOUGHT IN THE, IN THE WHOLE THING.
SO WITH THAT, WE'LL GET INTO THE DIRECTOR'S REPORT.
I DID WANNA CLARIFY ALSO THE, THE CAN PROPERTY THAT WAS THE HEIRS PROPERTY THAT JOHN MENTIONED IS NOT INSIDE THE FENCE.
THAT'S PART OF THE PROPERTY OUTSIDE THE FACTS.
WELL, UH, JUST A QUESTION ON THIS, JUST ON THE WAY THE PROCESS WOULD HAPPEN.
ULTIMATELY, IT IS THE, THE, YOUR OFFICE THAT DETERMINES WHETHER TO SEND THAT TO THE, TO, TO COUNTY COUNCIL FOR A VOTE.
ULTIMATELY, COUNTY COUNCIL'S OBVIOUSLY GONNA HAVE TO APPROVE IT, BUT IS IT MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THEY'RE GONNA WAIT TO GET AN APPROVAL FROM US TO MAKE SURE KIND OF ALL THE I'S ARE DOTTED AND T'S CROSSED FROM THE AIRPORT SIDE? IT'S GONNA BE KIND OF A, A JOINT EFFORT? YEAH.
'CAUSE JOHN AND HANK BOTH REALIZE THAT THE FAA DEFINITELY NEEDS TO TAKE A LOOK AT THIS.
UM, AND REALLY THE ONLY THING THE FA A SAID TO THIS POINT WITH CLARITY IS THAT IT CAN'T BE A THROUGH THE FENCE OPERATION.
SO THEY'VE BEEN VERY CLEAR SAYING, DON'T DO THAT.
AND THAT'S WHY JOHN DESCRIBED THE, THE PROPERTY TRANSACTION THE WAY HE DID IT WOULD HAVE TO BECOME THAT WAY COUNTY PROPERTY FOR ANYTHING, WHETHER THIS WAS THIS PARTICULAR DEVELOPMENT OR ANY DEVELOPMENT, IT WON'T BE THROUGH THE FENCE.
THAT'S THE EXTENT OF WHAT WE KNOW FROM THE FA AT THIS POINT.
IS THAT BECAUSE OF THE TIER OF HILTON HEAD, LIKE IF YOU WERE DOING IT AT, AT, AT BEAUFORT, EVERY AIRPORT WOULD BE THE SAME.
FA DOES NOT LOOK THROUGH THE FENCE AS THEY'RE JUST OKAY.
UM, AND THE AIRPORT NEVER, NEVER REALLY PROFITS FROM IT.
[00:30:01]
THE FLIP SIDE OF THAT, LOOKING AT THE POSITIVE, IF EVERYTHING ELSE IS KOSHER, THE AIRPORT IS ACTUALLY GAINING REAL ESTATE BECAUSE OF THIS.'CAUSE RIGHT NOW THAT PROPERTY, AS YOU SAID, IS OUTSIDE THE FENCE.
IT'S, IT'S BEEN PRIVATE PROPERTY, IT'S GONNA BE DONATED TO THE COUNTY.
SO YOU ACTUALLY GET MORE LAND OUT OF THIS, RIGHT? YEAH.
BUT WE, THAT'S WHY WE NEED TO SIT DOWN AND TAKE A COMPREHENSIVE LOOK AT PROS AND CONS AND, AND IT'S NOT COSTING ANYTHING.
AND SOME I WOULD THAT'S FIND THAT, BUT THE LAND ITSELF, IF, IF ITS DONATED, THAT'S WHERE OUR FUTURE DISCUSSIONS WILL GO.
I THINK IN THE PRESENTATION THERE WAS SOME AMBIGUITY WHEN HE TALKED ABOUT THE ECONOMIC BENEFIT TO THE COUNTY, MAYBE IN EXCHANGE FOR SOME OF THE ECONOMIC BENEFITS THAT THE LEASE HOLDER GETS IN THIS PROCESS.
IS THAT, I MEAN, THAT'S STILL DOWN IN THE FUTURE TO BE DISCUSSED IN THERE.
THERE HAVE BEEN NO DISCUSSIONS OF NEGOTIATIONS, TERMS OF AGREEMENTS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
OTHER THAN HEARING THE WORD FAVORABLE, FAVORABLE, WELL, I MEAN, THEY'RE DONATING $1.4 MILLION, SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S GONNA COME OUT SOMEWHERE IN ORDER TO MAKE IT WORK BUSINESS WISE TO GET IT BACK TO 1.4.
THERE'S ONE MORE, I'M SORRY, I KEEP BRINGING THIS UP.
THERE'S ONE ITEM ON YOU NOTE THIS MORNING.
ITEM FIVE IS, IS THERE A RISK OF ECONOMIC DISCRIMINATION DEPENDING ON THE LEASE TERMS THAT ARE REQUESTED IN EXCHANGE FOR THE LAND? YEAH.
WHAT IS THAT ABOUT? WHAT'S THE, WHAT'S THE CONCEPT? ECONOMIC NON-DISCRIMINATION IS A SPONSOR ASSURANCE THAT WE SIGN ONTO.
SO WE HAVE TO BE VERY, VERY CLEAR THAT ANY TERMS WE AGREED TO DO NOT SET US UP FOR ANY KIND OF, UM, FRACTION, SO TO SPEAK, WITH THE SPONSOR ASSURANCES THAT WE SIGNED.
DO YOU THINK SPONSOR ASSURANCES, AS I DESCRIBED IN THE, IN THE MEMO ARE IN THE EMAIL, ARE THE STRINGS ARE ATTACHED TO ALL THE FEDERAL FUNDING? OH, FOR THE, FOR FAA THERE ARE 38, I THINK WE'RE UP TO NOW 38, AND THERE'S ABOUT 1900 DIFFERENT FEDERAL STATUTES THAT WE FOLLOW.
SO WE CANNOT BE SIDEWAYS OF ANY CLAUSE PARAGRAPH SENTENCE IN ANY OF THOSE AS WE GO INTO THIS.
SO IT, IT IS JUST, IT'S VERY CRITICAL THAT THE FAA COMPLIANCE OFFICE IS STANDING RIGHT BESIDE US AS WE LOOK AT THIS.
SO ONE OF THE MAJOR ITEMS THAT CAME UP WHEN, UM, THEY CAME TO PORT ROYAL TO MAKE THIS PRESENTATION WAS THE INTRODUCTION OF A MAINTENANCE FACILITY FOR TURBINE POWERED, FOR JET POWERED AIRCRAFT, UH, ON THE FACILITY.
DOES THIS ITEM NUMBER FIVE IN YOUR NOTE ADDRESS THAT THERE WAS A LOT OF DISCUSSION OF, WELL, WE'LL LIMIT THE TURBINE, OR WE WON'T HAVE TURBINE, WE WON'T HAVE MAINTENANCE FACILITIES FOR TURBINE OR JET POWERED AIRCRAFT.
THERE'LL BE LANDING FACILITIES, DEPARTURE FACILITIES, BUT NOT NECESSARILY MAINTENANCE FACILITIES, WHICH REQUIRE RUN-UPS.
ANYTIME YOU DEAL WITH A TURBINE OR JET ENGINE REQUIRES A RUNUP ON THE PROPERTY, UM, DOES YOUR ITEM NUMBER FIVE GO TO THAT ISSUE? THE ABILITY TO RESTRICT ANY OF THESE COULD GO TO THAT ISSUE, HOWARD, AND, AND THAT'S WHY I'M ENLISTING THE HELP OF OTHERS TO GO THROUGH ALL THIS
WELL, THERE'S ONLY 1900 DIFFERENT
I, I LITERALLY WAS IN THE, THE COURSE WHEN I GOT MY CERTIFICATION AND THE INSTRUCTOR JUST SCROLLED DOWN THE SCREEN AND KEPT SCROLL AGAIN AND IT WAS LINE BY LINE OF ALL THESE STATUTES THAT YOU GOTTA KNOW, YOU GOTTA KNOW AND COMPLY WITH EVERY ONE OF THOSE.
I DON'T KNOW ALL OF THEM FOR SURE, BUT I HAVE PEOPLE THAT HELPED ME COMPLY WITH THOSE.
UM, IT'S NOT A COMFORTABLE POSITION, ESPECIALLY IF YOU FEEL LIKE THINGS ARE MOVING QUICKLY.
THE BIG THING IS YOU GET THE FA TORI SIGN OFF ON IT TO COVER, TO BASICALLY SAY, HEY, WE'VE LOOKED AT IT AND SAID, YOU'RE IN COMPLIANCE AND WE HAVE TO GO THROUGH ALTERNATIVE ANALYSIS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
THAT IT, IT'S OUR JOB TO DO BECAUSE NO ONE ELSE IS, IS RIGHT.
I CAUTIOUS ABOUT ASKING THIS QUESTION WITH OUR FRIENDS
IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT AN OPEN BID.
BECAUSE THEY'VE ALREADY PURCHASED THE PROPERTY.
WELL, YEAH, BUT THAT'S THE, BUT WITH THAT PART DETERMINES EVERYTHING AS IT GOES FORWARD TO TO WORK IT BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE TO SELL IT TO ANYBODY ELSE.
YOU KNOW, THEY HOLD A CARD, WHICH IS PROBABLY THE REASON WHY THEY DID IT.
AND SAY, OKAY, NOW THAT GIVES US THE ABILITY TO SEE IF WE CAN MAKE THIS WORK.
IF WE DON'T MAKE IT WORK, WE GOT A PIECE OF PROPERTY TO SELL.
YOU KNOW, THAT'S, THAT'S THE SMART MOVE I THINK ON WHAT, ON THEIR PART AND WHAT THEY DID.
JOHN, DID THEY CLOSE ON THE PROPERTY ON MECHANIC PROPERTY? I BELIEVE THEY DID.
ALRIGHT, LET'S MOVE INTO THE DIRECTOR'S REPORT.
UM, THIS IS A RAMP AT BU FOR EXECUTIVE YESTERDAY, UM, TO COMMERCIAL.
YEAH, THAT'S A LOT OF AIRCRAFT OUT THERE.
SO WE NEED MORE RAMP NUMBER ONE.
I'D WANT YOU TO LOOK AT ALL THE NICE AIRCRAFT AND SAY, BOY,
[00:35:01]
THEY SELL A LOT OF JET FUEL THERE, WHICH WE DO, UH, ESPECIALLY THIS TIME OF YEAR, BUT WE REALLY NEED TO EXPAND OUR PARKING AREA OUT THERE.UM, BUT IT'S, IT'S GREAT TO SEE THAT.
UM, I THINK THAT MEANS CONGRATULATIONS.
I FIGURED I'M A CONTEXT CLUE KIND OF GUY.
UM, BUT LAST WEEK WE DID RECOGNIZE ELENA AS OUR, UM, OUTSTANDING EMPLOYEE.
SHE GOT TO GO OUT, MEET THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR AND EVERYTHING.
SHE DOES A GREAT JOB FOR US IN THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT.
UH, SHE WORKS HAND IN HAND WITH BRIAN AND THE LEVEL OF DETAIL THAT, THAT THEY WORK IN NOW WITH THE FINANCES IS EVER INCREASING BECAUSE COUNTY FINANCES, YOU MAY RECALL, USED TO DO EVERYTHING FINANCE RELATED FOR THE AIRPORT.
AND NOW THAT WE'VE GOT BRIAN AND ELENA DOING THAT, COUNTY FINANCE IS ABLE TO HAND MORE OF THAT OVER TO US, WHICH I THINK IS DEFINITELY TO OUR BENEFIT.
GREAT TO HAVE ELENA THERE AND UM, I'M GLAD SHE ACTUALLY GOT TO GO TO THE COUNCIL MEETING TOO AND BE RECOGNIZED IN FRONT OF FOLKS.
SO PROUD OF HER, BUT WE WANTED YOU GUYS TO SEE IT TOO.
SO DOES OUR CRACK RESEARCH SO GOOD.
ALRIGHT, THIS IS ONE OF OUR LINE TECHS UP AT, UM, BEAUFORT EXECUTIVE.
UH, HE JUST YESTERDAY, UH, COMPLETED HIS CHECK RIDE AND HE'S OUR NEWEST, UNLESS SOMEBODY GOT ONE TODAY, OUR NEWEST PILOT OUT THERE.
UM, BEAUFORT FLIGHT TRAINING IS MAKING PILOTS LIKE CRAZY OUT THERE.
YOU GUYS NEED TO KNOW THAT YOU'VE GOT A VERY ACTIVE FLIGHT SCHOOL THERE.
I KNOW YOU'VE GOT VERY ACTIVE FLIGHT TRAINING AT HILTON HEAD ISLAND WITH BRIAN AND SOME OF THE OTHER FOLKS THIS COUNTY IS, IS REALLY DOING A GOOD JOB GETTING PEOPLE IN THE AIR PROUD OF THAT BECAUSE YOU'VE HEARD ME TALK ABOUT THE PILOT SHORTAGE.
SO THE LEVEL OF INTEREST IN AVIATION HERE I THINK IS, IS EVER INCREASING.
UM, THAT IS DEFINITELY TO OUR BENEFIT.
SO HOPEFULLY MATT'S NOT GONNA FLY ALL THE TIME.
WE'LL GET 'EM TO, TO WORK
SO NOW WE'VE GOT, UM, THAT'S A PILOT.
SPENCER IS GOING THROUGH TRAINING, RIGHT? SPENCER IS GOING THROUGH TRAINING, BUT ROB YOU SAW LAST, UH, MONTH, ROBERT, ONE OF OUR, OUR NEWEST EMPLOYEE JUST HAD GOTTEN HIS LICENSE AS WELL.
SO, UM, THESE GUYS ARE WORKING AND FLYING AND IT'S, IT'S GOOD STUFF.
WE SENT TWO OF OUR FIREFIGHTERS FROM UH, HILTON HEAD DOWN TO THE A SYMPOSIUM.
THIS IS A AAE, UM, DAYS INVOLVED, BUT I KNOW SPECIFIC TO THE ARF GUYS, UM, THAT MOCK UP THERE IS FANTASTIC.
SO I WOULD, BUT UM, WE SENT KEVIN AND MARK DOWN THERE AND WE CHARGED THEM WITH, YOU KNOW, GOING THERE AND BEING SPONGES ABSORBING ALL THIS INFORMATION.
AND WHAT THEY'RE GONNA DO IS PUT TOGETHER A CLASS FOR THE REST OF US SO THAT NOT ONLY DO WE MAKE SURE THAT THEY PAID ATTENTION
ANYWAY, UM, SOME OF OUR TRAINING AND EDUCATION DOLLARS GO TO THINGS LIKE THIS.
IT'S INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT THAT, YOU KNOW, THE FOLKS FROM OUR DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS ARE GOING TO THESE TRAINING EVENTS TOO, BECAUSE THEY ARE MAKING CONTACTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
AND WE HAD AN ITEM COME UP THE OTHER DAY IN A MEETING WITH THESE GUYS.
THEY SAID, WE'RE REALLY NOT SURE HOW TO DO THIS OR THAT.
AND I LOOKED AT THE TWO FOLKS WHO HAD JUST COME BACK FROM THE CONFERENCE AND SAID, GET WITH THEM.
THEY JUST MET HUNDREDS OF OTHER OUR FOLKS AND, AND CONSULTANTS AND CONTRACTORS.
AND UM, AND THAT'S THE BEST THING ABOUT THESE IS, IS GETTING A LITTLE BIT SMARTER AND THEN HAVING THOSE NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES TO CREATE THOSE RELATIONSHIPS.
SO WHAT THAT DOES IS, YOU KNOW, EXPONENTIALLY GROW OUR RESOURCES BY THOSE CONTACTS.
SO THAT'S WHAT THEY DID AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS MONTH AND LAST WEEKEND THE AIRPORT SPONSORED THE 5K RIGHT HERE ON THE ISLAND WITH PART OF IRISH FEST.
UM, WE'VE GOT A BUNCH OF NEW STUFF THERE.
SO IF YOU LOOK IN THE PHOTOS, YOU CAN SEE OUR POPUP 10 AND THE BANNERS AND THE TABLE SKIRTS AND EVERYTHING.
UM, MARLENE AND ROCIO AND UH, ELENA ALL WORKED THAT ON THE WEEKEND AND MARLENE AND ROCIO FIGURED OUT HOW, WHAT KIND OF STUFF WE NEEDED AND THEY WENT AND GOT IT ALL TAKEN CARE OF, GOT THE LOGOS.
THOSE ARE THE EXACT BRANDED COLORS FROM THE AIRPORT.
SO THEY DID A FANTASTIC JOB PUTTING THAT TOGETHER.
WE HAD SOME GIVEAWAYS THAT YOU CAN SEE HERE.
SO, UM, WE DID HAVE PARTICIPATION AND AS YOU CAN SEE ON THE SHIRTS, BOTH THE FRONT AND THE BACK OF THE RACE SHIRTS HAD THE, UH, AIRPORT
[00:40:01]
TRAINING ON IT.SO WE WERE THE PRESENTING SPONSOR.
WE GOT SOME GREAT MEDIA OUT OF IT TOO.
WE GOT SOME, UH, ELENA WAS TALKING TO SOME FOLKS AT THE BOOTH WHO CAME UP AND WAS SAYING HOW MUCH THEY LOVE THE AIRPORT AND THINKING ON HER FEET AND GRABBED HER IPHONE AND SAID, WOULD YOU SAY THAT INTO THE PHONE SO WE CAN USE YOUR VIDEO? AND WE GOT THREE GREAT LITTLE LIKE MINUTE, MINUTE AND A HALF VIDEOS THAT TALK ABOUT HOW MUCH THEY LOVE THE AIRPORT AND EVERY ONE OF THOSE THREE SAYS THEY WANT MORE FLIGHTS TO WHEREVER THEY LIKE TO GO.
SO I SAID, WE'RE USING THAT WITH THE AIRLINES AND YOU PROBABLY FIND ON SOCIAL MEDIA, I THINK ELIZABETH IS GONNA PUT THAT UP ON SOCIAL MEDIA FOR US.
SO DEFINITELY A GREAT OPPORTUNITY, UH, TO GET OUT THERE.
ROCIO AND MARLENE AND ELENA SPENT THEIR SATURDAY OUT THERE, SO THANK YOU TO THEM FOR DOING THAT.
AND NOW WE HAD UH, THE CHAMBER BALL.
WE HAD SOME PRETTY PEOPLE GO TO THAT.
UM, SO LESLIE GOT GOT A CHANCE TO GO AND SO DID ANN.
SO IF, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU GUYS HAVE ANYTHING TO SAY ABOUT IT.
UM, I WAS UNABLE TO GO 'CAUSE I WAS OUT OF TOWN, BUT WE WERE, WE HAD A TABLE AT THE, AT THE BALL BECAUSE OF THE FACT THAT WE'RE A A CHAMBER CHAMPION.
HOW WAS, UM, LOCAL? IT WAS VERY GOOD.
I DON'T THINK ANYONE KNEW HE WAS COMING AND HE CAME DOWN THE CENTER AISLE RIGHT AS WE STARTED THE PROGRAM.
THEY HADN'T GIVEN OUT ANY AWARDS YET.
ALL OF A SUDDEN HERE HE COMES, THEY HAD A LITTLE VIDEO ABOUT HIM BEING ON UM, THE VOICE AND EVERYONE WAS SO ENERGIZED.
EVERYONE GOT UP AND STARTED DANCING D RIGHT? THEY HADN'T LOOKED THEM UP.
AND HE'S FROM BLUFFTON, IS THAT RIGHT? YES, HE, BUT HE PLAYS AT THE UM, HOUSE OF BLUES DOWN HERE ON HILTON HEAD ISLAND AND BOTH OF HIS PARENTS HAVE BEEN IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY HERE ON HILTON HEAD FOR A LONG TIME.
THEY'RE NOT WELL KNOWN TO THANK YOU FOR ATTENDING PUT TOGETHER.
IT WAS VERY WELL PUT TOGETHER.
WITH A TINGE OF LAS VEGAS THROWN IN LAS VEGAS.
I'M SORRY WE COULDN'T GET A PICTURE OF THE WHOLE TABLE, BUT THEY HAD THIS HUGE FLOWER ARRANGEMENT THAT THERE'D BE NO WAY YOU COULD GET EVERYBODY BUT SENATOR JEFF BRADLEY AND HIS WIFE ANN WERE THERE WITH US AND ALSO WE HAD DAVE MCCONNELL AND HIS WIFE FROM UM, FROM THE UM, GROUP, THE CONTRACTOR GROUP THAT'S A REPRESENTATIVE, NOT A SENATOR.
DID YOU WORK 'EM OVER FOR SOME MONEY? RIGHT.
I MEAN I TOLD YOU COULD HAVE A GOOD TIME, BUT I HAVE ULTERIOR MOTIVES.
UM, I HAD TAKEN A PICTURE AND THEN I GOT IN TROUBLE 'CAUSE I WAS DRIVING SO
UM, SO SHE WENT OUT THERE AND GOT A NICE CLEAR PICTURE OF THE BILLBOARD.
SO WE'RE CALLING THAT AIRPORT INTERSECTION NOW 'CAUSE THERE'S A COUPLE FROM ANOTHER AIRPORT THAT YOU MAY HAVE HEARD OF.
UM, BUT YOU DON'T TRAVEL THROUGH.
UM, AND THEN THERE'S THIS ONE, SO WE'RE STARTING A LITTLE BATTLE OVER THERE, WHICH WOULD BE FUN.
ANYWAY, THAT'S OUR BILLBOARD AND WE'VE GOT THE ELECTRONIC BILLBOARDS ON 1 72.
SO IF YOU'RE COMING UP AND DOWN THAT ROAD, YOU SEE THOSE.
WAIT, IT SAYS YOU GOTTA HAVE BILLBOARDS UNTIL THEY PRICE 'EM.
YEAH, THEY ARE NOT INEXPENSIVE.
THAT'S GRANT MONEY, THANK GOODNESS.
BUT THEY'RE NOT EASY TO KEEP THERE.
SO WHEN YOU SEE ALL THE OTHER AIRPORTS, BILLBOARDS UP THERE.
ALRIGHT, WE HAVE HAD A HUGE INCREASE IN THE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE WANT TO COME OUT TO THE AIRPORT AND DO TOURS.
I SPOKE TO THE LEADERSHIP CLASS, UM, A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO.
I THINK IT WAS BACK IN DECEMBER.
AND EVER SINCE THEN WE'VE HAD SEVERAL OF THEIR STUDENTS AT A TIME OR STUDENTS, I SAY THEY'VE, I OFFERED A, A TOUR AND THEY, THEY'RE COMING OUT TO, TO DO THE TOUR, SO MAKE SURE WE GET 'EM UP IN THE TOWER.
LET 'EM TALK TO OUR NEW TOWER CHIEF WHO BILL.
UH, THIS, WE ALWAYS CALL THIS BILL, LITTLE BILL.
UH, SO ANYWAY, LITTLE BILL IS NOW THE TOWER CHIEF, BUT HE GIVES THEM A BRIEF, LETS 'EM KNOW KIND OF HOW THE TOWER WORKS AND WHAT'S GOING ON AND THEN WE ALWAYS GET 'EM A HIGH SPEED RUN IN THE, THE NEW FIRETRUCK AS WELL.
WE'VE GOT, UM, A LOT, LIKE I SAID, A LOT OF INTEREST IN TOURS.
WE'VE GOT A SCHOOL GROUP OUT OF GEORGIA THAT DEALS WITH, I GUESS THEY'RE ALL OLDER HIGH SCHOOL KIDS.
SO YOU KNOW, SENIORS NOW FOLKS WHO ARE LOOKING FOR THAT NEXT STEP IN LIFE AND REALLY TRYING TO LINE UP A VOCATION AS THEY MOVE FORWARD AND THEY WANT TO COME AND LOOK
[00:45:01]
AT PLACES LIKE AN AIRPORT SO THEY CAN FIND OUT ABOUT DIFFERENT JOBS THAT THEY MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN.AND THAT'S COMING UP IN EARLY APRIL.
I'LL PUT TOGETHER AN UPDATE LAST WEEK THAT WE SENT TO THE AIRLINES AND THE FAA AND THE STATE AS WELL, SINCE THEY'RE ALL BIG STAKEHOLDERS IN THE PROJECT.
UH, THIS IS INSIDE THE TERMINAL.
HAD TO BUILD A, UH, TEMPORARY WALL THAT'S OVER BY THE DELTA AREA AND THAT'S SO THAT WHEN IT BECOMES TIME TO CONNECT THE BUILDINGS, WE CAN CONNECT THE BUILDING THAT WENT UP EXTREMELY QUICKLY AND IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S ALWAYS BEEN THERE.
CLOSURES IF YOU'RE DRIVING THROUGH THERE, UM, DRIVE SLOWLY PAY ATTENTION TO THE BRIGHT ORANGE, EVERYTHING OUT THERE AND THE SIGNS THAT TELL YOU TO MOVE, MOVE WHEN IT SAYS MOVE.
'CAUSE YOU MIGHT END UP IN A HOLE IF YOU DON'T.
THINGS ARE CHANGING RAPIDLY OUT THERE.
UH, THIS FENCE THAT YOU SEE HERE IS EITHER TODAY OR IN THE NEXT COUPLE DAYS, IS GONNA BE COVERED UP WITH AN RBC HERITAGE BANNER.
A BIG LONG BANNER IS GONNA HAVE, UM, THE, THE TOURNAMENT LOGO ON IT, THE FEDEX CUP LOGO ON IT AND THE AIRPORT LOGO ON IT.
THEY SAID, YEAH, IT LOOKS A WHOLE LOT BETTER THAN, YOU KNOW, ADVERTISING FOR NATIONAL FENCE COMPANY.
SO THEY SAID IT WAS FINE TO DO THAT.
SO WE'RE GONNA PUT, PUT A BIG LONG BANNER OVER THERE AND THEN WE'LL WORK ON SOME THINGS INSIDE THE TERMINAL BRANDING OUT OF THAT.
IT'S NOT COSTING US CANOPY REMOVAL.
IF YOU'VE NOT BEEN AROUND THE FRONT OF THE AIRPORT, COME TAKE A LOOK.
BOTH OF THE DRIVE UNDER CANOPIES ARE NOW GONE.
UH, IT'S BRIGHT AND OPEN AND TODAY THE MIDDLE CANOPY OVER THE DOUBLE DOORS IS BEING CUT UP, THAT'S ALL SO THAT THE ROADWAY CAN BE COMPLETED.
AND SO THAT SOME OF THE FRONT OF THE BUILDING THAT'LL HAPPEN IN THIS FIRST PHASE.
I THINK IT'S A TEMPORARY MEASURE.
THIS WILL MAKE WAY EVENTUALLY, LIKE I SAID, FOR THAT FOUR LANE ROADWAY.
AND THEN REMEMBER THE WHOLE FRONT OF THE NEW BUILDING WILL HAVE A, UH, PROOF THAT YOU COULD DRIVE UNDER FOR DROPPING OFF AND PICKING UP.
BIG CHANGES ARE HAPPENING OUT THERE.
TAXI PARKING, THESE POOR GUYS HAD TO MOVE ALL OVER THE PLACE.
LIKE, UM, CHESS PIECES ON THE BOARD AS WE TOOK CANOPIES DOWN AND CHANGED THE DRIVING PATTERNS.
AND THAT'S PROBABLY GONNA HAPPEN THROUGHOUT THE, THE PROJECT, BUT THEY'RE PRETTY FLEXIBLE AND, AND DID A GOOD JOB.
AND KIND OF JUST SOME PICTURES OF THE SITE FRONT.
UM, YOU CAN SEE THE, THE PAD BEING PREPARED THERE.
UH, THE DIRT ON THE LOWER LEFT THERE TODAY.
THEY'VE GOT, UH, SOME OF THE FOOTERS ARE ALL, THEY'RE, THEY'RE DUG.
THEY'VE GOT THE REINFORCING STEEL IN THERE AND OVERNIGHT TODAY, CONCRETE OUT THERE FOOTERS ON THE LOWER SECTION WHERE TSA AND EVERYTHING WILL BE.
THEY'RE MOVING FORWARD AT A, AT A NICE PACE.
UM, HOPEFULLY WE DON'T GET AS MUCH RAIN AS THEY'RE CALLING FOR IN THE NEXT FEW DAYS, BUT WE'VE BEEN REALLY LUCKY SO FAR WITH WEATHER.
SO THEY HAVE REALLY MADE A LOT OF PROGRESS.
UM, AND HAPPY STEVE AND I ARE OUT THERE EVERY DAY CHECKING WITH 'EM AND GOOD CREW.
SO WE'RE HAPPY QUESTIONS SO FAR.
AND THEN WE'LL GET INTO THESE
WE ARE STILL WAITING ON A FINAL, UM, GREEN LIGHT FROM THE FAA.
I'M MOVING ON THAT AND THAT'S BECAUSE OF THOSE MONTHS STANDARDS WE'RE WORKING ON.
I NEED TO CHECK IN WITH THEM AND JUST FIND OUT WHERE THEY ARE.
WE SUBMITTED EVERYTHING THAT WE NEED TO, DID A PRE-CONSTRUCTION MEETING LAST FRIDAY MORNING WITH THE CONTRACTOR.
SO WE'VE GOT A, A NICE GAME PLAN SET UP WITH THEM TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'VE SET THEM UP FOR SUCCESS AND THEY SET US UP FOR SUCCESS, UH, BECAUSE ACTUALLY WEIGH IN 28 DAYS.
THEY OBVIOUSLY WANNA BE VERY WELL REHEARSED AND PREPARED BEFORE THEY GET OUT THERE.
AS SOON AS WE GIVE 'EM THE NOTICE TO PROCEED, WHICH IS A GREEN FLAG, THEN UH, THEY'VE GOTTA GO.
ALL THE PAVING WORK WILL HAPPEN AT NIGHT BECAUSE HE, HE CAN'T GET OUT TRAFFIC.
SO IT'LL BE NIGHTTIME OPERATIONS AND UH,
AND NO CONFIDENCE GONNA BE A SUCCESS.
THEY'VE DONE A COUPLE OTHER PROJECTS OUT THERE.
THEY DID THE BIG APRON PROJECT AS WELL, SO THEY KNOW THE AIRPORT A LOT.
I THINK WE'VE GOT ALL THE, THE EQUIPMENT NOW WE'RE WAITING ON SOME EQUIPMENT TO COME.
IT WAS A LITTLE BIT SLOW, BUT THIS IS GONNA UPDATE SOME OF THE ELECTRONICS AND THE COMMUNICATIONS GEAR AND THE SWITCH GEAR UP IN THE TOWER CAB.
[00:50:01]
UM, LITERALLY THERE'S LIKE A 1990S PUSH BUTTON OPERATOR CONSOLE THAT THEY USE A LESSEN OPTIMAL AS A SEVERE UNDERSTATEMENT.SO EVERYTHING'S GONNA BE UPDATED TO TOUCH SCREENS AND THE LATEST TECHNOLOGY AND ALL WE'RE WAITING ON NOW IS FOR THE CONTRACTOR TO CONFIRM THEIR SCHEDULE TO COME UP AND INSTALL EVERYTHING, BE SOME FOLLOW ON WORK AFTER WE DO THE ELECTRONICS UPGRADES TO SOME OF THEIR DESK AREAS.
GOOD NEWS IS THE HIGH TECH STUFF IS, THAT WAS PART OF A GRANT, IF YOU REMEMBER, IT'S ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF AGO I THINK THAT WE RECEIVED AND JAMES BAPTIST CHURCH IS MOVING ALONG.
THAT'S GOT, I THINK IT TOLD YOU, THAT'S GOT SOME PUSH FROM THE FAA HIRES, UM, THAT IS ALSO BEING CONSIDERED IN THE STATE'S BUDGET.
SO I KNOW THAT THE CHURCH, THE, UH, DEACONS HAVE BEEN ASKED TO PROVIDE SOME INFORMATION TO THE STATE.
DAVIS IS, IS TRYING TO GET SOME MONEY FOR THIS.
SO IF HE'S SUCCESSFUL AND CAN GET SOME STATE FUNDING FOR THIS, THEN THAT PROJECT MAY BE ABLE TO, TO SPEED UP A LITTLE BIT.
UM, THEY'VE GOT ALL THEIR CONSULTANTS ON BOARD AS FAR AS THE PLANNERS AND ENGINEERS AND EVERYBODY AND THE DRAWING KIND OF PRELIMINARY DRAWINGS ARE BEING REVIEWED, BUT THAT, THAT'S MOVING FORWARD.
IT'S, IT'S STILL A LITTLE BIT SLOW BUT IT'S GOT SOME MOMENTUM NOW.
GUILTY THAT'S GONNA, THAT SHOULD COST HIM A DOLLAR GUILTY OR SOMETHING.
UM, ALRIGHT, RBC HERITAGE VOLUNTEERS WILL PROBABLY TALK ABOUT THIS OFFLINE A LITTLE BIT, BUT AS I EXPLAINED, I THINK LAST MONTH AND MAYBE PRIOR TO THAT, WE'RE GONNA HAVE A FAIRLY MAJOR SPONSORSHIP AT THE EVENT.
SO WE WILL HAVE SOME OPPORTUNITIES FOR FOLKS TO BE OUT THERE BEING GREETERS AND, UM, HANDING OUT.
WE'RE GONNA HAVE SOME SPECIAL BAG TAGS MADE UP THAT WORK AS LUGGAGE TAGS OR THEY WORK AS GOLF BAG TAGS COORDINATED WITH THE FOLKS FROM THE RBC HERITAGE AND THE HERITAGE CLASSIC FOUNDATION TO USE THEIR LOGO AND OUR LOGO TOGETHER.
SO YOU'RE GONNA SEE THE, THE PLAID WITH THE AIRPORT LOGO ON THERE.
UM, AND IT'S GOT, YOU KNOW, HASHTAG PLAID NATION AND JUST, YOU KNOW, HANDING THOSE OUT AT THE TOURNAMENT.
SO LOT MORE INFORMATION TO, TO PASS ON THAT.
UM, WE ARE ENGAGING THE AIRLINES AND SOME OTHER BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT PARTNERS TO SEE.
WE, WE DO HAVE SOME, SOME TICKETS AND I WOULD LIKE, WE'RE INTERESTED IN VOLUNTEERING.
I'LL, I'LL MEET WITH I THINK RICH HOWARD ANN, WHO ELSE? SEVERAL OF YOU ARE INVOLVED, LESLIE, AND PUT THAT TOGETHER.
SO, WE'LL AT SOME POINT WE WILL PROBABLY NEED TO CHAT AND, UH, AND, AND WE WILL HAVE A STAFF LIAISON.
I'M JUST NOT SURE WHO THAT IS YET.
UM, ALRIGHT, AND THE LAST ONE, THIS IS A, A VOTING ITEM THAT I WASN'T SURE WE'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO KEEP ON THERE, BUT WE ARE, SO THAT'S GREAT NEWS.
UM, YOU MAY REMEMBER, I THINK LAST MONTH, RFQ, WHICH IS REQUEST QUALIFICATIONS FOR AIRPORT
[IX.1. Recommendation for approval of Airport’s selected firm for Professional Airport Planning services]
PLANNING SERVICES WAS OUT.AND WE'VE GOTTEN EVERYTHING BACK IN AND OUR EVALUATION TEAM HAS, HAS, HAS LOOKED AT ALL THE PACKAGES, READ THROUGH ALL THE PACKAGES.
WE DID RECEIVE THREE, WHICH IS GOOD.
SO WE'RE ABLE TO LOOK AT THREE DIFFERENT FIRMS. UM, AND WE WENT THROUGH OUR SCORES.
HERE'S WHAT THE TALLY SHEET LOOKS AT OR LOOKS LIKE.
HOPEFULLY EVERYBODY CAN SEE THAT.
BUT, UM, WHAT WE'VE GOT IS A, A CLEARED WINNER IN T BRIGHTON ELLINGTON KEEPING THEM ON BOARD AS OUR AIRPORT PLANNERS.
SO THIS COVERS PLANNING AND ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES SUCH AS OUR AIRPORT LAYOUT, ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENTS AND THINGS LIKE THAT THAT WE NEED TO COMPLETE, UH, TO SATISFY NEPA REQUIREMENTS OF PROJECTS.
SO WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO DO IS GET A, UH, VOTE, I'LL JUST JUMP RIGHT FORWARD, GET A VOTE FROM YOU ALL TO TAKE THE RECOMMENDATION FORWARD TO PUBLIC FACILITY BOARD OF, OF THIS CONTRACT TO TBO BRIGHT ELLINGTON AND THEN THEY WOULD RECOMMEND, UH, FULL COUNT, TAKE A LITTLE WHILE TO GET IT FULLY SIGNED UP.
BUT YOU'RE THE FIRST STEP QUESTION.
AND ONE QUESTION BECAUSE A LOT OF THE BOARD MEMBERS
CAN YOU VERY BRIEFLY EXPLAIN THE SCOPE OF THEIR INVOLVEMENT IN AIRPORT ACTIVITIES? ARE THE BOARD MEMBERS NOT FAMILIAR WITH THEM? THEY KNOW THEY'RE HERE.
SO TVE, BRIGHT ELLINGTON IS, UH, WE WORK WITH THE, THE OFFICE THAT'S BASED OUT OF CHARLOTTE AND THEN ALSO COLUMBIA.
'CAUSE JUDY AND ROY, HE DOES A LOT OF OUR
[00:55:01]
DESIGN WORK ARE DRAWING.WE WORK WITH THOSE TWO OFFICES SPECIFICALLY AND WE'VE GOT A MASTER SERVICES AGREEMENT WITH THEM.
AND WE HAVE SINCE I THINK ABOUT 2009, DOES THAT SOUND ABOUT RIGHT? 10 2010.
SO AS THE LAST MASTER PLAN, EVERYTHING WAS, WAS BEING, UH, SIGNED AND UH, FINALIZED.
THEY'VE BEEN ON BOARD, SO IT PREDATES ME.
THEY TAKE CARE OF THE, THE FULL MONTY OF CONSULTING.
SO IT INCLUDES ALL OF THE PLANNING, ALL THE ENVIRONMENTAL, ALL THE ENGINEERING, UH, THE CONSTRUCTION REPRESENTATION.
BUT THAT INCLUDES AN, AN EVEN BIGGER TEAM OF SUB CONSULTANTS.
SO WE'VE GOT, YOU KNOW, FINANCIAL CONSULTANTS IN THERE TO HELP US WITH THINGS LIKE THE COST RECOVERY MODEL FOR THE AIRLINE FEES.
WE'VE GOT, UM, MATERIALS TESTING AGENCIES IN THERE.
WE'VE GOT, UM, ARCHEOLOGICAL FOLKS WHO ARE INVOLVED.
A LOT OF THESE PROJECTS REQUIRE THAT.
UM, YOU'VE GOT STORMWATER ENGINEERING SPECIALISTS, YOU'VE GOT WETLAND SCIENTISTS, YOU'VE GOT EVERYTHING THAT IS POTENTIALLY NEEDED.
SURVEYORS, UM, EVERYTHING POTENTIALLY NEEDED IN THE AIRPORT PROJECT HA IS IS ALL CONTAINED UNDER THE UMBRELLA OF TALBERT, BRIGHTON ELLINGTON.
AND THEIR, THE FA HAS CHANGED A LITTLE BIT IN THIS GO AROUND WHERE WE USED TO BID THE, THE ENTIRE PACKAGES AS ONE, NOW IT'S SPLIT INTO PLANNING ENVIRONMENTAL AND THEN A SECOND PACKAGE WILL HAP WILL HAPPEN IN A FEW WEEKS WILL BE THE ENGINEERING SIDE.
SO IT'S ENGINEERING AND CONSTRUCTION AS ONE.
AND THEN THAT COVERS EVERYTHING I DESCRIBED.
BUT THAT IS, UM, LIKE I SAID, THAT'LL GO OUT IN A FEW WEEKS.
UH, SO WE'LL BE BACK RECOMMENDATION FOR THE REST OF THAT.
UM, THAT'S, THAT'S KIND OF WHAT THEY'VE DONE FOR US.
I MEAN, I'M JUDY AND I TALK EVERY SINGLE DAY.
I TALK WITH, WITH CARL, WHO'S THE ELLINGTON.
UM, ONE OF THE PRINCIPALS, AND I SPEAK WITH HIM EVERY WEEK, BUT ANYTIME I PICK UP THE PHONE, DAY, NIGHT, WEEKENDS, I CAN GET ANSWERS FROM THE
SO PSYCHOLOGY IS NOT IN THEIR REPERTOIRE, BUT IT KIND OF IS
I APPRECIATE THAT DOCTOR, BUT IN THIS LINE OF WORK, I CAN TELL YOU THAT, THAT HAVING CONSULTANT TEAM THAT YOU CAN RELY ON INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT.
I'M GLAD TO SEE THE SCORES SHAKE OUT.
I KNEW HOW MINE WOULD, BUT I'M GLAD TO SEE FOLKS WHO ARE NOT INVOLVED IN THE AIRPORT ACTUALLY HAD A BIGGER SPREAD BETWEEN NUMBER ONE AND NUMBER TWO.
THAT'S INDICATIVE OF THE PROFESSIONALISM OF THE PACKAGES THAT WERE SUBMITTED.
UH, UM, IT MAKES ME ALL MORE CONFIDENT IN THE PROCESS THAT WE'RE GOING THROUGH TO.
I JUST WANNA MAKE AN ADDITIONAL COMMENT SINCE I HAVE BEEN ON THE BOARD.
JUDY WHO COMES FROM COLUMBIA, IS HERE FOR EVERY SINGLE BOARD MEETING AND THANK YOU DR.
TALK ME OFF MORE THAN ONE LEDGE
I THINK WE NEED TO WAIT TILL WE GET NO BUSINESS.
YEAH, I GUESS WE CAN WAIT TILL WE GET DOWN THERE.
WE HAVE, WE HAVE UNFINISHED BEFORE THEN.
I GUESS THIS IS, THAT'S THE END OF MY REPORT BY THE WAY.
SO WE CAN MOVE ON TO UNFINISHED BUSINESS ON THE AGENDA.
SO I'D JUST LIKE TO SUGGEST THAT, UM, UH, OH LIGHTS OUT.
UM, MAYBE ON A MONTHLY BASIS SOMEBODY CAN SEND OUT A PR RELEASE ABOUT THE PROGRESS OF THE AIRPORT.
IT'S STILL VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE KEEP THE HILTON HEAD ISLAND AIRPORT IN THE LIMELIGHT.
LET OUR RESIDENTS, OUR VISITORS KNOW EXACTLY WHAT'S GOING ON.
THERE'LL BE SOME INCONVENIENCE FOR THE NEXT FEW YEARS WHILE THE PROJECT WORKS ITS WAY THROUGH.
SO IF THERE'S ANYTHING, ANYTHING SIGNIFICANT HAPPEN OVER A MONTHLY PERIOD, I PICTURE IT TO SOMETHING IN THE PAPERS, SOCIAL MEDIA, JUST TO KEEP THE AIRPORT IN THE LIMELIGHT IN FRONT OF EVERYBODY'S FACE.
I ACTUALLY DID AN INTERVIEW LAST WEEK, UM, ON, YOU SHOULD FIND IT.
I THINK SOMEBODY TOLD ME IT'S ON OUR FACEBOOK PAGE.
UM, I'M A LITTLE BIT BEHIND THE CURVE ON THAT, BUT WE DID A, AN INTERVIEW WITH WHHI LAST WEEK TALKING ABOUT THE WHAT'S GOING ON AT THE TERMINAL.
SO TUNE IN TO SOCIAL MEDIA, LOCAL TV, UH, WE'LL HAVE A PIECE, I THINK IT'S IN BLUFF AND SUN COMING UP SOON.
WE ALSO HAVE OUR WEBSITE WITH ANY KIND OF, WHEN WE'VE GOT TRAFFIC PATTERN CHANGES, ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
THAT'S GONNA BE ON THE WEBSITE.
AND YOU'LL SEE SOME SOCIAL MEDIA.
SO WE'VE GOT FOUR OR FIVE DIFFERENT WAYS THAT WE'RE GETTING INFORMATION OUT ON A CONTINUOUS BASIS.
WE HAVE ALL LOCAL MAGAZINES IN OUR ONE LOCAL NEWSPAPER.
FOR WHAT IT'S WORTH, UH, DIAL AND PUKE.
IT, IT'S NOT GONNA PUBLISH IT.
I MEAN, THEY HAD ABSOLUTELY NO COVERAGE FOR THE GROUNDBREAKING
[01:00:02]
SHOWS YOU HOW NEGATIVE THEY ARE WITH EMERGENCY AIRPORT AND HAVE BEEN, WE HAVEN'T BEEN CONTACTED BY THEM.I, WE, WE KEEP OUR, UM, COUNTY PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER UP TO DATE AS WELL.
SO SHE'LL BE PUTTING STUFF OUT ON THE COUNTY WEBSITE AS APPROPRIATE.
BUT ALL THOSE THINGS, IF YOU'RE PLUGGED INTO THE LITTLE PHONES, YOU, YOU'LL BE GETTING.
ANYBODY RECALL ANY UNFINISHED BUSINESS? I DON'T HAVE ANY ON THE SCHEDULE, SO OBVIOUSLY DON'T GO AWAY.
UM, IS THERE ANY NEW BUSINESS BESIDES THE MOTION THAT YOU'D LIKE TO GET DONE? I JUST WANT TO KNOW, I WAS LOOKING AT THE BOTTOM OF THE COMPUTER SCREEN WHERE IT'S 95 AND SUNNY, BUT IT'S NOT HERE.
UM, NO, WE'RE, UH, WE'RE READY NOW FOR THAT NEW BUSINESS.
SO WHAT I'D LIKE TO, UH, TO ASK YOU FOR IS A, IS A MOTION OF APPROVAL TO RECOMMEND, UH, SELECTION OF TABA BRIGHTON ELLINGTON FOR THE AIRPORT'S PROFESSIONAL AIRPORT PLANNING SERVICE.
SO WE'LL ACCEPT A MOTION FROM A BOARD MEMBER FOR THE APPROVAL OF THE AIRPORT SELECTED FIRM FOR THE PROFESSIONAL AIRPORT PLANNING SERVICES.
AND JUST A POINT OF ORDER, WHICH OF THE PACKAGES ARE WE VOTING ON? YOU NOTED EARLIER, THIS IS A, THIS IS THE BLANKET PLANNING AS IT STATED ON THE AGENDA.
PROFESSIONAL AIRPORT PLANNING SERVICES.
MOVE RICH SECOND AND AS THE SECOND.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR PLEASE SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.
[X. CHAIRMAN UPDATE]
IS ALL I HAVE, MR. CHAIRMAN.NICE JOB AS USUAL, UM, COMMITTEE REPORTS AND I THINK WE HEARD PART OF IT FROM JOHN.
DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD? JOHN'S VERY
[XI. COMMITTEE REPORTS]
GOOD AT GIVING MY REPORT.UH, WE PLANNING ON REVISITING THE, UM, AMBASSADOR PROGRAM THIS SUMMER OR IS THAT A PROBLEM BECAUSE OF CONSTRUCTION? WELL, WE ARE, I DID SPEAK WITH DAVID ABOUT THAT AT THE CHAMBER BALL ABOUT KEEPING ME INVOLVED SO I CAN KEEP THE AMBASSADORS INVOLVED AT THE PROGRESS AT THE TERMINAL.
'CAUSE THEY NEED TO BE IN THE KNOW WHEN THEY'RE OUT THERE EXPLAINING TO PASSENGERS WHAT'S GOING ON AND DIRECTING PASSENGERS.
SO THAT'S THE ONE REQUEST WE DIDN'T MAKE OF THEM.
UH, FINANCE HAS NO REPORT AT THIS TIME.
UM, CHRIS, ERW UH, WE DON'T HAVE ANY REPORT AT THIS TIME.
THERE'S NO UPDATES, UH, ON THE HANGAR.
UM, AND WE HAVEN'T HAD A MEETING UNTIL WE REALLY HIT THE HANGERS.
THE HANGERS ARE THE BIG, BIG THING.
BUT A COMMENT IS, I DO LIKE THE 1200 ARROW SECTION OF THE REPORT DOWN BELOW KIND OF SHOWN.
IT'S HARD 'CAUSE I KNOW WE DIDN'T HAVE THE PREVIOUS YEAR'S DATE, OBVIOUSLY TO COMPARE TO SEE, BUT WHAT I DID FIND INTERESTING ON THE FUEL IS WE HAVE GONE DOWN IN A RW IN THE SAME MONTHS, BUT HILTON HEAD HAS GONE UP VERSUS PREVIOUS YEAR.
I MEAN, I DON'T WORRY ABOUT TWO MONTHS, MAYBE BACK TO BACK, BUT I WANT TO I WATCH IN THE QUARTER AND SEE WHERE WE END UP AFTER MARCH.
YEAH, I THINK WE'RE, WE'RE COMPETITIVE.
I MEAN, I'M, I'M A CAPTIVE BUYER, SO
IT'S, IT'S REALLY, REALLY BIG.
DO WE KNOW WHAT THE PERCENTAGE OF OUR, OF OUR AGAS FUEL AND A RW IS DUE TO THE, THE FLIGHT SCHOOL? YEAH, I, I WOULD JUST BE KIND OF CURIOUS ON HOW MUCH OF IT IT IS BECAUSE, UH, YOU'RE RIGHT.
AND YOU SAID JOHN, IT SEEMS LIKE THEY HAVE REALLY TAKEN OFF, NO PUN INTENDED.
YOU KNOW, WITH THE NUMBER OF PILOTS, NEW PILOTS, I'M TALKING TO A LOT OF STUDENTS, UM, WHEN I'M OUT THERE.
AND SO I JUST, I I'M A LITTLE SURPRISED THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE HIGHER FUEL SALES THAT WERE DOWN STILL AGAIN, THIS FIRST TWO MONTHS SHALL COMPARED TO WHAT WE WERE PREVIOUSLY.
HAS THE UH, AIR TOUR SERVICE STARTED OUT THERE YET? YEAH.
ALRIGHT, THINGS ARE ROLLING ALONG.
IS THERE ANY UPDATE ON THE RUNWAY RESURFACING? IS THAT STILL OKAY? DVD.
UH, AND BRIAN HILTON AT AIRPORT? WELL, I WASN'T AT THE LAST MEETING 'CAUSE I WAS OUTTA TOWN, BUT WE DID, I DON'T KNOW IF IT WAS REPORTED IN JANUARY.
WE DID HAVE OUR MEETING WITH THE, UM, HILTON HEAD ANGERS ASSOCIATION WITH JOHN.
A LOT OF MISCONCEPTIONS AND IMPORTANT INFORMATION WAS CLEARED UP AT THAT MEETING, SO I THINK IT WAS WELL VALUED.
AND OF COURSE THIS PROJECT THAT JOHN O'TOOLE TALKED ABOUT TODAY IS ACTUALLY
[01:05:01]
PART OF WHAT WE'RE INVOLVED WITH TOO.RICH AND I IN YOUR TED, UH, PROVIDED SOME INFORMATION ABOUT THAT AS WELL.
UM, UM, ANNUAL COMMITTEE REPORTS, WE NOW COME BACK TO THE CITIZENS' COMMENT PERIOD.
IF ANYBODY THAT WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS THE BOARD, PLEASE LIMIT YOUR SESSION TO ABOUT THREE MINUTES.
I THINK HEARING NONE, I JUST WANNA REMIND BOARD MEMBERS AS IT DID LAST MONTH, UH, THAT IN THE MONTH OF APRIL ONE OUR MEETING IS ONE WEEK LATER THIS WEEK.
PLEASE DON'T FORGET MARKING CALENDARS.
UH, SO WE GET TO THE RIGHT PLACE AT THE RIGHT TIME.
IT'S BACK IN THE, IN BUFORT NUMBER TWO, WE WILL HAVE ELECTIONS NEXT MONTH FOR A NEW CHAIRMAN.
A NEW VICE CHAIRMAN, UH, LESLIE AND I ARE TERMINATED AND THE CHAIRMAN SHOULD COME FROM NORTH OF THE BROAD.
AND MARK, IF YOU'RE STILL HERE AND LISTENING, UH, I DID CHECK WITH THE COUNTY AND YOU'RE, EVEN THOUGH YOU'RE AN AT LARGE REPRESENTATIVE, YOU FILL THAT SEAT, YOU ARE ELIGIBLE FOR THAT SPOT AS WELL.
IT'D BE BETTER IF YOU WEREN'T.
YOU COULD BE NOMINATED NEXT MONTH AND YOU WON'T BE HERE.
SO, UH,
UH, SO PLEASE KEEP THAT IN MIND.
SO YOU FOLKS, UH, HUDDLE UP, UM, ELECTIONS NEXT MONTH.
ALRIGHT, I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING ELSE.
ANY OTHER BOARD MEMBER? ALRIGHT.
REMEMBER NEXT MONTH, APRIL 25TH, UH, COUNCIL CHAMBERS OVER IN BUFORD AND I'LL ACCEPT A MOTION TO ADJOURN.
AND SECOND AND A SECOND, UH, MEETING IS ADJOURNED.
THANK YOU FOR EVERYBODY STAYING INVOLVED.