[00:00:01]
CLOSED CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY BEAUFORT COUNTY.
[1. CALL TO ORDER]
THIS IS GONNA BE A SHORT INVOCATION.DEAR LORD, FOR BRINGING HILTON HEAD COUNCIL AND BEAUFORT COUNTY COUNCIL TOGETHER FOR PROBABLY ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT CONSTRUCTION DECISIONS, UM, IN MANY, MANY YEARS.
PLEASE KEEP THE CROWD CIVIL, AND WE'LL DO OUR BEST WORK.
THIS MEETING WAS ADVERTISED IN, IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT AND, AND WAS ADVERTISED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THAT, I'D LIKE TO ENTERTAIN A MOTION
[4. APPROVAL OF AGENDA]
FROM COUNTY COUNCIL FOR APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA.I HAVE A MOTION BY MS. TABER NECK.
SECOND THAT I SECOND BY MS. BROWN.
IS THIS FEEDBACK TOO MUCH FOR THE CROWD, OR IS IT IT IS IN THE BACK.
I, WE'LL SEE IF THERE CAN BE SOME ADJUSTMENTS MADE.
NEED TO TAKE ACTION, UH, BY ACCEPTANCE, BUT WITH NO OBJECTION.
[5. REVIEW OF SCDOT PROPOSALS RECEIVED ON JANUARY 30, 2025]
OF THE SOUTH CAROLINA DOT PROPOSALS RECEIVED ON JANUARY 30TH, 2020, 25.MR. FRA AND MR. WYNN ARE GONNA COME FORWARD.
I HOPE EVERYONE HAD A CHANCE TO LOOK AT THEIR PACKET.
UM, THIS IS A WONDERFUL SITE TO SEE BOTH TOWN COUNCIL AND COUNTY COUNCIL, UM, HERE TOGETHER.
UM, AND IF YOU HAVEN'T NOTICED, WE'VE GOT INTERMINGLING OF COUNCIL MEMBERS AND, UM, ON BOTH SIDES.
AND THIS IS THE DEFINITION OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT, AND THIS IS TO THE CROWD OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT WORKING AND DOING THE WORK OF ITS PEOPLE.
SO I JUST KUDOS TO EVERYBODY HERE AND APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY.
UM, SO WE HAD A COUNTY COUNCIL MEETING WHERE WE SHARED, UM, INPUT FROM A DOT MEETING THAT THE TOWN AND COUNTY STAFF, UH, AND SOME COUNCIL MEMBERS, UM, WERE, WENT TO COLUMBIA AND SHARED THE COMMENTS AND THE OPTIONS THAT THEY PROVIDED AS FAR AS COST AND, UM, DIFFERENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE PROJECT AND LAYOUTS.
AND WE HAD CRAIG WYNN, WHO IS THE PROJECT MANAGER FOR DOT, COME AND PRESENT THOSE WITH MR. JOHN BOYLESTON.
AND, UM, THEY OBLIGED TO COME BACK AND I BELIEVE FOLLOWING OUR MEETING A MONDAY A WEEK AGO, UH, TOWN COUNCIL HAD A COUNCIL MEETING WHERE SEAN, THE PROJECT MANAGER FOR THE TOWN, UH, COVERED THOSE SAME OPTIONS THAT WERE DISCUSSED AT OUR MEETING.
AND EVEN THOUGH THEY'VE BEEN DISCUSSED ON BOTH SIDES, WE THOUGHT IT WAS FITTING FOR EVERYBODY HERE COLLECTIVELY AS WELL AS THE PUBLIC TO HEAR THOSE OPTIONS.
AGAIN, UM, WE PUT THIS INFORMATION OUT LATE MONDAY AFTERNOON OR TUESDAY MORNING, UM, WHEN THE AGENDA WAS POSTED.
AND SINCE THEN, DOT HAS PROVIDED AN UPDATE JUST MOSTLY VISUALLY, BUT THE SAME INFORMATION.
AND SO IT WILL LOOK A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THAN WHAT WAS SHARED IN THE AGENDA PACKET, BUT EACH OF YOU COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE THIS HARD COPY IN FRONT OF YOU, AND THEN THIS, THIS MORE AESTHETICALLY PLEASING VERSION WILL BE SHOWN ON THE SCREENS, UM, FOR YOU TO FOLLOW, FOLLOW ALONG.
SO WITH THAT, I WILL TURN THAT OVER TO MR. CRAIG WYNN, AND THEN WE CAN, AFTER HE'S DONE, HOWEVER, MADAM CHAIR, IF YOU WANT TO HAVE, UM, QUESTIONS AT THAT POINT OR WE CAN PROCEED THROUGH THE, THE REST OF THE AGENDA AND,
[00:05:01]
UM, AND TAKE QUESTIONS LATER AT A LATER POINT, HOWEVER YOU'D LIKE TO DO THAT.UM, SO AGAIN, WE'LL, WE'LL DISCUSS THE SIX OPTIONS, REALLY.
YEAH, THERE'S FOUR NEW OPTIONS ALONG WITH THE, JUST REPLACING THE EASTBOUND MACKEY CREEK BRIDGE, WHICH IS WHERE THE PROJECT STARTED AT.
SO, UM, REALLY THE FIRST OPTION, UM, IS TO REPLACE BOTH THE EASTBOUND MACKEY CREEK AND EASTBOUND SKULL CREEK BRIDGE.
SO IT'S, IT IS A, THE FIRST OPTION IS JUST BRIDGE REPLACEMENT WITH THE ASSOCIATED ROADWAY WORK TO TIE THOSE BRIDGES IN.
UM, AND THEN THE, EITHER THE EASTBOUND OR WESTBOUND SKULL CREEK BRIDGE WOULD BE REPURPOSED AS ACCESS TO PINKNEY ISLAND.
SO THERE, THOSE BRIDGES WOULD FLY.
THE NEW EASTBOUND BRIDGE WOULD FLY OVER PINKNEY ISLAND LIKE THE ORIGINAL, UH, PROPOSAL DID FOR THE BRIDGES.
UM, BUT THE SKULL CREEK BRIDGES WOULD BE UTILIZED TO PROVIDE THAT ACCESS.
UM, PART OF WHAT LED TO THAT IS THOSE TWO BRIDGES ARE TIED TOGETHER, SO IT MAKES DEMOLITION VERY DIFFICULT TO REMOVE ONE AND KEEP THE OTHER ONE.
SO IT WAS BETTER TO REPURPOSE IT THAN DO A BUNCH OF ADDITIONAL CONSTRUCTION WORK IN THAT AREA.
IT DOES INCLUDE THE HOG ISLAND CONNECTOR TO CONNECT, UH, MARINERS COVE AND HOG ISLAND BACK TO JENKINS ISLAND.
SO THERE IS A SEPARATE BRIDGE THAT CROSSES TO CONNECT THOSE COMMUNITIES OVER TO JENKINS ISLAND, AND THEN IT WOULD TIE BACK INTO THE SIGNAL AT WINDMILL HARBOR, UM, ENTRANCE THERE.
UM, IT'S STILL UP IN THE AREA IF THE CONNECTION WOULD MAKE BACK TO JENKINS ROAD OR NOT.
THAT'S KIND OF FURTHER DISCUSSION AT THAT TIME, IS WHETHER THAT CONNECTION'S MADE JUST TO REDUCE THE NUMBER OF, UM, ACCESS POINTS THROUGH JENKINS ISLAND AS WELL.
UM, THE SECOND OPTION, SO THAT ONE WOULD BE WITHOUT THE MULTI-USE PATH.
SO THE SECOND OPTION IS TO ADD A MULTI-USE PATH, SAME TYPE OF PROJECT, JUST, IT'S JUST THE BRIDGE.
UM, I WILL GO BACK AND WILL SAY THAT THOSE, THOSE BRIDGES ARE PROPOSED AS ENOUGH WIDTH FOR A FUTURE THIRD LANE WITH FULL SHOULDERS THAT DOES HELP FACILITATE THE REPLACEMENT OF THE OTHER BRIDGES IN THE FUTURE WHEN THEY NEED TO BE REPLACED 20, 30 YEARS DOWN THE LINE THAT WE CAN PUT BOTH EASTBOUND AND WESTBOUND TRAFFIC ON THE NEW BRIDGE STRUCTURE.
OR IT FACILITATES IF THERE IS A, UM, YOU KNOW, A HURRICANE OR AN EARTHQUAKE THAT THOSE BRIDGES WOULD STILL BE STANDING SO THAT THERE IS A LIFELINE STRUCTURE TO HILTON HEAD, UNLIKE THERE IS TODAY.
SO THE SECOND OPTION WOULD ADD THE MULTI-USE PATH TO THAT BRIDGE.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S THE ONLY DIFFERENCE IS IT WOULD ADD ADDITIONAL WIDTH FOR A MULTI-USE PATH THAT IT WOULD NOT TIE INTO THE EXISTING, UM, ROADWAY OR PATHWAY SYSTEM ON HILLHEAD OR IN BLUFFTON, BUT IT WOULD BE BUILT WITHIN THE BRIDGE FOR FUTURE, UM, COUNTY OR TOWN PROJECTS THAT WOULD TIE INTO IT.
UM, THE THIRD OPTION WOULD BE TO SAME BRIDGE AS THE FIRST OPTION WITHOUT THE MULTI-USE PATH, BUT IT WOULD ADD A, UM, THIRD LANE.
SO IT WOULD GO FROM MOSS CREEK TO SPANISH BULLS ROAD WITH A THIRD LANE IN THE EASTBOUND DIRECTION.
WESTBOUND WOULD SAY TWO LANES OFF THE ISLAND.
SO THIS WOULD PROVIDE ADDITIONAL CAPACITY GETTING ON THE ISLAND, BUT WOULD NOT HAVE, YOU KNOW, ADDITIONAL CAPACITY GETTING OFF THE ISLAND.
SO IT, IT'S KIND OF A HALF OF THE ORIGINAL PROJECT.
IT'S, YOU KNOW, IF THE FUNDING'S THERE FOR IT, YOU KNOW, IT HELPS TO LEAVE SOME OF THE TRAFFIC CONGESTION BUT DOESN'T LEAVE ALL OF IT.
AND THEN THE FOURTH OPTION WOULD BE TO ADD THE MULTI-USE PATCH TO THAT.
SO THAT WOULD ADD THE MULTI-USE PATH THAT WOULD CONNECT UP TO THE BLUFFTON PARKWAY PATH AND IT WOULD TIE INTO EXISTING PATHWAYS ON HILTON HEAD AS WELL.
SO YOU WOULD, YOU WOULD ADD THAT PATHWAY TO THE PROJECT THROUGHOUT THE PROJECT LIMITS.
THE, THE FIFTH OPTION IS THE ORIGINAL PROPOSED PROJECT OF THE 2 78 6 LANE BRIDGE STRUCTURE.
AND THEN THE LAST OPTION IS JUST REPLACING THE EASTBOUND MACKEY CREEK PA UM, BRIDGE ON THE, ON YOUR LAST PAGE OF THE PDF I'LL, I'LL SLIDE TO THAT TO KIND OF RUN THROUGH WHAT'S SHOWING UP ON WHAT WE'RE SHOWING HERE FOR THE DIFFERENT OPTIONS.
SO YOU CAN SEE FOR THE, THE LIFELINE BRIDGE WITHOUT THE MULTI-USE PATH, UM, THE TOTAL CONSTRUCTION COSTS FOR AND ALL END COSTS INCLUDING RIGHT OF ENVIRONMENTAL MITIGATION, UTILITY RELOCATIONS AND CONSTRUCTION ENGINEERING INSPECTION IS, UH, ROUGHLY 258 MILLION.
NOW, WHEN WE ADD THE MULTI-USE PATH TO JUST THE BRIDGE STRUCTURE, THE PRICE GOES UP TO APPROXIMATELY 319 MILLION.
UM, IF WE GO BACK TO JUST THE LIFELINE BRIDGE WITHOUT THE MULTIUSE PATH AND ADDING THE ROADWAY IMPROVEMENTS FOR THAT EASTBOUND DIRECTION, UM, THE COST IS 273.7 MILLION.
UM, ADDING THE FULL MULTIUSE PATH IN FOR THAT ENTIRE CORRIDOR, UM, THE PROJECT GOES UP TO 340 MILLION, THREE 41 MILLION.
AND THEN AGAIN, WE'RE SHOWING THE TOTAL CONSTRUCTION COST FOR THE ANTICIPATED FULL PROJECT IS 467 MILLION.
[00:10:01]
THE EASTBOUND MACKEY CREEK BRIDGE IS APPROXIMATELY $89 MILLION TO REPLACE THAT BRIDGE.AND THAT INCLUDES ANY ASSOCIATED ROADWAY WORK WITH TYING THAT BRIDGE BACK IN AS WELL.
WE BACK QUESTIONS IF YOU HAVE.
I'M GONNA OPEN IT UP REAL BRIEFLY FOR ANY QUESTIONS FROM ANY MEMBERS OF THE HILTON HEAD COUNCIL OR COUNTY COUNCIL.
ANY QUESTIONS AT THIS POINT? MADAM CHAIR? I DO HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.
UM, A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS ABOUT, UH, OPTION ONE, UH, WHICH IS ONE OF THOSE WITHIN THE FUNDS AVAILABLE.
UM, AND, AND YOU'VE MENTIONED THAT, UM, UH, THE WIDTH OF THAT BRIDGE, UM, AND HAS S-E-D-O-T LOOKED AT THE POSSIBILITY, UH, WITHIN THAT NEW BRIDGE OF HAVING A PEDESTRIAN BICYCLE AREA THAT WOULD BE SEPARATED FROM THE VEHICULAR TRAFFIC? AND IF SO AND IF NOT, UH, DO YOU HAVE AN IDEA OF ADDITIONAL COST IF THERE IS ANY TO DO THAT? IT, THE ADDITIONAL COST WOULD NOT BE SIGNIFICANT TO DO THAT, BUT YOU KNOW, YOU WOULD HAVE TO BASICALLY IN, IN THE FUTURE, IF IT NEEDED TO BE WIDENED TO THIRD LANE, YOU COULD REMOVE A BARRIER WALL.
SO YOU, YOU HAVE TO BUILD A BARRIER WALL AND THERE WOULD BE POTENTIALLY ADDITIONAL WIDTH WITH THE BRIDGE WOULD HAVE TO BE WIDER SO THAT WOULDN'T ADD SOME ADDITIONAL COSTS AS WELL.
'CAUSE YOU'D STILL WANT, YOU KNOW, YOUR PATHWAY WOULD BE 14 FOOT PLUS THE WALL AND YOU HAVE THE 10 FOOT SHOULDER, SO YOU WOULD HAVE SOME ADDITIONAL WIDTH IN THERE AS WELL.
BUT YOU HAVEN'T DONE A COST ESTIMATE ON DOING IT THAT WAY? WE HAVE NOT DONE IT, NO.
UM, BUT I BELIEVE WHEN, UH, YOU APPEARED BEFORE THE COUNTY COUNCIL A WEEK OR SO AGO, I THINK IT WAS LAST WEEK, TIME FLIES WHEN YOU'RE HAVING SO MUCH FUN HERE.
UM, BUT I BELIEVE THAT THERE WAS A QUESTION ABOUT, UH, THE POSSIBILITY OF A DESIGN BILL AND INCLUDING IF YOU WOULD IN THAT DESIGN BUILD, UM, UH, THE SOLICITATION FOR BIDS AND ADD ALTERNATE TO LOOK AT A BIKE PED FACILITY WITHIN PERHAPS THAT, UH, NEW STRUCTURE.
UM, IS THAT TRUE? COULD YOU DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT? YEAH, WE COULD LOOK AT DOING SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
YOU, YOU'D HAVE YOUR, YOUR BASE AND THEN WE WOULD LOOK AT LIKE, THIS IS THE MAXIMUM AVAILABLE BUDGET AND THEN HAVE ADD-ONS, LIKE, IF YOU CAN DO IT UNDER THIS, WE WANT TO ADD THIS AND ET CETERA, THAT THAT CAN BE DONE.
AND THEN YOU'RE GOING TO LEAVE, UH, THE, UM, THE PORTION OF THE EASTBOUND THAT CONNECTS FROM HOG ISLAND TO PINCKNEY IN PLACE? THAT WILL BE IN PLACE, CORRECT? YES.
AND, AND HAVE YOU THOUGHT ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF, UH, BECAUSE IT'LL BE MORE OF A LOCAL ROAD, UM, INCLUDING A BIKE OR PEDESTRIAN FACILITY ON THAT OLD PORTION OF THE EASTBOUND BRIDGE? UM, WE HAVE NOT GOTTEN TO THAT POINT YET TO DISCUSS IT.
UM, SOMEWHAT THAT'LL BE DEPENDENT ON HOW WE PROVIDE ACCESS TO THAT BRIDGE, WHETHER IT WOULD BE A VIABLE OPTION OR NOT.
BUT THAT MIGHT BE AN OPTION AND ANOTHER AD ALTERNATE, IF YOU WILL, IN THE BID DOCUMENTS, CORRECT? YES, POSSIBLE IT'S INCLUDE IT THERE.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS BEFORE WE GO ON, OR IS THAT YOUR LAST ONE, ONE LAST QUESTION.
THE, THE, THE JENKINS ISLAND, UH, OR THE HOG ISLAND CONNECTION THAT'S INCLUDED IN THE COST OF THE, UH, NEARLY 258 MILLION FOR OPTION ONE, IS THAT CORRECT? CORRECT.
YEAH, THAT IS INCLUDED IN ALL THE OPTIONS.
ALRIGHT, LET'S GO TO, UH, REVIEW
[6. REVIEW OF FUNDING AVAILABLE FOR THE PROJECT]
OF THE FUNDING OF, AND ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR MR. WYNN? OKAY, LET'S GO ON TO THE REVIEW OF FUNDING AVAILABLE FOR THE PROJECT.UM, SO, AND I THINK WE'RE PULLING IT UP ON THE SCREEN.
THE BEST WAY TO REPRESENT THIS IS IN, IN THE AGENDA PACKET IS THE JOINT RESOLUTION.
AND SO IN THE BEGINNING OF THE JOINT RESOLUTION, PROPOSED JOINT RESOLUTION IS THE SECOND WHERE CLAUSE, AND WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS BEFORE, AND IF YOU CAN SCROLL, UM, IF YOU CAN SCROLL UP ON THE FIRST PAGE RIGHT THERE AND ZOOM INTO THAT SECOND, WHEREAS, THANK YOU.
SO OVERALL, AS THIS STATES, UH, THERE, THERE'S 298,000,008, $850,000 DEDICATED TO THE PROJECT AS IT STANDS TODAY.
OF THAT, THE 101 IS FROM THE COUNTY, SO THAT'S 80 FROM SALES TAX AND 21 FROM IMPACT FEES.
THERE'S 3.35 MILLION IN RIGHT OF WAY DONATIONS, UH, FROM THE TOWN OF HILTON HEAD.
SO THAT IS NOT CASH, BUT THAT WOULD BE AS A PROJECT COST WE HAVE TO PURCHASE RIGHT AWAY.
SO THAT WOULD BE A DONATED COST TO THE PROJECT FROM THE TOWN ON TOWN OWNED PROPERTY.
THEN DOT HAS $74.5 MILLION, UH, PLEDGED TO THE PROJECT.
AND THEN THE STATE INFRASTRUCTURE BANK HAS THE 120.
SO WHEN YOU ADD ALL THOSE UP TOGETHER, THAT IS THE MONEY THAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE TO DATE FOR WHATEVER PROJECT IS DEFINED IN SCOPE 298,850,000.
SECONDLY, IF YOU SCROLL DOWN TO THE SECOND PAGE
[00:15:03]
OF THE SAME DOCUMENT UNDER THE FUNDING SOURCE IS IF YOU ZOOM IN THERE TO THE 2 98.SO THIS IS THE INFORMATION THAT SENATOR DAVIS REFERENCED IN HIS LETTER, UH, AND WHAT HE WAS TRYING TO ILLUSTRATE IS EXACTLY HOW MUCH CASH DO WE HAVE, AS WELL AS CONSIDERING WHAT HAS BEEN EXPENDED.
SO WHEN YOU TAKE OUT THE $3.35 MILLION OF RIGHT OF WAY DONATIONS, AGAIN, THAT'S NOT CASH, THAT'S COST DONATIONS.
YOU'RE AT THE 2 95, UM, 50 FOR CASH.
THEN WHEN WE HAD THAT MEETING IN COLUMBIA, UH, ON THE, I FORGET THE EXACT DATE, BUT ABOUT A WEEK AND A HALF AGO WHERE WE MET, THERE WAS A COMMITMENT BY SECRETARY POWELL OF $16.1 MILLION.
SO ESSENTIALLY WHERE THAT CAME FROM IS IF THEY HAD THE, THE MONEY THAT DOT HAS IN THE PROJECT IS FOCUSED DIRECTLY TO REPLACE THE ONE SPAN OF MACKEY CREEK.
UH, THE COST OF THAT REPLACEMENT BY ITSELF, JUST LIKE THE REST OF THE PROJECT HAS INCREASED OVER TIME.
SO INITIALLY THEY STARTED, I DON'T EVEN REMEMBER WHAT THE ORIGINAL WAS, MUCH LOWER, IT INCREASED TO 74.5 AND THE CURRENT ESTIMATE IS $90 MILLION.
SO TO GET THE DIFFERENCE FROM 90 TO 74, THAT'S ESSENTIALLY THE $16 MILLION THAT SECRETARY POWELL AND DOT PLEDGED TO ADD TO THE PROJECT, WHATEVER THE PROJECT IS.
AND THEN LASTLY, UH, TO DATE, THE TIME SPENT SINCE 2017 ON THE PROJECT IN ENGINEERING DESIGN AND COMMUNI, UH, COMMUNITY MEETINGS AND THE NEPA PROCESS, WE SPENT A TOTAL OF 13.07 MILLION IN ENGINEERING FEES.
SO WHEN YOU ADD ALL THAT AND SUBTRACT THE 13 MILLION, THE AMOUNT OF CASH AVAILABLE FOR THE PROJECT TODAY IS THE 298 MILLION AND, UM, 0.53 TOWARDS THE PROJECT.
SO THAT'S A SUMMATION OF, OF WHAT WE HAVE, WHAT WE SPENT AND EXACTLY CASH ON HAND AVAILABLE.
I WANTED TO LET THE EVERYONE IN THE AUDIENCE KNOW THAT SENATOR TOM DAVIS IS ON BY ZOOM TOO.
UM, MADAM CHAIR, SENATOR DAVIS, DID YOU WANNA MAKE ANY COMMENTS AT THIS TIME OR QUESTIONS FOR NO MA'AM, THEY'RE JUST HERE IN CASE THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS REGARDING, UM, DOT FUNDING, UH, SIB FUNDING, UM, CONDITIONS THAT NEED TO BE MET WITH INTERIM GOVERNMENTAL AGREEMENT.
ALRIGHT, I'LL OPEN IT UP FOR QUESTIONS REGARDING THE FUNDING, IF I MIGHT.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE'VE HAD SOME MEETINGS WITH THE DOT, UM, AND, AND Y'ALL, UM, AND WE ARE SAYING TODAY THAT WE HAVE $298.5 MILLION WHEN WE DON'T REALLY KNOW THAT WE HAVE $298.5 MILLION DEPENDING ON WHAT THE SID MAY DECIDE TO DO.
AND I THINK THAT NEEDS TO BE A FACTOR IN OUR DECISION MAKING, UM, BECAUSE THAT PUTS US, IF THERE IS ANY REDUCTION FROM THE SIB, IT PUTS US RIGHT BACK INTO WHERE WE WERE IN JUNE TRYING TO PROPOSE A PROJECT TO PROVE A PROJECT WITHOUT ALL THE FUNDING IN PLACE.
SO I JUST, I WANT TO SAY THAT SO THAT EVERYBODY IS AWARE THAT, UM, THE S MAY OR MAY NOT, THEY HAVE THE RIGHT TO PULL FUNDING.
UM, THEY DID PULL 400, $420 MILLION FROM CHARLESTON, UM, IN A, IN A, IN A ONE MEETING.
UM, SO THE THREAD OF THAT IS REAL.
UM, AND, AND I'M JUST GONNA MAKE THIS STATEMENT HERE AND NOW THAT FOR ME, OPTION ONE IS THE BEST OPTION FOR US TO GO WITH.
UM, IT PUTS US, IT, IT ADDRESSES THE EMERGENT NEED OF WHAT IS WE'RE FACING.
UM, IT ADDRESSES THE POTENTIAL LACK OF FUNDING AND COST OVERRUNS THAT MAY BE THERE.
SO I JUST WANT IT TO BE, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE TO THINK ABOUT, UM, AS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THIS, WHAT ARE WE REALLY TALKING ABOUT? WE KNOW TWO THINGS WE KNOW WELL, OKAY, THREE THINGS.
ONE, WE'VE GOTTA, WE'VE GOTTA DO SOMETHING WITH THE BRIDGE.
TWO, THERE IS A, A, A SUM THAT IS THERE THAT MAY BE REDUCED.
UM, AND THEN WE KNOW THAT THERE IS FUNDING CURRENTLY FROM S-E-D-O-T AND THE COUNTY.
AND, AND MAYOR, TO ADD TO THAT, UM, THAT MONEY IS THERE TODAY.
AND SO OUR GOAL IS TO SPEAK TO A PLAN TO KEEP THAT MONEY THERE.
AND IF, IF SIV DOES PULL, IF THEY REACT TO A PLAN THAT'S PROPOSED BY TOWN AND COUNTY AND THEY DO WITHDRAW FUNDS, THEN IT WOULD NEED TO COME BACK TO TOWN AND COUNTY TO REACT BECAUSE IF THEY PULL ANY SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF FUNDS, THEN ALL OF THE OPTIONS INCLUDING OPTION ONE ARE, ARE UNFUNDED EXCEPT OPTION SIX, WHICH IS THE SIMPLE REPLACEMENT THROUGH DOT.
[00:20:01]
SO THAT'S THE COUNTERACTION IF THAT WAS TO TAKE PLACE.BEFORE WE TALK ABOUT THE RESOLUTION, LET'S TALK ABOUT THE TIMELINE TO GET THAT RESOLUTION DONE.
UM, WE'RE GOING TO DISCUSS THE RESOLUTION, EVERYONE HAS THE, THE DRAFT OF IT, UM, MR. MOORE? YES.
UM, MADAM CHAIR, WHAT WE WOULD SUGGEST IS, YOU KNOW, THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR COUNCIL TO, TO LOOK AT THIS.
OBVIOUSLY WE CANNOT TAKE A VOTE TONIGHT, RIGHT? BUT WE WOULD TAKE INPUT AND THEN WE WOULD PLACE THIS ON THE AGENDA FOR OUR NEXT COUNTY COUNCIL MEETING FOR COUNCIL TO CONSIDER AND, AND TAKE A VOTE ON.
AND WILL IT NEED TO GO THROUGH COMMITTEE? UM, OUR THOUGHT IS IF WE'VE DISCUSSED THIS AT A WORKSHOP, UM, WE CAN GO STRAIGHT TO, I THINK WE, IT COULD GO STRAIGHT.
UM, WE DISCUSSED THIS WITH, UH, BRIAN AS WELL.
AND, UH, GIVEN THAT IT'S REALLY NOT AN ADDITIONAL COMMITMENT TO FUNDING, IT'S, IT'S SIMPLY STATING THAT THIS IS HOW THE COUNTY COUNCIL, UH, AND THE TOWN WOULD INTEND TO USE THIS FUNDING AND THE TOWN OF HILTON HAD SCHEDULED FOR WHAT VOTING ON A RESOLUTION WOULD BE.
SO I, MY MY GOAL IS THAT, UM, WE WILL HAVE ENOUGH CONVERSATION TONIGHT TO ADDRESS THOSE ITEMS WITHIN THE RESOLUTION THAT WE WOULD NOT NEED TO COME BACK AND HAVE A FULL WORKSHOP, BUT WE COULD BRING IT UP TO A NEXT COUNCIL MEETING AND HAVE A, A VOTE ON THAT.
I DO WANT TO SEE THIS RESOLUTION MOVE FORWARD AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE, UM, AND INCORRECTLY, UM, BECAUSE I DON'T WANNA WAIT UNTIL THE 31ST.
I'D LIKE TO HAVE IT DONE REALLY THE FIRST WEEK IN MARCH.
I WAS JUST GONNA REITERATE THAT DEADLINE.
WE, WE, IN OUR DISCUSSIONS WITH DOT, WE'VE BEEN GIVEN A DEADLINE AND THE CIV OF THE 31ST OF MARCH.
SO IN OUR DISCUSSIONS WITH THE SECRETARY OF DOT STATED, A RESOLUTION FROM BOTH THE TOWN AND THE COUNTY WOULD BE SOMETHING WE COULD TAKE BACK TO THE, TO THE SIP AS A NEGOTIATION.
YOU READY TO TALK ABOUT THE RESOLUTION OR JARED, ONE QUESTION REAL QUICK.
WHAT WOULD BE A REASON FOR THEM TO PULL FUNDING? WOULD IT BE A TIMELINE THING OR PROJECT ITSELF? WELL, SO WE CURRENTLY HAVE A CONTRACTUAL AGREEMENT AND A CONTRACT THAT SAYS WE'RE OUT OF TIME AND WE'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR FUNDING.
SO, UM, THAT ALONE IS THEIR REASONING.
THEY DON'T NEED ANY MORE REASONING THAN THAT TO PULL FUNDING.
THEY COULD PULL ALL OR ANY BASED OFF OF THAT.
WHAT THEY'VE BEEN LENIENT SO FAR IS TO ALLOW US THE TIME AND OPPORTUNITY TO DEVELOP THAT PLAN.
FIRST IT WAS SALES TAX AND NOW IT'S WITHOUT SALES TAX.
AND SO, UM, IT'S THEIR REACTION TO OUR PROPOSED PLAN, WHETHER THEY KEEP RETAINING THE FUNDING OR POOL FUNDING, SOME MEASURE OF FUNDING OR POOL ALL OF THE FUNDING.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS BEFORE HE GOES INTO THE RESOLUTION? YES MA'AM.
UM, SO WITH REGARD TO FUNDING ON THE REVISED, UM, PROJECT SCOPE, UM, UNDER THE ELEMENTS THERE IS $3.5 MILLION FOR STONY COMMUNITY SAFETY PROJECT AND EVERYTHING THAT'S WITHIN THESE ELEMENTS SHOULD BE DISPLAYED ON EXHIBIT A, BUT I'M MISSING A PIECE HERE SOMEWHERE.
AND I'M GONNA ASK, UH, MR. MOORE TO COME TALK THROUGH THE SPECIFICS OF THE, I'M GOING TO TALK ABOUT THE FUNDING, HE'S GONNA TALK ABOUT THE JOINT RESOLUTION THAT'S SET FORTH AND THEN BE BETTER PREPARED TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION AT THAT TIME.
AND JUST ONE QUESTION AS FAR AS THE FUNDING IS CONCERNED, UM, IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY, S-C-D-O-T HAS STATED THAT THEY HAVE CONTINGENCY BUILT IN THEIR PROJECTED COSTS.
IS THAT CORRECT? THAT'S CORRECT.
[7. DISCUSSION OF JOINT RESOLUTION]
WITH THE DISCUSSION OF THE RESOLUTION, MR. MOORE, AND IF WE COULD HOLD QUESTIONS TILL HE GOES THROUGH IT.GOOD EVENING, MADAM CHAIR, MR. MAYOR, COUNTY COUNCIL TOWN COUNCIL, IT'S GREAT TO BE WITH YOU HERE TONIGHT.
UM, WE HAVE WORKED AS STAFF BASED ON OUR CONVERSATIONS, UM, WITH DOT AND THE DISCUSSIONS WE'VE HAD TO ESSENTIALLY PLACE ALL THE INFORMATION THAT'S RELEVANT INTO THE RESOLUTION.
OBVIOUSLY THERE CAN BE MODIFICATIONS TO THIS DEPENDING ON WHERE COUNCIL MEMBERS WANT TO GO, BUT ESSENTIALLY THIS IS, UH, UM, STATING OPTION ONE.
UM, NOT EXPLICITLY, BUT THIS IS ESSENTIALLY OPTION ONE.
SO THE RESOLUTION TALKS ABOUT THE PROPOSED PROJECT, UM, THE AVAILABLE FUNDING WITH A BREAKDOWN OF WHERE THOSE FUNDING SOURCES ARE IN THE SECOND LINE.
UM, AND THEN WE TALK ABOUT THAT WE'VE RECEIVED FROM DOT AN UPDATED PROJECT COST, WHICH INCREASED THE TOTAL PROJECT COST FROM 305 TO 4 88.
THAT WAS THE PROJECT FOR BOTH SPANS IN THE COMPLETE PROJECT.
[00:25:01]
THEN WE LOOKED AT THIS, UH, THIS WAS REFLECTED ON OUR QUARTERLY REPORT WHERE UPON THE SIB AT THAT TIME, UM, PROPOSED A COST, UH, SHARING ARRANGEMENT, UH, TO COVER THE 190 MILLION SHORTFALL.THIS IS GOING BACK PREVIOUSLY LAST YEAR IN MAY, A FOLLOW UP LETTER.
THE COUNTY FORMALLY REQUESTED 90 MILLION FROM THE SIB TO MATCH THE 90 MILLION CONTRIBUTION FROM THE COUNTY CONTINGENT UPON VOTER APPROVAL OF A PROPOSED TRANSPORTATION SALES TAX REFERENDUM IN NOVEMBER.
OBVIOUSLY THE VOTERS SPOKE AND THE, UM, TRANSPORTATION SALES TAX REFERENDUM WAS DEFEATED BY A 55% MARGIN, UH, RENDERING THE COUNTY'S MATCH UNAVAILABLE IN NOVEMBER.
UH, THE SIB ISSUED A LETTER TO THE COUNTY REQUESTING A RESPONSE WITHIN 15 DAYS REGARDING THE PLAN, THE COUNTY'S PLAN TO ADDRESS THE $190 MILLION SHORTFALL AT THE NOVEMBER 12TH COUNTY COUNCIL MEETING.
WE DISCUSSED THIS, WE DISCUSSED THE LETTER, AND AT THAT TIME, COUNCIL'S, UH, VOTE WAS TO NOT, UH, PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL FUNDING TO THE PROJECT.
AND THEN WE RECEIVED A FOLLOWUP LETTER FROM DOT REITERATING THE DETERIORATING CONDITION OF THE EASTBOUND BRIDGE, WHICH HAD BEEN RATED A FOUR OUT OF 10.
EMPHASIZING DECISION ON A VIABLE PROJECT MUST BE MADE BY MARCH 31ST, 2025, PROCEED WITH THE CONSTRUCTION BY 2027.
SO OBVIOUSLY DOT IS PRESENTING TO US THAT CHALLENGES THAT WE WILL FACE WITH THE BRIDGE SHOULD WE NOT ADDRESS THE, THE, THE CONDITION.
NOVEMBER 20TH, THE SUB MEETING EXTENSION WAS GRANTED TO THE COUNTY UNTIL MARCH 31ST, 2025, FOR THE COUNTY TO PROVIDE A REVISED FUNDING PLAN.
AND, UM, SUBSEQUENT TO THAT, UH, SENATOR DAVIS WITH SUPPORT FROM THE STATE DELEGATION PRESENT A PROPOSAL TO REDEFINE THE PROJECT TO MATCH THE AVAILABLE FUNDING.
UH, DOT HAS PROVIDED SIX PROJECT OPTIONS ALONG WITH COST ESTIMATES FOR EACH, INCLUDING THE PROPOSAL ENDORSED BY SENATOR DAVIS.
TWO OF THE SIX OPTIONS, EXCLUDING THE STANDALONE MACKEY CREEK BRIDGE REPLACEMENT FALL WITHIN THE AVAILABLE 298.85 MILLION WITH THE STANDALONE PROJECT BEING A, A SIMPLY A-A-D-O-T PROJECT WHERE THEY WOULD PROVIDE THE FUNDS WITH NO MATCH.
SO WITH THAT, THOSE ARE THE WHEREAS.
AND THEN IT'S RESOLVED THAT THE COUNTY COUNCIL AND THE TOWN COUNCIL ADOPT ORVIS SCOPE FOR THE PROJECT, KNOWN AS ALSO KNOWN AS THE WILLIAM HILTON PARKWAY GATEWAY CORRIDOR PROJECT TO ALIGN WITH AVAILABLE FUNDS.
IT INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING ELEMENTS, UM, REPLACEMENT OF THE TWO EASTBOUND, TWO EASTBOUND BRIDGES OVER MACKEY CREEK AND SKULL CREEK, OR RETAINING THE EXISTING TWO TWO LANE WESTBOUND BRIDGES CONSTRUCTION OF A THREE LANE EASTBOUND LIFELINE BRIDGE WITHOUT A MULTI-USE PATHWAY.
STRIPING THE NEW BRIDGE FOR TWO LANES WITH ONLY NECESSARY ROAD TIE INCLUDED DESIGNING THE BRIDGE WITH TO ACCOMMODATE TEMPORARY FOUR LANE USE IN THE FUTURE IF THE WESTBOUND BRIDGE REPLACEMENT IS REQUIRED, I THINK THAT'S AN IMPORTANT CONSIDERATION.
UH, NO ACCESS TO PINNEY ISLAND FROM THE NEW BRIDGE.
THE EXISTING SKULL CREEK BRIDGE, EITHER THE EASTBOUND OR WESTBOUND LANES WOULD BE REPURPOSED FOR TWO-WAY ACCESS TO PINY ISLAND.
UH, REMOVAL OF THE EASTBOUND MACKEY CREEK BRIDGE AND CONSTRUCTION OF A HOG ISLAND CONNECTOR ROAD BRIDGE TO PROVIDE ACCESS TO MARINERS COVE, BLUE HERON POINT AND HOG ISLAND, LINKING BACK TO US 2 78 AT THE WILMORE HARBOR INTERSECTION.
AND LASTLY, RETENTION IMPROVEMENT OF THE WINDMILL HARBOR TRAFFIC SIGNAL WITH MA ARMS. THESE ARE THE PROJECT ELEMENTS THAT HIGHLIGHTS WERE LAID OUT IN THE DOT OPTION ONE.
SO IT REAFFIRMS OPTION ONE AS AS THE DOT HAD PRESENTED.
THE FUNDING OUTLINE, UH, FUNDING ELEMENTS ARE OUTLINED AS WE DISCUSSED PREVIOUSLY, AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE ON THESE NUMBERS THAT, UM, THE COUNTY PER THE IGA IS ALSO RESPONSIBLE ANY OVERAGES ON THIS PROJECT, AND THAT'S THE WAY THE CURRENT AGREEMENT READS.
SO WE HAVE TO CONSIDER THAT OVERAGES UP ABOVE AND BEYOND THIS WOULD WE NEED TO HAVE A FUNDING SOURCE AVAILABLE FOR THAT? AND THAT'S PART OF THE REASON WE LOOKED AT THE, UM, IN THE PLANNED PROJECT COSTS, THE, UM, RESERVE FUNDS, UM, TO HAVE SOME FUNDS AVAILABLE IN THE EVENT OF OVERRUNS.
UM, THESE WOULD RECOVER THE POTENTIAL OVERRUNS AND IF UNSPENT, THEY WOULD BE THEN USED FOR OTHER ROAD IMPROVEMENTS ALONG THE CORRIDOR BETWEEN MOSS CREEK ROAD AND SPANISH WELLS ROAD PROJECT WOULD FUND THE REPLACEMENT OF THE 24 INCH WATER LINE UP TO LIMITS DEFINED IN STATE ACT 36.
AS WE KNOW, THERE'S UTILITY RELOCATION THAT'S PART OF THIS PROJECT.
WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THOSE COSTS ARE INCLUDED IN THIS.
UM, ROUGH IN THIS RESOLUTION, 6.5 MILLION APPROPRIATION WILL ASSIST WITH DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE ACTUAL RELOCATION COSTS AND COST COVERED BY THE PROJECT.
ANY RELOCATION COST ABOVE THIS WOULD APPROPRIATION WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE OF THE PUBLIC SERVICE DISTRICT AND TO ADDRESS IMMEDIATE SAFETY CONCERNS IN THE STONY COMMUNITY, 3.5 AND UH, 3.5 MILLION IN LOCAL COUNTY FUNDS WOULD BE ALLOCATED TO A LOCAL ROAD PROJECT WITH THE TOWN OVERSEEING DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION.
AND THOSE FUNDS WOULD BE MADE AVAILABLE TO THE TOWN AS AS PART OF THIS RIGHT UP FRONT.
SO THAT CONCLUDES MY DISCUSSION, SUBJECT TO
[00:30:01]
YOU ALL'S QUESTIONS.I'LL OPEN IT UP FOR QUESTIONS.
OKAY, I'LL START WITH MS. MELINDA.
ALRIGHT, UH, FIRST OF ALL, I WANNA THANK YOU FOR PUTTING THIS MEETING TOGETHER.
I THINK IT'S, UH, FOR US TO DO BUSINESS.
SHE'S, OH, SHE'S GOT A DIFFERENT ONE.
ALRIGHT, THERE YOU GOT BETTER.
SO AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR PUTTING THIS ALL TOGETHER AND US WORKING TOGETHER AS A TEAM.
UM, I HAVE FOUR POINTS THAT I WANTED TO MAKE, UM, IN REGARDS TO THE PROJECT COST.
UM, THE FIRST ONE HAS TO DO WITH THE DRAFT RESOLUTIONS, REVISED PROJECT SCOPE.
IT DOESN'T ALIGN TO THE PROJECT COSTS.
AND, UH, COUNCILMAN BECKER THIRD FUND NARRATIVE MENTIONS UNSPENT BRIDGE MONIES TO BE USED FOR LOCAL IMPROVEMENTS FROM MOSS CREEK, UH, TO SPANISH WELLS ROAD, AND THEN THE STONY COMMUNITY SAFETY PROJECT.
HOWEVER, THE REVISED PROJECT SCOPE DOES NOT INCLUDE THOSE AREAS, SO I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'LL BE A CONCERN.
SO IT SEEMS THAT WE EITHER HAVE TO CHANGE THE REVISED SCOPE OR BREAK IT INTO TWO PROJECTS LIKE SENATOR DAVIS SUGGESTED.
SECOND COMMENT IS WHAT LEVEL OF SPECIFICITY IS NEEDED FOR THE POTENTIAL UNSPENT BRIDGE MONIES AND THE STONY COMMUNITY SAFETY PROJECT.
RIGHT NOW I SEE THOSE AS PLACEHOLDERS, UH, AND I WOULD ANTICIPATE THE NEED FOR MORE DETAIL AS WE'RE MAKING A BUSINESS CASE FOR THESE FUNDS.
AND IF SO, WE NEED TO LAY OUT THE STEPS TO GET THIS COMPLETED IN TIME.
UH, I ALSO WANNA THANK YOU FOR ADDING THE FUNDING TO COVER THE GAP IN REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE PSD.
WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THAT FOR AT THE LAST COUPLE OF MEETINGS.
UM, I THINK IT IS IMPORTANT TO MENTION IN THE RESOLUTION THAT THIS FUNDING IS COMING FROM LOCAL COUNTY FUNDS, JUST AS YOU STATED FOR THE STONY SAFETY PROJECT.
AND MY REASONING IS THAT THE DOT SAID THAT ANY GAP WOULD HAVE TO BE FUNDED FROM LOCAL FUNDS OR FROM THE PSD.
SO I THINK WE NEED TO DELINEATE THAT IN THE, UH, RESOLUTION.
AND THE PSD IS IN THE PROCESS OF UPDATING THEIR ESTIMATE, UM, PER PETE NARDI, THEY SHOULD HAVE THAT COMPLETED BY THE 14TH.
SO WE GET A BETTER FEEL OF MORE CURRENT INFORMATION ABOUT HOW MUCH THAT'S GOING TO COST.
AND AS YOU TALK ABOUT MONEY POTENTIALLY BEING PULLED BY THE SIB, IF THERE'S ANY FURTHER REDUCTION OF, OF THE MONIES OR THE SCOPE, THERE'LL BE A BIGGER GAP BETWEEN THE COST, UH, AND THE REIMBURSEMENT.
A RESOLUTION IS WRITTEN, IT SAYS IT WOULD BE BORN BY THE
AND THEN THE LAST ONE HAS TO DO WITH THE TRAFFIC LIKE IT AT WINDMILL HARBOR.
UM, I KNOW IN THE
I DIDN'T KNOW IF THAT WAS INCLUDED IN THIS PROJECT SCOPE OR IF IT SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN THIS PROJECT SCOPE.
AND IF SO, UM, WE SHOULD IDENTIFY THAT AND MAKE SURE THERE'S MONEY ALLOCATED TO IT.
SO THOSE ARE MY FOUR COMMENTS.
DO YOU WANNA ADDRESS THOSE? THE, UM, I WILL SAY THE, UM, WINDMILL IS INCLUDED.
YEAH, SO THANK YOU FOR THOSE COMMENTS.
UM, AND I WAS TAKING NOTES FURIOUSLY AS YOU WERE TALKING.
UM, SO WINDMILL HARBOR, UM, IT IS INCLUDED IN THE PROJECT COSTS, BUT WE HOPE TO BE ABLE TO INCORPORATE SOME OF THAT EVEN BEFOREHAND.
UM, WE'RE WORKING WITH TOWN STAFF ON BEING ABLE TO FACILITATE EVEN THAT AHEAD OF TIME.
AND THEN, UM, ONE NOTE I DID WANT TO REACH OUT ON BEFORE THE OTHER POINT SAYS, UH, I FORGOT TO SHARE THIS EARLIER.
SO WHAT WAS IN THE AGENDA PACKET AND WHAT YOU HAVE ON THE SCREEN AND IN FRONT OF YOU IS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT, AND I'D LIKE TO EXPLAIN THE DIFFERENCE.
SO WE GOT LIKE, AS I SAID, UM, IT WAS OUT ON MONDAY AFTERNOON WITH ALL THE INFORMATION THAT WE HAD SINCE THEN.
DOT REACHED OUT YESTERDAY TO LET, MAKE ME AWARE THAT THE PROJECT COST IN ALL SIX OPTIONS AS DESCRIBED, UM, DID NOT INCLUDE THE REMAINING ENGINEERING COSTS.
SO THE ENGINEERING COSTS THAT WE HAVE A CONTRACT FOR IS $28 MILLION FOR THE PROJECT.
WE HAVE EXPENDED, AS YOU SEE IN THE SPENT TO DATE, $13 MILLION.
SO THERE'S STILL $15 MILLION TO BE EXPENDED ON ENGINEERING THAT'S NOT REFLECTED IN THE 257.7 NUMBER.
SO WHAT WE PROVIDED IN THE HANDOUT TODAY AND WHAT'S ON THE SCREEN
[00:35:01]
IS BASICALLY DISTRIBUTED THAT $15 MILLION ON A PRO RATA BASIS ON THOSE THREE, UH, COMPONENTS.THE RESERVE FUNDS, THE LOCAL PSD MATCH AND THE STONY SAFETY PROJECT BASICALLY HAD TO, WE HAD TO DRAW FROM SOMEWHERE AND THAT'S WHERE THAT $15 MILLION WAS COMPENSATED FROM.
SO JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WAS NOTED TO ALL.
I THINK SHE MENTIONED THE PS THAT AND THE PSD.
UM, SO IT, IT DOES READ AS, UH, ANYTHING OVER THAT WOULD BE BORN ON THE PSD, WHICH IN IS ESSENCE YES.
AND SO, UM, UNLESS THERE'S CHANGES TO THIS, UM, AND UNLESS OTHER FUNDS ARE FOUND, WHETHER THAT'S GRANT FUNDS, THAT WOULD BE THE RESPONSIBILITY AT THIS MOMENT FOR PSD TO, UM, IDENTIFY THAT FUNDING SOURCE THAT ADDRESS ALL YOUR QUESTIONS.
IS THERE, I I HAVE A QUESTION FOR YOU.
LET HER, THAT LEADS INTO WHAT HE JUST SAID.
LET'S FINISH UP WITH, WITH HER.
IT JUST HAD TO DO WITH THE SPECIFICITY OF, UH, SOME OF THESE COMPONENTS AND BECAUSE I SEE THEM AS PLACEHOLDERS FOR DOLLARS AND I'M NOT SURE THAT'LL SATISFY THE PEOPLE THAT ARE REVIEWING, UM, AND DETERMINING WHAT FUNDING THEY GIVE US TO HAVE A PLACEHOLDER.
SO THEY MAY WANT MORE DETAIL ABOUT WHAT THAT THREE AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS SPEND WOULD BE FOR STONY PROJECTS AND IF THERE WERE ANY REMAINING DOLLARS LEFT, WHAT THOSE ROAD IMPROVEMENTS WOULD LOOK LIKE.
YEAH, SO I THINK THE MOST CHALLENGING PART IS WE HAVE LIMITED TIME TO DEFINE ALL THAT.
AND I THINK, UM, THIS AGREEMENT AND, AND THOUGH IT'S NOT GRANULAR TO THAT DETAIL IS THE HIGH LEVEL INFORMATION THAT I THINK THE SIB WOULD, UM, REACT TO.
AND AGAIN, WE ARE SENDING THIS AS A PROPOSAL AND THEN, UM, IF THEY HAVE A RESPONSE, WE CAN MOST DEFINITELY ADDRESS THAT, BUT UNDERSTAND THE COMMENT SPECIFIC, THE SPECIFIC OKAY.
AND QUESTION YEAH, QUESTION ON THAT.
UM, SO IF YOU CHOOSE TO LET THE CONTRACT OUT AS A DESIGN BUILD, THEN ALL OF THE DESIGN ENGINEERING WILL BE CONSUMED INSIDE THE BID.
SO AS WE SET RIGHT NOW, THIS IS MORE OF A BID PROJECT OF OUTSIDE ENGINEERING, NOT CORRECT.
YEAH, SO ON THE DESIGN BUILD AND I, I CAN DEFER TO DOT, BUT I'LL TRY TO ANSWER IT AND IF I DON'T ANSWER IT, I'LL ASK THEM TO STEP IN.
SO RIGHT NOW WE'RE APPROXIMATELY 30% IN THE DESIGN.
THAT'S TYPICALLY ABOUT WHERE YOU ARE IN THE DESIGN BUILD PROCESS BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO DO SOME DEFINITION OF THE PROJECT BEFORE YOU PUT A PACKAGE TOGETHER.
SO THERE, IF THE ROUTE DOES GO DESIGN BUILD, UM, THEN THERE WOULD BE A LITTLE BIT OF WORK AND THEN THAT COST, THAT 15 MILLION WOULD GET INCORPORATED TO THE PROJECT COST.
UM, BUT YES, YOU'RE, BUT CRAIG, I MEAN GET ME, GET ME WRONG, BUT DESIGN BUILD AND THE INNOVATION INVOLVED IN DESIGN BUILD WOULD MOST LIKELY, IF ANYTHING, INSTEAD OF INCREASE THE PRICE OF THIS, IT WOULD DECREASE THE PRICE POTENTIALLY.
UM, I WILL SAY SOME OF THAT 15 MILLION WOULD GET TRANSFERRED TO THE DESIGN BUILD CONTRACT.
THE WAY THIS IS SET UP IS A BID BUILD COST ESTIMATE, KIND OF LOOKING AT IT.
UM, THE OTHER THING IS UNDER THIS OPTION THERE IS GONNA BE MORE ENGINEERING COST TO GET TO A DESIGN BUILD PROCUREMENT, BECAUSE YOU STILL HAVE TO GO BACK AND REDESIGN AS A SINGLE BRIDGE STRUCTURE INSTEAD OF A SIX LANE BRIDGE STRUCTURE MM-HMM
WHICH IS GONNA MODIFY WHAT THE BRIDGE POTENTIALLY LOOKS LIKE.
SO WHAT THERE IS REWORK NECESSARY THERE, THERE'S ENVIRONMENTAL WORK THAT HAS TO BE DONE TO GET TO THAT POINT.
SO THERE IS STILL SOME OF THAT 15 THAT BE SPENT, BUT SOME OF IT WILL GO TO THE CONTRACTOR UNDER DESIGN.
BUT, BUT WHEN YOU LET A DESIGN BUILD, DO YOU HAVE A NOT TO EXCEED? YES.
IT TENDS, YEAH, YOU CAN LET, YOU CAN, BUT YOU, I KNOW YOU DON'T HAVE TO BUT YOU CAN.
SO THEN WE WOULD KNOW WHAT'S LEFT OVER FROM THE 2 98.
SO WHAT HILTON HAD, WHAT HAVE IN THE CORRIDOR.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ABOUT THE RESOLUTION? I HAVE ONE.
UH, I DON'T THINK THIS WILL TAKE A, A BIG DRILL DOWN.
IT'S, UH, ITEM NUMBER FIVE IN THE REVISED PROJECT SCOPE WHERE IT SAYS THAT THE EXISTING SKULL CREEK BRIDGE, EITHER THE EASTBOUND OR WESTBOUND LANES WILL BE REPURPOSED.
SO THE EASTBOUND BRIDGE MAY STAND UP OVER SKULL CREEK OR WE MAY USE THE EXISTING WESTBOUND THAT WILL NOT BE DEMOLISHED.
COULD YOU EXPAND A LITTLE BIT ON HOW THAT WOULD WORK? YEAH, I, I APOLOGIZE.
I DIDN'T MEAN TO LEAVE THAT OUT.
SO THERE WAS TWO THINGS THAT D THE SAID WAS THE 15 MILLION AND THE EASTBOUND WESTBOUND.
SO WHAT THAT IS IS ORIGINALLY IN THE AGENDA PACKET, IT SAID EASTBOUND, UM, DOT WANTED TO RESERVE THE FLEXIBILITY ON HOW BEST
[00:40:01]
TO MAKE THAT ACCESS POINT.UM, SO ONCE THEY GET INTO ENGINEERING AND READ, DESIGNING THE PROJECT TO FIT TO WHAT WE'RE DEFINING IT AS, IT MAY MAKE MORE SENSE FOR THE WESTBOUND TRAFFIC OFF OF THE ISLAND TO USE THE EASTBOUND LANES SO THAT THE DRIVEWAY ACCESS TO PINNEY ISLAND USES THE TODAY'S WESTBOUND LANES.
UM, IT MAY MAKE MORE SENSE ONCE THEY GET INTO IT, UM, TO DO THE OPPOSITE AND RETAIN THE WESTBOUND IN THE WESTBOUND LANES AND USE THE EASTBOUND LANE AS THE TWO-WAY, UH, DRIVEWAY ACCESS.
BUT UNTIL THEY PUT ALL THAT, UM, TOGETHER AND, AND START GEOMETRY, UM, THEY WANTED TO RESERVE THE RIGHT TO USE THAT BRIDGE.
ONE ONE SIDE OF THE BRIDGE IS GOING TO GO WESTBOUND, THE OTHER SIDE WILL BE THE DIRECT ACCESS TO PINCKNEY ISLAND.
MAKE ME FEEL LIKE I WANT TO ASK THE QUESTION AGAIN,
I KNOW, I FEEL LIKE I DON'T, I WON'T, I DON'T ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS ALL, ALL THE TIME.
SOMETIMES I DON'T GET IT QUITE RIGHT.
OTHER QUESTIONS? FOLLOW UP ALEX? YEP.
UM, I GUESS MY FIRST QUESTION IS FOR, UH, SACRAMENTO DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION.
UH, ARE YOU GUYS PREPARED TO HELP STEP US THROUGH THE PROCESS WITH, UH, RENEGOTIATING WITH THE SIB
UM, I'M BEING DELIBERATE IN THAT QUESTION BECAUSE I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU GUYS HAVE YOUR CONTINGENCY BUILT INTO THE PROJECT COSTS AND WE ALSO HAVE AS THIS, UH, RESOLUTION IS CURRENTLY WORDED, UM, AN ADDITIONAL CONTINGENCY IN RESERVE FUNDS AND, YOU KNOW, FOR THE GROUP TO CONSIDER, I AM A LITTLE CONCERNED ABOUT APPROACHING THE SIB AND SAYING WE'VE GOT STACKED CONTINGENCIES AND WE DON'T WANT THEM TO PULL OUR FUNDING.
UM, SO AS WE TALK ABOUT THIS PROJECT AND, AND THE NEED FOR SOME ADDITIONAL SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS TO HAPPEN ON ISLAND, UM, I'M SIMPLY SUGGESTING ONE, UH, ONE THING IN THE RESOLUTION, THE WAY IT'S WORDED, UH, AS WE GET INTO THE LAST PAGE, AND IT SPEAKS TO THE RESERVE FUNDS, IT SAYS RESERVE FUNDS WILL COVER POTENTIAL PROJECT OVERRUNS IF UNSPENT, THEY MAY BE USED FOR OTHER LOCAL ROAD IMPROVEMENTS.
I'M, I'M SUGGESTING THAT WE CHANGE THAT VERBIAGE TO WILL BE USED.
THAT GIVES US THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE THE ARGUMENT DOWN THE ROAD FOR SOME SPECIFICS AROUND WHAT THEY LOOK LIKE AND COST INVOLVED WITH THEM.
UM, I AGREE THAT'S A GOOD COMMENT AND I THINK I DON'T SEE A REASON WHY WE CAN'T MAKE THAT CHANGE.
UM, ONE THING I'D LIKE TO POINT OUT IN THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN OPTION ONE AND THREE, UM, SO OPTION THREE IS THE BRIDGE AND ACTUALLY THE ROAD, UM, THE CONTINUATION OF FIVE LANES AND OPTION ONE IS JUST THE BRIDGE.
WHAT WE THINK IS, UM, THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY IF THE BRIDGE IS COMPLETED THAT WE CAN STILL DO THE ROAD WORK, BUT WHAT OPTION ONE DOES IS PROVIDE, UH, A RISK, UM, A ASSESSMENT OF RISK FOR, FOR THE COUNTY AS THE, THE HOLDER OF THE RISK OF THE OVERRUNS.
SO IT MITIGATES THAT RISK, BUT THEN IT ALSO PROVIDES ADDITIONAL FLEXIBILITY REALLY FOR THE PROJECT, BUT MORE SPECIFICALLY FOR THE TOWN BECAUSE THE REASONING IS WHEN THIS PROJECT GETS REDEFINED AS, AS JUST THE BRIDGE PROJECT, THEN ONLY THE BRIDGE IS FEDERALIZED.
SO WHAT WE'VE BEEN DEALING WITH, WITH SOME OF THE IMPACTS WITHIN STONY AND SOME OF THE CONSTRAINTS OF THE PROJECT HAS BEEN THAT THE ENTIRE PROJECT HAS BEEN FEDERALIZED.
SO BY DOING IT IN THIS METHOD, THEN IF THERE IS FUNDS LEFT OVER AFTER THE INVOICES HAVE BEEN PAID AND THERE IS FUNDING, AND WE WILL INSTEAD OF MAY WORK ON THE REST OF THE PROJECT, THEN THERE'S MORE FLEXIBILITY ON WHAT TYPE OF ROAD IMPROVEMENTS AND, UM, CONSTRAINTS ARE NOT AS RIGOROUS AS THEY ARE IN A FEDERAL PROJECT AT THAT POINT.
IT'S A LOCAL PROJECT THAT THE COUNTY AND TOWN WORK TOGETHER AND IT SUBMIT AN ENCROACHMENT PERMIT THE DOT AND THEIR NO FEDERAL FUNDS IN THAT COMPONENT JUST TO.
DID I CLARIFY MY ANSWER TO MR.
SO WE'LL OBVIOUSLY HAVE TO COORDINATE ALL THOSE, BOTH OF THOSE AGREEMENTS.
MAYOR PERRY, JARED FOR CLARITY, RIGHT, UM, YOU JUST SAID IT, IT'S A BRIDGE PROJECT.
[00:45:01]
BRIDGE IS FEDERAL LAND ON JENKINS ISLAND.UM, THIS HAS NOTHING, THIS, THIS JOINT RESOLUTION HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH ANYTHING REGARDING MUNICIPAL CONSENT BECAUSE IT'S NOT REQUIRED.
CORRECT? YEAH, I WAS WAITING FOR THE QUESTION MARK AT THE END.
RIGHT? SO THIS IS A BRIDGE PROJECT, UM, THAT CROSSES THE INTERCOASTAL WATERWAY AND, UM, SO THIS ESSENTIALLY GIVES DIRECTION TO THAT AND THEN, UM, RE REALLY THE MUNICIPAL CONSENT AND THE MOA ARE NOT REQUIRED FOR THIS PROJECT TO MOVE FORWARD.
NOW WHETHER WE WANT TO CONTINUE AND DEVELOP A MOA BEYOND, AGAIN, DOT NOR DO S ARE INVOLVED IN THAT, NOR HAVE ANY PREFERENCE.
AND, AND THIS REALLY BECOMES ALMOST A SALES TOOL SHOWING THE SIB THAT WE'RE WORKING TOGETHER TRYING TO MAKE THE BEST DECISIONS AND THIS IS WHAT WE HAVE AGREED UPON.
CORRECT
AND THAT WAS IN OUR DISCUSSIONS WITH THE DOT SECRETARY, HE INDICATED THE SAME, THAT IT MAKES A STRONG STATEMENT WHEN WE GO TO THE SIB THAT, THAT THE TOWN AND THE COUNTY ARE ALIGNED ON ARE ALIGNED ON THE WAY AHEAD.
I JUST HAVE ONE MORE QUESTION.
UH, I, UH, OPTION ONE AT 257 MILLION GOES TO JENKINS ISLAND ROAD.
AS I UNDERSTAND IT, IT'S THE BRIDGE AND THE ROADWAY TWO JENKINS ISLAND.
AND THEN OPTION THREE WILL CONTINUE PAST JENKINS ISLAND ROAD FROM JENKINS ISLAND TO SQUIRE POPE, WHICH IS EIGHT 10TH OF A MILE.
AND THEN FROM SQUIRE POPE TO SPANISH WELLS, WHERE WE ALREADY HAVE ABOUT SEVEN LANES, BUT IT APPEARS THERE'S A $16 MILLION DIFFERENCE IN THAT EXTENSION FROM JENKINS ISLAND TO SQUIRE POPE, THE EIGHT 10TH OF A MILE AND ONWARD TO SPANISH WELLS WHERE WE HAVE SEVEN LANES.
SO YOU'RE TALKING HERE ABOUT A THREE LANE, EIGHT TENTHS OF A MILE ROAD JOINING UP WITH THE SEVEN LANES FROM, UH, SQUIRE POPE TO SPANISH WELLS.
WHAT DOES THE $16 MILLION BEING USED FOR? WHY IS THERE SUCH A BIG, UH, DELTA THERE? SO THE $16 MILLION IS ESSENTIALLY THE BIG COAL OF THIS PROJECT IS BRIDGE WORK.
UM, $16 MILLION TAKES IT ROAD WORK FROM THE NEW BRIDGE, THE THREE LANE BRIDGE, RIGHT.
UM, THAT IS STRIPED AS TWO LANES AND THEN DOES A THIRD LANE OF ROADWAY FROM THE BRIDGE TO WHERE IT MATCHES UP AT SQUIRE POPE ESSENTIALLY.
OH, SO IT'S NOT THREE LANES IN OPTION ONE, IT STAYS AS TWO? THAT'S CORRECT.
SO THAT ACCESS LANE AT WINDMILL HARBOR WILL STAY THE SAME BECAUSE THAT'S REALLY THE THIRD LANE IN THAT AREA DOWN TO SQUIRE POPE.
SO THE INTENT WITH THE BRIDGE WORK IS THERE WILL HAVE TO BE SOME SMALL AMOUNT OF ROAD WORK TO GET IT BACK IS 'CAUSE IT'S OFF ALIGNMENT TO GET IT BACK TO ALIGNMENT.
BUT THAT ROAD WORK WILL ONLY BE TWO LANES, UM, BACK TO WINDMILL HARBOR AND IT MAY GO THROUGH WINDMILL HARBOR JUST TO TIE IT IN.
WE'LL HAVE TO, THAT'S THE ENGINEERING COMPONENT.
UM, BUT THE ROAD WORK ITSELF WOULD STOP IT AT WINDMILL HARBOR.
AND ON THE WEST SIDE, ON THE, ON THE MAINLAND SIDE, IT WOULD TIE IN MOST LIKELY BEFORE YOU GET TO THE BLUFFTON PARKWAY OVERPASS.
AND BOTH OF THESE PROJECTS, ONE AND THREE HAVE A PARALLEL TRACK THAT'S BEING DEVELOPED ON THE NORTH SIDE OF 2 78 BETWEEN JENKINS ISLAND ROAD AND ONE THOSE COMMUNITIES, MARIN COVE, BLUE HERON, AND, UM, UM, HOG ISLAND.
I'M GONNA ASK SENATOR DAVIS IF HE HAS ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS BEFORE WE GO INTO PUBLIC COMMENT AND COUNCIL COMMENTS.
I I, I'LL MAKE A COUPLE OF COMMENTS IN REGARD TO, TO SIB, UH, DYNAMICS.
I HAD A CONVERSATION WITH JOHN WHITE, THE THE SIB CHAIRMAN TODAY.
AND, UM, AND MAYOR PERRY IS CORRECT IN THAT THE SIB DID, UM, TAKE FUNDING AWAY FROM, UH, CHARLESTON IN THE 5 26 PROJECT.
BUT I WOULD SUBMIT TO YOU THAT, THAT WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE, UM, IS, IS DIFFERENT IN A FEW RESPECTS FROM CHARLESTON'S SITUATION.
UM, YOU KNOW, ONE, UM, WE'RE NOT, WE WOULD NOT BE ASKING THE SIB FOR ADDITIONAL FUNDING.
UM, IT, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE WORKING WITHIN THE, THE, THE MONEY WE HAVE, UH, CHARLESTON WAS REQUESTING ADDITIONAL FUNDS FROM THE SIB, UM, AT THE HEARING WHEN THEY GOT THEIR EXISTING FUNDING YANKED.
UM, SECOND, WE'D BE GOING TO THE SIB WITH A GOOD FAITH PROPOSAL ON WHAT TO DO WITH THE MONEY WE HAVE IN HAND.
UM, CHARLESTON DID NOT DO THAT.
CHARLESTON DIDN'T PROPOSE SOMETHING THAT WAS SCALED DOWN.
IT DIDN'T PROPOSE DOING, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING ON AN INCREMENTAL BASIS.
IT, IT JUST SIMPLY SAID, THIS IS OUR PROJECT AND THIS IS THE MONEY WE NEED.
SO, UM, I WANNA MAKE THOSE TWO OBSERVATIONS.
UH, I, I DO THINK THAT THAT OUR APPLICATION OR OR REQUEST OF THE SIB WILL, WILL BE, UH, A HIGHER, A GREAT, GREATLY HIGHER LIKELIHOOD OF SUCCESS THAN, THAN CHARLESTON'S.
UM, YOU KNOW, IN REGARD TO THE,
[00:50:01]
UM, UH, THE RENEGOTIATION OF THE, OF THE INTERGOVERNMENTAL AGREEMENT, UM, YOU, YOU WOULD HAVE TO DO THAT IN ADDITION TO THE TIMELINES THAT JARED REFERENCED THAT HAD BEEN BREACHED OR NOT MET.UM, YOU, YOU'D ALSO HAVE TO, UM, THE INITIAL IGA WAS PREDICATED UPON, UM, THE $120 MILLION GOING TOWARD AN ENTIRE PROJECT, BOTH EASTBOUND AND WESTBOUND SPANS BEING REPLACED.
SO, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THE SCOPE OF WORK IN THAT RESPECT IS MATERIALLY CHANGED.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S, YOU KNOW, BUT I, BUT I, AGAIN, I THINK WE CAN WORK AROUND THAT.
I THINK THE SIV UNDERSTANDS THAT WE'RE DEALING WITH COST OVERRUNS.
WE'RE, WE'RE MAKING A GOOD FAITH EFFORT.
UM, I DO, I DO THINK THAT IF WE COME BACK TO THEM WITH THIS PROPOSAL THAT THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU'VE DISCUSSED HERE AND WE'RE SHOWING THAT, THAT THE LOCAL MATCH IS, IS BEING MADE.
I MEAN, I I ASSUME BASED ON THOSE NUMBERS, BASED ON WHAT I'M SEEING HERE, THAT THE ENTIRETY OF THE, UM, OF THE LOCAL DOLLARS ARE BEING EXPENDED.
IS THAT CORRECT, JARED? I THINK, I THINK, UM, SO THERE'S NO QUESTION AS TO OUR LOCAL MATCH NOT BEING FULLY EXPENDED, IS THAT CORRECT? THAT'S CORRECT.
WE ARE, WE'RE SPENDING THEM, WE WOULD ASK THE SIB TO SPEND THEM LAST, UM, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE ENOUGH FUNDS TO MITIGATE FOR ANY RISK ASSOCIATED WITH OVERRUNS.
BUT IF THERE'S FUNDS REMAINING AFTER THE PROJECT, THE BRIDGE PROJECTS CONSTRUCTED, WE WOULD MOVE THOSE PROJECTS TO ROAD PROJECT FUNDING INTO THIS CORRIDOR.
THAT'S, THAT, THAT WAS MY POINT, IS THAT MAKING SURE THAT THAT LOCAL MATCH MONEY WAS FULLY EXPENDED, UM, INTO THIS CORRIDOR IF, IF THERE WAS SOME LEFTOVER, UM, I, I'LL ALSO SAY THAT ANY DECISION THAT THE SIB MAKES IN REGARD TO THE MODIFICATION ON THE INTERGOVERNMENT AGREEMENT, THEY ARE VERY CLOSELY ALIGNED WITH AND TALKING TO THE JOINT BOND REVIEW COMMITTEE, WHICH IS ULTIMATELY GONNA BE THE ENTITY THAT APPROVES OR DISAPPROVES WHAT THE SIB DOES.
SO, SO THE S BOARD IS OBVIOUSLY VERY IMPORTANT, BUT THE JBRC IS ALSO IN IMPORTANT, AND I'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS AND KEEPING MEMBERS OF THE JBRC UPDATED AS TO WHAT WE'RE DOING.
YOU KNOW, TALKING ABOUT HOW WE'RE BEHAVING RESPONSIBLY, WE'RE WORKING WITHIN THE DOLLARS WE HAVE.
UM, WE'RE NOT REQUESTING ADDITIONAL FUNDS FROM THE SIB UNDERSTANDING THAT WE DON'T HAVE A LOCAL MATCH TO ACCOMPANY THAT OR THE, THE REQUEST FOR ADDITIONAL FUNDS.
I'M GETTING VERY POSITIVE INDICATIONS, UM, FROM, UH, SECRETARY POWELL, UM, FROM CHAIRMAN WHITE WITH THE SIB AND, AND ALSO THE MEMBERS OF THE JBRC THAT I'VE BEEN BRIEFING ON THIS.
SO, UM, WELL, MAYOR PERRY IS CORRECT.
THIS IS, THERE'S NO GUARANTEE AS TO WHAT THE SIB WILL DO OR JBRC WILL DO.
UM, I FEEL VERY CONFIDENT IN OUR ABILITY TO MAKE A STRONG CASE TO KEEP THE ENTIRE $120 BILLION DEDICATED EVEN ON THIS SCALE DATA APPROACH.
[8. ELECTED OFFICIAL COMMENT PERIOD]
START WITH THE, UH, COMMENTS FROM EACH COUNCIL MEMBER IF THEY CARE TO MAKE 'EM, THE GROUND RULES ARE, WE WILL HAVE A TIMER FOR THREE MINUTES EACH, AND WE'LL START OVER AT THIS END WITH, UM, COUNCILMAN GLOVER.AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO MAKE COMMENTS, YOU CAN PASS
UM, AND IT CAN BE ABOUT THE FUNDING, IT CAN BE ABOUT ANYTHING YOU WANT THAT'S BEEN DISCUSSED TONIGHT.
SO I'M A POLITICIAN, SO IF YOU SAY ANYTHING THAT'S
UM, IN, UM, ENDORSING, UM, THE COMMENT THAT THEY MAY HAVE MADE, I WOULD CONCUR WITH OPTION ONE AS WE MOVE FORWARD, UM, IN THIS PROJECT.
BUT I WOULD MAKE A, A COMMENT ABOUT, UM, SEVERAL, SEVERAL AREAS.
BUT THE MOST IMPORTANT ONE FOR ME RIGHT NOW WOULD BE WHAT HAPPENS TO IMPROVEMENT IN THE STONY COMMUNITY.
AND I THINK I, I WANT TO REALLY EMPHASIZE, UM, DOING SOMETHING TO IMPROVE THAT AREA.
UM, AND I THINK, UH, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE, UM, INCORPORATE, UM, SOME SAFETY PRECAUTION IN THE STONY COMMUNITY.
BUT I, I WANT TO GO A LITTLE FURTHER AND, AND, AND ADD, UH, INFRASTRUCTURE FOR THE STONY COMMUNITY AS WELL.
AND WHEN I SAY INFRASTRUCTURE, I'M TALKING FOR ECONOMIC GAIN.
UM, ROADS DESTROY BLACK COMMUNITIES.
HERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO TAKE ROADS TO IMPROVE A BLACK COMMUNITY.
AND I THINK WE CAN, AT SOME POINT IN TIME, THIS COUNCIL AND THE TOWN CAN COMMIT FUNDING TO HELP IMPROVE INFRASTRUCTURE FOR ECONOMIC GAIN IN THE STONY COMMUNITY.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WILL SHARE WITH YOU IS THAT, UM, IF YOU ARE TRAVELING BY AUTOMOBILE, GOING TO HILTON HEAD, YOU'VE GOT TO GO THROUGH THE STONY COMMUNITY.
[00:55:01]
HOW CAN THAT COMMUNITY ATTRACT PEOPLE, UH, TO STOP BY FOR ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES? AND I THINK WE CAN REALLY DO SOMETHING TO DESIGN A SYSTEM, AN INFRASTRUCTURE TO IMPROVE THE STONY COMMUNITY SO THAT ECONOMIC GAINS CAN HAPPEN IN THE STONY COMMUNITY, JUST LIKE IT DID 50, 60, 70 YEARS AGO, UH, WHEN THERE WAS ONLY ONE ROAD COMING THROUGH STONY COMMUNITY AND THERE WAS A LOT OF ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES RIGHT IN THAT COMMUNITY.HOW DO WE IMPROVE THAT FOR THAT COMMUNITY? BECAUSE THE HISTORY HAS BEEN WHEN YOU COME THROUGH, UM, A BLACK COMMUNITY, YOU REALLY DIVIDE THAT COMMUNITY WITH ROADS, YOU IMPROVE THAT COMMUNITY WITH ROADS, BUT YOU LEAVE THAT COMMUNITY, UM, WITH NO GAIN AT ALL AND YOU DIVIDE THAT COMMUNITY.
HOW CAN WE REALLY WORK TOWARD IMPROVING THE STONEY COMMUNITY? UM, AND WHEN WE ARE FINISHED WITH THIS PROJECT, THE COMMUNITY CAN SAY, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IS WELL WORTH DOING.
UM, I LIKE WHAT MY COLLEAGUE YORK SAID, I LIKE MY COLLEAGUE, MR. MCKELLEN SAID, UM, WORKING TOGETHER WITH THE TOWN AT THIS POINT HAS PRODUCED A LOT OF VERY GOOD THINGS.
AND THE SENATOR, I THINK THIS COULD BE A VERY GOOD CASE STUDY GOING FORWARD TO GET TOGETHER A LOT SOONER THAN WE DID TO GET THINGS DONE.
THIS BRIDGE PROJECT'S BEEN GOING ON FOR A LOT OF YEARS, AND HERE WE ARE BEING TOLD BY THE S-C-D-O-T, HERE ARE THE OPTIONS.
MY UNDERSTANDING OF THE S-C-D-O-T IS THAT THEY WANT TO BUILD ROADS NO MATTER WHAT WE DO.
SO, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE OUGHT TO TAKE INTO OUR OWN HANDS, GET THIS DONE BEFORE THE S-C-D-D-O-T COMES IN NEXT TIME AND TAKE CARE OF BUSINESS.
UM, EVERYBODY THAT I TALK TO ALSO WITH THIS LIST SAYS THE OPTION ONE IS THE ONE TO GO WITH.
AND IF THIS IS TRULY A BRIDGE PROJECT AND IT'S A COUNTY THING, RESOLUTION SHOULD BE DONE PRETTY QUICKLY.
SO MY THING IS, WHATEVER WE NEED TO DO, LET'S GET IT DONE.
AND THE LAST THING I WANNA SAY IS THE INPUT FROM ALL OF YOU PEOPLE HERE AND LISTENING HAS HELPED US GET TO WHERE WE ARE AND TAUGHT US THAT WE'VE GOTTA DO THINGS A LOT QUICKER AND NOT WAIT TILL THE 11TH HOUR.
SO WE APPRECIATE IT AND THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY.
UM, AND THANK EVERYONE TONIGHT FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS IMPORTANT, UM, PROJECT BEFORE US.
WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT IT A LOT.
UM, I DO HAVE A COUPLE OF, UM, STATEMENTS AND, AND ONE YOU'VE, YOU'VE, YOU'VE HEARD THEM ALL BEFORE FROM ME, SO, UM, JUST BEAR WITH ME.
I REPRESENT THE RESIDENTS OF HILTON HEAD ISLAND, SPECIFICALLY WARD FOUR, BUT ALL THE RESIDENTS OF HILTON HEAD ISLAND AND OVER THE YEARS, UM, AT 11,000 PLUS HAVE PUT THEIR NAME TO A PETITION TO ASK THAT WE TAKE SERIOUSLY THE TYPE OF BRIDGE, UM, THAT WE'RE CONSTRUCTING AND THAT WHAT IT WILL MEAN TOWARDS OUR BRAND ON HILTON HEAD ISLAND IN THE FUTURE FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS.
THAT'S CRITICAL TO US, AS IMPORTANT AS ALL OF OUR PAST HISTORY IS.
AND IT IS, WE DON'T WANT TO RUIN WHAT COMES NEXT FOR THOSE WHO BRING THEIR GRANDCHILDREN AND THEIR GREAT-GRANDCHILDREN HERE ON THE ISLAND.
AND SO WITH THAT, I KNOW THAT, UM, CRAIG LEAVE WELL, UM, NOPE, THERE HE IS.
I KNOW CRAIG HAS HEARD THIS OVER AND OVER FROM ME, AND I'LL SAY IT AGAIN AND I'LL SAY IT WITH ALL IMPORTANT TO YOU.
UM, REPRESENTING THOSE 11,000 PLUS PEOPLE, THE WIDTH OF THE BRIDGE IS THEIR CONCERN, PRIMARY CONCERN.
AND SO WITH THOSE TWO 10 FOOT BREAKDOWN LANES, IT'S A HUMBLE REQUEST TO EVERY FOOT COUNTS.
IF THERE'S ANY OPPORTUNITY WHATSOEVER TO MAKE THOSE LESS THAN 10 FEET EACH, UM, I THINK THAT WOULD GO AN AWFUL LONG, AWFUL LONG WAY TO SATISFYING SOME OF THE CONCERNS THAT YOU'VE HEARD OVER THE LAST SEVEN OR SO YEARS.
AND SO I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT I REITERATE THAT AND HOPEFULLY YOU'RE PUTTING A STAR BY IT AS YOU'RE TAKING NOTES.
AND THEN, UM, JUST A COUPLE OF OTHER QUESTIONS WITH REGARD TO THE RESOLUTION.
UM, NUMBER THREE ON PAGE THREE IS TO ADDRESS THE IMMEDIATE SAFETY CONCERNS IN THE STONY COMMUNITY, 3.5 MILLION AND LOCAL COUNTY FUNDS WILL BE ALLOCATED TO A LOCAL ROAD
[01:00:01]
PROJECT WITH THE TOWN OVERSEEING THE DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION.I STILL HAVEN'T SEEN, AND I GUESS THAT'S WHAT MY QUESTION WAS BEFORE, I'M NOT SURE WHAT THOSE SAFETY CONCERNS ARE AND WHAT IT IS SPECIFICALLY THAT WE'RE ADDRESSING.
AND, AND I GUESS I'D LIKE TO SEE A LITTLE BIT OF SOME OF THAT INFORMATION SO THAT WE KNOW THAT THE THOUGHTS ARE ALIGNED WITH WHAT THE REAL CONCERNS ARE THERE WITH REGARD TO SAFETY.
UM, AND THEN JUST A, JUST A SMALL POINT, UM, IN THE NOTES FROM THE MEETING UP IN COLUMBIA BACK ON JANUARY 30TH, I GUESS UNDER NUMBER NINE, UH, PROJECT TIMING, IT'S AN ESTIMATE IS PLUS OR MINUS 32 MONTHS TO GET TO CONSTRUCTION IN 24 TO 36 MONTHS FOR CONSTRUCTION.
AND I BELIEVE THAT WITHIN THE RESOLUTION, THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN I DON'T HIGHLIGHT THINGS.
THERE WAS SOME, THERE WAS LANGUAGE SOMEWHERE THAT SPOKE TO 24 MONTHS.
AND IS, IS THERE, IS THERE AN ISSUE WITH REGARD TO TIMING, UM, FROM THOSE TWO DIFFERENT, THOSE CONFLICT POINTS IN THE, UH, PAPERWORK? OKAY.
IS THAT MS. TURNER? COUNCILMAN TURNER? THANK YOU.
UH, GIVEN WHERE WE ARE TODAY ON THE LINE TO OPTION ONE, AND I'VE ALREADY GIVEN YOU MY COMMENTS.
COUNCILMAN PASSMAN? YES, I'M IN SUPPORT OF OPTION ONE.
ALSO HEARD THAT WE SHOULD CHANGE ON PAGE THREE, ITEM ONE FROM THE WORD MADE A WILL, UM, THAT THIS WILL BE A DESIGN BUILD AND THAT WE NEED TO MOVE EXPEDITIOUSLY.
THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN BERNET, VICE CHAIR.
UM, AND I'VE STATED IT BEFORE, THE RESIDENTS SPOKE VERY CLEARLY ON NOVEMBER 5TH.
THERE IS NO EXTRA FUNDING, SO TO STAY WITHIN OUR BUDGET, WHICH IS WHAT WE'VE BEEN DIRECTED TO DO.
I'M FOR OPTION ONE COUNCIL, ALEX, DID WE? THANKS AGAIN, MADAM CHAIR.
UM, I TWO M IN FAVOR OF OPTION ONE.
UM, I APPRECIATE US, UH, I GUESS OPTION ONE B
PARTICULARLY WHEN IT COMES TO SAFETY.
UM, I'VE GOT, I THINK ABOUT SEVEN NAMES ON HERE, FOLKS THAT HAVE BEEN KILLED IN THAT AREA.
OKAY? I'M NOT GOING TO READ THEM TONIGHT, BUT I WANT MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS THAT THERE ARE SAFETY CONCERNS IN THAT AREA.
UH, SO A COMMITMENT BETWEEN THE COUNTY AND TOWN TO MOVE FORWARD TO ADDRESS THOSE IS ULTIMATELY IMPORTANT.
UH, SO AGAIN, I'LL, UM, YIELD THE REST OF MY TIME TO SOMEONE ELSE WITH THE SLIGHT CHANGE AND THE COMMITMENT I AM PREPARED TO MOVE FORWARD.
MAYOR PERRY, I, I'VE PRETTY MUCH SAID EVERYTHING THAT, THAT, THAT I'VE NEEDED TO SAY.
UM, BUT I DO APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT WE ARE ALL HERE TOGETHER WORKING FOR A SOLUTION.
AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S NOT TRANSPIRED IN THE PAST.
AND THIS IS, YOU KNOW, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IT, ABOUT BUILDING BETTER RELATIONSHIPS.
UM, AND I THINK THIS IS, IS ONE GREAT STEP TO DOING THAT.
SO WE CAN CONTINUE TO DO GREAT THINGS.
AND I WILL, UH, NOT USE MY ENTIRE THREE MINUTES.
I'M FROM NEW YORK AND I SPEAK VERY QUICKLY, SO YOU'LL ALL HAVE TO LISTEN VERY QUICKLY.
I SUPPORT, UH, UH, ALEX BROWN'S PROPOSAL FOR AN OPTION ONE B, BECAUSE I KNOW WITH OPTION ONE, THE, UH, EFFORT WILL END AT JENKINS ISLAND ROAD, AND THAT LEAVES THE STONY COMMUNITY WITHOUT ANY REAL PLAN.
SO I THINK WE NEED TO HAVE SOME CONSIDERATION THERE FOR WHATEVER FUNDING IS AVAILABLE TO BE INCLUDED IN OPTION ONE B.
I'M AWARE OF THE LIMITATIONS OF BUDGET, UM, AND I THINK WE CAN ACCOMPLISH OUR GOALS WITH THAT BUDGET AFTER WE REACH A FINAL AGREEMENT TO PROCEED.
THIS HAS BEEN A LONG TIME COMING.
THIS CONVERSATION BEGAN IN 2016.
UH, THERE ARE A GREAT MANY PEOPLE WHO WISH TO SEE THE PROJECT TAKE SHAPE AND BEGIN.
AS I MOVE AROUND THE ISLAND ON A DAILY BASIS, I FREQUENTLY HEAR A VERY SIMPLE PHRASE, JUST GET STARTED.
AND I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE ACTUALLY BELIEVE THAT.
UM, SO FIRST OF ALL, I SUPPORT, UH, ONLY WORKING WITH THE FUNDS AVAILABLE, UH, FOR OUR CURRENT CONSIDERATION.
I SUPPORT OPTION ONE, UH, PROVIDED THAT, UH, IT INCLUDES CAUSEWAY IMPROVEMENTS.
UH, THERE'S AT LEAST ONE CAUSEWAY THERE.
ALSO WOULD ASK S-E-D-O-T TO LOOK AT, UH, IN THE PROJECT DOCUMENTS, LOOKING AT, UH, ALTERNATE, UH, BIDS ON, UM, IF IT'S
[01:05:01]
DESIGN BILL TO ADDING SOME PEDESTRIAN, UM, BIKE FACILITIES, UH, INCLUDING THE, UH, PORTION OF THE REMAINING EXISTING PEACE BOUND BRIDGE TO AND FROM PINKNEY ISLAND.UM, I, I'M VERY CONCERNED, UH, WITH, UH, ANOTHER LARGE SHOE DROPPING TONIGHT, ANOTHER 15 MILLION IN ENGINEERING COST.
UM, TO ME THAT'S VERY ALARMING.
UM, AND I WOULD ASK S-E-D-O-T TO LOOK AT THEIR FUNDS AVAILABLE TO MAKE UP THAT 15 MILLION.
SO WE CAN GO BACK TO THE 41 MILLION WE THOUGHT WAS AVAILABLE BEFORE TONIGHT.
UM, I'M GLAD THAT THEIR IMPROVEMENTS TO ACCESS TO WINDMILL HARBOR, BLUE HERON AND MARINERS COVE, THE HALL ISLAND CONNECTOR, UM, THAT DOES INCLUDE PROPERTY ON JENKINS ISLAND.
SO THE STATEMENTS WITH REGARD TO THE QUESTION ABOUT IT'S JUST A BRIDGE PROJECT.
IT ACTUALLY DOES INCLUDE A LAND PROJECT.
AND IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT IT WOULD BE LAND DONATED BY THE TOWN OF HILTON HEAD ISLAND, WHICH IN 2019 WAS ESTIMATED TO BE VALUED AT 3.35 MILLION.
I, I WOULD DARE SAY THAT'S A, A GREATER COST NOW.
SO IT DOES INCLUDE, UM, LAND IN ADDITION TO THE BRIDGE AND AND ACCESS OTHER THAN THE BRIDGE.
UM, VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE WATERLINE COST.
UM, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO HAVING MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THAT.
I'M GLAD THAT THERE ARE REPRESENTATIVES HERE FROM HILTON ET ON, AND PSD.
I SEE MR. NARDI AND MR. RE AND, AND HOPEFULLY THEY'LL HAVE MORE INFORMATION, BUT WATER'S ESSENTIAL.
WE'VE GOTTA HAVE IT AND WE'VE GOTTA KEEP IT FLOWING.
I'M VERY DISTURBED, BUT THERE'S NOT ANYMORE MONEY FOR ESTONIA IMPROVEMENT PLAN.
UM, THERE ARE SAFETY, UH, ISSUES THERE.
UM, IN THE LETTER THAT WE RECEIVED, UH, FROM, UM, DATED OF JANUARY 9TH, 2025, SIGNED BY TOM DAVIS AND OTHER REPRESENTATIVES OF OUR DELEGATION, THERE'S A REALLY IMPORTANT PARAGRAPH IN THERE.
UM, AND, AND THAT IS IN THE, THE LAST PAGE, PAGE THREE, WHEN THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT, UH, WORKING ON A MASTER PLAN FOR THE LAND PORTION.
UM, AND IN THAT, UH, NEXT, LAST PARAGRAPH, UM, THE LETTER SAYS, UH, IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN ON ISLAND MASTER PLAN, WE RESPECTFULLY SUGGEST THAT DEFERENCE BE PROVIDED TO THE TOWN AND RESIDENTS OF HILTON NET ISLAND, AND THAT THEY ARE THE MOST DIRECTLY IMPACTED PARTIES.
THERE ARE SEVERAL IMPORTANT ISLAND SPECIFIC QUALITY OF LIFE ISSUES TO BE SORTED OUT IN THE MASTER PLAN.
MITIGATING IMPACTS ON THE STONY COMMUNITY, FACILITATING THE FREE FLOW OF TRAFFIC, REDUCING THE NUMBER OF ACCIDENTS THAT OCCURRED AT THE SIGNALIZE INTERSECTIONS, AND PROVIDING FOR AN AESTHETICALLY PLEASING ENTRANCE TO THE ISLAND.
UM, I, I DO WANNA WORK WITHIN THE FUNDS AVAILABLE, BUT I THINK THAT, UM, I, I'M GREATLY DISMAYED BY THIS REDUCTION IN 15 MILLION.
I DO SUPPORT, UH, THE SUGGESTION BY MR. BROWN.
UH, ALSO AGREE TO BY MR. PASSMAN THAT, UH, THAT PARAGRAPH BE CHANGED.
SO IF UNSPENT, THEY WILL BE USED FOR LOCAL ROAD IMPROVEMENTS ALONG THE CORRIDOR.
UM, IN THE 2018 REFERENDUM, UH, THE, THE VOTE WAS FOR MOSS CREEK TO SQUIRE POPE, NOT JUST THE BRIDGE.
THE SI AGREEMENT IS FROM MOSS CREEK TO SPANISH WELLS, NOT JUST THE BRIDGE.
I WOULD REQUEST THAT THE RIGHT OF WAY, UM, BE REEXAMINED AND ALSO THAT THERE BE A DECREASE IN THE SPEED TO 40 MILES PER HOUR THROUGHOUT THIS AREA, INCLUDING THE BRIDGE.
UM, FIRST OFF, THANK YOU FOR EVERYONE COMING OUT.
I'M GLAD WE COULD GET TOGETHER AND GET THIS ON THE ROAD.
UM, ONE THINGS I WILL SAY, UM, A LOT OF PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, WANT TO TALK ABOUT AREAS THAT WE REPRESENT, WHETHER HILTON HEAD, BLUFFTON, BEAUFORT, BUT REALISTICALLY, THIS IS A COUNTY PROJECT.
AND I SAY THAT NOT JUST 'CAUSE THE COUNTY COUNTY'S THE ONE WITH THE NAME ON THE PIECE OF PAPER WITH D-S-S-C-D-O-T, BUT EVERYBODY IN THE COUNTY GOES TO HILTON HEAD, WHETHER IT'S FOR WORK OR PLEASURE, IT'S NOT JUST FAMILIES THAT LIVE ON THE ISLAND THAT USE THAT BRIDGE, BUT THE MAJORITY ARE WORKERS ARE COMING FROM OUTSIDE OF HILTON HEAD TO GO TO THE ISLAND.
SO UNFORTUNATELY, WE ARE TASKED WITH ALSO MEETING THE NEEDS OF ANYBODY OUTSIDE OF HILTON HEAD TO GET THIS PROJECT DONE, BECAUSE THOSE VOICES ALSO HAVE TO BE REPRESENTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY CAN CONTINUE FOR HILTON HEAD TO THRIVE THE WAY IT HAS.
UM, WITH THAT SAID, UM, I'M PROBABLY THE BIGGEST PERSON ON COUNTY COUNCIL RIGHT NOW, WANTS TO STOP GROWTH.
I DON'T CARE HOW MAD PEOPLE GET ABOUT IT.
SO BUILDING A BIG, BIGGER, BIGGER BRIDGE IS JUST GONNA BRING MORE GROWTH TO HILTON HEAD.
I'D DRIVEN THAT BRIDGE FOR YEARS.
THE TIME REALLY HAS NOT CHANGED AS MUCH AS PEOPLE THINK GETTING TO THAT BRIDGE OR GETTING TO THE ISLAND.
I CAN STILL GO FROM BUCKWALTER AT NINE O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING, EIGHT O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING IN 20 TO 25 MINUTES.
THAT'S A SHORTER DRIVE THAN BUFORT TO BLUFFTON.
UM, SO WITH THAT OPTION NUMBER ONE, I HAVE, I REALLY HAVE NO ISSUE WITH, I WISH WE COULD HAVE GOT THIS GOING DOWN THE ROAD YEARS AGO WHEN THE PROJECT WAS A LOT CHEAPER.
UM, WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT THIS YEARS AGO, IT'S BEEN KICKED DOWN THE CAN FOR MR. MCKELLAN'S HAD ALMOST A DECADE NOW.
UM, SO PART OF THAT DOES FALL ON FORMER COUNCIL MEMBERS.
SOME OF US, MYSELF INCLUDED, NOT GETTING TO THE TABLE SOONER TO GET THIS BRIDGE SHOVEL ON THE GROUND ALREADY,
[01:10:01]
LIKE WE ORIGINALLY DISCUSSED.UM, I'LL BE HONEST, MY BIGGEST ISSUE, LIKE I SAID, IS NOT GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY FOR MORE GROWTH.
I THINK IT'S OUR JOB TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN YES, IMPROVE SAFETY, UM, CONTINUE TO GET OUR RESIDENTS TO AND OFF THE ISLANDS, BUT AS WELL AS, LET'S BE HONEST, THIS BRIDGE THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE IS NOT UP TO CODE.
UM, IT, WE NEED TO GET ONE UP TO CODE.
SO WE NEED TO MAKE THOSE IMPROVEMENTS.
AND WE'VE KNOWN THIS FOR YEARS.
UM, CONCERN WISE FOR ME OUTSIDE OF THE BRIDGE ITSELF IS ACCESS TO PINKNEY ISLAND.
UM, THAT IS A MAJOR THING THAT'S BEING LACKED IN THIS DISCUSSION.
I UNDERSTAND THE CONCERNS FOR SAFETY, WHICH SOON AS WE GET OVER THE BRIDGE AND STONY CREEK, BUT PINKNEY ISLAND IS A BIG PIECE FOR THE FUTURE OF THIS COUNTY, WHETHER IT IS FOR OUR RESIDENTS THAT USE IT DAILY FOR BOATING.
UM, ANY FUTURE TRANSPORTATION TO DUSKY, WHICH YOU GUYS ALL KNOW IS A BIG PART OF THIS COMMUNITY AS WELL, AND MAYBE ONE DAY EVEN SAVANNAH.
SO I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WHATEVER DESIGN WE HAVE, WHICH IS ONE OF MY QUESTIONS EARLIER THAT I DIDN'T GET A CHANCE TO ASK, BUT WE HAVE TO HAVE A PLAN FOR PINNEY ISLAND AND WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN ON IT.
UM, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, INCLUDING NANCY MAC, HAS ALREADY BEEN ON BOARD FOR US DOING PLANS, UM, ON PINNEY ISLAND TO IMPROVE THAT AND TO MAKE SURE IT CONTINUES PROTECTED, BUT ALSO IT'S USED TO FULL ITS ABILITIES.
UM, SO I I WILL SAY I'LL, I'LL SUPPORT OPTION NUMBER ONE IF, IF THAT'S WHAT THE WILL OF THE COUNCIL IS, AS LONG AS WE STAY INSIDE OUR FUNDING, UM, TIRED OF THE GOVERNMENT LIVING OUTSIDE OF ITS A MEANS.
AND WE SHOULDN'T BE DOING THAT HERE.
THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN STEVE? UH, YES, THANK YOU.
FROM A DESIGN POINT OF VIEW OF WHAT WE'VE BEEN GIVEN, UH, OPTION ONE I THINK IS THE BEST OPTION.
AND IF YOU, AND YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT IT FROM NOT JUST, UH, PRESENT, BUT WE HAVE TO LOOK INTO THE FUTURE AND WHAT WE'RE GONNA GIVE THE NEXT COUNCIL 20 YEARS FROM NOW.
SO I COULDN'T IMAGINE 20 YEARS FROM NOW GETTING READY TO REBUILD THE WEST LANE AND HAVING ONLY TWO LANES COMING IN ON THE EASTBOUND LANE.
'CAUSE WHEN IT'S THAT TIME, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE ONE LANE PASSING.
I THINK IT'S A, IT'S, IT'S JUST A BRILLIANT IDEA TO BE ABLE TO HAVE FOUR LANES WHEN NEEDED TO BUILD THE WESTBOUND LANE.
SHOULD WE HAVE A PROBLEM? SHOULD SOMETHING COME UP ON OUR WESTBOUND LANE? WITHOUT THAT BRIDGE BEING THAT WIDE AND BEING ABLE TO STRIPE TO FOUR LANES, IT WOULD BE ULTRA CRITICAL.
IT WOULD BE A, IT WOULD BE A REAL NIGHTMARE AND IT WOULD LAST FOR MORE THAN A YEAR OR TWO.
SO, UH, I'M, I'M REALLY GLAD TO SEE OPTION ONE'S THERE.
AND ONE OTHER ASPECT ABOUT OPTION ONE IS SOMETHING THAT WE CAN LOOK AT INTO THE FUTURE WITH SOME DATA IS, I AGREE WITH MS. BRYSON ABOUT THIS BIKE PATH AND THIS TRAVEL LANE FOR BIKES.
IF WE CAN SOMEHOW SOME WAY GET THIS BRIDGED STRIPED TO TWO LANES AND THEN USE PART OF IT FOR A BIKE LANE, WE COULD START TO GATHER DATA.
'CAUSE EVERYONE'S ALWAYS SAYING, YOU KNOW, DO WE REALLY NEED A BIKE PATH TO BLUFFTON? SO WE'RE GONNA GET DATA AND WE'RE GONNA GET YEARS OF DATA IF WE CAN ESTABLISH THAT, AND THAT'LL TELL YOU WHAT TO DO IN THE WESTBOUND LANE COMES, DO YOU HANG A, DO YOU HANG A BIKE PATH OFF A WESTBOUND LANE OR DO YOU SAY IT WAS NEVER REALLY UTILIZED PROPERLY? WE DON'T NEED IT ANYMORE.
AND ONE OTHER THING THAT I WOULD REALLY LIKE FOR THE S-C-D-O-T TO LOOK AT AS AN ALTERNATE IS IT'S MY TRUE BELIEF AND MAYBE ONLY MINE, I HOPE NOT THAT WE HAVE TO GET RID OF THE LIGHTS TO MAKE THIS CORRIDOR WORK.
AND IT'S MY INTENTION TO TRY AS HARD AS I CAN TO GET RID OF THE LIGHTS IN THE CORRIDOR, BE SAFE, TAKE CARE OF STONY, GIVE STONY A TRUE EXIT SO THAT THEY CAN EXIT AND, AND HAVE A STONY COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT AREA AND GET BACK 50 YEARS AND 60 YEARS AGO.
IT WAS MENTIONED EARLIER, AND I BELIEVE WE CAN DO THAT, BUT WE HAVE TO START SOMEWHERE.
AND SO WE NEED TO REALLY LOOK AT GETTING RID OF THIS WINDMILL HARBOR LIGHT.
AND I WOULD, I WOULD REALLY WISH THAT YOU WOULD TAKE A LOOK AT, YOU'VE ALREADY DESIGNED INTO IT.
A, UM, A ROAD GOING BACK TO HAWK FROM HOG ISLAND.
IF WE COULD USE A FRONTAGE ROAD GOING UNDERNEATH THE BRIDGE THAT THE ROAD ALREADY EXISTS, COMING BACK ACROSS HOG ISLAND AND DOING AN ACCELERATION LANE TO LEAVE TO GO TO BLUFFTON.
THAT WAY WE CAN ELIMINATE THAT LIGHT.
I'M FOR OPTION ONE IS STAY WITHIN OUR BUDGET.
I'LL REITERATE WHEN OUR VICE CHAIR TAVERN SAID, COUNCILMAN STEVE.
SECOND STEVE, I WAS ONE OF THOSE THAT LIKED THE PROJECT THAT WE APPROVED AT THE TOWN LEVEL LAST JUNE.
UM, WHEN THE LEVY FAILED IN, IN NOVEMBER, WE HAD A SCALE BACK AND THE INITIAL PRESENTATION IS, WELL, LET'S CUT OUT THE WESTBOUND LANE.
UH, I WAS ONE WHO AT THAT POINT SAID, GEE, WOULD BE NICE IF WE COULD DO EVERYTHING EXCEPT THAT WESTBOUND LANE.
UH, THE FIGURES WE'RE LOOKING AT RIGHT NOW ARE NOT THERE.
UH, MY PARTICULAR, UH, INTEREST, UH, IN AMENITIES THAT GO WITH THE BRIDGES IS A BIKE PAD PATH.
[01:15:01]
UH, THAT HAS BEEN VERY IMPORTANT.UH, AND, AND THE THINGS THAT I HAVE PURSUED.
IT IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT IN MY COMMUNITY ON THE SOUTH END, UH, OF SEA PINES, UH, POLLS THERE RECENTLY SHOW THAT BIKING IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN GOING TO THE BEACH.
UH, SO THERE'S A, A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT DO THAT.
THERE WILL BE A LOT MORE IF THERE WAS, IF THERE WERE SUCH A PATH, UH, FROM E-BIKES, FROM PEOPLE GOING TO JENNEY ISLAND, FROM PEOPLE COMING FROM THIS SIDE OVER TO GO TO THE BEACHES, UH, IT WOULD HAVE A LOT OF USE.
SO ESSENTIALLY, I'M JUST VERY DISAPPOINTED ABOUT THAT, PARTICULARLY BECAUSE IT'S EITHER NOW OR NEVER.
IF WE DON'T DO THAT BRIDGE NOW, IT'S, IT IS NOT GONNA HAPPEN.
I DO REALIZE THE FINANCIAL REALITIES, UH, IT DOES SEEM THAT THERE IS A SIGNIFICANT RESERVE FUND HERE BUILT INTO THESE FIGURES AT THE SAME TIME THAT MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THE DOT IS SAYING THESE FIGURES ARE ALREADY WELL RESERVED.
SO WE MAY WELL LIKELY HAVE SOME EXTRA MONEY, UH, PROBABLY WON'T BE ENOUGH TO DO THE BIKE PASS, BUT I HOPE IT WILL BE USED IN STONY, UH, AS COUNCILMAN BROWN HAS INDICATED.
UM, YES, UH, I ACTUALLY LIVED ON YOU'RE LAST, BUT YOU'RE NOT LEAST SO GOOD.
UM, LIVED ON HILTON HEAD FOR, FOR SIX YEARS, FROM 90 TO 96, AND MOVED TO BLUFFTON AND STILL HAVE LOTS OF FRIENDS THAT ARE ON HILTON HEAD.
AND AS A COUNTY COUNCILMAN, I REPRESENT DISTRICT NINE, HOWEVER, I REPRESENT ALL OF BEAUFORT COUNTY PEOPLE AS WELL.
SO AGAIN, LOOKING AT THIS, IT, IT'S, YOU KNOW, WE, WE'VE TRIED TO PUSH THIS FORWARD AS BEST WE CAN, UM, AS QUICK AS WE CAN FOR, FOR A COUPLE YEARS NOW.
UM, IF, IF THE, UM, UH, CONSENSUS IS OPTION ONE, UM, I AM, I AM ALL FOR THAT.
'CAUSE AGAIN, I WANT US TO MOVE FORWARD AND GET THIS MOVING BEFORE COSTS CONTINUE TO GO UP.
UH, IF I HAD A CHOICE, I'D PROBABLY SAY, LET'S GO WITH OPTION THREE.
BECAUSE OPTION THREE, EVEN WITH THE EXTRA, UH, 14, $13 MILLION IN, UM, ENGINEERING STILL KEEPS US WHERE WE HAVE MONEY AVAILABLE.
WE HAVE MONEY TO DO IT, IT'S RIGHT AT OUR BUDGET.
UM, AND IF, IF WE DO NOT DO THOSE THINGS NOW, THAT'LL COST MORE IN THE FUTURE.
SO I, I THINK THAT, THAT, IF, AGAIN, IF I HAD MY CHOICE, I'D SAY LET'S, LET'S GO AHEAD AND, AND GO WITH OPTION THREE.
UM, BUT AGAIN, I AM SOMEONE HERE THAT'S WILLING TO WORK WITH EVERYONE ELSE, FOR US TO COME TO A CONSENSUS.
WE CAN TAKE THIS AND, AND THEN START LOOKING FOR THE NEXT THING THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE AFTER THIS, WHICH IS GONNA TAKE US YEARS FOR THE NEXT OPTION TO COME ALONG, UM, AND START PLANNING FOR THE REPLACEMENT OF THESE OTHER BRIDGES.
NOW, INSTEAD OF WAITING UNTIL IT'S, IT'S TOO LATE.
JUST LIKE TO MAKE ONE COMMENT.
UH, THIS IS PROBABLY THE MOST IMPORTANT THING THESE TWO COUNCILS WILL DO IN, IN THE NEAR FUTURE.
AND IT'S THE MOST IMPORTANT THING WE'RE DOING FOR BUFORT COUNTY AND ALSO FOR THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA.
UM, I LIKE OPTION ONE SO WE CAN GET IT DONE.
UH, TIME HAS RUN OUT AND THE BUZZER, LIKE WE HEAR THE BUZZER IN THE BASKETBALL GAME NEXT DOOR, WE GOTTA GO, WE GOTTA GO FORWARD.
SO AT THIS TIME, WE'LL TAKE COMMENTS FROM
[9. PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD – 30 MINUTES TOTAL]
THE PUBLIC.I'LL START AT THE TOP OF THE LIST, DAVID KIMBLE, AND WE'LL START THE CLOCK WITH YOU.
THE THREE MINUTES LAST TIME YOU CUT ME OFF.
SO I'LL TRY TO SPEAK MORE, UH, QUICKLY THIS TIME.
AND THEY COME OUT WITH A, A RANKING EVERY YEAR OF NOT ONLY A BICYCLE FRIENDLY COMMUNITIES LIKE HILTON HAD, HAS RECEIVED A GOLD STANDARD, AND THAT'S ONE OF THE HIGHEST RATINGS IN THE WHOLE COUNTRY, PARTICULARLY EAST OF THE MISSISSIPPI.
I THINK HILTON HILL MAY BE THE ONLY ONE.
THE LAD OFFER ALSO OFFERS STATE RANKINGS.
AND SOUTH CAROLINA OVERALL IN THE NATIONAL RANK RANKS 47TH OUTTA 50 STATES.
ON SAFETY, IT RANKS 48TH ON FUNDING, IT RANKS 48TH.
ON INFRASTRUCTURE, IT RANKS 45TH.
SO WHAT IS THE MESSAGE? I THINK THE MESSAGE IS THAT WE'RE A FAILED STATE IN TERMS OF BUILDING BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN PATHWAYS.
IF WE DON'T BUILD A A 10 FOOT PROTECTED PATHWAY ON THE BRIDGE, WE FAIL ALL THE LOCAL RIDERS AND WALKERS WHO WILL USE THE BRIDGE FOR HEALTH WORK, RECREATION AND CONNECTING TO THE MAINLAND.
IF WE DON'T BUILD THE PATHWAY, WE'RE GONNA MISS OUT ON ECONOMIC IMPACT OF BIKE TOURISTS.
WE TALK ABOUT STONY CRE UH, STONY COMMUNITY.
IF YOU PUT A TRAIL HEAD AT THE END OF YOUR COMMUNITY, A A PARK, A TRAIL HEAD PARK, A GROCERY STORE, A BIKE SHOP, A RESTAURANT THAT SERVES BEER, I CAN DARE GUARANTEE YOU, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE SOME ECONOMIC IMPACT THERE.
AND THOSE RIDERS THAT COME FROM INSTATE OUTTA STATE TO RIDE THE SPANISH MOSS TRAIL, OVER A HUNDRED THOUSAND OF THEM
[01:20:01]
LAST YEAR, THEY SPEND TWO TO THREE DAYS, OR THEY SPEND A DAY RIDING THE TRAIL.THEY MAY SPEND TWO TO THREE DAYS EXPLORING, UH, BLUFFTON AND HILTON HEAD BY BICYCLE.
AND THEN THOSE BICYCLISTS RIDING FROM MAINE TO KEY WEST ON THE EAST COAST.
GREENWAY, IF YOU CONNECTED THE BRIDGE, THEY'LL HAVE A CONNECTION TO HILTON HEAD TO EXPLORE THAT AS WELL.
SO WHAT IS THE SOLUTION? IN MY OPINION, THE STATE NEEDS TO DO MORE TO SECURE STATE FUNDING.
UM, AND THAT'S WHAT OTHER STATES ARE DOING.
MINNESOTA, 40 MILLION IN ANNUAL FUNDING, NEW MEXICO, 4.3 MILLION IN THE STATE BUDGET, HAWAII 10 MILLION FOR THE NEXT TWO YEARS FOR SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL.
WASHINGTON STATE, THE LEGISLATURE CREATED A $7 MILLION E-BIKE INCENTIVE PROGRAM.
AND HERE'S A, A GREAT ONE, FLORIDA 200 MILLION TO CONNECT BIKE TRAILS TO A STATEWIDE WILDLIFE CORRIDOR.
THAT'S WHAT YOU CALL CREATIVE THINKING, I THINK.
SO WHAT CAN WE DO? I THINK WE HAVE TO ASK OUR STATE LEGISLATORS TO MAKE BICYCLE PET INFRASTRUCTURE FUNDING A PART OF THE ANNUAL STATE BUDGET.
THEY MAY DO A LITTLE BIT OUT OF THE GASOLINE TAX, BUT IT NEEDS TO BE A LOT MORE.
AND I THINK IT'S, I'M NO, AM I GOOD? OKAY, THOSE SECONDS.
I THINK WE, A FEW MORE SECONDS.
HAVE YOU RUN NUMBERS ON RUNNING? UM, A BIKE BARGE, A FERRY SERVICE JUST FOR BICYCLES AND PEDESTRIANS.
IF YOU RAN THOSE NUMBERS, MAYBE THAT'S THE WAY TO GET AROUND HAVING TO SPEND THE MONEY FOR A BIKE.
UM, MADAM CHAIRMAN, UH, JUST FOR THE RECORD, UH, THE, THE MAYOR AND I ARE, EVEN THOUGH WE SHARE THE LAST NAME, WE'RE NOT RELATED AS FAR AS WE KNOW.
ANYWAY, UM, MY NAME IS CHARLES PERRY.
I AM THE, UH, THE, UH, CHAIRMAN OF TRAFFIC COMMITTEE AT WINDMILL HARBOR.
UH, AND I'D LIKE TO, ON BEHALF OF THE TRAFFIC COMMITTEE AND THE WHOLE OF OUR COMMUNITY, THANK JOINT COUNCIL FOR COMING TOGETHER ON THIS PROJECT.
IT'S, THINK IT'S BEEN A GREAT THING.
IT'S MOVE FORWARD SEEMINGLY FURTHER TONIGHT THAN IT HAS IN THE LAST FEW YEARS.
UH, I WOULD, IT IS A VERY IMPORTANT PROJECT TO US.
TIM KELLY, WHO WAS PRESIDENT OF OUR PROPERTY OWNERS ASSOCIATION, MIKE GARRIGAN, UH, WHO'S ON THE TRAFFIC COMMITTEE, AND JOE PRICE IS ON THE TRAFFIC COMMITTEE ALL HERE TONIGHT.
AND SO I WOULD JUST LIKE TO EXPRESS MY, UH, AND OUR, UH, APPRECIATION, UH, AND ALSO TO, TO VOICE SUPPORT FOR, UM, OPTION ONE, UH, AND THE, AND FOR ADOPTION OF THE JOINT RESOLUTION WITH THE COUNTLESS CON COUNCILMAN BROWN'S, UH, AMENDMENT.
WE THINK THAT'S REALLY THE WAY TO GO.
AND WE VERY MUCH APPRECIATE COUNCILS COMING TOGETHER AND DOING THAT.
UH, I WILL HAVE TO TAKE MY HAT OFF TO THE S-C-D-O-T OR WHOEVER NAMED A HOG ISLAND CONNECTOR.
THAT'S, THERE'S A LOT OF CREATIVITY THAT WENT INTO THAT, AND WE CERTAINLY APPRECIATE IT.
KELLY, I'LL WITHDRAW MY REQUEST.
UM, IT IS, IT'S HAPPY HOURS, SO I'LL BE VERY BRIEF
I, I JUST WANNA MAKE ONE QUICK COMMENT ON BEHALF OF THE RESIDENTS AT WINDMILL HARBOR.
I'VE BEEN A RESIDENT THERE FOR 20 YEARS.
BEFORE THAT, I WAS, SPENT A NUMBER OF YEARS ON DUSKY ISLAND.
SO I'VE BEEN AROUND HERE A LONG TIME, UH, PART OF AND ON THE INSIDE AND OUTSIDE OF A LOT OF THESE DISCUSSIONS, AND I APPRECIATE ALL THE TIME AND EFFORT THAT YOU'VE PUT INTO IT.
BUT KEEP IN MIND WITH, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT DOLLARS, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT TIME, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, UH, ENGINEERING STUDIES, I UNDERSTAND ALL THAT.
BUT KEEP IN MIND THAT THIS PROJECT IS GOING TO COME RIGHT IN ON TOP OF WINDMILL HARBOR, WHICHEVER ONE YOU GO WITH, IT'S GOING TO COME RIGHT IN ON TOP OF WINDMILL HARBOR AND IT'S GOING TO IMPACT WINDMILL HARBOR.
AND WE JUST HOPE THAT DURING THE PROCESS OF ENGINEERING STUDIES, THAT SOME CONSIDERATION WOULD BE GIVEN TO US TO HAVE SOME THOUGHT PROCESS THAT WOULD IMPACT THE FINAL DECISIONS.
IT'S, IT'S, IF YOU LOOK AT THE, AT THE DIAGRAMS, IT IS LIKE FROM ME TO YOU, FROM FROM THE ROAD TO WINDMILL HARBOR IT, THE OTHER, UH, COMMENT I WOULD MAKE, UH, WITH REGARD TO THE LIGHT AT WINDMILL HARBOR.
UH, KEEP IN MIND THAT, THAT SINCE THAT LIGHT'S BEEN UP THERE, IT HAS DRASTICALLY REDUCED ACCIDENTS AND SAVED PROBABLY A LOT OF INJURIES AND A LOT OF LIVES.
AND, AND MR. MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS.
AND THANK YOU FOR THIS COL COLLABORATIVE EFFORT.
[01:25:01]
UM, I'VE BEEN IN WINDMILL HARBOR SINCE 2016 AND I CAME FROM THE DC AREA, SO WE KNOW TRAFFIC.UM, I HAVE 40 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN LAW ENFORCEMENT, BOTH AT COUNTY AND TOWN LEVELS.
SO I WANNA LEAVE YOU WITH, UH, A COUPLE THOUGHTS.
NUMBER ONE, IT'S MY TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE THAT TELLS ME GOVERNMENT'S ROLE IN TRAFFIC IS FIRST, SAFETY AND SECOND EFFICIENCY.
EMPHASIZE SAFETY, THEN EFFICIENCY.
WHAT THE WINDMILL HARBOR LIGHT DOES IS PROVIDE FOR AN ORDERLY AND SAFE MOVEMENT OF TRAFFIC FOR ALL INVOLVED, BOTH IN AND OUT OF OUR COMMUNITY, IN AND OUT ONTO THE ISLAND.
THE ADDITIONAL THING IT DOES, IT PROVIDES AN ENGINEERING TOOL TO SLOW TRAFFIC SOMETHING THAT I KNOW IS CRITICAL TO MEMBERS OF THE TOWN.
WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND WE WISH YOU WELL.
NEXT IS, UM, CHRISTOPHER CLIFF, OR IS IT, IS THAT THE RIGHT WAY TO LAST NAME? YEAH.
UH, CHRISTOPHER CLIFF FOR THE RECORD.
UH, CHAIRMAN HOWARD, IF I MAY, UM, THE OPTION ONE PROPOSAL IS STRIKINGLY DIFFERENT TO THE PROPOSAL THAT WENT FORWARD, THE 488 MILLION, WHICH WAS PRESENTED ON MORE THAN ONE OCCASION TO THE PUBLIC.
AND THIS PROPOSAL IS, UH, EXCLUDING ACCESS TO PINKNEY ISLAND, THE FERRY, AND THE, UH, BOAT LANDING FOR PEOPLE TRAVELING EASTWOOD.
UM, SO MY QUESTION, IF I MAY, UH, IS THERE A PROPOSAL TO PRESENT THIS NEW PLAN TO THE PUBLIC? DURING PUBLIC COMMENT? WE DON'T ANSWER QUESTIONS, BUT YOU CAN DIRECT THAT, UM, AFTERWARDS TO THE ENGINEERS IF YOU'D LIKE TO.
IF YOU WOULD, THAT'D BE GREAT.
'CAUSE I THINK FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE PROBABLY DON'T QUITE UNDERSTAND THAT THE NEW EASTBOUND SPANS ARE NOT GOING TO ALLOW ANY ACCESS TO PINCKNEY ISLAND, NOR DUSKY NOR THE BOAT LANDING.
AND OF COURSE, YOU'RE COMING FROM DUSKY.
YOU'VE GOTTA COME ONTO WINDMILL, UH, ONTO THE ISLAND TO DO A U-TURN TO GO, UH, GO WEST.
SO I THINK IT'S PROBABLY QUITE IMPORTANT THAT PEOPLE HAVE A CHANCE TO CONSIDER THAT.
AT THE END, WE'LL, WE'LL SEE IF WE HAVE ANY LAST COMMENTS FROM THE ENGINEERS.
ALRIGHT, UM, FRANK BABEL, I'M CHAIR.
IT'S BABEL, ALTHOUGH OTHERS WOULD ACCUSE ME OF BABEL.
BABEL, MY NAME, WELL, I DO BABEL.
AND, UH, FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU TO ALL THE COUNTY FOLKS I'VE KNOWN FOR A LONG TIME AND TO ALL THE, UH, ENGINEERS OR WHATEVER WORKED ON THIS FOR MANY YEARS.
AND TO THE PEOPLE WHO ARE INVOLVED IN THIS, I LIKE TO TALK ABOUT, UH, TWO THINGS.
ONE IS COST AND THE OTHER IS INVESTMENT.
COST IS A ROAD, AND INVESTMENT IS THE STONY AREA OR BIKE PATH.
THERE'S A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THEM.
AND I'D LIKE TO EXPLAIN WHY AND WHY.
I THINK YOU NEED TO START THINKING ABOUT THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE.
COMMUNITIES THAT ARE BIG AND SMALL AROUND THE US ARE INCREASINGLY INVESTING IN BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN INFRASTRUCTURE TO HELP RESHAPE THESE COMMUNITIES AND BENEFIT PEOPLE OF ALL INCOME BRACKETS.
HILTON HEAD ISLAND IS AN EXAMPLE OF THAT.
HERE ARE SOME OTHER SE INVESTMENTS.
THE SPANISH MOSS TRAIL IN, IN BEAUFORT, A HUNDRED THOUSAND PEOPLE.
IT'S RATED ONE OF THE TOP 10 URBAN WALKING COMMUNITIES.
IT IS A SOURCE OF URBAN PRIDE.
THE SWAMP RABBIT TRAIL IN GREENVILLE, I REMEMBER THAT WAS A LITTLE SMALL TRAIL.
NOW THERE ARE 2 MILLION PEOPLE A YEAR WHO WALK ON WALK ON THAT TRAIL.
IT HAS HELPED GREENVILLE EVOLVE INTO WHAT IT'S BECOME, WHICH IS A POWERHOUSE.
THE BIKE PET FACILITY ON THE RAVENEL BRIDGE.
CAN YOU IMAGINE IF THEY DIDN'T DO THAT BIKE BREAD AND SLOW IT DOWN AND PUT THAT IN? CAN YOU IMAGINE WHAT IT WOULD BE LIKE GETTING FROM MOUNT PLEASANT? HOW MANY PEOPLE WOULD HAVE TO COMMUTE? WHERE WOULD THEY PARK THE CARS? THESE ARE EX ARE EXAMPLES OF SUCCESSFUL COMMUNITY INVESTMENTS THAT HAVE PROVIDED SIGNIFICANT RETURNS.
AND THERE ARE MANY OTHER EXAMPLES THROUGHOUT THE US YOU RECOGNIZE THIS WHEN YOU ALL APPROVE.
THE BEAUFORT COUNTY CONNECTS PIED MASTER PLAN.
SEVERAL YEARS AGO, THE US 2 78 BRIDGE PATHWAY WAS ONE OF THE KEY COMPONENTS OF THAT PLAN.
THAT PLAN WAS ABOUT OF THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
I HAVE HEARD NOTHING FROM THIS SIDE OF THE AISLE ABOUT THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN NOR THIS THING THAT WE SPENT TWO YEARS DOING, 20 OF US.
IT WAS THE LINK PROVIDING BEAUFORT COUNTY WITH IMPROVED SAFETY CONNECTIVITY, SUPPORTING GROWTH, REDUCING TRAFFIC CONGESTION OF VIABLE TRANSPORTATION OPTION, WHILE ALSO HELPING HILTON HEAD WITH HIS LABOR
[01:30:01]
AVAILABILITY CHARGES.WE'VE COME SO FAR AS ONE OF THE TOP RATED BIKE FRIENDLY DESTINATIONS IN THE COUNTRY.
IT WOULD BE DISAPPOINTING NOT TO CONTINUE MOVING FORWARD, TO WALK AWAY FROM THIS OPPORTUNITY WITHOUT A CREATIVE COST EFFECTIVE BIKE PIT SOLUTION OF SOME KIND.
WITH WHAT WE CAN COME OUT OF THIS THING WITH A PROTECTED LANE OR SOMETHING WOULD BE A SHAME.
NEXT IS, UM, ANDY, I'M NOT SURE HOW TO SAY THE LAST NAME.
IS THERE SOMEONE HERE BY THE NAME OF ANDY? AM I READING THAT
WHO WANTS TO TALK P PATE? OKAY, THANK YOU.
UM, AND WE HAD ONE PERSON, WE HAVE ONE MORE ON THE LIST, BUT WE HAVE ANOTHER PERSON THAT CAME IN THAT I'D LIKE TO GIVE THAT PERSON AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TO.
BUT, UM, LAST ON THE LIST IS FELISE LAMARCA.
AND THEN WHERE IS THE OTHER PERSON THAT CAME IN? COME ON UP FRONT, SIR, AND YOU'LL BE AFTER HER.
UH, CURRENTLY A RESIDENT IN SEA PINES.
I WANNA THANK ALL OF YOU FOR COMING TOGETHER.
UM, WE CITIZENS GIVE YOU A HARD JOB AND GIVE YOU A HARD TIME SOMETIMES.
I HOPE THE COUNTY AND THE TOWN, AND I SHOULD SAY TOWNS WILL DO MORE OF THIS SO WE CITIZENS CAN SEE WHAT YOU'RE DOING, GIVE YOU INPUT.
AND I ESPECIALLY WANNA THANK MR. CUNNINGHAM FOR STATING THE VERY DIFFICULT TRUTH, WHICH IS HAVING MOVED FROM ATLANTA.
IF YOU BUILD IT, THEY WILL COME.
SO IF YOU AND I DID, I CAME, IF YOU, UM, BUILD A SIX LANE BRIDGE, YOU'RE GONNA FILL IT UP.
I WOULD LIKE TO KEEP IT THAT WAY.
UM, WE DON'T WANNA BE LIKE OTHER PLACES IN THE COUNTRY.
WE ATTRACT PEOPLE BECAUSE OF OUR UNIQUENESS, BECAUSE OF PASSIONATE PEOPLE LIKE MR. BABEL, BABEL
SO PLEASE REMEMBER THE UNIQUENESS.
EVERYONE TALKS ABOUT KILLING THE GOLDEN GOOSE, WELL PUSHING MORE PEOPLE OVER THE BRIDGE AND ONTO HILTON HEAD.
IN MY OPINION, AS A PROFESSIONAL WORKING AND SELLING ON THE ISLAND FOR 30 YEARS, THAT WOULD BE KILLING THE GOLDEN GOOSE.
SO LET'S TRY TO KEEP IT SPECIAL.
DO WHAT WE NEED TO DO FOR SAFETY COMMUNITIES.
STOP HURTING THE STONY COMMUNITY AND LISTEN TO WHAT MR. GLOVER AND MR. BROWN HAVE SAID.
ED, AND LET'S TAKE CARE OF BUSINESS.
OKAY, THE LAST PUBLIC SPEAKER, IF YOU'LL STATE YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD.
MY NAME IS THOMAS CURTIS BARWELL III.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO THANK EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU AND ALSO, UH, MR. DAVIS FOR ALL THAT Y'ALL HAVE DONE.
UH, BUT I JUST WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW, UM, STONY WAS THE LIVING, BREATHING COMMUNITY AS IT'S BEEN SAID BEFORE.
BUT CAN YOU IMAGINE A QUALITY OF LIFE OF THE PEOPLE THAT LIVED THERE? CAN YOU IMAGINE 27, 20 8,000 VEHICLES COMING THROUGH YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD AND A 24 HOUR PERIOD, $3.5 MILLION? IT SOUNDS LIKE A LOT OF MONEY, BUT IT'S NOT.
PLEASE, LET'S NOT FORGET THOSE FOLKS THAT LIVE IN THAT COMMUNITY.
SQUIRE POPE ROAD WAS MENTIONED HERE A COUPLE OF TIMES THIS EVENING.
I DON'T KNOW IF ANYBODY'S BEEN ON IT LATELY, BUT IF YOU KNOW WHERE THE ROWING AND SAILING CENTER IS, PEOPLE DON'T GO ON 2 78 ANYMORE.
THEY COME DOWN GUMTREE ROAD, THEY COME TO SQUIRE POPE ROAD AND THEY WAIT FOR THE LIGHT TO CHANGE SO THEY CAN GET OFF THE ISLAND.
NOW, THAT'S 25, 30 MINUTES RIGHT THERE BY ITSELF FOR PEOPLE JUST TO LEAVE.
THE COMMUNITY HAS ALWAYS BEEN THERE.
WE HAVE LOST, LIKE I SAID, SEVERAL PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY DUE TO THE ROAD.
AND LIKE I SAID, I APPRECIATE ALL THE HARD WORK THAT HAS BEEN DONE.
BUT PLEASE, LET'S NOT FORGET THE STONY PEOPLE.
THEY'RE THE ONES THAT ARE BEARING THE BRUNT OF ALL OF THIS.
I KNOW YOU BUILD IT AND PEOPLE WILL COME, BUT WE CANNOT LEAVE THEM OUT.
WE'VE BEEN LEFT OUT ALL THE TIME.
ONCE THIS IS DONE, IT IS DONE.
IF WE DON'T DO, AS MR. BROWN SAID, LET'S GO AHEAD AND APPROPRIATE SOME MONEY.
SO WHEN IT'S OVER WITH, AT LEAST THOSE OF US IN THE COMMUNITY, WE,
[01:35:01]
WE WILL BE ABLE TO GET SOME SOMETHING OUT OF THIS.BECAUSE WE KNOW ONCE IT'S DONE, IT'S OVER.
IT'S NOT GONNA BE A DO OVER AND WE CAN'T COME BACK AND CHANGE IT AND DO IT AGAIN.
BUT I APPRECIATE ALL THE HARD WORK THAT EVERYBODY'S DONE.
BUT ONCE AGAIN, PLEASE, LET'S NOT FORGET THE FOLKS IN STONEY.
YOU, YOU NEED TO SIGN IN TOO, SIR.
YEAH, WE HAVE FOR THE RECORD HERE, WHILE WE'RE WAITING FOR HIM TO SIGN IN, UH, I WANTED TO THANK BEAUFORT COUNTY STAFF FOR SETTING THIS UP.
THEY DID A TREMENDOUS JOB TO MAKE THIS LOCATION WORK SO THAT WE COULD DO THIS TOGETHER WITH HILTON HEAD COUNCIL.
IT'S, UM, A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY.
UM, UH, MY NAME IS DERICH KART.
UM, AND I, UH, UH, WANTED TO SAY THAT ONE OF MY FAVORITE SINGERS IS TEDDY SWIMS. WHY TEDDY SWIMS? BECAUSE HE'S GOT THE TATTOO ON HIS FOREHEADS AS PATIENCE.
AND I THINK YOU ALL DESERVE A TATTOO BECAUSE I THINK OVER THE FOUR OR FIVE YEARS THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON THIS, UM, DOT, UH, TOWN ADMINISTRATION, UH, COUNTY COUNCIL, TOWN COUNCIL, IT'S BEEN A, IT'S QUITE A ROAD THAT WE HAVE TRAVELED UPS AND DOWNS.
UM, BUT I THINK THAT, UM, UH, I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE A POSITIVE LOOK AT EVERYTHING.
AND I THINK THIS PROJECT, UH, IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE, TO INSPIRE OTHERS, TO INSPIRE THE PEOPLE IN THE TOWN, THE, THE ADMINISTRATION ITSELF, AND TO REALLY LEVEL UP.
AND I, I THINK THERE ARE A NUMBER OF THINGS, UH, THAT ARE, UH, THAT CAN BE ACHIEVED.
SO, FOR INSTANCE, UH, THE ADAPTIVE TRAFFIC SYSTEM WAS INSTALLED.
IT'S NOT FULLY ADAPTIVE, BUT IT'S, UH, UH, SEMI ADAPTIVE.
THAT SYSTEM ALSO NEEDS TO RUN DOWN THE MAINLAND DOWN TO 95.
AND THAT'S MORE OF A COUNTY JOB.
IT IS NOT A VERY COSTLY THING TO DO.
UH, THE EPA, UH, REIMBURSES 80%, UH, OF SUCH A PROJECT.
AND, UH, ONCE WE GET THE TRAFFIC GOING, IT WILL STOP ON THE MAINLAND BECAUSE THE LIGHTS ARE NOT IN SYNC WITH THE ISLAND LIGHTS.
SO I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S A COUNTY JOB, AND I WOULD, UH, UH, VERY MUCH APPRECIATE IF THE COUNTY COULD LOOK INTO THAT.
UM, THE OTHER THING WHERE WE CAN LEVEL UP IS, UH, WITH THE ADAPTIVE TRAFFIC SYSTEM, WE COLLECT A LOT OF DATA.
BIG DATA, BIG DATA CAN BE USED.
YOU CAN IDENTIFY, UM, CRITICAL, UM, PARTS OF 2 78 WHERE ACCIDENTS HAPPEN, UH, MORE FREQUENTLY.
YOU CAN PUT EMERGENCY SERVICE, UH, INTO THAT WHOLE, UM, UH, UM, SCENERY AND, UH, REDUCE, UM, UH, THE NUMBER OF ACCIDENTS.
UM, THERE'S ALSO OTHER WAYS TO, UH, IMPROVE SAFETY, WHICH IS BY PLACING CHEVRONS AND DOING OTHER THINGS THAT WILL, UH, THAT WILL, UH, REDUCE THE NUMBER OF ACCIDENTS.
80% OF ACCIDENTS HAPPENED BECAUSE PEOPLE DRIVE TOO CLOSE TO EACH OTHER.
UM, THEN I THINK WHAT WE SHOULDN'T, UH, LOSE SIGHT OF ARE THE SHORT TERM, UH, SOLUTIONS THAT WE ARE FACED WITH.
ONE IS THE, THE WINDMILL HARBOR LIGHTS.
UH, SECOND IS THE MERGE FROM THE CROSS ISLAND PARKWAY ONTO 2 78 WESTBOUND, WHERE IT ORIGINALLY WAS TWO LANES.
UM, YOU CAN CONTINUE THAT WITH TWO LANES.
UM, AND I THINK THAT'S ALL I HAD.
AT THIS TIME, I'D LIKE FOR, UH, STAFF TO HAVE ANY LAST WORDS THAT THEY'D LIKE TO SAY, UH, FROM EITHER THE TOWN OR THE COUNTY OR FROM DOT.
UM, AND I WANT TO ADDRESS, THERE'S A LOT OF GOOD COMMENTS, BUT ONE SPECIFICALLY REGARDING THE PUBLIC INFORMATION.
MR. CLIFF, ALWAYS GREAT COMMENTS.
UM, SO THERE WILL BE, AS PART OF THIS PROJECT, UH, IT IS A FEDERALIZED PROJECT.
WE HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE NEPA, THE NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION ACT PROCESS.
AND WE'VE BEEN GOING THROUGH THAT THIS COM.
THIS MEETING IS PART OF THAT, UM, PROCESS.
AS A RESULT, IF THIS PROJECT GETS REDEFINED AND IS SCALED BACK, WE WILL HAVE TO REDO PORTIONS OF THAT NEPA.
UH, WE DON'T HAVE TO START OVER, BUT WE'LL HAVE TO WORK WITH FEDERAL HIGHWAY.
DOT WILL LEAD ON THAT TO, UM, WE WILL HAVE TO GO THROUGH A PROCESS AND HAVE A PUBLIC INFORMATION MEETING WHERE WE WILL SHARE THE REVISED OR PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE AS AS DIRECTED.
UM, THAT PROCESS WILL TAKE A LITTLE BIT OF TIME.
UH, WE'RE ENVISIONING THAT THAT PROCESS OVERALL IS PROBABLY ABOUT NINE MONTHS.
SO WE WILL WORK THROUGH THAT PROCESS.
DOT WILL COORDINATE WITH FEDERAL HIGHWAY.
ONCE WE GET THAT, WE WILL NEED TO
[01:40:01]
GO AHEAD FROM FEDERAL HIGHWAY TO CONTINUE ON WITH THE DESIGN.BUT ALL IN ALL, AS REFERENCED BEFORE, DOT'S GOAL AND INTENTION IS TO HAVE A PROJECT UNDER CONSTRUCTION IN 2027 OR OUT TO BID BY 2027.
AND EVEN WITH THAT, UM, MODIFICATION OF THE NEPA DOCUMENTS THEY FILLED THAT WE CAN STILL DELIVER ON THAT DATE, PROBABLY IN THE LATTER PART OF 2027.
GREG WYNN, OR TOWN OF HILTON HEAD, EITHER, UH, I'LL, YES.
I, I'LL JUST SAY THANKS TO ALL OF YOU FOR SITTING DOWN TOGETHER TONIGHT AND REALLY TALKING THROUGH THIS ISSUE AND PROVIDING SOME CLARITY.
UH, I SAW SEAN OVER THERE AND I, WE'VE BEEN TAKING SOME GOOD NOTES, NOTES.
I DO WANT TO ALSO SAY A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO MR. MOORE FOR HIS LEADERSHIP.
NOT, NOT JUST YOU, BUT ALSO, UH, MR. FRA.
SO THANK YOU FOR REALLY PUSHING AND HELPING US KEEP ALL THIS TOGETHER.
I THINK JARED, UH, COVERED THE LOGISTICS VERY WELL.
THERE'S NOTHING MORE I CAN ADD THERE.
I'LL WORK WITH, WITH THE TOWN COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, MAYOR PERRY TO SCHEDULE THE AGENDA ITEM.
AND, AND ALSO WITH MR. MOORE TO REFINE THE RESOLUTION.
I THINK THERE'S GOING TO BE SOME EDITS ON OUR END.
I, I'LL BE SO BOLD TO SAY THAT I ANTICIPATE SENDING SOME EDITS TO WHAT I'VE SEEN TONIGHT, REALLY BASED UPON STONY, BUT ALSO BASED UPON SOME OTHER OF THE LOGISTICS.
SO, UM, STAY TUNED AND I'LL, I'LL WORK CLOSELY WITH MR. MOORE AS WE HAVE BEEN.
UM, I'D LIKE TO SAY THANKS TO THE TOWN, UH, MARK AND YOUR STAFF AS WELL, AND THE COLLABORATIVE EFFORT.
AND I THINK AS YOU MENTIONED EARLIER, THANKS TO THE STAFF WHO'S PUT THIS TOGETHER TONIGHT TO, UH, SUPPORT THE SPEEDING.
AND, AND THANKS TO THE PUBLIC AND TO BOTH COUNCILS FOR, UH, ALL THE DISCUSSION.
I'D LIKE TO THANK SOUTH CAROLINA DOT AGAIN, FOR BEING HERE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS.
UM, WE WE'RE GLAD YOU LIKE COMING TO BEAUFORT COUNTY 'CAUSE WE NEED YOU HERE.
I GOT, IF THERE'S NO CAN I, I GOT 30 SECONDS TO TO SAY SOMETHING THAT'S BEEN ON MY MIND FOR THREE WEEKS.
I WENT INTO THE S-C-D-O-T MEETING MM-HMM
AND FOR THE FIRST TIME I SAW THAT DESIGN OPTION ONE.
AND I'VE TRIED, I MEAN, I APPRECIATE EVERYTHING THAT'S HAPPENED, BUT I'VE TRIED SO, SO MANY TIMES AND EVERY DAY IT GIVES ME A HEARTBURN THINKING ABOUT NOT LANDING THAT BRIDGE ON, ON THE ISLAND FOR THE BOAT RAMP IN PINCKNEY.
I, I CAN'T GET THAT OUT OF MY MIND.
'CAUSE FOR THE NEXT 30 TO 35 YEARS, PEOPLE ARE GONNA LOOK BACK AND ASK, WHY DID YOU NOT LAND THAT BRIDGE? AND WHY DO YOU HAVE THREE BRIDGES GOING OFF THE ISLAND FOR 35 YEARS, WHERE WE COULD HAVE TORN DOWN THAT EASTBOUND SECTION? AND I CAN'T GET IT OUTTA MY MIND.
SO, AND I DON'T KNOW IF THAT BOTHERS ANYONE ELSE.
THANK YOU FOR THAT LAST COMMENT.
NO OTHER BUSINESS FROM OUR STAFF.
AND THANK YOU AGAIN FOR THE PUBLIC THAT SHOWED UP.
THANKS FOR WATCHING BEAUFORT COUNTY TV.
UH, I WE'RE, WE'VE GOT A LOT TO TALK ABOUT, AND WE'RE GOING TO TRY TO TALK ABOUT IN A, ALL OF THIS IN A VERY SMALL KIND OF PRESENTATION TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC ABOUT WHAT WE WANT TO DO.
UH, IF Y'ALL REMEMBER, UH, WE STARTED WORKING ON A NEW SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICER OPPORTUNITY LAST YEAR, UM, BECAUSE WE KNEW, AND WE HAVE KNOWN THAT TRYING TO RECRUIT LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS TO BE CLASS ONE CERTIFIED, WHICH IS WHAT THE STATE REQUIRED.
UH, YOU KNOW, TO BE IN OUR SCHOOLS AS SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS, WHICH ARE, IS, IS A SPECIAL, I THINK WE ALL AGREE THAT THAT IS REALLY A SPECIAL CANDIDATE, UH, THAT WE CONSIDER TO BE THAT CLOSE IN ASSOCIATION TO OUR KIDS.
UM, AND, BUT WE KNOW THE IMPORTANCE OF THE SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICER PROGRAM BECAUSE OF THE SAFETY FACTORS IT CREATES, NOT ONLY IN OUR SCHOOLS,
[01:45:01]
BUT WHAT OUR WHAT WHAT OUR COMMUNITIES AS WELL, BECAUSE THE SCHOOL IS A MELTING POT OF THE COMMUNITIES THAT WE SERVE.SO HAVING THAT RIGHT PERSON IN THAT JOB AND THAT ROLE TO PROVIDE SECURITY TO OUR KIDS LEADERSHIP, TO OUR KIDS, UH, AND GIVING THE CONFIDENCE TO THE STAFF TO WORK IN THE SCHOOLS.
I MEAN, IT'S IMPORTANT TO FIND THAT RIGHT PERSON.
SO IT'S DIFFICULT TO FIND A CLASS ONE OR A CLASS ONE LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER, FOR THOSE THAT DON'T KNOW, IS ONE THAT GOES TO THE ACADEMY FOR 12 WEEKS, SPENDS 12 WEEKS FOR THE MOST PART IN COLUMBIA.
AND WE DO SOME OF THE TRAINING HERE LOCALLY.
BUT EVERYTHING ELSE, UH, HAS TO BE DONE IN COLUMBIA.
AND THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT WE'RE TRYING TO ATTRACT TO BE SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS THAT REALLY DON'T WANT TO GIVE UP THEIR LIFE AND THEIR FAMILY TO GO TO COLUMBIA AND GO THROUGH BOOTCAMP TO BE A CLASS ONE LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER.
SO I HAD OUR TRAINING STAFF PUT TOGETHER A TRAINING SYLLABUS FOR A, WHAT WE CALL A CLASS THREE.
UH, AND IT WAS A CLASS THREE DESIGNATION FOR SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICER.
WHAT THAT DID IS IT ALLOWED US TO CREATE A TRAINING SYLLABUS THAT WE COULD TAKE A PERSON, UM, YOU KNOW, OF, OF ANY AGE.
UM, AND THAT WE WOULD BRING THEM INTO LAW ENFORCEMENT ENVIRONMENT, YOU KNOW, WOULD BLUFFTON OR BEAUFORT OR PORT ROYAL OR THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE.
UH, AND WE WOULD TRAIN THEM HERE IN BEAUFORT COUNTY.
ALL OF THEIR TRAINING WOULD BE DONE RIGHT HERE.
UH, IT WOULD BE EIGHT WEEKS, MAYBE A LITTLE MORE THAN EIGHT WEEKS OF TRAINING.
UH, WE WOULD LIKE TO START THIS, UH, THE, OUR FIRST CLASS.
WE'D LIKE TO START IT IN JUNE.
UH, THAT WAY WE CAN GET 'EM THROUGH THE PROGRAM AND BE READY FOR DEPLOYMENT, UH, WHEN SCHOOL STARTS IN AUGUST.
UH, I, I THINK IT'S AN AWESOME PROGRAM.
WE, WE, WE SENT THE TRAINING SYLLABUS TO THE ACADEMY THAT TRAINS ALL OF OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT IN SOUTH CAROLINA.
THEY APPROVED IT, UH, WITH THE BLESSING OF THE SOUTH CAROLINA TRAINING COUNCIL.
SO WE ARE READY TO GET THIS THING MOVING AND GET IT STARTED.
AND I THINK FOR US, UH, WE JUST NEED TO KIND OF TELL OUR CITIZENS, YOU KNOW, WHO ARE WE LOOKING FOR? UH, THE ROLE IS SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICER.
IT'S A CLASS THREE LAW ENFORCEMENT DESIGNATION.
UH, THEY HAVE ARREST POWERS, UH, AND THEY HAVE ALL THE POWERS OF ANY OTHER LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER ON THE SCHOOL GROUNDS, UH, THAT THEY'RE ASSIGNED TO.
SO WHAT DO YOU THINK, JOE, SHERIFF? I THINK IT'S A GREAT IDEA, AND THANK YOU FOR TAKING LEAD ON THIS.
UM, WE HAVE FOUR ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS IN BLUFFTON THAT CURRENTLY ARE NOT STAFFED BY CLASS THREE OR HIRE OFFICERS.
AND I THINK THAT THIS PROGRAM IS GONNA ATTRACT PEOPLE TO THESE POSITIONS, AND IT'S GONNA PROVIDE MORE OF A SECURITY BLANKET FOR OUR SCHOOLS TO INCLUDE OUR ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS.
SO WE'RE DEFINITELY EXCITED ABOUT IT.
WE'RE EXCITED TO BE PART OF IT.
WHO, WHO DO WE WANT TO ATTRACT? I THINK WE'VE GOT A, WE'VE GOT AN ENORMOUS NUMBER OF RETIRED MILITARY FOLKS HERE MM-HMM
THAT ARE ABLE TO RETIRE FAIRLY YOUNG AND MAY BE LOOKING FOR THAT JOB.
THEY MAY HAVE CHILDREN IN OUR SCHOOLS AND WITH THE, WITH THE PROGRAM THAT YOU WERE ABLE TO PUT TOGETHER.
UM, THEY'LL BE HOME WHEN THEIR CHILDREN ARE HOME, NOT IN SCHOOL.
AND, UM, AND I'VE ALWAYS SAID, YOU AND I HAVE HAD THIS CONVERSATION, SHERIFF, WE, WE NEED TO GET INTO THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IF WE, IF WE WAITED UNTIL HIGH SCHOOLS WERE TOO LATE.
I'M, I'M GLAD THAT YOU TOOK THE LEAD ON IT.
UM, I'M EXCITED TO SEE IF WE CAN GET SOME PEOPLE IN, BUT I REALLY THINK THE YOUNG RETIRED MILITARY PEOPLE, OR THEY'RE JUST MADE FOR THIS, YOU KNOW, AND WE'VE GONE THROUGHOUT OUR CAREERS, UH, IN THE COUNTY OF BEAUFORT AND WE'VE HAD CONVERSATION AFTER CONVERSATION WITH DIFFERENT PEOPLE THAT SAY, YOU KNOW, I'M RETIRED, I'D LIKE TO FIND SOMETHING TO DO.
AND THEN YOU START TALKING TO 'EM AND THEY'RE RETIRED TEACHER OR RETIRED LAW ENFORCEMENT, RETIRED FIRE DEPARTMENT, RETIRED MILITARY, RETIRED BANKERS, RETIRED, I MEAN, RETIRED, THIS, THAT, AND THE OTHER.
THEY'RE STILL, STILL IN AN AGE THAT THEY COULD, UM, THEY, THEY COULD DO THIS JOB WITH NO PROBLEM AT ALL OF ANY KIND.
UM, AND THOSE ARE THE ONES THAT, THAT I'D LIKE TO SEE.
I'D LIKE TO SEE, UH, THOSE THAT ARE STILL, THEY STILL FEEL LIKE THEY CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE THAT MAYBE HAVE ALWAYS LOOKED AT LAW ENFORCEMENT AS BEING A JOB, BUT BECAUSE OF THE PAY AND BECAUSE OF THE, YOU KNOW, THE WORKING CONDITIONS AND FAMILIES AND, AND ALL THAT, THEY JUST DIDN'T WANNA DO IT.
BUT HERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY, UH, TO MAKE $45,000 A YEAR STARTING PAY TO WORK.
BASICALLY THE SCHEDULE OF THE TEACHING AND SUPPORT STAFF OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, WHICH IS A PRETTY GOOD SCHEDULE.
IT IS, UH, TO HAVE BENEFITS, UH, TO BE IN A RETIREMENT SYSTEM AND TO BE ABLE TO BRING THEIR MATURITY, UH, THEIR LIFE EXPERIENCE AND, AND, YOU KNOW,
[01:50:01]
TO, TO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AGED KIDS WHO WILL BENEFIT GREATLY FROM JUST HAVING THAT OPPORTUNITY TO SOCIALIZE AND BE AROUND, UH, THESE FOLKS THAT BRING A LOT TO THE TABLE.AND I, WE, IN OUR COMMUNITIES, YOU TAKE BLUFFTON AND BEAUFORT AND, AND IN THE COUNTY AND THEN IN PORT ROYAL, THOSE PEOPLE ARE HERE.
AND THEY'RE LOOKING FOR THINGS TO DO.
AND I JUST THINK THIS IS AN AWESOME OPPORTUNITY FOR THEM TO, YOU KNOW WHAT, JUST DO IT KINDA LIKE NIKE, LET'S JUST DO IT.
UH, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S, THE TRAINING IS, I THINK THEY'LL ENJOY THEIR TRAINING.
AGAIN, IT'S ALL DONE RIGHT HERE.
THEY, THEY'LL STAY AT HOME, THEY'LL SLEEP IN THEIR OWN BED OR HAVE THEIR OWN PILLOW, AND THEN THEY CAN COME TO TRAINING.
AND ONCE THEY'RE CERTIFIED, UH, THEN THEY'LL START THE SCHOOL YEAR, UH, AUGUST OF THIS YEAR.
SO, I MEAN, I KNOW YOUR COMMUNITY REPRESENTS THAT OPPORTUNITY AS WELL.
YOU KNOW, SO WHAT ELSE, WHAT ELSE DO YOU THINK THIS, UM, THIS PROGRAM'S GONNA DO IN TOTALITY FOR WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH? I THINK, I THINK THIS PROGRAM, ONE WILL BE ABLE TO GET US OVER THE TOP.
I THINK WE'LL BE ABLE TO GET, WE'LL BE ABLE TO GET A POLICE OFFICER IN EVERY SCHOOL IN BEAUFORT COUNTY, WHICH IS IMPORTANT.
A POLICE OFFICER AND I, AND I, AND YOU KNOW, WE, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS.
THERE'S A LOT OF TRAINING THAT GOES ALONG WITH THIS JOB.
AND, AND THIS IS NOT A SECURITY OFFICER.
THIS IS A LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER, UH, THAT'S GONNA BE WELL TRAINED, UH, IN THIS.
AND I, I THINK THAT AT THE END OF THE DAY, THAT'S, IT'S EXTREMELY IMPORTANT.
AND I THINK WITH THE YOUNG CHILDREN TARGETING THE RETIREES MM-HMM
WHETHER THEY'RE RETIRED TEACHERS, RETIRED MILITARY IS IMPORTANT.
THEY'VE GOT THE LIFE EXPERIENCE FOR THE, FOR THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS.
AND, AND TO GET THAT STARTED OFF.
SO
POSSIBLY A THIRD COMING ON BOARD.
SO I MEAN, IN TOTAL, AND HERE'S THE THING.
IT, IT DOESN'T MATTER IF YOU WORK AT THE CITY OF BEAUFORT OR THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON, UH, OR PORT ROYAL OR FOR THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE, YOU KNOW, WE WANT YOU TO COME TO WORK.
AND LAW ENFORCEMENT TO BE A CLASS THREE SRO, DOESN'T MATTER WHERE YOU GO, DOESN'T MATTER WHO YOU ARE EMPLOYED BY.
THE WORK ENVIRONMENT'S BASICALLY THE SAME.
THERE MAY BE A DIFFERENCE IN UNIFORM THAT YOU WEAR AT THE SCHOOL THAT YOU'RE ASSIGNED TO, UH, THE PAY.
I MEAN, EVERYTHING IS GOING TO BE BASICALLY THE SAME.
SO ALL WE WANT PEOPLE TO DO IS PUT THEIR APPLICATIONS IN, IN GIVE US THE OPPORTUNITY TO SIT DOWN AND EXPLAIN THE PROGRAM IN DETAIL.
AND IF YOU REALLY HAVE AN INTEREST IN IT, UH, THEN LET'S, LET'S, LET'S GET STARTED.
AND, AND ONE THING THAT I WANT TO HIT ON IS THIS PROGRAM IS IMPORTANT AND, AND REASON BEING IS NONE OF OUR KIDS SHOULD FEEL AFRAID GOING TO SCHOOL.
UM, THEY SHOULD BE GOING TO SCHOOL TO LEARN AND NOT WORRYING ABOUT THEIR SAFETY.
UM, AND WHAT THIS DOES IS THIS PROVIDES ANOTHER LAYER OF SAFETY FOR ALL OF OUR SCHOOLS, ESPECIALLY ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS.
UM, IT ALSO PROVIDES PEOPLE WITH AN OPPORTUNITY TO MENTOR THESE YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN MM-HMM
UH, AS THEY'RE COMING UP THROUGH THE SCHOOL SYSTEM.
AND SO, LIKE THE SHERIFF SAID, IF YOU TRULY WANT TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE, UH, THIS IS A POSITION THAT YOU REALLY, REALLY WILL BE MAKING A DIFFERENCE.
I JUST HOPE THE APPLICATION START POURING IN.
AND IF YOU GET MORE THAN, THAN YOU NEED THEN AND, AND WE NEED TO GO TO BEAUFORT OR WE NEED TO GO TO, UH, THE, THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE OR, OR PORT ROYAL, WE JUST NEED, WE NEED TO PUT THESE PEOPLE TO WORK.
WE NEED TO FILL THESE VACANCIES, UH, AND LET'S MAKE OUR SCHOOLS IN BEAUFORT COUNTY AS SAFE AS THEY POSSIBLY CAN.
AND I THINK THE UNIQUENESS OF THIS PROGRAM, THESE OFFICERS WILL BE TRAINED BY PEOPLE THAT HAVE CHILDREN IN THESE SCHOOLS.
THEY HAVE THE SAME DESIRES, THE OUTCOMES THAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR.
SO I'M, I'M LOOKING FORWARD, LOOKING FORWARD TO IT.
WELL, I MEAN, THE GREAT THING ABOUT IT IS THAT WE ARE, WE WILL BE DOING THE TRAINING TOGETHER.
IF YOU GET, IF YOU GET, IF YOU HIRE ONE OR TWO AND YOU HIRE FOUR, AND YOU KNOW, AND I CAN FILL THE NINE THAT WE NEED, WE'RE ALL GONNA BE TRAINING TOGETHER.
SO THIS IS GONNA BE ONE TRAINING SYLLABUS TO BENEFIT, UH, THE SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICER PROGRAM.
I MEAN, THIS IS GOING TO BE, THIS, THIS PROGRAM IS FOR SOUTH CAROLINA AS A WHOLE.
THIS IS NOT JUST FOR BEAUFORT COUNTY.
BUT I'M EXCITED THAT WE'RE GOING TO START THIS AND INITIATE, YOU KNOW, THE SRO CLASS THREE POSITION HERE IN BEAUFORT COUNTY.
AND WE'RE GONNA SHOW THE STATE IT WORKS.
AND THE GREAT THING ABOUT THE TRAINING TOGETHER, SHERIFF, IS YOU'RE CREATING A NETWORK BEFORE YOU EVEN GET STARTED.
SO YOU'RE GOING TO KNOW PEOPLE FROM DIFFERENT SCHOOLS WHERE IF YOU CAN RUN INTO A PROBLEM, YOU HAVE SOMEBODY ELSE THAT YOU CAN CALL AND GET SOME ADVICE OR TALK TO THEM ABOUT THINGS GOING ON IN THEIR SCHOOL AND CURRENT TRENDS THAT ARE HAPPENING IN THEIR SCHOOL.
SO IT'S A GREAT COLLABORATION OF ALL THREE DEPARTMENTS IN THE ENTIRE COUNTY GETTING TOGETHER, BECAUSE HAVING THAT NETWORK AND PEOPLE THAT YOU CAN RELY ON FOR ADDITIONAL ADVICE IS INVALUABLE.
[01:55:01]
I WANT, I WANT PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO, TO MAKE THOSE PHONE CALLS OR GO ONLINE AND RESEARCH, YOU KNOW, UH, JUST THE, THE, THE CLASS THREE SRO, UH, THROUGH ALL AGENCIES.SO I THINK LINDSEY, IF WE CAN, I MEAN, AT THIS POINT, I THINK IF WE PUT THAT INFORMATION ON THIS VIDEO FOR BLUFFTON, BEAUFORT, PORT ROYAL, AND THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE WEBPAGE AND PHONE NUMBERS, UH, I THINK WE'LL HOPEFULLY WE'LL START GETTING CALLS.
THAT SOUND GOOD TO Y'ALL? YES, SIR.
WE RECENTLY PURCHASED, UM, 10 NEW LUCAS' AND, UM, WE'VE GOT ONE OF 'EM SET UP HERE BEHIND US, AND WE JUST WANTED TO GIVE A LITTLE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS PURCHASE OF EQUIPMENT WE'VE MADE.
THE LUCAS IS ACTUALLY A MECHANICAL DEVICE, AND WHAT IT DOES IS IT PROVIDES COMPRESSIONS DURING CPR.
ANYTIME YOU'RE PROVIDING MANUAL COMPRESSIONS DURING CPR, IT, UM, ONLY TAKES ABOUT TWO MINUTES BEFORE THE RESCUER BEGINS TO BECOME FATIGUED.
AND THE AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION RECOMMENDS A RATE OF A HUNDRED WITH A DEPTH OF TWO INCHES IN THE ADULT ARREST PATIENT.
AND YOU'RE JUST NOT ABLE TO CONTINUE THAT RATE VERY LONG BECAUSE OF IT, YOU KNOW, NOT BEING LIKE THE HUMAN BEING AND TIRING IT CAN CONTINUE TO PROVIDE THOSE COMPRESSIONS AT THE RATE AND DEPTH THAT YOU NEED.
IT CAN CONTINUE WHETHER YOU'RE BRINGING A PATIENT DOWN A SET OF STAIRS, WHETHER YOU'RE COMING DOWN A NARROW HALLWAY.
A A LOT OF TIMES WE HAVE DIFFICULTY WHEN WE LOAD THE PATIENT OUT OF THE HOUSE AND BRING 'EM TO THE EMS UNIT, AND YOU WOULD HAVE TO STOP COMPRESSIONS.
UM, FOR SOME REASON, WITH THE LUCAS, ONCE YOU APPLY IT, THERE'S NO REASON TO STOP UNLESS OF COURSE YOU HAVE RETURN OF, YOU KNOW, SPONTANEOUS CIRCULATION.
ANYTIME THAT THE HANDS COME OFF THE CHEST DURING CPR, FOR EVERY 10 SECONDS THAT YOU'RE NOT DOING COMPRESSIONS, YOU HAVE A 50% DROP IN THE CHANCE OF RETURN OF SPONTANEOUS CIRCULATION.
THE SUCTION CUP ACTUALLY SERVES SEVERAL DIFFERENT PURPOSES.
ITS SEATS ON THE CHEST WHERE YOU WANT THE COMPRESSIONS TO BE DELIVERED, AND IT ALSO PULLS THE CHEST BACK UP.
AND WHAT THIS DOES IS IT ALLOWS FOR FULL RECOIL, AND WITH THAT FULL RECOIL, YOU GET THE COMPLETE FILLING OF THE HEART SO THAT YOU'RE ABLE TO MAINTAIN THAT CYCLE OF FILLING AND RELEASE WITH THE HEART.
INITIALLY, WITH THE TWO THAT WE HAD, WHAT HAPPENED WAS WHEN A UNIT HAD A CARDIAC ARREST, A SUPERVISOR WOULD RESPOND IN A QRV AND THEY WOULD, YOU KNOW, ARRIVE ON THE SCENE AND THEN THE LUCAS WOULD BE APPLIED OR THE UNIT WOULD BE TRANSPORTING THE PATIENT.
THEY WOULD MEET UP WITH THE SUPERVISOR AND THEN THEY WOULD, YOU KNOW, PUT THE LUCAS ON AT THAT TIME.
WELL, OBVIOUSLY THAT'S A DELAY.
DURING THAT TIMEFRAME, CPR WAS BEING PERFORMED, BUT, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY NOT AS WELL AS IF THE LUCAS WAS BEING USED.
OUR DIRECTOR, DONNA OWENBY, SHE WORKED, UM, TIRELESSLY.
SHE UNDERSTOOD THAT THERE WERE, WOULD BE A REAL ASSET FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
SHE WENT AND, AND SPOKE WITH A LOT OF PEOPLE.
SHE WORKED VERY HARD DURING BUDGET TIME TO MAKE SURE THAT WE COULD GET THIS EQUIPMENT THAT WE NEEDED.
THE CITIZENS OF BEAUFORD COUNTY HAVE ALWAYS BEEN VERY SUPPORTIVE OF EMS AND EMS PERSONNEL IS VERY DEDICATED, YOU KNOW, TO OUR CITIZENS AND OUR COMMUNITY.
AND WE WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE TAXPAYERS AND OUR CITIZENS FOR SUPPORTING US.
AND THAT'S WHAT'S HAPPENING IN BEAUFORT COUNTY.
THE AVERAGE TAX TAKES YOUR EYES OFF THE ROAD FOR NEARLY FIVE SECONDS AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS.
THAT'S ENOUGH TIME TO TRAVEL THE LENGTH OF A FOOTBALL FIELD.
STOP THE TEXTS, STOP THE WRECKS.