[00:00:01]
CLOSED CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY BUFORT COUNTY SCREENS.
I THINK MS. BRYON AND MS. JOHNSON BOTH INDICATED THEY'RE OKAY IF THEY DON'T HAVE THE VISUAL LETTER THEY'VE GOT IN THE PAPER IN FRONT OF THEM.
UM, BUT WE DO HAVE THE REPORT, WHICH WOULD BE NICE.
ARE WE GOOD OR YOU WANNA, SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE.
WELL, WELCOME TO THE COMMUNITY SERVICE AND PUBLIC SAFETY PLANNING MEETING.
AND, UM, IF YOU WILL, PLEASE JOIN ME IN THE FLEXIBLE REASONS OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC, WHICH STANDS, ONE NATION, ONE GOD INVISIBLE WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR.
AND DO WE HAVE, UM, AN ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA? MADAM CHAIR, I MOVE TO AMEND THE AGENDA TO ADD DISCUSSION OF THE IPM OR INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT POLICY, BECAUSE THAT MATTER WAS CONTINUED TODAY.
UM, IS THERE A SECOND? I ASK THE COUNTY ATTORNEY HOW WE DEAL WITH THE PROCEDURAL QUESTION WHEN CLEARLY THE MATTER WAS CONTINUED ON VOTE THREE, ONE FROM OUR LAST MEETING ON APRIL 8TH, TODAY, MAY 20TH, SPECIFICALLY TO TODAY'S 13.
UM, I SEE CURTIS IS, UM, READY TO JUMP IN AND I THANK HIM.
I JUST ALSO WANT TO, UH, MENTION THAT WE HAVE NOT YET APPROVED THE MINUTES FROM THE LAST MEETING.
SO THERE WAS, THERE WERE A FEW COMMENTS THAT WERE MADE AT THE CONCLUSION OF THAT AGENDA ITEM, BUT WITHOUT A SECOND.
I DON'T WANNA GO INTO DISCUSSION AND I'LL TURN IT OVER TO, UM, AIR TOWN ATTORNEY AND THE VIDEO WAS AVAILABLE AND, AND I'LL WATCHED IT AGAIN LAST NIGHT.
UM, WELL AT THIS POINT THERE'S, THERE'S BEEN NO SECOND TO THE MOTION TO, UM, AMEND THE AGENDA.
I'LL ALSO NOTE, AND I THINK, UM, ALL COMMITTEE MEMBERS ARE AWARE THERE'S A DISCUSSION OF THE ISSUE RAISED BY MS PRICE'S MOTION SET FOR BEFORE COUNSEL TOMORROW WITH REGARD TO THE QUESTION.
SECOND QUESTION, RATHER, IS POSED BY MR. PRESIDENT.
UM, BASED ON WHAT I HAVE SEEN, THERE WAS INDEED, AS SHE SAYS, A MOTION TO, UM, MOVE THIS TO THE NEXT MEETING.
HOWEVER, THE MAYOR HAS CHOSEN NOT TO PLACE THAT ON THE AGENDA.
AND WHILE UNDER ROBERTS RULES THERE IS, I, I THINK YOUR MOTION WOULD BEEN TREATED AS A, AS, AS A MOTION TO POSTPONE TO A TIME CERTAIN, YOU KNOW, ROBERTS RULES FORM A USE GUIDE COUNCIL.
COUNCIL IS NOT DOWN BY ROBERT RULES.
AND SO I THINK THAT THE MAYOR'S DECISION TO NOT PUT THIS ON THE AGENDA TODAY GOVERNS IN THAT, UH, CONDITION.
AND THE MATTER WILL BE POSTPONED TO A TIME WHEN IT IS ON THE AGENDA.
UH, MR. TOWN ATTORNEY, IT SPECIFICALLY SAYS, IF YOU LISTEN TO THE VIDEO AS WELL, IT SPECIFICALLY SAYS TO THE MAY 20TH MEETING.
SO IT WAS A, A DATE CERTAIN? WELL, THAT'S WHAT I SAID.
I, I AGREED THAT THAT'S WHAT MOTION WAS.
UM, BUT THE, THE MAYOR HAS NOT PUT IT ON THE AGENDA TODAY.
I DON'T KNOW THAT THAT'S FATAL TO ANYTHING.
AND CERTAINLY THE COMMITTEE CAN TAKE IT UP AT SUCH TIME AS IT APPEARS ON THE AGENDA.
UH, SO IF THE COMMITTEE TAKES ACTION, UH, TO CONTINUE A MATTER, THEN THAT DOESN'T MATTER.
[00:05:01]
TO UNDERSTAND THE RULING BECAUSE, UM, WHEN, WHEN THE COMMITTEE TAKES ACTION TO CONTINUE THE MATTER TO, UH, A TIME CERTAIN, A DAY AND TIME CERTAIN, UM, THEN, UH, UNDER WHAT AUTHORITY CAN THE MAYOR, UH, OVERRULE THAT ACTION OF A COMMITTEE? WELL, THE MAYOR HAS THE POWER TO SET THE AGENDAS IN 2 3 30 OF THE MUNICIPAL CODE, UH, FOR THE TOWN COUNCIL MEETINGS.BUT
CAN'T REALLY SPEAK TO THE ONES BEFORE THAT.
SO, UH, FOR WHAT PURPOSE DOES THE COMMITTEE EXIST AND TAKE ACTION THEN? WELL, I THINK THE COMMITTEES EXIST TO REVIEW MATTERS AND MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS TO COUNCIL.
AND DOES A COMMITTEE TAKE ACTION IN ITS RECOMMENDATION? IT DOESN'T TAKE FINAL ACTION.
IT MAKES A RECOMMENDATION TO THE FULL COUNSEL, BUT IT DOES TAKE AN ACTION, YES.
AND IS A CONTINUANCE IN ACTION? YES, A CONTINUANCE IS AN ACTION.
BUT AGAIN, YOU HAVE A NUMBER OF OVERLAPPING THINGS HERE, INCLUDING THE MAYOR'S ABILITY TO SET THE AGENDA, AND THE MAYOR HAS SET THE AGENDA FOR THIS MEETING, AND IT DOES NOT INCLUDE THAT ITEM.
AGAIN, I DON'T KNOW THAT, I THINK IT'S FATAL IF IT MOVES TO A SUBSEQUENT MEETING WHEN IT IS ON THE AGENDA.
WELL, I TAKE EXCEPTION TO THE RULING.
UM, I, I DO WANT TO SAY THIS, UM, IT'S APPROPRIATE TO MOVE FORWARD WHEN WE HAVE SOMETHING NEW TO MOVE FORWARD.
UM, AND THERE'S STILL WORK BEING DONE TO MAKE SURE THAT THE NEXT TIME THE MATTER IS, UM, BROUGHT TO US AS A COUNCIL THAT WE HAVE, UM, A, A PICTURE THAT MORE REPRESENTS THE, UM, PICTURE THAT THE, UM, CITIZENS OF THE TOWN, UM, AND YOU, PATSY, HAVE ASKED US TO CONSIDER.
AND SO ONCE THAT IS ALL COMPLETE AND ROUNDED OUT, I BELIEVE YOU'LL, UM, SEE SOMETHING READY FOR AN AGENDA.
IN THE MEANTIME, AS I SAID, DURING THE LAST MEETING, WE HAD A PROPOSAL BEFORE US THAT, UM, I, I THINK STAFF FELT THEY COULD ACCOMPLISH AND BRING, UM, AS A STARTING POINT.
AND, UM, I WAS CERTAINLY READY TO TAKE THAT RECOMMENDATION FROM STAFF AND MOVE THAT FORWARD SO SOMETHING COULD BEGIN, BUT THAT WAS NOT THE DESIRE OF THIS COMMITTEE.
THEY WANTED TO HOLD UNTIL, UM, MORE COULD BE APPROACHED.
SO THIS IS WHERE WE LAND FOR TODAY.
WE ALSO HAVE NUMBER THREE, WHICH IS THE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES.
UH, WE HAVE THE REGULAR MEETING MINUTES OF MARCH 18TH, 2024 ABOUT THE AGENDA.
THERE, THERE'S, THERE'S BEEN NO VOTE ON APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA? THAT IS CORRECT.
UM, WE NEED TO HAVE A MOTION TO ADOPT THIS, THIS AGENDA BEFORE US.
ALL IN FAVOR? ALL OPPOSED? I VOTE.
WE HAVE THE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES FROM THE REGULAR MEETING, MARCH 18TH, 2024, AND THE REGULAR MEETING OF APRIL 8TH, 2024.
IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE THOSE TWO SETS OF AGENDA MINUTES? MADAM CHAIR ASKED THAT THE MINUTES OF APRIL 8TH, 2024 BE POSTPONED TO ANOTHER TIME.
UM, BOTH MR. ALFRED AND I HAVE NOTICED SOME ERRORS IN THOSE MINUTES AND THEY NEED TO BE REVISED.
WE'LL SHARE WITH THE TOWN CLERK, THOSE CORRECTIONS.
YOU'LL ALSO SHARE THAT WITH THE ENTIRE COMMITTEE SO THAT WE CAN HAVE THE BENEFIT OF, OF YOUR OBSERVATIONS.
AND SO LET'S VOTE ON THEM SEPARATELY.
APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES FROM MARCH 18TH, 2024.
ALL IN FAVOR, APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES.
UM, SO WE'RE GOING TO POSTPONE POSTPONEMENT OF THE MINUTES OF APRIL 8TH, 2024.
FOUR OH AND FOUR OH AND ANDREA, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE.
[00:10:01]
ARE THERE ANY, UM, CITIZENS WHO WISH TO SPEAK AT THIS TIME? YES, MA'AM.WE HAVE PAMELA MARTIN OVENS, EITHER ONE.
UM, I DON'T KNOW, PROBABLY THAT ONE.
I'M PAMELA MARTIN OVENS AND I'M CONCERNED THAT OUR HIGHLY PAID EXPERT TOWN STAFF ARE SO BUSY THAT THEY CANNOT KEEP PUBLIC SAFETY AS A TOP PRIORITY.
BRIAN MCELWEE CONSULTS TOWN BUSINESS PARTNERS SUCH AS RYAN MCPHEE OF BRIGHTVIEW, WHO IS ACTUALLY A TOWN CONTRACTOR, LIKE THE PROVERBIAL FOX WATCHING THE HENHOUSE AND CLEMSON THAT IS SUPPORTED BY MANY PESTICIDE CHEMICAL COMPANIES.
ALSO, LANDSCAPERS NOT IN HAZMAT SUITS, WERE FOUND TO BE SPRAYING RANGER PRO, A MOST DEADLY FORM OF GLYPHOSATES 3,450 TIMES MORE DANGEROUS THAN ROUNDUP ALL OVER OUR BELOVED VETERANS PARK.
I GUESS THEY WERE THINKING THAT THESE VISITORS ARE ALREADY OLD.
CERTAINLY OTHER SOURCES CONCERNED ABOUT PUBLIC SAFETY SHOULD BE RESEARCHED BY STAFF ON ONLY MY FIRST FORAY INTO NEXTDOOR.
THIS SUBJECT AROUSED OVER 200 PEOPLE'S INTEREST MOST FOR AN IPM AND A FEW AGAINST CERTAINLY THE BEGINNING OF A HOT TOPIC.
PLEASE CONTINUE TO KEEP THOSE OF US WHO ARE REALLY LOVE THIS ISLAND IN THE LOOP AND CONSIDER OUR CONTRIBUTIONS FOR SOLVING THIS VITAL SUBJECT.
ANYONE ELSE? ANYONE ELSE? SIGN UP, CINDY? NO, MA'AM.
AND MOVING ON TO UNFINISHED BUSINESS.
WE HAVE A PRESENTATION BY THE BUFORT COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE.
UM, IT'S THE QUARTERLY CRIME REPORT AND, UH, MAJOR PARTIES HERE TO, UM, GIVE THAT REPORT TO US ALL.
SINCE WE DIDN'T MEET WITH THE, FOR THE FOURTH QUARTER, I INCORPORATED THAT INTO THE FIRST QUARTER.
GIVE YOU A LITTLE BACKGROUND OF SOME OF THE NUMBERS THAT I HAVE HERE BEFORE YOU.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE WITH THIS.
I WAS TRYING TO FIT EVERYTHING IN, SO WE APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE TODAY.
AGAIN, THIS IS THE, THE FIRST QUARTER OF 2024.
I INCORPORATED 2023 NUMBERS AS WELL TO GIVE YOU GUYS AN IDEA OF HOW WE DID LAST YEAR.
STARTING WITH, UH, THE FIRST QUARTER OF THIS YEAR, WE'VE HAD ONE MURDER UP ON FISH HALL ROAD THAT, UM, WE'RE SUCCESSFUL IN PUTTING TOGETHER THE AGGRAVATED ASSAULTS.
THEY'RE, THEY'RE DOWN, WHICH IS A GOOD THING.
AND THE NUMBERS ARE DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND SOMETIMES.
BUT SIX OF THESE 10 WERE FAMILY OR DOMESTIC RELATED ROBBERIES.
TWO, TWO WERE STRONG ARMED AND ONE WAS ARMED.
UM, AND THEN WE GET OVER TO THE RAPES LOOKING AT THE, UH, SEXUAL ASSAULTS.
THREE OF 'EM WERE VICTIMS. NO SUSPECT.
ONE OF 'EM WAS SOMEONE THAT JUST MET THE OTHER PERSON RECENTLY.
THIS NEXT SLIDE IS JUST A, WE'LL FILL THIS IN THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
I'VE GOT A COUPLE OF THESE I'M SURE YOU GUYS ARE ALL FAMILIAR WITH.
AND THIS IS JUST SOME OF THE CRIME SCENE UNIT, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN THAT ARE WORKING THIS YEAR.
THEY WERE OUT DOING SOME TRAINING, THOUGHT IT WAS INTERESTING TO SEE WHAT SAMIR, SOME OF THE FOLKS THAT WORK HERE ON THE ISLAND.
THREE OF THE MEMBERS OF THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE THAT WORK ON THE CRIME SCENE UNIT ARE FROM WORK THE ISLAND PREDOMINANTLY.
THIS GOES BACK UNTIL THIS IS LAST YEAR'S NUMBERS COMPARED TO THIS YEAR'S.
LAST YEAR WE HAD, UH, MURDER EARLY ON IN, UM, AUGUST.
AND THEN, EXCUSE ME, I WAS 22, 23.
WE HAD GONE THE WHOLE YEAR UNTIL THE 2ND OF NOVEMBER.
WE HAD OUR FIRST HOMICIDE, MURDER, EXCUSE ME.
AND THEN WE HAD THE SECOND ONE A WEEK LATER, UM, GOING TO THE AGGRAVATED ASSAULTS.
THEY WERE UP A LITTLE BIT, UM, IN 23, THEN YOUR ROBBERIES
[00:15:01]
WERE DOWN A LITTLE BIT IN 23, AND THE SEXUAL BATTERIES WERE DOWN AS WELL.THIS IS JUST A GLIMPSE OF THE QUARTER FOR THE YEAR, DEALING WITH YOUR PROPERTY CRIMES.
GOT BURGLARIES, LARCENIES AND AUTO THEFT.
THE BURGLARIES, THERE'S 10 BURGLARIES, AND KIND OF BREAKING THOSE DOWN A LITTLE BIT.
UH, TWO WERE BUSINESSES AND ONE WAS A, A DOMESTIC RELATED BURGLARY.
OUT OF THE RESIDENTIAL BURGLARIES, TWO PEOPLE LEFT THEIR GARAGE DOORS OPEN.
SO AS I'M BEFORE YOU, WE CONTINUE TO ASK PEOPLE TO, TO LOCK THEIR CARS, TAKE THEIR GARAGE DOOR, REMOTES IN THEIR HOUSE, DON'T LEAVE THEIR KEYS IN THEIR CARS, BUT THE SAME THING WITH THEIR HOUSES.
LOCK YOUR DOORS AND, UM, AND CLOSE YOUR GARAGE DOOR.
WHEN YOU'RE NOT USING YOUR GARAGE, IT'S EASY ACCESS FOR PEOPLE AND THEY TAKE, THEY TEND TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THESE, UH, CRIMES OPPORTUNITY.
UH, THE LARCENIES ARE DOWN, AS YOU CAN SEE, AND THE AUTO THEFTS ARE THE SAME DOWN WITH AUTO SETS.
WE STILL HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM.
KEYS IN THE IGNITION, KEYS IN THE GOLF CARTS.
UM, FIVE OF THESE WERE WERE VEHICLES.
THREE WERE GOLF CARTS, AND ONE WAS AN ELECTRIC SCOOTER.
THIS IS SOME MORE OF OUR CRIME SCENE GUYS OUT THERE SECURING A SCENE.
THIS IS POST SCENE PROCESSING WHERE THEY'RE ACTUALLY, UH, LOOKING FOR ADDITIONAL EVIDENCE THAT MAY HAVE BEEN LEFT BEHIND.
UH, THAT'S THE SAME, BASICALLY THE SAME SLIDE AS THE OTHER ONE, BUT IT GOES BY, UH, BY QUARTER.
WE'LL FILL THAT IN AGAIN THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
THIS IS THE, UH, 23 COMPARED TO 22.
UH, THE BURGLARIES WERE DOWN A GOOD FAIR AMOUNT.
THE LARCENIES WERE DOWN AS WELL AS THE AUTO THEFTS.
SO I THINK WE FELT PRETTY GOOD ABOUT THAT.
ALL THOSE NUMBERS DECREASED IN THE YEAR OF 2023, AND HOPEFULLY WE CAN PICK UP THAT PACE AND DECREASE 'EM A LITTLE MORE FOR 24 COLLISIONS.
UM, THIS HAS ALWAYS BEEN A HOT TOPIC.
UH, I THINK MS. BRYSON ASKED LAST TIME, UM, WHAT WERE THE MAIN CAUSE IN THESE COLLISIONS? THEY'RE VERY DIFFICULT TO FIGURE, TO FIND OUT, BUT I GOT SOME INFORMATION FROM, FROM THE, UH, FOLKS UP AT THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION.
THE BIGGEST, THE BIGGEST PROBLEM, THE BIGGEST CAUSE OF THESE WRECKS AROUND HERE IS FAILURE TO YIELD THE RIGHT OF WAY.
SECOND CAUSE IS DISTRACTED DRIVING.
I'M SURE THAT WE ALL SEE THAT AS WE DRIVE DAY IN AND DAY OUT.
AND THEN THE, THE THIRD ONE WAS A TOO FAST FOR CONDITIONS, WHICH IS SPEED.
UM, THE, THE COLLISIONS ON THIS QUARTER, THEY'RE UP.
UM, LOOKS LIKE WE HAVE HAD 262 COLLISIONS IN THIS QUARTER.
LAST QUARTER WE HAD LAST YEAR, FIRST QUARTER WE HAD 231.
UM, WE'VE HAD TWO FATALITIES ALREADY THIS YEAR.
ONE WAS A SINGLE CAR VEHICLE VERSUS A TREE ON A MARTIAN AND SPANISH WELLS.
THE OTHER ONE WAS A VEHICLE VERSUS A PEDESTRIAN, WHICH WAS OUT BY THE TRAFFIC CIRCLE ON A SQUARE.
AGAIN, THIS IS THE, THE SAME FORMAT THAT WE USE.
WE'LL FILL THIS OUT, FILL THIS IN THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
THOSE ARE BASICALLY THE SAME NUMBERS GOING DOWN TO THE VEHICLE COLLISIONS IN 22 VERSUS 23.
UM, LOOKING AT THE NUMBERS AND ADDING THEM UP OR OUR COLLISIONS WERE DOWN THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
THE, UH, COLLISIONS FOR 23 WERE, UH, 1,099.
THE COLLISIONS FOR 22 WERE 1,153.
AND AS YOU LOOK AT THE CATEGORIES ACROSS THE BOARD, ACROSS THE BOTTOM, UH, THEY LOOKED LIKE THEY, WE DID A LITTLE BIT BETTER THERE.
THIS IS JUST SOME TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT, SOME PATROLS DOING SOME INVESTIGATIONS OUT THERE ON THE ROAD.
UM, I THINK I WAS ASKED LAST TIME I WAS UP HERE, WHAT ARE WE DOING TO BATTLE THE, THE TRAFFIC COLLISIONS AND THE ISSUES THAT WE DEAL WITH DAY TO DAY? UH, WE'VE BEEN PUTTING GUYS OUT THERE TO DO EXTRA DETAILS TO RUN TRAFFIC ON THEIR DAYS OFF.
THEY COME IN AND THEY RUN TRAFFIC DETAILS, WHETHER IT BE SPEEDING, UH, PASSING ON A, ON A SOLID LINE, DISTRACTED DRIVING, WHAT HAVE YOU.
UM, THE FIRST QUARTER WE WERE A LITTLE BUSIER THAN WE WERE LAST YEAR.
WE HAD, UH, 509 TICKETS ON 23 AND 24.
WE'VE HAD 804 SO FAR ON THE WARNINGS.
WE HAD, UH, 538 FOR THE, FOR THE, UH, FIRST QUARTER OF 23.
I THINK THAT HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH, UH, I THINK THERE'S MORE TRAFFIC ON THE ROADS.
I DRIVE THESE ROADS IN THE MORNING AND IN THE EVENING.
AND, UH, IT SEEMS LIKE THOSE TWO PERIODS OF TIMES IS WHEN, UH, THERE'S THE MOST TRAFFIC OUT THERE.
AND, AND PERSONALLY FOR ME, IT JUST SEEMS LIKE THERE'S MORE.
[00:20:01]
IS THAT TIMEFRAME YOU'RE REFERRING TO IN THE MORNINGS? THE MORNING RUSH HOUR IN THE EVENING, RUSH HOUR, AFTERNOON, RUSH HOUR.JUST TO ME, I USUALLY TRACK MY DAYS COMING ON THE HILTON HEAD AND I COULD PICK THE DAYS WHERE THERE'S LEFT TRACK LESS TRAFFIC.
IT JUST DOESN'T SEEM THAT WAY ANYMORE, THAT EITHER THE WINDOW'S MOVING OR THERE'S MORE, MORE PEOPLE, MORE VEHICLES.
UH, IN 22 TO 23, THE TICKETS, UH, WE WROTE MORE TICKETS IN, UH, 23 THAN 22, AND WE WROTE LESS WARNINGS IN 23 THAN 22.
YOU SAID, UM, I'M, I'M TRYING TO LOOK AT THREE SCREENS HERE, ONE OF WHICH IS GREEN, AND I'M LOOKING FOR THE WEATHER REPORT, BUT, UM, BUT I, I BELIEVE YOU SAID THAT, UH, THERE WERE MORE TICKETS THAN LAST MORNINGS.
UM, COMPARING 2022 TO 2023, UH, WAS THAT DUE TO THE SERIOUSNESS OF THE OFFENSE OR WAS THAT BECAUSE THERE WAS MORE ENFORCEMENT? UM, OR BECAUSE SOME FOLKS HAD A FIRST MORNING AND THEN THEY GOT A TICKET? I'D LIKE TO SEE IT BECAUSE WE WERE OUT THERE WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT AS FAR AS, AS THESE TICKETS AND THESE NUMBERS.
BUT, UM, I KNOW SOME OF IT, SOME OF THESE, UH, OFFICERS THAT ARE ON THE ROAD, THEY'VE HAD SOME TRAINEES WITH THEM, WHICH IS GONNA REDUCE THE NUMBERS.
THEY'RE A LITTLE BIT THE DIFFERENT FOCUS, DIFFERENT TIMES.
I DON'T HAVE A EXACT ANSWER FOR YOU ON THAT.
YOU KNOW WHAT I THINK WOULD BE INTERESTING? I, I WAS WAITING UNTIL THE END, BUT IF, WOULD YOU PREFER WE WAIT TILL THE END FOUR TO ASK YOU QUESTIONS OR JUST ALONG THE WAY? OKAY.
UH, THE CALLS FOR SERVICE, UH, THE FIRST QUARTER OF THIS YEAR.
THE CALLS FOR SERVICES WERE UP QUITE A BIT.
UM, THE REPORTS ARE UP QUITE A BIT.
THE ARRESTS ARE DOWN A LITTLE BIT.
AND THE, UM, SELF-REPORTING ACCIDENT FORMS ARE DOWN A LITTLE BIT.
THIS IS THE YEAR, UH, COMPARED TO THE YEAR FROM 22 TO 23 FOR QUARTERS.
OVERALL, THE CALLS FOR SERVICE WERE DOWN A LITTLE BIT IN 23 VERSUS 22.
OUR REPORTS WERE UP, OUR INCIDENT REPORTS, WRITTEN INCIDENT REPORTS, OUR ARRESTS WERE UP A LITTLE BIT.
AND OUR TRAFFIC, UH, ACCIDENT REPORTABLE FORMS WERE DOWN A LITTLE BIT.
UM, WE'RE HEADING HERE TO THE BEACH SEASON, SO WE WILL BE OBVIOUSLY OUT ON THE BEACH AGAIN THIS YEAR, DEALING WITH THE MARINE PATROL AND ALL THE PEOPLE COMING HERE TO HILTON HEAD ISLAND.
I THINK WE ALL HAVE THE SAME GOAL HERE.
UM, LOOKING AT YOUR TOWN WARRANT AS VIOLATIONS FOR THE LAST QUARTER, IT'S SET EXCEPT FOR SPRING BREAK.
THEY LOOK, THEY'RE PRETTY DOWN, DOWN WELL, UM, WE HAD SOME ISSUES AT THE BEGINNING OF SPRING BREAK COMING ALONG WHERE WE BROUGHT SOME EXTRA PEOPLE OUT ON THE ROAD, OUT IN THE AREAS WHERE WE WERE HAVING SOME MAJOR ISSUES WITH, UH, PEOPLE NOT FOLLOWING, UH, THE LAW AND DOING THE RIGHT THINGS.
SO WE HAD SOME, UH, EXTRA ADDED TROOPS OUT THERE, WHICH REALLY CURVED THAT AND CURVED IT QUICKLY.
WE BROUGHT 'EM OUT THERE, UM, IN UNIFORM, OUTTA UNIFORM, HITTING THE BEACHES AREAS, HITTING THE POPULAR AREAS, AND WE, IT SLOWED IT DOWN FOR A GOOD LITTLE WHILE.
PATRICK'S DAY WENT, WENT WELL.
WE HAD, UH, OBVIOUSLY WE HAD A GREAT SHOWING OUT THERE.
UH, THESE ARE SOME OF THE GENTLEMEN THAT WERE RUNNING.
IT HAD LIEUTENANT COW ON THE RIGHT, UH, CORPORAL LIGHTY, THE EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CAPTAIN BOBBY TOTEN.
AND THEN ON THE LEFT YOU HAVE SERGEANT TOY WITH, HE'S ONE OF OUR CANINE HANDLERS.
IT WAS VERY WELL, I THINK IT WAS A GOOD SUCCESS FOR ALL OF US.
SOME OF THE EVENTS THAT WE'VE DONE IN THE FIRST QUARTER THIS YEAR.
IN THE CENTER PICTURE, YOU'VE GOT, UH, FIVE OF OUR DEPUTIES IN THE DEPUTY'S ROOM.
THEY RECEIVED SOME CARDS FROM ST.
UH, PICTURE ON THE LEFT, WE'VE GOT MASTER SERGEANT DANNY ALLEN.
HE'S IN THERE TEACHING SOME FOLKS, TALKING TO SOME FOLKS AT THE BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB.
AND THEN ON THE RIGHT, WE'VE GOT ONE OF OUR NEW SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS.
HE'S AT HILTON HEAD OUT DEPUTY SHERIFF RON.
SO HE'S ONE OF THE FOUR, UH, SROS THAT WE HAVE ON THE ALLEN THESE DAYS.
UM, AND JUST A REMINDER TO YOU GUYS AND EVERYBODY ELSE, THIS IS MESS SERGEANT DANNY ALLEN.
HE RUNS OUR CITIZENS POLICE ACADEMY.
I DON'T KNOW OF ANYBODY THAT DIDN'T GO THROUGH THE CITIZENS POLICE ACADEMY THAT DIDN'T LIKE IT.
IT'S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN TO SEE WHAT THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE HAS TO OFFER.
AND, UM, IT'S A GREAT EDUCATIONAL PIECE.
[00:25:06]
MS. BECKER, THANK YOU.I'M SORRY FOR THE, THE INTERRUPTIONS.
UM, MEMBERS OF OUR COMMITTEE, DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, ETSY, UH, JUST A, A COUPLE OF COMMENTS AND THEN A QUESTION OR TWO? UH, FIRST OF ALL, I THANK YOU FOR RESPONDING TO THE QUESTIONS I'D RAISED PREVIOUSLY.
UM, I, I THINK IT'S VERY HELPFUL TO KNOW ABOUT THE CAUSE OF COLLISIONS TO SEE IF THERE'S ANYTHING WE SHOULD BE DOING HERE.
UM, AND, AND THANK YOU FOR, UM, THE EXTRA PATROLS ON THE BEACHES, AND WE'RE GLAD TO SEE THOSE RESULTS.
UM, ALSO WANTED TO THANK YOU FOR, UM, THE DEPUTIES WHO ASSISTED WITH THE RIDE OF SILENCE THIS PAST WEDNESDAY.
UM, MR. ALFRED AND I BOTH RODE OUR BIKES DURING THE RIDE OF SILENCE AND, UM, TRYING TO CONTROL THE TRAFFIC ON 2 78 WHILE A BUNCH OF BICYCLISTS ARE ON THE SAME ROAD, IS DIFFICULT, BUT CERTAINLY, UH, FELT A LOT BETTER HAVING THE DEPUTIES THERE.
UM, ALSO, UM, I I NOTICED YOU HAD SOME SLIDES ABOUT ENFORCEMENT OF TOWN ORDINANCES.
UM, AND, AND I'M GLAD THAT, UH, THE SHERIFF IS ENFORCING OUR ORDINANCES.
UM, AND, AND AS I UNDERSTAND IT, THOSE ARE THE ORDINANCES THAT THE TOWN ADOPTS, UH, FOR WHICH THERE ARE CRIMINAL PENALTIES.
SO IT, AM I ACCURATE TO SAY THAT, UH, PART OF THE DUTY OF THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE IS TO ENFORCE OUR LOCAL TOWN ORDINANCES? THAT COULD BE ONE OF OUR RESPONSIBILITIES, BUT WE, THE TOWN FOR THE MOST PART TO HANDLE THOSE IF WE NEED TO TAKE ACTION WHEN THEY'RE NOT AVAILABLE, WE CERTAINLY DO.
AND IF IT'S A, IF THERE'S A STATE LAW VIOLATION OR SOMETHING OF THAT NATURE, WE'D ADDRESS THAT, THAT WAY AS WELL.
SO IF THE TOWN, UH, SO FOR THESE THAT YOU'VE LISTED, UM, PLEADING TO A VA TICKET, ALCOHOL ON THE BEACH, ALCOHOL IN PUBLIC NEGLIGENT LOOKS LIKE SOME SORT OF NEGLIGENT BOAT RIDING, I GUESS, TO CHARGE FIREARM LOITERING, UM, DISTURBING THE PEACE VEHICLE ON THE BEACH.
SO THE TOWN IS ASKED THE SHERIFF TO ENFORCE THOSE TOWN ORDINANCES AND YOU DO THAT.
SO IF, IF WE ASK FOR ENFORCEMENT OF OUR ORDINANCES, THEN WILL BE THE DUTY OF THE SHERIFF TO DO THAT.
WE DO THOSE ALONG WITH, WITH THE, WITH DIRECTOR BROMAGE AND WHAT THOSE FOLKS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR DOING WHAT THEY DO.
WE WORK TOGETHER IN TANDEM WITH THEM.
HOW WE MORNING, SIR? GOOD TO SEE YOU.
UM, I APPRECIATE, UH, THE LIVES, UM, AROUND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
UM, ALWAYS BEATING THAT DRUM, OBVIOUSLY.
I'M GLAD TO SEE THAT YOU GUYS ARE OUT INTERFACING WITH THE YOUNGSTERS.
THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S A BIG DEAL.
UM, I GOT A LITTLE, A LITTLE LIST HERE, SO I'LL, I'LL GO ONE AT A TIME.
UM, THE, THE FIRST ONE, UM, WE TALKED ABOUT INCREASED PRESENCE AT THE BEACHES, UM, I GUESS DURING THE LAST, UH, LITTLE SPRING BREAK SESSION.
UM, I'M CURIOUS TO KNOW, AS WE ARE MOVING INTO MEMORIAL DAY AND MOVING INTO THE HEIGHT OF OUR SEASON, UM, ARE THERE PLANS TO INCREASE THE VISIBILITY DURING THOSE TIMES AS WELL? ABSOLUTELY.
I THINK THAT'S A, A GOOD THING.
AND A, AND A, AND A GOOD DETERRENT FOR MISCHIEVOUS BEHAVIOR.
UM, I'VE BEEN ASKED, UH, TO ASK THIS QUESTION ABOUT FUNERAL, UH, PROCESSIONALS THAT OBVIOUSLY YOU'VE JUST MENTIONED THAT YOU'VE SEEN AN INCREASE, UM, IN TRAFFIC.
UM, AND IT'S NO MORE PEAKS AND VALLEYS, IT'S SORT OF A THING.
UM, IS THERE A, UH, SOME TYPE OF FORMAL PROCESS FOR, UH, FUNERAL HOMES AS FAR AS COMMUNICATION WITH THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE TO HELP WITH FUNERAL PROCESSIONS? TYPICALLY THEY'LL CALL US DIRECT.
UM, THE LAST FUNERAL THAT WE DEALT WITH, I DEALT IT WAS IN DIRECT CONTACT WITH ED ALLEN WHO WAS HELPING WITH THAT.
WE WILL ESCORT YOU IF WE HAVE PEOPLE AVAILABLE.
IF PEOPLE ARE TIED UP UPON CALLS THAT TAKE PRIORITY, THEN, THEN THEY'LL DO THAT.
WE DO OUR BEST NOT TO BLOCK INTERSECTIONS, BUT IN CERTAIN CASES WHEN IT'S, WHEN THERE'S A, A LOT OF TRAFFIC AND A LOT GOING ON AND WE HAVE THE PERSON TO DO IT, WE'LL HELP OUT WITH THAT.
BUT THE, THE FUNERAL DIRECTOR OR THE GUY THAT'S RUNNING, THE PERSON THAT'S RUNNING THE FUNERAL WILL REACH OUT TO ONE OF OUR FOLKS ON HILTON HAD TO HELP HIM WITH THAT.
OR BLUFFING OR BEFORD, WHEREVER PART OF THE COUNTY THEY ARE.
JUST KNOW THAT, UM, DEPENDING ON THE TIME OF THE FUNERAL, HILTON HEAD SEEMS TO BE A, GET AN UPTICK IN TRAFFIC MOVING AROUND THE ISLAND, PARTICULARLY AROUND LUNCHTIME.
AND THEN FOLKS ARE HAVING FUNERALS AT THAT TIME.
I JUST HATE TO HAVE AN ACCIDENT HAPPEN WHILE ONE IS HAVING A, A FUNERAL.
SO I'M GLAD THAT Y'ALL HAVE THAT MEANS OF COMMUNICATION THERE.
UM, JUST ANOTHER STAT THAT I ASKED IT TO INCLUDE, MOVING FORWARD,
[00:30:01]
UM, OBVIOUSLY WE'VE BEEN HAVING A LOT OF DISCUSSIONS AROUND, UM, HOUSING ON HILTON HEAD.I KNOW THAT WE ARE OFFERING A STIPEND FOR OFFICERS TO LIVE ON HILTON HEAD, BUT IF YOU CAN HELP US UNDERSTAND HOW MANY OFFICERS THAT ARE ACTUALLY WORKING ON HILTON HEAD AND LIVING ON HILTON HEAD IN, IN THE FUTURE, THAT'D BE GOOD STATISTIC TO, TO HAVE BEFORE US.
I CAN FIND THE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE THAT ARE ACTUALLY LIVING ON HILTON HEAD THAT THAT WORK OVER HERE.
BUT AS FAR AS WHAT TIME OF DAY IS WHEN IT'S THAT THE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE OVER HERE COULD, COULD RANGE.
I'M NOT AS INTERESTED IN THAT.
JUST WANTED TO KNOW HOW MANY LIVES ARE LIVING ON THE ISLAND.
AND AND THE LAST ONE, UM, AS WE SEE THE STATISTICS, UM, THERE'S A DECREASE IN THE, UM, THE AREAS THAT WE ARE LOOKING AT.
UM, BUT I, I OFTEN WANNA GET A LOT OF CALLS ABOUT, UM, JUST SHOOTINGS.
NOT NECESSARILY SHOOTINGS WHERE INDIVIDUALS HAVE BEEN STRUCK, BUT JUST SHOOTINGS.
AND, UH, WHEN YOU START TO, UM, HAVING AN INCREASE IN SHOOTINGS IN AN AREA AND THEN THERE IS AN ACTUAL INCIDENT, THERE'S ALWAYS A COALITION THAT THE TWO MAY BE RELATED.
AND I UNDERSTAND, UH, IN MOST CASES THEY ARE NOT.
UM, AND YOU ALL UNDERSTAND THAT VERY WELL, BUT THE AVERAGE CITIZEN DOES NOT.
IT'S JUST, I HEARD SHOOTINGS FOR THE LAST TWO WEEKS, THERE'S AN INCIDENT, THEY MUST BE RELATED.
SO MY QUESTION IS, HOW CAN WE, UH, WE BE IN TOWN AND SHERIFF'S OFFICE, UH, DO A BETTER JOB COMMUNICATING WITH RESIDENTS THAT ARE EXPERIENCING THESE SHOOTING ACTIVITIES THAT ARE NOT NECESSARILY RESULTING TO AN INCIDENT? UM, I THINK THERE'S A SORT OF A LACK OF CONFIDENCE OR COMFORT THAT WHEN THERE IS A SHOOTING, THAT THERE IS SOMETHING HAPPENING WHEN THE SHOOTING OCCURS.
AND WHEN I SAY HAPPENING SOMETHING THAT THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE IS DOING IN RESPONSE.
UM, SO HOW, HOW DO WE DO A BETTER JOB WITH COMMUNICATING THAT? UM, WE, WE DEAL WITH CALLS FOR SERVICE DAY IN AND DAY OUT WITH, WITH SHOOTINGS.
AND OFTENTIMES WE GET THERE AND IT'S NOT, OF COURSE, SOMETIMES WE GET THERE AND WE HAVE PROPERTY DAMAGE OR WE'VE GOT A VICTIM THERE THAT'S BEEN ACTUALLY INJURED.
UH, THE BEST THING I CAN TELL YOU IS THAT THEY'VE GOTTA REPORT IT.
PEOPLE HAVE TO REPORT IT AND GIVE US THE BEST INFORMATION WE CAN GET.
AND IF YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT SOMEONE THAT'S TARGET SHOOTING OR DOING SOMETHING WHERE THEY'RE ALLOWED TO DO IT, I MEAN, WE'LL RESPOND TO THE CALL, BUT WE'RE NOT GONNA PUT SOMETHING OUT 'CAUSE THERE'S NOTHING ILLEGAL ABOUT IT PER SE.
UM, I THINK, BUT THE BEST THING THAT WE NEED TO DO IS JUST TO COMMUNICATE THAT INFORMATION TO US.
IF YOU KNOW SOMEONE'S IN THE AREA, IF IN A VEHICLE THAT'S SHOOTING OR INVOLVED IN A SHOOTING A VEHICLE DESCRIPTION, IF A PERSON'S IN THE AREA, IF THEY'RE ON A BICYCLE, A DESCRIPTION OF THAT PERSON, DESCRIPTION OF THE BICYCLE, ALL THE INFORMATION WE GET ON THE FRONT END, THE BETTER OFF WE ARE.
SO WHEN THESE GUYS, THESE MEN AND WOMEN ARE COMING FROM DIFFERENT AREAS, THEY HAVE A BETTER IDEA OF WHAT TO LOOK FOR.
OFTENTIMES WE GET A SHOOTING AND WE'LL BE ON THE WAY THERE AND WE WON'T HAVE ANY DETAILED INFORMATION IN IT.
WE COULD BE DRIVING RIGHT BY THE INDIVIDUAL RESPONSIBLE LEAVING.
UM, BUT I, I THINK COMMUNICATION IS THE KEY.
COMMUNICATION FROM THE PEOPLE IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS, COMMUNICATIONS FROM, FROM EVERYBODY INVOLVED.
AND IF PEOPLE AREN'T IN THE COMMUNITY, HAVE INFORMATION ABOUT A SHOOTING, THERE'S CRIME STOPPERS OUT THERE, THEY CAN CALL US, THEY CAN LEAVE A TIP, THEY CAN DO IT ANONYMOUSLY.
WE'VE GOT ALL SORTS OF RESOURCES ON OUR WEBSITE THAT CAN HELP DIRECT PEOPLE TO, TO PASS THAT INFORMATION ON.
SO AGAIN, THE COMMUNICATION, BUT MOVING FORWARD, CAN YOU INCLUDE IN YOUR CALL FOR SERVICES REPORT JUST WHERE THOSE SHOOTINGS ARE HAPPENING SO WE HAVE A BETTER IDEA AS WELL? I'LL SEE WHAT I CAN DO, SIR.
STEVE, UH, THANK YOU MAJOR PERRY FOR YOUR PRESENTATION OF STATISTICS FILING, UH, OF UP A LITTLE BIT ON COUNCIL MEMBER BROWN'S QUESTION.
UH, WOULD I BE CORRECT IN ASSUMING THAT YOU PLOT THESE VARIOUS SERIOUS CRIMES GEOGRAPHICALLY AND BY TIME OF DAY AND NIGHT OR SO FORTH? WE DO HAVE AN INTEL SECTION THAT DOES THAT.
THEY DO IT, THEY DO IT ON THE ISLAND.
THEY DIDN'T, UH, DIFFERENT AREAS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY AND PASS THAT INFORMATION TO THE GUYS, THE MEN AND WOMEN THAT ARE OUT THERE IN UNIFORM, UH, DAY IN, DAY OUT.
WHEN THEY'RE NOT ON A CALL FOR SERVICE, WE PREFER THAT THEY SPEND TIME IN THOSE AREAS BETWEEN THOSE AREAS.
AND THEN WE'VE GOT THE CAR BREAK INS THOSE AREAS AS WELL.
ANY CRIMINAL ACTIVITY THAT WE'VE IDENTIFIED, WE TRY TO GET OUR, OUR, UH, TROOPS OVER THERE TO HELP SUPPRESS IT, IF YOU WILL.
DO YOU HAVE ADEQUATE, UH, RESOURCES AND PERSONNEL AND SO FORTH TO BE ABLE TO MOVE
[00:35:01]
YOUR OFFICERS AROUND THAT REFLECT THE GEOGRAPHY AND TIME OF DAY THAT VARIOUS SERIOUS CRIMES ARE OCCURRING? UH, FOR THE MOST PART WE DO.BUT IF, IF THERE'S A MAJOR INCIDENT SOMEWHERE, ALL THOSE PEOPLE TYPICALLY SHIFT.
AND BEFORE I START ON MY QUESTIONS, I JUST WANTED TO, UM, ALSO MENTION THE CITIZENS, UM, UH, POLICE ACADEMY.
WE'VE HAD FRIENDS WHO HAVE GONE THROUGH, I HAVE NOT FOUND THE TIME, BUT I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO DOING IT.
IT, BUT WE HAVE PEOPLE THAT WE KNOW WHO HAVE GONE THROUGH THE ACADEMY AND CANNOT SAY ENOUGH POSITIVE ABOUT WHAT THEY TOOK AWAY.
UM, THEY HAD NO IDEA, AS ARE SOME OF THE COMMENTS ABOUT EVERYTHING THAT GOES IN TO WHAT, UM, YOU GUYS ARE DOING.
AND UM, SO THANK YOU FOR HAVING THAT OUT THERE.
AND I DO ENCOURAGE, UM, OTHERS TO FIND TIME TO DO IT AND, UM, HAVE THAT SAME POSITIVE EXPERIENCE.
UM, A NUMBER OF THE QUESTIONS THAT I HAVE HERE HAVE BEEN ASKED.
UM, I THINK WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO FIND OUT HOW MANY OF THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT, UM, DEPUTIES ARE WORKING ON THE ISLAND FROM OUR FINANCE DEPARTMENT BECAUSE IT'S PAID FOR.
THOSE STIPENDS ARE PAID FOR THROUGH THE, THROUGH THE TOWN.
SO THAT WAS ONE ISSUE THAT I WANTED TO, UM, BRING UP.
SOME OF THE STATISTICS I MIGHT FIND INTERESTING, LIKE I KNOW THAT WE USED TO GET, UM, WITH REGARD TO, SIMILAR TO WHAT, UM, MR. ALFRED WAS MENTIONING, UM, PLOTS OF WHERE ACTIVITY WAS HAPPENING.
SO LIKE ON THE TRAFFIC, UM, INCIDENTS THAT WE WOULD KNOW, IS IT ON POPE AVENUE, ARE WE TALKING ABOUT SOUTH FOREST BEACH OR YOU KNOW, MATTHEWS DRIVE SO THAT WE HAD MORE OF A SCATTER AND WOULD BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND WHERE THE, ARE YOU REFERRING TO THE HEAT MAPS I DID IN THE PAST? MM-HMM.
AND WHEN WE HAD THE COURT OF RELIEF REPORTS, IT WAS ALSO INCLUDED IN THERE SO THAT WE WOULD BE ABLE TO SEE WHERE THOSE, UM, AREAS WHERE THE, UM, ACCIDENTS WERE HAPPENING.
BUT ALSO, UM, I THOUGHT IT WAS INTERESTING WHEN YOU WERE MENTIONING THE TICKETS AND THE WARNINGS, I WOULD BE VERY INTERESTED IN KNOWING WHAT'S BEHIND THOSE NUMBERS.
UM, FOR TICKETS REGARDING, UM, SPEED, I'D LIKE TO KNOW IF IT'S FIVE MILES OVER THE SPEED LIMIT OR AS I THINK MOST OF US WITNESS WHO ARE TRYING TO STAY AT 45 OR BELOW.
UM, THOSE WHO ARE PASSING US AT 55 AND 65 DOWN TO 78 FOR INSTANCE, OR OTHER ROADS WHERE IT'S INAPPROPRIATE.
SO HOW MUCH OVER THE SPEED LIMIT ARE THEY GETTING TICKETS FOR? LIKE WHAT IS THE ISSUE, UM, IN TERMS OF SPEEDING? DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? ARE ARE YOU ASKING WHAT'S THE MAGIC NUMBER? NO, I'M WRITING THEM FOR WHAT'S THE MAGIC NUMBER? I JUST, WHAT GOES INTO THAT STATISTIC WITH BEHIND THE TICKETS? IS IT TICKETS FOR IN THE SPEEDING CATEGORY, PEOPLE GOING FIVE MILES OVER THE SPEED LIMIT? OR DO WE HAVE A BIGGER PROBLEM WITH PEOPLE GOING AT 65 AND ABOVE? WHERE'S THE, WHERE ARE YOU SEEING THE, UM, THE SPEEDING GOING ON? WHAT'S THE MAJORITY OF THOSE? I THINK THAT WOULD TAKE QUITE A BIT OF RESEARCH TO FIGURE OUT WHERE THOSE, WHERE THE SPEEDS ARE, IF THEY'RE 5, 10, 15 MILES AN HOUR OVER.
UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S LOTS OF NUMBERS THAT GO INTO WHAT WE SEE AND KIND OF INTERESTED IN THE NUMBERS BEHIND THE NUMBER.
BUT, UM, I'LL SEE IF I CAN FIND SOMETHING OUT FOR YOU.
AND I GUESS THAT IT WOULD BE ALL OF THE CATEGORIES, RIGHT? SO WE KNOW THERE'S TICKETS, BUT ARE THEY TICK WHAT THE TICKETS ARE FOR? AND SO THAT WE HAVE AN IDEA OF WHAT THE BIGGEST PROBLEMS ON OUR ROADS REALLY, YOU KNOW, ARE, IS IT RUNNING RED LIGHTS? WE SEE A LOT OF THAT.
IS IT SPEEDING ABOVE 45? WE SEE A LOT OF THAT.
IS IT ZIGZAGGING THROUGH, UM, TRAFFIC? WE SEE CERTAINLY PLENTY OF THAT AS WELL.
THE OTHER THING THAT I THOUGHT WAS INTERESTING WHEN I WAS LOOKING AT THE 22, 23 AND 24 COMPARISONS IS THAT 22 SEEMED TO BE A HIGHER NUMBER AND THAT WE SEEM TO BE HAVING SOME DECRE AND I WONDER WHETHER OR NOT SOME OF THAT IS IN RELATIONSHIP TO THE, UM, NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO WERE HERE BECAUSE OF COVID.
AND SO WE HAD ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES AND THAT IT'S TAPERING OFF A LITTLE BIT AND WHAT THAT MIGHT TELL US.
SO, UM, EITHER MY QUESTIONS ARE A LITTLE BIT, UM, MORE TEDIOUS BECAUSE IT'S REALLY THE NUMBERS BEHIND THE NUMBERS THAT TELL THE STORY THAT I'M, THAT I'M INTERESTED MOST OF THE TIME IN.
UM, THE OTHER THING THAT WE HEAR, UM, IS, UH, WITH REGARD TO THE, THE SHOTS, RIGHT, THE, THAT HAS BEEN BROUGHT UP HERE.
UM, WHAT IS, WHAT IS IT THAT IS ILLEGAL TO TO BE FIRING A
[00:40:01]
FIREARM ON THE, UH, YOU MENTIONED TARGET PRACTICE.WHAT, WHAT'S LEGAL TO BE SHOOTING YOUR GUN AROUND? BECAUSE INEVITABLY, WHETHER IT'S UNINTENTIONAL, UM, SHOOTING, UM, SOMEONE'S GONNA GET IN THE CROSSHAIRS OF, OF THAT BULLET FLYING AROUND.
AND WE DO GET LOTS OF REPORTS OF, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF GUNFIRE OVER IN THIS AREA, WHAT WAS GOING ON THERE? CAN'T FIND ANYTHING, YOU KNOW, REPORTED, ET CETERA.
AND JUST, YOU GET A LOT OF THOSE QUESTIONS.
WE GET ROUTINELY, I SAY ROUTINELY WE GET OFTEN AND AS LONG AS THE PEOPLE ARE OUT THERE DOING IT IN A SAFE MANNER AND NOT IN VIOLATION OF THE LAW, THEY CAN, THEY CAN SHOOT, IF THEY'RE OUT SHOOTING S***T, THEY'RE ZEROING A RIFLE AND THEY'RE DOING SOME PISTOL TRAINING OR WHATEVER, AS LONG AS THEY'RE DOING IT IN A SAFE MANNER, THEN THEY'RE ALLOWED TO DO IT.
IF, YOU KNOW, AS LONG AS IT'S ON COUNTY PROPERTY, TOWN PROPERTY, IF IT'S ON PRIVATE PROPERTY AND THEY HAVE THE, UH, AUTHORITY TO BE THERE, AUTHORIZATION TO BE THERE, THEN AS LONG AS THEY'RE NOT DOING IT ILLEGALLY OR THEY'RE, THEY'RE NOT A FELON OR THEY'RE NOT CONSUMING ALCOHOL OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT AND DOING IT, WE JUST GO OUT THERE AND MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE DOING IN A SAFE, SAFE MANNER.
DO YOU HAVE A PERCENTAGE OR AN IDEA OF THE NUMBER OF CALLS THAT YOU GET THAT ACTUALLY, UM, HAVE SOMETHING THERE TO INVESTIGATE EVEN IF IT'S MINOR DOOR WAS LEFT OPEN OR THE KEYS WERE IN THE CAR, UM, VERSUS THOSE THAT YOU GET A CALL FOR SERVICE AND NOTHING EVER COMES OF IT, IT'S JUST WE CHECKED ON IT AND THERE'S NO REPORT WRITTEN.
I'M NOT SURE WHAT YOU'RE ASKING.
SO FOR, FOR THE SHOTS FIRE CALL, WE DON'T WHERE WOODEN WRITE AWAY JUST IN GENERAL.
UM, SOMEBODY HAS SOMETHING THAT HAPPENS BUT A REPORT DOESN'T GET WRITTEN SO IT NEVER GETS INTO THE STATISTICS OR, WELL, SOME OF THE NUMBERS UP ON THERE, THE COST FOR SERVICE WERE I THINK 14,000.
UM, AND THEN THE REPORTS WERE LIKE 900.
THOSE WERE THE THINGS WHERE THERE WAS SOMETHING FOUND THAT COULD HAVE BEEN ILLEGAL OR NEEDED TO BE DOCUMENTED AND THE OTHER ONES WERE EITHER UNFOUND OR THERE WAS NOTHING ILLEGAL GOING ON.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO ALSO REITERATE WHAT YOU SAID, UM, WHICH I FIND INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT.
CLOSE YOUR GARAGE DOORS, TAKE YOUR KEYS AND YOUR GUNS OUT OF YOUR CARS AND, UM, DON'T APPARENTLY LEAVE YOUR KEY FOB BY THE FRONT DOOR BECAUSE THERE'S SOME NEW SCAM WHERE FOLKS CAN COME CLOSE ENOUGH TO YOUR HOUSE AND THEY CAN PICK UP THE FOB ELECTRONICALLY AND REPRODUCE IT.
SO TAKE ALL PRECAUTIONS IN TERMS OF DOING, KEEPING SELVES SAFE SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE THE ISSUES ON THE ISLAND THAT, UM, THAT WE'RE CONCERNED ABOUT.
AND THERE DOES SEEM TO BE A HEIGHTENED, UM, AWARENESS AND ANXIETY ABOUT ISSUES HAPPENING ON THE ISLAND.
THAT'S WHY I WAS ASKING THE QUESTIONS IN TERMS OF HOW MANY OF THEM BECOME SOMETHING VERSUS, YOU KNOW, THINGS THAT WE ALL HEAR ABOUT AND, UM, SENSE, UM, THAT NEVER MAKE IT TO THE, TO THE STATISTICS.
UM, ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? SEEING NONE, UH, WE APPRECIATE YOUR TIME AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO WHEN YOU JOIN US AGAIN.
MAYBE I SHOULD ASK THE QUESTION IF THERE'S ANY PUBLIC COMMENT, UM, OR QUESTIONS.
I THINK I SEE AT LEAST ONE QUESTION COME TO COME UP IN.
UM, UH, DO YOU THINK YOU COULD END RIGHT TURN ON RED WHERE I LIVE AND IT'S ALMOST EVERYONE 'CAUSE IT'S GOING DOWN POINT COMFORT ROAD.
AND SO IF YOU'RE COMING OFF OF PALMETTO BAY ROAD TURNING LEFT AND YOU WAIT FOR THE GREEN ARROW TO TURN LEFT AND THEN THERE'S A NUT JOB TURNING, RIGHT? THEY'RE NOT WATCHING, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE NOT AWARE.
AND I NOTICED SOME PARTS ON THE ISLAND, YOU'VE STOPPED USING IT.
DOT WOULD BE THE ONES THAT CAME UP.
SO THAT'S PART OF THE DISCUSSIONS AS WE'RE WORKING.
IT'S INTERESTING, ISN'T IT? MM-HMM.
BUT THAT'S THROUGH ALL OF OUR DISCUSSIONS ON THE CORRIDOR AND, UH, THE PLANNING FOR PROPER SEQUENCING OF TURNS AND LIGHTS, ET CETERA, TO, TO MAKE IT A SAFER ISLAND.
KERNS AND LIGHTS, ET CETERA TO MAKE IT A SAFER ISLAND.
WE HAVE ONE MORE QUESTION, KERNS AND LIGHTS, ET CETERA.
AND STATE YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD.
UM, NOTICED, UM, EVERYWHERE, A LOT OF PLACES ON THE ISLAND THAT I'VE NEVER SEEN HOMELESS PEOPLE BEFORE.
AND NOW I'VE PERSONALLY HAD THEM APPROACH ME TWICE, PROBABLY IN THE LAST TWO MONTHS, WHICH I'VE NEVER HAD THAT BEFORE.
[00:45:01]
YOU GUYS GET CALLS FOR THAT? IF YOU DO, WHAT DO YOU, WHAT DO YOU DO? IS IT INCREASED? 'CAUSE I THINK IT HAS.WE GET CALLS FOR THAT TYPICALLY WHEN THEY'RE HARASSING SOMEBODY.
IF YOU WOULD CONSIDER YOURSELF BEING HARASSING AND CALL US, IF THEY'RE NOT DOING ANYTHING ILLEGAL, THERE'S NOT MUCH WE CAN DO WITH THEM.
IF THEY'RE VIOLATING A TOWN ORDERS, THEY'RE VIOLATING A STATE STATUTE, THEN WE CAN TAKE ACTION.
AND, OR OFTEN THAN NOT, THEY'RE NOT DOING ANYTHING ILLEGAL.
IF THEY'RE PANHANDLING AND THEY'RE NOT ALLOWED TO BE IN THAT AREA, WE, WE EDUCATE 'EM AND MOVE THEM ON.
I THINK SOME OF THOSE EXPERIENCES WHAT, UM, ARE ALSO ADDING TO THE SENSE OF THINGS, UH, A LITTLE BIT OF ANXIETY ON THE ISLAND, UM, JUST THAT AS WELL AS A NUMBER OF, UM, INCIDENTS THAT PEOPLE WORRY ABOUT.
THANK YOU BOTH FOR ASKING QUESTIONS AND WE APPRECIATE YOUR TIME AND GIVING US THE, UH, INFORMATION WE NEEDED.
AND, UM, UNDER UNFINISHED BUSINESS, WE ALSO HAVE A CONSIDERATION OF A RESOLUTION EXPRESSING SUPPORT FOR THE ROTARY COMMUNITY CENTER PROPOSAL.
AND MR. GRUBER, UM, IS GOING TO COME UP AND CHAT WITH US ABOUT IT.
BEFORE WE MOVE TO THAT, I'M JUST, I UH, COP WEBS UP HERE GOING THAT'S OKAY.
AFTER THE QUESTION ABOUT HOMELESSNESS, I KNOW, I KNOW THAT WE HAVE HAD A PRESENTATION IN YEARS PAST FROM BE COUNTY AROUND, UH, THE POTENTIAL OF A HOMELESS SHELTER AND A DEPARTMENT OF THE COUNTY BEING STOOD UP TO DEAL WITH HOMELESSNESS.
NOW THAT'S PROBABLY BEEN THREE, FOUR YEARS AGO NOW, I THINK.
UM, I'M JUST BRINGING IT TO OUR ATTENTION THAT MAYBE IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN REVISIT SO WE CAN GET AN UPDATE DOWN THE ROAD AS TO WHERE THAT'S GOING.
OBVIOUSLY IT IS AFFECTING OUR ISLAND.
UM, AND IF THERE ARE POTENTIAL SOLUTIONS IN THE WORKS, I THINK WE SHOULD BE PRIVY TO THEM AND IF THE CITIZENS SHOULD BE AS WELL.
UM, IN RESPONSE TO THAT, WE'LL WORK WITH, UH, CHAIRWOMAN TO, UH, LOOK AT A FUTURE AGENDA AND WE'LL CONTACT BEAUFORT COUNTY.
UM, I UNDERSTAND THAT, UH, BEN BOSWELL, WHO WAS PREVIOUSLY THE NUMBER TWO OVER THERE, WAS JUST RECENTLY PROMOTED AND IS NOW RUNNING THAT DEPARTMENT.
AND IT PROBABLY WOULD MAKE SENSE TO, UH, CONTACT HIM TO SEE IF THEY COULD COME DOWN AND DO A PRESENTATION ON KIND OF THEIR MOST RECENT EFFORTS.
UM, FOR TODAY, UM, WE ARE CONTINUING A CONVERSATION THAT, UM, WE HAD A COUPLE MONTHS AGO, BUT REALLY THE START OF THIS DISCUSSION STARTED ALMOST A YEAR AGO.
UH, BACK IN JUNE OF 2023, THE TOWN RECEIVED CORRESPONDENCE FROM REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ROTARY CLUB, UM, HERE ON THE ISLAND AND ESSENTIALLY INQUIRING AS TO THE TOWN'S OPENNESS, WILLINGNESS, HOWEVER YOU WANT TO CHARACTERIZE IT, BUT ESSENTIALLY GETTING A, A GAUGE FOR THE TOWN'S, UH, SUPPORT FOR A PROPOSAL WHEREIN THE ROTARY CLUB WOULD LOOK TO FUNDRAISE USING ALL OF THE LOCAL ROTARY CLUB CHAPTERS, UM, WITH A GOAL OF, UH, GENERATING APPROXIMATELY $750,000 IN PRIVATE FUNDRAISING THAT WOULD BE USED TOWARDS SUPPORTING THE DEVELOPMENT OF A COMMUNITY CENTER.
AND IN THE CORRESPONDENCE IT WAS REFERENCED THAT THE PLAN WOULD BE TO SIMILARLY MODEL IT AFTER WHAT WAS DONE BY THE ROTARY CLUBS IN BLUFFTON TO CREATE A COMMUNITY CENTER THAT IS NOW USED IN ONE OF THE PUBLIC PARKS THERE IN IN THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON.
UM, AT OUR LAST MEETING, THIS ITEM WAS DISCUSSED.
A NUMBER OF QUESTIONS WERE RAISED ABOUT THE LOCATION FOR THE PROPOSED, UH, COMMUNITY CENTER AND THE SCOPE, UM, OF USES FOR THE PROPOSED COMMUNITY CENTER.
AND SO WE WANTED TO CONTINUE THAT DISCUSSION AND TO HELP FACILITATE IT.
WE'VE INVITED MR. SIEBEL, WHO'S THE REPRESENTATIVE WITH THE ROTARY, UH, CLUB, WHO REACHED OUT TO THE TOWN INITIALLY TO BE HERE TO KIND OF HELP FACILITATE THAT DISCUSSION.
SO, UH, WITH THE CHAIR'S PERMISSION, MY RECOMMENDATION WOULD BE TO INVITE MR. SIEBEL TO COME UP, LET HIM SPEAK TO THE REQUEST, UM, A COPY OF WHICH, UH, WAS INCLUDED IN THE MATERIALS, UH, LINING THEIR MOST RECENT PROPOSAL FROM APRIL, UM, OF THIS YEAR.
AND THEN WE'LL KIND OF GO FROM THERE IN TERMS OF FACILITATING OUR DISCUSSION WITH AN UNDERSTANDING THAT I THINK WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO WORK TOWARDS IS GENERALLY IDENTIFYING A, A HIGH LEVEL OF SUPPORT FOR THE CONCEPT THAT WILL THEN GIVE STAFF DIRECTION TO GO WORK ON DEVELOPING MUCH MORE DETAILED INFORMATION ABOUT LOCATION, BUDGET, SCOPE OF SERVICES AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
BUT AT LEAST HAVING SOME INITIAL IDEA OF LEVEL OF SUPPORT WILL ALLOW US TO DIRECT OUR EFFORTS IN TERMS, TERMS OF KIND OF GATHERING SOME OF THAT MORE DETAILED INFORMATION.
[00:50:01]
REPRESENTING THE THREE ROTARY CLUBS OF HILTON HEAD ISLAND, AND I APPRECIATE, UH, THIS COMMITTEE'S WILLINGNESS TO CONTINUE TO HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT US, ABOUT A PROPOSAL THAT WE HAVE.OUR FIRST CORRESPONDENCE WITH THE TOWN WAS IN JUNE OF 2023, UH, UH, OUTLINING THIS IDEA, BUT IT GOES BACK ACTUALLY FURTHER THAN THAT.
UM, UH, WHEN REFERENCING THE RELATIONSHIP THAT THE BUFF ROTARY CLUB AND THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON HAD IN OPERATING COMMUNITY CENTER FOR THAT COMMUNITY, UH, WE'VE LONG THOUGHT THAT THIS WOULD BE A GREAT IDEA FOR HILTON HAD TWO AND HAD BEEN LOOKING FOR AN OPPORTUNITY TO, UH, ACT ON THAT OVER FOR MANY YEARS.
UM, GOING BACK, UH, TO THE 21, 22 PERIOD WHEN WE WERE COMING OUT OF COVID, WE ACTUALLY STARTED LOOKING AT, UH, REPURPOSING SOME EXISTING VACANT FACILITIES SUCH AS THE CARABAS RESTAURANT, WHICH WAS VACANT AT THE TIME THE OUTBACK WAS VACANT AT THE TIME.
WE THOUGHT, WELL, MAYBE WE COULD REPURPOSE ONE OF THOSE AND, AND, AND MAKE IT BACK TO A FULL USE.
AND RIGHT ABOUT THAT TIME, MKSK WAS MAKING A RECOMMENDATION ABOUT THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE MID ISLAND TRACK, WHICH INCLUDED, INTERESTINGLY, A, A PLACE FOR A COMMUNITY USE FACILITY.
SO THAT CAUSED ME TO, UM, INITIATE A MEETING WITH MR. ORLANDO TO FIND OUT WHAT IS THE PROCESS OF MAKING OF A, A PROPOSAL AS FAR AS, UH, ROTARY AND ENTERING INTO A PARTNERSHIP OR COLLABORATION WITH THE TOWN.
HE ADVISED US TO, UH, WITHOUT ANY PARAMETERS OR GUIDELINES TO SIMPLY, WHY DON'T YOU TELL US WHAT YOU HAVE IN MIND AND LET US REACT TO THAT AND BEGIN THE CONVERSATION AT THAT POINT.
SO THAT'S WHAT WE DID, AND YOU SAW THAT AND AN ASKED A BUNCH OF MEANINGFUL QUESTIONS THAT ARE AT YOUR MEETING LATE LAST FALL.
I THINK WE'VE TRIED TO CLARIFY SOME OF THOSE THINGS BY PROVIDING YOU WITH THE MATERIALS THAT ARE IN YOUR PACKET TODAY IN TERMS OF A LITTLE MORE CLARIFICATION ABOUT WHAT ROTARY WOULD LIKE TO SEE.
UH, AND I'M JUST BASICALLY HERE NOW TO SEE IF THERE, WHAT QUESTIONS YOU STILL HAVE AND HOW WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO CONTINUE THAT.
STEVE, WOULD YOU LIKE TO START? NO.
ALRIGHT, WE'LL COME BACK TO YOU THEN ALEX.
SO, UM, UH, ACTUALLY, UM, I'M VERY IMPRESSED WITH THE, UH, THE IDEA OF THE ROTARY CLUBS, UH, BEING INVOLVED WITH THE COMMUNITY PROJECT.
UM, AND I SUPPORT THE IDEA, UH, YOU KNOW, CONCEPTUALLY, UM, AND I, I FOR ONE IN, IN, IN FAVOR OF US CONTINUING THE CONVERSATION.
UM, I I WILL JUST, UH, HIGHLIGHT A COUPLE THINGS THAT I THINK WE NEED TO BE THINKING ABOUT, UM, DOWN AT THE DETAIL LEVEL.
UM, YOU KNOW, I DON'T WANNA NECESSARILY USE THE BLUFFTON CENTER AS THE EXAMPLE, UM, BECAUSE BLUFFTON GOT THEIR OWN, WHAT THEY CALL IT, STATE OF MIND OVER AT BLUFFTON.
UH, OBVIOUSLY HILTON HEAD IS, UH, DISTINCTLY DIFFERENT.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE NEED TO BE SURE OF IS THAT AS WE GO DOWN THIS ROAD, IT IS NOT, UH, PERCEIVED AS A, A PRIVATE ENDEAVOR THAT IS A PUBLIC FACILITY.
IT'LL BE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC, BUT NOT, UH, ANY TYPE OF, UH, REQUIREMENTS THAT, UM, ROTARY GROUPS, FOR EXAMPLE, HAVE PREFERENTIAL TREATMENT ALONG THE WAY.
SO I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING WE NEED TO REALLY BE AWARE OF AS WE ARE, AS WE'RE MOVING THIS FORWARD.
UM, OUTSIDE OF THAT, I THINK IT'S A GREAT IDEA.
I THINK WE'RE GOING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
UM, OBVIOUSLY, UM, THE OTHER DETAILS THAT ARE GONNA COME UP ALONG THE WAY, UNFORTUNATELY, WHATEVER WE TALK ABOUT TODAY, UM, BY THE TIME WE ARE ACTUALLY PUTTING SHOVELS IN THE GROUND FOR MID ALLEN, UM, MAY OR MAY NOT BE RELEVANT AT THAT POINT.
SO WE HAVE TO HAVE THE ABILITY TO SORT OF SHIFT GEARS ALONG THE WAY.
UM, BUT FOR THE MOST PART, I'M, I'M IN SUPPORT OF THE IDEA.
LET, LET ME EMPHASIZE IT'S ROTARY'S SINCERE INTENT THAT THIS BE A COMMUNITY CENTER.
WE, UH, I COULDN'T AGREE WITH YOU MORE, UH, COUNCILMAN BROWN, THAT, UM, PARTICULARLY FOR THE 30% OF THE POPULATION THAT DID NOT LIVE IN THE PLANNED UNIT DEVELOPMENTS, THERE'S REALLY NOT A GATHERING SPACE.
IT'S AFFORDABLE AND USABLE AND FRIENDLY AND INVITING FOR THOSE FOLKS TO USE.
AND WE REALLY THINK THAT THIS COULD BE, UH, A HUGE, UH, BENEFIT TO THE COMMUNITY.
SO THANK YOU FOR, FOR OFFERING YOUR GLOBAL SUPPORT ON THAT.
UM, PATSY, UM, I, I AGREE WITH MR. BROWN, GENERALLY SUPPORTIVE OF THE CONCEPT.
UM, AND I, I DO HAVE A QUESTION FOR MR. GRUBER.
UM, I, I'M FROM A COMMUNITY, WELL, I LIVED THERE 31 YEARS WHERE THERE ARE COMMUNITY CENTERS ALL AROUND THE COMMUNITY.
UM, AND, AND IT'S NOT AN OUTDOOR PARK WITH A PAVILION.
UM, IT IS A BUILDING WHERE THE COMMUNITY COULD USE IT.
UM, I'D LIKE TO KNOW A LITTLE BIT MORE, AND THAT'S WHAT I WANTED TO ASK MR. GROOVER ABOUT.
I PULLED UP THE, UM, THE MASTER PLAN FOR THE MID ISLAND TRACK, UM, AND IT SEEMS AS THOUGH THIS IS THE ONLY LOCATION THAT'S, THAT'S BEING, UM, PROPOSED.
UM, AND I APOLOGIZE, THERE'S SO MANY DIFFERENT
[00:55:01]
UM, AND IT LOOKS LIKE MULTI-USE COMMUNITY FACILITY.THERE'S TWO BUILDINGS BY THIS OVAL, AND THEN THERE'S ALSO A COMMUNITY SPACE, WHICH APPEARS TO BE SOME SORT OF COVERED BUILDING OVER BY THE LOCATION, UH, THE RELOCATION SITE FOR ST.
SO I, I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHICH LOCATION WE'D BE TALKING ABOUT.
UH, BECAUSE, UM, RIGHT NOW, UH, THE TOWN COUNCIL IS ONLY APPROVED MOVING FORWARD WITH PHASE ONE MM-HMM.
UM, AND ALSO, UH, SOME RESTROOMS AND SOME PARKING FACILITIES, UM, AND MAYBE SOME MORE CLEANING UP.
SO WE'RE NOT YET TO THE BUILDING STAGE
UM, BUT FIRST OF ALL, I WANNA KNOW WHICH LOCATION ARE WE TALKING ABOUT? MM-HMM,
UM, AND WHAT, IF ANY, IMPACT IS THERE ON THE PROPOSED RELOCATION SITE FOR ST.
JAMES BAPTIST CHURCH? MR. SIEBOLD, YOU'RE WELCOME TO STAND THERE, BUT IF YOU WANT TO SAY IT'S OKAY,
UM, SO I THINK RIGHT NOW, CONCEPTUALLY WE'RE LOOKING AT THE SITE AS A WHOLE AND, AND I THINK MR. SIEBOLD EXPLAINED THAT PART OF THE GENESIS OF THIS REQUEST WAS BASED UPON THE FACT THAT A COMMUNITY CENTER OF SOME SORT WAS IDENTIFIED AS YOU INDICATED, AS PART OF A FUTURE PHASE FOR THIS PARTICULAR AREA.
AND SO, UM, ABSENT THAT IDENTIFICATION, MY UNDERSTANDING IS I THINK THE ROTARY, UH, GROUPS ARE VERY OPEN TO LOOKING AT POTENTIALLY OTHER LOCATIONS.
IT'S JUST THAT, BUT FOR THE FACT THAT THIS ONE SPECIFICALLY IDENTIFIED A COMMUNITY CENTER THAT THEN LINED UP WITH WHAT THEY WERE KIND OF LOOKING FOR IN TERMS OF THIS OPPORTUNITY.
SO IF THE COMMITTEE ULTIMATELY, UH, MOVES THIS FORWARD TO COUNCIL, AND IF COUNCIL, AGAIN, FROM A CONCEPTUAL STANDPOINT SAYS, YES, WE SUPPORT THIS IDEA, THEN ULTIMATELY THE NEXT STEP IN THIS PROCESS WOULD BE TO ANSWER THOSE QUESTIONS THAT YOU'VE RAISED WITH THE SPECIFICITY THAT THEY'RE GOING TO NEED.
THE WHERE WOULD THIS BE LOCATED? WHAT'S THE SIZE OF IT, WHAT'S THE ORIENTATION, AND ALL OF THOSE THINGS.
MY SOMEWHAT RELUCTANCE IS IF WE DON'T KNOW THE COUNCIL SUPPORTIVE OF THAT LOCATION, THEN WE DON'T WANNA INVEST A LOT OF TIME AND EFFORT INTO ANSWERING THOSE QUESTIONS WITHOUT KNOWING THAT THERE'S AT LEAST THAT GENERAL LEVEL OF SUPPORT FOR IT.
SO IF THERE IS, THAT IS AN ANALYSIS THAT WILL HAVE TO BE DONE, AND THOSE PLANS WOULD HAVE TO BE BROUGHT BACK TO COUNCIL FOR FORMAL APPROVAL.
UM, BUT WE'VE NOT REALLY UNDERTAKEN TO LAY THAT OUT AND PUT OUT AN ACTUAL SITE PLAN.
WE HAVE JUST VERY, VERY GENERAL INFORMATION AT THIS POINT BECAUSE THAT'S THE LEVEL OF CONVERSATION THAT WE'RE STILL AT.
UM, THANK YOU AND I APPRECIATE THAT.
UM, CAN YOU TELL ME WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THOSE TWO COMMUNITIES, UM, SPACES, UH, WHICH APPEAR TO BE COVERED ON THE MASTER PLAN? UH, THERE'S ONE OF THEM, AS I SAID, OVER NEAR THE SITE WHERE THE PROPOSED RELOCATION OF ST.
JAMES, THE OTHER ONE IS PLEASURE TO THE I SEE.
MR. I WAS GONNA SAY, I, I MAY ASK FOR A PINCH HITTER HERE JUST BECAUSE SEAN, I THINK WAS A LITTLE BIT MORE INTIMATELY INVOLVED IN WORKING WITH MKSK ON THOSE DESIGNS, AND SO HE MAY BE ABLE TO SPEAK TO THAT WITH A LITTLE BIT MORE SPECIFICITY.
I JUST WONDERING KIND OF WHAT WAS THE IDEA BEHIND THOSE TWO DIFFERENT SPACES? GOOD MORNING.
UM, AND SO I KNOW WHEN, UH, THERE WAS DISCUSSION ABOUT THE ST.
JAMES CHURCH AND THE ABILITY TO, UM, PROVIDE SOME ADDITIONAL COMMUNITY SYNERGY, I GUESS ON THE, ON THIS AREA.
UM, THAT'S WHEN THE THOUGHT OF A POTENTIAL COMMUNITY CENTER WAS KIND OF LINKED TO, UM, A SHARED FACILITY IN THAT, IN THAT REGARD.
UM, AND THE OTHER SPACE THAT YOU ASKED ABOUT, I'M SORRY, MS. BRESSON, THE CLOSE TO THE OVAL IS THE, THE PROPOSED OVAL IS CLOSER TO DILLON ROAD AND BETWEEN DILLON ROAD AND THE YES.
AND SO IN THE MASTER PLAN THAT WAS, UM, PROGRAMMED FOR A LITTLE BIT MORE ACTIVE SPACE WITH SOME, UM, SOME OPEN PLAY AND PLAYGROUND.
UM, I THINK THAT WAS MORE FORMALIZED FOR, UH, LET'S SAY RE RECREATION, PASSIVE RECREATION ON OUTSIDE THAN THE, UH, THEN THE, THEN THE, UH, ST.
JAMES CHURCH SIDE WAS MORE OF A COMMUNITY BASED WITH SOME, UM, SOME COMMUNITY GARDENS.
UM, AND THEN THAT SHARED SPACE FOR THE, THE ROTARY OR SHARED SPACE.
YEAH, THE REASON I'M ASKING ABOUT IS I'M, I'M LOOKING AT, AT THAT PAGE IN THE MASTER PLAN RIGHT NOW THAT SHOWS, UM, MULTI-USE COMMUNITY FACILITY.
THERE ARE TWO CLEARLY COVERED BUILDINGS.
UM, IT'S, IT'S NOT AN OPEN PAVILION, IT'S A COVERED BUILDING WITH, UH, WALLS AROUND IT.
AND SO I WAS JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT WAS THE IDEA, UM, AND AND WHICH IDEA ARE WE LOOKING AT RIGHT NOW?
SO THAT'S ALL I, THAT'S WHY I'M ASKING.
WELL, AS I UNDERSTAND IT, THIS ISN'T SITE SPECIFIC.
THIS IS TO APPROVE A CONCEPT TO INCLUDE THIS TYPE OF FACILITY, UM, AND
[01:00:01]
THIS PARTNERSHIP, UM, WITHIN THE MID ISLAND TRACT AS IT GETS PROGRAMMED OUT.UM, AS YOU MENTIONED, PHASE ONE IS THE ONLY THING WE'RE ACTIVELY PURSUING AT THIS POINT, WHICH IS REALLY STORM WATER, UM, PRESERVATION OR RESTORATION OF THE SITE, SOME REMOVAL OF SOME INVASIVE INVASIVE SPECIES AND, UM, AND THAT SORT OF, AND SOME WALKING TRAILS AND SOME RESTROOMS. UM, SO I THINK THIS IS AN, A CON CONCEPTUAL APPROVAL TO A PARTNERSHIP WITH A, UH, WITH A GROUP ON A COMMUNITY CENTER TO ADVANCE THAT.
UM, DEPENDING ON HOW THE, THE OTHER PHYSICAL ELEMENTS, UM, ARE APPROVED BY TOWN COUNCIL WILL GUIDE WHERE AND WHEN THIS, UH, COMES TO, UM, COME TO BE.
THERE'S A GREAT, UM, THERE SHOULD BE SEVERAL GREAT, UM, MEETING VIDEOS FROM WHEN WE WENT THROUGH THOSE DISCUSSIONS AND THOSE PLANS WERE BEING PRESENTED.
UM, I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO GO, YOU'D HAVE A BROADER, UM, UM, VIEW OF WHAT WE SPOKE ABOUT IN TERMS OF WHAT WOULD BE WHERE AND, AND HOW THAT WOULD ALL PLAY OUT.
THAT ONE THAT YOU'RE REFERRING TO OVER BY DYLAN ROAD, THE ONE ON THE LEFT
SO I ALWAYS GET THE ROADS MIXED UP, UM, BY THE PLAYGROUND.
I THINK THAT WAS, UM, THAT HAD A TOTALLY DIFFERENT SENSE TO IT THAN THE PAVILION.
THE, UM, BUILDING OVER BY WHERE ST.
UM, JAMES CHURCH IS PLANNED TO BE RELOCATED.
AND IN TERMS OF PUTTING THINGS INTO CATEGORIES, A COMMUNITY CENTER, I THINK IN THE WAY THAT THE ROTARY CLUB HAS PRESENTED THEIR VISION THAT WOULD, UM, THAT WOULD FIT THAT CATEGORY AREA IF I WAS PUTTING THINGS INTO BUCKETS, UM, OF IT BEING PLACED, UM, BY WHERE THE ST JAMES CHURCH WOULD GO AND PERHAPS SOME COMMUNITY GARDENS AND THINGS THAT WE SPOKE ABOUT WHILE COMING, UM, TO THE MASTER PLAN THAT WE APPROVED A FEW YEARS AGO, BUT I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO LOOK, UM, GO BACK AND WATCH THOSE VIDEOS AND YOU'LL GET A BIGGER SENSE OF THE CONVERSATION AND THE PRESENTATION AT THAT POINT.
BUT SEAN'S RIGHT, I THINK AT THIS POINT WE'RE NOT NECESSARILY SPEAKING THE SPEAK, UM, SPEAKING TO THE EXACT SELECTION OF THE SPACE.
UM, BUT THE GENERAL CONCEPT, UM, OF HAVING ONE AND WHETHER OR NOT, UM, YOU WOULD SUPPORT THAT.
AND NOW IF, IF THAT, DID YOU HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? UH, YEAH, I, I, I ACTUALLY SAT THROUGH THAT WHOLE MEETING, SO OH, YOU DID? OKAY, PERFECT.
AS SHELDON ON BIG BANG, I WOULD SAY I DON'T HAVE AN IDENTICAL MEMORY, SO, ALRIGHT.
WELL LUCKILY IT WAS PRESERVED IN A VIDEO.
SO, UM, STEVE, UM, FIRST OF ALL, I THINK IT'S EXTREMELY GENEROUS THAT THE ROTARY CLUBS HAVE OFFERED TO DO THIS.
UM, AND I THINK, I DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTION AT ALL THAT WE SHOULD MOVE FORWARD WITH IT, UH, AS A CONCEPT IN GENERAL CONSIDERATION.
UM, WOULD IT BE FAIR TO ASSUME THAT THIS MIGHT BECOME A PHASE ONE A TO BE TAKEN UP BEFORE PHASE TWO IN TERMS OF PROGRESS? YEAH, SO THE RESOLUTION THAT'S ATTACHED WAS DRAFTED WITH THE IDEA THAT IT IS BEING APPROVED AT A VERY HIGH LEVEL, YOU KNOW, CONCEPT WISE, THIS SAYS, YES, THERE IS SUPPORT, IT DOES A COUPLE OF THINGS.
ONE, IT ALLOWS STAFF TO REALLY THEN KIND OF FOCUS IN ON, OKAY, NOW WE KNOW WHERE THIS IS GONNA BE AT, LET'S ANSWER THOSE QUESTIONS ABOUT WHERE'S THE BEST LOCATION, WHERE'S THE ORIENTATION, HOW DOES IT FIT IN WITH EVERYTHING ELSE THAT'S PLANNED FOR THAT PARTICULAR AREA? ASSUMING THAT THAT IS THE, THE WILL OF, OF COUNSEL TO SAY THAT, UH, FROM A SUPPORT STANDPOINT.
BUT IT ALSO ALLOWS THE ROTARY TO KNOW THAT YES, THERE IS SUPPORT FOR THIS PROJECT, LET'S GO AHEAD AND START DOING WHAT THEY NEED TO DO BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, $750,000, UM, I HAVE NO DOUBT THEY'LL BE ABLE TO RAISE IT.
BUT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT IS GONNA TAKE A, A SIGNIFICANT LIFT ON THEIR END IN ORDER TO GENERATE THAT AMOUNT OF FUNDING.
BUT AT LEAST LETS THEM KNOW NOW, YES, LET'S GO AHEAD AND START PUTTING THOSE THINGS IN PLACE AND DOING THAT WHILE WE START IRONING OUT THESE DETAILS ABOUT WHAT THE SIZE OF THE FACILITY IS, WHERE IT'S GONNA BE LOCATED, AND ULTIMATELY WHAT THE USE IS.
BUT AGAIN, AT THIS POINT, IF THERE ARE THINGS THAT ARE JUST AN ABSOLUTE NO GO, THEN WE NEED TO KNOW THAT NOW AND YOU MAKE THAT PART OF THE RESOLUTION.
OTHERWISE, IT'S JUST, YES, WE'RE SAYING WE SUPPORT THE CONCEPT AT A HIGH LEVEL, BUT WE WANT MORE INFORMATION BEFORE WE MOVE ON FROM PHASE ONE A TO PHASE TWO.
UH, YES, I'M STRONGLY IN FAVOR OF THAT.
AND, AND, UH, IF YOU ARE TAKING A LOOK AT THE, UH, DIOCESE OF MYSELF IN PARTICULAR TODAY, AND YOU DON'T THINK I LOOK AS WELL, IT'S BECAUSE I'VE GOT THIS GREEN SCREEN STARING AT ME
UH, YOU CAN MENTION THAT THE RESOLUTION MADE ME PULL IT UP AGAIN.
SO, AND, AND THIS IS ONE OF THE REASONS I WAS ASKING ABOUT THE, UH, THE PROGRAM ELEMENTS, IF YOU WILL, THOSE TWO AREAS.
BECAUSE THE, UH, THE LANGUAGE OF THE, THE RESOLVED PART OF THE RESOLUTION SAYS AUTHORIZED TO ENTER IN DISCUSSIONS
[01:05:01]
TO ESTABLISH A FORMAL PARTNERSHIP PROPOSAL FOR FURTHER CONSIDERATION, WHICH IS ALL GREAT REGARDING THE CREATION AND FURNISHING OF A MULTI-USE COMMUNITY CENTER.AND THEN IT SAYS TO BE LOCATED ON THE MID ISLAND TRACK.
AND THEN THE LAST PART OF IT SAYS, PURSUANT TO THE ADOPTED PROGRAM, ELEMENTS OF THE ADOPTED MASTER PLAN.
AND THAT'S WHY I WAS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT, UM, AND I WAS HOPING THAT SOMEONE HERE WHO KNEW MORE THAN I DID ABOUT THE MASTER PLAN COULD TELL ME WHICH, WHICH ADOPTED PROGRAM ELEMENT ARE WE TALKING ABOUT.
AND, AND, AND AGAIN, I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO GO BACK TO THOSE DISCUSSIONS.
'CAUSE AS I RECALL, UM, AND ALEX, I THINK YOU WERE IN THOSE MEETINGS TOO, UM, STEVIE MAY HAVE BEEN, UM, PAYING ATTENTION TO WHAT WAS HAPPENING AT THAT TIME.
I KNOW YOU, YOU WERE VERY ENGAGED.
UM, THE BUCKET, AGAIN, GOING BACK TO THOSE CATEGORIES, I'M KIND OF A, I PUT THINGS IN PLACES, UM, WOULD BE THAT THE COMMUNITY CENTER WAS THOUGHT TO AT THAT TIME BE BEST POSITIONED NEAR ST.
JAMES CHURCH, THE COMMUNITY GARDEN, THE IDEA THAT WAS, UM, PRESENTED.
AND SO THE OTHER ONE, AS I RECALL, MM-HMM,
SO THOSE WERE THE, I'M NOT SURE IF I'M HELPING YOU AT ALL, BUT AS I RECALL IT, AND THOSE ARE TWO DIFFERENT, TWO DIFFERENT, UM, SPACES.
SO I BELIEVE AND I WILL SUPPORT TURNING TO MY COMMENTS NOW, UM, THANK YOU, FIRST OF ALL TO THE ROTARY CLUBS FOR STEPPING UP AND, UM, OFFERING TO RAISE MONEY AND TO BE COMMITTED TO THIS ENDEAVOR.
I THINK THAT IF WE, UM, HAVE A COMMUNITY CENTER BUILT ON THIS ISLAND, INDEED THE SPACE WE WERE JUST REFERRING TO NEXT TO, UM, IN ABOUT THE SAME AREA OF THE ST.
JAMES CHURCH IS APPROPRIATE A PLACE TO PUT IT.
UM, IT MAKES COMPLETE SENSE TO ME FOR THAT LOCATION.
AND, UM, THE MONIES SPENT, UM, ARE APPRECIATED.
UM, SOME CAVEATS THAT I HAVE, YOU WERE ASKING THINGS THAT ARE IMPORTANT TO ME, IT'S IMPORTANT TO ME THAT, UM, WE KNOW, UM, THE BUDGET AND WHERE IT'S COMING FROM, SO YOU AND WHERE IT WOULD FIT INTO A CIP LIST, UM, IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT TO ME THAT THE TOWN WILL OWN IT, RIGHT? AND, UM, BY VIRTUE OF THAT, IT'S OPEN TO ALL OF THE NONPROFITS AND PEOPLE WHO WOULD WANT TO COME IN TO USE IT.
AND THE MONIES BEING RAISED COULD HELP TO OUTFIT IT, ET CETERA, WHEREVER THOSE MONIES WOULD BE SPENT.
AND WE WOULD CERTAINLY ACKNOWLEDGE THE GENEROSITY OF THE ROTARY CLUB FOR DOING THE HARD WORK.
UM, AND SO WITH THAT IN MIND, I AM VERY MUCH IN SUPPORTIVE OF THAT LOCATION AND WITH THE TOWN'S OWNERSHIP AND THAT IT WOULD REMAIN SOMETHING THAT IS, UM, AS I DESCRIBED AND NOT, UM, OPEN FOR RENT TO, FOR WEDDINGS AND, YOU KNOW, BAR MITZVAHS AND ET CETERA.
SO AS LONG AS WE'RE STILL KEEPING THAT ASIDE, PERHAPS IN THAT OTHER PLACE OR IN SOME OTHER WORLD, OR THE MARRIOTT OF THE WESTERN, UM, I'M, I'M A BIG THUMBS UP AND APPRECIATE THE EFFORTS.
YES, I REALIZE I SHOULD PROBABLY JUST LEAVE WELL ENOUGH ALONE, BUT I HAVE A COUPLE THINGS TO SAY.
FIRST OF ALL, WITH REGARD TO ST.
JAMES BAPTIST CHURCH, WE HAVE MET WITH HERB FORD TO TALK ABOUT WHETHER THERE WAS ANY SYNERGY FOR GETTING TOGETHER WITH THE TWO BUILDINGS.
HE THINKS THE COMMUNITY CENTER IS A GREAT CONCEPT, BUT SINCE THEIR CURRENT DESIGN IS TO HAVE THE BUILDING OF THE SANCTUARY AND THE FELLOWSHIP HALL OR COMMUNITY AREA CONTIGUOUS WITH ONE ANOTHER, PO POSSIBLY EVEN SHARING A ROOF.
HE SAW FEW OPPORTUNITIES FOR THAT KIND OF COLLABORATION.
SO THEY, THEY LIKELY ARE GONNA BE TWO DIFFERENT, UH, THINGS SEPARATELY.
AND SECONDLY, UM, THANK YOU FOR EMPHASIZING THE COMMUNITY BASED, UH, INITIATIVE THAT THAT'S GOING ON HERE.
FRANKLY, UH, IF, IF THE TOWN CAN'T SEE TO COMMIT TO THE INTENT THAT IT BE MADE OPEN TO THE WIDE PUBLIC AT A NEGLIGIBLE COST, WE DON'T HAVE A CASE TO RAISE MONEY.
SO IS THAT, THAT'S WHAT WE'D BE ASKING.
THE TOWN THAT YOU ARE WITH US ON THE COMMITMENT THAT THIS BE A COMMUNITY CENTER AVAILABLE TO THE COMMUNITY, UH, THAT GIVES US THE OPPORTUNITY TO RAISE THAT MONEY BECAUSE IT'S A BADLY NEEDED SPACE.
SO ALEX, YEAH, UM, JUST SORT OF LISTEN TO THE CONVERSATION HERE.
UH, MR. GRU, I, I THINK THAT IF, IF THIS COMMITTEE IS SO INCLINED TO MOVE THIS FORWARD, UM, THAT WE DO HAVE A REFRESHER OF WHAT WAS ADOPTED YEAH.
[01:10:01]
MASTER PLAN IS CONCERNED AND THE PHASING, UM, SINCE WE DO HAVE SOME COUNCIL CROSSOVERS FROM WHEN THAT WAS ADOPTED, I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO HAVE.AND, UM, I'M NOT GOING TO EVEN ATTEMPT TO TRY TO REMEMBER
SO THE MORE WE TALK ABOUT IT, THE MORE I'M GETTING A RECOLLECTION.
BUT ULTIMATELY WE WOULD INCLUDE THAT AS PART OF THE PRESENTATION MATERIALS FOR TOWN COUNCIL TO TAKE UP THIS CONSIDERATION AND WE'LL COVER IT SPECIFICALLY.
BUT IF I RECALL CORRECTLY, I THINK WE WERE LEAVING FLEXIBILITY FOR THE FELLOWSHIP HALL, BUT UNDERSTANDING THAT THERE MIGHT NOT BE ENOUGH FUNDING FOR THAT TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH THE RELOCATION EFFORT.
SO THEN THE TOWN MIGHT STEP IN TO CREATE SOMETHING.
I, I THINK IS KIND OF WHY WE LAID IT OUT THE WAY THAT WE DID.
BUT IT ALSO DOESN'T MEAN THAT THEY'RE MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE OF EACH OTHER EITHER.
BUT WE WILL PROVIDE THAT INFORMATION TO TOWN COUNCIL AS PART OF OUR REVIEW OF THIS, THIS REQUEST.
AND, UM, THE ONE OTHER POINT THAT, UH, MR. UM, OFFERED MADE THAT I THINK IS IMPORTANT, WHILE WE HAVE PHASE ONE AND PHASE TWO AND WE'VE BROKEN IT DOWN IN THAT WAY, THERE'S NOTHING TO PREVENT US FROM SAYING THIS IS, THIS CAN RISE TO A DIFFERENT LEVEL OF PRIORITY IN THESE, UM, BUILTS WHEN THE TIME IS RIGHT AND THE MONIES ARE THERE, ET CETERA.
AND WE'VE HASHED OUT ALL THE DETAILS.
UM, IF IT'S A GOOD IDEA TODAY, IT'S GONNA BE A GREAT IDEA IN TWO YEARS, BUT I'D HATE TO SEE IT TAKE FIVE YEARS.
ALRIGHT, SO WE DO HAVE A RESOLUTION, UM, IN FRONT OF US.
MOVE TO ADOPTION OF THE RESOLUTION.
YOU KNOW, I'M NOT, I'M JUST GONNA RUN OVER THAT EVERY TIME TODAY.
YOU'VE GOT GRANDKIDS,
SO WE'RE, UM, WE'RE SUPER EXCITED AND WE HAVE OUR OTHER TWO WITH US, SO EXCUSE ME.
UM, IT'S A GREAT DAY FOR A BIRTHDAY.
UM, OR IS THERE ANY OTHER PUBLIC COMMENT THOUGH? SEEING NONE.
UM, ALL IN FAVOR? OPPOSED FORWARD TO NONE.
AND, UM, AT THIS TIME, DO WE HAVE, UM, A NEED TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION? I THINK WE DO.
WE HAVE DISCUSSION OF APPOINTMENTS TO BOARDS, COMMISSIONS AND COM, UH, COMMITTEES PURSUANT TO SOUTH CAROLINA FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT, SECTION 30 DASH FOUR DASH 70 A ONE, AND IT'S RELATED TO ACCOMMODATIONS TAX ADVISORY COMMITTEE, BOARD OF ZONING, APPEALS DESIGN REVIEW BOARD, GULLAH GEECHEE, HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOOD AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT.
SECOND, THERE'S TWO MORE I TWO MORE IN THE BACK.
AND WE'RE GONNA ADD AN INTO THAT PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION AND THE PLANNING COMMISSION.
SO MOVED WITH THOSE TWO ADDED ON THE BACK SECOND.
YOU KNOW, YOU DON'T HAVE TO WEAR YOUR PT GEAR ANYMORE, RIGHT? IT'S COMFORTABLE.
IT'S A HOW CIVILIAN LIFE TREATING YOU.
WHEN I GOT OUT, I DIDN'T WANNA ADMIT THAT THERE WAS ANYTHING WRONG BECAUSE I FELT LIKE A FAILURE AND THEN I REALIZED LIKE THERE'S NOTHING TO BE ASHAMED OF.
SO I STARTED TALKING TO SOMEONE.
MAYBE YOU ARE FINE, BUT IF YOU'RE NOT, IT'S OKAY.
IF YOU OR A VETERAN, YOU KNOW, NEED SUPPORT, DON'T WAIT, REACH OUT.
FIND RESOURCES AT VA.GOV/REACH.
THE WORLD CARRIES, THERE'S A SMASH TO RIGHT FIELD.
SO BUFORT COUNTY HOME RUN SHOT OVER THE RIGHT FIELD.
UM, IS THERE A MOTION, IS THERE A MOTION TO COME OUT OF EXECUTIVE SESSION SECOND, UM, HAVING TAKEN NO, UM, ACTION.
UM, ALL IN FAVOR OF ADJOURNING THIS, UM, SESSION OF EX THE COMMUNITY SERVICE AND PUBLIC SAFETY MEETING.
[01:15:34]
THANKS FOR WATCHING BC TV JOE.UH, I WE'RE, WE'VE GOT A LOT TO TALK ABOUT AND WE'RE GONNA TRY TO TALK ABOUT IN A, ALL OF THIS IN A VERY SMALL KIND OF PRESENTATION TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC ABOUT WHAT WE WANT TO DO.
UH, IF Y'ALL REMEMBER, UH, WE STARTED WORKING ON A NEW SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICER OPPORTUNITY LAST YEAR, UM, BECAUSE WE KNEW, AND WE HAVE KNOWN THAT TRYING TO RECRUIT LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS TO BE CLASS ONE CERTIFIED, WHICH IS WHAT THE STATE REQUIRED.
UH, YOU KNOW, TO BE IN OUR SCHOOLS AS SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS, WHICH ARE, IS, IS A SPECIAL, I THINK WE ALL AGREE THAT THAT IS REALLY A SPECIAL CANDIDATE, UH, THAT WE CONSIDER TO BE THAT CLOSE IN ASSOCIATION TO OUR KIDS.
UM, AND, BUT WE KNOW THE IMPORTANCE OF THE SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICER PROGRAM BECAUSE OF THE SAFETY FACTORS IT CREATES, NOT ONLY IN OUR SCHOOLS, BUT WITH OUR, WITH OUR COMMUNITIES AS WELL.
BECAUSE THE SCHOOL IS A MELTING POT OF THE COMMUNITIES THAT WE SERVE.
SO HAVING THAT RIGHT PERSON IN THAT JOB AND THAT ROLE TO PROVIDE SECURITY TO OUR KIDS LEADERSHIP, TO OUR KIDS, UH, AND GIVING THE CONFIDENCE TO THE STAFF TO WORK IN THE SCHOOLS.
I MEAN, IT'S IMPORTANT TO FIND THAT RIGHT PERSON.
SO IT'S DIFFICULT TO FIND A CLASS ONE OR A CLASS ONE LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER, FOR THOSE THAT DON'T KNOW, IS ONE THAT GOES TO THE ACADEMY FOR 12 WEEKS, SPENDS 12 WEEKS FOR THE MOST PART IN COLUMBIA.
AND WE DO SOME OF THE TRAINING HERE LOCALLY, BUT EVERYTHING ELSE, UH, HAS TO BE DONE IN COLUMBIA.
AND THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT WE'RE TRYING TO ATTRACT TO BE SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS THAT REALLY DON'T WANT TO GIVE UP THEIR LIFE AND THEIR FAMILY TO GO TO COLUMBIA AND GO THROUGH BOOTCAMP TO BE A CLASS ONE LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER.
SO I HAD OUR TRAINING STAFF PUT TOGETHER A TRAINING SYLLABUS FOR A, WHAT WE CALL A CLASS THREE.
UH, AND IT WAS A CLASS THREE DESIGNATION FOR SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICER.
WHAT THAT DID IS IT ALLOWED US TO CREATE A TRAINING SYLLABUS THAT WE COULD TAKE A PERSON, UM, YOU KNOW, OF, OF ANY AGE, UM, AND THAT WE WOULD BRING THEM INTO LAW ENFORCEMENT ENVIRONMENT, YOU KNOW, WITH BLUFFTON OR BEAUFORT OR PORT ROYAL OR SHERIFF'S OFFICE.
UH, AND WE WOULD TRAIN THEM HERE IN BEAUFORT COUNTY.
ALL OF THEIR TRAINING WOULD BE DONE RIGHT HERE.
UH, IT WOULD BE EIGHT WEEKS, MAYBE A LITTLE MORE THAN EIGHT WEEKS OF TRAINING.
UH, WE WOULD LIKE TO START THIS, UH, THE, OUR FIRST CLASS.
WE'D LIKE TO START IT IN JUNE.
UH, THAT WAY WE CAN GET 'EM THROUGH THE PROGRAM AND BE READY FOR DEPLOYMENT, UH, WHEN SCHOOL STARTS IN AUGUST.
UH, I, I THINK IT'S AN AWESOME PROGRAM.
WE, WE, WE SENT THE TRAINING SYLLABUS TO THE ACADEMY THAT TRAINS ALL OF OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT IN SOUTH CAROLINA.
THEY APPROVED IT, UH, WITH THE BLESSING OF THE SOUTH CAROLINA TRAINING COUNCIL.
SO WE ARE READY TO GET THIS THING MOVING AND GET IT STARTED.
AND I THINK FOR US, UH, WE JUST NEED TO KIND OF TELL OUR CITIZENS, YOU KNOW, WHO ARE WE LOOKING FOR? UH, THE ROLE IS SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICER.
IT'S A CLASS THREE LAW ENFORCEMENT DESIGNATION.
UH, IT'S A UNIFORM POSITION, IT'S AN ARMED POSITION.
UH, THEY HAVE ARREST POWERS, UH, AND THEY HAVE ALL THE POWERS OF ANY OTHER LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER ON THE SCHOOL GROUNDS, UH, THAT THEY'RE ASSIGNED TO.
SO WHAT DO YOU THINK, JOE, SHERIFF? I THINK IT'S A GREAT IDEA, AND THANK YOU FOR TAKING LEAD ON THIS.
UM, WE HAVE FOUR ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS IN BLUFFTON THAT CURRENTLY ARE NOT STAFFED BY CLASS THREE OR HIGHER OFFICERS.
AND I THINK THAT THIS PROGRAM IS GONNA ATTRACT PEOPLE TO THESE POSITIONS AND IT'S GONNA PROVIDE MORE OF A SECURITY BLANKET FOR OUR SCHOOLS TO INCLUDE OUR ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS.
SO WE'RE DEFINITELY EXCITED ABOUT IT.
WE'RE EXCITED TO BE PART OF IT.
WHO, WHO DO WE WANT TO ATTRACT? I THINK WE'VE GOT A, WE'VE GOT AN ENORMOUS NUMBER OF RETIRED MILITARY FOLKS HERE.
THEY MAY HAVE CHILDREN IN OUR SCHOOLS AND WITH THE, WITH THE PROGRAM THAT YOU WERE ABLE TO PUT TOGETHER.
UM, THEY'LL BE HOME WHEN THEIR CHILDREN ARE HOME, NOT IN SCHOOL.
[01:20:01]
AND I'VE ALWAYS SAID, YOU AND I HAVE HAD THIS CONVERSATION, SHERIFF, WE, WE NEED TO GET INTO THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IF WE, IF WE, WE WAITED UNTIL HIGH SCHOOLS WERE TOO LATE.I'M, I'M GLAD THAT YOU TOOK THE LEAD ON IT.
UM, I'M EXCITED TO SEE IF WE CAN GET SOME PEOPLE IN, BUT I REALLY THINK THE YOUNG RETIRED MILITARY PEOPLE ARE, THEY'RE JUST MADE FOR THIS, YOU KNOW, AND WE'VE GONE THROUGHOUT OUR CAREERS, UH, IN THE COUNTY OF BEAUFORT AND WE'VE HAD CONVERSATION AFTER CONVERSATION WITH DIFFERENT PEOPLE THAT SAY, YOU KNOW, I'M RETIRED, I'D LIKE TO FIND SOMETHING TO DO.
AND THEN YOU START TALKING TO 'EM AND THEY'RE A RETIRED TEACHER OR RETIRED LAW ENFORCEMENT, RETIRED FIRE DEPARTMENT, RETIRED MILITARY, RETIRED BANKER IS RETIRED, I MEAN, RETIRED, THIS, THAT, AND THE OTHER.
AND THEY'RE STILL, STILL AT AN AGE THAT THEY COULD, UM, THEY COULD DO THIS JOB WITH NO PROBLEM AT ALL OF ANY KIND.
UM, AND THOSE ARE THE ONES THAT, THAT I'D LIKE TO SEE.
YES, I'D LIKE TO SEE, UH, THOSE THAT ARE STILL, THAT STILL FEEL LIKE THEY CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE, THAT MAYBE HAVE ALWAYS LOOKED AT LAW ENFORCEMENT AS BEING A JOB, BUT BECAUSE OF THE PAY AND BECAUSE OF THE, YOU KNOW, THE WORKING CONDITIONS AND FAMILIES AND, AND ALL THAT, THEY JUST DIDN'T WANNA DO IT.
BUT HERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY, UH, TO MAKE $45,000 A YEAR STARTING PAY TO WORK BASICALLY THE SCHEDULE OF THE TEACHING AND SUPPORT STAFF OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, WHICH IS A PRETTY GOOD SCHEDULE.
IT IS, UH, TO HAVE BENEFITS, UH, TO BE IN THE RETIREMENT SYSTEM AND TO BE ABLE TO BRING THEIR MATURITY, UH, THEIR LIFE EXPERIENCE AND, AND YOU KNOW, TO TO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AGE KIDS WHO WILL BENEFIT GREATLY FROM JUST HAVING THAT OPPORTUNITY TO SOCIALIZE AND BE AROUND, UH, THESE FOLKS THAT BRING A LOT TO THE TABLE.
AND I, WE, IN OUR COMMUNITIES, YOU TAKE BLUFFTON AND BEAUFORT AND, AND IN THE COUNTY AND THEN IN PORT ROYAL, THOSE PEOPLE ARE HERE.
AND THEY'RE LOOKING FOR THINGS TO DO.
AND I JUST THINK THIS IS AN AWESOME OPPORTUNITY FOR THEM TO, YOU KNOW WHAT, JUST DO IT KINDA LIKE NIKE.
UH, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S, THE TRAINING IS, I THINK THEY'LL ENJOY THEIR TRAINING.
AGAIN, IT'S ALL DONE RIGHT HERE.
THEY, THEY'LL STAY AT HOME, THEY'LL SLEEP IN THEIR OWN BED, THEY'LL HAVE THEIR OWN PILLOW, AND THEN THEY CAN COME TO TRAINING AND ONCE THEY'RE CERTIFIED, UH, THEN THEY'LL START THE SCHOOL YEAR, UH, AUGUST OF THIS YEAR.
SO, I MEAN, I KNOW YOUR COMMUNITY REPRESENTS THAT OPPORTUNITY AS WELL.
YOU KNOW, SO WHAT ELSE, WHAT ELSE DO YOU THINK THIS, UM, THIS PROGRAM'S GONNA DO IN TOTALITY FOR WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH? I THINK, I THINK THIS PROGRAM, ONE WILL BE ABLE TO GET US OVER THE TOP.
I THINK WE'LL BE ABLE TO GET, WE'LL BE ABLE TO GET A POLICE OFFICER IN EVERY SCHOOL IN BEAUFORT COUNTY, WHICH IS IMPORTANT.
A POLICE OFFICER AND I, AND I, AND THE, YOU KNOW, WE, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS.
THERE'S A LOT OF TRAINING THAT GOES ALONG WITH THIS JOB.
THERE IS, AND YOU KNOW, THIS IS NOT A SECURITY OFFICER.
THIS IS A LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER, UH, THAT'S GONNA BE WELL TRAINED, UH, IN THIS.
AND I, I THINK THAT AT THE END OF THE DAY, THAT'S, IT'S EXTREMELY IMPORTANT.
AND I THINK WITH THE YOUNG CHILDREN TARGETING THE RETIREES MM-HMM.
THEY'VE GOT THE LIFE EXPERIENCE FOR THE, FOR THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS.
AND, AND TO GET THAT STARTED OFF.
SO HOW, HOW MANY, HOW MANY OPENINGS DO YOU HAVE FOR THIS PROGRAM? FOR THIS PROGRAM? WE, WE ONLY HAVE TWO CURRENTLY.
POSSIBLY A THIRD COMING ON BOARD.
I'VE GOT NINE JOE, I HAVE FOUR.
SO I MEAN, IN TOTAL, AND HERE'S THE THING.
IT, IT DOESN'T MATTER IF YOU WORK AT THE CITY OF BEAUFORT OR THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON, UH, OR PORT ROYAL OR FOR THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE, YOU KNOW, WE WANT YOU TO COME TO WORK.
AND LAW ENFORCEMENT TO BE A CLASS THREE SRO, DOESN'T MATTER WHERE YOU GO, DOESN'T MATTER WHO YOU ARE EMPLOYED BY.
THE PAY IS GONNA BE THE SAME TO WORK ENVIRONMENT'S, BASICALLY THE SAME.
IT MAY BE A DIFFERENCE IN UNIFORM THAT YOU WEAR AT THE SCHOOL THAT YOU'RE ASSIGNED TO, UH, THE PAY.
I MEAN, EVERYTHING IS GOING TO BE BASICALLY THE SAME.
SO ALL WE WANT PEOPLE TO DO IS PUT THEIR APPLICATIONS IN, GIVE US THE OPPORTUNITY TO SIT DOWN AND EXPLAIN THE PROGRAM IN DETAIL.
AND IF YOU REALLY HAVE AN INTEREST IN IT, UH, THEN LET'S, LET'S, LET'S GET STARTED.
AND, AND ONE THING THAT I WANT TO HIT ON IS THIS PROGRAM IS IMPORTANT AND, AND REASON BEING IS NONE OF OUR KIDS SHOULD FEEL AFRAID GOING TO SCHOOL.
UM, THEY SHOULD BE GOING TO SCHOOL TO LEARN AND NOT WORRYING ABOUT THEIR SAFETY.
UM, AND WHAT THIS DOES IS THIS PROVIDES ANOTHER LAYER OF SAFETY FOR ALL OF OUR SCHOOLS, ESPECIALLY THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS.
UM, IT ALSO PROVIDES PEOPLE WITH AN OPPORTUNITY TO MENTOR THESE YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN.
AND SO, LIKE THE SHERIFF SAID, IF YOU TRULY WANT TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE, UH, THIS IS A POSITION THAT YOU REALLY, REALLY WILL BE MAKING A DIFFERENCE.
I JUST HOPE THE APPLICATION START POURING
[01:25:01]
IN.AND IF YOU GET MORE THAN THAN YOU NEED THEN AND, AND WE NEED TO GO TO BEAUFORT OR WE NEED TO GO TO, UH, THE, THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE OR, OR PORT ROYAL, WE JUST NEED, WE NEED TO PUT THESE PEOPLE TO WORK.
WE NEED TO FILL THESE VACANCIES, UH, AND LET'S MAKE OUR SCHOOLS IN BEAUFORT COUNTY AS SAFE AS THEY POSSIBLY CAN.
AND I THINK THE UNIQUENESS OF THIS PROGRAM, THESE OFFICERS WILL BE TRAINED BY PEOPLE THAT HAVE CHILDREN IN THESE SCHOOLS.
THEY HAVE THE SAME DESIRES, THE OUTCOMES THAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR.
SO I'M, I'M LOOKING FORWARD, LOOKING FORWARD TO IT.
WELL, I MEAN, THE GREAT THING ABOUT IT IS THAT WE ARE, WE WILL BE DOING THE TRAINING TOGETHER.
IF YOU GET, IF YOU GET, IF YOU HIRE ONE OR TWO AND YOU HIRE FOUR AND YOU KNOW, AND I CAN FILL THE NINE THAT WE NEED, WE'RE ALL GONNA BE TRAINING TOGETHER.
SO THIS IS GONNA BE ONE TRAINING SYLLABUS TO BENEFIT, UH, THE SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICER PROGRAM.
I MEAN, THIS IS GOING TO BE, THIS, THIS PROGRAM IS FOR SOUTH CAROLINA AS A WHOLE.
THIS IS NOT JUST FOR BEAUFORT COUNTY.
BUT I'M EXCITED THAT WE'RE GOING TO START THIS AND INITIATE, YOU KNOW, KNOW THE SRO CLASS THREE POSITION HERE IN BEAUFORT COUNTY AND WE'RE GONNA SHOW THE STATE IT WORKS.
AND THE GREAT THING ABOUT THE TRAINING TOGETHER, SHERIFF, IS YOU'RE CREATING A NETWORK BEFORE YOU EVEN GET STARTED.
SO YOU'RE GOING TO KNOW PEOPLE FROM DIFFERENT SCHOOLS WHERE IF YOU CAN RUN INTO A PROBLEM, YOU HAVE SOMEBODY ELSE THAT YOU CAN CALL AND GET SOME ADVICE OR TALK TO THEM ABOUT THINGS GOING ON IN THEIR SCHOOL AND CURRENT TRENDS THAT ARE HAPPENING IN THEIR SCHOOL.
SO IT'S A GREAT COLLABORATION OF ALL THREE DEPARTMENTS IN THE ENTIRE COUNTY GETTING TOGETHER BECAUSE HAVING THAT NETWORK AND PEOPLE THAT YOU CAN RELY ON FOR ADDITIONAL ADVICE IS INVALUABLE.
WELL, I TELL YOU WHAT I MEAN, I WANT, I WANT PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO, TO MAKE THOSE PHONE CALLS OR GO ONLINE AND RESEARCH, YOU KNOW, UH, JUST THE, THE, THE CLASS THREE SRO, UH, THROUGH ALL AGENCIES.
SO I THINK LINDSAY, IF WE CAN, I MEAN AT THIS POINT, I THINK IF WE PUT THAT INFORMATION ON THIS VIDEO FOR BLUFFTON, BEAUFORT, PORT ROYAL AND THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE WEBPAGE AND PHONE NUMBERS, UH, I THINK WE'LL HOPEFULLY WE'LL START GETTING CALLS.
THAT SOUND GOOD TO Y'ALL? YES SIR.
BUT AGAIN, ONCE YOU LEARN WHAT THE, WE SOUNDS LIKE, YOU CAN CONCENTRATE ON THAT SOUND.
I TRAVELED AROUND THE WORLD DOING THAT.
I DO IT ABOUT A HUNDRED TIMES A YEAR.
AND I TEACH TOPICS FROM HOW TO READ ELECTROCARDIOGRAM THAT LOOKS AT YOUR HEART, UH, TO HOW TO LISTEN TO YOUR LUNGS WITH A STETHOSCOPE AND, UH, TO HOW TO USE OTHER DEVICES TO MEASURE CO2 COMING OUTTA YOUR BODY.
BOB PAGE, AN EMT FOR 35 YEARS IS PASSING ON HIS EXPERIENCE AND EXPERTISE TO BEAUFORT COUNTY EMTS THROUGH A THREE DAY COURSE.
THE MAIN PART OF THIS COURSE, HOW TO USE A STETHOSCOPE, AN IMPORTANT DIAGNOSTIC TOOL THAT HELPS THE EMTS BETTER UNDERSTAND WHAT IS HAPPENING WITH THEIR PATIENT.
YOU WOULD THINK THIS WOULD BE A MAIN PART OF THE MT TRAINING COURSE, BUT IT ISN'T.
THE CURRICULUM FOR EMTS IS SO BROAD, COVER SO MANY TOPICS.
THEY DON'T SPEND A WHOLE LOT OF TIME IN ONE PARTICULAR TOPIC.
SO, UH, PLACES LIKE BEAUFORT COUNTY EMS, UH, WILL BEEF UP THEIR EMTS KNOWLEDGE BY BRINGING IN PEOPLE LIKE ME TO SHOW US EXTRA INFORMATION WITH THEM.
PAIGE'S COURSE ALLOWS THESE MEDICS TO LISTEN TO 16 DIFFERENT SOUNDS WITH THEIR STETHOSCOPES SOUNDS.
THAT DIDN'T MAKE A WHOLE LOT OF SENSE BEFORE, BUT NOW WITH THIS NEWFOUND KNOWLEDGE, IT HELPS THEM HELP THE PATIENT AND IT HELPS THE DOCTORS.
ONCE THE AMBULANCE ARRIVES AT THE HOSPITAL, THE DOCTORS RELY ON THE EMTS AS THEIR EYES AND EARS IN THE FIELD, INCLUDING THEIR EARS LISTENING.
AND IF THE, IF THE EMTS CAN ALERT THE DOCTORS AT THE HOSPITAL OF A CERTAIN CONDITION THAT THEY HEARD WITH THEIR LUNG SOUNDS, THEN THE DOCTOR CAN HAVE SPECIALIZED CARE READY FOR THE PATIENT.
AND FOR THAT ALONE, THREE DAYS OF TRAINING ARE PUTTING THESE MEDICS ABOVE OTHER EMTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
THERE ARE PEOPLE FROM FOUR OR FIVE STATES COMING HERE TO LISTEN TO THIS, AND I DO IT ALL OVER THE WORLD.
AND THEY SHOULD FEEL VERY GOOD THAT BEAUFORT COUNTY STEPPING UP AND DOING THIS THAT SAYS A LOT ABOUT THEIR TRAINING PROGRAM HERE AT BEAUFORT COUNTY.
AND, AND, AND THE THINGS THAT THEY DO HERE.
PEOPLE SHOULD BE VERY PROUD OF THE WAY THEIR EMTS IN PARAMEDICS ARE TRAINED HERE IN BEAUFORT COUNTY FOR THE COUNTY CHANNEL.