* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [00:00:01] GOOD AFTERNOON. I'D LIKE TO CALL THE MEETING OF COMMUNITY SERVICES AND LAND USE COMMITTEE TO ORDER. PLEASE RISE FOR THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. I PLEDGE ALL ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. OKAY. PUBLIC NOTIFICATION OF THIS MEETING HAS BEEN PUBLISHED, POSTED, AND DISTRIBUTED IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE SOUTH CAROLINA FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT. IS THAT CORRECT, MS. BROCK? OKAY. UM, AND DO WE HAVE A SHEET? WE HAD TO, WE HAVE A NEW PROCEDURE ON APPROVALS OF, UH, AGENDA ITEMS. IS THAT, THAT BILL, MR. HOLBERT WAS GOING TO WORK UP FOR US WHEN WE MAKE MOTIONS? YES. THERE IS THAT ONE PARTICULAR ITEM THAT WE HAVE, THE SEVEN THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO AGREE TO DO IT FOR, FOR EVERYTHING ON THE AGENDA? NO, WE, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S EVERYTHING ON THE AGENDA, BUT I DO KNOW IT'S FOR ONE SPECIFIC ONE. AND THAT WOULD BE ITEM NUMBER. MENTION MAKING A MOTION BEFORE DISCUSSION. YEAH. NO, WE KNOW WE HAVE TO HAVE A MOTION AND SECOND BEFORE WE DISCUSS ANYTHING. BUT THERE IS ONE SPECIFIC. I I KNEW THERE WAS ONE ON HERE, CHAIRMAN, BUT I MEANT DIFFERENT PROCEDURE. NOW THAT WE HAVE, BEFORE WE DO ANYTHING, WE HAVE TO MAKE A MOTION. MOTION AND SECOND TO GET IT ON THE TABLE. YEAH. OKAY. SO FIRST THING IS NUMBER FOUR. UH, DID REMEMBER WE TALKED ABOUT AN AGENDA REVIEW, WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT THAT WE HAVE TO HAVE, OKAY. NUMBER FOUR IS APPROVAL [4. APPROVAL OF AGENDA] OF THE AGENDA. SO I ASSUME A MOTION, UM, I'LL MAKE THE MOTION TO APPROVE THE AGENDA. I HAVE A SECOND, I'LL SECOND THAT WITHOUT OBJECTION. THE AGENDA IS APPROVED. UM, NUMBER FIVE IS [5. APPROVAL OF MINUTES] APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES FROM OCTOBER 14TH. I HOPE EVERYONE HAD A CHANCE TO READ 'EM, TO HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THOSE MINUTES. MAKE THE MOTION. WHO MAKES THE MOTION? I'LL MAKE THE MOTION. ALL RIGHT. UM, COUNCILMAN BROWN MADE THE MOTION. DO WE HAVE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND IT ALL. UNLESS MR. DS ON STUDENT? NO, YOU'RE GOOD. ALL RIGHT. WITHOUT OBJECTION. THE MINUTES FROM OCTOBER 14TH ARE APPROVED. ALL RIGHT. AT THIS TIME WE HAVE TIME FOR CITIZEN COMMENT. HAS ANYONE SIGNED UP FOR CITIZEN COMMENT TODAY FOR COMMUNITY SERVICES? NO. I SEE NONE. OKAY, DOKE. ALRIGHT. UH, FIRST ON THE [7. ASSISTANT COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR REPORT] AGENDA IS THE ASSISTANT COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR'S REPORT. DO I, IF MR. ATKINSON CAN COME FORWARD FOR THAT? GOOD AFTERNOON. GOOD AFTERNOON. SO I'M GOING TO INTRODUCE ROB MERCHANT, WHO IS OUR PLANNING DIRECTOR, AND HE'S GONNA GIVE A PRESENTATION ON ZONING PROCEDURES TO INCLUDE, UM, VARIANCES, APPEALS, APPEALS. AND THEN WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT, UH, ENFORCEMENT A LITTLE BIT AFTER HE'S DONE. AND I'LL, I'LL PROVIDE SOME SUPPORT OKAY. UH, WITH THAT PART OF THE CONVERSATION, BUT I'LL TURN THE MIC OVER TO HIM AND, UH, LOOK FORWARD TO HIS PRESENTATION. OKAY. AND, UM, SOME OF THE COUNTY COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT WANTED THIS AREN'T HERE, BUT WE'LL, WE'LL TELL HIM TO WATCH IT ON TV. YES, MA'AM. I MEAN, WE'RE ALWAYS AVAILABLE TO A ANSWER QUESTIONS SURE. IF NEEDED AFTER THE FACT. UM, AND DO YOU WANT US TO WAIT TILL YOU GET TO THE END FOR QUESTIONS, MR. MERCHANT? FOR QUESTIONS OR QUESTIONS? I'M, I'M PERFECTLY WILLING TO ANSWER 'EM AT ANY POINT IN THE PRESENTATION. OKAY. THIS CAME ABOUT BECAUSE, UM, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE THE ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS. WE HAVE, UM, O WE HAVE OTHER PROCESSES THAT HAVE DIFFERENT RULES, SO TO SPEAK, THAN, UM, DIFFERENT LIKE VARIANCES HAVE DIFFERENT RULES THAN JUST A SUBMITTAL FOR THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND HOW ALL THOSE THINGS WORK TOGETHER. MM-HMM. . OKAY. WELL, UH, GOOD AFTERNOON. AND I, I REALLY APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO, YOU KNOW, TO, TO PROVIDE THIS PRESENTATION ANYTIME THAT WE COULD REACH OUT AND KIND OF TALK ABOUT WHAT WE DO, BECAUSE WHAT WE DO IS REALLY, UM, IMPLEMENTING POLICIES OF COUNTY COUNCIL. SO, UM, WHAT I WANTED TO DO IS PROVIDE KIND OF A, A QUICK OVERVIEW OF, I GUESS THE BASIC NUTS AND BOLTS OF HOW THE ZONING ORDINANCE WORKS. THE, YOU KNOW, WHAT STATE LAW KIND OF ESTABLISHES IT AND GIVES US THE RIGHT TO ZONE, AND THEN USE THAT AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO KINDA SET UP WHAT, WHEN THE ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS STEPS IN AND THOSE KINDS OF PROCESSES WHERE THINGS ARE GOING BEFORE THE ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS. SO, UH, IF YOU GO THE, OH, I'M SORRY. I GOT THE CLICKER RIGHT HERE. OKAY. UM, SO A BIT OF THE WHAT AND THE WHY. IT'S, IT'S IMPORTANT TO KNOW THAT THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA IN 1994 PASSED THE, UH, STATE PLANNING ENABLING LEGISLATION. AND THIS IS REALLY, WE'RE, UH, IN, [00:05:01] YOU KNOW, A GOOD SITUATION IN SOUTH CAROLINA A LOT BETTER OFF IN OUR NEIGHBORS, IN THAT WE HAVE REALLY GOOD LEGISLATION ESTABLISHING PLANNING AND ZONING ORDINANCES, UH, FOR THE STATE. YOU KNOW, THE STATE SETS UP REALLY GOOD GUIDELINES, REQUIRES US TO, TO DO A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN EVERY 10 YEARS, YOU KNOW, REVISE, YOU KNOW, REVISIT IT EVERY FIVE YEARS. SO ALL OF THESE THINGS ARE ESTABLISHED BY THIS, UM, TITLE SIX, CHAPTER 29 OF THE, UH, UM, YOU KNOW, THE SOUTH CAROLINA LOCAL GOVERNMENT COMPREHENSIVE PLANNING ENABLING ACT. AND WHAT THAT DOES, I WOULD SAY THE FIRST AND FOREMOST WITH THE ZONING ORDINANCE, IT REQUIRES THAT COUNTIES, THAT ZONE OR, OR LOCAL COMMUNITIES THAT ZONE, THEY HAVE TO HAVE A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN IN PLACE. BECAUSE ULTIMATELY, ZONING IS A TOOL TO HELP IMPLEMENT PART OF THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN. SO THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN IS BASICALLY REQUIRING THIS BIG, YOU KNOW, TAKING A VERY LARGE OVERVIEW OF THE COUNTY AND ITS DESIRES, WISHES, THE CONDITIONS ON THE GROUND, AND GOING THROUGH A VERY PUBLIC PROCESS TO ESTABLISH WHAT OUR VISION IS FOR THE COUNTY. AND PART OF THAT VISION, UH, AND PROBABLY THE MOST IMPORTANT IS THE FUTURE LAND USE VISION. YOU'RE, YOU'RE LOOKING AT HOW ARE WE GROWING AND HOW DO WE WANT TO GROW IN THE FUTURE? AND SO THAT LAND USE VISION THAT'S LAID OUT IN THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN BASED ON A VERY EXTENSIVE PUBLIC PROCESS, BECOMES THE FOUNDATION THAT YOU BUILD. THE ZONING ORDINANCE, THE ZONING ORDINANCE, WHICH IN OUR COUNTY IS CALLED THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CODE. IT'S, IT'S ONE TOOL IN A TOOLBOX. AND SO I LIKE TO THINK OF IT AS IT'S KIND OF A, IT'S THAT DEPENDABLE TOOL THAT IS CHEAP, AND I SHOULDN'T SAY CHEAP, BUT IT'S, IT, IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S VERY ACCESSIBLE AND GETS A LOT OF THINGS DONE. AND SO THEN WE HAVE MORE EXPENSIVE TOOLS. AND I WOULD SAY LIKE THE RURAL AND CRITICAL LANDS PROGRAM OR GREEN SPACE PROGRAM WHERE YOU'RE BUYING PROPERTY, YOU'VE IDENTIFIED AREAS YOU WANT TO PRESERVE, THAT IS A VERY EFFECTIVE TOOL FOR FUTURE LAND USE. BUT IT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU WANT TO USE FOR THOSE SPECIAL OCCASIONS, YOU KNOW, WHERE, UM, YOU KNOW, LAND REALLY NEEDS TO PRESERVE, YOU KNOW, FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS. BUT ZONING REALLY DOES, IT'S LIKE THE WORKHORSE OF ALL THE, THE, THE TOOLS IN THE TOOLBOX DOES A LOT OF THE WORK. AND THE STATE SETS, I WOULD SAY, GUARDRAILS FOR WHEN WE ZONE, THIS IS HOW YOU DO IT. AND SOME OF THE BENEFITS TO IT IS THAT IN THE PAST YOU MIGHT, LIKE, BEFORE ZONING, YOU MIGHT RELY ON THINGS LIKE NUISANCE LAWS AND, AND OTHER THINGS THAT WOULD TRY TO RESOLVE A, A, UH, I WOULD SAY MAYBE AN ISSUE WHERE YOU HAVE A HOUSE NEXT TO A FACTORY OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. ZONING TAKES THAT AND CREATES THE, THE, THE NUMBER ONE BENEFIT. IT CREATES PREDICTABILITY. AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THE LOCAL COMMUNITY NEEDS. WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO KNOW THAT IN GENERAL, IN THIS AREA, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE THIS DENSITY OF DEVELOPMENTS, THESE TYPES OF LAND USES, BUT IT ALSO BENEFITS THE DEVELOPER PROPERTY OWNER BECAUSE THEY HAVE EXPECTATIONS. AND SO DEVELOPERS ALWAYS ARE LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, HAVING EXPECTATIONS AND, AND BEING ABLE TO BASE THOSE TO INVEST IN A PROPERTY ARE REALLY IMPORTANT. THEY DON'T WANT TO GO INTO SOMETHING WHERE YOU'RE NOT FINDING OUT REALLY WHAT THE FINAL DECISION IS UNTIL A LONG WAY DOWN THE ROAD. SO THAT'S REALLY THE BENEFIT OF ZONING. IT'S, IT'S IMPLEMENTING THAT LAND USE VISION IN A PREDICTABLE MANNER. AND I'M JUST GONNA WALK THROUGH REAL QUICKLY THE COMPONENTS OF THAT, HOW WE USE IT, AND THIS'LL START OUT REAL BASIC, BUT IT KIND OF SETS THE STAGE FOR WHEN THE ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS COMES IN. SO THERE'S REALLY THIS THREE STEP PROCESS THAT'S A LOT MORE COMPLICATED, BUT IT'S BASICALLY YOU'RE LOOKING ON THE MAP TO SEE WHAT THE ZONING IS LOOKING INTO USE TABLE TO SEE WHAT IF THAT USE IS PERMITTED. AND THEN ULTIMATELY, IF THE USE IS PERMITTED, IT STILL NEEDS TO BEAT THE STANDARDS OF THAT DISTRICT. YOU KNOW, SETBACKS, BUFFERS, PARKING REQUIREMENTS, ALL OF THOSE DETAILS ARE IN THE STANDARDS. SO, YOU KNOW, THE ZONING MAP, THIS IS AVAILABLE ONLINE ON OUR ONLINE GIS PORTAL. AND THIS IS REALLY WHERE IT STARTS. TYPICALLY, YOU KNOW, IF SOMEBODY'S GIVEN YOU A, A PARCEL ID NUMBER OR ADDRESS, AND THEN WE'RE IDENTIFYING WHERE IT IS ON THE MAP, DETERMINING THE ZONING. AND THEN THE NEXT STEP IS LOOKING AT THE USE TABLE. AND I APOLOGIZE, THIS IS KIND OF SMALL, BUT WITHIN THIS IS BASICALLY AT THE TOP ARE THE ZONING DISTRICTS, AND THEN AT THE SIDE ARE THE USES. AND I, I REALIZE THIS IS VERY BASIC, BUT YOU'LL NOTICE IT'S NOT JUST PERMITTED OR NON PERMITTED. YOU SEE P WHICH IS PERMITTED, UM, DASHES, WHICH IS NOT PERMITTED, BUT THEY'RE ALSO CS AND SS, AND WE'LL KIND OF GET TO WHAT THE MEANING OF THOSE THOSE ARE. BUT, SO THIS IS THE NEXT STEP. [00:10:01] AND THEN OF COURSE, ONCE YOU LOCATE THE DISTRICT AND THE USE IT'S PERMITTED, WHAT ARE THE STANDARDS OF THAT DISTRICT? AND, YOU KNOW, HOW FAR IS IT SET BACK? AND SO THIS IS A LOT OF THE DAY-TO-DAY, YOU KNOW, INTERPRETATION OF THE ORDINANCE THAT WE'RE DOING IN OUR OFFICE WHEN PEOPLE ARE COMING IN FOR VARIOUS TYPES OF PERMITS. SO IF IT'S A PERMITTED USE IN THE TABLE, IT'S VERY SIMPLE. NOW, OBVIOUSLY, DEPENDING ON THE SCALE OF THE, THE TYPE OF DEVELOPMENT, THIS GETS A LITTLE MORE INVOLVED BECAUSE THERE ARE A LOT OF USES, A LOT OF CONS OR A LOT OF STANDARDS AND CONSIDERATIONS. BUT IF THEY MEET THE USE, THEY MEET THE STANDARDS, AND OF COURSE THEY'VE COM YOU KNOW, SUPPLIED A COMPLETE APPLICATION, PAID THE, THE FEE, THEN THE PERMIT IS ISSUED. YOU KNOW, IF THIS IS A, UH, SIMPLE RESIDENTIAL ZONING PERMIT, THE PROCESS IS FAIRLY SIMPLE. IF THIS IS A MAJOR LAND DEVELOPMENT, YOU KNOW, THIS IS GOING BEFORE, YOU KNOW, WE'VE STAFF HAS A INTERNAL GROUP THAT MEETS, YOU KNOW, THAT INCLUDES STORM WATER AND ENGINEERING. AND, AND THE FIRE DISTRICTS CALLED THE, THE, UM, STAFF REVIEW TEAM. SO WE'RE, WE'RE DETERMINING THE USE AND THE STANDARDS THROUGH THAT PROCESS. IS THERE A, A MINIMUM ACREAGE FOR THEM TO GO TO THE STAFF REVIEW TEAM? SO TYPICALLY IN OUR CODE, WE HAVE A DEFINITION FOR MINOR AND MAJOR SUBDIVISION AND MINOR AND MAJOR, UH, LAND DEVELOPMENT SUBDIVISION. IF IT IS GREATER THAN THREE LOTS, AND IT IS ON A ROAD OR, OR THEY'RE HAVING TO CREATE A NEW ROAD, IT'S A MAJOR SUBDIVISION THAT'S GOING TO THE SRT. OTHERWISE, IT'S JUST DONE IN OUR DEPARTMENT THAT EITHER WAY IT'S STILL AT THE STAFF LEVEL. MM-HMM. . BUT WE INTERNALLY, YOU KNOW, HAVE THAT PROCESS IN PLACE WITH A LAND DEVELOPMENT. AND THIS IS, UH, OH, IS IT 5,000 SQUARE FEET? YEAH. IF, IF A AND SOMETIMES THAT'S, YOU KNOW, YOU COULD HAVE SOMETHING WITH A SMALLER BUILDING, BUT IT HAS A LOT OF IMPACT, YOU KNOW, LIKE OUTDOOR STORAGE OR SOMETHING. BUT BASICALLY A MAJOR LAND DEVELOPMENT IS GREATER THAN 5,000 SQUARE FEET THAT'S GOING TO THE STAFF REVIEW TEAM. UM, BUT THIS IS, YOU KNOW, FOR A PERMITTED USE, IT'S FAIRLY STRAIGHTFORWARD. YOU MEET THE STANDARDS, YOU'VE PROVIDE A COMPLETE APPLICATION, YOU KNOW, THEN, THEN A PERMIT IS ISSUED. NOW THAT IS OVERSIMPLIFYING, YOU KNOW, IT'S MAYBE IN A FUTURE MEETING WE CAN GET INTO WHAT ALL REQUIREMENTS, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE THERE ARE A LOT OF CONSIDERATIONS. WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THE PROPERTY IS SERVED BY PUBLIC SEWER AND WATER OR A SEPTIC SYSTEM, OR, WELL, I MEAN, THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT HAVE TO LINE UP IN ORDER TO, TO GET THAT FINAL PERMIT. UM, CONDITIONAL USE. THIS IS THE C ON THE TABLE. SO IT MEETS THE USE, IT MEETS THE STANDARDS, BUT THERE ARE ADDITIONAL STANDARDS THAT ARE LAID OUT FOR THAT PARTICULAR USE IN THAT DISTRICT. AND THESE, YOU KNOW, THIS WOULD BE THE CASE OF A TYPE OF USE, LET'S SAY OUTDOOR STORAGE. YOU WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT IT HAD A BIGGER BUFFER SURROUNDING THE SITE, OR, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE OTHER CONSIDERATIONS FOR CERTAIN USES THAT YOU WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT ARE MINIMIZING THE IMPACT ON, ON, ON SURROUNDING AREAS. BUT THE, THE CONDITIONAL USE PROCESS, THOSE ARE LISTED IN SECTION 4.2 OF THE ORDINANCE. SO IT'S NOT STAFF ATTACHING THOSE CONDITIONS. IT'S STAFF GO INTO THAT SECTION SAYING, OH, BY THE WAY, YOU NEED TO MEET THESE STANDARDS AS WELL. SO THAT'S, UH, UM, CONDITIONAL USE. IT'S STILL DONE AT THE STAFF LEVEL. IT JUST HAS THOSE ADDITIONAL STANDARDS THAT ARE INVOLVED. IF THEY COULDN'T MEET THOSE CONDITIONAL STANDARDS, WHAT WOULD THEY, WHAT WOULD A LANDOWNER DO? WELL, AT THAT POINT, IF THEY'RE, AND WE WILL GET TO THAT. OKAY. BUT ANY POINT THAT YOU'RE NOT ABLE TO MEET THE STANDARDS MM-HMM. , THEY'RE EITHER, THEY MAY WANT TO SEEK A VARIANCE, YOU KNOW, TO, TO VARY FROM THOSE STANDARDS. OR IF THEY HAVE A HARDSHIP OR THEY MAY NOT AGREE WITH STAFF'S INTERPRETATION, THEN THAT BECOMES AN APPEAL. BUT YEAH, IT'S BASICALLY WHEN, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, MEETING THESE STANDARDS AND, AND THE USE. UM, SO ONCE YOU GET BEYOND THIS POINT TO THE SPECIAL USE, THAT'S WHERE NOW, BEFORE, BEFORE WE GO TO THIS ZONING BOARD OF APPEAL SECTION, MM-HMM. BACK ON THAT ONE. IF THERE ARE CONDITIONAL STANDARDS AND THE PERSON HAS MET THOSE AND THE PERMIT HAS BEEN ISSUED, IS THERE A PLACE THAT, UM, YOU HAVE WHAT THOSE EXTRA STANDARDS ARE SO THAT A NEIGHBOR OR SOMEONE SAID, WHY, WHY ARE THEY DOING THAT? THAT'S NOT PERMITTED HERE, BUT THEY MET THOSE CONDITIONAL STANDARDS, IF, IF YOU'RE FOLLOWING MY DRIFT OF WHAT I'M TRYING TO GET AT. YEAH. SO THE, [00:15:01] THE USE IS SPECIFICALLY LIST LISTED IN THE TABLE WITH A C BY IT. SO THEY, THEY KNOW IT'S A CONDITIONAL USE. AND THEN THOSE STANDARDS, IF YOU GO TO THE, LET'S SAY IT'S IN T TWO RURAL, AND YOU GO TO THE USE TABLE IN T TWO RURAL, IT WILL THEN REFER YOU TO ARTICLE FOUR, EXCUSE ME, EXCUSE ME, WHICH HAS THE, UM, CONDITIONAL USE STANDARDS SPELLED OUT THERE. SO, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, ALL OF THOSE THINGS ARE IN THE CODE AND, AND, AND ARE EASY TO KIND OF TRACE BACK TO. OKAY. YEAH. IT'S, YOU KNOW, STAFF IS NOT, WE'RE NOT SAYING, OH, I THINK YOU NEED A BIGGER BUFFER HERE, OR LET'S GIVE YOU, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE GOING BY WHAT'S IN THE CODE QUESTION. I WANT TO SORT OF PIGGYBACK ON WHAT, UM, MR. PASSMAN JUST ASKED. MM-HMM. , UM, WHAT, WHAT HAPPENS WHEN, UM, THE STANDARDS NEED TO BE CHANGED? HOW DOES THAT, HOW DO YOU DO THAT? OKAY. YOU HAVE STANDARDS, UH, THAT WAS PROBABLY THERE SOMETIME, BUT YOU NEED TO CHANGE THE STANDARDS. WHAT'S THE PROCESS OF CHANGING THE STANDARDS? SO TYPICALLY, IF YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT STANDARDS THAT'S, YOU KNOW, TEXT IN THE ZONING ORDINANCE. AND SO THE CHANGE, IT WOULD BE A TEXT AMENDMENT TO THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CODE, AND THAT GOES TO AN AMENDMENT PROCESS. WE'RE ACTUALLY GONNA HEAR ONE LATER TODAY, YOU KNOW, WHERE THEY'RE, UM, ADDING YEAH, I KNOW THE PROCESS. TELL ME THE STEPS IN THE PROCESS TO GET IT CHANGED. CAN OKAY. I WALK INTO YOUR OFFICE AND SAY, I THINK YOU NEED TO CONSIDER THIS AS A CHANGE TO THE STANDARDS TO A TAX AMENDMENT. OR IS THAT SOMETHING THAT HAS TO BE, UH, INITIATED BY THE BODY HERE, COUNTY GOVERNMENT? YEAH. AND IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING, AND I HAVE TO DOUBLE CHECK THE CODE, BUT I, IT, I BELIEVE COUNTY COUNCIL CAN REQUEST A ZONING AMENDMENT. THE PLANNING COMMISSION COULD REQUEST A ZONING AMENDMENT OR, YOU KNOW, AMENDMENT TO THE CODE, OR A PRIVATE CITIZEN CAN. GOTCHA. YEAH. SO IN THE CASE OF WHAT WE'RE HEARING LATER TODAY, THAT'S A REQUEST BY A PRIVATE CITIZEN. AND THEN ONCE THEY FILL OUT THE APPLICATION, IT GOES TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION, TO THIS COMMITTEE, AND THEN TO THREE READINGS OF COUNTY COUNCIL. MM-HMM. , AND I'LL JUST READ ON MY QUESTION SINCE YOU HAVE MM-HMM. . YES, SIR. OKAY. MM-HMM. . AND, AND TO THAT POINT, THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, IF THAT IS UPDATED, COULD THAT BE A TRIGGER TO CHANGE ANY OF THE STANDARDS? YES. OFTEN, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE, IF, IF WE'RE MAKING A REVISION TO THE FUTURE LAND USE PLAN AND A COMP PLAN, AND, AND THAT MAY BE COMING UP BECAUSE WE HAVE TO DO A FIVE YEAR, FIVE YEAR REVIEW. BUT IF COMING OUTTA THAT PROCESS, WE DECIDE WE WANT TO EXPAND PROTECTIONS OR MORE PRESERVATION OVER HERE, OR MORE DEVELOPMENT OVER HERE, THEN THAT COULD BE THEN A STAFF OR COUNCIL INITIATED COMING OUTTA THAT COMPREHENSIVE PLANNING PROCESS AREA WIDE REZONING OR CHANGES IN STANDARDS IN THE DISTRICT. YOU KNOW, SO THAT DEFINITELY, UM, THAT'S AN IDEAL WAY THAT IT WOULD HAPPEN BECAUSE YOU'RE GOING THROUGH THE PLANNING PROCESS. YOU'RE THEN CHANGING IN THE ORDINANCE TO REFLECT THE, YOU KNOW, THE CHANGE IN THE IN PLAN. TALK ABOUT THE SCALE REAL QUICK. YEAH. SO WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT MAKING THOSE AMENDMENTS, THAT GOES ANYWHERE FROM A ZONING MAP CHANGE, WHICH WOULD CHANGE THE ZONING DISTRICT OF A PARCEL. OR YOU CAN CHANGE THE STANDARD WITHIN A AND EXISTING ZONING. MM-HMM. , UM, UH, YOU KNOW, HOW AN AREA ZONE, OR YOU CAN CHANGE AND ADD A CONDITION OR TAKE A CONDITION AWAY FROM A PARTICULAR USE, OR YOU CAN CHANGE THE ALLOWED USES WITHIN THOSE. SO WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT CHANGING IT, IT REALLY IS ON WHAT LEVEL YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, BUT IT ULTIMATELY LIES IN COUNCIL'S HANDS. GOTCHA. HOPE THAT. OKAY. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT. UM, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS BEFORE WE GO ON? NO. OKAY. OKAY. YEAH, THAT THE ZONING AMENDMENT PROCESS, I DIDN'T REALLY FOCUS ON THAT FOR THIS, BUT THAT COULD BE A FUTURE, THAT COULD BE A WHOLE OTHER ME, YOU KNOW, THAT'S CERTAINLY TAKES UP MORE OF YOUR TIME IN THE FUTURE WHEN, WHEN WE GET ZONING AMENDMENTS. MM-HMM. . SO, UM, SO WHEN WE, YOU KNOW, MOVING BEYOND THE SIMPLE PERMITTED AND CONDITIONAL USES WHERE THINGS ARE SPELLED OUT IN THE CODE, THERE'S ALSO SOMETHING CALLED A SPECIAL USE. BUT I FIRST WANTED TO INTRODUCE THE ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS, BECAUSE THEN THEY'RE BEGINNING TO PLAY A MAJOR ROLE. MM-HMM. , UM, THIS IS A BOARD THAT ITS MAKEUP AND THE WAY IT'S SET UP IS ALSO MAPPED OUT IN THE STATE ENABLING LEGISLATION. BUT THEY BASICALLY DO THREE THINGS. THEY HEAR, UM, SPECIAL USES [00:20:01] VARIANCES AND APPEALS. AND THESE ARE PRIMARILY APPEALS TO ZONING INTERPRETATIONS OR ZONING PERMITS. WHEN WE GET TO APPEALING A, UH, SUBDIVISION OR LAND DEVELOPMENT, THEN THAT GOES TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION. THIS IS WHY THIS DIVISION IS MADE. I'M NOT UNDER, I, I THINK IT HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH GOING WAY BACK TO WHEN COMMUNITIES HAD SEPARATE ORDINANCES FOR SUBDIVISION VILLE, BUT THEN, THEN FOR ZONING. BUT, UM, SO, BUT PRIMARILY I'M FOCUSING ON THE ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS. AND IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THIS IS THIS TERM QUASI-JUDICIAL. IT'S, THAT IS THE NATURE OF THE ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS. SO WHEN THEY CONDUCT BUSINESS, IT'S BASICALLY THEY'RE OBJECTIVELY, OR THEY'RE CHARGED TO OBJECTIVELY DETERMINE FACTS AND DRAW CONCLUSIONS FROM THEM AS TO PRO PROVIDE AN OFFICIAL ACTION. SO IN MANY WAYS, THEY'RE ACTING LIKE A, A, YOU KNOW, A JUDGE AND JURY. UM, AND I GUESS OTHER PARALLELS WOULD BE LIKE, UM, ARBITRATION OR THERE'S OTHER PROCESSES SET UP WHERE DECISIONS ARE MADE, BUT THEY'RE NOT, UM, THEY'RE NOT LIKE THE COURTS, BUT THAT YOU HAVE TO BE VERY CAREFUL BECAUSE THEY, CERTAIN THINGS LIKE EX PARTE COMMUNICATIONS, YOU KNOW, THEY REALLY SHOULDN'T BE CHATTING AMONGST THEMSELVES. UH, OR, OR, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE TO BE VERY CAREFUL ABOUT, YOU KNOW, CONVERSATIONS BETWEEN THE APPLICANT AND THE ZBOA OR, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE THEY'RE, THEY'RE MEETING TO HEAR THE CASE AND MAKE A DECISION. AND ESPECIALLY WHEN WE GET TO APPEALS, THEY'RE SPECIFICALLY LOOKING AT THE EVIDENCE BROUGHT BEFORE THEM, THE EVIDENCE THAT STAFF USED TO MAKE A DECISION. AND THEY'RE TAKING THAT EVIDENCE AND DETERMINING WHETHER STAFF CORRECTLY MADE THE RIGHT DETERMINATION. SO EVEN IN THAT CASE, AND THIS BECAME AN ISSUE A LITTLE WHILE BACK, WE'RE REALLY NOT HEARING PUBLIC COMMENT BECAUSE THAT'S INTRODUCING NEW INFORMATION THAT'S NOT BASED ON THE DECISIONS THAT STAFF MADE. SO IT'S, IT'S VERY INTERESTING, AND I WILL SAY A PLUG TO THE ZBOA THAT THE COUNCIL APPOINTED, THEY TAKE THEIR JOB VERY SERIOUSLY. I MEAN, I'VE SEEN OTHERS ZONING BOARDS OF FIELDS THAT ARE LIKE, EH, I GIVE THE GUY A BREAK. YOU BUILT THE SHED ALREADY, YOU KNOW? MM-HMM. THEY'RE, THEY'RE VERY, UM, YOU KNOW, THEY LOOK AT ALL THE, THE, THE SPECIFICS OF, YOU KNOW, HOW THEY NEED TO MAKE THEIR DETERMINATIONS. I THINK THEY DO A VERY PROFESSIONAL JOB. IT, WHAT'S THE STEP AFTER THAT FOR SOMEONE WHO DOESN'T LIKE THE DECISION OF THE ZBOA? YEAH. SO THE NEXT STEP AFTER THAT IS THE CIRCUIT COURT. YEAH. AND SO A LOT OF TIMES WHEN IT'S A FAIRLY CONTENTIOUS ISSUE ALREADY, AND WE THINK IT'S GOING TO, YOU KNOW, IF THEY DON'T LIKE THE DECISION OF THE ZBOA, IT'S GONNA MOVE ON MM-HMM. , THEN WE RECOMMEND THAT THEY BRING A COURT REPORTER, YOU KNOW, AND TREAT AS A, AS A LEGAL PROCEEDING. I REMEMBER CITY OF BEAUFORT AND THE WALMART ON LADY ISLAND, IT WAS FIVE YEARS LATER, . OH, YEAH, YEAH, YEAH. IT WAS FINALLY DECIDED IN COURT. UM, MM-HMM. . BUT THAT, I DON'T, I LIVE IN THE CITY THOUGH, THAT'S WHY. OH YEAH. I DON'T MEAN TO BE, I REMEMBER ALL THAT , JUST SO I THINK I, I KNOW, UM, JOE HAS SERVED ON THE ZBOA AND I'VE SERVED ON THE CITY'S ZBOA. IT'S, UM, IT'S VERY DIFFERENT THAN BEING ON THE PLANNING COMMISSION. YES. YEAH. AND IT'S, I WILL SAY, SOMETIMES MEETINGS GET VERY EMOTIONAL. I MEAN, THEY, THEY DO A LOT FOR SIMPLY A MILEAGE CHECK. SO , YOU KNOW, I REALLY WOULD HAND IT TO THEM. UM, SO GETTING BACK TO THE CBOA, SO IN THAT TABLE, THERE ARE ALSO S'S THAT STANDS FOR SPECIAL USE. AND WHAT THIS MEANS IS A DISTRICT MAY SAY THERE'S A CERTAIN USE THAT MAY BE APPROPRIATE, BUT NOT IN ALL LOCATIONS. AND SO IT'S REALLY ASKING THE ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS TO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION ALL THE IMPACTS OF THIS USE. UM, A RECENT EXAMPLE, LAST SUMMER, UH, THE, THE ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS CONSIDERED, UH, CAMP JUBILEE ON LADIES ISLAND. THAT WAS ACTUALLY TWO SPECIAL USES. ONE WAS A, UM, CHURCH OR MEETING PLACE GREATER THAN, UM, 15,000 SQUARE FEET. AND THE OTHER ONE WAS AN INN. AND BOTH OF THEM, THIS WAS A OPPORTUNITY TO, YOU KNOW, WHERE THE, THE ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS WAS TAKING A LOT OF THINGS INTO ACCOUNT. THEY WERE LOOKING AT THE EXTERNAL IMPACTS OF THE DEVELOPMENTS, THE IMPACTS AND NATURAL RESOURCES. SO IT REALLY, UM, WHEN SOMETHING IS A SPECIAL USE, IT THROWS IN A LOT OF UNCERTAINTY. UNCERTAINTY. AND IT ALSO ALLOWS THE CERTAIN BOARD OF APPEALS TO ADD CONDITIONS TO A DEVELOPMENT. SO IN THE CASE OF CAN'T JUBILEE, THEY WERE REQUIRED TO HAVE VERY STRICT BUFFER REQUIREMENTS, AND THERE WERE SOME OTHER CONDITIONS [00:25:01] ATTACHED. SO THIS, UH, THIS IS A TOOL THAT'S AVAILABLE. IT'S, UM, IT DOES PROVIDE UNCERTAINTY FOR THE APPLICANT AND ALSO FOR THE PUBLIC. YOU KNOW, AND, YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD A FEW INTERESTING CASES THAT GO BEFORE THE ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS IN THE PAST. AND, UM, AND THEN THERE'S A VARIANCE. SO THIS IS WHEN YOU MEET THE USE, BUT YOU CAN'T QUITE MEET ALL THE REQUIREMENTS IN THE DISTRICT, LET'S SAY, A SETBACK OR A BUFFER. AND TO, IN ORDER TO BE CONSIDERED TO BE APPROVED AS A VARIANCE, IT REALLY HAS TO BE SOMETHING UNIQUE TO THE SITE. SO LET'S SAY YOU HAVE A LOT AND THERE'S A DRAINAGE DITCH THAT TAKES UP, UM, YOU KNOW, IT, IT PUSHES THE HOUSE OVER TO WHERE IT CAN'T MEET ANOTHER SETBACK. OR THERE MIGHT BE SOMETHING NOT AS MUCH IN THE LOW COUNTRY, BUT TOPO GRAPHIC ON THE, ON THE LOT, OR IT'S A LOT OF RECORD THAT WAS PLATTED A LONG TIME AGO, AND IT'S VERY NARROW IN THOSE CASES. THAT'S KIND OF YOUR CLASSIC VARIANCE. AND THAT, THAT'S BASICALLY WHAT IT IS CALLED IS A HARDSHIP. THEY'RE SAYING THAT THERE'S A HARDSHIP BASED ON THE PIECE OF PROPERTY UNIQUE TO THE PROPERTY THAT IS NOT THE RESULT OF SOMETHING THE PROPERTY OWNER DID, LIKE BUILDING WHERE CONSIDERATION SUPPOSED THAT, UM, THAT THE BOARD THEN CONSIDERS THAT IN, IN AND GRANTS A, UM, WAIVER OR VARIANCE OF THAT REQUIREMENT. AND IT'S ALSO, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE LOOKING AT THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, THE CDC, AND ALSO MAKING SURE THAT THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT IS GIVEN A SPECIAL PRIVILEGE TO THIS PROPER PROPERTY OWNER. IT'S MORE, UM, BECAUSE THEY HAVE THIS UNIQUE CONDITION ON THE SITE. ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS ABOUT VARIANCES, THE FIRST IS, AND THIS HAPPENS A LOT IN, I I SERVED IN PORT ROYALS ZVOA FOR A WHILE, SOMEBODY ALREADY BUILT A SHED. IT'S RIGHT ON THEIR NEIGHBOR'S PROPERTY LINE. THE HARDSHIP IS NOT HIM HAVING TO TAKE DOWN THE SHED AND MOVE IT. SO IT'S NOT REALLY A, IT CAN'T BE A, UH, FINANCIAL HARDSHIP OR SOMETHING BROUGHT ON BY THE PROPERTY OWNER. IT HAS TO BE SOMETHING UNIQUE TO THE SITE. UM, THAT'S PROBABLY ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT TO KEEP IN MIND. BUT, AND THE OTHER THING IS, YOU CANNOT USE A VARIANCE TO CHANGE THE USE OR DENSITY. SO IT'S NOT A WORKAROUND IF YOU CAN'T HAVE A USE IN, IN A, IN A DISTRICT. UM, I'M LOOKING AROUND. ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT OR NO. OKAY. UM, SO THAT'S, THAT'S A QUICK OVERVIEW OF THIS KIND. AND I THINK THAT THE, THE REAL TAKEAWAY HERE IS THAT THE, THE ZONING ORDINANCE, YOU KNOW, IT'S REALLY THE BEST TOOL, THE, THE MOST USEFUL FOR FORWARDING THE COUNTY'S LAND USE VISION, THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN. AND THE NUMBER ONE THING IS IT'S PROVIDING CERTAINTY, AND IT IS PROVIDING, UM, KIND OF PREDICTABILITY BOTH FOR PROPERTY OWNERS, NEIGHBORING PROPERTY OWNERS, DEVELOPERS, YOU KNOW, FOR ELECTED OFFICIALS THAT THESE ARE THE RULES THAT ARE KINDA LAID DOWN. THAT KIND OF CUTS BOTH WAYS. SOMETIMES YOU HAVE USES THAT REALLY LOOK LIKE THEY SHOULD MAKE SENSE IN THIS AREA. UM, THEY MIGHT BE NEAR A LOT OF NON-CONFORMING USES. AND, YOU KNOW, SO THERE ARE MANY CASES WHERE STRICT, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, USING THE ORDINANCES IT'S INTENDED TO BE USED, CREATES SITUATIONS THAT COULD BE A PROBLEM. BUT IT'S, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S THE BEST TOOL WE HAVE. MM-HMM. , UM, THE MORE YOU HAVE THOSE KINDS OF PROBLEMS, MAYBE THAT'S WHAT ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT BEGINS TO, YOU KNOW, MAKE YOU THINK ABOUT, DO WE NEED TO CHANGE THE STANDARDS? DO WE NEED TO RECONSIDER ZONING IN THIS AREA? AND THEN IT KIND OF CUTS THE OTHER WAY. SOMETIMES IT PERMITS THINGS THAT YOU, OH, I CAN'T BELIEVE THE ORDINANCE IS ALLOWING THIS TO HAPPEN. BUT WE DON'T HAVE THE ABILITY, YOU KNOW, IF THINGS ARE SPELLED OUT, THEY'RE MEETING THE STANDARDS, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO ISSUE A PERMIT. YOU, YOU, OKAY. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? THAT'S OUR DEFENSIBLE POSITION THAT AT THAT, I HAVE ONE MORE SLIDE TALKING ABOUT VIOLATIONS AND I'LL LET, UH, YEAH, I'LL CHECK. SO I WANNA TALK ABOUT THE FLASH POINTS A LITTLE BIT. WHEN IT COMES TO, UM, DEALING WITH VIOLATIONS, OUR CODE ENFORCEMENT STAFF, THE CONVERSATIONS BEGIN AND END IN AN EFFORT TO EDUCATE FOLKS. IT IS A VERY COMPLEX CODE, A LOT OF MOVING PARTS, AND THERE'S A LOT OF EMOTION, UH, IN DEALING WITH SOME OF THESE ISSUES. EVEN IF IT'S AN ALLOWED USE, IF SOMEONE DETERMINES THAT IT'S NOT WHAT THEY WANT TO SEE AS THEIR NEIGHBOR, IF IT'S AN ALLOWED USE, IT'S AN ALLOWED USE. AND WE GET REQUESTS ALL THE TIME, WELL, YOU KNOW, HERE'S A LOGICAL ARGUMENT WHY WE DON'T THINK IT SHOULD BE ALLOWED UNDER THE CODE. CAN'T YOU DO SOMETHING? AND THE RESPONSE TO THAT IS NO. SO WE SOMETIMES GET COMPLAINTS WHEN WE LOOK THROUGH IT. THE PERMITS ARE IN PLACE, EVERYTHING MEETS THE CODE, [00:30:01] AND THE FOLKS WHO MADE THE COMPLAINT ARE NOT HAPPY WITH THAT ANSWER. BUT WE ARE POWERLESS TO CHANGE THAT. RIGHT. IT, IT ISN'T ALLOWED USE. IT IS WHAT IT IS. NOW, IF THEY FEEL, UM, THAT STAFF AIRED, THEN THEY CAN GO THROUGH THE APPEAL PROCESS FOR THE, THE PERMITS THAT WERE ISSUED. SO THAT'S ONE TYPE OF CALL THAT WE GET THROUGH CODE ENFORCEMENT MOST OF THE TIME. UM, VIOLATIONS. YES, SIR. WHO DO THEY APPEAL TO? SO THAT WOULD BE THE ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS. OKAY. FOR, UH, PERMITS THAT HAVE BEEN ISSUED UNDER THE ZONING CODE. SO THEN IF WHATEVER THE ZBOA DECIDES THAT CAN BE APPEALED BY EITHER SIDE TO CIRCUIT COURT AND THEY, THOSE CAN GO ON FOR A VERY LONG TIME. UM, MOST OF THE CALLS THAT WE GET ARE FROM, YOU KNOW, FOLKS IN THE NEIGHBORS, YOU KNOW, NEIGHBORHOOD NEIGHBORS, WHATNOT, TELLING US THAT PEOPLE ARE, YOU KNOW, ADDING STUFF WITHOUT A PERMIT OR THEIR YARD IS OVERGROWN OR THEY, THERE'S A PERCEIVED PROBLEM. CODE ENFORCEMENT GOES OUT, THEY PUT EYES ON THE SITE FROM THE PUBLIC WAY. SO WE DO NOT HAVE ANY AUTHORITY TO GO INTO PROPERTY OUTSIDE OF WHAT IS ALLOWED UNDER THE CONSTITUTION, JUST LIKE ANY OTHER, UH, GOVERNMENTAL ENTITY. RIGHT. WE JUST CAN'T WALK UP AND DEMAND TO COME INTO YOUR HOUSE BECAUSE SOMEBODY SAID YOU MAY HAVE A VIOLATION IN THERE. WE HAVE TO HAVE PROBABLE CAUSE. WE FALL UNDER THOSE RULES. AND WHAT WE SEE FROM THE PUBLIC WAY IS WHAT WE HAVE TO GO OFF OF WITHIN REASON. UH, THERE ARE SOME EXEMPTIONS FOR, UM, HEALTH AND SAFETY AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE. UM, TYPICALLY AT THAT POINT, LAW ENFORCEMENT WOULD BE INVOLVED OR THE COURT SYSTEM WOULD BE INVOLVED, BUT WE ASSESS THE SITUATION. UH, THERE ARE THREE TYPICAL WAYS THAT WE NOTIFY FOLKS OF A VIOLATION. AGAIN, WE'RE TRYING TO EDUCATE. WE TALK TO THEM. PREFERABLY WE HAVE A CONVERSATION ON SITE. IF NOT, WE HAVE DOOR HANGERS THAT WE CAN PUT THAT REQUEST THAT THEY CONTACT US. WE PUT IT ON THE DOOR. IT'S A LITTLE BLUE TAB. UM, IT BASICALLY HAS THE ADDRESS, WHAT THE, UH, THE VIOLATION IS, AND A REQUEST FOR THEM TO CONTACT US. IF THEY CONTACT US, WE TELL 'EM WHAT IT IS. WE'RE MORE THAN HAPPY TO WORK THEM, WORK WITH THEM TO GET THROUGH THE PROBLEM. IF THEY CORRECT IT, THE CASE IS CLOSED AND THERE'S NO FURTHER ACTION NEEDED. IF IT IS NOT CORRECTED, OR IF THERE, UM, IS SOME ISSUE, YOU KNOW, WITH HOW LONG IT'S TAKING FOR THEM TO GET CORRECTIVE ACTION, THEN WE START THE MORE FORMAL PROCESS OF A FORMAL NOTICE OF VIOLATION, THEY HAVE A TIME TO RESOLVE IT. THAT TIME CAN RANGE FROM 30 DAYS TO SIX MONTHS, DEPENDING ON WHAT THE PROCESS IS INTERNALLY FOR THEM TO GET TO A POINT WHERE THEY CAN RESOLVE IT. UH, IF THEY HAVE TO WORK THROUGH A PERMITTING PROCESS, AND THAT PROCESS IS GONNA TAKE 90 OR 120 DAYS, OBVIOUSLY, WE'RE GOING TO ALLOW THAT TO PLAY OUT BEFORE WE TAKE FURTHER ACTION. IF WE GET TO THAT POINT AND THERE'S STILL NO PROCESS, THEN WE ISSUE A FINAL NOTICE OF VIOLATION THAT GIVES 30 OR 60 DAYS, DEPENDING ON THE CIRCUMSTANCE TO RESOLVE THE ISSUE ONE LAST TIME. IT'S KIND OF A LINE IN THE SAND, IF YOU WILL. AT THAT POINT. THAT'S WHEN WE MOVE INTO ISSUING CITATIONS AND GETTING THE COURT SYSTEM INVOLVED THROUGH OUR LEGAL TEAM. SO THAT IS AN ABSOLUTE LAST RESORT FOR US. SO WHERE ARE, UH, TYPICALLY THE FLASHPOINTS WITHIN THAT PROCESS? WHEN WE GET TO THE POINT WHERE WE'VE IDENTIFIED THE VIOLATION, WE'VE PROVIDED A PATH FORWARD, WE'VE EXPLAINED ALL STAFF, WHEN I SAY WE ALL COUNTY STAFF INVOLVED, HAVE EXPLAINED TO THE INDIVIDUAL THAT HAS THE VIOLATION, WHAT THEY NEED TO DO TO RESOLVE THE VIOLATION. AT THAT POINT, WHEN WE'RE GETTING CLOSE TO THAT FINAL, UM, NOTICE OF VIOLATION BEING ISSUED OUT, THAT'S TYPICALLY WHEN YOU SEE EMAILS, DIFFERENT THINGS THAT COME OUT, SORT OF PLEADING THE CASE AGAINST WHAT THE CODE IS REQUIRING THEM TO DO. AND QUITE OFTEN WHEN WE SEE THOSE STAFF RESPONDS WITH A PROCEDURAL ANSWER, IF YOU FEEL LIKE THIS, YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU CAN ASK FOR A VARIANCE. IT IS AN ISSUE WHERE IT NEEDS TO BE APPEALED. HERE'S THE PROCESS FOR APPEAL. IT'S NOT THAT WE'RE INSENSITIVE TO THE EMOTIONAL TOLL THAT'S, THAT'S BEING PLAYED ON EVERYBODY, BUT BY STATUTE, THERE ARE CERTAIN BOXES WE HAVE TO CHECK AND CERTAIN PROCESSES WE HAVE TO GO THROUGH. AND THAT IF YOU EVER SEE ONE OF THOSE, UH, EMAILS, THAT'S VERY PROCEDURAL. THAT'S WHY WE DO THAT, BECAUSE THAT'S, WE CAN'T PICK A SIDE OTHER THAN THE CODE. THE CODE IS OUR BIAS. IF THE CODE SAYS YOU CAN DO IT, IT'S ALLOWED. IF IT, IT'S NOT ALLOWED USE, IT'S NOT AN ALLOWED USE AND IT'S A VIOLATION. IT'S REALLY THAT CUT AND DRY. AND THAT CAN BE, UM, VERY DIFFICULT WHEN YOU HAVE, UM, EMOTIONS INVOLVED IN SOME OF THESE, UH, INSTANCES [00:35:01] FOR, FOR FOLKS TO UNDERSTAND. BUT THAT'S THE PROCESS. AND WE'RE JUST TRYING TO, TO GAIN COMPLIANCE. CAN SOMEONE, TWO QUESTIONS. CAN SOMEONE REPORT ANONYMOUSLY TO CODE? ABSOLUTELY. AND THEN NUMBER TWO, UM, SOME OF MY CONSTITUENTS HAVE ISSUES WITH, UM, AIRBNBS THAT AREN'T BEING, THAT AREN'T PERMITTED. UM, AND THAT JUST TELL US ABOUT, IT CAN BE DONE ANONYMOUSLY. ABSOLUTELY. THERE'S A, ON OUR WEBSITE, WEBSITE, THEY, THEY CAN GO THROUGH THE PORTAL AND THEY DON'T HAVE TO PUT THEIR NAME AND ANYTHING THAT COMES THROUGH THERE, WE WILL INVESTIGATE FULLY. WE DON'T DISMISS ANYTHING THAT COMES THROUGH THE PORTAL OR BY EMAIL OR EVEN BY MAIL. WE GET ANONYMOUS LETTERS, UM, OR EVEN ANONYMOUS PHONE CALLS. UM, SO ANY COMPLAINT THAT WE GET, WE TAKE IT THROUGH THE SAME PROCESS AND WE INVESTIGATE IT. AND IF IT, IF IT WARRANTS ACTION, WE TAKE THAT ACTION. YEAH. ANY OTHER QUE YES. YEAH. UM, KINON, I, I DON'T THINK I HEARD YOU SAY, UM, THAT IF THERE'S A VIOLATION AND YOU DISCOVER THAT THERE'S A VIOLATION, UM, DO YOU STOP THE OPERATION, UH, UNTIL THEY GO THROUGH THE APPEAL PROCESS? OR DO THEY CONTINUE TO MINE? UM, UH, WHILE WE GO THROUGH THE APPEAL PROCESS? SO IT DE IT DEPENDS ON THE SPECIFIC NATURE OF THE VIOLATION AND HOW IT RELATES TO THE REST OF THE PROJECT. I'LL GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE. IF SOMEBODY'S BUILDING A HOUSE AND YOUR CONTRACTOR'S INVOLVED, AND THIS IS COMPLETELY HYPOTHETICAL, AND THE OWNER GOES OUT OVER THE WEEKEND AND DROPS A TREE IN THE BACKYARD, WE'RE GOING TO ISSUE A NOTICE OF VIOLATION AND A STOP WORK ORDER AS IT RELATES TO LAND CLEARING OPERATIONS. BUT WE WOULD NOT TYPICALLY STOP EVERYTHING ON THE SITE BECAUSE A TREE WAS TAKEN DOWN WITHOUT A PROPER PERMIT. DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? MM-HMM. . SO IT, IT DEPENDS ON THE SCALE. UM, WE CAN HAVE A VIOLATION THAT IS SPECIFIC TO ONE PIECE OF THE PROPERTY WITH AN UNRELATED PERMIT ON ANOTHER PIECE OF THE PROPERTY. WE'RE NOT GONNA STOP THE WHOLE SITE. IT IS SPECIFIC TO THAT VIOLATION. DOES THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION? YOU ANSWERED OKAY. YEAH. IN GENERALLY YOU ANSWERED THE QUESTION. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. YEAH. AND THAT'S WHAT, THAT'S WHAT'S DIFFICULT ABOUT, UH, GUIDING FOLKS THROUGH THIS IS EVERY SITUATION IS A ONE-OFF CUSTOM SITUATION. THE CODES APPLY UNIVERSALLY, BUT THE SPECIFIC RESTRAINTS AND PROJECT TYPE WITHIN A A GIVEN SITE, WITHIN THE PARAMETERS OF ANY PROJECT, THERE'S ANY MYRIAD OF HOW THESE THINGS APPLY ACROSS THE BOARD. SO. OKAY. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? VERY GOOD. VERY GOOD. ALRIGHT. WELL WE HOPE THAT WAS HELPFUL. VERY HELPFUL. UH, WE APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY. AND THAT CONCLUDES OUR REPORT. THANK YOU. OKAY. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU NAMES. UH, NEXT [8. PRESENTATION BY BEAUFORT CONSERVATION DISTRICT] ON THE AGENDA IS NUMBER EIGHT, PRESENTATION BY BUFORT CONSERVATION DISTRICT. MS. UM, PATRICK AND MS. MACK ARE GONNA BE PRESENTING, AND THIS IS DONE ONCE A YEAR. Y'ALL DO THIS FOR US, RIGHT? WE DO, WE DO. AND WE HAVE A HANDOUT. AND THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY. EVERYBODY'S PLACE. MM-HMM. , THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY. MM-HMM, , GOOD AFTERNOON. GOOD AFTERNOON. OH, IT'S A PLEASURE TO BE HERE. THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING US TO BE WITH YOU. IT'S GOOD TO SEE SO MANY FAMILIAR FACES. AND FOR THE RECORD, THIS IS WALTER AND I'M DENISE . . WE'RE BEING, BEING REAL FORMAL. ALL RIGHT. SO THIS IS, UM, AS, UM, MS. HOWARD HAS SAID, THIS IS OUR ANNUAL REPORT. AND, UH, THIS BEAUTIFUL PICTURE WAS TAKEN BY OUR FIELD AGENT WALTER. UM, SO YOU EACH HAVE THIS, UM, ON YOUR SCREEN AND YOU ALSO HAVE A, A, A, A WRITTEN COPY. UH, DID EVERYBODY RECEIVE THEIRS? YES. YES, WE GOT. OKAY. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT. SO OUR MISSION TO HELP CONSERVE, MAINTAIN, AND IMPROVE OUR NATURAL RESOURCES, UM, BY PROMOTING WISE LAND, LAND USE IN ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE. AND THAT'S WHAT THE WHOLE REST OF OUR PROGRAM CAN BE ABOUT, IS TELLING YOU HOW WE DO THOSE THINGS. SO WE ARE, WE CONSIST OF A BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS. I'M ONE OF FIVE COMMISSIONERS, THREE ELECTED AND TWO APPOINTED. AND WE HAVE ASSOCIATE COMMISSIONERS, WE HAVE EDUCATION SPECIALISTS, WE HAVE A DISTRICT MANAGER WHO, UH, WORKS AT THE OFFICE, WHICH IS AT CRYSTAL LAKE PARK. WE ALSO HAVE A FIELD AGENT, WHICH WE WILL DESCRIBE TO YOU HOW WE GOT THIS FIELD AGENT AND WHAT HE DOES. HE WILL DESCRIBE THAT TO YOU. WE ARE BASICALLY A SUBUNIT OF GOVERNMENT AND, UM, IN OUR, IN TERMS OF OUR PARTNERSHIPS, IN TERMS OF WHO WE ARE AT THE VERY BASICS, [00:40:01] WE ARE PART OF USDA, UH, THROUGH NATURAL RESOURCE CONSERVATION SERVICE. AND WE ARE PART OF THE DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES IN SOUTH CAROLINA. UM, WE BELONG TO THE NATIONAL AND STATE ASSOCIATIONS, UH, AS WELL THROUGH THE NATURAL RESOURCE CONSERVATION SERVICE. THERE IS NO MONEY, UH, AS SUCH GIVEN TO THE OFFICE, BUT THEY SERVE US IN, UH, TERMS OF HELPING LANDOWNERS. AND SO THERE ARE TWO MAIN PROGRAMS THAT THIS IS, UM, ACCOMPLISHED BY. ONE IS THE CONSERVATION STEWARDSHIP PROGRAM, WHICH IS RELATIVELY NEW. AND WE ARE REALLY EXCITED TO HAVE IT BECAUSE IT IS FOR FARMERS AND LANDOWNERS WHO ARE DOING ALL THE RIGHT THINGS. YOU KNOW, IT USED TO BE. AND YOU'LL SEE UNDERNEATH WE HAVE THE ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITIES INCENTIVE PROGRAMS, THE EQUIP PROGRAM THAT'S BEEN AROUND FOR DOZENS OF YEARS, THAT YOU HAD TO HAVE SOMETHING WRONG. YOU HAD TO BE DOING SOMETHING WRONG AND CORRECTING IT LIKE A CERTAIN WAY OF WATERING THAT THERE MIGHT BE A MORE EFFICIENT WAY OF SAVING WATER. AND, UM, SO YOU, YOU MAKE THAT MONETARY CHANGE OVER, BUT THE CONSERVATION STEWARDSHIP PROGRAM, IT REWARDS THOSE PEOPLE WHO ARE ALREADY DOING ALL THE RIGHT THINGS. UM, AND AS YOU CAN SEE, WE, WE HAVE SEVERAL OF THOSE CONTRACTS, UM, THOSE OF YOU WHO'VE KNOWN FROM OVER THE YEARS. THE NUMBER HAS IS NOT QUITE WHAT IT USED TO BE, UM, BECAUSE THE NATURAL RESOURCE CONSERVATION SERVICES HAVING PROBLEMS WITH EMPLOYEES STATEWIDE. AND SO THE, THEY'RE, THEY'RE SPREAD THIN. BUT, UM, WE DO APPRECIATE THEM, BUT BE BECAUSE OF THIS. UM, WE RECEIVED A GRANT FROM THE NATURE CONSERVANCY, AND I AM GOING TO LET WALTER EXPLAIN THAT GRANT BECAUSE HE IS THE RESULT OF IT. AND WE COULD NOT HAVE GOTTEN A BETTER PERSON FOR THIS ROLE. UH, IT PROBABLY WOULDN'T BE NEARLY AS SUCCESSFUL IF IT WASN'T FOR THE PARTICULAR PERSON. THANK YOU, HUNTER. THANK YOU. WELL, GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYONE. UM, A LITTLE BACKGROUND ABOUT MYSELF. I'M A CHEMIST. UM, I RETIRED AS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF PENN, AND I USED TO STAND UP HERE FOR PENN. I WAS ELECTED, UH, THREE TERMS BY FARMERS TO SERVE ON THE, UH, FSA, UH, FARM COMMITTEE BY FARMERS FROM BEFORD COUNTY SERVING THREE TERMS. AND I'M ALSO ON THE BOARD OF, UH, RURAL CRITICAL LAND PROGRAM FOR THREE TERMS, I GUESS. BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY, I'M A SMALL FARMER ON ISLAND AND I RAISED VEGGIES AND GOAT MEAT FOR SALE. I DON'T LIKE GOAT MEAT. BUT ANYWAY, AND IT IN, UM, APRIL OF 2023, UH, THROUGH A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE NATURAL, THE NATURE CONSERVANCY AND, UH, SALT WATER CONSERVATION DISTRICT, I WAS BOUGHT, I WAS BOUGHT A BOAT. AND MY RE MAIN REASON FOR COMING ON BOARD WAS TO TRY TO IDENTIFY SMALL BIPOC FARMERS IN BEAUFORT COUNTY THAT WERE THE SCOPE OF THE ROAD, BI BIPOC FARMERS WHO HAVE STILL ACTIVELY FARMING, AND TRY TO DETERMINE WHAT BARRIERS, UH, THEY WERE FACING AND WHAT OPPORTUNITY, UH, EXISTED AND, AND WHAT WERE THEIR, SOME OF THEIR NEEDS. UH, I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T BELIEVE THERE ARE A LOT OF FARMERS IN BEAUFORD, COUNTY FARMERS. I'VE ALWAYS HEARD FARMING AND DEAD AND NOBODY'S FARMS ANYMORE. BUT I WAS PLEASANTLY SURPRISED THAT, UH, DOING THE INITIAL WORK, I FOUND 25 SMALL FARMERS IN BEAUFORT COUNTY. UH, 90% WERE BIPOC FARMERS, BUT BECAUSE THAT WAS THE SCOPE OF THE WORK TO TRY TO IDENTIFY THE BIPOC FARMERS, AND YOU MAY NOT THINK THE, THESE ARE SMART, THESE ARE FARMERS. BUT THE USD IDENTIFY A FARMER AS ANY PERSON PARTICIPATING IN FARMING ACTIVITIES THAT CAN GAIN A REVENUE OF $1,000. THAT'S A FARMER ACCORDING TO USDA. SO WE HAD A FEW OF THOSE. AND MATTER OF FACT, I FARM 25 AS I SAID EARLIER. AND WHAT I LIKE ABOUT WHAT I, WHAT I'M DOING, I'M STILL DOING WITH, WITH THIS PROJECT, IS THAT IT FALLS IN LINE WITH THE REEFER COMP PLAN. BECAUSE ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, UH, THE COMP PLAN OUTLINED IS TO TRY TO SAVE [00:45:01] FARMS FARMLAND, PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT, PROTECT THE COAST, AND THAT SORT OF STUFF. AND, AND ALSO, UM, HAVE SOME OPEN SPACE FOR THE MILITARY. AND, UH, SO I THINK THE COMP PLAN FITS IN A LOT OF WHAT I, WHAT THE WORK I'VE BEEN DOING. AND WHAT I FOUND OUT WAS CONSISTENT WITH A LOT OF THESE FARMERS IS THAT THEY JUST DIDN'T HAVE THE INFORMATION THAT THEY NEEDED ON HAND TO MAKE THE BEST USE OF THEIR FARMING ACTIVITIES ON THE CHART. RIGHT. THAT'S ON THE BOARD RIGHT NOW. THAT'S A MORE OR LESS A SUMMARY OF, UH, OF MY WORK DURING THAT YEAR. AND I'M NOT GOING, I'M NOT GOING THROUGH ALL THIS, BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WAS CONSISTENT WITH THEM IS THAT THEY LACKED BASIC KNOWLEDGE. WHEN I SAY BASIC KNOWLEDGE, ONE OF THE MAIN THINGS I FOUND OUT IS THAT A LOT OF THESE FARMERS DID NOT KNOW THAT THERE WAS, UH, PROVISION TO REDUCE TAX FOR FARMERS. THEY DID NOT KNOW THAT. SO ONE OF THE THING THAT I WENT BACK TO DO WAS TO MAKE SURE THAT IF YOU FARMING, PLEASE GO AND GET YOUR, UH, CORRECT TAX EXEMPTION. AND AGAIN, THEY DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO DO IT. THEY DIDN'T KNOW WHERE TO GO. SO I SPENT SOME TIME HELPING THEM TO ACHIEVE THOSE TYPES OF THINGS. ANOTHER AREA OF WEAKNESS THAT I FOUND OUT IS THAT TO GET ANY OF THE GRANTS, THESE COST SHARE GRANTS, YOU NEEDED A FARM NUMBER. AND A LOT OF THEM DIDN'T HAVE A SLIGHT IDEA OF HOW TO GET FARM NUMBERS. SOME KNEW, BUT MOST OF THEM DIDN'T KNOW. AND IT'S A PROCESS THAT YOU HAD TO GO THROUGH THE USDA OFFICE AND, AND FILL OUT SOME FORM THAT THEY WERE NOT FAMILIAR WITH. AND THEY WAS ALWAYS, UH, RELUCTANT OF MANY FARMERS TO GO INTO USDA BUILDINGS BECAUSE, UM, THEY SAID THEY'D BEEN UN UH, TREATED UNFAIRLY IN THE PAST. AND THE WAY USDA DO DOES SOME THINGS, SOMETIMES THEY WILL SEND OUT A LETTER AND SAY, YOU KNOW, GO ON THE WAY WEBSITE, FILL OUT THIS FORM. AND WE ARE TALKING ABOUT PHARMACY WAS 60 TO 70 YEARS OLD WHO HAVE NO, UH, LITTLE OR NO, UH, COMPUTER, UH, SKILLS. AND SOME OF THEM DON'T EVEN HAVE ACCESS TO COMPUTERS. SO I HAD TO GO BACK AND HELP THEM COMPLETE SOME OF THOSE FORMS. BUT, UM, BUT I GUESS IN CONCLUSION, BECAUSE I THOUGHT I SAID I, I THINK WE GOT, UH, NOT LONG. UH, I THINK MOST IMPORTANTLY, AGAIN, I THINK THE WORK THAT WE ARE DOING AT IS VERY, UH, COLLABORATE WELL WITH THE COMP PLAN AND, AND WE WANT FARMER TO BE FARMING TO BE RELEVANT IN BEFORD COUNTY BECAUSE I THINK IT IS BECAUSE IT ATTRACT TOURISTS GO OUT TO THE FARMER MARKET SOMETIME. THERE ARE A LOT OF TOURISTS DOWN THERE LOOKING FOR LOCALLY GROWN FRUITS AND VEGETABLES. THAT'S THE CATCH THESE DAYS. BUT IF YOU WANT FARMERS TO BE VIABLE IN THIS AREA, AND SO THE COMP, SO, SO WHICH IS STILL IN YOUR COMP PLAN, THEN WE HAVE TO GIVE 'EM THE RESOURCES BOTH FINANCIALLY AND TECHNICALLY HELP THEM FIND MARKETS AND TREAT THEM AND GIVE THEM OPPORTUNITIES THAT YOU DO ANY OTHER BUSINESS IN BEAVER COUNTY. BECAUSE AGAIN, FARMING IS SOMETHING THAT WE REALLY NEED IN THIS COUNTY. ANY QUESTIONS OPEN UP? YES, SIR. UM, IS THERE A SIZE PIECE OF PROPERTY BEFORE YOU CAN BE DESIGNATED A FARM? NO, I WAS TOLD IF YOU JUST GOT A GREENHOUSE AND THE, THE MAIN THING, IF YOU CAN, UH, GET $1,000 REVENUE FROM ANY FARM PRACTICE YOU DO, THEN YOU QUALIFY AS A FARMER PER USDA. OKAY. YES SIR. YES MA'AM. SO SEVERAL OF US WENT ON A TOUR OF SEVERAL FARMS EARLIER LAST MONTH, I THINK IT WAS WITH THE FARM BUREAU. SO I'M LOOKING AT YOUR CHART. YEAH. AND IT SAYS, FARMERS ABOVE THE AGE OF 65, 21 AND ONLY FOUR BELOW 65. CORRECT. SO WHAT KIND OF A ALARM BELL DOES THAT RING TO YOU? BECAUSE MOST OF OUR FARMERS ARE KIND OF, WELL, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I FOUND OUT IS THAT, AND, AND I'M ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE WHO GREW UP, UH, YOU KNOW, WORKING ON A FARM. AND WHEN I GREW UP ON A FARM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WAS ALL WORKED, ALL WORKED, NO MONEY. MM-HMM. . SO IN, IN TERMS OF TRYING TO INTRODUCE NEW FARMERS INTO FARMING, THERE, THERE HAS TO BE, UH, SOME MONETARY VALUE KNOWING THAT THEY'RE THE REWARD AT THE END OF THE DAY. SO MYSELF, I DON'T EVEN USE THE WORD FARMING THAT MUCH. I USE AGRICULTURE AGRIBUSINESS BECAUSE, UH, THERE'S SO MANY OTHER BUSINESS THAT YOU CAN GET [00:50:01] IN THE FARMING EXCEPT JUST GOING IN THE FIELD. AND THESE NEW PEOPLE THAT WE TRYING TO GET IN TO BE FARMERS, A LOT OF THEM DON'T HAVE, UH, RESOURCES. FOR EXAMPLE, LARGE FARMERS, WHEN THEY PASS ON THEIR FARM TO THEIR CHILDREN, THEY HAVE ALL THE TRACTORS AND THE EQUIPMENT THAT THEY NEED. A SMALL BIPOC FARMER GETTING INTO THAT BUSINESS, THEIR, THEIR PARENTS PROBABLY JUST HAD A HORSE. SO THEY DON'T HAVE THE EQUIPMENT AND RESOURCES TO BECOME VIABLE FARMERS. BUT AGAIN, BE WORKING ON THESE LITTLE BY LITTLE FIRST WE GETTING FARM NUMBERS. I ATTEND MEETING TO TRY TO FIND MARKETING AND WE HAVE INTRODUCED THEM TO THE GULLAH FARMERS COOP GROW FOOD AND OTHER PLACE WHICH BUYS THEIR PRODUCE. SO IT'S A STEP BY STEP PROCEDURE THAT WE HAVE TO GO THROUGH WITH THESE FARMERS. SO WE MET SOME OF THE FARMERS IN MY AGE GROUP YEAH. YOU KNOW, OVER 65. AND DO THEY TRADITIONALLY HAVE THEIR CHILDREN TAKE OVER OR, I MEAN, WE MET A PECAN FARMER, WHICH I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW. THEY GREW ON TREES, SO I LEARNED THAT HOW TO CRACK 'EM. SO THAT WAS NEW FOR ME. I'M FROM A CITY, BUT I DIDN'T, HE DIDN'T TALK ABOUT THAT HE HAD A FAMILY OF HES OR SO ON. SO WHAT HAPPENS A LOT OF, A LOT OF YOUNG FOLKS BACK OFF FROM FARMING AND BECAUSE OF THE REASON I JUST MENTIONED BECAUSE, UH, IT WAS JUST HARD WORK IN NORTHWARD. SO SOME KIND OF WAY WE GOTTA CHANGE THAT MINDSET OF THESE YOUNG FARMERS. AND ANOTHER INTERESTING THING IN THAT MAP IS THAT, UH, IF YOU LOOK AT THAT GOOGLE MAP ON THE BOTTOM, I THINK IT'S RIGHT THERE, YOU CAN SEE MOST OF THE FARMERS ON IN LEN ORLEANS. RIGHT. AND I THINK THERE WERE ONLY TWO IN THE HILTON HEAD, BUSTON AREA, KING HILL FARM AND, AND THOMAS AND TAR, UM, MR. WHO HAD A, A TREE FARM. SO AS YOU GET CLOSER TO DEVELOPMENT, YOU GET LESS AND LESS FARMERS. SO IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO KEEP THESE LAND OPEN FOR FARMLAND AND TRY TO CONTROL DEVELOPMENT SOME KIND OF WAY BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THAT'S THE ONLY FARMER COULD, COULD BE VIABLE IN THIS, IN THIS, UM, COUNTY. JUST ONE. YES, SIR. TOM, JUST ONE QUESTION. THANK YOU. MM-HMM. . UM, DO YOU HAVE ANY ISSUES RIGHT NOW THAT YOU'RE FACING THAT MAYBE COUNCIL CAN, THAT WE DON'T KNOW ABOUT THAT MAYBE WE CAN HELP? I MEAN, WE'VE GOT GENTLEMEN ON OUR COUNCIL. HE'S A FARMER. YEAH, I KNOW MR. GLOVER. I KNOW MR. GLOVER WELL COME ON NOW. I MEAN, SO, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE GONNA LISTEN. UM, I CAN'T THINK WHICH ONE IS MORE PRIORITY RIGHT NOW, BUT I CAN GET BACK TO YOU. SEND IT TO US. OKAY. AND MAYBE WE'LL BRAINSTORM AND WHATEVER WE CAN DO TO HELP OUT. HUMAN CHAIRMAN. UH, YES SIR. JUST QUICKLY, UM, UH, FIRST LEMME JUST THANK, UM, DENISE ON YOUR ELECTION. CONGRATULATIONS, . THANK YOU. UM, ON YOUR REELECTION, REALLY. REELECTION. CONGRATULATIONS. YES. 35 YEARS. UM, HAS IT BEEN 35? I THINK, I THINK SOME OF THE THINGS THAT, UM, THE COUNTY'S DOING, UM, WITH CONSERVATION OF LAND, UM, UM, HELPS WITH THAT. BECAUSE ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THE CHAIRMAN JUST SAID TO ME, WHISPERED TO ME A FEW MINUTES AGO, UM, EQUIPMENT IS SO EXPENSIVE AND THEN LAND IS SO EXPENSIVE. SO, YOU KNOW, UM, A RELATIONSHIP WITH THE COUNCIL AND A FARMER TO LEASE LAND, UH, FROM THEM IS SOMETHING THAT CAN BE DONE. THAT SORT OF THING. UM, BUT I JUST WANT TO COMMENT ON THE AGE. UM, THE NATIONAL AGE FOR FARMERS IS PRETTY CLOSE TO THAT NUMBER ON THE NATIONAL LEVEL. UM, IT'S, IT'S IS, I MEAN, IT IS, YOU WANT YOUNGER FARMERS, BUT THEY, FARMERS ARE HAVING PROBLEMS WITH LAND AND EQUIPMENT TO GET STARTED. AND THE PEON, UM, ORCHARD THAT YOU VISITED. MM-HMM. . IT'S PROBABLY, HE, I DON'T THINK THAT GENTLEMAN PLANTED ONE OF THOSE PECAN TREES, RIGHT? ? HE PURCHASED THAT FARM. OH, HE DID? YEAH. UM, SO THOSE THE KIND OF THING, BUT YOU KNOW, THE PRODUCTION IS STILL THERE, UM, IN THE, IN THE, IN, IN, IN THE, UM, IN THE PRODUCT. BUT, UM, AGRICULTURE IS, IS LIVE AND WELL IN BEAUFORT COUNTY. UM, AND I WOULD ALSO SAY THIS, THAT I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO, UM, RIDE WITH THE, UH, COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR ON ST. HELEN. AND WE DIDN'T GET A CHANCE TO VISIT SOME OF THE FARMS THAT I WANTED TO, UH, BECAUSE OF TIME. AND HE PROMISED THAT HE WOULD COME BACK AND VISIT SOME MORE AND HE COULD SPEND MORE TIME. BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HE DID SAY THAT I, THAT I, I REMEMBER HIM, UH, AS WE WAS RIDING AROUND ST. HELEN, HE SAID, IT'S SO PEACEFUL HERE. MM-HMM. . AND THAT'S A WAY OF LIFE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. [00:55:01] I HAVE ONE OTHER QUESTION. MM-HMM. . SO I LIVE SOUTH OF THE BROAD. I'VE BEEN TO K HEALTH FARMS MANY TIMES. YES. DO YOU ALSO HAVE OAKY FARM IN HERE, IN YOUR GROUP? IT'S RIGHT ON ONE 70. I GO THERE FOR THE, THE TWO SISTERS. WELL, ONE OF THE THINGS, YOU KNOW, EVERY DAY, I GUESS EVERY OTHER WEEK, I, I GET INTRODUCED TO A NEW FARMER. I DIDN'T KNOW YOU FARMED, BUT YOU KNOW, THEY SAID, OH, YOU HELPED, THIS GUY GOT A FARM NUMBER AND I NEED A FARM NUMBER. WHAT IS THE PROCESS? SO I HAVEN'T BEEN THERE, BUT, UM, IT, IT'S IN THE LAND. IT'S IN THE RURAL AND CRITICAL LANDS PROGRAM, I THINK IT IS. MM-HMM. . OKAY. MM-HMM. AND THEY'RE VERY BUSY. A LOT OF, A LOT OF US GO THERE FOR FRESH STRAW AND FIRST. OKAY, THAT'S ANOTHER ONE. I NEED TO STOP BY. SEE WHAT, SEE WHAT, WHAT HE NEEDS. IT'S RIGHT ON ONE 70. I KNOW WHERE IT IS. I NEVER KNEW THE NAME OF IT, BUT I KNOW WHERE IT IS. WHAT IS IT? I THINK IT'S CALLED, IT'S O TEA RIVER FARM. MAYBE. I THINK THAT IT'S TWO SISTERS THAT FROM DUNKIN DONUTS. I KNOW WHERE IT IS. OH, OKAY. TWO SISTERS ON IT. YEAH. YOU'LL SEE IT. CRITICAL. IT'S IN RURAL CRITICAL. I KNEW THAT. OH, IS IT THAT FARM IS MM-HMM. . THEY, THEY USED TO OWN ALL OF THE LAND RIVER BEND OH. IS BUILT ON THE LAND THAT THEY VIDS. OH, INTERESTING. OKAY. I'LL MAKE A STOP THERE. WELL, WE REALLY APPRECIATE WHAT Y'ALL DO AND THANK YOU. MY GRANDCHILDREN HAVE ENJOYED ECO CAMP ONE EVERY YEAR. MISSED. OH, YOU'RE STILL GOING. OH, OKAY. YEAH. THAT MY PART, YOU GOTTA TALK ABOUT ECO CAMP. RIGHT. HIS, HIS PARTNER HAS THE EDUCATION PART. UM, BUT I DO WANNA SAY IN TERMS OF HIM NOT VISITING THAT ONE, IS THAT, UH, THIS GRANT THAT WE GOT IS, IS UP NOW. WE HAVE WRITTEN ANOTHER WRITTEN FOR ANOTHER GRANT. IT'S A MATCHING GRANT. MM-HMM. . SO, UM, ONE OF THE WAYS THAT HELPFUL, UH, WOULD BE, YOU KNOW WHAT, UH, WE THANK YOU FOR THE 5% INCREASE THAT WE RECEIVED THIS YEAR FROM LAST YEAR. BUT, UM, YOU'LL, YOU'LL SEE IN THE NEXT FEW MINUTES THE NUMBER OF THINGS THAT WE DO. YOU'LL, YOU'LL PROBABLY WANT TO SEE OUR BUDGET. YOU'D BE AMAZED HOW WE'D SPREAD OUR DOLLARS. BUT ANYWAY, WALTER IS BEING ASKED TO SPEAK ALL OVER THE STATE. THE WORD HAS GOTTEN OUT WHAT HE'S DOING, AND THEY, THEY, THEY WISH, THEY WANT HIM IN JASPER, THEY WANT HIM IN COTON, THEY WANT HIM IN HAMPTON. THEY'RE ALL TRYING TO FIND FUNDS SIMILARLY TO WHAT WE DID. SO THEY CAN GET THEIR OWN WALTER. BUT YOU WALTER WILL IT? YEAH. IT'S NOT GONNA BE YOU. NO, IT CAN'T BE ME. IT CAN'T. NO. HE'S GOTTA STAY WITH US. ALRIGHT. SO, UM, SPEAKING OF OUR ECO CAMP, WE HAD OUR, UH, PROBABLY 34TH ECO CAMP. AND, UM, ALICE, YOU KNOW, YOU'VE HAD YOUR GRANDCHILDREN COME MM-HMM. . UM, IT'S A WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITY. WE HAVE A DIFFERENT THEME EACH YEAR. IT'S A WEEK LONG CAMP FOR CHILDREN IN THE AREA. THIS PAST YEAR WAS LOW COUNTRY EXPLORERS. AND YOU CAN READ ALL ABOUT THE KINDS OF THINGS THAT WE DID AND THE PEOPLE WHO HELPED US OUT. UM, IN ADDITION, WE, WE, UH, WENT TO OVER, UM, 72 CLASSROOMS AND WE PARTICIPATED IN 16 FESTIVALS. UM, THE GETTING THE WORD OUT ABOUT THE NATURAL RESOURCES IS VERY IMPORTANT TO US. WHAT YOU DON'T KNOW AND WHAT YOU DON'T LOVE, YOU'RE NOT GONNA CARE FOR AND YOU'RE NOT GONNA APPRECIATE. SO THAT'S, YOU KNOW, OUR, OUR BIGGEST DRIVE IS WITH TRYING TO EDUCATE PEOPLE. THESE ARE ADORABLE PICTURES OF SOME OF THE PROGRAMS WE'VE DONE. OUR SOIL TUNNEL, THE ONE IN THE TOP MIDDLE, I'M SORRY, LET ME, WHOOPS. I WENT, I'M SORRY. IT MUST BE MISSING. ANYWAY. UM, THE SOIL TUNNEL IS REALLY SUPER, IT'S FIRST AND SECOND GRADERS AND, UH, WE'VE HAD TABLES WITH SHEETS OVER 'EM THAT ARE DECORATED AND THE CHILDREN HAVE TO TAKE A FLASHLIGHT IN AND LOOK AT THE WALLS SO THAT THEY CAN SEE WHAT'S UNDERGROUND UNDER A FOREST, UNDER A FARM, AND UNDER THEIR HOUSE. UM, WE, UH, IN ADDITION TO OUR, WELL, AS PART OF OUR, UM, OUTREACH PROGRAMS AS FESTIVALS, UM, WE AT THE RAIN BARREL EVENT, WE, UM, SOLD 50 RAIN BARRELS AT VERY CHEAP. AND WE GOT A LOT OF, WE GOT THE ATTACHMENTS, DONATED EVERYTHING. WE WORK WELL WITH OTHERS AND WE LOVE GETTING HELP FROM OTHERS, AND WE LOVE TO HELP OTHERS. ONE OF THE BIGGEST, UH, AND MOST ANNUAL THING THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING IS WORK WITH, UM, THE OUTREACH, UH, FOUNDATION. THEY PROVIDE THE KAYAKS AND THEIR GOAL IS TO GET EVERY SEVENTH GRADER OUT IN A RIVER IN OUR KAYAK. AND WE ARE THERE WITH THEM TO PROVIDE, UM, WATER QUALITY, UH, PROGRAM [01:00:01] FOR THEM WHILE THEY'RE TAKING THEIR TURNS AND WAITING TO GO OUT SO THAT THEY WEREN'T ALL ABOUT POINT AND NON POINT SOURCE POLLUTION. UM, AT OUR RECENT CONVENTION, IN ADDITION TO OUR, ONE OF OUR EMPLOYEES, DEBBIE WA, GETTING THE EMPLOYEE OF THE YEAR FOR THE WHOLE STATE, UH, LUKE AND MYSELF BOTH GOT OUR 35 YEAR PINS OF BEING, UM, COMMISSIONERS. AND WALTER SPOKE AT THAT AS WELL AT THE STATE CONFERENCE. SO WE WANNA THANK OUR MANY PARTNERS. BEAVER COUNTY, OF COURSE, IS THE TOP OF THE LIST. UM, THE FUNDING THAT WE GET FROM BUFORT COUNTY IS, IS THE SAME AS WHAT WE GET FROM THE STATE AND WITH, WITH ONLY THOSE FUNDS. WE DO ALL OUR OPERATIONS OTHER THAN THE FIELD WORK THAT, UH, WALTER DOES. SO THOSE 72 CLASSROOM PROGRAMS, THOSE 16 FESTIVALS, MANNING THE OFFICE, PAYING RENT, ALL OF THAT IS DONE WITH OUR, UM, OUR BUDGET. WE DO HAVE, UM, OFFERS AND INDIVIDUALS TO BE AFFILIATE MEMBERS. AND THAT INFORMATION IS ON HERE. UM, AND NOW WE WOULD LIKE TO SAY THANK YOU, , AND IF YOU HAVE ANY RUSH, ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS. THANK YOU. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS WE GOT? NO. WE REALLY APPRECIATE WHAT Y'ALL ARE DOING AND, AND, UM, THE NEW, THE NEW ROLE THAT MR. MACK, I MEAN, HE WEARS A LOT OF HATS, BUT WE APPRECIATE WHAT YOU'RE DOING LOCATING THESE FARMS. THANK YOU. AND MAKING PEOPLE AWARE OF THE BENEFITS AT USDA. UH, USDA ALSO HAS WORKED WITH OUR RURAL AND CRITICAL LANDS PROGRAM AND WITH OUR, HOPEFULLY IN THE FUTURE WITH THE GREEN SPACE PROGRAM AND HELPING US IDENTIFY OWNERS AND PEOPLE WHO WANT TO PUT THEIR LAND UNDER EASEMENTS. UM, AND IT'S NOT IN HERE BECAUSE THIS WAS FOR FISCAL YEAR 24, BUT, UM, SINCE THEN WE ARE, WE ARE ON THE, UH, WORKING GROUP FOR THE LOW COUNTRY SENTINEL LANDSCAPES. SO, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'LL BE INVOLVED WITH THAT. KATE SCHAFER IS OUR, UH, CONTACT PERSON AND WE'LL BE DEALING WITH MOSTLY WITH PRIVATE LANDS AND SOMEWHAT WITH WATER, WATER QUALITY AS WELL. BUT WE ARE, UM, THREE OF US ARE ON, ON THAT COMMITTEE MOVING, MOVING FORWARD. YES, SIR. IF I MIGHT, I'M COMMEND, UH, UH, UH, DENISE AND MR. MACK FOR YOUR CONSERVATION, UH, WORK THAT YOU DO. UH, I ONLY HAVE A QUESTION AS TO FOR THE FIELD WORK THAT MR. MACK DOES, IS HE BEING COMPENSATED? ABSOLUTELY. THAT'S THE GRANT THAT WE GOT FROM THE NATURE CONSERVANCY. OKAY, GOOD. KEEP THE GOOD WORKS. THANK YOU. GOOD. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU. OKAY. THANK YOU AGAIN. ALRIGHT, UH, [9. RECOMMEND APPROVAL TO COUNCIL OF A RESOLUTION TO APPROVE RECOMMENDATIONS TO AWARD FY25 COMMUNITY SERVICES GRANT PROGRAM FUNDS IN THE AMOUNT OF $398,000 TO COMMUNITY SERVICES ORGANIZATIONS (FISCAL IMPACT: Awarding $398,000 of funds which Council appropriated in FY25 to community services organizations. Together for Beaufort County/Public Welfare Subsidies 1000- 50-1598-55000) - Ben Boswell, Director, Beaufort County Human Services Department] NEXT ON THE AGENDA. AND IS BEN BOSWELL, HE'S THE DIRECTOR OF BEAUFORT COUNTY HUMAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT. WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT, UM, AT THIS COMMITTEE LEVEL WITH TO RECOMMEND APPROVAL TO COUNCIL OF A RESOLUTION TO APPROVE RECOMMENDATIONS TO AWARD THE FYY 25 COMMUNITY SERVICES GRANT PROGRAM FUNDS, AND THE AMOUNT OF 398,000 TO COMMUNITY SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS. UM, AND I'LL, IF YOU DON'T MIND, WE CAN GIVE A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY OF HOW THIS PROGRAM EVOLVED. MADAM CHAIR? YES. YEAH. WE NEED A MOTION AND SECOND, A MOTION TO BEGIN THIS? YES. I'LL MAKE THE MOTION. I'LL SECOND THAT. NOW WE CAN DISCUSS. I, I'M GOING TO RECUSE MYSELF. OKAY. I'M AFFILIATED AND ASSOCIATED WITH SOME OF THE ORGANIZATIONS RECIPIENTS AND, YEAH. OKAY. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. I APPRECIATE IT. UM, MY NAME IS BEN BOSWELL. I AM WITH THE DIRECTOR OF HUMAN SERVICES FOR BEAUFORT COUNTY. UM, CAN YOU GIVE A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY NOW? ABSOLUTELY. WE'VE COME TO THIS POINT WHERE WE DO THE GRANTS, CERTAINLY FOR, FOR, SO, UM, THE MISSION OF THE HUMAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT IS TO STRENGTHEN THE HUMAN SERVICES NETWORK THROUGH ADVOCACY, UH, COLLABORATION AND EMPOWERMENT. AND, UH, BECAUSE OF THAT OVERLAP WITH THE GOAL OF THE GRANTS, WHICH IS TO IMPROVE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR BUFORT COUNTY RESIDENTS, UM, WITH AN EMPHASIS ON ENHANCING THE WELLBEING AND SELF-SUFFICIENCY, UH, BOTH VULNERABLE AND DISADVANTAGED POPULATIONS. UH, WE WERE, UH, SELECTED, I WANNA SAY BACK IN THE MID TWO THOUSANDS. THIS IS BEFORE I STARTED WITH THE COUNTY TO ADMINISTRATE THIS PROCESS. UH, IT EVOLVED OVER TIME TILL ABOUT 2013, UH, FOR THE FY 24 PROCESS AND TO THE CURRENT ITERATION, WHICH YOU'VE SEE NOW. UM, IT REALLY HASN'T CHANGED VERY MUCH IN TERMS OF STRUCTURE, UM, SINCE THEN. UM, VERY HAPPY WITH THIS PROCESS. WE GET A LOT OF POSITIVE FEEDBACK AND I'M GONNA KIND OF WALK YOU THROUGH A LITTLE BIT OF, UM, HOW THE PROCESS WORKS. SO, UH, WE BEGIN, UH, WITH OPENING THE GRANTS IN MAY OR SO, WE GIVE EVERYBODY ABOUT 60 DAYS TO, UH, FILL OUT APPLICATION. APPLICATION PROCESS [01:05:01] IS, UH, VERY SHORT AND SWEET. UH, YOU'RE WELCOME TO LOOK AT OUR WEBSITE AT ANY TIME. THE APPLICATION IS UP THERE. UM, YOU CAN CHECK IT OUT. UH, WE HAVE A VOLUNTEER GRANT REVIEW PANEL. UH, THIS GRANT REVIEW PANEL IS SOURCED FROM COMMUNITY EXPERTS, STAKEHOLDERS, UM, SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS, UH, COMMUNITY REPRESENTATIVES. UH, AND THEY EVALUATE ON FIVE DIFFERENT CRITERIA. UM, THOSE CRITERIA ARE FINANCIAL STABILITY, UM, WHICH IS MORE OR LESS AN ASSESSMENT OF FINANCIAL RISK. UH, DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT, UM, BASICALLY WHETHER OR NOT THE ORGANIZATION IS GONNA BE, UH, SUSTAINABLE. MAKE SURE WE DON'T, UH, INVEST GRANT FUNDING IN SOMEONE WHO'S GONNA FOLD, UH, THE NEXT MONTH. UM, AND I KNOW THAT SUPERFICIALLY THIS KIND OF APPEARS THAT IT INHERENTLY REWARDS, UH, WEALTHIER OR OLDER ORGANIZATIONS. BUT WE DO CHALLENGE OUR REVIEWERS TO MAKE AN ASSESSMENT PROPORTIONAL TO THE SIZE OF THE ORGANIZATION. SINCE YOU CAN, UM, CONCEIVABLY HAVE ORGANIZATIONS THAT MAY BE, UH, ONE FULL-TIME STAFF MEMBER AND 20 VOLUNTEERS. YOU KNOW, AS SUCH, THEY'RE GONNA HAVE A VERY SMALL, UH, BUDGET. UH, THEY, UH, EVALUATE ON IMPACT, WHICH IS THE ASSESSMENT FOR THE POTENTIAL SHORT TERM AND LONG TERM POSITIVE CHANGE EQUITY TO ASSESS THE, UH, APPLICATION'S ABILITY TO ADDRESS ECONOMIC, SOCIAL, OR SYSTEMIC, UH, BARRIERS. CAPACITY, WHICH IS THE, UH, ASSESSMENT OF ORGANIZATION'S, UH, READINESS AND ABILITY TO CARRY OUT THE TASKS OUTLINED IN THEIR APPLICATION. UM, BASICALLY DETERMINE IS IT A REALISTIC APPLICATION. AND THEN OF COURSE, COLLABORATION, UH, WHICH IS AN ASSESSMENT OF THEIR WILLINGNESS TO ENGAGE IN PARTNERSHIPS, TEAMWORK, AND COLLABORATIVE EFFORTS WITH OTHER ENTITIES TO ACHIEVE THOSE SHARED GOALS. AND THEN JUST A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT, UH, THE PANEL. YOU KNOW, THE IMPORTANCE OF US, UH, SOURCING THIS PANEL FROM THE COMMUNITY, AND THIS IS A PANEL THAT ROTATES ON AN ANNUAL BASIS, IS WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE MAINTAIN VERY DIVERSE PERSPECTIVES ON A YEAR TO YEAR BASIS. WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THIS PROCESS IS ADAPTIVE TO THE COMMUNITY'S NEEDS. AND SO THAT EVERY YEAR WE'RE ABLE TO, UH, REASSESS, UH, WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE COMMUNITY, WHAT DOES THE COMMUNITY NEED, UH, OR THESE APPLICATIONS, MEETING THE, UH, OBJECTIVES AND GOALS FOR THE COMMUNITY. AND THEN I THINK MOST IMPORTANTLY IS TO MAKE SURE THAT, UH, THIS PROCESS IS FAIR AND OBJECTIVE. SO FOR THIS YEAR, WE HAD A TOTAL REQUEST OF JUST A LITTLE OVER $1 MILLION. WE'VE BEEN ALLOCATION OF $398,000 TO, UH, TO AWARD. UH, SO THE PANEL DID HAVE THE UNENVIABLE POSITION OF MAKING SOME VERY DIFFICULT DECISIONS. THE, UH, RECOMMENDATIONS, UH, ARE AS FOLLOWS. AND, UH, MS. HOWARD, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANT ME TO, TO RUN THROUGH THESE OR IF YOU'D LIKE TO, UH, ME TO ADDRESS ANY QUESTIONS. IT MIGHT BE EASIER TO, IF ANYONE HAS QUESTIONS ABOUT ANY CERTAINLY THAT, DOES THAT WORK? ANYONE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS? THIS IS THE, THE FIRST HALF AND THEN THE, THE SECOND HALF? YEAH. YES, MA'AM. UM, I, MY QUESTION WAS, DO YOU, I'M USED TO ATEX, THEY GIVE US A LITTLE SUMMARY OF HOW THE MONEY'S TO BE USED. ARE THESE FUNDS, SO FOR EXAMPLE, MARSHALL COMMUNITY ORGANIC FARM, IS IT FOR A PARTICULAR PROJECT OR CAN THEY USE IT FOR ANYTHING THEY LIKE? IN, UH, MOST CASES MOST OF OUR AGENCIES APPLY JUST FOR MISSION SUPPORT. UM, SO THEY MAY JUST KIND OF TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT THE AGENCY DOES IN GENERAL. UM, FOR SOME OF THESE, THEY DO HAVE SOME SPECIFIC GOALS AND OBJECTIVES. I KNOW THAT MARSH FEE FARMS AND, AND YOU HAVE TO BEAR WITH ME 'CAUSE SOME OF THESE I REMEMBER OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, SOME I DON'T. UM, I JUST PICKED THAT ONE OUT OF THERE. YEAH. MARSH FEE FARMS, THEY'RE DOING, UM, HOME DELIVERED MEALS. WELL, 'CAUSE MY QUESTION WAS, YOU KNOW, I DON'T, YOU LOOK AT THESE, MANY OF THESE ARE FUNDED IN MANY, MANY WAYS. MM-HMM. . SO MY QUESTION WAS, IS OUR FUNDING FOR A PARTICULAR PROJECT OR JUST CAN BE USED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES LIKE LOW COUNTRY FOOD BANK? WE ALL KNOW THEY GET FUNDING OTHER PLACES AS WELL. MM-HMM. FAMILY PROMISE SECOND HELPING, I MEAN, THEY GET YES MA'AM. TONS OF IT FROM SUN CITY. SO IS IT A PARTICULAR PROJECT FOR SECOND HELPINGS OR IS IT JUST FOR HOWEVER THEY WANNA SPEND IT? UH, FOR THE APPLICATION? THEY CAN DETERMINE, UH, OR THEY CAN, THEY CAN OUTLINE A SPECIFIC PROJECT, BUT IT'S NOT REQUIRED. UH, THEY'RE ALSO WELCOME TO OUTLINE JUST MISSION SUPPORT, UH, GENERAL ACTIVITIES. AND SO THEY MAY USE THESE FUNDS JUST FOR ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT AND THINGS LIKE THAT. AND DO YOU USUALLY HAVE THE SAME PEOPLE EVERY YEAR? UH, IT'S CONSISTENT. UM, THIS YEAR WE HAD A LITTLE OVER 40 APPLICATIONS. HOW MANY? UH, LAST, A LITTLE OVER 40. 40. UH, LAST YEAR WE ONLY HAD 28. SO SOMETIMES IT CHANGES FROM YEAR TO YEAR. UM, I COULDN'T TELL YOU THE RHYME OR REASON FOR WHO DOES AND DOES NOT APPLY IN ANY ONE YEAR. UM, I WOULD SAY PROBABLY THREE QUARTERS APPLY CONSISTENTLY EVERY SINGLE YEAR. AND THEN WE HAVE SOME THAT ARE MORE INCONSISTENT. THEY MAY PLAY EVERY OTHER YEAR. UM, AND AGAIN, I THINK IT JUST DEPENDS ON, YOU KNOW, TURNOVER AND THE STAFF WHO'S AVAILABLE, WHETHER THEY KNOW ABOUT IT. AND I NOTICED THEY HAVE TO SUBMIT AN INTERIM AND A FINAL REPORT. YES, MA'AM. DO YOU, DO THEY ALL DO THAT OR THEY DO THAT IS REQUIRED. SO THE INTERIM REPORT IS REQUIRED TO RECEIVE THE SECOND DISBURSEMENT IN FEBRUARY. MM-HMM. . UM, [01:10:01] SO THEY ABSOLUTELY HAVE TO TURN THOSE IN. UH, FAILURE TO SUBMIT THE FAIL. UH, THE FINAL REPORT, UH, MAY RESULT IN DISQUALIFICATION FOR THE NEXT YEAR. UM, AND, UM, AND WE DO GIVE THEM AMPLE OPPORTUNITY TO RECTIFY THAT UNDERST THERE. SO I'M, AND IF I REMEMBER THE HISTORY OF THIS, IT USED MANY, MANY YEARS AGO, IT USED TO BE THAT EVERYONE CAME TO DIRECTLY TO COUNTY COUNCIL ASKING FOR MONEY FOR THEIR PARTICULAR ORGANIZATION. AND IT GOT TO BE VERY, UM, THAT'S TRUE. UM-ING AND DISRUPTIVE, THIS IS, YEAH, THIS IS BEFORE MY TIME. MM-HMM. BUT I DO RECALL, UM, IN THE RECORDS IT WAS ABOUT 11, 10 OR 11 OF THE SAME ORGANIZATIONS. MM-HMM. . AND THEY DID PRESENT, UM, DIRECTLY TO COUNSEL. MM-HMM. , UM, FOR AN ALLOCATION AT THAT TIME, THEY CALLED LOCATION THAT GRANTING HAS COME TO, AND THIS IS IMPLEMENTED JUST AS A WAY TO, UM, KIND OF DIVORCE COUNSEL FROM HAVING TO MAKE THAT DECISION. UM, AND LET, UH, THE COMMUNITY SO THEY DON'T HAVE TO SUBMIT INVOICES. JUST AN INTERIM AND FINAL REPORT. YES, MA'AM. OKAY. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? YES, SIR. YEAH. UM, THANK YOU MR. BALDWELL. THANK YOU. LET ME ASK YOU THIS. UM, YOU HAD A REQUEST OF OVER A MILLION AND YOU FUNDED ABOUT 40% OF THAT. UM, WAS THE TOTAL MILLION PART OF THAT 40, UM, REQUEST? MM-HMM. AND YES SIR, THE IMPACT. UM, BECAUSE IF THEY REQUESTED A MILLION, BUT YOU ONLY GAVE THEM 400,000, UM, THAT LEFT A, A VACANCY THERE, A GAP THERE AND STUFF. MM-HMM. . MM-HMM. . UM, HOW, HOW ARE THEY, HOW ARE THEY MOVING FORWARD WITH THEIR PROJECT IF WE ARE ONLY FUNDING A PORTION OF IT? YEAH, THAT'S A VERY GOOD QUESTION. THANK YOU. SO, UM, INCLUDED IN YOUR BACKUP THERE IS THE GRANT AGREEMENT, AND I INCLUDED THAT AS WELL. SO THE GRANT AGREEMENT, UM, YEAH. SO THAT, YOU KNOW, AS PART OF THE LEGAL REQUIREMENTS, BUT IT DOES APPEND THE, UM, APPLICATION ITSELF AS PART OF THE AGREEMENT. AND SO IF SOMEONE FEELS VERY STRONGLY THAT THEY CANNOT PERFORM THE FUNCTIONS, UM, AS OUTLINED, UM, THEY CAN REFUSE TO FUNDING IT. UM, NEVER HAS ANYBODY IN THE HISTORY OF THIS PROGRAM REFUSED THE FUNDING. BUT THE EXPECTATION IS INDEED THAT EVEN IF YOUR, UM, APPLICATION WAS CUT, UM, YOU KNOW THAT YOU ADDRESS THAT AND YOUR, AND ARE IMPORTANT AND THEY CAN ADDRESS THAT, YOU KNOW, TRANSPARENCY IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING. OKAY. UM, IS THAT THEY HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS THAT AND SAY, HEY, HERE'S SOME OF THE CHANGES WE MADE, UM, AS A RESULT OF THOSE CUTS. UM, AND MY FINAL QUESTION IS, UM, UM, MS. HOWARD REFERENCE PREVIOUS, UM, APPLICANTS COMING BEFORE COUNSEL TO REQUEST FUNDING. YES. IS THERE ANY WAY THAT, UH, YOU COULD RANDOMLY PICK OUT TWO OR THREE NAMES OUT OF A BOWL AND HAVE THEM PRESENT? OH. FOR LIKE A HIGHLIGHT TO COUNSEL WHAT THEY HAVE DONE AND THE SIGNIFICANT OF THE FUNDS THAT THEY RECEIVE? UM, UM, IT, IT'S JUST GOOD TO SEE, UM, THE RESULTS HAPPENING AND HOW WE YES. I THINK THAT'D BE WONDERFUL AND I'D LOVE TO PROVIDE MORE UPDATES. APPRO IT. ABSOLUTELY. WE REALLY DON'T SEE IT. MM-HMM. . SO IT'D BE GREAT TO KIND OF, YEAH. THANK YOU. KINDA LIKE A FOLLOW UP. YEAH. YOU KNOW, THE SUCCESS STORY. IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE A SUCCESS STORY. MM-HMM. . JUST THAT THEY RECEIVE A DOLLAR AND THIS IS WHAT WE DID WITH IT AND WE HAD THIS KIND OF IMPACT OR WE DIDN'T HAVE AN IMPACT, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE WE DIDN'T GET ENOUGH MONEY TO MAKE AN IMPACT. ABSOLUTELY. YEAH. YEAH. I THINK WHEN WE GET INTERIM REPORTS IN, I CAN PREPARE A REPORT AND WE CAN DO A, A FOLLOW UP. WE CAN HIGHLIGHT SOME, YEAH. ONE OF THE GROUPS THAT YOU HAVE HERE, UM, MADE A PRESENTATION BEFORE, BEFORE COUNCIL, AFTER THEY COMPLETED, UH, ONE OF THEIR HOMES. SO, YOU KNOW, THOSE ARE IMPACT, UM, UM, THAT YOU CAN VISUALLY SEE. MM-HMM. . UM, UM, AND I THINK, YEAH, I WAS VERY TO SEE, UH, VERY PLEASED TO SEE 'EM APPLY TOO. IT WAS THEIR FIRST YEAR APPLYING FOR THIS GRANT. AND SO WE'VE GOT A LOT, ACTUALLY THIS YEAR. WE HAVE A LOT OF FIRST YEAR, UM, APPLICANTS. SURE. SO I WAS VERY ENCOURAGED TO SEE THAT. GOOD. I THINK SOMEBODY ALWAYS ASKS THIS QUESTION. NOBODY'S ASKED IT YET. , COULD YOU USE MORE MONEY IF, IF IT WAS AVAILABLE, WE COULD ALWAYS USE MORE MONEY. . THERE'S PLENTY OF NEED OUT THERE. OKAY. ABSOLUTELY. IF WE HAD IT IN OUR BUDGET, YOU WOULD USE IT. ABSOLUTELY. OKAY. UM, ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? ONE, ONE MORE. WE NEED TO APPROVE IT TOO. 3 98 WAS ALL THAT WE BUDGETED FOR THIS. IT, IT'S BEEN 3 98 FOR, UH, GOT A WHILE. ABOUT FIVE OR SIX YEARS. IT STAYED THE SAME THINK HOW MANY YEARS DO YOU THINK? FIVE OR SIX. FIVE OR SIX YEARS. YEAH. COME ON. INTERESTING. OKAY. SO WE HAD A MOTION TO DISCUSS THIS AND WE NEED A MO AND, AND SECONDED. UM, WE NEED TO GO FORWARD WITH, IF THERE'S NO MORE QUESTIONS TO APPROVE A RESOLUTION TO MOVE THIS FORWARD TO WITHOUT A, WITHOUT OBJECTION. OBJECTION. YEAH. OKAY. THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR INFORMATION AND THANK YOU SO MUCH AND WHAT YOU DO. THANK YOU. AND, [01:15:01] UH, ON BEHALF OF, UH, THE COMMUNITY, WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR GENEROSITY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. SEEMS LIKE THERE'S A NEED FOR MORE TOO. ALRIGHT. UM, [10. RECOMMEND APPROVAL OF A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR TO EXECUTE AN AMENDMENT TO THE MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT WITH THE TOWN OF PORT ROYAL FOR MAINTENANCE OF COUNTY-OWNED PROPERTY KNOWN AS CHERRY HILL PARK (R112 032 000 0637 0000, R112 032 000 0008 0000 and R112 032 000 0064 0000) - Stefanie M. Nagid, Passive Parks Director] I NEED A MOTION ON NUMBER 10 TO RECOMMEND, UH, A RESOLUTION APPROVING A MOTION THAT, OKAY. DO I HAVE A SECOND? OH, I'LL SECOND IT. THAT'S FOR THE TREATMENT. THAT'S FOR THE, UH, TREE COUNTY ADMINISTRATIVE EXECUTING AMENDMENT TO THE MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT WITH THE TOWN OF PORT ROYAL, UH, FOR MAINTENANCE COUNTY OWNED PROPERTY KNOWN AS CHERRY HILL PARK. OKAY, MS. STEPHANIE, GOOD AFTERNOON, MADAM CHAIR COMMITTEE MEMBERS STEPHANIE NADD, PASS PARKS DIRECTOR. UM, IN JULY, THE TOWN OF PORT ROYAL REQUESTED AN AMENDMENT TO THE MOA SO THAT THEY, UM, WOULD HAVE RESPONSIBILITY FOR MAINTENANCE OF THE LIVE OAK TREE THAT'S ON THE PROPERTY. MM-HMM. . UM, THERE'S SOME OTHER THINGS THAT WERE GONNA BE DONE THIS FALL THAT I WAS GONNA DO THIS FALL AND WINTER, BUT THE TOWN WOULD LIKE TO DO THAT INSTEAD. AND THE FRIENDS OF CHERRY HILL OAK HAVE, UH, FUNDING THAT THEY WERE ABLE TO RAISE THROUGH DONATIONS THAT THEY'RE, UM, WANTING TO CONTRIBUTE. I BELIEVE YOU HAVE A, A EMAIL, HOPE CUNNINGHAM, THE PRESIDENT OF THE FRIENDS WAS GONNA BE HERE TODAY, BUT SHE WAS UNABLE TO ATTEND. SO I BELIEVE SHE SAID SHE SENT YOU GUYS AN EMAIL IN SUPPORT OF THE AMENDMENT AS WELL. UM, AND SO WE DRAFTED AN AMENDMENT, WENT BACK AND FORTH, AND WHAT IS SUBMITTED IS WHAT THE TOWN AND THE COUNTY STAFF AND LEGAL DEPARTMENTS HAVE AGREED ON. AND WE'RE, UM, PRESENTING IT TO YOU FOR APPROVAL HERE TO GO TO THE DECEMBER 9TH COUNTY COUNCIL FOR FINAL APPROVAL. AND THEN I BELIEVE THAT TOWN OF PORT ROYAL IS ALSO BRINGING THIS FORWARD TO THEIR COUNCIL TOMORROW NIGHT. YES, THEY ARE. IT WAS MENTIONED AT THEIR WORKSHOP LAST WEEK. UH MM-HMM. . OKAY. DO WE HAVE ANY DISCUSSION QUESTIONS? YES. I NOTICED WE RECEIVED AN EMAIL FROM THE ARBORIST AND HE'S HERE. OKAY. SO WHAT ARE WE, HOW ARE WE TAKING THAT INTO CONSIDERATION? SO WHEN YOU SAY THE ARBORIST, I THINK MR. MURPHY'S HERE, UM, YEAH. SO HE WORKS WITH THE, I'M NOT GONNA SPEAK FOR MR. MURPHY, I JUST WANT TO CLARIFY THAT HE WORKS AS AN ARBORIST CONSULTING THE TOWN. MM-HMM. . UM, I WANNA POINT OUT THAT THE MOA IN SPECIFICALLY IN RESPONSE TO SOME OF THE ISSUES, UH, BROUGHT UP IN THE EMAIL, THE MOA SPECIFICALLY TARGETS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE TOWN. THAT'S ALL IT DOES. THAT IN NO WAY LIMITS THE COUNTY FROM DOING OTHER THINGS. AND WE ANTICIPATE DOING ADDITIONAL THINGS. WE'RE GONNA DESIGN THE PARK ONCE WE GET THE MONEY AND, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA MAKE IT AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC, UH, AS WE CAN DO SO. BUT AS IT RELATES TO DISTANCES FROM THE TREE FOR CERTAIN ACTIVITIES THAT JUST, THAT THE DISTANCE, ALL THAT DOES IS IDENTIFY WHAT THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE TOWN IS. MM-HMM. , IT DOESN'T DEFINE A LIMIT OF WHERE ANY PARTICULAR MATERIAL WOULD STOP OR, OR START. IT'S JUST WHAT THE TOWN IS RESPONSIBLE FOR. IF THERE IS A NEED TO GO PAST THAT POINT. WE ARE ALWAYS OPEN TO COLLABORATE WITH THE TOWN TO DO WHATEVER IS IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE TREE AND THE SITE IN GENERAL. UM, THAT PARTICULAR DISTANCE FROM THE TREE, UH, THAT WAS SUBJECT IN THE EMAIL AND IS, UM, LISTED IN THE MOA HAS TO DO WITH, THERE ARE PROPERTY LINES, SETBACKS, FENCES, ACCESS, IS THERE A NUMBER OF THINGS THERE. UM, AND WHAT WE DID NOT WANT TO DO IS WRITE IN A MANDATE FOR THE TOWN TO DO SOMETHING THAT'S NOT ON COUNTY PROPERTY. SO WE'VE LIMITED THAT DISTANCE TO IDENTIFY WHAT THEIR RESPONSIBILITY IS. NOT TO SAY THAT IS IN TOTALITY, THE ONLY PLACE WHERE WE'RE GONNA PUT SPECIFIC MATERIALS. SO WE'RE, WE'RE STILL WORKING WITH THE TOWN ON THIS. IT'S STILL A COUNTY OWNED PROPERTY. UH, WE LOOK FORWARD TO DEVELOPING THIS FOR ACCESS, FOR PUBLIC ACCESS IN A VERY SMART WAY. AND, UH, WE HOPE TO BRING THAT FORWARD, YOU KNOW, PRETTY SOON. OKAY. OKAY. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? I JUST GOT ONE CONCERN. UM, AND THIS IS A PART OF THE MOA MM-HMM. THAT HAS ALREADY BEEN ESTABLISHED AND SIGNED AND, UM, I, I'M ON THIS SIDE OF, UM, THE TOWN. UM, ON THIS ONE HERE, UM, UH, IT'S UM, IT'S SECTION FOUR, UM, B TALKS ABOUT IMPROVEMENT. MM-HMM. . AND IT TALKS ABOUT THE COUNTY HAVING THE RIGHT TO GO ON, DO WHATEVER THEY WANT TO DO, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH. RIGHT. BUT IT DOESN'T SAY THAT, UM, IT WILL INVOLVE THE TOWN IN ANY DECISION THEY MAKE. AND I'M JUST, YOU KNOW, WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE ABOUT THAT IS THAT IF YOU DO SOMETHING AND I'M RESPONSIBLE FOR MAINTAINING IT, AND I DON'T HAVE A SAY SO IN WHAT YOU JUST DID, YOU KNOW, I MIGHT JUST SAY, HEY. RIGHT. [01:20:01] I'M JUST WONDERING WHY YOU DIDN'T INCLUDE THE TOWN IN THAT LANGUAGE TO SAY, OH, THEY DON'T HAVE TO BE A PART OF THE DECISION, BUT AT LEAST THEY WOULD KNOW THAT THIS IS HAPPENING. I KNOW YOU WILL COMMUNICATE WITH THE TOWN. NO, I CAN ANSWER IT. UM, ACCELERATE, I KNOW THAT, BUT I, I CAN ANSWER THAT BY SAYING WE 20 YEARS FROM NOW RIGHT. YOU MAY NOT BE THE ONE TO DO THE COMMUNICATION. THAT'S, WE INCLUDE EVERYONE IN THAT PROCESS. EVERYONE. AND WHAT I MEAN BY THAT IS WE DESIGN IT, WE BRING THE DESIGN TO COUNCIL FOR CONCEPTUAL REVIEW. EVERYONE HAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE. AND WHEN WE TALK ABOUT BUILDING THESE PARKS, IT IS A PARKING SPOT, A PLACE TO PARK CARS, A BATHROOM, UH, PERHAPS A PICNIC PAVILION MAYBE, AND A WALKING TRAIL. THAT'S IT. SO THERE'S REALLY NOT A WHOLE LOT TO DISCUSS AS FAR AS WHAT IS GOING TO GO THERE. AND THE SITE DICTATES WHERE IT'S GOING TO GO BASED ON WHAT PROVIDES THE LEAST IMPACT TO THE SITE BECAUSE IT IS A RURAL AND CRITICAL SITE. SO EVEN THOUGH IT WOULD BE NICE TO INVITE FOLKS TO SAY WHAT THEY WANT ON THE SITE, NO, NOT, I DIDN'T SAY THAT. WE'RE, WE'RE VERY LIMITED. UM, IT IS OUR INTENT TO DEVELOP IT. LIKE WE'VE DONE ALL OF OUR OTHER PARKS, WE HAVE A SPECIFIC TYPE OF FENCE, WE HAVE A DESIGN, UH, THAT MATCHES ALL OF OUR OTHER PARKS. WE HAVE KIND OF A BRANDING GOING ON, IF YOU WILL, FOR OUR PASSIVE PARKS. AND WE WILL BRING THAT FORWARD. AND ANYBODY WHO WANTS TO MAKE COMMENT ON THAT CAN, UM, TO INCLUDE THE TOWN OR ANY CITIZEN OR ANYBODY ELSE WHO WANTS TO COME IN WHEN WE BRING THAT CONCEPT PLAN FORWARD. BUT FOR RIGHT NOW, WE DON'T HAVE FUNDING SECURED. SO, UH, CARTS A LITTLE BIT BEFORE THE HORSE, YOU KNOW, IT'S REALLY ON BEHALF OF THE TOWN. YES SIR. MORE SO THAN THE COUNTY THAT THEY DIDN'T SEE THEMSELVES NEEDING. UNNECESSARY TO BE INVOLVED IN THE YEAH, SURE. IN THE DISCUSSION. THAT'S ALL THAT IS. UM, I, I DO WANNA JUST ADD THOUGH THAT THIS PROPERTY IS IN THE TOWN OF PORT ROYAL'S TOWN LIMITS, WHICH MEANS WE HAVE TO FOLLOW THEIR CODE FOR DEVELOPMENT SO THEY GET SAY SO RIGHT FROM THE BEGINNING. RIGHT. THAT'S A GOOD POINT. THEY ISSUE OUR BUILDING PERMIT. THEY ISSUE THE PERMIT. THAT'S A GOOD POINT. YEAH. SIMILAR TO FORT FREDERICK AND, UM, AND THE TOWN OF PORT ROYAL. YES, MA'AM. THAT'S RIGHT. YEAH. BUT I JUST WANT EVERY, I DON'T WANT ANYBODY TO FEEL LIKE THIS HAPPENS IN A SILO. NONE OF THESE DO. UM, THE BRANDING, YOU, YOU CAN SEE IT WHEN YOU GO TO OUR PARKS. ALL OF THE CONCEPTUAL PLANS ARE BROUGHT FORWARD FOR EVERY ONE OF THEM. UM, SO YEAH, IT'S PRETTY BEAT UP BY THE TIME WE GET TO THE PERMITTING PHASE. NO, THAT'S SIR. THANK YOU. OKAY. MR. I APPRECIATE MR. MURPHY COMING. UM, DOES HE HAVE ANY WORDS FOR US? HE WROTE THE LONG EMAIL, WHICH HAD SOME PERTINENT POINTS. DO YOU, WOULD YOU, I I DON'T KNOW IF HE HAS SOMETHING. HE'S NOT NODDING HIS HEAD OR HE'S JUST , COME FORWARD IF YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY, PLEASE. I WOULD STIPULATE WHETHER HE'S SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF THE TOWN OR NOT, SINCE THIS IS AN MOA WITH THE TOWN. YEAH, I KNOW. I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT. I DON'T THINK HE, HE'S NOT REPRESENTING THE TOWN. I KNOW THAT. BUT DO YOU CARE TO SAY ANYTHING AS A, AS A CITIZEN AND AS THE ARBORIST FOR, UM, MY, UH, MY INTENTION WAS TO BRING THE IMPORTANCE OF THE, UH, KIND OF IN THE INVISIBLE, UH, PART OF THE TREE. THE, UH, UNDERGROUND ROOT SYSTEM THAT WE CAN'T SEE, UM, INTO THE, UM, THE CONCEPT OF, UH, THE PARK NOW AS FAR AS THE DEVELOP, AS FAR AS THE MAINTENANCE GOES WITH THE TOWN OF PORT ROYAL, BUT ALSO TO KEEP THAT IN MIND IN, IN THE FUTURE DEVELOPMENT OF THE PARK. UM, AND WE CAN JUST KIND OF COMPARE IT TO THE ANGEL OAK IN CHARLESTON. 'CAUSE IT'S THE SAME DIAMETER AND THE ANGEL OAK HAS LIKE 37 ACRES OF PROTECTION ZONE AROUND IT. AND IT'S A, IT'S A VERY DELICATE AREA, UH, WITH VERY LITTLE DEVELOPMENT WITHIN THAT ROOT SYSTEM AREA. AND ARCHERY BEING THAT SAME SIZE JUST DOESN'T HAVE THAT SAME IMPRESSION, UM, FOR THAT ROOT SYSTEM. AND SO WHEN THE, UM, DIAMETERS WERE BEING, UH, KIND OF, UH, TAKEN BACK A LITTLE BIT, UM, I JUST WANTED TO, UH, PUT ON RECORD THAT THE, ABOUT THE, UM, EXISTENCE OF THAT ROOT SYSTEM, UH, THAT WE CAN'T SEE. OKAY. THANK YOU. OKAY. ALRIGHT. UM, SO WE HAD A MOTION AND A SECOND A COMMENT THAT, UM, IN DISCUSSION, MR. MURPHY DIDN'T SAY THIS, BUT I'LL SAY, UM, WHEN, WHEN YOU START EVALUATING THE DEATH OF A TREE, YOU REALLY GOTTA GO BACK FIVE YEARS. MM-HMM. AT LEAST FIVE YEARS TO WHAT HAPPENED THEN FOR THE DEATH OF THAT TREE AND STUFF. SO PREVENTION IS REALLY A KEY TO HEALTHY TREE. AND IF, AND IF I CAN REITERATE, WE HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE TOWN FOR ALL OF THE PERMITTING, FOR ALL OF THE SITE IMPROVEMENTS, AND THE TOWN [01:25:01] IS GOING TO HAVE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF MAINTAINING THE SITE AND THE TREE. AND MR. MURPHY IS A TREE CONSULTANT FOR THE TOWN. SURE. SO I, I THINK THAT'S BAKED IN. I I THINK WE'RE IN GOOD SHAPE. YEAH. GOOD. OKAY. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU. WITHOUT OBJECTION. WE'LL MOVE THIS FORWARD AND, UM, LIKE SHE SAID, IT, IT IS GOING TO THE TOWN, UM, TOMORROW NIGHT FOR FIRST READING. ALRIGHT. UM, [11. RECOMMEND APPROVAL OF AN ORDINANCE AMENDING THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CODE (CDC): SECTION A.6.40 (PERMITTED ACTIVITIES) TO ALLOW LODGING: SHORT-TERM HOUSING RENTAL (STHR) IN DALE COMMUNITY PRESERVATION DISTRICT (DCP) AND SECTION A.7.40 (PERMITTED ACTIVITIES) TO ALLOW LODGING: SHORT-TERM HOUSING RENTAL (STHR) IN DALE MIXED USE DISTRICT (DMU) - Robert Merchant, AICP, Director, Beaufort County Planning and Zoning] NOW THIS ONE, NUMBER 11, I'M GONNA PREFACE THIS MAY TAKE SOME DISCUSSION AND I HOPE, UM, MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE WILL ASK SOME QUESTIONS. UM, AND I NEED A MOTION TO GO FORWARD WITH NUMBER 11. UH, SOME MOVEMENT CHAIRMAN, I HAVE A SECOND. OKAY. I DIDN'T GET A SECOND. ANYBODY A SECOND? MR. DO. OH, I'M NOT GONNA SECOND. OH, I'LL SECOND IT WHEN YOU SAID ALL RIGHT, I THOUGHT YOU HAD A SECOND. NO, I DID NOT. OKAY. I'LL SECOND IT. ALL RIGHT. IT'S SECOND BY NOW. WE CAN DISCUSS, NOW WE CAN DISCUSS THIS IS TO RECOMMEND APPROVAL OF AN ORDINANCE AMENDING THE, UM, CDC SECTION, A 6.4 PERMITTED ACTIVITIES TO ALLOW LODGING, SHORT-TERM HOUSING RENTAL IN THE DALE COMMUNITY PRESERVATION DI DISTRICT, AND SECTION A 7.4 PERMITTED ACTIVITIES TO ALLOW SHORT-TERM RENTAL IN THE DALE MIXED MIXED USE DISTRICT. AND, UM, ROB MERCHANT'S GONNA BRIEF US ON THIS AND ALSO ABOUT THE OH, YES SIR. BEFORE THE DISCUSSION STARTS. UM, THIS IS IN MY DISTRICT MM-HMM. AND, UH, UNFORTUNATELY THE APPLICANT HAS THE SAME LAST NAME AS I DO. OKAY. UM, AND WE'VE HAD, I'VE SPOKEN TO HIM TWICE, BUT TO, UH, OUR KNOWLEDGE WE'RE NOT RELATED. BUT FOR THE SAKE OF, UH, TRANSPARENCY, I'M GOING TO RECUSE RECUSE MYSELF AND I'LL COME BACK AFTERWARDS. OKAY. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU. OKAY. BYE. GOOD SEAT. ALRIGHT. UM, AND WILL YOU GIVE US SOME BACKGROUND OF REGARDING THE PLANNING COMMISSION AS THEY'D RECOMMEND? OKAY. GIVE SOME, GIVE SOME HISTORY AND, AND WE WE'RE GONNA HAVE SOME QUESTIONS, I THINK ABOUT THIS. OKAY. WELL JUST TO, TO BE START OFF, UH, THE, UM, BEAUFORT COUNTY BACK IN 2020, ADOPTED STANDARDS FOR SHORT TERM RENTAL. AND AT THAT TIME, AND THIS OF COURSE IS, IS THE LAW. IT IS TODAY, IT ESTABLISHES IT AS A SPECIAL USE IN EVERY DISTRICT, JUST ABOUT EVERY DISTRICT IN THE COUNTY, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF T ONE NATURAL PRESERVE, WHICH IS VERY LOW DENSITY DISTRICT. AND THEN AT THAT TIME, IT WAS NOT ADOPTED IN ANY OF OUR COMMUNITY PRESERVATION DISTRICTS. SO, AND THE REASON FOR THAT IS THAT THOSE DISTRICTS THAT CAME OUT OF A COMMUNITY PLANNING PROCESS, THERE WAS CONCERN ABOUT JUST BLANKET ADOPTING THAT ACROSS THE BOARD. UM, SINCE THAT TIME, SEVERAL AMENDMENTS HAVE COME BEFORE COUNTY COUNCIL ON LADIES ISLAND, WHICH HAS COMMUNITY PRESERVATION DISTRICT. SO THIS PARTICULAR REQUEST HAS A PRECEDENT IN COUNTY COUNCIL WHERE THE, UM, LADIES ISLAND COMMUNITY PRESERVATION DISTRICT, THE LADIES ISLAND EXPANDED HOME BUSINESS DISTRICT, UM, PROFESSIONAL OFFICE, THE, ALL THE CP DISTRICTS ON LADIES ISLAND NOW ALLOW SHORT-TERM RENTALS SPECIAL USE. OKAY. BECAUSE THOSE WERE LATER TEXT AMENDMENTS BROUGHT BEFORE COUNCIL. AND THOSE WERE INITIATED BY A PROPERTY OWNER OR YOU KNOW, BY A CITIZEN, NOT BY, BY STAFF. AND THIS IS VERY SIMILAR TO THAT IN THAT WE WERE CONTACTED BY MICHAEL DAWSON AND MY FIRST QUESTION WAS, ARE YOU RELATED TO GERALD DAWSON? AND HE SAID , I GUESS HE'S NOT FROM THIS AREA, BUT THEY MM-HMM. . UM, AND HE LIVES IN THE DALE CP DISTRICT AND IS INTERESTED IN DOING A SHORT-TERM RENTAL. AND I TOLD HIM NO. DID HE, DOES HE LIVE THERE, THERE, OR DOES HE LIVE OUT OF TOWN? I I DON'T MEAN TO, I JUST, THAT WAS THE QUESTION I HAD. I'M NOT CERTAIN WHETHER HE LIVES ON THE PROPERTY OR HE JUST OWNS THE PROPERTY. OKAY. ALRIGHT. BUT HE IS INTERESTED IN AMENDING THE DALE LCP TO ALLOW SHORT-TERM RENTAL. MM-HMM. IN SIMILAR TO WHAT STAFF HAS DONE DALE. SEE THERE'S TWO COMMUNITY PRESERVATION DISTRICTS IN DALE. THERE'S DALE COMMUNITY PRESERVATION, WHICH IS PRIMARILY A RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT, AND THEN ALONG KEENS NECK ROAD AND KINLOCK, THERE'S A SMALL DISTRICT CALLED DALE MIXED USE, WHICH ALLOWS SOME COMMERCIAL USES. SO IT IS THE MORE INTENSE OF THE TWO DISTRICTS. AND SO STAFF RECOMMENDED AND WE'RE KIND OF ADDING ONTO THIS AMENDMENT THAT WAS SUBMITTED BY A, YOU KNOW, A, A CITIZEN TO UM, ALSO AMEND THE DALE MIXED USE DISTRICT. MM-HMM. . SO THAT IS BASICALLY THE REQUEST THAT IS COMING FORWARD. AND SO AS STAFF PREPARED, ITS ITS REPORT. WE SAW THIS AS, [01:30:01] YOU KNOW, COUNTY HAS DONE THIS BEFORE ON LADIES' ISLAND. UM, YOU KNOW, SO THIS IS VERY SIMILAR TO UP TO PAST REQUESTS TO ADD, UH, SHORT-TERM RENTAL. THIS WENT TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION, UH, AT THEIR OCTOBER MEETING AND THEY EXPRESSED CONCERNS. AND I THINK THESE ARE BROADER CONCERNS ABOVE AND BEYOND THIS PARTICULAR REQUEST ABOUT THE IMPACTS OF SHORT TERM RENTALS AROUND THE COUNTY. THAT DISCUSSION LED TO, UM, I BELIEVE, UH, FIVE THREE RECOMMENDATION TO DENY, TO DENY RECOMMEND DENIAL OF THE REQUEST. AND SO THIS CAME WITH A STAFF RECOMMENDATION TO APPROVE PLANNING COMMISSION TOOK THAT INTO ACCOUNT, BUT THEY RECOMMENDED DENIAL BY A VOTE OF FIVE TO THREE. SO THIS COMES BEFORE, UM, THIS COMMITTEE WITH, WITH THAT BACKGROUND. OKAY. I, CAN I OPEN IT UP FOR QUESTIONS? YES, MA'AM. SO I WAS CURIOUS WITH THE FIVE, THREE REJECTION OF THE PLANNING COMMITTEE. SO I ACTUALLY WATCHED THE MEETING, WHICH WAS VERY PAINFUL AND VERY LONG. . IT WAS A LONG MEETING. LET JUST PUT THAT OUT. I WAS THERE, IT WAS LONG. I WAS, I WAS AT DEMEANING. WOW. I UNDERSTAND. THEY WENT FIVE TO THREE AND SO I'M JUST WONDERING WHY YOU'RE RECOMMENDING OVER WHAT THEY DID. WELL, WE'RE NOT RECOMMENDING OVER, WE'RE JUST GIVING THE BACKGROUND BECAUSE THE RECOMMENDATION STARTS WITH STAFF. WE PROVIDE A PROFESSIONAL STAFF REPORT LOOKING AT ALL THE FACTORS, YOU KNOW, RELATED TO THE COMP PLAN AND EVERYTHING. SO OUR RECOMMENDATION CAME TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION. THEY'RE THE ONES CHARGED WITH MAKING A RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL. SO I'M, YOU KNOW, SO THAT THEIR RECOMMENDATION WAS TO DENY. SO IF I UNDERSTAND ANY SINGLE CITIZEN CAN MAKE A REQUEST TO DO THIS. YES. THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED HERE. YEAH. ONE PERSON, ONE PERSON CAN MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TO AMEND THE TEXT OF THE ORDINANCE. AND SO DID YOU EVER GET INPUT FROM THE OTHER CITIZENS AROUND THERE? WE DID NOT FROM THE DALE COMMUNITY. I WANNA FOLLOW UP ON THAT. WHAT COUNSEL AND THE TAB SAID, HOW CAN ANYBODY PLAN ANYTHING WITHOUT FINDING WHAT THE PEOPLE AROUND THAT COMMUNITY WANT? I COME FROM AN AREA THAT IS A LOT OF SHORT-TERM RENTAL. MM-HMM. , WE'VE HEARD A LOT AT THIS, THESE COUNCIL MEETINGS FROM SHORT TERM RENTALS, THE PROBLEMS AND DIFFERENT THINGS. WOULD IT MAKE SENSE THAT, WELL IT, I'M NOT, I'M NOT UM, DEFENDING OR OR PROMOTING EITHER WAY, BUT NOTIFICATION OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING IS DONE TO THE PUBLIC. UM, AND HERE AGAIN, WE'RE AT THE PUBLIC. UM, AND THEN IF IT GOES THROUGH COMMITTEE, WE'LL HAVE THREE READINGS. THREE READINGS. YEAH. WHO EXCELLENT. WHO IS THE COUNCIL MEMBER FOR THAT DISTRICT? MR. DAWSON, MR. DAWSON CUS RECUSING THE HIMSELF. WELL, YEAH. AND I ALSO WANNA MENTION, SO I WILL SAY IN OUR STAFF REPORT, WE BASE THIS ON SIMILAR DISTRICTS THAT ALREADY ALLOW SHORT TERM RENTAL. YOU KNOW, LIKE WOULD THIS BE THE ONLY ONE THAT WON'T HAVE, WELL THERE ARE SOME OTHER COMMUNITY PRE PRESERVATION DISTRICTS THAT DON'T ALLOW IT. BUT IF YOU LOOK AT A MAP OF THE DALE COMMUNITY, IT'S SURROUNDED BY T TWO RURAL AND YEAH, T TWO RURAL AND AND T TWO RURAL CENTER. THOSE DISTRICTS ALLOW IT THERE. THERE ARE LESS DENSE, UH, LESS RESIDENTIAL DENSITY PERMITTED IN THOSE DISTRICTS, BUT THEY ALREADY ALLOW SHORT TERM RENTAL. THE OTHER IMPORTANT THING TO KEEP IN MIND IS THAT WHEN WE RECEIVE AN APPLICATION, WE ARE, WE'RE REQUIRED, YOU KNOW, WITHIN A CERTAIN WINDOW OF TIME TO CHECK IT FOR COMPLETENESS AND THEN BRING IT FORWARD TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION. MM-HMM MM-HMM . SO YOU KNOW WHETHER A PUBLIC MEETING SHOULD BE HELD IN THAT AREA. I MEAN I THINK THAT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT IS CERTAINLY A CONSIDERATION OF COUNCIL, BUT MM-HMM WE HAVE A REQUIREMENT WHEN WE RECEIVE AN APPLICATION, IF IT'S COMPLETE, IT'S MEET AND THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE CODE TO REVIEW IT AND BRING IT FORWARD. OKAY. CAN I ADD ONE THING CHAIR? MM-HMM. . OKAY. SO LET'S TALK ABOUT THE SPECIAL USE PROCESS FOR A MINUTE BECAUSE THERE'S A PART TWO TO THIS. IF YOU ALLOW THIS AS A SPECIAL USE IN THIS AREA, THEN THE SPECIAL USE HAS TO COME BEFORE THE ZBOA TO BE HEARD. WHO'S NOTIFIED WITH A SPECIAL USE THAT'S A THAN 500 FEET. OKAY. SO THOSE ARE THE PEOPLE WHO ARE AROUND ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS. SO THIS GOES BACK TO OUR EARLIER PRESENTATION. YOU'RE HAVING THE OPPORTUNITY TO ADD THIS AS A USE, BUT THERE'S STILL ANOTHER AS A SPECIAL USE. BUT THEN THE PROCESS WITHIN THE SPECIAL USE NOTIFIES ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS. THOSE WHO ARE AROUND THAT AND THEY COME TO THE ZBOA AND SAY WHETHER THEY'RE FOR AGAINST OR THEY DON'T COME AT ALL. RIGHT. SO IT CAN BE DENIED AT THAT POINT [01:35:01] AND THEN THEY DENY IT AT THAT POINT, WHICH THEY DO ALL THE TIME. BUT THERE ARE LA MY WHOLE POINT IN THIS IS THERE ARE LAYERS TO ALL OF THESE APPROVALS SO WE DON'T NOTIFY EVERYBODY ABOUT ADDING IT, BUT SUBJECT TO ONCE YOU ADD IT, THERE'S A WHOLE PROCESS TO GET A SPECIAL USE ISSUE. THIS DOES NOT GUARANTEE THAT ANYONE WILL GET A SHORT TERM RENTAL PERMIT. IT JUST PROVIDES THE OPPORTUNITY FOR THE ZBOA TO HEAR THAT ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS. JUDGE, THANK YOU. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? I SHOULD HAVE MADE THAT CLEAR CHAIRMAN. WELL I WAS AT THE MEETING, IT WAS A VERY PAINFUL MEETING. MM-HMM. . YES IT WAS, IT WAS STATED THAT SURROUNDING THIS PARTICULAR PROPERTY ARE SHORT-TERM RENTALS. CORRECT. IT COULD BE. I REMEMBER THAT. NOT NECESSARILY SURROUNDING THE PROPERTY, BUT THE ZONING OF THE AREA AROUND DALE ALLOWS, COULD ALLOW IT. SHORT TERM RENTALS IS A SPECIAL USE COULD ALLOW IT. RIGHT. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? UM, WE HAVE THE LIST OF SEVEN THINGS. IF NO, WHATEVER RECOMMENDATION WE MAKE, UM, THEY'RE IN YOUR PACKET AND I HAVE A COPY HERE OF ANYBODY WANTS TO MAKE A MOTION. UH, THEY'RE GONNA, WELL WE MADE A MOTION BUT I DIDN'T INCLUDE THE RIGHT. WE, WE HAVE A MOTION TO RECOMMEND THE ORDINANCE UHHUH, BUT IT IS EITHER GOING TO BE, UH, AFFIRMATIVE OR NEGATIVE OR NEGATIVE. WE GOTTA GO THROUGH THOSE SEVEN, THOSE SEVEN ITEMS, THOSE SEVEN ITEMS. SO. RIGHT. UM, AND MY MOTION WOULD BE TO THAT IT ISN'T CONSISTENT WITH THE GOALS, OBJECTIVES, AND POLICY OF THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN. MM-HMM. IT IS NOT IN CONFLICT WITH ANY PROVISION OF THIS DEVELOPMENT CODE OR THE CODE OF, UH, ORDINANCE. OKAY. IT'S REQUIRED BY CHANGE CONDITIONS. IT ADDRESSES A DEMONSTRATED COMMUNITY NEED. UH, IT IS CONSISTENT WITH THE PROPOSED AND INTENT OF ZONES IN THE DEVELOPMENT CODE OF ALL WOULD IMPROVE COMPATIBILITY AMONG USES AND ENSURE EFFICIENCY DEVELOPED MEANT WITHIN THE COUNTY, UH, WOULD RESULT IN ANY LOGICAL AND ORDERLY DEVELOPMENT PATTERN AND WOULD NOT RESULT IN ADVERSE IMPACT OF THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO WATER, AIR, NOISE, STORM WATER MANAGEMENT, WILDLIFE, VEGETATION, WETLANDS, AND THE NATURAL FUNCTIONING OF THE ENVIRONMENT. OKAY. AND SO THAT WOULD BE MY MOTION. THAT'S YOUR MOTION TO GRANT THE REQUEST FOR THE TAX AMENDMENT, CORRECT? MM-HMM, . OKAY. DO WE HAVE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND IT. I SECOND THEN. UM, CHAIRMAN PASSMAN. ALRIGHT. WITHOUT OBJECTION. WE'LL MOVE THIS FORWARD TO FULL COUNSEL OR DO WE WANNA HAVE A ROLL VOTE? I'M GONNA VOTE NO OUT OF THE GROUP. OKAY. WE'LL LET'S HAVE A, WE'LL HAVE A ROLL VOTE. UM, CAN WE DISCUSS FIRST MM-HMM. ? SURE. I, I, I WAS UM, LEANING TOWARD MR. RES BUT I LOOKED AT NUMBER SIX AND THIS GOES BACK TO WHAT MR. ATKINSON JUST SAID. UM, THE SPECIAL USE THE APPLICANT SEEKING TO ESTABLISH A SHORT-TERM RENTAL IN THE ZONE WOULD HAVE TO APPLY TO THE ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS FOR APPROVAL. AND SO WE'RE NOT THE FINAL ANSWER. IT HAS TO GO TO THE ZONING BOARD. MM-HMM. THAT GAVE ME A LITTLE MORE COMFORT HERE. UM, 'CAUSE I WAS LEANING TOWARD THE PLANNING COMMISSION, BUT THEY HAVE TO GO TO THE ZONING BOARD AND THEY MIGHT BE TURNED DOWN AT THAT POINT. SO NUMBER SIX KIND OF PUSHED ME THE OTHER WAY AND, AND, AND THE IMMEDIATE PEOPLE SURROUNDING WHATEVER RIGHT PARCEL THAT IS WOULD GET NOTIFICATION. MM-HMM. . YEAH. ALRIGHT, WELL LET'S DO A ROLL CALL IF WE COULD COMMITTEE VICE CHAIR GLOVER? YES. CHAIRMAN PASSMAN? YES. COUNCIL MEMBER TABER? YES. COUNCIL MEMBER RES? NO. COUNCIL MEMBER BROWN? YES. COUNCIL MEMBER OR COMMITTEE CHAIR HOWARD? YES. THE MOTION PASSES. OKAY. THIS WILL MOVE ON TO THE FULL, FULL COUNSEL. THANK YOU. UM, WITHOUT ANY OTHER BUSINESS ON OUR AGENDA, I DECLARE THE MEETING ADJOURNED. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. AND COUNTY COUNCIL WILL START AT FIVE O'CLOCK. FIVE O'CLOCK. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.