[00:00:01]
CLOSED CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY BUFORT COUNTY, CLOSED CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY BUFORT COUNTY,
[Call to Order]
[Pledge to the Flag ]
BLACK UNITED STATES AMERICA ANTI THE REPUBLIC WHITE NATION UNDER INDIVISIBLE JUSTICE.DO WE HAVE A MOTION TO ADOPT THE AGENDA AS WRITTEN? MADAM CHAIR? YES, MA'AM.
I RESPECTFULLY REQUEST THAT WE AMEND THE AGENDA TO REMOVE ITEM SIX B UNDER NEW BUSINESS.
[Adoption of the Agenda]
RECEIVING THE STAFF INFORMATION, I WAS GREATLY DISTURBED BY WHAT WE WERE PROVIDED WITH, AND I DO NOT BELIEVE IT'S READY.I I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT WE MOVE THAT TO OUR MAY 20TH AGENDA, WHICH IS OUR NEXT MEETING.
SO WE HAVE A FIRST, UM, UH, BY MS. BRYON AND A SECOND BY MR. UM, CROWN.
AND IS THERE ANY, UM, DISCUSSION ABOUT THE REMOVAL OF ITEM B FROM OUR AGENDA? OTHER THAN WHAT I MENTIONED AND THAT IS, I, I RECEIVED AND REVIEWED THE, UH, REPORTS AND THE DOCUMENTS FROM THE STAFF.
UM, I WAS GREATLY DISAPPOINTED AND DISTURBED BY THE QUALITY OF IT, AND I DON'T BELIEVE IT'S READY FOR US TO CONSIDER, UM, BUT OUR RESPECTFULLY REQUEST THAT BE PUT ON OUR MAY 20TH AGENDA SO WE DON'T LOSE TRACK OF.
CAN I ASK WHAT YOU'D LIKE TO SEE HAPPEN IN THE NEXT MONTH? UM, WELL, THERE'S SEVERAL THINGS.
UM, THE, WE WERE PROVIDED WITH A CLEAN COPY, BUT WE WERE PROVIDED WITH A TRACK CHANGES COPY, UH, WHICH HAD TWO COLORS AND SO MANY COMMENTS IN THE MARGIN.
THEY'RE IMPOSSIBLE TO READ AND FOLLOW, AND SOME OF THE, UM, LANGUAGE IN THOSE COMMENTS WERE DISTURBING.
UM, AND SO I HAVE MORE AN EXPLANATION FROM THE TOWN MANAGER ABOUT THAT DOCUMENT.
UM, AND ALSO THERE'S SOME THINGS THAT WE HAD ASKED FOR THAT WERE NOT INCLUDED IN THAT COPY, AND I CAN PROVIDE MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THAT TO THE TOWN MANAGER FOR HIS STAFF AND TO THE COMMITTEE.
[Approval of the Minutes ]
DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD? WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON THIS FOR A WHILE.I UNDERSTAND THAT WE'RE TRYING TO GET TO A BETTER PLACE.
UM, I'M NOT SURE THAT WE HAVE NOT HAD THIS IN PLACE FOR MANY, MANY, MANY YEARS.
UM, IT'S GOING TO MAKE THAT MUCH OF A DIFFERENCE TO OLD OFFICER, GET IT CLEANED UP SO WE CAN HAVE SOMETHING THAT WE ALL FEEL CUT ABOUT.
AND SO TO ADD MY 2 CENTS TO THIS CONVERSATION, HERE'S MY CONCERN.
THERE IS A DOCUMENT IN FRONT OF US THAT STAFF HAS WORKED THROUGH HAVING DONE, UM, CONSIDERABLE, UM, COLLABORATION WITH THE CONCERN CITIZENS AND GROUP WHO BROUGHT THIS TO OUR ATTENTION, WHO HAVE WORKED, UM, WITH OUR VENDORS IN TERMS OF HOW, UM, OUR, UH, TOWN PROPERTIES ARE, UM, MAINTAINED, THE CHEMICALS THAT THEY USE.
AND IT'S GONE THROUGH A NUMBER OF ITERATIONS.
WE'VE PUT IT OFF SEVERAL TIMES NOW, COMING THROUGH THIS COMMITTEE, UM, BECAUSE THERE WASN'T, UM, SATISFACTION WITH SOME OF THE LANGUAGE OR, UM, ITEMS THAT WERE IN INCLUDED.
SO TO ME, AT THIS POINT, HAVING TAKEN THIS LONG TO GET TO WHERE WE ARE AND KNOWING THAT WE HAVE SOMETHING IN FRONT OF US THAT'S WORKABLE, THAT OUR TOWN MANAGER HAS AGREED WITH OUR STAFF IS WORKABLE.
UM, TO STOP MOVING FORWARD AT THIS POINT MEANS WE LIKELY WON'T HAVE ANYTHING IN PLACE FOR THIS SEASON.
[00:05:01]
ALL OF THE CONCERNS THAT HAVE BEEN BROUGHT FORTH TO US WILL NOT BE ADDRESSED UNTIL, UM, MAYBE AS EARLY AS THE FALL, BUT CERTAINLY NOT FOR THIS SPRING AND SUMMER SEASON.AND IF IT'S A BIG CONCERN FOR US TODAY, I THINK HAVING SOMETHING IN PLACE AND THEN WORKING OUT THE DETAILS TO, UM, ADD, UM, TO IT AND REFRAME IT MAYBE, UM, IS A GOOD IDEA, BUT AT LEAST IT GETS US MOVING.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO, UM, ADD SOMETHING? YES, MA'AM.
UM, AND COMMITTEE, THE DRAFT POLICY THAT'S BEEN BEFORE THE COMMITTEE A FEW TIMES HAS BEEN REVISED.
UM, IT PROVIDES CLARITY FOR OUR OPERATIONS ON HOW WE HANDLE THE APPLICATION OF, UM, PESTICIDES, HERBICIDES, AND, UM, IT, IT, IT PROVIDES ADDITIONAL DIRECTION AND CLARITY ON POSTAGE OF SIGNING THE, THE APPLICATION, UM, AND TIMING.
AND WE, WE'D LIKE TO TAKE THIS STEP TO GET THIS POLICY IN PLACE.
THERE CAN BE MORE WORK DONE AS WE ADVANCE INTO THE FUTURE.
THE RESOLUTION AND THE CLEAN COPY REPRESENT, UM, THE, THE WORK THAT'S DONE BY STAFF.
UM, AND IT'S OUR RECOMMENDATION THAT WE ADVANCE THAT, UM, AT THIS TIME.
THIS IS NOT THE END OF THE ROAD.
THIS IS THE BEGINNING OF THE ROAD.
WELL, I WANTED TO ASK SEAN A QUESTION, SO THANK YOU, SIR.
UH, FROM A, FROM A TIME AND STANDPOINT, UM, WHEN, WHEN IS YOUR CUTOFF DATE IN ORDER TO HAVE ANY TYPE OF POLICY BEFORE FLOW COUNSEL SO THAT THIS CAN BE IMPLEMENTED DURING THIS, I'M GONNA CALL IT GROWING SEASON.
WELL, A LOT OF THE PRACTICES THAT ARE INCLUDED IN THE POLICY ARE ALREADY IN PLACE.
THIS IS TO PROVIDE CLARITY AND HOW WE, UM, AND HOW WE OPERATE.
UM, IT GIVES A PATH FORWARD WITH OUR CONTRACTORS.
IT ALSO GIVES SOME CLARITY TO CITIZENS ON WHERE WE DO AND DON'T SPRAY, UH, CERTAIN, CERTAIN APPLICATIONS.
AND SO, UM, WE WILL CONTINUE TO APPLY THE PRINCIPLES WITHIN THIS POLICY, BUT WE WOULD LIKE TO, TO HAVE THIS FORMALIZED AS WE'VE NEVER DONE THAT BEFORE.
UM, AND, AND THEN THAT WAY OUR STAFF HAS CONFIDENCE THAT THIS IS IN PLACE WHEN WE POST, UM, INFORMATION, UH, TO THE PUBLIC THAT WE'RE NOT SPRAYING IT, YOU KNOW, PLAYGROUNDS AND DOG PARKS AND OTHER, UH, AND PLAY FIELDS THAT THERE'S, THAT THERE'S THAT CLARITY AND PEACE THAT, THAT FOLKS KNOW THAT WE DON'T DO THAT.
AND CAN YOU JUST, JUST FOR CLARITY, UM, JUST EXPLAIN TO US THE PROCESS OF REFINEMENT.
I UNDERSTAND IF WE WERE TO PUSH THIS FORWARD TODAY, UM, OBVIOUSLY AS WE START TO IMPLEMENT AND ENGAGE WITH CONTRACTORS, THERE'S GOING TO BE A BACK AND FORTH.
WE HAVE A GROUP, UM, THAT'S BEEN, UH, PUSHING VERY HARD TO GET THIS IN PLACE.
I'M SURE THAT THERE'LL, OVER TIME THERE'LL BE OTHER CONCERNS THAT ARISE.
CAN YOU TALK THROUGH SORT OF THE PROCESS OF HOW WE WOULD REFINE SUCH A POLICY? YEAH, I THINK, UM, IF YOU THINK JUST ABOUT ANY POLICY, RIGHT? INITIALLY, UM, YOU PUT A POLICY IN PLACE AND YOU LEARN AND ADAPT OVER TIME AND WANNA MAKE ENHANCEMENTS, UM, WE, WE BRING FORWARD POLICY AND POLICY REVISIONS TO COMMITTEE AND COUNCIL ALL, YOU KNOW, ALL THE TIME.
SO I THINK IT'S GETTING IT IN PLACE.
SO WE'VE GOT THE FOUNDATION AND CLARITY THAT WAS BEING ASKED FOR, UM, BY MOSTLY THE, THE GENERAL PUBLIC ON WHAT DOES THE TOWN DO, WHAT ARE THEIR PRACTICES, WHERE CAN I FIND SOMETHING THAT'S FORMALIZED AND DOCUMENTED THAT, THAT, UM, WILL PROVIDE A GUIDE.
SO WE HAVE SOME, SOME PEACE AND CLARITY ON, ON WHAT'S HAPPENING.
SO, UM, WE'LL CONTINUE TO WORK WITH OUR CONTRACTORS, WE'LL CONTINUE TO, UM, TO WORK AND LEARN A BETTER, UM, BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES AND APPLY THOSE, UM, AS NEEDED AND, AND MODIFY THE POLICY, UM, IN THE FUTURE IF NECESSARY.
MADAM CHAIR, IF I COULD SUGGEST, UM, BECAUSE I UNDERSTAND THE CONCERNS OF THE CITIZENS THAT ARE, UM, THAT ARE PUSHING THIS, I ALSO UNDERSTAND THE STAFF'S CONCERNED MM-HMM,
UM, WOULD IT BE APPROPRIATE, UM, FOR THIS COMMITTEE TO RECEIVE REPORTING MOVING FORWARD? IF THE POLICY INDEED DOES GET THROUGH FULL COUNSEL, I THINK THAT GIVES THE PUBLIC A CHANCE TO CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION, CONTINUE TO BRING FORTH THEIR MM-HMM,
UM, I THINK WE'RE GOING TO VERY MUCH STRUGGLE TO GET EVERY, UH, T CROSSED AND I DOTTED, UM, AT THIS POINT.
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SO I THINK WE SHOULD CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION THROUGH REPORTING AFTER INITIAL POLICY HAS MOVED FORWARD.UM, THIS IS THE BEGINNING OF THE ROAD, NOT THE END OF THE ROAD, AND THAT ALLOWS US TO HAVE THE SPACE TO MAKE THOSE REFINEMENTS.
STEVE, DO YOU HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL, UM, PERSONALLY I'M CONCERNED THAT, UH, WE HAVE MORE DISCUSSION OF THE MATTERS THAT HAVE BEEN RAISED IN REGARD TO TODAY'S RESOLUTION, UM, IN TERMS OF WHERE THE TOWN IS GETTING ITS ADVICE FROM AND WHETHER THERE ARE CONFLICTS OF INTEREST, UM, SHOULD THERE, UNDER WHAT CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULD WE BE USING PESTICIDES, UH, EVEN AS A THIRD LEVEL AND SO ON? I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR THE STAFF'S DISCUSSION OF SOME OF THESE THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN RAISED FOR THE COMMITTEE.
I UNDERSTAND THAT COUNCIL MEMBER BRYSON IS CONCERNED ABOUT LANGUAGE AND THAT CAN'T, MAYBE WE COULD DEAL WITH THAT, BUT I'M MORE CONCERNED IN HEARING THE STAFF'S RESPONSE TO SOME OF THE MATTERS THAT HAVE BEEN RAISED TODAY.
UM, I'D BE WILLING TO REMOVE MY SECOND SO WE CAN HAVE THE DISCUSSION AS AN AGENDA ITEM.
I I JUST THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO UNDERSTAND THE CONSEQUENCES OF NOT DOING ANYTHING TODAY, RIGHT? YEP.
IF I COULD MAKE CLEAR FOR THE RECORD, THIS WAS A REQUEST TO THE WHOLE COMMITTEE BY CONCERNED CITIZENS WHO BROUGHT THIS REQUEST TO US.
IT IS, IS MY PERSONAL NOW, THANK YOU FOR THAT CLARIFICATION.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT YOU MENTIONED, UM, SO LET'S GO BACKWARDS BEFORE I TALK.
YES, ALEX, I WOULD LIKE TO DO THAT AS WELL.
IF THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO, UM, HAVE THOSE DISCUSSION, UM, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'M CONCERNED ABOUT IS, IT SOUNDED LIKE IN PATSY IN YOUR INITIAL COMMENTS THAT WE WERE FOCUSED ON THE UNDERLYING DOCUMENTS AND THE COMMENTS GOING BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN, UM, PEOPLE THAT DOESN'T IMPACT THE, UM, POSITIVE IMPACT THAT THIS ORDINANCE AS IT'S WRITTEN TODAY CAN, CAN ADDRESS.
AND SO, UM, WHILE I HEAR YOU ON THAT PIECE, UM, THAT'S REALLY SOMETHING ASIDE AND DIFFERENT FROM GETTING SOMETHING IN PLACE, UM, AS SEAN JUST MENTIONED, TO GIVE PEOPLE CLARITY ON WHAT'S HAPPENING, UM, WITH OUR PEST, UH, INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT POLICY.
SO HOW WOULD WE LIKE TO PROCEED? YOU'VE WITHDRAWN YOUR SECOND, I HAVE NOT WITHDRAWN MY MOTION ASKING YOU IF THERE'S ANYONE ELSE WHO WOULD LIKE TO SECOND, IS THERE ANYONE ELSE WHO WOULD LIKE TO SECOND, UM, THE MOTION ON THE, ON THE, UM, FLOOR AT THIS POINT? HEARING NONE, UM, WE WILL MOVE FORWARD WITH, UM, CONSIDERATION OF THAT RESOLUTION, UM, SIX FEE AND LEAVE THAT ON THE AGENDA ITEM.
SO DID WE ADOPT OUR AGENDA? WE DID NOT.
SO WE NEED AN ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA AS WRITTEN.
I VOTE OPPOSED, AN OPPOSED APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES FROM THE SPECIAL MEETING.
ALL IN FAVOR BOARD ZERO APPEARANCE BY CITIZENS.
UM, ARE THERE ANY CITIZENS IN THE, UM, ROOM TODAY WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON AN ITEM NOT LISTED ON OUR AGENDA? UM, OR WOULD YOU LIKE TO SPEAK ON THE AGENDA ITEM NOW? BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO LEAVE AND I WOULD UNDERSTAND THAT.
[Appearance by Citizens: Citizens who wish to speak on the matters being discussed during the meeting may do so by submitting the Request to Speak form no later than the day prior to the meeting. ]
WAS THERE ANYONE WHO SIGNED, UM, UP THROUGH THE PORTAL SENDA? THERE WERE, HOWEVER, UM, THE THREE CITIZENS THAT DID SIGN UP WANTED TO SPEAK ON ITEM SIX B.[New Business ]
ALRIGHT, WELL THEN MOVING, UM, ON TO, UH, NEW BUSINESS.I MEAN SIX BI WAS ONE OF PEOPLE THAT WANTED THIS.
SO DID YOU WANNA SPEAK NOW OR THAT'S WHAT THE CHAIRWOMAN WAS ASKING, RIGHT.
IF YOU NEED, IF CAN SPEAK NOW OR YOU CAN DO IT WHEN WE GET TO SIX B.
SO NEW BUSINESS, UM, LETTER, A CONSIDERATION OF A RESOLUTION WHICH IS NOW NOT IN FRONT OF ME.
[a. Consideration of a Resolution Adopting a Beach Parking Fee Schedule - Josh Gruber, Deputy Town Manager ]
ADOPTING A BEACH PARKING FEE SCHEDULE.AND, UM, JOSH GRUBER, OUR DEPUTY TOWN MANAGER, WILL MAKE THE PRESENTATION.
GOOD MORNING, MADAM CHAIRWOMAN, MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE
[00:15:02]
GET THIS UP FOR YOU HERE.DIVE RIGHT INTO MY PRESENTATION.
ALRIGHT, SO, UM, GOAL TODAY IS TO CONTINUE OUR CONVERSATION WITH REGARDS TO DEVELOPING RECOMMENDATIONS FOR TOWN COUNCIL'S CONSIDERATION FOR A BEACH PARKING PROGRAM.
UM, ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS THAT I WANTED TO DO TODAY AND JUST KIND OF GO OVER THE OUTLINE OF ALL THE THINGS THAT WE'RE GONNA COVER.
SO FIRST WE'RE GONNA REVIEW THE LAST MEETING, WHICH IT'S BEEN A COUPLE OF MONTHS.
SO I WANNA MAKE SURE TO REVIEW WHAT THE COMMITTEE HAD ASKED FOR IN TERMS OF SOME INFORMATION MATERIALS, HOW WE'VE INCLUDED THAT IN TODAY'S PRESENTATION.
UH, I ALSO WANT TO GO OVER MAKING SURE THAT IT'S CLEARLY UNDERSTOOD WHAT THE PURPOSE OF THIS PROGRAM IS MEANT TO ACCOMPLISH.
AND THERE'S A NUMBER OF VARIABLES THAT, UH, GO INTO THAT, BUT I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S CLEARLY UNDERSTOOD FOR EVERYBODY.
UH, AND THEN WE'RE GONNA LOOK AT BOTH CURRENT AND FUTURE BUDGET IMPLICATIONS, NOT ONLY FROM AN OPERATIONAL STANDPOINT AND A CAPITAL STANDPOINT, BUT ALSO THEN HOW THAT MAY TRANSLATE INTO IMPACTING FEES WHEN WE START TO DISCUSS POLICY QUESTIONS ABOUT SETTING FEES AND LOCATIONS, HOURS, ET CETERA.
SO YOU HAVE THEIR LIST OF THE VARIOUS POLICY ASPECTS THAT WE WILL ULTIMATELY NEED A RECOMMENDATION ON, SOME OF WHICH ARE INEXTRICABLY LINKED TOGETHER, OTHERS OF WHICH ARE SEPARATE.
BUT WE'RE GONNA GO THROUGH EACH ONE OF THOSE TODAY WITH AN UNDERSTANDING OF TRYING TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAVE AND HOPEFULLY GET TO THE POINT WHERE WE CAN MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TO TOWN COUNCIL, UH, TO CONTINUE TO MOVE THIS ITEM FORWARD.
SO BY REVIEWING AT THE LAST MEETING WE MET ON DECEMBER 18TH TO REVIEW THE PROGRAM TO THAT POINT, AND SOME OF THE POLICY QUESTIONS THAT WE WERE STARTING TO KIND OF OUTLINE, UH, THE FEEDBACK THAT CAME FROM MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE ARE BULLETED BELOW.
SO, UM, WE WERE ASKED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CLEARLY DEFINED THE PURPOSE OF THE BEACH PARKING PROGRAM.
UH, WE WERE ASKED TO IDENTIFY THE FUNDING THAT IS NEEDED, BOTH WITHIN THE EXISTING AND UPCOMING BUDGETS, UM, AT LEAST INITIALLY WITH AN IDEA THAT THE PROGRAM WOULD PAY FOR ITSELF, IF NOT PAY FOR ITSELF AND PROVIDE A CUSHION.
UH, BUT THE FEEDBACK FROM THE COMMITTEE WAS THAT IT, THE, IT THE COMMITTEE DID NOT WANT TO SEE RESIDENTS HAVING TO PAY FOR THE COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS PROGRAM.
AS THIS PROGRAM IS PRIMARILY USED BY PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT RESIDENTS.
UM, WE ALSO NEED TO IDENTIFY HOURS OF OPERATION FOR THESE VARIOUS BEACH PARKS AND THE FEES THAT WILL BE CHARGED AT THOSE PROPERTIES.
WE'RE GONNA GO INTO A DISCUSSION ABOUT THE VARIOUS LOCATIONS, WHAT STAFF'S PROPOSAL IS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER, AND THEN WE'LL ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAVE ABOUT THAT.
UH, WE'VE ALSO DEVELOPED SEVERAL DIFFERENT RATE SCENARIOS.
WE DO HAVE, UH, STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS TO BRING FORWARD TO YOU TODAY, BUT WE'VE ALSO INCLUDED A COUPLE OF OTHERS JUST AS FOUR EXAMPLES AND WHAT IFS TO GIVE YOU SOMETHING TO CONSIDER SO THAT IF YOU WANT TO GO, UH, IN A DIRECTION THAT IS DIFFERENT THAN STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION, YOU UNDERSTAND KIND OF WHAT THE DIFFERENT OPTIONS ARE THAT ARE AVAILABLE.
AND THEN LASTLY, WE'RE GONNA REVIEW THOSE SAME POLICY QUESTIONS AND SEE IF WE'RE AT A POINT WHERE WE CAN MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS TO TOWN COUNCIL.
SO I WANNA START OFF BY CLEARLY DEFINING THE PURPOSE OF THIS PROGRAM.
UM, AND THIS WAS SET FORTH IN THE ORDINANCE THAT HAS ALREADY COME OUT OF THIS COMMITTEE AND IS GONNA BE PENDING BEFORE TOWN COUNCIL.
IF AND WHEN WE'RE ABLE TO APPROVE THE POLICY QUESTIONS THAT ARE GONNA GO INTO THE RESOLUTION THAT'S GONNA GO HAND IN GLOVE WITH THE ORDINANCE.
SO AS OUTLINED IN THAT DOCUMENT, THE OBJECTIVES OF THE PARKING PROGRAM ARE AS FOLLOWS TO CONTROL, DEMAND AND INFLUENCE BEACH PARKING DECISIONS.
UH, OBVIOUSLY BY PUTTING IN PLACE A FEE, IT WILL HAVE AN IMPACT ON AT LEAST SOME PORTION OF PEOPLE'S DECISION MAKING PROCESSES.
THE BIGGER THE FEE, THE MORE INFLUENCE THAT THAT, UH, MAY EXERT OVER THEIR DECISION MAKING PROCESS.
AND SO WE WANTED TO LOOK AT THIS PROGRAM FROM THAT STANDPOINT, FIRST AND FOREMOST.
NEXT, WE WANTED THE PROGRAM TO BE ABLE TO COMMUNICATE TIMELY INFORMATION ON THE AVAILABILITY OF BEACH PARKING AND THEN IDENTIFY THROUGH THAT WHAT ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS MAY EXIST.
SO IF I'M SOMEBODY WHO IS LOOKING TO GO TO THE BEACH, I KNOW I'M GOING TO NEED TO FIND A PARKING SPOT IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO DO SO.
I WANNA BE ABLE TO HAVE AT MY FINGERTIPS THE TECHNOLOGY THAT WILL GIVE ME INFORMATION ABOUT THE CURRENT STATUS OF PARKING AVAILABILITY.
AND IF MY PREFERRED DESTINATION IS ALREADY FULL, IT WILL THEN GIVE ME AN UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT OTHER ALTERNATIVES MAY EXIST FOR ME AT THAT TIME.
NEXT, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THE PARKING PROGRAM PROVIDES SAFE AND SECURE FACILITIES.
UH, WE ALSO WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THE PROGRAM IS CONVENIENT, USER FRIENDLY AND PROVIDES A SUPERIOR LEVEL OF CUSTOMER SERVICE.
AND THEN LASTLY, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT IMPLEMENTATION
[00:20:01]
OF THE PARKING PROGRAM DOES NOT NEGATIVELY IMPACT ADJOINING NEIGHBORHOODS AND BUSINESSES FROM THE PAID PARKING SLASH OVERFLOW IMPACTS THAT CAN COME FROM A, UH, SUPPLY AND DEMAND STANDPOINT.SO ALL OF THOSE ELEMENTS ARE THE OBJECTIVES OF THIS PROGRAM THAT WE'RE TRYING TO ADDRESS BY IMPLEMENTING IT AT THIS TIME.
WHAT WE HAVE HERE IS SOME RESEARCH AND A MARKET ANALYSIS THAT STAFF HAD DONE.
NOW, I WILL TELL YOU THIS IS A LITTLE BIT DATED.
I BELIEVE THESE RATES WERE EFFECTIVE AS OF AUGUST OF 2023.
SO NOT QUITE A FULL YEAR, BUT SOME MONTHS LATER.
SO SOME OF THESE MAY HAVE CHANGED IN THE INTERIM, BUT AT THE TIME, UM, IN LOOKING AT OTHER COMMUNITIES WITHIN OUR SIMILAR GEOGRAPHIC AREA, SO WE'RE NOT LOOKING AT PALM BEACH, CALIFORNIA, WE'RE NOT LOOKING AT SOME OTHER AREAS THAT REALLY AREN'T THAT SIMILAR.
WE'RE PRIMARILY LOOKING AT NORTH CAROLINA, SOUTH CAROLINA, GEORGIA, AND FLORIDA, KIND OF, KIND OF AROUND THOSE AREAS.
UH, AND SO YOU HAVE HERE THE LIST OF WHAT IS BEING CHARGED CURRENTLY FROM AN HOURLY RATE, A DAILY MAXIMUM RATE, OR IN SOME INSTANCES THERE'S A WEEKEND RATE.
AND SO AGAIN, DEPENDING UPON, UH, THE POLICY DECISIONS FROM THIS BODY AND ULTIMATELY TOWN COUNCIL, THE PROGRAM THAT WE ARE PUTTING IN PLACE HAS FLEXIBILITY TO IT IN TERMS OF THE WHO, WHAT, WHEN, WHERE, AND HOW MUCH.
AND SO THIS INFORMATION WAS JUST TO KIND OF GIVE YOU AN IDEA ON
ALRIGHT, SO THIS RIGHT HERE IS A SLIDE SHOWING THE CURRENT CONDITION.
SO THE TOWN CURRENTLY CHARGES FOUR BEACH PARKING IN A NUMBER OF OUR BEACH PARKING AREAS.
UM, IT LISTS THE CURRENT HOURS OF OPERATION AND AS YOU CAN SEE, WE MAKE A DISTINCTION BETWEEN SUMMER HOURS AND WINTER HOURS.
UH, THAT'S GONNA BE ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE LOOK AT, UH, POSSIBLY AMENDING GOING FORWARD BECAUSE RIGHT NOW IT'S DIFFICULT TO COMMUNICATE THIS INFORMATION TO THE PUBLIC.
WHEN ARE WE IN THE SUMMER? WHEN ARE WE IN THE WINTER WHEN WE HAVE THESE TRANSITIONAL SEASONS? WHICH WAY DOES IT GO? WHAT WE'RE GONNA PROPOSE IS A STANDARD HOURS OF OPERATION GOING FORWARD THAT'S GONNA BE UNIFORM REGARDLESS OF TIME OF YEAR.
UH, AND THEN ULTIMATELY THE, THE LAST COLUMN THERE IS SEASONAL.
BASED UPON DISCUSSIONS WITH THIS COMMITTEE.
ONE OF THE NEW AREAS WHERE WE'RE PROPOSING TO CHARGE FOR PARKING IS THE CHAPLAIN COMMUNITY PARK.
BUT THE FEEDBACK FROM THIS BODY WAS WE WANTED TO MAKE THAT SEASONAL IN THAT WHILE THERE WAS YOUTH ATHLETIC SPORTS GOING ON, WE WOULD NOT CHARGE FOR PARKING THERE.
BUT ONCE THAT'S COMPLETED AND GENERALLY IT'S COMPLETED, UH, AT OR BEFORE MEMORIAL DAY, THAT'S WHEN WE WOULD START TO CHARGE FOR PARKING THERE, ESSENTIALLY RUNNING FROM MEMORIAL DAY TO LABOR DAY, GENERALLY SPEAKING.
SO WE INCLUDED THAT IN THERE SO THAT WHEN WE GO FROM TALKING ABOUT WHAT OUR CURRENT STATUS IS TO WHAT OUR PROPOSED STATUS IS, IT'LL BE A DIRECT COMPARISON IN TERMS OF WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT.
UH, THE TWO ASTERISKS THAT YOU SEE JUST IDENTIFIED THAT BOTH OF THOSE PARKS HAVE RESTRICTED PARKING SPACES WITHIN THEM.
ISLANDERS OBVIOUSLY HAS A SUBSTANTIALLY LARGER AMOUNT THAN WHAT DREESEN BEACH PARK DOES, BUT DREESEN BEACH PARK DOES CONTAIN SOME LIMITED, UM, SPACES FOR ISLAND RESIDENTS.
AND SO WE'RE JUST CALLING TO THE EFFECT THAT THOSE ARE ESSENTIALLY SEPARATE FROM WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
THIS IS GENERAL PUBLIC METERED ACCESS PARKING.
SO LET'S LOOK AT THE CURRENT AND FUTURE BUDGET IMPLICATIONS, UH, IN YOUR MATERIALS.
WE INCLUDED THE COPY OF THE BUDGET AMENDMENT THAT IT WAS ADOPTED BY TOWN COUNCIL LAST YEAR.
THE REASON WE INCLUDED THAT IN THERE IS 'CAUSE A PART OF THAT BUDGET AMENDMENT INCLUDED FUNDING THE SERVICES OF PCI, WHO'S THE VENDOR WITH WHICH WE'VE CONTRACTED TO MANAGE OUR BEACH PARKING PROGRAM.
AND SO WHAT YOU HAVE HERE IS THE BUDGET THAT CAME FROM THAT DOCUMENT THAT WAS APPROVED BY COUNSEL INDICATING WHAT BOTH THE OPERATIONAL EXPENSES WOULD BE AND WHAT THE CAPITAL EXPENSES WOULD BE.
AND AS YOU CAN IMAGINE AT THE OUTSET OF THE PROGRAM, THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER LEVEL OF CAPITAL EXPENSES BECAUSE WE NEEDED TO PUT IN PLACE THE INFRASTRUCTURE TO ULTIMATELY BE ABLE TO OPERATE THE PROGRAM.
SO A LOT OF TECHNOLOGY AND CAMERAS AND ALL OF THAT STUFF WAS PART OF THE CAPITAL EXPENDITURES.
NOW THAT THAT INFRASTRUCTURE'S IN PLACE, THAT BUDGET'S GONNA GO DOWN SIGNIFICANTLY GOING FORWARD.
WE'LL STILL NEED SOME MONEY IN THERE FOR REPLACEMENTS, REPAIRS, UPGRADES, EXPANSIONS, WHAT HAVE YOU, BUT THAT'S GONNA BE A MUCH, MUCH SMALLER NUMBER.
WHEREAS NOW THAT WE'RE IN THE FULL
[00:25:01]
SWING OF ACTUALLY MANAGING THE, UH, THE PROGRAM, THE OPERATIONAL EXPENSES ARE GOING TO GO AND BE SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER.AND SO WE LISTED ON THERE WHAT THE STAFFING LEVELS WERE.
THOSE WERE THE IDENTIFIED STAFFING LEVELS FOR FY 24.
MY UNDERSTANDING IS THOSE POSITIONS KIND OF CAME ON GRADUALLY.
SO THEY WEREN'T ALL AT THE OUTSET, ALL EIGHT POSITIONS, OR I THINK IT'S, I'M SORRY, UH, 11 POSITIONS TOTAL.
THEY CAME ON AT DIFFERENT POINTS IN TIME DEPENDING UPON WHAT THE POSITION WAS AND WHAT THE NEED FOR IT WAS GOING FORWARD.
THE, UH, FULL-TIME, PEOPLE WILL BE THERE YEAR ROUND PART-TIME, UM, WILL BE THERE YEAR ROUND.
AND THEN THE SEASONAL WILL BE THERE ONLY DURING ESSENTIALLY THE SUMMER MONTHS.
AND MADAM CHAIR, I'M SORRY TO INTERRUPT PLEASE, BECAUSE OF, THERE'S A LOT OF DATA IN THIS PRESENTATION THAT WE'VE BEEN PROVIDED.
IS IT POSSIBLE TO ASK QUESTIONS AS WE GO ALONG? UM, UH, 'CAUSE I HAVE SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT THE COST HERE AND I THINK IT'D BE HELPFUL TO ASK AT THE TIME WE SEE THE NUMBERS, BUT IF NOT, IF WE NEED TO LISTEN TO FULL PRESENTATION, I'LL DO MY BEST TO MAKE MY NOTES AND COME BACK LATER.
UM, IF IF IT, I'M FINE WITH THAT.
IF YOU'D LIKE TO ASK YOUR QUESTIONS AS WE MOVE ALONG, THAT'S FINE.
UH, THE PREVIOUS SLIDES YOU SHOWED US WHERE WE CURRENTLY CHARGE PARKING.
UM, AND SO, UM, MY QUESTION IS, ARE THOSE COSTS SHOWN IN THE BUDGET, UM, JUST TO PROVIDE FOR SERVICES FOR THOSE PARKING AREAS OR DOES IT ALSO INCLUDE SERVICES AT KIG PARKING AREA? SO IT DOES THE, THE PROPOSED BUDGET.
SO THIS ONE RIGHT HERE AND THE FY 25 BUDGET BOTH PROPOSES TO PROVIDE SERVICES AT KIG AND BOTH HAVE PROVIDED SERVICES AT KIG.
SO LAST YEAR THEY DID HAVE SOME OF THEIR PART-TIME PEOPLE OUT THERE TO HELP WITH TRAFFIC FLOW.
NOW WE WERE NOT CHARGING AT THAT POINT, BUT WE DID HAVE STAFF ON HAND TO ASSIST IN TERMS OF THE PARKING EXPERIENCE.
I WAS GONNA SAY, SO WHAT WE LISTED HERE IS ESSENTIALLY THE EXPENSES, I DID NOT INCLUDE THE REVENUE GENERATION, UH, BECAUSE THE REVENUE GENERATION ALSO INCLUDES THE RESIDENT BEACH PASSES.
UM, I WOULD SAY THAT THE REVENUE THAT WE GENERATE FROM THE METERS NOW IN THOSE PARTICULAR LOCATIONS IS NOMINAL.
UM, AND CERTAINLY WE CAN PROVIDE A FULL ACCOUNTING OF IT, BUT IT'S NOT SIGNIFICANT IN TERMS OF, OF ITS OVERALL IMPACT TO THE BUDGET.
AND, AND OF THE STAFFING LEVEL THREE FULL-TIME, FIVE PART-TIME, THREE SEASONAL, HOW MANY OF THOSE WERE AT, UH, THE K NEY PARKING AREA? YOU KNOW, LET ME BRING UP MATT TRULA WITH PCI AND HE'LL BE ABLE TO SPEAK TO THAT DIRECTLY IN TERMS OF THE SERVICE AREAS THAT THEY LOOKED AT LAST YEAR.
I'M JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT THE IMPACT OF THE DIFFERENT AREAS ON THE CURRENT COST.
I'M SORRY, WHAT WAS THE QUESTION AGAIN? YES, SIR.
UM, UP ON THAT SLIDE THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT, MM-HMM,
AND I'M WONDERING HOW MANY OF THOSE STAFF ARE AT THE EGNEY BEACH PARKING LOT? TYPICALLY WE STAFF ON FRIDAY, SATURDAY, AND SUNDAY, WE STAFF TWO INDIVIDUALS TO, UM, FROM 8:00 AM TO 4:00 PM TO HELP WITH THE TRAFFIC FLOW AND GENERATE AND ALERT PEOPLE IF IT'S FULL WHERE THE OVERFLOW PARKING IS.
AND, AND SO THERE ARE THOSE IN THE PART-TIME OR SEASONAL OR FULL-TIME CATEGORY? THEY'RE IN THE SEASONAL.
WELL, WE TECHNICALLY WE HAVE ONE, ONE PERSON WHO'S FULL-TIME OR PART-TIME YEAR ROUND THAT'S GONNA BE MOVING OVER THERE.
AND THEN THE OTHER TWO WILL BE SEASONAL, GOING TO BE MOVING OVER THERE FOR THIS SUMMER SEASON OR? YES, JUST FOR THE SUMMER SEASON.
TIM, HE CURRENTLY WORKS AT ISLANDERS RIGHT NOW AND HE'S GONNA MOVE OVER TO EE AND START STAFFING THAT FOR SEASON.
ANYONE ELSE HAVE A QUESTION ON THESE? NO.
SO BEFORE WE CONTINUE WITH THE SLIDESHOW, I UNDERSTAND FROM A TECHNICAL STANDPOINT WHAT FOLKS ARE SEEING BECAUSE WE'RE BROADCASTING THIS MEETING, THEY'RE SEEING A, A PRESENTATION THAT'S DIFFERENT THAN WHAT WE'RE SEEING.
THEY'RE NOT SEEING THE WHOLE SLIDE, SO THAT'S WHY THEY'RE, THEY'RE KIND OF WORKING, UH, QUIETLY TO TRY TO CORRECT THAT.
AND THEN IF THEY CAN GET THAT DONE HERE SHORTLY, THEN WE'LL HOP BACK INTO THE PRESENTATION AND CONTINUE MOVING FORWARD.
AND JUST IN TERMS OF, UM, THE IN BETWEEN TIME, IF SOMEONE WANTED TO SEE THE ACTUAL DOCUMENTS THAT ARE BEING PRESENTED HERE IN CHAPTER YES, THEY COULD GO ONLINE AND PULL UP THE AGENDA PACKET BECAUSE IT'S ALL WITHIN THAT PATENT.
SO THE STAFF MEMO AND ALL OF THE ATTACHMENTS WERE POSTED ONLINE FOLLOWING THIS MEETING TODAY.
THE ACTUAL POWERPOINT PRESENTATION WILL WE'LL ADD TO IT AND POST THAT AS WELL.
ALRIGHT, SO THIS WAS, UH, THE CURRENT BUDGET THAT WAS ADOPTED BY TOWN COUNCIL LAST YEAR.
THIS IS THE PROPOSED BUDGET, SO IT'S NOT BEEN ADOPTED, IT'S BEEN INCLUDED WITHIN THE MATERIALS THAT WILL BE COMING FORWARD TO TOWN COUNCIL HERE IN THE NEXT COUPLE WEEKS FOR CONSIDERATION.
AND I HIGHLIGHT THAT BECAUSE ALSO WITHIN THAT BUDGET IS AN IDENTIFIED STREAM OF REVENUE THAT'S NECESSARY TO PAY FOR THESE EXPENSES.
UM, UP UNTIL THIS POINT, STAFF HAS BEEN WORKING TO KIND OF BRIDGE THE GAP AND BANDAID, UH, BUDGET WITH REGARDS TO THE COST OF, UH, PROVIDING THESE SERVICES.
BUT GOING FORWARD, IF WE'RE NOT ABLE TO IMPLEMENT A RECOMMENDATION
[00:30:01]
ON CHARGING A FEE THAT WILL GENERATE THE REVENUE NECESSARY TO PAY FOR THIS PROGRAM, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT WHAT DO WE DO, DO WE TAKE A PAUSE IN TERMS OF IMPLEMENTING IT? UM, DO WE LOOK AT REVISING IT? BUT ULTIMATELY TO GO FORWARD, I'M WANTING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CLEARLY COMMUNICATE WITH YOU AND WE CLEARLY COMMUNICATE WITH TOWN COUNCIL THAT THERE'S AN EXPECTATION THAT WE WILL NEED REVENUES IN ORDER TO PAY FOR THESE SERVICES.AND SO WHEN YOU SEE YOUR FY 25 PROPOSED BUDGET, YOU'LL SEE THAT THERE IS AN ITEM WITHIN IT THAT WOULD GENERATE WHAT WE ANTICIPATE GIVEN SOME VARIABLES, UM, MIGHT BE THE AMOUNT OF REVENUE GENERATED FROM THIS PROGRAM THAT WILL BE NECESSARY TO PAY FOR THESE EXPENSES.
UM, JUST FLIPPING BETWEEN THE 24 AND 25 BUDGET, CAN YOU HELP US UNDERSTAND SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN SALARIES AND BENEFITS? YES.
WHEN THE TOTAL NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES HAS NOT CHANGED? SO, AND THAT'S WHERE I KIND OF ASTERISKED ON THE PREVIOUS ONE BECAUSE THOSE WERE BROUGHT IN OVER TIME.
SO THAT BY, BY THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR, THAT IS THE FULL COMPLIMENT OF STAFF THAT'S ON PLACE.
UM, WHICH IS THEN GOING TO BE CLOSER TO THIS FIGURE.
BUT WHEN WE FIRST STARTED THIS CONTRACT, THE PRIMARY FOCUS WAS ON GETTING THE CAPITAL INFRASTRUCTURE PUT IN PLACE.
AND SO THEY HAD A LIMITED NUMBER OF STAFFING BECAUSE WE WERE ALSO PROCESSING THE RESIDENT BEACH PARKING PASSES.
BUT IN TERMS OF HAVING PEOPLE OUT IN THE FIELD FOR A, A SIGNIFICANT PERIOD OF TIME, WE ACTUALLY HAD A TOWN EMPLOYEE WHO WAS AT ISLANDERS BEACH PARK BEFORE WE TRANSITIONED OVER TO HAVING PCI HAVE THAT STAFF PERSON BE THERE.
SO THIS NUMBER THAT YOU SEE HERE IS NOT REFLECTIVE OF A FULL YEAR AT FULL STAFFING CAPACITY, IF THAT MAKES SENSE.
UM,
SO I'M CURIOUS TO KNOW WHAT THAT COVERAGE WOULD LOOK LIKE ONCE WE ARE FULL FLEDGED.
SO IN TERMS OF FULL-TIME, MANNED FACILITIES, ISLANDERS BEACH PARK BECOMES THAT FULL-TIME FACILITY.
THE OTHER BEACH PARKS ARE MANNED ON A, UM, UM, PATROL BASIS.
SO PEOPLE WILL GO FOR, STAFF WILL GO FROM ONE FACILITY TO ANOTHER AND ON A ROTATIONAL BASIS VISIT ALL OF THE FACILITIES.
BUT ISLANDERS IS THE ONE THAT WE HAVE STAFF AT FULL TIME FROM A MAN STANDPOINT.
UM, SO I HAVE A QUESTION WITH REGARD TO THE CAPITAL EXPENSES FROM 24 MM-HMM.
AND IN THIS 25, UM, BUDGET, THERE'S 25,000 THAT'S SET ASIDE.
NOT ALL OF OUR BEACH PARKS ARE CURRENTLY EQUIPPED TO, UM, MANAGE THE, UM, CARD, THE READER, THE LICENSED READER AND ALL AND THAT SORT OF THING, OR ARE THEY I'M, I BELIEVE THEY ARE.
ARE THEY? WELL, AND SO THOSE MONIES HAVE BEEN FULLY SPENT TO E TO EQUIP ALL OF OUR BEACH PARKS, CORRECT.
WHAT'S NEEDED TO IDENTIFY? UM, GOOD MORNING.
UM, YEAH, CURRENTLY WE HAVE CAMERAS, THE LICENSE RECOGNITION CAMERAS UP AT ALL OF THE LOCATIONS WITH THE EXCEPTION OF ALDER LANE, WHICH WE'RE JUST GONNA MANUALLY BECAUSE THAT'S SMALLER THAT WE WON'T NEED IT THERE, BUT THEY ARE, THEY'RE UP, UH, WE ARE DEALING WITH THE, THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF A DELAY WITH THE POWER, HOW WE'RE ACCESSING POWER.
WE'VE WORKED THAT OUT, THAT'S GONNA BE IMPLEMENTED WITHIN THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS.
SO EVERYTHING WILL BE FULLY FUNCTIONAL WITHIN THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS.
SO THAT, THAT CAPITAL BIG TECHNOLOGY EXPENSE FROM LAST YEAR HAS BEEN FULLY SPENT, CORRECT? IT HAS NOT.
NO, IT HAS NOT BEEN FULLY SPENT.
IT'S, IT WILL BE FULLY SPENT AS, AS WE COMPLETE THE PROJECT.
AND THE NEW $25,000 IS FOR UPGRADING REPAIRS, THAT SORT OF THING, OR? THAT'S CORRECT.
SO DO WE HAVE AN ACCOUNTING OF HOW MUCH HAS BEEN SPENT? WE DO, YES.
WE ALSO HAVE A SCHEDULE SHOWING WHERE THE INFRASTRUCTURE WAS PUT IN PLACE, AND WE CAN MAKE SURE TO TRANSMIT THAT TO YOU.
IT WAS PART OF THE, UM, THE BUDGET AMENDMENT THAT WAS APPROVED.
THERE WAS A SCHEDULE WITHIN THERE SHOWING HOW THOSE FUNDS WOULD BE SPENT.
I'M, I'M CURIOUS OF, I UNDERSTAND THAT THE CAMERA'S IN YET
SO IF I PULL UP THE APP OR IF I PULL UP THE WEBSITE, I CAN SEE WHAT THAT COMMUNICATION IS THAT'S PART OF THAT CAPITAL EXPENDITURE.
THE FULL CAPITAL, UM, EXPENDITURE INCLUDES THE CAMERAS, THE GATE ARMS, THE UH, RESIDENCE SENSORS THAT WE HAVE
[00:35:01]
IN THE SPACES AT ISLANDERS AND, UM, THREE AND THEN AS WELL AS THE COMPANY VEHICLES THAT WE NEEDED FOR OPERATION.I, I HAVE A QUESTION, SO I PROBABLY SHOULD STAY THERE FOR JUST A MINUTE.
MY QUESTION HAS TO DO WITH, UM, Y'ALL HAVE PEOPLE IN THE OFFICE WHO ARE PROCESSING RESIDENT PASSES AS WE MOVE FORWARD, IT'S TWO QUESTIONS ACTUALLY.
AND FULL-TIME RESIDENCE IS DEFINED IN OUR LMO.
THE GOAL IS TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE NOT PAYING FOR A PASS OR FEE OF ANY SORT TO PARK AT OUR ISLAND.
BEACHES, PARKS, HOW MUCH STAFF ARE YOU GOING TO NEED IN THE OFFICE TO, TO MANAGE THAT? AS FAR AS THAT GOES, THAT WOULDN'T CHANGE ANYTHING IN AS FAR AS THE STAFFING, BECAUSE WE STILL HAVE TO DO THE SAME SORT OF PROCESSING AND JUST THE ONLY PO THE ONLY PART WOULD BE ELIMINATED WOULD BE RECEIVING PAYMENT FROM THEM.
SO BASICALLY OUR, OUR EFFORTS WOULDN'T CHANGE AT ALL.
WE'D STILL NEED TO, IT'S A LARGER NUMBER OF PEOPLE ARE.
IT IS, IT'S A LOT MORE DOCUMENTATION.
IT'S, YEAH, I HAVE AN ASSISTANT MANAGER THAT HELPS ME OUT AND HIM AND I TAKE CARE OF ALL OF THOSE.
ABOUT ABOUT 7,000 ON AN ANNUAL BASIS.
AND SO THEY'RE STILL VERIFYING THAT THEY DO IN FACT QUALIFY AS A RESIDENT.
THEY'RE MAKING SURE THAT THERE'S NOT BEEN MORE THAN TWO ISSUED PER HOUSEHOLD.
SO THEY'RE STILL A LOT OF CHECKS AND BALANCES THAT GO WITH IT.
THEY JUST WOULDN'T NEED THE PAYMENT PROCESSING ASPECT OF IT.
I I JUST WANTED TO ADD TO MADAME CHAIR'S POINT, RIGHT NOW, THERE'S A COST FOR A BEACH PARKING PASS.
$15 PER YEAR PER PASS WOMAN THAT IT IS FREE, THAT 7,000, ABOUT 40,000 IS GOING TO INCREASE.
SO, SO PREVIEW OF COMING ATTRACTIONS, AS SOON AS I GET TO A FUTURE SLIDE, WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT THAT.
AND HOW WE'VE PROPOSED TO INCLUDE THAT WITHIN THE PROGRAM'S, UH, EXPENSES.
AND THERE WE'LL ALSO SEE THE REVENUE THAT'S BEEN, UM, OVER.
SORRY, BEFORE WE GO TO THE FUTURE SLIDE,
IT SAYS, FUNDED BY PARKING FEES TRANSFER IN FROM H TAX, WHICH IS HOSPITALITY TAX.
AND THEN THERE WAS SOME FUNDING INCLUDED IN THE CIP OF 200,000.
SO THOSE ARE THE CURRENT SOURCES OF FUNDING, IS THAT CORRECT? NO, THOSE ARE PROPOSED FOR, SO AT THE TIME WHEN WE PUT IN PLACE THE ADOPTION OF THE CONTRACT, IT WAS ANTICIPATED THAT WE WOULD ULTIMATELY ADOPT A PARKING FEE TO RAISE THE 669,000 THAT YOU SPEAK OF.
THAT OBVIOUSLY HAS NOT HAPPENED.
AND SO THE COMMENT THAT I MADE ABOUT STAFF KIND OF BAND-AIDING THE BUDGET, IT, WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO THAT TO MAKE UP FOR THAT.
BUT GOING FORWARD, IF WE DO NOT ADOPT A PARKING, UH, FEE THAT WILL HELP TO PAY THESE EXPENSES.
THE REVENUE THAT'S GENERATED RIGHT NOW FROM THE RESIDENT BEACH PASS, IT'S 7,000 TIMES 15, WHICH I THINK IS LIKE 115,000 ANNUALLY.
AND THEN THE PARKING REVENUES THAT ARE GENERATED FROM THE 50 CENTS AN HOUR, DOLLAR AN HOUR IF THE MACHINES ARE WORKING.
AGAIN, I DON'T HAVE THE FIGURE IN FRONT OF ME, BUT IT'S A RATHER NOMINAL FIGURE.
SO OUR BUDGET ASSUMES THAT WE WILL ULTIMATELY IMPLEMENT SOME KIND OF PARKING FEE THAT WILL GENERATE REVENUES THAT ARE SUFFICIENT TO PAY FOR THIS EXPENSE.
AND I'VE GOT SCHEDULES THAT I'M GONNA GO OVER HERE IN A MINUTE TO KIND OF SHOW YOU WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE AND THE VARIABLES THAT GO INTO IT.
AND, AND SO FOR THIS CURRENT YEAR, OUR CURRENT BUDGET YEAR, WHERE'S THE MONEY COMING FROM OTHER THAN THE RESIDENTS PARKING FEES? SO, AND, AND THE METERS? YEP.
SO WE HAD BUDGETED FUNDS, WE HAD CIP FUNDS, AND THEN COUNCILS CURRENTLY CONSIDERING A BUDGET AMENDMENT THAT WOULD ALLOW FOR A TRANSFER OF UNSPENT FUNDS FROM LAST YEAR THAT WOULD ALLOW US TO KIND OF BRIDGE THAT GAP FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE FY 24 BUDGET.
AND WHAT'S THE SOURCE OF THOSE FUNDS? IS HOSPITAL? I, I BELIEVE THEY'RE HOSPITALITY TAXES.
SO MOSTLY IT'S COMING FROM HOSPITALITY TAX AND RESIDENCE FEES FOR THE CURRENT FUNDING, CORRECT? YES.
AND, AND FUTURE, THERE MAY BE SOME PARKING FEES INCLUDED DEPENDING UPON WHAT WE RECOMMEND ULTIMATELY.
AND, AND IF COUNCIL IS NOT AT A POINT WHERE THEY FEEL COMFORTABLE IMPLEMENTING IT, THEN WE NEED TO HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT THE SCOPE OF SERVICES.
BECAUSE RIGHT NOW THERE'S AN IMBALANCE.
WE'RE PAYING FOR A LOT OF SERVICES, BUT THERE'S NOT REVENUE TO BRING IT IN.
AND IF WE CAN'T BRING UP THE REVENUE, THEN WE NEED TO LOOK AT SCALING BACK THE SERVICES.
THIS WAS NEVER INTENDED TO BE SUPPLEMENTED BY GENERAL.
IT NEEDED TO HAVE SUPPORT ITSELF AND TO PAY, UH, PROVIDE, UH, THE RESIDENTS AT THE FREE PASS.
IT SEEMS LIKE IT OUGHT TO BE MORE OF A USER FEE THAN CERTAINLY NOT OUTTA THE GENERAL FUND.
ALRIGHT, YOU READY? I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANNA KEEP GOING BACK AND FORTH GUYS.
ALRIGHT, SO LET, LET'S MOVE INTO THESE, UM, ELEMENTS, UH, THAT I TALKED ABOUT AND THEN WE'RE GONNA GO THROUGH A COUPLE
[00:40:01]
OF WHAT IF SCENARIOS.SO CURRENT CONDITIONS, RIGHT NOW WE HAVE FOUR LOCATIONS THAT ARE CURRENTLY CHARGING FOR PARKING.
THE RATE THAT WE'RE CHARGING IS ANYWHERE FROM 50 CENTS AN HOUR TO A DOLLAR AN HOUR.
THE CURRENT NUMBER OF PARKING SPACES WITHIN THOSE FOUR LOCATIONS IS 266 SPACES.
WE LOOK AT USING A PERCENTAGE OF THOSE LOTS.
SO DURING THE SUMMER THOSE LOTS ARE FAIRLY FULL.
DURING THE WINTER THEY'RE NOT SO FULL.
AND SO WE LOOK AT THAT KIND OF ON AN AVERAGE BASIS AND WE WAIT THAT ANYWHERE FROM 10% UTILIZATION ALL THE WAY UP TO 80% UTILIZATION.
WE DON'T DO A HUNDRED PERCENT UTILIZATION BECAUSE EVEN THOUGH WE KNOW DURING THE WEEKENDS THOSE LOTS ARE FULL DURING MIDWEEK, THEY MAY NOT REACH CAPACITY.
AND SO ON AN AVERAGE BASIS, WE FELT COMFORTABLE USING THOSE VARIABLES.
AND AGAIN, RIGHT NOW THE HOURS OF OPERATION ARE SUNRISE TO SUNSET DEPENDING UPON WHAT TIME OF YEAR IT IS.
WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT ARE POSSIBLE CONSIDERATIONS FOR THIS PROGRAM THAT WOULD LOOK AT ANYWHERE BETWEEN FIVE TO SEVEN OF OUR BEACH PARKS BEING, UM, HAVING PAID PARKING, WE'RE LOOKING AT A RATE THAT GOES ANYWHERE FROM $0, UH, TO $5 AN HOUR.
AND THEN THE NUMBER OF SPOTS, IF YOU GO FROM, UM, THE FOUR AT 2 66 ALL THE WAY UP TO ALL SEVEN A TOTAL OF 1,155.
AND THEN IF YOU MADE IT SEASONAL, THAT DOES GO DOWN BECAUSE IT REMOVES CHAPLAIN PARK.
AND SO I'M GONNA SHOW YOU EACH OF THOSE ELEMENTS HERE IN A LITTLE BIT AND YOU CAN SEE WHERE THOSE COME FROM.
AGAIN, WE'RE GONNA KEEP THE UTILIZATION PERCENTAGE THE SAME, ANYWHERE FROM 10% TO 80% DEPENDING UPON THE TIME OF YEAR.
BUT STAFF IS PROPOSING THAT WE STANDARDIZE THE HOURS OF OPERATION ACROSS ALL OF THE PARKS TO HAVE THEM OPEN AT 6:00 AM AND CLOSE AT 10:00 PM UH, WE THINK THAT'S IN KEEPING WITH PRIMARILY THE UTILIZATION OF THE PROPERTIES.
UH, I'M SURE THAT THERE'D BE SOMEBODY WHO COMES IN AND GOES, OH, YOU KNOW, I JUST LOVE DOING YOGA ON THE BEACH AT 5:00 AM WHY DON'T YOU OPEN IT UP FOR ME? BUT THE NUMBER OF THOSE REQUESTS ARE FEW AND FAR BETWEEN AS COMPARED TO THE MAJORITY OF USERS.
SIMILARLY, WHEN WE HIT 10:00 PM THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT KICK IN FROM NOISE REGULATIONS.
UM, OUR SPECIAL EVENT PERMITS END AT 10:00 PM SO 10:00 PM SEEMS TO BE A CONSISTENT TIME WHERE IF YOU'RE DOING, UM, THINGS ON TOWN PROPERTY, 10:00 PM IS WHEN THOSE ARE SUPPOSED TO BE WINDING DOWN.
ALRIGHT, SO LET'S LOOK AT AND JUST TO THROW OUT THERE YEP.
AND SO YOU STILL HAVE ACCESS TO A PUBLIC ACCESS TO GET ONTO THE BEACH IF YOU SO DESIRE.
A COUPLE OF THEM WILL REMAIN WITHOUT GATES, A COUPLE OF THEM WILL HAVE GATES.
UM, PRIMARILY I WOULD SAY IT'S NOT SO MUCH TO KEEP PEOPLE OUT EARLY IN THE MORNING, BUT IT'S TO KEEP PEOPLE OUT LATE AT NIGHT IS MORE THE REASON WHY THEY'RE GOING TO BE THERE.
BUT JUST FOR THOSE FOLKS, MM-HMM.
ALRIGHT, SO LET'S LOOK AT A COUPLE SCENARIOS THEN.
SO THIS CHART RIGHT HERE SHOWS A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT THINGS.
IT BREAKS OUT THE HOURLY RATE TO BE CHARGED, THE AVERAGE PARKING SESSION.
AND SO IF WE LOOK AT THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO GO TO THE BEACH, BASED UPON SOME OF THE DATA THAT WE LOOK AT, WE THINK THREE AND A HALF HOURS IS A GOOD, GOOD WINDOW.
SOME PEOPLE GO FOR AN HOUR AND THEN THEY LEAVE.
OTHER PEOPLE ALL ARE THERE ALL DAY.
BUT WE THINK FROM AN AVERAGE STANDPOINT, THAT'S SOMEWHERE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF ABOUT THREE, THREE AND A HALF HOURS.
AND THEN WE LOOK AT THE TOTAL NUMBER OF PARKING SPACES THAT ARE GOING TO BE PAID PARKING.
AND AGAIN, THIS NUMBER IS DERIVED FROM WHICH PARKS WE ARE CURRENTLY CHARGING AT AND WHICH ONES WE ARE NOT.
AND SO YOU SEE THAT HERE, CHAPLAIN PARK IS HIGHLIGHTED IN YELLOW.
THAT'S TO REFLECT THE SEASONALITY THAT THIS COMMITTEE TALKED ABOUT PREVIOUSLY AND THAT WE'RE ONLY GOING TO CHARGE BETWEEN MEMORIAL DAY AND LABOR DAY.
SO YOU SEE THAT WHEN WE HIT MAY, WHEN MEMORIAL DAY IS AND WHEN WE HIT LABOR DAY, UH, WHEN SEPTEMBER IS THE NUMBER OF SPACES THAT ARE AVAILABLE JUMPS UP.
THE NEXT THING OF THAT UTILIZATION THAT I TALKED ABOUT, AND AGAIN, IN JANUARY WHEN TRAFFIC IS VERY LIGHT, WE'RE ONLY UTILIZING A 10% UTILIZATION FACTOR.
WHEREAS DURING THE BUSY MONTHS OF JUNE, JULY, AUGUST AND SEPTEMBER WE GO, ESPECIALLY DURING JUNE, JULY AND AUGUST, WE USE A UTILIZATION RATE OF 80% BASED UPON WHAT WE'VE OBSERVED IN TERMS OF THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT ARE TRYING TO ACCESS THE BEACH THAT TIME OF YEAR.
SO THESE ARE ALL THE VARIABLES THAT WHEN YOU PLUG IT IN, IT GENERATES WHAT THE POTENTIAL REVENUE WOULD BE FROM IMPLEMENTING A PARKING FEE AT THAT RATE FOR THIS NUMBER OF SPOTS BASED UPON THESE ASSUMPTIONS OF UTILIZATION AND THE NUMBER OF DAYS PER MONTH.
AND SO I'VE ALSO HIGHLIGHTED LINY BEACH HERE.
THE STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION IS THAT YOU CONSIDER A PAID PARKING STRUCTURE THAT WOULD
[00:45:01]
REQUIRE PAID PARKING AT ALDER LANE, DREESEN BEACH PARK, FOLLY FIELD, BEACH PARK, ISLANDERS BEACH PARK, AND AGAIN, JUST THE PUBLICLY ACCESSIBLE METERED SPACES AND FISH HALL, BEACH PARK, ALL YEAR LONG AT THOSE LOCATIONS.AT A RATE OF $5 AN HOUR, WE WOULD PROPOSE THAT CHAPLAIN PARK BE CHARGED $5 AN HOUR AS WELL, AGAIN, OUTSIDE OF THE YOUTH RECREATIONAL SEASON.
AND THEN LASTLY, WE WOULD PROPOSE THAT KIG BEACH PARK REMAIN WITHOUT A CHARGE.
OBVIOUSLY, WE'VE TALKED SEVERAL TIMES NOW ABOUT SOME OF THOSE UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES, SOME OF THOSE NEGATIVE EFFECTS AND OVERFLOWS SOME OF THE EMPLOYEE PARKING CONSIDERATIONS.
AND I KNOW YOU'VE GOT A NUMBER OF FOLKS HERE TODAY THAT ARE BUSINESS OWNERS THAT HAVE EXPRESSED THESE CONCERNS.
THAT CONCERN IS WHAT HAS GONE INTO THIS STAFF RECOMMENDATION TO SAY, WE KNOW WE NEED TO IMPLEMENT PARKING TO PAY FOR THE PROGRAM BECAUSE WE WANNA PROVIDE THIS SERVICE AND WE WANNA ACHIEVE THOSE GOALS THAT WE TALKED ABOUT.
BUT LET'S INCREMENTALLY DO THAT.
AND THIS WE THINK IS THAT KIND OF INCREMENTAL STEP BY REMOVING THIS DURING SEASONALITY, ELIMINATING THIS AS AS UH, A PAID PARKING AREA, BUT IMPLEMENTING IT AT THESE OTHER LOCATIONS.
AND AGAIN, THAT WILL HAVE AN IMPACT ON INFLUENCING PEOPLE'S BEHAVIORS AND IT WILL LIKELY DRIVE PEOPLE TO PARK AT COLIGNY BECAUSE IT DOES NOT HAVE A FEE, WHICH IS OKAY.
WE JUST NEED TO BE PREPARED FOR THAT AND OFFER THE SERVICES THAT WE HAVE PREVIOUSLY, WHICH IS THE OVERFLOW LOT AT USCB OR THE ABILITY TO COMMUNICATE THAT ONCE THOSE AREAS ARE FULL, WHAT THE OTHER PARKING AREAS ARE THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC.
AND THE THE PARKING REVENUES IN THE TOP CHART ARE REFLECTIVE OF THE, WHAT YOU JUST DESCRIBED, CHAPLAIN BEING THAT'S CORRECT.
SO HE'S TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT ALL THOSE VARIABLES, THE NUMBER OF SPACES, THE AVERAGE PARKING SESSION, THE RATE TO BE CHARGED, AND THEN THE UTILIZATION IS WHAT GENERATES THOSE FIGURES ON A PER MONTH BASIS.
SO I'VE PUT IN HERE WHAT THE FY 24 BUDGET WAS BECAUSE AGAIN, THE FY 24 BUDGET HAD A SIGNIFICANTLY MORE EXPENSIVE CAPITAL COMPONENT TO IT.
AND THEN AS WE TALKED ABOUT, YOU'LL SEE THAT THE 115,500 THAT IS THE ELIMINATION OF THE $15 PER PASS FOR THE RESIDENTIAL BEACH PARKING PASSES, PASSES AS A RESIDENT YOU CAN OBTAIN WHAT OUR RECOMMENDATION IS TWO PER HOUSEHOLD, SO THAT WAY IT'S NOT AN UNLIMITED AMOUNT.
YOU WOULD STILL BE VERIFIED AND VETTED TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU MEET THE DEFINITION OF AN ISLAND ISLAND RESIDENT, BUT ONCE YOU RECEIVE THAT PASS, YOU WOULD BE AUTHORIZED TO PARK FOR FREE IN ANY OF THESE METERED SPACES YEAR ROUND.
AND SO WE THINK THAT THAT'S A GOOD BALANCE BETWEEN THE IMPACTS TO LOCAL RESIDENTS FROM IMPLEMENTING THIS AND ALLOWING THE PROGRAM TO BE THEN TARGETED AT VISITORS AND GUESTS WHO ARE NOT OTHERWISE CONTRIBUTING FROM A PROPERTY TAX STANDPOINT TOWARDS PAYING FOR THESE COST OF OPERATIONS.
AND SO WE'VE LISTED BOTH IN HERE THAT IF YOU ADD IN THE RESIDENT PASS, UM, DOLLAR VALUES, THE TOTAL BUDGET FOR THIS YEAR WOULD BE JUST SHY OF A MILLION DOLLARS.
AND THEN THE FUTURE BUDGET FOR NEXT YEAR WOULD BE JUST SHY OF 750,000.
AND AGAIN, THE ANNUAL PROJECTION TAKES INTO ACCOUNT A NUMBER OF VARIABLES.
AND THIS IS KIND OF OUR, OUR BEST GUESS KNOWING WHAT WE HAVE NOW.
BUT IF WE PUT IN PLACE THIS SCENARIO, WE ANTICIPATE THAT WE COULD GENERATE SOMEWHERE AROUND 1.6 MILLION.
SO IT WOULD MORE THAN COVER WHAT THE COST WOULD BE AND ANY OVERAGE COULD BE USED TO REINVEST BACK WITHIN THE PROGRAM ITSELF.
EITHER UPGRADES TO THE FACILITIES, UPGRADES TO THE PROGRAM, UM, THE ENHANCEMENT OF ADDITIONAL, UM, FORMS OF TRANSPORTATION.
I'M THINKING PRIMARILY BIKES THAT WE CAN PUT IN MORE INFRASTRUCTURE TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO BIKE TO THE BEACH RATHER THAN TAKING A CAR.
BUT BASICALLY ANY REVENUE THAT'S GENERATED COULD BE DIRECTED TOWARDS GOING BACK INTO THE PARKING MANAGEMENT PROGRAM.
UH, IF YOU RECALL EARLY, EARLY ON WITH WALKER CONSULTANTS, ONE OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT THEY MADE WAS THAT THIS BE TREATED ALMOST LIKE AN ENTERPRISE FUND.
AND SO THAT IS KIND OF WHAT WE'RE DOING WITH THIS RECOMMENDATION.
UM, IT'S NOT MEANT TO BE A REVENUE GENERATOR THAT WE'RE GONNA TAKE THAT AND WE'RE GONNA SPEND A MILLION DOLLARS ON SOMETHING COMPLETELY UNRELATED.
WE THINK THIS PROGRAM SHOULD BE TIED DIRECTLY TO PROVIDING BEACH PARKING SERVICES AND THEN THE QUALITY AND LEVEL OF SERVICE THAT THAT, UH, PROGRAM PROVIDES.
AND I THINK ALEX HAS, UM, YEAH.
UM, AND THANK YOU FOR PUTTING THIS TOGETHER, JOSH.
UM, I'M CURIOUS TO KNOW AS WE ARE LOOKING, UH, FORWARD, UM, FOCUSING ON THE FY 25, HELP ME UNDERSTAND AGAIN WHY WE'RE PUTTING BACK THE 115.
SO STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION, WHICH THE COMMITTEE CAN AGREE WITH THE COMMITTEE CAN REJECT IS TO HAVE THE PARKING PROGRAM PAY FOR ITSELF.
AND SO RIGHT NOW WE ARE RECEIVING ABOUT $115,000 IN REVENUE FROM CHARGING THAT $15 PER PASS.
AND SO WE ARE WANTING TO MAKE SURE THAT THE TOTAL BUDGET TAKES IN THAT AMOUNT BECAUSE OTHERWISE, IF WE ONLY CHARGE TO
[00:50:01]
BREAK EVEN IN THE PARKING MANAGEMENT AND WE DIDN'T CHARGE FOR THE RESIDENT PASS, WE'D WIND UP SHORT FROM A BUDGETING STANDPOINT.SO WE'RE ESSENTIALLY JUST FACTORING THAT IN AS AN ADDITIONAL EXPENSE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE TRULY BREAK EVEN FROM ALL ASPECTS OF THE PROGRAM.
SO IF WE WERE TO TAKE THAT OUT MM-HMM.
THEN BASICALLY OUR BOTTOM LINE WOULD BE 115 FIVE SHORT.
BUT I'M ALSO SEEING THAT THE PROPOSED BUDGET MOVING FORWARD FROM PCI IS AROUND 6 23.
IT SHOULD BE THAT, UH, THAT FIGURE RIGHT HERE.
SO REGARDLESS, WE ARE LOOKING AT ABOUT A MILLION DOLLARS IN THE C OFFICE REGARDLESS IF WE HAVE THE RESIDENTIAL YEP.
UM, NOW, NOW I HAVE THESE NUMBERS IN FRONT OF ME FINALLY.
I DO HAVE A FEW COMMENTS TO MAKE BACK TO THE PURPOSE.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT CONTROL AND DEMAND AND, UH, INFLUENCING BEACH PARKING DECISIONS,
UM, I'M, I'M HAPPY TO SEE THAT WE ARE SORT OF, SORT OF LOOKING AT MANIPULATING THIS SO THAT THE, THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY IS NOT AFFECTED.
UM, BUT WE ALSO GO ON TO SAY THAT WE ARE LOOKING TO COMMUNICATE TIMELY INFORMATION AND BEACH PARKING AVAILABILITY AND ALTERNATIVE.
SO I'D LIKE TO HAVE SOME IDEAS AS TO WHAT REINVESTMENT LOOKS LIKE AND WHAT THOSE COSTS MAY BE.
AND THE FIRST THING THAT COMES TO MY MIND IS SOME TYPE OF PARK AND RIDE.
AND THERE'S JUST NOT ENOUGH SPACE FOR ALL OF THOSE CARS, RIGHT? SO US THINKING FORWARD WITH SOME TYPE OF TRANSIT MM-HMM.
UM, SO I'D LIKE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT A MILLION BUCKS A YEAR DOES FOR US IN THAT TYPE OF INITIATIVE.
AND, AND WE WILL NEED TO START THINKING OF THOSE.
I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS WE NEED TO DO IS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GO FROM PROJECTED TO ACTUAL.
BECAUSE IF SOME REASON, SOME OF THESE UNDERLYING ASSUMPTIONS DON'T PROVE TO BE ACCURATE.
I DON'T WANT US TO START BUDGETING FOR, FOR REVENUES THAT MAY NEVER COME AND THEN WE DON'T HAVE THE ABILITY TO IMPLEMENT IT.
BUT WHAT'S GREAT ABOUT THIS PROGRAM IS BY ADOPTING THE RATE STRUCTURE THROUGH A RESOLUTION, IT'S ONE VOTE OF COUNCIL TO GO BACK AND MAKE CHANGES.
AND SO AS THIS GOES FROM, OKAY, WE'RE THINKING THIS IS WHAT IT'S GOING TO BE TO NOW WE HAVE SOME DATA AND WE CAN ACTUALLY SEE WHAT IT'S GONNA BE, WE CAN DO TWO THINGS.
ONE, WE CAN MAKE ADJUSTMENTS TO THE RATES IF NECESSARY, EITHER UP, DOWN, OR OR OTHERWISE.
AND TWO, WE CAN START PUTTING TOGETHER A PROGRAM TO IDENTIFY WHAT ADDITIONAL ENHANCEMENTS CAN WE MAKE BOTH TO THE PARKS THEMSELVES AND TO THE PROGRAM AS A WHOLE.
AND SO IF WE CAN EXTEND THE, UH, THE USCB PARTNERSHIP TO USE THEIR FACILITIES OR LOOK AT ALTERNATIVE FACILITIES OR POTENTIALLY EVEN OFF ISLAND FACILITIES, ALL OF THOSE BECOME POSSIBLE ONCE WE KNOW THAT THERE'S ACTUALLY REVENUE THERE TO SUPPORT THEM.
LET, LET ME TAKE IT A STEP FURTHER.
WE, WE MAY FIND OURSELVES IN A SITUATION WHERE THE REVENUE FROM THIS PARTICULAR PROGRAM IS NOT GOING TO COVER WHAT WE DREAM UP
SO I UNDERSTAND WHERE YOU'RE GOING JOSH, BUT, BUT FOR ME, I'D LIKE TO UNDERSTAND A LITTLE BIT BETTER WHAT THAT ALTERNATIVE PROGRAM MAY LOOK LIKE BECAUSE THERE MAY BE ALTERNATIVE WAYS TO PAY FOR THAT, RIGHT? YEP.
I MEAN, CURRENTLY WE ARE SUBSIDIZING THIS PROGRAM WITH HX.
SO TO ME THE CONVERSATION'S A LOT BIGGER THAN IF IT'S $5 AT A 80% RATE OR NOT.
IT IS WHAT ARE WE REALLY TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH IN THE FUTURE? ABSOLUTELY.
AND THE BEST ANALOGY I THINK I WOULD PUT WITH THAT IS KIND OF THE CRAWL, WALK, RUN.
I THINK WE'RE STILL SOMEWHAT AT THE CRAWL STAGE JUST BECAUSE WE HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO COME FORWARD AND IMPLEMENT SOMETHING.
BUT WE NEED TO ADVANCE FROM THAT POINT TO DEVELOPING THOSE DIFFERENT ITEMS SOONER RATHER THAN LATER.
I THINK ONCE WE'RE ABLE TO MOVE THIS ON AND GET IT IN PLACE, 'CAUSE AGAIN, IF WE'RE NOT ABLE TO GET THIS IN PLACE, NOT ONLY ARE WE NOT TALKING ABOUT BEING ABLE TO ENHANCE OR EXPAND THE PROGRAM, WE'VE GOTTA LOOK AT HOW CAN WE REDUCE THOSE LEVEL OF SERVICES TO THEN MATCH WHAT REVENUES WE DO HAVE.
[00:55:02]
ANY OTHER COMMENTS BEFORE I, PATSY, DO YOU HAVE SOMETHING? YES.UM, SEEING THIS FOR THE FIRST TIME, UH, IS A PROBLEM
UH, BUT WHAT I'M LOOKING AT IS FOR FY TELE EXPENSES, WE ARE LOOKING AT, UM, AN ANNUAL REVENUE PROJECTION, UH, JUST UNDER 1,000,007, BUT WE RUN ON A FISCAL YEAR AND NOT A CALENDAR YEAR.
SO, BUT WE'RE PAYING OUT ON A FISCAL YEAR.
SO WOULDN'T YOU JUST ADD, UM, ADD THE DAILY PARKING FEES BASED ON THESE ASSUMPTIONS FROM JANUARY THROUGH JUNE AND, AND WE'RE PAST, I MEAN, WE'RE THE 1ST OF APRIL NOW, SO WHEN WOULD THIS BE IMPLEMENTED? IT LOOKS LIKE, YOU KNOW, MAYBE WE CAN COUNT PART OF MAY AND JUNE FOR OUR REVENUES FOR FY 24.
AND SO IT SEEMS AS THOUGH BY SHOWING US THIS ANNUAL REVENUE PROJECTION FOR FY 24 IS INACCURATE.
WELL, WE HAVE IT BROKEN DOWN BY MONTHS.
SO JUST FOR THAT PURPOSE, IF YOU WANTED TO LOOK AT WHAT SIX MONTHS WOULD BE, UM, IN TERMS OF REVENUE GENERATION, WE CAN BREAK THAT DOWN TO HIGHLIGHT JUST THOSE SIX MONTHS.
NOW, IN TERMS OF RECONCILING IT WITH OUR EXISTING BUDGET, WE HAVE, AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, IF COUNCIL ADOPTS THE BUDGET AMENDMENT, WE HAVE BRIDGED THE GAP IN TERMS OF THIS YEAR'S BUDGET.
SO REALLY WE WOULDN'T NEED ADDITIONAL FUNDING UNTIL JULY 1ST.
AND SO TO YOUR QUESTION ABOUT IMPLEMENTATION, IF THIS COMMITTEE VOTES TODAY OR SOMETIME IN THE NEAR FUTURE TO MOVE FORWARD A RECOMMENDATION AND ULTIMATELY THEN TOWN COUNCIL AGREES TO IMPLEMENT IT, THE LEAD TIME TO THEN PUT THAT IN PLACE, IT PROBABLY IS, I I WOULD SAY SOMEWHERE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF ABOUT 60 DAYS.
YOU KNOW, THERE'S LEAD TIME WITH SIGNAGE THAT WE HAVE TO ORDER TO REFLECT WHAT IT IS THAT'S BEEN ADOPTED.
WE HAVE TO GET THAT INSTALLED.
UM, THERE'S SOME OTHER THINGS I THINK WITH THE APP THAT THEY WOULD NEED TO GET IN PLACE, BUT ULTIMATELY, UM, AND I DON'T KNOW IF MATT WANTS TO GIVE A A BETTER IDEA ABOUT THAT, BUT WE, WE WOULD NEED SOME TIME FOR IMPLEMENTATION.
THE, THE BIGGEST, THE BIGGEST TIMEFRAME WOULD BE THE SIGNAGE.
UM, THAT WOULD BE THE BIGGEST THING.
UM, THE TECHNOLOGY IS PRETTY MUCH ALL IN PLACE.
WE HAVE THE TEXT TO PAY, UH, TECHNOLOGY THAT'S IN PLACE THAT WORKS.
UM, SO THAT WOULD BE THE BIGGEST IMPLEMENTATION WOULD BE THE SIGNAGE, GETTING THAT INSTALLED.
SO, SO REALLY THE, I APOLOGIZE, IT'S THE GREEN BOX TO MY LEFT.
SO THE REASON WHY I HAD IT IN THERE WAS JUST TO RESPOND TO THE COMMENT THAT HAD COME FROM THE COMMITTEE THAT THEY WANTED TO MAKE SURE, OR YOU WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT RESIDENTS WERE NOT HAVING TO PAY TO SUPPORT THIS PROGRAM.
AND SO WE WANTED TO SHOW WHAT THAT INITIAL COST WAS AND MAKE SURE IT WAS CLEAR THAT THAT WAS NOT COMING OUT OF THE GENERAL FUND.
BUT YES, GOING FORWARD, THE FY 25 BUDGET IS REALLY MUCH MORE OF THE FOCUS.
AND I WOULD TELL YOU WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO SEE IN THAT BUDGET IN TERMS OF REVENUE IS A PLACEHOLDER OF ABOUT A MILLION DOLLARS.
SO IT'S NOT THE FULL YEAR BECAUSE WE UNDERSTAND THAT THERE IS GONNA BE A LITTLE BIT OF A LAG TIME FROM A PRACTICAL STANDPOINT ABOUT WHERE WE ARE NOW GOING FORWARD, BUT WE STILL THINK THAT THAT'S A GOOD ESTIMATE AND WOULD ALLOW US TO PAY FOR THE, THE PROGRAM EXPENSES.
SO WITH A LIFETIME OF 60 DAYS TO START IT UP.
UM, AND, AND HERE WE ARE IN APRIL.
SO IF THIS COMMITTEE RECOMMENDS SOMETHING TO GO TO TOWN COUNCIL.
UH, THE NEXT TOWN COUNCIL MEETING IS MAY SEVEN, I BELIEVE IT IS.
UM, I'M GUESSING IT'S NOT LIKELY TO COME UP ON MAY SEVEN.
SO COUNCIL'S PROCESS RIGHT NOW IS TO REPORT OUT COMMITTEE ACTIONS BEFORE COUNCIL TOWN COUNCIL TAKES ACTION ON THEM.
SO IF IT CAME OUT OF COMMITTEE TODAY, IT WOULD BE REPORTED OUT AT THE MAY 7TH MEETING, AND THEN WOULD BE ON THE AGENDA FOR ACTION ON THE 21ST.
AT THE EARLIEST, AND AGAIN, WE'VE GOT BOTH THE ORDINANCE AND THE RESOLUTION.
AND SO THE WAY THAT WE WOULD BRING IT FORWARD IS WE WOULD PUT FIRST READING OF THE ORDINANCE ON MAY ON, SORRY, ON JUNE.
MAY 21ST WOULD BE FIRST READING OF THE ORDINANCE, AND THEN ON JUNE, THE FIRST MEETING IN JUNE WOULD BE SECOND READING OF THE ORDINANCE AND THEN APPROVAL OF THE RESOLUTION ADOPTING THE RATES, RIGHT? YEAH.
SO THEN, AND THEN WE'D BE ADDING 60 DAYS.
SO WE'LL MISS THE SUMMER SEASON, BASICALLY.
UM, SO IT, IT SEEMS AS THOUGH THEN THE FY 25 CALCULATIONS ARE ALSO OFF.
AND SO THE GAP WOULD BE HOSPITALITY TAX, BUT NOT GENERAL FUND.
IF THERE WAS A GAP, WE WOULD IDENTIFY THAT AT SOME POINT IN TIME, MIDWAY THROUGH THE FY 25 BUDGET, WE WOULD BRING THAT TO COUNCIL, HAVE THAT DISCUSSION AND PROPOSE WHERE TO BRING THAT FUNDING FROM.
AND AGAIN, WE WOULD HAVE SOME DATA, UH, IN HAND AT THAT POINT TO UNDERSTAND HOW CLOSE WE ARE TO PROJECTIONS AND WHAT WE WOULD NEED TO DO.
BUT ULTIMATELY, YES, WE WOULD COME FORWARD IF THERE IS A BUDGET SHORTAGE BECAUSE OF IMPLEMENTATION AND LOOK AT, UM, DOING THAT THROUGH AN AMENDMENT.
[01:00:01]
AND IF WE DON'T CHARGE FOR PARKING AT KAGEY OR IF WE, UM, DON'T CHARGE FOR PARKING AT ANY OF THESE BEACHES AS PROPOSED, UM, THEN WOULD WE STILL HAVE THE SERVICES AT ISLANDERS BEACH PARK AND KAGEY? SO THAT'S WHERE WE WOULD HAVE TO TALK ABOUT WHAT IS THE SCOPE OF PCI SERVICES.IF WE'RE NOT GOING TO CHARGE FOR PARKING TO PAY FOR IT, IT CERTAINLY CAN'T BE SUSTAINED AT THE LEVEL THAT IT IS NOW, AT LEAST NOT WITHOUT HAVING TO UTILIZE OTHER SOURCES OF FUNDING.
AND SO WE WOULD HAVE TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION ABOUT WHAT IS A REVISED BUDGET FOR THEM GOING FORWARD.
AND SO WE DON'T NOW HAVE AN ESTIMATE OF WHAT IT COSTS FOR THOSE SERVICES.
UH, NO, BECAUSE THE SCOPE OF SERVICES IS GREATER THAN I THINK WHAT WE WOULD BE ABLE TO AFFORD.
SO WE WOULD HAVE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT ARE OUR PRIORITIES, AND THEN IDENTIFY WHAT THE COST OF SERVICES ARE FOR JUST THOSE PRIORITIES.
MY STRUGGLE IS, IS THAT WE NOW PC WE'RE PAYING PCI FOR CERTAIN SERVICES AND, AND OVER A HALF MILLION DOLLARS IN EQUIPMENT.
UM, SO, UM, WHAT'S THE, WHAT'S THE BULK OF THE OPERATIONAL COST GOING TO? IS IT GOING TO SERVICING, UM, MALIGNANT, UM, ISLANDERS BEACH, THE OTHER ONES HAVE A A, A, UM, AND CHAPLAIN CERTAINLY HAS A LOT OF PARKING SPACES.
WHERE'S THE BULK OF THE COST OF SERVICES NOW? SO THE BULK IS IN PERSONNEL CAPITAL.
OF THE $600,000 PROPOSED BUDGET, ABOUT 450,000 OF THAT IS IN PERSONNEL COSTS.
AND SO THAT'S FOR THE FOLKS THAT HELP PROCESS THE RESIDENT BEACH PASSES, THE FOLKS THAT ARE GONNA BE OUT ON PATROL DOING ENFORCEMENT AND REGULATIONS, AND THEN ALSO FROM A CUSTOMER SERVICE STANDPOINT.
SO THE FOLKS THAT WE HAVE AT ISLANDERS AND THE FOLKS THAT WE HAVE FLOATING AROUND AT THE OTHER LOCATIONS.
AND, AND AS WE JUST DISCUSSED, UH, IF WE DON'T CHARGE RESIDENTS, UH, FOR BEACH PARKING PASSES, WHICH I FAVOR, UH, NOT CHARGING RESIDENTS, UM, THEN THERE'S STILL THE COST OF THE PERSONNEL TO PROCESS THOSE.
I THINK THAT'S IT RIGHT NOW FOR MONEY, BUT, UM, ALRIGHT.
ASK STEVE, HE HAS ON HIS MIND, UM, A FEW THINGS TO, UH, HELP ME UNDERSTAND WHAT THE IMPACT HERE IS.
UM, FIRST OF ALL, BY CATEGORY OF POTENTIAL BEACH GOER WHO IS PAYING, UM, YOU'RE BASICALLY SAYING THAT IF YOU ARE A RESIDENT MM-HMM.
UH, IF YOU OWN PROPERTY BUT ARE NOT A FULL-TIME RESIDENT.
SO THE WAY THAT COUNCIL DEFINED RESIDENCY WAS BASED UPON PROPERTY OWNERSHIP, NOT PHYSICAL PRESENCE ON THE ISLAND PROPERTY.
SO IF YOU, YEAH, IF YOU ARE A FOUR OR 6% PROPERTY OWNER AND YOU MEET CERTAIN QUALIFICATIONS, YOU ARE ENTITLED TO A RESIDENT BEACH PASS.
UM, SO THAT LEAVES DAY TRIPPERS AND WHO ELSE? SO IT, IT, IT IS PEOPLE WHO ARE COMING TO VISIT US OFF ISLAND.
AND THEN IT IS ALSO WHAT WE ARE SEEING, UM, A LOT OF SHORT TERM RENTALS THAT ARE NOT BEACH FRONT IN NATURE THAT YOU SHOW UP.
AND LET'S JUST HYPOTHETICALLY SAY THAT YOUR RENTAL'S ON BEACH CITY ROAD, THERE'S NO BEACH ACCESS THERE.
SO THEN YOU'RE GETTING IN THE CAR AND YOU'RE DRIVING TO ONE OF THE OTHER BEACH PARKS AND ACCESSING THE BEACH FROM THERE.
SO NOT A DAY TRIPPER AND THAT THEY'RE COMING BACK AND FORTH, BUT SOMEBODY WHO'S UTILIZING THE PARKING AREA AND WHO'S NOT A RESIDENT.
UM, AND THE PURPOSE OF POSTPONING OR NOT IMPOSING OF ANY FEES AT KIG IS WHAT? WELL, IT SIMPLIFIES, I THINK THE DISCUSSION TO SOME EXTENT.
IF YOU'LL RECALL, WE'VE DISCUSSED, WELL, IF WE PUT IN PARKING HERE, HOW ARE WE GONNA ADDRESS CONCERNS ABOUT EMPLOYEE ISSUES? HOW ARE WE GONNA ADDRESS CONCERNS ABOUT OVERFLOW? UH, AND PEOPLE TRYING TO AVOID PAYING THAT FEE.
AND SO IF WE MAINTAIN THE STATUS QUO AND NOT CHARGE IN THIS LOCATION, THOSE QUESTIONS BECOME LESS OF AN ISSUE TO ADDRESS.
NOW, IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT ENFORCEMENT AND PROTECTION OF THE NEIGHBORHOODS ISN'T SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN.
THAT'S ALREADY AN ISSUE WE HAVE TODAY WITHOUT CHARGING.
SO WE KNOW THAT PART OF THE PROGRAM WE WANT IS TO HELP ENFORCE SOME OF THOSE ISSUES IN THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES.
BUT BY LEAVING IT AS IT STANDS TODAY AND MAINTAINING THAT STATUS QUO, THERE'S LESS POLICY QUESTIONS THAT WE BELIEVE COUNSEL WOULD NEED TO ULTIMATELY ANSWER.
NOW, JUST BY WAY OF HYPOTHETICAL, IF YOU WANTED TO CHARGE AT KINI, I'VE PROVIDED THE SCHEDULE RIGHT HERE, WHICH SHOWS THAT THOSE 399 SPACES HAVE NOW BEEN INCLUDED WITHIN THE TOTAL NUMBER OF SPACES.
AND AGAIN, USING THOSE SAME UNDERLYING ASSUMPTIONS WOULD INCREASE REVENUES TO ABOUT $2.7 MILLION A YEAR.
AGAIN, BUT THAT MEANS WE WOULD PROBABLY NEED TO PROVIDE SOME WAY TO ADDRESS
[01:05:01]
THE EMPLOYEE PARKING ISSUE, WHICH STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION WOULD BE TO LOOK AT A DEDICATED PARKING SPACE, UH, AT THE FORMER WILD WING CAFE LOCATION.IT MAY ALSO REQUIRE US TO LOOK AT OTHER OPTIONS BEYOND THAT, UH, TO TRY TO ADDRESS SOME OF THE CONCERNS THAT THE BUSINESS OWNERS HAVE EXPRESSED FROM THAT AREA.
SO THAT'S WHY I GET BACK TO STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION AT THIS POINT, IS LET'S TRY TO TAKE ON FEWER VARIABLES RATHER THAN MORE.
AND IF WE DO NOT CHARGE IT COLIGNY, THEN WE CAN GO THROUGH THIS UPCOMING SEASON, HOW THAT, SEE HOW THAT PLAYS OUT, AND THEN MAKE ADJUSTMENTS FROM THERE ABOUT GOING FORWARD IN THE FUTURE.
THAT LEAVES ME WITH A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.
FIRST OF ALL, THERE'S ONLY A LIMITED NUMBER OF PEOPLE BY CATEGORY WHO COME TO THE BEACH THAT ARE GONNA PAY.
WELL, THAT'S WHERE, IF YOU LOOK AT THESE ASSUMPTIONS IN TERMS OF THE UTILIZATION, WE'RE TRYING TO CAPTURE THE FACT THAT THERE'S ONLY A FINITE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO ARE GOING TO WANT TO GO TO THE BEACH AND WHO WILL ULTIMATELY PAY TO GO TO THE BEACH.
AND, UH, IF THEY'VE BEEN CLUED IN, THEY'LL GO TO KIG.
WELL, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT INFLUENCING BEHAVIORS, THIS IS ONE, THIS IS THE OPPOSITE.
IT'S A NEGATIVE INFLUENCE FROM MY PERSPECTIVE.
UM, IT, IT, IT JUST SEEMS TO ME THAT WHAT I PERSONALLY WOULD LIKE TO SEE IS KIG CHARGING MORE, NOT LESS, THAT NO CUSTOMERS HAVE TO PAY AND THAT NO EMPLOYEES HAVE TO PAY.
UM, AND I THINK WE'RE, WE'RE PUSHING TO A SITUATION WHERE WE'RE GONNA WORKING AGAINST OUR OWN INTERESTS AND MR. ALFORD TO THAT POINT, WHEN WE GET HERE TO THE VERY END, THESE ARE THE QUESTIONS THAT YOU AS A BODY ARE GOING TO HAVE TO ANSWER.
SO DO YOU WANT TO HAVE RESIDENT FREE BEACH PARKING PASSES? THAT'S A QUESTION, YES OR NO? IF THE ANSWER IS YES, THEN THE QUESTION IS HOW MANY, UM, ONCE WE'VE ANSWERED THAT, THEN THE NEXT ONE IS, DO WE WANT TO CHARGE FOR PARKING? IF SO, WHERE, WHEN, WHAT HOURS OF OPERATION AND WHAT HOURLY RATE? THOSE ARE ALL VARIABLES THAT WE CAN EITHER INCLUDE OR EXCLUDE OR CHANGE DEPENDING UPON THE WISHES OF THIS BODY AND ULTIMATELY TOWN COUNCIL.
AND SO WHAT WE'RE BRINGING FORWARD IS A RECOMMENDATION TO HELP WITH THAT CONVERSATION.
BUT TO YOUR POINT, IT'S ULTIMATELY THE, THE WILL OF THIS COMMITTEE AND THE WILL OF COUNSEL THAT IF YOU WANT TO CHARGE A PARTICULAR LOCATION AND WHAT YOU WANT TO CHARGE AT THAT LOCATION IS A POLICY DECISION FOR THIS BODY TO MAKE.
AND PERSONALLY, I WANT TO CHARGE, AND IT'S, I LIKE THE GOOD OLD DAYS WHEN A CUSTOMER COULD GO INTO A STORE IN AN AREA WHERE THERE'S CHARGED PARKING.
THE DOOR WOULD GIVE THEM SOMETHING AND THEY VALIDATE THE PARKING.
WE DO THAT, OR WE, WE HAVE THAT TECHNICAL ABILITY WOULD PARK COORDINATION WITH THE MERCHANTS THEMSELVES.
BUT ULTIMATELY, YES, THE PROGRAM DOES HAVE THE CAPABILITY TO DO THAT.
SO, YOU KNOW, BY USING THE ONLINE SYSTEM, THE MERCHANT COULD GIVE THEM A CODE AND THAT CODE COULD BE ENTERED TO THEN PROVIDE FOR FREE PARKING, UH, THROUGH THE, THROUGH THE SYSTEM.
AND WHAT ABOUT EMPLOYEES? IS THE CHOICE ONLY TO GO TO WILD WINGS OR IS IT NOPE.
SO AS WE'VE DISCUSSED BEFORE, UM, THERE ARE OPTIONS.
WHAT WE'VE BROUGHT FORWARD IS STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION BECAUSE WE THINK THAT IS THE MOST EASILY APPLIED OPTION AT THIS POINT.
BUT IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT'S, THAT'S THE ONE THAT YOU HAVE TO SELECT.
UM, IF YOU GO IN THE MATERIALS THAT WERE PROVIDED IN THE, UH, BACKUP FOR TODAY, WE'VE PROVIDED A PRINTOUT LIST OF ALL THE BUSINESSES THAT ARE IDENTIFIED WITHIN A RELATIVELY CLOSE RADIUS, I THINK IT WAS 300 FEET, UM, OF THE KAGEY BEACH PARK AREA.
AND IT SHOWS THAT THERE'S, I THINK 160, 170 DIFFERENT BUSINESSES THAT ARE LOCATED IN THIS AREA.
AND OBVIOUSLY THE EMPLOYEES ARE GOING TO RANGE IN TERMS OF NUMBER FROM ONLY ONE OR TWO TO SIGNIFICANTLY MORE THAN THAT DEPENDING UPON THE BUSINESS ENTITY.
AND WE HIGHLIGHTED THAT TO SHOW IF WE LOOK AT DOING SOMETHING OTHER THAN PROVIDING DEDICATED SPACES, WE'RE NOT SURE WHAT THE IMPACT OF THAT MIGHT BE ON THE PROGRAM ITSELF.
BUT IF WE WANTED TO OFFER A DISCOUNTED MONTHLY PARKING PASS, SO JUST HYPOTHETICALLY SAY YOU AS AN EMPLOYEE CAN REGISTER AND FOR $50 A MONTH YOU CAN GET A PASS TO PARK IN ANY OF THESE SPOTS FOR, FOR FREE, UM, THAT IS AN OPTION THAT WE COULD ABSOLUTELY EXPLORE.
SO THERE ARE OTHER WAYS TO ADDRESS THE EMPLOYEE SITUATION.
WE'RE JUST BRINGING FORWARD THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION FOR AT, AT THIS TIME.
WELL, MY PERSONAL FEELING IS, IS THAT I DON'T WANT TO SUSPEND THE OPERATIONS OF PCI AT THIS POINT.
AND IT SEEMS TO ME THAT, THAT THE PROBLEM WE'RE FACING IS WE'RE NOT READY TO IMPLEMENT THIS PROGRAM BECAUSE WE HAVEN'T DEALT WITH CUSTOMERS AND WE HAVEN'T DEALT WITH EMPLOYEES.
WELL, IF WE COULD DEAL WITH THEM, WE CAN CHARGE FOR KAEGY.
SO AGAIN, WE'VE BROUGHT FORWARD OPTIONS FOR THIS BODY TO CONSIDER,
[01:10:01]
BUT WE CAN'T TELL YOU WHICH ONE YOU HAVE TO SELECT AS A POLICYMAKING MATTER.THAT'S WHAT THIS COMMITTEE IS GOING TO HAVE TO DO.
BUT THERE ARE, UH, INFORMATION THAT WE'VE INCLUDED IN THE, IN THE MATERIALS THAT INDICATE DIFFERENT OPTIONS THAT CAN BE CHOSEN.
HOW MUCH TIME WOULD IT TAKE TO, TO IMPLEMENT A CUSTOMER FREE PARKING OR EMPLOYEE ARRANGEMENT? HOW MUCH TIME WOULD THAT TAKE? UM, I DON'T KNOW THAT IT WOULD BE ALL THAT MUCH TIME BECAUSE SIMILAR TO WHAT WE DO WITH THE RESIDENT BEACH PASSES, AS LONG AS WE KNOW THE CRITERIA THAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR IN TERMS OF VALIDATING.
SO LET'S JUST SAY HYPOTHETICALLY, FOR EXAMPLE, YOU AS THE EMPLOYEE NEED TO SHOW A A A W2 OR SOME KIND OF DOCUMENT FROM YOUR EMPLOYER WHO IS IN THAT AREA.
SO IF YOU WORK UP AT, AT THE NORTH POINT SHOPPING PLAZA, YOU'RE NOT GONNA BE ELIGIBLE FOR A BEACH PARKING PASS IN THIS AREA.
IT IS GOING TO BE TARGETED FOR JUST THOSE BUSINESSES THAT ARE IMPACTED BY PUTTING IN PLACE THE PAID PARKING.
BUT ONCE WE HAVE THOSE VARIABLES, WE CAN PUT THAT IN PLACE RELATIVELY EASILY AND USE THE SAME KIND OF ONLINE SIGNUP.
AND THAT EMPLOYEES CHANGE JOBS.
AND IF THAT'S WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR, I CAN TELL YOU RIGHT NOW, WE WILL NOT HAVE ONE THAT WILL COVER EVERYTHING.
SO SIMILAR TO WHAT WE WOULD DO IF YOU OWN A HOME, BUT YOU SELL IT, YOU ARE NO LONGER A RESIDENT, BUT YOUR PASS IS STILL VALID FOR THAT YEAR.
AND SO EVERY YEAR WE WOULD REVALIDATE THAT INFORMATION, AND AGAIN, WE COULD SHORTEN THAT TIME TO CHECK ON A SHORTER INTERVAL, BUT THEN THE ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS GO UP SIGNIFICANTLY TO DO THAT.
YOU COULD ALSO, UM, DISCUSS THAT OR HAVE THE EMPLOYER PROVIDE, UM, PURCHASE OR THE PARKING PERMIT, WHATEVER, AND, UM, SUPPLY IT TO THEIR EMPLOYEE.
AND THAT WAY THERE'S A DIRECT TRACKING OF THAT IF, IF WE WERE TO GO DOWN THAT ROAD.
WELL, I THINK YOU CAN TELL FROM MY COMMENTS THAT I AM NOT IN FAVOR OF FREE PARKING FOR KAGEY, BUT IT MAY BE THE ONLY PRACTICAL ALTERNATIVE.
UH, WHILE I DO THAT WITH THE ASSUMPTION THAT WE MOVE QUICKLY TO GET THIS IN PLACE, IT'S TAKEN AN AWFULLY LONG TIME TO DO THIS.
AND LET ME SHOW YOU ONE OTHER OPTION JUST BECAUSE AGAIN, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WHAT IFS AND HYPOTHETICALS.
SO THE ONE THAT I WANT TO COVER HERE IS JUST WHAT, WHAT I'M CALLING A SEASONAL OPTION, WHICH IS AT ALL SEVEN OF THE BEACH PARKS FOR THE MONTHS OF JUNE, JULY, AND AUGUST, WE WOULD CHARGE $5 AN HOUR.
AND IF WE DID THAT, AGAIN, USING THESE UNDERLYING ASSUMPTIONS WITH A NUMBER OF SPACES, THE AVERAGE AMOUNT OF TIME OF THE UTILIZATION, WE WOULD GENERATE SOMEWHERE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF ABOUT $1.4 MILLION IF WE ONLY CHARGED FOR JUNE, JULY, AND AUGUST.
AND THE THOUGHT MIGHT BE GIVEN HOW BUSY OF A SEASON THAT IS ANYWAY, IN THE FIRST COME FIRST SERVING PARKING THAT WE HAVE NOW, THERE MAY BE LIMITED IMPACTS TO THE EMPLOYEES, BUT ON THE OTHER YEARS WHERE THEY'RE NOT HAVING TO PAY, THAT WOULD REMAIN FREE AT ALL LOCATIONS.
SO AGAIN, JUST AS AN OPTION IN TERMS OF THE SCALABILITY OF THE SYSTEM AND HOW WE CAN PICK AND CHOOSE LOCATIONS, TIMES, AND RATES, THIS IS A HYPOTHETICAL EXAMPLE OF ONE WHICH WE COULD IMPLEMENT THAT WOULD HOPEFULLY HAVE LESS OF AN IMPACT THAN IT WOULD BE TO CHARGE ALL YEAR LONG.
UM, SO JOSH, WE HAVE SOME OF THE TECHNOLOGY IN PLACE AT THE MOMENT, AND YES, SIR.
THIS IS THE QUESTION THAT YOU CAN HELP ANSWER WITH, WITH THE ABSENCE OF COLLECTING FROM FOLKS THAT ARE IN THOSE PARKING SPACES AT THE MOMENT, WHAT IS THAT TECHNOLOGY TELLING US? WHAT KIND OF DATA CAN WE CAPTURE? WELL, WE DON'T CURRENTLY, THE, THE METERS THAT ARE IN PLACE, WE DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO THE, THE ONES THAT FOL INJURIES AND WE DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO THAT INFORMATION.
SO WE DON'T KNOW WHAT, WHAT PERCENTAGE OF PEOPLE ARE PAID THERE.
YEAH, THE METER'S, AN OLD STYLE METER WHERE YOU ACTUALLY FEED IT WITH CAPTURE THE NEW TECHNOLOGY.
AND I WOULD SAY THE NEW TECHNOLOGY FOCUS ON THE CAMERAS AND WHAT DATA THE CAMERAS CAN PROVIDE.
THE CAMERAS BASICALLY AS, AS THE INTER LOT'S GONNA CAPTURE THE PLATE AND IT'S IMMEDIATELY LET US KNOW WHETHER OR NOT THEY'RE A RESIDENT OR NOT.
UM, SO IF THEY'RE NOT A RESIDENT, THEN WE'LL KNOW THAT WE, YOU KNOW, THAT THEY, THEY NEED TO PAY.
IF THEY DON'T PAY, WE'LL BE ALERTED THAT THEY HAVEN'T PAID.
SO WE'LL KNOW WHERE PEOPLE ARE THAT NEED TO BE TICKETED FOR NONPAYMENT.
THAT ALSO ALLOWS US TO TRACK THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT COME INTO THAT LOT, THE FREQUENCY WITH WHICH THEY STAY.
AND THEN THAT SAME INFORMATION IS USED TO PROVIDE THE REAL TIME UPDATES ABOUT THE AVAILABILITY.
SO ONCE THE CAMERA'S COUNTED THE HUNDRED AND 13TH CAR GOING IN, IT'S GONNA COMMUNICATE THAT THAT AREA IS FULL UNTIL IT SEES A CERTAIN NUMBER OF CARS COMING OUT.
SO AFTER A PERIOD OF TIME WITH THE TECHNOLOGY BE TURNED ON, YOUR ASSUMPTIONS THAT YOU HAVE HERE, JOSH, COULD BE BETTER? YES, SIR.
WE WILL BE ABLE TO REFINE THOSE FROM PROJECTIONS TO ACTUAL DATA.
AND IN YOUR MIND, THESE RIGHT NOW, ARE CONSERVATIVE PROJECTIONS
[01:15:01]
THE BEST GUESS THAT YOU CAN? YES, THEY ARE THE BEST GUESS THAT WE HAVE.OH, THE, THE ONLY OTHER COMMENT I WANTED TO MAKE SURE, AND, YOU KNOW, JUST TO SORT OF, UM, RESPONSE TO WHERE MR. ALFORD IS GOING, UM, YOU KNOW, I, I AGREE THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU'VE GOT TO HAVE THE CONCERN ABOUT THE BEHAVIOR OF CHARGING AND NOT CHARGING.
UM, BUT, BUT I STILL STRUGGLE WITH THESE, THESE, UH, THESE REVENUE ASSUMPTIONS BECAUSE AT THE MOMENT WE ARE USING H TAX DOLLARS TO SORT OF SUPPLEMENT MM-HMM.
SO AS PART OF THE BUDGET AMENDMENT, WE INCLUDED THE HT TAX SCHEDULE TO SHOW THE REVENUES, THE EXPENSES, AND THEN WHAT THE RESERVE IS.
SIMILARLY, WE'D TRACK THAT DATA ALONG WITH THE PARKING DATA.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, UM, IS ON MY MIND IS AS WE HAVE, UM, ALL OF THESE QUESTIONS WITH REGARD TO THE KAGEY AREA, UM, I, I WAS INFORMED THAT THE KAGEY PLAZA PROP HAS SUFFICIENT PARKING FOR THEIR CUSTOMERS AND THEIR EMPLOYEES THERE, THAT THERE REALLY ISN'T AN ISSUE.
AND LEE CAN CERTAINLY VERIFY THAT THAT WAS OUR CONVERSATION.
UM, SO THE EMPLOYEE PARKING MAY NOT BE AS DRAMATIC AS WE THINK IT IS ISSUE.
UM, A NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO ARE WORKING THERE ALSO LIKELY OR COULD, UM, QUALIFY AS RESIDENTS AND HAVE PASSES THAT ARE FREE BY VIRTUE OF THAT.
SO THAT MAY AGAIN ALLEVIATE SOME OF THE PRESSURES THAT WE'RE THINKING MIGHT EXIST ON EMPLOYEES DOWN THERE.
I AGREE A HUNDRED PERCENT WITH ALEX WITH REGARD TO, UM, WE DO NOT WANT TO HAVE ANY UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES ON THE BUSINESSES, BUT PERHAPS ONE OF THE OFFSETS THAT, STEVE, YOU MENTIONED, AND I LOVE THIS CONVERSATION BECAUSE WE'VE ALL HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE, UM, OUR THOUGHTS HEARD AND, AND APPLY IT TO OUR OWN, UM, IS THAT IF YOU GO IN TO GET A VALIDATION THAT WOULD NECESSARILY, I IMAGINE QUAL, UM, REQUIRE YOU PURCHASING SOMETHING.
SO SOMEONE WHO OTHERWISE MIGHT BE PARKING THERE, UM, MAY NOT HAVE SHOPPED, BUT MAYBE THEY WILL NOW BECAUSE THEY WENT TO OFFSET THEIR, WHATEVER IT IS, MONEY THAT THEY'RE SPENDING FOR THEIR PARKING BY GETTING SOMETHING.
SO THAT MIGHT HELP IN THAT REGARD.
UM, I THINK FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, BECAUSE THERE ARE THOSE, UM, UNKNOWNS AND WE HAVE THE TECHNOLOGY IN PLACE TO GATHER INFORMATION, IF WE ADDED A SURVEY, UM, THAT GOT TO SOME MORE OF THE ANSWERS THAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR SO THAT WE COULD COLLECT DATA FOR THIS YEAR, ESPECIALLY SINCE, AS PATSY SAID, WE'RE LIKELY NOT TO GET UP AND RUNNING UNTIL WE'RE INTO THE, UM, SEASON, THE SUMMER SEASON HERE WOULD BE, UM, A GOOD OPPORTUNITY TO COLLECT THE DATA, UNDERSTAND MORE OF THE DETAILS, MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE NOT PRESENTING IN THE UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES, AND THEN BE ABLE TO REVISIT, UM, COLIGNY WHEN WE HAVE THAT INFORMATION.
I WILL SAY THIS BECAUSE IT WAS PUT UP THERE, AND I HAVE TO SAY IT, I AM NOT, UM, A FAN OF SETTING SIDE, UM, WALGREENS, UM, FOR EMPLOYEES, UM, OR CUSTOMERS THAT IF IT BECOMES A PARKING LOT NEEDS TO BE OPEN AND ACCESSIBLE TO THE TOWN RESIDENTS WHO HELP TO PAY FOR IT.
UM, AND WE CERTAINLY SEE AT CELEBRATION PARK, THERE'S A GREAT NEED FOR THAT.
AND THEN I HAVE OTHER QUESTIONS, BUT I WOULD LOVE FOR YOU TO GET TO THE END OF YOUR PRESENTATION SO THAT WE CAN HEAR FROM THE PUBLIC WHO'VE BEEN PATIENTLY WAITING.
I DO HAVE, UH, OTHER FINANCIAL QUESTIONS, OTHER NUMBERS, QUESTIONS.
SO THE PROPOSED HOURLY RATE NOW IS $5 PER HOUR IN ALL, ALL THE PLACES IF WE DECIDE TO HAVE PARKING, UH, AND, AND WHERE WE MIGHT DECIDE.
UM, AND, AND REMIND ME OF WHAT OF THE LAST PROPOSAL WAS, WAS IT A DOLLAR 50 AN HOUR OR $3 AN HOUR? AND I I, I WAS LOOKING THROUGH THE PREVIOUS STAFF.
SO THE, THE BREAK EVEN RATE, WHICH WAS TARGETED AT JUST THIS, IT, IT DID NOT INCLUDE THE $115,000 FROM THE RESIDENTIAL BEACH PASS, BUT JUST THIS NUMBER RIGHT HERE, I BELIEVE WAS SOMEWHERE BETWEEN A DOLLAR 50 AND $3 AN HOUR, DEPENDING UPON THE SEASON.
THAT, THAT'S KIND OF WHAT I WAS REMEMBERING.
AND, AND SO PART OF THAT IS TO MAKE UP FOR THE 115,500, IS THAT CORRECT? THAT IS PART OF IT, YES, MA'AM.
AND IS PART OF THE INCREASE ALSO TO MAKE UP FOR NOT CHARGING AT KIG? UM, NOT NECESSARILY.
I THINK THE, THE PROPOSED STAFF RECOMMENDED RATE IS
[01:20:01]
MORE IN KEEPING WITH LINE WITH WHAT WE'VE SEEN FROM MARKET CONDITIONS, JUST BY WAY OF AN EXAMPLE.AND, AND IT'S NOT NECESSARILY A GREAT EXAMPLE, BUT IT DOES GO TO SHOW IN TERMS OF INFLUENCING BEHAVIOR, UM, THE CITY OF MIAMI, FLORIDA AS PART OF THIS YEAR, UH, TO, TO DEAL WITH CONCERNS THAT THEY HAVE ABOUT SPRING BREAK IMPLEMENTED A $100 PER DAY PARKING FEE, UH, IN ORDER TO INFLUENCE BEHAVIOR ABOUT WHERE PEOPLE WERE GOING AND HOW THEY WERE USING SOME OF THOSE FACILITIES.
AND SO AGAIN, THIS $5 AN HOUR, I THINK IS MORE IN KEEPING WITH MARKET DATA MORE THAN IT IS COMPENSATING FOR NOT CHARGING AT K AND AND FOR LOSING OUT ON RESIDENT PASSES.
SO IT'S MORE DRIVEN BY MARKET DATA.
UM, SO SINCE, UH, THE COMMITTEE'S ALREADY WADE INTO THE EMPLOYEE PARKING ISSUE, UM, I AGREE WITH CHAIR BECKER THAT I, I'M NOT IN FAVOR OF, UM, USING THE WILD WINGS PROPERTY, UH, SOLELY FOR EMPLOYEE PARKING.
UM, THE, THOSE OF US WHO WENT TO THE SYMPHONY PERFORMANCE LAST TUESDAY NIGHT, WHICH WAS WONDERFUL, IT WAS AN EVERY CAPACITY CROWD, UH, ALONG WITH THESE GUYS.
A LOT OF FOLKS ATTENDED, BUT OTHER FOLKS WANTED TO ATTEND AND COULDN'T 'CAUSE THEY COULDN'T FIND A PARKING PLACE.
UM, AND THERE WAS SOME CREATIVE PARKING FOR SURE.
UM, AND MY CONCERN WAS WE HAD THE SYMPHONY THERE AND SOME OF THEM COULDN'T FIND A PLACE TO PARK.
UM, UM, SO, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE HAVE SPECIAL EVENTS LIKE THAT, UH, IT SEEMED LIKE IT WOULD BE BETTER TO HAVE THAT PARKING RESERVE FOR THE SYMPHONY TO PARK, UM, TO ENCOURAGE THAT TO HAPPEN.
SO AT ANY RATE, UM, I'M NOT IN FAVOR OF THAT.
MR. ALFRED ASKED ABOUT A VOUCHER PROGRAM.
UM, WHERE I USED TO, UH, WORK WAS IN DOWNTOWN ASHEVILLE AND THIS FAMOUS PLACE CALLED TOPS FOR SHOES, UM, IF ANYBODY'S EVER, UH, SHOPPED FOR SHOES IN THAT AREA.
AND, AND WE HAD A LOT OF PEOPLE COME IN FROM MILES AROUND TO SHOP, AND THEY HAD A VOUCHER PROGRAM WITH THE PARKING, UH, FACILITIES THERE.
UM, SO IT'S AN EASY A AND THAT WAS YEARS AGO,
UM, AND, UM, ANYHOW, SO, AND, AND WE HAVE THE TECHNOLOGY TO IMPLEMENT THAT, UM, AND, AND HAS BEEN DISCUSSED IF YOU, YOU ONLY GET ONE OF THOSE VOUCHERS IF YOU BUY SOMETHING THERE.
UM, THE OTHER MATERIALS THAT YOU'VE GIVEN US SHOW THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, OF THE, UH, JURISDICTIONS, UM, THAT, UM, HAVE SOME SORT OF EMPLOYEE PARKING CONSIDERATION.
UH, FOLLY BEACH STUN, CHARLESTON COUNTY BEACH STUN AT ESAU BEACH STATE PARK, TON ISLAND PALMS TON, KIAA ISLAND TON.
UM, AND THEN WE, UH, GO ON TO, UM, OTHER STATES, JEAL ISLAND, TON ST.
AUGUSTINE, FLORIDA DUNTON, UM, AND THEN, UM, IN WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH TON.
UM, BUT THEN IF YOU LOOK AT THOSE WHO DO INCLUDES MYRTLE BEACH, SURFSIDE BEACH, TYBEE ISLAND, SARASOTA, FLORIDA, CLEARWATER, FLORIDA.
UM, AND IN THOSE CASES IT'S LIMITED TO SPECIFIC GEOGRAPHIC AREA AND SOME CASES ARE LIMITED TO CERTAIN LOTS.
UM, AND THERE IS A MONTHLY FEE OR AN ANNUAL FEE CHARGE.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M, I'M, I'M VERY SYMPATHETIC TO ALL THE DIFFERENT ISSUES THAT HAVE BEEN RAISED.
UM, I'M CONCERNED ABOUT, UM, THE CAPACITY AND THE VOLUME OF THE KAGEY AREA, UM, AND THE IMPACT ON, UM, THE RESIDENTIAL AREAS AROUND THERE AS WELL.
UM, BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE CREATIVELY LOTS OF PLACES, AND I THINK WE NEED TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE ENFORCEMENT AND, AND IF WE DO CHARTS FOR PARKING, PERHAPS SOME OF THE FUNDS COULD GO TOWARDS BETTER ENFORCEMENT OF THAT KIND OF, UH, CREATIVE PARKING.
UM, SO I, UM, YOU KNOW, I, I WANT TO HEAR THE REST OF THE PRESENTATION.
I WANNA HEAR FROM THOSE WHO ARE HERE TO SPEAK ABOUT THIS ISSUE, UH, BEFORE I WOULD EVEN ASSUME TO TRY TO DECIDE WHAT TO DO AT THIS POINT.
SO LET ME TRY TO JUST SUMMARIZE A LITTLE BIT OF INFORMATION BEFORE WE GO INTO PUBLIC COMMENT.
WHAT THIS CHART SHOWS HERE IS, AGAIN, GOING FROM EXISTING CONDITIONS TO PROPOSED CONDITIONS UNDER THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION.
UH, AND SO IT SHOWS CURRENTLY WHERE WE'RE CHARGING FOR PARKING, WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING TO CHARGE.
AGAIN, COY BEACH UNDER THE STAFF PROPOSAL, UH, WOULD REMAIN FREE, BUT THE HOURS OF OPERATION WOULD BE STANDARDIZED FROM 6:00 AM TO 10:00 PM CHAPLAIN PARK WOULD BE RESTRICTED IN TERMS OF SEASONAL APPLICATION.
AND THEN THE RESTRICTED SPACES FOR RESIDENT DESIGNATED PARKING WOULD REMAIN WITHIN DREESSEN AND ISLANDERS.
UM, IF THIS IS SOMETHING THAT GOES FORWARD, UH, STAFF IS ALSO RECOMMENDING THAT IN ADDITION TO A PER HOUR RATE, THAT YOU ESTABLISH A CAP ON THAT RATE.
SO IF YOU'VE GOT SOMEBODY WHO COMES AND PARKS FOR THE ENTIRE DAY, THEY WOULD PAY ONE FLAT FEE.
AGAIN, LOOKING AT MARKET CONDITIONS, WE
[01:25:01]
SEE THAT BEING APPLIED IN A NUMBER OF OTHER COMMUNITIES.AND SO WE THINK IT'S SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE HERE.
AND FOR DISCUSSION PURPOSES, IF $5 AN HOUR IS THE RATE THAT IS RECOMMENDED, WE WOULD RECOMMEND A CAP OF $30 PER DAY, UM, WHICH OBVIOUSLY WOULD BE A SIX HOUR SPAN.
SO SOME PEOPLE MIGHT PARK LONGER THAN THAT AND ENJOY BENEFITS.
SOME PEOPLE MIGHT PARK LESS THAN THAT AND THEN PAY MORE.
UH, BUT ULTIMATELY, IF WE KEEP RATES CLOSER TO WHERE THEY ARE NOW, THERE PROBABLY IS NOT AS MUCH BENEFIT SERVED FROM IMPLEMENTING A MAXIMUM DAILY RATE.
UM, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS, UH, ALREADY, SO THIS IS US INTERNALIZING THE 7,000 PASSES AT $15 PER PASS FOR, UM, IT'S SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 105 HUNDRED $15,000.
UH, AND THEN WE TALKED ABOUT THE EMPLOYEE PARKING CONSIDERATIONS AND, UH, THE PROS AND CONS OF THE DIFFERENT OPTIONS THAT ARE AVAILABLE.
AND SO THEN WE'RE LEFT WITH THESE POLICY QUESTIONS.
SO, UM, MY GOAL TODAY IS IF WE CAN PROVIDE YOU WITH ENOUGH INFORMATION TO ALLOW YOU TO START MAKING CHOICES ABOUT SOME OF THESE POLICY CONSIDERATIONS SO THAT, AGAIN, WE CAN MOVE IT FORWARD SO THAT IF THERE IS A DESIRE BY COUNSEL TO IMPLEMENT THIS, THAT WE CAN GET IT IN PLACE AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.
SO I HOPE THAT WAS INFORMATIVE.
IT CERTAINLY, UM, SPARKED A LOT OF OUR CONVERSATION.
UM, IF THERE'S ANYONE WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK TO THIS TOPIC, UM, PLEASE, UM, RAISE YOUR HAND, COME FORWARD AND GIVE US YOUR NAME, WHERE YOU'RE FROM AND YOUR THOUGHTS.
UM, WORK IT OUT BETWEEN YOURSELVES.
I'M CEOO OF THE RICHARDSON GROUP LOCAL BUSINESS OWNER.
AND, UH, I WANNA THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND YOUR THOUGHTS AND YOUR INSIGHT.
WE'VE ALL BEEN DISCUSSING PAID PARKING, BEACH PARKING FOR MANY YEARS NOW, AND ALL THE PARTIES STILL CAN'T DECIDE WHAT IT IS FOR THE GOAL OF THE EXERCISE.
DURING THIS PROCESS, WE'VE HAD MEETINGS WITH A TOWNS PARKING CONSULTANT, TOWN STAFF, AND NUMEROUS CONVERSATIONS WITH ELECTED OFFICIALS.
AND EVERY TIME THE GOAL IS DIFFERENT, WAS IT FOR FINANCIAL GAINS TOWARDS THE BUDGET SLOWING DAY TRIPPERS FREE, FREEING UP THE BRIDGE MITIGATING SOUTH END TRAFFIC, OR AN OVER OVERALL DISBURSEMENT OF BEACH TRAFFIC WITH ALL THE CHALLENGES OR OPPORTUNITIES IN THE BUSINESS.
THERE HAS TO BE, THERE HAS TO BE AN ISSUE THAT CAN BE ADDRESSED BY A SPECIFIC SOLUTION OR SOLUTIONS.
SO WE ASK, WE ARE ASKING, WHAT IS THE GOAL FOR THIS ISSUE? IF WE EVEN KNOW WHAT THE ISSUE IS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO ADDRESS.
IF THIS WAS A BUSINESS PLAN THAT WAS JUST GONE THROUGH WITH SEVERAL OF YOUR QUESTIONS, NO FINANCAL INSTITUTION WITH OFFER FINANCING.
THERE'S TOO MANY HOLES AND TOO MANY QUESTIONS, SOME QUOTES AND FINDINGS DURING OUR FINDINGS.
AND THESE ARE ACTUAL QUOTES WITH THE POPE AVENUE CORRIDOR CHARGING 'EM FOR PARKING.
THE ACTUAL QUOTE IS, IT'D BE CATASTROPHIC FOR BUSINESSES AND HOMEOWNERS.
NEXT QUOTE IS, YOU WOULD NEED, YOU WOULD NEED YOUR OWN SECURITY FORCE TO PROTECT YOUR PROPERTY AND YOUR HOMES.
THE LAST QUOTE IS, THE TOWN NEEDS TO CONSIDER THE RESULTS OF ANY DECISION AND PERHAPS PROVIDE SECURITY FOR PROPERTY, BUSINESSES, AND NEIGHBORHOODS AT THE TOWN'S EXPENSE.
THOSE QUOTES ARE FROM YOUR CONSULTANT AND DIRECT MEETINGS.
IN OUR STAKEHOLDER MEETING AT OUR EXPENSE, WE HIRE A NEUTRAL, VERY WELL RESPECTED PARKING CONSULTANT, AND THEY PROVIDE THEIR FINDINGS.
WE PROVIDE THESE IN THE PAST TO SEVERAL ELECTED OFFICIALS, TOWN STAFF, HAVE THEY EVER BEEN REVIEWED? HAS ANYONE ON THIS COMMITTEE LOOK AT THE SECOND REPORT? I'M SORRY.
I WANNA MAKE SURE WHAT REPORT YOU'RE ASKING ABOUT.
WE HAD A SEPARATE, SEPARATE PARKING SEPARATE, I THOUGHT YOU SAID SECOND.
IT'S THE SECOND ONE THEY HAD PARKED, UH, WALKER AND WE HAD OUR OWN.
IT, IT SEEMS THAT TWO QUALIFIED OPINIONS ARE BETTER THAN ONE GUIDED.
THE POPE AVENUE QUARTERS HILTON HAS DOWNTOWN WITH OVER 150 BUSINESSES THAT WE, THAT WE CAN AFFORD TO POSSIBLY AFFECT ALL THOSE BUSINESSES.
AND OVER 2000 EMPLOYEES INCOMES BY SLOW SLOWING OR DIVERTING DAY TRIPPER DAY TRIPPERS ARE THE LARGEST DAY SPENDERS PER DAY OVER NORMAL VISITORS.
EVERY DOLLAR FOR PARKING IS DOLLAR NOT SPENT IN OUR LOCAL ECONOMY.
PERSONAL DAILY SPENDING IS ON DECREASING YEAR OVER YEAR.
THERE DOESN'T SEEM TO BE A ONE SIZE FIT ALL SOLUTION, NOR DOES ANY SINGULAR SOLUTION ADDRESSES DIFFERENT AREAS THAT CAN BE AND WOULD BE AFFECTED BY THE STU PROGRAM.
OUR ISLAND IS LARGE AND DIVERSE IN AREAS, NEIGHBORHOODS, AND DENSITY OF TOURISTS.
[01:30:01]
POLICY FIT THE WHOLE ISLAND? CAN THIS NOT BE ADDRESSED BY NEIGHBORHOOD OR THE AREA OF THE ISLAND OR BLANKET POLICY FOR THE ISLAND? ONE LAST THING IS, SEVERAL TIMES YOU TALKED ABOUT EMPLOYEES, EMPLOYEE PARKING.WHILE WE'RE HERE, WE'RE CONCERNED BY EMPLOYEE PARKING BEING TAKEN BY TOURISTS DAY TRIPPERS, OR RESIDENTS WHO ARE PARKING IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS AND OUR BUSINESSES AND THERE OUR EMPLOYEES BEING PUT OUT IN THE STREET.
THE CAPACITY EASIEST RESISTANCE BE IF IT'S $30 PER DAY, PER PARKING IS FINE WHERE IT'S FREE.
AND IT ALREADY HAPPENED WITH CLICKY.
MS. BRYSON WAS NICE ENOUGH TO TALK ABOUT THE SYMPHONY, WHICH WAS A GREAT EVENT, AND CLICKY WAS BARREN THAT NIGHT.
THERE'S BEEN SEVERAL MISTAKES DONE BY THE TOWN AND PROVIDING SERVICES AND PARKING FOR WHAT'S BEEN BUILT.
CELEBRATION PARK IS AMAZING, BUT THERE'S NO PARKING FOR IT.
THAT MISTAKE AND THAT VARIANCE TO THEMSELVES OF WHAT'S NEEDED FOR PARKING HAS BECOME OUR BURDEN.
SO AGAIN, DON'T GIVE US ANOTHER BURDEN ON OUR BUSINESSES.
ANYONE ELSE? JACK? HELLO? UH, JACK DALEY.
I'VE BEEN IN FOR SPEECH FOR 30 YEARS, UH, MERCHANT IN K CLICKY FOR OVER 20 AND HEAD OF FOR SPEECH FOR ABOUT 20 AND, UH, 10 YEARS AGO I WAS ON CIRCLE TO CIRCLE AFTER WE PUSHED TO GET THE PARK IN PLACE.
AND AT THE FINAL MEETINGS, TOM LUS WAS THERE, DAVID AMES WAS THERE.
WE TALKED ABOUT, WE'VE LOOKED AT EVERY ASPECT OF THIS AND WE DON'T BELIEVE THE PROBLEMS WITH THE PARKING OR ANY UNIVERSITY ARE COME, WANT TO COME TRUE.
BUT YOU HAVE A WONDERFUL PARK AND WE'VE NOT INCREASED ANY PARKING FOR IT.
AND THEY LEFT IT WITH, WELL, YOU KNOW, ONE DAY, ONE DAY THERE WILL BE AN EVENT SO GREAT DOWN THERE THAT EVERYONE FROM THE OTHER END OF THE ISLAND WHO WANTS TO COME DOWN TO THAT EVENT WILL TRY TO GET DOWN HERE AND THEY WON'T BE ABLE TO PARK.
AND THEY'LL GO SCREAMING TO TOWN COUNCIL ABOUT NOT HAVING EVER PUT ANY PARKING IN COLIGNY.
SO, PATSY, THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THAT UP BECAUSE WE JUST HAD IT.
UM, SO THERE'S YEARS OF KICKING THE CAN DOWN THE ROAD, UH, EITHER NEGLECTFULLY OR ACTIVELY BY THE TOWN THAT HAVE CREATED THE KIND OF SITUATION WE HAVE DOWN THERE.
UM, WE ARE NOT READY TO CHARGE FOR PARKING IN KAEGY.
UH, ANOTHER QUESTION FROM STEVE IS, UM, IF I'M A DISGRUNTLED YOUTH FROM A NEIGHBORING TOWN AND I WANT TO COME DOWN TO THE BEACH FOR THE DAY, IT'S GONNA COST ME $30 TO PARK.
UM, IT'S ONLY $10 TO GO INTO YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD, RIGHT, RIGHT THROUGH THE GATE.
IT'S ONLY $10 FOR ME TO GO INTO YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
SO I WOULD HAVE GO INTO SEA PINES INSTEAD OF $30 TO PARK FOR THE DAY AT KIG.
THEY'LL FIND A PLACE, THEY, THEY PARK IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS.
THEY'LL FIND A WAY TO PARK, THEY'LL PARK AT SEA PINE CENTER, HARBOR TOWN.
UM, SO THAT'S SOMETHING WE HAVEN'T THOUGHT OF.
UM, I DON'T THINK WE'RE READY TO PARK IN KAGEY OR CHARGED TO PARK IN KAGEY.
I DON'T THINK WE HAVE ENOUGH PARKING IN KAGEY.
AND WE CERTAINLY HAVEN'T ANSWERED ENOUGH QUESTIONS ABOUT THE AREA.
AND WE HAVEN'T INVOLVED ENOUGH STAKEHOLDERS IN THE AREA TO, UH, KNOW.
AND DEFINITELY, I, I, I APPRECIATE A LOT OF SENTIMENT ABOUT EMPLOYEE PARKING 'CAUSE MANY EMPLOYEES ARE LOCAL AND WHAT THEY WILL DO, WHERE THEY WILL GO.
BUT, UH, I DON'T THINK WE'RE READY AND I DON'T KNOW THAT WE WILL EVER TRULY BE READY.
ANYONE ELSE? CAN I GIVE YOU A FEW ITEMS? CERTAINLY.
WELL, I WANTED YOU TO HAVE SOME DATA.
I AM THE GENERAL MANAGER OF THE BEACH HOUSE.
I'M ALSO THE CHAIRMAN OF THE HILTON HEAD ISLAND BLUFFTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.
AND I'M A RESIDENT OF MS. BRYSON'S WARD.
UM, I WORKED WITH, UH, THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE ON SOME DATA THAT I'D LIKE TO SHARE WITH YOU.
AND IT'S INFORMATION THAT YOU HAVE ALREADY BEEN GIVEN IN THE ANNUAL MARKETING REPORT.
UM, HOWEVER, WE, UH, ADDED SOME ADDITIONAL CONTEXT TO THAT AND SOME DETAIL.
UM, BETWEEN THE MONTHS OF APRIL AND AUGUST, 35% OF THOSE WHO WERE OBSERVED IN KIG ME BEACH PARKING WERE RESIDENTS.
65% OBSERVED WERE VISITORS, VISITORS BEING 250 MILES AWAY.
AS I MOVE FORWARD ON THAT DAY, TRIPPERS ACCOUNT FOR FIVE INDIVIDUALS ON AVERAGE PER DAY TRIPPER VISIT.
OKAY? WE HAD ALMOST 3 MILLION VISITORS TO THE HILTON HEAD ISLAND LAST YEAR IN 20 23, 250 5,000 OF THOSE, OR 8.6% WERE DAYERS.
THAT'S DOWN 3.3% LESS THAN 22,
[01:35:01]
AND 4.5% DOWN TO 2021.VISITATION BY MONTH HAS SPREAD OUT.
IN 2023, THAT SPREAD FOR PEAK VISITORS DAY TRIPPERS WAS FROM APRIL TO AUGUST.
IN PRIOR YEARS 22, THE PEAK WAS AUGUST.
AND IN 21 IT WAS JUNE AND JULY WHEN WE'RE ALREADY AT CAPACITIES, RIGHT? SO IT'S GOING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
I'LL SAY THAT 77% VISITED HILTON HEAD ISLAND AS PART OF A VACATION.
SO CAME OVER FROM BLUFFTON OR, UM, YOU NAME IT, OKEE HAMPTON COUNTY.
THOSE 77% OF DAY TRIPPER WERE ON VACATION TO PLACES LIKE SAVANNAH, TYBEE ISLAND, BUFORD, JACKSONVILLE, FRIT ISLAND, CHARLESTON, WELL VISITING HILTON HEAD ISLAND AS A DAY TRIPPER, 23.5%, SHOPPED AT THE IGNIA CENTER.
WE'RE SEEING LESS VISITORS, OKAY? YEAR OVER YEAR.
AND THE SPEND WENT FROM $463 TO $430 PER DAY.
TRIP VI VISIT, ON AVERAGE, THEY'RE SPENDING $157 ON SHOPPING, $166 ON DINING, AND $107 ON GROCERIES, WHICH ARE DOWN 7.1% TO 2022.
I DID THE MATH WITH LE'S YEAR.
THAT'S ABOUT $10 MILLION IN SPEND OVER AT, UM,
THE YEAR BEFORE WAS 14 MILLION.
I ASKED HIM AND HE SAID HIS REVENUES ARE DOWN 4 MILLION.
SO THEY'RE JUST, I ASKED FOR THAT TO BE A CONSIDERATION.
ANYONE ELSE HAVE ANYTHING THEY'D LIKE TO COMMENT ON WITH REGARD TO THIS TOPIC? MELINDA? OH, I'M SORRY.
PRESENTATION, UH, DAVID MARTIN FROM PIGGLY WILEY.
AND WHEN HE WAS TALKING ABOUT GROCERIES, I WAS LIKE, OH, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S BEEN SOME GREAT FEEDBACK AND THESE GUYS GOT IT ALL WRITTEN DOWN.
BUT MY REAL CONCERN, THE LAST THREE WEEKS, IT'S A MESS DOWN THERE.
UM, I THINK THE TOWN, UH, JUST DOESN'T QUITE UNDERSTAND ON THE WEEKENDS HOW IT CAN BE.
WHEN I STAND IN FRONT OF MY STORE AND I SEE CIRCLES AND CIRCLES AND CIRCLES, IT'S A COMPLICATED ISSUE.
I ALSO WOULD SAY, JOSH, THAT WE'VE MADE SOME MISTAKES IN THE LAST 10 OR 12 YEARS THAT WE HAVE NOT CORRECTED.
I REMEMBER THE BONEYARD, WHICH WAS CHARLES COUSIN'S IDEA.
IT WAS ABOUT 650 SPOTS AT THAT TIME.
I'M TALKING ABOUT KAL ONLY 'CAUSE THAT'S MY LIFE.
DAVID AMES AND I HAD GONE AROUND.
WE'D SAY, DO WE WANT TO BUILD A PARKING GARAGE AND IT'S 10,000 SPOTS? NO, BUT YOU GOTTA HAVE ENOUGH TO AT LEAST GET SOME OF THESE CARS OFF THE ROAD.
UM, WHEN WE WENT TO THE NEW PARK AND I JUST, I DIDN'T KNOW WE WERE DOWN TO ALMOST 400 SPOTS, SO I THOUGHT IT WAS LIKE 495.
UM, IT'S JUST NOT ENOUGH INVENTORY.
AND THAT'S REALLY THE PROBLEM FOR ME.
10 YEARS FROM NOW, WE MIGHT BE THERE AGAIN, BUT I'LL ALSO TELL YOU WHEN I HEAR THE NEGATIVE TERM OF DAY TRIPPER, SIR, WHAT I SEE IS A KID YESTERDAY SO BIG WITH HIS MOM AND DAD COMING FOR THE BEACH THE FIRST TIME.
AND I ALWAYS TALK TO MY CUSTOMERS AND THE LITTLE KID SAID TO ME, I'VE NEVER SEEN THE BEACH.
AND FOR ME, THAT'S, THAT WARMED MY HEART.
AND NOW HE PROBABLY WAS OUT THERE PARKING IN MY PARKING LOT.
I PROBABLY LOST MONEY 'CAUSE HE COULDN'T, I DIDN'T HAVE CUSTOMERS WHO COULD PARK.
AND, YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M SO LUCKY TO HAVE, UH, GROWN UP HERE IN ALEX AS WELL.
IT, IT GET, IT WARMS MY HEART WHEN I SHARE THIS PLACE WITH OTHERS.
I, I JUST THINK WE NEED TO GET BACK TO THAT A LITTLE BIT.
UM, SO ANYWAYS, THE BOTTOM LINE FOR ME IS INVENTORY, INVENTORY.
THANK, HI, MELINDA TURNER, PALMETTO HALL.
UM, FIRST, UH, ONE OF THE, I THINK KEY QUESTIONS IS WHAT PROBLEM ARE YOU TRYING TO SOLVE? UM, AND I DON'T THINK THAT IS SPECIFICALLY CLEAR.
I KNOW IN YOUR, UH, PURPOSE IT TALKS ABOUT, UH, CONTROLLING DEMAND AND INFLUENCING BEACH PARKING DECISIONS.
UH, BUT I THINK YOU NEED TO ASK THAT QUESTION ABOUT WHAT PROBLEM ARE YOU TRYING TO SOLVE? UM, ANY SOLUTION, UH, FEELS LIKE YOU MUST INCLUDE KIG.
UH, WHEN YOU LOOK AT CHARGING FOR EVERYTHING EXCLUDING KIG, IT JUST TO ME DOESN'T MAKE SENSE.
UH, BUT WITH THAT COMES A LOT OF ISSUES, AS YOU'VE HEARD, UH,
[01:40:01]
DISCUSSED HERE.SO YOU'D NEED TO FIND SOLUTIONS FOR THOSE QUESTIONS.
UM, ALSO IN REGARDS TO BUFFALO WILD WINGS, UM, I AGREE THAT, UM, USING THAT FOR EMPLOYEE PARKING, UM, WOULD SEND A BAD MESSAGE, UM, TO THE PUBLIC, UH, IN REGARDS TO HOW IT WAS PURCHASED.
AND I JUST THINK ABOUT THE OPTICS OF WHAT THAT WOULD LOOK LIKE, UM, IN COMMUNICATING THAT TO OUR RESIDENTS.
UM, ON A POSITIVE NOTE, I LIKED THE EXPANDED HOURS AND THE STANDARDIZATION, UM, AND TIMES.
AND LASTLY, UM, ALTHOUGH VISITORS MAY BE DOWN AND DAY TROOPERS MAY BE DOWN, THE REALITY IS WE'RE CONTINUING TO SEE DEVELOPMENT OFF THE ISLAND SIGNIFICANT LEVELS.
AND I DON'T THINK THAT DAY TRIPPER NUMBERS ARE GOING TO BE GOING DOWN IN THE FUTURE.
THEY'RE JUST GONNA CONTINUE TO GO UP.
ANYONE ELSE? HELLO? HI, I'M RUSTY JAKE WITH, I'M WITH THE FROSTY FRAIL CAFE.
I'VE BEEN WORKING IN KIG FOR 18 YEARS NOW.
UM, MY BIGGEST CONCERN WITH THIS IS LIKE MOST IS PART OF THE GOALS.
UM, IT SAID THAT ONE OF THE GOALS ARE TO PROTECT LOCALS AND BUSINESSES.
AND I FEEL, YOU KNOW, HAVING WATCHED WHAT'S BEEN TRANSPIRING THE TRAFFIC AND OUR LACK OF PARKING SPACES OVER THE LAST, YOU KNOW, 18 YEARS, I JUST FEEL LIKE IF WE PUSH THIS CHARGING SCENARIO, IT'S JUST GONNA FORCE PEOPLE INTO THE FREE SPOTS.
AND ONCE THOSE START GETTING USED UP, IT'S JUST GONNA CREATE A LOT MORE PROBLEMS FOR BUSINESSES.
OUR BUSINESSES AREN'T GONNA THRIVE.
IT'LL BE A LOT HARDER TO CREATE THOSE H TAX REVENUES AND, AND KEEP ON THAT SAME PLAN THAT, THAT WE'VE BEEN GOING ON.
UM, I JUST FEEL LIKE BASED OFF THESE, THIS PRESENTATION THAT WE JUST HAD, SOME OF THE THINGS LIKE, TO USE JOSH, YOUR ANALOGY, YOU KNOW, WE WANNA CRAWL AND THEN WALK IN AND RUN.
I THINK, YOU KNOW, I APPLAUD YOU GUYS ON THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING, BUT I JUST DON'T THINK BASED ON WHERE WE'RE RIGHT NOW THAT WE'RE EVEN READY TO CALL, I DON'T THINK THAT THERE'S ENOUGH INFORMATION TO PROVIDE A PLAN GOING FORWARD.
THERE'S JUST SO MANY QUESTION MARKS AND IF WE IMPLEMENT THIS, IT FEELS, IT FEELS LIKE TO ME, UM, THAT WE'RE IMPLEMENTING IT WITH, WE'RE KIND OF PUTTING THE CARRIAGE IN FRONT OF THE HORSE ALMOST.
IT SEEMS LIKE WE'VE COMMITTED TO TCI FOR THIS AMOUNT OF TIME AND WE'VE ALREADY COMMITTED THESE DOLLARS AND IT'S ALREADY IN THE BUDGET.
AND WE'RE, WE'RE TALKING RIGHT NOW ABOUT THIS PARKING PLAN THAT WE'RE TRYING TO VOTE ON IT, BUT WE'VE ALREADY SEEMS LIKE WE'RE MOVING FORWARD WITH IT AS FAR AS THAT'S THE PERCEPTION THAT I'M SEEING THAT IT'S BEING PRESENTED TO US IN THAT WAY.
SO I JUST THINK THAT'S A QUESTION THAT I'D LIKE TO, UM, SEE ANSWERED IS JUST A BETTER PLANNING MOVING FORWARD AS TO HOW THIS IS GOING TO ADAPT AND, AND UNFOLD.
SEEING NONE, UM, I'M BRING IT.
UM, JUST SOME RANDOM THOUGHTS IS, UM, JOTTING DOWN IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER.
UM, SO TO ME THE MAIN PROBLEM IS OBVIOUSLY WE HAVE TOO MANY CARS AND NOT ENOUGH SPACES FOR THEM.
UM, AND IT WAS MAKING ME THINK ABOUT THE GOLF TOURNAMENT COMING UP HERE, UM, WHERE THEY'RE GONNA HAVE A TROLLEY SERVICE AND PARKING AT HONEY HORN.
SO FOR SOME OF THESE BIGGER EVENTS, MAYBE THE TROLLEY SERVICE CAN BE USED MORE TO HELP WITH THINGS LIKE THAT HAPPENED AT CELEBRATION PARK THIS WEEKEND WHERE THERE WASN'T ENOUGH PLACES FOR PEOPLE TO PARK.
UM, AND I, I MEAN, THAT SEEMS TO BE A RECURRING, UM, THEME THAT I HEAR ALL THE TIME.
AND THE ONLY WAY I KNOW TO MAKE LESS CARS IS TO END THESE SPACES IS TO PROVIDE SOME KIND OF PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION OR MORE UTILIZE THE TROLLEY SERVICE MORE.
UM, AND, UM, DEFINITELY THINK IF YOU'RE GOING TO CHARGE PARKING AT ANY PARKING LOT, YOU NEED TO CHARGE IT AT ALL.
I DON'T IN, IN EVERY SINGLE LOT.
I DON'T THINK AY SHOULD BE AN EXCEPTION.
UM, AND, UH, JUST IN ALL OF MY TRAVELS AROUND THE COUNTRY, PARKING, PAYING FOR PARKING HAS NEVER STOPPED ME FROM GOING TO A LOCATION.
I'VE PAID FOR PARKING IN BEAUFORT.
I'VE PAID FOR PARKING IN CARMEL, CALIFORNIA.
IF I WANT TO GO TO THAT AREA, PAYING FOR PARKING
[01:45:01]
IS JUST PART OF IT.UM, AND THE OTHER THING, UM, MY LAST COMMENT IS, YOU KNOW, INFLATION PEOPLE AREN'T SPENDING THIS MUCH MONEY BECAUSE OF INFLATION.
I THINK THAT HAS TO FIGURE INTO WHY SOME OF THESE, UM, COMPANIES HAVE, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT ARE DOWN, UM, WITH THEIR INCOME.
UH, 'CAUSE IT, IT AFFECTS EVERYBODY'S WALLET AND PEOPLE ARE CONSCIOUS OF THAT.
ANYMORE, ANY OTHER COMMENTS WITH REGARD TO THIS TOPIC? ALL RIGHT.
SEEING NONE, WE'LL BRING IT BACK TO THE DAIS.
UM, OR, UM, ANY ADDITIONAL COMMENTS FROM, FROM, UM, THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS HERE? THING THAT I'M GONNA JUMP IN BECAUSE I'VE GOT SOME BUT GO AHEAD.
IF YOU'RE, I I THINK YOU SHOULD GO FIRST.
UM, AS CHAIR, I WILL WAIT TILL THE END.
SO MAKE SURE YOUR MIC IS ON AND GO RIGHT AHEAD.
SO I'LL TRY TO MAKE MORE COMMENTS AROUND, UH, THE DECISION THAT WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE HERE TODAY.
UM, WE HAVE BEEN AT THIS FOR A LONG TIME OUTSIDE OF THIS COMMITTEE, HAVING THESE CONVERSATIONS.
UM, FROM FOLKS THAT HAVE SPOKE TODAY, SORT OF TRIGGERED SOME COBWEBS IN MY HEAD AS FAR AS THE MEMORY IS CONCERNED.
THE CIRCLE TO CIRCLE COMMITTEE WAS TALKING ABOUT THIS, I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY YEARS AGO.
UM, AND ONE OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS OUT OF THAT WAS TO SORT OF PUT FORTH A MITIGATION PLAN THAT WOULD INVOLVE SOME TYPE OF SHUTTLE SERVICE, RIGHT.
THAT WOULD HELP WITH THE DEMAND.
UM, IT, IN, ESSENTIALLY WHAT IT DID WAS IT SUPPLIED MORE INVENTORY.
UM, BUT WE DID NOT HAVE A FOLLOW UP TO THAT.
SO WITH THE FACT THAT IT'S GONNA TAKE US ABOUT 60 DAYS TO GET UP AND RUNNING, I ASKED THE QUESTION ABOUT WHAT THE TECHNOLOGY CAN OFFER US AS FAR AS INFORMATION IS CONCERNED.
I THINK THAT PIECE IS OBVIOUSLY MISSING.
UM, AND THE WHOLE IDEA OF HAVING A TRUE LONG-TERM MITIGATION PLAN WHERE I CAN UNDERSTAND THE CRAWL, WALK, RUN,
BUT TO BE HONEST, WE ALREADY RUNNING BASED ON THE DEMAND THAT HAPPENS AS FAR AS OUR PARKING IS CONCERNED.
UM, SO I, I'D RATHER SEE US HAVE PROJECTIONS AROUND SOLUTIONS TO THE ISSUE OF DEMAND AND INVENTORY, NOT NECESSARILY SOLUTIONS TOWARDS A DETERRENT MECHANISM.
UH, SO I'M NOT PREPARED, YOU KNOW, I, I THINK THAT THIS YEAR, OBVIOUSLY WE FOUND A WAY TO FIGURE IT OUT TO MAKE SURE IT'S PAID FOR.
I UNDERSTAND THE, UH, THE NEED TO PRODUCE REVENUES TO TAKE CARE OF THIS ON AN ONGOING BASIS.
UM, BUT, UH, COUNCILMAN BRYSON'S POINT, IF WE WERE TO SCALE BACK ON THE SERVICES, I THINK WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT NUMBER LOOKS LIKE AS WELL.
UM, SO TO ME THERE'S STILL A LOT OF WORK TO BE DONE BEFORE WE'RE MOVING THIS, THIS FORWARD.
UM, WELL I CERTAINLY AGREE THAT THERE'S WORK TO BE DONE WITHIN THE K CLICKY AREA AND I ABSOLUTELY AGREE THAT, UM, THE CAPACITY IN K CLICKY NEEDS SOME ADDRESS TO WHICH WE'VE, UM, PURCHASED WILD WINGS, UM, WHICH IS SCHEDULED, I THINK IN OUR CONVERSATIONS TO BECOME A PARKING LOT AND OPEN AND WILL ADD SIGNIFICANT, UM, PARKING OPPORTUNITIES.
WE'VE HEARD THAT, UM, THE CONCERN, AND CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG FROM THE K GANY AREA IN THE SHOPS, IS, UM, THAT PEOPLE WILL PARK IN THEIR, IN THEIR PARKING LOTS INSTEAD OF WHERE THEY HAVE TO PAY.
UM, I DO UNDERSTAND THAT AS A CONCERN AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO ADDRESS.
THE OTHER THING THOUGH THAT IS REALLY, UM, OUT THERE IN FRONT OF US IS THE FACT THAT WE HAVE FAR MORE PEOPLE COMING ONTO THIS ISLAND.
WHETHER THE NUMBERS ARE DEMONSTRATING IT OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, I THINK THOSE ARE, UM, UH, NEED TO BE LOOKED AT IN PARTICULAR LIGHT THAT WE WERE COMING OUTTA COVID AND COMING BACK TO NORM NORMALNESS.
UM, BUT EVEN THAT IS HIGHER THAN PROBABLY WHERE WE WERE.
[01:50:01]
TO ONLY INCREASE AS DEVELOPMENT OFF THE ISLAND BECOMES MORE INTENSE, TRYING TO CONTROL THINGS HERE ON THE ISLAND, THE BEST WE, WITHOUT PAVING OVER ALL OF THE AVAILABLE SPACE THAT WE HAVE TO MAKE A PARKING LOT.SO WE CAN ONLY GROW SO MUCH CAPACITY, UM, OR ELSE WE NO LONGER ARE THE ISLAND OF, UM, TREES AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTIONS.
INSTEAD WE'RE THE ISLAND OF PARKING LOTS AND, UM, THAT DOESN'T SUIT MOST OF US ANYWAY.
SO ONE OF THE SUGGESTIONS THAT I THINK POSITIVE THINGS THAT COULD COME OUT OF THIS, UM, ALEX YOU AND I HAVE TALKED ABOUT THIS.
UM, I TALK ABOUT IT IN MANY DIFFERENT, UM, LEVELS.
I TALK ABOUT TRANSPORTATION IN TERMS OF THE BRIDGE AND THE OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE WORKERS A PLACE TO PARK.
THERE ARE TWO CATEGORIES OF WORKERS.
THERE ARE THOSE WORKERS WHO COME ONTO THE ISLAND WHO NEED THEIR TRUCKS AND THEIR EQUIPMENT.
'CAUSE THEY MOVE AROUND FROM POINT TO POINT TO POINT AROUND THE ISLAND ALL DAY TO DO THEIR WORK.
AND THERE'S ANOTHER, UH, LEVEL OF, UM, EMPLOYEE WHO BRINGS THEIR CAR ON AND THEY PARK IT AND THEY SPEND THEIR DAY WORKING UNTIL THEY'RE DONE WITH WORK AND THEN THEY GO HOME FOR THOSE PEOPLE.
IT MIGHT BE, UM, UM, AN OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE A PARK AND RIDE, UM, AND PREFERABLY, UM, ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE BRIDGE SO THAT WE COULD CUT DOWN ON THE NUMBER OF TRIPS ACROSS THE BRIDGE.
AND, UM, AN ARGUMENT FOR, UM, MAKING SURE THAT WE DON'T HAVE AN 11 LANE BRIDGE COMING ACROSS THE ISLAND.
SO THERE'S A MULTIPLE BENEFITS TO THAT WITHIN THIS PROGRAM.
EVEN LEAVING LITANY OUT UNTIL WE HAVE MORE DATA, UM, THAT WOULD GIVE US MORE SPECIFICS ON WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE DOWN THERE.
IF ANYTHING, THERE'S REVENUE BEING GENERATED THAT COULD GO TO THAT TRANSPORTATION ISSUE, UM, THAT WE'RE TRYING TO SOLVE.
SO THOSE ARE SOME POSITIVE THINGS FOR ME THAT COME OUT OF THIS.
WE KNOW ALSO, AND IT'S ANECDOTAL, BUT IT IS A DIRECT OBSERVATION FOR MY FAMILY THAT IN CHAPLAIN, FOR INSTANCE, UM, A COUPLE OF WEEKENDS AGO WHEN IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL WEEKEND OUT AND THERE WERE SPORTS BEING PLAYED, THERE WAS NOT ONE PARKING SPOT TO BE FOUND BY 10:00 AM PEOPLE WERE PARKING CREATIVELY AS PATSY SAYS, ON THE GRASS AND UP AND DOWN BOTH SIDES OF CNET.
SO THERE IS, UM, A NEED FOR THAT DETERRENCE A LITTLE BIT, OTHERWISE THE SOLUTION IS MORE PARKING, UM, AVAILABILITY.
AND AGAIN, I JUST TALKED ABOUT WHY THAT DOESN'T REALLY FIT INTO AT LEAST MOST OF OUR IDEA OF WHAT HILTON HEAD IS LIKE.
SO, UM, I AM VERY, UM, UH, ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT BEING ABLE TO COVER OUR COSTS, UM, TO PROVIDE OPPORTUNITY FOR PARKING IN A SAFE ENVIRONMENT AND ALL OF THE THINGS THAT WERE POINTED OUT IN OUR BULLETS.
UM, WE HAVE A PROGRAM IN FRONT OF US THAT ALLOWS US TO DO THAT.
IT ALSO ALLOWS US THE SPACE, THE TIME TO COLLECT THE DATA FROM COLIGNY TO SEE WHETHER OR NOT WE NEED TO DO ANYTHING DOWN THERE, UM, AT ALL.
I DO HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT PARK OPERATION HOURS AND THAT SORT OF THING, UM, BUT WE CAN TALK TO THAT AS WE TALK THROUGH THE, UM, THE OBJECTIVES THAT JOSH IS ASKING US TO ANSWER FOR TODAY.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO MOVE THIS FORWARD.
I WOULD LIKE TO MOVE IT FORWARD AS RECOMMENDED BY STAFF.
UM, I WOULD LIKE A SURVEY CREATED SO THAT WE CAN IDENTIFY MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE K CLICKY AREA SO THAT WE CAN BEST SERVE OUR BUSINESS COMMUNITY AND OUR RESIDENTS AND VISITORS, UM, DOWN IN THAT AREA.
BUT TO ALSO, UM, HAVE SOME CONTROL OVER THE OTHER PARK ISLAND, UM, BEACH PARKING, UM, AREAS ON THE BEACH, UH, ON THE ISLAND HERE IN HILTON HEAD.
SO I FEEL LIKE I'VE SPOKEN AROUND IN CIRCLES BECAUSE MY POINT WAS MADE THE FIRST TIME OUT, BUT I WANNA MAKE SURE I'M REALLY CLEAR, UM, ON WHAT IT IS THAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE DONE HERE.
UM, AND I'LL TURN IT OVER TO PATSY.
UM, I'M LOOKING BACK AT THE STAFF REPORT, WHICH INCLUDED, UH, FOUR POLICY QUESTIONS.
UM, AND SO THAT'S WHERE I'M GONNA GO.
UM, AND I'M HOPING I'M GONNA MAKE IT EASY BY SAYING THAT I AGREE, UH, WITH NUMBER THREE THAT WE SHOULD NO LONGER CHARGE RESIDENTS FOR THE BEACH PARKING PASS.
UM, WITH THE LIMITATION OF TWO PER, I CAN'T REMEMBER IF IT'S TWO PER HOUSEHOLD OR TWO PER PROPERTY.
[01:55:01]
THE DEFINITION OF RESIDENCE AS FOUND IN, UM, I THINK IT'S SECTION 12 DASH FIVE DASH FIVE 12, NOT CHANGING THAT DEFINITION.AND AS I RECALL, THE ORDINANCE LANGUAGE ITSELF SAYS, UH, THE COUNCIL MAY CHARGE RESIDENTS A FEE NOT TO EXCEED $15 OR NO MORE THAN $15, WHATEVER THE LANGUAGE SAYS.
SO WE'D BE WITHIN, UH, WE WOULD NOT NEED TO CHANGE THE ORDINANCE AS I UNDERSTAND IT IN ORDER TO DO THAT.
SO MY, UH, VOTE WOULD BE YES, LET'S DO THAT.
UM, THE, THE FIRST QUESTION IS ESTABLISH A DAILY PAID PARKING RATE, UM, WHICH INCLUDES IDENTIFYING WHICH LOCATION WILL OR WILL NOT CHARGE FOR PUBLIC BEACH PARKING.
UM, THE TIME OF YEAR THAT THIS CHARGE WILL BE REQUIRED IN THE HOURS OF OPERATION FOR THESE LOCATIONS.
UM, AND THEN, UH, I'M JUST GONNA GO BECAUSE THE OTHERS ARE CONNECTED, ESTABLISH A MAXIMUM DAILY CHARGE, UM, IF ONE IS RECOMMENDED FOR ADOPTION.
AND THEN FOURTH, IF PAID PARKING IS RECOMMENDED FOR CLICKY THAN CONSIDER OPTIONS TO ADDRESS EMPLOYEE PARKING CONCERNS.
UM, AND THERE HAVE BEEN A NUMBER OF POSSIBILITIES PROVIDED FOR US, UM, WITH REGARD TO CHARGING A DAILY PAID PARKING RATE AND THE LOCATION.
UM, IT, IT TROUBLES ME TO, UM, UH, TO NOT YET HAVE ADDRESSED THE CONCERNS THAT I REMEMBER HAVING A NUMBER OF YEARS AGO.
I I HAVE COBWEBS IN MY HEAD TOO, AND I'M GLAD WHEN SOMEONE SWEEPS 'EM OUT OCCASIONALLY.
UM, BUT A LOT OF YOU KNOW THAT I USED TO LIVE, UM, IN SOUTH FOREST BEACH AREA.
I ENJOYED LIVING THERE BECAUSE IT WAS A WALKABLE COMMUNITY.
I COULD WALK TO SHOPS ALL ALONG POPE AVENUE.
THERE USED TO BE A GROCERY STORE THERE.
UM, AND WE WALKED TO GET OUR GROCERIES.
UM, YES, I CARRIED THOSE BAGS, UM, UH, TO AND FROM THE GROCERY STORE.
SO I LIKED THE WALKABLE COMMUNITY.
UM, BUT I SAW AS, AS THINGS, UH, MY HUSBAND AND I HAVE BEEN HERE FULL TIME SINCE JULY 1ST, 2015.
SO IN THAT TIME I'VE SEEN THE INCREASE IN THE VOLUME, UM, IN THAT AREA.
AND, AND I THINK WE HAVE NOT ADDRESSED THAT AND I DON'T THINK THAT ANY OF THESE PROPOSALS BEFORE US DO THAT ADEQUATELY.
UM, THEIRS AS HAS BEEN EXPRESSED, UM, A, A CAPACITY OR INVENTORY ISSUE.
I DO NOT LIKE THAT VOLUME OF TRAFFIC IN COLIGNY.
I DO NOT LIKE HEARING ABOUT THE GRIDLOCK.
UM, I'VE FELT FORTUNATE NOT TO BE CAUGHT IN THAT ONE.
I'VE BEEN CAUGHT IN A NUMBER OF GRIDLOCKS IN THAT AREA.
UM, HE, UH, ENJOYING BEING ABLE TO WALK.
UM, SO, BUT TRYING TO GET OUTTA THERE, UH, IS IMPOSSIBLE A LOT OF TIMES.
YOU KNOW, IF YOU LOOK AT THE SATURDAY TRAFFIC, UM, IT, IT'S JUST, ESPECIALLY AT FOUR O'CLOCK IN THE AFTERNOON, EVERYBODY LEAVES THE BEACH.
UM, SO IT, IT'S A PROBLEM THERE AND WE NEED TO ADDRESS IT.
UM, IT'S A PROBLEM WITH CAPACITY ON ISLAND.
UM, WE ARE GOING TO HEAR FROM, UH, LOCK MILLER CONSULTANT, UM, THIS WEDNESDAY ABOUT THE DOWNSTREAM IMPACT OF THE BRIDGE PROJECT, UM, ON THE VOLUME AND CAPACITY ON ISLAND.
UM, I, I HOPE SOMEONE CAN SOLVE THIS ONE DAY.
UM, BUT UM, THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THAT AND I DON'T THINK ANY OF THIS SOLVES IT.
I'M CONCERNED ABOUT CHARGING FOR PARKING AND COLLECTING BECAUSE OF THE IMPACT ON BUSINESSES AND THE IMPACT ON THE RESIDENTIAL AREAS AROUND THAT.
UM, WE USED TO WORRY ABOUT, UH, YOU KNOW, FOLKS TAKING OVER PARKING AREA WHEN THEY WERE GOING TO THE BEACH WHERE I USED TO LIVE.
UM, I'VE SEEN FOLKS COME AND GO FROM THE PARKING LOTS IN THAT AREA THAT WERE CLEARLY GOING TO THE BEACH, UM, FOR THE BUSINESS PARKING LOTS.
UM, AND, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE, I'M, I'M AT A LOSS NOW AS TO EXACTLY HOW TO SOLVE IT BASED UPON THE INFORMATION BEFORE US.
UM, AND THE QUESTION WAS RAISED OF DID ANYONE REVIEW WHAT REPORT THAT WAS PROVIDED TO THE RICHARDSON GROUP? YES, I HAVE IT RIGHT HERE.
I LOOKED AT IT THIS MORNING AGAIN.
UM, IT, IT WAS GIVEN TO ME, UM, IN AUGUST OF 2022.
I READ IT THEN I'VE GOT IT HIGHLIGHTED, AND I LOOKED AT IT AGAIN THIS MORNING.
UM, I, I, I TRY TO READ EVERYTHING I CAN TRY TO COME UP WITH THE BEST SOLUTION.
UM, I'M AT A LOSS RIGHT NOW AS TO WHAT TO DO.
UM, I'M NOT PREPARED TO ADOPT THE DRAFT RESOLUTION EXCEPT FOR, UH, WITH REGARD TO THE RESIDENT BEACH PARKING PASSES.
I DO NOT LIKE, I DO NOT LIKE TAKING THIS DOWN THE ROAD.
UM, WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT A LOT, BUT I'M AT A LOSS AS DEFINING A SOLUTION WITHIN WHAT WE'VE BEEN GIVEN TO DATE.
SO WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE OTHER BEACH PARKS? TALKING ABOUT COLIGNY? RIGHT.
AND WE KEEP FOCUSING ON COLIGNY, AND I THINK WE HAVE A SOLUTION FOR THE TIME BEING WITH REGARD TOY.
AND THAT IS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DO NOT INSTITUTE ANYTHING THAT HAS UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES.
[02:00:01]
THAT INTO THE, UM, RESOLUTION TO, UM, TO SATISFY THAT.WHAT ABOUT THE OTHER BEACH PARKS? I'M, I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THOSE AS WELL.
AND THE REASON THAT I ASK ABOUT, UM, OUR CURRENT OPERATIONS IS I CARE VERY MUCH ABOUT PROTECTING ISLANDERS BEACH PARK, AND, UM, THE SYSTEM THAT WE HAVE NOW SEEMS TO BE WORKING BETTER.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE STATS WE RECEIVED ON THE PARKING, UM, THERE, UM, EARLIER THIS YEAR, MAYBE EVEN THE FALL OF LAST YEAR, I'LL HAVE TO LOOK, I'VE GOT IT RIGHT HERE.
UM, THAT IT'S, IT'S BEEN A, UM, A HELPFUL IMPACT IN THAT AREA ON MANAGING THAT PARKING, UM, WHAT WE HAVE NOW, UH, AND HELPING, UM, MANAGING THE PARKING, UM, UH, VOLUME AT CLINICY IS AT LEAST HAVING SOME FOLKS THERE, SEASONAL FOLKS THERE TO HELP FOLKS KNOW WHETHER OR NOT THERE ISN'T IS ANY PARKING.
THERE'S THE SHUTTLE FROM USCB.
I DON'T WANNA PUSH IT TO ANYWHERE ELSE.
UM, I'M CONCERNED IF WE HAVE, UM, IF WE CHARGE AT OTHER BEACH PARKING PLACES, IT'LL PUSH IT TO KAEGY.
IF WE CHARGE IT KAEGY, IT'LL PUSH IT TO THE OTHER BEACHES.
UM, SO I DON'T THINK THAT THE DRAFT RESOLUTION SOLVES THAT, AND I'M NOT PREPARED TO SUPPORT THAT PART OF IT.
SO I THINK THE BOTTOM LINE, THOUGH, THAT WE CAN ALL, UM, AGREE AT IS THAT WE ARE OVER CAPACITY IN TERMS OF THAT, THE ABILITY TO PARK AT ANY OF THESE PARKS.
SO YOU, I WOULD EXPRESS APPROVAL OF NOT CHARGING RESIDENTS ANYMORE, OF IMPOSING THE CHARGES AGAINST THE FOUR EXISTING LOTS WITH THE SUMMER SPECIAL FOR CHAPLAIN.
UH, I THINK THE, IT IS IMPERATIVE FROM MY POINT OF VIEW THAT WE HAVE CHARGED PARKING EVERYWHERE WITHIN THE SHORTEST POSSIBLE TIME.
UH, AS EVERYBODY HAS INDICATED HERE, WE'RE DEALING WITH A SUPPLY AND DEMAND PROBLEM.
THIS DEMAND FAR EXCEEDS THE SUPPLY IN SOME WAY.
WE'VE GOTTA REDUCE DEMAND UNTIL WE CAN INCREASE SUPPLY.
INCREASED SUPPLY TO ME MEANS THE POTENTIAL OF A MULTI DECK PARKING GARAGE AT SOME LOCATION OFFSITE PARKING WITH TRANSPORTATION OR OTHER AVENUES OF THAT NATURE.
BUT THAT'S NOT GONNA HAPPEN THIS YEAR AND NEXT YEAR.
SO WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH THE SITUATION FOR NOW.
AND THAT MEANS, AS I SEE IT, REDUCING DEMAND.
UH, I, I SYMPATHIZE WITH THE POSITION TAKEN BY MR. MARTIN.
IT'D BE VERY NICE TO HAVE, UH, PEOPLE COME FROM FAR AWAY AS DAY TRIPPERS.
AND THAT THEY, SOME OF THEM DO, IN FACT DO THE SHOPPING, BUT, UM, WE'VE GOT A POTENTIAL 9,000 RESIDENTIAL UNIT DEVELOPMENT IN WESTERN BEAUFORT COUNTY COMING ALONG.
AND ON THE LIST OF PRIORITIES, RESIDENTS NEED TO BE AT THE TOP.
PEOPLE WHO ARE HAVE PAID VACATIONS HERE NEED TO BE CONSIDERED AS WELL.
AND IF THIS NEGATIVELY IMPACTS DAY TRIPPERS, I FEEL BAD ABOUT IT, BUT I THINK IT'S JUST PART OF WHAT WE HAVE TO DO.
UH, SO, UM, I, MY OWN VIEW IS, IS, IS THAT WE ARE IN A, UH, BETWEEN A ROCK AND A HARD PLACE, BUT THAT WE SHOULD GO FORWARD, UH, WITH NO PARKING FOR KAGEY RIGHT NOW, WITH AN ATTEMPT TO GET PARKING AS SOON AS WE CAN IN KAGEY, MY OWN VIEW IN TERMS OF THE, OF THE IMPACT ON THE BUSINESSES IN THAT AREA, IS IT THE, IS IT NOT HAVING ANY PARKING IN K CLICKY IS GONNA HURT THEM? HAVING PARKING IN K CLICKY CAN BE WORKED OUT IF YOU HAVING PAID PARKING AND K CLICKY CAN BE WORKED OUT, BUT WE'RE NOT READY.
SO I DON'T THINK IT'S A REAL BENEFIT, FROM MY PERSPECTIVE ANYWAY, TO THE MERCHANTS TO GET EVERYBODY TO GO PARK IN K CLICKY.
'CAUSE THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN.
UM, SO, UM, NO MORE RESIDENCE PARKING.
TRUMP PUT THE FEES ON AS RECOMMENDED FOR THE OTHER FOUR PARKS, NO PARKING TEMPORARILY THIS YEAR.
ANYWAY, ATY, WHAT ELSE DO WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH? JOSH? CINDY, CAN YOU BRING UP THOSE, THAT LAST PAGE OF JOSH'S PRESENTATION, PLEASE? THAT'S THE ONE, YES, MA'AM.
SO ACTUALLY, MR. ALFORD, UH, THROUGH WHAT YOU'VE JUST SUMMARIZED, I BELIEVE IT ADDRESSES ALL OF THOSE QUESTIONS IN SOME WAY, SHAPE OR ANOTHER.
SO WE'VE ANSWERED THE RESIDENT PARKING.
UM, THERE CERTAINLY APPEARS TO BE BROAD BASED SUPPORT FOR THAT.
UM, THERE IS DIFFERING OPINIONS IN TERMS OF SUPPORT FOR THE OTHER OPTIONS THAT ARE AVAILABLE.
UM, BUT BASED UPON WHAT YOU'VE TALKED ABOUT, WE'VE IDENTIFIED WHERE WE WOULD CHARGE THE
[02:05:01]
RATE THAT WE WOULD CHARGE.AND BECAUSE WE WOULD NOT BE CHARGING AT KIG, WE WOULD NOT NEED TO ADDRESS THOSE OTHER QUESTIONS AT THIS POINT IN TIME.
SO FROM MY STANDPOINT, THOSE WOULD BE ANSWERED JUST TO, BASED UPON SOME OF THE COMMENTS AND SOME OF THE QUESTIONS JUST PROVIDE A LITTLE BIT MORE INFORMATION.
I'VE BEEN A PART OF HAVING DISCUSSIONS WITH THIS BODY AND MEMBERS OF TOWN COUNCIL.
IT'LL BE ALMOST FOUR YEARS NOW THAT WE'VE BEEN HAVING, HAVING THESE CONVERSATIONS.
AND SO I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE ADDRESSING ALL OF THE CONCERNS AND, AND ARE PROVIDING YOU THE DATA TO THE EXTENT THAT WE HAVE IT OR WE CAN OBTAIN IT.
UM, AND SO, YOU KNOW, WHAT YOU HAVE TODAY IS OUR BEST, UH, ATTEMPT TO TRY AND ADDRESS ALL OF THOSE, YOU KNOW, THE, THE INVENTORY NEEDS.
THAT WAS PART OF OUR ORIGINAL SCOPE.
ONE OF THE WALKER CONSULTANT ELEMENTS WAS TO SCOPE OUT FOR US THE PARKING GARAGE.
AND OBVIOUSLY IT CAN BE SCALED IN DIFFERENT SIZES AND NUMBER OF SPACES.
UM, BUT WE ALSO DID A, A VERY LARGE COMMUNITY SURVEY AT THAT POINT, AND ONE OF THE MOST VOLUMINOUS RESPONDED QUESTIONS THAT WE'VE EVER RECEIVED.
THEN WE GOT CLOSE TO 800 RESPONSES FROM CITIZENS.
AND 80% OF THOSE PEOPLE INDICATED THEY DID NOT SUPPORT BUILDING A PARKING GARAGE IN THIS AREA TO CREATE MORE, MORE INVENTORY.
I THINK THE WHOLE THOUGHT OF IF YOU BUILD IT, THEY WILL COME VERSUS THEY'RE ALREADY COMING, WHAT ARE YOU GONNA DO? UM, SO THESE ARE NOT NEW CONVERSATIONS WE'VE HAD.
THESE, WE CAN GO BACK AND FORTH, AND AGAIN, IF THERE'S SUPPORT AMONGST THIS BODY, WE CAN MAKE IT HAPPEN OR WE CAN BRING YOU SOLUTIONS.
WE JUST NEED TO KNOW WHAT THOSE ARE SO THAT WE CAN THEN BRING THEM FORWARD.
AND, AND I RECALL ALL OF THAT THAT YOU JUST STATED.
AND, UM, THE IDEA OF A PARKING GARAGE, UM, THERE WERE SOME VERY ATTRACTIVE OPTIONS.
YOU WOULD NEVER KNOW THAT IT WAS THERE.
PLUS THERE WERE ADDITIONAL BENEFITS THAT COULD COME ALONG, UM, WITH BUILDING SOMETHING, UM, THAT THE PARKING WAS HIDDEN INSIDE LOW AS WE EXPECT TO SEE.
AND VERY, UM, HILTON HEAD, UM, CHARACTER FRIENDLY.
UM, BUT THERE WAS A RESOUNDING NO FROM PEOPLE.
SO UNDERSTANDING THAT WE ARE LIMITED ON HOW WE CREATE CAPACITY.
STEVE, I THINK THAT YOU WENT THROUGH THE POINTS, UM, PERFECTLY AND DESCRIBE THEM.
WE, WE HAVE TO DO WHAT WE NEED TO DO.
AND THIS IS ONE THING THAT, UM, WILL HELP PATSY THIS, THIS REALLY, UM, IN MY OPINION ANYWAY, WILL HELP TO SOLVE SOME OF THOSE CAPACITY ISSUES.
UM, AND IT JUST MIGHT HAVE SOME ADDED BENEFITS WITH REGARD TO, UM, ADDITIONAL, UM, TRAFFIC THROUGH THE SHOPS AND THE RESTAURANTS, AND MAYBE A FEW EXTRA FUNDS THAT WE CAN START TO THINK ABOUT TRANSPORTATION OPTIONS, UM, THAT WOULD HAVE MULTIPLE POSITIVE IMPACTS, UM, WITH REGARD TO THE BRIDGE AND, AND ALL OF THAT.
SO FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, WE ARE AT A PLACE AFTER MANY YEARS OF, OF WORKING THROUGH THIS TO MOVE THIS FORWARD, UM, ON ESTABLISHING THE, UM, PARKING RATE YOU HAVE HOURS OF OPERATION.
SO ONE OF MY ONLY, UM, CONCERNS FOR THOSE PARKS THAT HAVE THE ARMS THAT GO UP AND DOWN MM-HMM,
WE WOULD BE PUTTING THE ARMS UP AT THE CLICKY PARKING SPOT SO THAT WE COULD COLLECT THE DATA.
SO AT 10 O'CLOCK, THOSE PARKING SPOTS WOULD BECOME UNAVAILABLE.
SO THE, THE GATE ARMS WOULD ESSENTIALLY PROHIBIT ACCESS INTO THOSE AREAS OUTSIDE OF WHATEVER HOURS OF OPERATION MAY BE ADOPTED.
BUT LET'S SAY YOU'VE ALREADY PARKED IN THERE AND IT'S 10 30 AND YOU'VE JUST COME OFF THE BEACH AND READY TO GO.
THE TECHNOLOGY ALLOWS FOR PEOPLE TO LEAVE AND EXIT THE PROPERTY, BUT IT DOES NOT OPEN TO ALLOW SOMEBODY TO COME IN.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE HAVING TO DO NOW IS IF WE HAVE THAT SITUATION, WE ACTUALLY HAVE LOCKED GATES.
AND SO WE HAVE TO CALL A STAFF MEMBER TO GO OUT AT 10 30, 11 O'CLOCK AT NIGHT TO UNLOCK A GATE TO LET SOMEBODY OUT, WHEREAS THIS WOULD ALLOW FOR THAT TO AUTOMATICALLY HAPPEN.
AND, UM, MY LAST COMMENT ABOUT ALL OF THIS IS A, A, A BROAD APOLOGY TO THE TOWN AND TO THE BUSINESSES THAT HAVE BEEN IMPACTED, UM, THROUGH THE, UM, PLANNING FOR PARKING AROUND THE, UM, CELEBRATION PARK.
WE WERE AT THAT, UM, SYMPHONY WITH THE GIRLS, OUR GRANDDAUGHTERS, AND, UM, IT WAS, IT WAS JUST MOBBED.
AND WE WERE ALSO STUCK IN THE TRAFFIC THE OTHER DAY THAT HAD NO APPARENT REASON OTHER THAN, UM, TOO MANY CARS COMING ACROSS THE BRIDGE
[02:10:01]
ON TO OUR ISLAND AND EVERYTHING THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON FOR THESE MANY YEARS, AND WE'RE SITTING HERE FOR HOURS TODAY, BEING VERY CAREFUL AND LISTENING TO EACH OTHER AND, AND, AND THINKING THIS THROUGH IS A WAY TO HELP SOLVE THOSE PROBLEMS. SO, UM, IF MAD CHAIR, IF I COULD RESPOND TO SOME OF THAT, UM, I, I'M GONNA HAVE TO RESPECTFULLY DISAGREE.IF WE DON'T CHARGE AT KIG AND WE CHARGE AT THE OTHER PARKS, THERE'S GONNA BE MORE TRAFFIC AT KIG, AND WE ALREADY ARE OVER CAPACITY THERE.
AND THAT'S WHAT I'M TROUBLED BY.
UM, I, I, I'M EMPATHETIC WITH, UM, GIVING MORE TIME TO FIGURE OUT WHAT TO DO ABOUT KIG.
UM, BUT I DON'T WANT TO CHARGE AT THE OTHER PARKS AND DRIVE MORE FOLKS TO FREE PARKING IN KIG.
AND SO I CANNOT SUPPORT THAT PART OF THE RESOLUTION.
UM, I, I JUST, IT WILL ONLY INCREASE THE VOLUME THERE.
I THOUGH DON'T RECALL WHEN THAT EXACTLY IS, DO YOU? UH, I, NO, I DON'T.
AFTER THE HERITAGE TOURNAMENT, I, YES, IT'S AFTER HERITAGE FOR CERTAIN.
I, THE, THE, WHERE I'M STRUGGLING, I CAN'T REMEMBER IF THE FUNDS ARE BUDGETED WITHIN THIS YEAR'S BUDGET OR IF IT'S PROPOSED AS PART OF NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET, WHICH IF IT IS, IT'S AT LEAST THEN AFTER JULY 1ST.
UM, BUT I DON'T RECALL A SPECIFIC DATE, BUT THERE MIGHT BE SOME TIME.
AND, AND THAT WOULD HELP TO ALLEVIATE YOUR CONCERN IF, IF, IF IT PROVES TO BE VALID, UM, OF MORE PEOPLE GOING TO KIG IT.
UM, I'M LOOKING AT THE AERIAL PHOTO RIGHT NOW.
UM, LET'S SAY DEMOLITION DOESN'T START OR IS NOT AUTHORIZED FOR THE EXPENDITURE UNTIL, UM, THE JULY ONE BUDGET STARTS, TAKES A WHILE TO, UH, BID THAT OUT AND TO HAVE IT DEMOLISHED AND IT, AND THAT AREA WILL NOT BE ABLE TO BE USED AT ALL DURING THAT TIME.
AND THEN IT'LL HAVE TO BE RES STRIPPED AND LANDSCAPED.
SO WE'RE LOOKING, UH, IT, IT MAY BE EARLY FALL BEFORE THAT, UM, COULD BE USED.
AND IT'S NOT JUST THE PARKING CAPACITY, IT'S THE ROAD INFRASTRUCTURE CAPACITY THAT'S A PROBLEM.
SO I DON'T THINK THAT THAT, WHILE IT WILL GIVE SOME RELIEF, UM, IN THE FUTURE, UM, NOT THIS SUMMER, BASED ON WHAT I'M HEARING RIGHT NOW, UM, IT WILL NOT SOLVE THE VOLUME OF TRAFFIC IN THAT AREA.
AND, AND YOU SAID SOMETHING THAT'S INTERESTING, AND IT GOES TO MY ORIGINAL POINT, WHICH IS MY ORIGINAL POINT SINCE BEFORE I WAS ON COUNCIL, THE ROAD INFRASTRUCTURE ONLY HAS SO MUCH UP CAPACITY.
AND SO FOREVER, YOU HEAR ME SAY THAT WE'RE EITHER AT NEAR OR OVER CAPACITY ON THIS ISLAND, AND UNLESS WE WANT TO MAKE SIX LANE ROADS UP AND DOWN AND THROUGH THIS ISLAND, WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO FIND SOME WAY TO BRING IN, UM, DETER.
IT'S ONE OF OUR, IT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WE'RE DOING THIS, UM, MORE COMING ONTO THE ISLAND, UH, MORE CARS, MORE PEOPLE, BECAUSE WE'RE NEVER GONNA BE ABLE TO SOLVE THAT PROBLEM.
UM, BUT ALEX, WOULD, YOU KNOW, WOULD YOU LIKE ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY TO CHIME IN BEFORE WE GO AHEAD AND, UM, UH, LET JOSH KNOW HOW WE'RE MOVING FORWARD? YEAH, I'M, I'M, I'M JUST SORT OF TRYING TO THINK DOWN THE ROAD HERE AS FAR AS MEASUREMENT OF SUCCESS, YOU KNOW? YEP.
IF, IF, IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT REALIZATION OF GROWTH OFF ISLAND MM-HMM.
SO PART OF IT I THINK IS AT LEAST INFORMING PEOPLE ABOUT THE AVAILABILITY OF PARKING.
SO THE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT'S BEEN PUT INTO THESE AREAS WE'VE TALKED ABOUT WILL HAVE THE CAPABILITY EITHER THROUGH AN APP OR THROUGH A WEBSITE, OF BEING ABLE TO LOOK AT, AT ANY POINT IN TIME, WHAT IS THE CURRENT AVAILABILITY OF PARKING FOR ALL OF THOSE BEACH PARKS.
AND SO IF I'M HYPOTHETICALLY LIVING IN A NEW HOME IN HILTON HEAD LAKES OUT IN HARDY V AND I DECIDE I WANNA GO FROM HILTON HEAD LAKES TO THE HILTON HEAD BEACH, I CAN PULL UP THAT APP AND I CAN PULL UP THAT WEBSITE AND AT 10 O'CLOCK ON A SATURDAY, I'M GONNA
[02:15:01]
SEE A LOT OF RED ACROSS THE BOARD BECAUSE AT 10 O'CLOCK ON SATURDAY DURING THE SUMMER, IT'S LIKELY FULL BY THAT POINT IN TIME BECAUSE THERE IS ALWAYS GOING TO BE MORE DEMAND FOR ACCESS THAN THERE IS THE CAPACITY TO PROVIDE IT.THAT IS A PROBLEM THAT IS EXPERIENCED BY MANY BEACH COMMUNITIES.
UM, AND SO BY BE PROVIDING THAT INFORMATION, THE HOPE IS THAT IF SOMEBODY IS STILL TRYING TO DECIDE WHETHER OR NOT THEY WILL GET IN THEIR CAR AND THEY WILL DRIVE THERE, IF WE'RE TELLING THEM ABOUT THE REAL TIME AVAILABILITY OF PARKING, OR THE LACK THEREOF THAT MAY INFLUENCE THEIR DECISION, THERE'S NOT A WHOLE LOT OF GREAT WAYS BEYOND THAT THAT WE CAN TRY TO INFLUENCE THAT DECISION.
BECAUSE ULTIMATELY PEOPLE COME HERE BECAUSE IT'S A GREAT PLACE TO BE.
AND IF YOU TELL THEM, YEAH, YOU KNOW, THERE'S ONLY A 1% CHANCE THAT YOU'RE GONNA FIND A PARKING SPOT, THEIR RESPONSE IS, BUT YOU'RE TELLING ME THERE'S A CHANCE, SO I'M GONNA GET IN MY CAR AND I'M GONNA GO DOWN THERE.
AND IF THAT MEANS I'VE GOT A CIRCLE FOR A WHILE, MY CHANCES MAY GO FROM 1% TO 5%, BUT I'M STILL GONNA GIVE IT A SHOT.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE SEEING TODAY.
AND SO WE'RE TRYING TO COMBAT, I DON'T WANNA SAY COMBAT THAT.
WE'RE TRYING TO ADDRESS THAT BY PROVIDING INFORMATION ABOUT OUR INFRASTRUCTURE AND THE AVAILABILITY OF THAT PARKING IN THAT INFRASTRUCTURE.
AND ULTIMATELY THAT DOES TAKE RESOURCES IN ORDER FOR US TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THAT SERVICE, TO BE ABLE TO MAN IT, AND THEN ON THE BACKEND ENFORCE IT.
BECAUSE IF YOU DON'T HAVE ENFORCEMENT, THEN THERE'S NO POINT IN PROVIDING THE INFORMATION BECAUSE THE SYSTEM'S GONNA FALL APART WHEN PEOPLE DECIDE NOT TO PARK THERE.
SO YOU HAVE TO HAVE THAT ENFORCEMENT MECHANISM TO FOLLOW BEHIND IT IN ORDER TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE INFLUENCING PEOPLE'S DECISIONS.
WELL, I'M GLAD YOU WENT THERE, JOSH, BECAUSE TO ME, THAT THAT WOULD DEEM AS SUCCESS WHEN WE'RE DEALING WITH THAT ONE SEGMENT.
BUT THE FACT IS, WE ARE AT CAPACITY WITH JUST DEALING WITH THE PEOPLE THAT ARE TRYING TO PARK THERE, THAT LIVE HERE, WORK HERE, AND ARE VISITING AND STAYING ON HILTON HEAD
SO THAT, THAT PIECE IS WHERE I'M STRUGGLING AS FAR AS SUCCESS IS CONCERNED.
AND I WOULD AGREE WITH YOU, I THINK WE DO NEED TO LOOK AT WHAT'S THE NEXT ITERATION OF REMOTE PARKING.
UM, I, I DON'T KNOW THAT IT, IT'S, IT'S HONEY HORN AND USING THAT, I MEAN, THAT WORKS WELL WHEN WE'RE DEALING WITH 50,000 PEOPLE.
I DON'T KNOW THAT IT WORKS WELL WHEN WE'RE DEALING WITH 500, BUT TO THAT EXTENT, WE DID PUT IN PLACE THE REMOTE PARKING AREA AT USCB, AND AT LEAST AS OF NOW, WE HAVE YET TO REACH CAPACITY WITHIN THAT FACILITY THAT PROVIDES THE REMOTE SHUTTLE LOT.
NOW, GIVEN THE WAY THE TRENDS ARE GOING, IT'S PROBABLY JUST A MATTER OF TIME.
SO WE DO NEED TO START TALKING ABOUT WHAT'S NEXT.
DOES THAT BECOME CHAPLAIN IN THE OFF SEASON WHEN THERE'S NOBODY THERE? AND WE SHUTTLE FROM THERE, BECAUSE THE, THE LONGER THAT YOU PUT SOMEBODY ON A, ON A BUS OR A TROLLEY OR WHATEVER IT IS, THE LESS LIKELY THEY ARE TO BE ABLE TO CHOOSE THAT OVER.
I'M JUST GONNA ROLL THE DICE, I'M GONNA DRIVE DOWN THERE AND I'LL CIRCLE AROUND UNTIL I FIND SOMETHING.
SO WE, WE GOTTA STRIKE THAT BALANCE.
I LOVE WHAT YOU SAID, JOSH, BECAUSE THAT IS, THAT IS PART OF THAT DETERRENCE, RIGHT? IF SOMEONE SEES, THEY'RE OUT IN HILTON HOOD LAKES AND THEY SEE THEY CAN'T GET HERE, IT HELPS TO PREVENT THE FOLKS WHO ARE CIRCLING AROUND, UM, DOWN IN THE, AND AND THEN GETTING FRUSTRATED AND DOING THE CREATIVE PARKING.
SO WE DO SOLVE PROBLEMS, UM, BY HAVING THAT TECHNOLOGY IN PLACE.
SO THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THAT UP.
IN ORDER TO MOVE THIS FORWARD, I WOULD LIKE TO PROPOSE APPROVAL OF ONE OF THESE ORDINANCES.
IS IT ATTACHMENT FIVE, JOSH? TALKING ABOUT, UH, SORRY, WE ALREADY APPROVED THE ORDINANCE, BUT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE RESOLUTION.
IN ORDER TO MOVE IT FORWARD, IS IT ATTACHMENT FIVE OR RESOLUTION? WHAT, WHICH DOCUMENT IS IT? IT, IT'S THE ONE THAT YOU HAVE UP IN FRONT OF YOU.
SO YES, IT'S RESOLUTION, IT IS ATTACHMENT FIVE.
AND THEN THE ELEMENTS WITHIN THAT ARE WHAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT TODAY.
SO LOCATION, RATE, TIME, HOURS OF OPERATION.
AND BEFORE YOU'D MAKE A MOTION ON THAT, CAN YOU LOOK AT, CAN YOU SCROLL UP TO SECTION FIVE? I THINK THERE'S A WRONG NUMBER IN THERE.
THE RESIDENT BEACH PARKING PASSES, UM, RESIDENTS AS IDENTIFIED, I THINK IT'S SECTION 12 DASH FIVE DASH FIVE 12 WHERE THERE'S A DEFINITION OF RESIDENCE.
I THINK THE, THE AMOUNT OF THE FEE, WE'LL CHECK THAT FOR SCRIVENER.
WELL, MY THOUGHT IS WE'LL MOVE THE APPROVAL OF THE RESOLUTION AND IF THERE'S A SECOND, AND THEN PEOPLE CAN MOVE TO MAKE AMENDMENTS IF THEY WOULD LIKE.
I, I MOVE THAT THE, UH, IF THIS COMMITTEE APPROVED THE RESOLUTION AND FORWARD TO TOWN COUNCIL, UH, AS SHOWN IN ATTACHMENT FIVE.
IS THERE A SECOND? I'M GOING TO HAND OFF MY GOTTLE TO ALEX.
[02:20:05]
AND IS THERE ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION ABOUT THIS ISSUE, MA'AM? CHAIR, THE ONLY THING I NEED TO DO IS APOLOGIZE TO DAVID MARTIN BECAUSE I DID SHOP AT PIGGLY WILEY TOO.
I STILL DRIVE THERE TO GET SEAFOOD.
SO THE ONLY DISCUSSION THAT I WANTED TO ADD IS WITH REGARD TO, UM, CHAPLAIN PARK, KNOWING THAT WE WERE LOOKING AT THE WEEK BEFORE AF UM, UH, THE STOP OF, UH, RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES.
UM, I WAS THINKING THAT THAT TIMEFRAME SHOULD FOLLOW OUR DOG ORDINANCE AND LEASH ORDINANCE ON THE BEACH.
SO JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT EVEN WITH THAT, WE DON'T WANT A CONFLICT WITH IT, BUT I THINK THAT IT'S PROBABLY A SAFE BET THAT USUALLY PRETTY CLOSE.
WELL, WE, UM, HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND ON THE TABLE.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION OR CAN WE TAKE A VOTE? HEARING NO FURTHER DISCUSSION.
AND THOSE OPPOSED, WE ARE, UM, LET ME CHECK ON THIS TO SEE IF, IS THERE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, ADDITIONAL PROPOSALS, UM, THAT STAFF CAN BRING FORWARD AT THE NEXT MEETING WHERE IT WOULD BE WORTHWHILE TO CONTINUE THIS DECISION? OR DO WE NEED TO TAKE A STEP BACK, REEVALUATE AND AS WE DISCUSSED EARLIER, LOOK AT THE BUDGET GOING FORWARD FOR PCI AND IDENTIFY IF WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO USE THOSE SERVICES? WHAT IS THE SCOPE OF THOSE SERVICES AND THE COST OF THOSE SERVICES? THAT IS A REALLY GOOD QUESTION.
AND THAT WASN'T, HASN'T BEEN PART OF A LOT OF OUR CONVERSATION.
AS I UNDERSTOOD WE WERE WORKING TO BETTER, UM, FRAME WHAT WE WERE, UM, DOING WITH REGARD TO THIS RESOLUTION.
UM, WE HAVE BEEN PAY ROBBING PETER TO PAY PAUL.
IS THAT AN ACCURATE, UM, WAY TO DESCRIBE THIS? AND, UM, THIS, UH, PARKING PROGRAM IS NOT PART OF OUR, SHOULD NOT BE PART, IN MY OPINION, SHOULD NOT BE PART OF OUR TOWN BUDGET WITHOUT HAVING PRODUCED REVENUE TO SUPPORT IT.
UM, BECAUSE WE ARE GROWING GOVERNMENT, UM, AT A RATE THAT WE CANNOT CONTINUE TO DO IF THAT WERE TO TAKE PLACE.
AND SO IN MY MIND, IT JEOPARDIZES IF THIS VOTE STANDS, LIKE TO RECREATE IT.
UM, IF THIS VOTE STANDS, IT CREATES AN ISSUE WITH BEING ABLE TO PROVIDE SERVICES AT ISLANDER BEACH, UM, PARK.
UM, AND THAT'S A PROBLEM BECAUSE WE MADE THAT PROMISE TO THE RESIDENTS THAT ISLANDER SPEECH WOULD BE PROTECTED.
AND THE WAY WE'VE BEEN DOING IT SUCCESSFULLY IS THROUGH, UM, WORKING WITH PCI AND THE PROGRAM THAT WE HAVE IN PLACE.
MADAM CHAIR, I, I WOULD, UM, SUGGEST, UM, THAT WE ASK STAFF TO BRING BACK TO US, UM, UH, SOME MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE BUDGET, UM, FOR, UH, FOR THE SERVICES OF PCI AND TO TRY TO, UM, SEPARATE OUT THE COST OF CONTINUING SERVICES AT ISLANDER BEACH PARK AND ALSO AT KAGEY.
UM, AND, UM, I WOULD ALSO ADD, INSTEAD OF HAVING PATROL AT CHAPLAIN, ADDING SOME UH, SERVICES THERE, I THINK THAT'S OUR OTHER BIG CAPACITY PARK.
UM, AND WE DON'T HAVE, YOU KNOW, CONTROLS OVER WHO PARKS THERE, BUT I THINK IT MIGHT BE HELPFUL TO HAVE SOME SORT OF INFORMATION ABOUT THE CAPACITY THERE SO THAT FOLKS MIGHT CHOOSE TO GO ELSEWHERE IF THEY WANNA GO TO THE BEACH.
AND JUST TO LOOK AT THAT AS AN OPTION BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S ANOTHER HIGH IMPACT AREA WITH REGARD TO PARKING CHALLENGES.
WELL, CHAPLAIN IS A PARKING CHALLENGE.
AND I'D LIKE TO REMIND EVERYONE AS WE'RE LOOKING AT CHAPLAIN PARK, UM, AND ITS RENOVATION AND ENHANCEMENTS THAT EVERY TIME YOU PUT SOMETHING ADDITIONAL ACTIVITY IN CHAPLAIN PARK, YOU ARE TAKING AWAY FROM AVAILABLE SPACE FOR, UM, AND YOU'RE ADDING CARS, YOU'RE TAKING AWAY AVAILABLE SPACE FOR PARKING AND YOU'RE ADDING MORE NEED FOR PARKING FOR ADDITIONAL CARS, CREATING, UM, BIGGER PROBLEMS. SO, AND THEN THE OTHER POINT THAT I WANT TO MAKE IS THAT COLIGNY IS SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERENT THAN ANY OF OUR OTHER PARKS IN THAT THE FOLKS WHO WANT TO GO TO A QUINTESSENTIAL BEACH EXPERIENCE GO TOGNEY, THEY'VE GOT EVERYTHING ABOUT IT, IS, UM,
[02:25:01]
JUST THAT IT'S WHAT YOU THINK OF WHEN YOU THINK OF A SMALL, UM, BEACH COMMUNITY.THOSE FOLKS DON'T NECESSARILY WANT TO GO TO DREESEN OR CHAPLAIN OR, YOU KNOW, ANY OF THE OTHER PARKS BECAUSE IT DOESN'T PROVIDE THEM WITH, WITH WHAT IT IS THEY'RE LOOKING FOR IN THEIR BEACH EXPERIENCE.
UM, THE OTHER CONCERN THAT I HAVE NOW IS ALSO, AS WE REVISIT THIS, AND I PRAY THAT WE WILL, THAT UM, WE WILL NOT HAVE THE DATA COLLECTED AT KIG TO BE ABLE TO ANSWER THE QUESTIONS THAT EVERYONE HERE TODAY IS CONCERNED ABOUT AND WHY I PRESUME YOU'VE MADE THE DECISION YOU'VE MADE NOT TO SUPPORT THE RESOLUTION.
WELL SUGGESTIONS FOR STAFF TO BRING BACK IF YOU HAVE MORE GO AHEAD.
BUT I WANTED JUST TO HEAR MY THOUGHTS AS WELL.
THERE, THERE ARE TWO OTHER THINGS.
ONE IS I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE WALKER REPORT AGAIN, UM, AND ESPECIALLY, UM, THE INFORMATION ABOUT A POSSIBLE PARKING GARAGE, JUST SO WE HAVE THAT DATA FRESHED THAT IN FRONT OF US.
UM, I DID NOT BRING IT UP FOR TODAY.
UM, AND THEN THE THIRD THING IS THAT, UM, UH, THERE WAS SOME DATA PROVIDED, UH, BY MR. WINDELL, UM, THAT I THINK OUR CLERK HAS, IF WE COULD BE PROVIDED WITH THAT INFORMATION.
I, I, I COULDN'T, I COULDN'T WRITE FAST ENOUGH TO KEEP UP WITH ALL THE NUMBERS YOU WERE GIVING US SO THAT, THAT BE MADE AVAILABLE TO US.
UM, AND THEN, UM, THE LAST THING IS THAT IF THERE'S SOME DATA THAT WE CAN GET FROM, UH, PCI FROM CAMERA DATA OR SOMETHING ELSE ABOUT CLICKY USE BETWEEN NOW AND THE NEXT TIME THIS IS ON OUR AGENDA SO THAT WE HAVE SOME OF THAT DATA AVAILABLE TO US, THAT IS NOW THAT THAT COULD NOW BE PRODUCED.
JOSH, CAN YOU HELP ME WITH, UM, HAVING, ASSUMING THAT THE BUDGET AMENDMENT GOES THROUGH TO PROVIDE THE ADDITIONAL FUNDS FOR PCI WHEN THAT CONTRACT IS, UH, WHAT WE'RE, WHAT DATA WE PAYING THROUGH? YEAH.
THAT THE BUDGET AMENDMENT IF APPROVED, ESSENTIALLY WOULD PROVIDE FUNDING BETWEEN NOW THROUGH THE END OF JUNE OF 2024.
SO WE, WE HAVE SOME TIME THAT WE COULD BRING SOMETHING BACK AND ESSENTIALLY WHAT WE WOULD DO IS WE WOULD BREAK OUT THE SERVICES INTO THE DIFFERENT ELEMENTS AND THEN PUT A COST COMPONENT WITH THEM SO THAT YOU COULD SEE THE BUFFET TO CHOOSE FROM AND PICK WHICH ONES YOU WOULD OR WOULD NOT WANNA MOVE FORWARD WITH.
BUT I CAN TELL YOU, KNOWING WHAT I KNOW ABOUT THEM, YOU KNOW, THE STAFF COSTS ARE GONNA BE THERE FOR THE ISLANDERS, THE ISLAND RESIDENT BEACH PASS PROGRAM.
THERE'S GONNA BE STAFF THERE IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO MAN THE, UM, ISLANDERS BEACH PARK ENTRANCE THE SAME FROM AN ENFORCEMENT STANDPOINT.
IF WE WANT FOLKS TO ACTUALLY GET OUT THERE AND START ENFORCING SOME OF THESE, THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE TO HAVE MANPOWER TO DO THAT.
SO I THINK IT MAY BE A DIFFICULT DECISION ABOUT CHOOSING WHICH ONES YOU WANNA KEEP AND WHICH ONES YOU WANNA GET RID OF.
'CAUSE RIGHT NOW A LOT OF THEM ARE THINGS THAT I THINK WE'RE LOOKING AT SAYING.
YEAH, THOSE ARE ALL PRETTY GOOD FOR US TO HAVE.
SO, UM, JOSH, I'M SURE YOU'RE LOOKING FOR ITEMS TO WORK ON.
AND JUST BECAUSE I, I I WANT TO KEEP BEATING THIS DRUM
BUSINESS LICENSE, H TAX, A TAX AND SO ON.
AND WE HAVE ALSO, UH, ENJOYED THE OPPORTUNITY TO INCREASE THOSE FUND BALANCES OVER TIME.
SO I THINK WE ARE AT A CROSSROAD HERE NOW AND WE'VE GOT TWO CHOICES WE COULD SORT OF KICK THE, CAN DOWN THE COURT THE ROAD A LITTLE BIT OR KICK IT DOWN THERE A LONG WAYS.
UM, SO AGAIN, I, I'D LIKE TO BETTER UNDERSTAND I GOT IT.
WE COULD POTENTIALLY GENERATE ANOTHER MILLION TO $2 MILLION WORTH OF REVENUE ON THIS.
BUT THE OTHER FUNDS THAT WE HAVE ALREADY ESTABLISHED, WE COULD HAVE BEEN USING THOSE IN PAST TO ACQUIRE THE INFORMATION THAT WE'RE SORT OF DEBATING HERE TODAY AND WE CHOSE NOT TO.
SO WHERE I'M GOING IS I, I NEED TO UNDERSTAND ON A FIVE, 10 YEAR TERM WHERE WE GOING TO BE IMPLEMENTING THIS PROJECT.
AND IF THE, IF THE, THE BENEFITS FROM IMPLEMENTING IT FROM A FINANCIAL STANDPOINT COULD THEN TURN US INTO SOME OF THE, I'M GOING BACK TO THE PURPOSE HERE, THE ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS, BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S A BIG QUESTION MARK FOR US ALL.
AND WE NEED, WE OWE THE COMMUNITY AN ANSWER TO THAT IF WE'RE GOING TO START TO CHARGE FOR PARKING ON HILTON NET.
AND, UM, AS I SAID BEFORE, THE MONIES THAT ARE GENERATED FROM THIS PARKING PROGRAM, UM, EXCLUSIVE OF CLICKY AREA, WHICH, YOU KNOW, WE AT LEAST WILL COLLECT DATA TO BE ABLE TO, UM, TO LOOK AT IN ADDITION TO THE INFORMATION THAT, UM, JAY
[02:30:01]
PROVIDED US, UM, THAT THE CHAMBER HAS, THE OBSERVED, THE OBSERVED DATA ISN'T, ISN'T QUITE SATISFYING TO ME.I REALLY WANT TO SEE THE GATE GO UP AND, AND, AND DIRECT DATA FROM WHAT WE'RE COLLECTING AND, UM, A SURVEY CREATED SO THAT WE CAN GET CLOSE TO INTENT AND WE CAN GET ALL OF THOSE ANSWERS THAT WE HAVE QUESTIONS FOR, UM, BEFORE US.
AND IN TERMS OF WHAT YOU'RE CONCERNED ABOUT WITH, UM, THE OPTIONS FOR ME, I'VE SAID IT ALREADY AND I HATE REPEATING MYSELF, BUT I FIND MYSELF DOING IT AN AWFUL LOT.
UM, I REALLY WOULD LOVE TO SEE THIS BE ABLE TO PROVIDE OPTIONS THAT HAVE MULTIPLE BENEFITS.
AND IF WE'RE WORRIED ABOUT THAT BRIDGE, AND I KNOW THERE'S AT LEAST 11,000 PEOPLE WHO SIGNED A PETITION WHO WERE WORRIED ABOUT THAT BRIDGE AND A WHOLE COMMUNITY WHO'S WORRIED ABOUT THE IMPACT COMING DIRECTLY THROUGH THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS IN AN ENTIRE TOWN, WHO WILL FEEL EVEN MORE PRESSURE WITH THAT MANY MORE CARS COMING ON, THAT IF WE COULD PROVIDE A, UM, ALTERNATIVE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE, UM, BRIDGE FOR THOSE WHO DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE TO BRING THEIR CARS ONTO THIS, UM, ISLAND, WE NEED MONEY TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT WITH.
AND THIS HELPS TO PROVIDE SOME OF THAT, UM, AS A SOLUTION.
UM, WHAT COULD, WHAT WOULD BE THE NEXT OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO REVISIT THIS WITH SOME OF THE INFORMATION THAT'S BEEN REQUESTED TODAY? UM, I THINK SOME OF THE INFORMATION I, I DON'T WANNA COMMIT TO BRINGING EVERY PIECE BACK.
I DON'T WANNA YOU TO COMPLETELY COMMIT, BUT JUST, I, I THINK I, I, AND JUST GIVEN THE TIMELINES INVOLVED, I'D LIKE TO ADD THIS TO NEXT MONTH'S AGENDA TO AT LEAST BRING BACK SOME OF THE BUDGET INFORMATION.
'CAUSE I KNOW I'M CONFIDENT ABOUT THAT WE HAVE INFORMATION ABOUT THE COST OF SERVICES, WE HAVE INFORMATION ABOUT OUR EXISTING REVENUES, OUR EXISTING FUND BALANCES.
SO I'M CONFIDENT I CAN BRING ALL OF THAT BACK.
UM, THE OTHER PORTIONS OF IT, WE'LL LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, CREATING A FIVE TO 10 YEAR PROJECTION THAT'S, I THINK THAT'S GONNA TAKE US MORE TIME THAN WHAT WE COULD PROBABLY BRING BACK NEXT MONTH.
BUT AT LEAST WE CAN MAYBE CONTINUE TO KEEP THE DISCUSSION MOVING FORWARD.
AND I AGREE WITH YOU THAT PROJECTION MIGHT BE DIFFICULT SINCE OUR NUMBERS CURRENTLY ARE ONLY ESTIMATES.
SO WE DO NEED A COUPLE OF YEARS, UH, TO BE ABLE TO SETTLE INTO IT AND TO SEE WHETHER OR NOT OUR ESTIMATES ARE CLOSE TO REALITY.
SO, UM, WE'LL TRY REALLY HARD ON THAT ONE TO, BUT IT MAY JUST BE A GUESS IN TIME.
AND NOW THE LONG AWAITED COME ON A BREAK.
WOULD YOU LIKE, WE'RE GONNA TAKE A FIVE MINUTE RECESS.
IT'S A BEAUTIFUL DAY OUT HERE, SUNNY TODAY WITH LIGHT BREEZES GIVING WAY TO CLOUDS IN THE AFTERNOON.
WE COULD SEE SOME LIGHT PRECIPITATION TO MODERATE PRECIPITATION LATER ON, FOLLOWED BY POWERFUL STORM.
WHEN A DOG OR CAT IS ADOPTED FROM THE COUNTY ANIMAL SHELTER, A MICROCHIP CAN BE IMPLANTED IN THE ANIMAL IDENTIFYING ITS OWNER.
IN ADDITION TO AN ADOPTION FEE OF $80, WHICH INCLUDES SPAYING OR NEUTERING AND VACCINATIONS, A MICROCHIP PET MAY BE RECLAIMED BY THE OWNER FOR A FEE, A MESSAGE FROM BEAUFORT COUNTY ANIMAL SHELTER AND CONTROL THE SHELTER IS ALWAYS HAPPY TO ACCEPT DONATIONS OF OLD BLANKETS TOWELS.
UH, LIKE YOU SAID, THIS IS A, UH,
[b. Consideration of a Resolution Adopting Environmentally Friendly Landscaping and Grounds Maintenance Practices/Integrated Pest Management Policy - Bryan McIlwee, Director of Public Projects and Facilities ]
CONSIDERATION FOR THE COMMITTEE TO ADVANCE A RESOLUTION FORWARD TO FULL TOWN COUNCIL.CAN YOU HEAR ME? BRING ME CLOSER TO YOUR MOUTH.
SO, UM, LIKE YOU SAID, THIS IS A CONSIDERATION OF A RESOLUTION TO MOVE A, UM, UH, INTEGRATED PEST
[02:35:01]
MANAGEMENT POLICY TO TOWN COUNCIL.UM, I'VE BEEN BEFORE YOU SEVERAL TIMES.
UH, WE HAVE TAKEN FEEDBACK FROM THE COMMITTEE, WE'VE TAKEN INDIVIDUAL FEEDBACK FROM COMMITTEE MEMBERS.
UH, I FEEL LIKE STAFF HAS, UM, MODIFIED, UH, THE, THE POLICY BASED ON THAT FEEDBACK.
UH, HEARD SOME COMMENTS THIS MORNING THAT MAYBE THERE'S SOME AREAS THAT WE NEED TO, UH, REFINE.
UM, I'M HAPPY TO GO THROUGH THE POLICY WITH YOU OR IF THERE'S, UM, SPECIFIC ITEMS YOU WANT TO ADDRESS, UM, WE, WE CAN DO THAT.
I KNOW THERE'S ALSO SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT CLEMSON.
UM, I CAN TRY TO ANSWER THOSE QUESTIONS TO THE BEST OF MY ABILITY, BUT I WILL OPEN IT UP TO YOU ALL AND HOW YOU WOULD LIKE TO MOVE FORWARD.
AND, UM, SO THE QUESTIONS, THANK YOU FOR, UM, GETTING US TO A POINT WHERE WE CAN HAVE SOME FURTHER DISCUSSION ON THIS.
AND I'LL OPEN IT UP TO QUESTIONS FROM THE COMMITTEE THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO HAVE, UM, BRIAN ANSWER FOR US OR ASSIST WITH ANSWERING.
WE COULD ALSO, UM, OPEN IT UP TO PUBLIC COMMENT AND THEN WE COULD TAKE, LET'S DO PUBLIC COMMENT FIRST.
SO THANK YOU FOR HANGING OUT FOR JUST A MINUTE.
AND, UM, IS THERE ANYONE WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON THIS TOPIC? MADAM CHAIR, IF, IF I MIGHT, UH, RE UH, TRY A MOTION AGAIN, UH, DUE TO LATE HOUR, IT'S 1240.
UM, AND, UM, THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT TOPIC.
UM, I, I WOULD MOVE TO CONTINUE THIS MATTER TO OUR NEXT MEETING ON MAY 20TH.
SO, HEARING, UM, THE MOTION IS THERE A SECOND? NOT RECEIVING A SECOND.
WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE WITH OUR DISCUSSIONS TODAY.
UM, IS THERE PUBLIC COMMENT, PLEASE, UM, COME FORWARD.
I'M PAMELA MARTIN OVENS AND I'VE LIVED ON THIS ISLAND FOR 45 YEARS.
WE NEED TO BE ABLE, AS MEMBERS OF THIS COMMUNITY TO HAVE THE SAFEST ENVIRONMENT POSSIBLE FOR OUR FAMILIES.
IF THIS IS NOT POSSIBLE, WHY WOULD WE WANNA LIVE HERE? SARAH HASSELL HORSE WROTE A FRONT PAGE ARTICLE IN OUR PAPER LAST WEEK WITH A PHOTO OF TWO NEW OUTLETS.
I WATCHED THE OUTLETS WITH 1,680,000 PEOPLE ON THE HILTON HEAD RAPTOR WEBSITE THAT MANY PEOPLE CARE ABOUT THE OWLS AND THE ENVIRONMENT.
THEY WOULD NOT WANT THE OWLS TO BE POISONED.
HOPEFULLY, THERE WILL BE A TIME WHEN THE CYCLE OF LIFE IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE MONEY.
I HOPE THAT THE TOWN'S NEW IPM WILL REFLECT THE WISHES OF THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE ON THE ISLAND IN ATTACHMENT TWO.
ON PAGE TWO, PARAGRAPH TWO, WE, THEY SHOULD ADD, WE SHOULD LOOK AT THE GROUND COVERS THAT DO NOT REQUIRE SPRAYING WITH POISONS.
WE NEED TO PHASE OUT HARMFUL CHEMICALS AND ALLOW NATURE TO TAKE ITS COURSE BEFORE WE HAVE LOST EVERYTHING.
I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THE REST OF RYAN FROM BRIGHTVIEW COMMENTS THAT I WAS UNABLE TO PULL FROM THE ATTACHMENT NUMBER THREE.
ANYONE ELSE? ADD GOOD MORNING.
IT'S NECESSARY TO ADDRESS THE SERIOUS CONFLICTS OF INTEREST AND ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS BY ALLOWING A THIRD PARTY LANDSCAPE CONTRACTOR WHO HAS FINANCIAL INCENTIVES TO PROMOTE, PROTECT, CONTINUED USE OF ROUNDUP AND CASHBACK PESTICIDE REWARDS PROGRAMS TO INFLUENCE POLICY THAT DIRECTLY IMPACTS PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY, POSES SIGNIFICANT LIABILITY RISKS.
HOW HAS STAFF FAILED AGAIN TO TAKE DIRECTION FROM THE COMMITTEE? FROM OUR DISTRICT REPS.
AGAIN, THIS FOURTH DRAFT STILL FAILED TO INCLUDE PESTICIDE POSTING NOTIFICATIONS.
RESIDENTS AND VISITORS HAVE A RIGHT TO KNOW WHAT PESTICIDES THEY'RE EXPOSED TO, WHERE THEY LET THEIR CHILDREN AND PETS PLAY.
THE POLICY CURRENTLY CLEARLY STATES THAT THEY WILL ONLY PROVIDE PESTICIDE NOTIFICATIONS WHEN A BLANKET OR BROADCAST APPLICATION IS MADE.
SO WHEN THEY'RE MAKING ROUND ROUNDUP APPLICATIONS WITH A BACKPACK APPLICATOR, THEY DO NOT PLAN PER THE POLICY
[02:40:01]
TO LET ANY RESIDENTS KNOW THAT THIS APPLICATION WAS MADE, ESPECIALLY GIVEN THE FREQUENCY OF APPLICATIONS STAFF SHARED ON PUBLIC RECORD THAT SOME PARKS HAVE DAILY APPLICATIONS OF PESTICIDES.AND THIS POLICY WOULD CONTINUE TO PROTECT THAT CHEMICALLY DEPENDENT AND HARMFUL APPROACH TO LAND MANAGEMENT.
AND NINE YEARS OF THIS WORK, THIS ATTEMPT AT PASSING A POLICY CLAIMING ITS ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY, IS GREENWASHING IN ITS MOST MALICE FORM.
WE DO NOT WAIT TWO YEARS FOR A POLICY THAT WILL NOT MAKE OUR PARKS ANY SAFER IF THIS PESTICIDE PROTECTION POLICY IS PASSED.
IT IS NOT IF CHILDREN AND OUR PETS GET SICK.
IT'S HOW MANY, IF WE LOOK AT THE PESTICIDES BEING UTILIZED, IT MAKES ROUNDUP LOOK LIKE ORGANIC ORANGE JUICES.
RESTRICTED USE PESTICIDES HAVE NO USE IN OUR PARKS, AND WE HAVE TO GET A POLICY IN PLACE THAT PROVIDES SAFE PARKS DIRECTION TO OUR CONTRACTORS, BUT DOESN'T ALLOW OUR CONTRACTORS TO DICTATE WHAT IS BEING UTILIZED.
AND AN IPM IS MISSING A BASIC FUNDAMENTAL PIECE.
YOU CAN'T HAVE AN IPM WITHOUT HISTORICAL DATA.
WE CAN PROVE THAT ORGANIC MANAGEMENT IS MORE FISCALLY SOUND AND BENEFITS.
EVERYONE, LIKE ALEX POINTED OUT, A SIDE-BY-SIDE TRIAL ISN'T KIND OF REFLECTIVE OF THE PEST PRESSURE, WHAT WOULD BE HAPPENING IN A REAL CASE SCENARIO IN A PARK.
SO WE'RE HAPPY TO HELP IN ANY WAY WE CAN AND WE'VE OFFERED TO HELP FOR FREE.
WE'VE PROVIDED POLICY EXAMPLES THAT HAVE WON AWARDS FROM DEPARTMENT OF SUICIDE REGULATION, BUT OUR CHILDREN AND OUR PETS AND SQUIRRELS HAVE A RIGHT TO LIVE ON AN ISLAND THAT ISN'T IMPACTED WITH KNOWN CARCINOGENIC PESTICIDES.
ANYONE ELSE? MORNING CHAIR BECKER AND C-E-S-P-S COMMITTEE MEMBERS.
MY NAME IS TREVOR AND I'M 14 YEARS OLD.
I, I HAVE THE DAY OFF FROM SCHOOL AND I WANTED TO SLEEP IN, BUT I'M HERE THIS MORNING ASKING THE TOWN OF HILTON HEAD TO STOP USING ROUNDUP AND OTHER KNOWN CANCER CAUSING PESTICIDES IN AND AROUND HILTON HEAD PARKS, DOG PARKS, PLAYGROUNDS, AND BASEBALL FIELDS.
PLEASE, PLEASE REJECT THIS POLICY THAT PROTECTS THE USE OF ROUNDUP AND PESTICIDES AND DOES NOT PROTECT PEOPLE.
TWO THINGS THAT ARE IMPACTED BY PESTICIDES.
PLEASE REJECT THIS ROUNDUP AND PESTICIDE PROTECTION POLICY AND DO WHAT IS RIGHT AND PROTECT US.
AND THIS ISLAND, THE TOWN OF HILTON HEAD, NEEDS TO STOP USING PUBLIC FUNDS TO ALLOW, TO ALLOW ROUNDUP WHERE KIDS PLAY.
IS THERE ANYONE ELSE WITH COMMENTS, UM, ON THIS AGENDA ITEM? ABSOLUTELY.
SO, UM, WE ARE GOING TO TAKE SOME TIME TO GET SOME ANSWERS.
UM, STEVE, TURN ON YOUR, UM, MIC.
AND, UM, WE'RE GONNA BE A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT FORMAT THAN WE USUALLY DO, UM, UM, AS A REQUEST HAS COME FROM A COMMITTEE MEMBER TO ASK SPECIFIC QUESTIONS.
I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOUR CONCERNS ARE AND THEN MR. MCOE MAY HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO COMMENT ON THEM SO THAT I UNDERSTAND THE ISSUES A LITTLE BETTER.
IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THERE IS AN OPPOSITION TO USING ROUNDUP OR SIMILAR DANGEROUS CHEMICALS UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, RATHER THAN, AS I UNDERSTAND IT, UH, A SECOND OR THIRD PRIORITY, UM, UNDER THE IPM THAT THERE IS A CONCERN ABOUT HOW DO YOU PROVIDE ADEQUATE NOTICE WHEN THERE HAS BEEN AN APPLICATION.
UM, CAN YOU TELL ME WHAT THE OTHERS ARE? AND THAT'S JUST A SUBJECT MATTER TITLE.
WELL, BASICALLY, AND, AND KIM'S PROBABLY BETTER AT TELLING THIS BECAUSE SHE UNDERSTANDS ALL THE ORGANIC CHEMICALS AND I REALLY DON'T, SHE'S HAD EXPERIENCE WITH THEM.
BUT THERE ARE, UM, ORGANIC WAYS OF TAKING CARE OF THE WEEDS AND TAKING CARE OF EVERYTHING ELSE.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO USE THE POISONOUS CHEMICALS.
THEY EXIST AND THE PRICE IS ABOUT THE SAME, ALMOST EXACTLY THE SAME.
AND THEN THE SECOND YEAR WHEN YOU USE ORGANIC WAYS OF TREATING WEEDS AND THINGS, IT'S LESS BECAUSE YOU DON'T, YOU DON'T HAVE TO APPLY IT THAT OFTEN.
[02:45:01]
IT'S, IT JUST MAKES SENSE TO ME.YOU KNOW, I, I BUY ORGANIC FOOD FROM THREE SISTERS FARM.
THEY'RE CERTIFIED ORGANIC, WHICH IS REALLY HARD TO DO.
BASICALLY THEY JUST SPRAY VINEGAR ON WEEDS, YOU KNOW, AND YOU CAN DRINK IT.
IT'S ACIDIC AND YES, YOU WOULD, I GUESS THE STATE MAKES YOU WEAR A LITTLE SUIT IF YOU USE SOMETHING SPECIFIC, BUT THAT DOESN'T IDENTIFY THE PRODUCT AS NOT BAD.
AND, AND WHEN WE SAW THAT SOMEONE FROM BRIGHTVIEW WAS GOING OVER AND RECOMMENDING THINGS IN THIS, IT WAS VERY UPSETTING.
VERY UPSETTING BECAUSE WE HAD ASKED, AND WE THOUGHT THIS IPM WOULD BE THE TOWN, UM, TELLING THE CONTRACTORS WHAT THEY WERE ALLOWED TO PUT DOWN, NOT THE CONTRACTORS TELLING US.
ON THE, ON THE PESTICIDE POSTING NOTIFICATIONS, WHAT, UM, YOU GUYS HAVE DESCRIBED PRETTY ELOQUENTLY IS THAT YOU WANT TO BE ABLE TO ALLOW RESIDENTS AND VISITORS TO KNOW WHEN ROUNDUP IS APPLIED, IF IT'S APPLIED ON FENCE LINES OR A PARK, THE POSTING NOTIFICATIONS WE'VE PROVIDED LANGUAGE, UM, YOU'VE SHARED THE LANGUAGE THAT YOU WANTED, IS YOU JUST LIST THAT THE PESTICIDE HAS BEEN IMPLIED SO RESIDENTS CAN MAKE AN EDUCATED DECISION.
YOU KNOW, DO I WANNA GO TO THE PARK TODAY? YOU KNOW, DO I WANNA LET MY DOG RUN AROUND? BUT THE POLICY IS FAILING TO DO THAT.
THE POLICY RIGHT NOW AS IT'S WRITTEN ONLY STATES THAT IT WILL PROVIDE PESTICIDE NOTIFICATIONS IF THERE'S A BROADCAST APPLICATION AND A BLANKET APPLICATION, WHICH MEANS IT WOULD BE DONE THROUGH A BOOM SPRAYER.
SO BACKPACK APPLICATORS IS TRADITIONALLY WHAT PEOPLE SEE, AND WHAT THIS POLICY WOULD DO IS NOT PROVIDE POSTING NOTIFICATIONS IF ROUNDUPS APPLIED VIA A BACKPACK APPLICATOR.
M CAN YOU COMMENT ON THAT ONE? WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO START WITH, WITH THE SIGNAGE? I GUESS WE HAD TALKED ABOUT, UM, PUTTING A SIGN UP AT ALL THE KIOSKS IN THE PARK THAT HAD A LINK BACK TO OUR WEBSITE THAT SAID WHEN A PARK WAS SERVICED AND WHAT IS USED AT THAT PARK.
UM, WE DIDN'T GET INTO SPECIFICS OF THAT BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S JUST A DAY-TO-DAY THING.
IF WE WANNA PUT IT IN HERE AS A POLICY, WE CAN.
UM, WHAT WE WERE TRYING TO DO WAS NOT HAVE SIGNS UP 24 7 BECAUSE SOME OF THESE PARKS ARE TREATED EVERY DAY.
IT MAY BE WALKING INTO A PLANT BED AND SPRAYING FOR WEEDS, BUT WE DON'T BROADCAST SPRAY ROUNDUP AT ANY OF THE PARKS.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, IF A PARK IS SERVICED EVERY DAY OR EVERY OTHER DAY, YOU WILL HAVE SIGNS UP ALL, ALL DAY LONG BASED ON WHAT WE HAVE HERE.
LEAVING 'EM UP FOR A MINIMUM OF 24 HOURS, POSTING 'EM 48 HOURS IN ADVANCE.
BASICALLY THE NEXT TIME YOU COME AROUND, YOU'RE APPLYING SIGNS ARE ALWAYS THERE, THEY LOSE EFFECTIVENESS.
UM, SO WE WERE TRYING TO DO IT MORE OF THE BIGGER, UM, MAYBE LIKE THE PRE-EMERGENT SPRAYS IN THE SPRING OR FALL OR FERTILIZER SPRAY TELL YOU WHAT YOU'RE PUTTING OUT THERE.
UM, NOT FERTILIZER SPRAY, BUT JUST APPLICATION FERTILIZER.
UM, SO THAT'S WHAT WE WERE THINKING IN TERMS OF SIGNAGE AND REGARDING BRIGHTVIEW, WE HAD TO REACH OUT TO OUR CONTRACTORS.
WE DON'T HAVE ANY STAFF THAT DOES THIS.
WE HAVE FOUR CONTRACTS, RIGHT? UM, SO WE NEEDED TO MAKE SURE THAT WHAT WE ARE ASKING FOR CAN ACTUALLY BE IMPLEMENTED WITH OUR CONTRACTS.
UM, IF WE GO TO A STRICT ORGANIC POLICY, THEY HAVE TO WEAR A TYVEK SUIT.
UM, THE STUFF'S VERY DANGEROUS, DANGEROUS TO THE APPLICATOR.
UM, AND SO IF WE SAY YOU'RE GONNA DO THIS, BUT THEY MIGHT BACK OUT.
SO WE NEEDED TO MAKE SURE THEY WERE COMFORTABLE WITH THE LANGUAGE.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE BASICALLY TOOK THIS FROM THE CITY OF IRVINE, CALIFORNIA.
UH, THEY HAVE THEIR OWN STAFF THAT DOES IT.
BRIGHTVIEW ALSO WORKS WITH THE CITY OF IRVINE.
BRIGHTVIEW REACHED OUT TO THAT COMPANY OR THAT BRANCH IN CALIFORNIA TO SEE HOW IT WAS IMPLEMENTED.
THAT'S WHY WE HAVE COMMENTS IN THERE FROM RYAN.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF THAT HELPS EXPLAIN A LITTLE BIT OF THE BACKGROUND ON THAT.
AND, AND WHAT ABOUT THE ASPECT OF SECOND OR THIRD TIER POTENTIAL USE OF, OF, UH, DANGEROUS CHEMICALS? RIGHT.
SO WE, UH, IDENTIFY IN HERE THAT WE WILL NOT USE ROUNDUP ON PARKS DOG OR NOT PARKS, PLAYGROUNDS, DOG PARKS, AND ALONG THE WATER'S EDGE.
UM, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, AS WE ADVANCE THIS PROGRAM, OBVIOUSLY IF, IF WE FIND SOMETHING THAT'S EFFECTIVE, THAT'S ORGANIC, THAT'S GREAT, UM, WE CAN DO THAT.
BUT BASICALLY WE'RE ALLOWING OURSELVES TO USE THE TOOLS IN THE TOOLBOX, BUT IDENTIFYING THAT WE WON'T USE ROUNDUP AT THOSE SPECIFIC AREAS.
THIS WAS NOT A BAN ROUNDUP PLAN OR BAN OTHER NON-ORGANIC.
[02:50:01]
IT WAS FOCUSING ON WHERE WE'RE USING IT SO PEOPLE KNOW WHEN AND WHERE WE'RE GONNA USE A SPECIFIC PRODUCT.UM, AND IN TERMS OF NOTICE, A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE FAMILIAR WITH HOME LANDSCAPING SITUATIONS WHERE LITTLE FLAGS GET PUT ON THE GRASS, I GATHER.
YOU THINK THAT'S NOT AN APPROPRIATE APPROACH? UH, IF, IF THAT'S WHAT COUNCIL WANTS, YOU KNOW, WE CAN DO THAT.
WE JUST NEED TO WORK WITH THE CONTRACTORS.
WHAT I'M WORRIED IS THAT YOU'RE JUST ALWAYS GONNA HAVE A SIGN OUT SAYING THE FIELD WAS TREATED THIS DAY, BECAUSE BY THE NEXT TIME YOU COME AROUND, THERE'S, THAT'S THAT 48 HOURS.
UM, DO PEOPLE STOP READING THE SIGNS AFTER A WHILE? UH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH AND THANK YOU BOTH.
UM, CAN I ASK THE CLERK TO PUT UP ATTACHMENT THREE TO THE STAFF REPORT TODAY? MCWELL, YOU DON'T HAVE TO STAND THERE ALL THIS TIME.
I'VE GOT LOTS OF QUESTION IF YOU WANT TO, HAPPY FOR YOU TO DO THAT.
I, I DID NOT WANNA HAVE TO DO THIS TODAY.
THAT'S WHY I ASKED FOR THE MATTER TO BE CONTINUED.
BUT SINCE THE COMMITTEE WOULD NOT AGREE TO DO THAT, UNFORTUNATELY I'M GONNA HAVE TO DO THIS AS A POLICY MAKER.
WHEN I, UH, WHEN THERE ARE CHANGES TO A POLICY, I EXPECT A BETTER PRODUCT THAN THIS.
IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO KNOW WHERE THE CHANGES ARE.
I HAD TO TAKE THE CLEAN COPY THAT WAS PROVIDED ATTACHMENT TO, AND I HAD TO GO WORD BY WORD TO COMPARE THEM.
AND THEN WHEN IT WAS POINTED OUT TO ME, NOT ONLY AM I TRYING TO READ RED AND BLUE, I'M TRYING TO READ THE COMMENTS OVER ON THE SIDE AND I WOULD ASK THE STAFF MEMBER, I WOULD ASK THE CLERK TO GO TO THE NEXT PAGE OF ATTACHMENT THREE.
AND, AND IF YOU'D SCROLL ON DOWN, PLEASE.
SO ALMOST MIDWAY, IF YOU LOOK AT COMMENTED, BRIAN FROM BRIGHTVIEW MADE THE, I CAN'T READ THE REST OF IT.
I LOOKED AT THE COLOR HARD COPY I WAS PROVIDED.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT RYAN FROM BRIGHTVIEW MADE.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT WAS CHANGED AS A RESULT OF DISCUSSION WITH ONE OF THE CONTRACTORS.
IT'S ALREADY BEEN POINTED OUT THAT THIS HAPPENED.
IT HAPPENED 13 TIMES IN THIS DOCUMENT.
I CAN'T READ ANY OF THE SUGGESTIONS MADE BY BRIGHTVIEW.
I DON'T KNOW WHETHER I LIKED HIM OR NOT.
THAT'S WHY I SAID I WAS DISTURBED BY THIS AND WHY FOLKS ASKED FOR US TO CONTINUE THIS MATTER.
I DID NOT WANNA HAVE TO DO THIS, BUT I'M GONNA DO IT.
MAY I INTERJECT? NO, MA NO MA'AM.
I'M GONNA CHAIR TAKING AS CHAIR.
I AM TAKING THE MOMENT TO INTERJECT SOMETHING HERE.
EVERY CHANGE, EVERY COMMENT RECEIVED WAS THEN IMPLEMENTED IN CREATING, WAS USED TO IMPLEMENT AND CREATE THE, UM, RESOLUTION.
IS THAT CORRECT? I MEAN, WE PROBABLY COULD HAVE JUST DELETED THE COMMENTS BECAUSE THOSE WERE INTERNAL STAFF THINGS.
UM, THE, THE BLUE OR THE CHANGES THE RED ARE DELETIONS WITHIN THE TEXT.
BUT YOU USED THE INFORMATION YOU RECEIVED KNOWING THAT IRVINE IS CREATING THE SAME TYPE OF THING OR HAS THE STARTED WITH IRVINE WITH CREATING YEAH, WE STARTED WITH THEIRS.
SO, SO THE ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION IS EMBEDDED IN THE RESOLUTION.
BUT MOREOVER, THIS IS NOT AN APPROPRIATE PLACE TO, UH, OR IS APPROPRIATE PERIOD FOR COUNSEL TO EVER, UM, DIRECTLY COMMENT, UM, SATISFACTION OR DISSATISFACTION.
WELL, SATISFACTION IS ALWAYS WARRANTED.
BUT DISSATISFACTION WITH A PRODUCT, UM, THERE'S NOTHING ABOUT THE COMMENTS THAT YOU'RE MAKING THAT WILL CHANGE WHAT WAS WRITTEN INTO THE RESOLUTION.
IF YOU HAVE SOMETHING THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO DISCUSS ABOUT STAFF THAT'S DIRECTLY WITH THE, UM, TOWN MANAGER AND I LEFT A MESSAGE FOR HIM AND NOT IN THIS FORUM AND WHY I ASKED FOR IT TO BE CONTINUED SO I COULD DISCUSS IT WITH HIM.
I DID NOT WANNA DO THIS, BUT YOU FORCED ME TO DO THIS AND I'M, AND I'M LETTING, I'M GOING CHAIR.
THESE COMMENTS TO SAY WHAT'S INAPPROPRIATE AND WHAT NEEDS TO BE CHANGED.
AND WHAT I'LL SAY FROM THE BEGINNING IS THAT THE, THE POLICY DECISION, THE POLICY GOALS I HAD WAS, FIRST OF ALL, TO AVOID OR GREATLY MINIMIZE PESTICIDES.
IT SHOULD BE ONE OF OUR GOALS ON THIS ISLAND.
WE ALWAYS TALK ABOUT HOW MUCH WE VALUE THE ENVIRONMENT AND IT'S
[02:55:01]
INCLUDED IN OUR PLAN AND IN OUR STRATEGY PLAN.BUT IT'S IMPORTANT IN HOW IT'S DONE.
SO THE WHAT IS TO AVOID OR GREATLY MINIMIZED PESTICIDES, THE WHEN, HOW, AND WHERE ARE FOLKS DESERVE TO KNOW WHAT IS BEING USED ON OUR PUBLIC PARKS SO THEY CAN MAKE THAT DECISION ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT THEY, THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS OR THEIR PETS GO TO THOSE LOCATIONS.
THE NOTICE PROVISIONS PROVIDED IN THIS DRAFT, LOOKING AT THE CLEAN DRAFT, YOU'RE INADEQUATE TO DO THAT.
IN ADDITION, IT SHOULD BE THE GOAL AT THE BEGINNING WAS THE TOWN SHOULD MAKE THE DECISIONS AND NOT THE CONTRACTORS.
THE CONTRACTOR SHOULD NOT BE THE ONES PREPARING THIS POLICY.
AND THAT'S WHY I WANTED TO POINT OUT THE COMMENTS ON THE SIDE, THAT THE USE OF ONE CONTRACTOR TO MAKE SOME CHANGES HERE.
AND I CANNOT UNDERSTAND WHAT THE CHANGES ON HER THEN THAT SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN DONE.
AND IN ADDITION, THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN A BETTER PRODUCT TO SHOW WHERE CHANGES WERE MADE.
AND THAT'S WHAT I WANTED TO DISCUSS WITH THE TOWN MANAGER.
AND THAT'S WHY I ASKED TO CONTINUE THIS MATTER.
I DID NOT WANT TO HAVE THIS, THIS DISCUSSION, BUT YOU'VE PUT ME IN THIS PLACE.
UM, IN ADDITION, UM, IT'S BEEN POINTED OUT THAT I, I ASKED THE TERM BROADCAST NOT TO BE USED BECAUSE IT IS A KEY TERM.
IT'S, IT'S AN ALARMING TERM AND IT'S INAPPROPRIATE TO USE THAT LANGUAGE.
I ASKED FOR DIFFERENT LANGUAGE THAN THIS NOW LINE BY LINE.
OKAY, NOW LET'S GO BACK TO THE CLEAN COPY, WHICH IS WHAT'S IN FRONT OF US.
IF YOU'LL START OUT WITH THE POLICY, THE LAST SENTENCE SAYS, THIS POLICY DOES NOT APPLY TO RESIDENTIAL OR COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES WITHIN THE TOWN.
THAT IS, WHICH ARE NOT OWNED BY THE TOWN.
THE BOTTOM OF THAT PAGE, PAGE ONE.
NUMBER SEVEN, I'VE ASKED ABOUT THE TERM OF THE CONTRACTS.
'CAUSE I'M CONCERNED THAT THIS POLICY WILL NOT GO INTO EFFECT FOR EXISTING CONTRACTS.
AND I WANT TO KNOW ABOUT RENEWAL SO THAT IT CAN APPLY AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.
UNDER MONITORING, THERE IS A KEY SENTENCE THERE THAT SAYS, TOWN STAFF SHALL UNDER NUMBER TWO, THE LAST SENTENCE, TOWN STAFF SHALL HAVE FINAL APPROVAL OF PEST CONTROL MEASURES.
AND I, I DID PROVIDE ALL OF THESE COMMENTS TO THIS COMMITTEE LAST NIGHT, WHICH IS BECAUSE IT TOOK ME SEVERAL HOURS TO FIND OUT WHERE THESE CHANGES WERE.
SO THAT SENTENCE SHOULD BE NUMBER THREE ALONE BECAUSE IT SHOULD NOT, NOT JUST APPLY TO NUMBER TWO.
TOWN STAFF SHALL HAVE FINAL APPROVAL OF PEST CONTROL MEASURES.
THAT SHOULD BE A NUMBER THREE.
AND IT SHOULD ALSO INCLUDE THE WORD ALL IN FRONT OF PESTS.
SO I WOULD SAY NUMBER THREE, TOWN STAFF SHALL HAVE FINAL APPROVAL OF ALL PEST CONTROL MEASURES.
IT'S BEEN SAID BEFORE AND SAID AGAIN TODAY THAT GLYPHOSATE OR ROUNDUP WOULD BE PROHIBITED ALONG WATER MARCH EDGES, INCLUDING BUFFERS ON TOWN PROPERTIES.
BUT IF YOU LOOK AT OTHER TOWN PROPERTIES, THAT STATEMENT IS NOT INCLUDED.
IT IS INCLUDED UNDER PLAYGROUNDS AND BALLPARKS UP TOWARDS THE TOP OF THE PAGE.
PARDON ME, MR. POLLEN IS DRIVING ME CRAZY.
I CAN'T, CAN'T SEEM TO CLEAR MY VOICE.
UM, AND IF YOU LOOK AT THE NEXT PAGE, PLEASE, UNDER NOTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS, ONE OF THE KEY GOALS IS TO PROVIDE ADEQUATE NOTICE TO FOLKS SO THEY CAN MAKE A DECISION AS TO WHETHER OR NOT TO COME TO ONE OF OUR PARKS, UM, OR ANY OF OUR OTHER PROPERTIES.
UM, AND AGAIN, UNDER NUMBER ONE, CAUTION DUTY MEASURE SHALL BE EMPLOYED, ET CETERA, IN THAT PARAGRAPH, UM, WHERE IT REFERS TO PE OF SIGNS SHALL BE ACQUIRED WHEN BROADCAST APPLICATION OF PESTICIDES IS PERFORMED.
AS I SAID BEFORE, THAT'S AN ALARMING WORD AND IT SHOULD NOT BE USED.
MAY I ASK, MAY I ASK YOU THE, UM, CONCERN OVER THE WORD BROADCAST? BROADCAST AS EXPLAINED IN, IN THE QUESTIONS ASKED BY MR. ALFRED, THAT MEANS THAT SHE'S USING A BOOM, UH, A BOOM SPRAY AS OPPOSED TO SOMEONE WITH A BACKPACK SPRAY.
AND IT'S USUALLY MORE THAN ONE PERSON WITH A BACK SPRAY OUT SPRAYING.
SO BROADCAST IS, IS A WIDE BOOM, BROADCASTING OVER A LARGE SURFACE AND OH, I'M CONFUSED BY BOOM.
MAYBE CAN YOU EXPLAIN TO US WHAT A BROADCAST APPLICATION, HOW THAT
[03:00:01]
ACTUALLY WORKS, HOW IT ACTUALLY WORKS? I CAN'T REALLY EXPLAIN THAT, BUT I MEAN, YOU WOULD SEE IT WHERE IT'D BE LIKE THE LARGE TANK AND THEN THE ARMS ARE CROSSED AND THEN THEY GO OUT.SO YOU CAN SPRAY ALAR A LARGE SWATH AT A TIME.
SO IT'D BE MORE FOR LIKE SOCCER FIELDS OR BASEBALL, SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
SO WHAT THIS DRAFT SAYS IS THAT'S THE ONLY TIME THE PUBLIC GETS NOTICE.
BUT THERE'S OTHER TIMES AND, AND I'VE HAD MANY EMAILS, PHONE CALLS, TEXTS OF FOLKS WALKING THEIR DOGS OR WALKING IN A PARK AREA AND, AND IT'S BEING SPRAYED AND THEY'VE ASKED WHAT'S BEING SPRAYED.
SO, SO THEY KNOW WHETHER OR NOT THEY FEEL COMFORTABLE WALKING THERE AND THEY'RE NOT GIVEN THE INFORMATION.
AND IF YOU ONLY LIMIT IT TO THE TIME THAT THERE'S THAT BOOM SPRAY OR BROADCAST SPRAY, THAT IS TOTALLY INADEQUATE.
UM, THEN, UM, IT'S ALREADY BEEN DISCUSSED ABOUT WHAT THE SIGNAGE SHOULD INCLUDE.
UM, I'D SUGGESTED A QR CODE TO LINK DIRECTLY TO THE TOWN'S WEBSITE SO THEY'D KNOW EXACTLY WHAT'S BEING SPRAYED.
UM, THAT'S NOT BEEN DONE AS MENTIONED.
UM, THERE WERE TO BE, UM, SIGNS OF KIOSK, EVEN IF THERE IS A WEEKLY SPRAY GOING ON SO THAT YOU DON'T HAVE TO PUT SIGNS UP AND, AND, AND TAKE THEM DOWN.
THAT'S NOT INCLUDED IN HERE EITHER.
SO THE NOTICE PROVISIONS ARE TOTALLY INADEQUATE UNDER RECORDS AND REPORTING.
YOU'RE DOING A GREAT JOB, MS. SCROLLING.
UM, THE FIRST SENTENCE, UH, RECORDS OF ALL PESTICIDES SHALL BE RETAINED BY CONTRACTORS AND AVAILABLE TO THE TOWN.
NO, THEY SHOULD BE PROVIDED TO THE TOWN.
THE TOWN SHOULDN'T HAVE TO RUN AROUND EVERY OFFICE OF A CONTRACTOR TRYING TO FIND THE RECORDS THEY SHOULD BE PROVIDED TO THE TOWN.
AND THEN, UM, ON THE NUMBER SECTION 27 DASH 10 83, UM, THE NEXT SENTENCE, UM, RECORDS INCLUDE INFORMATION THAT VERB SHALL BE INCLUDED IN THERE BECAUSE THIS SHOULD BE, THERE WERE SOME OTHER SUGGESTIONS PROVIDED BY MS. EVANS AND, AND, UM, LET ME SEE IF I CAN SIGN THAT COPY.
AND SO IT SOUNDS TO ME THAT, UM, WELL FIRST LET ME ASK IF ANYONE ELSE ON THE DIOCESE HAS, UM, ANY QUESTIONS THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO ASK AT THIS TIME.
ALEX, STEVE? WELL, MS. BRYSON IS, I THINK, ENTITLED TO, UM, RECEIVE MATERIALS AND RED, BLUE OR WHATEVER COLORS ARE APPROPRIATE FOR THE DAY IN A WAY THAT THAT IS UNDERSTANDABLE TO HER.
AND, UM, I HOPE THAT CAN BE WORKED OUT AND THE INFORMATION PROVIDED TO HER.
UH, BUT I, I THINK THAT IT'S, I, I, I PERSONALLY WOULD PREFER, UH, THE STAFF HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO REVIEW ALL THE CHANGES THAT MS. BRYSON IS RAISING.
THEY LIKE SOME OF THEM, AND YOU MAY NOT LIKE OTHERS, BUT I THINK, UH, I'D LIKE TO HAVE YOU HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY AND LET US KNOW WHERE YOU COME OUT.
THAT MEANS WE'RE NOT GONNA DO THAT.
WE'RE NOT GONNA GO FORWARD WITH IT TODAY.
BUT, UM, WE HAVE HAD A PUT ON THE TABLE OF THINGS THAT ARE MATTERS OF CONCERN.
STAFF CAN ADDRESS THEM AND BRING IT BACK TO US NEXT MONTH.
I GUESS A POINT OF CLARITY FROM, FROM YOU, BRIAN, IF YOU COULD, UM, THE, THE POLICY BEFORE US SORT OF MAKES A DISTINCTION BETWEEN AREAS THAT ARE SORT OF SPOT TREATED IN AREAS THAT ARE BROADCAST TREATED RIGHT? UM, SO THE AREAS THAT ARE SPOT TREATED, WHERE CHILDREN ARE PLAYING, DOGS ARE PLAYING, THAT SORT OF THING.
WILL WE BE USING THE ORGANIC MATERIAL TO DO THAT? OR WE BE USING SOMETHING OUTSIDE OF ROUNDUP THAT IS NOT ORGANIC, NOT BE USING ROUNDUP? CORRECT.
BUT WOULD NOT TRANSITION TO THE ORGANIC.
IT DOESN'T SAY THAT WE AREN'T, IT'S JUST LIKE, IT'S JUST SAYING THAT WE'RE NOT USING ROUNDUP.
AGAIN, IF WE, IF WE ARE GOING FOR A COMPLETELY ORGANIC POLICY THAT'S TOTALLY DIFFERENT THAN THIS AND THAT'S GONNA TAKE US MUCH LONGER TO IMPLEMENT OR DEVELOP AND THAT'S WHERE WE NEED TO GET BACK INTO THAT TEST PILOT PROJECT.
THAT SO WE CAN SEE THE EFFICACY OF IT AND HOW MUCH IT'S ACTUALLY GONNA COST.
UM, NOT, NOT RIGHT NOW, BUT THANK YOU.
UM, SO MY TAKE A QUICK QUESTION OF ALL OF THESE, UM, POINTS THAT YOU, UM, LISTED, UM, PATSY, HOW MANY OF THEM WERE PREVIOUSLY PRESENTED? 'CAUSE I KNOW THAT AT OUR LAST MEETING YOU HAD AND WE RECEIVED A NUMBER
[03:05:01]
OF CHANGES.AND SO MY, UM, ASSUMPTION THEN IS THAT THEY WERE RECEIVED, THEY WERE REVIEWED AND UM, THEY WERE NOT INCORPORATED AT THIS TIME FOR ONE REASON OR ANOTHER THAT THEY'VE PASSED THROUGH STAFF AND GONE UP THROUGH THE CHAIN.
AND IN FACT, UM, I'M CERTAIN THAT OUR TOWN MANAGER, UM, SEES EVERYTHING, UM, THAT COMES OUT BEFORE US, UM, THAT STAFF PROVIDES.
SO WHAT I'M GETTING TO IS AT THIS TIME, THIS MIGHT BE THE VERY BEST THAT WE CAN, UM, DO WITH REGARD TO THIS, UM, ISSUE.
AND IN 45 YEARS OF LIVING ON THE ISLAND, I'M NOT SURE HOW MANY TIMES THIS TOPIC HAS COME UP, BUT PAM IS PROBABLY THE BEST TO INFORM US ON THAT OR WHETHER THAT THIS IS A NEW ISSUE THAT'S COME UP, UM, THAT'S BECOME SO HEATED AND IMMEDIATE.
AND, UM, I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE ARE SPECIFICS THAT WE'RE NOT ADDRESSING AT THIS MOMENT, BUT IF WE WANT SOMETHING TO MOVE FORWARD AT THIS TIME, WE SHOULD ADOPT THE POLICY AS IT IS AND THEN REVISIT THOSE IN ANY MANNER YOU WANT.
MEETING WITH OUR TOWN MANAGER AND MAYOR, UM, HOWEVER THAT WORKS OUT SO THAT THEY KNOW, AND YOU CAN HEAR WHAT THAT IS ALL ABOUT IN TERMS OF WHY THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS WERE NOT INCORPORATED INTO THIS DOCUMENT.
IF THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD BE CONCERNED ABOUT AND I HEAR YOU AND I HEAR YOU AND THANK YOU FOR SPENDING YOUR TIME WITH US TODAY, UM, THEN WE SHOULD DO SOMETHING AND THEN YOU CAN HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS AND TO FIND OUT THE RATIONALE BEHIND THEM BECAUSE BEATING IT OVER AND OVER AGAIN IS ONLY GOING TO DELAY ANYTHING BEING DONE AND WE DON'T WANT THAT TO HAPPEN.
SO, UM, I RECOMMENDED A DIFFERENT PATH, UM, THAT WE PUT SOMETHING INTO PLACE SO THAT STAFF AND OUR VENDORS KNOW WHAT IT IS THAT WE'RE EXPECTING AND, UM, WE CAN TAKE A POSITIVE STEP FORWARD AND WE CAN WORK TO MAKE WHATEVER IMPROVEMENTS ON THAT THAT WE CAN.
UM, AND I THINK, UM, STEVE HAD SAID SOME OF THEM MAY BE ACHIEVABLE WITH FURTHER DISCUSSION AND SOME MAY NOT BE.
I AM NOT AN EXPERT IN THIS FIELD.
UM, I KNOW THAT STAFF HAS BEEN WORKING HARD.
I KNOW THERE'S CONCERNED CITIZENS AND FOLKS WHO, UM, HAVE, UM, INFORMATION ON THIS INDUSTRY, BUT IT'S LITERALLY COME UP WITHIN THE LAST YEAR AND A HALF THAT THIS IS AT A CRITICAL LEVEL.
SO IF THAT'S ALL TRUE, THEN LET'S MOVE FORWARD AND MAKE IMPROVEMENTS AFTER AND NOT JUST LEAVE THIS, I CAN'T PROMISE THAT THIS CAN BE ON NEXT MONTH'S AGENDA.
JUST SO YOU KNOW, THAT'S NOT SOMETHING I CAN PROMISE.
THERE IS AN AGENDA FOR NEXT MONTH IN PLACE AND AT THIS POINT WE'RE NOW REVISITING PARKING ON NEXT MONTH'S AGENDA.
UM, AND SO THAT LEADS ME, UM, WANTING TO DO SOMETHING POSITIVE AND NOT THROW THE BABY OUT WITH THE BATH WATER AT THIS MOMENT.
MADAM CHAIR, WE DISCUSSED PREVIOUSLY HAVING A SPECIAL MEETING OTHER THAN A REGULAR MEETING TO ADDRESS THIS MATTER AND I WOULD ASK US TO CONSIDER THAT AS WELL.
AND, UM, THIS MEETING WAS THE FIRST OPPORTUNITY ONCE THIS WAS PUT INTO PLACE.
UM, SO THIS WAS THE PERFECT TIMING FOR, UM, FOR THIS TO OCCUR.
BY NO MEANS AM I AN EXPERT ON THIS ME, UM, BUT I, I THINK WE NEED TO BE VERY CLEAR AS WE ARE MOVING FORWARD WITH, YOU KNOW, DIRECTION TO THE TOWN MANAGER.
UM, AND, AND I APPRECIATE THE CONCERNS THAT ARE COMING FROM THE, THE CITIZENS THAT ARE, THAT ARE DRIVING THIS.
UM, BUT I, I FEEL LIKE WE'RE DEALING IN TWO SEPARATE PATHS.
YOU KNOW, ONE IS A PATH TO NO MORE, UH, ANY TYPE OF AGENTS THAT ARE NOT ORGANIC AND THE OTHER IS NOTIFICATION.
I THINK THOSE ARE THE TWO PATHS THAT WE'RE GOING AND I THINK WE NEED TO BE VERY CLEAR AS TO WHICH ONE WE ARE FOCUSING ON AT THE MOMENT.
UM, BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT TO LEAD THE RESIDENTS DOWN THE ROAD THAT WE ARE TRYING TO GET TO ONE THING WHEN IN IS THE FACT OTHER AND WE'RE GONNA PICK IT UP LATER.
SO I, I THINK THAT THAT COMMUNICATION NEEDS TO BE VERY CLEAR WITH THE FOLKS THAT HAVE EXPECTATIONS OF US.
[03:10:01]
OKAY.UM, 'CAUSE WHAT I'M SORT OF HEARING IS A DISCUSSION AND, AND I THINK COUNCILMAN BRYSON WILL CONTINUE TO EDIT.
UM, BUT YOU KNOW WHAT, WHAT I THINK THE, THE, THE MAIN CONCERN NOW IS MAKING SURE PEOPLE HAVE THE ABILITY TO MAKE THE CHOICE IF THEY WANT TO VISIT AREAS THAT ARE BEING TREATED OR NOT.
I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S A BIG RISK FOR US, RIGHT? MM-HMM.
UM, AND UM, YOU KNOW, BRIAN HAS SAID TO US THAT, UH, CONTRACTORS, UM, SEEK SOME COMPLICATIONS IN THAT AND I CAN APPRECIATE THAT AS WELL.
SO, UM, IF, IF WE'RE GONNA BRING IT BACK TO TALK ABOUT, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE CLEAR ON WHAT, WHICH PIECE WE ARE TRYING TO MOVE FORWARD, I GUESS IS WHAT I'M SAYING.
WELL I THINK THAT'S FAIR AND REASONABLE NOTIFICATION IS, UM, ONE ELEMENT AND I THINK NOTIFICATION IS AN IMPORTANT PIECE AND WE HAVE SOME, UM, OPPORTUNITIES TO BEGIN TO PUT THAT INTO PLACE.
THE KIOSKS AND THOSE THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN LISTED IS THAT, MAY I ASK MR. LEY ANOTHER QUESTION RELATED TO WHAT WAS JUST SAID? MM-HMM.
AND SO THERE MAY BE BETTER WAYS TO POST NOTICE THAN, BUT MY THOUGHT IS, IS UH, IS TO GO FORWARD WITH WHAT WE HAVE, BUT WE OUGHT TO BE LOOKING AT A TOTALLY NON TOTALLY ORGANIC APPROACH.
AND I THINK MORE NOTICE IS HELPFUL WHEN YOU FIGURE OUT HOW TO GIVE NOTICE TO THE BIRDS AND SQUIRRELS SO THEY DON'T EAT THIS STUFF
UM, ME, STEVE, AND, UM, SO MOVING THIS FORWARD DOES NOT MEAN THAT WE CAN'T MAKE IMPROVEMENTS LATER.
AND IN TERMS OF YOUR, UM, COMMENTS WITH ALL ORGANIC, I THINK THAT WAS ONE OF THE, UM, SUGGESTIONS, UM, FROM THE BEGINNING WHEN DISCUSSED THAT WHY WE WOULD DO A SIDE BY SIDE TYPE OF COMPARISON SO THAT YOU WOULD KNOW WHAT IT WAS THAT YOU WERE GOING, THE RESULTS WERE GOING TO BE AND WHAT YOU WERE GOING TO ACHIEVE, UM, IN THE END.
SO IT DOES BECOME A LITTLE BIT MORE, UM, TIME CONSUMING, A LITTLE BIT MORE COMPLICATED, BUT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT CERTAINLY CAN BE DONE FOR FUTURE STEP MOVING DOWN THE ROAD.
SO, UM, OR KIM, PLEASE DO THE DEVIL'S IN THE DETAILS.
SO ROUNDUP YOU UTILIZE ON FENCE LINES AND GARDEN BEDS LIKE BRIAN SHARED, IT KILLS EVERYTHING.
SO WHEN IN THE POLICY IT SAYS GLYPHOSATE IS PROHIBITED ON ANY TURF GRASS, YOU WOULD NEVER USE IT ON TURF GRASS.
SO THE AMOUNT OF INDUSTRY TALKING POINTS AND WE SEE THEM ALL THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY, I'M GUESSING THAT MAYBE THAT THIS POLICY DIDN'T GO THROUGH TOWN'S LEGAL REVIEW OR, OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
BUT THAT'S JUST VERY MISLEADING, YOU KNOW? SO IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT ROUNDUP'S NOT GONNA BE UTILIZED AT THE DOG PARKS 'CAUSE IT WOULDN'T BE USED ON THE TURF ANYWAY, BUT IT WILL BE USED ON THE PERIMETER FOR FENCE LINE.
SO THAT'S KIND OF THIS GRAY AREA THAT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVEN'T WAITED TWO YEARS FOR A POLICY THAT'S STILL UTILIZING ROUNDUP.
ROUNDUP DOESN'T RESPECT BOUNDARIES.
UM, IT STAYS VOLATILE FOR UP TO 48 HOURS, SO IT DOESN'T BECOME MAGICALLY SAFE ONCE IT'S DRY, AND THAT'S JUST ONE OF THE MANY PESTICIDES THAT THE TOWN CURRENTLY ALLOWS.
SO I THINK IT'S MORE THAT THIS POLICY DOESN'T HAVE CLEAR DEFINITION AND TO MISLEAD YOU GUYS LIKE THAT ISN'T FAIR.
YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE TO KNOW HOW YOU UTILIZE ROUNDUP.
THAT'S BORING, RIGHT? SO THAT'S WHY WE WANT, WE'VE SHARED POLICIES AND I HELP WRITE IRVINE'S POLICY THAT HAS WON THE AWARD FROM DEPARTMENT OF PESTICIDE REGULATION AND IT PROVIDES CLARIFICATION AND THERE ARE ORGANICS, BUT THEY'RE ALSO EMERGENCY EXEMPTIONS.
AND THAT'S WHY THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THE TOWN OF HILTON HEAD COULD REALLY JUST TAKE ONLINE.
YOU KNOW, IT'S PROVEN SUCCESSFUL FOR YEARS AND OTHER CITIES AND TOWNS HAVE ADOPTED IT AND THAT'S WHY PALM BEACH HAS BEEN SUCCESSFUL SINCE 2018 ALSO AND THEY'VE BEEN LY TO SAVE FREE SINCE THEN.
SO, UM, JOSH, WHAT IS THE PROCESS? DOES, DOES A DOCUMENT LIKE THIS, THIS, UH, RESOLUTION GO THROUGH LEGAL REVIEW? YES, MA'AM.
THIS DOCUMENT WAS PROVIDED TO THE TOWN ATTORNEY.
HE HAS REVIEWED IT, I THINK, I DON'T BELIEVE HE
[03:15:01]
IDENTIFIED ANYTHING FROM A LEGAL STANDPOINT.OBVIOUSLY THERE'S A NUMBER OF POLICY CONSIDERATIONS, BUT UH, IT DID RECEIVE LEGAL REVIEW BEFORE BEING INTRODUCED.
SO I HAVE A FOLLOW UP QUESTION TO THAT.
I ASK ABOUT THAT LEGAL REVIEW AT OUR FEBRUARY MEETING AND THE TOWN ATTORNEY WAS ABOUT TO BE AWAY, SO DOES THAT MEAN THE TOWN ATTORNEY REVIEWED IT AFTER THAT TIME? I'D HAVE TO GO BACK AND LOOK AT MY EMAILS, BUT I KNOW BRIAN EMAILED IT TO CURTIS AND CURTIS RESPONDED WITH HIS, UM, SIGN OFF ON IT.
YEAH, THE MOST RECENT DRAFT THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT TODAY, IT WAS JUST THE RESOLUTION, NO, NOT THE POLICY, WHICH IS WHAT I'D ASKED TO BE REVIEWED.
SO, UM, WHAT IS THE WILL OF THIS COMMITTEE DO WE, UM, SOMEONE LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION? I RENEW MY MOTION TO CONTINUE THIS MATTER TO OUR MAY 20TH MEETING, UM, WITH GET STAFF HAVING TIME TO TAKE A LOOK AT THIS AGAIN, I'LL SECOND THAT FOR PURPOSES.
UM, SO IT HAS BEEN SECONDED FOR THE PURPOSE OF DISCUSSION.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? OKAY, WELL THEN, UM, WE WILL TAKE A VOTE ON THAT MOTION.
ALL IN FAVOR? AND OPPOSED, THE REASON I'M OPPOSED IS BECAUSE YOU'VE MADE AN ISSUE OF WANTING SOMETHING TO COME OUT AND WE ARE DOING SOMETHING TO COME OUT OF THIS MEETING THAT IS A FIRST STEP, A GOOD FIRST STEP.
AND, AND I WILL SAY THIS, WHICH, UM, WHICH CONCERNS ME, YOU HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH STAFF COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH YOU AND WITH STAFF, AND WE HEAR YOU CLEARLY.
AND THE, THERE NEEDS TO BE A LEVEL OF, UM, UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT WE CAN DO AND WHAT MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO BE DONE.
STEVE, I THINK POINTED IT OUT AS CLEAR AS DAY.
AND SO AT SOME POINT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO ACCEPT THAT NOT EVERY DICTATE BECOMES REALITY, AND THAT IF ALL IS NOT ACHIEVED, THAT THERE WON'T BE.
AS I RECEIVED AN EMAIL YESTERDAY, A MEDIA, UM, PRESENTATION OF THE LACK OF SATISFACTION, WE ARE DOING THE BEST WE CAN.
AND SO I WOULD NOT, UM, I WOULD APPRECIATE IF WE ALL CONTINUE TO WORK TOGETHER.
WE'LL DO THE BEST WE CAN WITH THE MAY SCHEDULE.
IF IT DOESN'T WORK OUT WE'LL TRY TO WORK SOMETHING OUT IN THE VERY NEAR FUTURE.
THANK YOU AGAIN, UM, FOR, UM, EVERYONE'S COMMENTS AND INTEREST IN THIS MATTER.
AND IF THERE IS NO OTHER BUSINESS BEFORE US, I'M GOING TO ADJOURN THIS MEETING AT 1122.
[Adjournment]
DID I SAY 11? I DID MEAN ONE THAT WAS WISHFUL.HERE'S WHAT'S HAPPENING IN BEAUFORT COUNTY.
A FEW MILES FROM BEAUFORT, SOUTH CAROLINA.
IN THE TOWN OF PORT ROYAL STANDS A PROPERTY OF NATIONAL IMPORTANCE.
IN FACT, IT'S LISTED IN THE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES.
FOR MORE THAN A DECADE, THE ONLY PUBLIC ACCESS TO THE PROPERTY HAS BEEN BY WATER.
SOUTH CAROLINA'S DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES IS WORKING TO PROVIDE ACCESS FOR ALL FOR THIS TO HAPPEN.
A CULTURAL RESOURCES, INVENTORY, OR ARCHEOLOGY MUST BE DONE BUILT FROM TABBY, A MIXTURE OF OYSTER SHELLS, LIME, SAND, AND WATER.
SIMILAR IN MANY WAYS TO CONCRETE.
FORT FREDERICK'S CONSTRUCTION WAS ORDERED IN 1726 BY THE BRITISH COLONIAL GOVERNMENT TO GUARD PORT, ROYAL SOUND, AND THE TOWN OF BEAUFORT FROM APPROACH BY SPANISH
[03:20:01]
WARSHIPS.AN ESTIMATED 50,000 BUSHELS OF OYSTERS WERE NEEDED FOR THE FIVE FOOT HIGH, FIVE FOOT THICK TABBY WALLS.
IT IS THE OLDEST TABBY STRUCTURE IN SOUTH CAROLINA.
THE ADJACENT PROPERTY IS THE UNITED STATES NAVAL HOSPITAL.
ON THIS PROPERTY WAS THE 19TH CENTURY SMITH PLANTATION, WHICH BECAME THE UNION ARMY'S CAMP SAXTON DURING THE CIVIL WAR AND HOME OF THE FIRST REGIMENT COMPRISED OF FREED SLAVES.
THE OBJECT IS TO EXTRACT AS MUCH INFORMATION AS POSSIBLE IN A GIVEN AMOUNT OF TIME.
THERE IS A CERTAIN METHODOLOGY USED IN AN INVESTIGATION LIKE THIS COME ALONG AND SEE HOW IT'S DONE.
THE INITIAL SHOVEL TESTS DUG RANDOMLY AROUND THE SITE, EXAMINED THE DENSITY OF ARTIFACTS AND THE PERIOD OF OCCUPATION AT FORT FREDERICK.
ARTIFACTS INCLUDED 19TH CENTURY, 18TH CENTURY, AND PREHISTORIC OBJECTS.
THIS IS A FLAKE, A STONE TOOL, FLAKE.
IT'S A PIECE OF CHURCH FROM ALLENDALE TOP SITE, TOP OF THAT AREA.
IT'S PRETTY, IT KIND OF TELLS YOU HOW RICH IT IS OUT HERE WITH THESE INITIAL TESTS, ARCHEOLOGISTS DETERMINE THE DEPTH REQUIRED OF THE SHOVEL TESTS IN THE NEXT PHASE.
THAT DEPTH IS WHEN THEY REACH A STERILE SOIL LAYER WHERE THEY NO LONGER SEE CULTURAL MATERIAL.
FOR PHASE ONE OF THIS PROJECT, A GRID IS LAID OVER THE SITE MAP.
THE SCOPE OF WORK HERE CALLS FOR SHOVEL TEST PROBES EVERY 10 METERS ACROSS THE ENTIRE THREE ACRES, RIGHT? OH, USING A SURVEYING INSTRUMENT CALLED A TOTAL STATION PIN FLAGS ARE PLACED TO MATCH THE GRID MAP.
EACH FLAG IS IDENTIFIED BY ITS EXACT LOCATION.
A FIELD TEAM FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA'S INSTITUTE OF ARCHEOLOGY AND ANTHROPOLOGY IS CONTRACTED TO CONDUCT THE FIELD WORK.
THE DATA COLLECTED FROM THESE SHOVEL TESTS WILL GUIDE THE UPCOMING MONTH LONG EXCAVATION, AS WELL AS ANY THAT MAY BE UNDERTAKEN IN YEARS TO COME.
ALL THE SOILS ARE SCREENED THROUGH A QUARTER INCH MESH.
ALL ARTIFACTS ARE BAGGED ACCORDING TO THEIR EXACT LOCATION AND DEPTH FOR LATER ANALYSIS FOR THE NEXT PHASE.
UNITS OF TWO METERS IN DIAMETER ARE LAID OUT IN THE AREAS CONFIRMED BY THE SHOVEL TESTS.
TO HAVE THE HIGHEST DENSITY OF ARTIFACTS, THE FIELD TEAM REMOVES SOIL LAYER BY LAYER.
SO HOW DEEP IS EACH LEVEL? SOMETIMES A STANDARD DEPTH OF 10 CENTIMETERS IS USED AT FORT FREDERICK.
THEY'LL EXCAVATE LAYERS ACCORDING TO CHANGES IN SOIL COLOR.
AGAIN, ALL THE DIRT IS SCREENED AND THE ARTIFACTS BAGGED.
THIS INFORMATION WILL ACCOMPANY THE ARTIFACTS THROUGHOUT THE CURATION PROCESS.
THESE UNITS SHOW AN OCCUPATION FROM THE FIRST HALF OF THE 19TH CENTURY.
THIS IS STONE AMERICAN STONE WEAR WITH ONLY FOUR WEEKS BUDGETED FOR THE PROJECT.
THE FIELD TEAM MUST BE METICULOUS AND QUICK AT THE SAME TIME.
MOTORIZED SCREENERS HELP SPEED SIFTING THROUGH LARGE VOLUMES OF SOIL.
WHILE SOME TASKS REQUIRE A MORE DELICATE TOUCH LOOKING CLOSELY.
SOME AREAS SHOW A COLOR CHANGE IN THE SOIL CALLED FEATURES.
THESE AREAS WERE LIKELY DISTURBED BY HUMANS IN THE PAST WERE THESE POST HOLES FOR A STRUCTURE OR HOLES WHERE ITEMS OFTEN TRASH WERE BURIED.
THESE FEATURES ARE EXCAVATED FURTHER AS THEY OFTEN YIELD ARTIFACTS, AND THESE FEATURES MUST BE EXCAVATED TO THEIR STERILE SOIL LAYER.
WORK IN THIS AREA OF THE SITE IS PLANNED FOR TWO WEEKS.
FOR THE SECOND HALF OF THIS PROJECT, THE TEAM MOVES TO THE FORT ITSELF.
THE DECISION IS MADE TO LAY OUT CONTIGUOUS TWO METER UNITS THAT SPAN THE FORT'S INTERIOR WALL TO WALL.
GIVEN THE DEPTH REQUIRED, THERE IS A LOT OF DIRT TO BE MOVED NEAR THE EAST WALL.
THE TEAM ENCOUNTERS A RUBBLE FILLED FEATURE.
[03:25:02]
THIS FEATURE IS EXCAVATED AND THE CONTENTS BAGGED FOR THE TRIP TO THE LAB.EVERY CONCEIVABLE DATA POINT, STRATIGRAPHY SOIL COLORS, DEPTHS, AND FEATURES IS COLLECTED FOR LATER ANALYSIS.
THE EXCAVATION OF THE FORT'S INTERIOR HAS EXPOSED THE FULL DEPTH OF THE WALLS, YIELDING ARTIFACTS FROM PREHISTORIC TIMES THROUGH THE 19TH CENTURY.
NOW, LAB ANALYSIS WILL BEGIN TO PIECE TOGETHER UNKNOWN FACTS ABOUT THE SITE'S LONG OCCUPATION.
BUT FIRST, BEFORE LEAVING THE SITE, THE UNITS ARE BACKFILLED TO PRESERVE THEIR INTEGRITY AND ENSURE THE SAFETY OF THE PUBLIC WHEN THE SITE IS REOPENED.
UH, WE'VE BEEN REFERRING TO IT AS THE RUBBLE SCATTER.
AFTER MANY MONTHS IN THE PLANNING STAGES, A WEEK OF SHOVEL TEST PROBES, A MONTH OF UNIT EXCAVATIONS WITH MOUNTAINS OF SOIL MOVED, PLUS WEEKLY ENGAGEMENT WITH THE PUBLIC.
ARCHEOLOGY AT THIS SITE IS DONE FOR NOW.
NEARLY TWO TONS OF OYSTER SHELL BRICK AND ARTIFACTS WERE TRANSPORTED TO THE INSTITUTE OF ARCHEOLOGY AND ANTHROPOLOGY AT USC IN COLUMBIA FOR ANALYSIS.
IT IS HERE THAT THE SIGNIFICANCE OF WHAT THEY FOUND WILL BE ASSESSED AND ADDED TO OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THOSE WHO OCCUPIED THE FORT FREDERICK HERITAGE PRESERVE.
AND THAT'S WHAT'S HAPPENING IN BEAUFORT COUNTY.
HI, I'M ANGEL KOSKI, BUSINESS MANAGER FOR THE COUNTY SOLID WASTE AND RECYCLING DEPARTMENT AND CONVENIENCE CENTER DECAL PROGRAM.
WE WANT TO REMIND ALL BEAUFORT COUNTY RESIDENTS THAT BEGINNING THURSDAY, APRIL 1ST, THE BEAUFORT COUNTY DECAL SYSTEM WILL GO LIVE AT ALL COUNTY CONVENIENCE CENTERS.
IF YOU HAVE NOT APPLIED FOR A DECAL, PLEASE SUBMIT YOUR INFORMATION USING THE ONLINE FORM@BUFORTCOUNTYSC.GOV SLASH SW DECAL ONLY.
VERIFY BEAUFORT COUNTY RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY OWNERS WILL BE ALLOWED TO APPLY FOR DECALS.
COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION VEHICLES WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO USE COUNTY CONVENIENCE CENTERS.
VEHICLES SHOULD BE PREPARED TO STOP WHEN THEY ENTER THE COUNTY CONVENIENCE CENTERS AS ATTENDANCE WILL BE SCANNING DECALS.
IF YOU HAVEN'T RECEIVED YOUR DECAL, YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO DROP OFF YOUR ITEMS. IF YOU HAVE APPLIED FOR A DECAL AND HAVE NOT RECEIVED IT, PLEASE VISIT THE LINK ON THE SCREEN AND FILE A HELP REQUEST.
ONLY ONE DECAL WILL BE ISSUED PER BUFORT COUNTY PROPERTY.
EACH PROPERTY WILL BE ALLOWED THREE VISITS PER WEEK TO THE CONVENIENCE CENTER.
AS THIS NEW PROGRAM ROLLS OUT, WE CONTINUE TO ASK FOR THE PUBLIC'S PATIENTS.
OUR CONVENIENCE CENTER STAFF IS HAPPY TO ASSIST YOU AND DIRECT YOU TO SOMEONE WHO CAN ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS.
FOR PROPERTY OWNERS WHO DON'T WANNA PARTICIPATE, YOU CAN MAKE ARRANGEMENTS FOR INDIVIDUAL CURBSIDE COLLECTION FROM A PERMITTED WASTE HAULER OF YOUR CHOICE AND AT YOUR OWN EXPENSE.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON PRIVATE HAULERS, THE DECAL PROGRAM AND COUNTY CONVENIENCE CENTERS, PLEASE VISIT THE LINK ON THE SCREEN.