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CLOSED CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY BUFORT COUNTY.
THANK YOU FOR JOINING US TODAY.
UM, WE'RE GOING TO GET RIGHT INTO IT.
ARE THERE ANY BOARD MEMBERS THAT ARE NOT SITTING UP HERE IN THE DAY? NO.
UM, MR. HAMILTON TALKED TO ME IN THE PARKING LOT.
HE'S RUNNING A FEW MINUTES LATE.
HE'LL BE HERE IN JUST A MINUTE.
GLEN STANFORD'S NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO MAKE IT TODAY.
UH, WE'VE GOT PARTY BILL HERE AND THE CITY MANAGER.
UM, SO WE ARE, WE DO HAVE A SLIGHT AGENDA CHANGE, UH, PART C CHILDCARE WE'RE GONNA PUT OFF UNTIL AUGUST.
UM, AND, UH, SO WE HAVE TWO ITEMS. WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO AT THIS TIME AFTER JOE, UH, PRESENTS WITH, UH, HE'S GONNA GIVE, UH, THERE'S COUNTY'S, UM, SALES TAX REFERENCE.
I DON'T HAVE TO TOUCH IT THOUGH.
I KEEP TOUCHING THE GREEN LIGHT.
SO, UM, WE'LL, WE'LL, I'LL FILL IN AS NEEDED IF WE HAVE TIME.
SO WITHOUT SAYING ANYTHING FURTHER, LET'S GO TO GRANT MCCLURE, WHO'S THE PROJECT MANAGER FOR THE COASTAL CONSERVATION LEAGUE, AND HE'S GONNA TALK ABOUT THE PLASTIC BAG ORDINANCE AND, AND UPDATE GRANT WELCOME.
SHOULD I HAVE? YEAH, WHY NOT? SO EVERYBODY COULD SEE YOU.
UH, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME TODAY.
UH, MY NAME IS GRANT MCCLURE AND I WORK FOR THE COASTAL CONSERVATION LEAGUE.
UH, JUST A LITTLE BIT ABOUT MYSELF BEFORE WE GET STARTED.
UM, YOU KNOW, I, I GREW UP IN, IN CHARLESTON.
UH, MY FAMILY'S ACTUALLY FROM HAMPTON COUNTY ORIGINALLY, UH, WENT TO WOFFORD COLLEGE WHERE I STUDIED ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES AND ENGLISH.
I ALSO GOT A MASTER'S DEGREE, UM, FROM CLEMSON AND WILDLIFE AND FISHERIES RESOURCES.
UM, I'VE BEEN WORKING AT THE COASTAL CONSERVATION LEAGUE FOR ABOUT TWO YEARS NOW.
UM, AND IF YOU'RE NOT FAMILIAR WITH OUR ORGANIZATION, WE ARE A 5 0 1 C3 NONPROFIT THAT REALLY FOCUSES IN ON ENVIRONMENTAL ADVOCACY.
UM, AND, UH, SO WE WORK ON ALL KINDS OF ISSUES FROM LAND USE AND, AND REZONING ISSUES TO MORE OF WHAT WE CALL OUR LAND WATER WILDLIFE ISSUES, UM, THINGS LIKE THE PLASTIC BAG ORDINANCES THAT WE'RE GONNA BE TALKING ABOUT TODAY.
UM, ALSO BEFORE WE GET STARTED, UM, I'M GONNA BE TALKING ABOUT THE BEAUFORT COUNTY, UH, PLASTIC BAG ORDINANCE SPECIFICALLY, UM, WHICH WAS ADOPTED IN 2017.
UH, BUT DID WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT JASPER COUNTY AND HARDY DO NOT HAVE ANY KIND OF REGULATION ON PLASTIC BAGS.
AND SO WOULD WELCOME THE OPPORTUNITY TO, TO WORK WITH THE, UH, MUNICIPALITIES IN THE COUNTY OVER IN JASPER, UH, ON SOME OF THESE ISSUES.
UH, SOME OF Y'ALL MAY REMEMBER THIS SLIDE.
UH, THIS WAS ACTUALLY, UH, INCLUDED IN A PRESENTATION, UH, BY RICKY PARKER WHO, UH, HAD WORKED AT THE CONSERVATION LEAGUE WHENEVER THE FIRST SINGLE USE PLASTIC BAG BAN, UH, WENT INTO EFFECT.
UM, SO I JUST THOUGHT IT WOULD BE, UH, UH, HELPFUL TO, UM, ADDRESS THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM.
UH, SO
UH, SO A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY HERE, UH, IN BEAUFORT COUNTY.
INITIALLY, UH, IN 2017, BEAUFORT COUNTY STARTED HAVING WORKSHOPS, UH, ACROSS THE COUNTY, ENGAGING WITH DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES TO TRY TO GET A SENSE OF, UM, WHAT WHAT STAKEHOLDERS, UH, HAD IN MIND IF THEY THOUGHT THIS WAS A GOOD IDEA OR NOT.
UM, AND WHAT THEY FOUND WAS THAT THERE WAS STRONG SUPPORT IN THE COMMUNITIES FOR, FOR BANNING, UH, THOSE, THOSE PLASTIC BAGS, UM, THAT YOU MIGHT GET AT YOUR GROCERY STORE.
UM, AND SO THE COUNTY, UH, KIND OF GOT, UH, ALL THE MUNICIPALITIES TOGETHER, UM, AND THE MUNICIPALITIES WORKED ON ADOPTING LANGUAGE, UH, THAT WAS UNIFORM ACROSS, UH, BEAUFORT COUNTY.
AND SO, UM, HILTON HEAD, BLUFFTON CITY OF BEAUFORT, UM, ALL, ALL, ALL ADOPTED, UM, THESE CHANGES.
UM, AND SO, UM, ALSO TOWN OF PORT ROYAL, UM, ADOPTED THESE CHANGES.
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I DON'T WANNA, UM, UNDERSELL LIKE, WHAT A GREAT ACCOMPLISHMENT THAT WAS BECAUSE IT WAS HUGE.UM, YOU KNOW, AT THE TIME THERE WAS PLASTIC INDUSTRY LOBBYISTS AND, UH, YOU KNOW, BIG BOX STORES WITH A LOT OF HIGH POWERED, YOU KNOW, LEGAL, UH, TEAMS ON THEIR SIDE.
UM, AND, AND THE MUNICIPALITIES IN THE COUNTY WERE SUCCESSFUL IN WORKING TOGETHER TO GET THESE PRO UH, PROTECTIONS ADOPTED, UH, WHICH WAS A HUGE, HUGE ACCOMPLISHMENT AND, AND DON'T WANT TO UNDERSELL THAT.
UNFORTUNATELY, AS A BYPRODUCT, WE, WE KIND OF STARTED SEEING THESE THICKER PLASTIC BAGS, UM, POP UP IN OUR COMMUNITIES.
UM, AND WE KNOW NOW THAT, UH, THOSE THICKER, UH, BAGS CAN ALSO POSE PROBLEMS. SO, UH, WHERE ARE WE NOW? UM, WELL BACK IN MAY, THE, THE KEEP BEAUFORT COUNTY BEAUTIFUL BOARD, UH, PROPOSED SOME LANGUAGE THAT WOULD CLOSE THAT LOOPHOLE FOR THE, THE THICKER PLASTIC BAGS, AND ALSO INCLUDE SOME RESTRICTIONS ON A COUPLE OF OTHER ITEMS, INCLUDING THOSE FOAM TO GO BOXES AND, UH, THE CARRY OUT CUTLERY, LIKE PLASTIC FORKS AND, AND KNIVES.
UM, THAT THOSE CHANGES WERE, UH, APPROVED BY THE KEEP, UM, EXCUSE ME, BY THE, UH, COMMUNITIES AND SERVICES COMMUNITY, COMMUNITY SERVICES AND LAND USE COMMITTEE.
UM, AND THAT LANGUAGE IS KIND OF STILL IN THE WORKS.
SO, UH, WHY, WHY SHOULD WE REGULATE PLASTICS? RIGHT? UM, WELL, THERE, THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT REASONS.
UM, BUT A, A GOOD REASON IS THAT WE KNOW THAT OUR WILDLIFE, UM, ARE INTERACTING WITH THESE PLASTICS.
SO 1300 SPECIES, UM, THAT RESIDE IN THE OCEAN HAVE BEEN FOUND TO INGEST PLASTICS.
UM, THERE'S ALSO, UH, 300 MORE OF THOSE THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, TERRESTRIAL THINGS LIKE BIRDS THAT ARE ALSO INTERACTING WITH THESE MATERIALS.
UM, WE KNOW NOW THAT MICROPLASTICS ARE INCREASINGLY PROBLEMATIC BOTH FOR THE HEALTH OF OUR FOOD CHAINS AND FOR OUR OWN PERSONAL HEALTH.
UM, AND SO, UM, IN ADDITION, WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, UH, PLASTIC, YOU KNOW, IT'S UGLY.
FOLKS THAT ARE VISITING OUR COMMUNITIES, UM, FROM OUT OF TOWN, THEY DON'T WANNA SEE THIS STUFF.
UM, AND WHEN THEY'RE VISITING OUR BEACHES OR, UH, OUR SCENIC CORRIDORS, LIKE LET'S SAY SHELDON CHURCH ROAD OR, UH, HIGHWAY 21, UM, HEADING OUT TO HUNTING ISLAND, UM, THEY, THEY WANT TO SEE, YOU KNOW, THE, THE PRISTINE MARSH VISTAS, NOT, NOT TRASH GLIDING.
OUR COMMUNITIES ALSO KNOW THAT FORESTRY IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST AND OLDEST INDUSTRIES IN SOUTH CAROLINA.
UM, WE WANT TO, YOU KNOW, BY MAKING A, A PARADIGM SHIFT TOWARDS PAPER, WE'RE SUPPORTING THAT, THAT PRACTICE ALLOWING FOLKS TO HOLD ONTO THEIR PROPERTIES, UM, AND, AND, UM, YOU KNOW, CREATE A REVENUE STREAM.
AND ALSO, UH, THERE, THERE ARE BUSINESSES IN SOUTH CAROLINA THAT ARE ALREADY MAKING SOME OF THESE MORE SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTS, AND SO WE CAN SUPPORT THOSE LOCAL BUSINESSES.
AND I'VE GOT A LIST OF ALL THOSE MANUFACTURERS.
I'D BE HAPPY TO PROVIDE THAT TO FOLKS.
UH, SO THERE'S, THERE'S BUSINESSES IN BEAUFORT COUNTY THAT ARE ALREADY USING PAPER BAGS.
THEY'VE GOT A GREAT PAPER BAG, UM, WITH SURPRISINGLY DURABLE HANDLES.
UH, YOU CAN ALSO GET PAPER FROM FOOD LION AND WHOLE FOODS.
UM, AND SO, UH, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THESE BIG BOX STORES ARE WILLING TO USE PAPER.
UM, AND I BELIEVE WE'LL USE PAPER, UH, IF THEY'RE REQUIRED TO.
UM, YOU KNOW, I MENTIONED EARLIER, WE WANT OUR BEACHES TO BE CLEAN.
UH, WE ALSO WANT OUR LANDFILLS TO HAVE A, A LONGER OPERATING LIFE.
AND SO IF WE CAN REDUCE SOME OF THE PLASTIC THAT ENDS UP IN, UH, INTO THOSE, UH, LANDFILLS, UH, YOU KNOW, WE CAN HAVE, UM, A LITTLE BIT MORE SPACE.
UM, ADDITIONALLY, UH, UH, ONE THING TO KIND OF KEEP IN MIND, IT'S KIND OF, UH, INTERESTING FROM A STORMWATER PERSPECTIVE, IS THAT, UH, THESE PLASTIC BAGS CAN ACTUALLY GET DOWN STORMWATER DRAINS AND THE THICKER BAGS, UH, YOU KNOW, CAN, CAN CLOG THOSE DRAINS WORSE THAN MAYBE A THIN BAG, UH, COULD.
AND SO THAT'S ANOTHER, ANOTHER ISSUE.
UM, AND ALSO JUST PEOPLE SPEND TIME COLLECTING THIS MATERIAL.
UM, AND THAT HAS, THAT HAS A COST.
UM, AND IT'S JUST SIMPLY THE RIGHT THING TO DO.
WE SHOULD, WE SHOULD BE STEWARDS OF THE ENVIRONMENT.
UM, AND THIS IS ONE WAY THAT WE CAN, WE CAN TAKE STEPS TOWARDS BEING BETTER STEWARDS.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, WHY, WHY SHOULD WE DO THIS NOW? UM, WELL, UH, MUNICIPALITIES ACROSS COASTAL SOUTH CAROLINA, UM, ARE TAKING THIS STEP.
UM, AND, UH, AND IN SOME WAYS WE'RE, WE'RE BEHIND THE TIMES.
UM, AND SO, UM, IT'S TIME FOR US TO CATCH UP TO SPEED.
UH, AND WE ALSO KNOW THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, FOR EXAMPLE, I, I WENT TO KAVA OVER BY THE TANGER OUTLETS THE OTHER NIGHT, AND, UH, THEY HAD A, A PAPER BOWL AND, UH, I THINK MAYBE BAMBOO CUTLERY.
UM, AND I, I TRULY BELIEVE THAT SOME OF THE BUSINESSES ARE ALREADY USING SOME OF THE MORE SUSTAINABLE OPTIONS, ESPECIALLY YOUR SMALLER BUSINESSES.
AND, UH, WE WANNA SUPPORT THOSE BUSINESSES.
AND SO BY MAKING THOSE, THOSE, UH, LARGER INDUSTRIES THAT CAN AFFORD
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TO, OR LARGER BUSINESSES THAT CAN AFFORD TO MAKE THE SWITCH, UM, MAKE THAT SWITCH, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE SUPPORTING THE SMALLER BUSINESSES, AND I BELIEVE IT, UM, THAT, THAT ACTUALLY FOLKS WILL FLOCK TO THOSE, UH, PLACES THAT ARE DOING THE RIGHT THING, UM, AND THAT THAT CAN ACTUALLY SUPPORT THEIR BUSINESS.SO, UM, A LITTLE BIT OF, UH, JUST DATA THAT'S BEEN COLLECTED OVER THE PAST COUPLE YEARS.
UM, IN 2023, THE SOUTH CAROLINA AQUARIUM FOUND 875, UH, PLASTIC BAGS IN THE CHARLESTON HARBOR.
MANY OF THOSE WERE THE, THE THICKER PLASTIC BAGS.
SO THESE ARE ENDING UP IN OUR WATERWAYS.
UM, THEY'VE ALSO FOUND A HUGE INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF BAGS OF THOSE THICK BAGS SINCE THE FIRST ORDINANCE WAS PASSED, WHICH ESSENTIALLY SHOWS THAT, YOU KNOW, THE THICK PLASTIC BAGS WEREN'T REALLY AN ISSUE OR, UH, UM, SOMETHING THAT FOLKS WERE THINKING ABOUT BACK WHEN THIS INITIAL WAVE OF BANS WAS PASSED.
BUT THEY'VE NOW BECOME MORE AND MORE PROLIFIC.
UH, SO THIS MAP GIVES YOU AN IDEA OF WHAT SOME OF THE DIFFERENT STATES ARE DOING.
UM, ACTUALLY IN SOUTH CAROLINA, UM, THE CONSERVATION LEAGUE WAS SUCCESSFUL AND, UM, AT THE STATE HOUSE IN BLOCKING WHAT WOULD'VE BEEN A BAN ON PLASTIC BAG BANS.
UM, AND, AND, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS A NUMBER OF PARTNERS WORKING ON THAT ISSUE.
UM, BUT HERE IN SOUTH CAROLINA, WE STILL HAVE HOME RULE.
UM, SO MUNICIPALITIES AND THE COUNTIES CAN ADOPT THEIR OWN, UH, SET OF SETS OF REGULATIONS ON THESE ITEMS. UH, ALL THE STATES IN RED ARE, UH, HAVE STATE PREEMPTION, UH, BUT YOU CAN SEE ON, UH, YOU KNOW, THE EAST COAST AND THE WEST COAST, IT'S PRETTY COMMON, UM, TO, TO REGULATE THESE ITEMS. SO THIS JUST GIVES YOU A, A SNAPSHOT OF, OF WHAT'S OUT THERE RIGHT NOW.
THIS WAS ONE CLEANUP THAT WAS DONE IN JUNE OF 2024 ON KAGEY BEACH.
UH, THE SEA TURTLE, UH, AUXILIARY GROUP, UM, WAS OUT THERE FOR I THINK ABOUT AN HOUR.
UM, THEY FOUND, UH, 46 POUNDS OF TRASH, LOTS OF CIGARETTE BUTTS, AND ALSO 48 STRAWS.
UM, THAT'S KIND OF AN ALARMING NUMBER OF STRAWS.
UM, SO THESE, THESE ITEMS ARE OUT THERE IN OUR COMMUNITIES.
UH, I MENTIONED EARLIER THAT, UH, SOME MUNICIPALITIES HAVE ALREADY TAKEN THE STEP TOWARDS CLOSING THE LOOPHOLE FOR THE THICK PLASTIC BAGS, UM, AND ALSO REGULATING, UH, CARRY OUT CUTLERY AND FOAM TO GO BOXES.
THE CITY OF CHARLESTON, TOWN OF MOUNT PLEASANT, UH, TOWN OF JAMES ISLAND AND FOLLY BEACH HAVE ALL RECENTLY UPDATED THEIR ORDINANCES WITHIN THE PAST SIX MONTHS.
THIS GRAPH KIND OF GIVES YOU A GOOD SENSE OF WHO'S REGULATING WHAT.
I WISH IT WAS A LITTLE BIT MORE LOCAL TO, TO BEAUFORT COUNTY.
UM, BUT NONETHELESS, YOU CAN STILL SEE, UM, WHICH ITEMS ARE ARE BEING REGULATED AND WHERE, UM, AND ONE THING THAT'S INTERESTING, YOU'LL NOTICE UNDER DISPOSABLE CUTLERY, UH, SEVERAL OF THE MUNICIPALITIES HAVE OPTED TO HAVE IT AVAILABLE ON REQUEST.
UM, AND SO IF YOU WERE TO TAKE OUT, INSTEAD OF JUST HAVING THAT PLASTIC SILVERWARE THROWN IN THERE AUTOMATICALLY, UH, IT'S ONLY AVAILABLE IF YOU ASK FOR IT.
UM, AND THIS CAN ACTUALLY SAVE BUSINESSES MONEY, RIGHT? SO THEY'RE NOT JUST, UH, GIVING FOLKS, UM, PRODUCTS THAT ARE GONNA END UP IN THEIR, THEIR, UH, JUNK DRAWER.
UM,
UM, SO JUST AN OPTION TO NOT ALL OUT BAN, UH, THOSE ITEMS, BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, HAVING THEM AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST, YOU MIGHT ALSO CONSIDER THAT FOR STRAWS, IF THAT'S, UH, KIND OF A STICKING POINT.
AND YOU'LL NOTICE THAT, UH, BALLOONS IS ANOTHER ITEM.
UM, I WAS ABLE TO GET SOME DATA FROM THE SOUTH CAROLINA AQUARIUM.
THERE ARE SEVERAL VOLUNTEERS THAT ARE PICKING UP TRASH IN BEAUFORT COUNTY AND LOGGING IT IN THEIR LITTER JOURNAL.
AND ONE OF THE MOST PROLIFIC ITEMS THAT THEY'RE FINDING, AND, AND, YOU KNOW, BEAR IN MIND, THEY'RE MOSTLY ON BEACHES, IS BALLOONS.
UM, WE ABSOLUTELY HAVE A, A BALLOON PROBLEM, UM, IN, IN THIS COUNTY.
AND, UH, YOU MIGHT CONSIDER REGULATING BALLOONS.
UM, AND AS DOES THE ISLE OF PALMS. UM, AND ACTUALLY, UH, THE STATE OF FLORIDA, THE ENTIRE STATE, UH, JUST PASSED A BAN ON RELEASING, UH, BALLOONS, MORE THAN 10 BALLOONS AT THE SAME TIME.
UH, PERSONALLY, I THINK NINE IS STILL TOO MANY BALLOONS TO BE RELEASED.
UM, BUT JUST GOES TO SHOW THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, IF THE ENTIRE STATE OF FLORIDA IS TAKING STEPS TO TRY TO KEEP SOME OF THESE ITEMS OUT OF OUR MARSHES, UM, THEN OUT OF OUR ENVIRONMENT, THEN WE CAN, WE CAN TAKE SIMILAR ACTION UP HERE IN, IN SOUTH CAROLINA.
SO, WHAT'S NEEDED NOW AND, AND, AND WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? WELL, I THINK THE FIRST STEP IS TO FIGURE OUT WHICH ITEMS WE WANT TO BAN AND, AND WHICH ITEMS WE WANT TO MAYBE ALLOW ON REQUEST.
UM, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, IF THEY'RE, UH,
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YOU KNOW, IF WE WANNA BREAK THIS ALL IN, IF WE WANNA DO THIS ALL AT ONCE IN ONE FELL SWOOP, OR IF WE WANT TO, UH, KIND OF TAKE SOME OF THESE ITEMS, UM, EACH AT A TIME.UM, AND SO, UH, I THINK COMMUNICATING WITH LOCAL BUSINESSES IS ABSOLUTELY KEY.
UM, I'VE ALREADY STARTED REACHING OUT TO, I'VE REACHED OUT TO THE BEAUFORT AREA HOSPITALITY ASSOCIATION, AND I'VE MET WITH SURGE GROUP.
UM, AND SO JUST HAVING SOME OF THOSE CON CONVERSATIONS, UH, IS IMPORTANT, UH, HEARD SOME OF THEIR CONCERNS.
UM, AND I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THERE IS A COST, UM, TO, TO MAKING THE SHIFT.
UH, BUT THERE'S ALSO A COST TO DOING NOTHING.
UM, AND SO, UH, WHILE WE UNDERSTAND THERE MAY BE SOME COSTS ASSOCIATED, UM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE'VE GOTTA START MAKING SOME CHANGES IF WE WANT TO, UM, YOU KNOW, PROTECT OUR RESOURCES AND, AND PROTECT OUR COMMUNITIES FROM SOME OF THESE ITEMS THAT WE KNOW CAN BE HARMFUL.
UM, YOU KNOW, I MENTIONED BACK IN 2018 WHEN THIS FIRST SET OF OF BANDS WENT INTO PLACE, THERE WAS QUITE A BIT OF COORDINATION WITH THE MUNICIPALITIES.
UM, AND SO THIS IS IN MANY WAYS, KIND OF THE PERFECT FORUM TO HAVE EVERYBODY HERE TOGETHER TODAY TO START HAVING SOME OF THESE CONVERSATIONS.
UH, BUT MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THE MUNICIPALITIES FOUND LANGUAGE THAT THEY AGREED ON, UM, AND THEN THEY, UH, WENT FORWARD WITH, UH, YOU KNOW, PUTTING THAT INITIAL BAN INTO PLACE.
UM, ALSO JUST HAVING CONVERSATIONS WITH YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY.
AND IF THERE ARE, UH, CHAMPIONS IN YOUR COMMUNITIES THAT YOU, YOU KNOW, YOU THINK COULD REALLY, UH, UM, GET EXCITED ABOUT THIS ISSUE OR, OR HAVE CREATIVE IDEAS ABOUT THIS ISSUE, I THINK, UM, YOU KNOW, REACHING OUT TO THEM IS, IS IMPORTANT EARLY.
SO, UH, BEFORE I WRAP UP HERE, JUST A, A FEW QUESTIONS FOR CONSIDERATION.
YOU KNOW, ARE THERE, YOU KNOW, WE TALKED EARLIER ABOUT MAYBE HAVING SOME ITEMS AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST.
UM, AND THE CITY OF CHARLESTON HAS DONE THIS.
THEY'VE ALSO GOT, UH, A HARDSHIP EXEMPTION, UH, WHERE YOU CAN GET AN EXTENSION FOR A YEAR.
UH, IF YOU CAN PROVE THAT THIS WOULD IMPACT YOUR BUSINESS, UM, SUBSTANTIALLY, UH, TO THE POINT WHERE YOU COULD NO LONGER, YOU KNOW, CONTINUE OPERATING OR, OR TURNING A PROFIT.
UM, AND SO, UH, HAVING, HAVING THAT KIND OF PROGRAM IN PLACE, UH, MIGHT BE AN OPTION, UH, TO, TO PROVIDE A LITTLE BIT OF, OF GRACE FOR BUSINESSES AS WE'RE MAKING THIS TRANSITION.
YOU MIGHT ALSO CONSIDER HAVING, UM, YOU KNOW, HAVING A, A, A LAG BETWEEN THE PASSING OF, UH, ANY NEW, UH, ORDINANCE AND ENFORCEMENT.
UM, AND SO THAT WOULD ALLOW FOLKS TO USE UP SOME OF THEIR EXISTING SUPPLY.
UH, LET'S SAY IF THEY'VE GOT A BUNCH OF, UH, IF, IF YOU WANT TO BAN CLAMSHELLS, UH, LIKE YOUR FOAM TO GO BOXES, UM, THAT WOULD ALLOW THEM TO KIND OF USE UP THEIR SUPPLY SO THEY'RE NOT STUCK WITH A BUNCH OF INVENTORY.
UM, AND ALSO JUST THINKING ABOUT WHO'S GONNA ENFORCE THIS.
I THINK CITIZEN ENFORCEMENT IS, IS ABSOLUTELY KEY ON THIS.
UM, CHARLESTON HAS HIRED A FULL-TIME.
THE CITY HAS HIRED A FULL-TIME STAFF TO, TO KIND OF HANDLE SOME OF THESE CHALLENGES.
UM, BUT, UH, EN ENFORCEMENT IS, IS ALSO SOMETHING TO START THINKING ABOUT.
AND, UM, YEAH, JUST LASTLY, UM, I DID WANNA MENTION THAT THERE'S A LOT OF CONSERVATION PARTNERS.
UH, WE'RE ALL REALLY EXCITED ABOUT WORKING ON THESE TYPES OF ISSUES.
UM, AND SO, UM, YOU KNOW, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT FOLKS CARE DEEPLY ABOUT, UH, BEAUFORT COUNTY, AND, UM, YOU KNOW, ITS NEIGHBORS, UH, I THINK HAVE A REPUTATION FOR BEING VERY PROGRESSIVE WHEN IT COMES TO PROTECTING OUR ENVIRONMENT.
YOU KNOW, WE HAD THE RURAL AND CRITICAL LANDS PROGRAM.
UM, WE WERE THE FIRST COUNTY, BEAUFORT COUNTY WAS THE FIRST COUNTY TO TAX THEMSELVES FOR CONSERVATION PURPOSES.
UM, AND SO THIS IS VERY MUCH A PART OF THE LEGACY OF THIS COUNTY.
AND, UM, THERE ARE MANY PARTNERS, UH, TO HELP WITH THIS TYPE OF WORK.
AND FINALLY, JUST WANTED TO EXTEND THE INVITATION TO A LITTER SWEEP, UH, COMING UP ON FRIDAY.
UM, UNFORTUNATELY I'LL BE OUT OF TOWN FOR THIS.
UH, BUT, UH, MY COWORKER, JESSE, UM, WILL, WILL BE, UH, THERE.
AND, UM, WE'RE WORKING WITH THE PORT ROYAL SOUND FOUNDATION ON THIS EVENT.
UM, AND THIS WILL, UM, YOU KNOW, JUST PROVIDE A SNAPSHOT OF SOME OF THE ITEMS THAT ARE OUT THERE.
UH, BUT WE'LL, WE WILL BE MEETING AT THE BEAUFORT COUNTY BUILDING ON KIND OF, UH, EXPLORING THE MARSH AROUND BATTERY CREEK THERE AT THE HEADWATERS, UH, TO PICK UP SOME TRASH.
AND, UH, WE'RE GONNA BE SORTING THAT PLASTIC AND HOPEFULLY LOGGING IT AND, UH, EXCUSE ME, IN THE LITTER JOURNAL, UM, SO THAT WE'VE GOT SOME OF THAT DATA AVAILABLE.
AND IT DOES JUST PROVIDE A, YOU KNOW, A SMALL PIECE OF THE STORY, BUT AT LEAST GIVES US A SENSE OF WHAT'S OUT THERE NOW.
I'M, I'M, I'M HAPPY TO TAKE SOME QUESTIONS.
UM, I'LL OPEN IT UP FOR QUESTIONS.
UH, I JUST WANT TO BE, BEFORE I DO, UM, MAKE ONE OBSERVATION.
I, I, I AGREE THAT WE NEED TO GET PLASTICS AWAY FROM OUR ENVIRONMENT, BUT IT SEEMS THAT THESE ARE TREATING THE SYMPTOMS, BUT NOT,
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NOT THE ROOT CAUSE.AND THAT'S THE PEOPLE WHO LITTER AND THERE, THERE, THAT SEEMS TO BE THE REAL PROBLEM, RIGHT? FROM EDUCATING OUR YOUNG PEOPLE THAT THIS IS, THIS IS NOT AN ACCEPTABLE BEHAVIOR BECAUSE THE AMOUNT OF LITTER THAT WE PICK UP, UM, IN HARVILLE AND JASPER COUNTY IS JUST, WHETHER IT'S PLASTIC OR, OR ANYTHING ELSE, IS JUST, UH, AN ATROCITY.
SO THIS IS GREAT, BUT LET'S NOT IGNORE THE ROOT CAUSE OF IT, AND THAT'S, THAT'S THE PEOPLE WHO LITTER.
AND I, I WOULD SAY YES AND RIGHT.
WE NEED TO DO THE EDUCATION, AND WE ALSO, UM, NEED TO START MAKING SOME CULTURAL CHANGES SINCE AND STOPPING SOME OF, OF THIS STUFF AT THE SOURCE, RIGHT? UM, AND SO THAT'S REALLY WHAT THE, THE PURPOSE OF THIS ORDINANCE IS, IS TO GET AT THE SOURCE OF THE PROBLEM.
UM, I'D LIKE TO OPEN IT UP TO THE BOARD FIRST, AND THEN WE'LL GO TO THE PUBLIC.
DOES ANYONE FROM THE BOARD HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, UH, COMMENTS FOR GRANT? WELL, I WILL, YOU KNOW, IT, IT, LITTER AND CLEANUP IS A BIG PART OF OUR BUDGET, AND WE HAVE PEOPLE THAT SHOW UP TO OUR BEACHES AND HAVE NO CARE OR CONCERN AS TO WHAT THEY LEAVE BEHIND.
AND IT IS AN EDUCATIONAL PIECE THAT IS IMPORTANT, AND IT'S ALSO AN ENFORCEMENT PIECE THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED.
UM, AND WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE ON HILTON HEAD IS THAT IF YOU LEAVE YOUR TRASH ON THE BEACH, YOU'RE STUCK WITH A THOUSAND DOLLARS FINE.
AND IT IS, I MEAN, NOT ONLY ARE THEY LEAVING THEIR BOTTLES AND CANS AND TRASH, BUT THEIR UMBRELLAS, THEIR CHAIRS, THEIR, THEIR STYROFOAM BOOGIE BOARDS.
UM, I LIKE TO SEE THOSE BANNED BECAUSE THAT CREATES A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY FOR, FOR THAT TO GET INTO THE WATER.
UM, IT, IT HAS BECOME ALMOST CRITICAL.
WE'VE HAD, WE'VE HAD TO HIRE A SEPARATE COMPANY NOW, WE'VE BROKE IT AWAY FROM, FROM BEACH SERVICES.
WE'VE GOT A RECYCLING COMPANY THAT COMES IN EVERY DAY.
UM, THEY PICKED UP, I THINK IT WAS A TON AND A HALF OF TRASH AFTER JULY 4TH.
SO THIS IS A REAL ISSUE THAT WE FACE ON HILTON HEAD, AND I KNOW THAT THE REST OF THE, THE AREA FACES, AND I'D LIKE TO SEE A REAL UNIFIED EFFORT TO FIGURE OUT A WAY TO ADDRESS IT.
UM, WE ARE KNOWN FOR OUR ENVIRONMENTALLY RESPECTED AREAS AND HOW WE TAKE CARE OF IT, BUT WE DON'T HAVE PEOPLE COMING TO THE AREA THAT ALSO HAVE THE SAME FEELING.
SO HOW WE ADDRESS IT ON THE SHORES OF OUR WATERWAYS, OF OUR BEACHES, UH, THROUGH OUR DRAINAGE SYSTEMS, I THINK WE HAVE GOT TO TAKE A STANCE WITHIN THE LOW COUNTRY THAT SAYS, WE'RE NOT GONNA PUT UP WITH THIS.
AND, AND LARRY, IT KIND OF GOES BACK TO SOMETHING YOU HAD MENTIONED A WHILE AGO ABOUT THE TRASH HAULERS AND HOW DO WE MAKE CERTAIN THAT THEY'RE NOT PART OF THE PROBLEM.
UM, I'M GLAD TO SEE THAT YOU'RE BRINGING THIS FORWARD.
I'D LIKE TO KNOW, YOU KNOW, WHAT YOU'RE DOING WORKING WITH OTHER MUNICIPALITIES.
YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT TJ JET, UM, FOR OUR ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY.
WE'RE WORKING HARD ON SUSTAINABILITY, BUT WHAT ARE YOU DOING GOING OUT, REACHING OUT TO THE OTHERS AND HELPING PROVIDE SOLUTIONS TO SOME OF THESE ISSUES? YEAH.
YOU KNOW, UM, HAPPY TO
AND, UH, I, I, I'VE MET HIM A COUPLE TIMES NOW, SO I'D BE HAPPY TO, TO REACH OUT.
IF I COULD JUST REITERATE OUR, OUR COMMERCIAL HOLLERS, AND I'M NOT SPEAKING OF WHAT SOMEONE CALLED ME AND TOLD ME ABOUT, I'M SPEAKING OF WHAT I SEE WITH MY OWN EYES, AND WHEN I SEE SOMETHING I'LL, I WON'T GIVE UP ON IT, YOU KNOW, I KNOW IT TO BE A FACT.
WE HAVE TO DO SOMETHING TO PUT MORE REGULATION OR MORE RESPONSIBILITY ON THE, ON THE COMMERCIAL HAULERS.
UM, AS FAR AS THIS, YOU KNOW, IT'S THE PLASTIC, IT'S THE STYROFOAM, IT'S EVERYTHING.
WE HAVE TO HAVE THEM TO PICK UP OUR TRASH, WHETHER IT'S FROM OUR RESTAURANT OR WHEREVER.
UM, AND I KNOW FOR A FACT THAT A HUGE PART OF WHAT WE'RE SEEING ON OUR ROADWAYS ARE, IS DEFINITELY COMING FROM COMMERCIAL HAULERS.
JUST, UH, THREE WEEKS OR SO AGO, I HAD A CALL FROM A FRIEND SAID, COME LOOK AT THIS.
SO I WENT, AND SURE ENOUGH, THERE WERE, I DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW MANY BAGS, MAYBE FIVE OR SIX, SEVEN BAGS OF PHARMACEUTICAL TRASH FROM A DOCTOR'S OFFICE, DENTIST OFFICE OR WHATEVER.
AND THEN, UM, THE WHITE FOAM, LIKE PACKAGING FOAM JUST
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LITTERED THE PARKWAY, YOU KNOW, FOR, UM, SEVERAL HUNDRED YARDS.SO ANYWAY, OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT DID GET ON THAT AND MADE THEM COME AND CLEAN IT UP AND ALL THAT.
SO, UM, EVERYTHING IS BAD FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, BUT IT, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT'S NOT IMPORTANT, YOU KNOW, WE AS A GOVERNMENT, WE NEED TO ENFORCE OUR ORDINANCES AND OUR REGULATIONS AND, UM, YOU KNOW, I'M ALL ABOUT NOT HARMING ANYONE'S BUSINESS, BUT THEN AGAIN, WE, WE HAVE TO, WE OWE IT TO THE ENVIRONMENT AND TO THE GENERATIONS TO COME TO PROTECT WHAT WE HAVE NOW.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S A MAJOR STEP THAT I THINK WE NEED TO TAKE ACTION ON AS A GROUP.
UM, I WAS JUST, ACTUALLY, I WAS OUT ON BAY POINT, UM, OVER JULY 4TH AND ACTUALLY FOUND A, UH, AN IV BAG THAT HAD WASHED UP TO SHORE, WHICH PROBABLY THAT WAS THE SOURCE.
UM, AND YOU KNOW, I, I LIVE IN BEAUFORT, BUT I'M OFTEN COMING ON ONE 70, AND I'LL ALWAYS SEE THOSE TRASH TRUCKS THAT IT SEEMS LIKE THERE'S NO COVER ON THE TOP, AND STUFF IS JUST, JUST FLYING OUT.
AND, YOU KNOW, THE PORT ROYAL SOUND IS SUCH AN ICONIC WATERSHED, AND SO TO HAVE STUFF GOING RIGHT IN RIGHT THERE, YOU KNOW, ON THE, ON THE BRIDGE IS, IS JUST A SHAME.
SO, AND, AND IF I COULD ADD, IF YOU NOTICE HOW BRIDGES, A LOT OF TIMES ARE, THERE'S MORE TRASH ON THEM THAN ANYWHERE ELSE, AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S COMMON SENSE IF YOU DRIVE A PICKUP TRUCK OR ANY OTHER OPEN VEHICLE MM-HMM,
AND, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, I, I CAME ACROSS HILTON HEAD BRIDGE JUST, UM, YESTERDAY MAYBE, OR DAY BEFORE OR WHATEVER, AND THERE WAS A PICKUP TRUCK FULL OF TRASH ON THE BRIDGES, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? THAT JUST, IT DIDN'T ALL COME FROM ONE TRASH TRUCK, BUT IT WAS ACCUMULATED THERE.
AND, AND ONCE IT GETS ON THE BRIDGE, YOU CAN'T GET ANY CLOSER TO THE WATER THAN THAT, YOU KNOW? AND, AND THAT BRINGS UP A GREAT QUESTION, AND, AND MAYBE IT'S A QUESTION FOR THE COUNTY.
WHAT IS BEING DONE ON THE BRIDGES TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT THEY'RE CLEAN? I MEAN, WHAT, WHAT IS THE, THE ATTEMPT WITH DOT AND THE COUNTY AND THE MUNICIPALITIES TO ADDRESS THESE TRASHY BRIDGES? WELL, THE COUNTY, I'LL JUST ADDRESS PART OF THAT.
THE COUNTY ON, UH, ON ONE 70 HAS A CREW.
THERE ARE COUNTY EMPLOYEES THAT DO ONE 70, BECAUSE THAT'S ALSO THE ROUTE TO, UH, SNAKE ROAD, RIGHT.
AND THE LANDFILL, BECAUSE THERE'S ALWAYS LITTER ON ONE 70, AND THAT INCLUDES TWO BRIDGES.
BUT I'M NOT SURE ABOUT THE HILTON HEAD BRIDGE.
I, I THINK WE NEED TO LOOK AT, UM, ALL OF THEM.
AND WE, WE'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS ABOUT BUYING OUR OWN STREET SWEEPER TO GO OUT AT NIGHT TO, TO CLEAN EVERYTHING UP.
UM, WE KNOW THAT THE HILTON HEAD BRIDGE IS JUST A HILTON HEAD BRIDGE OVER MACKEY'S CREEK, OVER FEDERAL WATERWAYS, OVER COUNTY PROPERTY.
SO I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO, TO UNDERSTAND, UM, AS TO WHAT ELSE CAN BE DONE.
BECAUSE YOU'RE RIGHT, LARRY, THERE, THERE'S A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF TRASH.
AND WHEN WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, 17,000 CARS COMING OVER IN THE MORNING, IT CREATES A HECK OF A LOT MORE TRASH ASH.
AND, AND I, AND I LOOK AT, AT THE COUNTY TO THIS, BECAUSE, UM, YES, IT'S EMPLOYEES COMING TO HILTON HEAD, IT'S DAY TRIPPERS COMING TO HILTON HEAD, BUT IT'S ALSO PEOPLE THAT LIVE IN UNINCORPORATED BEAUFORT COUNTY AND OTHER AREAS AS WELL.
I'M NOT JUST GONNA SING OUT BEAUFORT COUNTY, BUT, UM, IT NEEDS TO BE A REGIONAL ATTEMPT.
ALRIGHT, WELL, THANK Y'ALL, UH, VERY MUCH FOR HAVING ME.
UM, UH, BEFORE CLOSING ALL, UH, THE OPPORTUNITY TO, UH, ASK ANY QUESTIONS THE PUBLIC'S LIKE TO WEIGH IN, MAYOR, I HAVE, I HAVE AN OBSERVATION, BUT THAT'S NOT UNUSUAL.
UH, YOU KNOW, WE SPOKE AT THIS, THIS GROUP TWO OR THREE YEARS AGO.
WE WERE TRYING TO ADDRESS TRASH.
UH, WE DID IT IN HARDY, I BELIEVE, WHEN WE, IT WAS ONE OF OUR MEETINGS.
AND WE WERE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO, HOW TO NAVIGATE THAT.
AND I DON'T THINK WE EVER HAVE, UM, I FEEL LIKE, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT JUST, UH, EDUCATION ON DOING AWAY WITH PLASTICS, BUT AGAIN, I THINK WE HAVE TO HAVE A STRONGER RESPONSE OVERALL TO TRASH THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY.
UH, IT'S PREVALENT AND IT JUST DOESN'T GO AWAY.
I, I, I, I CALLED THE MAYOR, UM, TO, DURING THE HERITAGE, UH, FOR EXAMPLE, AND I HAD NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE IT IN MY LIFE.
THERE WAS ABSOLUTELY OVER NEAR BELLAIRE, UH, AREA.
IT WAS THE MOST TRASH PAPERS JUST SCATTERED
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FOR A GOOD MILE EVERYWHERE I'D EVER SEEN BEFORE.SO I CALLED IN TO SEE IF YOU COULD REACH OUT TO THE COUNTY OR SOMEBODY TO HELP US, YOU KNOW, NAVIGATE THAT DURING THE HERITAGE PERIOD.
SO, A AGAIN, I THINK WE HAVE TO JUST, UH, TACKLE IT FROM TWO PRONGS, FIGURE OUT HOW TO DO IT.
AND I, AND MY LAST QUESTION, MY ONLY QUESTION WOULD BE, UH, I THINK THIS IS WORTHY OF THIS DISCUSSION.
UH, ARE WE ALSO TALKING TO OUR FRIENDS IN JASPER COUNTY AS WELL? WELL, CERTAINLY THIS IS AN, THIS IS A REGIONAL ORGANIZATION HERE, AND THIS IS A REGIONAL PROBLEM.
OH, IT'S, IT'S A NATIONAL PROBLEM, BUT FROM A REGIONAL STANDPOINT, IT SHOULD INCLUDE BOTH COUNTIES AND ALL THE MUNICIPALITIES I THINK HAVE.
SO IF I WOULD SUGGEST TO THIS BOARD, UM, I THINK THERE'S PROBABLY A MULTI-STEP NEED HERE.
AND THIS PERHAPS AS AN AGENDA ITEM IN AND OF ITSELF IN THE FUTURE LITTER AS A, AS AN AGENDA ITEM.
AND I, AND I WOULD TAKE IT ONE STEP FURTHER AND INCORPORATE RECYCLING AND AVAILABILITY OF RECYCLING, BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE A LOT OF THE PROBLEM EXISTS.
UM, NOT HAVING IT SET UP IN A WAY THAT MAKES IT CONVENIENT.
I THINK WE HAVE A, UM, AN AUDIENCE WHO'S CONCERNED AND, UH, WE'LL, I'LL MAKE SURE THIS LITTER AS A AND RECYCLING GETS ON A FUTURE AGENDA.
CAN I SPEAK FOR A SECOND? SURE.
I'M LIFELONG MEMBER OF, UH, BEAUFORT COUNTY.
I'M HEAD OF, UH, BEAUFORT COUNTY.
I'M ON, ON THE BOARD OF PARAMOUNT PRIDE.
UM, WE, OUR WHOLE THING NOW IS LITTER, YOU KNOW, JUST, WE'RE ALREADY A BEAUTIFUL COUNTY, SO WE DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THE BEAUTIFICATION PART OF IT, BUT WE WORRY ABOUT LITTER AND OUR EFFORTS ARE MAINLY LITTER.
AND THEN WE INITIATED THE BAND ON THE PLASTICS.
'CAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE DO WHEN WE PICK UP LITTER, WE PICK UP PLASTICS, LET'S FACE IT.
UH, I THINK THAT EVERYBODY OUGHT TO LOOK AT THE ACCOMMODATION TAX THAT WE PAY ON THESE ISLANDS WHERE WE INVITE PEOPLE TO COME, WHICH IS A GOOD THING, BUT THEY'RE GONNA COME ANYWAY.
THERE WERE 150 CARS, CRAZY CRAB LAST NIGHT DRIVING OFF THE ISLAND.
I MEAN, IT'S A LOT OF PEOPLE COMING HERE, BUT ANYTHING WE COULD DO TOGETHER AS A GROUP TO FIGHT THE PLASTICS AND FIGHT THE, THE LITTER, I THINK IN THE LONG RUN, WE, WE'LL BE A LOT PROUD OF OURSELVES WHEN IT'S ALL SAID AND DONE.
AND I, I BELIEVE YOU, WE HAVE A LOT OF AGREEMENT.
SO, UM, NEXT WE HAVE, UH, JOE PASSMAN, WHO'S GOING TO GIVE US, UH, AN UPDATE ON THE TRANSPORTATION TAX AMONG OTHER THINGS.
I'M GONNA TALK ABOUT SOME REGIONAL PROJECTS RIGHT NOW AND HOW THEY AFFECT ALL OF US IN MAY OF THIS YEAR.
MAY 20TH THROUGH THE 22ND, A GROUP OF INDIVIDUALS REPRESENTING SEVEN COUNTIES IN SOUTHERN SOUTH CAROLINA WENT TO WASHINGTON DC TO TALK ABOUT SOME SPECIFIC PROJECTS, REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION, TRANSFORMATIONAL PROJECTS.
WE WENT, MET WITH KEY FEDERAL LEGISLATORS TO SAY, WE NEED MONEY, WE NEED RESOURCES.
WE REPRESENT A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT WANT A LOT OF THINGS.
WHEN WE CAME HOME, WE AGAIN, MET WITH THE GOVERNOR OF SOUTH CAROLINA.
WE WENT OVER SEVERAL OF THE PROJECTS AND SPECIFICALLY, AND ALL OF THIS WILL BE ON OUR WEBSITE.
SO I'M NOT GONNA GO THROUGH EVERY SINGLE PAGE OF THIS.
TWO PROJECTS ARE GOING TO BE ADOPTED BY THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA THAT HAS A REGIONAL EFFECT.
WE KNOW THAT SEVERAL OF OUR SURROUNDING COUNTIES ARE GOING TO HAVE LARGE MANUFACTURING FACILITIES BUILT IN THEIR COUNTY.
THEY NEED WORKFORCE, THEY NEED TRAINED WORKFORCE.
THERE IS GOING TO BE AN INVESTMENT BY THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO HAVE THAT TRAINING DONE.
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SECOND ONE IS THE SAVANNAH RIVER SITE.IT IS A LARGE COMPLEX THAT THE SOUTH CAROLINA, SOUTHERN CAROLINA ALLIANCE IS TAKING A STEP FORWARD WITH THE BLESSING OF THE STATES OF SOUTH CAROLINA.
TO HAVE A SOLAR PROJECT PUT THERE, WHICH WILL BE GOOD FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, UH, BEGINS THE DEVELOPMENT OF THAT PARTICULAR PROJECT.
SO THOSE ARE TWO VERY SUCCESSFUL ONES.
WHEN WE WERE THERE AS WELL, WE TALKED ABOUT SOME REALLY LOCAL PROJECTS, THE FIRST ONE THAT WE TALKED ABOUT.
AND IF WE COULD GO TO THE, GET RID OF THAT.
OKAY, THIS ONE, GO BACK ONE, THIS ONE.
WATER AND SEWER IN THIS REGION IS A REAL CONCERN, QUALITY OF WATER SEWER.
SO WE WENT AND WE TALKED ABOUT SPECIFIC PROJECTS.
THIS IS THE SUMMARY THAT YOU CAN READ ON YOUR OWN.
BUT WE'RE GOING TO BEGIN TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS.
WE HAVE ONE OF OUR STATE SENATORS, MARGIE BRIGHT MATTHEWS, WHO REPRESENTS JASPER COUNTY, WORKING CLOSELY WITH US ON SEVERAL OF THESE PROJECTS.
JOY IS ONE OF THE MOST CRITICAL.
THE MAY RIVER IS BEING POLLUTED BECAUSE MANY OF THE PROPERTIES, THERE'S OVER 200 PROPERTIES THERE, HAVE FAILING SEPTIC SYSTEMS THAT ARE POISONING THE WATER.
SO THAT IS A TOP PROJECT THAT IS GOING TO BE DONE FIRST.
SHELL POINT LEVY, AND OLD BAILEY.
THOSE FOUR PROJECTS WILL HAVE A TREMENDOUS IMPACT ON OUR ENVIRONMENT.
WE DON'T HAVE THE MONEY FOR THAT YET, BUT WE DO HAVE PEOPLE WHO ARE WELL AWARE AND ARE RESEARCHING THAT RIGHT NOW.
NEXT WE HAVE THE BRIDGE PROJECT.
I'LL GET INTO THE WHOLE REFERENDUM MOMENTARILY, BUT IF YOU'LL GO TO THE NEXT ONE, THIS WAS SENT TO OUR FEDERAL LEGISLATORS WITH A, I THINK IT WILL YOU GO TO THE NEXT ONE.
IT'LL SHOW YOU WHAT WE WANT TO DO.
THIS IS WHERE THE BRIDGE IS GOING TO CROSS.
IT IS THE FEDERAL WILDLIFE PRESERVE THAT'S THERE.
WHAT WE'RE DOING IS WE'RE WORKING IN CONJUNCTION WITH FEDERAL WILDLIFE PRESERVE TO REDO THIS AREA.
ONCE THE BRIDGE IS THERE, WE NOW HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO SOME DIFFERENT THINGS.
WE'VE GIVEN THEM SOME OPTIONS.
THEY ARE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THIS.
WE'RE NOW WORKING WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
BUT IT IS ON THE HORIZON THAT WE WILL HAVE BOAT LANDINGS.
WE'LL HAVE AN INTERPRETIVE CENTER, A WHOLE NEW WAY OF GETTING TO THE PICKNEY ISLAND WILDLIFE RESERVE.
SO THOSE ARE THREE OF THE MAJOR THINGS THAT WE ARE DOING IN THIS AREA.
NO LONGER ARE WE GOING TO STRICTLY TALK ABOUT BUFORT AND JASPER COUNTY.
WE ARE NOW GOING TO HAVE TO TALK ABOUT SEVEN COUNTIES IN OUR REGION.
THEY'RE GOING TO PUT A GREAT DEAL OF EMPHASIS ON PEOPLE COMING TO OUR COUNTIES AS WELL.
WE HAVE TO WORK WITH THEM ON REGIONAL PROJECTS FOR THE BETTERMENT OF EVERYBODY.
SO NOW LET ME BRING YOU UP TO DATE ABOUT OUR REFERENDUM.
AS YOU KNOW, OUR REFERENDUM HAS NOW BEEN SET AND HERE IS THE REFERENDUM.
WE HAVE DECIDED IT IS GOING TO BE A 10 YEAR, $950 MILLION REFERENDUM.
THERE ARE A LOT OF THINGS, A LOT OF CONCERNS ABOUT THE REFERENDUM.
WE'RE NOW GOING TO PUT OUT EDUCATIONAL MATERIAL REGARDING THAT.
WHAT DID YOU DO WITH THE MONEY WE GAVE YOU IN 2018? AND WHY DO YOU WANT MORE MONEY FOR IT? YOU DIDN'T USE IT THE
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FIRST TIME AROUND.WHERE IS IT? ALL OF THAT MATERIAL IS BEING PUT TOGETHER NOW.
WILL PEOPLE READ IT? WE HOPE SO.
CAN WE GET IT OUT TO YOU? WE HOPE SO.
WILL WE HAVE IT ON OUR WEBSITE? WE SURE WILL.
WILL PEOPLE GO TO OUR WEBSITE? WE DON'T KNOW.
WE'RE IN THE AGE OF SOCIAL MEDIA, SO WE'LL FIND EVERY OPPORTUNITY TO GET THIS INFORMATION OUT.
WHY ARE WE GOING TO DO THOSE THINGS THAT WERE UNDERFUNDED IN 2018? BECAUSE WE HAVE TO, WE COLLECTED OVER $120 MILLION.
THE REFERENDUM LAST TIME WAS FOUR YEARS.
WE COLLECTED THE $120 MILLION BEFORE THE FOUR YEARS WAS UP.
TRUE TO FORM GOVERNMENT DOESN'T WORK INSTANTLY.
SO BEFORE THEY SHUT OFF THE PIPELINE, WE COLLECTED ANOTHER $15 MILLION.
SO WE REALLY HAD $135 MILLION.
WE HAVE EVERY SINGLE PENNY ACCOUNTED FOR.
WHY WASN'T THE BRIDGE BUILT? WELL, WE COULD NOT FINISH DOING ANYTHING AS FAR AS THE DESIGN FOR THE BRIDGE UNTIL WE HAD MUNICIPAL CONSENT.
JUNE 28TH, 2024, WE GOT MUNICIPAL CONSENT.
WE NOW CAN MOVE FORWARD WITH THE DESIGN OF THE BRIDGE.
HOW LONG WILL THAT TAKE? TWO AND A HALF YEARS.
WHY? BECAUSE WE DEAL WITH FEDERAL BUREAUCRACIES.
IT IS GONNA CROSS FEDERAL PROPERTY.
SO THE NEXT YEAR WE'RE GONNA GO FROM A 30% DESIGN TO A 60% DESIGN.
THE LAST 40% ARE THE MOST DIFFICULT BECAUSE THEY'RE THE MOST EXPENSIVE.
THAT'S WHEN YOU HAVE TO GO TO THE FEDERAL AGENCIES TO GET THEIR BLESSING.
'CAUSE IT CROSSES FEDERAL PROPERTY.
SO YOU HAVE FEDERAL LAWS THAT YOU HAVE TO ABIDE BY.
YOU HAVE TO HAVE FEDERAL PERMITTING THAT YOU ABIDE BY.
YOU HAVE STATE PERMITTING THAT YOU ABIDE BY.
YOU HAVE COUNTY PERMITTING AND YOU HAVE MUNICIPAL PERMITTING.
THERE IS LAND TO BE DEVELOPED.
THAT MEANS SOME OF THE LANDS HAVE, UM, RESTRICTIONS ON THEM.
ALL OF THOSE HAVE TO BE DEALT WITH.
THEY WILL TAKE A YEAR OR MORE.
SO FOR TWO YEARS, WE WON'T HAVE ANYTHING DONE WITH THE, THE PROJECT AT ALL, THE BRIDGE PROJECT.
AND YET WE'RE GONNA NEED MONEY TO FINISH THAT.
WE HAVE SOME, WE DON'T HAVE ALL LADIES ISLAND PROJECTS.
THE PATHWAY PROJECTS WILL FINISH THOSE.
EVERYBODY IN THE COUNTY WILL BE TOUCHED BY THIS REFERENDUM.
WE WILL TELL THE PUBLIC WHERE ALL THE MONEY IS, WHAT WE'VE SPENT, WHAT WE HAVE TOPEN, WHAT WE THINK IT'S GONNA COST.
THE SECOND PART WILL BE ONCE THE REFERENDUM PASSES, IF IT PASSES, WHAT ARE GONNA BE THE PRIORITIES? WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO FIRST AND WHY THAT WILL BE DEVELOPED? THE THIRD PART WILL BE WHAT DO WE NEED TO BOND FOR AND WHY? AND SO IT WILL BE A LONG TERM EDUCATIONAL PROCESS THAT WE'RE GOING TO GO THROUGH BETWEEN NOW AND NOVEMBER FOR EVERYBODY TO MAKE UP THEIR MINDS WHETHER THEY AGREE OR DISAGREE WITH WHAT WE ARE PROPOSING.
I'M NOT HERE TO TELL YOU YOU SHOULD OR YOU SHOULDN'T VOTE.
I HAVE PEOPLE WHO WILL COME OUT AND SAY, I BELIEVE YOU SHOULD VOTE FOR THIS.
I HAVE PEOPLE WHO WILL SAY, NO, YOU SHOULDN'T VOTE FOR THIS.
AND WE'RE WARNING OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS REGARDING THAT.
WHENEVER THEY SPEAK ON THIS, YOU BETTER EDUCATE.
AND THAT'S WHAT I'M DOING NOW.
HERE'S HOW IT AFFECTS EVERYBODY.
THE BALL WILL BE IN YOUR COURT TO DO THAT.
SO NOW I WILL ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE REGARDING THE PROJECTS THAT WE'RE PROPOSING.
UM, THE REGIONAL PROJECTS THAT WE'RE DOING.
WHY ARE WE DOING REGIONAL PROJECTS? HOW DO THEY AFFECT US? WHY IS IT THAT WE'RE GOING TO BEYOND THE BUFORD AND JASPER COUNTY BORDERS? 'CAUSE IT'S THAT IMPORTANT.
FRED, YOU WANT TO TALK INTO THIS? YES.
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PLACES THAT YOU WANT TO BRING SEWER, UH, TO DID NOT INCLUDE CHARVILLE.UH, WHY AND WILL AND WHEN WILL YOU ADD IT? UM, THAT IS GOING TO BE FOR OUR PEOPLE FROM BUFORT JASPER WATER.
WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH BUFORT AND JASPER WATER TO TALK ABOUT, UH, PROJECTS RIGHT NOW.
UH, I CAN TELL YOU THOSE PROJECTS THAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT RIGHT NOW, THE ALL JOY PROJECT IS GOING TO COST A LITTLE OVER $15 MILLION.
WHEN YOU GO TO SHELL POINT, THAT'S ALMOST $37 MILLION.
WHEN YOU GO TO LA LEVY, IT'S $53 MILLION.
WHEN YOU GO TO, UH, OLD BAILEY'S, THAT'S ANOTHER 10 AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS.
I MIGHT BE ABLE TO ELABORATE ON THAT.
UM, CHARLIE STONE, DIRECTOR OF GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS.
UM, SO PRESENTLY WE HAVE ESTABLISHED AN AD HOC UNDER, WE HAVE ESTABLISHED.
WHY DON'T YOU SIT DOWN AND YEAH, SIT IN MY SEAT, MIKE, BY THE DOOR UP THERE.
SO, FRED, CURRENTLY WE HAVE ESTABLISHED AN AD HOC UNDERSERVED COMMITTEE, AND WE ARE REALLY IN THE PRELIMINARY STAGES IN TERMS OF IDENTIFICATION.
UM, SO FAR WE'VE IDENTIFIED THE FOUR PROPERTIES THAT CHAIRMAN PASSMAN MENTIONED.
UH, RIGHT NOW OUR PRIORITY IS TO ENGAGE THE COMMUNITIES WITHIN THOSE FOUR AREAS.
UM, OUR DESIRE IS TO WORK WITH A COMMUNITY THAT IS INFORMED AND THAT EMBRACES A SOLUTION.
UH, THE LAST THING WE WANT TO DO IS TO GO INTO A COMMUNITY THAT, UH, DOESN'T NECESSARILY WANT SEWER, UH, EXTENSION.
YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY THERE WE HAVE A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AND SOME AREAS AREN'T NECESSARILY A FIT.
UM, AS WE GET FURTHER INTO OUR PROCESS, THERE IS POTENTIAL THAT WE MAY ADD SITES TO THAT.
SO IF PRITCHARD V IS, UH, A PROPERTY THAT YOU THINK COULD MAKE SENSE FOR SEWER EXTENSION, WE WILL CERTAINLY ADD IT TO OUR, TO OUR LIST TO DISCUSS AT THE AD HOC LEVEL.
SO, WELL, I HEARD YOU, WHEN YOU SAY YOU DON'T WANT TO FORCE IT ON ANYONE THAT THAT DOESN'T WANT IT, BUT I THINK WE ALREADY DOING THAT.
WE ALREADY SAYING IF YOU JUST, IF YOU NEAR THE MERE RIVER AND YOU COULD CAUSE POLLUTION, THEN IT'S A PRIORITY TO WE, UM, AVOID AND BE PROACTIVE ABOUT THAT.
SO WITHOUT, UM, THAT, THAT AD HOC COMMITTEE SHOULD BE EDUCATING THAT COMMUNITY AND ADVOCATING FOR THE COMMUNITY TO, TO COME ON BOARD WITH EVERYBODY ELSE.
SO JUST TO SPEAK A LITTLE BIT SPECIFICALLY ABOUT AJOY, UM, SINCE FEBRUARY, MYSELF, UH, MY CHIEF OF ENGINEERING, PAUL VINCENT AT BUFORT JASPER WATER, WE'VE HAD NUMEROUS MEETINGS WITH RESIDENTS AT AJOY.
AND WHAT I'VE SEEN AT AJOY HAS BEEN A REAL GROUND SWELL FROM THE RESIDENTS.
UH, THEY'VE BEEN THE ONE DRIVING THE SHIP, UH, WITHIN THE AL JY COMMUNITY.
THEY'RE VERY VOCAL THAT THEY WANT A SOLUTION TO THE CHALLENGES THAT THEY HAVE.
THEY ALSO EXPERIENCE CHALLENGES WITH DRAINAGE DOWN THERE.
UM, I KNOW THAT THEY'VE BEEN ENGAGED WITH THE COUNTY COUNCIL.
THEY'VE BEEN ENGAGED WITH, UH, STAKEHOLDER GROUPS LIKE COASTAL CONSERVATION, AND THEY'VE BEEN ENGAGED WITH THE TOWN.
AND SO, UM, AT THIS POINT WITH ALL JY, UH, IT'S A CONVERSATION.
WE'RE WORKING TO FIND A SOLUTION.
WE'RE WORKING TO IDENTIFY, UH, FUNDING MECHANISMS THROUGH THE STATE, THE FEDERAL LEVEL, UH, DIFFERENT GRANT OPPORTUNITIES.
UM, AND OUR ACTION AROUND ALL JOY HAS BEEN TO ADDRESS THE COMMUNITY'S CONCERNS, UH, WITH SOME OF OUR OTHER COMMUNITIES THAT ARE ON THE LIST.
UH, I'VE BEEN WORKING WITH ONE OF OUR BOARD MEMBERS, MS. LORRAINE BOND, AND TRYING TO ENGAGE THAT COMMUNITY AS WELL.
UH, SO REALLY WITH OUR PROCESS, IT STARTS AT THE GROUND FLOOR WITH THOSE RESIDENTS.
OTHER QUESTIONS? ONE OTHER QUESTION.
WHO ARE THE SEVEN COUNTIES THAT YOU SAID WE NEED TO PARTNER WITH OR BE IN, UH, BE IN? UH, THAT IS A VERY GOOD QUESTION.
BUFORD, JASPER, COLTON, HAMPTON BARNWELL, UM, ALLEN DALE.
AND I KNOW YOU'RE GONNA MAKE ME THINK OF BAMBERG.
THOSE ARE THE SEVEN COUNTIES IN OUR REGION THAT ARE ECONOMICALLY TIED TOGETHER.
BECAUSE OF THE NATURE OF WHERE WE LIVE AND WHO WE ARE AND WHAT IS BEING DEVELOPED.
[00:50:01]
YES SIR.OUT OF THE PROJECTS FROM THE 2018 REFERENDUM, YES.
HOW MANY OF THOSE ARE SHOVEL READY? THERE ARE SEVERAL THAT ARE SHOVEL READY RIGHT NOW.
WE WILL PUBLISH ALL OF THAT LIST.
WE, WE DO KNOW THAT WE WERE BEHIND THERE.
ONE OF THE PIECES OF INFORMATION THAT PEOPLE HAVE TO KNOW, WHEN YOU PUT A PATHWAY IN PEOPLE, A PATHWAY, OH GEE, THAT'S JUST A LITTLE CONCRETE OR A LITTLE PAVEMENT, THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND.
THERE ARE I ALL KINDS OF PERMITS.
UH, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY IN THIS ROOM IS ON THIS STREET, SO EVERYBODY IN THIS ROOM HAS TO SIGN OFF AND MAYBE GIVE UP SOME PROPERTY.
IT IS A VERY LENGTHY PROCESS TO DO THAT.
AND YOU CAN'T DO ANYTHING TILL YOU COLLECT THE MONEY.
SO IN 18, WE SAID THIS WAS GREAT, WE'RE GONNA DO THESE 14 PROJECTS.
WELL, WE COLLECTED THE $30 MILLION OR THE $10 MILLION THAT WE NEEDED FOR THE PROJECTS AND DISCOVERED THE $10 MILLION WASN'T ENOUGH TO DO THEM.
AND ARE THE ESTIMATES, UH, FOR THESE SHOVEL-READY PROJECTS UP TO DATE? YES.
SO, SO I THOUGHT WE, WE COLLECTED 130 MILLION, WASN'T IT? YES.
SO WAS THAT A HUNDRED, 130 MILLION SPENT? NO.
SO SMALL AMOUNTS OF MONEY HAVE BEEN SPENT.
SO IS THAT A HUNDRED WHATEVER MILLION DOLLARS IN A PLACE WHERE IT'S MAKING MONEY? OR IS IT SITTING IN A LOCKER IN YOUR CLOSET? NO, IT, IT'S MAKING SOME MONEY, BUT NOT NEARLY.
IT'S A LOT OF MONEY TO BE SITTING.
NOT MAKING JUST A LITTLE BIT OF THAT IS A LOT OF MONEY.
UM, AND EVERYTHING GOES BACK TO THE PROJECTS AND, AND WHEN YOU'RE, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU'RE TRYING TO SELL THIS NEW, NEW REFERENDUM, SOME OF THE PROJECTS HAVE BEEN DONE.
THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO SHOW THE PEOPLE, IN MY OPINION.
WE DID ACCOMPLISH THIS AND THIS.
BECAUSE RIGHT NOW IT'S A PERCEPTION OF THE PEOPLE THAT I TALK OR THAT TALK TO ME ABOUT IT, THAT WHERE DID THE MONEY GO? THAT'S WHY I JUST ASKED THAT QUESTION.
AND WHY DIDN'T WE DO SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, EVEN IF WE COULD ONLY DO TWO $10 MILLION PROJECTS INSTEAD OF WAITING ANOTHER FOUR YEARS AS THE COST OF CONSTRUCTION AND ENGINEERING AND PERMIT EVERYTHING THAT'S BEEN GOING UP, UP, UP.
SO THAT WE COULD DO IT AT TODAY'S COST INSTEAD OF WAITING FIVE YEARS FOR US TO COLLECT THE MONEY AND PAY IT THEN AND, AND THE COST OF THE PROJECTS GO UP.
I MEAN, WE HAD THE SAME SITUATION IN BLUFFTON AND WE'VE KIND OF CHANGED THE WAY WE DO BUSINESS NOW.
AND I THINK IT'S JUST, I MEAN, IT WAS MY IDEA.
SO I NEVER WENT TO SCHOOL TO LEARN ANY OF THAT.
I JUST KIND OF LEARNED IT FROM BEING IN BUSINESS MYSELF.
DON'T WAIT TILL TOMORROW, WHAT YOU CAN DO TODAY.
AND, AND SO WE WE'RE GOING TO HAVE ALL OF THOSE THINGS.
AND AS SUCH, HARRY IS NOW GOING TO TALK ABOUT WHAT JASPER COUNTY IS GOING TO DO WITH THEIR REFERENDUM BECAUSE WE'RE PARTNERS IN THIS.
WHATEVER TRANSPORTATION ROADS THAT WE'RE GOING TO DO AFFECT HIM, WHATEVER TRANSPORTATION ROADS HE'S GONNA DO AFFECTS US.
JASPER COUNTY HAS, UH, DONE THEIRS.
UH, THEY HAVE TWO READINGS DONE, RIGHT DANNY AND A THIRD WILL BE DONE BEFORE THE END OF THIS MONTH.
UM,
THIS IS A REGIONAL SITUATION AND THE REFERENDUM SHOULD BE OFFERED AS SUCH.
AND IT'S PART OF, OKAY, YOU SEE HARDY V AND, UH, THIS AFFECTS EVERYBODY.
THE POPULATION GROWTH IS, UH, GOING TO BE TO PROBABLY BY 2030, 30,000, 31,000.
THAT'S IN ADDITION TO THE GROWTH OF BLUFFTON.
UM, AS YOU CAN SEE, AND, AND THIS IS IMPORTANT, HARVILLE BEING 58 SQUARE MILES, IF YOU LOOK AT, I DON'T KNOW HOW TO DO THE, THE POINTER, BUT IT, IT DOESN'T MATTER.
THE REASON THIS IS UP HERE ARE THESE ROADWAYS AFFECT
[00:55:01]
EVERYBODY AND EVERY MUNICIPALITY IN THIS REGION BECAUSE THE WORKFORCE HAS TO TRAVEL THROUGH THESE ROADS.THE TOURISTS HAVE TO TRAVEL THROUGH THESE ROADS, AND THE TOURISTS WANT TO GET TO WHERE THEY WANT TO GO.
SO EVERYTHING AFFECTS EVERYBODY IN THIS ROOM.
AND WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT BECAUSE IF THE REFERENDUMS DO NOT PASS THE QUESTION, WE HAVE TO ALL ASK OURSELVES, HOW DO WE FIX THESE PROBLEMS? THERE ARE NO OTHER FINANCIAL SOLUTIONS THAT ARE PUT FORTH AT THIS TIME.
AND THE WORKFORCE THAT GOES TO THE HILTON HEAD COMES TO BLUFFTON, COMES FROM BEAUFORT, YOUR WORKFORCE GOING TO, UH, TRAVEL TO HILTON HEAD AND OTHER AREAS OF EMPLOYMENT, PARTICULARLY IF YOU LOOK AT THE SOUTH PART OF HARDY V WHERE MILLIONS OF SQUARE FEET OF INDUSTRIAL SPACE IS BEING DEVELOPED AS WE SPEAK.
AND CERTAINLY WITH THE ADDITION TO EXIT THREE, THE WORKFORCE WILL BE TRAVELING THROUGHOUT OUR ENTIRE REGION.
UM, JUST THE BASICS OF THIS, THIS IS THE PROJECTS.
I DON'T HAVE A NICE SLIDE LIKE JOE HAD, BUT, UM, WHAT'S IT, WHAT IT'S GOING TO BE, IT'LL BE A $470 MILLION, UM, 15 YEAR REFERENDUM.
WHAT THIS SLIDE SHOWS IS THAT IN ORDER TO HAVE 15% TO GET TO FOUR 70, WE'D NEED A 15% INCREASE IN SALES TAX REVENUE EACH YEAR FROM WHERE IT WAS, WHERE IT IS RIGHT NOW.
CERTAINLY IF WE ONLY GET 5%, AND THAT'S ON THE OTHER END, IT'S ONLY LIKE 245 MILLION.
UM, AGAIN, THE MAJOR ARTERIES OR I 95 BEING WIDENING, EXIT THREE BEING, UH, UH, ADDED AND EXIT EIGHT BEING TOTALLY RECONFIGURED.
AND AGAIN, ALL THOSE ROADWAYS, THOSE ARE THINGS THAT ARE GOING TO HAPPEN FOR SURE RIGHT NOW.
AND THEY'RE GONNA AFFECT THE TRAFFIC FLOW AND THE ABILITY OF OUR WORKERS TO GET BACK AND FORTH.
UM, I'M NOT GONNA GO INTO ALL THOSE OH, BY THE, THAT'S, THAT'S HOW EXIT EIGHT IS GOING TO BE LOOKING.
AND AGAIN, THAT'S GONNA AFFECT PART, A LOT OF TOURISTS FOR HILTON HEAD GO THROUGH THIS AREA.
UM, THESE ARE JUST SOME OF THE PROJECTS, UM, I'M NOT GONNA GO INTO FOR THE SAKE OF TIME.
IT'S PART OF JASPER COUNTY'S LIST.
AND, AND WHAT'S IMPORTANT, AGAIN FOR THE TOURISTS AND THE WORKERS OF THE AREAS.
BEAUFORT COUNTY HAS ONE 70 AND THEN THE WIDENING OF 2 78 UP TO THE, THE COUNTY LINE JASPER'S, UH, ORDINANCE HAS, UM, ARGENT BOULEVARD, WHICH IS A, A ROAD OF REGIONAL SIGNIFICANCE AND THE WIDENING OF 2 78 FROM THE COUNTY LINE TO EXIT EIGHT.
THAT'S ALSO PART OF THIS PROJECT.
ANOTHER THING THAT, UH, IN, IN HONOR OF GRANT THAT WE HAVE IN THERE, 20% OF THE COLLECTIONS WILL GO TO GREENBELT BELT INITIATIVES.
SO, UH, IF WE COLLECT THE 470 MILLION, 94 MILLION WILL GO TO GREENBELT INITIATIVES.
SO THAT'S THE BROAD PICTURE OF JASPER COUNTY.
I HAVE SUGGESTED TO JOE AND A COUNCILMAN FROM JASPER COUNTY THAT THIS BE MARKETED AS A REGIONAL NEED AND IT BE MARKETED TOGETHER.
WE CAN'T ADVOCATE, BUT WE CAN EDUCATE.
AND IF WE EDUCATE AND WE PULL TOGETHER, THIS IS A REGIONAL NEED, I THINK WE'LL BE MORE EFFECTIVE AND THE VOTERS WILL UNDERSTAND WHAT IT, THAT, WHAT THE IMPACT IS FOR THE ENTIRE AREA.
AND NOT JUST FOR ONE LITTLE PART OF IT, BUT THE ENTIRE REGION.
WE HAVE ONE MINUTE FOR QUESTIONING.
SO I TALKED RIGHT TO THE LIMIT, SO YOU WOULDN'T, YOU WOULDN'T QUESTION ME.
THIS QUESTION MIGHT BE FOR DANNY, UH, LEVY ROAD.
IS, IS THAT A PART OF THE, UM, TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENT PROJECT? IT'S, UH, YES.
LEVY'S, UH, I BELIEVE HAS $10 MILLION IN THERE.
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I LIVE IN BLUFFTON AND I GET CALLS FROM LEVY ROAD.AND, UM, ALL THESE COST ESTIMATES WERE DONE BY, UH, DANNY, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, BUT THEY WERE DONE.
UH, THERE WAS A, UH, COMPANY THAT WAS HIRED AND CAME IN AND DID ALL THESE ESTIMATES FOR JASPER COUNTY.
UM, AND ALL THE PROJECTS WERE IDENTIFIED.
THERE WERE ANOTHER $250 MILLION WORTH OF PROJECTS OVER THE FOUR 70 THAT THE MUNICIPALITIES AND THE COUNTIES SUBMITTED AS NEEDS.
BUT OF COURSE, UH, WE, WE ONLY LISTED FOUR 70, SO WE DON'T CONFUSE THE PUBLIC.
SO THERE IS, THERE IS A PLAN B NEED FOUR 70 WILL NOT SOLVE THE WHOLE PROBLEM.
AND OBVIOUSLY IF WE DON'T COLLECT THE FOUR 70, WHICH IS ENTIRELY POSSIBLE, THERE WILL ALSO, YOU KNOW, THE, THE PROBABLY HAVE A NEED 15 YEARS FROM NOW TO EXTEND IT.
UM, THERE IS ALSO A $150 MILLION BONDING, UH, QUESTIONING THAT, IT'S A SEPARATE QUESTION BECAUSE LARRY'S POINT IS VERY WELL TAKEN.
WE HAVE TO ANALYZE, IS IT BETTER TO BORROW AT 5% THAN TO HAVE A 20% INCREASE IN IN CONSTRUCTION COSTS BY THE TIME WE COLLECT THE MONEY.
ONE OTHER THING THAT I THINK IS IMPORTANT, AND I'VE ALSO SUGGESTED TO TALK TO JOE ABOUT THIS IN THE JASPER COUNTY ORDINANCE, UM, WE, THE MUNICIPALITIES ASK FOR A COMMITTEE THAT WILL CONSIST OF THE MAYORS OF HARVILLE AND RIDGELAND, THE TWO MUNICIPALITIES, UH, A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE COUNTY AND A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE SCHOOL BOARD.
'CAUSE OUR ROADS AFFECT THE SCHOOL BUSING.
AND THAT THESE, UH, THIS COMMITTEE MEET ON A REGULAR BASIS AND THEY WILL DETERMINE PRIORITIES.
THEY'LL KEEP A, AN IDEA ON COST ESTIMATES.
AND THIS ISN'T SUCH AS WHETHER OR NOT THE BOND AND MOVE ON THE PROJECTS RIGHT AWAY.
THEY WILL MEET AS REGULARLY AS NEEDED.
THERE WILL BE PUBLIC MEETINGS AND THE PUBLIC WILL HAVE A CHANCE TO WEIGH IN ON WHAT THOSE PRIORITIES AND HOW THIS MONEY SHOULD BE SPENT AND WHEN.
SO THERE WILL BE REGULAR MEETINGS TO MAKE SURE THAT THE PUBLIC KNOWS EXACTLY WHERE THE MONEY'S, HOW IT'S BEING COLLECTED, WHEN IT'S COLLECTED, AND WHEN IT'S GONNA BE SPENT.
I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT SELLING POINT TO THE COMMUNITY, THAT THEY KNOW THAT THE MONEY WILL BE SPENT WISELY AND WILL BE CONSIDERED BY THE GROUP AS A WHOLE.
WELL, SINCE I'M UP HERE, UH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
WE ARE GOING TO PUSH THE, UH, CHILDCARE, UM, CONVERSATION.
JUST TO FOLLOW UP ON WHAT THIS GROUP WANTS TO DO AFTER OUR PRESENTATION OF, OF LAST MONTH.
THERE OBVIOUSLY IS A NEED, BUT RATHER THAN LET IT JUST DIE, THE CONVERSATION DIE ON A VINE, WHAT DO WE WANT TO DO IF WE AS A REGION WANNA DO ANYTHING AS A FOLLOW UP? UM, ARE THERE ANY OTHER AGENDA SUGGESTIONS FOR NEXT MONTH? UM, OKAY, SO WHAT, PERHAPS WHAT WE I'LL ADD IS, UM, WHAT DO WE WANNA DO IN TERMS OF FORMULATING A, UH, REGIONWIDE LITTER CAMPAIGN? MAYBE WE CAN STRUCTURE SOMETHING AT THE NEXT MEETING.
THANK YOU ALL FOR, UH, JOINING US AND, UH, ENJOY THE SUMMER.
YOU ARE WATCHING BEAUFORT COUNTY TV.
PORT 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 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, THE F 35 OF TODAY.
[01:05:01]
PART OF THE BEAUFORT 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 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, 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 SOUTH.
THERE'S SOMETHING GEOLOGICALLY DIFFERENT, OR ONE MIGHT SAY MAGICAL ABOUT PORT ROYAL SOUTH.
SO SPANISH SAILORS BEING THE BEST IN THE WORLD IN THEIR TIME, FOUND THIS PLACE VERY EARLY, KNEW THAT FOR THE SPANISH EXPLORATIONS, 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 PARA 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.
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 CANNONADE, 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.
THERE 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, BUT 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 IN A MUCH MORE RESISTANCE TO THE SHOT.
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.
AND WE 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 WHOLE BLACK POWDER MUZZLE LOADING CANNON I HAD BEFORE.
NOW I CAN FIRE MUCH MORE RAPIDLY.
IF I COMPARE THE GUN OF, UH, 1890
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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 1860S WORLD DIFFERENCE.
A MILITARY HISTORIAN, ER LEWIS, WOULD SAY THAT THE CHANGE BETWEEN THE CIVIL WAR IN 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'RE HAVING 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 COLD 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 FORT OIL AREA.
THEY EVENTUALLY OPENED A NAVY STATION HERE AND A COALING STATION THEY CREATED IN THE 1890S ON PARAS ISLAND, THE LARGEST DRY DOCK IN THE UNITED STATES.
THIS IS THE PERIOD WHEN THE US NAVY WAS SWITCHING FROM SAIL TO STEAM.
ALL THE NAVIES OF THE WORLD NEED COALING STATION.
THIS WAS THE PRINCIPLE COALING STATION BECAUSE OF THE RAILROAD FOR THE CARIBBEAN AND SOUTH AMERICAN US FLEETS, THIS WOULD BE THE BIGGEST DRY DOCKS SOUTH OF NORFOLK.
IN FACT, IT IS THE ONLY DRY DOCKS 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 IN THE REST OF THE WORLD.
TECHNOLOGY IS MOVING FORWARD, AND THEY'RE 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 THAT OF OUR COASTAL DEFENSES WERE JUST UNBEARABLY 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 IN THAT LIST OF 29 SAVANNAH AND CHARLESTON ON THE LIST.
BUT BUFORT IS NOT ON THE LIST.
IT'LL TAKE INTERNATIONAL EVENTS TO BRING BUFORT INTO THE PLAY OF, OF MODERN FORT TECHNOLOGY.
SO THE USS MAINE WAS HERE ON PATROL AND IN THE HARBOR, AND WHILE
[01:15:01]
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 SBE.
AND THE OFFICERS GOT TO KNOW THE PEOPLE.
THE PEOPLE GET, 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, ARRANGEMENT BETWEEN THE TOWNS, PORT ROYAL AND BEAUFORD 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 FORD 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 SOUND.
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 FREEMAN.
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 IMMEDIATELY BEGAN CONSTRUCTION OF WHAT WOULD BECOME FORT FREMONT.
THE LARGE BATTERIES WOULD HOUSE A LARGE GUNS BATTERY FOR N THE RAPID FIRE GUNS.
THE SMALLER BATTERY WAS COMPLETED BY JUNE OF 1898.
IN 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, UH, 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, UH, EXPLORER, AS ARMY FORTS WERE GENERALLY NAMED FOR ARMY OFFICERS.
UH, AND HE WAS, UH, CONNECTED LOCALLY.
UH, THIS IS, 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, BATTERIES, UH, FORT, UH, FOR FREMONT, OF COURSE, HAD BATTERY FOREIGNNESS AND BATTERY JESSOP.
UH, BUT THEN ADJACENT TO THE BATTERY SITE WAS AN ADMINISTRATIVE QUADRANGLE, A 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 BREACH LOADING GUNS.
THEIR PURPOSE WAS TO, UH, ENGAGE THE WARSHIPS THAT MIGHT, UH, BE ENTERING THE HARBOR, UH, AND PORT ROYAL SOUND.
WE'RE HERE NOW AT THE SECOND BATTERY, UH, THAT WAS PART
[01:20:01]
OF FORT FREMONT.THIS IS BATTERY FOR N UH, WAS NAMED FOR, UH, ARMY OFFICER, UH, THAT WAS ACTUALLY KILLED DURING THE SPANISH AMERICAN WAR.
UH, DURING THE BATTLE OF SAN JUAN HILL, UH, BATTERY FOR 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 MINE FIELD, 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, THERE WAS SUSPECTED THAT, UH, UH, THEY WERE DOING SOMETHING TO INTERFERE WITH THE MINES, SUCH AS, UH, PULLING UP THE CABLES AND CUTTING THOSE.
THE IN OF GOD 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 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, UH, DRILLING, SMALL ARMS, FIRE, FIRST AID, AND SO FORTH.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, THEY ALSO, UM, HAD AT, 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 AND 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 WATER.
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, THE 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 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'S A MAGNIFICENT ARTIFACT OF AN ERA,
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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 BEFORE 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 VISITOR EXPERIENCE.
THIS IS OUR SECOND YEAR AS MEMBERS OF THE LIBRARY.
WE, UH, WE LOOK UPON THIS LIBRARY AS ONE OF THE REASONS WE'VE DECIDED TO COME HERE TO BEGIN WITH, AND ALSO TO STAY AS LONG AS WE DO.
UH, WE'RE FROM CANADA, EASTERN CANADA, NEWFOUNDLAND, AND LABRADOR.
AND, UH, WE SEEK OUT, UH, LENGTHY STAYS EACH WINTER WHERE TO GO.
AND IN THE LAST COUPLE YEARS, IN FACT, IT'S OUR RETURN, OUR FOURTH YEAR, UH, WHERE WE CAN ENJOY AN EXTENDED PERIOD, BUT ALSO HAVE A FULFILLING EXPERIENCE.
AND FOR US, BEING MY WIFE AND I, LYNN, UH, BEING AVID READERS, WE FIND THAT THIS LIBRARY IS ONE OF THE BEST EQUIPPED, UH, THAT WE'VE EVER RUN INTO.
UM, IT IS, WE'VE NEVER YET NOT BEEN ABLE TO OBTAIN A BOOK THAT WE'VE BEEN LOOKING FOR.
AND, UH, THIS LIBRARY PERHAPS DOESN'T REALIZE HOW IMPORTANT IT, UH, THE ROLE IT PLAYS IN THE COMMUNITY AND ATTRACTING PEOPLE NOT ONLY COME HERE, BUT TO STAY LONGER AND, UH, THEN PROVIDE A, A WONDERFUL, FULFILLING EXPERIENCE FOR THOSE WHO DO THAT.