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AND THE VOTER REGISTRATION BOARD OF ELECTIONS.
AND, UH, WE'RE GONNA HAVE A PRESENTATION WHERE JARED'S GONNA GIVE YOU THE INFORMATION, EDUCATIONAL INFORMATION IN PREPARATION FOR THE
I WANNA MAKE SURE EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS THAT THIS IS EDUCATIONAL ONLY.
WE'RE NOT TRYING TO SWAY YOU TO VOTE YES OR NO.
NOBODY'S ADVOCATING FOR ANYTHING.
SO YOU CAN GO IN AS AN INFORM VOTER.
OKAY? ANY QUESTIONS ON THAT? AND IF THERE IS ANYTHING THAT APPEARS TO BE ADVOCATED, JUST KEEP IN MIND THAT IS NOT THE INTENT.
THERE'S NO, I JUST, YOU ONE WAY OR ANOTHER.
OKAY? AND YOU'LL BE ALLOWED TO ASK QUESTIONS, UH, AS WE GO ALONG, AS JARED MAKES HIS PRESENTATION.
AND AT THE END OF THAT, THERE'LL BE PUBLIC COMMENT FOR YOU TO COME UP AND ASK WHATEVER QUESTION YOU WANT.
AND JARED OR I WILL OKAY? WITH THAT, WE'LL GIVE IT TO JARED.
I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THE ROOM, BUT JUST IN CASE I DON'T KNOW YOU, UH, I'M THE ASSISTANT COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR OF INFRASTRUCTURE.
AND AGAIN, MS. MARIE WALLS IS OUR DIRECTOR.
SMALLS, I'M SORRY, EXCUSE ME, EXCUSE ME.
MARIE SMALLS IS THE DIRECTOR OF VOTER REGISTRATION.
SO THANK YOU FOR JOINING US AND, AND PARTICIPATING.
UM, SO WE'RE GONNA COVER WHAT'S ON THE SALES TAX AND THINGS FOR YOU TO BE AWARE AS YOU APPROACH THE BALLOT ON NOVEMBER 5TH.
FIRST OF ALL, DID ANYBODY, DID EVERYBODY GET ONE OF THESE PAMPHLETS AS YOU CAME IN THE DOOR? UM, SO IT'LL BE ON THE SCREEN IN JUST A MINUTE.
WE'LL TALK ABOUT THE PROJECT SPECIFICS, BUT WANT TO MAKE SURE YOU HAVE THAT.
SO IF IT'S A LITTLE HARD, WE CAN GO THROUGH THAT AS WELL.
SO, IN SHORT SUMMARY, AT THE END OF, AFTER YOU GO THROUGH ALL YOUR NATIONAL, STATE, AND LOCAL ELECTIONS FOR, UM, DIFFERENT POLITICIANS, THERE WILL BE A LOCAL, UH, QUESTION TO QUESTIONS, UM, THAT ARE COUNTY COUNCIL PUT ON THERE.
THEY APPROVED AND THEY WILL BE THESE TWO QUESTIONS.
SO THE FIRST QUESTION, REALLY STRAIGHTFORWARD IS A 10 YEAR, UH, UP TO $950 MILLION SALES TAX, UH, FOR TRANSPORTATION AND, AND, UM, TRANSPORTATION USE.
SO THIS IS THAT THE TWO THRESHOLDS, THE WAY IT READS FROM STATE STATUTE IS EITHER 10 YEARS OR $950 MILLION.
SO IT'S $950 MILLION IS COLLECTED IN EIGHT YEARS, THEN THE TAX WOULD SUSPEND IT WOULD BE ENDED.
IF, UH, WE GET TO 10 YEARS AND ONLY HAVE COLLECTED $900 MILLION, THEN IT WOULD STILL COME OFF.
SO THERE IS A SUNSET SPECIFIED AS PART OF STATUTE AND REQUIRED.
QUESTION TWO SEEMS A LITTLE COMPLICATED, BUT IT'S REALLY NOT THAT COMPLICATED.
UM, WHAT IT'S BASICALLY SAYING IS ASKING FOR APPROVAL UP TO $515 MILLION IN BOND ISSUANCE TO FUND PROJECTS THAT ARE REFLECTED ON QUESTION ONE.
AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT WHAT QUESTION ONE AND THE PROJECT LIST IN JUST A, A SECOND.
AND, AND WHAT THIS REALLY DOES IS IT ALLOWS COUNTY COUNCIL TO GET STARTED ON THE PROJECTS WHILE THE FUNDS ARE STILL BEING COLLECTED.
SO THIS, WHAT QUESTION TWO IS, IT IS NOT AN ADDITIONAL TAX.
IT IS ONLY ASSOCIATED AND PAID FOR BY THE TAX THAT'S COLLECTED IN QUESTION NUMBER ONE.
IT'S ALSO, I'VE HEARD THIS QUESTION, IT IS ALSO NOT ASSOCIATED WITH PROPERTY TAX.
IT IS ONLY APPLICABLE, UM, IF QUESTION ONE GETS APPROVED.
SO IF QUESTION ONE GETS DISAPPROVED, REGARDLESS IF QUESTION TWO WAS APPROVED, IT WOULD AUTOMATICALLY NOT BE APPLICABLE BECAUSE AGAIN, IT ONLY COMES INTO EFFECT IF QUESTION ONE IS, IS COLLECTING UP TO $950 MILLION.
DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? I SEE HEAD NODS.
OKAY, SO THE OTHER THING THAT YOU'LL NOTICE, UH, QUESTION ONE IS PRETTY SHORT.
UM, THERE'S A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL IN YOUR PAMPHLET, BUT IN ESSENCE WHAT IT TALKS ABOUT IS, UM, WELL, EXCUSE ME, IF YOU GET THE BIG SHEET, IT'S OUTSIDE ON THE BIG SHEET, BUT WE'LL, UH, YEAH, THIS SHEET, THANK YOU.
SO IT'S, IT IS REFERENCED HERE AND WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE EXACTLY IS ON PAGE TWO OF THE BIG SHEET.
IF YOU DIDN'T GET THAT, STOP BY OUTSIDE AND GET IT.
SO IT TALKS AWAY ABOUT $950 MILLION, 900 MILLION BEING TOWARDS TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS, HIGHWAYS, ROADS, STREETS AND BRIDGES, AND THEN 50 MILLION TOWARDS GREENBELTS.
SO ALL IN ALL, THAT'S $950 MILLION.
WHAT IT DOESN'T TALK US THE SPECIFICS OF THOSE.
SO YOUR JOB AS AN INFORMED VOTER IS TO WHAT YOU'RE DOING HERE TONIGHT IS TO GET INFORMED ON WHAT THAT, UH, THOSE SPECIFIC PROJECTS ARE, BECAUSE THIS IS ALL YOU WILL SEE ON THE BALLOT.
AND THEN QUESTION TWO IS PRETTY CLOSE TO WHAT I JUST REFERENCED UP THERE.
UM, THE, THE DIFFERENCE IN THE 900, UH, AND THE $50 MILLION, IT'S ALL THE SAME TAX.
$900 MILLION, LIKE I SAID, IS ROAD PROJECTS.
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CONSERVATION.SO WE CURRENTLY HAVE A GREEN SPACE SALES TAX AND GREEN SPACE IS ALL OF THAT FUNDING.
THERE'S NO ROAD PROJECTS IN THAT.
IT'S ALL, UH, FOCUSED TOWARDS CONSERVATION EFFORTS OR DENSITY, UH, REDUCTION EFFORTS.
SO THE GREEN BELT THAT'S ALLOWED FOR IN THE PROVISION FOR THIS TRANSPORTATION TAX IS VERY SIMILAR TO WHAT WE HAVE.
THERE'S A FEW NUANCES, BUT VERY SIMILAR TO THAT.
OR WE'RE MORE FAMILIAR WITH RURAL AND CRITICAL LANDS PROGRAM IN BEAUFORT COUNTY.
ALL RIGHT, SO WHAT EXACTLY ARE THOSE LISTS OF PROJECTS? SO I'M GONNA GO OVER 'EM ON THE SCREEN.
THEY'RE ALSO INSIDE YOUR PAMPHLET IF YOU PULL 'EM OUT AND WE'LL GO THROUGH 'EM.
UH, AND IN THE PAMPHLET HAS A LITTLE BIT MORE DEFINITION.
SO WHEN YOU GO AND VOTE THAT QUESTION ONE, THIS IS EXACTLY EVERYTHING THAT, THAT, UH, QUESTION ONE EMBODIES, OKAY? SO AGAIN, IT WILL NOT READ THAT IT WILL, IT WILL ONLY SAY THE, THE SHORT BLURB.
SO LET'S GO OVER THESE PROJECTS.
UM, AND THEN IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS, WE'LL, WE'LL HAVE TIME AT THE END FOR QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS AND CAN DEFINITELY GET INTO MORE INS AND OUTS IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS SPECIFICALLY.
SO THE FIRST THREE PROJECTS ARE WHAT WE CONSIDER REGIONAL, UM, MAJOR INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS.
SO THE FIRST ONE IS THE TRIANGLE PROJECT.
UH, ANYONE IN THE ROOM, HAVE YOU HEARD OF THE TRIANGLE PROJECT ALREADY? A FEW HEAD NODS.
OKAY, SO THIS IS SOUTHERN BEAUFORT COUNTY.
THIS, UH, IS THE SECTION OF SC ONE 70 FROM 2 78 UP TO 4 62 AND TWO SEVEN, EXCUSE ME, I SAID 2 78, THE SECTION OF ONE 70 FROM 2 78 TO 4 62.
2 78 FROM ONE 70 BACK TO WALMART, SO WHICH IS ARG BOULEVARD, AND THEN ARGENT BOULEVARD FROM 2 78 UP TO ONE 70.
SO IF YOU LOOK AT THAT ON A MAP, IT LOOKS LIKE A TRIANGLE.
SO BEHIND THE 2 78 BRIDGE PROJECT TO HILTON HEAD, THE EXISTING PROJECT, THIS IS THE HIGHEST RANKED PRIORITY PROJECT IN THE ENTIRE REGION.
NOT JUST BEAUFORT COUNTY, BUT JASPER COUNTY.
AND I'M GONNA SKIP TO THE THIRD PROJECT, SC 46.
THIS TOO IS IN THE LOWER PART OF THE, OF THE COUNTY.
AND SC 46 IS FROM THE TRAFFIC CIRCLE, UH, AT ONE 70 TO THE JASPER COUNTY LINE.
AND THEN ALSO IT HAS SOME CONSIDERATIONS FROM THE TRAFFIC CIRCLE BACK TOWARDS BUCK WALTER, SOME INTERSECTION IMPROVEMENTS THROUGH THAT SECTION OF 46.
THE REASON I'M TALKING ABOUT THOSE TOGETHER IS OUR NEIGHBOR AND COUNTY, JASPER COUNTY IS GOING THROUGH THE EXACT SAME PROCESS THAT WE ARE WITH A SALES TAX ON THEIR BALLOT IN NOVEMBER.
AND THE INTERESTING THING IS THAT WE'RE COORDINATING TOGETHER, OR THE HOPEFULLY REASSURING THING IS WE'RE COORDINATING TOGETHER.
AND SO THOSE PROJECTS THAT ARE ON OUR SALES TAX ARE SHOWING UP ON THEIR SALES TAX.
SO THE TRIANGLE, THEY HAVE PROVISIONS FOR FUNDING FOR, UH, THEIR SHARE OF THE JASPER COUNTY SECTIONS OF THE TRIANGLE PROJECT ON THEIR SALES TAX.
AND 46, UH, OUR PROJECT WILL CARRY IT TO THE COUNTY LINE.
THEIR PROJECT WILL TAKE IT FROM THE COUNTY LINE INWARD, ABOUT A MILE, MILE AND A HALF INTO JASPER COUNTY.
ONCE YOU GET INTO JASPER COUNTY, THERE'S TWO OR THREE ROADS THAT COME INTO A KIND OF WONKY INTERSECTION THERE.
AND SO PART OF THAT PROJECT WILL BE TO CONSOLIDATE THOSE AND MAKE, MAKE THAT INTERSECTION MAKE SENSE.
UM, BUT AGAIN, THOSE PROJECTS ARE ALL WORKING TOGETHER, UM, BOTH ON BEAUFORT COUNTY AND JASPER COUNTY SALES TAX.
I SKIPPED NUMBER TWO, THE REBO ROAD IMPROVEMENT.
SO THAT'S MOST IMPORTANT UP HERE NORTH OF THE BROAD.
SO OVER THE LAST YEAR OR SO, UH, BEAUFORT COUNTY, THE CITY OF BEAUFORT, UH, AND PORT ROYAL HAVE ALL BEEN WORKING TOGETHER ON A NEW PLAN FOR REBA ROAD.
WE DON'T EXACTLY KNOW WHAT THAT IS.
UH, WE DIDN'T START OUT WITH ANY PRECONCEIVED NICHE NOTIONS.
WE BASICALLY TOOK THE, THE COMMENTS THAT WE RECEIVED FROM THE PUBLIC AND THE DATA THAT THE, THE ENGINEERS WENT OUT THERE AND PUT TOGETHER SOME PLANS.
UH, WE MADE SOME PRESENTATION AND WE HEARD A LOT OF PUBLIC COMMENT.
AND UH, THE GOOD THING IS WE HEARD A LOT OF PUBLIC COMMENT.
WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY PRECONCEIVED NOTIONS AND WE'RE TAKING THAT COMMENT IN.
ONE THING I WANT TO JUST GO AHEAD AND PUT STRAIGHT OUT THERE, ONE OF THE MAJOR THINGS WE HEARD WAS, UH, IF YOU, IF YOU KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THE PROJECT WAS A ROAD DIET.
SO THREE LANE SECTION, THAT THREE LOAD RAIN THREE LANE ROAD SECTION IS NO LONGER BEING CONSIDERED.
OKAY? SO I'M GONNA SAY THAT AGAIN, THAT THREE LANE ROAD SECTION IS NOT PART OF THAT PROJECT.
WE ARE ACTUALLY GOING TO BE HOSTING, AND BRIAN, CORRECT ME ON THE DATE, BUT IN THE NEXT WEEK OR TWO, AN UPDATE.
SO BASICALLY WE'VE TAKE, TAKEN THE COMMENT AND THEN WENT BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD AND ARE COMING BACK WITH THE REBUFFED EFFORT OF WHAT THAT PROJECT IS PLANNED FOR AND WHAT THE 23RD AT TCL.
SO THE 23RD, OCTOBER 23RD, THERE'S GONNA BE ADDITIONAL MEETING TO SPEAK
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SPECIFICALLY THE REBO ROAD AT TCL.AND IT'S GONNA SHOW, UM, THE COMMENTS THAT WERE RECEIVED, THE EDITS THAT THE DESIGN TEAM TO WHAT IS A MORE CLOSE TO A FINAL VERSION.
WE'LL SEE WHAT KIND OF COMMENTS WE GET.
UM, BUT THE HOPE IS THAT, UH, THE COMMENTS THAT RECEIVED, PEOPLE WILL SEE THAT, LOOK, THIS WASN'T PRECONCEIVED, IT'S BEEN ADJUSTED.
THEY HEARD THAT WE DIDN'T WANT THREE LANES OR, UH, SPECIFIC ROUNDABOUTS AND DIFFERENT THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO ALL THOSE THINGS ARE GONNA BE ADDRESSED AT THAT 23RD, I'M SORRY, 25TH.
THERE'LL BE DEFINITELY PRESS RELEASE THAT THE COUNTY PUTS OUT, AND I'M SURE THE CITY AND TOWN WILL BOTH SHARE IN THAT RELEASE.
SO WE'LL GET THE INFORMATION OUT TO EVERYBODY, UM, AS SPECIFIC MEETING LOCATION AS WELL.
SCOTT, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
CITY OF MANAGER WITH CITY OF BEAUFORT.
THE NEXT THREE ON THE LIST ARE, UM, YOU SEE IT SAYS TST PROJECT.
SO WHAT THAT'S SHORT FOR IS TRANSPORTATION SALES TAX THREE.
SO IN BEAUFORT COUNTY, WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING IN THIS SALES TAX WOULD ACTUALLY BE OUR FOURTH SALES TEST.
SO WE'VE HAD ONE IN 19 98, 1 IN 2006, AND THEN OUR LAST MOST RECENT ONE IN 2018.
UM, SO THAT THERE WAS BASICALLY THREE PROJECTS IN THAT SALES TAX.
THERE WAS THE BRIDGE TO HILTON HEAD, THERE WAS LADIES ISLAND IMPROVEMENTS, AND THEN THERE WAS COUNTYWIDE, UH, PATHWAY IMPROVEMENTS.
SO THE ONE THING THAT'S HAPPENED, UM, BETWEEN 2018 AND NOW THAT HAS DRASTICALLY AFFECTED OUR WORLD, UH, HAS BEEN COVID AND OUTTA COVID CAME EXTREMELY HIGH INFLATIONARY PRESSURES.
SO THANKFULLY, THOSE INFLATIONARY PRESSURES SEEM TO BE CALMING DOWN, BUT THEY DRASTICALLY AFFECTED THE COST OF DOING BUSINESS.
SO WHAT THIS IS, THE COST OF THOSE PROJECTS AS CONCEIVED IN 2018 HAS GROWN SIGNIFICANTLY, NOT AT ANY EXPENSE OF ERROR OR MISCONCEPTION, JUST THE ENTIRE WORLD HAS CHANGED SINCE COVID AND FEDERAL HIGHWAY HAS A INDEX THAT THEY KEEP UP.
THAT'S CALLED A NATIONAL HIGHWAY COST TO CONSTRUCTION INDEX.
AND SINCE OCTOBER OF 2020, THE COST OF HIGHWAY CONSTRUCTION HAS OUTPACED EVERY OTHER TYPE OF INFLATION INDEX, C-P-I-E-P-I, ALL THESE DIFFERENT INFLATIONARY MEASURES OR INDEXES TO THE TUNE OF ABOUT 70%.
SO THE COST OF BUILDING A ROAD FROM FOUR YEARS AGO COST 70% HIGHER TODAY THAN IT DOES FROM 2020.
AND SO WHAT THIS IS, WHAT WE DON'T WANT TO DO IS IN 2018, WE PROMISED THIS IS WHAT WE WANT TO DO WITH THESE ROADS.
LADIES ISLAND, THERE'S NINE ROAD PROJECTS OUT THERE.
UH, WE DON'T WANT TO CUT THE SCOPE OF THOSE ROAD PROJECTS JUST TO SAY THAT WE GOT SOMETHING COMPLETE AND THEN BE AT THE END OF THE ROAD PROJECT AND NOBODY'S SATISFIED BECAUSE IT WASN'T WHAT WE FIRST PROMISED IN 2018.
SO RATHER THAN DOING THAT, WE'RE ASKING IN THIS REFERENDUM COUNTY COUNCIL IS TO HELP US FUND THAT, THAT DELTA, UM, THAT BOTH WE ARE FACING LOCALLY.
THERE'S A STATEWIDE ISSUE, AND NA, NATIONWIDE, EVERYBODY'S FACING THE SAME CHALLENGE.
SO THAT'S WHAT THOSE THREE ELEMENTS ARE FOR.
LADIES ISLAND IS 60, AND THE PATHWAYS ARE 30, ALL TO BRING ALL OF THOSE PROJECTS TO FRUITION.
THE NEXT GROUP TO THE RIGHT THERE IS MUNICIPAL PROJECTS.
SO THE FIRST THREE I TALKED ABOUT WERE WERE REGIONAL PROJECTS.
SO THOSE ARE IMPORTANT, UM, TO EVERYBODY.
SO THE COUNTY'S ADDRESSING THOSE AS A WHOLE.
BUT WHAT WE RECOGNIZE AS WE ARE COORDINATING AND PLANNING FOR THIS IS THAT JUST AS THE, THE COUNTY HAS DIFFERENT PRIORITIES THAN THE STATE, DOESN'T MEAN THEIR PRIORITIES ARE ARE RIGHT AND OURS ARE WRONG OR VICE VERSA, BUT SO DOES THE MUNICIPALITIES HAS DIFFERENT PRIORITIES THAN THE COUNTY.
AND WHAT I MEAN BY THAT, WE'RE GONNA FOCUS ON THE COUNTY, ON THE MAJOR, UH, ARTERIAL, THE MAIN ROADS, THE MAIN CORRIDORS.
BUT THE, THE MUNICIPALITIES MAY WANT TO FOCUS ON A LOCAL ROAD OR A DOWNTOWN ROAD OR SOMETHING THAT'S MORE MEANINGFUL TO THEIR SPECIFIC, UH, MUNICIPALITY RESIDENCE.
SO, UH, EACH MUNICIPALITY HAS A, HAS AN APPROPRIATION.
HILTON HEAD HAS 30, BLUFFTON HAS 30, AND INITIALLY IT WAS 30 FOR NORTH OF THE BROAD, WHICH INCLUDED BLUFFTON, UH, PORT ROYAL AND BEAUFORT COUNTY, UNINCORPORATED AREAS WHERE IT KIND OF GOES IN BETWEEN INCORPORATED AREAS.
UM, BUT WE LATER SPLIT THAT OUT.
COUNTY COUNCIL, UH, AT, AT THE REQUEST OF THE TOWN SAID, LET'S MAKE THAT MORE SPECIFIC.
SO 10 TO BEAUFORT, 10 TO PORT ROYAL, AND 10 TO BEAUFORT COUNTY.
UH, THEN NEXT IS MASS TRANSIT.
WHEN YOU THINK OF MASS TRANSIT, THIS IS THE MOVEMENT OF A MASS AMOUNT OF PEOPLE AT ONE TIME.
SO NOT JUST SINGLE VEHICLES WITH ONE OR TWO PEOPLE.
SO THIS MOST COMMONLY IN OUR AREA IS OUR BUS SYSTEM.
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AND, UH, HOWEVER, BUSES IS NOT THE ONLY MODE OF TRANSPORTATION THAT WE HAVE LOCALLY.WE ALSO, IN BEAUFORT COUNTY, WE HAVE A FERRY SYSTEM.
SO IT'S ONE OF THE ONLY FERRY SYSTEMS IN THE ENTIRE STATE.
UH, THE ONLY COUNTY OWNED AND OPERATED FERRY SYSTEM IN THE COUNTY, IN THE ENTIRE STATE.
SO WE HAVE COMMERCIAL AIRPORT AND HILTON HEAD.
UH, SO THESE FUNDS WOULD BE SPLIT BETWEEN THOSE THREE SOURCES.
UH, PALMETTO BREEZE, OUR, OUR PUBLIC TRANSIT PARTNER WHO OVERSEES THE BUS SYSTEM, UM, BOTH HERE LOCALLY AND IN THE REGION.
UH, WHAT THIS FUNDING WOULD FIRST DO IS TO HELP SHORE UP THEIR OPERATIONAL EXPENDITURES.
SO THEY HAVE TO, TO HAVE FUNDING, UM, RIGHT NOW THAT IS MADE UP FROM ALL THE MUNICIPALITIES AND, UH, JURISDICTIONS TO HELP FUND THEIR OPERATIONS.
THIS WOULD GIVE THEM THE LIFEBLOOD THAT THEY NEED IN ORDER TO PLAN PROPERLY AND BUILD THAT SYSTEM OUT TO WHAT WE ALL, UH, HOPE THAT IT CAN GROW INTO.
BUT THEN THE REMAINING OF THE FUNDS WOULD BE CAPITAL PROJECTS WITH THOSE THREE FERRY, UH, BUS OR AVIATION, UH, SAFETY AND TRAFFIC FLOW.
THESE NEXT GROUPS, UH, SO THESE ARE NOT SPECIFIC PROJECTS, BUT WE'RE CALLED THEM PROGRAMS. AND THE POINT OF THIS IS WE HAVE A LONG TERM PROGRAM.
WE'VE LONGER THAN ANY OTHER PROGRAM THAT WE'VE HAD, SO WE'VE HAD A TWO YEAR OR FOUR YEAR AND A SIX YEAR PROGRAM.
THIS IS A 10 YEAR PROPOSED PROGRAM.
AND WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO HERE, WHAT COUNTY COUNCIL PROPOSING, IS THAT WE DON'T EXACTLY KNOW WHICH ROAD, UH, IS GOING TO HAVE SOME SIGNIFICANT NEED.
WE JUST KNOW WE'RE A GROWING COMMUNITY AND WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO SEE PRESSURES THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY.
SO THE INTENT OF THE PROGRAMS IS TO PROVIDE FLEXIBILITY, AND THAT WILL COME WITH SOME CRITERIA AND INDEX ON HOW THESE SPECIFIC PROJECTS ARE SELECTED.
BUT THESE ARE SMALLER PROJECTS, NOT THE SAME TRIANGLE OR REBO ROAD SIZE PROJECTS.
UH, BUT FOR SAFETY AND TRAFFIC FLOW, THIS WOULD BE LIKE A INTERSECTION IMPROVEMENT, A NEW SIGNAL, UH, TURN LANE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
AND SO AGAIN, WE DON'T KNOW WHICH TURN LANE IS GONNA BE NEEDED IN FIVE YEARS, BUT WE KNOW THAT THERE'S PROBABLY GONNA BE SOME DEVELOPMENT, UM, THAT AFTER THE FACT WE SAID, OKAY, WELL THIS IS BUSIER THAN WE ANTICIPATED.
THIS NEEDS SOME SAFETY ENHANCEMENT, UM, ASSOCIATED WITH THAT, UH, EMERGENCY EVACUATION AND RESILIENCY.
THIS IS SOMETHING, UH, UNIQUE TO BEAUFORT COUNTY AND COASTAL COMMUNITIES.
SO WE HAVE SEVERAL ROADS IN THE AREA THAT FLOOD DURING DRY DAYS.
SO, UH, UH, EXTREMELY HIGH TIDE, A KING TIDE.
UM, WE HAVE A LOT OF ROADS THAT CONNECT TO ISLANDS THAT HAVE A GROUP OF, OF RESIDENTS THAT LIVE THERE.
AND DURING THAT HIGH TIDE EVENT, THEY'RE STUCK ON THAT ISLAND FOR A PERIOD OF TIME.
AND SO OPPORTUNITIES LIKE THAT WHERE WE CAN EITHER RAISE THE ROAD OR MAKE SOME ENHANCEMENTS WHERE PEOPLE HAVE ACCESS, CONTINUOUS ACCESS, NO MATTER THE WEATHER, AS WELL AS OUR EVACUATIONS ROUTE.
WE JUST HAD, UH, HELENE AND DEBBIE, THANKFULLY, WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY MAJOR EVACUATION REQUIREMENTS AND WE WERE SPARED WITH SOME OF THE DAMAGES.
UM, SOME OTHER SURROUNDING COUNTIES AND STATES OBVIOUSLY HAVE A LOT MORE DAMAGE AND OUR HEARTS GO OUT TO THEM.
UM, BUT IT REITERATES THE NEED THAT WE NEED TO MAKE SURE AND PRIORITIZE THAT OUR EVACUATION ROUTES ARE, ARE, UM, SECURE AND AVAILABLE.
SO WHEN WE NEED 'EM, WE CAN ACTUALLY USE FOR THEIR INTENDED PURPOSE, UH, PAYMENT PRESERVATION AND RES PRESERVATION, PAYMENT RESURFACING AND PRESERVATION.
SO THIS BUCKET IS, UH, OUR GOAL.
PEOPLE DON'T CARE WHETHER YOU'RE DRIVING ON A DOT ROAD, A COUNTY ROAD, A LOCAL ROAD, A MUNICIPALITY ROAD.
THEY JUST DON'T WANT TO HIT POTHOLES, RIGHT? I KNOW THAT'S ME.
I MEAN, I JUST, MOST PEOPLE DON'T KNOW AT THE TIME WHEN YOU'RE DRIVING WHAT ROAD YOU'RE ON.
I JUST KNOW THAT I'M ON ONE 70 AND I HIT A POTHOLE.
WELL, OUR GOAL WITH THIS POT OF FUNDING IS TO, TO BRING UP THE QUALITY OF ALL THE ROADS IN BEAUFORT COUNTY.
AND AGAIN, WE DON'T KNOW WHERE THE POTHOLES GONNA BE IN SIX YEARS.
WE JUST KNOW THERE WILL BE A POTHOLE AND WE WANT TO HAVE THE FLEXIBILITY TO BE ABLE TO ADDRESS THAT, UH, VERSUS, WELL, WE, WE SAID WE WERE ONLY DOING THIS PROJECT, SO EVEN THOUGH WE GOT A POTHOLE, WE CAN'T FIX THAT FOR THE NEXT 10 YEARS TILL WE HAVE ANOTHER PROGRAM.
SO THE COUNTY OWNS A LOT OF COUNTY OWNED DIRT ROADS, AND THERE'S A FEW MUNICIPALITY OWNED DIRT ROADS.
SO THIS IS PAVING OF PUBLICLY OWNED ROADS, SO NOT PRIVATE ROADS OR PRIVATE DRIVEWAYS.
WE, THIS IS A PUBLIC TAX AND BY STATUTE IT CAN ONLY BE SUSPENDED ON PUBLICLY OWNED ASSETS.
SO THE COUNTY ALREADY CURRENTLY HAS A DIRT ROAD PAVING PROGRAM.
WE HAVE SOME FUNDING THAT'S SET ASIDE, UH, YEARLY FOR THAT PROGRAM.
BUT WE, IT'S A, IT'S, UM, FOR THE AMOUNT OF ROADS THAT WE HAVE, IT DOESN'T GET A LOT OF OF ROADS PAVED YEARLY.
AGAIN, THE COST OF CONSTRUCTION CONTINUALLY RISES.
SO THIS WOULD HELP US ACHIEVE GETTING SOME,
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POURING SOME GASOLINE ON THE FIRE TO ACTUALLY GET SOME OF THESE ROADS IMPROVED FASTER PATHWAYS.SO THIS IS $20 MILLION ADDITIONAL FOR PATHWAYS.
SO THE COUNTY HAS A PEDESTRIAN AND BICYCLE MASTER PLAN, WHICH OUTLINES THE PRIORITY OF PATHWAYS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY.
AND THE INTENT IS TO START IMPLEMENTING THAT PLAN WITH THIS FUNDING SOURCE.
SO THIS WOULD NOT BE, UH, MIXED WITH THE OTHER 24 PATHWAYS.
THE, THE 30 MILLION IS SET FOR THOSE 24 PATHWAYS TO MAKE SURE WHAT WAS PROMISED IN 2018 IS COMPLETED.
THIS WOULD BE FOR ADDITIONAL PATHWAYS BEYOND THOSE 2018.
SO THERE'S ALREADY 30 MILLION CARVED OUT AHEAD OF TIME THAT ALREADY DESCRIBED, AND THIS WOULD BE ADDITIONAL.
AND THEN LASTLY IS GREEN BELTS.
SO AGAIN, THIS IS, UH, A PROVISION THAT'S SPECIAL TO TRANSPORTATION, UH, SALES TAX, AND IT'S VERY SIMILAR TO RURAL AND CRITICAL OR A GREEN SPACE THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE.
SO GREEN SPACE SALES TAX, UM, IT ROLLS OFF, IT WAS A TWO YEAR A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS SALES TAX THAT GOT APPROVED IN 2020.
IT ROLLS OFF ON DECEMBER 31ST.
SO IF THIS TAX WAS APPROVED, THIS TAX WOULD NOT START UNTIL MAY 1ST OF NEXT YEAR.
RIGHT NOW WE HAVE 7% SALES TAX, THE STATE SALES TAX IS 6%.
SO WE HAVE THAT ONE PENNY FOR GREEN SPACE EXTRA.
AND FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME, IF THIS IS APPROVED, IT WOULD ROLL BACK DOWN TO SIX AND THEN ESSENTIALLY BE REPLACED TO WHAT WE'RE PAYING TODAY.
BUT INSTEAD OF GREEN SPACE, IT WOULD BE TRANSPORTATION.
BUT THE CONSERVATION THAT IS, THAT IS, UH, WAS VOTED ON AND APPROVED WOULD BE EXTENDED THROUGH THIS GREEN BELT ELEMENT.
AGAIN, THEY THOUGHT IT WAS A PRIORITY, HENCE THE REASON THEY IMPLEMENTED THE GREEN SPACE.
AND WE'VE BEEN 20 YEARS DEEP INTO THE RURAL AND CRITICAL PROGRAM.
SO THE GREEN BELTS ALLOWS FOR THAT CONSERVATION, UM, THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY TO CONTINUE.
SO A FEW, I'M NOT GONNA GO THROUGH ALL OF THESE, BUT JUST A FEW COMMENTS THAT WE'VE HEARD.
WE'VE BEEN THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY, SEVERAL PLACES, UH, BOTH EARLIER IN THE YEAR AND EVEN MORE SO RECENTLY.
AND SOME OF THE QUESTIONS THAT WE'VE HEARD, I'VE, I'M JUST THROWING UP HERE BECAUSE I'VE HEARD 'EM, I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND KNOCK 'EM OUT BEFORE UH, ANY OF YOU GUYS HAVE A CHANCE TO ASK US.
UH, IF YOU, IF I DON'T ANSWER, YOU CAN ASK IT AGAIN, BY ALL MEANS.
BUT, UH, WHERE IS THE 2018 PROJECTS AND IS THIS TAX DOUBLE, DOUBLE-DIPPING? LIKE YOU ALREADY HAVE MONEY FOR THOSE PROJECTS, RIGHT? WELL, THE ANSWER IS YES.
THAT MONEY IS THERE, IT STILL EXISTS.
SO THE MONEY THAT WAS, UH, APPROPRIATED FOR EACH OF THOSE PROJECTS, THERE WAS 80 MILLION TO THE BRIDGE AND, UH, 30 MILLION TO LADIES ISLAND AND 10 MILLION TO THE PATHWAYS THAT'S STILL THERE.
WHAT THIS TAX IS DOING, WHAT I'VE SAID BEFORE IS THOSE PROJECTS NOW COST MORE THAN WHAT WAS EXPECTED BECAUSE OF THE HYPERINFLATION AFTER COVID.
AND SO WE'RE NOT DOUBLE DIPPING, WE'RE MAKING THOSE PROJECTS WHOLE BECAUSE THEY'RE UNDERFUNDED.
SO, UM, OUT OF THE $120 MILLION, AND WE HAVE THIS INFORMATION ON THE WEBSITE, WE'LL SHOW YOU A LITTLE BIT HERE IN A SECOND, A VIDEO, BUT THE, THE COUNTY HAS A WEBSITE THAT HAS ALL THE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS FUTURE SALES TAX AS WELL AS EXISTING, UH, 2018 AND, AND PREVIOUS SALES TAXES.
AND IT HAS ALL THE FINANCIAL INFORMATION.
SO ONE OF THE QUESTION WE GET, WELL, HOW MUCH HAS BEEN EXPENDED, UM, THE 2018 SALES TAX, IT ACTUALLY OVER COLLECTED A LITTLE BIT.
IT ONLY SHUTS OFF ON THE QUARTER.
SO IF YOU'RE RIGHT THERE AT THE LIMIT AND THEN, UM, YOU, YOU GET IT A COUPLE WEEKS INTO THE QUARTER, WELL, IT COLLECTS FOR THAT ENTIRE QUARTER.
SO WE ENDED IN 2018, IT WAS $120 MILLION OR FOUR YEARS.
IT ACTUALLY ENDED UP COLLECTING ABOUT $145 MILLION IN TWO AND A HALF YEARS BY THE TIME IT CUT OFF IN THE QUARTER.
UH, OUT OF THAT APPROXIMATELY $30 MILLION HAS BEEN EXPENDED.
MOST OF THAT IS ON ENGINEERING AND DESIGN.
THE BULK OF IT IS CONSTRUCTION COSTS.
SO WE HAVE CONSTRUCTED A FEW OF THOSE HAVE MADE IT ALL THE WAY THROUGH TO CONSTRUCTION.
UM, AND SO AS PROJECTS, THEY'RE, A LOT OF THEM ARE IN THE RIGHT OF WAY ACQUISITION PHASE.
SO AS THOSE COME TO CONSTRUCTION, THAT NUMBER WILL, WILL START JUMPING UP FASTER.
UH, AND ONCE 2 78 BRIDGE STARTS CONSTRUCTION, OBVIOUSLY THAT'LL, IT'LL REALLY SUCK UP THAT MONEY FROM 2018.
SO, LIKE I SAID, ALL THAT INFORMATION IS THERE IF YOU WANT TO RESEARCH AND FIND, IT'S ON THE WEBSITE AND YOU CAN TOOL AROUND AND TAKE A LOOK.
SO WE'RE NOT, WE'RE NOT DOUBLE DIPPING.
WHY? UM, ONE OF THE REASONS WE HAVE 24 PATHWAYS,
[00:25:01]
WHICH SEEM LIKE EASY PRO, YOU GOT A BRIDGE.OKAY, THAT MAKES SENSE THAT THAT'S GONNA BE A HARDER PROJECT, TAKE A LITTLE BIT LONGER.
UM, BUT YOU'VE GOT THE BRI, YOU'VE GOT THESE PATHWAYS.
AND WHY AREN'T ANY OF THE PROJECTS DONE ON LADIES ISLAND? WELL, SPECIFICALLY TO THE PATHWAYS, IT SEEMS GREAT.
EVERYBODY IN BEAUFORT COUNTY ENJOYS WALKING ON TRAILS ON THE SPANISH MOSS TRAIL.
UM, EVERYBODY LOVES THE RECREATION ASPECT UNTIL IT'S IN YOUR FRONT YARD.
SO, UH, THEN PEOPLE DON'T LOVE IT QUITE AS MUCH WHEN THEY'RE HAVING PEOPLE WALK ACROSS THEIR FRONT YARD OR WHAT USED TO BE THEIR FRONT YARD.
MOST OF THE PATHWAYS, UM, HAVE ABOUT 10 PARCELS AT AT LEAST.
UM, SO IF YOU THINK ABOUT THAT 10 TIMES 24, THAT IN ITSELF IS 240 PARCELS.
AND EACH PARCEL, WHAT WE'RE REQUIRED TO DO IS TO REACH OUT TO THE LANDOWNER, APPRAISE THE VALUE FIRST, DESIGN IT, AND SAY, OKAY, WE NEED TO ACQUIRE 10 FEET TO MAKE THIS PATHWAY PROJECT POSSIBLE.
UH, 10 FEET TIMES A HUNDRED FEET, HOWEVER WIDE YOUR PARCEL IS, THIS IS WHAT THE APPRAISED VALUE OF THAT ACQUISITION WOULD BE.
FROM THERE, UH, THEY CAN SAY, YES, NO, UM, LET ME GET MY APPRAISAL AND IT'S A BACK AND FORTH.
AND THEN, UM, IF WE CAN'T AGREE, THEN WE HAVE TO GO TO THE NEXT STEP AND CONTINUE DOWN.
SO IT JUST TAKES A REALLY LONG TIME.
AND THEN A LOT OF OUR PROJECTS ALSO, UH, WE'RE IN A LOW LYING AREA.
WE HAVE TIDAL INFLUENCE AND MARSHES.
A LOT OF THEM RUN INTO WETLANDS.
AND ANYTIME YOU RUN INTO A WETLAND, THE LEVEL OF PERMITTING JUST IT DRASTICALLY INCREASES AND TAKES A LONG TIME.
SO THOSE ARE THE TWO FACTORS THAT REALLY SLOW DOWN THE PROCESS, SPECIFICALLY HERE IN BEAUFORT COUNTY AS COMPARED TO MAYBE OTHER PARTS OF THE STATE.
UM, SO THEY ARE ALL UNDER DESIGN.
UM, SOME OF THEM ARE COMPLETED.
UM, MOST OF THEM ARE IN THAT RIGHT OF WAY PHASE.
AND SO AS THEY GET THROUGH, UH, IF WE ONLY HAVE EIGHT OUT OF 10 COMPLETE, WE CAN'T START.
SO WE GOTTA GET 10 OUT OF 10 ON EACH, UM, PATHWAY IN HAND BEFORE WE CAN START.
SO AS EACH PROJECT GETS COMPLETED, UM, SO WE DON'T HAVE A DEFINITIVE TIME, THEY WILL BE COMPLETED BY X DATE.
UM, BUT AS THEY ARE, THEY ARE COMING OUT TO CONSTRUCTION.
HELE? I, I'LL, I DON'T, IS ANYBODY HERE FROM ST.
HELENA? OKAY, I'LL PASS ON THAT.
UM, WHAT HAPPENS IF THE REFERENDUM DOESN'T PASS? WE'VE HAD THIS QUESTION A LOT.
THERE'S A COUPLE THINGS THAT COULD HAPPEN AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT WILL HAPPEN.
I DON'T HAVE A CRYSTAL BALL, BUT I CAN GIVE YOU SOME OPTIONS ON WHAT COULD HAPPEN.
SO, UH, IF THIS DOESN'T PASS THE PA THE CHOICE OF LEASE RESISTANCE IS THERE ARE NO FUNDS TO, NO ADDITIONAL TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS IN THE AREA.
UM, ANOTHER OPTION IS, OR LEMME GO THROUGH THE OPTIONS AND THEN I'LL BACK UP TO THE DOT.
UM, ANOTHER OPTION IF COUNTY COUNCIL, SO CHOSE WOULD BE TO FUND SOME OF PROJECTS THROUGH PROPERTY TAX.
SO RAISING MILLAGE, UH, MAYBE THEY DON'T HAVE TO RAISE MILLAGE.
MAYBE THEY, THEY DO, IT JUST DEPENDS ON WHAT THEY HAVE IN THE CURRENT BUDGET AND OR HOW BIG THE PROJECT IS, WHETHER THERE WOULD BE MILLAGE INCREASE FOR PROPERTY TAX.
BUT PROPERTY TAX IS ANOTHER METHOD THAT COUNTY COUNCIL HAS, UH, AS A TOOL IN THE TOOLBOX.
AND THEN LASTLY IS IF THEY, COUNTY COUNCIL WANTED TO, UM, HIT PAUSE BUTTON FOR NOW AND THEN COME BACK IN ANOTHER TWO YEARS.
SO TRANSPORTATION, YOU CAN ONLY PUT IT ON, UM, GENERAL ELECTIONS.
SO IF COUNTY COUNCIL, UH, WANTED TO, THEY COULD BRING THIS BACK UP IN TWO YEARS AND ASK FOR THE, THE VOTERS TO GIVE ANOTHER, UM, VOTE ON IT.
SO THOSE ARE THREE POSSIBLE SCENARIOS.
DON'T KNOW WHICH OR ANY OF THOSE WOULD BE UTILIZED, BUT THOSE, UM, THOSE ARE THE THREE THAT COME TO MIND.
ONE QUESTION WE GET A LOT, WELL, WHY DON'T, WHY DO WE EVEN HAVE TO DO ANYTHING? WHY DIDN'T THERE, WHY CAN'T DOT DO THE ROADS AND DOT COULD DO THE ROADS? MOST OF THE ROADS IN THE COUNTY ARE DOT OWNED ROADS.
UH, THE ISSUE IS JUST AS IT'S A COUNTY ISSUE, IS THEY HAVE A LIMITED AMOUNT OF FUNDING.
AND LIKE I SAID EARLIER, THEIR PRIORITIES ARE DIFFERENT THAN OUR PRIORITIES.
DOESN'T MAKE THEM RIGHT OR WRONG, THEY JUST HAVE A FOCUS PRIORITY.
THEY HAVE FOUR MAIN PRIORITIES, UH, AND THEY HAVE TWO AND A HALF BILLION DOLLARS, WHICH SOUNDS LIKE A LOT UNTIL YOU THINK ABOUT HOW MANY ROADS THEY HAVE.
THEY HAVE OVER 40,000 MILES OF ROADS IN THE STATE.
SO ONCE YOU START THINKING ABOUT THAT AND HOW MUCH IT COSTS TO BUILD THINGS, IT DOESN'T GO AS FAR AS YOU THINK THEIR FOUR PRIORITIES ARE.
INTERSTATE WIDENING, UH, BRIDGE PROJECTS,
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UM, SAFETY AND RESURFACING.SO RIGHT AWAY, BEAUFORT COUNTY DOESN'T HAVE ANY INTERSTATES IN BEAUFORT COUNTY, SO WE'RE NOT GOING TO GET ANY OF THAT FUNDING OUT OF THEIR PRIORITIZED EFFORTS.
OUR BRIDGES, OTHER THAN THE BRIDGES TO HILTON HEAD, WHICH ARE ALREADY PROGRAMMED, ARE IN SATISFACTORY CONDITION.
THEY'RE IN PRETTY DECENT CONDITION COMPARED TO OTHER BRIDGES ACROSS THE STATE.
SO WE'RE REALLY NOT GETTING OUT OF THAT BUCKET EITHER.
SO THE ONLY BUCKET OUT OF.IS TWO AND HALF BILLION DOLLARS IS SAFETY PROJECTS, WHICH ARE TYPICALLY SMALLER AND RESURFACING, WHICH AGAIN, IS NOT THE SAME LEVEL OF INVESTMENT AS INTERSTATES OR BRIDGES.
SO, UM, WHERE DOT SITS ON THIS IS, UM, THEY KNOW THIS IS A TOOL THAT LOCAL GOVERNMENTS HAVE.
AND SO THEY'RE ALLOWING LOCAL GOVERNMENTS IF THEY WANT TO SEE, UM, UH, PROJECTS BEYOND THEIR PRIORITIES ON THEIR SYSTEM.
THEY'RE ALLOWING LOCAL GOVERNMENTS TO USE LOCAL RESOURCES.
SO IF THERE'S A CAPACITY PROJECT OR A SPECIAL, UH, PROJECT THAT'S MORE SPECIFIC TO US THAN THE REST OF THE STATE, THEY'RE DEPENDING ON LOCAL RESOURCES TO HELP MEET THAT NEED.
ALRIGHT, BEAUFORT, PORT ROYAL.
I'VE ALREADY HIT THAT QUESTION.
UH, NO ONE WANTS A THREE THREE LANE ROUNDABOUT.
I'VE HEARD THAT STATEMENT VERY MANY TIMES.
UM, AND WHAT IS THE STATUS OF THAT PROJECT? AS I MENTIONED, OCTOBER 25TH, UM, THERE'LL BE ANOTHER, UH, PUBLIC DISCUSSION ON WHAT THE END PRODUCT WILL BE.
HERE'S THE SHORT STORY ON REBO ROAD.
NO MATTER WHAT THE ATTOR THE THE LONG-TERM PLAN IS, UH, WE KNOW THAT THERE WILL BE A FUNDING REQUIREMENT TO IMPLEMENT THAT PLAN.
SO THE GOAL IS WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO MEET WITH THE PUBLIC AND FINALIZE WHAT THAT PLAN LOOKS LIKE.
BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, THERE WILL BE A NEED IF WE'D LIKE TO SEE IMPROVEMENTS ON, ON THIS CORRIDOR OUT HERE.
SO, UM, THAT'S WHY WE HAVE THE $75 MILLION PLUGGED IN THERE WHILE THE PLAN IS FINALIZED AND DEVELOPED.
UH, WHAT ARE THE MUNICIPAL PROJECTS? SO REALLY IT'S ANY PROJECT THAT FITS IN LINE WITH THE STATE STATUTE.
SO THE STATE STATUTE BASICALLY SAYS ROADS, BRIDGES, HIGHWAYS, DRAINAGE, UH, MASS TRANSIT.
SO ANYTHING THAT FITS THOSE PRIORITIES.
THE ONLY CAVEATS IN THAT, UM, THAT ARE MORE SOUTH OF THE BROAD, NORTH BROAD IS, IS COUNTY COUNCIL.
UM, FOR HILTON HEAD SAID OUT OF HILTON HEAD, YOU'RE $30 MILLION YOU NEED TO ADDRESS SEA PINE CIRCLE.
THAT IS SOMETHING WE, WE HEARD, UH, AS COUNTY COUNCIL WENT AROUND AND WE WERE HALFWAY THROUGH THE PROCESS AND GIMME FEEDBACK, INPUT.
UM, SO THEY MADE THAT STIPULATION.
AND THEN IN THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON IN THAT REGION, UM, THE INPUT THAT WAS RECEIVED WAS NO BLUFFTON PARKWAY FIVE B.
SO THEY MADE THAT SPECIFIC TO THAT.
SO BLUFFTON CAN DO ANYTHING ELSE THAT THEY WANT TO THAT'S WITHIN THE STATUTE, EXCEPT BUILD THAT SECTION OF THE NEW ROAD.
AS FAR AS THE CITY OF BEAUFORT OR, UM, PORT ROYAL, ANY, ANY PROJECT THAT MEETS THAT STATUTE THEY'RE ALLOWED TO DO, WHETHER THAT'S A DOWNTOWN LOCAL ROAD, UM, PORT ROYAL HAS A SPINE ROAD INTO THEIR DOWNTOWN CITY CENTER.
UM, THAT'S SOMETHING, UH, I KNOW SCOTT'S HERE WITH THE CITY.
I'M SURE THEY HAVE A LIST OF PROJECTS AND PROBABLY HAVE DISCUSSED IT AT, AT CITY COUNCIL.
UM, SOME OF THE PRIORITIES AND IF WE HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT, MAYBE SCOTT CAN ANSWER THAT LATER.
UM, SO REALLY THE THE WORLD IS OPEN.
UM, THERE'S NOT A SPECIFIC PROJECT AND THEY'LL GO THROUGH, COORDINATE WITH THEIR COUNCILS WHAT THEIR PRIORITIES AND NEEDS ARE AND WHAT HAPPENS IF THE REFERENDUM DOESN'T PASS OR ANSWERED THAT WELL, THE SIDEWALKS BE FINISHED.
UH, DIRT ROAD PAVING, RURAL AREAS, REFERENDUM.
ALL RIGHT, SO LIKE I SAID, I'VE ALREADY MENTIONED THIS BEFORE, UM, BUT WE HAVE A COUNTY WEBSITE, BEAUFORT COUNTY PENNY.COM, WHERE THERE'S A HOST OF INFORMATION AND YOU CAN CLICK ON IT, UM, THERE WITH THE BARCODE OR IT'S IN YOUR TRIFOLD PAMPHLET.
AND WANT TO JUST GIVE YOU A QUICK OVERVIEW, GOT A VIDEO THAT KIND OF WALK YOU THROUGH AND, AND SHOW YOU SOME OF THE INFORMATION THAT'S ON THAT WEBSITE THAT YOU CAN GO AND LIKE I SAID, EXPLORE A LITTLE BIT MORE AT YOUR LEISURE.
SO BRIAN BEAUFORT, COUNTY RESIDENTS, AS YOU PREPARE TO CAST YOUR BALLOT, IT'S CRUCIAL TO BE INFORMED ABOUT THE UPCOMING REFERENDUM.
VISIT BUFORT COUNTY PENNY.COM TO ACCESS VALUABLE RESOURCES THAT WILL HELP YOU MAKE AN EDUCATED DECISION.
TAKE THE TIME TO READ THROUGH THE SPECIFIC QUESTIONS THAT WILL APPEAR ON YOUR BALLOT.
UNDERSTANDING WHAT IS BEING PROPOSED IS THE FIRST STEP IN PARTICIPATING IN OUR DEMOCRACY.
[00:35:01]
SCROLL THROUGH THE COMPREHENSIVE TIMELINE DETAILING HOW THE REFERENDUM ORIGINATED.THIS WILL GIVE YOU INSIGHTS INTO THE PLANNING AND DISCUSSIONS THAT LED TO THIS PIVOTAL MOMENT.
DIVE INTO THE PROJECT LIST, FAMILIARIZE YOURSELF WITH DETAILED PROJECT LIST, WHICH INCLUDES SIGNIFICANT INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS SUCH AS HIGHWAY 2 78, LADIES ISLAND, SC 46, AND REBO ROAD.
KNOWING WHERE FUNDS WILL BE ALLOCATED IS ESSENTIAL FOR UNDERSTANDING THE REFERENDUM'S POTENTIAL IMPACT ON OUR COMMUNITY.
IF THE REFERENDUM IS APPROVED, A CITIZENS LED OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE WILL BE FORMED.
THIS VOLUNTEER GROUP, WHICH WILL REPRESENT BOTH MUNICIPALITIES AND UNINCORPORATED AREAS OF BEAUFORT COUNTY, WILL OVERSEE THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE REFERENDUM PROJECTS, ENSURING TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY.
UNDERSTAND WHAT YOUR VOTE MEANS, YOUR VOTE IS YOUR VOICE.
MAKE SURE YOU'RE EQUIPPED WITH THE KNOWLEDGE TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE FUTURE OF BUFORT COUNTY.
VISIT BUFORT COUNTY PENNY.COM TODAY TO GET INFORMED AND ENGAGED BEFORE NOVEMBER 5TH.
SO, UM, THAT'S REALLY ALL THE INFORMATION I WANTED TO MAKE SURE EVERYONE WAS INFORMED AND ARMED THAT YOU FEEL FULLY EDUCATED.
AND WITH THAT, REALLY JUST OPEN UP THE QUESTIONS.
SO, UH, THIS IS A PUBLIC MEETING.
I KNOW WE'RE KIND OF IN SMALL AUDIENCE HERE, BUT IF YOU COULD, IF YOU DO HAVE A QUESTION, IF YOU COME UP TO THE MICROPHONE AND INTRODUCE YOURSELF.
AND THEN, UM, I'LL BE UP HERE AND BRIAN, OUR ATTORNEY, AND IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR MS. MARIE OR EVEN OUR COUNTY MANAGER OR POSSIBLY A CITY QUESTION, WE'LL TRY TO ANSWER AS MUCH AS WE CAN AND DON'T BE BASHFUL TALK.
UH, THANK YOU MS. SMALLS AND GENTLEMEN FOR, UH, PUTTING THIS MENU ON TONIGHT.
I KNOW IT'S GETTING CLOSE TO DINNER TIME.
UM, HOW MANY QUESTIONS DO WE GET? HOWEVER MANY YOU WANT.
THIS IS NOT A TRADITIONAL, I ONLY GOT TWO, SO I YOU DON'T HAVE THREE MINUTES.
THE FIRST ONE WAS, UM, IN YOUR, UM, INFORMATION PACKET.
PACKET, YOU SAID THAT YOU'RE GONNA BE LOOKING AT BOTH STATE AND FEDERAL MATCHING FUNDS.
IF YOU DO GET THOSE FUNDS, IS THAT ON TOP OF YOUR 950 MILLION OR IS THAT GONNA POUR INTO THE 950 MILLION POT? IT WOULD BE ON TOP OF.
SO, UM, THE TRIANGLE IS A REALLY GOOD PROJECT.
UM, IF WE CAN GET, IT WOULD BE ABOVE AND BEYOND THAT, SO, OKAY, BECAUSE I TOTALED UP ALL THE MONEY.
YOU HAD ALL YOUR PROJECTS AND THEY ALL EQUAL NINE 50 MILLION.
SO EXTRA MONEY, I ASSUME THERE'S A PLAN FOR EXTRA MONEY? YES.
SO, SO A GOOD EXAMPLE IS, UH, ON 2 78, THE BRIDGE PROJECT FROM 2018, UM, THERE WAS AN ALLOCATION FOR $80 MILLION AND WE WERE ABLE TO TAKE THAT $80 MILLION AND GET 40 MILLION FROM DOT AND THEN $120 MILLION FROM THE STATE INFRASTRUCTURE BANK.
AND THEN SINCE THEN WE'VE GOT SOME ADDITIONAL FUND.
NOW WE'VE GOT, UH, A DELTA FROM, FROM THE INFLATIONARY PRESSURES.
SO THAT'S THE REASON WE'RE COMING BACK.
BUT YEAH, THAT'S, THAT'S HOW WE'D BE USED.
SECOND QUESTION QUICK WAS, UM, THE, SOME OF THE AREAS THAT WEREN'T GONNA BE TAXED INCLUDED, UM, RENT, MORTGAGES AND FUEL, BUT YET YOU TALK ABOUT ONE OF THE REASONS FOR THIS TAX IS BECAUSE OF THE GROWTH HERE.
AND THE GROWTH IS PEOPLE MOVING HERE WHO PAY RENT AND MORTGAGES AND IT'S 90% AT TRANSPORTATION, UH, WHICH IS PEOPLE WHO DRIVE YOU AND BURN FUEL.
SO I WAS JUST CURIOUS WHY THOSE AREAS AREN'T BEING TAXED TO FUND THIS WHEN THAT'S KIND OF THE DRIVING, YOU KNOW, UNDERMINE PROCESS.
PEOPLE MOVING HERE, RIGHT? THERE'S THE NEED FOR ROAD IMPROVEMENTS.
WELL, SO, UH, THE REASON IS, IS IT'S THE PARAMETERS OF THE TAX ARE SET IN THE STATE STATUTE.
OKAY? SO IT ONLY SAYS THAT, UH, THIS IS WHAT IT CAN BE TAXED ON.
AND ESSENTIALLY IT'S RETAIL SALES.
SO IF YOU GO OUT TO EAT OR GO SHOP AT WALMART OR HOBBY LOBBY, UM, THOSE ARE THE ITEMS WHERE YOU'LL BE TAXED.
SO YOUR RENT, UH, OBVIOUSLY THAT, WHETHER IT'S RENT OR MORTGAGES, IS THAT, AND THEN GAS HAS ITS OWN GAS TAX.
ULTIMATELY IT WAS JUST OTHER STATUTES THAT CONSTRAINED WHERE YOU COULD APPLY THE TAX.
WELL, IT'S IMPORTANT TO KEEP IN MIND THIS IS A TAX THAT THE STATE ALLOWS US TO IMPLEMENT TO AUGMENT THOSE FUNDS WHERE YOU PUT THOSE OTHER TAXES.
'CAUSE THOSE DON'T MEET YOUR NEEDS.
SO THIS IS JUST SOMETHING TO AUGMENT THAT.
OKAY? YEP, THAT'S GREAT QUESTIONS.
SURELY WE'VE GOT MORE QUESTIONS THAN THAT.
THIS IS GONNA BE THE SHORTEST MEETING YET.
UM, HOW ARE THESE PROJECTS SELECTED? WHAT WAS THE PROCESS? YEAH, YEAH, GREAT QUESTION.
SO, UM, THIS IS NOT, AND IF YOU GO ON THE WEBSITE, IT'LL, IT'LL GIVE YOU SOME HISTORY, BUT ACTUALLY THE HISTORY STARTED A COUPLE YEARS AGO.
SO IN 2022, UH, COUNTY COUNCIL ESTABLISHED A CITIZEN LED
[00:40:01]
OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE OR A CITIZEN SALES TAX ADVISORY COMMITTEE, EXCUSE ME.AND IT WAS A 17 MEMBER COMMITTEE.
SO IT HAD ONE REPRESENTATIVE FROM EACH COUNCIL DISTRICT, 11 DISTRICTS AND ONE FROM EACH MUNICIPALITY, INCLUDING YEE AND HARVILLE.
UH, THEY SPENT ABOUT FIVE MONTHS MEETING WEEKLY TO SAY, WHAT DO WE NEED FOR OUR COUNTY? AND THEY CAME UP WITH A LIST OF ROAD PROJECTS.
THAT'S WHERE THE LIST ORIGINATED FROM.
AND THEN FROM THERE, UM, THEY MADE A PRESENTATION IN MAY OF 2022 TO COUNTY COUNCIL.
AND SHORTLY THEREAFTER, GREEN SPACE HAD JUST BEEN PINNED AND AUTHORIZED AT THE STATE LEVEL.
SO COUNTY COUNCIL SAID, DO WE WANT TO DO GREEN SPACE OR ROADS? AND THEY OPTED FOR GREEN SPACE, UM, BUT SAID NO FOR NOW, BUT NOT FOREVER ON ROADS.
AND THEN WE'RE GONNA COME BACK TO ROADS.
SO THEN FAST FORWARD, AND THIS IS WHERE THE WEBSITE PICKS UP, UH, THEY ESTABLISHED COUNTY COUNCIL, ESTABLISHED ANOTHER SALES TAX COMMITTEE, CITIZEN COMMITTEE IN JULY OF 2023.
THIS ONE WAS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT.
UM, BUT THEY BASICALLY TOOK THAT ROAD LIST FROM THE PREVIOUS YEAR AND BROUGHT IT FORWARD AND UPDATED IT FOR KNOWN PROJECTS.
UH, AND THEN THEY MADE A RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL.
SO THEY CAME FROM CITIZENS, JUST LIKE EVERYONE HERE IN THE SEATS, UH, OF WHAT'S OF NEED.
THERE WAS ALSO, UH, COUNTY STAFF ENGINEERING STAFF HELPED ASSIST THAT DISCUSSIONS AS THEY WERE TALKING THROUGH SOME OF THOSE IMPROVEMENTS.
BUT THAT'S WHERE IT ALL CAME FROM.
WELL, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING YOU WANNA SAY,
I'M HERE REPRESENTING THE BOARD OF VOTER REGISTRATION AND ELECTIONS.
AND, UM, WE ARE, OUR ROLE IN THE PROCESS IS JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT THE QUESTION IS ON THE BALLOT AND THAT YOU HAVE ACCESS TO THE BALLOT.
SO, UM, IF YOU HAVE ANY VOTER REGISTRATION OR ELECTION QUESTIONS, THAT'S WHAT I'M HERE FOR.
SO IF YOU HAVE ANY, I'LL BE HAPPY TO ANSWER THEM FOR YOU.
AND WHEN IS THERE EARLY ELECTION STUFF? OKAY.
HOW ABOUT EARLY VOTING STARTS? THAT'S WHAT I MEANT.
WHEN EARLY VOTING STARTS ON MONDAY, UM, OCTOBER THE 21ST, AND WE WILL HAVE FOUR EARLY VOTING LOCATIONS IN BEAUFORT COUNTY.
HELENA AT THE LIBRARY, ONE AT THE OFFICE IN BEAUFORT, WHICH IS AT 15 JOHN GALT ROAD.
THE OTHER IS, UM, IN BLUFFTON AT THE BLUFFTON RECREATION CENTER IN THE GYMNASIUM.
UM, AND ON HILTON HEAD AT USCB, UM, HILTON HEAD CAMPUS, WHICH IS DIFFERENT FROM WHERE WE WERE BEFORE.
AND IT'S A LARGER FACILITY WHICH WILL ACCOMMODATE MORE PEOPLE.
SO IF YOU ARE LIVING IN ANY ONE OF THOSE AREAS, OR IF YOU IN THOSE AREAS WITHIN THE NEXT TWO WEEKS AND YOU WANNA CASH YOUR BALLOT EARLY, YOU CAN USE EITHER ONE OF THOSE LOCATIONS.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL ELECTION DAY.
ON ELECTION DAY, YOU'LL HAVE TO GO TO YOUR ASSIGNED PRECINCT.
SO DURING EARLY VOTING, WE ARE OPEN UNTIL EIGHT, UH, OR SIX O'CLOCK IN THE EVENING, MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY.
SO PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD, LET PEOPLE KNOW, UM, THEY HAVE ACCESS TO THE BALLOT.
UM, MORE OFTEN THEY WOULD THAN THEY WOULD JUST ON ELECTION DAY.
MY NAME'S NEIL ETTE, I LIVE IN SHELL POINT.
AND, UM, THEY DID A LOT OF SURVEYING SAYING THEY'RE GONNA PUT A SIDEWALK MM-HMM,
SO I GUESS THEY'RE PROBABLY IN THE PROCESS OF TALKING TO ALL THOSE HOMEOWNERS.
IS THAT WHAT'S GOING ON THERE? VERY MUCH SO.
SO IT, IT IS, THERE'S BEEN PRELIMINARY DESIGN ON EACH PROJECT.
WE, WE COUNTY COUNCIL PASSED A RESOLUTION THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE TWO PUBLIC MEETINGS AT A MINIMUM.
UM, THE FIRST ONE IS TO SAY, HEY, WE'RE COMING TO YOU.
WE DON'T HAVE MUCH OF A PLAN OTHER THAT WE'RE PUTTING A PATHWAY.
AND THE NEXT ONE IS TYPICALLY FURTHER ALONG KIND OF 50 OR 60% IN DESIGN TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
AND SO WE'VE HOSTED THOSE AND THEN WE ARE IN THAT RIGHT OF WAY AND PERMITTING PHASE.
SO I HEARD IT WAS GONNA BE ON THE, THE LEFT SIDE, NOT ON THE SCHOOL SIDE.
UM, BRIAN BAUER, OUR, OUR, UM, ENGINEERING DIRECTORS HERE.
DO YOU, I DON'T KNOW THE SPECIFIC, BRIAN, DO YOU KNOW I TOO MUCH WE CAN GET, IF YOU LEAVE ME, ME OR BRIAN YOUR INFORMATION, WE CAN GIVE YOU THE SPECIFICS.
ALSO, IF YOU GO ON THE WEBSITE, IT IS THERE AS WELL TOO.
UM, WHAT WE CLICKED ON WAS THE 2024,
[00:45:01]
BUT THERE'S INFORMATION ON 2018.SO EITHER WAY, IF YOU WANT TO LOOK AT THAT WAY OR NOT, WE CAN LET YOU KNOW MORE SPECIFICALLY.
WELL I THINK THEN, UH, WE APPRECIATE EVERYBODY COMING AND SPENDING A LITTLE BIT OF YOUR EVENING WITH US.
AND AGAIN, UH, BRIAN, JUST TO REITERATE, THIS IS JUST EDUCATIONAL AND FACTUAL INFORMATION.
THERE'S NO INTENT TO ADVOCATE ONE WAY OR ANOTHER PERSUADE YOU VOTE FOR OR AGAINST REFERENDUM.
THAT'S YOUR OWN PERSONAL DECISION.
WE WANT YOU TO HAVE THE INFORMATION YOU NEED TO MAKE AN INTELLIGENT DECISION.
IF YOU, IF I DIDN'T INTRODUCE YOU, I'M ALREADY