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CLOSED CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY BUFORT COUNTY EVERYONE.
IT'S TUESDAY, AUGUST 13TH, 2024,
[I. CALL TO ORDER]
AND WE'LL CALL THIS MEETING TO ORDER.WE'LL START WITH OUR PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE, FOLLOWED BY OUR INVOCATION TO THE ONE THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH HE STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD AND INVISIBLE WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
MOST MERCIFUL IN HEAVEN, FATHER, COME NOW THANKING YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU'VE DONE IN OUR LIVES.
FATHER, I WANNA THANK YOU FOR GIVING US YOUR WISDOM SO THAT WE MAY SERVE YOUR PEOPLE.
FATHER ACTS THAT WE USED AS WISDOM TO SERVE THEM WITH FAIRNESS, SERVE THEM WITH COMPLETENESS, AND IT MAY BOTH THEM A BETTER PLACE.
FATHER ACTS THAT YOU GUIDE THIS MEETING, THAT WORDS THAT WE SAY IN THE MEDITATION OF MY HEART.
THESE AND ALL OTHER BLESSING ACTS IN YOUR NAME.
[IV. ADOPTION OF THE MINUTES]
OKAY, WE'LL START WITH THE ADOPTION OF THE MINUTES, STEPHEN, IF THERE ANY CHANGES, UH, MINUTES WOULD BE, UH, NO CHANGES THAT I KNOW OF.IT'D BE IF COUNSEL HAS ANY CHANGES FOR THE MINUTES.
I WILL GO TO THE REGULAR MEETING MINUTES OF THE NINTH.
IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE? MOVE.
MOVE ON FOR THE QUARTERLY CIP WORKSHOP MEETING.
[V. PRESENTATIONS, CELEBRATIONS, AND RECOGNITIONS]
AND RECOGNITION.ANGELA SIMMONS, VICE CHANCELLOR FOR STUDENT DEVELOPMENT.
YOU WANNA READ THIS? NO, ALL YOU ALL YOU USCB SAND SHARK PROCLAMATION.
WHEREAS THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA BEAUFORD IS A FULLY ACCREDITED COMPREHENSIVE BACHELORETTE INSTITUTION WITHIN THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA SYSTEM.
WHEREAS USCB PROVIDES SPECIALIZED INSTRUCTIONS AND 20 UNDERGRADUATE DEGREE AND TWO GRADUATE DEGREE PROGRAMS TO FULFILL ITS MISSION TO RESPOND TO REGIONAL NEEDS, DRAW UPON RE REGIONAL STRENGTHS, AND PREPARE GRADUATES TO CONTRIBUTE LOCALLY, NATIONALLY, AND INTERNATIONAL.
AND WHEREAS USCB IS A PRIMARY RESOURCE FOR EXCEPTIONALLY SKILLED HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS, TEACHERS, HOSPITALITY MANAGERS, SCIENCE-BASED RESEARCHERS, AND COMPUTE COMPETITION SPECIALIST IN THE COMPUTE, I CAN'T SAY THAT IN SOUTH CAROLINA LOW COUNTRY.
AND WHEREAS USCB HAS A REPUTATION FOR INSTITUTIONAL PROMISE AS A REGIONAL CATALYST FOR PROGRESS AND ENGINE FOR CULTURE AND ECONOMIC GROWTH.
AND WHEREAS REPORTS INDICATE THAT USCS B'S REGIONAL ECONOMIC IMPACT IS IN, IN EXCESS OF 1066 JOBS, 50.5 MILLION IN ADDITIONAL WAGE AND SALARY INCOME, 122.4 MILLION IN OUTPUT AND 1.6 MILLION IN NET GOVERNMENT REVENUE.
WHEREAS USCB WELCOMES MORE THAN 2100 STUDENTS, THEIR PARENTS, OTHER FAMILIES AND FRIENDS TO CAMPUSES IN BLUFFTON, BEAUFORT, AND ON HILTON HEAD ISLAND AND TO ATHLETIC FACILITIES IN HARDY FOR THE START OF THE 20 20 24, 25 ACADEMIC YEAR.
THEREFORE, OUR MARY LARRY TUBER LOAN WITH BLUFFTON TOWN COUNSEL DUE HEREBY PROCLAIM THE WEEK OF AUGUST 19TH THROUGH 24TH.
2024 IS USCB WELCOME SAND CHART.
YOU WANNA TELL EVERYBODY WHAT THAT'S ABOUT OUR WELCOME WEEK? YEAH, JUST A LITTLE SUMMARY THERE.
SO WELCOME WEEK IS WHENEVER WE WELCOME ALL OF THE SAND SHARKS BACK.
UM, LUCKY FOR, UH, MYSELF AND LACEY, THIS WILL BE OUR THIRD YEAR
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HAVING THE OPPORTUNITY TO WELCOME THE SAND SHARKS.I'M ACTUALLY STUDENT BODY PRESIDENT AND SHE'S STUDENT BODY, UH, SECRETARY AND TREASURER.
SO WE'VE HAD THE HONOR TO GET TO WELCOME ALL OF THE SAND SHARKS BACK.
UM, BASICALLY WHAT HAPPENS IS WE HAVE THE START THERE, THE KICKOFF, WHICH IS MOVE IN DAY.
EVERYBODY COMES IN AND IS MOVING ALL THEIR STUFF.
AND THEN THROUGHOUT THE WEEK WE HAVE WHAT'S CALLED SHARK SCHOOL.
IT'S WHERE THE SHARK OR THE NEW SAND SHARKS LEARN LIKE ALL THINGS ABOUT COLLEGE AND LIKE WHAT YOU NEED TO DO TO SIGN UP FOR CLASSES, WHAT YOU NEED TO DO TO BE PREPARED FOR YOUR FIRST DAY, THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND THEN THROUGHOUT THE WEEK WE HAVE VARIOUS ACTIVITIES.
I KNOW THIS YEAR WE HAVE SOMETHING REALLY SPECIAL.
UM, OUR CAMPUS REC IS HOSTING DIFFERENT THINGS THROUGHOUT THE BLUFFTON AND UH, HILTON HEAD COMMUNITIES.
UM, THERE'S KAYAKING TRIPS AND STUFF LIKE THAT, WHICH IS REALLY COOL TO ENCOURAGE THE SAND SHARKS TO BE OUT IN THE COMMUNITY.
AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE ON CAMPUS ACTIVITIES SUCH AS LIKE WE HAVE A BONFIRE ONE NIGHT.
UM, WE HAVE LIKE A MOVIE NIGHT, WE HAVE A ROCK THE REC WHERE WE GO AND WE PLAY GLOW IN THE DARK, LIKE MINI GOLF AND THINGS LIKE THAT, WHICH IS REALLY COOL.
UM, BUT YEAH, IT'S JUST A REALLY GREAT CELEBRATION TO ENCOURAGE ALL THE PEOPLE 'CAUSE WE HAVE SO MANY OUT STATE, SO MANY INSTATE.
SO IT'S COOL 'CAUSE A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE NEVER BEEN TO BELOW COUNTRY, SO IT'S KIND OF LIKE WELCOMING EVERYBODY HOME.
UP NEXT WE HAVE THE BEAUFORD JASPER ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY COMMISSION PRESENTATION.
JAMES WILLIAMS, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR HERE.
GOOD AFTERNOON, UH, MAYOR COUNCIL.
UM, I DO BELIEVE WE HAVE A SLIDE, WELL, WE'LL DO THIS WITHOUT THE UH, IT SESSION.
UM, IT'S ALWAYS GOOD TO BE WELL PREPARED.
UM, UM, I, UM, LIKE TO FIRST THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
UH, ACTUALLY, JAMES WILL, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF BEFORD JASPER ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY COMMISSION.
WE ARE A COMMUNITY ACTION AGENCY, UH, ONE OF, OF 1100 ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
OUR PRIMARY INITIATIVE IS TO BE AN ADVOCATE FOR THOSE MOST VULNERABLE INDIVIDUALS WITHIN YOUR COMMUNITY.
THOSE, UH, CONSTITUENTS THAT, UH, YOU REPRESENT THAT WITH INSIDE THE CITY OF BLUFFTON, JUST UNDER 6% OF, UH, YOUR, YOUR POPULATION LIVE BELOW THE FEDERAL POVERTY GUIDELINE.
ABOUT 18% LIVE WITHIN THAT 200% OF THAT POVERTY GUIDELINE, WHICH MAKES THEM, UH, VERY VULNERABLE TO THINGS SUCH AS YOUR, YOUR HOUSING WAGE, UH, ALLOWANCE.
THOSE, THOSE HOUSEHOLDS THAT LIVE IN A HOUSEHOLD THAT CANNOT AFFORD, UH, A MODERATELY HOME WITHIN THE COMMUNITY THAT THEY LIVE.
UH, AS YOU KNOW, ACCORDING TO, UH, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR, AFFORDABLE HOUSES HAVE SURPASSED ALL OTHER THINGS AS THE MOST, UH, LURKING CONCERN, NOT ONLY IN LOW INCOME, BUT EVEN IN MEDIUM INCOME HOUSEHOLDS.
UM, SO AS A COMMUNITY ACTION AGENCY, WE HAVE THE LATITUDE WITH THE COMMUNITY SERVICE BLOCK GRANT TO PARTNER WITH NOT ONLY OTHER NON-PROFITS, BUT LOCAL MUNICIPALITIES TO ALIGN WITH OUR FEDERAL AND STATE FUNDING TO BEST SUPPORT THOSE MEMBERS IN THE COMMUNITY THAT NEED IT.
WE DO THAT THROUGH A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT FEDERAL PROGRAMS. OBVIOUSLY WE HAVE A COMMUNITY SERVICE PROGRAM THAT ALLOWS US TO HELP WITH NOT ONLY ENERGY AND HOME, UH, RENTAL AND REPAIRS, BUT, UH, ENERGY ASSISTANCE AS WELL AS FOOD AND NUTRITION.
UH, THOSE, THOSE VALUABLE COMMODITIES THAT, UH, SOMETIMES WE TAKE FOR GRANTED THAT ARE ESSENTIAL IN SOME HOUSEHOLDS THAT ARE NOT RECEIVING THAT.
WE ALSO HAVE THE PLEASURE OF RUNNING THE, UH, HEAD START, EARLY HEAD START PROGRAM, WHICH IS A FULLY COMPREHENSIVE EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION PROGRAM ONLY FOR THOSE HOUSEHOLDS THAT ARE AT A HUNDRED TO 130% OF THE FEDERAL POVERTY GUIDELINE, THE ABSOLUTE MOST VULNERABLE MEMBERS OF YOUR COMMUNITY TO PREPARE THOSE CHILDREN WHO SOMETIMES SUFFER FROM A MORE THAN 30 MILLION WORD GAP FROM SOMEONE IN A MEDIUM OR ADVANCED HOUSEHOLD BY THE TIME THEY REACH KINDERGARTEN.
OUR SO INITIATIVE IS THROUGH A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT CURRICULUMS TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE PREPARED TO ENTER KINDERGARTEN ON TASK IN THE LOCAL PUBLIC SCHOOL.
WE DO THAT BY ALIGNING OUR CURRICULUM WITH THE CURRENT BEAUFORT COUNTY CURRICULUM.
WE NOT ONLY OFFER THE FACT THAT THEY GET RECEIVING EARLY EDUCATION, BUT IT'S FULLY COMPREHENSIVE.
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HAVE SOCIAL WORKERS THAT GO INTO THEIR HOME TO MAKE SURE THAT NOT ONLY THEY'RE, UH, UH, EDUCATIONAL LINE, BUT THEY'RE MENTALLY, EMOTIONALLY PREPARED TO INTERACT WITHIN PUBLIC SCHOOL.UM, CURRENTLY WE HAVE JUST UNDER 600 CHILDREN, UH, ENROLLED.
UM, WHAT SHOWS THE NEED IS THAT WE HAVE OVER A THOUSAND CHILDREN ON WAITING LIST, AND WE ONLY SERVE BEAUFORT AND JASPER COUNTY.
UM, WE, UH, WE CONTINUOUSLY, UH, PETITION THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO, UH, EXPAND OUR PROGRAM BECAUSE EARLY EDUCATION IS SOME ONE OF THE MOST VALUABLE COMMODITIES THAT WE, WE NEED TO SUPPORT THOSE H HOUSEHOLDS THAT ARE MOST VULNERABLE.
UM, WE, UH, NOT ONLY ASK THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, WE ASK THE STATE, UM, WE ALSO BE ASKING OUR LOCAL MUNICIPALITIES, UM, TO CHIP IN TO HELP US TO SERVE THOSE INDIVIDUALS THAT'S MOST VULNERABLE IN THE COMMUNITY.
UM, IN A NUTSHELL, THAT IS, THAT IS OUR, OUR PROGRAM.
YOU KNOW, OUR OUR DESIRE IS NOT ONLY TO HELP AND SUPPORT THOSE INDIVIDUALS WITHIN, INSIDE THE, THE, THE CITY AND TOWN OF BLUFFTON, BUT ALSO IN THOSE SURROUNDING AREAS THAT THOSE UNINCORPORATED AREAS, YOU KNOW, WHERE WE HAVE THE LATITUDE TO REACH OUT TO SOME OF THOSE, UH, UH, AREAS THAT ARE IN MOST NEED.
UM, WE, UH, WE WORK WITH RIGHT NOW, WE CURRENTLY HAVE THE PLEASURE OF PARTNERING WITH SOME OF THE, UH, UH, THE HOUSING TRUSSES TO TAKE IT AND EVALUATE, UM, SOME OF THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING SITUATIONS, UH, THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY TO TRY TO, UH, TARGET THOSE AREAS THAT WOULD BE THE MOST URGENT NEED TO BE ADDRESSED AS FAR AS HOUSING IS CONCERNED.
UH, WE WE'RE ALSO IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE HOUSING AUTHORITY TO DO THE EXACT SAME PROJECT THROUGH OUR WEATHERIZATION PROGRAM.
WE'RE CURRENTLY ENTERED INTO AN AGREEMENT TO REPAIR MORE THAN 75 OF THOSE APARTMENTS THAT ARE UNDER THE UMBRELLA OF THE HOUSING AUTHORITY THAT HAVE BEEN FIGURED, UH, BEEN DETERMINED UNFIT FOR, UH, LIVING CONDITIONS.
SO, UH, WE'RE TRYING TO DO THE WORK IN THE COMMUNITY TO SUPPORT THE INITIATIVES THAT YOU NEED.
UM, I WANT TO INTRODUCE OURSELVES, UH, MAKE KNOWN A REMINDER TO SOME INTRODUCE THE OTHER WHO ARE NOT FAMILIAR WITH OUR PROGRAM, AND OF COURSE, MAKE MYSELF AVAILABLE FOR ANY QUESTIONS OR, UH, OR ANY FUTURE ENG ENGAGEMENTS THAT WE MAY NEED AT THIS TIME.
IS THERE ANY QUESTIONS? THANK YOU.
UM, ANY QUESTIONS? BRIDGET, YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, SIR? NO, UH, QUESTIONS.
I'M JUST WANNA SAY I'M FAMILIAR WITH THE, UM, PROGRAM AND GRATEFUL FOR THE WORK THAT YOU ALL, UH, DO HERE.
I KNOW THAT YOU ALL ALSO HAVE PROVIDED, UM, UTILITY ASSISTANCE, YOU KNOW, FOR RESIDENTS TO PAY LIGHT BILLS AND THOSE WHO'VE LOST, YOU KNOW, FOOD THROUGH LIKE A REFRIGERATOR OR SOMETHING THAT'S GONE OUT AND, UM, A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE BENEFITED FROM THE WORK THAT YOU ALL DO.
AND IF WE CAN PARTNER, I WOULD DEFINITELY BE INTERESTED IN SEEING WHAT RUTHFORD COUNCIL SAYS IN THAT.
WELL, WE HAVE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO, TO PARTNER WITH THE TOWN AND SOME, SOME HOUSING REVERBERATIONS THAT WE'VE DONE OVER THE YEARS.
SO, UH, YOU KNOW, JUST IN THOSE SMALL PARTNERSHIPS, WELL, THEY WASN'T SMALL FOR THOSE HOUSES THAT WE IMPACTED, BUT FOR THOSE PARTNERSHIPS WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE OUR PARTNERSHIP EXPAND.
I, I WOULD LIKE TO COMMEND YOU ALSO, I'D LIKE TO SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, A GREAT COMMUNITY HAS GREAT NONPROFITS AND IT CAN'T EXIST AS A GREAT COMMUNITY WITHOUT 'EM.
BUT, UH, WHERE DOES THE PRIMARY FUNDING COME FROM? OUR DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES.
ARE THERE OTHER AVENUES OF FUNDING? YES.
WELL THERE'S THE STATE OFFICE OF ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY, UH, THAT, THAT'S WHAT ONE OF OUR FUNDERS, UH, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICE AND DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY ARE OUR THREE LARGEST FUNDERS.
WE ALSO RECEIVE, UH, A MODEST AMOUNT FROM SOME OF OUR LOCAL UTILITY, UH, CORPORATIONS AS WELL.
IT IS THE STATE OF GOOD STRONG PARTNER, THE EAST WORD STRONG.
UM, IS THERE ANOTHER QUESTION? NAH,
AND WHAT, WHAT WE FIND IS THE BIGGEST HINDRANCE IS THAT WE COME ALONG ACROSS A LOT OF HOUSEHOLDS THAT TRULY IN CRISIS.
BUT BECAUSE OF THOSE STATE AND FEDERAL GUIDELINES, WE ARE UNABLE TO PROVIDE THE ASSISTANCE THAT WE NEED.
THAT'S WHY IT'S SO IMPORTANT TO HAVE RELATIONSHIP WITH THE LOCAL MUNICIPALITIES SO THAT WHEN YOUR CONSTITUENTS ARE HAVING ISSUES AND WE'VE ALREADY VETTED THE FACT THAT THEY'RE TRULY IN CRISIS, THAT WE CAN EXTEND THOSE SERVICES TO THEM THROUGH FUNDING THAT WE MAY RECEIVE LOCALLY.
WHERE ARE YOU BASED? SO, I, I, OUR PRIMARY MAIN OFFICE MAIN OFFICE IS, UH, ON ROBERT SMALLS.
YOU ALREADY KNOW HIM WELL IF YOU KNOW FRED, WE DON'T NEED TO, I I WILL LIKE TO JUST TAKE APPLAUSE THAT, UH, THAT'S OUR CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD, UH, MR. HAMILTON.
AND WE HAVE, UH, PARTNERED WITH OUR AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECT ON A, ON THREE PROJECTS IN ONE PROJECT THAT WAS REALLY, UH, IN DESPAIR AND PROBABLY WOULD
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WE CONSIDER CONDEMN IF WE COULDN'T HAVE A PARTNERSHIP WITH PUT THIS ORGANIZATION AND THAT FAMILY IS BACKING THEIR HOME AND THEY ENJOIN QUALITY OF LIFE.JUST THANK YOU FOR COMING TONIGHT AND SHARING ALL OF THIS AND THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU DO.
ALL THAT OF STUFF WE CAN HELP.
[VI. PUBLIC COMMENT]
MR. QUESTION.OH, I GOTTA READ THIS THING HERE.
PUBLIC COMMENT DURING PUBLIC COMMENTS.
EACH SPEAKER IS LIMITED TO A TOTAL OF THREE MINUTES PER MEETING, REGARDLESS OF WHETHER THE PERSON IS SPEAKING ON THEIR BEHALF OR AS AN AGENT FOR OTHERS, MEETING ATTENDEES MAY NOT DONATE, TRANSFER YIELD, OR GIVE ALL OR ANY PORTION OF THEIR SPEAKING TIME TO ANOTHER PERSON.
ALL PUBLIC COMMENTS ARE TO BE CONDUCTED FROM THE PODIUM AND DIRECTED TO TOWN COUNCIL AS A WHOLE AND NOT TO ANY MEMBER THEREOF.
ALL SPEAKERS SHALL BE MINDFUL AND RESPECTFUL OF THOSE PARTICIPATING IN OR PRESENT AT THE MEETING.
SPEAKERS SHALL BE EXPECTED TO BE CIVIL IN THEIR LANGUAGE AND SHALL REFRAIN FROM COMMENT OR BEHAVIOR THAT INVOLVES DISORDERLY SPEECH OR ACTION, NAME CALLING, PERSONAL ATTACKS, THREATS, OBSCENE OR INDECENT REMARKS AND OR DISRUPTIVE ACTIONS.
ALL SPEAKERS SHALL CONFINE THEIR COMMENTS TO THE ISSUES UNDER THE JURISDICTION OF THE TOWN COUNCIL.
SPEAKERS SHALL NOT USE THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD TO PROMOTE OR ADVERTISE AWARDS, BUSINESSES, SERVICES, GOODS, OR CANDIDATES FOR PUBLIC OFFICE.
ANY SPEAKER THAT VIOLATES THESE RULES AND PROTOCOLS FOR THE PUBLIC COMMENT MAY BE RULED OUT OF ORDER BY THE PRESIDING OFFICER AND PERSON WHOSE COMMENTS HAVE BEEN RULED OUTTA ORDER SHALL IMMEDIATELY CEASE AND DESIST FROM FURTHER IMPROPER COMMENTS.
THE REFUSAL OF THAT INDIVIDUAL TO CEASE FROM THE FROM FURTHER IMPROPER COMMENTS MAY SUBJECT THE INDIVIDUAL TO REMOVAL FROM THE MEETING AND OR A CITATION UNDER SECTION TWO DASH FOUR NINE OF THE TOWN CODE.
DO YOU HAVE PERSONAL MICHAEL KING MICHAEL CAMP? PLEASE COME UP FRONT AND STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS PLEASE.
I'M A 7 81 CORN PLANTERS COURT IN THE FARM AT BUCK WALTER, I HAD TO ORIGINALLY INTENDED TO DONATE MY MINUTES TO MY COLLEAGUE BACK THERE.
UM, THAT DIDN'T WORK, DID IT? NO, IT DIDN'T WORK AT ALL.
I'M HERE TO, I'M GONNA, YOU KNOW, JUST GO BACK TO MY SEAT AND I'M, I'M, I'M HERE BECAUSE OF DRAINAGE.
I, I LIVE AT 7 7 9 CORN PLANTERS COURT SOUTH IN THE FARM.
UM, I WAS ON THE BOARD FOR SIX YEARS.
I WAS THE PRESIDENT FOR THREE.
I JUST WANTED TO TOUCH BASE WITH Y'ALL 'CAUSE OBVIOUSLY EVERYBODY KNOWS WHAT HAPPENED, WHAT WENT ON AGAIN.
UM, BUT I JUST WANNA BE SURE THAT YOU'RE NOT SPINNING YOUR WHEELS AND WE ARE NOT SPINNING OUR WHEELS BECAUSE I AM ONE OF THE FEW PEOPLE THAT WAS INVOLVED IN MEETINGS FROM 2020, UH, 2017 TO 2023.
UM, I HAVE MET AND SO HAS MY MANAGEMENT COMPANY AND OTHER BOARD MEMBERS.
LEMME PUT MY APPLES ON, UM, WITH TOWN COUNCIL PLANNING COMMISSION, ZONING COMMISSION, THE TOWN ENGINEER AT THE TIME, WHO WAS BRIAN MCKELWAY, UH, THE WATERSHED MANAGEMENT, BILL BAUER, KIM JONES, UH, JENNIFER ROACH FROM THOMASON HUTTON, BLAKE DOCTORS WHO WAS DOING A LOT OF OUR WORK.
AND THEN AQUATIC ENVIRONMENT SOUTHEAST, WHO DID A LOT OF OUR HEAVIER WORK.
THEY'VE COME, THEY'VE DONE THREE COMMUNITY MEETINGS IN THE LAST SINCE MATTHEW, JUST SO WE CAN GET THE PEOPLE UP TO DATE AT A TOWN COUNCIL MEETING.
UM, MR. WOODS WAS NICE ENOUGH TO SAY, HEY, WHAT'S GOING ON AFTER ANOTHER NAME STORM? SOMEBODY NEEDS TO TALK TO THESE PEOPLE.
THEY CAME OUT AND MET AND BASICALLY THE FARM HAS SPENT IN EXCESS.
NOW, I'M NOT ON THE BOARD ANYMORE SINCE NOVEMBER, SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT WAS, I KNOW WORK WAS DONE THIS YEAR, BUT IT'S EASILY IN EXCESS OF OVER $200,000.
WE HAVE DONE ALL BMP FINDINGS.
WE HAVE DONE ALL SUGGESTIONS FROM BOTH THE TOWN AND THE TOWNS ENGINEER AND THOMASON HUNT'S ENGINEER.
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HAVE REGULAR INSPECTIONS DONE AT THE FARM BY THE TOWN, AND WE HAVE DONE ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING TO TRY TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING.I DON'T HAVE AN INSIDE, UH, TRACK TO IT, BUT NOW THERE IS WORD THAT SOME OF THEM ARE FLOODING IN THIS SITUATION.
BESIDES MOTHER NATURE GOING BERSERK AGAIN.
UM, HAMPTON HALL'S SYSTEM WAS NOT UP TO SPEED.
UM, THAT I QUESTION BECAUSE LIKE I SAID, WE DO GET REGULAR INSPECTIONS AND I WOULD LIKE TO THINK THE OTHER COMMUNITIES INVOLVED IN THIS SYSTEM ARE SUBJECT TO THE SAME BECAUSE THIS AGAIN, WAS CATASTROPHIC.
WE HAVE, WE HAVE HOMEOWNERS THAT COULDN'T FLUSH THEIR TOILETS FOR A WEEK UP UNTIL SATURDAY.
WE STILL HAD WATER ON AT LEAST THREE ROWS.
I'VE HAD NEIGHBORS WHO'VE HAD THEIR HOUSES FLOODED.
I COULDN'T LEAVE MY HOUSE FOR ALMOST FOUR DAYS.
THIS SOMETHING'S GOTTA BE DONE.
I MEAN, IF WE ARE DOING EVERYTHING THAT'S TOLD, I UNDERSTAND THE TOWN IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY KIND OF UPKEEP AND EVERYTHING LIKE THAT, BUT IF WE ARE DOING IT ALL AND THE SYSTEM IS STILL NOT WORKING AND ONE OF, SORRY, SORRY.
IT SEEMS THAT, IT SEEMS THE SYSTEM IS INADEQUATE BECAUSE WE WERE TOLD IT WAS BUILT FOR THE TIME, WHICH WAS FIVE AND A HALF INCHES.
AND NOW IT, LIKE THESE STORMS ARE SAYING AT LEAST EIGHT AND A HALF.
SO WE'RE ALREADY IN A DEFICIT.
I APPRECIATE WELL, WE DON'T, WE DON'T TALK BACK ON, ON PUBLIC COMMENT AT THE END OF THIS PUBLIC COMMENT, SO ASSUME WE'RE, WE ARE GONNA TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT YOU'RE JUST HANG, HANG OUT AND, UM, I'LL BE HERE.
MAYBE THERE'LL BE SOMETHING NEW.
I'M, UH, RICHARD EVANS LIVE AT 57 FORTING COURT IN HAMPTON LAKE.
UM, MAYOR COUNCIL PEOPLE WELCOME.
UM, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE TO START OUT THAT THE COUNCIL KNOWS THAT OUR INTENTION IS NOT TO TRY AND STOP THE APARTMENT COMPLEX, A PARKWAY APARTMENT COMPLEX, BUT, UH, AT ALL, WE DON'T WANNA STOP THE PROJECT.
BUT FOR 14 COURT PEOPLE, WE WOULD LIKE TO BE ABLE TO ENJOY PEACEFUL INHABITANTS OF OUR RESIDENCES DURING THE CONSTRUCTION PROCESS.
WE KNOW THERE'S GONNA BE NOISE, ALTHOUGH THERE WOULD BE LESS NOISE IF THE, UH, TREES AND UNDERBRUSH IN OUR BUFFER ZONE HAD NOT BEEN CUT DOWN AND REMOVED, SUPPOSEDLY, ACCIDENTALLY.
HOWEVER, OUR GOAL WAS TO ENSURE THE COUNCIL MEMBERS UNDERSTAND OUR CONCERNS, WHICH WE HAVE NEVER HAD TO HAVE BEFORE.
SECURITY, FENCING, STENCH, ODOR, STANDING WATER, STAGNANT WATER, MOSQUITO INFESTATION VIEW, ET CETERA.
IF THE BREEZE IS COMING FROM THE NORTH, WE CAN'T ENJOY OUR PATIOS OR SCREENED IN PORCH BECAUSE IT SMELLS LIKE A SEWER DUE TO HUGE PILES OF MUD, ROTTING TREES, ROOTS, UNDERBRUSH, AND DEBRIS THAT HAVE BEEN SITTING ON THE PROPERTY FOR SEVERAL WEEKS.
NOW, DUE TO THE RECENT STORM, THE PROPERTY, WHICH WAS WHAT PARTIALLY DESIGNATED AS WETLANDS LOOKS LIKE A LAKE, WHICH I APPROPRIATELY NAMED FORTING LAKE.
WE ALSO HAVE NEVER REALLY WORRIED ABOUT SECURITY BEFORE DUE TO ALL THE WOODS AND SWAMP BETWEEN US AND BLUFFTON PARKWAY.
NOW WE HAVE AN OPEN BORDER, SO TO SPEAK.
WE NEED SEVERAL HUNDRED YARDS OF FENCING GOING EAST AND WEST, WHERE OUR BUFFER ZONE AND THE APARTMENT PROPERTY LINE MEET HAMPTON LAKE, HOA WILL ERECT THIS FENCE.
BUT WE NEED IT NOW, NOT TWO OR THREE YEARS FROM NOW WHEN THE PROJECT IS FINISHED.
IN A DECEMBER 23RD PLANNING MEETING, JOHN REED, THE DEVELOPER PUBLICLY ANNOUNCED ON VIDEO THAT HE WAS GOING TO DEED THE BUFFER TO HAMPTON LAKE.
WE CAN'T ERECT THE FENCE UNTIL THIS IS OUR PROPERTY OR AN EASEMENT IS GIVING TO, GIVEN TO US IN ORDER TO PUT UP THE FENCE.
WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE A SECURE GATED COMMUNITY, BUT RIGHT NOW, ANY THIEF OR VANDAL CAN WALK RIGHT IN THROUGH OUR OPEN FENCE LIST BORDER.
WE HAVE A LOT OF KIDS IN FORTING COURT, SO THAT'S SORT OF SCARY REGARDING VIEW.
AT THE SAME TIME, DECEMBER PLANNING MEETING, READ ON CAMERA STATED, AND I QUOTE THIS FORTING COURT PEOPLE SHOULD BE VERY HAPPY BECAUSE WE WILL NOT CUT ANY TREES OR UNDERBRUSH IN THAT BUFFER ZONE, AND YOU CAN ABSOLUTELY NOT SEE THROUGH IT.
THAT WAS A TRUE STATEMENT AT THAT TIME, AFTER THE BUFFER ZONE WAS PARTIALLY LEVELED.
WE CAN NOW SEE THE CARS ON BLUFFTON PARKWAY THAT WE COULD BARELY HEAR BEFORE.
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THE DECEMBER 23RD PLANNING, MEETING.LACK OF IT IS WHY YOU, SOME OF YOU ARE HERE TODAY BECAUSE YOU VOTED IN 2018 TO STOP A PROJECT ON THE SAME PROPERTY THAT WOULD'VE REMOVED OUR 50 FOOT BUFFER AND ALL OUR TREES TO THE NORTH.
AND RIGHT NOW WE DON'T EVEN KNOW WHO OWNS THE PROPERTY.
IT'S SUPPOSEDLY SOLD ANYTHING YOU CAN DO TO HELP US, WE'D APPRECIATE.
OKAY, IS THAT QUARTER? GOOD EVENING.
I'M A RESIDENT OF HAMPTON LAKE 67 FORD COURT.
UM, I'M ACTUALLY READING, UH, MOST OF THIS I'M READING ON BEHALF OF ONE OF OUR NEIGHBORS, HEATHER HARKINS, WHO WAS UNABLE TO ATTEND THIS EVENING.
SO FOR THE MOST PART I'M READING AND, UH, THESE ARE HER WORDS.
I, HEATHER HARKINS ATTENDED THE DRC MEETING.
I BELIEVE, UH, UH, WELL, YOU KNOW WHAT THAT STANDS FOR.
I ATTENDED THE DRC MEETING ON APRIL 24TH, 2024 WITH MY SPOUSE.
THIS MEETING WAS LED BY JORDAN HOLLOWAY, SENIOR PLANNER WITH BLUFFTON.
AND AT THAT TIME, OR, AND AT THAT TIME AND TWO OTHER TOWN EMPLOYEES WERE PRESENT AT THE TIME.
JORDAN TOLD US THAT WE SHOULD ADDRESS THE DEVELOPER DIRECTLY DURING THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD AND MAKE OUR REQUESTS CONVERSATIONALLY.
JOHN AND JAKE REED ATTENDED THE MEETING WITH A THIRD PERSON WHO HELD THE PLANS FOR THE SITE, UH, ON PAPERS ON HIS LAP, ON HIS LAPTOP, PROBABLY DURING THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD.
MY HUSBAND REQUESTED THAT THE BACKSIDE OF THE GARAGES OF THE APARTMENTS THAT WERE BEING PUT THERE BE PAINTED A COLOR TO BLEND IN WITH THE ENVIRONMENT.
AND WE WERE TOLD BY BOTH REEDS AND THE THIRD PERSON WITH THEM, THAT SHOULD NOT BE A PROBLEM.
DURING MY PUBLIC COMMENT, I RAISED SEVERAL ISSUES.
I EXPLAINED THAT LIGHTING FROM CARS PULLING IN AND OUT OF THE SPACES OF THE APARTMENT COMPLEX WERE GOING TO BE SHINING, UH, DIRECT LIGHT DIRECTLY ONTO THE HOMES ON FORDING COURT.
THE REEDS RESPONDED THAT THEY WOULD SEE THAT THEY, WHAT THEY COULD DO ABOUT THAT IN TERMS OF LANDSCAPING THAT AREA, IT'S A BLOCK MORE LIGHT.
THE MAIN CONCERN I SHARED, SHARED WAS THAT DAYS BEFORE A BULLDOZER OPERATOR HAD CLEARED VEGETATION AND THE 35, UH, 35 FORTING COURT PARCEL, WHICH IS ABOUT A 200 YARD PORT PARCEL OF, UH, BASICALLY TREES, UH, OF GREEN SPACE.
AND THAT WAS, WAS SUPPOSED TO REMAIN COMPLETELY UNDISTURBED PER THE PLANNING COMMISSION'S APPROVAL OF THE PROJECT IN DECEMBER OF 2023.
I SHARED THAT THIS WAS HEARTBREAKING TO US ON THE STREET AND THAT WE HAD COUNTED ON THAT PARCEL REMAINING UNTOUCHED.
JOHN REED ACKNOWLEDGED THE OPERATOR WHO HAD BEEN CLEARING PRIOR TO APRIL 24TH HAD GONE, HAD CLEARED TOO MUCH AND HAD GONE TOO FAR.
AND MR. REED SAID HE WOULD MAKE IT RIGHT, UNQUOTE AND REPLACED THE OVER CLEARED AREA.
MR. JOHN REED WENT ON TO EXPLAIN TO ME THAT HAMPTON LAKE HAD A SPECIAL PLACE IN HIS HEART.
HE MADE IT CLEAR THAT HE DID NOT WANT TO HARM HAMPTON LAKE COMMUNITY WITH THIS NEW DEVELOPMENT.
SINCE THEN, WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO CLARIFY WITH THE TOWN AND THE DEVELOPERS WHEN IT WILL BE MADE RIGHT, UNQUOTE, SINCE IT WAS NEVER SUPPOSED TO BE CLEARED IN THE FIRST PLACE, THERE IS SIGNIFICANTLY MORE NOISE IN LIGHT POLLUTION NOW AS A RESULT OF THE OVER CLEARING THAT WAS DONE IN THAT BUFFER ZONE.
THIS OVER CLEARING WAS NEVER SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN, AND WE SHOULD NOT HAVE TO WAIT THREE YEARS FOR THE LANDSCAPING OF THE PROJECT TO BE COMPLETED AND HOPEFULLY IT COULD BE MADE RIGHT SOONER THAN THAT.
COUPLE OTHER NOTES, AND THESE ARE, UH, MY THOUGHTS AS WELL.
UM, BASED ON STORM, DEBBIE, WE, AS I SAID, WE'VE BEEN HERE NINE YEARS IN THAT BUFFER ZONE.
I, IT'S RAINED HARDER THAN DEBBIE SINCE WE'VE BEEN HERE, AND I'VE NEVER SEEN WATER COLLECT IN THAT BUFFER ZONE LIKE IT DID, UH, AFTER DEBBIE.
AND WHAT I MEAN IS THAT WITH, WITH ALL THOSE ACRES CLEARED OF ALL THE VEGETATION, UH, THAT PLACE FILLED UP VERY QUICKLY WITHOUT THE TREES AND UNDERBRUSH TO COLLECT AND ABSORB THAT WATER.
UH, AND AS MR. EVANS EXPLAINED IT, IT HAS CREATED JUST A MOONSCAPE OF A, OF A VIEW AND A LOT OF STENCH AND A LOT OF JUST STANDING WATER MOSQUITO FAR.
YOU THANK YOU FOR YOUR MINUTES, SIR.
SHARON BROWN, I'M GLAD YOU SMILE.
I GOTTA TELL YOU JACKET IS FOR YOU BROTHER.
I'M AT 1 6 3 BUCK ISLAND ROAD.
THANK YOU TOWN COUNSELOR LINDY, I WANT TO GIVE YOU A KUDOS FOR HELPING THE BACK SCHOOL MONDAY.
UH, HELP 618 KIDS HAVE BACKPACKS.
I LIVE ON BUCK ISLAND ROAD AND I
[00:30:01]
WANNA JUST SHARE THAT MANY CONCERNED CITIZENS IN OUR COMMUNITY ARE FRUSTRATED WITH THE DISCONNECT AND CONTINUAL LACK OF CONSIDERATION WHEN IT COMES TO MEETING WITH RES RESIDENTS ABOUT CRITICAL ISSUES THAT AFFECT OUR COMMUNITY.Y'ALL KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT.
THERE WAS NO MEETING OR WORKSHOP WITH NATIVES WHEN THE TOWN BEGAN SENDING QUIET CLAIM DEEDS WITH A NOTE OF CONDEMNATION IF RESIDENTS DIDN'T COMPLY.
NOW, FAST FORWARD TO TODAY, RESIDENTS HAVE BEEN RECEIVING CERTIFIED LETTERS ABOUT POSSIBLE UNREGISTERED BUSINESSES, UNTAGGED VEHICLES ON THEIR PERSONAL PROPERTY.
WHEN WILL IT STOP? HOW DO YOU GUYS KNOW WHAT THOSE UM, VEHICLES ARE FOR? IF IT'S UNREGISTERED, IT'S GOTTA STOP.
BUT WE WERE ONCE A COMMUNITY WHERE EVERYBODY KNEW EVERYBODY AND EVEN OUR OFFICIALS AND STAFF LOOKED OUT FOR THE COMMUNITY.
NOW IT SEEMS THAT THERE WERE NO LONGER IN THAT CARING COMMUNITY.
IT SEEMS WE'RE UNDER GOVERNMENT TAKEOVER.
THERE'S A MEETING BEFORE THE MEETING WITH CERTAIN PEOPLE.
WE KNOW THAT THEY CARE LESS ABOUT THE PEOPLE AND MORE ABOUT WHAT BENEFITS THE GOVERNMENT.
YOU ALL ARE PUSHING NATIVES AND HARDWORKING PEOPLE OUT OF THIS TOWN.
STAFF AND OFFICIALS DON'T EVEN TAKE THE TIME TO CONNECT WITH THE PEOPLE ANYMORE.
THEY'RE ISSUING QUIET CLAIM DEMANDS AND VIOLATIONS.
WE NEED A GOVERNMENT THAT'S CONCERNED ABOUT ALL THE PEOPLE AND NOT JUST POLICY THAT ACCOMMODATES A CERTAIN SUBGROUP OF PEOPLE.
NOW, THE 5 7 2 70 SECTION OF THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAW COVERS THE FORMS OF PROCEDURES FOR INTRODUCING PASSING ORDINANCE.
DID Y'ALL HAVE A CODING ORDINANCE, A WORKSHOP OR SOMETHING TO TALK ABOUT? WHAT YOU GUYS, WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO OUR COMMUNITY? IT SAYS THAT IT STATES THAT EVERY PROPOSED ORDINANCE MUST BE INTRODUCED IN WRITING OR IN A FORM OF REQUIRED FOR FINAL ADOPTION.
DID Y'ALL HAVE A WORKSHOP? I'LL WAIT TILL THE END OF THIS FOR SOMEBODY TO ANSWER THAT SINCE THAT'S WHEN YOU DO IT.
THIS IS WHY I HAVE CONTACTED TWO STATE COMMISSIONS BECAUSE IT'S TIME FOR THEM TO BE YOU GUYS TO BE INVESTIGATED OF THE UNLAWFUL AND UNETHICAL DISCRIMINATORY ACTS ON SELECTED COMMUNITIES OF TAXPAYERS WHO ARE ENTITLED TO THE SAME SERVICES AND RESOURCES AS OTHER COMMUNITIES IN THE TOWN OF BLUFFING.
AND WHEN WE WANNA TALK ABOUT ETHICS IN THE CONTEXT OF A PUBLIC AND SERVICE OFFICIAL LOCAL GOVERNMENT ETHICS PLAYS A CRUCIAL AND PIVOTAL ROLE IN GUIDING THE ACTION OF OFFICIALS TO ENSURE THAT THEY ACT IN THE BEST INTEREST OF ALL PEOPLE IN THEIR COMMUNITY.
ETHICAL LEADERS SHOULD SERVE AS ROLE MODELS, ENCOURAGING OPEN COMMUNICATION AND DIALOGUE BY FACILITATING OPEN COMMUNICATION WITH THE PUBLIC AND PROVIDE FEEDBACK BASED ON PUBLIC CONCERNS.
AND LASTLY, ETHICAL STANDARDS IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT ARE ROOTED IN PRINCIPLES SUCH AS INTEGRITY, HONESTY, ACCOUNT, AND FAIRNESS.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
IT'S AN HONOR TO BE HERE TO SPEAK IN FRONT OF YOU.
AND RICHARDSON, IT'S GOOD TO SEE YOU.
YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS, FIRST BILL, SORRY.
DOUG MCGILL, 21 PAUL MEADOW COVE COURT.
AND I AM A MEMBER OF THE HAMPTON LAKE COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION AND ITS BOARD OF DIRECTORS.
THE, UH, PROPERTY WE'RE TALKING ABOUT BETWEEN, UH, HAMPTON LAKE AND BLUFFTON PARKWAY BY THE GATE IN HAMPTON LAKE HAS BEEN SIGNIFICANTLY CLEARED.
IT'S DRAMATICALLY ALTERED THE LANDSCAPE AND IT HAS IN FACT SHATTERED THE QUIET REPOSE THAT THOSE RESIDENTS FEEL THAT THEY HAD IN THEIR HOMES.
AND BY THE WAY, BRIDGET, THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO COME OUT THERE AND MEET WITH THEM LAST WEEK.
SO THERE ARE TWO THINGS I'D LIKE US TO THINK ABOUT HERE TONIGHT.
THE FIRST IS THAT, UM, THAT CHANGE THE EXIGENCIES OF, UH, DEVELOPMENT BEING WHAT THEY ARE, IT HAS CAUSED OVER CLEARING, IT'S CAUSED THINGS TO BE REALLY LESS THAN OPTIMAL FOR THOSE PEOPLE.
IT DOESN'T REQUIRE US TO TAKE ANY ACTION BASED UPON THAT, BUT IT SHOULD ENGENDER EMPATHY ON OUR PART.
THE SECOND THING I'D LIKE US TO THINK ABOUT IS DO THE WORDS AND PROMISES MADE AT A PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING OR A TOWN COUNCIL MEETING HAVE MEANING? IF SO, THEN I BELIEVE IT IS INCUMBENT UPON THIS COUNCIL WHO I KNOW WANTS TO BE TRANSPARENT AND ACT WITH INTEGRITY TO TAKE SOME ACTION RELATIVE TO WORKING WITH THE DEVELOPER TO MITIGATE SOME OF THE ISSUES THAT WE'RE DEALING WITH.
UM, MY NAME'S JODY EVANS, 57 FORDING COURT IN HAMPTON LAKE.
UM, THIS IS REGARDING, THE DEVELOPMENT IS BETWEEN LOUGHTON PARKWAY AND FORDING COURT.
[00:35:03]
THERE, THERE WERE TWO BUILDING SITES THERE.ONE BUILDING SITE IS PERFECTLY PRISTINE.
IT WAS, IT'S IT WAS CLEARED, BUT IT'S PRISTINE.
THE OTHER BUILDING SIDE, WHICH HAPPENS TO BE BEHIND MY HOUSE, IS JUST A HUGE FESTERING CESSPOOL.
YOU CAN, YOU CAN'T BELIEVE THE AMOUNT OF WATER THAT'S BACK THERE.
AND THE WATER WAS BACK THERE BEFORE THE RAINS.
I KNOW WE HAD A LOT OF RAINS, BUT IT WAS BACK THERE BEFORE THE RAINS.
AND THEY DID CLEAR INTO THE BUFFER ZONE.
SO NOW WE HAVE WATER IN THERE THAT WILL PROBABLY KILL THE TREES THAT ARE STILL REMAINING IN THERE.
BUT THEY BUILT THIS BIG BERM AROUND THE CONSTRUCTION, UH, PLASTIC CONSTRUCTION FENCE TO TRY TO KEEP THE WATER IN BECAUSE THE LAKE, THERE'S A LAKE THERE AND YOU CAN'T, YOU CAN'T EVEN IMAGINE IT.
YOU HAVE TO SEE IT FOR YOURSELF.
AND THERE'S PILES OF DIRT, PILES OF, OF, UH, ROTTING, UH, TREE ROOTS THAT WERE, WERE GROUND UP.
THEY HAVEN'T WORKED ON IT IN ABOUT THREE WEEKS BECAUSE YOU CAN'T GET ANYTHING IN THERE.
IT'S LIKE, AND IT'S NOT, I WOULDN'T CALL IT A LAKE, I WOULD CALL IT A CESSPOOL.
AND I'VE BEEN HERE FOR SIX AND A HALF YEARS AND I'VE SEEN A LOT, A LOT OF CONSTRUCTION.
AND I, MY FAMILY WAS IN THE CONSTRUCTION BUSINESS.
I'VE NEVER SEEN A, UH, A CONSTRUCTION SITE THAT IS MORE DEVASTATING TO LOOK AT.
IT'S JUST, I DON'T KNOW HOW THEY CAN EVER FIX IT.
AND I DO KNOW THAT, THAT AT ONE POINT, THIS WAS WETLANDS, IT WAS, IT WAS DESIGNATED WETLANDS.
BUT I DON'T THINK THAT THEY CAN BUILD ON THERE.
THEY CAN'T BRING ENOUGH DIRT IN TO TRY TO, TO COVER THIS.
I MEAN, THE, THE WATER IS THREE FEET DEEP AS FAR AS YOU CAN SEE.
UM, IT'S IN, IN MY OPINION, AN ENVIRONMENTAL DISASTER.
I CAN'T IMAGINE ANYBODY WOULD DO THIS AND THEN JUST LEAVE IT LIKE THAT.
UM, AND I THINK THAT IT'S ALSO A HEALTH, A HEALTH HAZARD, AND IT'S UNDER THOSE BIG POWER LINES THAT RUN THROUGH THERE ON THAT PROPERTY, WHICH, THAT'S ANOTHER PROBLEM.
I MEAN, I, I DON'T KNOW WHY YOU CAN BUILD UNDER HUGE POWER LINES LIKE THAT, BUT THEY WERE GONNA PUT, YOU KNOW, HUGE BUILDINGS OF APARTMENTS, BUILDINGS IN THERE, RIGHT UNDER THE POWER LINES.
AND NOW THERE'S NO PLACE FOR THE WATER TO GO.
I DON'T KNOW HOW THEY CAN BUILD THERE.
I THINK THAT, UH, WE'RE GONNA NEED LIKE SOMEBODY TO COME IN AND LOOK AT IT, THAT, THAT KNOWS HOW TO GET RID OF WATER.
OBVIOUSLY THERE WERE PROBLEMS IN OTHER DEVELOPMENTS LIKE THE FARM AND WE DON'T WANT THAT PROBLEM.
I MEAN, WE'VE GOTTA DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.
IT'S JUST, IT'S, IT'S THAT IT'S DEPRESSING.
I HOPE YOU CAN COME OUT AND VISUALLY SEE IT.
I KNOW WE SENT PICTURES TO YOU, BUT IT, SEEING IT, UH, PERSONALLY IS SOMETHING THAT I THINK YOU NEED TO DO.
AND THANK YOU BRIDGET FOR COMING.
[Additional Item]
OR GET UP AND AND TELL THEM WHERE WE ARE NOW.WE HAVE BEEN NOT HAVE WE HAVEN'T BEEN IGNORING THE SITUATION AND WE'RE, WE UNDERSTAND.
SO MAYBE KIM CAN GIVE US A LITTLE BIT OF AN UPDATE ON WE'VE DONE WHAT WE'RE WORKING ON OR WHAT WE CAN LOOK FOR.
THIS, THIS IS PERTAINING TO THE WATER.
GOOD EVENING, MAYOR COUNCIL AND THE PUBLIC.
OBVIOUSLY THE LAST WEEK WE HAVE HEARD YOUR CONCERNS AND WE SHARE THEM WITH YOU AS A LIMITED SERVICES MUNICIPALITY, WE RECOGNIZE THERE ARE THINGS WE CAN AND CANNOT DO.
HOWEVER, ONE THING WE CAN AND WILL CONTINUE TO DO IS LISTEN TO YOUR CONCERNS AND WORK WITHIN YOUR NEIGHBORHOODS FOR WHAT BEST SUITS OUR OVERALL COMMUNITY TO MAINTAIN LIFE, HEALTH, SAFETY, AND WELFARE FOR EVERYONE.
TO THAT END, I'D LIKE TO QUICKLY GO OVER THIS SLIDE PRESENTATION WILL BE PUT ON THE WEBSITE SO IT CONTAINS MORE VERBIAGE THAN I WILL GO OVER THIS EVENING, BUT THAT'S WHY, UM, WE KNEW IT WOULD BE POSTED OUTTA CONTEXT.
UH, WANTED TO GO OVER QUICKLY WITH YOU WHAT BLUFFTON IS DOING FOR RESILIENCY PLANNING EFFORTS, HOW WE'RE COLLECTING DATA AND USING THAT DATA TO INFORM OUR DECISIONS.
THIS WORK IS BEING, UM, UNDERTAKEN THROUGH OUR WATERSHED MANAGEMENT DIVISION WITH THE, UH, LEAD OF BETH LEWIS.
QUICKLY, WE HAVE THE REQUIREMENT WITH OUR, OUR COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, WHICH IS BLUEPRINT BLUFFTON TO ACTUALLY INCLUDE A RESILIENCY CHAPTER, WHICH WAS, UM, INCORPORATED FROM SOUTH CAROLINA COMPREHENSIVE PLANNING ENABLING ACT.
OUR BLUEPRINT LEFT AND WAS ADOPTED BY COUNCIL IN NOVEMBER OF 2022, AND FOR THE FIRST TIME INCLUDED A RESILIENCY PLANNING CHAPTER TO MEET THAT STATE REQUIREMENT.
[00:40:01]
TO THAT END, IT IS THROUGH OUR STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS THAT WE UNDERGO EVERY TWO YEARS AND WE EVALUATE ANNUALLY THAT THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AND ITS GOALS ARE WORKED INTO OUR WORK PLANS AND OUR BUDGETARY REQUESTS.UM, AND EVERYBODY CAN READ THAT WHEN IT'S POSTED ONLINE.
WHAT OUR STRATEGIC PLAN, UM, FOCUS AREAS AND STRATEGIES ARE INTENDED TO DO, WHAT WE FOCUS ON AS STAFF AND WHAT IS WHAT COUNCIL HAS SET OUT FOR US AS OUR STRATEGIC PLAN FOCUS AREAS.
AND I'VE HIGHLIGHTED HERE UNDER THE MAY RIVER AND SURROUNDING RIVERS AND WATERSHEDS ARE CLEARLY WHAT OUR WATERSHED MANAGEMENT DIVISION ARE FOCUSING UPON AS THAT TOUCHES PRETTY MUCH EVERY OTHER SINGLE STRATEGIC PLAN FOCUS AREA AS WELL.
SPECIFICALLY UNDERNEATH THE MAY RIVER BURN SURROUNDING RIVERS AND WATERSHEDS.
THERE IS GUIDING PRINCIPLE NUMBER FOUR, WHICH IS TO SUPPORT THE ACTIVE PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT FOR RESILIENCE.
AND SPECIFICALLY THAT IS WORKED INTO AN ACTION AGENDA ITEM, WHICH IS WITHIN THIS WORK PLAN FOR OUR YEAR, THIS YEAR, IS TO DEVELOP A RESILIENCY PLAN THAT FOCUSES ON OUR NATURAL RESOURCES AND SUSTAINABILITY AS WELL AS WETLAND PROTECTION AND POTENTIAL RESTORATION IN THE FUTURE.
AND ENVIRONMENTAL PRINCIPLES BASED ON A WATERSHED AREA.
I'M NOT GONNA READ ALL OF THIS FOR YOU AGAIN.
IT IS THERE MOSTLY FOR BACKGROUND FOR THE PUBLIC AS IT'S POSTED, BUT BASED ON THIS STRATEGIC PLAN, STAFF HAS ALREADY BEEN UNDERTAKING, UM, IN CONCERT SINCE FEBRUARY OF 2024 WITH THE SOUTH CAROLINA SEA GRANT CONSORTIUM AND THE COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON, A RESILIENCY ANALYSIS PROJECT THAT HAS BEEN IN THE DATA COLLECTION STAGE CURRENTLY.
THE PURPOSE OF THIS PARTICULAR RESILIENCY ANALYSIS IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT'S DOCUMENTING CURRENT IMPACTS AND ANTICIPATING FUTURE CHANGES AND CHALLENGES RELATED TO CLIMATE CHANGE AS WE CONTINUE TO EXPERIENCE MORE INTENSE AND FREQUENT STORMS AS WELL AS THOSE ASSOCIATED VULNERABILITIES WHERE ARE WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY ARE MORE, MORE SOCIALLY AND ENVIRONMENTALLY VULNERABLE AREAS.
AND THE INTENT OF THAT IS TO USE THIS INFORMATION THEN TO MITIGATE POTENTIAL DAMAGE, MAINTAIN OUR INFRASTRUCTURE, AND DEVELOP INFORMATION TO GUIDE POLICIES AND PLANS AND PROJECTS INTO THE FUTURE.
SO SPECIFICALLY OUT OF THIS PROJECT, THESE ARE THE DELIVERABLES FROM SEA GRANT AND COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON, WHICH WE ANTICIPATE GETTING, UH, CURRENTLY WE ARE ALREADY WORKING WITH THEM ON MAPS AND DATA ON BLUFFTON INFRASTRUCTURE.
WE ARE LOOKING TO THE COMMUNITY TO HELP, UM, INFORM OUR FLOOD RISK MAPS AND INFORMATION, NOT ONLY BASED CLEARLY ON ELEVATION, WE ARE THE LOW COUNTRY, WE KNOW THAT, BUT SPECIFICALLY GATHERING COMMUNITY CROWDSOURCE DATA FOR INFORMING WHERE WE ARE SEEING RISKS OF DIFFERENT TYPES THAT ELEVATION MAY NOT ACTUALLY ELUCIDATE.
UM, AND AGAIN, I'M NOT GONNA READ THE REST OF THIS FOR YOU, BUT, UM, WE'RE USING THAT, UM, THAT CATALYST, IF YOU WILL, FOR INTERNAL STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT.
THERE WAS A SURVEY SENT OUT TO COUNCIL SENIOR STAFF AND TO EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AND KEY PERSONNEL TO COMPLETE A VULNERABILITIES RANKING FORM TO SAY, LOOK OF THE NORMAL TYPES OF VULNERABILITIES COASTAL COMMUNITIES SAY THEY ENGAGE.
HOW DOES BLUFFTON LEADERSHIP RANK THOSE? FOR INSTANCE, IS FLOODING NUMBER ONE OR IS IRV HEAT ISLAND ANOTHER ONE? OR IS IT OUR, UM, ELECTRICITY GRID? IT COULD, EVERYBODY HAS A DIFFERENT OPINION AND WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ALIGNING OUR EFFORTS.
AND TO THAT END SEA GRANT IS WORKING TO WAIT EACH OF THESE METRIC TO ENSURE WE'RE COMING UP WITH MODELS THAT ARE SPECIFICALLY TAILORED TO OUR TOWN AND OUR TOWN'S CRITICAL, UM, RESILIENCY RELATED NEEDS.
WE ARE ADDITIONALLY AND NEED AND HAVE ALREADY RECEIVED EXTERNAL STAKEHOLDER INPUT.
WE'VE HELD ONE PUBLIC, ONE PUBLIC, UM, DROP-IN MEETING ALREADY AT THE REC, UH, BLUFFTON ROTARY IN THE RECREATION COURT AREA, BLUFFTON PARK AREA.
WE ARE HAVING A SECOND DROP-IN MEETING COMING UP, UM, ON WHERE, HERE WE GO IN PRITCHARD ELEMENTARY NEXT WEEK, NEXT TUESDAY FROM SIX TO 7:00 PM AND THEN AGAIN, WE WILL HAVE, UM, PRESENTS AT THE TOWNS TENT DURING THE ARTS AND SEED FOOD FESTIVAL AND WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR PEOPLE TO GIVE TO US, UM, OUR SURVEY INFORMATION EITHER THROUGH THAT QR CODE, I'M GONNA GIVE YOU A LINK IN A MINUTE AND OR IF NOT DIGITALLY, YOU CAN DO IT ON A PAPER
[00:45:01]
COPY.THERE ARE PAPER COPIES OUTSIDE OF THIS SURVEY OF FLOODING REPORTS THAT YOU CAN GIVE US INFORMATION THAT WE CAN GIVE TO C GRANT TO HELP INFORM OUR RESILIENCY PLAN.
ADDITIONALLY, BOTH ONLINE AND IN HARD COPY, FOR THOSE PEOPLE WHO MAY HAVE EXPERIENCED PROPERTY DAMAGE FROM THIS EVENT LAST WEEK, THERE IS A DAMAGE REPORT ASSESSMENT AS WELL.
IF THEY ARE FILLED OUT IN PAPER, THEY CAN BE LEFT HERE AT TOWN HALL.
WE WILL GATHER THAT INFORMATION.
THE PROPERTY DAMAGE IS FOR US TO ANTICIPATE WORKFLOW FOR OUR BUILDING SAFETY INSPECTIONS AS WELL AS PERMITTING.
UM, AND AS WELL AS THERE MIGHT BE ANY TYPE OF ASSISTANCE THAT COMES OUT FROM THE STATE LEVEL THAT WE CAN CONNECT PEOPLE TO RESOURCES.
NONE OF THAT HAS COME OUT AS OF YET.
SO, AND AGAIN, OUTSIDE AND ONLINE.
ADDITIONALLY, COUNSEL HAS FUNDED AND WE'VE ALREADY COMPLETED ONE SET OF COMPREHENSIVE DRAINAGE STUDIES FOR THE HAYWARD COVE AREA.
AND WE ARE MOVING FORWARD AND COMPLETE WORKING ON BOTH THE CROOKED COVE AND GERARD COVE WATERSHEDS.
OUR INTENT IS TO COMPLETE THIS TYPE OF ANALYSIS FOR EVERY SUB WATERSHED WITHIN THE TOWNS JURISDICTION.
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? IT MEANS WE HAVE BOOTS ON THE GROUND FOR, UM, THE RIVER UP THROUGH THESE DRAINAGE BASINS, LOOKING FOR PIPES, LOOKING FOR CULVERTS, LOOKING FOR DITCHES, LOOKING TO SEE WHAT ASSET STORM WATER ASSET IS IN PLACE, WHAT IS ITS CURRENT CONDITION AND DOES MAINTENANCE NEED TO OCCUR OR NOT? WHO'S THE RESPONSIBLE PARTY FOR IT? PRIMARILY DOT COUNTY AND PRIVATE POAS.
UM, AND THEN NOTIFYING PEOPLE OF NECESSARY MAINTENANCE.
AND THEN AGAIN, MODELING FOR FUTURE SCENARIOS AND FLOODING SITUATIONS AS WE HAVE MORE INTENSE RAINSTORMS SUCH AS THIS ONE.
AND BILL'S GONNA GIVE YOU A COUPLE OF COMPARISONS.
HOW THIS PARTICULAR STORM COMPARED TO SOME ONES THAT WE'VE REC RECENTLY HAD THAT MIGHT, UH, PUT THINGS INTO PERSPECTIVE.
WHAT WE'RE SEEING IS CHANGING RAINFALL PATTERNS AND THAT IS GOING TO CONTINUE.
AND SO THE MODELING MOVING INTO THE FUTURE IS SEA LEVEL RISE PLUS INTENSITY.
WHAT IS OUT THERE? IS IT ADEQUATE, IS IT NOT? AND WHAT, WHAT STRATEGIES MAY WE DEVELOP AS A COMMUNITY TO ADAPT AND BECOME MORE RESILIENT IN THE FUTURE? UM, WE HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED THAT OUR BRICK GRANT APPLICATION, AND I'M SORRY, I SHOULD HAVE WROTE WRITTEN NOW, WHAT BRICK WAS, UH, 'CAUSE I DON'T REMEMBER WHAT THE ACRONYM IS FOR, BUT WE HAVE A, A BRICK GRANT APPLICATION IN FRONT OF FEMA RIGHT NOW FOR VERDE AND HUGE E COVE WATERSHEDS.
AND WE ARE BEING INVITED TO SUBMIT A FULL PROPOSAL FOR THAT COMPREHENSIVE DRAINAGE THERE.
THESE OUTCOMES, AGAIN, ARE GOING TO INFORM OUR POLICIES, PROGRAMS, PROJECTS, PARTNERSHIPS, FUTURE PLANS THAT WE MAY NEED AND GIVE US CLEAR RECOMMENDATIONS, WHAT WE SHOULD BE DOING TO PROTECT NOT ONLY OUR ENVIRONMENT, CLEARLY OUR CONSTITUENCIES IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AGAIN, I TOLD YOU I WOULD, UH, LEAVE YOU WITH, WITH A LINK.
THIS LINK IS FOR THE RESIDENT SURVEY TO COMPLETE THE ONLINE FLOOD OBSERVATIONS.
EMBEDDED WITHIN THAT LINK IS ALSO IF YOU HAD PROPERTY DAMAGE, UM, SO THAT YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO GO TO TWO SEPARATE LOCALES TO FILL THAT OUT.
AND THEN THE NEXT GATHERING, PUBLIC GATHERING DROP IN MEETING IS GOING TO BE AGAIN AT PRICHARD BILL ELEMENTARY.
UM, NEXT TUESDAY, AUGUST 20TH FROM SIX TO 7:00 PM WHERE WE'RE LOOKING TO GARNER PUBLIC INPUT ON WHERE DID YOU SEE FLOODING, HOW, HOW DEEP WAS THAT? THOSE TYPES OF THINGS, THOSE DETAILS.
WE ARE AT THE STAFF LEVEL ADDITIONALLY MEETING WITH HOAS TO DISCUSS POSSIBILITIES FOR THEM.
AND WE ARE AVAILABLE AS A RESOURCE OBVIOUSLY FOR WHAT MAY BE PERMISSIBLE, WHAT MAY NOT BE PERMISSIBLE, UM, FOR SYSTEM UPGRADES AND WHAT HAVE YOU.
AND ADDITIONALLY WE'RE MEETING WITH HOA MANAGEMENT GROUPS AS WELL WITHIN THE NEXT WEEK REMINDING THEM.
YOU HAVE, I'M SO SORRY THAT FOR THAT THE DEPARTMENT HAS DONE OUTSTANDING WORK AND WE, SORRY, KNEW WAS ADDRESSED SORT OF LIKE MIKE, SORRY, THIS WAY MY APOLOGIES HAS BEEN OUTSTANDING WORK AND MAINTENANCE AND A REMINDER TO ALL HOAS THAT THEY ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR MAINTENANCE AND ANY, UM, UPGRADES THAT MAY NEED TO HAPPEN.
WE'RE HAVING THAT MEETING AS WELL.
BILL, CAN YOU GIVE US SOME REFERENCE POINTS PLEASE? THANK YOU.
[00:50:01]
KNOW ME, I'M BILL BOWER.UM, SOME OF THE TAKEAWAYS WE TOOK FROM THIS, UH, STORM WAS THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE THE 30 INCHES THAT WERE PREDICTED.
WE REALLY ONLY HAD ANYWHERE FROM EIGHT TO TO 16 INCHES THROUGH THE AREA.
BUT WHAT WE HAD WAS VERY INTENSE RAIN AT THE START OF THE STORM AND THEN A SERIES OF INTENSE RAINS THROUGH THE STORM.
IT WASN'T ONE LONG DRAWN OUT RAIN EVENT.
IT WAS A LOT OF THESE INTENSE STORMS FILLED UP THE SYSTEM IMMEDIATELY.
AND THEN EVERY, EVERY RAIN BOMB AFTER THAT JUST HELPED.
UH, WITH THE FLOODING, UH, WE DID NOT RECEIVE MORE THAN WE HAVE IN OTHER STORMS. WE JUST RECEIVED IT IN A HIGHER INTENSITY, THEREFORE CAUSE MORE FLOODING IN IT.
AND THIS WAS WITH THE RESILIENCY PLANNING COMES INTO EFFECT WITH THE CHANGING PATTERNS.
WE'LL BE ABLE TO SEE THAT AND THEN ADAPT, UH, ACCORDINGLY TO THAT.
THE FARM'S DONE AN OUTSTANDING JOB.
LATER, UH, OUR NEXT WEEK WE'RE PLAN ON MEETING WITH ALL THE HOA MANAGERS TO ENSURE THAT THEY, UH, UNDERSTAND THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF WHAT THE HOA NEEDS TO DO FOR MAINTENANCE AND ASSIST THEM WITH ANY KIND OF, UH, SUPPORT THAT THEY NEED TO MAKE SURE THEIR SYSTEMS ARE OPERATING CORRECTLY.
I'LL PUT IN MY LAST FINAL PLUG AND THEN I'LL SIT DOWN.
THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS NOT ONLY Y'ALL BUT THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE THAT THE TOWN DOES TAKE THIS SERIOUSLY AND WAS ALREADY WORKING ON IT.
UNFORTUNATELY, UNFORTUNATELY, DEBBIE WAS AN EXAMPLE OF WHY WE WERE WORKING ON IT PROACTIVELY AND WHY WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO DO THIS.
SOLUTIONS WILL NOT COME FROM GOVERNMENT.
THEY WILL BE PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS AT BEST.
AND THAT'S MY PLUG IS WE ARE ACTIVELY PURSUING AND ASKING PEOPLE TO PARTICIPATE IN IMPERVIOUS SURFACE AREA RESTORATION PROJECTS OUT OF THE MAY RIVER WATERSHED ACTION PLAN.
SOME COMMUNITIES HAVE DECLINED TO PARTICIPATE.
WE NOW HOPE PERHAPS IN LIGHT OF THESE EVENTS, THEY MAY RECONSIDER.
AND WHEN WE ASK OTHER PARTNERS IN THE FUTURE, PLEASE KEEP IN MIND WE'RE DOING THIS FOR OUR COMMUNITY AS WELL AS THE HEALTH OF THE MAY RIVER.
[VII. COMMUNICATIONS FROM MAYOR AND COUNCIL]
COMMUNICATIONS FROM MAYOR AND COUNCIL.ANYBODY MS. BURDEN, YOU HAVE A, UM, JUST THANK YOU KIM AND BILL FOR GETTING UP AND DOING THAT PRESENTATION.
I KNOW THAT, UM, A LOT OF PEOPLE WERE AFFECTED.
I'VE GOTTEN LOTS OF EMAILS AND PHONE CALLS AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE WANNA WORK WITH OUR RESIDENTS AND HOA WITH, SO THANK YOU FOR THAT.
ALSO, THANK YOU TO OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT AND ALL THE PUBLIC WORKS FOR EVERYTHING THAT Y'ALL DID LAST WEEK, THAT YOU DID A GREAT JOB, UM, WITH, YOU KNOW, AN INTENSE STORM.
SO, UM, I'M A BIG BELIEVER IN LET'S COME UP WITH SOME, YOU KNOW, WORK TOGETHER AND FIGURE THIS OUT AND THE PERVIOUS SURFACES AND SAVING MORE TREES AND GETTING CREATIVE WITH THIS.
AND UM, THANK YOU ALSO TO EVERYBODY THAT DID COME OUT AND SPEAK A PUBLIC COMMENT.
I ENJOY HEARING ALL YOUR COMMENTS MR.
UM, STEVEN IS, WILL YOU BE ABLE TO GIVE ME ANY INSIGHT ON SOME OF THE CONCERNS THAT SHARON BROWN MENTIONED IN HER, UH, COMMENTS ABOUT, I GUESS AS CODE ENFORCEMENT? UM, WELL I HEARD A COUPLE THINGS.
ONE, UH, THERE WAS SOME QUICK CLAIM AND COMBINATION THAT AS FAR AS I KNOW, THE TOWN HAS NOT SENT ANY QUICK CLAIMS OR CONDEMNATIONS OUT.
UM, BUT, UH, CODE ENFORCEMENT, I KNOW WE'VE DONE SOME CODE ENFORCEMENT FOR BUSINESSES THAT ARE OPERATING WITHOUT PERMITS UP THERE, AS WELL AS SOME TRAILERS THAT WERE INSTALLED IN PROPERLY AND SOME THINGS LIKE THAT.
UM, I DON'T, I'LL HAVE TO LOOK AND SEE IF WE'VE DONE ANY CARS OR ANYTHING LATELY, BUT I THINK WE PULLED BACK FROM DOING VEHICLES.
UM, BUT I'LL DOUBLE CHECK AND LOOK INTO THAT.
I'LL HAVE TO, UM, CHECK AND BE ABLE TO ANSWER.
I CALLED YOU ON A FEW ISSUES AND I THOUGHT WE HAD THAT RESOLVED, BUT NOW IF THEY STILL BEING, UM, BIG GOVERNMENT OUT THERE, I'D LIKE TO BE INVOLVED.
I NEED TO KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON.
YEAH, MOST OF THE ONES THAT THEY'VE BEEN, UM, THAT I, AND I'LL DOUBLE CHECK AND GET GET BACK WITH YOU ON THAT IS, UH, ONCE WHERE THEY'VE BEEN OPERATING BUSINESSES AND LIKE THEY'VE RUN A BRUSH YARD, THEY'VE BEEN LAYING BRUSH DOWN AND STUFF.
WE'VE BEEN TELLING 'EM THEY CAN'T OPERATE, YOU KNOW, UNLESS IT'S PERMITTED TO OPERATE.
UM, BUT WE DID HAVE THE CONVERSATION ABOUT THE CARS AND I'M PRETTY SURE THAT SLOWED, BUT I'LL DOUBLE CHECK AND MAKE SURE.
AND, UM, KIM AND I THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
YOU DIDN'T MENTION, UM, ABOUT THE ISSUES THAT WE HAVE ON GOTHE
[00:55:01]
ROAD BACK OUT IN VILLE.I NEED, WE NEED, AND IF WE DOING THIS DRAINAGE STUDIES, UM, WE AGREED IN OPEN MEETING THAT AS LONG WHILE WE ARE STUDYING WE ARE GONNA MAKE SOME REPAIRS.
WE AGREED THAT IF WE SAW ANY DEFICIENCIES ALONG THE WAY, WE WOULD MAKE THE PARTIES AWARE OF A A NEEDED MAINTENANCE OR WHAT HAVE YOU.
TO THAT END FOR THE CROOK CO AND GERARD CO SUB BASIN STUDIES, THE COMPREHENSIVE STUDIES, THE FIELD COMPONENT OF THAT WAS COMPLETED BACK IN JUNE AND THERE WERE NO DEFICIENCIES FOUND.
MINOR OCCLUSION OF PIPES, MEANING A LITTLE BIT OF SEDIMENT IN THE BOTTOM OF THEM, NO MAJOR BLOCKAGES, NO ISSUES FOR REQUIRED MAINTENANCE.
WHAT, WHAT NOW WHEN YOU SAY THAT, WHERE ARE YOU DESCRIBING PER COBIN AND GERARD COVE? SO THINK OF THE DITCH, UM, BY CAHILLS, THAT'S CROOKED COVE.
GERARD COVE IS A LITTLE TO THE EAST OF THAT.
YOU'RE SAYING THOSE, THOSE, UH, COVES IS WHERE THE DRAIN FROM BUCK ISLAND, SIMMONS? YES.
BUT COVE IS NOT THE PROBLEM? NO SIR.
THEY STARTED THERE AND WENT UP AND WENT UP UP INTO THE DRAINAGE SYSTEM.
BUT I'M, I KNOW THAT THE DITCHES ON BUCK ISLAND, VILLE AND PROBABLY GO ROAD DOESN'T HAVE THE RIGHT ELEVATIONS SO THEY CAN GET TO THE CODE.
THAT'S A BIGGER ISSUE WITH DOT, SIR? YES, IT MAY BE.
BUT WHAT WE'RE SAYING AS FAR AS THE INFRASTRUCTURE ASSET, WHERE IS IT? WHO IS IT? WHAT IS IT? OKAY.
THERE WAS NOTHING, UH, THAT IS A MUCH LARGER PIECE OR FOR WHAT WE DID IN THE FIELD.
IF, IF THAT'S A DOT ISSUE AND WE KNEW THAT THE DOT ISSUE FOR A LONG TIME AND THEY KNOW, THEY KNOW AS WELL, SIR.
BUT WE AS, AND COUNSEL AND STEVEN HAS SAID THAT WE WERE GOING TO ADDRESS THOSE PROBLEMS WHEN DOT DOES NOT ADDRESS IT.
WITH MAINTAIN LIKE CLEANING DITCHES OUT, CLEANING THE DITCHES OUT.
BUT WHEN IT COMES TO SHOOTING ELEVATIONS AND THE STORM DRAINS AND, AND WHAT GOES UNDERNEATH THE GROUND, THAT GETS BEYOND OUR SCOPE OF, OF WORK.
NOW WE DO CLEAN AND MAINTAIN THE DITCHES SO THEY FLOW, BUT UM, WE WOULD HAVE TO CONTRACT OUT OR FIND SOME, WE DON'T HAVE THE ABILITY TO SHOOT ELEVATIONS FOR THAT OLD, UM, AREA AND WE WOULD HAVE TO PERMIT THAT WITH DOT AS WELL.
SO, AND WE HAVEN'T, WE HAVEN'T TAKEN THAT ROUTE YET.
WE'VE BEEN, UM, WE HAVEN'T CONTRACTED TO DO IT OURSELVES.
WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH DOT AND ASKING 'EM TO DO IT FOR YEARS AND IT'S UP TO THEM TO, TO MAKE THE PROCESS, TO ACTUALLY DO THE WORK.
AND IT'S NOTHING THAT THEY'VE UNDERTAKEN AS OF NOW.
COUNSEL, I'M ASKING US TO MAYBE IF, IF IT REQUIRES A WORKSHOP, LET'S DO A WORKSHOP.
BUT IT CAN'T, WE CAN'T CONTINUE TO, UH, KICK THE CAN DOWN THE ROAD ON THIS ONE BECAUSE IT'S BEEN SOMETHING THAT I'VE BEEN ASKING FOR FOR A LONG TIME AND IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT GOING TO GET ANY BETTER IF YOU FIX THE COAL AND, AND THE WATER CAN'T GET TO THE COLD.
I I THINK IT WOULD REQUIRE A FEW WORKSHOPS.
I THINK FROM WHAT I'VE SEEN AND I, I REALLY RUN LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE DID.
AND, UH, COINCIDENTALLY I DID GO TO HAMPTON LAKE ON SUNDAY TO LOOK AT THAT AREA OVER THERE, BUT, UM, THE TOPOGRAPHY, THE WAY THAT THE LAND SLOPES AND RUNS IS PART OF THE EQUATION OF THIS.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, EVEN IF YOU FIX DITCHES THAT YOU'RE GETTING IN WHAT I JUST HEARD A MINUTE AGO, UH, YOU KNOW, THE FORECAST WAS 20 INCHES TO 30 INCHES OF RAIN.
EVERYTHING BLACKTON WOULD'VE BEEN FLOATED EVERY BIT OF IT.
UM, 'CAUSE THERE'S JUST NOWHERE FOR THAT MUCH WATER TO RUN.
SO I THINK WHAT I'M TRYING TO GET AT IS, I I HEAR YOU AND I, I'M WILLING TO SUPPORT THAT.
I THINK WE NEED SOME WORKSHOPS BECAUSE YOU'RE TALKING DOLLARS HERE AND THEY MAY BE MASSIVE.
UM, I'M ASSUMING IT WOULD REQUIRE SOME STORM DRAINS INSTALLED.
UM, I'M GUESSING IF THEY WOULD EVEN WORK, IF THEY WOULD WORK, QUITE HONESTLY, BECAUSE OF THAT WETLAND AREA THAT IT PASSES THROUGH, THERE'S NO ELEVATION CHANGE.
TRULY, BILL AND HIS TEAM HAVE, HAVE WORKED WITH, UM, GIS OUT THERE, WE'RE TALKING INCHES, UM, INCHES OF TOPOGRAPHY CHANGE.
SO IT, IT'S WHY WHEN A LOT OF FOLKS, WHEN WE PUT THE PIPES FOR DOT UNDERNEATH BUCK ISLAND ROAD TO HELP PREVENT FLOODING, EVERYTHING HAS ITS CAPACITY.
[01:00:01]
UM, WHEN THE WATER EQUALIZES ITS WETLANDS ON BOTH SIDES AND IT'S TRULY JUST A MATTER OF INCHES OF FALL, UM, A, A CHANGE.SO WHEN I TALK MORE AND MORE ABOUT KEEPING YOUR STORM WATER ON SITE, KEEP YOUR STORM WATER ON SITE, DON'T PUT IT IN A DITCH BECAUSE DITCHES HAVE CAPACITIES.
WE ALL HAVE CAPACITIES ON SITE TOO, DON'T GET ME WRONG.
I MEAN THAT'S WHY WE HAVE DITCHES.
BUT, BUT WE NEED TO KEEP OUR STORM WATER ON SITE TO THE BEST OF OUR ABILITY.
KIM? UM, I I UNDERSTAND WHERE YOU ARE.
VILLE DOESN'T LOOK SAME LIKE IT DID, DID IT.
IT WASN'T LIKE THIS WHEN I GREW UP.
THERE'S DEVELOPMENT THAT'S CAUSING SOME OF THIS, UM, WATER TO STAY IN PLACE AND WELLS DON'T.
IT USED TO BE VISTA, THE VIEW PROJECT IS ONE, IT DOESN'T ALLOW IT TO PASS, UM, TO GO TO THE CO ANYMORE.
AND THAT SIR IS WHAT WILL COME OUT OF THE NEXT PHASE OF THE COMPREHENSIVE DRAINAGE IS THE MODELING PIECE, WHICH WE ANTICIPATE IN THE SPRING OF NEXT YEAR.
THE, THE EASY PART IS DONE, WHICH IS WALKING, WALKING THESE SITES.
NOW THE MODELING AND DIFFERENT RAINFALL EVENTS, THOSE, THAT TAKES MORE TIME.
AND THAT IS WHERE WE WILL HAVE DATA TO SHOW THAT PERHAPS PIPES ARE UNDERSIZED AND NEED TO BE UPSIZED.
SO YES, THAT, THAT IS IN THE WORKS.
IT'S, IT'S IN PROGRESS RIGHT NOW.
YOUNG LADY FROM FARM SAYS HAMPTON HALL WAS NOT WORKING.
WHAT DID THAT MEAN? IT MEANS, AS BILL SAID, THERE WAS SO MUCH WATER THAT CAME DOWN SO FAST THE SYSTEMS WERE INUNDATED.
THEY COULDN'T PASS THE AMOUNT OF WATER THAT WAS COMING THROUGH.
WHAT WOULD FIX THAT? WHAT WOULD FIX THAT? MILLIONS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS.
AND I DON'T, AND I KNOW THAT SOUNDS FACETIOUS, I'M NOT KIDDING.
UM, BECAUSE YOU WOULD NEED TO GO, OUR DESIGN STANDARDS ARE TO PASS WHAT IS A TYPICAL STORM EVENT? I HATE THIS ANALOGY 'CAUSE IT MAKES YOU THINK IT ONLY HAPPENS ONCE ANY 25 YEARS.
THE 25 YEAR STORM EVENT TYPICALLY WE'RE, IT, IT, IT'S WHAT WE USED TO SEE.
UM, WE HAD A NATURAL DISASTER LAST WEEK.
WE DO NOT DESIGN STORM WATER CONVEYANCE TO NATURAL DISASTER STANDARDS.
THAT WOULD BE OVER DESIGNED AND OVERBUILDING.
UM, YOU BUILD TO WHAT IS PASSING THE MOST COMMON STORM EVENTS AND THERE'S WORK AT THE STATE LEVEL TO SAY, OKAY, THE OLD STANDARDS THAT WERE DESIGNED STANDARDS MAYBE OUTTA DATE, NOW WE NEED TO BRING THEM UP TO DATE.
AND AS WE'RE BRINGING FORWARD, SO LOCO DESIGN MANUAL CHANGES AND SOME CLARIFICATIONS WE DO HAVE WHERE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PASSING A HUNDRED YEAR STORM EVENT AND DESIGNING TO THAT.
UM, HOWEVER, THE WAY THIS CAME DOWN IN SOME OF THE CALCULATIONS, BETH AND BILL HAVE DONE THE RAINFALL.
THANK GOODNESS IT DIDN'T LAST LONG BECAUSE AT SOME POINTS IN TIME IT WAS COMING DOWN AT 30 INCHES AN HOUR AT THAT.
I'M NOT, I DON'T WANT US TO TAKE UP ALL THE MEDIA.
BUT ONE OTHER QUESTION, DID WE IN THE WELL IN THE FUTURE, IT'S NOT A QUESTION.
IT'S, IT IS A STATEMENT IN THE FUTURE WHEN WE KNOW WE ARE HAVING A STORM, TROPICAL STORM, HURRICANE, WHATEVER, WHAT IS THE POSSIBILITY OF DRAINING ALL OF THE PONDS TO PREPARE FOR THAT? NONE.
NOT GONNA MINCE WORDS WITH YOU.
WE HAVE NO CAPABILITY OF THAT.
THERE IS ONLY ONE POND IN THE TOWN'S JURISDICTION OF WHICH I'M AWARE HAS A A CAPABILITY OF DRAWING DOWN AT ALL.
AND AND THAT'S ONE POND, THAT'S TWO PONDS, TWO SMALL PONDS.
AND HAPPY TO CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION MORE.
I JUST A COUPLE OF THINGS 'CAUSE THIS IS SUCH A, I WAS, I WAS DEPRESSED FOR THE FOLKS IN THE FARM AND OTHER LOCATIONS.
I WENT TO THE FARM YEARS AGO, UH, WHEN YOU WERE OUT THERE AND WE HAD THOMAS NUT AND EVERYBODY OUT THERE.
AND, UM, I UNDERSTAND, UH, HOW I WOULD FEEL IF MY HOUSE IS FLOODED ALSO, I DO KNOW THOUGH, IT WASN'T JUST HERE, IT WAS EVERYWHERE THAT STORM WENT.
[01:05:01]
THE THING THAT I LEARNED ABOUT, I THINK THAT I LEARNED MY TAKEAWAY FROM THE FARM YEARS AGO DURING MATTHEW WAS WHAT YOU JUST SAID WAS THE DESIGN STANDARDS AT THAT TIME WAS BASED ON 25 YEARS, AND WHICH MEANS SMALLER PIPING, SMALLER EVERYTHING.SO THAT DESIGN IS BUILT TO HANDLE A CERTAIN LEVEL OF WATER.
THERE IS NONE OF THESE THAT CAN HANDLE THE LEVEL OF WATER'S WATER FLOW THAT WE'RE SEEING TODAY.
UM, YOU WOULD HAVE TO GO TO THE A HUNDRED YEAR STORM.
AND THEN EVEN WITH THE A HUNDRED YEAR STORM, WE'RE HAVING MORE A HUNDRED YEAR STORMS. SO IT IT'S GONNA BE EXPENSIVE.
UM, EVERYTHING CAN'T BE FIXED.
ANOTHER PART OF THIS TOO IS FROM SUN CITY ALL THE WAY DOWN.
SO THAT'S PART OF OUR PROBLEM.
THAT SWAMP HAS BEEN REMOVED BY ALL THE DEVELOPMENTS AND EVERY PIECE OF ASPHALT AND CONCRETE.
SO TO YOUR POINT A MINUTE AGO, WHICH WAS EYEOPENING TO ME, 'CAUSE I'VE BEEN LOOKING AT THIS WITH YOU FOR A WHILE, BUT IT GOES BACK TO TREES ALSO.
IT GOES BACK TO IMPERVIOUS, IMPERVIOUS SURFACES.
IT'S A LOT OF STUFF THAT'S GOTTA GO INTO THIS.
AND IT'S, IT'S GONNA BE COSTLY AND IT'S GOING TO TAKE PARTNERSHIPS.
IT, IT, WE DON'T WANT TO BE ADVERSARIAL WHEN WE SAY IT'S NOT OUR INFRASTRUCTURE, BUT TRULY IT'S NOT OUR INFRASTRUCTURE.
SO HOW DO WE PARTNER WITH COMMUNITIES TO SEEK OUT GRANTS THAT PERHAPS THEY AS A PRIVATE ENTITY WOULD NOT BE ELIGIBLE FOR? HOWEVER, IN PARTNERING WITH US, WE WOULD BE ELIGIBLE TO HAVE A MUTUAL GOAL MET.
WE REALLY NEED THE PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS.
IT'S GONNA BE A COMMUNITY EFFORT.
I THINK OUR STAFF DID A WONDERFUL JOB, UM, WITH THE HANDLING OF THE STORM, PARTICULARLY PUBLIC WORKS, UM, WAS OUT IN RAIN, DRAINING, UH, DITCHES AND DOING OTHER THINGS.
AND I KNOW MANY PEOPLE WERE GRATEFUL FOR THAT.
UM, ALSO TO THE FACULTY, UM, SCHOOL DAY THAT THE BLUFFTON COMMUNITY AREA ASSOCIATION HOSTING, UM, WAS A GREAT EVENT.
618 KIDS WERE ABLE TO GET BOOK BAGS FILLED WITH GOODIES TO TAKE BACK TO SCHOOL.
AND I KNOW THAT, UM, MANY PEOPLE WERE APPRECIATIVE OF THAT.
I'M GRATEFUL THAT WE HAD, UM, DID NOT HAVE ANY FATALITIES WITH THIS STORM AND THAT THE, UM, RESIDENTS WERE IMPACTED THAT, UH, WE AT LEAST WERE ABLE TO COME OUT OF THAT AND NOW GET TO SOME SOLUTIONS.
UM, AND SO ECHOING THE SEDIMENTS OF WHAT MANY OF MY COLLEAGUES UP HERE HAVE SAID, WHILE WE DO NOT OWN AND CONTROL A LOT OF THE INFRASTRUCTURES WE DO HAVE, UM, AND WE DO TAKE PRIDE IN THE FACT THAT ALL THE RESIDENTS IN BLUFFTON, UM, ARE TETHERED TO US.
AND SO IF ONE COMMUNITY IS UNDERGOING OR FACING SOMETHING, IT BECOMES A PROBLEM FOR ALL OF US.
AND, UH, HAVING PEOPLE REACH OUT AND SHARE SOME OF THE FRUSTRATIONS THAT THEY HAD.
AND EVEN SEEING IN PLACES LIKE THE FARM WHERE YOU HAD SEWER HOLES THAT WERE BACK FLOWING BECAUSE OF THE WATER, NOW WE'RE NOT JUST TALKING ABOUT INDIVIDUAL PROPERTIES AFFECTED.
AND SO WHILE WE CANNOT DO IT ALONE, WE DO NOT HAVE THE FUNDS TO DO THAT.
UM, IT DOES REQUIRE COLLABORATIVE EFFORTS AND WE'RE AT THE PLACE WHERE WE DEFINITELY SHOULD, WHERE WE CAN INTERVENE AS THE MITIGATING AT LEAST LIAISON IN THIS, TO BRING THOSE WHO CAN, UM, AFFECT THE CHANGES WE NEED TO THE TABLE.
BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT THESE OCCURRENCES ARE NOT GONNA SLOW DOWN.
WE KNOW THAT THEY'RE NOT GONNA BE ANY LESS SEVERE THAN WHAT WE EXPERIENCED.
AND WHENEVER WE ARE REACTIVE, WE'RE DEFINITELY TOO LATE.
AND SO BEING ABLE TO ADDRESS WHAT WE NEED TO ADDRESS IS SOMETHING THAT I'M INTERESTED IN SEEING HOW WE CAN COME UP WITH SOME SOLUTIONS, UM, AND NOT CONTINUE TO DEFER OF THOSE WHO WE KNOW HAVE BEEN NEGLECTFUL OF WHAT THEY SHOULD MAINTAIN AND TAKE CONTROL OF.
WHEN THESE ISSUES HAPPEN, ALL PEOPLE C AND L IS, IT'S BLUFFING AND IT HAPPENED IN OUR COMMUNITY AND WHERE THE GOVERNING BODY THAT, UH, CONTROLS SOME OF THOSE ORDINANCES.
SO I'M DEFINITELY LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING THE RESILIENCY PLAN THAT YOU ALL HAVE BEEN, UH, WORKING ON.
KIM AND BILL, THANK YOU GUYS FOR THAT.
AND ALSO KNOWING THAT, UM, I WOULD IMPLORE RESIDENTS AND COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS TO REACH OUT TO YOUR LEGISLATORS, UM, AT THE STATE LEVEL BECAUSE IT ALSO NOT JUST GOES WITH OUR LOCAL ORDINANCES, BUT WE ALSO NEED THEM AT THE STATE LEVEL TO UPHOLD THAT.
AND GIVEN THE PROTECTIONS TO WETLANDS AND UNDERSTANDING THAT WE CANNOT BURY OUR
[01:10:01]
HEADS IN THE SAND AND PRETEND THAT CLIMATE CHANGE IS NON-EXISTENT OR SOME FAIRYTALE WORD, IT'S REAL.AND AS A COASTAL COMMUNITY, WE FEEL IT, UH, WAY MORE THAN OTHERS DO.
AND SO DEFINITELY BEHOOVES US TO COME UP WITH SOME SOLUTIONS, UH, SOONER THAN LATER.
AND, UH, AGAIN, THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO'S BEEN WORKING ON WHAT THEY'RE DOING AND TO THE RESIDENTS THAT CAME, WE DEFINITELY BE LOOKING FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU ALL.
I'M, UH, WE GOT A LOT TO GO THROUGH, SO I'M GONNA CUT MINE SHORT AND SWEET.
THIS IS MY FIRST HANDS ON THE WHEEL, UM, HURRICANE.
SO IT WAS A BIT OF A LEARNING EXPERIENCE.
YOU KNOW, YOU CAN RIDE IN A CAR ALL DAY UNTIL YOU GET BEHIND THE WHEEL.
IT'S A WHOLE DIFFERENT SEAT OVER THERE.
SO, UM, I JUST WANT TO COMMEND STAFF.
YOU KNOW, WE'VE COMMUNICATED WITH BEAUFORT COUNTY AND THE, THE OTHER MAYORS AND, UM, IT WAS A LOT OF, A LOT OF MOVING PARTS THAT I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW IT EXISTED.
YOU KNOW, THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT, ALL THEIR ROLES, OUR GROUNDS CREW WERE OUT THE WHOLE TIME.
I MEAN, I COULDN'T BE MORE PROUD OF THOSE GUYS.
UM, JUST, JUST A GREAT JOB AND WE ALL NEED TO THANK GOD BECAUSE THE RIVER DID NOT PLAY A PART IN THIS STORM, NOR DID THE WIND.
WE GOT SLAPPED WITH ONE OF THE ELEMENTS BEING THE WATER, WHICH COULD BE THE WORST ONE.
BUT WE'RE FORTUNATE THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE INUNDATION FROM THE RIVER TO RESTRICT THE FLOW OF THE WATER THAT GOES TO THE RIVER.
ALL THIS WATER ENDS UP GOING TO THE RIVER.
SO IF THE RIVER WAS TWO FOOT, THREE FOOT, FOUR FOOT ABOVE NORMAL, THE WATER WOULDN'T HAVE GONE ANYWAY.
IT WOULD'VE STAYED WHERE IT IS AND BEEN A WHOLE LOT WORSE THAN WHAT WE HAVE.
SO ANYWAY, WITH THAT, WE'RE MOVING ON
UM, AND NOW WE'RE SUPPOSED TO TALK.
ARE WE TAGGING ON? WE'RE DONE WITH THAT.
THEN WE
[VIII.1. Consideration of an Ordinance to Amend the Town of Bluffton Code of Ordinances, Chapter 13 – Public Property, Article 2 – Public Park, Dock and Boat Landing Rules as it Relates to New Town Parks and Facilities. Second and Final Reading - Heather Colin, Assistant Town Manager]
ITEMS. CONSIDERATION OF AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON.CHAPTER 13, PUBLIC PROPERTY, ARTICLE TWO, PUBLIC PARK DOCK AND BOAT LANDING RULES AS IT RELATES TO NEW TOWN PARKS AND FACILITIES.
SECOND, FINAL READING, MS. HEATHER COLLEGE.
THERE WERE SOME CHANGES FROM FIRST READING TO SECOND READING.
THE, UM, ONE OF THE LARGEST ONES IS WHEN THE VOTES WERE MADE ON THE, UM, RULES AS THEY RELATE TO PUBLIC FACILIT TO TOWN FACILITIES AND THE ELEMENTS IN THESE TOWN FACILITIES.
ANOTHER, UM, CHANGE WAS RELATED TO NOISE AS IT RELATES TO, UM, OYSTER FACTORY PARK AND SPECIAL EVENTS.
THAT SECTION OF THE PROPOSED AMENDMENTS WAS REMOVED, UM, BASED ON THE SECTION AND DIRECTION AND VOTE OF COUNCIL AND STAFF WILL GO BACK AND DO THAT MORE HOLISTICALLY, UM, WORK WITH PROFESSIONALS AND, UM, GO THROUGH THAT USING WITH STAKEHOLDERS IN HEARING FROM THE COMMUNITY.
SO THAT HAS BEEN REMOVED AT THIS TIME FROM THE PROPOSED AMENDMENTS.
AND ANOTHER CHANGE WAS, AT THE FIRST READING STAFF HAD PROPOSED AN 11:00 AM UM, OPEN TIME FOR THE SPLASH PAD AT OSCAR FRAZIER PARK.
COUNSEL DID VOTE TO CHANGE THAT TO OR TO OPEN THAT AT 10:00 AM SO THAT IS REFLECTED IN THE SECOND READING.
UH, NOT A CHANGE, BUT THERE WAS A QUESTION ABOUT THE DHC RULES THAT WILL BE POSTED.
UM, CAN, AS IT RELATES TO SHOWERING, THERE IS NOT A SEPARATE SHOWER AT THE SPLASH PAD.
THE SPLASH PAD ITSELF IS JUST LOTS OF WATER.
THERE'S NOT A SEPARATE SHOWER.
HOWEVER, DHC HAS APPROVED OUR PLANS.
AND THE RULES SIMPLY SAY THAT YOU SHOULD SHOWER BEFORE YOU CAN SHOWER AT HOME OR SOME OTHER LOCATION.
IT'S NOT A DHC REQUIREMENT TO SHOWER AT THAT LOCATION BEFORE YOU USE THE SPLASH PAD.
UM, THIS IS THE LANGUAGE HERE.
LIKE I SAID, THE ONLY CHANGE WAS CHANGING THE START TIME HOURS OF OPERATION FROM 10:00 AM OR EXCUSE ME, FROM THE INITIAL PROPOSAL AT FIRST READING FROM 11:00 AM TO 10:00 AM SO THERE'S THAT CHANGE.
NEW RIVERSIDE VILLAGE PARK, UM, THAT'S A NEW TOWN PARK IN THAT DEVELOPMENT.
BUT THERE WAS A QUESTION FROM COUNCIL WHETHER OR NOT DNR WOULD HAVE TO, UM, ISSUE A FISHING LICENSE FOR A POND WHEN IT'S CATCH AND RELEASE ONLY THAT HAS BEEN CONFIRMED AND YOU ARE REQUIRED BY, UM, THE STATE TO HAVE A FISHING LICENSE.
[01:15:02]
AND AGAIN, THIS IS THAT WORDING.NOTHING HAD CHANGED FROM THAT FIRST READING.
AND THEN IF YOU SO CHOOSE, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER THEM.
OR THERE IS A PROPOSED MOTION ON THE SCREEN.
I HAVE PRIVATE PONDS NEED A FISHING LICENSE.
NO, NO, BUT THIS IS A MUNICIPAL LOAN.
THIS IS, IS OWNED BY THE TOWN.
I'M JUST WANNA MAKE SURE I, UM, PRIVATE POND DOESN'T NEED TO.
I DON'T BELIEVE SO, BUT I DIDN'T GET INTO QUESTIONING THE DETAILS OF THAT.
DNR OH, YOU, THE OWNER'S PERMISSION THE WAY I UNDERSTAND.
UM, ANY QUESTIONS, ANYTHING EMILY? NO QUESTIONS.
RICHARD? UM, I HAVE A QUESTION.
SO THIS IS A, UM, FOR THE FISHING PORTION, UH, IT'S CATCH AND RELEASE.
WHO'S SUPPLYING THE, UM, FISH FOR THAT? THE DEVELOPER? CURIOSITY? THE DEVELOPER AT THE, UM, AT THE CONSTRUCTION.
AND ONCE WE TOOK IT OVER, IT HAD STOCKED THE POND.
AND I'M NOT A SCIENTIST, BUT I BELIEVE THAT NATURE JUST CONTINUES TO KEEP THAT STOCKED
BUT IF WE NEED TO ADDRESS IT IN THE FUTURE, I'M SURE WE WILL.
WELL, YOU GOT SOME FISH YOU WANNA PUT IN THERE? NO, I JUST WANTED TO KNOW WHO'S RESPONSIBLE FOR IT.
NO, I, I DON'T DO FISHING AFTER DARK EITHER.
I ONLY DO, UH, FRESH, UH, SALT WATER.
IS THERE ANY MARK FROM JOSEPH? SO WE HAVE A MOTION.
I MOVED TO APPROVE SECOND AND FINAL READING OF AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON.
ARTICLE TWO, PUBLIC PARK, DOCK AND BOAT LANDING RULES AS IT RELATES TO NEW TOWN PARKS AND FACILITIES.
ANY DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR, SAY AYE.
[VIII.2. Consideration of an Ordinance Authorizing the Conveyance of Certain Real Property Owned by the Town of Bluffton to Beaufort County, Located Adjacent to 140 Buck Island Road and Consisting of 0.072 Acres, More or Less, and Identified as a Portion of Beaufort County Tax Map No. R610 031 000 0003 0000; and Authorizing the Execution and Recording of Associated Documents. Second and Final Reading - Stephen Steese, Town Manager]
CONSIDERATION OF AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE CONVEYANCE OF CERTAIN REAL PROPERTY OWNED BY THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON TO BEAUFORT COUNTY, LOCATED ADJACENT TO ONE 40 BUCK ISLAND ROAD AND CONSISTING OF 0.072 ACRES, MORE OR LESS, AND IDENTIFIED AS A PORTION OF BEAUFORT COUNTY TAX.MAC MAP NUMBER R 6 1 0 0 0 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 3, 0 0, 0 0.
AND AUTHORIZING THE EXECUTION OF THE RECORDING OF ASSOCIATED DOCUMENTS.
MR. SEAS, MAYOR AND COUNSEL, UM, WE, UH, DID FIRST READING OF THIS LAST MONTH.
I WILL GO THROUGH PRETTY QUICK.
NOTHING HAS CHANGED SINCE LAST MONTH.
AS WE, YOU KNOW, WE BOUGHT ONE, UH, 40 BUCK ISLAND ROAD WE CLOSED ON A FEW MONTHS AGO.
DURING OUR, UH, INITIAL, OUR FINAL SURVEY PRIOR TO CLOSING, WE IDENTIFIED A COUPLE AREAS WHERE THE COUNTIES, UH, THE MULTIPURPOSE PATH ON, ON BLUFFTON PARKWAY, AS WELL AS THEIR STORMWATER POND KIND OF CAME OVER THE EDGE OF OUR PROPERTY LINES.
WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING IS TO QUICK CLAIM THE PIECE OF PROPERTY THAT, UM, ABOUT FIVE FEET OVER, AROUND ALL OF THAT SO THAT NONE OF THEIR, UH, PROP, NONE OF THE STORMWATER POND OR THE, UH, MULTIPURPOSE TRAIL IS ON OUR PROPERTY, REDUCE ANY LIABILITY THAT WE MAY HAVE FROM THE OPERATION OR THE, UM, SHOULD SOMETHING HAPPEN WITH IT, AND IT WOULD JUST CLEAR UP OUR PROPERTY LINE.
IT'S VERY SMALL PIECE OF PROPERTY.
UM, THE COUNTY IS AWARE THAT WE'RE TAKING THIS ACTION AND IS WILLING TO TAKE IT TO THEIR COUNSEL TO RECEIVE THE QUICK CLAIM ONCE WE ARE DONE, AND THAT WILL BE COORDINATED WITH OUR TOWN ATTORNEY AND THEIR, UH, COUNTY ATTORNEY.
LIKE I SAID, NOTHING'S CHANGED SINCE FIRST READING.
UM, IF COUNSEL WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION, I HAVE THE MOTION HERE.
UM, IF SOMEBODY WOULD LIKE TO, SO MOVE ANY DISCUSSION.
IS THERE A MOTION? I'LL MAKE THE MOTION I MOVE TO APPROVE THE SECOND READING OF AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE CONVEYANCE OF CERTAIN REAL PROPERTY OWNED BY THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON TO BEAUFORT COUNTY, LOCATED ADJACENT TO ONE 40 BUCK ISLAND ROAD AND CONSISTING OF 0.072 ACRES, MORE OR LESS, AND IDENTIFIED AS A PORTION OF BEAUFORT COUNTY TAX MAP NUMBER R 6 1 0 0 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0.
AND AUTHORIZING THE EXECUTION AND RECORDING OF ASSOCIATED DOCUMENTS.
THANK YOU, MR. THANK YOU MAYOR.
OKAY, NUMBER THREE, CONSIDERATION
[VIII.3. Consideration of Ordinances for that Certain Property Owned by Bryant Holding, LLC, Consisting of 2.14 Acres, More or Less, Located at 30 Davis Road located to the east of the Intersection of Davis Road and Okatie Highway (SC Highway 170) and identified by Beaufort County Tax Map No. R600-029-000-0028-0000. First Reading - Kevin Icard, Director of Growth Management]
OF ORDINANCES FOR THAT CERTAIN PROPERTY OWNED BY BRIAN HOLDING LLC CONSISTING OF 2.14 ACRES, MORE OR LESS, LOCATED AT 30 DAVIS ROAD,[01:20:01]
LOCATED IN THE EAST TO THE EAST OF THE INTERSECTION OF DAVIS ROAD AND OKEE HIGHWAY, SOUTH CAROLINA ONE 70.AND IDENTIFIED BY BUFORT COUNTY TAX MAP NUMBER R 6 0 0 0 2 9 DASH 0 0 0 0 2 8 DASH 0 0 0.
THIS IS FIRST READING MR. I, UH, THANK YOU MAYOR.
GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
UH, AS YOU STATED, WE ARE HERE FOR, THERE'S GONNA BE THREE SEPARATE, UH, MOTIONS AT THE END OF THIS EVENING OR AT THE END OF THIS PRESENTATION.
SO I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT'S CLEAR.
UH, THE FIRST ONE IS FOR THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AMENDMENT.
THE SECOND ONE IS FOR THE ACTUAL ANNEXATION.
AND THEN THE THIRD ONE WILL BE FOR THE ZONING MAP AMENDMENT.
UM, THE APPLICANT ON THIS, UH, THE BRYANT, UM, HOLDING LLC SUBMITTED THE APPLICATION ON MARCH 14TH.
UH, AS WE STATED FOR THAT ONE PARCEL TOTALING 2.14 ACRES OFF OF DAVIS ROAD, UH, THEY'RE REQUESTING TO, UH, ANNEX THE PROPERTY IN AND HAVE IT ZONED AS RESIDENTIAL GENERAL, UM, UNDER OUR UNIFIED DEVELOPMENT ORDINANCE.
UH, YOU CAN SEE THERE, THERE HIS INTENT RIGHT THERE IS FOR, UH, FOR, FOR FAMILY LAND TO ALLOW FOR HIS FAMILY TO BE ABLE TO, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, PUT SOME, UH, HOUSING ON THERE.
UH, THIS CAME IN FRONT OF YOU, UH, MAY 14TH WITH THE INTENT TO ANNEX.
UM, AND YOU CHOSE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE ANNEXATION REQUEST AND FORGO OR FORWENT THE, UH, REFERRING THIS TO THE NEGOTIATING COMMITTEE.
UH, THIS WENT IN FRONT OF OUR PLANNING COMMISSION, UH, IN, ON MAY 22ND.
UM, THEY HELD THE WORKSHOP, WHICH WAS AN INFORMAL OPPORTUNITY FOR PLANNING COMMISSION AND THE APPLICANT, UM, TO, UH, TO REVIEW THAT APPLICATION.
AS YOU CAN SEE ON HERE, UM, THERE WERE SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT THE ANNEXATION, UM, AND THAT THIS IS IN ESSENCE THIS PROPERTY.
UH, YOU CAN'T TRANSFER ANY RIGHTS, UH, FROM THIS PROPERTY TO ANOTHER PROPERTY.
UH, THE WAY IT'S DESIGNED IS THAT THEY HAVE UP TO FOUR UNITS PER ACRE THAT WOULD BE ALLOWED, UM, ON THIS PROPERTY.
UM, THEN AT THE JULY PLANNING COMMISSION, THEY HELD THEIR PUBLIC HEARING TO PROVIDE THEIR RECOMMENDATION TO YOU.
UM, AND AS YOU CAN SEE ON HERE, THE RECOMMENDATIONS, ALL THREE OF THEM ARE TO, UH, MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS REQUEST.
UM, WE'VE ALREADY GONE OVER SOME OF THE BLACK BACKGROUND INFORMATION.
UH, THE AERIAL MAP YOU CAN SEE LOCATED HERE OFF OF DAVIS ROAD.
UH, IT'S, UH, ACCESS IS TAKEN OFF OF ONE 70.
UM, THERE IS NOT AN ACCESS TO RIVER RIDGE ACADEMY, SO JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT'S CLEAR, UH, THAT THERE'S NO ACCESS AT THAT POINT.
AGAIN, FROM THE ZONING MAP STANDPOINT, UH, IT IS IN THE PROPERTY, OR EXCUSE ME, IN THE COUNTY CURRENTLY.
UH, CURRENT, UH, ZONING, UM, ON THAT PROPERTY IS THAT THE T TWO RURAL.
AND JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT A COUPLE OF THE ITEMS THAT YOU CAN SEE.
UH, THAT WILL, IF, UH, THIS APPLICATION MOVES FORWARD, THAT WILL NO LONGER BE ALLOWED ON THIS PROPERTY.
GENERAL RETAIL OF 3,500 SQUARE FEET OR LESS GAS STATION FUEL SALES, GASOLINE SERVICE MINING, AND RESOURCE EXTRACTION.
SO, UH, THOSE USES ARE, WOULD NO LONGER BE ALLOWED ON THIS PROPERTY.
UH, UNDER THE CURRENT ZONING, IT'S THAT RESIDENTIAL GENERAL, TYPICALLY IT'S A SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENCE.
UH, YOU COULD HAVE AN ATTACHED OR DETACHED.
UM, THERE'S SOME HOME OCCUPATIONS THAT ARE ALLOWED, BED AND BREAKFAST.
UM, AND THEN THE TYPICAL, UM, GOVERNMENT UTILITIES, UH, THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
UH, THIS IS JUST A QUICK COMPARISON FOR YOU SO YOU CAN SEE WHAT'S CURRENT VERSUS PROPOSED.
UH, CURRENTLY THEY ARE ALLOWED ONLY ONE UNIT PER THREE ACRES.
UH, AND THIS WOULD BE ALLOWED FOR FOUR UNITS PER ACRE.
UH, STILL WOULD HAVE TO, UH, ANY, UH, STORMWATER TREATMENT HAVE TO FOLLOW THE, SO CODE DESIGN, UH, STANDARDS.
AND THEN FOR THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, WE CURRENTLY HAS HAVE IT AT THAT SUBURBAN, UH, WHICH IS A LOWER DENSITY SINGLE FAMILY.
AND THEN IT WOULD BE, UM, MOVED TO THAT LIFESTYLE HOUSING, WHICH IS CONSISTENT WITH THE, UH, RESIDENTIAL, UH, GENERAL ZONING, UH, CLASSIFICATION.
AGAIN, HERE'S A COPY OF THE FUTURE LAND USE MAP, WHICH IS ONE OF THE ITEMS THAT YOU'LL BE, UM, APPROVING.
AND THEN YOU CAN SEE THE PROPERTY LOCATED HERE, WHICH WOULD CHANGE TO THE LIFESTYLE HOUSING.
UH, THERE ARE THREE, UH, AGAIN, THREE DIFFERENT VOTES.
THERE'S, UH, THREE DIFFERENT, UH, SECTIONS OF REVIEW CRITERIA.
UM, EACH ONE OF THESE, I'M NOT GONNA GO THROUGH THEM.
I'M HAPPY TO IF, IF, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT ANY SPECIFIC ONE, BUT IT EITHER MET ALL OF THE CRITERIA OR WAS NOT APPLICABLE FOR ANY OF THE, THE CRITERIA.
SO ALL THREE OF THOSE ITEMS, THEY HAVE BEEN MET FROM A PROCESS STANDPOINT.
UM, AND THEN, UM, IF THIS MOVES FORWARD, WE'LL BRING IT BACK TO YOU TENTATIVELY AT THE OCTOBER MEETING.
I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
YOU MAY HAVE QUESTIONS FROM COUNSEL.
UM, PART OF IT IN YOUR STAFF REPORT INDICATED THAT THEY HAVE TO HAVE SEWER.
UM, THE NATIONAL HEALTHCARE, UH, LOCATED, UM, JUST NORTH OF THIS PROPERTY, THERE IS A, THERE IS A TIE IN POINT APPROXIMATELY, UM, TWO TO 300 FEET,
[01:25:01]
UM, FROM THIS PROPERTY.SO THEY WOULD THEN HAVE TO ANY, ANY EXPANSION OF THIS PROPERTY, THEY WOULD HAVE TO TIE IN THAT SEWER TO THAT LOCATION.
AND THAT'S THE SAME IF THEY WERE IN THE TOWN OR BEAUFORT COUNTY.
CORRECT? I BEL I'M NOT SURE IF THE COUNTY HAS THAT SAME SEWER CONNECTION REQUIREMENT OR NOT.
AGAIN, QUESTIONS FROM THIS SIDE.
WELL, UH, QUESTION, BUT, UM, I DIDN'T KNOW, UH, THAT WE HAD THAT STIPULATION THAT THEY HAVE TO HAVE A SEWER.
UM, DOESN'T, THAT MAKES IT, UM, THAT MAKES IT KIND OF A HARDSHIP BECAUSE SEWER, FEET OF SEWERS A LOT.
THAT WOULD BE PART OF, OF DEVELOPING THE SITE.
AND, AND I'M NOT THE EXPERT ON THE SEWER SIDE OF THINGS, SO I WOULD DIVERT TO OTHER STAFF MEMBERS, BUT, UH, WE DO HAVE A SEWER CONNECTION POLICY THAT, THAT, THAT, THAT WOULD HAVE TO BE MET.
FOUR S CONNECTION WOULD BE ALLOWED TOO.
THAT PROBABLY REQUIRES SOME TYPE OF GRAVITY THOUGH, THAT PROBABLY HAVE THIS YEAH, THIS, SO SOME OF THESE PROPERTIES, I'M SURE THEY, THIS WAS INDICATED TO THEM OBVIOUSLY WITH YES, YES.
ANY OTHER THAT'S NOT IMMEDIATE, I'M SORRY, THAT'S NOT AN IMMEDIATE, UM, REQUIREMENT.
IT'S IF THEY WERE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH DEVELOPMENT AND THAT'S WHEN THEY WOULD NEED TO, AND I SAY DEVELOPMENT, DEVELOPMENT, THAT'S EVEN ONE SINGLE FAMILY HOME.
THERE'S ONE ON THERE RIGHT NOW THAT HAS A, IT HAS SEWER THAT HE HAS A, A SEPTIC SYSTEM.
SO BEFORE THEY BUILD ANY MORE, THEY'D HAVE TO HAVE A SEWER.
ANY OTHER QUESTION FROM COUNCIL? I DO STEMMING FROM COUNCIL, UM, AND ANSWERS QUESTION.
SO BECAUSE THERE IS SEPTIC OUT THERE ALREADY, WOULD, UM, THIS APPLICANT BE ELIGIBLE FOR THE PROGRAM THAT WE HAVE IN THE CONVERSION WHEN THEY GO FROM, UH, SEPTIC TO SEWER? I'M, I'M, I'M NOT WELL VERSED IN THAT, SO I CAN'T REALLY ANSWER.
LOOK INTO IT FOR SECOND READING.
IF THEY QUALIFY, YOU KNOW, THE, IF, IF THEY DO, IT'LL PROBABLY BE FOR, UM, THERE'S CERTAIN PERCENTAGE LEVELS THAT YOU QUALIFY FOR.
IT MIGHT BE IN THE 25 TO 50% RANGE, DEPENDING ON WHAT QUALIFICATIONS THEY MEET.
YOU HAVE A MOTION FOR US UP HERE, KEVIN? YES, SIR.
AGAIN, UH, THERE ARE GONNA BE THREE.
IS THERE A MOTION? I'LL DO THIS.
UM, I MOVE TO APPROVE FIRST READING OF THE ORDINANCE TO AMEND THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, BLUEPRINT BLUFFTON TO CHANGE BUFORT COUNTY TAX MAP NUMBER R 600 0 2 9 0 0 0 2 8 0 0 0 0.
FUTURE LAND USE DESIGNATION FROM SUBURBAN LIVING TO LIFESTYLE HOUSING.
SO NOW WE'RE MOVING TO B, CORRECT? YES, SIR.
YOU WANNA DO A PRESENTATION ON THAT? IT'S ALL, IT'S ALL, IT'S ALL THE SAME.
EVERYBODY KNOWS WHAT IT'S ALL THE SAME.
SOMEBODY WANNA MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE BI MOVE TO APPROVE FIRST READING OF ORDINANCE OF IZATION OF THE BRIAN HOLDING LLC CONSISTING OF TWO POINT 14 ACRES, MORE OR LESS.
LOCATED AT 30 DAVIS ROAD LOCATED EAST OF INTERSECTION OF DAVIS SHO AND OAK T HIGHWAY AND IDENTIFIED BY BEAUFORT COUNTY TAX MAP R 6 0 0 DASH 0 2 9 DASH 0 0 0 0 2 8 DASH 0 0 0 0 INTO THE TOWN OF BLACKLAND CORPORATE LIMITS.
ANY DISCUSSIONS? ALL IN FAVOR? AYE.
NOW WE'LL MOVE ON TO C I'LL MAKE THIS MOTION.
I MOVE TO APPROVE FIRST READING OF THE ORDINANCE FOR THE ZONING MAP AMENDMENT FOR APPROXIMATELY CONSISTING OF 2.14 ACRES, MORE OR LESS.
LOCATED AT 30 DAVIS ROAD LOCATED TO THE EAST OF THE INTERSECTION OF DAVIS ROAD AND OKA T HIGHWAY SOUTH CAROLINA HIGHWAY ONE 70.
AND IDENTIFIED BY BEAUFORT COUNTY TAX MAP NUMBER R 6 0 0 DASH 0 2 9 DASH 0 0 0 2 8 0 0 0 0 TO REZONE SAID PROPERTY TO THE RESIDENTIAL GENERAL
[01:30:01]
DISTRICT PURSUANT TO THE UNIFIED DEVELOPMENT ORDINANCE.ANY DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR? AYE.
[VIII.4. Consideration of an Ordinance Authorizing an Economic Development Incentive Agreement Between the Town of Bluffton and Reed Commercial Partners. First Reading - Chris Forster, Assistant Town Manager]
NO ITEM NUMBER FOUR, CONSIDERATION OF A OR ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INCENTIVE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON AND REED COMMERCIAL PARTNERS.THIS IS FIRST REED, MR. CHRIS FORESTER.
GOOD EVENING MAYOR AND COUNSEL.
UM, THIS ACTUALLY WILL BE TWO DIFFERENT A, UH, MOTIONS TONIGHT AT THE SAME BUSINESS ANY BUT FOR TWO DIFFERENT LOCATIONS.
AS A REMINDER, THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INCENTIVE ORDINANCE PASSED IN SEPTEMBER OF 23.
AND AGAIN, OUR FOCUS AREAS ARE IN THESE, UH, AREAS WITHIN TOWN.
UH, UH, ONE 70 BUCK WALTER PARKWAY AND BLUFFTON PARKWAY, AND COVERS THESE BUSINESS, UH, CATEGORIES.
UH, AS YOU ALL KNOW THE PROCESS, OUR APPLICANT SHOULD SUBMIT A LETTER OF INTENT AS WELL AS THE SC DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE WORKSHEET.
UH, STAFF REVIEWS IT WITH THE DEVELOPER OR BUSINESS OWNER AND COME UP WITH A RECOMMENDATION AND BRING IT FORTH TO YOU ALL.
AND AGAIN, THIS IS THE, OUR, OUR, UH, INCENTIVES THAT WE OFFER UP TO 50% FOR PERMANENT DEVELOPMENT FEES, UH, UP TO A HUNDRED PERCENT FOR, FOR JASPER CAPACITY FEES AND UP TO 50% OF BUSINESS LICENSE FEES FOR FIVE YEARS, UP TO FIVE YEARS.
SO THE FIRST ITEM, UH, FOR RE, UH, COMMERCIAL PARTNERS IS RADAR DRIVE.
UH, THEY ARE CONSTRUCTING 10,000 SQUARE FOOT COMMERCIAL FLEX BUILDING.
THIS IS A $3 MILLION INVESTMENT, WHICH GOES ABOVE THE TOP TIER THRESHOLD OF 2 MILLION THAT WE SET IN OUR POLICY.
THIS IS A LOOK AT THE POTENTIAL, UH, GRANT AS WELL AS THE POTENTIAL NET REVENUE OF THE PROJECT.
UH, AND AGAIN, THESE ARE HIGH LEVEL ESTIMATES AT THIS TIME.
AS YOU ALL KNOW, THE GRANT, UH, AGREEMENT IS STRUCTURED IN A WAY THAT IS BASED ON ACTUALS.
UM, BUT THIS JUST GIVES YOU AN IDEA OF WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT.
SO THE POTENTIAL GRANT IS UP AROUND 35,000 OVER FIVE YEARS, AND THEN THE NET REVENUE OVER THE INITIAL FIVE YEARS TO THE TOWN WILL BE 27,000 BUCKS.
THE DEVELOPER IS COMMITTING 10,000 TO COMMERCIAL FLEX.
UH, THE INTENDED OPENING IS DECEMBER BY THE END OF THE YEAR OF 2025.
AND THE GRANT IS PAID ANNUALLY ON THEIR OPENING ANNIVERSARY.
AND WE ARE RECOMMENDING THE, THE FULL GRANT PERCENTAGES FOR THIS PARTICULAR, UH, DEVELOPMENT.
ANY QUESTIONS? UM, ANY QUESTIONS, COUNSEL? NO, I GOT ONE.
CHRIS, AND I HATE TO DO THIS TO YOU, BUT IT JUST CAUGHT MY EYE.
SO THE CAPACITY FEE CREDITS, THOSE, HOW DOES THAT WORK IN A FLEX BUILDING WHERE IF HALF OF THIS BUILDING QUALIFIES FOR THIS AND THE OTHER DOESN'T, THE, THIS WOULD, EACH OFFICE WOULDN'T HAVE THEIR OWN WATER METER IN A BUILDING LIKE THIS, RIGHT? UH, IT COULD.
HOW DOES THAT WORK? IT COULD, DEPENDING ON HOW THEY LEASE IT OUT.
BUT THE, THIS, THIS GRANT IS FOR WHAT ANY CAPACITY FEES THAT THIS DEVELOPER WOULD PAY.
UM, IF AN INDIVIDUAL, UM, UH, BUSINESS IS LEASING A SPACE AND IS ON THE HOOK FOR ADDITIONAL FEES, PERMIT FEES, CAPACITY FEES, THEY'D HAVE TO APPLY INDIVIDUALLY.
BUT THEY WOULD HAVE, THEY WOULD HAVE TO BE ELIGIBLE WITHIN THOSE CATEGORIES.
SO IT'D HAVE TO BE HEALTHCARE OR RIGHT, OR CHILDCARE, ET CETERA.
UM, BUT THESE ARE JUST WHAT THE, THE DEVELOPER OF BUILDING THE ACTUAL STRUCTURE WOULD BE, UH, FACED WITH.
AND, AND I THINK, MAYOR, TO GO ALONG WITH YOUR QUESTION, EVERYTHING IS REIMBURSEMENT BASED, RIGHT? SO WE'RE NOT GONNA UP PAY, WE'RE NOT GONNA PAY FOR THE UTILITY FEES UP FRONT.
IF IT'S FOR THIS, THEY WOULD HAVE TO PAY IT.
AND THEN IF THEY MEET THE GUIDELINES, THEY WOULD GET REIMBURSED.
UM, SO IS THERE MOTION I, I'LL MAKE IT.
MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE FIRST READING OF AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE TOWN MANAGER TO ENTER INTO AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GRANT AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON AND REED.
COMMERCIAL PARTNERS, LLC FOR, EXCUSE ME, FOR THE RAIDER DRIVE, COMMERCIAL FLEX BUILDING DEVELOPMENT.
ANY DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
UH, SO THE SECOND ONE THEY HAVE IS THE OFFICES AT HAMPTON LAKES DRIVE.
UM, THIS IS A 20 THOU, 28,000 SQUARE FEET OVER THREE DIFFERENT BUILDINGS, ESTIMATED INVESTMENT OF 10 MILLION AND, UH, REJECTED FIVE YEAR, UH, FTE COUNT OF 60 FTES.
UM, THIS IS, UH, A BIT BIGGER OBVIOUSLY.
SO THE ESTIMATED GRANT OVER FIVE YEARS IS CLOSER TO 92,000
[01:35:02]
AND A NET REVENUE TO THE TOWN OVER THOSE FIVE YEARS OF 70,000 IN CHANGE.AGAIN, THESE ARE ESTIMATES AND SUBJECT TO CHANGE.
UH, THEY ARE COMMITTEE, WELL, THEY HAVE OFFERED TO COMMIT THE 28,000 SQUARE FEET OF OFFICE SPACE.
UM, AND THEY ARE NOT PICKING A SINGLE ITEM FROM THE INCENTIVE ORDINANCE.
UH, THEY'D LIKE THE FLEXIBILITY TO MARKET TO ALL ANY ENTITIES THAT QUALIFY WITHIN THE ORDINANCE.
UM, I ALSO MADE THEM VERY WELL AWARE THAT IF THEY DO LEASE TO ANYBODY THAT DOES NOT FALL WITHIN THE ORDINANCE, UH, THEY WOULD NOT GET THE GRANT REIMBURSEMENT AT THE END OF THE DAY.
AS, AS OUR TOWN MANAGER MENTIONED, IT'S ON, ON THE BACK END OF THE, THE PROJECT ON THE FRONT END.
SO, UH, WE WOULD, UH, TRACK THAT AND AGAIN, IT WOULD BE PAID.
UH, THEY'RE, THEY'RE PLANNING TO FINISH BY THE END OF 2025 ON THIS PROJECT AS WELL.
AND, UH, GRANT WOULD BE ELIGIBLE TO BE PAID ANNUALLY ON THEIR OPENING ANNIVERSARY.
ANY QUESTIONS ON THIS ONE? GO AHEAD.
UM, SO THEY BUILD THE BUILDING AND THEY'RE GONNA HAVE NUMEROUS TENANTS AND THAT MAY TAKE TIME.
SO WHERE WOULD HE GET HIS REIMBURSEMENT? IN OTHER WORDS, YOU'RE GONNA WAIT TO SEE EVERY SPACE THAT'S FULL AND OCCUPIED BY A TENANT THAT MEETS THE REQUIREMENTS.
SO, UH, IT'S ACTUALLY A REALLY GOOD QUESTION AND WE ACTUALLY CAN WRITE INTO THE GRANT AGREEMENT, UM, THAT IT COULD BE REIMBURSED ON AN ALLOCATED BASIS.
SO LET'S SAY THEY LEASE A 10,000 SQUARE FOOT SPACE AND WE'D ALLOCATE THE COST BASED ON THAT AND THEY'D GET A PORTION OF THE GRANT.
UM, SO WE CAN STRUCTURE IT THAT WAY.
THIS IS THE FIRST TIME WE'VE HAD A YEAH, THAT WAS KIND OF TIED TO THE SAME THING THAT I WAS, WE JUST LOOKING AHEAD BECAUSE THERE'S SOME SMARTER PEOPLE OUT THERE THAN US AND THEY
ANY QUESTIONS FOR ANYBODY? IS THERE A MOTION? I'LL MAKE A MOTION.
I MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE FIRST READING OF AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE TOWN MANAGER TO ENTER INTO AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GRANT AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE TOWN OF LUPTON AND REED COMMERCIAL PARTNERS, LLC, FOR THEIR OFFICES AT HAMPTON LAKES DEVELOPMENT.
ANY QUESTIONS? ALL IN FAVOR? AYE.
[VIII.5. Approval to Authorize a Contract Amendment to the Master Agreement for the Development of Commercial Property within the Buckwalter Multi County Industrial Park (Fiscal Impact $625,000.00). Chris Forster, Assistant Town Manager]
ONE.ITEM FIVE, APPROVAL TO AUTHORIZE A CONTRACT AMENDMENT MASTER AGREEMENT FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF COMMERCIAL PROPERTY WITHIN THE BUCK WALTON MULTI-COUNTY INDUSTRIAL PARK.
UH, SO JUST TO GIVE YOU SOME BACKGROUND ON, UH, WHERE WE'VE BEEN AND WHERE WE'RE AT ARE TODAY.
SO, UH, APRIL OF 23 IS WHEN WE INITIALLY PUBLISHED THE RFP FOR, UM, DEVELOPERS TO GIVE US PROPOSALS FOR THE 4.7 ACRE SITE AROUND THE LSC AT BUCK WALTER.
UM, WE RECEIVED, UH, THERE WAS TWO, ONE MORE SERIOUS PROPOSAL.
WE ENDED UP PROPOSING THAT TO COUNCIL AND COUNCIL APPROVED THE PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT IN OCTOBER OF 23.
UM, IN NOVEMBER OF 23, PALMETTO ELECTRIC COMMITTED 200,000 IN NEW UTC FUNDING.
UH, AND THEN PLUS THERE WAS A 130,000 THAT THEY TRANSFERRED FROM ANOTHER PROJECT OVER TO THIS ONE.
UM, IN JUNE OF 2024, WHICH JUST HAPPENED, B-C-E-D-C COMMITTED $130,000 GRANT TOWARDS THE PROJECT.
AND IN JULY OF 2024, THE SE POWER TEAM, UH, COMMITTED AN ADDITIONAL $1 MILLION GRANT TOWARDS THIS PROJECT.
ALSO, IN JULY, UH, WE BEGAN RECEIVING CONSTRUCTION ESTIMATES FOR THE SITE WORK IN BUILDING 100.
UM, AS A REMINDER, BUILDING 100 IS THE 14,000 PLUS SQUARE FOOT BUILDING THAT THE DEVELOPER WILL TRANSFER BACK TO THE TOWN, UH, OR DRCI FOR OWNERSHIP.
UM, WE JUST RECEIVED ALL FINAL APPROVALS, UH, THIS MONTH AND THE PROJECTED GROUNDBREAKINGS BY THE END OF NEXT, UH, MONTH.
SO, AS A REMINDER, THE ORIGINAL COMMITMENTS, UH, THE TOWN ORIGINALLY COMMITTED THREE AND A HALF MILLION IN LAND, AND THE DEVELOPER COMMITTED A MINIMUM INVESTMENT OF $7 MILLION, AS WELL AS TRANSFERRING BACK THE 14,000 SQUARE FOOT BUILDING, UH, TO DRCI.
THE INITIAL CONTRACTOR QUOTES THAT WE RECEIVED WERE, UH, SITE WORK WAS THE BIGGEST ISSUE.
UH, IF YOU'VE BEEN OUT AT THAT SITE, UH, THE, THE DIRT IS NOT GOOD AND THERE'S A LOT OF WATER IN THERE.
UH, SO THERE'S A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF EARTH WORK THAT WILL BE REQUIRED OUT THERE.
UM, AND THAT CAME IN AT 4.4 MILLION.
THE BUILDING A HUNDRED ESTIMATE FOR THE, NOT ONLY THE VERTICAL CONSTRUCTION OF THAT, BUT ALSO THE UPFIT OF THE BUILDING, UM, IS 3.7 MILLION.
AND THEN THE ESTIMATE AROUND THE REMAINING SHELL BUILDINGS, WHICH IS ABOUT 35,000 SQUARE FEET OF SPACE, IS ABOUT 4.9 MILLION.
[01:40:01]
INITIAL QUOTE REFLECTS APPROXIMATELY 1.2 MILLION, UH, INCREASE FROM WHAT THE TOWN'S INITIAL PROJECTED SITE WORK IN BUILDING 100 COSTS WERE, UH, IN DISCUSSIONS WITH THE DEVELOPER, UM, HE, UH, REQUESTED THAT THE TOWN INCREASE THE NOT TO EXCEED AMOUNT BY $625,000.THAT WOULD TAKE IT FROM 3.5 MILLION TO 4.125 MILLION.
UM, AND HE WOULD MAKE UP THE REMAINING, UH, ADDITIONAL COSTS OF THE PROJECTS.
SO THE NEW TOWN COMMITMENT WOULD BE THAT 4.1 MILLION AND THE POTENTIAL DEVELOPER COSTS RIGHT NOW SIT AROUND 8.8, 8.9 UH, MILLION.
AND, UH, JUST TO LET YOU KNOW, WE ARE CONTINUING TO SEEK ADDITIONAL GRANT OPPORTUNITIES FROM DIFFERENT PARTNERS, UH, LOCAL PARTNERS.
AND, UH, MORE TO COME ON ON THAT.
UH, JUST A REMINDER, THIS IS THE SITE WE'RE LOOKING AT.
THE, AT THE BOTTOM RIGHT OF YOUR SCREEN IS THAT BUILDING.
THAT'S A TWO STORY BUILDING THAT WILL TRANSFER BACK TO DRCI AND THE, UH, HIS TWO BUILDINGS UP THERE IN THE NORTH AND TO THE EAST.
AND THIS IS JUST A QUICK LOOK AT BUILDING 100 THAT WILL TRANSFER BACK, UH, TO DRCI.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS ON THIS CONTRACT AMENDMENT? ANY QUESTIONS? ANYBODY, SIR? SO WE SHOULD COMMIT TO THIS PARTNERSHIP WITHOUT KNOWING WHETHER YOU WANT TO GET ANY GRANT OR FUNDING FROM ANYWHERE ELSE, RIGHT? WELL, WE'VE, WE'VE RECEIVED THE, UH, UH, A HUN UH, EXCUSE ME, 330,000 AND CHANGE FROM UTC 130 FROM BCEC AND A MILLION FROM THE SE POWER TEAM.
UM, AND THAT'S ALL HAPPENED RELATIVELY RECENTLY.
I, AGAIN, I'M ALWAYS SEEKING OUT GRANT OPPORTUNITIES FOR, FOR OUR, SO I'LL CONTINUE THAT HERE.
UM, BUT I JUST WANTED TO SHARE THESE SINCE THEY WERE NEWER, NEWER DEVELOPMENTS FROM JUNE AND JULY.
AND YOU HAVE DONE A GOOD JOB SEEKING, UM, FUNDING SOURCE.
WHAT, HOW MUCH DO YOU THINK THAT YOU COULD POSSIBLY GET TO HELP ASSIST WITH THIS PROJECT? UM, MY, MY GOAL IS TO GET AN ADDITIONAL A HUNDRED THOUSAND.
UM, I'M ASSUMING THAT SINCE CONSTRUCTION IS STARTING SO SOON, THIS IS THE LAST, YOU DON'T SEE IT GOING THIS, THESE ARE THE FINAL COSTS THAT THE YEAH, THAT WAS THE WORST, WORST CASE SCENARIO WHICH WAS PRESENTED.
UM, WE ARE EXPECTING TO GET A COUPLE MORE, UH, UH, QUOTES IN.
UM, BUT GIVEN WHERE THEY'RE COMING AT ON THE VERTICAL CONSTRUCTION COST PER SQUARE FOOT AS WELL, UM, THIS IS WHERE WE, WE LANDED.
UM, AND THEN JUST HEARING YOU SAY THAT IT'S A WET SITE AND IT NEEDS, YOU KNOW, WITH ALL THE RAIN RECENTLY, JUST MAKES ME THINK, I REALLY HOPE THAT, UM, WE'RE GOING TO KEEP AS MANY PERVIOUS SURFACES AND TREES AS POSSIBLE OUT THERE.
YEAH, IT'S GONE THROUGH ALL THE NECESSARY REVIEWS THROUGH THE STATE AS WELL AS STAFF.
UM, THERE IS GONNA BE SIGNIFICANT WORK AND IT'S ALL GONNA BE, UM, THE RETENTION PONDS AROUND THERE OR THE PONDS AROUND.
THERE WILL BE, UM, IS, IS SAID TO HAVE, UH, BE SUFFICIENT TO COVER THE, THE STONEWATER REPORT.
OFFICER MS. HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? OKAY, SIR.
MOTION ON TIME? DO WE WANNA MAKE MOTION? YEAH, I'LL MAKE A MOTION.
I MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE TOWN MANAGER TO ENTER INTO AN AMENDMENT TO THE MASTER AGREEMENT WITH PARKWAY COMMONS ONE LLC FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF TOWN OWNED COMMERCIAL PROPERTY WITHIN THE BUCK WALTER PLACE, MULTI-COUNTY COMMERCE PARK BY INCREASING THE TOWN'S NOT TO EXCEED COMMITMENT BY $625,000.
ANY DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
DON'T COME BACK ASKING FOR ANY MORE MONEY.
WE'LL MOVE ON TO APPROVING THE,
[IX. CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS]
IS THERE ANYTHING ON THE CONSENT AGENDA THAT SOMEONE WOULD LIKE TO REMOVE OR DISCUSS THIS EVENING? YES, I HAVE ONE THING MA'AM.AND IT IS, UM, I WANTED TO HAVE A DISCUSSION OF THE, UH, POLICE REPORT MONTHLY, MONTHLY DEPARTMENT REPORTS.
SO DO WE APPROVE THE OTHER ITEMS FIRST AND THEN E EITHER, EITHER WAY WORKS.
YOU CAN TAKE THE ONE OFF AND THEN AND APPROVE THE OTHER ONES.
UH, FIRST, BUT I WOULD RECOMMEND, SO IS THERE, IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA WITH TAKING OFF THE, UM, NUMBER ONE, HOWEVER YOU WANNA WORD THAT? SOMEBODY MOTION TO APPROVE THE AGENDA.
AGENDA? I'LL MAKE THE MOTION TO, UM, APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE POLICE REPORT.
[01:45:01]
OKAY, ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE.OKAY, SO YOU'RE ROLLING THAT OFF.
SO I GUESS WE PRESENT THAT NOW? YEAH.
DID YOU USUALLY, IF CHIEF BACKWARDS WILL COME UP, THE QUESTION I HAD WAS, UM, IN THE REPORT I SEE THERE'S WAS A SRO SUPERVISOR MEETING AND IT, UM, PROMPTED A, A QUESTION IN TERMS OF HOW OFTEN DO WE LOOK AT THE NEEDS OF LIKE OUR STUDENT POPULATION AS IT INCREASES TO ENSURE THAT WE HAVE THE APPROPRIATE AMOUNT OF SROS AT EACH, UM, EACH SCHOOL? YES, MA'AM.
UM, SO ONE THING THAT WE DID IS WE RECOGNIZED THAT, UM, MAY RIVER NEEDED A SECOND, UH, SRO WE ASKED THE SCHOOL DISTRICT IF THEY'D BE WILLING TO DO IT THROUGH THE GRANT, AND THE GRANT WILL NOT ALLOW IT UNTIL THEY FILL ALL THE SCHOOLS IN THE STATE.
AND SO WHAT WE DID, UH, SPEAKING WITH DR. RODRIGUEZ, HE DID, UM, PUT IN A SECURITY GUARD UP FRONT, UH, JUST FOR ADDITIONAL SECURITY FOR THE YEAR.
AND THAT WAS, UH, REASON I WANTED TO PULL IT OFF.
IS THAT, UM, SOMETHING THAT'S WORKING IN TERMS OF THE SRO, WHO IS THERE, IS THAT, UH, SECURITY GUARD, UH, HELP TO HIM OR WOULD IT BE, UM, ADVANTAGEOUS FOR HIM TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THAT FULL SRO WHEN FUNDS ARE AVAILABLE? IT WOULD BE ADVANTAGEOUS TO HAVE ANOTHER SRO THERE.
UM, AND SO THAT'S DEFINITELY SOMETHING, UM, COUNCIL SHOULD GIVE US SOME CONSIDERATION TO JUST KNOWING, BEING IN THE, THE SCHOOLS AND THAT SCHOOL IS DEFINITELY, UM, OUR MOST POPULATED ONE.
IT BECOMES A SAFETY AS THEY'RE, I KNOW FOR TEACHERS AND STUDENTS, ANY EVENT SOMETHING HAPPENS AND I FEEL BAD FOR THE ONE, UM, SRO WHO'S TRYING TO MANAGE THAT BY HIMSELF.
SO I'M NOT SURE HOW FAST WE COULD MOVE ON BEING ABLE TO, UM, WORK WITH THE DISTRICT TO GET FUNDING, BUT THAT'S DEFINITELY SOMETHING WE SHOULD DO SOONER THAN LATER, UM, TO NOT LEAVE HIM VULNERABLE OUT THERE.
I'LL HEAR HEARING THE SAME THING ABOUT THAT.
SO THE CHIEF IS SAYING THAT, UM, THE SCHOOL DISTRICT DON'T WANT TO PAY THEIR PORTION, IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE SAYING? NO, SIR.
UH, WE ARE LOOKING TO GET A GRANT, UH, LIKE WE HAVE WITH THE OTHER SROS AND THE STATE WOULD NOT AWARD ANOTHER A GRANT FOR A SECOND OFFICER IN THE SCHOOL UNTIL THEY FILL ALL THE OTHER SCHOOLS IN THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA.
UH, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO FILL ALL OF OUR SCHOOLS WITH SROS THROUGH EITHER THE GRANT OR THROUGH, UM, OUR STAFF.
UM, BUT THAT'S NOT GOOD ENOUGH FOR THEM.
THEY WANT TO MAKE SURE ALL THE SCHOOLS ARE TAKEN CARE OF BEFORE THEY AWARD US ANY ADDITIONAL GRANTS FOR FUNDING, UH, FOR THOSE OFFICERS.
SO MEANWHILE, THAT'S WHY THEY HAVE A SECURITY GUIDE? YES, SIR.
AFTER SPEAKING WITH DR. RODRIGUEZ, I EXPLAINED MY CONCERNS TO HIM AND HE SAID, WELL, WE, WE CAN'T GET A GRANT FOR THAT RIGHT NOW.
BUT, UM, I ASKED HIM IF WE COULD HAVE A SECURITY GUARD AT LEAST AT THE FRONT.
UH, WHILE, UM, OFFICER LAMBERT IS WALKING AROUND THE SCHOOL AND HE'S SUPPLIED THAT THE VERY NEXT DAY YOU KNEW WHO WAS PAYING SECURITY GUARD? UH, THE SCHOOL SCHOOL DISTRICT IS ONE GOOD QUESTION.
I WAS THINKING THERE ALREADY PAYING FOR SOMEBODY.
THEY CAN COME UP WITH ADDITIONAL FUNDING, MAYBE WE CAN WORK WITH THEM.
AND I'M NOT SURE, I CAN'T REMEMBER OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD WHAT THAT RATIO IS.
UM, IT'S SURPRISING THAT THEY DON'T HAVE A VARIANCE IN THERE THAT WOULD ALLOW US TO BYPASS WAITING THEM TO FILL IT.
UM, COULD YOU TELL US WHAT THAT RATIO IS IN TERMS OF HOW, UM, MANY STUDENTS YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO HAVE OR HOW MANY SROS YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO HAVE PER CERTAIN, UH, SCHOOL SIZES? I DON'T KNOW THE EXACT RATIO, UM, MA'AM, BUT I COULD FIND OUT.
UM, BUT I WILL TELL YOU AS FAR AS FINANCING, UM, FOR OUR FULL-TIME SROS, IT, IT'S USUALLY 80 20, UM, FOR FINANCING.
THAT'S WHAT THE SCHOOL WILL PAY 80 AND THEN WE'LL PAY 20% OF THE SALARY.
I KNOW THAT'S DIFFERENT THAN WHAT YOU'RE ASKING, BUT OKAY.
ANY MORE QUESTIONS FOR THIS? THANK YOU.
NEED NEW MOTION? I THINK COUNSEL PUT THE POLICE BACK ON THE, OR JUST TO APPROVE IT.
APPROVE IT TO APPROVE THE POLICE REPORT.
OKAY, SO GO AHEAD DAN, READ THAT MOTION.
UH, I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO PUT THE POLICE REPORT BACK ON THE AGENDA FOR APPROVAL BY COUNCIL.
SO THAT'S DONE, OR DO WE HAVE TO DO ANOTHER MOTION? NOW, I, I THINK, UH, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, COUNCILMAN WOOD, THAT WAS A, A MOTION TO PUT IT BACK ONTO THE AGENDA
[01:50:01]
TO HAVE IT APPROVED.SO IT WAS, IT WAS COMBINED INTO A SINGLE MOTION IS THE WAY I HEARD IT.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE GOOD AND CAN MOVE TO THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA.
[X. EXECUTIVE SESSION]
MOVE INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION FAVOR? AYE.UM, AND THERE WAS, I I DIDN'T HEAR A SECOND ON THAT EITHER.
WHO WAS THE SECOND? UM, SECOND FOR THE, UH, I DON'T HAVE ALL MY STUFF.
MAYOR TOMER, UH, WHAT YOU CAN SAY IS A MOTION TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION JUST FOR CLARIFICATION, UH, FOR THE MATTERS LISTED ON THE AGENDA.
NOT Y'ALL DON'T HAVE TO READ THEM EACH ONE.
AS LONG AS YOU REFERENCE THE AGENDA, YOU'RE FINE.
IS THERE A MOTION TO GO IN EXECUTIVE SESSION TO DISCUSS THE, THE LEGAL MATTERS LISTED ON THE AGENDA? IS THERE A SECOND? WE ARE.
HEY GUYS, I'M ADAM FARBER WITH BEAUFORT COUNTY LIBRARIES, AND I WANTED TO TELL YOU ABOUT OUR NEW STREAMING SERVICE CALLED HOOPLA.
IT'S A FREE SERVICE FROM BEAUFORT COUNTY LIBRARIES.
ALL YOU NEED IS A LIBRARY CARD AND IT'S AVAILABLE ON IOS, ANDROID, AND DESKTOP COMPUTERS.
I HAVE AN IPAD AND WE'LL DOWNLOAD THE HOOPLA APP.
YOU CAN GET UP TO 10 TITLES PER MONTH FOR MORE INFORMATION.
VISIT US@BEAUFORTCOUNTYLIBRARY.ORG EXECUTIVE SESSION.
[XI. ACTION FROM EXECUTIVE SESSION]
WERE NO VOTES TAKEN.SECOND, NO ACTION, NO VOTES WERE TAKEN.
NO ACTION TAKEN, NO VOTES TAKEN.
THE WASTEWATER THAT IS DRAINED NEEDS TO BE CLEANED BEFORE IT'S RETURNED TO THE ENVIRONMENT.
SO WHERE DOES IT GO? AS THE WATER LEAVES THE HOMES, IT GOES INTO SEWAGE PIPES AND TRAVELS BY GRAVITY AND LIFT PUMP STATIONS TO A WASTEWATER TREATMENT FACILITY.
WHEN THE WASTEWATER ARRIVES AT THE WATER TREATMENT FACILITY, THE FIRST STOP IN THE TREATMENT PROCESS IS THE HEADWORKS AT THE HEADWORKS RAGS AND OTHER LARGE OBJECTS ARE REMOVED WITH A BAR SCREEN AND ANY SAND IN THE WATER IS ALSO REMOVED.
THE WASTEWATER IS MIXED WITH MILLIONS OF HUNGRY BACTERIA READY TO BEGIN CONSUMING ORGANIC MATERIAL IN THE WATER.
THEN IT IS SENT TO AERATION BASINS.
THE AERATION BASINS ARE WHERE THE WORKFORCE OF HUNGRY BACTERIA DOES ITS JOB.
LARGE ROTATING PADDLES STIR UP THE MIXTURE, ADDING OXYGEN TO THE WATER, CREATING A PERFECT ENVIRONMENT FOR BACTERIA TO THRIVE.
THESE BACTERIA ABSORB THE WASTE MATERIAL AS FOOD AND USE IT TO GROW AND MULTIPLY.
AS THE BACTERIA INGESTS THE WASTE, THE BACTERIA MULTIPLIES AND CONVERTS THE WASTE MATERIAL INTO SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT CALLED BIOMASS.
THIS BIOMASS IS ACTUALLY THE POPULATION OF BACTERIA IN THE WATER.
HERE YOU CAN SEE THE BIOMASS JUST BENEATH THE SURFACE.
[01:55:02]
EACH DAY, TECHNICIANS TAKE SAMPLES OF THIS BIOMASS AND PERFORM TESTS TO DETERMINE IF THE PROPER ENVIRONMENT FOR THE BACTERIA IS BEING ACHIEVED.TECHNICIANS ALSO TEST THE PH OF THE BIOMASS AND CALIBRATE EQUIPMENT TO ENSURE PROPER READINGS.
COMPUTER SYSTEMS ALSO MONITOR THE CONDITIONS INSIDE EACH OF THE AREAS OF THE TREATMENT FACILITY.
THE BACTERIA REMAINS IN THE AERATION BASIN ON AVERAGE FOR 22 HOURS BEFORE LEAVING THE AERATION BASIN FOR THE NEXT LOCATION.
IN THE PROCESS, THE NEXT STEP HAPPENS IN THE CLARIFIERS.
THE MOTION OF THE WATER IS GREATLY REDUCED IN THE CLARIFIERS, ALLOWING THE BIOMASS TO SETTLE TO THE BOTTOM.
THE CLEAR WATER REMAINS ON THE TOP AND THE BIOMASS ON THE BOTTOM IS REMOVED BY SWEEPS.
THE BIOMASS THAT HAS BEEN SWEPT AWAY LEAVES THE CLARIFIERS UNDER THE PULL OF GRAVITY, AND THEN IS PUMPED TO ONE OF TWO LOCATIONS.
SOME OF THE BIOMASS IS RETURNED TO THE HEADWORKS TO START THE PROCESS ALL OVER AGAIN, READY TO CONSUME MORE WASTE MATERIAL.
THE OTHER PORTION IS SENT FOR DEWATERING BECAUSE THE BACTERIA MULTIPLIES A PORTION.
EACH DAY NEEDS TO BE REMOVED FROM THE PROCESS SO THE SYSTEM ISN'T OVERPOPULATED WITH BACTERIA.
THIS HAPPENS AT A BELT PRESS WHERE THE WATER IS REMOVED FROM THE BIOMASS, A POLYMER IS ADDED TO THE BIOMASS, CAUSING IT TO COAGULATE.
THEN A BELT AND A SERIES OF DRUMS PRESSES ALL THE WATER OUT OF THE BIOMASS.
THE DRIED BIOMASS IS NOW CALLED BIOSOLIDS.
A CONVEYOR BELT TAKES THE BIOSOLIDS AND LOADS IT ONTO A TRUCK TO BE TAKEN TO A LANDFILL FILL BACK AT THE CLARIFIERS.
THE CLEAR WATER ON TOP RUNS OVER THE EDGES OF THE WEIRS, FLOWING OUT OF THE CLARIFIERS TO BE TREATED IN THE NEXT STEP.
LARGE DISC FILTERS FILTER OUT ANY OTHER SOLID PARTICLES IN THE WATER.
THE WATER FLOWS INTO THE OUTSIDE OF THE DISCS AND EXITS THROUGH THE CENTER OF THE FILTRATION SYSTEM.
AFTER THIS, THE WATER IS DISINFECTED BY ULTRAVIOLET LIGHTS.
BY THE END OF THIS STEP OF THE PROCESS, THE WATER HAS ALREADY MET VERY HIGH QUALITY STANDARDS AND IS SUITABLE FOR MANY USES.
DEPENDING ON THE WASTEWATER TREATMENT FACILITY LOCATION, THE WATER THAT LEAVES THE FACILITY MIGHT BE SENT TO ONE OF THREE GENERAL LOCATIONS.
SOME WATER IS SENT TO GOLF COURSES FOR IRRIGATION.
SOME OF THE WATER IS SENT TO THE BEAUFORT RIVER AND SOME FACILITIES SEND THE WATER TO AN AREA KNOWN AS THE GREAT SWAMP.
THE GREAT SWAMP IS A PROJECT THAT IS REPLENISHING WETLANDS THAT WE'RE DRYING AS A RESULT OF RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT.
THESE WETLANDS ARE NOW HOME TO A VARIETY OF SPECIES OF ANIMALS AND PLANT LIFE.
SO THE NEXT TIME YOU WASH YOUR DISHES OR TAKE A SHOWER OR FLUSH YOUR TOILET, YOU CAN BE SURE THAT BECAUSE OF BEAUFORT, JASPER WATER AND SEWER AUTHORITIES EFFORTS AND TECHNOLOGY, WHAT LEAVES YOUR HOUSE AS WASTE IS ACTUALLY BEING TURNED INTO CLEAN WATER THAT IS BENEFITING THE ENVIRONMENT.