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CLOSED CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY BUFORT COUNTY
I'D LIKE TO CALL THIS TOWN COUNCIL WORKSHOP MEETING OF WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 30TH, 2024 TO ORDER CAN HAVE A MOTION TO ADOPT THE AGENDA.
MOVE COUNCIL, ADOPT THE AGENDA.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE SIGN SIGNIFY BY RAISING YOUR RIGHT HANDS.
SO, WORKSHOP DISCUSSION, UH, REAL QUICK.
WE DO HAVE A TIMETABLE TODAY THAT WE NEED TO BE OUT BY NOON.
UM, SO LET'S KEEP THAT IN MIND AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
UM, MR. CO WILL HAVE SOME QUESTIONS FOR US.
WE WILL OPEN UP, UM, FOR WORKSHOP COMMENTS AFTER THREE C AND THEN WE'LL GO TO, UH, PUBLIC COMMENT AFTER THAT AS WELL.
SO, WITH THAT BEING SAID, SEAN, I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND TURN IT OVER TO YOU.
UH, MAYOR, COUNCIL, TOWN MANAGER, UM, APPRECIATE BEING HERE THIS MORNING.
GO OVER THIS, UH, ADDITIONAL WORKSHOP AND THESE TOPICS RELATED TO BEACH RENOURISHMENT RESILIENCE PLAN AND STORMWATER UTILITY UPDATE.
SO, KIM, IF YOU CAN PULL UP THE BEACH RENOURISHMENT UPDATE.
UM, MAYOR COUNCIL, BEFORE I JUMP IN, I'LL PRESENT YOU AN OVERVIEW OF THE BEACH RE NOURISHMENT PROGRAM, AN UPCOMING BEACH RE NOURISHMENT PROJECT.
I'LL ILLUSTRATE BENEFITS OF THE PROGRAM AS WELL AS PROJECT IMPLICATIONS.
YOU KNOW, A QUESTION FOR TOWN COUNCIL WILL BE PRESENTED REGARDING THE OPTIONS TO FUND THE ANTICIPATED $42 MILLION PROJECT.
WHILE NO ACTION IS TAKEN DURING WORKSHOPS, DIRECTION FROM TOWN COUNCIL IS APPRECIATED TO ALLOW MARK AND STAFF TO FOCUS PREPARATION FOR THE UPCOMING FISCAL 26 BUDGET.
UM, I'LL GO OVER AN OVERVIEW OF THE PROGRAM, UM, INCLUDING PROGRAM BACKGROUND.
WE'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT PROJECT STATUS, UH, AND UPDATE WITH THE SCHEDULE.
UM, A DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT FOR ALL THE ELEMENTS, UH, THAT ARE PART OF THE PROJECT SOUTH BE CENTRAL ISLAND, THE HILL FISH HALL CREEK, AND PINE ISLAND.
AS YOU KNOW, FISH WALL CREEK AND PINE ISLAND WERE ADDED TO THE DEFINED BEACH IN THE LAST FEW YEARS AND ARE NOW PART OF, UH, PART OF THE PROJECT.
UM, WE'LL HAVE PROJECT FUNDING AND I'LL, AND I'LL ASK AND CALL UPON ADRIANA AND JOHN MCGOWAN TO, TO GO OVER THE FUNDING COMPONENTS, UM, AND THEN LET YOU KNOW WHERE WE'RE AT WITH OUR COMMUNICATION PLAN, UH, REGARDING THE PROJECT BECAUSE OF THE IMPLICATION IT HAS, UM, ALONG OUR, OUR BEACHFRONT BEACHFRONT PROPERTIES AND SCHEDULING.
YOU HAVE PRESENTATIONS IN FRONT OF YOU THAT HAVE BEEN UPDATED, UM, BUT WE'VE BEEN, WE'VE BEEN FORTUNATE TO BE ABLE TO RENOURISH OUR BEACHES.
UH, WE'VE BEEN FORTUNATE THAT WE'VE HAD TO HAVE A DEDICATED FUNDING SOURCE TO DO THAT.
UM, BUT IT'S BEEN RENOURISHED, UM, A FEW TIMES IN THE PAST.
MAJOR RENOURISHMENT IN 19 90, 97, 2000, 2016.
SO, UM, WE'RE OUTLINING A 2025 PROJECT.
AND SO YOU CAN SEE THE GAP BETWEEN THOSE SEVEN TO 10 YEARS IS THE, IS THE TYPICAL INTERVAL.
UM, AND I WANNA POINT THAT OUT BECAUSE IT DOES HAVE IMPLICATIONS WHEN WE TALK ABOUT FUNDING AND OUR BOND ISSUE FOR THE 2017.
AND THEN YOUR FUNDING DISCUSSION AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
UH, THE PROJECT WILL INCLUDE ABOUT 2.2 MILLION CUBIC YARDS OF SAND PLACED ALONG THE ATLANTIC, UH, BEACHES AND ALSO, UM, AROUND PORT ROYAL SOUND.
IT ALSO, NOW THAT WE'VE DEFINED THE BEACH TO INCLUDE PINE ISLAND, IT'LL INCLUDE SOME STRUCTURES IN THE PINE ISLAND SECTION, UH, SIX GROIN OR BREAKWATER, UH, STRUCTURES IN THAT AREA.
THE SAND WILL BE TAKEN FROM FOUR OFFSHORE BORROW SITES, AND THERE'LL BE SOME ILLUSTRATIONS THAT SHOW WHERE WE'RE PLACING THE SAND AND THE BORROW SITES WHERE WE'RE TAKING THE SAND FROM.
UH, AGAIN, IT'S, THIS PROJECT IS IMPLEMENTED, UM, ABOUT ON A EIGHT TO 10 YEAR CYCLE.
THE PROJECT ESTIMATED COST IS 42 MILLION.
UH, WE'VE KNOWN THAT NUMBER IN, IN THE FISCAL 25 BUDGET.
WE BUDGETED 16 TO BE ABLE TO ALLOW US TO EXECUTE A CONTRACT, MOBILIZE AND INITIATE THE PROJECT, KNOWING THAT WE'D HAVE TO FIGURE OUT THE ADDITIONAL, UM, 25 OR $6 MILLION IN THE FISCAL 26, UH, BUDGET.
UM, I WANNA POINT OUT THAT AS THE PROJECT PROGRESSES, UM, THE OPERATION MOVES ABOUT 200 TO 300 FEET PER DAY, AND THE TYPICAL INTERRUPTION TO ANY ONE PROPERTY IS A FEW DAYS.
UM, AND THAT'S IT, RIGHT? SO IT MOVES PAST THE PROPERTY, UM, MOVES ABOUT A THOUSAND, A THOUSAND TO 1500 FEET PER WEEK.
UM, AND THEN THE PROJECT SCHEDULES DEVELOPED WITH, UM, THROUGH OUR PERMITTING, WITH COORDINATION THROUGH THE ARMY CORPS, UM, AND INPUT FROM THE US FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE
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AN IMPACT TO THREATENED OR ENDANGERED SPECIES.SO FISH AND WILDLIFE RECOMMENDS THE CONSTRUCTION WINDOWS FOR WHERE THE PLANT, THE SAND IS BEING PLACED.
AND THEN THAT'S RECOMMENDED ARMY CORPS INCLUDED IN PART OF, AS PART OF THE PERMIT PROJECT ACTIVITY.
THIS GIVES, I WANNA TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE PROGRAM AND THEN WE'LL GET INTO THE PROJECT SO YOU CAN SEE THE TIMELINE FOR WHERE WE'VE HAD MAJOR PROJECTS AND THEN, UH, INTERIM OR SUPPLEMENTAL PROJECTS.
SO AGAIN, 1990 IS WHEN THIS WAS INITIALIZED, 97 99, THERE WAS AN EMERGENCY PROJECT IN SOUTH BEACH.
UM, WE HAD A GROIN REHABILITATION IN 2008, ANOTHER GROIN IN 2012.
UM, SMALL PROJECT AGAIN IN 2014.
UM, AND NOW WE'RE WORKING FOR OUR NEXT RENOURISHMENT PROJECT TO EXECUTE.
UM, IT'S THE THE BIGGEST DOLLAR FIGURE PROJECT.
UM, AND, AND IT'S GOT THE GREATEST EXTENT BECAUSE WE'VE ADDED PINE ISLAND AND, AND FISH ALL.
I THINK THESE ARE REALLY TELLING, UM, THROUGH OUR PROGRAM.
THE, UM, THE WIDTH OF THE BEACH FROM 1990 THROUGH, UH, 2017 ON AVERAGE HAS GAINED 200 FEET IN WIDTH OF, OF, OF BEACH.
BUT THIS IS PRETTY TELLING, YOU CAN SEE NORTH, NORTH FOREST BEACH, WHAT THE BEACH LOOKED LIKE IN, IN THOSE AREAS.
YOU CAN SEE, UH, THE BEACH AND, UH, AND NEAR THE FOLLY IN SINGLETON BEACH BEFORE THE FIRST RENOURISHMENT.
UH, AND THEN YOU CAN SEE UP AT PORT ROYAL, UH, PRIOR TO THE FIRST RENOURISHMENT, WHAT THAT BEACH LOOKED LIKE.
AND SO THROUGH THE RENOURISHMENT, UH, THERE'S BEEN SIGNIFICANT WIDENING OF THE BEACH AND PROTECTION, UM, OF THE BEACHFRONT PROPERTIES, UM, IN OUR MAIN ASSET PROJECT SCHEDULE, UM, WE DID RECEIVE THE BIOLOGICAL OPINION FROM FISH AND WILDLIFE IN AUGUST OF 2000, UH, 24.
UM, THAT DID HAVE DEFINED WINDOWS FOR WHAT WE CALL PHASE ONE AND TWO OF THE PROJECT, AND I'LL TALK ABOUT 'EM, UM, AS WE GET DOWN TOWARD THE BOTTOM HERE.
UM, WE STILL HAVE, UH, TO BE DETERMINED ON THE PHASE THREE, WHICH ARE, ARE THE STRUCTURES UP IN THE PINE ISLAND SECTION.
UM, THE BIOLOGICAL OPINION IS INCLUDED, SETS THE WINDOW, UH, SETS CONDITIONS, UM, AND IS, IS PROVIDED THE ARMY CORPS TO BE FOLDED INTO THE FEDERAL PERMIT THROUGH THE ARMY CORPS AND ALSO THROUGH THE STATE PERMIT, THROUGH THE DEPARTMENT.
UM, UH, OR THE OTO, UH, I'M SORRY, OFFICE OF COASTAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT THROUGH THE STATE, UH, USED TO BE THROUGH DE.
UM, SO PROJECT SCHEDULE, UH, WE'RE, WE ANTICIPATE TO HAVE THE PRO THE PROJECT PERMITTED BY END OF YEAR.
UH, WE'RE WORKING WITH, WITH THE PROJECT PARTNERS, ALL THOSE PERMITTING ENTITIES TO FINALIZE, UM, INFORMATION IN THE BIOLOGIC OPINION AND TO FINALIZE THE PROJECT.
UM, CHRIS CREED, WHO WE HAVE HERE FROM FOTH OLSON, UM, HIS FIRM HAS DONE A FALL SURVEY TO HELP DEFINE AND REFINE THE PROJECT THAT WILL INFORM THE FINAL PROJECT THAT WE BID OUT, UM, IN THE SPRING.
SO WE ANTICIPATE TO HAVE THE PERMIT BY END OF YEAR BID THE PROJECT OUT, UH, FIRST OF, OF NEXT YEAR, AND COMPLETE THAT, UH, EVALUATION AND AWARD OF CONTRACT BY APRIL 1ST.
UM, THE THREE PHASES OF THE PROJECT, AND I'LL KIND OF POINT UP TO THE MAP A LITTLE BIT, BUT PHASE ONE IS SAND PLACEMENT.
SO IT INCLUDES THE PINE ISLAND FISH OIL CREEK, AND THE HILL PORT ROYAL, UH, PIECE THAT'S HIGHLIGHTED IN GREEN.
UM, THE WINDOW TO PLACE THAT SAND IS IS JUNE, 2025 TO OCTOBER, 2025.
SO THAT'LL BE THE FIRST PHASE THAT'S COMPLETED.
PHASE TWO, WHICH IS THE CENTRAL BEACH PORTION, AND THE SOUTH BEACH PORTION, THE WINDOW TO PLACE SAND THERE IS SEPTEMBER OF 25 THROUGH MAY OF 26, SO THAT THE, THE TOTAL WINDOW IS, IS ABOUT 12 MONTHS.
I DON'T KNOW IF, I DON'T THINK IT'LL TAKE 12 MONTHS TO DO THE WHOLE PROJECT, BUT THAT'S THE WINDOW FOR EXECUTION.
AND THEN THE FINAL PIECE IS THEN GOING BACK AND PUTTING THE STRUCTURES IN THE PINE ISLAND SECTION, WHICH WE CALL, WHICH IS PART OF THE PHASE THREE PORTION OF THE PROJECT.
UM, I DO WANNA POINT OUT THAT THE, THERE WERE OPTIONS PRESENTED.
OUR RECOMMENDATION, UH, STAFF AND, UH, WITH OUR, WITH CHRIS AND OUR CONSULTING TEAM, WAS TO ADD THE SIX STRUCTURES, THE GROINS, UH, WE DID PROVIDE THAT INFORMATION TO HILTON HEAD PLANTATION BOARD, AND THEY ALSO SUPPORTED THAT SAME POSITION.
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SO, UM, LET'S TALK ABOUT WHERE THE SAND IS GOING.AND AGAIN, IF YOU LOOK AT THE SECTIONS OF BEACH, UM, THEIR BUCKET IS SORT OF IN BIG, IN BIG CATEGORIES, BUT ABOUT 200,000 CUBIC YARDS OF SAND AT PINE ISLAND, AGAIN, WITH THOSE SIX BREAKWATER STRUCTURES.
UM, AND WE'LL SEE THE STRUCTURES, UM, ON A LITTLE MORE ENGINEERING DETAIL DRAWING IN A MINUTE HERE ABOUT ABOUT 50,000 CUBIC YARDS AT FISH HALL, HALF A MILLION CUBIC YARD IN THE HEEL, 700,000 CENTRAL ATLANTIC AND 750 ON SOUTH BEACH.
WE'VE INCLUDED THESE IN THE PRESENTATION AND IN THE PACKET AND WHAT WAS POSTED, JUST SO YOU CAN SEE WITH A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL, THE ACTUAL EXTENT OF THE, OF THE FILL PROJECT.
AND SO IT STARTS ON THE SOUTH END HERE AT SOUTH BEACH.
UM, YOU CAN SEE THE EXTENT, UM, OF THE SAND PLACEMENT HERE IN THESE, UM, IN THESE PROFILES.
AND, UM, AS YOU WALK AROUND FROM SOUTH TO NORTH, YOU CAN SEE, UM, THE EXTENT AND WHERE, WHERE SAND IS BEING PLACED AND THE BEACH IS BEING RESTORED.
SO WE'RE UP IN THE HEEL SECTION HERE AND THEN UP IN THE, UM, PINE ISLAND.
AND SO I WANTED TO POINT THIS OUT.
SO WE TALKED ABOUT THE SIX STRUCTURES, THE BREAKWATERS OR, OR GROINS.
YOU CAN SEE, UM, THE ARTICULATION OF THOSE SIX STRUCTURES.
YOU KNOW, THREE HAVE BOTH A, A PERPENDICULAR HOR HORIZONTAL FEATURE.
AND THEN THERE'S THREE THAT REALLY HAVE MORE OF A, UH, A PARALLEL, UM, ALIGNMENT TO, TO THE EXISTING SHO FRONT.
SO I'M GONNA ASK ADRIANA AND TO JOHN TO, TO, TO COME IN AND, AND, AND HELP WITH THIS.
BUT WE, AGAIN, WE'VE KNOWN THAT THE PROJECT, THE ESTIMATE HAS BEEN 42 MILLION AND WE'VE BEEN PLANNING FOR THAT FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS.
UM, WE WERE DELIBERATE IN MAKING SURE THAT THIS CURRENT BUDGET HAD MONEY TO BE ABLE TO EXECUTE AND MOBILIZE A CONTRACT, UH, CONTRACT AND CONTRACTOR, UH, KNOWING THAT WE DIDN'T WANNA CARRY THE ENTIRE $42 MILLION IN THE CIP, UM, BECAUSE WE KNEW IT WAS GONNA, IT WAS GONNA STRADDLE AND MOST OF THE PROJECT WAS GONNA BE EXECUTED IN FISCAL 26.
UM, SO I'M GONNA ASK ADRIANA TO RUN THROUGH FUNDING OPTIONS, AND THERE'S TWO MORE SLIDES RELATED TO FUNDING THAT I THINK ARE UM, ARE IMPORTANT FOR COUNCIL, UH, TO CONSIDER.
GOOD MORNING, THANK COUNCIL MEMBERS AND MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY.
IT'S GREAT TO BE HERE, ESPECIALLY TALKING ABOUT THIS TOPIC.
AS YOU WILL KNOW, THIS IS A BIG PROJECT FOR OUR TOWN.
AS SEAN MENTIONED BEFORE, WE HAVE AN ESTIMATED COST OF ABOUT 42, 42 AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS FOR THIS PROJECT.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, AS YOU WELL KNOW, YOU APPROVE A 16.5 BUDGET THIS YEAR.
AND SO IF WE TAKE THE 16 AND A HALF, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT $26 MILLION THAT WE ARE THINKING OF, HOW DO WE FUND THE, THE REST OF THE MONEY? HOW DO WE FUND $42 MILLION? SO IF YOU MOVE TO THE NEXT SLIDE, SEAN, FOR ME, PLEASE.
I WANTED TO MAKE YOU AWARE THAT THERE IS A BONDS OUTSTANDING THAT WE TOOK IN 2017 THAT OUR PITCH PRESERVATION BONDS.
AND WHEN WE TOOK THESE BONDS BACK IN 2017, UH, WE GOT $30.1 MILLION.
SO THE, THE CHART THAT YOU SEE THERE IS ACTUALLY THE REMAINING PAYMENTS THAT WE HAVE FOR THIS BOND.
SO THE TOTAL AMOUNT IS $12 MILLION THAT WE HAVE REMAINING AND OUTSTANDING.
BUT ONE THING THAT I DO WANT TO BRING TO YOUR ATTENTION IN FOR FISCAL YEAR 25, WE HAVE A, AN INTEREST AMOUNT THAT IS DUE, WHICH IS $274,000.
AND THEN IF WE LOOK AT THE OTHER FISCAL YEARS, UM, ONE THING THAT YOU NEED TO MAKE SURE YOU UNDERSTAND IS THAT THERE'S A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN, UM, IN FISCAL YEAR 26, WE HAVE NON CULLABLE BONDS.
THAT MEANS WE HAVE TO OF COURSE PAY THOSE.
WE CANNOT CALL THOSE BONDS, THEY'RE NON CULLABLE.
HOWEVER, THE ONES THAT START AFTER AUGUST 1ST, 2025, WHICH INCLUDES THE, THE, THE, THE AMOUNTS AF AFTER 2026, THE 2 1, 20, 26, 20 27, AND THE REMAINING NUMBERS, THOSE ARE CALLABLE BONDS.
SO WHAT THAT MEANS FOR EVERYBODY'S INFORMATION IS THAT WE ISSUE THE BONDS AND WE HAVE, UM, WE HAVE THE RIGHT TO REDEEM THOSE BONDS AND PAY FOR THOSE, UH, PAY BOTH THE PRINCIPLE AND ALSO THE INTEREST THAT HAS ACCRUED UP TO THAT POINT WHEN WE CALL THOSE BONDS.
SO WHAT DOES THAT REALLY MEAN? THAT MEANS THAT WE ACTUALLY CAN DO THREE THINGS.
AND THIS IS WHAT JOHN, UM, AND BY
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THE WAY, I DIDN'T INTRODUCE JOHN AND I APOLOGIZE FOR THAT, JOHN, BUT THAT'S A REINTRODUCTION THAT I HAVE TO MAKE.UM, BUT JOHN IS GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT THREE OPTIONS.
SO WHAT HAPPENS IF WE PAY OFF THESE BONDS? WHAT HAPPENS IF WE DON'T PAY OFF THESE BONDS? SO THE OPTIONS ARE FOR ILLUSTRATION PURPOSES, THERE'S SOME INFORMATION THAT WE DON'T HAVE.
SO WE HAVE MADE SOME ASSUMPTIONS.
SO JOHN IS GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT THESE ASSUMPTIONS AND IT'S GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT DIFFERENT OPTIONS THAT WE NEED TO CONSIDER AS WE THINK ABOUT FUNDING FOR THE FUTURE FOR THIS BISHOP RENOURISHMENT.
SO FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT ARE NOT FAMILIAR WITH JOHN MACAU, AND HE'S ACTUALLY NEW TO OUR TOWN, HE ACTUALLY STARTED THE FIRST DAY THAT I STARTED IN THIS TOWN, AND HE HAS GREAT EXPERIENCE WITH CREDIT RATING AGENCIES IN ADDITION TO TIFFS IN ADDITION TO DEBT MANAGEMENT.
AND HE'S ACTUALLY NOW LEADING OUR NEW TREASURY ADMINISTRATION TEAM THAT HANDLES CASH MANAGEMENT, DEBT MANAGEMENT AND GRANTS.
SO JOHN IS GOING TO BE TALKING TO YOU ABOUT THREE OPTIONS, BUT I DO WANT YOU TO REMEMBER, AS YOU TALK ABOUT THOSE THREE OPTIONS, I WANT YOU TO REMEMBER THAT WE HAVE CALLABLE BONDS, THAT THAT'S THE KEY BETWEEN NON CALLABLE AND CALLABLE.
AND THOSE ARE VERY IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND AS WE TALK ABOUT THREE OPTIONS.
JOHN, OH, I FORGOT TO ASK ANY QUESTIONS.
SO YEAH, WE'D LIKE TO, UH, GO OVER A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT SCENARIOS ON HOW WE COULD POTENTIALLY PAY FOR THIS SIGNIFICANT, UH, $42 MILLION CAPITAL PROJECT.
UM, ADRIANA MENTIONED THE CALLABILITY, SO I DON'T NEED TO GO INTO DETAILS ON THAT.
AND BY THE WAY, THIS, THIS SLIDE IN FRONT OF YOU, IT'S CHANGED SLIGHTLY FROM THE SLIDE THAT WAS IN THE ORIGINAL PACKET.
SO I THINK WHAT'S IN FRONT OF YOU AND WHAT'S ON THE SCREEN IS IT'S ALL CONSISTENT, SO APOLOGIZE IF THERE'S ANY CONFUSION THERE.
UH, SO WE, UM, WE DO HAVE A BUDGET THIS FISCAL YEAR OF 16 AND A HALF MILLION FOR THIS PROJECT, WHICH MEANS THE BALANCE THAT ROUGHLY 26 MILLION WOULD BE PAID IN 2026.
I'LL GO THROUGH EACH SCENARIO.
UH, SCENARIO ONE IS AN ALL CASH SCENARIO, TAKING CASH ON HAND.
SCENARIO TWO IS A MIX BETWEEN CASH AND DEBT.
AND SCENARIO THREE IS ALL DEBT.
UH, MOST OF THE ASSUMPTIONS IN SCENARIO ONE APPLY TO SCENARIOS TWO OR THREE.
SO WE DON'T NEED TO GO THROUGH EACH ASSUMPTION IN EACH SCENARIO.
WE'LL KIND OF DIG IN IN SCENARIO ONE AND THEN WE'LL GO QUICKLY THROUGH SCENARIOS TWO AND THREE.
WE'LL START OUT AT THE START OF FISCAL YEAR 25.
WE KNOW WE HAD A FUND BALANCE OF ABOUT $39 IN THE BEACH PRESERVATION FEE FUND.
OBVIOUSLY A VERY HEALTHY BA BALANCE.
WE EXPECT REVENUES PER OUR BUDGET INTO THAT FUND OF ABOUT 13.8 MILLION FOR THE YEAR.
UH, WE HAVE OTHER NON BEACH FOR NOURISHMENT, UM, CAPITAL PROJECTS AND OTHER OPERATING EXPENSES, WHICH EQUALS ABOUT SIX AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS IN FISCAL YEAR 25.
THERE'S THE 16 AND A HALF THAT WE EXPECT TO SPEND ON THE BEECHER NOURISHMENT PROJECT IN 25.
THERE'S THAT INTEREST PAYMENT THAT WAS ON THE PRIOR PAGE.
UM, THAT'S PAYABLE IN FEBRUARY OF 25.
SO THAT LEAVES US WITH A FUND BALANCE AT THE END OF FISCAL YEAR 25 OF ABOUT $30 MILLION.
WE'RE GONNA MAKE THE SAME ASSUMPTION ABOUT REVENUES IN 26, ABOUT 13.8 MILLION.
WE'VE ADDED A LINE FOR FEMA PAST STORM REIMBURSEMENTS.
WE EXPECT THAT COULD BE AS HIGH AS $9 MILLION, BUT WE'RE GONNA CONSERVATIVELY ESTIMATE $7 MILLION FOR THIS, UH, EXERCISE.
WE'RE GONNA USE THE SAME NUMBERS AS WE DID IN 25, ABOUT 6.5 MILLION FOR NON BEACH, FOR NOURISHMENT CIP AND OPERATING EXPENSES.
UH, THERE'S THAT DEBT SERVICE PAYMENT, THE NON CALLABLE DEBT SERVICE PAYMENT, AND FISCAL YEAR 26 OF ABOUT $3.9 MILLION.
AND THERE'S THE BALANCE OF OUR PROGRAM, UH, TO BE PAID IN 26, ABOUT $26 MILLION THAT WOULD LEAVE US IN THIS ALL CAST SCENARIO AT THE END OF 26 WITH ABOUT $14 MILLION IN, UM, IN PROJECTED BALANCE.
I'LL MOVE QUICKLY TO SCENARIO THREE, UM, THE ALL DEBT SCENARIO AND THEN WE'LL KIND OF SETTLE AND, AND FINISH IN THE SCENARIO TWO, UH, CASH DEBT MIX.
AND SCENARIO THREE, UH, THE ONLY NUMBER THAT CHANGES, UH, ON THESE LINES IS, UM, TOWARDS THE BOTTOM OF FISCAL YEAR 25 PROCEEDS FROM POTENTIAL, I CALL IT AUGUST OF 25.
IT COULD HAPPEN ANYTIME BETWEEN PROBABLY MAY OF 25 AND AUGUST OF 25.
UH, BOND ISSUE, UH, WE WOULD SEE PROCEEDS EQUAL TO THE AMOUNT OF THE CAPITAL PROGRAM, UH, BEACH ENTREPRENEURSHIP CAPITAL PROGRAM, 42 AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS.
THAT LEAVES US WITH A, A VERY HEALTHY FUND BALANCE AT THE END OF 25.
OBVIOUSLY WE'RE GONNA SPEND 26 MORE IN FISCAL YEAR 26, STILL LEAVES US AT THE END OF 26
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WITH A VERY HEALTHY FUND BALANCE OF $56 MILLION.IN SCENARIO TWO, UH, WE JUST STEPPED DOWN ON THAT DEBT.
UM, INSTEAD OF 42 AND A HALF MILLION, WE, WE PICKED A NUMBER OF 26, WHICH HAPPENS TO BE WHAT WE EXPECT TO PAY IN 2026 FOR THE PROGRAM.
UH, AND I WON'T GO THROUGH LINE BY LINE, BUT ULTIMATELY THAT LEAVES US WITH A FUND BALANCE OF ABOUT $40 MILLION.
IN SCENARIO TWO, WHICH IS, UH, ABOUT WHERE WE STARTED OUT THIS FISCAL YEAR, I'LL ADD A LITTLE NOTE ON, UM, THE BOND ISSUE THAT WE'RE CONTEMPLATING FOR 25.
OBVIOUSLY IN BOTH SCENARIOS, TWO AND TWO AND THREE, THAT WOULD INCLUDE NEW MONEY.
IT WOULD ALSO INCLUDE MONEY TO TAKE OUT THE EXISTING BONDS.
UM, THOSE TWO PAYMENTS THAT ARE, I BELIEVE FISCAL YEAR 27 AND 28, UH, IF WE DID THAT, COMBINE THOSE NEW MONEY AND REFUNDING BONDS INTO ONE ISSUE IN SCENARIO TWO.
THIS IS ASSUMING LEVEL DEBT SERVICE OF ABOUT 10 YEARS.
UM, INTEREST RATES AS THEY ARE RIGHT NOW, UH, WHICH OBVIOUSLY THEY COULD GO UP.
WE WOULD HAVE A TOTAL DEBT SERVICE IN SCENARIO TWO OF ABOUT 3.9 MILLION.
VERY CLOSE TO WHAT WE'RE PAYING NOW.
UH, AND IN SCENARIO THREE, OBVIOUSLY WE'RE BORROWING MORE MONEY, SO WE'D SEE, UH, ABOUT $5.8 MILLION PER YEAR OVER 10 YEARS.
ANY QUESTIONS? NOT YET, BUT THERE WILL BE.
ALRIGHT, AND MAYOR, I'LL FINISH, THERE'S ONE MORE SLIDE RELATED TO THE COMMUNICATION, BUT THEN WE'LL COME BACK TO REALLY ASKING COUNCIL QUESTIONS ABOUT THEIR PREFERENCE ON THE FUNDING SCENARIOS.
ALL CASH, ALL DEBT, UH, OR MIX.
UM, BUT ONE THING THAT'S, THAT IS, UH, VERY IMPORTANT WITH THIS PROJECT IS COMMUNICATION.
UM, I KNOW THE TOWN WON A COMMUNICATION AWARD FOR THE LAST BEECHER NOURISHMENT PROJECT IT DID IN, UM, IN, UH, 2016.
UM, BUT WE'VE WORKED CLOSELY WITH, UM, TARGETED AUDIENCES, STAKEHOLDERS TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, THAT EVERYONE IS AWARE OF THE PROJECT SCHEDULE.
UH, IT INCLUDES ISLAND RESIDENTS, CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, A, UH, HOAS AND POAS.
WE POSTED ON OUR WEBSITE A FULL DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT.
UM, WE'VE ALSO INCLUDED THE ACTUAL PERMITS THAT HAVE BEEN SUBMITTED, UH, FOR THE PROJECT.
WE'LL, WE WILL, UM, PUT THE FINAL, UH, PERMIT APPROVAL ONCE IT'S COMPLETE, BUT WHEN WE GOT THE BIOLOGICAL OPINION THAT PROVIDED THAT THOSE CONSTRUCTION WINDOWS, WE WERE SURE TO, TO PROVIDE THAT INFORMATION AS SOON AS WE GOT IT SO THAT EVERYONE UNDERSTOOD THE WINDOWS.
SO FOR THAT PHASE ONE, AGAIN, IT'S, IT'S JUNE OF 25 THROUGH, UM, OCTO, OCTOBER OF 25, AND THEN PHASE TWO, SEPTEMBER 25 THROUGH MAY OF 26.
AS WE EXECUTE A CONTRACT AND WE KNOW WITH MORE DETAIL AND DEFINITION WHERE WITHIN THOSE PHASES THE PROJECT IS GONNA BE, WE'LL COMMUNICATE THAT, UM, AS OFTEN AS DAILY.
UM, AND THAT'S HOW WE DID THAT IN 2016.
AND SO WE'LL, WE WILL MODEL AND ENHANCE THE PRO THE, UH, COMMUNICATION STRATEGY THAT WE USED FOR PREVIOUS PROJECTS.
UM, SO I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'VE, WE PUT THIS IN THERE.
UH, WE'VE WORKED WITH THE COMMUNICATION TEAM ON A, ON A ROBUST PLAN AND WE ARE CURRENTLY EXECUTING IT, INCLUDING WHAT'S, WHAT'S INCLUDED ON THE SCREEN HERE.
SO NOW WE'LL GO TO TO COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS BY COUNSEL.
AND LAST TIME I STARTED TO THE LEFT, THIS TIME I'LL START TO THE RIGHT.
SO, MR. BROWN, UM, WE'RE GONNA HAVE A GOOD COMMUNICATION PLAN AT NIGHT.
UM, SO WE'RE NOT HAVING DAYTIME DISRUPTION.
UM, SO I'M, I'M GONNA SKIP RIGHT TO THE NUMBERS.
UM, THE FORECASTED REVENUE, UH, INTO Y 26 QUESTION FOR THE FINANCIAL TEAM.
DID, DID WE GO BACK AND TAKE A LOOK AT, UH, SORRY.
UH, DID WE TAKE A LOOK AT, UM, I GUESS PREVIOUS BEACH RENOURISHMENT TIMES, UM, 2006, I THINK IT WAS IN, IN 16.
IN MY HEAD, I'M SORT OF MAKING AN ASSUMPTION THAT WE'LL HAVE SOME TYPE OF DIP IN OUR REVENUES BECAUSE, UM, FOLKS MAY NOT COME BECAUSE OF BERE NOURISHMENT AND THAT, SO, SO I'M JUST CURIOUS TO KNOW IF THAT NUMBER REFLECTS ANY DECLINE IN OUR NORMAL COLLECTIONS.
I MEAN, WE'RE, THE BEACH RE NOURISHMENT FEES ARE PAID, UM, ON, UH, LODGING, HOTELS, UH, AIRBNBS, ET CETERA, IT'S 2%.
SO WE DID NOT FACTOR IN ANY, ANY CHANGE DOWN OR UP.
UM, AND I KNOW THAT THIS IS JUST A START, SO I, YOU GUYS COME BACK TO US,
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UM, I'D LIKE TO UNDERSTAND THAT A LITTLE BIT BETTER.I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY WE'RE COLLECTING AT A HIGHER RATE NOW AS WELL 'CAUSE RUM RATES AND SO ON HAVE GONE UP.
UM, BUT I LIKE TO BE A LITTLE BIT MORE COMFORTABLE WHAT HAS HAPPENED TRADITIONALLY IN THE PAST WHEN WE HAVE BEACH REN NOURISHMENT DURING THE TIME OF OUR SEASON.
AND I KNOW WE'RE TRYING TO DO THIS OUTSIDE OF SEASON, BUT AGAIN, WE ALSO HAVE TO REALIZE THAT HILTON HEADS SEASON HAS SORT OF EXTENDED ITSELF, RIGHT? UM, IT'S NOT JUST EAST OF THE LABOR DAY ANYMORE.
SO, UM, WE MAY HAVE SOME NEGATIVE EFFECTS HERE.
UM, AND AND LASTLY, I JUST TO ANSWER THE QUESTION, UM, AS TO THE SCENARIOS, UM, I AM LEANING TOWARDS, UM, EITHER SCENARIO TWO OR SCENARIO THREE.
UM, WE HAVE TO REALIZE THAT WE HAVE, WE, WE HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH THIS 39 MILLION GOAL WITHOUT BEING ABLE TO PUT AWAY OVER TIME.
SO I THINK THE, THE DEBT OPPORTUNITY GIVES US A CHANCE TO KEEP BUILDING THE POT, SO TO SPEAK.
UM, AND AGAIN, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE GONNA BE OTHER EXPENSES THAT WILL COME ALONG THE WAY, UM, THAT WE HAVE SORT OF PROJECTED HERE, UH, THE SAME AS CURRENT, BUT THEY MAY CHANGE.
SO I'M CONCERNED ABOUT US HAVING, UH, YOU KNOW, CASH ON HAND TO BE ABLE TO DEAL WITH THE UNEXPECTED VERSUS SPENDING ALL THE CASH JUST 'CAUSE WE HAVE IT.
CAN I JUST ADD ONE, UH, A BIT OF CLARIFICATION.
SO ONCE THE, ONCE THE, UH, THE OP THE CONTRACTORS HERE AND, AND THE BERE NOURISHMENT STARTS, ONCE THEY START DREDGING AND PLACING SAND, UNLESS THERE'S A STORM THAT REQUIRES THE DREDGE TO MOVE TO A DIFFERENT LOCATION, THAT'LL BE A 24 HOUR A DAY OPERATION.
SO IT'LL BE, UH, PLACEMENT THROUGHOUT THE DAY AND NIGHT.
UM, AND THAT'LL ALLOW 'EM TO BE MORE EFFICIENT TO MOVE THROUGH THE PROJECT AT A MUCH FASTER RATE AND, UH, AND MEET THOSE WINDOWS.
SO EVEN MORE THE REASON WHY WE NEED TO LOOK AT THE FINANCIALS, BECAUSE IF IT'S A 24 HOUR, PARTICULARLY IN THE HIGHER TRAFFIC SPOTS LIKE SOUTH BEACH AND, YOU KNOW, BERKS AND SO ON, THAT'S GOING TO HAVE AN EFFECT ON OUR VISITATION.
ALRIGHT, MS. BRYSON, WELL THANK YOU FOR THE INFORMATION SO FAR AND, AND I'M GLAD THAT, UH, WE HAVE GOOD COMMUNICATIONS READY TO GO OUT FOR THE PUBLIC SO THAT, UH, FOLKS THERE KNOW.
UM, ONE OF THE, UH, PARDON QUESTIONS I HAVE IS A LITTLE BIT MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE BREAK WATER STRUCTURES, UM, ESPECIALLY UP THERE ALONG HHP AREA.
UM, THE AERIAL'S GREAT WITH THOSE KIND OF EXAMPLES, BUT, UH, THERE'S SOME PHOTOS OF EXAMPLES SO FOLKS KNOW WHAT THEY LOOK LIKE, UM, AND, UH, ARE THEY UNDERWATER AND, UH, OR IS THERE ANYTHING ABOVE WATER AT LOW TIDE? I, I THINK SOME INFORMATION LIKE THAT, 'CAUSE FOLKS ARE GONNA WORRY ABOUT THE APPEARANCE AS WELL, 'CAUSE IT'S A NEW KIND OF STRUCTURE.
UM, THE, THE CONCERNS OF SOME OF THE COMMUNITY UP IN THAT AREA, WERE MORE AROUND, UM, UH, GUESS AROUND THE BEND, SO TO SPEAK, AND WIDENING THAT CHANNEL.
AND I, UM, I THINK THAT'D BE IMPORTANT TO POINT OUT THE LOCATION OF THIS TO REALLY STRESS THAT AREA AND WHAT THIS IS ABOUT AS OPPOSED TO, UH, THE CONVERSATION THAT HAPPENED BEFORE ABOUT WIDENING THE CHANNEL THAT COMES AROUND PINE ISLAND.
UM, SO A COUPLE THINGS ABOUT THAT.
UM, THEN, UM, UH, WITH REGARD TO THE FINANCES, UM, I AGREE WITH MR. BROWN.
I, I DON'T LIKE CASH SCENARIO.
UH, SO I'M LOOKING AT EITHER THE MIX OR THE ALL DEBT.
UM, AND I THINK BEFORE I COULD ANSWER THAT QUESTION, UM, THERE'S A COUPLE MORE QUESTIONS THAT I HAVE.
UH, ONE IS, UH, WE'RE LOOKING AT POSSIBILITY OF TIF DISTRICT AND SOME OTHER CAPITAL PROJECTS, SOME STORMWATER PROJECTS THAT ARE GONNA REQUIRE LARGER FINANCING.
ALSO THE MAJOR THOROUGHFARE PLAN.
UM, SO I, I THINK IT'D BE HELPFUL TO KNOW WHAT OTHER KIND OF, UH, DEBT POSSIBILITIES WE MIGHT BE LOOKING AT TO, TO BE ABLE TO SEE THE FULL PICTURE.
UM, THEN, UM, I, I UNDERSTAND ABOUT THE CALLABLE VERSUS NON CALLABLE BONDS, UM, BUT I'M INTERESTED IN KNOWING WHAT'S THE PERCENTAGE, UH, THE INTEREST RATE WE'RE PAYING ON THE CURRENT BONDS COMPARED TO IF WE COMBINE, UH, THE BONDS THAT WE CAN COMBINE WITH THE NEW DEBT.
UH, WHAT WOULD BE THE FORECASTED INTEREST RATE? UM, ALL THAT.
UH, SO COMPARING, YOU KNOW, IT'S LIKE IF YOU, IF YOU'VE GOT A GOOD INTEREST RATE, YOU DON'T WANNA GIVE IT UP
UM, BUT IF IT'S POSSIBLE TO COMBINE THE TWO, UM, TO GET, UH, TO KEEP OUR, UH, DEBT SERVICE MORE MANAGEABLE INSTEAD OF HAVING TWO DEBT PAYMENTS.
I, I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT.
UM, BUT I THINK WE NEED A LITTLE MORE DETAIL ABOUT THAT.
UM, THE, THE OTHER THING IS THAT, AS I UNDERSTAND THAT, UM, THESE WOULD BE REVENUE BONDS BECAUSE IT'S A SPECIFIC REVENUE AS OPPOSED TO GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS, I THINK IT'S
[00:30:01]
IMPORTANT FOR US TO CONTINUE TO NOTE THAT.UM, AND I, I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW THE PROCESS IN SOUTH CAROLINA FOR THE ISSUANCE OF REVENUE BONDS.
UH, 'CAUSE I WASN'T HERE WHEN THE BONDS WERE ISSUED BEFORE.
I'M FAMILIAR WITH THEM IN NORTH CAROLINA, BUT NOT IN SOUTH CAROLINA.
UM, AND THEN, UM, I THINK IT'D BE HELPFUL.
I'D, UM, THERE WAS SOME INFORMATION ON THE DEBT SERVICE, UH, SO I THINK IT WOULD BE GOOD TO SEE, UM, AND IF IT'S IN THIS CHART, MAYBE I'M, I JUST HAVE LOOKED AT IT AND STARTED WRITING ALL OVER IT.
SO
UM, NOT THE ONES THAT WE MIGHT HAVE, BUT THE CURRENT FINANCING THAT WE HAVE.
AND THEN VERSUS ADDING, UH, CASH DEBT MIX OR THE ALL DEBT MIX AND, UH, DOING, UH, REFUNDING IF YOU WILL, AND COMBINING, UH, THE DEBT SERVICE VERSUS NOT COMBINING THEM.
SO I'D LIKE TO SEE THOSE NUMBERS TO BE ABLE TO MAKE A, A BETTER DECISION.
IT'S THE SAME THING I WOULD LOOK AT AS IF I WERE GONNA REFI A HOUSE OR TWO.
UM, SO I THINK MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE DEBT SERVICE WOULD BE HELPFUL.
UM, THOSE ARE THE SCRIBBLE NOTES I HAVE SO FAR, MR. JAMES, ANY, WELL, ANY RESPONSE FIRST BEFORE I GO ON? OKAY, MR. JAMES.
UM, SEAN, GOOD JOB, UH, ON COMMUNICATION.
UH, I'M ASKING SPECIFICALLY, HAS EVERY OWNER AND OPERATOR ALONG THE BEACH FRONT BEEN NOTIFIED INDIVIDUALLY OF THIS PROJECT, OR HAVE YOU RELIED ON MEDIA OR SOME OTHER MEANS? UM, I WILL SAY EVERY PROPERTY OWNER HAS NOT YET BEEN NOTIFIED.
UM, WE HAVE NOTIFIED THE CHAMBER AND OUR PARTNERS AND OUR AND THE POAS.
UM, WE RELIED ON THE POAS TO NOTIFY PROPERTY OWNERS WITHIN THEIR, THEIR AREAS.
UM, WE, AS, AS PART OF THE COMMUNICATION PLAN, UM, AS THE PERMIT IS DEFINED HERE BY END OF YEAR, UH, WE WILL SEND OUT THOSE NOTIFICATIONS TO THE, TO THE FULL UNIVERSE OF PROPERTY OWNERS ALONG THE BEACH.
UH, WE EXPECT THE PERMIT BY END OF YEAR.
AND SO ONCE WE HAVE THE, THE, THE PERMIT ISSUED, WE'LL SEND OUT THAT, THAT INFORMATION AND CLARIFICATION TO PROPERTY OWNERS, UH, HARD COPY MAIL.
UH, SECONDLY, I SUPPORT SCENARIO TWO AND THEN I'M ALSO INTERESTED IN THE GROINS UP BY, UH, PINE ISLAND FROM AN ENVIRONMENTAL STANDPOINT DESIGN STANDPOINT.
UM, I WON'T BE HERE WHEN IT'S BEING IMPLEMENTED, BUT I'D APPRECIATE MORE INFORMATION ON THAT.
SO, UM, THE COMMUNICATION PLAN IS REALLY IMPORTANT.
UM, AS IT WAS JUST DESCRIBED, MAKING, IT REALLY RELIES ON OTHERS TO INFORM, UM, THOSE WHO WILL BE IMPACTED, THOSE OUTSIDE OF THE GATE.
THOSE LETTERS THAT YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT, THE GHOST SPECIFICALLY ARE VERY IMPORTANT THAT EACH ONE OF THEM RECEIVE THEIR OWN INDIVIDUAL NOTICE FROM THE TOWN DIRECTLY.
SO I'M GLAD TO HEAR YOU SAY THAT THAT WAS GOING TO BE INCLUDED.
UM, I WAS INTERESTED IN ONE OF, PATSY BROUGHT UP A LOT OF QUESTIONS THAT, UM, I THINK KIND OF ENCOMPASSES PROBABLY MOST OF WHAT'S ON OUR MINDS.
SO THANK YOU PATSY FOR DOING THAT.
I'D LIKE TO HEAR A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT AS I THINK THAT WAS A CONVERSATION PREVIOUSLY AND THERE WAS SOME QUESTIONS AND CONVERSATION, MAYBE EVEN SOME CONTROVERSY ABOUT THAT.
SO I'D LIKE TO HEAR A BIT MORE ABOUT THAT.
UM, I SEE THAT IT'S 80% OF THE EXPECTED REIMBURSEMENT FROM FEMA.
THIS IS FROM WHICH STORMS SPECIFICALLY? IS THIS FROM MATTHEW AND IRMA? FOR IRMA? MM-HMM.
AND ALSO, AND WE HAVE CONFIDENCE THAT THAT REIMBURSEMENT WILL BE COMING.
HAS WE APPROVED? OKAY, THANK YOU FOR THAT.
WE HAVE TO PROVIDE FEMA WITH OUR REIMBURSEMENT, OUR EXPENDITURES, AND IS THEIR DECISION TO ACCEPT IF THEY QUALIFY OR NOT.
THAT'S WHY WE'RE DOING THE 80% TO BE CONSERVED ON THE CONSERVATIVE SIDE.
SO IT'S UP TO THEM TO, TO TO APPROVE WHAT WE HAVE SPENT AND IF HE QUALIFIES UNDER THE FEMA RULES AND THOSE, UM, RECEIPTS.
THIS IS AN ONGOING PROCESS BECAUSE I WAS UNDER THE IMPRESSION
[00:35:01]
WE'VE BEEN DOING THIS FOR A WHILE.WE'VE BEEN DOING THAT ACTUALLY EVERY TIME THERE'S A STORM I HAVE, UM, WITHIN OUR FINANCE TEAM, WE HAVE A, A DEDICATED PERSON THAT ACTUALLY COLLECTS ALL THE RECEIPTS FROM ALL THE TOWN STAFF AND WE DO ALL THE REPORTING AND WE PROVIDE THE, THE INFORMATION TO FEMA.
UM, AND THEN JUST IN TERMS OF THE DISLOCATION, PERHAPS FOR SOME, DURING THE SPEECH RENOURISHMENT PHASE TWO, WHICH IS THE BULK OF WHERE, UM, I THINK MOST TOURISTS COME FOR, UM, THEIR BEACH EXPERIENCE THOUGH, IF THERE ARE LIMITING IT TO THAT THEY'RE MISSING OUT ON SOME BEAUTIFUL BEACHES.
HAVING SAID THAT, UM, THE SEPTEMBER TO MAY IS THE LESS LIKELY IMPACTFUL TIME OF THE YEAR.
SO, UM, I'M GLAD THAT IT'S SCHEDULED DURING THOSE MONTHS COMING FORWARD.
THE OTHER QUESTIONS THAT I HAVE REALLY, I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR A RECOMMENDATION IN TERMS OF WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS, UM, OF THE FIRST OPTION VERSUS THE SECOND OPTION.
I'M NOT INTERESTED IN THE THIRD OPTION, UM, WITHOUT HEARING FIRST, UM, THE PROS AND CONS OF THE FIRST AND SECOND OPTIONS, UM, FOR FINANCING.
SO, UM, A LITTLE BIT MORE INFORMATION AND THAT AS WE MOVE FORWARD, BE, UM, WELCOME FROM ME AND, UM, FOR NOW THAT'S ALL OF MY QUESTIONS.
UH, FIRST A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS ABOUT, UH, SOUTH BEACH.
UH, THE RECENT STORMS HAVE, UH, PARTICULARLY AT TOWER BEACH, HAVE ERODED A GOOD DEAL OF THE SAND AT THE END OF THE WALKWAYS.
DOES THAT HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL THE, UH, RENOURISHMENT IN A YEAR FROM NOW OR IS THAT BEING DEALT WITH CURRENTLY? SO WE, WE HAD CHRIS AND HIS TEAM, UH, WHEN THEY WERE HERE DOING THEIR FALL SURVEYS OF THE BEACH TO HELP TO FIND THE FINAL PROJECT.
UM, WE'VE INCLUDED THE SAND BOSS, UM, AS PART OF WHAT WE PLAN TO EXECUTE.
WE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO PERMIT, UM, AN EMERGENCY PROJECT AND GET IT UNDERWAY AND HAVE A CONTRACTOR HERE TO DO THE WORK ANY FASTER THAN THE MAIN PROJECT REGARDLESS.
AND SO THAT'LL BE FACTORED INTO THE OVERALL PROJECT AS WE MOVE AHEAD.
UM, I ALSO KNOW THAT THE LARGEST AMOUNT OF SAND IS TO BE AT THE SOUTH BEACH.
UH, MY RECOLLECTION OF HOW SAND MOVES IN RELATIONSHIP TO TIDES IS THAT IT MOVES FROM THE CENTRAL AREA OF THE ISLAND.
PALMETTO DUNES ESSENTIALLY NORTH AND SOUTH, WHICH WOULD RESULT IN A FAIR AMOUNT OF ADDITIONAL SAND MOVING TO THE SOUTH END.
UH, HOW DOES THAT FACTOR, IF AT ALL, INTO HOW MUCH SAND IS NEEDED, VARIOUS PLACES? IF, IF I COULD ASK CHRIS TO, HE'S, HE'S BEEN ON THE BEACH FOR DECADES AND CAN ANSWER THAT QUESTION, UM, WITH A MORE QUALIFIED IT RESPOND ANSWER NOW.
CHRIS CREED HERE WITH, UH, FAITH OLSON.
SO YOUR CONCEPT OF SAND TRANSPORT ON THE ISLAND IS CORRECT.
IN GENERAL, THE SAND MOVES FROM THE CENTRAL PORTION OF THE ISLAND TO THE ENDS, TO THE NORTH AND TO THE SOUTH, BUT WE DO SEE LARGE FLUCTUATIONS AT THE TERMINAL ENDS OF THE ISLAND UP AROUND PORT ROYAL, WHAT WE CALL THE HILL AND DOWN IN SOUTH BEACH, TOWER BEACH, WHAT WE CALL THE TOE.
AND SO THERE A LOT OF THE DECADES OF SAND PLACEMENT IN THE CENTRAL PORTION OF THE ISLAND HAS, HAS CONTRIBUTED SIGNIFICANTLY TO THE STABILITY WE'VE ENJOYED.
TOWN HAS ENJOYED ALONG THE SEA PINE SHORELINE OVER THOSE THAT SAME PERIOD OF TIME.
THERE WERE A FEW CHANGES THAT OCCURRED DURING HURRICANE MATTHEW.
REALLY THE STORM OF RECORD RIGHT NOW IN TERMS OF IMPACTS TO THE BEACHES.
BUT WHAT WE'RE SEEING AT THE SOUTHERN END OF THE ISLAND IS, IS A DECADE OLD CYCLE OF CHANGE THAT WE'VE DOCUMENTED PREVIOUSLY, EVEN BACK IN THE NINETIES THAT WE'VE SEEN HAPPEN IN THAT PORTION OF THE ISLAND WHERE WAVES OF SAND GET TRANSPORTED FROM THE CENTER OF THE ISLAND TO THE SOUTH END.
AND THESE BIG WAVES ARE, AND I'LL CALL 'EM BLOBS OR UM, UH, LARGE AREAS OF SAND WILL BE TRANSPORTED AROUND THE SOUTH END INTO KABUKI SOUND.
SOME OF THAT MATERIAL, UH, IS THEN PUSHED BACK OFF TO THE SHOALS.
IT'S ALSO IN RELATIONSHIP TO HOW THE SHOALS MOVE, UH, JUST ON BARRETT SHOALS THERE AND HOW THE SHORELINE ISN'T FULLEST BY THAT.
A LOT OF COMMUNICATION AND A VERY DYNAMIC CONDITION ON BOTH THE NORTH AND SOUTH ENDS OF THE ISLAND.
AND, AND WE DO TRACK THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE AN ANNUAL MONITORING PROGRAM, UH, THAT IS, THAT WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1986 WHERE YOU SURVEY THE BEACHES ON A WIDE TWICE A YEAR.
AND, AND THAT IS CAREFULLY EVALUATED TWICE ANNUALLY AND IN ONE ANNUAL REPORT ON WHAT THE CONDITION OF THE BEACHES ARE.
ON, ON THE, UM, FINANCIAL SIDE, UH, THE QUESTION OF THE BALANCE BETWEEN BORROWING AND USING CASH TO ME SIMPLY COMES DOWN TO A QUESTION OF WHAT'S THE INTEREST RATE AT THE TIME.
[00:40:01]
UH, AND IF THE INTEREST RATES ARE LOW, I THINK WE WANT MORE BORROWING.IF THEY'RE HIGH, I THINK WE WANT LESS BORROWING.
UM, AND THE OTHER ASPECT OF THIS IN TERMS OF UM, WHERE THE BEACH RENOURISHMENT PROJECT FITS IS WE HAVE BEEN LOOKING AT A VERY LARGE AMOUNT OF CAPITAL PROJECTS AND, UH, I ANTICIPATE THE POSSIBILITY THAT WE MAY BE CONSIDERING OTHER FINANCING DURING THE COURSE OF THE NEXT SEVERAL MONTHS.
AND I THINK THAT'S ALSO RELEVANT TO DETERMINING WHICH WAY WE GO.
UH, I DON'T KNOW MUCH ABOUT ENGINEERING AND SAND.
I HAVE BUILT SOME SAND CASTLES IN MY DAYS, BUT I DON'T UNDERSTAND THIS BUSINESS ABOUT THE GROINS.
AND IN PARTICULAR, I THINK, SEAN, YOU SAID THAT, UH, THE SAND WAS GONNA BE PUT IN AND THEN THE GROINS WERE GONNA BE PUT IN.
CAN SOMEBODY EXPLAIN THAT TO ME? UH, CHRIS, I'LL PUT IT ON THAT SLIDE, BUT IF YOU COULD SURE.
UM, SO THIS IS A PRETTY, UH, INTERESTING PORTION OF THE ISLAND HERE.
IT'S LONG HISTORY OF VERY HIGH EROSION IS THE TERMINAL WIND OF THE SAND SHARING SYSTEM ON THE PORT ORAL SOUND SHORELINE.
AND SO WE HAVE, UH, IN PARTNERSHIP, UH, WITH THE PLANTATION, UM, IN THE HOMEOWNERS GROUP HERE OVER THE LAST, SINCE THE NINETIES HAVE ATTEMPTED TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM, PARTICULARLY THE AREA OF EROSION BETWEEN WHAT IS KNOWN AS DOLPHIN POINT AND PINE ISLAND.
IT'S JUST A VERY EXTREME EROSION RATE THERE.
UM, AND THERE HAD BEEN PAST ATTEMPTS OF BORROWING SAND FROM THE CREEK AND MOVING IT BACK, UH, AROUND TO TRY TO REESTABLISH THE DUNE AND, AND BERM HERE.
AND THIS WORKED WITH LIMITED SUCCESS, UH, OVER THE YEARS.
UH, THERE WERE, THERE WERE SOME DIFFICULTIES GETTING A PERMIT TO CONTINUE TO DO THAT METHOD AND THEY HAD TO GO TO USING UP ON SAND AND WHICH REALLY INCREASED THE COST AND THEY WERE NOT AS ABLE TO PUT AS MUCH SAND IN THE SYSTEM.
SO OVER TIME IT'S JUST GRADUALLY GOTTEN WORSE AND WORSE AND WORSE.
UM, AND WE HAVE FOUND RECENTLY THAT THERE'S JUST A, AN OVERALL LACK OF SAND IN THE OVERALL SYSTEM TO TRY TO STABILIZE THIS, THIS AREA BETWEEN DOLPHIN POINT AND PINE ISLAND.
SO THE IDEA OF THIS, WHAT IS, WHAT IS DOLPHIN POINT? DOLPHIN POINT IS THE RECREATIONAL AREA AT THE BOTTOM, RIGHT? THAT'S WHAT THE COMMUNITY CALLS IT.
THEY HAVE A LITTLE, UH, COMMUNITY AREA THERE.
THEY USE IT AS ACCESS TO PINE ISLAND.
DOLPHIN HEAD, YEAH, I'M SORRY.
BUT, UM, SO WHAT WE WOULD LIKE TO DO IN, IN, IN THIS ATTEMPT THAT THE, THE OWNER'S GROUP HAS REQUIRED THEIR OWN PERMIT TO CONTINUE THE SAND SCRAPING FROM THE CREEK TO TRY TO MAINTAIN THE CREEK AND ALSO PUT SAND BACK ON THE BEACH, BUT THEY STILL ARE SUFFERING FROM A LOW VOLUME OF SAND.
SO THIS PROJECT WOULD ADD A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF SAND BACK TO THE SYSTEM AND BASICALLY RESET THE CONDITION THAT EXISTED PROBABLY 20 YEARS AGO.
BUT WE'VE ADDED IN THE STRUCTURES, THE, THE BREAKWATERS AND T HEAD GROINS HERE TO, AS A EROSION REDUCTION MEASURE, IT IS AN ATTEMPT TO, UH, STABILIZE THE SAND THAT WE'RE GONNA PUT IN PLACE AND REDUCE THE RATE AT WHICH SAND IS STRIPPED FROM THE PORT ROYAL SOUND SHORELINE SIDE AND MOVED INTO THE SCO CREEK AREA.
THERE IS AN EXACT, THERE'S A VERY SIMILAR PROJECT THE TOWN HAS ALREADY CONSTRUCTED AT FISH HALL CREEK.
SO IN TERMS OF WHAT THESE STRUCTURES LOOK LIKE AND HOW THEY MIGHT PERFORM, THERE IS AN ON THE GROUND EXAMPLE ON THE ISLAND THAT WAS CONSTRUCTED IN 2006.
UM, AND UH, THE CONCEPT, UH, BEHIND WHAT WE ARE PROPOSING HERE, UH, FOLLOWS EXACTLY WHAT WE DID AT HAW.
I DON'T THINK I ASKED MY QUESTION VERY WELL.
I THINK SEAN SAID WE WERE GONNA BE PUTTING THE SAND IN FIRST AND THEN THE GROINS, IT WOULD, NOT, KNOWING WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT, IT SEEMED TO ME THAT YOU WOULD PUT IN THE STRUCTURES AND THEN ADD THE SAND, RIGHT? THE, WE DID, WE, THE REASON WE DO THAT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO ACCESS THIS AREA IN ITS CURRENT CONDITION.
UM, SO IT WILL BE EASIER FROM A CONSTRUCTABILITY STANDPOINT TO BUILD THE STRUCTURES AFTER THE SAND IS PLACED.
THANK YOU FOR THAT EXPLANATION.
UH, IN SO FAR AS THE FINANCING ASPECT OF THIS, UM, I AGREE WITH THE COMMENTS ABOUT INTEREST RATE.
WE'RE ENTERING A LOWER INTEREST RATE ERA NOW.
WE DON'T KNOW HOW LONG THAT'S GONNA HAPPEN.
SOMETHING'S GONNA HAPPEN NEXT WEEK, WHICH MAY AFFECT WHAT GOES ON WITH INTEREST RATES, BUT WE'LL SEE THAT MOVES FORWARD.
BUT IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THE COMBINATION, UH, OPTION WOULD MAKE THE MOST SENSE IN TERMS OF, UH, THE FINANCING.
USE SOME CASH, USE SOME NEW DEBT.
UH, WE HAVE A VERY FAVORABLE, UH, CREDIT RATING RIGHT NOW WITH THE AGENCIES AND SO IT SHOULD BE CHEAPER THAN IT WOULD BE MAYBE AT OTHER TIMES.
BUT I AM INTERESTED, DOES THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT HAVE A RECOMMENDATION
[00:45:01]
FOR US ON THIS? AGAIN, THINKING ABOUT ALL THE DIFFERENT ASSUMPTIONS THAT WE HAVE TODAY, LOOKING AT WHERE WE ARE TODAY, UM, OUR RECOMMENDATION WILL BE IN THE MIDDLE.UM, BUT THEN AGAIN, THERE'S A LOT OF GREAT QUESTIONS THAT ALL OF YOU HAVE ASKED THAT WE NEED TO CONSIDER.
THERE'S A LOT MORE PROJECTIONS AND MORE ASSESSMENTS AND ANALYSIS THAT HAS TO BE DONE.
SO JUST LOOKING AT WHERE WE ARE TODAY WITH THE ASSUMPTIONS WE'RE MAKING, THEN THE MIDDLE SEEMS TO BE THE, THE, THE, THE MOST LOGICAL, BUT THAT CAN CHANGE DEPENDING ON WHERE WE ARE, WE INTEREST RATES AND A LOT OF OTHER DIFFERENT COMPONENTS THAT WE HAVE TO CONSIDER.
I UNDERSTAND WE'RE NOT MAKING THE DECISION NOW, BUT I THINK IT'S VERY, WOULD BE VERY IMPORTANT TO THE THEN COUNCIL.
I ALSO WILL BE IN THE AUDIENCE, UH, WHEN THAT HAPPENS, BUT WHEN THAT DECISION IS MADE, CLEARLY, IT'LL BE IMPORTANT TO HAVE A RECOMMENDATION HAVING TO DO WITH THAT.
UH, SEAN, AGAIN, AN EXCELLENT REPORT.
UM, REAL QUICK, SO ON THE COMMUNICATION SIDE, JUST SO EVERYBODY'S AWARE, IT'S ALREADY STARTED ON A BROAD SPECTRUM.
UM, UH, HILTON HEAD SUN HAS A COVERAGE NOW I'VE TALKED ABOUT IT ON WHHI, THAT'LL CONTINUE SO THAT THE PUBLIC HAS MADE WELL INFORMED, AND OF COURSE THEN, THEN THE TEAM WILL GET, UM, DIRECT COMMUNICATION TO THE RESIDENTS THAT ARE DIRECTLY AFFECTED BY IT.
UM, JUST CURIOUS, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW ABOUT DUNE RESTORATIONS, IF THAT'S, YOU KNOW, IF THERE'S AREAS THAT WE NEED TO LOOK AT.
UM, AGAIN, GOING BACK TO THE RIP WRAP.
UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S THE HEIGHT? IT'S A BIG BOATING AREA.
WHAT ARE THE, THE SAFETY MEASURES THAT ARE IN PLACE TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT BOATERS AREN'T AFFECTED? UM, ALSO WOULD LIKE TO SEE, YOU KNOW, WHERE THE SAND'S COMING FROM.
UM, THAT'S GONNA BE AN IMPORTANT ASPECT.
AND I MEAN, I KNOW WE'VE GOT THE SHOALS THAT ARE OUT THERE, BUT FOR THE PUBLIC TO SEE WHERE WE'RE, WE'RE, WHERE WE'RE LOOKING TO TAKE THE SAND FROM, HOW IT COULD AFFECT SOME SHOALS FISHING, YOU KNOW, ET CETERA, JUST SO THAT, THAT, THAT COMMUNITY IS AWARE AS WELL.
UM, AS MR. SANFORD SAID, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS THE DEBT RATING, UH, EFFECT, RIGHT? YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT, UM, YOU KNOW, GREAT BOND RATINGS RIGHT NOW, AAAS, UM, HOW DOES THE FINANCING, HOW DOES THE NOT FINANCING, HOW DOES USING CASH, YOU KNOW, HOW DOES THAT PLAY INTO THE OVERALL FINANCIAL PICTURE OF THE TOWN AND WHAT'S BEST FOR US? YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, THE, THE OLD SAYING CASH IS KING, UM, IS AN IMPORTANT CONCEPT.
SO IT'S, IT'S NOT ABOUT, UM, IN MY OPINION NECESSARILY THE THE INTEREST RATE.
UM, BUT WHAT IS THE BE BEST COVERAGE THAT WE HAVE AND HOW DO WE PROTECT OURSELF FOR FUTURE BORROWING PURPOSES IN CASE OF A, OF A MAJOR CATASTROPHE.
AND THEN ON THE, UM, ON THE, THE FUNDING SIDE FOR THE BEACH, BEACH RE NOURISHMENT FUND, UM, IS THERE A MINIMUM THAT WE NEED THAT WE'RE REQUIRED TO KEEP IN THAT ACCOUNT, UM, AS A RESERVE? SO THOSE ARE SOME THINGS THAT, THAT I'D LIKE TO KNOW.
UM, AND THEN ALSO LASTLY ON THE, ON THE RIP WRAP, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT WOULD THE FUTURE LOOK LIKE? INSTALLING THEM NOW, WHAT IS IT, WHAT DOES THAT AREA, HOW DOES IT GET MODIFIED? HOW DOES IT CHANGE? YOU KNOW, WHAT IS, IS IT GONNA BE A, A BEACH THAT'S FURTHER OUT? UM, IS IT GONNA BUILD, YOU KNOW, SO THOSE ARE THE KIND OF THING QUESTIONS I WOULD HAVE ON THAT AND WOULD WOULD WANNA SEE.
CHRIS, THERE'S BEEN A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS ABOUT CHANNEL WIDENING AND PREVIOUS CONVERSATIONS.
ARE YOU, CAN YOU SPEAK TO, TO THAT, UM, IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S POPPED UP HERE, I'M NOT, I'M NOT AWARE OF, IS, IS, UH, IS IT THE PINE ISLAND OR, UM, PARK CREEK CHANNEL, UM, AROUND THE BACKSIDE OF PINE ISLAND, IF PEOPLE COULD, IS THAT WHAT IT IS, PATSY? THAT'S THE AREA.
PARK CREEK, IT'S CALLED THE CHANNEL CREEK.
SO THERE, THERE'S A NATURAL TENDENCY FOR THE SAND TO BE TRANSPORTED FROM THE OCEANSIDE THAT WE'VE, WE'VE DOCUMENTED FOR, FOR MANY YEARS NOW, AROUND THE CORNER, UH, INTO SKULL CREEK AND DEPOSIT THERE, UH, AT THE, ON THE, THE SIDE OF PARK CREEK.
AND IT'S CAUSING THE PARK CREEK TO MIGRATE.
AND AS IT'S MIGRATING, IT'S NOW STARTING TO, UH, APPROACH SOME OF THE UPLAND DEVELOPMENT THAT'S BEEN ESTABLISHED.
SO IT IS GETTING MORE AND MORE CONSTRAINED BETWEEN THE TWO.
THE SANDS SCRAPING PERMIT THAT THE HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION HAS RECENTLY ACQUIRED, UH, IS INTENDED TO ALLEVIATE SOME OF THAT STRESS FROM THE, FROM THE SAND TRANSPORT AROUND THE ISLAND BY CAPTURING THAT SAND AND MOVING IT BACK OUT TO THE FRONT.
AND IT'S FULLY ANTICIPATED THAT THAT PROCESS WILL CONTINUE EVEN AFTER THE TOWNS PROJECT IS COMPLETED.
UH, ON THE HOMEOWNER SIDE, UM, I DON'T THINK IT'LL BE A PROCESS OF SIGNIFICANTLY WIDENING THE CHANNEL.
IT WOULD BE MORE OF A PROCESS OF JUST MAINTAINING WHAT'S THERE TO MAINTAIN WATER QUALITY AS WELL AS, AS WELL AS ACCESS.
THE, THE LAST THING I WANNA BRING UP, UM, IS BECAUSE THERE'S SOME NEW AREAS, RIGHT? PINE ISLAND AND FISH
[00:50:01]
HALL, UM, IF I CAN GO BACK TO THE FISH HALL SECTION HERE.SO AT FISH HALL, UM, THE, THE WAY THAT THE PROJECT WORKS WITH THE SAND PLACEMENT, AGAIN IN THE FISH HALL, IT'S ABOUT 50,000 CUBIC CARDS OF SAND.
BUT, UM, IT'S, IT'S PART OF THE, THE PERMITTING, THE BIOLOGICAL OPINION, AND SO IMPACT TO, UM, TO ALL ACTIVITY, ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIVITY, BIOLOGICAL ACTIVITY IS CONSIDERED THERE.
AND SO IT'LL BE A VERY SHORT PERIOD, THEY'RE IN THAT SECTION, BUT THE BEACH WILL BE RESTORED, IT'LL BE, UH, ENHANCED.
BUT ALL THE ACTIVITIES THAT CURRENTLY, UM, ARE, ARE EXIST THERE FROM, UM, FROM A UTILIZATION STANDPOINT, UM, FROM THE BEACH WOULD BE MAINTAINED AFTER THE, UM, AFTER THE RENOURISHMENT PROJECT.
SO I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE'RE POINTING THAT OUT.
DOES THAT INCLUDE CLAMMING? YES, SIR.
MAY I FOLLOW UP ON THE PREVIOUS ANSWER WITH REGARD TO THE CHANNEL? I THINK THE QUESTION THAT HAD COME UP PREVIOUSLY THAT WAS RATHER CONTROVERSIAL, I GUESS, WAS, UM, WHO BEARS THE COST IF HHP IS WORKING ON PART OF THAT PROJECT ON A REGULAR BASIS, AND THEN THE TOWN IS COMING IN AND CONTRIBUTING TO, AND, UM, WITH THE BEACH RENOURISHMENT, I THINK THE QUESTION THAT HAD COME UP WAS, UM, PUBLIC FUNDS AND PRIVATE PURPOSES AND, AND THE, UM, MINGLING OF THAT.
AND SO I JUST WANTED A DISTINCTION IF, IF YOU HAVE ONE WITH REGARD TO THAT SPECIFIC QUESTION.
UM, SO BACK IN 2022, UM, AS THE TOWN, UM, REDEFINED THE, THE BEACH IN ITS MUNICIPAL CODE TO INCLUDE FISH HALL AND PINE ISLAND, KNOWING THAT THE, THE LARGER RENOURISHMENT PROJECT WASN'T GOING TO OCCUR UNTIL APPROXIMATELY FISCAL 25 WHERE WE LANDED, THERE WAS A AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE TOWN AND, UM, HILTON HEAD PLANTATION TO PERFORM MAINTENANCE ON THIS BEACH FOR THREE FISCAL YEARS.
UH, THE AGREEMENT WAS FOR A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS PER YEAR THAT THE TOWN REIMBURSED FOR THE PROJECT, UM, IN RESTORATION OF THE PUBLICLY DEFINED BEACH IN OUR MUNICIPAL CODE.
AS THE PROJECT 2025 LARGER PROJECT MOVES FORWARD, THE, THE, THE ENHANCEMENTS THAT YOU SEE HERE AND THE IMPROVEMENTS YOU SEE HERE ARE ALL PART OF THAT OVERALL BEACH PERMIT, UM, AND, AND PRO RENOURISHMENT PROJECT.
SORRY, JUST ONE QUICK FOLLOW UP QUESTION.
UH, THE BORROW AREAS, UH, I KNOW, UH, IN 2016 WE WERE HERE WHEN IT HAPPENED, AND I REMEMBER THAT I THINK THERE WERE TWO MAJOR BORROW AREAS ABSENT A STORM.
UH, ARE WE GETTING CLOSE TO RUNNING OUT OF VARO AREAS WITH THIS RENOURISHMENT? UH, I MEAN, SOME THINGS WE MAY NOT BE ABLE TO KNOW IN THE FUTURE, BUT, UM, JUST WONDERING AFTER THIS RENOURISHMENT, IS THERE SOMETHING ELSE WE NEED TO BE LOOKING TOWARDS IN THE FUTURE? I, I JUST DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT.
I'M WONDERING IF SOMEBODY ELSE DOES.
THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION THAT I CAN, UH, OFFER, UH, UP CHRIS TO SEE IF HE'S GOT AN ANSWER.
UM, CAN YOU GO TO THAT ONE? YEAH.
SO WITH RESPECT TO THE BAR SITES, YOU KNOW, LONG-TERM SAND CONSERVATION IS, IS A HUGE, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SUSTAINABILITY OF A PROGRAM.
THERE'S FINANCIAL STANDARD SUSTAINABILITY FROM, FROM A FINANCIAL SIDE, BUT IN BEACH NOURISHMENT BUSINESS THINK SUSTAINABILITY IS STRONG RELATED TO AVAILABLE SAND SOURCES.
THAT'S, THAT'S YOUR, THAT'S YOUR TOOL YOU'RE USING.
AND SO IT'S VERY IMPORTANT AND THE TOWN HAS HAD THE LONG LUXURY OF HAVING VERY, UH, A LOT OF CLOSE SAND SOURCES, WHICH HAS HELPED THE COST, UH, KEEP THE COST DOWN FOR THE TOWN'S PROGRAM OVER THE DECADES.
THESE ARE, THESE ARE SAND SOURCES THAT THEY'RE, THERE IS A BIG DEMAND ON, BUT WE HAVE BEEN MONITORING THOSE AS PART OF OUR, OUR MONITORING PROGRAMS TO DETERMINE WHAT HAS BEEN THE EFFECT OF REPEATED USE OF THESE, THESE SHOALS.
UM, AND INTERESTINGLY, WE HAVE WORKED WITH SOUTH CAROLINA DNR AND OTHER STATE AGENCIES OVER THE YEARS TO TRY TO IDENTIFY AREAS THAT, UH, APPEAR TO BE THE, THE BEST USE AREAS FOR THESE SAND RESOURCES.
AND TWO OF THOSE, INTERESTINGLY, ARE AREAS THAT HAVE, WE HAVE EXCAVATED AND THEN GONE BACK TO THE SAME SITE AND EXCAVATED THEM AGAIN BECAUSE SAND HAS FILLED IN AFTER WE'VE COMPLETED THE PREVIOUS PROJECT.
AND SO THAT IS A LUXURY THAT VERY FEW PEOPLE HAVE WITH, UH, RECOVERING SAND SOURCES.
BUT YEAH, IT IS SOMETHING THAT, THAT WE KEEP A TRACK OF AS PART OF THE ANNUAL MONITORING AND AS LONG-TERM MONITORING, BUT ALSO UNDERSTANDING THAT, YOU KNOW, WE WANT TO, UH, PRESERVE THESE VERY VALUABLE RESOURCES.
UH, WE STILL, UH, ALSO HAVE THE LUXURY ON AND, AND HILTON HEAD OF CONTINU TO WORK IN STATE WATERS.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE INSIDE THE THREE MILE LIMIT.
[00:55:01]
ONCE YOU GO INTO FEDERAL WATERS, WHICH A LOT OF COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE NATION NOW ARE STARTING TO FACE, UH, IT GETS A LOT MORE COMPLICATED AND A LOT MORE EXPENSIVE.SO WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO WATCH THAT AS WELL.
JAMES, SEAN, UM, WHAT DID THE 2016 RENOURISHMENT PROJECT COST? UH, I BELIEVE IT WAS AN JUST AN EXCESS OF $20 MILLION.
IT GOT A LITTLE COMPLICATED BECAUSE HURRICANE MATTHEW CAME RIGHT THROUGH OF IT.
YEAH, I, UH, AND I THINK ALL IN WITH THAT IT WAS AROUND $28 MILLION ONCE WE WERE FINISHED WITH IT.
IF YOU, IF YOU EXCLUDE THE HURRICANE CONSEQUENCE, IT'S ABOUT A 24 MILLION, 23 MILLION PROJECT.
SO I THINK THE PUBLIC WOULD BE INTERESTED IN KNOWING WHY THE SEEMINGLY LARGE INCREASE BETWEEN 24 AND AND 40.
SO ARE I, I HAVE A COMMENT ON THAT.
IF, UH, IF, IF MAY ABSOLUTELY.
UM, WE, WE HAVE NATIONALLY SEEN, YOU KNOW, WE'RE STILL, WE'RE STILL WORKING WITH THREE MAJOR COMPETITORS ON THE EAST COAST OF THE US FOR PROJECTS LIKE THIS.
SO THERE'S LIMITED COMPETITION.
UM, THERE'S A LOT OF DEMAND, UH, ON THE FEDERAL SIDE FROM THE CORE WITH A LOT OF THE WORK THAT THEY DO.
AND OVER THE LAST THREE OR FOUR OR FIVE YEARS, WE HAVE SEEN EXPONENTIAL INCREASES IN SIMPLY JUST THE MOBILIZATION COST ALONE TO GET THE EQUIPMENT HERE BEFORE WE EVEN PUMP THE FIRST CIC YARD OF SAND.
I MEAN, I, IT'S VERY POSSIBLE THAT THE, THE MOBILIZATION COST ALONE THIS TIME COULD BE MORE THAN DOUBLE WHAT WE SAW JUST IN 2016.
AND SO WE'VE, WE'VE, WE'VE PLANNED FOR THAT AND TRYING TO ADVISE THE TOWN ON WHAT THE EXPECTATIONS MIGHT BE.
I, I, I, I APPRECIATE THE ANSWER.
IT'S JUST, I THINK WHAT THE PUBLIC NEEDS TO HEAR WHEN WE'RE PRE, UH, PRESENTING THIS TO THE PUBLIC.
SO, UM, REAL QUICK, FIRST OF ALL, WE'RE, WE'RE VERY FORTUNATE, UM, TO HAVE HAD YOUR SERVICES, CHRIS, NOT ONLY TODAY, BUT THROUGHOUT THE YEARS, TO CONTINUALLY MONITOR WHAT'S GOING ON AND HAVE AN INTRICATE KNOWLEDGE OF OUR, OF OUR SYSTEM HERE.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S INVALUABLE AND HAVING THAT RELATIONSHIP IS SO, SO SPECIAL.
UM, I DO WANNA LET, UM, COUNCIL KNOW AND THE COMMITTEE KNOW THAT I'M NOW ON THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS FOR SOUTH CAROLINA BEACH ADVOCATES.
UM, WE WILL HAVE A, A MEETING IN NOVEMBER AND ANOTHER ONE IN JANUARY, UH, IN PERSON.
AND THIS IS A GROUP OF, UM, SOUTH CAROLINA BEACH MAYORS AND, UH, TOWN ADMINISTRATORS TO WORK WITH THE STATE FOR FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES TO UNDERSTAND THE VALUE OF OUR BEACHES TO THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF THE STATE.
UM, SO IT IS A PUSH FOR THE STATE, AGAIN, TO CREATE FUNDS, UH, FOR BEACH TREE NOURISHMENT.
UM, I JUST JOINED, UH, TWO WEEKS AGO, SO, UM, I'LL BE BRINGING MORE STUFF BACK ON THAT, BUT, BUT THAT'S ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY HOPEFULLY THAT WE'LL SEE SOME FUNDING COMING THROUGH.
SO MAYOR, CAN I ASK, CAN I ASK A FOLLOW UP QUESTION TO DAVID'S, UM, QUESTION, UH, OR COMMENT WITH REGARD TO THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE 2016 COST AND THE, UM, CURRENT EXPECTED COSTS FOR BREACH RENOURISHMENT? THERE'S A COUPLE OF ADDITIONS, RIGHT? WE HAVE A COUPLE MORE BEACHES THAT WE'VE ADDED.
SO THAT INCREASED THE COST IS, I MEAN, JUST TRYING TO IDENTIFY ALL OF THE REASONS FOR THE ALMOST DOUBLE EXPENSE OF THE, UM, PROJECT.
SO A COUPLE MORE BEACHES THAT WE'VE INCLUDED AND ALSO THE CONSTRUCTION, UM, OF THESE, UM, GROIN AREAS THAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT.
HOW MUCH, AND I DON'T MEAN TO PUT YOU ON THE SPOT SO YOU CAN GET IT LATER AT, AT SOME POINT OF AN INCREASE IS, IS RELATED TO THOSE ITEMS? YES, THEY, THEY, THEY DID ADD TO THE INCREASE IN COST.
I, I DON'T RECALL THE EXACT NUMBERS, BUT THE, ALL THOSE FEATURES HAVE BEEN INCLUDED IN THE COST.
SO THERE IS THE ADDITIONAL COST TO MOVE SAND TO PINE ISLAND IS A VERY LONG WAY.
THE, THE, THE, THE SAND FOR THAT SITE WILL COME FROM THE BAY POINT SHOALS AREA.
SO IT'S A VERY LONG PIPELINE DEPLOYMENT.
UH, SOMEONE MENTIONED THE SCOPE OF HOW QUICKLY THINGS WILL HAPPEN AT FISH HALL AND PINE ISLAND.
IT WILL TAKE MORE TIME TO SET UP THE SYSTEM TO DELIVER THE SAND THAN IT WILL TO PUT THE SAND ON THE BEACH.
UM, SO IT'S, IT'S A VERY EFFICIENT SYSTEM ONCE IT'S SET UP.
WE'VE INCLUDED A PRETTY, UH, PRETTY HIGH COST TO GET THE SAND TO PINE ISLAND, UH, RELATIVE TO OTHER PORTIONS OF THE ISLAND JUST BECAUSE OF ACCESS AND ALSO INCLUDED, UH, THE COST OF THE STRUCTURES ALSO IN THAT ESTIMATE.
MAYOR, MAY I ASK A QUESTION? MM-HMM.
UM, IT SEEMS LIKE LAST TIME WE HAD ONE OF THESE RENOURISHMENT, IT WAS EIGHT YEARS AGO, SO NOW I'M THINKING, UM, NOT INCLUDING HURRICANES AND ALL OF THAT, SINCE WE CANNOT PREDICT WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN IN THE NEXT 10 YEARS.
[01:00:01]
YOU FORESEE RENOURISHMENT TAKING PLACE EVERY EIGHT YEARS, EVERY 10 YEARS? OR HOW OFTEN? UM, WHAT CONSIDERATIONS DO WE NEED TO HAVE IN PLACE AS IF WE'RE THINKING FINANCIALLY LONG TERM, HOW OFTEN IS THIS GOING TO HAVE TO HAPPEN FOR OUR TOWN? SEAN SPOKE TO IT, UH, EARLIER IN THE PRESENTATION, BUT THE, THE, WHAT WE'VE, WHAT WE'VE NOTICED WITH THIS PROGRAM AS WELL AS OTHERS, IS ABOUT AN EIGHT TO 10 YEAR RECYCLE, OKAY? IS WHAT WE PLAN FOR.UH, THEY'RE THE TOPICS OF SUSTAINABILITY YOU CAN LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, WHAT DOES THAT COST YOU OVER TIME? UH, IF YOU LOOK AT A 50 YEAR PLANNING HORIZON, WHERE YOU HAVE THESE LARGE CAPITAL EVENTS DURING THESE PERIODIC EVENTS, AND YOU CAN LOOK AT THAT, AND THERE HAVE BEEN PAST SUSTAINABILITY CONVERSATIONS WITH THE TOWN ON, PARTICULARLY WITH THAT 2012 PROJECT.
IT WAS A UNPLANNED PROJECT IN THE MIDDLE.
I WANTED TO LOOK AT HOW THAT WOULD INFECT THE COST STREAM LONG TERM.
UM, THAT IS, THAT IS SOMETHING A LOT OF COMMUNITIES LOOK AT FROM A, A LONG TERM PLANNING PERSPECTIVE.
SO HOW, HOW LONG IS, IS THOSE COMMUNITIES, DO THEY LOOK AT THE NEXT 50 YEARS? SO THE, HOW LONG, HOW FAR AWAY DO THEY LOOK AT THIS? NORMALLY I'VE SEEN, WE'VE DONE 'EM AS SHORT AS 15 YEARS AND AS LONG AS 50.
UM, YOU CAN KIND OF PICK WHAT, WHAT WORKS BEST FOR YOU.
SOME DO 30, UM, AND YOU JUST LOOK AT DIFFERENT SCENARIOS.
BUT IT'S A, IT'S AN EXERCISE THAT'S PRETTY STRAIGHTFORWARD TO DO WHEN YOU LOOK AT LONG-TERM COSTS OF THIS STUFF.
THAT'S WHERE THE SOME MORE INFORMATION ON THE RIP WRAP AND WHAT THE FUTURE LOOKS LIKE ON THAT SITE, WHEN IT HAS TO BE RE, YOU KNOW, RENOURISHED AGAIN, YOU KNOW, BY SPENDING THE MONEY NOW, DOES IT SAVE DOWN THE ROAD? SO THOSE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT I THINK WE WOULD, WE WOULD LIKE TO KNOW AS WELL.
SEAN, WE'RE ON LI STILL ON LIMITED TIME, SO LET'S, UH, IF WE CAN MOVE ON.
UH, MOVING ON TO RESILIENCE PLAN.
UM, MAYOR COUNCIL, I'LL PREVENT PRESENT TO YOU AN OVERVIEW OF THE CURRENT RESILIENCE PLAN EFFORTS, INCLUDING EXECUTION OF TOWN COUNCIL, APPROVE SCOPE OF WORK FOR A SWAT ASSESSMENT, WHICH WILL LEAD TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE TOWN'S FIRST RESILIENCE PLAN.
I'LL ALSO COVER THE CONTENTS EXPECTED IN A RESILIENCE PLAN TO BE DELIVERED LATE NEXT YEAR.
UM, AND THE, THE REQUEST TO COUNSEL HERE IS INPUT TO ENSURE THE FINAL PLAN CONTENTS INCLUDES ALL DESIRED ELEMENTS, UH, WILL ALLOW US TO EXECUTE, UM, AND MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE CONSISTENT WITH EXPECTATIONS AS THIS IN INITIATIVE MOVES FORWARD.
SO, GIVE, UM, A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND ON THE RESILIENCE PLAN PROJECT.
UM, WE'LL TALK ABOUT THE TOWN COUNCIL APPROVED SCOPE OF WORK FOR THE SWOT ASSESSMENT THAT WE'RE CURRENTLY ENGAGED IN.
UM, AN OVERVIEW OF THE, THE ENTIRE PLANNING PROJECT ON THE APPROACH AND TIMELINE, PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT, NEXT STEPS, AND THEN AGAIN, LIKE TO FOCUS ON THE RESILIENCE PLAN CONTENTS AND HAVE DISCUSSION WITH THE COUNCIL TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'VE INCLUDED, UM, ALL ELEMENTS, UM, FOR US TO EXECUTE AS WE MOVE THIS, UH, AS WE MOVE THIS AHEAD.
SO, ON BACKGROUND, AS A REMINDER THAT THIS IS INCLUDED IN THE TOWN'S 2023 TO 2025 STRATEGIC ACTION PLAN, UM, AS A PRIORITY AND, UM, TO ESTABLISH AN AN ISLAND RESILIENCY PLAN.
IN JUNE OF 2023, COUNCIL SUPPORTED A SCOPE OF WORK, UM, AND SCOPE OF SERVICES TO BE INCLUDED, TO SECURE A CONTRACTOR TO DO THE, THE, THE INITIAL SWAT ASSESSMENT, UM, STAFF PROCURE BERRY AS OUR CONTRACTOR, UM, TO HELP WORK THROUGH THAT SCOPE OF WORK AND TO DELIVER THE SWAT RESULTS.
UM, I KNOW THIS HAS COME UP, UM, JUST ABOUT EVERY TIME WE TALKED ABOUT RESILIENCE OR RESILIENCY, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS IT? AND SO WE'VE GOT A LITTLE DEFINITION HERE.
IT'S THE ABILITY OF COMMUNITIES, ECONOMIES, AND ECOSYSTEMS TO ANTICIPATE, ABSORB, RECOVER, AND THRIVE WHEN PRESENTED WITH ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE OR NATURAL HAZARDS.
AND SO A FULL RE A FULL RESILIENCE PLAN LOOKS AT BUILT SYSTEMS, SOCIAL SYSTEMS, NATURAL SYSTEMS. WE'VE GOT SOME HISTORIC DATA.
UM, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THE RESILIENCE WORK INITIALLY IS FOCUSED ON, ON FLOODING, UM, AND, AND RESILIENCE DUE TO FLOOD EVENTS.
AND SO WE'VE GOT SOME HISTORICAL, UM, INFORMATION HERE ON FLOODING AT FORT PULASKI.
THE, THE MEASUREMENT OF, UM, OF, UM, OF, OF SEA LEVEL.
AND YOU CAN SEE HOW IT'S, OR THE NUMBER OF FLOOD DAYS, YOU SEE HOW IT'S INCREASED, UM, IN PARTICULAR REALLY FROM 2015, UH, TO 2021.
AND THEN YOU CAN SEE THE HISTORICAL, UM, LEVEL OF, UH, OF SEA OR LEVEL OF SEA LEVEL AND THE, UH,
[01:05:01]
INCREASE THAT'S OCCURRED IN THE, IN THE LAST 40 YEARS, 30 YEARS, 20 YEARS, AND 10 YEARS.THE SCOPE OF WORK APPROVED BY TOWN COUNCIL, UM, WAS FOR US TO EXECUTE A, A SWAT ASSESSMENT AND TO FOCUS ON THESE ELEMENTS THAT ARE, UH, ON THE SCREEN HERE.
SO LOOKING AT EXISTING RELATIVE DATA AND PROGRAMS, UM, WORK, UM, ON SEA LEVEL RISE AND ALLISON FORECAST, BUT ENSURING THAT WE'RE CONSISTENT WITH STATE AND COUNTY PROJECTIONS AS WE, AS WE MOVE THIS FORWARD, UM, TO HAVE, UH, PUBLIC OUTREACH AND SOLICITATION OF STAKEHOLDER INPUT.
AND WE'LL COVER HOW, WHERE WE ARE IN THIS PROCESS, UM, TO LOOK AT PUBLIC POLICY ASSESSMENT AND IDENTIFY OPPORTUNITIES FOR CHANGE.
UM, LOOK AT RELATED FLOODPLAIN MANAGEMENT AND, AND FUTURE DEVELOPMENT.
UM, ONE CRITICAL COMPONENT IS OBVIOUSLY LOOKING AT OUR STORM DRAINAGE SYSTEM, UM, INCLUDING ISLAND WIDE DRAINAGE PLAN, BUT TIDAL BACKFLOW, CULVERTS, PUMP STATIONS, HYDRAULIC CAPACITY AND DESIGN STANDARDS.
AND SO IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT ALL THESE ELEMENTS, THE BEACH TREE NOURISHMENT PROJECT IS AN ELEMENT OF RESILIENCE.
THE STORMWATER, UM, TOPIC, THAT STORMWATER UTILITY TOPIC WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT AFTER THIS IS ALL AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE RESILIENCE PLAN AND EFFORT.
UM, LOOK AT FLOOD INUNDATION MAPS, AND THEN THE OUTPUT OF THE SWOT ANALYSIS.
AND SO, WHEN, WHEN WE, UH, ENGAGE WITH A CONSULTANT ON THIS SWO ANALYSIS, REALLY IT'S UNDER TO UNDERSTAND THE THREATS THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE.
UH, DO A RISK ASSESSMENT ON VULNERABLE, VULNERABLE AREAS AND ASSETS AND REALLY EVALUATE.
AND SO I'VE DELINEATED SOME ITEMS HERE, CLIMATE CHANGE PROJECTIONS, SEA LEVEL RISE AND FLOODING RISKS, STORM SURGE AND HURRICANES.
UH, WE JUST TALKED ABOUT THE, THE EXPOSURE THAT WE HAVE IN THE RISK RELATED TO NATURAL EVENTS.
UM, ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION AND EROSION, UM, INFRASTRUCTURE VULNERABILITIES TO OUR TRANSPORTATION UTILITY, UH, SYSTEMS, AND THEN SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC VULNERABILITIES TO PUBLIC HEALTH, HOUSING AND BUSINESSES.
AND THEN AGAIN, THAT COMPONENT OF THE PO PUBLIC POLICY ASSESSMENT, WHETHER IT'S OUR FLOODPLAIN MANAGEMENT, OUR LMO OR OTHER, UM, OTHER POLICY DOCUMENTS, UM, THAT IMPACT, UH, WOULD BE IMPACTED BY RESILIENCE OUT OUTPUT.
UM, THAT'S WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW.
THE NEXT STEPS ARE THE SWAP FINDINGS, UM, INCLUDING GIS MAPPING AND GEO DATABASE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE THE INFORMATION WE NEED TO HELP DECISION MAKING.
UM, AND, AND THAT OUTPUT WILL BE PRESENTED TO COUNCIL WELL, UM, AND IT'LL BE IN QUARTER ONE OF NEXT YEAR.
UM, WE'RE WORKING TO FINALIZE THAT IN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS.
UM, WE'LL ASK TOWN COUNCIL TO HELP PRIORITIZE TODAY A LITTLE BIT ON THE, THE, THE TABLE OF CONTENTS FOR RESILIENCE PLAN, BUT AS A RESULT OF THE SWOT ASSESSMENT, TO REALLY DEFINE THAT TABLE OF CONTENTS FOR US TO EXECUTE, UH, THAT FINAL RESILIENCE PLAN.
AND I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WHEN A RESILIENCE PLAN, WE'RE LOOKING TO IDENTIFY OPPORTUNITIES FOR MITIGATION.
THERE ARE CURRENT AREAS NOW WHERE WE HAVE RISK OR, OR WE'RE VULNERABLE, AND WE WANNA BE ABLE TO MITIGATE THAT.
HOW CAN WE LOOK IN SORT OF THE INTERIM PERIOD TO PROVIDE ADAPTATION STRATEGIES TO, TO IMPROVE OUR RESILIENCE, UH, OVER TIME.
AND THEN BECAUSE WE HAVE A RISK WITH NATURAL DISASTERS, UM, AND E AND, AND ALSO ECONOMIC SWINGS, WHAT ARE THE RECOVERY ACTIONS THAT WE SHOULD BE, UM, THINKING ABOUT AND INCLUDING IN A RESILIENCE PLAN SO THAT WE BUILD BACK BETTER, UH, WE, WE ENHANCE THE COMMUNITY, UM, AND, AND IMPROVE OUR RESILIENCE OVER TIME.
AND THEN THAT WOULD BE IN A DRAFT PLAN FOR COUNCIL, UM, BY END OF NEXT YEAR, UM, FOR CONSIDERATION.
SO WE'VE BEEN MOVING THROUGH THE APPROVED SCOPE OF WORK IN OUR CONTRACT.
NOW, THE CONTRACT DETAILS ARE, UM, OBVIOUSLY ARTICULATED IN A WAY THAT IT GOES THROUGH EVERY STEP, RIGHT? TASK ONE THROUGH 99 OR WHATEVER, TO, TO ACHIEVE THE SCOPE OF WORK THAT COUNCIL APPROVED.
UH, WE HAVE HAD SOME PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT.
UH, WE HELD SOME OPEN HOUSES TO GET, UM, SOME INFORMATION FROM, FROM, UH, FROM THE PUBLIC AND, AND STAKEHOLDERS TO, UH, ALLOW INPUT ON WHERE THE PUBLIC BELIEVES THAT WE HAVE SOME VULNERABILITIES.
AND SO, UH, WE, WE HAVE, UH, OUTPUT FROM 50 LOCATIONS WHERE WE'VE HAD PREVIOUS FLOOD IMPACT AND AREAS OF CONCERN.
YOU KNOW, I WILL SAY WE'VE ALSO, UH, BEEN ABLE TO LEARN WITH TROPICAL STORM, DEBBIE AND, UM, AND HURRICANE HELENE.
AND I'LL SAY THE ISLAND HAS BEEN FORTUNATE.
[01:10:01]
I THINK WE ARE CERTAINLY, WE LOOK AT OTHER COMMUNITIES NEAR AND FAR ARE WE HAVE BEEN FORTUNATE, AND I, I THINK WE ARE MORE RESILIENT IN SOME OF THESE AREAS THAN MAYBE WE THOUGHT BEFORE THESE STORMS. UM, BUT WE'VE ALSO LEARNED MORE.AND, UM, AND WE'LL INCLUDE THAT INFORMATION IN OUR DECISION MAKING.
UM, AND SO WE'VE DONE THE SHARED INFORMATION, INTERACTED WITH THE PUBLIC, AND GOT SOME FEEDBACK.
THERE WAS A SURVEY THAT WAS, UM, WAS DEVELOPED AND PUT OUT FOR, FOR INPUT TO HAVE, UM, PUBLIC STAKEHOLDERS IDENTIFY WHERE THEY THINK, UH, WERE, WERE VULNERABLE.
SO YOU CAN SEE AN AREA ON THE SOUTH END AND AN AREA OF THE HEEL OF THE ISLAND.
WERE, UH, THE HOTSPOTS, AS I MENTIONED RIGHT NOW, WE'RE ASSESSING RISKS.
NEXT STEPS, UH, PLAN TO BRING THE SWAP FINDINGS TO TOWN COUNCIL, UM, FIRST QUARTER OF NEXT YEAR, AND THEN RESILIENCE PLAN BY END OF NEXT YEAR.
TABLE OF CONTENTS, I WON'T READ THROUGH EVERYTHING, BUT THE KEY ITEMS. EXECUTIVE, UM, SUMMARY, INTRODUCTION, RISK AND VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENT.
UM, THOSE ITEMS THAT WE'RE CURRENTLY ASSESSING WILL ALL BE INCLUDED AND, AND, AND OUTLINED IN THERE.
UH, MAKE SURE THAT WE INCLUDE RESILIENCE GOALS AND PRIORITIES TO INCLUDE ENVIRONMENTAL INFRASTRUCTURE, PUBLIC SAFETY, COMMUNITY WELLBEING, AND ECONOMIC RESILIENCE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT BOTH PHYSICAL, UH, OR THE BUILT SOCIAL, UM, ENVIRONMENTS, THE CLIMATE AND ENVIRONMENTAL STRATEGIES, AGAIN, UM, IN, IN CONCERT WITH EVALUATING OUR CODE AND HOW WE CAN IMPROVE OUR PROTECTION FROM A POLICY STANDPOINT.
BUT FLOOD MITIGATION, SHORELINE PROTECTION, INCLUDING OUR BEACH NOURISHMENT PROJECT, HOW WE PROTECT AND CONSERVE OUR WETLANDS.
UH, WE'VE GOT, UH, WHAT'S ON ON THERE IS A TOWN OWNED PROPERTY, UM, UH, MANAGEMENT AS WELL IN, IN SUPPORT OF RESILIENCE, UM, TREE CANOPY AND, AND OUR RECENTLY ABOUT ADOPTED IPM INFRASTRUCTURE AND COMMUNITY PLANNING, UM, AS IT RELATES TO TRANSPORTATION, UTILITIES, OUR LMO, OUR GROWTH MANAGEMENT, UM, PUBLIC FACILITIES, FLOOD PROOFING AND SO FORTH.
AND SO THE ISLAND WIDE DRAINAGE PLAN, UM, I THINK SHOULD BE A RECOMMENDATION THAT COMES OUTTA THE RESILIENCE EFFORT AND, AND FOCUS RIGHT IN OUR STORM WATER UTILITY.
UM, AND THEN THE ADDITIONAL EFFORTS BOTH AT THE STATE AND COUNTY LEVEL AND HOW THAT ALL COMES TOGETHER, UM, UNDER A MORE COHESIVE PLAN, PUBLIC SAFETY, UM, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT RESILIENCE BECAUSE WE HAVE A DISASTER RECOVERY PLAN TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT ELEMENT IS INTEGRATED INTO THE RESILIENCE EFFORT, UM, BOTH AS YOU PREPARE FOR AN EVENT AND AS YOU RECOVER FROM AN EVENT.
SO, HURRICANE PREPAREDNESS, EVACUATION, COMMUNITY WARNING SYSTEMS, UM, AND SO FORTH.
LOOKING AT ALSO MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES DURING THOSE DISASTER SCENARIOS.
COMMUNITY ECONOMIC RESILIENCE, UM, RELATED TO HOUSING, SMALL BUSINESS AND TOURISM SUPPORT, WORKFORCE RETENTION AND SOCIAL SERVICE SUPPORT.
AND THEN THE, THE THIRD SLIDE HERE, WHICH FINALIZES THE, THE RESILIENCE PLAN, CONTENTS, GOVERNANCE AND PARTNERSHIPS.
YOU KNOW, HOW DO WE COORDINATE WITH THE STATE, THE COUNTY, UM, NON-PROFITS, UM, PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS, UM, AS IT RELATES TO RESILIENCE, AND TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S ALIGNMENT AND COLLABORATION WHERE THOSE OPPORTUNITIES EXIST.
UM, INFRASTRUCTURE, PUBLIC SAFETY, UM, OH, WE GOT THE SAME COUPLE OF THE SAME THINGS HERE.
UM, BUT COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC RESILIENCE AGAIN, UH, WITH SOCIAL SERVICES SUPPORT THAT IT LOOKED LIKE IT WAS THE SAME
SO, YOU KNOW, I WOULD LIKE TO FOCUS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE CAPTURING THE FULL RANGE OF, UM, OF ELEMENTS OR EXPECTATIONS TO BE INCLUDED IN A RESILIENCE PLAN.
I THINK THE TABLE OF CONTENTS GIVES A PRETTY GOOD FRAMEWORK FOR EXECUTION, UM, BUT WANNA MAKE SURE WE HAVEN'T MISSED ANYTHING SO THAT WE CAN FOLD THAT IN.
AND AS WE LEARN THE OUTPUT FROM THE SWAT ASSESSMENT, THAT WILL ALSO HELP US HELP TO INFORM WHAT WE REALLY SHOULD BE FOCUSING ON RELATED TO THE MITIGATION, ADAPTATION AND RECOVERY STRATEGIES.
AND, AND THEN THOSE, UH, CONVERSATIONS, COLLABORATIONS THAT WE NEED TO HAVE TO DEVELOP THE FINAL RESILIENCE PLAN.
SO, UH, QUESTIONS, ANSWERS TO SEAN'S COMMENTS, UH, OR QUESTIONS.
UM, MS. BRYSON, YOU GO FIRST ON THIS ONE? SURE.
WELL, FIRST OF ALL, I, I REMAIN EXCITED THAT WE'RE WORKING ON A RESILIENCE PLAN.
AND, AND THEN THE NEXT THING I'LL SAY IS THAT ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS I HAVE ARE BASED ON THE FOLLOWING.
UM, IN 2015, I DISCOVERED THAT THE COUNTY HAD ADOPTED A SEA LEVEL RISE ADAPTATION PLAN, AND THE TOWN DID NOT PARTICIPATE IN THAT.
SO FROM THAT MOMENT FORWARD, I BECA I BECAME VERY CONCERNED ABOUT WHY THE TOWN OF HILTON HEAD
[01:15:01]
ISLAND AS AN ISLAND DID NOT HAVE A SEA LEVEL RISE ADAPTATION PLAN, WHICH IS NOW CALLED A RESILIENCE PLAN.UM, SECONDLY, HAVING LIVED IN ASHEVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA FOR 31 YEARS, AND HAVING SEEN THE DESTRUCTION THAT HAPPENED IN THAT AREA, SOMETHING NO ONE COULD IMAGINE WOULD HAPPEN, UM, THAT I, I'M GOING TO BE BIASED BECAUSE OF SEEING THAT DESTRUCTION AND, AND MAKING SURE THAT TO THE EXTENT ANYONE CAN, THAT WE TRY TO BE AS PREPARED AS POSSIBLE.
SO THOSE ARE MY BIASES THAT I HAVE TO ADMIT RIGHT AWAY.
UM, AND I NOTICED THE SCHEDULE THERE WAS BASED ON A NOTICE TO PROCEED OF FEBRUARY 5TH, 2024.
I'M GUESSING THAT NOTICE PROCEED WASN'T ISSUED THAT EARLY, AND THAT'S WHY IT'S GONNA TAKE US TILL THE END OF 2025 TO HAVE A PLAN IN PLACE.
UM, SO I, I JUST WANTED TO WONDER ABOUT THAT BECAUSE I'M LOOKING AT, UM, THE, THE TIME MARKERS IN THE SCOPE OF WORK, UM, AND THIS SHOWS A FINAL DOCUMENT AND, AND DATA DELIVERABLES BY 1231 OF THIS YEAR.
SO WE'RE A WHOLE YEAR BEHIND, SO YOU CAN SENSE MY ANGST.
UM, SO THAT'S WHAT I WOULD SAY.
UM, THE OTHER THING IS THAT, UM, THE TABLE OF CONTENTS THAT YOU JUST SHOWED US IS PRETTY EXTENSIVE.
I'D, I'D LIKE A LITTLE MORE TIME TO TAKE A LOOK.
I'M, I'M CERTAINLY NOT GONNA BE THE ONE TO SAY, HERE'S WHAT YOU SHOULD HAVE IN THE PLAN.
UM, BUT I'D LIKE TO KNOW THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA HAS ALREADY ADOPTED A RESILIENCE PLAN, AND BEAUFORT COUNTY HAS ALREADY ADOPTED A RESILIENCE PLAN.
AND, AND HOW DOES EVEN OUR TABLE OF CONTENTS COMPARE TO WHAT THE STATE HAS ALREADY ADOPTED AND WHAT THE COUNTY HAS ALREADY ADOPTED? ONCE AGAIN, SHE SAYS TO THE SIDE, WE ARE BEHIND
UM, THE OTHER THING THAT I WANNA MAKE SURE OF IS THAT, UM, THE WATER SUPPLY HERE IS ADDRESSED IN THE RESILIENCE PLAN, WHICH, UM, I, AND MAYBE IT'S IN THAT TABLE OF CONTENT, SO I COULDN'T GO AS FAST AS YOU DID IN LOOKING THROUGH ALL THE INDIVIDUAL ENTRIES.
UM, BUT I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, UH, YES, UH, UH, UM, AN ISLAND WIDE STORMWATER SYSTEM.
I THINK WE'RE MOVING THAT WAY WITH OUR AGREEMENTS, UH, WITH THE VARIOUS STORMWATER SYSTEMS ON THE ISLAND, AND I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT.
UM, BUT I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, UH, OUR CRITICAL WATER SUPPLY IS ALSO GONNA BE PROTECTED.
UM, AND HOW WILL THAT WORK? UM, BECAUSE THAT'S CERTAINLY BEEN A MAJOR ISSUE, UM, IN THE WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA AREA.
UM, THE OTHER THING THAT A LOT OF, UH, RESILIENCE PLANS, UM, POINT OUT IS WE HAVE A LOT OF VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES.
UM, AND, AND THERE IS, UH, RISK AND VULNERABLE ASSESSMENT.
I DID CATCH THAT IN THE TABLE OF CONTENTS
UM, AND, AND ONE OF THE SUBCATEGORIES IS HOUSING.
BUT I THINK AS WE LOOK TOWARDS, UM, MAKING RECOMMENDATIONS FOR, UM, UH, THE REWRITING OF THE LMO, AND ARE THERE GONNA BE IMPLICATIONS FOR BUILDING CODE CHANGES, UM, AND OTHER KIND OF INFRASTRUCTURE REQUIREMENTS, THEN HOW ARE WE ADDRESSING VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES WHO MAY BE REQUIRED TO UPFIT, BUT WHO CANNOT AFFORD TO DO IT? AND SO I THINK THAT'S AN IMPORTANT ASPECT OF IT.
WE HAVE A LOT OF VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES IN THE LOW COUNTRY IN SOUTH CAROLINA, UM, AND A LOT OF THOSE ARE SUFFERING FROM FLOODING WITHOUT ANY RECOURSE, UM, OR ASSISTANCE TO BE ABLE TO ADDRESS THE IMPACTS THAT THEY FEEL WITHOUT PROVIDING SOME ASSURANCE OF HOW THEY CAN ADDRESS THOSE.
SO I THINK THAT'S ANOTHER IMPORTANT ASPECT AS WE LOOK AT A RESILIENCE PLAN.
UM, THAT'S IT SO FAR, MAYOR, THANK YOU.
UM, I THINK WE'RE HEADED IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION, SEAN.
UM, I THINK YOUR LIST IS COMPREHENSIVE.
UM, I MIGHT MAKE A COUPLE OF OBSERVATIONS THOUGH.
IN THE RESILIENCE DEFINITION, IT SAYS THE ABILITY OF COMMUNITIES, ECONOMIES, AND ECOSYSTEMS WITHIN SOUTH CAROLINA, AND YET YOUR GRAPHIC SPEAKS BUILT SYSTEMS, SOCIAL SYSTEMS, NATIONAL SYSTEMS, AND DOESN'T INCLUDE BUSINESS AND ECONOMIC OR ECONOMIES.
I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR THE COMMUNITY TO FEEL THAT EMPHASIS BEING INCLUDED RIGHT AT THE VERY BEGINNING.
UM, I, I THINK THAT THE LIST IS SO COMPREHENSIVE THAT IT LEAVES ME WONDERING, UM, AT WHAT POINT WILL THE COMMUNITY UNDERSTAND WHAT WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO ACHIEVE? AND AGAIN, IT'S A MATTER OF A COMMUNICATION.
UH, DO WE BENEFIT BY BEING MORE, UM, SPECIFIC ABOUT WHAT WE WANT TO COME OUT OF THIS? UM, THE, IF, IF
[01:20:01]
I WERE A, UH, BUSINESS OWNER IN KIG, I, I WOULD REALLY BE CONCERNED ABOUT MY VIABILITY IN A SIGNIFICANT DISASTER.I THINK THAT THE, THE BUSINESS ASPECT IS REALLY INCREDIBLE, INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT, UM, BUILT SYSTEMS. IT SEEMS AS THOUGH PHASE ONE, AT LEAST AS I'M READING THIS REPORT, IS THE EMPHASIS, YOU KNOW, INFRASTRUCTURE.
AND THEN I, I ASK THE QUESTION, WHAT KIND OF DISASTER ARE WE REALLY ANTICIPATING? BECAUSE AS, UH, BRYSON REFERENCED, I DON'T THINK ANYBODY IN NASHVILLE OR THE NORTH CAROLINA MOUNTAINS ANTICIPATED THAT LEVEL OF DISASTER.
AND SO I THINK WE HAVE TO BE CLEAR AS WE GO INTO THIS, UH, ARE WE TALKING ABOUT, UH, A THOUSAND YEAR RAINSTORM, OR ARE WE TALKING ABOUT SOMETHING THAT REALLY DOES, CREATES A SIGNIFICANT, UH, CHANGE OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND THE PHYSICAL, UH, ASPECTS OF THE ISLAND? SO I THINK THOSE WOULD BE MY COMMENTS THAT WE, THAT WE COMMUNICATE TO THE, UH, UH, TOWN, WHAT WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO GET AT, UM, IN TERMS OF THE SUSTAINABILITY OF OUR ENVIRONMENT, THE BUILD SYSTEMS, THE SOCIAL SYSTEMS, AND THE ECONOMY.
UM, I AGREE THE TABLE OF CONTENTS OR THE, AT THE, AT THE BACK WHERE YOU HAVE THE 12 ITEMS, UH, WITH THE BULLETS UNDERNEATH THAT IS VERY COMPREHENSIVE, IT SEEMS TO ME.
AND I WONDER, UM, JUST ABSORBING IT QUICKLY HERE NOW, HOW MUCH OF THAT IS, UM, ACHIEVABLE? HOW MUCH, UM, BUT ANY CASE, I'LL BE LOOKING FOR MORE, MORE INFORMATION WITH REGARD TO, TO THAT.
I ALSO HAVE A QUESTION ON NUMBER FOUR, PAGE FOUR UNDER THE BACKGROUND AND HISTORIC DATA.
UM, YOU HAVE A LITTLE PICTURE THERE OF, UM, FORT PULASKI.
UM, IS THAT WHERE WE GET OUR INFORMATION CURRENTLY? SOMETIME AGO, I RECALL THAT WHEN THIS, THE PRES SIMILAR TYPE OF PRESENTATION WAS BEING MADE ABOUT, UM, MONITORING C LEVEL, UM, THAT WE HAD INCLUDED IN, OR WE WERE GOING TO INCLUDE IN A BUDGET AND, UM, APPROVE MEASURING HERE ON OR CLOSE TO WHERE WE ARE, SO THAT WE HAD DATA THAT ACTUALLY REFLECTS, UM, WHAT'S HAPPENING WITHIN OUR OWN VICINITY OF HILTON HEAD ISLAND THAT WAS DONE, CORRECT? YEAH.
IS THAT PART OF WHAT JEFF'S PRESENTATION IS GONNA INCLUDE? NO, I CAN, ANS I CAN ANSWER THAT QUESTION.
UM, I, UH, IT'S NORMAL TO BE PART OF THE STORMWATER PRESENTATION, BUT WE DID, UH, INSTALL A TIDE MONITOR IN, UH, WEXFORD HARBOR ON BROAD CREEK IN ON 2022.
AND WE FOLLOWED ON OVER THE NEXT 12 MONTHS, AND WE SAW ONE NOW AT SOUTH BEACH MARINA AND ANOTHER ONE UP IN SKULL CREEK MARINA.
SO WE NOW HAVE THREE THAT ARE TRACKING MOVING FORWARD.
UM, WE'RE CALIBRATING THOSE AND WATCHING THOSE AND THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT'S GONNA BE VERY VALUABLE RESOURCE, UH, DURING EXTREME EVENTS WHEN WE HAVE THEM TO TELL US WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THE, WITH THE TIDES AND SURGE, BUT ALSO LONGER TERM TO TRACK OUR OWN TREND CHANGES AS WELL.
SO THAT'S ALREADY BEEN IMPLEMENTED.
WELL, THAT'S A GREAT FIRST STEP.
AND, UM, I'LL BE LOOKING FOR THAT INFORMATION TO, UM, TO REALLY MAKE THE HISTORIC DATA MAKE MORE SENSE FOR US HERE IN, UM, OUR OWN BACKYARD.
SO FOR NOW, I THINK IT'S A GREAT CONVERSATION THAT WE'RE HAVING.
UM, AND I'M SURE THERE'S MORE TO COME, MR. ALFRED.
I'M IMPRESSED BY HOW COMPREHENSIVE YOUR PLAN IS.
BUT IT ALSO HAS, TO ME ANYWAY, SOME DRAWBACKS.
AND THAT IS, WE DON'T WANT A, A PERFECT PLAN AT THE EXPENSE OF DOING THINGS THAT MAY WELL OR SHOULD BE DONE SOONER.
UH, PARTICULARLY SINCE IT LOOKS BY, BY VIRTUE OF THIS PLAN, THAT WE WON'T BE ACTUALLY TRYING TO DO ANYTHING AND FOR AT LEAST A YEAR, UH, AS WE HAVE WITH OTHER OF THESE PROJECTS THAT WE'VE BEEN CONSIDERING IN WORKSHOPS AND OTHERWISE, THERE ARE SHORT TERM REMEDIES THAT GET PREPARED AND DRAWN UP AND EXECUTED WHILE THE LONGER RANGE TAKES IS, UH, PUT OFF FOR A LITTLE BIT.
AND IT SEEMS TO ME THAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE ANYWAY THAT WE DO SOME FOCUSING ON, ON THINGS THAT
[01:25:01]
ARE RELATIVELY OBVIOUS, UH, SUCH AS, UH, DRAINAGE, GETTING THE WATER OFF THE ISLAND PUMP STATIONS, UH, PIPING DITCHES AND SO FORTH.UH, AND TRY TO GET STARTED ON SOME OF THESE THINGS.
AND THAT MAY WELL INCLUDE, UH, UTILITY, UH, RESILIENCE FOR WATER AND ELECTRICITY.
UH, BUT I WOULD HOPE THAT WE CAN START SOME PROJECTS SOONER RATHER THAN LATER OF THE ITEMS WHICH ARE VERY CLEAR AND NEED TO BE ADDRESSED.
UM, AGAIN, A GOOD REPORT, VERY THOROUGH.
UM, I HAVE A COUPLE OF POINTED QUESTIONS, AND PARDON ME IF YOU'VE ALREADY GIVEN US THIS INFORMATION, I JUST DON'T RECALL IT.
UM, IF, IF YOU BRING US BACK TO THE C LEVEL RISE CHART THAT YOU BROUGHT UP, I DON'T UNDERSTAND THIS.
WHAT IS THE LEVEL, HOW MUCH IN INCHES HAS THE C LEVEL RISEN IN THE LAST 40 YEARS? IS THAT 0.0 0.18 INCHES? OR IS IT THE SUM OF ALL THESE NUMBERS, OR IS IT SOME OTHER NUMBER? I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND THIS CHART.
UM, WE JUST WEIGH IN ON, ON THE WAY THIS SLIDE PRESENTS.
I KNOW SOME SLIDES CAN BE VERY CONFUSING WHEN YOU'RE TRYING TO CONVEY SOMETHING CONCISELY.
SO THIS IS, UH, TRYING TO, UM, GET ACROSS THE POINT THAT THE RATE OF CHANGE IN SEA LEVEL OVER THE LAST 40 YEARS HAS BEEN, YOU KNOW, IF YOU LOOK AT IT, THE LONGER YOU LOOK AT IT, THE LESS PER DECADE FEET OF RISE WE HAVE.
AND YOU CAN SEE THE RATE OF SEA LEVEL RISE IS INCREASING MORE RAPIDLY WHEN WE COME TO THE LAST 10 YEARS.
SO WE'RE COMPARING A 40 YEAR HISTORY OF THE RATE OF SEA LEVEL RISE WITH THE RE THE LAST 10 YEARS.
AND THIS IS BASED IN THE LOCAL AREA.
SO THIS IS BASED FOR FORT PULASKI.
THIS IS IN A BROADER, THIS ISN'T TALKING ABOUT THE WHOLE EASTERN SEABOARD OR ELSEWHERE.
THIS IS LOCALLY WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT.
IS THAT HELPFUL? YES, THAT'S HELPFUL.
UM, AND I'M GLAD THAT IT IS LOCAL RATHER THAN REGIONAL OR NATIONAL DATA, BUT HOW MUCH HAS THE SEA LEVEL RISEN OVER THE LAST 40 YEARS? DO WE KNOW THIS SHOWS THE RATE OF INCREASE, BUT HOW MANY INCHES? AND IF YOU DON'T KNOW NOW, WE CAN GET THAT INFORMATION LATER.
BUT I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR, UH, THE COUNCIL TO KNOW, AND IT'S IMPORTANT FOR THE PUBLIC TO KNOW, UH, WHAT, WHAT IS THERE.
SO WHAT, THAT'S A QUESTION FOR, UH, ANOTHER DAY AND THAT'S FINE.
UM, WE ARE GOING THROUGH A MAJOR EVALUATION OF THE LMO RIGHT NOW, AND I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO BE SURE THAT WE'RE INCLUDING THE EFFECTS OF NEW DEVELOPMENT, UH, AND HOW THAT WILL AFFECT, UH, THE RESILIENCE OF THE ISLAND MOVING FORWARD AND FOCUSING THERE FOR ME SPECIFICALLY, UH, WHAT SORT OF REQUIREMENTS DO WE HAVE AND SHOULD WE HAVE HAVING TO DO WITH IMPERVIOUS SURFACES? UH, IF YOU LOOK AT SOME OF THE MORE RECENT DEVELOPMENTS HERE AS AN AWFUL LOT OF ROOFTOP AND CONCRETE AND NOT A WHOLE LOT OF DRAINAGE THAT'S AVAILABLE, UH, THROUGH IMPERVIOUS SURFACES.
SO THAT NEEDS TO BE INCLUDED IN IT.
AGAIN, IT PROBABLY IS, BUT IT'S JUST SOMETHING THAT OCCURS TO ME IN MOVING THIS ONE FORWARD.
THEN I WOULD HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT WHAT DOES A TOWN RELY ON IN WEATHER FORECAST? DO WE LOOK AT THE NOBLE TV STATION? DO WE GO WITH, UH, THE, A NATIONAL FORECAST? DO WE, UH, WHAT DO WE RELY ON? DOES, DO WE HAVE THAT ANSWER? YEAH.
SO WHEN WE LOOK AT, UM, AT AT STORM EVENTS, UH, WE COORDINATE WITH A, WITH A WEATHER SERVICE, UM, OUT OF CHARLESTON IS OUR, IS A LOCAL OFFICE.
THEY PROVIDE US THE, THE WEATHER FORECAST WITH SOME LEVEL OF CERTAINTY, AND THAT'S WHAT WE CONVEY.
THAT'S WHAT WE USE IN OUR, UH, PLANNING, PREPARATION AND RESPONSE TO, TO, TO EVENTS.
DO WE HAVE ANY DATA ABOUT, UH, THE ACCURACY OF, UH, THOSE FORECASTS? UH, I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING SPECIFIC RIGHT TO SAY ON IT, BUT, UM, I WILL SAY AS WE PLAN FOR, UM, ENDURE AND RECOVER FROM THESE EVENTS, THE INFORMATION IS UPDATED AT AN INTERVAL TO BE, UM, TO BE USEFUL.
AND SO I THINK, I THINK IT'S PRETTY RELIABLE AS WE, UH, HAVE EXPERIENCED THESE EVENTS, UH, IN THE PAST, WELL, WE NEED TO HAVE THAT RELIABLE INFORMATION.
UM, AND MY QUESTION IS BASED UPON SOME CYNICISM IS THAT I DON'T HAVE A LOT OF CONFIDENCE IN, UH, LOCAL WEATHER FORECASTS.
AND SO I HOPE THAT THE TOWN IS USING, UH, A SYSTEM THAT IS BETTER, UH,
[01:30:01]
TO, TO DO THAT THAN WHAT THE GENERAL PUBLIC MIGHT HAVE.UM, HURRICANE PLANNING, IT'S A VERY DIFFICULT SUBJECT, BUT I'M VERY, VERY IMPRESSED WITH HOW THE TOWN MOBILIZES, UH, TO REACT TO THESE STORMS. AND SO I COMPLIMENT, UH, THE TOWN STAFF, THE TOWN MANAGER FOR HAVING SUCH A, AN EXCELLENT PLAN TO, TO, UH, RESPOND TO STORM THREATS.
WE'VE HAD A COUPLE OF THREATS RECENTLY THAT DIDN'T TURN OUT TO BE REAL, AND I THINK IT'S WONDERFUL THAT THE TOWN HAD A PLAN, BEGAN EXECUTING IT, AND THEN THE TOWN, THE, THE EVENT KIND OF, UH, WASTED AWAY.
SO I THINK WE'RE DOING A LOT OF GOOD THINGS IN TERMS OF THE RESILIENCE, UH, MOVING FORWARD.
UH, BUT THERE'S MORE THAT WE NEED TO DO.
SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR GREAT EFFORT.
SO, UH, GLENN, JUST TO, TO, TO FOLLOW UP ON THE, THE WEATHER SIDE OF IT, UM, FIRE AND RESCUE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT DOES HAVE A, A LICENSED METEOROLOGIST ON STAFF THAT, UM, ATTENDS ALL THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AND THE WEATHER SERVICE OUTTA CHARLESTON, UM, BRIEFINGS AS STORMS COME THROUGH.
SO THERE IS THAT LOCAL, UM, KNOWLEDGE THAT GOES INTO PLAY AS WELL.
I THINK THAT'S TERRIFIC, BUT IT WASN'T KNOWN TO THIS ONE CITIZEN.
I THINK IT MAY BE SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO MAKE BETTER KNOWN, UH, IN, IN SOME SORT OF REPORT FROM THE MAYOR MM-HMM.
I DON'T THINK WE WANNA GET IN THE WEATHER BUSINESS, SO WE GOTTA BE CAREFUL HOW WE DO THAT
UM, SO, AND REALLY, I JUST HAVE ONE MINOR.
I TOLD I I THOUGHT YOU WERE FIRST AGAIN.
UM, BECAUSE I'M GONNA SIR WRAP MY COMMENTS AROUND, UH, PAST EXPERIENCES WITH EVENTS.
SO I'M HAPPY THAT WE'RE DOING THIS, UM, BUT I DO ALSO REALIZE THAT WE ARE IN A DIFFERENT PLACE NOW THAN WE WERE LAST TIME.
UM, SO I'M, I'M GLAD TO HEAR THAT THE RESILIENCY PLAN AND THE DISASTER RECOVERY PLAN WILL SOMEHOW OVERLAP.
UM, I ALSO THINK THAT US HAVING CONVERSATIONS WITH THE PUDS AS FAR AS THEIR RESILIENCY PLANS HAS TO BE A PART OF THIS IN A VERY HEAVY WAY.
UM, WE WERE VERY GOOD THE LAST TIME WE HAD A MAJOR EVENT OF GETTING BACK IN BUSINESS FAIRLY QUICKLY.
UM, BUT THAT'S BECAUSE WE WERE ALL SORT OF WORKING OFF OF THE SAME SHEET OF MUSIC.
AND I THINK THIS HAS TO HAPPEN THE SAME WAY, UM, A LITTLE BIT MORE SPECIFICALLY, AND THE PLAYING CONTENTS, UM, I'M GLAD THAT WE'RE CALLING OUT UTILITIES, SO WE'RE NOT OUT OF THE SCOPE OF, OF WORK HERE WITH THAT.
AND WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO BURY POWER LINES, SO THAT MAKES US MORE RESILIENT.
BUT THAT DECISION WAS MADE DECADES AGO AND, AND TODAY'S, UH, ENVIRONMENT, THERE'S ANOTHER UTILITY THAT IS VERY ESSENTIAL TO US BEING ABLE TO OPERATE.
AND THAT IS, UH, THE INFRASTRUCTURE OF, UH, WIFI DATA AND SO ON.
SO I THINK WE NEED TO BE THINKING ABOUT THAT JUST A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENTLY AT THIS POINT.
UM, THE PUBLIC HEALTH PIECE, AND I'M GLAD THAT THAT, THAT FRANK'S HERE.
UM, I THINK WE NEED TO COORDINATE WITH OUR PSDS, UM, AROUND THIS TOPIC AS WELL, BECAUSE THEY MAY BE, UM, THINKING ALONG THE SAME LINES.
AND WHATEVER COORDINATION NEEDS TO BE DONE, UH, UM, IT NEEDS TO BE INCLUDED IN THIS PLAN.
UM, WHICH LEADS ME TO THE, THE SEWER CONVERSATION.
UM, I KNOW WE, UH, DON'T TALK ABOUT THAT AS MUCH ANYMORE, UH, BUT THERE, IT WAS A GOAL, UM, OF THE TOWN TO HAVE EVERY, UH, HOUSEHOLD ON SEWER.
AND I KNOW THAT THERE ARE, UH, DIFFERENT SCENARIOS AND REASONS WHY WE HAVE NOT ACCOMPLISHED THAT.
UM, FUNDING IS PROBABLY THE BIGGEST ONE.
UH, SO TO ME, IF WE ARE, IF WE'RE STARTING TO SEE SEA LEVEL RISE AND WE NEED TO BE EVEN MORE PROACTIVE ABOUT GETTING EVERYBODY ON PUBLIC SEWER SYSTEMS HERE ON HILTON HEAD, UM, AND TO COUNCILMAN BRYSON'S POINT, UM, AND AGAIN, I'M THINKING BACK TO THE LAST MAJOR EVENT, UM, THOSE AREAS THAT WE CALL VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES.
UH, WE WERE HAVING FOLKS FROM THOSE COMMUNITIES PARTICIPATE IN CLEANING UP MORE INFLUENTIAL OR AFFLUENT COMMUNITIES
[01:35:01]
AND THEN COMING BACK HOME TO THEIR YARDS BEING SOLVED WITH MUD AND SO ON, RIGHT? SO I THINK WE REALLY HAVE TO TALK EQUITY HERE AS WE'RE TALKING THROUGH THIS, THIS PLAN AS WELL.AND I GUESS MY ONLY QUESTION HERE IS, UM, CONCEPTUALLY I UNDERSTAND WHY WE'RE DOING THIS, BUT ARE WE DOING THIS SO THAT WE OPEN UP OURSELVES FOR FUNDING TO ACCOMPLISH THE GOAL? DONE? I AM.
THIS, THIS IS, THIS IS GREAT TO HEAR.
I, I, I WANT TO LEAVE TODAY WITH AT LEAST PERHAPS FULL CONFIDENCE ON THE STAFF SIDE OF WHERE WE'RE HEADING.
AND I, I PULLED UP THE SITE, IF MY LAPTOP DIES, I APOLOGIZE, I GO QUICK.
BUT THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA OFFICE OF RESILIENCE, THEIR PLAN RIGHT, IS RESPONSIBLE FOR DE DEVELOPING AND IMPLEMENTING A STRATEGIC STATEWIDE RESILIENCE AND RISK REDUCTION PLAN.
IT IDENTIFIES THE PLAN, IDENTIFIES MAJOR FLOOD RISKS AROUND THE STATE, AND POTENTIAL LOSSES THAT COULD OCCUR AS A RESULT OF EXTREME WEATHER EVENTS, AND PROVIDES STRATEGIES FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENTS TO IMPLEMENT RESILIENCE INTO THEIR COMMUNITIES IN ORDER TO MITIGATE POTENTIAL FLOOD RISK.
I, SO TODAY, WE'RE HAVING A, A, A COMMUNITY, A COMMUNITY WIDE THOUGHT AND CONVERSATION ABOUT RESILIENCE AT ALL ANGLES AT 180 DEGREES, MAYBE 360 DEGREES.
UM, IN OUR COMMUNITY, THE STATE'S PLAN IS TALKING ABOUT FLOODING, WHICH IS WHY EARLY ON, WE, OUR, OUR PLAN TRYING TO ALIGN IT WITH THE STATE IS ABOUT FLOODING.
BUT AS WE DIVE INTO CONVERSATIONS IN OUR SWOT ANALYSIS, THAT'S WHY SEAN'S MENTIONING THE SWOT ANALYSIS FEEDBACK TO HELP US PRIORITIZE.
WE ARE HEARING ABOUT PSD, WE ARE HEARING ABOUT HOSPITAL, WE'RE, WE'RE HEARING ABOUT HOUSING, WE'RE HEARING ABOUT THOSE, THOSE REAL MITIGATION EFFORTS THAT AS A COMMUNITY, AS A TOWN COUNCIL, AS A, AS A STAFF, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO UNDERSTAND IF SOMETHING MORE DIRE OCCURS.
RIGHT? AND I THINK WE ALL LEARNED THAT AT A, AT A MINIMUM, GO BACK TO HURRICANE MATTHEW.
SO I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT TOWN COUNCIL'S, I'M FOLLOWING TOWN COUNCIL AND TOWN COUNCIL'S, VERY CLEAR ON WHY WE THREW THESE TABLE OF CONTENTS UP THERE.
BECAUSE AS WE PUT THESE TABLE OF CONTENTS UP THERE, TO A DEGREE, THIS IS WHAT WE'RE HEARING ABOUT RESILIENCE PLANNING ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
HOWEVER, IN THE STATE, IT'S TALKING ABOUT FLOODING.
BUT WHEN SOMETHING OCCURS ON OUR ISLAND, I THINK THIS PLAN, IF NOTHING ELSE, IT'S GOING TO FORCE US, FACILITATE US, CALL IT WHAT YOU WILL TO UNDERSTAND THAT 360 DEGREES OF IMPACTS.
AND SO I WANT TO JUST HELP, HELP Y'ALL BRAG FOR A SECOND OF WHAT WE'RE DOING RIGHT NOW ABOUT RESILIENCE.
WE PLAN TO PLAN, RIGHT? THE BEACH RENOURISHMENT PROJECT IS A RESILIENCE PLAN.
THE PUMP STATIONS YOU JUST FUNDED THE PUMP, THE NEW PUMPS, THE BRAND NEW PUMPS FOR IN EXCESS OF MILLIONS, WEXFORD, SEA PINES ELSEWHERE, THOSE ARE RESILIENCE INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENTS.
OUR DITCH MAINTENANCE, OUR HOME REPAIR, OUR LATERAL SEWER CONNECTION PROGRAM IS A RESILIENCE PLAN, BECAUSE WHEN THE STORM COMES AND THERE'S WATER INUNDATION AND THE SEPTICS BACK UP, IT'S A WATER QUALITY ISSUE.
SO, SO YOU'VE ALREADY FUNDED $2 MILLION TOWARDS HOME REPAIR, LATERAL SEWER, A LOT OF OUR CAPITAL PROJECTS ARE RESILIENT PROJECTS, RIGHT? WHETHER IT'S JUST CLEANING A DITCH OR IMPROVING A LAGOON.
THE PSD PROJECT THAT'S RIGHT OUT HERE AT WEXFORD THAT WE ALL KNOW ABOUT, AND ALL THE PSD EASEMENTS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ARE THOSE ADDITIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE EXPANSION, INVESTMENT STABILIZATION PROJECTS THAT ARE REALLY, REALLY IN THE BUCKET OF RESILIENCE INVESTMENT.
SO I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE KNOW HOW MUCH WE'RE DOING ALREADY.
I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THIS PLAN IS GOING TO TEACH US, IF NOTHING ELSE, GUIDE US AS WE TALK ABOUT POLICY, PROJECT, AND PROGRAMS. SO THAT, THAT'S WHERE WE'RE GOING.
THIS IS A DEEP DIVE, BUT IF WE DON'T PUT THIS UP THERE, I THINK THE NEGATIVE WILL BE, WELL, WHY DIDN'T YOU THINK ABOUT WHEN WE'RE ALL DONE? I THINK A LOT OF THIS, IF YOU JUST KIND OF LOOK AT THE NUMBERS, INFRASTRUCTURE UP THERE, IF YOU LOOK UTILITY RESILIENCE, STORM WATER, WATER, SEWER, ENERGY, SOLID WASTE RECYCLING, GREAT POINT ABOUT DATA, GREAT POINT.
WHAT HAPPENS? WHAT HAPPENS IF, RIGHT? SO THAT EXTRA LAYER AND THOSE REDUNDANCY EFFORTS THAT TOM SUNDAY TALKED ABOUT THE OTHER DAY, AT LEAST FROM OUR STANDPOINT, THAT FOUR LAYER OF REDUNDANCY FOR OUR DATA, THAT'S A RESILIENCE INVESTMENT.
BUT HOW DO WE TRANSLATE THAT ACROSS, ACROSS THE COMMUNITY? SO WE'VE, WE'VE GOTTA DIVE IN.
WE, WE ARE A LITTLE BEHIND, WE'RE PROBABLY MORE BEHIND THAN, THAN I'M COMFORTABLE WITH IN GETTING THIS DONE.
BUT I, I THINK SOME OF IT IS OUR SWOT ANALYSIS.
[01:40:01]
THAN WHAT YOUR INITIAL SCOPE OF WORK TOLD US TO DO.AND FRANKLY, A A LOT DEEPER THAN WHAT THE STATE PLAN THAT WE AT FIRST STARTED TO LOOK AT WAS LEADING US TO.
UM, SEAN AND AND JEFF ARE, ARE WORKING HARD ON THIS.
UM, MY LAST POINT IS THAT THIS PLAN SHOULD ALIGN OUR CAPITAL PROGRAM, OUR STORMWATER PROGRAM, OUR ZONING, OUR PSDS, OUR EMERGENCY PLAN, AND A LOT OF THOSE, THOSE EFFORTS THAT WHEN SOMETHING TERRIBLE OCCURS, WE HAVE TO AT LEAST HAVE THAT, THAT THAT PLAYBOOK AND, AND THIS SHOULD BRING ALL OF IT TOGETHER.
AND I JUST WANTED TO ADD THAT THE EXPANSION, THE, YOU KNOW, THE INTEGRATION OF DISASTER RECOVERY PLAN, WE HAD A DISASTER RECOVERY COMMISSION TO HELP DEVELOP THAT PLAN.
IT INCLUDED A LOT OF THESE COMPONENTS, BUSINESS RESTORATION AND SUPPORT, UH, EMERGENCY PERMITTING, OUR DEBRIS MANAGEMENT, BUT IT WAS, UH, COORDINATION WITH NONPROFITS.
SO I THINK IT'S TAKING THE DISASTER RECOVERY PLAN AS WE KNOW IT, AND BUILDING IT INTO THIS RESILIENCE PLAN AND HAVE IT UNDER THAT UMBRELLA, RIGHT? IT STILL WILL SERVE AS OUR PLAYBOOK, BUT IT'LL BE MORE COMPREHENSIVE AND UP TO DATE, UM, BASICALLY ON, ON WHAT WE'VE LEARNED WITH THE LAST, UM, YOU KNOW, 10 YEARS OF EVENTS THAT MADE US SMARTER.
THE, THE, THE ONLY, UM, COUPLE THINGS, I MEAN, I AGREE WITH EVERYBODY'S COMMENTS.
UM, THE ONLY THINGS THAT I CAME UP WITH REALLY IS, YOU KNOW, MAYBE WE NEED TO REACH OUT TO THE, TO OUR SERVICE PRO PROVIDERS, TO OUR PUDS, UM, TO, TO HAVE THEIR RESILIENCE PLAN TO UNDERSTAND WHAT IT IS THAT THEY'RE GOING TO DO, SO THAT WE'RE ALL IN TIED TOGETHER AND THERE'S A USER CENTRAL SOURCE.
SO, NOT REQUIRED, BUT REQUEST.
MAYOR, I, SORRY, JUST TWO QUICK THINGS.
UM, O ONE IS, UM, AND JUST LOOKING AT THE TABLE CONTENTS FOR THE COUNTY, THEY HAVE A SECTION CALLED RECOMMENDED STRATEGIES.
UM, AND I'M LOOKING AT, I, I JUST QUICKLY LOOKED AT OUR TABLE OF CONTENTS ON AN EXECUTIVE SUMMARY, IT SAYS ACTION PLAN HIGHLIGHTS, BUT I DIDN'T SEE A SECTION THAT'S CALLED ACTION PLAN.
YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT ARE OUR STRATEGIES? IT'S, IT'S NICE TO HAVE ALL THE DATA SET OUT, BUT WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO? UM, AND, UM, AND THE OTHER THING I DIDN'T GET AN ANSWER TO, I APPRECIATE THAT, UM, SCOPE OF WORK HAS BROADENED, UM, BUT WHAT CAN WE DO TO EXPEDITE THE PROCESS? IS IT MORE STAFF TIME? IS IT, IS IT MORE FUNDING? UM, BECAUSE, UH, IF THE SCOPE OF WORK, IF THE SWAT'S GONNA BE PRESENTED IN THE FIRST QUARTER OF NEXT YEAR, HOW CAN WE MOVE MORE QUICKLY TO GET SOME THINGS DONE, UM, BEFORE THE END OF NEXT YEAR? THANK YOU.
IF, IF I CAN, IF I CAN ANSWER THAT REAL QUICK.
UM, IN OUR MEETINGS, WE TALK ABOUT STAFF CAPACITY.
WITH EVERYTHING ELSE THAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO, UM, THERE IS A LEVEL OF WORK THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE AND TO DO IT EFFECTIVELY, THEY'VE GOTTA HAVE THE PROPER TIME.
UM, SO WE HAVE SET OUT A PLAN TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT WE GET THESE THINGS DONE.
IS ANY OF IT IN THE TIMEFRAME THAT WE WANT? NOT NECESSARILY, BUT, UM, THERE ARE OTHER IMPORTANT ITEMS THAT ARE COMING THROUGH THAT WE'VE GOT TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT THAT GETS THE DESERVED TIME.
AND THAT ONE IS NOT TAKING AWAY FROM THE OTHER.
SO YEAH, I'M JUST LOOKING AT, WE'RE PAYING A CONSULTANT, $292,000, SO, MM-HMM,
UH, ALRIGHT, UH, KIM, STORMWATER UTILITY.
SO MAYOR COUNCIL, UM, I'LL PRESENT ALONG WITH OUR DIRECTOR OF ENGINEERING, JEFF INGER, UM, WHO'S WAY SMARTER THAN I'M ON STORMWATER.
UM, A COMPLETE OVERVIEW OF THE STORMWATER UTILITY, INCLUDING STAFFING PROGRAMS AND FUNDING.
UH, THE PRES PRESENTATION WILL PROVIDE CLARITY ON WHAT THE STORMWATER STORMWATER UTILITY DOES AND WHAT THE STORMWATER UTILITY DOESN'T DO.
IT'LL PROVIDE CLARITY REGARDING THE STORMWATER AGREEMENTS THAT WE HAVE WITH OUR PUD AND POA PARTNERS, INCLUDING HOW PROJECTS ARE ASSESSED AND RANKED AND RECOMMENDED FOR THE BUDGET ANNUALLY.
IT WILL ALSO IDENTIFY DISPARITIES IN EXTENT OF SERVICE, UH, CHALLENGES AND CURRENT LIMITING FACTORS FOR EXECUTION OF ALL SERVICE REQUESTS FROM PUD AND POA PARTNERS.
FINALLY, IT WILL INCLUDE AN OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL ASSISTANCE TO ADDRESS OUTSTANDING SERVICE REQUESTS.
QUESTIONS FOR COUNCIL REGARDING STORMWATER UTILITY WILL INCLUDE FUND UTILIZATION WITH A FOCUS ON STORM WATER FUND BALANCE, AND ALSO POTENTIAL TRANSITION OF CONTRACTED SERVICES TO, IN-HOUSE TO INCREASE CONTROL AND RESPONSIVENESS,
[01:45:01]
UM, TO MEET THE UTILITY PROGRAM GOALS.SO NOW I'LL JUMP IN TO THE PRESENTATION.
AND SO I'VE COVERED, UH, I THINK I'VE TALKED ABOUT JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING ON HERE, BUT STORMWATER UTILITY OVERVIEW STAFFING, LOOKING AT REVENUE EXPENSES AND CHANGE IN FUND BALANCE OVER TIME.
OUR TARGETED DISCUSSION WILL BE ON THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PART OF THIS, OF THE STORMWATER UTILITY ROUTINE MAINTENANCE, INCLUDING CHANNELS, STREET SWEEPING PONDS, PUMP STATIONS, CORRECTIVE MAINTENANCE PROGRAM, LOOKING AT EXTENDED SERVICE DRAINAGE AGREEMENTS, RANKING AND PROJECT PRIORITIZATION, UH, SERVICE REQUEST EVALUATION, AND THEN HOW WE BUILD OUR ANNUAL STORMWATER UTILITY AND CIP BUDGET.
AND THEN FINALLY TALKING ABOUT THE CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES AND REALLY SEEKING SOME, UM, SOME INPUT FROM TOWN COUNCIL AS WE MOVE THROUGH THE PROJECT TO GET TO TOWARD THE END THERE.
THE STORMWATER UTILITY PROGRAM, UM, WE PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE UPDATED JEFF'S TITLE AT THE TOP, BUT HE IS NOW THE DIRECTOR OF ENGINEERING.
UH, BUT YOU CAN SEE THE TOTAL STORMWATER UTILITY TEAM HAS SEVEN STAFF MEMBERS.
THERE'S BEEN ONE ADDITIONAL STAFF MEMBER, UM, IN, UH, THAT'S BEEN INCREASED IN THAT NET DIVISION SINCE 2001.
UM, AND THERE'S THE TITLES AND LIST OF STAFF THERE.
UM, HERE'S AN ALLOCATION OF STAFF TIME, UM, UTILITY MANAGEMENT, LMO REVIEW, OUR NPDS AND A PERMIT COMPLIANCE GO BACK TO THE ONLY A FEW PEOPLE DOING ALL THIS WORK.
IT'S JUST NOT A SLIDE, BUT I WOULD THINK YOU SHOULD CLARIFY HOW MUCH GETS DONE BY A FEW PEOPLE AND WHO THOSE PEOPLE ARE.
'CAUSE THEY'RE IMPORTANT PIECES OF THE PUZZLE.
SO, YEAH, THAT'S A GREAT POINT MARK, AND I APPRECIATE YOU STOPPING ME TO GO BACK.
YOU KNOW, I WOULD SAY WE'RE, THE PROGRAM IS ONLY AS GOOD AS THE PEOPLE AND THE HUMAN RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO EXECUTE THE PROJECT.
YOU KNOW, THERE IS FUNDING AND CONTRACT AVAILABILITY, BUT OUR SMALL EFFICIENT TEAM OF STORMWATER PERSONNEL ARE HANDLING WHAT YOU'LL, WHAT WE'LL COVER IN THE NEXT SEVERAL SLIDES, A BIG PROGRAM OF WORK.
UM, AND IT HAS SOME CHALLENGES AND, UH, EXTENSIVE SERVICE AND IMPACT FROM COUNTY AND STATE SYSTEMS AND PRIVATE SYSTEMS. UM, AND SO YOU CAN SEE HERE THE, THE STAFF MEMBERS WHO ARE DOING A, A FABULOUS JOB IN EXECUTING THE PROGRAM.
JACOB, PARDON ME, WHAT ARE THE NAMES? SO, UH, WE'VE GOT JACOB TERRY, OUR, OUR WATERSHED MANAGER, MIKE ELLI, ASSET MANAGER, KELLY SIGGE, SENIOR STORMWATER PROJECT MANAGER, CARRIE SHOEMAKER, UM, ADAMS, STORMWATER MAINTENANCE PROJECT ADMINISTRATOR, ADAM MORALE.
AND MARK LOEB IS STORMWATER INSPECTORS.
AND SO WITH THAT TEAM OF SEVEN, UM, THIS IS THE ALLOCATION OF STAFF RESOURCES AND, AND WHAT THEY'RE FOCUSED ON ON A DAILY BASIS.
SO UTILITY MANAGEMENT, AGAIN, LMO COMPLIANCE, OUR PERMITTING RE UH, COMPLIANCE FOR MPDS, UH, REGULATORY INSPECTIONS, UM, SERVICE REQUESTS, DATA MANAGEMENT, ASSET MANAGEMENT, INVENTORY AND MODELING PROGRAMS, WATER QUALITY PROGRAMS, CAPITAL, THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM, PUMP STATION MAINTENANCE, ROUTINE MAINTENANCE AND CORRECTIVE MAINTENANCE.
AND SO, UM, UH, WE'VE INCLUDED IN HERE AN ALLOCATION TO A CHART TO, TO SEE WHERE FOLKS ARE SPENDING, UH, THE MOST TIME.
BUT THAT'S A BIG PROGRAM OF WORK.
I'M GONNA, WHERE ARE THEY SPENDING MOST OF THEIR TIME, SPENDING MOST OF THEIR TIME IN THE CORRECTIVE MAINTENANCE, UM, BUCKET, UM, SERVICE REQUEST AND REGULATORY INSPECTIONS, UH, ALONG WITH OUR ASSET MANAGEMENT.
AND THEN, UM, A LITTLE LESS TIME IN SOME OF THESE OTHER CATEGORIES.
I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO JEFF TO TALK ABOUT THE STORMWATER UTILITY FEE AND TO MOVE THROUGH THE NEXT FEW SLIDES TO EXPLAIN THE PROGRAM.
SO, UH, THE STORMWATER UTILITY OPERATES WITH AN INDEPENDENT STORMWATER FUND.
SORRY, HAVING MY DIFFICULTIES HERE.
UM, SO BACK IN THE, JUST TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND, BACK IN THE MID
[01:50:01]
NINETIES, AND MANY OF YOU MIGHT REMEMBER, WE HAD A WHOLE BUNCH OF REALLY, REALLY HEAVY RAINFALL EVENTS THAT, UH, UH, RESULTED IN THE COUNTY AND THE, ALL THE MUNICIPAL PARTNERS IN THE AREA GETTING TOGETHER AND, AND HAVING A, A COUNTYWIDE STORMWATER MASTER PLAN DONE.AND OUT OF THAT CAME A, A LIST OF PROJECTS.
SO THAT ISLAND HAD ITS OWN CHAPTER, CHAPTER 16, HERE'S YOUR LIST OF THINGS THAT YOU NEED TO DO TO ADDRESS THESE MAJOR DRAINAGE CONCERNS.
SO EVERYBODY IN THE COUNTY AND ALL THE MUNICIPALITIES HAD THEIR LIST OF PROJECTS, UH, AS A RESULT AND SAID, OH, WELL, HOW DO WE PAY FOR THIS? AND, AND THE DECISION WAS MADE TO FORM AN INDEPENDENT, UH, REVENUE SOURCE IN THE FORM OF A STORMWATER UTILITY.
SO THAT'S WHAT WE DID IN 2001.
UM, SO PER THE AGREEMENT, THE COUNTY, UM, SENDS OUT ON EVERY EVERYBODY'S ANNUAL PROPERTY TAX BILL, THERE'S A STORMWATER FEE NEAR THE BOTTOM IF YOU ITEMIZE, LOOK THROUGH IT, ITEMIZED.
AND THAT IS SOMETHING THE COUNTY COLLECTS ON OUR BEHALF.
AND THEN THEY SEND, UH, PER A SMALL, LESS A SMALL ADMINISTRATIVE FEE, THEY SEND THE REST OF THAT MONEY BACK TO US IN THE TOWN.
SO ALL THE MONEY COLLECTED WITH THOSE FEES FOR RESIDENTS OF HILTON HEAD ISLAND AND PROPERTY OWNERS ON HILTON ISLAND COMES BACK TO US TO UTILIZE.
SO THAT'S THE BACKGROUND ON THAT.
SO HOW THE FEE IS COLLECTED, UH, OR HOW CALCULATED IS BASED ON WHAT WE HAVE, UH, AGREED TO IN 2016, OR I'M SORRY, 2017 TO ADJUST, ADJUST, THE WAY THE CALCULATION IS MADE FOR HOW THAT FEE IS, IS DETERMINED, UM, BASED ON A SINGLE FAMILY UNIT, WHICH IS, UM, THE, THE BASE UNIT FOR DETERMINING THE FEES FOR ALL PROPERTIES.
SO A LOT OF THOSE RESIDENTIAL UNITS ARE EITHER, YOU KNOW, A LITTLE BIT SMALLER OR A LITTLE BIT BIGGER, BUT THAT STANDARD FEE YOU CAN SEE ON THE SCHEDULE TO THE RIGHT COMPARED TO THE OTHER, UH, MUNICIPAL ENTITIES IN THE COUNTY.
UH, WE'RE AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL RIGHT NOW, BUT, UH, WE DO AN AWFUL LOT WITH THAT MONEY.
THIS IS THE, THE RATE THAT WAS ESTABLISHED OR UP, UP IN 2017, THAT WAS THE FIFTH RATE INCREASE SINCE THE UTILITY FORMED IN 2001.
AND IT'S BEEN STEADY AT THAT LEVEL SINCE 2017.
UM, IT'S, THE FEE IS DETERMINED, A COMBINATION OF AN ADMINISTRATIVE FEE, UM, THEN BASED ON THE AMOUNT OF IMPERVIOUS AREA ON A PARCEL, AND THEN THE PARCEL'S GROSS AREA.
SO WHEN YOU WOULD APPLY THIS, WHEN YOU WOULD, WOULD APPLY THIS TO A LARGER PARCEL, SAY A SHOPPING CENTER, THE FEE WOULD BE MUCH HIGHER FOR THAT, FOR THAT ENTITY ON THEIR FEE.
UM, YOU KNOW, YOU WOULD SAY SOMETHING OF A PUBLIC SIZE SHOPPING CENTER MIGHT HAVE A $5,800 ANNUAL FEE, SO WAY HIGHER THAN THE COST TO A SINGLE FAMILY HOME.
SO IN THE END THAT THAT RELATES TO A REVENUE ANNUALLY AROUND, UH, JUST OVER 5 MILLION A YEAR.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE WORK WITH, UH, INDEPENDENT IN LARGE PART FROM THE GENERAL FUND TO OPERATE OUR PROGRAM.
SO JUST TO GIVE YOU, UH, THIS IS, UH, THE STORMWATER UTILITY FUND FOR, UH, OVERVIEW FOR FISCAL YEAR 2025.
ALL THE NUMBERS YOU SEE AS WE SHOW FUNDING PERSONNEL, UH, TRANSFER TO GENERAL FUND, DEBT SERVICE, AND THEN ALL OF OUR PROGRAMS WHERE WE DELIVER SERVICE.
UH, THIS INCLUDES THE RECENTLY, UH, TOWN COUNCIL APPROVED BUDGET AMENDMENT TO SHOW WHAT WE'RE NOW WORKING WITH FOR THE REST OF FISCAL 25.
UH, YOU CAN SEE AN AWFUL LOT, UH, AS YOU GO AROUND THE, AROUND THE PIE CHART DEDICATED TO CORRECTIVE MAINTENANCE AND, AND CIP AND PUMP STATIONS.
SO YOU CAN SEE WHERE WE'RE SPENDING A LOT OF THAT MONEY.
WE'RE ALSO FUNDING THE MONITORING PROGRAMS. I THINK WHERE THAT WAS DISCUSSED A LITTLE BIT EARLIER, UH, WE TALKED ABOUT WATER QUALITY MONITORING, TIDE MONITORING IN PARTICULAR, AGAIN, NOW THAT WE HAVE THOSE IN PLACE, NOT A HIGH ANNUAL LOAD WEATHER MONITORING, WE TALKED ABOUT IN ADDITION TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE, WE'RE GONNA GET SOME MORE LOCAL WEATHER MONITORING EQUIPMENT INSTALLED, SO WE HAVE BETTER EYES AND, UH, IN THE EOC DURING A STORM EVENT, UM, MODELING ANALYSIS PROGRAM ONGOING.
AND WE'LL GET TO THESE OTHER PROGRAMS IN A MINUTE.
SO THE STORM WATER FUND BALANCE, UM, JUST WANNA GIVE YOU A, A, A SENSE OF THE PICTURE OF WHAT'S BEEN GOING ON OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS.
THE STORMWATER FUND BALANCE HAS BEEN GOING UP YEAR OVER YEAR, AS YOU CAN SEE ON THE CHART.
UM, THIR, IT WAS THE BEGINNING OF FISCAL 24.
[01:55:01]
AND THIS, THIS YEAR, TOWN COUNCIL APPROVED A BUDGET FOR FISCAL 25.THAT WAS THE FIRST ONE WHERE WE WEREN'T BUDGETING JUST LEVEL WITH WHAT WE WERE BRINGING IN EVERY YEAR.
SO WE'RE DIPPING INTO THE FUND BALANCE A LITTLE BIT TO FUND SOME OF THESE HIGHER PRIORITY JOBS, WHICH WE'LL DISCUSS LATER IN THE PRESENTATION.
SO WE DO EXPECT THE FUND BALANCE TO DECREASE THIS YEAR, BUT THAT FUND BALANCE IS A LITTLE BIT OF A CONCERN AND A, AND A TOPIC FOR CONVERSATION WITH YOU ALL.
AND, AND JEFF, WE ALSO, WITH THE, UH, BUDGET AMENDMENT RECENTLY ADOPTED BUDGET AMENDMENT, KNOWING THAT WE HAD SOME IMPACTS FROM TROPICAL STORM DEBBIE, UM, WE DID, WE DID INCLUDE SOME ADDITIONAL, UM, REQUEST FOR FUND BALANCE TO FUND THOSE, THOSE PROJECTS.
SO NOW MOVING INTO OUR PROGRAMS, STARTING WITH THE, UM, CIP PROGRAM FOR THIS FISCAL 25, UM, YOU CAN SEE THE LIST OF PROJECTS THAT WE ARE FUNDING THIS YEAR AND WORKING ON, UM, BEGINNING WITH, UH, WEXFORD PUMP STATION OVERHAUL, THIS ONGOING, YOU KNOW, IN THE LAST FEW YEARS WE HAVE, WE HAVE, WE JUST COMPLETED A LOT, LOT IN PUMP STATION OVERHAUL, REPLACING A BUNCH OF, OF, WITHOUT WANTING A LOT OF DETAIL, PRETTY MUCH EVERY MAJOR FUNCTIONAL PART OF THE, OF THE PUMP STATION WAS REPLACED OR SIGNIFICANTLY UPGRADED IN 2021.
WE COMPLETED AN OVERHAUL OF THE JARVIS CREEK PUMP STATION.
SO THESE ARE RESILIENCE IMPROVEMENTS THAT ARE ONGOING.
AND LECTURE PUMP STATION IS ANOTHER MAJOR ONE.
UM, THAT'S THE FUNDING WE'RE, WE'RE APPLYING TO IT FOR, FOR PLANNING AND SOME, UM, INTERIM UPGRADES.
BUT THERE'S SEVERAL MILLION DOLLARS MORE OF WORK TO DO ON THAT FACILITY.
GUM TREE ROAD DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENTS, UM, THAT'S UNDER DESIGN RIGHT NOW.
WE START TO BE HOPE TO BEGIN CONSTRUCTION ON A FEW OF THOSE IMPROVEMENTS BY THE END OF THIS FISCAL YEAR WITH MORE CONSTRUCTION TO CONTINUE IN FISCAL 26.
UH, AGAIN, AGAIN TALKING ABOUT RESILIENCE AND WHAT WE ARE DOING MIGHT MIGHT ALREADY BE DOING, WE ALREADY DOING RESILIENCE WORK.
WE HAVE SOME IMPROVEMENTS WE NEED TO MAKE TO BETTER SUPPORT THE JARVIS CREEK PUMP STATION OUTFALL SYSTEM, AND WE'RE WORKING WITH THE CONSULTANT ON THAT TO MAKE IMPROVEMENTS TO INSTALL BACKFLOW PREVENTION DEVICES TO MAKE THAT THING FUNCTION BETTER IN A MAJOR STORM.
HEY, JEFF, I KNOW, I KNOW WE DO HAVE A, A SHOT CLOCK, UM, THAT WE'RE WORKING ON.
SO I JUST WANNA SAY THAT THESE ARE THE NINE PROJECTS THAT ARE WITHIN THE CIP FOR FISCAL 25.
WE CAN, IF THERE'S QUESTIONS AT THE END, WE CAN CERTAINLY GO BACK AND GIVE ANY DETAIL THAT WE WANT.
UM, BUT A TOTAL $2.3 MILLION IN CIP BUDGETED, UH, FOR THESE CAPITAL PROJECTS.
OKAY, SO NOW, UM, JUST SPEND A LITTLE TIME TALKING ABOUT WHAT WE DO, UH, WITH SOME OF OUR ROUTINE MAINTENANCE, UH, PROGRAMS. UM, I'M NOT GONNA SPEND A LOT OF TIME ON THESE, JUST TO LET YOU KNOW, THERE'S, THERE'S WORK THAT WE DO ONGOING ON A PROACTIVE BASIS THAT WE SPEND, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF STAFF TIME AND SOME FINANCIAL RESOURCES ON CHANNEL MAINTENANCE PROGRAM.
UM, IT'S CURRENTLY ADDRESSING 41 CHANNELS ON OUR ISLAND, KEEPING 'EM CLEAN AND FUNCTIONAL, TOUCHED TWICE A YEAR.
UH, WE'RE LOOKING TO EXPAND THAT A LITTLE BIT EVERY YEAR AS WE FIND NEW CHANNELS WE NEED TO BRING UNDER, UNDER MAIN ROUTINE MAINTENANCE, OUR STREET SWEEPING PROGRAM, WE HAVE EXPANDED THE FREQUENCY AND THE NUMBER OF ROADS TOUCHED BY OUR STREET SWEEPING PROGRAM OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, SWEEPING THE BRIDGES ONTO THE ISLAND, UH, NOW SIX NIGHTS A WEEK, UH, WORKING WITH OUR OTHER CONTRACTORS TO KEEP BIGGER DEBRIS ON DRY PEELS, THOSE BRIDGES FREE AND CLEAR.
AND THEN SWEEPING MOST OF THESE OTHER TOWN OWNED ROADS AND ALL OTHER PUBLIC ROADS WITH CURB AND GUTTER ON THE ISLAND, SWEPT ONCE OR TWICE A WEEK.
AGAIN, THIS KEEPS THAT SEDIMENT LOAD OUT OF OUR, OUT OF OUR STORM WATER SYSTEM.
SO IT RELATES DIRECTLY TO WATER QUALITY.
TOWN IS RESPONSIBLE FOR 55 PONDS AND COUNTING.
WE'RE STILL LOCATING ANOTHER ONE HERE OR THERE THAT WE'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR INSPECTION AND MAINTENANCE ANNUALLY.
AND THEN OUR PUMP STATIONS, THESE ARE SOME CRITICAL FACILITIES WE'VE BUILT AS A RESULT OF, OF DOING THE WORK INFORMED BY THAT MASTER PLAN THAT WAS CREATED IN THE NINETIES WHEN WE CREATED THE UTILITY.
NOW THAT THEY'RE UP AND RUNNING, A LOT OF 'EM ARE AGING.
UH, THEY'RE KIND OF HIGH MAINTENANCE, BUT THEY'RE VERY, VERY CRITICAL, VERY, VERY CRITICAL TO PROTECTING THE ISLAND.
DURING TROPICAL STORM, DEBBIE, THE COMBINE, TOTAL AMOUNT OF WATER THAT WAS PUSHED OUT BY THOSE PUMP STATIONS WAS NEARLY A HALF A BILLION GALLONS OF WATER.
[02:00:01]
HELP PROTECT THE COMMUNITY.IMPORTANT TO KEEP THOSE THINGS UP AND RUNNING AND ALWAYS STORM READY.
AND JEFF, CAN I POINT OUT ONE THING BECAUSE WE HAVE THE, THE EXPENSES THAT SLIDE THAT SHOWED THE ITEMS THAT JEFF IS GOING THROUGH, BUT CHANNEL MAINTENANCE, 360,000 STREET SWEEPING, 340,000 POND MAINTENANCE, 28,500, YOU KNOW, AS WE START TO THINK ABOUT ABILITY TO, UM, TO PERFORM THE WORK, UM, HE ENLISTED IN THEIR CONTRACTED SERVICES FOR ALL OF THESE ELEMENTS.
AND SO AS WE CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD, THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY AGAIN FOR, TO MOVE SOME OF THOSE IN-HOUSE AND HAVE MORE CONTROL AND NOT BE AS RELIANT ON CONTRACTED OR CONTRACTOR SERVICES.
THOSE THREE, UM, ROUTINE MAINTENANCE PROGRAMS, NOT TALKING ABOUT PUMPS, BUT ARE, UH, $729,000 PER YEAR.
AND SO WOULD IT MAKE SOME SENSE TO, TO CONSIDER THAT AS WE MOVE FORWARD OVER TIME? SO NOW, NOW WE'RE GONNA SPEND QUITE A BIT OF TIME TALKING ABOUT THE CORRECTIVE MAINTENANCE PROGRAM.
SO THAT'S THE PROGRAM WE SPEND A LOT OF TIME, UH, A LOT OF STAFF TIME ON AND A LOT OF OUR, AND A LOT OF OUR ANNUAL, UH, FUNDING ON TAKING, AND THIS IS TO CORRECT DEFICIENCIES WITH THE EXISTING SYSTEMS THAT WE'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR ON THE ITEM.
A COUPLE OF PICTURES THERE GIVE YOU A SENSE OF THE WIDE RANGE OF DEFICIENCIES THAT WE EXPERIENCE, UM, AS THE SYSTEM, YOU KNOW, DOES ITS JOB, CONTINUES TO AGE AND, AND IS DEALT WITH WITH EXTERNAL STRESSES.
SO THE TYPICAL KIND OF THINGS THAT WE WOULD SEE, UM, ARE, ARE LISTED THERE, YOU KNOW, PIPE FAILURES, UH, VERY FREQUENTLY OLDER METAL PIPE IS ESPECIALLY SUBJECT TO THAT, UM, JOINT FAILURES.
YOU KNOW, WHENEVER YOU SEE A SINKHOLE ON THE SURFACE, THERE'S LIKELY IT'S EITHER A PST PROBLEM OR IT'S A STORMWATER PROBLEM.
AND, UH, WE FIX A LOT OF THOSE.
UM, WE'VE BEEN DOING MAINTAIN SINCE 2009.
UM, SO WE HAVE THOUSANDS OF REQUESTS WE'VE TRACKED OVER THE LAST 15 YEARS AND, UH, WE'RE TRACKING THOSE EVERY DAY.
IT'S, IT'S A, IT'S A LIVING DYNAMIC SYSTEM, UM, NOW TRACKED WITH A PROGRAM CALLED CARDIOGRAPH, AND IT'S, THAT'S DIRECTLY CONNECTED TO THE CCL FIX PROGRAM THAT WE TRY AND PUSH OUT THERE AND GET THROUGH MY HHI WHERE PEOPLE CAN, UM, ADD REQUESTS THAT END UP IN OUR DATABASE AND WE CAN PUNCH IN OUR OWN, WHICH WE DO ALL THE TIME.
SO THE EXTENT OF SERVICE OF THE CORRECTIVE MAINTENANCE PROGRAM, FIXING BROKEN STUFF AND UPGRADING, UM, STUFF THAT'S GETTING EXPERIENCING DEFICIENCIES IS DIRECTLY RELATED TO THIS SLIDE.
IT MIGHT TAKE A MINUTE TO DIGEST, BUT IT'S AN IMPORTANT SLIDE.
UM, IT STARTS WITH THE TOWN OWNED SYSTEMS, WHICH IS RIGHTS OF WAYS AND EASEMENTS AND TOWN OWNED PROPERTY, WHICH WE'RE DIRECTLY RESPONSIBLE FOR.
UM, BUT ALSO INCLUDED, AND WE'LL GET TO A LITTLE BIT LATER, A FEW SLIDES LATER IN MORE, MORE OF A DEEP DIVE TO THE, UH, DRAINAGE AGREEMENTS.
BUT WE HAVE THOSE AREAS IN THAT YELLOW SHADING ALL ADDED TO OUR CORRECTIVE MAINTENANCE PROGRAM, UM, VIA THE DRAINAGE AGREEMENTS.
SO YOU CAN START TO SEE HOW BIG THAT FOOTPRINT IS AS FAR AS THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF THE STORMWATER INFRASTRUCTURE UP THE ISLAND THAT THE TOWN IS, IS RESPONSIBLE, AT LEAST IN PART, WE'RE TAKING CARE OF THE, YOU CAN SEE THE TOWN ROADS AS COMPARED TO THE STATE ROADS AND THE COUNTY ROADS AND COUNTY PROPERTY.
UM, IT'S NOT A LOT THAT THE TOWN IS DIRECTLY RESPONSIBLE FOR WHEN IT TOOK LOOKS AT TOTAL FOOTPRINT ON THIS ISLAND.
SO WE TALK ABOUT THE ISLAND WIDE DRAINAGE SYSTEM, UM, BEING ABLE TO GET IT.
THE MORE WE HAVE GENERAL CONTROL OVER IT, THE EASIER IT IS.
SO THESE REALLY DO HAVE A POSITIVE BENEFIT THAT WE ARE ABLE TO PROVIDE THE SERVICE VIA THESE DRAINAGE AGREEMENTS.
SO THIS SLIDE IS ONE WE, UH, DECIDED TO PUT TOGETHER TO GIVE, TO GIVE, UH, COUNCIL AND THE PUBLIC A SENSE OF HOW DIFFICULT IT CAN BE TO MANAGE, UM, SYSTEMS AS A, AS A SINGLE ENTITY, AS THE TOWN WHEN THERE ARE SO MANY DIFFERENT PLAYERS RESPONSIBLE FOR, FOR SYSTEMS. I MEAN, YOU CAN GO ONE BLOCK AWAY AND IT SWITCHED FROM A COUNTY SYSTEM TO A PRIVATE SYSTEM, MOVED DOWN ANOTHER BLOCK OR AROUND THE CORNER ON ANOTHER STREET.
NEXT THING YOU KNOW, IT'S A, IT'S A SYSTEM MAINTAINED BY THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA.
AND, UH, THEN THERE'S PRIVATE COMMUNITIES WITH POAS THAT ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR SOME THINGS.
AND THE DRAINAGE SYSTEMS ARE OFTEN INTERCONNECTED.
SO BEING ABLE TO MAINTAIN THESE THINGS IN A PROACTIVE WAY, IN A COMPREHENSIVE WAY IS A REAL CHALLENGE.
[02:05:01]
IT'S REAL PAINFUL FOR US TO GO OUT WHEN THERE'S A PROBLEM ON A ROAD THAT'S, YOU KNOW, SAY, OWNED BY THE COUNTY, OR, UH, WORSE PRIVATE, YOU KNOW, WHERE WE WOULD LOVE TO DO SOMETHING, BUT WE CAN'T.SO THIS IS AN ONGOING CHALLENGE FOR US.
UM, AGAIN, WE REALLY WOULD LOVE TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE PERFECT SERVICE TO ALL THE ISLAND RESIDENTS.
UM, BUT WHEN IT'S ON PRIVATE PROPERTY AND IT ONLY BENEFITS PRIVATE PROPERTY TO FIX IT, WE CAN'T.
UM, SO WE'RE LOOKING FOR THE ANGLES WHERE THERE'S A PUBLIC INTEREST, WHERE THERE'S A COMMUNAL INTEREST WHERE WE CAN PROVIDE BETTER SERVICE.
SO JUST, JUST TO PUT THAT OUT FOR YOU, OUT THERE FOR YOU.
UM, HEY, JEFF, CAN YOU JUST, CAN YOU WALK US THROUGH THE MAP TOO? 'CAUSE WHEN I LOOK AT THIS, YOU HAVE PALMETTO BAY ROAD.
INCLUDING THE DRAINAGE ALONG THAT ROAD.
AND THEN AS YOU GO DOWN POINT COMFORT ROAD, YOU'VE GOT CEDAR WOODS, RIGHT? WHICH IS A PRIVATE SYSTEM, A ADJACENT TO POINT COMFORT WOODS, WHICH THE TOWN TOOK ON, UM, A FEW YEARS AGO, RIGHT? SO THE ROADS IN DRAINAGE.
SO HOW, HOW DOES ANYONE KNOW WHO TO CALL FOR HELP, RIGHT? IF YOU LIVE ACROSS THE STREET OR YOUR HOUSE BACKS UP TO SOMEONE ELSE, THEY'RE CALLING TWO DIFFERENT GROUPS BASED ON THE RESPONSIBLE PARTY THAT HAS EITHER ROUTINE MAINTENANCE, CORRECTIVE MAINTENANCE, OR BOTH, OR NOTHING, RIGHT? IT COULD BE JUST THE P THE POA, THE HOA THEMSELVES.
SO IT'S VERY COMPLICATED, AND IT'S CERTAINLY SOMETHING THAT WITH THIS
AND SO THE EXPECTATION ARE THEY'RE GETTING, YOU KNOW, A FAIR TREATMENT ON THEIR STORM WATER INFRASTRUCTURE.
AND SO I THINK THAT'S ALL PART OF THIS CONVERSATION.
AND HOW CAN WE ELIMINATE DISPARITIES AND EXTENT OF SERVICE AND PROVIDE, UM, AND PROVIDE A LEVEL OF, UH, MEETING OUR OWN EXPECTATIONS IN THESE AREAS THAT WE DON'T CURRENTLY HAVE CONTROL.
YEAH, YOU CAN, YOU CAN SEE ALSO ON THIS SLIDE, YOU KNOW, FOR INSTANCE, IN BAY PINES, THAT'S THE COUNTY SYSTEM.
SO IT'S A PUBLIC SYSTEM, SO THERE'S A PUBLIC ENTITY ENTITY TO TAKE CARE OF IT.
BUT, YOU KNOW, WE ADV WE WORK WITH THE COUNTY AND WE CAN ADVOCATE FOR THE RESIDENTS, BUT ULTIMATELY WE DON'T HAVE CONTROL OVER SERVICES PROVIDED IN THE COUNTY RIGHT OF WAY AND THE COUNTY SYSTEM.
BUT, YOU KNOW, YOU GO AROUND THE CORNER AND WE, WE CAN PROVIDE FULL SERVICE THAT WE PROVIDE TO, TO ANYBODY IN THE, IN THE TOWN, ON OUR TOWN, ON PROPERTY, WHEN IT COMES TO POINT COMFORT WOODS, AND THEN CEDAR WOODS, WHERE IT'S, IT'S PRIVATE.
THEY'RE CURRENTLY REQUESTING AN A, A DRAINAGE AGREEMENT WITH THE TOWN.
AND THAT'LL BE ALLOWED US TO, TO PROVIDE CORRECTIVE MAINTENANCE, BUT NOT THE FULL SERVICE IF YOU WERE IN THE TOWN PROPER ON A TOWN OWNED ROAD.
SO NOW WE GET TO THE DRAINAGE AGREEMENTS.
UM, I KNOW WE'VE, WE CAME, WE'RE COMING, GONNA COME TO COUNSEL IN NOVEMBER AND, AND ASK FOR YOU TO CONSIDER THE CURRENT FOUR CURRENT APPLICANTS VICTORIA SQUARE, UH, PADDOCKS ON JARRIS CREEK,
BUT, UH, WE NOW HAVE 22 ACTIVE AGREEMENTS, AND WE, YOU KNOW, SINCE TWO, 2007 WHEN WE TOOK ON THE FIRST AGREEMENT, SO WE'RE PROVIDING, UM, SERVICE VIA THIS PROGRAM TO AN AWFUL LOT OF FOLKS WHO LIVE IN PRIVATE RESIDENTIAL COMMUNITIES ON THE ISLAND.
NOW, IT'S MORE LIMITED INSIDE THESE PRIVATE COMMUNITIES THAN THE SERVICE WE WOULD PROVIDE, UM, FOR TOWN ON INFRASTRUCTURE DIRECTLY WITH THE ROUTINE, WITH THE DRAIN AGREEMENTS.
WE'RE PROVIDING CORRECTIVE MAINTENANCE, NOT ROUTINE MAINTENANCE.
UM, WE'RE NOT INSTALLING NEW INFRASTRUCTURE, WE'RE JUST HELPING THEM TAKE CARE OF THE SYSTEMS THAT THEY HAVE.
AND THAT'S ALL RELATED TO SCORING AND PRIORITIZATION, WHICH WE'LL GET TO IN A MINUTE.
BUT, UH, IF YOU LOOK AT WHAT WE, WHAT WE'VE, WE'VE BROUGHT IN SO FAR VERSUS WHAT OTHER ELIGIBLE COMMUNITIES ARE OUT THERE, THERE'S A BUNCH OF SMALLER COMMUNITIES THAT COULD QUALIFY FOR AGREEMENTS WITH THE TOWN BASED ON THE CRITERIA THAT'S BEEN BLESSED BY COUNCIL.
UM, IF YOU ADDED ALL THAT IN, IT WOULD BE 34 MORE COMMUNITIES.
BUT IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT AT THIS POINT, GIVEN THAT THE LARGER PRIVATE RESIDENCE COMMUNITIES HAVE SO MUCH MORE INFRASTRUCTURE, WE WOULD ONLY BE ADDING TWO, 2.5% TO THE TOTAL ADDITIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE THAT WE MIGHT MAKE ELIGIBLE FOR CORRECTIVE MAINTENANCE VIA THESE AGREEMENTS.
AND ONCE THEY GET THESE AGREEMENTS, THERE'S TWO WAYS THEY CAN GET SERVICE.
EITHER WE COME IN, THE TOWN COMES IN USING CONTRACTORS TO ADDRESS DEFICIENCIES THAT HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED, OR THE COMMUNITIES CAN DO IT THEMSELVES AND GET REIMBURSED AS
[02:10:01]
LONG AS THEY COMPLY WITH OUR, UH, PROCUREMENT POLICY.AND JEFF ON THAT, I WANNA MAKE SURE WE POINT OUT THAT WHEN A COMMUNITY EXECUTES THE DRAINAGE AGREEMENT WITH THE TOWN, IT DOESN'T ABSOLVE THEM FROM MAINTAINING THEIR OWN SYSTEMS, RIGHT? THEY'RE STILL THE PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITY TO MAINTAIN THE ENTIRE SYSTEM.
WHAT IT DOES ALLOW IS IF THERE'S A DEFICIENCY THAT REQUIRES CORRECTIVE MAINTENANCE, THEN THEY CAN REQUEST REIMBURSEMENT, UH, FROM THE TOWN BASED ON FUNDING AVAILABILITY.
AND WE'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT.
BUT I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT COMMUNITIES, IF THEY, IF WE SIGN AN AGREEMENT, HOW COUNCIL AGREES TO TAKE THEM INTO THE SYSTEM, THAT IT DOESN'T MEAN THOSE COMMUNITIES DON'T HAVE RESPONSIBILITIES TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE DOING ROUTINE.
AND IF THEY NEED ADDITIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE OUTSIDE OF THE DEFICIENT CORRECTIVE MAINTENANCE, THEY HAVE TO, THEY'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, THAT, THAT FREQUENTLY HAPPENS IS THAT THAT GETS KIND OF MISCOMMUNICATED AFTER A WHILE, THAT THE TOWN HAS TAKEN OVER THE DRAINAGE SYSTEMS OF THESE PRIVATE COMMUNITIES.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S NOT THE CASE.
WE'RE PROVIDING A VALUE ADDED SERVICE, I THINK IS MAYBE A BETTER WAY TO THINK ABOUT IT, TO HELP CORRECT THESE DEFICIENCIES.
JUST, UH, GONNA STOP HERE JUST FOR A SECOND.
THERE'S A LOT OF INFORMATION ON THIS SLIDE.
ON THE RIGHT SIDE, YOU CAN SEE THERE'S A, A PART OF A RE, UH, REIMBURSEMENT CHECKLIST AND, AND SHEET THAT SHOWS COMMUNITIES HOW TO APPLY FOR A REIMBURSEMENT AND, AND DO IT RIGHT SO THAT WE CAN PAY THEM BACK SINCE WE'RE USING PUBLIC MONIES.
UM, AND WE ARE ALWAYS AVAILABLE AS STAFF TO HELP COMMUNITIES WITH AGREEMENTS, GUIDE THEM THROUGH THE PROCESS.
AND WE, YOU KNOW, WE TRY AND MAKE SURE, MAKE, MAKE SURE THAT OUR OUTREACH IS, IS, IS PRETTY MUCH CONSTANT.
MAKE SURE WE KNOW, THEY KNOW THAT WE'RE ALWAYS AVAILABLE TO HELP THEM WITH THEIR REIMBURSEMENT.
UH, AGAIN, WE'RE GONNA TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT REIMBURSEMENTS IN JUST A MINUTE.
JEFF, DO YOU WANNA WALK THROUGH THE, YOU WANNA WALK THROUGH THE BERMUDA POINT CASE STUDY NOW? YEAH, SO, OKAY.
WELL, I WAS GONNA GO, ALL RIGHT, WHENEVER YOU'RE READY.
I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE WE'RE, LET'S GO AHEAD AND JUST TALK ABOUT THE RENEW POINT CASE STUDY RIGHT NOW.
SO WHEN WE EVALUATE PROJECTS, WHICH I'M GONNA GO INTO A LITTLE MORE DETAIL IN A SECOND, WE'LL COME UP WITH A SCORE ON A ONE TO 20 SCALE.
THAT'S HOW WE RANK THE, THAT'S WE RANK THE PROJECTS HOW BAD THEY ARE, MORE SERIOUS DEFICIENCIES, GET HIGHER SPORES.
AND LIKE I SAID, THERE'S A LOT OF DETAIL ON HOW THAT HAPPENS, BUT IF YOU'RE A SMALLER COMMUNITY, YOU TEND TO HAVE ROADS THAT AREN'T ARTERIAL ROADWAYS, RIGHT? YOU DON'T HAVE MAJOR ARTERIALS OR MAJOR COLLECTORS IN A COMMUNITY LIKE BERMUDA POINT.
THAT'S ONE CIRCLE ROAD WITH, UH, 50 SOMETHING HOUSES IN IT.
UH, SO WHEN WE, WHEN WE RANK THESE BY DEFAULT, THE WAY WE RANK THE SERVICE REQUEST BY HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE IMPACTED, THEY'RE GONNA END UP HAVING LOWER SCORES ON AVERAGE, AND YET THEY'RE ELIGIBLE FOR AGREEMENTS.
AND WE'VE BEEN GIVING 'EM SERVICE, YOU KNOW, THESE DRAINAGE MAINTENANCE AGREEMENTS, WHICH PROVIDES A POTENTIAL FUNDING SOURCE FOR CORRECTING THESE DEFICIENCIES.
WELL, IF SOMETHING SCORES LOW OR RELATIVELY LOW, LIKE SAY IT'S AN EIGHT THIS YEAR, IN THIS FISCAL YEAR, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE FUNDING ALL PROJECTS THAT ARE 10 OR HIGHER, AND WE'LL GET TO THAT A LITTLE BIT LATER, BUT IT KIND OF TIES OUR HANDS IN SOME WAYS TO BE ABLE TO, TO PROVIDE FUNDING FOR THOSE.
IF WE'RE, WE'RE ONLY GETTING, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ONLY FUNDING CORRECTION OF SOME OF THE STUFF THAT'S OUT THERE IS THAT WE'VE IDENTIFIED AS DEFICIENT.
AND SO THAT'S A LITTLE BIT FRUSTRATING.
AND WE'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HERE WE HAVE A UTILITY WITH US WITH A FUND BALANCE THAT'S INCREASING YEAR OVER YEAR.
UM, MAYBE IT'S BETTER THAT WE TALK ABOUT THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE AT THE END.
I THINK WE NEED, WE'RE GONNA MOVE FORWARD BECAUSE IT'LL GIVE BETTER CONTEXT.
SO, SERVICE REQUEST EVALUATION IS CRITICAL TO HOW THE, HOW THE UTILITY OPERATES.
IT'S CRITICAL BECAUSE IT HELPS US, INFORM US ON HOW WE'RE GONNA DELIVER SERVICES, MAKING SURE WE'RE TAKING CARE OF THE WORST PROBLEMS FIRST, AND WORKING OUR WAY DOWN AS FUNDING STAFF CAPACITY AND CONTRACTOR AVAILABILITY ALLOWS.
SO WE HAVE DEVELOPED OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS, STARTING IN 2019, I THINK WE DEVELOPED A TOOL IN-HOUSE THAT WE'VE REFINED.
WE'RE VERY HAPPY WITH HOW, HOW, UH, EQUITABLE IT IS IN THE WAY THAT IT RANKS DEFICIENCIES.
UM, SO IT'S PRETTY, IT'S A PRETTY DETAILED TOOL.
IT'S AN EXCEL SPREADSHEET THAT HAS A LOT OF STUFF GOING ON IN THE BACKGROUND WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU ENTER STUFF IN DROP DOWN MENUS.
BUT WE'RE LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, A SERVICE REQUEST THAT COMES IN, SAYS, HEY, THERE'S A SINGLE ON MY ROAD.
BUT WE COME OUT AND, AND VETTED IN THE FIELD, TRY AND FIGURE OUT WHO'S RESPONSIBLE FOR IT.
IS IT A DOT OR IS IT THE COUNTY OR IS IT COMPLETELY PRIVATE? IS IT IN A COMMUNITY WITH A DRAINAGE AGREEMENT? IS IT IN THE TOWN PROPER? SO THERE'S TRYING TO FIGURE OUT IF
[02:15:01]
IT'S WOULD QUALIFY, BUT ONCE WE DETERMINE THAT IT QUALIFIES FOR SERVICE EITHER FROM A PUBLIC ENTITY LIKE A, THE DOT OR THE COUNTY OR BY US, WE, WE GO AHEAD AND EVALUATE THAT TO FIGURE OUT WHERE IT FITS IN.BECAUSE WE'RE NOW RESPONSIBLE EITHER DIRECTLY OR THROUGH A REFERRAL PROGRAM TO THE COUNTY TO MAKE SURE THEY FIX IT, KNOW HOW IMPORTANT THAT PROJECT IS.
SO WE LOOK AT INUNDATION AND FLOODING CONSIDERATIONS UNDER THE RISK ASSESSMENT AS ASSESSMENT COMPONENT INTEGRITY AND SAFETY CONCERNS, AND DRAINAGE SYSTEM INTEGRITY, THE INTEGRITY OF THE SYSTEM ITSELF.
AND THEN THERE'S SOME MODIFIERS THAT WE CAN APPLY TO THE SCORE THAT COME IN OCCASIONALLY.
NOW I TALK ABOUT THAT AND THERE'S A LOT.
SO THE BEST WAY FOR ME TO GET TO THE POINT OF THIS IS TO TELL YOU, GIVE YOU JUST A, A SPECIFIC EXAMPLE.
SO PICK JUST A ONE OUT OF THE HAT.
I PICKED OUT ONE OF OUR SERVICE REQUESTS OUT OF THE HAT.
'CAUSE THERE'S ACTIVE EVALUATIONS DONE FOR ANYTHING WE HAVE THAT QUALIFIES FOR SERVICE.
SO HERE WAS A DEFICIENCY IN THE BRISTOL SPORTS ARENA PARKING LOT.
IT WAS CAUSING FLOODING, BUT IT WAS ALSO A SAFETY.
THE SINKHOLE ITSELF WAS ALSO A SAFETY HAZARD.
SO AS YOU GO DOWN THE LIST, YOU'RE LOOKING AT IT, YOU SAY, WELL, IT'S IN A PARKING LOT DRIVING AISLE.
THE INUNDATION THAT'S BEING CAUSED IS GREATER THAN SIX INCHES AND IT'S STAYING UP FOR A WEEK.
AND WHAT RAINFALL CATEGORY, THIS WASN'T HURRICANE MATTHEW, THIS WAS JUST A REGULAR AFTERNOON DOWNPOUR.
SO ALL OF THOSE FACTORS COMBINED TO GIVE IT A SCORE IN THAT CATEGORY.
NOW WE MOVED DOWN TO THE NEXT LEVEL.
THE SINKHOLE ITSELF WAS LOCATED IN, UH, IN A PARKING LOT STALL.
SO THAT HAS AN EVALUATION SCORE, DEPENDING ON HOW SEVERE IT IS AND WHERE IT'S LOCATED.
AND THEN FINALLY, IN THIS PARTICULAR EVALUATION, THE SINKHOLE, BECAUSE THE PIPE COLLAPSED, HAD FILLED IN MOST OF THE PIPES.
SO WE LOOKED AT THE REDUCTION IN THE, IN THE CONVEYANCE CAPACITY RELATED TO HOW IMPORTANT THAT PARTICULAR PIPE IS TO THE DRAINAGE SYSTEM.
SO IF IT WAS A PRIMARY SYSTEM, IT WOULD BE A MUCH HIGHER SCORE, LIKE A, A MAJOR OUTFALL OR A LARGE PIPE.
WE ADD THOSE ALL UP JUST TO GIVE YOU A SENSE OF HOW IN THE WEEDS THIS IS.
AND ONCE WE GET THAT SCORE, WE'RE PRETTY CONFIDENT TO USE THAT SCORE MOVING FORWARD WITH PROJECT PRIORITIZATION.
IF THERE'S A, A WHOLE BUNCH OF PEOPLE CONCERNED ABOUT A PROBLEM, WE CAN MODIFY IT IF TOWN LEADERSHIPS GIVES US A DIRECTIVE TO MAKE THIS MORE IMPORTANT AND WE BUMP 'EM 10% IF THEY'RE OWNED BY THE TOWN PROPER VERSUS EXISTING IN A COMMUNITY WITH A DRAINAGE AGREEMENT.
SO THERE'S A TWO POINT BUMP THAT'S AUTOMATICALLY APPLIED.
MR. MAYOR, UM, QUESTION FOR YOU, ACTUALLY, I KNOW WE'RE ON A TIME SCHEDULE HERE AND, UM, YOU KNOW, I SORT OF FEEL LIKE MR. NET NETTING IS TRYING TO PROVE HIS CASE TO US.
I'M, I'M, FOR ONE, I'M CONVINCED
I THINK, UM, THIS IS DEFINITELY AN, AN IMPORTANT TOPIC.
I I THINK WE NEED SOME TIME TO SORT OF GET INTO THE WEEDS A LITTLE BIT ON IT, RIGHT? YEP, YEP.
IF Y'ALL WILL GET TO THAT POINT, THAT'D BE GREAT.
SO, ALRIGHT, SO WE PROVIDED, UM, GIVE, GIVE A GOOD ASSESSMENT THERE.
UM, YOU KNOW, THE OTHER COMPONENT WAS HOW WE DEVELOP OUR BUDGET.
AND AGAIN, THIS YEAR BASED ON REVENUES, REVENUE'S ABOUT 5.2 MILLION.
OUR PROGRAM THIS YEAR IS 10, 10 MILLION.
WE COUNCIL APPROVE SOME, UH, UTILIZATION OF FUND BALANCE AS PART OF THE 25 BUDGET.
AND THEN WITH THE AME BUDGET AMENDMENT FOR TROPICAL STORM, DEBBIE DAMAGE, UH, THE PUMP, UH, BEING ABLE TO PUT THE PUMPS IN.
UM, AND ROLLING FORWARD THE, UM, THE COUPLE OF PROJECTS FOR THE LOT AND STATION PUMPS PUMP THE TOTAL TO 10.1, WHICH THIS YEAR WILL BE THE FIRST YEAR OF REDUCTION OF FUND BALANCE.
UM, IT'S BEEN, IT'S BEEN INCREASING SINCE 2019.
SO I WANNA POINT OUT HERE, UH, THE IMPORTANCE RELATED TO THE SERVICE REQUESTS.
AND SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE CORRECTIVE MAINTENANCE, UM, AS OF SEPTEMBER, LATE SEPTEMBER, THERE WERE 136 OPEN SERVICE REQUESTS FOR THOSE CORRECTIVE MAINTENANCE.
WE HAD BUDGETED BASED ON THE RANKING, UM, TO BE ABLE TO EXECUTE 25, THEY'RE RANKED 10 OR HIGHER, WHICH MEANS THERE'S 111 THAT ARE RANKED BELOW 10 AND AN ESTIMATED COST OF ABOUT $1.6 MILLION.
UM, TROPICAL STORM, DEBBIE GENERATED 72 NEW REQUESTS.
AND I'LL SAY THAT STORMWATER EVALUATES, UH, REEVALUATES OR EVALUATES THESE SERVICE REQUESTS.
NALY, WELL, WEEKLY, UM, ONGOING
[02:20:01]
BUT ONGOING.AND SO THERE'S AN INABILITY UNDER THE CURRENT, UM, THE CURRENT PROGRAM TO EXECUTE ALL OF THE SERVICE REQUESTS, WHETHER IT IS FUNDING LIMITATION BASED ON THE, THE, THE, THE RANKING, UM, WHETHER IT'S STAFF, STAFF RESOURCES, CONTRACTOR AVAILABILITY AND SO FORTH.
SO, UM, I JUST WANNA POINT THIS OUT THAT THE 111 DON'T GO AWAY UNLESS THE COMMUNITY DOES IT AND DOESN'T REQUEST REIMBURSEMENT.
AND THIS MAY GROW OVER TIME AND BECOME A, A DEEPER HOLE.
I GUESS THAT'S A GOOD THING TO USE IN STORMWATER.
YES, A BIGGER SINKHOLE THAT WE NEED TO ADDRESS.
AND SO AS WE LOOK AT THE CORRECTIVE MAINTENANCE PROGRAM, THERE'S THE THREE LIMITING FACTORS, FUNDING, STAFF RESOURCES, CONTRACTOR AVAILABILITY.
I ALSO WANNA SAY THAT IF COMMUNITIES EXECUTE THE WORK THEMSELVES FOR THE 111, THEY'RE LIKELY ALSO UTILIZING THE SAME CONTRACTORS THAT OR CONTRACTOR THAT WE WOULD BE USING.
AND SO CONTRACTOR AVAILABILITY, UM, IS REALLY A CONCERN.
UM, AND LOOKING AT OPTIONS TO BE ABLE TO MOVE THIS THING FORWARD, UM, WE NEED TO LOOK AT THAT, A REAL LOOK AT THE AGING SYSTEM, INCREASING THE EXTENT OF SERVICE AND ELIMINATING THOSE DISPARITIES.
UM, AGAIN, LOOKING AT STAFF CAPACITY AND SO IT COULD BE ELIMINATING FACTOR AND THEN CONTRACTOR CAPACITY.
HOW CAN WE IDENTIFY MORE CONTRACTORS THAT BOTH THE TOWN AND LOCAL, UH, COMMUNITIES WOULD BE UTILIZING? UM, CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES.
I'M TRYING TO GO THROUGH THIS PRETTY QUICKLY HERE.
SO, EXTENDED SERVICE RIGHT WILL CONTINUE TO EXPAND AS ADDITIONAL PARTNERS REQUEST.
UM, THE AGREEMENTS WITH THE TOWN, THAT'LL INCREASE NEW DRAINAGE EASEMENTS, UH, THAT WILL BE REQUIRED FOR ACQUISITION.
UM, LEVEL OF SERVICE WILL INCREASING.
THE ROUTINE MAINTENANCE PROGRAM EXPAND TO PROVIDE IMPROVED AND MORE CONSISTENT SERVICE, UM, WILL INCREASE TO ALLOW FOR, UH, PROACTIVE CONDITION.
ASSESSMENT OF EXISTING INFRASTRUCTURE.
AGAIN, I'LL TALK ABOUT THE LIMITATIONS AGAINST STAFF FUNDING, CONTRACTOR AVAILABILITY, BUT EMERGENT NEEDS, RIGHT? AS INFRASTRUCTURE CONTINUES TO AGE, IT FAILS AT A HIGHER RATE REQUIRING REPAIR, REHABILITATION, AND REPLACEMENT.
SO ANOTHER DRAW ON ALL OF THOSE THREE LIMITING FACTORS, UH, RESILIENCE IMPROVEMENTS WILL BE NECESSARY.
THE, UM, AND WHILE WE'RE ACTIVELY HANDLING PROJECTS BOTH THROUGH CIP AND OUR AND OUR STORMWATER UTILITY PROGRAMS, YOU KNOW, THAT IS WIDE STORMWATER MASTER PLAN, DRAINAGE PLAN WOULD BE, WILL BE IMPORTANT.
AND THEN THE OPPORTUNITY FOR CONSIDERATION.
I OUTLINED TWO QUESTIONS AT THE BEGINNING.
WE HAVE A FUND BALANCE, UM, ANTICIPATED AT THE END OF THIS YEAR, ABOUT NINE, A LITTLE MORE THAN $9 MILLION.
IS THERE AN OPPORTUNITY TO UTILIZE THAT FUND BALANCE TO CLEAR THE DECK OF THE EXISTING SERVICE REQUESTS, THE HUNDRED 11 THAT DON'T MEET THE 10 POINT CRITERIA.
NOW AGAIN, WE KNOW THAT THAT'S GONNA TAKE NOT JUST THE FUNDING, BUT STAFF RESOURCES AND CONTRACTORS TO EXECUTE IT.
BUT I THINK WHEN WE WORK WITH OUR COMMUNITY COMMUNITIES, AND THIS IS KIND OF A ME POINT, THEY, I THINK THEY WOULD LIKE TO EXECUTE A PROJECT.
IT'S NOT COMPLETELY DEFINED WHAT THE PROJECT IS.
'CAUSE ONCE YOU GET IN AND TAKE A LOOK AT IT, UH, YOU MIGHT CHASE THE PROBLEM FOR THE PROBLEM.
AND, AND IT MAY BE A $25,000 PROJECT THAT TURNS INTO A $75,000 PROJECT.
SO WITHOUT THE FUNDING AVAILABLE, WHEN WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THE PROJECT EXTENT IS, AND WE DON'T KNOW THE FUNDING CAPABILITY TO DO THAT, BUT IF THERE'S FUNDS AVAILABLE IN THE FISCAL 26 BUDGET, WHICH WOULD DRAW DOWN SOME MORE FUND BALANCE THAT WE HAVE, NINE PLUS OR MINUS 9 MILLION, THAT WOULD BE AN OPPORTUNITY TO ACCELERATE SOME OF THESE SERVICE REQUESTS, UM, AND TRY TO CLEAR THE DECK WITH THOSE, UM, AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
YEAH, THAT ONE, THAT ONE HELPS.
AND THEN THE OTHER QUESTION WAS BASED UPON THE CONTRACTED SERVICE SERVICES, STRAIGHT SWEEPING, UM, POND MAINTENANCE AND CHANNEL MAINTENANCE.
YOU KNOW, WE SPEND, UH, WHAT I SAID, 728 OR $9,000.
YOU KNOW, IF CONTRACTOR AVAILABILITY IS AN ISSUE, IS THERE AN OPPORTUNITY TO POTENTIALLY BRING THAT IN HOUSE? AND THEN YOU SOLVE THE STAFF AND CONTRACTOR RESOURCE.
YOU HAVE CONTROL OF THE FUNDING AS TOWN COUNCIL, UM, AND TO BE ABLE TO, TO BE MORE RESPONSIVE AND IN CONTROL OF THE ENTIRE PROGRAM.
SO, UM, HOPEFULLY I DIDN'T RACE
[02:25:01]
TOO FAST, BUT I APPRECIATE ALEX'S COMMENT AND, UH, I DO TOO, AND I'M GONNA TRY TO TEE IT UP BECAUSE THE ONE THING IS, IF YOU LOOK AT THIS PAGE, THIS HELPS US THE MOST.THIS KEEPS ME ON TRACK THE MOST WHEN I TALK TO THESE GENTLEMEN BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, IF WE, IF WE GO THROUGH, IF YOU GO THROUGH THAT, IF YOU LOOK AT PERSONNEL AND BENEFITS OPERATIONS, I THINK THE, THE REAL ISSUE THAT WE'LL HAVE TO ADDRESS IS DEBT SERVICE ASSESSMENT.
AND WHEN YOU START THINKING ABOUT DEBT SERVICE ASSESSMENT, WE THINK ABOUT OUR RATE.
WE THINK ABOUT THE, THE, THE ANNUAL REVENUE VERSUS THE EXPENDITURE.
AND IF WE WANNA INVEST MORE AND INVEST FASTER, WE NEED TO REALLY LOOK AT, LOOK AT THAT INSTEAD OF ONLY PAYING FOR OUR CASH OVER TIME.
UM, THIS ROUTINE MAINTENANCE IN-HOUSE VERSUS CONTRACTOR, THAT, THAT, THAT HOLDS US BACK.
IT'S ABOUT $800,000 WHEN YOU REALLY EXPLORE THE BUDGET ANNUALLY.
AND THEN THE CORRECTIVE PROGRAM CALIBRATION IS SOMETHING THAT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO, TO STAFF TO RECOMMEND TO YOU ALL THAT.
WE HAVE SOME CLARITY FROM YOU TODAY AND, AND, AND ONGOING THROUGHOUT NEXT YEAR THAT WE REALLY DIVE INTO THAT CORRECTIVE PROGRAM.
IT'S, IT'S THE AGREEMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN BEING PUT IN PLACE FOR A LONG TIME.
I, I THINK EVERYONE THINKS THAT CALVARY'S COMING AND, AND WE CAN ONLY FIX WHAT'S BROKEN.
WE'RE NOT IN THE BUSINESS OF MAINTAINING LIKE WE WOULD ON OUR OWN SYSTEM.
AND THEN LASTLY, HOW IS ALL THIS GOING TO AFFECT THE BUDGET, RIGHT? THE CIP BUDGET, THE WO BUDGET.
UM, I I, I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A, A BIG INVESTMENT THIS YEAR IN THAT PROGRAM CALIBRATION AND AN INVESTMENT BECAUSE WE LEARNED SO MUCH.
YOU KNOW, IRONICALLY, WE LEARNED SO MUCH WITH TROPICAL STORM, DEBBIE, I THINK WE LEARNED THAT OUR STAFF IS HARDWORKING.
WE CALLED THE JET VAC TRUCK FROM THE DOT AND THEY WERE RIGHT THERE.
BUT HAD IT NOT BEEN FOR US PUMPING AND SWEEPING AND, AND DIGGING WHILE THE RAIN WAS COMING DOWN, ONLY BECAUSE THERE WAS NO WIND, WE WOULD'VE SEEN, UH, WE WOULD'VE SEEN DIFFERENT OUTCOMES.
NEEDLESS TO SAY, THIS IS A LOT TO ABSORB.
UM, COUPLE OF, COUPLE OF OVER, UH, OVER, UM, SITE COMMENTS.
UH, ONE IS, UM, WE'RE, WE'RE SPENDING ROUGHLY 22% ON CIP AND BETWEEN 40 AND 45% ON MAINTENANCE.
UH, IS THAT SOLVING PROBLEMS OF CAPACITY THAT WE NEED TO BE SOLVING? DO WE HAVE THE CAPABILITY TO ACCELERATE OUR CIP INVESTMENT OR IS STAFFING AN ISSUE OR IS CONTRACTOR CAPABILITY AN ISSUE? BUT IT SEEMS TO ME THAT WE, WE NEED TO BE IN INCREASING THE PIES PIECE FOR CIP.
I PRESUME IT'S OUR OPERATIONAL GOAL.
UH, THIS IS A HUGE PRESUMPTION, BUT I PRESUME IT'S FROM A TOWN STANDPOINT.
OUR OPERATIONAL GOAL IS TO HAVE THAT MAP SHOWING, UM, UH, ARRANGEMENTS FOR OUR INVOLVEMENT YELLOW ACROSS THE ISLAND SO THAT THE, THE GOAL IS FOR THE TOWN TO HAVE THE GREATEST AMOUNT OF CAPABILITY TO SOLVE A DRAINAGE PROBLEM.
IS THAT WHERE WE ARE? UM, IF, IF THAT'S, IF THAT'S THE CASE, AND I THINK WE HAVE TO GO IN THAT DIRECTION BECAUSE THIS TIES SO INTRICATELY TO THE RESILIENCE PLAN.
SO IN ORDER TO BE RESILIENT, YOU HAVE TO HAVE PIPES IN THE RIGHT PLACE.
AND SO I THINK THAT WE HAVE TO RECOGNIZE, UM, THE NEED FOR THE TOWN'S EXPERTISE AND INVESTMENT BONDING CAPABILITY AND SO ON AND SO FORTH TO BE INVOLVED IN SOLVING THESE PROBLEMS. UM, BUT THEN YOU GET TO THE ISSUE OF ADMINISTRATION OF, UH, REIMBURSEMENTS.
AND, AND TO ME THAT'S A BUGABOO IN PART BECAUSE NOT ALL POAS ARE CREATED EQUALLY IN TERMS OF STAFFING CAPABILITY, IN TERMS OF FINANCIAL RESOURCES AND SO ON.
AND SO THE TOWN IS PUT IN AN AWKWARD POSITION, UM, TO DEAL WITH, UH, ACCELERATING A REIMBURSEMENT WHEN THERE IS NO, NO REAL GUARANTEE THAT WE'RE GONNA GET THAT MONEY BACK.
SO WE BECOME A BANK FOR A POA THAT MAY NOT
[02:30:01]
HAVE THOSE CAPACITIES THAT ARE NECESSARY.SO I THINK THAT'S AN INHERENT VULNERABILITY THAT WE HAVE TO SOLVE.
UM, I DO BELIEVE THOUGH, THAT WE SHOULD MOVE IN THE DIRECTION OF, OF SOLVING THOSE PROBLEMS IN AN ACCELERATED WAY BECAUSE WE HAVE REAL LIFE VULNERABILITIES NOT TO SOLVE THOSE, THOSE ISSUES.
SO I THINK THERE'S A, THERE'S A PUSH PULL ISSUE THAT WE NEED TO SOLVE THERE.
UM, THE GOAL IN MY MIND WOULD BE TO ACCELERATE THOSE PAYMENTS.
UM, AND I'M MAKING A PRESUMPTION THAT THE I 111 ITEMS THAT YOU HAVE QUALIFY WITH A SCORE THAT SUGGESTS THAT THEY, THAT THE PROBLEMS OUGHT TO BE SOLVED.
UM, BUT WHAT IT BOILS DOWN TO IS THOSE THREE ITEMS THAT YOU TALKED ABOUT, STAFFING, FINANCING, AND CONTRACTOR CAPABILITY.
AND I DON'T HAVE THE ANSWERS TO THOSE QUESTIONS, WHICH ARE THE MOST EASILY SOLVED.
IF, IF YOU, I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND GO IF YOU, YOU DON'T MIND.
UM, YOU KNOW, ARE WE DOING ENOUGH ANNUALLY? THAT'S THE FIRST QUESTION I HAVE.
ARE WE DOING ENOUGH? ARE WE PROTECTING THE ISLAND IN ITS IN ITS ENTIRETY AS WE SHOULD BE? UM, WHICH MEANS ARE WE SPENDING ENOUGH, WHICH I DON'T THINK WE ARE.
AND, AND I THINK THAT THAT REQUEST FORM PROBABLY SHOULD SHOW US THAT IF IT IS A, IF IT'S ABOVE A CERTAIN NUMBER, THEN THAT, THEN THAT IS EXECUTED BY THE TOWN.
IF IT'S DONE LOWER THAN THAT NUMBER, IT'S EXECUTED BY THEM AND THEY ASK FOR REIMBURSEMENT.
UM, ALL THIS GOES BACK TO POLICY CHANGES THAT WE NEED TO ADDRESS GOING FORWARD TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT WE'VE GOT THE RIGHT, THE RIGHT INFORMATION, THE RIGHT DATA IN PLACE.
AND IT ALSO TAKES US TO ANOTHER POINT OF WHERE ARE WE GOING IN THE NEXT 10 YEARS, FIVE TO 10 YEARS WITH OUR STORM WATER UTILITIES.
UM, IS IT ANOTHER INVESTMENT OF $50 MILLION? IS IT A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS? WHAT IS IT? WE'VE GOT AN AGING INFRASTRUCTURE.
WE KNOW THAT SALT WATER CORROSION CAUSES ISSUES.
SO WHERE ARE WE GOING IN THE FUTURE? AND THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND BECAUSE AS WE TALK ABOUT RESILIENCY, THIS IS THE NUMBER ONE ITEM THAT WE NEED TO ADDRESS.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE FORTUNATE, YOU KNOW, ONE, ONE BENEFIT OF BEING ON AN ISLAND IS THAT WATER GETS OUT FASTER, BUT IF THE SYSTEMS ARE BLOCKED, IT'S NOT GONNA GET OUT.
UM, YOU KNOW, I, I LOOK AT 150 BUCKS, UM, FOR A STORMWATER IMPACT FEE.
I LOOK AT THE OTHER COMMUNITIES MAYBE A LITTLE BIT LESS, BUT WHAT'S THE SIZE OF THOSE COMMUNITIES, RIGHT? ARE THEY COVERING IT WITH WHAT THEY'RE GENERATING? BLUFFING IS GONNA HAVE MORE HOUSEHOLDS THAN HILTON HAD WITH THEIR $135, WHATEVER THAT NUMBER IS, THEY'RE GONNA HAVE MORE FUNDS TO DO IT.
UM, IS THAT ENOUGH FOR US? SO THAT UNDERSTANDING OF THOSE FEES, DOES IT GET US TO WHERE WE NEED TO GO? UM, WE HAVE LIMITED NUMBER OF UNITS THAT WE CAN GO OFF OF, SO WE NEED TO LOOK AT IT REALISTICALLY AS TO WHAT IS THAT NUMBER, RIGHT? SO WE NEED THAT FIVE TO 10 YEAR PLAN TO UNDERSTAND HOW THIS CAN BE ADDRESSED.
UM, IT'S BEEN TALKED ABOUT FOR A LONG TIME.
IT'S BEEN PUT OFF FOR A LONG TIME.
IT'S TIME TO GET SOMETHING FORMALIZED SO THAT WE KNOW WHERE TO GO.
UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THE STREET SWEEPS, UM, YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU MENTIONED A PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT OR A TOWN WORKS DEPARTMENT, UM, YOU KNOW, 60 TO 60 SOME SOME THOUSAND DOLLARS WILL GET YOU A STREET SWEEPER.
YOU KNOW, WHAT DOES THAT DO TO THE OVERALL BUDGET? DOES IT CUT SOMETHING OUT? DOES IT, HOW DOES IT, YOU KNOW, WORK? AND THEN IS IT MORE EFFICIENT? SO I THINK THOSE ARE SOME THINGS THAT WE NEED TO LOOK AT, UM, TO UNDERSTAND THE BENEFITS OF EITHER HAVING IT OURSELVES AND OR MAKING CERTAIN THAT OUR CONTRACTORS HAVE THAT.
SO JUST A LOT OF QUESTIONS AND I THINK THIS IS AN ITEM THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO DIVE DEEP INTO WHEN NEW COUNCIL COMES IN, UM, GOING FORWARD INTO 25.
SO MS. BECKER, THANK YOU MAYOR.
I HAVE A QUICK QUESTION TO START OFF WITH.
WELL, FIRST OF ALL, UM, THIS IS SO BASIC TO ME.
IT'S ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS THAT WE SHOULD BE DOING IN TERMS OF, UM, PUBLIC SERVICES THAT WE, UM, OFFER ON THE ISLAND TO BE, UM, VERY PRACTICAL IN NATURE AND NOT THEORETICAL.
UM, AS WE'VE BEEN DISCUSSING ON SOME OF THE OTHER TOPICS TODAY, THIS IS REAL LIFE EVERY DAY YOU'VE MENTIONED, AND WE ALL KNOW, UM, THAT THERE ARE MANY COMMUNITIES THAT A SMALL RAINFALL WILL CREATE A FLOOD AND UM, STANDING WATER.
UM, SO IT'S A MULTITUDE OF PROBLEMS THAT HAVE TO BE ADDRESSED.
BUT I WANTED TO START OFF WITH FIRST ASKING, SO THERE'S A STORM WATER FEE THAT EVERYONE PAYS, AND YET THERE'S ONLY A PORTION OF OUR ISLAND THAT GETS SERVICED.
[02:35:01]
PAYS TO THEIR STORMWATER FEE, DOES ALL OF THE DOLLARS COLLECTED FROM HILTON HU COME BACK TO HILTON? HU ALL OF THE DOLLARS THAT COME THAT GET COLLECTED COME BACK TO YEAH.MINUS THE $3 90 CENTS ADMINISTRATIVE, ADMINISTRATIVE, ADMINISTRATIVE FEES OF THE COUNTY COLLECTS? YES MA'AM.
SO WHEN THOSE DOLLARS COME BACK, IT SEEMS TO ME FROM THE PRESENTATION, AND CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, THAT ONLY A PORTION OF THE ISLAND GETS THE BENEFIT OF THE DOLLARS THAT HAVE BEEN COLLECTED BECAUSE BY VIRTUE OF THE FACT THAT WE DON'T OWN, UM, ALL OF THE ROADS ON THE ISLAND, THE STORM WATER, DRAINAGE SYSTEMS, ET CETERA, SO SOME ARE MAINTAINED BY THE STATE, SOME ARE MAINTAINED SUPPOSEDLY BY THE COUNTY AND OTHERS, THE TOWN MAINTAINS, AND THAT'S WHERE THOSE FUNDS ARE DIRECTED TO.
CORRECT? THEY'RE THEY'RE DIRECTED TO THE, UH, SYSTEMS WHERE THE TOWN HAS EITHER DIRECT CONTROL OR AGREEMENTS IN, IN PLACE, RIGHT? SO THERE'S MANY AREAS OF THE ISLAND WHERE THERE'S NO SERVICE BEING PROVIDED BECAUSE THEY'RE OUTSIDE OF THE TOWN'S JURISDICTION OR THERE AREN'T, UM, THE STORM WATER, UM, CONTRACTS THAT WE PUT INTO PLACE A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, RIGHT? THAT'S CORRECT.
AND EVEN WITH THOSE, THOSE ARE JUST CORRECTIVE MAINTENANCE, THEY STILL HAVE AN ADDITIONAL OBLIGATION TO PAY, UM, THROUGH THEIR PUDS OR THROUGH THEIR HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATIONS TO DO WORK THAT'S OUTSIDE OF THE CONTRACTED PROGRAM THAT WE HAVE.
MY POINT BEING WITH THIS IS THAT WE'RE ALL PAYING THE SAME AMOUNT OF MONEY AND ONLY CERTAIN FOLKS ARE GETTING THE BENEFITS OF IT.
AND THOSE WHO DON'T ARE SUFFERING THE CONSEQUENCES OF SEVERE DRAINAGE ISSUES.
WE SEE IT MOST RECENTLY IN BAY PINES, BUT YOU COULD GO AROUND THE ISLAND OR MANY NEIGHBORHOODS MIGHT INCLUDE IT ALL, LET'S SAY IT HAS ALWAYS BRADLEY CIRCLE, WHICH HASN'T BEEN MAINTAINED BY THE COUNTY IN AGES.
AND JEFF AND I HAVE SPENT, UM, MANY HOURS TOGETHER WALKING AND DRESSING, UM, OR AT LEAST TALKING ABOUT SOME OF THE OTHER AREAS WHERE DRAINAGE IS A PROBLEM.
SO I, I THINK THAT'S A HUGE ISSUE.
QUITE HONESTLY, I'M TIRED OF PAYING TAXES AND NOT GETTING BENEFITS FROM IT.
I'M CERTAIN THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF RESIDENTS ON THIS ISLAND WHO MIGHT FEEL THE SAME WAY.
SO THERE NEEDS TO BE SOMETHING THAT WE LOOK AT WITH REGARD TO THAT.
AND WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT ON PAGE THREE, THE SERVICES THAT ARE PROVIDED AND EVEN THE NUMBER OF STAFFING THAT IS PROVIDED, AND YOU THINK ABOUT WHAT WE JUST TALKED ABOUT IN TERMS OF THE SERVICES WE'RE NOT NECESSARILY, UM, ADDRESSING, UM, EVERYONE'S NEEDS BY THE CERTAIN BY, AND WE CAN'T, IT SOUNDS LIKE TO ME.
SO, UM, ALSO WITH THAT FEE, WHEN THAT WAS PUT INTO PLACE, AND IT'S A FEE ACROSS THE BOARD, IT DIDN'T TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION OF SOME OF THE, UM, NEWER DEVELOPMENT THAT WE HAVE GOING ON IN TERMS OF, UM, HOMES, MANY HOTELS, COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES AND NEIGHBORHOODS THAT HAVE 12 BATHROOMS, RIGHT? AND HAVE 36 OR 40 PEOPLE UTILIZING THE PROPERTY.
AND THAT PROPERTIES IN GENERAL WHERE IT MAY HAVE BEEN AT ONE TIME, UM, AN RM FOUR SITUATION OR 0.25, RIGHT ACRE NOW HAS BEEN SPLIT UP AND YOU HAVE MORE PEOPLE USING A SMALLER PIECE OF LAND.
SO THE IMPACTS ARE THAT MUCH MORE DRAMATIC.
IT WOULD SEEM TO ME THAT A SLIDING SCALE RATHER THAN A FLAT FEE FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE MAKING THE BIGGEST IMPACT SHOULD BE CONSIDERED IN THE FUTURE SO THAT THERE IS MORE RESOURCES, UM, FROM THOSE WHO USE THE RESOURCES THE MOST.
UM, SO THAT KIND OF ARE SOME PRETTY MUCH FUNDAMENTAL, UM, ASPECTS OF ALL OF THIS TO ME.
UM, I HAVE QUESTIONS IN TERMS OF, UM, HOW WE APPROACH THINGS WHEN, UM, I'VE GOT SO MANY NOTES HERE.
I THINK THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN ITS OWN MEETING AND I HOPE THAT WE'RE STARTING A CONVERSATION NOW AND, UM, WE'LL QUICKLY PICK IT UP AFTER THE NEW COUNCIL IS SEATED AND, UM, AND THAT THIS BECOMES A PRIORITY.
THIS IS A PRACTICAL MATTER THAT IMPACTS PEOPLE EVERY DAY.
IF GLEN, IF WE FOLLOW THE WEATHER CORRECTLY AND WE HAVE THESE NEW SYSTEMS PUT INTO PLACE AND WE KNOW RAINSTORM IS COMING, WE
[02:40:01]
SHOULD ALSO KNOW THAT EACH AND EVERY ONE OF OUR I, UH, RESIDENTS ON THIS ARE PROTECTED IN THE SAME WAY AND WE'RE NOT RIGHT NOW.IF YOU WANT TO KEEP KNOW WHAT KEEPS ME UP AT NIGHT AND WHAT I'M ANXIOUS ABOUT IS THE PRACTICAL MATTERS OF DAY-TO-DAY LIFE FOR RESIDENTS ON THIS ISLAND.
UM, AS MUCH AS THE THEORETICAL ONES STREET SWEEPING.
WHEN I FIRST READ THIS REPORT AND I SAW STREET SWEEPING, I WAS LIKE, I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW WE HAD A STREET SWEEPER.
WELL THAT'S BECAUSE IT ONLY GOES CERTAIN PLACES, AGAIN, INEQUITABLE USE OF, UM, TAX FUNDS THAT WE ALL PAY.
AND UM, I WANNA MAKE SURE WE GET THIS, UM, TAKEN CARE OF PONDS THAT WE'RE ADDRESSING.
UM, I'M GONNA JUST LEAVE IT AND NOT GO INTO THIS 'CAUSE I KNOW WE ARE LIMITED ON TIME AND EVERYONE'S WANTS TO GET A CHANCE TO SPEAK.
BUT THERE'S A COUPLE OF POINTS IN ADDITION TO THE POINT THAT I'VE JUST MADE THAT I WANNA KEEP MAKING.
I THINK FROM THE BEGINNING OF MY COMING ON TO TOWN COUNCIL, UM, AND MAYBE BEFORE FOR THOSE OF YOU HERE LISTENING TO ME, DURING THOSE EARLY YEARS OF ME SITTING IN THE, UM, CHAIRS OUT THERE, WE OUGHT TO OWN OUR ROADS.
WE OUGHT TO OWN OUR ROADS SO THAT WE CAN MAINTAIN THEM PROPERLY SO THAT OUR RESIDENTS ARE GETTING, UM, TAKEN CARE OF.
BAY PINES IS A PERFECT EXAMPLE THAT I'M GOING TO HIGHLIGHT.
I WAS FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO GET OUT OF ONE MEETING AND RUSH OVER TO A COMMUNITY MEETING THAT WAS HELD THERE.
AND THE COUNTY IS OWNS THE ROADS.
SO THE COUNTY, WHILE THEY'RE WORKING WITH THE TOWN, AND I'M GRATEFUL FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO COLLABORATE WHEREVER WE CAN.
THEY STILL HOLD ALL OF THE REAL POWER IN SOLVING THAT PROBLEM.
AND THE COMMENTS THAT I HEARD FROM, FROM THAT MEETING FROM THE COUNTY STAFF THAT WE WEREN'T, THEY WEREN'T EVEN GOING TO BE ABLE TO SUGGEST THE BEGINNING OF WHERE THEY WERE GOING TO DIRECT THEIR EFFORTS TO SOLVE THOSE PROBLEMS UNTIL THE SUMMER OF 2025 IS UNACCEPTABLE.
I KNOW I MENTIONED IT ALREADY TO SO MANY PEOPLE AND YES, I, YOU CAN HEAR MY VOICE CRACKING 'CAUSE I'M REALLY UPSET ABOUT IT.
THE TOWN NEEDS TO FIND OUT WHAT THE MONEY IS THAT THE COUNTY HAS ALLOTTED FOR THAT PROJECT.
POLITELY ASK FOR IT AND PUT OUR STAFF IN CHARGE OF IT.
THERE SHOULD NEVER BE A TIME WHEN OUR RESIDENTS ARE BEING HELD HOSTAGE TO THE COUNTY'S TIMEFRAME AND WHEN THEY CAN GET SOMETHING DONE, WHEN WE ALL KNOW FULL WELL THERE'S A PROBLEM THAT LINGERS AROUND EVERY DAY FOR THEM, OUR TOWN STAFF IS AMAZING, SECOND TO NONE.
AND THEY CAN GET THAT JOB DONE.
SOMEONE SHOULD BE ON SITE IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD AND OTHER NEIGHBORHOODS.
BUT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT BAY PINES RIGHT NOW, EVERY DAY WORKING ON SOME PIECE OF THAT TO GET IT BETTER SO THAT THOSE RESIDENTS SEE THAT THEIR CONCERNS ARE REAL, THEY'RE HEARD AND WE UNDERSTAND IT AND WE'RE MOVING FORWARD TO CORRECTING IT IMMEDIATELY.
I WANT EVERYONE'S LIFE TO BE, HAVE THE SAME QUALITY AS THEIR NEIGHBOR.
AND THE FOLKS WHO LIVE AS NEIGHBORS A MILE DOWN THE ROAD IN A PUD OR AN A OUTSIDE THE GATE COMMUNITY THAT HAS AN HOA THAT CAN ENTER INTO A CONTRACT WITH THE TOWN.
THERE ARE, THERE ARE COMMUNITIES THAT DON'T EVEN HAVE THAT IN PLACE.
SO THEY HAVE LITERALLY NOTHING.
SO, UM, I THINK I MAY HAVE MADE MY POINT.
I HOPE THAT WE REVISIT THIS AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE, MAYOR, UM, AT THE FIRST OF THE YEAR, THIS SHOULD BE A PRIORITY.
I DON'T, I VERY RARELY SAY THAT.
UM, BUT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE MUST ADDRESS AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.
UM, AND WE, PART OF THAT CONVERSATIONS NEEDS TO BE WHAT IT IS, WHAT IT TAKES TO ENSURE THAT WE OWN THE ROADS ON HILTON HEAD SO WE CAN TAKE CARE OF OUR ISLAND.
JUST ONE POINT IS OUR EFFORT COMMENSURATE WITH THE CHALLENGE.
WE ALREADY HAVE A, A VERY DIFFICULT SITUATION TO RESPOND TO IN TERMS OF NUMBER OF DRAINAGE PROJECTS.
WE RECENTLY SAW THAT THERE ARE SOMETHING LIKE 25 AREAS ACROSS THE ISLAND WHERE THERE'S REGULAR FLOODING THAT NEEDS TO BE DEALT WITH.
WE ALL KNOW THAT THE SITUATION IN TERMS OF THE, UH, HURRICANES AND FLOODING AND STORM SURGE AND SO FORTH IS NOT GOING TO DECREASE IN THE FUTURE.
SO WHEN YOU PUT THOSE TWO THINGS TOGETHER, IT SEEMS TO ME THAT WE NEED TO GIVE VERY SERIOUS CONSIDERATION TO THE FINANCIAL TO MAKING THE FINANCIAL PART AVAILABLE TO THE TOWN.
AND THAT TO ME MEANS RAISING THE STORM WATER FEE HAS TO BE CONSIDERED
[02:45:01]
AND FINANCING THROUGH BORROWED FUNDS HAS TO BE CONSIDERED.UH, I WOULD VOLUNTEER TO HELP OUT ON THE LABOR SIDE, BUT I THINK THAT'D BE GO THE WRONG WAY.
WE'LL, WE WILL TAKE YOU UP ON THE LABOR SIDE.
I'LL BE BRIEF 'CAUSE I KNOW WE HAVE TIME CONSIDERATIONS.
FIRST OF ALL, I APPRECIATE THE DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE STORMWATER UTILITY AND WHAT IT DOES AND WHAT THE ISSUES ARE THAT ARE BEFORE US.
I THINK THAT NEEDS ALSO TO BE, BE MADE BETTER KNOWN, UH, TO THE TOWN.
I MEAN TO THE TOWN WIDE RESIDENTS.
I THINK IT'S BIZARRE THAT WE HAVE STATE ROWS, COUNTY ROWS, TOWN ROWS ALL IN THE SAME AREA, SOMETIMES CONNECTING DIFFERENT PIECES.
BUT THAT'S THE REALITY OF THINGS.
IT SEEMS TO ME WE'VE GOT GOOD MINDS THAT SHOULD BE ABLE TO COME UP WITH A GLOBAL SITUATION ABOUT HOW TO RESPOND.
IT REMINDS ME OF THE TI OF THE SITUATION CONCERNING PARKS THAT WE HAD HERE ON THE ISLAND UP UNTIL A FEW YEARS AGO.
WE HAD TOWN PARKS AND COUNTY PARKS AND THEY NEVER KNOW WHO'S GONNA TURN ON THE LIGHTS AND WHO'S GONNA TURN OFF THE LIGHTS OR WHETHER THE GRASS WAS GONNA BE CUT.
THIS IS A BIGGER ISSUE THAN THAT, BUT IT SEEMS TO ME IF WE GET GOOD HEADS TOGETHER, THAT WE OUGHT TO BE ABLE TO COME UP WITH A GLOBAL SITUATION AND THAT SHOULD BE THE OBJECTIVE.
THANK YOU JEFF, FOR A DETAILED REPORT.
UH, AND THANK YOU SEAN FOR ALL OF YOUR LEADERSHIP.
UM, I'VE, I'VE GOT STATEMENTS HERE, NOT QUESTIONS.
AND UM, FIRST OF ALL I WANNA SAY, UH, AS A, AS A STAFF, I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU GUYS BRINGING IT TO US IN THIS MANNER AND I KNOW JEFF AND HIS TEAM ARE WORKING VERY HARD TO TRY TO KEEP THINGS MOVING ALONG.
SO I'M GONNA BE SOMEWHAT DIRECT WITH US AS POLICY MAKERS HERE.
OKAY? UM, SO IF WE STARTED COLLECTING THIS FEE IN 2001, I THINK YOU SAID, OKAY.
AND COUNCILMAN AMES, YOU CAN APPRECIATE THIS.
AT ONE POINT WE DIDN'T HAVE A FIRE AND RESCUE ON HILTON HEADS, RIGHT? BEAUFORT COUNTY WAS INGLESS.
TO ME THIS IS A BASIC NEED THAT WE AS POLICY MAKERS AND THE NEW COUNCIL COMING ON NEEDS TO TAKE SERIOUSLY.
UM, SO AS FAR AS SPECIFICS ARE CONCERNED, UM, I'D ASK MR. MAYOR THAT WE DO HAVE THIS DISCUSSION DURING OUR PLANNING SESSION.
UM, WE WILL NEXT YEAR AND I WOULD CHALLENGE STAFF.
I'M NOT IN FAVOR OF US RAISING THE RATE AT THIS POINT.
I WOULD CHALLENGE STAFF TO COME BACK WITH A FINANCIAL PROPOSAL THAT INCLUDES BONDING OPPORTUNITIES SO WE CAN GET CAUGHT UP, GET SOME OF THESE THAT HAVE BEEN ON THE TABLE FOR TOO LONG, TAKEN CARE OF.
AND ALSO, I'D ALSO LIKE TO LOOK AT, UH, NO ONE, NO ONE WANTS TO TO TO USE THIS WORD, BUT SORT OF HOW WE CAN SUBSIDIZE THIS AS WELL.
OKAY? WE SUBSIDIZE OUR FIRE AND RESCUE.
THAT'S NOT ALL PROPERTY TAX, THAT'S NOT ALL COMING FROM THE TAXPAYER.
UM, SO I WOULD, I WOULD CHALLENGE US TO SORT OF LOOK AT THIS OUT OF THE BOX BEFORE WE GO INTO A RATE INCREASE.
UM, AND I'M, I'M DEFINITELY IN FAVOR OF THE STAFF EXPANSION AS FAR AS BRINGING OPERATIONS IN HOUSE SO THAT WE CAN DO BETTER WITH THIS PRESENT.
SIR, I'LL START WITH THE LAST COMMENT, BUT MR. BROWN AND, AND IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE POND MAINTENANCE OF ABOUT 729,000, BRINGING THAT IN, I'D SAY YES.
UM, IF THAT'S WHAT THE REQUEST IS, I'D SAY YES TO THAT.
I THINK THERE WAS A REQUEST TO USE FUND BALANCE IN FY 26, UM, OF ABOUT 9 MILLION BEING ANTICIPATED.
AND, AND MY QUESTION IS, IS THAT FOR THE NON BUDGETED PROJECTS ON PAGE 20 OF ABOUT 1.6 MILLION, IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE ASKING US ABOUT? YEAH.
AND SO WASN'T REQUEST TO USE ALL FUND BALANCE.
SO I THINK WE, WE SHOULD HAVE A DISCUSSION MAYBE AT THE, AT THE STRATEGIC WORKSHOP OF WHAT THE FUND BALANCE LIKE FLOOR SHOULD BE, BUT UTILIZATION TO, TO FUND THE ONE POINT ABOUT 1.6 IN EXISTING SERVICE REQUESTS THAT WE COULDN'T FUND BASED ON RANKING.
I I LIKE THAT, BUT I ALSO WANNA MAKE SURE WE HAVE ENOUGH RESERVE, UH, FOR THOSE UNANTICIPATED CORRECTIVE SITUATIONS.
THE OTHER QUESTION, UM, THAT I THINK A LOT OF US ARE ASKING IN THAT IS WHAT ELSE DO WE NEED TO DO? WHERE ARE OUR CRITICAL AREAS? UM, AND IT SEEMS AS THOUGH THERE MAY BE SOME OF THE, UM, I THINK IT WAS 40 POSSIBILITIES.
WELL, I'M SORRY FOR CURRENT APPLICATIONS FOR INTERESTED APPLICANTS IN 30 POTENTIAL QUALIFYING COMMUNITIES.
ARE THERE SOME OF THOSE THAT SHOULD BE PRIORITIES WITH US? UM, AND LET'S LIST THOSE AND FIGURE OUT WHAT THE COST OF HELPING OUT WOULD BE THERE.
UM, SO I, I DON'T THINK WE KNOW, I REALLY, I I REALLY
[02:50:01]
HAVE SEEN A, A MAJOR IMPROVEMENT IN OUR STORM WATER MANAGEMENT SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE.UM, I'M IMPRESSED WITH OUR RESPONSE DURING HURRICANE DEBBIE.
UM, AND I'M IMPRESSED WITH ALL THE DATA THAT WE HAVE AND THANK YOU FOR THAT.
UM, BUT I, UH, I'M IMPRESSED WITH THE RANKING SYSTEM, UM, THAT YOU HAVE, UM, THAT SHOWS THAT IT SEEMS TO BE A FAIR AND EQUITABLE, UH, REASONING TO DETERMINE WHERE THE PRIORITY, UH, CORRECTIVE MAINTENANCE PROJECTS ARE.
I THINK THAT'S VERY HELPFUL, BUT I THINK WE NEED A SIMILAR KIND OF SYSTEM TO DECIDE WHERE OUR PRIORITY AREAS ARE THAT ARE NOT NOW PART OF DRAINAGE AGREEMENT.
WHICH OF THESE DO WE NEED TO MOVE FORWARD AS FAST AS POSSIBLE TO INCLUDE IN OUR MAINTENANCE SYSTEM? UM, AND I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT, BUT I, I SEE YOUR DATA-DRIVEN ANALYSIS AND I KNOW YOU CAN DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT TO COME UP WITH A RECOMMENDATION FOR US AND THEN THERE WOULD BE A COST ANALYSIS FOR THAT.
UM, I KNOW WE HAVE IN THE PROJECTED FUTURE A RATE STUDY WHICH WILL MAKE A DECISION AS TO WHAT, WHAT, IF ANYTHING WE DO ABOUT THE RATES AND WHERE THAT MONEY COMES FROM, DOES IT COME FROM SOME OTHER SOURCE OTHER THAN FOLKS PAYING OUT OF THEIR POCKET? UM, SO I, I'M IN FAVOR OF LOOKING AT DIFFERENT KIND OF SOURCES, UM, TO BE ABLE TO FUND THE IMPROVEMENTS.
AND I JOINED MY COLLEAGUES IN SAYING THAT WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING AND WE NEED TO HAVE A MULTI-YEAR PLAN BECAUSE WE'VE GOT A CURRENT PROBLEM.
UM, AND THEN I ALSO WOULD LIKE TO HEAR THE STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION ON WHAT TO DO, UM, ABOUT THAT BAY PINES AREA THAT WE'VE DISCUSSED AND THE EXAMPLE THAT YOU GAVE.
IF THERE IS SOME STEP, AS MS. BECKER SUGGESTS TO SAY THE COUNTY HAS A POT OF MONEY AND LET'S GO ASK HIM FOR THAT AND WE TAKE IT OVER.
IF THAT IS, IF THAT IS THE RECOMMENDED APPROACH, THEN I'D LIKE TO SEE THAT SOONER RATHER THAN LATER.
ANY, ANY RESPONSES TO THAT, GUYS? ANY TAKE SOME NOTES? I, I WILL SAY, AND I'LL, I'LL ADD SO YES, YES TO IT ALL.
I'LL, I'LL SAY THIS HAS BEEN A LONG TIME COMING AND I'M, I'M GLAD WE'RE HERE.
BUT AS A PUBLIC SERVICE, I, I WILL SAY, AND THAT'S WHY I ASKED SEAN TO SLOW DOWN AND SAY EVERYBODY'S NAME.
'CAUSE WE HAVE SEVEN PEOPLE DOING ALL OF THIS.
JEFF'S THE NEW DEPARTMENT HEAD PROBABLY 'CAUSE AND I CAN, I CAN SHARE AND I'M PROUD TO SAY I AM EXCITED FOR HIM TO RUN THE ENTIRE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION CAPITAL PROJECTS AND STORM WATER.
WE KNOW WHERE OUR COSTS ARE, WE KNOW WHERE OUR EXPENSES ARE AND WE KNOW WHERE OUR GAPS ARE.
AND SO THE ONE THING I ASKED, UH, SEAN, UM, IS ARE WE DOING ALL WE CAN DO WITH ALL THAT WE HAVE, RIGHT? THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION TO ASK ABOUT THIS.
AND I WANTED TO, WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE IN FRONT OF YOU TODAY AT LEAST TRYING TO PROVIDE THAT DATA DRIVEN ANALYSIS TO SAY WE BELIEVE WE'RE DOING ALL WE CAN DO WITH ALL WE CAN HAVE.
BUT I'M HEARING FROM YOU, YOU, YOU ASKED ABOUT THE FOLLOW UP.
ASSESS TO POTENTIALLY EXPAND AND TALK ABOUT THIS SLOWLY, I'D SAY AT STRATEGIC PLAN, BUT ALL YEAR LEADING UP TO BUDGET, SCOPE OUR REVENUE AND OUR FUNDING, OUR LIMITS, OUR ABILITIES AND AND AND ALL AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN.
SO, UM, SEEMS LIKE THIS SHOULD BE, OTHER THAN SOME OF THE POLICY DOCUMENTS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, RIGHT? WE CAN'T HIDE BEHIND THE FACT WE JUST TALKED ABOUT RESILIENCE AND LAND MANAGEMENT ORDINANCE AND SOME OF THAT WORK THAT'S GONNA BE IN FRONT OF YOU.
THI THIS IS OUR RECOMMENDATION AND I CAN SPEAK CONFIDENTLY.
THIS IS OUR RECOMMENDATION AS OUR TOP PRIORITY TO EXPAND AND IMPROVE NEXT YEAR.
SEAN, DID YOU GET YOUR, YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED? YES, SIR.
I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF GOOD INPUT, INPUT AND SUPPORT FOR SOME OPPORTUNITIES TO IMPROVE THE STORMWATER, UTILITY AND, AND SERVICE TO OUR COMMUNITY.
SO YES SIR, I DID GET THE QUESTIONS THAT I OKAY ASKED.
ALL PRESENTATIONS WILL BE ON THE WEBSITE IF NOT ALREADY.
SO YES, MAYOR, CAN I JUST SAY SOMETHING SO IN MY RUSH TO YES.
I JUST JUMPED INTO IT QUICKLY, QUICKLY, UM, IN MY RUSH TO GET TO SOME THINGS THAT WERE REALLY IMPORTANT TO ME AND I THINK IMPORTANT TO EVERYONE.
CONGRATULATIONS TO JEFF WITH FIRST PROMOTION, BUT ALSO THANK YOU FOR A VERY DETAILED, VERY IMPORTANT REPORT.
IT'S INCREDIBLY INTERESTING AND I LOOK FORWARD TO MORE OF IT, BUT THANK YOU.
UM, SO NOW WE'LL GO TO, ARE THERE ANY COMMENTS, UH, ANYBODY SIGN UP FOR, FOR PUBLIC COMMENT ON ITEM THREE, A, B, C? YES, WE HAVE ONE.
GIVE ME ONE SECOND TO GET THE CLOCK PULLED UP HERE.
YOU COULD GET EXTRA TIME IF YOU STARTED NOW
[02:55:01]
YOU CAN GO AHEAD.UM, MELINDA TONER, PALMETTO HALL, FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU FOR POSTING THE PRESENTATION IN ADVANCE.
IT WAS VERY HELPFUL TO BE ABLE TO SEE THAT AND PREPARE FOR TODAY'S MEETING.
UH, MY COMMENT IS REGARDING BEACH RENOURISHMENT FUNDING.
SO IF THE QUESTION IS DO WE HAVE ENOUGH MONEY TO PAY FOR BEACH RENOURISHMENT AND ALL OF OUR OTHER BEACH RELATED EXPENSES, THE ANSWER IS YES.
THIS TAKES INTO ACCOUNT THE REVENUES, THE CASH BALANCES AND EXPECTED REVENUES MOVING FORWARD AND YOUR EXPENSES INCLUDING NON RENOURISHMENT CIP OPERATING EXPENSES AND OUR PAYMENT FOR THE 2017 BOND.
THE CASH BALANCE MOVES FROM 29 AND A HALF MILLION IN JUNE OF 2025 AND DECREASES TO 13.9 MILLION IN JUNE OF 26.
I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT YOU LOOK AT IT IN FURTHER YEARS, GO OUT A FEW MORE YEARS UNTIL THE CURRENT BOND IS PAID OFF BECAUSE THE BALANCE INCREASES TO 21.1 MILLION IN JUNE OF 27 AND 24 POINT A HALF MILLION OF JUNE OF 28 WHEN THE BOND IS PAID IN FULL USING THE METHODOLOGY THAT YOU HAVE IN REVENUES AND EXPENSES.
SO THE QUESTION I HAVE IS, WHAT PROBLEM ARE WE TRYING TO SOLVE BY ADDING MORE DEBT ON TOP OF THE DEBT WE ALREADY HAVE FOR BEACH RENOURISHMENT? IS IT THAT WE WANT TO MAINTAIN OUR FINANCIAL RATING? IS IT THAT WE REALLY WANT TO COLLECT MORE MONEY TO SPEND IN OTHER AREAS THAT ARE NOT BEACH RENOURISHMENT RELATED? AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO BE ABLE TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION IF YOU MOVE FORWARD WITH BONDING BECAUSE THE PUBLIC WILL WANT TO KNOW WHY.
UM, ONE OF THE OTHER COMMENTS THAT I WANTED TO MAKE IS, WHAT IS THE RATE OF THE 2017 BOND? IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S ABOUT 2.5% AND IF THE MONEY IS INVESTED IN MAKING MORE THAN THAT, THERE'S NO REASON TO PAY IT OFF EARLY.
I ALSO, UH, LIKE ARIANA'S QUESTION ON LONG-TERM PLANNING BECAUSE IF YOU THINK ABOUT BE RENOURISHMENT HAVING TO BE DONE EVERY EIGHT YEARS AND THE CURRENT COST IS 40 MILLION NOT TAKING INTO ACCOUNT INFLATION, THAT MEANS YOU NEED TO SAVE $5 MILLION A YEAR IN ORDER TO PAY.
AND IF WE'RE COLLECTING 13 MILLION AND WE ARE PAYING OUT SIX AND A HALF MILLION ON A REGULAR BASIS, WE'RE COLLECTING ABOUT $7 MILLION A YEAR.
SO I THINK THAT'S A GOOD THING FOR PEOPLE TO KNOW AND TO KEEP IN MIND AS YOU'RE PLANNING.
SO IN CONCLUSION, I THINK, UH, YOU NEED ADDITIONAL INFORMATION WHICH YOU ALL HAD REQUESTED BEFORE MAKING A FINAL DECISION, AND YOU SHOULD ANSWER THAT QUESTION AS TO WHAT PROBLEM YOU'RE TRYING TO SOLVE BY ADDING MORE DEBT ON TOP OF DEBT YOU ALREADY HAVE WHEN YOU HAVE ENOUGH MONEY TO COVER ALL THE EXPENSES AND END WITH A HEALTHY BALANCE AND ESPECIALLY IF YOU'RE CONSIDERING BONDING FOR OTHER PRIORITIES LIKE THE DISCUSSION TODAY REGARDING STORM WATER.
SO, UH, KIM, DID ANYBODY SIGN UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENT FOR ITEMS NOT RELATED TO THE AGENDA? NO, SIR.
SO THAT BEING SAID, UM, THANK Y'ALL FOR A GREAT PRESENTATION AND A LOT OF INFORMATION AND IT'S 1158.
HOW ABOUT THAT? SO WE'RE, WE'RE AURED.