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CLOSED CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY BUFORT COUNTY, THIS MEETING OF JUNE 4TH, 2024 TOWN COUNCIL MEETING TO ORDER, IF YOU'LL JOIN AND SAY THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE I, UNITED AMERICAN REPUBLIC, WHICH STANDS STANDS, ONE NATION, NATION, NEVER GOD IN THE INDIVISIBLE WITH LIBERTY.
WE'LL CONTINUE STANDING FOR THE INVOCATION AND WE HAVE TODAY, PASTOR CHADRICK, JOHN FLY FOR CHRISTIAN RENEWAL CHURCH.
FATHER GOD, I THANK YOU FOR THIS FIRST OF ALL, THIS BEAUTIFUL DAY THAT WE CAN ALL GATHER AS MEMBERS OF THIS COMMUNITY, AS WE, UH, DISCUSS DIFFICULT OR INTERESTING TOPICS.
LORD, I PRAY THAT YOU GIVE US CLARITY, THAT YOU REMIND US THAT WE ARE A COMMUNITY, UH, UNIFY US IN, IN OUR SPEECH.
AND LORD, WE JUST ASK THAT YOU BLESS EVERYTHING THAT GOES ON IN THIS MEETING AND THAT, UM, IT'S FRUITFUL, IT'S PRODUCTIVE, AND LORD, THAT HILTON HEAD IS, UH, JUST BLESSED BY THE MEMBERS IN THIS ROOM AND ON THIS COUNCIL.
AND WE THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU'RE GONNA DO.
IT'S IN YOUR NAME WE PRAY, AMEN.
UP TO THE ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA.
MR. ORLANDO, DO WE HAVE ANY CHANGES? NO, SIR.
DO WE HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE AGENDA? MOVE THAT WE APPROVE THE, UH, AGENDA SUBMITTED.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR PLEASE SIGNIFY BY RAISING YOUR RIGHT HAND AND THAT WOULD BE SIX TO ZERO.
UM, MR. STAMFORD WILL HOPEFULLY BE BE JOINING US LINE HERE SHORTLY.
NEXT WE HAVE THE WORKSHOP MEETING, MINUTES OF MAY 14TH AND 16TH, AND THE REGULAR MEETING MINUTES OF MAY 21ST.
IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE MOVE THAT WE APPROVE THE MINUTES AS THE MAYOR HAS STATED? SECOND.
IF I MAY, UM, I WAS SENT HERE FOR THE WORKSHOP ON MAY 16TH, SO I NEED TO ABSTAIN FROM THAT.
SO, SO THEN WE NEED TO GO AHEAD AND BREAK IT DOWN INDIVIDUALLY.
UM, YOU WEREN'T HERE FOR THE 16TH, BUT WE CAN GO AHEAD AND DO THE 14TH AND THE 21ST TOGETHER.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE, OF THE 14TH AND 21ST SIGNIFY BY RAISING YOUR RIGHT HAND.
AND THEN WE WILL BREAK IT OUT TO THE 16TH.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR PLEASE SIGNIFY BY RAISING YOUR RIGHT HAND, WHICH IS A FIVE TO ZERO.
MR. ORLANDO TOWN MANAGER'S REPORT.
GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND COUNCIL AND MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY.
ALRIGHT, AND PLEASED AND EXCITED TO INTRODUCE ADRIANA ETT.
WELCOME TO HILTON HEAD ISLAND AND, AND PHYSICALLY IN PERSON HERE IN YOUR FIRST DAY.
ADRIAN ADRIANA IS KNOW, AS YOU KNOW, IS OUR NEW FINANCE DIRECTOR BRINGS MORE THAN 30 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT WITH MAJOR COMPANIES, INCLUDING WALMART CORPORATION, FLUENT IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH.
UH, HAVE A LOT OF EXPERTISE AND EXPERIENCE, PROJECT MANAGEMENT, FISCAL ACCOUNTABILITY, GOVERNANCE, COMPLIANCE, STRATEGIC PLANNING, EXECUTION, AND ON AND ON AND ON.
AND WE'RE JUST VERY EXCITED AND, AND PLEASED AND APPRECIATIVE TO HAVE YOU HERE WITH US.
ADRIAN HOLDS A BACHELOR'S DEGREE IN FINANCE WITH A MINOR INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS FROM FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY AND A MASTER'S DEGREE IN ACCOUNTING WITH A MINOR IN INFORMATION SYSTEMS FROM MIDDLE TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY AND SO ON AND SO FORTH.
AND WE'RE JUST BLESSED TO HAVE YOU AS OUR CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER, OUR FINANCE DIRECTOR AND WELCOME.
NEXT UP, I'LL, UH, PRESENT THE JUNE THE JUNETEENTH PROCLAMATION ON COME ON UP, WE BRING IT OVER TO THE SIDE, YOU KNOW, JUST BE A LITTLE DIFFERENT HOW WE GOING TODAY? GOOD, GOOD.
SO, UH, THE TOWN OF HILTON HEAD ISLAND FOR PROCLAMATION, WHEREAS JUNETEENTH IS OFTEN REFERRED TO US AS OUR COUNTRY'S SECOND INDEPENDENCE DAY AND HAS LONG BEEN CELEBRATED AMONG THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITY.
ITS HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE HAS LARGELY BEEN OMITTED FROM EDUCATIONAL CURRICULA, MAKING IT RELATIVELY UNKNOWN TO THE WIDER POPULATION.
AND WHEREAS THE EMANCIPATION PROCLAMATION
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BY PRESIDENT ABRAHAM LINCOLN ON JUNE 1ST, 18TH 63 IN PASSAGE OF THE 13TH AMENDMENT AMENDMENT BY THE US CONGRESS, MORE THAN 250,000 ENSLAVED AFRICANS AND THEIR DESCENDANTS REMAINED IN BONDAGE IN THE STATE OF TEXAS UNTIL THE ARRIVAL OF THE UNION TROOPS AT GALVESTON ON THE 19TH DAY OF JUNE, 1865.WHEREAS WHEN THE NEWS OF THEIR EMANCIPATION SPREAD FOLLOWING THE READING OF GENERAL ORDER NUMBER THREE BY MAJOR GENERAL GORDON GRANGER, THE FORMERLY ENSLAVED PEOPLE OF TEXAS, REACTED WITH JOYOUS CELEBRATION LAUNCHING WHAT WOULD BECOME AN ANNUAL EVENT KNOWN AS JUNETEENTH.
AND WHEREAS EARLY CELEBRATIONS OF JUNETEENTH CONSISTED OF FAMILY AND COMMUNITY GATHERINGS FILLED NOT ONLY WITH SPECIAL FOOD AND FESTIVITIES, BUT ALSO PRAYER, REFLECTION, AND RESPECT FOR ANCESTORS WHO SUFFERED UNDER SLAVERY AND CELEBRATE AFRICAN-AMERICAN FREEDOMS AND ACHIEVEMENT, WHILE ENCOURAGING CONTINUOUS SELF-DEVELOPMENT AND RESPECT FOR ALL CULTURES.
AND WHEREAS THE ELECTED LEADERS OF THE TOWN OF HILTON HEAD ISLAND AND THE TOWN STAFF PLEDGED TO CONTINUE OUR EFFORTS TO LIFT UP THE IMPORTANCE OF HISTORY OF JUNETEENTH AND WORK TIRELESSLY TO ROOT INSTITUTIONAL, TO ROOT OUT INSTITUTIONAL RACISM WHEREVER IT EXISTS IN ADVANCE EQUITY AND INCLUSION FOR ALL MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, ALAN R. PERRY, MAYOR OF THE TOWN OF HILTON HEAD ISLAND, SOUTH CAROLINA, DO YOU HEREBY PROCLAIM THE 15TH DAY OF JUNE, 2024 AS JUNETEENTH IN THE TOWN OF HILTON HEAD ISLAND AND ENCOURAGE ALL COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO OBSERVE THIS DAY WITH ACTIVITIES AND REFLECTIONS THAT CELEBRATE FREEDOM AND JUSTICE FOR ALL PEOPLE IN TESTIMONY.
WHEREOF I HERE ON TO SET MY HAND AND CAUSE THE SEAL OF THE TOWN OF HILTON HEAD ISLAND TO BE AFFIXED THIS FOURTH DAY OF JUNE IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD, 2024.
NOW WE WILL MOVE ON TO COMMITTEE REPORTS.
OH, I'M SORRY, MY, MY APOLOGIES THERE.
WE'RE GONNA HAVE MR. JOHN REMOLD COME UP AND GIVE US AN UPDATE ON THE HILTON HEAD AIRPORT.
JOHN RUMBLE, THE, UH, DIRECTOR HILTON HEAD ISLAND AIRPORT.
UH, THANKS TO COUNCILMAN NAMES FOR HAVING ME, UH, AT THE MEETING AND INVITING ME MANY MONTHS AGO AND IT FINALLY WORKED OUT.
MAY I APPROACH AND GIVE YOU GUYS A HANDOUT? I BROUGHT GIFTS
UH, GLEN, THOSE ARE BAGGAGE TAGS.
IT'S NOT TSA PRECHECK, SO THAT WON'T DO ANY GOOD.
YOU CAN TRY IT, BUT IT WON'T WORK.
SO THANKS AGAIN FOR HAVING ME.
I, I WANTED TO START OUT TODAY, UM, FIRST OF ALL, AN IMAGE OF WHAT THE NEW TERMINAL IS GONNA LOOK LIKE, AND I'LL SHOW YOU A LITTLE BIT MORE OF THAT AS WE GO.
BUT I WANNA GIVE A LITTLE BIT OF AIRPORT 1 0 1.
I'LL, I'LL DO IT QUICKLY, BUT I JUST, YOU KNOW, SOME OF YOU ARE A LITTLE BIT NEWER AND I WANT TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF A BACKGROUND.
SO THE FIRST OF ALL, KIND OF THE MISSION OF WHAT WE ARE, THE VISION OF WHAT WE DO OUT THERE IS TO BE THE MOST DESIRED DESTINATION AIRPORT IN THE COUNTRY.
IT'S PRETTY LOFTY, BUT THAT'S WHAT ALL OF OUR FOLKS ARE FOCUSED ON, AND THIS IS HOW WE WORK DAY BY DAY TO TRY TO GET THERE.
SO EVERYTHING THAT WE DO AT THE AIRPORT IS GUIDED BY THESE PRINCIPLES.
SO YOU MAY NOT BE ABLE TO SEE ALL THAT, BUT WE CAN, UH, THE MISSION JUST SAYS TO PROVIDE A SAFE AND EFFICIENT AIR TRAVEL EXPERIENCE THAT CONVENIENTLY CONNECTS PEOPLE TO PLACES.
WE ACHIEVE THIS THROUGH TEAMWORK, PROFESSIONALISM, AND WARM SOUTHERN HOSPITALITY.
AND A FEW VITAL STATISTICS ABOUT THE AIRPORT.
UM, A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T KNOW WE'RE PRETTY SMALL IN LAND SIZE ONLY ABOUT 200 ACRES, SO THAT'S PRETTY SMALL.
I'LL SHOW YOU AN ARROW OF THAT IN A MINUTE.
WE'VE GOT 17 FULL-TIME STAFF, FOUR OF WHOM ARE SHARED BETWEEN BOTH OF OUR AIRPORTS.
SO IT'S A PRETTY SMALL TEAM THAT MAKES IT HAPPEN.
UM, AND JUST TO, UH, A A FUN SAYING I LIKE TO SHARE WITH PEOPLE IS, I KNOW WE FOCUS A LOT ON ROAD CONSTRUCTION AROUND HERE WITH TRANSPORTATION, BUT IF YOU PAVE A MILE OF ROAD, YOU CAN DRIVE A MILE.
IF YOU PAVE A MILE OF RUNWAY, YOU CAN GO ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD.
SO WE LIKE TO THINK THAT WE CAN, UH, WE CAN OUTPACE THE ROADS.
SO WE LIKE TO PAVE THE RUNWAY.
WE HAVE ABOUT 40,000 ANNUAL OPERATIONS.
IT MAY SEEM LIKE A BIG NUMBER, BUT IF YOU COMPARE THAT TO ATLANTA OR CHARLOTTE, THEY'RE DOING OUR DAILY OPERATIONS EVERY FIVE MINUTES.
OKAY, SO YOU'RE NOT AT A BUSY AIRPORT, I PROMISE YOU.
UM, SO THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS GOING ON AT THE AIRPORT, SOME MORE STATS THERE FOR YOU, TAKE A LOOK AT.
BUT, UM, NOT JUST THE COMMERCIAL SIDE THAT'S BUSY THERE, BUT THE PRIVATE SIDE AS WELL.
WE DO HAVE ACTIVE FLIGHT TRAINING SCHOOLS THERE, AND THAT'S GREAT TO GET THE FUTURE PILOTS, UH, IN THEIR
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TRAINING.TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT AIRPORT FUNDING.
AND THIS IS A PICTURE JUST TAKEN OF THE, UH, TERMINAL CONSTRUCTION THAT'S ONGOING.
A LOT OF FOLKS DON'T KNOW KIND OF HOW AIRPORT FUNDING GOES.
THERE'S A LOT OF ASSUMPTIONS OUT THERE.
SO ANYTIME I GET A CHANCE TO SPEAK TO A GROUP, I LIKE TO TELL PEOPLE HOW IT, HOW IT HAPPENS.
SO FIRST AND FOREMOST, WE ARE FINANCIALLY SELF-SUFFICIENT.
THE AIRPORT, OUR BUSINESS OF THE AIRPORT SUPPORTS THE OPERATIONS OF THE AIRPORT.
WE DO APPLY FOR FAA GRANTS AND STATE GRANTS FOR OUR INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS.
SO THE TERMINAL PROJECT IS LARGELY FUNDED BY A COMBINATION OF FAA GRANTS AND STATE GRANTS.
AND THEN OF COURSE, WE COMPETE FOR THE LOCAL GRANTS SUCH AS A TAX, H TAX.
AND WE'RE VERY THANKFUL FOR THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS WE'VE RECEIVED POUND OF HILTON HEAD ISLAND, A TAX FUNDS THAT GO INTO MARKETING THE AIRPORT.
SO TO TURN THAT MONEY AROUND, MARKET THE AIRPORT IN THOSE PLACES LIKE WASHINGTON, DC, CHICAGO, NEW YORK, BIG CITIES TO MAKE SURE PEOPLE KNOW THAT THEY CAN FLY NONSTOP TO THE ISLAND.
WE ALSO CONSIDER THE AIRPORT CRITICAL TOURISM INFRASTRUCTURE.
SO THAT'S WHY WE APPLY FOR THE, AT TAX FUNDS, AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO MORE CONVERSATIONS ON THAT TOPIC JUST FOR THE SUSTAINED FUNDING OF THE AIRPORT.
THE IMPORTANT THING IS WE, THERE'S NO TAX KNOWLEDGE IN THE AIRPORT.
SO A LOT OF PEOPLE SAY, WELL, IT'S A COUNTY AIRPORT, SO SURELY IT'S FUNDED BY COUNTY TAX MONEY.
COUNTY'S GOING THROUGH FINAL BUDGET APPROVALS RIGHT NOW.
AND WHILE OUR BUDGETS, AND WE HAVE TWO AIRPORTS SAYS THOSE BUDGETS ARE APPROVED BY COUNCIL, WE DO NOT RECEIVE APPROPRIATIONS FROM COUNCIL.
WE GENERATED OUR OWN REVENUES.
OKAY, THIS IS WHAT THE PICTURE LOOKED LIKE ACTUALLY LAST YEAR.
UM, JUST AN AIRLINE CHOICE, BUT AS YOU CAN SEE, PRIMARILY FOCUSED ON, ON THE EAST COAST.
CHICAGO HAS TWO AIRLINES FLYING TO, WHICH IS GREAT, AND IT OPENS UP THAT WESTERN DOOR FOR US.
BUT WE LOOK TO EXPAND THIS, THOSE ARE OUR ROUTE TO OUR SEASONAL AT THIS POINT, BUT WE HOPE THAT THAT WILL GROW, ESPECIALLY AS A NEW TERMINAL IS BUILT.
UM, AND I ALSO WANNA LET YOU KNOW THAT DURING THE, THE BUSY SUMMER MONTHS, WE HAVE AN AMBASSADOR PROGRAM THERE.
SO ON THE WEEKENDS YOU'LL SEE SOMEBODY DRESSED LIKE RICH IN THE BACK AND HOT PINK.
UM, AND I, I SHOULD HAVE INTRODUCED STEVE PERRY TOO.
HE'S MY AIRPORT, UH, DEPUTY DIRECTOR SITTING BACK THERE AS WELL IN CASE I STUMBLE AND PAUL HE'LL PICK UP.
BUT OUR AMBASSADORS ARE THERE SO THAT ON THOSE BUSY WEEKENDS WHEN THERE'S A CHANGE OUT ON THE ISLAND AND IT REALLY GETS CHAOTIC IN THE TERMINAL, THAT PEOPLE UNDERSTAND HOW TO GET AROUND AND THERE'S A FRIENDLY FACE TO POINT THEM IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
IT'S BEEN A VERY SUCCESSFUL ALL VOLUNTEER BASED PROGRAM.
THIS I WANNA SHOW YOU FOR A COUPLE OF REASONS.
THE, THE OLDER LOOKING SLIDE ON YOUR LEFT IS 1978, AND THEN THE OTHER ONE IS CURRENT DAY AIRPORT.
AND IT'S REALLY JUST TO ILLUSTRATE EVERYTHING THAT USED TO NOT BE AROUND THE AIRPORT.
AND NOW EVERYTHING THAT IS AROUND THE AIRPORT, AND I SHOW YOU THIS TO SAY A COUPLE OF THINGS.
NUMBER ONE, WE'VE GOT SOME WORK TO DO TOGETHER ON SOME COLLABORATION ON COMPATIBLE LAND USE AROUND THE AIRPORT.
UH, SOME LMO IMPLICATIONS ON THE AIRPORT OVERLAY DISTRICT AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO I'VE BEEN WORKING WITH YOUR PLANNING STAFF, WE'LL CONTINUE THAT AND, UH, AND I APPRECIATE YOUR SUPPORT AS WE MOVE FORWARD ON THAT TO MAKE SURE THAT, THAT EVERYTHING RUNS SMOOTHLY.
I ALSO WANT TO MENTION JUST IN THE, IN THE SPIRIT OF COLLABORATION, THAT WE'RE VERY LUCKY AND THANKFUL TO HAVE HILTON HEAD ISLAND FIRE RESCUE RIGHT OUT THE BACK DOOR OF, OF OUR AIRCRAFT RESCUE AND FIREFIGHTING TEAM.
THEY WORK TOGETHER A LOT IN CROSS TRAIN, SO IT'S GREAT TO HAVE THEM.
UH, AND THEN ALSO WE'VE RECENTLY BEEN WORKING WITH YOUR OFFICE OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS BECAUSE AS THAT TERMINAL IS BUILT, THERE'S OPPORTUNITIES WITHIN THAT TERMINAL FOR ARTS AND CULTURE.
AND SO NATALIE AND I HAVE THAT CONVERSATION ONGOING NOW AS TO HOW WE CAN INTEGRATE REAL, YOU KNOW, AUTHENTIC TOWN OF HILTON HEAD ISLAND ART AND CULTURE INTO THE TERMINAL INSTEAD OF STOCK IMAGES.
NOW, A FEW PICTURES OF CONSTRUCTION.
THIS IS, UH, JUST A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO, THE FIRST PART OF THE SLAB WAS POURED FOR THE NEW PART OF THE BUILDING.
UH, WE'RE JUST OVER, I GUESS ABOUT THREE AND A HALF MONTHS INTO CONSTRUCTION.
IT'S BEEN ALL HORIZONTAL SITE WORK TYPE STUFF, STARTING AT FIRST.
AS YOU CAN SEE, WE, UH, WE START DURING THE NIGHTTIME BECAUSE THOSE CONCRETE TRUCKS CAN'T RISK GETTING STOPPED AND, YOU KNOW, BUILDING THAT ISLAND TRAFFIC.
UM, SO WE, WE HAVE THEM STARTING AT NIGHTTIME AND THEN THEY KIND OF FINISH UP THAT PORT DURING THE DAY AND YOU CAN SEE WHAT THAT FIRST PHASE IS SHAPING UP TO BE.
THAT PORTION OF THE BUILDING IS GOING TO BE THE NEW TSA SCREENING CHECKPOINT AND THE NEW BOARDING GATES.
SO THAT'S COMING TOGETHER VERY WELL.
AND ALL OF THESE IMPROVEMENTS GO HAND IN HAND WITH, WITH OUR MISSION.
AGAIN, A COUPLE OTHER PICTURES, THIS IS GOING ON KIND OF TODAY AS WE SPEAK.
ONE LANE OUT FRONT OF THE TERMINAL IS BEING PARTIALLY DEMOLISHED, SO WE CAN INSTALL SOME MORE OF THAT SLAB AND THAT IT'LL BE REPLACED BEFORE WE
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DO THE, THE SLAB CORE.AND THEN THE NEW CURBING FOR THE ENTRANCE ROAD IS THAT ROAD WILL LOOP AROUND TO THE FRONT OF THE TERMINAL.
AND I'LL SHOW YOU THAT IN A MOMENT AS WELL.
PHASE ONE OF THIS BUILDING, WHICH IS PRIMARILY ALL THE NEW BUILDING, WILL BE COMPLETE IN THE EARLY 2026.
ALRIGHT, THIS IS WHAT THE BUILDING WILL LOOK LIKE AS WE, AS WE GET TO THAT EXCITING POINT, OPEN THE WHOLE THING UP.
THIS IS AN ARTIST RENDERING OF THE, THE BUILDING COMPLETELY ADDED ONTO AND RENOVATED.
YOU CAN SEE THERE'S FOUR LANES OUT FRONT AND THAT FIRST LANE IS COMPLETELY COVERED.
SO YOU HAVE A, A DROP OFF AND PICKUP, UM, AREA THAT'S TOTALLY COVERED FOR FOLKS.
AND THIS, UH, HAS ALL BEEN REVIEWED BY THE DRB AND DAVID WAS INVOLVED EARLY ON AS WE HAD STAKEHOLDER MEETINGS TO PUT THIS TOGETHER BECAUSE WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT, THAT EVERYTHING WE DID FROM ARCHITECTURE TO LANDSCAPING REFLECTED TILTON HEAD ISLAND.
SO IF YOU ARE A RESIDENT OF THE ISLAND, YOU WOULD FEEL LIKE IF, IF YOU'VE BEEN TRAVELING THAT, THAT YOU'RE HOME, HOME AT THE AIRPORT, EVEN THOUGH YOU STILL NEED TO GET TO YOUR HOUSE.
AND THEN IF YOU'RE A TOURIST, AS SOON AS YOU GET OFF THE AIRPLANE, YOU'RE ON VACATION, YOU DON'T HAVE ANOTHER DRIVE TO MAKE YOU'RE HERE.
SO THAT WAS THE SPIRIT OF THAT.
THIS IS THE FRONT ENTRANCE, ANOTHER ONE OF THE OUTSIDE THERE.
THIS IS CURRENTLY WHERE THE TSA CHECKPOINT, UH, WAITING AREA IS.
THIS IS A BIT OF A GRAND HALL, SO THIS WILL GIVE US OPPORTUNITIES FOR A LITTLE BIT OF GATHERING SPACE AND ALSO SOME OF THE WORK WITH, UH, OFFICE OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS TO FIGURE OUT IF WE CAN DO SOME EXHIBITING AND THINGS LIKE THAT IN THIS SPACE.
THIS WOULD BE A NEW TICKETING.
THE WALL BEHIND TICKETING HERE THAT YOU SEE IS ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH TOWN STAFF AND MAYBE GET SOME IMAGERY BACK THERE THAT WOULD REFLECT ACTUAL HILTON HEAD ISLAND, UH, ART CULTURE.
THIS IS WHAT THE NEW BOARDING GATE AREA WILL LOOK LIKE.
THERE'LL BE THREE GATES WITH JET BRIDGES, AND THEN A FOURTH GATE IS A, IS A KIND OF A WALKOUT GATE IF WE HAVE A, UM, ADDITIONAL SERVICE OR ANOTHER AIRPLANE THAT NEEDS TO BE IN THERE, MULTIPLE TYPES OF SEATING.
IT MAY OR MAY NOT LOOK EXACTLY LIKE THIS, BUT THE, IT'S FOR ILLUSTRATIVE PURPOSES TO SHOW THAT THERE'LL BE DIFFERENT TYPES OF SEATING THERE.
THE ABILITY TO WORK IF YOU'RE THERE.
SO, UH, IT WON'T JUST BE THE CHAIRS.
YOU'LL HAVE THE, THE DESK AREAS TO WORK AT AS WELL.
SOME CONCESSIONS OPPORTUNITIES AS WELL IN THAT AREA, WHICH WOULD BE NICE.
RESTROOMS AND EVEN A PET RELIEF AREA THAT'S STANDARD AT ALL, NEW TERMINALS.
SO IF YOU'VE GOT A SERVICE ANIMAL, WE'LL HAVE A PLACE FOR YOUR ANIMAL AS WELL.
MORE PICTURES OF THE SEEDING HERE.
THE ARCHITECTURE TAKES ADVANTAGE OF THE AMBIENT LIGHT THE WAY WE HAVE IT TODAY.
A LOT OF PEOPLE LIKE THAT DESIGN.
AND, UH, WE DECIDED TO MAINTAIN THAT THIS IS BAGGAGE CLAIM.
SO NO LONGER DO YOU HAVE, GUESS WHAT COMES OUT OF DOOR NUMBER ONE OR DOOR NUMBER TWO.
UH, YOU'LL HAVE ACTUAL CAROUSELS WITH OPPORTUNITIES FOR ADVERTISING AND THINGS LIKE THAT, OF COURSE.
AND, UH, THEN YOU CAN KIND OF SEE THE RENTAL CAR AREAS IN THE BACK, AND THAT'S WHAT THAT WILL LOOK LIKE THERE.
SO ALL OUR BRANDED, UH, RENTAL CARS WILL BE AVAILABLE AS THEY ARE TODAY WITH A LITTLE BIT MORE ROOM TO OPERATE IN THE, TO HAVE THE LINES.
THAT TENDS TO BE A LITTLE BIT BIT CHOKE POINT IN THE CURRENT TUR LOAN.
OKAY, AS WE WRAP UP, I, I REALLY WANT TO TOUCH ON ECONOMIC IMPACT.
THAT'S AN IMPORTANT REASON TO BE IN FRONT OF YOU.
AND TO REMIND YOU OF THE IMPORTANCE OF THE AIRPORT.
IT'S LITTLE COUNTY AIRPORT IN THE MIDDLE OF TOWN OF HILTON, THAT ISLAND, YOU ARE OUR BIGGEST CLIENT AND WE WANNA BE VERY SENSITIVE TO THAT.
BUT THIS IS WHAT THE AIRPORT DELIVERS.
YOU CAN SEE THESE AIRCRAFT HERE, COMMERCIAL ONES ON THE BOTTOM, AND THEN THOSE ARE PRIVATE AIRCRAFT ON THE TOP.
THERE'S A COUPLE JUST LIKE THAT SITTING OUT THERE NOW.
THOSE ARE $70 MILLION AIRPLANES AND THOSE FOLKS ARE, ARE COMING IN FOR A, A LIMITED AMOUNT OF TIME, SPENDING A GOOD DEAL OF MONEY AND THEN LEAVING THE ISLAND TO GO WHEREVER ELSE, MAYBE WHERE THEIR, THEIR SECOND OR THIRD OR FOURTH HOME IS.
BUT WE'RE HAPPY TO HAVE THEM HERE.
BUT THE ECONOMIC IMPACT WHEN IT FIRST GOT A FORMAL STUDY DONE BY THE STATE IN 2018 WAS $166 MILLION.
THAT WAS RIGHT AS WE WERE OPENING THE RUNWAY EXTENSION.
WE HAD ANOTHER IMPACT STUDY DONE IN 2020 BECAUSE I WAS GOING TO THE STATE HOUSE TO TRY TO FIND SOME ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR THE FIRST PHASE OF THE TERMINAL.
AND WHEN WE RAN THAT, IT WAS JUST BEFORE THE BUSIEST SUMMER WE'VE EVER SEEN.
AND THAT NUMBER HAD JUMPED TO 417 MILLION.
SO THAT AIRPORT HAS AN ECONOMIC IMPACT EVERY YEAR OF ABOUT A HALF A BILLION DOLLARS ON THIS ISLAND.
SO IT'S A, IT'S A LOT GOING ON THERE.
TOTAL JOBS INFLUENCED BY AIRPORT AND AVIATION ACTIVITIES, IT'S OVER 3000, AND THEN THE TOTAL SPEND ANNUALLY IS OVER $300 MILLION.
SO IT'S A LOT THAT'S GOING ON THAT THAT AIRPORT IS GENERATING.
AND, UH, WE APPRECIATE THE SUPPORT THAT THE, THAT THE TOWN GIVES US.
UM, NOW BEFORE I, I LEAVE, I ALWAYS WANNA OPEN IT UP FOR QUESTIONS, BUT I BROUGHT ONE FIRST.
SO I'LL, I'LL ASK THE FIRST QUESTION AND THEN GET YOU STARTED, BUT YOU KNOW WHAT, I'M SURE IT'S ALL ON, ON ALL YOUR MINDS.
WHAT CAN YOU DO TO HELP THE AIRPORT, RIGHT, AS THE TOWN'S AIRPORT? WHAT
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CAN YOU DO? I WOULD SAY NUMBER ONE IS TO ENSURE THAT THE AIRPORT IS ALWAYS CONSIDERED AS CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE.JUST LIKE THE BRIDGES, JUST LIKE THE ROADS THAT AIRPORT, NOT JUST FOR RESIDENTS AND TOURISM.
WE'RE THE ONLY MEDEVAC PLACE ON THE, ON THE ISLAND.
WE GET MEDEVACS ALMOST EVERY DAY, MANY TIMES, MULTIPLE TIMES A DAY.
IT'S A CRITICAL PLACE TO GET FOLKS IN AND OUT OF.
AND SOMETIMES THOSE CRITICAL ORGANS COME IN AND OUT OF THE AIRPORT.
WE'VE GOT TO BE ABLE TO MAINTAIN THAT.
SO THAT'S IMPORTANT, BUT ALSO IN THE EVENT OF A NATURAL DISASTER, WE'RE ONE OF THE FEW PLACES WHERE FOLKS WILL BE ABLE TO FLY IN TO RESUPPLY.
SECOND POINT FOR YOU IS JUST TO PLEASE INCLUDE THE AIRPORT ON YOUR LEGISLATIVE AGENDA.
SO AS YOU'RE DEALING WITH THE FOLKS IN COLUMBIA, PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ALWAYS ON THAT LIST, THE SQUEAKY WHEEL, RIGHT? EVERY TIME THEY HEAR ABOUT THE AIRPORT, AND THE AIRPORT STILL HAS A SECOND PHASE OF THIS TERMINAL THAT NEEDS TO GET BUILT AND FUNDED, WE NEED THEM TO HEAR ABOUT THE AIRPORT AND THE GOOD THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING THERE.
AND THEN THE LAST ONE IS JUST SUPPORT THE AIRPORT'S, WORK WITH YOUR STAFF, AND WE'RE GONNA WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH THEM.
WE APPRECIATE THE RELATIONSHIP.
MARK BROUGHT US IN AND, AND REALLY SAID, LET'S SIT DOWN AND TALK THROUGH ALL THIS STUFF.
BUT I APPRECIATE ALL OF YOUR SUPPORT AS WE CONTINUE WITH THOSE EFFORTS AND JUST TRY TO MAKE THINGS THE, THE BEST, THE SAFEST, THE MOST EFFICIENT THAT WE CAN AT THE AIRPORT.
ANY ANY QUESTIONS? BROWN? THANK YOU, ALEX.
UM, I DO HAVE A QUESTION, BUT FIRST I WANTED TO COMMENT, UM, ON A BEAUTIFUL DISPLAY, UM, IN THE PRESENTATION OF THE BUILDING, IT DOES FIT WELL WITHIN OUR LOW COUNTRY DESIGN.
IT DOES HAVE THE SENSE OF HOME, AND WE APPRECIATE THE WORK BEING DONE TO ENSURE THAT FOR OUR RESIDENTS AND OUR GUESTS.
IN TERMS OF OUR RESIDENTS, THOUGH, I OFTEN GET MANY, MANY, UM, COMPLAINTS, INQUIRIES ABOUT, UM, WHY THE PLANES ARE NOT FLYING OUT OVER WATER AND INSTEAD OF FLYING DIRECTLY OVER HOMES AND IT'S IMPACTING THEIR QUALITY OF LIFE.
AND SO, UM, I'M GONNA TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO ASK YOU, UM, ABOUT THAT AND WHATEVER YOU CAN TELL US, UM, WITH REGARD TO THOSE DEPARTURES, MOSTLY, I GUESS INCOMING AS WELL, BUT MOSTLY DEPARTURES.
AND I GET THAT YOU'RE NOT THE ONLY PERSON THAT ASKED THAT.
BUT MOST AIRPORTS, IF YOU LOOK AT WHERE THEY'RE SITUATED, EVEN IF THEY WEREN'T ORIGINALLY SITUATED IN RESIDENTIAL AREAS, TAKE CHARLOTTE FOR EXAMPLE, WHEN THEY FIRST BUILT CHARLOTTE, IT WAS FAR OUTSIDE THE CITY LIMITS OF CHARLOTTE, AND THAT WAS RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE.
IT'S AMAZING HOW MUCH THE GROWTH HAS HAPPENED.
SO THEY, YOU WOULD THINK A BIG AIRPORT MAYBE NOT HAVE TO DEAL WITH THAT KIND OF AN ISSUE WITH RESIDENTIAL NOISE AND COMPLAINTS.
EVERY AIRPORT PRETTY MUCH DOES, AND THAT'S BECAUSE MOST TIMES THE AREAS AROUND AN AIRPORT TEND TO BE DESIRABLE PLACES TO LIVE.
AND AN EXAMPLE OF WHY WE NEED TO WORK WITH MARK STAFF IS TO LOOK AT THOSE TYPES OF ISSUES AND LOOK AT COMPATIBILITY OF LAND USE AROUND THE AIRPORT, AND NOT JUST IMMEDIATELY AROUND THE AIRPORT, BUT IN THE OUTLYING AREAS.
BECAUSE AS I TRY TO REMIND PEOPLE, AIRCRAFT ARE NOT ONLY NOTICED WITHIN THE PROPERTY LIMITS OF AN AIRPORT, I, I KNOW THAT'S PRETTY OBVIOUS, BUT SOMETIMES IT NEEDS TO BE REMINDED.
SO WE DO OUR BEST TO WORK WITH THE AIRLINES ON, ON HOW THEY FLY, BUT THEY'RE UNDER, YOU KNOW, VERY TIGHT PILOT CONSTRAINTS.
THERE'S ONLY SO MUCH THAT, THAT WE CAN INFLUENCE.
UM, I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, ALL WE CAN DO IS CONTINUE TO WORK TOGETHER.
WE DO GET CALLS AND EMAILS AND WE RESPOND TO EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THOSE TO TRY TO MAKE, MAKE SURE PEOPLE UNDERSTAND WHAT'S GOING ON.
SOMETIMES THERE ARE DIFFERENT TYPES OF AIRCRAFT.
YOU KNOW, THERE MAY BE MILITARY AIRCRAFT THAT ARE OPERATING MM-HMM,
SOMETIMES WE GET THE OSPREYS WHO FLY IN, WHO TEND TO GENERATE A GOOD BIT OF NOISE, AND WE HAVE TO BE OPEN TO THAT AS A, AS A FEDERALLY FUNDED, UM, FACILITY, YOU HAVE TO BE OPEN TO THAT, THAT TYPE OF OPERATION AS WELL.
SO IT'S A VARIETY OF OPERATIONS AND THERE ARE APPROACHES THAT THOSE, THOSE AIRLINES FLY AND THEY VERY PRESCRIBED APPROACHES BY THE FAA.
SO THEY'RE, THEY'RE VERY LIMITED IN THE QUARTERS THAT THEY COME IN.
AND I GUESS IN, IN SOME RESPECTS, WE'RE LUCKY THAT WE'VE ONLY GOT THE TWO ENDS OF THE RUNWAY.
SO WE ONLY HAVE TWO WAYS THEY'LL COME IN.
UM, SO WE DON'T HAVE MULTIPLE RUNWAYS AND, AND THAT MUCH MORE OVER FLIGHT.
BUT ANYTIME YOU'VE GOT A PLACE LIKE THIS, YOU'RE, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE SOME OVER FLIGHT IS JUST KIND OF IN THE NATURE OF THE BUSINESS.
IT WAS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT ON DEPARTURES THAT THEY WERE TO GO PERHAPS DOWN THE BROAD CREEK AND OUT TOWARDS KLA BOGEY AND, AND OUT TO, UM, TO THE ATLANTIC TO, UM, BEGIN THEIR JOURNEY.
AND IT'S FAR MORE OFTEN THAN NOT THAT THEY'RE COMING DIRECTLY OVER RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOODS.
[00:25:01]
AND IF I, YOU KNOW, I CAN SPEAK FOR LITERALLY HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE CONTACTED ME.I CAN SPEAK PERSONALLY TOO, AS I SEE THE UNDERBELLY OF THE PLANE COME ACROSS MY HOUSE.
AND THEY'RE NOT THOSE OF THAT YOU'VE DESCRIBED, THEY ARE COMMERCIAL PLANES.
SO AS WE LOOK AT THE BEAUTIFUL BUILDING AND WE SEE HOW WELL IT'S DONE AND HOW IT REFLECTS OUR LOW COUNTRY, UM, STYLE AND CHARACTER, UM, THE NOISE AND THE DISRUPTION AND THE GROWTH OF THE AIRPORT DOES NOT.
AND SO I JUST WANNA BE REALLY CLEAR THAT, UM, THERE ARE RESIDENTS FIRST, UM, ATTITUDES.
AND SO WHEN WE LOOK AT THE AIRPORT, AT LEAST WHEN I LOOK AT THE AIRPORT, THAT'S HOW I LOOK AT IT FIRST.
AND IT IS IMPACTING THE QUALITY OF LIFE.
SO PERHAPS THERE'S SOMETHING MORE THAT CAN BE DONE WITH REGARD TO, UM, FIXING THAT SITUATION.
AND I'D APPRECIATE IT IF YOU WOULD LOOK INTO THAT.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR, UH, PRESENTATION.
UM, COUPLE THINGS,
THE OTHER THING THAT, UH, SORT GOT ANTENNA OF WAS CONCESSION.
SO WE TALKING HALF BILLION DOLLARS, UH, INTO THE INDUSTRY.
UM, IT'D BE REALLY NICE IF, UH, YOU OPEN DOORS TO GOVERNMENT BUSINESS, LITTLE PIECE OF THAT IN THE CONCESSION WORLD IN THE AIRPORT.
UM, ECONOMIC STABILITY, UM, ON
SO I LIKE TO CONSIDER ENDEAVOR.
ANY OTHER? YES, MR. RE, UH, MR. RAMBO, DO YOU KEEP STATISTICS BY, UH, SEASON IN THE SENSE LEVEL OF FLIGHTS THAT OCCURRED DURING THE TOURIST SEASON VERSUS THE LEVEL OF FLIGHTS DURING AN OFF SEASON AND THE RELEVANT NUMBER OF PASSENGERS IN EACH OF THOSE SEASONS? WE DO, SIR.
WE KEEP A RUNNING TALLY OF, OF PASSENGERS AND FLIGHTS AND, UH, SO WE DO TRACK THAT AND IT'S OBVIOUSLY MUCH BUSIER DURING THE TOUR.
UH, REALLY PICKS UP, I WOULD SAY PROBABLY THE MIDDLE TO THE END OF MARCH, AND THAT GOES THROUGH KIND OF THE OCTOBER TIMEFRAME AS OUR BUSIEST SEASON.
UH, AND SOME OF THOSE, SOME OF THE MAJOR AIRLINES DO NOT FLY IN THE HILL NET AIRPORT IN THE OFF SEASON, IS THAT CORRECT? THAT'S CORRECT, YEAH.
WE HAD SEVERAL WHO FLEW YEAR ROUND, AND THEN BECAUSE OF COVID AND PILOT SHORTAGES, THEY'VE HAD TO READJUST THEIR SCHEDULE.
SO SOME OF THOSE MOVE TO SAY, SKI COUNTRY DURING THE WINTER TIME AND SERVE THOSE PLACES AND THEN THEY COME BACK HERE AROUND SPRING BREAK TIME.
WHAT IS THE, WHAT IS THE TREND IN FLIGHTS AND PASSENGER VOLUME, UH, SINCE COVID, UM, IS IT BEEN A LITTLE BIT OF AN UP AND DOWN FOR THE AIRPORT? THE FIRST YEAR AFTER COVID, SIR, IN 2021, THE AIRPORT BENEFITED FROM SEVERAL ADDITIONAL FLIGHTS BECAUSE OF COVID BECAUSE THERE WERE SOME BUSINESS ROUTES UP NORTH THAT WERE NOT BEING USED, AND THERE WERE AIRPLANES THAT WERE BASICALLY BOUGHT AND PAID FOR AND NEEDED TO FLY.
SO THAT'S WHY THAT SUMMER WE WERE ABLE TO GET TO PITTSBURGH, NONSTOP, CINCINNATI, CLEVELAND, PLACES LIKE THAT.
UM, OHIO'S PRETTY IMPORTANT TO HILTON HEAD.
UM, SO THOSE HAPPENED THAT YEAR, AND THAT WAS ONLY FOR ONE SEASON.
SO THOSE, THOSE AIRPLANES WENT BACK TO FLYING BUSINESS FOR UNITED AFTER THAT.
UM, AND WE STAYED MOSTLY, YOU KNOW, STABLE SINCE THEN.
THE ONLY DROP OFF WE HAD THIS YEAR WAS WAS DALLAS, BUT EVERYTHING ELSE REMAINED THE SAME.
WE'RE STILL INTO BOSTON, PHILLY, WASHINGTON, NEW YORK, EVERYTHING LIKE THAT.
SO IT'S, IT'S STILL PRETTY BUSY, BUT AS I I SAY, PRETTY BUSY, IT'S ALL VERY RELATIVE.
I MEAN, ON THE WEEKEND WE HAVE, UH, YOU KNOW, MAYBE, I'M TRYING TO THINK, PROBABLY 13, 14 DEPARTURES IN, IN A DAY.
YOU KNOW, YOU'RE, YOU GET THAT EVERY, EVERY MINUTE AT CHARLOTTE, EVERY 45 SECONDS AT CHARLOTTE.
SO WHAT WE DO IN A DAY, THERE'S, THEY'RE REDOING EVERY, EVERY COUPLE OF MINUTES.
I THINK IT'D BE GOOD FOR US TO SEE SOME DATA AND NOT HAVE THE RIGHT IN PLAIN OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
I THINK IT'D BE GOOD FOR US TO SEE THE DATA OVER THE LAST 10 YEARS AFTER COVID TO SEE MAYBE, UH, WHAT CHANGES HAVE HAPPENED.
AND I THINK IT'D BE GOOD TO SEE COMMERCIAL AND ALSO, UH, THE, UH, GENERAL AVIATION SIDE, THE
I THINK IT'D BE GOOD FOR US TO SEE THOSE NUMBERS NOW.
THAT KIND OF, THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT I WROTE DOWN AS HAVING MORE REPORTS COMING IN WITH THE STATISTICAL NUMBERS OF ALL THAT.
LOVE TO, AND, AND I WANNA PIGGYBACK ON WHAT MR. BROWN SAID.
UM, UH, IN TRAVELING TO AIRPORTS, UH, HERE NATIONALLY, UM,
[00:30:01]
MOST ATTRACTED TO THE LOCAL SHOPS DURING LOCAL WEARS, UM, IF I'M LOOKING FOR LAST MINUTE GIFTS TO TAKE HOME TO SOMEONE, UH, FOR A GIFT FOR SPECIAL SEASON, I'M LOOKING FOR THOSE LOCAL CRAFTS.AND SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE LOCAL, UH, ART WOULD BE GOOD TO, TO SEE.
AND ALSO AS MR. BROWN IS SUGGESTING OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE LOCAL DOLLAR BUSINESSES TO HAVE SOME OF THEIR
UM, THERE ARE OTHER LOCAL BUSINESSES LIKE THAT, UM, THAT SHOULD, UH, I THINK OUR VISITORS REALLY LOVE TO SEE THAT, UM, IN THOSE SPACES.
UM, AND THE ARTWORK, UM, TRULY IS A SPECIAL EVENT AND YOU GO TO AN AIRPORT AND SEE THE KIND OF ARTWORK ON DISPLAY.
SO I'M GLAD THAT YOU THAT AND I WANNA ENCOURAGE MORE OF THAT 'CAUSE THAT'S WHAT MAKES AN IMPORTANT SPECIAL TRAVELERS.
APPRECIATE YOUR DONE FOR BEING COMPLETED.
AND WE WILL, YOU KNOW, UM, LOOK TO HAVE YOU COME BACK AND ACTUALLY PRI PROVIDE MORE STATISTICS ON THOSE INBOUND AND OUTBOUNDS ABSOLUTELY TRAVELERS.
NEXT, UH, WE'LL HAVE MR. JIM WANIKI, WHO'S GONNA PROVIDE US WITH AN UPDATE ON THE ADAPTIVE TRAFFIC SIGNAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM.
UH, BEFORE I GET STARTED, I NEED TO, UH, ACKNOWLEDGE TWO PEOPLE IN THE AUDIENCE, UH, THERESA MCVAY AND DARREN SHOEMAKER WHO, UH, HAVE WORKED TIRES, THE, TO MAKE THIS SYSTEM, UH, WORK AND OPERATE.
AND, UH, THEY'VE DONE A GREAT JOB IN, IN MAKING IT HAPPEN.
SO I'D LIKE, UH, ACKNOWLEDGE 'EM BEFORE I GET STARTED.
SO, UH, WHAT DOES ADAPTIVE, UH, TRAFFIC SIGNAL SYSTEM DO? WELL, IT CHANGES AND MODIFIES SIGNAL TIMING IN REAL TIME, UH, TO WHAT'S ACTUALLY GOING ON OUT THERE.
UM, IT REDUCES, UH, DELAYED TIMES FROM MOTORISTS.
UH, IT IMPROVES SAFETY FOR NON-MOTORIZED USERS, AND IT ALLOWS STAFF TO MONITOR SYSTEMS REMOTELY SO THAT, UH, EVERY TIME SOMETHING HAPPENS, WE DON'T HAVE TO RUN OUT TO THE TRAFFIC SIGNAL TO SEE WHAT'S GOING ON.
SO, UH, THIS PROJECT, WE, UH, INSTALLED 25 TRAFFIC SIGNAL CONTROLLERS.
WE, UH, CONVERTED THE EXISTING TIMINGS TO, UH, A NEW PROGRAM, WHICH IS MAX TIME.
WE INSTALLED AND CONFIGURED 96 RADAR UNITS, AND THEY HAVE 2,250 DETECTION AREAS AS COMPARED TO ABOUT 200 WITH THE OLD, UH, LOOP DETECTORS THAT WE USED TO USE.
WE HAVE 86 DETECTION, UH, UNIT CAMERAS OUT THERE.
WE'VE GOT 129 THERMAL PEDESTRIAN DETECTION UNITS.
WE DEPLOYED A CLOUD-BASED CENTRAL SIGNAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM AND DEPLOYED A NEW ADAPTIVE SOFTWARE ON OUR LOCAL CONTROLLERS.
UH, WE DID, UH, 32 SIDE STREET, UH, HEAD POLES, UH, TO IMPROVE, UH, PEDESTRIAN SAFETIES.
WE INSTALLED 36 NEW A DA COMPLIANT PEDESTRIAN STATIONS SO THAT YOU HAVE, UH, WAVE, UH, AUDIBLE TONE LOCATORS AND VOICE GUIDANCE OUT THERE.
WE INSTALLED 25 NEW REMOTELY MANAGEABLE POWER OUTLET STRIPS, AND THOSE ALLOW US TO RESTART SYSTEMS REMOTELY.
SO AGAIN, THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO GO OUT, UH, TO THE ACTUAL, UH, SIGNAL TO RESTART, UH, INDIVIDUAL COMPONENTS OF THE, THE SYSTEM.
AND, UH, GROUNDING IMPROVEMENTS AT THE CABINETS AND THE MA ARMS, WHICH WE'LL TALK ABOUT A LITTLE BIT MORE.
SO THIS WAS KIND OF THE PREVIOUS, UH, CONDITIONS.
WE HAD, UH, LOOP DETECTORS IN THE PAVEMENT.
UH, WE HAD FIXED TIME THE DAY KIND OF IN THE MIDDLE OF THERE.
IT KINDA SHOWS, UH, KIND OF WHAT A FIXED TIME PLAN WOULD BE.
YOU COULD SEE THAT, UH, MOST, UH, THIS IS A TYPICAL, WE HAD MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY PLANS.
IT OPERATED DIFFERENT SIGNAL LENGTHS AND TIMES DURING DIFFERENT TIMES OF THE DAY.
WE HAD A SATURDAY PLAN AND A SUNDAY PLAN.
UM, AND THEN WE ONLY HAD PUSH BUTTONS AT MAJOR INTERSECTIONS, UH, OUT THERE.
SO WHAT DID, DID THE SYSTEM DO? SO WE'LL KIND OF GO, UH, TOP, UH, LEFT HAND CORNER THERE.
THAT'S THE, UH, POINT TO POINT, UH, ANTENNA THAT, UH, INTERCONNECTS A LOT OF OUR SIGNALS BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE FIBER OPTICS, UH, OUT THERE AT ALL LOCATIONS.
SO WE HAD TO INSTALL A POINT-TO-POINT, UH, RADIO SYSTEM OVER TO THE RIGHT.
YOU CAN SEE, UH, THE FLIR, UH, THERMAL IMAGING CAMERAS THAT WE USE FOR PEDESTRIAN.
ON THE BOTTOM, UH, LEFT ARE THE, UH, WAVE ACCESSIBLE, UH, PUSH BUTTONS, KIND OF NOT PUSH BUTTONS, YOU JUST WAVE
AND THEN, UH, OVER, UH, ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE, WHICH I DON'T KNOW IF I CAN MINIMIZE THAT
[00:35:01]
SO YOU CAN SEE, UH, BUT THE IS THE ACTUAL, UH, RADAR DETECTOR THAT HAS THE CAMERA IN IT, THAT'S ON THE, ON THE, THE POLES.SO, UH, THIS IS WHAT'S INSIDE EACH ONE OF THE LOCAL CABINETS.
UM, WE HAVE, UH, ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE, UH, THERE AT THE TOP, THAT'S THE ACTUAL COMPUTER, THAT'S THE SIGNALIZE CONTROLLER ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE.
THAT'S THE COMMUNICATIONS HUB THAT, UH, TAKES ALL THE INFORMATION BOTH, UH, INTERNALLY AND EXTERNALLY AND, UH, SENDS IT OUT AND, AND RECEIVES IT.
UH, THE BOTTOM LEFT, YOU CAN SEE THAT WHERE ALL THE THINGS ARE PLUGGED IN.
THAT'S KIND OF A COMPUTER BASED POWER STRIP.
AND, UH, WE CAN REMOTELY TURN ON A PLUG AND TURN OFF A PLUG ON EACH ONE OF THOSE THINGS REMOTELY.
SO IT, AGAIN, A LOT OF TIMES YOU HAVE A PROBLEM WITH A COMPUTER, YOU NEED TO RESTART IT AGAIN.
WE CAN RESTART THAT FROM THE OFFICE SAYING, HEY, TURN ON, PLUG TWO, TURN OFF, PLUG TWO.
AND THAT ALLOWS US TO SAVE A LOT OF TIME INTERNALLY.
AND THEN, UH, ON THE, THE BOTTOM RIGHT, THAT'S THE, UH, FLIR UH, IMAGING CAMERA FOR THE VIDEO DETECTION.
UM, THIS IS, UH, OUR MONITORING STATION UP IN THERESA'S OFFICE.
UH, WE HAVE 24 HOUR LIVE MONITORING.
THIS IS OBVIOUSLY NOT ALL THE CAMERAS.
UH, THERESA PUTS UP, UH, UH, MAJOR MOVEMENTS IN MAJOR INTERSECTIONS THAT SHE WANTS TO TAKE A LOOK AT.
WE CAN ADD, SUBTRACT, UH, WE CAN BLOW THOSE UP, UH, AS WE NEED TO SEE 'EM A LITTLE BIT BETTER.
AGAIN, IT'S REAL TIME AND WE'RE ABLE TO SEE INCIDENTS THAT HAPPENED.
WE DO NOT RECORD ANY OF THE VIDEO.
WE DO NOT DO ANY RECORDINGS ON THE, ON THIS.
UH, AGAIN, YOU CAN SEE, UH, THE AMOUNT OF DETECTION THAT WE'RE DOING AT IN EACH INTERSECTION.
THIS IS THE GUMS TREE INTERSECTION.
AND AGAIN, WE WENT FROM ABOUT 200 DETECTIONS ACROSS THE, UH, UM, ISLAND TO OVER 2,250 DETECTIONS OUT THERE RIGHT NOW.
UH, THIS IS THE, UH, THERMAL IMAGING.
YOU CAN SEE, UH, THE FOUR CORNERS ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE.
WE HAVE, UH, TWO, UH, PEDESTRIANS BEING PICKED UP IN THE, UH, BOTTOM RIGHT CORNER.
AND AGAIN, THAT'S, UH, HOW THOSE THERMAL IMAGING CAMERAS WORK.
THIS IS OUR CONTINUOUS, UH, SYSTEM, UH, SOFTWARE MONITORING.
THIS IS KIND OF LOOKING AT THE ADAPTIVE.
WE CAN TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT EACH INTERSECTION IS DOING RIGHT NOW.
THOSE GREEN SQUARES ARE SHOWING THAT IT'S RUNNING PATTERN 30 AND THEY'RE IN A CONSTANT STATE.
UH, THE OTHERS IN THE RED ARE ALSO RUNNING PATTERN 30, BUT THERE IS SOME TRANSITION GOING ON THERE, THAT'S WHY IT'S IN RED.
AND THAT ALLOWS US TO TAKE A LOOK, HEY, SOMETHING'S GOING ON THERE WHERE SOMETHING'S GOING AT THAT SIGNAL, AND WE CAN TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT'S ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE OF THE SCREEN AND PULL UP AND, UH, DO A LITTLE BIT MORE, UH, DEEPER DIVE INTO THAT, UH, SITUATION.
THIS IS, UH, KIND OF THE REMOTE ACCESS THAT WE SEE ON OUR COMPUTERS WHEN WE'RE SITTING AT THE, UM, AT OUR DESK.
THIS IS TELLING US EVERYTHING THAT'S GOING ON IN THE CONTROLLERS.
UM, THIS IS SHOWING, UH, THE, THE CYCLE AND WHAT'S THE, THE TIMING ON IT.
THIS ONE'S RUNNING, UM, 183 SECOND CYCLE.
AND THE CYCLE IS THE AMOUNT OF TIME FROM WHEN IT TURNS RED TO WHEN IT COMES BACK TO RED.
SO THAT'S A CALLED CYCLE LENGTH.
UH, DOWN HERE IT'S SHOWING THAT WE HAVE DETECTION ON THESE LEGS AND IT'S SHOWING WHAT'S CURRENTLY GREEN AND WHAT'S RED.
AND, UH, IT JUST GIVES US AN OVERALL VIEW OF WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE SIGNAL.
UH, SO WHAT DID IS THE NEW SYSTEM VERSUS THE OLD SYSTEM WE'RE ABLE TO, UH, GET MORE VEHICLES PROGRESSING THROUGH THE INTERSECTION.
THAT WAS WHAT KIND OF THE GOAL WAS TO MOVE MAINLINE TRAFFIC MORE EFFICIENTLY.
AND SO THAT'S THE WAY THE, UH, PROGRAM, UH, THE COMPUTERS HAVE BEEN PROGRAMMED.
AND AGAIN, THE SIDE STREETS ARE, UH, BEING, UH, A LITTLE LESS PRIORITY, BUT WE'RE MOVING TRAFFIC ON THE MAIN LINE.
AND THAT'S BEEN THE PRIORITY OF HOW THE SYSTEM HAS BEEN DESIGNED, IS TO KEEP THE MAIN LINE TRAFFIC MOVING AND TO KEEP THE MAIN LINE TRAFFIC FROM STOPPING AS LESS AS AS POSSIBLE.
UM, KIND OF HOW WE SH KINDA SHOW THAT IS, UM, WITH THE TIME OF DAY PLANS, WE USED TO JUST SAY, HEY, DURING THIS PERIOD OF TIME, WE'RE RUNNING 120 SECOND CYCLE.
NOW WE COULD CHANGE THAT BASED ON, HEY, WE'RE GONNA RUN THAT CYCLE FOR THREE HOURS AND THEN WE'RE GONNA GO TO 150 SECOND CYCLE.
BUT WHAT WE WERE DOING IS SAYING, HEY, THIS IS WHAT THE AVERAGE TRAFFIC IS HERE, AND WE'RE, WE WERE GUESSING WITH THE ADAPTIVE, IT IS
[00:40:01]
ABLE TO TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT'S ACTUALLY GOING OUT THERE.AND IT IS CHANGING THE CYCLE LENGTHS AND THE AMOUNT OF TIME GIVEN TO EACH, UH, PHASE OF THE TRAFFIC.
AND IT'S CHANGING THAT 25 TO 45 TIMES A DAY.
WE'RE CHANGING IT ABOUT EVERY 20 MINUTES OR SO.
WE DON'T WANNA CHANGE IT EVERY TWO OR THREE MINUTES, OR THE SYSTEM WOULD NEVER CATCH UP WITH ITSELF.
SO AGAIN, INFORMATION IS OBTAINED, INFORMATION IS GOES UP TO THE CLOUD, WHERE THE CLOUD HAS OUR PROGRAM SITTING.
FOR THE ADAPTIVE SIDE OF THINGS, IT'S SAYING, HEY, LOOK, THIS IS WHAT'S GOING ON.
WE'VE GOT A LOT MORE TRAFFIC HERE THAN NORMAL.
HEY, WE'RE GOING TO INCREASE THE CYCLE LENGTH FROM 150 SECONDS TO 170 SECONDS.
SO OVER HERE ON THE, THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE SCREEN, UH, THESE ARE KIND OF THE OLD CYCLE LENGTHS.
WHEN WE DID THE BEFORE AND AFTER STUDY, THIS IS KIND OF THE MIN AND MAX TIMES THAT WE'RE RUNNING DURING THAT TIME PERIOD, UH, FOR THAT, UH, THOSE SIGNALS.
SO AGAIN, TYPICALLY THIS WAS 150 SECOND CYCLE.
WELL, WE'RE, WE CHANGED THAT BY RUNNING THE ADAPTIVE SYSTEM.
IT WENT FROM 140 TO 188 SECOND CYCLE.
SO WHAT'S THAT? WHAT'S THAT DOING? SO WHEN THERE WASN'T AS MUCH TRAFFIC, THERE WAS SHORTER CYCLE LENGTHS, PEOPLE WERE MOVING ON THE SIDE STREETS A LITTLE BIT FASTER FOR US.
HEY, WE HAVE A LOT MORE TRAFFIC HERE.
WE INCREASE THE CYCLE TIME TO 188 SECONDS.
WE'RE MOVING A LOT MORE MAINLINE TRAFFIC.
SO THAT, THAT'S KIND OF THE STORY OF THAT, UH, SLIDE.
WE ARE STILL WORKING ON THOSE DAY TO DAY.
THERESA AND I WORKED ON MAKING IMPROVEMENTS AT LUNCHTIME THE DAY TO AN INTERSECTION.
UH, DETECTION AND GROUNDING THESE, UH, IS VERY, UH, IMPORTANT TO US.
THESE SYSTEMS, THESE RADAR DETECTORS ARE VERY SENSITIVE TO ELECTRICAL STORMS. OKAY? AND ONE OF THE FIRST, THAT'S ONE OF THE FIRST THING WE REALIZED.
WE WORKED ON THAT, UH, THIS PAST SUMMER.
WE CONTINUED TO WORK ON THAT TO MAKE THAT DETECTION A LITTLE BIT MORE RELIABLE.
UH, WE TALKED TO THE CITY OF CHARLESTON WHO ALSO HAS THESE SAME RADAR DETECTORS, UH, A COUPLE WEEKS BACK.
AND WE'RE WORKING WITH THEM TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE DOING WHAT WE CAN TO MAKE IT AS BEST AS POSSIBLE.
HERE ON THE ISLAND, WE HAVE A COMMITMENT FROM THE, UH, EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURER AS WELL AS THE CONTRACTOR TO CONTINUE TO IMPROVE VEHICLE DETECTION AND VEHICLE, UH, FIELD OPERATIONS.
UH, THE, UH, CONTRACTOR WILL BE ON THE ISLAND AGAIN NEXT WEEK TO HELP ADDRESS SOME ADDITIONAL THINGS THAT WE WANNA MAKE BETTER OUT THERE.
UH, THE ADAPTIVE LOGARITHM, THAT'S KIND OF A COMPUTER SYSTEM THAT NEEDS UPDATES REGULARLY.
UH, AND AS THOSE UPDATES COME ONLINE, WE ARE UPDATING THEM AS WE GET 'EM.
IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT WE SAY, HEY, WE'LL WAIT TO VERSION SIX AND WE'LL STILL CON WORK ON VERSION THREE AS THEY COME OUT.
SOMETIMES WHEN THOSE ARE PUT IN, IT'S A COMPUTER SYSTEM, RIGHT? SOMETIMES THEY DON'T WORK EXACTLY AS THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO.
AND THEN WE WORK THROUGH THOSE ISSUES.
THE OLD SYSTEM WAS ABOUT 90% TRAFFIC ENGINEERING AND 10% IT.
RIGHT NOW WE'RE WORKING 70% IT AND ABOUT 30% TRAFFIC ENGINEERING.
SO THAT HAS CHANGED THE DYNAMICS OF HOW WE DEAL WITH THINGS.
BUT AGAIN, I THINK THAT'S FOR THE BETTER.
UM, AGAIN, CONTRACTOR IS HELPING US TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE THAT SYSTEM WIDE RELIABILITY.
AND, UH, WE ALSO HAVE ENGAGED A INDEPENDENT ENGINEERING FIRM THAT HAS, UH, GREAT ADAPTIVE TRAFFIC SIGNAL EXPERTISE TO ASSIST STAFF, UH, ON THE PERFORMANCE SIDE AND TO SEE IF THERE'S OTHER TWEAKS THAT WE SHOULD BE MAKING OUT THERE.
UM, WHAT'S NEXT? WE HAVE COLLABORATION WITH BEAUFORT COUNTY.
THEY HAVE HELPED US, UH, WITH THE FUNDING.
THIS WAS A $3.1 MILLION PROJECT.
UH, IT WAS FUNDED THROUGH, UH, UH, IMPACT FEES THAT WERE COLLECTED HERE ON THE ISLAND.
UH, WE ARE COLLABORATING WITH SC DOT, THEY'RE VERY INTERESTED IN THE SYSTEM.
THERE'S NOT MANY SYSTEMS LIKE THIS OUT THERE.
SO AGAIN, THEY'RE VERY INTERESTED TO SEE HOW OUR SYSTEM PERFORMS. FIBER OPTICS COMMUNICATION, THAT'S ONE THING THAT WOULD HELP US TREMENDOUSLY.
AGAIN, THAT'S, UH, THAT'S ABOUT A QUARTER OF OUR, UM, HOW THE SYSTEM IS MADE UP.
AND IF THE FIBER OPTICS AND THE COMMUNICATION TO THE CLOUD ISN'T WORKING, OBVIOUSLY OUR COMMUNICATION AND RUNNING ADAPTIVE ISN'T GOOD.
SO WHEN WE HAVE OUTAGES ON THAT, UH, UH, INTERNET SYSTEM, WE HAVE OUTAGES.
AND WHEN THAT HAPPENS, IT GOES BACK TO THOSE PRE-TIME MODES.
UM, AGAIN, WHAT CAN HAPPEN IN THE FUTURE? WELL, IT ADVANCED TRAVELER, UH, INFORMATION CONNECTED VEHICLES, AND THEN ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE.
UM, WANNA TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, UH, TRAFFIC VOLUMES OUT THERE.
[00:45:01]
IN, UH, EARLY PART OF APRIL THAT, UH, CAUSED THE, UM, INE CIRCLE TO LOCK UP A LITTLE BIT.UH, THERESA AND I AND THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT GOT OUT THERE AND DIRECTED TRAFFIC TO OPEN IT UP.
BUT, UH, JUST TO GIVE YOU A SENSE OF, UH, WHAT WENT ON THAT DAY, THAT'S THE SIXTH HIGHEST DAY OF TRAFFIC THAT WE HAD SINCE JANUARY 1ST, 2022.
SO AGAIN, THIS IS, UH, THE TOP 10 TRAFFIC DAYS OUT THERE.
THIS IS BASED ON THE FC DOT TRAFFIC, UH, COUNTS AT, UH, JENKINS ISLAND COMING ONTO THE ISLAND.
SO THIS DOESN'T ACCOUNT FOR ANYBODY THAT WAS ALREADY HERE AND MOVING INTERNALLY WITHIN THE ISLAND.
SO JUST TO GIVE YOU SOME INFORMATION THERE, UH, THERE WAS SOME QUESTIONS ALSO THAT CAME UP ABOUT, UH, WHAT HAPPENED THIS LAST, UH, MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND.
UH, UH, OBVIOUSLY WE WEREN'T IN THE TOP, UH, 10, BUT YOU CAN SEE THAT, UH, FRIDAY COMING ON, UH, BOTH LAST YEAR AND THIS YEAR, NOT TOO FAR OFF FROM THE TOP 10.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, WE HAD A LOT OF VISITORS ON SATURDAY AND SUNDAY AS COMPOSED TO, UH, WHAT THEY WERE THE YEAR BEFORE.
UH, ONE THING THAT, UH, WE DID A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THIS, UH, PAST YEAR WHEN WE DID OUR ANNUAL TRAFFIC COUNTS IS WE TOOK 13 HOUR COUNTS.
TRADITIONALLY, WE'VE TAKEN, UM, COUNTS IN THE A M PEAK AND THE PM PEAKS, AND WE DIDN'T SEE WHAT WAS GOING ON KIND OF IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DAY WITH THESE 13 HOUR COUNTS.
YOU CAN SEE IT IS WHAT I WOULD SAY IS A NON-TRADITIONAL COUNT.
NORMALLY YOU WOULD SEE A MORNING PEAK AND THEN IT WOULD GO DOWN A LITTLE BIT, PICK UP AT LUNCH, KIND LEVEL OFF, AND THEN PICK UP FOR THE P ON PEAK.
THIS VEHICLE TRAFFIC IS JUST CONSTANT.
IT BUILDS UP TO JUST BEFORE LUNCHTIME AND IT STAYS CONSTANT THROUGH LUNCHTIME AND IT JUST GETS A LITTLE BIT HEAVIER IN THE PM PEAK.
AND SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE FOUND OUT IS THE PM PEAK HOUR AT SOME INTERSECTIONS AREN'T THE TRADITIONAL FOUR TO 6:00 PM TIME.
SOME OF THEM ARE AT THE TWO TO THREE TO 4:00 PM TIMEFRAME.
SO AGAIN, THAT'S, UH, SOME OF THE INFORMATION ON TRAFFIC OUT THERE.
HAPPY TO ANSWER AS MANY QUESTIONS AS I CAN.
OKAY, WELL, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE GONNA GET SOME, I KNOW, IF Y'ALL DON'T MIND.
I I JUST WANNA ADDRESS A COUPLE THINGS BECAUSE WE'VE ALL RECEIVED, YOU KNOW, QUESTIONS, CONCERNS ABOUT THE FLOW OF IT.
AND, UM, THERE WAS AN EMAIL THAT WAS SENT FROM PORT ROYAL THAT MS. MCVAY ADDRESSED VERY WELL THAT REALLY WENT INTO THE DETAIL A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL INTO HOW AND WHY SOME OF THE LIGHTS CHANGED QUICKER.
AND I, AND I THOUGHT IT WAS A VERY INTERESTING POINT WHEN YOU'RE SITTING AT A LIGHT AND A CAR DOESN'T MOVE IN FRONT OF YOU AND ONLY TWO CARS GET THROUGH.
ALRIGHT, SO, UM, ONE OF THE BIGGEST, UM, THINGS THAT, UH, AFFECTS THE TRAFFIC SIGNALS IS DRIVER'S ATTENTION.
OKAY? SO WE HAVE RADAR DETECTION.
SO RADAR NEEDS THE VEHICLE TO MOVE SO THAT WE CAN PICK IT UP, OKAY? SO IF A VEHICLE IS LIGHT TURNS GREEN AND THE VEHICLE STAYS THERE AND NOT MOVING, THE RADAR DETECTOR SAYS NOBODY'S THERE.
I DON'T NEED TO GIVE ADDITIONAL GREEN TIME FOR THIS MOVEMENT TO GO.
SO WHAT IT DOES IT DO, IT TURNS IT RED QUICKER.
SO WE HAVE WHAT WE CALL ADVANCED DETECTORS.
SO GENERALLY AT EVERY INTERSECTION WE HAVE THE DETECTION AT THE STOP BAR, AND THEN WE PUT AN ADVANCED DETECTOR PROBABLY WHERE THE THIRD OR FOURTH CAR WOULD SIT, OKAY? AND THAT'S WHERE THESE RADARS ARE LOOKING FOR MOVEMENT TO EXTEND THE GREEN TIME, ESPECIALLY ON THE LEFT TURN PHASES FOR THE MAIN STREET AND ALL THE SIDE STREETS MOVEMENTS.
SO IF THAT THIRD OR FOURTH VEHICLE, WHEREVER THAT RADAR DETECTOR IS LOOKING ISN'T MOVING WITHIN A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF TIME, IT'S SAYING, HEY, NO ADDITIONAL TRAFFIC IS HERE.
WE'RE GOING TO TURN THE SIGNAL RED.
SO AGAIN, IF YOU CAN PAY ATTENTION, AND IT'S HARD, WE KNOW IT'S HARD TO PAY ATTENTION BECAUSE WE HAVE LONG CYCLE LENGTHS OUT THERE AND PEOPLE GET TO THE SIGNALS AND THEY SAY, HEY, I GOT LOTS OF TIME, AND THEN THEY GET DISTRACTED.
BUT AGAIN, IF WE CAN HAVE THAT CONSISTENT ATTENTION BY DRIVERS, THAT WILL HELP MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY THAT'S WAITING CAN GET THROUGH THE SIGNAL MORE EFFICIENTLY.
THE THE OTHER THINGS THAT, UH, WE HAVE DONE, AND THESE ARE SOME OF THE ADJUSTMENTS THAT THERESA AND DARREN HAS MADE OVER THE LAST COUPLE WEEKS, IS WE'VE DONE SOME, UM, CHANGES TO HOW WE'VE TRADITIONALLY DEALT WITH THAT IN THE SIGNAL TIMING.
AND AGAIN, WHAT HAS WORKED ON THE PAST SYSTEM IS NOT NECESSARILY THE BEST FOR THIS SYSTEM.
AND THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE LEARNED OVER THE LAST FIVE OR SIX MONTHS.
[00:50:01]
THE THINGS THAT WE'RE HOPING THAT THE, UH, ADAPTIVE, UH, EXPERT CONSULTANT CAN HELP US GET US UP TO SPEED A LITTLE BIT FASTER.UM, HOW OFTEN DO YOU TAKE OVER AND RUN IT MANUALLY? UM, AND IF YOU, IF YOU DON'T, WHY NOT? THERE ARE CERTAIN TIMES THAT THERESA SEES SOMETHING IF WE HAVE A LARGE QUEUE AND SHE WILL RUN IT MANUALLY.
SHE DID THAT TODAY OUT HERE IN WEXFORD.
SHE SAW SOMETHING THAT THAT WENT ON.
WE HAD TRAFFIC BACKED UP INTO THE CIRCLE, AND SO SHE TYPED IN SOME ADDITIONAL TIME FOR WEXFORD.
AND UH, SHE DID THAT FOR ABOUT A FOUR MINUTE PERIOD.
IT CLEARED OUT THE, THE TRAFFIC HERE IN WEXFORD AND THEN IT AS SHE, IT WENT BACK TO THE ORIGINAL TIMING.
SO AGAIN, AS WE SEE THOSE, YOU KNOW, WE TRY TO ADDRESS 'EM.
UH, AND AGAIN, SOME, SOME OF IT COMES FROM, UH, UH, THE PUBLIC OUT THERE THAT SAY, HEY, I WAS JUST HERE.
UH, YOU KNOW, I, THERE WAS ONLY THREE PEOPLE THAT GOT THROUGH THE LIGHT.
WHEN WE GET THOSE CALLS, THERESA AND I LOOK UP ON THAT, UH, COMPUTER SCREEN AND WE TAKE A LOOK AT IT AND WE SAY, IS THERE ANYTHING WE CAN DO? IS THERE SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO DO IMMEDIATELY TO CLEAR IT OUT? SO WHAT, WHAT TIME WAS THAT THAT THAT HAPPENED AT WEXFORD LIGHT? OKAY, THIS IS NOT STAGED Y'ALL AT ALL.
UM, BECAUSE I CAME TO THE WEXFORD LIGHT RIGHT ABOUT THAT TIMEFRAME, AND ONLY TWO CAR, UH, WELL TWO CARS GOT THROUGH BEFORE ME AND THEN IT'S, I STOPPED AND THEN ONLY THREE CARS GOT THROUGH BECAUSE THE TRUCK BEHIND ME HAD A TRAILER AND IT DIDN'T MOVE.
SO THAT'S, AND REALLY IT'S JUST NOT STAGED.
SO THAT'S WHAT CREATED THE BACKUP.
AND I KNEW THE BACKUP WAS GOING TO THE CIRCLE OF GOING BACK INTO WEXFORD SO THAT, OKAY.
AND AGAIN, WE DO NOT HAVE A FULL TRAFFIC OPERATIONS CENTER.
IT'S NOT MANNED 24 7 7, BUT AGAIN, WHEN WE GET THOSE COMPLAINTS, WE TAKE A LOOK AT IT, WE'RE ABLE TO LOOK AT THINGS REMOTELY.
YOU KNOW, IF THERE'S A CALL ON THE WEEKEND, THERESA USUALLY GETS ON AND TAKES A LOOK AT THINGS REMOTELY.
AND AGAIN, THERESA'S DONE A LOT OF HARD WORK TO MAKE THINGS THAT HAVE GONE ON OUT IN THE FIELD A LITTLE BIT BETTER FOR THOSE THAT ARE USING THE SYSTEM.
OTHER QUESTIONS, MS. BECKER? UM, WELL A COUPLE THINGS.
FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU FOR A GREAT PRESENTATION.
IT WAS EASY TO FOLLOW AND UNDERSTAND AND UM, APPARENTLY THE PROOF IS IN THE PUDDING AS WE JUST HEARD, UM, THAT IT WORKS WELL.
THERES, AND DARREN ARE THE BEST.
UM, AND WE APPRECIATE ALL OF THE EYES ON THE SCREENS, UM, DURING IT.
SO IT COSTS $3.1 MILLION, WHICH IMPACT FEES WERE USED TO PAY FOR.
IS THERE A SENSE OF ONGOING COSTS WITH THE CONSULTANT AND THE UPGRADES IN THE, THE EQUIPMENT, ET CETERA? I DO NOT KNOW THOSE RIGHT OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, BUT I'M SURE WE CAN PULL THOSE NUMBERS.
WELL, UM, OTHER THAN THAT QUESTION, UM, YOU ASKED FOR HELP AND UM, I'M ALL EARS.
OKAY, OTHER QUESTIONS, MS. PRICE? FIRST OF ALL, I ALSO THINK THANK YOU VERY MUCH AND I, I REMEMBER WHEN THERE WAS FIRST PRESENTATIONS TODAY WAS ALSO HERE.
WE WERE SEEING THE SCREEN WITH ALL THE LITTLE SCREENS IN.
UM, AND I APPRECIATE THAT WE DON'T HAVE MORE STUFF EVEN THOUGH SOME FOLKS MIGHT LIKE WE DO.
UM, KNOW THAT, UH, OUR INDEPENDENT, UH, ENGINEERING CONSULTANT FOR THE 2 78 QUARTER PROJECT, UH, WAS LOOKING AT OUR SYSTEM TO SEE ABOUT RECOMMENDATIONS FOR IMPROVEMENT.
UH, DO YOU HAVE A REPORT FROM THEM YET ABOUT, UH, ANY SUGGESTIONS FOR IMPROVEMENT? OKAY, NOT AT THIS TIME, BUT I, I KNOW THEY'RE WORKING ON IT.
THINK WE NEED TO FOLLOW UP ON THAT ONE, UH, BECAUSE WE ALREADY
SO, UM, THEN, UM, THE RESPONSE IS
UM, AND UM, I, I KNOW A LOT OF FOLKS USE THE EITHER MY HHI OR THE PHONE NUMBER, AND I THINK THAT'S VERY HELPFUL.
WE POSTED ON OUR WEBSITE SO FOLKS KNOW, UH, HOW TO CONTACT SOMEONE ABOUT THAT, BUT I HAD SOME COMPLAINTS ABOUT, UM, WHENEVER THERE'S AN INQUIRY THEN THERE'S A RESPONSE SAYS THAT'S HOW IT'S SUPPOSED TO WORK.
UM, AND THEN THEY TRY TO FOLLOW UP AND AREN'T ABLE TO FOLLOW UP.
UM, SO I THINK IF THEY COULD JUST CHECK ON OUR RESPONSES AND, AND HOW THAT'S WORKING.
UM, THE, UM, THE OTHER THING THAT YOU, UH, LIKE YOU TOUCHED ON, AND THAT IS THE ANSWER ISSUES LAST SUMMER STORM, UH, INTERRUPTION IN THE SYSTEM, I GUESS, AND IT SOUNDS LIKE WE'RE
[00:55:01]
TRYING TO ADDRESS THE LOOSE, I I'M HOPEFUL THAT WE'RE NOT GONNA HAVE THE SAME KIND OF ISSUES THIS SUMMER.UM, THE MANUFACTURER HAS, UH, DELIVERED TO US SOME BETTER, MORE, UH, ELECTRICAL RESISTANT UNITS.
ACTUALLY THOSE CAME IN, UH, YESTERDAY,
AND WE ACTUALLY HAD 'EM PUT UP ON SATURDAY.
UM, OBVIOUSLY THAT WE HAVEN'T REPLACED ALL THE UNITS THAT ARE OUT THERE.
AND AGAIN, THAT'S WHY WE CONTACTED THE CITY OF CHARLESTON TO SEE IF THEY HAVE ANY, UH, ADVICE FOR US.
AND AGAIN, THAT, UH, TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT GROUNDING IS AS BEST AS POSSIBLE WILL MAKE THAT DETECTION MORE RELIABLE.
AND AGAIN, THIS SYSTEM IS BASED ON DETECTION.
IF THE DETECTION ISN'T WORKING, THE SYSTEM DOESN'T WORK.
SO AGAIN, WE KNOW THAT IS THE MOST CRITICAL AND WE'RE WORKING OUR BEST TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S THE MOST RELIABLE WE CAN POSSIBLY MAKE IT.
CERTAINLY IN THE SUMMER WHEN YOU, I MEAN WE HAVE A LOT OF TRAFFIC NOW ANYWAY IT SEEMS, BUT IN THE SUMMER WE HAVE EVEN MORE TRAFFIC AND SO IT'S ESPECIALLY CRITICAL THAT WE HAVE A SYSTEM THAT OPERATES WELL.
UM, AND, AND WHEN THE SYSTEMS DO FAIL DUE TO SOME SORT OF, UH, SUMMER ELECTRICAL STORM, THEN DOES THAT GO BACK TO THE UM, UH, I FORGOT WHAT YOU CALL IT, THE, THE TIMING SEQUENCE? THE OLD I, I COMPARE IT TO MY THERMOSTAT AT HOME.
UM, YOU KNOW, IF I WANT IT IN THE MORNING AT A CERTAIN DEGREE AND IN THE EVENING AT A CERTAIN DEGREE, I CAN DO THAT, BUT I CAN'T DURING THE DAY KEEP, I DON'T HAVE A SYSTEM THAT CHANGES IT BASED ON THE AMBIENT AIR AROUND ME.
SO, UM, SO OUR SYSTEM CHANGES BASED ON AMBIENT AIR AROUND US, AS I UNDERSTAND, AS OPPOSED TO LIKE A, A TUBE.
UH, SO IF THERE IS PART OF THE SYSTEM THAT ISN'T WORKING DETECTION, IF THERE IS SOMETHING GOING ON WITH THE, UH, PEDESTRIAN BUTTONS THAT AREN'T WORKING RIGHT OR THE DETECTION THERE, IT GOES BACK TO A PRE-TIME SYSTEM.
AND AGAIN, THAT GENERATES A LOT OF PHONE CALLS OF, HEY, I'M SITTING AT THIS LIGHT, THERE'S NOBODY COMING.
WHY DIDN'T IT CHANGED? IT DIDN'T CHANGE BECAUSE WE'RE PROBABLY IN A PRE-TIME MODE BECAUSE THERE WAS A PART OF THE SYSTEM HAS FAILED AND THAT IS OUR FAIL SAFE OPERATION.
IF SOMETHING'S NOT OPERATING RIGHT, WE GOTTA MAKE SURE THAT WE GIVE EVERYBODY A APPROPRIATE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THEIR TURN.
AND THAT'S PEDESTRIANS AS WELL AS VEHICLE TRAFFIC.
THANK YOU FOR HELPING ME OUT WITH THAT.
UM, UH, DO WE HAVE ANY DATA ON WHICH ARE BUSIEST OR MOST TROUBLESOME INTERSECTIONS? SEEMS LIKE THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO KNOW.
I KNOW THERE'S A, YOU JUST RECENTLY SENT TO THE TOWN COUNCIL THAT VERY LENGTHY REPORT THAT THE PLANNING COMMISSION, UH, RECEIVED AS WELL.
UM, BUT IT MIGHT BE HELPFUL TO KNOW, YOU KNOW, WHERE ARE, UM, BUSIEST INTERSECTIONS WHERE SOME OF THE ISSUES ARE.
UM, SEE IF THERE'S ANOTHER WAY TO ADDRESS THEM.
WE CAN ASK YOU FOR HELP ON THAT.
UM, THEN THE OTHER, UH, DATA THAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IS, UM, YOU GAVE SOME BEFORE AND AFTER DATA, WHICH I, I'M SORRY, I I I DON'T UNDERSTAND IT.
I JUST, IT'S YOUR LIKELIHOOD NOT MINE AND I'M SORRY I COULDN'T UNDERSTAND IT.
UM, BUT I THINK IT'D BE HELPFUL PARTICULARLY, UM, TO LOOK AT BEFORE AND AFTER STATS THE FOLLOWING THREE INTERSECTIONS DURING PEAK AM AND PEAK PM TIMES.
AND THOSE ARE SMART FOLK, SPANISH WILLS AND GUMTREE.
BUT I'D LIKE TO SEE BEFORE THE NEW SYSTEM WAS PUT IN AND AT, AFTER THE NEW SYSTEM IS IN, WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE IN THE PERFORMANCE AT THOSE INTERSECTIONS FOR AM TIME AND PM TIME? SO, SO I, I CAN TALK SOME GENERAL NUMBERS OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD.
I DON'T HAVE THOSE SPECIFIC MEMORIZED, BUT, UH, ONE OF THE, UM, DATA THINGS THAT WE LOOK AT IS ARRIVAL ON GREEN FOR THE MAIN MAINLINE.
AND WHAT WE SAW ONCE WE PUT THE SYSTEM IN IS THERE WAS MORE VEHICLES ARRIVING ON GREEN TIME THROUGH INTERSECTIONS THROUGHOUT THE ISLAND ON THE MAIN FOR THE LANE MAINLINE MOVEMENT.
AND THAT HIT WAS DEFINITELY BETTER.
UM, I'M GOING TO TALK OFF MY TOP OF MY HEAD.
IT WAS AROUND 70%, WHICH MEANT THAT THE EXISTING SYSTEM WAS WORKING REALLY GOOD IN THAT MANNER.
THIS IMPROVED IT TO, I BELIEVE AROUND A 73%, A TWO TO 3% INCREASE IN ARRIVAL ON GREEN.
AND THAT'S VERY SIGNIFICANT WHEN YOU TAKE A LOOK AT OVERALL DELAY FOR ALL USERS AND OVERALL DELAY FOR ALL USERS.
AGAIN, THERE MIGHT BE SOME ADDITIONAL DELAY FOR THE SIDE STREETS, BUT IF YOU TAKE A LOOK AT THE OVERALL DELAY FOR ALL USERS, THAT WAS IMPROVED, UH, WITH THE SYSTEM OVERALL DELAY FOR THE WHOLE SYSTEM.
THE WHOLE SYSTEM, NOT FOR SPECIFIC INTERSECTIONS.
UM, AND, AND THEN, UM, THE LAST QUESTION I HAVE IS THAT I APOLOGIZE, I'LL WATCH PROBABLY TOO MUCH SBI AND SEEING ALL THE DATA THEY CAN HAVE IN THE DOCK, BUT
[01:00:01]
I'M JUST ASKING IF THERE IS A WAY TO COLLECT DATA FROM THIS SYSTEM SO THAT WE CAN IMPROVE INTERSECTIONS.
THERE, THERE IS DATA AVAILABLE AND WE'RE USING THAT AND, AND AGAIN, THAT WILL IMPACT BOTH SAFETY FOR BOTH VEHICLES AND PEDESTRIANS.
AND WE WILL USE THAT, UH, FOR RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FUTURE IMPROVEMENTS.
THANK YOU MR. MAY I LET YOU KNOW, UM, I FOLLOW UP PRICING GOING, UM, THIS IS 3 MILLION INVESTMENT.
UM, WE WANT TO UNDERSTAND THE METRICS BEHIND IMPROVEMENT.
I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT JUST TO BE ABLE TO, TO THE PUBLIC.
UM, SO AS I APPRECIATE THE CLASS SYSTEM WHATNOT, UNDERSTANDING THE IMPROVEMENT AND THE RETURN OF INVESTMENT PROBABLY GO WITH FUTURE ATIONS.
UM, SECONDLY, UM, BUT I'M HEARING A COUPLE PRIORITIES FOCUS COUNCIL.
UH, ONE IS THE GENERAL HARBOR LIKE
AND THEN SECONDLY, I'M CURIOUS ABOUT, AS YOU MENTIONED SOME OF SYSTEMS ENGINEERING.
UM, I'D LIKE TO LEARN A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE POINT TO POINT AND RELIABILITY OF THAT VERSUS
AND AGAIN, THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO DISCUSS TODAY, BUT SUPPORT WE THINK ABOUT BECAUSE IT MAY BE FUTURE TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS THING YES.
OTHER COMMENTS? I HAVE JUST ONE, AND I WANNA MAKE, I WAS GOING TO SAY IT, BUT ALEX TOUCHED ON IT.
I JUST WANNA MAKE IT CLEAR TO EVERYONE THAT THE WINDMILL HARBOR LIGHT IS NOT CURRENTLY A PART OF THIS SYSTEM.
SO ALL OF THE ISSUES WITH THE WINDMILL HARBOR LIGHT ARE NOT RELATED TO TOWN HILTON HEAD AND THE, UM, TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT PROGRAM THAT WE HAVE IN PLACE.
BUT I AGREE, AND I KNOW I'VE SAID IT, UM, PRIVATELY THAT WE NEED TO SEE ABOUT WHAT WE CAN DO AND HOW FAST WE CAN DO IT TO GET THAT WINDMILL HARBOR LIGHT BROUGHT IN.
SO, JIM, LAST YEAR WE HAD AN ISSUE AT SQUIRE POPE AND THAT'S 'CAUSE WE COULDN'T FIND A FLOPPY DISK DRIVE TO PUT INTO THAT OLD SYSTEM THAT WE HAD.
UM, SO IN YOUR ASSESSMENT, HOW MUCH HAS TRAFFIC IMPROVED FROM THE OLD SYSTEM TO THIS NEWER SYSTEM? AND, AND I'M GONNA TAKE IT ONE STEP FURTHER.
HOW MUCH BETTER CAN IT GET? SO I CAME TO THE ISLAND APRIL 1ST OF LAST YEAR, SO I CAN'T GIVE YOU A HOW MUCH BETTER IT IS, BUT I KNEW THAT WAS GONNA COME UP.
SO I ASKED DARREN TODAY AT ABOUT ONE 30 THIS AFTERNOON.
I SAID, DARREN, IF YOU HAD YOUR CHOICE, WHAT OPERATES BETTER? THE NEW SYSTEM OR THE OLD SYSTEM? AND DARREN DIDN'T HESITATE TO SAY IT'S THE NEW SYSTEM AND HE WOULDN'T, YOU KNOW, HE WOULDN'T GO BACK TO THE OLD SYSTEM AND YOU CAN TALK TO HIM ABOUT WHY HE SAID THAT, BUT I JUST NEEDED THAT SHORT ANSWER 'CAUSE I NEEDED THAT CONFIDENCE TO COME UP HERE TO TALK TO YOU.
AND, UH, SO THAT IS, THERE IS MORE IMPROVEMENT IN THE RELIABILITY AND THAT'S WHAT STAFF IS WORKING ON RIGHT NOW IS THAT RELIABILITY AND STAFF IS ALSO WORKING ON MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE THE APPROPRIATE THINGS IN THE COMPUTER FOR THE SYSTEM.
WE HAVE RIGHT NOW WHAT WE DID IS WE TOOK THE OLD SYSTEM AND WE PUT THAT IN THE NEW SYSTEM AND THOSE ARE TWO DIFFERENT SYSTEMS, BUT THAT'S THE QUICKEST WAY WE COULD GET IT UP AND RUNNING.
SO WHAT SOME OF THE THINGS THAT THERESA IS WORKING ON NOW AND WITH THE HELP OF DARREN AND I IS TO MAKE SOME CHANGES TO THAT OF WHAT WORKED IN THE PAST IS NOT NECESSARILY WHAT'S WORKING WOULD WORK THE BEST FOR US NOW.
AND SO THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON THE LAST, ESPECIALLY LAST SIX WEEKS, TWO MONTHS.
AND AGAIN, THIS, THIS HAS BEEN AN OPERATION FOR SIX MONTHS AND AGAIN, THERE'S A LOT OF IMPROVEMENTS THAT WE CAN STILL MAKE AND, UH, WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO MAKE THOSE.
MR. JAMES, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING? JIM, YOU PROVOKED A QUESTION.
UM, THIS KIND OF SYSTEM WORKING OPTIMALLY SOMEWHERE ELSE? OR ARE WE, UH, DEVELOPING A, UH, APPROACH TO TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT IN SORT OF AN EXPERIMENTAL
[01:05:01]
STAGE? I WOULD SAY IT'S A LITTLE OF BOTH BECAUSE EACH SYSTEM IS DIFFERENT AND IT, IT MATTERS WHERE YOU'RE AT WITH IT, BUT THERE IS PROVEN TECHNOLOGY OUT THERE THAT CAN HELP US MAKE IT BETTER.SO WE'RE RELYING ON YOUR EXPERTISE AND THE CONSULTANTS WE USE TO ACCELERATE, EXPEDITE OUR IMPROVEMENT AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.
YOU KNOW, WE, WE KNOW THAT Y'ALL GET A PLETHORA OF COMPLAINTS.
UM, YOU KNOW, THE TWO RED HERONS ARE PARKING IN IN TRAFFIC, RIGHT? SO, SO WE KNOW THAT Y'ALL GET A LOT OF, OF PUSHBACK, BUT I, BUT I DO WANT EVERYBODY TO KNOW THAT THEY'RE WORKING HARD ON IT AND THERE'S A, THAT'S ONE REASON WHY WE'RE HAVING THIS TODAY.
SO THE PUBLIC CAN HEAR, YOU KNOW, AS TO WHAT Y'ALL KNOW THAT'S NOT WORKING AND WHAT YOU'RE DOING TO MAKE IT BETTER.
SO NEXT UP ON THE AGENDA, WE HAVE THE 2024 ANNUAL UPDATE OF THE COMMUNITY RATING SYSTEMS FOR PUBLIC INFORMATION.
UM, IF I MAY ALSO, UH, ADDRESS THE, THE NEXT ITEM AS WELL, UM, THE HAZARD MITIGATION PLAN AT THE SAME TIME, I WOULD WELCOME THAT, UH, BOTH OF THESE ITEMS ARE FOR THEIR ANNUAL EVALUATIONS OF BOTH THE PROGRAM FOR PUBLIC INFORMATION AND THE LOW COUNTRY NATURAL HAZARD MITIGATION PLAN.
UM, BOTH OF THESE UPDATES ARE REQUIRED TO BE PRESENTED TO TOWN COUNCIL ANNUALLY FOR CONTINUED PARTICIPATION IN OUR COMMUNITY RATING SYSTEM PROGRAM FOR WHICH OUR CITIZENS RECEIVED 25% DISCOUNT ON THEIR FLOOD INSURANCE PREMIUMS. THESE DOCUMENTS WERE INCLUDED IN YOUR PACKET TODAY.
UM, THERE ARE NO MAJOR CHANGES FROM EITHER DOCUMENT FROM, UH, THIS YEAR'S ANNUAL EVALUATION.
UM, I'D ALSO LIKE TO THANK SHERRY MENDRICK, OUR FLOODPLAIN ADMINISTRATOR.
SHE'S THE PREPARER OF BOTH OF THESE DOCUMENTS AND, UM, IS THE ADMINISTRATOR OF OUR COMMUNITY RATING SYSTEM PROGRAM.
I'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS FOR YOU TODAY IF YOU HAVE ANY ON THESE TWO DOCUMENTS, ANY QUESTIONS YOU WANT.
UM, WELL THAT KIND OF COVERED BOTH OF THE UPDATES.
UH, NEXT UP WE'LL HAVE APPEARANCE BY CITIZENS.
UH, I'D LIKE TO REMIND OUR CITIZENS THAT SECTION TWO DASH FIVE 70 OF THE TOWN'S CODE LIMITS EACH PERSON THAT THE THREE MINUTES WHEN ADDRESSING TOWN COUNCIL, AT THE END OF THE THREE MINUTES, YOU'RE ASKED TO CONCLUDE YOUR COMMENTS.
PLEASE MAINTAIN A DECORUM SUITABLE FOR THE MEETING AND REFRAIN FROM USING ANY PROFANE, ABUSIVE, OR OBSCENE LANGUAGE.
IF YOU HAVE ANY MATERIALS YOU'D LIKE TO GIVE TO TOWN COUNCIL, PLEASE GIVE THEM TO THE TOWN CLERK AFTER YOU ARE FINISHED SPEAKING.
I KNOW WE HAVE SOME FOLKS SIGNED UP FOR SOME AGENDA ITEMS, BUT DO WE HAVE ANYBODY SIGNED UP FOR GENERAL APPEARANCES? I'VE GOT FOUR PEOPLE SIGNED UP, UM, FROM WHAT I CAN TELL, THREE OF 'EM ARE FOUR AGENDA ITEMS. TERRANCE HERON? NO.
AND THEN MELINDA TURNER, DO YOU WANNA WAIT UNTIL THE OKAY.
AND THEN BEN VAUGHT WENT AWAY UNTIL AFTER THE PRESENT? YEAH.
ALRIGHT, BEAR WITH ME FOR ONE MOMENT, PLEASE.
WE WILL NOW MOVE TO THE SECOND AND FINAL READING, THE CONSIDERATION OF AN ORDINANCE.
WITH THAT, WE WILL NOW HEAR THE SECOND OF FINAL READING OF OUR PROPOSED ORDINANCE ADOPTING THE CONSOLIDATED MUNICIPAL BUDGET FOR THE TOWN OF HILTON HEAD ISLAND FOR FISCAL YEAR 2025, ENDING JUNE 32, 2025.
MAY, COULD I ASK A PROCEDURAL QUESTION? IT SAYS PUBLIC HEARING AND SECOND AND FINAL READING.
SO THE PRESENTATION, THEN THE PUBLIC HEARING.
THEN WE'LL GO UP TO THE PUBLIC HEARING AT THE END.
MAKING SURE I'M NOT ING AFTERNOON.
UH, VERY PLEASED TO BE BACK HERE AFTER A A LITTLE BIT OF WORK THAT WE'VE DONE TOGETHER.
UM, ON OUR, ON OUR BUDGET PRESENTATION, I'M GOING TO JUMP THROUGH A FIRST FEW SLIDES SIMPLY TO SHOW US, UH, THAT AS WE SET OUT TO ESTABLISH THE FY 25 CONSOLIDATED BUDGET, WE WERE CLEAR ON OUR STATED GOALS.
UM, DELIVER TOWN COUNCIL STRATEGIC ACTION PLAN PRIORITIES.
WE KNOW WHAT THOSE TOP 15 ARE.
WE KNOW THAT AS WE ARE BUDGETING, WE ARE ALWAYS MINDFUL OF OUR STRATEGIC PLAN AS IT'S INFLUENCED THE BUDGET.
AND THE BUDGET INFLUENCES OUR STRATEGIC PLAN PRIORITIES.
[01:10:02]
WE PROVIDED THAT WE WOULD, UH, HAVE WORLD CLASS SERVICE FACILITIES, LEISURE AND RECREATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES.WE PROVIDE SERVICES IN THE MOST COST EFFECTIVE MANNER WHILE PROTECTING THE HIGH LEVEL OF SERVICE QUALITY.
PROVIDE FOR ENHANCED CUSTOMER SERVICE, INNOVATION AND EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT, INVEST IN IMPACTFUL CAPITAL PROJECTS AND COMMUNITY INFRASTRUCTURE, PROVIDE COMMUNITY AND ENVIRONMENTALLY ENVIRONMENTAL VITALITY TO PRESERVE THE TOWN'S CHARACTER WHILE PROMOTING A SENSE OF PRIDE FOR OUR CITIZENS.
AND OF COURSE, AS, AS WE'VE ALWAYS STATED, AS I'VE, AS I'VE STATED, YEAR OVER YEAR, WE USE THE BUDGET, THE CONSOLIDATED BUDGET AS A CATALYST TO IMPLEMENT POSITIVE CHANGE AND IMPROVEMENT.
SOUTH CAROLINA REQUIRES TOWN COUNCIL ADOPT AN ANNUAL BALANCE BUDGET ORDINANCE PRIOR TO JULY ONE, ANNUAL BUDGET IS ADOPTED IN CONJUNCTION WITH FEEDBACK WITH COUNCIL.
WE'VE MET, WE'VE TALKED, UM, WE'VE SPOKE, UH, IN DEPTH BEFORE.
FIRST READING, I'VE MET WITH MY DEPARTMENT HEADS, UH, MANY TIMES AS WE PREPARED THE BUDGET.
UM, WE HAD FIRST READING WITH A PUBLIC HEARING.
WE HAD TWO WORKSHOPS AND WE'RE HERE HERE TONIGHT.
AND SO TONIGHT I'LL REALLY ASK YOU FOR A, A CONSIDERATION FOR A SECOND AND FINAL READING.
AND TONIGHT HAS ALSO BEEN ADVERTISED AS A PUBLIC HEARING, THE PROPOSED BUDGET.
UH, AND WE'VE SEEN THIS $166,936,866, A GENERAL FUND OF CLOSE TO 61 MILLION, 60,000,924, A DEBT SERVICE FUND OF 16,700,000, A CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT FUND OF 74 MILLION, 74.3 MILLION.
AND YOU'LL SEE THAT THE LARGEST PER DOLLAR CHANGE AND PERCENT CHANGE IN OUR BUDGET IS YEAR OVER YEAR AND $19 MILLION MORE IN CIP THIS YEAR THAN LAST.
AND YOU'LL SEE THE NOTE AT THE BOTTOM, 16 POINT A HALF OF THAT 16.5 MILLION OF THAT IS TO ACTIVATE AND MOBILIZE AND START TOWARDS OUR BEACH RENOURISHMENT MA MAJOR YEAR, BIG YEAR FOR THE NEXT TWO YEARS AS WE RENOURISH OUR BEACH.
YOU ALSO SEE IN HERE THE STORMWATER UTILITY FUND OF 7.5 MILLION, UH, GULLAH GEECHEE, HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOOD COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION FUND OF 3.4 MILLION, AND A HOUSING FUND OF $4 MILLION.
WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE SIX FUNDS AND THOSE FUNDS I'VE EXPLAINED TO YOU.
SO I WILL, WE'LL JUMP THROUGH A FEW OF THESE TODAY.
BUT OUR GENERAL FUND INCLUDES OUR BASIC OPERATIONS, WHICH IS INCLUSIVE OF PUBLIC SAFETY, INTERAGENCY PARTNERSHIP FUNDING, AND REALLY ALL OF THE TOWN'S OPERATIONS, ALL SUPPORTIVE DEPARTMENTS, PERSONNEL, FACILITY MAINTENANCE, AND SO ON, SO FORTH.
PRIMARY SOURCES OF REVENUE, PROPERTY TAXES, BUSINESS LICENSE, LOCAL A TAX AND PERMIT FEES.
MAJORITY OF THE REVENUES ARE FROM BUSINESS LICENSING, LOCAL ACCOMMODATIONS, PROPERTY TAXES AND HOSPITALITY FEES, AND A FULL MENU OF OTHER VERY, UH, WELL PLACED REVENUE STREAMS. OUR PROPOSED GENERAL FUND BUDGET REVENUES OF $60.9 MILLION ARE, AS YOU CAN SEE, THE MAJORITY OF THOSE FUNDS ARE PROPERTY TAXES AT 18 MILLION.
LOCAL ACCOMMODATIONS, TAXES AT 6.8 MILLION, BUSINESS LICENSES, 12.2 MILLION, SOME PERMIT FEES, PUBLIC SAFETY EMS FEES, PRIOR YEAR FUNDS, AND THEN THE TRANSFERS IN.
WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THE TRANSFERS IN AT FIRST READING AS WELL AS WORKSHOP.
AND WE'RE BLESSED TO HAVE THOSE TRANSFERS IN THE BEACH.
PRESERVATION FEES, THE HOSPITALITY FEE, STATE ACCOMMODATIONS, TAXES, SHORT TERM RENTAL FEE, I WOULD SAY MOST OF WHICH IS VISITOR GENERATED REVENUES THAT HELP OUR GENERAL OPERATIONS ACROSS THE BOARD.
SO OUR REVENUE HIGHLIGHTS NO CHANGE IN GENERAL FUND MILLAGE AFTER A REDUCTION FROM 17.2 TO 15 NINE IN FISCAL YEAR 24.
OUR BUSINESS LICENSE REVENUES REMAIN STRONG.
AND, AND I WILL GO BACK AND SHARE WITH YOU THAT WE HAVE STARTED TO COMPRESS OUR REVENUE PROJECTIONS, BUT STILL TRYING TO REMAIN.
WERE SOMEWHERE IN THE FY 23 ACTUALS AS WE STARTED TO LOOK AT OUR REVENUES.
BUT YOU'LL SEE THE BUSINESS LICENSE REVENUES REMAIN STRONG.
OUR SHORT TERM RENTAL PERMIT FEE OF $1.8 MILLION IS USED FOR SOFTWARE CODE ENFORCEMENT, FIRE INSPECTIONS AND LEGAL, SOME OTHER HIGHLIGHTS, HOSPITALITY TAX FUNDING OF 6.3 MILLION.
THAT'S AN INCREASE OF 1.1 OVER LAST YEAR.
AND THAT IS TO ACCOMMODATE OR, UH, TO SUPPORT THE, WELL, OF COURSE, THE LEASE PAYMENTS AND THE FIRETRUCKS AS WE TALKED ABOUT, BUT ALSO THE BEACH PARKING PROGRAM.
WE, UH, WE'VE TALKED AT WORKSHOP THAT WE TOOK A MILLION DOLLARS OF HOSPITALITY
[01:15:01]
TAX FUND BALANCE AND PLEDGED IT TOWARDS THE BEACH PARKING PROGRAM AT THIS TIME.AND THEN PRIOR YEAR, UN UNSPENT FUNDS RIGHT FROM THIS CURRENT YEAR'S BUDGET INTO NEXT YEAR AS A TRANSFER OF $1.2 MILLION FOR ONE TIME PROJECTS, DISTRICT PLANS, AND THOSE LMO CODE AMENDMENTS THAT WE INTEND TO BRING TO A CLOSURE.
OUR GENERAL FUND RESERVE POLICY LIMITS, UH, TOWN COUNCIL RAISED THE FUND POLICY LIMITS IN 18 20 18 AND THEN AGAIN IN 2023, AND MOST RECENTLY IN 2023, THEY WERE RAISED TO A CEILING OF 55% IN A, IN A, IN A BASEMENT OF 40%.
AND YOU'LL SEE THAT OUR ACTUALS ARE, ARE RIGHT IN LINE WITH OUR, WITH, WITH, WITH THE 55% GOAL.
MOST OF GENERAL FUND IS SALARIES AND BENEFITS OPERATING, UH, OF COURSE MAKES UP CLOSE TO 30% IN THE CONTRACTED PUBLIC SAFETY AND AFFILIATED AGENCY FUNDING.
YOU'LL SEE THAT SALARY AND BENEFITS ARE 63% OF OUR BUDGET, WHERE THE OPERATING IS IS 28.3%.
AND I'M GONNA GET THROUGH THIS WITH PACE UNLESS YOU, UNLESS YOU WANT ME TO SLOW DOWN.
BUT WE'VE SEEN THIS, UH, UH, TWO OR THREE TIMES NOW.
WE HAVE TWO HUNDRED, A HUNDRED EIGHTY ONE FULL-TIME, 17 PART-TIME EMPLOYEES IN THIS FISCAL YEAR 25 PROPOSED BUDGET.
THAT MEANS THAT NO NEW FULL-TIME OR PART-TIME POSITION REQUESTS HAVE BEEN MADE.
THREE FTES AND ONE OPEN PTE POSITIONS HAVE BEEN ELIMINATED.
UM, THIS BUDGET ALSO PROVIDES THE SUPPORT FOR STAFF.
THE UP TO 4% PERFORMANCE BASE, 11% MANDATED MEDICAL HOLIDAY PAY, UH, EMPLOYEE PAY TIME OFF, UM, BUYBACK AT 37 AND A HALF HOUR, UH, CAP OR MAX SUPPORTS STAFF 401K CONTRIBUTION, MANDATED POLICE RETIREMENT CONTRIBUTION SUCCESSION PLANNING, AND SOME PART-TIME SUPPORT FOR VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS, PARTICULARLY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, CODE ENFORCEMENT, BEACH OPERATIONS, CULTURAL AFFAIRS WON'T GET THROUGH ALL THIS, BUT I KNOW THAT WE TALKED ABOUT SOME OF THESE AT, UH, AT OUR WORKSHOP.
SEASONAL EMPLOYEES, ESPECIALLY IN THIS YEAR, PARKING AND BEACH AMBASSADORS, I THINK IS PRETTY IMPORTANT FOR US TO HAVE SOME ADDITIONAL HELP THAT WE DON'T NEED YEAR ROUND, BUT WE NEED IN THE SUMMERTIME IN THOSE PEAK SEASONS, TOWN COUNCIL TALKED ABOUT AT THE WORKSHOP, INCREASING TOTAL COMPENSATION FOR, FOR YOU 15% TO ACCOUNT FOR INFLATION.
THE LAST TIME THAT CHANGED WAS MORE OR LESS, 2012.
UH, WE'VE HAD SIGNIFICANT INCREASES IN FIRE RESCUE CALLS FOR SERVICE SINCE 2021.
THOSE CALLS FOR SERVICE HAVE BEEN, UM, CALIBRATED AND RESPONDED TO WITH ADDITIONAL PEOPLE, MORE EQUIPMENT, ADDITIONAL INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY.
AND THOSE FUNDS ARE REMAINING IN OUR BUDGET TO SUPPORT FIRE RESCUE AND AGAIN, SHORT TERM RENTAL PUBLIC SAFETY HOURS.
WE'VE EXPANDED OUR PUBLIC SAFETY TEAM OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS AND THIS BUDGET CONTINUES TO SUPPORT THE STAFF, THE TEAM, AND THE 8:00 AM TO 9:00 PM I TALKED TO BOB ON THE WEEKEND AS WE DROVE AROUND AND LOOKED AT PARKING.
THEY'RE, THEY'RE THERE OFTEN EVEN IN THE SUMMERTIME TILL AFTER 10 O'CLOCK.
AFTER 10 30 WHEN THE NOISE ORDINANCE DOESN'T ALLOW, UH, LOUD MUSIC AND DIRT CERTAIN PLACES AND MAKING SURE THE PARKS CLOSE AND ARE EMPTIED PROPERLY.
ENHANCED LANDSCAPE LIGHTING AND SOLID WASTE RECYCLING AND PARK MAINTENANCE.
AND THEN OF COURSE, BEACH PARK ENHANCEMENTS.
WE WILL HAVE THIS HERE AT TOWN WIDE LITTER PATROL CONTRACT AND, AND SERVICES.
WE HAVEN'T HAD THAT TRADITIONALLY IN THE PAST.
WE'VE, WE'VE KIND OF SIDE HUSTLED THAT WHILE WE'RE PICKING UP TRASH.
UH, WE WERE ALSO CUTTING GRASS AND LIMBS THIS YEAR.
I THINK WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO, WITH THIS BUDGET, BIFURCATE THOSE AND, AND TREAT TRASH AS A WHOLE DIFFERENT, UH, WHOLE DIFFERENT, UH, EXERCISE SOLID WASTE RECYCLING.
THERE'S SOME DOLLARS IN THERE TO ENHANCE OUR SOLID WASTE RECYCLING.
WE'RE GONNA START AT OUR FRONT DOOR FIRST AND, AND MOVE BACKWARDS.
AND THAT'S AT OUR BEACH PARKS.
IT SUPPORTS RBC HERITAGE, UH, CONTRACT.
AND, AND IN, IN, IN PREPARATIONS.
IT ALSO CONTINUES TO SUPPORT BUFORT COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICERS AT A $550 A MONTH STIPEND WHEN THOSE OFFICERS LIVE ON THE ISLAND.
AND THEN WE'RE STILL ACCRUING $2 MILLION PER YEAR.
WHILE WE, UH, WHILE THE LITIGATION IS PENDING WITH THE BEAUFORT COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE IN BEAUFORT COUNTY, WE WILL BROADCAST 110 MEETINGS PER YEAR APPROXIMATELY THAT THAT'LL GIVE OR TAKE DEPENDING IF WE HAVE LESS MEETINGS OR, OR MORE.
BUT I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT IS BUSINESS AS USUAL FOR, FOR ALL OF THE MEETINGS THAT WE'RE ACCUSTOMED TO SEEING BROADCAST ON THE BUFORT COUNTY CHANNEL.
AND AGAIN, THIS IS AN OUTSOURCED CONTRACT WITH BUFORT COUNTY,
[01:20:01]
UM, WITH, WITH THEIR TEAM.BUT WE HAVE ALSO ADDED HERE THE WILLIAM HILTON PARKWAY, GATEWAY CORRIDOR, ET CETERA COMMITTEE.
AND THE HOUSING ACTION COMMITTEE TO THAT TOWN COUNCIL AT FIRST READING HAS, UH, DISCUSSED THE AFFILIATED AGENCY FUNDING REQUESTS.
RE REMIND YOU THAT THESE REQUESTS WERE MADE TO STAFF VETTED BY STAFF FORWARDED TO FINANCE ADMINISTRATIVE COMMITTEE, FINANCE ADMINISTRATIVE COMMITTEE, REVIEWED THE APPLICATIONS AND THEN MADE THEIR REQUEST.
AND YOU'LL SEE THAT FOR THE MOST PART, THE REQUESTS THAT WERE MADE ARE ALIGNED WITH THE BUDGET.
WITH SOME EXCEPTIONS, YOU'LL SEE THAT THE, THE EXCEPTIONS WERE FOR BEAUFORT, JASPER, EOC, BLACKWOOD AND MEMORY MATTERS.
ALL ELSE HAS MOVED FORWARD FOR AN AFFILIATED AGENCY FUNDING OF $2.55 MILLION.
SO I'M GONNA KEEP MOVING THROUGH THERE THAT, THAT REALLY MORE OR LESS SUMS UP OUR OPERATING, OUR OPERATING BUDGET.
UM, OUR OTHER, OUR OTHER FUNDS, STORM WATER UTILITY FUNDS IS OF COURSE FOR, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S THE ENTERPRISE FUND FOR THE INVENTORY MODELING, MASTER PLANNING, ROUTINE MAINTENANCE CAPITAL PROJECTS RELATED TO STORM WATER.
MAJORITY OF THE FUNDS ARE FROM STORMWATER UTILITY FEES.
AND IN THIS TIME WE'RE, WE'RE USING SOME FUND BALANCE PRIOR YEAR FUNDS OF 29% IN THE BUDGET BUDGET THIS YEAR.
SO YOU'LL SEE A $7.5 MILLION PROPOSED BUDGET, MORE OR LESS.
STORMWATER UTILITY FEE REVENUE, UH, IS DOWN PRIOR YEAR FUNDS $1.9 MILLION.
OUR, OUR RATE IS $150 AS A RATE.
IT IS THE HIGHEST IN THE REGION.
I WILL SAY THAT WE DO MORE THAN IN, IN A LOT MORE THAN, UM, A LOT OF THE OTHER COMMUNITIES, ESPECIALLY WITH OUR PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENTS THAT, THAT WE SPOKE ABOUT.
THE MAJORITY OF THE FUNDS ARE PROGRAMMED FOR ROUTINE MAINTENANCE.
CORRECTIVE MAINTENANCE MONITORING CAPITAL PROJECTS COVERS THE SALARIES AND BENEFITS FOR SEVEN STORM WATER STAFF, INCLUDING A, A NEW PROMOTION.
AND YOU'LL SEE THAT OUR PRO, OUR OUR EXPENDITURES ARE, ARE, ARE WELL DIVERSIFIED.
YOU'LL SEE 15% IN CORRECTIVE MAINTENANCE, ROUTINE MAINTENANCE OF 16 THREE STORMWATER SPECIAL OBLIGATION BOND DEBT TRANSFERS OUT TO CAPITAL PROJECTS AND SALARY AND BENEFITS MAKE UP MOST OF THOSE EXPENDITURES.
WE'VE TALKED A LOT ABOUT THIS, SO I'M JUST GONNA KEEP MOVING.
I'M JUST SEEING WHAT'S JUMPING OUT HERE WITH WATER QUALITY.
LMO COMPLIANCE AS A SERVICE DELIVERY, INVENTORY MODELING, ROUTINE MAINTENANCE, PUMP STATION MAINTENANCE, MONITORING OF WATER QUALITY TIES AND WEATHER, THOSE CORRECTIVE SYSTEM MAINTENANCE AND OUR RESILIENCE PLAN JUST FOR PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE.
WE MAINTAIN THE PUBLIC SYSTEM, WHICH IS THE TOWN RIGHT OF WAY TOWN EASEMENTS AND TOWN PROPERTY.
WE HAVE POA AGREEMENTS WHERE THERE'S 22 AGREEMENTS AND THERE'S FOUR NEW APPLICANTS.
OUR CIP FUND ARE FOR THOSE RESTRICTED COMMITTED EXPENDITURES FOR CAPITAL PROJECTS EVERY YEAR.
AND WE'VE BEEN THROUGH THIS, BUT WE'VE RUN A FIVE YEAR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM.
PROJECTS ARE REVIEWED, PRIOR YEAR PROJECTS TO CARRY FORWARD ARE REVIEWED.
THEY'RE CONSIDERED, THOSE FUNDS ARE REQUESTED TO MOVE FORWARD.
AND AGAIN, AS WE LOOK AT PROJECTS, I THINK WE'RE GETTING A LOT BETTER WITH UNDERSTANDING THE SERVICE DELIVERY OF A PROJECT.
UM, TYPICALLY A, A MAJOR PROJECT'S TAKING US ABOUT THREE YEARS.
SO THAT FIVE YEAR CI PRE CIP PROGRAM IS IMPORTANT.
WHEN YOU THINK OF A FIVE YEAR PROGRAM, WHEN YOU HAVE PROJECTS AS A NEW PARK, FOR EXAMPLE, WOULD TAKE YOU ABOUT THREE YEARS TO BRING TO LIFE PARKS AND REC COMMISSION HAD INPUT PLANNING COMMISSION RECOMMENDED THE PRIORITY PROJECTS AND TOWN COUNCIL IS FOR YOUR REVIEW AND DECISION.
WHAT'S, WHAT'S GOING TO BE A, A MAJOR, UH, FOCUS ON JULY ONE IS THIS CAPITAL PROJECT STATUS, THIS TRANSPARENCY PAGE THROUGH A CIP WEB-BASED PROJECT DASHBOARD.
YOU'LL SEE ON OUR WEBSITE, WE ALREADY HAVE A, A, A WEBSITE, A DASHBOARD.
I WOULD TELL YOU THAT JUST WITH BRIAN MACE'S HELP AND SEAN COLLIN'S HELP AS WELL, THEY ARE BRINGING THAT, THAT PROJECT BOARD TO LIFE A LOT MORE WITH, WITH A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT MORE DETAIL.
AS WE START DIVING INTO BUILDING PROJECTS.
WE HAVE A VERY ROBUST SOURCE OF FUNDS, UH, FOR OUR CIP PROGRAM.
[01:25:01]
FROM HOSPITALITY FEES AND 28% FROM BEACH FEES AND 11% FROM TIFF.WE HAVE A $74.3 MILLION PROPOSED CIP PROGRAM THIS YEAR, FISCAL YEAR 25.
AND THE MAJORITY OF THOSE FUNDS ARE, ARE WELL, WELL DIVERSIFIED TRAFFIC AND, AND PARK IMPACT FEES.
SUNDAY LIQUOR PERMIT FEES, H TAX LEASE, WE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT EARLIER, BUT THE MAJORITY OF IT YOU'LL SEE, AGAIN, TRANSFERS IN THOSE, THOSE VISITOR BASED, FOR THE MOST PART, VISITOR BASED, USER BASED REVENUES.
BEACH PRESERVATION FEES, 21 MILLION, 18 MILLION COMING FROM HOSPITALITY FEES, 8.2 MILLION FROM TIFF STATE ACCOMMODATIONS TAXES, 3.2 MILLION ELECTRIC FRANCHISE FEE, 8.4, SO FOR A TOTAL OF $74.3 MILLION.
AND YOU'LL SEE THE ESCALATION OF OUR CIP PROGRAM OVER, OVER THE, OVER THE YEARS.
WE ANTICIPATE 23 ACTUAL BEING 15.4 MILLION.
AND AS WE JUMP INTO 74, IT'S, IT'S A CONSIDERABLE DIFFERENCE.
THERE'S A, THERE'S A FEW THINGS HERE THAT ARE A LITTLE DIFFERENT THAN THERE WERE IN PAST YEARS.
IT'S STAFF'S BEEN ON BOARD FOR, FOR A BIT.
AND WE'VE STARTED TO REFINE OUR PROCUREMENT AND WE STARTED TO REALIZE WHAT TOWN COUNCIL DELIVERY EXPECTATIONS WERE, RIGHT? SO WE TALKED A LOT ABOUT IN WORKSHOPS THIS PAST YEAR, VARIOUS PARKS, VARIOUS ROAD IMPROVEMENTS, DEFINITELY THE BEACH TREE NOURISHMENT, UH, THE FIRE RESCUE FLEET AND A FEW VARIOUS VEHICLES FOR, FOR STAFF.
AND THEN I THINK WHAT, WHAT WE'RE GOOD AT, AND WE'VE ALWAYS BEEN GOOD AT AND AND REMAINING GOOD AT IS IMPLEMENTING, YOU KNOW, FIXING AND, AND IMPROVING AND EXPANDING OUR PATHWAY NETWORK.
YOU SEE THAT OUR USE OF FUNDS, UM, FROM A PERCENTAGE OF THAT, THE BEACH PROGRAM OF 16.7 MILLION CHANGE FROM, FROM PRIOR YEAR FOR A TOTAL OF $21.6 MILLION.
AGAIN, THAT'S BEACH RENOURISHMENT, 16.5 MILLION OF THAT ROADWAYS, 10.3 MILLION PARKS, 19.8 AND, AND FACILITIES AND EQUIPMENT 8.4 AMONGST STORMWATER CAPITAL PROJECT ONE, TWO, AND FLEET AT 7.2.
WE'VE REVIEWED THIS AT WORKSHOPS, SO IF YOU DON'T MIND, I'M JUST MAYBE PAUSE FOR A SECOND AND LET FOLKS ABSORB IT AND, AND DIGEST IT ON THE SCREEN.
BUT 21.6 MILLION INVESTMENT INTO BEACHES, 5.5 MILLION INTO PATHWAYS, 10.3 MILLION INTO ROADWAYS, 19.8, CLOSE TO $20 MILLION FOR PARKS 8.4 INTO THAT FACILITIES AND EQUIPMENT, WHICH IS TOWN HALL, WHICH IS FIRE STATIONS, WHICH IS IT, EQUIPMENT AND SOFTWARE SECURITY CAMERAS, CONNECTIVITY, AND THEN 1.2 INTO A STORM WATER PROJECTS FLEET 7.3 AND THEN SOFT COST FOR LAND ACQUISITION.
AND, AND I'LL REMIND EVERYBODY THAT AS WE HAVE ACQUIRED PROPERTY IN THE PAST, WE'VE, WE'VE LEFT A SOFT COST IN THE BUDGET, BUT I HAVE BROUGHT YOU ACQUISITIONS AND WHEN WITH THAT, A BUDGET AMENDMENT FOR, FOR FULL CLARITY, BEACH FEES AND H TAX MOSTLY, OR, OR GENERALLY FUND THAT BEACH PROGRAM.
AND AGAIN, ALL THOSE VARIOUS FUNDING SOURCES FOR FULL CLARITY ON HERE, WHICH YOU DON'T SEE UP HERE.
I I DON'T SEE PROPERTY TAXES UP HERE.
WE'RE, WE'RE USING A DIVERSE SOURCE OF REVENUE STREAM ON THIS TO SUPPORT OUR CAPITAL PROJECTS.
I WON'T GO THROUGH ALL THE FULL DETAIL, BUT WHEN, WHAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT IS, AGAIN, KIM WILL HAVE THIS PRESENTATION ONLINE.
OTHER VERSIONS OF THIS ARE, ARE ONLINE ALREADY, BUT YOU'LL SEE THAT THE BEACH PROGRAM WAS PRIORITIZED BY PLANNING COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION AND THAT WE'RE PROVIDING CLARITY TO YOU SO THAT WE REALIZED THAT, FOR INSTANCE, THIS YEAR, ISLANDERS BEACH PARK, WE HAD A FISCAL YEAR 24 REVISED BUDGET OF 1.6.
WE'VE ASKED FOR 2.8 MILLION FOR A TOTAL FUNDING OF 3.7 IS ONE EXAMPLE, PLANNING COMMISSION PRIORITIZED IT.
AND THIS YEAR WILL BE UNDER DESIGN, PERMITTING AND CONSTRUCTION.
AND AGAIN, OF COURSE, ISLANDERS BEACH PARK.
WE PUT THE PATHWAY THROUGH THE CENTER, BUT WE HAVE TO WORK AROUND THE, THE SEASON AND THE IMPACTS, RIGHT? SO WE'LL WORK ON ISLANDERS LATE FALL THROUGH THE WINTER AND HAVE IT BACK SPARKLING AND OPEN AND FOR THIS SEASON, AND WE'LL GET AS MUCH DONE AS WE POSSIBLY CAN WITH THOSE DOLLARS AND WITH THE SCHEDULE.
[01:30:01]
THE REST OF OF THIS FOR THE PROGRAM, YOU'LL SEE HOW THOSE DOLLARS ARE, ARE BROKEN DOWN WITH, WITH PATHWAY.YOU DO SEE JONESVILLE UP THERE AT $4.5 MILLION IS THE MAJORITY OF THAT, BUT THERE'S ALSO NEW SEGMENTS.
THE JONESVILLE IS SHOWING CONSTRUCTION AS IS SOME MAP PATHWAY MAINTENANCE.
AND AGAIN, THE CORD PARKWAY AT POPE AVENUE, THE SHIPYARD PATHWAY.
EVERYTHING ELSE WILL BE UNDER THE DESIGN PERMITTING PHASE OF, OF THE PROJECT.
SEVERAL DIRT ROADS SLATED FOR CONSTRUCTION, AS WELL AS SOME STONY CORRIDOR IMPROVEMENTS.
ISLAND WIDE INTERSECTION IMPROVEMENTS FOR A ROADWAY PROGRAM OF 10.3 MILLION PARK PROGRAM.
AGAIN, WHAT'S WHAT GETS STAFF EXCITED, I HOPE AT COUNCIL AND COMMUNITY, WHEN YOU SEE THE CHECK BOXES IN EVERY SINGLE ONE, WE'RE GETTING READY TO START BUILDING SOME PROJECTS WHERE WE ARE CLEAR ON WHAT IS AN EXAMPLE, CROSSINGS PARK AND, AND THE BRISTOL RENOVATION, WE'LL CALL THAT PHASE ONE OF THE CROSSINGS.
PARK MASTER PLAN TOWN COUNCIL RECENTLY APPROVED THE MASTER PLAN.
WE'RE WELL UNDERWAY WITH DESIGN PERMITTING AND WE KNOW THAT AS SOON AS WE CAN GET THROUGH THOSE TWO STEPS, WE'LL BE AT THE THIRD, UH, IMPORTANT STEP OF, OF CONSTRUCTION IN THIS FISCAL YEAR.
I GUESS IT WANTS ME TO TALK ABOUT THIS A LOT.
FACILITIES AND EQUIPMENT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT AT WORKSHOP UP, YOU'LL SEE IN THERE THERE'S A, THERE'S A TREE PLANTING AND FOREST MANAGEMENT PROGRAM.
FIRE STATIONS ONE TO SEVEN, THE BAY DOORS AND SOME IMPROVEMENTS.
OUR STORM WATER PROGRAM, YOU SEE THAT CONSTRUCTION FOR GUMTREE 25 MOONS SHELL AND THE HOWELL TRACKED ACCESS GATE AMONGST A LOT OF WORK WITH DESIGN AND PERMITTING ON THESE OTHER ELEMENTS.
AND SO THAT BRINGS US TO A $74.3 MILLION PROPOSED CIP PROGRAM.
OUR DEBT SERVICE ACCOUNTS FOR OUR, OUR PAYMENT OF INTEREST IN PRINCIPLE AND LONG-TERM DEBT.
VARIOUS, UH, SOURCES OF FUNDS, BEACH PRESERVATION FEES, PROPERTY TAXES, H TAX, TIF, AND A FEW OTHERS, INCLUDING REAL ESTATE TRANSFER AND INVESTMENT INCOME.
BUT YOU'LL SEE A PROPOSED BUDGET FOR, FOR DEBT OF $16.7 MILLION.
THE MAJORITY OF THAT IS RIGHT, 75.6% OF THOSE FUNDS ARE FOR PRINCIPAL.
THAT PAYMENT OF $12.6 MILLION WITH INTEREST PAYMENT OF TWO FOUR.
WE HAVE ANTICIPATED SOME DEBT AS WE ASSESS OUR POTENTIAL TIFF DISTRICTS POTENTIALLY MID ISLAND OR WHATEVER OTHER TIFF DISTRICTS TOWN COUNCIL WANTS TO CONSIDER.
WE'VE PLACED THESE DOLLARS IN SIMPLY AN ACCOUNT SO THAT WE HAVE SOME DOLLARS TO WORK WITH.
IF YOU WOULD HAVE US PROCEED, HAVE ME PROCEED WITH, WITH EXPLORING AND IMPLEMENTING A TIF DISTRICT.
SOME HIGHLIGHTS FOR, FOR DEBT, $102 MILLION DEBT REDUCTION, RIGHT? $102.2 MILLION OF DEBT REDUCTION SINCE 2018.
AND AGAIN, ON TOP OF THAT $102.2 MILLION OF DEBT REDUCTION AND ADDITIONAL $12.6 MILLION DEBT REDUCTION THIS YEAR.
OUR DEBT SERVICE MILLAGE RE REDUCED JUST LIKE IT DID FOR THE, THE GENERAL FUND.
AS I EXPLAINED EARLIER IN 24, UM, ALL THE BONDS THAT WERE ISSUED AFTER HURRICANE MATTHEW TO REINSTATE THE DISASTER FUND AND TAKE CARE OF HILTON HEAD ISLAND HAVE BEEN FULLY REPAID AND WE CONTINUE TO IMPROVE OUR FINANCIAL POSITION.
JUST FOR FOR DETAIL, THESE, THESE AT LEAST SHOW ME WHERE, WHEN THE BONDS ORIGINATED, RIGHT? SO THE GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS WHAT THEY ORIGINATED FOR THE SPECIAL REVENUE BONDS, RIGHT? H TAX AS AN EXAMPLE, TIFF FOR USCB AS WELL AS STORMWATER BONDS.
WHAT, WHAT WE SHOULD PAY ATTENTION TO HERE IS THAT THAT FINAL PAYMENT IS STARTING TO MATURE ON SEVERAL OF THESE BONDS.
YOU'LL SEE THAT INTEREST PRINCIPLE IN TOTAL JUST ON THAT, THAT FIRST ONE EXPIRES IN 25 AND YOU'LL SEE, YOU'LL SEE A FEW MORE EXPIRING IN 25, 25, 26.
BUT AGAIN, I DO THINK THAT TOWN COUNCIL SHOULD FULLY BE AWARE AND CELEBRATE AND, AND AND RECOGNIZE THAT SINCE, SINCE 2018
[01:35:01]
TILL CURRENT DATE, THERE'S BEEN A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF DEBT.OUR GIL BEAH GEECHEE HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOODS COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION FUND ARE THOSE FUNDS THAT WE'RE USING TO OPERATE AND INVEST IN OUR GAH GEECHEE HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOODS.
THE PRIMARY SOURCES OF REVENUE HERE ARE STATE AND COUNTY GRANTS.
AND THE BUDGET THAT WAS PRESENTED TO YOU AT FIRST READING AND DISCUSSED AT WORKSHOP WAS PREPARED BY THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS AS WELL AS THE EXEC DIRECTOR THOMAS BOSLEY.
AND I APPRECIATE THE GOOD WORK THAT THEY HAVE DONE IN THE THOUGHT PROCESS THAT HAS GONE INTO THIS BUDGET.
YOU SEE A $5.3 MILLION TOTAL REVENUE.
SO PRIOR YEAR GRANT FROM THE SOUTH CAROLINA, UH, DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE, A $5 MILLION CONTRIBUTION THAT STARTED OUR CDC AS WELL AS BUFORT COUNTY.
THEY WERE KIND ENOUGH TO PROVIDE TO THE TOWN 343,000 AND CHANGE DOLLARS FROM THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT FROM THAT, FROM THAT ARC OF FUNDS THAT, THAT WE'VE RECEIVED AS WELL.
AND, AND THE RESIDUAL OF THOSE DOLLARS STILL REMAIN.
THERE'S SOME INVESTMENT INCOME AND THAT MAKES UP A $5.3 MILLION BUDGET REQUEST.
THE FUND EXPENDITURES ARE, ARE SHOWN HERE, REALLY CLARIFIED HERE, A LITTLE MORE PERSONNEL AND BENEFITS OPERATING AND THROUGH THEIR STRATEGIC PLAN WORK AND THROUGH THEIR BUDGET PREPARATION AND, AND ASK TO TOWN COUNCIL PROFESSIONAL SERVICES OF 310,000 GRANTS AND INCENTIVE LOANS OF 1.5 CAPITAL OUTLAY AND LAND ACQUISITION OF 1.2 AND SOME PROJECT EXPENSE AND CONTINGENCY OF 80, WHAT THEY'RE PLANNING ON DOING DIFFERENT THAN LAST YEAR, WHERE LAST YEAR, I THINK BEING THE FIRST YEAR THEY WERE, THEY WERE, THEY WERE FORMING, WE WERE HIRING MR. BOXLEY.
THEY HAD NOT YET HAD THEIR STRATEGIC PLAN THOUGHT THROUGH, LET ALONE IN PLACE THROUGH THAT BOARD.
THIS YEAR THEY ARE PLANNING TO SET ASIDE $1.9 MILLION IN FUND BALANCE.
AND SO HERE AS WELL WITH THIS, WITH THIS ACCOUNTING, YOU WILL SEE THAT OFFSET, RIGHT? THE REVENUES OF FIVE THREE AND THE EXPENDITURES OF THREE FOUR WITH AN ENDING FUND BALANCE OF ONE NINE.
AND LASTLY, HOUSING FUND, IT WAS LAST YEAR WE PUT A HOUSING FUND IN PLACE AND WE HAD A $3.35 MILLION BUDGET.
YOU WILL SEE THIS YEAR'S BUDGET AT $4 MILLION, RIGHT? AND SO THE REVENUES ARE FROM THE TRANSFER OF STATE AT TAX.
AND AS WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THAT AT FIRST READING A WORKSHOP, I'VE PROPOSED, UM, $1 MILLION FROM SCA TAX TO ADD TO OUR HOUSING FUND AND THAT WE WOULD USE PRIOR YEAR FUNDS, PRIOR YEARS PRIOR YEAR, UNSPENT FUNDS OF 2 MILLION THAT WERE EARMARKED AS WELL AS THE APA FUNDS, UM, THAT WERE IN LAST YEAR'S BUDGET USE OF FUNDS, MUDDY CREEK, NEIGHBORHOOD STABILIZATION CAPITAL PROGRAMMING, NORTH POINT PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP, BRYANT ROAD, PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP AND SOFT COSTS.
WE STILL HAVE THE BEAUFORT JASPER HOUSING TRUST DUES AS A, AS A SMALL PERCENTAGE, BUT A SIGNIFICANT ENOUGH VALUE.
AND YOU'LL SEE THAT THE $4 MILLION E EQUATES THAT BEAUFORT, JASPER HOUSING TRUST DUE IS CLOSE TO $90,000.
AND I KNOW THAT THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND OR THE CHAIR WILL COME AND PRESENT BELIEVED TO COMMUNITY SERVICE PUBLIC SAFETY AT AN APPROPRIATE TIME.
I KNOW THAT WE WERE TRYING TO PLAN THAT THE HOUSING FUND HIGHLIGHTS, AND I MENTIONED, I MENTIONED THIS.
THERE'S, WE'RE, WE'RE GETTING CLOSER, I THINK TO AT LEAST YOUR DECISION POINT, YOUR MY GOAL LINE, YOUR DECISION LINE, UM, TO CONSIDER THE NORTH POINT PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP.
WE HAVE A MILLION DOLLARS EARMARKED.
WHEN WE WERE AT STRATEGIC PLAN, YOU GAVE ME, WE HAD A LOT OF DISCUSSION ABOUT HOUSING, WE TALKED ABOUT STAFF'S ABILITY TO IMPLEMENT, AND WE ALSO TALKED ABOUT WHAT'S GOING TO REALLY MOVE THE NEEDLE AND WHAT'S, WHAT'S THE MOST IMPACTFUL HOUSING PROJECTS WE HAVE.
WE HAVE A CHIEF HOUSING OFFICER, UM, AND THERE'S A FEW FOLKS THAT WORK THROUGH THE HOUSING WORK, BUT COMING OUT OF STRATEGIC PLAN, YOU TALKED ABOUT THE MUDDY CREEK NEIGHBORHOOD, A STABILIZATION PLAN FOR ROAD WATER, SEWERS, STORM WATER, SIDEWALK LIGHTING, SIGNAGE, NEIGHBORHOOD, REAL NEIGHBORHOOD IMPACT HOME REPAIR, LATERAL SEWER CONNECTION WORK.
[01:40:02]
AND THEN AS WE ACQUIRED SEVEN ACRES ON BRYANT ROAD, WE TALKED ABOUT A POTENTIAL PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP AND LEANING MORE TOWARDS HOME OWNERSHIP IN, IN THAT CASE, DIFFERENT THAN, THAN THE NORTH POINT MODEL.THERE ARE SOME SOFT COSTS IN THIS BUDGET.
AND AGAIN, THOSE ARE FOR THE PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS, THE LEGAL, THE MARKET STUDIES, THE DUE DILIGENCE, RIGHT? THE CIVIL ENGINEERING, THE EARLY PLANNING FAIR HOUSING STUDIES THAT ARE NEEDED, UM, HOUSING CONSULTING AND PRINT VIDEOS, AND A DEVELOPMENT OF SOME HOUSING DASHBOARD AND, AND, AND METRICS, UH, MEASURING AND, AND REPORTING ON THAT DATA.
SO AGAIN, OUR PROPOSED BUDGET, MY PROPOSED BUDGET, AND I VERY MUCH APPRECIATE JEFF AIRMAN, ERICA MEIR, ADRIANA, AND EVERY SINGLE DEPARTMENT HEAD, AND ALL THE FOLKS THAT REPORT TO THOSE DEPARTMENT HEADS AS WE PREPARE THIS YEAR'S BUDGET.
AND SO WITH THAT, I'LL TAKE ANY QUESTIONS, BUT A, A PROPOSAL TO YOU TO ADOPT THIS AT SECOND AND FINAL READING TONIGHT.
WHAT I, I THINK I WOULD LIKE TO DO, Y'ALL TELL ME IF YOU AGREE WITH THIS OR NOT, GO AHEAD AND OPEN UP THE HEARING, UM, SO THAT WE CAN HEAR FROM THE PUBLIC AND THEN WE CAN COME BACK AND ASK MORE QUESTIONS BASED OFF OF THAT.
IS THAT GOOD WITH EVERYBODY? OKAY.
SO WITH THAT, WE'LL NOW HEAR THE SECOND AND FINAL READING OR I JUST CAN'T FOLLOW MY OWN, MY OWN MARKS ON MY PAPER TODAY.
UP NEXT, WE'LL OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR THE POST ORDINANCE ADOPTING THE CONSOLIDATED MUNICIPAL BUDGET FOR THE TOWN OF HILTON FOR PHYSICAL YEAR ENDING, UH, 2025 JUNE 30TH.
UM, IS THERE ANYONE THAT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK AT THIS TIME? MELINDA, MS. TURNER.
HELLO, MELINDA TANNER PALMETTO HALL.
I WAS UNABLE TO ATTEND THE BUDGET WORKSHOPS AS I WAS OUT OF TOWN, BUT I DID WATCH THE VIDEOS.
I APPRECIATE THE TRANSPARENCY OF PROVIDING LIVE STREAMING AND ON-DEMAND VIDEOS OF PUBLIC MEETINGS.
I THOUGHT THE WORKSHOPS WERE WELL RUN, THE MATERIALS COVERED WERE EASY TO UNDERSTAND AND MR. ORLANDO DID A VERY GOOD JOB OF WALKING EVERYONE THROUGH THE CONVERSATION.
THE 2025 BUDGET OF 168.8 MILLION IS THE LARGEST IN HILTON HEADS HISTORY.
JUST FOR SOME HISTORICAL CONTEXT, 2019 THROUGH 2021 WAS AROUND EIGHT $80 MILLION.
2022 97 MILLION 2023, 120 MILLION.
2024 STARTED AT 130 MILLION AND ADJUSTED TO 147 MILLION.
AND NOW 168.8 MILLION IN 2025.
THE TOWN CAN AFFORD THE $168.8 MILLION BUDGET THROUGH FISCAL YEAR 2025 REVENUES AND SOME CARRY FORWARD.
BUT IT ALSO REQUIRES USING A SUB, A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF FUND BALANCES, $43.3 MILLION.
THE LARGEST CAPITAL EXPENSE IS FOR THE BEACH RENOURISHMENT, WHICH IS PLANNED FOR 2025 AT 16 POINT A HALF MILLION AND CAN BE PAID OUT OF FISCAL YEAR 2025 REVENUES AND BEACH PRESERVATION FUND BALANCES.
HOWEVER, DURING THE WORKSHOP, IT CAME TO LIGHT THAT THE TOTAL COST OF THE BEACH RENOURISHMENT IS ESTIMATED AT 42.5 MILLION AND THERE IS NOT ENOUGH MONEY AVAILABLE IN THE BEACH PRESERVATION FUND TO PAY THE BALANCE.
THERE WAS A DISCUSSION THAT A BOND COULD BE ISSUED TO COVER THE REMAINING BALANCE OF 26 MILLION OR UP TO THE TOTAL COST OF 42.6 MILLION.
BUT WHAT'S INTERESTING IS THAT WE STILL OWE 11 MILLION FROM THE BOND FROM THE LAST BEACH RENOURISHMENT, WHICH WILL BE PAID OFF IN 2028.
I DON'T BELIEVE THAT BORROWING MONEY IS THE ANSWER.
THE TOWN NEEDS TO LAY OUT A STRATEGY TO PAY FOR THIS UNEXPECTED INCREASE IN THE COST OF BEACH RENOURISHMENT AND UNDERSTAND THE IMPLICATIONS.
PERSONALLY, I THINK THIS SHOULD HAVE HAPPENED AS PART OF YOUR BUDGETING PROCESS, YOU'LL NEED TO DECIDE HOW YOU'RE GONNA FUND THIS EXPENSE, WHICH ADDITIONAL FUNDS BEYOND BEACH PRESERVATION CAN BE UTILIZED, NOT ALL ARE ELIGIBLE.
WHAT WILL THAT DO TO THE BALANCES AND OTHER FUNDS AND THE IMPLICATIONS FOR FUTURE USES? WHAT PROJECTS COULD BE DELAYED TO FUND THIS? AND THE LAST ITEM TO BE DISCUSSED SHOULD BE THE NEED TO BORROW MONEY.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS? HUTCHINSON? ANGIE HUTCHINS, UH, SHIPYARD.
I APPRECIATE EVERYTHING MELIN JUST SAID AND, AND THE GREAT PRESENTATION AND EVERYTHING ELSE.
AND I, UH, HAVE SO MANY THINGS TO SAY AND I'M TRYING TO COALESCE THEM DOWN TO THE SIMPLEST FORM POSSIBLE, WHICH IS WHY I'M
[01:45:01]
WEARING RED.BECAUSE IN, I THOUGHT IT WAS GENERALLY UNDERSTOOD THAT IN BUMPER YEARS YOU SAVED MUCH LIKE THE, UH, OLD FAIRYTALE THAT THEY USED TO TELL US WHEN WE WERE LITTLE ABOUT THE ANTS AND THE GRASSHOPPER.
THAT WHEN YOU HAVE GRAY YEARS, ESPECIALLY IN LIGHT OF THE 2014, 2015, SOME OF THE RAMIFICATIONS OF THINGS THAT WERE PASSED BY THIS TOWN COUNCIL AND, UM, LIVING WITH THOSE DECISIONS NOW THAT I WOULD'VE THOUGHT MORE RESTRAINT WAS IN ORDER.
UM, THAT THE DECISIONS YOU'RE MAKING NOW HAVE LONG, LONG REACHING CONSEQUENCES.
AND THIS FEELS KIND OF LIKE AN OPRAH BUDGET.
YOU GET SOME MONEY AND YOU GET SOME MONEY AND YOU GET SOME MONEY.
AND SO AGAIN, THAT'S WHY I'M WEARING RED.
UM, THERE'S WONDERFUL AND VALID OPPORTUNITIES FOR THIS ISLAND AND THIS PEOPLE, BUT I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND THE DRASTIC AND UNSUSTAINABLE INCREASES IN SPENDING.
UM, I HAD A FEW QUOTES TO GO BACK TO.
COLIN POWELL SAID, GREAT LEADERS ARE ALMOST ALWAYS GREAT SIMPLIFIERS, WHO CAN CUT THROUGH ARGUMENT, DEBATE, AND DOUBT TO OFFER A SOLUTION EVERYONE CAN UNDERSTAND.
I WOULD ALSO, UM, ASK FOR MORE TRUST WITH THE RESULTS.
IT WAS FASCINATING THAT WE GOT TO HEAR FROM THE TRAFFIC LIGHT SYSTEM OF WHICH 3.1 MILLION WAS SPENT.
AND I NOTICED A SIGNIFICANT LACK OF ANY RESULTS.
I'M LOOKING WHEN I COME TO TOWN COUNCIL FOR WHERE THE RESULTS ARE SHOWING UP IN THE MONIES THAT WE'VE SPENT.
UM, AND I DON'T FIND MANY AND DRIVING AROUND, I FIND IT WORSE.
UM, AND, AND, AND TO ECHO THE LAST COMMENTER ON THE DEBT, UM, I I I FIND IT JUST ASTONISHING IN THE BEST YEARS THAT WE'RE HAVING IN TERMS OF TOURISM, IN TERMS OF, UM, INCREASE IN VALUE AND EVERYTHING ELSE, WE ARE JUST SETTING OURSELVES UP WITH THIS BUDGET FOR UNSUSTAINABLE COSTS IN THE FUTURE.
UM, JOHN QUINCY ADAMS, OH NO, I'M GONNA GO THIS.
UM, NOT ONLY ARE SHOULD WE BE DECREASING OUR DEBT SERVICE, BUT WHAT FUTURE DEBTS ARE YOU RACKING UP WITH? ALL OF, WITH OPENING ALL THESE PANDORA BOXES? UM, JOHN QUINCY, ADAM SAID, IF YOUR ACTIONS INSPIRE OTHERS TO DREAM MORE, LEARN MORE, DO MORE, AND BECOME MORE THAN YOU ARE A LEADER.
AND I DO THINK WE HAVE SO MANY TALENTED, AMAZING INDIVIDUALS ACROSS THE BOARD OF ALL DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS AND HISTORIES AND EVERYTHING ELSE, AND WE ARE NOT ALLOWING OUR PEOPLE TO INNOVATE BY AN, AN OVERGROWTH OF GOVERNMENT.
IN THE END, I WOULD SAY IN YOUR ZEAL TO DO SOMETHING, PLEASE TEMPER THAT DESIRE WITH A HEALTHY DOSE OF OUR LIMITED PERSPECTIVE AND TIME.
I WOULD URGE YOU NOT TO DROWN THE FUTURE OF THIS ISLAND'S CONTINGENT CONSTITUENTS WITH UNSUSTAINABLE PRO PROGRAMS AND SPIRALING COSTS.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS? ALRIGHT, SEEING NONE.
MOTION TO CLOSE UPON HEARING
YEAH, WE'VE GOT FIRST AND SECOND.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF CLOSING THE PUBLIC HEARING, PLEASE, PLEASE FAVOR BY RAISING YOUR RIGHT HAND.
NOW I CAN MAKE THE MOTION TO ADOPT THE CONSOLIDATED MUNICIPAL BUDGET SOUND OF THAT ISLAND FISCAL YEAR 2025, ENDING JUNE 30TH, 2025.
WE HAVE A SECOND, SECOND DAR ALFRED DISCUSSION.
ANY QUESTIONS FOR MR. ORLANDO BECKER? SO AT THE FIRST READING, UM, I BROUGHT FORTH A CONCERN THAT WITHIN THE BUDGET THERE IS A SECTION, SECTION SIX THAT SPEAKS TO THE AFFILIATED AGENCY FUNDING.
UM, THERE IS MANY THINGS TO BE SAID ABOUT THAT, I'VE SAID THEM ALL, BUT I'M GOING TO RE REITERATE THE ONE THAT IS GOING TO PRESS ME AT THIS POINT JUST ABOUT NO ON THIS BUDGET.
UM, I WAS DISAPPOINTED THAT BETWEEN THAT FIRST READING AND NOW NO ONE ADDRESSED MY CONCERNS OR SEEMED, UM, QUITE INTERESTED IN THE POINTS THAT I WAS MAKING, BUT I STAND BY THEM.
AND THE FACT IS THAT WITHIN THAT STATEMENT UNDER SECTION SIX, IT SAYS, BY VIRTUE OF ADOPTING THIS BUDGET, THE TOWN HEREBY STATES THAT THE SERVICES TO BE PROVIDED INTO THE AFFILIATED AGENCY PROGRAM.
AND IT GOES ON TO NAME A NUMBER OF THINGS, BUT THE ONE THAT I ASK TO BE STRUCK IS THAT SPEC THAT WE AGREE THAT THE SERVICES ARE NOT OF A SPECULATIVE NATURE AND ARE WELL-DEFINED IN TERMS OF THE BENEFIT TO THE PROVIDED TO THE PUBLIC.
AND THIS IS A FORWARD LOOKING BUDGET.
[01:50:01]
I SIT HERE AT TODAY AND RAISE MY HAND AND VOTE FOR THIS BUDGET WHEN I DON'T KNOW THAT THAT IN FACT IS TRUE? AND I WON'T DO THAT.I, I WATCH AND I LISTEN AND WE DISCUSS, AND I WANT TO KNOW WHAT IT IS I'M VOTING ON WHEN I VOTE ON IT.
AND I'M NOT GOING TO PREVO AN AFFIRMATIVE WHEN I DON'T KNOW.
SO, UM, THAT IS MY COMMENT FOR TODAY WITH REGARD TO THE BUDGET.
UM, FIRST OF ALL, UH, THANKING MR. ORLANDO AND HIS TEAM, UM, FOR PUTTING TOGETHER THIS BUDGET AND, UM, ALSO FOR THE OPPORTUNITIES TO DISCUSS 'EM IN THE WORKSHOP.
AND, AND FOR PUBLIC COMMENT, NOT JUST ONE PUBLIC HEARING, BUT TWO PUBLIC HEARINGS.
UH, I THINK I'VE ALWAYS THOUGHT IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING AT THE BEGINNING, UM, AS OPPOSED TO THE PREVIOUS PRACTICE OF ONLY A PUBLIC HEARING AT THE END, UM, SOMETIMES EVEN AFTER THE MOTION TO ADOPT ON THE SECOND READING.
UM, I'M, I'M PLEASED THAT, UM, THERE'S NO VILLAGE INCREASE.
UM, AND I'M, I'M PLEASED THAT, UH, THE DEBT CONTINUES TO BE PAID DOWN.
UM, ALSO, I, I, I THINK IT'S, UH, WE SHOULD CELEBRATE THAT WE CONTINUE TO HAVE MULTIPLE REVENUE SOURCES TO DO A LOT OF THE WORK THAT'S SET FORTH IN THIS BUDGET, ESPECIALLY THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS, UM, FROM SOURCES OTHER THAN, UH, THE BILLAGE RATE OR PROPERTY TAXES.
UM, SO I THINK THAT'S, THOSE ARE ALL GREAT THINGS.
UM, ALSO, UH, GLAD TO SEE THAT WE'RE ABLE TO PROVIDE, UH, FUNDING FOR HOUSING ON THIS ISLAND, WHICH, UH, COMMUNITY KEEPS IDENTIFYING AS, AS A STRONG NEED AND AN INCREASE IN THAT, UM, AND SPENDING MONEY ON, UH, PROPERTY THE TOWN HAS ACQUIRED TO ASSIST WITH, UH, PUBLIC HOUSING.
UM, ALSO, UH, EMPLOYEES THAT WE HAVE, THE GULLAH GEECHEE HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOODS COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, UH, BASED ON FUNDS SECURED BY SENATOR TOM DAVIS, UH, TO ASSIST WITH, UH, PRESERVATION OF, UH, THE LAND AND CULTURE OF THE GULLAH GEECHEE.
UM, SO I'M PLEASED WITH ALL THOSE THINGS.
UM, I'M GLAD TO SEE A QUESTION COME UP DURING OUR DISCUSSIONS ABOUT HOW TO FUND THE BEACH PARKING SERVICES, UM, IF WE WERE NOT GOING TO INCLUDE PARKING FEES DURING THIS FISCAL YEAR.
AND, UM, THAT IS GONNA BE FUNDED AGAIN BY HOSPITALITY TAXES SO THAT WE CAN CONTINUE THE PROGRAMS AND HOPEFULLY IMPROVE THE BEACH PARKING PROGRAMS, UH, THROUGH, UH, SOME OF THE RECENT, UM, KNOWLEDGE THAT WE'VE GAINED WITH SOME, UH, BEACH PARKING CHALLENGES, UM, THE BEACH RENOURISHMENT, UM, HAS BEEN TALKED ABOUT.
AND I, I THINK IT WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR MR. ORLANDO TO SET OUT A LITTLE BIT OF INFORMATION THAT CAME OUT THROUGH THE WORKSHOP ABOUT HOW WE'RE GOING TO FUND BEACH NOURISHMENT, UM, AND, AND WHEN, UH, WHAT'S THE TIMING OF BEACH NOURISHMENT, WHAT'S COVERED IN THIS, UH, FISCAL YEAR BUDGET AND, AND WHAT ELSE WE MIGHT NEED TO COVER TO COMPLETE THAT, UH, PROJECT.
SO I THINK THAT'D BE HELPFUL TO HAVE SOME DISCUSSION BEFORE WE VOTE.
UM, THE, UH, THE INCREASE IN THE BUDGET OVER THE YEARS, UH, CHRISTIAN WAS RAISED ABOUT THAT.
UM, AS I UNDERSTAND IT, THIS WAS AS A RESULT, THE, THE LARGEST INCREASE WAS A RESULT OF COMBINING THE CAPITAL BUDGET, UM, INTO THE CONSOLIDATED BUDGET.
AND IF YOU LOOK AT THE INCREASE, I'M GLAD THAT SCREEN IS STILL UP.
UH, THE REVISED BUDGET TO THE, UH, FY 24 REVISED BUDGET TO THE FY 25 PROPOSED BUDGET, THE DIFFERENCE OF JUST UNDER 20 MILLION, THE BULK OF WHICH, UM, GOES TOWARDS CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS, WHICH INCLUDES B TREE NOURISHMENT PROGRAM AND SOME IMPROVEMENTS TO PARKS, WHICH WE HAVE, UM, UH, ADOPTED FOR WHICH WE'VE ADOPTED MASTER PLANS.
UM, SO, AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO, TO POINT OUT, AND, AND MAYBE MISS ORLANDO CAN HELP US TO TALK ABOUT THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PRIOR YEARS BUDGETS, UH, TO, UH, THE CURRENT, UH, CYCLE OF BUDGETS, IF YOU WILL.
UM, THE, UH, THE OTHER THING THAT I, I KNOW WE'RE GONNA BE LOOKING AT IS FUTURE PLANNING.
YOU KNOW, WHERE ARE WE GOING FROM HERE? THAT QUESTION WAS RAISED ABOUT HOW DO WE ADDRESS, UM, IMPROVEMENTS HERE WE'RE MAKING NOW, AND WHAT ARE OUR FUTURE PLANS, UH, BASED ON THE BEST PROJECTIONS THAT WE HAVE.
AND I'M, I'M PLEASED THAT WE HAVE OUR NEW FINANCE DIRECTOR HERE IN PLACE TO HELP US LOOK AT, AT FUTURE PLANNING.
UM, SO I LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THAT.
UM, THE LAST THING THAT I WOULD RAISE IS SOMETHING THAT I'VE ALSO RAISED BEFORE.
UM, AND THAT IS THE INCREASE IN COMPENSATION TOWN COUNCIL MEMBERS.
I, UM, IT, IT, IT BOTHERS ME,
UM, I'M, I'M FINE WITH THE AMENDMENT TO SECTION TWO DASH THREE DASH 60, WHICH COMBINES A SALARY WITH THE MEETING STIPENDS.
UM, IT CERTAINLY, UM, RELIEVES A LOT OF ADMINISTRATIVE, UH, TASK TO COMBINE THOSE TWO.
UM, BUT I, I REMAIN, UH, OPPOSED AND GREATLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE 15% COST
[01:55:01]
OF LIVING INCREASE, UH, FOR TOWN COUNCIL AND MAYOR SALARIES, UH, BECAUSE THE EMPLOYEES ARE NOT GETTING, CERTAINLY NOT A 15% COST OF LIVING INCREASE.UM, SO I, I, I, UM, WANT TO OFFER, UH, AN AMENDMENT TO THE BUDGET ORDINANCE, UM, AND, UM, TO DELETE SECTION SEVEN COMPENSATION OF TOWN COUNCIL MEMBERS AND EXHIBIT C AND TO VOTE ON THE AMENDMENT TO SECTION TWO DASH THREE DASH 60 IN A SEPARATE VOTE.
AND I WOULD ASK, UM, AT SOME POINT IF SOMEONE WOULD BE WILLING TO SECOND THAT SO WE CAN TALK ABOUT IT.
IS THERE A SECOND TO THAT MOTION? I SEE NONE MOTION FAILS.
SO TH THOSE ARE MY QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS.
UM, AND I DEFER TO OTHER COLLEAGUES FOR ANY OF THEIR QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS WHENEVER MS. ORLANDO WANTS TO RESPOND.
DO YOU WANT TO RESPOND NOW OR DO YOU WANT TO HAVE, TRYING TO CAPTURE ALL THE NOTES AND I'M OKAY.
I'M, I MAY MISS A COUPLE THINGS, BUT I THINK I GOT EVERYTHING.
UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'D LIKE TO FOCUS ON, ON MATTERS LIKE THIS IS WHAT ARE THE DOWNSIDES AND RISKS OF THIS BUDGET FOR THE UPCOMING FISCAL YEAR AND THE SUBSEQUENT ONE, AND PERHAPS THE ONE AFTER THAT? UH, WE HAVE A GENERAL FUND RESERVE, AND WE HAD IN CASE REVENUES DON'T COME IN WHERE THEY'RE ANTICIPATED TO COME, AND WE HAVE A DISASTER RESERVE FUND IN THE EVENT OF HURRICANES.
UH, THAT GIVES US A LOT OF FEELINGS OF SAFETY AND THINGS DON'T GO THE WAY WE PROJECT THEM TO GO, BUT THERE IS A FURTHER RESERVE, AT LEAST, UH, ONE CAN BE CONSIDERED AS SUCH.
AND THAT IS A REVENUES GO DOWN AND THEY AREN'T THERE NEXT YEAR OR THE YEAR AFTER.
WE CAN CUT THE CAPITAL EXPENDITURE BUDGET.
IT'S VERY LARGE AND WE DO NOT, UH, IT IS SOMETHING THAT CAN BE ADJUSTED FOR THE FUTURE IF REVENUES DON'T COME WHERE WE THINK THAT THEY SHOULD BE.
SO WE ARE A VERY STABLE FINANCIAL COMMUNITY, AND WE'VE RESERVED AGAINST MOST OF THE DOWNSIDE RISKS THAT WE CAN FORESEE.
AND WE KNOW WE DON'T HAVE TO PUT A CAPITAL EXPENDITURE BUDGET OF THIS SIZE ON NEXT YEAR IF IT'S NOT FISCALLY APPROPRIATE.
OTHER COMMENTS? ALL RIGHT, BACK TO YOU.
LET'S SEE IF I CAN, UH, WALK THROUGH SOME OF THIS.
AND, AND WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT THIS, SO, SO BEAR WITH ME.
YOU'LL SEE, RIGHT? SO WE HAVE SIX FUNDS UP HERE.
WE USED TO HAVE FOUR WHEN I ARRIVED.
WE HAD GENERAL FUND, WE HAD DEBT, WE HAD CAPITAL PROGRAMMING, WE HAD STORM WATER, BUT WE DID NOT HAVE THE GULLAH GEECHEE, HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOOD COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORP.
AND WE DID NOT HAVE HOUSING IF WE ARE LOOKING AT THE BUDGET, RIGHT? AND I THINK THAT ONE OF THE COMMENTS WAS, EXPLAIN A LITTLE BIT WHY THAT BUDGET HAS GROWN, RIGHT? IF WE LOOK BACK IN 22, JUST IN TERMS OF ACTUAL, BUT REALLY 23 REVISED OUR BUDGET OF $166 MILLION, RIGHT? I'M VERY SENSITIVE TO THAT AND VERY APPRECIATIVE OF YOUR DIRECTION OF ME TO, TO INVEST IN OUR CAPITAL PROJECTS, RIGHT? AS A CATALYST TO OUR ISLAND.
SO GENERAL FUND HAS INCREASED.
WE TALKED ABOUT AT, AT WORKSHOP, REALLY, IF WE LOOK HERE, FOUR POINT 43.6 TO 60.9 TODAY, WE TALKED ABOUT THE GROWTH OF CLOSE TO 27 OR SO PEOPLE, 28 PEOPLE IN ABOUT THREE, FOUR YEARS.
WE TALKED ABOUT 11 OF THOSE IN FIRE RESCUE.
WE TALKED ABOUT A BEACH OPERATIONS TEAM, COMMUNITY CODE ENFORCEMENT THAT WORKS DAY AND NIGHT, NOT JUST MONDAY TO FRIDAY AND LEAVES AT FOUR 30.
AND SO THOSE ARE, ARE THOSE OBVIOUS INVESTMENTS, RIGHT? IN PEOPLE AND PERSONNEL.
AND SO THAT GENERAL FUND AS A RESULT DOES INCREASE WHAT'S ALSO IN THAT GENERAL FUND TODAY DIFFERENTLY THAN IN THE PAST IS SOURCES OF REVENUE, RIGHT? A LOT OF THOSE SOURCES OF REVENUE AND GENERAL FUND AREN'T JUST PROPERTY TAX IS NOT JUST BUSINESS LICENSE.
WE'VE TYPICALLY AND TRADITIONALLY USED HOSPITALITY TAX FOR PROJECTS AND A LITTLE BIT OF HOSPITALITY FOR OPERATIONS.
WE ARE USING THREE AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS OF STATE A TAX FOR OPERATIONS THIS YEAR, LAST YEAR IN PRIOR.
THE GROWTH, THE REVENUES ARE THE REVENUES, RIGHT? AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE HAVE SOME DECISIONS TO MAKE.
DO YOU REDUCE MILLAGE? I CAN'T REDUCE H TAX, I CAN'T REDUCE A TAX, I CAN'T REDUCE BEACH PRESERVATION FEES.
THE THE REVENUES ARE THE REVENUES AND YOUR FUND BALANCES ARE YOUR FUND BALANCES.
WE'VE SHARED, AND WE'VE TALKED ESPECIALLY IN THE ONE AND TWO ON TWO MEETINGS ABOUT THE HEALTHY FUND BALANCES
[02:00:01]
WELL ABOVE POLICY.AND AT A CERTAIN POINT, ARE WE IN THE BUSINESS TO COLLECT DOLLARS AND KEEP IN FUND BALANCE, OR ARE WE GOING TO INVEST IN CAPITAL PROJECTS? SO AS I TAKE A LOOK AT THE BUDGET AND WE WORK TOGETHER, AND I PROPOSE IT TO YOU, YOU DO SEE THAT INCREASE FROM GENERAL FROM 43.6 TO 60.9, YOU, YOU WILL SEE FOR THE MOST PART, THE ONLY OTHER, THE, THE REAL NUMBERS THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH AS YOUR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM, PARKS, ROADS, INFRASTRUCTURE, TRAFFIC, TRANSPORTATION.
UM, I KNOW WE'VE TALKED IN THE PAST AND WE'VE TALKED AT STRATEGIC PLAN, GREAT PLACES, HIGH QUALITY OF LIFE, GREAT STREETS, GREAT PARKS.
AND I THINK THAT YOUR, YOUR DIRECTION, YOUR COMMITMENT, OR AT LEAST YOUR COMMITMENT AND YOUR DIRECTION TO ME IS INVEST IN THOSE CAPITAL PROJECTS THAT WAY.
SO I, I WILL SAY THAT THAT'S WHERE THOSE, THAT THAT'S WHY THE BUDGET GREW.
AND AT THE END OF THE DAY, THAT'S WHY I EXPLAIN OUR TRANSFERS IN AS AN EXAMPLE.
OUR TRANSFERS IN, ARE THOSE TOURISM RELATED REVENUES, THE BEACH RENOURISHMENT FUNDING.
WE DO HAVE A PLAN, AND IT'S NOT IN THIS YEAR'S BUDGET TO COMPLETELY FUND THE ENTIRE 40 PLUS MILLION DOLLARS.
AND AGAIN, THAT'S AN EARMARK NUMBER.
WE HAVE TO PRICE IT THIS YEAR.
WE HAVE TO GET REAL CONTRACTOR NUMBERS.
AND WHEN WE HAVE THOSE, I BELIEVE I'LL HAVE MORE CONFIDENCE.
DID YOU YEAH, I WAS JUST GONNA SAY, IF, IF YOU COULD EXPAND ON THAT JUST A LITTLE BIT MORE.
BECAUSE, UM, WHILE WE HAVE TO HAVE IT IN THIS NEXT PHYSICAL YEAR, BUDGET WORK'S NOT GONNA START.
REAL WORK IS NOT GONNA START UNTIL LATER, RIGHT? WE, WE ARE A YEAR PLUS AWAY FROM, FROM THAT OUR, WE, WE HAVE, UH, PROBABLY I WOULD SAY THREE OPTIONS, STATUS QUO AND USE OF FUNDS FOR BEACH RENOURISHMENT.
UM, IN THE PAST, THE TOWN HAS CONSISTENTLY, PREDOMINANTLY BORROWED FUNDS AS A BOND.
AND, AND YOU SAW THE, THE BOND, UH, OUTLINE THAT I PROVIDED TO YOU FOR THAT BEACH RENOURISHMENT.
YOU CAN USE ALL OF YOUR REVENUES, ALL OF YOUR SAVINGS THAT WE HAVE FOR BEACH RENOURISHMENT, AND WE WOULD BE LEFT, WE COULD PAY FOR THE ENTIRE BEACH RENOURISHMENT PROGRAM BASED UPON OPINION ENGINEER OPINION OF PROBABLE COST.
AND WE WOULD HAVE ABOUT TWO TO $3 MILLION LEFT IN FUND BALANCE, OR WE COULD USE SOME, A TAX, H TAX AND OTHER VARIOUS SOURCES.
SO WE DO HAVE A FEW PRELIMINARY FUNDING PLANS IN PLACE, BUT UNLESS AND UNTIL WE HAVE REAL PRICING IN THIS YEAR'S FISCAL BUDGET, THAT PROPOSAL HASN'T BEEN MADE.
AND WE, WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT THAT IN THOSE ONE AND TWO, AT TWO AT A TIME MEETINGS WITH YOU FROM A, FROM AN EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT FUND BALANCE PERSPECTIVE, AS WELL AS A BEACH RENOURISHMENT FUND BALANCE, RIGHT? THAT THERE'S NO BETTER RESILIENCE PLAN THAN RENOURISHING OUR, OUR ISLANDS BEACHES.
SO I CAN, UM, I WON'T PUT BRIAN ON THE SPOT AND ASK HIM HOW CLOSE WE ARE TO FINDING THAT OPINION OF COST TO REAL MORE SPECIFIC PRICING, BUT I CAN SHARE THAT WITH YOU AGAIN AND BE A LITTLE MORE SPECIFIC ON THOSE THREE OPTIONS.
THE ADDITIONAL FUNDS WITH THE BUDGET, WHERE I THINK WE'RE STARTING TO SEE THE 166.9 MILLION.
IF WE JUST LOOK AT THE HOUSING FUND AND THE GULLAH GEECHEE FUND, THAT'S SEVEN, CLOSE TO SEVEN, YOU KNOW, SEVEN, $8 MILLION EXTRA IN OUR BUDGET.
SO I THINK I CAPTURED EVERYTHING WITH ONE EXCEPTION.
I TOOK A LOOK AT THE, I, I SPOKE, I KNOW JOSH HAS BEEN TALKING WITH CURTIS ABOUT THAT.
IF JOSH OR CURTIS CAN, CAN ADD SOME FLAVOR TO THAT LAST YEAR AFFILIATE AGENCY FUNDING.
AND I'M, AND I'M GOING TO GO, WELL, IF YOU DON'T MIND, I THINK WE PULL UP ON OUR SCREEN WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IS THE TOWN COUNCIL HAS PROPOSED THROUGH FINANCE ADMINISTRATIVE COMMITTEE AT $2.5 MILLION INVESTMENT INTO ISLAND REC, COASTAL DISCOVERY, MITCHELLVILLE, U-S-C-B-L-R-T-A 14TH CIRCUIT SOLICITOR, BEAUFORT COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, HERITAGE CLASSIC FOUNDATION IN THIS YEAR, DIFFERENT THAN LAST SEA TURTLE PATROL.
AND THE ORDINANCE LAST YEAR, AS I LOOKED AT IT, IT, IT WASN'T CLEAR AFFILIATED AGENCY FUNDING.
IT WAS IN THE PRESENTATIONS, BUT IT WASN'T IN THE ORDINANCE.
IT WAS, IT WAS CONTEMPLATED AND TALKED ABOUT DURING PRESENTATIONS, BUT IT WASN'T CLEAR.
[02:05:01]
AS WE PREPARED THE ORDINANCE AND PREPARED SECTION SIX TOWN ATTORNEY HAD, UH, WEIGHED IN ON, ON THAT LANGUAGE.AND I MAYBE CURTIS, NOT TO PUT YOU ON THE SPOT, BUT I KNOW THAT JOSH'S OVER THERE AS WELL, BUT PREPARING THAT LANGUAGE FOR THAT CLARITY WAS INTENDED TO ALIGN WITH THE APPLICATION ITSELF, RIGHT.
TO ALIGN WITH THOSE FACTORS THAT TOWN COUNCIL HAS, HAS ENDORSED AS PART OF THE AFFILIATED AGENCY PROCESS.
MS. BECKER, I HEAR YOU LOUD AND CLEAR IT, UH, AND, AND DISAPPOINTED IN THE SENSE THAT WE JUST CAN'T FIND A ALIGNMENT WITH WHAT THE PREFERRED LANGUAGE IN SECTION SIX IS.
IF, IF YOU HAVE SOME COLLECTIVE THOUGHT TONIGHT, I'D BE HAPPY TO HEAR IT.
AND I'M VERY OPEN TO CHANGING IT.
AT THE END OF THE DAY, IT, IT'S A $2.5 MILLION AFFILIATED AGENCY, PART OF OUR GENERAL FUND BUDGET, RIGHT? YOU'LL SEE IN 22 WAS 2.1, AND IT'S GROWN TO 2.5 TODAY.
JOSH CURTIS, UM, WHEN, UH, RECENTLY, I RECENTLY, I MEAN IN THE LAST 60 DAYS PROBABLY, UM, THERE WAS A DISCUSSION ABOUT THE AFFILIATED AGENCY, UM, APPLICATIONS.
UM, AND AS A PART OF THAT, THERE WAS A REPORT AND THE TEXAS CITIZENS SECTION SIX, UM, COMES FROM CASES DECIDED BY THE SOUTH CAROLINA SUPREME COURT ABOUT THE FINDINGS THAT THE GOVERNMENT MAKES WHEN HUNTING THESE THINGS.
AND SO THE FINDINGS THAT ARE THERE, ALIGN THE BUDGET WITH THE CURRENT STATE OF LAW, SOUTH CAROLINA AS SET OUT BY OUR SUPREME SUPREME COURT FOR THE FUNDING OF AGENCIES SUCH AS THOSE ON YOUR SLIDE NOW.
SO I JUST FIND IT INTERESTING THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD A GOOD MONTH, RIGHT? AND THIS CONVERSATION HASN'T HAD BEEN HAD.
UM, AND, AND THE REASON IT COMES UP AS A, AN IMPORTANT FACTOR IS, UM, THERE ARE, UM, OTHER, THIS IS THE FIRST YEAR, AND THANK YOU, CURTIS, THAT I, UM, RECEIVED AN OPINION FROM YOU WITH REGARD TO WHETHER OR NOT THE AGENCIES, THESE AGENCIES MET THOSE CRITERIA.
AND THAT WAS VERY HELPFUL AND VERY GOOD.
BUT WE ALSO KNOW THAT OVER THE COURSE OF THIS YEAR, WE'VE HAD AT LEAST A FEW, UM, FOLKS WHO HAVE COME TO THE TOWN AND ASKING FOR MONEY WHO DON'T NECESSARILY FIT THE REQUIREMENTS, UH, THAT I'M CONCERNED ABOUT.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, KNOWING THAT THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY SOMETIMES FOR THINGS TO BE OUTTA CYCLE, OUTTA SEQUENCE OUT FOR SOMETHING TO COME FORWARD, I'M NOT WILLING TO PREJUDGE THAT.
AND I UNDERSTAND AND, AND I'M, UH, APPRECIATIVE OF THE ANSWER IN THE CONVERSATION NOW.
UM, JUST DON'T KNOW WHY I COULDN'T GET AN ANSWER IN A CONVERSATION BEFORE.
SO PREJUDGING SOMETHING WHEN THERE COULD BE SOMETHING, UM, COMING DOWN THE ROAD IS, IS UNCOMFORTABLE.
AND I DO WANNA ALSO, UM, SAY, 'CAUSE I CAUGHT SOMETHING, UM, THAT WAS IN THE DISCUSSION THAT WAS JUST GOING ON, AND IT'S TO THE POINT OF THE COMMENTS THAT WERE MADE, UM, BY THE PUBLIC, WE DO HAVE A HEALTHY BUDGET.
AND BECAUSE WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE RESERVES, WHICH ARE SIGNIFICANT AND MAKES ME COMFORTABLE AND SLEEP AT NIGHT, THAT I KNOW THAT THIS TOWN IS WELL PROTECTED IN THE CASE OF VARIETY OF DIFFERENT TYPE OF EMERGENCIES, THAT JUST BECAUSE WE HAVE A, A, A SURPLUS OF, UM, MONEY, I'LL SAY IT THAT WAY, UM, DOESN'T MEAN THAT WE NECESSARILY HAVE TO FIND WAYS TO SPEND IT ALL.
IN FACT, YOU MENTIONED REDUCED KNOWLEDGE.
I THINK THAT THERE'S CERTAINLY, UM, A CONVERSATION THAT SHOULD BE BEING HAD.
I KNOW THAT I HAVE IT OCCASIONALLY, UM, HERE AND THERE WITH EVERYONE, UM, ABOUT REDUCING MILLAGE WITH THE EXTRA MONEY THAT WE HAVE SITTING IN THE BUDGET INSTEAD OF LOOKING FOR NEW WAYS TO SPEND IT.
AND, UM, I AGREE WITH THE PUBLIC COMMENTS THAT WERE MADE THAT WE, IN THE COMMENT THAT WAS MADE, THAT REDUCING KNOWLEDGE IS AN OPPORTUNITY WHEN WE HAVE ADDITIONAL MONIES IN OUR BUDGET.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO SEE US, UH, FOR NEXT YEAR FIND WAYS TO REDUCE THE MILLAGE INSTEAD OF FINDING WAYS TO SPEND, UM, ANY EXTRA DOLLARS AND KEEP GROWING AND KEEP SPENDING AND KEEP DEVELOPING.
SO, UM, THAT'S MY COMMENT ON THAT.
[02:10:02]
A BUDGET IS ALWAYS TIME.WHEN THERE ARE DIFFERENCES OF OPINION, DIFFERENT PHILOSOPHIES, UH, WHAT IS APPROPRIATE.
UM, ONE WAY OF LOOKING AT THE BUDGET, THE CONSOLIDATED BUDGET IS ABOUT A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS, IS TO KEEP THE TRAIN RUNNING ON TIME.
ABOUT 74,000 IS WHAT GIVES THIS COMMUNITY PERSONALITY, CHARACTER, EXCITEMENT, ENERGY, AND THINGS THAT BRING PEOPLE TO THIS COMMUNITY FOR THE THINGS THAT WE VALUE.
SO THAT $74,000 THAT WE'RE SPENDING ON CAPITAL IS SAYING WHO WE WANT TO BE IN THE NEXT 10 TO 15, 20 YEARS.
AND I THINK THAT WE ARE IN A POSITION TO WISELY INVEST THAT MONEY SO THAT THOSE GOOD THINGS HAPPEN FOR THE BENEFIT NOT ONLY OF RESIDENTS TODAY, BUT THE PEOPLE WHO CHOOSE TO COME HERE IN THE NEXT SEVERAL YEARS.
THANK YOU, UH, MR. ONCE AGAIN, UH, FOR, UH, NOT JUST PUTTING TOGETHER THIS BUDGET BUT FORESIGHT AS FAR AS WHERE WE'RE GOING INTO TOWN, AND ABSOLUTELY SINCE YOU HAVE BUDGET HAS INCREASED, BUT I OTHERS ASK TO DO, AND EVERY TIME YOU ASK MR TO DO SOMETHING, IT COSTS US.
UM, ONE THING LANDLORD SPENT A LITTLE TIME
BECAUSE AS WE, THE REVENUE APPROACH PUTTING MORE MONEY TO SOMETHING HAPPEN, AND THE OTHER I ADD TO LOOK AT SOME OF THESE PRIORITIES WE'VE ALL AGREED ON HOUSING IS ONE THAT'S 2% OF OUR RETIRE AS WE MOVE FORWARD TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH THOSE.
AND THIS ANOTHER PLACE IMPROVEMENT PIECE THAT SEE FOR YEARS, UM, IT WAS NECESSARY, IT WAS NECESSARY FOR US TO GOVERNMENT, NECESSARY FOR US TO STAY COMPETITORS, AND IT NECESSARY FOR US TO MAINTAIN THIS PART OF LIFE WE ALL ENJOY.
SO, UM, ABSOLUTE ELSE, UH, OUR COLLEAGUES HAVE HELPING SUPPORT.
AND MR. ORLANDO, I THINK IT'S, UM, ALSO IMPORTANT TO SAY THAT, THAT THE FUND BALANCES HAVE GROWN OVER TIME BECAUSE WE HAVEN'T NECESSARILY SPENT THE FUNDS ON THE PROJECTS ON THE DIFFERENT ITEMS THAT HAVE BEEN ALLOCATED.
UM, THEREFORE WE'VE GOT A SURPLUS OF MONEY.
CORRECT? UM, AND AS WE HAVE TALKED WITH OUR ADVISORS, OUR BONDING STATUS IS SUPER HIGH.
UM, AND TO BE ABLE TO CREATE A COMMUNITY THAT, THAT WE'RE ALL VERY PROUD OF AND TO CONTINUE, UH, BEING AT THE TOP, AND AS WE, AS WE HAVE OUTLINED IN OUR, IN OUR 20 YEAR PLAN, EXCELLENCE IS AT THE TOP OF IT.
PARKS HAVE BEEN BEHIND, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE OLD.
UM, THEY, THEY DON'T MEET TODAY'S STANDARDS.
COVID CREATED A A, A LAPSE IN TIME WHERE THINGS COULD BE COMPLETED.
AND, AND I AGREE WITH THE COMMENTS THAT WE'VE GOTTA BE VERY CAREFUL AS TO HOW WE SPEND OUR REVENUES BECAUSE WE DO THINK, AND WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT THOSE REVENUES DROPPING AND HOW WE ADDRESS THAT IN THE FUTURE IS GONNA BE VITAL TO MAINTAIN WHAT WE PUT INTO PLACE.
RIGHT? UM, I TOO FEEL VERY CONFIDENT IN THE, IN HAVING GONE THROUGH THE BUDGET ENTIRELY WITH EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU, UH, MORE THAN ONCE, AND UNDERSTAND THE INPUT THAT HAS BEEN GIVEN FROM EVERYBODY, AND ALSO TO THE OPERATIONAL SIDE OF MAINTAINING THE DOLLARS THAT WE SPEND, UM, WHICH IS A BIG PART OF IT.
SO I AM MORE THAN, THAN COMFORTABLE, AND I THINK THAT YOU HAVE DONE, AND YOUR TEAM HAS DONE AN OUTSTANDING JOB IN BUILDING A BUDGET AND PRESENTING A BUDGET CLEARLY, UM, THAT HOPEFULLY WE CAN ALL VOTE ON AND APPROVE.
FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU MR. ORLANDO, FOR ADDRESSING THE QUESTIONS I RAISED.
I THINK IT WAS HELPFUL FOR OUR COMMUNITY TO HEAR THOSE RESPONSES.
SO THANK YOU AND, AND, AND I AGREE WITH THAT ANALYSIS THAT YOU PROVIDED.
UM, AND NOTWITHSTANDING MY HEARTBURN ABOUT VOTING FOR AN INCREASE,
[02:15:01]
I'M PREPARED TO, UH, APPROVE THIS BUDGET ON SECOND OR RATING.ANY OTHER COMMENTS? SEEING NONE WILL CALL THE VOTE.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF APPROVING THE BUDGET THAT WAS MADE MOTION BY MR. AMS A SECOND BY MR. ALFORD, PLEASE SIGNIFY BY RAISING YOUR RIGHT HAND.
THOSE OPPOSED, THAT WILL BE FIVE TO ONE.
NEXT WE'LL MOVE ON TO THE SECOND UNFINISHED BUSINESS.
UH, WE'LL MOVE ON TO THE SECOND AND FINAL READING IN CONSIDERATION OF AN ORDINANCE OF THE TOWN OF HILTON HEAD ISLAND AUTHORIZING THE EXECUTION AND DELIVERY OF A PURCHASE AND SALE AGREEMENT FOR A PORTION OF PROPERTY OWNED BY THE TOWN OF HILTON HEAD ISLAND IN BEAUFORT COUNTY, IDENTIFIED AS R FIVE 10 DASH 0 0 5 DASH ZERO ZERO DASH 0 3 2 9 DASH 0 0 0 LOCATED ADJACENT TO 2 82 BEACH CITY ROAD TOWN COUNCIL VOTED UNANIM.
IT IS MAY 21ST MEETING TO APPROVE FIRST READING OF THIS PROPOSED ORDINANCE.
MEMBERS OF COUNCIL, UH, IN THE INTEREST OF PROTECTING YOUR TIME, UH, I'LL LET YOU KNOW THAT THERE HAVE BEEN NO CHANGES OR ALTERATIONS TO THIS DOCUMENT SINCE IT APPEARED BEFORE YOU THIS FIRST TIME.
BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE.
YOU HAVE A MOTION? YEAH, NO, I'LL MAKE THE MOTION IF YOU WANT THAT FIRST.
UM, MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE AN ORDINANCE OF THE TOWN OF HILTON HEAD ISLAND AUTHORIZED EXECUTION AND DELIVERY OF A PURCHASE AND SALE AGREEMENT FOR APPORTION OF PROPERTY OWNED BY THE TOWN OF HILTON HEAD ISLAND IN BEAUFORT COUNTY, IDENTIFIED AS R 5 1 0 0 0 5 0 0 0 0.
2 82 BEACH CITY ROAD IS THE SECOND FINAL RATING.
YOU HAVE A SECOND, SECOND BRYSON DISCUSSION? YES.
UM, JOSH, CAN YOU PULL UP A PLAT JUST SO THE PUBLIC KNOWS WHERE THIS PIECE OF PROPERTY IS AND BEYOND THAT, I DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.
I'LL, I'LL SEEK KIM'S ASSISTANCE TO PULL UP THE, UH, DOCUMENT, BUT SHOULD BE IN THE ATTACHMENTS.
NO, THERE'S, OH, IS THERE A BETTER ONE? THERE'S A BETTER ONE IN THERE.
IS THERE A BETTER ONE IN THERE AT THE PUBLIX'S POINT, UH, STANDPOINT, IT'S AT THE VERY END OF BEACH CITY ROAD PAST THE MITCHELLVILLE FREEDOM PARK.
SO RIGHT HERE IS BEACH CITY ROAD.
THIS IS THE LAST PARCEL BEFORE, UH, WHAT WAS FORMALLY KNOWN AS BLUE JAY FIELD, WHICH IS JUST SLIGHTLY NORTH OF THIS.
UH, AND RIGHT HERE, THIS DASHED LINE IS THE CURRENT PROPERTY BOUNDARY.
AND AS YOU CAN SEE, THE ENTRANCE TO, UH, 2 82 BEACH CITY ROAD.
THE DRIVEWAY KIND OF CUTS ACROSS THIS CORNER.
SO IN ORDER TO RESOLVE THIS, UH, ENCROACHMENT, WE ARE PROPOSING TO SELL, UH, I'M SORRY.
UM, THE, WE ARE PROPOSING TO SELL TO THE ADJACENT LANDOWNER, THE PORTION OF PROPERTY THAT IS REFERENCED RIGHT HERE IN THIS RECTANGLE.
THANK YOU, JOSH, WHICH IS A TEENY, TINY PORTION PUBLIC COMMENT.
SEEING NONE, WE'LL BRING 'EM BACK TO THE DICE.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS? SEEING NONE.
WE'VE GOT A MOTION BY MR. AM, SECOND BY MRS. BRYSON.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF APPROVING, PLEASE SIGNIFY BY RAISING YOUR RIGHT HAND.
WE WILL NOW MOVE ON TO THE SECOND AND FINAL READING OF CONSIDERATION OF AN ORDINANCE ADMITTING TITLE IX CHAPTER TWO OF THE MUNICIPAL CODE OF HILTON HEAD ISLAND ENTITLED REGULATIONS AND RECOMMEND, UH, REQUIREMENTS RELATING TO SMOKING OF TOBACCO PRODUCTS BY ADDING A DEFINITION OF ELECTRONIC SMOKING DEVICES AND PROHIBITING THEIR USE CONSISTENT WITH EXISTING SMOKING REGULATIONS.
TOWN COUNCIL VOTED UNANIMOUSLY AT ITS MAY 1ST, MAY 21ST MEETING TO APPROVE FINAL READING OF THIS PROPOSED ORDINANCE.
I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO MENTION THAT THIS WAS A PROPOSAL BROUGHT FORWARD BY TEENS FOR HEALTHY YOUTH.
AND HERE WITH US IN THE AUDIENCE WE HAVE BEN VAULT, AMBER VAN HORN, JILLIAN CAMPANELLA, AND JA JACOB PERKY.
UM, SO THIS ITEM ESSENTIALLY TAKES THE TOWN'S EXISTING REGULATIONS WITH REGARDS TO SMOKING OF TOBACCO PRODUCTS IN INDOOR AREAS.
UH, IT DOES NOT CHANGE THOSE REGULATIONS OTHER THAN TO CHANGE THE DEFINITION TO INCORPORATE ELECTRONIC SMOKING DEVICES.
SO, UH, WE'RE ESSENTIALLY UPDATING TO BECOME MORE CURRENT WITH EXISTING TECHNOLOGY WHEN IT COMES TO TOBACCO RELATED PRODUCTS.
UH, BUT OTHERWISE THE REGULATIONS THEMSELVES WILL REMAIN THE SAME.
MAYOR, IF I MAY, I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION THAT TOWN COUNCIL
[02:20:01]
ADOPT AN ORDINANCE AMENDING TITLE NINE, CHAPTER TWO OF THE MUNICIPAL CODE OF HILTON HEAD ISLAND, TITLED REGULATIONS AND REQUIREMENTS RELATED TO SMOKING AND TOBACCO PRODUCTS BY ADDING THE DEFINITION OF ELECTRONIC SMOKING DEVICES AND PROHIBITING THEIR USE CONSISTENT WITH EXISTING SMOKING REGULATIONS.THIS IS A SECOND AND FINAL READING.
ALFORD, ANY PUBLIC COMMENT? YES, SIR.
UM, MY NAME IS BEN VAUGHT AND IN JULY OF LAST YEAR, THREE MEMBERS OF TEENS FOR HEALTHY YOUTH AND MYSELF BROUGHT TO YOUR ATTENTION AN ISSUE THAT FACES OUR GENERATION AND THIS COMMUNITY VAPING IN ITS SECOND HAND AND THIRD HAND, HEALTH EFFECTS ON BEHALF OF THE LOW COUNTRY ALLIANCE FOR HEALTHY YOUTH AND ITS YOUTH COALITION, TEENS FOR HEALTHY YOUTH, I WANNA SAY THANK YOU.
THANK YOU FOR BEING AN ACTING FORCE AGAINST THE VAPING EPIDEMIC.
IN RESPONSE TO OUR PROPOSAL, YOUR ACTIONS WILL HAVE A DIRECT IMPACT ON MY PEERS AND OUR COMMUNITY.
AS YOU SEND A CLEAR MESSAGE ABOUT THE NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCES OF VAPING, I BELIEVE THAT ENHANCED VAPING RESTRICTIONS WILL PROTECT THE LONG-TERM HEALTH AND WELLBEING OF HILTON HEAD ISLAND RESIDENTS AND VISITORS.
IT'S A TESTAMENT TO THE COMMITMENTS THAT YOU ALL HAVE TO SAFEGUARDING THE PUBLIC HEALTH OF OUR COMMUNITY.
THIS ORDINANCE IS NOT JUST ABOUT REDUCING THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE VAPING IN PUBLIC SPACES, IT'S ABOUT PROTECTING THE FUTURE OF OUR GENERATION.
THE HARMFUL EFFECTS OF VAPING ARE WELL DOCUMENTED.
BY ENACTING THESE ENHANCED RESTRICTIONS, YOU'RE HELPING TO PREVENT THE NORMALIZATION OF THIS DANGEROUS HABIT AMONG YOUNG PEOPLE.
BY ADDING VAPING THE CURRENT SMOKING RESTRICTIONS, YOU'RE ACTIVELY RAISING AWARENESS ABOUT THE SERIOUS HEALTH RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH VAPING.
THIS ORDINANCE WILL ENCOURAGE MORE PEOPLE TO THINK TWICE BEFORE PICKING UP A VAPE, AND IT WILL HOPEFULLY INSPIRE OTHER MAYORS AND TOWN COUNCILS THROUGHOUT SOUTH CAROLINA AND BEYOND.
TO FOLLOW YOUR LEAD FOR SUPPORTING THE EFFORTS OF TEENS FOR HEALTH YOUTH, AND THE LARGER LOW COUNTRY ALLIANCE FOR HEALTH YOUTH, BY AMPLIFYING OUR YOUNGER VOICES, I WANNA SAY THANK YOU.
ANY OTHER PUBLIC COMMENT? NONE WILL BRING IT BACK TO THE DICES.
ANY COMMENTS FROM COUNSEL? THINK NONE.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR PLEASE SIGNIFY BY RAISING YOUR RIGHT HAND ON THE MOTION THAT WAS MADE BY MR. ANGEL AND MR. LEY.
OUR LAST ITEM ON UNFINISHED BUSINESS IS THE CONSIDERATION OF AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING A LONG-TERM LEASE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE TOWN OF HILTON HEAD ISLAND AND THE SANDALWOOD COMMUNITY FOOD PANTRY FOR PROPERTY LOCATED AT EIGHT AUGUSTA LANE, HILTON HEAD ISLAND, SOUTH CAROLINA.
THIS WAS APPROVED UNANIMOUSLY AT FIRST READING ON MAY 21ST.
UH, WHAT THIS ORDINANCE CALLS FOR IS THE ENTERING INTO A PART.
IF I MIGHT REAL QUICK CORRECT THAT BECAUSE I DON'T THINK, UM, IT WAS A SIX TO ONE VOTE.
JUST WANNA MAKE THAT CORRECTION.
AND ACTUALLY IT MAY HAVE BEEN FIVE TO ONE.
WE WILL, WILL, UH, AMEND THE DOCUMENT TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT IS REFLECTED ACCURATELY.
UM, WHAT THIS IS, UH, SEEKING TO ACCOMPLISH IS TO FORM A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE TOWN AND THE SANDALWOOD COMMUNITY FOOD PANTRY FOR THE PURPOSES, UH, OF LEASING TOWN OWNED PROPERTY THAT IS LOCATED AT EIGHT AUGUSTA LANE.
UM, THAT PROPERTY WAS FORMALLY THE SITE OF A CONVENIENCE CENTER THAT WAS OPERATED BY BEAUFORT COUNTY.
THE TOWN ULTIMATELY ACQUIRED TITLE TO THAT PROPERTY THROUGH A LAND SWAP.
UH, IT IS CURRENTLY UNOCCUPIED, UH, AND THE DEMAND AND NEED FOR SANDALWOOD, UH, COMMUNITY FOOD PRE PANTRIES SERVICES IS SIGNIFICANT AND CONTINUES TO RISE.
I CAN TELL YOU, HAVING DRIVEN PAST THEIR, UH, CURRENT LOCATION TODAY, THERE WAS A LINE OUT THE DOOR AND WELL INTO THE PARKING LOT FOR PEOPLE SEEKING ASSISTANCE FROM THEM.
AND SO THIS WILL HOPEFULLY ALLOW THEM TO, UH, CONTINUE TO FUNDRAISE THEIR EFFORTS, LOOK AT BUILDING A NEW FACILITY, UH, THAT COULD BECOME A LONG-TERM HOME FOR THEM, AND CONTINUE TO PROVIDE THIS SERVICE TO, UH, RESIDENTS ON HILTON HEAD ISLAND.
I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO ADOPT AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING A LONG-TERM LEASE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE TOWN OF HILTON HEAD ISLAND AND THE SANDALWOOD COMMUNITY FOOD PANTRY FOR PROPERTY LOCATED AT EIGHT AUGUSTA LANE, HILTON HEAD ISLAND, SOUTH CAROLINA.
THIS IS A SECOND AND FINAL READING.
YOU HAVE A SECOND, SECOND COMMENTS FROM THE AUDIENCE.
SEEING NONE, WE'LL BRING IT BACK TO THE DICE.
SO THIS IS, UM, A VERY WORTHWHILE, UM, PROJECT AND WE HAVE THE GREATEST RESPECT, UM, FOR THOSE WHO ARE INVOLVED WITH THE SANDALWOOD, UM, FOOD PANTRY.
MY ISSUE WITH REGARD TO THIS LEASE HAS TO DO WITH ARTICLE
[02:25:01]
THREE.AND AS WE DISCUSSED IT INITIALLY, UM, AS I BROUGHT THEIR CONCERN UP AND WE DISCUSSED IT INITIALLY, EVERYONE, UM, WAS GENEROUS WITH THEIR TIME.
UM, AND WE, WE TALKED THROUGH IT, BUT THE OUTCOME WAS NOT SATISFACTORY TO ME BECAUSE WITHIN ARTICLE THREE, WITHIN THE PERMITTED USE OF THIS PROPERTY, IT ALLOWS FOR A FOOD DISTRIBUTION FACILITY AND THE FOLLOWING ANCILLARY RELATED USES AN OFFICE, A COMMUNITY CENTER WITH A KITCHEN, STORAGE FACILITIES, ET CETERA.
AND BECAUSE THERE'S AN UNKNOWN IN THERE THAT THE SCOPE OF WHAT THE COMMUNITY FOOD PANTRY CURRENTLY DOES COULD CHANGE OVER TIME, AND THAT THERE'S 15 PLUS FIVE PLUS FIVE YEARS FOR THAT CHANGE TO OCCUR.
UM, I'M NOT COMFORTABLE TODAY, JUST LIKE I WASN'T COMFORTABLE WHEN WE DISCUSSED IT AND THE FIRST VOTE WAS TAKEN AFTER THE EXECUTIVE SESSION AT THE LAST TOWN COUNCIL MEETING.
SO I WOULD BE THRILLED TO, UH, VOTE YES ON THIS IF WE WERE TO TAKE OUT, UM, THAT ANCILLARY AND RELATED USE OF A COMMUNITY CENTER WITH A KITCHEN WITH, IF IT REMAINS IN THE DOCUMENT, THE LEASE DOCUMENT, I HAVE TO VOTE NO.
OTHER COMMENTS BEING NONE, WE'LL TAKE A VOTE.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION MR. AMES MADE IS SECONDED BY MRS. BRYSON FOR, FOR THE LEASE AGREEMENT.
PLEASE SIGNIFY BY RAISING YOUR RIGHT HAND, THOSE OPPOSED IS FIVE TO ONE NEW BUSINESS ON NEW BUSINESS.
WE HAVE A CONSIDERATION OF A RESOLUTION EXPRESSING SUPPORT FOR THE ROTARY COMMUNITY CENTER PROPOSAL AT ITS MEETING ON MAY.
THE COMMUNITY SERVICE AND PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE VOTED UNANIMOUSLY TO RECOMMEND THAT THE TOWN COUNCIL APPROVE THE RESOLUTION EXPRESSING SUPPORT FOR THE PARTNERSHIP PROPOSED BY THE ROTARY CLUBS.
UM, THIS ITEM, UH, WAS PRESENTED INITIALLY TO THE COMMUNITY SERVICES AND PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE, UH, BASED UPON CORRESPONDENCE THAT THE TOWN RECEIVED FROM REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ROTARY CLUBS ON HILTON HEAD ISLAND.
THAT CORRESPONDENCE ESSENTIALLY SET FORTH A PROPOSAL, UH, WHEREIN THE ROTARY CLUB, THE ROTARY CLUBS WOULD SEEK TO FUNDRAISE, UM, TO SUPPORT THE UPFITTING AND FURNISHING OF A COMMUNITY CENTER TO BE USED, UM, FOR PUBLIC PURPOSES.
UH, AT THE COMMITTEE MEETING, WE DISCUSSED THAT AT THIS STAGE IN TIME, WHAT THIS REQUEST REPRESENTS IS A CONCEPTUAL APPROVAL OF THE IDEA OF FORMING THIS PARTNERSHIP.
THERE'S A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF ADDITIONAL DETAIL THAT NEEDS TO BE IDENTIFIED IN TERMS OF THE LOCATION, THE SIZE, THE COST, UH, AND ULTIMATELY THE OPERATION AND USE OF THIS FACILITY.
BUT WE WANNA UNDERSTAND AND ENSURE THE TOWN COUNCIL SUPPORTS THIS AT A CONCEPTUAL LEVEL BEFORE WE MOVE FORWARD WITH INVESTING, UH, TIME AND RESOURCES TO DEVELOP THOSE ADDITIONAL MATERIALS.
I CAN TELL YOU THAT ONCE THOSE ADDITIONAL MATERIALS ARE DEVELOPED, THIS MATTER WILL NEED TO COME BACK BEFORE TOWN COUNCIL FOR ADDITIONAL APPROVALS.
UH, BUT AT THIS POINT, WE'RE LOOKING FOR CONCEPTUAL APPROVAL ON THE IDEA OF THIS PARTNERSHIP MOTION.
I HAD LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION THAT COUNCIL APPROVE A RESOLUTION EXPRESSING SUPPORT FOR THE ROTARY COMMUNITY CENTER PROPOSAL.
ANY DISCUSSION FROM THE PUBLIC? COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC? OKAY.
I'LL GO ON THE SIDE OF RESTRAINT.
IT SOUNDS LIKE A GREAT IDEA, BUT IS THERE AN EVER AND EXIT STRATEGY FOR THE TOWN TO I'LL GO BACK, I'LL GO BACK TO SOME OF THE MISSIONARIES I MOST RESPECT THAT SERVED, UH, IN THE NEAR THE TIBET REGION OF CHINA ACTUALLY WORK THEMSELVES OUT OF A JOB.
I THINK THE GREATEST LEADERSHIP THAT I'VE EVER SEEN THROUGHOUT HISTORY WITH SCIENCE, WITH, WITH WHATEVER FACET ARE THOSE THAT, UM, SUPPORT AN IDEA, SUPPORT OTHERS, WHETHER THEY'RE INDIVIDUALS OR A GROUP, BUT THEN THEY HAVE AN EXIT STRATEGY TO LET A TODDLER WALK ON HIS OWN, SO TO SPEAK.
AND SO SOME OF THESE, UH, ASSOCI AFFILIATED MEMBERSHIPS, AS FANTASTIC AS THEY ARE, I THINK THEY COULD BE MORE FANTASTIC IF THERE WAS EVER AN EXIT STRATEGY TO LET THE TOWN DO WHAT THE TOWN DOES AND LET THEM WALK ON THEIR OWN.
[02:30:01]
THANK YOU.PI APOLOGIZE FOR HAVING TO HOLD UP MY PANTS.
BUT ANYWAY,
I HAVE THE NU UTMOST RESPECT FOR THE ROTARY.
THEY'VE DONE A LOT FOR BIKING IN THIS COMMUNITY THROUGH THE YEARS.
THEY'VE BEEN ABSOLUTELY TREMENDOUS.
BUT I HAVE TWO THINGS I THINK I'D LIKE TO RAISE, UH, AS CONCERNS.
ONE, I UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS CONSIDERED, UH, TO BE, UH, PLACED AT THE, UM, AT, AT THE MID ISLAND, UH, PARK.
AND I THINK THAT IS THE RIGHT GO.
YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD THREE YEARS OF INPUT FROM CITIZENS.
I DON'T EVER REMEMBER ANYONE SAYING WE NEED A COMMUNITY PARK ON THIS SITE.
IT'S NOT A HOME FOR A COMMUNITY CENTER, IN MY VIEW.
AND PROBABLY A LOT OF OTHER PLACES WHERE IT COULD BE.
AND I THINK THERE ARE OTHER ALTERNATIVES.
THE SECOND THING IS, AND AGAIN, NOT TO THROW, UH, A WET TOWEL ON THIS THING, I THINK, BUT THERE'S A LOT GOING ON HERE.
HOW MUCH CAN WE HANDLE
AND THERE'S SO ONLY SO MUCH YOU CAN DO.
AND THIS IS THE MOST AMBITIOUS BUDGET IN THE HISTORY OF THE TOWN.
AND IF THE ROTARY IS WILLING TO DO A LOT OF WORK ON IT, FINE, BUT IT'S GONNA WIND UP IN YOUR LAPS AND I'D BE CONCERNED ABOUT THAT.
OTHER PUBLIC COMMENTS ONE MORE TIME? PUBLIC COMMENTS? NOPE.
SEEING DONE, WE'LL BRING IT BACK.
UM, WELL, THIS IS A PROJECT, UM, THAT HAS BEEN DISCUSSED IN TERMS OF MID ISLAND PARK IN THE PAST, AND, UM, WE SUPPORTED IT, THE CONCEPT WHEN WE, UM, APPROVED THE MASTER PLAN FOR MID ISLAND.
AND IT IS ONE OF THOSE PROJECTS THAT IS TRULY A PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP, AND IT DOES SERVE THE COMMUNITY SERVICE, UM, PIECE THAT I THINK WE'RE ALL LOOKING FOR BECAUSE AT LEAST IN MY MIND, AND I REALIZE DETAILS ARE TO COME, BUT AT LEAST IN MY MIND, I SEE THIS AS, UM, ULTIMATELY BEING A PLACE FOR RESIDENTS AND OPPORTUNITY FOR NONPROFITS TO USE.
UM, AND IT'S NOT SOMETHING, ANYTHING ELSE.
I HOPE THAT IT DOES END UP IN MID ISLAND, UM, NEAR POSSIBLY THE ST.
JAMES CHURCH WITH THAT PURPOSE THAT I JUST STATED AS ITS MISSION.
OTHER COMMENTS? THANK YOU, BRYSON.
I, FIRST OF ALL, I'M, I'M VERY SUPPORTIVE OF THIS CONCEPT AND, AND APPRECIATE THE ROTARY CLUB STEPPING UP WITH THIS IDEA.
UM, I LIVED IN A COMMUNITY FOR 31 YEARS THAT HAD GREAT COMMUNITY CENTERS.
UM, ACTUALLY THOSE COMMUNITY CENTERS WERE THREEFOLD.
IT WAS A FIRE STATION, A A BRANCH LIBRARY AND A COMMUNITY CENTER, UM, IN, IN, IN VARIOUS LOCATIONS WITHIN THE CITY.
SO, UM, COMMUNITY CENTERS WERE A GREAT CONCEPT.
MY QUESTION BEFORE THE COMMITTEE MEETING WAS, WHICH LOCATION ON THE MID ISLAND TRACK, AND ALSO BECAUSE, UH, THIS COUNCIL HASN'T REVISITED THE MID ISLAND TRACK ONLY APPROVING MONEY FOR PHASE ONE, WHICH IS, UM, ADDRESSING, UH, STORM WATER MANAGEMENT ON THE SITE AND ALSO ADDING SOME RESTROOMS FOR THOSE WHO ARE ENJOYING, UH, THE PASSIVE, UM, EXPERIENCES, UH, ON THAT PROPERTY.
UM, AND, AND THE, THE MASTER PLAN, WHICH I LOOKED AT, HAD TWO COMMUNITY CENTERS.
UM, AND I'M CONCERNED ABOUT MAKING SURE THAT WE RESERVE THE LOCATION FOR, UH, THE RELOCATION OF THE CHURCH.
UM, AND, AND THERE'S A COMMUNITY CENTER BY THE RELOCATION OF THE CHURCH, AND THEN THERE'S A COMMUNITY CENTER ON THE DI ROAD SITE.
SO THE, THE ACTUAL LANGUAGE OF THE RESOLUTION SAYS, UM, TO BE LOCATED ON THE MID ISLAND TRACK PURSUANT TO THE ADOPTED PROGRAM ELEMENTS OF THE ADOPTED MASTER PLAN.
AND THAT LAST LANGUAGE BOTHERS ME.
I THINK WE OUGHT TO CONTINUE THE DISCUSSIONS AND I'M FINE WITH AUTHORIZING, UH, THE MAYOR AND TOWN MANAGER TO CONTINUED DISCUSSIONS WITH THE ROTARY CLUB, BUT I DON'T LIKE IT BEING SO SPECIFIC, UH, BECAUSE I'M UNCOMFORTABLE WITH WHERE ARE WE TALKING ABOUT.
AND, UM, UH, WE HAVEN'T YET GOTTEN TO THINK AGAIN ABOUT PHASES TWO, THREE, HOWEVER MANY MORE THERE ARE FOR THIS TRACK.
AND SO I, I WOULD REALLY LIKE FOR US TO STRIKE THAT LAST LANGUAGE PURSUANT TO THE ADOPTED PROGRAM ELEMENTS OF THE ADOPTED MASTER PLAN,
[02:35:01]
UM, AND HOPING THAT WOULD, THAT WOULD FIT WITH EVERYONE ELSE'S, UM, INTEREST IN THE PROJECT.UM, SO THE REASON THAT WE'RE DISCUSSING THIS AS A POTENTIAL ELEMENT OF THE MID ISLAND TRACK IS BECAUSE IT WAS SPECIFICALLY REFERENCED AS A FUTURE PHASE IN THE MASTER PLAN.
UH, BUT AS I INDICATED KIND OF AT THE OUTSET OF THE DISCUSSION OF THIS ITEM, ITS LOCATION, WHETHER IT BE WITHIN THE MID ISLAND TRACK OR ON ANOTHER TRACK, IS STILL SUBJECT TO DETERMINATION.
UM, WE'VE GOTTA LOOK AT IDENTIFYING WHAT THE SIZE OF THE FACILITY IS, THE FUNCTIONS THAT IT'S GOING TO SERVE, DEVELOPING A SITE PLAN.
THERE'S A LOT MORE ADDITIONAL DETAILED, UH, DATA THAT NEEDS TO GO INTO THIS BEFORE IT COULD COME BACK TO COUNCIL FOR ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATION AND DISCUSSION.
SO AT THIS POINT, THE ONLY REASON WHY, WHY WE'VE STARTED WITH THAT CONSIDERATION AT THE MID ISLAND TRACT IS BECAUSE IT IS REFERENCED IN A FUTURE PHASE, BUT OTHERWISE IT IS STILL UP TO THE BODY TO DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT IT WILL MOVE FORWARD AT THAT LOCATION.
AND IF SO, WHERE ON THAT LOCATION.
AND SO IF WE STRIKE THE LANGUAGE, UM, UH, AFTER THE WORD CENTER, SO WE STRIKE THE LANGUAGE TO BE LOCATED ON THE MID ISLAND TREK, PURSUANT TO THE ADOPTED PROGRAM ELEMENTS OF THE ADOPTED MASTER PLAN, WE CAN CONTINUE AS JUST PRESENTED.
SO DID YOU MAKE A MOTION ON THAT? I, I MOVE TO STRIKE LANGUAGE.
UM, IN THE, WHAT IS THAT? 1, 2, 3, 4 FIFTH LINE UNDER THE NOW THEREFORE TO STRIKE THE LANGUAGE, WHICH READS AS FOLLOWS, TO BE LOCATED ON THE MID ISLAND TRACK PURSUANT TO THE ADOPTED PROGRAM ELEMENTS OF THE ADOPTED MINISTER PLAN? IS THERE A SECOND TO THAT? I HAVE A QUESTION IF I MAY.
ARE YOU OPENING UP TO ANYWHERE ON THE ISLAND? I, I THINK THAT DOES AND I DON'T SUPPORT.
DOES THAT CHANGE THEN THE DECISION FROM THE COMMITTEE? I, I DON'T HAVE BEFORE ME THE RESOLUTION THAT THE COMMITTEE ADOPTED, BUT I DON'T RECALL THE EXACT LANGUAGE.
UM, I DO RECALL ASKING THE SAME QUESTIONS.
SO A COPY OF THE, UH, RESOLUTION WAS INCLUDED IN YOUR PACKET THIS EVENING.
UH, AND AGAIN, I, I WOULD STRESS THAT WHAT WE'RE SEEKING TONIGHT THROUGH THE ADOPTION OF THIS RESOLUTION IS CONCEPTUAL APPROVAL.
UH, IT WOULD NOT COMMIT US TO ACTUALLY CONSTRUCTING ANY KIND OF FACILITY.
UH, AND IT WOULD ULTIMATELY REQUIRE THAT WE COME BACK TO YOU, UM, FOR THAT DETERMINATION.
BUT AGAIN, WE WOULD LIKELY START WITH AN EVALUATION OF THE MID ISLAND TRACT PURSUANT TO THE ADOPTED PROGRAM ELEMENTS WHICH REFERENCE THE CREATION OF A COMMUNITY CENTER.
GOING BACK, IS THERE, IS THERE A SECOND MS. BRYSON'S MOTION? SEEING NONE THAT FAIL.
UH, JOSH, IT'S MY IMPRESSION THAT IN BLUFFTON THERE WAS AN EXAMPLE, A HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL EXAMPLE, WHERE THERE WAS A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON AND THE ROTARY CLUB IN BLUFFTON.
UM, IS THERE ANYTHING WE CAN LEARN FROM THAT EXPERIENCE THAT IS RELEVANT? YES.
SO, SO IN THE CORRESPONDENCE THAT WAS INITIALLY SUBMITTED TO THE TOWN, UM, REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ROTARY CLUBS REFERENCED THAT PARTICULAR EXAMPLE AS, UH, KIND OF A GOAL THAT I BELIEVE THEY'RE WORKING TOWARDS.
DID THE TOWN HAVE THE RESPONSIBILITY TO CONSTRUCT OR DID THE ROTARY CLUB HAVE THE RESPONSIBILITY TO CONSTRUCT? YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW THE SPECIFIC ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION.
I CAN HELP IF YOU'D LIKE
THE, THE ROTARY CONSTRUCTED IT, RIGHT? THE ROTARY CONSTRUCTED IT.
THE TOWN MAINTAINS AND OPERATES AND PROGRAMS WITH THE ROTARIES INVOLVEMENT.
UM, AND AN ADJUNCT COMMENT THAT REALLY HAS NO IMPORTANCE AT THIS MOMENT.
I'M VERY INTERESTED IN WHAT THE ARCHITECTURE WOULD LOOK LIKE.
SO MY QUESTION IS, IS THE TOWN PARTICIPATING IN THE LATER DESIGNS OF THE FACILITY? THANK YOU, MR. BROWN, DO YOU HAVE A COMMENT? NO, I, I HAVE A COMMENT.
WITH REGARD TO THE DISCUSSION THAT WAS JUST GOING ON, UM, IT'S, IT, IT WOULD BE MY OPINION, UM, THAT THE, THIS SHOULD BE A TOWN BUILDING.
UM, BUT I DO, I I WOULD PREFER THIS NOT BE SEEN AS ANY SPECIFIC NONPROFIT OR ENTITY AS A PARTNERSHIP, BUT AS A CONTRIBUTOR AND A USER IN THE, IN THE FUTURE.
UM, SO THAT'SS, THAT IS A LINE THAT I HAVE.
SO ANY OTHER COMMENTS BEFORE I, SO I JUST, I JUST WANT TO, I'VE HAD FIRSTHAND EXPERIENCE WITH THIS, UM, THROUGH NOT JUST ONE ROTARY CLUB, BUT ALL THE ROTARY CLUBS, THE ALLEN REC ASSOCIATION WENT TO EACH CLUB AND THEY POINTED AT ONE,
[02:40:01]
THE, THE, THE LUNCH CLUB POINTED UP 200,000.NO, THE VAN LANDINGHAM CLUB PUT IT UP 200,000.
THE SUNSET CLUB WAS, I THINK, 25,000.
A GREAT PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP.
A GREAT THING FOR A CIVIC ORGANIZATION TO HELP FUND A NEEDED SPACE.
SO IT, IT MAKES A HUGE DIFFERENCE IN WHAT THE COMMUNITY HAS.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR PLEASE SIGNIFY BY RAISING YOUR RIGHT HAND.
LET'S SEE, WHERE ARE WE NOW? LASTLY, WE HAVE A CONSIDERATION OF AN ORDINANCE AMENDING SECTIONS TWO DASH 15, I'M SORRY, TWO DASH FIVE DASH 15 PUBLIC MEETINGS AND PUBLIC HEARINGS OF TOWN COUNCILS AND BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.
TWO DASH FIVE DASH 50 AGENDA AND ORDER OF BUSINESS TWO DASH FIVE DASH 70 APPEARANCE BY CITIZENS DURING PUBLIC MEETINGS, AND TWO DASH FIVE DASH 80 RULES OF DECORUM OF THE MUNICIPAL CODE OF TIL HILTON HEAD ISLAND.
MR. GRUBER, YOU STILL UP HERE? YES, SIR.
UM, THIS ITEM IS BEING PRESENTED TO YOU FOR CONSIDERATION, UM, WITH A GOAL OF HOPEFULLY ATTAINING SEVERAL DIFFERENT OBJECTIVES.
ONE, UH, IS LOOKING AT THE ORDER OF AGENDA ON MEETINGS AND TRYING TO STRUCTURE IT IN SUCH A WAY THAT WE CAN FACILITATE, UM, PRODUCTIVE BUT EFFICIENT PUBLIC MEETINGS.
UH, ADDITIONALLY WITHIN THAT, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE CLEARLY COMMUNICATING WITH MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC ABOUT WHAT OUR EXPECTATIONS ARE ABOUT HOW THEY WOULD GO ABOUT PROVIDING COMMENTS AND FEEDBACK TO YOU AS A LEGISLATIVE BODY AND HOW THAT INCORPORATES INTO OUR MEETING PROCESS.
UH, THAT IS BEING DONE IN AN EFFORT TO ACHIEVE COMPLETE TRANSPARENCY AND UNDERSTANDING OF, OF BOTH THIS EXPECTATION AND WHAT THE REGULATIONS IF ADOPTED WOULD ALLOW OR NOT ALLOW FOR IN TERMS OF PUBLIC PARTICIPATION.
BUT IT DOES ENSURE PUBLIC PARTICIPATION AT EVERY MEETING.
UH, IT SIMPLY SETS FORTH A SERIES OF STANDARDS BY WHICH WE WOULD EXPECT PEOPLE TO ADHERE WHEN THEY ARE PROVIDING THAT PUBLIC COMMENT.
UM, I CAN GO INTO MORE DETAIL ABOUT THE SPECIFIC PROVISIONS THEMSELVES, BUT THEY ARE LISTED IN THE, UH, MATERIALS THAT ARE BEFORE YOU THIS EVENING.
UH, AND THEY DO SET FORTH CHANGES TO FOUR SEPARATE CHAPTERS WITHIN THE TOWN CODE IN AN EFFORT TO ACHIEVE THOSE GOALS.
ALRIGHT, I THINK I'M GONNA OPEN IT UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENT AT THIS POINT IN TIME, AND THEN WE CAN COME BACK AND ASK QUESTIONS FROM COUNCIL PUBLIC COMMENTS? YES, MA'AM.
HI, KATIE HENDERSON, HILTON HEAD PLANTATION.
UM, JUST TRANSPARENCY, UM, FOR THOSE OF US WHO COULDN'T GET THROUGH ALL 240 PAGES OF THE AGENDA, COULD YOU EXPLAIN WHAT THE STEPS WOULD BE, PLEASE? THANKS.
OTHER PUBLIC, OTHER COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC? YES, MA'AM.
REAL QUICK, THANK YOU FOR TAKING THIS SONG.
MY NAME IS CHESTER WILLIAMS. I'M I, FOR 1:00 AM GLAD TO SEE THIS FINALLY COMING FORWARD.
UH, THE MEMBERS OF THE GENERAL PUBLIC, INCLUDING MYSELF, FAR TOO LONG, HAVE HAD TO SUFFER THROUGH ODIOUS COMMENTS MADE BY ONE PARTICULAR INDIVIDUAL CASTING ASPERSIONS UPON THE CHARACTER OF THE TOWN COUNCIL MEMBERS AND THE TOWN STAFF MEMBERS, AND EVEN ACCUSING Y'ALL OF CRIMINAL ACTIVITY.
I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW FRUSTRATED I'VE BEEN WITH THOSE COMMENTS, AND I'M GLAD TO SEE YOU FINALLY COMING FORWARD WITH THIS.
AND, UM, I JUST, I WAS READING THROUGH IT AND I WAS CURIOUS FOR MORE DETAIL ON WHAT THE TEETH WILL BE.
ANY OTHER PUBLIC COMMENTS, THINK, THEN WE'LL BRING IT BACK TO THE DAAS.
UM, IF I CAN MAKE A QUICK STATEMENT BEFORE WE GO AROUND THE DAAS.
IT'S ABOUT HAVING AN ORDINANCE IN PLACE THAT PROTECTS OUR RIGHTS IN THE, IN THE, IN OUR MEETINGS.
UM, IT ALLOWS US TO CONDUCT BUSINESS IN A WAY THAT WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO CONDUCT BUSINESS.
AND WE'RE NOT TRYING TO STOP ANYONE FROM TALKING, EXPRESSING THEIR COMMENTS.
UM, IT CLARIFIES AN ORDINANCE THAT WAS PUT IN PLACE A LONG TIME AGO, AND IT DOES NOT MEET TODAY'S STANDARDS AND IT NEEDS TO BE UPDATED.
SO WITH THAT, IF YOU'LL GO INTO A LITTLE MORE
[02:45:01]
DETAIL.SO, UM, THERE ARE FOUR SECTIONS THAT ARE PROPOSED TO BE AMENDED.
THE FIRST ONE IS SECTION TWO DASH FIVE DASH 15.
AND ESSENTIALLY IN THAT, WHAT WE'RE DOING IS WE'RE MOVING THE REFERENCE TO OPEN TOWN HALL IN ITS, UM, USE AS A MEANS OF COMMUNICATING WITH TOWN COUNCIL ABOUT ITEMS THAT ARE ON THE AGENDA.
THAT WAS A PARTICULAR SOFTWARE PROGRAM THAT WE LAUNCHED DURING THE PANDEMIC WHEN WE WERE HOSTING VIRTUAL MEETINGS.
AND NOW THAT WE ARE BACK IN PUBLIC, UM, THAT IS NO LONGER REALLY NECESSARY, NOR IS IT ACTIVELY USED IN REALLY ANY MEANINGFUL MANNER FOR THAT PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
UH, THE PROVISIONS TO SECTION TWO DASH FIVE DASH 50 ESSENTIALLY REARRANGE THE ORDER OF BUSINESS TO MAKE IT CLEAR, UM, THAT THERE WILL BE PUBLIC COMMENTS ON AGENDA ITEMS THAT ARE LISTED ON A PARTICULAR AGENDA.
AND THEN IF SOMEBODY WANTS TO SPEAK ON A MATTER THAT IS NOT ON A PARTICULAR AGENDA, THEY WOULD HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE PUBLIC COMMENT.
BUT THAT WOULD TAKE PLACE AFTER THE BUSINESS OF TAKING ACTION ON ITEMS THAT ARE ON THE AGENDA HAS OCCURRED, UH, BUT BEFORE THE COUNCIL WOULD RECESS INTO ANY EXECUTIVE SESSION THAT MAY BE NEEDED.
SO ESSENTIALLY, IT JUST TAKES THE EXISTING REGULATIONS AND CLARIFIES WHEN IT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE TO SPEAK WHETHER OR NOT THE ITEM IS AN AGENDA ITEM OR THE ITEM IS AN OFF AGENDA ITEM.
UH, IT ALSO DELETES OTHER REFERENCES TO, UH, A SPECIFIC START TIME, A SPECIFIC STOP TIME AND OTHER ITEMS, UH, RELATED TO THE ACTUAL MEETING, UM, DETAILS.
UH, AND ESSENTIALLY WHAT IT REPLACES IT WITH IS A STATEMENT THAT THE MEETING WILL OCCUR AT THE TIME THAT STATED ON AN AGENDA WHEN IT IS PUBLISHED, AND A MEETING WILL END WHEN ALL THE MATTERS APPEARING BEFORE THE BODY HAVE BEEN RESOLVED.
UH, THAT WAY YOU'RE NOT PUTTING YOURSELF ON OR OFF A CLOCK OTHER THAN PROVIDING NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC OF EACH MEETING AND THE TIME THAT EACH MEETING WOULD BEGIN UNDER SECTION TWO DASH FIVE DASH 70.
UM, WE CLARIFY HOW, UH, INDIVIDUALS MAY GO ABOUT PROVIDING PUBLIC COMMENTS.
UH, WE STATE, UM, WHAT THEY MUST DO IN ORDER TO SIGN UP TO SPEAK, UH, THAT WAY WE CAN IDENTIFY WHO THEY ARE, THE ITEM THAT THEY WANNA SPEAK ON.
WE CAN PROVIDE ADVICE AND GUIDANCE ON WHETHER THAT'S AN AGENDA ITEM, WHETHER THAT'S A NON AGENDA ITEM, AND THEREFORE THEY KNOW WHICH SECTION THEY'LL BE, UH, ABLE TO SPEAK ON.
UH, IT CLARIFIES WHO MAY SPEAK, UM, IN TERMS OF AN INDIVIDUAL AND IN TERMS OF SPEAKING ON THE BEHALF OF SOMEBODY ELSE, ANOTHER GROUP OR AN ORGANIZATION.
UM, AND ESSENTIALLY, UH, MAKES IT CLEAR THAT EVERY INDIVIDUAL IS ENTITLED TO SPEAK FOR THREE MINUTES ON A PARTICULAR AGENDA ITEM.
UH, BUT YOU DO NOT HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF SOMEBODY ELSE.
YOU ARE ENTITLED TO YOUR THREE MINUTES.
YOU CAN USE YOUR THREE MINUTES, BUT WHEN YOUR THREE MINUTES ARE OVER, YOUR TIME IS COMPLETED FOR PROVIDING PUBLIC COMMENT ON THAT ITEM.
UM, IT CLARIFIES THAT YOU CANNOT TRANSFER YOUR TIME TO SOMEBODY ELSE.
UH, YOU CANNOT DELEGATE IT, YOU CANNOT AGGREGATE IT.
YOU HAVE YOUR TIME AND IT IS INDIVIDUAL AND PERSONAL TO YOU.
UM, WE DO ENCOURAGE BUT NOT REQUIRE THAT IF SOMEBODY IS GOING TO BE HERE ON BEHALF OF A LARGE GROUP TO APPOINT A SPOKESPERSON FOR EXPEDIENCE PURPOSES, UH, RATHER THAN HEARING THE SAME COMMENTS, UH, REPETITIVELY.
UH, AGAIN, THIS IS NOT A MANDATE.
IT IS SIMPLY STATING OUR ENCOURAGEMENT THAT THEY APPOINT SOMEBODY TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF THE ORGANIZATION SO THAT WE CAN EFFICIENTLY PROCEED WITH HANDLING THE BUSINESS OF COUNSEL.
UM, IT PROHIBITS SOMEBODY FROM SPEAKING IF THEY HAVE NOT BEEN ADDRESSED BY THE MAYOR.
UH, THAT'S, UH, AN ATTEMPT TO TRY TO ADDRESS PEOPLE JUST SHOUTING FROM THE AUDIENCE, TAKING OTHER SIGNS OF ACTIONS THAT WOULD BE DISRUPTIVE, UH, AND MAKES IT CLEAR THAT IN ORDER TO SPEAK YOU NEED TO BE ADDRESSED AND YOU NEED TO BE AUTHORIZED TO SPEAK AT THAT TIME.
UM, AND THEN, UH, THE LAST PART ALLOWS THE PRESIDING OFFICER OF THE PUBLIC MEETING TO CLOSE PUBLIC COMMENT IF FOR SOME REASON THE RULES AND REGULATIONS THAT HAVE SET FORTH ARE NOT BEING ADHERED TO, AGAIN, IN AN EFFORT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE MEETING ITSELF CAN CONTINUE ALONG IN AN EFFICIENT MANNER.
UM, AND THEN LASTLY, THERE ARE REVISIONS TO SECTION TWO DASH FIVE DASH 80, WHICH SPEAK TO THE ACTUAL BEHAVIOR THAT YOU CAN OR CANNOT ENGAGE IN WHEN YOU ARE PROVIDING PUBLIC COMMENT.
UM, I BELIEVE THESE ARE ALL FAIRLY STRAIGHTFORWARD AND, AND EASILY UNDERSTOOD BY FOLKS IF YOU READ WHAT THEY SAY.
IT'S SIMPLY JUST MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE ARE AWARE OF THE STANDARDS OF BEHAVIOR TO WHICH WE ARE GOING TO HOLD PEOPLE IF THEY WANNA PARTICIPATE IN, UH, DISCOURSE WITH THE PUBLIC BODY THAT MAY BE MEETING AT THAT TIME.
UH, AND I KNOW THERE WAS A QUESTION IN TERMS OF TEETH, UH, BECAUSE THIS IS BEING INCLUDED WITHIN THE TOWN'S MUNICIPAL CODE, A VIOLATION OF, UM, THESE RULES OF DECORUM OR ANY OF THE OTHER PROVISIONS THAT ARE CONTAINED WITHIN THIS CODE ARE REPLENISHABLE BY WHAT WE CALL THE GENERAL PENALTY PROVISIONS OF THE TOWN, WHICH IN EACH INSTANCE IS THE JURISDICTION
[02:50:01]
OF THE LOCAL MAGISTRATE COURT.SO THAT COULD BE A FINE OF ANYWHERE FROM $0 UP TO $500 AND OR 30 DAYS IN JAIL.
I WILL TELL YOU ALMOST, UM, WITHOUT RESERVATION, I AM NOT AWARE OF ANYONE EVER BEING SENTENCED TO JAIL TIME FOR A VIOLATION OF A MUNICIPAL CODE PROVISION, BUT THAT IS WHAT IS WRITTEN INTO THE JURISDICTION OF THE COURT, AND THEREFORE IT'S IN THE JURISDICTION OF THE PENALTY PROVISIONS FOR THE TOWN'S MUNICIPAL CODE.
THANK YOU, UM, BY COUNSEL, MS. BECKER.
SO, UM, I CERTAINLY APPRECIATE AN EFFICIENT AND PRODUCTIVE AND TIMELY, UM, COUNCIL MEETING.
I ALSO APPRECIATE, UM, PROPER DECORUM AT ALL TIMES.
UM, I DON'T APPRECIATE WHEN PEOPLE COME TO THE PODIUM OR ELSEWHERE AND, UM, DO THINGS, UM, LIKE SPEAK LIES AND TO CONJURE UP STORIES THAT ARE BASED IN COMPLETE FALSEHOODS.
I DON'T APPRECIATE WHEN PEOPLE, WHILE THEY'RE DOING SUCH THINGS VIDEOTAPE THE ACTION.
AND SO THERE'S A LENGTHY AMOUNT OF THINGS THAT, UM, THAT TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT HERE.
UM, THE STATE OF OUR SOCIETY IS, IS, IS PRETTY UNRULY RIGHT NOW, AND IT'S UNHEALTHY.
AND I WISH, AND I I WISH IT WOULD CHANGE DRAMATICALLY.
I AM WORRIED THOUGH ABOUT UNEQUAL, UM, UNEQUAL APPLICATION AND THAT CONCERNS ME ABOVE ALL ELSE.
SOMEONE I RESPECT DEEPLY JUST MENTIONED THAT THIS COULD POSSIBLY BE ABOUT ONE PERSON.
YOU CORRECTED THAT, THAT POSITION, BUT IT COULD BE ABOUT ONE INSTANCE ABOVE ANOTHER INSTANCE BY THE JUDGMENT OF A PRESIDING OFFICER.
UM, AND THAT CAN'T BE ALLOWED IN OUR COUNTRY.
AND WHETHER PEOPLE LIKE WHAT PEOPLE SAY OR NOT, THEY'RE ALLOWED TO SAY YOUR CHOICE IS TO GET UP AND WALK OUT AND TO CLOSE YOUR EARS AND NOT ENGAGE.
BUT I CAN'T TAKE AWAY THAT RIGHT WHEN I KNOW OF A POSSIBILITY THAT THERE COULD BE UNEQUAL APPLICATION OF THIS RULE AND THAT IT COULD TAKE AWAY A FUNDAMENTAL CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT.
UM, I DON'T LIKE BEING CALLED IN.
I DON'T LIKE ANY OF THOSE OTHER THINGS.
I UNDERSTAND THE SENTIMENT, BUT, UM, THOSE FOUNDATIONAL POINTS ARE, UM, ARE UNBREAKABLE AND WE SHOULD NOT BREAK THEM.
OTHER COMMENTS, MR. BROWN? YES, MR. MAYOR.
UM, THIS ORDINANCE WILL APPLY TO NOT JUST TOWN COUNCIL, BUT ALL BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.
AM I CORRECT IN THAT? THAT IS CORRECT.
ANY PUBLIC MEETING OF THE TOWN.
UM, AND YOU KNOW, BY THE LOOKS OF OUR CROWD TONIGHT, THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT WOULD NORMALLY SHOW UP AND WANT TO SPEAK THAT ARE NOT HERE TONIGHT AS WE'RE GOING THROUGH THIS FIRST READING, AND THEY MAY NOT BE HERE FOR A SECOND READING, AND SOME OF THEM ENJOY GOING TO OTHER MEETINGS BESIDES THE TOWN COUNCIL MEETINGS.
UH, SO I AM SUGGESTING THAT AS WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS NEW ORDINANCE, THAT WE ARE VERY INTENTIONAL ABOUT OUR COMMUNICATIONS TO OUR PUBLIC, WHICH WE ALL ENJOY THEM COMING.
UM, I THINK THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT.
THERE'S GONNA BE A LEARNING CURVE HERE.
UM, IT IS DIFFERENT FROM WHAT WE HAVE GOTTEN USED TO OVER THE YEARS.
UM, AND, UM, YEAH, I WOULD, I WOULD SORT OF ENVISION MR. TOWN MANAGER THAT WE'LL HAVE SORT OF A DIFFERENT SETUP AS PEOPLE SHOW UP AS WELL, SO THAT WE CAN SORT OF GUIDE AND HERD THEM TO THE NEW PROCESS.
UH, SO I'M, I'M ENCOURAGING US, UH, TO REALLY BE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC LEARNING THIS ALONG THE WAY.
UM, THE LAST THING THAT ANY OF US WANT TO GET A PHONE CALL ON IS THAT WE ARE NO LONGER WANTING TO HEAR FROM YOU.
AND THAT IS NOT THE CASE HERE.
UH, SO, UM, I'M, I'M IN SUPPORT OF THE DIRECTION THAT WE GOING, BUT JUST TO CAVEAT THAT WE ARE VERY OPEN TO THE PUBLIC AS THEY TRANSITION.
NOW, I, I MEANT TO DO THAT EARLIER AFTER, AFTER JOSH SPOKE, BUT WE GOT CARRIED AWAY.
[02:55:01]
COUNCIL ADOPT AN ORDINANCE SECTION TWO DASH FIVE DASH 50 PUBLIC MEETINGS AND PUBLIC HEARINGS AND TOWN COUNCIL AND BOARD AND COMMISSIONS, AND TWO DASH FIVE DASH 50 FRIENDS AGENDA AND ORDER OF BUSINESS AND FRIENDS TWO DASH FIVE DASH 70 APPEARANCE BY CITIZEN DURING PUBLIC MEETINGS AND TWO DASH FIVE DASH 80 RULES IN DECORUM OF MISSIVE CODE THE TIL ISLAND.NOW YOU CAN MAKE YOUR CUT OUT
UH, JOSH, UM, DOES THE LANGUAGE SAY PRESIDING OFFICER AS OPPOSED TO THE MAYOR? YES, I BELIEVE IT DOES.
SO THAT IT APPLIES TO OTHER OKAY, GOOD.
I, I'LL, I'LL MAKE A, A, A COMMENT.
I, I THINK IT'S IRONIC THAT AS WE AS A COUNTRY SEEK TO PROTECT OUR FREEDOMS, WE REQUIRE AN ORDINANCE THAT TELLS US HOW TO ACT WITH RESPECT AND COURTESY, THE VERY QUALITIES THAT OUR FREEDOM DEPEND ON.
MR. AM I, UM, AMM REMINDED OF, UH, OUR DESIRE TO ALWAYS HAVE CIVIL DISCOURSE
AND I THINK IT'S HELPFUL TO BE REMINDED.
IT'S KINDA LIKE THAT SAYING OF ONE OF THE RULES YOU LEARN IN KINDERGARTEN.
I KNOW MY MOM WAS A DAYCARE CENTER OWNER AND DIRECTOR FOR YEARS AND YEARS, AND EVEN UNTIL THE DAY SHE DIED, I KEPT BEING REMINDED OF HOW I SHOULD BEHAVE
SO, UM, BUT, UH, MR. BROWN'S COMMENT REMINDED ME THAT, UM, FOR OUR BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, UH, BECAUSE THIS APPLIES TO THEM AS WELL, I THINK IT MIGHT BE HELPFUL IF, IF THIS, IF THESE AMENDMENTS ARE ADOPTED TO HAVE A TRAINING SESSION, IF YOU WILL, FOR THE PRESIDING OFFICERS, THE CHAIRS OF OUR BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS TO HELP THEM OUT, UH, WITH THE INTENT AND, AND APPLICATION ON THESE AMENDMENTS.
I THINK THAT MIGHT BE HELPFUL.
IF I COULD TOUCH ON THAT POINT, JUST VERY BRIEFLY, MAYOR, UM, WE UNDERSTOOD THAT THAT WAS LIKELY GOING TO BE SOMETHING THAT WOULD NEED TO ACCOMPANY THIS.
AND SO IN THE MATERIALS WE'VE INCLUDED, UM, SOMETHING THAT'S NOT BEING CODIFIED INTO TOWN CODE, BUT SOMETHING THAT GOES HAND IN GLOVE WITH WHAT WE'RE DISCUSSING TONIGHT, WHICH IS, UM, STANDARD OPERATING GUIDELINES FOR ELECTED APPOINTED OFFICIALS.
AND THIS IS A DOCUMENT THAT ONCE IT'S FINALIZED WOULD BE PROVIDED TO ALL THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS, ALL TO THE CHAIR PEOPLE, UH, AND WILL HOPEFULLY ALLOW THEM ALONG WITH TRAINING TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE RULES AND REGULATIONS DO AND DO NOT ALLOW FOR, AND HOW TO APPLY THOSE IN A MANNER THAT WE CAN ENSURE THAT WE'RE NOT PROHIBITING PUBLIC DISCOURSE, BUT ENSURING ORDERLY MEETINGS.
ONE OF MY CONCERNS HAD BEEN A SUBSECTION SAYING YOU CAN'T ASK QUESTIONS.
SO
ANY OTHER COMMENTS? ALRIGHT, SEEING NONE, MR. AMS, MAY THE MOTION, MR. ALFRED SECOND.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR PLEASE? HOW I RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND? ALL THOSE OPPOSED? ABSOLUTELY NOT SIX TO ONE.
ALRIGHT, MR. ORLANDO, DO WE HAVE A NEED TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION? YES, MAYOR, AS SHOWN ON EXECUTIVE SESSION ITEM 11 A AND 11 B AS SHOWN ON OUR AGENDA.
MOTION TO GO EXECUTIVE SESSION? YES.
I'LL MOVE THAT COUNCIL DURING THE EXECUTIVE SESSION FOR REASON CITED BY THE TIME MANAGER.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY RAISING YOUR RIGHT HAND.
THAT IS SIX TO ZERO EXECUTIVE.
I'M A NATURALIST AND EDUCATOR HERE IN THE LOW COUNTRY.
YOU KNOW, BEAUFORT COUNTY IS AN AMAZING PLACE TO LIVE.
NOT ONLY IS IT BEAUTIFUL HERE, BUT WE HAVE AN AMAZING DIVERSITY OF LIVING THINGS IN THIS SERIES.
WE'RE NOT GONNA TRAVEL TO OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD LIKE AFRICA OR ASIA TO SEE NEAT THINGS.
WE'RE GONNA LOOK AT HABITATS RIGHT HERE IN BEAUFORT COUNTY AND WE'RE GONNA LOOK AT SOME OF THE ANIMALS AND PLANTS THAT MAKE THIS AREA SO SPECIAL.
JOIN ME FOR COASTAL KINGDOM ON THE COUNTY CHANNEL.
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 LINE CONDITION.
[03:00:13]
NO MOTION TO COME OUT OF EXECUTIVE SESSION.I MOVE THAT WE COME OUT OF EXECUTIVE SESSION AT THIS TIME.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY RAISING YOUR RIGHT HAND.
MR. AMES, WE HAVE ANY ACTION OUT OF IT? YES, ACTUALLY WE HAVE TWO MOTIONS.
YES, I MOVE TO APPROVE AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE RENEWAL TO SHORE BEACH SERVICES, INC.
FOR A NON-EXCLUSIVE FRANCHISE FOR THE PURPOSE OF CONDUCTING CERTAIN COMMERCIAL ACTIVITIES WITHIN SPECIFIC PUBLIC BEACH AREAS ON HILTON HEAD ISLAND AND PROVIDING FOR THE SEVERABILITY AND EFFECTIVE DATE WITH THE FOLLOWING CONTRACT PROVISIONS.
ONE, THE TERM OF THE AGREEMENT WILL BE 66 MONTHS, BEGINNING ON JULY 1ST, 2024, AND TERMINATING ON DECEMBER 31ST, 2029.
TWO, THE COST OF BUILD SERVICES FOR FISCAL YEAR 2025 SHALL BE SHALL NOT EXCEED $213,745 AND WILL NOT INCLUDE BILL SERVICES FOR BEACH PATROL DIRECTOR, ANIMAL CONTROL, AND BEACH MATTING SERVICES.
THE FRANCHISE FEE WILL BE NUMBER THREE.
THE FRANCHISE FEE TO BE PAID WILL BE 3% OF GROSS RENTAL RECEIPTS.
FOUR WILL ALLOW FOR THE RENTING OF CHAIRS AND OR UMBRELLAS ON AN ON DEMAND BASIS WITHIN AREAS OUTSIDE OF THE DESIGNATED FRANCHISE AREAS.
FIVE PROVIDES A TERM UNDER THE SERVICE AGREEMENT THAT MATCHES THE 66 MONTH TERM OF FRANCHISE AGREEMENT, BUT REQUIRES THE ADVANCED SUBMISSION OF AN ANNUAL BUDGET, IDENTIFYING THE PROPOSED COST OF BOTH SERVICES TO BE INCLUDED AS A PART OF THE TOWN'S ANNUAL FISCAL BUDGET ADOPTION PROCESS.
THE TOWN SHALL BE AUTHORIZED TO REVIEW SHORE BEACH SERVICES FINANCIAL RECORDS TO THE EXTENT NECESSARY TO DETERMINE THE AMOUNT OF FRANCHISE FEE THAT IS OWED TO THE TOWN IN THE OVERALL EXPENSES THAT ARE INCURRED BY SHORE BEACH SERVICES IN PROVIDING SERVICES UNDER FRANCHISE.
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?
SECONDED ANY DISCUSSION FROM THE PUBLIC? SEEING NONE.
ANY DISCUSSION FROM COUNSEL? I WELL READ MR. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR PLEASE SIGNIFY BY RAISING YOUR RIGHT HAND.
MAYOR, I HAVE ONE OTHER MOTION.
I MOVE THE MAYOR AND TOWN MANAGER BE AUTHORIZED TO EXECUTE AND DELIVER A CONTRACT FOR THE PURCHASE OF REAL PROPERTY LOCATED IN THE POPE AVENUE AREA OF HILL NET ISLAND AT A PURCHASE PRICE NOT TO EXCEED $2,975,000 AND OTHER TERMS ACCEPTABLE TO THEM AND TO TAKE ALL THE NECESSARY ACTIONS TO COMPLETE THE TRANSACTION DESCRIBED IN ANY SUCH CONTRACT.
WE OFFERED DISCUSSION BY THE PUBLIC SEEING NONE.
SORRY, DID I CATCH A SPECIFIC ADDRESS? DO WE NEED SOMETHING MORE THAN SOMETHING ON POPE AVENUE? NOT? I DON'T THINK SO.
I THINK UNDER THESE CIRCUMSTANCES, RIGHT, ANY OTHER DISCUSSION FROM COUNSEL? SEEING NONE, THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION.
SECOND FILE BY RAISING YOUR RIGHT HAND AND THAT'S SIX TO ZERO.
ANY OTHER BUSINESS? MOTION TO ADJOURN? SO MOVED.
THANKS FOR WATCHING BC TV FORT FREMONT CLOSES OUT A 350 YEAR LEGACY OF COASTAL FORTIFICATIONS IN PORT ROYAL SOUND BEGINNING IN THE MID 16TH CENTURY.
IT ALSO REPRESENTS THE CLOSING CHAPTER OF
[03:05:01]
AMERICA'S COASTAL DEFENSE SYSTEM BEFORE THE DAWN OF AIR POWER.PORT FREMONT IS AN EXAMPLE OF THE MOST ADVANCED MILITARY TECHNOLOGY OF ITS TIME.
IT WOULD PARALLEL THE B 17 AND AIRCRAFT CARRIER OF WORLD WAR II.
FORT FREMONT WAS AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE BUFORD CULTURE, VERY SIMILAR TO PARIS ISLAND AND THE MARINE CORPS AIR BASE.
TODAY IN 1525, THE SPANIARDS NAMED THIS SOUND AND THIS HARBOR, SANTA ELENA.
THEY CALLED THE NAVIGATIONAL POINT.
LA PUNTA DE SANTA ELENA, THE POINT OF SANTA ELENA.
AND WHAT THE SPANISH EXPLORERS DISCOVERED IS THAT PORT ROYAL SOUND IS A UNIQUE PIECE OF GEOGRAPHY.
IT'S THE DEEPEST NATURAL HARBOR SOUTH OF THE CHESAPEAKE BAY, POSSIBLY SOUTH OF NEW YORK, THE CHANNEL INTO PORT ROYAL SOUND.
THIS I FIND A REMARKABLE GEOLOGICAL FACT.
THE CHANNEL HA UH, HAS NOT CHANGED FOR 500 YEARS.
THERE'S NO INLET ON THE SOUTHERN COAST THAT HASN'T SHIFTED ENTIRELY IN 500 YEARS EXCEPT PORT ROYAL SOUND.
THERE'S SOMETHING GEOLOGICALLY DIFFERENT, OR ONE MIGHT SAY MAGICAL ABOUT PORT ROYAL SOUND.
SO SPANISH SAILORS BEING THE BEST IN THE WORLD IN THEIR TIME, FOUND THIS PLACE VERY EARLY, KNEW THAT FOR THE SPANISH EXPLORATIONS OF THE AMERICAN SOUTHEAST, THIS WOULD BE THE ENTRATA, THE ENTRANCE.
AND SO THEY BUILT A CITY ACROSS THE RIVER, UH, ACROSS THE SOUND FROM WHERE WE ARE ON PARIS ISLAND THAT BECAME THE FIRST CAPITAL OF FLORIDA.
AND THEY EXPLORED THE BACK COUNTRY FROM THIS LOCATION FOR, UH, MORE THAN A CENTURY WITH THE OBJECT OF BUILDING A HIGHWAY FROM THIS MAGNIFICENT HARBOR TO MEXICO CITY.
SO THE SOUND WAS KNOWN TO THE SPANIARDS, IT WAS KNOWN TO THE FRENCH WHO ACTUALLY GOT HERE FIRST AND FOLLOWED AND CREATED THE FIRST PROTESTANT COLONY IN THE NEW WORLD ON PARIS ISLAND OVER MY SHOULDER.
UM, AND THAT COLONY WAS A FAILURE.
IT WAS PART OF SPANISH, FLORIDA WHEN THE ENGLISH ARRIVED 150 YEARS LATER.
AND THIS WAS BECAME AS A CONSEQUENCE, A BATTLEGROUND IN THE 18TH CENTURY BETWEEN SPANISH INTERESTS IN FLORIDA AND ST.
AUGUSTINE AND THE ENGLISH COLONY IN CAROLINA AND IN CHARLESTON AND BACK AND FORTH.
THESE WARS WENT, MANY OF THEM NAVAL WARS, MANY OF THEM EMPLOYING AS ALL THE SAILORS KNEW BY THEN THE MAGIC OF PORT ROYAL SOUND.
WHEN THE CIVIL WAR CAME, CONFEDERATES DEFENDED THE, UH, HARBOR, BUT IT WAS BASICALLY INDEFENSIBLE AGAINST, UH, LARGE NAVAL FORCES.
SO THE US NAVY MADE IT THEIR PRINCIPLE TARGET DURING THE BE BEGINNING OF THE CIVIL WAR AND SENT THE LARGEST FLOTILLA OF SHIPS, UM, ASSEMBLED BY THE UNITED STATES NAVY IN THE 19TH CENTURY INTO PORT ROYAL SOUND.
ON NOVEMBER, NOVEMBER 7TH, 1861.
IN A FOUR HOUR CANON AID, WHICH WOULD'VE BEEN DEAFENING FROM WHERE WE'RE SITTING, WAS HEARD FROM MILES FROM SAVANNAH, NEARLY TO CHARLESTON.
IT WAS CALLED THE DAY OF THE BIG GUN SHOOT DURING THE CIVIL WAR.
THIS HARBOR THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT WAS FILLED WITH SHIPS.
IT WOULD BE HUNDREDS OF SHIPS IN THIS HARBOR.
THERE WAS A THOUSAND FOOT, UH, DOCK WITH A RAILROAD ON TOP OFF OF HILTON HEAD.
UM, THE MILITARY INSTALLATION WAS MAMMOTH.
THERE WERE 13,000 US SOLDIERS ON HILTON HEAD, WHICH WE'RE LOOKING AT THE LARGEST POPULATION ON HILTON HEAD UNTIL 1974.
SO THIS WAS A MAJOR US GOVERNMENT INSTALLATION IN THE HEART OF THE SOUTH.
IT WAS THE HEADQUARTERS OF THE US ARMY DEPARTMENT OF THE SOUTH, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, IT WAS THE HEADQUARTERS OF THE UNITED STATES NAVY, SOUTH ATLANTIC BLOCKADING SQUADRON.
SO THE BIGGEST SHIPS IN THE NAVY WERE HERE.
AND, UM, SO IT, IT BECAME, AND, AND THAT'S REALLY WHERE THE STORY OF FREIGHT.
FORT FREMONT STARTS WITH THAT HUGE CIVIL WAR MILITARY, UH, OPERATIONS AND INSTALLATIONS, UM, ON HILTON HEAD, ON ST.
HELENA ISLAND, ON PARIS ISLAND.
AND IN BEAUTIFUL AFTER THE CIVIL WAR, WE'RE GONNA SEE A MASSIVE CHANGE IN TECHNOLOGY THAT'S GONNA REVOLUTIONIZE THE MILITARY.
DURING THE CIVIL WAR, WE HAD IRONCLAD SHIPS, WE HAD RIFLE CANNONS, BUT THEY WERE ALL MADE OUT OF IRON, AND THEY WERE NOT TERRIBLY EFFECTIVE.
BUT ITS TECHNOLOGY IS GONNA CHANGE.
AFTER THE CIVIL WAR, WE'RE GONNA SEE STEEL PRODUCED, AND STEEL IS MUCH HARDER.
SO NOW WE HAVE A NEW MATERIAL, UH, TO MAKE ARMOR OUT OF FOR SHIPS.
SO WE CAN HAVE THESE ARMORED SHIPS MADE WITH STEEL AND A MUCH MORE RESISTANCE TO THE SHOT.
AND BECAUSE I HAVE STEEL, I CAN MAKE, UH, STRONGER BARRELS FOR MY GUNS.
UH, I CAN RIFLE AND MACHINE THESE MUCH BETTER.
AND THE RIFLING IS THE SPIRALS THAT ARE CUTTING THE BARREL THAT ALLOWS IT TO SHOOT FURTHER WITH MORE ACCURACY.
[03:10:01]
CAN ALSO NOW HAVE BREACH LOADING GUNS THAT CAN LOCK FROM BEHIND.SO I CAN LOAD MY GUN FROM BEHIND.
I DON'T HAVE TO GO HAVE THE OLD BLACK POWDER MUZZLE LOADING CANNON, UH, HEAD BEFORE NOW.
I CAN FIRE MUCH MORE RAPIDLY IF I COMPARE THE GUN OF, UH, 1890 TO THE GUNS OF 1860, UH, FOR THE SAME CALIBER, THE SAME DIAMETER GUN, UH, THE 1890 GUN WILL BE ABLE TO FIRE PROJECTILE AS FOUR TIMES HEAVIER, CAN SHOOT IT THREE TIMES FURTHER, CAN PUT IT IN WITH GREATER PRECISION, AND CAN PUT IT THROUGH MUCH MORE ARMOR THAN ANYTHING WE HAD IN 1860.
A MILITARY HISTORIAN, ER LEWIS WOULD SAY THAT THE CHANGE BETWEEN THE CIVIL WAR AND 1890 AND ARTILLERY TECHNOLOGY WAS THE GREATEST THAT WOULD BE SEEN SINCE INVENTION OF ARTILLERY IN THE 14TH CENTURY TO THE INTRODUCTION OF THE NUCLEAR PROJECTILE IN THE 1950S.
SO THERE'S BEEN A HUGE CHANGE IN GUN TECHNOLOGY AT THE SAME TIME.
IT'S NOT JUST THE STEEL, BUT ALSO THE POWDER THAT FIRES THESE GUNS IS DIFFERENT.
WE HAVE NEW CHEMICAL MAKEUP, AND SO LIKE CORDITE IS INVENTED NOW, AND IT'S STILL A WIDELY USED MILITARY EXPLOSIVE.
SMOKELESS POWDER IS INVENTED DURING THIS PERIOD OF TIME, AND IT'S NOT JUST CHEMICAL COMPOSITION, BUT IT'S THE DETAILS OF HOW YOU MAKE THE GRAIN, HOW FAST THEY BURN.
SO MUCH LIKE THE SKILL OF FIRING A SOLID ROCKET, UM, SOLID FUEL, UM, ROCKET.
IT'S THAT SAME KIND OF TECHNOLOGY THAT'S BEEN DEVELOPED IN THESE, UH, GUNPOWDER, IN THIS NEW POWDER.
SO OUR WEAPONS OF THIS DAY ARE, ARE MUCH, MUCH GREATER.
UM, THEY WOULD BE THE GREAT KILLING MACHINES IN WORLD WAR I.
MOST OF THE CASUALTIES ON THE BATTLEFIELDS WORLD WAR I WOULD COME FROM ARTILLERY.
SO THE WORLD HAS SEEN A HUGE CHANGE IN ARTILLERY, AND THAT'S TIED INTO CHANGES IN SHIPS.
WE NOW HAVE STEEL ARMORED SHIPS.
THEY'RE ALL, UH, STEAM POWERED.
THEY ARE NOW EQUIPPED WITH THESE FINE LONG RANGE GUNS, AND THEY NOW BECOME THE DOMINANT THREAT OF THE LATE 19TH, EARLY 20TH CENTURY.
THE FRENCH AND ENGLISH WOULD BOMBARD CITIES LIKE CAIRO AND REDUCE 'EM TO RUBBLE BECAUSE THEY WERE UNABLE TO DEFEND THEM.
SO THIS IS HOW THE WORLD WAS SEEING THE THREAT FROM THIS NEW TECHNOLOGY.
BIG BATTLESHIPS ARE THE THREAT OF THE ERA, AND NEW GUNS AND FORTIFICATIONS ON, UH, THE GROUND ARE WHAT YOU HAVE TO HAVE TO DEFEND AGAINST THEM.
ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT AND FIRST THINGS THAT HAPPENED AFTER THE CIVIL WAR IS THEY BUILT A RAILROAD TO PORT ROYAL SOUND, WHICH DIDN'T EXIST.
IT WAS THE FIRST CONNECTION OF THE SEA ISLANDS TO THE MAINLAND.
THE ADVANTAGE OF THAT RAILROAD IS IT BROUGHT COAL TO PORT, ROYAL SOUND.
SO WHEN THE COAL WAS DELIVERED, THE NAVY FOLLOWED IN 1872, ROBERT SMALLS WAS IN THE SOUTH CAROLINA LEGISLATURE, AND HE PUSHED THROUGH A RESOLUTION TO THE SECRETARY OF WAR CALLING FOR THEM TO PUT A NAVY STATION ON PARIS ISLAND.
AND EVENTUALLY HE WOULD GO ON TO CONGRESS WHERE HE WOULD CONTINUE HIS SUPPORT FOR A NAVY STATION HERE IN THE BEAUFORT PORT OIL AREA.
THEY EVENTUALLY OPENED A NAVY STATION HERE AND A COALING STATION THEY CREATED IN THE 1890S ON PARA, THE LARGEST DRY DOCK IN THE UNITED STATES.
THIS IS THE PERIOD WHEN THE US NAVY WAS SWITCHING FROM SAIL TO STEAM.
ALL THE NAVYS OF THE WORLD NEED COING STATION.
THIS WAS THE PRINCIPLE COING STATION BECAUSE OF THE RAILROAD FOR THE CARIBBEAN AND SOUTH AMERICAN US FLEETS, THIS WOULD BE THE BIGGEST DRY DOCK SOUTH OF NORFOLK.
IN FACT, IT IS THE ONLY DRY DOCK SOUTH OF NORFOLK, VIRGINIA THAT'S CAPABLE OF TAKING THESE NEW MODERN BATTLESHIPS AND THESE NEW MODERN ARMORED CRUISERS.
SO THIS BECOMES, AT THIS POINT, A STRATEGIC NAVY BASIN THAT IT PROVIDES COAL AND IT PROVIDES, UH, TOP LINE SUPPORT TO THE SHIPS, AND THEY CAN REPAIR THE HULLS OF EVEN THE BIGGEST SHIPS IN THE US NAVY.
FOLLOWING THE CIVIL WAR, NATIONAL STRATEGY AND EMPHASIS IN THE UNITED STATES SHIFTED FROM TO RECOVERY FROM WAR, AND ALL OF OUR COASTAL FORTIFICATIONS WENT INTO NEGLECT.
THE MILITARY WAS BUSY TAMING THE WEST, AND COASTAL DEFENSES, UH, BECAME SOMETHING THAT WAS NO LONGER IMPORTANT.
AND THE REST OF THE WORLD, TECHNOLOGY IS MOVING FORWARD.
AND THEY DEVELOPING THESE BATTLESHIPS.
THEY'RE DEVELOPING NEW, UH, HIGH QUALITY ARTILLERY, AND THIS IS GOING ON, UH, WORLDWIDE.
AND IN 1885, PRESIDENT GROVER CLEVELAND APPOINTED ENDICOTT BOARD, THIS WAS SEC HEADED BY SECRETARY WAR ENDICOTT, WILLIAM ENDICOTT AND THE BOARD WOULD MEET AND ISSUE A REPORT IN 1886.
AND THEY SAID THE CONDITIONS OF OUR COASTAL DEFENSES WERE JUST UNBEARABLE.
IT CANNOT BE ALLOWED TO STAY LIKE THAT.
AND THEY MADE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FORTIFICATION AND IMPROVEMENTS.
IDENTIFIED 29 PLACES THAT NEEDED FORTIFICATIONS, AND 11 OF WHICH WERE CRITICAL.
AND THAT LIST OF 29 SAVANNAH AND CHARLESTON ON THE LIST.
[03:15:01]
BUT BEAUFORT IS NOT ON THE LIST.IT'LL TAKE INTERNATIONAL EVENTS TO BRING BEAUFORT INTO THE PLAY OF, OF MODERN FORT TECHNOLOGY.
SO THE USS MAINE WAS HERE ON PATROL AND IN THE HARBOR, AND WHILE THEY WERE IN THE HARBOR, SEVERAL TIMES THEY ENTERTAINED THE LOCAL POPULATION.
SO THE MERCHANTS AND THE SOCIAL LEADERS AND THE POLITICAL LEADERS OF BEAUFORT WERE INVITED TO COME HAVE LUNCH WITH THE CAPTAIN OF THE SHIP CAPTAIN SIGS BEE.
AND THE OFFICERS GOT TO KNOW THE PEOPLE.
THE PEOPLE GOT TO KNOW THE OFFICERS, THE CREW WHICH WAS LARGE, WOULD GO ASHORE ON PAYDAY AND MAKE FRIENDS WITH EVERYBODY IN TOWN.
SO IT WAS A VERY SOCIAL, UM, UN ARRANGEMENT BETWEEN THE TOWNS, PORT ROYAL AND BEAUFORT AND THE SHIP.
SO THE MAIN LEFT HERE, IT WENT AND REPROVISION, IT REFUELED IN KEY WEST AND THEN WENT TO 90 MILES ACROSS TO HAVANA INTO THE HARBOR AND BLEW UP THIS INFLAMED.
THE ALREADY, UH, HOT PASSIONS BOTH IN CUBA AND HERE IN THE UNITED STATES.
AT THAT POINT, SOMEBODY IN THE WAR DEPARTMENT REALIZED THAT WE HAD THIS BIG DRY DOCK, THE ONLY DRY DOCK IN THE SOUTH THAT COULD TAKE ON AND REPAIR THESE BIG CAPITAL SHIPS THAT WERE IN OUR NAVY.
WE WERE GOING TO START OPERATIONS AGAINST A POWER IN THE CARIBBEAN.
AND THIS FORT WAS TOTALLY UNDEFENDED, AND THAT'S WHAT PUT FORT FREMONT ON THE MAP.
WE HAD TO HAVE A FORT HERE TO DEFEND THE COALING STATION, AND ESPECIALLY THIS BIG DRY DOCK, AS WELL AS THIS FINE HARBOR THAT'S HERE.
AND OF COURSE, THAT EVENT, WHICH KILLED 300 OR MORE SAILORS ON THE SHIP, UM, WAS VERY MUCH FOLLOWED BY THE LOCAL NEWS MEDIA AND VERY MUCH LAMENTED BY THE MANY FRIENDS THAT THE CREW HAD MADE HERE.
THE DESTRUCTION OF THE USS MAINE WAS A PERSONAL MATTER TO BEAUFORT AND TO PORT ROYAL TOWN.
UM, AND OF COURSE, IT WAS THE SPANISH AMERICAN WAR AND THE ATTEMPT TO DEFEND THIS HARBOR AGAIN, WHICH LED TO THE, THE CREATION OF FORT FREMONT.
THE UNITED STATES DECLARED WAR ON SPAIN IN, IN APRIL, 1898.
AND BY EARLY MAY, WE HAD TEMPORARY BATTERIES IN PLACE HERE, SUBMARINE MINES WERE IN PLACE, AND IN THE SUMMER, THEY WOULD ACTUALLY PLACE THE MINES ACROSS THE BEAUFORT RIVER.
THE TEMPORARY BATTERIES WERE A TEMPORARY EXPEDIENT.
THEY WERE LOCATED TO MY LEFT ABOUT A THOUSAND YARDS.
THEY'VE IMMEDIATELY BEGAN CONSTRUCTION OF WHAT WOULD BECOME FORT FREMONT.
THE LARGE BATTERIES WOULD HOUSE THE LARGE GUNS BATTERY FOR THE RAPID FIRE GUNS.
THE SMALLER BATTERY WAS COMPLETED BY JUNE OF 1898.
IN THE 1898, EVERYBODY IN TOWN WENT TO WAR.
UM, THEY HAD A NAVAL MILITIA UNIT, SOUTH CAROLINA NAVAL MILITIA UNIT, AND THEY WERE ABSORBED BY THE NAVY.
UH, MANY OF THEM RAN TUGBOATS FROM HERE TO NEW YORK TO KEY WEST, WHICH WAS THE PRINCIPAL SUPPORT BASE, TAMPA AND KEY WEST FOR THE US ARMY OPERATIONS IN CUBA.
PEACE WAS DECLARED BY THE END OF 1898, AND THE REMAINDER OF FORT FREMONT WOULD NOT BE FINISHED UNTIL EARLY 1899, AND THE FIRST SOLDIERS WOULD ARRIVE FROM THE REGULAR ARMY AT THAT POINT IN MARCH, 1899.
WELL, FORT FREMONT WAS NAMED FOR, UH, MAJOR GENERAL JOHN FREMONT.
UH, HE WAS ACTUALLY A LOCAL BOY, SO TO SPEAK.
UH, HE WAS BORN AND GREW UP IN, UH, SAVANNAH, GEORGIA, JUST, UH, SOUTH OF US.
AND, UH, WENT TO, UH, COLLEGE IN THE COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON, UH, UP JUST NORTH OF US IN CHARLESTON.
HE SERVED IN THE ARMY AND, UH, PRIMARILY INITIALLY AS A, UM, EXPLORER, AS ARMY FORTS WERE GENERALLY NAMED FOR ARMY OFFICERS.
UH, AND HE WAS, UH, CONNECTED LOCALLY.
UH, THIS WAS, UH, MORE THAN LIKELY WHY THE FORT WAS NAMED FOR HIM.
THE FORT WAS CONSTRUCTED ON A SITE, UH, DIRECTLY ACROSS THE RIVER FROM, UH, THE PARIS ISLAND, UH, UH, NAVAL STATION.
AND THE SITE SELECTED WAS 170 ACRES, WHICH INCLUDED THE TWO, UH, ARTILLERY, UH, BA BATTERIES, UH, FORT, UH, FOR FREMONT, OF COURSE, HAD BATTERY FOREIGNNESS AND BATTERY JESSUP.
UH, BUT THEN ADJACENT TO THE BATTERY SITE WAS AN ADMINISTRATIVE QUADRANGLE, VERY TYPICAL MILITARY TYPE, UH, ADMINISTRATIVE SQUARE.
UH, WE ARE SITTING IN THE NUMBER THREE GUN POSITION OF A THREE GUN BATTERY BATTERY JESSUP, WHICH HAD THREE 10 INCH DISAPPEARING CARRIAGE, LARGE CALIBER GUNS
[03:20:01]
BREACH LOADING GUNS.THEIR PURPOSE WAS TO, UH, ENGAGE THE WARSHIPS THAT MIGHT, UH, BE ENTERING THE HARBOR, UH, AND FORT ROYAL SOUND.
WE'RE HERE NOW AT THE SECOND BATTERY, UH, THAT WAS PART OF FORT FREMONT.
THIS IS BATTERY FOR NANCE, UH, WAS NAMED FOR A ARMY OFFICER, UH, THAT WAS ACTUALLY KILLED DURING THE SPANISH AMERICAN WAR.
UH, DURING THE BATTLE OF SAN JUAN HILL, UH, BATTERY FOR NANCE MOUNTED TWO, UH, BRITISH MADE 4.72 INCH ARMSTRONG QUICKFIRE GUNS.
UH, THEY WERE CALLED QUICKFIRE BECAUSE THEY LOADED, UH, WERE LOADED WITH A COMPLETE CARTRIDGE, AND IT, UH, IN TIME OF ACTION, THEY COULD FIRE FOUR TO SIX ROUNDS PER MINUTE.
THE PURPOSE OF BATTERY FOR NANCE WAS TO DEFEND THE MINEFIELD, WHICH WAS THE OTHER COMPONENT OF THE ENDICOTT COAST ARTILLERY OR OR COAST DEFENSE SYSTEM.
UH, A MINEFIELD, UH, WITH CONTROLLED MINES.
CONTROLLED MEANING THAT THEY WERE CONNECTED ELECTRICALLY TO SHORE AND COULD BE FIRED ON COMMAND FROM SHORE.
THAT, UH, CONTROL STATION WOULD'VE BEEN, UH, PROBABLY SHARED WITH THE PLOTTING ROOM.
AND IN ORDER TO PROTECT THE MINEFIELD, OBVIOUSLY AN ENEMY WOULD WANT TO INTERFERE WITH THAT.
MIGHT SEND VESSELS, UH, SMALL SHIPS IN HERE AT NIGHT TO TRY TO INTERFERE.
AND THIS BATTERY WOULD TAKE THOSE VESSELS UNDER FIRE IF THERE WAS SOME.
UH, THEY WERE SUSPECTED THAT, UH, UH, THEY WERE DOING SOMETHING TO INTERFERE WITH THE MINES, SUCH AS, UH, PULLING UP THE CABLES AND CUTTING THOSE.
THE INDIGO ERA ERA OF FORT WAS A FORMIDABLE TECHNOLOGY.
IT REPRESENTED STATE-OF-THE-ART TECHNOLOGY, DEFENSE TECHNOLOGY OF ITS TIME AGAINST THE STATE-OF-THE-ART THREAT, WHICH WOULD BE THE BATTLESHIP.
THE LIFE FOR THE SOLDIERS AT FORT FREMONT WAS DISCIPLINED AND REGIMENTED.
THEY EVEN HAD MEALTIMES WERE SPECIFIED LENGTHS OF TIME, 15 MINUTES FOR LUNCH, 15 MINUTES AT BREAKFAST, 20 MINUTES AT SUPPER.
THEY HAD TO PRACTICE THEIR SKILLS.
THEY WERE TRAINING AND DOING MAINTENANCE CONSTANTLY, IF YOU CAN IMAGINE WITH THESE BIG GUNS.
THEY HAD TO HAVE SKILLS IN AND PRACTICE THE SKILLS IN ARTILLERY MIND LAYING SIGNALING, WHICH INVOLVED IN OUR CASE AT FORT FREMONT, THE USE OF THE FIRE CONTROL TOWER, WHICH WAS A PRETTY SOPHISTICATED AND, UM, ADVANCED SIGNALING TECHNIQUE.
THEN THEY ALSO HAD TO, UM, PRACTICE THE TYPICAL MILITARY SKILLS, MARCHING AND DRILLING, SMALL ARMS, FIRE, FIRST AID, AND SO FORTH.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, THEY ALSO, UM, HAD PARTICIPATED IN ATHLETICS.
THEY HAD PHYSICAL TRAINING, PT, AND THEY ALSO HAD SPORTS TEAMS. SO THIS WAS TO KEEP THEM PHYSICALLY FIT SO THAT THEY COULD CONTINUE THEIR, THEIR DUTIES, BECAUSE THEY WERE, IT WAS PRETTY RIGOROUS AT FORT FREMONT.
WHEN EVENTUALLY THE DECISION WAS MADE TO MOVE A DRY DOCK AND THE COALING STATION IN THE NAVY STATION UP TO CHARLESTON, THEN THIS FORT NO LONGER BECAME SIGNIFICANT.
THERE WAS NOTHING LEFT HERE THAT WAS TO BE PROTECTED.
AND AT THAT POINT, 1911, THE LAST TROOPS WERE TRANSFERRED OUT, AND FORT WAS CLOSED IN 1901, THE MAYOR OF CHARLESTON AND THE UNITED STATES SENATOR PITCHFORK, BEN TILLMAN FROM SOUTH CAROLINA, WANTED THIS TO MOVE FROM BEAUFORT COUNTY TO CHARLESTON COUNTY 'CAUSE THERE ARE MORE VOTES IN CHARLESTON COUNTY.
AND THE MAYOR WANTED THE US CORPS OF ENGINEERS IN, IN THE NAVY TO DREDGE THE HARBOR IN CHARLESTON.
'CAUSE BATTLESHIPS IN THOSE DAYS REQUIRED 26 FEET OF WATER.
CHARLESTON'S NATURAL HARBOR IS 15 FEET OF WATER.
PORT ROYAL IS 30 FEET OF WALK.
IN ORDER FOR CHARLESTON TO SUSTAIN ITS PORT, ITS COMMERCIAL PORT, IT HAD TO DREDGE THE HARBOR.
WELL, IF THEY COULD GET THE NAVY UP THERE, THEY GET THE CORPS OF ENGINEERS TO DREDGE THE HARBOR.
AND THE, UH, THE PLAY FOR PITCHFORK, BEN TILLMAN, THE US SENATOR IN 1900 WAS THAT HE'D GET A WHOLE LOT MORE VOTES FROM VOTES FROM THE LARGEST CITY IN SOUTH CAROLINA.
SO IT WAS A POLITICAL COMMERCIAL OPERATION, AND THEY MOVED THE NATION AND IT WAS DONE, BOOM, LIKE THAT.
THE FORT DID ITS JOB, A DETERRENT FOR ANYBODY THAT WISHED TO ATTACK THESE.
IN FACT, THE WHOLE INDICO SYSTEM, ALTHOUGH NEVER CHALLENGED IN, UH, THIS ERA HERE IN THE UNITED STATES, PROVIDED SOME 300 MAJOR
[03:25:01]
GUNS, COASTAL GUNS, TO PRO, UH, PROTECT MAJOR AREAS, AND LEFT THE UNITED STATES AT THE BEGINNING OF THE 20TH CENTURY WITH AS WELL DEFENDED, UH, COASTLINE AS ANY PLACE IN, IN THE WORLD.BUT I, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SAY THAT IT IS A MAGNIFICENT ARTIFACT OF AN ERA, AND IT'S AN ERA THAT HAS BEEN NEGLECTED, UH, THE TURN OF THE 20TH CENTURY, UM, THE NAVAL STATION ACROSS THE RIVER HERE.
AND, UM, SO IT'S A, IT'S A PIECE OF HISTORY THAT'S DISAPPEARING AND THE FRIENDS OF FORT FREMONT AND BEAUFORT COUNTY HAVE PRESERVED IT FOR THE USE OF THE PUBLIC.
AND, UH, AS A MEMORIAL TO THAT MOMENT IN HISTORY, FORT FREMONT CLOSES A 350 YEAR STORY OF HOMELAND SECURITY ADDRESSING EUROPEAN IMPERIALISM IN THE 19TH CENTURY.
IT'S A TALE OF HOW GEOGRAPHY, TECHNOLOGY, AND NATIONAL SECURITY CREATES A TRANSITION FOR AMERICA TO BECOME A GLOBAL POWER.
IT'S ALSO A WONDERFUL SNAPSHOT OF AMERICA.
IN THE BEGINNING OF THE 20TH CENTURY, THE FRIENDS OF FORT FREMONT AND BEAUFORT COUNTY HAVE A VALUED PARTNERSHIP WORKING IN TANDEM TO PRESERVE THE FORT'S INTEGRITY AND PROMOTE THE HISTORICAL, NATURAL AND CULTURAL ASPECTS OF THE FORK.
MOST IMPORTANT, WE'RE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR CREATIVE WAYS TO ENHANCE THE VISITOR EXPERIENCE.
GUYS, I FOUND SOMETHING KIND OF NEAT.
IT IS A BLACK WIDOW SPIDER FEMALE.
I ACTUALLY FOUND THE EGGED CASE, AND THEN I SAW THIS BEAUTIFUL ANIMAL.
NOW, OF COURSE, THIS IS A REALLY VENOMOUS SPIDER, SO THE BITE FROM IT IS REALLY, REALLY BAD.
SO YOU DON'T WANNA GET BIT BY ONE.
THIS WAS UNDER SOMETHING AS THEY OFTEN ARE.
SO GENERALLY YOU DON'T SEE BLACK WIDOWS UNLESS YOU FIND SOMETHING THAT'S BELOW GROUND LEVEL, SOMETHING LIKE A WATER METER, SOMETIMES SORT OF ON THE SIDE OF A DITCH IN A ROTTEN LOG OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
NOW I'M GONNA FLIP IT OVER SO YOU CAN SEE THE BACK A LITTLE BIT.
THIS ONE'S NOT REALLY COOPERATING, BUT THEY ARE BEAUTIFUL SPIDERS.
BUT THE BEST WAY TO DEAL WITH THESE IS DON'T HANDLE 'EM, I GUESS, KINDA LIKE I AM RIGHT NOW, BUT OBVIOUSLY I'VE GOT HIM SO THAT HE'S ON THE OPPOSITE END OF THE STICK THAT I'M HOLDING.
ANYWAY, BLACK WIDOW, AND THESE ARE PRETTY COMMON ON SPRING ISLAND.
THEY'RE JUST VERY, VERY SECRETIVE.
I'M GONNA PUT HIM DOWN HER DOWN ACTUALLY AND SEE IF SHE'LL CRAWL OFF.