[I. CALL TO ORDER ]
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THIS IS OUR TUESDAY, DECEMBER 10TH, 2025.
AND WE'LL CALL THIS MEETING, MEETING TO ORDER.
WE'LL START WITH THE PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE, FOLLOWED BY THE IMPLICATION, OUR PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND TO THE REPUBLIC, OR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD AND INVIS WITH THE LIBERTY AND JUSTICE.
ALL IT'S PRAY FOR YOU, US IN PRAYER.
HEAVENLY FATHER, RIGHT NOW, I'D JUST LIKE TO THANK YOU.
WE'D LIKE TO THANK YOU FOR THE CONVENING OF OUR RESIDENTS AND OUR CITIZENS AND OUR LEADERS IN YOUR ASSEMBLY HERE TODAY.
WE LIKE TO ASK, FATHER, GOD, THAT YOU GIVE US ALL THE COURAGE TO BE ABLE TO LEAD WITH CONVICTION AND COMMITMENT TO ALL THAT WE SERVE IN OUR COMMUNITY.
ESPOUSING AND HOLDING TRUTH, THE IDEALS OF UPHOLDING TRUTH.
WE LIKE TO ALSO ACT THAT YOU PROTECT AND BLESS THOSE AND OFFER STRENGTH TO THOSE RIGHT NOW WHO ARE SUFFERING DEVASTATIONS ALL THROUGHOUT THIS COUNTRY, WHEREVER THEY ARE.
WE LIKE TO ACT THAT YOU HEAL THE LAND AND BE ABLE TO GIVE SENSE OF UNDERSTANDING OF THOSE WHO ARE GRAPPLING RIGHT NOW AND TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT'S GOING ON AND WHAT SAYS NEXT DIRECTION.
AND THAT YOU ALLOW US TO BECOME MORE UNITED AS COMMUNITY, KNOWING THAT THE CONCERNS OF ONE AREA AFFECTS THE CONCERNS OF US ALL.
AND THESE ALL THE BLESSINGS WE JUST LIKE TO ASK.
AND WE LIKE TO THANK YOU AND YOUR SON JESUS, AND WE PRAY.
[IV. ADOPTION OF THE MINUTES ]
OKAY, WE'LL MOVE ADOPTIONS OF THE MEETING MINUTES, REGULAR MEETING MINUTES.IS THERE ANY, UH, CHANGES MR. STEVE? UH, NONE FROM COUNCIL UNLESS, UH, NONE FROM STAFF UNLESS COUNSEL HAVE ANY, DO ANY FROM COUNCIL? THERE A MOTION? SOME SECOND.
ANY DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
[V. PRESENTATIONS, CELEBRATIONS, AND RECOGNITIONS ]
MOVE ON TO PRESENTATION, CELEBRATIONS AND RECOGNITIONS UP.FIRST IS AVER COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT CHARACTER, STUDENT OF THE MONTH.
I DON'T THINK WE HAVE BUT ONE.
GERARD, IF HIS FAMILY WANTS TO COME UP WITH HIM, TEACHER HERE TOO.
OH, HOW ARE YOU? NICE TO MEET YOU, SIR.
WOULD ANYBODY, SOMEBODY LIKE TO TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THIS GENTLEMAN? WHAT HE'S, YOU HAVE A TEACHER HERE? YEAH, WE HAVE A WHOLE GROUP.
ARD GOT RESPECT BECAUSE HE IS AMAZING.
HE IS SUCH A GREAT, LET'S SLIDE IT THIS WAY OVER HERE SO THE CAMERA CAN COME IN.
HE IS SUCH A GREAT, HE IS SUCH A GREAT FRIEND.
HE IS SUCH A GREAT FRIEND TO OTHERS AND ALWAYS INCLUDES HIS CLASSMATES AND LISTENS TO HIS TEACHERS.
AND HE HAS A COUPLE TEACHERS, UM, NOT JUST ME, AND HE IS A MODEL STUDENT IN EVERY CLASS.
AND I JUST MET YOU A WHILE AGO.
WE GOT SOME OTHER LITTLE GOODIES.
HOW ABOUT A COUPLE OF THESE? YOU HAVE TO BE REALLY SPECIAL TO GET THEM AND THANK YOU.
AND THIS GOT SOME MORE GOODIES AT SO CAN I GET A PICTURE? Y'ALL MIGHT HAVE TO SQUEEZE IN.
BUT YOU GOT SOMEBODY THAT'S GONNA ACCEPT THIS.
UP NEXT WE HAVE THE MARTIN LUTHER KING PROCLAMATION FOR 2025, WHEREAS JANUARY 15TH, 1929 WAS THE BIRTHDAY OF GREAT AMERICAN, THE LATE REVEREND DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.
WHO GAVE HIS LIFE FOR LOVE, PEACE, AND JUSTICE.
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REVEREND DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.CELEBRATION IS SPONSORED AND HOSTED ANNUALLY BY THE B BLUFFTON, MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.
AND WHEREAS THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON IS COMMITTED TO PURSUING THE IDEAS OF JUSTICE, LOVE, AND PEACE, AND IN BLUFFTON 40TH CELEBRATION, THE THEME SHALL BE MISSION POSSIBLE, PROTECTING FREEDOM, JUSTICE, AND DEMOCRACY IN THE SPIRIT OF NONVIOLENCE 365.
NOW THEREFORE, I LARRY TO THE MAYOR OF TOWN OF BLUFFTON, ALONG WITH BLUFFTON TOWN COUNCIL, DO HEREBY DESIGNATE, PROCLAIM MONDAY, JANUARY 20TH, 2025 AS REVEREND DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.
AND YOU WANNA SAY SOMETHING ABOUT ALL YOUR EVENTS AND ALL THIS KIND OF STUFF? I DO.
WELL, THANK YOU MAYOR AND, UM, THE TOWN FOR GIVING US A PROCLAMATION.
IT IS THE 40TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE, UM, BL MLK, UH, COMMITTEE'S OBSERVANCE.
UM, IT WAS FOUNDED BY THE BLACK CHURCHES HERE IN BLUFFTON.
AND SO WE'RE VERY EXCITED TO BE ABLE TO CONTINUE, UM, HOSTING THESE EVENTS.
SO ON FRIDAY WE HAVE OUR 40TH BANQUET AT THE ROTARY COMMUNITY CENTER, WHERE PASTOR JEFF LAWSON OF THE GRACE COMMUNITY, OUR LIFE CHURCH WILL BE OUR SPEAKER TICKETS, OUR $35 FOR THAT EVENT.
UM, ON SATURDAY WE HAVE A GOSPEL GULLAH SHOUT HOUR THAT WILL BE HOSTED AT CAMPBELL CHAPEL, A ME CHURCH.
AND THAT IS FREE TO THE PUBLIC.
AND THAT BEGINS AT THREE O'CLOCK.
AND IT'S GONNA INCLUDE ALL OF THE, UM, UH, CHURCHES, THEIR MEAL GROUPS, UM, RING SHOUTERS, SOME OTHER THINGS.
DEFINITELY BE A GREAT EVENT IF, UM, IF YOU'RE LOOKING TO COME OUT FOR THAT.
AND ON MONDAY, WE WILL END WITH OUR MEMORIAL YOUTH PROGRAM THAT'S GONNA BE HOSTED, UM, RIGHT HERE AT THE MAY RIVER THEATER.
AND THE NEW PASTOR OF CAMPBELL CHAPEL, A ME CHURCH, WILL BE OUR SPEAKER, UM, TO ADDRESS THAT, UM, AFTERNOON.
AND WE'LL ALSO HAVE A LOT OF PERFORMANCES FROM OUR AREA YOUTH.
AND THEN WE'LL LEAVE FROM THERE AND BEGIN A MARCH AND PARADE THROUGH BLUFFTON.
UM, THAT WILL BE LED BY BLUFFTON, UM, JUNIOR, ROT BLUFFTON HIGH'S JUNIOR ROTC PROGRAM.
AND, UH, WE WILL END AT THE OYSTER FACTORY PARK FOR A COMMUNITY UNITY PICNIC.
AND THIS YEAR WE'LL HAVE, UH, AN OYSTER ROASTS.
UM, WE ALSO ALWAYS HAVE LIKE A LUNCH BUFFET, UM, WITH A LOT OF AREA FOOD PARTNERS.
IT'S ALSO FREE TO THE PUBLIC AND A HOTDOG CHILI BAR THAT'S BEING SPONSORED, UM, BY THE NEW DELTA MEGA CHAPTER OF, UM, ALPHA CAP ALPHA.
SO PLEASE COME OUT AND THEN JOIN US.
YOU CAN SEE ALL THESE EVENTS ON OUR, UH, FACEBOOK PAGE AND, UH, I BELIEVE THE TOWN SENT A PRESS RELEASE OUT ALSO, UM, ACKNOWLEDGING THOSE EVENTS.
SO WE HOPE TO SEE THE COMMUNITY THERE.
CAN I GET A PICTURE JUST OF THE TWO OF THEM? SURE.
WE'LL HAVE THE ANNUAL PALM
MR. WILL HOWARD, SOUTH STREET PARTNERS.
HEY, GOOD EVENING MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
UM, BRIAN, CAN YOU PULL THAT? THANK YOU.
I'M HERE FOR, UH, FOR OUR ANNUAL, UH, DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT UPDATE.
UH, 2024 WAS, UM, A, A GREAT YEAR FOR US AND 25 OF THE, THAT ARE, WE'VE GOT SOME NEW REAL ESTATE OFFERINGS, UH, WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT AS FAR AS SOME NEW DEVELOPMENT, UH, PLAN TO BE OPENING, UM, YEAR OPENING A NEW GOLF COURSE THAT WE HAVE ON CONSTRUCTION IS, UH, SOME OTHER AMENITIES THAT WE'RE WORKING ON.
UM, I JUST WANNA GO OVER REAL QUICKLY.
UM, THIS IS OUR TOTAL SALES VOLUME FOR THE YEAR.
UM, WE WERE VERY CLOSE TO, UH, OVERALL SALES OF 2021, WHICH WAS A BANNER YEAR FOR US.
UH, WE HAD 384 MILLION IN, UH, TOTAL SALES.
UM, MAJORITY OF THOSE WERE ACTUALLY RESALE HOMES.
UH, WE DID SEE AN UPTICK IN, IN SALE OF OUR DEVELOPER LOTS OVER 23 AND I THINK 23.
UM, YOU MAY REMEMBER, UH, WE WERE KIND OF RUNNING OUTTA INVENTORY, UM, BECAUSE OF ALL THE LOTS THAT HAD, WE, WE SOLD MORE LOTS THAN FASTER THAN WE COULD GET THEM READY AND DEVELOPED.
THEY PICKED BACK UP IN 24 WHEN WE RELEASED SOME NEW INVENTORY IN, IN THE MIDDLE OF THE YEAR.
UM, AND THEN WE HAVE SOME NEW OFFERINGS COMING UP THAT I THINK WE'RE GONNA EVEN SEE BETTER NUMBERS IN, IN 25 ON, UM, OUR DEVELOPER LOTS.
UM, THE OVERALL UNITS, UH, EVEN THOUGH WE WERE JUST, UH, A FEW MILLION SHY OF, OF THE NUMBERS IN 21, UM, THE, OUR SALES VOLUME WAS HALF THE NUMBER OF UNITS.
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SO OBVIOUSLY REAL ESTATE PRICES ARE, ARE ON THE RISE, UM, WHICH IS, WHICH IS GOOD FOR US.UM, DUE FOR OUR, OUR PROPERTY OWNERS.
UM, YOU KNOW, THEY'VE GAINED A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF EQUITY IN THEIR HOME.
AND YOU CAN SEE, UM, I'M GOING TO JUMP AHEAD TO ONE SLIDE AND I'LL COME BACK.
BUT, UH, THE AMOUNT OF EQUITY THAT OUR, OUR PROPERTY OWNERS GAINED IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS, 2019, THE AVERAGE PRICE PER SQUARE FOOT, UM, OF A HOME SALE, UM, WAS WHAT, 4 55? UM, NOW WE'RE UP OVER $800 A A SQUARE FOOT AVERAGE.
UM, AND IN FISCAL YEAR 24, WE ACTUALLY HAD ONE FOURTH OF ALL THE HOMES THAT RESALE HOMES THAT CLOSED RESALE OR NEW, UH, ONE FOURTH OF THOSE HOMES, UH, CLOSED TO OVER A THOUSAND DOLLARS A SQUARE FOOT.
UH, AND THEN LET'S GO BACK TO THE, THE NUMBER, I'M SORRY, THE NUMBER OF WE CURRENTLY, UM, AT 1,153 COS CERTIFICATES OF OCCUPANCY.
SO THAT'S 1,153 COMPLETED HOMES THAT WE HAVE AGAINST OUR, UM, PERMITTED RIGHTS OF 4,000 THAT, THAT WE'RE, UH, ALLOWED TO BUILD PERMITTED DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT.
UM, IN ADDITION TO THOSE 1153, WE HAVE ANOTHER THREE 80 THAT ARE EITHER UNDER CONSTRUCTION WAITING FOR CO OR IN THE, THE DRB REVIEW PROCESS TO THAT WILL ALLOW THEM TO PULL A BUILDING PERMIT.
UM, SOME OF THE PROJECTS THAT WE HAVE IN THE WORKS.
UM, APOLOGIZE FOR THE, THE SIZE OF THIS, I REALLY, BUT FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT ARE FAMILIAR, WE HAVE, UH, BLOCK EYE, WHAT WE CALL BLOCK EYE, WHICH IS JUST WEST OF THE AREA THAT WE REFER TO AS WILSON VILLAGE.
UM, WE'VE BEEN INVOLVED IN, UM, FOR ALMOST CLOSE TO NINE MONTHS, WE'VE BEEN PLANNING WITH, WITH OUR PLANNING TEAM IN HART HOWERTON, UM, PLANNING THE LAYOUT OF OF BLOCK, WHICH WILL OFFER 60 ADDITIONAL LOTS.
UM, IT WILL ALSO OFFER A SHORT TERM RENTAL COMPONENT THAT'S VERY POPULAR, UM, WITH, UH, A LOT OF PROPERTY OWNERS ARE SEEKING INVESTMENT HOMES OR, YOU KNOW, THE, THE ABILITY TO, TO DO SHORT TERM RENTAL IS IF THEY SO CHOOSE, WE WILL OFFER THAT IN BLACK EYE.
UH, WE'RE STILL IN THE PLANNING STAGE, BUT THERE'S A POSSIBILITY THAT, UM, WE COULD GET THAT PERMITTED, START THE PERMITTING PROCESS THIS YEAR, AND THEN WE'D BE ABLE TO, TO START CONSTRUCTION, UH, IN THE FOURTH QUARTER, IF NOT THE FIRST QUARTER OF 25.
UM, BLOCKS M SIX AND M SEVEN, IF YOU COULD LOOK ON THAT.
IS THIS POINTER WORKING? DO YOU KNOW, JUST A CURSOR? MM-HMM
UH, SO IF YOU, IF YOU LOOK HERE AT THE, THE GOLF COURSE, YOU CAN SEE WE HAVE BLOCKS.
THIS IS THE NINE HOLE GOLF COURSE THAT, UM, WE OPENED THIS YEAR.
I'LL GO INTO THAT JUST A LITTLE, A LITTLE DETAIL LATER.
BUT, UM, WE HAVE ABOUT 36 LOTS THAT WE HAVE IN THE PERMITTING PROCESS RIGHT NOW.
UM, AND WHAT IS DIFFERENT ABOUT THESE LOTS IS NOT ONLY DO THEY HAVE GOLF VIEWS, UM, BUT WE HAVE ALMOST HALF OF 'EM THAT ALSO WILL HAVE ACCESS TO THE AND WATERWAY.
WHEN WE, WHEN WE EXPANDED THIS NINE HOLE COURSE, WE EXTENDED THE IN ON WATERWAY TO SURROUND IT.
UM, SO THAT WILL ALLOW, UM, ANYONE WHO HA HAS ELECTRIC BOAT ON, UH, WITHIN POUND MEADOW BLUFF COULD ACTUALLY TAKE THEIR ELECTRIC BOAT TO THE CROSSROADS GOLF COURSE, UM, OR THE CROSSROADS AMENITIES THAT WE ALSO HAVE IN LONG-TERM PLANNING.
UM, BUT THAT'S, THAT'S SOME OF THE, UM, THE ADDITIONAL REAL ESTATE OFFERINGS THAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT THAT WE'RE LOOKING TO SEE.
HOPEFULLY THAT WILL KIND OF A DIVERSITY OF AN EXPANSION OF MM FOUR AND MOLAND FOREST, UM, AND ALSO M SIX AND M SEVEN, WHICH OFFERS THE GOLF IN THE END OF THE WATERWAY.
UM, AND THEN JUST NEXT TO THE GOLF COURSE, AGAIN WITH WHAT WE CALL THE CROSSROADS AREA, UH, WE'VE BEEN INVOLVED IN LONG-TERM PLANNING OF THE CROSSROADS AMENITIES.
UM, OUR PLAN IS, THIS IS KIND OF GROUND CENTRAL, UM, FOR POUND OF BLUFF.
IT'S ABOUT HALFWAY BETWEEN WILSON VILLAGE AND HALFWAY BETWEEN THE SOUTH END OF THE PROPERTY OF ANSON MARINA AND ANSON VILLAGE.
UM, SO WE FEEL THIS IS A, THIS IS A GOOD CENTRAL POINT, UM, FOR US TO INCLUDE FAMILY
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FRIENDLY SPORTS ACTIVITIES.UH, PROBABLY A LARGE FITNESS CENTER, POSSIBLY A POOL, UH, RACKET, SPORTS, UH, SPORTS FIELDS, ATHLETIC FIELDS, DOG PARK.
UM, SO WE ARE INVOLVED IN THE LONG-TERM PLANNING FOR THAT.
UM, THE FIRST PHASE OF THAT THIS YEAR, UM, TAKES ABOUT NINE MINUTES TO GET THE NINE MONTHS TO GET A PERMIT THAT TEES US UP TO POTENTIALLY START THE DEVELOPMENT ON, ON THESE AMENITIES IN THE FIRST QUARTER OF 25, I MEAN THE FIRST QUARTER OF 26.
UM, ONE THING THAT, UM, THAT WE WILL BE STARTING CONSTRUCTION NEXT MONTH IS THE, THE FIRST FEW PHASES OF THE ROAD TO SEN.
UH, AS MANY OF YOU ARE AWARE, WE, UH, WE HAD TO START CONSTRUCTION OF OUR SEN MARINA A FEW YEARS AGO, UM, SO THAT WE COULD, UH, OBTAIN SUBSTANTIAL COMPLETION OF, OF THAT MARINA TO EXTEND OUR MARINA PERMIT.
WE DID SO AND THEN RECEIVED A, A LEGISLATIVE, UH, EXTENSION, UM, UH, ALL THROUGH THE STATE LEGISLATURE.
UM, SO WE HAVE COMPLETED ABOUT 90% OF THAT MARINA.
ONE THING THAT WE WILL NEED IS THE PERMANENT UTILITIES, THE WATER AND, AND THE SEWER.
UM, SO THAT WE CAN OPERATE THE MARINA AND THE OFFICE.
THE ONLY WAY WE CAN DO THAT IS BY BUILDING THAT SIX MILE OR SO ROAD, UM, THAT WE WILL TIE IN, COME OFF OF OLD MORELAND ROAD, UM, AS YOU GO TO MORELAND VILLAGE.
UM, AND WE'LL BE BUILDING THE FIRST FEW PHASES OF THAT ROAD THAT WILL GET US FROM OLD MORELAND UP, AND WE'LL SEE IF I CAN FIND IT FROM OLD MORELAND HERE.
WE'LL GO UP AND AROUND THE GOLF COURSE, PAST THE CROSSROADS AMENITIES INTO THIS AREA HERE.
THAT'S THE FIRST FEW PHASES THAT WE HOPE TO COMPLETE THIS YEAR.
UH, WITH THAT WE'LL BE ADDING ALL THE NECESSARY UTILITIES THAT WILL ALLOW US TO START CONSTRUCTION OF CROSSROADS AMENITIES IN 26.
UM, AND THEN WE PLAN TO EXTEND THAT ROAD, UM, ABOUT ANOTHER 18 MONTHS WORTH OF CONSTRUCTION TO GET US DOWN TO THE INCIDENT.
SO, UH, WE'RE LOOKING TO FINISH THAT ROAD HOPEFULLY IN, YOU KNOW, FIRST QUARTER OF 27.
UH, ONE OTHER, UH, THING THAT WE ARE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT, I'VE BEEN REALLY EXCITED, UM, AT AS A GOLFER AND, UM, AS A YOUNG GOLFER, YOUNG IDOLIZED AS A YOUNG GOLFER THAT IDOLIZED BEN CRENSHAW.
I'VE BEEN FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO BE WORKING WITH, WITH BEN CRENSHAW, UH, AND BILL CORE ON THE, UM, CONSTRUCTION DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF OUR NEW HANSEN GOLF COURSE, UH, WHICH WE PLAN TO OPEN IN, UH, FIRST QUARTER NEXT YEAR.
THE SIX MILES, I GUESS IT'S TWO LANE.
HOW MUCH, HOW MUCH OF AN INVESTMENT IS THAT, UM, WITH THE UTILITIES? 'CAUSE IT'S NOT JUST, IT'S NOW, IT'S JUST THE ROAD.
SO WITH THE UTILITIES, UM, PROBABLY BE ABOUT 30, 35 MILLION WHEN WE'RE ON SET AND DONE.
SO, IS THE MARINA BEING USED YET FOR ANYTHING? NO.
NO, WE'RE NOT USING THE MARINA.
UM, AS MR FINGER KNOWS, WE'VE, WE'VE BEEN WORKING, UM, TO, TO SEEK, UM, AN OR A, A VARIANCE RIGHT, UH, FROM THE FLOOD ORDINANCE TO ALLOW US TO, UH, TO GET A VARIANCE TO BUILD OUR, UH, DOCK MASTER'S OFFICE.
UM, WITHOUT, YOU KNOW, THOSE OF YOU WHO AREN'T FAMILIAR, THE, THE FLOOD MAPS CHANGED AFTER, FROM THE TIME OUR, OUR MARINA WAS PERMITTED TO THE TIME WE WENT TO BUILD THE DOCK MASTER'S OFFICE.
UM, A WIND VELOCITY ZONE NOW BISECTS THE OFFICE.
AND BECAUSE OF THAT, WE WOULD BE REQUIRED WITHOUT A VARIANCE TO BUILD THAT BUILDING OFF TO, UM, TO THE STANDARDS, UH, WITHIN THE FLOOD ORDINANCE, WHICH WOULD REQUIRE IT TO BE ELEVATED, WOULD REQUIRE BLOOD PROOFING, WOULD REQUIRE US TO PUT AN ELEVATOR FOR A DA ACCESS TO THE BATHROOM THAT'S REQUIRED.
NOW, WE'VE HAD TO DO THAT ON THE SECOND FLOOR.
UM, THAT LITTLE THOUSAND 1100 SQUARE FOOT BUILDING WAS GOING TO, UNDER THAT METHOD OF CONSTRUCTION WAS GONNA COST US OVER $4 MILLION.
AND THAT'S JUST AN HONOR OF REASONABLE ADJUSTMENT.
SO ARE YOU MAKING PROGRESS ON THAT VARIANCE? WE, WE ARE, IT'S, IT'S A LITTLE MORE INVOLVED PROCESS BECAUSE WE'RE HAVING TO GO THROUGH LINE ITEM BY LINE ITEM OF THE FLOOD ORDINANCE FOR ANYTHING WITHIN THAT, FOR FLOOD ORDINANCE THAT WOULD APPLY TO OUR, OUR CONSTRUCTION.
WE HAD TO REDESIGN THE BUILDING.
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SO THAT TOOK SOME TIME.UM, BUT WE ARE, YOU KNOW, WE DO PLAN TO GET THAT VARIANCE THIS YEAR AND THEN HOPEFULLY CAN INVEST THE CAPITAL NEXT YEAR TO, TO BUILD THE OFFICE.
WE DID OPEN THAT, UH, GOLF COURSE THIS YEAR.
WE, UM, BUILT THAT AT RECORD TIME.
I'VE BEEN INVOLVED WITH SEVERAL GOLF COURSE CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS.
THIS IS THE ONLY ONE I WAS, I'VE ACTUALLY BUILT START TO FINISH IN A YEAR.
UM, AGAIN, THE POOR CRENSHAW, UM, 18 HOLE GOLF COURSE ON ABOUT 300 ACRES.
THERE ARE NO HOMES ON THAT GOLF COURSE.
UM, AND IT, IT HAS SEVERAL STUNNING MARSH VIEWS, UM, OF, OF THE NEW RIVER AND, AND THE SURROUNDING MARSH.
UM, PV BUILDERS, UH, AS MANY OF YOU KNOW, UM, WHEN SOUTH STREET, AFTER, AFTER THEY ACQUIRED PALMA BLUFF, UM, SOUTH STREET STARTED THEIR, THEIR OWN HOME BUILDING COMPANY.
UM, IN THE PAST THERE WAS A BUILDER GUILD, WHICH RELIED ON SEVERAL INDEPENDENT HOME BUILDERS.
UM, SOUTH STREET HAD A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT PROGRAM, STARTED THEIR OWN HOME BUILDING COMPANY, HIGH METAL BLUFF BUILDERS.
UM, SO IN NINE HOMES AND IN 2024 NINE HOMES WERE, WERE WE CLOSED ON, UH, THE PB BUILDERS HAD BUILT, UH, WE STARTED A LITTLE PROJECT AND, AND BLOCK M TWO CALLED THE GROVE.
UH, IT'S 12 LOTS, UM, THREE DIFFERENT HOME PLANTS TO CHOOSE FROM.
WE EXPECT THAT ACTUALLY TO BE SOLD OUT, UM, IN, IN THE, PROBABLY THE SECOND QUARTER OF, OF 25.
UM, WE'RE ALSO, IN ADDITION TO THAT, PB BUILDERS IS WORKING ON, UH, SOME, UH, SIGNATURE LUXURY HOMES IN THAT SAME BLOCK OF, OF MORELAND FOREST.
SO IT'S A LITTLE BIT LARGER DESIGN, YOU KNOW, UP IN THE 4,000 FEET, UM, FOOTPRINT, UH, FOOTPRINT.
UM, AND, UH, WE ALSO PLANNED, UH, TO BE TAKEN DOWN 12 LOTS TO BUILD, UM, TO BUILD PINE METAL, BUT BUILDING HOMES IN, UH, MORELAND FOREST BLOCK M FOUR, UH, THAT'S 81 LOTS THAT WE RELEASED LAST YEAR.
UM, HAVE SOLD SEVERAL OF THE WATERFRONT LOTS ON THAT, AND NOW WE'RE, WE'RE STARTING TO SLOWLY CHIP AWAY AND, AND, AND SELL SOME OF THE INTERIOR LOTS AS WELL.
UH, MONTAGE, UM, MONTAGE, THIS IS MONTAGE, UH, SIGNED A LEASE THAT 2014, SO IT'S THEIR 10 YEAR ANNIVERSARY.
10 YEARS ANNIVERSARY OF TIME AT A BLUFF.
UM, THEY CONTINUE TO HAVE STRONG OCCUPANCY THAT HAD, LOOKS LIKE OVER ALMOST 27,000 ROOM NIGHTS.
UM, THEY CONTINUED GREAT SUCCESS WITH THEIR WEDDING PROGRAM, OVER 54 MILLION IN REVENUE.
UH, IF OVER 54 MILLION, UM, WEDDINGS WITH REVENUE EXCEEDING $9 MILLION FOR THOSE, UM, A TAX PAY TO THE TOWN WAS OVER 1.6 MILLION.
UM, FOR, FOR ALL THE ROOMS IN MY MONTANA.
UM, AND THEN AS WELL, OUR CLUB CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM.
UM, YOU KNOW, THE CLUB OPERATES AS A NONPROFIT, BUT WE DO, UM, WE ARE ALWAYS REINVESTING IN, INTO THE CLUB, INTO THE AMENITIES TO MAINTAIN THE, THE QUALITY THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT OUR MEMBERS EXPECT.
UH, SO IN 2024, WE INVESTED OVER 3.2 MILLION, UM, IN CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS FOR CLUB AMENITIES, FOR EVERYTHING FROM ADDING IRRIGATION TO THE, TO THE HORSE PADDOCKS FOR LONGFIELD STABLES TO, UM, HVAC REPLACEMENTS, UM, AND, AND SOME OF OUR RESTAURANTS ROOF REPLACEMENTS AT THE MAY RIVER GOLF CART BAR.
UM, SO THAT IS OUR 2024 IN A NUTSHELL, AND I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
UM, I ALSO HAVE, HAVE, UH, WITH ME TODAY IS GRAY FERGUSON, WHO'S THE CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER, UM,
AND HE'S, HE'S HERE IN CASE YOU HAVE ANY OPERATIONAL QUESTIONS.
ANY, UH, ANY QUESTIONS FROM COUNSEL? MS. BUR, MR. HAMILTON, MR. WOOD, CURIOUS, YOU MENTIONED SHORT TERM RENTALS.
IS THAT ONLY BY THE SOUTH STREET PARTNERS OR IS THAT BY OTHER, THROUGH THE COMMUNITY, OR HOW DOES THAT WORK? WELL, I MEAN, SHORT TERM RENTALS, UH, THEY, WE, WE ARE NOT, WE DON'T HAVE A SHORT TERM
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RENTAL PROGRAM SPECIFICALLY, BUT IT IN A, AN INDIVIDUAL, IF THEIR HOME IS WITHIN AN AREA THAT ALLOWS SHORT TERM RENTAL, THEY CAN DO IT THEMSELVES THROUGH VRBO OR AIRBNB, OR THEY CAN HIRE A MANAGEMENT COMPANY TO TAKE CARE OF THAT FOR THEM.UM, SOME PEOPLE ALSO WILL, UM, ENTER INTO A CONTRACT WITH MONTAGE AND LET MONTAGE, UM, USE THEIR HOME AS, AS A SHORT TERM RENTAL.
SO THERE'S, OH, SORRY, GO AHEAD.
LOOKING AT, UM, YOU ALL ON TREND IN TERMS OF WHERE YOU STARTED WITH HOME SALES AND EVERYTHING MM-HMM
WHAT'S THE PERCENTAGE OF WHERE YOU GUYS ARE IN TERMS OF LIKE, UM, HOW, HOW FAR ALONG ARE YOU IN YOUR BUILD OUT? SO WE HAVE 1,153 COS 380 MORE IN UNDER REVIEW, UM, OR IN CONSTRUCTION.
UM, WE HAVE PERMITTED RIGHTS TO 4,000.
SO WE ARE A LITTLE OVER 25% THERE.
ALMOST A THIRD, THIRD OF THE WAY THERE.
WHEN YOU WERE, UM, THE NEW DEVELOPMENT THAT YOUR STUDENT, YOU SAID IT WAS GONNA BE LIKE 60 HOMES OR SOMETHING, SOME OF THEM WOULD BE ALLOWED SOME OF SHORT TERM BLOCK EYE.
AT BLOCK EYE, WHICH IS ADJACENT TO WEST WILSON, WHICH ALREADY OFFERS SHORT-TERM RENTAL.
UM, AND, AND, UH, THOSE, SOME OF THOSE HOMES KNOW WILL BE ELIGIBLE FOR SHORT-TERM RENTAL.
AND AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S DISCLOSED TO, YOU KNOW, ANY PURCHASER THAT COMES IN, A LOT OF THEM WILL ASK AND THEY'RE LOOKING FOR, HEY, I WANNA LOOK AT ANYTHING THAT'S AVAILABLE FOR SHORT TERM RENTAL.
UM, AND THEN THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE THAT WILL SAY, IF THIS IS SHORT TERM RENTAL, I DON'T WANT TO BE IN HERE.
I WANT TO GO DOWN TO MORELAND FOREST WHERE IT'S NOT ALLOWED.
UM, I BELIEVE THE TOWN, HEATHER, IF YOU CATCH ME HERE, I THINK THE TOWN HAS 5,000 UNITS ROUGHLY LEFT, WILL BUILD OUT.
WELL THAT'S PART OF, UH, PRESENTATION.
SO
ANYTHING ELSE FROM COUNSEL? THANK YOU, MR. WILL.
UP NEXT WE HAVE TOWN OF BLUFFTON ANNUAL DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT UPDATE.
MR. KEVIN? YES, SIR, I AM BACK AT WORK.
UH, GOOD EVENING, MAYOR COUNSEL.
AND, UM, I'LL, I'LL HAVE SOME OF THE INFORMATION SPECIFICALLY FOR PALM OF LUCK, BUT I'M MORE OF A, A HIGH LEVEL APPROACH, UH, FOR THE DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT UPDATE.
UH, SO JUST, UH, FOR ALSO FOR PEOPLE IN THE AUDIENCE, UH, WHAT IS A DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT IS LEGAL BINDING, UH, AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT PROPERTY OWNERS FOR LONG-TERM DEVELOPMENT OF LARGE TRACTS OF LAND.
UH, PALMETTO BLUFF IS ONE OF APPROXIMATELY 19,000 ACRES.
UH, IT'S USED AS A TOOL, UH, TO MANAGE GROWTH.
UH, IT ESTABLISHES CLEAR EXPECTATIONS FOR A MAXIMUM BUILD OUT, UM, AS WE'VE TALKED ABOUT HERE.
AND IT PROVIDES, UH, CERTAIN MEDICATIONS SUCH AS SCHOOLS, PARKS, ROADS, ET CETERA.
UH, GREAT EXAMPLE WOULD BE, UH, TON PARKWAY AND, UH,
AND IT DOES LOCK IN THESE, UH, LAND USE REGULATIONS FOR INITIAL APPROVAL.
UM, THE DOCUMENTATION THAT WE HAVE, UM, WE KNOW EXACTLY WHEN, UH, THESE EXPIRE.
SO, UM, WHAT CAN BE CHANGED IS YOU CAN MAKE MODIFICATIONS AND AS YOU KNOW, WE ACTUALLY JUST WENT THROUGH, UH, ONE OF THOSE MODIFICATIONS WITH THE 13TH AMENDMENT TO THE BUCK TERM PUD.
SO, UH, IT IS POSSIBLE, UM, AS LONG AS THE PARTIES AGREE BASED OFF OF WHAT INFORMATION, UH, THEY'RE LOOKING TO CHANGE.
UM, SO JUST HERE'S A COPY OF THE ZONING MAP.
UM, YOU CAN SEE WE HAVE, UH, AREAS THAT ARE, UH, CAN BE PUDS OR PLANNING DEVELOPMENTS ARE IN THE, UH, MINT SCREEN, UH, COLOR THERE.
UM, AND THEN THE OTHER AREAS OF DIFFERENT COLORS, UH, REPRESENT, UH, PROPERTIES THAT ARE REGULATED BY THE UNIFIED DEVELOPED ONES.
SO QUICK, A COUPLE OF HIGHLIGHTS.
OVER THE PAST YEAR, WE'VE HAD A COUPLE OF ANNEXATIONS AND REZONINGS.
SO THE FIRST ONE, UM, AS YOU REMEMBER, THIS WAS THE BRYANT FAMILY ANNEXATION WHERE THEY, UH, REZO, UM, ANNEX THE PROPERTY INTO THE RESIDENTIAL GENERAL.
UH, WE HAVE MOST RECENTLY THE, UH, UNIVERSITY INVESTMENT PROPERTIES, UH, THAT ARE LOCATED HERE, UM, OFF OF THE TWO PARKWAYS.
UM, THE KITTY FERAL GAS REZONING, WHICH REZONED THE PROPERTIES FROM THAT RESIDENTIAL GENERAL TO THE INDUSTRIAL.
AND THEN WE HAD THE EXTINGUISH OR THE EXPIRING OF THE BLUFFTON VILLAGE, PUD.
UM, THIS INFORMATION IS IN THE PACKET.
[00:30:01]
PROVIDED EVERY YEAR.UH, WHAT WE, UH, IS VERY DIFFICULT TO READ ON THIS SCREEN, UH, UNDERSTAND THAT.
UH, BUT THIS HELPS TO TRACK WHERE, UM, ALL OF THESE, UH, UH, ALL THE DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENTS, UH, WHEN THEY EXPIRE, UH, THE TOTAL NUMBER OF UNITS, TOTAL ACREAGE, UM, YOU KNOW, THE VALUE OF CONSTRUCTION YEAR OVER YEAR.
I LIKE TO USE, UH, THIS, THIS SLIDE.
I THINK THIS ACTUALLY KIND OF HELPS TO, TO EXPLAIN, UM, THIS OVER THE PAST YEAR, THE DIFFERENCE.
SO WE TALKED ABOUT TON VILLAGE THAT CAME THROUGH.
UM, WE EXPIRED THAT, UM, PUD AND DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT AND INCORPORATED IT INTO THE UNIFIED DEVELOPMENT ORDINANCE.
AND THEN WE ANNEX THE ADDITIONAL LANDS INTO THE BUCK WALTER, PED.
UH, SO YOU CAN SEE THAT WE'VE HAD SOME INCREASES, UM, YEAR OVER YEAR FOR, UH, FOR DEVELOPMENT.
JUST, UH, THE, THE BIGGEST ONES I ALWAYS LIKE TO, TO POINT OUT SPECIFICALLY FOR NEW RIVERSIDE VILLAGE.
UH, YOU CAN SEE THAT, UM, THIS PAST YEAR WE HAD A 5% INCREASE IN RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT.
SO YOU CAN SEE THAT THAT'S THE AREA OF GROWTH, UH, THE BIGGEST AREA OF GROWTH AS WELL AS PALMETTO BLUFF WITH THE 2%.
UM, OVERALL WE'VE HAD A, A TOTAL INCREASE OF 2% FOR RESIDENTIAL, AND THAT'S UP TO THAT 84% OF THAT TOTAL NUMBER THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT.
NOW ON THE COMMERCIAL ASSETS, IT'S 32% AND IT'S BEEN A DECLINE.
THE REASON THAT IT'S A DECLINE, SO YOU HAVE TO REMEMBER, UM, WE ACTUALLY ADDED ADDITIONAL UNITS, UH, OR THE ADDITIONAL ACREAGE.
SO WHEN WE ANNEXED IN THE UNIVERSITY INVESTMENTS, WE ADDED MORE ACREAGE.
AND WHAT THAT DOES IS IT ADDS TO THAT TOTAL NUMBER.
SO THE TOTAL NUMBER OF, UM, ACREAGE THAT IS ALLOWED FOR COMMERCIAL, IT INCREASES THE NUMBER.
WHAT THAT DOES IS IT, SINCE THERE'S NO, NO ADDITIONAL CHANGES IN THE COMMERCIAL, IT, IT KIND OF DECREASES THE PERCENTAGE.
SO DON'T PAY NECESSARILY TOO MUCH THAT IT WAS A DECREASE.
UM, BUT THAT WE ADDED ADDITIONAL, UM, ACREAGE, UH, TO OUR DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENTS.
UH, JUST QUICKLY FROM A BUILDING PERMIT STANDPOINT, UH, KIND OF HIGHLIGHTED HERE THAT OVER THE FISCAL YEAR, AND WE'VE DONE THIS TO, TO ALIGN WITH BUDGETING PURPOSES AS OPPOSED TO THE CALENDAR YEAR, UH, THAT WE ARE ROUGHLY CONSISTENT WITH THE NUMBER OF, OF BUILDING PERMITS THAT HAVE BEEN ISSUED.
UH, FOR THE FISCAL YEAR OF JULY, UH, 2023 THROUGH JUNE, 2024, WE HAD OVER 400 AND, UH, 60, EXCUSE ME, 4 36, UM, SINGLE FAMILY, UH, PERMITS THAT WERE ISSUED.
THIS IS FOR THE CALENDAR YEAR.
AND THIS IS TO, TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF, UM, THAT THE DEVELOPMENT SUMMARY OF THIS DOCUMENT RIGHT HERE, UM, THIS AREA LOCATED APPROXIMATELY RIGHT HERE.
AND YOU CAN SEE THAT THE BUILDING PERMITS, UM, WERE, UM, FOR THE CALENDAR YEAR WE'RE 345, UH, PERMITS.
AND THEN WE ISSUED ALMOST 800 CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCIES.
SO REMEMBER THAT A, A BUILDING PERMIT CAN START IN ONE, ONE YEAR AND THEN IT'LL BE APPROVED IN THE FOLLOWING YEAR.
SO, UH, JUST MAKE SURE YOU UNDERSTAND THAT, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES BUILDINGS TAKE A LOT LONGER, UH, LIKE BUILDINGS AND P LOVE WILL TAKE A LOT LONGER WHEN IT'S A LOT BIGGER AS OPPOSED TO A TRACK BILL, UH, HOUSE THAT IS, IS JUST BEING, UH, YOU KNOW, PUSHED UP RELATIVELY QUICKLY.
SO THAT'S JUST A HIGH LEVEL, UM, OVERVIEW OF, OF KIND OF WHERE WE'RE GOING AGAIN.
UM, IN YOUR, UM, IN YOUR, UH, CONSENT, UM, AGENDA, YOU'LL NOTICE THAT WE PROVIDE MONTHLY UPDATES OF A LOT OF DOCUMENTATION.
IT'S VERY, UM, INFORMATIVE ON VALUE CONSTRUCTION, NUMBER OF COS UH, NUMBER OF BILLING PERMITS.
AND IT IS, UH, COMPOUNDED BY MONTH IN YEAR OVER YEAR.
SO, UH, YOU CAN DEFINITELY SEE SOME TRENDS WHEN YOU START TO, TO DIG DOWN IN THERE.
I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS, BUT THAT'S REALLY ALL I HAVE FOR JUST THE, THE UPDATE FOR THE AGREEMENTS.
JUST AN OBSERVATION FOR THE EVENT THAT SOMEBODY MAY NOT KNOW, BUT THESE DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENTS WERE WRITTEN IN THE LATE 1990S AND EARLY TWO THOUSANDS.
SO NOBODY, THIS TABLE WAS HERE THEN.
UM, ALSO, UM, I THINK IT WOULD BE GREAT RECESSION.
THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA EXTENDED THE DURATION OF THOSE CONTRACTS IS THAT POINT? YES SIR.
IT WAS A TOTALING OF APPROXIMATELY NINE YEARS.
SO ADDITIONAL NINE YEARS IN ESSENCE WERE ADDED TO, TO ALL OF THESE AGREEMENTS.
AND JUST A GREAT JOB ON THE PRESENTATION.
I THINK THIS IS SOMETHING I GET QUESTIONS MOST OFTEN ABOUT IS WHEN THESE DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENTS FROM PUT IN PLACE, WHY CAN'T WE SLOW THE GROWTH OR STOP THE BUILDING? AND I THINK THIS PRESENTATION REALLY DOES A GREAT JOB OF EXPLAINING IT.
SO I'D LOVE TO GET THIS INFORMATION OUT TO, UM, TO THE COMMITTEE.
AND, UH, LOOKS LIKE TO ME THE FINISH LINE AS FAR AS RESIDENTIAL, IT'S IN SIGHT.
NEXT WE'LL HAVE THE ANNUAL UPDATE FROM LUPTON POLICE DEPARTMENT MENTAL HEALTH ADVOCATES.
[00:35:01]
GOOD EVENING MAYOR AND TOWN COUNCILMAN.UM, I'M HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL OF YOU.
YOU WOULD SLIDE THAT MIC OVER OR OH, AND HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL OF YOU.
I'M HAPPY TO BE HERE TO GIVE YOU MY REPORT.
OKAY, SO, UM, I HAVE A CHART HERE FOR THE, UM, STATISTICS FOR 2023 AND 2024.
UM, MY PREDECESSOR HANNAH WAS, I STARTED IN JUNE OF 2024, BUT THIS IS A COMPARISON OF THE NUMBERS.
UM, SO FOR OFFICER REFERRALS WE HAD, UM, 99 IN 2023, AND IT WAS UP SLIGHTLY THIS YEAR WITH 180 AND THE FOLLOW UPS, THOSE ARE WHEN I FOLLOW UP ON THE REFERRALS OR WITH PEOPLE THAT I'M ALREADY WORKING WITH AS A CLIENT.
UM, AGAIN, THAT'S UP SLIGHTLY TO 240 FOLLOW UPS FOR THIS YEAR.
AND THEN, UM, THE SUPPLEMENTAL REPORTS ARE THE REPORTS THAT, UM, I WRITE BASED ON THOSE FOLLOW UPS WITH INFORMATION AND THE REFERRALS THAT I NEED, UM, FOR THE PERSON OR THEIR FAMILY.
AND, UM, AS YOU CAN SEE, THAT'S UP SLIGHTLY ALSO, IT WAS 125 IN 2023 AND 130 FOR, UM, 2024.
AND, UM, OVERALL APPROXIMATE NUMBERS OF PEOPLE THAT WERE ASSISTED, UM, THROUGH OUR MENTAL HEALTH, UM, AT ADVOCACY AND COORDINATION, UM, IN 2023, IT'S 95 AND UP SLIGHTLY TO 1 25, UM, FOR 2024.
SO, UM, I JUST PUT A LITTLE SYNOPSIS OF WHAT I DID SINCE I STARTED IN JUNE OF THIS YEAR AS THE, UM, MENTAL HEALTH ADVOCATE IN THE FIRST 30 DAYS.
UM, I ATTENDED ROLL CALL WITH THE OFFICERS TO MEET THE PATROL OFFICERS AND TO RECEIVE INFORMATION ABOUT CALLS OR PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY THAT MIGHT NEED ASSISTANCE OR CONNECTION WITH RESOURCES.
AND I ALSO BEGAN MONITORING, UM, 9 1 1 CALLS FOR COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO MADE CONNECTION WITH MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES OR INTERVENTION.
UM, I FOLLOWED UP ON THOSE CALLS, UM, EITHER ON PHONE, EMAIL, TEXT MESSAGE, OR IN PERSON.
AND I ALSO, UM, HAD THE PLEASURE OF CONNECTING WITH A LOT OF COMMUNITY MEMBERS, UM, AND COMMUNITY GROUPS TO, UM, COLLABORATE TO, UH, SERVE THE COMMUNITY.
AND I HAVE, THESE ARE SOME OF THE GROUPS, JUST A FEW THAT I'VE CONNECTED WITH, UM, AND MADE SOME PARTNERSHIPS WITH AND ARE, WE'RE WORKING REALLY WELL TO BRING RESOURCES TO OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
AND ONE OF, UM, THE ONES I MENTIONED WAS SOUTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF MENTAL HEALTH, UM, ALSO KNOWN AS COASTAL EMPIRE.
AND, UM, WE'VE FORMED A RELATIONSHIP, A GOOD WORKING RELATIONSHIP TOGETHER, UM, SHARING INFORMATION AND RESOURCES AND BRINGING SERVICES TO MAKE SURE THAT CLIENTS ARE RECEIVING PROPER CARE AND CONNECTION TO MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES.
AND, UM, IN ADDITION, THEY HAVE, UM, A LAW ENFORCEMENT EMBEDDED CLINICIAN THAT SERVES ALL OF BUFORD COUNTY.
UM, AND I WORK IN COLLABORATION WITH HER.
AND, UM, THEY ALSO HAVE AN AFTER HOURS CRISIS TEAM THAT I PERSONALLY, YOU KNOW, REACHED OUT TO AND, AND WORKED WITH SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE FOR THE LAST FIVE AND A HALF MONTHS OR SO.
UM, AND THEY'RE REALLY GOOD TOO.
AND THEY'RE AVAILABLE FOR AFTER HOUR CALLS, UM, YOU KNOW, TO ASSIST OUR OFFICERS WITH PEOPLE THAT MIGHT NEED HELP AND RESOURCES IN AN EMERGENCY SITUATION.
AND THAT'S BEEN A GOOD BOND ALSO TO WORK WITH THEM.
UM, AND THESE ARE SOME OF THE COMMUNITY EVENTS THAT I'VE BEEN, UM, HAPPY TO ATTEND.
THIS PARTICULAR ONE IS SHOP WITH A COP.
UM, AND AS YOU CAN SEE, IT WAS A GREAT TURNOUT AND I JUST LISTED SOME OF THE OTHER ONES, UM, THAT I ATTENDED AND I WAS ABLE TO, UM, MEET WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND LET ME KNOW, LET THEM KNOW ABOUT MY POSITION AND HOW I CAN HELP AND JUST KIND OF SPREAD THE WORD AMONGST THE COMMUNITY AND LET THEM KNOW ABOUT THE RESOURCES THAT ARE OUT THERE IF THEY KNOW ANYONE PERSONALLY THAT MIGHT NEED HELP.
SO I WAS HAPPY TO ATTEND AND PARTICIPATE IN THESE GROUP EVENTS.
UM, ANOTHER GREAT INITIATIVE IS, UM, OFFICER WELLNESS IS ANOTHER THING THAT, UM, IN ADDITION TO COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH, UM, OUR POLICE OFFICERS AND THEIR MENTAL WELLNESS AND TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THE STRESSORS OF THE LAW ENFORCEMENT PROFESSION, UM, THERE'S AN ISSUE.
UM, WE'RE USING THE CORTICO WELLNESS APP AND UM, THAT'S AN INTERACTIVE
[00:40:01]
PERSONAL APP.WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF IMPLEMENTING THAT NOW.
UM, SERGEANT PERKINS, UM, IS THE SERGEANT THAT IS WORKING WITH ME, OR I'M WORKING WITH HIM, I SHOULD SAY, UM, TO IMPLEMENT THIS APPLICATION.
UM, AND IT'S REALLY GREAT BECAUSE IT'S, LIKE I SAID, A PERSONAL APP AND IT GUARANTEES THAT THE COUNSELORS OR THE PROFESSIONALS THAT THE OFFICERS WILL BE PARTNERED WITH, THAT THEY'RE GUIDED AND SPECIFICALLY TRAINED, UM, TO WORK WITH FIRST RESPONDERS AND LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS.
THEY UNDERSTAND THE SITUATIONS THAT ARE UNIQUE TO THEIR PROFESSION AND THE STRESSORS THAT THEY ENCOUNTER EVERY DAY AND HOW IT AFFECTS, YOU KNOW, THEIR FAMILY AND THEMSELVES.
AND THEY'LL BE ABLE TO TAILOR THE APP BASED ON THEIR OWN NEEDS OR PREFERENCES, UM, AS WELL.
AND IT OFFERS 24 7, UM, SUPPORT AND CONNECTION FOR THEIR, FOR THEIR WELLNESS AND TO PROMOTE THEIR MENTAL RESILIENCE.
AND I THINK THAT'S A REALLY IMPORTANT THING AS WELL.
UM, AND THEN THESE ARE JUST SOME OF 'EM, THE FUTURE GOALS THAT I HAVE, UM, FOR MY POSITION AND FOR HELPING THE COMMUNITY.
UM, I'M REALLY HAPPY TO BE HERE AND IT'S BEEN VERY BUSY, BUT VERY POSITIVE, UM, IN A GOOD WAY HELPING A LOT OF PEOPLE SO FAR.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS IS THE FULL IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CORTICO, UM, OFFICER WELLNESS APP.
WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF DOING THAT AND A PEER SUPPORT PROGRAM, AS I SAID, TO CONNECT OFFICERS WITH COUNSELING OR SUPPORT WHATEVER THEY NEED FOR THEIR SPECIFIC, UM, SITUATION.
UM, AND CONTINUE TO CREATE PUBLIC AWARENESS AND EDUCATION ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH, UM, TO DESTIGMATIZE.
SOME PEOPLE STILL FEEL THE STIGMA, UM, RELATED TO THAT AND ARE RESISTANT TO ASKING FOR HELP OR UNSURE ABOUT IT.
UM, SO I WANNA CONTINUE TO LET PEOPLE KNOW WHAT'S OUT THERE AND TO EDUCATE AND AWARE, MAKE THEM AWARE OF THE RESOURCES THAT ARE THERE.
AND I'VE BEEN DOING THAT, UM, WITH MS. E MOODY, WHO IS, UM, WORKS IN THE DEPARTMENT WITH ME AND SHE DOES ALL THE, UM, FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM AND THE SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS AND IT'S BEEN GREAT WORKING WITH HER TO GET THE INFORMATION OUT THERE.
'CAUSE I FEEL LIKE PEOPLE ARE ON SOCIAL MEDIA A LOT AND THEY'LL SEE IT, YOU KNOW, THEY'LL SEE THE INFORMATION AND IT'S A GOOD PLACE, A GOOD WAY TO REACH COMMUNITY MEMBERS, UM, YOU KNOW, WITH INFORMATION AND THE RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE HERE.
UM, AND OF COURSE, LIKE I SAID, I'VE ENJOYED THE COMMUNITY EVENTS AND, UM, MEETING PEOPLE AND FINDING OUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S IMPORTANT TO 'EM, WHAT THEIR NEEDS ARE, AND CONNECTING THEM AS MUCH AS I CAN WITH RESOURCES.
UM, I'VE ALSO WORKED WITH SOME OF THE, UM, PROFESSIONALS IN THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS, THE COUNSELORS AND SOCIAL WORKERS.
UM, AND WE HAVE A GOOD WORKING RAPPORT AS WELL, CONNECTING AND JUST MAKING SURE EVERYBODY IS GETTING THE PROPER CARE AND CONNECTION.
UM, AND THEN ONE OF, UM, THE THINGS THAT I THINK WOULD BE REALLY IMPORTANT WOULD BE TO FORM, UM, LIKE A REGIONAL COMMITTEE OR A ROUND TABLE WITH, UM, DIFFERENT GROUPS WITH OUR MENTAL HEALTH PARTNERS, LIKE AN INTERDISCIPLINARY, UM, GROUP MEETING, MAYBE QUARTERLY OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, JUST TO SEE WHERE WE ARE, SHARE INFORMATION, UM, AND RESOURCES AND JUST ASSESS LIKE HOW WE'RE DOING AND HOW IT'S GOING AND WHAT WE CAN DO BETTER AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I HOPE TO DO IN THE FUTURE.
SO I'M OPEN TO ANY QUESTIONS THAT ANYBODY HAS OR, UM, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION AND YOUR, YOUR WORK, UM, HERE IN THIS ADVOCACY WITH OUR, OUR PD.
UM, I HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS, BUT JUST A LITTLE BIT OF BACKDROP, UM, TO, THIS IS A PROGRAM DEFINITELY NEAR AND DEAR, UM, TO MY HEART.
BEFORE YOU CAME ON BOARD AND BEFORE OUR CHIEF, UM, CAME INTO POSITION, THIS WAS SOMETHING I ADVOCATED FOR AND HAD GREAT UNANIMOUS SUPPORT WITH MY, UM, COUNCIL MEMBERS AT THE TIME.
UM, BECAUSE IT WAS IMPORTANT TO KNOW THAT AS WE DO WANT TO REFORM HOW WE LOOK AT POLICING, WE KNOW THAT MENTAL HEALTH CARRIES A STIGMA THAT IT SHOULD NOT HAVE BECAUSE A PERSON IN CRISIS IS NOT A CRIMINAL.
UM, AND POLICE OFFICERS ARE TRAINED TO DEAL WITH CRIMINALS AND THAT'S THEIR JOB.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S GOOD FOR THEM TO DO THAT.
AND THEN WE BRING IN PROFESSIONALS TO HELP SOMEONE WHO, WHO NEEDS THAT HELP.
UM, SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, I LOVE THE DIRECTION AND THE THING THAT YOU'VE, UM, UM, YOU'RE INCORPORATING AND WHAT YOU'RE DOING, UM, LONG-TERM GOAL, UM, THAT WE HAD IS TO BE ABLE TO DEVELOP, YOU KNOW, A CRISIS TEAM, UM, TO BE EMBEDDED WITH OUR PD TO BE ABLE TO ASSIST THAT.
UM, SO I DO HAVE A FEW, UH, QUESTIONS, UM, FOR YOU.
SO IN THE ROLE THAT YOU'RE CURRENTLY, UM, IN, ARE YOU, UM, LICENSED OR CERTIFIED AS A BEHAVIOR, UH, MENTAL THERAPIST OR SPECIALIST? UM, I HAVE CRISIS INTERVENTION TRAINING AND
[00:45:01]
UM, I HAVE A PSYCHOLOGY DEGREE, BUT I'M NOT A LICENSED PROFESSIONAL COUNSELOR.UM, I DON'T THINK THAT THE, UM, THE MENTAL HEALTH CLINICIANS THROUGH, UM, SOUTH CAROLINA DMH, THEY'RE, MOST OF THEM ARE, UM, NOT LICENSED COUNSELORS EITHER.
UM, BUT, BUT I DON'T HAVE A LICENSURE, NO, NOT CURRENTLY
UM, THAT WOULD BE GREAT BECAUSE I KNOW CURRENTLY WHEN, UM, OUR PREVIOUS PERSON WOULD COME ON TO DEESCALATE OR ASSIST OFFICERS, UM, SHE WAS LIMITED IN WHAT SHE WAS ABLE TO DO BECAUSE OF NOT HAVING THOSE CERTIFICATIONS.
SO I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT IF WE'RE GONNA, YOU KNOW, INVEST AND KIND OF LEAD THE WAY IN THIS PROGRAM, THAT IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO EMPOWER YOU TO HAVE OR WE WANT TO MAKE THIS PROGRAM, UM, REALLY ROBUST, I WOULD, YOU KNOW, WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT.
UM, AND YOU MENTIONED THE WORK THAT YOU'RE CURRENTLY DOING WITH SCHOOLS.
IS IT, UM, A PARTNERSHIP WHERE YOU GUYS REALLY ARE WORKING IN HARMONY OR ARE YOU NOT, UH, COMPLETELY EMBEDDED YET TO BE ABLE TO ADDRESS SOME OF THE ISSUES THAT OUR SROS MIGHT BE DEALING WITH, UM, WITHIN OUR SCHOOL SYSTEMS? OH, WITH THE SROS, I AM DEFINITELY WORKING WITH THEM.
UM, I'VE WORKED WITH THE COUNSELORS AND THE SOCIAL WORKERS, BUT OF COURSE THERE'S A LIMIT WITH PRIVACY ISSUES AND CONSENT THINGS, BUT AS MUCH AS WE CAN, AND WE'VE CONNECTED, UM, PEOPLE IN ONE SPECIFIC CASE, UM, THERE, THERE WAS A CHILD WHO NEEDED, UM, A PSYCHOLOGICAL, UM, 'CAUSE OF AN INCIDENT THAT WAS HAPPENING IN SCHOOL AND OUTSIDE OF SCHOOL AND, YOU KNOW, THERE WERE SOME LEGAL ISSUES OCCURRING AND I WAS ABLE TO, UM, REACH OUT TO RIGHT DIRECTION SERVICES AND WORK WITH THE SOCIAL WORKER FROM THE SCHOOL AS WELL AS, UM, UM, DR. STEVENS FROM, UH, RIGHT DIRECTIONS.
AND WE WERE ABLE TO GET THAT PSYCHOLOGICAL DONE MORE QUICKLY AND GET HIM COUNSELING AND INTO THE, THE SERVICES AS WELL.
SO I HAVE BEEN WORKING AS MUCH AS I CAN WITH THE COUNSELORS AND SOCIAL WORKERS AND OF COURSE FOR, FOR GOOD REASON, THERE'S THAT PRIVACY ISSUE WITH THE CONSENT.
SO LIKE, IT'S LIMITED IN A CERTAIN REGARD, BUT WITH THE SROS WE'RE LIKE RIGHT NEXT TO EACH OTHER WORKING SIDE BY SIDE BASICALLY WITH THE INFORMATION THAT WAY.
MY LAST, UH, POINT ON THAT, UM, IN KNOWING THAT EVERYONE'S LIMITED IN TERMS OF WHAT, UM, SUPPORT IS OUT THERE FOR MENTAL HEALTH, BUT IT'S SUCH A BIG PART OF, UM, THE HEALTH OF ANY COMMUNITY, I WOULD LOVE TO BE ABLE TO SEE WHAT, UM, STEPS WE CAN TAKE TO KIND OF CREATE SOME MEASURABLE GOALS OR EVEN HELP YOU, UM, IN YOUR WORK WITH SROS.
UM, I SADLY ATTENDED A FUNERAL ABOUT TWO MONTHS AGO OF A BLUFFTON HIGH STUDENT WHO COMMITTED SUICIDE.
AND I KNOW THAT, UM, A FAMILY AND I THINK SOME THERE WERE STRUGGLING WITH WHAT RESOURCES OR FOLLOW UP SERVICES WERE AVAILABLE.
AND I THINK IT'S GREAT KNOWING THAT WE HAVE AND PAY FOR OUR SROS IN OUR BLUFFTON SCHOOLS.
UM, IF WE CAN DO ANYTHING TO HELP ANY OF OUR KIDS WHO ARE ALSO IN CRISIS OR YOU KNOW, WHETHER IT'S HELPING EDUCATORS ALSO KIND OF GET AN UNDERSTANDING AROUND THAT.
I WOULD LOVE TO SEE US GROW OUR, GROW OUR PROGRAM IN A SENSE OF UTILIZING THOSE WHO ARE, UM, IN THE COMMUNITY LIKE COASTAL EMPIRE OR, UM, SOUTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF MENTAL HEALTH TO REALLY MAKE IT WHERE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE BEING, BEING EVEN AS EFFECTIVE AS WHAT YOU'RE DOING, UH, NOW.
SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR, YOUR PRESENTATION AND YOUR WORK AND THAT IT'S DEFINITELY NEEDED FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, WE'RE GLAD YOU'RE HERE AND YOU KNOW, YOUR SERVICES ARE DESPERATELY NEEDED AND WE APPRECIATE WHAT YOU'RE DOING.
YOU NEED TO COME BACK WHEN YOU THINK THAT, UH, THERE'S MORE THAT YOU WANT TO DO AND, AND YOUR HANDS ARE TIED, COME BACK TO US.
UM, I, I DEFINITELY WILL, SIR.
UM, JUST CURIOUS AND MAYBE YOU CAN ANSWER THIS ONE.
I WAS WONDERING WHAT, JUST ROUGHLY WHAT PERCENTAGE OF THE PEOPLE THAT YOU DEAL WITH ARE SCHOOL AGE COMPARED TO, YOU KNOW, AND I MEAN, I, I KNOW I'M NOT ASKING FOR SPECIFICS, BUT MAYBE 10%, 30%, 40%, 5%, OR IT'S DEFINITELY 50% OR, OR GREATER I WOULD THINK LIKE JUST, I DON'T HAVE THE ACTUAL NUMBER THAT'S FINE IN FRONT OF ME, BUT IT IS A LARGE PERCENTAGE.
UM, I WOULD SAY SCHOOL AGE UP TO LIKE, EVEN LIKE TWENTIES, EARLY THIRTIES.
THAT'S MY LARGEST GROUP THAT I'VE BEEN HELPING, I WOULD SAY.
AND IT'S ELDER, WELL, ELDERLY PEOPLE.
BUT, YOU KNOW, WITH DIFFERENT, DIFFERENT ISSUES.
BUT THERE'S DEFINITELY LIKE AN I NEED AND I'VE BEEN, I'VE BEEN HELPFUL WITH A LOT OF PEOPLE.
I'M CONNECTING THEM AND I STAY IN TOUCH WITH THEM AND FOLLOW UP AND I'M HAPPY TO REPORT WITH A LOT OF 'EM ARE DOING REALLY FABULOUS.
SO YOU WOULD SAY ROUGHLY 50% OR MORE YES, SIR.
[00:50:01]
WHAT YOU DO.[VI. PUBLIC COMMENT ]
UP NEXT, WE'LL START OUR 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 ATTENDANCE MAY NOT DONATE, TRANSFER YIELD, OR GIVE ALL OR ANY PORTION OF THEIR SPEAKER SPEAKING TIME TO ANOTHER PERSON.
ALL PUBLIC COMMENTS ARE TO BE CONDUCTED FROM THE PODIUM AND DIRECTED TO THE COUNT TOWN COUNCIL AS A WHOLE AND NOT TO ANY MEMBER THEREOF.
ALL SPEAKERS SHALL BE MINDFUL AND RESPECTFUL OF THOSE PARTICIPATING IN OR PRESENT AT THE MEETING.
SPEAKERS SHALL BE EXPECTED TO BE CIVIL IN THEIR LANGUAGE AND SHALL REFRAIN FROM COMMENT OR BEHAVIOR THAT INVOLVES DISORDERLY SPEECH OR ACTION, NAME CALLING, PERSONAL ATTACKS, THREATS, OBSCENE OR INDECENT REMARKS AND OR DISRUPTIVE ACTIONS.
ALL SPEAKERS SHALL CONFINE THEIR COMMENTS TO THE ISSUES UNDER THE JURISDICTION OF THE TOWN COUNCIL.
SPEAKERS SHALL NOT USE THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD TO PROMOTE OR ADVERTISE AWARDS, BUSINESSES, SERVICES, GOODS, OR CANDIDATES FOR PUBLIC OFFICE.
ANY SPEAKER THAT VIOLATES THESE RULES AND PROTOCOLS FOR THE PUBLIC COMMENT MAY BE RULED OUT OF ORDER BY THE PRESIDING OFFICER AND PERSON.
AND ANY PERSON WHOSE COMMENTS HAVE BEEN RULED OUT OF ORDER SHALL IMMEDIATELY CEASE AND DESIST FROM FURTHER IMPROPER COMMENTS.
THE REFUSAL OF AN INDIVIDUAL TO DESIST FROM FURTHER IMPROPER COMMENTS MAY SUBJECT THE INDIVIDUAL TO REMOVAL FROM THE MEETING AND OR A CITATION UNDER SECTION TWO DASH FOUR NINE TOWN CODE.
AND UP FIRST WE'LL HAVE MS. SHARON BROWN.
HEY, HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYBODY.
SO I'M SHARON BROWN, AND THEN AT 1 6 3 BLACK ISLAND ROAD.
SO I WANNA START OUT, IT LOOKS LIKE YOU GUYS HAVE A NEW PLEDGE.
CAN ANYBODY ANSWER THAT CIVILITY PLAY? IS THIS NEW? DID NOT.
SO IT LOOKED LIKE WE GOT SOME STUFF I'M NOT SEEING, BUT IT LEDGE TO BUILD A STRONGER AND MORE PROSPEROUS COMMUNITY BY ADVOCATING FOR CIVIL ENGAGEMENT, RESPECTING OTHERS AND THEIR VIEWPOINTS AND FINDING SOLUTIONS FOR THE BETTERMENT OF THE COMMON LAW.
WHEN I'M TALKING AS A CITIZEN, I'M LOOKING RIGHT.
AS OF AS OF 2025 CITIZENS RESIDING IN GOTHE ROAD AND BUCK ISLAND ROAD AND BOROUGH ROAD CONTINUE TO EXPERIENCE A LACK OF EQUALITY STANDARDS AND BOUNDARIES WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY.
DESPITE BEING TAXPAYERS, WE ARE NOT TREATED EQUALLY IN TERMS OF NEIGHBORHOOD BEAUTIFICATION, ENTREPRENEURSHIP, HOME OWNERSHIP, AND MOBILE HOME SETUPS.
THE RULE SEEMS TO BE VERY INCONSISTENT WHILE ACKNOWLEDGING PAST ACCOMPLISHMENT, IT IS ESSENTIAL TO RECOGNIZE WE STILL HAVE SOME SHORTCOMINGS MOVING FORWARD.
EQUALITY WILL BE A FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLE FOR DIVERSITY INCLUSION.
I ENVISION AND LOOK FORWARD TO A FUTURE HERE IN BLUFFTON WHERE WE ONCE HAD EQUALITY WHERE IT PREVAILS AND WE, UH, TRIUMPH WALK TOGETHER IN VICTORY FOR THE BETTERMENT OF OUR COMMUNITY.
NOW, I, I SAID THAT BECAUSE I HAD A YOUNG MAN SEND ME SOME INFORMATION, AND THIS IS PERTAINING TO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT THAT HE FEELS THAT HE STEADY BEING TARGETED, UM, FROM THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, APPEARS FOR HIS LIFE.
YOU KNOW, HE SENT A VIDEO WHERE NUMEROUS POLICEMEN WERE THERE.
UM, I DON'T KNOW WHERE THE LOCATION WAS 'CAUSE I DIDN'T ASK HIM, BUT THIS IS WHAT HE SAID.
AND IT JUST TOUCHED MY HEART BECAUSE I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD LIVE IN A COMMUNITY WHERE WE HAVE THE PROTECTION OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT SPEND SO MUCH MONEY AND MONEY THAT WE SPEND IS WELL WARRANTED, BUT WE DON'T NEED TO BE, UM, YOU KNOW, PLACED IN DIFFERENT LITTLE POCKETS.
SO HE SAYS, STAY IN MY CAR AND I DON'T HAVE NOTHING GOING ON.
I CAN'T EVEN DRIVE MY CAR IN THE DAY TO LOOK FOR JOBS.
HE SAYS, UH, HE DOESN'T FEEL SAFE, HE DOESN'T NEED PROTECTION FROM THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
AND HE SAYS, AND MYSELF, I JUST NEED TO READY TO BE LEFT ALONE.
SO HE THINKS, HE SAYS HE SEES THE POLICE PARK POLICE CARS PARKED IN VARIOUS AREAS IN THE COMMUNITY WHERE HE LIVES.
SO WHAT I AM ASKING YOU GUYS, BECAUSE APPARENTLY YOUR TOWN MANAGER DON'T WANT TO DO IT.
I'M NOT SETTING UP NO MEETING.
I WANT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND THE TOWN MANAGER TO SET UP A MEETING WITH THE COMMUNITY.
THAT WAY I DON'T HAVE TO BE SPECIFIC ON WHAT QUESTIONS WE ARE GONNA ASK.
YOU GUYS NEED TO SET UP A MEETING BECAUSE THERE'S NO WAY THAT WE SHOULD BE IN OUR COMMUNITY FEELING INFERIOR, BEING FOUND, FEELING TARGETED, AND WE DON'T FEEL LIKE WE ARE UNIFIED IN THIS COMMUNITY.
ALL THE PRESENTATIONS WERE BEAUTIFUL IN THOSE BEAUTIFUL COMMUNITIES.
BUT WHAT ABOUT WHERE I LIVE? WHAT ABOUT MY
[00:55:01]
COMMUNITY? I WANNA THANK Y'ALL SO MUCH AND GOD BLESS YOU.I'LL WAIT FOR THAT MEETING WITHIN FIVE DAYS.
UP NEXT WE HAVE MS. JESSE WHITE AND IT ACTUALLY COMES UP.
UM, MAYOR, IF WE COULD LOOK INTO, UM, WHAT'S MS. BROWN JUST SAID BECAUSE I HAVE HEARD SOME SIMILAR CONCERNS AND IF WE DO HAVE, UH, IF YOU COULD, MS. BROWN FORD, WHATEVER THAT IS, YOU HAVE SOMEONE WHO'S SAYING THEY ARE FEELING, UM, IN SAFETY OR THAT THEY'RE BEING PROFILED, THAT WE COULD LOOK INTO THAT.
I WOULD AND I'LL TELL MANAGER I GET WITH YOU.
I'M THE SOUTH COAST OFFICE DIRECTOR FOR THE COASTAL CONSERVATION LEAGUE.
OUR OFFICE IS LOCATED IN BUFORT, BUT WE, UM, COVER ALL OF AUER COUNTY, JASPER COUNTY CALL COUNTY AND HAMPTON COUNTIES IN WHAT WE CALL THE SCO OFFICE.
SO ON BEHALF OF THE COASTAL CONSERVATION TEAM, WE WANNA COMMEND THE TOWN FOR PROACTIVELY SEEKING TO PROTECT IMPORTANT AND FRAGILE WETLAND ECOSYSTEMS. AND WE URGE COUNCIL TO APPROVE THE SCOPE OF WORK WITH MCCORMICK TAYLOR TO DEVELOP WETLAND AND RE RESILIENCE ORDINANCES AS OUTLINED IN THE STAFF REPORT.
THIS WORK IS CONSISTENT WITH YOUR STRATEGIC PLAN PRIORITIES AND YOUR COMPREHENSIVE.
IT WILL ALSO CLOSE A SIGNIFICANT REGULATORY GAP CREATED AS A RESULT OF THE UNITED STATES SUPREME COURT SACKET DECISION, WHICH REMOVED FEDERAL PROTECTION FOR MILLIONS OF ACRES OF WETLANDS THAT ARE NOW VULNERABLE TO IMPAIRMENT OR COMPLETE LOSS.
OUR COASTAL MARSHES AND WETLANDS PROVIDE INCREDIBLY VALUABLE GOODS AND SERVICES, INCLUDING ESSENTIAL WILDLIFE HABITAT, STORM BUFFERING, ABSORBING FLOOD WATERS FILTERING, POLLUTE POLLUTANTS, RECREATIONAL OPPORTU OPPORTUNITIES, AND BOOSTING LOCAL ECONOMIES.
AT SOUTH CAROLINA IS NOW THE FASTEST GROWING STATE IN THE NATION.
THE NEED TO DEVELOP LOCAL WETLAND PROTECTIONS IS MORE URGENT NOW THAN EVER.
BLACKTON HAS BEEN LEADING THIS REGION AND THE STATE, FRANKLY, IN TERMS OF ITS STORMWATER MANAGEMENT.
AND WE SEE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO DEVELOP A WETLANDS AND RESILIENCE ORDINANCE AS ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY FOR B BLACKTON TO LEAD THE REGION AND THE STATE IN PROTECTING OUR ESTUARIES AND WATERSHEDS.
AND IN ADDITION TO THE SUPPORT OF THE COASTAL CONSERVATION LEAGUE, I'VE BEEN AUTHORIZED TO SHARE THAT YOU HAVE THE, THE FULL ENDORSEMENT OF LOCAL LEGEND, UH, FORMER DNR BIOLOGIST AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE WADEL MARITIME CENTER, AL STOKES, WHO CANNOT BE HERE THIS EVENING, BUT WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP AND COMMITMENT TO THE RESOURCES THAT DEFINE AND SUSTAIN OUR COASTAL ENVIRONMENT AND OUR QUALITY OF LIFE.
EVENING MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBER.
MY NAME'S JOY COE AND I WAS BORN AND RAISED IN BEAUFORD COUNTY.
I'M ALARMED THAT THE DEVELOPMENT APPEARS OUT OF NOWHERE AND THE DETRIMENTAL IMPACTS ARE IGNORED.
I'M FOCUSING MY ALLOWED DISCUSSION ON THREE ISSUES.
WHENEVER CITIZENS VOICE CONCERNS, THEY ARE TOLD BY ELECTED TOWN OFFICIALS AND STAFF THAT THE DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENTS WERE SIGNED 20 YEARS AGO AND THERE'S NOTHING WE CAN DO.
THE TOWN'S WEBSITE, HOWEVER, SHOWS MULTIPLE AMENDMENTS TO AGREEMENTS.
THE 2008 NINTH AMENDMENT TO THE BUCK WATER.
P-U-D-P-U-D HAS A PROVISION THAT REQUIRED THE FRONTAGE PARTIAL DEVELOPER TO ALSO CONSTRUCT A 1.6 MILE NORTH SOUTH CONNECTOR ROAD.
THAT PROVISION AT A CURRENT ESTIMATE OF 15 MILLION HAS THANKFULLY CURTAILED INTEREST IN THE WILLOW RUN PARCELS.
NOW OUT OF NOWHERE, THE TOWN AND SCHOOL DISTRICT ARE CHANGING THE AGREEMENT TO ALLOW DEVELOPMENT OF OVER 140 ACRES OF NATURAL WILDLIFE HABITAT AND STORM WATER PROTECTION TO THE DETRIMENT OF THE ENVIRONMENT.
NOT TO MENTION THE TRAFFIC AIR EMISSIONS AND DRAIN TO UTILITIES INCLUDING WATER, SEWER, TRASH COLLECTION, AND ELECTRIC DEMAND.
HOW COME THE AGREEMENT CAN BE AMENDED AND NOW CHANGED IF THERE IS NOTHING WE CAN DO? THE MAY RIVER WAS CLOSED TO SHELLFISH HARVESTING IN 2009.
SINCE THEN, THE TOWN HAS SPENT TAXPAYER DOLLARS AND STAFF TIME TO REDUCE COLI FARM, WHICH IS ONLY THE INDICATOR OF A LARGER UNIVERSE OF CONTAMINANTS ALLOWED TO FLOW WITHOUT TREATMENT INTO STORM STORMWATER.
BASED ON THE AGENDA PACKET, THE SAME AREAS OF THE MAY RIVER REMAIN CLOSED AFTER MANY YEARS OF INITIATIVES.
AND WORSE IMPERVIOUS AREA HAS INCREASED BY APPROXIMATELY 300% AND THE RESULTS OF STATION 1916, THE NEXT STATION DOWNSTREAM FROM ALL THE ATTENTION HAS BEEN STEADILY INCREASING AND ARE GETTING DANGEROUSLY CLOSE
[01:00:01]
TO CLOSURE.WHERE HAVE ALL YOUR IDEAS AND INITIATIVES GOT US IT IS CLEARLY TIME TO CHANGE DIRECTION.
LAST, THE TOWN HAS SUBMITTED A GREEN SPACE APPLICATION FOR TWO PROPERTIES AND IS NEGOTIATING TO PURCHASE A THIRD PROPERTY ENTANGLED IN LEGAL ISSUES.
THAT SOUNDS LIKE A CHANGE IN STRATEGY FROM DEVELOPMENT TO CONSERVATION.
HOWEVER, AS ONE LEGISLATOR SAID, THE DEVIL IS IN THE DETAILS, THE TOWN SAYS THEY ALSO WANT TO PURCHASE THE EASEMENT THAT IS LABELED NORTH SOUTH CONNECTOR AND THE PROPERTY THAT ALLOWS COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT AND THE METRO POST FIVE B ROAD, THE TOWN TALKS ABOUT A PASSIVE PARK AND ACCESS ROAD FOR THE PARK.
IF THAT IS INDEED ACCURATE, THE TOWN COUNCIL SHOULD REMOVE THE FIVE B PROJECT FROM LA AND SHOULD NOT CONTINUE SPENDING TAXPAYER MONEY ON YET.
ANOTHER STUDY OF THE ROADWAY TRANSPARENCY IS LACKING AND REQUIRED.
WE DIDN'T GET YOUR ADDRESS WHEN YOU STATED, OH, I'M SORRY.
[VII. COMMUNICATIONS FROM MAYOR AND COUNCIL ]
OKAY, UP NEXT COMMUNICATIONS FROM QUICK COUNSEL, START WITH YOU, UM, ARE INVITED COMMUNITY.JUST LOOKING FORWARD TO, UM, REMINDING EVERYONE TO CELEBRATE AN OKAY HOLIDAY.
IT'S A DAY ON AND NOT A DAY OFF.
UM, IAN WOULD LIKE TO SAY HAPPY FOUNDERS' DAY 12 D NINE ORGANIZATIONS, UM, CELEBRATING THEIR FOUNDERS' DAY THIS WEEK.
AND NEXT MS. WHAT JUST, UH, I JUST WANTED TO COMMEND BRIDGET.
I WAS WHEN SHE WAS UP THERE WITH THE MAYOR A MINUTE AGO ABOUT THE MLK AND I'VE ONLY BEEN INVOLVED WITH COUNCIL JUST OVER NINE YEARS AND, AND TRIED TO ATTEND SOME OF THE EVENTS THROUGH THE YEARS AND SUPPORTED AND UH, I KNOW MANY PLAYERS CAME BEFORE BRIDGET TO HELP.
YOU SAID 40 YEARS, SO I KNOW YOU HAVEN'T BEEN DOING IT FOR THAT LONG.
BUT, UH, I THINK BRIDGET HAS TAKEN IT TO ANOTHER LEVEL.
UM, SHE'S INCREASED THE PARTICIPATION LEVEL THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY.
AND SO I JUST WANTED TO SAY I COMMEND YOU FOR THAT.
I JUST WANT TO TELL EVERYBODY THAT THIS IS ONE YEAR SITTING UP HERE AND I JUST WANT TO THANK EVERYBODY FOR PUTTING UP WITH ME FOR A YEAR.
I, UM, I NEVER PROFESSED TO BE PERFECT.
AND I KNOW I HAVEN'T BEEN, BUT I AM LEARNING.
SO YOU GOT ME FOR THREE MORE YEARS.
AND, UM, I'LL CONTINUE TO TRY TO DO MY JOB AS BEST I CAN.
SO THANKS FOR PUTTING UP WITH ME.
OKAY, NOW WE GOT COUNCIL WORKSHOP, AGENDA ITEMS. WHAT ARE WE DOING HERE? LOOKING AT THE NEXT TWO.
IT'S FORMAL AGENDA WOULD BE THE NEXT MAYOR.
YEAH, I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT THAT WAS EITHER.
[X.1. Consideration of an Ordinance Authorizing an Economic Development Incentive Agreement Between the Town of Bluffton and Encompass Health. Second & Final Reading – David Nelems, CEO of DRCI ]
ALRIGHT, WE'LL MOVE TO FORMAL AGENDA ITEMS. FIRST UP IS CONSIDERATION OF AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZED IN AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INCENTIVE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE TOWN OF LUPTON AND ENCOMPASS HEALTH.THIS WILL BE SECOND AND FINAL READING.
GOOD EVENING, MAYOR COUNCIL, HAPPY NEW YEAR.
SO, UM, THE FIRST ONE, UH, AGAIN, THIS IS, UH, SECOND AND FINAL READING.
YOU SAW THIS, UH, LAST COUNCIL MEETING, PROJECT SAYABLE ENCOMPASS HEALTH.
THIS IS THE, UH, EXPANSION OF THE REHABILITATION FACILITY OF 12 ION.
NO CHANGES SINCE THE LAST, UH, MEETING LAST WEEK.
I HAVE THE MOTION READY FOR YOU TO GO.
WE'LL START BY, UM, SHOULD WE WAIT ON DAN TO COME BACK? YES.
POINT OF PERSONAL PREFERENCE FOR A SECOND.
UM, MS. NELL, I'D LIKE TO, UM, SAY THAT THE FORMER MAYOR HAS NOW TAKEN, UM, SOME OF YOUR SERVICES AT THE DO RYAN CENTER AND SHE HAS BEEN EFFUSIVE IN HER PRAISE.
UM, AND IT'S NICE TO HAVE, UM, IT'S NICE TO HEAR THAT FROM SOMEONE WHO WAS AROUND WHEN IT WAS STARTED.
IF SHE HAS NOT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
IT'S ENJOYABLE TO WORK WITH ALL THE PEOPLE WE WORK WITH AND, UH, SIT ACROSS THE TABLE FROM 'EM AND SEE
EVERYBODY THAT WE THINK EVERYBODY KNOWS AND THEY DON'T KNOW IT, AND THEY SEE THEIR EYES SPARK BECAUSE IT'S BRAND NEW, FANTASTIC INFORMATION TO THEM.
IT'S VERY REWARDING TO SEE THAT AFTER 90 OR A HUNDRED COMPANIES IT'S, IT'S REALLY ENJOYABLE AND IT'S NICE TO HAVE HER IN THE DON WRIGHT CENTER.
[01:05:03]
THE PARTY.IS THERE A MOTION? ANYBODY WANNA MAKE A MOTION? I'LL MAKE A MOTION.
I MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE SECOND AND FINAL READING OF THE ORDINANCES AUTHORIZING THE TOWN MANAGER TO ENTER INTO AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GRANT AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE TOWN OF LOUGHTON ENCOMPASS HEALTH FOR PROJECT DISABLED.
ANY DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
WE HAVE ONE MORE NUMBER, NUMBER THREE.
[X.2. Consideration of an Ordinance Authorizing an Economic Development Incentive Agreement Between the Town of Bluffton and CS Instruments USA Inc. Second & Final Reading – David Nelems, CEO of DRCI ]
UH, AGAIN.THIS IS, UH, CS INSTRUMENTS, USA THAT MAKES THE, UH, THE AC COMPANY BASED OUTTA GERMANY THAT'S, UH, TURNING THEIR SALES OFFICE AND BLUFFING INTO A HEADQUARTERS.
UH, NO CHANGES ON THE, UH, THE ACTUAL PLAN OF THE GRANT.
UM, AND I AHEAD IN THE SLIDE, BUT THERE WAS ONE QUESTION ABOUT THE NUMBER OF, UH, JOBS AND, UH, THEY ANTICIPATE, UH, AFTER BUILD OUT 13 JOBS AT AN AVERAGE SALARY OF $80,000.
THAT WAS THE QUESTION OF THE COUNCIL LAST YEAR.
SO 13,000, 80,000, 13 JOBS, $80,000 A YEAR.
AND I HAVE A MOTION READY FOR YOU.
HOW MANY CAN WE DIRECT FOR RESIDENTS OF BLUFF? AS, AS, UH, MR. CORER MENTIONED LAST TIME, WE, UH, ALWAYS MAKE THAT REQUEST.
AND I THINK IN THIS SPECIFIC CASE, A LOT OF THESE EMPLOYEES CAN BE TRAINED.
AND SO WE ARE PUT A LOT OF EMPHASIS ON TRYING TO HIRE BLUFFED RESIDENTS TO TRAIN THEM INTO THOSE JOBS.
ANYTHING ELSE FROM COUNCIL? IS THERE A MOTION? IS SOMEBODY LIKE TO MAKE THIS MOTION? I'LL MAKE THE MOTION.
I MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE SECOND AND FINAL OF AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZED IN THE TOWN MANAGER TO ENTER INTO AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GRANT AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE TOWN OF BLUFF AND THE CS INSTRUMENTS.
JUDGE, ANY DISCUSSION FROM COUNCIL? ALL VA SAY AYE.
AND I SHOULD POINT OUT THAT, UH, THIS CAME, THIS LEAD CAME FROM US FROM THE BE COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION.
I WAS REMISS IN NOT SAYING THAT LAST TIME.
IT MAY HAVE BEEN A TREMENDOUS PARTNER FOR US.
SO JUST WANTED TO GET A WORD FOR THAT.
[X.3. Approval to Authorize a Task Authorization to McCormick Taylor, Inc. to Develop Wetland and Resilience Ordinances (Fiscal Impact: $174,004.55) - Kimberly Washok-Jones, Director of Projects and Watershed Resilience ]
UP NEXT, WE HAVE APPROVAL TO AUTHORIZE A TASK FORCE FUNCTIONAL AUTHORIZATION FOR MCCORICK TAYLOR INC.THIS CALL IMPACT $174,004 AND 55 CENTS.
GOOD EVENING MAYOR AND COUNSEL AND HAPPY NEW YEAR.
I'M GONNA GO THROUGH THIS RATHER QUICKLY.
I DON'T THINK ANYBODY WANTS TO HEAR ME AND I DON'T WANNA SPREAD A LOT OF HEARD TERMS. SO, UM, HERE BEFORE YOU TWO, ASK FOR YOUR AUTHORIZATION FOR THE TOWN MANAGER TO EXECUTE A TASK AUTHORIZATION UNDERNEATH AN EXISTING MASTER SERVICE AGREEMENT.
CONTRACT 20 21 56 TASK AUTHORIZATION FOR MCCORMICK TAYLOR TO COMPLETE THE FOLLOWING SEVEN ITEMS FOR FISCAL IMPACT OF THIS FISCAL YEAR, $174,004 AND 55 CENTS.
AND THIS IS TO REVIEW ALL OUR CURRENT POLICIES, IDENTIFY INVENTORY WETLANDS WITHIN OUR JURISDICTION.
DEVELOP A MAP OF THESE SAID WETLANDS THAT NEED TO BE PROTECTED.
DEVELOP A WETLAND ORDINANCE, WHICH WE CURRENTLY DO NOT HAVE.
APPLY OUR COMPREHENSIVE DRAINAGE STUDY RESULTS INTO A MAP TO IDENTIFY WITH THE CHEYENNE INSTITUTE THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING.
IDENTIFY PRIMARY CONVEYANCES FOR FLOOD MITIGATION AND PROTECTION IN THE FUTURE.
ENHANCING RESILIENCY AGAIN AND DEVELOPING A RESILIENCY ORDINANCE FOR THE TOWN.
THIS PARTICULAR REQUEST IS UNANIMOUSLY SUPPORTED BY WAPAC MAYOR RIVER WATERSHED ACTION PLAN ADVISORY COMMITTEE, RESULTING FROM THEIR DECEMBER 5TH, 2024 MEETING WHERE THEY BOTH RECOMMENDED NOT ONLY TOWN COUNCIL SUPPORT THIS EFFORT BY AUTHORIZING THE TOWN MANAGER TO ENTER INTO THIS TASK AUTHORIZATION WITH MCCORMICK TAYLOR THIS FISCAL YEAR, BUT THEN MOVING FORWARD INTO FISCAL YEAR 26, MOVING, UM, INTO DEVELOPING A WETLAND RESTORATION PROGRAM.
CURRENTLY WE'RE SOLELY TALKING ABOUT THOSE FIRST SEVEN ITEMS AND THIS SCOPE OF WORK WITH MCCORMICK TAYLOR FISCAL YEAR 26 IS A DIFFERENT TOPIC.
SO SOLELY FOCUSING ON THOSE SEVEN ITEMS. NOW AGAIN, IT'S WITHIN THE ADOPTED BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 25.
AND, UM, THE, THE WORK CAN BE COMPLETED IN OUTLINE DETAIL IN THE PACKET FOR THE PUBLIC.
UH, A LITTLE MORE DETAIL OF THOSE SEVEN ITEMS AS
[01:10:01]
AN ATTACHMENT TOO.WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT? JESSE DID A GREAT JOB AND THANK YOU FOR HIS CONSERVATION LEAGUE'S, UM, ENDORSEMENT AS WELL AS MR. STOKES FOR THIS EFFORT AS WELL AS YOUR SERVICE ON WAY PACK.
I THINK JESSE HIT THE NAIL ON THE HEAD.
I'M NOT GONNA READ ALL OF THIS BECAUSE YOU CAN.
THERE IS A REGULATORY GAP THAT CURRENTLY EXISTS AT FEDERAL LEVEL, AT THE STATE LEVEL, AND AT THE LOCAL LEVEL.
WHY? BECAUSE WHAT WAS CONSIDERED JURISDICTIONAL WETLANDS PREVIOUSLY AND UNDER PROTECTION OF THE EPA AND THE ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS NO LONGER EXISTS AS OF 2015 DUE TO THE SUPREME COURT SACKET DECISION.
I'M NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO EXPLAIN ALL THE DETAIL LEGALLY THAT WENT INTO THAT, BUT THEY ARE NO LONGER JURISDICTIONAL WETLANDS FOR A NUMBER OF REASONS, UM, AS DEFINED PREVIOUSLY.
THEREFORE, WE HAVE WETLANDS THAT HAVE NO PROTECTIONS CURRENTLY.
UH, WITHOUT FEDERAL PROTECTIONS IT WOULD FALL TO THE STATE.
THE STATE HAS NO FEDERAL PROTECTIONS OUTSIDE OF, OF THE COASTAL ZONE CONSISTENCY ACT, WHICH TYPICALLY WAS ENACTING THE ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS DEFINITION OF JURISDICTIONAL WETLANDS.
YOU SEE THE CIRCULAR ARGUMENT HERE.
AND THEN WITHOUT THAT, WE COME TO THE STATE OR DOWN TO THE LOCAL LEVEL, AND WE DON'T HAVE AN EXISTING CURRENT WETLAND PROTECTION REGULATIONS.
WE'VE ALSO BEEN OVERTAKING THIS FISCAL YEAR AND HAVE THE PRELIMINARY REPORT FROM DNR ON WATERSHED.
THE, UM, PRELIMINARY, WE'LL GET THE FINAL ONE IN THE NEXT ABOUT TWO MONTHS.
WE'LL BE BRINGING THAT FORWARD TO WAY BACK IN APRIL.
YELLOW WILL BE INTEND, UH, INVITED TO ATTEND, UH, THE MAY RIVER WATERSHED LAND COVER ASSESSMENT REPORT HAS QUANTIFIED THAT BETWEEN THE, IN A 20 YEAR PERIOD, FROM 2000 TO 21 WITHIN THE TOWN'S JURISDICTION, WE LOST APPROXIMATELY 513 ACRES OF WETLANDS ALREADY WITHOUT ANY TYPE OF FURTHER PROTECTION, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT WILL HAPPEN.
SO WE DO NEED TO, AGAIN, I DEFINE THEM, IDENTIFY THEM, MAP THEM, PROTECT THEM AS THESE ARE IMPORTANT FOR US FOR RESILIENCY AS WELL.
WE KNOW THAT FROM OUR COMPREHENSIVE DRAINAGE STUDIES, WE'RE RUNNING THESE FUTURE, UM, SCENARIOS FOR DIFFERENT TYPES OF STORM CONDITIONS AND WHAT WE CALL A 25 YEAR STORM.
50 YEARS FROM A HUNDRED YEAR STORM HORRIBLE NAMES, RIGHT? THESE ACTUALLY ALL HAVE TO DO WITH PERCENTAGES.
NOT THE FACT THAT EVERY A HUNDRED YEARS YOU'RE GONNA HAVE A STORM THAT'S REALLY BAD.
WE COULD HAVE 300 YEAR STORM EVENTS IN THREE DAYS, SUCH AS A HURRICANE, RIGHT? DEPENDING ON THE AMOUNT OF RAIN THEY DROP AND WHEN THEY DROP IT.
SO WE NEED TO ALSO IDENTIFY AND PROTECT THESE POTENTIAL RESILIENCE ZONE AREAS THAT MAY OR MAY NOT ALREADY BE WETLANDS, BUT MAY BE IMPORTANT TO PROTECT WITH AN ADDITIONAL LEVEL OF WHETHER IT'S DEVELOPMENT CODES.
DO THEY NEED MORE FREEBOARD? WE NEED TO KNOW THINGS ARE CHANGING, SEA LEVELS ARE RISING.
WE HAVE TO PROTECT OUR COMMUNITY AND MAKE IT MORE RESILIENT IN THE FUTURE.
WE NEED TO TAKE THE OUTPUTS OF THESE DRAINAGE STUDIES AND USE THEM PROACTIVELY TO PROTECT OUR COMMUNITY'S INVESTMENTS IN THEIR HOMES AND OUR INFRASTRUCTURE AS A TOWN.
SO THE RECOMMENDATION FORWARD FROM WAY PACK AND STAFF IS TO AUTHORIZE THE TOWN MANAGER TO ISSUE THIS TASK AUTHORIZATION TO MCCORMICK TAYLOR TO DEVELOP BOTH THE WETLAND AND RESILIENCE ORDINANCE FOR DATA GATHERING ANALYSIS AND DEVELOPMENT OF THOSE ORDINANCES FOR THE TOWN.
AND IF APPROVED, OUR NEXT STEP IS OF COURSE TO SCHEDULE A KICKOFF MEETING WITH THE CONSULTANTS AND GET THAT DATA COLLECTION AND STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT INVOLVEMENT GOING.
ANY QUESTIONS? IT'S A LOT OF INFO I JUST DUMPED ON YOU RATHER QUICKLY.
AND YOU ARE TO LET SOMEBODY KNOW I HAVE SOME THANK YOU.
UM, SO, UH, THANK YOU, UH, KIM FOR, UM, YOUR PRESENTATION.
I KNOW A FEW OF US HAVE BEEN, UH, MEETING AND SHARING OUR CONCERNS WITH THIS.
I THINK THE FACT THAT YOU'RE PRESENTING IT GOES TO SHOW WHAT WE BELIEVE IN BOSTON AND THAT IS THAT WE SHOULD LEAVE THE MATTERS OF SCIENCE TO THOSE WHO HAVE THAT EXPERTISE.
UM, AND SO I'M GLAD TO SEE THAT WE ARE COMING UP WITH OUR OWN POLICIES AROUND PROTECTING OUR WETLANDS BECAUSE, UM, THOSE WHO ARE UNFAMILIAR WITH IT, I REALLY ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO GO AND READ UP ON THE, UM, SACKETT CASE
[01:15:01]
THAT, UM, THAT WE'RE ALL DEALING WITH NOW BECAUSE IT GUTTED, UH, FEDERAL WETLAND PROTECTIONS AND STRIPPED MORE THAN 60% OF THE DESIGNATED WETLANDS THAT THIS, UM, COUNTRY HAD FEDERALLY PROTECTED AWAY.SO LOOKING AT WATER QUALITY REQUIREMENTS THAT PEOPLE WERE NEARLY HAVE TO GO IN BEFORE DUMPING WASTE AND STUFF INTO OUR LIKE SURFACE WATER AREAS WHERE WE GET DRINKING WATER AND WE SWIM IN, UM, OUR RIGHT NOW LEFT JUST OUT, UM, VERY VULNERABLE.
SO, QUESTIONS THAT I HAVE FOR YOU ON THAT, UM, IN LOOKING AT THE PLAN THAT WAS OUTLINED IN WHAT YOU ALL ARE GONNA BE DOING, UM, AS WE GO IN AND MAKE OUR PLANS, ARE WE, AND THIS MIGHT BE YOU AND A TERRY QUESTION, ARE WE GONNA BE PROTECTED IN THE SENSE OF, I KNOW WE HAVE HOME RULE WHERE WE'RE ALLOWED TO MAKE OUR OWN JURISDICTION AND ORDINANCES HERE, UM, BUT WOULD WE BE, UM, UNDER ANY TYPE OF LIKE RESTRICTIONS AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL WHERE THEY COULD COME BACK AND LIKE REPEAL IT AND SAY, NO, YOU NEED TO ABIDE BY WHAT WE GUTTED FROM CWA AND YOU CANNOT, YOU KNOW, ENFORCE YOUR OWN, UM, RULES? I WOULD SAY NO.
THAT CLEARLY WOULD NOT BE OUR INTENT IS TO HAVE ANYTHING IN PLACE THAT COULD BE THEN SUPERSEDED BY THE STATE OR THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
WE ARE WORKING NOT ONLY CLEARLY WITH OUR LEGAL TEAM, BUT WE'RE ALSO WORKING WITH SKEL AND WITH HELP ME BEST SILK SOUTH CAROLINA ENVIRONMENTAL LAW CENTER AND SOUTH CAROLINA LINEUP ENVIRONMENTAL LAW PROJECT.
WE ARE, AND THEY'RE GIVING US PRO BONO WORK BECAUSE CURRENTLY WE ARE AT THE FOREFRONT OF MUNICIPALITIES WITHIN THE STATE ANSWERING THIS NEED.
AND THEY'RE LOOKING AT US WITH OUR DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENTS AND WE'RE, WE'RE UNIQUE BUT NOT ALONE.
UH, THAT WHAT MODEL THEY CAN PUT IN PLACE FOR US AND WHAT WORKS FOR US, HOW THAT MAY BE APPLIED TO OTHER JURISDICTIONS AND MAY HELP OTHER, OTHER MUNICIPALITIES ANSWER THIS NEED AS WELL.
MY OTHER QUESTION IS, KNOWING THAT WETLAND PROTECTIONS IS A CONVERSATION THAT HAS TO BE LOOKED AT IN TOTALITY.
SO IT'S NOT JUST WHAT'S, UM, THE WATER AND BODY OF WATER ITSELF, IT'S EVERYTHING WORKING, YOU KNOW, IN, IN TANDEM.
SO WHAT THAT IS, IT'S ALSO AN OPPORTUNITY OR I SAW JUST A BRIEF MENTION OF LIKE, UM, UH, STORM WATER COVERED IN THIS TOO.
UM, I KNOW WE HAD A CONVERSATION BEFORE OF LIKE, UM, LOOKING AT OUR CURRENT STORM WATER SYSTEM AND THOSE THAT MAY NOT HAVE BEEN REGULATED BEFORE, UM, ON A COMMERCIAL LEVEL AND LIKE EVEN RESIDENTIAL.
WILL THIS BE SOMETHING THAT THIS, UM, STUDY COMES BACK AND IDENTIFIES OR ADDRESSES FOR US TOO WHEN THEY'RE PUTTING THIS PLAN TOGETHER? OR IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WE'VE GIVEN CONSIDERATION THAT'S, THAT WOULD BE DIFFERENT? UM, AND WE HAVE IN FACT PROPOSED FOR YOU A FURTHER DISCUSSION AND TWO WEEKS AT WORKSHOP FOR MAXIMUM EXTENT PRACTICABLE DISCUSSION IN A FEE IN LIEU FOR STORM WATER REGULATIONS AND WHEN WORKSHOPS AND TWEAKING TO BOTH THE UNIFIED DEVELOPMENT ORDINANCE, PRIMARILY THIS IS FOR THE DESIGN MANUAL PER STORM WATER, THE INFORMATION, OBVIOUSLY THE DATA OR THE DATA OR THE DATA, AND THEY CAN BE APPLIED TO MULTIPLE USES, BUT THAT'S NOT THE, THE MAIN PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY FOR THE RESILIENCE PIECE AND FOR THE WETLAND PROTECTION ORDINANCE.
UM, MY QUESTION MORE SO ON THAT IS IF AS WE'RE GOING DOWN THIS ROUTE AND THEY'RE ALL CONNECTED, ARE WE ABLE TO CAPTURE LOOKING AT CURRENT STORM WATER DRAINAGE OR SYSTEMS THAT ARE IM IMPALED OR IMPACTED OR BLOCKED RIGHT NOW THAT ARE NOT ALLOWING FOR THAT RUNOFF TO BE GOING, UM, WHERE IT COULD, THAT COULD BE CAUSING PROBLEMS FOR OUR, YOU KNOW, UM, WATER DOWNSTREAM DISCHARGES? HELP ME.
SO KIM, KIM, I THINK I, I'M NOT UNDERSTANDING SO I NEED YOU GUYS TO HELP ME OR YES, SIR.
SO I THINK SHE'S TALKING ABOUT, I THINK IT TIES INTO THE STUDIES THAT WE'RE DOING FOR THE, UH, FOR THE, UM, DRAINAGE AREAS.
AND THE NEXT ONE THEY ACTUALLY ARE GONNA BE COMING BACK AND I FORGET THE DATE, BILL KIM MAY KNOW IT TO LOOK AT THE ROADS DUE ONE, WHICH IS THE ONE WHERE WE HAD THE ISSUES DURING HURRICANE, UM, DEBBIE.
AND WE, UM, WE'VE DONE THE, WAS IT HAYWARD COVE OR WE'VE DONE HAYWARD, WE'VE DONE GERARD, WE'VE DONE CROOKED COS THE NEXT ONE IS ROSE DUE CREEK.
YOU GAVE US THAT FEEDBACK AT STRATEGIC PLANNING.
AND RBACK IS PUTTING TOGETHER AN EXPRESSION OF INTEREST RIGHT NOW TO ISSUE ANOTHER TASK AUTHORIZATION TO INITIATE THAT WORK.
WE'RE ESTIMATING THAT'S GONNA BE OVER A MILLION, WHAT, 1.6 MILLION IS THAT RIGHT? SOMEWHERE AROUND THERE.
IT'LL PROBABLY, IT'LL GO OVER A COUPLE OF FISCAL YEARS 'CAUSE IT'S A GINORMOUS WATERSHED.
UM, I STILL DON'T THINK THAT'S GETTING AT THE CRUX OF WHAT YOU'RE ASKING.
YOU'RE ASKING FOR AN ORDINANCE CHANGE
[01:20:01]
TO GO BACK AND ENFORCE PEOPLE TO MAINTAIN THINGS.THAT'S WHY I'M SAYING HELP ME.
I'M NOT, I'M NOT UNDERSTANDING THIS IS ME, THIS ORDINANCE.
I THINK SHE WANTS US TO TAKE THOSE AND INCLUDE THEM IN THE RESILIENCY TO MAKE SURE THAT THE RESILIENCE OR URGENCY ADDRESSES THE IMPACTS THAT WE'RE FINDING DURING THOSE.
YEAH, THE THE SHORT ANSWER IS YES, THEY WILL INCORPORATE WITH OUR DRAINAGE STUDIES AND THE OTHER STUDIES THAT WE HAVE IN PLACE, THESE ALL WILL DOVETAIL INTO EACH OTHER TO THEN, UH, SUPPORT THE, UH, UH, DRAINAGE AND, UH, UH, ORDINANCES TO CONTROL IT.
THAT WAS DEFINITELY WHAT I WAS GETTING AT BECAUSE I JUST WANTED MAKE, I KNEW I WAS NOT UNDERSTANDING I SO SORRY,
LIKE I WANNA MAKE SURE WHAT WE'RE DOING IS SOMETHING THAT IS BEING EFFECTIVE, THAT'S ADDRESSING THE CONCERNS THAT WE HAVE AND MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE NOT JUST LOOKING AT, UM, THIS PLANE TO PROTECT OUR WETLANDS AND DO THE STUDY AS A, AN ISOLATED SITUATION.
AND MY LAST, UM, POINT IS, UM, IN LOOKING AT AND, UM, CHOOSING THIS PARTICULAR FIRM, UM, WERE THERE PARTICULAR CREDENTIALS OF THEIRS AND I NEVER HAVEN'T DONE THAT ONE.
SO THE PARTICULAR CREDENTIALS OF THEIRS THAT STOOD OUT, LIKE HAVE THEY PERFORMED, UM, THIS TYPE OF WORK FOR COMMUNITY SIMILAR TO OURS THAT MADE THEM A FAVOR OR SOMEONE THAT COULD TAKE THIS, THIS TASK ON MCCORICK TAYLOR? YES, MA'AM.
WE PUT OUT A CALL FOR ENGINEERING SERVICES FOR STORM WATER SERVICES, AND THAT'S WHY THEY'RE UNDER AN EXISTING MASTER SERVICES AGREEMENT ALONG WITH A NUMBER OF OTHER FORMS FOR US AS WELL.
FOLLOWING UP ON THAT SO THAT IT DIDN'T, IT DIDN'T GO OUT TO BID SPECIFICALLY FOR, THIS WAS AN INTERNAL PROCESS CALLED AN EXPRESSION OF INTEREST THAT WE UNDERTAKE.
AND THAT IS SCOPING OUT THE, THE PROJECT AND WHAT WE ENVISION THE END RESULT, THE END GOALS BEING SENDING THAT OUT TO OUR MSAS AND ASKING THEM TO COME BACK TO US WITH AN APPROACH TO THAT SCOPE TIMELINE IN BUDGET.
SO IT'S BIDDING WITHIN BIDDING, IF YOU WILL.
AND TO THAT END, MCCORMICK TAYLOR HAD THE MOST COMPETITIVE SUBMITTAL BACK TO US IN TIMELINESS AND IN COST.
NOW THEY DO HAVE ALSO THE, THE KNOWLEDGE.
UM, THEY ARE THE ONES WHO UNDERTOOK THE MAY RIVER WATERSHED ACTION PLAN UPDATE FOR US.
SO THEY'RE VERY FAMILIAR WITH OUR AREA AND WITH OUR REGULATIONS, WHICH OBVIOUSLY GIVES THEM AN AN UPDATE THAT THEY WERE ALSO INVOLVED IN HELPING TO DRAFT THESE, THE SOLO CODE DESIGN MANUAL TOO.
AND, UH, LAST POINT, NOT NECESSARILY FOR YOU, BUT A CONCERN THAT I WANTED TO, UM, ASK OUR HOTEL MANAGER AND, UH, THE REST OF THE COUNCIL WEIGH IN IF THEY, UM, HAVE ANY, UM, THOUGHTS ON IT.
BUT WHAT I'M SEEING THAT'S COMING OUT OF THIS, UM, PROPOSAL IS ALSO, UH, IN THEIR PRICE IS A COST FOR THEM TO WRITE TWO ORDINANCES FOR US.
AND I SAW SOMETHING SIMILAR A FEW MONTHS AGO WITH THE, UM, REVIEW AND STUDY FROM OUR PD WHERE THE GROUP WOULD ALSO BE WRITING THEIR ORDINANCES.
UM, I'M CONCERNED IN TERMS OF LOOKING AT COST.
I GET THE NEED FOR THE, THE WETLANDS PROTECTIONS, BUT WHEN IT COMES TO WHERE, UM, CONTRACTING OUT FOR OTHERS TO WRITE ORDINANCES AND THOSE TWO TOTALS ARE ALMOST LIKE A QUARTER OF A MILLION DOLLARS WHEN YOU LOOK AT IT.
UM, I'M JUST WANTING A LITTLE MORE UNDERSTANDING OF WHY WE'RE CONTRACTING OUT FOR OTHERS TO WRITE ORDINANCES WHEN UM, WE HAVE STAFF AND I BELIEVE IS IS QUALIFIED IN DOING THAT AND WHERE THAT HASN'T ALWAYS BEEN A PRACTICE IN SUCH A HEAVY RELIANCE.
IS THAT SOMETHING NEW THAT WE'RE DOING? OR IS THERE A REASON THAT WE ARE DEFERRING TO HAVING SOMEONE ELSE WRITE ORDINANCES? FOR US? IT'S NOT ANYTHING NEW, BUT IT HAS TO DO WITH THE, THE SCOPE AND THE FACT THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IS, HAS NOT BEEN UNDERTAKEN BY LIKE SAID LIKE THEY OUTLINED EARLIER.
THE LEGAL ASPECTS OF THIS GO BEYOND WHAT OUR CAPACITIES ARE AND THAT'S WHAT WE'VE CONTRACTED WITH THEM TO HELP THEM PUT TOGETHER.
AND WE'VE WORKED WITH OUTSIDE LEGAL GROUPS TO HELP DO THAT.
UM, THE ACTUAL WRITING OF THE ORDINANCE, I THINK MAKES UP, MAKES UP THE WETLAND ORDINANCE OF THE TOTAL COST IS EIGHT AND A 5% OF THE TOTAL COST.
AND THE RESILIENCE ORDINANCE MAKES UP 6% OF THE TOTAL COST.
THE MAJORITY OF THE WORK IS ACTUALLY IN THE DATA GATHERING.
THE NET, THE ANALYSIS, THE, WHAT'S THE DOLLAR AMOUNT OF THAT SIX POINT WHATEVER PERCENT OF 8%
[01:25:02]
I KNOW OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD THAT IT'S NOT TWO COMBINED.THE TWO COMBINED IS $25,425 FOR THE ORDINANCES.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S 14.61% OF THAT, SORRY, 1 74 NOTES IS JUST FOR THE ORDINANCES.
EVERYTHING ELSE, THE MAJORITY OF THE COSTS IS IN THE DATA COLLECTION AND THE MAPPING.
UM, BECAUSE THAT IS, IT'S NEVER BEEN DONE.
IT'S THE FIRST TIME WE'RE EVER DOING IT IN THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON.
I JUST HAVE A CONCERN IN TERMS OF LIKE, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT ORDINANCES, 'CAUSE BLUFFTON IS UNLIKE ANY OTHER PLACE, AND IF IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE GETTING A COST TO A GROUP TO DO THAT ORDINANCE, WHICH WE STILL HAVE TO BRING IT BACK ON OUR LEGAL SIDE, THAT MAY ALSO BE BILLED IN GETTING INVOLVED IN TOO.
LIKE I DON'T WANNA, I'M CONCERNED IT SEEMS LIKE THAT FUNDS ARE, WOULD BE EXTRACTED, UM, FROM OUTSIDE OUR, OUR NETWORK JUST FOR WRITING AND CRAFTING ORDINANCES.
I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING THAT IT'S, IT'S NEW, BUT I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT WE'RE BECOMING SUPER RELIANT ON.
I APPRECIATE YOUR MODE OF CONFIDENCE, BUT I'M GONNA BE HONEST WITH YOU, THIS WELL EXCEEDS YOUR CURRENT STAFF'S CAPABILITIES.
WE DO NOT HAVE THE TALENT IN-HOUSE AND KNOWLEDGE TO DRAFT A, WE WOULD, WE WOULD HAVE TERRY'S GROUP WRITE IT AND PAY THEM ALL THE MONEY.
YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? THIS WENT OUTTA OUR WHEELHOUSE.
I'M NOT SAYING I'M ANTI THAT WE'RE DOING THIS TIME, I'M JUST SAYING THAT'S A CONCERN.
IF THIS WOULD COMMON EVERY TIME WE'RE DOING A STUDY, WE WOULD BE SPENDING MONEY FOR SOMEONE ELSE TO WRITE UP ORDINANCE IS WHAT I'M SAYING.
I I DON'T WANT US TO SEE US GO DOWN THAT TREND BECAUSE THERE ARE OTHER PRIORITIES.
ONLY IF WE CAN'T DO IT, MA ONLY IF WE CAN'T DO IT, WE KNOW OUR OWN.
IF YOU CAN'T, YOU DO HAVE TO DEFER OUT IF THIS IS A LAST DITCH THING, WHICH IS WHY I'M ASKING THE QUESTION.
I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THIS DOESN'T BECOME SOMETHING THAT IS A, A CONSISTENT THING.
SO IF IT'S NOT, I'M ASKING A QUESTION BECAUSE I NEEDED THAT CLARIFICATION.
AND I DO NOT ANTICIPATE THIS BEING SOMETHING THAT IS DONE EVERY TIME.
THIS IS, AND AND WHEN THEY BROUGHT THIS TO ME, WE HAD THAT CONVERSATION AND THAT WAS ONE OF THE CONVERSATION.
WE ACTUALLY HAD IT WITH THEM AND WE HAD IT IN OUR LEGAL MEETING TO ASK THAT CONVERSATION.
AND EVEN LEGAL'S RECOMMENDATION WAS WE NEED TO BRING SOMEBODY IN BECAUSE AGAIN, WE'RE WANTING TO BE AS TIMELY WITH THIS AS WE POSSIBLY CAN, RIGHT? SO HAVING THEM WITH THIS SPECIFIC FOCUS ON THIS AND THEIR EXPERTISE, THE GOAL WAS TO HAVE AN ORDINANCE THAT WE CAN PUT INTO PLACE AS QUICK AS WE CAN, UM, AND MAKE SURE THAT IT MEETS THE GUIDELINES THAT WE NEEDED TO MEET TO MAKE SURE IT'S DEFENDABLE AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO INVOLVE LEGAL IN IT.
BUT THAT WAS A, IT WAS A JOINT CONVERSATION AMONGST STAFF AND LEGAL TO MAKE SURE WE, THIS WAS DIRECTION WE WANT TO TAKE.
IT IS SO SCIENTIFIC AND SO SPECIFIC TO OUR LOCALE AND THERE'S NOT A LOT OF OTHER PLACES WE CAN GO AND FIND ONE, RIGHT? SO, UM, IT WAS OUR OPINION THAT, UM, BETWEEN STAFF AND OUR OFFICE, THESE PEOPLE ARE PROBABLY BETTER EQUIPPED TO TO DO IT.
AND, AND AS KIM OUTLINED, THERE ARE OTHERS THAT ARE WAITING TO SEE WHAT WE PUT INTO PLACE BECAUSE THEY'RE UNDER THE SAME SITUATION AND WE ARE REALLY, THEY'RE, THEY'RE WAITING ON OUR ORDINANCE TO COME FOR Y'ALL SO THEY CAN ADOPT SOMETHING SIMILAR.
SO, UM, AGAIN, THIS IS NOT SOMETHING WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO BE A TREND, BUT ONLY AS SPECIFIC AS SOMETHING LIKE THIS.
WHEN IT IS WE NEED, WE NEED TO
UM, IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY, UM, STEVEN, WE TALKED TO A COUPLE OF LOCAL LEGISLATORS.
I DON'T, AND WE BROUGHT THIS TO THEIR ATTENTION, THE WEAPON PORTION OF IT.
UM, AND WE'VE ALSO TALKED TO THEM ABOUT THE PLUGGING AND THINGS LIKE THAT, BUT I DON'T THINK THE STATE, IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY FROM THAT MEETING, HAS ACTUALLY TAKEN THIS AND PUT THIS ON THEIR AGENDA YET, HAVE THEY? WE TALKED TO OUR LOCAL LEGISLATIVE LEADERS.
THEY INDICATED THAT THE STATE LEADERSHIP HAS NOT ANY STATED THAT THERE'S ANY KIND OF, UH, PRETRIAL LEGISLATION OR ANYTHING TO ADDRESS WEAPONS AT THE STATE LEVEL.
SO MY NEXT QUESTION IS, UM, AND, AND I THINK WE'RE BEING RESILIENT WITH BEING PROACTIVE.
UM, AND OBVIOUSLY WE FIT INTO A REGION.
IT'S NOT JUST THE BAY RIVER THAT WE HAVE TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT.
AND I'M CURIOUS, SO THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY, INCLUDING THE COUNTY AND THE OTHER MUNICIPALITIES IN OUR COUNTY, OUR OWN BACKYARD, ARE THERE ANY OTHERS THAT ARE DOING ANYTHING ON THE RESILIENCY FRONT THAT WE'VE BEEN HAVING OUR IN-DEPTH DISCUSSIONS ABOUT? UH, OR WETLAND PROTECTION? AND ANOTHER THING THAT WE HAVE LEARNED RECENTLY, UM, THAT WE'VE BEEN ENGAGED WITH THE LOCAL PEOPLE AND DEALING WITH STAFF
[01:30:01]
WAS, AND YOU TOUCHED ON THIS A MINUTE AGO, WE FOUND OUT THAT SOME OF THE, UH, CHECKS AND BALANCES WE THOUGHT WE HAD IN PLACE WEREN'T THE BEST BECAUSE THERE WAS NO ENFORCEMENT ACTION ALLOWED FOR SOME OF THESE CHECKS AND BALANCES.AND I KNOW THAT STAFF IS WORKING PUBLIC BILLING, I KNOW, I KNOW Y'ALL ARE WORKING TO GO THAT DIRECTION TO GET THESE CHECKS AND BALANCES IN PLACE.
BUT I GUESS WHEN YOU LOOK AT IT HOLISTICALLY FROM A NEW VIEW, UM, WHO ELSE IS WORKING? WHO ELSE IS WORKING ON THIS? YOU ANSWER.
SO, SO WHAT I'LL SAY IS WE'VE HAD NUMEROUS MEETINGS, UM, WITH BUFORD COUNTY.
THEY ARE AWARE BOTH ON THE RESILIENCE SIDE AND THE WETLANDS PROTECTION SIDE.
UM, I THINK THAT THEY ARE, AGAIN, WAITING ON US TO SEE WHAT WE DO.
UM, THERE WAS SOME INTEREST AT THAT POINT IN TIME FOR, UM, IF THIS GOES THROUGH AND IF WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS WORK TO PRESENT THIS THROUGH.
SO LOCO TO GET MORE BUY-IN FROM A REGIONAL PERSPECTIVE.
UM, AND SO THAT'S KIND OF WHERE WE ARE ON THE WETLANDS PROTECTION SIDE.
I THINK AGAIN, IT, YOU KNOW, A BROKEN RECORD, BUT YOU KNOW, PEOPLE REALLY ARE WAITING TO SEE WHAT WE DO TO INITIATE THIS WORK REGIONALLY.
AND I, I WILL SAY, AND I'M GONNA PUT HEATHER ON THE SPOT HERE.
UM, I THINK IN TALKING WITH HER COUNTERPART ACROSS THE ISLAND, ACROSS THE BRIDGE, HILTON HAD JUST CONTRACTED TO DO A RESILIENCY PLAN TO A SIMILAR GROUP.
AND I THINK THEY'RE PAYING, DO YOU REMEMBER WHAT THE NUMBER WAS, HEATHER? I WANNA SAY IT WAS, I BELIEVE IT'S, I BELIEVE IT'S JUST FOR THAT IS MORE THAN WHAT WE'RE PAYING FOR THIS.
THEIR RESILIENCY PLAN IS MORE THAN OUR TOTAL CONTRACT FOR BOTH OF THESE.
SO I KNOW THEY'RE LOOKING TO DO ONE AS WELL, BUT I DON'T THINK IT INCLUDES S THE WETLANDS, IT JUST INCLUDES THEY DON'T HAVE AS MANY FRESHWATER INLAND WETLANDS BECAUSE OF BEING AS COASTAL AS THEY ARE.
UM, THERE'S JUST MORE JUST RESILIENCY PLANNING WETLAND SPECIFIC.
AND I, I WAS MORE CURIOUS, WHAT ABOUT THE COUNTY? IS ANYONE, UH, YOU KNOW, COINCIDENTALLY I, 'CAUSE I'VE BEEN CHECKING MY OWN PROPERTIES FOR FLOODING AND THERE'S DIFFERENT SITES YOU CAN GO TO WITH RANKINGS ON FLOODING AND ET CETERA.
AND I, I STUMBLED ACROSS JUST PURE BY, PURELY BY ACCIDENT, LOOKING AT THE WATERSHEDS THE OTHER DAY THAT, UH, FOR EXAMPLE, SUN CITY HAS OVER A THOUSAND HOUSES, MAYBE 1300 THAT WITHIN PROJECTIONS ARE BASED ON, I GUESS IT WAS FEM OR SOMEBODY WITH IT IS VERY POSSIBLE WITHIN THE NEXT 30 YEARS, RIGHT.
FLOOD COME ALONG, THEY'LL BE IMPACTED.
AND SO I WAS JUST, I HOPE COLLECTIVELY EVERYBODY GETS ON THE SAME TRAIN AND STARTS SHARING THE INFORMATION, NOT JUST US LEADING THE PARADE, BUT EVERYBODY NEEDS TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS CONUNDRUM.
YES, AND I WILL SAY THE COUNTY HELD A WORKSHOP, UM, WITH FURMAN UNIVERSITY SHY INSTITUTE TO TRY TO START A REGIONAL RESILIENCE WORKING GROUP.
UM, AND BOTH KIM AND I WERE ABLE TO ATTEND THAT WORKSHOP.
UM, AND SO THERE IS A LEVEL AT, AT THE COUNTY LEVEL, THERE IS INTEREST IN GETTING ALL THE PARTNERS AT THE TABLE, UM, TO DISCUSS RESILIENCE BECAUSE WE ALL ARE IN THE SAME BOAT, UM, YOU KNOW, LOOKING TO THE FUTURE.
AND MAYOR, MAY I MAKE ONE MORE OBSERVATION? UM, ONE, ONE THING I'M CURIOUS ABOUT THROUGH OUR GROUP.
YOUR GROUP, UM, A LOT OF THE CONSTRUCTION THAT TOOK PLACE EVERYWHERE, UH, YEARS AGO WAS BASED ON THE 25 YEAR STORM.
ALRIGHT, SO THE STORM SYSTEMS ARE SET UP FOR 25 YEAR FLOOD, RIGHT? MM-HMM
SO WE KNOW THEY'RE INADEQUATE TODAY.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, I THINK OUR NEW STANDARDS IS A HUNDRED, IS IT CORRECT? MM-HMM.
SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT RESILIENCY, I KNOW THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT TRYING TO MAKE, YOU KNOW, A LITTLE MORE OUS HERE OR DO THIS OVER THERE AND YOU KNOW, DRAINAGE, ET CETERA.
BUT ARE WE, ARE WE WEIGHING ALL OF THIS BASED ON WHAT THE CONSTRUCTION MODEL WAS FOR THAT PARTICULAR TIME? I MEAN, HOW DO YOU SOLVE THIS? YOU, YOU, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE A DIFFERENT PROBLEM WITH A 25 YEAR STORM PLAN THAN ONE THAT'S BEEN DESIGNED AT A HUNDRED.
SO WHAT WE, WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS NOT NECESSARILY RETROFIT WHAT'S ALREADY IN THE GROUND TO TRY TO COME ALONG WITH, UH, SOLUTIONS THAT WILL ENHANCE WHAT IS THERE.
SO WE HAVE COMMUNITIES OUT THERE THAT ARE AT THE 25 YEAR STANDARD.
OUR NEW COMMUNITIES WILL BE AT THE HUNDRED, BUT WHAT CAN WE DO IN BETWEEN THOSE COMMUNITIES TO BOLSTER FLOODING, WATER QUALITY, ALL THIS? AND THAT COMES TO OUR WETLAND RESTORATION PROGRAM, WHICH WE'LL TALK ABOUT IN THE FUTURE, BUT ALSO JUST PROTECTING WHAT'S THERE.
WE CAN USE THESE WETLANDS AS A WAY TO MITIGATE SOME OF THIS DEVELOPMENT THAT WE HAVE.
[01:35:01]
PUT, UH, THE A HUNDRED YEAR DEVELOPMENTS IN PLACE, WE WATCH THE 25 YEAR DEVELOPMENTS AND THEN USE THESE RESTORATION PROJECTS IN THE FUTURE TO MITIGATE WHAT'S, WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE IN BETWEEN.NOW AGAIN, THAT'S COMING TO THE FUTURE.
FIRST THING IS TO GET THIS DONE, THEN MOVE INTO THE RESILIENCY AND RESTORATION PROJECT AND THEN, THEN WE CAN FIX SOME PROBLEMS WE HAD.
IT'S ALWAYS MORE EXPENSIVE TO FIX WHAT'S ALREADY THERE THAN IT IS TO DO BEFOREHAND.
AND AGAIN, BY DOING SOME OF THESE WETLAND UH, ORDINANCES, WE'RE ABLE TO KEEP ANYTHING ELSE FROM HAPPENING DOWNSTREAM.
SO IT WILL BE CHEAPER IN THE LONG RUN, EVEN THOUGH IT WILL COST US MONEY GOING FORWARD.
BUT WE'RE TRYING TO BALANCE THE THREE OUT.
WHAT'S HAPPENS HAS HAPPENED, BUT WE'LL SEE WHAT WE CAN DO IN BETWEEN.
SO THAT'S MR. HAMILTON, THAT'S TOO MUCH TO COMPANY
IF YOU BUILD A HUNDRED YEAR, UM, PROPERTIES, UH, DEVELOPERS NOW, HOW DOES THAT AFFECT SOMEONE THAT BUILT NEXT DOOR THAT HAVE A 25 YEAR? WELL, SO THEY JUST HAVE TO HANDLE THE STORM WATER OR THE A HUNDRED YEAR STORM.
SO THEIR, THEIR REQUIREMENTS ARE ESSENTIALLY MORE STRINGENT THAN THOSE THAT PREDATED THE, THE TOWN'S STORMWATER VOLUME, UH, CONTROL ORDINANCES.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE SOME VERY OLD NEIGHBORHOODS IN BLUFFTON, AND THOSE STANDARDS WERE MUCH LOWER THAN OUR STANDARDS TODAY.
SO IF YOU BUILT A HUNDRED YEAR, UH, A COMMUNITY BUILT TO THE CURRENT STANDARD, THEY HAVE TO TREAT FOR THE A HUNDRED YEAR STORM, THAT JUST MEANS THEY'RE NOT GONNA RELEASE AS MUCH WATER AS A A, UH, COMMUNITY THAT HAS A 25 YEAR, UH, STANDARD.
UH, SO IT WON'T IMPACT DOWNSTREAM.
AND THAT'S PART OF THE REVIEW REQUIREMENTS FOR THE STORMWATER IS TO MAKE SURE THAT 10% UPSTREAM, 10% DOWNSTREAM ARE NOT IMPACTED BY ANY NEW DEVELOPMENT.
SO IT REALLY NOT PART OF WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT NOW, BUT THE, UH, THE A HUNDRED YEAR IMPACT WILL NOT AFFECT DOWNSTREAM R STREAM COMMUN BRIDGET BROUGHT UP SOME GREAT, UH, QUESTIONS THAT I DIDN'T EVEN THINK ABOUT UNTIL SHE MIGHT HAVE NOTHING TO DO AT NIGHT.
SO SHE STUDIED AND STUFF
AND, AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT KIM ALLUDED TO THAT I HOPE WE NEVER DO AGAIN, IS THAT WE DIDN'T BID THIS OUT.
UH, YOU KNOW, ANYTIME YOU SPEND THIS KIND OF MONEY, EXCUSE ME, LET ME, SIR, MAY I INTERRUPT YOU? NO, NO, NO.
WELL, ANYTIME WE SPEND THIS KIND OF MONEY, WE HAVE TO BID THINGS OUT.
THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S SUPPOSED TO BE A PART OF OUR POLICY PROCEDURE.
SO LET'S, IF THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT YOU WANTED TO DO BECAUSE WE NEEDED TO BUY TIME AND TIME IS IMPORTANT.
I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR, UH, TO SAVE OUR WETLANDS.
LET'S NOT MAKE THIS A PRACTICE.
WE FALL UP THE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT TO, UM, WE DON'T WANT, WE DON'T WANT TO, TO EVER GET IN A PLACE WHERE WE DIDN'T GIVE THE PROPER, UM, UH, PROCEDURES AND POLICIES.
IS, IS DUE DILIGENCE, THE THE OTHER POINT QUESTION.
WE, UM, WE HAVE TO BE PROACTIVE.
WE HAVE TO PROBABLY, UM, EVEN AT THIS POINT IN TIME BE REACTIVE BECAUSE YOU DEAL WITH STUFF THAT, UM, IT HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR SUCH A LONG TIME, ESPECIALLY OUR DRAINAGE SYSTEMS. SO BEING, UM, I'M GLAD THAT WE CAN SEE IN THIS PROCESS THE, THE PROGRESS THAT WE HAVE WITH, UM, STONEWATER DRAINAGE, UM, THROUGHOUT TOWN AND ESPECIALLY, UM, OUT IN BUCK ISLAND, UH, ROAD WHERE WE HAVE A, THAT A LOT OF PROBLEMS. YOU KNOW, WE, WE, WE HAD A STUDY DONE, UH, HAVING A STUDY DONE NOW THAT I QUESTION WHEN WE GOT IT THAT WE WOULD BE UPDATED PERIODICALLY OF HOW THINGS WERE GOING.
UM, WHEN, WHEN WOULD WE GET AN UPDATE ON THAT? UM, SO I ACTUALLY WAS JUST SPEAKING TO HEATHER AND KIM ABOUT THAT TODAY.
SO WE'VE GOT KIND OF TWO MAJOR STUDIES THAT THE TOWN HAS BEEN UNDERTAKING THAT WE ANTICIPATE HAVING THE RESULTS IN THE FIRST QUARTER OF THIS YEAR.
[01:40:01]
RESILIENCY ANALYSIS THAT YOU ALL HAVE HEARD SO MUCH ABOUT THAT.WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THE SOUTH CAROLINA, UM, UH, SEA GRANT CONSORTIUM.
UM, AND THEN WE HAVE, UH, THE MAY RIVER WATERSHED BASELINE ASSESSMENT UPDATE, UM, THAT THE DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES HAS BEEN UNDERTAKEN FOR THE TOWN.
UM, AND SO WE WERE LOOKING AT POTENTIALLY AN APRIL DATE, UM, TO HAVE THOSE, UH, LEAD RESEARCHERS ON BOTH OF THOSE PROJECTS PRESENT THOSE FINDINGS, UM, BOTH TO WAY PACK AND TO TOWN COUNCIL.
SO, AND, AND WITH THE, UH, DRAINAGE STUDIES THAT WE GOT GOING IN
SO AS SOON AS THAT'S DONE, PROBABLY LATE APRIL, UH, TIMEFRAME, THAT WILL ALSO BE, WE HAVE LOTS OF THESE COMING UP AND READY TO PRESENT AND WE'LL WAY BACK AND THEN TO COUNCIL.
UM, THANK YOU FOR LEADING THE STATE ON THIS.
I THINK THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE BADLY NEED, UM, BUT THE RESILIENCE, UM, IN
FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU ON THAT.
WHAT IS THE TIMEFRAME? LIKE, HOW LONG IS THIS EXPECTED TO TAKE AND WHEN WILL WE HOPEFULLY SEE SOMETHING? YEAH, SO, UM, THE CURRENT TIMELINE IS, UM, PROBABLY SIX TO 12 MONTHS.
UM, OBVIOUSLY WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO HAVE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIODS, UM, AND LEGAL REVIEW THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS, SO I WOULD SHOOT MORE TOWARDS LIKE THE 12 MONTH TIMEFRAME.
UM, BUT YOU KNOW, WE'RE READY IF, IF WE GET THE APPROVAL TODAY, WE'RE READY TO HIT THE GROUND RUNNING AND WE WILL BE WORKING AS HARD AS WE CAN TO GET SOMETHING IN PLACE AS SOON AS WE CAN.
AND, AND TO GO BACK TO A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOUR PROCUREMENT ON THIS, WE DID PUT THIS OUT FOR, UH, UH, BID TO OUR MSAS, WHICH WE HAVE FOUR DIFFERENT ENGINEERING FIRMS THAT HAVE, UH, MSAS WITH THE TOWN.
AND MCCORMICK TAYLOR WAS THE LEAD ON THOSE, UH, SUBMITTALS.
SO IT WAS PUT OUT FOR, UH, INTEREST AND UH, THEY WERE THE ONES THAT UH, THAT WON OUT.
SO WE, WE DID GO THROUGH THAT PROCESS.
THAT'S NOT WHAT IT WAS EXPLAINED.
ANYTHING ELSE? MR. OH, GO AHEAD TERRY.
UM, COUNCIL, THE SACKET DECISION MADE US ALL JUST SIT BACK AND SCRATCH OUR HEAD AND GO LIKE, WHAT'S NEXT? WHERE ARE WE GONNA GO? AND I ALWAYS THINK IT'S BETTER FOR US TO BE IN THE FOREFRONT, TO BE THE LEADERS, UM, OF WHAT'S GOING ON.
UM, IT'S IN THE BUDGET, UM, IT'S SUPPORTED BY JESSE WAS HERE, TOLD US ABOUT THEIR SUPPORT, UM, WAY BACK SUPPORT.
UM, I THINK THIS IS VITAL, UM, THAT WE GO AS FAST AS WE CAN AND BE AS THOROUGH AND CONFIDENT AND, AND, AND GET OUR ARMS AROUND THIS.
AND WE CAN BE THE LEADERS IN THIS, IN, IN THIS.
AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT, THAT'S WHAT KIM AND HER GROUP ARE, ARE TRYING TO, TO GET US DOING BECAUSE EVERYBODY ELSE IS KIND OF SITTING BACK LOOKING UP, YOU GOTTA TAKE THE LEAD AND UH, I WOULD URGE US TO, LET'S GO AS FAST AS WE CAN, BUT LET'S BE AS THOROUGH AND AS CONFIDENT AS WE CAN AND, AND OUR OFFICE DRAFT THESE ORDINANCES.
UM, I CAN SPELL ORDINANCE, UM, I CAN KNOW HOW MANY VOTES, BUT AS FAR AS THE SCIENTIFIC GUTS THAT THESE ORDINANCES NEED, WE NEED SOMEBODY LIKE THESE FOLKS AND OUR STAFF TO, TO GET IT, UM, TO THE FINISH LINE.
YOU WANNA SAY SOMETHING ELSE? YOU KNOW, WHILE WE TAKE THE LEAD, UM, WE GOING TO DO SOME HEAVY LIFTING FINANCIALLY, SO I THINK, UM, NEXT TIME WE SHOULD SAY HARDY BILL, ILFORD, ASPER, WHOEVER YOU CAN PITCH IN AND, AND HELP US PICK BILL BECAUSE WE, THEY GOING TO USE OUR INFORMATION, UH, OUR STUDIES TO BETTER THEIR COMMUNITIES.
I'M JUST, YOU GOT SOMETHING ELSE? YEAH, I'LL GO UP HERE.
HOWEVER YOU, HOW ABOUT, FORGOT WHAT I WANTED TO SAY ALREADY.
FIRST OF ALL, UM, LIKE I'VE MENTIONED IN SOME OF OUR MEETINGS EARLIER, I KNOW THIS IS ITS OWN COORDINATE.
IT IS DIRECTLY A TIED TO STORMWATER, YOU KNOW, IT IS, IT IS ONE OF THE SAME WHAT WE HAVE TO DO AND THAT'S WHY I TOTALLY SUPPORT, I WANT IT DONE RIGHT.
AND IF IT TAKES FIVE DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS TO MAKE IT WHERE IT WILL STICK AND, AND BECAUSE IT WILL BE CHALLENGED, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO
[01:45:01]
REMEMBER AS, AS MORE BUILT PROPERTY VALUES ARE COMING UP ALL THE TIME, PEOPLE ARE GOING TO DEVELOPERS OR INDIVIDUALS OR WHATEVER GONNA WANT TO FILL IN MORE AND MORE AND MORE FOR THE NEXT 50 YEARS OR A HUNDRED YEARS.SO WE HAVE TO HAVE AN ORDINANCE THAT HAS TEETH THAT CAN BE ENFORCED.
UM, AND I THINK BEING A PART OF THE STORMWATER PICTURE, WE CAN IMPLEMENT IT AS SOON AS IT'S AN ORDINANCE AND NOT HAVE TO WAIT.
WE CAN USE IT ON PROPERTIES THAT ARE ALREADY UNDER DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENTS SUCH AS OUR STORMWATER ORDINANCE.
SO I WANT IT DONE FAST AND AS BULLETPROOF AS POSSIBLE AND I GOT MY VOTE FOR IT.
SO GO AHEAD MR. UM, JUST WANTED TO ADD TO THAT, TO COUNCILMAN HAMILTON.
I AM NEVER SURE OF THINGS TO DO
UM, BUT THIS IS, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING NEAR AND DEAR DAN AND I ARE DEFINITELY LIKE THE, THE GREEN ONES, UM, HAVE ALWAYS ADVOCATED FOR THAT AS, AS MANY OF US.
UM, BUT WE BROUGHT THIS UP ALMOST TWO YEARS AGO AT LEGISLATIVE ACTION DAY WHEN WE FOUND OUT THAT, UH, SOUTH CAROLINA DH CHANGING OVER THE DEPARTMENT OF AG AND THEY WERE HAVING NO PROTECTIONS.
AND SO WE'VE DEFINITELY BEEN THE LEADERS I THINK NOT JUST IN THE AREA.
BLUFFTON IS PROBABLY LEADING HERE IN THE STATE AND UM, WE REALLY TOOK ISSUE AND I THINK BILL, YOU WERE WITH ME THAT DAY WITH HEATHER.
A PROPERTY OWNER IN SIMMONS IS ALWAYS FLOODED, UM, WHEN STORMS, BUT SOMEONE'S BUILDING UP AND ALL THAT RUNOFF WAS JUST COMING ON AND SATURATING THEIR YARD SO MUCH THAT THEY'RE GETTING WATER INSIDE OF THEIR STORAGE SHED AND OTHER THINGS.
AND THAT DAY IT WAS, WAS LIKE, WHAT? THERE'S NOTHING REALLY WE CAN ENFORCE 'CAUSE WE DON'T HAVE ORDINANCES.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE'VE UM, BEEN PROPONENTS OF IT AND I'M PROUD THAT BLUFFTON LEADS THE WAY WE DID IT FOR THE HATE CRIME SUPPORT.
WE'RE DOING IT IN THIS INSTANCE WE CREATED A REFORESTATION PLAN.
SO I'M GLAD FOR PEOPLE TO, TO KNOW THAT WE DO BELIEVE THAT CLIMATE CHANGE IS REAL AND WE'RE WILLING TO PROTECT OUR ENVIRONMENT HERE.
SO GRATEFUL TO YOU GUYS AND THE WORK THAT YOU DO AND FOR MY COLLEAGUES, UM, AND THEIR SUPPORT TOO.
ANY MORE DISCUSSION? I DON'T KNOW HOW TO, YOU GUYS NEED TO WORK WITH KEVIN THE NEXT TIME.
I'M NOT USED TO COMING UP HERE.
SO KEVIN'S SECOND SLIDE ON PRESENTATION IS THE MOTION.
I'M SOMEBODY LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION.
SO MOVE TO APPROVE THE AUTHORIZING THE TOWN MANAGER TO ISSUE A TASK AUTHORIZATION TO MCCORMICK TAYLOR INCORPORATED TO DEVELOP A TOWN WET AND RESILIENCE ORDINANCE WITH THE PHYSICAL IMPACT OF $174,000, $4 AND 55 CENTS.
ANY DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
[X.4. Consideration of an Ordinance Amending the Town of Bluffton FY 2025 Budget to Provide for the Expenditures of Certain Funds and to Allocate Sources of Revenue for the Said Funds – First Reading - Natalie Majorkiewicz, Director of Finance ]
UP NEXT WE HAVE A CONSIDERATION ORDINANCE AMENDING THE TOWN OF G LUPTON FISCAL YEAR 2025 BUDGET TO PROVIDE FOR THE EXPENDITURES OF C CERTAIN FUNDS AND TO ALLOCATE SOURCES OF REVENUE FOR THE SAID FUNDS.YES, NATALIE? GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNSEL.
UM, WE HAVE THE SECOND BUDGET ORDINANCE FOR FISCAL YEAR 2025 FOR YOUR, UM, CONSIDERATION.
UM, THIS BUDGET ADJUSTMENT INCLUDE, OR THIS BUDGET ORDER ORDINANCE INCLUDES AN INCREASE, UH, $500,000 TO BUSINESS LICENSE AND THEN USE OF PRIOR YEAR FINES, $24,000 IN TREE REMEDIATION FOR ADDITIONAL TREE SURVEY IN THE RIGHT OF WAY.
AND THEN $9,250, UM, FOR A DUMP DUMP TRAILER TO ASSIST WITH THOSE SURVEYS.
UM, AGAIN, FOR GENERAL FUND IT'S $533,250.
UM, THE EXPENDITURES, 500,000 OF THAT WILL GO TO CIP FOR LAND ACQUISITION.
AND THEN 24,000 FOR THE TREE SURVEY.
AND THEN FOR THE DUMP TRUCK OR FOR, I KEEP CALLING IT DUMP TRUCK.
UM, THE INCREASE IN CIP IS THE 500,000 TRANSFER IN FROM GENERAL FUND FOR LAND ACQUISITION.
AND HERE THE TOTAL LEGEND AMENDMENT IS $1,033,250 AND WE ARE $12 SHY OF $104 MILLION, UM, IN TOTAL CONSOLIDATED BUDGET.
AND I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE.
PARDON MR. HAMILTON, MR. WOOD.
I LOOKED AT MY SWEET LITTLE WIFE AND I SAID, DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH OUR BUDGET IS NOW
[01:50:02]
AND I SAID, I WAS ELECTED IN 2016, I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT WAS, BUT IN 2018 IT WAS AROUND 20 MILLION.SO WE'VE GROWN ABOUT 500% IN THE BUDGET AND SHE SAYS, WELL, THEY CUT MY TAXES.
AND I SAID, HONEY, WE'VE DONE THAT THREE TIMES AND I'M SITTING ON COUNCIL WHAT HAD HAPPENED.
WE'VE GROWN TREMENDOUSLY IN THE LAST X AMOUNT OF YEARS AND, AND I'M, I'M GOOD WITH WHAT I READ.
SOMEBODY WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION.
UM, I MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE FIRST READING OF AN ORDINANCE AMENDING THE TOWN OF LEFT AND FISCAL YEAR 2025 BUDGET TO PROVIDE FOR THE EXPENDITURES OF CERTAIN FUNDS TO ALLOCATE SOURCES OF REVENUE FOR THE SAID FUNDS.
ANY DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
[XI. CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS ]
THE AGENDA ARE CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS, UH, TO ANYONE ON COUNCIL THAT WOULD LIKE TO REMOVE OR DISCUSS ANY ITEMS ON CONSENT? ANYBODY HONOR THERE A MOTION TO GO APPROVE? SO THANK FOR A SECOND, SECOND DISCUSSION.[XII. EXECUTIVE SESSION ]
OKAY.WE WILL BE GOING INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION RELATED TO THE PROPOSED CONVEYANCE OF DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS FOR THE PURPOSENESS OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN THE ABOVE LARGER PUD PURSUANT TO SOUTH CAROLINA FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT 30 DASH FOUR DASH 78 2.
[XIII. ACTION FROM EXECUTIVE SESSION ]
TO APPROVE A RESOLUTION OF SUPPORT FOR BEAUFORT MEMORIAL HOSPITALS 120 RESIDENTIAL DWELLING U UNIT, AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND MEDICAL FACILITY PROJECT AT 3 35 BUCK WALTER PARKWAY, AN ACQUISITION OF NECESSARY RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS.IS THERE A SECOND? I SECOND IT.
ANY CONVERSATION QUESTIONS? ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE.