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CLOSED CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY BUFORT COUNTY
[*A portion of this meeting does not contain audio*]
FOR AMERICA, GOD JUSTICE, PLEASE BOW YOUR HEADS.THIS IS A VERY SPECIAL SEASON, THE MOST SPECIAL PART OF THE YEAR.
WE'VE BEEN GIVEN SO MANY BLESSINGS THIS YEAR, EACH AND EVERY SINGLE ONE OF US IN THIS ROOM.
I ASK THAT WE NOT ONLY REFLECT ON OUR OWN LIVES, I ASK THAT WE REFLECT ON THE LIVES OF OUR FAMILY AND OUR FRIENDS AND REALIZE THERE'S ALWAYS OTHERS IN GREATER NEED THAN US OF OUR OURSELVES.
SO TAKE THIS TIME, TREAT IT THE WAY IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE TREATED WITH LOVE, PEACE, AND HOPE.
AND I WHATEVER YOUR FAITH OR YOUR DENOMINATION, IT'S A HOLY PERIOD.
AND ALL THIS I ASK IN THE LORD'S NAME.
FIRST WE'LL MOVE TO THE ADOPTION OF
[IV. ADOPTION OF THE MINUTES]
ADOPTION OF THE MINUTES, REGULAR MEETING MINUTES OF 11, 12 24.MR. STEVE, IS THERE ANY CHANGES TO THOSE MINUTES? NONE.
DOES COUNSEL HAVE ANY CHANGES? IS THERE MOTION TO MAKE THE MOTION? IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND.
NEXT IS, UH, TOWN QUA TOWN COUNCIL QUARTERLY WORK, CIP WORKSHOP ON 10 15 24.
ARE THERE ANY CHANGES MR. CEASE? UH, NONETHELESS.
COUNCIL, HAS ANY, ANY CHANGES FROM COUNCIL? IS THERE A MOTION? SO MOVE.
AND NEXT WE HAVE THE REVISION OF REGULAR MEETING MINUTES OF 9, 10 24.
THE HIGHLIGHTED SECTION OF THE MEETING MINUTES PROVIDED IN THE AGENDA PACKET.
ANYBODY? DOES EVERYBODY UNDERSTAND THAT? IS THERE A MOTION? APPROVE.
[V. PRESENTATIONS, CELEBRATIONS, AND RECOGNITIONS]
WE'LL MOVE ON TO A PRESENTATION.CELEBRATIONS AND RECOGNITIONS.
UNFORTUNATELY HAVE EVERY COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT CHARACTER STUDENT OF THE MONTH.
THE STUDENT OF THE MONTH IS KENDALL BRODY.
SHE'S GOT A LOT OF HELP HERE TOO.
GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN AS ALWAYS.
SO KENDALL IS A FOURTH GRADE STUDENT FROM RED CEDAR ELEMENTARY.
KENDALL IS BEING RECOGNIZED FOR THE CHARACTER TRAIT, COURAGE AND TOLERANCE.
BECKY HANNI, THE SCHOOL COUNSELOR AT RED CEDAR ELEMENTARY.
I'M SO GLAD TO BE HERE TONIGHT TO RECOGNIZE KENDALL BRODY.
AND, UM, I WOULD LIKE TO TELL YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT HER TEACHER SAID ABOUT HER.
KENDALL IS A REMARKABLE YOUNG STUDENT WHO HAS SHOWN UNWAVERING COURAGE IN FACING ONE OF LIFE'S MOST CHALLENGING JOURNEYS DIAGNOSED WITH CANCER.
KENDALL HAS APPROACHED THE COMPLEXITIES OF HER ILLNESS WITH RESILIENCE, GRACE, AND INSPIRING POSITIVITY THAT HAS LEFT A LASTING IMPRESSION ON EVERYONE AROUND HER.
DESPITE THE DEMANDS OF FREQUENT HOSPITAL VISITS AND TREATMENTS, KENDALL REMAINS COMMITTED TO HER EDUCATION AND PARTICIPATES IN SCHOOL ACTIVITIES WHENEVER POSSIBLE.
HER GENTLE SPIRIT AND STRENGTH IN THE FACE OF THESE HARDSHIPS INSPIRE ALL WHO ARE FORTUNATE TO KNOW HER.
KENDALL'S COURAGE EXTENDS FAR BEYOND HER PERSONAL BATTLE.
HER RESILIENCE AND OPTIMISM HAVE CREATED A RIPPLE EFFECT THROUGHOUT HER SCHOOL COMMUNITY.
TEACHING OTHERS ABOUT KINDNESS, COMPASSION, AND THE IMPORTANCE OF SUPPORTING ONE ANOTHER.
KENDALL EXEMPLIFIES THE ESSENCE OF COURAGE.
WHETHER SHE IS PARTICIPATING IN SCHOOL EVENTS OR SHARING HER STORY,
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KENDALL'S BRAVERY SERVES AS A REMINDER OF THE TRUE MEANING OF STRENGTH AND ADVERSITY.YOU JUST GET A PICTURE YOU WANNA GET IN THERE WITH, WITH THEM.
NOW ONLY VERY SPECIAL PEOPLE GET THIS.
UP NEXT WE HAVE NATIONAL IMPAIRED DRIVING PREVENTION MONTH PROCLAMATION, NATIONAL IMPAIRED DR.
IMPAIRED DISTRACTED DRIVING PREVENTION MONTH PROCLAMATION.
WHEREAS DRIVING ON OUR ROADWAYS DURING THE MONTH OF DECEMBER CAN BE A DANGEROUS TIME.
AND WHEREAS TWO OF THE MOST CELEBRATED DAYS OF THE YEAR ARE CHRISTMAS EVE AND NEW YEAR'S EVE ARE KNOWN AS THE MOST DEADLY.
AND WHEREAS DECEMBER HAS BEEN RECOGNIZED AS NATIONAL IMPAIRED DRIVING PREVENTION MONTH BY EVERY PRESIDENT SINCE 1981.
AND WHEREAS ALCOHOL AND OTHER DRUGS, INCLUDING O OPIOIDS, MARIJUANA PRESCRIPTION, AND OVER THE COUNTER MEDICINES CAN IMPAIR DRIVING.
AND WHEREAS LACK OF EXPERIENCE, FEEDING USE OF CELL PHONES AND TEXTING OR SOME OF THE DISTRACTIONS THAT CAN AFFECT THE ABILITY TO DRIVE.
AND WHEREAS THE LOW COUNTRY ALLIANCE FOR HEALTHY YOUTH AND TEENS FOR HEALTHY YOUTH ARE WORKING TO RAISE AWARENESS OF THE DANGERS OF IMPAIRED AND DISTRACTED DRIVING.
AND WHEREAS THE LOW COUNTRY ALLIANCE FOR HEALTHY YOUTH AND TEENS FOR HEALTHY YOUTH SHARE OUR APPRECIATION AND SUPPORT FOR THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON STAY SAFE BLUFFTON DRIVING CAMPAIGN, WHICH AIMS TO PREVENT IMPAIRED AND DISTRACTED DRIVING.
N WHERE AS LOW COUNTRY ALLIANCE FOR HEALTHY YOUTH COALITION AND TEENS FOR HEALTHY YOUTH CALL UPON THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON TO PROCLAIM DECEMBER, 2024 AS IMPAIRED DISTRACTED DRIVING PREVENTION MONTH.
NOW THEREFORE, OUR LARRY TUBER MAYOR OF TOWN OF BLUFFTON, ALONG WITH TOWN COUNCIL DO HEREBY PROCLAIM DECEMBER, 2024 AS IMPAIRED DISTRACTED DRIVING PREVENTION MONTH IN THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON AND URGE ALL CITIZENS TO TAKE AN ACTIVE FIGHT AGAINST IMPAIRED AND DISTRACTED DRIVING DURING THE HOLIDAYS AND THROUGHOUT THE COMING YEARS.
YOU WANT TO SAY SOMETHING? YES, WE CAN.
WOULD YOU LIKE US TO GO OVER TO THE UM, YOU CAN PROBABLY JUST, THEY CAN HEAR YOU TALK LOUD.
AS YOUTH REPRESENTATIVES OF THE LOWCOUNTRY ALLIANCE FOR HEALTH YOUTH, UH, OKAY.
AS YOUTH REPRESENTATIVES OF THE LOWCOUNTRY ALLIANCE FOR YOUTH COMMUNITY BOARD AND AS TEENS FOR YOUTH MEMBERS, WE ARE HONORED TO ACCEPT THE PROCLAMATION PROCLAIMING DECEMBER AS IMPAIRED AND DISTRACTING DRIVING PREVENTION MONTH.
WE, WE WOULD LIKE TO EXPRESS OUR GRATITUDE TO THE MAYOR AND TO THE TOWN FOR GIVING TEENS THROUGHOUT THE YOUTH THE OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE IN TOWN OF BLACK'S ANNUAL CHRISTMAS PARADE, WHICH HAS ALLOWED US TO SPREAD AWARENESS AND IMPAIRED AND DISTRACTED DRIVING.
WE ARE MOST HONORED TO HAVE RECEIVED DISTINCTION IN 2019 AT US CO.
GRAND MARSHALLS FOR THE CHRISTMAS PARADE DUE TO OUR ROLE IN PROMOTING THE LU 43 DISTRACTED DRIVING CAMPAIGN, WHICH IS NOW THE STAY SAFE BL AND DRIVING CAMPAIGN INITIATED BY FORMER FORMER MAYOR LISA SOKA IN 2023.
THANK YOU AGAIN FOR URGING OUR CITIZENS TO TAKE AN ACTIVE FIGHT AGAINST IMPAIRED AND DISTRACTED DRIVING IN THE COMMUNITY OFIN THROUGHOUT THE HOLIDAYS AND IN THE UPCOMING NEW YEAR.
NOW UP NEXT, WE'VE GOT BEST PERFORMANCE AWARD WINNERS FROM THE CHRISTMAS PARADE ON SUNDAY, SATURDAY UP FIRST IS BATTERY CREEK HIGH SCHOOL, MARCHING BAND
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THEY'RE ALWAYS A CROWD FAVOR OF THE BLUFFING CHRISTMAS PARADE.
BATTERY CREEK IS ONE BEST PERFORMANCE FIVE TIMES THE BAND WON THIS YEAR.
AND IN 22, 19, 18 AND 17, THE DOLPHIN PRIDE MARCHING BAND HAS PARTICIPATED IN THE CHICAGO THANKSGIVING PARADE TWICE IN 2019 AND 2023.
BATTERY CREEK IS THE ONLY SCHOOL FROM THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS PARADE, ADDING TO ITS ACCOLADES.
THE DOLPHIN PRIDE MARCHING BAN HAS HAS PLANS TO ATTEND WASHINGTON DC INDEPENDENCE DAY PARADE THIS YEAR.
THE DOLPHIN PRIDE MARCHING BAN REQUESTED HIGH SCHOOL BAN IN BEAUFORT COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT.
CONGRATULATIONS TO EACH MEMBER OF THIS OUTSTANDING BAND FOR THIS AWARD.
AND ITS MANY ACCOMPLISHMENTS, UM, ON BEHALF OF THE BAND.
UM, MY NAME IS EDIE AND I AM PART OF THE BAND BOOSTER.
THEY ARE ACTUALLY AT PRACTICE 'CAUSE THEY HAVE A PERFORMANCE THIS WEEKEND COMING UP.
SO I'M HERE TO ACCEPT FOR THEM.
AND I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU, THANK YOU FOR RECOGNIZING THESE AMAZING STUDENT MUSICIANS BECAUSE THEY GIVE THEIR ALL EACH AND EVERY TIME THEY GO OUT AND THANK YOU.
LEMME GET STUDENTS CHANGE EACH YEAR, BUT THEY KEEP WINNING.
MIGHT BE THE COACHES MIGHT BE OKAY.
UP NEXT FOR THE BEST FLOW IS THE SPIRIT OF SEBASTIAN FOUNDATION, AND I'M NOT SURE IF WE HAVE ANY RIGHT HERE.
SPIRIT OF SEBASTIAN FOUNDATION IS A NONPROFIT FOUNDATION WAS CREATED IN LOVING MEMORY OF SEBASTIAN FLACO ZIBO, WHO FOUGHT ADDICTION THROUGHOUT HIS LIFE.
THIS FOUNDATION SUPPORTS PEOPLE WHO WANT AND ARE WILLING TO BE REHABILITATED THROUGH THIS FOUNDATION.
THIS ORGANIZATION PROVIDES THE OPPORTUNITY FOR PEOPLE WITH ADDICTIONS TO, TO BUILD A BETTER FUTURE FOR THEMSELVES AND THE COMMUNITY DRUG FREE, THANKS TO ALL THE FOLKS THAT HELP THEIR NEIGHBORS THROUGH THIS CHALLENGING JOURNEY.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO SAY ANYTHING TO, UH, SURE.
UH, YOU KNOW, UH, ON BEHALF OF, UH, THE SPIRIT OF, UH, SEBASTIAN FOUNDATION, AND WE LOST OUR SON SEBASTIAN, UH, LAST YEAR IN MARCH.
UH, HE WAS BORN AND RAISED HERE IN IN THE LOW COUNTRY.
UH, HE LIVED ALL HIS LIFE HERE IN, UH, BLUFFTON.
HE GRADUATED FROM MAY RIVER HIGH SCHOOL AND THROUGH THE PANDEMIC, AS WE ALL KNOW, HE STRUGGLED WITH THE PANDEMIC AND HE GOT INTO HIMSELF INTO, UH, OPIATES.
AND, UH, AFTER TWO, UH, ATTEMPTS TO REHABILITATE HIM, UM, LOCALLY AND OUT OUT HERE IN REHABS.
UM, UH, YOU KNOW, HE LOST A FIGHT ONE NIGHT HE DECIDED TO GO BACK OUT.
AND, UH, ONE PILL THAT HAD TOO MUCH FENTANYL TOOK HIS LIFE.
THE PILL THAT HE WAS SOLD, UH, COULD HAVE TAKEN THREE PEOPLE'S LIFE, SO HE STOOD NO CHANCE.
SO, IN HONOR OF HIM, WE, UH, WE, MY, MY FAMILY AND I, AND THE MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, WE, UH, IN THE PAST 18 MONTHS, WE'VE MANAGED TO PUT 26 PEOPLE THROUGH REHAB WITH, UH, LOCAL GRANTS THAT THE COMMUNITY HAS GIVEN US AND, UH, AND THE SUPPORT OF, OF OUR TOWN, AND MOST IMPORTANT, THE SUPPORT OF OUR COMMUNITY.
AND THIS, THIS MIGHT, THIS MEAN NOT A WHOLE LOT TO A LOT OF PEOPLE, BUT IT MEANS THE WORLD TO US BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, UH, ALL WE DO IS A LOVING MEMORY OF OUR SON, SEBASTIAN.
AND HO HO HO AND MERRY CHRISTMAS
AND, UH, HE WAS THE SANTA CLAUS IN OUR FLOOR.
OKAY, UP NEXT WE HAVE THE STATE OF MIND AWARD, TAYLOR'S LANDSCAPE SUPPLY.
DO WE HAVE ANYONE HERE FROM TAYLOR? NOT THIS EVENING.
WELL, TAYLOR'S LANDSCAPE SUPPLY NURSERY JUST CELEBRATED ITS 20TH ANNIVERSARY.
IT WAS VOTED THE BEST GARDEN CENTER IN BLUFFTON FOR 14 YEARS IN A ROW.
MOST OF US, AMONG ITS ALL ADES.
IT WAS ALSO RANKED IN THE TOP 50 GARDEN CENTERS IN NORTH AMERICA BY GARDEN CENTER MAGAZINE.
THE JUDGES SAID THAT THEY THOUGHT THE TAYLOR FLOAT DID A GREAT JOB OF INCORPORATING PLANTS AND TREES, SUCH AS THE PALMETTO TREE AND ITS FLOAT WERE BEST, WHICH BEST REPRESENTED LOCALLY.
SO I GUESS YOU'LL GET THAT TO MM-HMM
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OKAY.[VI. PUBLIC COMMENT]
THIS BRINGS US INTO PUBLIC COMMENT THAT'S MY FAVORITE.UM, DURING PUBLIC COMMENT, EACH SPEAKER IS LIMITED TO A TOTAL OF THREE MINUTES PER MEETING, REGARDLESS OF WHETHER THE PERSON IS SPEAKING ON THEIR OWN BEHALF OR AS AN AGENT FOR OTHERS, MEETING ATTENDEES MAY NOT DONATE, TRANSFER YIELD, OR GIVE ALL OF ANY OTHER PORTION OF THEIR SPEAKING TIME TO ANOTHER PERSON.
ALL PUBLIC COMMENTS ARE TO BE CONDUCTED FROM THE PODIUM AND DIRECTED TO THE TOWN COUNCIL AS A WHOLE AND NOT TO ANY MEMBER THEREOF.
ALL SPEAKERS SHALL BE, SHALL BE MINDFUL AND RESPECTFUL OF THOSE PARTICIPATING IN OR PRESENT AT THE MEETING.
SPEAKERS SHALL BE EXPECTED TO BE CIVIL IN THEIR LANGUAGE AND SHALL REFRAIN FROM COMMENT OR BEHAVIOR THAT INVOLVES DISORDERLY SPEECH OR ACTION, NAME CALLING, PERSONAL ATTACKS, THREATS, OBSCENE OR INDECENT REMARKS AND OR DISRUPTIVE ACTIONS.
ALL SPEAKERS SHALL CONFINE THEIR COMMENTS TO ISSUES UNDER THE JURISDICTION OF THIS TOWN.
COUNCIL SPEAKERS SHALL NOT USE THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD TO PROMOTE OR ADVERTISE AWARDS, BUSINESSES, SERVICES, GOODS, OR CANDIDATES FOR PUBLIC OFFICE.
ANY SPEAKER THAT VIOLATES THESE RULES AND PROTOCOLS FOR PUBLIC COMMENT MAY BE RULED OUT OF ORDER BY THE PRESIDING OFFICER AND PERSON WHOSE COMMENTS HAVE BEEN RULED OUT OF ORDER SHALL IMMEDIATELY CEASE AND DESIST FROM ANY FARTHER IMPROPER COMMENTS OF AN INDIVIDUAL TO DESIST FROM FURTHER IMPROPER COMMENTS MIGHT SUBJECT THE INDIVIDUAL TO REMOVAL FROM THE MEETING AND OR A CITATION UNDER SECTION TWO DASH FOUR NINE OF THE TOWN CODE.
SO, UH, FIRST WE HAVE MS. JOY COPE.
UM, I I WANTED TO ASK A FEW QUESTIONS ABOUT THE WORKSHOP.
SO CAN I WAIT AND SPEAK? I MEAN, ARE YOU GONNA BE ABLE TO ASK A QUESTION AT THE END OF THE, BECAUSE MY QUESTIONS MIGHT BE ANSWERED BY YOUR WORKSHOP.
SO IT SEEMS KIND OF, WELL, YOU, THIS IS OUR ONLY, UM, INTERACTION WITH THE PUBLIC.
ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T, WE DON'T ANSWER QUESTIONS, BUT IF YOU WANNA PRESENT YOUR QUESTIONS, THEN AT THE WORKSHOP, YOU MAY GET YOUR ANSWERS, AGREE ON IT A LITTLE BIT BETTER IF YOU, SO DO YOU WANT ME TO GO FIRST? YEAH, JUST GO AHEAD AND MAKE YOUR THREE MINUTES IF YOU WOULD LIKE.
WE JUST HAVE THIS AGENDA SET UP LIKE THAT AND START GETTING OFF OF IT.
I WAS, I THOUGHT OF A COUPLE WORKSHOP.
YOU ACTUALLY GOT TO ASK QUESTIONS.
WELL, WE, AND GET ANSWERS, BUT NO.
UM, PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS PLEASE.
AND, UM, I HAVE SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT THE WILLOW RUN WORKSHOP, AND MAINLY IT'S ABOUT THE DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS AND ON YOUR MAP, WHICH IS, UH, MAP, I'M SORRY.
UM, I THINK IT'S NUMBER FOUR, ATTACHMENT FOUR.
UM, AT THE BOTTOM OF IT, IT HAS A LIST OF THE OWNERS AND, UM, IT SAYS THAT, UM, WELL MOONEY HAS 18.85 COMMERCIAL ACRES.
THE SOUTHEAST REGIONAL HAS NONE.
AND INLAND BLUFFTON, LLC HAS NONE.
AND MY QUESTION IS, IS WHEN THE WILLOW RUN DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT WAS DONE, IT ALSO SAYS THAT, UM, THE TOWN HAS 115 LIDO.
UM, WHEN THE, WHEN THE DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT WAS DONE, UM, THE TOWN GOT 240 HOUSES FROM WILLOW RUN.
THEY GOT 90 HOUSES FROM THE, UM, INLAND BLUFFTON, LLC, WHICH AT THE TIME WAS UNIVERSITY INVESTMENTS.
AND IN EXCHANGE UNIVERSITY INVESTMENTS GOT 115 ACRES OF COMMERCIAL.
SO MY QUESTION IS, IS WHERE DID ALL THAT GO? UM, AND THEN YOU'RE GONNA TURN AROUND AND BUY ANOTHER 260 HOUSES, 162 COMMERCIAL AND TWO HOTELS.
SO I WAS JUST WONDERING WHAT HAPPENED TO THE ORIGINAL COMMERCIAL AND WHY THE INLAND BLUFFTON DOESN'T SHOW IT HAS COMMERCIAL.
UM, AND THEN ALSO IN YOUR WATERSHED, UM, I FORGOT WHAT IT'S CALLED, YOUR WATERSHED STRATEGIC PLANNING THING THAT Y'ALL WANT YOUR RETIREMENT DEVELOP.
YOU WANT TO RETIRE DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS WITHIN THE MAY RIVER WATERSHED, AND THE TOWN MANAGER ACTUALLY HAS AUTHORIZATION TO PURCHASE DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS.
SO, UM, YOU ARE GOING TO PURCHASE FOR TWO AND A HALF MILLION OF TAXPAYER DOLLARS, THE DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS, IF THE SCHOOL DOES NOT USE THEM,
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ARE YOU GOING TO RETIRE THEM? ARE YOU GONNA USE THEM SOMEWHERE ELSE IN BUCKWALTER OR CAN THEY BE USED SOMEWHERE ELSE IN THE WHOLE BLUFFTON COUNTY? UM, OKAY, SO, AND THEN, UM, YEAH.UM, SO WE DON'T COMMUNICATE AS FAR AS ANSWERING QUESTIONS LIKE THAT PUBLIC COMMENT, JOY, BUT I, WELL, COULD YOU DISCUSS IT AT THE WORKSHOP? WE, WE WOULD BE MORE THAN WILLING TO SET UP A TIME WHERE YOU COULD COME IN AND WE COULD ANSWER ALL THAT IN FIVE MINUTES.
BUT COULD YOU MAYBE ANSWER IT IN YOUR WORKSHOP? I MEAN, DO YOU NOT KNOW THE ANSWERS TO THIS? WE'LL SEE, IT MAY SHOW UP.
SHE MAY GET HER QUESTIONS ANSWERED DURING THE WORKSHOP.
BUT YOU'RE RIGHT, JUST, YOU CAN COME IN AND ASK ALL THESE QUESTIONS WITH STAFF AND CERTAINLY THEY WILL BE ANSWERED.
UM, AND THEN, THEN THE LAST IS CONCERNING THESE DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS.
UM, AT THE END OF ONE, UH, THE BUCK WALTER PARKWAY, YOU GAVE 70 ACRES OF COMMERCIAL TO, TO A DEVELOPER.
AND HE DIDN'T HAVE TO GIVE UP ANY RESIDENTIAL UNITS.
AND NORMALLY A DEVELOPER WOULD HAVE TO GIVE UP FOUR TO FIVE HOUSING UNITS TO GET ONE ACRE OF COMMERCIAL.
BUT ANYWAY, HE KEPT THE HOUSING RIGHTS.
AND THEN NOW WITH YOUR ANNEX PROPERTY, HE'S GOTTEN ANOTHER 28 ACRES OF COMMERCIAL.
AND THEN IF Y'ALL PUT THAT ROAD THROUGH, WELL, I MEAN, I GUESS MY QUESTION IS, IF Y'ALL PUT THE ROAD THROUGH THE NORTH SOUTH CONNECTOR, WHICH WILL GET TO HIS PROPERTY, WILL HE BE ABLE TO BUY THOSE DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS FROM YOU GUYS THAT Y'ALL JUST BOUGHT? SO HE CAN PUT IN COMMERCIAL, HANG OUT, HANG OUT FOR THE WORKSHOP? I THINK YOU'LL GET A LOT OF ANSWERS.
OKAY, UP NEXT WE HAVE MS. SHARON BROWN.
I'M AT 1 6 3 BUCK ISLAND ROAD.
UM, I WANT TO START OUT BY SAYING, DAN, THAT WAS A VERY MOVING PRAYER, COUNCILMAN, VERY MOVING YOUR VISION STATEMENT BLUFF IN THE HEART OF THE LOW COUNTRY, A TOWN THAT APPRECIATES THE PAST, FOCUSES ON TODAY AND IS PLANNING TOGETHER FOR A GREATER FUTURE.
WHAT DOES THE FUTURE LOOK LIKE FOR PEOPLE OF COLOR HERE IN BLOCKING? I ASKED THAT QUESTION ONCE BEFORE, AND IT LOOKS MORE DIRE AND DIRE EVERY TIME WE SEE DEVELOPMENT GOING ON.
AND IN OUR, UM, PART OF THE ROADWAYS, BUCK ALLEN, HENRY ROAD, PEOPLE ARE ALLOWED TO DO ALL TYPE OF ILLEGAL THINGS, PUTTING TRAILERS IN THE NIGHTTIME IN PLACES WE CALL.
THEN I WANNA GO ONTO YOUR MISSION STATEMENT.
Y'ALL TAKE CARE OF ME VERY WELL BY DISRESPECTING ME, THE TOWN AND EACH OTHER, BY CONTINUOUSLY MAKING OUR COMMUNITY AND ORGANIZATION BETTER TO MAKE THINGS BETTER.
SO I'M GONNA MOVE FORWARD WITH THE TOWN MANAGER JOB DESCRIPTION.
WE HAD A MEETING, THE MEETING WAS, OH MY GOD.
BUT IT SAYS, ONE OF THE TOWN MANAGER'S, UM, JOB DESCRIPTION IS ABILITY, ABILITY TO ESTABLISH AND MAINTAIN EFFECTIVE WORKING RELATIONSHIP WITH EMPLOYEES, CITIES OFFICIAL AND THE COMMUNITY.
THAT'S NOT HAPPENING BECAUSE WHEN I MET WITH YOU ALL, I ASKED YOU, MR. MAYOR AND THE TOWN MANAGER IN REFERENCE TO, I HAD A PROBLEM WITH HIM NOT RESPONDING TO ME.
I SAID, WHAT IS YOUR RESPONSE TIME? YOU COULDN'T ANSWER THAT.
BUT HE SAID, THIS IS HIS EXACT WORDS.
IT VARIES ACCORDING TO HOW BUSY I AM AND WHAT IS THE TOPIC.
I WANNA KNOW IF IT VARIES ON HOW BUSY HE IS.
HIS JOB IS TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE COMMUNITY.
SO I GOT PROBLEMS AFTER SEVEN MONTHS.
IT TOOK HIM SEVEN MONTHS TO COMMUNICATE WITH ME AND TO TELL ME THINGS THAT HE DIDN'T EVEN INVESTIGATE.
HE SENT ME SOME LITTLE BOGUS STATEMENT ABOUT WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT CARRIE BROWN, WHO CAME HERE AND ASKED ABOUT, UM, WHEN SHE MADE PHONE CALLS ABOUT THAT TRI, HE SAID THERE WAS A PERMIT.
IT WAS NO PERMIT BECAUSE I EMAILED YOU GUYS ON WHAT FAMILY MEMBER GAVE ME, UH, CAME FROM MR. ICAR.
THEY NEVER, THEY SUBMITTED A, UH, STARTED THEIR PERMIT BUT NEVER FINISHED IT.
SO THEY WERE ABLE TO PLACE THEIR MOBILE HOME IN ON THAT PROPERTY ILLEGALLY.
MY, MY PROPERTY RIGHT NEXT TO ME, YOU GUYS ALLOWED A SET UP A MOUND OF SAND THIS HIGH HERE ON THIS GUY CAN PUT HIS PROPERTY ON.
SO WHEN THE RUNOFF GOES, IT GOES ONTO MY PROPERTY.
MR. CARRELL TOLD ME THAT ON THOSE UNINCORPORATED AREAS LIKE THAT, MEANING IT'S NOT OLD TOWN, PEOPLE CAN PUT AS MUCH SAND AND, AND MOUNT THEIR, THEIR MOBILE HOME UP AS HIGH AS THEY WANT TO BECAUSE THERE'S NO ORDINANCE.
WE NEED TO CHANGE SOME THINGS.
AND ESPECIALLY YOU GUYS NEED TO TAKE A LOOK AT THE TOWN MANAGERS JOB DESCRIPTION.
HE HAS TOO MUCH POWER TO BE DISRESPECTING
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PEOPLE OF COLOR.[VII. COMMUNICATIONS FROM MAYOR AND COUNCIL]
MOVE ON TO COMMUNICATIONS FROM MAYOR AND COUNCIL.WE'LL START WITH YOU, MS. FRAZIER.
YOU DON'T HAVE ANYTHING? MS. OH, YOU DOING LADIES FIRST? LADIES FIRST IS THE HOLIDAY.
UM, I JUST, UM, WANNA, PER SAY, I KNOW KENDALL LEFT, BUT, UM, I JUST WANNA APPLAUD HER AND HER FAMILY AND, UM, SHE'S AN INSPIRATION TO ALL OF US.
AND AS WE THINK ABOUT THIS HOLIDAY SEASON, YOU KNOW, WE REALLY DO HAVE SO MUCH TO BE THANKFUL FOR.
UM, ANOTHER THING IS, I, I THINK THE POLICE ARE DOING THEIR TOY DRIVE UNTIL TOMORROW.
SO, UM, ANOTHER, UM, YOU KNOW, GIVING THIS TIME OF YEAR, I STRONGLY ENCOURAGE, THAT'S IT, MR. HAMILTON.
I WANNA WISH, UM, EVERYONE IN THIS ADVENT SEASON AND, AND WE CALL IT AN EXPECTATION OF THE COMING OF OUR LORD AND SAVIOR, HOPE, PEACE, JOY, AND PLEASE PRAY THE LOVE WHEREVER YOU GO.
I, UM, AND THANK YOU COUNCILMAN ONE THING THAT'S WELL SAID, AND THAT'S WHERE MY HEART IS TONIGHT.
I HOPE EVERYBODY ELSE IS AS WELL.
UM, SOMETIMES WE JUST HAVE TO BRUSH ASIDE SOME OF OUR FEELINGS AND JUST REACH OUT AND TOUCH SOMEBODY AND TRY TO LIFT THEM UP.
AND THAT'S WHAT THIS SEASON'S ABOUT.
PART OF, PART OF THAT, UH, I DO WANT TO TAKE JUST A MOMENT, UH, AGAIN, FOR THOSE WHO ARE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE OR, UH, COME TO THE BLUFFTON CHRISTMAS PARADE.
AND IF YOU HAVEN'T BEEN TO THE BLUFFTON CHRISTMAS PARADE, YOU SHOULD COME.
IT'S PUT IT ON YOUR BUCKET LIST.
BUT, UH, I THINK IT'S AMAZING WHAT THE STAFF DOES.
EVEN THE CHRISTMAS LIGHTS, I THINK TAKE OVER WELL OVER A MONTH AROUND THE TOWN TO GET THEM UP.
AND IF YOU NOTICED, I HAD FAMILY, I HAD FAMILY HERE THIS WEEKEND, AND I SAID ONE OF THE MOST ASTONISHING THINGS IS THE STREETS WILL BE CLEAN BY THE TIME THE PARADE ENDS.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, LOTS OF CANDY GOT THROWN OUT THERE.
THE MAYOR, HE HIT MORE KIDS WITH CANDY THAN I COULD COUNT.
BUT, UH, NO, SERIOUSLY, IT WAS, IT WAS WELL DONE.
AND, UH, I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU.
I, I JUST MOVE FASTER AND THREW BIGGER PILES OF CANDY THAN HE DID.
UM, WE SPEAKING ON THE PARADE, I, I FIRST WANNA SAY HOW GREAT A JOB EVERYONE INVOLVED DID.
UM, IF SOMEONE'S GOT SOME IDEAS OF HOW WE COULD MAKE IT BETTER, I'LL, I'LL HEAR 'EM.
BUT I'D KIND OF BE SURPRISED BECAUSE I THINK IT WAS AS CLOSE TO PERFECT AS IT COULD BE.
WITH THE EXCEPTION OF A COUPLE OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT CLOSING THE ROADS AS EARLY AS WE DID, THAT WAS DONE FOR A VERY LOGICAL REASON.
UM, AND I'M JUST GONNA PUT IT OUT THERE SO PEOPLE KNOW.
WE HAVE THE BOMB SQUAD DOGS, SNIFF DOGS GO THROUGH THE ENTIRE PARADE ROUTE BEFORE THE PARADE STARTS TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL OF OUR KIDS AND EVERYBODY INVOLVED ARE SAFE.
SO IT'S A LITTLE INCONVENIENCE, BUT YOU CAN'T DO THAT IN FIVE MINUTES, AND YOU CAN'T DO THAT AFTER THE PARADE STARTS BECAUSE OF ALL THE MOVING OBJECTS.
AND, UM, I I THOUGHT IT WAS A LITTLE EARLY AS WELL.
SO WHEN I GOT MY ANSWER, I SAID, YOU KNOW WHAT, THAT'S, THAT MAKES PERFECT SENSE TO ME.
UM, CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHTING WENT GREAT.
UM, IT WAS A FREEZING NIGHT FOR SANTA CLAUS AND TO GET TO ALL THOSE KIDS TO GET TO SANTA CLAUS.
SO HOPEFULLY WE'LL START THAT A LITTLE EARLIER NEXT YEAR IF IT'S COLD.
BUT, UM, ANYWAY, THAT'S ALL I'VE GOT.
AND I JUST WANNA SAY MERRY CHRISTMAS TO EVERYONE AND LET'S GET THIS JOB DONE.
[VIII.1. Direction and Input on Proposed Amendments to the Buckwalter Development Agreement and Concept Plan to Amend Provisions Related to the Requirements Pertaining to Infrastructure Improvements and Overall Development of Property Commonly Referred to as the Willow Run Tracts – Kevin Icard, Director of Growth Management]
WORKSHOP AGENDA ITEMS, DIRECTION AND INPUT ON PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO THE BUCKWALTER DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT AND CONCEPT PLAN TO AMEND PREVIOUS, I MEAN, TO AMEND PROVISIONS RELATED TO THE REQUIREMENTS PERTAINING TO THE INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS AND OVERALL DEVELOPMENT OF PROPERTY, COMMONLY REFERRED TO AS WILLOW RUN TRACKS.UH, GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
UH, AS YOU STATED, WE ARE HERE FOR A WORKSHOP, UM, AND HOWEVER YOU'D LIKE TO PROCEED, UM, I CAN GO THROUGH THE ENTIRE PRESENTATION OR IF YOU LIKE, UH, YOU'RE MORE THAN, UH, WELCOME TO, UM, ASK ANY QUESTIONS WHILE I'M GOING THROUGH THIS.
SO PLEASE FEEL FREE TO STOP ME, UM, ON ANY OF THESE ITEMS. UH, THIS EVENING WE'RE HERE TO DISCUSS, UH, THREE ITEMS. UH, THEY'RE KIND OF INTERWOVEN BETWEEN ALL OF THEM.
THE FIRST ONE WILL BE, UM, UH, PROPOSED AMENDMENTS FOR THE BUCK WALTER DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT AND THE CONCEPT PLAN.
UH, AND THIS IS SPECIFIC SPECIFICALLY FOR THE
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PROVISIONS FOR THAT NORTH SOUTH CONNECTOR ROAD.UM, WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT THE ACQUISITION OF DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS FOR THE 260, UM, RDUS, OUR RESIDENTIAL DWELLING UNITS, 162 ACRES OF GENERAL COMMERCIAL AND TWO HOTELS.
UH, AND THAT'S ASSOCIATED WITH THE PROPERTIES.
AND YOU'LL SEE THIS HERE IN A SECOND ON A MAP, UM, FOR THE BEAUFORT COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT THAT HAS UNDER CONTRACT FOR, FOR WILLOW RUN.
AND THEN OUR PORTION OF THAT WOULD BE FOR THE PURCHASE OF THE, THOSE DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS FOR $2.5 MILLION.
UM, AND THEN A, AN EXCHANGE OF TOWN OWNED PROPERTY OR A LAND SWAP OF, UH, PROPERTIES THAT'S OWNED, UH, BY THE TOWN, UH, WITH POTENTIALLY WITH THE, UH, BEAUFORT COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT CONSISTING OF 10, UM, UPLAND ACRES THAT WOULD FRONT ONTO 2 78.
UH, SO FROM AN INTRODUCTION STANDPOINT, UM, I'VE HIGHLIGHTED HERE IN ORANGE, THIS IS WHAT WE REFER TO AS THE WILLOW RUN TRACK.
UM, AND IT'S A TOTAL OF, TOTAL OF FOUR PARCELS.
THREE OF THEM ARE, UM, OWNED BY INDIAN HILL ASSOCIATES, UM, WHO IS, UH, UH, HAS A CONTRACT WITH BEAUFORT COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT TO PURCHASE THESE PROPERTIES.
AND YOU CAN SEE THAT WE OWN THE 19.755 ACRES, UH, TO THE SOUTH.
THAT WAS PART OF DONATION REQUIREMENTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE NINTH AMENDMENT OF THE DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT.
SO THIS ENCOMPASSED ALL OF THE WILLOW RUN TRACK.
SO, AS I STATED, UH, BEAUFORT COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT IS LOOKING TO PURCHASE THIS.
UM, AT THIS TIME THEY'VE STATED A, A, A POTENTIAL OF A LOWER SCHOOL, A K EIGHT, UH, POTENTIAL MIDDLE SCHOOL, UH, ATHLETIC FIELDS, COURTS, UM, ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICES IN ADDITIONAL STRUCTURES.
SO, UH, WE DON'T KNOW THE FULL EXTENT AS TO WHAT THEY'RE PROPOSING, BUT THEY'VE KIND OF LISTED THESE ITEMS AS, UH, AS WHAT THEY'RE LOOKING TO DO, UH, AND THE TOWN OWNED PROPERTY.
AND AGAIN, UH, STOP ME IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.
UH, THE TOWN OWNED PROPERTY THAT WE HAVE, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD THIS, UM, PART OF THAT NINTH AGREEMENT, WHICH INCLUDED, UM, A PORTION WHEN IT WAS DONATED THAT WAS SPECIFICALLY FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
UH, AND AN ADDITIONAL EIGHT ACRES OF UPLAND WAS PROVIDED FOR MUNICIPAL SITE.
UM, SO OTHER USES THAT COULD, UH, BE IN THERE WOULD BE INCLUDED THROUGH THAT BUCKWALTER COMMONS LAND USE TRACK.
SO FROM AN AERIAL STANDPOINT, TRY TO GIVE SOME PERSPECTIVE HERE OF THIS PROPERTY.
UH, AGAIN, YOU CAN SEE TO THE, TO THE NORTH IS, UH, 2 78 EAGLES POINT, UM, STATION 35.
UM, TO THE EAST WE HAVE WHAT WE REFER TO AS THE MOONEY TRACK.
UM, THAT'S THE ADJACENT PROPERTY THAT DOES PARTIAL RIGHTS.
UM, ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THEM IS ROSE HILL, UM, AND THEN THE SMALL SLIVER AT THE BOTTOM, THAT'S THE RESERVE AT, UH, WOODBRIDGE.
THAT IS THE APARTMENT COMPLEX, UM, THAT HAS ACCESS THROUGH WOODBRIDGE OFF OF BUCKWALTER PARKWAY.
SO SOME BACKGROUND INFORMATION, I THINK THIS WAS ONE OF THE, THE CONCERNS THAT HAD KIND OF BEEN BROUGHT UP DURING PUBLIC COMMENT.
SO 1996, WE'RE GOING BACK PRETTY FAR HERE.
UM, BEAUFORT COUNTY, UM, THEY ADOPTED AN ORDINANCE FOR INDIAN HILL, WHICH WAS REFERRED TO AS THE WILLOW RUN, PUD.
SO AGAIN, THIS WAS IN THE COUNTY UNINCORPORATED AT THE TIME, IN 1996.
UM, AND THAT HAD 590, UH, RESIDENTIAL DWELLING UNITS AND 7.4 ACRES OF COMMERCIAL.
SO IN 2003, THE HILL PETITIONED WITH THE TOWN TO BE ANNEXED IN.
AND WHEN THEY DID, THEY CAME IN AS THE WILLOW RUN, PUD.
SO IT WAS HIS OWN PUD AT THE TIME, UH, WITH A DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT.
SO THAT'S WHERE WE GET INTO THAT, THIS SECOND ITERATION WHERE WE, WHERE WE HAVE, WHERE THE TOWN ANNEXED THE PROPERTY IN, IN 2003 AND GAVE THEM THE RIGHTS OF THE 500 RDUS, 210, UH, THOUSAND SQUARE FEET OF GENERAL OFFICE, 250,000 SQUARE FEET OF RETAIL.
SO, UM, WHEN THE THIRD ITERATION, UM, SO THAT ANNEXATION THAT HAD THE WILLOW RUN, PUD, THEY REQUESTED TO COME INTO THE BUCKWALTER, PUD.
SO IN ESSENCE, WHAT HAPPENS IS THOSE, ANY OF THOSE RIGHTS WERE JUST, THEY, THEY GO AWAY.
THEY GO AWAY, AND THEN THEY ARE, UM, ASSIGNED RIGHTS IN THE BUCKWALTER PUD.
AND THAT'S WHERE WE ARE TODAY.
SO THIS BUCKWALTER, PUD, UH, IN 2008, UH, WAS CREATED AND THAT WAS PART OF THE NINTH AMENDMENT.
SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THINGS, EVERY TIME YOU HAVE TO CHANGE THAT, THAT DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT, YOU HAVE TO DO AN AMENDMENT.
UM, SO PART OF THAT, UM, WAS THE, AGAIN, THE 260 RDUS 162 ACRES OF GENERAL COMMERCIAL AND 2 150, UM, HOTEL UNITS.
UM, AND I, I'VE GOT A MAP HERE THAT I'M, UH, SHOW IN JUST A SECOND, UM, THAT KIND OF OUTLINES A LITTLE BIT MORE INFORMATION.
UM, BUT WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT THE OBLIGATIONS.
SO AGAIN, THAT NINTH AMENDMENT, WE TALK ABOUT THE, THE PROPERTIES BEING DONATED.
SO I'VE HIGHLIGHTED NUMBER FOUR HERE.
THIS IS THE, THE PROPERTIES THAT WERE DONATED, UM, WHICH WAS THE 3.7 ACRES AND EIGHT ACRES OF UPLANDS.
AND THEN ONE OF THE OTHER OBLIGATIONS WAS THE, UH, RIGHT OF WAY AND CONSTRUCTION OF THAT NORTH SOUTH CONNECTOR.
SO, UH, THERE'S A RELOCATABLE 80 FOOT EASEMENT, UH, THAT'S ON
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THAT MOONEY TRACK, AND IT BEGINS AT 2 78, AND IT RUNS ALL THE WAY TO SOUTH TO THE FUTURE PARKWAY.SO DURING THOSE OBLIGATION, UM, STANDPOINTS, THESE PROPERTIES WERE ACTUALLY ALL UNDER ONE PROPERTY OWNER.
UH, THE, THE ISSUE THAT WE HAVE NOW IS THAT WE HAVE MULTIPLE PROPERTY OWNERS, UM, THAT, UM, THAT STILL ARE REQUIRED OR STILL OBLIGATED TO MEET THAT NORTH SOUTH CONNECTOR.
THE NEXT ISSUE IS DEALING WITH CONSTRUCTION.
SO, UM, YOU'VE PROBABLY SEEN THIS PORTION OF THE, THE CONCEPT PLAN WHERE IT SAYS THE A, A PARCEL, B PARCEL, C PARCEL, AND YOU'RE LIKE, YOU'RE PHASING ASPECTS TO IT.
WELL, SO TO BREAK IT DOWN FOR, FOR PHASE ONE, SO IF THERE'S ANY DEVELOPMENT THAT HAPPENS IN PARCEL B, YOU'RE REQUIRED TO BUILD THE ROADWAY THAT'S SHOWN, THAT'S HIGHLIGHTED IN YELLOW.
SO FROM 2 78 TO THE SOUTHERN BOUNDARY OF THAT WILLOW RUN TRACK IS CONTI.
UH, IT'S, UH, IT'S TRIGGERED BY THAT ISSUANCE OF A FINAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN.
AND THEN PHASE TWO UH, BEGINS AT THE SOUTHERN BOUNDARY OF WILLOW RUN AND THE FUTURE PARKWAY, AND IS TRIGGERED BY AN ISSUANCE OF A FINAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN OF ANY PORTION OF A AND OR C.
SO WE OWN PROPERTY AND C SO IF WE WERE TO DEVELOP AND C THEN WE WOULD BE OBLIGATED TO CONSTRUCT THAT PORTION OF THE CONNECTOR ROAD.
SO WHAT HAPPENS HERE IS THAT THESE OBLIGATIONS, WHILE THEY WERE PUT IN PLACE IN 2008, IT'S EXTREMELY DIFFICULT FOR ANYONE TO BE ABLE TO, TO DEVELOP THIS SITE.
UM, THEY'VE HAD THIS, UM, ON THE MARKET FOR QUITE SOME TIME.
WE'VE HAD NUMEROUS INDIVIDUALS THAT COME IN, HAVE TALKED TO STAFF LIKE, HEY, WE'RE, WE'RE INTERESTED IN DOING THIS.
AND WE TELL 'EM LIKE, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO BUILD THIS ROAD.
UM, AND THEN THEY TYPICALLY JUST WALK AWAY BECAUSE IT'S A COST THAT'S JUST UNBEARABLE AND, AND THEY WOULD LOSE MONEY.
SO, UH, THAT'S WHERE WE ARE TODAY.
SO, UH, BEAUFORT COUNTY, UH, SCHOOL DISTRICT APPROACHED THE TOWN.
THEY WERE INTERESTED IN PURCHASING THIS PROPERTY.
UM, THEY FELT THAT IT WAS A SUITABLE SITE, UH, FOR, FOR THE NEEDS THAT THEY HAVE IN THE FUTURE.
AND THE WAY THAT WE HAVE IT SET UP IN THE PUD DOCUMENT IS THAT A SCHOOL DOES NOT NEED DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS TO, TO CONSTRUCT THEIR SITE.
SO THESE DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS WERE ASSOCIATED WITH THIS WILLOW RUN TRACK.
SO THE 260 RDU, THE 162 ACRES OF, UH, GENERAL COMMERCIAL, AND THEN THE 2 150 UNIT HOTELS.
SO THAT'S WHERE THE TOWN, THEY CAME TO THE TOWN ASKING, UM, TO, TO PARTNER WITH US.
UM, AND THAT'S WHERE WE'RE UNDER OUR AGREEMENT WITH THAT.
AND THIS PART OF ONE OF THE ATTACHMENTS WAS THE 200, UH, EXCUSE ME, $2.5 MILLION WOULD, WOULD GO TOWARDS THE PURCHASING OF THOSE GIVE TO THE SCHOOL DISTRICT FOR THE PURCHASING OF THOSE DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS.
SO WE DO HAVE A PROCESS, EVERYTHING HAS A PROCESS.
UM, SO AS WE WOULD GO THROUGH THAT, OBVIOUSLY ALL THIS INFORMATION WOULD COME BACK TO YOU, UM, AS THE ACQUISITION, THE PURCHASE AND SALE AGREEMENT, UH, YOU KNOW, THE, THE ASSIGNMENT OF THE DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS, ALL THIS WOULD, WOULD COME BACK TO YOU.
BUT THE QUESTION COMES ABOUT, UM, WHERE DID THIS, WHERE DOES ALL THIS STUFF GO? SO IT GOES INTO THE BANK.
WHEN WE SAY A BANK, IT'S A CLOUD, IT'S A CLOUD, IT'S A, IT'S A SPREADSHEET ACTUALLY OF HOW WE KEEP TRACK OF ALL THIS INFORMATION.
SO THOSE DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS GO INTO PERPETUITY.
SO, UH, YOU AS THE TOWN COUNCIL, YOU, YOU HAVE THOSE RIGHTS AND YOU OWN THEM.
AND WE'VE BEEN EXTINGUISHING THOSE RIGHTS, UM, THROUGHOUT THE YEARS.
UM, AND THAT HAS BEEN ONE OF YOUR STRATEGIC, UM, ACTION ITEMS IS TO MAKE SURE TO ACQUIRE RIGHTS WHEN IT'S WHEN YOU CAN.
UM, AND I THINK THAT THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY, UM, TO TAKE THESE, TAKE THESE RIGHTS OFF THE TABLE.
SO, UM, 162 ACRES OF GENERAL COMMERCIAL, UH, WOULD GIVE YOU A DEVELOPMENT THAT'S A 1.6 MILLION SQUARE FOOT, UH, RETAIL DEVELOPMENT.
SO BETWEEN THAT AND THEN 260 DWELLING UNITS, UH, THAT'S A, A LARGE APARTMENT COMPLEX.
AND OF COURSE, WE ALL KNOW WHAT TWO FIFTY, A HUNDRED FIFTY UNIT HOTELS WOULD LOOK LIKE.
UM, SO I JUST PULLED A COUPLE OF OTHER NUMBERS.
SO AS OF OCTOBER 18TH, 2023, UM, THE DEVELOPMENT BANK THAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW, UH, THERE'S A TOTAL OF 1084, UM, RESIDENTIAL, RESIDENTIAL DWELLING UNITS, UM, 119,000 SQUARE FEET OF COMMERCIAL, AND THEN THE 3.56 ACRES OF GENERAL COMMERCIAL.
NOW YOU'LL SEE TWO DIFFERENT, YOU HAVE ONE THAT'S SQUARE FOOTAGE AND ONE IS ACREAGE.
SO DIFFERENT PUDS HAD DIFFERENT WAYS THAT THEY COUNTED, UM, COMMERCIAL RIGHTS.
SO, UH, OUR KENT ESTATES, WHICH HAS SINCE BEEN EXTINGUISHED, THAT WAS OUT ON ONE 70, UM, THEY HAD RIGHTS BASED OFF OF SQUARE FOOTAGE, WHEREAS LIKE IN BUCKWALTER, WE HAVE IT, UH, BASED ON ACREAGE.
SOME OF THE R RDUS THAT WERE IN THE BANK BELONGED TO PALMA BLUFF.
HAVE THEY MOVED ALL OF THOSE OR THERE'S STILL SOME SITTING THERE? UM, THERE'S STILL SOMETHING.
NO, THEY'VE, THEY'VE MOVED THEM ALL.
OKAY, SO THEY'VE UTILIZED THEIRS.
THEY HAD THE RIGHT TO, THEY HAD THE RIGHT TO NO, I KNOW, BUT I JUST WANNA BE SURE THAT THEY WEREN'T STILL SITTING IN THE BANK.
ALL, ALL THE RDUS ARE IN THE BANK ARE OWNED BY THE TOWN.
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YES.UM, ALSO, UM, I THINK A QUESTION CAME ABOUT OF, OF CONVERSIONS SPECIFICALLY FOR THE BUCKWALTER PUD.
THERE WAS A CONVERSION FACTOR, HOWEVER, AS IT'S BEEN MET.
SO THERE'S NO MORE CONVERSION OF EITHER RESIDENTIAL TO COMMERCIAL OR COMMERCIAL TO RESIDENTIAL.
SO THAT IS NO LONGER ALLOWED ANYWHERE IN THE BUCK.
WALTER PUD IN THE BUCKWALTER PUD.
UM, SO THE NEXT ITEM WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT IS THE, THE LAND SWAP.
AND THIS IS WHERE, UM, IT GETS A LITTLE COMPLICATED.
SO I'M TRYING TO BREAK THIS DOWN AND THEN IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO STOP ME.
SO, UH, WHEN THEY REACHED OUT TO US, UM, TO TALK ABOUT THE, UM, THE SALE OF THOSE, UH, RIGHTS AND THE POTENTIAL LAND SWAP FOR A NEW SITE HERE, UM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE TALKED ABOUT AN AREA UP ON 2 78.
UH, IT WASN'T REALLY KNOWN EXACTLY WHAT THAT WOULD LOOK LIKE.
UM, SO AS WE WERE GOING THROUGH THIS, UH, WE WORKED ON A, AN ON AN MOU, UM, WHICH WE HAD BROUGHT TO YOU PREVIOUSLY.
UH, AND IT KIND OF OUTLINES LIKE WE WE'RE GONNA DO THIS AND YOU DO THAT.
SO, UM, PART OF THAT IS THAT NEW FACILITIES FOR THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS THAT WE WOULD, UM, WE WOULD LOOK TO SWAP THAT LAND THAT WE NEED.
UM, THE SCHOOL DISTRICT WANTS TO TRY TO STAY AWAY FROM 2 78.
THEY DON'T LIKE TO HAVE SCHOOLS OUT ON THE MAIN ROAD.
SO IT WAS ADVANTAGEOUS FOR THEM TO HAVE THEIR SCHOOL FURTHER BACK INTO THE SITE.
WHILE IT'S MORE ADVANTAGEOUS FOR US TO HAVE OUR SITE UP CLOSER TO 2 78.
SO THE EXCHANGE, UM, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT TO DOING IS THE 19.75 ACRE PROPERTY, UH, WHICH I HAVE HIGHLIGHTED HERE IN GREEN, UH, FOR ANOTHER SITE OF APPROXIMATELY 10 ACRES ON THE NORTHERN BOUNDARY.
UH, AND THAT'S WHY I JUST HAVE MORE SQUIGGLY LINES OF BLUE THAN, THAN ANYTHING ELSE IS NOT 100% DEFINED.
UH, THE OTHER ITEM WAS, UH, THEY'VE ASKED THAT WE TERMINATE THE EASEMENT, UM, THAT'S CURRENTLY THROUGH WILLOW RUN TO OUR PROPERTY.
SO THAT'S THAT ORANGE LINE, UH, THAT'S ON THE PLATS RIGHT NOW THAT THAT GIVES US THE ABILITY TO GET BACK TO OUR PROPERTY, UM, BY, BY VEHICLE, BY, YOU KNOW, BY WALKING, WHATEVER IT IS.
WE HAVE THAT RIGHT TO GET BACK THERE.
SO WHAT THEY'RE ASKING IS THAT WHAT WE CAN, UM, TERMINATE THAT OBVIOUSLY.
'CAUSE IF WE DO A LAND SWAP, WE DON'T NEED TO GET BACK TO THE BACK OF THE PROPERTY ANYMORE.
UM, OR IF, IF FOR SOME REASON THAT IF THINGS ARE CHANGED THAT WE COULD ADJUST IT AS NEEDED.
SO, UH, AND THEN ALSO, UM, AND I HAVE ANOTHER SLIDE HERE IN A MINUTE FOR YOU TO TALK ABOUT.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE KIND OF WORKED THROUGH SOME CAPACITY STUDIES JUST TO SEE WHAT COULD, UM, WHAT COULD HAPPEN AND HOW MUCH SPACE WOULD WE NEED FOR THOSE THINGS TO HAPPEN.
SO BEAR WITH ME AND I'LL SHOW YOU HERE IN A SECOND.
UH, THE NEXT ONE WAS FOR BEAUFORT COUNTY.
SO PART OF THAT IS THEY WOULD RE UM, RETAIN A ONE-TIME OPTION TO REPURCHASE PROPERTIES, UH, EXCUSE ME, THE DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS AT A COST OF THE $14,432 PER SQUARE FOOT, UH, IN THE CASE THAT THEY DON'T DEVELOP THE SITE.
SO AGAIN, RIGHT NOW, THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, THEY WANNA PURCHASE IT.
DID I, IF I SAID SQUARE FOOT, I APOLOGIZE.
UM, SO IN THE EVENT THAT, UM, THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, LET'S SAY, YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE THE, THIS TOTAL ACREAGE AND THEY'VE COME TO REALIZE AFTER A COUPLE OF YEARS, UH, 'CAUSE THEY'RE GOVERNMENT, THEY'RE KIND OF SLOW, UM, THAT THEY'VE DECIDED THAT THEY, THEY DON'T NEED THAT ENTIRE AREA.
THEY'VE DECIDED THAT WE'VE FOUND ANOTHER LOCATION THAT'S MORE APPROPRIATE FOR A SCHOOL.
YOU KNOW, WE MIGHT ONLY USE THIS FOR, FOR BALL FIELDS OF, OF ANY SORT.
YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW, UH, WHAT THAT WOULD BE.
AND WE WOULD WANT TO THEN HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BUY BACK SOME OF THOSE RIGHTS AND THEN POTENTIALLY SELL THEM TO USE ON THAT PROPERTY.
SO THEY WOULD SELL OFF THE LAND.
'CAUSE YOU HAVE TO REMEMBER, LAND AND RIGHTS ARE SEPARATE THINGS.
YOU DON'T AUTOMATICALLY GET RIGHTS WITH A PIECE OF LAND.
SO YOU HAVE TO HAVE YOUR DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS, UM, TO GO WITH A PIECE OF LAND.
UH, YOU COULD POTENTIALLY PURCHASE A PIECE OF PROPERTY THAT DOESN'T HAVE ANY DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS, THEN YOU WOULD HAVE TO GO OUT TO ACQUIRE RIGHTS FROM SOMEONE ELSE THAT ALREADY OWNS THEM IN ORDER TO, TO DEVELOP THE SITE.
UM, SO THAT'S ONE OF THE, THE, THE ITEMS THAT THEY HAVE IN THERE.
HOWEVER, UM, IT'S MEMORIALIZED THAT IT'D ONLY BE AVAILABLE AFTER FIVE YEARS OF, OF IT BEING RECORDED AND THEN IT EXPIRES 25 YEARS AFTER IT'S RECORDED.
SO THEY GOT A WINDOW OF 20 YEARS TO BE ABLE TO, TO DO IT, AND THEY GOT ONE SHOT.
SO THEY GOT ONE TIME TO COME IN HERE TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT.
AND DURING THIS ENTIRE PROCESS, IF THEY DECIDE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT, ALL OF THAT COMES BACK TO YOU, UH, FOR REVIEW AND APPROVAL PRIOR TO ANYTHING HAPPENING.
SO JUST TO MAKE SURE IT'S NOT LIKE IT, IT, IT'S LIKE IT HAPPENS AND YOU GUYS DON'T KNOW ABOUT IT.
IT WOULD HAVE TO COME BACK IN FRONT OF TOWN COUNSEL TO BE VOTED ON.
KEVIN, MAY I ASK YOU A QUESTION? YES.
UM, IF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT DID COME BACK AND BUY ANY OF THOSE DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS, DOES THAT HAVE TO, DO THOSE RIGHTS HAVE
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TO REMAIN IN THAT WILLOW RUN TRACK? MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT WHEN WE GO TO DRAFT THE CONTRACT, WE WILL HAVE THAT CLAUSE IN THERE THAT IT WILL STAY IN THAT WILLOW RUN TRACK.IT CANNOT BE USED ANYWHERE ELSE.
THE, THE 14,432, WHERE DID THAT NUMBER COME FROM? I DO NOT KNOW.
'CAUSE I, I COULDN'T FIGURE THAT OUT.
I LOOKED AT IT, YOU KNOW, I LOOKED AT THE 2.5 MILLION AND THEN I MULTIPLIED THAT TIME, THE ACREAGE, AND I THINK I CAME UP LIKE 14 MILLION.
SOMETHING ABOUT A HUNDRED THOUSAND LESS THAN THE, EXCUSE ME, NOT 14 MILLION, LET ABOUT A HUNDRED THOUSAND LESS THAN THE 2.5 MILLION.
I JUST WAS CURIOUS HOW WE DERIVED AT THAT NUMBER.
WELL, WE'LL LOOK INTO, I'LL RESEARCH AND FIND OUT HOW WE CAME UP WITH THAT.
AND I, I DON'T UNDERSTAND EITHER, KEVIN, BECAUSE DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS SO MUCH ACRE, BUT HOW WOULD THAT DETERMINE WHAT THEY COULD BUILD OR HOW MUCH THEY COULD BUILD? IT WOULD JUST FALL RIGHT BACK INTO THE BUCK WALTER PUD AS FAR AS WHAT'S ALLOWED USE WISE, YES, IT WOULD, IT IS STILL, THE PLANNING TRACK THAT WILLOW RUN IS IN IS CALLED THE, UM, IT'S CALLED BUCK WALTER COMMONS PLANNING TRACK.
AND THAT'S THE MOST PER PERMISSIVE, MEANING THAT'S THE MOST ALLOWED USES.
UM, SO IF THEY WERE TO GO BACK, TYPICALLY YOU WOULD THINK OF JUST WHEN I, WE REFER TO LIKE GENERAL RETAIL, YOUR BIG BOX STORES, YOUR RETAIL STORES, PERSONAL SERVICES, THINGS LIKE THAT.
UM, THAT'S, THAT'S THE TYPE OF USES THAT MOST LIKELY WOULD OCCUR.
UH, INCLUDES OFFICE SPACES, UH, MEDICAL OFFICE, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT ON THOSE ROUTES, UM, WE DETERMINED THAT FOR ONE ACRE OF, OF DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS, TYPICALLY YOU'RE GONNA GET ABOUT 10,000 SQUARE FEET OF, OF HEATED SQUARE FOOTAGE FOR A BUILDING.
UH, MEANING THAT BY THE TIME YOU PUT THE 10,000 SQUARE FOOT SQUARE, AND THEN IF YOU HAVE A, YOU KNOW, A ONE ACRE SQUARE, YOU PUT THAT 10,000 SQUARE FOOT BUILDING ON THERE, THE PARKING THAT YOU HAVE TO HAVE ON THERE, THE STORMWATER THAT YOU HAVE TO HAVE ON THERE, ALL THAT STARTS TO FILL UP THAT BOX, THAT ONE ACRE BOX.
AND THAT, THAT'S ABOUT HOW MUCH OF ACREAGE YOU CAN, YOU CAN GET OUT OF THAT ONE SQUARE FOOT OR THE ONE AC THE, IF THAT WE KNOW WHAT THEIR INTENTIONS ARE, BUT LIKE YOU'RE SAYING, IF SOMETHING UNFORESEEN HAPPENED AND THEY DON'T GO THROUGH WITH WHAT WE THINK THEY'RE GOING TO GOING TO DO, UM, AND SO THEY GET THE DEVELOPMENT RIGHT BACK AT THIS PRICE, THEY CAN'T EXCEED WHAT'S ALREADY ALLOWED THERE.
NOW CAN THEY, MEANING, COULD THEY, COULD SOMEONE, TWO HOTELS HIRE ADDITIONAL TWO HOTEL, RIGHT? THE TWO HOTELS, THE 260 RDUS, ET CETERA, ET CETERA, THAT'S WHAT'S ON THE BOOKS TODAY THAT EXIST FOR THE WILLOW RUN BUCK WALTER TRACK, THEY CAN'T EXCEED THAT NUMBER, IS THAT CORRECT? UM, NO, THAT'S WHAT THEY, THAT'S WHAT THEY CURRENTLY OWN.
NOW, HYPOTHETICALLY, LET'S SAY THAT SCHOOL DISTRICT PURCHASES, WE GET THE RIGHTS SCHOOL DISTRICT A FEW YEARS DOWN THE ROAD, THEY HAVE COME IN AND SAID WE WANNA PURCHASE BACK A HUNDRED ACRES OF THOSE RIGHTS.
UM, THAT ALL HAPPENS, THAT A HUNDRED ACRES OF DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS, DEPENDING ON HOW THEY CARVE UP TO SELL OFF THAT PROPERTY.
'CAUSE THE SCHOOL DISTRICT OWNS IT AT THAT POINT TO, TO SELL IT TO WHOMEVER WOULD THEN DEVELOP IT.
IF, IF THEY, LET'S SAY THEY HAD THEY, THEIR ACREAGE, THEY NEEDED SOME MORE RIGHTS, THEY COULD ACQUIRE ADDITIONAL RIGHTS FROM SOMEONE ELSE THAT THAT STILL HAS THEM.
AND YOU CAN, YOU CAN APPLY THEM TO THAT PROPERTY.
THEY JUST CAN'T, UM, THEY'RE NOT GETTING ANYTHING ELSE FROM THE TOWN.
SO LIKE THE HOTELS AND THE RE AND THE RESIDENTIAL THAT'S GONE.
LIKE THAT'S NOT, THAT'S NOT PART OF THAT, THAT ABILITY FOR THEM TO, TO THAT ONETIME PURCHASE.
SO THAT ONETIME PURCHASE IS JUST FOR THE GENERAL, UM, COMMERCIAL ACREAGE.
NOW, LET'S SAY AGAIN, YOU COME BACK, THEY CARVE IT OFF, THEY SELL IT OFF, THEY GET THE, THE COMMERCIAL RIGHTS, AND THEN THEY ACQUIRE, YOU KNOW, UH, RESIDENTIAL UNITS FROM, FROM SOMEWHERE ELSE.
THEY COULD COME IN AND, AND, AND APPLY THAT.
NOW YOU ALSO HAVE TO REMEMBER THAT IF, IF THIS WERE TO HAPPEN, NUMBER ONE IS IT'S GONNA COME BACK IN FRONT OF YOU.
IN ORDER FOR THAT TO, TO TO, TO GO THROUGH, UM, NUMBER TWO, THEY WOULD HAVE TO COME BACK IN WITH A MASTER PLAN, UM, WHICH WOULD GO THROUGH THE PROCESS OF PLANNING COMMISSION AND ULTIMATELY TOWN COUNCIL.
SO AT THAT TIME, WE WOULD KNOW IF THEY WERE, IF THEY WERE BRINGING ADDITIONAL RIGHTS IN.
BUT, UH, I MEAN, ONLY SPECULATING AT THIS POINT, AND I COULDN'T TELL YOU EXACTLY.
IT'S INTERESTING THAT THAT NUMBER OF 14,432 PER ACRE WOULD BE
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EVEN ON THEREYOU KNOW, AND WHAT IS $14,000 19 YEARS FROM NOW? ABOUT FIVE NICKELS PROBABLY.
AND IF I COULD, SO THIS IS, THIS IS THE WORKSHOP.
SO PLEASE NOTE THAT THERE, THERE WAS A MEMO, UH, MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING.
UM, THIS STILL HAS TO GO THROUGH, UM, THE ENTIRE PROCESS.
UM, AND I'LL, AND I'LL SHOW YOU, UM, KIND OF NEXT STEPS HERE IN A, IN A FEW MINUTES, BUT THIS IS THE FEEDBACK THAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR.
SO IF THERE ARE CONCERN, IF YOU HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE ABILITY FOR THESE RIGHTS TO MOVE AROUND SOMEWHERE ELSE, UM, YOU HAVE, UM, YOU KNOW, CONCERNS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, ADDITIONAL RIGHTS COMING IN, THOSE ARE ALL THINGS THAT WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU.
THAT GIVES US GUIDANCE AS WE'RE MOVING THROUGH THIS PROCESS, UM, IN ORDER TO, TO DRAW UP THE, THE DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT AMENDMENT, UM, THE WHEREAS IS AND, AND THE RECITALS, UH, ALL OF THAT, ALL OF THIS INFORMATION YOU'RE PROVIDING TODAY IS WHAT WE'RE GONNA USE TO ASSIST US, UH, MOVING FORWARD AND ULTIMATELY BRINGING IT BACK TO YOU AGAIN FOR A REVIEW AND APPROVAL.
WELL, I WOULD, I WOULD LIKE TO, UM, JUST, JUST AS A NOTE HERE, UM, IT'S MY OPINION THAT I WOULD, I WOULD LIKE, AS WE MOVE FORWARD FOR US TO HAVE FIRST REFUSAL ON ANY PROPERTIES THAT THEY DECIDED THEY DON'T NEED FROM ALL FIELDS AND SCHOOLS OR WHATEVER, SO THAT WE COULD POSSIBLY BUY THAT BACK FROM THEM IN THE FUTURE.
NOT SAYING WE HAVE TO OR WE'RE GOING TO, BUT SO THAT WE COULD HAVE FIRST REFUSAL TO PREVENT THE OTHER DEVELOPMENT FROM GOING IN.
I, I DON'T PERSONALLY, I'M JUST IN ONE VOICE, OBVIOUSLY I, WHAT THEY ARE ALLOWED TO HAVE TODAY.
I DON'T WANT THEM TO BE ABLE TO EXCEED THAT ON THE WILLOW RUN TRACK IF FOR SOME REASON I UNDERSTAND WHY.
WE ALL UNDERSTAND YOU CAN BUY A PIECE OF PROPERTY AND THINGS JUST DON'T WORK OUT THE WAY YOU HOPE THEY WOULD.
IT HAPPENS EVERY DAY, BUT I DON'T WANT THEM TO BE ABLE TO EXCEED THE RIGHTS THAT THEY HAVE ASSOCIATED AS THEY STAND TODAY TO A GREATER NUMBER YEARS FROM NOW.
AND, AND, AND TO THE MAYOR'S POINT, THE MONEY, THE NUMBER WE SPOKE ABOUT, I THINK THERE HAS TO BE A CLAUSE, UH, TO, TO DEAL WITH THE INFLATION ASPECT OF IT BECAUSE YOU'RE RIGHT AFTER 19 OR 20 YEARS THAT THAT NUMBER BECOMES MINISCULE.
IT ALREADY SAYS THAT IN THE DOCUMENT.
SORRY, WHAT'S THAT? IT'S INCLUDED, CPIS INCLUDED IN THERE.
ADJUSTMENTS FOR CPI ARE INCLUDED IN THE MOU RIGHT NOW.
ANYTHING ELSE ON THIS SLIDE? OKAY, I'LL KEEP MOVING ON.
ALRIGHT, SO WE TALKED ABOUT CAPACITY STUDIES.
UM, SO, UM, WE PERFORMED CAPACITY STUDIES, UH, THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, THEY PERFORMED A CAPACITY STUDY.
THEN WHAT THAT DOES IS IT ACTUALLY HELPS YOU TO DETERMINE IS THIS SITE SUITABLE FOR WHAT WE NEED TO DO? UM, SO, UM, YOU KNOW, I'VE SEEN A CAPACITY STUDY WHERE THEY LITERALLY JUST PLOPPED DOWN A K EIGHT, SOME THEIR PARKING LOT AND SOME BALL FIELDS LIKE, WILL THIS FIT YES OR NO? SO WE DID THE SAME THING HERE.
UM, AND WITH PART OF THAT LAND SWAP WAS WE NEEDED TO DETERMINE HOW MUCH SPACE WOULD WE NEED IF WE DECIDED TO MOVE FORWARD WITH, UM, AN AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECT.
AGAIN, THIS IS CONCEPTUAL, THIS IS NOT MEANT TO, UH, TO DETERMINE WHAT IS BEING BUILT, UH, ANYTHING.
SO JUST AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO, TO, FOR TALKING POINTS.
SO, UH, YOU CAN SEE HERE, UH, WE CAME THROUGH WITH, UM, SOME AREA THAT WOULD POTENTIALLY BE FOR, UM, AFFORDABLE HOUSING, UM, FROM A MULTIFAMILY STANDPOINT, ALSO A SMALLER, UH, AFFORDABLE HOUSING, UH, MULTIFAMILY COMPONENT AND POTENTIAL FOR A, UM, A PERFORMING ARTS CENTER.
SO JUST TO SEE, YOU KNOW, IF IF WE WERE TO DO A PERFORMING ARTS CENTER, WHAT WHAT WOULD LOOK, WHAT WOULD THAT LOOK LIKE? UM, AND I BELIEVE STEVEN, UM, CHOSE THE SIZE OF THIS SITE WAS FROM GREENVILLE, UH, THE ONE THEY HAVE IN SPARTANBURG, THE CHAPMAN CULTURE.
AND WE ALSO USED, UH, HILTON HEADS AS AN EXAMPLE AS WELL.
SO WE USED, UH, YOU KNOW, REAL LIFE, UH, EXAMPLES TO DETERMINE THE SIZE OF A BUILDING AND THEN THE APPROPRIATE AMOUNT OF PARKING THAT WOULD BE NEEDED FOR THAT.
SO, UH, THIS WOULD, WHAT THIS DOES IS IT GIVES US THE OPPORTUNITY TO SAY YES, UH, WE FEEL CONFIDENT IN THAT ACREAGE THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT SPECIFICALLY FOR, UM, FOR THAT MULTIFAMILY THAT, THAT, THAT WOULD FIT ON THIS SITE.
UM, SO A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT, UM, THE TOWN, UM, WILL BE DOING.
SO, UM, FROM REASONABLE EFFORT STANDPOINT, AND WE TALKED ABOUT THAT RELOCATABLE, UH, EASEMENT HERE.
SO WE WOULD COORDINATE WITH THE OWNERS OF THE, THE MOONY TRACK, UH, WHICH IS ADJACENT TO THE WILLOW
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RUN TRACK TO ESTABLISH THE RECORDED EASEMENT, UM, UH, FOR THAT NORTH SOUTH CONNECTOR THROUGH THE MOONY TRACK, UH, WITH A CONNECTION POINT TO THE INDIAN HILL PROPERTY AS DETERMINED BY THE DISTRICT.SO WHAT THAT MEANS IS THAT RIGHT NOW THAT, UH, EASEMENT IS RELOCATABLE, MEANING IT COULD BE MOVED.
SO OUR GOAL IS TO, LET'S, LET'S GO AHEAD AND ESTABLISH WHERE THAT EASEMENT IS GONNA BE LOCATED THROUGH THE MOONEY TRACK, AND THEN THE SCHOOL DISTRICT AS THEY MOVE FORWARD, WOULD THEN DETERMINE WHERE THEIR CONNECTION POINT IS, UM, THROUGH WILLOW RUN TRACK AND ULTIMATELY UP TO 2 78.
SO WHAT THAT DOES IS WE START TO ESTABLISH WHERE WE'RE GOING TO, UH, WHERE WE'RE GOING TO LAY THIS ROAD, ROAD NETWORK SO THAT, UM, RELOCATABLE EASEMENT, UM, YOU KNOW, AS WE HAVE IT SHOWN ON THE PLA THERE, UM, WE WOULD WORK THROUGH THAT NINTH AMENDMENT, THE SECTION 11, AND I'LL SHOW YOU HERE IN JUST A SECOND, UM, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GET THE CONNECTION POINT ACCURATE.
UM, ALSO WITH THAT, WITH THE AMENDMENT TO THE DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT CONCEPT PLAN, UH, THERE ARE CURRENT OBLIGATIONS, UH, FOR INDIAN HILL PROPERTY RELATED TO THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE NORTH SOUTH CONNECTOR ROAD, UM, IS TO BE ABLE TO ADJUST SOME OF THE LANGUAGE THAT WE HAVE IN HERE.
I DON'T EXPECT YOU TO SIT HERE AND READ THIS INFORMATION.
UM, I DID PUT IT UP HERE JUST TO SHOW THAT THIS IS THE SECTION OF THE NINTH AMENDMENT ON SECTION 11 THAT WE WOULD BE, UH, UH, TAKING SOME OF THE INFORMATION OUT AND ADJUSTING IT BASED ON AS, AS WE'RE MOVING FORWARD.
SO, UM, WITH THAT IS THE, THE OBLIGATIONS, UH, AS WE TALKED ABOUT IN PHASE ONE AND PHASE TWO OF THAT CONSTRUCTION, UM, WE WOULD AMEND THOSE TERMS OF THE CONSTRUCTION OBLIGATIONS, UM, AS THE INDIAN HILLS REQUIREMENT FOR THE PHASE CONSTRUCTION, THAT PHASE ONE AND TWO.
UM, AND THEN WE WOULD FOCUS IT ON, UM, TAKING OUT SOME OF THE COMPONENTS OF WHO'S REQUIRED TO DO WHAT, WHERE, WHEN, AND HOW.
AND THIS IS WHAT WE, WHAT WE CAME UP WITH IS THAT UPON THE DEVELOPMENT OF ANY PORTION OF THE SCHOOL FACILITIES, UH, BEAUFORT COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT WILL DESIGN, ENGINEER, DEVELOP, CONSTRUCT THE NORTH SOUTH CONNECTOR ROAD FROM 2 78 TO ITS CONNECTION POINT WHERE WE SAID WHERE THE SCHOOL WOULD HAVE THEIR CONNECTION IN, INTO THAT ROADWAY, UH, IN, IN COMPLIANCE WITH ALL OF OUR, UM, STANDARDS THAT WE HAVE.
UM, AND THEN ONCE IT'S, IT'S COMPLETE, THAT PORTION OF ROADWAY, ONCE IT'S COMPLETE, THEY WOULD DEDICATE THAT TO THE TOWN.
SO THE TOWN WOULD THEN BE THE OWNER OF THAT ROAD THAT'S COMING FROM 2 78 THROUGH THE MOONEY TRACK, NOT, NOT BEAUFORT COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT'S DRIVEWAY.
SO IT'S JUST THE ROADWAY, NOT THE DRIVEWAY.
UM, SO AGAIN, THAT HAS A PROCESS.
UH, WE'D GO THROUGH THAT AND THAT WOULD ALL COME IN FRONT OF YOU.
UM, BUT ONE OF THE CALLS ALSO IS THAT THE SCHOOL DISTRICT WILL DESIGN AND ENGINEER, UM, THAT CONNECTION OR THAT ROADWAY ALL THE WAY DOWN, UM, TO THE, THE SOUTHERN END OF THAT MOONY TRACK.
BUT THEY'LL ONLY BUILD LIKE, YOU KNOW, THEY'LL BUILD THE FIRST THIRD OF IT, BUT THEY'LL DESIGN THE REST OF IT, AND THEN THEY GIVE US THE PLANS THAT WAY.
WE THEN OWN THOSE DESIGN AND ENGINEERED PLANS.
SO IN THE FUTURE, IF WE WERE TO, 'CAUSE WE NOW WE'VE ESTABLISHED THE ROADWAY AND WE'VE ESTABLISHED THAT LIKE WHERE IT'S GOING TO CONNECT THROUGH MOONEY, UH, DOWN TO THE ADJACENT PROPERTIES.
SO WE WOULD, UH, THEN OWN THOSE ENGINEERED PLANS SO THAT WAY IN THE FUTURE, IF WE WERE TO THEN CONSTRUCT A ROAD, WE'VE ALREADY, UM, YOU KNOW, PASSED A HUGE HURDLE OF THE, THE DESIGN AND ENGINEERING COMPONENT OF IT.
AND THEN, UM, THE LAST WAS THAT THE TOWN AT ITS DISCRETION SHALL DESIGN AND ENGINEER, UM, ACCEPT THOSE PORTIONS WE JUST TALKED ABOUT, UM, DEVELOP AND CONSTRUCT THE NORTH SOUTH CONNECTOR ROAD FROM ITS CONNECTION POINT WITH THE INDIAN HILL TRACK TO THE INSECTION OR OF THE FUTURE PARKWAY.
UM, ALL OF THIS WOULD HAVE TO COME, UM, IN FRONT OF TOWN COUNCIL FOR APPROVAL THROUGH ORDINANCES AND THEN RECORDED WITH THE REGISTER OF DEEDS.
SO THIS EVENING, UM, YOU STARTED TO TALK ABOUT SOME OF THIS INFORMATION.
UM, SO WE HAVE A COUPLE QUESTIONS.
ONE WAS, DOES COUNCIL DESIRE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE PROPOSED AMENDMENTS, UH, TO THIS DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT CONCEPT PLAN? UH, ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE, UM, OF THE REVISIONS OF THE PROPOSED, THE POTENTIAL LAND SWAP, UH, THE ACQUISITION OF THE DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS, UH, THE CONSTRUCTION OF THAT NEW NORTH SOUTH CONNECTOR ROAD? AND THEN ARE THERE ANY PROVISIONS OR TERMS, UH, WHICH YOU WOULD BE CONSIDERED TO ADD WHEN PREPARING THE APPLICATIONS FOR FORMAL SUBMITTAL? OBVIOUSLY WE'VE GOT SOME OF THE COMMENTS THAT, UM, ON THE PREVIOUS SLIDE THAT WOULD'VE BEEN, UM, DEALING WITH THE LAND SWAP, UH, THE FIRST RIGHT OF REFUSAL, UM, NOT TO EXCEED AS OF TODAY, THE DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS.
UM, AND THEN THE, THE CLAUSE ON THE NUMBER, UM, ON THE AMOUNT OF MONEY.
UM, AND THEN WE ARE, WHICH WE'VE ALREADY ESTABLISHED, WE DO HAVE THE, THE CPI ASSOCIATED WITH THAT, BUT IF THERE'S ADDITIONAL, UM, ITEMS THAT WE HAVE, WE CAN, WE'RE HAPPY TO GO THROUGH THEM ALSO.
AND, AND I CAN GO BACK TO THAT SLIDE, BUT FROM KIND OF A NEXT STEPS STANDPOINT, WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?
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UH, SO AS WE TAKE THIS INFORMATION, UH, WE SUBMIT, UH, THE, THE APPLICATIONS, UM, THIS WOULD GO IN FRONT OF OUR REVIEW DEVELOP DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE, AND I, I HAVE, I HAVE, UM, SLIMMED THIS DOWN A LOT.THERE'S A LOT MORE, UM, STEPS INTERNALLY THAT HAVE TO HAPPEN, BUT JUST FROM A, A HIGH LEVEL, THIS WOULD GO DEVELOPMENT, UH, REVIEW COMMITTEE, UH, FOR COMMENTS FROM A TECHNICAL ASPECT.
UM, IT WOULD GO TO OUR PLANNING COMMISSION AS A WORKSHOP, UM, IN ORDER TO, FOR, UM, AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE PLANNING COMMISSION IN AN INFORMAL SETTING, UM, TO, TO GO THROUGH THIS INFORMATION.
THEN PLANNING COMMISSION WOULD HEAR IT AGAIN AT A PUBLIC HEARING AND PROVIDING A RECOMMENDATION THAT COMES BACK TO YOU FOR A FIRST AND SECOND READING.
NOW AGAIN, WE HAVE THESE DATES LISTED HERE AND THEY ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE.
SO KEVIN, YOU DID NOTE THAT I, I, WHEN I SAID FIRST REFUSAL ON, ON THAT CLAUSE OF THAT, YES, YES.
I DO HAVE SOME, UM, UH, COMMENTS ALSO, KEVIN, IN TERMS OF CONSIDERATIONS, UM, GOING BACK TO THE CAPACITY STUDY AND SOME OF THE IDEAS THAT WERE JUST PROPOSED AS, UM, CONCEPTUALS, IF, UM, THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO ALSO LOOK AT A CAPACITY STUDY FOR A POTENTIAL, UM, LIKE A SPORTS, UH, COMPLEX USES IN TERMS OF, UM, MAINTENANCE UNDER A TOWN STANDPOINT, KNOWING THAT WE DO HAVE LIMITED, UH, SPORTING FACILITIES RIGHT NOW FOR OUR SCHOOLS AND STUDENTS IN DIFFERENT REC LEADS TO BE ABLE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF WHETHER IT'S LIKE, UH, YOU KNOW, MORE SOCCER FIELDS, BATTING CAGES, WHATEVER IT IS, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE WHAT THAT WOULD LOOK LIKE ON THAT.
I THINK YOU CALLED IT OUT, UH, THE 10 ACRE, UM, ALLOTMENT WHERE LIKE THE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER SPACE WAS.
UM, AND THEN THE SECOND THING, AS ALL THIS IS HYPOTHETICALS RIGHT NOW, BECAUSE NOTHING'S BEEN DEVELOPED, WE STILL GOTTA GO THROUGH MASTER PLANS.
BUT, UM, WHEN THAT HAPPENS, I WOULD LIKE TO SAY WE DEFINITELY NEED TO HAVE SOME CONSIDERATIONS OF LIKE THE CONNECTOR, UM, PIECE AND HOW WE'RE ENGINEERING THE ROAD WITH THE THOUGHT OF IF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT DOES MOVE FORWARD AND WE HAVE THAT THERE, THAT WE, UM, BUILD IN ROAD CONSIDERATIONS, UM, THINKING OF LIKE, UH, PARENT PICKUP LINES AND THINGS LIKE THAT, AND ADDITIONAL BUILDINGS TO MAKE IT EFFICIENT FOR, UM, YOU KNOW, WHOEVER'S OCCUPYING THAT SPACE, ESPECIALLY IF THE TOWN IS TAKING OWNERSHIP OF THAT DESIGN, UM, THAT WE DON'T HAVE ROADS THAT ADD TO CONGESTION OF WHATEVER'S GONNA UNDERSTOOD.
UM, AND, AND, AND HAVING MULTIPLE CONVERSATIONS WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, UM, ON THIS PROPERTY AS WELL AS OTHER PROPERTIES, UM, THAT'S A, A HUGE FACTOR IN THEIR DESIGN.
SO, UM, THAT, THAT STORAGE, THE STORAGE WOULD BE ON WHAT I REFER TO AS THEIR DRIVEWAY.
SO IT WOULD NOT BE ON THIS, THIS NORTH SOUTH CONNECTOR ROAD.
SO THAT WOULD ACTUALLY BE A, A, A FREE FLOWING ROADWAY AND THAT THEY WOULD HAVE TO DESIGN FROM THAT POINT TO THE SCHOOL THE NECESSARY, UM, STACKING THAT THEY'D HAVE TO DO.
UM, SO, AND IT PUSHES IT PRETTY FAR BACK.
SO THE GOAL IS THAT THEY WOULD HAVE AMPLE STACKING FROM THE SCHOOL, UM, AND IT, AND IT KIND OF WOULD MEANDER THROUGH IN ORDER TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL STACKING.
UM, AND I DO KNOW THAT SOMETIMES, YOU KNOW, THEY'LL DO THE DOUBLE LANES AND THEN, AND THEN WE'LL REDUCE DOWN.
SO THEY ARE FULLY AWARE OF THAT AND MAKE SURE THAT THEY HAVE, HAVE PLENTY OF STACKING.
I KNOW LIKE, WE MAY NOT BE LIKE THE ULTIMATE END ALL BE ALL, BUT AT LEAST IF WE ARE IN THE CONVERSATION AND TALKING, 'CAUSE SOMETIMES THESE DECISIONS HAPPEN IN SILOS AND THEN WE'RE KIND OF STUCK DEALING WITH THE RAMIFICATIONS OF IT.
SO IT'S JUST LIKE, AS LONG AS WE'RE ABLE TO BE A VOICE IN THAT CONVERSATION, KNOWING THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO LIVE WITH WHATEVER DECISIONS ARE MADE.
I'VE, I'VE SAT IN THAT LINE AT, AT BLUFFTON MIDDLE SCHOOL.
THE ONE AT, AT BRETT CEDAR MAKE REMEMBER, THEY'LL GIVE YOU, YOU'LL BE THERE FOR A MINUTE.
COMMENTS FROM MR. BUSH? I HAVE ONE MORE QUESTION, PLEASE.
UM, AND, AND I KNOW WE'VE TOUCHED ON THIS BEFORE WITH COUNCIL AND THE TOWN MANAGER.
AND SO THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA, EXCUSE ME, THE, UM, POTUS I GUESS DECIDED THAT WETLANDS WERE NECESSARILY THE WETLANDS THAT WE'VE ALL LIVED BY FOR DECADES, GENERATIONS.
AND SO WE'RE WAITING FOR SOUTH CAROLINA TO DETERMINE WHAT STANDARD THEY WERE GOING TO HAVE, TO MY KNOWLEDGE, UNLESS THEY'VE DONE SO.
UM, HOW TO RECOGNIZE THE WETLANDS, HOW THEY'RE GOING TO ADDRESS IT.
AND SO WE'VE TRIED TO COME UP WITH OUR OWN SITUATION WHERE WE PUT A BUFFER AROUND THE WETLANDS FROM A DEVELOPMENT PERSPECTIVE TO TRY TO PROTECT THEM SOMEWHAT.
SO WHAT I'M ASKING, AND YOU MAY NOT KNOW THE ANSWER TO THIS, KEVIN, IT MAY NOT BE AVAILABLE TO YOU.
I'M JUST CURIOUS IF THE WETLANDS WILL CHANGE AT ALL ONCE THIS PROJECT STARTS TO DEVELOP A LITTLE BIT.
WE ACTUALLY JUST RECEIVED, WE JUST RECEIVED A WETLANDS DELINEATION, UM, AS OF NOVEMBER 13TH
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OF THIS YEAR.AND IT WAS UPDATED, UH, AND I'M NOT SURE THE LAST TIME THAT IT WAS UPDATED, UM, BUT IT'S BEEN QUITE SOME TIME.
AND THERE WAS A, AN ADDITIONAL 0.5 ACRES OF LAND THAT HAD HAD BEEN CONSUMED BY WETLANDS.
SO, YOU KNOW, WETLANDS ARE, ARE CONSTANTLY CHANGING FROM A BUFFER STANDPOINT.
LIKE THE CAPACITY STUDIES THAT WE'VE DONE, WE, WE'VE APPLIED A 25 FOOT BUFFER AROUND THE, UM, AROUND THE WETLANDS.
UM, SO JUST, JUST FOR THE CAPACITY STUDY, SOME OF THE ISSUES THAT YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT IS WE'RE, WE'RE GOING THROUGH THE, UM, UH, A RESILIENCY STUDY RIGHT NOW, WHICH INCLUDES, UH, THE WETLANDS.
AND I BELIEVE KIM IS GONNA BE TALKING MORE ABOUT THAT AT THE JANUARY WORKSHOP.
SO SHE'LL DEFINITELY BE ABLE TO GIVE MORE INSIGHT, UM, AS TO KIND OF WHAT WE'RE DOING AND WHERE WE'RE GOING WITH THAT.
AND THAT'LL, THAT'LL DEFINITELY BE HELPFUL OVERALL FOR DEVELOPMENT AS WE'RE MOVING FORWARD.
AND, AND OBVIOUSLY SPECIFICALLY FOR THIS ONE, BUT, YOU KNOW, THE WETLANDS, WETLANDS DO CHANGE, BUT YOU HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, YOU PICK A POINT IN TIME, UM, WHEN YOU GO TO IT TO DEVELOP.
UH, AND OBVIOUSLY WITH ALL THE STORM WATER MEASURES THAT WE HAVE IN PLACE, YOU KNOW, OUR GOAL IS TO ALWAYS, UM, NOT IMPACT THE WETLANDS.
UH, AS YOU CAN SEE THROUGH THE, THE DEVELOPMENT THAT WE, UH, PUT UP HERE, UH, WE DIDN'T IMPACT ANY OF THE WETLANDS, SO WE DESIGNED AROUND THEM.
UH, YOU COULD GO THROUGH THE, THE, THE CORPS OF ENGINEERS TO, TO FILL THOSE IN PREVIOUSLY.
UM, AND IT'S, AGAIN, IT'S KIND OF THAT NO MAN'S LAND RIGHT NOW, UH, WHICH WE ARE TRYING TO ESTABLISH, BUT WE'RE DEFINITELY, UM, PUTTING 25 FOOT BUFFERS AROUND ALL OF THEM.
SO KEVIN, JUST GOING BACK TO WHAT COUNCILMAN WOOD ASKED, I THINK THE, WHERE HE MAY BE GETTING AT IS WITH THE AMENDMENT, IF WE MAY BE DEFINED THAT NO CONSTRUCTION COULD OCCUR IN THE WETLANDS AS DEFINED BY LIKE THE DELINEATION AS OF THIS DATE, COULD WE DO THAT AS PART OF THE DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT AMENDMENT THAT WE'RE PUTTING IN PLACE TO PROTECT? AND THAT WOULD THEN KIND OF COVER WHAT COUNCILMAN WOOD SAYING IS THAT WE PROTECT THOSE WETLANDS THAT ARE IN PLACE CURRENTLY.
I WOULD LIKE TO LOOK INTO THAT TO, TO GIVE YOU AN ANSWER.
UM, WE CAN SEE FROM, FROM A LEGAL STANDPOINT, IF I COULD ADD MIND JUST GIVING SOME BACKGROUND TO WHAT COUNCIL, UM, AND WOULD MENTIONED, AND FOR THOSE IN THE AUDIENCE AND LISTENING, WHAT HE WAS ALLUDING TO WAS THE, UM, THE CLEAN PROTECTIONS ACT.
AND WE KNOW IN 2017, UM, THE SCOTUS AND THEN PRESIDENT TRUMP REPEALED THE FEDERAL PROTECTIONS THAT WETLANDS HAD.
AND THOSE RIGHTS NOW, UM, EXIST WITH THE INDIVIDUAL STATES.
STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA IS NOW NO LONGER DAC, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE HAS TO NOW HAVE THAT DESIGNATION OF WHAT IS WETLANDS.
SO RIGHT NOW IT'S KIND OF OPEN IN THE SENSE OF THOSE PROTECTIONS DON'T EXIST.
AND WE'RE HOPING WITH LIKE HOME RULE AND OTHER THINGS THAT WE CAN AT LEAST, UM, CAPTURE SOME TYPE OF JURISDICTION AND PUT IN OUR OWN PROTECTIONS TO SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, IF WE DESIGNATED IT AS WETLANDS, LET'S STILL MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE PROTECTED.
AND DEVELOPMENT DOESN'T HAPPEN RIGHT NOW.
UM, THOSE RIGHTS ARE NOT, UM, ARE NOT DEFINED BECAUSE OF THAT.
YEAH, I I'M GOING TO, TO HER POINT AND TO, TO TOWN MANAGER'S POINT TO BOIL IT DOWN, WE NEED IT, IT'S BEEN SAID, WE NEED IT FOR PROTECTION, FOR RESILIENCY AND OTHER ISSUES, BUT ALSO I DON'T WANT TO SEE WETLANDS DECLINE AND, UH, UPLAND GROW.
RIGHT? A DEVELOPMENTAL LAND THAT DOESN'T EXIST TODAY BECOMES DEVELOPMENTAL, UH, UNLESS THEY DID REMEDIATION AS REQUIRED BY THE CORPS OR SOMEBODY.
I NEED TO GO BACK TO, I'M NOT SURE WHY WE MENTIONED, UM, NUMBER FOUR ON SECTION EIGHT, KEVIN FOUND AS A DISCRETION SHELL DESIGN ENGINEER EXCEPT FOR THOSE PORTION DESIGNED BY THE ENGINEER BY BEAUFORT COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT, DEVELOP AND CONSTRUCT THE NORTH SOUTH CONNECTOR ROAD AND THE CONNECTION POINT WITH THE INDIAN HILL TRACK TO HIS INTERSECTION AND THE FUTURE, BLUFFTON PARKWAY PHASE FIVE, I MEAN PHASE FIVE B, WHY ARE WE, WHY ARE WE SUGGESTING THAT IN THIS WORKSHOP, UH, THAT'S PART OF THOSE, THE, THE OBLIGATIONS SO THAT NORTH SOUTH CONNECTOR ROAD IS OBLIGATED, YOU'RE OBLIGATED TO, TO BUILD WHOMEVER'S OBLIGATED TO BUILD IT.
WHAT WE'RE ASKING, IN ESSENCE IS TO REMOVE THAT OBLIGATION.
AND WHAT IT DOES IS IT ALLEVIATES, NUMBER ONE, IT ALLEVIATE, ALLEVIATES THE SCHOOL DISTRICT FROM HAVING TO BUILD THIS NORTH SOUTH CONNECTOR ROAD.
'CAUSE RIGHT NOW, IF THEY WERE TO COME IN AND TRY TO, THEY BOUGHT THE PROPERTY AND THEY TRIED TO DEVELOP A SCHOOL THERE, THEY WOULD BE REQUIRED TO BUILD THAT ROAD FROM 2 78 ALL THE WAY TO THE NON-EXISTENT PARKWAY.
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AND THAT'S WHY NOTHING HAS BEEN BUILT IN THIS WHOLE AREAS BECAUSE OF THAT STIPULATION THAT WAS PUT ON THERE YEARS AGO.2008 IS WHEN IT WAS PUT ON THERE.
SO WHAT WE'RE, WHAT WE'RE ASKING AS PART OF THIS PROCESS IS WE'RE WE REMOVE THAT REQUIREMENT, WE REMOVE EITHER THE SCHOOL DISTRICT OR THE TOWN, IF WE MOVED FORWARD WITH ANYTHING OR WHOMEVER THEY WOULD BE REQUIRED TO HAVE TO BUILD THAT ROADWAY BECAUSE OF WILLOW RUN.
WHEN, WHEN, WHEN WOULD THAT HAVE TO BE DONE? KEVIN, IS THAT CLEAR? WHAT'S THAT? THE, THE DESIGN IN, UM, THE, THE, THE FOR THE SCHOOL DISTRICT? NO, IT SAYS WHERE THE TOWN, UM, WOULD DESIGN AND ENGINEER AT ITS DISCRETION SHALL, SHALL DESIGN ENGINEER EXCEPT FOR THOSE PORTIONS OF DESIGN.
SO THAT IT PUTS THE DECISION TO EVEN BUILD IT WITH COUNCIL.
I MEAN, IT'S AT COUNCIL'S DISCRETION IF THEY'LL DETERMINE THAT IT'S NOT NECESSARY, YOU DON'T HAVE TO DESIGN AND BUILD IT.
IF, UM, IT'S NOT NE IF YOU DECIDE THAT YOU DO WANNA MOVE FORWARD WITH IT, THEN AT THAT POINT IN TIME WE WOULD.
BUT IT TAKES THE REQUIREMENT OFF OF WILLOW RUN AND PUTS IT AT A HUNDRED PERCENT AT THE COUNCIL'S DISCRETION TO DETERMINE WHETHER THEY WANT MOVE FORWARD WITH IT OR NOT.
THAT SO, SO WE WANT, WE WANT THE BILL, WE WANT IT IS GOING TO BE AT OUR, AT OUR EXPENSE IF, IF IT'S BUILT, YES SIR.
RIGHT NOW IT'S, IT'S ANYONE WHO OWNS WILLOW RUN AND THEY START TO, TO DEVELOP, AND AGAIN, LEMME GO BACK TO THE, THAT PHASING PLAN WHERE I TALKED ABOUT ANYONE THAT OWNS AND WANTS TO DEVELOP A OR C, THEY HAVE TO BUILD THAT ENTIRE ROAD.
SO, SO RIGHT NOW, IF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT DECIDED THEY WANT TO BUILD A SCHOOL ON PARCEL A, THEY WOULD HAVE TO BUILD THAT ROAD EVEN IF THERE IS NO PARKWAY THERE.
I THINK WE'RE JUST REWORDING WHAT IT, THE WAY IT WAS SAID BEFORE.
SO IT WOULD BE UP TO US IF, IF THERE'S NEVER A FIVE B OR NEVER A REASON TO COME THAT CONNECTOR ROAD, YOU RIGHT.
THEN COUNCIL CAN SAY IT WOULD NEVER NOT, IT WOULD NEVER EVEN EXIST.
IF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT SOLD IT IN THE FUTURE WITH THE NEW LANDOWNER, IT WOULD STILL BE, THE TOWN WOULD STILL HAVE TO PAY FOR THAT, EVEN IF IT'S DEVELOPED LIKE THE COMMERCIAL RIGHTS.
SO AS IT'S, AS IT'S SET UP RIGHT NOW, UM, THERE'S NO, UH, IT'S, IT IS, IT'S ONCE IT'S CHANGED, IT'S IT'S DONE.
LIKE YOU DON'T, THERE'S NO, THERE'S NO REQUIREMENTS.
SO IF IN THE FUTURE THEY SELL IT AND SOMEBODY COMMERCIAL, IF THEY CAME BACK, SOLD IT AND DID THAT, THEN THEY'RE, THAT PERSON'S NOT OBLIGATED TO BUILD THAT NORTH SOUTH CONNECTOR ROAD.
BUT THAT IS SOMETHING THAT IF YOU WISH WITH COUNCIL'S INPUT, WE CAN ADD INTO, WE CAN ADD THAT IN.
IT'S LIMITED TO THE SCHOOL DISTRICT IF THEY SELL IT, THAT THE NEW DEVELOPER WOULD THEN HAVE TO BUILD THAT CASE, TAKE THAT LIABILITY BACK ON.
YEAH, I THINK THAT WOULD BE FAIR AND SMART.
ANYTHING MS. BUR? UM, I AGREE WITH COUNCILWOMAN FRAZIER THAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE A CAPACITY STUDY TO INCLUDE THE SPORTS FIELDS.
UM, TO GO BACK TO THAT CAPACITY STUDY PAGE, THE, THE, UM, BASEBALL DIAMONDS THAT WAS NOT PART OF THE TOWN.
AM I CORRECT THAT THAT WAS ON THE COUNT? YEAH, YOU ARE CORRECT.
THAT THAT IS, THAT'S JUST, THAT'S THE SCHOOL DISTRICT'S CAPACITY STUDY.
THAT WAS, THAT WAS TAKEN, LITERALLY TAKEN FROM THE, THE IMAGE THAT WAS PROVIDED TO US.
AND AGAIN, THAT'S JUST, THEY, THEY WANTED TO SEE COULD, HOW MANY FIELDS COULD WE PUT UP IN THIS AREA THAT'S OUT OF THE WETLANDS.
SO JUST CONFIRMING THAT THOSE, AND THEN IF THOSE FIELDS, I'M SORRY, THOSE FIELDS ARE NOT ASSOCIATED WITH THE CAPACITY STUDY THAT WE, WE LOOKED AT.
SO YOU DIDN'T DRAW THAT KEVIN? WE DID NOT DRAW THE FIELDS, NO.
UM, AND THEN IF THE TOWN DID CHOOSE TO DO AFFORDABLE HOUSING, UM, IN THAT NEW POTENTIAL PROPERTY, UM, WOULD TOWN EMPLOYEES BE GIVEN PRIORITY ON THAT AFFORDABLE HOUSING? WELL, THE WAY THAT THE, UH, THE MOU IS, IS SET UP, IT'S ACTUALLY FOR BEAUFORT COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT EMPLOYEES.
SO THEY WOULD GET, UM, THEY WOULD GET THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE ABLE TO, TO PURCHASE THAT.
IT'S JUST, IT'S MEANT TO SAY THAT AS WE WERE MOVING FORWARD THROUGH A PROCESS, HOWEVER WE DID IT, WE WOULD REACH OUT TO THE SCHOOL DISTRICT AND SAY, HEY, WE HAVE AN AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECT AND WE'RE COMING TO YOU TO LET YOU KNOW.
AND THEN AS, AS YOU KNOW, INDIVIDUALS ARE, ARE COMING IN, THEY WOULD HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO, TO, UH, LOOK TO PURCHASE OR, I'M SORRY, NOT PURCHASE, BUT RENT.
UM, I MEAN, THIS WAS A LOT OF WORK AND VERY COMPLICATED.
YOU DID A GREAT JOB WITH OH, THANK YOU THIS AND EXPLAINING IT TONIGHT.
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UM, YOU KNOW, I'M IN FAVOR OF MOVING FORWARD BECAUSE I THINK IT TAKES A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS OFF THE BOOKS, THE TWO HOTELS, 260 RESIDENTIAL AND OVER 1.6 MILLION SQUARE FEET OF COMMERCIAL.UM, AND THAT IS DEFINITELY A GOAL OF MINE AND I THINK THE REST OF COUNCIL.
SO, UM, DEFINITELY IN FAVOR OF THAT.
IT PROVIDES MORE SCHOOLS WHICH WE BADLY NEED IN THIS AREA AND POTENTIALLY MIGHT, UM, ALSO, UM, PROVIDE MORE AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND HOPEFULLY BALL FIELDS.
I, I HOPING THAT SOME OF THE AUDIENCE THAT HAD QUESTIONS MAY HAVE GOTTEN SOME OF THEIR ANSWERS THROUGH ALL THIS.
UM, I, I JUST WANNA MAKE IT VERY CLEAR ONE MORE TIME.
I'VE SAID THIS MULTIPLE TIMES, COUNCIL, MY, MY WISH DESIRE OR WHATEVER, AND COUNCIL IS TO SLOW RESIDENTIAL GROWTH AND PURCHASE PROPERTY THAT WE CAN PURCHASE AND, AND PRESERVE FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS.
IF IT'S NOTHING DONE ON IT AND IT STAYS WOODED, IT'S, IT'S A WET, IT DOESN'T MATTER.
IF WE WANTED TO BUILD A PARK AND SWING SETS AND PLAYGROUND OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT FOR OUR KIDS OR A BALL FIELD, WE COULD.
SO OUR, OUR MISSION, OR OUR GOAL, OR IT HAS BEEN HERE FOR A FEW YEARS AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED, IS, IS TO ELIMINATE SOME OF THOSE HIGH, UM, SOME OF THESE AREAS WITH TONS OF DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS ALREADY ALLOCATED TO THEM.
UM, AND THIS, THIS WILLOW TRACK IS, IS A GREAT EXAMPLE.
IF WE COULD TAKE THOSE, THAT MUCH DENSITY AND, AND JUST OVERALL DEVELOPMENT OFF OF OUR, OFF OF THE MAP, I, I WOULD FEEL ACCOMPLISHED AND, UM, TOTALLY SUPPORTED.
CAN I, ONE QUESTION, JUST ONE QUICK ONE.
I'LL BREAK THE RULES, BUT WHAT ABOUT LOWERING THE COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT? I MEAN, I, I THINK THAT THE COMMERCIAL IS KIND OF GETTING OUT OF HAND.
WELL, YOU'RE TRYING CALL RESIDENTIAL, BUT WHAT ABOUT COMMERCIAL? AND, AND JUST ONE THING HE, HE MENTIONED ABOUT BUYING THE RE UH, COMMERCIAL RIGHTS FROM SOMEBODY ELSE.
WHO ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT THAT THEY WOULD BUY THEM FROM? WOULD IT BE ANOTHER DEVELOPER OR WOULD IT BE FROM THE TOWN? THESE ARE QUESTIONS THAT WE'LL HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, WRITE 'EM ALL DOWN AND SEND THEM TO US OR, OR CALL AND WE CAN, UH, WE CAN, I GOTTA QUIT BREAKING THE RULES.
ANYTHING ELSE FOR KEVIN? THAT IS ALL I HAVE.
UM, AND IF YOU THINK OF ANYTHING ELSE, UH, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO REACH OUT TO ME.
HAPPY TO INCORPORATE THAT, AND AS I SAID, WE'LL START WORKING ON THIS AND THEN IT WILL COME BACK TO YOU.
[IX.1. Consideration of Ordinances Related to Certain Property Owned by Rose Kitty and Ferrellgas Inc., Consisting of a Total of 1.38 Acres, More or Less, Located at 328, 330 and 332 Buck Island Road and identified by Beaufort County Tax Map Numbers R610 03 000 0016 0000 (328 and 330 Buck Island Road) and R610 039 000 018C 0000 (332 Buck Island Road). Second and Final Reading - Kevin Icard, Director of Growth Management]
HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING AND FINAL READING CONSIDERATION OF ORDINANCES RELATED TO CERTAIN PROPERTY OWNED BY ROSE KIT IN FERRELL GAS, INC CONSISTING OF A TOTAL OF 1.38 ACRES, MORE OR LESS, LOCATED AT 3 28, 3 30 AND 3 32 BUCK ISLAND ROAD.AND IDENTIFIED BY BUFORT COUNTY TAX MAP NUMBERS R 6 1 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 1 6 0 0 0 0 3 28, 3 30 BUCK ISLAND ROAD AND 3 6 1 0 0 3 9 0 0 0 0 1, 8 C 0 0, 0 0 3 32.
THIS IS A PUBLIC HEARING, SIR.
THIS IS A PUBLIC, UM, HEARING.
SO FIRST CALL FOR PUBLIC COMMENT FROM THIS AGENDA ITEM IN PUBLIC HEARING.
SECOND CALL FOR PUBLIC COMMENT.
UM, CAN, WE CAN WAIT UNTIL TOMORROW AND TALK TO THE TOWN, BUT I JUST HAD A QUESTION ON THE ISSUE BEFORE BECAUSE ON THE NINTH AMENDMENT I THOUGHT YOU WERE PART OF THE NINTH AMENDMENT.
SO WE'LL TALK TO YOU TOMORROW.
THIRD AND FINAL CALL FOR PUBLIC COMMENT.
PUBLIC COMMENT IS OVER NOW, MR. EKER? YES SIR.
UH, THERE ARE NO CHANGES FROM FIRST READING.
UM, SO I DO HAVE TWO PROMOS, UH, TWO MOTIONS IN FRONT OF YOU.
UH, YOU WOULD NEED TO, UM, UH, VOTE ON BOTH OF THEM.
THE FIRST ONE IS FOR THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AND THE SECOND ONE IS FOR THE ZONING MAP AMENDMENT.
ANY DISCUSSION OR ANYTHING FROM COUNSEL? ANY QUESTIONS? IS THERE A MOTION? I'LL MAKE A MOTION THERE A SECOND.
I MOVE TO APPROVE ANY NEVER MADE THE MOTION.
[01:20:01]
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? HOLD ON.I'M GONNA FINISH READING MOTION.
I MOVE TO APPROVE AN AMENDMENT TO THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON COMPREHENSIVE PLAN BLUEPRINT BLUFFTON TO AMEND THE SAID PROPERTIES FROM THE FUTURE LAND USE DESIGNATION OF SUBURBAN LIVING TO NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER.
WHERE DOES THIS ANN COME IN? KEVIN, THIS IS MOTION NUMBER ONE.
ANY DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
AND IS THERE ANOTHER MOTION I'LL MAKE, I'LL MAKE THIS MOTION TOO.
I MOVE TO APPROVE AN AMENDMENT TO THE TOWN OF LONDON OFFICIALS ZONING MAP TO REZONE THE SUBJECT PROPERTIES FROM THE RESIDENTIAL GENERAL DISTRICT TO THE LIGHT INDUSTRIAL DISTRICT.
ANY DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
UP NEXT WE HAVE CONSIDERATION OF AN AMENDMENT TO THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON, COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, BLUEPRINT, BLUFFTON.
AND THAT'S IT, HUH? WHAT? FLIP NUMBER ONE.
I AND I DO HAVE LIGHTS, BUT I FIGURED IT'D BE VERY DISTRACTING.
THAT WAS THE SECOND PART OF THAT.
[X.1. Acceptance of the Presentation of the Town of Bluffton FY 2024 Audit by Mauldin and Jenkins, LLC - Natalie Majorkiewicz, Director of Finance]
AGENDA ITEMS, ACCEPTANCE OF THE PRESENTATION OF THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON FISCAL YEAR 2024, AUDIT BY MULLIN AND JENKINS.AND WE HAVE MR. TRAY SCOTT OF MULDEN AND JENKINS TO PRESENT, UM, THE AUDIT.
AND I'D ALSO LIKE TO TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO RECOGNIZE, UM, THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT OF LEADERSHIP, UM, FOR ALL THE EFFORTS PUT INTO IT AND, AND IN OUR APPRECIATION.
GOOD EVENING, UH, MAYOR COUNCIL, CERTAINLY PLEASED TO BE HERE WITH YOU ALL THIS EVENING TO DISCUSS THE RESULTS OF THE TOWN'S 2024 FINANCIAL STATEMENT AUDIT.
JUST KIND OF GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF WHY I'M HERE, GIVE YOU A QUICK, UH, INTRODUCTION TO MALDEN AND JENKINS.
GO OVER OUR AUDITOR'S REPORT, YOUR COMPLIANCE REPORTS AND, AND YOUR FINANCIAL STATEMENTS REALLY BRIEFLY.
UH, GO OVER SOME REQUIRED COMMUNICATIONS AND THEN ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU ALL MAY HAVE.
REALLY QUICKLY ABOUT MALDEN JENKINS FOUNDED OVER A HUNDRED YEARS AGO.
WE SERVE OVER 725 GOVERNMENTAL ENTITIES THROUGHOUT THE SOUTHEAST.
DO THAT ACROSS 14 OFFICES IN SIX STATES.
UH, AND THE OFFICE THAT SERVES THE TOWN IS, IS, UH, OUR SAVANNAH, GEORGIA OFFICE.
BUT I THINK ENOUGH ABOUT US, I THINK OF PARTICULAR IMPORTANCE TO YOU ALL IS OUR AUDIT OPINION ON YOUR FINANCIAL STATEMENTS.
I THINK, AS YOU ALL KNOW, THE TOWN IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS THEMSELVES.
IT'S OUR RESPONSIBILITY AS YOUR AUDITOR TO EXPRESS OPINIONS ON THE FAIRNESS OF THOSE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS BASED ON OUR AUDITS.
UH, AND WE DO THAT BY FOLLOWING GENERALLY ACCEPTED AUDITING STANDARDS AND GOVERNMENT AUDITING STANDARDS.
UH, AND I'M PLEASED TO REPORT TO YOU ALL THIS EVENING THAT WE WERE ABLE TO ISSUE THE TOWN A CLEAN OR WHAT WE CALL, UH, AN UNMODIFIED OPINION.
AND WHAT THAT BASICALLY MEANS IS THAT YOUR FINANCIAL STATEMENTS PRESENT FAIRLY THE FINANCIAL POSITION IN THE RESULTS OF THE TOWN'S OPERATIONS AS OF JUNE 30TH, 2024.
UH, AND THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR IS A CLEAN OPINION.
IT'S THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF ASSURANCE THAT WE CAN PROVIDE TO YOU AS, AS YOUR AUDITOR ALSO INCLUDED IN YOUR FINANCIAL STATEMENTS OR A COUPLE OF COMPLIANCE REPORTS.
THE FIRST IS OUR YELLOW BOOK REPORT.
IF WE HAD ANY FINDINGS TO REPORT TO YOU, THAT'S WHERE THOSE WOULD BE.
UH, AND WE HAD NO SUCH FINDINGS.
UH, THE OTHER REPORT IS OUR SINGLE AUDIT REPORT.
ANYTIME YOU SPEND MORE THAN $750,000 IN FEDERAL GRANT MONIES, YOU'RE REQUIRED TO HAVE A SINGLE AUDIT OF YOUR MAJOR GRANT PROGRAMS. UH, AND, UH, WE WERE ABLE TO ISSUE YOU ALL A CLEAN OPINION, UH, ON, ON COMPLIANCE WITH, WITH THAT MAJOR GRANT PROGRAM.
SO, UH, CERTAINLY GOOD THINGS TO REPORT TO YOU AS FAR AS CLEAN OPINIONS ARE CONCERNED, I THINK, AS YOU ALL KNOW.
BUT IN CASE YOU DON'T, YOU WON'T GO ABOVE AND BEYOND THE, UH, MINIMUM REQUIRED REPORTING OF A LOCAL GOVERNMENT.
YOU PRESENT WHAT'S CALLED AN ANNUAL COMPREHENSIVE FINANCIAL REPORT ACT FOR, UH, AND IT HAS A COUPLE OF ADDITIONAL SECTIONS IN IT, AN INTRODUCTORY SECTION AND, UH, AND 10 YEARS OF STATISTICAL INFORMATION.
UH, AND IT'S SUBMITTED TO, TO THIS CERTIFICATE PROGRAM THAT GFOA DOES EVERY YEAR.
AND YOU ALL HAVE RECEIVED THAT CERTIFICATE, UH, FOR 16 CONSECUTIVE YEARS.
SO THAT'S CERTAINLY I SOMETHING I THINK DEFINITELY THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT SHOULD BE PROUD OF.
AND I ARE COMMENDED FOR, I THINK SOMETHING THAT YOU ALL SHOULD BE VERY PROUD OF, UH, AS WELL.
[01:25:01]
THAT, TALK REALLY QUICKLY ABOUT THE, THE, THE NUMBERS THEMSELVES.UH, IN YOUR ACT FOR, YOU HAVE TWO SETS OF FINANCIAL STATEMENTS.
YOU HAVE A GOVERNMENT WIDE SET OF FINANCIAL STATEMENTS, WHICH TAKES ALL OF YOUR FUNDS, ROLLS EVERYTHING UP INTO ONE COLUMN, GIVES YOU THAT BIG PICTURE VIEW, UH, OF THE TOWN AT JUNE 3RD FOR THE FISCAL YEAR, 2024.
UH, AND THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE SEEING, THOSE NUMBERS THAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT RIGHT NOW, YOUR GOVERNMENT WIDE NUMBERS.
SO ALL OF YOUR FUNDS ROLLED UP TOGETHER.
UH, AND THE TWO, I GUESS BULLETS THAT I WOULD DRAW YOUR ATTENTION TO ARE THE BOTTOM TWO, YOUR NET POSITION.
UH, THAT'S NOT THE CASH YOU HAVE AVAILABLE TO SPEND, THAT'S JUST THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN YOUR ASSETS AND YOUR LIABILITIES.
AND SO YOUR ASSETS EXCEEDED YOUR LIABILITIES BY ABOUT 96 MILLION.
THAT'S CERTAINLY A GOOD PLACE TO BE.
UH, AND YOU'VE INCREASED THAT NET POSITION.
SO YOUR REVENUES EXCEEDED YOUR EXPENSES ACROSS, AGAIN, ALL OF YOUR FUNDS, UH, THAT BIG GLOBAL VIEW BY ABOUT 17.6 MILLION.
ONE OF THE MORE COMMON QUESTIONS I GET IS, HOW HEALTHY ARE WE AS A, AS A TOWN? AND, AND AN AUDIT'S NOT DESIGNED TO TELL YOU HOW HEALTHY YOU ARE, BUT THERE ARE CERTAIN PLACES YOU CAN LOOK TO KIND OF GAUGE THAT HEALTH.
ONE OF THE PLACES I LIKE TO LOOK, ARE WE CONTINUING TO REINVEST IN THE TOWN, UH, OR WE ALLOW ALLOWING OUR CAPITAL ASSET BASE TO AGE.
AND WHAT THIS GRAPH SHOWS YOU, IT'S A VERY GOOD TREND.
YOU'RE TRENDING UP, YOU'RE CONTINUING TO REINVEST IN THE TOWN, UH, THAT'S PRETTY HEALTHY.
A HEALTHY LOOKING, UH, UH, FIVE YEAR, UH, COMPARISON OF YOUR CAPITAL ASSET ACTIVITY.
MOVING ON FROM THE GOVERNMENT WIDE STATEMENTS, REMEMBER I SAID YOU HAD TWO SETS.
YOU'VE GOT FUND LEVEL FINANCIAL INFORMATION AS WELL, AND MORE SPECIFICALLY YOUR GENERAL FUND.
IT'S TYPICALLY THE BIG SIBLING FUND OF, OF A LOCAL GOVERNMENT.
UH, AND AGAIN, JUST A BUNCH OF NUMBERS ON A PAGE, BUT THE ONES I WANNA DRAW YOUR ATTENTION TO, YOUR FUND BALANCE, OBVIOUSLY YOUR ASSETS EXCEEDED YOUR LIABILITIES THERE.
AND AGAIN, THAT'S NOT THE CASH YOU HAVE AVAILABLE TO SPEND.
JUST THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN YOUR ASSETS, YOUR LIABILITIES.
UH, AND THEN WE WERE TALKING ABOUT HEALTH A MOMENT AGO, THE BOTTOM TWO BULLET POINTS, UH, YOU HAVE ABOUT EIGHT AND A HALF MONTHS OF EXPENDITURES IN FUND BALANCE.
THAT'S A GREAT PLACE TO BE AS A JUNE 30 YEAR END.
SO IT'S A GOOD HEALTHY LOOKING, UH, AMOUNT OF EXPENDITURES IN, IN UNASSIGNED FUND BALANCE.
AND THEN I ALSO LIKE TO LOOK AT LIQUIDITY.
SO HOW MANY TIMES COULD YOU PAY YOUR INVOICES THAT ARE DUE OR, OR YOUR PAYROLL THAT'S GONNA COME DUE? SO YOUR CURRENT LIABILITIES, HOW MANY TIMES COULD YOU PAY THOSE WITH THE CURRENT ASSETS YOU HAVE ON HAND? YOU COULD HAVE DONE THAT ALMOST THREE TIMES.
SO THAT'S A, THAT'S A GOOD LIQUID POSITION, UH, AS WELL.
AND THIS IS A GREAT LOOKING GRAPH.
UM, IT'S JUST GREAT TRENDS AS IT RELATES TO REVENUES, UH, AND, AND YOUR UNRESTRICTED FUND BALANCE GOING FROM THAT LOW IN 2020 OF THE COVID YEAR ALL THE WAY UP TO, YOU KNOW, SHADE UNDER 30 MILLION IN, IN REVENUES, UH, FOR THE GENERAL FUND, UM, IN FISCAL YEAR 2024.
SO NO CONCERN AS IT RELATES TO, YOU KNOW, HOW YOU'RE, HOW YOU'RE TRENDING, UH, IN THE GENERAL FUND.
MOVING ON FROM THE NUMBERS, UH, AGAIN, AS I MENTIONED, A CLEAN OPINION, NO AUDIT FINDINGS, NO MANAGEMENT LETTER COMMENTS.
UH, I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, THAT, UH, THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT, YOU KNOW, IT'S A TESTAMENT TO THE HARD WORK THAT THEY DO.
UH, CERTAINLY SOMETHING I THINK THEY SHOULD BE COMMENDED FOR.
AND I THINK SOMETHING YOU ALL SHOULD BE VERY PROUD OF, UH, AS, AS GOVERNANCE, UH, THE ACCOUNTING POLICIES, YOUR JUDGEMENTS, YOUR ACCOUNTING ESTIMATES, YOUR DISCLOSURES, ALL OF THOSE ARE INTEGRAL PARTS OF YOUR FINANCIAL STATEMENTS, UH, AND ARE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF MANAGEMENT.
UH, WE HAD NO DIFFICULTIES OR DISAGREEMENTS IN THE PERFORMANCE OF OUR AUDIT.
UH, YOU KNOW, MANAGEMENT'S VERY PROFESSIONAL.
GUESS WHAT WE NEED WHEN WE NEED IT.
UH, VERY REFRESHING FROM, FROM OUR STANDPOINT AS YOUR AUDITOR.
UH, NO UNCORRECTED MISSTATEMENTS.
AND THEN JUST WANNA MAKE SURE YOU ALL ARE AWARE THAT WE'RE INDEPENDENT OF THE TOWN IN ACCORDANCE WITH ALL OF THE APPLICABLE STANDARDS OF OUR PROFESSION.
AND THEN JUST SOME FINAL INFORMATION, GOT SOME NEW STANDARDS THAT ARE COMING OUT.
UH, THESE SHOULDN'T HAVE A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON YOU.
IF THEY DO, WE'LL WORK WITH THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT ON THE BEST COURSE OF ACTION FOR, UH, FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF THOSE.
AND THAT PRETTY MUCH CONCLUDES WHAT I WANTED TO REPORT TO YOU ALL THIS EVENING.
UH, IT'S CERTAINLY BEEN A PLEASURE TO SERVE THE TOWN AND, AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO SERVING YOU ALL IN THE FUTURE.
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, BE HAPPY TO.
SO COUNSEL BRIDGET, DAN THE, UH, EXCUSE ME, YOU SAID AT EIGHT AND A HALF MONTHS UNASSIGNED FUND BALANCE.
WHAT IS A GOOD PLACE TO BE? WHAT'S A GOOD STANDARD? SHOULD WE GO HIGHER OR SHOULD WE, ARE WE GOOD WHERE WE ARE? I THINK YOU'RE GOOD WHERE YOU ARE.
I MEAN, I, I CERTAINLY WOULDN'T GO ANY LOWER.
UM, I MEAN, AND YOU COULD, IT'S ALL KIND OF DEPENDENT UPON YOUR REVENUE STREAMS AS WELL.
WHEN, WHEN ARE THOSE BIG REVENUES COMING IN? PROPERTY TAX DRIVEN GOVERNMENT, ALL THAT'S COMING IN IN NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER, WHICH IS WHY I SAID IF YOU'RE A JUNE 30 YEAR IN, YOU'RE A PROPERTY TAX, YOU KNOW, DRIVEN, REVENUE BASED ENTITY, UH, THEN, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN MAKE IT UNTIL, UH, WITH THAT EIGHT AND A HALF MONTHS.
YOU CAN MAKE IT UNTIL NOVEMBER, DECEMBER WHEN WE'RE COLLECTING PROPERTY TAXES AGAIN.
SO GFOA, THE GOVERNMENT FINANCE OFFICERS ASSOCIATION RECOMMENDS TWO TO FOUR MONTHS BASED ON YOUR FISCAL YEAR END.
YOU ALL BE IN A JUNE, I MEAN EIGHT AND A HALF.
MR. HAMILTON, HAVE YOU OFFERED OUR FINANCE DEPARTMENT ANY, ANY POINTERS ON HOW WE
[01:30:01]
MIGHT BE EVEN BETTER THAN WE ARE? IF WE RAN ACROSS ANY KIND OF DEFICIENCIES IN CONTROLS OR IMPROVEMENTS? WE WOULD REPORT THOSE TO YOU EITHER AS A MANAGEMENT LETTER, COMMENT, UH, BUT WE DID NOT HAVE ANY THIS YEAR.SO WE CAN'T DO ANY BETTER THAN WE DOING.
YOU PROBABLY COULD, BUT, UH, WE DIDN'T FIND ANYTHING THAT WOULD LEAD US TO BELIEVE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE NEEDED TO MAKE IT A FORMAL COMMENT.
AND NO, WE DID HAVE, WE HAD NO NOTHING TO REPORT THIS YEAR.
GREAT JOB TO NATALIE AND THE ENTIRE FINANCE DEPARTMENT ON SUCH A CLEAN REPORT.
IF NOTHING ELSE, JUST CONGRATULATIONS, NATTY AND YOUR TEAM.
WE, YOU HAD, UM, Y'ALL ARE DOING A GREAT JOB AND KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK.
MAYBE SHE'LL GET AN ORANGE JACKET ONE DAY.
YEAH, WE'LL GET YOU AN ORANGE JACKET, WHATEVER COLOR THAT IS,
[X.2. Consideration of Accommodations Tax Advisory Committee Funding Recommendations for Quarter Ending September 30, 2024 - Natalie Majorkiewicz, Director of Finance]
NEXT IS THE FUND PART CONSIDERATION OF ACCOMMODATION TAX ADVISORY COMMITTEE FUNDING RECOMMENDATIONS FOR QUARTER ENDING SEPTEMBER 30TH.WE HAVE, UM, THE ATAC APPLICATIONS FOR QUARTER ENDING JUNE 30TH OF 2 20 24.
THERE WERE SIX APPLICANTS, A TOTAL REQUESTED AMOUNT, JUST SHY OF 200,000.
AND ATAC HAS RECOMMENDED $193,056.
CURRENTLY THE TOWN HAS AVAILABLE JUST SHY OF $700,000 AVAILABLE FOR DISTRIBUTION.
AND I'D LIKE TO MAKE NOTE THAT THIS IS THE FIRST QUARTER WHERE THE 15% OF THE STATE AAX IS BEING, UM, DEDUCTED FROM THE, FROM THE QUARTERLY, UM, DISTRIBUTION.
THIS IS A SUMMARY OF THE APPLICANT'S, UH, WHAT WAS REQUESTED AND WHAT IS RE RECOMMENDED AS WELL AS THEIR SCORING.
AND THEN I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS AS WE GO ALONG.
UM, THEY'RE REQUESTING 50 $55,300.
THIS IS THE SAME REQUEST AS LAST FISCAL YEAR.
YOU WANNA, LET'S JUST GO THROUGH EACH ONE AND VOTE AS WE GO, OR DO WE WANT YES, THAT'S WHAT WE NEED TO DO, RIGHT? YEP.
OH, I, I WASN'T, I DIDN'T MEAN TO CUT YOU.
IS THERE ANY, UM, QUESTIONS FROM COUNSEL? ANY COMMUNICATION, ANYTHING? I HAVE ONE.
THE SCORING SHEETS, UH, WHICH WERE GREAT.
UM, A COUPLE OF THE APPLICANTS HAD A CATEGORY CALLED MISCELLANEOUS.
BUT EVERYONE DID NOT HAVE THAT MISCELLANEOUS CATEGORY CORRECT.
SO I WAS TRYING TO UNDERSTAND HOW THAT WORKS.
AN EXAMPLE MIGHT BE WITH SOBA, THEY AREN'T NECESSARILY HOSTING AN EVENT, WHICH, UM, HAS SEPARATE CATEGORIES ON THE SCORING SHEET.
AND THAT'S WHERE THE MISCELLANEOUS WOULD COME IN TO FILL IN THAT GAP.
NO MORE QUESTIONS OR A MOTION? I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO GRANT THE FARMER'S MARKET OF BLUFFTON $55,300 IN SUPPORT OF THE 2025 MARKET EXPENSES AS PRESENTED IN THE STAFF REPORT BREAKDOWN.
ANY DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
THE NEXT APPLICANT IS THE NEW BLUFFTON WORSHIP.
THIS IS FOR CHRISTMAS UNDER THE STARS THAT IS SCHEDULED FOR DECEMBER 24TH AT OYSTER FACTORY PARK.
THEY ARE, THEY DID REQUEST $28,810.
THIS IS A ONE DAY EVENT? YES, THAT IS CORRECT.
ONE DAY EVENT REQUIRES 28,000 BUCKS.
WHAT DO THEY HAVE? I'M SORRY, WHAT SERVICE? HUH? CHRISTMAS EVE HAVING CHURCH.
IT'S A CHRISTMAS UNDER THE STARS.
AND LAST YEAR I THINK I SAW IT, WAS IT 1500 PEOPLE? YEAH.
HUH? THAT IT IS A WELL ATTENDED EVENT.
I THOUGHT I READ IN THE REPORT OR APPLICATION.
I DIDN'T READ THE REPORT ON THIS ONE.
UM, CAN, CAN YOU HELP ME UNDERSTAND HOW THEY'RE SPENDING $28,000? SURE.
UM, THE MAJORITY OF IT IS FOR ADVERTISING AND PROMOTION.
UM, SO THEY ARE PUTTING ADS IN NEWSPAPERS, UM, MAGAZINES, POSTCARDS, MAILERS, SOCIAL MEDIA, AND THEN THEY'LL ALSO HAVE SIGNS AND BANNERS.
AND THEN, UM, THERE'S ALSO A PORTION THAT IS, I'M SORRY, THAT WASN'T THE LARGEST PORTION.
THE LARGEST PORTION IS FOR RENTALS, FOR TENTS, CHAIRS, THOSE
[01:35:01]
TYPES OF THINGS TO PUT THE EVENT ON STAGING AUDIO EQUIPMENT.NATALIE? UM, AND I'VE HEARD GREAT THINGS ABOUT IT.
I'VE NOT HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO ATTEND MAYBE THIS YEAR, BUT, UH, SO LAST YEAR, WHAT DID THEY RECEIVE LAST YEAR? THEY RECEIVED 15,200, I BELIEVE.
AND HOW MUCH OF THAT, TO COUNCILMAN HAMILTON'S POINT, I THINK HOW MUCH OF THAT WAS TO PROMOTE ADVERTISING? I WILL HAVE TO GET THAT NUMBER FOR YOU.
I DON'T KNOW THE BREAKDOWN SPECIFICALLY.
I KNOW THAT WE REIMBURSED THEM JUST OVER 9,000 OF THE AWARDED AMOUNT.
UM, SO THERE WAS SOME, SOME OF THE AWARD THAT WENT BACK INTO FUND BALANCE.
THE REASON I ASK, I THINK WE, I MEAN I'M FINE WITH THIS MYSELF PERSONALLY, BUT, UH, I THINK WE TAKE A BETTER LOOK AT THAT THE NEXT GO ROUND BECAUSE IF YOU'VE GOT 1500 PEOPLE SHOWING UP, YOU DON'T
BUT I THINK TOO, THE CONSIDERATIONS ARE GIVEN TO, YOU CAN'T GUARANTEE HOW MANY FOLKS ARE GONNA COME TO YOUR EVENT, BUT YOU HAVE TO SPEND IN ADVERTISING, UM, TO AT LEAST COURT THOSE INDIVIDUALS.
SO WHETHER YOU'RE GETTING A RADIO AD, WHETHER YOU'RE DOING, UM, ADVERTISEMENT IN LIKE LOCAL MEDIA, UM, SPACES, IF YOU'RE DOING LIKE GEOFENCING, DIGITAL PRINT, WHATEVER IT IS, UM, THOSE COSTS ADD UP.
UM, BECAUSE THE WHOLE PURPOSE OF ATAC IS YOU HAVE TO BE MARKETING TO, YOU KNOW, A TOURISM THING.
SO THE DAYS OF LIKE, EXCUSE ME, DOING PROMOTION, LIKE AT A CHURCH NEWSLETTER, WHAT HAVE YOU? WOULDN'T COUNT FOR ATAC.
SO PEOPLE ARE HAVING TO SPEND MORE, UM, TO BE ABLE TO ATTRACT OR DRAW THOSE CROWDS.
SO I THINK, UM, IF YOU'RE ABLE TO LOOK INTO THE REPORT AND KIND OF SEE WHAT, UM, AVENUES THEY'RE GOING INTO IN TERMS OF THAT, THAT PROMOTION, YOU'D BE ABLE TO SEE LIKE THOSE DOLLAR BREAKDOWNS.
'CAUSE THEY HAVE TO REPORT LIKE WHERE THE ADS BEING PLACED, HOW IT'S RUNNING, THE AMOUNT THAT'S BEING SPENT FOR THAT DAILY RUN, HOW MUCH IMPRESSIONS ARE BEING RECEIVED AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
UM, I WAS TALKING TO SOMEONE ABOUT THIS THE OTHER DAY AND UM, I'M ALWAYS A LITTLE DIFFERENT.
I WAS JUST WONDERING LIKE THIS, THE PEOPLE ARE SUPPOSED TO BE COMING FROM OVER 50 MILES OUT, RIGHT? TO BE CONSIDERED TOURIST, A VISITOR, A VISITOR.
CHRISTMAS EVE, I COULDN'T IMAGINE GOING DRIVING 50.
YOU KNOW, PERSONALLY I WOULDN'T.
I WOULD PROBABLY HAVE TOO MANY, WHICH I'VE GOT A BUNCH OF KIDS AND GRANDKIDS AND CHRISTMAS E IS ACTUALLY MY ANNIVERSARY ANNIVERSARY AS WELL.
SO I COULDN'T IMAGINE THAT MANY PEOPLE TRAVELING VERY FAR TO COME TO AN EVENT ON CHRISTMAS EVE.
BUT THAT'S JUST SOMETHING WE CAN LOOK AT LATER.
THAT'S NOT THE DEFINITION ANYMORE THOUGH OF, OF A TOUR FOR ATAC.
THERE IS, THERE'S AN OPENED, UM, I GUESS DEFINITION WHERE IT IS ANYBODY WHO TAKES A TRIP AWAY FROM THEIR RESIDENCE, UM, AND NOT FOR WORK OUT OF THEIR JURISDICTION IS CONSIDERED A TOURIST.
WHERE IS JURISDICTION? SO IF SOMEBODY, IT'S, SO IF SOMEBODY, UM, LIVES ON HILTON HEAD, BUT THEY WANNA COME OVER TO THE BLUFFTON FARMER'S MARKET, THOSE CAN BE INCLUDED BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT TRAVELING HERE TO WORK.
THEY'RE TRAVELING HERE TO, FOR THAT EVENT.
AND COMING FROM SAVANNAH BEAUFORT.
I JUST REMEMBER THAT USED TO BE ONE OF THE FACTORS.
SO I DID PULL UP THEIR APPLICATION FROM LAST YEAR AND THE DIFFERENCE IS IN THE RENTALS, BECAUSE LAST YEAR THEY ONLY HAD 52 80 FOR RENTALS.
SO MY GUESS IS, I GUESS THEY'RE GOING BIGGER FOR STAGE OR SOUND EQUIPMENT AND THAT KIND OF STUFF THAN WHAT THEY DID LAST YEAR.
BUT THE ADVERTISEMENT FOR LAST YEAR WAS 10,000 AND THIS YEAR IT'S 11,000.
SO IT'S SIMILAR TO WHAT THEY DID FOR LAST YEAR AND THEY WERE AWARDED 15 280 LAST YEAR.
I JUST WANTED TO PULL THAT UP.
ANY MORE QUESTIONS FROM COUNSEL? ANYONE? NO, BUT I DO APPRECIATE THE HEALTHY DISCUSSION.
UM, IS THERE A MOTION HERE? I'LL MAKE THE MOTION.
I MAKE A MOTION TO GRANT THE NEW BLUFFTON WOR WORSHIP $25,100 IN SUPPORT OF THE CHRISTMAS EVE UNDER THE STARS AS PRESENTED IN THE STAFF REPORT BREAKDOWN.
ANY DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
[01:40:01]
APPLICANT IS SOCIETY OF LEFT AN ARTIST.THEY ARE REQUESTING $27,000 IN SUPPORT OF GETTING THE WORD OUT, WORD OUT.
UM, THIS REQUEST IS FROM JANUARY TO AUGUST TO BETTER ALIGN WITH THEIR FISCAL YEAR, WHICH STARTS ON SEPTEMBER 1ST.
ANY JUST QUESTION QUESTIONS FROM COUNSEL? SO IS, IS THIS LIKE A, UM, THE, AN WHAT ARE THERE OPTION? DO THEY HAVE AN OPTION TO COME BACK FOR MORE FROM JANUARY TO AUGUST? THEY CAN APPLY.
UM, BUT WITH THIS, THEY ARE REQUESTING FUNDING THROUGH AUGUST OF 2025.
SO THIS IS LIKE A HALF A YEAR.
A LITTLE BIT, A LITTLE BIT MORE, BUT YES.
ANY QUESTIONS? CONVERSATION? IS THERE A MOTION? I MAKE A MOTION.
YOU GRANT THE SOCIETY OF B ARTIST 27,000 IN SUPPORT OF GETTING THE WORD OUT PROJECT AS PRESENTED IN THE STAFF REPORT BREAKDOWN, SIR? A SECOND.
NEXT IS CONGREGATION BETH YAM.
THEY'RE REQUESTING $2,980 IN SUPPORT OF THE SECOND ANNUAL BLUFF AND HANUKKAH CELEBRATION.
THIS WILL BE HELD ON DECEMBER 29TH AT MARTIN FAMILY PARK.
IS THERE, UH, QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS ONE? IS THERE A MOTION I, I'LL MAKE A MOTION.
I MAKE MO A MOTION TO GRANT THE CONGREGATION BETH M $2,830 IN SUPPORT OF THE SECOND ANNUAL BLUFFTON HANUKKAH CELEBRATION PROJECT AS PRESENTED IN THE STAFF REPORT BREAKDOWN.
AND NOW WE HAVE THE HISTORIC LUPTON FOUNDATION.
THEY'RE REQUESTING $40,000 IN SUPPORT OF THE HAYWARD HOUSE MUSEUM OPERATIONS.
THIS IS FOR SUPPORT FROM JANUARY TO MARCH OF 2025.
CURRENTLY THEY HAVE, UH, BEEN AWARDED $80,000 FOR WELCOME CENTER EXPENSES WITH THE ANTICIPATION OF THE WELCOME CENTER.
NOW MOVING OVER TO SQUIRE POPE IN JANUARY.
THIS REQUEST IS FOR THE HAYWARD HOUSE MUSEUM OPERATIONS.
I, UM, YES, I DO HAVE A QUESTION.
UM, SO THIS PARTICULAR REQUEST BRINGS ME BACK TO DISCUSSION THAT WE HAD, UM, I KNOW ABOUT MAYBE THREE OR FOUR YEARS AGO, UM, THAT THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO BE MAKING A PLAN TO, UM, BECOME MORE SELF-SUFFICIENT AND SUSTAINABLE AS, UH, WE WILL HAVE A, A WELCOME CENTER OPENING.
SO WE WERE CUTTING OPERATIONAL EXPENSES.
UM, I'M CURIOUS TO KNOW TO DATE, UM, NATALIE, HOW MUCH HAS THE, UM, NOW HISTORIC BLUFFTON FOUNDATION, BUT FORMERLY HAYWARD HOUSE, UM, RECEIVED FROM ATAC OR FROM THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON IN TERMS OF OPERATIONAL FUNDS? OKAY, SO WE TOOK A LOOK AT, UM, WHEN AAC WAS FORMED WITH THE TOWN AND BACK IN, SO GOING BACK TO FISCAL YEAR 2008, THE TOWN HAS AWARDED, UM, NEARLY WELL $2,486,861.
BUT THAT WAS, SO THAT'S ALMOST 17 AND A HALF YEARS.
AND IN ADDITION TO THE TWO AND HALF MILLION THAT WE HAVE GOTTEN FROM US, AS WE SEE HERE, THERE'S A, UM, ALMOST A QUARTER OF A MILLION, UM, GRANT AWARDED FROM SE PARK.
SO WE KNOW THEY HAVE BEEN ELIGIBLE FOR OUTSIDE, UH, GRANT FUNDING FROM OTHER ENTITIES.
UM, AS WELL, MY CONCERN IS THAT IF WE INITIALLY MADE, UM, A CONSENSUS TO ENABLE THEM, UM, AND ENCOURAGE THEM TO BECOME MORE SELF-SUFFICIENT AND SUSTAINABLE, UM, I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD BE BACKTRACKING IN TERMS OF, UM, PROVIDING OPERATIONAL EXPENSES.
'CAUSE IT MAKES ME QUESTION IN THE SENSE OF, UM, ARE THEY NOT, UM, COMPLETELY INDEPENDENT AND IS US FUNDING THEM IN THIS MANNER, MAKING THEM MORE DEPENDENT? UM, WHICH WOULD BE ADVERSE TO WHAT WE'VE, UM, BEEN VOICING FOR THE PAST FEW YEARS OF OUR EXPECTATIONS OF THEM.
UM, 'CAUSE THE REQUEST HERE IS SOLELY FOR OPERATIONS.
THEIR ATAC REQUEST TONIGHT, THE 40,000 IS FOR OPERATIONAL EXPENSES.
THAT'S WHAT WAS IN THEIR APPLICATION.
[01:45:03]
THAT'S, UM, EXCEPT FOR ME.UM, SO WHAT DID WE AWARD THEM LAST YEAR? DO YOU KNOW? LAST YEAR THEIR AWARD WAS 150,000.
THEY WERE THE WELCOME OPERATION FOR OPERATION ONLY FOR TO SERVE AS THE TOWN'S WELCOME CENTER.
SO WE NEED TO SEPARATE THE DIFFERENCE.
THE REASON I'M ASKING TO FOLLOW UP ON COUNCILWOMAN FRAZIER'S QUESTION, AND YES, THESE DISCUSSIONS HAVE BEEN GOING ON FOR YEARS.
UM, SO IF WE DO AWARD THE 40,000, THAT'S 120 AND YOU JUST SAID THE NUMBER FROM LAST YEAR WAS WHAT? 150,000? 150.
AND THEN I'M ASSUMING THEY'LL COME BACK ANOTHER QUARTER? POTENTIALLY.
UM, SO I I I FOR ONE, IF THEY DO COME BACK, THEN THEY'RE, THEY'RE HITTING THE SAME AMOUNT OF DOLLARS THEY WOULD BE HITTING OR THEY RECEIVED WHEN THEY WERE THE WELCOME CENTER.
AND THEY'RE NOT GOING TO BE THE WELCOME CENTER, UH, IN THE, IN THE, THIS COMING YEAR.
UM, I, I MAKE A GO WITH THIS, BUT I WOULD, I WOULD BE INCLINED FOR THE TOWN MANAGER TO LET THEM KNOW THAT, UH, WE MIGHT NOT BE SO RECEPTIVE GOING FORWARD BECAUSE TO HER POINT, I I, YOU KNOW, I DON'T SEE WHERE THEY'RE DOING WHAT THEY NEED TO DO.
SO WE'VE, WE HAVE TASKED TOWN MANAGER TO DO THIS BEFORE.
HAVE YOU DONE THAT STEVEN? UH, I DID MEET WITH, UH, THE DIRECTOR AND TOLD HIM THAT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE WOULD BE WILLING TO CONSIDER MOVING FORWARD ONLY WAS FOR THE DOCENTS BECAUSE THEY PROVIDE THE DOCENTS FOR THE, UM, GARVIN GARVEY HOUSE.
AND I WAS UNSURE AT LEAST FOR THE, THIS QUARTER OR FOR THE REST OF THIS FISCAL YEAR, WAS JUST FOR THE DOCENTS BECAUSE I WAS UNSURE WHETHER WE WOULD BE WILLING BE ABLE TO HAVE DOCENTS HIRED, TRAINED AND READY TO OPERATE WHEN THE WELCOME CENTER OPENED IN JANUARY.
UM, AND IN DOING SO, THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO COME BACK TO US AND HAVE AN LIKE A MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING ON WHEN THEY WERE GONNA OPERATE WHAT WE WERE GONNA DO AND THEY'VE DONE NONE OF THAT.
SO THE ONLY THING THEY HAVE HEARD FROM ME THAT WE WOULD BE WILLING TO WORK WITH THEM ON WOULD BE FOR THE DOCENTS AT THE GARVEY GARVEY HOUSE FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE FISCAL YEAR.
BUT NOT FOR THEIR OPERATIONS OR THE DIRECTOR'S SALARY.
DOSES IS ANOTHER, IS ANOTHER CONCERN, STEVEN.
IF, IF THERE ARE DOSES THAT'S ALREADY TRAINED AND THE HAYWARD HOUSE IS NOT GONNA BE, UM, USING THOSE TRAINED PEOPLE, WHY CAN'T WE USE 'EM? WELL, WE WOULD NEED TO ONBOARD 'EM AND HIRE 'EM AND, AND AND ALL THAT.
SO I WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE WERE ABLE TO, I WAS UNSURE WHETHER WE'D BE ABLE TO HAVE THAT DONE IN TIME FOR JANUARY.
SO THAT'S WHERE I'D SPOKE TO THEM ABOUT WHETHER WE COULD CONTINUE FORWARD THROUGH THE REST OF THE FISCAL YEAR WITH THEM ON THAT AND THEN TAKE IT FROM J JULY 1ST FOR US TO DO THE DOCENTS MOVING FORWARD.
UM, HOWEVER, AGAIN, THEY WOULD, WE TOLD 'EM, I TOLD 'EM TO REACH BACK OUT TO ME, WE'D PUT AN AGREEMENT IN PLACE AND THAT HAS NOT HAPPENED.
SO IF THEY AREN'T GONNA DO THE, IF, IF WE DON'T HAVE THAT AGREEMENT IN PLACE, THEN WE'LL MOVE FORWARD WITH GETTING THE DOCENTS IN LINE.
SO TO THE POINT, UM, OF THE DOCENTS, DO WE KNOW WHAT THAT DOLLAR AMOUNT, UM, IS IN TERMS OF WHAT IS THAT QUARTERLY OR ANNUALLY SPEND, UM, ON DOCENTS TO UNDERSTAND IF THIS 40,000 UM, IS REFLECTIVE OF THAT OR IS THIS 40,000 MORE SO JUST GOING BACK INTO THEIR GENERAL OPERATIONAL, UM, AND DIRECTOR SALARY EXPENSES? AND THAT'S WHAT I WAS WAITING FOR THEM TO PROVIDE TO ME.
AND THEY HAVE NOT DONE AT THIS TIME.
THAT'S THE THEY PROVIDE YES MA'AM.
MAYOR, MAY I MAKE ANOTHER OBSERVATION? CERTAINLY.
SO I'M NOT MISINTERPRETED, I DON'T WANT TO BE PUNITIVE TOWARDS THE HISTORIC LEPTON FOUNDATION.
I MEAN IT'S LIKE, WHETHER IT'S THE MAY RIVER THEATER OR THE FARMER'S MARKET OR YOU KNOW, THE, ALL THESE THINGS WE SPOKE TO EARLIER, WE ARE TRYING TO FIND WAYS TO HELP THEM SUCCEED.
UM, WE'VE ALWAYS WANTED TO HELP THE HISTORIC BLUFFTON FOUNDATION SUCCEED, BUT WE'VE ALSO GIVEN THEM SOME CRITERIA FOR, FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE TO HELP THEM, UH, YOU KNOW, SUCCEED.
AND SO I GUESS ALL I'M REALLY TRYING TO SAY IS I'M OPEN TO SUPPORT THEM TO SOME MEASURES.
I DON'T WANNA CUT OFF EVERYTHING AT ALL.
I THINK THEY'RE AS DESERVING AS ANY OF THESE OTHERS, BUT NOT AT THE SAME LEVEL OF FUNDING THAT THEY WERE RECEIVING WHEN THEY WERE THE WELCOME CENTER.
AND I THINK COUNCIL HAS MADE THAT VERY CLEAR.
SO IT, AT SOME PLACE, MAYBE THE TOWN MANAGER IN HIS DISCUSSIONS WITH THEM COMES TO A A, A HAPPY MEDIAN WHERE HE CAN REPORT BACK TO THE COUNCIL AND SAY, WE THINK THIS IS A
[01:50:01]
REASONABLE NUMBER TO SUPPORT THEM WITH GOING FORWARD THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.WELL, WE DON'T, I DON'T WANNA CUT THEIR LEGS OUT FROM 'EM UNDER 'EM, WATCH 'EM FAIL.
THAT WOULD BE DETRIMENTAL TO OUR WHOLE COMMUNITY, BUT NOT SUPPORT THEM AT THE LEVEL THAT THEY'RE USED TO.
SO YOUR POINT COUNCILMAN, WELL THEY'RE, WE'RE NOT PUNISHING THEM AND THEY'RE NOT BEING CUT OFF BECAUSE WE'VE ALL VOTED UNANIMOUSLY FOR THEM TO RECEIVE $80,000 IN UM, EXPENSES TO DATE.
UM, THIS FISCAL YEAR, THE ISSUE IS ON THE 40,000 FOR OPERATIONS.
UM, I THINK THE CONCERN GOING FORWARD, ESPECIALLY AS WE'VE UM, REALLOCATED THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN STATE AND LOCAL ATAC IS IF WE ARE SETTING A PRECEDENT FOR OUR CULTURAL SPACES TO BE SELF-SUFFICIENT, UM, AND WE WANT THEM TO CONTINUE 'CAUSE THEY'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR MARKETING ANY TYPE OF EVENTS THEY DO, UM, THE BLUFFTON HISTORIC BLUFFTON FOUNDATION WOULD STILL HAVE ACCESS TO THE SAME ATECH PROCESS.
IT'S JUST NOT THE DEPENDENCY, UM, ON OPERATIONS.
BECAUSE IF WE WERE TO NOW OPEN UP, I THINK THAT PATHWAY FOR ANY ORGANIZATION TO HAVE THAT SAME DESIGNATION, UM, WE WOULD UNDERMINE AND CUT FUNDING FROM OUR, UM, UH, UH, TOURISM, UM, EVENTS THAT ARE GOING ON IN THE SENSE OF LIKE THE COL THE CHRISTMAS PARADE THAT WAS UM, OR CHRISTMAS EVENT THAT'S HAPPENING WITH BLUFFTON WORSHIP OR THE UM, FARMER'S MARKET.
IF EACH ENTITY IS ABLE TO COME AND GET OPERATIONAL SUPPORT, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT'S JUST SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE TO BE CAUTIOUS OF TO SAY THAT WE ARE GONNA SUPPORT YOUR OTHER ENDEAVORS ALWAYS, BUT TO EXPECT US TO BE THE UM, THE PERSON THAT KIND OF FINANCES YOUR OPERATIONAL AND SALARY EXPENSES.
UM, I DON'T THINK THAT'S SOMETHING WE SHOULD BE ENCOURAGING.
WELL THERE'S A COUPLE OF THINGS WE CAN DO HERE.
WE CAN JUST SORT OF TABLE THIS, WHAT THIS REQUEST UNTIL WE GET MORE INFORMATION OR WE CAN APPROVE THIS REQUEST WITH A MESSAGE TO COME OUT.
UM, AS FAR AS WHAT WE EXPECT AND WHAT WE, YOU KNOW, MOVING FORWARD, UM, JUST LIKE THE COUNSEL, WHAT Y'ALL WANT DO, I MEAN I COULD GO EITHER WAY ON IT.
UM, I, I THINK WHAT YOU MENTIONED, I HEAR EVERYBODY'S COMMENTS LOUD AND CLEAR AND UM, I DON'T, I DON'T WANT TO, I DON'T WANT THEM TO GET IN A BIND WITH BECOMING, 'CAUSE I, I COULD PERSONALLY PROBABLY SEE WHERE A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE GOING TO COME THERE JUST BECAUSE OF PAST ADVERTISING AND LITERATURE AND STUFF SAYING THAT THEY ARE OUR WELCOME CENTER.
I'M SURE THEY'RE PROBABLY GOING TO BE OUR, UM, SEND MORE PEOPLE TO OUR NEW WELCOME CENTER ONCE WE OPEN THE DOORS IN JANUARY THAN, THAN ANYTHING ELSE WE HAVE IN BLUFFTON.
SO, UM, I WOULD BE FINE WITH HELPING 'EM WITH THE FIRST QUARTER ON THIS REQUEST, BUT WE DEFINITELY NEED TO SIT DOWN AND DO A CONTRACT OF SOME TYPE OR LIKE WE USED TO DO AND GET SOME KIND OF BETTER UNDERSTANDING ON WHAT, WHAT THEY CAN LOOK FORWARD TO MOVING FORWARD.
ISN'T THAT WHAT HAPPENED WHEN IT WAS THIS DISCUSSION FIRST CAME UP? YES.
MAYOR, MAYBE WE SHOULD TABLE IT AND LET THE TOWN MANAGER HAVE THOSE DISCUSSIONS TO SEE WHERE EVERYBODY'S HEAD'S AT.
I MEAN, OR TABLE AND HAVE THEM SUBMIT WHAT HE, WHAT HE ASKED FOR.
IF, IF THAT WAS A CONTINGENCY TO KNOW HOW WE WOULD MOVE FORWARD, THEN THAT REQUEST, IT SEEMS LIKE THAT SHOULD BE, SHOULD BE SUBMITTED SO WE, WE KNOW WHAT DIRECTION WE ARE GOING IN.
WELL MY, I ONLY HOLD ON A MINUTE.
LET'S NOT TABLE ALL OF THE MONEY.
LET'S, LET'S GIVE THEM A PORTION OF IT SO THEY CAN OPERATE AND THEN COME BACK, MAKE A RECOMMENDATION.
I CAN LIVE WITH THAT AND, AND THEY WILL HAVE ANOTHER QUARTER TO APPLY TO BE ABLE TO COME BACK FOR ANYTHING IF THEY NEED TO.
BUT YOU WILL HAVE A DISCUSSION WITH THEM.
AND, AND MAKE SURE THEY'RE CLEAR ON WHAT OUR MINDSET IS.
I'VE HAD THAT DISCUSSION AND I WILL HAVE IT AGAIN.
AND YOU SAID THAT THEY HAVE FAILED TO COME BACK AND BRING YOU WHAT YOU ASKED FOR, WHICH IS WHAT THE COST WOULD BE FOR THE DOCENTS AND TO PUT TOGETHER AN AGREEMENT FOR THEM TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT FOR THE REST OF THE FISCAL YEAR.
SO BASICALLY THAT'S, THAT WAS A REQUIREMENT THAT WASN'T FULFILLED
[01:55:02]
AND THIS IS WHERE WE ARE WITH IT.I MAKE A MOTION TO GRANT THE HISTORICAL BLUFFING FOUNDATION $20,000 IN SUPPORT OF THE HEAD HOUSE MUSEUM OPERATION EXPENSE AS PRESENTED IN THE STAFF REPORT BREAKDOWN.
IS THERE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND.
ANY MORE DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
OUR LAST APPLICANT IS MAYOR RIVER THEATER, SAY ARE REQUESTING $42,826 FOR THE 2025 SEASON.
UH, THEY HAVE FIVE MAIN SHOWS SCHEDULED AS WELL AS FOUR SUPPORTING ONE X.
UM, AND THIS AGAIN IS FOR THE 2025 SEASON.
QUESTIONS FROM COUNSEL? IS THERE A MOTION? OH, BRIDGET, I MAKE A MOTION TO GRANT THE MAY RIVER THEATER, INC.
$42,826 IN SUPPORT OF ADVERTISING AND PROMOTION EXPENSES FOR THE 2025 SEASON AS PRESENTED IN THE STAFF REPORT BREAKDOWN.
[X.3. Consideration and Approval of Amendments to the Town of Bluffton Code of Ordinances. Chapter 6 Businesses and Business Regulations Article III – Soliciting and Mobile Vending, Section 6-78, Approvals, fees and taxes, Section 6-83 Fire Safety, Section 6-84 Violations and Penalties. Second and Final Reading - Kevin Icard, Director of Growth Management]
AND APPROVAL OF AMENDMENTS TO THE TOWN OF BLUFFING STATE ORDINANCES, CHAPTER SIX, BUSINESS AND BUSINESS REGULATIONS ARTICLE THREE, SOLICITING AND MOBILE VENDING SECTION SIX DASH SEVEN EIGHT APPROVALS, FEES AND TAXES SECTION SIX DASH EIGHT THREE, FIRE SAFETY SECTION SIX DASH EIGHT FOUR VIOLATIONS AND PENALTIES.JUST A SECOND AND FINAL READING.
MR. KEVIN? UH, THANK YOU MAYOR.
THERE ARE NO CHANGES FROM FIRST READING.
UM, I DO HAVE A MOTION IN FRONT OF YOU.
QUESTIONS FROM COUNCIL THERE A MOTION I'LL MAKE THE MOTIONS.
MAYOR, I MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE ORDINANCE AMENDING THE TOWN AND BLUFFTON CODE OF ORDINANCES, CHAPTER SIX, BUSINESS AND BUSINESSES REGULATIONS ARTICLE THREE, SOLICITING A MOBILE.
AM I READING THE RIGHT ONE? YES, SIR.
ANY QUESTIONS FROM COUNCIL DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
[X.4. Consideration and Approval of Amendments to the Town of Bluffton Code of Ordinances. Chapter 6 Businesses and Business Regulations Article V – Short-Term Rental Units, Section 6- 114 Application, Section 6-120 Violations and Penalties. Second and Final Reading - Kevin Icard, Director of Growth Management]
CONSIDERATION OF APPROVAL OF AMENDMENTS TO THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON COORDINATE ORDINANCES, CHAPTER SIX, BUSINESS LICENSE REGULATIONS ARTICLE FIVE, SHORT TERM RENTAL UNITS SECTION SIX DASH 114 APPLICATION SECTION SIX DASH 20 VIOLATIONS AND PENALTIES.MR. KEVIN, NO CHANGES FROM FIRST READING AND I HAVE A MOTION IN FRONT OF YOU.
QUESTIONS FROM COUNSEL THERE? A MOTION MAKE THE MOTION TO APPROVE THE ORDINANCE AMENDED THE TOWN OF BLOCK AND COURT OF ORDINANCE CHAPTER SIX, BUSINESS AND BUSINESS BUSINESSES AND BUSINESS REGULATION ARTICLE FIVE SHORT TERM RENTAL UNITS AS PRESENTED.
[X.5. Approval to Authorize a Construction Contract to Atlantic Asphalt for Pathway Pedestrian Safety Improvements Site Development Project - Phase 2 (Fiscal Impact: $123,168.97) - Pat Rooney, Capital Improvement Program Manager]
HAVE APPROVAL TO AUTHORIZE A CON CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT TO ATLANTIC ASPHALT FOR PATHWAY PEDESTRIAN SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS SITE DEVELOPMENT PROJECT PHASE TWO, PHYSICAL IMPACT OF $123,168 AND 97 CENTS.GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
I'M HERE TONIGHT TO PRESENT THE CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT FOR ATLANTIC ASPHALT FOR PHASE TWO OF THE PATHWAY AND PEDESTRIAN SAFETY IMPROVEMENT PROJECT.
THIS PROJECT WAS ORIGINATED FROM A SIDEWALK ACCESSIBILITY STUDY THAT Y'ALL APPROVED BACK IN 2021.
UH, WE COMPLETED PHASE ONE OF, UM, THIS PROJECT IN 2023 AND THAT CONSISTED OF 13 INTERSECTION IMPROVEMENTS ALONG GOLDIE ROAD.
THIS, UH, NEW PHASE CONSISTS OF 18 ADDITIONAL INTERSECTION IMPROVEMENTS THAT ARE SCATTERED THROUGHOUT THE, UH, HISTORIC DISTRICT.
THIS IS A MAP OF WHERE THESE ARE LOCATED.
THE BLACK DOTS ON THESE, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU CAN READ IT, BUT, UH, THAT'S WHERE THEY'RE ALL LOCATED.
THEY'RE SCATTERED THROUGHOUT THE, UM, HISTORIC DISTRICT.
THEY GO FROM THE NORTH END AND DR.
MELANCAMP ROAD TO THE WEST END AT JENNIFER COURT AT PARKER'S SOUTH END FROM MOISTURE FACTORY PARK ALL THE WAY OVER TO BRUIN ROAD AND, UM, AVI SHELL ROAD,
[02:00:01]
UM, PER YOUR DIRECTION AT THE STRATEGIC PLAN.UM, A COUPLE MONTHS BACK, WE ALL HAVE INITIATED SOME STUDIES, UH, UH, FOR PLANNING DESIGN OF NU, NUMEROUS OTHER PEDESTRIAN SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS INCLUDING, UM, UM, FLASHING BEACONS AT CRITICAL INTERSECTIONS, UM, THROUGHOUT THE TOWN.
UM, SPEED BOMBS, SPEED LIMIT REDUCTIONS, AND OTHER TRAFFIC CALMING MEASURES THAT IS UNDERWAY IN THE PLANNING AND DESIGN PHASE.
AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WILL COME TO YOU AT THE BUDGET WORKSHOP FOR FISCAL YEAR 26 TO PROVIDE FUNDING FOR IMPLEMENT IMPLEMENTATION OF SOME OF THOSE IMPROVEMENTS IN FISCAL YEAR 26.
THE SCOPE OF THIS PROJECT IS PRETTY SIMPLE.
IT'S A DEMOLITION AND REMOVAL OF EXISTING NONCOMPLIANT CURB RAMPS AND THEN THE INSTALLATION OF NEW CURB RAMPS, NEW DETECTABLE WARNING SERVICES, PAVEMENT MARKINGS AND SIGNAGE TO MEET A DA ACCESSIBLE STANDARDS.
UM, SO THE NEXT STEPS, UM, FIRST OF ALL, I WANNA LET YOU KNOW THAT THIS, UH, THIS WAS BID PUBLICLY.
UH, WE RECEIVED SEVERAL BIDS AND THE LOW BIDDER WAS ATLANTIC ASPHALT.
UM, SO WE DID FOLLOW THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON PROCUREMENT REQUIREMENTS FOR THIS.
UM, NEXT STEPS ARE FOLLOWING APPROVAL.
STAFF WILL SUBMIT THE CONTRACT FOR SIGNATURES AND SCHEDULE A PRE-CONSTRUCTION MEETING AT THAT PRE-CONSTRUCTION MEETING.
WE'LL, UH, ISSUE NOTICE TO PROCEED TENTATIVELY.
WE PLAN TO DO THAT IN JANUARY AND THE PROJECT IS PRETTY SHORT.
WE THINK IT'LL BE FEBRUARY, MARCH BEFORE COMPLETION WITH THAT, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, YOU'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER THEM.
THERE IS OTHERWISE THERE'S, UM, A PROPOSED MOTION FROM YOU, MS. BRIDGET PANEL.
I'M MADE TO APPROVE AUTHORIZING THE TOWN MANAGER TO ENTER INTO A CONTRACT WITH ATLANTIC ASPHALT FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF PHASE TWO OF THE PATHWAY PEDESTRIAN AND SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS PROJECT FOR A TOTAL FISCAL IMPACT OF $123,168 AND 97 CENTS, WHICH INCLUDES A 20% CONTINGENCY.
ANY DISCUSSION? ALL IN ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
AND I NEED TO ASK A QUESTION, STEVE.
STEVEN, WE USED TO BE A 10% CONTINGENCY.
WHY AND WHEN DID IT CHANGE? 20%.
THE 20% WAS CHANGED PROBABLY ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO.
WHENEVER WE SAW THE CALL START TO GO UP POST COVID, WE WENT UP TO A 20% CONTINGENCY.
SO IF IT DOESN'T GET SPENT, WE WILL MOVE IT TO OTHER PROJECTS WE STILL DO COVID.
UH, NO SIR, BUT WE'RE STILL SEEING THE COST INCREASE IN PLACE.
OKAY, UP NEXT, NUMBER SIX, WE HAVE
[X.6. Consideration of an Ordinance Authorizing an Economic Development Incentive Agreement Between the Town of Bluffton and Encompass Health. First Reading – David Nelems, CEO of DRCI]
CONSIDERATION OF AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTS CONSIDERING AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON AND ENCOMPASS HEALTH.SO I HAVE, UH, TWO, THIS IS A FIRST OF TWO.
WE'RE GOING TO GO THROUGH TONIGHT.
YOU'VE GONE THROUGH THIS FOUR TIMES ALREADY.
THIS IS RELATIVELY RELATED TO THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ORDINANCE YOU PASSED IN SEPTEMBER OF 2023.
AND WE HAVE CERTAIN TARGETED BUSINESS, UH, ORGANIZATIONS YOU'RE AWARE OF, HEALTHCARE, PHARMACEUTICAL, MIXED USE, COMMERCIAL, AFFORDABLE HOUSING, AND CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS.
AGAIN, TO REMIND YOU OF THE PROCESS.
SO APPLICANTS SEND US A LETTER OF INTENT DESCRIBING THEIR PROJECT, UH, WHAT THEY'RE TRYING TO DO, WHERE THEY'RE TRYING TO DO IT, HOW MUCH THEY'RE GOING TO INVEST, AND THEY ALSO HAVE TO FILL OUT A SOUTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE ECONOMIC IMPACT WORKSHEET.
UH, AFTER THAT'S SUBMITTED TO CHRIS OR ME, WE MEET WITH THESE, UM, UH, DEVELOPERS EITHER IN PERSON OR ON THE PHONE.
THIS USUALLY TAKES A NUMBER OF, UH, INTERACTIONS AND IF IT LOOKS LIKE IT IS A GOOD THING FOR THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON, UH, WE RUN IT THROUGH THE TOWN, UH, STAFF REVIEW TO LOOK AT, UH, THE IMPACT IT WOULD BE ON THE TOWN AND WHAT TYPE OF GRANT THIS WOULD BE.
UH, STAFF MAKES A RECOMMENDATION AND THEN I STAND BEFORE YOU OR CHRIS STANDS BEFORE YOU IN HIS FANTASTIC ORANGE JACKET, AND WE ASK YOU TO CONSIDER THAT RESOLUTION.
SO AGAIN, THE OVERVIEW AND IT'S REMIND REMINDER, THIS IS A, A, UH, REIMBURSEMENT GRANT.
SO THESE MONIES ARE ONLY PAID OUT AFTER THESE ORGANIZATIONS HAVE PAID THESE FUNDS.
AND SO THEY, WE GET REIMBURSED AFTERWARDS, BUT WE WILL GIVE THEM UP TO 50% OF THE FEES FOR DEVELOPMENT OF THE PERMITTING.
UH, A HUNDRED PERCENT OF THE CAPACITY FEES FROM JASPER WATER UP TO 50% OF THE BUSINESS LICENSE FEES THEY PAY TO THE TOWN FOR UP TO FIVE YEARS,
[02:05:01]
AND ANY OTHER INCENTIVES THAT MAY BE NECESSARY ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS.AND THE MATRIX WE'VE COME UP WITH, AND YOU'VE SEEN THIS BEFORE, IS BASED ON THE NUMBER OF JOBS AND OR MINIMUM CAPITAL INVESTMENT, THERE ARE CERTAIN, THERE'S A MATRIX THAT SAYS, WELL, FOR THIS MUCH YOU SHOULD GIVE THIS TYPE OF GRANT.
SO THAT'S KIND OF THE, THE FORMULAS WE, WE USE.
SO THIS FIRST ONE, PROJECT SABLE IS FOR ENCOMPASS HEALTH.
THAT IS THE FACILITY, THE EXISTING FACILITY.
YOU CAN SEE THE PICTURE THERE THAT'S ON ONE 70, WHICH IS WEST OF, UM, 2 78 NEAR THE SUN CITY ENTRANCE.
THEY ARE, UH, WOULD LIKE TO DO AN 8,250 SQUARE FOOT EXPANSION.
SO IF YOU SEE THE LITTLE YELLOW ARROW POINTED IN THE PICTURE, IT WOULD BE IN THAT BACK AREA WHERE THERE'S NO PORTION OF THE BUILDING THAT BUILDING'S CURRENTLY SAFE.
YOU, AND YOU SEE THE LITTLE DRAWING THERE.
THE YELLOW AREA WOULD BE THE AREA THEY WOULD EXPAND INTO.
THIS IS A 12 BED EXPANSION, $11.3 MILLION IN INVESTMENT.
THEY WOULD CREATE 10 NEW JOBS ON YEAR ONE AND BY YEAR FIVE 30 NEW JOBS WITH AN AVERAGE SALARY OF $82,000 A YEAR.
QUESTION DAVID, 11,000,003, 11.3 MILLION INVESTMENT TO PUT IN 12 BEDS.
IT'S A GOOD INDUSTRY TO BE IN.
I THOUGHT THE SAME THING MUST BE SOME NICE MATTRESSES.
IT'S A MILLION DOLLARS A ROOM.
YEAH, I THOUGHT THE SAME THING.
SO EVERY SALARY OF $82,000 A YEAR.
UM, AND HERE'S THE, UH, PROJECTION STAFF RAN BASED ON THE TYPES OF FEES THEY WOULD NORMALLY INCUR.
AND IF YOU LOOK AT YEAR ONE ON THE LEFT SIDE, THIS WOULD BE THE, UH, THE FEES THAT, UH, THEY WOULD, THE BENEFITS THEY WOULD GET FROM THOSE.
YOU ADD 'EM ALL UP AND 80 88,786 IN YEAR ONE.
AND THEN THEY, WE ALSO RUN, UH, THE BUSINESS LICENSE FEE OUT FOR FIVE MORE YEARS.
SO THE FIVE YEAR ESTIMATED, THIS IS AN ESTIMATE, UH, BENEFIT FOR ENCOMPASS HEALTH WOULD BE $96,420.
UH, HOWEVER, AT THE SAME TIME, IF YOU LOOK AT THE NET REVENUE SIDE OF 76,420, THAT'S HOW MUCH MONEY THE TOWER WOULD STILL RECEIVE IN REVENUE FROM THIS PROJECT OVER A FIVE YEAR PERIOD.
AGAIN, THESE ARE ESTIMATES, BUT THEY FIT ALL OUR MATRICES AND, UH, WE THINK IT'S A, A GOOD PROJECT THAT'S, UH, WORTH CONSIDERATION.
AGAIN, THE TERMS, UH, 8,250 SQUARE FOOT, 12 BED EXPANSION OF THE EXISTING FACILITY.
THEY WOULD OPEN OPERATIONS BY Q3 OF 2026.
AND AGAIN, THIS IS A REIMBURSEMENT GRANT AND IT WOULD BE PAID ANNUALLY OPEN OR OPENING ANNIVERSARY.
SO WE'RE NOT PUTTING ANY MONEY OUT OF POCKET UNTIL THEY'VE ALREADY PUT THE MONEY OUT THEMSELVES AND THEN WE REIMBURSE THEM IF THERE ARE NO QUESTIONS.
IF THERE ARE NO QUESTIONS, I DO HAVE A MOTION READY FOR YOU.
CAN YOU GO BACK TWO SLIDES PLEASE? YES, SIR.
SO YOU SAID THAT WE WOULD NET 76,420? YES, SIR.
THAT COMES, TAKES TO 96 OFF THE RIGHT.
76,000 AS IF THEY DON'T DO IT RIGHT, FIVE YEARS WOULD, SO THE TOWN WILL RECOGNIZE $76,420 IN REVENUE OVER FIVE YEARS FROM THE PERMITS, EVEN THOUGH WE'RE GIVING THEM A $96,000 GRANT.
BUT WE'RE ALSO, AFTER FIVE YEARS, GONNA HAVE FIVE 30 JOBS PAYING $82,000 A YEAR IN ALL THE TAX LIFE BENEFITS ON THAT AS WELL.
ANY DISCUSSION OR QUESTIONS FOR DAVID? SIR, IS THERE A MOTION SOMEONE WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION? I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE FIRST READING OF AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE TOWN MANAGER TO ENTER INTO AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GRANT AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON AND ENCOMPASS HEALTH FOR PROJECT SABLE.
ANY DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
[X.7. Consideration of an Ordinance Authorizing an Economic Development Incentive Agreement Between the Town of Bluffton and CS Instruments USA Inc. First Reading – David Nelems, CEO of DRCI]
MORE AUTHORIZED AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INCENTIVE OF AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON AND CS INSTRUMENTS, USA INC.SO AT THE, UH, SAVE A LITTLE BIT OF TIME, I'M NOT GONNA GIVE YOU THE BACKGROUND ON HOW WE DO ALL THIS.
AGAIN, HERE ARE THE HIGH POINTS RELATED TO THIS ONE.
UH, CS INSTRUMENTS IS AN ORGANIZATION THAT MAKES, UM, MACHINES TOWARD, UM, MEASURING COMPRESSED AIR.
YOU KNOW, SOMEONE HAS TO, RIGHT? THEY WORK WITH SPACEX, BOEING, NASA, ALL TYPES OF COMPANIES.
THEY HAVE HAD THREE EMPLOYEES IN THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON SINCE 2021 IN A SALES CAPACITY, BUT NOW THEY FIND THAT WOULD THE REGIONAL UNITED STATES HEADQUARTERS INTO BLUFFTON.
[02:10:01]
UH, IN DOING SO, THEY WOULD CREATE, BUILD A 11,000 SQUARE FOOT FACILITY ON PINELLAS DRIVE.THIS WOULD BE A $3.6 MILLION INVESTMENT WITH 13 NEW JOBS, AGAIN, WITH AN AVERAGE SALARY OF $80,000.
AGAIN, HERE'S THE SAME MATRIX YOU SAW IN THE PAST.
UH, YOU SEE IN YEAR ONE, UH, THE, THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT WOULD BE GRANTED THEM PROVIDED THEY, THIS IS APPROVED AND OVER A FIVE YEAR TOTAL, UH, THEY WOULD RECOGNIZE ESTIMATED $70,000 IN BENEFITS AND THE NET REVENUE TO THE TOWN OVER THAT TOWN WOULD BE $46,000.
AGAIN, PUT THAT BACK UP THERE AGAIN NOW.
SO THIS ONE IS INCLUDED PROPERTY TAX.
THIS ONE DOES IMPROVE PROPERTY TAX.
WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO PUT THINGS IN AND TAKE THINGS OUT BASED ON, UH, WHAT WE NEED.
WE THOUGHT THAT SINCE THIS WAS A CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS, IT WOULD BE BENEFICIAL TO ENTICE THEM A LITTLE BIT MORE.
UH, THIS IS ALSO A HIGH TECH INDUSTRY.
IT IS ALSO A, A WELL-RESPECTED COMPANY AND THIS TYPE OF, THIS, ONE OF THE TYPES OF INDUSTRIES WE ALWAYS WANTED TO RECRUIT THROUGH AT THE DON RYAN CENTER AND THROUGH THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, UH, ORGANIZATION.
SO THIS CAN ALSO BE TAKEN OFF, BUT IT IS SOMETHING WE THOUGHT WOULD MAKE IT MAKE, UH, MAKE IT A LITTLE MORE ENTICING FOR THEM.
SO, SO BEING A HEADQUARTERS, DAVE, I, WHICH I, I'VE ALREADY ASKED THESE QUESTIONS, BUT, UM, SO THEY'RE, THEY'RE SALES.
UM, ARE THEY, ARE WE GONNA SEE ANYTHING FROM, YOU KNOW, A COMPANY THAT'S SELLING THESE EXPENSIVE PARTS OR ARE THEY FIXING THESE PARTS TO DO WARRANTY WORK FOR MACHINES OR, UM, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? BUSINESS LICENSE FEES ARE PRETTY, PRETTY LOW ON HERE.
AND THAT'S NORMALLY DONE BY, YOU KNOW, THE AMOUNT OF BUSINESS, THE AMOUNT OF VOLUME THAT YOU DO.
UM, SO WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE, WE, I I DON'T THINK THEY'RE GOING TO BE, YOU KNOW, MAKING THESE MACHINES HERE IS MY UNDERSTANDING.
UM, WHAT'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S MORE OF A MANAGEMENT FOR, FOR THE REGIONAL HEADQUARTERS, FOR THE ORGANIZATION, FOR THE ENTIRE UNITED STATES.
SO I IMAGINE IT MAY GROW AS FAR AS EMPLOYEE BASE, BUT UH, I DON'T THINK THEY'RE GOING TO BE A LOT OF SERVICE AND MANUFACTURING, IF THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE ASKING.
SO THE, THEY WILL, UM, AS DAVE MENTIONED, THEY, THEY'LL CONTINUE THEIR SALES.
SO THEY'LL BE DOING THEIR US SALES BASED OUTTA HERE, UM, AS WELL AS THEY DO THE, UH, RECALIBRATION AND MAINTENANCE OF, UH, EQUIPMENT THAT'S CURRENTLY AT THEIR, UH, PARTNERS LOCATIONS OR FACTORIES AND WHATNOT.
SO CURRENTLY THEY HAVE TO, UH, SHIP THOSE BACK TO GERMANY.
THEY GET FIXED OR RECALIBRATED AND THEY SHOULD SHIP 'EM BACK TO US, WHICH CREATED A LONG DOWNTIME.
SO THEY'RE LOOKING
I DID PUT OUT A QUESTION TO THEM REGARDING, UH, US BASED REVENUE.
UM, THE, UH, THE LOCAL, UH, CO IS, UH, TRAVELING BACK IN GERMANY FOR THE HOLIDAYS, SO, UH, WE SHOULD HAVE THAT FOR YOU BY THE SECOND READING.
HOW BIG WAS THIS BUILDING? OH, 11,000.
AND AND WAS IT 13 EMPLOYEES? 13 EMPLOYEES, YES MA'AM.
AND THEY WOULD OPEN OPERATIONS IN JULY OF 2025.
SO IT'S A PRETTY FAST, UH, FAST TRACK.
HOW, HOW, HOW DO YOU ENTICE THEM TO TRY TO USE LIFTING EMPLOYEES? SO, UH, IF I MAY, YES, I HAD A CONVERSATION WITH THEM SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THIS, UH, UH, QUESTION AND THEY SAID THERE REALLY ISN'T A, A MARKET FOR EMPLOYEES WITH THE SKILLSET.
'CAUSE WHAT THEY DO IS SO SPECIALIZED.
SO THEY HIRE LOCAL AND TRAIN THEM IN WHAT THEY DO, JUST BECAUSE THERE REALLY ISN'T PEOPLE THAT YOU CAN JUST PULL FROM OTHER PLACES TO DO IT.
UM, SO THEY ACTUALLY SAID THAT THEY WOULD BE HIRING LOCAL EMPLOYEES TO FILL THOSE POSITIONS.
LOCAL EMPLOYEE MEAN BLUFFTON OR SAVANNAH OR, WELL, JUST WITHIN, WITHIN COMMUTING DISTANCE, I WOULD ASSUME, BUT YOU KNOW, AS WE DO THESE, I WOULD LIKE FOR THAT TO BE AT LEAST A DISCUSSION TO SEE IF THEY'D BE WILLING TO, UM, EMPLOY LOCAL BLUFF ADDRESS.
THAT'S NOT SAYING THEY HAVE TO, BUT I'D LIKE TO MAKE SURE THEY YEAH, WE'VE ALWAYS TRIED TO PUSH FOR THAT, YOU KNOW.
WE ENCOURAGE IT AND THAT'S, THAT'S WHY I ASKED THE QUESTION AND I MENTIONED THAT AS A, UH, A PRIORITY OF COUNSEL.
[02:15:01]
UH, LEGAL RESTRICTION SAYING THEY HAVE TO, BUT, UM, WE OBVIOUSLY BRING THAT UP WHENEVER WE HAVE THESE CONVERSATIONS.ALRIGHT, ONE MORE QUESTION, DAVID, FOR ME, AND I DON'T MEAN TO BE PICKING ON YOU.
OH NO, I SEE OVER HERE WHERE IT SAYS PROPERTY TAXES, 60,000 OVER HERE.
I SEE WHERE WE GET 6,000 A YEAR FOR FIVE YEARS.
HOW'D YOU GET 60,000 COMING IN? AND SO THAT'S 50%.
SO THE PRIVATE TAXES IS ESTIMATED TO BE AROUND 12,000, UH, OVER FIVE YEARS.
UH, BUT IF YOU ADD THE, THE FIRST, SO 12,000 TIMES, WE'RE GIVING THEM BACK THE, WE'RE GIVING THEM HALF OF THE 12 THAT THEY ORIGINALLY PAY, OR HOW DOES THAT WORK WITH TAXES? WE DON'T, WE DON'T GET THAT AT ALL.
SO AGAIN, LIKE, UH, DAVID MENTIONED THESE ARE REIMBURSEMENT BASED ESSENTIALLY, UM, WE, WE, UH, PAY OUT THE GRANT AFTER THE YEAR IS COMPLETED.
SO THEY WOULD'VE PAID THE PROPERTY TAXES ALREADY.
UM, AND THEN WE'D BE MAKING A GRANT BACK TO 'EM IN THE EQUIVALENT OF 50% OF, OF THAT.
BUT THEY'D STILL PAY THE FULL PROPERTY TAX BILL.
UM, GIVE HALF OF IT BY, YEAH, WE, WE BASED THE GRANT OFF OF THE 50% AND THIS IS THE FIRST TIME WE'VE DONE THE PROPERTY TAX.
YEAH, THE VERY FIRST INCENTIVE.
AND THIS WAS A SIMILAR SITUATION AS THAT.
SO IN THE FIRST ONE THAT WE OFFERED, UH, ONE OF THE CONCERNS THAT THE BUSINESS OWNER DEVELOPER HAD WAS AROUND THE, UM, ADDITIONAL FEES, THE IMPACT FEES THAT ARE REQUIRED.
UM, NOW WE CAN'T HELP THAT, BUT WE CAN HELP WITH THESE OTHER TYPES OF APPROACHES.
SO ANY MORE QUESTIONS FROM COUNSEL? IS THERE A MOTION? HAVE IT READY FOR YOU.
I MAKE IT, I MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE FIRST READING OF AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE TOWN MANAGER TO ENTER INTO AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GRANT AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON AND CS INSTRUMENTS.
ANY DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
COUNCIL, I GOT A QUESTION FOR, UM, COUNCILMAN RAZON.
DID I GET THAT DISEASE YOU GOT OVER THERE?
F I'M TRYING OUT TO LOOK AT HER.
I GOTTA MOVE ON TO THE CONSENT
[XI. CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS]
AGENDA.UM, IS THERE ANYTHING THAT NEEDS TO BE REMOVED OR ANYTHING THAT ANYONE WOULD LIKE TO DISCUSS OR REMOVE AT THIS TIME? IS THERE ANYTHING ON THE CONSENT AGENDA THAT NEEDS TO, NO.
IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS? MAYOR, I'LL MAKE THE MOTION TO, UM, APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS. IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND.
IS THERE A MOTION TO GO HOME BEFORE WE, BEFORE WE LEAVE, I DO WANT TO COMMEND, UH, DAVID.
FRED, THANKS FOR WATCHING BC TV.
HERE'S WHAT'S HAPPENING IN BEAUFORT COUNTY.
A FEW MILES FROM BEAUFORT, SOUTH CAROLINA.
IN THE TOWN OF PORT ROYAL STANDS A PROPERTY OF NATIONAL IMPORTANCE.
IN FACT, IT'S LISTED IN THE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES.
FOR MORE THAN A DECADE, THE ONLY PUBLIC ACCESS TO THE PROPERTY HAS BEEN BY WATER.
SOUTH CAROLINA'S DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES IS WORKING TO PROVIDE ACCESS FOR ALL.
FOR THIS TO HAPPEN, A CULTURAL RESOURCES, INVENTORY, OR ARCHEOLOGY MUST BE DONE BUILT FROM TABBY, A MIXTURE OF OYSTER SHELLS, LIME, SAND, AND WATER.
SIMILAR IN MANY WAYS TO CONCRETE.
FORT FREDERICK'S CONSTRUCTION WAS ORDERED IN 1726 BY THE BRITISH COLONIAL GOVERNMENT TO GUARD PORT, ROYAL SOUND, AND THE TOWN OF BEAUFORT.
FROM APPROACHED BY SPANISH WARSHIPS, AN ESTIMATED 50,000 BUSHELS OF OYSTERS WERE NEEDED FOR THE FIVE FOOT HIGH, FIVE FOOT THICK TABBY WALLS.
[02:20:01]
STRUCTURE IN SOUTH CAROLINA.THE ADJACENT PROPERTY IS THE UNITED STATES NAVAL HOSPITAL.
ON THIS PROPERTY WAS THE 19TH CENTURY SMITH PLANTATION, WHICH BECAME THE UNION ARMY'S CAMP SAXTON DURING THE CIVIL WAR AND HOME OF THE FIRST REGIMENT COMPRISED OF FREED SLAVES.
THE OBJECT IS TO EXTRACT AS MUCH INFORMATION AS POSSIBLE IN A GIVEN AMOUNT OF TIME.
THERE IS A CERTAIN METHODOLOGY USED IN AN INVESTIGATION LIKE THIS COME ALONG AND SEE HOW IT'S DONE.
THE INITIAL SHOVEL TESTS DUG RANDOMLY AROUND THE SITE, EXAMINED THE DENSITY OF ARTIFACTS AND THE PERIOD OF OCCUPATION AT FORT FREDERICK.
ARTIFACTS INCLUDED 19TH CENTURY, 18TH CENTURY, AND PREHISTORIC OBJECTS.
THIS IS A FLAKE, A STONE TOOL, FLAKE.
IT'S A PIECE OF CHURCH FROM ALLENDALE TOP SITE AT TOP OF THAT AREA.
IT KIND OF TELLS YOU HOW RICH IT IS OUT HERE.
WITH THESE INITIAL TESTS, ARCHEOLOGISTS DETERMINE THE DEPTH REQUIRED OF THE SHOVEL TESTS IN THE NEXT PHASE.
THAT DEPTH IS WHEN THEY REACH A STERILE SOIL LAYER WHERE THEY NO LONGER SEE CULTURAL MATERIAL.
FOR PHASE ONE OF THIS PROJECT, A GRID IS LAID OVER THE SITE MAP.
THE SCOPE OF WORK HERE CALLS FOR SHOVEL TEST PROBES EVERY 10 METERS ACROSS THE ENTIRE THREE ACRES, RIGHT? OH.
USING A SURVEYING INSTRUMENT CALLED A TOTAL STATION PIN FLAGS ARE PLACED TO MATCH THE GRID MAP.
EACH FLAG IS IDENTIFIED BY ITS EXACT LOCATION.
A FIELD TEAM FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA'S INSTITUTE OF ARCHEOLOGY AND ANTHROPOLOGY IS CONTRACTED TO CONDUCT THE FIELD WORK.
THE DATA COLLECTED FROM THESE SHOVEL TESTS WILL GUIDE THE UPCOMING MONTH LONG EXCAVATION AS WELL AS ANY THAT MAY BE UNDERTAKEN IN YEARS TO COME.
ALL THE SOILS ARE SCREENED THROUGH A QUARTER INCH MESH.
ALL ARTIFACTS ARE BAGGED ACCORDING TO THEIR EXACT LOCATION AND DEPTH FOR LATER ANALYSIS FOR THE NEXT PHASE.
UNITS OF TWO METERS IN DIAMETER ARE LAID OUT IN THE AREAS CONFIRMED BY THE SHOVEL TESTS.
TO HAVE THE HIGHEST DENSITY OF ARTIFACTS, THE FIELD TEAM REMOVES SOIL LAYER BY LAYER.
SO HOW DEEP IS EACH LEVEL? SOMETIMES A STANDARD DEPTH OF 10 CENTIMETERS IS USED AT FORT FREDERICK.
THEY'LL EXCAVATE LAYERS ACCORDING TO CHANGES IN SOIL COLOR.
AGAIN, ALL THE DIRT IS SCREENED AND THE ARTIFACTS BAGGED.
THIS INFORMATION WILL ACCOMPANY THE ARTIFACTS THROUGHOUT THE CURATION PROCESS.
THESE UNITS SHOW AN OCCUPATION FROM THE FIRST HALF OF THE 19TH CENTURY.
THIS IS STONEWARE AMERICAN STONE WEAR WITH ONLY FOUR WEEKS BUDGETED FOR THE PROJECT.
THE FIELD TEAM MUST BE METICULOUS AND QUICK AT THE SAME TIME.
MOTORIZED SCREENERS HELP SPEED SIFTING THROUGH LARGE VOLUMES OF SOIL.
WHILE SOME TASKS REQUIRE A MORE DELICATE TOUCH LOOKING CLOSELY, SOME AREAS SHOW A COLOR CHANGE IN THE SOIL CALLED FEATURES.
THESE AREAS WERE LIKELY DISTURBED BY HUMANS IN THE PAST WERE THESE POST HOLES FOR A STRUCTURE OR HOLES WHERE ITEMS OFTEN TRASH WERE BURIED.
THESE FEATURES ARE EXCAVATED FURTHER AS THEY OFTEN YIELD ARTIFACTS AND THESE FEATURES MUST BE EXCAVATED TO THEIR STERILE SOIL LAYER.
WORK IN THIS AREA OF THE SITE IS PLANNED FOR TWO WEEKS.
FOR THE SECOND HALF OF THIS PROJECT, THE TEAM MOVES TO THE FORT ITSELF.
THE DECISION IS MADE TO LAY OUT CONTIGUOUS TWO METER UNITS THAT SPAN THE FORT'S INTERIOR WALL TO WALL.
GIVEN THE DEPTH REQUIRED, THERE IS A LOT OF DIRT TO BE MOVED NEAR THE EAST WALL.
THE TEAM ENCOUNTERS A RUBBLE FILLED FEATURE.
THIS FEATURE IS EXCAVATED AND THE CONTENTS BAGGED FOR THE TRIP TO THE LAB.
EVERY CONCEIVABLE DATA POINT, STRATIGRAPHY SOIL COLORS,
[02:25:01]
DEPTHS, AND FEATURES IS COLLECTED FOR LATER ANALYSIS.THE EXCAVATION OF THE FORT'S INTERIOR HAS EXPOSED THE FULL DEPTH OF THE WALLS, YIELDING ARTIFACTS FROM PREHISTORIC TIMES THROUGH THE 19TH CENTURY.
NOW, LAB ANALYSIS WILL BEGIN TO PIECE TOGETHER UNKNOWN FACTS ABOUT THE SITE'S LONG OCCUPATION.
BUT FIRST, BEFORE LEAVING THE SITE, THE UNITS ARE BACKFILLED TO PRESERVE THEIR INTEGRITY AND ENSURE THE SAFETY OF THE PUBLIC WHEN THE SITE IS REOPENED.
UH, WE'VE BEEN REFERRING TO IT AS THE RUBBLE SCATTER AFTER MANY MONTHS IN THE PLANNING STAGES, A WEEK OF SHOVEL TEST PROBES, A MONTH OF UNIT EXCAVATIONS WITH MOUNTAINS OF SOIL MOVED, PLUS WEEKLY ENGAGEMENT WITH THE PUBLIC.
ARCHEOLOGY AT THIS SITE IS DONE FOR NOW.
NEARLY TWO TONS OF OYSTER SHELL BRICK AND ARTIFACTS WERE TRANSPORTED TO THE INSTITUTE OF ARCHEOLOGY AND ANTHROPOLOGY AT USC IN COLUMBIA FOR ANALYSIS.
IT IS HERE THAT THE SIGNIFICANCE OF WHAT THEY FOUND WILL BE ASSESSED AND ADDED TO OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THOSE WHO OCCUPIED THE FORT FREDERICK HERITAGE PRESERVE.
AND THAT'S WHAT'S HAPPENING IN BEAUFORT COUNTY.
OKAY, SO HERE'S A MALE GREEN AND OLD THAT I JUST CAUGHT.
IT'S A GOOD LOOKING MALE, IT'S TRYING TO BITE ME A LITTLE BIT.
BUT YOU NOTICE THAT THROAT FAN, IT'S A LITTLE BIT HARD TO SEE THAT DOULA AND THAT TELLS ME THAT IT'S A MALE AND IT'S A MATURE MALE AND IT JUST CAUGHT THIS GUY ON THE FENCE.
AND SO IF ANOTHER MALE SHOWS UP, HE'S GONNA RUN IT OFF.
ALSO, HE MAY HAVE A HAREM OF SIX TO EIGHT FEMALES THAT LIVE IN THIS AREA AS WELL.
SO I'M GONNA PUT HIM BACK DOWN AND LET HIM, LET HIM HEAD OUT AND GO ON WITH HIS DAY.
SO GUYS, THIS LOOKS LIKE WE'RE ABOUT TO HAVE A FIGHT BETWEEN TWO GREEN AND OLDS.
AND THIS IS OBVIOUSLY ONE OF THE TWO LIZARDS TERRITORY AND THE OTHER ONE DOES NOT WANT TO LEAVE AND BACK OFF.
BUT NOTICE THE HEAD BOBBING, UH OH.
THINGS ARE ABOUT TO GET UGLY AND ONE UNMUTES TO BACK DOWN.
OTHERWISE IT'S GONNA TURN TO THE A NO EQUIVALENT OF FISH CUPS.
GENERALLY THEY DON'T HURT EACH OTHER, BUT ONE OF 'EM MAY FALL OFF THE FENCE.
OKAY, LOOKS LIKE HE CHASED THE OTHER GUY OFF.
WE'LL JUST HAVE TO WAIT AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS.