[00:00:03]
ARE YOU READY? READY TO GET GOING? YES.
[Call to Order]
UH, I KNOW IT'S A LITTLE BIT DARK IN HERE, BUT I UNDERSTAND THAT IF WE TURN THE LIGHTS UP, THAT, UH, THE SCREEN WILL BE, UH, FADED OUT A LITTLE BIT.SO WE'LL HAVE TO STRAIN OUR EYES JUST A LITTLE BIT THIS MORNING.
UM, AND WITH THAT SAID, I'D LIKE TO GO AROUND TO, TO COUNSEL AND, AND LET YOU INTRODUCE YOURSELVES.
SAY A FEW WORDS, AND THEN I'LL BRING IT BACK AND THEN TURN IT OVER TO MARK.
ALSO, JUST BEFORE I DO THAT, IF ANYBODY NEEDS SPANISH TRANSLATION, WE DO HAVE NICK TAY HERE TO ASSIST WITH THAT AS WELL.
UM, THIS IS MY FIRST TERM ON TOWN COUNCIL.
UM, BACKGROUND IS A RETIRED ATTORNEY, PRACTICED FOR ABOUT 31 YEARS IN WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA.
FIRST HALF AS ASSISTANT CITY ATTORNEY FOR THE CITY OF ASHEVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA, SECOND HALF WITH A REGIONAL LAW FIRM IN PRIVATE PRACTICE, DOING A LOT OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT WORK, CONSTRUCTION LITIGATION, UH, SCHOOL BOARD, HOUSING AUTHORITY, UH, COMMUNITY COLLEGES, YOU NAME IT.
UM, WELL THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO'S COME OUT TO BE WITH US THIS MORNING, AND THANK YOU TO MARK AND STAFF FOR PUTTING ALL OF THIS TOGETHER.
WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO A REALLY PRODUCTIVE AFTERNOON.
I'M TAM BECKER, TAMMY, AND, UM, I'VE BEEN ON COUNCIL FOR, UM, THIS IS MY SECOND TERM, BUT I'M HERE MOSTLY, IN MOST IMPORTANTLY, TO REPRESENT THE RESIDENTS OF HILTON HEAD ISLAND AND TO CONTINUE WORKING TO PROTECT AND PRESERVE WHAT THIS BEAUTIFUL PLACE THAT WE CALL HOME.
GOOD MORNING, STEVE ALFRED, WARD FIVE, MOSTLY SEA PINES, ALONG WITH PATSY JUST FINISHING A LITTLE OVER ONE YEAR ON COUNCIL AND FINDING IT INTERESTING AND CHALLENGING AND OCCASIONALLY FUNNY.
THANK YOU FOR THAT, MR. BROWN.
UM, THIS IS, UH, SORT OF A NEW STYLE FOR US THIS YEAR WITH, UH, FACILITATION BY, UM, OUR GUEST.
UH, SO LOOKING FORWARD TO A, UH, A GREAT DAY TODAY WITH SOME PRODUCTIVITY.
UH, DAVID AMES, WARD THREE, UH, LAST TERM ON THE COUNCIL.
THANK YOU, UH, ALAN PERRY, MAYOR.
AND, UH, I WANNA THANK EVERYBODY FOR BEING HERE TODAY.
I WANNA THANK STAFF ON ALL THE WORK THAT THEY'VE PUT INTO THIS TO MAKE THIS A GREAT DAY.
UM, I LOOK FORWARD TO US HAVING SOME GREAT CONVERSATIONS, PUTTING SOME ITEMS ON THE TABLE, AND WALKING AWAY WITH A RENEWED SENSE AND VIBRANCE AND IN BRINGING THE, THE DREAMS AND HOPES FORWARD SO THAT WE REALLY PROTECT AND ENHANCE OUR COMMUNITY AND THE QUALITY OF LIFE THAT WE ALL DESIRE.
SO, WITH THAT BEING SAID, I WILL TURN IT OVER TO MR. ORLANDO.
GOOD MORNING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL AND MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY THAT ARE HERE TODAY.
UM, JUST A, JUST A NOTE, TOM SUNDAY JUST WHISPERED TO ME, COUNCILMAN STANFORD IS PRESENT.
I DO BELIEVE HE'S GOING TO, UM, BE PRESENT VIRTUALLY.
I JUST DON'T KNOW HOW ALL THAT'S WORKING YET, JUST FROM A LOGISTICS STANDPOINT.
IS HE ABLE TO COME IN AND SAY A FEW WORDS NOW? HE'S NOT, HE'S NOT.
ALRIGHT, WELL, MORE AS IMPORTANT, ON BEHALF OF THE SENIOR TEAM, WE'RE SO PLEASED TO BE HERE WITH HUGH TODAY, UM, AS WE WORK TOGETHER TO ASSESS AND CONTINUE TO BUILD OUR STRATEGIC PLAN, I REALLY WANNA START BY SAYING THANK YOU TO TOWN COUNCIL.
THIS IS A, A REAL STRATEGIC PLAN PROCESS THAT WE DOVE INTO A LITTLE MORE THAN THREE YEARS AGO.
UM, WELL, THAT I DOVE INTO A LITTLE MORE THAN THREE YEARS AGO WITH YOU.
UM, THE TOWN HAS TRADITIONALLY HAD A STRATEGIC PLAN, BUT I, BUT I DO APPRECIATE THAT IN MY TIME SO FAR HERE WITH YOU, THAT WE'VE REALLY FOCUSED ON BUILDING THE GOALS, THE STRATEGIES, AND THE TACTICS TO ACCOMPLISH THAT.
WE COME BACK AT LEAST ONCE A YEAR TO COMPARE SOME NOTES, UM, AND, AND FOR YOU TO LET ME KNOW HOW WE'RE DOING, RIGHT.
IT'S THE BIGGEST QUESTION I HAVE FOR THE DAY IS HOW ARE WE DOING? UM, SO I APPRECIATE THAT.
I DO APPRECIATE THE, THE GROUP BEHIND ME HERE.
WE COULDN'T DO ANY OF THIS WITHOUT THEM.
I WOULD TELL YOU THAT I REALLY BELIEVE THAT EVERYBODY SITTING AT THAT TABLE IS A PART OF THIS SENIOR TEAM AS A PART OF THIS COMMUNITY, BECAUSE THEY WANT TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
I KNOW THAT WE HAVE A LOT OF WORK UNDERWAY, AND THE, THE TIME COMMITMENT AND THE INTELLECTUAL COMMITMENT THAT I'M WATCHING TO MAKE IS, IS SECOND TO NONE IN MY CAREER.
SO, I APPRECIATE THEM AND, AND, AND REALLY DO.
UM, AND WE KNOW THE STRATEGIC PLAN IS ONLY AS STRONG AS IT AS ITS ADVOCATES.
[00:05:01]
A TEAM SPORT.UM, I WOULD LIKE TO GO OVER THE BINDER.
I'M GONNA DO A COUPLE THINGS RIGHT NOW.
JUST WANT TO DIVE INTO THE BINDER.
I WOULD LIKE THE FOLKS BEHIND ME TO GIVE A VERY QUICK INTRODUCTION.
WHO ARE YOU, WHAT DO YOU DO? UM, AND BE QUICK THROUGH THAT.
AND THEN START DIVING INTO THE WORKSHOP FOR THE DAY.
SO YOU HAVE A BINDER IN FRONT OF YOU, UH, MEMBERS OF TOWN COUNCIL.
YOU SHOULD HAVE, UM, A CONSOLIDATED BUDGET CALENDAR.
IT TELLS US THAT WE ARE A COUPLE MONTHS AWAY.
CAN CAN WE TURN THE LIGHTS UP A LITTLE BIT IN HERE FOR NOW? WE'LL TURN 'EM DOWN WHEN WE NEED THE PRESENTATION, BUT I FEEL LIKE I'M AT A RESTAURANT AND I CAN'T SEE THE MENU.
AND IT'LL TELL US THAT WE'RE A COUPLE MONTHS AWAY FROM FIRST READING OF FY 25 BUDGET.
YOU ALSO HAVE IN YOUR OR ON YOUR TABLE OUR FIRST EVER, AT LEAST THAT I KNOW OF, UH, 2023 ANNUAL REPORT.
IT REPORTS ON THE WORK THAT YOU HAVE ASKED US TO DO THROUGH THE STRATEGIC PLAN.
IT, IT OUTLINES A LITTLE BIT OF OUR 2023 ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND ADDS SOME MEASUREMENT TO IT.
OUR KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS, IT'S V ONE, IT'S OUR FIRST ONE.
UM, I KNOW THAT OVER TIME WE WILL CONTINUE TO REFINE AND IMPROVE THIS AS WELL.
ALRIGHT, IF YOU START GOING THROUGH YOUR TABS IN YOUR BINDER, IF YOU GO TO THE SECOND TAB, WELL, THE FIRST TAB IS JUST A OVERVIEW, UH, MEMO FROM ME TO YOU.
AND YOUR SECOND TAB IS TODAY'S WORKING AGENDA.
YOU'LL SEE THAT WE'LL OVERVIEW THE STRATEGIC PLAN PROCESS.
WE'LL TALK ABOUT THE TOP 15, YOUR TOP 15 PRIORITIES AS YOU'VE LAID OUT IN THE STRATEGIC PLAN LAST YEAR.
UM, WE'LL TALK ABOUT ALL OF THE INITIATIVES, THOUGH, NOT JUST THE TOP 15.
UM, WE'LL TALK ABOUT SOME ADDITIONAL ITEMS THAT HAVE COME, UH, TO YOUR ATTENTION TO MY ATTENTION.
UM, AND I'D LIKE SOME CLARITY ON THOSE INITIATIVES TODAY.
UM, THERE'S OBVIOUS TIME FOR PUBLIC COMMENT, MAYOR, WHENEVER YOU'D LIKE TO CALL PUBLIC COMMENT.
IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE SIX ON THE AGENDA.
IT COULD BE ANYWHERE IN THE WORKSHOP.
AND THEN A LOT OF TIME FOR Y'ALL TO TALK.
I WOULD LIKE TO GET THROUGH CERTAIN PARTS OF THIS, THIS WORKSHOP THIS MORNING SO THAT WE HAVE, UM, SOME TIME THIS AFTERNOON TO REALLY TALK ABOUT CONSENSUS AND PRIORITIES.
WE'LL HAVE A COUPLE BREAKS, UM, AND WE WILL BREAK FOR LUNCH AROUND 12 O'CLOCK.
UH, YOUR NEXT TAB IN YOUR BINDER IS THE TOP 2023 TO 2025 STRATEGIC ACTION PLAN PRIORITIES.
YOU HAVE A CONSOLIDATED BUDGET EXEC SUMMARY, AND THEN THE BACK OF THE BOOK IF YOU'D LIKE TO FOLLOW ALONG AND TAKE SOME NOTES.
THE PRESENTATION THAT WE HAVE UP HERE, THE ENTIRE PRESENTATION FOR TODAY IS LAID OUT FOR YOU IN THE BACK OF YOUR BOOK.
SO YOU CAN TAKE SOME NOTES AND, AND FOLLOW, FOLLOW THROUGH THAT WAY.
AND THE VERY LAST TAB, ALTHOUGH I THINK AS IMPORTANT AS THE FIRST TAB, IS A MEMO THAT YOU'VE PROBABLY SEEN BEFORE DATED JANUARY 30TH.
IT IS A, A MEMO PUT TOGETHER BY THE SENIOR TEAM THAT OUTLINES ALL OF THE, UM, ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN 2023.
SO, LOTS TO CELEBRATE, LOTS TO TALK ABOUT.
UH, I KNOW WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA START DIVING IN.
UM, SO MY GOALS TODAY, I WROTE THEM DOWN YESTERDAY.
I STARTED THINKING AFTER I TALKED WITH, UM, OUR GOOD TEAM HERE WHO I WILL INTRODUCE IN TWO SECONDS, BUT I WANT TO CELEBRATE OUR SUCCESS TO DATE, RIGHT? I, I DO THINK THAT THE FOLKS BEHIND ME HERE AND AND WITH YOU AND MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC NEED TO HEAR US TALK ABOUT WHAT'S GETTING DONE, WHAT'S GOING WELL AND, AND WHAT WE'RE ACCOMPLISHING.
UH, MAYBE A LITTLE REFLECTION ON IS IT MAKING A DIFFERENCE? SECOND, I I REALLY WANT TO OVERVIEW THE 2024, RIGHT? THE CALENDAR, 20, 24 YEAR WORK PLAN INITIATIVES.
UM, AND, AND THAT IS BAKED INTO THE PRESENTATION.
AND THEN ALSO ALLOW SOME TIME FOR YOU AND, AND OUR FACILITATORS TO TALK ABOUT CONSENSUS ON THE INITIATIVES WE'RE WORKING ON AND ANY ADDITIONAL INITIATIVES THAT ARE, THAT THAT'LL BE TALKED ABOUT A LITTLE LATER ON, UH, TODAY.
SO WITH THAT, I'LL START DIVING IN.
UM, SO THE BRIDGE GROUP, THE BRIDGE GROUP MANAGEMENT CONSULTANTS, UM, IS, IS A GROUP OF, OF, OF BILL AND BILL AND MIKE, BILL STIP, MIKE LETCHER.
AND I'LL TURN IT OVER TO THE BOTH OF YOU AND, AND ASK YOU TO INTRODUCE YOURSELVES.
UM, BUT THEY HAVE BEEN, IT SHOWS UP HERE 80 YEARS OF COMBINED EXPERIENCE, BUT THEY HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH MUNICIPALITIES AND OTHER PUBLIC AGENCIES, UM, ACROSS THE UNITED STATES AND IN DIFFERENT ROLES AND IN DIFFERENT FORMATS.
[00:10:01]
DOVE INTO THE STRATEGIC PLANNING, UM, PROFESSION AND HAVE HELPED ME IN THE PAST.AND I'M HAPPY THAT THEY'RE, THEY'RE HERE TODAY WITH YOU.
WELL, UH, MAYOR AND COUNCIL, MAYOR, PRO TEM, UM, AND MAYOR, WE REALLY, REALLY APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE HERE.
I'LL START OUT WITH, UH, SORT OF THE SOUTHWEST, UM, SITUATION HERE WHEN YOU'RE ON THE PLANE WITH SOUTHWEST.
AND WE SAY WE APPRECIATE YOU FLYING WITH US.
WELL, WE APPRECIATE YOU SELECTING US, UH, FOR THIS, UH, UH, FOR THIS JOB TODAY, AND TO WORK WITH YOU THROUGH THIS, UH, THIS WORKSHOP.
UM, WE'RE, UM, MIKE LETCHER WITH BRIDGE GROUP.
AND MY BACKGROUND IS PRIMARILY, UM, CITY MANAGEMENT, UH, CITY MANAGER FOR ABOUT 30 YEARS.
UH, I'M ALSO A PROFESSOR, UM, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA.
SO I TEACH FUTURE CITY MANAGERS, UH, WHAT THEY NEED TO KNOW TO, UM, TO EFFECTIVELY, UM, YOU KNOW, WORK IN COMMUNITIES AROUND THE COUNTRY.
AND, UM, WE'VE BEEN, UH, WE WERE FORMED ABOUT 2005.
BILL AND I HAVE BEEN CONSULTING, UH, TOGETHER SINCE ABOUT 2011.
OUR PRIMARY FOCUS IS WITH GOVERNMENT.
WE HAVE, UH, GOVERNMENT CLIENTS ALL OVER THE COUNTRY.
SO REALLY APPRECIATE BEING HERE TODAY.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, UM, I, YESTERDAY, AS WE WERE COMING OUT OF ONE OF YOUR RESTAURANTS, HAD A GREAT MEAL AND SORT OF LOOKING OUT AT THE OCEAN AND THE, AND THE SUNSET, UM, IT REMINDED ME OF, UM, PETERSON GAY, WHO IS A, UH, WORLD RENOWNED AUTHOR MANAGEMENT AUTHOR WHEN HE TALKS ABOUT MANAGING THE HORIZON, BEAUTIFUL SUNSET.
AND TODAY, THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT YOU'RE WE'RE HERE TO DO, IS TO MANAGE THAT HORIZON TO STRATEGICALLY THINK ABOUT AND POSITION, UH, HILTON HEAD ISLAND TO TAKE ADVANTAGES OF ALL OF THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT ARE OUT THERE IN THE FUTURE AND BE DELIBERATE ABOUT THOSE.
WITH THAT BEING SAID, UM, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO BILL TO INTRODUCE HIMSELF, AND, UH, WE'LL GO FROM THERE.
I THINK THE VOLUME CHECK WE DID EARLIER, EARLIER MAY NOT HAVE WORKED.
UH, I'M GONNA STAND FOR A LITTLE BIT, UM, BECAUSE YOU'RE GONNA GET TIRED OF LISTENING TO ANY OF US OR ALL OF US.
I TOOK AN OPPORTUNITY TO INTRODUCE MYSELF TO EACH OF YOU.
I, I, MIKE AND I JOKE, UH, WE HAVE BEEN FRIENDS FOR 25 YEARS.
WE DECIDED TO CONSULT TOGETHER, UH, WHEN RETIREMENT CAME, BOTH OF OUR WAYS BACK IN, UH, IN, IN 2011.
BUT I AM THE, UH, I'M THE ELECTED PART OF THIS LITTLE DUO THAT WE HAVE HERE.
UM, I AM IN MY, UH, THIRD AND FINAL TERM, UH, AND FOR ME, IT'S MY 13TH YEAR.
SO I GUESS FROM ONE ELECTED TO ANOTHER, WHEN WE LOOK AT OUR TIME IN, IN OFFICE, 13 YEARS OBVIOUSLY IS GONNA BE THE TIME TO LEAVE
BUT, UH, I HAVE ALSO BEEN IN, UH, CITY, UH, OR TOWN GOVERNMENT FOR THE, FOR 40 YEARS.
SO, UM, I HAVE, UH, BEEN IN MANAGEMENT.
I'VE BEEN IN ALL THE ROLES THAT THE STAFF HAS HAD HERE.
I'VE BEEN ON BOTH SIDES OF THE STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS.
SO WE HAVE A, UH, WE HAVE A VERY UNIQUE, UH, KIND OF A DUO.
I ALSO, IN, IN THE LAST, UH, WHEN I RETIRED IN 2009, HAVE SPENT THE LAST DECADE WORKING WITH THE US MILITARY, AND, UH, HAVE BEEN A CONTRACTOR AND CONSULTANT FOR, FOR THEM IN THEIR HOMELAND RESPONSE FORCES.
SO IT REALLY HAS GIVEN ME AN OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH GENERAL OFFICERS AND THEIR STAFF, UH, TO GIVE US A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE ON HOW WE RESPOND TO EMERGENCIES HERE IN THE US AND THEN HOW WE INTERACT WITH, WITH FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, STATE GOVERNMENT, LOCAL GOVERNMENT.
SO IT'S BEEN, UH, A KIND OF A VERY UNIQUE, UH, EXPERIENCE FOR, UH, FOR ME AND, AND FOR MIKE AS WE, UH, AS WE KIND OF GO FORWARD.
SO, LET'S TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WORKSHOP EXPECTATIONS.
I DIDN'T HEAR IN YOUR INTRO ABOUT THIS LITTLE PACKET, BUT IN YOUR BINDER IS THIS STRATEGIC PLANNING SUMMARY, UH, SURVEY SUMMARY.
IT SHOULD BE IN THE SIDE OF THE BINDER.
AND THERE'S, UH, IF YOU RECALL, DURING THE, THE, UH, SURVEY THAT WE ASKED YOU TO TAKE, UH, WE ASKED THE QUESTION, UM, WHAT ARE THREE THINGS YOU WANT TO ACHIEVE DURING THIS SESSION? UH, FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT HAVE NOT SEEN THE SURVEY RESULTS, I'LL GIVE YOU A LITTLE TIP OR, UH, HEAD, HEAD FORWARD ON THIS.
WE WANNA ALIGN STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES AND PRIORITIES OF THE TOWN COUNCIL.
WE WANNA ESTABLISH CLEAR TOP PRIORITIES AND CLEAR INITIATIVES, REEVALUATE EXISTING STRATEGIC INITIATIVES, AND STREAMLINE THEM, SET TWO LEVELS OF PRIORITY WITH THE EXPECTATION
[00:15:01]
THAT THE SECOND GROUP WOULD MOVE UP NEXT YEAR.SO, A LITTLE FUTURE PUSHING, IF YOU WILL, OF SOME OF THAT.
AND REDUCE THE NUMBER OF STRATEGIES IN THE STRATEGIC PLAN BASED ON THE TOWN COUNCIL PRIORITIES.
UM, SO YOU CAN TELL THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF, UH, PUSH AND PULL IN THAT, HOW DO WE ESTABLISH AND ALIGN CLEAR OBJECTIVES, BUT YET REDUCE THE NUMBER OF STRATEGIES.
SO WE KIND OF, WE MET YESTERDAY, WE THINK WE FIGURED OUT A PATH FORWARD ON, ON THOSE, UH, TO TRY TO MEET YOUR SPECIFIC, UH, REQUEST FOR, FOR, FOR THIS.
UH, IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE WANNA A, A LITTLE BIT OF UNDERSTANDING AND COMMUNICATION, UH, THAT WE UNDERSTAND OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS' PERSPECTIVES, UNDERSTAND THE STATUS OF GOALS WITHIN THE PLAN, REESTABLISH, UH, RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE MANAGER AND COUNCIL.
AND I THINK WE'RE GONNA TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT HERE IN, IN JUST A, A FEW MINUTES.
UM, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT, UM, THE MANAGER'S ROLE, YOUR ROLE, OR OUR ROLE AS, AS ELECTED OFFICIALS, UM, ADVANCE AWARENESS, UM, OF THE NEED FOR THE TOWNS ZONE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND IMPROVE IMPROVEMENTS AT SEA PINES, I THINK THAT IS REALLY, PROBABLY A FUTURE DISCUSSION.
MAY NOT BE SOMETHING THAT WE TACKLE NECESSARILY TODAY.
UM, BUT IT IS NOTED THAT IT IS SOMETHING THAT I THINK IS A MUCH LARGER CONVERSATION THAT YOU AS A GROUP PROBABLY NEED TO HAVE OVER THE NEXT YEAR AS YOU GET READY TO ADVANCE YOUR NEXT STRATEGIC PLAN, UM, GOING FORWARD.
AND THEN, UH, DECISION MAKING AND CONSENSUS.
THAT IS REALLY WHAT TODAY IS ALL ABOUT.
WE REALLY WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE GET, UH, THE TOWN COUNCIL TOGETHER ON CONSENSUS ISSUES MOVING FORWARD FOR THIS NEXT, UH, YEAR OR YEAR AND A HALF.
UM, WHAT WE WANT TO TRY TO AVOID IS A LACK OF ENGAGEMENT AND COMMITMENT THAT IS, UM, I, I DON'T THINK THAT'S GONNA BE AN ISSUE BASED, UH, ON OUR INDIVIDUAL, UH, MEETINGS THAT WE'VE HAD WITH YOU.
BUT, UM, AVOID LACK OF ENGAGEMENT.
UH, WE WANT TO TRY TO KEEP THIS CONVERSATION VERY PRACTICAL, LESS EMOTIONAL.
LET'S, UH, REMEMBER WHAT WE'RE HERE FOR.
YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT'S THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE THAT WE HAVE AS, AS ELECTED OFFICIALS, UM, IS, UH, AND I USE THE GROCERY STORE EXAMPLE.
I GO INTO THE GROCERY STORE AND SOMEBODY IMMEDIATELY COMES UP TO ME AND SAYS, HEY, WHY IS THIS HAPPENING? OR WHAT IS GOING ON WITH THAT? AND WE TAKE THAT VERY PERSONALLY, AND THEN WE COME BACK AND WE TURN OUR ATTENTION ONTO THE, ONTO THE MANAGER, AND WE SAY, OKAY, I JUST GOT ACCOSTED AT THE GROCERY STORE, AND THIS IS WHAT, THIS IS WHAT HAPPENED.
MEANWHILE, THERE ARE 50,000 OTHER PEOPLE WHO ARE REALLY HAPPY WITH WHAT WE'RE DOING THAT ARE NOT CALLING US AND TELLING US THAT THEY'RE HAPPY.
SO WE HAVE TO, I REMEMBER THAT AND, AND TRY TO KEEP OUR OWN EMOTIONS IN CHECK, UH, GOING FORWARD.
SO WE'RE GONNA KIND OF WALK THROUGH, UH, A FEW THINGS ABOUT HOW THIS PLANNING PROCESS MAY HELP, UM, PREVENT LONG SPEECHES.
LIKE, THAT'S PROBABLY IMPOSSIBLE, UM, BECAUSE I'M ALREADY RAMBLING ON AND I'M, AND SOMEBODY ALREADY MADE A COMMENT, WELL, WE'RE GONNA LISTEN TO MARK ALL DAY.
UM, SO THERE'S OUR LONG SPEECHES WHO SAID THAT MY ROLE AS FACILITATOR IS TO MAINTAIN SECRECY,
UH, WE WANT TO, UH, ENSURE, UH, COMMITMENT AND CONSENSUS, AVOID, UH, FOCUSING SOLELY ON FEW PRI ON, UH, FEW INDIVIDUALS PRIORITIES AND COME UP WITH COLLECTIVE PRIORITIES.
UM, AND, AND THAT'S PROBABLY THE MOST DIFFICULT THING, IS WE ARE VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT THE THINGS THAT WE ARE VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT, BUT WE ARE PART OF A GROUP AND NOT ONE PERSON CAN DRIVE THAT, DRIVE THAT CONVERSATION WE HAD, UH, FOR THE LONGEST TIME, UM, IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND, AND OUR COMMUNITY IS FAIRLY LARGE, AND WE'RE CONTINUING TO GROW.
UH, THE CITY THAT I AM, UH, ELECTED IN HAS BEEN IN THE TOP 10 FASTEST GROWING COMMUNITIES IN THE COUNTRY FOR ALMOST A DECADE.
UH, WE ARE IN THE LARGEST COUNTY AND THE FASTEST GROWING COUNTY IN THE COUNTRY.
AND THAT'S BEEN FOR THE LAST FIVE YEARS.
WHEN I CAME TO OUR CITY IN 2001, WE WERE 18,000 PEOPLE.
SO WE HAVE GROWN EXPONENTIALLY FAST, AND, UH, WE ARE STILL ALL ELECTED AT LARGE.
WE DO NOT REPRESENT INDIVIDUAL AREAS, SO WE HAVE TO TALK TO THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY.
AND WE'RE ALMOST 200 SQUARE MILES IN GEOGRAPHIC SIZE.
AND THE REASON THAT I, THAT I SAY THAT IS WE HAD, WE HAD A, A, WE'VE HAD SEVERAL VERY, VERY GOOD MAYORS, AND ONE OF THEM WHEN I FIRST GOT ELECTED SAID, I, AND YOU ARE ONLY ONE VOTE ON THIS COUNCIL.
ALL OF US HAVE TO COME TOGETHER AND DECIDE WHERE WE WANT TO GO.
AND THAT WAS, THAT WAS VERY SHOCKING TO ME.
UH, EVEN THOUGH I HAD BEEN ON STAFF FOR A LONG TIME, TO HEAR, TO HEAR WHAT WE THOUGHT AS THE POLITICAL
[00:20:01]
LEADER OF THE COMMUNITY SAYING, HEY, I AM ONLY ONE VOTE.WE'RE NOT GONNA GET OUR WAY FORWARD.
AND THAT REALLY SET THE STAGE FOR ME AS A, AS A YOUNG INDIVIDUAL COMING ON.
SO, UM, I DUNNO, I JUST FIGURED I'D SHARE THAT, UH, ANYWAY, UH, GETTING THE BUDGET, UH, DON'T GET BOGGED DOWN ON DETAILS.
UM, WE ARE HIGH LEVEL STRATEGY.
LET'S KIND OF KEEP MOVING, UH, THINKING FORWARD ON THAT AND, UH, MAINTAINING PRODUCTIVITY AND FOCUS AND THEORY.
THAT'S WHY MIKE AND I ARE HERE.
WE'LL SEE HOW THAT WORKS OUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, IF WE CAN, UH, IF WE CAN STICK WITH THAT.
SO, UM, LET'S TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS.
UH, THIS IS, UH, A, I'M GONNA SAY A THEORY, BUT IT'S REALLY FOUNDED IN, UH, IN STRONG ACADEMIC BACKGROUND.
MIKE AND I HAVE PUT THIS TOGETHER.
HE'S THE BIG THINKER OF THIS, OF THIS LITTLE DUO HERE.
BUT, UM, OVER TIME WE'VE KIND OF FIGURED OUT A STRATEGY HERE THAT WE CALL LEVEL SIX GOVERNANCE.
AND THIS, THE LEVEL THAT COUNCIL OPERATES AT IS THE LEVEL THAT THE ORGANIZATION WILL OPERATE AT.
SO IF LEVEL ONE IS DAY-TO-DAY OPERATIONS, IF YOU'RE WORRIED ABOUT THE SIDEWALKS AND THE POTHOLES AND THE, UH, WHY IS THE, YOU KNOW, THE, THE OLD FAMOUS, AND I HAVE A FIRE BACKGROUND, SO FIRE CHIEF, YOU'RE GONNA END UP HEARING A LOT OF FIRE ANALOGIES.
SO DON'T THINK I'M TAKING SHOTS.
I'M NOT, UH, BECAUSE IF THERE WAS A POLICE CHIEF HERE, I'D BE DOING THAT.
UM, BUT WE, UH, WHY IS THE FIRE TRUCK AT THE GROCERY STORE THAT, YOU KNOW, IF THAT'S ALL THAT YOU'RE WORRIED ABOUT AS A COUNCIL, THEN THAT'S ALL THAT THE STAFF IS EVER GONNA DO, AND THEY'RE NEVER GONNA GET, THEY'RE NEVER GONNA MOVE THE ORGANIZATION FORWARD, UH, THOSE DAY-TO-DAY THINGS.
IF ALL WE'RE DOING IS RESPONDING TO THE GROCERY STORE INCIDENT, THE CONSTITUENT RESPONSE, IF ALL WE'RE DOING IS RESPONDING TO THAT, THEN THE STAFF WILL NEVER PULL, PULL FORWARD BECAUSE THEY'RE CONSTANTLY PUTTING OUT, AS WE SAY, LITTLE FIRES EVERYWHERE.
SO WE WANT TO TRY TO BRING OURSELVES UP.
LEVEL THREE IS WHAT WE ARE STATUTORILY REQUIRED TO DO.
SO WE, UM, WE WILL DO OUR, OUR ZONING, AND WE WILL DO OUR LIQUOR LICENSES AND WHATEVER OTHER, UH, STATUTORILY REQUIRED THINGS WE DO AS A COUNCIL.
AND THAT, THAT THE STAFF DOES THAT BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO.
AND YOU DO THAT BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO.
BUT WE ALL KNOW THAT THAT IS NOT THE STUFF THAT DRIVES WHAT WE DO EVERY SINGLE DAY.
NOW WE START TALKING ABOUT STRATEGIC PLAN, AND THAT'S LEVEL FOUR.
AND IF THE COUNCIL IS WORKING AT A STRATEGIC LEVEL, THAT WILL ELEVATE THE REST OF THE ORGANIZATION.
WE LET THE PROFESSIONALS ON, I'M GONNA SAY ON THIS SIDE OF THE ROOM, DO WHAT THEY DO EVERY DAY BECAUSE WE HIRED THEM TO DO A GREAT JOB.
AND OBVIOUSLY, ACCORDING TO MARK, THEY'RE DOING A WONDERFUL JOB.
SO WE NEED TO REMAIN IN A VERY STRATEGIC, KIND OF FOCUSED PERSPECTIVE.
THERE ARE TIMES WHEN WE'RE GONNA DIP IN BECAUSE WE'RE GONNA GET A, A QUOTE UNQUOTE ACCOSTED AT THE GROCERY STORE.
UM, AND WE HAVE TO MAKE THE MANAGER AWARE OF THOSE THINGS.
BUT WE REALLY WANT TO TRY TO ELEVATE OUR, OUR ROLE AS THE POLITICAL BODY AND THE POLICY MAKERS OF THE, OF THE COMMUNITY.
LEVEL FIVE IS REALLY ABOUT SHARED EXPECTATIONS ABOUT GOVERNANCE AND I, AND WHAT WE HAVE FOUND IN, I'M GONNA SAY TRAVELING ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
AND, AND, UH, MIKE AND I PRESENT AT THE INTERNATIONAL CITY MANAGERS ASSOCIATION, BEEN DOING THAT FOR THE LAST FIVE OR SIX YEARS.
AND WE TALKED TO, SO WE END UP TALKING TO, UM, 50 OR 60 MANAGERS A YEAR FROM DIFFERENT PLACES IN THE COUNTRY.
AND THAT IS PROBABLY WHAT WE SAY IS OUR PROFESSION'S.
NUMBER ONE WEAKNESS IS WE DON'T TALK ABOUT GOVERNANCE.
AND ON TUESDAY YOU GOT ELECTED, AND A MONTH LATER YOU WERE SWORN IN.
HOW PREPARED WERE YOU FOR THAT VERY FIRST DAY? THERE'S NO TRAINING TO BE AN ELECTED OFFICIAL.
THERE'S NO TRAINING IN HOW TO RESPOND TO THE UPSET RESIDENT OR THE THE MANAGER WHO SAYS, HEY, I NEED A, I NEED A POLICY DECISION ON THIS.
AND YOU JUST FIGURED OUT HOW TO SPELL POLICY.
SO I MEAN, IT, IT'S A DIFFICULT ROAD FORWARD, BUT IF YOU CAN ELEVATE YOURSELVES AND THROUGH SOME SHARED EXPECTATIONS AND KIND OF MOVING THINGS FORWARD, IF YOU'VE BEEN IN A LEADERSHIP POSITION YOU'VE EVER HAD TO SUPERVISE PEOPLE, YOU ALWAYS SET EXPECTATIONS FOR YOUR EMPLOYEES IN THIS KIND OF SITUATION WHERE THEY WE'RE THE HEAD OF THIS, WE SEVEN ARE HIS BOSS, HAVE YOU, HOW HAVE YOU SET THE EXPECTATIONS FOR HIS PERFORMANCE? HOW HAVE YOU SET THE EXPECTATIONS FOR THE ORGANIZATION? THOSE ARE CONVERSATIONS THAT WE NEVER HAVE AS A, AS AN ELECTED BODY.
SO WE OBVIOUSLY PROMOTE THAT KIND OF CONCEPT, AND WE MOVE THAT FORWARD.
AND THEN FINALLY, WE REALLY GET TO THAT ORGANIZATIONAL EXCELLENCE.
AND THERE'S A NUMBER OF, UM, ORGANIZATIONS, BALDRIGE DOES ONE.
[00:25:01]
GALLUP IS THE OTHER ONE THAT'S VERY POPULAR IN THE HR WORLD NOW, UH, WHERE WE'RE, WE'RE REACHING INTO THE ORGANIZATION AND WE'RE SAYING, HEY, HOW IS OUR FRONT? HOW ARE OUR FRONTLINE PEOPLE DOING? UM, IF YOU REMEMBER FROM THE, THE OLD DAYS, I THINK IT WAS, IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN, UH, SHERIDAN THAT REALLY INSTITUTED IT.EVERY HOUSEKEEPER THAT PUSHES A CART DOWN THE DOWN THE HALLWAY SAYS GOOD MORNING TO EVERY, TO EVERY GUEST.
THAT'S THE KIND OF SERVICE THAT WE WANT FROM OUR FRONTLINE FOLKS.
SO WE REALLY TRY TO PUSH THAT INTO THE ORGANIZATION.
BUT IF WE CAN GET THE ORGANIZATION FUNCTIONING, WE BECOME A REALLY HIGH PERFORMING ORGANIZATION.
AND THE IRONY IS, WE AS CITY COUNCIL, WE'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT.
IT'S HOW WE CONDUCT OURSELVES AND HOW WE COMMUNICATE TO THE MANAGER AND HOW WE WE MOVE THAT FORWARD.
WE REALLY DO THAT THROUGH THE STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS.
SO SOMETIMES WE LOOK AT IT AND GO, OH GOD, ANOTHER DAY WE'RE GONNA SPEND ALL DAY GOING THROUGH THIS.
WE'RE GONNA LISTEN TO MARK, GO ON AND ON ABOUT ALL THIS OTHER STUFF.
SORRY, MARK, BUT THAT'S WHAT, THAT'S HOW WE FEEL.
BUT ORGANIZATIONALLY, THIS IS REALLY, REALLY IMPORTANT.
SO, STRATEGIC PLANNING IS ALSO REALLY IMPORTANT FOR THESE TWO REASONS.
WE DO NOT HAVE AN INFINITE AMOUNT OF MONEY, NOR DO WE HAVE AN INFINITE AMOUNT OF TIME, THE OLD STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS.
SO IF YOU, YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN AROUND FOR A WHILE.
WE, WE USED TO SAY, OKAY, SO LET'S ALL DREAM MONEY IS NO OBJECT.
WHAT WOULD YOU DO? WELL, MONEY IS ALWAYS AN OBJECT.
SO LET'S NOT PRETEND THAT IT'S NOT.
WE LOOK AT THE AMOUNT OF PROJECTS AND THE AMOUNT OF THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING.
THE STAFF ONLY HAS A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF TIME AND THEY HAVE THOSE DAY-TO-DAY THINGS TO, TO TAKE CARE OF.
WE, UH, WE ALWAYS KIND OF JOKE ABOUT, UM, UH, IT AT LEAST IN, WE JUST BUILT A BRAND NEW CITY HALL.
SO LEMME JUST TELL YOU THE LITTLE BACKGROUND STORY.
IT'S, IT'S A BEAUTIFUL BUILDING, BUT WHEN THE HAND TOWELS ARE E THE HAND TOWEL DISPENSER IS EMPTY, EVERYONE LOSES THEIR MIND.
AND SOMETIMES IT'S THE END OF THE DAY, BY THE TIME COUNCIL SHOWS UP, SO WE'RE IN THE RESTROOM AND THERE'S NO HAND TOWELS IN THERE, EVERYONE'S LOSING THEIR MIND.
WE IMMEDIATELY TURN OUR IRE TO THE MANAGER AND SAY, GOOD GOD, SIR, CAN YOU PLEASE GET SOME HAND TOWELS IN THERE? AND, UM, THAT IS, THAT IS A DIFFICULT THING FOR US TO KEEP IN MIND THAT THE DAY-TO-DAY FUNCTIONS STILL HAVE TO GET DONE.
SO THINK ABOUT THE HAND TOWEL DISPENSER.
IT STILL HAS TO HAPPEN IN ADDITION TO, I WANT MY PROJECT DONE, I NEED THIS.
WHY ARE WE SPENDING TIME ON THAT? AND OH, BY THE WAY, HAND TOWEL DISPENSERS AND YOU GUYS HAVE THE, THE, THE WORST CASE SCENARIO THAT WE DON'T HAVE IN ARIZONA, AND THAT'S THE UNEXPECTED STORM THAT ROLLS THROUGH, YOU KNOW, IN THE MIDDLE OR THE, OR HALF THE YEAR, THAT WILL DISRUPT EVERYTHING.
SO JUST KEEP IN MIND THAT, THAT THE STRATEGIC PLAN IS GONNA HELP MAINTAIN THIS, THIS PARTICULAR BALANCE.
THE OTHER THING IS, UM, AND WE HAVE NOT PERFECTED THE, UH, THE GRAPHICS BECAUSE THIS LOOKS LIKE THERE'S A CONFLICT AND, BUT IT'S REALLY MORE OF A TENSION BETWEEN THE POLITICAL NEEDS AND THE ADMINISTRATIVE NEEDS.
UM, AND THE STRATEGIC PLAN IS REALLY LAYS OUT THE WAY TO KIND OF SMOOTH BOTH OF THOSE THINGS FORWARD.
UM, SO IF, AND IF ANY OF YOU HAVE A GREAT IDEA ON HOW TO BETTER GRAPHICALLY DISPLAY THIS, LET ME KNOW.
BUT FOR THE LONGEST TIME, WE'VE BEEN TWO ARROWS.
UM, WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN DAY IN AND DAY OUT IS NOT ALWAYS IN LINE WITH WHAT WE HERE AS ELECTED IN THE COMMUNITY.
AND THE HARDEST THING WE HAVE TO SAY TO A CONSTITUENT IS, WE JUST CAN'T DO THAT RIGHT NOW.
OR LET ME TELL YOU ABOUT WHAT'S, WHAT'S HAPPENING.
THAT'S HARD BECAUSE WHAT WE DO FOR AN, IN AN ELECTION CYCLE IS REALLY A POPULARITY CONTEST.
AND WE IMMEDIATELY GO BACK TO GETTING PICKED FOR A SPORT ON THE PLAYGROUND.
I MEAN, THAT'S, THAT'S WHERE MY BRAIN WENT.
WHY DIDN'T THEY LIKE ME? THE OTHER THING IS OUR, OUR EGO IS ALSO PART OF THAT.
I WAS THE NUMBER ONE VOTE GETTER IN MY LAST ELECTION, AND I WAS THE COOLEST GUY FOR ABOUT 15 MINUTES BECAUSE I WAS NUMBER ONE, I WAS NUMBER ONE BY 15, 15 VOTES BECAUSE I KNEW 15 MORE PEOPLE THAN SHERRY DID.
BUT I WAS NUMBER ONE AND MY EGO GOT GOT AHEAD OF ME FOR ABOUT 15 MINUTES.
SO IT'S A DIFFICULT, IT'S A DIFFICULT WAY FORWARD.
SO I, I THINK IT'S, IT'S IMPORTANT FOR STAFF TO UNDERSTAND WHAT WE DO AS ELECTEDS BECAUSE WE GO THROUGH THAT AND WE PUT OURSELVES OUT IN THE COMMUNITY.
[00:30:01]
IT'S ALSO, WE ALSO HAVE TO KIND OF KEEP OURSELVES IN CHECK AND REMEMBER THAT, UH, YOUR EGO IS ONLY GOOD FOR ABOUT 15 MINUTES AND THEN WE GOTTA MOVE ON.UM, WON'T WALK THROUGH EACH ONE OF 'EM, BUT WE HAVE TO REMEMBER WHAT'S NOT STRATEGIC ARE NOT THOSE DAY-TO-DAY.
THINGS ARE NOT THE THINGS THAT WE, UM, THAT WE LOOK AT, UM, CORE FUNCTIONS, UM, YOU KNOW, NOT SHORT-TERM PROJECTS, BUT REALLY THOSE PROJECTS ARE GONNA MOVE US FORWARD.
AND, UM, I I THINK IF YOU LOOK BACK AT THE COURSE OF WHAT YOU HAVE BEFORE YOU, THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF BOTH IN THERE.
AND, AND I THINK MARK'S VISION OF THIS IS THAT WE PUSH IT TO THE NEXT LEVEL FOR THE NEXT ITERATION AND JUST KIND OF MOVE THAT, MOVE THAT FORWARD.
SO THIS IS FROM YOUR, UM, CURRENT PLAN, AND IT'S IMPORTANT TO KIND OF REVIEW WHAT YOU ALREADY HAVE IN THERE.
THE, THE, I IT'S GRAMMATICALLY INCORRECT, BUT I'M GONNA SAY THE OUR PLAN, YOUR PLAN, AND I DON'T MEAN THAT TO BE CITY COUNCIL'S.
WHAT I MEAN, HILTON HEAD GUIDES YOUR STRATEGIC ACTION PLAN.
SO IT REALLY SETS FORWARD THOSE, THOSE ITEMS THAT YOU'RE GOING TO ACCOMPLISH, WHICH THEN SETS YOUR BUDGETING PRIORITIES.
THERE IS A BACK AND FORTH INFLUENCE IN, UM, WE'D REALLY LIKE TO DO X, BUT THERE'S NO MONEY TO DO IT.
SO NOW WE HAVE TO PUSH IT A YEAR.
WE HAVE TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO PHASE IT.
UM, SO THERE IS A LITTLE YIN AND YANG THAT GOES, THAT GOES BACK AND FORTH THERE, BUT THAT OPERATING BUDGET THEN REALLY EMPOWERS THESE GUYS OR THIS SIDE OF THE ROOM TO TAKE ACTION AND EXECUTE IT.
BUT EVERY TIME WE DECIDE TO CHANGE DIRECTION, AND YOU'LL SEE THAT IN JUST A MINUTE, IT THROWS THAT INTO KIND OF DISARRAY.
SO WE HAVE TO BE VERY, VERY CAUTIOUS ABOUT HOW WE, HOW WE MANAGE THAT.
IF YOU, UH, IF YOU TAKE AWAY ANYTHING FROM TODAY'S PRESENTATION, IF YOU'RE GONNA HOLD UP, HOLD OUT A FEW SLIDES, THIS IS ONE OF THEM FOR YOU TO CONTINUALLY REMIND YOURSELF OF THAT YOUR VISION AND MISSION OF THE TOWN REALLY SHOULD BE DRIVING EVERYTHING THAT DIRECTS THE GOALS, WHICH THEN DIRECT THE STRATEGIES TO EXECUTE THOSE.
BEYOND THAT, THE REST OF THAT INVERTED PYRAMID IS UP TO THE COUNTY STAFF.
HOW ARE WE GONNA DO IT? THE TACTICS THAT WE'RE GOING TO USE, UM, THAT'S, THAT'S REALLY UP TO THIS GROUP TO DECIDE.
YOU TELL 'EM WHERE YOU WANT, WHERE, WHAT YOU WANT TO DO, AND THEN THEY'LL, THEY'LL FIGURE OUT HOW TO MAKE IT HAPPEN.
UM, AND I THINK THAT'S THE, THE MOST DIFFICULT THING FOR, FOR US AS, AS ELECTEDS, BECAUSE WE REALLY WANT TO, WE REALLY WANT TO BE THERE GUIDING IT AND, AND PUSHING THAT FORWARD.
AND SOMETIMES THAT IS OUR OWN INTERNAL YIN AND YANG THAT IS, THAT'S HAPPENING.
UM, I'M NOT GONNA READ THIS TO YOU.
YOU, YOU KNOW WHAT KIND OF COMMUNITY YOU WANT TO BE.
YOU'VE STATED IT IN YOUR, IN YOUR PLAN, BUT IT'S ALWAYS GOOD TO REMIND OURSELVES, WHAT DID WE SAY? WHERE ARE WE AT? UM, AND, AND TO PLAINLY STATE IT SO THAT THE RESIDENTS OF YOUR COMMUNITY KNOW THIS IS THE KIND OF COMMUNITY WE WANT TO BE.
AND WE, WE SAY IT, WE PUT IT IN A BOOK.
YOU'VE GOT A GREAT, UH, STRATEGIC PLAN BOOK THAT HAS BEEN PRODUCED, AND THE STAFF TAKES THAT TO HEART AND THEY MOVE THAT FORWARD.
SO, UM, IT, IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO, TO KIND OF BE RE REMINDED OF THAT.
AND IT REMIND OURSELVES TOO, WE HAVE TO GIVE OURSELVES AS ELECTEDS A BREAK.
WE GET BOMBARDED CONSTANTLY, BUT LET'S GIVE OURSELVES A BREAK.
YOU KNOW WHAT? WE HAVE A REALLY GOOD COMMUNITY HERE.
YEAH, THERE'S SOME PEOPLE THAT ARE UPSET, BUT IF EVERYONE WAS HAPPY, WE'D BE DOING SOMETHING WRONG.
SO NOT EVERYONE IS GONNA BE HAPPY, AND WE HAVE TO BE, WE HAVE TO BE OKAY WITH THAT.
UM, AND I ONLY HAD TWO KIDS AND WE TRIED VERY HARD TO MAKE EVERYTHING EQUAL.
IF ONE KID GOT FOUR PRESENTS, THE OTHER KID HAD TO GET FOUR PRESENTS.
IF WE SPENT A HUNDRED ON THIS ONE, WE HAD TO SPEND A HUNDRED ON THAT ONE.
AND WE DID THAT FOR THEIR WHOLE LIVES.
AND NOW THEY'RE 31 AND 26, AND I THINK WE SCREWED 'EM UP.
I'VE GOT, YOU KNOW, ONE WHO'S MAKING SIX FIGURES AND I GOT ANOTHER ONE WHO'S LIVING IN HOLLYWOOD.
AND THAT'S JUST KIND OF THE WAY IT GOES.
SO, UM, BUT WE, WE GOTTA, WE GOTTA GIVE OUR, GIVE OURSELVES A A LITTLE BIT OF, A LITTLE BIT OF A BREAK THERE.
UM, YOUR KEY COMMUNITY GOALS, THOSE ARE ALSO IN YOUR, IN YOUR CURRENT, UH, STRATEGIC PLAN.
UM, I THINK THE OBSERVATION HAS BEEN MADE.
[00:35:01]
GOT TOO MANY THINGS.THERE'S, THERE'S TOO MUCH GOING ON.
UM, BUT AGAIN, GIVE YOURSELF A, A LITTLE BIT OF A BREAK.
YOU, THE, YOUR FIRST ITERATION HERE OF THIS WAS REALLY IMPORTANT, SET A REALLY GOOD FOUNDATION.
UM, I HAVE, UH, FRIENDS WHO OWN OWN PROPERTY HERE.
UM, AND WE'VE BEEN COMING TO HILTON HEAD ISLAND FOR, UM, 10 YEARS AS VACATIONERS TO SPEND TIME WITH THEM.
AND I CAN SEE THE TRANSITION IN THIS COMMUNITY AS A GUEST.
YOU DON'T GET TO HEAR THAT BECAUSE YOU LIVE HERE, YOU'RE, YOU'RE LIVING WITH, YOU'RE THE FOREST WITHIN THE TREES WITHIN THE FOREST.
UM, BUT I CAN, FROM AN OUTSIDER WHO'S BEEN COMING HERE YEAR AFTER YEAR, THERE IS TRANSITION TRANSFORMATION THAT HAS BEEN HAPPENING ON THIS ISLAND FOR THE, FOR THE LAST, YOU KNOW, 10, 10 YEARS THAT I'VE SEEN.
SO WHATEVER WORK THAT YOU'VE BEEN DOING, AND IF YOU'VE BEEN HERE ON STAFF FOR A LONG TIME, CONGRATULATIONS.
YOU CAN, UH, YOU CAN BE REALLY PROUD OF, OF WHAT YOU'VE DONE.
UM, SO DON'T LET THE NAYSAYERS GET IN YOUR, GET IN YOUR WAY AND, AND DISRUPT WHAT YOU'RE, WHAT YOU'RE DOING.
I'M NOT EVEN GONNA TALK ABOUT THIS SLIDE.
UM, THIS, THIS IS A LOT OF ACTIVITY AND, UM, IT, IT'S A LOT OF WAY FORWARD.
SO I, I THINK WE'VE TALKED ABOUT TRYING TO FIND A WAY TO BETTER CLARIFY THIS AND, AND KEEP IT LESS, THIS IS A FIREWORK SLIDE TO ME, UM, EVERYWHERE, BUT IT'S LED YOU TO WHERE YOU ARE, HELPED YOU MAKE GOOD DECISIONS.
AND LET'S LET, LET'S KEEP MOVING FORWARD, UM, WITH THAT BECAUSE EVERYTHING THAT'S ON HERE IS REALLY IMPORTANT.
THERE'S NOT A THING THAT'S ON THIS SLIDE THAT IS NOT IMPORTANT.
WE JUST WANT TO MAYBE RE RE-TALK ABOUT HOW THAT LOOKS, UM, INTO THE, INTO THE FUTURE.
SO WITH THAT, I'M GONNA BE DONE.
I'M PICK ANY QUESTIONS OR, OR ANYTHING, BUT WE'RE GONNA TURN THIS BACK TO MARK FOR A LITTLE BIT, TALK ABOUT THINGS THAT ARE, THAT HE'S FAMILIAR WITH, LIKE THE ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE.
[Workshop Discussion]
NOT, I'M GONNA TURN OFF AND GO FROM THERE.BILL? YES, I HAVE ONE, ONE THOUGHT REGARDING YOUR GRAPHIC OF THE, OH, THE ARROWS COMPRESSION.
YOU USED THE WORD TENSION, YOU MIGHT SIMPLY REVERSE THE ARROWS.
I WAS WONDERING WHERE YOU'RE GONNA FINISH.
UM, WELL, SO BILL WENT OVER SOME REALLY GOOD SLIDES, AND I ALWAYS REMIND US THAT OUR STRATEGIC PLAN, REALLY THE FOUNDATION OF OUR STRATEGIC PLAN JUST DIDN'T COME FROM ANYWHERE.
IT CAME FROM THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN EXERCISE THAT WAS PUT TOGETHER WITH A LOT OF COMMUNITY INPUT, UM, ADOPTED BY TOWN COUNCIL.
WE DERIVED OUR COMMUNITY GOALS FROM IT IN THOSE CORE VALUES AND FOCUS AREAS.
SO WE'LL START DIVING INTO OUR STRATEGIC PLAN, BUT WHAT WE'RE ABOUT TO START DIVING INTO ARE THOSE INITIATIVES THAT SAY THAT, THAT YOU'VE DETERMINED TO BE THE MOST IMPORTANT, AND THEN OVERALL IN THE STRATEGIC PLAN, IMPORTANT FOR US TO BE FOCUSED ON, RIGHT? SO I APPRECIATE THE, THE, THE COMMENTS FROM BILL.
I TOOK A NOTE ABOUT THE A HUNDRED BUCKS, WHATEVER BILL IS THE A HUNDRED BUCKS PER KID.
I GOTTA, I LEFT, I GOTTA TEXT MY WIFE AT LUNCH TO TELL HER WE SHOULDN'T BE DOING THAT ANYMORE.
UM, BUT WHAT I APPRECIATE ABOUT TODAY IS THAT WE CAN START GOING THROUGH THESE ELEMENTS ONE AT A TIME, THOSE HIGH LEVEL PRIORITIES.
AND THEN I WANT TO DIVE INTO WHAT, WHAT I BELIEVE WE'RE DOING IN 2024 TO ACCOMPLISH THAT PARTICULAR GOAL.
I REALLY TOOK A LOOK AT THE STRATEGIC PLAN RECENTLY AND TRY TO GO THROUGH AN EXERCISE OF WHAT SHOULDN'T WE BE DOING RIGHT NOW.
I'VE GOT SOME NOTES, BUT I ALSO WANT TO HEAR THAT FROM YOU TODAY.
IT'S, IT'S YOUR STRATEGIC PLAN ADOPTED BY YOU.
UM, AND SO WE'RE GONNA DIVE IN, BUT, BUT, BUT, BUT FIRST I JUST ALWAYS LIKE TO CELEBRATE OUR TEAM, RIGHT? SO THIS IS THE, THE, THE POUNDS ORGANIZATION CHART.
WE KNOW WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE, BUT I ALWAYS THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO INTRODUCE THE FOLKS THAT ARE WORKING ON THE WORK WHILE WE'RE ALL TRYING TO FIGURE OUT, UM, MANY DIFFERENT INITIATIVES.
SO IF I COULD JUST REAL QUICK, I DON'T, UH, DO WE HAVE A MICROPHONE OR WE PROBABLY WOULD NEED ONE.
ANGIE, DO YOU WANNA START THEN? JUST REAL QUICK, NAME WHAT YOU DO, PASS IT ON.
I, I'M ANGIE STONE, ASSISTANT TOWN MANAGER WITH OVERSIGHT OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, WHICH INCLUDES, UH, TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION, OFFICE OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS AND MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS.
[00:40:01]
BROWN.I'M SENIOR ADVISOR TO OUR TOWN MANAGER.
I SUPPORT THE TOWN MANAGER AND THE LEADERSHIP TEAM WITH PRIORITY PROJECTS AND POLICY INITIATIVES.
I'M SEAN COLE, ASSISTANT TOWN MANAGER WITH OVERSIGHT OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT.
UH, INCLUDES THE DEPARTMENTS OF PLANNING, PUBLIC PROJECTS AND FACILITIES AND BUILT ENVIRONMENT.
I'M THE DIRECTOR OF PLANNING WITH OVERSIGHT OVER WORKFORCE HOUSING PLANNING, DEVELOPMENT SERVICES, AND BUILDING AND INSPECTIONS.
THOMAS BOXLEY, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE GULLAH GEECHEE HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOODS COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION.
I'M A PLANNER OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, UM, IN COMMUNITY PLANNING.
SAM, I'M DIRECTOR OF THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT HERE FOR THE TOWN OF HILTON HEAD.
ANDREW DAVIS, DIRECTOR OF MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS FOR THE TOWN.
GOOD MORNING, BERNARDO MCNULTY.
I'M SOCIAL MEDIA FOR THE TOWN.
NATALIE HARVEY, DIRECTOR OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS.
GOOD MORNING, LISA STOFFER, DIRECTOR OF HR.
GOOD MORNING, JEFF HERRIMAN, INTERIM FINANCE DIRECTOR.
GOOD MORNING, TOMMY SUNDAY, DIRECTOR OF TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION.
UH, BRIAN MWEE, DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC PROJECTS AND FACILITIES.
GOOD MORNING, CHRIS BLANKENSHIP, FIRE CHIEF.
BOB RUMMAGE, DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC SAFETY.
OH, WONDERED WHAT HE'S POINTING AT.
BOB POINTS AT THE, THE DOOR AND WE ALL DUCK.
SO WHAT'S GOING ON? YEAH, JOSH GRUBER, DEPUTY TOWN MANAGER.
ALRIGHT, SO THIS IS SOMETHING NEW YOU'LL SEE THIS YEAR WE STARTED TO, TO PROCESS FLOW, HOW A LOT OF OUR WORK IS BEING CONDUCTED.
AND SO WHAT YOU'LL SEE UP HERE IS, OF COURSE, AN ORGANIZATIONAL CHART THAT IS MORE SYSTEM AND PROGRAM ORIENTED THAN THE PA PAST SLIDE.
SO WE HAVE THE CITIZENS OF HILTON HEAD ISLAND, OF COURSE, AND THEN OUR TOWN COUNCIL.
AND, AND WE KNOW THAT OUR TOWN COUNCIL APPOINTS, UH, A TOWN MANAGER.
WE, WE DIDN'T FIT THE TOWN ATTORNEY ON HERE, BUT I WANT YOU TO SEE SOMETHING TODAY.
YOU DO HAVE SEVERAL COMMITTEES, FINANCE ADMINISTRATION, COMMUNITY SERVICE, PUBLIC SAFETY, PUBLIC PLANNING COMMITTEE, GULLAH GEECHEE, LAND CULTURAL PRESERVATION, TASK FORCE, HOUSING ACTION COMMITTEE, CONSTRUCTION BOARD, DONATING, BOARD PLANNING, COMMISSION DESIGN REVIEW, PARKS AND REC, WILLIAM HILTON PARKWAY, GATEWAY CORRIDOR, THE INDEPENDENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
AND OVER HERE ON THE SIDE, OUR NORTH POINT PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP COMMITTEE, OUR GULLAH GEECHEE, HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOODS COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, SORRY, AND OUR ACCOMMODATIONS TAX ADVISORY ON THIS.
IT'S A LITTLE WASHED OUT ON THE SCREEN HERE, BUT YOU SEE SOME DASH LINES WHERE YOU SEE THAT PUBLIC PLANNING COMMITTEE IS REPORTING OVER AND TO AND FROM OUR ASSISTANT TOWN MANAGER AND DIRECTOR OF PLANNING AMONGST SEVERAL OTHERS.
I THINK A LOT OF TIMES WHEN I'VE GOT UP HERE IN THE PAST FEW YEARS, WE'VE NEGLECTED TO RECOGNIZE AND UNDERSTAND THE VARIOUS BOARDS, COMMISSIONS, AND COMMITTEES TO KNOW THAT THE WORKFLOW, THAT THAT DOES TAKE TIME, THAT ADDS TO THE SCHEDULE, BUT ALSO ADDS MORE INGREDIENTS THAN JUST YOURS.
JUST MINE, JUST THEIRS IS MADE UP OF ALL OF YOUR, UM, PRIMARY APPOINTMENTS ON THE SCREEN.
SO I, I DO WANT TO JUST PAUSE FOR A SECOND AND SAY THANK YOU TO ALL THOSE FOLKS THAT VOLUNTEER AND SERVE IN THAT CAPACITY.
UM, AND, AND, UH, UNDERSTAND THAT AS WE'RE BUILDING THIS WORK, THIS, THE, THE, THE EBB AND FLOW OF, OF THE WORK AND THE PRIORITIES THAT, THAT THERE ARE, WE NEED TO COMPREHEND THE ENTIRE PICTURE.
THINK OF MASTER PLANNING A PARK THROUGH PUBLIC PLANNING OR THROUGH TOWN COUNCIL, BUT TO AND FROM OUR PARKS AND RECOGNITION, THINK ABOUT WORKING ON THE ZONING ORDINANCE TO AMEND THE CODE, WHETHER IT'S FOR AREA RATIO OR, OR ANYTHING ELSE THAT IS THROUGH AND TO PLANNING COMMISSION AS WELL.
SO I THINK THIS IS JUST A, A REAL GOOD, UH, CHECK AND BALANCE TO SHOW US ALL OF THOSE GREAT FOLKS THAT ARE VOLUNTEERING YOUR APPOINTMENT AND A BIG THANK YOU TO THEM FOR, FOR THEIR SERVICE AS WELL.
YOU KNOW, I THINK YOU, WHEN YOU LOOK AT ALL OF THOSE INPUTS THAT ARE COMING, CAN YOU GO BACK?
[00:45:01]
YES.LOOK AT JUST GRAPHICALLY LOOK AT THAT, THE NUM THE COMMITTEES AND, AND THEN YOU AND, AND EVERYTHING ELSE.
THERE'S A LOT OF, THERE'S A LOT OF DIRECTION BEING SENT THIS WAY.
AND, UM, I USE AN ANALOGY QUITE OFTEN ABOUT, UM, THE, THE COUNCIL AND THEN THESE COMMITTEES, ET CETERA, ARE PROVIDING THE DIRECTION TO THE MANAGER.
AND IF THE MANAGER WERE A BUS DRIVER AND YOU ALL WERE SITTING ON THE BUS, BUT ONE OF YOU IS YELLING FASTER, ONE OF YOU IS YELLING SLOWER, ONE OF YOU IS YELLING, RIGHT? ONE'S YELLING LEFT, ONE'S SAYING, YOU KNOW, SLOW DOWN, YOU'RE GOING TOO FAST.
AND ONE OR TWO ARE SITTING ON THE BUS SAYING, WELL, I'M JUST ALONG FOR THE RIDE.
HOW IN THE WORLD CAN, CAN THE MANAGER NAVIGATE THAT? AND IF YOU SEVEN ARE PROVIDING THAT DIRECTION, AND THESE MULTIPLE COMMITTEES ARE, HOW DO WE, HOW DO WE BRIDGE THAT? AND I THINK THE, THE WAY WE WE TALK ABOUT THAT IS THROUGH THIS PLANNING, THIS, THIS PLANNING PROCESS AND, AND TRYING TO PROVIDE AT LEAST A FRAMEWORK THAT PUSHES, PUSHES SOME DIRECTION FORWARD.
SO KEEP IN MIND, I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO KEEP IN MIND THAT, THAT BUS ANALOGY AND THEN TO REMEMBER HOW MANY INPUTS YOU'RE SENDING TO THE DRIVER BEF AND THINK ABOUT IT, HOW LONG, HOW MANY OF THOSE ARE HE'S GONNA BE ABLE TO TAKE BEFORE IT CRASHES,
SO, YOU KNOW, TRY TO KEEP THAT MOVING FORWARD.
THINK ABOUT YOUR COMMITTEE STRUCTURE AS THE, AS THIS COMMUNITY EVOLVES AND, AND MOVES FORWARD, UM, IS THIS REALLY THE MOST EFFICIENT AND THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAY? CAN WE, CAN WE TURN THESE SOME INTO ADVISORY? CAN WE, YOU KNOW, IT'S ALWAYS GOOD TO LOOK AT WHY ARE WE CONTINUING TO DO THIS? ARE WE DOING IT BECAUSE WE ALWAYS HAVE, OR IS THERE A REALLY GOOD REASON TO KEEP, KEEP MOVING IT FORWARD? SO JUST KIND OF THROW THAT OUT THERE AS A OUTSIDER LOOKING IN.
ALRIGHT, A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT WE'VE DONE THIS YEAR, AND I'M GONNA GO THROUGH THESE SLIDES.
I THINK THERE'S SIX OR SEVEN OF 'EM, BUT, YOU KNOW, I JUST DO THINK THAT WE SHOULD CELEBRATE, UM, A LITTLE BIT OF OUR WORK SO THAT WE DO REALIZE THAT THERE'S MOMENTUM BEYOND WHAT'S BEEN AT TOWN COUNCIL.
A LOT OF THAT MOMENTUM YOU'LL SEE UP HERE HAS BEEN THROUGH PUBLIC PLANNING COMMITTEES, THROUGH COMMUNITY SERVICE, PUBLIC SAFETY AND OR FINANCE ADMINISTRATIVE, RIGHT? COUNCILMAN BROWN, COUNCILMAN AMES, COUNCILMAN BECKER, CHAIRING THOSE COMMITTEES.
SO YOU SEE A LITTLE BIT OF THE, THE MOMENTUM AND A LITTLE BIT OF THE COMPLETED WORK.
SO WE DO HAVE A DRAFT GROWTH FRAMEWORK MAP, RIGHT? THE MAP THAT SHOWS THOSE CENTERS AND EDGES OF OUR TOWN, THOSE AREAS THAT ARE REALLY RESPONSIVE TO MANAGING GROWTH AND INVESTMENT IN CAPITAL PROJECTS.
THAT DRAFT HAS BEEN ENDORSED BY PUBLIC PLANNING COMMITTEE BACK IN JULY.
IT'S JUST SITTING THERE WAITING FOR A LOT OF THIS OTHER WORK TO CATCH UP WITH IT.
UM, BUT THAT WAS A, THAT WAS A GREAT, UH, EXERCISE IN A, IN AN IMPORTANT ONE.
UM, WE IDENTIFIED THOSE DISTRICT PLAN, PLAN BOUNDARIES.
UM, YOU, WE ADOPTED THE MID ISLAND DISTRICT AND THERE'S BEEN A COUPLE MORE DISTRICTS PRESENTED TO PUBLIC PLANNING COMMITTEE.
I DO KNOW THAT WORK WILL COME FORWARD IN MAY AND JULY WITH SEVERAL NEW, UH, DISTRICTS PLANNED.
I KNOW THAT MISTY AND SEAN ARE WRAPPING UP AND PUTTING A BOW ON ON TWO MORE, UH, AS OF AS OF THIS WEEK.
WE AMENDED THE LAND MANAGEMENT ORDINANCE, I THINK MORE THAN WE'VE DONE MOST OTHER THINGS, BUT WE HAVE MADE SEVERAL AMENDMENTS TO THE LAND MANAGEMENT ORDINANCE.
AND I CALL THESE, THESE AMENDMENTS, THE FIXED IT AMENDMENTS BASED UPON SOMETHING WE'VE REALIZED DURING AN APPLICATION PROCESS, OR EVEN WORSE AFTER SOMETHING'S BUILT, RIGHT? SO WE HAVE CONDUCTED A SWOT ANALYSIS OF THE LAND MANAGEMENT ORDINANCE.
WE ADOPTED THREE SETS MARCH, MARCH AND MAY PHASE ONE, TWO, AND THREE.
UM, WE HIRED CODE STUDIO IN JANUARY, 2024 TO REALLY TAKE A LOOK AT THE LAND MANAGEMENT ORDINANCE IN ITS ENTIRETY, RIGHT? I'VE ALWAYS SAID THAT A LMO OR ANY SORT OF DEVELOPMENT CODE, YOU CHANGE ONE PROVISION AND IT'S A DOMINO EFFECT.
YOU DON'T REALIZE YOU BROKE IT UNTIL EIGHT APPLICATIONS LATER, RIGHT? AND SO WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS JUST PUT THE CODE BACK TOGETHER APPROPRIATELY AND RIGHT SIZE IT TO PROTECT OUR NATURAL RESOURCES, FIRST AND FOREMOST, TO, TO HAVE GOOD, GREAT SUBDIVISION REGULATIONS TO REQUIRE OPEN SPACE AND NEW SUBDIVISIONS TO, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE PRIORITIZING TREE PRESERVATION, JUST NOT ONE INCH CALIPER TREE PLANT BACK, AND THEN A WHOLE BUNCH OF OTHER PROVISIONS.
RIGHT NOW, OUR CODE DOESN'T REQUIRE US TO UPDATE A TRAFFIC IMPACT ASSESSMENT, RIGHT AS YOU'RE SUBDIVIDING PROPERTY THE WAY, THE WAY THE TEAM WOULD LIKE IT.
WE DID NOT RECEIVE THE APPROPRIATE
[00:50:01]
BIDS IN, IN THEIR MINDS, IN MY MIND AS WELL.AND SO WE SAT STILL FOR A MOMENT, LEARNED WHY FOLKS DIDN'T BID.
I THINK IT WAS TIMING, I THINK IT WAS THE BID ITSELF.
AND THEN WE REBID IT AND WE FINALLY HAVE WHAT I WOULD SAY A GOOD CODE WRITING, UH, TEAM, UM, ON BOARD.
SO STAY TUNED FOR SOME GOOD WORK MOVING FORWARD.
BUT THE ACCOMPLISHMENT WAS AMENDING THE CODE WITH STAFF, WORKING WITH PLANNING COMMISSION AND ALL OF YOU, AND THEN REALLY GETTING THIS CODE ON, ON UNDERWAY.
UH, ONE STREET RESIDENTIAL WAS NAMED OUR PREFERRED DEVELOPMENT PARTNER.
WE DO HAVE A DRAFT DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT, A, A GOOD TERM SHEET, A DRAFT LICENSE AGREEMENT, TERMS AND CONDITIONS PREPARED FOR COUNSEL.
AND I INTEND TO BRING YOU THAT DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT WITHIN THE NEXT 60 DAYS.
UM, SO WHEN THE DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT IS WITH YOU, IF YOU SHOULD AGREE TO IT, THAT PROJECT IS, IS, IS LIVE.
UM, WE ESTABLISHED A HOUSING ACTION COMMITTEE AND APPOINTED NINE COMMITTEE MEMBERS.
THE TOWN COUNCIL APPROVED THE COASTAL COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, MOU, THE HABITAT REGIONAL HABITAT FOR HUMANITY, MOU, UM, SEVERAL OTHER MOUS.
I DIDN'T PUT 'EM ALL UP HERE, BUT USB'S, MOU, UH, IN, IN IN SEVERAL OTHERS.
I I I WON'T GET INTO THEM ALL.
IT TOOK A LOT OF BACK AND FORTH WITH FINANCE, ADMINISTRATIVE COMMITTEE, A LOT OF WORK.
I'M USED TO JOSH BEING OVER HERE, A LOT OF WORK, A LOT OF WORK WITH JOSH AND, AND, AND OTHERS.
SO THERE WAS SOME GOOD LIFTING AND HEAVY LIFTING THERE.
THE HOME SAFE REPAIR PROGRAM, WHICH IS A FUNDED PROGRAM THROUGH THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT, THOSE 5.2 MILLIONS MILLION DOLLARS OF INVESTMENT FROM THE FEDERAL GRANT FOR COVID STIMULUS WE HAVE AS A STAFF, RIGHT? OUR BUILDING INSPECTORS, OUR PLANNERS, AND A FEW OTHER PEOPLE IN BETWEEN FUNDED 48 PROJECTS FOR A LITTLE MORE THAN 500 AND, WELL, $569,000 AND 22 OF THOSE ARE COMPLETE.
WE ALSO CONNECTED 27 HOMES OFF SEPTIC TO PUBLIC SEWER, RIGHT? SO QUALITY OF LIFE IMPROVED, UM, IMMEDIATELY.
HOUSING ACTION COMMITTEE IS HARD AT WORK, AND IT'S SOMETHING WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT TODAY, BUT THEY HAVE ENDORSED A MULTI-YEAR HOUSING ACTION PLAN.
THE MAJORITY OF IT IS BASED UPON FINDING HOME PLAN, WHICH WAS ADOPTED BY COUNCIL TOWN COUNCIL, AND SOME OF IT IS IN ADDITION TO THAT FINDING HOME PLAN.
UM, SO THEY HAVE ENDORSED A PLAN AND, AND HAVE BEEN CLEAR TO STAFF WHAT THEY WOULD LIKE US TO WORK ON.
UH, EXCUSE ME, HOUSING IMPACT ANALYSIS WAS DRAFTED.
WE HAD FIRST READING ON TUESDAY'S, FIRST READING ON TUESDAY'S, AGENDA SECOND READING ON TUESDAY.
I'M LOOKING FOR SECOND READING ON TUESDAY'S AGENDA.
UM, WE'VE JOINED AS A PARTNER, THE BEAUFORT, JASPER HOUSING TRUST WITH A COMMITMENT OF A MILLION DOLLARS.
AND TO DATE, WE HAVE HELPED FUND IT A LITTLE SHY OF A QUARTER MILLION DOLLARS.
WE HAVE MADE SOME IMPROVEMENTS TO OUR CORRIDORS.
UH, YOU CAN, YOU KNOW, THE ONE, THE ONE BIG ONE, I'LL CALL IT VERSION ONE, IS THE PALMETTO BAY INTERSECTION AT ARROW ROAD.
I'VE HEARD FROM SEVERAL FOLKS THAT LIVE IN, IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD THAT WALK TO THE PARK, A THANK YOU.
THEY, THEY CAN FINALLY WALK SAFELY ACROSS THE CROSSWALK, A PATTERN OF CROSSWALK THAT SEEMS TO BE COMFORTABLE.
WE'VE WORKED WITH DOT TO GET AN ENCROACHMENT PERMIT.
WE PUT SOME LOW LEVEL LIGHTS IN, SOME GOOD LANDSCAPING IN.
WE, WE, WE PUT A PEDESTRIAN REFUGE IN A KIOSK SIGN FOR BIKES AND SOMEBODY STILL GOT HURT CROSSING THE STREET RECENTLY AT THAT INTERSECTION.
IT'S PEDESTRIAN SAFETY AS WELL.
UM, BUT THAT WAS OUR FIRST, UM, WE'RE ALSO, UH, WORKING RIGHT NOW WITH S-C-D-O-T TO OBTAIN ENCROACHMENT PERMITS ON SEVERAL OTHER INTERSECTIONS.
MOST NOTABLY WHAT I'LL CALL VERSION TWO BETWEEN DILLON ROAD AND BEACH CITY ROAD.
WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH SOUTH CAROLINA DOT OVER THE LAST BUNCH OF MONTHS ON ON THAT.
WE'VE REMOVED THE, THE TOLL BOOTH INFRASTRUCTURE.
THEY REPAVED THE CROSS ISLAND PARKWAY.
UM, AND WE'RE GETTING READY TO REMOVE THE BUILDING AS SOON AS HERITAGE IS OVER.
WE WORKED WITH DOT CLOSELY ON THAT, ESPECIALLY THE MESSAGING, ESPECIALLY THE QUALITY OF WORK, ESPECIALLY THE TIMING OF WORK.
DO YOU REMEMBER THE ORANGE BARRELS
WE'VE INSTALLED ADAPTIVE TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT SIGNALS AT ALL 25 INTERSECTIONS ON OUR ISLAND.
WE WON'T GET TOO MUCH INTO THAT.
[00:55:01]
IS.WE KNOW WHAT THE HURDLES ARE AND THE CHALLENGES TO, TO MAKE THAT LIVE AND TO CALIBRATE THE SYSTEM.
UM, I MENTIONED APPLYING FOR THE ENCROACHMENT PERMIT.
WE ACQUIRED MAIN STREET RIGHT OF WAY.
I THINK I SAW A MEMO THAT'S AT LEAST 15 IF NOT MORE YEARS OLD ABOUT MAIN STREET RIGHT OF WAY.
SO, UH, GREAT JOB TO CURTIS NOT HERE, HE'S OUTTA TOWN.
BUT GREAT JOB TO CURTIS FOR WORKING HARD WITH, WITH JOSH TO ACQUIRE THOSE SIGNATURES, TO OBTAIN THOSE SIGNATURES, TO ACQUIRE THAT RIGHT OF WAY.
I I THINK THE MINUTE WE ACQUIRED IT, BRIAN MCELWEE, JIM, EVERYBODY WAS OUT THERE JUST IMPROVING THE STREET.
SO WHAT YOU SEE TODAY IS DEFINITELY NOT A FINISHED PRODUCT, BUT I THINK THAT IT'S OBVIOUS THAT WE'VE REMOVED THE DIFFICULT, UH, LANDSCAPING THAT WAS CAUSING SOME LINE OF SIGHT ISSUES.
WE'VE PAVED POTHOLES AND I WE'RE COMING BACK TO YOU SOON ON THE, THE MAIN STREET STREETSCAPE, UH, SOLUTION THING IS DUMPING AROUND ON ME.
WE COORDINATED THE INSTALLATION OF CROSSWALK PATTERN FOR S-C-D-O-T.
SO WHEN S-C-D-O-T CAME IN TO REPAVE, I DON'T KNOW, ALMOST TWO THIRDS OF WILLIAM HILTON PARKWAY, THEY WERE GOING TO PUT DOWN THEIR OLD CROSSWALK, TWO WHITE LINES.
YOU CAN'T REALLY SEE THEM AS YOU'RE APPROACHING, ESPECIALLY AT 45 MILES AN HOUR.
AND YOU ALL THROUGH SOME WORK THAT WE DID AT A WORKSHOP, YOU APPROVED A BETTER PATTERN OF STRIPING.
UM, AND, AND THAT IS IN OUR BELLA GEECHEE HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOOD COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORP.
UM, WAS FORMED, THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS SEATED IN THE SPRING.
MR. BOXLEY HIRED, UM, AND THEY HAVE PUT FORWARD A STRATEGIC PLAN OF THEIR OWN.
A RESILIENCE PLAN CONTRACT IS EXECUTED.
WE WERE WORKING WITH A COUPLE OF COMPANIES, UM, AND FOR WHATEVER REASON WE JUST COULDN'T MAKE IT WORK WITH BOTH.
AND WE DO HAVE A GREAT COMPANY IN DEBERRY.
THEY WORK CLOSELY WITH FEMA AND WE EXECUTED THAT CONTRACT IN FEBRUARY.
A PROJECT KICKOFF WITH STAFF OCCURRED AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO BUILD THAT PLAN.
I'LL DIVE INTO THE DETAILS IN A LITTLE BIT ON HOW WE GET THERE.
SHORT TERM RENTAL PROGRAM IMPROVEMENTS.
UM, DEFINITELY OPERATIONAL ENHANCEMENTS AS WELL.
WE SUBMITTED OUR PERMIT APPLICATION FOR OUR BE TREE NURSE.
YEAH, I'M TRYING TO GET COUNCILMAN STANFORD LOGGED IN BUDDY.
ALRIGHT, SO WE SUBMITTED GLEN, I'M JUST GOING THROUGH A LOT, SOME OF OUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS.
SO I'LL, I'LL SPEED UP NOW THAT YOU'RE ON HERE.
SO YOU TELL, TELL ME TO HURRY UP.
SO WE APPLIED FOR OUR BEACH TREE NOURISHMENT PERMIT.
WE'VE EXTENDED WOODHAVEN PATHWAY.
WE IMPROVED OLD SCHOOL HOUSE PARK TO INCLUDE THE SIX RESURFACE PICKLEBALL, COURTS, ISLANDERS BEACH PARK.
SHELTER COVE COMMUNITY OF PARK.
AND THE SAME WITH TAYLOR FAMILY PARK AND PATTERSON FAMILY PARK.
THOSE MASTER PLANS ARE APPROVED.
YOU WILL SEE FUNDING FOR ALL OF THOSE IN THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR BUDGET.
WE'VE, WE'VE DEFINITELY IMPROVED SOME SECURITY ENHANCEMENTS, CAMERA ENHANCEMENTS, CLEANED UP MODERN CLASSIC MOTORS.
UM, WE STARTED TO ACQUIRE SOME OF THESE VEHICLES THAT WERE APPROVED IN THE BUDGET AND THEN WE ACQUIRED SOME PROPERTY, RIGHT? WE KNOW THAT PROPERTY WE'VE ACQUIRED, BUT I THINK THAT JUST FROM A COMMUNITY STANDPOINT, THAT WAS STRATEGIC IN NATURE.
AND THE FUNDS THAT WERE USED WERE, WERE DIVERSIFIED AS, AS YOU'VE ASKED ME TO FIGURE OUT.
SO THAT WE HAVE, UM, NOT ALL IN WITH ONLY REAL ESTATE TRANSFER FEE DOLLARS, UH, CRACKER BARREL SITE, WILD WING, CAFE SITE, JONESVILLE, EQUESTRIAN STABLES, PADDOCK, BRYANT ROAD, BARKER FIELD, OLD SCHOOLHOUSE PARK.
THOSE WERE IN A LAND EXCHANGE.
AND THEN WE ALSO WERE DONATED THE S-C-D-O-T CROSS ISLAND OLD BUILDINGS.
SO A LOT OF GOOD WORK THIS YEAR.
UM, THAT WAS IN THE LAST 13 MONTHS.
SO, UM, I KNOW YOU WANTED TO ADD A LITTLE BIT ABOUT SOME MORE SURVEY RESULTS AS WE DIVE INTO 2024.
CAN YOU GUYS HEAR ME OKAY? EXCELLENT.
[01:00:01]
UM, I'M GONNA GO THROUGH, UM, WE ASKED THE QUESTION IN THE, THE SURVEY OF, UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE THE TOP ISSUES FACING TILING HEAD IN THE NEXT ONE TO TWO YEARS? AND I'M GONNA GO THROUGH THOSE IN A FEW MINUTES, BUT I WANNA TELL YOU A QUICK STORY, UH, THAT I HOPE IS RELEVANT.ONE OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS ASKED ABOUT, DO YOU, DO YOU HAVE JOKES? AND I SAID, WELL, NOT NECESSARILY.
I, UH, I'LL TELL YOU ONE JOKE THAT I DID WHEN I WAS A, I WAS CITY MANAGER IN SEDONA IN THE MID NINETIES.
WE HAD AN ELECTION AND, UM, A GENTLEMAN NAMED TOM BI SHAW WAS RUNNING FOR ELECTION.
TOM'S BACKGROUND WAS, HE HAD A ENGINEERING DEGREE FROM MIT, AND HE HAD A, UH, MBA FROM HARVARD.
UH, BUT HE WAS ALSO THE HEAD OF AT AND T STRATEGIC PLANNING, ONE OF THEIR TOP PEOPLE.
AND SO HE CAME INTO THE OFFICE, YOU KNOW, HE IS RUNNING FOR OFFICE CITY.
I CITY MANAGER GOES, WELL, MIKE, HOW DO YOU STRATEGICALLY PLAN HERE? AND I, I HAD NO BACKGROUND IN STRATEGIC PLANNING, SO I SAID, THIS IS IT, TOM, HERE, LET'S GO IN THAT DIRECTION.
WE HAVE BEEN, YOU KNOW, IT'S BEEN, WE HAD MAJOR ISSUES IN THAT COMMUNITY.
IT'S GREAT, UH, TOURIST COMMUNITY, BUT WE HAD INFRASTRUCTURE ISSUES.
I TOLD HIM I HAD NO TIME TO STRATEGIC PLAN.
SO GUESS WHAT HAPPENED? TOM GOT ELECTED TO COUNCIL.
WELL, GUESS WHAT I DID? I STARTED READING AS MUCH AS I COULD ABOUT STRATEGIC PLANNING BECAUSE WE PUT OUR FIRST PLAN IN, UH, WITH HIM BEING THERE.
SO HE ACTUALLY, UM, ACTUALLY TAUGHT ME STRATEGIC PLANNING AND THE IMPORTANCE OF STRATEGIC PLANNING.
SO WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT? FIRST OF ALL, YOU SHOULD GIVE YOURSELF A REAL PAT ON THE BACK ABOUT THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS THAT YOUR CITY MANAGER HAS JUST GONE OVER, BECAUSE THAT WAS ALL ACCOMPLISHED WITH ALL OF THE DAY-TO-DAY STUFF THAT THESE FOLKS AND MARK HAVE TO DO IN THIS COMMUNITY.
WITHOUT A STRATEGIC PLAN, WHAT HAPPENS IS, IS COMMUNITIES GET TRAPPED INTO THAT ROUTINE DAY-TO-DAY OPERATIONS.
AND THEY DON'T THINK STRATEGICALLY, THEY DON'T TAKE ADVANTAGE OF ALL THE THINGS THAT YOU'VE BEEN ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH SINCE THIS PLAN HAS HAS BEEN IN PLACE.
SO I WANT TO COMPLIMENT YOU, UH, COMPLIMENT YOU FOR THAT.
SO WHEN WE ASK THE QUESTION, WHAT ARE THE THINGS THAT YOU WANT TO FOCUS ON, ON, YOU SAID OVER THE NEXT, UH, ONE TO TWO YEARS, YOU SAID OVERDEVELOPMENT, MAINTAINING A HIGH QUALITY, MAKING SURE THAT WE DON'T OVERDEVELOPMENT AND WE HAVE A HIGH QUALITY OF LIFE FOR OUR RESIDENTS.
AND THIS WAS GREAT WORKFORCE AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
BUT WHAT, WHICHEVER VERNACULAR YOU USE, YOU WANT IT TO DO, YOU WANTED TO MAKE SURE YOU FOCUSED ON THAT.
YOU DO HAVE AN ISSUE ON US, 2 78
YOU WANT TO DEFINITELY ADDRESS THAT.
UH, AND THEN AGAIN, UM, GROWTH MANAGEMENT RELATED TO YOUR, YOUR WORKFORCE.
MAKING SURE THAT, THAT, THAT GROWTH INCLUDES SOMETHING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WORKFORCE HOUSING AND, AND TAKING CARE OF YOUR, YOUR WORK WORKFORCE.
BE VERY INTENTIONAL ABOUT YOUR FUTURE DEVELOPMENT.
UM, YOU ALSO MENTIONED HAVING A, UH, COMPLETING THE LAND MANAGEMENT, UH, ORDINANCE OVERHAUL.
YOU WANT YOUR DISTRICT PLANNING PROCESS COMPLETED.
YOU WANTED TO ADDRESS ISSUES RELATED TO TRASH COLLECTION AND RECYCLING.
AND THEN FINALLY, THE RESILIENCE, THE RESILIENCE PLAN, UH, DUE TO, UH, MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE ON TRACK FOR THOSE IMPROVEMENTS THOUGH OF, WITH THE, THE POTENTIAL CHANGES IN, IN CLIMATE.
BUT WHAT MARK IS GONNA BE TALKING ABOUT IN A FEW MINUTES, UM, AND I, I THINK WE'RE GONNA TAKE POTENTIALLY A BREAK.
SO, UM, HE'S GONNA TALK ABOUT YOUR, YOUR 15 TOP PRIORITIES.
HE'S GONNA TALK ABOUT WHAT DO WE NEED TO DO IN 2024, WHAT ARE THE THINGS THAT WE NEED TO COMPLETE? AND ALSO TALK ABOUT THE, THOSE IMPLICATIONS OF THOSE ITEMS FOR THE 25 BUDGET.
MAYOR, MAYOR PRO TE COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, THAT WILL BE TALKING.
APPRECIATE YOUR ATTENTION, APPRECIATE YOUR TIME.
HOW LONG DO YOU WANNA TAKE? 10 MINUTES.
[01:05:27]
HELLO, MY NAME IS EBONY SANDERS.I AM THE BEAUFORT COUNTY ASSESSOR.
OUR GOAL AT THE BEAUFORT COUNTY ASSESSOR'S OFFICE IS TO EDUCATE THE PUBLIC IN THE AREAS OF REAL PROPERTY TAXATIONS IN AN EFFORT TO MEET THAT GOAL.
WE ARE HERE TODAY TO SHOW YOU A SERIES OF VIDEOS, STARTING WITH THIS ONE, CONCERNING THE BEAUFORT COUNTY ASSESSOR'S OFFICE WAGE.
START BY GOING TO THE BEAUFORT COUNTY WEBSITE, WWW.BEAUFORTCOUNTYSC.GOV, AND YOU CAN GO THERE TO LOCATE OUR WEBPAGE.
TO BEGIN, WHEN YOU'RE AT THE WEBPAGE, YOU'LL START BY GOING TO THE GOVERNMENT TAB ON YOUR PAGE.
THEN YOU WILL FIND DEPARTMENTS AND UNDER ASSESSOR.
WHEN YOU SELECT ASSESSOR, THE PAGE WILL DIRECT YOU TO OUR WEBPAGE.
ON THE ASSESSOR'S WEBPAGE, YOU WILL FIND A HOST OF INFORMATION THAT YOU CAN DO RESEARCH ON.
YOU CAN FIND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR PARTICULAR PROPERTY, BUT YOU CAN ALSO ACTUALLY ON FIND ONLINE APPLICATIONS WHERE YOU CAN APPLY FOR LEGAL RESIDENCY APPLICATIONS AS WELL AS AG USE.
SO LET'S LOOK AT THE LEGAL RESIDENCY APPLICATION.
TO BEGIN, YOU'LL SEE THERE'S A LINK THAT YOU CAN APPLY FOR THE LEGAL RESIDENCY APPLICATION.
YOU SELECT OUR LINK, AND HERE THE APPLICATION IS PROVIDED FOR YOU.
MY SUGGESTION WOULD BE TO READ THE ENTIRE APPLICATION THOROUGHLY BEFORE YOU BEGIN, AS YOU WILL NEED CERTAIN DOCUMENTS TO SUBMIT WITH YOUR APPLICATION.
IF YOU CHOOSE NOT TO APPLY ONLINE, YOU CAN ALSO APPLY IN PAPER FORM.
GO BACK TO THE ASSESSOR'S OFFICE WEBPAGE, GO TO FORMS, AND HERE YOU'LL SEE A LIST OF ALL THE FORMS THAT OUR OFFICE OF SUPPLY, OUR TAXPAYERS.
YOU CAN ACTUALLY DOWNLOAD THESE FORMS AND PRINT THEM OFF AND SUBMIT THEM IN WRITING.
YOUR APPLICATION CAN BE MAILED INTO OUR OFFICE AS WELL.
YOU CAN MAIL THEM BY USING OUR MAILING ADDRESS, WHICH IS LOCATED IN OUR CONTACT INFORMATION ON OUR WEBPAGE.
YOU CAN ALSO FAX YOUR APPLICATION IN, ALONG WITH YOUR DOCUMENTS TO THE FAX NUMBER THAT'S LISTED ON OUR WEBPAGE.
AGAIN, THE FORM SECTION OF OUR WEBPAGE DOES HAVE A LOT OF INFORMATION THERE.
YOU CAN BROWSE, YOU CAN NAVIGATE THROUGH THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF APPLICATIONS AND SELECT THE ONE THAT'S MOST APPROPRIATE FOR YOUR SITUATION.
ADDITIONALLY, ON OUR WEBPAGE, YOU'LL FIND INFORMATION ABOUT WHO WE ARE AND WHAT WE DO.
IT'S A SHORT VIDEO, BLAINE'S ASSESSOR'S OFFICE ROLE IN THE TAXATION PROCESS.
ANOTHER PART OF OUR ONLINE WEBPAGES THAT WOULD BE VERY INTERESTING, MAYBE BENEFICIAL, IS TO DOWNLOAD THE 2018 REASSESSMENT GUIDE BY SELECTING THE REASSESSMENT GUIDE.
YOU CAN ACTUALLY DOWNLOAD THIS PARTICULAR BROCHURE AND READ IT AT YOUR CONVENIENCE OR READ IT WHILE YOU'RE ONLINE.
IT WILL GIVE YOU MORE DETAILED INFORMATION ABOUT OUR OFFICE AND WHAT WE DO AND HOW WE CAN HELP YOU AS A TAXPAYER WITH REGARDS TO YOUR REAL PROPERTY, UM, VALUATION.
RETURNING TO THE ASSESSOR'S OFFICE WEBPAGE, YOU WILL SEE THAT YOU CAN CONTACT US BY REACHING US AT 8 4 3 2 5 5 2 4 0 0.
OUR LOCATION IS LISTED ON OUR WEBPAGE AS WELL.
WE HAVE THREE DIFFERENT OFFICES.
WE HAVE TWO SATELLITE OFFICES, ONE LOCATED IN BLUFFTON, ONE LOCATED IN HILTON HEAD, AND OUR MAIN CAMPUS IS HERE IN BEAUFORT, SOUTH CAROLINA.
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO KNOW THE ADDRESSES FOR THOSE LOCATIONS AND FIND THE ONES CLOSEST NEAR TO YOU, YOU CAN GO, GO BACK TO OUR PAGE TO RESOURCES, SELECT OFFICE LOCATION, AND THE ADDRESSES TO OUR BUILDINGS OR OUR LOCATIONS ARE LISTED THERE.
ADDITIONALLY, WHAT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL TO A LOT OF OUR TAXPAYERS, THEY WOULD LIKE TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THEIR PROPERTY VALUE OR PROPERTIES IN THEIR SURROUNDING AREAS.
YOU CAN USE OUR PROPERTY MAX FEATURE UNDER RESOURCES TO SEARCH FOR REAL PROPERTY BY YOUR PERSONAL PIN NUMBER.
YOUR A IN NUMBER OR YOUR NAME, AND YOUR SITE ADDRESS IS HELPFUL TO HAVE AS WELL IF YOU WANT TO SEARCH FOR A PARTICULAR ONE BY YOUR SITE ADDRESS.
IN THE NEAR FUTURE, WE'RE GONNA DO SERIES OF VIDEOS THAT WILL GIVE YOU MORE DETAILED INFORMATION ON THE PROPERTY MAX PORTION OF OUR WEBSITE.
ANOTHER FEATURE THAT YOU MAY FIND VERY, VERY INTERESTING CAN FOLLOW US ON TWITTER.
OUR TWITTER ADDRESS IS LOCATED HERE ON OUR WEBPAGE, AND YOU CAN ACTUALLY LINK TO OUR TWITTER ACCOUNT AND YOU CAN ACTUALLY SEE ANY NEW UPDATED EVENTS THAT ARE OCCURRING WITH THE ASSESSOR'S OFFICE THAT'S IMPORTANT TO YOU AS A TAXPAYER OR JUST INFORMATION THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO SHARE.
THANK YOU FOR JOINING US AND ALLOWING ME TO INTRODUCE MYSELF.
YOU CAN GAIN ADDITIONAL INFORMATION BY GOING TO WWW.BEAUFORTCOUNTYSC.GOV.
YOU CAN CONTACT US BY CALLING US AT 8 4 3 2 5 5 2 4 0 0, AND YOU CAN ALWAYS SEND
[01:10:01]
A MESSAGE TO US USING OUR CITIZEN GRAHAM AS LISTED ON OUR WEBPAGE.AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.
ALL RIGHT, MARK, IF YOU'RE READY, GO AHEAD AND GET GOING.
SO WHAT'S INTERESTING, AND I'LL, I'LL JUST SHARE IT.
WHAT I'D LIKE TO REALLY GET THROUGH OVER THE NEXT BIT IS THIS.
SO JUST EVEN ON BREAK, THERE WERE QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT ARE WE WORKING ON THIS YEAR.
WHEN AS A COUNCIL MEMBER, SHOULD I JUMP IN AND ASK QUESTIONS? WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN BETWEEN NOW AND DECEMBER? AND IF WE DON'T FINISH OUR WORK, OR THERE'S ELEMENTS THAT WE HAVEN'T EVEN STARTED BEFORE DECEMBER, DO THOSE TRANSFER FORWARD? ALL GREAT QUESTIONS.
I THINK THAT'S PART OF THE STRATEGIC PLANNING LIFE CYCLE.
AND SO BEAR WITH ME BECAUSE WHAT I REALLY WANT TO OVERVIEW WITH YOU IS ONE THREE MINUS, RIGHT? WHAT I REALLY LIKE ABOUT WHAT'S GOING WELL, TO BE FRANK ABOUT IT, I APPRECIATE THAT I KNOW WHAT MY MOST IMPORTANT ITEMS ARE.
WHAT I DON'T KNOW YET IS AT WHAT EXPENSE ARE WE GETTING ALL OF THIS DONE? AND ARE WE DOING THE OTHER 40 THINGS THAT ARE AFTER THESE TOP 15? AND IF SO, WHAT PRIORITY ARE THOSE? WHAT I DON'T WANT TO DO TODAY IS TRY TO PRIORITIZE 40 ITEMS. I WANT TO DIVE INTO WHAT YOU EXPECT, WHAT I THINK WE CAN POSSIBLY DO, AND WHAT YOU EXPECT FROM ME ON THIS, ON THIS TEAM OVER THESE TOP 15 TODAY.
AND SO SOME OF 'EM ARE EASY, THEY'RE NO BRAINERS, LET'S ROLL THROUGH 'EM.
AND THEN OTHERS, I THINK THAT THERE'S, THERE SHOULD BE SOME CONVERSATION ABOUT WHAT, WHEN, WHY, HOW, AND IS IT GOING TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE? AND I THINK THAT THAT TODAY IS PROBABLY A, A REALLY IMPORTANT DAY FOR US TO WRAP, WRAP OUR ARMS AROUND A LITTLE BIT OF THAT.
SO OUR TOP 15 PRIORITIES, AND I'LL SAY 'EM, GREAT TURNOUT TODAY.
I KNOW THAT FOLKS ARE PROBABLY WATCHING OR LISTENING TOO, BUT WHAT WE'VE PUT TOGETHER LAST YEAR AND WHAT YOU'VE PRIORITIZED WALKING OUT OF THIS STRATEGIC PLAN, RIGHT? THIS BOOK IS 2.0 VERSION.
THE FIRST BOOK WE FINISHED, SOME THINGS, THE THINGS WE DIDN'T FINISH, WE PUT IN THIS BOOK, SOME THINGS THAT WE DIDN'T FINISH BECAME IMMATERIAL AND WE REALIZED WE REALLY DON'T NEED THOSE.
MAYBE THEY'RE NOT STRATEGIC OR MAYBE THEY'RE NOT THE PRIORITY AND THEY DIDN'T TRANSFER TO VERSION 2.0 IN THE BOOK.
WELL COME JANUARY, I THINK THAT'S VERSION 3.0 OF, OF YOUR TOWN COUNCIL'S STRATEGIC PLAN.
BUT OVER THE LAST YEAR AND THROUGH THE NEXT YEAR, WE SEE THAT THE 2023 TO 2025, RIGHT? THAT'S A THREE YEAR LIFE CYCLE THAT WE WILL ESTABLISH A GROWTH MANAGEMENT STRATEGY, IMPLEMENT THE WORKFORCE HOUSING FRAMEWORK, ADOPT MAJOR CORRIDORS, BREED ENHANCEMENT POLICIES, DEVELOP A WILLIAM HILTON PARKWAY GATEWAY CORRIDOR PLAN, COMMENCE OPERATIONS OF OUR GULLAH GEECHEE HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOODS COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORP, WILL IDENTIFY THE STRENGTHS, WEAKNESSES, OPPORTUNITIES, AND THREATS OF OUR ISLAND RESILIENCY.
AND THAT BECAME ONE STEP FURTHER AND SAID, WELL, WHILE WE'RE DOING A SWOT ANALYSIS, LET'S DO A PLAN.
BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT THE PLAN IS WHERE THE BOND RATING AGENCIES RESPECT AND REGARD IT.
THAT POLICY IS DRIVEN, THAT PROJECTS ARE DRIVEN FROM IT.
SO WE TOOK IT EVEN ONE STEP FURTHER THAT WILL IMPLEMENT THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM.
I THINK THIS, WELL, $39 MILLION OF A CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM
[01:15:01]
IS THE CURRENT APPROVED BUDGET FOR CIP.WE'LL UPDATE THE LAND ACQUISITION MANUAL.
WE WILL ALSO CONDUCT A SWOT STRENGTHS, WEAKNESS OPPORTUNITY, THREATS OF OUR SOLID WASTE AND RECYCLING PROGRAM, OR LACK THEREOF, A DESTINATION MARKETING ORGANIZATION MANAGEMENT MANAGEMENT STRATEGY THAT WE WOULD ASSESS ALTERNATIVE REVENUE SOURCES AND FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE WILL FOCUS ON SHORT-TERM RENTAL ASSESSMENT AND PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION THAT WE WILL COMPLETE THE IMPLEMENTATION.
AND THAT'S A KEY WORD, COMPLETE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE GULLAH GEECHEE TASK FORCE PLAN THAT WE WILL ASSIST WITH ST.
AND ITS ASSIST BEAUFORT COUNTY AND FAA WITH THE ST.
JAMES BAPTIST CHURCH RELOCATION, RIGHT? I WILL CALL THAT MITIGATION RELO AND RELOCATION.
AND THEN THAT WILL IMPLEMENT BEACH PARK ENHANCEMENTS.
SO SOME OF THOSE BEACH PARK ENHANCEMENTS ARE POLICY, SOME OF THEM ARE OPERATIONAL, BUT ALL OF THEM ARE INVESTMENT.
SO AS WE BAKE THIS BACK OR TRACE THIS BACK TO OUR STRATEGIC PLAN IN THE SLIDE WAY BACK, FAR BACK AGO, PART OF THE, THE, THE CORE VALUES, THE, THE KEY AREAS THAT WE WOULD FOCUS ON IS RIGHT SIZING OUR INFRASTRUCTURE.
AND WE SAID, AS A GOAL TO RIGHT SIZE OUR INFRASTRUCTURE, WE WILL WORK ON OVERHAULING THE LAND MANAGEMENT ORDINANCE.
AND SO IN THE PLAN, WE SAID THAT SUCCESSFULLY MANAGING, INCREASING AND EVOLVING FUTURE GROWTH PATTERNS IN A MANNER THAT WILL ENSURE SUSTAINABILITY OF THE ISLAND'S UNIQUE CHARACTER.
ADDITIONALLY, THE TOWN MUST MONITOR ECONOMIC AND DEMOGRAPHIC TRENDS UNDERTAKING A COMPREHENSIVE LIST OF FUTURE PLANNING AND ACTIVITIES IN PROACTIVELY PROTECTING THE ISLAND'S RICH NATURAL RESOURCES THROUGH APPROPRIATE DESIGN REGULATION AND CAPITAL INVESTMENT PRACTICES.
WHY IS THAT IMPORTANT? BECAUSE AS WE OVERHAUL OUR LAND MANAGEMENT ORDINANCE, THAT SHOULD BE THE, THE HORIZON OF WHAT THE LAND MANAGEMENT ORDINANCE IS ATTEMPTING TO ACCOMPLISH IN THE APPROVED ACTION ITEMS IN THE STRATEGIC PLAN TOWN COUNCIL HAS AGREED TO.
RIGHT? I KNOW THAT YOU ALL DIDN'T COME UP WITH THIS BY YOURSELF.
I THINK MISSY AND SEAN AND, AND, AND SOME OTHERS HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH IT.
BUT WHAT WE SAID IS THIS, WE'RE NOT JUST GONNA GO OVERHAUL THE LAND MANAGEMENT ORDINANCE AND, AND REACT TO A ZONING DISTRICT AND REACT TO A SUB REG AND REACT TO A TRAFFIC PATTERN.
WE'RE GONNA DO A LITTLE BIT OF STUDYING UNDERSTANDING.
FIRST, I DON'T LIKE THE WORD STUDY.
I'M NOT, I'M ALMOST SAY PLAN TOO MUCH.
BUT I THINK THAT WE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH.
BUT LOOK AT WHAT WENT WELL AND LOOK AT WHAT DIDN'T GO WELL ON OUR, ON OUR ISLAND.
AND THROUGH SOME OF OUR WORK, WE'VE STARTED TO DO THAT.
THE CONDITIONS AND TRENDS ASSESSMENT HAS BEEN THE PUBLIC PLANNING COMMITTEE.
WE HEARD FROM PUBLIC PLANNING COMMITTEE THE OTHER DAY.
I HEARD FROM SOME OF YOU POST PUBLIC PLANNING COMMITTEE THE OTHER DAY.
I STILL THINK WE HAVE A LITTLE MORE WORK TO DO TO, TO PRESENT TO YOU A CLEAN, PROUD DOCUMENT THAT WE CAN, THAT WE CAN MOVE FORWARD.
SO, BUT THE CONDITIONS AND TRENDS ASSESSMENT IS BEING WORKED ON.
A GROWTH FRAMEWORK MAP, I MENTIONED DISTRICT PLANS.
THOSE DISTRICT PLANS SHOULD DRIVE THE PROVISIONS OF OUR LAND MANAGEMENT ORDINANCE IN ANY AMENDMENT THERE TOO.
WE HAVE SOME BIG DECISIONS TO MAKE ZONING DISTRICTS SUBRES ALL THE DIFFERENT DEVELOPMENT PROVISIONS.
BUT THEN ALSO, HOW DO WE GET THERE? ARE WE JUST GOING TO WAIT FOR THE PHONE TO RING AND THE DOOR TO OPEN FOR A REZONING APPLICATION? AND SO WE'VE GOT, WE HAVE SOME REALLY IMPORTANT WORK TO WORK ON, UM, AND THAT WE WILL ALSO ESTABLISH AN IMPROVED DEVELOPMENT REVIEW PROGRAM AND WE'LL ALIGN OUR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS WITH THESE GROWTH FRAMEWORKS.
AND WE'VE ALREADY STARTED TO DO THAT.
IF YOU TAKE A LOOK AND REMEMBER, TOWN COUNCIL ADOPTED THE MID ISLAND DISTRICT.
WELL, A LOT OF FUTURE CAPITAL PROJECTS, SOME POLICY ELEMENTS ARE COMING OUT OF THAT MID ISLAND DISTRICT PLAN.
SO AS A GUIDEBOOK, SO WHAT ARE WE, WHAT ARE WE SAYING? RIGHT? WE BEING HANDS UP, WE Z JOHN MISSY, RIGHT? HOW MANY OTHERS? A LITTLE BIT OF BRIAN BOB WON'T MAKE EYE CONTACT ON THIS ONE.
SO, BUT WHAT ARE A FEW OF US, RIGHT? A FEW OF THE STAFF WITH SOME REALLY GOOD CONSULTANTS TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH THIS YEAR THAT WE FINALLY BRING FORWARD TO TOWN COUNCIL.
THE GROWTH FRAMEWORK MAP THAT WE BRING THESE DISTRICT PLANS FORWARD.
[01:20:01]
THANK YOU, SEAN.THAT A FUTURE LAND USE MAP, RIGHT? IN OUR COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AND A LOT OF COMPREHENSIVE PLANS.
YOU HAVE, YOU HAVE EVERY, EVERY COMP PLAN HAS A LAND USE ELEMENT.
BUT OUR LAND USE ELEMENT IS VOID OF A LOT OF LAND USE DIRECTION, JUST FOR WHATEVER REASON.
AND A LOT OF COMMUNITIES HAVE A FUTURE LAND USE MAP.
AND SO THAT FUTURE LAND USE MAP IS THE TOWN COUNCIL AND COMMUNITY'S VISION OF THE FUTURE ZONING.
IT DOESN'T MEAN CURRENT ZONING.
AND SO THAT FUTURE LAND USE MAP IS THE LEGAL DOCUMENT THAT'S NEEDED FOR US TO START THINKING THROUGH ZONING, ORDINANCE AMENDMENTS.
THINK RIGHT NOW WHEN SOMEBODY COMES IN AND SAYS, WELL, WE KNOW THESE REALLY GREAT PEOPLE.
THEY'RE, THEY'RE MULTIFAMILY GUYS OUTTA DALLAS OR WHEREVER THEY'RE FROM, AND THEY'RE WORKING WITH LOCAL FOLKS AND THEY FIND A PIECE OF PROPERTY A GOOD ONE.
IT MIGHT BE VACANT, IT MIGHT HAVE HOMES ON IT, IT MIGHT BE MOBILE HOMES, IT MIGHT BE SOMETHING ELSE, BUT IT'S ON THE WATER.
UM, THE CURRENT CURB CUT MIGHT BE A DIRT ROAD DRIVEWAY, RIGHT? AND THEY COME IN FOR A REZONING AND THEY ASK MISSY, WHAT DO YOU THINK? MULTIFAMILY? GONNA HAVE A LITTLE POOL IN ONE CORNER.
LITTLE GARBAGE CAN IN THE OTHER, A PARKING LOT IN THE MIDDLE.
IT'S 18 UNITS AN ACRE AND IT'S GONNA BE AWESOME.
THE ONLY THING WE HAVE TO GO BY IS OUR CURRENT ZONING MAP AND SOME PAST DECISIONS OF COUNCIL.
A FUTURE LAND USE MAP IN THE GROWTH FRAMEWORK MAP SHOULD GIVE COUNCIL AND STAFF SOME CONFIDENCE WHETHER THAT REZONING APPLICATION IS VALID OR NOT.
IT SHOULD GUIDE YOU TO MAKE INFORMED DECISIONS LESS THAN ANYTHING ELSE.
AND A LOT OF THIS WORK REALLY GETS INTO THIS ZONING AND LAND MANAGEMENT ORDINANCE OVERHAUL.
SO IF WE LOOK AT ALL OF THIS WORK, ALL OF THIS WORK IS OCCURRING, IF WE BRING IT THROUGH TOO FAST, WE KNOW WE MAKE MISTAKES.
IF WE DON'T BRING IT IN FAST ENOUGH, I FEEL LIKE FOLKS ARE THINKING IT'S STALLED.
UM, I THINK THAT WHEN THE PLANS FINALLY COME TOGETHER, IT WILL BE AROUND THE SAME TIME THAT WE'RE STARTING TO DELIVER SOME TEXT OF OUR LAND MANAGEMENT ORDINANCE.
KEEP IN MIND, WE ARE GOING TO EVERY OTHER MONTH WORK WITH PUBLIC PLANNING COMMITTEE, UM, THROUGH COUNCILMAN AMES AND THE WHOLE COMMITTEE ON A LOT OF THIS WORK.
BUT THE CRUX OF OUR WORK THIS YEAR PLANNED IS THAT WE WILL AMEND THE LAND MANAGEMENT ORDINANCE.
WE'LL PRESENT A SCHEDULE TO YOU IN MAY.
WE WILL, WE WILL ALL, WE ALREADY HAVE PRIORITY AMENDMENTS, RIGHT? SO THE CODE GROUP CAME IN AND WE SAID, THESE ARE YOUR FIRST EIGHT 11.
I KNEW, I KNEW THESE ARE YOUR FIRST 11 HIGHEST PRIORITIES SUBDIVISION REGULATIONS, ONE OF THE 11 SHORT TERM RENTAL SUBDIVISION REGULATIONS.
SO AGAIN, WE'RE, WE'RE ADDRESSING A LOT OF THIS STUFF.
WE'RE NOT WAITING A YEAR AND A HALF TO FIGURE OUT SUBDIVISION REGULATIONS.
SO OF THE 11, WE'LL BRING THESE PRIORITY AMENDMENTS THROUGH, THROUGH FEBRUARY AND JUNE, THE CODE WRITERS UNDER CONTRACT, AND THEY WILL WRITE AND AMEND AND REFINE THE, THE PRIORITIES.
UM, WE DEFINITELY WILL HAVE OPPORTUNITIES, A LOT OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT.
WE AS A STAFF DON'T BELIEVE IN WRITING CODE WITHOUT PUBLIC COMMENT.
UM, AND SO STAY TUNED ON THAT, THAT SCHEDULE.
THE CONSULTANT IS ALREADY AUDITING THE LAND MANAGEMENT ORDINANCE, RIGHT? AND OUR CONSULTANT THAT, UH, THAT, UH, WHAT'S THE NAME OF THEM THAT'S RIGHT HERE.
THEY HAVE BUILT CODE IN HONOLULU, HAWAII WITH STRICT ENVIRONMENTAL PROVISIONS.
THEY HAVE WORKED ON ZONING CODE IN DETROIT, MICHIGAN.
AND THEY HAVE WORKED ON A WHOLE BUNCH OF CODE IN BETWEEN.
SO THEY'RE DEFINITELY EXPERTS IN THE BUSINESS.
THEY'RE DOING AN ENTIRE AUDIT OF OUR OUT LAND MANAGEMENT ORDINANCE.
AND THEY HEARD FROM, FROM US, FROM YOU OVER TIME, AND THEY HEARD FROM STAFF OVER TIME AND THEY STARTED TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE REAL ISSUES ARE.
I KNOW THAT THEY'VE GONE ON TOURS OF OUR ISLAND.
THEY'VE LOOKED AT GOOD SUBDIVISIONS ON MARSHLAND ROAD AND TERRIBLE SUBDIVISIONS WITHOUT EVEN A TREE IN THE FRONT YARD.
AND THEY'VE HEARD FROM, FROM STAFF AND ME INCLUDED, OF WHAT'S IMPORTANT.
AND THAT A FULL CODE OVERHAUL WILL BEGIN AFTER THE PRIORITY AMENDMENTS WITH ANTICIPATED COMPLETION IN 2025.
BUT I DO BELIEVE THAT CODE WILL BE WRITTEN THIS YEAR WITH PUBLIC COMMENT INTERACTION,
[01:25:01]
MAKING SURE THAT YOU ARE ALL AWARE WHAT'S THE, WHAT'S THE NEW REG ON, ON OPEN AIR SALES.WHAT'S THE NEW REG ON REGULATION ON FOOD TRUCKS? WHAT'S THE NEW REGULATION ON DENSITY PATTERN AND OPEN SPACE PROVISIONS.
WE CAN'T HURRY THAT THROUGH YOU BECAUSE COME THE FIRST, SECOND, THIRD AND FOURTH APPLICATION WE APPROVE.
THE HARD JOB'S GONNA BE NO SURPRISES OR AS LITTLE SURPRISE AS POSSIBLE, RIGHT? SO WE HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE MONEY AND A LITTLE MORE WAY TO GO IN THIS BUDGET REQUEST TO YOU $150,000 OF CONSULTING DOLLARS TO FINISH SOME COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, FUTURE LAND USE, MAP MASTER PLANNING.
AND THEN THE CODE ITSELF IS A $700,000 PRICE TAG.
HALF OF THAT IS IN THIS CURRENT FISCAL YEAR THROUGH A BUDGET AMENDMENT FROM LAST YEAR.
'CAUSE WE DIDN'T, WE DIDN'T START IT.
UM, THAT WAS ON YOUR, THAT WAS ON YOUR TABLE, UH, TUESDAY NIGHT AND THEN A AND THEN A SECOND ASK INTO NEXT FISCAL YEAR FOR $350,000.
AND SO WHAT I AM THINKING IS THAT FOR SOME OF THESE, NOT ALL, I'M GONNA GO THROUGH IT THIS WAY AND THEN REALLY PAUSE, UH, BILL, MIKE, HELP ME.
BUT I, I WANT TO HEAR FROM Y'ALL IF A, HOW ARE WE DOING? B ARE WE ON THE RIGHT TRACK? AND IF WE ARE, LET'S, LET'S MOVE ON FAST.
'CAUSE THERE'S, THERE'S SOME OTHER HEAVY STUFF TO TALK ABOUT.
SO SIR, MAYOR, COUNSEL, DO WE HAVE ANY COMMENTS FROM COUNSEL? THIS IS GLEN.
I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THE LEGAL EFFECTS OF CHANGING ZONING IN PARTICULAR IN VARIOUS AREAS ON THE ISLAND.
WHAT ARE THE RULES THAT WE CAN FOLLOW, UH, KNOWING THAT WE CAN LAWFULLY MAKE CHANGES IN THE PERMITTED USES, THE DENSITY AND SO FORTH OF VARIOUS AREAS? THANK YOU.
SO THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION AND WE'RE GOING TO ANSWER THAT PROBABLY A DIFFERENT DAY, RIGHT? BECAUSE AT THE END AT, I'M NOT GONNA GUESS, AND OF COURSE CURTIS IS OUTTA TOWN.
I THINK WE ALL, I I'VE SEEN A COMMUNITY WIDE REZONING WHERE IT'S ADVERTISED, IT'S ALIGNED WITH SOME FUTURE LAND USE MAPPING AND ZONING IS SET.
BUT, BUT BY NO MEANS HAVE I EVER BEEN APART, NOR DO, NOR DO I PROPOSE THIS, THAT WE DOWN ZONE SOMEONE PROPERTY TO THE POINT OF A LEGAL RISK OF TAKING.
BUT OUR CURRENT ZONING CODE RIGHT NOW HAS SEVERAL ITERATIONS OF EVEN JUST A GENERAL DENSITY PATTERN.
AND IF WE DON'T, WE'RE WASTING OUR TIME AND MONEY AND ENERGY TO OVERHAUL A CODE.
THERE'S A, THERE'S A PROVISION IN THE LAND MANAGEMENT ORDINANCE TODAY THAT SAYS IF YOU HAVE A SMALLER PIECE OF PROPERTY IN AN RM SOMETHING DISTRICT, YOU'RE ALLOWED FOUR UNITS AN ACRE.
IF YOU COMBINE YOUR PARCEL TO BE LARGER RIGHT? WITH YOUR NEIGHBOR OR A SEPARATE ACQUISITION WHERE YOU BUY SOMEONE OUT, YOU CAN GET EIGHT UNITS AN ACRE.
WHEN YOU DRIVE DOWN THE STREET, YOU GO FROM FOUR TO EIGHT, MAYBE SIX, MAYBE EIGHT, MAYBE FOUR.
YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT TYPE OF NEIGHBORHOOD YOU'RE BUYING INTO.
AND SO THAT SLIDING SCALE ZONING CAN BE UNWOUND, RIGHT? SOME OF THE GENIE, NOT ALL OF THE GENIE, BUT SOME OF THE GENIE CAN BE STUFFED BACK IN THE BOTTLE BASED UPON A FUTURE LAND USE MAP BASED UPON A TRAFFIC IMPACT ASSESSMENT.
AND BASED UPON REALLY THE POLITICAL WILL OF COUNCIL.
MS. BRYSON, MARK, I'M WILLING TO WAIT.
UM, I, I THINK, UH, AS YOU KNOW, I SERVE ON THE PUBLIC PLANNING COMMITTEE AND MY BACKGROUND IS ZONING AND LAND USE ATTORNEY, UM, ONE OF MY SPECIALTIES.
SO, UM, IT, IT'S TIME CONSUMING.
UM, I, I, IN, IN LOOKING AT, UH, WHERE ARE WE ON THIS PARTICULAR STRATEGY? I, I SAID, YOU KNOW, IT STARTED GREAT AND THEN WE STOPPED.
SO I'M PROBABLY IN THE STALL VERSION.
I MEAN, I, I'M NOT THINKING I WANNA STALL IT.
I'M JUST FEELING LIKE IT STALLED.
UM, AND SO I'M, I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THE MAY REPORT ON THE SCHEDULE.
UM, I, I THOUGHT THE LIST OF 11, UH, I THINK YOU'RE CALLING 'EM NOW PRIORITY AMENDMENTS THAT WERE CALLED QUICK FIX.
I THOUGHT THAT WAS TOO LONG A LIST FOR A QUICK FIX.
UM, BUT I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT.
UM, I'M ALSO CONCERNED, UM, THAT THE, OUR CONSULTANT CODE STUDIO DOES NOT HAVE, UM, UH, A LEGAL CONSULTANT ON BOARD.
'CAUSE I DON'T WANT US TO GET TO THE END AND LOOKING AT THESE AMENDMENTS AND SAY, OKAY, NOW LET'S SEND IT OUT TO THE PUBLIC AND LET'S HAVE ENGAGEMENT IF WE HAVEN'T HAD A GOOD THOROUGH LEGAL REVIEW TO MAKE SURE IT'S OKAY IN UNDER SOUTH CAROLINA LAW.
UM, SO A COUPLE OF COMMENTS AND THEN LOOKING OVER AT, UM, THE CHAIR OF OUR COMMITTEE, UM, WHENEVER THE NEXT, UM, COMMITTEE MEETING IS, IF WE HAVE THESE TO CONSIDER.
I THINK WE NEED TO REMEMBER IT
[01:30:01]
MIGHT BE A LONGER MEETINGSO, UM, 'CAUSE WE'LL NEED SOME TIME TO CHEW ON IT, BUT I THINK WE ALSO NEED SOME STRUCTURE AROUND IT SO WE WON'T BE FRUSTRATED.
ANGIE AND JOSH ARE TAKING NOTES.
I THINK YOU SAID FOUR OR FIVE THINGS AND I'M ASKING IF YOU GOT 'EM ALL.
THE STALLING IS, IS IS REAL, RIGHT? WE BID THE CODE OUT AND WE RECEIVED SOME BIDS THAT WERE GOOD PRICE, BUT WHEN WE STARTED TRYING TO RESOLVE OUR ISSUES, WE, MY OPINION, SEAN'S OPINION AND MISSY'S OPINION, WE WERE GETTING MORE OF THE SAME AND NOT MAKING IT ANY BETTER.
AND IT WAS A SMALL TEAM AND WE COULDN'T GO AS DEEP AND AS WIDE AND AS, AS, AS ROBUST AS AS WE WANTED TO.
UM, BUT, BUT WE CAN'T GET TOO FAR IN THE DISTRICTS UNTIL WE HAVE THE CODE WRITER IN PLACE.
IT'S SENSELESS TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT FUTURE LAND USE AND GEOGRAPHICAL DEVELOPMENT PATTERNS IN, IN OUR DISTRICT PLANS THAT WILL SUPPORT, THAT SHOULD SUPPORT ANY AMENDMENTS TO DEVELOPMENT CODE AND ZONING WITHOUT THE CODE WRITER.
SO, WHICH IS WHY YOU SEE ME EX EXCITED ABOUT HAVING A GOOD, GREAT CODE WRITER ON TEAM.
AND, AND SEAN AND MISSY WHO HAVE A WHOLE BUNCH OF OTHER THINGS ON THIS LIST TODAY ARE TRYING TO BRING THE CODE FORWARD.
AND SO EVERY MINUTE NOT ON THE CODE, ON SOMETHING ELSE IS TWO MINUTES LOST, RIGHT? COMPOUNDED GOOD NOTES.
AND WE AT A PUBLIC PLANNING COMMITTEE OWE THE PUBLIC PLANNING COMMITTEE THAT'S SCHEDULE IN A REALISTIC WAY.
IF Y'ALL AT NEXT PUBLIC PLANNING COMMITTEE WANT TO SAY DON'T DO 11, DO FIVE, WE'RE HAPPY WITH THAT.
'CAUSE AS SOON AS WE GET THROUGH THAT, THAT HAS TO GO THROUGH PLANNING COMMISSION, PUBLIC INPUT, PUBLIC PLANNING, MAYBE ONCE, MAYBE TWICE.
WE CAN'T, MISSY CAN'T, I'LL SAY THIS, MISSY CAN'T MAKE SURE THAT CODES BEING OVERHAULED PROPERLY IF THOSE QUICK FISTS FIXES AREN'T DONE YET.
SHE, SHE CAN'T MARK, UM, SPEAKING AS CHAIR OF THAT COMMITTEE, UM, I HAVE HEARD YOU AND STAFF SAY THAT THERE IS RISK IN ISOLATING ONE AMENDMENT FROM ALL THE OTHERS.
SO I I AND YOU, IF WE ARE GOING TO CONTEMPLATE, EXPEDITING A CERTAIN NUMBER, WHAT THE RISK IS FROM THE STAFF STANDPOINT, AND WE HAVE TO SAY WHAT THE RISK IS IN NOT DOING IT.
DAWN, MISSY, YOU CAPTURED THAT FOR THE NEXT MEETING.
UM, AND THANK YOU MARK FOR, UM, THAT OVERVIEW OF THIS SECTION.
I'M TAKING A LOT OF NOTES, LOTS OF QUESTIONS.
I DON'T THINK I'LL RAISE THEM ALL TODAY.
BUT WITHIN THIS, UM, THERE WERE A COUPLE OF THINGS AND I'LL HOPEFULLY PUT THEM IN SOME SORT OF ORDER.
UM, BUT THE RISK WAS THE LAST WORD THAT RESONATES SO WELL AND ALL OF EVERYTHING TO OUR RESIDENTS AND TO THE ISLAND.
AND, UM, HAVING SAID THAT, ONE OF THE RISKS THAT IS SO WELL HAS SO WELL KNOWN THAT WE'VE MADE MISTAKES ON BEFORE IS SOMETHING YOU TOUCHED ON.
IT'S THE PUBLIC COMMENT, IT'S THE PUBLIC NOTICE, IT'S THE TRANSPARENCY.
AND WE FAILED, UM, IN PRIOR COUNCILS, UM, BEFORE MY TIME.
AND MOST OF EVERYONE HERE'S TIME TO DO THAT.
AND BECAUSE OF THAT, THERE WERE, UM, ISSUES THAT WERE STILL, THAT WE'RE STILL HAVING TODAY, UM, JONESVILLE OTHER AREAS ACROSS THE, UM, ACROSS THE ISLAND WHOSE RESIDENTS WERE SURPRISED ONE MORNING WHEN THINGS STARTED TO HAPPEN IN THEIR, THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS AND THEY HADN'T KNOWN.
COMING BACK TO THE BEGINNING OF YOUR PRESENTATION, YOU MENTIONED, UM, A DESTINATION, UM, ORGANIZATION MANAGEMENT, WHAT IS THAT? WE'RE GONNA GET INTO IT AFTER LAND MANAGEMENT ORDINANCE.
AND THEN AS A QUESTION WAS BEING ASKED, UM, IT WASN'T THE ANSWER.
UM, AND THIS MIGHT NOT BE THE RIGHT PLACE TO, TO MENTION THIS, BUT I'M GOING TO, 'CAUSE I WANNA MAKE SURE I DO.
AND IF THERE'S ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY, I MAY OR MAY NOT SAY IT AGAIN.
BUT WITH REGARD TO SHORT TERM RENTALS AND ANY CHANGES THAT MIGHT COME
[01:35:01]
FORWARD WITH THAT, I THINK ONE THING THAT I'VE HEARD THAT, UM, IS IMPORTANT THAT WE'VE MISSED IS, UM, WE HAVE A DEADLINE FOR FOLKS TO COME IN AND APPLY FOR THEIR, UM, PERMITS, THEIR LICENSES, THEIR PERMITS, BUT THEN THERE'S NO ASSOCIATED LATE FEE.SO IT'S HAMSTRINGS, I THINK EVERYONE, UM, ON STAFF AND US IN TERMS OF KNOWING WHAT THOSE FULL NUMBERS ARE.
SO I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE PUT SOMETHING IN THERE THAT SAYS, IF YOUR, YOUR PAPERWORK ISN'T IN BY WHATEVER DATE, THERE'S AN ADDITIONAL FEE BECAUSE WE HAVE WORK TO BE DONE AND WE CAN'T LEAVE IT.
SO OPEN-ENDED THAT WE DON'T HAVE THE PROPER DATA THAT WE'RE TRYING TO COLLECT AND WE CAN'T PROCESS THROUGH IN A TIMELY MANNER FOR, FOR STAFF TO DO.
AND THEN IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE STILL HAVE NON-COMPLIANCE.
SO WHERE THERE'S NON-COMPLIANCE, WE HAVE NO REPERCUSSIONS.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO GATHER THIS ALL TOGETHER SO THAT WE CAN MAKE SENSE OF WHAT OUR SHORT TERM RENTAL DATA IS FOR FUTURE THOUGHTS, UM, ON WHAT WE DO, UH, WE NEED TO HAVE SOMETHING THAT PUSHES EVERYBODY INTO THOSE NUMBERS.
SO PERHAPS A NON-COMPLIANCE FEE FINE OF SOME SORT.
AND I'M NOT THE TYPE OF PERSON WHO LIKES TO GO AROUND, YOU KNOW, HITTING PEOPLE ON THE HEAD, BUT WE HAVE WORK TO DO AND PEOPLE WANT US TO DEMONSTRATE DATA, AND IF WE DON'T HAVE THE APPROPRIATE AND CORRECT DATA, THEN WE CAN'T DO THAT.
AND SO WE CONTINUE TO GET CRITICIZED FOR THAT.
UM, AND THIS MIGHT OR MIGHT NOT BE ONE OF THE WAYS TO HELP SOLVE THAT PROBLEM.
UM, ANOTHER QUESTION THAT I'VE ASKED, UM, SINCE OUR PLAN WAS DEVELOPED, UM, IS WE USE THE TERM RIGHT SIZE STRUCTURE, RIGHT SIZE THIS RIGHT SIZE THAT I'D LOVE TO KNOW SOMEBODY TO TELL ME EXACTLY MIND RIGHT SIZE IS BECAUSE FOR ME, ESPECIALLY HAVING LOOKED UM, AROUND, UH, LOOKED THROUGH THE TRENDS, UM, REPORT THAT WAS PROVIDED TO PUBLIC PLANNING RECENTLY, UM, THOSE TRENDS ARE TERRIFYING.
IS THAT WHAT IT DEMONSTRATES STRONGLY IS THAT WE ARE, UM, AND I'LL SAY IT THE SAME WAY I ALWAYS DO, IF WE'RE NOT AT CAPACITY, WE'RE RIGHT THERE.
IN FACT, WE MAY BE OVER CAPACITY.
AND SO, UM, THAT TRENDS REPORT HIGHLIGHTED THAT FOR ME VERY CLEARLY THE STATISTICS IN THERE.
I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE A WORKSHOP ON MAYOR, IF POSSIBLE, SO THAT WE COULD GO OVER THE PORTION, NOT THE STRATEGIC PART.
IN FACT, I THINK THAT THAT REPORT ITSELF NEEDS TO BE BROKEN INTO TWO DIFFERENT DOCUMENTS, BUT THE PART WHERE IT COLLECTS THE DATA AND GIVES US STATISTICS AND INFORMATION WE NEED TO THOROUGHLY DIGEST AND UNDERSTAND THE IMPLICATIONS OF THOSE AND NOT JUST THE FOUR OF US ON PUBLIC PLANNING AND THEN SEND IT OFF TO TOWN COUNCIL WHERE WE SPEND TOWN COUNCIL TIME WHERE WE SHOULD BE MAKING DECISIONS, BUT INSTEAD DEBATING AND HASHING.
SO A WORKSHOP MAY, IN MY OPINION, UM, BE HELPFUL TO, UM, SOLVE THAT.
THE SUBDIVISION REGULATIONS, I'M VERY, UM, INTERESTED IN, IN WATCHING CAREFULLY, AS I'VE SAID BEFORE ON HOW THESE PLAY OUT, ESPECIALLY IN WARD FOUR AND THE CHAPLAIN AREA.
UM, WE IN THAT DISTRICT OR ZONING AREA, HAVE IN THE PAST, UM, ALREADY BEEN BURDENED THROUGH A 2024 LMO REWRITE.
UM, AND NO TRANSPARENCY OR KNOWLEDGE, UM, WITH POOR OUTCOMES.
I'M GONNA SIT ON THIS COUNCIL, I'M GONNA MAKE SURE THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN TO THE RESIDENTS IN WARD FOUR, BUT ALSO ACROSS THE ISLAND.
AND SO I'M REALLY CONCERNED ABOUT WATCHING THAT, UM, AND MAKE SURE THAT WE DON'T, HAVING FOUGHT THROUGH THOSE, MOST OF THOSE ISSUES REVERT BACK TO FINDING OURSELF IN THE SAME PLACE.
SO THOSE ARE, UM, SOME OF MY QUESTION, UH, CONCERNS MY THOUGHTS OF WHAT YOU'VE ALREADY SAID TODAY, THAT TRAFFIC STUDY POINT, SUPER IMPORTANT.
WE NEED TO BE MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE CONDUCTING TRAFFIC STUDIES SO WE TRULY KNOW THE IMPACT OF THE DEVELOPMENT THAT HAPPENS WITHIN SMALL NEIGHBORHOODS.
SEE SEAN TAKING THAT NOTE THAT WE CAN'T FORGET THAT VERY IMPORTANT ELEMENT OF THAT, THAT PLAN.
ALRIGHT, MR. BROWN, THANK YOU MR. MAYOR, THANK YOU.
AROUND THIS PARTICULAR STRATEGY.
UM, I WANT TO, UM, I GUESS FIRST OF ALL, THANK OUR, UH, FACILITATORS FOR BEING HERE AGAIN, BECAUSE I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US AS A COMMUNITY TO RECOGNIZE FRESH EYES, UH, FRESH EARS.
AND, UM, I'M GOING TO CONTINUE TO ENCOURAGE YOU GUYS TO BE VERY DELIBERATE AS YOU GIVE US YOUR THOUGHTS AND REACTIONS TO HOW WE ARE DOING BUSINESS.
UM, THE, THE ONE THING THAT'S, UH, STICKING IN MY MIND, AND IT'S PROBABLY ONE OF THE ONLY NOTES THAT I'VE TAKEN SO FAR TODAY, AND THAT'S THAT LEVEL SIX GOVERNANCE AND, UM,
[01:40:02]
BILL'S WRIGHT, THE, THE GROCERY STORE ENCOUNTER IS REAL.OKAY? IT, IT HAPPENS, RIGHT? AND UNFORTUNATELY, WE ARE IN A SITUATION WHERE WE ARE REACTING TO DECISIONS THAT WERE MADE BEFORE WE GOT IN THESE SEATS, RIGHT? BUT THIS IS WHERE WE ARE NOW.
WHAT YOU HAVE IN FRONT OF US IS WHERE WE ARE NOW, AND I WOULD JUST ENCOURAGE US AS WE MOVE THROUGH THIS DISCUSSION TODAY TO STAY AT OUR LEVEL SO THAT WE CAN GIVE MARK DIRECTION AND KEEP MOVING.
OKAY? UM, AND, AND I, I, I GUESS THE, THE REAL POINT OF MY COMMENT IS AS WE MOVE ALONG, THE COMMUNICATION PIECE THAT STARTS TO PUSH BACK OR EVEN, UH, MINIMIZE THE GROCERY STORE ENCOUNTER, I THINK IS IMPORTANT, RIGHT? COUNSEL, ANY OTHER COMMENTS? SO I WANNA TAKE A MOMENT REAL QUICK, UM, AND, AND ADDRESS SOMETHING THAT, THAT Y'ALL SAID EARLY ON.
UM, AND THAT WAS, THAT WAS, UM, SHORT TERM VERSUS LONG TERM GOALS.
SO I, I RELATED THAT IMMEDIATELY TO A REACTIVE AND PROACTIVE STANCE.
AND I THINK THAT OUR, OUR 15 STRATEGIES FROM LAST YEAR MAY HAVE BEEN SOMEWHAT OF A REACTIVE APPROACH.
AND WHAT I SEE IS THAT WE NEED TO LOOK AT WHAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT TODAY AND THE PLANS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE FOR THE FUTURE.
AND I WANT TO GIVE AN EXAMPLE AS TO AS TO A PLAN THAT WAS PUT IN PLACE MANY MOONS AGO AND WHAT THE NET EFFECT IS TO HILTON HEAD.
SO THE LAND ACQUISITION PROGRAM, ONE OF THE BEST THINGS THIS COMMUNITY HAS EVER DONE, THE QUARTER OF 1% REAL ESTATE TRANSFER FEE.
SO TODAY WITH I, I THINK IT'S THE 1300 ACRES THAT WE, WE CALCULATE THIS OFF OF, UH, IT'S A REDUCTION OF 4.65 MILLION SQUARE FEET OF COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT, REDUCTION OF 1,460 MOTEL ROOMS, REDUCTION OF 4,787 RESIDENTIAL AND TIMESHARE UNITS, AND A REDUCTION OF 43,890 7:00 PM PEAK HOUR DRIVING TRIPS.
THAT IS A DIRECT OUTCOME OF A GOAL THAT COUNCILS IN THE PAST HAVE SET.
HAD THIS NOT BEEN DONE, THIS ISLAND WOULD BE A TOTALLY DIFFERENT PLACE.
SO AS WE TALK TODAY, ON A HIGH LEVEL, IT IS ABOUT THOSE OUTCOMES THAT MAKE A DIFFERENCE TOMORROW WITHOUT GETTING INTO THE DAY-TO-DAY ASPECTS OF HOW THE BUSINESS IS HANDLED.
UM, SO I WANT US TO REALLY FOCUS ON THAT AND NOT, NOT THE SHORT-TERM GOALS BECAUSE WE'RE, WE'VE ADDRESSED THOSE, WE ADDRESSED A LOT OF THOSE LAST YEAR, BUT TODAY WE NEED TO BE PROACTIVE ON OUR LONG-TERM GOALS TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT WE'RE HAVING THE SAME EFFECT THAT PREVIOUS COUNCILS ARE HAVING ON US TODAY.
UM, I ALSO WANT TO TAKE THE WORD RISK AND CHANGE THAT FROM A RISK TO AN UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCE.
THAT'S WHERE WE NEED TO LOOK, BECAUSE BY DOING SOMETHING, WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO SOMETHING ELSE? AND OF COURSE, BY NOT DOING SOMETHING, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN TO SOMETHING ELSE? SO I THINK WE NEED TO CHANGE IT.
YES, IT'S RISK, BUT WHAT IS IT? WHAT IS THE UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCE? THAT'S THE ANSWER THAT NEEDS TO BE GIVEN, UM, SO THAT A, A, A GOOD STRONG DECISION CAN BE MADE.
I'M SORRY, CAN I ASK ONE QUESTION? UH, YOU'VE GOT, UM, 2024 WORK PLANNED.
UM, IS, IS, UH, IS THERE A REQUEST FOR US TO SAY YES OR NO FOR 2024 OF WHAT IS PLANNED? YES.
I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR FROM YOU, UM, MORE OF A CONSENSUS OR AN AGREEMENT OR NOT THAT WE'RE ON THE RIGHT TRACK.
GROWTH FRAMEWORK MAP DRIVES YOUR DISTRICT THINKING.
YOUR DISTRICT DRIVES YOUR FUTURE LAND USE MAP, YOUR FUTURE LAND USE MAP NEEDS TO BE EMBEDDED AND APPROVED AND ADOPTED IN OUR COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
OUR LAND USE ELEMENT NEEDS A LITTLE MORE LOVE THAN IT CURRENTLY HAS.
AND THEN THAT SHOULD BE OUR BASIS, RIGHT? POLITICAL, GEOGRAPHICAL, LEGAL, SOCIAL, ECONOMIC, EVERYTHING UNDER THE SUN, THE BASIS FOR AMENDING THE LAND MANAGEMENT ORDINANCE.
SO MAYOR, ARE OUR CONSULTANTS HERE TO HELP US DETERMINE CONSENSUS, SOLE THIS WORK PLAN.
THEY, THEY'RE, THEY'RE HERE IF YOU NEED THEM, OR YOU CAN SIMPLY SAY WE'RE ON THE RIGHT TRACK TOO.
SO I WAS GONNA ASK YOU, YOU'RE LOOKING FOR A HEAD NOD OR YOU'RE JUST A, YOU KNOW WHAT? I, I THINK YOU'RE ON THE RIGHT TRACK.
THIS IS, THIS IS A GOOD DIRECTION.
IT COVERS WHAT WE THINK IS NEEDS TO BE COVERED.
MAYOR PRO, UH, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR IS JUST, UH, A SORT OF A GENERAL CONSENSUS.
UH, WHAT, WHAT MARK'S DOING HERE IS FOR THE REST OF THE, THE REMAINDER OF THE CALENDAR YEAR
[01:45:01]
ARE THESE ARE, UM, INITIATIVES, PROJECTS THAT THE STAFF WANTS TO WORK ON.YOU'RE GONNA GET A, MY ASSUMPTION IS IT'S NOT AN ASSUMPTION.
THE MANAGER'S GONNA COME BACK AND YOU'LL GET A CHANCE TO, YOU KNOW, FORMALLY ADOPT THIS, BUT THEY NEED TO KNOW WHAT YOU'RE GONNA WORK ON.
SO, GREAT, GREAT ITEM MAYOR, LOOKING AT THE OUTCOMES.
ARE THESE GONNA ACHIEVE THE OUTCOMES THAT YOU WANT IN THIS AREA? SECONDLY, IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS, THE STAFF AND MARK ARE HERE TO ADDRESS THOSE QUESTIONS TODAY.
IF YOU HAVE CONCERNS, THEY NEED TO BE LISTED, BUT ULTIMATELY IT'S A NOD, KIND OF, ARE WE ON THE RIGHT TRACK? RIGHT? AND IF WE SPEND TOO MUCH TIME ON ALL 15 AND DON'T GET TOO SOME OF, SOME MORE STUFF, RIGHT? SO THAT'S, THAT'S MY GOAL.
SO MIKE WAS WHISPERING TO ME, HE'S LIKE, I'M NERVOUS YOU'RE GONNA GET BOGGED DOWN IN ALL 15 AND WE'RE NOT GONNA GET OUTTA HERE TILL TOMORROW.
BUT I DID TELL HIM THERE'S ABOUT FOUR OR FIVE OF THESE ITEMS THAT WE, THAT I NEED TO SLOW DOWN ON.
AND THEN THERE'S ABOUT 10 PLUS THAT.
SO, SO YOU'RE GONNA TAKE OUR INPUT TODAY, GO BACK, REFINE A LITTLE BIT, COME BACK TO US.
YEAH, NO, I, THAT, THAT'S WHAT I WANT TO GET TO.
AND WE ARE GOING TO CONTINUE TO REMIND PUBLIC PLANNING COMMITTEE.
WE'RE GONNA TAKE THESE TWO SLIDES AND WE'RE GONNA KEEP 'EM MOVING FORWARD AND OWE YOU THROUGH PUBLIC PLANNING COMMITTEE THIS WORK PRODUCT.
AND SO I, I, I DON'T KNOW HOW ELSE TO BAKE, BUILD AND BAKE A CODE THE RIGHT WAY, EXCEPT THIS WAY.
AND THIS HAS BEEN COMMENDED BY OUR CONSULTANTS.
THEY'RE NOT DOING ALL THE WORK AND LET'S GET ON WITH BUSINESS.
AND IT IS THE OPERATIONAL SIDE.
AS WE'RE HERE FOR THE POLICY SIDE.
SO THAT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO DO THE OPERATIONAL AND THE DAY-TO-DAY TO MAKE IT TO IMPLEMENT.
THE POLICY, WHAT YOU DON'T HAVE UP HERE IS THE IMPROVEMENTS TO OUR DEVELOPMENT REVIEW PROGRAM, OUR SURVEY, OUR RESPONSE TO OUR SURVEY, OUR INTERNAL DEVELOPMENT REVIEW TEAM THAT WE PUT TOGETHER WITH A GREAT NEW CUSTOMER SERVICE CENTER MANAGER, OUR HISPANIC TRANSLATION IN THE CUSTOMER SERVICE CENTER.
NONE OF THAT'S UP HERE BECAUSE THAT IS DAY TO DAY.
WHAT YOU SEE UP HERE ARE POLICY ITEMS YOU WILL APPROVE AT SOME POINT.
HOPEFULLY I ASK EVERY ONE OF THESE.
GROWTH FRAMEWORK, DISTRICT LAND USE MASTER PLAN IS A, IS AN ADDITION OF EVERYTHING TOGETHER, AMEND THE LAND, USE AND VOTE ON THE CODE.
THOSE ARE ALL POLICY ITEMS, NO MORE, NO LESS.
SO IF Y'ALL AGREE, WE CAN MOVE ON.
I HAD NOD OR RAISE A HAND, BUT WHAT I WANT IS, AS I SAID EARLIER, I WANT SOME CONFIDENCE THAT WE'RE ON THE RIGHT TRACK.
I THINK THIS ONE, WE HAVE THAT CONFIDENCE FROM YOU.
IT'S JUST, I I'M HEARING IT'S STALLED.
I'M HEARING IT'S TAKING TOO LONG.
I'M HEARING, TELL US WHAT THE SCHEDULE IS SO WE CAN GET RID OF THAT ANGST.
WE CAN AT LEAST EXPLAIN TO OTHERS AND TO OURSELVES, RIGHT.
WHAT THE REAL SCHEDULE IS AND LET'S HIT THE SCHEDULE THIS TIME.
UM, SO IS THERE, IS THERE SOMETHING THAT'S MISSING FROM THIS? HI, UM, MAYOR, SO THIS IS MY COMMENT.
UM, IF YOU GO BACK TO THE, THE PLAN, IF YOU GO BACK TO THAT SLIDE, ESTABLISH A GROWTH FRAMEWORK MAP.
HOWEVER, I DON'T WANNA KNOW WHAT THAT, WHAT GROWTH MEANS.
IF I THINK BACK TO THAT TRENDS REPORT THAT WAS PRESENTED TO US, AND YES, THERE WERE DIFFICULTIES IN IT AND IT'S BEING SET BACK TO BE REVAMPED AND SHOULD BE, BUT THERE WAS A BULLET IN THERE THAT, UM, AT LEAST TWO OF US OF THE FOUR REACTED TO.
AND I THINK EVERYONE MAY HAVE HAD THOUGHTS ON IT, BUT THAT BULLET SAID, COMMITMENT TO CONTINUED GROWTH.
AND, AND I DON'T KNOW, I, I WILL NOT BE ABLE TODAY TO SAY THAT I'M COMMITTED TO CONTINUED GROWTH.
SO I, WHEN I SEE GROWTH, AGAIN, I THINK ABOUT THE TRENDS REPORT AGAIN.
AND I THINK ABOUT THE ANALYSIS THAT DRAWS ME BACK TO MY, MY VERY DEEP HELD THOUGHT THAT WE ARE, UM, WE ARE NOW AT A POSITION WHERE WE'RE TIPPING.
IT FEELS LIKE, AND, AND YOU CAN CORRECT ME AND THIS IS WHY I'D LOVE TO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR MORE ABOUT THE STATS IN THERE AND DEBATE THEM AND UNDERSTAND THEM FULLY, UM, WHERE WE ARE.
WE ARE NO LONGER GROWING IN POPULATION, BUT WE'RE EXCELLING IN THE GROWTH OF OUR, UM, VISITORS AND TOURISTS WHO WE LOVE AND WE NEED.
SO, BUT OUR FOCUS HAS TO BE BACK TO OUR RESIDENTS FIRST.
AND SO WHEN I SEE GROWTH, I DON'T WANT MORE GROWTH TO ACCOMMODATE THE VISITORS WHO, IF YOU LOOK AT HOW THE BALL, THE DOMINOES
[01:50:01]
FALL ARE CREATING A LOT OF THE PROBLEMS THAT WE'RE NOW TRYING TO INCREASE OUR BUDGET AND OUR STAFF AND EVERYTHING EFFORTS TO, TO, TO MANAGE.I, I THINK THAT BALANCE THAT WE ALL WANNA ACHIEVE IT, IT NEEDS TO BE LOOKED AT CAREFULLY.
AND SO THIS MAKES ME NERVOUS, BUT YES, IT'S TRUE.
WE NEED TO HAVE THESE THINGS, BUT I WANNA KNOW WHAT IT IS WE'RE DOING NEXT TIME.
YOU SEE THAT IT'LL SAY CONSERVATION AND GROWTH MANAGEMENT FRAMEWORK.
SO, BUT THAT, THAT HAS TO BE DEFINED THROUGH PUBLIC PLANNING.
THAT HAS TO BE DEFINED THROUGH THAT EXERCISE.
THOSE ARE THINGS THAT CONCERN ME.
CONSERVATION AND I KNOW CONCERN THE RESIDENTS ON THE ISLAND GROWTH MANAGEMENT FRAMEWORK, MR. RAMES, MARK, UM, YOU'RE WELL AWARE OF MY SENSITIVITY TO ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES.
UH, WE HAVE, I GATHER 1300 ACRES.
I THOUGHT IT WAS 1400 ACRES, BUT 1300 ACRES OF PROPERTY THAT THE TOWN OWNS.
UM, MUCH OF IT WAS BOUGHT, UH, TO PRESERVE, WHICH MAKES SENSE.
UM, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE, UH, A BULLET POINT ADDED IN SOME WAY TO HOW WE DIFFERENTIATE THAT LAND THAT WE OWN OR THAT WE MAINTAIN.
AND I'M DOING THIS FROM THE VANTAGE POINT OF THE CONTROVERSY THAT WE HAVE REGARDING TOXIC CHEMICALS, PESTICIDES, HERBICIDES THAT WE USE ON THE PROPERTIES.
UH, I THINK THERE PROBABLY ARE THREE OR FOUR CLASSIFICATIONS OF PROPERTIES THAT WE OWN.
AND I'M JUST ADVOCATING THAT WE DEVELOP A PLAN OF LAND MANAGEMENT, THAT WE DIFFERENTIATE HOW WE ARE TREATING IT.
I'M VERY CONCERNED THAT WE PRESERVE THE HIGHEST QUALITY NATURAL RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE UNTOUCHED TO THE GREATEST DEGREE.
I THINK IT MAKES SENSE AND I'M NOD AFFIRMATIVELY TOWARDS IT.
NEXT, IMPLEMENT THE WORKFORCE HOUSING FRAMEWORK.
COUNT COUNSEL, UH, WHAT WAS THE DATE? FEBRUARY, NO, NOVEMBER, 2022.
ADOPTED A FINDING HOME PLAN IN THERE HAS ITS OWN GOALS AND STRATEGIES AND SOME TACTICS AND IMMEDIATE NEXT STEPS THAT STAFF HAS BEEN TASKED WITH BY ME THROUGH TOWN COUNCIL.
SO, UM, WORKFORCE HOUSING, AFFILIATE AFFORDABILITY HAS BEEN A GROWING CHALLENGE ON HILTON HEAD.
AND THIS NEGATIVE TREND HAS BEEN ACCELERATING OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS WITHOUT DELIBERATE ACTION.
YOU CAN READ ALL THAT, I WON'T GO THROUGH IT, BUT THE WORKFORCE HOUSING FRAMEWORK IS A COMMITMENT TO PRESERVE AND EXPAND WORKFORCE HOUSING ON HILTON HEAD ISLAND.
UM, TOWN COUNCIL ADOPTED PLAN, UH, YOU HAVE PUT IN PLACE A HOUSING ACTION COMMITTEE.
AND BY THE SHEER NATURE OF PUTTING IN PLACE A HOUSING ACTION COMMITTEE, YOU HAVE TASKED ME, REALLY STAFF, AND AGAIN, THIS IS MISSY, BUT WITH QUINCY, QUINCY WAS HERE AND THE, BUT QUINCY WAS HERE.
UM, AND, AND WE HIRED A PERSON TO COME HERE AND HELP US WITH SOME HOUSING EXPERIENCE.
AND SOMEBODY THAT WAKES UP EVERY DAY AND GOES TO SLEEP EVERY NIGHT, WHO'S THINKING ABOUT HOUSING? NOT THE LAND MANAGEMENT ORDINANCE OR THE RESILIENCE PLAN.
SO WHAT WE'VE SAID OR WHAT YOU'VE SAID THROUGH THE PLAN, THE APPROVED ACTION IS MAINTAIN PARTNERSHIPS AND RELATIONSHIPS WITH COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS.
ENGAGE WITH THE HOUSING ACTION COMMITTEE TO COORDINATE COMMUNITY GROUPS, UM, TO CREATE A MULTI-YEAR WORKFORCE HOUSING ACTION PLAN TO ADD DEDICATED STAFF TO EXPLORE THE CREATION OF A PROFESSIONALLY MANAGED HOUSING ORGANIZATION, TO MAINTAIN A DASHBOARD, TO CREATE AND MAINTAIN A DASHBOARD OF CORE METRICS, TO ESTABLISH A FUNDING PLAN THAT MEETS THE NEEDS OF THE MULTI-YEAR HOUSING ACT, WORKFORCE HOUSING ACTION PLAN, AND SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETE THE EXECUTION OF NORTH POINT.
SO THAT'S WHAT YOU'VE SAID TO DO IN THE APPROVED PLAN MINUS NORTH POINT, BUT I ADDED THAT UP THERE BECAUSE YOU HAVE GIVEN ME SOME PRETTY CLEAR DIRECTION AND PUT IN THERE, UM, ALSO ESTABLISHED A NORTH POINT
[01:55:01]
COMMITTEE OF, OF SORTS THAT IS HELPING ME THROUGH THOSE PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP TERMS. SO OUR WORK PLAN THIS YEAR IS TO EXECUTE THAT NORTH POINT PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP.I, I APPRECIATE ALL THAT EXTRA WORK, BUT IF THAT ISN'T MY SOLE PRIORITY FOR A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME WITH BEN, WHO'S HELPING ME A LOT ON SOME POLICY INITIATIVES OUTSIDE OF HOUSING, UM, HELPING LOOK AT ACQUIRING LAND, MAKING SURE HE'S FACING PHONE CALLS THAT COME TO ME THAT I CAN'T GET TO.
AND SO WE'RE VERY CLOSE, BUT AGAIN, THAT'S PART OF THE 2024 WORK PLAN AND THANK YOU BEN FOR ALL OF THAT.
WE ALSO ARE THERE TO SUPPORT THE HOUSING ACTION COMMITTEE.
THE HOUSING ACTION COMMITTEE MEETS MONTHLY.
I THINK THEY CANCELED A MEETING.
THEY HAVE SET THEMSELVES UP INTO WORKING GROUPS SO WE DON'T HAVE TO BE AT EVERY SINGLE MEETING AND, AND WORK WITH 'EM.
I APPRECIATE THAT THEY'RE TRYING, THEY'RE THEY'RE TRYING TO GET, GET TO WORK.
UM, I KNOW THAT THEY HAVE, THE CHAIR HAS, HAS MET WITH YOU AND I WITH STAFF TO REALLY ATTEMPT TO TRY TO GET ON THE SAME PAGE, RIGHT? SO I, I WANT TO IMPLEMENT WHAT Y'ALL HAVE ASKED ME TO DO, EVEN THOUGH THEY MIGHT HAVE MORE IN MIND.
I WANT TO AT LEAST GET TO WHAT YOU'VE SUPPORTED.
FIRST UP HERE, TOWN COUNCIL HAS APPROVED THE LOW COUNTRY HABITAT FOR HUMANITY.
MOU AND CC D-C-M-O-U ON YOUR TABLE.
TUESDAY NIGHT WAS TO CONTEMPLATE FUNDING THOSE TWO MOUS.
BUT THAT IS TAKING TIME AND I'M IN THE BUSINESS OF NOT JUST ADOPTING MOUS, BUT HAVING AN OPERATIONAL OVERSIGHT ON OUR OPERATING AGREEMENTS, OUR PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENTS, OUR, OUR WHATNOT.
YOU KNOW, WHETHER IT'S USCB OR HABITAT THAT DOES TAKE SOME TIME TO CAREFULLY MANAGE THAT.
WE ARE CONTINUING TO IMPLEMENT THE HOME SAFE AND REPAIR LATERAL SEWER CONNECTION PROGRAMS, RIGHT? WHY IS THIS BUCKETED IN HOUSING? IT'S KEEPING PEOPLE IN THE HOMES THAT THEY'RE IN RATHER THAN HAVING TO MOVE TO A HEALTHIER SPACE.
AND SO WE'VE UNCOVERED, UM, WE'VE UNCOVERED SOME CONDITIONS THAT, UM, THE BEFORE AND AFTER SCENARIOS, THE CONDITIONS THAT WE'VE IMPROVED THROUGH $15,000 GRANTS THROUGH FEDERAL GRANT DOLLARS IS IMMENSE.
AND I KNOW THERE'S OTHER PROGRAMS IN OUR COMMUNITY THAT ARE HELPING WITH THAT AS WELL.
SO, UM, THAT, THAT IS WHAT OUR PLANNED WORK IS FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE YEAR ON YOUR TABLE, AGAIN, TUESDAY NIGHT, UM, YOU DIDN'T VOTE FIRST READING, UM, DIDN'T HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO LOOK AT IT OR, OR CONSIDER IT, I SHOULD SAY PUBLICLY.
I'VE ALSO COME AND HAVE ASKED YOU FOR SOME MORE FUNDS FROM THE ARPA FUNDS.
WE HAVE MORE APP, MORE APPLICATIONS THAN WE HAVE CURRENT FUNDS, BUT WE STILL HAVE REMAINING DOLLARS SITTING IN AN ACCOUNT.
AND THE GOAL OF ARPA WAS TO INVEST THEM INTO COMMUNITIES AS A STIMULUS BACK FROM COVID.
SO I'VE COME TO YOU AND ASKED YOU FOR APPROXIMATELY A MILLION ADDITIONAL DOLLAR DOLLARS TO FINISH WHAT WE STARTED, RIGHT? SO, SO MANY APPLICATIONS CAME IN, WE STACKED THEM UP, WE VETTED THEM FIRST, COME FIRST SERVE.
WE GET OUR FOLKS OUT THERE, WE'VE HIRED A COUPLE LOCAL CONTRACTORS AND THEN SOME WE'RE DOING THE WORK, BUT THERE'S STILL WORK TO DO.
WE SAID THAT WE WOULD IMPLEMENT THE FINDING HOME PLAN, AND OF ALL THOSE THINGS THAT YOU JUST SAW, WE SAID THAT WE WOULD DEVELOP AND ADOPT AND DISPLACEMENT, MITIGATION AND SUPPORT PLAN THAT WOULD COME THROUGH COUNCIL, RIGHT? THAT'S A POLICY ITEM.
IT'S UP THERE THAT WE WOULD CREATE A WORKFORCE HOUSING METRICS DASHBOARD THAT'S MORE OPERATIONAL IN NATURE, BUT IT'S DEFINITELY SHOULD DRIVE, RIGHT? IT SHOULD, IT SHOULD DRIVE THE, THE MEASUREMENT AS WE'RE THINKING THROUGH THE TOP LINE AND THEN DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT A COMPREHENSIVE WORKFORCE HOUSING COMMUNICATIONS PLAN THAT'S COMING OUT OF THE, THE FINDING HOME PLAN.
UH, NOT PUTTING ANDREW ON THE SPOT, BUT I THINK THAT WE HAVE TO REALLY REFINE WHAT THAT COMMUNICATION STRATEGY IS.
IT'S NOT JUST GETTING OUT IN THE COMMUNITY SAYING WE HAVE A WORKFORCE HOUSING PROBLEM, BUT WHAT IS IT? HOW IS IT DEFINED? WHAT ARE WE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH? AND WHY IS ANDREW SPENDING TIME ON THAT COMMUNICATIONS PLAN IS SOMETHING THAT ANDREW AND I HAVE, HAVE, HAVE BEEN TALKING A LOT ABOUT OVER THE LAST MONTHS IN THAT WE WOULD EVALUATE EXISTING WORKFORCE HOUSING POLICIES AND RECOMMEND PERHAPS SOME CHANGES AS PART OF THE LMO.
THERE'S TWO REAL PROVISIONS IN THE LAND MANAGEMENT ORDINANCE FOR WORKFORCE HOUSING.
THERE'S A DENSITY BONUS AND THERE'S A COMMERCIAL TO RESIDENTIAL CONVERSION PROVISION.
I DON'T BELIEVE, HAS ANYBODY TAKEN AN APPLICATION AND SUBMITTED IT ON THOSE TWO PROVISIONS? I KNOW WE'VE HAD SOME COMMERCIAL TO RESIDENTIAL CONVERSION, BUT DID THEY NEED OUR LMO TO DO IT?
[02:00:01]
HAVE ANY APPLICATIONS COME IN? ONE HAS COME IN, HAVE WE APPROVED IT YET? ALRIGHT, WHAT'S THE APPLICATION? OKAY, SO, SO WE HAVE TO, SORRY, BE DOING THAT.I THINK WITHOUT A MICROPHONE, WE MAY HAVE LOST SOME OF THAT.
ONLY ONE APPLICATION HAS COME IN.
UM, IT'S IN THE MAIN STREET AREA AND IT'S A CONVERSION OF COMMERCIAL ASSISTED LIVING TO, TO RESIDE TO RESIDENTIAL LONG TERM.
UM, BUT ONE, AND SO DOES THAT MEAN OUR CODE IS BROKEN OR DOES THAT JUST MEAN THAT THE MARKET ISN'T DEMANDING THAT? WE'RE GONNA LOOK AT A LITTLE BIT OF THAT IN OUR LMO.
SO WE, AS, AS TOWN COUNCIL'S PLEDGE THAT MILLION DOLLARS TOWARDS THE BE FOR JASPER HOUSING TRUST, I WILL PLEDGE INTO THE BUDGET FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION.
ANOTHER, OUR, OUR THIRD YEAR $89,000 NORTH POINT PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP.
WE'VE ALWAYS SAID THAT PART OF THE, PART OF THE DEAL, PART OF THE, THE BID WAS TAKING A MILLION DOLLARS OF THE 5.2 FROM AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN FUNDS IN INVESTING IN INFRASTRUCTURE.
SO YOU'LL SEE THAT IN THE BUDGET AGAIN.
AND THEN IN THE ADDITIONAL WORK THIS YEAR, YOU'LL SEE A MORE REFINED WORKFORCE HOUSING BUDGET.
AND WE'RE GONNA START TALKING SOON, EARLY APRIL, WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.
UM, AND SO THAT YOU CAN START SEEING WHERE, WHERE THESE DOLLARS ARE, ARE PLEDGED TO BE SPENT.
SO AGAIN, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE AS A STAFF AND AS A TEAM WITH QUINCY.
UM, AND, AND SOMETIMES MISSY AS SHE'S DIVING INTO THE CODE AT A FASTER PACE OVER THE NEXT NINE MONTHS.
WE'RE MARCH 21ST HERE AND WE'VE GOT NINE MONTHS TILL DECEMBER 31ST.
THIS IS WHAT WE'RE PLEDGING TO DO IN ASKING FOR EITHER A, YOUR SUPPORT OR B DIFFERENTIAL.
MAYOR OF COURSE, UH, AND TOWN MANAGER.
UM, I I WOULD ADD, UH, ONE ADDITIONAL ASTERISK IN THIS AREA.
UM, BACK IN 19, UH, 2019, WE HAD A CONSULTANT COME IN WHO CONCLUDED THAT WE NEEDED 200 WORKFORCE HOUSING UNITS A YEAR AND, UH, FOR 10 YEARS.
AND WE HAVEN'T COME CLOSE TO BEING ABLE TO DO THAT FOR OBVIOUS REASONS.
IN SOME CASES, MAYBE OTHERS NOT SO OBVIOUS.
UH, THE ASTERISK I WOULD LIKE TO INCLUDE IS THE MUDDY CREEK PROJECT AND HAVE THAT BE MASTER PLANNED AND, UH, A, A BUSINESS PROGRAM SET UP SO THAT WE KNOW THE POTENTIAL OF THAT PROPERTY AND CAN ADVERTISE IT TO DEVELOPERS AND GET STARTED ON THAT PROJECT.
UH, MY ASTERISK ADDED TO THAT IS THERE'S A SLIDE OR TWO OR THREE AT THE VERY END OF OUR CURRENT WORK THAT THAT WILL SHOW UP AGAIN.
SO WE WERE, WE WERE ANTICIPATING THAT.
AND, AND THERE'LL BE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR Y'ALL TO REALLY WEIGH IN WHEN YOU, YOU COULD DO IT NOW, WE CAN SKIP IT LATER.
SO, NO, I, I I WILL JUST ADD THAT THAT AREA HAS SUCH POTENTIAL FAR BEYOND THE MUDDY CREEK ACREAGE THAT THE TOWN BOUGHT, THAT WHOLE AREA.
IF IT'S CONCEIVED AS, AS SOMEWHAT THE MAYOR WAS SUGGESTING BEFORE, WHAT ARE OUR VISIONARY IDEAS TODAY? THAT AREA COULD BE ONE OF THOSE.
UM, I THINK THAT WE HAVE GAINED GREAT MOMENTUM IN THIS HOUSING AREA, AND I THINK THAT THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF GREAT WORK DONE BY THE STAFF, AND I SINCERELY APPRECIATE THAT.
SO I THINK WE'RE GETTING STARTED HERE IN THE RIGHT AREA.
ONE OF THE AREAS OF CONCERN TO ME AS A COMMERCIAL CONVERSION.
SO I RECOGNIZE THAT SHE SAID THERE'S ONLY BEEN ONE APPLICATION.
I THINK A WORK POINT THAT SHOULD BE CONSIDERED IS TO STUDY WHAT OTHER COMMUNITIES HAVE BEEN ABLE TO SUCCESSFULLY DO IN CREATING HOUSING FROM PRIOR UNITS OR BUILDINGS THAT WERE PRIORLY USED, UH, FOR COMMERCIAL PURPOSES.
THANK YOU, MARK, FOR THE, UM, WALKTHROUGH ON THIS, UM, STRATEGY.
[02:05:01]
UM, AGAIN, TRYING TO MAKE SENSE OF MY NOTES IN SOME REASONABLE, UH, LOGICAL ORDER.UM, BUT I'LL GO BACK TO WHAT I THINK IS SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE MISSED IN, UM, IN ALL OF THIS.
AND IT WAS BROUGHT UP LAST MONTH AT THE HOUSING ACTION COMMITTEE THAT IN THEIR DISCUSSION, UM, US CONSIDER, THEY MENTIONED GETTING TO A SURVEY.
AND, AND IN MY HUMBLE OPINION, THAT SURVEY SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE A WHILE AGO.
AND THE REPORT FROM 2019, THAT WAS DONE BY LISA STEVAN, THAT IS OLD NEWS.
AND A LOT HAS HAPPENED IN BETWEEN.
AND SOME OF WHAT HAS HAPPENED IN BETWEEN IS THAT WHILE WE MAY HAVE HAD ONLY ONE APPLICATION THUS FAR COMING THROUGH THE LMO WITH REGARD TO CONVERSIONS AND DENSITY AND THAT SORT OF THING, WE DO KNOW, WE ABSOLUTELY DO KNOW THAT ACROSS THE ISLAND, PRIVATE INVESTORS HAVE TAKEN THE INITIATIVE AND THEY HAVE CONSTRUCTED WORKFORCE HOUSING.
PERHAPS NOT IN THE GREAT NUMBERS INDIVIDUALLY, THAT, UM, SOMETHING LIKE NORTH POINT MIGHT PROVIDE.
BUT CUMULATIVELY THERE IS A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF WORKFORCE HOUSING THAT PRIVATE INVESTORS HAVE ALREADY CON, UM, CONSTRUCTED FOLKS ARE LIVING IN.
THEY'RE IN THE PROCESS OF CONSTRUCTING, IT'S BEING PLANNED FOR, UM, TO COME, ALL OF WHICH HAS NOT NECESS, UH, NECESSITATED GOVERNMENT INTERVENTION IN ANY WAY.
THAT IS A CRITICALLY IMPORTANT PIECE TO ALL OF THIS, UNLESS WE TRULY WANT TO DEVELOP SOMETHING THAT MAKES OUR TINY ISLAND OF 40,000.
JUST ABOUT, UH, 40,000 RESIDENTS, A BIG CITY URBAN ENVIRONMENT, THESE RELIANCES, UH, ON PRIVATE INVESTORS IS THE CRITICAL ELEMENT TO CONNECT WITH THEM, TO ENCOURAGE THEM TO PROVIDE PERHAPS OTHER INCENTIVES THROUGH OUR LMO YES.
UM, FOR, TO MAKE THEIR JOBS A LITTLE BIT EASIER.
IF THAT IS A STUMBLING BLOCK THAT WE UNCOVER, THEN I MUST CLEARLY OPEN TO THAT.
BUT I'M NOT OPEN TO CREATING A HOUSING DEPARTMENT IN WORK IN HILTON HEAD ISLAND ON THE BACKS OF THE TAXPAYER, UM, IN, YOU KNOW, CONNECTING LAST STRATEGY TO THIS ONE TO CONTINUE TO PROVIDE FOR NOT NECESSARILY OUR RESIDENTS, BUT THE EVER INCREASING NEEDS OF WORKFORCE FOR OUR TOURISTS.
UM, HAVING SAID THAT, THERE'S ANOTHER ITEM UP THERE THAT, UM, I'M NOT SURE HOW IT'S ON THERE, BUT TO IMPLEMENT THE COASTAL COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, MIRANDA, OF UNDERSTANDING THERE ARE QUESTIONS, CONCERNS THAT MUST BE WORKED OUT WITH REGARD TO THAT ORGANIZATION.
I HAVE NOT SEEN THOSE QUESTIONS ANSWERED.
THE CON ALL THE CONCERNS HAVE NOT BEEN MET.
UM, AND IT IS, IN MY MIND, NOT CLOSE TO BEING FUNDED, MUCH LESS IMPLEMENTED.
SO THEN IT TAKES ME TO, UM, THE NEXT, WHICH IS THE ARPA MONEY AND THE FACT THAT WE, EVEN THOUGH I VOTED AGAINST IT, IT'S, UH, MADE UP MONEY AND WE SHOULD NOT BE TAKING MADE UP MONEY.
UM, THAT PUTS THE BURDEN ON THE BACK FOR GENERATIONS OF HOW TO PLAY, UM, REPAY IT.
AND YES, WE'VE HAD SOME, SOME GOOD OUTCOMES, SOME GOOD WORK THAT'S BEEN BEING DONE WITH THAT MONEY.
BUT WHEN THAT MONEY WAS BEING SPENT ON THE NUMBER OF ITEMS THAT, UM, ARE LISTED EVEN HERE, UM, IT WAS A ONE TIME, UM, OPPORTUNITY.
I DO UNDERSTAND, AND I WILL AGREE THAT WE HAVE A SMALL NUMBER OF, UM, APPLICANTS WHO WOULD BENEFIT FROM THE HOME SAFETY AND REPAIR LATERAL SEWER CONNECTIONS.
AND SO TO ADD ADDITIONAL, UM, 900, WHATEVER IT WAS THAT'S NECESSARY, UM, TO COMPLETE THAT, UM, I WILL SUPPORT MOVING FORWARD, THOUGH, I'M NOT TAKING WHAT WAS A ONE TIME OPPORTUNITY AND EMBEDDING IT INTO OUR BUDGET MOVING FORWARD.
SO, UM, JUST LOOKING OVER, MAKING SURE THAT, UM, SOME OF THESE, I CAN WAIT UNTIL ANOTHER TIME AND ANOTHER CONVERSATION, BUT THAT SURVEY IS CRITICALLY IMPORTANT, UM, FOR US
[02:10:01]
TO UNDERSTAND WHO IT IS THAT WE'RE BUILDING FOR.UM, ARE THEY FAMILIES, ARE THEY INDIVIDUALS? I'VE HEARD SO MUCH OVER THE YEARS ABOUT WHAT THIS HOUSING WOULD LOOK LIKE.
UM, I THINK AT ONE TIME, EARLY ON, UM, IT WAS A KIND OF A WIDGET SCENARIO WHERE WE WOULD BUILD SMALL, UM, SPACES AND FOLKS WOULD COME ONTO THE ISLAND, BE ABLE TO, UM, SLEEP AND HOUSE THEMSELVES HERE, GET UP IN THE MORNING AND GO AND WORK FOR EVERYONE WHO NEEDS THEM, AND THEN AFTER THAT GO BACK TO THEIR, UM, SPACE AND THAT WAS THEIR PART OF THEIR COMMUN LIFE IN OUR COMMUNITY.
THAT MODEL IS NOT ACCEPTABLE TO ME.
ARE WE BUILDING FOR FAMILIES TO CREATE COMMUNITY? AND IF WE ARE, ARE WE PROVIDING THEM OPPORTUNITIES TO BECOME HOMEOWNERS? AND PART OF, UH, A PART OF OUR LIFE HERE? AND WHAT I SEE SO FAR BEING SET UP IS THE DEVELOPMENT OF A RENTAL, UH, CLASS.
AND THAT IS NOT THE OPPORTUNITY THAT, UM, I WANT FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE LIVING, COMING HERE TO LIVE ON OUR ISLAND, TO CONTRIBUTE TO OUR ISLAND AND TO TAKE OUR COMMUNITY INTO THE FUTURE.
SO I HAVE A LOT OF ISSUES WITH REGARD TO HOW WE ARE, UM, LOOKING AT HOUSING.
UM, UH, I, I HEARD THIS MORNING THAT THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WORKFORCE AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING, AND YET WITHIN EVEN THE HOUSING ACTION COMMITTEE, I'VE HEARD THAT THERE INDEED IS A SPECIFIC DEFINITION.
I KNOW A LOT OF IT IS RELIANT ON THE, UM, A MI OR THE AVERAGE MEAN INCOME.
UM, BUT THESE ARE ALL LOTS OF QUESTIONS THAT I DO NOT FEEL ARE BEING ASKED, ANSWERED, UM, SUFFICIENTLY, AND THAT INSTEAD WE ARE ON A, UM, A, A ROLE WITHOUT HAVING THE, UM, INFORMATION WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WHATEVER WE DO DECIDE TO DO IS DONE, UM, IN A WAY THAT PROVIDES THE BEST OUTCOME FOR THE FUTURE.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS, MS. BRYSON? UH, A COUPLE, UH, OF THE 15 STRATEGIES, AND I'VE BEEN ON RECORD BEFORE SAYING I THINK IT'S TOO MANY
I FELT LIKE THERE WAS A FLY OVER HERE, SO I MOVED IT AWAY.
UM, O OF THE 15 STRATEGIES, WHICH I'VE GONE ON RECORD BEFORE SAYING I THINK IT'S TOO MANY, UM, AT, AT ONE TIME OR EVEN WITHIN TWO YEARS TO ADDRESS, BUT, UM, O OF THOSE 15, UM, MY TOP TWO ARE GROWTH AND CONSERVATION MANAGEMENT AND, UH, WORK AND THE HOUSING FRAMEWORK.
UM, SO I'M SUPPORTIVE OF THIS WORK PLAN.
UM, I AGREE WITH, UH, MR. AMES, AND I SEE IT LATER IN OUR NOTEBOOK THAT WE'RE GONNA BE LOOKING AT THE MUDDY CREEK SITE, UM, AND WORKING ON A PLAN FOR THAT.
UM, BUT, UH, RECOGNIZING THAT WE HAVE THE, UH, GULLAH GEECHEE, UM, HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOODS COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, AND I'VE SAID BEFORE, THAT'S A GOOD PARTNERSHIP FOR US TO WORK WITH ON THAT MUDDY CREEK SITE.
SO I HOPE THAT WHEN WE LOOK AT THAT LATER, UM, ON OUR AGENDA TODAY, WE CAN TALK SOME MORE ABOUT THAT.
UM, THE OTHER THING THAT I WOULD MENTION IS THAT I WAS AT THE ANNUAL MEETING OF THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF THE LOW COUNTRY LAST NIGHT.
UM, AND, UM, UH, THEY SPOKE A LOT ABOUT A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT AFFECT OUR COMMUNITY.
ONE IS, UH, WORKFORCE HOUSING, AND, AND THEY ARE WORKING ON THAT PLAN AS WELL.
THAT'S A REGIONAL PARTNERSHIP TO WORK ON THAT PLAN.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, UM, THERE WAS A LOT OF, UH, DISCUSSION ABOUT HEALTHCARE.
UM, AND WE DON'T HAVE A PARTICULAR STRATEGY, AND I'M NOT ADVOCATING ADDING ONE
UM, BUT I THINK WITHIN THIS WORK PLAN AND LOOKING AT TYPES OF HOUSING, PERHAPS OUR HOUSING ACTION COMMITTEE COULD LOOK AT HOUSING FOR MEDICAL, UH, UM, STAFF, ESPECIALLY NURSES AND RETAINING NURSES.
SO, UM, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE US IN, IN ONE OF OUR CONSTITUENTS, ASK ME TO ASK ABOUT, UH, WHERE DOES HEALTHCARE BELONG IN OUR STRATEGIC PLAN? AND I THINK THIS IS ONE PLACE THAT COULD FIT AND THAT IS FINDING HOME FOR OUR MEDICAL STAFF WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY.
OTHER COMMENTS, MR. BROWN? YEAH.
UM, JUST TWO POLICY, UM, POINTS HERE.
UM, WE, WE HAVE LISTED HERE EVALUATED ASSISTING WORKFORCE HOUSING POLICIES.
UM, I DON'T WANT US TO, UM, ASSUME THAT THOSE ARE JUST HILTON HEAD POLICIES.
UM, THERE'S DISCUSSION AT THE STATE HOUSE AROUND POLICIES.
I THINK WE NEED TO KEEP OUR EYES ON THOSE AS WE ARE.
[02:15:01]
WITH THIS, UH, INITIATIVE.AND THE SECOND, UM, I KNOW IT'S LATER IN OUR PACKET, BUT SINCE, UM, IT, IT'S BEEN BROUGHT UP HERE, UM, AS FAR AS THE BRYANT ROAD PROPERTY IS CONCERNED, UM, AND THIS IS POLICY, UM, I THINK WE SHOULD CONSIDER, UH, MOVING THAT UNDER THE REALM OF THE, UH, CDC, UM, THAT PARTICULAR AREA, UM, IS, UM, DESPERATELY IN NEED OF STABILIZATION.
I THINK, UM, THAT'S A VEHICLE FOR US TO HAVE PRIVATE AND PUBLIC INVESTMENT IN THAT AREA TO SORT OF RISE ALL BOATS, UM, TO A DEGREE.
UH, SO I SUPPORT THAT, THAT CONVERSATION IF WE'RE GONNA HAVE IT NOW OR LATER.
OTHER COMMENTS? I WILL JUST SAY THAT, UM, IMPLEMENT THE WORKFORCE HOUSING FRAMEWORK, FINDING HOME, WHICH HAS BEEN DONE.
IT'S NOT SAYING WE'RE GONNA APPROVE EVERYTHING THAT'S HERE, BUT IT'S TO, TO ADDRESS AND LEARN AND MAKE CERTAIN THAT WE ARE ADDRESSING EVERYTHING THAT'S POSSIBLE AND THEN FOR IT TO COME TO COUNSEL FOR DECISIONS TO BE MADE.
SO I, YOU KNOW, I, I SEE THIS AS A CHECK MARK ALREADY.
AND I HEARD A LOT OF DIFFERENT AND SIMILAR COMMENTS.
I PUT UP HERE THOSE MOUS ON PURPOSE, BECAUSE THOSE ARE, AS, AS TOWN COUNCIL VOTES, MY JOB IS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE MAKING SURE THAT THE OPERATING SIDE OF YOUR POLICY DECISION MAKES SENSE.
AND SO OF COURSE, NEITHER OF THOSE CAN REALLY BE IMPLEMENTED WITHOUT FUNDING.
BUT WHEN SOME OF THIS IS WORK PLANNED, AND SOME OF THIS IS WHERE OUR FOCUS IS BASED UPON YOUR RIGHT, BASED UPON YOUR ACTIONS AND YOUR DIRECTION.
SO WE'VE ADDED A COUPLE THINGS TO THIS, JOSH, YOU GOT THEM.
THE SURVEY IS, IS IMPORTANT, BUT I, I WILL SAY SOME OF, SOME OF THAT, WE'RE GONNA LEARN A LOT AS WE BUILD THIS, THAT CREATE THAT WORKFORCE HOUSING METRICS DASHBOARD, SOMETHING THAT WE ALL HAVE ACCESS TO, NOT JUST A CONSULTANT THAT STUDIES IT FIVE YEARS AGO.
IT'S, IT'S THAT METRICS DASHBOARD.
IF I CAN JUST MAKE, UM, TWO COMMENTS PLEASE.
UM, THE, THE FIRST IS, SO LANGUAGE IS IMPORTANT.
WE'VE ALL LEARNED THAT IN THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS, THAT, YOU KNOW, EVERY WORD IS, IS IMPORTANT.
AND SO WHEN, WHAT I FEAR MAYBE I SENSE HAPPENING IS THAT WE ARE BECOMING ACCUSTOMED TO PUTTING THINGS OUT USING LANGUAGE LIKE IMPLEMENT OR, UM, EVEN IN FACT THE BRYANT ROAD PROPERTY, THAT WHEN IT WAS AGREED ON THAT WE WOULD PURCHASE IT, THERE WAS NOT A, A DISCUSSION OUTSIDE, UM, PUBLICLY ABOUT WHAT THAT LAND WOULD BE USED FOR.
AND I THINK THAT THAT'S A MISSING PIECE.
UM, NOT THAT I'M OPPOSED FOR WHAT IS BEING SUGGESTED, BUT I THINK WE'RE MAKING ASSUMPTIONS WITHOUT DISCUSSION AND WITHOUT AGREEMENT.
UM, ON THE RECORD, UM, WHEN THINGS GET PUT OUT THAT IT'S MISINFORMATION, UM, IT LEADS OTHERS TO THINK THAT'S IN FACT EXACTLY WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO.
WHEN YOU SEE 2024 WORK PLANNED AND YOU SEE IMPLEMENTA IMPLEMENT, THOSE ARE, THAT'S CONCERNING TO ME, UM, FOR THE FUTURE IN TERM, WHETHER SOMEONE ELSE WERE TO PICK IT UP OR INTERPRET IT OR MAKE ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT IT, THE LANGUAGE LEADS US ON ONLY ONE DIRECTION.
THAT THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE'VE AGREED WE ARE GOING TO DO.
AND, UM, AND, AND THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S A PROBLEM.
SO IS THERE MORE APPROPRIATE WORD, BECAUSE I, THE, THE, THE, FROM MY VANTAGE POINT, YOU APPROVED THAT AT A COUNCIL MEETING AND IT'S ADOPTED.
I THINK IT'S A GREAT POINT AND, AND IT'S A GREAT CONVERSATION, IS JUST WHAT IS IT THAT YOU WANT ME TO DO NOW THAT IT'S APPROVED? YEAH.
TO, TO MRS. BECKER'S POINT, UM, YOU KNOW, MAYBE IT IS ADDRESSING THE WORKFORCE HOUSING FRAMEWORK, UH, MORE SO THAN IMPLEMENT, YOU KNOW? AND SO I UNDERSTAND THAT, UM, AND IT, IT IS, YOU KNOW, KNOW SOMETIMES ONE WORD CAN CHANGE THE, THE MM-HMM
SO THAT'S AGAIN, UM, SOMETHING I WOULD JUST TAKE A LOOK AT.
I LISTEN, MAYOR, BEFORE WE MOVE THAT YES.
I GUESS I'M GONNA GO BACK TO THE FRESH EYES.
NEED YOU AT, AT, AT SOME POINT WE HAVE TO GIVE THE STAFF THE OPPORTUNITY TO RUN A BIT.
AND YOU KNOW, I JUST WANT US TO BE VERY CAREFUL AS FAR AS
[02:20:01]
HOW LOOSE OR HOW TIGHT THE REINS ARE ON STAFF WHEN WE HAVE ADOPTED SOMETHING.UM, AND I'M NOT JUST TALKING ABOUT THE HOUSING ACTION COMMITTEE OR THE HOUSING FRAMEWORK I'M TALKING ABOUT OVERALL IN OUR ORGANIZATION.
I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE CONTINUE TO KEEP THAT FRONT OF MIND.
WHAT TIME IS IT? 11? UH, WE'VE GOT PLENTY OF TIME.
WE'LL BE DONE BY THREE, THREE O'CLOCK WE'LL BE DONE.
MARK SAID HE'D BE DONE WITH THESE SLIDES BY LUNCH, BUT I'M, I'M GOING THREE O'CLOCK.
2 CENTS IN, UH, THROUGH, THROUGH THE CONVERSATION THAT I DON'T THINK THAT THERE'S ANY, YOU'RE NOT GONNA WALK AWAY FROM THIS HAVING APPROVED MOVING FORWARD.
THIS IS THE INTENT OF WHAT MARK AND THE STAFF INTEND TO DO FOR THE YEAR.
FINAL IMPLE IMPLEMENTATION, FINAL POLICY APPROVAL, ET CETERA.
SO I WOULD JUST ENCOURAGE YOU PERHAPS TO NOT GET MIRED IN THE DETAILS OF TODAY AND STICK AT THE HIGHER LEVEL OF, IS IS THERE ANYTHING ON THAT, ON ANY OF THESE LISTS THAT SHOW 24, UH, INTENTIONS, IF YOU WILL, THAT YOU DON'T WANT THEM TO DO? IF IS, THINK OF IT IN THAT REGARD, OR IS THERE SOMETHING THAT IS NOT ON THAT LIST THAT SHOULD BE ON THAT LIST? RUN THAT THROUGH YOUR OWN FILTER FIRST AS YOU, AS WE GO THROUGH THESE REMAINING 12 STRATEGIES.
NOW THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT WE DON'T HAVE TIME THIS AFTERNOON BECAUSE QUITE HONESTLY, WHEN WE GET THROUGH THESE 15, THERE'S LIKE FIVE SLIDES LEFT.
BUT JUST KIND OF THINK ABOUT THAT AS YOU'RE, AS YOU'RE PROCESSING THIS YOURSELF AS YOU GO FORWARD.
CAN I RESPOND TO THAT? JUST A SECOND.
SO WHAT I HAVE SEEN HAPPEN OVER THE LAST YEAR SINCE THE LAST TIME WE DID THIS, AND WE PUT INTO PLACE 15 STRATEGIES, UM, WHICH WERE JUST ACCUMULATED, NOT REALLY DISCUSSED.
AND I THINK THIS HAS BEEN A WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITY TO DISCUSS IT.
AND THE DETAILS ARE IMPORTANT TO ME, AND I THINK EVERYONE, BUT I I IS, WHAT I HAVE SEEN OVER THE LAST YEAR IS A RELIANCE BY, BY COUNCIL TO SAY WE HAVE ADOPTED 15 STRATEGIES AND WE ARE NOT IMPLEMENTING THEM.
WE'RE, AND, AND USING IT AS, AS A, A, A PUSH TO GET IT DONE THAT THEY MUST BE DONE EX AND, AND ALL OF THAT.
SO FOR ME, IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE DIVE INTO THEM HERE SO THAT WE KNOW WHEN THAT'S BEING PUSHED, WHAT EXACTLY IT IS THAT'S BEING PUSHED.
THIS ISN'T SOMETHING, WELL, SO WE'RE, WE'RE WORKSHOPPING THIS.
AND SO ONE, ONE OF THE, SOME FEEDBACK IN THE SURVEY AND ALSO MY TIME WITH EACH OF YOU MONTHLY, WE'RE STARTING TO LEARN A LOT WHEN WE GO TO WORKSHOP.
THE, THE ISSUE WITH WORKSHOPS ARE THAT SLIDE WHERE I SHOWED YOU THE BOARD'S, COMMISSION COMMITTEES, THE TIME OF SOMETIMES WE SCHEDULE A COMMITTEE WORKSHOP ON A, ON A WHIM, AND IT'S THE SAME DAY AS PLANNING COMMISSION AND WE'RE TRYING TO MOVE THINGS AROUND.
SO WORKSHOPS WE'VE LEARNED SO MUCH.
IF WE THINK ABOUT IT, NORTH POINT DIDN'T JUST COME FROM ANY OLD WHERE IT WAS A SERIES OF TWO OR THREE WORKSHOPS, UM, EARLY IN MY, EARLIER IN MY TIME HERE AND THE WORKSHOP DERIVED THAT WORK PARKS, WHILE WE SPENT A LITTLE TIME ON PARKS, PICKLE BALL, I SHOULD SAY.
WE GOT THROUGH WORKSHOP ON PATTERSON TAYLOR, SHELTER COVE, AND SEVERAL OTHER PARKS AT WORKSHOP.
WE'RE GOING INTO MAJOR CORRIDOR STREET ENHANCEMENTS, ESPECIALLY THE NORTHRIDGE SECTION.
WE'VE WORKSHOPPED WILLIAM HILTON PARKWAY.
PERHAPS IT'S TIME, IF, IF THERE'S STILL QUESTIONS WHEN WE LEAVE HERE TODAY.
MAYOR, I WOULD ASK YOU TAKE SOME NOTES ON THE 15 AND TELL ME WHAT WE NEED AS AN ADDITIONAL WORKSHOP AND WE'LL, WE'LL MAKE IT WORK.
WE DO HAVE, YOU DO HAVE ON YOUR CALENDAR IS QUARTERLY WORKSHOPS AND I LIKE TO BRING YOU FORWARD IN THOSE QUARTERLY WORKSHOPS, CAPITAL PROJECTS.
BUT BY NO MEANS, MAYBE WE CAN ADD SOMETHING HERE SO THAT YOU HAVE CLARITY.
I I WANT YOU TO HAVE CLARITY AND CENSUS AND I WANT CONFIDENCE TO MOVE IT FORWARD.
SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT MAJOR CORRIDORS, WE SAY THAT WE HAVE A MAJOR THOROUGHFARE CORRIDOR PLAN.
WE'RE COMING TO WORKSHOP ON THIS, WHAT'S THE
[02:25:01]
DATE, SEAN? MARCH, APRIL.UH, BUT WE WILL HAVE A WORKSHOP WITH YOU AND WE WILL TALK AT THAT TIME, THE ENTIRE THOROUGH AFFAIRS CORRIDORS PLAN, WHICH WE NEED.
BECAUSE EVERY TIME WE TALK TO DOT ON 50 FEET OF RIGHT OF WAY ON, ON US, RIGHT, US HIGHWAY 2 78.
IT'S NOT SC IT'S US HIGHWAY TWO SEVENTY EIGHT.
I CALL IT WILLIAM HILTON PARK.
BUT EVERY TIME WE GO BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD TO PLANT, THEY TAKE THREE MONTHS UNLESS WE MAKE PHONE CALLS AND MAKE A DRIVE.
AND BECAUSE THEY'RE BUSY TOO, RIGHT? IT'S NOT, THEY'RE NOT TAKING, THAT'S JUST HOW LONG THAT TAKES.
SO WHAT WE'RE INTENDING TO DO IS UNDERSTAND YOUR VISION, YOUR PHILOSOPHY, YOUR DIRECTION ON A THOROUGHFARE PLAN THAT ASSESSES THE SYSTEM AND LOOKS AT EACH SEGMENT OF ROAD.
WE'VE BROKEN WILLIAM HILTON PARKWAY UP INTO, IT'S ABOUT FIVE LANES TO CROSS AND ABOUT THAT WIDE TO CROSS IT.
SO WHAT WE'RE INTENDING TO DO IS A WHOLE BUNCH OF WORK IN ONE SET OF PLANS SO THAT WE CAN TAKE A DRIVE UP TO COLUMBIA, MEET WITH DOT, AND START GETTING TO WORK ON OUR PRIORITY SEGMENTS.
WILLIAM HILTON PARKWAY, PALMETTO, YOU CAN READ THEM UP THERE THO.
THOSE ARE STREETS THAT IN THE PAST WE'VE PRIORITIZED WITH YOU THROUGH THAT ORIGINAL INITIAL WORKSHOP MONTHS AGO.
I'VE HAD SOME COMMENTS SAYING, WHERE ARE WE? IT'S NOT COMING BACK FAST ENOUGH.
WELL, THE ANSWER IS, WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON PARKS FOR A LITTLE WHILE, AND IT'S YOUR TIME AND YOUR CAPACITY.
AND SO WE CAN HAVE A SERIES OF WORKSHOPS ON THIS OR JUST ONE OR 10.
BUT OUR GOAL, REALLY, MY TRUE DESIRE AND CHIEF SITTING IN THE ROOM AND SEAN SITTING IN THE ROOM AND BRIAN SITTING IN THE ROOM WHEN PEOPLE GET HURT, CAR ACCIDENTS CROSSING THE STREET, A STOP SIGN WAS DOWN.
THOSE AREN'T ALWAYS OUR CROSSWALKS.
THOSE AREN'T ALWAYS OUR STOP SIGNS, BUT WE'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR THEM.
AND SO THE SOONER WE CAN GET THROUGH THIS SO THAT I CAN JUST GO TO DOT AND THE BETTER AND AGAIN, BUT WHAT WE SAID IS WE, WE WOULD IMPROVE SAFETY AND BEAUTIFICATION.
WE HAVE, AS TALKING ABOUT EARLY APRIL.
HOPEFULLY WE HAVE TO, EVEN IF WE HAVE TO TAKE AN EXTRA DRIVE TO COLUMBIA, HAVE OUR IMMEDIATE SAFETY AND APPROVED AS A DOT ENCROACHMENT PERMIT BY THAT DATE.
THOSE ARE NO-BRAINERS AND YOUR BUDGET IMPACTS ARE ALL BAKED INTO
[02:30:29]
ON.AND I ENJOY THE WORKSHOPS, SO I AGREE WITH YOU ON THAT.
I JUST WANTED TO MAKE THE FIRST INITIAL COMMENT, WHICH WAS THAT OPENING PICTURE.
THAT'S WHAT OUR ISLAND CORRIDOR 2 78 WILLIAM HILL PARKWAY SHOULD LOOK LIKE ACROSS THE BOARD FOR THOSE WHO LIVE, THOSE 70% WHO LIVE BEHIND OF THE LAND, WHO LIVE BEHIND GATES WHEN THEY DRIVE THROUGH THEIR GATES.
THAT'S WHAT YOU GET FOR THOSE WHO LIVE OUTSIDE THE GATES.
AND IN SOME SECTIONS IT'S NOT AWARE.
IT'S, AS YOU'VE MENTIONED, UNSAFE, UNSIGHTLY AND DOES NOT PROVIDE THE SAME TYPE OF LIVING ENVIRONMENT THAT THOSE WHO LIVE BEHIND THE GATES GET.
AND SO AS A PRIORITY, IT'S DEFINITELY A PRIORITY.
THOSE WHO LIVE OUTSIDE SHOULD HAVE THE SAME OPENING OPPORTUNITY TO THEIR DAY, THEIR MORNINGS, AND ANY TIME THAT EVERYONE ELSE GETS.
AND, UM, OF THE 15 STRATEGIES I LUMPED TOGETHER TWO OF THE 15 STRATEGIES INTO WHAT I CALL PUBLIC SAFETY.
AND I WOULD ALSO ADD THE BEAUTIFICATION OF OUR CORRIDORS.
SO I PUT TOGETHER THIS MAJOR CORRIDOR, UH, STREET ENHANCEMENT, UH, STRATEGY ALONG WITH A WILLIAM WILLIAM HILTON PARKWAY CORRIDOR, S-E-D-O-T, BECAUSE FOR THAT, UH, PASSAGEWAY ALSO SAFETY AND THE, UM, WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE ARE TWO IMPORTANT THINGS TO ME.
I JUST PUT PUBLIC SAFETY AS ONE STRATEGY IN BOTH THOSE UNDER THERE.
UM, I'M, I'M GOOD WITH THE PLAN.
UM, I LOOK FORWARD TO THE APRIL 9TH WORKSHOP FOR MORE DISCUSSION.
DO YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS, MR. MAYOR? I'M COMFORTABLE WITH THE PLAN AS WELL.
YEAH, LET ME AMPLIFY MY COMMENT.
UM, IN LOOKING AT THE SIX LEVELS THAT WE WERE PRESENTED EARLIER ON, WHEN YOU'RE DEALING WITH SAFETY, I THINK IT'S NUMBER ONE, YOU ALWAYS HAVE TO TAKE CARE OF THAT.
AND THAT'S WHY I SAID WHAT I SAID, THANK YOU.
THIS ALMOST DOESN'T EVEN NEED TO BE A STRATEGY, RIGHT? BECAUSE IT'S TO BE SOMETHING THAT'S, THAT'S BAKED INTO DAILY OPERATIONS AND CONCERNS AND CONS, UH, CARES.
UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT I LOOK FORWARD TO IS NOT ONLY THE WORKSHOP, BUT BRINGING IT TO COUNCIL TO VOTE TO MOVE IT FORWARD IN A TIMELY AND, AND RIGHT TIMELY FASHION.
UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THE MORE WORKSHOPS WE HAVE MAY NOT BE THE ANSWER.
WE MIGHT NEED TO HAVE A GOOD LONG ONE TO RESOLVE IT, TO COME, COME TO, COME TO GRIPS, COME TO AGREEMENT, AND GET IT GOING FORWARD BECAUSE, UM, WE'VE HAD TOO MANY INCIDENTS AS OF LATE AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S BEEN IGNORED FOR WAY TOO LONG.
RIGHT? JOSH, YOU HAVE THE NOTE, EITHER A REALLY LONG WORKSHOP OR A SERIES OF THEM IN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME.
WHAT'S THE SPEED LIMIT ON WILLIAM HILTON PARKWAY? SPEED? BOB 45.
WHAT'S THE SPEED LIMIT? 45, RIGHT? YES, SIR.
UM, WHAT IF I APPROACH DOT TOMORROW AND ASK FOR 35 AND THEY APPROVE 40? THAT IS A TOWN COUNCIL POLICY DECISION, NOT A TOWN MANAGER.
WHAT IF AT NORTHRIDGE WHERE WE SAID THERE'S BEEN ENOUGH PEOPLE THAT ARE NOT CROSSING AT CROSSWALKS, HIT IN THE DARK OF NIGHT OR THE BRIGHT OF DAY, WHAT IF I SAID WE ARE MAKING AN ENCROACHMENT PERMIT RECOMMENDATION TO S-C-D-O-T AND WITH BUFORT COUNTY SUPPORT, AND WE ARE GOING TO CLOSE SOME OF THOSE LEFT? WELL, THEY BARELY LEFT TURNS.
THEY'RE ON SOME, SOME AWKWARD ANGLE.
WELL, RIGHT, BUT YOU DON'T SEE THOSE ANYWHERE ELSE IN AMERICA ON A STREET WITH COMMERCE.
SO WHAT IF I SAID, OH NO, I SUBMITTED THE ENCROACHMENT PERMIT WITH MCOE, BRIAN MCOE TO CLOSE THOSE RIGHT TURNS AND THEN YOUR PHONE START RINGING BECAUSE WE JUST CLOSED THIS TURN INTO NORTHRIDGE PLAZA.
AS AS WE KNOW IT, THAT'S A POLICY DECISION.
AND, AND, AND WHAT YOU'RE REFERRING TO IS AN OLD AGREED UPON
[02:35:01]
POLICY.AND WE'VE GOTTA LOOK AT IT IN TODAY'S REALM AND WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN TOMORROW.
AND, AND THAT'S WHY I REALLY WANNA SEE THIS MOVE FORWARD TO A, TO A COUNCIL VOTE QUICKLY.
WE'D BE DONE DITTO WITH THIS, RIGHT? IF WE'RE GONNA BAKE THESE TWO TOGETHER, WE KNOW THIS IS ON OUR HORIZON.
SEAN DID A FABULOUS JOB PROVIDING AN UPDATE THE OTHER NIGHT.
UM, HE, HE PROVIDED AN UPDATE THE OTHER NIGHT.
WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE SOME WORK TO DO STILL WITH AN END-TO-END ANALYSIS.
WE KNOW THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH BUFORT COUNTY DIFFERENT TODAY THAN ANY DAY PRIOR.
WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE SAT DOWN WITH THE STEWARD FAMILIES AS WELL AS ANY OTHER AFFECTED PROPERTIES ON THAT ROAD.
WE KNOW THAT SOME PROPERTIES ARE FOR SALE BECAUSE OF WHAT'S COMING, LET ALONE WITH WHAT'S THERE.
IF WE DO NOTHING, THAT'S WHAT WE GET.
IF WE DO SOMETHING FOR THE GREATER GOOD, IT'S IMPACTING PROPERTIES.
WE HAVE BEEN REALLY, REALLY WORKING CLOSELY WITH BEAUFORT COUNTY LATELY TO EXAMINE THIS ROADWAY.
UM, AMAZING PARTNER I HAVE WITH, UM, JOHN ROBINSON, THE INTERIM COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR.
HE HAS VISITED THE PROPERTIES AND HE HAS BEEN TALKING TO PEOPLE, NOT JUST RELYING UPON A BIG OLD WORKSHOP, PUTTING A DOT ON A MAP AT THE REC CENTER.
SO I KNOW THAT THE BETTER DAYS WITH US AT LEAST ASSESSING FOR YOUR MUNICIPAL CONSENT CONSIDERATION ARE IN FRONT OF, FRONT OF YOU.
BUT THERE'S A LOT MORE WORK TO DO.
I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD GET BOGGED DOWN IN HERE TODAY SIMPLY BECAUSE SEAN WENT OVER THIS TWO, TWO DAYS AGO.
WE TALKED ABOUT APPROVED TOWN COUNCIL ACTION.
AND WE SAID THIS, WE'LL FINISH THIS INDEPENDENT REVIEW SCOPE OF WORK.
WE WILL CONTINUE TO COORDINATE WITH BEAUFORT COUNTY.
WE'LL THROUGH THE END-TO-END ANALYSIS.
OF COURSE, WE GOING TO DEVELOP SOME RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ROADWAY DESIGN ALTERNATIVES, AND WE WILL COORDINATE WITH BEAUFORT COUNTY.
BUT THE BOTTOM LINE IS WHAT YOU HAVE THAT'S IMPORTANT.
WE KNOW THAT STIB IS KNOCKING ON OUR DOOR THROUGH BUFORT COUNTY.
WE KNOW THAT THE THE DOLLARS DON'T HAVE ANOTHER ONE YEAR OF SHELF LIFE FROM STATE INFRASTRUCTURE BANK.
AND WE KNOW THAT WE NEED TO BRING YOU FORWARD SOME ASSESSMENT.
WE NEED BUFORT COUNTY AT THE TABLE.
RIGHT? AS REMINDED BY THAT FROM SECRETARY HALL, THIS IS BEAUFORT COUNTY'S PROJECT, BUT THIS IS OUR TOWN.
AND SO WE'VE GOT A LITTLE BIT OF DOLLARS IN THERE.
BUT WHEN WE START CHALLENGING THE STATUS QUO AND WE START CHALLENGING THE DESIGN, THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT JUST SOME, SOME FOLKS, SEAN AND I CAN'T USE A RULER TO FIGURE OUT SOME OF THAT GEOMETRY AND, AND MAKE THE CASE FOR WHAT, WHAT WE'RE ALL TALKING ABOUT.
WE NEED TO EXPLORE THIS EITHER ON AN AGENDA THAT'S COMING UP OR A, AND OR A WORKSHOP WITH SOME OF THIS OTHER WORK.
SO, SO I I, I WOULD LIKE TO GO OFF ON, START OFF ON THIS AND, AND, AND THANK MR. BOXLEY FOR WORKING TO BUILD TRUST WITHIN, WITH THOSE RESIDENTS AND THOSE AFFECTED IN THE STONY AREA.
UM, WE WILL, WE COUNSEL AND STAFF WILL CONTINUE TO BUILD UPON THAT RELATIONSHIP TO BUILD THAT TRUST LEVEL AND GET THE INFORMATION NEEDED SO THAT WE CAN MAKE A DECISION.
AGAIN, THIS IS ONE OF THOSE ITEMS THAT HAS BEEN OUT THERE FOR A LONG TIME AND IT IS TAKING TREMENDOUS STAFF TIME AND, AND DOLLARS, UM, WHICH IS BEING WELL UTILIZED.
BUT WE'VE GOT TO MAKE A DECISION ON WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN FROM OUR STANDPOINT.
AND I'LL JUST REITERATE THAT I MADE MYSELF CLEAR ON TUESDAY AND I STAND BY MY STATEMENTS.
IT'S KIND OF HARD TO TELL FROM A DISTANCE.
UM, I JUST WANT TO COMMENT THAT WE HEARD SOME MORE ABOUT STONY AND CONCERNS ABOUT STONY AT THE LAST COUNCIL MEETING.
AND I LIKE A LOT OF THOSE QUESTIONS COME FROM THE FACT THAT WE DON'T KNOW A WHOLE LOT ABOUT WHAT THOSE NEGOTIATIONS ARE.
AND IT MAY BE THAT THERE ARE VERY GOOD REASONS FOR THEM TO BE KEPT CONFIDENTIAL AND PRIVATE, BUT AT LEAST WE SHOULD BE.
IT SHOULD BE REPORTED THAT THERE ARE GOOD ONGOING, UH, CONVERSATIONS GOING ON WITH THE STONY RESIDENTS WITH AN EYE TO A SOLUTION OF THE IMPACTS ON THEM.
MS. BRYSON? YEAH, I'M, I'M GOOD WITH THE PLAN.
UM, AND MY ONLY QUESTION IS, THE STONY AREA PLAN IS THAT CONCERT WITH THE CDC AND DISTRICT PLANNING.
UM, THAT IN CONCERT WITH THOSE TWO BOTH.
[02:40:01]
AT STONY AREA, WE ARE GOING TO LOOK THROUGH A DISTRICT PLAN A LOT WIDER THAN OUR, OUR MAIN CORRIDOR.WHAT, WHAT WE DO HAVE THAT WE'RE STARTING TO TAKE A LOOK AT AND CHALLENGE IT A BIT THROUGH OUR FINDINGS AND OUR END-TO-END ANALYSIS IS THAT BASELINE DATA ON TRIPS AND THE PROJECTED GROWTH RATE AND HOW THAT AFFECTS, RIGHT, RIGHT NOW, THE, THE ROAD IS THIS, IT'S A DOUBLE LEFT TURN OFF.
WILLIAM HILTON PARKWAY ONTO SQUIRE POPE ROAD.
SQUIRE POPE ROAD ONTO WILLIAM HILTON PARKWAY.
THE STONY AREA PLAN THAT THIS SECTION IS REFERRING TO IS THAT ROAD DESIGN OVERLAID WITH PROPERTY IMPACTS.
AND SO WE'RE TRYING TO, WHILE WE'RE LOOKING AT THE ROAD DESIGN BASED UPON THAT DATA TO CALIBRATE IT, TO SEE IF THOSE PROPERTY IMPACTS AT THAT SCALE ARE NEEDED, ARE NECESSARY, OR IS THERE OTHER ALTERNATIVES.
I MOSTLY WANTED THE PUBLIC TO HEAR ABOUT THAT.
AND ALSO TO MAKE SURE THAT WE KNOW THE CDC IS INVOLVED.
AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE A PE GUCCI LAND AND CULTURAL PRESERVATION TASK FORCE THAT MIGHT HAVE SOME INPUTS.
WELL, THE, THE, THE THOMAS BOXLEY AND OUR GULLAH GEECHEE HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOODS, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COURTS, VERY INVOLVED.
AND NOTHING MAKES ME HAPPIER WHEN I WALK INTO TOWN HALL AND I SEE SEAN WORKING WITH THOMAS.
SO SEAN'S NOT FIGURING ALL OF THIS OUT HIMSELF.
AND THOMAS HERE NOW DOESN'T HAVE TO FIGURE ALL OF THIS OUT HIMSELF.
AND SO IT'S, IT'S A GREAT TEAM AND I'M, I'M, I'M PLEASED TO SEE IT.
SO I THINK SEAN'S HAPPIER THAN ME AND I'M PRETTY HAPPY ABOUT IT.
THOMAS GULLAH GEECHEE, HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOODS COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORP.
SO WE STARTED A DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION.
IT'S BEEN FORMED WITH A GOAL OF STABILIZING, PROTECTING, PROMOTING HISTORIC AND CULTURALLY SENSITIVE COMMUNITIES.
OUR HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOODS ON HILTON HEAD ISLAND.
IT WILL CREATE A STR STRATEGIC PROGRAMS RELATED TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES, AFFORDABLE HOUSING INITIATIVES, STREET SCAPE, NEIGHBORHOOD PLANNING, TARGETED CAPITAL INVESTMENT, RESIDENT EDUCATION, AND OTHER COMMUNITY SUPPORTIVE SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES.
THOMAS HAS BEEN HARD AT IT WITH THE BOARD THAT YOU PLACED, BUT HE'S BEEN HARD AT IT ON A BUNCH OF THINGS.
UM, TOWN COUNCIL THROUGH THE BYLAWS APPROVED YOUR ACTIONABLE ITEMS, FACILITATE, FOSTER, PREVENT.
WE WON'T GO THROUGH THOSE RIGHT NOW.
UM, AND THAT THE WORK IS FINALIZING AND IMPLEMENTING THE STRATEGIC PLAN.
YOU THOMAS, WORKING WITH TOWN STAFF IN THE CUSTOMER SERVICE CENTER AND THE PLANNING AREA AS WELL TO REALLY IMPROVE AND ENHANCE OUR DESIGN STUDIO TO A, TO ASSIST APPLICATIONS TO, TO, BY THE BOARD'S STRATEGIC PLAN AND BYLAWS, ESTABLISH A FUNDING AND LENDING STRUCTURE TO A SMALL, TO ASSIST SMALL BUSINESS.
AND AS WELL TO DO THE SAME WITH PROPERTY OWNERS IN HISTORIC GULLAH NEIGHBORHOODS.
AND ALSO, AND WHERE THOMAS'S TIME HAS REALLY BEEN SPENT OVER THE LAST LITTLE WHILE IS JUMPING IN HEAD FIRST IN THE DEEP END ON THE WILLIAM HILTON PARKWAY GATEWAY CORRIDOR PROJECT.
THE THE DOLLARS PLANNED ARE COMING FROM THE $5 MILLION FROM SOUTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE HELPED AND PLEDGED THROUGH SENATOR DAVIS'S BIG HELP, AS WELL AS A HALF A MILLION DOLLAR TRANCHE OF FUNDS FROM ARPA MONEY THAT CAME TO US WHEN WE ASKED FOR IT FROM BEAUFORT COUNTY.
AND SO WE'RE DRAWING DOWN ON THOSE INITIAL EXPENDITURES AND WE HAVE THAT $5 MILLION FOR THE, THE BOARD AS COUNCIL PLACED IT.
IS THE 5 0 1 C3 FORMED YET? IT'S BEEN, WE'RE WAITING.
SO IT'S DEFINITELY A, A SOUTH CAROLINA NONPROFIT.
AND WE ARE WAITING ON THE STATUS OF THE 5 0 1 C3.
DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY OBJECTIONS ON THIS OR QUESTIONS? JUST A, A QUICK OBSERVATION.
IT, IT HAD A SLOW BUT DELIBERATE AND THOUGHTFUL START.
BUT IT HAS TOTALLY ACCELERATED AND I APPRECIATE THAT.
AND, AND FROM THE 15 STRATEGIES
JAMES BAPTIST CHURCH RELOCATION, UM, AND WHAT'S CALLED OUR LAND ACQUISITION MANUAL TO THANKS TO MR. AMES FOR SUGGESTING MANAGEMENT OF OUR LAND TO PERHAPS THE LAND MANAGEMENT MANUAL.
UM, AND I WOULD COMBINE THOSE THREE TOGETHER WITH THE TITLE OF GULLAH GEECHEE LAND AND CULTURAL PRESERVATION.
IS THAT WHAT Y'ALL WANT ME TO DO? I I WANNA TALK ABOUT IT LITTLE.
YOU KNOW, AT SOME POINT TO UNDERSTAND THE INS, THE OUTS, THE UPS, THE DOWNS.
I, YOU KNOW, I, I I, I DO QUESTION A LITTLE BIT, UM, OF PUTTING ST.
[02:45:01]
CHURCH HERE BECAUSE OF ALL THE DIFFERENT PARTIES THAT ARE INVOLVED WITH THAT.UM, SO I SEE THAT A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT, BUT AS LONG AS THERE'S NOTHING THAT STANDS OUT.
I'VE GOT, SORRY, MAYOR, I WASN'T SUGGESTING THAT IT GO ALL UNDER CDCI WAS SUGGESTING THAT IT ALL GO UNDER TITLE.
GULLAH GEECHEE LAND AND CULTURE PRESERVATION.
AS A NEW STRATEGY WITH THOSE THREE STRATEGIES INCORPORATED UNDER THERE.
I WOULD LIKE TO BE ABLE TO DISCUSS ONE PART OF IT, THE LAND MANAGEMENT PART, AND I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR MORE AS WE'RE MOVING THROUGH TO KNOW WHETHER OR NOT THAT TO ME MAKES SENSE TO FIT THROUGH TOGETHER.
SO WHAT I SUGGEST IS TO LET ME GET THROUGH OUR CURRENT PLAN.
'CAUSE THERE AS, AS WE'RE FOUR IN, AND THAT'S A LOT OF WORK ALREADY.
AND I KEEP, I KEEP THIS ON EVERY SLIDE.
SO WE REMEMBER IT'S MARCH 21 AND THEN WE HAVE NINE MONTHS TO GO.
SO WE KNOW THAT JANUARY SADLY ENOUGH, OR GOOD ENOUGH, IS AROUND THE CORNER.
IT'S ALMOST TIME FOR NEXT YEAR'S TAXES, NOT JUST THIS YEAR'S.
UM, BUT I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT I HAVE CLARITY FROM Y'ALL.
SO IF YOU COULD PARK SOME OF THAT STUFF.
'CAUSE THERE'S GONNA BE TIME AFTER LUNCH.
'CAUSE I STILL HAVE TO MEET MY THREE O'CLOCK DEADLINE, UH, FOR BILL AND MIKE.
SORRY, I THOUGHT I WROTE IT DOWN.
A S SWAT OF OUR ISLAND RESILIENCE PLAN.
IT'S TURNED INTO A RESILIENCE PLAN.
WE KNOW THAT WE'RE A BARRIER ISLAND IMPACTS OF SEA LEVEL RISE, CLIMATE RELATED EFFECTS REGARDLESS.
RIGHT NOW, WE HAVE A LOT, THERE'S NOTHING MORE RESILIENT AS A PLAN THAN RENOURISHING $35 MILLION OF THE ATLANTIC OCEAN BEACHES, INCLUDING PINE ISLAND.
RIGHT? THERE'S, THERE'S NOTHING MORE RESILIENT THAN STATE OF THE ART.
EXPENSIVE PUMP STATIONS, LET ALONE PUMP STATION FIXES WHERE WE LEAVE, I THINK A LOT ON THE TABLE, ESPECIALLY, AND WHEN WE TRY TO TALK TO MOODY'S OR STANDARD AND POORS OR ANYBODY THAT IS REALLY TALKING TO US ABOUT OUR RESILIENCE PLANNING AND ANY PLAN WE HAVE FOR IT, IT'S, IT'S COMPARTMENTALIZED.
IT'S, IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT I COULD GRAB, SHOW YOU AND FUND.
IT'S NOTHING THAT WOULD SUPPORT AN ASSESSMENT OF OUR STORMWATER UTILITY BE.
AND WE HAVE JUST BEEN FIGURING IT OUT.
ONE PROJECT AS A TIME AS WE GO.
THANK GOODNESS FOR SCOTT LIGGETT IN THE PAST.
AND THANK GOODNESS FOR BRIAN MCELWEE AND JEFF NICKING TODAY.
BUT NOWHERE CAN I SHOW YOU WHAT WE'RE DOING EXCEPT ONE AT A TIME.
SO WE HIRED A A, A GREAT COMPANY.
YOU APPROVE THE SCOPE OF WORK.
IT WAS SOMETHING THAT I BROUGHT TO YOU.
'CAUSE I DIDN'T WANT TO GET NINE MONTHS INTO A PLAN AND SOMEBODY SAY, ORLANDO, WHY DIDN'T WE DO THIS? TOWN? COUNCIL APPROVED THE SCOPE OF WORK AND WE HIRED A CON, A CONTRACTOR, A CONSULTANT BASED UPON THAT SCOPE OF WORK.
AND WHAT WE REALLY STARTED OUT TO DO A YEAR-ISH AGO WAS A SWOT ANALYSIS.
AND IT TURNED INTO A RESILIENCE PLAN THAT MODELS FUTURE, UM, STORM SCENARIO, SEA LEVEL RISE TO IDENTIFY INUNDATION IMPACTS IN A MENU OF MITIGATION ACTIONS.
BRIAN MCOE SAYS AT BEST IT'S TO BOUNCE BACK.
RIGHT? AND SO SOME OF IT IS PRE, SOME OF IT IS POST.
AND SO AS WE BUILD THIS PLAN, WE HIRED A GREAT GROUP OF FOLKS.
UM, WE WILL BUILD THAT RESILIENCE PLAN THIS YEAR COMING INTO FOURTH QUARTER.
WE WILL HAVE A SCOPE OF WORK DELIVERED AS YOU APPROVED IT.
WE WILL GO SLOW ENOUGH AND FAST ENOUGH, RIGHT.
WE WILL BRING IT TO COMMITTEE AT CERTAIN POINTS, BUT WE INTEND TO HAVE A PLAN IN PLACE AT THE END OF THE YEAR.
THE RESILIENCE PLAN IS FUNDED IN THE FY 2024 BUDGET AND THEN FUTURE CIP BUDGETS AND IN THE OPERATING BUDGETS THAT WE MAY NEED WILL AFFECT FUTURE BUDGETS.
SO QUESTIONS ON THIS OR JUST FULL SUPPORT? FULL STEAM AHEAD.
ANY OBJECTIONS AS TO THE PROPOSED STRATEGY? THANK YOU.
THE OTHERS, JUST TO COMMENT, JUST TO COMMENT THAT, UM, I DO AGREE WITH THE WAY THAT BRIAN MCOE DESCRIBES IT.
IT PREPARES US TO BE ABLE TO BE READY, SET, TO PUT OURSELVES BACK TO, IN ORDER TO CONTINUE OUR LIVES AND OUR BUSINESS.
AND I THINK THAT'S THE CRITICAL PART THAT WE NEED TO FOCUS ON, RIGHT? AND WHERE THIS WILL HELP US FOCUS IS, IS I, I SAY THE NUMBER ONE RULE, I THINK IN STORMWATER MANAGEMENT AND SEA LEVEL RISE IS, IS, IS THE BASICS.
IT'S, IT'S ALSO A MANAGEMENT OF OUR DITCHES, RIGHT? TOWN, STATE, COUNTY, PRIVATE UNKNOWN.
IT'S THAT CHANNEL OF WATER FLOWING THROUGH HILTON HEAD ISLAND IN A LIGHT STORM.
[02:50:01]
IS ABOUT A CAT FIVE.AND SO THIS PLAN WILL REALLY OPEN OUR EYES TO SOME OF THAT WORK.
BRIAN, THAT'S BETTER THAN ME CALLING YOU UP ASKING YOU TO DEFINE RESILIENCE, ISN'T IT? YEAH.
WHAT TIME IS IT? WE DO CIP IN SIX MINUTES BECAUSE WE KNOW ALL OUR CIP WORK, RIGHT? WE, I'M, I'M TEASING SOMEONE, BUT WE SAID IN THE CIP PROGRAM THAT WAS REBUILT A COUPLE YEARS AGO TO SHOW PRIORITY PROJECTS BASED UPON OUR PRIORITY PROGRAMS, BEACH PATH ROAD PARK FACILITY, INCLUDING EQUIPMENT FLEET AND OUR LAND MANAGEMENT ACQUISITION PROGRAM.
WE KNOW THAT WE'RE COMING UP TO BUDGET.
WE'RE GONNA HAVE A CIP WORKSHOP.
WE'VE GOT A LOT OF PROJECTS THAT ARE LIVE.
WE SPENT SOME FUNDS THIS YEAR.
WE'RE GONNA ROLL FORWARD SOME FUNDS THIS YEAR AND WE'RE GONNA ASK FOR MORE FUNDS NEXT YEAR AND ADD SOME MORE PROJECTS TO IT.
A COUPLE NEW PROJECTS THAT YOU'LL SEE STARTING TO BE EXPEDITED, PERHAPS COULD BE THE SHELTER GO PARK PHASE TWO.
IT COULD BE PATTERSON AND TAYLOR PARK.
IT'S DEFINITELY, IT'S DEFINITELY THE ARROW ROAD PICKLEBALL PORTS THAT YOU MAY OR MAY NOT AGREE TO.
BUT WE'RE BRINGING THAT, THAT MASTER PLAN TO YOU IN A, IN A APRIL 2ND.
UM, BUT, SO HERE'S, HERE'S OUR WORK PLAN, AND IT'S IN YOUR PRESENTATION.
AND BY NO WAY WOULD I THINK THAT TODAY IS FOR YOU TO SAY YAY OR NAY TO BEACH RENOURISHMENT.
WE HAVE TO RENOURISH OUR BEACH THAT'S, UH, RIGHT NOW PERMITTING IN A NEXT YEAR, STARTING TO GET OUR LOGISTICS AND MOBILIZATION TOGETHER IN A 2026 CALENDAR YEAR.
RENOURISHMENT LOTS TO GO INTO THAT.
BUT THEN WE ALSO SAID WE'RE GOING TO IMPROVE SOME, SOME PATHWAYS.
JONESVILLE ROAD IS ON THERE, SOME, SOME MAINTENANCE.
I THINK WE'LL SEE SOME CROSSWALKS THIS FISCAL YEAR NOW THAT WE FOUND A GOOD CONTRACTOR WITH SOME GOOD MATERIAL THAT, THAT'S ALWAYS THE HARD PART TOO, THAT WE'RE READY TO GO WITH THAT.
WE SAID THAT WE TALKED ABOUT ROADS, WILLIAM HILTON PARKWAY.
UM, THIS IS SEGMENT THREE AT NORTHRIDGE.
WE SAID WE WOULD PERMIT AND CONSTRUCT IMMEDIATE AND THE LONG TERM DESIGN AND PERMIT.
WE SAID SEGMENT FIND AND CHAPLAIN, WHICH IS A, IS CONCEPTUAL DESIGN.
WE SAID MAIN STREET, WE ACQUIRED IT AND WE HAD A WORKSHOP, SO ON AND ON INCLUDING, AND WE ARE, WE ARE ONE, IF I COULD CRY FOR HELP TODAY, ONE SIGNATURE AWAY FROM, FOR THE FIRST TIME IN ANOTHER 15 YEAR EXERCISE, MOVING MITCHELLVILLE MITCHELLVILLE ROAD INTO OUR, INTO OUR ROAD NETWORK, THE DIRT ROAD WHERE AN AMBULANCE OR FIRETRUCK COULD BARELY GET DOWN.
NOT, NOT TO INTERRUPT YOU, BUT BUT YOU BRING UP A REALLY GOOD POINT.
SO WHILE THIS IS IN THE 2024 WORK PLANNED MM-HMM,
RIGHT? SO THERE'S A COUPLE THINGS.
UM, WE STAFF WILL BRING THESE PRIORITY PROJECTS AS AN ENTIRE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM.
THE PLANNING COMMISSION VERY SOON TO PRIORITIZE THE PROJECTS.
THAT'S THE STATE LAW REQUIREMENT THAT A PLANNING COMMISSION PRIORITIZES.
AT THE END OF THE DAY, YOU VOTE THROUGH THE BUDGET AND YOUR BUDGET DRIVES WHERE OUR FOCUS IS.
WE WILL HAVE A CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT, UM, OR SIX FUNDS.
I WILL HIGHLIGHT THOSE PROJECTS IN OUR BUDGET PROCESS.
WE WILL ALSO HAVE A SEPARATE WORKSHOP TO GO OVER THESE PROJECTS.
AND WE KNOW THAT THERE'S ALWAYS PUSHING AND PULLING, WHY IS THIS ROAD NOT IN THERE? BUT THAT PATHWAY IS, AND MY ANSWER IS GOING TO BE WE HAVE FIVE PROJECT MANAGERS AND ONLY SO MUCH MONEY.
SO THE POLICY DECISION WE WOULD AGREE IS A PRIORITY OF PROJECT.
AND CAN WE AFFORD TO DO IT RIGHT NOW THEN, THEN THE ACTUAL EXECUTION 1, 2, 3 YEAR, FOUR YEAR PROCESS? YES.
WELL, YES, SOME OF THEM, RIGHT.
A, A, A GOOD A A PROJECT WILL TAKE US THREE YEARS, RIGHT? WHEN YOU APPROVE PATTERSON PARK, TAYLOR PARK, FAMILY PARK, CHAPLAIN PARK, A ROAD, IT'S GONNA TAKE US SIX TO EIGHT MONTHS TO HAVE THE CIVIL, IT'S GONNA TAKE US FOUR TO SIX TO GET LAND DISTURBANCE.
IT'S GONNA TAKE US A FEW MONTHS TO PROCURE AND GET THE RIGHT CONTRACT.
AND IF IT COMES IN OVER BID, WE'VE GOT A VALUE ENGINEER, WHICH IS BACK TO THE CIVIL, WHICH IS BACK TO THE PERMIT, WHICH IS BACK TO THE CON, RIGHT? SO THAT IS A THREE YEAR CYCLE.
HARD PRESSED, HARD PUSHING, UM, JUST LIKE A REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT PROJECT IS THOSE THINGS, WHEN YOU NEED STATE PERMITS AND VALUE ENGINEERING, LET ALONE THE COMMUNITY EXPECTATIONS, THEY TAKE TIME.
WE HAVE TO START DELIVERING SOME PROJECTS.
[02:55:01]
YOU.BUT IT TAKES TIME TO BUILD THAT FOUNDATION FIRST.
YOU'VE APPROVED A LOT OF POLICY DECISIONS YOU'VE APPROVED THIS YEAR, RIGHT? WE TALKED A LITTLE EARLIER JUST CAN WE JUST APPROVE THIS AND GET OUTTA THE WAY? I THINK THAT'S WHAT I HEARD.
AND, AND SO WE CAN JUST GET ON WITH OUR BUSINESS.
AND SO A LOT OF THIS UP THERE IS EXACTLY THAT.
YOU SEE THE PARKS YOU APPROVED, INCLUDING PICKLEBALL, UM, YOU SEE SOME FACILITY WORK.
YOUR, YOUR POLICY DECISION IS, DO YOU WANT TO ACQUIRE AN A FLEET OF FIRE APPARATUS VEHICLES? YOU, YOU SAID THAT A COUPLE YEARS AGO.
THEY TAKE THREE YEARS TO ARRIVE.
SO, AND AGAIN, THIS LAST ONE, CAPITAL NEEDS ARE ALWAYS SYNCHRONIZED WITH OUR OPERATING EXPENSES, RIGHT? WE HAVE TO HAVE SOME MAINTENANCE ACCOUNTABILITY AND SOME FUNDING FOR MAINTENANCE.
I THINK DIFFERENT TODAY THAN PAST YEARS, ESPECIALLY AS WE'RE BUILDING NEW AND WE'RE ALWAYS TYING IT TO FORECASTED REVENUES FOR THIS FISCAL AND UPCOMING FISCAL YEARS.
UM, I WILL PUT TOGETHER A DRAFT FIVE YEAR OPERATING BUDGET TO GIVE YOU CONFIDENCE WHETHER OR NOT A FIVE YEAR CIP PROGRAM IS REALISTIC.
UM, AND THEN WE WILL PROPOSE A LOT OF THE ONE YEAR WORK PLAN IN THE, IN THE EVERY YEAR'S FISCAL BUDGET.
AND SO THAT'S, THAT'S 30 DAYS AWAY, SIR.
MARK, I WANT TO ADD MY THOUGHT SAID, UH, INVESTMENT IN OUR COMMUNITY'S SUPER IMPORTANT, UH, AND OUR CAPACITY TO IMPLEMENT SHOULD GO HAND IN HAND WITH OUR DECISION TO INVEST.
SO I GUESS MY QUESTION TO YOU, AND I'M NOT POSITIVE IT REALLY NEEDS TO BE ANSWERED TODAY, BUT I THINK IT WOULD BE, UH, HELPFUL TO OUR COUNCIL IF YOU CAME BACK TO US AND SAID, HOW, WHAT ARE YOUR IDEAS ON EX EXPEDITING OUR ABILITY TO IMPLEMENT CIP PROJECTS? THANK YOU.
I'M GONNA SAY IT HERE BECAUSE IT'S A CIP PROJECT.
EVERY OPPORTUNITY I GET, AND THE REASON I'M GONNA SAY IT OVER AND OVER AGAIN IS IT'S THINGS THAT I'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT BEHIND THE SCENES THAT ARE REALLY IMPORTANT.
UM, AND NOT JUST TO ME, BUT TO OTHER PEOPLE ON THE ISLAND WHO, UM, HAVE ASKED ME TO CONTINUE TO SAY IT.
UM, JONESVILLE ROAD, THE STABLES THAT LAND THAT WE PURCHASED WAS FOR PRESERVATION.
IT WAS TO ME MAKE, UH, CONTINUE THE CHARACTER OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND TO NOT LOSE SOMETHING THAT WAS SO, UM, SO PERFECT.
THE WORDS AREN'T COMING, BUT IT WAS JUST SO PERFECT FOR OUR ISLAND, RIGHT? ABSOLUTELY.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO SEE AS A PRIORITY IN THE CIP PROJECT, EVEN IF IT WAS SN SNUCK INTO THE 2024 BUDGET SOMEWHERE THAT WE PUT THE STABLES ON JONESVILLE ROAD, UM, ON THE TABLE, GET IT HAPPEN SO THAT THEY CAN BE UP AND RUNNING AND OUR FULL COMMUNITY CAN TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THOSE.
UM, THAT PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP WHERE THE PUBLIC, THOSE WHO LIVE ON HILTON HOOD ARE FIRST IN LINE.
WE'LL TALK ABOUT IT AFTER LUNCH.
UH, ONE IS I SUPPORT THE WORK PLAN SUBJECT TO, UH, THE PLANNING COMMISSION'S RECOMMENDATION ON CIP AND OUR WORKSHOP ON, UH, AND I'D RESPECTFULLY REQUEST THAT THE ION GIVE US PRIORITIES AS OPPOSED TO ALL 'EM BEING NUMBER ONE, WHICH THEY DID LAST YEAR.
UM, SO I'D REALLY WOULD ASK THE PLANNING COMMISSION TO DO THAT.
UM, AND THEN THE OTHER'S, A QUICK QUESTION.
I HEARD, UM, APRIL NINE, A QUARTERLY WORKSHOP ON THE, UH, MAJOR THOROUGHFARE CARTER PLAN.
AND THEN I HEARD APRIL 2ND FOR, UH, CROSSINGS AND CHAPLAIN PARK.
SO IS THE APRIL 2ND IT, SORRY, THIS THING IS WIGGLING OUT THE HECK
IS THAT AN ADDITIONAL WORKSHOP ON TOP OF OUR REGULAR AGENDA OR THANK YOU.
YEAH, THAT, JUST TO CLARIFY THAT, THAT'S, SO IT'S, SINCE IT'S GONE THROUGH WORKSHOP, IT'S COME INTO COUNCIL WITH THE PLANS ON APRIL 2ND.
SO FOR THOSE PUBLIC MEMBERS, ESPECIALLY THE PICKLEBALL FOLKS WHO ARE INTERESTED IN WHERE THE PICKLEBALL COURTS, THAT'S FOR ACTION ON APRIL 2ND.
AND THEN THE MAJOR THOROUGHFARE WORKSHOP ON APRIL NINE.
AND I THOUGHT, MAY I HAVE A COMMENT, SIR? NO COMMENT WHEN APPROPRIATE.
UM, A PROJECT THAT EXISTS IN WARD SIX IS THE MID ISLAND TRACK.
[03:00:01]
ANY REFERENCE TO THAT IN THE CIP BUDGET AND I KNOW I'M GONNA GET QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT.SO WHAT IS THE STATUS AND WHAT ARE WE PLANNING TO DO AS PART OF THIS PLAN? IT'S IN THERE, SIR.
IT, WE ARE UNDERWAY ALREADY FOR DESIGN AND PERMITTING FOR THE MID ISLAND PARK.
PHASE ONE WE HAD TALKED ABOUT, UM, AND FILL IN ANY BLANKS IF I LEAVE THEM OUT, BRIAN OR SEAN, WE TALKED ABOUT STABILIZING THE, THE, THE DITCH AND STORM STORMWATER SYSTEM RIGHT THROUGH.
WE CAN'T JUST GO STRAIGHT TO PERMIT.
WE CAN'T CALL THOMAS AND HUTTON AND SAY, HEY, GET US OUR PERMIT, START CIVIL.
WE ARE, WE'VE HAD TO INVESTIGATE FOR SOME TIME TO FIGURE OUT WHY SOME OF THOSE DITCHES ARE, ARE, ARE COMPLETELY DRY WHEN THEY SHOULDN'T BE.
WE WILL STABILIZE THE PATHWAY SYSTEM.
WE WILL IMPROVE SOME, I CALL IT LIGHT IMPRINT PARKING AREA AS WELL AS RESTROOMS. AND SO WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO IS SIMPLY EXCE ACCENTUATE WHAT'S THERE CURRENTLY BY A REAL GOOD PHASE ONE.
THE FUNDS ARE IN THE BUDGET RIGHT NOW.
WE'LL PROBABLY NEED SOME MORE BY THE TIME WE DESIGN, PERMIT AND GET A REAL PRICE OPINION OF PROBABLE COST AND THEN TURN THAT INTO A REAL PRICE.
IT'S HIGH ON OUR PRIORITY LIST AND WE HAVE GOOD PROJECT MANAGEMENT ON IT, SIR.
SO WHAT YOU'RE TELLING ME IS IT'S ALREADY BAKED INTO THE BUDGET? YES, IT'S IN THE BUDGET.
IT'S, IT'S ALREADY IN THE FY 24 BUDGET.
IT'S ON THE 2024 CALENDAR YEAR WORK PLAN.
AND YOU WILL SEE IT AGAIN WITH PERHAPS SOME MORE DOLLARS OR A LITTLE MORE KNOWLEDGE AND INTELLIGENCE ON OUR END IN THE FY 25 PROPOSED BUDGET COMING UP.
UM, I JUST WANTED TO EXPAND A LITTLE BIT ON COUNCILWOMAN BRYSON'S POINT.
UM, AND THIS GOES BACK TO ONE OF THE EARLIER SLIDES WHEN, UH, WE SORT OF TALKED ABOUT THE STRUCTURE OF THE ORGANIZATION AND WE HAVE THESE COMMITTEES PLANNING COMMISSION IN THIS CASE BY STATE CODE.
THE CIP HAS TO GO BEFORE THEM FOR RECOMMENDATIONS.
UM, I'M JUST, I'M JUST PLANTING A SEED HERE.
I'M NOT LOOKING FOR AN ANSWER
BUT AS COUNCILMAN STANFORD JUST ASKED A QUESTION ABOUT MILL ISLAND TRACK, WHICH WE'VE BEEN HAVING DISCUSSIONS AROUND FOR THE LAST FEW YEARS, I'D HATE FOR SOMETHING LIKE THAT TO GO TO PLANNING COMMISSION.
AND THEY ALL SAY THAT THAT'S NOT A PRIORITY AND WE'VE ALREADY GOT MONEY BAKED INTO MOVING IT ALONG.
SO TO ME IT SEEMS TO BE SOMEWHAT OF A DISCONNECT THERE AS THEY'RE MAKING THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS TO US BEFORE WE ADOPT BUDGET.
I JUST THINK WE NEED TO CLEAN THAT UP TO SOME DEGREE.
IT'S A STATE LAW AND AT THE END OF THE DAY, THE PROCESS OR THE, THE, THE SYSTEM IS STAFF RECOMMENDED PLANNING COMMISSION, PLANNING COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION TO YOU, YOU AS A COUNCIL VOTE.
AND SOMETIMES IT'S ALIGNED WITH PLANNING COMMISSION OR STAFF AND OR STAFF AND SOMETIMES IT'S NOT.
HERE'S WHAT WE ARE DOING THOUGH.
WE ARE DOING A BETTER JOB TODAY.
I THINK NOW, NOW THAT WE HAVE SOME STAFF THAT'S BEEN HERE FOR SOME TIME, THEY'RE STARTING TO LEARN THE CULTURE AND EXPECTATIONS FROM ALL OF YOU AND ME.
IT, IT'S THEIR JOB TO INFORM THE PLANNING COMMISSION WHEN YOU'RE NOT LOOKING, AND I'M NOT LOOKING RIGHT, IT'S BRIAN'S JOB AND SEAN'S JOB TO INFORM THE PLANNING COMMISSION OF WHAT'S ALREADY LIVE.
SO IT'S A WASTE OF TIME OR IT'S, IT'S AN OPPOSITION OR TRULY IT'S AN OPPOSITION TO WHERE COUNCIL HAS ALREADY SPENT SEVERAL HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS IN TIME.
IT'S OUR JOB TO EXPLAIN THE STRATEGIC PLAN AND THE CIP OF WHAT'S LIVE VERSUS WHAT'S NEW PRIORITY.
BUT WE, WE, WE DO THAT AND WE, WE'VE GOTTEN BETTER AT THAT, SIR.
YOU KNOW, ARE THERE ANY OBJECTIONS, QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, OR ARE WE GOOD TO GO ON THIS ONE? ALRIGHT.
AND WE'RE GONNA SEE THIS AGAIN AND SCRUB, SCRUB THE BUDGET.
HOW LONG DO YOU WANNA TAKE FOR LUNCH? FOUR MINUTES
CAN WE TURN THE LIGHTS UP? ABSOLUTELY.
HI, MY NAME IS JAVIER ZEBRA AND I AM A VOLUNTEER AT THE BEAUFORT COUNTY ALCOHOL AND DRUG ABUSE DEPARTMENT.
UH, IT'S IMPORTANT TO ME BECAUSE I MYSELF HAD STRUGGLES WITH ALCOHOL AND DRUGS AND I THINK, UH, ME BEING A MEMBER OF SOCIETY
[03:05:01]
AND, UM, AND IN RECOVERY AND BEING BILINGUAL AS WELL IS A BIG PLUS TO BE SERVING ON THIS PARTICULAR BOARD.I'VE BEEN IN THIS, UH, IN THIS COUNTY FOR 26 YEARS AND I'VE SEEN THE GROWTH AND I SEE THE, THE IMPACT AND THE DAMAGE THAT ALCOHOL AND, UH, DRUGS AND NEW DRUGS HAS AFFECTED OUR COMMUNITY.
AND, UH, BY ME BEING OF SERVICE AND EXPERIENCING, UM, SHARING MY EXPERIENCE WITH ALCOHOL AND DRUGS AND GETTING THE MESSAGE OUT THERE AND TELLING, UH, LETTING PEOPLE KNOW THAT THERE IS LIFE AFTER ALCOHOL AND DRUGS AND, UH, WE, THE BOARD, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE HERE FOR, TO OFFER A, A NEW BEGINNING FOR SOMEBODY THAT, UH, THINKS, UH, THAT THEY'RE LOST.
TO SEE A LISTING OF BEAUFORT COUNTY'S AGENCIES, BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, OR TO FILL OUT AN APPLICATION, VISIT WWW.BEAUFORTCOUNTYSC.GOV/BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.
MY MOTHER WAS ALWAYS VERY FAMILIAR WITH HER NEIGHBORHOOD, BUT ONE DAY SHE STOPPED AT THE STOP SIGN FOR MUCH LONGER THAN USUAL.
AND, UH, SHE DIDN'T KNOW WHETHER SHE SHOULD GO FORWARD OR, OR TURN, AND SHE WASN'T EVEN REALLY SURE WHERE SHE WAS AT.
IT WAS VERY UNSETTLING FOR HER.
I FELT SO MUCH BETTER AFTER MY SON TOLD ME, MOM, I DON'T WANT YOU TO WORRY OR BE AFRAID.
I'LL BE THERE FOR YOU AND WE'LL FIGURE IT OUT.
ALL RIGHT, SO FIVE MINUTES HAS PASSED US, SO LET'S, UH, GO AHEAD AND, AND GET BACK ON TRACK.
MARK, UH, IF YOU WANNA GO AHEAD AND GET ROLLING.
ALL RIGHT, SO WE'RE ON NUMBER EIGHT.
WE'VE GOTTA GET TO NUMBER 15, THEN I'VE GOTTA GET THROUGH A FEW THINGS THAT WE'VE DONE AND I ALSO HAVE SOME TIME IN HERE FOR SOME OF THESE NEW ELEMENTS THAT YOU'VE BEEN BRINGING UP ALONG THE WAY.
AS I WAS CHATTING OVER ON THE SIDE, WE CALL THIS A STRATEGIC PLANNING, UM, WORKSHOP, A STRATEGIC PLANNING EXERCISE, THE REAL STRATEGY, RIGHT? THE STRATEGY OF WHY THE WHAT AND THE WHY IS ALREADY IN THE PLAN.
SO TODAY IS MUCH LESS ABOUT THE GOALS AND THE PRIORITIES AS MUCH AS IS, AS IT IS PROBABLY A LOT MORE.
OBVIOUSLY THAT IS THE PRIORITY, GOING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION IN THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF TIME.
SO, ALRIGHT, LAND ACQUISITION MANUAL.
THIS WAS ONE THAT WAS BROUGHT UP AT THE STRATEGIC PLAN EXERCISE OR THE WORKSHOP, AND IT WAS TO REALLY UPDATE THE LAND BACK ACQUISITION MANUAL THAT WAS IN PLACE SOME TIME AGO.
AND WE USE THE LAND ACQUISITION MANUAL ALL THE TIME AS WE'RE CONTEMPLATING PROPERTY, UH, ACQUISITIONS.
BUT WHAT I HAVEN'T DONE IS USED IT WITH YOU, RIGHT? SO AS WE'VE ACQUIRED PROPERTY, A LOT OF TIMES THAT'S BEEN BASED UPON OPPORTUNITY AND BECAUSE SOMETHING WAS A RISK OR A CHALLENGE IN, IN JONESVILLE DIFFERENT THAN THE ACQUISITION OF THE PROPERTY THAT THAT WAS FOR SALE AT CRACKER BARREL, RIGHT? SO WE HAVEN'T UPDATED THE LAND ACQUISITION MANUAL.
I HAVEN'T EVEN STARTED WORKING ON IT YET.
WHAT WE SAID WAS THAT THE LAND ACQUISITION MANUAL THAT UTILIZE IT TO IDENTIFY AND ACQUIRE REAL PROPERTY HAS NOT BEEN UPDATED SINCE OH FIVE AND DOES NOT CURRENTLY REFLECT THE CURRENT NEEDS AND GOALS OF THE TOWN.
THIS IS ONE OF THEM THAT I'VE SAID WE WILL GET TO THAT, WE'LL EVALUATE IT, WE'LL INCLUDE PARKS, OPEN SPACE, CONSERVATION FACILITIES, COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT, WORKFORCE, HOUSING DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS, PRESERVATION OF HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOODS, AND THAT WE'D IDENTIFY POTENTIAL SOURCES OF FUNDING ABOVE AND BEYOND THE TRADITIONAL REAL ESTATE TRANSFER FEE AND OPPORTUNITY.
SO I THINK THAT WE'VE STARTED TO LOOK AT THIS DIFFERENTLY.
YOU KNOW, IF, IF YOU LOOK AT THE BOTTOM BULLET, WE WORKED VERY CLOSELY WITH SENATOR DAVIS VERY CLOSELY WITH SOUTH CAROLINA LEGISLATURE AS THEY ADOPTED THE GREEN SPACE FUND, RIGHT? A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS, I BELIEVE $25 MILLION WILL BE DIRECTED TO THE TOWN OF HILTON HEAD ISLAND.
AND SO WE'VE ALWAYS BEEN, BEEN REALLY PUSHING THAT WAY, UM, WORK PLANNED THIS YEAR.
I HAVE NOT SAID THAT I WILL SHOW UP BY DECEMBER AND HAVE AN UPDATED LAND ACQUISITION MANUAL FOR YOU.
UM, I WILL BRING THIS FORWARD AS WE GET THROUGH SOME OF THESE OTHER INITIATIVES, RIGHT? SO WHEN WE START TALKING ABOUT A, A STACKED ORDER OF PRIORITY, THIS IS, THIS IS, HASN'T BECOME ONE YET, BUT THE OPPORTUNITY THAT WE HAVE ALL BEEN SUCCESSFUL WITH IS WE'VE ACQUIRED $20 MILLION
[03:10:01]
OF PROPERTY, 25 ACRES PLUS JONESVILLE BARN, A RISK OF RESIDENTIAL ANYWHERE USA DEVELOPMENT, UM, CRACKER BARREL TRIPS, COMMERCIAL HOTEL, UM, I COULD KEEP GOING.WILD WING CAFE AND A WHOLE BUNCH OF OTHERS THAT WE ALL KNOW OF.
SO, UM, THIS IS JUST ONE OF THOSE STRATEGIES THAT, UH, HAVE NOT BECOME A PRIORITY OF MINE YET FOR OBVIOUS REASON.
HOWEVER, YOU HAVE MADE VERY GOOD STRATEGIC DECISIONS TO ACQUIRE PROPERTY.
SO WITH THAT QUESTIONS OR JUST KEEP MOVING QUESTIONS OR JUST KEEP MOVING.
ANY OBJECTIONS TO WHERE WE STAND ON THIS? LET'S KEEP MOVING.
I DON'T SEE ANY, I DON'T SEE ANY RED LIGHTS.
A SWOT ANALYSIS OF OUR ISLAND SOLID WASTE RECYCLING PROGRAM.
WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE HAD A RECOMMENDATION COME OUT OF PLANNING COMMISSION.
WE'VE TALKED TO YOU ABOUT THAT.
UH, WE PURSUED SOME A, A REAL DEEP DIVE OF A SWOT ANALYSIS AND THIS WENT THROUGH COMMUNITY SERVICE, PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE THE OTHER DAY.
IT'LL SHOW UP ON YOUR TOWN COUNCIL, UH, DESK AND AGENDA IN THE COMING, IN THE COMING WEEKS.
UM, AS SOON AS YOU APPROVE THE AGENDA, SIR.
2024, UH, WORK PLAN IS REALLY AS IF AND AS THE SUPPORT FOR THE SWOT ANALYSIS IS ADOPTED, THAT WE WILL COORDINATE WITH BUFORT COUNTY TO REALLY UNDERSTAND THEIR IMMEDIATE, MID AND LONG TERM PLANS.
WE ALWAYS, YOU KNOW, IT'S A QUESTION I'M ALWAYS ASKED, WHAT'S THE COUNTY DOING? I THINK WE REALLY NEED TO GO ON RECORD AND UNDERSTAND WHAT THEIR FUTURE PLANS ARE.
WE'VE ALSO SAID THAT WE'LL EVALUATE POTENTIAL APPROACHES AND ASSOCIATED COSTS TO PROVIDE CURBSIDE SOLID WASTE RECYCLING.
AGAIN, THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT'S BEING PROPOSED BY ME AT THIS TIME, BUT, BUT THE QUESTION CONTINUES TO COME UP.
WE HAVE PRIVATIZED SOLID WASTE RECYCLE OPTIONS HERE ONLY, NOT A CURBSIDE, I KNOW THAT HILTON HEAD ISLAND HAD IT TRIED TO RENEW IT, IT, IT, IT, FOR WHATEVER REASON, DIDN'T WORK.
AND I'M NOT WELL VERSED IN THAT.
I'M GOING TO LOOK INTO THAT A LITTLE DEEPER AND FIGURE IT OUT.
THERE'S A COUPLE THINGS IN HERE THAT MATTER, UH, QUITE A BIT.
WE HAVE GREAT OPPORTUNITY AT OUR BEACH PARK FACILITIES TO GREATLY ENHANCE OUR RECYCLE PROGRAM.
IF YOU GO DOWN TO COLIGNY TODAY, THERE IS A BIG BELLY TRASH AND RECYCLING COMPACTOR THAT'S SOLAR POWERED, AND IT'S IN PLACE.
I THINK RECYCLING IS AS MUCH A MINDSET AS IT IS OPTIONS.
AND SO IF WE PUT OUR BEST FOOT FORWARD AT OUR BEACHES, AND THIS IS AGAIN, COST MONEY, SO THERE IS A BIT OF A POLICY DISCUSSION THERE, BUT AS WE PLACE FUNDS IN OUR CIP AND OUR OPERATING BUDGET, KNOW THAT THE THIRD BULLET POINT ON THIS LIST IS WHAT WE ARE AIMING TO ACCOMPLISH AT OUR BEACH PARKS, UM, AS WELL, ALL OF OUR TOWN FACILITIES, RIGHT? WE WALK INTO THE ROOM, WE'VE GOT A LITTLE TINY RECYCLE BIN THAT BARELY FITS FOUR CUPS OF PAPER CUP COFFEE, RIGHT? SO AGAIN, MINDSET AND LET'S PUT OUR BEST FOOT FORWARD.
AND LASTLY, AND PROBABLY THIS SHOULD BE FIRST, THIS THING IS PLAYING GAMES ON ME, THAT WE STRENGTHEN THE ENFORCEMENT OF REPORTING AND RECYCLING REQUIREMENTS IN OUR TOWN CODE.
ONE, THE HAULERS HAVE MORE CLARITY OF WHAT THEIR EXPECTATIONS ARE AS THEY SIGN FOR THEIR BUSINESS LICENSE.
AND TWO, THAT WE HAVE MORE CLARITY IN.
WHAT WE EXPECT ONCE THAT BUSINESS LICENSE IS, IS, IS PROVIDED TO THE HAULERS.
SO AGAIN, THAT'S A TRASH PROBLEM ON OUR ISLAND.
WE SEE A LOT OF TRASH ON THE, ON THE, ON THE ROAD.
A LOT OF IT IS BLOWING OUT FROM A TRUCK SOMEWHERE.
BUT LET US, LET US BRING YOU A CODE IN THE COMING MONTHS TO IMPROVE.
BUT FIRST AND FOREMOST, OUR WORK IS COMPLETE TO BRING YOU A SWOT ANALYSIS.
THIS NEW WORKUP HERE SIMPLY GETS EITHER BAKED IN FUTURE POLICY THROUGH A CODE AMENDMENT AND THROUGH SOME OPERATING EXPENDITURES.
QUESTIONS ON THAT? OR KEEP MOVING FOR TIME'S SAKE.
MS. BRESSON, I, YOU HAD, I KNEW YOU HAD TO SAY SOMETHING OR I HAD SOMETHING TO SAY.
I, I, I KNOW YOU'RE PRESCIENT, SO I KNEW AND PRECIOUS AS WELL, RIGHT?
SO I SERVED ON THE COMMUNITY SERVICES AND PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE, AND WE LOOKED AT, UH, THE SWOT ANALYSIS.
UH, GOSH, I THINK IT WAS MONDAY OF THIS WEEK.
UM, WE'VE DONE SO MANY THINGS THIS WEEK.
UM, AND I KNOW THAT, UH, STAFF WILL, UM, PASS THOSE ALONG.
UM, BUT, UM, I, I TOTALLY SUPPORT RECYCLING AND I HOPE THAT WE CAN IMPROVE GREATLY.
UM, SO I'M SUPPORTIVE OF THE WORK PLAN.
[03:15:01]
JUST WANNA POINT OUT THAT THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT MAY NOT BE ABLE TO BE, UH, DONE.UM, AND SO THE REALISTIC PART I THINK IS IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER IN THE WORK PLAN.
ARE YOU TRACKING SOME OF THAT? SEAN, ARE YOU TRACKING SOME OF THAT WITH MS. BRYSON IS TALKING ABOUT RIGHT NOW? BECAUSE WE NEED A HUNDRED PERCENT CLARITY WHEN WE COME TO COUNCIL, RIGHT? BECAUSE THE SWOT ANALYSIS IS JUST THAT STRENGTH, WEAKNESS, OPPORTUNITY THREAT.
BUT WHAT I'M SAYING, AND THAT I, THAT I HAD RECOMMENDED AND AGREED TO WITH STAFF BRINGING FORWARD TO YOU, ARE THESE 1, 2, 3, 5 ELEMENTS ON THAT PLAN.
NO MORE, NO LESS FOR THIS COMING YEAR.
DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? AND JUST TO FOLLOW UP, I THINK THE OUTCOME OF THAT MEETING WAS, UM, BENEFICIAL.
THERE WAS THE CONSULTANT WHO WORKED ON THIS WHO ALSO MADE A PRESENTATION AND IT BECAME CLEAR AS, AS, AS, UM, PATSY MENTIONED THAT THERE ARE, THERE ARE DEFINITELY SOME THINGS THAT WILL, IF MAY NOT BE POSSIBLE, RIGHT? THE THE LIFT IS JUST TOO BIG.
BUT OUT OF THAT CAME SOME OF THE THINGS THEN ONES OF THAT YOU HIGHLIGHTED ON THAT ARE POSSIBLE THAT WE COULD IMPLEMENT NOW AND WE COULD MOVE FORWARD ON AS SOON AS THE, UM, THE FULL COUNCIL AGREES TO IT.
YOUR SUGGESTIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ARE TAKEN TO HEART AND WE'LL MOVE FORWARD ON THOSE.
THE, THE, UH, THE POTENTIAL POLICY IN THIS IS, IS IS PRETTY BROAD, RIGHT? MM-HMM.
UM, BUT ONE THING I THINK, UM, WE NEED TO SORT OF FOCUS ON IS, UH, MAYBE DRAWING A LINE BETWEEN SOLID WASTE AND RECYCLING.
BECAUSE, UM, WHEN, WHEN I THINK RECYCLING, I THINK OF US BEING STEWARDS OF OUR ENVIRONMENT BEING LEADING, UM, IN, IN THE INDUSTRY AS FAR AS MAKING THAT HAPPEN.
AND WE CURRENTLY LACK INFRASTRUCTURE TO DO THAT, RIGHT? UM, SO I THINK MAYBE SOME OF THE SOONER POLICY DECISIONS FOR US AS A GROUP WOULD BE AROUND RECYCLING AND THE INFRASTRUCTURE TO SUPPORT THAT VERSUS SOLID WASTE AND RECYCLING.
JOSH? FINGERS DOING THE TALKING.
ANYTHING ELSE? FUTURE BUDGETS WILL, UH, IMPLEMENT THIS.
WE DO HAVE $600,000 FOR ISLAND-WIDE SOLID WASTE RECYCLING EFFORTS AT TOWN FACILITIES, PARK BEACHES.
A LOT OF THAT IS IN OUR, IN OUR CIP PROGRAM.
UH, SORRY MAYOR, CAN I HAVE ONE, ONE MORE THING.
I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR THE TOWN TO LEAD IN THAT EFFORTS AND I APPRECIATE THAT.
THAT'S IN, IN THE LIST OF RECOMMENDATIONS.
DMO DESTINATION MARKETING, ORGANIZATION MARKETING PLAN, AND MEASURING THE PERFORMANCE OF THE PLAN.
UM, I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH TIME YOU WANT TO SPEND ON THIS.
I KNOW THERE WAS A QUESTION EARLIER ABOUT WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? IT'S, IT'S, IT'S BAKED IN HERE IN THE STRAP PLAN THAT SAYS, WE'RE GONNA WORK WITH OUR DMO TO ADOPT AND IMPLEMENT AN EFFECTIVE MARKETING PLAN THAT PLACES EMPHASIS ON POSITIVE COMMUNITY ATTRIBUTES OF HILTON HEAD ISLAND AS A PLACE TO LIVE, WORK, AND PLAY.
THAT WE WILL IDENTIFY ANY NECESSARY CHANGES AND ENSURE THAT TOWN COUNCIL FEEDBACK IS INCORPORATED INTO THE ANNUAL MARKETING PLAN, AND THAT WE'LL MONITOR THE PERFORMANCE OF THE TOWN'S AUTHORIZED DMO AND THAT THEY'LL PARTNER WITH THE DMO STAFF TO ASSESS PERFORMANCE AGAINST STATED GOALS.
SO ONE THING THAT IS, I I, I BELIEVE OBVIOUS TO ALL OF US THIS YEAR IS YOUR SEAT IS AT THE TABLE.
THE, THE VACATION GUIDE SEEMS TO HAVE, UM, ADVANCED EVOLVED AND THAT THE MARKETING PLAN THAT, THAT WE ARE WORKING ON STAFF AND SOME COUNCIL MEMBERS WILL BE IN FRONT OF FINANCE AND ACCOMMODATIONS TAX ADVISORY COMMITTEE F AND A, AND THEN FIND ITS WAY, UH, AS WE GET INTO BUDGET ORDINANCE, UH, FIRST READING OF, OF BUDGET, UH, ADOPTION, I SHOULD SAY, OF THE BUDGET ORDINANCE.
SO ANY QUESTIONS ON THIS? WHAT WE SAID, WHAT YOU, WHAT YOU TOLD US TO DO, I BELIEVE WE'RE DOING, AND THAT WE WILL BRING THIS FORWARD APRIL 4TH, APRIL 9TH, MAY 7TH TO DIFFERENT BODIES, AND THAT WE WILL CONTINUE TO EVALUATE INDUSTRY METRICS.
ANDREW DAVIS HAS BEEN WORKING DILIGENTLY WITH THEM AS WELL AS SOME OTHERS, BUT YOU ALSO HAD AN UPDATE AT TOWN COUNCIL THE OTHER NIGHT.
IT'S NOT A MONTHLY UPDATE OF WHAT, WHAT EVENTS THE CHAMBER WAS HOLDING, BUT IT'S REAL METRICS IN REAL MEASUREMENT.
UM, THIS IS THE LAST YEAR OF THE CONTRACT WITH OUR DMO AND WE WILL REBID IT NEXT YEAR.
[03:20:01]
IF THERE'S ANY LANGUAGE IN THERE THAT WE NEED TO REFINE, THAT'S THE TIME TO DO IT.AND I JUST, I JUST DON'T WANNA LOSE SIGHT OF THE IMPROVEMENT THAT WE'VE HAD UNDER THIS CURRENT CONTRACT VERSUS WHERE WE WERE.
AND, UM, I'M PLEASED WITH, UM, THE EMPHASIS ON RESIDENCE THAT THE, UM, DMO HAS BEEN STARTING TO TAKE.
AND THAT WAS ONE OF OUR PRIMARY CONCERNS THAT THE RESIDENTS WERE PRINT FIRST.
AND, UM, SO I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO GOOD THINGS, BUT WE HAVE HAD SOME SUCCESSES ALREADY.
YEAH, I'D LIKE TO EXPAND ON THAT BECAUSE, UM, AT OUR STRATEGIC PLANNING MEETING LAST YEAR, THIS WAS OBVIOUSLY ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WAS A HOT TOPIC.
UM, AND SO THEN WE BEGAN OUR, OUR, OUR MEETINGS TWO ON TWO MEETINGS, SO TO SPEAK, THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
AND WE'VE CONTINUED THAT THIS YEAR.
SO IT'S BEEN A MORE ENGAGED COUNCIL, UM, WITH THE DMO TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT THEY'RE HEARING OUR VOICES AND YOUR VOICES.
AND IT, IN MY, IN MY MIND, IT HAS PRODUCED A BETTER QUALITY PRODUCT AND IT REPRESENTS HILTON HEAD MUCH BETTER THAN IT HAS.
AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO DO THAT IN THE COMING YEARS AS WELL.
UH, I WOULD ADD TO, I WOULD ECHO THAT AND ADD TO THAT, THAT I THOUGHT OUR SESSION, UH, WITH A REPORT, UM, AT OUR LAST TOWN COUNCIL MEETING WAS EXCELLENT, AND I APPRECIATE THAT.
UM, AND ALSO, UM, AS I UNDERSTAND IT, UM, THERE'S SOME DIFFERENT METRICS THAT ARE USED IN INDUSTRY NOW COMPARED TO THE METRICS USED IN OUR CURRENT CONTRACT.
AND I HOPE THAT STAFF WILL TAKE A LOOK AT THOSE, UM, BECAUSE I THINK THE VALUE-BASED MARKETING IS IMPORTANT, UH, REFLECTING THE VALUES OF THAT LOCAL COMMUNITY.
AND AS I UNDERSTAND IT, THOSE NEWER METRICS, UH, USE THAT TO MEASURE.
I THINK I HAVE THAT NOTE IN ABOUT 10 DIFFERENT PLACES, FIVE OF WHICH ARE POSTED NOTES.
ALRIGHT, SO DMO FUNDING, RIGHT? IT'S A, IT'S A, IT'S A STATE LAW, UH, FORMULA THAT PROVIDES 30% OF COLLECTED STATE TAXES TO A DESTINATION MARKETING ORGANIZATION.
SO IF YOU COLLECT, IF YOU COLLECT AAX, YOU HAVE TO HAVE AN AAX COMMITTEE.
AND IF YOU COLLECT AAX, YOU HAVE TO DISTRIBUTE IT BASED UPON THE STATE CODE STATE LAW.
AND SO THE 30%, ONCE THE INITIAL FUNDS COME OUT, THE 30% FUND TO THE DMO WAS PROJECTED IS PROJECTED IN 2024 TO BE 3.9 MILLION.
AND WE'RE JUST PROJECTING FLAT, MAYBE A LITTLE, MAYBE A LITTLE COMPRESSION, A LITTLE REDUCTION IN STATE COLLECTED A TAXES.
WE'RE JUST GETTING INTO OUR FINAL, UM, REVENUE PROJECTIONS FOR FY 25.
AND WE'RE SIMPLY PROJECTING THAT REGARDLESS OF OUR PROJECTION, IT MIGHT COME IN OVER THAT IS FUNDS TO THEM.
IF IT COMES UNDER IT'S FUNDS LESS.
SO IT'S A PROJECTION TO GET GOING.
SO WITH THAT, I'M GONNA KEEP MOVING.
WE SAID WE'D ASSESS ALTERNATIVE REVENUE SOURCES AND FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES.
AND I'LL, I'LL TELL YOU, THAT IS SOMETHING THAT PROBABLY CAN COME OUT OF OUR STRATEGIC PLAN NEXT TIME.
I BELIEVE THIS IS IN HERE BECAUSE WE DIDN'T HAVE THE CONFIDENCE THAT THIS IS WHAT WE WERE DOING ALL THE TIME.
ALL THE TIME, RIGHT? DID WE, DID WE CHASE GRANTS THE WAY YOU ALL WOULD EXPECT? THE WAY I WANTED TO, I'M NOT SURE.
BUT IN THE THREE YEARS THAT I'VE BEEN WITH THE TOWN, WE HAVE COLLECTED CLOSE, YOU KNOW, 5, 6, 7, 8, $9 MILLION OF GRANTS.
WE HAVE A GREAT GRANT ADMINISTRATOR.
OUR FINANCE OFFICE FOCUSES ON IT, BUT EVERY DEPARTMENT HEAD ALSO CHASES THEIR OWN GRANTS.
FIRE DEPARTMENT CHIEF BLANKENSHIP AND JOE HAIDA DO AN INCREDIBLE JOB OF SOURCING THEIR OWN, THEIR OWN MONEY.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE'VE LOOKED FOR FUNDING THROUGH 1%, UH, THROUGH, UH, THE GREEN SPACE.
WE'VE LOOKED AT, UH, WE HAVEN'T ADDRESSED, WELL, WE DID, WE, THROUGH BEAUFORT COUNTY GREEN SPACE, WE LOOKED AT THE DEDICATED FUNDING FOR WORKFORCE HOUSING.
THAT'S THE STATE AT TAX CHANGE.
IT'S THE 15% RULE THAT YOU ALL KNOW ABOUT ACT 57.
WE, WE HAD SOME OPINIONS ON THAT EARLY ON.
YOUR ENTERTAINING, UH, FUNDING RIGHT NOW, WE, WE WILL GET TO, UH, EVALUATING THE MID ISLAND TIFF.
I HAVE TALKED WITH POTENTIAL TIFF PARTNERS, RIGHT? THOSE AGENCIES, BEFOR COUNTY, BEAUFORT COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT, AND OTHERS THAT MAKE UP THE TIFF.
THE MID ISLAND TIFF DISTRICT ARE OUR ADVANTAGE AND OUR BENEFIT ALREADY IS THE MID ISLAND DISTRICT PLAN.
THAT IS THE FIRST AND FOREMOST THING THAT WE NEED TO PUT TOGETHER TO THINK THROUGH A TIFF DISTRICT.
WE HAVE MADE SOME ADJUSTMENTS TO DEVELOPMENT PERMIT FEES LAST YEAR.
UH, WE WILL NOT DO A STORM WATER UTILITY RATE STUDY UNTIL THE RESILIENCE PLAN IS COMPLETE.
[03:25:01]
UM, LOOKING AT MUNICIPAL BOND CAPABILITIES AND ADOPTING A TAX FUNDING POLICY.WE HAVEN'T GOT TO A FEW OF THOSE, THOSE ELEMENTS ON THERE, BUT WE WILL LOOK AT TIFF THIS YEAR.
WE WILL ASSESS DEBT FINANCING AS YOU ASKED ME TO, BUT I, I REALLY NEED A FINANCE DIRECTOR ON BOARD.
UM, WE ARE GETTING THROUGH PREPARING A BUDGET WITH A GREAT INTERIM FINANCE DIRECTOR.
WE HAVE AN ASSISTANT FINANCE DIRECTOR THAT WAS APPROVED IN LAST YEAR'S BUDGET.
JOHN MCGOWAN STARTS ON APRIL 1ST.
APRIL FOOL'S DAY, I HOPE HE SHOWS UP.
I HOPE THIS ISN'T A JOKE, BUT HE SPENT A CAREER AT STANDARD AND POORS AND MOODY'S, BUT HE'S ALSO A FINANCIAL MIND AND, AND A, AND A FINANCIAL ANALYSIS, UH, MINDSET THAT WE'LL HAVE ON OUR TEAM.
UM, WE'RE GONNA KEEP LOOKING FOR GRANTS.
UH, WE'RE GOING TO KEEP COMING TO YOU FOR ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR LAND ACQUISITION INDEFINITELY.
AND AS YOU KNOW, PUSH ON THE USE OF THAT GREEN SPACE.
CALL IT A HUNDRED MILLION, OUR PORTION, PERHAPS 25.
SO QUESTIONS ON THAT, MR. ALFRED? UH, SPEAKING OF ALTERNATIVE REVENUE SOURCES, UH, THERE'S GOING TO BE A BOND ISSUE, I UNDERSTAND ON A NOVEMBER BALLOT, UH, TAX LEVY.
UH, AND SOME PART OF THAT IS TO BE ALLOCATED TO THE ISLAND.
IS THAT A DEFINITIVE AMOUNT OR GENERALLY FA UH, DEFINITIVE AMOUNT THAT MIGHT BE ALLOCATED TO THE ISLAND? SOME SOME'S DEFINITIVE PROJECT SPECIFIC, AND SOME IS, IS, IS I WOULD SAY, UH, PORTFOLIOS OF FUNDS FOR PUBLIC SAFETY, ROADWAY IMPROVEMENT AND SOME THINGS LIKE THAT.
WE CAN SEND THAT MEMO FROM BUFORT COUNTY.
AGAIN, WE MET ON IT WAS IT JUST LAST COUPLE DAYS AGO.
UM, BUFORT COUNTY'S WORKING ON PUTTING IT ON THE BALLOT RIGHT NOW.
SO IT'S STILL A WORK IN PROGRESS, UM, IN LIGHT OF THE FACT THAT THE ISLAND COULD OBTAIN A GREAT DEAL OF MONEY FROM THE PASSAGE OF THAT LEVY AND THE FACT THAT IT WILL NOT INCREASE ANYBODY'S TAXES, SEEMS TO ME TO SUGGEST THAT WE GIVE SOME CONSIDERATION TO TRY TO SUPPORT THAT.
AND, AND THAT'S, UH, THAT'S THE WILL OF COUNSEL ON THAT.
WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH BUFORT COUNTY AS EVERY OTHER MUNICIPALITY HAS TO MAKE SURE THAT IF IT PASSES OUR SEAT IS AT THE TABLE WHILE WE'RE BUILDING OUR PROJECT LIST.
THE ROADS THAT WE MENTIONED EARLIER, IF IT PASSES, I'M NOT ADVOCATING FOR THAT WHATSOEVER, WOULD BE FUNDED THROUGH, THROUGH THIS REFERENDUM.
AND THAT'S A WILL OF COUNTY COUNCIL AND WITH TOWN COUNCIL SUPPORT.
IF, IF I COULD TAKE THAT JUST A LITTLE BIT FURTHER.
UM, SO WHILE WE CAN HELP EDUCATE THE PUBLIC, WE CAN'T ADVOCATE OR SUPPORT IT.
UM, BUT I WILL TELL YOU THAT, UH, BEAUFORT COUNTY HAS HAD TWO READINGS ON THE REFERENDUM, AND YOUR MAYOR'S GOT TOGETHER PROVIDED A LETTER TO THE, TO THE, UH, COUNTY CHAIR.
AND THEY'VE DELAYED VOTE ON THE THIRD READING UNTIL THEY DO SOME PUBLIC EDUCATION.
UM, ACTUALLY HAVE A MEETING TOMORROW WITH THE MAYORS AND THE, AND THE BEAUFORT COUNTY CHAIR TO DISCUSS ACTUALLY ALL OF THAT, WHERE THOSE MEETINGS WILL TAKE PLACE, HOW THEY'LL BE PRESENTED TO PUBLIC, UM, WHO WILL SPEAK.
AND, UM, AND THERE'LL BE MORE TO COME ON THAT, UH, I UNDERSTAND WE CAN'T UNDERSTAND, WE CAN'T ADVOCATE FOR IT, BUT JUST THE FACTS THAT A FAIR AMOUNT OF THAT MONEY WILL COME TO THE ISLAND AND THE FACT THAT IT DOESN'T INCREASE TAXES, THESE ARE FACTS.
AND I THINK THOSE CAN BE PROMULGATED.
UM, YES, IT DOES INCREASE TAXES.
UM, AND SO, UM, THANK YOU MAYOR FOR CLEARLY SAYING THAT WE AS A COUNCIL WILL NOT BE, UM, COMBINING EFFORTS IN SUPPORT WHAT EACH INDIVIDUAL PERSON DOES IS OF THEIR OWN, I GUESS.
AND THEN SECONDLY TO THE THOUGHT THAT, UM, THERE'S A DEFINITIVE OR ANY SPECIFIC AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT WILL BE COMING BACK TO OUR TOWN, WHILE THERE MAY BE A LIST OF, UM, PROJECTS ON THE TOWN THAT THEY WOULD CONSIDER, WE'RE NOT GUARANTEED A PENNY.
OTHER COMMENTS? MR. BROWN? UH, YEAH, MR. MAYOR.
UM, I'M JUST WONDERING, UH, THROUGH THIS PUBLIC EDUCATION PROCESS, IS IT A POTENTIAL THAT WE HAVE A PUBLIC MEETING THAT IS SPONSORED BY THE TOWN IN CHAMBERS OR SOMEWHERE, SO TO SPEAK, SO THAT WE ARE REALLY ENGAGING OUR COM OUR COMMUNITY FROM A, I GUESS A FORMAL STANDPOINT? YES.
I BELIEVE THAT MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT BEAUFORT COUNTY WILL REACH OUT TO THE CHAMBERS AND DEFINITELY GET US TO THAT TABLE.
BUFORD COUNTY IS IN THE PROCESS OF FIGURING OUT THAT, THAT GAME PLAN RIGHT NOW,
[03:30:02]
SHORT TERM RENTAL ASSESSMENT, UM, TOOK AT DEEP BREATH.I DIDN'T MEAN TO SHORT TERM RENTALS.
THIS, THIS IS, THIS IS ONE THAT WE'VE PUT IN PLACE, RIGHT? I THINK WE WERE ONE OF A FEW COMMUNITIES IN THE, IN THE NATION THAT DID NOT HAVE A SHORT TERM RENTAL ORDINANCE IN PLACE FOR A LONG PERIOD OF TIME.
AND WE HAD THE TWO APPS, RIGHT? THE VRBO APP AND THE AIRBNB APP COMPLETELY CHANGED THE DYNAMIC.
UH, OUR DATA TELLS US THAT WE WENT FROM 3000 TO MORE THAN 7,000 SHORT TERM RENTAL PERMITS OR SHORT TERM RENTAL PROPERTIES.
AT ANY GIVEN TIME, THERE'S 8,000 THAT MIGHT OR MIGHT NOT BE LIVE AND ACTIVE.
WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE ABOUT A THOUSAND, UM, ACCOUNTS THAT SHOULD BE ACCOUNTS THAT STILL HAVEN'T A SUBMITTED FOR A SHORT TERM PERMIT.
AND WE HAVE BOB AND SOME INVESTIGATIONS GOING ON WITH OUR PARTNER OR OUR CONTRACTOR GOBOS RIGHT NOW.
SO WE KNOW THAT WE PUT A LOT OF THAT IN PLACE.
UM, WE REQUIRED FIRE HYDRANTS.
WE REQUIRED, UH, GOOD BEHAVIOR, GOOD NEIGHBOR RULES.
WE SAID THAT IF YOU'VE GOT A COUPLE STRIKES WILL REVOKE.
I KNOW THAT WE HAVE ISSUED CITATIONS.
SOME OF THE COMPLEXITY OF THIS IS MOST SHORT-TERM RENTAL PROBLEMS OCCUR PAST 10 O'CLOCK AT NIGHT WHEN OUR CODE OFFICERS ARE AT HOME.
AND SO WE'RE ONLY AS GOOD AS WHAT WE CAN NOT ALWAYS ISSUE A CITATION IF WE DON'T SEE THE ACTIVITY JUST BASED UPON SOMEBODY'S PHONE CALL.
BOB IS WORKING AS CLOSE AS HE CAN TO THE PLANNED UNIT.
DEVELOPMENTS BEHIND THE GATES, AS YOU SAY, AND ALSO OUTSIDE OF THE GATES.
WE ARE FOLLOWING UP EVERY MONDAY MORNING.
AND I DO THINK THAT THOSE CALLS FOR PROBLEMS HAVE HAVE DEFINITELY COMPRESSED.
THEY'RE NOT A COMPLETELY GONE, MY QUESTION TODAY REALLY IS WE SAID, COUNCIL SAID, REVIEW THE, THE DATA OBTAINED THROUGH THE TOWN, SHORT-TERM RENTAL SOFTWARE, EVALUATE PERMITS, LOCATION MAGNITUDE REVIEW, SHORT-TERM RENTAL PERMIT, PROGRAM EFFICIENCY, AND THROUGH EVALUATION OF REPORTED VIOLATIONS, UM, PROPOSED TO DO IS FURTHER ASSESS AMENDMENTS TO THE TOWN'S SHORT TERM RENTAL ORDINANCE, ALIGN ORDINANCE, AND OUR SHORT TERM RENTAL ORDINANCE AND CONTINUE, RIGHT? OPERATIONAL ITEM.
THIS THIRD ONE, GOING FROM ZERO TO 7,000 IN A YEAR AND A HALF WAS NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART.
SO CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR FINANCE DEPARTMENT, BUT DEFINITELY THE SHORT TERM RENTAL TEAM ALMOST TOUCHES EVERY SINGLE DEPARTMENT, UM, LED BY APRIL AKINS AND AN AMAZING GROUP OF PEOPLE.
BUT WE HAVE TO CONTINUE AS WE ALWAYS DO, GET BETTER AT THE CUSTOMER SERVICE PART.
WHEN SOMEBODY WANTS A PERMIT, HOW LONG ARE THEY WAITING TO GET IT? IF SOMEBODY IS NOT IN COMPLIANCE, ARE WE TRACKING AND, AND ENFORCING? WE KNOW THAT TO DO A BETTER JOB WITH ENFORCEMENT, RIGHT? WE NEED TO IDENTIFY THOSE NONCOMPLIANT AND FORCE THEM TO A DEGREE TO GET A BUSINESS LICENSE THROUGH WARNINGS, RIGHT? LETTERS, WARNINGS, INVESTIGATIONS, FIRST CITATIONS COURT, AND ALL THOSE TYPES OF THINGS.
SO THIS DEFINITELY IS A FULL-TIME BUSINESS.
THE $250 PER HAS RAISED ABOUT $1.7 MILLION OF RECURRING REVENUE.
THAT DOESN'T INCLUDE THE BUSINESS LICENSE REV ADJUSTMENT, RIGHT? YOU HAVE TO HAVE A BUSINESS LICENSE TO HAVE A PERMIT, NOR DOES IT, NOR DOES IT ACCOUNT FOR THE AT TAX COLLECTION ON THESE.
BUT AT A BASELINE, THE PERMIT RAISED ABOUT 1.7, $1.8 MILLION IN OUR ACCOUNT.
WHAT WE WILL BRING YOU, UH, AMONGST SOME OF THE WORK WE'RE ALREADY DOING WITH PUBLIC PLANNING COMMITTEE RIGHT NOW ON FLOOR AREA RATIO, UH, LAND MANAGEMENT ORDINANCE, REALLY THAT BIG HOUSE, SMALL LOT, NO PARKING PROBLEM, WE HAVE, WE HAVE TO AMEND OUR ORDINANCE SO THAT WE CAN ENFORCE IT BETTER.
AND WE KNOW THAT WE, BOB'S IDENTIFIED SOME OF THOSE ISSUES ALONG THE WAY.
SO HENCE OUR WORK PLAN UP HERE.
QUESTIONS ON THIS DELIBERATIONS OR STATUS QUO CF PPC AND WE'LL BRING S GOVERNMENT FORWARD.
I MADE COMMENTS EARLIER SO I I WON'T REPEAT THEM.
SO I, I WOULD LIKE TO SAY, BECAUSE THERE'VE BEEN ISSUES WITH THE APPLICATION PROCESS TO GET YOUR LICENSE.
OUR IT DEPARTMENT HAS WORKED WITH GOBOS TO HELP THEM IMPROVE THEIR PROCESS.
UM, WHEN THEY ARE, UH, ENCUMBERED WITH WHATEVER SYSTEMS ISSUES THEY'RE EMAILING US, I GET AN EMAIL ABOUT THAT AS WELL, THAT THEY'RE HAVING ISSUES.
SO I KNOW THE TOWN STAFF IS GETTING THAT EMAIL, SO I JUST WANT TO LET THE PUBLIC KNOW.
AND THOSE THAT ARE LISTENING THAT GOBOS IS, IS THEIR CUSTOMER SERVICE IS WORKING HARD TO KEEP US INFORMED AS THE TOWN AS TO WHAT THEIR ISSUES ARE SO THAT IT'S, IT'S NOT GOING
[03:35:01]
UN UNNOTICED OR UNRECOGNIZED.CAN I JUST ADD TO THAT, THAT I ALSO, UM, MADE AWARE OF ALL THE POSITIVES, UM, IN TERMS OF THAT CUSTOMER SERVICE AND THE STAFF AND THE WORK THAT THEY'VE DONE IS REMARKABLE.
THAT WAS A LOT OF WORK, GETTING IT UP AND, AND RUNNING AND, UM, THEY SHOULD BE COMMENDED.
WE DO EVERY, EVERY FRIDAY, APRIL SENDS AN EMAIL OUT TO A BUNCH OF FOLKS IDENTIFYING WHAT THE GREAT ACHIEVEMENTS AND SUCCESSES WERE FOR THE WEEK.
SHE'S A GREAT LEADER, BUT IT, IT HELPS WITH OUR, OUR ASSESSMENT.
SO FROM A PUBLIC POLICY STANDPOINT, THE FIRST TWO ITEMS ARE YOURS TO HELP US FIGURE OUT.
AND THE BOTTOM TWO, I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW, BECAUSE YOU'VE RECEIVED THE CALLS AND WE'VE HEARD SOME ISSUES THAT WE ARE CONTINUING TO IMPROVE OPERATIONS AS WELL AS INVESTIGATIONS AND COMPLIANCE, BUT WE NEED YOUR HELP ON THOSE FIRST TWO, YOUR DIRECTION.
THERE ARE DEFINITELY BUDGET IMPACTS.
THIS TOUCHES EVERY SINGLE DEPARTMENT BY RESCUE INSPECTIONS, ENFORCEMENT PLANNING, YOU NAME IT.
COMPLETE THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE GULLAH GEECHEE TASK FORCE WORK PLAN.
SORRY TO INTERRUPT, I'M SORRY.
BEFORE YOU GET TO THE NEXT ONE, MA'AM.
SO YOU JUST MENTIONED, UM, IN THE 2024 WORK PLAN, THOSE FIRST TWO BULLETS THAT YOU NEED DIRECTION, UM, ON THE POLICY FOR THOSE.
SO DO YOU MEAN LIKE WHEN YOU BRING AMENDMENTS TO US TO GIVE YOU DIRECTION? WHAT I'M WANTING TO MAKE SURE THAT I UNDERSTAND WHAT DIRECTION HE NEEDS HELP WITH? WELL, YES MA'AM.
SO I KNOW THAT BOB AND JOSH ARE WORKING ON SOME AMENDMENTS IN HOUSE RIGHT NOW TO BRING THE CODE ENFORCEMENT AND COMPLIANCE SECTION OF OUR CURRENT TOWN CODE, SHORT TERM RENTAL CODE, UH, TO A BETTER STANDARD.
SOMETHING THAT BOB'S MORE COMFORTABLE WITH, UM, THAT, THAT ALLOWS HIM TO PROVIDE CITATIONS A LOT MORE CONFIDENTLY.
SO THEY'RE ALREADY WORKING ON THAT WHEN IT'S READY.
THE PROCESS OF THAT WOULD BE GOING THROUGH FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE COMMITTEE MOST LIKELY.
UM, THAT'S, THAT'S THE MAYOR'S CALL WHERE, WHERE THAT GOES.
UM, AND IT WOULD COME TO TOWN COUNCIL FOR A ONE AND TWO VOTE FOR FIRST AND SECOND READING AS A COMPANION PIECE TO THAT.
WE KNOW THAT OVERHAULING OUR LAND MANAGEMENT ORDINANCE IS GOING TO ADDRESS SOME OF THE COMPLICATIONS FROM SHORT-TERM RENTALS.
IT'S THE, IT'S THE 10 BEDROOM HOUSE WITH THE BUNK ROOMS AND SIX PARKING SPACES THAT YES, IT'S A SHORT TERM RENTAL PROBLEM, BUT IT'S ALSO A BIG HOUSE, SMALL LOT NO PARKING PROBLEM.
AND SO AS WE OVERHAUL THE LAND MANAGEMENT ORDINANCE, WE WILL START CALIBRATING THAT.
BUT BEFORE THAT, I KNOW THAT WE NEED TO DO A BETTER JOB.
SO BOB HAS SOME BETTER CONFIDENCE IN ENFORCEMENT OF TWO PIECES.
I JUST WANNA SAY I'M VERY PLEASED, UH, WITH THAT, UH, DIRECTION.
UH, SEA PINES IS ONE OF THE FEW COMMUNITIES ON THE ISLAND THAT HAS HAD A FAIR NUMBER OF EXPERIENCES IN THIS AREA, ALL OF WHICH ARE, COULD BE COVERED BY THE SUBJECTS THAT YOU'RE PURSUING AND THEY DO NEED SOME REMEDIES, SO I APPRECIATE IT.
IT'S INTERESTING WHEN WE THINK THAT SEA PINES, MY LAST COUNT, AS I PUT MY EYES ON SOME ANALYSIS, MORE THAN 60% OF SEA PINES IS ON THE SHORT TERM MARKET, OR THAT NON-PRIMARY HOME, MORE THAN THAT NOW.
AND, AND I THINK THE SAME IS, UM, OR THE SAME IS TRUE OR SIMILAR IN PALMETTO DUNES YES, MA'AM.
AND OTHER BEHIND THE GATE COMMUNITIES.
BUT AS WE'VE HAD THIS DELAY IN SOLVING THIS PROBLEM, AND, AND I DON'T MEAN TO BELABOR IT, BUT SINCE IT'S BROUGHT UP, UM, AND PATSY OPENED THE DOOR, WE, WE CONTINUE TO HAVE, UM, ISSUES WITH PERMITTING HOMES TO BE COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS, RUNNING A BUSINESS AS A FULL-TIME ACTIVITY FOR THAT HOME THAT ARE NOT ADEQUATELY EQUIPPED WITH PARKING AND ALL THE THINGS THAT YOU MENTIONED.
AS WE LOOK, MOST OF THIS DOESN'T REALLY APPLY TO A WHOLE LOT OF WHAT HAPPENS BEHIND THE GATES 'CAUSE THEY HAVE THEIR OWN ARBS AND AND SUCH.
BUT AS WE LOOK OUTSIDE THE GATES WHERE THESE ARE MOSTLY, UM, BEING BUILT, IT'S GETTING SO CLOSE TO ALL OF THOSE LOTS HAVING NOW BEEN BUILT ON THAT.
THE, THE EFFORT IS, IS WELL INTENDED.
UM, NO ONE'S GONNA STOP IT, BUT ULTIMATELY THE IMPACT WON'T BE EFFECTIVE IN TERMS OF CREATING A QUALITY OF LIFE THAT WE ALL WOULD, SHOULD HAVE RECEIVED.
AND THAT THE SHORT TERM RENTALS IN LARGE MEASURE, UM, ARE ARE MAKING DIFFICULT, RIGHT? SO, AND WE KNOW THIS ACROSS THE NATION AND BEYOND THIS IS, THIS IS THE ISSUE, RIGHT? IT'S IT'S THE SIZE OF HOME, IT'S THE IMPACT TO RESIDENT AND IMPACT TO NEIGHBORHOOD, BUT THEN IT'S ALSO HOW ARE WE BALANCING PRIVATE PROPERTY RIGHTS,
[03:40:01]
RIGHT? AT THE END OF THE DAY, THAT IS DEFINITELY THE PUBLIC POLICY, UM, DILEMMA THAT I THINK IS PREVALENT THROUGH A LOT OF PLACES PEOPLE WANT TO BE.AND SO WHAT YOU TOLD ME A YEAR AND A HALF, TWO YEARS AGO WAS, LET'S FIGURE OUT WHAT WE HAVE.
LET'S BRING EVERYONE TO COMPLIANCE AND LET'S MAKE SURE THE FOLKS THAT HAVE PERMITS ARE BEHAVING.
I THINK WE'RE MUCH FURTHER ALONG THAN WHEN WE STARTED.
WE'RE NOT THERE YET, ESPECIALLY THE 1000, UM, ISSUES THAT WE'RE CHASING AND RESEARCHING.
UM, BUT WE HAVE A SYSTEM IN PLACE.
THERE'S SOME MORE WORK TO DO AND ESPECIALLY THROUGH OUR LMO.
SO WHAT WE, WHAT WE MISSED IN ALL OF THAT WAS FORAY, RIGHT? WHICH COULD HAVE HAD IMMEDIATE, UM, AN IMMEDIATE IMPACT ON TRYING TO RESOLVE SOME OF THESE ISSUES WITH BIG HOUSE, SMALL LOT TOO MANY CARS.
AND, AND THAT FELL APART FOR A VARIETY OF REASONS.
I FOUGHT TO, UM, KEEP IT FROM FALLING APART.
UM, AND WHILE IT'S UNDERSTANDABLE THAT THIS IS A NATIONWIDE PROBLEM, THE FOLKS THAT I'M CONCERNED ABOUT ARE THE ONES WHO LIVE HERE ON THE ISLAND.
SO IS THERE SOMETHING ELSE THAT WE CAN PUT INTO THE POLICY OTHER THAN JUST THOSE LAND MANAGEMENT ORDINANCES THAT WE REFER, THAT WE'VE REFERRED TO AS FAR IN PARKING? IS THERE SOMETHING THAT WE CAN PUT IN THAT SAYS, UM, BECAUSE THESE ARE COMMERCIAL ENTITIES, RIGHT? WE KNOW THAT MANY, UM, THE OWNER NEVER RESIDES IN THEM AND THESE ARE RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOODS.
IS THERE ANYTHING WITHIN THAT THAT WOULD, THAT WE COULD PUT IN THAT WOULD REQUIRE THAT A AN OWNER IS, IS LIVING AT SOME POINT? OR IS THERE ANYTHING IN THERE? I KNOW YOU AND I HAVE HAD THIS CONVERSATION, SO YOU KNOW WHAT I'M DRIVING AT.
BUT I THINK THAT WE'RE, WITHOUT TALKING ABOUT IT AGAIN, HERE ARE WE, ARE WE BYPASSING THAT AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO RESOLVE THE PROBLEM? 'CAUSE BIG HOUSE, ALL OF THAT IS GETTING AWAY FROM US.
UM, WE LOST A, A BIG OPPORTUNITY A FEW MONTHS AGO.
SO HOW ELSE CAN WE HELP SOLVE THE PROBLEM SINCE THAT'S WHERE WE ARE, RIGHT? WELL, FOR TODAY, THERE'S REALLY THREE WAYS WE LOOK AT SHORT-TERM RENTALS, THE SHORT-TERM RENTAL ORDINANCE IN AND OF ITSELF, THE LAND MANAGEMENT ORDINANCE, RIGHT? WE, WE COULD HAVE A, A BIG HOUSE AND I COULD LIVE THERE AND HAVE A PARTY EVERY NIGHT.
AND IT'S STILL THE SAME IMPACTS.
DOESN'T MEAN IT'S A SHORT TERM LIVABLE SITUATION.
AND THEN THE THIRD IS JUST WHAT WE TOLERATE AS A COMMUNITY THROUGH OUR COMMUNITY CODE ENFORCEMENT AND, AND AS A RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF IMPACTS TO THIS AND THERE'S NOT AN EASY ANSWER.
UM, I THINK WE'RE TRYING TO FIGURE IT, I THINK, I THINK WE HAVE TO HONE IN ON WHAT THE REAL PROBLEMS ARE AND, AND, AND AT LEAST ATTEMPT TO SOLVE IT.
YOU ALSO HAVE PRIVATE PROPERTY RIGHTS.
FOLKS ARE OUT THERE WITH A 6% TAX STRUCTURE.
THEY HAVE A MORTGAGE BASED UPON THE, THE VALUE OF THE HOME WHEN THEY BOUGHT IT, AND THE VALUE OF THE HOME THAT THEY BOUGHT.
AND FRANKLY, IT WAS BUILT AS THAT.
AND IN OUR LAND MANAGEMENT ORDINANCE, THAT'S CALLED A RESIDENTIAL STRUCTURE.
SO THAT'S WHY I THINK THE DEEPER WE DIVE INTO THE LAND MANAGEMENT ORDINANCE, I THINK THAT SOME OF THE ISSUES ARE BUILT ENVIRONMENT ISSUES, LESS COMMERCIAL PROBLEMS. IF IT WAS, IF IT WAS A, A HOME THAT WAS REALLY CALIBRATED TO NEIGHBORHOOD AND IT DIDN'T DECAY IT YEAH, YOU'RE, I I ASKED THE QUESTION ONCE.
RAISE YOUR HAND IF YOU'RE THE ONLY ONE LIVING IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD AND EVERYBODY ELSE RENTS FOR ONE WEEK OR LESS.
WHERE'S THE SCHOOL TEACHER? WHERE'S THE PERSON IN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT? WHERE'S THE PERSON IN THE RESTAURANT? WHERE'S THE NURSE? RIGHT? SO YEAH.
THOSE ARE OUR IMPACTS IN FRONT OF US.
UM, I, I, I DO THINK THE ISSUE IS IMPACTS AND UNDERSTANDING IMPACTS.
UH, YOU SAID THAT, UH, A YEAR AGO WE HAD 3,500 OR SOMETHING IN THAT ORDER ORDER TO NOW WE HAVE 7,500, WHATEVER THAT IS, PRE COVID, POST COVID.
SO THAT'S 4,000 ADDITIONAL SHORT TERM RENTALS.
AND, AND I THINK THERE ARE SOME, UH, ASSUMPTIONS THAT WE COULD BAKE INTO THAT AND TEST, YOU KNOW, HOW WERE THEY USED BEFORE, RIGHT? HOW ARE THEY BEING USED NOW AND WHAT IMPACT DOES THAT HAVE ON SEA PINE CIRCLE OR PALMETTO DUNS LIGHT OR WHATEVER.
AND I THINK OUR UNDERSTANDING THE COMPLEXITIES AND THE DOWNSTREAM IMPACTS OF UNITS THAT DIDN'T USED TO BE SHORT-TERM RENTALS, TRANSFORMING INTO SHORT-TERM RENTALS, WE NEED TO HAVE THOSE ANSWERS IN ORDER TO CREATE POLICIES FOR THE BETTERMENT OF THIS COMMUNITY.
IT'S THE DATA, DATA-DRIVEN DECISIONS YOU ASKED FOR.
AND I THINK THAT OUR INVESTMENT IN GOV OS
[03:45:01]
AND REALLY STARTING TO STUDY IT AND UNDERSTAND IT WILL PAY OFF.IT'S JUST A MATTER OF WHEN AND WHAT.
I THOUGHT MY, MY WHEELS ARE TURNING AS WE'RE HAVING THIS DISCUSSION, SIR, AND I'M TAKE IT BACK TO, TO, TO POLICY.
UM, WHEN WE WERE IN COLUMBIA, UH, WEEKS BACK AT THE MUNICIPAL CONFERENCE, UH, THERE WAS A, A BIT OF A DISCUSSION AROUND, UH, THE STATE GETTING INVOLVED AS FAR AS, UM, I GUESS OVERRULING HOME RULE TO A DEGREE AROUND SHORT TERM RENTALS.
RIGHT? AND I HAD A CHANCE TO TALK TO SOME OF OUR DELEGATES ABOUT THIS.
AND THEY, THEY TALKED THROUGH A POTENTIAL OF SAYING, OKAY, WELL, IF YOU DECIDE THAT YOU'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE SHORT TERM RENTALS IN A PARTICULAR AREA, THEN THE STATE IS GOING TO POTENTIALLY SAY, WELL, THEN THAT MEANS THAT YOU CAN'T COLLECT 6%, UH, TAX IN THAT AREA.
OKAY? NOW THIS IS JUST DISCUSSION.
THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT'S ON THE TABLE THAT MAY COME TO LIGHT.
BUT THE POINT THAT I'M TRYING TO MAKE FROM A POLICY STANDPOINT, I THINK, AND THIS IS, THIS IS SORT OF TOUGH FOR US TO HAVE AS A CONVERSATION BECAUSE TO ME, THE SHORT TERM RENTAL VERSUS THE OTHER TYPE OF HOUSING THAT WE HAVE ON HILTON HEAD ARE VERY COMPETING INTEREST.
AND AS MUCH AS WE WANT TO ADMIT OR NOT, WE HAVE SORT OF INCENTIVIZED AND SUBSIDIZED THE SHORT-TERM RENTAL MARKET ON HILTON HEAD THROUGH SOME OF OUR OTHER EFFORT EFFORTS.
AND I THINK WE NEED TO BE VERY MINDFUL THAT IF WE'RE LOOKING TO CONTROL THIS, WE MAY HAVE TO COMBAT IT BY BEING CREATIVE ON THE OTHER SIDE AS FAR AS HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES ON HILTON HEAD WITH EITHER HOME OWNERSHIP OR LONG-TERM RENTALS.
UH, SO TO ME, THESE TWO TIE TOGETHER IN, IN, IN A VERY, VERY STRONG WAY, IS JUST TO FIGURE OUT HOW CAN WE BALANCE THE ACT.
I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT AS FAR AS POLICY IS CONCERNED.
UM, WITH, UM, MR, WITH ALEX ON THAT SHORT TERM RENTALS HAVE DEFINITELY IMPACTED, UM, THE LONG TERM RENTAL MARKET THAT'S AFFORDABLE.
AND YES, WHEN WE WERE IN COLUMBIA, WE HEARD ABOUT THE, UM, STATE TRYING TO TAKE AWAY HOME RULE AND IMPLEMENT A, UM, THEIR OWN THAT WOULD CONSTRAIN US IN TERMS OF BEING ABLE TO SAY, WE ALLOW RENTALS, WE DON'T ALLOW RENTALS.
BUT WHAT THEY DIDN'T SAY IF THAT WERE TO TAKE PLACE, WAS THAT WE COULD NOT PUT INTO PLACE OUR OWN REGULATIONS IN TERMS OF PARKING.
UM, NONE OF THAT WAS IN THERE.
AND THAT'S THE PIECE THAT WE SHOULD BE CONCERNED ABOUT, RIGHT? THAT'S THE PIECE THAT I WAS REFERRING TO, THAT WE'VE LOST OUR OPPORTUNITY, PERHAPS NOT COMPLETELY, BUT SIGNIFICANTLY.
UM, AND, AND, AND HOW CAN WE NOW ADJUST THAT? SO ALL OF THAT IS TRUE.
THE DILEMMA IS STILL IN FRONT OF US AND WE MUST DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.
K GEECHEE TASK FORCE WORK PLAN.
I'LL DIVE INTO THIS AS MUCH AS YOU WANT.
TOWN COUNCIL SOME TIME AGO ADOPTED A TOP 16 PRIORITY PROJECTS.
THERE'S A BUNCH MORE IN THE PLAN, SO TO SPEAK.
TOWN COUNCIL DID GIVE DIRECTIONS BEFORE MY TIME FOR THE TOWN STAFF TO WORK WITH THE GULLAH GEECHEE TASK FORCE, RIGHT? AS A REMINDER THAT GULLAH GEECHEE TASK FORCE IS JUST STRUCTURALLY A SUBCOMMITTEE OF PLANNING COMMISSION TO A DEGREE.
AND IS IS IN, IS, IS IS IN BUSINESS TO HELP THROUGH SOME OF THOSE, SOME OF THE WORK THAT THEY STARTED TO WORK ON WERE, YOU KNOW, 16 PRIORITIES, UM, ALL OF WHICH HAVE TO DO WITH LAND MANAGEMENT, ORDINANCE PROGRAMS, SUPPORT AND STABILIZATION OF NEIGHBORHOOD AND, AND, AND A WHOLE BUNCH OF OTHER, OTHER INITIATIVES.
UM, THAT TASK FORCE WORK PLAN IS SUPPORTED BY OUR TASK FORCE, UM, ALSO BY A HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOODS PRINCIPAL PLANNER THAT'S ON STAFF.
WE HAVE A, A YOUNG WOMAN THAT'S JUST JOINING US.
I THINK SHE'S A WEEK INTO HER NEW ROLE.
AND SO WE, WE CONTINUE TO CHURN THIS, THIS STATE ON YOUR PRIORITY LIST BECAUSE IT'S IMPORTANT.
IT'S A WORK PLAN THAT WAS ADOPTED BY COUNCIL.
MOST OF IT, MOST OF THE WORK THAT REMAINS OF THE 16 IS BEING WORKED ON IN A LOT OF IT THROUGH OUR LAND MANAGEMENT ORDINANCE RATHER THAN SEPARATE AS AN OVERLAY.
UM, AGAIN, AND WE SAID WE'D RESOLVE THE OVERLAY DISTRICT.
[03:50:01]
THE LMO, WE CREATE A GULLAH GEECHEE PROGRAM INFORMATION CENTER IN THE TOWN HALL LOBBY.AND THAT'S ONE OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS AND STRATEGIES APPROVED IN THE PLAN, AND THAT WE DID IMPLEMENT THE TOWN COUNCIL ADOPTED GULLAH HISTORY AND CULTURAL AWARENESS PROGRAM IN THE WORKS.
MR. AMES, MARK, UH, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S TODAY, TOMORROW, OR 18 MONTHS FROM TODAY, BUT DOESN'T THIS SOMEHOW BECOME A PART OF THE CCC CDC, THE GULLAH HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOODS? WHAT, WHAT MIGHT BE THE TIMING ON THAT AND WHAT ARE THE ISSUES THAT NEED TO BE DEALT WITH IT? IT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
OR YOU WANT ME TO ANSWER? DO YOU HAVE SOME THOUGHTS ON, ON SOME OF THIS? I, I HAVE SOME THOUGHTS.
I THINK RIGHT NOW, AS WE'RE DIVING INTO THE CODE, AND IF WE CAN REALLY DELIVER THE LMO AND THE MAJORITY OF SOME OF THE WRITTEN TEXT BY END OF YEAR, THE GULLAH GEECHEE TASK FORCE AS IS, IS VERY HELPFUL, ESPECIALLY SINCE IT'S A SUBCOMMITTEE OF PLANNING COMMISSION.
NOW IS NOT THE TIME, BUT AT SOME POINT IT'S GOING TO BE EASIER FOR ALL OF US TO UNDERSTAND WHAT WE'RE AFTER AND WHERE OUR FOCUS AND PRIORITIES AND EXPENDITURES ARE IF IT'S HOUSED TOGETHER.
BUT I WILL TELL YOU THAT THE GULLAH GEECHEE TASK FORCE HAD SOME ELEMENTS IN THERE ABOUT SEPARATING OUR FOCUS IN OUR, IN OUR SHOP AND PLANNING AS AN EXAMPLE.
WELL, THE ENTIRE PLANNING DEPARTMENT NOW WILL HELP SOMEBODY LOOK AT A COMMERCIAL SITE PLAN OR A RESIDENTIAL ISSUE ON THEIR PROPERTY.
IT COULD BE A DRIVEWAY ACCESS EASEMENT, IT COULD BE A SUBDIVISION THAT, THAT IS ALL THROUGHOUT OUR CUSTOMER SERVICE CENTER AND THROUGH OUR PLANNING DEPARTMENT.
UH, SO NOW'S NOT THE TIME BECAUSE I WANT THAT TASK FORCE THAT'S BEEN IN PLACE FOR A WHILE TO HELP US WITH OUR LAND MANAGEMENT ORDINANCE, BUT AT A CERTAIN POINT WE HAVE TO ASK OURSELVES, DOES THAT BECOME A SUBSET OF CDC? HOW DOES IT BECOME A COMPANION PIECE? OR IS THE CDC TAKING THOSE 16 PLUS 20 PLUS OTHER INITIATIVES THAT ARE BAKED IN THE STRATEGIC PLAN AND, AND FOCUSING ON IT WITH WHAT I CALL A REAL PROFESSIONAL IN, IN OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR.
PART OF THE REASON I QUESTIONED WAS BECAUSE OF THE COMPLEXITY OF OUR MANAGEMENT CHART.
AND I WAS JUST WONDERING WHETHER THAT MIGHT BE AN OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE IT SIM MORE SIMPLE.
I, I AGREE WITH THE DIRECTION OF THE TOWN MANAGER.
OTHER COMMENTS? MS. PRICE? UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S, I'VE SAID I HAVE CERTAIN PRIORITIES, UM, AND, AND THE PRESERVATION OF THE LAND AND CULTURE OF THE GULLAH GEECHEE IS, IS IN MY TOP FIVE NOW.
UM, I I, I REARRANGED BEACH MANAGEMENT TO GO UNDER RESILIENCE IN MY HEAD,
UM, SO IF YOU LOOK AT THE CONDITIONS AND TRENDS ASSESSMENT, AND IF YOU LOOK AT OTHER DATA THAT WE'VE BEEN PROVIDED, UM, THE LAND OWNED BY THE GULLAH COMMUNITY HAS BEEN SUBSTANTIALLY, EXPONENTIALLY REDUCED ON THIS ISLAND, UM, THROUGH VARIOUS MEANS.
UM, AND, AND THAT PRESERVATION IS SO IMPORTANT TO THIS ISLAND, UM, THAT I THINK THAT, UH, WHATEVER WE CAN DO, WE OUGHT TO DO THAT.
UM, I'M VERY CONCERNED ABOUT LAND THAT THE TOWN HAS ACQUIRED IN THE PAST FROM THE GULLAH COMMUNITY, AND I WANT US TO TAKE A HARD LOOK AT THAT LAND AND SEE IF ANY OF THAT LAND, UH, SHOULD BE CONVEYED TO THE CDC FOR ITS USE TO SUPPORT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND THE FUTURE OF THE GULLAH CULTURE ON THIS ISLAND.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE AREN'T USING IT ALL NOW.
UM, YES, THERE'S SOME THAT'S, UH, DEDICATED TO GREEN SPACE.
UM, BUT I THINK WE NEED TO TAKE A HARD LOOK AT THE LAND THAT THE TOWN HAS ACQUIRED, UM, AND SEE WHETHER IT COULD BE, UM, BETTER MANAGED BY THE CDC.
I'M GONNA ASK, I'M GONNA ASK YOU FOR A DRUM ROLL PRETTY SOON 'CAUSE I'VE GOT TWO LEFT.
FACILITATE RELOCATION OF THE HISTORIC ST.
JAMES BAPTIST CHURCH TO MITIGATE IMPACTS GENERATED FROM AIRPORT OPERATIONS, BE FOR COUNTY AIRPORT OPERATIONS AND CORRESPONDING SAFETY CONCERNS.
SO, UM, AGAIN, WE TALKED ABOUT,
[03:55:01]
UH, THE, THE REAL RATIONALE BEHIND OUR, UH, FOCUS AND, AND, AND, AND OUR TIME SPENT.ZENOS ZENOS HERE STILL THERE HE IS.
ZENOS HAS TAKEN THIS WITH, WITH HIM EVERY BIT OF THE WAY AND IS WORKING ON THIS ALMOST EVERY DAY.
AND HIS PARTNER AT THE COUNTY THAT HE'S WORKING CLOSELY WITH IS JARED FRAX, AND I KNOW MR. JOHN ROBINSON'S BEEN, BEEN PRETTY INVOLVED AS WELL.
SO, UM, IN THE APPROVED ACTION, WE SAID WE'RE COOPER COOPERATIVELY WITH THE LEADERSHIP OF ST.
JAMES BAPTIST CHURCH, BEFORD COUNTY, HILTON HEAD ISLAND AIRPORT.
UM, MONITOR THE STATUS OF THE FAA SUBMISSION AND PROVIDE, UM, RESPONSES AS NECESSARY.
AND, AND WE DO HAVE A JOINT MEMORANDUM OF AN UN UNDERSTANDING AGREEMENT WITH BUFORT COUNTY, WHERE WE'VE EACH PUT $150,000 INTO AN ACCOUNT AND WE'RE DRAWING DOWN ON THAT ACCOUNT COLLECTIVELY AND TOGETHER TO START FIGURING OUT A FEW THINGS WITH ST.
UH, APP APPRAISAL AND COST TO, UH, PROVIDE AN APPROPRIATE AND COMPARABLE ST.
JAMES BAPTIST CHURCH IN A DIFFERENT LOCATION.
WE KNOW THAT WE'VE BEEN LOOKING AT THE LOCATION, UM, FIVE OR SO ACRES THAT IS A, I CALL IT AN OUT PARCEL OR AN, AN ADJACENT, IMMEDIATELY ADJACENT PARCEL TO, UH, THE MID ISLAND TRACT.
UM, AND AGAIN, THIS, THIS IS JUST CHURNING, IT'S FAA INVOLVED IN BEAUFORT COUNTY INVOLVED.
WE SAID THAT THIS YEAR XENOS WILL, WILL WORK WITH BEAUFORT COUNTY TO COMPLETE THE FAA SUBMITTAL PACKAGE TO THE CHURCH TO PROVIDE A HUNDRED PERCENT SCHEMATIC DESIGN DRAWINGS, A SCOPE, A RELOCATION, UH, PLAN AND SPECS, AND AN ESTIMATE OF CONSTRUCTION COSTS.
THAT'S ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY FOR US TO CONTINUE TO HAVE THIS CONVERSATION SAID SO BY THE HEAD FOLKS AT FAA.
AND SO, I FEEL LIKE WE'RE ON THE RIGHT TRACK.
UM, TOWN COUNCIL, YOUR POLICY CONSIDERATION IS ON THE PARCEL THAT IS ADJACENT TO, OR REALLY A PART OF MID ISLAND TRACK.
IT IS NOT FOR TODAY, BUT I WANT YOU TO KNOW, A POLICY DECISION ON THIS HAS ALREADY BEEN MADE.
ONE, YOU SAID YES, FOCUS ON THIS.
TWO, PUT SOME FUNDS IN AN ACCOUNT TOGETHER.
AND THE THIRD IS GOING TO BE ONCE WE LEARN WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH IN ITEM NUMBER ONE UP THERE, WE BRING THIS TO YOU TO CONTEMPLATE IF THE PROPERTY THAT'S OWNED BY THE TOWN IS APPROPRIATE TO PUT IN THIS, THIS, THIS STRUCTURE TO RELOCATE ST.
JAMES CHURCH ON, UH, WE ARE NOT PREPARING ANY OF THE NEPA WORK.
WE'RE NOT PREPARING ANY OF THE PERMITS.
IT'S DEFINITELY A COUNTY AIRPORT, UH, ISSUE.
IT'S DEFINITELY A MITIGATION AND RELOCATION ISSUE ON THEIR END, BUT AGAIN, IT'S ON OUR PROPERTY.
JAMES BAPTIST CHURCH IS OUR CHURCH AND IT, IT'S OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO BE AT THE TABLE.
SO, UM, AND THEN POTENTIALLY WORK WITH THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA TO EXPLORE ALTERNATIVE, I'LL CALL IT, PERHAPS EVEN ADDITIONAL FUNDING SOURCES TO MAKE THIS MAKE SENSE.
I KNOW THAT SENATOR DAVIS HAS, HAS, HAS BEEN LOOKING AT THIS AND WORKING ON THIS.
AGAIN, THIS IS GONNA COME TO YOU AT SOME POINT, RIGHT? ANY, ANY QUESTIONS OR OBJECTIONS ON THIS OR ELSE MOVING FORWARD? THANK YOU.
AND THEN BUDGET IMPACTS NOTHING RIGHT NOW, BUT AGAIN, WE TALK PROPERTY AT SOME POINT.
BEACH PARK ENHANCEMENTS, WE HAVE OVER 12 MILES OF BEACHES.
I THINK THAT EVERY YEAR WE ARE MAKING SOME IMPROVEMENTS.
WE HAVE RECENTLY, UH, COMPLETELY IMPROVED FOLLY FIELD BEACH PARK.
THERE'S A COUPLE THINGS THAT I WANT TO GET BETTER.
THE BIKE RACKS ARE IN THE WRONG SPOT.
THE GARBAGE CAN'S STILL IN THE WRONG SPOT.
BUT OTHER THAN THAT, WE'VE GUTTED AND REDONE THE BATHROOM.
WE FIXED THE LEAKY ROOF, WE PAINTED EVERYTHING.
WE DID A COMPLETE NEW BOARDWALK.
UM, WE WENT THROUGH THE PERMITTING AND DESIGN PROCESS, THE, THE PRICING, THE CHANGE ORDERS, ALL OF THAT OCCURRED OVER THE LAST 12 MONTHS.
AND SO WE HAVE TWO BRAND NEW BEACH PARKS.
A LITTLE BIT LIKE THE OLD BEACH PARK, BUT A LOT MORE, YOU KNOW, READY FOR THE FUTURE.
UM, WE SAID IN THE APPROVED ACTION OF COUNCIL, WE DO A BEACH MASTER PLAN.
SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE NOT GOT TO YET.
THAT MASTER PLAN WAS SUPPOSED TO DRIVE FUTURE POLICY, BEACH ORDINANCE, BEHAVIOR ORDINANCE, SAFETY ORDINANCE.
WE JUST ARE NOT THERE YET, BUT WE'VE DEFINITELY ENHANCED THE BEACH SHUTTLE SERVICE AND WE'VE CONSIDERABLY, IN MY MIND, IN, IN MY, IN MY MIND THAT WE'VE GREATLY IMPROVED THE BEACH EXPERIENCE, UM,
[04:00:01]
AT, AT THE BEACH.BUT WHAT WE HAVEN'T GOT TO IS THE PUBLIC POLICY THAT, THAT YOU ALL WANT TO SEE.
SO STAY TUNED FOR A LITTLE MORE.
WE SAID THIS YEAR THAT WE WILL ADOPT A BEACH PARKING FEE SCHEDULE THAT'S BEEN ON THE COMMUNITY SERVICE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE, UH, PACKET.
I KNOW THAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING AND WE'RE GOTTA BRING IT BACK.
A DECISION NEEDS TO BE MADE SOON OR WE SHOULD ABANDON THE PROGRAM FOR ONE MORE SEASON BECAUSE WE'RE SPENDING MONEY ON IT.
AND SO IF WE'RE NOT GENERATING REVENUES, I WANT TO STOP SPENDING THE DOLLARS BECAUSE THE SOURCE OF FUNDS SHOULD BE FROM A BEACH FEE ENTERPRISE, SO TO SPEAK.
AND, AND SO FAR, WE'RE STARTING TO TAKE DOLLARS OUT OF A TAX, H TAX BUSINESS LICENSE AND SOME OTHERS.
SO YOUR, YOUR POLICY DECISION WILL BE TO DETERMINE HOW MUCH PER HOUR, WHAT'S THE CAP FOR THE DAY, AND YOU HAVE SOME DECISIONS TO MAKE ON HOURS OF OPERATION, THE DOLLAR PER HOUR, AS WELL AS WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO ABOUT THE ISSUES WITH EMPLOYEE PARKING AND THE CONCERNS THAT HAVE BEEN BROUGHT TO OUR ATTENTION FOR SOME TIME.
UM, AT, AT THE NY AREA, WE'RE GONNA KEEP IMPROVING OUR, OUR, OUR BEACH PARKS.
WE PUT, UH, WE'RE GONNA INSTALL SOME WAY FINDING SIGNAGE, LANDSCAPE HARDSCAPE, BIKE RACKS, AND OTHER FACILITY ENHANCEMENTS.
YOU'LL SEE IN THE BUDGET SOME, SOME DOLLARS SO THAT WE CAN AFFORD TO DO THIS.
'CAUSE WE WERE OPERATING ON A SHOESTRING BUDGET FOR A LITTLE WHILE.
WE'RE STARTING TO USE SOME SHORT TERM RENTAL FEES, ACCOMMODATIONS, TAXES, HOSPITALITY TAXES AND, AND WHATEVER OTHER FEES WE NEED.
WE NEED TO EXECUTE A BEACH SERVICE NON-EXCLUSIVE FRANCHISE AGREEMENT FOR COMMERCIAL ACTIVITIES.
RIGHT? JUNE 30, UH, EXPIRES OUR CURRENT FRANCHISE AGREEMENT THAT WE HAVE WITH SHORE BEACH SERVICES, AND THAT'S FOR THE RENTAL OF UMBRELLAS AND CHAIRS, BUT IT'S REALLY FOR OUR LIFEGUARDS, IT WAS FOR TRASH.
WE BIFURCATED THAT BASED UPON OUR SWAT AND RECYCLING AND, AND WORK WE'RE DOING.
SOLID WASTE RECYCLING SERVICES AND WE ARE GOING TO BRING TO TOWN COUNCIL, AS WE TALKED RECENTLY, WE WILL BRING TO YOU A NEGOTIATED NEW FRANCHISE AGREEMENT.
UM, I THINK WE HAVE A MEETING SET UP NEXT WEEK FOR THAT TO, TO GET THOSE CONVERSATIONS STARTED.
WE SAID WE'D EXECUTE A SOLID WASTE DISPOSAL, UH, RECYCLING SERVICE CONTRACT AND THAT WE WOULD, UM, CONTINUE TO OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH BLUFFTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE LEADERSHIP CLASS FOR INSTALLATION OF SOME BEACH WHEELCHAIR STORAGE AND SHELTER.
SO THE, IT'S ALWAYS NICE WHEN THE LEADERSHIP CLASS SELECTS SOMETHING AND HILTON HEAD AND SAYS, THIS IS WHAT WE WANT TO DO OUR PROJECT ON.
SO JAMES MOND AND THE WHOLE TEAM AT THE LEADERSHIP CLASS HAVE DONE A, A GREAT JOB.
XENOS DESIGNED IT ON A PIECE OF PAPER AND THEY TOOK IT AND RAISED SOME MONEY AND RAN WITH IT.
SO LET'S SEE HOW GOOD XENOS DESIGN IS IN A COUPLE MONTHS.
UM, BEACH TROLLEY SERVICE PROVIDED BY LRTA 203,000 IN THE BUDGET.
BEACH SHUTTLE SERVICE, BEACH SERVICE, NON-EXCLUSIVE FRANCHISE.
TBD, SOLID WASTE DISPOSAL, REALLY RECYCLING SERVICE TBD AND THEN SEVERAL BEACH PARK ENHANCEMENTS IN ADDITION TO WHAT I JUST SAID WILL BE IN THE CIP.
SO WITH THIS, THE REAL POLICY DECISION, WELL, ONE IS BUDGET, TWO IS, IT'LL BE IN FRONT OF YOU SOON ON THE BEACH PARKING FEE SCHEDULE.
AND THEN ALSO ON THESE, UH, ON THE, ON THE FRANCHISE, THE SOLID WASTE DISPOSAL, IS THAT AN ACCOUNT AND AN AMOUNT SMALL ENOUGH FOR, FOR STAFF BECAUSE IT'S IN THE BUDGET TO, TO, UH, APPROVE.
SO, ALL RIGHT COMMENTS, MS. BECKER.
AND WE HAVE BEEN DOING A LOT OF WORK ON THIS AND, UM, AND IT'S EXCITING AS WE ARE STARTING, UM, SPRING AND MORE SUMMER, UM, ACTIVITY ON HILTON HU BACK A FEW, UM, SLIDES.
THERE WAS ONE THAT HAD THE, UM, BEACH EXPERIENCE REGULATIONS HAVING AN INTERESTING CONVERSATION RECENTLY IN LIGHT OF THE, UH, SOUTH CAROLINA HAVING, UM, INSTITUTED A OPEN CARRY AND WHETHER OR NOT, UM, IN OUR BEACH EXPERIENCE REGULATIONS WE OUGHT TO CONSIDER OR CAN WE CONSIDER, UM, NOT ALLOWING GUNS ON OUR BEACH.
AS I THINK ABOUT THIS, UM, IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT SO MUCH.
IT, IT IS THIS BRING YOUR, IT'S OPEN CARRY, IT'S SITTING ON THE BLANKET YOU'RE OUT DOING OR WHATEVER, AND IT'S OPEN TO WHATEVER.
[04:05:01]
THAT DOESN'T SOUND GOOD AS I THINK ABOUT THE, UM, ABOUT THAT.I SEE JOSH TYPING, UM, WAYFAIR SIGNAGE WAY FINDING.
UM, SO WE HAVE, UM, I'M WORRIED ABOUT, UM, SIGN POLLUTION, RIGHT? WE HAVE A NUMBER OF SIGNS ALL OVER THE PLACE.
UM, SOME OF THEM RIGHT ON TOP OF EACH OTHER DOESN'T LOOK GOOD.
AND IF, UH, WE'RE GOING TO DO ANYTHING WITH REGARD TO FURTHER WHITE, UH, SIGNAGE, I THINK WE NEED TO SERIOUSLY STEP BACK AND SEE WHAT THE AESTHETICS ARE AND MAKE OKAY.
AND THEN THE LAST ONE IS IN RELATIONSHIP TO SOMETHING THAT I SAID BEFORE, THE BEACH TROLLEY SERVICE.
WE NOW, UH, THAT STARTED AS A TRIAL.
UM, TROLLEY SERVICE, INITIALLY WE CHARGED WHATEVER IT WAS, A DOLLAR.
UM, I THINK IT, MAYBE IT WENT TO 50 CENTS, BUT WHATEVER.
THERE WAS AN AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT WAS ASSOCIATED WITH USING THE TROLLEY.
AND THEN WE DEC DECIDED THAT THERE WAS NO TROLLEY, UM, USAGE.
SO WE'LL JUST TAKE AWAY THE FEE ALTOGETHER.
BUT THIS WAS ALL IN TRIAL AND IT SEEMS AS THOUGH AS MANY THINGS DO IN GOVERNMENT, IT SOON BECOMES PART OF.
AND SO NOW WE JUST EXPECT IT TO, UM, EXPECT IT AND ACCEPT IT AS PART OF WHAT WE DO AT NO COST TO ANYONE ELSE BUILT INTO OUR BUDGET.
AND I FEEL THAT WHETHER IT'S WORTHY OR NOT, WE SHOULD HAVE A CONVERSATION SO THAT WE ALL KNOW THAT WE'VE DECIDED TO DO THAT, NOT JUST ALLOW IT TO HAPPEN AND BE EMBEDDED INTO OUR TOWN GOVERNMENT AND BUDGET.
OTHER COMMENTS, MR. AMES? THANK YOU, MAYOR.
UM, ALONG, ALONG THE SAME LINE, UH, IF WE ARE GOING TO HAVE SHUTTLES THAT PROVIDE VISITORS AND RESIDENTS TO GET FROM ONE PLACE TO THE BEACH, FROM ONE PLACE REMOTE, FROM THE BEACH TO THE BEACH, THEN I'D LIKE TO THINK THAT THAT BEACH EXPERIENCE STARTS WHEN THE PERSON GETS ONTO THE SHUTTLE.
THAT THE SHUTTLE EXPERIENCE IS A PART OF OUR COMMUNITY BRAND.
SO TO THE DEGREE THAT AS WE EXPLORE OPTIONS GOING FORWARD, I THINK WE SHOULD BE LOOKING AT SHUTTLES THAT HAVE MORE PERSONALITY, THAT MIGHT BE QUIET, THAT MIGHT HAVE BIGGER WINDOWS.
IN OTHER WORDS, CHARACTER SHUTTLES THAT SPEAK TO OUR VALUE OF AESTHETICS AND QUALITY.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS? JUST QUICKLY, I WANTED TO THANK THE TOWN MANAGER AND HIS STAFF.
I KNOW WHEN MR. ORLANDO CAME HERE, WE REALLY HAD NO BEACH MANAGEMENT OR OPERATIONS.
AND THANK YOU TO YOU AND YOUR STAFF.
GOOD TEAM AND A TEAM WITH SOME LESSONS LEARNED TOO.
WELL I DIDN'T HEAR A DRUM ROLL, BUT WE ARE DONE.
WE'RE GONNA MOVE ON TO THE NEXT SECTION AFTER THIS.
SO TAKE SOME WATER OR WHATEVER YOU NEED.
I WILL, YOU WANT SAY A COUPLE WORDS? LUNCHTIME, RIGHT? YEAH, IT'S LUNCH.
UM, YOU KNOW, I, AS WE, AS WE PRE-PLANNED THIS, WE TALKED, UH, ABOUT HOW MANY SLIDES AND HOW MUCH YOU'VE GONE THROUGH.
AND YOU GUYS HAVE HAD SOME REALLY GREAT DISCUSSION.
I DON'T KNOW THAT YOU REALIZE THAT THERE WERE A HUNDRED BULLET POINTS ABOUT THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS THAT HAVE HAPPENED IN THIS LAST YEAR.
AND I THINK IF WE JUST MOVE ON THROUGH AND TALK ABOUT THE NEXT, THE NEXT SECTION, WE'LL HAVE MISSED AN OPPORTUNITY TO REALLY RECOGNIZE WHAT YOU HAVE ACCOMPLISHED AS BOTH A COUNCIL AND AS A STAFF.
IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO KIND OF TAKE JUST A SECOND, PAT YOURSELVES ON THE BACK.
THANK YOU KNOW, KIND OF LOOK OVER HERE.
IT IS A REALLY BIG ACCOMPLISHMENT THAT YOU'VE BEEN ABLE TO, TO GET THROUGH THAT.
THIS, THIS IS NOT A SMALL LIST.
AND, AND, AND I THINK, UM, YOU KNOW, COUNCIL MEMBER TALKED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT HADN'T BEEN DONE IN THE PAST AND WHAT IS BEING DONE TODAY.
AND, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, I KICKED OFF MY COMMENTS EARLIER ABOUT US GETTING, GETTING, UH, ACCOSTED IN THE GROCERY STORE, BUT WE NEVER LOOK AT OURSELVES AND SAY, THANK YOU KNOW, BOY, WE DID A GOOD JOB AND WE'VE DONE SOME GOOD WORK.
SO I JUST DIDN'T WANT THIS TO, THIS OPPORTUNITY TO PASS WITHOUT RECOGNIZING WHAT YOU AND I MADE FUN OF MARK YESTERDAY, WHAT YOU ALL HAVE DONE, UH, TO, TO KIND OF, TO GET IT FORWARD.
SO WITH THAT, UM, I KNOW MARK WANTS TO KEEP TALKING AND TALK ABOUT, YEAH.
[04:10:01]
INTO THIS NEXT SECTION? 'CAUSE THIS NEXT SECTION IS SOMETHING THAT IS IN THE BACK OF THE BOOK AND WE KEEP CALLING ADDITIONAL, BUT IT'S NOT ADDITIONAL, IT'S MORE, WHILE WE FOCUSED ON 15 AND I DOVE INTO WHEN THINGS ARE COMING TO PUBLIC PLANNING COMMITTEE DIFFERENT THAN, THAN THAN COMMUNITY SERVICE.AND I JUST THINK WE SHOULD PAUSE AND REFLECT ON THE BACK OF THE BOOK.
SO I HAVEN'T MADE THIS THE PRIORITY AS MUCH AS WE'VE MADE THOSE TOP 15, BUT WE'RE STILL CHURNING, RIGHT? CULTURAL AFFAIRS STRATEGIC PLAN.
UM, WE CELEBRATED THE 360TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE SIGHTING OF HILTON HEAD, OUR 40TH ANNIVERSARY OF MUNICIPAL INCORPORATION.
WE HAVE A, A, A BRAND NEW FIRE RESCUE STRATEGIC PLAN.
WE ADOPTED AN IT STRATEGIC PLAN.
WE HAVEN'T GOT TO A COUPLE OF THESE, WE HAVEN'T, WE HAVEN'T JUMPED IN INTO SOME OF THE OTHERS YET.
WE, WE KNOW THAT SOME ELEMENTS THAT WERE IN HERE A YEAR AND A HALF, TWO YEARS AGO ARE STARTING TO BECOME ONGOING.
THAT'S PART OF OUR CULTURE, IT'S PART OF OUR PROGRAM.
SOME OF THEM ARE AN IMPROVEMENT, A CONSTANT IMPROVEMENT, A CONTINUOUS PROCESS IMPROVEMENT FOR OUR BOARDS, COMMISSIONS AND COMMITTEES.
AND SO INTERVIEWS THROUGH CSPS, KIM HAS EVERYBODY ON A SOFTWARE DILUTION AS WE'RE BUILDING AGENDAS.
TIM IS ABOUT TO DO A, AN IMPROVEMENT IN HOW WE RECRUIT THROUGH A JOB BOARD.
SO AS YOU GET ON THE TOWN'S WEBPAGE AND APPLY FOR A JOB IF IT'S OPEN, RIGHT, I'M A PLANNER, I'M A FACILITIES TECH TWO, I'M A WHATEVER.
YOU'RE GOING TO ALSO SEE THE VERY SAME FOR OPEN POSITIONS ON BOARD COMMISSION COMMITTEES.
THOSE ARE STRATEGIC IN NATURE BECAUSE WE SPENT DOLLARS ON SOFTWARE AND WE'RE, AND REALLY THEY'RE IN HERE BECAUSE YOU TOLD ME THAT THAT'S WHAT WE WANT TO GET BETTER AT.
UM, AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN, BROAD BROADCAST TRANSITION FROM FACEBOOK LIVE TO YOUTUBE.
AND I CAN KEEP GOING THROUGH 'EM, BUT I PAUSE, IT'S IN YOUR PRESENTATION AND WE WON'T SPEND TOO MUCH TIME ON HERE RIGHT NOW.
I I KIND OF MADE A, I PUT A DATE ON HERE BECAUSE WE HAVE TO MOVE ON IN, IN MY MIND WE HAVE TO DO IT RIGHT, BUT IT'S, IT'S TIME TO ADOPT IT AND SEE WHERE WE ARE.
BUT IN, IN ASSESSING AND IMPLEMENTING ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY LANDSCAPE AND GROUNDS BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES, RIGHT? AKA AND INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT POLICY.
UM, WE WORK WITH THIRD PARTY CONTRACTORS.
WE'VE LEARNED A LOT WHAT THEY WILL DO WON'T DO AND HOW MUCH IT'LL COST US ONE WAY OR THE OTHER.
BUT THAT IS BEEN TALKED ABOUT A COMMITTEE AND WE'RE COMING BACK AND YOU'LL SEE THAT THROUGH COUNCIL VERY SOON.
SO THERE'S SEVERAL UP HERE THAT YOU CAN SEE HAVEN'T STARTED ADOPT A FOOD TRUCK ORDINANCE, RIGHT? A SWOT ANALYSIS OF HIGH SPEED FIBER HUD ENTITLEMENT PROGRAM COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT SURVEY.
UM, WHICH I THINK IS GOING TO BECOME A PRIORITY ONCE WE GET INTO THE NEW FISCAL YEAR AND GET SOME OF THIS OTHER STUFF BEHIND US A BIT.
UM, WE INCORPORATE PUBLIC ARTS AND CULTURE INTO ALL NEW EXISTING PARKS THAT'S NOW PART OF A LINE ITEM IN OUR ROBUST CIP PROGRAM.
UH, ASSIST WITH IMPLEMENTING MITCHELLVILLE MASTER PLAN THAT IS NOW IN OUR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM OVER A FIVE YEAR PERIOD AND FUNDED EVERY YEAR.
SO SOME OF THESE THINGS THAT WERE UP HERE ARE STARTING TO BECOME STANDARD OR, OR THEY'RE STARTING TO BE COMPLETE.
SO I JUST THOUGHT WE WOULD DEFINITELY GO THROUGH SOME OF THOSE TODAY AND REMIND YOU WHAT YOU TOLD US TO DO.
RIGHT? ASSESS REVISIONS OF THE COUNTY IMPACT FEE ORDINANCE.
WE DID THAT YOU SAID TO ACQUIRE MAIN STREET.
WE DID THAT YOU SAID TO ADOPT A COMMUNITY ADDRESSING ORDINANCE.
AGAIN, LAND MANAGEMENT ORDINANCE SECTION IN, IN TOWN CODE, UM, SOME OF THESE OTHER ELEMENTS.
AND IF, AND A LOT OF TIMES COMMUNITY ASKS, WHAT ARE WE DOING? WHY ARE WE DOING IT? AND AS I HELP STAFF UNDERSTAND WHERE WE'RE HEADING, WE'RE USING THE ENTIRE STRATEGIC PLAN.
SO I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO PAUSE AND REALIZE THERE'S A WHOLE BUNCH OF RED COMPLETE IN THE BACK OF THE BOOK WHEN WE'RE ALL REALLY TALKING ABOUT FOCUSING ONLY ON THE 15, AND WHETHER THAT 15 SHOULD BE FIVE TO EIGHT.
SO I DO THINK THIS TIME NEXT YEAR, A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF THESE TO-DOS WILL BE BEHIND US RIGHT REAR VIEW MIRROR, AND WE HAVE TO START OPERATING A LITTLE MEANER AND LEANER ON OUR STRATEGIES AND PRIORITIES MOVING FORWARD.
THIS HAS BEEN PENT UP AND ON, ON MY, SINCE BEFORE I ARRIVED.
AND SO I'M SEEING US START GETTING TO A FINISH LINE ON A LOT OF THEM, AND I'M ALSO SEEING US START TO REALIZE MAYBE WE SHOULDN'T BE DOING THEM, OR MAYBE THEY'RE NOW OPERATIONAL IN NATURE.
SO CONGRATS TO EVERYBODY THAT THAT'S WORKED ON THEM.
UM, AND THEN WHAT I WANTED TO DO RIGHT NOW
[04:15:01]
AS WELL, Y'ALL BROUGHT SOME THINGS UP THIS MORNING.WE'VE BEEN TALKING OVER THE LAST MONTHS ABOUT WHAT'S IMPORTANT TO YOU.
WE HEARD JONESVILLE, RIGHT? JONESVILLE STABLES, THE EQUESTRIAN CENTER.
UM, WE HEARD MUDDY CREEK, BRYANT ROAD, NEIGHBORHOOD STABILIZATION AND THE SUBDIVISION OF SORTS, OR THE PROPERTY WE ACQUIRED.
SO WHAT I'VE DONE IS I'VE TAKEN THE LIBERTY TO DO MY BEST TO LISTEN INTENTLY TO YOU, WHETHER IT WAS ONE AT A TIME OR A COUPLE AT A TIME, OR HOWEVER THAT WORKS OUT, AND BRING IT FORWARD TO US TODAY, BECAUSE THERE'S, THERE'S FIVE BUCKETS OF POTENTIALLY NEW PROJECTS, NEW INITIATIVES THAT WILL TAKE TIME, MONEY, AND ENERGY.
AND I REALLY TODAY, RIGHT? THE STRATEGY ON THOSE OTHER ONES ARE BEHIND US.
THE, THE REAL WORK PLAN FOR 2024 WAS WHAT I TALKED ABOUT TODAY, RIGHT? WE DIDN'T, WE DIDN'T DELIBERATE WHETHER ST.
JAMES BAPTIST CHURCH SHOULD OR SHOULDN'T BE A, A, A TARGET ANYMORE IN, IN THE SENSE OF OUR, OUR WORK PRODUCT.
BUT THESE ARE SO TOWN OWNED PROPERTY USE.
I HAVE A PEER FORMER MODERN CLASSIC MOTOR SITE, RIGHT? WE KNOW THAT AS A PROPERTY THAT WAS ACQUIRED AND IT WAS NOT ACQUIRED WITH REAL ESTATE TRANSFER FEE.
AND IT WAS ALSO IN, IN PART, THERE'S CONSIDERABLE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GRANTS ASSOCIATED WITH THAT FROM THE SOUTH CAROLINA, YOU KNOW, UH, RURAL AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT ACT, RDA FUNDS THROUGH PALMETTO ELECTRIC.
SO MY QUESTION TO YOU WILL BE WALKING OUT OF HERE TODAY WITH SOME CONFIDENCE, FORMER MODERN CLASSIC MOTORS SITE.
IF I COULD BE SO BOLD, I WOULD SUGGEST THAT THAT SITE SITTING THERE, WE CLEANED IT UP.
WE CLEANED IT UP, WE PUT THE FENCE UP, WE CLEARED IT UP.
WE DID A PHASE ONE, WE'RE READY TO GO.
WE'VE USED MOST, BUT NOT ALL OF OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GRANT FUNDS.
WE HAVE ABOUT 12 MORE MONTHS TO USE THEM BEFORE THEY EXPIRE.
WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO IS BID THAT OUT.
BUT I'LL COME TO YOU WITH A BID AS AN RFP OR AN RFQ QUALIFICATION OR PROPOSAL FOR HEALTHCARE PURPOSE.
NOW, I WOULD DO THAT NEXT WEEK IF YOU ALL SHAKE YOUR HEAD AND SAY, YES TODAY.
BUT ARE WE LEAVING SOMETHING ON THE TABLE? DO WE ONLY WANT IT TO BE HEALTHCARE? OR DO WE WANT IT TO BE CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS? FROM MY VANTAGE POINT, I'VE HEARD YOU ALL SAY, AND MYSELF AS WELL, HEALTHCARE IS IMPORTANT.
AND IF WE CAN ALLOW USE OF OUR LAND TO HELP HEALTHCARE EXPANSION ON OUR ISLAND, THAT WOULD BE THROUGH A VETTING PROCESS OF, OF, OF AN RFP OR Q, MAYBE BOTH.
AND THEN WHATEVER, WHAT WHOEVER SUBMITTED, I WOULD BRING TO YOU FOR CONSIDERATION.
SO IF FOR TIME'S SAKE, WE CAN TALK ABOUT THIS, UM, WHAT TIME IS IT, BY THE WAY? SO, DIRECTION ON MODERN CLASSIC, I'M GOING TO ASK YOU ABOUT ALL OF THEM.
SO, BIG PICTURE, DITTO WITH PALMETTO BAY BUSINESS PARK.
DITTO WITH THE JONESVILLE, EQUESTRIAN STABLES, PADDOCK SITE, AND RESIDENTIAL STRUCTURE, RIGHT? I, I DON'T WANT TO LEAVE THAT SIT THERE UNTIL BRIAN MCELWEE COMES AND ASKS ME FOR $500,000 TO IMPROVE THE ROOF.
WE ACQUIRED IT, BUT IT IS AN IMPORTANT ELEMENT, A FABRIC OF JONESVILLE, BUT ALSO A FABRIC OF HILTON HEAD ISLAND THAT COULD EASILY BE TURNED AROUND, LEASED OUT AS AN EQUESTRIAN, AS AN EQUESTRIAN FACILITY WITH PUBLIC ACCESS TO EQUESTRIAN DIFFERENT THAN WE'VE WE'VE EVER SEEN ON, ON HILTON HEAD ISLAND.
SO, AND AGAIN, THE BRYANT ROAD SITE.
BRYANT ROAD SITE IS SEVEN ACRES.
IT WAS ACQUIRED FOR 4 MILLION.
SOME OF YOU HAVE SAID, LET'S GO ALL IN WITH HOUSING, AND, BUT I DON'T HAVE A HUNDRED PERCENT OR, OR I DON'T EVEN HAVE ANY CLARITY ON THAT BECAUSE YOU ARGUABLY HAVEN'T VOTED YET.
SO, SO TODAY I THINK WE ARE GONNA LOOK AT, OR I WOULD ASK US TO LOOK AT THE USE OF AT LEAST THESE FOUR PIECES OF PROPERTY.
IF, IF YOU TELL ME TO MOVE FORWARD IN THE BRYANT ROAD SITE, IT WOULD BE SIMILAR TO NORTH POINT WITH AN RFQ, AN RFP AND AN INTENDED RESULT THAT WE CAN SCRUB TOGETHER.
BUT IF WE JUST DO THAT, I, I DO KNOW THAT WE SHOULD LOOK AT THE WHOLE NEIGHBORHOOD ROAD WATER SEWERS, STORM WATER, SIDEWALK REPAIR, UH, SOME LIGHTING AND SOME, A REAL, A REAL OPPORTUNITY TO REVITALIZE THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND, AND, AND, AND PREVENT NEIGHBORHOOD CHANGING JUST BECAUSE WE'RE LOOKING AT A SUBDIVISION ON PROPERTY WE BOUGHT, RIGHT? BUT THE GENTRIFICATION IS, IS REAL
[04:20:01]
IF WE'RE NOT MINDFUL OF IT AHEAD OF TIME.UM, THE SMALL HOME SERIES, I WANNA TALK ABOUT THAT A LITTLE BIT.
WHAT IS IT? WHAT ISN'T IT? ROTARY COMMUNITY CENTER PROPOSAL.
IF NOTHING ELSE TODAY, I JUST REALLY WANNA HEAR FROM YOU A LITTLE BIT.
ROTARY HAS CALLED AND ASKED ME IF THEY COULD DONATE SOME FUNDS WITH SOME STRINGS AT A ROTARY COMMUNITY CENTER THAT IS POTENTIALLY AT MID ISLAND, BUT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE A MID ISLAND PARK.
AND THEN LAST BUT NOT LEAST, BMI, ISLAND JAMS 2024 SONGWRITER FESTIVAL.
WE HAD A SUCCESSFUL FIRST YEAR, BUT AGAIN, I'M, I'M, I'M USING THIS OPPORTUNITY IN FRONT OF YOU TODAY TO ASK YOU ONE, WHAT TO DO ON SOME OF THESE.
AND TWO, IF YOU AGREE, I'M GONNA PUT SOME DOLLARS IN OUR BUDGET TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ACCOMPLISHING YOUR GOALS.
SO MAYOR, I WILL ASK YOU TO HELP ME THROUGH ITEMS ONE AND FIVE, AND KEEP IN MIND THAT HE DOESN'T THINK I CAN GET OUTTA HERE BY THREE.
WELL, I WANNA KNOW WHO HAS THE OVER UNDER ON THAT.
UM, BUT WE ALSO HAVE TO GET TO, UH, PUBLIC COMMENT AS WELL.
SO, YOU KNOW, FIRST OF ALL, I I, I DO WANNA SAY SOMETHING TO, TO COUNCIL AND EVERYBODY IN THE ROOM IN THAT, UM, THE WILL OF COUNCIL AND, AND WHAT IT MEANS, AND IF IT IS A SEVEN ZERO OR A FOUR THREE VOTE, OR ANYWHERE IN BETWEEN, THE WILL OF COUNSEL SHOULD PREVAIL IN HOW WE, HOW WE ADDRESS WHAT HAS BEEN APPROVED, WHETHER YOU SUPPORTED IT OR NOT.
UM, THAT'S A VERY VALUABLE THING.
AND, AND WHILE SOME OF US VOTED AGAINST SOME THINGS, I'M NOW LOOKING AT IT IN A WAY, HOW DO WE MAKE IT THE BEST WE CAN? WHAT IS IT IN THE BEST INTEREST OF? SO I JUST WANNA SAY THAT AS WE HAVE A CONVERSATION REGARDING THESE SITES, AND, AND YOU BROUGHT UP, YOU KNOW, THE NEED FOR VOTES.
UM, SO I, I THINK WE'LL START OFF WITH NUMBER ONE AND, YOU KNOW, WE CAN TALK ABOUT INDIVIDUALLY IF YOU WANT, UM, AND GO DOWN THE LINE OR WE CAN TALK ON ABOUT ALL AT ONE TIME IN THE SAKE OF TIME.
MR. MAYOR, UM, AS FAR AS FORMER MODERN CLASSIC MOTOR SITE, UM, THAT WAS BROUGHT TO OUR ATTENTION EARLIER, I THINK BY COUNCILMAN BRYSON, THAT WE HAVE NOT, UH, PARTICULARLY CALLED OUT HEALTH QUEER AS BEING IMPORTANT TO US HERE ON HILTON HEAD.
UM, I THINK THIS IS A, AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO, TO DO SO.
SO I WOULD SUPPORT THAT AND I WOULD AGREE THAT, YOU KNOW, I'LL MAKE THE, THE STATEMENT WELL AS WELL THAT HEALTHCARE IS SOMETHING THAT IS ADDRESSED ON A DAILY BASIS, UM, THROUGHOUT THE COUNCIL AND, AND THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY WITH CONVERSATIONS WITH, UH, WITH MEDICAL FACILITIES.
SO, UM, I WOULD, YOU KNOW, I'M GOOD REALLY ON NUMBER ONE.
I'M GOOD WITH ALL, ALL OF THEM AND MOVING IT FORWARD.
IF THE TOWN MANAGER WERE TO SAY THAT WITH COUNCIL'S APPROVAL OF ALL FOUR, INCLUDING THE MUDDY CREEK NEIGHBORHOOD STABILIZATION PLAN, THAT STAFF HAS THE CAPABILITY TO MOVE THOSE FORWARD, I WOULD SUPPORT ALL THOSE, UH, NUMBER ONE AND TWO OTHER COMMENTS, MR. ALFORD, BUT, OH, OKAY.
AND LAST TIME, OKAY, MR. MAYOR, I THOUGHT WE'D TAKE 'EM ONE AT A TIME AS LISTED.
UH, THE, THE ONLY THING THAT I WOULD MENTION IS I THINK THE BRYANT ROAD SITE SHOULD FALL UNDER NUMBER TWO BECAUSE THEY ARE ALIGNED.
YOU CANNOT DO ONE WITHOUT THE OTHER.
UM, SO I AGREE WITH ONE AND TWO AS WELL.
UM, AND I WOULD PUT AS A PRIORITY, UM, THE EQUESTRIAN STABLE SINCE IT IS READY AND TO GET STARTED AND MOVED ALONG, UM, THE FORMER MODERN CLASSIC MOTOR SITE, UM, I WAS ON COUNCIL WHEN WE PURCHASED THAT, AND, UM, THERE WAS MAJORITY OF CONVERSATION WHO, THOSE OF US WHO WERE, UM, TALKING ABOUT IT, WHO THOUGHT OF IT IN TERMS OF A HEALTHCARE SITE.
SO THIS IS IN LINE WITH, YOU KNOW, WHAT MY EXPECTATIONS WERE, UM, ALL ALONE.
AND IT CERTAINLY DOES FIT THE COMMUNITY NEED WITH REGARD TO BRYANT ROAD.
UM, I, I AGREE WITH YOU, ALEX.
UM, YOU CAN'T REALLY DO BRYANT ROAD WITHOUT NUMBER TWO.
UM, IT, IT WOULD BE UNFAIR TO DO THAT.
AND I THINK I'VE MENTIONED THAT BEFORE IN MY OPINION.
BUT I ALSO THINK PART OF BRYANT ROAD, UM, SITE SHOULD BE WHAT IT IS, HOW IT IS THAT WE HELP HABITAT FOR HUMANITY.
I THINK THAT SOME OF THAT LAND, UM, AND I'VE MADE MYSELF CLEAR ABOUT THIS, THE DOLLAR FUNDING, UM, TO ME DOESN'T MAKE AS MUCH SENSE AS IT IS TO GIVE THEM WHAT IT IS THAT THEY ASK FOR AND THEY NEED,
[04:25:01]
WHICH IS LAND.SO, UM, THAT'S MY COMMENT ON THAT.
MS. BRYSON, UH, ONE QUICK QUESTION.
I'M SORRY, MARK, I DIDN'T CATCH WHAT YOU SAID ABOUT PALMETTO BAY BUSINESS PARK OTHER THAN A SEAT AT THE TOP R-F-Q-R-F-P, WHAT, IS THERE A PROPOSED PURPOSE FOR THAT AS WELL? YES, I'M, I'M SORRY.
I WENT, I DID GO FAST THROUGH THAT ONE.
IT, IT'S A GREAT, WELL, IT'S A GREAT PIECE OF LAND.
UM, THE TOWN, SOME TIME AGO, PROBABLY THREE YEARS AGO, THERE WAS A REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATION AND A BID THAT CAME IN FOR HEALTHCARE, FOR PRIMARY, FOR PRIMARY CARE.
UM, THAT DID NOT MOVE FORWARD.
BUT MY ASK TO YOU TODAY IS, SHOULD WE, YOU KNOW, SHOULD WE HANG THE FOR LEASE OR FOR SALE, SIGN UP FOR A LITTLE WHILE AND SEE WHO'S INTERESTED IN OUR TOWN PROPERTY? OR DO WE JUST LEAVE THAT ALONE FOR NOW? YOU KNOW, WHEN, WHEN GOVERNMENTS, MUNICIPALITIES ESPECIALLY OWN LAND AND THEY'RE DESIRING A CERTAIN PRIMARY EMPLOYEE OR CERTAIN HEALTHCARE EXPANSION, LEVERAGING OUR LAND TO ATTRACT OUR, OUR DESIRED AND INTENDED, UH, RESULT CAN, CAN BE A, A REALLY IMPORTANT, UH, TOOL, JUST LIKE NORTH POINT.
AND SO MY ASK TO TOWN COUNCIL IS SIMILAR TO MODERN CLASSIC, WHERE WE WOULD PUT A FOR SALE OR LEASE SIGN UP FOR HEALTHCARE, DITTO WITH JONESVILLE FOR THE INTENDED USE.
WE SAID DITTO WITH BRYANT ROAD, THE WAY WE SAID, SHOULD WE ALSO DO THE SAME FOR PALMETTO BAY BUSINESS PARK, WHICH TOWN COUNCIL HASN'T REALLY TALKED ABOUT, BUT IT'S COME UP A COUPLE TIMES, A RED LIGHT WENT OFF.
UM, SO THE QUESTION IS NOT A SPECIFIC USE, BUT SHOULD WE DO AN R-F-Q-R-F-P OR IS IT FOR A SPECIFIC USE UNDER THE R-F-Q-R-F-P? I BELIEVE THAT, UM, I BELIEVE THAT MODERN CLASSIC MOTORS SHOULD BE A SPECIFIC USE, AND I THINK WE SHOULD WIDEN OUR NET OR CAST OUR NET A LITTLE WIDER FOR PALMETTO BAY BAY BUSINESS PARK WOULD BE MY RECOMMENDATION.
UM, I'M, I'M NOT OPPOSED TO LOOKING AT JONESVILLE FOR THE PURPOSES SET FORTH THERE.
UM, BUT, UH, I AGREE WITH SOME OTHERS.
UH, WITH REGARD TO THE BRYANT ROAD SITE AND THE MONEY CREEK NEIGHBORHOOD STABILIZATION PLAN, UM, I THINK THOSE SHOULD BE COMBINED SEPARATELY AND WE SHOULD TALK ABOUT THOSE SEPARATELY.
UH, WE SHOULD TALK ABOUT THOSE TWO TOGETHER SEPARATELY AS OPPOSED TO BEING A PART OF NUMBER ONE.
MR. AMES, MARK, UM, REGARDING PALMETTO BAY BUSINESS, MARK, DOES STAFF HAVE ENOUGH INFORMATION ON THE DISTRICT PLAN TO BE ABLE TO PUT TOGETHER A FP MAKES SENSE FOR THE COMMUNITY? I THINK WITHIN THE NEXT FOUR TO FIVE MONTHS WE WILL, BUT AS OF TODAY, NO, SIR, I'D LEAN ON JOHN O'TOOLE A LITTLE BIT WITH BEAUFORT COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION ON THE BOARD.
I KNOW THE MAYOR SITS, BUT I DON'T THINK THAT IS AS RIPE TO PICK AS THE OTHERS, BUT DEFINITELY THIS YEAR I WOULD SUPPORT, UM, MOVING AHEAD ON THAT FOR THE NEXT, UH, 12 MONTHS, BUT MAY BE POSTPONING AS YOU'RE SUGGESTING HOW THE DISTRICT PLAN IS MORE CONCRETE.
MAYOR, SORRY, CAN I ADD ONE MORE THING? YOU'VE GOT RFQ SLASH RFP.
I'D PREFER IT TO BE PART OF ONE PROCESS AS TO TWO SEPARATE PROCESSES.
SO MAY I PLEASE BE THE ONE TO FIGURE THAT OUT? BECAUSE SOMETIMES YOU QUALIFY BEFORE YOU ASK FOR PROPOSAL, BECAUSE A LOT OF TIMES WHEN YOU GO STRAIGHT TO PROPOSAL, SOME FOLKS WON'T BID BECAUSE PROPOSALS TAKE A LOT OF TIME, MONEY, AND ENERGY.
I'VE JUST LEARNED THAT AS A TACTIC THROUGH, THROUGH MY CAREER.
THE PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE I HAD IS THAT, UM, WHEN YOU DO AN RFQ, YOU ASK ENGINEERS OR ARCHITECTS FOR THEIR QUALIFICATIONS, AND THEN YOU FINALLY GET AROUND TO A PROPOSAL AND IT JUST TAKES A LOT MORE TIME.
SO IF THERE, IF THE CURRENT MARKET IS THAT, UH, IT'S BETTER TO CHOOSE BASED ON THE, THE PROPERTY OR THE PROPOSED USE, THEN I'M OKAY.
OTHER COMMENTS? MR. STANFORD? ARE YOU THERE? OKAY, SO I, I WOULD AGREE WITH, YOU KNOW, ONE AND TWO AND PUTTING, UH, BRYANT ROAD WITH MUDDY CREEK AS WELL.
SO LET, AND THEN, AND CAN WE SEPARATELY TALK ABOUT NOW BRYANT ROAD, MUDDY CREEK A A ABSOLUTELY.
FOR THIS, FOR THIS, UH, DISCUSSION, I JUST PUT ALL LAND IN ONE BUCKET AND AND QUALIFIED THAT BRYANT ROAD DEFINITELY WOULD BE ATTACHED TO NUMBER TWO.
THEY'RE, THEY'RE TWO SEPARATE THINGS.
A NEIGHBORHOOD STABILIZATION PLAN IS A LOT DIFFERENT THAN BIDDING OUT, RIGHT?
[04:30:01]
I THINK WE'D HAVE TO GET GOING ON SOME MUDDY CREEK NEIGHBORHOOD STABILIZATION, LEARN A BIT, ENGAGE RESIDENTS, ENGAGE THE, THE NEIGHBORHOOD AS WE'RE BIDDING IT OUT, RATHER THAN JUST SHOWING UP WITH A BID.AND I WOULD, I WOULD HOPE THAT THOSE BIDS WOULD INCLUDE THEIR ABILITY TO WORK ON THE NEIGHBORHOOD STABILIZATION.
I, I'D LIKE TO MAKE A SUGGESTION AS FAR AS NUMBER TWO IS CONCERNED, UM, CONSIDERING, UM, I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY SLIDES YOU WENT THROUGH SO FAR, MR. MANAGER AND THE, UH, THE ACCOMPLISHMENT IN ORDER FOR US TO KEEP MOVING AND TO STAY EFFICIENT, UNDERSTANDING THE CURRENT WORKLOAD, UM, THAT THE MUDDY CREEK NEIGHBORHOOD STABILIZATION IDEA OR EFFORT BE SOMETHING THAT CDC TAKES THE LEAD IN.
UM, I THINK IT'S A, A GRAND OPPORTUNITY FOR, UM, A HISTORIC GULLAH NEIGHBORHOOD TO EXPERIENCE, UH, TRANSFORMATION THE WAY THAT IT HAS NOT FOR, UM, THE WHOLE REASON THAT THE CDC WAS STOOD UP WAS TO DO SUCH A THING.
UH, SO I, I'M, I'M, UM, SUGGESTING TO, TO OUR COUNCIL THAT WE CONSIDER SORT OF A SHIFT HERE, CDC TAKING THE LEAD ON THAT PARTICULAR ITEM.
I, AND I AGREE AND I SUPPORT THAT.
I'M NOT SURE WHAT THAT MEANS IN TERMS OF DOES IT CIRCLE BACK TO COUNCIL FOR FINAL APPROVAL OR IS IT THEN OUT OF OUR HANDS ALTOGETHER? I MEAN, I'LL TAKE A STAB AT THAT.
I MEAN, CDC OBVIOUSLY IS A COMPONENT OF THE TOWN, SO, AND DOES NOT HAVE ALL OF THE TOOLS IN ITS BELT TO COMPLETE THAT.
SO I, I SEE THE, THE TWO WORKING TOGETHER OBVIOUSLY.
UM, BUT YOU KNOW, FROM, UH, FROM GETTING A WIN ON THE TABLE, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE CONSIDER THAT.
AND OF COURSE, THERE'LL BE CHECK-INS ALONG THE WAY.
SO I GUESS, I GUESS MY COMMENT IS REALLY, THERE'S NO QUESTION THAT IN THAT AREA, THE CDC D'S INPUT AND EFFORTS AND VISION IS, UM, A CRITICAL COMPONENT OF THE OVERALL DISCUSSION AND DESIGN.
MY QUESTION WASN'T THAT, MY QUESTION WAS, WHEN THE CDC OR ANYONE THAT COMES TO A CONCLUSION AND PRESENTS A PLAN, WHO HAS THE FINAL APPROVAL? IS IT TOWN COUNCIL? DOES IT STILL REMAIN WITH TOWN COUNCIL? RIGHT.
SO I, I WOULD SUGGEST THAT, UM, AS WE CONSIDER IT PRIORITIES THAT YOU COME TO US, MARK WITH A PLAN ON THAT AND HOW IT LOOKS, PROS CONS AS TO WHAT THAT RELATIONSHIP WOULD WORK OR HOW IT WOULD WORK WITH CCDC.
SO THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD GET INFORMATION ON TO MAKE THAT DECISION HOW IT SHOULD GO.
I DON'T THINK THAT WE'RE SAYING TODAY THAT IT NEEDS TO BE A PART OF THAT OR PART OF CCDC OR THOSE TWO TOGETHER, OR PART OF CDC, BUT WE NEED TO HAVE THAT INFORMATION FOR YOU TO WORK ON, TO BRING BACK TO US SO THAT WE CAN MAKE THAT DECISION.
SO THE BOTTOM LINE IS, IF I UNDERSTAND YOU CORRECTLY, MAYOR, IS THAT ANYTHING THAT IS, UM, UM, BROUGHT TO US IS FOR OUR VOTE YES OR NO IN TERMS OF APPROVAL.
WHAT, WHAT I'M SAYING IS THAT THE STRUCTURE, IF IT WAS TO GO TO CDC, THE TOWN MANAGER WOULD BRING TO US PRIOR TO IT GOING THERE.
SO WE UNDERSTOOD THE STRUCTURE AND, AND OUR ROLE IN THAT.
UM, SO THAT, SO THAT WE CAN VOTE ON THAT TO MAKE SURE THAT'S THE DIRECTION WE WANNA GO IN.
I DON'T THINK WE HAVE ENOUGH INFORMATION TO SAY IT DEFINITELY NEEDS TO BE THERE RIGHT NOW, OR IT DOESN'T NEED TO BE THERE RIGHT NOW, BUT, BUT THE INFORMATION, THE STRUCTURE OF IT SO THAT WE CAN MAKE THAT DECISION SURE.
BOTTOM LINE IS ULTIMATELY TOWN COUNCIL APPROVES WHATEVER GETS DONE, WHATEVER POLICY, WHATEVER IS, IS, IS APPROVED.
AND ULTIMATELY, IT'S YOUR CALL.
IT'S ALL A MATTER OF HOW YOU WANT TO USE YOUR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION THAT'S ESTABLISHED AS A NONPROFIT.
YOU KNOW, AT THE END OF THE DAY, YOU SEE THE BYLAWS, IT'S IN PLACE TO ACCOMPLISH THE, THE GOALS AND PRIORITIES ESTABLISHED IN THOSE BYLAWS.
I'M GONNA BRING YOU PROS AND CONS, WE CAN GET THIS PROJECT DONE.
I, I, I AM EXCITED THAT I WOULD HAVE THOMAS BOXLEY HELPING THAN JUST BEN AND I WHO ARE FOCUSED ELSEWHERE ON, ON NORTH POINT.
AND I THINK THAT THOMAS WITH THE CDC BOARD WILL INTEGRATE INTO THE MUDDY CREEK NEIGHBORHOOD AND UNDERSTAND IT A LOT FASTER THAN I COULD BY MYSELF.
[04:35:01]
SO WHO BEHIND ME, MISSY, SEAN, OR ZENOS IN 30 SECONDS OR LESS CAN EXPLAIN WHAT THE SMALL HOME SERIES IS INTENDED TO DO VERSUS WHAT IT ISN'T.WHO WANTS TO BE BRAVE AND JUMP UP? THERE WE GO.
SO THE SMALL HOME SERIES IS, UM, BASICALLY, UH, AN ASSORTMENT OF SMALL HOMES THAT WILL BE TAILORED TO A CERTAIN, CERTAIN SQUARE FOOTAGE, BUT WILL BE ACTUALLY STICK BUILT OR MODULAR.
THEY WILL NOT BE SOMETHING THAT'S ON WHEELS.
IT'S NOT GONNA BE A MOBILE HOME.
IT WILL BE SOMETHING THAT WILL BE PRE-APPROVED, UH, THAT SOMEONE CAN COME INTO THE TOWN AND ACTUALLY JUST SELECT FROM THOSE SMALL HOMES.
AND, AND ACTUALLY IT, THE WHOLE PERMITTING PROCESS WILL BE SMOOTH AND EASY AND, AND VERY QUICK.
SO THAT'S THE QUICK SYNOPSIS OF, OF THAT THIS THING KEEPS, CAN YOU LEAVE THE SOUND FOR ME? THING KEEPS GOING OFF THERE ANY ANYWAY, SORRY.
ALRIGHT, WELL, ME Z THANK YOU.
CALL IT WHAT? IT, IT IS A SMALL HOME SERIES IS NOT A SERIES OF TINY HOMES ON WHEELS THAT WE SEE IN MAGAZINES OUT OF, UM, OREGON, RIGHT? SOME LITTLE SUBDIVISION THAT WE SEE WHERE COMMUNITIES HAVE STARTED TO USE A SMALL HOME SERIES OR A, A PATTERN BOOK OF HOME TYPOLOGIES AS BEEN AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO A MANUFACTURED HOME.
RIGHT NOW, FOLKS COME IN AND THEY HAVE LAND AND THEY, THEY HAVE AN EASY OPTION OF A PHONE CALL AWAY.
YOU RENT, SO TO SPEAK, A, A VEHICLE, RIGHT? IT'S PERSONAL PROPERTY IN THAT REGARD.
IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT, YOU CAN'T UTILIZE YOUR LAND TO LEVERAGE A MORTGAGE.
YOU, YOU PLACE A MOBILE HOME MANUFACTURED HOME ON YOUR SITE.
THE INTENTION IN THE MID ISLAND DISTRICT, AS IT WAS TALKED ABOUT, AND THIS IS WHERE THIS CAME FROM, WAS TO DESIGN A SERIES OF HOUSE TYPES THAT WOULD BE PRE-APPROVED.
SO YOU COULD COME TO TOWN HALL AND NOT HIRE AN ARCHITECT, AN ENGINEER, RIGHT? MEP, MECHANICAL, ELECTRICAL, PLUMBING, AND TRY TO FIGURE OUT WHAT TYPE OF HOUSE YOU BUILD.
IT WOULD ALREADY BE DONE FOR YOU, BUT IT, IT WOULD BE SIMILAR TO THE HOMES WE SEE ON SPANISH WELLS ROAD, THE, THE LITTLE, LITTLE ENCLAVE OF, OF COTTAGES, SO TO SPEAK.
SOME OF THE THOUGHT AND WHERE THIS CAME FROM WAS THAT THE HABITAT HOME, AS WE KNOW IT CURRENTLY ON HILTON HEAD ISLAND IN THE FUTURE, BUILD FOR HABITAT NETTING MORE OR PERHAPS DIFFERENT AND, AND, AND MORE APPROPRIATE FOR OUR FUTURE, WE COULD HELP DESIGN, RIGHT? AND IT'S BAKED INTO THAT, THAT MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING THAT WE WORKED ON WITH FINANCE ADMINISTRATIVE COMMITTEE, THAT, THAT WE WOULD WORK ON SOME DESIGN ALTERNATIVES THAT WOULD E ESSENTIALLY ALLOW FOR A DIFFERENT, A A DIFFERENT MODEL OF HABITAT HOME THAT THAT ALSO COULD TRANSCEND AND NOT JUST HAVE TO BE A HABITAT HOME, AND THAT IT WOULD BE PRE-APPROVED AND READY TO GO AT TOWN HALL INSTEAD OF A 30 DAY LONG PROCESS TO GET IT APPROVED AND DESIGNED AND, AND ALL THOSE COSTS THAT GO WITH IT.
UM, AND AGAIN, IT, IT, IT'S YOUR CALL THIS, THIS IS A, A BIG LIFT, A SMALL HOME SERIES IS A BIG LIFT.
IT'S SOMETHING THAT HOUSING ACTION COMMITTEE WAS TALKING ABOUT IS SOMETHING THAT WAS CONTEMPLATED IN THE MID ISLAND DISTRICT.
UM, IT'S, IT'S XENOS, RIGHT? HE, HE'S HERE, HE'S, HE'S WORKING ON ST.
JAMES, HE'S WORKING ON SEVERAL CAPITAL PROJECTS, INCLUDING THE CHAPLAIN, LINEAR PARK.
UM, BUT I, I DO THINK THAT THIS IS THE PLACE TO DISCUSS THIS WITH YOU FIRST AND NOT JUST AT THE COMMITTEE LEVEL WITH STAFF TRYING AND FOR US TRYING TO WONDER IF, IF YOU'RE SUPPORTIVE OF IT, IF WE DESIGN THIS AND I HAVE A SAMPLE IN MY OFFICE, IF, AND THERE ARE OTHER COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE DONE THIS, IF WE DO THIS, THIS WILL ALL BE THROUGH YOUR GUIDANCE AND APPROVAL FIRST AND FOREMOST.
COMMENTS BROWN, I SUPPORT THIS INITIATIVE AND I'LL TRY TO BE BRIEF HERE, MR. MAYOR, I WON'T TELL ONE OF MY LONG STORIES HERE, BUT I, I SORT OF SEE US HITTING THE RESET BUTTON WITH THIS ONE.
UM, A LOT OF SITES ON HILTON HEAD, THAT MAY BE HOMES THAT WERE BUILT
[04:40:01]
IN THE FIFTIES, SIXTIES, I'M TALKING OUTSIDE OF THE GATED COMMUNITIES, COMMUNITIES OBVIOUSLY, RIGHT? UM, WERE, WERE STICK BUILT AND A LOT OF CASES, UH, RESULT OF THE OLD BARTERING SYSTEM, UM, TO BE BUILT.AND AS THOSE SITES NEED TO BE REPLACED, UNFORTUNATELY THEY HAVE BEEN REPLACED WITH MOBILE HOMES AND THERE ARE A LOT OF REASON THAT TO WHY THAT HAS HAPPENED.
BUT THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS IT HAS, UM, AND THIS WOULD CREATE AN ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITY SO THAT MAYBE WE ARE CHANGING THE MINDSET AS FAR AS EASE OF REPLACEMENT IS CONCERNED.
UM, AND IF THIS SMALL HOME SERIES COULD COME IN AT A PRICE POINT THAT IS ATTRACTIVE AND, UM, SORT OF LEAN FOLKS TOWARDS DOING THIS VERSUS A MOBILE HOME, UM, THEN I THINK IT'S A, A GOOD STRATEGY.
I UNDERSTAND WHAT COUNCILMAN BROWN PLACEMENT DOES THE FOUNDATION PERMANENT, ANY FURTHER SUBDIVISION OF THE PROPERTY HAVE TO GO THROUGH TOWN HALL IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE SMALL HOME SERIES? YES, SIR.
SO THERE'LL BE AN EXPENSE TO THE LANDOWNER IN ORDER TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE SMALL HOME SERIES UNDER THOSE CIRCUMSTANCES.
I THINK WE OUGHT TO THINK ABOUT THAT AS A PART OF THE PROGRAM.
I LIKE THE IDEA OF FACILITATING ARCHITECTURAL AND CONSTRUCTION DECISIONS, BUT I THINK THERE'S A COMPLICATION WHEN YOU PUT IT ATTACHED TO THE GROUND THAT WE NEED TO THINK ABOUT.
UM, I SUPPORT THE IDEA, UM, AND I, I APPRECIATE MR. BROWN'S, UH, REFLECTION ON HOW THINGS MIGHT HAVE OCCURRED, UM, AND, AND HOW THIS CAN BE HELPFUL.
UM, MY CONCERN IS ABOUT STAFF TIME.
UM, AND I THOUGHT AS PART OF THIS ANALYSIS TODAY, WE WOULD BE LOOKING AT, I MEAN, WE'VE ALREADY LOOKED AT THE WORK PLAN FOR 2024 AND IT'S QUITE EXTENSIVE, AND NOW WE'RE GONNA ADD A BUNCH OF STUFF.
UM, SO I'M, I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THE WORK PLAN.
SO I'M SUPPORTIVE OF IT, BUT I HAVE A SERIOUS QUESTION ABOUT THE TIME.
UM, AND, UH, I DO LOOK FORWARD TO FOLKS BEING ABLE TO HAVE THEIR OWN HOME WHEREVER IT MIGHT BE LOCATED.
UM, BUT, UM, THAT'S MY CONCERN.
AND, AND HENCE MY COMMUNICATION ABOUT IT'S ZENOS WHO'S WORKING ON SEV SEVERAL OTHER INITIATIVES TOO.
MR. ALFRED, THE QUESTION IS, IS CONTEMPLATED FOR THE MID ISLAND DISTRICT PARK OR OUTSIDE OF THE PARK, PARDON ME, THE SMALL HOME SERIES REFERENCE MID ISLAND? I, AM I CORRECT THAT THAT'S OUTSIDE OF THE PARK? YES.
IT'S, IT'S WITHIN THE DISTRICT AND IT CAN, IT CAN TRANSLATE TO OTHERS, RIGHT? IT COULD, THIS COULD TRANSLATE TO TO TO MUDDY CREEK, TO THE BRYANT ROAD SITE IF, IF, IF WE REALLY DESIRED IT TO RIGHT.
UM, FOR THE HABITAT HOMES THAT MOST LIKELY WILL BE THERE.
IT, IT ABSOLUTELY COULD BE THAT.
UM, BUT YES, IT, IT, IT'S NOT FOR EVERYWHERE.
I DO THINK THAT IF IT'S SIX UNITS AN ACRE, THE DESIGN WOULD HAVE TO ALLOW FOR SIX UNITS AN ACRE HOME SIZE.
SO, UM, IT, IT'S REALLY GETTING INTO, UH, YOU KNOW, YOUR, YOUR BUILT MODEL OF HOME, WHETHER THAT'S MODULAR OR ELSE ELSEWHERE.
UM, SO THAT LAST ANSWER WAS HELPFUL.
UM, IT WAS ONE OF MY QUESTIONS.
SO UNDERSTANDING, RIGHT NOW IT SAYS MID ISLAND DISTRICT PLAN IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGY MM-HMM.
WOULD IT THEN CIRCLE BACK IF OTHER, UM, AREAS OF THE ISLAND WERE TO BE CONSIDERED FOR THE SMALL HOME SERIES? SO, YES, ESPECIALLY SINCE I'M HEARING A LITTLE BIT THAT IT'S PROBABLY NOT OUR HIGHEST PRIORITY BEFORE WE GET TO SOME OTHER THINGS, ALTHOUGH THERE'S SOME, SOME, SOME INTEREST HERE.
THE, THE DISTRICT PLANS AND TOWN COUNCIL'S DIRECTION AT TIME, YOU REVIEW AND CONSIDER APPROVING THE SMALL HOME SERIES WOULD DEFINE LOCATION, RIGHT? IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE EVERYWHERE.
IT COULD BE IN SOME LOCATIONS.
[04:45:01]
DEFINITE, AND WE TALKED ABOUT IT IN THE PAST, THERE'S DEFINITE ADDED VALUE IN THE MID ISLAND DISTRICT IF YOU NOW HAVE AN OPTION TO MAKING A PHONE CALL BECAUSE IT'S ALL YOU CAN REALLY FIGURE OUT AND 'CAUSE YOU NEED A HOME IN MID ISLAND DISTRICT.BUT I THINK WE'RE GONNA LEARN A LITTLE MORE IN SOME OF THESE OTHER DISTRICTS LIKE SKULL CREEK AND WHATEVER WE'RE CALLING THE AREA AND THE BRYANT ROAD AREA, SO THAT IT'S YOUR, IT'S, IT'S YOUR DIRECTION.
AT THE END OF THE DAY, WHAT COMES TO MIND IS A, UM, RESIDENTIAL STREET OF SIZABLE, UM, HOMES THAT HAVE BEEN BUILT, UM, AND ONE VACANT LOT.
MM-HMM,
UM, AND SO THAT'S MY, THAT'S MY QUESTION AND CONCERN.
WOULD SOMEONE JUST BECAUSE THEY OWN A LOT ANYWHERE ON THE ISLAND, BE ABLE TO GO AND PICK A HOME DESIGN FROM THIS SMALL HOME SERIES, SAVE THEMSELVES SOME MONEY ON THOSE COSTS THAT YOU MENTIONED AND PUT IT IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD? I DON'T THINK IT'S RIGHT, FIRST OF ALL.
IT'S IN MY, JUST MY WARDS, SO I GET, HAVE HEARD A LOT ABOUT IT AND NONE OF IT'S BEEN GOOD.
UM, AND SO I DON'T WANT TO, UM, JUST STEP INTO THAT ANY FURTHER.
UM, IN FACT, WE SHOULD PROBABLY LOOK AT HOW WE MAKE THAT MORE COHESIVE OF A NEIGHBOR, UM, NEIGHBORHOOD, UM, ACROSS THE BOARD.
UM, THE OTHER CONCERN THAT I HAVE IS I HEARD, UM, HOPEFULLY CORRECTLY THAT THIS CAME THROUGH THE HOUSING ACTION COMMITTEE.
SO IS THERE AN ASSOCIATION OR AN EXPECTATION THAT THESE SMALL HOME SERIES, UM, WOULD BE WITHIN THE WORKFORCE HOUSING AND THEREFORE, UM, SET WITHIN AN A MI LIMIT OR ANYTHING ALONG THOSE LINES? RIGHT.
WE HAVEN'T DOVE INTO THAT YET.
SO FOR THIS TIME, BECAUSE ALL THOSE QUESTIONS ARE NOT FULLY, UM, EXPLORED, UM, I WILL NOT SUPPORT IT.
SO I THINK IT'S, IT'S, UH, IT'S INTERESTING.
IT, IT'S A GOOD OPTION TO HAVE.
OBVIOUSLY THERE'S LOTS OF QUESTIONS STILL SURROUNDING IT, UM, WORK THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE.
I DON'T KNOW IF IT NEEDS TO BE A TOP PRIORITY FOR US MOVING FORWARD, BUT IT DOES NEED, YOU KNOW, AS, AS THE TIME ALLOWS, UM, TO, TO SOMETHING TO WORK ON.
UH, WE ALL KNOW THAT THERE'S, THERE'S A LOT MORE THINGS THAT ARE BEING ADDRESSED OUTSIDE OF ALL OF THESE ITEMS, BUT, UM, INSTEAD OF HAVING, WELL, HAVING A SMALL HOME, A THOUSAND SQUARE FEET THAT A STICK BUILT ATTACHED TO THE GROUND IS A LITTLE BIT SAFER THAN A TRAILER, THAN A MOBILE HOME.
SO THAT ASPECT OF IT, I THINK IS VERY INTERESTING AND, AND SO I, I WOULD SUPPORT.
SO LET'S, UM, YOU WANNA MOVE ON TO ROTARY COMMUNITY CENTER? SORRY, MAYOR.
UH, CAN I MAKE ONE OTHER SUGGESTION? I I DON'T WANT TO ABANDON IT AT THIS POINT BECAUSE I THINK IT CAN BE VERY USEFUL.
UM, SO PERHAPS, UM, IN, IN THE LOWER LIST OF THINGS TO DO, IMMEDIATELY
I, YOU KNOW, I'M THINKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, IN, IN, UM, WHERE COULD THIS FIT BEST, UM, AND WHERE ARE THEIR NEEDS? AND MAYBE IF WE LOOK AT THOSE, UH, I'M SORRY MR. STANFORD'S NOT AVAILABLE.
I THINK MID ISLAND, UH, DISTRICT IS WITHIN HIS AREA.
UM, BUT, UM, I'D LIKE TO HEAR FROM HIM AS WELL ON THIS TOPIC.
UM, BUT, YOU KNOW, MAYBE IT, IT WOULD WORK, UM, YOU KNOW, FOR LACK OF SOMETHING BETTER.
UM, DOES IT WORK IN A HISTORIC GULLAH NEIGHBORHOOD? UH, DOES IT WORK IN A FAMILY SUBDIVISION? UH, WOULD IT WORK BEST IN, YOU KNOW, WE TALKED ABOUT MUDDY CREEK, BRYANT ROAD AREA.
UM, IS THAT A GOOD PLACE FOR IT TO WORK? AND SO IF THERE'S SOME EXAMPLES, AND IF, I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY HOUSE PLANS ARE, UM, I, I'VE WORKED WITH A COMPANY THAT, THAT DID BOTH STICK BUILT AND MODULAR HOMES, SO I'M FAMILIAR WITH THAT.
UM, ALSO A MEMBER OF MY FAMILY, UM, WORKED WITH MOBILE HOMES, UH, PUTTING 'EM UP AND, AND DOING ALL THE TRIM WORK AND EVERYTHING ELSE AROUND 'EM.
SO I'M FAMILIAR WITH THOSE THREE KINDS OF BUILDING CONSTRUCTION.
UM, AND, AND THERE'S PLACES FOR THEM AND PLACES THAT THEY DON'T WORK AS WELL.
UM, SO IF THERE'S SOME EXAMPLES OF WHERE THIS WOULD WORK WELL, UM, AND LET'S SAY THERE'S FIVE PLANS.
UM, THERE'S A MODULAR COMPANY, COMPANY THAT WE WORKED WITH THAT HAD LIKE FIVE BASIC FLOOR PLANS, UM, AND THAT'S MORE EASILY PERMITTED AND BUILT RATHER THAN, YOU KNOW, HAVING A STICK BUILT AND A CUSTOM DESIGN HOME.
SO IF THERE'S, YOU KNOW, I LOVE THE NUMBER FIVE.
IF THERE ARE FIVE PLANS THAT ARE EASILY DESIGNED AND THAT WE COULD USE, AND THERE'S SOME GREAT PLACES FOR THEM TO USE, LET'S LOOK AT THAT IDEA, WOULD BE MY SUGGESTION.
[04:50:01]
STILL ON, SO I'LL TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY.UM, IF, UH, YOU KNOW, TO PAT, UH, PATSY'S POINT, I, I JUST DON'T, INTO MY FORMER POINT, I JUST DON'T THINK IT'S READY TO BE SET INTO THE PRIORITIES, UM, LIST.
NOW I'VE MADE MYSELF DOUBLY CLEAR, SORRY, MR. ALFRED.
I THINK IT'S A VERY INTRIGUING IDEA, BUT WE'VE ALL BEEN VERY CONCERNED ABOUT PUTTING TOO MUCH ON OUR PLATE, THE MANAGER'S PLATE AND STAFF'S PLATE.
AND I THINK WE SHOULD POSTPONE THE, POSTPONE THIS, BUT NOT ABANDON IT.
MR. STANFORD, I SAW THAT YOU CAME ONLINE, OR DO YOU HAVE A COMMENT? YES, AGAIN, I APOLOGIZE.
I'VE BEEN OFF SEEING A DOCTOR AGAIN, BUT, UM, I MISSED THE PRESENTATION ON SMALL HOME SERIES, SO I REALLY CAN'T COMMENT ON IT OTHER THAN TO SAY THAT I CERTAINLY BELIEVE ANYTHING WE CAN DO TO PROVIDE WORKFORCE HOUSING IN VARIOUS AREAS ON THE ISLAND IS WORTHY OF FURTHER CONSIDERATION.
BUT THEN I WOULD FOLLOW UP BY SAYING I COULD, I EXPRESSED CONCERN, AS YOU'VE HEARD FROM OTHER MEMBERS OF COUNCIL, ABOUT TOO MANY PRIORITIES.
UM, AND, AND THERE THERE'S A RISK OF THAT.
SO, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, IF WE SHRINK SOME OF THE PRIORITIES INTO OTHERS, WE'RE STILL DOING THE SAME AMOUNT OF WORK.
SO I'M CONCERNED ABOUT WHAT WE'RE DOING TO THE STAFF.
I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN GET A QUALITY PRODUCT AND THAT WE DON'T GET BURNOUT FROM THE STAFF.
SO, UM, I'M LOOKING FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THIS AND HOPE I'M BETTER PREPARED NEXT TIME AROUND.
THAT'S WHAT I, THAT'S WHAT I NEED.
UH, THE NEXT TWO ARE ALMOST SELF-EXPLANATORY, YAY OR NAY TO MOVE FORWARD AND EXPLORE AND KEEP IN MIND, UM, ONE IS A DONATION AND THE OTHER IS A COST.
I LIKE DONATIONS BETTER THAN COST.
WELL, I DIDN'T TEE THAT UP VERY WELL, DID I? IT IS LATE IN THE DAY.
SO LET'S TALK DONATION FIRST, THEN ROTARY, UH, A GROUP, AND I'M NOT SURE IF THEY SPOKE WITH YOU RECENTLY, BUT AT A RECENT COMMITTEE MEETING, THEY HAVE ASKED AND THEY ASKED TO DONATE OR AT LEAST TO ATTEMPT TO RAISE FUNDS TO DONATE FOR A COMMUNITY CENTER UPFIT.
UM, IT'S A PROPOSAL IN FRONT OF YOU IS SOMETHING THAT I HAVEN'T SPENT TOO MUCH TIME ON, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF PUTTING IT ON YOUR COMMITTEE AGENDA.
I WILL HAVE THIS BACK ON YOUR COMMITTEE AGENDA SOONER THAN LATER, UH, THROUGH JOSH AS, AS I LOOK OVER.
UM, BUT I JUST WANT YOU TO CONTEMPLATE THAT AS PART OF ALL OF THIS, BECAUSE IF WE SAY YES, THAT'S A GREAT IDEA.
WE NEED TO START THINKING ABOUT WHERE THE COMMUNITY CENTER IS GOING TO BE AND WHERE ARE WE GOING TO OBTAIN THE REST OF THE FUNDS.
SO VERY IMPORTANT, ARE THE, IS THE BURDEN OF FUNDS ON THE TOWN A HUNDRED PERCENT OR IS IT A PROPOSAL THAT SPLITS THE COST? IT'S A PROPOSAL TO RAISE A CERTAIN AMOUNT.
UM, AND, AND THE, AND THE BUILDING WILL BE, UH, MORE THAN THAT AMOUNT.
AND WILL YOU, IN, IN THE TOWN COUNCIL, UH, HAS APPROVED THE MID ISLAND PARK WITH A COMMUNITY CENTER NEAR THE WELL ON THE, UM, ON THE, WHAT ROAD IS THAT, ON THAT ONE SIDE? THANKS FOR HELPING ME OUT GUYS.
WHAT, WHAT ROAD IS THAT? UNION.
IT'S LATE UNION CEMETERY ROADSIDE, UH, THE, THE ROTARY COMMUNITY CENTER WOULD BE PROPOSED, SUPPORTED, UH, TO MOVE THE PROPOSAL FORWARD WITH MORE INFORMATION TO BE PROVIDED TO THE COUNCIL.
WELL, IF Y'ALL AGREE WITH THAT, I WILL BRING IT TO THE COMMITTEE.
MARK, I HAVE A COMMENT, IF I MIGHT GO AHEAD.
UH, FIRST OF ALL, FULL, FULL DISCLOSURE, I'M A MEMBER OF THE ROTARY CLUB OF ELK ISLAND.
AND SO I'M SOMEWHAT FAMILIAR WITH THIS PROJECT, AND THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT SERIOUS FUNDRAISING PROBABLY WON'T BE ENOUGH TO BUILD THE WHOLE BUILDING.
BUT THEN IF YOU GO OVER TO THE NEED SIDE, I SEE A STRONG NEED FOR A COMMUNITY CENTER.
UM, AND I DON'T SEE ANY REASON TO DISCOURAGE THE ROTARY FOR MOVING FORWARD, UH, TO RAISE THE FUNDS BASED UPON THE UNDERSTANDING THAT WE DON'T EXACTLY HAVE A LOCATION, BUT YET WE'LL FIND ONE.
UM, SO I'LL SAY HERE, WHAT I'VE SAID IN A MEETING, UM, THAT I WAS ASKED, UM, TO BE PART OF FROM THE, SOME MEMBERS OF THE ROTARY, UM, CLUB.
YES, WE, WHEN WE APPROVED THE MID ISLAND PARK, WE SET A, UM, COMMUNITY CENTER IN PLACE.
SO IN MY MIND, THAT'S A DECISION THAT, UM, HAS BEEN APPROVED.
UM, AND SO IT, UH, I CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THAT IDEA IN TERMS OF, UM, THEM RAISING MONEY.
[04:55:02]
IT'S, IN MY MIND ANYWAY, THE TOWN OWNED PROPERTY, A TOWN OWNED BUILDING, AND ANY FUNDS THAT THEY WOULD BE SO GENEROUS AS TO DONATE WOULD GO TO PERHAPS OUTFITTING IT OR SOME OTHER, UM, ASSOCIATED COSTS.BUT THAT THIS IS IN EVERY SENSE OF THE WORD, A COMMUNITY CENTER FOR HILTON HEAD ISLAND RESIDENTS.
UM, IT'S OUR LAND, IT WOULD BE OUR BUILDING AND IT WOULD BE FOR THE RESIDENTS OF HILTON HEAD ISLAND AND NOT AS A COMMERCIAL BUILDING TO BE LET OUT FOR WEDDINGS FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE COMING FROM SOME OTHER DESTINATION AND FIND IT AS BEAUTIFUL AS WE DO.
UM, THAT IS NOT, THE COMMERCIAL ASPECT IS NOT PART OF MY IDEA FOR THIS.
AND THOSE ARE THE TERMS UNDER WHICH I'VE DISCUSSED IT WITH THEM.
I, I MET WITH TWO REPRESENTATIVES OF THE THREE ROTARY CLUBS ON THE ISLAND, UM, AND, UH, LEARNED THAT THEY HAD A TRACK RECORD OF WORKING WITH THE COMMUNITY.
AND AS BEST MY MEMORY GOES, IT WAS MEMORY MATTERS AND THE SANDBOX AND THOSE WHO'VE BEEN BEEN HERE LONGER CAN HELP ME OUT IF I'M WRONG ABOUT THOSE TWO ENTITIES.
BUT, UM, I'M SUPPORTIVE OF THE IDEA.
I'M NOT LIMITING IT TO, UH, THE MID ISLAND TRACK BECAUSE THERE MIGHT BE A TRACK THAT WORKS BETTER.
UM, BUT I ASK, UH, THOSE TWO REPRESENTATIVES TO COME BACK WITH MORE DETAIL.
SO WHAT I WOULD SUGGEST IS THAT WE, UM, SAY WE'RE SUPPORTIVE OF THIS IDEA IN GENERAL, AND THAT WE ASK THE THREE ROTARY CLUBS TO COME BACK WITH MORE SPECIFICS ABOUT THEIR PROPOSAL.
SO, UM, FORTUNATELY I'VE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO, TO WORK WITH THESE ROTARY CLUBS THROUGH THE UPFIT AND EQUIP OF ALLEN REC CENTER.
UM, IT IS A TOWN OWNED BUILDING ON SCHOOL COUNTY PROPERTY.
AND THEY PROVIDED, UH, ONE GROUP PROVIDED $200,000, ANOTHER GROUP PROVIDED 50,000 AND THE THIRD WAS A LOWER AMOUNT, I THINK IT WAS 25,000 OR 15,000.
UM, IT'S A GREAT COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP.
AND, AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT MAKES, IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT MAKES HILTON HEAD SO GREAT, IS THE CIVIC ORGANIZATION STEPPING UP TO THE PLATE TO PROVIDE BACK TO THE COMMUNITY.
SO I WOULD, I WOULD SUPPORT THIS MOVING FORWARD AS WELL WITH ADDITIONAL DISCUSSIONS, OBVIOUSLY.
YEAH, AND I WOULD AGREE WITH THAT, THE MAYOR ON THAT.
ALRIGHT, I'M GOOD AS WELL, MR. MAYOR.
DO YOU WANT THE MUSIC FESTIVAL COME BACK? IF SO, YOU'LL SEE THE FUNDS IN OUR BUDGET.
I WILL SAY THAT, UM, AS A FIRST TIME EVENT, IT WAS UNBELIEVABLY WELL ATTENDED AND IT GAVE A FEEL OF COMMUNITY BACK AND IT ALSO BROUGHT IN A DIFFERENT GROUP OF PEOPLE IN AN OFF SEASON, UM, YOUNGER.
AND, UM, THEY'RE ALL LOOKING FORWARD TO COMING BACK.
AND, AND THERE HAS BEEN WORK THAT'S BEEN PUT INTO IT ALREADY.
UM, YOU KNOW, IT, WE UTILIZED ABOUT $250,000, UM, FOR IT LAST YEAR.
AND THAT CAME FROM, UM, ACCOMMODATION TAX.
AND IT IS, IT, IT, IT DRIVES A DIFFERENT CLIENTELE TO OUR ISLAND THAT MAY BE A LITTLE BIT YOUNGER AND A LITTLE BIT MORE NOT, I'M NOT GONNA SAY FUN
I SAID, I'M NOT GONNA SAY IT, BUT, UM, IT, IT, IT BRINGS A DIFFERENT GROUP IN AND IT ATTRACTS THAT MAYBE THAT YOUNGER GENERATION THAT WE NEED TO ATTRACT MORE OF.
ALRIGHT, OTHER COMMENTS? IS YOUR EXPECTATION THAT IT, UH, FUNDING WOULD BE AROUND $250,000 AND WE WOULD USE A TAX MONIES AGAIN? YES.
WELL, UM, YOU WERE INDEED CORRECT.
UM, SOMETHING NEW FOR THE ISLAND AND THE ENERGY WAS, UM, UN UNREAL.
WAIT, WAIT, WAIT, WAIT, WAIT, WAIT, WAIT.
WHAT I WAS GONNA SAY OTHER THAN I LOVE ROCK AND ROLL
PUT ANOTHER DIME IN THE JUKEBOX, BABY.
SEE, IT'S TOO LOW IN MY REGISTER.
UM, ANYHOW, WITH NO SERIOUSNESS ASIDE,
[05:00:01]
UM, AND, UM, IF, IF IT'S COMING FROM THOSE FUNDING SOURCES, I CAN AGREE WITH THAT.
MY CONCERN IS ABOUT STAFF TIME.
UM, IT WAS PART OF OUR BIG CELEBRATION LAST YEAR.
UM, AND THE ONLY OTHER WAY I'LL APPROVE IT IS IF THERE IS A LASER SHOW.
ALRIGHT, MR. MAYOR, I JUST WANTED TO, UH, THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THIS TO OUR ATTENTION.
I'LL GIVE YOU A LOT OF CREDIT FOR SORT OF INTRODUCING THIS IDEA AND, UM, SORT OF BRINGING A DIFFERENT LIGHT TO THE WAY WE HAVE FUN HERE ON HILTON HEAD.
SO I APPRECIATE YOU BRINGING IT AND I DEFINITELY SUPPORT DOING IT AGAIN.
I SHOULD HAVE LET OFF WITH THIS ONE THIS MORNING.
I DON'T KNOW IF I'D HAVE HAD THAT COMMENT TO MS. BRYSON THIS MORNING.
WELL, HEY, I WOULD'VE BEEN WARMED UP THIS MORNING IF, IF I COULD, UM, IT, IT'S PUBLIC COMMENT, BUT I ALSO KNOW THAT YOU AFTER THIS, AFTER THE PUBLIC COMMENT.
SO WE, WE'VE LAID IT OUT IN HERE AND IT'S BACK TO YOU, SIR.
SO, UM, ARE WE GONNA RUN A YES, YES.
IN, UH, IN REGARD TO MATTERS FOR ADDITIONAL PRIORITIES? UH, I AM STILL, I WANTED THE COUNCIL TO KNOW THAT I AM STILL VERY INTERESTED IN OUR CONSIDERING AT AN APPROPRIATE POINT WHETHER WE SHOULD HAVE, UH, OUR OWN POLICE FORCES.
UH, I, I AGREE WITH THE COMMENT MADE EARLIER BY OUR CONSULTANTS.
UH, THIS IS NOT THE PRECISE TIME TO DO IT.
AT THE VERY LEAST, WE NEED TO GET BEYOND THE LITIGATION.
UH, BUT I, I DO WANNA REMIND PEOPLE THAT I STILL THINK IT'S AN IMPORTANT THING FOR US TO UNDERTAKE AS A STUDY.
SO KIM, ARE WE GONNA HAVE A, WE DON'T HAVE ONE ON THE STREET, BUT I CAN STEP ONE AND KEEP IT MYSELF.
UH, ONE OTHER QUESTION, UH, FOR, UH, FUTURE STRATEGIES, AND THAT IS THE CONDITIONS AND TRENDS ASSESSMENT THAT WE LOOKED AT HAD SOME RECOMMENDATIONS IN IT.
AND AS YOU KNOW, I SAID LET'S TAKE, LET'S PUT THOSE AS POTENTIAL FOR US TO CONSIDER IN THE FUTURE.
SO, UH, YOU HAVE A GOOD STARTING LIST FOR US.
UM, BUT I DON'T WANT TO LOSE SIGHT OF OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS IN THE, UM, THE SWOT ANALYSIS FOR RECYCLING AND WASTE MANAGEMENT.
THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS ARE INCORPORATED IN THE WORK PLAN FOR 2024.
BUT THERE ARE SOME, UH, KEY RECOMMENDATIONS FROM CONDITIONS AND TRENDS THAT I DON'T, I DON'T WANT US TO LOSE SIGHT OF.
AND MAYBE THEY'LL COME BACK TO US SOMEHOW TO, TO LOOK AT THAT LIST.
MY GOAL OR MY RECOMMENDATION IS TO PUT THIS BACK ON PUBLIC PLANNING COMMITTEE AND RESOLVE THOSE KEY RECOMMENDATIONS OR NOT IN THAT DOCUMENT.
MY, MY CONCERN, AND I'VE SHARED THIS WITH SEAN RECENTLY, WE HAVE TO BE VERY CAREFUL OF NOT CROSS-REFERENCING OURSELVES TO THE POINT WHERE WE DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT WE'RE DOING.
AND I THINK THAT CONDITIONS AND TRENDS ASSESSMENT SHOULD BE A SNAPSHOT IN TIME, NOT A SUBSET APPENDIX TO A DEGREE OF A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN WITH RECOMMENDATIONS.
THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS SHOULD BE BAKED INTO OUR DISTRICT PLANS AND OR OUR FUTURE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AT THAT LEVEL.
SO I'VE REALLY TAKEN A CLOSE LOOK AT IT.
I'VE HAD SOME SIDEBAR WITH SOME OF YOU, AND THAT'S MY RECOMMENDATION.
AND I'LL WORK WITH THE MAYOR ON THAT AGENDA WITH COUNCILMAN AMES SOON.
[Public Comment]
OKAY.SO, UM, PUBLIC COMMENT AS USUAL, PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME, UH, WHERE YOU LIVE, AND WE WILL GIVE YOU THREE MINUTES AND, UM, IF YOU'LL GO AHEAD AND JUST GET LINED UP YEAH.
MELINDA TONER, PTO HALL, FIRST OF ALL, I WANNA THANK EVERYBODY FOR PUTTING ALL THIS INFORMATION TOGETHER AND HAVING THIS AS A PUBLIC MEETING.
YOU KNOW, THIS IS REALLY THE START OF THE WORK FOR SETTING YOUR PRIORITIES AND IT'S A FIRST STEP IN THE BUDGET PROCESS AND I KNOW HOW MUCH TIME IT TAKES 'CAUSE I'VE BEEN INVOLVED IN THIS PROCESS IN MY CORPORATE CAREER AS WELL AS IN SUPPORTING, UM, NON-PROFITS.
UM, AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MEETING, I WAS REALLY EXCITED BY THE CONSULTANT 'CAUSE I AGREED WITH A LOT OF THE THINGS THAT YOU SAID.
UM, AND I ALSO LOOKED AT THE COMMENTS THAT I MADE LAST YEAR REGARDING THE STRATEGIC PLAN.
AND IT HAD TO DO WITH HOW MANY PRIORITIES.
THERE ARE 15 PRIORITIES, UH, WITH THE, AND I HAD COUNTED TO A HUNDRED TACTICS AS WELL.
UH, THE FACT THAT MONEY IS NOT INFINITE AND THERE ARE LIMITS WITH STAFF.
AND ONE OF THE OTHER LIMITS IS ALSO WITH THE VENDORS, THE QUALIFIED VENDORS THAT WE HAVE ACCESS TO HERE ON THE ISLAND.
[05:05:01]
I THINK THAT SHOWS UP, UM, WITH THE CARRYOVER OF THE 2023 CIP.WE CAN'T GET, WE CAN'T BURN THROUGH THE MONEY EVEN THOUGH WE PLAN IT.
AND THEN IT GETS CARRIED OVER INTO THE NEXT YEAR.
AND THEN I START TO ASK, HOW MANY YEARS DO YOU KICK THE CAN DOWN THE ROAD? UM, I AGREE WITH THE FOCUS ON LONG TERM, AND I THINK THERE ARE A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT ARE MISSING.
AND THE FIRST IS THAT WE HAVE, UH, CALL IT CAPACITY GOALS OR, UM, LIMITS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT AND THE CAPACITY OF HOW MANY FULL-TIME RESIDENTS DO WE WANNA HAVE ON THE ISLAND.
UM, YOU KNOW, RIGHT NOW WE HAVE, UH, A LITTLE LESS THAN 40,000.
UM, AND IT IS NOT A KPI, AT LEAST WHEN I WENT THROUGH THE BOOKLET, I DIDN'T NOTICE THAT IT WAS A KPI.
UM, AND I THINK WE SHOULD ALSO LOOK AT CAPACITY OF TOURISM.
I UNDERSTAND HOW IMPORTANT IT IS AND, UH, TO OUR COMMUNITY, UH, BUT I ALSO THINK WE NEED TO THINK ABOUT HOW MANY TOURISTS WE WANT.
UM, THE NUMBER WAS 3.1 MILLION TOURISTS IN 2023.
AND IN THE TRENDS IN ASSESSMENT REPORT, IT HAD A NUMBER OF 3.5 MILLION IN 2025.
I'M NOT SURE WHO CAME UP WITH THAT NUMBER, BUT THAT WAS IN THE TRENDS IN ASSESSMENT.
AND THEN IF I JUST DID SOME SIMPLE MATH OF THE OCCUPANCY RATES OF, UH, HOTELS AND VILLAS, IF YOU FILLED THEM ALL UP, YOU'D BE AT 5 MILLION, MORE THAN 5 MILLION VISITORS.
AND WHAT, WHAT DO WE WANNA TARGET? UM, SO THAT WE'RE BALANCING TOURISM AS WELL AS THE QUALITY OF LIFE, AS AS RESIDENTS.
AND THEN, UM, SO I WAS REALLY EXCITED AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MEETING, YOU KNOW, LET'S FOCUS AND SKINNY DOWN.
AND THEN AS THE MEETING CONTINUED, UM, YOU CONTINUED TO ADD MORE AND MORE PROJECTS.
AND SO, UM, I UNDERSTAND IT'S A CHALLENGE, UH, BUT I DO WORRY ABOUT THE ABILITY TO EXECUTE ALL OF THOSE AND, AND IN REGARDS TO THE WORKLOAD.
NEXT, DANIEL ANTHONY JONESVILLE, UH, PRESERVATION SOCIETY.
UM, A LOT OF GOOD INFORMATION AND I, YOU KNOW, I JUST, I, I MAINLY COME TO THESE THINGS JUST TO LEARN, UM, YOU KNOW, MEET AND GREET.
Y'ALL SAY, HEY, LET YOU KNOW YOU'RE DOING A GOOD JOB.
UM, I, I REALLY WANTED TO, I, I HAD A, AN INDIVIDUAL WHO PROMPTED ME TO COME HERE TO ASK ABOUT THE STABLES.
AND ALTHOUGH YOU MADE SOME STATEMENTS ABOUT IT, MARK, THE MAIN THING IS, IS A QUESTION I HAVE FOR YOU IS DO YOU HAVE THAT PLAN IN, YOU KNOW, IN YOUR HEAD YET? WHEN WILL WE SEE THE PLAN THAT YOU HAVE DESIGNED FOR THE STABLES? IS THERE ANY TIMETABLE ON THAT? UH, TIDELANDS TWO, WHERE THE STABLES AREA IS AT WAS ALWAYS GONNA BE THE STABLES.
AT LEAST THAT'S WHAT THE TOWN SAID.
OTHERS TELL ME THAT, NO, THAT CAN'T HAPPEN BECAUSE OF THE MONEY THAT WAS USED TO, UH, YOU KNOW, TO GET THE PROPERTY.
SO THE RESIDENTS NEED TO KNOW ONE WAY OR ANOTHER DO THEY HAVE A THREAT STILL ON JONESVILLE WITH, WITH DEVELOPMENT, BECAUSE IT DOESN'T MATTER WHO DEVELOPS DEVELOPMENTS DEVELOPMENT, AND THAT ADDS TRAFFIC AND, AND SAFETY CONCERNS AT OUR RESIDENTS.
SO WE JUST, WE WANT YOU GUYS TO BE HONEST AND JUST TELL US WHAT'S GOING ON.
YOU WANT ME TO ANSWER THAT? YEAH, I, I, I THINK SO.
I MEAN, IT'S A DIRECT QUESTION AND IN, IN THIS FORM.
SO I DON'T HAVE A CRITICAL PATH TIMELINE IN MY HEAD TODAY TO PITCH AND, AND AND PROPOSE, RIGHT? BUT WHAT I, WHAT I DO HAVE IS CONFIDENCE FROM TOWN COUNCIL TO BRING THEM.
WHAT WHAT I WOULD BRING FORWARD IS A REQUEST FOR QUALS OR PROPOSAL IS A LEASE AGREEMENT, RIGHT? MM-HMM.
THERE'S TWO STRUCTURES OUT THERE.
ONE I THINK HAS PASSED ITS SHELF LIFE.
THE OTHER I WISH WAS THE TOWN MANAGER'S HOME WITH A POOL, BUT IT'S A BEAUTIFUL HOME.
AND DO WE ASSOCIATE THAT HOME WITH THE FUTURE LEASE OF, OF THE PADDOCKS IN THE BARN? AND SO, UM, I WILL PACKAGE THAT UP IN A DRAFT LEASE PROPOSAL MM-HMM.
I ANTICIPATE BRINGING THAT TO TOWN COUNCIL IN THE NEXT 30 OR 60 DAYS.
BEAR WITH ME, I'M IN THE MIDDLE OF BUDGET AND THAT WILL REMAIN MY FIRST AND ONLY PRIORITY, BUT AS SOON AS I HAVE FIRST READING OF BUDGET, I START THINKING ABOUT OTHER THINGS AGAIN.
FIRST READING OF BUDGET IS THE FIRST MEETING IN MAY, AND THEN I HAVE A COUPLE WORKSHOPS.
SO IT'S IN IT AROUND THAT TIMELINE.
[05:10:01]
GET YOU.BUT IT'S NOT, I JUST, I I GET A LOT OF, IT'S NOT AUGUST, EITHER TEXT AND EMAIL ME THE QUESTION.
AND SO I USUALLY FORWARD 'EM ON TO YOU.
SO, SINCE I FIGURED SINCE I WAS HERE, I JUST ASK.
AND DANNY, I I WILL STATE THAT COUNSEL HAS NOT HAD DISCUSSIONS ABOUT BUILDING ANYTHING ON THAT PROPERTY.
CAN IT EVER HAPPEN? UM, THAT IS A LEGAL QUESTION THAT I, THAT I CAN'T ANSWER.
I DON'T, I I THINK THAT ONE SECTION, NO, THE OTHER SECTION POSSIBLY, BECAUSE THERE WAS NO, THERE WAS MARK.
DO YOU KNOW, WAS THERE INFRASTRUCTURE ON THAT PROPERTY? NO, BUT THAT OTHER ONE, IF COUNSEL WOULD LIKE, WE CAN BRING COVENANTS FORWARD YEAH.
TO THE ENTIRE BLANKET, THE ENTIRE PROPERTY.
IT, IT, IT'S YOUR WILL TO PROTECT IT.
UM, I WILL SUPPORT THAT A HUNDRED PERCENT.
THAT WAS MY INTENTION WHEN I AGREED TO PURCHASE THAT PROPERTY.
I'M BRUCE SIEBOLD AND I'M REPRESENTING THE THREE ISLAND ROTARY CLUBS.
UH, I DIDN'T COME HERE TO MAKE A CASE, BUT SIMPLY TO THANK YOU FOR KEEPING THE DOOR OPEN.
WE BELIEVE THAT, UH, A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE TOWN COULD BE MUTUALLY BENEFICIAL TO BOTH THE TOWN AND ROTARY AS WELL AS, UH, THE RESIDENTS OF THE ISLAND, PARTICULARLY THOSE WHO LIVE OUTSIDE THE GATE.
SO THANK YOU FOR, UH, ALLOWING US TO CONTINUE HAVING DISCUSSIONS.
NEXT, BE A LITTLE, I'M GONNA BE A LITTLE LONGER THAN THAT.
GOOD AFTERNOON NOW, UH, THANK YOU FOR OUR LUNCH AND UH, BREAKFAST.
UM, THESE MEETINGS ARE ALWAYS FANTASTIC TO GET CLARITY ON WHAT THE TOWN'S THINKING ACROSS A VARIETY OF THINGS.
UM, MR. ORLANDO, I WANNA ELABORATE ON SOME OF THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS YOU WENT INTO BROAD ONES.
I WANT TO DO A FEW MORE DETAILED ONES.
I'M A RESIDENT, UH, IN SEA PINES, AS WELL AS I'M THE USA PICKLEBALL AMBASSADOR FOR, UH, BUFORD COUNTY MISSION OF USA PICKLEBALL IS TO PROMOTE DEVELOPMENT GROWTH PICKLEBALL IN THE UNITED STATES.
SO SURPRISE PICKLEBALL HAS GAINED SUCH MOMENTUM, PARTICULARLY HERE ON HILTON HEAD ISLAND.
IT'S A GAME THAT BRINGS TOGETHER KIDS FROM THE AGES OF EIGHT YEARS OLD TO ADULTS TO THE AGES OF OVER 80.
AND GIVEN THAT HILTON HEAD IS A FAMILY ORIENTED COMMUNITY, PICKLEBALL IS A PERFECT FIT FOR OUR FAMILY ACTIVE LIFESTYLE.
WHEN WE LAST SPOKE IN, UH, AUGUST OF 23, I EMPHASIZED THREE KEY MESSAGES, WHICH WERE, ACT NOW, DO IT RIGHT AND DELIVER ALL WHAT WAS PROMISED.
TODAY, I'D LIKE TO REFLECT A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS THE TOWN HAS MADE TO DATE.
FIRSTLY, ADRIANA OLD SCHOOL PARK.
WE'VE SEEN NEW COURTS INSTALLED ALONG WITH ADDED AMENITIES LIKE HYDRATION STATIONS AND SHELTERS.
THE COURT RESERVATION SYSTEM HAS BEEN IMPLEMENTED, ALL LEADING TO A TON OF NEW PLAY.
ADDITIONALLY, THERE'S DEDICATED STAFF THAT'S BEEN ADDED, UH, ASSIGNED TO PICKLEBALL AT THE REC CENTER.
THERE'S BEEN PLANS FOR CHAPLAIN AND, UH, CROSSING PARKS THAT ARE UNDERWAY.
AND RUMORS OF FURTHER LAND ACQUISITION AROUND CORDO ARE ALSO CIRCULATING, SHOWING A PROMISING FUTURE FOR PICKLEBALL ON THE ISLAND.
HOWEVER, THERE'S SOME IMPORTANT ISSUES THAT NEED TO BE ADDRESSED AT ADRIANA PARK.
ONLY HALF THE ALLOCATED FUNDS HAVE BEEN SPENT.
UM, BASED ON WHAT WE KNOW TO DATE, WE'RE STILL WAITING ON THE OTHER PHASE TWO DEVELOPMENTS, INCLUDING FACILITIES, YOU KNOW, BATHROOMS, PAGED, PARK PAVED PARKING, AND PASSED TO THE COURTS.
THERE'S A WHOLE BUNCH OF DIRT THAT YOU HAVE TO GO THROUGH TO GET TO THEM.
FURTHERMORE, THE DISREPAIR OF THE COURTS IS CONCERNING.
THEY'RE GAPING HOLES IN WIDESPREAD CRACKS STARTING ONLY THREE MONTHS AFTER THEIR COMPLETION.
SIMILAR CONCERNS EXIST FOR THE PLAN RESURFACING AT THE REC CENTER, WHICH I HEAR IS SUPPOSED TO START APRIL ONE.
BUT IF THE SAME COMPANIES USED AS I THINK IT'S CURRENTLY PLANNED, YOU MIGHT WANNA RE-LOOK AT THAT.
THE REVISED MASTER PLANS FOR CHAP, UH, CHAPLAIN PARK, ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS SUCH AS CLUBHOUSE, ADEQUATE FACILITIES AND LIGHTING HAVE BEEN OMITTED.
THIS RAISES QUESTIONS ABOUT BUDGET ALLOCATION, THE FEASIBILITY OF A SPORTS-BASED TOURISM.
IN OTHER WORDS, OF HOSTING PROFESSIONAL PICKLEBALL EVENTS, THEY REQUIRE A MINIMUM OF 16 COURTS, ONE STADIUM WITH SEATING FOR AND PARKING, SEATING PARKING FOR 250 PEOPLE.
LASTLY, UH, THE NEW PLANS AT CROSSING PARKS ARE UNDERWAY.
THERE'S UNCERTAINTY ABOUT THE FACILITIES TO BE INCLUDED THERE ON THE CURRENT RENDERINGS.
UM, LOOKING LIKE A REPEAT OF, SAY OF ADRIANA INCLUSION.
WHILE THERE HAVE BEEN SIGNIFICANT STRIDES IN ADVANCING PICKLEBALL ON THE HILTON NET ISLAND, UH, THERE'S STILL CRITICAL ISSUES THAT NEED TO BE ADDRESSED.
I URGE THE COUNCIL TO REMAIN ENGAGED AND TO ADVOCATE FOR CLEAR COMMUNICATION, TRANSPARENCY REGARDING THESE PLANS, TIMINGS AND BUDGETS.
DO WE HAVE ANY OTHER COMMENTS? GOOD AFTERNOON.
I'M A SEVENTH GENERATION GULLAH GEECHEE NATIVE ISLANDER.
AND, UM, I HAVE A FEW COMMENTS AND, UM, JUST WANNA THANK EVERYONE FOR, UH, THIS SETTING AND GATHERING IN THIS SETTING AND, UM, FOR WHAT THE TOWN IS
[05:15:01]
DOING.HOWEVER, I FEEL THAT MUCH MORE CAN BE DONE FOR THE GULLAH GEECHEE COMMUNITY AND MAKING SURE THAT AS PLANS ARE MOVING FORWARD AND ENHANCEMENTS ARE BEING DONE TO OUR BEAUTIFUL HILTON HEAD THAT THE GU COM, THE GULLAH GEECHEE COMMUNITY IS NOT INFRINGED UPON.
AND, UM, AND I FEEL THAT SINCE THE TOWN WAS CREATED, THE TOWN OF HILTON HEAD WAS CREATED IN 1983.
AND I THINK THERE WAS A TRUST AT THAT TIME FROM OUR PEOPLE THAT, UM, WHEN WE, BECAUSE IT CAME TO US, IT WAS BROUGHT TO US, AND WE GAVE THE APPROVAL THE OKAY FOR THIS TO HAPPEN.
I THINK IT WAS A TRUST THAT WE WOULD BE PROTECTED, OUR LAND WOULD BE PROTECTED, AND FUTURE GENERATIONS WOULD BE PROTECTED.
AND THAT, THAT'S A BIG CONCERN.
AND THAT'S REFLECTED IN WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THE EXPANSION OF HIGHWAY 2 78, UH, WHAT'S CALLED THE GATEWAY TO THE ISLAND.
AND IT'S ALWAYS BEEN HOME TO THE GULLAH GEECHEE COMMUNITY.
AND, UM, ONE THING I HEARD THE OTHER DAY IN THE MEETING THAT I FOUND PERSONALLY OFFENSIVE, THAT TALKED ABOUT, UM, THE IMPROVEMENT BEING NEEDED DUE TO, UM, IT, IT WAS THE TERM OF, UM, AESTHETICALLY PLEASING.
LIKE AS IF THE COMMUNITY RIGHT NOW, AS IT STANDS WITH THE GULLAH GEECHEE HOMES THAT ARE THERE, THE BUSINESSES ARE THERE, ARE NOT AESTHETICALLY PLEASING.
AND THAT I FIND THAT OFFENSIVE BECAUSE HOMES THAT ARE THERE, BUSINESSES THAT ARE THERE, HAS BEEN THERE FOR YEARS AS A PART OF HILTON HEAD BEFORE THE TOURISM CAME.
YOU KNOW, THE, THE BUSINESSES, UM, WERE BUSINESSES BACK IN THE FIFTIES AND SIXTIES, AND I REMEMBER IT DURING THE SEVENTIES.
AND I THINK THAT AS THINGS MOVE FORWARD, THAT THE PEOPLE IN THE GULLAH GEECHEE COMMUNITY, OUR VOICES SHOULD BE HEARD.
AND, UM, AS IT'S BEEN BROUGHT FORWARD BEFORE, UH, WE DO NOT WANNA LOSE OUR LAND.
AND, UM, MY QUESTION IS, WHEN IT WAS PROPOSED TO EXPAND HIGHWAY 2 78 AND THAT PROPOSAL WAS, WAS BROUGHT TO THE PEOPLE IN THAT COMMUNITY, THAT THEY HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO SAY NO, BECAUSE I DON'T THINK THAT'S THE CASE IN MANY OTHER CASES, JUST LIKE I'M HEARING TODAY, THAT WHAT I'M HEARING TODAY, AND I'M SURE HAPPENED THEN, AND I KNOW IT DID, THIS PLAN WAS GIVEN TO THEM.
AND, UM, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT A COMMUNITY THAT'S, UM, DISADVANTAGE IN SO MANY WAYS, QUOTE UNQUOTE, BECAUSE OF ECONOMICS.
AND IT'S, UM, IT'S A VULNERABLE POPULATION.
SO REALLY YOU HAVE TO BE CAREFUL HOW YOU, UM, INFRINGE UPON A CERTAIN, YOU KNOW, A CERTAIN GROUP OF PEOPLE.
SO THEY DID NOT HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO SAY NO TO THAT.
SO IF IT FEELS AS IF IT WAS STRONG ARMED AND SOMEWHAT BULLIED, SO MANY PEOPLE ARE AGAINST IT.
AND WE ARE GONNA CONTINUE TO STAND AGAINST IT.
AND, UM, I THINK THAT OUR VOICES SHOULD CONTINUE TO BE HEARD.
NOT ONLY THAT, ALONG WITH OTHER PROPERTIES SUCH AS ST.
JAMES CHURCH IS BEING RELOCATED, WHY ARE WE BEING ASKED FOR OUR PROPERTIES? IT SH THAT SHOULD NOT EVEN HAVE BEEN THE CASE WITH ST.
IT'S BEEN AROUND SINCE THE 18 HUNDREDS AS WELL AS THE ONE WORM SCHOOL THAT'S A PART OF THAT LOCATION.
IT WAS APPROACHED, THEY WERE APPROACHED, THE COMMUNITY WAS APPROACHED, THE CHURCH WAS APPROACHED TO EXPAND THE HILTON HEAD ISLAND AIRPORT.
SO WE'RE GONNA LOSE THAT PART OF OUR HISTORY ONCE AGAIN.
AND I JUST WANTED TO BE MADE KNOWN THAT, YOU KNOW, WE, IT'S PART OF THE DESTRUCTION.
OUR, OUR GULLAH GEECHEE COMMUNITY SINCE 1983, MS. MCKINNEY, WE HAVE, WE HAVE DWINDLED AND OUR NUMBERS HAVE DWINDLED, AND WE JUST WE'RE BEING, YOU KNOW, INFRINGED UPON.
AND I THINK THAT THE TOWN SHOULD REALLY TAKE NOTICE OF THAT AND NOT LEAD TO THE DESTRUCTION OF OUR COMMUNITY.
[05:20:10]
GOOD EVENING, EVERYBODY.I'M A NATIVE OF HILTON NET ISLAND, A MEMBER OF THE FIFTH GENERATION OF MY FAMILY.
I WANT TO THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SIT IN A MEETING ALL DAY LONG AND
SO, UM, IT IS, IT IS DEFINITELY A BLESSING FOR ME TO BE HERE.
I I I, I CAME TODAY WITH ALL EARS.
BUT, UM, AS I LISTENED, I HEARD A LOT.
I HEARD SOME THINGS THAT REALLY CONCERNED ME, BUT I HAD TO GET UP AND SAY SOMETHING FOR, FOR SOME REASON, WE, WE, PEOPLE OF PEOPLE OF COLOR DIDN'T ASK GOD TO MAKE US A PEOPLE OF COLOR.
HE CHOSE TO, OKAY? AND AS BLACK AS SOME OF US ARE, AND OF COURSE WE COME IN ALL DIFFERENT HUES, ALL DIFFERENT SHADES FOR SOME REASON, HOW WE CAN STAND SO TALL AND BE OVERLOOKED IS REALLY A WONDER TO ME.
AND I'M SAYING THAT SPECIFICALLY FOR A LITTLE BLUE HOUSE ON GUMTREE ROAD THAT BEEN BUILT IN 1930, BEEN RESTORED IN 2010, AND WAS SITTING THERE GREETING TO TOURISTS AND VISITORS ALL THOSE YEARS.
NOT EVEN MENTIONED, NO PICTURE SHOWN OF IT.
WE TALKING ABOUT, ABOUT, UM, TINY HOUSE.
THAT'S, THAT'S YOUR, THAT'S YOUR, THAT'S YOUR EXAMPLE HERE ON HILTON AIR ISLAND.
94 YEARS OLD THIS YEAR, SITTING RIGHT THERE.
GOOD EXAMPLE FOR EVERYBODY TO SEE HOW THE GULLAH GEECHEE PEOPLE LIVE.
THAT'S THE KIND OF HOUSE WE HAD TO LIVE IN.
AND IF YOU NOTICE, IF YOU GO DEAD BACK TO MITCHELLVILLE, YOU'LL NOTICE THAT THEY WERE TWO STYLE.
THERE WAS THE AFRAME, AS THEY CALL IT, AND THE SLANT ROOF.
BOTH STYLE IS RIGHT ON GUMTREE ROAD AT 12 GEORGIANA DRIVE.
OKAY? SO THAT'S YOUR LITTLE HOUSE.
NOW, UM, I I, I, WHEN, WHEN I LISTENED TO THE REPORT ABOUT THE LITTLE HOUSES, ALL PEOPLE DIDN'T HAVE A CHOICE.
OKAY? THAT'S A THREE ROOM HOUSE.
OKAY? SO NOW YOU DON'T HAVE TO SEARCH FOR A MODEL.
YOU CAN JUST DRIVE RIGHT BY 12 GEORGIANA DRIVE ON GUMTREE ROAD AND YOU CAN SEE IT, IT'S THERE.
OKAY? IN FACT, IT'S LIKE RIGHT HERE ON THIS BROCHURE.
OKAY? AND, UM, SO I, I JUST WANNA MAKE THAT POINT BECAUSE WE HAVE ONE HERE.
OKAY? THE OTHER POINT I WANT TO MAKE IS I HEARD ABOUT THE, UM, ABOUT, UM, OKAY, THAT'S MY THREE MINUTES.
BUT ANYWAY, I HEARD SOMETHING ABOUT THE CROSSWALK AT GUMTREE ROAD AND I, I JUST WANT TO KNOW, I WANT TO HEAR SOME MORE ABOUT THAT.
PROBABLY NOT AT THIS MEETING, BUT I REALLY WANT TO BE ENLIGHTENED ABOUT THAT BECAUSE, UM, I, I'M READING ALL THESE DIFFERENT REPORTS THAT, THAT ARE BEING WRITTEN AND, AND, AND I'M, I'M JUST A LITTLE BIT CONCERNED WHEN I SEE THINGS.
'CAUSE I'M SEEING GUMTREE ROAD POPPING UP HERE, UH, QUITE A BIT.
SO, SO I HOPE NOW THAT WE NOT FIXING TO HAVE THAT ROAD WIDEN IN OUR PROPERTY.
ANY OTHER PUBLIC COMMENTS? ALL RIGHT, SEEING NONE, WE WILL BRING IT BACK TO COUNSEL AND, UM, YOU KNOW, FOR, FOR TO KIND OF WRAP IT UP.
UM, AND OH YEAH, YOU HAD SOME, UH, MY APOLOGIES.
MARK, CAN YOU, OH, YOU WALKED AWAY FROM THE CLICKER BEFORE WE, UH, WELL FIRST OF ALL, KIM, I WISH YOU HAD HAD THAT TIMER GOING WHEN MARK WAS TALKING EARLIER.
UM, BUT PLEASE DON'T HAVE IT ON NOW.
[05:25:01]
YOU, UM, TALKING ABOUT FRESH EYES, AND IT'S BEEN INTERESTING TO SIT AND, AND TALK AND, AND, UH, LISTEN TO WHAT YOU ALL HAVE BEEN A STRATEGIC PLAN.UM, I WANTED TO JUST KIND OF, UM, BRING US BACK TO, UM, WE KIND OF ASKED THIS QUESTION, AND THESE ARE RHETORICAL, WHY DID YOU RUN FOR COUNCIL? YOU KNOW, ASK YOURS, WHY ARE YOU HERE? UM, WAS IT, WAS IT AN ISSUE? WAS IT SOMETHING THAT YOU WANTED TO DO FOR THE COMMUNITY? AND, AND HOW DOES, AND HOW DOES THAT, HOW DOES YOUR INDIVIDUAL WHY FIT INTO THE BIGGER PICTURE OF WHAT'S HAPPENING HERE IN, UH, IN HILTON HEAD? UM, I ALWAYS, IT'S FUNNY, I, I TELL, I RUN INTO RESIDENTS AND, AND I SAID, YOU KNOW, THE OLD EXPRESSION, QUOTE UNQUOTE, YOU CAN'T FIGHT CITY HALL.
AND I SAID, GUESS WHAT? I HAVE AN OFFICE IN CITY HALL AND I STILL CAN'T FIGHT IT BECAUSE THERE ARE SO MUCH, SO MANY PROCEDURES AND SO MANY THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO GO THROUGH.
WE TALK ABOUT DRAGGING OUT TIMELINES AND MAKING IT ALL, UH, MAKING IT ALL GO.
AND I, I THINK THAT, UM, THAT'S PROBABLY OUR GREATEST FRUSTRATION AS ELECTEDS.
AND I'VE BEEN ON STAFF, SO I UNDERSTAND HOW THAT PART'S WORKING AS WELL.
BUT, UM, WE WANT TO GET THINGS DONE.
I THINK WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU LOOK AT WHY YOU RAN, AND WE KIND OF WALK OURSELVES THROUGH THAT, IT'S TO GET SOMETHING DONE.
IT'S EITHER MAKE SOMETHING BETTER OR PRESERVE SOMETHING OR, BUT IT'S TO GET THINGS TO KIND OF GET THINGS DONE.
AND, UM, WE, WE USED TO LOOK AT STRATEGIC PLANNING FROM THE, IN THE OLD, I'M GONNA SAY THE OLD DAYS.
'CAUSE YOU KNOW, MIKE AND I ARE IN OUR 40TH YEAR OF SERVICE.
BUT IN THE OLD DAYS IT WAS DREAMING, OKAY, SO WHAT, WHAT DO WE WANT IT TO LOOK LIKE? STREETS PAVED WITH GOLD, YOU KNOW, THE OLD EXPRESSION OF, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, SHOOT FOR THE MOON AND EVEN IF YOU MISS, YOU'LL END UP AMONG THE STARS.
AND ALL THAT KIND OF HAPPY, GREAT STUFF WAS FINE UNTIL 2008 AND 2009.
AND WE ALL THOUGHT IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT, WE KNEW WHAT WAS HAPPENING AND WHERE WE WERE HEADED.
AND THEN, UH, FOR US, MOST OF US ANYWAY, A ONCE IN A LIFETIME OPPORTUNITY OR A TRAGEDY OCCURS IN THE GREAT RECESSION.
AND WHAT WE THOUGHT WE KNEW ABOUT FINANCE AND WHAT WE THOUGHT, UH, WAS HAPPENING IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT CHANGED.
AND EVERYBODY SAID, OH, DON'T WORRY, THIS WILL ONLY LAST A COUPLE OF YEARS.
SO WE ALL WAITED AND WE HELD OUR BREATH UNTIL 2011, AND THEN 2012 CAME AND 2013 CAME, AND WE STILL HADN'T GOTTEN OUT OF IT.
AND THEN 20, 20 14 ROLLED AROUND AND WE WERE FINALLY STARTING TO, TO SEE SOME, SOME FRESH AIR.
SO ALL THE PLANNING THAT WE HAD DONE IN 2006 AND 2007 COMPLETELY FELL APART.
SO WE THOUGHT, ALL RIGHT, THIS IS A ONE TIME ANOMALY.
IT IT'LL BE, IT'LL BE NO BIG DEAL.
AND THE ECONOMY TURNS UP AND WE START MOVING FORWARD, AND IT IS CLICKING ALONG AND WE'RE GROWING AND EVERYTHING'S GOING GREAT.
AND THEN 2020 COMES ALONG, ECONOMY WAS GREAT, EVERYTHING WAS GOOD, AND THE WORLD SHUT DOWN.
SO ALL THE PLANNING THAT WE HAD DONE IN 2018 AND 2019 COMPLETELY FELL APART.
SO NOW, IF YOU'VE BEEN ALIVE FOR 10 YEARS, YOU'VE HAD TWO OF THOSE EVENTS OCCUR IN YOUR LIFETIME.
SO WE, WE HAD TO, WE WERE FORCED TO, TO START THINKING SHORTER TERM BECAUSE WE DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN IF YOU WERE IN THIS BUSINESS IN 2020, I THINK THERE WAS A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF PANIC THAT WE ALL FELT THAT, ESPECIALLY STAFF, OH MY GOD, WHAT IS GONNA HAPPEN? HOW MUCH IS THE ECONOMY GONNA COLLAPSE? WHAT ARE WE GONNA GO THROUGH? AND EVERY, WE ALL STARTED TO SHUT THINGS DOWN.
I MEAN, PHYSICALLY AND, AND, AND, UH, FIGURATIVELY, BECAUSE WE THOUGHT EVERYTHING WAS GONNA CRASH DOWN UPON US AGAIN.
AND IF YOU WERE A FAN OF HISTORY, LIKE MIKE AND I ARE, YOU WOULD'VE LOOKED BACK TO 1919.
AND IT WAS ECONOMIC DEVASTATION WHEN THE SPANISH FLU OCCURRED.
AND THEN WE HAD THE GREAT DEPRESSION AND, AND, UH, PEOPLE OUT OF WORK AND, YOU KNOW, SOUP LINES AND BREAD LINES AND ALL THE REST OF THAT.
AND I, AND THERE WAS A MOMENT OF PANIC, BUT THAT NEVER MATERIALIZED.
SO WE THOUGHT, HEY, WE THINK WE MAY HAVE THIS, THIS GOING FORWARD 2021, WE START FEEL FEELING A LITTLE BIT BETTER.
MASKS ARE OFF, BUSINESSES ARE OPEN, EVERYTHING'S MOVING, AND WE THINK WE HAVE THIS ECONOMY FIGURED OUT, AND THEN IT
[05:30:01]
CRASHES AGAIN.AND I, I THINK I TELL THIS LONG, LONG STORY BECAUSE WE CAN'T LOOK TOO MUCH FARTHER DOWN THE ROAD THAN THESE TWO YEARS, THREE YEARS, FOUR YEARS.
'CAUSE WE DON'T KNOW WHEN THE NEXT SHOE'S GONNA DROP.
THE ECONOMY THAT WE THOUGHT WE KNEW 10 YEARS AGO OR 20 YEARS AGO DOESN'T EXIST TODAY BECAUSE IT'S NOW GLOBAL.
I CAN LIVE IN SPAIN AND I CAN WORK IN THE US NEVER BEFORE.
WE COULDN'T DO THAT IN 2019, BUT WE CAN DO IT NOW.
SO I THINK OUR PERSPECTIVES ARE CHANGING.
SO IF, IF YOU'RE HOLDING ON TO SOME OF THOSE, UM, THEORIES OF THE PAST, I JUST WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO KIND OF SLOW THAT DOWN A MINUTE AND THINK ABOUT WHERE, WHERE THING, WHERE THINGS ARE.
UM, MAYOR, YOU TOUCHED ON, UM, YOU TOUCHED ON THIS A LITTLE BIT, UM, WHEN YOU SAID 7 0 5, 2 6 1 4 3, WHEREVER YOU'RE AT, WE USE THE PHRASE OFTEN, UM, OR MANAGERS DO.
I'M GONNA POINT TO MY TWO MANAGER FRIENDS HERE AND SAY, THEY USE THE PHRASE, WELL, THE WILL OF THE COUNCIL.
THE WILL OF THE COUNCIL WILL DECIDE.
SO I'M GONNA TURN MY BACK TO THEM AND TURN MYSELF TO MY COUNTERPARTS HERE AND SAY, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN TO YOU? WHAT DOES THE WILL OF THE COUNCIL MEAN TO YOU? AND IF YOU'RE, IF YOU'RE ON THE LOW SIDE OF THAT 5, 2, 4, 3, IT'S HEARTBREAKING.
IF YOU'RE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF IT, YOU'RE LIKE, OH, I GOT WHAT I NEEDED.
BUT THINK ABOUT WHAT DOES THE WILL OF THE COUNCIL MEAN? AND HOW DO YOU, HOW DO YOU AFFECT MAKING THE CHANGE AND GETTING THAT FORWARD? 'CAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT TODAY IS WHAT IS THE WILL OF THE COUNCIL? WE USE THE WORD CONSENSUS, BUT WE'RE REALLY TALKING ABOUT DRIVING THE WILL OF THE COUNCIL.
WHAT DOES THAT, WHAT DOES THAT REALLY MEAN? SO, UM, AT THE END OF THE DAY, AND I LISTENED TO WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT THESE FIVE FINAL 2024, HOW PROJECTS, HOW DO WE GET THIS DONE FASTER? YOU MADE THE COMMENT ABOUT, OH MY GOD, LOOK AT THAT LONG LIST AND THERE'S A HUNDRED ACCOMPLISHMENTS, AND WE KNOW THAT THERE'S A HUNDRED MORE FOR THIS YEAR COMING UP.
HOW DO WE GET IT DONE FASTER? AND I WOULD JUST, UH, ENCOURAGE YOU TO THINK ABOUT PROCESS IMPROVEMENT.
UM, WE LOOK AT STAFF AND WE SAY, REGULATORILY, HOW DO YOU IMPROVE YOUR PROCESSES INTERNALLY? HOW DO YOU IMPROVE YOUR PROCESS? HOW DO WE GET THROUGH THAT? AND THEN WE LOOK AT, AND THEN I, WE TURN THAT SAME THING TO COUNCIL AND SAY, HOW DO YOU IMPROVE YOUR PROCESSES? I TALKED A LITTLE BIT EARLIER ABOUT COMMITTEES, AND THAT CAN ALWAYS BE A LIGHTNING ROD BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE'VE ALWAYS DONE, UH, IS WE'VE ALWAYS HAD 'EM.
BUT THINK ABOUT WAYS TO IMPROVE THOSE PROCESSES, IMPROVE YOUR GOVERNANCE, UM, YOU KNOW, COMMITTEE VERSUS STAFF ACTION.
WE JUST WENT THROUGH THAT IN, IN MY COMMUNITY.
MATTER OF FACT, MONDAY NIGHT WE HAVE, UH, WHAT WE CALL SPECIAL USE PERMITS TO, TO WORK, UH, THROUGH ZONING CHANGES.
AND WE ARE ELIMINATING, UM, PROBABLY FIVE OF THE SEVEN CON CONDITIONS THAT REQUIRE A SPECIAL USE PERMIT AND TURNING IT OVER TO THE STAFF FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME IN OUR, IN OUR COMMUNITY, IN ORDER FOR US TO SPEED DEVELOPMENT THROUGH THE PROCESS, WE ARE GIVING UP OUR CONTROL TO THE STAFF, WHICH IS SCARY.
UM, BUT IT IS JUST A MATTER OF WHAT WE HAVE TO DO NOW IN THIS NEW, NEW ENVIRONMENT.
UM, THINK ABOUT THINGS THAT CAN GO STRAIGHT TO COUNCIL.
CAN WE BYPASS THE COMMITTEE? MAYBE WE DON'T ELIMINATE 'EM, BUT CAN WE BYPASS THE COMMITTEE AND GET THIS INFO STRAIGHT TO COUNCIL SO YOU CAN DO THE THINGS THAT YOU WANT IT TO DO TO SPEED IT UP.
UM, WE ALWAYS, WE ALWAYS LOOK TO THE STAFF AND SAY, HEY, SPEED IT UP.
BUT WE DON'T REALIZE THAT WE ARE AT TIMES, PART OF THE REASON THAT WE'RE OPERATING AS SLOWLY AS WE ARE.
THE PUBLIC PROCESS IS VERY IMPORTANT, AND IT DOES TAKE TIME.
AND I DON'T WANT TO DIMINISH THAT AT ALL.
AND I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE HONOR THAT.
BUT WHEN THERE ARE TIMES WHEN WE CAN SPEED IT UP, I THINK WE NEED TO.
SO I, I'VE BEEN LISTENING TO YOU TALK ABOUT THE SPEED OF OPERATION, UM, AND WE HAVE TO ALWAYS REMEMBER THAT COUNCIL DOES HAVE THE FINAL SAY, AND THEN WE HAVE TO TURN IT OVER AND LET THESE GUYS GET TO WORK.
AND I THINK SOMEBODY MADE THAT COMMENT EARLIER.
I DIDN'T WRITE DOWN WHO SAID IT, AND IT MIGHT'VE BEEN YOU MAYOR, BUT LET'S JUST, LET'S AGREE THEN LET'S LET 'EM, LET IT GO.
LET, I THINK WE WILL GET THROUGH OUR LIST FASTER.
WE'LL HAVE LESS OF A LIST TO GO THROUGH IF WE'RE NOT ANALYZING EVERYTHING.
UM, AND WE'RE ABLE TO, TO KIND OF MOVE THROUGH IT.
AND I THINK THAT BECOMES THE, THE REAL BENEFIT OF THE STRATEGIC PLAN.
[05:35:01]
REMEMBER THE BUS ANALOGY, YOU'VE GIVEN HIM THE MAP AND YOU'VE HIGHLIGHTED WHERE YOU WANT TO GO.AND I THINK YOU'VE DONE A REALLY GOOD JOB OF THAT.
'CAUSE OTHERWISE YOU NEVER WOULD'VE GOTTEN A HUNDRED THINGS DONE.
UM, BUT AS YOU LOOK FORWARD TO THE FINAL YEAR OF THE EXISTING PLAN AND THE CREATION OF A FUTURE PLAN, UM, I THINK YOU'VE GOT AN ELECTION IN THE FALL, IS THAT CORRECT? I'M LOOKING AROUND.
ANY OF YOU RUNNING NOT COMMITTED YET,
UM, I CAN LAUGH BECAUSE I'M IN MY FINAL TERM, OR MY FI IN THE FINAL YEAR OF MY FINAL TERM.
I'M TERMED OUT SO I CAN LAUGH ABOUT IT NOW.
UH, YOU KNOW, FOUR YEARS AGO I WAS CRYING ABOUT IT.
BUT, UM, THAT IS GONNA REPRESENT ANOTHER CHANGE, AND IT'S GONNA ALSO REPRESENT ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY.
SO, UM, I, I KNOW I, WHEN I STARTED THE, THE, THIS MORNING, I TALKED ABOUT BEING ACCOSTED IN THE GROCERY STORE, AND WE ALL LAUGHED, AND WE KNOW THAT, THAT THAT'S THE WORST MOMENT THAT WE HAVE.
BUT THE BEST MOMENTS THAT WE HAVE ARE RIGHT NOW WHEN WE GET TO SAY, THIS IS THE THE DIRECTION WE WANT TO GO, WE GET TO NAVIGATE A LITTLE BIT, PUT UP SOME GUARDRAILS, BUT THIS IS THE BEST PART OF OUR JOB, IS REALLY HELPING DO THAT BECAUSE WE'RE GONNA SEE THE RESULTS.
AND IF WE, UM, GET SOME GOOD REPORTING, YOU'LL FIGURE OUT HOW TO STAND IN THE GROCERY STORE AISLE AND SAY, I KNOW YOU'RE UPSET, BUT HERE'S WHAT WE'RE DOING.
AND YOU'LL DO THAT VERY CONFIDENTLY, UM, WITH A GOOD PLAN BEHIND YOU.
SO, UM, I KNOW WE'RE GONNA DO SOME FINAL, UH, COUNCIL COMMENTS.
I'M GONNA TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY AS LONG AS I HAVE THE MIC TURNED ON TO SAY THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR, FOR HAVING US HERE.
I'M SURE MIKE'S GONNA CHIME IN, BUT, UM, WE REALLY APPRECIATE, UM, COMING OUT.
WE TALK ABOUT WHY THAT WAS SIMON SINEK'S THING.
WHY DO YOU DO THIS? AND MIKE AND I FOREVER HAVE LOVED LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND WE LOVE THAT.
WE'RE, I MEAN, WE KNOW WE GET THINGS DONE.
SO WHILE WE WOULD LIKE TO SAY WE DO THIS FOR FREE, WE KNOW THAT WE'RE EXPECTING A CHECK AT THE END OF SOME TIME, UH, WITH THIS THING.
BUT, UM, WE LOVE WHAT WE DO AND, UM, WE LOVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME AND DO IT.
SO THANK YOU FOR INVITING US HERE, AND THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING US TO BE HERE.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANNA, OH, I SAID IT ALL.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME TODAY AND YOUR ATTENTION.
ALRIGHT, THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH.
UM, SO NOW WE'LL, WE'LL GO AROUND THE TABLE AND I'LL START OFF WITH GLENN, UM, SINCE HE'S HOPEFULLY STILL THERE, UM, WITH SOME FINAL COMMENTS FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE.
WELL, AGAIN, I APOLOGIZE FOR BEING ILL, BUT I AM, SO I HAD DOCTORS THAT I HAD TO SEE TODAY, BUT WHAT I'VE SEEN OF THIS HAS BEEN MOST IMPRESSIVE.
I APPRECIATE THE COMMENTS OF MY COLLEAGUES, BUT I AM SO IMPRESSED WITH THE QUALITY OF THE WORK PRODUCT, UH, THAT WE HAVE PRODUCED SO FAR, AND THE QUALITY OF THE IDEAS AND CONCEPTS AND PROJECTS THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT GETTING ACCOMPLISHED IN THE NEAR FUTURE.
AND I LOOK FORWARD TO SUPPORTING THE REST OF THE TEAM ON THE COUNCIL, AND ESPECIALLY OUR STAFF IN GETTING THOSE THINGS ACCOMPLISHED.
UH, FIRST OF ALL, THANKS TO EVERYONE FOR BEING HERE.
MY COLLEAGUES, UM, THE TOWN MANAGER, HIS STAFF AND OUR CONSULTANTS, AND TO THE PUBLIC WHO CAME AND, AND AS DR. COHEN SAID, GOT TO SIT HERE ALL DAY,
YOU KNOW, IT'S INTERESTING IN, IN LOOKING BACK AT, AT, UM, WHAT OUR SURVEY SAID.
I FEEL LIKE I'M ON ONE OF THE GAME SHOWS.
SURVEY SAYS, UM, AND DID WE ACCOMPLISH THAT? YOU KNOW, I HAD SOME THINGS IN MIND.
UM, I'VE SAID IT BEFORE, I'LL SAY IT AGAIN.
UM, 15 PRIORITIES AND ALL THE DIFFERENT STEPS ARE TOO MANY.
I THINK IN MY VIEW, I WAS HOPING THAT WE WOULD ENGAGE IN, IN SOME SORT OF ACTIVITY WHERE WE COULD PARE DOWN THE NUMBER AND WE COULD FIGURE OUT HOW TO MATCH ALL THE THINGS WE'D LIKE TO HAVE DONE, UM, OR THE STAFF IS SUGGESTING WITH OUR CAPACITY.
AND I DON'T FEEL LIKE WE DID THAT.
I, I FEEL LIKE I ASKED THE PLANNING COMMISSION TO SET PRIORITIES FOR THE CIP PLAN, BUT THEN I FAILED TO DO IT TODAY.
UM, SO, AND I, I AM LOOKING AT THE SURVEY AND THAT WAS CERTAINLY SOMETHING THAT WAS COMMENTED ON IN THE SURVEY.
UM, YOU KNOW, ON THE POSITIVE SIDE, I THINK WE BEHAVED CIVILLY AND PROFESSIONALLY AND, AND WE RESPECTED EACH OTHER AND WE LISTENED TO WHAT OTHER FOLKS HAD TO SAY.
AND, UM, AND WE, UH, WE AGREED ON AT LEAST PUTTING OFF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT TILL IN THE FUTURE.
THAT'S THE ONE THING I KNOW WE DID PAIR DOWN.
UM, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, IN LOOKING AT, UM, THE DECISION MAKING AND CONSENSUS AGREEING ON WHAT 2024 WILL ACCOMPLISH, WELL, I, I DON'T KNOW HOW LONG THAT LIST IS.
UM, I'M, I'M, UM, UH, VERY PLEASED AND, AND THANK THE STAFF FOR THEIR HARD
[05:40:01]
WORK TO, UH, MEET THOSE ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN 2023 AND WHAT WE'VE DONE SO FAR IN 2024.BUT I'M STILL CONCERNED ABOUT THE, THE LONG LIST.
UM, UM, I, I, I STILL THINK THAT WE DON'T HAVE A GOOD WAY.
I, I APPRECIATE THE MAYOR, UH, CALLING ON DIFFERENT FOLKS AND RECOGNIZING THEM AND, AND WAITING TILL LAST TO COMMENT TO TRY TO FIND CONSENSUS.
SO I THINK, I THINK WE STILL NEED SOME HELP ON, ON COMING TO CONSENSUS, AND PERHAPS WE'RE AFRAID TO, UM, MAKE SOME HARD CHOICES.
UM, I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT I'VE HIGHLIGHTED FROM THE SURVEY LIST.
UM, AND, AND I THINK THE QUESTION, UM, THAT WAS JUST RAISED ABOUT WHAT DOES IT MEAN THE WILL OF THE COUNCIL? UM, SO I THINK YOU CAN LOOK AT IT A COUPLE DIFFERENT WAYS.
YOU CAN SAY THE MAJORITY VOTED THAT WAY, WHETHER I WON OR I LOST, OR I THOUGHT SOMETHING DIFFERENT, THEN THE MAJORITY HAS DECIDED.
AND THAT'S IMPORTANT FOR ME TO GO ALONG.
BUT I THINK THE DIFFERENCE IS IF YOU HAVE A FOURTH THREE SPLIT, THAT IS NOT THE WILL OF THE COUNCIL.
THAT IS HOW A MAJORITY VOTE HAPPENS.
THAT OUR JOB SHOULD BE WORK MORE TOGETHER TO FIND SOME SORT OF CONSENSUS.
SO WE DON'T HAVE A FOURTH THREE SPLIT.
THERE MAY BE SOME COMPROMISES WE HAVE TO LOOK AT IN ORDER TO DO THAT, BUT TO ME, THE WILL OF THE COUNCIL IS WHAT WE DEVELOP BY CONSENSUS AND NOT BY A MAJORITY VOTE.
WELL, THANK YOU AGAIN, MAYOR, FOR, UM, THE OPPORTUNITY.
AND THIS MORNING I STARTED WITH THANKING EVERYONE FOR COMING AFTER THESE HOURS OF LOOKING AND SEEING AND HEARING ALL OF OUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND ALL THAT WE HAVE BEFORE US.
THE FACT THAT YOU DO THIS WORK SO THAT WE CAN SAY WE'VE ACCOMPLISHED SOMETHING AS A COUNCIL.
I DON'T WANT IT TO BE, UM, SEEN THAT WAY.
WE'RE A PARTNERSHIP AND, UM, WITH THE UTMOST RESPECT, THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU DO.
UM, I, I AL I ALSO WANNA FOLLOW UP.
I, I, RIGHT AWAY HEARING THIS GROCERY STORE, UM, ANALOGY TOOK IT TO HEART AND STARTED THINKING ABOUT WHAT THAT MEANS TO ME.
AND WHAT THAT MEANS TO ME IS THE OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR AT THE GROCERY STORE OR HEAR AT PUBLIC COMMENT OR THROUGH EMAILS AND PHONE CALLS THAT WE GET, WHAT IT IS THAT WE'RE DOING RIGHT, AND WHAT IT IS THAT WE'RE NOT GETTING QUITE RIGHT.
AND THAT REALLY TELLS ME THE MEASURE OF OUR SUCCESS, OUR SUCCESSES IS, IS BASED ON OUR RESIDENTS APPROVAL AND CONFIDENCE THAT WE ARE LOOKING OUT FOR THEM.
AND I'M GOING TO TAKE A MOMENT TO SLIDE, SLIDE INTO A CONCERN THAT I JUST HEARD.
WHERE'S THE STONY COMMUNITY ASKED HOW THEY FELT ABOUT THE BRIDGE AND THE DISRUPTION TO THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD? I DON'T KNOW THE ACTUAL ANSWER TO THAT, BUT I HAVE A GOOD SENSE OF WHAT THE ANSWER WAS IS TO THAT.
AND WE HAVE TO NOW FIX WHAT MAYBE WASN'T ASKED AND WASN'T DONE.
AND, UM, WE'RE STILL WORKING ON IT.
THAT'S A COMMENT TO OUR SUCCESS THAT WE HAVE TO PAY ATTENTION TO WHEN WE HEAR ABOUT GUMTREE ROAD AND THE CONCERN AND THE FEAR THAT IT'S GOING TO BE EXPANDED.
I'VE SPOKEN TO OTHER RESIDENTS WITH REGARD TO GUMTREE ROAD, AND THEY ARE CONCERNED BECAUSE IT'S HEAVILY TRAVELED.
THE CARS ARE GOING WAY TOO FAST.
IF WE'RE LOOKING AT HOW WE REDUCE SPEEDS ON 2 78, ABSOLUTELY 35 MILES PER HOUR, AS MY OPINION HAS ALWAYS BEEN, THE MORE OF OUR OWN ROADS WE OWN, THE MORE WE CAN CONTROL.
AND SO OWNERSHIP OF THOSE ROADS FOR ME, UM, IS A WORTHWHILE, UM, STUDY TO UNDERTAKE.
BUT WHAT WOULD THAT MEAN IF THEIR ROAD WAS TO BE EXPANDED OR GUMTREE WAS TO BE EXPANDED MORE HARDSHIP? WHAT ARE WE SACRIFICING IN THE NAME OF TOURISM? WHEN I SPOKE FIRST, I TALKED ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT WE'RE AT CAPACITY, JUST AT CAPACITY, RIGHT OVER CAPACITY, THAT OUR TRENDS ACKNOWLEDGE AND POINT THAT OUT AS CLEAR AS DAY TO ME.
AND EVERYTHING THAT WE DO THAT WE'RE HUSTLING TO TRY TO SOLVE WITH REGARD TO HOUSING AND TRAFFIC AND PARKING AND ALL OF THESE THINGS, IS A DIRECT RESULT OF US CONTINUING NOT TO ACKNOWLEDGE WHAT IS OUR CAPACITY.
WE HAVE TO ACKNOWLEDGE WHAT IT IS THAT OUR CAPACITY ON THIS ISLAND CAN TRULY
[05:45:01]
MAINTAIN IN A WAY THAT PROTECTS OUR NEIGHBORHOODS AND OUR RESIDENTS.SO THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT ARE IMPORTANT TO ME.
THE GROCERY STORE COMMENT, THE COMMENTS FROM OUR PUBLIC, WHETHER HERE OR ELSEWHERE.
I'M HERE TO ANSWER ANYBODY'S QUESTION, BUT WHY I AM ON COUNCIL IS TO SOLVE PROBLEMS. AND I DO THAT FOR AWARD FOUR, AND I DO THAT ACROSS THE ISLAND.
IF THERE'S A PROBLEM, SOMETHING THAT WE CAN DO BETTER ON, SOMETHING THAT HASN'T BEEN THOUGHT OF, SOMETHING THAT'S BEEN OVERLOOKED, SOMEONE WHO'S BEEN, UM, DISPLACED BECAUSE OF ACTIONS THAT WE'VE TAKEN, THOSE UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES THAT YOU SPOKE TO MAYOR, ARE IMPORTANT.
WE HAVE OTHER PEOPLE REVIEW THINGS AND WHY WE WAIT TO SEE WHAT ALL OF THAT BRINGS TOGETHER SO WE CAN GET TO THE BEST POSSIBLE DECISIONS WE CAN SO THAT WE LIMIT ANY DISLOCATION ON OUR RESIDENTS.
SO THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY.
UM, I AM PASSIONATE ABOUT WHAT I DO.
I LOVE THIS PLACE AND I LOVE THE PEOPLE WHO MAKE UP HILTON HEAD ISLAND.
THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY.
WELL, FIRST I WANNA SAY THAT I THOUGHT THE, UH, PRESENTATION BY THE MANAGER OF THE WORK PLAN FOR THE CURRENT YEAR AND THE UPCOMING YEAR.
UH, VERY IMPORTANT, UH, TO HEAR THAT.
AND CERTAINLY I AGREE WITH VIRTUALLY EVERYTHING THAT IT IS IN THERE, BUT IT, IT IS IMPORTANT TO HEAR WHAT'S GOING ON.
UH, SO I'M VERY APPRECIATIVE OF THAT AND, UH, OF THE MANAGER'S APPROACH TO HOW HE DEALS WITH THESE CHALLENGES.
I THINK WE ARE FORTUNATE TO HAVE, UH, A LEADER WITH A GREAT DEAL OF SENSITIVITY AND, UH, TO HELP US DEAL WITH THESE, WITH THESE ISSUES.
UH, LIKE MANY PEOPLE, I AM CONCERNED ABOUT HOW LONG IT TAKES TO GET THINGS DONE.
UH, I THINK WE HAVE TO RECOGNIZE THAT WE ARE, AS A TOWN, A PUBLIC CORPORATION AS OPPOSED TO A PRIVATE CORPORATION.
WE'VE GOT A LOT MORE RESTRAINTS ON HOW FAST AND WE CAN MOVE AND HOW MANY HOOPS WE HAVE TO JUMP TO, UH, THAN WOULD BE TRUE OF A PRIVATE CORPORATION.
UH, I HAVE LONG BEEN CONCERNED ABOUT A VARIATION, I SUPPOSE, OF THE QUESTION OF THE WILL OF COUNCIL.
UH, PERSONALLY, IF IT WERE POSSIBLE, I'D LIKE TO HAVE, UM, FRIDAY NIGHT SESSIONS AT THE, AT THE LOCAL TAVERN WHERE WE COULD JUST SIT AROUND AND TALK ABOUT THINGS.
UH, I DON'T THINK WE HAVE ENOUGH OF AN OPPORTUNITY AMONGST OURSELVES, UH, TO DISCUSS HOW WE FEEL ABOUT THINGS.
AND WHEN WE DO HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS ON A ONE-ON-ONE BASIS, I PERSONALLY HAVE FOUND THEM VERY HELPFUL.
UH, I MAY HAVE AN IDEA TO GO DOWN A PARTICULAR ROAD, BUT LISTENING TO ONE OF MY FELLOW COUNCIL MEMBERS WILL PERSUADE ME THAT THAT NEEDS TO BE MODIFIED IN SOME WAY.
AND IT MAKE, IT MAKES DECISION MAKING MUCH MORE COMPLEX, UH, BE THAT AS IT MAY, THAT'S THE ENVIRONMENT WE FIND OURSELVES IN.
UH, WE DO HAVE TO TAKE A LONG TIME TO GET THINGS DONE.
UH, WE DO HAVE TO DEAL WITH THE FACT THAT MAYBE WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH, ENOUGH CONVERSATIONS AMONGST OURSELVES.
UM, BUT THAT'S THE, THAT'S THE GAME AND WE HAVE TO PLAY IT.
UM, I'M, I'M GONNA START WITH, UH, AS YOU GET, AS YOU GET OLDER, THEY TELL ME YOUR SHORT TERM MEMORY START TO GO FIRST, AND THEN YOU HAVE THE, I GUESS, THE PLEASURE OF REMEMBERING THINGS FROM THE PAST A LITTLE EASIER.
I REMEMBER WHEN I WENT THROUGH THIS FIRST SESSION WITH MR. TOWN MANAGER, MARK ORLANDO, AND HE SAID TO THE COUNCIL MEMBERS AT THAT TIME, IF I DO NOT HAVE A STRATEGIC PLAN IN FRONT OF ME, I WILL FAIL.
AND I REMEMBER THOSE WORDS, AND I REMEMBER SAYING TO MYSELF THAT I WAS IMPRESSED WITH HIM BEING SO BOLD TO SAY THAT OUT LOUD.
I ALSO REMEMBER YEARS BEFORE I EVEN THOUGHT ABOUT BEING ON TOWN COUNCIL, UH, MEMBERS OF STAFF MAKING COMMENTS LIKE, IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT WE PLAN TO DO, COUNCIL JUST CHANGES IT
[05:50:01]
AT THE NEXT COCKTAIL PARTY,SO I'M THANKFUL THAT MR. ORLANDO HAS SORT OF PULLED THINGS TOGETHER IN THIS FASHION, AND WE CAN CONTINUE TO DEBATE AROUND IT'S 15 TOO MUCH, 15 TOO LITTLE, WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE.
BUT THE FACT OF MATTER IS WE NOW HAVE A STRUCTURE IN PLACE THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO GET BETTER AT.
I THINK WE NEED TO, TO REALLY FOCUS ON GETTING BETTER AT THAT, RIGHT? AND HAVE THOSE VERY HONEST AND FLUID CONVERSATIONS AROUND HOW WE CAN GET BETTER.
AND, AND, AND ALSO KEEPING IN MIND THAT, UM, YOU JUST LOOK AT THE, THE LAST SLIDE.
I MEAN, THERE ITEMS THERE THAT MAY NOT FALL WITHIN THE 15 POINTS, BUT YOU BETTER BELIEVE SOMEBODY'S GONNA PULL YOUR COATTAIL IN THE GROCERY STORE AND SAY, WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THAT? RIGHT? SO, UM, I, I COMMEND YOU AND, AND WHAT YOU'VE DONE, AND I, I COMMEND THE STAFF AND WHAT THEY'VE DONE TO MOVE THINGS ALONG.
AND I GUESS THIS IS MORE THE OPERATION SIDE OF ME.
UM, WE HAVE TO CONTINUE TO BREATHE LIFE INTO THE MORALE OF THE FOLKS THAT ARE DOING THE WORK, BECAUSE IF NOT, WE'LL BE HAVING DIFFERENT DISCUSSIONS UP HERE.
UH, SO I WANTED TO START WITH THAT AND, UM, I I WANTED TO, I GUESS, SORT OF CLOSE WITH THE QUESTIONS, UH, THAT BILL ASKED, UM, WHY DID YOU RUN FOR COUNCIL? THAT ALMOST SOUND LIKE YOU LOOKING FOR ME TO CAMPAIGN AGAIN, BUT I'M NOT GONNA DO THAT
UM, UNFORTUNATELY, BECAUSE I AM OF GULLAH DESCENT, I TEND TO BE LOOKED AT AS THE GULLAH EXPERT.
AND I'VE SAID IT MANY TIMES BEFORE I WAS ELECTED, AND QUITE FRANKLY, VERY FEW TIMES AFTER I'VE BEEN ELECTED THAT I DO NOT REPRESENT ALL OF THE HISTORIC GULLAH NEIGHBORHOODS ON HILTON HEAD.
THERE ARE 13 OF THEM, AND EVERYBODY THAT SITS ON THIS COUNCIL WITH THE EXCEPTION OF MR. ALFRED REPRESENTS A PORTION OF THEM.
AND I WANT TO THANK EVERYBODY FOR TAKING THAT RESPONSIBILITY ALONG THE WAY BECAUSE I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT.
IT IS DEFINITELY A, A, A FABRIC OF OUR COMMUNITY THAT IF WE DON'T PAY SPECIAL ATTENTION TO IT, WE WILL LOSE IT.
AND THAT'S COLLECTIVELY, THAT'S NOT JUST THIS SEAT THAT IN 1983 AND THEY CARVED OUT THE LINES, ALL OF THE HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOODS WERE WITHIN WARD ONE.
WE HAVE CHANGED AND EVOLVED SINCE THEN.
AND I THINK WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO BE SMART AND IMPROVE ON THAT SCENARIO.
BUT I'D ALSO SAY THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF OTHER THINGS THAT SORT OF INTERTWINE WITH THAT, THAT ARE DECISIONS WE HAVE TO MAKE ON A WHOLE.
SO THE WILL OF COUNCIL, AND THIS IS ONE OF MY OLD COACHING, SAYING, YOU GOTTA LEARN HOW TO LOSE BEFORE YOU CAN LEARN HOW TO WIN.
AND I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT IN THIS DISCUSSION AS WELL, BECAUSE IF ANY OF US ARE ON THE SHORT END OF THE STICK WHEN IT COMES TO A VOTE, THAT DOES NOT MEAN THAT WE SHOULD NOT CONTINUE TO TRY TO MAKE OUR COMMUNITY A BETTER PLACE ALONG THE WAY.
UM, SO TO ME THAT'S WHAT WILLOW COUNCIL MEANS.
UM, SO I'M HOPEFUL THAT I'VE ANSWERED THE QUESTIONS THAT HAVE BEEN ASKED.
AND AGAIN, I WANNA APPRECIATE, UM, YOU KNOW, MY COLLEAGUES FOR WORKING TOGETHER IN THIS FASHION.
THE TOWN MANAGER AND THE STAFF, ALL THE WORK THAT THEY'VE DONE.
WELCOME TO OUR FACILITATORS AND, UH, OF COURSE TO THE COMMUNITY FOR BRINGING, UH, THEIR THOUGHTS AND OPINIONS ALONG THE WAY THAT'S MOST IMPORTANT.
MAYOR ALWAYS IMPRESSES ME HOW THE MEMBERS OF COUNCIL SEE THE WORLD IN DIFFERENT WAYS AND HOW IMPORTANT THAT IS TO OUR COMING TO GOOD DECISIONS.
I COULD NOT ARTICULATE WHAT ALEX JUST DID, BUT HE CHANGED THE WAY I LOOK AT THE WORLD BECAUSE OF WHAT HE SAID AND SO ON DOWN THE LINE, MARK.
UM, I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU AND STAFF MANAGES SO MUCH ON A DAILY BASIS.
AND I THINK IN SOME WAYS IT TROUBLES ME THAT WE TRY TO DO THAT, BUT I'LL GET TO THAT IN A SECOND.
[05:55:01]
UM, BILL AND MIKE, UM, I'M REALLY THANKFUL YOU'RE HERE, NOT ONLY BECAUSE OF WHAT YOU TALKED ABOUT, BUT JUST BY BEING HERE, YOU MADE ME MORE INTROSPECTIVE ABOUT THE DECISIONS WE WERE BEING ASKED TO MAKE AND, AND HOW YOU MIGHT BE LOOKING AT THEM, WHICH FORCED ME TO LOOK AT THEM SOMEWHAT DIFFERENTLY.SO I, I JUST, BY YOUR BEING HERE WAS A VALUE TO ME.
UM, I APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT YOU PUT UP LEVELS OF GOVERNANCE.
I DON'T THINK I REALLY UNDERSTAND IT YET.
SIMPLISTICALLY, I LOOKED AT LEVEL ONE AS BEING AN AREA THAT THE TOWN COUNCIL SHOULDN'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT AND ALL THE WAY AT THE TOP THAT WOULD BE THE IDEAL.
AND I SORT OF FELT THAT TODAY.
WE WERE SOMEWHAT TOUCHING ON A LOT OF THEM UP TO FOUR, BUT WE HAVEN'T RISEN TO FIVE OR SIX YET.
AND I'M SORT OF LOOKING AT THAT AS, OKAY, WHAT DO WE DO NOW? YOU KNOW, HOW DO WE GET THERE? SO I I'M HOPING THAT THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO LEARN FROM YOU AS TO WHAT WE HAVE TO, ONE OF OUR CORE VALUES IS EXCELLENCE, AND THAT WAS THE TOP OF THE LIST.
SO I THINK WE SHOULD BE STRIVING FOR THAT.
IT'S BEEN SAID A NUMBER OF TIMES TODAY THAT WE SHOULDN'T BE TRYING TO MANAGE SO MANY PRIORITIES.
AND MY FEEBLE MIND, I AGREE WITH THAT BECAUSE I HAVE A HARD TIME JUGGLING A LOT OF THINGS AT THE SAME TIME.
THAT'S JUST THE WAY MY MIND WORKS.
SO I, I BEGAN TO THINK ABOUT THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE DEEPLY.
AND BACK IN 2010, WE HAD A VISION FOR 2025 ON THE ISLAND, AND WE CAME UP WITH 11 STRATEGIES.
UM, AND IN OUR COMP PLAN THAT WAS PUT TOGETHER BY OUR STAFF A FEW YEARS AGO, WE WERE, WE BASED IT ON THE CORE VALUES OF THE COMMUNITY, BUT THEN WE HAD HUNDREDS OF OPINIONS THAT THE DIFFERENT COMMITTEES PROVIDED IN GOOD CONSCIENCE.
BUT WE DIDN'T TAKE THE NEXT STEP, SAY, OKAY, YOU HAVE 10 IN THIS PARTICULAR OF ENVIRONMENTAL AREA, WHICH ONE AS A GROUP DO YOU THINK IS NUMBER ONE OR THE TOP THREE, OR WHATEVER.
SO WE DIDN'T, WE DIDN'T DISCIPLINE OURSELVES.
WE DIDN'T REQUIRE OURSELVES TO BE MORE RIGOROUS IN, IN TAKING THAT STEP.
AND THAT COMP PLAN HAS BEEN ADOPTED AND NOW WE'RE BASING OUR STRATEGIC PLAN ON IT.
AND WE HAVE THE SAME KIND OF EXTENSIVE LISTS OF OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE WANT TO ATTACK, BUT WE AREN'T ASKING THE QUESTIONS, WHICH IS MOST IMPORTANT.
AND THAT GETS TO WHAT IS THE WILL OF COUNCIL.
I THINK WE HAVE TO BE MORE RIGOROUS, CONSCIENTIOUS IN, IN VOTING, IN COMING TO A CONCLUSION.
AND SO EVEN AMONG THE 15 THAT WE WENT THROUGH TODAY, I SAW SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES OF STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE TO WHAT WE OUGHT TO BE REALLY CONCENTRATED ON.
NOW WE ALL HAVE OUR PREFERENCES, BUT I THINK THE COUNCIL SHOULD BE SAYING, OH MY GOD, WE'VE GOT TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN SOONER.
NOW, THE UNFORTUNATE THING IS, WITHOUT DOING THAT, IT ALL FALLS BACK ON THE TOWN MANAGER AND STAFF BILL.
UH, YOU GAVE ME THE IMPRESSION BY WHAT YOU SAID AND BY YOUR BODY LANGUAGE WHEN WE SHOWED THE MANAGEMENT STRUCTURE THAT PERHAPS WE'RE LIVING OUR LIFE A LITTLE BIT TOO COM IN TOO MUCH COMPLEXITY.
SO I'M, I'M INTERESTED IN WHERE WE GO WITH THAT, BECAUSE MY REACTION TO IT IS, YEAH, AND WE MADE COMMENTS ABOUT, OKAY, HOW MANY COMMITTEE COMMITTEES CAN WE REALLY MANAGE? AND HOW MUCH TIME ARE WE SPENDING JUST TO MANAGE COMMITTEES? AND I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING WE NEED TO LOOK AT, UH, ROLE OF STAFF, THAT THAT REALLY IS AN IMPORTANT ONE BECAUSE WE HAVE TO SEPARATE WHAT WE ARE GOOD AT IE COUNCIL AND WHAT STAFF IS REALLY GOOD AT.
[06:00:01]
AND I'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH STAFF AND WITH, WITH, UM, MARK, YOU KNOW, I LOOK AT STAFF AS THE EXPERTS.THEY'RE IN THE TRENCHES ON A DAILY BASIS, AND I THINK THEY SHOULD COME TO COUNSEL WITH THEIR ASSESSMENTS, WITH THEIR OPINIONS, AND WITH THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS.
AND THEN, AND THEN COUNSEL SHOULD BE SAYING, OKAY, BASED ON THE EXPERTS, THIS IS THE DECISION WE'RE GOING TO MAKE.
AND WE LOOK TO MARK TO DETERMINE THE TRUE EXPERTISE OF THE STAFF AND WE EVALUATE HIM ON THAT BASIS.
LAST ITEM THAT CAME TO MY MIND AS WE TALKED, AND THIS WAS EARLY ON, UM, WE'RE EVALUATING A WORK PRODUCT, A WORK LIST.
AND I'M NOT SURE COUNCIL REALLY EVALUATES ITSELF, LOOKS IN THE MIRROR AND SAYS, HOW ARE WE DOING INDIVIDUALLY? WHAT ARE MY STRENGTHS? WHAT ARE MY WEAKNESSES? AM I PERFORMING WELL? AND SO THAT'S JUST SOMETHING I PUT ON THE TABLE AS SOMETHING MAYBE WE OUGHT TO THINK ABOUT.
UM, THANK AND THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR COMMENTS.
UM, WE DON'T ALWAYS AGREE AND THAT'S A GOOD THING, BUT AT LEAST WE RESPECT EACH OTHER AND WE'LL HAVE THE CONVERSATION TO TRY TO UNDERSTAND EACH OTHER.
THANK Y'ALL FOR BEING HERE, MIKE.
UM, WHAT WE HAVE TODAY IN FRONT OF US IS THE 2003 OR 2023, 2025 STRATEGIC ACTION PLAN WITH 15 ITEMS. TODAY WAS NOT ABOUT CHECKING OFF THE LIST, IT WASN'T ABOUT ADDING NEW THINGS.
IT WAS ABOUT WHERE DO WE STAND WITH A LIST THAT WE CREATED LAST YEAR THAT I ACTUALLY FEEL WAS PROBABLY A LITTLE AGGRESSIVE.
I THINK WE WERE A NEW COUNCIL COMING IN AND WE WANTED TO GO FAST.
WELL, SOMETIMES YOU GO FAST, YOU RUN OUTTA STEAM, AND WE DID.
BUT I ALSO LOOK AT 100 ACCOMPLISHMENTS EVERY TWO AND A HALF DAYS.
2.6 DAYS, WORK DAYS, SOMETHING FELL OFF THAT LIST THAT'S REALLY BIG.
AND YOU THINK ABOUT ALL THE DIFFERENT ITEMS. I ALSO LOOK AT IT AND GO, A LOT OF THESE ARE ONGOING, RIGHT? THEIR DAY-TO-DAY OPERATIONAL ASPECTS.
AND WHAT WE ADDRESSED, AND I, AS I SAID EARLIER, WAS THE SHORT TERM GOAL, THE REACTIVE SIDE.
AND WHEN I SAY THIS, I MEAN, NO DISRESPECT TO PREVIOUS COUNSEL, BUT THEY CAME OFF OF COVID.
WELL, WE WERE TRYING TO PLAY CATCH UP.
THAT'S WHAT THE, THE THREE OF US THOUGHT, YOU KNOW, COMING IN, LET'S PLAY CATCH UP, LET'S GET THIS GOING.
WELL, NOW WE'RE KIND OF BEYOND THAT AND WE'RE CHECKING ITEMS OFF.
WE'VE SLOWED DOWN OUR PROCESS IN CREATING THE AGENDAS TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT STAFF HAS THE TIME.
SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT AVAILABLE TIME, THAT STAFF HAS TO ADDRESS ITEMS THAT NEED TO BE WORKED ON.
I RELY ON MARK TO TELL ME MY STAFF HAS GOT IT.
MARK RELIES ON HIS FOLKS TO TELL HIM, WE GOT IT.
OR, YOU KNOW WHAT, WE NEED ANOTHER WEEK, ANOTHER TWO WEEKS.
SO I RELY ON YOU TO HELP ME TO HELP US SET THAT AGENDA SO THAT WE CAN EXECUTE IN A WAY THAT, THAT UNDERSTANDS THE UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES.
AND THAT'S A WORD THAT I I'M REALLY GONNA FOCUS ON, IS THE UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES.
UM, THINGS HAVE HAPPENED IN THE PAST WITH UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES, AND WE'RE PAYING THE PRICE FOR 'EM TODAY.
SO I, I'M NOT GONNA GO OFF ON A LONG SPEECH HERE, BUT YOU KNOW, I, I APPRECIATE THE PUBLIC COMING IN AND, AND GIVING YOUR OPINIONS AND YOUR SUPPORT, WHETHER IT'S POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE.
AND OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, STAFF BRINGS A, A, A PLETHORA OF KNOWLEDGE AND EFFORT TO THE DAY TO DAY.
AND OF COURSE, YOU ALL MAKE MARK LOOK GOOD EXCEPT FOR BOB.
UM, BUT THEN IN TURN, YOU MAKE US LOOK GOOD,
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RIGHT? SO IT IS A, A GREAT TEAM TOGETHER, AND AS MR. AMES SAID, WE VALUE EACH OTHER'S OPINIONS TO LOOK AT THINGS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENTLY, TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT WE ARE TAKING CARE OF YOU, AS YOU ALL STATED, THE COMMUNITY THAT WE LOVE.UM, SO WHEN I STARTED TODAY, I SAID, I WANT TO JUST PERSONALLY LOOK AT THREE THINGS.
I WANTED TO CELEBRATE OUR SUCCESS TO DATE OVER THE LAST 13 MONTHS.
I WANTED TO OVERVIEW THE 2024 WORK PLAN INITIATIVES, AND I WANTED TO FIND CONSENSUS ON ANY ADDITIONAL INITIATIVES.
UM, I MADE A COUPLE POINTS THROUGHOUT THE DAY THAT THE, THE STRATEGY, THE REAL STRATEGY THINKING AND THE PRIORITIZATION AND WHAT'S IMPORTANT AND WHY WE DID THAT LAST YEAR.
AND THIS IS THAT, THAT THAT MID-FLIGHT CHECK-IN, YOU KNOW, IT'S YOUR CAPTAIN COMING ON ASKING YOU IF, IF, IF WE'RE GOING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
UM, AND SO I, I THINK WE HAD A SUCCESSFUL DAY.
I WAS SITTING HERE LISTENING TO ALL OF YOU.
I I JUST REMAIN STILL A LITTLE OVERWHELMED AND HONORED TO BE YOUR TOWN MANAGER.
I, I STILL, I STILL JUST MAKE SURE IT'S NOT A DREAM.
AND I KNOW THAT A LOT OF FOLKS BEHIND ME FEEL THE SAME WAY.
AND SO AS A STAFF AND ON BEHALF OF THIS TEAM, WE REGARD YOU AND WE RESPECT YOU SO MUCH.
I APPRECIATE THAT YOU'RE STARTING TO TALK ABOUT IMPROVING THE PROCESS FOR US TO GET WORK DONE.
WE'RE GONNA MAKE, WE'RE GOING TO MAKE MISTAKES.
WHAT, WHAT I FEEL LIKE THAT IS HAPPENING IS WHEN WE'RE MAKING A MISTAKE, IT'S FOUND SOONER THAN ADOPTION AND THAT WE'RE GOING BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD TO GET BETTER AT IT.
AND SO WE DIDN'T PAIR 15 DOWN TODAY, AND I KNEW WE WOULDN'T, I SHOULD HAVE PUT THE 20 BUCKS ON THAT, NOT ON THE 3:00 PM BUT ANYWAY, UM, BECAUSE WE'RE SO FAR OUT OF THE BARN, THAT'S A JONESVILLE PUN INTENDED.
WE'RE SO FAR DOWN THE ROAD WITH SO MUCH, RIGHT? WE'VE SPENT TIME, MONEY, ENERGY, AND WHAT DO WE PICK TO NOT DO? AND NONE OF US, AS, AS, AS THE TEAM BEHIND ME, CAME WITH ANY PRECONCEIVED NOTIONS OF WHAT WE SHOULD STOP.
BUT, BUT WHAT I, WHAT I REALLY RESPECT IS THAT IT, IT, IT SEEMS TO BE SOME SENTIMENT AND, AND MAYOR DIRECTLY FROM YOU ON OUR WEEKLY MEETINGS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO DO OUR WORK WELL AND THAT WE ARE DOING OUR WORK WELL WHEN YOU GIVE US ENOUGH TIME.
AND I THINK THAT IS THE EXPECTATION THAT YOU HAVE OF ME AND I HAVE OF, OF MY TEAM.
SO I THINK THAT IS, IS IS DEFINITELY MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION THIS YEAR.
UM, WE'RE TRYING TO BALANCE QUALITY, QUANTITY, AND TIME, RIGHT? AND IT, AND YOU PLAY A LOT BETTER WHEN THE SHOT CLOCK ISN'T READING THREE SECONDS AND YOU NEED TO MAKE A HALF COURT SHOT, RIGHT? AND SO I APPRECIATE, I I APPRECIATE THAT.
I, AND AT THE END OF THE DAY, BILL, MIKE, YOU GUYS ARE GREAT.
UM, THEY'VE HELPED OPEN MY EYES.
UH, YOU KNOW, I, I THINK THAT IN A, IN A YEAR OF A NEW STRATEGIC PLAN OR A REBUILD STRATEGIC PLAN, THIS IS A DIFFERENT EXERCISE, BUT THEY HAVE HELPED ME AND, AND, AND FOLKS HERE PREPARE FOR TODAY BY THINKING ABOUT WHAT'S IMPORTANT FOR YOU AND REMOVING THOSE THINGS THAT AREN'T.
SO, UM, SUCCESSFUL DAY HERE, HERE'S WHAT WE WILL DO.
WE WILL REALLY REFINE THE WORK PLAN BASED UPON YOUR COMMENTS, INCLUDING THOSE NEW INITIATIVES.
WE WILL WORK ON A, ON A BRIEF MEMO THAT JUST HAS A LITTLE BIT OF OUTLINE FROM TODAY.
I'LL, I'LL, I'LL FORWARD IT TO YOU.
I, I WON'T SEND IT THROUGH A COMMITTEE FOR TOWN COUNCIL APPROVAL.
UM, AND I REALLY APPRECIATE THE PUBLIC COMMENT TODAY, FOLKS THAT STAYED ALL DAY.
AND I'VE BEEN GETTING TEXTS FROM SOME FOLKS THAT ARE WATCHING US SOMEWHERE.
I DON'T KNOW WHERE THEY'RE WATCHING.
SO, UM, THANK YOU TO THESE FOLKS BEHIND US.
I WISH I COULD SAY ALL THEIR NAMES OUT LOUD, UH, AGAIN, RIGHT NOW.
AND I, I'M JUST, WE'RE ALL BLESSED.
UM, BILL AND MIKE, OUT OF CURIOSITY, IS THERE A FOLLOW UP REPORT WITH YOUR OBSERVATIONS OF WHAT YOU SAW TODAY, GUIDANCE ON WHAT YOU THINK WE MIGHT, UH, CONCENTRATE ON? YOU KNOW, WE, NOW I'M AWAY FROM THE MIC.
UM, WE'RE GOING TO, WE'RE GONNA CIRCLE BACK WITH MARK, HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH HIM ABOUT OUT OPERATIONAL WORKFLOW, KIND OF GOING FORWARD.
I THINK THE COMMENTS THAT I MADE ABOUT, UM, THINKING ABOUT COUNCIL'S ROLE IN, I'M GONNA SAY SPEEDING THINGS UP.
IF YOU TAKE THAT, IF YOU JUST WORK ON THAT ONE THING AND THINK ABOUT THAT, THAT'S
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ALL THE FEEDBACK THAT YOU, THAT, THAT YOU NEED FROM US.YOU KNOW, EVERY SINGLE COMMUNITY, REGARDLESS OF SIZE THAT WE, THAT WE GO TO WORK IN AND WE WORK, HAVE WORKED IN COMMUNITIES MUCH SMALLER AND COMMUNITIES MUCH LARGER.
UM, WE HAVE NEVER GONE IN AND SAID, YOU NEED TO DO A, B, AND C BECAUSE EVERYONE IS DIFFERENT.
AND EVERY, UM, EVERY ASPECT OF THEIR OPERATION IS DIFFERENT.
SO, UM, THAT IS NOT REALLY OUR INTENT.
UM, I THINK WE WORK WITH MARK AND MARK, UM, AS THE REALLY THE CEO OF THE ORGANIZATION WILL IMPLEMENT THOSE CHANGES FOR US.
ALRIGHT, THANK Y'ALL AND HAVE A GREAT DAY.