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CLOSED CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY BUFORT COUNTY.
[1. Call to Order]
LIKE TO CALL THIS TOWN COUNCIL WORKSHOP MEETING OF MONDAY, JANUARY 27TH, UH, 2025 TO ORDER.[2. Adoption of the Agenda]
I HAVE A MOTION TO ADOPT THE AGENDA? SO MOVED.ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE SIGNIFY BY RAISING YOUR RIGHT HAND.
I HOPE THAT EVERYONE IS STILL, UH, IS WARM NOW AND OVER THE SNOW.
[3.a. Discussion of William Hilton Parkway Gateway Corridor Project]
FORWARD, SEAN, I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO YOU TO, TO GIVE US SOME INFORMATION, SEE WHAT YOU'VE LEARNED.I BELIEVE THE TOWN MANAGER WANTS TO MEET SOME.
COUNCIL, MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC, UM, I WAS ASKED A COUPLE TIMES LEADING UP TO THIS MEETING AND WHY ARE WE MEETING, WHAT ARE WE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH? AND SO I THINK IT'S JUST IMPORTANT THAT WE KIND OF REMIND OURSELVES WHY WE'RE HERE AND REALLY WHAT SEAN, AT LEAST FROM MY PERSPECTIVE WITH SEAN, WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO TEE UP TODAY.
WHEN WE LAST MET WITH YOU ON JANUARY 9TH, SEAN AND I WERE TO COORDINATE WITH BUFORT COUNTY AND SOUTH CAROLINA DOT ON SEVERAL PROJECT PARTICULARS, RIGHT AS A RESPONSE TO SECRETARY POWELL'S LETTER, AND A RESPONSE TO SENATOR DAVIS'S LETTER, AND A RESPONSE TO THE SIB LETTER TO BUFORT COUNTY BUFORT COUNTY'S LETTER.
SO WE WERE SUPPOSED TO GO COORDINATE WITH BUFORT COUNTY AND DOT.
AND AT THAT MEETING ON THE NINTH, I THINK THAT, UH, A WORKSHOP THAT WE HAD A STANDING COMMITTEE MEETING TIME FOR, SOUNDED LIKE A GREAT IDEA AT THE TIME.
SO, UM, TODAY, SEAN, AND I'LL PROVIDE AN UPDATE ON THAT PROGRESS.
UM, AND REALLY WHAT I THINK WE CAN DO TODAY DIFFERENT THAN WE DID LAST TIME, IS START OUTLINING THE NEXT STEPS, THE CRITICAL PATH, THE CRITICAL NEXT STEPS THAT Y'ALL NEED TO WEIGH IN ON AND DECIDE UPON BY THAT MARCH 31ST DEADLINE.
UM, AS YOU KNOW, DOT REQUESTED CLEAR DIRECTION FROM THE TOWN IN THE COUNTY TO MOVE THE PROJECT FORWARD.
WE RECEIVE LETTERS FROM THE DOT, THE SIB, THE COUNTY, AND SENATOR DAVIS.
AND I REALLY BELIEVE IT'S IMPORTANT THAT YOU COLLECTIVELY ADDRESS SEVERAL OF THOSE QUESTIONS, EVEN IF WE DON'T HAVE ALL THE ANSWERS TODAY, THAT WE START TALKING ABOUT SOME OF THOSE SOLUTIONS AND REALLY WHAT YOUR, WHAT YOUR WILL OF COUNSEL WILL LOOK LIKE BEFORE THAT DEADLINE TO SUPPORT OUR UPCOMING DISCUSSIONS WITH BUFORT COUNTY.
AND AS WE WERE GETTING READY FOR OUR MEETING TODAY, WE HEARD BACK FROM BUFORT COUNTY AND DOT THAT THE MEETING THAT WAS SCHEDULED AND THEN RESCHEDULED BECAUSE OF THE STORM IS RESCHEDULED FOR JANUARY 30TH.
SO, AS WE START GETTING READY FOR THAT MEETING, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE FOCUS ON A FEW THINGS.
AND, AND WE'VE DONE OUR BEST TO OUTLINE THESE IN THE STAFF REPORT, RIGHT? SO TOWN COUNCIL TO FOCUS ON AN ALIGNMENT WITH THE GUIDING PRINCIPLES.
AT SOME POINT IN THE PAST, IT WAS BACK IN 2020, EARLY, ALMOST, ALMOST FIVE YEARS AGO, UM, COUNCIL, A TOWN COUNCIL AT THE TIME ADOPTED GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR THE PROJECT WITH THE, WITH THE GOALS IN MIND TO SAY THAT THE TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENTS ENHANCED SAFETY, QUALITY OF LIFE RESILIENCY, WE HAVE TO ALSO CONFIRM BUDGET ITEMS, RIGHT? ARE THIS ALL SOURCES AND USES OF THE 298.53 MILLION, LET'S JUST SAY $300 MILLION PROJECT BUDGET, INCLUDING SIB FUNDS, DOT FUNDS, AND, AND THE 2018 TRANSPORTATION SALES AND USE TAX, TAX REFERENDUM FUNDS, THE ALLOCATIONS THAT, THAT, THOSE ARE ALL APPROPRIATE SOURCES AND USES OF, OF, OF PROJECT FUNDS.
I THINK WE ALSO NEED TO ASSURE THAT THE SEGMENT AND ELEMENTS OF THE PROJECT COLUMN, WHICH YOU WILL, THE BRIDGE, THE, THE, THE DIRECT OR THE, THE SEGMENT FROM MOSS CREEK TO THE BRIDGE, THE BRIDGE, THE SEGMENT FROM THE BRIDGE TO SQUIRE POPE, THE SEGMENT FROM SQUIRE POPE TO SPANISH WELLS.
THAT NOT JUST THAT, THOSE SEGMENT AND ELEMENTS OF THE PROJECT ARE WHAT YOU COLLECTIVELY INTEND, BUT THE COST ANALYSIS ARE SUFFICIENT TO ENSURE OUR FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY AND UNDERSTANDING AND THEN ALSO ALIGNING OUR PROJECT GOALS WITH THE FUNDING, RIGHT? SO WE STILL HAVE TO DO THAT.
WE HAVE TO HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS.
UM, WE'VE LAID OUT IN A STAFF REPORT, I THINK A, A, A GOOD BASELINE OUTLINE OF A STONY CORRIDOR MASTER PLAN.
AND I'LL ASK YOU AT SOME POINT, IF NOT TODAY, SOON, HOW SHOULD WE PROCEED WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE STONY CORRIDOR MASTER PLAN TO ENSURE IT COMPLIMENTS THE LARGER CORRIDOR PROJECT? AND THEN ONCE WE GET THROUGH THAT, WE KNOW, AND I WANTED TO MAKE REAL CLEAR, WE STILL HAVE TO THE TOWN AND THE COUNTY FURTHER EXPLORE, CALIBRATE WHATEVER WORDS YOU WANT TO USE, IDENTIFY ALL OF THOSE PROJECT ELEMENTS IN A REVISED MEMORANDUM OF A UNDERSTANDING, MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT WITH BUFORT COUNTY.
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I THINK THAT THERE NEEDS TO BE THOSE SAME AGREEMENTS THAT WE, THAT WE FOCUSED ON SEVERAL MONTHS AGO WITH BUFORT COUNTY, WITH DOT KNOWLEDGE OF THE SIB FUNDING, AND KNOWING THAT EVENTUALLY ALL OF THIS POTENTIALLY NEEDS FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION APPROVAL IS, IS STILL NEEDED.UM, WE HAVE THE MEETING WITH THE DOT.
SEAN WILL EXPLAIN, I DON'T WANNA STEAL ALL HIS THUNDER.
UM, HE'LL EXPLAIN KIND OF WHERE WE TRY TO GET TO AND, AND REALLY WHERE WE ARE AT THIS MEETING.
I THINK IF NOTHING ELSE TALK ABOUT THE PROJECT TODAY.
UM, YOU DID MENTION THAT THE MEETING WITH DOT AND, UM, UM, I WILL BE ATTENDING THAT MEETING ALONG WITH MR. DESMO AND MR. BROWN, UM, SO THAT WE CAN HAVE, YOU KNOW, A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING AS TO WHAT DOT IS TALKING ABOUT.
SO IT IS NOT A SECRET MEETING, IT IS A MEETING THAT'S GONNA BE HELD IN COLUMBIA ON THURSDAY.
UM, AND WE WILL BE IN ATTENDANCE.
THANK YOU, MARK, UH, TOWN COUNCIL.
IT'S MY PLEASURE TO BE BEFORE YOU AGAIN.
UH, TODAY, UM, AS MARK MENTIONED, WE HAD HOPED TO HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE INFORMATION.
UM, WE HAD ATTENDEES FROM BUFORT, UH, COUNTY COUNCIL HERE LAST, LAST TIME.
AND, UH, THEY HAD ANTICIPATED A JANUARY 21ST FIRST WORKSHOP, UM, AND A DOT MEETING, UH, LAST WEEK AS WELL.
AND WE HAVE JARED FRA, ASSISTANT ADMINISTRATOR.
I'M NOT SURE OF ANYBODY ELSE FROM BUFORT COUNTY.
UM, THEY HAVE A, THEIR, UH, COUNTY COUNCIL WORKSHOP HAS BEEN SCHEDULED FOR WEDNESDAY OF NEXT WEEK AT 3:00 PM NEXT WEEK OR THIS WEEK, I'M SORRY, WEDNESDAY OF THIS WEEK AT 3:00 PM UM, I SENT YOU ALL A LINK TO THE AGENDA, UM, AND ALSO THE VIDEO IF YOU WANNA WATCH THAT.
UM, AND THEN THE S-C-D-O-T BEAUFORT COUNTY HILTON HEAD MEETING, UH, AGAIN, IS ON, UH, FEB, OR, UH, IS THIS WEEK ON THE 30TH, ON THURSDAY, UM, AT 2:00 PM SO, UM, KIM, IF WE CAN KIND OF SCROLL THROUGH THIS.
I'M GONNA WALK THROUGH THE STAFF REPORT.
I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ALL CLEAR AND WE ALL UNDERSTAND THE, THE ELEMENTS THAT WE'VE OUTLINED HERE.
THESE ARE ITEMS THAT WERE ASKED FOR BY TOWN COUNCIL, UM, AT THE LAST WORKSHOP ON JANUARY 9TH.
AND, UM, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, UM, EVERYBODY IN THE ROOM WALKS AWAY WITH A SHARED UNDERSTANDING OF, OF WHAT THESE ITEMS ARE AND WHY THEY ARE, UM, INTEGRAL TO THE PROJECT.
SO ALIGN THE PROJECT WITH ADOPTED GUIDING PRINCIPLES.
AND KIM, IF YOU CAN GO DOWN TO THE SECOND PAGE.
SO, UM, TOWN COUNCIL THAT HAD APPOINTED A, UH, US 2 78 WOMEN PARKWAY COMMITTEE ADVISORY COMMITTEE, UM, THEY WORKED, UM, I THINK THEY HAD 27 DIFFERENT MEETINGS.
THEY WORKED WITH, UM, COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND STAKEHOLDERS.
UH, THEY WERE THE DESIGNATED GROUP TO WORK WITH S-C-D-O-T AND THE COUNTY, UH, TO PROVIDE INPUT FOR THE PROJECT AT THAT TIME.
UH, AND THEY RECOMMENDED GUIDING PRINCIPLES OF TOWN COUNCIL.
UH, TOWN COUNCIL ON FEBRUARY 18TH, 2020 ADOPTED THESE, UM, THESE GUIDING PRINCIPLES AS FOLLOWS, FIXED THE TRANSPORTATION ISSUES IN THE CORRIDOR IN A WAY THAT IMPROVES THE SAFETY AND QUALITY OF LIFE FOR ALL RESIDENTS, WORKERS AND VISITORS TO HILTON HEAD ISLAND.
AND THAT INCLUDED ADDRESSING TRANSPORTATION NEEDS FOR NATURAL, NATURAL DISASTERS AND RESILIENCY OF ISLAND ACCESS, AND ALSO TO CONSIDER FUTURE TRANSPORTATION ALTERNATIVES.
NEXT PRINCIPLE WAS IMPROVE THE SAFETY AND QUALITY OF LIFE FOR THE RESIDENTS OF THE NEIGHBORHOODS AND BUSINESSES DIRECTLY IMPACTED BY THE US 2 78 CORRIDOR.
AND THAT INCLUDED STONY AND NEIGHBORHOODS ON JENKINS AND HOG ISLAND, INCLUDING WHEN NOT LIMITED TO WILLOW HARBOR.
AND THEN THE THIRD WAS TO HAVE A GATEWAY TO AND FROM HILTON HEAD THAT THE REGION, UM, THAT THE REGION WOULD BE PROUD OF, A AESTHETICALLY PLEASING AND REFLECTING THE HILTON HAD LOW COUNTRY VALUES, SAFE AND FUNCTIONAL PATHWAYS FOR PEDESTRIANS AND CYCLISTS, AND MINIMIZES ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS AND ENHANCES THE WONDERFUL ASSET OF PINKNEY ISLAND.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS FROM TOWN COUNCIL ON THOSE GUIDING PRINCIPLES? BEFORE WE MOVE ON, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE YOU UNDERSTAND THE, SORT OF THE, THE FOUNDATION, UH, THAT WE'VE INCLUDED, UM, ON THIS EFFORT SINCE ADOPTION, UH, TO MAKE SURE THAT THESE, THAT THESE HAVE BEEN CARRIED THROUGH AS WE CONSIDER RUTH PROJECT.
THE NEXT THING I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE'S CLEAR UPON, UM, ARE THE SOURCES AND USES OF PROJECT FUNDS.
UM, AS MARK MENTIONED, THERE'S APPROXIMATELY $300 MILLION OF FUNDING, UM, THAT HAS BEEN ALLOCATED AND SECURED FOR THE PROJECT, INCLUDING 80 MILLION FROM THE 2018, UH, TRANSPORTATION, SALES AND USE, UH, REFERENDUM, 21 MILLION FROM THE BEAUFORT COUNTY, IMPACT FROM
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BEAUFORT COUNTY IMPACT FEES.UM, THERE'S 3.3 IN, UH, IN KIND DONATION OF TOWN OWNED LAND, UM, LOW COUNTRY AREA TRANSPORTATION STUDY LOTS, UM, $2 MILLION FROM THEIR GUIDE SHARE MONEY S-C-D-O-T BRIDGE FUNDS OF 72 AND A HALF MILLION.
AND THEN AGAIN, THE SOUTH CAROLINA, UH, STATE INFRASTRUCTURE BANK 120 MILLION.
SO THAT MAKES UP APPROXIMATELY 300 MILLION.
AS WE TALKED ABOUT IN THE MEETING LAST TIME, CONFIRMING THE AVAILABILITY, AVAILABILITY AND USES OF THOSE FUNDS WILL BE PART OF OUR DISCUSSION WHEN WE MEET IN COLUMBIA.
AND THEN ALSO, UH, WHEN WE HAVE DISCUSSION ON THE, THE COUNTY AS THEY, UH, WORK TO AMEND THEIR AGREEMENT WITH THE STATE INFRASTRUCTURE BANK.
UM, ONE POINT OF CLARITY WAS, UH, THE WORDING IN THE 2018 REFERENDUM.
SO WHAT CAN THE, THE FUNDS THAT THE, THAT THE VOTERS APPROVED IN 2018 BE USED FOR? SO I'VE INCLUDED THE SPECIFIC LANGUAGE FROM, FROM THE, UH, FROM THE BALLOT.
SO FOR THE 2018 TRANSPORTATION, SALES AND USE TAX REFERENDUM, THE PROCEEDS WILL BE USED FOR THE FOLLOWING PROJECTS AS DESCRIBED FOR, AND WHICH AN ESTIMATED CAPITAL COST IS STATED.
AND SO FOR THE, FOR THIS PROJECT, IT WAS IDENTIFIED AS HILTON HAD ISLAND US 2 78 CORRIDOR TRAFFIC IMPROVEMENTS, REPAIR AND OR REPLACE THE EXISTING SPANS OF THE BRIDGES TO HILTON HEAD ISLAND AND OTHER IMPROVEMENTS BETWEEN MOSS CREEK DRIVE AND SQUIRE POPE ROAD, $80 MILLION.
THAT'S THE SPECIFIC LANGUAGE THAT WAS APPROVED.
ANY QUESTIONS ON CURRENT FUNDING OR THE LANGUAGE OF THE 2018 REFERENDUM BEFORE WE MOVE ONTO THE NEXT ITEM? THAT'S MAYOR.
UH, I DO HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.
UM, ONE IS IN THE STAFF REPORT, I'M LOOKING AT THE FUNDS THAT ARE AVAILABLE, UM, BUT I'M ALSO COMPARING THAT WITH SENATOR DAVIS'S, UM, LETTER, UM, TO THE TOWN IN THE COUNTY OF JANUARY 9TH, 2025.
UM, AND ALSO LOOKING AT THE, UM, LAST ESTIMATE WE HAD FROM S-D-D-O-T FOR THE TOTAL PROJECT, WHICH INCLUDED SPANS GOING EASTBOUND AND WESTBOUND, AND ALSO IN PRETTY MUCH THROUGH THE CORRIDOR, UM, FROM WHERE THE BRIDGE LANDS NEAR WINDMILL HARBOR, ALL THE WAY TO SPANISH WELLS.
UM, AND, AND SO IF I LOOK AT ALL OF THAT TOGETHER, I SEE THAT THE LAST ESTIMATE FROM S-E-D-O-T FOR ALL OF THAT WAS 488 MILLION.
NOW, S-E-D-O-T IS TELLING US FOR JUST THE EASTBOUND SPAN, IT'S 257 MILLION, $700,000, SO
SO IF YOU SAY ALMOST 258 MILLION FOR JUST EASTBOUND, AND YOU'VE GOTTA DOUBLE THAT GOING WESTBOUND.
SO THAT'S OVER 550, 500 $15 MILLION.
AND SO WHERE WAS THE REST OF THE MONEY COMING FROM ANYWAY,
UM, YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY LOOKING AT THE STAFF REPORT, WHICH SAYS THAT THE 298.53 MILLION INCLUDES HILTON HEAD RIGHT OF WAY DONATION, WHICH WE'VE HALTED, THAT'S NOT HAPPENING RIGHT NOW, 3.3 MILLION, BUT IN SENATOR DAVIS'S LETTER, HE HAS SUBTRACTED THAT FROM THE TOTAL AND THEN ADDED BACK MORE IN FROM S-C-D-O-T.
SO MY FIRST QUESTION IS, IF IT'S NOW GONNA COST 258 MILLION JUST FOR EASTBOUND, THEN WHY WAS THAT ESTIMATE OF 488 MILLION SO FAR OFF? BECAUSE IF YOU GO EASTBOUND AND WESTBOUND AND JUST SIMPLE MATH WOULD BE MULTIPLYING IT BY 2 550, UH, SORRY, 515 MILLION, THEN WHERE WAS THE REST OF THE MONEY GONNA COME FROM FOR THE REST OF THE CARTER IMPROVEMENTS? IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE TO ME.
IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT REALLY OUR, OUR QUESTION, OUR MATH TO ANSWER, BUT WHEN WE'RE WITH DOT, IT'S DEFINITELY SOMETHING WE INTEND TO HAVE A DISCUSSION ON IT.
IT'S WHY, UH, SOME WEEKS AGO WE ASKED JARED FRA AND JARED FRA ASKED DOT FOR THAT COST BREAKDOWN, THAT OPINION OF PROBABLE COST ON THOSE PROJECT COMPONENTS.
UM, AND SO WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO RECEIVING THAT INFORMATION AND PERHAPS WE CAN HAVE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING AND DIALOGUE WITH YOU WHEN WE HAVE IT.
I THINK IT'D BE HELPFUL TO KNOW, BECAUSE THE FOCUS NOW IS ON ONLY EASTBOUND.
AND SO I THINK IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO KNOW WHAT DID THEY SAY THE COST WAS GONNA BE ALSO FOR WESTBOUND, AND THEN TO BREAK IT
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DOWN INTO THE REST OF THE QUARTER IMPROVEMENTS, WHICH THEY HAD PREVIOUSLY INCLUDED IN THE $488 MILLION ESTIMATE.SO WHAT ARE, WHAT ARE THOSE SPECIFIC IMPROVEMENTS? AND I UNDERSTAND THAT PREVIOUSLY, UM, REPRESENTATIVES OF THE TOWN HAVE ASKED FOR, UM, SEGMENTS OF THE PROJECT, AND I, I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR THE LIST OF THOSE SEGMENTS, UM, WHERE PROJECT COSTS HAVE BEEN ASKED FOR TO MAKE SURE THAT WHEN UPCOMING MEETING HAPPENS, WE'RE GETTING ALL THE LISTS THAT WE WANT TO HAVE AND ESTIMATE OF PROBABLE COST THE WAY, THE WAY WE'VE ASKED IT, AND WE'LL CONFIRM WHEN WE'RE IN PERSON EMAILS, STORMS, ALL THOSE THINGS IN BETWEEN OUR LAST MEETING AND TODAY.
BUT I NEED A COST BREAKDOWN ON BRIDGE.
THIS APPARENTLY IS A THREE LANE BRIDGE WITH BREAKDOWN LANES AS PROPOSED.
I WOULDN'T SAY THAT'S SENATOR DAVIS'S PROPOSAL.
I THINK THAT'S THE PROPOSAL OF DOT ON THE PROJECT.
SO THE BRIDGE, THE MOSS CREEK SECTION, LET'S NOT FORGET ABOUT THE SIGNALS THAT MOSS CREEK INTERSECTION TWO, THE BRIDGE, THE BRIDGE, THE WINDMILL HARBOR SECTION, AND THEN FROM WINDMILL HARBOR TO AND THROUGH STONY TO SQUIRE POPE.
AND THE REFERENDUM MONEY, YOU KNOW, IS, THAT'S WHY I THINK THAT WE, WE DEBATE A LOT WHAT THE PROJECT ENTAILS.
THE REFERENDUM STOP, ITS SQUIRE POPE, BUT I THINK THIS PROJECT ITSELF STOPS THROUGH SPANISH WELLS.
AND SO WE ALSO HAVE HERE FROM SQUIRE POPE ROAD THROUGH, INTO SPANISH WELLS INTO THE CROSS ISLAND PARKWAY.
SO WHEN WE GET TOGETHER WITH EVERYBODY, WE'RE JUST GONNA ROLL UP OUR SLEEVES, ROLL OUT THE PIECE OF PAPER, IF, IF THOSE ARE THE FOLKS THAT ARE COMING.
I KNOW THAT WE'LL HAVE A GOOD DISCUSSION WITH SENATOR DAVIS IN THE ROOM AS WELL AND INCLUDES THE IMPROVEMENTS TO THE CAUSEWAYS, WHICH AS OF, GOSH, JUNE OF THIS YEAR WERE NOT INCLUDED IN THE ESTIMATES OF COST BY S-E-D-O-T AT FOUR 88 MILLION.
SO WE HAD INCLUDED IN, IN OUR, UM, ACTIONS IN JUNE OF THIS YEAR, UH, WHAT TO DO ABOUT THE CAUSEWAYS BECAUSE GOING EASTBOUND AND WESTBOUND, THERE WOULD BE FOUR CAUSEWAYS, WHICH AS I UNDERSTOOD AT THE TIME, BASED ON QUESTIONING THAT WERE NOT INCLUDED IN THOSE CALLS.
SO WE NEED TO MAKE SURE IF IT'S ONLY EASTBOUND
SO WE NEED TO HAVE CAUSEWAY COST AS WELL.
ANYTHING ELSE, MS. PRESTON? UM, JUST LOOKING TO SEE IF, I THINK WE NEED CLARIFICATION BASED ON WHAT AMOUNT REMAINS FOR BEING ABLE TO USE FROM THE WINDMILL HARBOR AREA TO SPANISH WELLS.
WE HAVE AN ESTIMATED COST IN SENATOR DAVIS'S LETTER OF A LITTLE OVER 40 MILLION, UM, 40.82 MILLION, AND I THINK WE NEED CONFIRMATION OF WHAT AMOUNT OF MONEY FROM THE AVAILABLE FUNDS IS ACTUALLY AVAILABLE.
OKAY, MS. BECKER? UM, THANK YOU, PATSY.
THOSE WERE REALLY GOOD QUESTIONS, AND I JUST WANTED TO FOLLOW UP ON A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT YOU MENTIONED, UM, AND ASK WHETHER OR NOT IT'S APPROPRIATE.
I KNOW THAT WE HAVE, UM, JARED HERE AND WE HAVE, UM, TAB HERE FROM THE COUNTY AND WE'RE THRILLED THAT THEY'RE JOINING US.
BUT, UM, IS, IS THERE AN EXPECTATION THAT A Y'S MEETING ON WEDNESDAY THAT YOU'LL HAVE THAT BREAKDOWN OF THE PROJECT COSTS? YOU KNOW, NO, WE ANTICIPATE THAT AT THURSDAY'S MEETING IS, IS WHEN WE, OKAY.
SO IN, IN LIGHT OF THAT, I THINK WHAT BECOMES REALLY IMPORTANT, BECAUSE IT WAS ACTUALLY ASKED AT THE LAST MEETING, IS THAT THE SEGMENT COSTS BE REFLECTIVE OF WHAT IT IS THAT WE EACH AS COUNCIL MEMBERS WANT TO SEE.
AND, UM, AND YOU TOOK A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE YOURS, BUT I WOULD RESPECTFULLY REQUEST, MAYOR, THAT YOU ASK EACH OF US TO SEND YOU SOMETHING SINCE ONLY THREE OF YOU ARE ATTENDING, AND I WANT THE VOICE OF SEVEN OF US TO BE HEARD IN THAT MEETING.
SO PRIOR TO YOUR MEETING, WOULD YOU REQUEST FROM US, PLEASE? YEP.
TO SEND YOU THAT INFORMATION SO YOU CAN REPRESENT ALL OF OUR VOICES.
ANYTHING ELSE? UM, WELL, YEAH, BUT THAT'S IT FOR NOW.
UH, AT THE LAST MEETING I BROUGHT UP THE ISSUE ASSOCIATED WITH REIMBURSING THE PSDS, UH, IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE UNDERGROUND PIPE THAT DELIVERS DRINKING WATER TO THE NORTHERN SIDE OF THE ISLAND.
UM, IT'S ABOUT 25% OF, UH, OUR DRINKING WATER.
IT IS INCLUDED AS A COST OF THE PROJECT, AND IT'S ONE OF THOSE
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FIXED COSTS.I UNDERSTAND THAT IT'S GONNA COST ABOUT $20 MILLION TO MOVE IT.
AND, UM, SEVEN FIGURES TO DESIGN.
UM, SO WE KNOW IT'S IN THE PROJECT, THE PSDS ARE WANTING TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE GOING TO BE REIMBURSED FOR THAT BECAUSE THE CURRENT REIMBURSEMENT PROCESS IS 4% OF THE TOTAL COST.
WHEN THE PROJECT IS LARGER AT $488 MILLION, THAT 4% HELPS TO COVER THE COST OF THE MOVEMENT OF THAT PIPE.
AND IF WE HAVE A SMALLER SCOPE, THERE MIGHT BE A GAP.
SO WE JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THAT GAP IS COVERED.
AND THAT'S AN EXAMPLE OF SOMETHING WHERE YOU CAN'T EXACTLY TAKE SOMETHING AND DOUBLE IT BECAUSE THERE ARE FIXED COSTS AND IT'S GONNA COST $20 MILLION TO MOVE THAT PIPE, WHETHER YOU'RE BUILDING, YOU KNOW, ONE SEGMENT OF BRIDGES OR TWO SEGMENT OF BRIDGES.
OTHER QUESTIONS? AND I, I JUST WANNA ADDRESS THAT THAT IS A QUESTION FOR DOT ON BEAUFORD COUNTY, NOT FOR SEAN AND I, SO WE'RE GONNA KEEP ASKING THAT QUESTION JUST FOR CLARITY.
DID I WANNA MAKE SURE YOU WENT DOWN THE LINE? I WANTED TO CIRCLE BACK WITH ONE QUESTION ABOUT THE, UM, DATE OF THE MEETING WITH S-E-D-O-T.
I HEARD THURSDAY, AND THEN I HEARD JANUARY 30TH.
UM, SO WHICH, WHICH DATE? DAY AND DATE? IS IT? THURSDAY IS JANUARY 30TH? IT IS THURSDAY THE 30TH, THURSDAY, JANUARY 30TH.
AND THE COUNTY COUNCIL WORKSHOP IS ON WHAT DAY? WEDNESDAY THE 29TH.
FOR CLARITY, THE COUNTY'S MEETING'S WEDNESDAY THE 29TH, WHAT TIME? TIME? THREE O'CLOCK.
AND THEN OUR MEETING WITH DOT IS THURSDAY THE 30TH IN COLUMBIA.
SO IF WE'VE COVERED THE SOURCES AND USES OF FUNDS, UH, THANK YOU FOR THE FEEDBACK AND, UM, WE'LL CONTINUE TO ASK THOSE QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAVE OF OUR PROJECT PARTNERS.
UM, AND BEFORE SEAN MOVES ON, I'M GONNA JUMP IN A LITTLE BIT MORE BECAUSE I'VE BEEN ASKED SEVERAL TIMES MAKE SURE MARK AND COMPANY THAT WE ARE GOING TO VALIDATE, AND I THINK THIS IS AS MUCH FOR THE COUNTY AS IT IS FOR US, THAT IF THERE ARE $80 MILLION OF REFERENDUM MONEY, THAT THOSE REFERENDUM DOLLARS ARE LEGALLY APPLIED TO THE PROJECT.
I, I JUST WANT TO SAY, OF COURSE WE WILL.
AND IF I, I ALSO SAY I HAVE HIGH TRUST AND EXPECTATION THAT THOSE PROJECT DOLLARS FROM THE REFERENDUM MONEY WILL BE USED APPROPRIATELY, BUT BEFORE WE FINAL AGREE ON ANY OF THIS, THOSE WILL BE VALIDATED AND SIGNED OFF ON MR. ORLANDO.
JUST TO ADD THAT, NOT JUST THE REFERENDUM DOLLARS, BUT THE SIB AGREEMENT, THE TOWN HAS A SIGNATURE ON THAT AS WELL.
YEAH, I THINK WE WANNA KNOW ALL OF THE FUNDING SOURCES AND WHERE THEY CAN BE APPLIED.
EVEN THE REFERENDUM FUNDS, SAY MOSS CREEK TO SQUARE POPE ROAD, WE KNOW THE PROJECT EXTENDS THROUGH THE SPANISH WELLS INTERSECTION OF THE CROSS ISLAND.
SO THERE NEEDS TO BE SOME COORDINATED EFFORT ON, ON THE SPECIFIC FUNDING AND THE GEOGRAPHY WHERE THAT CAN BE SPENT.
WE'LL WORK WITH OUR PARTNERS ON THAT.
SO IN ESSENCE, IF OUR DOLLARS HAVE TO STOP AT SQUIRE POPE ROAD, THEN WHAT PROJECT DOLLARS ARE GOING THROUGH SQUIRE POPE ROAD TO SPANISH WELLS, AND EVEN FURTHER, IF THOSE DOLLARS EXIST.
AND, AND MAYOR, MY MY RECOLLECTION OF THE SIB AGREEMENT IS IT IS FROM MOSS CREEK TO SPANISH WELLS, SO IT GOES EVEN FARTHER THAN SCAR POP IN THE, I'M SORRY, IN THE SUB AGREEMENT, AS I RECALL, GOES FROM MOSS CREEK TO SPANISH WELLS.
THE 2018 REFERENDUM GOES FROM MOSS CREEK TO SCAR POPP LAST TIME, JUST TO SEE IF THERE ARE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS.
UM, THE, THE NEXT ITEM I'LL COVER PRETTY QUICKLY, BECAUSE I THINK WE JUST TALKED ABOUT IT.
UH, WE FULLY INTEND TO GET THE OPINION OF ENGINEERS PROBABLE CAUSE FOR THE SEGMENTS AND THE ELEMENTS THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT AND COUNCILS ASKED ABOUT SO THAT WE UNDERSTAND IF YOU BREAK THE PROJECT APART, WHICH IS IN ESSENCE WHAT WE'RE TRYING, WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING TO DO HERE, AND REBUILD IT TO BE, TO MEET THE, UH, OUR EXPECTATIONS AND FIT WITHIN THAT $300 MILLION BUDGET, IF THAT'S THE GOAL, HOW WE DO THAT AND MEET THE GUIDING PRINCIPLES AND, UM, AND DEVELOP THE BEST PROJECT THAT WE CAN WITH THAT BUDGET.
ANY QUESTIONS ON THAT? I THINK WE COVERED THAT PRETTY WELL.
SO IF WE THINK WE'RE GOING TO BE GETTING THAT INFORMATION AT THURSDAY'S MEETING, HAVE WE THOUGHT ABOUT WHEN WE'RE GONNA GET BACK TOGETHER AGAIN AS A GROUP TO GO THROUGH THAT?
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I'M, I'M GONNA ACTUALLY, RIGHT, I'M GONNA WAIT FOR THAT INFORMATION TO BE IN MY HAND BEFORE I SUGGEST ANOTHER MEETING DATE AND TIME.IS ANY OF THAT INFORMATION AVAILABLE THROUGH A, JUST A MEMO UPDATE AFTER THESE MEETINGS? UM, AND, AND I JUST WANTED TO GO BACK AND AT THE FIRST MEETING THERE WAS A LOT OF THINGS DISCUSSED, BUT ONE OF THEM WAS A SPECIFIC REQUEST BY ME THAT I BE INCLUDED IN ANY FUTURE MEETINGS.
AND THAT DOESN'T SEEM TO HAVE BEEN A CONSIDERATION.
I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT IT'S NOTED THAT I AM STILL EXPECTING TO BE INCLUDED.
SO RATHER THAN WAITING FOR A JOINT MEETING LIKE THIS, UM, IS THERE A MEMO THAT CAN BE SENT OUT? IS THERE INFORMATION? CAN THE COMMITTEE ACTUALLY BE SHARED? YES.
IF, IF I COULD, AS, AS I ALWAYS WOULD, IF I MET WITH DOT, ESPECIALLY IN SOMETHING THIS, THIS SIGNIFICANT, I I, WE WILL DEFINITELY PUT A, A SUMMARY TOGETHER.
UM, THE, THE NEXT ITEM IN OUR, UH, SEQUENCE HERE IS THE STONY CORRIDOR MASTER PLAN.
SO AS WE TALK ABOUT BRIDGE SEGMENTS AND ELEMENTS, RIGHT, THE COUNTY, THE TOWN AND DOT MUST CONCUR WITH THE BRIDGE CORRIDOR LANE AND INTERSECTION DESIGNS.
UM, WE PLAN TO ASSESS ALL IDEAS, UM, AND W WITH THAT ENGINEER'S OPINION OF PROBABLE CAUSE, IDENTIFY WHAT WILL COMPRISE THE PROJECT, BUT WE'LL ASSESS THAT WITH A, WITH A TOWN, THE COUNTY, DOT, AND HAVE THAT DISCUSSION WHEN WE MEET WITH DOT THIS WEEK.
SO SINCE WE'RE HERE, I COULD BE, YOU KNOW, THE, THE PERSON IN THE ROOM SIMPLY ASKING WHAT YOU, I WOULD SAY INDIVIDUALLY, I'M STARTING TO UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU ALL ARE HOPING FOR AND EXPECTING, BUT WHAT DO YOU WANT COLLECTIVELY, RIGHT? SO I HAVE ON, ON MY TABLE HERE, KEY ELEMENTS OF BYPASS PLANS, RIGHT? THEY, THEY COULD, THEY MAKE SENSE, I ESSENTIALLY TO KEEP TRAFFIC FLOWING, TO ELIMINATE SIGNALS TO CHANGE THIS PROJECT.
UM, I THINK THAT THE NEXT TOPIC, AND SORRY FOR PULLING YOU BACK, SEAN A. LITTLE BIT.
THE STONY AREA MASTER PLAN IS GOING TO REALLY HELP PAINT THE OVERALL ILLUSTRATIVE MASTER PLAN AND THOSE PROJECT EXPECTATIONS OVER TIME.
I DON'T THINK THEY'RE ALL GOING TO BE REALIZED BY THE 31ST, BUT MAYOR PERRY, I, I REALLY NEED TO KNOW WHERE YOUR INDIVIDUAL REQUESTS ARE.
LET, LET ALONE COLLECTIVELY, WHEN I'M SITTING AGAIN, YET AGAIN IN FRONT OF DOT, WHO IS GOING TO SAY, YAY, NAY, GO, NO, GO ON SOME OF THIS WORK.
AND I THINK THAT I'VE HEARD SO FAR A LOT OF GREAT IDEAS.
I'VE BEEN WORKING ON THIS PROJECT ONLY FOR FOUR YEARS.
I KNOW SOME OF YOU HAVE BEEN WORKING ON IT A LOT LONGER THAN ME.
UM, AND I THINK A LOT OF THEM ARE GREAT IDEAS, BUT A LOT OF THEM HAVE NOT, A, BEEN ACCEPTED BY THE COUNTY AND OR B OVERALL COLLECT COLLECTIVELY ACCEPTED BY DOT THE SOONER I KNOW WHERE YOU ARE RIGHT NOW WITH $300 MILLION.
I GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE PATHWAY ON THE SIDE OF THE BRIDGE, OR NOT A WINDMILL HARBOR SIGNAL, OR NOT TWO LANES TO OUR ISLAND, OR NOT A SIGNAL AT SQUIRE POPE ROSE DURING AN ELEVATED INTERSECTION OR NOT.
LIKE AT WHAT POINT, MAYOR AND COUNCIL, DO YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT WHAT YOUR FLAVORS ARE THAT YOU'RE ASKING ME TO GO ASK FOR? I I WOULD DARE SAY THAT IF WE CAN DO A RUNDOWN THE TABLE NOW TO GET THAT INFORMATION BECAUSE IT IS PIVOTAL TO THE CONVERSATION WE'LL HAVE ON THURSDAY.
SO, UM, I'LL START TO MY RIGHT.
WELL, I, I THINK IT'S PARAMOUNT THAT WE ELIMINATE THE LIGHTS.
UH, BUILDING A BRIDGE TO NOWHERE IS, IS IS WHAT'LL HAPPEN IF WE KEEP THE LIGHTS IN? WE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO GET RID OF THE LIGHTS, AND I THINK WE SHOULD, UM, MY OFFICIAL FIRST LOOK AT IT IS A GRADE SEPARATION AT SQUARE POPE.
UM, I THINK WE CAN ACHIEVE THAT, PUT A FRONTAGE ROAD IN AND A CONNECTOR ROAD TO SPANISH WELLS, ELIMINATE SPANISH WELLS LIGHT AT THE SAME TIME.
AND SINCE WE'RE TRYING TO SAVE MONEY AT WINDMILL HARBOR, WE COULD PROBABLY TAKE CARE OF THAT BY ACCESSING THE ORIGINAL ROAD THAT'S UNDERNEATH GOING TO THAT COMMUNITY, GOING DOWN, BUILDING A A OFF, AN OFF, UH, DECELERATION LANE AND AN ACCELERATION LANE TO LEAVE THE ISLAND.
THAT WAY YOU'RE NOT GONNA HAVE TO BUILD A RAMP ONTO THE BRIDGE, AND YOU CAN SAVE THAT FOR WHEN THEY TAKE CARE OF THE WESTBOUND BRIDGE, AND THAT WAY YOU'LL ONLY HAVE THE WINDMILL HARBOR LIGHT.
[00:30:01]
HAPPEN IN THIS, BECAUSE WE'RE, ONE OF THE THINGS WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO ACHIEVE, AND IT WAS REALLY IMPORTANT, UH, WHEN ALEX WAS TALKING ABOUT IT BEFORE I WAS ELECTED, WAS A CROSSWALK.AND FOR, FOR, UH, FOR SAFETY FOR ONE THING, WHEN YOU GET RID OF THE LIGHTS, YOU INCREASE THE SAFETY TREMENDOUSLY.
NO MORE, UH, INTERSECTION, INTERSECTION ACCIDENTS.
BUT WHAT HAPPENS WITH THE CROSSWALK IS IF YOU DO A GRADE SEPARATION, YOU HAVE A NATURAL CROSSWALK, IT'S ALREADY THERE.
IT GOES UNDERNEATH THE GRADE SEPARATION.
SO IT'LL BE A BIKE PATH CROSSWALK PROBABLY SAVE US $3 MILLION FOR A, FOR A CROSSWALK, BECAUSE WE'RE NOT GONNA BE PUTTING IN A, A GALVANIZED METAL CROSSWALK ONTO HILTON HEAD.
IT'LL BE A NICE THING, AND PROBABLY MORE LIKE SOMETHING YOU WOULD SEE OUT IN, UM, SUN CITY THAT CROSSES THE ROAD.
SO WE'D HAVE A NATURAL CROSSWALK, SAVE SOME BUCKS THERE, AND, UM, AND ELIMINATE ALL THREE LIGHTS.
OKAY, MR. WELL, FIRST I WANNA RECOGNIZE THAT THIS IS NOT A PROJECT OF WHICH THE TOWN IS IN CHARGE.
THE COUNTY IS IN CHARGE OF STATE, DOT WILL BE OPERATING AT THE STATE INFRASTRUCTURE BANK WILL BE FINANCING AT THE FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION WILL DECIDE HOW MANY LANES THERE ARE.
LAST JUNE, THIS COUNCIL AGREED TO GO FORWARD WITH A PARTICULAR PLAN, UH, THAT INCLUDED THREE TRA TRAFFIC LANES IN EACH DIRECTION, PLUS BREAKDOWN LANES, BIKE PATHWAY, AND SO FORTH.
SO WHAT WE KNOW FOR OPENERS IS IT'S VERY LIKELY THAT THE OTHER GOVERNMENTAL ENERGIES THAT ARE INVOLVED WITH THIS PROJECT, UH, ARE REASONABLY AMENABLE TO THAT APPROACH.
AS THE TOWN MANAGER INDICATED, MANY OF THESE THINGS HAVE TO BE CHECKED OUT AGAIN AS TO CURRENT, UH, BELIEFS AND APPROACHES TO WHAT'S WHAT WILL WORK.
BUT WE, WE CAN'T OURSELVES AS THE TOWN DETERMINE WHAT HAPPENS HERE.
WE CAN MAKE SUGGESTIONS, WE CAN URGE THINGS, BUT THERE ARE SEVERAL OTHER GOVERNMENTAL ENERGIES THAT HAVE TO APPROVE IT.
LAST JUNE, THERE WAS AN INDICATION OF WHAT THEY MIGHT APPROVE AS A RESULT OF THE LOSS OF FUNDING.
AND AS WE UH, STATED THAT THE WORKSHOP ON JANUARY 9TH, THERE ISN'T ANY REAL SENTIMENT FOR SEEKING ADDITIONAL FUNDS TO BUILD THE PROJECT AS ORIGINALLY INTENDED.
SO IF WE TAKE A BIG, LARGE GROUP OF FUNDS OUT OF THERE, WHAT CAN WE DO? MY FEELING BASICALLY IS WE OUGHT TO BUILD THE EASTBOUND BRIDGES THE WAY WE IN INDICATED IN JUNE THAT WE WOULD.
AND THAT INVOLVES THREE TRAFFIC LANES, BREAKDOWN LANES, AND IMPORTANTLY, IT INVOLVES A BIKE P PATHWAY.
UH, I THINK THE, THE, UH, PATHWAY PART, WHICH IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S BEEN BOUNCED AROUND A LITTLE BIT MORE SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THIS YEAR, THAT BY PEDESTRIAN PATHWAY IS REALLY IMPORTANT FOR A VARIETY OF REASONS.
UM, WE HAVE A LARGE NUMBER OF RECREATIONAL RIDERS.
WE HAVE JOGGERS, WE HAVE WALKERS, BOTH ISLAND, BOTH ON THE ISLAND AND ON THE MAINLAND.
WE'VE GOT PEDAL, HHI BIKE EVENTS, WHICH DRAW HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS OF PARTICIPANTS HERE.
UM, FOR THOSE WHO QUESTION HOW IMPORTANT, UH, THE BIKE PED PATHWAYS ARE TO THIS OVERALL COMMUNITY, I MIGHT NOTE THAT IN MY NECK OF THE WOODS IN SEA PINES, A POLE WAS TAKEN A FEW MONTHS AGO OF WHAT ARE THE IMPORTANT THINGS TO THE PEOPLE WHO RESIDE AND ON PROPERTY IN SEA PINES.
WELL, BEACH CAME OUT AS ONE WOULD EXPECT, BUT AT OR HIGHER THAN BEACHES WERE THE PATHWAYS.
THEY ARE VERY IMPORTANT, UH, CERTAINLY IN SEA PINES.
AND FROM MY UNDERSTANDING OF CHAMBER OF COMMERCE SURVEYS, THEY ARE VERY SIMILARLY REGARDED, UH, ON THE REST OF THE ISLAND.
THAT'S PART OF THE REASON PEOPLE ENJOY LIVING HERE.
IT'S PART OF THE REASON PEOPLE ENJOY COMING HERE.
UH, WE'RE SEEING A LOT MORE ON THE WAY OF THE GROWTH OF, OF E-BIKES.
WHAT THAT MEANS TO SOME EXTENT IS THAT WE MAY WELL SEE COMMUTERS, PEOPLE WHO WORK ON OR OFF THE ISLAND USING E-BIKES TO GET ACROSS.
BUT MOST SIGNIFICANT TO ME IS THAT IF WE DON'T DEAL WITH THE PATHWAYS NOW AS PART OF THIS PROJECT, WE'VE GOT DECADES BEFORE WE CAN TAKE IT UP AGAIN, DECADES.
IT WILL NOT HAPPEN IN THE LIVES OF MANY OF US, IF EVER.
SO NOW IS THE TIME WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH IT TO THE EXTENT THAT IT MAY TAKE AWAY FROM FUNDS
[00:35:01]
THAT POTENTIALLY, THEORETICALLY MAY BE AVAILABLE, UH, FOR THE ON ISLAND PORTIONS OF THIS PROJECT.THEY ARE IMPORTANT, THEY NEED TO BE DONE, BUT WE HAVE MORE FLEXIBILITY, WE HAVE MORE DISCRETION IN TERMS OF WHEN AND HOW WE FINANCE THE ON ISLAND PORTIONS OF THIS.
WE DO NOT HAVE DISCRETION IN TERMS OF ANY PATHWAYS.
IF THEY'RE NOT INCLUDED NOW THEY'RE GONE AND THEY'RE DEAD.
SO, UH, I URGE INCLUSION OF THAT PART AND OVERALL PREFER THAT WE HAVE AN EASTBOUND SECTION THAT WAS THE SAME AS WE APPROVED IN JUNE.
WHAT ABOUT ON ISLAND? YOU NEVER SAID ANYTHING ABOUT ON ISLAND.
STEVE, YOU NEVER MENTIONED YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT ON ISLAND.
WHAT ABOUT ON ISLAND? THAT'S WHAT WE'RE HERE TO DISCUSS.
YOU SPENT TIME, SO IT, HE'S GOT HIS RIGHT TO SPEAK AND SAY AS TO WHICH HE WISHES.
UM, I THINK THERE REALLY NEEDS TO BE AN UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THE RULES OF THE GAME ARE AS WE ALIGN ON THE BRIDGE DESIGN AND ANY MASTER PLAN OF WHAT HAPPENS ON THE ISLAND.
AND IT'S UNFORTUNATE THAT THE MEETINGS THAT WERE PLANNED WERE CANCELED BECAUSE THE TIMING WAS PERFECT TO GET A BETTER IDEA OF WHAT THOSE RULES ARE IN ENGAGEMENT.
UM, AT WORK WE USED TO CALL IT A ROCK HUNT.
SO SOMEONE WOULD SAY, BRING ME A ROCK, AND YOU BRING 'EM A ROCK AND THEY'D SAY THAT ROCK'S TOO BIG.
COME BACK WITH A SMALLER ROCK.
AND THEN YOU COME BACK WITH A SMALLER ROCK AND THEN SOMEONE WOULD SAY, OH, I DON'T LIKE THE COLOR OF THAT ROCK.
MAKE IT A DIFFERENT COLOR, AND SO FORTH.
AND SO WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE USE OUR TIME WISELY, AND THAT'S WHY I THINK WE REALLY NEED TO UNDERSTAND, UH, WHAT THE RULES OF THE GAME ARE.
SO WHAT ARE THOSE NON-NEGOTIABLES ON THE DESIGN OF THE BRIDGE AND THE MASTER PLAN AS SENATOR TOM DAVIS CALLED IT FOR OUR ISLAND.
SO SOME OF THAT IS WHAT, UM, STEVE, UH, TALKED ABOUT IN REGARDS TO OUR, CAN IT BE TWO LANES? CAN IT BE THREE LANES? UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS GOING TO BE, UM, NON-NEGOTIABLE FROM THE DOT AND OTHERS AND WHAT CAN BE CONSIDERED IN THAT MASTER PLAN ON THE ISLAND? IS IT ONLY I, UH, IDEAS THAT WERE ALREADY CONTEMPLATED? OR CAN WE TALK ABOUT SOME OF THESE NEW CONCEPTS THAT WERE DISCUSSED AS WELL? UM, AND IF SO, HOW DO THEY FIT INTO THE REMAINING MONEY? SO THERE ARE A LOT OF QUESTIONS TO BE ASKED, AND I UNDERSTAND THIS IS AN EVER EVOLVING PROCESS, AND I'M JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE GUARDRAILS ARE IN REGARDS TO ALL THE IDEAS THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
UM, I THINK IT'S CRITICAL THAT WE BUILD A PLAN TO SPEND EVERY DOLLAR, UM, YOU KNOW, MONEY IS GONNA BE TIGHT IN THE FUTURE.
WE ARE FORTUNATE THAT WE HAVE APPROXIMATELY $300 MILLION THAT WE HAVE ACCESS TO NOW, BECAUSE IN THE FUTURE, I BELIEVE MONEY'S GONNA BE EVEN TIGHTER WITH ALL THE PRESSING INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS WITHIN THE STATE.
AND AS WE SEE, AS TIME GOES BY, AS WE TAKE A LOOK AT, UM, YOU KNOW, ADDITIONAL NEEDS ON THE ISLAND, THE COSTS ARE ONLY GONNA INCREASE.
SO WE NEED TO HAVE A GOOD PLAN THAT'S GONNA BE APPROVED THAT INCLUDES ALL OF THE MONEY THAT IS AVAILABLE.
SO WHAT AM I LOOKING FOR? WELL, FIRST OF ALL, I'M PRETTY PLEASED THAT THE DESIGN THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ABOUT RIGHT NOW IS TWO SETS OF BRIDGES.
THAT'S EVEN WHAT THE TOWN COUNCIL WANTED, BUT WAS TOLD NO BY THE, UH, BEAUFORT COUNTY COUNCIL.
SO I LIKE THE IDEA THAT THERE'S TWO SETS OF BRIDGES.
I BELIEVE WE HAVE TO REPLACE BOTH OF THE EASTBOUND BRIDGES, UM, NOT JUST THE ONE THAT'S DEFICIENT, BUT BOTH OF THEM.
I THINK THAT IS THE MOST EFFICIENT USE OF TIME AND MONEY BECAUSE IF YOU THINK ABOUT 20 YEARS FROM NOW, YOU DON'T WANNA HAVE TO REPLACE ANOTHER EASTBOUND SPAN AND POTENTIALLY THE WESTBOUND SPANS THAT WOULD CREATE MORE DISRUPTION.
UM, THE BRIDGE MUST INCLUDE THE FULL BREAKDOWN LANE AND THE SHOULDER.
AND THE QUESTION IN MY MIND IS WHETHER IT CAN BE ALLOWED TO HAVE TWO LANES WITH THAT DESIGN OR THREE LANES STRIPED TO TWO WITH FUTURE CONSIDERATIONS.
THAT'S A QUESTION IN MY MIND OF WHAT WILL BE ALLOWED.
I BELIEVE WE NEED A BETTER CONNECTION TO THE CROSS ISLAND BRIDGE.
MORE PEOPLE ARE USING THIS BRIDGE TO GET TO THE SOUTHERN PART OF THE ISLANDS SINCE THE TOLL WAS REMOVED.
UH, YOU MIGHT ARGUE ABOUT WHAT THE PERCENTAGE OF TRAFFIC IS.
SOME PEOPLE SAY 50% SAY PEOPLE SAY 40%, BUT WHATEVER IT IS, IT'S A LARGE PERCENTAGE OF TRAFFIC AND I THINK IT'S GONNA CONTINUE TO GROW.
SO IT MAKES ALL, IT MAKES A LOT OF SENSE TO OFFER A STREAMLINED APPROACH TO GET THERE AND ISOLATE THE TRAFFIC FROM THE LARGE VOLUME OF TRAFFIC THAT NEEDS TO GET TO THE NORTH SIDE OF THE ISLAND TO GET TO WORK.
NOW THERE ARE A LOT OF PROPOSALS AND I DON'T KNOW WHICH ONE
[00:40:01]
IS THE BEST PROPOSAL OR IF THERE'S SOMETHING ELSE, BUT I THINK THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO LOOK AT IN REGARD TO THE ROADWAY AND THE INTERSECTION DESIGNS.I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT IT ISN'T SOMETHING THAT DESTROYS WHAT MAKE THIS, WHAT MAKES THIS ISLAND LOOK SPECIAL AND BEAUTIFUL.
UM, WE HAVE LIVED NEAR A TOWN IN ILLINOIS CALLED BUFFALO GROVE, AND MY SON LIVES THERE AND IT'S A TOWN OF 42,000 AND IT HAS HAD A FLAT POPULATION FOR THE LAST 20 YEARS.
THEY HAVE FINISHED A PROJECT TO INCREASE THE SIZE OF THEIR MAJOR ARTERIAL ROADS, EAST, WEST, NORTH, SOUTH, FROM TWO LANES TO THREE LANES, AND THEN ALL THE RESULTING IN MAJOR INTERSECTIONS THAT ARE THERE.
AND WHEN MY HUSBAND AND I WENT BACK TO CHICAGO TO VISIT OUR SON, AND WE SAW THAT WE HAD A NEW LENS THAT WE WERE LOOKING AT BECAUSE AS WE DROVE THROUGH, WE SAID, THIS IS WHAT IT'S GONNA LOOK LIKE AT SQUIRE POPE, AND THIS IS WHAT, YOU KNOW, AT THAT POINT, EVEN WITH THE BRIDGE, THIS IS WHAT THE BRIDGE IS GOING TO LOOK LIKE.
AND, UM, I CAN TELL YOU THAT TOWN IS A, FOR WORKING FAMILIES, IT WAS CHARMING, A BEDROOM COMMUNITY, AND NOW IT LOOKS LIKE AN ASPHALT JUNGLE.
SO WHATEVER WE CAN DO TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN TO OUR ISLAND, I THINK IS CRITICALLY IMPORTANT.
I'D ALSO THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE TEST STRATEGIES TO MANAGE THE TRAFFIC, UH, FLOW THROUGH THE TRAFFIC SIGNALS.
I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF WORK AND IMPROVEMENTS THAT CAN BE DONE THERE, REDUCING LEFT HAND TURNS, ET CETERA, AND TESTING THOSE PROCESSES WILL GIVE US DATA TO, UH, REALLY GIVE US FURTHER INFORMATION TO ENHANCE THE RESULTS.
CONNECTIVITY TO THE STONY COMMUNITY FOR PEDESTRIANS AND BICYCLISTS IS AN IMPORTANT DESIGN COMPONENT THAT WE MAKE SURE THAT WE FOLLOW THROUGH ON, AND OF COURSE, IMPROVED SAFETY.
LASTLY, IN REGARDS TO A TRANSPORTATION STRATEGY, IT'S BEEN IN THE MOA, WE HAVE IT IN OUR GUIDING PRINCIPLES, BUT IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE NOT BEEN TALKING ABOUT, AND I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THAT DOESN'T GET LOST BECAUSE THAT'S GOING TO HELP US AS WE THINK ABOUT, UH, THE FUTURE DECADES.
SO THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT I'M THINKING ABOUT.
I'D, UH, I'D ASK MR. MAYOR THAT AS WE GO AROUND THE HORN HERE, UM, THAT YOU ALLOW US SOME TIME TO REACT TO ONE ANOTHER.
UM, OBVIOUSLY WE'VE GOT A FEW COUNCIL PERSONS LEFT THAT, UM, WILL HAVE THINGS TO SAY.
UM, IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE HAVE MORE OF A, A DIALOGUE TODAY THAN, THAN ANYTHING ELSE.
UM, AND TO THAT POINT, I THINK THAT IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE ALSO DEVELOP OPPORTUNITIES FOR US TO HAVE THE SAME DIALOGUE WITH OUR COLLEAGUES AT THE COUNCIL.
UM, THAT HAS BEEN LACKING THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS.
UM, AND NOT THAT WE WANT TO HAVE AN EXPECTATION THAT WE'RE ALWAYS GOING TO AGREE.
I THINK WE HAVE TO HAVE THE EXPECTATION THAT WE WILL AGREE TO DISAGREE AND MOVE FORWARD.
UM, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S BEEN GOING ON FOR A LONG TIME.
UH, SOME OF IT I KIND OF DESCRIBE AS DEJA VU AS WE MOVE ALONG.
UM, NEVERTHELESS, WE DO HAVE, UH, CONSENT, UM, FOR, UH, POSITIVE VOTES THAT ARE STILL ON THIS COUNCIL AS FAR AS US MOVING THIS ALONG.
AND I DON'T WANNA LOSE SIGHT OF THE FACT THAT THE EASTBOUND BRIDGE OVER MACKEY CREEK IS DEFICIENT AND THAT IS AN ISSUE.
UM, SO, UM, WHEN, WHEN IT COMES TO THE, THE PROJECT, UM, I READ A REPORT THAT TOLD ME THAT THE, THE TRAFFIC COUNTS ONTO HILTON HEAD, UH, FROM 24 TO 23 ARE DOWN, PARTICULARLY IN SOME OF THE, UH, HOLIDAY WEEKENDS, THAT WE EXPECT MORE TRAFFIC.
OKAY? SO, UM, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO, TO SORT OF BE MINDFUL OF THAT AS WELL.
UM, BEFORE I GET INTO WHAT I LIKE AND WHAT I DON'T LIKE, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE UNDERSTANDING, AND I MAYBE REITERATE HERE, THAT THESE GUIDING PRINCIPLES WERE NOT SOMETHING THAT THE TOWN JUST CAME UP WITH.
THE COUNTY ADOPTED 'EM AS WELL.
OKAY? SO I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO KNOW AS A COMMUNITY.
AT THE END OF THE DAY, YOU KNOW, FOR ME IT'S, IT'S MORE THAN JUST HOW MANY CARS WE CAN MOVE AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT AN IMPACT ON PEOPLE.
THAT'S WHY ONE OF THE GUIDING PRINCIPLES REALLY SPEAKS TO THE STONY COMMUNITY.
AND I KNOW THAT'S NEXT ON OUR AGENDA, BUT I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT SINCE WE'RE GOING AROUND THE HORN AS FAR AS WHAT WE LIKE AND WHAT WE DON'T LIKE.
UM, I, I THINK WE NEED TO BE AS
[00:45:01]
LOW IMPACT AS POSSIBLE WITH OUR PLANS.I THINK WE ALSO NEED TO BE MINDFUL OF THE DESTRUCTION THAT HAS ALREADY HAPPENED BECAUSE OF WHAT WE HAVE DEEMED IN THE PAST AS IMPROVEMENT OF MOVING VEHICLES.
IT HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THE IMPROVEMENT OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
IT DIDN'T, I THINK WHAT WE HAVE IN FRONT OF US THROUGH WORK THAT WE'VE DONE IN THE PAST WITH, UH, THE KINSMAN GROUP, UM, WE, WE REFER BACK TO THE ESTONIA INITIATIVE PLAN.
UM, WE'VE DONE A LOT OF WORK TOWARDS SOMETHING THAT'S GOING TO BE LOW IMPACT, BUT AT THE SAME TIME SOMETHING THAT PARTICULARLY THOSE IN THAT COMMUNITY CAN BE PROUD OF AND HAVE SOME GENERATIONAL OPPORTUNITY.
THERE ARE BUSINESSES IN THAT AREA THAT WE WANT, WE DON'T WANT TO KILL BECAUSE WE'VE KILLED SOME IN THE PAST.
UM, WE'VE HAD A LOT OF DISCUSSIONS AROUND THIS BYPASS IDEA, AND I THINK YOU WILL HEAR FOLKS SAY, WELL, A BYPASS IS GREAT, THAT'S WHAT WE WANNA DO.
BUT I'M NOT QUITE SURE THAT THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT A BYPASS OVER THEM.
I THINK THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT A BYPASS MAYBE OVER WINDMILL HARBOR HARBOR INTO CROSS ISLAND
SO THE IMPACT ON PEOPLE AND THEIR WAY OF LIVING ON HILTON HEAD AND THAT PARTICULAR AREA, WHICH THE REFERENDUM SPEAKS TO AND THE CIVIL AGREEMENT SPEAKS TO.
I'M NOT LOOKING TO HAVE SOMETHING THAT WE'VE DISCUSSED DEBATED OVER THIS TIME NOW BECAUSE THE REFERENDUM THAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO FILL THE GAP BECOME A DISCUSSION AGAIN.
OKAY? SO I THINK WE NEED TO BE VERY MINDFUL OF THAT AS WE'RE, AS WE'RE MOVING FORWARD.
SO, UM, BUT I DO AGREE WITH THERE'S CERTAIN TIMES OF THE DAY, THE PEAK HOURS WHERE WE DO NEED TO ELIMINATE THE LIGHTS.
AND I, IT WAS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THAT WAS THE REASON THAT WE WENT AFTER THIS TECHNOLOGY WITH THE LIGHTING SYSTEM IS SO THAT WE COULD POTENTIALLY GIVE MORE GREEN TIME DURING THE, UH, PEAK HOURS.
OKAY? AND I UNDERSTAND THAT THE WILMORE HARBOR IS NOT ON THAT SYSTEM AT THE MOMENT.
THAT TO ME, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO, TO BE FIXED.
UM, HOW DO WE ALLOW MORE TRAVEL TIME, GREEN TIME, WHATEVER YOU WANNA CALL IT, DURING THE PEAK HOURS? THAT'S WHERE, THAT'S WHERE WE GET IN TROUBLE.
UH, SO WE NEED TO BE VERY LOW IMPACT THINKING FUTURISTICALLY FOR OPPORTUNITIES FOR THOSE THAT ARE MOSTLY IMPACTED SINCE 1956 WHEN THE FIRST BRIDGE CAME.
UH, THOSE, THOSE ARE SORT OF MY POINTS, MR. MAYOR, WHERE I AM AT THE MOMENT.
ALRIGHT, THANK YOU MR. BECKER.
WELL, FIRST, UM, FIRST I WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE THAT, UM, THERE HAVE BEEN 12,000 PLUS SIGNATURES ON A, UM, PETITION THAT GAVE US A GUIDELINE IN TERMS OF WHAT IT IS OUR RESIDENTS AND VISITORS AND SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES WHO COME, UH, RESIDENTS WHO COME ONTO OUR ISLAND WANT TO SEE.
AND WE HAVE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT WHAT THEY'VE SAID IS, UM, IMPORTANT AND SHOULD BE THEIR FIRST CONSIDERATION.
ALONG WITH THAT, WE'VE HAD, UM, FOLKS LIKE THE TECHNICAL WORKING GROUP, UM, STEVE BEAR AND, AND, AND OTHERS WHO HAVE PRESENTED A MULTITUDE OF OPTIONS AND WORKED ALONG WITH EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THE COMMITTEES THAT HAD BEEN PUT TOGETHER TO HELP GUIDE THEM IN TERMS OF THOSE, UH, PETITION SIGNERS AND SOME LOGICAL SOLUTIONS, UM, FOR WHAT WAS THE ORIGINAL CONCERN FOR THE 2018 REFERENDUM, WHICH WAS TO IMPROVE SAFETY AND THE CAPACITY ONTO THE ISLAND AS A FOCAL POINT AND NOT A LOT OF THE OTHER, UM, WISHLIST ITEMS THAT HAVE SINCE ATTACHED THEMSELVES TO IT.
WE SPENT AN AWFUL LOT OF TIME WITH MKSK, SEEING SOME GREAT PLANS BEING DRAWN UP AND PRESENTED TO US, UM, MOVIES THAT WERE PRODUCED TO MARKET TO HELP SOLIDIFY SUPPORT FOR THOSE PLANS.
UM, I HAD A WONDERFUL CONVERSATION YESTERDAY WITH, UM, MR. EVANS, WITH PETER EVANS, WHO HAS WORKED WITH ANOTHER GROUP ON THE ISLAND WHO HAS COME UP WITH SOME SIGNIFICANT, UM, SUGGESTIONS.
MY POINT IN BRINGING ALL OF THAT UP IS THE FACT THAT THERE HAVE BEEN AN AND GOSPEL DO NOT WANT TO, UM,
[00:50:01]
DISCOUNT ALL OF THE PUBLIC INPUT THROUGH ALL OF THE PUBLIC MEETINGS WHERE PEOPLE PUT LITTLE DOTS ON VARIOUS ALTERNATIVES AND, AND EXPRESS WHAT IT IS THAT THEY WANT.I FIND IT A LITTLE UNCOMFORTABLE HERE NOW SITTING AND LISTENING TO US COME UP WITH OUR OWN AS OUR OWN IDEAS, MAYBE OUTSIDE OF THOSE THAT HAVE BEEN SUGGESTED OVER THIS LAST, HOW MANY YEARS, SEVEN YEARS WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON THIS.
AND I HAVE MISSED LESS THAN A HANDFUL OF THOSE MEETINGS.
SO I REMEMBER THE DETAILS FAIRLY WELL.
UM, AND YES, WE DID COME TO A CONSENSUS OF SOME SORT BACK IN THIS LATE SPRING, UM, WHEN WE GAVE THE MUNICIPAL CONSENT, BUT THAT WAS PRETTY MUCH PUSHED BY THE FACT THAT, UM, WE WERE TOLD NO AT EVERY CORNER, EVERY DIRECTION WE WENT, WE WERE EITHER TOLD NO BY THE STATE OR TOLD NO BY THE COUNTY.
UM, AND, AND I DON'T THINK THAT SET WELL WITH, WITH VERY MANY PEOPLE.
AND AS WE'RE LOOKING AT IT NOW, I THINK THAT WE HAVE A DUTY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE REPRESENTING THOSE PEOPLE WHO ARE GOING TO LIVE WITH THIS, UM, FOR THE DECADES TO COME AND UNDERSTAND THE IMPACT TO OUR ISLAND.
AND ONE OF THEM, I THINK, UH, WAS BROUGHT UP BY MR. BROWN, UM, WITH REGARD TO TRAFFIC COUNTS.
IT'S BEEN CLEARLY UNDERSTOOD BY MANY OF THE STUDIES THAT THE TRAFFIC COUNTS HAVE BEEN ALL OVER THE PLACE AND NOT NECESSARILY REPRESENTATIVE OF A TRUE UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT OUR NEEDS ARE.
I SAW THAT SAME REPORT THAT YOU REFERRED TO, AND IF I RECALL FROM IT, OUR TRAFFIC COUNTS FOR THE 2024 NUMBERS WERE ALMOST SIMILAR, ALMOST THE SAME AS 2018.
AND SO I'M NOT SURE THAT WHAT THAT TELLS US, EXCEPT FOR THAT WE'RE NOT GROWING.
PERHAPS THE NEEDS THAT FOLKS PROJECTED BACK IN 2018 THAT GOT THIS BALL ROLLING REALLY NEEDS TO BE, UH, REEXAMINED.
AND, UM, THE IDEA OF WHAT THE STATE AND THE COUNTY HAS CONTINUED TO PUSH BASED ON THOSE FALSE, UM, MISLEADING DATA OF TRAFFIC COUNTS SHOULD BE REVISITED.
AND, UM, THE IDEA OF A THREE LANES WITH TWO BREAKDOWN LANES NEEDS TO BE PUSHED OFF THE TABLE.
AND WE HAVE OUR TWO LANES WITH A BREAKDOWN BREAKDOWN LANE THAT'S, UM, CAPABLE OF MANAGING AS A THIRD LANE, AS A REVERSIBLE LANE, EVEN, UM, DURING THOSE PEAK HOURS WHEN WE REALLY DO FEEL THE PUNCH OF THE TRAFFIC, OR IMPORTANTLY IF WE WERE NEED ADDITIONAL, UM, ROAD SERVICE TO MOVE PEOPLE OFF OF THE ISLAND IN AN EMERGENCY.
SO I THINK THOSE ARE CONSIDERATIONS NOW THAT WE SEEM TO HAVE A BIT OF A, A MOMENT TO REALLY LOOK AT AND TO SEE WHETHER THE DATA FROM SEVEN, EIGHT YEARS AGO IS TRUE TODAY, AND WHETHER OR NOT WE'VE PAID ATTENTION TO THE PUBLIC SENTIMENT TO THE HARD WORK OF, UM, MKSK FROM THE TECHNICAL WORK AND GROUP AND OTHERS WHO HAVE BEEN PAYING CLOSE ATTENTION AND TRYING TO FIND SOLUTIONS.
BUT FOR US NOW TO SIT HERE AND SAY A WISHLIST OF A BIKE PATH AND BECAUSE OF A SURVEY OF AN ONLINE COMMUNITY ON ISLAND COMMUNITY MEANS THAT WE WANNA CONNECT, UM, WITH MILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO THE MAINLAND IS REALLY NOT, SHOULD NOT BE PART OF OUR CONVERSATION RIGHT NOW.
SO THAT'S, UM, THOSE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT I THINK ARE IMPORTANT.
SOME OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT I THINK IS IMPORTANT AS WE THINK ABOUT THAT PICTURE IS IT WAS MENTIONED AND IT WAS TRUE, I JUST GOT BACK FROM ATLANTA THIS WEEKEND WITH OUR GRANDDAUGHTER, UH, FOR HER BIRTHDAY, AND IT'S A HORRIFIC PLACE.
IT'S A CONCRETE JUNGLE, UH, SIMILAR I'M SURE AS MS. HUNTER HAS EXPERIENCED WHEN SHE WENT TO VISIT HER SON IN ILLINOIS.
AND I RECALL BACK WHEN OUR, UH, FORMER COLLEAGUE HERE, COUNCILMAN AMES, MENTIONED, UM, THAT WE ARE GONNA BE SHOCKED COMING ONTO THE ISLAND, THAT IT IS GOING TO BE A SHOCK IF THIS WERE TO BE DEVELOPED AS A THREE LANE TWO BREAKDOWN LANE.
AND AT THAT TIME, ESSENTIALLY AN 11 LANE HIGHWAY COMING ONTO THE ISLAND THAT WILL EFFECTIVELY KILL THE GOOSE THAT HAS LAID THE GOLDEN EGG FOR US AND DESTROY THAT INITIAL IMPACT OF COMING ONTO THIS BEAUTIFUL SPECIAL BLESSED ISLAND.
SO I THINK THAT ALL OF THOSE CONSIDERATIONS ARE SUPER IMPORTANT FOR US TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT.
NOW WE HAVE, WE HAVE THE DATA WE NEED, WE DON'T NEED TO SEE IT HERE AND BRAINSTORM, WELL, I WANT THIS, I WANT THAT, AND THE OTHER, AND NOW THE SEVEN OF US ARE GOING TO PUT DOWN TO A WISHLIST AND MOVE FORWARD ON IT.
WE HAVE GOOD WORK THAT'S BEEN DONE.
WE HAVE REPRESENTATION OF 12,000 FOLKS WHO HAVE SO TOLD US WHAT THEY WANT, PEOPLE WHO CAME OUT PUT OUT THEIR DOTS.
AND IN TERMS OF MONEY, ALL OF THESE NUMBERS ARE FLUID, RIGHT? SO I UNDERSTAND YOUR
[00:55:01]
FRUSTRATION, PATSY.I I, I'VE SAID IT FROM THE BEGINNING.
WE DIDN'T HAVE REAL INFORMATION ON WHAT WAS GOING TO BE BUILT OR WHERE THE DOLLARS WOULD COME FROM OR WHAT IT WOULD COST FIVE YEARS FROM NOW WHEN IT'S GOING TO BE BUILT.
SO UNTIL WE UNDERSTAND WHAT IT IS THAT WE'RE ACTUALLY ASKING TO BE BUILT, IS IT GOING TO BE DIFFICULT FOR ANYONE TO PUT A TRUE DOLLAR AMOUNT BESIDE IT AND THEN MAKE SOME ESCALATION FOR WHAT THE COST IS GOING TO BE IN THE FUTURE? BECAUSE THERE ARE LIMITED NUMBERS OF DOLLARS IN FRONT OF US.
SO YOU WANNA KNOW WHAT I THINK? WELL, I THINK WE NEED TO LISTEN TO ALL THOSE PEOPLE THAT HAVE TOLD US IN THE PAST.
I THINK WE HAVE EVERYTHING RIGHT NOW IN FRONT OF US.
THEY DON'T WANT 11 LANES, THEY DON'T WANT THREE LANES IN A TWO BREAKDOWN LANES.
THEY WANT A SAFE PASSAGEWAY FROM THE MAINLAND ONTO THE ISLAND.
AND THAT MEANS BOTH SEGMENTS COMING EAST NEED TO BE REPLACED AND THEY NEED TO BE REPLACED REFLECTIVE OF THE CURRENT DATA AND THE PAST IMPRESSIONS AND SENTIMENT OF THE COMMUNITY.
AND I'LL SUPPORT THAT BECAUSE I SUPPORT THEM IN DOING SO IN, UM, AND WE NEED TO DO THAT, AS YOU SAID, WITH ALL RAPID SPEED AT THIS POINT.
WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF EXTRA WORK THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE.
AND I'M GRATEFUL TO THOSE WHO HAVE DONE THE WORK IN THE PAST THAT HAS BEEN PRESENTED TO US HERE.
SO FOR ME, IT'S TWO LANES COMING OVER THE BRIDGE WITH A SIGNIFICANT BREAKDOWN LANE THAT CAN BE USED AS A REVERSE LANE OR A THIRD LANE IN AN EMERGENCY.
AND THAT HITS ALL THE MARKS IN TERMS OF THE DATA THAT WE HAVE CURRENTLY IN FRONT OF US TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM.
THAT WAS PART OF THE ORIGINAL, UH, PROBLEM THAT WAS TRYING TO BE SOLVED IN THE 2018 REFERENDUM.
WE DON'T NEED TO ADD ANYTHING, WE NEED TO FOCUS ON WHAT WE HAVE.
WE'VE SPENT A LOT OF MONEY ON CONSULTANTS.
UM, WE'VE HEARD FROM THE PEOPLE AND NOW WE NEED TO TAILOR IT TO WHAT WE CAN, WE CAN PRACTICALLY DO WHILE KEEPING US SAFE EVERY DAY.
SOLVING A LITTLE BIT OF CONGESTION AT THOSE PEAK TIMES AND GETTING US OFF IN, IN AN EMERGENCY.
AND I THINK TWO LANES WITH A SIGNIFICANT BREAKDOWN LANE THAT CAN BE USED IS THE WAY TO GO ONTO THE ISLAND.
WE HAVE THE SAME, A SIMILAR PROBLEM.
WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT AS WE'RE CONSTRUCTING THROUGH, I'LL GO BACK TO THE MKSK FILM AND ALL THAT WORK THAT WAS DONE COMING UP AROUND WHERE THE, UM, THE HIGH TENSION WIRES ARE.
TAKES EVERYTHING OFF AND AWAY, TAKES AWAY FROM WINDMILL HARBOR AND THOSE COMMUNITIES SO THAT THEY'RE PROTECTED.
UM, MOVING THE LIGHT IN FRONT OF WINDMILL HARBOR, I JUST LEARNED YESTERDAY, APPARENTLY THERE WAS AN ORIGINAL PLAN WHERE THAT ENTRANCE REALLY SHOULD BE FURTHER DOWN ON JENKINS ISLAND.
THERE'S A LOT MORE HISTORY HERE AND A LOT MORE INFORMATION THAT WE'RE PAYING THAT'S, UM, THAT'S VALID THAT WE SHOULD BE PAYING ATTENTION TO IN THOSE LITTLE THINGS.
BUT THAT LIGHT WAS PROMISED THAT WINDMILL HARBOR LIGHT WAS PROMISED TO BE SHIFTED AND MOVED INTO THE PROGRAM TO GIVE US MORE OF A FREE FLOW OF, UM, ACCESS ONTO THE ISLAND.
I'M GONNA ASK THE COUNTY AGAIN.
WE HAVE TWO REPRESENTATIVES AND I RESPECT YOU BOTH.
WE'VE BEEN PROMISED THAT WE'VE DISCUSSED IT AND IT SHOULD BE HELPFUL TO THE OVERALL PLAN.
WE DON'T WANNA CONTINUE TO CAUSE A PROBLEM TO LOOK FOR A SOLUTION WHEN WE HAVE THE SOLUTION IN FRONT OF US ALREADY.
SO, UM, A NICE ENTRANCE INTO OUR, UM, ISLAND PRIDE OF THE ENTRANCE WAY THAT'S EASILY DONE.
WE NEED TO HAVE MORE OF A FREE FLOW.
WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WHERE THERE'S BEEN DETRIMENT IN THE PAST TO THE EXTENT THAT WE CAN, THAT WE TRY TO IMPROVE THAT SITUATION.
UM, BUT THAT'S THE GOAL OF THE 2018 REFERENDUM.
THAT'S OUR GOAL RIGHT NOW TO MOVE FORWARD IN TRYING TO WRAP THAT ALL UP WITHIN THE DOLLARS THAT WE CAN REASONABLY PROJECT WE NEED TO SPEND.
ALRIGHT, THANK YOU MS. BRYSON.
I APPRECIATE ALL THE COMMENTS SO FAR OF MY COLLEAGUES AND, UH, UNTIL I KNOW WHAT THE MAYOR'S COMMENTS ARE GONNA BE, I CAN'T SAY THAT I'VE TRIED TO COLLECT THEM ALL
UH, FIRST OF ALL, I WANTED TO ACKNOWLEDGE SOME AGREEMENTS, UM, IN, IN THE VARIED LIST THAT WE'VE ALL EXPRESSED.
UM, AND, AND I THINK IT DIDN'T, UH, UH, IT BEARS SAYING ANOTHER TIME, AND THAT IS THERE'S CONSENT AMONGST US ALL TO NOT SEARCH FOR ADDITIONAL FUNDS FOR THIS PROJECT AT THIS TIME.
I THINK I HEARD CONSENT THAT WE NEED TO REPLACE A MACKEY CREEK BRIDGEBAND.
UM, AND I THINK I HEARD TOWARDS CONSENT, UM, AN EASTBOUND PROJECT.
UM, I THINK THE QUESTIONS REMAIN ABOUT THE NUMBER OF LANES, THE NUMBER OF BREAKDOWN LANES AND WHETHER OR NOT TO HAVE A ED FACILITY OF SOME SORT.
[01:00:01]
SO I THINK WE STILL HAVE SOME DISAGREEMENT ABOUT THAT, THAT WE NEED TO SORT OUT.UM, I, I DID FIND INTERESTING WHEN I LOOK BACK AT, AT DOCUMENTS FROM, UH, JUNE OF THIS YEAR, JUNE OF LAST YEAR, I SHOULD SAY, UH, WHEN WE WERE FACED WITH ANOTHER DEADLINE TO MAKE A DECISION ABOUT, UH, MUNICIPAL CONSENT AND ABOUT THE PROJECT AND AGREEMENT WITH THE COUNTY, UH, THERE'S A LETTER OF JUNE 20TH, 2024 FROM SECRETARY JUSTIN POWELL OF S-E-D-O-T, UM, THAT SPEAKS ABOUT, UM, CONCERNS ABOUT THE MACKEY CREEK SPAN.
UM, AND, AND S-E-D-O-T PLACED THE BRIDGE ON ITS STATEWIDE PRIORITY LIST.
THEN IT SPEAKS, AND I'M NOT GONNA READ THE WHOLE LETTER, BUT SPEAKS ABOUT, UM, BUILDING A NEW SIX LANE BRIDGE.
UH, AS BEAUFORT COUNTY DEVELOPED ITS SALES TAX PROJECT, THE 2018 TO BUILD A NEW SIX LANE BRIDGE, UM, SED CONTINUED TO AGREE TO CONTRIBUTE 74,500 TOWARDS BEAUFORT COUNTY'S PROJECT.
THIS WAS IN LIEU OF PURSUING A STANDALONE PROJECT TO REBUILD THE US 2 78 EASTBOUND BRIDGE OVER MACKEY CREEK.
THIS CONTRIBUTION, MEANING THE ONE HE WAS JUST REFERRING TO OF 74 5, WAS BASED ON THE ESTIMATED COST FOR S-E-D-O-T TO REPLACE THE US 2 78 EASTBOUND BRIDGE WITH A NEW TWO LANE STRUCTURE.
SO JUNE OF 2024, HE WAS TALKING ABOUT A TWO LANE STRUCTURE.
UM, SENATOR DAVIS DID, UH, CLARIFY, UH, FOR US AT OUR LAST WORKSHOP THAT, UM, AT THAT POINT, HIS UNDERSTANDING WAS THAT S-E-D-O-T WAS, UH, BASING ITS RECOMMENDATION ON A THREE LANE BRIDGE WITH TWO BREAKDOWN LANES.
UM, AND, BUT AT THE TIME WHERE, UH, IT WAS CONSTRUCTED WOULD ONLY STRIPE FOR TWO LANES LEAVING POSSIBILITY IN THE FUTURE FOR THREE LANES OR SOME OTHER USE.
UM, SO I THINK THERE'S STILL A LITTLE BIT OF, UM, UH, LACK OF UNDERSTANDING ABOUT WHAT S-E-D-O-T IS PROPOSING TO DO IN ON THE EASTBOUND SIDE.
SO I, I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT TO FIND OUT SO THAT THEN WE CAN COME TO A CONSENSUS ON, ON HOW WE, UH, PREFER TO APPROACH THAT.
BUT I THINK WE'RE, UH, AGAIN, ON THE EASTBOUND, I THINK WE HAVE DISAGREEMENT AS TO THE NUMBER OF LANES AND WHAT, IF ANYTHING, TO DO ABOUT A BIKE PAD STRUCTURE.
UM, I DID HEAR, I THINK, AGREEMENT ON THE CONNECTION OF THE WINDMILL HARBOR LIGHT, AND I ECHO THAT REQUEST FOR THE COUNTY.
I THINK WE'D EVEN ASKED FOR IT BEFORE TIME.
I, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE HOLDUP IS.
UM, I, I'VE HEARD SOME INFORMATION ABOUT THAT, BUT, UM, I THINK IT SHOULD ALREADY HAVE BEEN DONE IN OUR DRAFT AGREEMENT WITH THE COUNTY FROM JUNE OF 2024.
WE ASKED THAT IT BE DONE WITHIN 30 DAYS.
UM, SO, UM, I THINK IT'S TIME THAT WE DID THAT SO THAT AT LEAST WE CAN HAVE THAT AS PART OF THE INTEGRATED LIGHTING SYSTEM THAT THE TOWN HAS CONSTRUCTED WITH THANKS TO THE COUNTY FOR FUNDING TO DO THAT PROJECT.
UM, SO, UM, THEN, UH, WHEN I LOOK THROUGH, WHAT ARE THE OTHER THINGS, UM, THAT I WOULD LOOK FOR? UH, MY, MY PRIMARY THINGS ARE A LIST OF ELEMENTS RATHER THAN SPECIFICS.
BUT I'LL, I'LL TALK BRIEFLY ABOUT, UH, SPECIFICS.
FIRST OF ALL, I, I WANT THE BEST OUTCOME FOR THE COMMUNITY.
UM, WE WE'RE CERTAINLY DIVIDED ON THIS AS TO WHAT WE WANNA DO.
UM, AND, AND SO IT'S OUR JOB TO WORK WITH THE COUNTY AND THE STATE TO TRY TO COME TO SOME AGREEMENT.
IT'S NOT AN EASY TASK, OR WE WOULD'VE PROBABLY ALREADY DONE IT.
UM, AGAIN, I MENTIONED, UH, MY GOAL HAS ALWAYS BEEN, I'VE NEVER BEEN A NO BRIDGE PERSON.
I'VE ALWAYS SAID, OF COURSE, YOU HAVE TO FIX THE BRIDGE SPAN OVER MACKEY CREEK.
AND WE HAVE AGREEMENT ON THAT.
UM, I'VE ALWAYS SAID WE SHOULD ADD A BREAKDOWN LANE.
I THINK THE QUESTION NOW IS HOW MANY AND WHAT SIZE.
UM, I'VE ALWAYS BEEN CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY OF PEDESTRIANS, BICYCLISTS, AND VEHICLES, UH, ON THE BRIDGE AND THROUGHOUT THE CORRIDOR.
UM, I'VE ALSO, UH, HAD AS A MAIN GOAL TO PROTECT AND IMPROVE STONY.
WE CREATED WHAT WE CALL LOOSELY THE STONY IMPROVEMENT PLAN IN OUR JUNE AGREEMENT.
I'VE ALSO BEEN CONCERNED ALWAYS ABOUT PROTECTING AND IMPROVING AESTHETICS IN THE ENVIRONMENT.
AND I THINK WE, NOT EVERYONE YET ON THE COUNCIL HAS SPOKEN ABOUT THIS, BUT A FEW OF US HAVE, AND I ECHO THAT.
UM, SO, SO HOW DO WE DO THAT? UM, I THINK I, I THINK WE, WE DIVIDE THIS CHALLENGE INTO SEVERAL SEGMENTS, AND THAT'S WHY WE'VE ASKED FOR COST ESTIMATES ON THE DIFFERENT SEGMENTS.
I, I THINK WE NEED TO KNOW HOW MUCH INFLUENCE WE CAN HAVE ON THE BRIDGE, UM, THAT IS THE TOWN.
AND, AND IT'S NOT JUST THE SIZE OR THE NUMBER OF LANES, BUT IT'S ALSO THE AESTHETICS.
UM, IT, IT, THEY'RE EXAMPLES OF BETTER BRIDGE LOOKS THAN JERSEY BARRIERS.
BUT WITH THE FUNDING TODAY, I THINK WE'RE
[01:05:01]
CHALLENGED TO EVEN THINK OF ANYTHING DIFFERENT.UM, SO, UH, I THINK WE NEED TO, TO BE CLEAR ABOUT WHAT, IF ANY, IMPACT WE CAN HAVE ON THE BRIDGE DESIGN.
UM, I, I APPRECIATE A LOT OF DIFFERENT IDEAS.
I'VE BEEN TOTALLY FRUSTRATED WITH NOT BEING ABLE TO SOLVE, UM, THE, THE THROUGHPUT CHALLENGE.
I AGREE THAT THE LIGHTS ARE A PROBLEM.
I AGREE THAT IT'D BE BETTER TO NOT HAVE THROUGH TRAFFIC COME THROUGH THOSE LIGHTS.
BUT I ALSO, UH, AM ADAMANT THAT IF YOU PUT OVERPASSES OR BYPASSES IN THE STONY AREA, IT WILL BE DIVIDED BY DESIGN.
IT WILL BE DESTROYED BY DESIGN.
I WILL NOT BE A PARTY TO THAT KIND OF DESIGN.
I MAY BE ALONE, BUT I WILL NOT BE A PARTY TO THAT.
IF YOU LOOK AT PLACES WHERE, UH, AND, AND CHARLESTON IS AN EXAMPLE OF THIS.
WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU GO THROUGH CHARLESTON AND YOU SEE OVERPASSES, UM, AND ELEVATED, UH, AREAS, IT'S THROUGH A MINORITY NEIGHBORHOOD.
I DO NOT WANT US TO DO THAT ON THIS ISLAND.
I DO WANT US TO HAVE INCREASED SAFETY IN THAT CORRIDOR.
AND SOME OF THOSE ELEMENTS WE DESCRIBED BEFORE INCLUDE THE LANDSCAPING, UM, LANDSCAPING, NOT TO PROHIBIT FOLKS FROM BEING ABLE TO CROSS, BUT IF THEY CHOOSE TO CROSS IN THE AGE OLD PATTERNS WHERE THEY HAVE CROSSED TO SEE FAMILIES FOR YEARS, THAT THERE BE A LANDSCAPE REFUGE FOR FOLKS.
THAT TO ME, IS VERY IMPORTANT.
THAT'S PART OF THE SAFETY FOR PEDESTRIANS AND BICYCLISTS IN THE AREA.
THE OVERPASS THAT CAME FROM THE ESTONIA INITIATIVE AREA PLAN, WE NEED THAT.
THAT'S AN, THAT WAS AN ESSENTIAL PART OF OUR JUNE AGREEMENT.
AND I'M DISMAYED THAT THE COUNTY RESPONDED THAT THEY WOULD NOT AGREE TO FUND THAT.
I HOPE THAT YOU'LL RECONSIDER THAT BECAUSE IT TRULY IS A MATTER OF PEDESTRIAN SAFETY.
I READ THE NAMES OF SEVEN PEOPLE WHO'VE BEEN KILLED CROSSING IN THAT AREA, FOR LACK OF PEDESTRIAN SAFETY.
TRAFFIC LIGHTS ALONE WILL NOT DO IT BECAUSE OF TURNING SIGNALS.
WE MUST DO THAT MUST BE ABLE TO ENCOURAGE THE GOOD USE OF THE STONY AREA FOR RESIDENTIAL AND BUSINESS PURPOSES.
MY COLLEAGUE, MR. BROWN, HAS MENTIONED AS I HAVE BEFORE THE STONY INITIATIVE AREA PLAN.
AND I WOULD MAKE A REQUEST, UM, AGAIN, THAT ALL TOWN COUNCIL MEMBERS RECEIVE A COPY OF THE ESTONIA INITIATIVE AREA PLAN.
ALSO RECOMMEND THAT WE ALL RECEIVE THE DRAFT SKULL CREEK DISTRICT PLAN, WHICH INCLUDES THE CONDITIONS AND TRENDS THAT THE STAFF PUT TOGETHER IN A WONDERFUL COLLECTION OF FACTS FOR ALL OF THE ISLAND.
AND I THINK FOR THE NEW TOWN COUNCIL MEMBERS, IT WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR THEM TO SEE THE MK SK AROSE, I'M SORRY, MK SK PROPOSAL, UH, THE PORTIONS, UH, FOR WHICH THERE WAS AGREEMENT WITH THE COUNTY.
THERE, THERE WAS, THERE WERE A COUPLE OF 'EM THAT WERE SO EDITED.
I, I COULDN'T EVEN TELL WHAT WAS AGREED TO, BUT I THINK THE STAFF HAS CREATED A LIST OF WHERE THE AGREEMENT IS.
AND I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO LOOK AT, TO BE ABLE TO FIGURE OUT WHAT CAN WE DO WITH WHATEVER FUNDS ARE AVAILABLE WITHIN THAT QUARTER.
SO I THINK IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TODAY TO FIND AGREEMENT ON WHAT TO DO WITHIN THE CORRIDOR.
BUT I, I THINK THOSE KIND OF ELEMENTS THAT I'VE SPOKEN ABOUT AND I'VE HEARD SOME OTHER COLLEAGUES SPEAK ABOUT, AND THAT IS IMPROVING SAFETY FOR PEDESTRIANS AND BICYCLISTS THROUGH THAT CORRIDOR.
AND I MEAN, FROM THE WINDMILL HARBOR AREA ALL THE WAY UP TO THE CROSS ISLAND.
AND ALSO TO IMPROVE THE AESTHETICS AND TO PROTECT THE ENTRANCE TO THE ISLAND, BECAUSE THAT, THAT'S A PART OF, WHEN YOU LOOK BACK AT THE GUIDING PRINCIPLES, AND I'M SORRY, MY SCREEN KEEPS GOING BLANK ON ME.
UM, BUT IF YOU LOOK BACK AT THE GUIDING PRINCIPLES THERE, YOU'LL SEE SOME OF THOSE SAME ELEMENTS THAT I SPOKE ABOUT.
AND THAT IS PROTECT AND IMPROVE STONY, IMPROVE SAFETY FOR PEDESTRIANS AND BICYCLISTS, PROTECT AND IMPROVE THE AESTHETICS AND ENVIRONMENT.
WE WANT AN ENTRANCE THAT WE CAN BE PROUD OF.
I KNOW THE COUNTY DOES, AND I KNOW THE STATE DOES, AND WE CANNOT LEAVE THAT ON THE TABLE.
AND I THINK THAT THE, THE MEETING WITH S-E-D-O-T THIS WEEK AND THE COUNTY AND TOWN REPRESENTATIVES, TO ME, THE GOAL THERE IS TO FIND OUT AS MUCH
[01:10:01]
INFORMATION AS POSSIBLE FOR US TO COME BACK AND BE ABLE TO SORT OUT WITH THE FUNDS THAT ARE AVAILABLE AND THE OPTIONS BEFORE US, WHAT WE CAN DO FOR THE BEST OUTCOME FOR OUR COMMUNITY, DIVIDED AS IT IS.JARED, DID YOU, ARE YOU, DO YOU NEED TO HEAD OUT? SURE.
WE HAVE THREE O'CLOCK COUNCIL.
I, WITH JARED HERE, I WOULD ASK IF JARED HAS SOME CLARITY ON INTENTION OR, OR, OR REALLY SCOPE OF BRIDGE AS PROPOSED.
I THINK THAT WOULD BENEFIT Y'ALL TO HEAR IT.
LET ME JUST, UM, KIND OF SUM UP IN A, IN A, IN A PRETTY QUICKLY.
UM, I THINK YOU HEARD THAT EVERYBODY UP HERE WANTS THE BEST THAT WE CAN GET FOR, FOR $298 MILLION.
THAT CREATES THE SAFEST ACCESS TO OUR COMMUNITY AND PROVIDES THE BEST QUALITY OF LIFE.
UM, I HAVE MADE SOME SUGGESTIONS, WHICH, WHICH HAS BEEN GIVEN TO THE COUNTY, AND THAT IS, UM, ON CHAMBERLAIN DRIVE.
FIGURE OUT A WAY TO, TO REMOVE THAT, UM, SO THAT YOU'RE REDUCING SOME OF THE TOUCH POINTS OF AN INTERSECTION AND YOU CREATE TWO LANES THAT AS YOU COME ONTO HILTON HEAD STAY GREEN, ALWAYS, YOU HAVE A MERGE LANE FROM SQUIRE OF POPE ONTO 2 78 THAT WILL GO IN AND TIE IN AND MERGE DOWN.
SO YOU CAN, YOU KNOW, ELIMINATE SOME OF THAT.
I THINK WE NEED TO LOOK AT, UM, TIMES OF DAY WHEREBY YOU DON'T MAKE A LEFT HAND TURN.
I THINK THAT'S GOTTA BE LOOKED AT.
THE, THE AESTHETICS OF A ELEVATED STRUCTURE IN MY MIND DOESN'T FIT THE CHARACTER OF HILTON HEAD.
I DON'T LIKE WHAT WE HAVE NOW ON THE BRIDGE, UM, THE, OF THE, THE CROSS ISLAND.
AND I, I THINK, YES, THERE ARE SOLUTIONS, AND I APPRECIATE EVERYBODY THAT HAS PUT TIME AND THOUGHT IN TRYING TO CREATE AN OP, AN OPTION THAT MOVES TRAFFIC FASTER.
BUT AT THE SAME TIME, WE HAVE TO ASK OURSELVES BY MOVING TRAFFIC FASTER, WHERE DOES THE BLOCKAGE GO? WHERE DOES IT BACK UP? IS IT NOW P BAY ROAD? IS IT THE CIRCLE? WHAT ARE THE UNATTENDED CONSEQUENCES OF DOING THAT? UM, THERE'S BEEN RECOMMENDATIONS OF A TOLL, RIGHT? WE'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH THE STATE, THEY'VE SAID, AND AGAIN, IT'S WHAT THEY'VE SAID, THEY DON'T LIKE THEM.
IT KNOW, WE'LL GET MORE CLARIFICATION ON THAT THURSDAY.
HOW DOES THE, UH, THE, THE, THE MUNICIPAL CONSENT THAT WE PROVIDED PLAY INTO THIS? NOW, WHAT IS THAT LEGAL LEGALLY? WHAT, WHAT DO WE KNOW? WHAT DO WE NOT KNOW? SO TRYING TO, TO COME UP WITH DIFFERENT IDEAS AT THIS POINT WHEN WE JUST DON'T HAVE ALL THE ANSWERS, IS VERY DIFFICULT.
AND SINCE IT IS A $500 MILLION PROJECT FOR THE ENTIRE PROJECT, AND THE SIB HAD PUT IN $120 MILLION, ARE THEY GONNA REDUCE SOME OF THAT FUNDING? BECAUSE NOW IT'S GONNA BE LESS, RIGHT? IS THAT AN OPTION THAT'S GONNA BE, WE'RE GONNA BE FACED WITH? SO THERE ARE TOO MANY QUESTIONS TO SAY, THIS IS WHAT I WANT, WHAT I DON'T WANT, BECAUSE WE DON'T EVEN KNOW WHERE WE'RE GONNA GET.
AND, AND REALISTICALLY, FROM THE STANDPOINT OF HILTON HEAD ISLAND, IT IS FROM THE END OF JENKINS ISLAND TO SPANISH WELLS.
THE PROJECT REALLY IS, IS THE STATE AND THE COUNTY, AND THEY'RE THE ONES THAT ARE GONNA DRIVE THAT.
UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN THEY PUT THE FLYOVER IN FROM, FROM BLUFFTON, THAT CREATED A LOT OF OUR PROBLEMS. LET'S BE REAL ABOUT THAT.
THAT FLYOVER TYING IN TO TWO LANES, THAT'S THE PROBLEM.
THAT'S WHERE IT ALL GETS BACKED UP.
SO WHERE, WHERE DO WE GO? RIGHT? WE GO TO COLUMBIA, WE GET ANSWERS, WE FIGURE OUT WHAT WE HAVE AND, AND GET A MEMO OUT TO STAFF AND, AND TO, UH, COUNCIL.
AND THEN WE FIGURE OUT WHEN THE NEXT MEETING IS AND THEN HOW WE MOVE FORWARD.
MR. ORLANDO, JARED, THANK YOU, UH, FOR THE OPPORTUNITY COUNCIL AND MAYOR AND MARK AND SEAN.
UM, SO I, I HEARD A LOT OF GOOD DISCUSSION AND A COUPLE COMMENT OR A COUPLE, UM, COMMENTS THAT I CAN PROVIDE FEEDBACK ON TO HOPEFULLY GIVE YOU SOME CLARITY.
UM, AGAIN, WE DON'T HAVE ALL THE CLARITY.
WE'RE WAITING ON DOT TO PROVIDE A LOT OF THOSE ANSWERS AS FAR AS COSTS, BUT ONE SPECIFIC MS. BECKER, AS FAR AS WHAT'S PROPOSED RIGHT NOW WITH THE THREE LANE OPTION THAT DOT HAS, UM, I THINK THEY'RE STILL SORTING THAT OUT, BUT SPECIFICALLY I THINK THEY'RE LOOKING AT THE SECTION THAT WAS USED, THE THREE LANES AT 12 FEET EACH WITH THE, UM, SIX FOOT INSIDE AND 10 FOOT OUTSIDE SHOULDER.
THAT IS THE PROPOSED THREE LANE BRIDGE THAT'S IMAGINED
[01:15:01]
IN SENATOR DAVIS'S PROPOSAL.UM, THE, THE ONE THING FROM DOT'S PERSPECTIVE, AGAIN, EV EACH OF US, THE COUNTY, THE TOWN, DOT FEDERAL HIGHWAY, HAVE DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES TO THE PROJECT.
THEIR PERSPECTIVE IS IN THE EVENT OF EMERGENCY OR EVEN A FUTURE REPLACEMENT OF THE WESTBOUND SPANS, WHETHER THAT'S IN TWO YEARS OR 20 YEARS, WHENEVER THAT IS, IS THAT THIS NEW WEST OR EASTBOUND SPAN, THE THREE LANE SECTION THAT'S BEING PROPOSED, UM, THAT IT'D BE SUFFICIENT THAT IF THERE WAS A NEED, THOSE OTHER BRIDGES AREN'T STRUCTURALLY DESIGNED FOR THE, THE RATINGS TODAY.
UM, NATURAL DISASTER RATINGS, IF THERE WAS AN EVENT THAT THERE COULD BE, UM, CROSS TRAFFIC IN AN EMERGENCY SITUATION OR IN A FUTURE, UM, RECONSTRUCTING THOSE WESTBOUND LANES PROJECTS.
SO THAT'S THEIR PERSPECTIVE THAT THEY ARE, WHICH IS DIFFERENT THAN OURS.
BUT JUST TO LET YOU KNOW ON THAT, UM, I ALSO HEARD UP HERE, UH, WHAT ARE THE CONTROLLING FACTORS? AND RIGHT NOW THE LARGEST CONTROLLING FACTOR IN THE WHOLE ENTIRETY OF THE PROJECT IS THAT IT'S FEDERALLY FUNDED.
SO THAT FEDERALLY FUNDED COMPONENT, UM, IS GOOD BECAUSE WE HAVE THE BRIDGE FUNDS FROM DOT OR FEDERALIZED FUNDS, WHICH CREATES THE REQUIREMENT FOR IT TO BE FEDERALLY, UM, FUNDED OUR FEDERAL PROCESS.
AND ONE OF THOSE IS THE IMPACTS.
WE HAVE A TRADITIONAL CULTURAL PRO, UM, PROPERTIES.
AND INSIDE OF THAT, WE'VE ALREADY PROPOSED A PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE AND NOW A MODIFIED PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE, AND NOW A SELECTED ALTERNATIVE.
UM, AND THAT IS THE BAR OF THE IMPACTS THAT WE HAVE ON THE PROJECT.
SO ANYTHING THAT ADDS TO THE IMPACTS, WHETHER THAT'S A FLYOVER OR ANY OF THOSE ELEMENTS, WILL HAVE TO BE CONSIDERED AGAINST THE BAR THAT HAS BEEN SET.
SO, UM, WHEN WE GO TO COLUMBIA, ONE OF THE HOPES THAT I HAVE IN THE DISCUSSIONS, IF THE PROJECT IS REBRANDED, WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL DOCUMENT? DOES THAT ENVIRONMENTAL DOCUMENT REMAIN IN PLACE? RIGHT NOW IT'S FROM MOSS CREEK TO SPANISH WELLS.
IF THE PROJECT'S RECONSIDERED, IT MAY BE A NEW ENVIRONMENTAL DOCUMENT THAT IS SPECIFICALLY TARGETED AROUND THE BRIDGE AND THAT SCENARIO, UM, THE BRIDGE WOULD BE FEDERALIZED AND THE ROAD WORK, POTENTIALLY NOT, THAT WOULD ALLOW FLEXIBILITY ON OPPORTUNITIES BEYOND THE BRIDGE.
UM, WE WON'T KNOW ALL THAT UNTIL, UH, I DON'T KNOW IF DOT WILL KNOW ALL THAT BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT THE ONES THAT ARE IN CHARGE OF THE FEDERAL PROCESSES, FEDERAL HIGHWAYS, AND THEN ALL OF THE OTHER STATE AND FEDERAL AGENCIES THAT PARTICIPATE IN NEPA.
UM, SO THAT'LL BE THE BIGGEST QUESTION TO WHAT OTHER COMPONENTS CAN WE DO OR ADD OR LOOK AT.
UM, AND WE'LL GLADLY IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR ANYTHING ELSE I CAN ANSWER, AS MENTIONED, WE DO HAVE A COUNCIL MEETING HERE ON HILTON HEAD, UM, AT THREE O'CLOCK COMMITTEE MEETINGS, AND THEN COUNCIL TONIGHT.
SO QUESTIONS? UM, NOT A QUESTION.
UH, MR. FRA AND COUNCILWOMAN NIK, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE AS WELL.
UM, WHEN COUNCILWOMAN BRYSON WAS SORT OF GOING THROUGH THE LIST OF WHAT WE AGREE ON, SHE MENTIONED, UM, THAT WE DON'T WANT TO GO LOOK FOR ANY MORE MONEY.
UM, I WANNA PREFACE THAT JUST A LITTLE BIT THOUGH.
BECAUSE I THINK UNTIL WE UNDERSTAND, I GUESS, THE LEGALITIES AROUND THE LOCAL MONEY, OKAY.
UM, THAT'S A TOUGH THING TO SAY YES OR NO TO.
UM, I, I, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT AT SOME POINT THE COUNTY AND THE TOWN DO COME FORTH WITH A UNITED FRONT TO THE STATE AND FEDERAL HIGHWAY.
IF WE DO NEED MORE MONEY, 'CAUSE I GET IT, WE NEED TO FIX THE BRIDGE, BUT WE ALSO HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THAT WE NEED IMPROVEMENTS THROUGHOUT THE CORRIDOR, RIGHT? AND THAT WAS THE WHOLE REASON FOR THE REFERENDUM.
UH, SO I THINK MORE IMPORTANTLY THAN US AGREEING NOT TO GO GET ANY MONEY IS WE DON'T WANT ALL OF THE LOCAL FUNDS TO HAVE TO GO TO THE BRIDGE BECAUSE WE'VE GOT ISSUES OVER HERE THAT WE HAVE TO ADDRESS.
UM, SO I THINK THAT PIECE, WE HAVE TO BE ON THE SAME PAGE WITH THAT.
UM, MOVING FORWARD, IT IS SO CRITICAL TO, AND I CAN SPEAK TO THAT A LITTLE BIT FURTHER TOO, TO GIVE A LITTLE BIT MORE CLARITY TO THAT.
SO, UM, THE DOT FUNDS ARE BRIDGE REPLACEMENT FUNDS.
SO THEY HAVE TO GO TO THE BRIDGE, THE $75 MILLION, THE SIB FUNDING, THE $120 MILLION AS IT'S BEEN PROGRAMMED, UM, NOT NECESSARILY SPECIFIED IN THE GRANT AGREEMENT, BUT THE WAY IT'S BEEN PROGRAMMED AND REPORTED UPON SINCE RECEIPT HAS BEEN TOWARDS THE BRIDGE.
SO WE HAVE NOT EXPENDED ANY OF THE $120 MILLION TO DATE, BECAUSE WE HAVEN'T STARTED FOR, LEMME SPECIFY CONSTRUCTION OF THE BRIDGE.
UM, AND THEN THERE'S TWO ELEMENTS OF COUNTY FUNDS.
THERE'S THE SALES TAX FUNDS, AND THEN THERE'S THE IMPACT FUNDS.
THE IMPACT FEE FUNDS ARE FOR SAFETY AND CAPACITY RELATED COMPONENTS.
[01:20:01]
THOSE ARE THOSE RESTRICTIONS.SO IT CAN BE BRIDGE OR ROAD, UM, BUT IT, IT HAS TO BE TO THOSE COMPONENTS.
THE $80 MILLION IS THE MOST FLEXIBLE FUNDING THERE IS AVAILABLE.
SO LOCAL SIDE OF THE PROJECT, UH, OF THAT, AS IN SENATOR DAVIS'S PROPOSAL, HE WAS ESSENTIALLY UTILIZING THE STATE FUNDS, THE S CIV FUNDS, AND THEN THE REMAINDER AMOUNT OF LOCAL FUNDS TO GO TOWARDS THE BRIDGE.
AND THE REMAINING AMOUNT WOULD BE LOCAL, UM, SALES TAX FUNDING FOR THE ROADWAY WORK.
SO THAT'S WHAT'S INTENDED IN THAT BREAKDOWN OF FUNDS.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR JARED OR COMMENTS? THANK YOU GUYS.
SORRY MAYOR, I, I DON'T THINK HE ANSWERED THE QUESTION ABOUT THE WINDMILL HARBOR LIGHT.
I'LL, LET ME ANSWER THAT ONE WHEN, WHENEVER YOU'RE READY.
READY,
AND SO IF WE PUT THAT SIGNAL IN OUR SYSTEM ON SPAN WIRE, THERE'S SOME COST THERE.
AND THEN WE ALSO TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WE ARE AND AREN'T DOING WITH THE WINDMILL HARBOR INTERSECTION.
SO UNLESS, UNTIL I HEAR FROM YOU IN THE NEXT 60 DAYS WHAT WE'RE DOING, I WASN'T BRINGING THAT FORWARD TO YOU TO SPEND A WHOLE BUNCH OF MONEY ON IT ONLY TO TEAR IT UP IN 60, 90 DAYS, UM, OR HOWEVER LONG THAT TAKES.
SO ONE, THE COUNTY IS WILLING TO GIVE, OF COURSE, HERE, TAKE IT, RIGHT? WITH ALL DUE RESPECT, TAKE IT.
BUT THE FUNDING OF IT, THE COST OF IT, THE LOGISTICS OF PUTTING IT IN OUR SYSTEM OR OUR COST TO BEAR OUTSIDE OF OUR JURISDICTION WHILE WE'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHETHER WE'RE JUST FIXING A BRIDGE OR IMPROVING A CORRIDOR, I WOULD SAY LET'S, LET'S HOLD OFF TAKING THAT SIGNAL IN THE SYSTEM RIGHT NOW, BECAUSE THIS IS WHERE OUR FOCUS IS FOR A, A LITTLE BIT OF TIME, MAYOR, I THINK IT'D BE GOOD TO KNOW HOW MUCH COST WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TO GO AHEAD AND TAKE IT OVER.
DON'T, DON'T SPEND MONEY TWICE FOR THE SAME THING, BUT, UM, WE HAVE A BALLPARK IDEA, SEAN.
IT'S A MINIMUM OF $200,000 TO, TO NOT DO IT IN THE WAY THAT WE WOULD PREFER ON SPEND WIRES WITH EXTRA POSTS, WITH CAMERAS ON THOSE POSTS TO DO IT RIGHT.
I DON'T KNOW THE COST OF, OF A SIGNALIZE INTERSECTION THERE, JARED, IS HOW MUCH ARE SIGNAL MASSED ARMS THESE DAYS? YEAH.
SO, UM, THE INTEGRATE, THE ADAPTIVES TECHNOLOGY IS APPROXIMATELY A HUNDRED, UM, TO 150,000 IS WHAT WE HAD QUOTED PREVIOUSLY.
AND THEN IF YOU'RE MAKING ANY AESTHETIC CHANGES, MASS ARMS OR ANYTHING, THOSE ARE APPROXIMATELY 150, $200,000 PER FOR THIS SIGNAL.
AND, AND THEN OTHER THING, JUST TO ADD ON TO WHAT MAR SAID, UM, THE COUNTY DOESN'T HAVE ANY ADAPTIVE SYSTEM TECHNOLOGIES ON ANY OF OUR SIGNALS.
UM, AND SO WE JUST DON'T HAVE THE RESOURCES OR THE MANPOWER.
AND SO IT'S, THAT'S THE REASON WHY IT'S HOW IT IS CURRENTLY.
AND JUST TO BE CLEAR THAT WE HAVE TO PUT THE POLES IN BECAUSE IT CAN'T, THE CAMERAS CAN'T HANG ON THE WIRES BECAUSE THEY'D BE MOVING AROUND IN THE WIND, SO THEY WOULDN'T WORK CORRECTLY.
RIGHT? AND AT THIS POINT, WE'RE GONNA PUT IN WHAT, WHAT WOULD APPEAR AND WHAT WILL BE VISIBLE AS TELEPHONE POSTS WITH THE CAMERAS ON THEM WITHOUT THE MASK ARMS. SO SOMETHING THAT WE'RE, WE'RE LEARNING AND TRYING TO FIGURE OUT THE RIGHT WAY TO DO IT SO THAT IT'S EFFICIENT.
UM, WE ALSO, AND, AND HAD SOME DIRECTION FROM TOWN COUNCIL NOT THAT LONG AGO TO PUT THE REST OF THE SYSTEM ON, UM, ON FIBER, WHICH WE'RE MOVING FORWARD WITH.
SO OUR, OUR FOCUS HAS REALLY BEEN TO PUT THE WHOLE SYSTEM ON FIBER.
AND I KNOW THAT AT SOME POINT, THIS WILL, THIS WILL FLUSH ITSELF OUT AS A, AS A PRIORITY OF TAKING THIS SIGNAL IN OUR SYSTEM, MS. BECKER.
SO WHAT IS THE TIMEFRAME? THE WHAT WOULD THE TIMEFRAME FROM THE TIME OF MAKING THAT INSTALLATION SO THAT IT COULD BE INTEGRATED VERSUS THE TIMEFRAME OF CONTINUING TO HAVE THAT TRAFFIC IMPEDIMENT THERE FOUR OR FIVE YEARS AWAY UNTIL WHATEVER COMES NOT WANTING TO SPEND MONEY, GOOD MONEY AFTER BAD.
SO I, BUT WHAT'S THE TIMEFRAME? IS THAT, IS THIS A SOLUTION THAT WOULD CAUSE US SOME RELIEF? UM, AND THE FORMAL DECISION ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THAT AREA WOULDN'T REALLY MATERIALIZE FOR FOUR OR FIVE YEARS.
ISN'T THAT PERHAPS WORTH SOME DOLLARS BEING SPENT, OR AT LEAST SOME CONSIDERATION OF DOING IT AMONG OURSELVES? I BRING THAT TO YOU AND, AND LET'S SAY TOWN
[01:25:01]
COUNCIL APPROVES IT TO MOVE FORWARD.I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY, I'M LOOKING AT SEAN LINEER OVER THERE.
WE'RE WE, LET ME GET BACK TO YOU ON THAT.
MAYBE 90, 120 DAYS BY THE TIME YOU PUT A POST IN THE SIGNAL SYSTEM IN INTEGRATE IT, UM, I THINK THAT THE ONE THING WE REALLY HAVE TO BE REALISTIC ABOUT IS HOW MUCH MORE EFFICIENT WILL THAT SIGNAL BE RIGHT NOW, JARED, NOT TO PUT YOU ON THE SPOT, THAT SIGNAL IS GREEN ON THE THROUGHPUT, MORE THAN 90 WATT PERCENTAGE OF TIME.
I, I USE THAT SIGNAL, UH, SOMEWHAT OFTEN.
AND THAT WHAT THE ADAPTIVE SIGNAL, THAT SYSTEM WILL NOT BE GREENER LONGER, IF NOT MAYBE SECONDS.
SO I JUST, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S, WHAT'S THE, WHAT ARE WE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH AND, AND AT, AT WHAT PACE? I THINK WE REALLY HAVE, YOU KNOW, EMOTIONALLY WE WANT THE SIGNAL, EMOTIONALLY WE WANT IT IN THE SYSTEM, BUT IT'S NOT GONNA, IT'S NOT GONNA KEEP THE GREEN LONGER TO CLEAR ALL THAT TRAFFIC UP.
GETTING TO SQUIRE, POPE AND SPANISH WELLS, EH, THAT MUCH DIFFERENT.
SO NOT MAKING AN EMOTIONAL DECISION AT ALL, ACTUALLY, BASED ON LISTENING TO PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN, UM, CONCERNED ABOUT THE FACT THAT IT HASN'T BEEN INTEGRATED INTO OUR ON ISLAND INTEGRATIVE, UM, LIGHTING SYSTEM, WHICH SOME COMPLAINT ABOUT AND SOME THINK IS WORKING WELL.
IS THERE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US, THOUGH, TO GET THAT DATA SO WE CAN MAKE A, A FACTUAL DECISION? YES.
I'M, I'M GONNA WORK ON THAT AND PLEASE DON'T, BY NO MEANS WAS I SAYING YOU MAKING THAT DECISION.
I MEAN, ME BRINGING THAT FORWARD, SAYING MM-HMM
WE'RE OUR TEAM'S PUTTING THE WHOLE ISLAND ON DARK FIBER RIGHT NOW MM-HMM
WHICH IS A MAJOR, MAJOR LIFT AND A MAJOR, MAJOR IMPROVEMENT.
UM, AND THIS PROJECT RIGHT NOW IN OUR CIP IS UNFUNDED, SO I'D HAVE TO SHUFFLE SOME MONEY AROUND TO MAKE IT WORK WHILE WE'RE WORKING ON ALL OF THIS.
SO, UH, THE TWO THINGS, IT'S A MATTER OF WHAT YOU WANT ME TO PRIORITIZE.
SO TWO THINGS ALONG WITH THAT, UM, THANK YOU TO THE COUNTY FOR CONSIDERING THAT AS AN OPTION.
UM, I WOULD WONDER THOUGH, AT SOME POINT YOU WERE PLANNING ON DOING THAT, IS THERE MONEY WITHIN Y'ALL'S BUDGET THAT HAD BEEN SET ASIDE FOR INTEGRATING THAT LIGHT? AND THEN SECONDLY, MAYBE I'M MISUNDERSTANDING, I THOUGHT THAT THERE WAS A PLAN FROM 95 ALL THE WAY THROUGH TO THE ISLAND TO HAVE ALL OF THE LIGHTS SEQUENCED.
UM, AND SO I'M WONDERING WHERE THAT PIECE OF THIS PROJECT IS.
AND I, AND I CAN ANSWER THAT, AND I KNOW, JARED, YOU MIGHT HAVE TO LEAVE HERE PRETTY SOON.
SO AS PART OF OUR, UM, MOA THAT WAS ADOPTED, UM, BACK IN TWO THOU IN 2022, UM, THERE WAS A COMMITMENT FROM BEAUFORT COUNTY TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL LIGHTS THAT WEREN'T UN ADAPTIVE WERE ADAPTIVE AS, UH, AS PART OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PROJECT.
SO THE ONLY, UM, SIGNALS THAT WE WOULD BE TALKING ABOUT WOULD BE WINDMILL HARBOR, MOSS CREEK, AND THE ONE AT BLUFFTON BLUFFTON PARKWAY.
SO AS THE PROJECT CONTINUES TO MOVE FORWARD, THOSE WOULD BE ROLLED IN TO THE BIGGER, BIGGER PROJECT.
UM, THERE WAS ALSO, AS PART OF THE MOAA COMMITMENT TO, UM, TO EXPLORE THE ADAPTIVE ALL THE WAY OUT TO 95, BUT THERE WAS NO, UH, NO PROJECT FUNDING, UH, ASSOCIATED WITH THAT ELEMENT.
WE APPRECIATE THE COUNTY SO MUCH BECAUSE THEY PAID FOR THE MAJORITY, IF NOT ALMOST ALL OF THE, THE FUNDS TO DATE, UM, OF THE SYSTEM WE HAVE.
SO, UM, I'LL, I'LL START BRINGING FORWARD THE MILL HARBOR SIGNAL TO YOU.
I WAS THINKING WE COULD PACK IT ALL UP IN THE MOA BY THE 31ST, IF, IF WE'RE STILL WORKING THERE, RATHER THAN BRING YOU SOMETHING SEPARATELY IS TRULY WHAT WE WERE WAITING FOR TO TRY TO DO WITH THIS ALTOGETHER RATHER THAN THAT.
AS A ONE OFF, YOUR HONOR, THANK THE MANAGER AND, UH, MR. FELIX ON BEHALF OF THE COUNTY AND MS. TABER WHO HAD TO LEAVE.
UH, THANK, THANK YOU FOR GIVING US MORE INFORMATION TODAY.
I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR THE COMMUNITY HERE.
THERE'VE BEEN A LOT OF QUESTIONS ABOUT IT, AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR THE COMMUNITY HERE.
UM, I, I THINK I UNDERSTAND MR. ORLANDO ABOUT THE HESITANCY, OR NOT THE HESITANCY, BUT THE, UM, THE THOUGHT THAT IT MIGHT BE MORE HELPFUL TO BRING IT TO US LATER AS PART OF THE MARCH 31 DEADLINE, BUT I THINK IF THERE'S A COST ASSOCIATED WITH WHATEVER WE MIGHT WANNA CONSIDER FOR THAT, IT'D BE IMPORTANT TO HAVE THAT AS A PIECE OF THE LONG LIST OF COSTS FOR ALL THE SEGMENTS.
OKAY, DAWN, MAYOR, I'M NOT GONNA SPEND, UH, TOO MUCH TIME ON THE STONY CORRIDOR SECTION.
I THINK WE'VE HEARD REALLY GOOD INPUT FROM TOWN COUNCIL AND UNDERSTAND ALL THE COST ESTIMATES FOR SEGMENTS AND ELEMENTS.
IT'S TOUGH TO FIGURE OUT EXACTLY WHAT, WHAT WOULD BE INCLUDED IN THE STONY MASTER PLAN, BUT GOING BACK TO THE CONSENSUS, YOU KNOW, WE'VE HEARD IF, IF
[01:30:01]
THERE'S NOT A FUNDING PLAN PUT IN PLACE BY MARCH 31ST, S-E-D-O-T WILL FIX THE DEFIC DEFICIENT BRIDGE.SO WE KNOW THAT THE DOT ALLOCATION OF FUNDS AT 72 AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS WOULD FIX THAT, AND THEN WE'D FIGURE OUT WHAT TO DO WITH A LOCAL $80 MILLION REFERENDUM.
SOME OF THE FUNDS MAY HAVE BEEN EXPENDED, BUT THE BALANCE OF THAT THEN THERE'S CONSENSUS IT SOUNDS LIKE, FROM REPLACING ALL EASTBOUND SPANS TO HAVE, UM, THAT REPLACED BASED ON SENATOR DAVIS, UM, LETTER, IT'S ABOUT $258 MILLION TO DO THAT.
WE'LL CONFIRM THE COST AND WHAT'S INCLUDED.
WE'VE HEARD KIND OF WHAT THE DESIGN IS, BUT IF THERE'S CONSENSUS THERE, THEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A ROUGH, ROUGHLY $40 MILLION POT OF FUNDS AND TO UNDERSTAND THE ELEMENTS, SOME BETWEEN MOSS CREEK AND THE BRIDGE WHEN IT STARTS, AND THEN THE BALANCE FROM WHERE THE BRIDGE ENDS ON JENKINS ISLAND ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE CROSS ISLAND.
AND SO I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S PART OF WHAT WE TALK ABOUT WITH S-C-D-O-T, AND THAT'S THE REALLY, I WANNA CALL A LA CARTE, BUT THAT'S THE MENU.
UM, AND THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT WE'RE WALKING IN WITH TO UNDERSTAND WHAT ELEMENTS WE CAN AFFORD.
UM, THERE ARE SOME OTHER, UH, COMPONENTS WE'LL NEED TO FINALIZE ULTIMATELY THE MOA WITH BEAUFORT COUNTY, UM, AND ALSO MAKE SURE THAT THE, UH, UPDATED INTERGOVERNMENTAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN BEAUFORT COUNTY AND THE SIB ONE, THE SIB, IS WILLING TO MAINTAIN THEIR 120 WITH A REVISED SCOPE.
UM, THE MAYOR MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, THE SIB MAY REQUEST TO REDUCE THAT ALLOCATION BASED ON NOW IT BEING A $300 MILLION PROJECT.
SO WE NEED TO MAKE SURE TO TRY TO MAINTAIN THAT FUNDING, IF THAT'S A WILL OF COUNCIL AND COUNTY COUNCIL, UM, AND TO FINALIZE AN AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE COUNTY AND TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT IS, UM, IN, IN FACT THE CASE.
AND THEN ALSO CONFIRM OUR MUNICIPAL CONSENT AGREEMENT THAT WE PROVIDED THAT BACK IN JUNE WITH A MODIFIED PROJECT AND POTENTIAL BASED ON FEDERAL HIGHWAY PROCESS, UM, REQUIREMENTS.
UH, WE NEED TO CONFIRM OUR MUNICIPAL CONSENT AGREEMENT THAT WE'VE, UM, ALREADY PROVIDED AND THEN WHAT WE MAY NEED, UM, TO PROVIDE BEFORE THE, UH, MARCH, UH, 31ST DEADLINE.
AND THEN I WANNA REMIND COUNSEL AGAIN, THE DIRECTION FROM S-C-D-O-T WAS TO COME UP WITH A PLAN TO FUND, UH, UM, THE ADDITIONAL AMOUNT OF AMOUNT FOR THE PROJECT OR COME UP WITH A FUNDING STRATEGY TO WORK WITHIN THE 300 MILLION.
NOT TO, TO HAVE EVERY DETAIL DEFINED ALL DESIGN ELEMENTS, BUT REALLY HAVE A, HAVE AN AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE TOWN AND THE COUNTY ON WHAT THAT FUNDING STRATEGY WOULD BE.
WHAT IS MARCH 31ST AS A DEADLINE? WHAT ISN'T MARCH 31ST AS A DEADLINE? I THINK WE'RE, WE HAVE THIS, WE HAVE TO FIGURE ALL OF THIS OUT BY THE 31ST, AND IF THAT IS MOAS STONY MASTER PLAN, INTERSECTION ALIGNMENT CORRIDOR ALIGNMENT INTERSECTION TYPE, WHETHER ELEVATED OR NOT, I DON'T, I I NOTHING I'VE READ, AND WE'RE GONNA ASK FOR THAT CONFIRMATION WHEN WE'RE WITH DOT, BUT NOTHING THAT I'VE READ NOR HAVE ANY OF MY CONVERSATIONS WITH THE COUNTY, WITH JARED OR, OR MR. MOORE, UM, OR, OR S-C-D-O-T WITH SECRETARY POWELL HAVE INDICATED THAT WE HAVE TO HAVE ALL OF THIS FIGURED OUT BY THE 31ST.
THEY'RE SIMPLY ASKING US IF THE PROJECT THAT WE'RE INTENDING TO BUILD IS A 500 PLUS MILLION DOLLARS PROJECT OR NOT.
AND TODAY I HEARD THAT WE STILL WANT A LOT OF THOSE PROJECT COMPONENTS.
UM, LORD, MAYBE CONSIDERED, BUT I KNOW THAT WE'RE GOING TO HEAR FROM DOT WHEN WE'RE WITH THEM IS WHAT CAN WE BACK INTO THE PROJECT ON? I THINK OUR BIG QUESTION'S GOING TO BE BY, BY LISTENING TO YOU TALK TODAY, AND JARED SAID IT, AND AS MY UNDERSTANDING, IT'S THE SAME AS JARED'S.
THE, THE BRIDGE AS PROPOSED IS THREE LANES PLUS THE BREAKDOWNS, RIGHT? THE 10 FOOT ON ONE SIDE, SIX FOOT ON THE OTHER, 12 TIMES THREE PLUS 10 PLUS SIX, THAT, THAT'S THE BRIDGE.
AND THEY'RE GOING TO STRIPE IT FOR TWO LANES RIGHT NOW BECAUSE THE TWO LANES THROUGH THE CORRIDOR WILL REMAIN, RIGHT? WE HAVE TWO LANES FROM WINDMILL HARBOR.
HOW THAT, HOW THAT WINDMILL HARBOR SIGNAL IS OR ISN'T INTERCEPTED AT THAT, AT, AT THAT LINE IS, IS TBD, RIGHT? THOSE DESIGN T DETAILS.
AND SO I THINK SOMEBODY SAID, WHAT, WHAT'S OUR ABILITY TO INFLUENCE THE PROJECT AND WHAT'S DOT'S, UH, ABILITY TO ACCEPT, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE THERE'S SIB MONEY, AND ESPECIALLY BECAUSE THERE'S FEDERAL MONEY INVOLVED.
OUR, OUR INTENTION TODAY WAS TALK TO YOU ABOUT IT.
I DID HEAR A LOT OF YOU SAY YOU DON'T WANT A THREE LANE WITH A 10 FOOT LANE AND A SIX FOOT LANE BRIDGE.
[01:35:01]
TO GO, FRANKLY, ASK SECRETARY POWELL AND HIS TEAM, ARE YOU WILLING TO ACCEPT A DIFFERENT SIZE BRIDGE WITH SIB MONEY AND FEDERAL MONEY, RIGHT? THAT COMES FROM A CAPACITY BUILDING FUND ON A BRIDGE REPAIR FUND, ONLY A CAPACITY BUILDING FUND.ARE YOU WILLING TO BUILD US A SMALLER, LESS IMPACT BRIDGE AND LEAVE SOME RESIDUAL DOLLARS FOR TRANSFER TO OTHER PART COMPONENTS OF THIS PROJECT? THIS, THIS, THIS IS NOT EASY TO DO AT BEAUFORT COUNTY AND, AND DOT AND US NEED TO HAVE AN HONEST, FRANK CONVERSATION WHEN WE'RE TOGETHER.
JUST ONE THING TO ADD FROM DOT'S POSITION.
SO WHAT THEY'RE LOOKING FROM, MY UNDERSTANDING FROM MARCH 31ST IS A CLEAR CUT ANSWER REALLY FOCUSED ON THE BRIDGE.
AND THE REASONING IS THEY HAVE A, THEY ARE THE OWNER OF THE BRIDGE.
THEY'RE THE OWNER OF THE ENTIRE HIGHWAY, BUT THEY'RE THE OWNER OF THE BRIDGE, AND THEY HAVE A FAILING STRUCTURE THAT IS IN DESPERATE NEED OF REPAIR.
AND THAT, UM, THEIR ULTIMATE GOAL BACK IN BACKWARDS INTO THE PROJECT AND THE SCHEDULE, IS TO HAVE A BRIDGE UNDER CONSTRUCTION IN 2027.
SO THEY NEED A CLEAR DIRECTION SPECIFIC TO THE BRIDGE, AND IF TOWN AND COUNT COUNTY CAN'T GIVE A CLEAR DIRECTION ON A PROJECT AT THAT TIME, THEY WILL MAKE THE EXECUTIVE DECISION OF A PROJECT THEMSELVES TO EXECUTE A BRIDGE CONSTRUCTION IN 2027.
MS. BECK, UM, WHEN YOU WERE TALKING, UH, MARK, OR MAYBE IT WAS SEAN, YOU MENTIONED THE MUNICIPAL CONSENT.
AND I KNOW WE'VE HAD THIS CONVERSATION, AND I DON'T HAVE MY DOCUMENT IN FRONT OF ME, BUT WITHIN THE DOCUMENT THAT WE SENT TO THE COUNTY WITH THE MOA, OUR MUNICIPAL CONSENT WAS CONSIST CONTINGENT ON THE ACCEPTANCE OF THE MOA, WHICH HAS NOT BEEN ACCEPTED.
IN FACT, IT'S BEEN BIFURCATED, IT'S BEEN RED LINED EVERYWHERE.
AND SO I KNOW WE'VE HAD THIS CONVERSATION A COUPLE OF TIMES OURSELVES AND AMONG OTHER GROUPS.
UM, IT IS MY CONTENTION, AND I BELIEVE OTHERS AGREE THAT WE NO LONGER HAVE A VALID MUNICIPAL CONSENT THAT WE'VE OFFERED, BECAUSE I DON'T NEED TO ELABORATE ON THIS.
UM, I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
YOU KNOW, I DON'T, I DON'T WANT TO ELABORATE ON IT EITHER.
I THINK THAT'S A CONVERSATION THAT WE HAVE.
UH, I WILL SAY THAT THAT SECRETARY POWELL HAS BEEN UPFRONT, UM, HE'S BEEN IN CHARGE OF HIS PROJECT WHEN I'VE TALKED WITH HIM.
HE HAS HIS OPINIONS AND HE KNOWS WHAT HE IS ABLE TO PROOF FOR US.
UM, I, I, I CAN SAY THIS, I DON'T BELIEVE THAT DOT BELIEVES THEY HAVE THIS MUNICIPAL CONSENT FROM US, AND THEY'RE COMING TO BUILD THAT PROJECT THROUGH OUR CORRIDOR, THROUGH OUR MUNICIPAL BOUNDARY, WHETHER WE LIKE IT OR NOT, ESPECIALLY SINCE WE DON'T HAVE A SIGNED, EXECUTED, AGREED TO MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT WITH, WITH BUFORT COUNTY.
SO, UM, I, I THINK ALL OF THAT WILL KIND OF RECALIBRATE AND FALL BACK INTO PLACE IF BUFORT COUNTY AND DOT ARE WILLING TO BUILD THE PROJECT YOU ALL ARE STARTING TO TALK ABOUT OUT LOUD.
THAT'S THE POINT OF ME BRINGING IT UP AGAIN, THAT WHILE WE KEEP SAYING THAT OTHERS CONTROL THIS, THE FACT IS WE DO CONTROL THIS.
SO ON A DIFFERENT NOTE, UH, SINCE WE'RE NOT GONNA BE SPENDING TIME TALKING ABOUT THE STONY COMMUNITY, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE TWO POINTS.
I WANTED TO RESPOND TO SOMETHING THAT WAS SAID BY ONE OF MY PEERS AS I'M TALKING ABOUT BETTER CONNECTIONS FOR THE CROSS ISLAND BRIDGE.
I'M NOT SAYING THAT WHAT I'M SEEING TODAY IS SOMETHING THAT I WOULD SUPPORT.
I AGREE THAT WHATEVER NEEDS TO HAPPEN WITHIN THE STONY COMMUNITY SHOULD BE LOW IMPACT.
SO I JUST WANNA MAKE THAT POINT.
DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE, LOW IMPACT.
THE SECOND IS IN REGARD TO THE 2003 STONY PLAN.
SO I WAS NOT AWARE OF THAT, AND I WENT OUT AND GOT IT AND READ IT IS AVAILABLE TO EVERYBODY.
THE TOWN DOES A GREAT JOB OF MAKING ALL THESE RESOURCES AVAILABLE AND TRANSPARENT TO THE PUBLIC.
YOU JUST NEED TO GO OUT TO THE TOWN WIDE WEBSITE AND SAY 2003 STONY THING, AND IT'S ALL THERE FOR YOU TO SEE.
WHAT I FIND AMAZING IS THAT, YOU KNOW, THESE ARE A LOT OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TODAY.
UM, SO IF, IF WE HAVE THE TIME AT ANOTHER MEETING TO TALK ABOUT THE STONY IMPACT, I'D SAY YOU COULD DO YOUR HOMEWORK AND TAKE A LOOK AT THIS DOCUMENT.
LET ME ADD, LET ME ADD SOMETHING.
I, I STILL BELIEVE THAT WE CAN ELIMINATE THESE LIGHTS AND ENHANCE THE STONY AREA, AND WE CAN ALL HAVE TIME TO SIT DOWN AND, AND LOOK AT SOME DESIGN WORK.
I'LL SHOW YOU WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT.
UM, BUT I THINK IT'S A POSITIVE, NOT A NEGATIVE, AARON.
[01:40:01]
ANOTHER PART OF THE STAFF REPORT THAT TALKS ABOUT NEXT STEPS.CAN WE TALK ABOUT NEXT STEPS? RIGHT WHERE I WAS GETTING READY TO GO.
AND I, I DEFER TO STAFF IF THEY WANNA SAY SOMETHING FIRST AND THEN
SO, UM, I THINK WE'VE BEEN PRETTY CLEAR.
WE NEED SOME MORE INFORMATION, UH, FROM, UH, SEDO OT, UH, ALSO AS IT RELATES TO FEDERAL HIGHWAYS, THE SIB.
UM, SO WE WILL HAVE THE MEETING.
THANK YOU FOR, FOR BEING HERE TODAY.
I, I, I PLAN TO ATTEND TO LISTEN TO THE COUNTY DISCUSSION AT THEIR WORKSHOP ON WEDNESDAY, BUT WE'LL, WE'LL, WE'LL BE IN COLUMBIA, UM, TO HAVE THOSE DISCUSSIONS ABOUT COST, UM, ABOUT THE PROJECT COMPONENTS, ABOUT THE, UM, IMPLICATIONS OF THE STATE AND, UH, FEDERAL FUNDING.
THAT'S, UM, THAT'S PART OF THIS PROJECT.
UM, WE'LL PROVIDE AN UPDATE TO TOWN COUNCIL AS A RESULT OF THAT MEETING, AND THEN COME BACK AND HAVE SOME FURTHER, UH, DISCUSSION.
AND, AND I WOULD ADD THERE'S ALMOST A, A TO-DO LIST AS, AS PART OF THE NEXT STEPS, RIGHT? YOU KNOW, I, I THINK THE, OF COURSE, THE OBVIOUS NEXT STEPS OR THE COUNTY MEETING TO SEE WHERE COUNTY COUNCIL STANDS ON THIS MATTER.
IF COUNTY COUNCIL WANTS A THREE LANE BRIDGE WHERE THEIR DOLLARS ARE SPENT, UM, DIFFERENT THAN MAYBE THE MAJORITY OF YOU, LEAST IN CONVERSATION TODAY, WANTING A TWO LANE BRIDGE.
AND I THINK WE NEED TO GET THROUGH THAT COUNTY MEETING.
AND THEN, AND WHEN I SAY THE, THE TO-DO LIST, ALMOST THE LET, WHAT, WHAT DO WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT BEFORE I CAN EVEN PRESENT A NEXT STEP? I, I THINK THAT WE HAVE TO CONFIRM THAT THE DOLLARS ARE THERE, AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, ARE THEY THERE FOR YOUR INTENDED OUTCOME OR ARE THEY THERE FOR ONLY WHAT THE DOT IN BUFORT COUNTY AS A CASE STUDY ARE WILLING TO, ARE, ARE WILLING TO SUPPORT.
THEN THERE IS THE TOWN COUNCIL COMING TOGETHER TO DECIDE ON PATHWAY OR NOT TWO OR THREE LANE BRIDGE OR NOT WINDMILL HARBOR INTER SIGNAL, INTER INTERCHANGE SIGNAL INTERSECTION OR NOT.
WE'LL ADVANCE THE ADAPTIVE SIGNAL IF, IF, IF REGARDLESS, UM, THE INTERSECTION AT SQUIRE POPE, THE IMPROVEMENTS THROUGH SQUIRE POPE, HOW WIDE ARE THE PATHWAYS OR NOT? UM, THE CONNECTION OF THE BIKE PATH OFF ISLAND, BUT DEFINITELY A CONNECTIVITY ON, UM, ARE WE GOING TO INCLUDE IN OUR PROJECT ASK AND, AND, AND NEED NOT A WANT, UH, AN ELEVATED PEDESTRIAN CROSSWALK AS PART OF THE PRO AS PART OF THE 300 MILLION.
SO THERE'S ALL OF THOSE THINGS THAT I NEED FROM YOU TO MORE OR LESS COLLECTIVELY AGREE ON, BECAUSE WE'VE GOTTA BAKE THOSE BACK INTO THE MOA WITH BUFORT COUNTY.
THAT'S, THAT'S WHERE, AND, AND I'VE BEEN TRYING NOT TO SAY THIS, THE RUBBER HITS THE ROAD IN TERMS OF US MOVING THIS PROJECT FORWARD.
UM, THEN WE HAVE TO BRING FORWARD A STONY AREA MASTER PLAN.
WE ARE NOT GOING TO REINVENT THE PLAN THAT, THAT, THAT Y'ALL ARE REFERENCING IT, IT'S IN, IT'S IN PLACE.
WE'RE GOING TO BRING FORWARD WHAT I THINK THAT THIS COMMUNITY DESERVES THAT WE DON'T HAVE YET.
NOR NOR DO I HAVE, WHAT IS THE, WHAT, WHAT ARE WE TALKING ABOUT? IF IT'S A THREE LANE BRIDGE AND A TWO LANE BREAKDOWN, WHAT IS THAT? THERE'S, THERE HAS TO BE SOME CONCEPTUAL PLAN.
THERE'S GOTTA BE SOME ILLUSTRATION THAT SHOWS THE COMMUNITY, RIGHT? IT, IT, THEY NEED TO ALIGN WITH WHAT THE PICTURE LOOKS LIKE, NOT WHAT THE WORDS ON PAGE, YOU KNOW, ONE THROUGH NINE LOOK LIKE.
AND SO I THINK THAT ILLUSTRATIVE MASTER PLAN IS DEFINING A TWO-LANE, OR A THREE-LANE BRIDGE, AN INTERSECTION AT SQUIRE POPE OR AN ELEVATED SECTION.
LIKE I REALLY THINK THAT THAT'S WHAT THAT MA THAT'S WHAT MY PERSPECTIVE OF THE MASTER PLAN LOOKS LIKE.
AND THEN I THINK OF SOME RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE FUTURE.
WE SAY STOP AT 300 MILLION THERE, THERE COULD BE FUNDS TWO YEARS FROM NOW THROUGH A FEDERAL GRANT THAT COULD FUND SOME PEDESTRIAN ELEMENT OR AN INTERSECTION IMPROVEMENT.
UH, IT, IT'S A MATTER OF WHAT YOU'RE WILLING TO TELL OR ASK ME TO DO WITH SOME RECOMMENDATION AFTER THIS $300 MILLION IS SPENT.
AND SO I THINK THERE'S THAT AS PART OF THE PATH FORWARD.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, THE OPINION OF PROBABLE COST AND ALL THOSE THINGS ARE, ARE PART OF THAT.
AND THEN MOST IMPORTANTLY TO ME IS THE, IS THE FINALIZING THE MOA WITH BEAUFORT COUNTY AND HILTON HEAD ISLAND, THE FINALIZING THE IGA WITH BEAUFORT COUNTY AND THE S CIB FOR THE MONEY.
AND THEN I WOULD ALSO PUT IN HERE CONFIRMING, BECAUSE I DIDN'T KNOW HOW ELSE TO EXPLAIN THAT, BUT CONFIRMING THE SOUTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION MUNICIPAL CONSENT AGREEMENT.
I'VE MISSED SOMETHING, BUT I, I THINK THOSE ARE A, A GOOD HANDFUL OF US GETTING TO A DECISION POINT.
AND I WOULD SAY, I DON'T THINK THAT ALL OF THAT IS BEFORE THE DECISION POINT OF DO YOU WANT TO CHASE $500 MILLION FOR THE PROJECT YOU PROPOSED AS PART OF THE MOA, ESPECIALLY WHEN SIB AND DOT GAVE US
[01:45:01]
A DEADLINE.DOES THAT HELP? YES, MR. BROWN, THE ONLY THING THAT I WOULD, I WOULD ADD THERE, MR. ORLANDO, UM, TO COUNCILWOMAN TURNER'S QUESTION EARLIER WAS WHAT ARE THE RULES OF ENGAGEMENT HERE? AND I HATE TO KEEP BEATING THIS HORSE, BUT, UM, THERE'S SEVEN OF US HERE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT TO TELL YOU.
AND THE COUNTY HAS 11 OF THEM TRYING TO TELL MR. MOORE WHAT TO DO, AND THERE'S STILL A DISCONNECT THERE.
OKAY? UM, I DON'T MIND GOING TO THE MEETING ON WEDNESDAY, DRIVING TO BEAUFORT TO DO SO,
UM, BUT MANY OF THE COUNTY COUNCIL MEMBERS FROM A POLICY PERSPECTIVE, THEY'RE NOT UNDERSTANDING THE IMPACTS AT THE SAME LEVEL THAT WE ARE.
OKAY? THEY ARE LOOKING AT IT FROM A FINANCIAL STANDPOINT, SOLELY.
THAT'S UNFORTUNATE, BUT IT'S A REALITY.
UH, SO I WANNA UNDERSTAND FOR US AS A COUNCIL, HOW WE GET THOSE TWO TRACKS TO ALIGN, YOU KNOW, WHAT DOES THAT REALLY LOOK LIKE? OKAY.
UM, BECAUSE THE QUESTION THAT I POSED TO CHAIRWOMAN HOWARD WHEN SHE WAS IN ATTENDANCE WAS, DID YOU MARK UP THE MOA OR DID STAFF? AND THE RESPONSE WAS THE STAFF DID IT.
SO I, I WANNA UNDERSTAND FROM, FROM YOU AND YOUR CONVERSATION WITH MICHAEL MOORE IN CONVERSATION WITH YOU AND CHAIR HOWARD, HOW IS THAT GOING TO WORK? BECAUSE IT HAS NOT WORKED IN THE PAST.
I, I WROTE SOME WORDS DOWN TODAY, RIGHT? ONE WAS FUNDING, AND I THINK THAT WE'RE CLOSER TO UNDERSTANDING THE, THE OTHER'S COSTS, RIGHT? HOW ARE THOSE FUNDING BREAKDOWN IN COSTS? WHAT IS OUR ABILITY TO INFLUENCE? AND IF SO, WHAT ARE OUR OPTIONS? AND SO, UH, NO, I'M, I'M TRACKING A LOT OF THIS.
I'M PRETTY CLEAR WHEN I ASK FOR, AND Y'ALL HAVE BEEN WITH ME ALONG THE WAY THROUGH WITH THIS PROJECT, SO I APPRECIATE YOUR, YOUR FEEDBACK AND YOUR SUPPORT AND YOUR TRUST.
AND I'M, WE'RE JUST GONNA KEEP PUSHING.
I DO THINK THAT SOMETIMES WHEN THINGS ARE THIS, WELL, I WOULD CALL IT CLOSE TO MAKING A DECISION, JUST GETTING IN A ROOM, ROLLING UP YOUR SLEEVES AND, AND HAVING YOUR CLOSED DOOR DISCUSSION IS VERY IMPORTANT.
SO I APPRECIATE THAT, THAT, UH, THAT I'M NOT JUST GOING THERE WITH SEAN TO COME BACK AND SAY, I PROMISE THAT'S WHAT THEY SAID.
I I NEED SOME HELP THERE PERSON, SIR.
UH, BEFORE I FORGET, I HAD ONE OTHER QUESTION ABOUT THE COST, UM, AND ASKING S-E-D-O-T.
UM, AND THAT IS IT, UH, WE DID RECEIVE FEEDBACK FROM JUSTIN POWELL ON JUNE 27TH, 2024.
UM, AND, UH, PART OF THAT FEEDBACK SAYS THAT, UM, S-E-D-O-T IS WILLING TO PROVIDE, UH, THE FUNDING, UH, LET ME SEE IF I CAN FIND THE RIGHT PLACE.
UM, THEY CALL IT A COMMUNITY MITIGATION PACKAGE WITH THE ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT.
UM, AND SO IT SAYS, UM, WITH REGARD TO STONY HISTORIC COMMUNITY IMPROVEMENT, NUMBER THREE, IN RESPONSE TO QUESTIONS ABOUT THE STONY IMPROVEMENT PLAN, SAYS S-E-D-O-T INTENDS TO HONOR THE COMMUNITY MITIGATION PACKAGE.
THEY'VE CAPITALIZED COMMUNITY MITIGATION, PROPOSING ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT.
I'D LIKE TO KNOW HOW MUCH MONEY IS IN THAT, THAT COULD BE USED FOR THE STONY AREA.
UM, AND, AND WITH REGARD TO NEXT STEPS, UM, I'M A LITTLE CONCERNED, UH, ABOUT THE MEETING AT WITH S-E-D-O-T, UM, IN THAT I THINK IT SHOULD BE INFORMATION GATHERING AND THERE SHOULD BE NO COMMITMENTS.
UM, I'M A LITTLE CONCERNED, UH, AND I RESPECT MR. DISIMONE, BUT ABOUT RE TAKING REDESIGN IDEAS TO S-E-D-O-T THAT THE FULL COUNCIL HAS NOT LOOKED AT OR, OR GIVEN ANY QUESTIONS OR SUPPORT TO.
UM, AND, AND THE LAST THING I'LL SAY ABOUT NEXT STEPS IS I, I RECOGNIZE THE CHALLENGE OF TRYING TO SET A MEETING SCHEDULE BETWEEN NOW AND THE END OF MARCH
UM, AND TO MAYBE INSTEAD OF PICKING CERTAIN MEETING DATES TO ESTABLISH CERTAIN MILESTONES, I THINK SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES USE THAT BEFORE, AND MAYBE WE USE LIKE DURING THE FIRST WEEK OF FEBRUARY OR THE FIRST WEEK OF MARCH.
SO WE HAVE SOMETHING TO KEEP US FOCUSED ON HOW TO MOVE FORWARD, TO DO WHAT WE NEED TO DO, AND, AND THEN FLEXIBILITY TO CHANGE IT WITHIN THAT TIME PERIOD.
BUT I THINK UNLESS AND UNTIL WE CAN SEE THE PATH FORWARD, WHICH INCLUDES HOW TO WORK WITH OUR COUNTY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES AND COME TO AN AGREEMENT, HOW TO MOVE FORWARD IN THOSE STEPS SO THAT WE ARE NOT HERE AT MIDNIGHT ON MARCH 31, TRYING TO MAKE A
[01:50:01]
DECISION.UM, AND, AND I WAS LOOKING TO SEE, I THOUGHT I SAW OUR TOWN ATTORNEY HERE.
WE HAVE A, A REGULARLY SCHEDULED MEETING NEXT TUESDAY, UM, FEBRUARY 4TH.
UM, AND, AND I HAVEN'T SEEN THE AGENDA YET, BUT IF, IF I COULD ASK THE MAYOR TO INCLUDE ON THE AGENDA REPORT ON THIS PROJECT, AND, AND IT MAY NOT BE A FULL BLOWN REPORT.
IT MAY SAY, WE WENT TO SEE S-E-D-O-T AND WE HAVE SOME INFORMATION AND WE'RE GONNA SHARE THAT AT OUR NEXT MEETING, SOMETHING LIKE THAT WITH THE OPPORTUNITY, I'M GONNA ASK THE MAYOR TO ASK THE TOWN ATTORNEY CAN, UH, IF WE DO HAVE MORE INFORMATION AT THAT MEETING, BUT NOT, NOT THE STAFF REPORT IS NOT READY AT THAT MEETING, COULD WE AT THAT MEETING CONTINUE THAT AGENDA ITEM TO ANOTHER DATE AND TIME CERTAIN TO RECEIVE THAT INFORMATION? SO WE'RE NOT ALWAYS HAVING TO FIGURE OUT CALENDARS AND, AND, AND, UM, FIGURE OUT TIMING.
SO COULD WE TAKE THAT ACTION ON FEBRUARY FOUR TO CONTINUE IT, THAT PARTICULAR TOPIC TO A DATE AND TIME? CERTAIN, I, I, I, I THINK WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO ADD A, JUST A, AN AGENDA ITEM, A TOPIC, UM, THAT COULD BE A STANDING TOPIC ON THE AGENDA, SO THAT CAN BE ADDRESSED.
AND WHAT I'M CONCERNED ABOUT IS THE TIME.
UM, BUT WHAT I'M CONCERNED IS ABOUT THE TIME BETWEEN OUR REGULAR MEETINGS, UM, SO THAT IF WE WANTED TO MEET, SO THAT MEETING WAS, IS THE FOURTH.
IF WE COULD MEET ON, UH, AND NOW I THINK WE FREED UP THE REST OF THAT WEEK BECAUSE THE STRAT PLAN WORKSHOP IS PUSHED LATER IN THE MONTH.
YOU KNOW, IF WE NEED TO MEET ON THURSDAY OR FRIDAY OF THAT WEEK, THEN WE COULD CONTINUE IT TO THAT DATE AND TIME CERTAIN FROM FEBRUARY 4TH OR WHENEVER ELSE WE MIGHT MEET.
I, I KNOW THAT WE'VE GOT, UM, SOME WORKSHOPS COMING UP AS WELL, SO WE'LL, WE'LL TAKE A LOOK AT THAT AND SEE WHAT WE CAN DO.
JUST TRYING TO, JUST MOVING FORWARD AND HAVE A PLAN.
JUST SECONDING THAT, THAT, THAT IS, THIS IS MM-HMM.
TOP PRIORITY WITH A DATE THAT WE HAVE TO HAVE SOME CONSENSUS IN AGREEMENT.
SO, UM, I WOULD SECOND, UM, PATSY'S, UM, SUGGESTION THAT WE HAVE IT.
I THINK THE IDEA OF HAVING IT AS A STANDING AGENDA ITEM IS VERY HELPFUL.
UM, BUT ALSO TO HAVE THE, A DATE WHERE WE KNOW WE CAN REGROUP AND COME BACK TOGETHER TO HAVE SOME CONVERSATION.
I, I ALSO HAVE AT THE TOWN COUNCIL MEETING, I CAN ADD, YOU KNOW, A TOWN MANAGER UPDATE ON, ON THIS AND WHATEVER ELSE, BUT WE'LL, WE'LL DO THAT, WHICH I THINK, AND THE BENEFIT OF TODAY'S MEETING WHEN SOME OF US WERE WONDERING WHY WE'RE MEETING IS TO SIMPLY PUT A DATE IN PLACE TO FORCE US TO PUSH THIS FORWARD.
I, I THINK WHAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THOUGH IS TO KNOW STAFF HAS A, A, A, A PATH FORWARD.
I WILL TELL YOU THAT ALL OF THIS WORK IS NOT GOING TO GET DONE BY MARCH 31ST, AND THAT'S NOT WHAT WAS ASKED OF YOU.
AND SO I KIND OF, I'M NOT, I'M HEARING A COUPLE THINGS.
I'M, I'M SAYING IT, I'M JUST NOT SURE THAT IT, THE, MY MESSAGE IS BEING CLEAR ENOUGH BY THE 31ST, WHAT'S BEING ASKED FOR IS OUTLINED IN SECRETARY POWELL'S NOVEMBER 18TH, 2024 LETTER WHERE HE HAS IT BOLD AND UNDERLINED, OR AT LEAST UNDERLINED.
A DECISION MUST BE MADE BY THE 31ST.
IF THE PROJECT IS CONTINUE, IS TO CONTINUE WITH FUNDING IDENTIFIED FOR CONSTRUCTION.
HE'S ASKING US ABOUT THE BRIDGE BY THEN.
THERE IS A PATH FORWARD AND A, AND A LIST OF MILESTONES, A A MILE HIGH, UM, OF WHAT WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT AT SOME POINT, THE MOA WITH BUFORT COUNTY, PROBABLY NOT BY THE 31ST.
THE DETAIL ON THE INTERSECTION AT SQUIRE POPE, HOW THE GREEN STAYS GREENER, WE GO UP AND OVER IS NOT BY THE 31ST.
HE, HE SIMPLY, THEY, THEY'VE SIMPLY ASKED US, AT LEAST I'M VERY CLEAR WITH THIS.
I'M TRYING TO BE, I'M CLEAR FROM THEM.
THEY'VE ASKED THE COUNTY, THE COUNTY HAS ASKED US IF WE ARE WILLING TO FUND A GAP OF A COUPLE HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS BASED UPON OUR PROJECT WISHLIST, AND IF SO, HOW BY THE 31ST, THAT'S ALL THEY'RE ASKING US.
AND SO I THINK WE HAVE SOME WORK TO DO.
NOT THAT I WANT TO PUSH THIS OUT, UH, A LOT FURTHER, BUT KNOW THAT AS WE'RE PUTTING THIS, THIS PATH FORWARD TOGETHER, I DON'T KNOW HOW TO PUT IT TOGETHER UNTIL I MEET WITH BUFORT COUNTY AND DOT IN ONE ROOM.
ANYTHING ELSE ON THE NEXT STEPS? OKAY.
UM, KIM, DO WE HAVE ANYBODY THAT SIGNED UP TO SPEAK? WE DO.
ANDY, DALE, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE STAFF.
UM, I'M ONE OF THE FEW PEOPLE HERE WHO, REMEMBER WHEN THE BRIDGE WAS KNOCKED OUT IN 1974, I WITNESSED PEOPLE HIRING BOATS,
[01:55:01]
TRYING TO SCRAMBLE TO GET HOME.AND IT WAS NOT A PRETTY SIGHT.
UH, WE WENT THROUGH WEEKS AND WEEKS OF A PONTOON BRIDGE.
WE CANNOT AFFORD TO HAVE A ONE LANE BRIDGE TO HILTON HAD.
AND CONSIDERING THAT THE LARGEST PERCENTAGE OF PEOPLE IN HILTON HAD GROWING POPULATION IS OVER 65, AND I'M WELL WITHIN ONE OF THOSE, THOSE PEOPLE, IF THEY THOUGHT IT WAS ONLY ONE WAY ON AND OFF, I THINK YOU'D SEE 'EM START MOVING TO BE WITH THEIR KIDS SOMEWHERE ELSE.
WE ALSO THINK PEOPLE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THE TRAFFIC.
WELL, EVERY MAJOR CITY THAT I KNOW OF HAS A BRIDGE GOING INTO IT.
IF IT'S ON THE WATER, PEOPLE DON'T MIND IT WHEN THEY, BUT IF THEY CAN'T GET HERE BECAUSE WE'RE THE LONG ISLAND PARKING LOT, THEY'LL HAVE A CONCERN.
PEOPLE DON'T HAVE TO LIVE HERE TO OWN A SECOND HOME.
THEY HAVE TO WANT TO LIVE HERE.
IF THEY CAN'T GET HERE, THEY WON'T COME HERE.
THEY'LL SELL AND GO SOMEWHERE ELSE.
AND WE'RE SEEING IT TODAY THAT BUSINESSES ARE NOT COMING TO HILTON HAD TO WORK BECAUSE IT TAKES TOO LONG TO GET HERE.
AND THE BRIDGE THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, DOT REPLACING WAS ORIGINALLY BUILT WITH WOODEN STANCHIONS.
THEY'RE COVERED BY CONCRETE ONE BARGE AWAY.
WE DON'T HAVE A ONE BRIDGE, SO WE NEED TO GET OFF THE DIME.
AND WE'VE BEEN ANALYZING IT TILL WE NOW HAVE A PARALYSIS.
AND WE NEED TO MAKE A DECISION WITH TOM DAVIS'S PROPOSAL, WHICH IS MONEY THAT WE HAVE, WHICH IS, IT'S GREAT TO SEE A POLITICIAN SAY, LET'S SPEND THE MONEY THAT WE HAVE.
UM, WITHOUT THAT, DOING DO T'S GONNA BUILD ONE BRIDGE, AND THAT'S NOT WHAT WE CAN AFFORD TO GO THROUGH.
AND I WOULD NOT WANT TO BE A COUNTY COUNCIL MEMBER HAVING TO ANSWER THE QUESTION OF WHY WE'RE LIVING WITH ONE BRIDGE.
AND BUSINESSES CAN'T GET EMPLOYEES AND, AND TOURISTS CAN'T GET HERE.
IT JUST, IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD DO.
UM, IT'S IN THE BEST INTEREST OF OUR VISITORS ACCESS TO HILTON AND OUR, OUR RESIDENTS, ESPECIALLY OUR OVER 65 RESIDENTS.
HOW DO WE GET OFF IF WE NEED TO? WE NEED TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM.
WE HAVE A, WE HAVE A CONCRETE DECISION TO MAKE.
NOT WHAT WE'D LIKE TO HAVE, NOT WHAT WE WANT TO HAVE.
AND I, I AGREE WITH WHAT MARK SAID.
WE CAN, WE HAVE TWO YEARS BEFORE WE EVEN START A CONSTRUCTION.
WE CAN WORK ON SOLUTIONS FOR STONY.
AND I THINK WE WILL, BUT WE HAVE TO MAKE A DECISION.
AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S SHOCKING TO ME THAT THEY SAY WE WANT YOU TO MAKE A DECISION WHEN IT'S NOT OUR BRIDGE.
AND THAT, AND ACCORDING TO THE DOT ENGINEER, THERE ARE GUIDELINES FROM THE FEDERAL DEPARTMENT OF WHEN THERE WILL RUN OUT.
SO PLEASE VOTE FOR TOM DAVIDSON DECISION.
I AM JENNY JACKSON AND I APPRECIATE YOUR SERVICE AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR ALL THE INFORMATION YOU'VE GIVEN US TODAY.
I'M A RESIDENT OF HILTON HEAD PLANTATION.
I HAVE TWO CHILDREN IN HILTON HEAD HIGH SCHOOL.
MY HUSBAND IS A SHERIFF'S DEPUTY WITH THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT AND IS A SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICER.
I'VE LIVED HERE FOR SEVEN AND A HALF YEARS.
I'M URGING YOU ALL TO VOTE IN FAVOR OF, UH, SENATOR DAVIS'S PROPOSAL.
TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE, THE TIME TO SIT HERE AND TALK ABOUT IT AND THROW AROUND IDEAS AND THINK OF THIS, AND THAT IS DONE.
THERE IS A, UM, PLAN IN PLACE FOR STONY AS THE MAYOR OR AS THE, UM, TOWN MANAGER SAID THAT WE CAN USE THAT IN WHAT WE DO.
UM, MY CHILDREN DRIVE OVER THAT BRIDGE.
I GO OVER THAT BRIDGE TO, TO SCHOOL ACTIVITIES AND THINGS.
I DON'T NEED TO SEE TRAFFIC PATTERNS TO KNOW THAT THERE'S A PROBLEM.
WE NEED TO GO WITH THE THREE LANE BRIDGE.
AND THEN WE NEED, UM, TO USE THAT FUNDING TO MAKE SURE THAT WHAT WE DO HERE ON THE ISLAND IS GOOD.
YES, WE ALL WANT A GOOD LOOKING BRIDGE.
WE ALL WANT IT TO HAVE THE SAME, UM, AESTHETICS THAT CHARLES FRAZIER ORIGINALLY HAD FOR THE ISLAND.
MY GRANDPARENTS FIRST BROUGHT PROPERTY HERE IN 1960, SO I'VE BEEN COMING HERE FOR A VERY, VERY LONG TIME.
LOVE THE ISLAND, WANT IT TO STAY WHERE IT IS.
BUT SAFETY IS THE FIRST PRIORITY.
WE ALL NEED TO BE ABLE TO GO GET OFF WHEN THERE'S AN EMERGENCY.
OUR CHILDREN NEED TO BE ABLE TO TRAVEL SAFELY BACK AND FORTH ACROSS THAT BRIDGE.
WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO HAVE BUSINESSES COMING TO THE ISLAND, PEOPLE COMING TO THE ISLAND TO WORK SO THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO HAVE THE LIFESTYLE THAT WE, THAT DREW US HERE IN THE FIRST PLACE.
SO I AM URGING YOU TO PLEASE TAKE ACTION.
DO NOT SIT AND TALK ABOUT IT ANY LONGER.
VOTE FOR TOM DAVIS'S PROPOSAL.
KEEP US ALL SAFE AND SHOW US THAT WE ELECTED YOU FOR THE RIGHT REASONS.
SHE HAD TO LEAVE CHRISTOPHER CLIFF.
[02:00:01]
WELL, OTHER THAN REMARKS MADE BY MR. SIMONE AND MARK HAVE BEEN GOBSMACKED BY A LOT OF OTHER HER TODAY.UM, YOU SEEM TO HAVE FORGOTTEN THE IMPORTANCE OF, UH, SENATOR DAVIS' LETTER.
HE ALSO, WHEN HE STOOD HERE, EXPLAINED THAT FOR THE LEISURE TRAIL, THAT WOULD ADD $40 MILLION TO THE 250 MILLION FORECAST FOR THE EASTBOUND BRIDGE.
$40 MILLION FOR A LEISURE TRAIL, OKAY.
I'VE ALSO HEARD, AGAIN TODAY, YOU MUST READ THE STONY INITIATIVE AREA PLAN.
WELL, I'VE BEEN HERE SINCE THE END OF 2000, AND THE CHANGES TO STONY ARE QUITE REMARKABLE.
AND WHEN THEY STARTED PUTTING THAT PLAN TOGETHER, THEY TOOK THEM THREE YEARS.
AND THE STONY TODAY IS VERY DIFFERENT TO THE STONY THEN.
BUT THAT PLAN, WHICH, UH, DREW ON THE COMMENTS OF 50 LOCAL RESIDENTS, RECOMMENDED CHANGES TO TRADITIONAL CULTURAL PROPERTY AND DISPLACEMENT OF TRADITIONAL CULTURAL PEOPLE, MUCH GREATER THAN ANY PROPOSAL FROM S-C-D-O-T AND BEAUFORT COUNTY.
SO I SEE ABSOLUTELY NO POINT IN RECOMMENDING PEOPLE TO READ THAT PLAN.
OKAY, NOW, SENATOR DAVIS PROPOSED A PACT AND HE'S QUITE CLEAR AND MARK IS VERY CLEAR WHAT YOU'VE BEEN ASKED TO, TO ACHIEVE BY THE 31ST OF MARCH.
A LOT OF WHAT YOU COME OUT WITH TODAY THAT YOU'RE CONSIDERING, IT'S GOT ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO DO WITH THE QUESTION YOU'VE BEEN ASKED.
SO IT'S A VERY SIMPLE QUESTION.
AND HE'S ALSO SAID IN HIS LETTER THAT THE ON ISLAND PROJECT COULD POSSIBLY FORM A SEPARATE PROJECT AND HE MIGHT BE ABLE TO SAY THE FEDERAL HIGHWAYS TO SEE IT THAT WAY.
AND IT MIGHT WELL LEAD TO ADDITIONAL FUNDING.
SO GET REAL FOCUS ON WHAT YOU'VE BEEN ASKED TO DO.
STOP ALL THIS NONSENSE ABOUT NICE TO HAVES AND HYGIENE FACTORS AND ANSWER THE DAMN QUESTION.
AND YOU HAVE VERY LITTLE INFLUENCE OVER THE DESIGN OF THE BRIDGE.
AND FROM WHAT I'VE HEARD TODAY, PLEASE KEEP OUT OF IT.
GOODNESS KNOWS WHAT WE'LL END UP WITH.
WE'LL END UP WITH A WILDED BEAST INSTEAD OF A THOROUGHBRED UH HORSE.
AND IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT A WILDED BEAST IS, I SUGGEST YOU LOOK THAT UP RATHER THAN LOOK UP THESE, UH, STONY AREA INITIATIVE PLAN.
AND LASTLY, I'D LIKE TO SAY THIS NONSENSE ABOUT AN OVERPASS HAS GOTTA BE PUT TO BED.
IF YOU WANNA BUILD AN OVERPASS, IT'S GOTTA BE A MINIMUM OF 17 FEET, FIVE INCHES HIGH.
IT'S GOTTA BE ABLE TO SATISFY THE AMERICAN DISABILITIES ACT.
IT'S GOTTA BE ABLE TO COPE WITH GOLF CARTS, WITH BIKES, WITH PROJECTIONS.
IT'S A HUGE FOOTPRINT AS WELL AS BEING UGLY AND VERY EXPENSIVE.
DO WHAT MARK'S ASKED YOU TO DO.
AND FOR GOODNESS SAKE, LET'S MOVE ON.
PETER CHRISTIAN, MR. MAYOR, MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL, MARK SEAN, UH, PETER CHRISTIAN FOR THE RECORD.
GENERAL MANAGER OF BOTH HEAD PLANTATION, ALSO PRESIDENT OF THE JARVIS CREEK CLUB, POA THAT IS OFF OF SPANISH FALLS ROAD WHERE THERE'S A LOT OF DEVELOPMENT THAT'S GOING ON.
SUPPORT SENATOR DAVIS'S VISION FOR THE BRIDGE.
THREE LANES REVERSIBLE, POSSIBLY ONE OF THEM COLLECTIVELY.
YOU GUYS ARE THE SMARTEST PEOPLE IN THE ROOM, AND YOU NEED TO CONVEY THAT MESSAGE TO THESE TWO PEOPLE OVER HERE.
AND YOU NEED TO LET THEM REPRESENT US.
GET THE INFORMATION THAT WE NEED TO MAKE AN INTELLIGENT DECISION AND THEN LET THE ENGINEERS DO THEIR JOB.
DO NOT DISCOUNT, I'M NOT MARRIED TO IT.
SOME TYPE OF A GRADE SEPARATED INTERSECTION.
YOU'RE ONLY GONNA HAVE ONE SHOT AT THIS.
YOU MAY FIND THAT IT'S SOMETHING THAT MAY BE BENEFICIAL.
DO NOT WANT THE BROOKLYN QUEENS EXPRESSWAY OR THE CROSS BRONX EXPRESSWAY BY ANY EXPRESS IMAGINATION.
HOWEVER, SOMETHING THAT MOVES THAT TRAFFIC THROUGH THAT CORRIDOR SAFELY AND IN DEFERENCE TO THIS PEOPLE IN STONY NEEDS TO BE, NEEDS TO BE LOOKED AT.
SO LET THIS GUY AND THIS GUY DO THEIR JOB.
UH, THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK HERE TODAY.
[02:05:01]
UH, I AM THE OWNER OF THE BIKE DOCTOR ON NEW ORLEANS AND ALSO HILTON HEAD BICYCLE COMPANY ON ARROW ROAD.UM, CONSIDERING BOTH THOSE SHOPS TOGETHER, WE ARE THE LARGEST PROVIDER OF SERVICE AND SALES OF BIKES ON HILTON HEAD.
AND WE HAVE A FLEET OF ABOUT 4,000 RENTAL BIKES THAT WE ALSO, UH, DISTRIBUTE THROUGHOUT THE ISLAND.
THE GUIDING PRINCIPLES CURRENTLY BEING USED TO GOVERN THE DESIGN OF THE BRIDGE HERE TODAY, YOU ALL WENT OVER, UM, INCLUDED, UH, BIKE PEDESTRIAN PATHWAYS, UH, WITH THE REDUCTION IN THE BUDGET.
I'M HERE TO IMPLORE THE TOWN COUNCIL, UH, TO INSIST ON KEEPING PATHWAYS IN FUTURE DESIGNS.
BIKING ON HILTON HEAD IS A SIGNIFICANT DRIVER OF ECONOMIC ACTIVITY.
THERE ARE OVER 35 BIKE RENTAL SHOPS, AND WHEN YOU ADD IN THE RESORTS WHO HAVE THEIR OWN, UH, RENTAL FLEETS, IT PUSHES THE NUMBER OVER 50 PLACES WHERE YOU CAN RENT A BIKE ON THIS ISLAND.
AS A RESULT, WE'RE A SIGNIFICANT EMPLOYER IN THE TOWN AND UNDERSTAND SOME OF THE CHALLENGES THAT COME WITH, UH, HIRING PEOPLE ON HILTON HEAD.
UM, RENTAL BIKES ARE A COMMON WAY FOR VISITORS TO EXPLORE THE ISLAND, BUT ALSO HELPS 'EM GET TO PLACES WHERE THEY SPEND MONEY.
IT IS IMPORTANT THAT BIKING ON HILTON HEAD IS CAREFULLY CONSIDERED IN ALL FUTURE PLANS FOR THE TOWN AND ALSO FOR BEAUFORT COUNTY.
BIKING IS RECREATION, BUT IS ALSO TRANSPORTATION FOR OUR WORKFORCE.
I ALSO WANNA SHARE THAT ON A REGULAR BASIS.
WE HAVE CUSTOMERS COME INTO OUR VISITORS, COME INTO OUR SHOP THAT WANNA RENT BIKES AND GO TO PINKNEY ISLAND, AND WE TELL 'EM, YOU, YOU CANNOT.
IT'S, UH, UNLESS YOUR ESTATE PLAN IS UP TO DATE, IT'S NOT POSSIBLE FOR YOU TO ACTUALLY RIDE YOUR BIKE OUT THERE.
AND THAT'S A REALLY DISAPPOINTING THING FOR VISTAGE TO OUR ISLAND.
I WAS THINKING ABOUT THE, THE RAVENEL BRIDGE IN CHARLESTON QUITE A BIT BECAUSE MY MOM SPENT THREE YEARS LIVING AT A COMMUNITY THAT WAS BUILT JUST ON THE MOUNT PLEASANT SIDE OF THE RAVENEL BRIDGE.
IT WAS BUILT TO REPLACE TWO BRIDGES.
ONE WAS DESIGNED IN THE 1920S AND THE OTHER IN THE 1960S.
IT WAS INTERESTING IN WATCHING HER TIME THERE, HOW MUCH ACTIVITY WAS BEING BUILT ON PATRIOTS POINT RIGHT THERE, APARTMENT COMPLEXES, YOU KNOW, ALL KINDS OF HOUSING, AND HOW MANY PEOPLE THEN USED THE BRIDGE TO COMMUTE OVER INTO CHARLESTON.
IT LED TO A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF GROWTH ALL THROUGHOUT MOUNT PLEASANT.
UH, I MENTIONED THAT BECAUSE, UM, IT BECAME A COMMUTER WAY TO GET INTO THE, THE, THE CITY, BUT ALSO A SOURCE OF EXERCISE.
AND MY MOM AT 80 WAS PROUD TO HAVE ACTUALLY WALKED THE 2.7 MILES ACROSS WONDER WAY.
IT WAS A BIG MILESTONE FOR HER.
UM, AND SO AS WE CONSIDER, UH, HILTON HEAD AFTER THE COMPLETION OF THE NEW BRIDGE SYSTEM, I THINK IT'S REASONABLE TO THINK THERE'S GONNA BE INCREASED GROWTH IN THE MOSS CREEK AND BLUFFTON AREAS.
UM, AND THOSE PEOPLE ARE GONNA COME TO HILTON HEAD TO ENJOY OUR AMENITIES, BUT THEY'RE ALSO GONNA BE COMING FOR EMPLOYMENT.
EVERY BIKE AND EVERY E-BIKE THAT CROSSES OVER THAT BRIDGE AND EVERY PEDESTRIAN THAT WALKS WILL NOT NEED A PARKING SPACE WHEN THEY COME TO HILTON HEAD.
UM, ACCESSIBILITY IS A CRITICAL THING AND I ASK THAT YOU CONSIDER IT'LL BE DECADES BEFORE WE'RE ABLE TO DO THIS AGAIN IF WE DON'T DO IT NOW.
DAVID KIMBALL, STAY WITH ME HERE FOR A SECOND.
CAN I PASS SOMETHING OUT? YOU CAN GIVE IT TO HER AFTER.
MY NAME IS, UH, GOOD AFTERNOON TOWN COUNCIL MEMBERS.
THANK YOU FOR THE, UH, OPPORTUNITY TO BE HERE TODAY.
I'M, UH, DAVE KIMBALL, PRESIDENT OF LOW COUNTRY BIKE WALK ADVOCATES.
WE ARE A, UH, 5 0 1 C3 NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION FOUNDED IN 2022, AND WE WORK UNDER THE UMBRELLA OF THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF THE LOW COUNTRY.
I WAS A MEMBER OF THE BEAUFORT COUNTY TASK FORCE THAT SELECTED THE BIKE WALK PATHWAYS THAT ARE LISTED IN THE BEAUFORT COUNTY, UM, CONNECTS PLAN.
AND OUR GOAL AS ADVOCATES IS TO SEE THE BCC PLAN BE IMPLEMENTED.
SO OUR ORGANIZATION EMPLOYS THE NATIONALLY KNOWN FIVE E STRATEGY FOR WALKING AND BIKING ACCOMMODATIONS, EQUITY ENGINEERING, EDUCATION, ENCOURAGEMENT AND EVALUATION.
BRIEFLY, I WILL USE THESE EASE TO OFFER AN OPINION ON WHY THERE NEEDS TO BE A SAFE BIKE PAD INFRASTRUCTURE ON THE NEW BRIDGE.
BUILDING A PROJECTED PATH ON THE NEW BRIDGE SHOULD BE BUILT TO CURRENT AASHTO STANDARDS, 10 FEET MINIMUM, PREFERABLY 12 TO
[02:10:01]
ACCOMMODATE TWO WAY TRAFFIC.PLUS THERE ARE GONNA BE E-BIKES AND NEW BICYCLE DESIGNS OVER THE NEXT 40 YEARS.
IT NEEDS TO BE SEPARATED FROM TRAFFIC SIMILAR TO THE WAY THE RAVENEL BRIDGE IS SEPARATED FROM ITS BIKE PATH IN CHARLESTON.
IN MY OPINION, IF YOU BUILD THE BRIDGE WITH ONLY A SIX FOOT WIDE SHOULDER, THE PROJECT WILL BE A FAILURE FOR BIKE PED USERS.
ALSO, ENGINEERING IS BUILDING THE PATH SO IT ADHERES TO THE COMPLETE STREET POLICIES THAT S-C-D-O-T ADOPTED IN 2021.
EXCUSE ME, I QUOTE FORMER DOT SECRETARY HALL WHO SAID THE GOAL OF THE POLICIES TO MAKE HIGHWAY SYSTEMS SAFE AND ACCESSIBLE TO ALL USERS, DRIVERS, PASSENGERS, BICYCLISTS, PEDESTRIANS, AND TRANSIT RIDERS.
PROPER PLANNING IS KEY TO ENSURING THAT THE APPROPRIATE LEVEL OF MULTIMODAL ACCOMMODATIONS ARE PROVIDED IN THE RIGHT CONTEXT, ON THE RIGHT PROJECT AND IN THE RIGHT MANNER TO MEET THE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY.
A SAFELY DESIGNED BRIDGE PATHWAY WITH PROPER ENGINEERING WILL SATISFY THE OTHER NEEDS OF EQUITY, EDUCATION AND ENCOURAGEMENT.
AND OF COURSE, EVALUATION WOULD COME AFTER THAT WAS ALL BEEN DONE.
THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE BCC PLAN, WHICH I PASSED OUT A COPY TO EVERYBODY, IS, UH, AND IT'S BEEN ACCEPTED BY ALL THE MUNICIPALITY, MUNICIPALITIES IN THE LOW COG AREA, IS TO BUILD A SPINE NETWORK.
AND THE PURPOSE OF THE SPINE IS TO CONNECT NORTHERN BEAUFORT COUNTY TO SOUTHERN BEAUFORT COUNTY AND TO CONNECT HILTON HEAD TO THE MAINLAND.
AM I DONE? YEAH, YOUR YOUR TIME IS UP.
I GIVE YOU A LITTLE EXTRA TIME.
SO I WAS
I WAS GONNA TELL YOU ABOUT ALL THE ECONOMIC IMPACT FROM CHARLESTON, GREENVILLE, WHATEVER.
HOPEFULLY, HOPEFULLY THAT'S WHAT YOU GAVE US.
I'LL GO AHEAD AND PASS FRANK BABEL.
MY NAME IS FRANK BABEL AND I WAS INVOLVED IN THE ORIGINAL, UH, STUDY AND I WAS A STAKEHOLDER, SO I WASN'T INVOLVED IN THIS FOR A LONG TIME.
IN THE LATE 19, UH, EIGHTIES, FUNDING EFFORTS SUCCESSFULLY RAISED FUNDS TO BUILD A BRIDGE ACROSS THE COOPER RIVER CONNECTING CHARLESTON TO MOUNT PLEASANT.
THE BRIDGE DESIGNED DID NOT INCLUDE ANY BIKE PASSAGE, SO LOCAL GROUPS FOUNDED A GRASSROOTS CAMPAIGN.
THE DESIGN WAS CHANGED, ADDITIONAL FUNDING WAS FOUND IN WASHINGTON, AND THE BRIDGE WAS CONSTRUCTED WITH A PATHWAY THAT FOR 20 YEARS, HAS BEEN HIGHLY POPULAR AND CONTRIBUTED TO AREA GROWTH AND SAFETY.
THERE IS A SIMILARITY BETWEEN THE US 2 78 BRIDGE ISSUE AND THE RAVENEL BRIDGE PROJECT.
WHILE THE IMPETUS IN CHARLESTON TO MOVE FORWARD WITH BRIDGE PIKE BED FACILITIES WAS MOTIVATED BY THE ROADWAY DEATH OF A NAVAL OFFICER TRAINING FOR THE OLYMPICS ON THE ROAD AND THE BRIDGE AT THAT TIME HERE, THERE HAS BEEN SUPPORT FOR BIKE PET FACILITIES SINCE DAY ONE BY THE PUBLIC PUBLIC OFFICIALS AND S-C-D-O-T BIKE.
PET CONNECTIVITY ON THE BRIDGE ALSO IS SUPPORTED BY THE BEAUFORT COUNTY CON CONNECTS BIKE PLED MASTER PLAN, WHICH HAS BEEN OFFICIALLY APPROVED BY LATS AND ALL LOCAL MUNICIPALITIES AND COUNTY PARTIES.
PART OF THIS INTEREST REFLECTS A 20 YEAR BIKING BOOM IN THE UNITED STATES.
AND OVERSEAS OFFICIALS REALIZE THE AVAILABILITY OF ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE, SUCH AS BIKE LANES, PASS, AND TRAILS CONTRIBUTE TO PUBLIC SAFETY.
IT BOOSTS LOCAL ECONOMIES, IT HELPS CREATE REAL ESTATE VALUE AND PROMOTES ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH.
AND IN LIVABILITY GOALS, THIS IS HOW PLAYING OUT THIS IS PLAYING OUT IN HILL NET ISLAND AS BIKING IS THE TOP FIVE AMENITY WITH 38 BUSINESSES NOW RUNNING BIKES.
BIKES ARE INCREASINGLY BEING USED FOR COMMUTING TRANSPORTATION AND ENJOYMENT AND GETTING TO THE BEACH AND LOCAL ATRA ATTRACTIONS BY RESIDENTS AND GUESTS.
I SENT YOU AN EMAIL ABOUT BIKE SAFETY INVESTMENT AND EC ECONOMIC BENEFITS THIS WEEKEND.
WE BELIEVE IN LOOKING AT THIS VERY CAREFULLY, THAT THE ONLY VIABLE BIKE P DESIGN OPTION WITH THE SELECTED ALTERNATIVE IS A PATHWAY ON THE SOUTH OR EAST SIDE OF THE NEW BRIDGE.
IF WE WANT SAFE BIKE PED CONNECTIVITY BETWEEN THE MAINLAND AND THE ISLAND TO FULLY CONNECT WITH PINKNEY ISLAND TO SCALE UP FOR ECHO TERRORISM, TO BECOME A PLATINUM LEVEL BIKE FRIENDLY COMMUNITY
[02:15:01]
AND TO PROVIDE IMPROVED COUNTYWIDE MULTIMODAL CONNECTIVITY, WE REALLY HAVE NO CHOICE.PLEASE ALSO REMEMBER THAT EVERY BIKE THAT GOES ACROSS THE BRIDGE IS ONE LESS CAR TO PARK ON HILTON HEAD.
AND FOR PEOPLE WHO CAN'T AFFORD AUTOMOBILES OR WANT ALTERNATIVE TRANSPORTATION, E-BIKES WILL BE A VIABLE W WAY TO CONNECT.
SO PLEASE, WHAT YOU'RE DECIDING NOW IS A ONCE IN A GENERATION TIME, IT'LL BE 20 YEARS BEFORE ANYTHING ELSE IS BUILT.
IF THIS IS NOT BUILT, YOU DON'T SLAP ON A PATHWAY BESIDE A BRIDGE THAT'S BEING BUILT.
UM, THANK YOU MEMBERS OF COUNCIL.
UM, I AM THE CHAIRMAN OF THE TRAFFIC COMMITTEE, WINDMILL HARBOR, WHICH HAS BEEN A SUBJECT OF SOME DISCUSSION THIS AFTERNOON.
UM, I WOULD FIRST LIKE TO UNDER, LIKE FOR YOU TO UNDERSTAND THAT THE WINDMILL HARBOR STOPLIGHT THE TRAFFIC LIGHT IS NOW AND HAS BEEN AND ALWAYS WILL BE A SAFETY PROJECT.
IT TOOK US 15 YEARS TO GET, UH, FROM WHERE WE ARE TO WHERE WE, WHERE WE WERE, TO WHERE WE ARE NOW HAVING A SAFER PASSAGE, UH, COMING ONTO THE ISLAND.
AND WHAT YOU NEED TO UNDERSTAND IS IT'S NOT JUST THE PEOPLE IN WINDMILL HARBOR THAT ARE SAFER.
IT'S EVERY MAN, WOMAN, AND CHILD WHO COMES ONTO HILTON HEAD ISLAND AND SOME TYPE OF AUTOMOBILE OR SOME TYPE OF MOTOR VEHICLE.
AND SO IT'S MUCH SAFER NOW THAN IT HAS BEEN.
IT IS, UH, QUITE HONESTLY A VERY EFFICIENT STOPLIGHT.
UM,
I DON'T, IT'S NOT TO SAY THAT WE OBJECT TO, UH, CONNECTING IT WITH THE REST OF THE ISLAND, BUT IT IS VERY EFFICIENT AS IT IS RIGHT NOW.
UH, IT IS VERY LITTLE TIME THAT ANYBODY HAS HELD UP COMING THROUGH THAT LIGHT.
THE SECOND THING I'D LIKE TO PICK UP ON SOMETHING THAT JARED SAID, AND I SPEAK TO YOU NOT AS THE, NECESSARILY AS THE CHAIRMAN OF THE TRAFFIC COMMITTEE WINDMILL HARBOR, BUT AS AN ENVIRONMENTAL LAWYER, UH, WHO PRACTICED ENVIRONMENTAL LAW BOTH INSIDE NIGHTSIDE GOVERNMENT FOR 40 YEARS.
UH, THE, YOU'VE HAD A LOT OF DISCUSSION ABOUT DIFFERENT OPTIONS AND FLYOVERS AND WHAT HAVE YOU.
UM, ONE THING YOU NEED TO UNDERSTAND OR THINK ABOUT IS THAT THAT'S A FUNDAMENTALLY DIFFERENT PROJECT THAN THE ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT THAT'S ON THE STREET RIGHT NOW.
UH, AND I JUST AS A CASUAL OBSERVATION OF LOOKING AT IT, THAT'S GONNA BE PROBLEMATIC IN IMPLEMENTING ANY OF THE IDEAS THAT YOU HAVE INSOFAR AS FLYOVERS OR ANY OF THAT IS CONCERNED.
THAT DOESN'T EVEN TOUCH UPON, UH, THE NOTION OF FUNDING FOR THOSE THINGS BECAUSE I DON'T THINK, AND I'VE WATCHED CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS, I'VE LEARNED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT 'EM IN THE LAST FEW YEARS.
I DON'T THINK THAT THE $300 MILLION OR THE $298 MILLION THAT YOU'VE GOT NOW IS GONNA COVER THAT.
SO THAT MEANS YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO FIND A LOT MORE MONEY, UH, THAN YOU, THAN YOU, THAN YOU HAVE IN YOUR POCKET RIGHT NOW.
IF THAT'S WHAT YOU WANT TO DO.
I THANK YOU AGAIN FOR LISTENING TO ME AND I, I HOPE YOU WILL TAKE IT TO HEART, PARTICULARLY ABOUT THE SAFETY ASPECT OF THE WINDMILL HARBOR TRAFFIC LIGHT.
HELLO, I'M TOM CRUISE AND MR. MAYOR, COUNCIL AND STAFF.
I HERE AFTER BEING HERE FOR 39 YEARS, I'VE SEEN THE GROWTH AND THE IMPACT AND UM, WITH ALEX BROWN, WE STUDIED ON THE, UH, UM, CORRIDOR COMMITTEE FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS.
WE LOOKED AT A LOT OF OPTIONS I'VE SEEN WITNESSED AND AS AN ARCHITECT PARTICIPATED IN THE GROWTH IN THIS COMMUNITY IN THE 39 YEARS I'VE BEEN HERE.
I'M SPEAKING, UH, PRIMARILY BECAUSE I NOW LIVE IN WINDMILL HARBOR.
AND WINDMILL HARBOR IS A WONDERFUL COMMUNITY AND HAS A LOT OF TRAFFIC ISSUES THAT ARE CONNECTED TO THIS CONVERSATION.
WE HAVE ABOUT 350 RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES THERE.
WE'VE GOT A LARGE MARINA THERE, WE'VE GOT A YACHT CLUB.
AND A LOT OF NON-RESIDENTS ARE COMING BEYOND THE FOLKS THAT LIVE THERE, BOTH THE MARINA AND THE YACHT CLUB.
THERE'S AN IMPACT AT THAT INTERSECTION AND IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE USED
[02:20:01]
TO SAY, I USED TO SAY IS THAT BEFORE THE LIGHT, WE LIVED BY THE GAP, TRYING TO GET IN AND OUT OF THERE WAS A CHALLENGE AND IT WAS DANGEROUS.THE LIGHT HAS MADE A BIG, BIG DIFFERENCE.
AND NOW WE SAY WE LIVE BY THE LIGHT.
AND THE OTHER PART IS THE ACCELERATION LANE.
THE RIGHT TURN OUT OF THERE HAS MADE A HUGE IMPACT.
WITHOUT THAT, IF THERE IS A LIGHT, IT'S GONNA CAUSE AN AWFUL LOT OF IMPACT ON THE TRAFFIC.
THE ACCELERATION LANE AND THE LIGHT ARE VERY, VERY IMPORTANT.
AND I THINK IN CONSIDERATION OF ALL THE THINGS THAT WE'VE LOOKED AT, TALKED ABOUT, I WOULD LIKE TO EXPRESS WINDMILL HARBOR'S CONCERN THAT THAT BE AN ISSUE THAT IS ADDRESSED.
WELL, AND I THANK YOU FOR ALL OF THE EFFORT THAT YOU'VE GOING THROUGH.
I KNOW IT'S NOT SIMPLE 'CAUSE I'VE BEEN PART OF IT FOR A LONG TIME.
UM, YOU DO HAVE LEVERAGE, LOTS OF LEVERAGE.
SENATOR DAVIS HAS SAID AT THIS PODIUM NUMEROUS TIMES THAT HILTON HAD DRIVES THE BUS PRIMARILY BECAUSE HILTON HAD, AS YOU ALL KNOW OR SHOULD KNOW, IS A CASH COW FOR THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA.
AND HILTON HEAD DOES NOT NEED NOR WANT AN 11 LANE MONSTER BRIDGE.
YOU GOT A LOT OF WORK LEFT IN 60 DAYS.
GIVEN THE VARIETY OF OPTIONS AND OPINIONS THAT I HEARD TODAY, IT'S CRITICAL THAT THIS COUNCIL USE THE NEXT 60 DAYS AND DON'T, OF COURSE WAIT UNTIL MARCH 31ST TO LOOK AT EVERY IDEA A SECOND TIME, SOMETIMES A THIRD, A FOURTH TIME, AND THEN TO COLLECTIVELY DECIDE ON A COURSE OF ACTION.
YOU'RE GONNA EARN YOUR SALARY IF YOU DO IT RIGHT.
NOW, AT THE LAST 2 78 WORKSHOP, I POSED THIS QUESTION TO ALL COUNCIL MEMBERS, WOULD YOU COMMIT TO NO MORE SECRET MEETINGS ON THIS ISSUE? I ASKED FOR A SHOW OF HANDS.
IT WASN'T FOR PURPOSES OF PUBLICITY.
MAYOR PERRY PUT HIS HAND UP HALFWAY.
ALL OF YOU AND MAYOR PERRY IN PARTICULAR HAVE CAMPAIGNED ON A PLATFORM OF TRANSPARENCY.
WE NEED MORE TRANSPARENCY, NOT LESS.
AND IT'S MY HUMBLE OPINION, THAT'S THE PRIMARY REASON WHETHER COUNTY BOND REFEREND WAS REJECTED.
OVERWHELMINGLY, THERE WAS NO TRUST IN COUNTY GOVERNMENT.
THE TOWN COUNCIL SHOULD CONSIDER WORKSHOPS AND MEETINGS AT A TIME OTHER THAN 1:00 PM AND 3:00 PM MANY OF US, MYSELF INCLUDED, ARE RETIRED.
THE 1:00 PM AND 3:00 PM MEETINGS.
THOSE ARE GREAT, VERY CONVENIENT 'CAUSE WE STILL HAVE TIME TO GET TO THE EARLY BIRD SPECIALS, RIGHT? BUT WHAT ABOUT THOSE RESIDENTS WHO STILL WORK FOR A LIVING? THOSE RESIDENTS ARE BEING DISENFRANCHISED.
I RECALL ASKING MARY PERRY AT HIS VERY FIRST MEETING AFTER HIS ELECTION, WHY DID THE COUNT COUNCIL ALWAYS MEET AT 3:00 PM YOU KNOW WHAT HIS ANSWER WAS? THAT'S THE WAY IT ALWAYS HAS BEEN.
GIVE THOSE RESIDENTS WHO WORK FOR A LIVING EQUAL ACCESS TO THE INFORMATION AND DECISIONS YOU MAKE IN PARTICULAR ON THIS CRITICAL ISSUE OF 2 78 AND THE BRIDGE, THEIR VOICES SHOULD BE HEARD.
YOU REPRESENT THEM AS WELL AS US.
MEMBERS OF COUNCIL, UH, TOWN STAFF.
IS THIS WORKING? UM, I JUST FELT THE URGE TO COME UP HERE, UM, A MOMENT AGO WHEN I HEARD, UM, MARK ORLANDO, WHO I HAVE A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF RESPECT FOR CHARACTERIZING WHAT HE THOUGHT THE CONSENSUS WAS THAT HE WAS TAKING AWAY WITH FROM THIS CONVERSATION.
I DID NOT HEAR AN OVERWHELMING MAJORITY OF PEOPLE AGAINST A THREE-LANE BRIDGE COMING ON AND OFF THE ISLAND.
I DID HEAR, UH, A VOCAL COUNCILWOMAN AND ANOTHER VOCAL PERSON.
I HEARD CONCERNS, I HEARD DISCUSSIONS, QUESTIONS THAT NEED TO BE ANSWERED, BUT I DEFINITELY DIDN'T HEAR AN OVERWHELMING, WE DON'T WANT A THREE LANE BRIDGE.
AND, AND I I WANTED TO MAKE SURE BECAUSE YOU HAD SAID THAT WAS WHAT YOU THOUGHT YOU WERE HEARING FROM EVERYONE.
AND, AND THE OTHER THING IS, LET'S TALK ABOUT THE REFERENDUMS FOR A MINUTE.
UH, LET'S GET BEAUFORT COUNTY MOVING AGAIN WAS OUR BIG THING.
[02:25:01]
THE REFERENDUM PASSED.OVERWHELMINGLY, EVERYBODY DISCUSSED A THREE-LANE BRIDGE.
THAT WAS THE TOPIC OF CONVERSATION.
THE REFERENDUM JUST PASSED AGAIN ON HILTON HU IF, IF WE'RE REPRESENTING OUR CONSTITUENTS, WE HAVE TO TAKE A LOOK AT THAT AND SAY IT PASSED HERE.
IT MAY NOT HAVE PASSED IN OTHER AREAS OF THE COUNTY, BUT IT PASSED ON HILTON HEAD ISLAND.
IT PASSED ON HEAD ISLAND, PLEASE.
UM, SO I THINK THAT YOU'RE DOING A DISSERVICE IF WE'RE NOT LOOKING AT TOM DAVIS' PLAN THAT HE PRESENTED TOWARDS YOU.
I WOULD HOPE THAT ALL OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE SERIOUSLY CONSIDERING THAT PLAN, UNDERSTANDING YOU HAVE QUESTIONS, CONCERNS, AND OTHER THINGS THAT YOU NEED CLARIFIED FOR YOU.
VERY SUPPORTIVE OF STONY AND MAKING SURE WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN HAPPENS THERE.
UM, THE SENATOR'S PLAN DID INVOLVE THAT AS WELL.
SO I, I JUST SAT HERE AND I DID NOT HEAR THIS BIG CONSENSUS, SO I JUST FELT THE NEED TO GET UP AND SAY.
I DON'T COME HERE OFTEN, UM, BUT THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR SERVICE THAT YOU'RE DOING AND MAYOR PERRY, UH, I'M A LOCAL REALTOR HERE AND I KNOW HOW IMPORTANT THE TRAFFIC IS.
SO I AM SUPPORTING, UM, SENATOR DAVIS AND, AND THE CONSTITUENTS TO GET THIS DECISION MADE.
UH, THE LAST THING WE WANT IS ONE LANE.
I'VE ALREADY HAD CLIENTS THAT HAVE DECIDED NOT TO BUY HERE BECAUSE OF THE TRAFFIC THEY SEE BLOCKED UP, UM, BACKED UP.
SO I JUST URGE YOU TO GO AHEAD AND MAKE THE DECISION AND GET US THE BRIDGE.
LASTLY, STEVEN BEAR, THANK YOU FOR SQUEEZING ME IN.
I THINK WE MAINLY AGREE ON SENATOR DAVIS' PLAN AND GET IT DONE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
I THOUGHT I HEARD THAT PRETTY CLEARLY.
AND NUMBER TWO, I THINK IT'S A VERY GOOD IDEA THAT YOU ALL GO UP AND TALK TO S-C-D-O-T-E AND UNDERSTAND THE FUNDING AND ENGINEERING CONSTRAINTS OF THIS PLAN.
I'VE BEEN CRITICAL IN THE PAST, BUT THAT'S A VERY SMART MOVE.
WE HAVE TO GET TO THE CROSS ISLAND PARKWAY, HOWEVER WE FIGURE OUT HOW TO FUND IT.
WE MUST GET TO THE CROSS ISLAND PARKWAY AND NOT STOP AT SPANISH WELLS ROAD.
MR. BROWN, IF YOU LOOK AT WAYS, WHICH IS A COMPUTER ROUTING SYSTEM, AND YOU AT FIVE O'CLOCK PUT IN THAT YOU WANT TO GET OFF THE ISLAND, YOU ALL KNOW THE ANSWER.
IT GOES THROUGH STONY, IT DETOURS UP THROUGH GUMTREE AND COMES BACK ON SQUIRE POPE THAT DESTROYS ALL THE TRAFFIC MEASUREMENTS.
S-C-D-O-T USED AND GOES THROUGH YOUR COMMUNITY FOR LOCAL TRAFFIC, FOR YOUR LOCAL COMMUNITY, FOR THROUGH TRAFFIC THAT SHOULDN'T HAVE TO GO THERE.
IT'S BECAUSE THERE'S A FAILING MERGE THAT EVERYONE HAS IGNORED IN THE PLANNING SO FAR.
YOU HAVE TO FIX THAT CIP CROSS ISLAND PARKWAY CONNECTION PROBLEM.
UH, LASTLY, THE DEVIL'S IN THE DETAILS.
HEARD A LOT OF TREMENDOUSLY GOOD IDEAS HERE.
YOU NEED TO START DRAWING SOME DIAGRAMS. THE DEVIL IS IN THE DETAILS AND IF YOU DON'T START TO DRAW PICTURES, YOU WON'T SEE THOSE DETAILS.
EVEN IF YOU THROW 'EM AWAY LATER, THERE ARE THREE OR FOUR MAJOR IDEAS THAT EVER COME AROUND THE TABLE HERE.
WE NEED TO START TO SEE PICTURES OF THOSE.
AND MAYBE MKSK, WHO DOES A VERY GOOD JOB AT THIS, CAN BE HIRED.
JUST GIVE US SOMETHING TO LOOK AT.
I THINK YOU SAID THAT A A MINUTE AGO.
UH, KIM, DOES ANYBODY SIGN UP FOR, UH, NON AGENDA ITEMS? NO, SIR.
UM, SEEING THAT, THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR TIME.
WE, WE CAN TALK AFTERWARDS, BUT, BUT THANK Y'ALL FOR YOUR TIME.
DO WE HAVE A MOTION TO ADJOURN? MOVED.
ALL IN FAVOR SIGNIFY RAISING RIGHT HAND.