[00:00:01]
CLOSED CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY BUFORT COUNTY.
I WOULD LIKE TO CALL THIS TOWN COUNCIL MEETING OF TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 18TH, 2025 TO ORDER, IF YOU WILL, JOIN AND SING IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
ALLEGIANCE, I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, WHICH STANDS OUR NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY, JUSTICE FOR ALL.
AND IF IT CONTINUES STANDING WHERE WE'VE PASTOR TODD COME FROM, DON COMMUNITY CHURCH, COME UP, SAY THE CASE.
WELL, GOOD AFTERNOON, MR. MAYOR.
THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO THIS.
FATHER, I THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR EVERYONE WHO HAS, UH, GATHERED HERE IN THESE TOWN COUNCIL CHAMBERS.
AND FATHER, WE HAVE A LOT IN FRONT OF US.
WE'VE GOT A LOT OF, UH, THINGS THAT, UH, NEED TO BE DECIDED.
GOT A LOT OF, A LOT OF BIG ISSUES.
AND I PRAY THAT YOU WOULD JUST GIVE WISDOM.
FATHER, MAY YOU GIVE CLARITY IN THIS ROOM.
AND GOD, WE THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR AN AMAZINGLY BEAUTIFUL PLACE FOR US TO LIVE.
THANK YOU FOR THE LEADERSHIP THAT'S IN THIS ROOM AMONG THE COUNCIL MEMBERS, MAYOR, AND ALSO THOSE WHO ARE HERE AS CITIZENS, MYSELF INCLUDED.
AND WE THANK YOU, UH, FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO LIVE HERE.
MAY WE FOLLOW YOUR WORD, UH, GOD FROM JAMES, THE BOOK OF JAMES, WHERE YOU INSTRUCT US TO BE QUICK, TO LISTEN, SLOWLY TO SPEAK, AND SLOW TO ANGER.
GOD, MAY WE USE THOSE WORDS TO GUIDE OUR LIVES AND GUIDE THIS TIME.
[4. Adoption of the Agenda]
WE HAVE ANY CHANGES TO THE AGENDA? NO, SIR.DO I HAVE A MOTION TO ACCEPT THE AGENDA AS STATED? I MOVED BEFORE YOU, UM, DO THAT.
I WOULD LIKE TO, UM, OFFER AN AMENDMENT TO THE AGENDA, PLEASE.
AND THAT AMENDMENT IS TO MOVE A A FROM A FIRST READING TO A DISCUSSION TOPIC WHAT? TO A DISCUSSION TOPIC.
IS THERE A SECOND FOR THAT? SECOND.
ANY DISCUSSION FROM COUNSEL? SEEING NONE.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF MOVING EIGHT A FROM A TOPIC, UM, SORRY.
FROM A, UH, ORDINANCE DISCUSSION TO A REGULAR DISCUSSION, PLEASE SIGNIFY BY RAISING YOUR RIGHT HAND, ALL THOSE OPPOSED SIGNIFY BY RAISING YOUR RIGHT HAND.
YOU OPPOSED? FIVE TO TWO TO FIVE.
WE HAVE A MOTION TO THE ADOPT, ADOPT THE AGENDA.
SO VOTE WE HAVE A SECOND, SECOND.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE SIGNIFY BY RAISING YOUR RIGHT HAND.
OPPOSED? THAT WOULD BE SIX TO ONE.
[5. Approval of the Minutes]
OF MINUTES.WE HAVE THE MEETINGS FROM JANUARY 14TH AND THE WORKSHOP MEETINGS OF JANUARY 27TH.
IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE? APPROVE? I WOULD MOVE TO APPROVE BOTH.
THERE'S A SLIGHT CHANGE THAT I HAS BEEN PLACED ON ALL OF YOUR DESKS IN TERMS OF ONE OF THE VOTES.
I MOVE APPROVAL WITH THAT CHANGE.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE SIGNIFY BY RAISING YOUR RIGHT HAND.
[6. Presentations and Recognitions]
ORLANDO, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO REPORT, UH, THE TOWN MEASURES REPORT? YES, SIR.COUNCIL MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC.
UM, I HAVE A FEW THINGS, UM, COUPLE QUICK UPDATES, AND THEN, UH, AN OVERVIEW OF OF, OF SOME WORK TO DATE ON THE WILLIAM HILTON PARKWAY GATEWAY CORRIDOR.
SO FIRST AND FOREMOST, ON TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 25TH, TOWN COUNCIL WILL HOLD A WORKSHOP REGARDING BEACH RENOURISHMENT.
SO AN UPDATE ON THE PROJECT ITSELF IN TERMS OF PERMIT SCHEDULING, BUT THEN ALSO TO BRING TO YOU, UH, THOSE FUNDING SCENARIOS.
WE HAD A WORKSHOP LATE LAST YEAR, AND IT, IT IS TIME TO GET BACK TOGETHER TO TRULY START REFINING YOUR, YOUR, YOUR DIRECTION FOR ME AND OUR, OUR FINANCE TEAM OF OF WHICH DIRECTION YOU'D LIKE US TO HEAD IN AS WE FUND OUR, OUR BEACH PREN NOURISHMENT PROJECT.
NEXT WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY NEXT WEEK, UH, FEBRUARY 26TH AND 27 TOWN COUNCIL WILL HOLD THEIR STRATEGIC PLAN WORKSHOP AT THE END RESORT.
SO THERE'LL BE AN OVERVIEW OF OUR CURRENT PRIORITIES, OUR CURRENT STRATEGIC PLAN.
I'M GONNA GIVE AN UPDATE ON, UH, WHAT'S BEEN COMPLETE, WHAT'S STILL IN MOTION.
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GOING TO TALK, UH, A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR BUDGET, OUR REVENUES, AND THEN, UH, SPEND A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF TIME REESTABLISHING OR I WOULD SAY RESETTING YOUR STRATEGIC ACTION PLAN AND THE PRIORITIES THAT ARE IN THERE.I LOOK FORWARD TO SPENDING TIME WITH, WITH MY TEAM.
A BIG THANK YOU TO SEAN COLE AND, UH, THE ENTIRE TEAM FOR PUTTING EVERYTHING TOGETHER SO WE CAN GET READY FOR YOU.
SO, AND THEN LAST BUT NOT LEAST, I'D LIKE TO PROVIDE, UH, I HAVE ON HERE BRIEF, BUT IT'S NOT BRIEF, SO I'M GONNA SCRATCH THAT OUT.
BUT A FOLLOW UP TO THE JOINT TOWN OF HILTON HEAD ISLAND, BEAUFORT COUNTY COUNCIL WORKSHOP THAT OCCURRED AT THE BUCK WALTER RECREATION CENTER LAST WEEK, 5:00 PM WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 12TH.
JUST AS AN OVERVIEW, AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE, AND I SIMPLY PROVIDE THAT OVERVIEW HERE AT THIS MEETING, AND THEN GET A LITTLE BIT OF INPUT FROM YOU ALL IF, IF YOU WILL, IF, IF, IF THAT'S APPROPRIATE.
SO, TOWN COUNCIL MEMBERS WERE PRESENT ALONG WITH BUFORT COUNTY COUNCIL MEMBERS, BUFORT COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR, MICHAEL MOORE, ASSISTANT ADMINISTRATOR, JARED FRA, SEAN COLEEN, OUR ASSISTANT TOWN MANAGER, AND REAL PROJECT LEAD ON THIS.
MANY MEMBERS OF BEAUFORT COUNTY PUBLIC ALSO ATTENDED, RIGHT? SO FOLKS FROM HILTON HAD SHOWED UP AS WELL AS FOLKS FROM ACROSS, UH, THE COUNTY SHOWED UP AT THE MEETING.
BUFORT COUNTY STAFF REVIEWED A FEW THINGS.
THEY REVIEWED VARIOUS S-C-D-O-T PROPOSALS.
SEAN COLON WENT OVER WHEN, WHEN HE, WHEN WE WERE HERE LAST, WE RECEIVED THOSE ON JANUARY 30TH.
UM, THEY REVIEWED FUNDING AVAILABLE FOR THE PROJECT.
THEY REVIEWED AND REALLY PROVIDED, UM, THE, THE DRAFT THAT WAS IN THE PACKET WAS A DIFFERENT DRAFT THAN WAS AT THE MEETING.
BUT THEY PROVIDED A JOINT, A DRAFT JOINT RESOLUTION FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION.
UM, AND REALLY YOUR REACTION, UM, THAT RESOLUTION I HAVE IN FRONT OF ME.
PLEASE FORGIVE ME, I'M NOT GONNA GO THROUGH THE WHOLE THING, BUT THERE WERE A FEW THINGS IN THERE THAT YOU ALL HAD SOME FEEDBACK ON.
ONE, IT REALLY TALKED ABOUT THE PROJECT SCOPE, REPLACING THE TWO BRIDGES, CONSTRUCTING A THREE LANE EASTBOUND BRIDGE, STRIPING THE NEW BRIDGE FOR TWO LANES, DESIGNING THE BRIDGE TO ACCOMMODATE A FOUR LANE USE IN THE FUTURE, AND SO ON SO FORTH.
THEY WERE ALSO SPECIFIC THAT THE FUNDING ELEMENTS, THE CURRENT FUNDING WAS $298.53 MILLION.
AND THERE WERE A FEW, I WOULD CALL IT A ADDITIONS TO THE MOA THAT RESERVE FUNDS WILL COVER POTENTIAL PROJECT OVERRUNS.
AND THAT IF UNSPENT, THEY MAY BE, BUT YOU ALL SAID SHALL BE USED FOR OTHER LOCAL ROAD IMPROVEMENTS ALONG THE CORRIDOR BETWEEN MOSS CREEK AND SPANISH WELLS.
THAT THE PROJECT WILL FUND THE REPLACEMENT OF A 24 INCH WATER LINE UP TO THE LIMITS DEFINED IN STATE LAW PERTAINING TO PSD OR PUBLIC UTILITY IN INFRASTRUCTURE, UM, REPLACEMENT AND, AND WHAT THOSE S-E-D-O-T PROJECTS ALLOCATE FUNDS FOR AND AS PART OF THE BUDGET.
BUT THE $6.5 MILLION APPROPRIATION WILL ASSIST WITH THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE ACTUAL RELOCATION COSTS AND THE COST COVERED BY THE PROJECT.
AND HERE IS WHERE YOU ALL PAUSED, OR SOME OF YOU PAUSED ANY RELOCATION COST ABOVE THE PROJECT FUNDS.
AND THIS APPROPRIATION WOULD BE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE PUBLIC SERVICE DISTRICT.
AND THEN IT ALSO WENT ON TO SAY THAT TO ADDRESS IMMEDIATE SAFETY CONCERNS IN THE STONY COMMUNITY, $3.5 MILLION IN LOCAL COUNTY FUNDS WILL BE ALLOCATED TO A LOCAL ROAD PROJECT WITH THE TOWN OVERSEEING DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION.
SO ALL OF THOSE WERE TALKED ABOUT.
UM, WE LEFT THE ROOM, UH, WE TALKED ABOUT NEXT STEPS TO INCLUDE A JOINT RESOLUTION.
I SPOKE WITH MICHAEL MOORE, COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR TODAY.
MR. MOORE INDICATED TO ME THAT THEY WILL BE MEETING ON THIS VERY SOON TO VOTE.
HE WILL, UM, TOMORROW SEND ME SOME EDITS TO THE RESOLUTION.
I'VE ALREADY STARTED TO DRAFT SOME EDITS BASED UPON YOUR, I WOULD SAY, INDIVIDUAL, BUT FROM ME, JUST UNDERSTANDING YOU, YOU ALL COLLECTIVE FEEDBACK, UM, THERE WAS ALSO AN OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU TO COMMENT, WHICH IS WHERE I RECEIVED THAT IN INFORMATION AND A PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD WOULD'VE HELD JUST FOR CLARITY, YOU ALL STARTED TO LEAN TOWARDS OPTION ONE, BUT WITH DIFFERENT, WITH, WITH, I WOULD SAY WITH, WITH DIFFERENT SPECIFIC CONCERNS ON THE SAFETY OF TRAVEL ON THE BRIDGE AND THROUGH THE STONY HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOOD BIKE, PET OPTIONS FUNDING AND PROJECT SCOPE.
AND SO KNOWING THAT WE STILL HAVE THAT MARCH, END OF MARCH DEADLINE, UM, AND WITH THE COUNTY COUNCIL INTENDING TO VOTE ON THE JOINT RESOLUTION SOON, I JUST WANTED TO BRING THIS TO YOUR ATTENTION, LET YOU KNOW THAT I'M STILL WORKING ON IT.
BUT THAT IN THE RESOLUTION, I'LL WORK ON SOME WORDING CHANGES AND I'VE, I'VE STARTED THAT, BUT AGAIN, I'M WAITING
[00:10:01]
TO SEE WHAT THEY'RE CHANGING AFTER YOUR INPUT SO THAT I KNOW WHAT TO PROPOSE.DO YOU NEED ADDITIONAL DIRECTION FROM US, KIND OF A HEAD NOD AS TO, TO HOW WE NEED TO ADDRESS THAT, THE PSD ASPECT? YES, IT WOULD HELP.
AND THEN WE CAN, IF WE NEED TO, WE CAN ALSO SLOW DOWN TO TALK THROUGH THIS A LOT MORE NEXT WEEK WHEN WE'RE TOGETHER, WHETHER THAT BE AT THE TUESDAY WORKSHOP OR THE STRATEGIC STRATEGIC PLAN WORKSHOP.
SO, SO WOULD IT BE BENEFICIAL FOR, FOR A GENERIC QUESTION TO BE ASKED IF, IF THE PROJECT NEEDS TO COVER THE COST IN ITS ENTIRETY OR IT NEEDS TO BE BORNE UPON THE, THE, THE PSD IS, IS THAT A FAVORABLE QUESTION TO ASK AT THIS POINT IN TIME? THAT'S ONE OF, THAT'S ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT WE STILL NEED, THAT I STILL NEED SOME COLLECTIVE DIRECTION ON.
AND THAT'S GONNA MATTER HOW I AMEND THE MOU.
SO, UM, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S NEAR AND DEAR TO MY HEART, UH, THAT I CONTINUE TO FOCUS ON.
AND AGAIN, UH, WHEN THE COUNTY SAID THAT, UH, ANY OVERAGE OR GAP WOULD BE FUNDED BY THE PSD, THAT MEANS REALLY THE PSD CUSTOMERS, WHICH IS US.
UM, THE PSD JUST COMPLETED AN UPDATED ESTIMATE OF THE ANTICIPATED COST, AND IT'S STILL AROUND THE $20 MILLION RANGE.
AND, UH, THE REIMBURSEMENT FORMULA, FOUR POINT A HALF PERCENT PLUS SIX POINT A HALF MILLION DOLLARS COULD STILL LEAVE A GAP.
UH, AND ESPECIALLY IF THEY ONLY COUNT THE FUNDS FOR THE BRIDGE ONLY AND NOT THE ADDITIONAL PIECES OF THE PROJECT.
SO I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT WE INCREASE THE AMOUNT ALLOCATED TO THE PSD, UH, WITH A CAVEAT THAT ANY UNSPENT FUNDS GO BACK TO THE RESERVE FUNDS AND THIS WORK IS GONNA BE OCCURRING BEFORE THE BRIDGE ACTUALLY GETS STARTED.
THEY NEED TO MOVE THE PIPES BEFORE THE BRIDGE CAN BE REPLACED 'CAUSE THE PIPES ARE IN THE WAY, SO THEY WOULD KNOW EXACTLY HOW MUCH THEY'RE SPENDING PRIOR TO THE BRIDGE ACTUALLY BEING BUILT.
SO THAT'S, UH, SOMETHING THAT I'VE BEEN THINKING ABOUT.
AND, AND, AND, YOU KNOW, SINCE YOU'VE PUT THAT OUT THERE, I'LL JUST ASK, YOU KNOW, HEAD NODS OR EVEN COMMENTS FROM THE REST OF COUNCIL REGARDING WHAT YOU'VE JUST, JUST, UH, STATED.
I'LL BE HAPPY TO, MS. BRYSON, UH, WEIGH IN.
I, I, I SUPPORT THE DIRECTION.
UM, MY CONCERN, UM, AND, AND MR. ORLANDO, UH, GIVE AN ACCURATE DESCRIPTION OF WHAT OCCURRED.
BUT THERE'S IMPORTANT OTHER ASPECT OF THIS, AND THAT IS NOT UNTIL THAT EVENING DID S-E-D-O-T DROP A BOMBSHELL WITH US, WHERE THEY TOOK, WE THOUGHT WE HAD ABOUT 41 MILLION, UM, AFTER THE BRIDGE CONSTRUCTION ESTIMATE.
BUT S-E-D-O-T SAID, OH GOSH, WE FORGOT $15 MILLION IN ENGINEERING COST.
AND, AND, AND TO SAY THAT I WAS EXTRAORDINARILY DISMAYED, I SAID, I THINK VERY DISMAYED, BUT I'M EXTRAORDINARILY DISMAYED.
SO MY, MY CONCERN IS THAT, UH, ALREADY THE 41 MILLION WAS CUT DOWN WITH MOST OF THE BULK GOING INTO THE RESERVES.
UM, AND, AND STONY GOING FROM WHAT WE ASKED FOR WAS 10 MILLION.
THE COUNTY FIRST PROPOSED 5 MILLION, THEN DROPPED IT TO 3.5 MILLION, AND THEY ALSO MADE A SIMILAR DROP TO THE PSD FUNDS.
SO I WAS BOLD ENOUGH TO ASK S-C-D-O-T TO GO BACK AND FIND THE $15 MILLION SO THAT WE WOULDN'T BE FACED WITH THIS.
SO I SUPPORT INCREASING THE AMOUNT TO THE PSD, BUT I WANT TO TAKE IT OUT OF THE COUNTY'S RESERVE FUNDS AND NOT REDUCE MONEY FOR S SONY ANYMORE.
IN FACT, I WANT TO INCREASE MONEY FOR STONY.
UM, WELL, IF PART OF THE CONCERN IS LAID OUT BY, UM, COUNCILMAN TONER IS THAT THE ULTIMATE COST OF ANY OVERRUNS OR INCREASES IS BORN BY THE CUSTOMERS OR THE RESIDENTS OF THE COUNTY.
THE SAME IS TRUE WITH THE COUNTY.
SHOULD THEY INCUR ANY ADDITIONAL OVERRUNS THAT'S NOT GOING TO COME OUTTA THIN AIR SOMEPLACE ELSE.
IT'S GOING TO BE TURNED AROUND AND TAKEN FROM THE RESIDENTS TO, TO MAKE UP THE DIFFERENCE.
SO EACH AND EVERY TIME WE CONTINUE TO BUILD A WISHLIST, EACH AND EVERY TIME WE ADD AND ADD ON, WE HAVE LESS MONEY TO PAY FOR IT.
AND THEN THERE'S THE, THE REALITY THAT THE STATE INFRASTRUCTURE BANK, WHICH IS HOLDING $120 MILLION, UM, IN RESERVE FORCE CURRENTLY, BUT THEY MAY NOT IN THE FUTURE, COULD CHANGE THE TIDE ON ALL OF THE FUNDING.
I THINK WE ALL NEED TO BE PREPARED FOR THE IDEA THAT, UM, OPTION SIX IS A, COULD BE A REALITY.
AND JUST ONE LAST COMMENT THAT I CONTINUE TO PUSH ON S-C-D-O-T AND ANYONE WHO WILL LISTEN, THAT THREE 12 FOOT LANES WITH TWO 10 FOOT LANES IS A BIT OVERKILL.
I'VE EXPRESSED TO THEM THAT EVERY FOOT COUNTS AND ASK THAT THE TWO 10 FOOT LANES BE NARROWED SO THAT WE CAN PERHAPS EVEN SAVE
[00:15:01]
FOUR, FIVE, UM, FEET ON THE OVERALL PROJECT.SO, UM, THINKING ABOUT HOW THIS ULTIMATELY GETS PAID FOR HAS ALWAYS BEEN THE FIRST IN MY MIND, NO MATTER HOW YOU SLICE IT, WHETHER IT'S OPTION ONE OR OPTION SIX, WE HAVE TO PAY FOR IT.
AND IT HAS TO BE A SAFE BRIDGE FROM THE MAINLAND ONTO, UM, THE WINDMILL HARBOR LANDING SITE.
OTHER COMMENTS, MR. BROWN? UH, THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR.
UM, I WANT TO RESPOND TO COUNCILWOMAN TANNER'S.
I AM IN SUPPORT OF US MAKING SURE THAT THE OVERALL COST OF THE RELOCATION IS COVERED WITHIN THE PROJECT.
UM, I ALSO WANT TO JUST SAY THAT THE, THE JOINT MEETING THAT WE HAD WAS PROBABLY ONE OF MY BEST ENCOUNTERS SINCE I'VE BEEN ON COUNCIL, UM, FOR A LONG TIME, WE HAVE RECOGNIZED AND THAT OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE COUNTY IS NOT AS GOOD AS IT CAN BE OR SHOULD BE.
BUT WE SAT AROUND THAT TABLE WITH A ONCE IN A LIFETIME PROJECT IN FRONT OF US.
AND ALTHOUGH WE DIDN'T HAVE AS MUCH TIME TO SPEAK AS WE NORMALLY HAVE, WE DID ALL GET THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK AND LISTEN AT THE END OF IT.
UH, THE COUNTY STAFF AND THE TOWN STAFF WERE ABLE TO TAKE SOME VERY GOOD NOTES TO COME BACK WITH A POTENTIAL JOINT RESOLUTION FOR US TO AGREE UPON.
AND I'D ALSO ADD WITH A DEADLINE OF MARCH 31ST THAT IS QUICKLY APPROACHING, I AM CONCERNED THAT THE COUNTY WILL MAKE REFINEMENTS AND VOTE AND WE WILL MAKE REFINEMENTS AND VOTE.
SO WHAT I'M SUGGESTING MR. MAYOR, IS THAT WE HAVE ANOTHER JOINT MEETING TO TAKE THAT ULTIMATE VOTE.
UM, AGAIN, THE TIMELINE IS IN FRONT OF US.
I THINK WE RESPONDED TO THE SITUATION VERY WELL COLLECTIVELY THE LAST TIME.
AND THE BALL HAS BEEN BOUNCING BACK BETWEEN THE TWO COURTS OF THE TOWN AND THE COUNTY FOR SO LONG.
UM, THIS MAY BE THE BEST WAY FOR US TO, TO GET TO THE FINISH LINE.
OTHER COMMENTS? IF I COULD ADD ONE MORE THING.
IT SOUNDS AS THOUGH THERE'S MORE DISCUSSION NEEDED AMONGST THIS TOWN COUNCIL BEFORE, UM, MR. ORLANDO CAN SEND EDITS.
UM, SO, UH, WE DO HAVE THREE DAYS, UH, WITH WORKSHOPS SET ASIDE FOR NEXT WEEK.
I THINK MR. ORLANDO WAS SUGGESTING THAT THERE MAY BE SOME TIME THAT WE COULD FIND, UM, ON ONE OF THOSE DAYS TO HAVE MORE DISCUSSION.
'CAUSE WE'VE ALL EXPRESSED INDIVIDUALLY IDEAS, BUT I THINK WE NEED THE TIME TO COME TOGETHER AND REACH SOME SORT OF CONSENSUS.
AND WE DON'T, WE HAVEN'T HAD THAT YET.
UM, WE DID HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT ADJUSTING, UH, NEXT TUESDAY'S WORKSHOP IF NEED BE, SO THAT THAT WAS DISCUSSED.
UM, ANY OTHER COMMENTS? SO, YOU KNOW, UM, MARK, I'LL I'LL SAY THAT, THAT I, I AGREE.
I, YOU KNOW, UM, THAT PST NEEDS TO BE MADE WHOLE.
UM, WE, WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT WHERE WE'RE GONNA GO WITH STONY WHEN THAT TIME IS RIGHT.
UM, WE KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, THE COUNTY IS, IS LOOKING TO TAKE THIS TO A VOTE ON MONDAY, RIGHT? SO THEY'RE, SO THEY'RE, THEY'RE POTENTIALLY LOOKING TO HAVE THEIR VOTE ON THE RESOLUTION MONDAY AFTERNOON.
UM, DOES THAT GIVE US A TIME FOR A JOINT MEETING? IT DOES NOT, UM, WITH THE SHORT NOTICE.
UM, SO AGAIN, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S TRYING TO PUSH THE BALL AGAINST A WALL WHEN WE'RE AGAINST IT ALREADY.
UM, YOU KNOW, I'VE STATED CLEARLY THAT I WANT TO HAVE A DECISION, UM, AND NOT PUSH THE DECISION, BUT HAVE A DECISION WELL BEFORE THE MARCH 31ST DEADLINE, BECAUSE I DON'T BELIEVE IN WAITING TILL THE LAST MOMENT.
UM, BUT I, BUT I THINK WE NEED TO SUBMIT THOSE COMMENTS THAT WERE MADE AT THE JOINT MEETING AS TO WHAT WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE ADJUSTED IN THE JOINT RESOLUTION.
UM, KNOWING THAT OUR WISHLIST REALLY IS JUST A WISHLIST IN WHAT WE PUSH FORWARD BECAUSE THE COUNTY IS TAKING CONTROL OF THE PROJECT, WHICH THEY HAVE FROM DAY ONE.
UM, BUT IN, AS I STATED IN THIS, IN THE JOINT MEETING, THIS RESOLUTION IS MORE OF A, A SALES PITCH, UM, UNFORTUNATELY TO THE STATE AND THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT THE FUNDING IS NOT LOST.
UM, THERE'S A LOT OF QUESTIONS STILL TO BE HAD THAT WILL BE ANSWERED BY BOTH DOT AND THE STATE INFRASTRUCTURE BANK, BUT THIS RESOLUTION IS GONNA BE PUT INTO PLACE ONE WAY OR ANOTHER WITH OR WITHOUT OUR SIGNATURES ON IT, UM, AS TO HOW THE PROJECT WILL
[00:20:01]
PROBABLY MOVE FORWARD.SO, BUT I DO AGREE THAT, THAT, UH, PSD NEEDS TO BE MADE WHOLE ON THAT, UM, WHETHER IT'S THROUGH GRANTS, UM, WHETHER IT'S THROUGH O SOME OTHER, UH, WAY OF, UH, CREATING ADDITIONAL FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES, BUT THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED HERE.
CAN I ASK YOU A QUESTION? I WAS LISTENING CAREFULLY TO WHAT YOU, YOU SAID, AND I'VE HEARD YOU SAY IT BEFORE, AND JUST CLARIFICATION FOR ME IN TERMS OF WHAT YOU REALLY MEAN.
YOU MENTIONED THAT THE, UM, COUNTY HAS TAKEN CONTROL OF THE PROJECT A ONE.
I BELIEVE WE'VE SPENT SEVEN YEARS AS A COMMUNITY WITH, UM, ALL INTENTION IN MAKING SURE THAT THIS PROJECT IS A JOINT PROJECT.
AND, UM, SO I, I'M JUST GOING TO, UH, RESPECTFULLY BUT STRONGLY DISAGREE WITH YOU.
WE ARE VERY MUCH STILL PART OF THIS CONVERSATION.
I, I DIDN'T SAY WE WERE NOT PART OF THE CONVERSATION, BUT IN TERMS OF THE, WELL, WHEN YOU'RE GIVING, WHEN YOU'RE SAYING SOMEONE ELSE WAS CONTROL AND THEN YOU, IT, IT DOES NOT LEAD ROOM FOR CONVERSATION.
BUT ALSO, I'M CONFUSED ON THE LAST COMMENT YOU MADE.
YOU SAID SIGN WITH THE RESOLUTION WITH SIGNATURES ON, UM, WITH OR WITHOUT OUR SIGNATURES ON IT.
WHAT DID YOU MEAN BY THAT? WELL, IF WE DON'T AGREE TO THE RESOLUTION, THEN WE DON'T, BUT IT'S A JOINT RESOLUTION.
ISN'T THAT WHAT THE SIB HAS ASKED US FOR A JOINT RESOLUTION? THAT'S CORRECT.
SHOWING THAT WE ARE INDEED PARTNERS AND THAT WE ARE INDEED WORKING TOGETHER.
SO I'M CONFUSED ABOUT WHY OUR SIGNATURES WOULDN'T BE ON IT.
UH, IF WE DON'T AGREE WITH IT, THEN THEY WOULD NOT BE ON THAT DOCUMENT.
SO IT WOULD NOT BE, IT ISN'T OUR GOAL TO, TO IT'S WORK COLLABORATIVELY.
IT'S AS A PARTNER AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO.
SO YES, WE ARE WORKING AS A PARTNER, BUT I'M JUST STATING I'M WORRIED ABOUT THE LANGUAGE THAT'S GETTING PUT OUT THERE.
SO I'M JUST GOING TO HIGHLIGHT IT BECAUSE I'M WORRIED ABOUT THE LANGUAGE AND THE IMPRESSION THAT IT GIVES OTHER PEOPLE.
SO FOR CLARITY, AND THEN I CAN PERHAPS TALK WITH YOU OUTSIDE OF HERE, AND I'M SORRY, I'M BRINGING THIS UP AS A MANAGER'S REPORT, RIGHT? LET JUST REMIND US THIS, THIS MEETING OCCURRED WEDNESDAY.
I THINK Y'ALL PROBABLY GOT HOME AROUND EIGHT O'CLOCK AT NIGHT.
WE COMMUNICATED WITH THE COUNTY.
YESTERDAY WAS A HOLIDAY, AND I SPOKE WITH MICHAEL MOORE TODAY WHO LET ME KNOW THAT THEY'RE ADVANCING TO POTENTIALLY VOTE ON THIS NEXT MONDAY.
IT'S NOT A GUARANTEE, BUT THAT'S WHAT I UNDERSTAND.
HE DID LET ME KNOW HE IS GONNA SEND IT OVER, IF NOT TONIGHT, TOMORROW.
BUT HERE WERE SOME, SOME EDITS THAT I'VE ALREADY STARTED TO, TO THINK THROUGH BASED UPON WHAT WE WERE PROVIDED.
WORDING CHANGE OF UNSPENT RESERVE FROM MAY TO SHALL, HOWEVER WE SAY THAT SPECIFY A PRIORITY OF PROJECT SCOPE, RIGHT? SO PRIORITIZE THE FUNDING IF I'LL SAY, IF, IF THERE'S FUNDS LEFT IN THE STONY CORRIDOR ABOVE AND BEYOND THOSE CONTINGENCY FUNDS, BUT PRIORITIZE THEM AS PUBLIC SAFETY, NEIGHBORHOOD IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS, SQUIRE, POPE INTERSECTION, SIDEWALK ENHANCEMENTS, SIGNAGE, SPANISH WELLS INTERSECTION IMPROVEMENTS.
I THINK WE NEED TO ADD, MY ADVICE IS TO PUT SOME SPECIFICITY OF, OF A RANK ORDER.
IF THERE'S STILL LEFT, DO THAT.
BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE BASED UPON SOME FEEDBACK TONIGHT, WE PUSH PSD ALL THE WAY TO THE TOP OF THAT LIST IN ADDITION TO THE FUNDS THROUGH STONY WHEN MA HARBOR SIGNAL EXPLORE A BIKE LANE ON THE EASTBOUND BRIDGE CURRENTLY, OR AS IT WILL BE BUILT FOR A PERIOD OF TIME, REDUCTION OF SPEED, AND THEN A MUTUAL AGREEMENT.
AND WE CAN FIGURE OUT THE PROPER WORDING OF THE STONY NEIGHBORHOOD MASTER PLAN.
WE HAVE TO FINALIZE THE LANGUAGE FOR THE JOINT RESOLUTION.
SO I'M STARTING TO WORK ON THAT.
AND I'LL FIND A TIME, WHETHER THAT BE TUESDAY, ALONG WITH THE WORKSHOP AGENDA LANGUAGE FOR BEACH RENOURISHMENT FUNDING OR AT STRATEGIC PLAN.
SO I'LL LET, I'LL LET MR. MOORE KNOW AFTER THAT WE STILL NEED TO MEET WITH DOT TO CONFIRM THE PROJECT, AND THEN MOST LIKELY I'LL HAVE TO NOT HAVE TO, I'D BE HAPPY TO BE WITH MR. MOORE AS HE MEETS WITH STATE INFRASTRUCTURE BANK TO TALK ABOUT THE A HUNDRED MILLION, $120 MILLION.
ALRIGHT, MR. SORRY, MR. MAYOR, I'M SORRY, GO AHEAD.
UM, I'M JUST SORT OF TRYING TO GET MY HEAD WRAPPED AROUND TIMELINE HERE.
IF THE COUNTY IS POTENTIALLY GOING TO MEET ON MONDAY, ORLANDO NOW HAS THROUGH SORT OF A HEAD NOD MM-HMM
WHAT WE WANT THE REFINEMENTS TO BE.
UM, THE COUNTY WILL TAKE UP EITHER WHAT THEY ALREADY HAVE DECIDED ON OR GOING TO DECIDE ON BASED ON THOSE COMMENTS ON MONDAY.
AND IT, AND WE ARE NOT GOING TO TALK AGAIN UNTIL POTENTIALLY TUESDAY OR DURING THE WORKSHOP ON WEDNESDAY, THURSDAY.
IT ALMOST FEELS AS IF THE DECISION IS GOING TO BE MADE WITHOUT US.
AND I'M NOT QUITE SURE THAT ANY OF US ARE COMFORTABLE WITH THAT.
UH, SO I GO BACK TO MY ORIGINAL COMMENT, WHICH IS A CALL TO THE COUNTY TO SAY, LET'S WAIT ON VOTING
[00:25:01]
UNTIL WE'VE HAD A CHANCE TO DISCUSS AMONGST OURSELVES WHAT WE EITHER AGREE OR DISAGREE WITH THEIR REFINEMENTS.AND AGAIN, I THINK IT WOULD BE A GREAT IDEA MM-HMM
IF WE CAME BACK TOGETHER JOINTLY, BECAUSE THE BALL WILL CONTINUE TO BOUNCE IF WE DON'T DO THAT.
UM, AND, AND AGAIN, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO OUR COMMUNITY TO KNOW THAT WE ARE ON THE SAME PAGE OR WE'RE NOT COLLECTIVELY VERSUS A PHONE CALL AFTER THE VOTE HAS HAPPENED.
SO, MAYOR, I AGREE WITH MR. BROWN.
I WAS GONNA, IN FACT, ASK THE MAYOR IF HE WOULD BE IN TOUCH WITH CHAIRMAN HOWARD AND ASK HER TO DELAY ANY VOTE FROM MONDAY BY THE COUNTY COUNCIL UNTIL WE'VE HAD MORE OPPORTUNITY TO EXCHANGE IDEAS AND PERHAPS COME TO A CONSENSUS.
I, AGAIN, THIS WAS, THIS CAME AROUND WITHIN THE PAST, YOU KNOW, 60 MINUTES, SO, OKAY.
UP NEXT WE HAVE THE ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE VOTE, UH, BOARD OF ZONING APPEALS.
WE HAVE VICE CHAIR CATHERINE BAYLESS PRESENTING MS. BAYLESS.
THANK YOU MR. MAYOR, MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL.
THIS IS, UH, THE BOARD OF ZONING APPEALS REPORT FOR THE CALENDAR YEAR 2024.
UH, THE BOARD MET THREE TIMES DURING THAT YEAR.
WE HEARD FOUR VARIANCE REQUESTS, ZERO APPEAL REQUESTS, AND ZERO SPECIAL EXCEPTION REQUESTS.
AS TO THE FOUR VARIANCE REQUESTS, THE FIRST THREE THAT ARE LISTED ARE ALL VERY SIMILAR.
UH, WE HAD THREE LANDOWNERS, UM, IN THE SANDCASTLE COURT DEVELOPMENT, WHO WANTED, UH, A VARIANCE TO ENCROACH UPON THE SETBACK AREAS THAT ARE REQUIRED BY LMO SECTION 16 DASH FIVE DASH 1 0 2 D.
UM, THOSE REQUESTS WERE APPROVED BY A VOTE OF FOUR TO TWO.
THE FOURTH VARIANCE REQUEST CAME FROM THE HOMEOWNER OF 19 IBUS STREET.
UH, THAT HOMEOWNER WANTED A VARIANCE FROM LMO SECTION 16 DASH THREE DASH 1 0 6 H FOUR D, WHICH I'M SURE ALL OF YOU HAVE MEMORIZED, UH, WHICH DEALS WITH THE FLOOR AREA RATIO REQUIREMENTS, AND WANTED TO EXCEED THE GROSS FLOOR AREAS BY 2,259 SQUARE FEET.
THAT REQUEST WAS DENIED BY A VOTE OF SIX TO ZERO.
IN OTHER MATTERS, UH, WE WERE PROVIDED AN UPDATE ON THE LMO REWRITE AND AN UPDATE ON, UM, REGARDING THE APPROVED FLOOR AREA RATIO AMENDMENT TO THE FOREST BEACH NEIGHBORHOOD CHARACTER OVERLAY.
UH, LASTLY, THE BOARD WAS PROVIDED WITH A ONE HOUR CONTINUING EDUCATION COURSE, FLOODPLAIN MANAGEMENT FOR LOCAL ELECTED OFFICIALS.
AND I'D TAKE JUST A FEW SECONDS, UH, TO SAY THAT THE BOARD WOULD LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE AND SHOW ITS APPRECIATION, UH, FOR THE PROFESSIONALISM AND THE ASSISTANCE THAT TOWN STAFF GIVE US.
THEY ARE EXCELLENT TO WORK WITH AND IT MAKES WHAT WE DO SO EASY.
ALRIGHT, NEXT UP WE HAVE THE ANNUAL REPORT FROM THE PLANNING COMMISSION BOARD CHAIR BRUCE SEABOLD.
GOOD AFTERNOON MANAGER, ORLANDO MARY PERRY, MEMBERS OF COUNCIL.
UH, THANKS FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE A SUMMARY OF, UH, THE CONSIDERATIONS THAT ACTIONS TAKEN BY THE PLANNING COMMISSION, UH, DURING 2024.
YOU HAVE A DETAILED, UH, REVIEW OF ALL THAT IN YOUR PACKET, SO I WILL NOT GO OVER THAT LINE BY LINE, BUT JUST GET TO GIVE A BROAD SUMMARY.
UH, WE CONDUCTED 10 MEETINGS DURING THE YEAR TO, UH, UH, RECOMMEND AND CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING, A RECOMMENDED AMENDMENT TO THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN TO INCLUDE HOUSING IMPACT ANALYSIS, RECOMMENDED PRIORITY PROJECTS FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 2025 CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM, WHICH INCLUDED SOME MODIFICATIONS IN THE SPANISH WELLS AND JONESVILLE AREAS.
A RECOMMENDED AMENDMENT TO THE, UH, LAND MANAGEMENT ORDINANCE CONCERNING THE FLOOR AREA RATIOS IN THE FOREST BEACH NEIGHBORHOOD CHARACTER OVERLAY DISTRICT.
WE REVIEWED AND MADE RECOMMENDATIONS ON FOUR PUBLIC PROJECTS TO YOUR, FOR YOUR RECOMMENDATION FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION.
AS THE REQUEST OF HILTON HAD FIRE RESCUE, WE NAMED SEVEN STREETS TO PROVIDE EXACT LOCATIONS WHEN THEY ARE RESPONDING TO EMERGENCIES.
AND WE REVIEWED THREE MAJOR DEVELOPMENT PLANS PROPOSED FOR THE ISLAND.
UH, LOOKING AHEAD, THE COMMISSION HAS BEEN ACTIVELY PARTICIPATING IN THE RECENT COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT EVENTS THAT YOU HAVE, UH, BEEN CONDUCTING AS WE, UH, UH, ARE GETTING READY TO ENGAGE IN THE DISTRICT PLANNING PROCESS.
AND TOMORROW WE'LL BEGIN CONSIDERING THE FIRST OF 10 PRIORITY AMENDMENTS TO THE LAND MANAGEMENT ORDINANCE IN ADVANCE OF THE CCLE COMPLETE REWRITE NEXT YEAR.
IT IS THE COMMISSIONS INTENT TO BE A HELPFUL RESOURCE TO TOWN COUNCIL, AND WE HOPE YOU'LL LET US KNOW IF THERE ARE ADDITIONAL WAYS WE COULD OFFER SUPPORT.
AND I'D BE GLAD TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS, ANY QUESTIONS, BECKER, NOT A
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QUESTION.JUST, UM, TO BOTH YOU AND TO, UH, MS. BAYLIS TO SAY BACK TO YOUR COMMITTEES AND COMMISSIONS THAT I WILL ATTEND OR WATCH ALL OF THE MEETINGS.
AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR PROFESSIONALISM AND THE HARD WORK THAT YOU DO.
[7. Reports from Members of Town Council]
GENERAL REPORTS FROM TOWN COUNCIL? NO.LARRY, UH, LOW COUNTRY AREA TRANS TRANSPORTATION STUDY.
MS. BECKER, UM, THIS, THERE WAS NOT A MEETING THIS MONTH, SO I HAVE NOTHING TO REPORT.
UH, LOW COUNTRY COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS.
BEFORD COUNTY AIRPORTS SUPPORT.
MS. HUNTER, I REPORT THE MEETINGS THURSDAY.
UH, SOUTHERN LOW COUNTRY REGIONAL BOARD.
MS. BRYSON? WELL, HAVING JUST BEEN APPOINTED, I HAVEN'T BEEN TO A MEETING YET, BUT, UH, THERE IS GOING TO BE A MEETING NEXT TUESDAY AT 10 O'CLOCK.
AND I WILL STATE THAT THE, THE LAST MEETING I WAS NOT ABLE TO BE THERE.
I WAS ELECTED AS VICE CHAIR, SO IT PAYS TO SHOW UP TO MEETINGS.
UM, ISLAND RECREATION ASSOCIATION BOARD MAYOR PRO, TIM, ALEX BROWN.
UH, THE ISLAND RECREATION CENTER IS REPORTING THAT OVER 40 TEAMS, UH, CURRENTLY IN YOUTH BASKETBALL.
THEY HAD A SUCCESSFUL SWIM LESSON PROGRAM IN JANUARY OFFERING BOTH WATER BABIES AND GENERAL BEGINNER LESSONS INSIDE THE DOME.
THE SENIOR FITNESS PROGRAMS ARE FULL FITNESS CLASSES AT REC CENTER ARE BUSY.
OUTDOOR REC REC IS OFFERING AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAM THIS SPRING AT THE SAILING AND ROWING CENTER.
WING FEST IS GOING TO BE SATURDAY, MARCH 22ND.
AND LASTLY, THE SNOW DAY FOR 2025 WAS CANCELED DUE TO THE SNOW.
UH, BUFORT COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, UM, THEY HAD THEIR, THEIR CONVERGED MEETING IN JANUARY.
UM, WE WILL HAVE ANOTHER MEETING THIS COMING, UH, THIS NEXT WEEK OR THIS THURSDAY.
UM, S HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOODS COMMUNITY, MR. BROWN.
UH, THE, THE BOARD OF THE, UH, WE CALL IT THE CDC HAS EMPLOYED THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, MR. BOXLEY, TO, UH, MOVE FORWARD WITH A USE OF TECHNOLOGY THAT WILL HELP CONTINUE TO IDENTIFY OUR HISTORIC GULLAH NEIGHBORHOODS THROUGH THEIR CULTURAL ASSETS.
UH, SOME PLACES AND SPACES WITHIN THE GULLAH COMMUNITY ARE NO LONGER STANDING, BUT WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE REMEMBER THOSE AND WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO THAT THROUGH TECHNOLOGY.
UH, SO WE HAVE ENGAGED WITH A, A VENDOR WHO IS MOVING FORWARD WITH THAT PROCESS.
ONE OF THE, UH, IMPORTANT FACTORS OF DOING SUCH AN EXERCISE WAS WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THE YOUTH OF OUR COMMUNITY WERE INVOLVED AS WELL.
SO THERE'S BEEN AN INTERNSHIP PROGRAM, UH, THAT HAS LAUNCHED WITH THIS.
SO YOUTH ARE HELPING TO BUILD THIS, UH, VIRTUAL EXPERIENCE THAT YOU WILL SEE VERY SOON BECAUSE THE BETA TESTING IS HAPPENING AS WE SPEAK.
AND WE ARE LOOKING FOR A GO LIVE, UH, MARCH OF 2025.
COMMUNITY SERVICES AND PUBLIC SAFETY.
MS. BECKER, THE COMMUNITY SERVICE AND PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE MET LAST WEEK, I BELIEVE.
AND, UM, WE HAD A GREAT ROBUST CONVERSATION.
IT WAS AN OPEN DIALOGUE, AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO OUR FUTURE MEETINGS AND CONTINUING IN THAT SAME, UH, THAT SAME, AND ENCOURAGE YOU ALL TO COME AND JOIN US, UM, FOR ANY DISCUSSION THAT YOU'RE INTERESTED IN TALKING ABOUT AND, AND FOR US TO LISTEN TO YOU AND HOPEFULLY FIND SOME ANSWERS AND SOLUTIONS FOR THE COMMUNITY.
IN ADDITION, THE MOST IMPORTANT THING I WANNA SAY TODAY IS THAT WE HAVE A NUMBER OF OPENINGS ON OUR BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, AND WE ARE ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS.
AND I WOULD ENCOURAGE EVERYONE WHO HAS AN INTEREST TO PLEASE FILL OUT THE APPLICATION AND GET IT INTO US AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
WE WILL BE MEETING, UM, IN THE COMING MONTHS, TWO MONTHS TO, UM, HAVE THOSE INTERVIEWS AND MAKE APPOINTMENTS.
FINANCIAL ADMINISTRATION, MR. BROWN.
JUST, UM, BY WAY OF INFORMATION, THE F AND A COMMITTEE WILL HAVE ITS FIRST MEETING WITH MY NEW COMMITTEE MEMBERS ON NEXT TUESDAY AT 10:00 AM ALRIGHT, THANK YOU.
[8.a. Consideration of an Ordinance of the Town of Hilton Head Island Amending, S 10-2-10, Et Seq., Municipal Code of the Town of Hilton Head Island, South Carolina (1983), Short-Term Rentals, to Add Additional Requirements for Occupancy, Fire and Safety Alarms and Equipment, Parking of Vehicles, Enforcement, Fines, Definitions and Other Text Amendments, and Providing for Severability and an Effective Date - First Reading - Shawn Leininger, Assistant Town Manager]
NOW MOVE, EXCUSE ME.UH, IF YOU HAVE A NOTICE OF POLLIN'S OUT THERE, AND IT'S GETTING ME.
SO WE WILL NOW MOVE ON TO NEW BUSINESS BEFORE IT'S THE CONSIDERATION OF AN ORDINANCE OF THE TOWN OF HILTON HU ISLAND, AMENDING SHORT TERM RENTALS TO ADD ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS FOR OCCUPANCY, FIRE AND SAFETY, ALARMS AND EQUIPMENT, PARKING OF VEHICLES, ENFORCEMENT FINES, DEFINITIONS, AND OTHER TEXT AMENDMENTS.
THIS WAS MOST RECENTLY DISCUSSED AT A TOWN COUNCIL WORKSHOP ON SEPTEMBER 24TH OF LAST YEAR WHEN STAFF SHARED THE ASSESSMENT OF THE SHORT TERM RENTAL PROGRAM AND TOWN COUNCIL PROVIDED
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FEEDBACK.GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR PERRY, MEMBERS OF TOWN COUNCIL.
SEAN LAER, ASSISTANT TOWN MANAGER.
THE REQUEST BEFORE YOU THIS AFTERNOON IS A CONSIDERATION OF AN ORDINANCE THAT IF ADOPTED WOULD AMEND OUR SHORT-TERM RENTAL PERMIT REGULATIONS THAT ARE FOUND IN SECTION 10 DASH TWO OF THE ADMISSIBLE CODE.
MAYOR PERRY HAS READ IN THE RECORD THOSE, THOSE DIFFERENT SECTIONS.
AS PART OF MY PRESENTATION, I'LL GO THROUGH AND ADDRESS EACH ONE OF THOSE AMENDMENTS THAT ARE BEING PROPOSED HERE TODAY.
BEFORE WE DO HAVE A LOT OF FIRST ONE MAYOR, DO YOU WANT US TO WAIT TILL THE END ASK QUESTIONS OR? YEAH, LET, LET'S GET THROUGH IT AND GET TO THE END SO WE CAN ASK QUESTIONS THEN.
I DO HAVE A, A, A A LOT OF INFORMATION THAT I WANT TO SHARE WITH YOU THIS AFTERNOON, SO I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO SHOW SHARE WITH YOU THE PATH FORWARD, UH, AND WHAT I'LL BE WALKING YOU THROUGH.
UH, WE'LL SPEND A BRIEF MINUTE TO TALK ABOUT THE CURRENT ORDINANCE, UM, TO MAKE SURE EVERYBODY HAS THE UNDERSTANDING OF THAT, THAT BACKGROUND.
WE'LL THEN TALK ABOUT THE TOWN COUNCIL 20 23, 20 25 STRATEGIC ACTION PLAN, WHICH IS THE REASON THAT WE'RE ALL HERE TODAY.
UH, BASED ON YOUR DIRECTIVE AND ACTIONS THAT YOU SET FORTH FOR TOWN, TOWN STAFF TO, TO IMPLEMENT, WE'LL THEN REVIEW THE SHORT TERM RENTAL PROGRAM ASSESSMENT.
THIS IS A, UH, AN ASSESSMENT THAT TOWN STAFF COMPLETED AND SHARED WITH YOU IN PART AT YOUR TOWN COUNCIL WORKSHOP ON SEPTEMBER 16TH, 2024.
WE'LL THEN TALK ABOUT THAT WORKSHOP AND IN THE, IN THE, IN THE SPECIFIC DIRECTION AND COMMENTS THAT YOU PROVIDED TO, TO US AS STAFF TO MOVE FORWARD AND, AND DRAFT THE AMENDMENTS THAT ARE IN FRONT OF YOU HERE TODAY.
UH, I'LL THEN TALK ABOUT THE, THE PROPOSED AMENDMENTS.
WE'LL TALK ABOUT NEXT STEPS AND THEN ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE.
AND CERTAINLY AF AFTER WE TALK ABOUT THE AMENDMENTS, WE CAN OPEN UP THE CODE AND, AND LOOK RIGHT INTO THE CODE TOO, UH, AS, AS COUNCIL DIRECTS.
SO WITH THAT, LET'S START WITH THE, THE CURRENT SHORT-TERM RENTAL ORDINANCE THAT WAS ADOPTED ON MAY 17TH, 2022.
UH, THAT ORDINANCE AFTER IT WAS ADOPTED, UH, DID NOT GO INTO EFFECT UNTIL JANUARY 1ST, 2023, AND THAT WAS TO ALLOW TOWN STAFF AND THE SHORT-TERM RENTAL OWNERS AND MANAGERS TO BE ABLE TO PREPARE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE NEW REGULATIONS.
ULTIMATELY, WHAT THOSE NEW REGULATIONS ATTEMPTED TO DO WAS TO ADDRESS POTENTIAL IMPACTS ON THE NEIGHBORHOODS BY SETTING RULES OF HOW WE WANT TO SEE SHORT-TERM RENTALS OPERATE AND BE MANAGED.
THERE'S A NUMBER OF REGULATIONS WITHIN THE ORDINANCE.
THEY PRIMARILY ARE FOCUSED THOUGH ON IMPACTS OF SAFETY, NOISE, TRASH, AND PARKING.
AND IN CASE YOU'RE NOT AWARE, THE SHORT TERM RENTAL ORDINANCE IS ADMINISTERED BY OUR FINANCE DEPARTMENT, SPECIFICALLY OUR REVENUE SERVICES DIVISION.
I BELIEVE SOME OF THE STAFF IS HERE, UH, THIS AFTERNOON, AND THEY ALSO GET A, A BIG ASSIST FROM OUR PUBLIC SAFETY DEPARTMENT THROUGH OUR CODE ENFORCEMENT, OFF CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS THAT ARE OUT ON THE STREETS, UM, IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS, UH, MAKING SURE AND ENFORCING COMPLIANCE.
SO THE REASON WE'RE HERE, UH, TODAY, UH, IN PART IS, UH, TOWN COUNCIL, UH, ASKED US AS PART OF YOUR STRATEGIC STRATEGIC ACTION PLAN TO ASSESS THE SHORT TERM RENTAL PROGRAM AND ITS IMPLEMENTATION.
SPECIFICALLY IN STRATEGY 12, YOU TOLD US TO CONDUCT AN ASSESSMENT THAT EVALUATES THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE ORDINANCE IN ADDRESSING IMPACTS ON OUR NEIGHBORHOOD, ON OUR UTILITIES, ON OUR ENVIRONMENT.
AND WE WERE GONNA DO THAT THROUGH A DATA-DRIVEN PROCESS.
SO WE ARE GONNA LOOK AT DATA AND MAKE SURE THAT WE UNDERSTAND, UM, SHORT-TERM RENTALS AND DETERMINE IF FURTHER REGULATION IS NECESSARY.
SHIFTING GEARS NOW INTO THAT ASSESSMENT, UH, STAFF HAS COMPLETED THAT.
SOME OF THIS INFORMATION WILL HOPEFULLY LOOK FAMILIAR FROM YOUR, FROM YOUR TOWN TOWN COUNCIL WORKSHOP IN SEPTEMBER.
UM, THIS DATA IS ALL BASED ON DATA THAT'S ACTIVE PERMITS IN OUR SYSTEM AS OF JANUARY 31 OF THIS YEAR.
RIGHT NOW, THERE ARE 7,112 PERMITS THAT ARE ACTIVE, OR AS OF JANUARY 31, THERE WERE 7,112 PERMITS THAT ARE ACTIVE IN THE COMMUNITY.
THE LARGER MAP SHOWS WHERE THOSE ARE LOCATED BASED ON JUST POINTS ON A MAP OR WHERE THE PERMIT IS LOCATED.
NOT SURPRISINGLY, THEY'RE LOCATED IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO OUR BEACHES.
UH, WHAT THAT MAP WITH ALL THE DOTS DOESN'T SHOW IS WHEN WE HAVE CONDOMINIUM BUILDINGS AND UNITS OR PERMITS ARE STACKED ON TOP OF EACH OTHER.
THE INSET MAP IS A HEAT MAP THAT REALLY SHOWS THAT, WHERE THAT, THAT INTENSITY, THAT DENSITY OF, OF SHORT TERM RENTAL PERMITS ARE LOCATED.
BLUE IS LEAST INTENSE, GOING TO PINK TO RED AND ULTIMATELY TO YELLOW.
SO AGAIN, YOU SEE, UH, THE INTENSITY IS OF ALONG OUR BEACHES, BUT PRIMARILY IN THE, THE FOREST BEACH, COLNEY BEACH AREA, UH, AS WELL AS THEN THROUGH, THROUGH THE, UH, PALMETTO DUNAN SHIPYARD.
UM, BUT THEN OUTSIDE OF PALMETTO DUNES SHIPYARD IN THE BERKS BEACH, BRADLEY BEACH NEIGHBORHOODS.
AS WE TAKE A DEEPER LOOK INTO THE DATA AND, AND WATCH EACH ONE OF THOSE PERMITS, UH, TELLS US, WE CAN SEE, UH, THAT WE HAVE, UM, IN OUR UNIVERSE OF PERMITS, ANYWHERE FROM STUDIOS UP TO 10 BEDROOMS, 87%, ALMOST 88% OF ALL THE UNITS THAT ARE ON THE ISLAND ARE FOR SHORT TERM RENTAL, ARE IN THE 1, 2, 3, OR FOUR BEDROOM CATEGORY.
WE ALSO COLLECT SOME DATA AS PART OF OUR PERMIT PROCESS THAT IS THE AVERAGE, WHICH IS THE, THE SIZE OF THE UNIT.
SO WE CAN REPORT THE AVERAGE SIZE OF THE UNIT BASED ON SQUARE FOOTAGE FOR EACH, EACH BEDROOM CATEGORY.
[00:40:01]
ASK FOR, UM, SHORT TERM RENTAL PERMIT OWNERS AND AGENTS TO PROVIDE TO US WHAT THE MAXIMUM OCCUPANCY IS THAT THEY MARKET THEIR PROPERTY FOR.AND SO WE CAN TRACK THAT AND WE CAN SEE THE AVERAGES BASED ON THAT BEDROOM CATEGORY.
AND THOSE TWO DATA POINTS WILL BE IMPORTANT LATER AS WE TALK ABOUT THE REGULATIONS THAT ARE BEING PROPOSED IN FRONT OF YOU TODAY.
ANOTHER DATA POINT THAT WE SHARED IS OUR CODE ENFORCEMENT VIOLATIONS.
UH, THIS HAS BEEN UPDATED NOW FOR CALENDAR YEAR 2024.
CODE ENFORCEMENT VIOLATIONS ARE REPORTED IN THOSE FOUR BUCKETS THAT I MENTIONED PREVIOUSLY.
TRASH, NOISE, PARKING, AND THE, AND THE PERMIT ITSELF.
UH, YOU CAN SEE HOW, UH, WE HAVE A PROGRESSIVE, UH, ENFORCEMENT FROM VERBAL, WRITTEN AND CITATIONS.
UH, AND YOU CAN SEE THAT WE DO RECEIVE A LOT OF COMPLIANCE THROUGH VERBAL NOTICE, SOME NEW DATA THAT HAS COME, UH, TO LIGHT AS SINCE OUR, OUR WORKSHOP IS RELATED TO FIRE RESCUE RESPONSE.
SO ON SEPTEMBER ONE OF LAST YEAR, THE FIRE RESCUE DEPARTMENT STARTED TO HAVE MANDATORY REPORTING OF WHEN THEY MADE A RESPONSE CALL, WHETHER OR NOT THAT RESPONSE CALL WAS TO A SHORT-TERM RENTAL PROPERTY.
WHEN WE LOOK AT THAT DATA FROM SEPTEMBER ONE THROUGH THE END OF THE YEAR, WE CAN SEE THAT THERE WERE 164 TOTAL CALLS TO SHORT-TERM RENTAL PROPERTIES, 117 OF WHICH WERE FIRE RELATED AND 47 WERE MEDICAL.
WE ALSO KNOW OUTSIDE OF THIS DATA THAT PREVIOUSLY THERE HAD BEEN ONE DEATH AND ONE RESCUE AND A SHORT-TERM RENTAL UNIT AS A RESULT OF A FIRE.
AS PART OF OUR ASSESSMENT, WE LOOKED AROUND THE COUNTRY, WE LOOKED AROUND THE STATE, WE LOOKED FOR OTHER COMMUNITIES TO SEE WHAT THEY ARE DOING, UH, FOR BEST PRACTICES IN TERMS OF MANAGING SHORT TERM RENTALS IN THEIR COMMUNITIES.
YOU CAN BUCKET THOSE INTO THESE NINE GENERAL CATEGORIES, BUT IT'S PERMIT CAPS, PARKING REQUIREMENTS, TRASH SERVICE, FIRE SAFETY REQUIREMENTS.
UM, YOU CAN SEE THAT WE ARE, WE ARE ONE OF THOSE, THOSE BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICE COMMUNITIES AND THE FACT THAT FIVE OF THOSE CATEGORIES ARE COVERED BY OUR EXISTING ORDINANCE, AND WE'LL COME BACK TO THIS TABLE AFTER WE TALK ABOUT YOUR WORKSHOP AS IT RELATES TO THOSE BEST PRACTICE CONSIDERATIONS.
ONE OF THE THINGS WE, WE, WE LEARNED IS THAT COMMUNITIES ARE, UM, IMPLEMENTING OCCUPANCY LIMITS IN SOME CASES TO HELP LIMIT IMPACTS OF OVERCROWDING.
AGAIN, GETTING BACK TO THAT PARKING NOISE, TRASH IMPACTS THAT WE ARE SEEING IN OUR, IN OUR COMMUNITY.
WE ALSO LEARNED THAT TO OTHER COMMUNITIES HAVE A, A HOST OF ENFORCEMENT TOOLS, INCLUDING THE ABILITY TO ISSUE ADMINISTRATIVE, ADMINISTRATIVE CITATIONS.
THOSE ADMINISTRATIVE CITATIONS DO NOT PREVENT STILL THE ISSUANCE OF A MUNICIPAL TICKET OR MUNICIPAL SUMMONS, AS WE CALL IT IN OUR CASE, ALSO DOES NOT PREVENT ANYBODY FROM HAVING A REPEAT DEFENDANTS FROM HAVING THEIR PERMIT SUSPENDED OR REVOKED OR FROM THEIR PERMIT BEING DENIED FOR RENEWAL IF THEY HAVEN'T PAID ANY OF THEIR, THEIR, THEIR FINES OR FEES.
AS PART OF OUR ASSESSMENT, WE ALSO COLLECTED PUBLIC INPUT.
WE HELD MEETINGS, UH, AND DISCUSSIONS WITH, WITH TOWN COUNCIL.
TOWN COUNCIL HAD MEETINGS AND DISCUSSIONS WITH THE MEMBERS OF THE, OF THE PUBLIC AND AS WELL AS REPRESENTATIVES OF THE SHORT TERM RENTAL INDUSTRY.
AND IT WAS THROUGH ALL OF THAT DATA ANALYSIS THAT REALLY WE CAME UP WITH SOME KEY FINDINGS, UM, THAT WERE SHARED WITH YOU AT YOUR WORKSHOP.
THESE KEY FINDINGS ARE, ARE LAID OUT IN THESE FIVE, THESE FIVE NEXT FIVE BULLETS.
FIRST IS THAT WE NEED THE ABILITY TO MANAGE PROPERTY OWNERS WHO VIOLATE SHORT-TERM RENTAL REGULATIONS THROUGH ESCALATING FINES INSTEAD OF COURT CHARGES.
WE ALSO NEED TO HAVE THE ABILITY TO MANAGE PROPERTY OWNERS THAT PERMIT SHORT-TERM RENTAL PROPERTIES WITHOUT A VALID PERMIT.
AND THOSE FINES HAVE TO BE GREATER THAN THE AMOUNT OF THE PERMIT ITSELF.
WE FOUND THAT SHORT-TERM RENTAL PROPERTIES AND OVER ANCY INCONVENIENCE OUR PERMANENT RESIDENTS, AGAIN, EXPRESSING THOSE CONCERNS ABOUT PARKING, NOISE, TRASH COLLECTION, AND, AND OTHER ITEMS. WE LEARNED THAT HIGH ACCURACY, UH, HOMES THAT ARE, THAT ARE OCCUPIED BY A TRANSIENT POPULATION DO NOT HAVE ADEQUATE FIRE SAFETY MECHANISMS. AND ALSO WE LEARNED THAT HOMES ARE, ARE, ARE BEING BUILT FOR THE PURPOSE OF SHORT-TERM RENTAL RESULTING IN STRUCTURES THAT MAY BE OUTTA SCALE AND CONTEXT WITH THE EXISTING NEIGHBORHOODS.
AND THAT LAST BULLET'S BEEN AN IMPORTANT POINT AS WE TALK ABOUT OUR LAND MANAGEMENT ORDINANCE, OUR PRIORITY AMENDMENTS THAT ARE STARTING TO COME FORWARD TO, TO TOWN COUNCIL IN THE COMING MEETINGS, AS WELL AS THEN OUR OVERHAUL OF THE LAND MANAGEMENT ORDINANCE ITSELF.
SO ON SEPTEMBER 16TH, AS AS I MENTIONED, TOWN COUNCIL HAS HAD A, HAD A WORKSHOP TO REVIEW THIS PROGRAM ASSESSMENT, YOU LISTEN TO PUBLIC COMMENT AND THEN YOU ALSO PROVIDED, UH, SOME SPECIFIC COMMENTS AND DIRECTION TO US AND HOW DO WE, HOW DO WE MOVE FORWARD AND, AND, AND COME TO THIS MEETING HERE THAT WE'RE AT TODAY.
THOSE COMMENTS AND DIRECTIONS CAN BE BROKEN DOWN INTO DIFFERENT CATEGORIES.
I'LL START WITH PARKING AND ENFORCEMENT.
WHAT WE HEARD FROM COUNCILS THAT PARKING IS A CRITICAL ISSUE.
WE NEED TO ADDRESS PARKING REGULATIONS DIRECTLY IN THE ORDINANCE.
THERE NEED TO BE LIMITS ON THE NUMBER OF VEHICLES THAT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH A SHORT-TERM RENTAL.
AND IT NEEDS TO BE CLEAR WHERE VEHICLES CAN AND CANNOT PARK.
AS IT RELATES TO OCCUPANCY, WE HEARD THAT WE NEED TO DEFINE OCCUPANCY CLEARLY FOR CONSISTENT REGULATION AND ENFORCEMENT, BUT THERE WAS SUPPORT FOR AN OCCUPANCY LIMIT.
WE ALSO HEARD THAT WE NEED TO CONSIDER IF THE SIZE OF THE HOME SHOULD BE FACTORED INTO OCCUPANCY REGULATIONS.
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RECALL FROM OUR WORKSHOP, WHAT WAS PRESENTED AS A, AS A CONCEPT WAS A TWO PEOPLE PER BEDROOM, PLUS TWO PEOPLE PER PER HOUSE CONCEPT.SO THINK ABOUT A FOUR BEDROOM UNIT, TWO PEOPLE PER BEDROOM, THAT'S EIGHT PEOPLE, PLUS TWO IS 10 WOULD BE THE MAXIMUM OCC FEE FOR A, FOR A FOUR BEDROOM UNIT.
WE WERE ASKED TO, AS WE PUSHED, AS WE HEARD FROM, FROM THE PUBLIC AND WE WALKED AWAY FROM THE TABLE, IS TO GO LOOK AND SEE IF WE NEED TO GET CONSIDERATION FOR SOME OF THOSE LARGER HOMES, SHOULD IT BE A TWO PLUS MORE THAN TWO, UH, CONSIDERATION.
AND WE DID THAT AND WE'LL SHARE WITH YOU WHAT WE CAME UP WITH.
WE ALSO HEARD THAT THE OCRACY ENFORCEMENT PRESENTS CHALLENGES.
WE SHARED THAT YOU ALL SHARED THAT WITH US.
WE HEARD FROM THE PUBLIC THAT THAT OCCUPANCY ENFORCEMENT CAN PRESENT CHALLENGES.
OUR CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS CAN'T GO INTO UNITS AND AND COUNT HEADS.
THEY CAN'T LOOK AT LEASE AGREEMENTS.
THEY'RE, IT'S, IT IS, THEY'RE, IT'S A TOOL, BUT IT IS NOT A PERFECT TOOL AS IT RELATES TO FIRE SAFETY.
WE HEARD THAT WE NEED TO ENSURE THAT ADEQUATE FIRE SAFETY MEASURES NEED TO BE, ARE, NEED TO BE REQUIRED IN SHORT TERM RENTALS.
WE TALKED SPECIFICALLY ABOUT WHAT DO WE DO WITH LARGER HOMES, LARGER HOMES BEING 3,600 SQUARE FEET OR GREATER, AND SHOULD REQUIRE THAT MONITORED AUTOMATIC SMOKE DETECTION SYSTEMS, WILL MANUAL FIRE ALARMS BE REQUIRED? AND THERE WAS SUPPORT FROM TOWN COUNCIL TO DO THIS.
TO BE CLEAR WHAT THIS MEANS, THIS IS NOT A SPRINKLER SYSTEM IN A HOME.
THIS IS A SERIES OF INTERCONNECTED SMOKE DETECTORS.
NOT UNLIKE WHAT YOU YOU HAVE IN YOUR HOME, BUT THEY'RE INTERCONNECTED.
AND WHEN ONE GOES OFF, THEY GO OFF IN THE ENTIRE HOUSE.
THERE IS ALSO A MANUAL FIRE ALARM, I THINK OF A POLE LEVER LIKE YOU WOULD SEE IN SCHOOLS AND OTHER AREAS.
PUBLIC AREAS WOULD BE AVAILABLE IN THE HOME AS WELL IN THE EVENTS THAT THE, THE OMAN NOTIFICATION SYSTEM HAD GONE OFF, BUT THERE WAS A FIRE IN THE BUILDING SYSTEM IS THEN MONITORED BY A THIRD PARTY, 24 HOURS A DAY, SEVEN DAYS A WEEK, 365 DAYS A YEAR.
THE 3,600 SQUARE FOOT REQUIREMENT CAME FROM NOT FROM A BUILDING CODE OR FROM A FIRE CODE.
THAT IS AN INTERNAL OPERATIONAL, UM, NUMBER THAT OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT HAS USES AND HAS USED FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS IN THAT WHEN THERE IS A CALL THAT COMES INTO THE DISPATCH CENTER, THERE IS DATA THAT GETS POPULATED WITH THAT CALL ONCE THEY KNOW THAT ADDRESS AND THAT ONE PART OF THAT DATA IS WHAT'S THE SIZE OF THE BUILDING THAT THEY'RE RESPONDING TO.
IF THAT BUILDING IS SMALLER THAN 3,600 SQUARE FEET, THERE IS A STANDARD RESPONSE.
IF THAT BUILDING IS LARGER THAN 3,600 SQUARE FEET, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, BASED ON THEIR THEIR PAST PRACTICE KNOWS THAT THEY NEED TO RESPOND TO A BUILDING OF THAT SIZE WITH MORE EQUIPMENT BECAUSE OF THE, PERHAPS THE VERTICALITY OF THE BUILDING OR BECAUSE OF THE HORIZONTAL SPACE OF THE BUILDING BUILDING.
SO THAT IS AN INTERNAL REQUIREMENT THAT OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT FOLLOWS TODAY.
I'M SURE CHIEF WILL CORRECT ME IF I SAID ANYTHING INCORRECT AS IT RELATES TO PERMITS AND REGULATIONS.
WE HEARD THAT WE NEED TO INCREASE THE SHORT TERM RENTAL PERMIT FEE BASED ON NUMBER OF BEDROOMS. AND WE PRESENTED A CONCEPT TO YOU AS, AS PART OF THAT WORKSHOP.
AND I'LL, I'LL WE'LL TOUCH ON THAT AT THE END.
WE ALSO HEARD THAT WE NEED TO REQUIRE THAT SHORT TERM RENTAL OWNERS AND AGENTS COMMUNICATE KEY REGULATIONS THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS, WHICH OUR CODE CURRENTLY DOES THAT ALREADY.
AS RELATES TO COMPLIANCE, FINES AND PENALTIES, WE NEED TO ALLOW FOR ADMINISTRATIVE CITATIONS AS A TOOL.
WE NEED TO ASK, WE NEED TO ESTABLISH A CLEAR DIRECTIVE FOR ESCALATING FINES BASED ON THE NUMBER OF OFFENSES WE NEED TO MAINTAIN THE ABILITY, 'CAUSE OUR CODE CURRENTLY ALLOWS THE OR OR HAS THIS IN THERE, UM, MAINTAIN THE ABILITY TO SUSPEND OR REVOKE A PERMIT FOR REPEAT OFFENDERS.
WE ALSO HEARD THAT WE NEED TO CONSIDER MUNICIPAL COURT TO HANDLE SHORT TERM RENTAL RELATED ISSUES.
AND WE ALSO, THIS IS NOT A NECESSARILY CODE RELATED ITEM, BUT WE ALSO HEARD THAT WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO, TO ENHANCE OUR, OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE GATED COMMUNITIES SO WE CAN SUPPORT SHARED ENFORCEMENT, UM, OF SHORTTERM RENTAL REGULATIONS.
I KNOW DIRECTOR BRO AND HIS TEAM ARE, ARE ALREADY WORKING, UM, ON THAT ISSUE AND HAVE MADE A LOT OF PROGRESS WITH, WITH OUR, WITH OUR FRIENDS AT THE POAS FOR IMPLEMENTATION.
WE HEARD THAT WE NEED TO GIVE ADDITIONAL TIME FOR EXISTING SHORT-TERM RENTALS TO COMPLY WITH THE NEW REGULATIONS WHILE TO THE EXTENT WE CAN ALLOW ENSURE NEW SHORT-TERM RENTALS ARE COMPLIANT WITH THE THE, AT THE TIME OF PERMANENT ISSUANCE.
AND FINALLY, WE HEARD THAT ULTIMATELY WHAT WE NEED TO DO IS STRIVE A BALANCE BETWEEN MAINTAINING THE ISLAND'S CHARACTER, OUR QUALITY OF LIFE, AND SUPPORTING BUSINESS PRACTICE RELATED TO SHORT-TERM RENTALS.
SO THAT'S THE SUMMARY OF WHAT WE HEARD.
UM, AS PART OF THAT WORKSHOP THEN, JUST TO GO BACK TO THIS, THAT WAS A SUMMARY OF WHAT WE HEARD.
TYING IT NOW BACK TO THE BEST PRACTICE CONSIDERATIONS, UH, GRAPH OR GRAPHIC THAT I SHARED AT THE BEGINNING OR, OR IN THE MIDDLE.
UM, WE GO BACK TO THESE NINE DIFFERENT CATEGORIES AND WHAT WE HEARD IS THAT WE WANT TO, OF THOSE EXISTING FIVE CATEGORIES THAT WE WERE ALREADY IN, WE WANT TO MAINTAIN AND ENHANCE THOSE REGULATIONS.
BUT WE ALSO HEARD THAT WE WANNA, UH, ADD OOC OCCUPANCY LIMITS INTO OUR, IN OUR, INTO OUR CURRENT ORDINANCE.
I THINK MORE IMPORTANTLY, WHAT IS NOT HAVE THE, UH, RED BRACKETS AROUND OUR PERMIT CAPS, LOCATION RESTRICTIONS AND INSPECTION REQUIREMENTS.
WE DID TALK ABOUT THOSE CONCEPTS AT OUR WORKSHOP.
HOWEVER, THERE WAS NOT CONSENSUS OF COUNSEL TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THOSE, THOSE ITEMS AT THAT TIME.
[00:50:03]
SO AS IT RELATES TO THE PROPOSED AMENDMENTS, THE EDITS ARE HEAVY AT TIMES IN PARTS.SOME THOSE EDITS ARE HEAVY AT TIMES BECAUSE OF SOME GRAMMATICAL AND CLARITY OF LANGUAGE CLEAN THAT WE DID.
UH, THERE WAS SOME TERMS DEFINED TERMS THAT WEREN'T CAPITALIZED, WE CAPITALIZED 'EM AND SO THEY'LL SHOW UP AS COMPLETE STRIKEOUTS AND REWRITES.
BUT WE DID A LOT OF THAT TO HELP UNDERSTAND OR HELP IMPROVE UNDERSTANDING THE READABILITY OF THE DOCUMENT.
SO NOT JUST A, A STAFF MEMBER HAS TO PICK IT UP AND READ IT, BUT THE GENERAL PUBLIC CAN PICK IT UP AND READ IT AS WELL.
WE MADE SOME KEY DEFINITION, UH, KEY DEFINITION ADDITIONS AND REFINEMENTS TO REALLY HELP SUPPORT THE REGULATORY FRAMEWORK THAT'S EXISTING IN WHAT WE WERE PROPOSING.
WE REQUIRED THAT OWNERS NOT JUST BE OWNERS, BE COMPLIANT ON ALL CURRENT LICENSES, PERMITS, TAXES, BUT WE ALSO ADDED FEES AND FINES.
UM, IF WE'RE GONNA GO INTO THE ADMINISTRATIVE CITATION BUSINESS AND THERE IS A, AN OUTSTANDING CITATION, THAT FEE AND THAT FINE HAS TO BE PAID PRIOR TO THE ISSUANCE OF ANY NEW PERMIT.
WE ALSO REQUIRE THAT THE SHORT TERM RENTAL PERMIT NUMBER MUST BE INCLUDED IN ANY ADVERTISEMENT FOR THE PROPERTY.
THIS IS NOT ON THE PRO ON THE BUILDING ITSELF.
THIS IS IN THE ADVERTISEMENT THAT, THAT VACATIONERS ARE LOOKING AT SO THAT THEY HAVE A, THEY CAN SEE THE NUMBER AND THEY'RE ABLE TO LOOK IT UP, UH, AND AND VERIFY THAT THAT PERMIT EXISTS.
IT'S REALLY A CONSUMER PROTECTION ITEM THAT WE HAD HEARD FROM, UM, FROM THE PUBLIC AND FROM THE SHORT TERM RENTAL INDUSTRY AS WELL.
WE HAVE INCLUDED THE REQUIREMENT THAT HOMES LARGE 3,600 SQUARE FEET AND LARGER HAVE THE MONITORED SMOKE DETECTION AND MANUAL FIRE ALARM SYSTEM INSTALLED.
WE HAVE ALSO, BASED ON THAT FIRE RESCUE DATA THAT WE, I EXPLAINED, WE'VE ALSO HAD A REQUIREMENT THAT ANY EXTERIOR GAS GRILL MUST BE EQUIPPED WITH AN AUTOMATIC SHUTOFF TIMER NOT TO EXCEED 60 MINUTES.
THIS IS A SMALL DEVICE THAT GETS ADDED TO THE, TO THE, TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE PROPANE TANK AS IT'S GOING OR UP INTO THE GAS GRILL.
THINK OF IF YOU'RE AT A HOTEL AND YOU'RE GOING TO USE THE HOT TUB, YOU HAVE TO TURN IT TO 15 MINUTES.
SAME THING, EXCEPT WE WE'RE CONTROLLING GAS WITH IT.
SO WHEN WE THINK ABOUT THE IMPACT OF THE MONITORED FIRE ALARM SYSTEM REQUIREMENT ON THE 7,112 PERMITS THAT ARE CURRENTLY ACTIVE ON OUR SYSTEM, THERE ARE 577 PROPERTIES THAT WILL BE POTENTIALLY BE IMPACTED BY THIS OR 8.1% OF THE TOTAL SHORT TERM RENTALS.
SO THIS IS THOSE DATA TABLES I SHARED WITH YOU AT THE BEGINNING.
EVERYTHING'S STILL LAID OUT SIMILARLY WITH THE NUMBER OF BEDROOMS AND NUMBER OF PERMITS, THE REPORTED AVERAGE SQUARE FOOT BASED ON THE BEDROOM CATEGORY.
BUT THAT, THAT FOURTH COLUMN WAS WHERE WE TOOK A DEEPER DIVE INTO THE DATA AND SAID, OKAY, HOW MANY IN THAT CATEGORY ACTUALLY EXCEEDED THE 3,600 OR MEET OR EXCEED THE 3,600 SQUARE FEET? SO YOU CAN SEE THAT BROKEN OUT BY THE BEDROOM CATEGORY.
NOT SURPRISINGLY, THE BIGGER THE HOME, THE BIGGER THE, OR THE, THE, THE MORE IMPACTED PROPERTY.
AS PART OF THIS, AS DIRECTED BY COUNCILS, WE'VE ALSO CON INCLUDED A LIMIT OF AN OCCUPANCY BASED ON A NUMBER OF BEDROOMS. THIS IS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THAN THE TWO PLUS TWO MODEL THAT WE SHARED WITH YOU BEFORE.
WHAT WE, WHAT WE DID IS WE ACTUALLY LOOKED AT OUR DATA SET AND WE USED THAT AS, AS THE, THE, THE BEST PRACTICE OR THE STANDARD.
SO IN OUR DATA SET, AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, ALL THE PERMIT OWNERS OR ALL THE, THE PROPERTY OWNERS AND AGENTS ARE TELLING US WHAT, HOW THEY ARE USING THESE PROPERTIES BY RETELLING US WHAT THEIR MAXIMUM OCCUPANCY IS.
WE TOOK THOSE AVERAGE OCCUPANCIES AND WE SET THAT AS A STANDARD, UH, IN THIS, IN THIS PROPOSED CODE.
IF YOU LOOK AT HOW THIS BREAKS DOWN, YES, IT GENERALLY FOLLOWS THE TWO PLUS TWO MODEL FROM THE ONE BEDROOM THROUGH THE FOUR BEDROOM.
ONCE YOU GO PAST THE FIVE BEDROOM, THERE IS ADDITIONAL, UM, IT BECOMES A A TWO PLUS THREE OR A TWO PLUS FOUR ALL THE WAY UP TO A TWO PLUS SIX.
IT IS NOT A PERFECT LINEAR SYSTEM BECAUSE WE ARE USING THE DATA THAT WE HAVE AND WHAT THE, WHAT THE COMMUNITY IS TELLING US HOW THEY ARE USING THESE UNITS, BUT POINT IT BACK TOWARDS THE AVERAGE RATHER THAN JUST ALLOWING SOME, WHERE WE SAW IN THE PAST DATA SETS WHERE WE HAD AS MANY AS 36 PEOPLE BEING ADVERTISED, UH, FOR USE IN, IN SOME OF THE HOMES.
I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT SHORT TERM RENTAL PERMITS CAN CONTINUE TO BE ISSUED.
FOR THESE PROPERTIES THAT DON'T COMPLY WITH THIS OCRACY REQUIREMENT, SIMPLY THEY HAVE TO REDUCE WHAT THEY ADVERTISE THEIR OCRACY LEVEL TWO TO MEET THE CODE.
IN TOTAL, THERE ARE 1,851 OR 26% OF THE SHORT TERM RENTAL PERMITS THAT WILL EXCEED THE PRESCRIBED MAXIMUM OXY LIMITS.
THIS IS THAT SAME TABLE AGAIN THAT WE JUST SAW FOR FIRE RESCUE, NUMBER OF BEDROOMS, NUMBER OF PERMITS, WHAT THE MAXIMUM OCCUPANCY IS THAT WE'RE PROPOSING, AND THEN YOU CAN SEE THE BREAKDOWN OF HOW MANY UNITS ARE NOT MEETING THAT BASED ON THE NUMBER OF BEDROOMS. AS YOU LOOK AT THE DATA, THE MOST IMPACTED ARE THOSE LARGER UNITS.
THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF OF UNITS THAT ARE IMPACTED ARE IN THE TWO BEDROOMS, BUT ALMOST HALF OF ALL OF OUR UNITS ARE TWO BEDROOMS. AND IT'S ONLY AN, IT IS A, IT IS A, IT IS STILL AN IMPACT, BUT IS A 20% IMPACT
[00:55:03]
FOR PARKING.WE ARE PROPOSING THAT WE REQUIRE THE LOCATION OF THE PARKING TO BE IDENTIFIED ON A SITE PLAN AND NOT ALLOW MORE THAN SIX VEHICLES TO BE PARKED ON THE PROPERTY.
SO WHETHER YOU PUT TWO CARS IN THE GARAGE, YOU PUT FOUR CARS OUT IN A DRIVEWAY, IT'S GONNA BE NOTED ON A SITE PLAN AND YOU CAN'T HAVE MORE THAN SIX VEHICLES IF YOU DON'T HAVE ROOM FOR FOR SIX.
YOU CAN'T, YOU, YOU CAN ONLY PARK WHAT YOU'RE, WHAT YOU CAN FIT ON YOUR SITE.
IMPORTANTLY THOUGH, WE ALSO REC STATED MORE CLEARLY WHERE VEHICLES CAN BE PARKED, WHERE THEY CAN'T BE PARKED, THEY CAN'T BE PARKED OFF SITE, THEY CAN'T BE PARKED ON A STREET IN ACCESS EASEMENTS IN A REQUIRED BUFFER OR ON AN OR ON AN UNIMPROVED SURFACE.
SO YOU CAN'T PARK IN A FRONT YARD.
AND THEN FINALLY WE ESTABLISH A PROCEDURE TO ISSUE ESCALATING ADMINISTRATIVE CITATIONS, $500 FOR THE FIRST DEFENSE, A THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR ALL SUBSEQUENT.
THAT IS POSSIBLE TO BE ISSUED ON A DAILY BASIS DEPENDING ON THE TYPE OF OFFENSE THAT THE VIOLATION CONTINUES TO EXIST.
AND THEN BECAUSE THIS IS AN ADMINISTRATIVE PROCESS, THERE IS AN APPEAL PROCESS.
'CAUSE WE DO NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE A DUE PROCESS.
WE NEED TO INCLUDE DUE PROCESS IN OUR REGULATIONS.
SO THERE IS A, UH, AN APPEALS PROCESS THAT'S SET FORTH, UH, IN THAT CODE.
SO WITH THAT, THAT'S THE SUMMARY OF THE CHANGES I MENTIONED BEFORE WHERE I, WE CAN CERTAINLY OPEN UP THE, THE CODE AND, AND DIVE DEEPER INTO IT.
BUT AS FAR AS, UH, WHAT'S NEXT, IF TOWN COUNCIL WERE TO ADOPT THIS ORDINANCE, UH, WE ARE PROPOSING THAT THE EFFECTIVE DATE BE JANUARY 1ST, 2026, SIMILAR TO HOW THIS WAS ADOPTED IN 2022.
THE REASON FOR THAT ARE THE SAME REASONS THAT I SHARED WHY WE, WHY WE EXTENDED THAT IN 2022.
WE NEED TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE SHORT TERM RENTAL PROPERTY OWNERS AND MANAGERS.
THEY NEED TO COMMUNICATE WITH THEIR TENANTS.
THEY NEED TO MODIFY THEIR AGREEMENTS, AND IN SOME CASES, THEY NEED TO MAKE, MAKE MODIFICATIONS TO THEIR HOMES.
THAT'S WHY WE'RE, WE'RE RECOMMENDING THAT THIS GO INTO EFFECT ON JANUARY 1ST, 2026.
AND THEN WE WILL ALSO SUBMIT FEE INCREASES AS PART OF THE FY 26 BUDGET.
UH, THOSE FEE INCREASES WILL GO INTO EFFECT ALSO ON JANUARY 1ST, 2026 WITH A NEW PERMIT CYCLE THAT BEGINS.
THEN THE FEE STRUCTURE THAT WE TALKED ABOUT BEFORE WAS $250 FOR THE STUDIOS TO FOUR BEDROOMS, A THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR FIVE TO SEVEN BEDROOMS, AND $2,500 FOR ANYTHING LARGER THAN EIGHT EIGHT BEDROOMS. MAYOR PERRY, I'D BE HAPPY TO ASK ANY QUESTIONS.
THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION.
FIRST OF ALL, I THINK BEFORE, UH, WE, WE BRING IT UP TO, TO COUNCIL FOR QUESTIONS.
WE'LL, WE'LL LET THE PUBLIC SPEAK.
DID WE HAVE ANYBODY SIGN UP TO SPEAK ON THIS, KIMBERLY? WE DO.
AND IF YOU'LL REMEMBER THAT OUR CODE REQUIRES THAT THREE MINUTES.
I'M NOT NAME, BUT GOOD AFTERNOON COUNCIL.
UM, I WANTED TO SPEAK ON, UH, WHAT WE JUST SPOKE ABOUT, UH, WHICH WAS THE SHORT TERM RENTAL OR ORDINANCE.
OBVIOUSLY THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME IT'S BEEN DISCUSSED IS THE FIRST TIME THAT IT'S BEEN DISCUSSED WITH THE NEW COUNSEL IN PLAY, UH, HAS NOT BEEN DISCUSSED SINCE, UH, YOU KNOW, SEPTEMBER OF LAST YEAR.
I, I THINK THERE ARE SOME GOOD THINGS THAT ARE IN, UH, THESE CHANGES.
UH, I THINK THAT YOU COULD GET THE SUPPORT FROM THE RENTAL COMMUNITY ON THINGS LIKE THE PERMANENT IDENTIFICATION, UH, AND ANYTHING WITH THE KEEPING IN MIND FOR THE ORDINANCE TO INCREASE THE PROFESSIONALISM, UH, FOR NOT ONLY INDIVIDUAL OWNERS, BUT FOR PROFESSIONAL MANAGERS AS WELL.
I THINK PARKING, AGAIN, IS SOMETHING THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, IS SOMETHING THAT'S GOING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
UM, YOU'RE IN A POSITION WHERE THAT'S REALLY ONE OF THE ONLY WAYS IT, UH, YOU KNOW, TO, UH, YOU KNOW, HIS POINT PREVIOUSLY THAT YOU'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO CAP OCCUPANCY, UH, IS BY, UH, CAPPING THE NUMBER OF CARS.
UH, IF, UH, THE WORKERS OR ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS AREN'T ALLOWED TO PHYSICALLY COUNT OR GO ON PROPERTY TO DO THAT, WE ARE ASKING, UH, POSSIBLY A, UH, SITUATION WITH PROFESSIONAL MANAGERS AND HOMEOWNERS TO HAVE TO STEP IN AND CHECK ON ENFORCEMENT, AND THEN THAT WOULD BE A SAFETY ISSUE FOR THOSE PEOPLE AS WELL.
SO, THAT'S SOMETHING I WOULD ASK THAT YOU TAKE UNDER CONSIDERATION.
UH, THE THINGS THAT I THINK THAT ARE OF CONCERN ARE THE OCCUPANCY LIMITS.
[01:00:01]
REMINDER, THIS IS A VERY, UH, VERY POSSIBLE TEST CASE FOR OWNER USAGE RIGHTS.I THINK THAT IS DEFINITELY SOMETHING THAT HAS TO BE CONSIDERED.
I THINK THAT THOUGH WE ARE TALKING ABOUT ROUGHLY 1200 PROPERTIES AND 500 PROPERTIES, UM, THAT ARE GOING TO BE AFFECTED.
UH, THEY ARE THE MOST HEAVILY PRODUCING AT TAX DOLLARS THAT GO INTO YOUR POCKET WHEN PEOPLE ARE TALKING ABOUT PROPERTIES THAT RENT FOR 10 AND 20 AND 30 PLUS THOUSAND DOLLARS A WEEK.
THAT IS THREE PLUS THOUSAND DOLLARS OF ACCOMMODATIONS, TAXES THAT GO INTO THE COFFERS.
SO I DO ASK, WHEN IT COMES TO THINGS ABOUT OC OCCUPANCY, THAT IS VERY MUCH A CONVERSATION.
UH, AND THAT HAS NOT BEEN A CONVERSATION SINCE LAST SEPTEMBER FIRE.
I THINK MY BIGGEST CONCERN THERE IS CLARITY FOR EXACTLY WHAT THOSE, THOSE DEVICES ARE.
WE JUST HAD A CONVERSATION TO FOSTER ABOUT HOW ARE WE GOING TO, UH, MAKE PSD WHOLE FOR THEIR COSTS? WHAT ABOUT YOUR RESIDENTS? WHAT ABOUT YOUR HOMEOWNERS? THEY MAY NOT BE FULL-TIME RESIDENTS, BUT THEY'RE GONNA ACT, HAVE TO PAY THE COST OF UPGRADING THOSE, THOSE DEVICES AND HAVE TO PAY THE COST FOR INCREASED FEES FOR THE, THE, UH, THE, THE PERMITS.
THEY'RE GONNA HAVE INCREASED COSTS FROM IF THEY'RE IN G COMMUNITY.
SOMETHING I WOULD ASK THAT WE KEEP IN MIND, YOU KNOW, WE CONTINUE TO GO AFTER, UH, THIS SEGMENT OF HOMEOWNERS AND I WOULD JUST ASK THAT WE BE MINDFUL OF THAT BECAUSE IT IS SOMETHING THAT GREATLY SUPPORTS AND DRIVES OUR ENTIRE ECONOMY.
THANK YOU, MR. REP ROBERT GUTHRIE.
I LIVE AT 42 OTTER AND SEA PINES, AND I'M THE OWNER CURRENTLY OF HH ISLAND RENTALS.
UM, A LOT OF WHAT DREW SAID, I AGREE WITH A HUNDRED PERCENT, AND I WANTED TO MAKE THE POINT THAT, UH, FIRST OF ALL, THIS IS MY FIRST TIME IN FRONT OF COUNCIL.
SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK.
UH, SECOND OF ALL, I RECEIVED TWO LETTERS ABOUT THE BEACH RENOURISHMENT PROGRAM, BUT I DIDN'T RECEIVE ANY COMMUNICATION ABOUT THESE ORDINANCES OR THE CONSIDERATION FOR THESE ORDINANCES.
SO I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO REACH OUT TO THE PROPERTY MANAGEMENT COMPANIES.
I, I KNOW YOU INVOLVED SOME OF THEM, OR SOMEBODY DID IN SOME OF THE DISCUSSIONS, BUT THIS WAS ALL NEW TO ME.
I FOUND OUT ABOUT IT YESTERDAY, ACTUALLY, FROM AIRBNB, UH, AND MADE A POINT TO BE HERE TODAY JUST TO MAKE A COUPLE POINTS.
AS A FORMER LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER FROM MANY, MANY YEARS AGO, A LONG TIME AGO, UH, I'M ALL FOR REGULATION.
I'M ALL FOR GETTING THINGS UNDER CONTROL, AND I'M ALL FOR MAKING SURE THAT THE AMENDMENTS AND THE, AND THE REGULATIONS THAT WE CREATE ARE ENFORCEABLE.
THAT WE'RE NOT JUST THROWING OUT SOME MORE THINGS THAT COST MONEY TO A HOMEOWNER BUT WILL NEVER BE ENFORCED.
I'M CONSISTENTLY CALLED, UH, ON THE HOTLINE BY PEOPLE COMPLAINING ABOUT GARBAGE CANS ON THE STREET BECAUSE THE GARBAGE COMPANY DID NOT PICK UP IN HILTON HEAD.
AND IT HAPPENS QUITE FREQUENTLY IN SOUTH AND NORTH FOREST BEACH DURING THE SUMMERTIME WHEN WE'RE BUSIEST AND WE HAVE LOTS OF NEED FOR GARBAGE PICKUP.
SO I THINK THAT, UH, COASTAL OUGHT TO BE ADDRESSED AS FAR AS SOME OF THAT CONCERN ABOUT THE, THAT PIECE.
UH, I KNOW THAT WHEN WE DID THE ORIGINAL, UH, PERMIT REQUEST, WE HAD TO DO A SITE PLAN, WHICH INDICATED HOW MANY CARS COULD BE PARKED ON THE PROPERTY.
SO I DON'T KNOW WHY THAT'S BACK ON THE AGENDA TODAY, BECAUSE THAT WAS PART OF THE ORIGINAL PLAN.
I KNOW I DID SOME OF THOSE PLANS MYSELF WITH SOME OF THE OWNERS AS FAR AS WHERE THE CARS WERE GONNA BE PARKED AND HOW MANY WERE GONNA BE THERE.
AND I, I'M, I'M WITH YOU A HUNDRED PERCENT, ANDREW, THAT PARKING'S OUTTA CONTROL IN SOME OF THESE NEIGHBORHOODS.
WHEN YOU GO THROUGH THERE IN THE SUMMERTIME, PEOPLE ARE NOT COMPLYING, BUT NOBODY'S ENFORCING BECAUSE THE CARS AREN'T BEING TOWED AWAY.
AND THE RENTERS ARE THE ONES WHO NEED THE FINES, NOT NOT THE OWNER OF THE PROPERTY.
THE OWNER HAS SET FORTH WHAT THE CONDITIONS ARE ARE FOR OCCUPANCY.
IF THE RENTER CHOOSES TO CONTINUE TO IGNORE THAT BY PARKING ON THE STREET, OR PARKING ON THE GRASS, OR PARKING ON THE, THE PINE STRAW, GIVE THEM A FINE, PUT A TICKET ON THE CAR AND LET'S MOVE ON.
UH, I THINK THAT TO DREW'S POINT, THE PEOPLE WHO ARE BEING ASKED TO PRODUCE THE MOST HERE WITH THE NEW REGULATIONS FOR FIRE, OR MAYBE A PERMIT COST, THEY'RE ALREADY PAYING THE HIGHEST TAXES.
THEY'RE NOT LIVING HERE, SO THEY'RE PAYING THE 6% RATE INSTEAD OF THE FOUR.
UM, THEY'RE PAYING THE HIGHEST SALES TAXES 'CAUSE THEY'RE GENERATING THE MOST REVENUE.
SO, YOU KNOW, MAYBE WE THINK ABOUT GRANDFATHERING PEOPLE IN THAT ARE ALREADY IN AND GO AFTER THE PEOPLE THAT AREN'T IN.
IF THERE'S 7,000 PERMITS OUT THERE, THERE'S PROBABLY FOUR OR 5,000 PEOPLE NOT COMPLYING IN THE AREA, THEN WE SHOULD GO GET THEM FIRST.
APPRECIATE IT, ELIZABETH PETRO.
UH, ELIZABETH PETRO WITH BEACHSIDE GETAWAY AND THE HILTON HEAD VACATION RENTAL ALLIANCE.
[01:05:01]
TIRED.UH, AS I'VE STATED BEFORE, MOST OF YOU BEFORE, WE AS PROFESSIONAL MANAGERS ON THE ISLAND, RESIDENTS OF THE ISLAND, WE WANT TO BE RESPECTFUL.
WE WANT TO BE RESPONSIBLE, AND WE'D LOVE TO COME TO A BALANCE THAT KEEPS BOTH OUR RESIDENTS AND OUR HOMEOWNERS HAPPY.
UM, I HATE GOING BEHIND DREW, BUT TO DREW'S POINT, AS FAR AS THE THE OCCUPANCY IS CONCERNED, WE ARE CONTINUING AT A POINT WITH SOMETHING THAT'S COMPLETELY UNENFORCEABLE.
UM, WHEN YOU TIE THAT TO THE WAY THAT THE PARKING IS PRESENTED IN THIS MANNER, YOU'RE STILL HURTING THE HOMES THAT WERE BUILT WITH THE PROPER PARKING.
IF AN EIGHT BEDROOM HAS THE APPROPRIATE 19 BY EIGHT PARKING SPACE AND HAS THE OCCUPANCY TO HOUSE THAT, WHY ARE WE GOING TO TAKE THOSE PARKING SPACES AWAY FROM THEM THAT ARE ALREADY THERE? MEANWHILE, IN MOST OF THESE MEETINGS, WE'VE HEARD OF A SEA PINES HOUSE THAT IS A THREE BEDROOM THAT SLEEPS 16 AND ONLY HAS PARKING FOR TWO CARS.
YOU'RE NOT STOPPING ANYTHING TO DO WITH THAT IN AN ENFORCEABLE WAY.
UM, I THINK TO DREW'S POINT AS WELL, WE'RE REALLY GONNA GET CLOSE TO THOSE USAGE RIGHTS, UM, BEING IN QUESTION.
AND AS A PROFESSIONAL MANAGER, OUR VRBO LISTINGS ARE LOCAL LISTINGS.
THEY ALL STATE HOW MANY OF THESE HOUSES CAN, CAN SLEEP.
THE OCCUPANCY OF THE SLEEP, IT'S ALREADY OUT THERE.
SO IF THESE GUESTS ARE COMING IN AND BREAKING THAT, WE WANT A WAY TO BE ABLE TO ENFORCE IT TO THE GUEST.
THE GUEST IS THE ONE THAT IS BREAKING THESE RULES, NOT THE HOMEOWNER.
THE HOMEOWNER IS DOING EITHER THROUGH THE MANAGEMENT COMPANY OR THE HOMEOWNER THEMSELVES.
THEY'RE DOING ALL THAT IS ACID OF YOU AND NOTHING IS BEING TAKEN BACK TO THE GUESTS.
SO I'M VERY ENCOURAGED THAT THE MUNICIPAL PORT IS STILL IN EVERYBODY'S FOREFRONT OF MEMORY.
I DO THINK IT'S, UH, I DID SPEAK TO HILTON, HAD SECURITY IN DEPTH, AND THEY WERE, THEY WEREN'T AWARE OF ANY OF THESE REGULATIONS AND BEING ONE OF THE LOCAL ALARM COMPANIES ON THE ISLAND THAT WOULD BE INSTALLING THESE SYSTEMS THAT ARE NECESSARY, I WOULD'VE HOPED THAT SOMEWHERE ALONG THE LINE, SOMEBODY HAD REACHED OUT TO THOSE, THEY HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT BEING ABLE TO IMPLEMENT EVEN THE 577 THAT COULD BE AFFECTED IN THE TIME PERIOD.
AND I'M, I WOULD, I'VE ALSO EMAILED MISSY LUECK AND, UM, FIRE AND SAFETY AND AS WELL FOR SOME CLARITY ON WHAT THE EXPECTATION IS ON THESE DEVICES THAT, THAT ARE BEING ASKED OF US TO BE PUTTING INTO THESE HOMES.
UM, AND I'M NOT ENTIRELY SURE THE FORMULA FOR OCCUPANCY THAT'S COMING UP.
IF YOU, IF YOU DO THE MATH, I KNOW HE MENTIONED THAT IT'S TWO PLUS, UH, TWO IN MOST PLACES, BUT IF YOU DO THE MATH BY THAT, IT GOES TWO PLUS THREE, TWO PLUS FIVE, TWO PLUS FIVE, TWO PLUS SIX, TWO PLUS FOUR, TWO PLUS THREE.
THERE'S NO CONTINUITY BETWEEN THE SIZE OF THE PROPERTY AND THE ADDITIONAL PEOPLE THAT ARE ALLOWED IN THAT OCCUPANCY.
SO PLEASE TAKE A LOOK AT THAT.
AND I'M ALSO CONFUSED ON THE MATH FOR THE PERMITS, IF HOW IT'S NOT EQUATING TO PER BEDROOM, IT'S NOT EQUATING TO ANY REAL METHODOLOGY THAT WE CAN SEE GOING.
JUST BECAUSE IT'S AN EIGHT BEDROOM, IT HAS TO PAY $2,500 VERSUS A TWO BEDROOM AT TWO 50.
THERE'S GOTTA BE MORE OF AN EQUAL BALANCE THAT CAN COME IN THIS.
WHEN I READ THE AGENDA AND THE DETAILED, UH, PACKAGE, I WAS DETERMINED TO BE HERE TODAY.
I WANT TO CONGRATULATE THE STAFF ON THE EXCELLENT JOB.
THEY'VE DONE THE SHORT TERM RENTALS, A LOT OF HARD WORK.
I ALSO WANT TO CONGRATULATE THEM ON GRASPING THE, THE METAL I'VE PRATTLED ON FOR YEARS ABOUT RISK MANAGEMENT AND THEY'VE GRASPED THAT METAL.
UH, WHEN WE PURCHASED AT THE END OF 2000, WE PURPOSELY CHOSE A NON TOURIST ZONE.
UH, I LIVE CLOSE TO, UH, MR. GUTHRIE, AND UNFORTUNATELY, THAT BARRIER HAS BEEN BREACHED AND OUR ZONE IS NOW BEING INVADED BY TAURUS.
WE'VE LOST LOTS OF FRIENDS AND ACQUAINTANCES.
THIS IS AN ANECDOTE SINCE 2000 WHO LEFT BECAUSE THE OCCUPANCY IN THEIR VIEW WAS RULING THEIR STREET.
SO THERE'S, THERE'S MORE THAN ONE SIDE TO THIS COIN.
THERE'S A VERY IMPORTANT ECONOMIC ISSUE, BUT THERE'S ALSO A QUALITY OF LIFE ISSUE, WHICH THE PROPERTY MANAGERS BLESS THEM, UH, SOMETIMES, UH, OVERLOOK.
I WAS THE PROPERTY MANAGER FOR OUR DAUGHTER FOR THREE YEARS, AND QUITE OFTEN THE, THE, THE OCCUPANTS TURNED UP AND YOU SAY, WHO THE HELL ARE YOU? THERE'S, THERE'S SIX HERE AND THERE'S ONLY FOUR IN THE BOOKING.
BUT WE WERE ALWAYS PRESENT WHEN YOU ARRIVED AND SORT IT OUT.
SO THESE PROPERTY MANAGERS KNOW HOW TO SOLVE IT.
AND BEFORE I FINISH, UH, I HAD NO IDEA YOU WERE GONNA TALK ABOUT, UH, LAST WEEK'S, UH, WORKSHOP.
COULD I MAKE TWO COMMENTS WITHOUT, UH, ENCROACHING, UH, ON ANYBODY'S, UH, DELICACY? YEAH.
FIRST OF ALL, UM, THE, UH, UH, JARED FRA ACKNOWLEDGED THAT, UH, AFTER THE FEDERAL HIGHWAYS ACCEPT THE OPTION ONE, THERE'S A NEED FOR CONSULTATION WITH THE PRO, WITH THE PUBLIC, WHICH IN HIS VIEW WOULD TAKE APPROXIMATELY NINE MONTHS, AND THE FEDS HAVE TO BE INVOLVED, AND HE THEREFORE,
[01:10:01]
AND HE, HE CLOSED HIS REMARKS BY SAYING IT WAS UNLIKELY THE CONSTRUCTION WAS COMMENCED BEFORE THE END OF 2027.A SECOND THING THAT, UH, WASN'T MENTIONED TODAY, WITH NO DISRESPECT TO ANYBODY THAT CHAIRMAN HOWARD, MADE IT QUITE CLEAR THAT ANY RESOLUTION BEFORE BEING APPROVED WOULD BE SUBMITTED FOR REVIEW AND DISCUSSION WITH THE PUBLIC.
UH, I'VE NOT HEARD THAT TONIGHT, HOW YOU PROPOSE TO INVOLVE THE PUBLIC BEFORE YOU IMPROVE A RESOLUTION.
LAST COMMENT I'D LIKE TO MAKE IS IN TO MY MIND WHAT YOU SHOULD BE SEEKING IS A TRAFFIC BRIDGE SOLUTION, NOT A SQUEAKY PROJECT.
TO SUSTAIN THE 120 MILLION GRANT FROM THE STIB, THAT'S A SECONDARY ISSUE.
WE'VE GOTTA SOLVE THE ACCESS TO THE ISLAND AND THE CONGESTION ON THE ISLAND.
I LIVE AT, UH, 66 ANN CASTLE COURT IN, UH, F FIELD.
AND, UH, YOU HAVE TO EXCUSE MY COLD HERE.
SO I JUST WANTED TO, UH, MAKE A COUPLE COMMENTS HERE ABOUT THE, UH, THE NEW PROPOSED ADDITION TO THE ORDINANCE.
UH, THE CONCERN I HAVE IS IF A NEW ORDINANCE IS PASSED, UM, YOU KNOW, THE ORDINANCE NEEDS TO BE CONSTRUCTED SO IT CAN BE REALISTICALLY ABLE TO ENFORCE THE RULES.
IF YOU'RE GONNA HAVE A RULE CHANGE, IT NEEDS TO BE ABLE TO HAVE, UH, A MECHANISM TO FAIRLY ENFORCED RULES AND TO FAIRLY HAVE AN APPLICATION OF THE ENFORCEMENT FOR EVERYONE.
SO THE CONCERN I HAVE IS THAT OWNERS OF THESE SHORT TERM RENTALS, UM, ABIDE BY ALL THE RULES THAT ARE IN THE NEW ORDINANCE AND ARE STILL FINED, UM, WITH CIRCUMSTANCES THAT ARE OUTSIDE OF THEIR CONTROL.
FOR EXAMPLE, JUST AS AN EXAMPLE, IF I'M, IF I'M SPEEDING DOWN FOLLY FIELD ROAD AND THE SPEED LIMIT'S BEEN POSTED AT 35 MILES AN HOUR, AND I DECIDE TO BREAK THAT SPEED LIMIT AND GO 50 MILES AN HOUR, I GET PULLED OVER BY THE POLICE AND I'M THE OFFENDER.
I'M THE ONE THAT BROKE THE RULES, AND I GET A TICKET WRITTEN TO ME.
AND THAT SEEMS TO BE HOW THINGS USUALLY WORK.
WHEN SOMEONE BREAKS THE RULES, THE OFFENDER IS FINED.
AND THE REASON THAT IS DONE THAT WAY IS BECAUSE WHEN AN OFFENDER IS FINE, THEY DON'T OFFEND AGAIN BECAUSE THEY WERE FINED.
SO WHEN WE, WE LOOK AT THIS TOWARD THE SHORT-TERM RENTAL PROPOSAL, WHEN SOMEONE COMES TO RENT A SHORT-TERM RENTAL, THE OWNER, LIKE THE SPEED LIMIT SIGNS, IS TOLD EVERYONE WELL IN ADVANCE IN WRITING AND IN ADVERTISING THAT THEIR HOME ONLY HAS SIX CARS SPACES AVAILABLE.
WHEN THE RENTER DECIDES TO BRING SEVEN CARS AND THE SEVENTH CAR DOES NOT FIT AT THE PROPERTY, AND THEY DECIDE TO PARK ON THE LAWN, UH, AND CODE ENFORCEMENT COMES OUT THE NEXT DAY, NO ONE KNOWS ABOUT THIS.
THE OWNER THAT LIVES IN MONTANA HAS NO IDEA THAT HAS, UH, OWNERS AT MIDNIGHT HAVE PARKED A CAR ON THIS YARD.
UH, SO CODE ENFORCEMENT COMES OUT AND, AND VIOLATES THE HO AND SENDS A FINE TO THE HOMEOWNER.
UM, AND I DON'T THINK THAT'S FAIR BECAUSE IT DOESN'T, DOESN'T CHANGE ANY OF THE BEHAVIOR OF THE PERSON THAT OFFENDED, WHICH IS THE GUEST.
I THINK THAT THE FINES CAN'T GO TO THE HOMEOWNER.
THEY NEED TO BE FINED IS THE GUEST FOR PARKING ON SOMEBODY'S YARD, BECAUSE IF THE HOMEOWNER CONTINUES TO GET FINED, ALL THE PEOPLE THAT COME TO HIL NET ARE GONNA CONTINUE TO OFFEND BECAUSE IT DIDN'T HAVE ANY IMPACT ON THAT.
THEY'RE, THEY'RE NOT GONNA BE FINED.
THEY'LL JUST KEEP PARKING IN THE YARDS BECAUSE THEY KNOW THE OWNER'S GONNA GET STUCK WITH THE BILL.
SO THERE'S NO CORRECTIVE ACTION HERE WHEN OWNERS ARE JUST, UH, FINED BEHIND THE SCENES, UM, AND THERE'S NO, UH, IMPACT TO THE ACTUAL GUESTS TO HELP CHANGE BEHAVIOR.
IF THE GUESTS ARE FINE DIRECTLY, UH, THROUGH PERHAPS THE POLICE DEPARTMENT OR RUNNING LICENSE PLATES AND THINGS LIKE THAT, THEN PERHAPS THERE WOULD BE A CHANGE.
WHEN, WHEN PEOPLE DO COME TO HILTON HEAD, THEY WILL ABIDE BY THE NUMBER OF RESTRICTIONS BECAUSE THEY KNOW THAT THEY WILL BEAR THE RESPONSIBILITY AND THE FINES.
UH, SO I'M JUST HAVING YOU, UM, CONSIDER LOOKING AT THE CAREFULLY HOW YOU'RE GONNA DO THE FINDING SO IT'S ACTUALLY MEANINGFUL.
UH, FINDING PEOPLE THAT AREN'T RESPONSIBLE IS FROM A PRACTICAL STANDPOINT AND HAVE DONE ALL THEIR THEY CAN TO ENFORCE EVERYTHING.
UH, SHOULDN'T BE THE ONES THAT ARE BEING FINED.
IT SHOULD BE THE OFFENDERS SO THEY CAN MAKE SOME APPRECIABLE DIFFERENCE TO SOME TO THIS SITUATION.
SO WE'LL BRING IT BACK TO THE DIOCESE.
DO WE HAVE A MOTION ON THE TABLE? RULE FOR APPROVAL? SECOND, WE'VE GOT FIRST AND THE SECOND OPEN FOR DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR MR. LEINER.
WELL, FIRST THING, IF I MAY, YES, BECAUSE NO ONE ELSE IS JUMPING IN THAT I WANTED TO SAY IS, THE REASON I MADE THE MOTION TO HAVE DISCUSSION, UM, RATHER THAN A VOTE TONIGHT, WAS BECAUSE INDEED WE DO HAVE TWO NEW COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO MAY NOT BE AS, UM, AWARE OF THE HISTORY WHERE WE ARE.
UM, HAD HAD AN OPPORTUNITY DURING THAT EARLIER WORKSHOP TO MAKE COMMENTS TO BE UNDERSTOOD.
UM, AND I THOUGHT IT WAS FAIR TO THEM TO GIVE THEM THE OPPORTUNITY TO, TO HAVE A BIGGER VISION, UH, AND UNDERSTANDING OF WHERE WE'VE BEEN, THE CONCERNS AND WHERE WE MAY WANNA GO.
[01:15:01]
UM, JUST TO CLEAR UP THE LAST SPOT, UM, WHO DOES GET FINED? SO IT DEPENDS ON THE VIOLATION.IF IT IS A PARKING OR A NOISE VIOLATION THAT THE TENANT IS ULTIMATELY RESPONSIBLE FOR DIRECTOR ROMAN AND HIS TEAM WOULD ISSUE A MUNICIPAL SUMMON CITATION.
'CAUSE THAT IS, WHAT IS THAT? OR THE PERSON THAT'S RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT? THE ADMINISTRATIVE CITATION IS A TOOL THAT IF THE OWNER WANTS, THEY'RE REMAIN AWARE OF THESE VIOLATIONS AND IT CONTINUES TO EXIST, THE OWNER CAN THEN PICK UP, UH, AN ADMINISTRATIVE CITATION AS PART OF THAT PROCESS.
UM, TO THE POINT OF WHEN THE OWNER'S OUTTA STATE AND THEY'RE NOT AWARE THAT THIS IS HAPPENING, THAT MAY BE THE CASE, BUT SOMEONE NEEDS TO BE ON SITE MONITORING THIS.
AND SO THERE NEEDS TO BE ACCOUNTABILITY FROM THE OWNER AS WELL.
AN ADMINISTRATIVE ADMINISTRATIVE CITATION ALLOWS US TO CREATE THAT, THAT THAT ACCOUNTABILITY FROM THE OWNERSHIP AND FROM THE MANAGER PERSPECTIVE.
BUT IT DOES NOT, IT, ANYTHING THAT WE'RE PROPOSING HERE DOES NOT TAKE AWAY THE ABILITY TO ISSUE A CITATION DIRECTLY TO THE, THE TENANT.
UH, FOR THOSE PARKING AND NOISE VIOLATIONS, WHICH THEY'RE DIRECTLY RESPONSIBLE FOR ON A ROUTINE BASIS, WHO WOULD, WHO WOULD WE EXPECT TO BE THE FIRST PERSON WHO WOULD GET A A FINE? I LOOKING AT DIRECTOR, BRO, DID WE WALKED THE FIRST TIME? THE THANK YOU.
THERE'S JUST A LOT OF CONFUSION AROUND THIS AND I THINK IT'S A GREAT QUESTION TO ASK.
SO IF IT'S A REPEAT OFFENSE, IT WOULD DEFINITELY GO TOWARDS THE TENANT AT THAT POINT, THE PERSON THAT'S RUNNING THE UNIT.
AND AGAIN, IF IT'S A REPEATING OFFENSE AND WE'RE NOTIFYING THE OWNER, YOU'VE GOT A PROBLEM HERE, PLEASE GET YOUR TENANT UNDER CONTROL AND IT CONTINUES ON, THEN IT, IT COULD APPLY TO THE OWNER AT THAT POINT.
BUT THE IMMEDIATE OFFENSE IS TO THIS GENTLEMAN'S POINT, THE PERSON WHO ACTUALLY COMMITTED THAT OFFENSE, THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE COMES OUT AT 11 O'CLOCK AT NIGHT, TELLS 'EM TO TURN DOWN THE PARTY, THEY COME BACK AN HOUR LATER, I WOULD EXPECT A CITATION TO BE ISSUED TO THE TENANT, TO THE TENANT, NOT TO THE OWNER.
ANYTHING ELSE QUESTION? WELL, I HAVE, I HAVE, I HAVE A BIT, BUT I THINK, UM, IN FAIRNESS, UM, WHAT I'M GOING TO DO IS, I KNOW PATSY IS SITTING NEXT TO ME AND SHE ALSO IS READY TO PUSH THAT BUTTON INVITE AS QUICKLY AS SHE CAN, AND I SEE HER LIST.
SO, UM, I'M GONNA DEFER TO YOU AT THE MOMENT, BUT I'M GONNA CIRCLE BACK WITH WHATEVER DOESN'T GET COVERED.
UM, LOOKING AT THE STAFF REPORT, UM, FIRST OF ALL, UM, I, I SEE, UM, IN STAFF REPORT THEN, IN ADDITION TO ANALYSIS OF SHORT-TERM RENTAL PERMIT DATA, STAFF HELD MEETINGS AND DISCUSSIONS WITH TOWN COUNCIL, MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC AND REPRESENTATIVES OF THE SHORT-TERM RENTAL INDUSTRY.
UM, SO I DON'T WANT YOU TO NAME NAMES, BUT CAN YOU GENERALLY TELL US, UH, WHAT, UH, WHO YOU MET WITH, BECAUSE WE'VE HAD SOME REPRESENTATIVES OF THE INDUSTRY HERE TODAY, UM, AND THEY'VE VOICED CERTAIN CONCERNS AND I JUST WANT TO CLARIFY THAT THE TOWN STAFF HAS INDEED MET WITH FOLKS IN THAT INDUSTRY.
AND CAN YOU JUST DESCRIBE GENERALLY ABOUT THAT? I, I CAN, UM, YES, THANK YOU FOR NOT ASKING THE NAME NAMES 'CAUSE I, I DON'T, THEY WEREN'T, WE DIDN'T MEET UNDER A, A GUISE OF CONFIDENTIALITY, BUT I, I DON'T WANNA MISREPRESENT THEIR, THEIR STATEMENTS.
UH, WE DID MEET WITH SEVERAL, UH, PRO PROPERTY MANAGERS, UH, AND WE ALSO MET WITH REPRESENTATIVES THAT, THAT REPRESENT MULTIPLE PROPERTY MANAGERS AS WELL AS PROPERTY OWNERS, UM, IN THE SHORT TERM RENTAL INDUSTRY.
SO, UM, WHILE WE DID NOT MEET WITH EVERY SINGLE PROPERTY OWNER OR PROPERTY MANAGER ON THE ISLAND, OR EVERY PROPERTY OWNER, WE DID TRY TO GET A REPRESENTATIVE SAMPLE, UM, FROM THAT COMMUNITY.
AND, AND DID YOU ADDRESS SOME OF THOSE CONCERNS AS A RESULT OF THOSE MEETINGS? AND, AND WHAT, IF ANY, CONCERNS DID YOU ADDRESS? UH, SO WE DID, ONE OF THE CONCERNS, UH, RELATED TO OCCUPANCY WAS THE FACT THAT THE TWO PLUS TWO MODEL IS NOT A PERFECT MODEL BECAUSE IT DOESN'T TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION SOME OF THE LARGER UNITS WHERE THEY MAYBE HAVE LARGER BEDROOMS AND THEY CAN FIT MORE THAN A QUEEN BED OR A BUNK BED IN, INTO THAT ROOM.
UM, SO WE, WE DID CHANGE OUR, OUR METHODOLOGY IN ORDER TO ACCOMMODATE THAT.
UM, IT'S INTERESTING THOUGH TOO, WHEN WE TALK WITH THE COMMUNITY, UM, WE ALSO HEAR DIFFERENT FEEDBACK WHERE, HEY, ANCY IS A GOOD THING.
WE SHOULD HAVE ANCY LIMITS AND HELP, HELP CON HELP CONTROL EACH OTHER.
BUT THE COMMUNITY'S ALSO NOT ALIGNED ON THAT EITHER.
BUT WE DID TRY TO LISTEN AND INCORPORATE SOME OF THOSE ELEMENTS.
UH, OCCUPANCY IS THE ONE THAT COMES TO MIND.
HOW ABOUT PARKING? UM, PARKING, I, I DON'T REMEMBER A SPECIFIC CONVERSATION, SPECIFIC COMMENT ON IT, BUT, UM, WE DISCUSSED, UH, THAT OUR, THE PARKING IS, IS A CONCERN.
UM, I THINK THERE WAS SOME CONCERN WITH SPECIFYING A MINIMUM PARKING, UH, BUT THE, A MAXIMUM PARKING WAS, WAS, WAS AN UNDERSTOOD, UM, UM, METHODOLOGY THAT WE'RE LOOKING TO INCLUDE.
I'M NOT SAYING IT WASN'T WITHOUT ISSUE, BUT I DON'T REMEMBER A SPECIFIC ISSUE WITH THAT.
UM, AND, AND AT THE TOWN COUNCIL WORKSHOP,
[01:20:01]
UH, LAST SEPTEMBER, UH, YOU GAVE STAFF GAVE A LOT OF DATA ON, UM, THE AVERAGE OCCUPANCY, THE AVERAGE PARKING.UM, AND, AND I, I THINK I, IN COMPARING THE CHARTS OF WHAT IS PROPOSED, IT LOOKS AS THOUGH YOU TOOK THOSE AVERAGE OCCUPANCY AND AVERAGE PARKING TO COME UP WITH A RECOMMENDED REGULATIONS FOR AVERAGE O YEAH.
SO FOR OCCUPANCY WE DID, THAT'S CORRECT.
SO YOU HAD A MORE EXTENSIVE CHART THAT SHOWED, UM, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE PLACES THAT, FOR INSTANCE, A 10 BEDROOM I THINK HAD THREE FOUR OCCUPANCY OF 34, BUT THAT'S GREATLY REDUCED BASED ON THE AVERAGE OCCUPANCY FOR 10 BEDROOM.
JUST USING THAT AS AN EXAMPLE.
AND WITH REGARD TO THE ENFORCEMENT, UM, A A A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.
ONE IS, UM, WHERE, UH, WHEN, WHEN FOLKS, UM, UH, RENT A PLACE, A SHORT TERM RENTAL PLACE, UM, OFTEN IN THAT AGREEMENT, UM, THERE'S, UM, A DEPOSIT OR RESERVE, UM, AND, AND THAT IS HELD BY EITHER THE MANAGEMENT COMPANY OR THE OWNER.
SO THAT MIGHT BE A SOURCE FOR COLLECTING ENFORCEMENT PENALTIES BY THE OWNER IF THE OWNER IS CITED.
UM, SO IN YOUR EXPERIENCE, IS THAT, DOES THAT HAPPEN AS FAR AS WHO HOLDS THE, WHO HOLDS THE, THE RIGHT A DEPOSIT DEPOSIT, UM, WHEN A HOME IS RENTED, IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING OR I'M NOT, I'M NOT AN INDUSTRY EXPERT, SO I WOULD, I DEFER TO THOSE INDIVIDUALS.
UM, AND THEN YOUR STAFF REPORT MENTIONS THAT THE FIRE RESCUE DEPARTMENT BEGAN MANDATORY REPORTING OF SHORT TERM RENTAL EMERGENCY RESPONSE CALLS IN SEPTEMBER, 2024.
AND YOU'VE GIVEN US DATA FOR FOUR MONTHS, SEPTEMBER 1ST, 2024 THROUGH DECEMBER 31ST, 2020 4, 47 MS CALLS AND 117 FIRE CALLS.
THAT'S A LOT OF CALLS IT SEEMS LIKE WITHIN A FOUR MONTH TIME PERIOD.
UM, SO ONE OF MY MAJOR CONCERNS, UM, IS THE TIME PERIOD TO COMPLY WITH LIFE SAFETY REQUIREMENTS.
AND I APPRECIATE THAT IT MAY TAKE SOME TIME TO INSTALL A CERTAIN SYSTEM AND MAYBE THERE ARE ONLY SO MANY INSTALLERS, UH, WITHIN THE AREA THAT OWNERS COULD CALL.
UM, BUT, BUT MY QUESTION IS, UM, HOW, HOW CAN WE EXPEDITE THAT TIME PERIOD INSTEAD OF JANUARY 1ST, 2026? BECAUSE I'M VERY CONCERNED ABOUT LIFE SAFETY, ESPECIALLY IF WE ARE GOING TO POSTPONE ENFORCEMENT OF OCCUPANCY, UM, UNTIL JANUARY 1ST, 2026.
AND WE'VE SEEN PHOTOS OF, UM, TRIPLE DECK BUNK BEDS, UM, IN, IN ONE BEDROOM.
UM, AND JUST THINKING ABOUT THE LACK OF ALARM SYSTEM AND, AND THAT HIGH OCCUPANCY, UM, I'M VERY CONCERNED ABOUT LIFE SAFETY.
SO I'D LIKE TO SEE IF WE CAN EXPEDITE THAT TIME PERIOD.
I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THIS KIND OF SYSTEM.
UM, AND, AND MY OTHER QUESTION, AND I KNOW THE FIRE CHIEF IS HERE, AND IF YOU NEED TO DEFER TO HIM THAT, THAT'S FINE, BUT IS THERE A REQUIREMENT IN SOUTH CAROLINA FOR ANY RENTAL TO HAVE A SMOKE DETECTOR? BECAUSE THESE REQUIREMENTS WERE A DIFFERENT KIND OF FIRE SYSTEM APPLY TO HOMES OF THREE SEVEN, SORRY, THREE 600 SQUARE FEET AND ABOVE.
SO, UH, IF YOU LOOK AT THE NUMBER OF PERMITS THAT WE HAVE IN, IN TWO AND THREE AND ONE BEDROOM CONDOS PRIMARILY, I WOULD SAY, UM, THEN IS THERE A REQUIREMENT FOR SMOKE DETECTORS TO BE IN THOSE UNITS? SO CHIEF CAN SPEAK TO THE, TO THE FIRE CODE ITSELF.
I WILL SAY THEN OUR CURRENT SHORT TERM RENTAL ORDINANCE, SMOKE DETECTORS AND CARBON MONOXIDE DETECTORS IN ONE FIRE EXTINGUISHER IS REQUIRED IN ORDINANCE.
SO THE BIG CHANGE HERE IS IN THE LARGER DWELLINGS, UM, THESE ARE GONNA ACTUALLY BE MONITORED BY A THIRD PARTY.
UM, SO INSTEAD OF JUST ALARMING INSIDE YOUR HOME AND ALERTING YOU, THIS WILL ALARM A THIRD PARTY MONITORING COMPANY, WHICH THEN CALLS 9 1 1 CALLS OUR DISPATCH CENTER AND DISPATCHES US OUT.
AND A BIG PART OF THE REQUIREMENT OF THAT THIRD PARTY MONITORING IS SO YOU CAN BUY THESE, SOME OF THESE SYSTEMS OFF OF, OFF OF AMAZON OR WALMART OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, THAT CAN GO TO YOUR CELL PHONE.
UM, BUT WE WANT THAT 24 HOUR SERVICE, UM, INTO THAT.
AND OF THE, I BELIEVE SEAN SAID, 577 OVER 3,600 SQUARE FEET, A GOOD VAST MAJORITY OF THEM ALREADY HAVE THESE SYSTEMS IN PLACE.
SO IF WE, UM, ACCELERATED THE TIME FOR COMPLIANCE, THEN BASED ON THE INFORMATION THAT YOU HAVE, IT APPEARS AS THOUGH MOST OF 'EM WOULD BE IN COMPLIANCE.
SO THAT WOULDN'T BE A HANDICAP, SOME WILL NEED, UM, THE ADDITIONAL POLE STATION PUT IN.
UM, BUT THE REASON WE DID SET THAT TIME, UM, PERIOD AND DIDN'T MOVE IT UP IS BECAUSE WE DID REACH OUT TO THE ALARM COMPANIES.
UM, AND, AND TO, I THINK SOME LADY'S POINT, IT, IT WOULD BE HARD FOR THEM, UM, TO DO THIS IN THAT TIME PERIOD.
THAT'S WHY WE SET THE, THE YEAR, UM, THERE'S NOT A LOT OF THE COMPANIES LEFT ON THE ISLAND OR IN THE AREA.
[01:25:01]
SO WE DO, WE DON'T KNOW THERE'S GONNA BE A DELAY THERE.WE COULD ACTUALLY SEPARATE THOSE OUT.
THE, THE MANUAL ALARM SYSTEM MIGHT TAKE MORE TIME, BUT THE OTHER SYSTEM, UM, IT'S ALL, IT'S ALL ENTWINED, IT'S ALL HARDWIRED AND INTER RESPONDED SYSTEM.
UM, BEFORE, BEFORE WE LEAVE MS. BRYSON, WHILE YOU'RE UP HERE YEAH.
WHY, WHY DO YOU DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN 3,600 AND BELOW? YEAH.
SO I MEAN, I WOULD IMAGINE THAT THREE OCCUPANTS ARE JUST AS IMPORTANT AS 14.
SO, UM, IN, IN, WE, WE HAD LOOKED AT BEFORE WHEN WE FIRST STARTED DOWN THIS ROAD OF, OF WHETHER IT'S OCCUPANCY, WHETHER IT'S NUMBER OF BEDROOMS OR WHETHER IT'S SQUARE FOOTAGE.
SO IN OUR RESPONSE THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING FOR YEARS, 3,600 SQUARE FEET, UM, DWELLING, AND ALL BUSINESSES ARE CONSIDERED A, A MAX FIRE RISK TO US.
WE SEND ADDITIONAL RESOURCES JUST BECAUSE OF THE SHEER SIZE OF THOSE, UM, UNITS WHERE WE SEND A LESSER FORCE TO ANYTHING, UH, SINGLE FAMILY UNDER 3,600 SQUARE FEET.
SO SINCE WE ALREADY HAD THAT MODEL IN PLAY FOR OUR RESPONSE, THAT'S WHAT WE DECIDED TO USE.
AND WHEN WE BROKE IT DOWN, WHEN HE LOOKED AT THE AVERAGE, UM, OF THE NUMBER OF BEDROOMS AND EVERYTHING, IT JUST FIT REALLY GOOD IN THAT CATEGORY.
WELL, IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH RESPONSE THEN, RIGHT? IT HAS TO DO WITH THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WE'RE PUTTING ON THAT FIRE.
I UNDERSTAND, BUT IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH LIFESAVING RESPONSE BECAUSE NOW YOU'RE NEGLECTING THE SMALLER UNITS.
IT'S JUST FOR YOUR CONVENIENCE OF GETTING ENOUGH STAFF THERE TO HANDLE THE SIZE OF THE UNIT.
I MEAN, IT'S BECAUSE WE, THOSE, THOSE LARGER UNITS REQUIRE MORE PEOPLE TO SEARCH TYPICALLY, AND THAT'S WHAT THAT EXTRA FORCE DOES.
IT ADDS PEOPLE IN, INTO THE SEARCH CATEGORY.
SO IF WE HAVE TO ENTER THOSE, THOSE UNITS THAT ARE ON FIRE, THEY'RE TYPICALLY SQUA, UH, SPREAD OUT MORE SQUARE FOOTAGE.
IT TAKES LONGER AND MORE MANPOWER TO SEARCH THEM THAN IT DOES A SMALLER UNIT.
THEY HAVE THE CONVENIENCE, SO TO SPEAK, OF A MONITORED SYSTEM VERSUS, VERSUS SOMEONE HAVING TO MANUALLY CALL THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
SO THE, THE, THE NUMBER OF, THE AMOUNT OF TIME IT SAVES BEING FROM A MANUAL SYSTEM, FOR INSTANCE, AT NIGHT, UM, IT AUTOMATICALLY GOES OFF, IT GUTS US OUT THE DOOR FASTER THAN IF SOMEONE HAS TO WAKE UP AND GO SEARCH THEIR HOUSE AND DETERMINE IF IT'S, UM, YES.
I MEAN, IDEALLY IN ALL SIZES, WOULD IT BE, WOULD IT BE GREAT? BUT WHAT WE'VE SEEN IS THE, THE LARGER HOMES IS WHERE WE'RE HAVING THE ISSUES.
A FIRE CAN START AT A VERY, UM, FAR AWAY CORNER OF THE HOUSE OR OUTSIDE AND, AND TAKE LONGER TO GET INTO WHERE THE PEOPLE ARE IN THE LARGER HOMES.
THANK, THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THIS TOPIC UP.
AND WHILE AND WHILE YOU'RE HERE, CHIEF, UM, I AGREE WITH, UM, COUNCILMAN DESIMONE, UM, ON THIS, FOR ME, I, I HEAR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING AND IT'S COMPLETELY LOGICAL AND, AND I UNDERSTAND ALL OF THE RESPONSE AND HAVING TO SEARCH AND I'VE WATCHED ALL SEARCH A HOUSE AND YOU DO A REMARKABLE JOB, AND THAT HOUSE THAT YOU WERE SEARCHING WAS NOT 3,600 SQUARE FEET.
SO THE PERSONNEL ARE IMPORTANT AT EVERY LEVEL.
WELL, LET ME JUST BACK UP AND ASK THIS QUESTION.
ON ANY COMMERCIAL BUILDING, A HOTEL TIMESHARE, ET CETERA, THEY'RE ALL REQUIRED TO HAVE WHAT TYPE OF FIRE SYSTEM? THE, THE SAME SYSTEM WE'RE ASKING FOR HERE IN THE YEP.
SO I THINK BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, IN MOST PEOPLE'S MINDS, SHORT-TERM RENTALS ARE INDEED A COMMERCIAL, UM, WE SHOULD ESTABLISH A FAIR AND RESCUE PROTOCOL, UM, SIMILAR TO THE 3,600 SQUARE FOOT FOR AS LITTLE AS A STUDIO.
AND I SAY THAT BECAUSE WE DO NOT HAVE IN PLACE, UM, ANYTHING WHERE WE'RE SURE OTHERWISE THAT, UM, ANY OF THE UNITS HAVE THEIR, EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE REQUIRED BY THE PERMIT TO HAVE A SMOKE DETECTOR, A CO DETECTOR THAT'S WORKING, WE NEVER CONFIRMED THAT WINDOWS AREN'T BLOCKED, ET CETERA.
AND ONE OF THE ADDITIONAL PIECES THAT I'VE ASKED FOR FROM THE BEGINNING IS THAT WE HAVE INSPECTIONS, THAT WE HAVE SOMEONE WHO GOES IN AND IF YOU'RE ASKING TO RENT YOUR PROPERTY AND PUT PEOPLE INTO IT, YOU NEED TO PROVE THAT YOU DO HAVE ALL OF THOSE, NOT JUST SIGN AN AFFIDAVIT AND THEN GOD FORBID THERE'S AN INCIDENT THAT HAPPENS.
I THINK THAT EVERY LIFE MATTERS AND, UM, WE SHOULD GO AHEAD AND ASK THAT ALL OF THE SHORT TERM RENTALS HAVE AS MUCH SAFETY BUILT INTO THEM AS POSSIBLE.
SO I AGREE WITH YOU, STEVE, ON THAT.
DEPENDING ON WHAT YOU SEE THERE, YOU MIGHT RELEASE 'EM OR ADD SOME CORRECT.
BUT IT'S THE MATTER OF HOW QUICKLY YOU CAN GET THERE.
I KNOW THAT IF YOU DISCOVER A FIRE IN YOUR HOME BY THE TIME YOU DO THAT, IT'S, IT'S NO SIMPLE
[01:30:01]
MATTER.AND THEN YOU HAVE TO PICK UP THE PHONE AND CALL NINE ONE ONE AND YOU HAVE TO TAKE CERTAIN MEASURES.
AND I CAN TELL YOU FROM FIRSTHAND EXPERIENCE, YOUR EARS DO NOT WORK ANY BETTER ON ANY GIVEN DAY IN YOUR LIFE THAN YOU.
THEY ARE THE DAY YOU'RE LISTENING FOR THESE FOLKS TO SHOW UP.
UM, AND SO IF THERE'S AN AUTOMATIC PULL RATHER THAN A PHONE CALL AND A TRANS, UH, TRANSFER OF THAT CALL TO SOMEONE ELSE, TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE AND THAT LIFE IS IMPORTANT.
AND WHETHER YOU'RE IN A SMALL STUDIO RENTAL OR A 3,600, UM, BEAUTIFUL HOME, IT'S NO DIFFERENT.
FOR ME, IT'S, IT'S A LITTLE, IT'S A LITTLE MORE EXTREME.
EVERYONE KNOWS WHEN YOU GO ON A VACATION AND YOU RENT A HOME OR, OR A COTTAGE FOR A WEEK, SORRY, BUT YOU ACT A LITTLE DIFFERENT MM-HMM
YOU DON'T, YOU'RE NOT ACTING LIKE YOU'RE AT HOME AND YOU'RE, AND YOU'RE UNFAMILIAR WITH YOUR SURROUNDINGS AND THERE'S A LOT GOING ON AND PEOPLE ARE IN DIFFERENT LOCATIONS AND HOWEVER YOU WANNA SAY IT, PEOPLE ARE DRINKING AND, AND PASSED OUT ON THE SOFA AND, AND THERE'S NOT A NORMAL HOUSEHOLD GOING ON.
AND SO WHEN THERE'S AN INCIDENT AND YOU HAVE TO MANUALLY PULL A FIRE ALARM VERSUS HANG ON, LET, LET ME CLARIFY, IT'S NOT, IT, IT IS, THERE IS A MANUAL PULL THERE, BUT THERE IS ALSO, IF THE SMOKE DETECTOR GOES OFF, IT GOES TO THE SAME ALARM SYSTEM.
WELL, THAT'S WHAT I MEAN, IF YOU HAVE TO MANUALLY CALL THE FIRE DEPARTMENT VERSUS IT AUTOMATICALLY DOING IT VERSUS SOMEONE ELSE, I MEAN, AUTOMATICALLY DOING IT.
I, I JUST, YOU KNOW, I JUST, I I THINK YOU GET THE POINT IF YOU'RE SAYING IT SHOULD BE ON ALL OF 'EM.
I COULDN'T AGREE MORE WITH YOU.
IF I MIGHT, PATSY, PATSY DID HAVE THE FLOOR, SO I'M, I'M GONNA GIVE IT BACK TO PATSY, BUT YOU GREAT TOPIC.
THANK I JUST WANNA CATCH YOU BEFORE YOU LEFT DISCUSSION.
I HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION ABOUT IT.
UM, OF THE CALLS THAT, UM, YOU PROVIDED, UM, IN THE REPORT MM-HMM
UM, 117 FIRE CALLS, UM, WOULD YOU SAY THOSE WERE MORE IN TWO OR THREE BEDROOM OR, BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE WE HAVE MOST OF THE, UH, I COULDN'T SAY, BUT I COULD SAY PROBABLY A GOOD 90 SOMETHING PERCENT OF THOSE WOULD BE AUTOMATIC FIRE ALARMS. OKAY.
WHICH IS, WHICH WOULD MEAN THEY'RE IN UNITS THAT ALREADY HAVE THE SYSTEMS WE'RE ASKING FOR, BUT NO MATTER THE SIZE MM-HMM
THERE ARE SMALLER UNITS, UM, THAN, SO, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT ACCOUNTING FOR TIMESHARES OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT BECAUSE THEY, THEY FOLLOW A DIFFERENT FIRE CODE.
UM, THERE ARE SMALLER UNITS THAT ALREADY HAVE THESE SYSTEMS IN PLACE.
AND AGAIN, I MEAN, IF, IF, IF, IF I CONTROLLED EVERYTHING, THEY WOULD ALL HAVE THE SAME SYSTEMS. THEY WOULD ALL BE SPRINKLER, THEY WOULD BE, THEY WOULD BE TREATED JUST AS IF THEY WERE COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES OR HOTELS OR MOTELS.
AND THEN, UM, THERE'S ANOTHER REQUIREMENT REGARDING GAS GRILLS.
THE 60 MINUTE TURNOFF, UM, IS, IS THAT, UH, SOMETHING THAT YOU CAN GET AN ADAPTER AND ADD TO THE GAS GRILL? IT, SO THAT'S AN EASY, IT'S, IT'S ABOUT A HUNDRED DOLLARS PER GRILL.
UM, WE ACTUALLY USE 'EM AT OUR FIRE STATIONS.
WHAT WE HAVE NOTICED, UH, OVER THE LAST COUPLE YEARS IS WE HAVE, WE HAVE A LOT OF FIRES STEMMING FROM, UH, GRILLS.
A LOT OF PEOPLE TAKE THEIR FOOD OFF, THEY, THEY CLEAN THEM BY BURNING THEM OFF OR THEY JUST FORGET TO TURN 'EM OFF.
SO THIS IS A GOOD THING TO PUT IN PLACE THAT WILL, UM, IT'S A VERY, YOU KNOW, INEXPENSIVE THING THAT WILL, UM, SHUT IT OFF AFTER ABOUT AN HOUR.
AND, AND OF THOSE 117 FIRE CALLS, DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY MIGHT HAVE BEEN GRILLS? OH, I, NO, I DON'T, DON'T HAVE, DON'T HAVE ANY IDEA.
AND IN, IN ADDITION TO GAS GRILLS, UH, FOLKS STILL DO USE SOME OF THE CHARCOAL GRILLS.
I I'VE WATCHED SOME FOLKS IN A CONDO UNIT DRAG THEIR GRILL OUT INTO THE MIDDLE AND POUR GASOLINE ON IT AND THEN SET IT ON FIRE AND, AND I'M GOING LIKE, WHERE'S MY PHONE? NINE ONE ONE
AT LEAST THEY'RE DRAGGING IT OUT TO THE MIDDLE OF THE PARK.
I, I WAS GOING LIKE, WELL, I SEE THE SWIMMING POOL.
I WONDER IF WE COULD THROW IT IN THERE.
UH, WELL THOSE ARE THE LIFE SAFETY QUESTIONS I HAVE AND ABOUT ACCELERATION OF THE TIMING.
UM, OBVIOUSLY I'M, WE'RE ALL CONCERNED VERY MUCH ABOUT THIS.
UM, AND, UM, I, I KNOW THAT WE HAVE A LOT OF, UH, PERMITS.
WE HAVE 7,000 PERMITS I THINK, SO THAT'S A LOT OF INSPECTIONS TO DO.
UM, BUT OVER TIME, I'M HOPING THAT WE CAN HAVE SOME SORT OF INSPECTION PROGRAM.
UH, I GUESS AT THIS POINT IT'S GONNA BE BASED UPON COMPLAINTS, BUT PERHAPS WE CAN LOOK AT CYCLING IN AN INSPECTION PROGRAM TO MAKE SURE FOLKS ARE COMPLYING WITH LIFE SAFETY REQUIREMENTS, INCLUDING SMOKE DETECTORS.
SO, UM, THE OTHER QUESTIONS I HAVE, UM, ARE WITH REGARD TO PARKING, UM, AND ACCELERATING THE TIME FOR COMPLIANCE, UH, BECAUSE WE'VE HAD A LOT OF ISSUES WITH PARKING AND, UM, YOU EITHER HAVE SIX OR YOU DON'T
UM, AND IT LOOKS AS THOUGH FROM THE CHARTS YOU'VE GIVEN US BEFORE, THAT SIX IS A GOOD NUMBER.
UM, SO I WOULD LIKE TO FIND OUT WHY WE CAN'T ACCELERATE THE PARKING REQUIREMENT TO APPLY IMMEDIATELY.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS, AND AND PERHAPS THE TOWN ATTORNEY CAN, CAN WEIGH ON THIS AS WELL, IS THAT WE HAVE ISSUED A PERMIT TO 7,112 SHORT-TERM RENTAL PERMIT OWNERS OR RENTAL OWNERS AND, AND AGENTS TO O TO
[01:35:01]
OPERATE IN THIS CALENDAR YEAR BECAUSE WE'VE, GIVEN THAT THEY DO HAVE CERTAIN, CERTAIN RIGHTS AND, AND THINGS THAT THEY HAVE AVAILABLE TO THEM TO, TO CHANGE THE RULES IN THE MIDDLE OF THAT PERMIT YEAR.I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW THAT THAT'S POSSIBLE.
SO I'LL, I'LL DEFER TO THE TOWN ATTORNEY.
I, I, I MEAN, AS MR. LEININGER SAYS, THE PERMITS FOR CALENDAR YEAR 2025 WERE ISSUED BASED ON THE, UM, REQUIREMENTS IN PLAY AS OF JANUARY 1ST, 2025.
SO, AND THE PERMITS ARE GOOD FOR A YEAR.
SO ASIDE FROM, ASIDE FROM THAT MEANING THAT WE HAVE ALREADY ISSUED THE PERMITS BASED ON THE EXISTING REQUIREMENTS, I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW THAT WE HAVE A MECHANISM TO SAY THOSE PERMITS ARE NO LONGER VALID UNLESS YOU COMPLY WITH ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS AND, AND ALL THE, ARE ALL THE PERMITS.
UM, I I THINK THE APPLICATION PERIOD STARTS PRIOR TO JANUARY ONE OF EACH YEAR.
AND, AND SO, UH, MY QUESTION THEN IS IF YOU CAN MAKE AN APPLICATION THIS COMING FALL FOR A PERMIT, WHICH BEGINS JANUARY ONE, THEN WILL THOSE PERMIT APPLICATIONS HAVE THE NEW REQUIREMENTS IN 'EM? SO YES, BECAUSE THE PERMITS WON'T BECOME ACTIVE UNTIL JANUARY ONE WHEN THESE NEW REQUIREMENTS ARE IN EFFECT.
SO THE REQUIREMENTS FOR GETTING A PERMIT FOR 2026 WILL BE THE REQUIREMENTS STATED IN WHATEVER THE AMENDED ORDINANCE TURNS OUT TO BE.
SO THEN, JUST AS WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE FIRE ALARM SYSTEMS, UM, ASSUMING THAT STAYS IN AND YOU HAVE TO COMPLY BY JANUARY ONE, IT'S POSSIBLE WE'LL HAVE SOME COMPLIANCE PRIOR TO JANUARY 1ST, 2026.
UM, HOW ABOUT WITH REGARD TO NEW PERMITS? CAN, UH, ANY NEW PERMITS ISSUED, UM, UH, BE REQUIRED TO COMPLY IMMEDIATELY? SO THE WAY IT IS PRESENTED TO YOU THIS AFTERNOON IS THAT ALL PERMITS WOULD GO INTO EFFECT ON JANUARY 1ST, 2026.
TO YOUR QUESTION ABOUT COULD NEW PERMITS GO INTO EFFECT NOW, I THINK WE'D HAVE TO COME BACK TO YOU WITH AN ANSWER ON THAT TO UNDERSTAND FIRST OF ALL, WHAT'S GONNA, WHAT'S GONNA REMAIN IN THE ORDINANCE TO DETERMINE WHAT DO WE NEED TO DO AS A, AS A STAFF TO PREPARE AND GET READY FOR THAT.
UM, AND THEN ALSO, UM, AND UNDERSTAND THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE BEFORE I CAN GIVE YOU THAT SPECIFIC ANSWER.
AND THEN, UH, A SIMILAR QUESTION WITH REGARD TO, UM, THE ADMINISTRATIVE ENFORCEMENT PROCESS.
UM, THAT'S NOT A PART OF THE PERMITTING, UH, BUT THAT WOULD BE A PART OF THE CODE REQUIREMENT.
SO COULD WE ACCELERATE THE ENFORCEMENT PROVISIONS? I'M SORRY, I'M LOOKING AT, I'M LOOKING AT THE SOUND ATTORNEY.
IF I, MIKE, CAN I ASK, ASK THAT QUESTION A LITTLE DIFFERENTLY.
UM, AND CURTIS, I THINK YOU MIGHT NEED TO ANSWER THIS FOR US, BUT DO WE HAVE TO HAVE A MUNICIPAL COURT IN PLACE TO BE ABLE TO ISSUE CITATIONS ON THE RENTERS? UM, OR IS THERE AN OPPORTUNITY TO CHANGE THE CODE THAT WOULD ALLOW US TO DO THAT? UM, IF YOU WANT, UH, WAIT A MINUTE.
I HAVE TO, WHERE'S MY HOLD IT.
THE, THE CURRENT, THE, THE WAY THE ADMINISTRATIVE CITATION PROCESS IS LAID OUT IN THE PROPOSED TEXT DOES, DOES NOT REQUIRE THE EXISTENCE OF A MUNICIPAL COURT.
SO, BUT IN ORDER TO, I MEAN, I SUPPOSE THERE'S A WAY TO EITHER EITHER DO A MORE LIMITED AMENDMENT TO THE ORDINANCE TO IMPOSE THE ADMINISTRATIVE CITATION TEXT EARLIER, OR PERHAPS THE ORDINANCE COULD, UM, STATE STAGGERED TIMES FOR ENFORCEMENT OF CERTAIN TERMS. I MEAN, THAT BECOMES A LITTLE MORE COMPLICATED.
IF YOU WANTED TO DO THAT, I'D PROBABLY BREAK IT OUT AND DO IT SEPARATELY.
MY QUESTION WAS GONNA BE, CAN YOU BIFURCATE THE EFFECTIVE DATE TO SUBSECTION A AND SUBSECTION B MAKING SOME EFFECTIVE JANUARY 1ST, 2026, AND THE OTHER'S EFFECTIVE AN EARLIER DATE AS SOON AS, UM, MR. ORLANDO AND HIS STAFF CAN GET THE ADMINISTRATIVE MECHANISMS READY FOR ENFORCEMENT.
AND SO MAYOR, WHAT I WOULD SUGGEST IN LIGHT OF THAT, IN LIGHT OF MY SUGGESTION,
IF I COULD GO DOWN HERE THE, JUST A QUICK FOLLOW UP.
IT'S ON THE SAME EXACT TOPIC, SO JUST GO RIGHT AHEAD.
UM, WITH REGARD TO THE PERMIT BEGINNING JANUARY 1ST, 2020 SIXTH, AND UNDERSTANDING THAT YOU GET A PERMIT, YOU HAVE EXPECTATIONS, THERE'S ALSO A SECTION IN HERE THAT, UM, IS,
[01:40:01]
MAKES IT VERY CLEAR ABOUT WHERE YOU CAN PARK AND WHERE YOU CANNOT PARK.IS THAT SOMETHING THAT, THAT IS NOT PART OF THE PERMIT, PER SE? THOSE ARE JUST EXPECTATIONS AND RULES AND REGULATIONS.
SO COULD THOSE GO INTO EFFECT ON THE SOONER THAN THE JANUARY 21ST, JANUARY 1ST, 2026 STATE? AGAIN, I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING WE COULD, WE COULD WORK WITH THE TOWN ATTORNEY TO UNDERSTAND IF, IF IT'S THE DIRECTION, THE CONSENSUS OF COUNSEL, IF WE WANNA BIFURCATE SOME OF THESE DATES, WE COULD GO BACK AND COME BACK TO YOU, UM, WITH, WITH THAT.
WELL, I THINK THAT POINT IN PARTICULAR ADDRESSES THE ACTUAL CONCERN, WHICH IS PEOPLE PARK EVERYWHERE.
AND, AND, AND IT SAYS NO OFFSITE PARKING, ET CETERA.
AND IF THE GOAL OF LINKING PARKING IT, OF LINKING OCCUPANCY TO PARKING, THEN YOU HAVE TO BE ABLE TO EXPLAIN TO ME AT SOME POINT WHEN IT'S MY TURN, HOW THOSE OFFSITE PARK CARS, THAT PARK ELSEWHERE THAT WE DON'T KNOW ABOUT, THAT WE CAN'T REGULATE ACTUALLY DOES IMPACT OCCUPANCY.
SO THAT'S A STREAM THAT I'M NOT REALLY UNDERSTANDING THE CONNECTIONS BETWEEN THAT I'D LIKE SOME CLARITY ON AT SOME POINT.
BUT, UM, I HOPE THAT DIDN'T, UM, NO, I THINK THAT'S A GOOD IDEA THOUGHT THOUGH, BECAUSE THE PERMIT HAS TO DO WITH THE NUMBER OF, UH, SPACES AND WHERE YOUR PARKING IS LOCATED.
BUT IF, IF, UM, IT WOULD SEEM AS THOUGH NO PARKING IN THOSE AREAS, SO TAKE OUT THAT ONE SECTION AND MAKE IT EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY AS WELL.
MR. ALFRED, I SAW YOUR HAND UP A MOMENT AGO.
FIRST, I WANNA SAY THAT I'M VERY IMPRESSED WITH THE PROGRESS THAT, THAT YOU, UH, MR. LANGER AND THE STAFF HAVE MADE IN PRESENTING THIS NEW ORDINANCE.
UM, JUST FOR CLARIFICATION OF ONE OF THE MORE INTERESTING ILLUSTRATIONS OF PROBLEMS THAT HAVE OCCURRED HERE IN SEA PINES, UH, WITH A LARGE HOUSE, A LOT OF BEDROOMS AND A BIG DINING ROOM IN WHICH THERE ARE, UH, A HALF A DOZEN DOUBLE VICKERS IN THE DINING ROOM, UH, AND AN ADVERTISING, UH, TO RENT TO 22 OR 24 PEOPLE.
UM, AM I CORRECT THAT THAT WOULD BE CAUGHT WHEN THEY MAKE AN APPLICATION FOR 2026? THEY WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO DO ANY OF THOSE THINGS? IT WOULD, BECAUSE WE HAVE CRAFTED A DEFINITION OF A BEDROOM THAT MAKES IT CLEAR WHAT COUNTS, BECAUSE THE BEDROOM IS HOW BUREAUCRACY IS DETERMINED.
SO WE HAVE CRAFTED A DEFINITION OF BEDROOM THAT WE DON'T CURRENTLY HAVE IN THE ORDINANCE TODAY, SO WE WOULD BE ABLE TO CATCH THOSE TYPES OF SITUATIONS.
UM, THAT, THAT, THAT'S THE TYPE OF SITUATION OTHER THAN THE, THE NOISE, THE GARBAGE AND, AND SO ON THAT YOU'VE MENTIONED THAT IS A MATTER OF A GOOD DEAL OF CONCERN.
UM, WHAT IS A, UM, IMPROVED PLACE TO PARK? I'M SORRY, WHAT IS, WHAT IS AN IMPROVED PARKING SPACE? SO AN IMPROVED PARKING SPACE IS PAVED PAVERS IN SOME CASES.
WE, WE HAVE A PRE, WE HAVE SOME OLDER EXAMPLES WHERE IT'S A, IT'S A, IT'S A GRAVEL SURFACE.
IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S BEEN IMPROVED AND IS, IS THERE TO BE USED AS PARKING OR AS A DRIVEWAY.
UM, AND FINALLY, I JUST WANNA MENTION THAT I'M PLEASED THAT YOU NOTED THAT ONE OF THE BIG PROBLEMS THAT EXISTS IN, IN, IN SOME OF THE GATED COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE A FAIR NUMBER OF THE SHORT TERM RENTAL PROPERTIES, UH, IS THAT THERE IS A, A, A SIGNIFICANT NEED FOR COOPERATION AND COMMUNICATION, UH, BETWEEN THE LOCAL ENFORCEMENT PEOPLE IN THE GATED COMMUNITIES OF AT LEAST TWO OF THEM, UH, AND THE TOWN IN ORDER FOR THIS PROGRAM TO WORK EFFECTIVELY.
UH, I KNOW THAT'S NOT PART OF AN ORDINANCE, BUT IT IS SOMETHING THAT THAT HAS TO BE ADDRESSED.
CAN I JUMP IN ON THE BEDROOM DISCUSSION? LET, LET'S LET, LET
I THOUGHT WE WERE HAVING A CONVERSATION IF WE, WHEN THESE TOP, WE CAN REVISIT 'EM WHEN IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE, BUT YOU'S UP TO YOU, MS. HUNTER.
SO, UM, THE WAY I LOOK AT IT AS OUR PRIMARY OBJECTIVE WITH THIS WORK SHOULD BE TO PRE PROTECT THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR OUR RESIDENTS, AS WELL AS PROVIDE A SAFE AND QUALITY VISITOR EXPERIENCE.
SO I'M ALIGNED TO THE VARIOUS CONCEPTS, BUT I DO HAVE SOME QUESTIONS REGARDING THE APPROACH.
SO I AGREE WITH, UH, COUNCILMAN ALFRED ABOUT THE COMPLAINTS.
UM, IF YOU THINK ABOUT THE 272 COMPLAINTS, UM, WE KNOW THAT THAT IS NOT A FULL VIEW.
AND I THINK IF WE'RE GONNA BE A DATA DRIVEN, UH, TOWN COUNCIL MAKING DECISIONS, WE NEED TO HAVE BETTER VISIBILITY INTO THE COMPLETE PICTURE.
SO WE NEED TO BUILD A BETTER PROCESS, UH, OF COLLECTING THAT INFORMATION FROM OUR POAS.
UH, IN REGARDS TO FINES, UM, I APPRECIATE THE COMMENTS MADE BY THE PUBLIC
[01:45:01]
ABOUT, UM, WHO ARE WE FINING, IS IT THE RENTER OR THE OWNER OF THE BUSINESS? AND, UM, I'D LIKE TO SEE, UH, ACCELERATION IN REGARDS TO THE FINDING OF THE RENTERS, UH, MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE, UH, SENDING A CLEAR MESSAGE IN REGARDS TO PARKING, NOISE, ET CETERA.AND THEN WHEN THERE WAS DISCUSSION ABOUT THE FINES FOR THE OWNERS, UM, IT WASN'T CLEAR TO ME WHAT THE PROCESS WAS.
IT SOUNDED LIKE THERE WAS A LOT OF DISCRETION.
UM, AND SO I DON'T KNOW IF YOU CAN MAKE THAT CLEARER TO ME NOW.
UH, WHAT WE'VE BEEN ENCOUNTERING IN THE SHORT TERM RENTALS IS BY AND LARGE COMPLIANCE, IF WE ALERT THE OWNER, THERE'S A PROBLEM, THEY ACT ON IT.
WE WILL HAVE PROBLEMS IN THE FUTURE HERE AND THERE WHERE IF AN OWNER DOES NOT RESPOND, UH, AS PER CODE, UH, WITHIN AN HOUR AND ADDRESS THE ISSUE OR ATTEMPT TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE, WE'LL CONTACT 'EM THE NEXT DAY TO MAKE SURE THEY'RE AWARE OF WHAT'S GOING ON.
IF THEY DO NOTHING, THEN I, I, I THINK AFTER A WHILE THAT WARRANTS A FINE, UM, CITATIONS RIGHT NOW IT'S A, UH, CRIMINAL OFFENSE TO PARK YOUR, UH, VEHICLE ON, ON THE STATE RIGHT OF WAY OR LOCAL TOWN.
UM, AND WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT DOING IS EXPANDING OUR ABILITY TO WRITE ADMINISTRATIVE PARKING TICKETS FOR THOSE OFFENSES, FOR CONSTRUCTION TRUCKS, SHORT-TERM RENTALS, PEOPLE THAT JUST DECIDE THEY'RE GONNA PARK ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD.
SO WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF DOING THAT RIGHT NOW.
SO THAT'LL BE STREAMLINED AND HOPEFULLY WE'LL BE ABLE TO ADDRESS THIS.
WE'VE HAD CONSTRUCTION TRUCKS, YOU KNOW, WE, WE GO OUT THERE, THEY MOVE, AND 99.9% OF THE TIME THEY MOVE, UH, AND WE GET COMPLIANCE, BUT IT'S GONNA BE THAT 1% WHERE WE GET SOME BRUSH BACK, I'M NOT MOVING MY CAR.
WELL, THEN YOU'RE GONNA GET A TICKET.
SO, AND ARE WE MONITORING THOSE AND MEASURING THOSE? YES.
AND AGAIN, WE HAVEN'T BEEN IN A POSITION WHERE WE'VE HAD TO WRITE A CITATION FOR, AND WE'RE TALKING A CRIMINAL COURT CITATION, UH, TO AN OWNER AT THIS POINT.
UH, WE, WE LIKE THE ABILITY TO REACH OUT AND TOUCH THE OWNER AND GET THEIR ATTENTION IF IT, IT PERSISTS IF THE PROBLEM PERSISTS.
AND AGAIN, THE TENANTS, IT'S EASY IF WE HAVE THE, UH, ABILITY TO, UH, WRITE AN ADMINISTRATIVE FINE FOR PARKING IN THE RIGHT OF WAY.
WE DON'T HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S, THEY'RE ALREADY AWARE, UH, FROM THE OWNERS AND THE PROPERTY MANAGEMENT THAT THEY'RE TO DO THIS.
SO IT GIVES US THE ABILITY TO REACH OUT TO 'EM WITHOUT GOING TO CRIMINAL COURT.
THE, THE PURPOSE IS, IT'S, IT'S WASTEFUL AND I'M SURE EVERYONE, THE CRIME DOESN'T FIT THE PUNISHMENT AT THAT POINT.
YEAH, I'M SURE EVERYONE IS IN AGREEMENT ABOUT THE ADMINISTRATIVE FINE AND BEING ABLE TO ACCELERATE OH, YEAH.
AND GIVE YOU THE OPPORTUNITY TO USE THAT TOOL, UH, TO, UM, MAKE A, MAKE A POINT AND CAUSE CHANGE.
UM, IN REGARDS TO FIRE SAFETY, WHAT I FOUND INTERESTING, UM, EVEN THOUGH IT WAS ONLY CALLS FROM SEPTEMBER THROUGH DECEMBER, 71% OF THE CALLS FOR SHORT-TERM RENTALS WERE FIRE CALLS.
AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT, UM, THE DISTRIBUTION OF FIRE CALLS FOR THE ENTIRE ISLAND, IT'S ONLY 24%.
NOW THAT'S A STATISTIC FOR THE ENTIRE YEAR.
UM, AND SO WHAT THAT TELLS ME IS THAT SHORT TERM RENTALS ARE US, YOU KNOW, THREE TIMES MORE ACTIVE IN REGARDS TO FIRE RELATED CALLS THAN THE POPULATION AS A WHOLE, WHICH GETS TO THE POINT OF NEEDING TO HAVE, UH, FIRE SAFETY WITHIN THE RENTAL UNITS.
SO I THINK THAT'S A GOOD DATA DRIVEN PIECE.
UM, IT WAS INTERESTING TO HEAR THE DISCUSSION, UM, OF, UH, FELLOW COUNCIL MEMBERS IN REGARDS TO WHO SHOULD HAVE THE, UM, MONITORED AUTOMATIC SMOKE DETECTION.
AND, UM, IT SOUNDS LIKE ONE OF THE BIGGER ISSUES IS GOING TO BE NO MATTER, UM, WHERE WHO IS, UH, REQUIRED TO DO THAT IS GETTING THOSE COMPLETED IN TIME.
AND SO I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S A WAY TO DO A PHASED APPROACH.
UM, YOU KNOW, ACKNOWLEDGING THAT YOU'RE NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO DO 7,000 IN ONE YEAR.
UM, AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WAS SURPRISED ABOUT AS WELL IS THE 3,600 SQUARE FEET IN THAT THERE WERE, UM, UNITS THAT ONLY HAD TWO BEDROOMS THAT WERE 3,600 SQUARE FEET, BUT THERE WERE ALSO UNITS THAT HAD 5, 6, 7, 8 BEDROOMS THAT WERE LESS THAN 3,600 SQUARE FEET THAT WOULDN'T BE REQUIRED.
AND IT SEEMED TO ME IF IT, THE REAL CONCERN WAS OCCUPANCY, THAT WE'D WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THOSE UNITS THAT HAD HIGH LEVELS OF BEDROOMS WERE SOME OF THE FIRST TO BE REQUIRED TO HAVE THAT, UM, WITHIN THEIR UNITS.
UM, I'M ALSO ALIGNED TO WHAT I HEARD OTHERS SAY IN REGARDS TO SAFETY INSPECTIONS.
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UM, I THINK THAT THOSE ARE CRITICALLY IMPORTANT TO SEE WHAT'S ACTUALLY HAPPENING IN THE UNIT.I ALSO UNDERSTAND THAT HAVING SAFETY INSPECTIONS FOR 7,000 UNITS IS GONNA REQUIRE A LOT OF WORK.
SO IF THERE'S A WAY TO PRIORITIZE, IDENTIFY ILLOGICAL, UM, TO FOCUS ON FIRST WHERE YOU'VE GOT A LOT OF BEDROOMS IN A SMALL SPACE, UM, WHICH MIGHT MAKE YOU THINK THAT THERE ARE BEDS THAT ARE NOT IN AREAS THAT YOU WOULD CONSIDER BEDROOMS, UM, AND THAT TYPE OF THING, UM, YOU KNOW, IT DOESN'T ALWAYS HAVE TO BE EVERY SINGLE ONE, BUT IT CAN BE, UH, A SPOT CHECK OR ILLOGICAL.
UM, I UNDERSTAND THAT, UM, THE REAL TEETH AND THE OCCUPANCY IS IN REGARDS TO WHAT'S POSTED WITH THE RENTAL, UH, IN THEIR ADVERTISEMENTS, UH, BECAUSE IT IS DIFFICULT TO HAVE ANY TEETH IN REGARDS TO OCCUPANCY ON HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE ACTUALLY IN THE UNIT.
UM, AND SO I JUST HAVE A QUESTION.
IS THERE ANY RISK TO THE TOWN OR UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCE TO HAVING, UM, THAT OCCUPANCY OUT THERE AS A RULE? UM, WHEN YOU CAN'T ENFORCE IT AND QUESTIONS ABOUT RISK EXPOSURE, LIABILITY, IF THE TOWN HAS AN ADVOCACY REQUIREMENT, BUT IT'S A CHALLENGE TO ENFORCE.
MAYOR, IF I COULD INTERRUPT, UH, THERE SOMETIMES WHERE A TOWN ATTORNEY MIGHT NEED TO TELL US THAT THIS IS RIPE FOR AN EXECUTIVE SESSION GIVING ADVICE ABOUT LIABILITY.
BUT JUST THE TIMING OF RESPONSE IN THAT, AND, AND THAT WOULD PROBABLY APPLY HERE IF I COULD STEP OUTSIDE OF THAT BOX FOR ONE SECOND.
UM, ON THE, ON THE QUESTION OF THE DELAYED ENFORCEMENT OF THIS OR THE DELAYED EFFECTIVE DATE, I, I, I WOULD LIKE TO ADD THAT THE PROPOSED AMENDMENTS ARE, UM, IMPOSING SOME MATERIAL CHANGES HERE.
I'M NOT SUGGESTING THAT'S A BAD THING, BUT, BUT THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER IS, IS THAT WE ARE PROPOSING SOME MATERIAL CHANGES.
UM, IN ORDER FOR THIS TO BE SMOOTHER AND FRANKLY MORE SUCCESSFUL, UM, WE NEED THE COOPERATION OF THE, THE FOLKS WHO OWN THE PROPERTIES AND THE FOLKS WHO MANAGE THE PROPERTIES FOR THEM.
SO THE DELAYED EFFECTIVE DATE GIVES THE TOWN, THE ABILITY TO DO THE OUTREACH WITH THOSE FOLKS, TO HOPEFULLY BRING THEM ALONG TO, TO GET THEM TO UNDERSTAND THAT AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE BELIEVE THESE ARE GOOD THINGS, BETTER FOR THE TOWN, BETTER FOR THEIR CUSTOMERS.
AND THAT'S MUCH MORE DIFFICULT TO DO IN A VERY SHORT TERM.
AND, AND WITHOUT THE KIND OF OUTREACH THAT YOU HAVE, IF YOU HAVE A LITTLE MORE TIME, AS WE DID WHEN WE ADOPTED THIS THE FIRST TIME AROUND.
I MEAN, I THINK WE CAN ALL, I WON'T NAME 'EM HERE, BUT I MEAN OBVIOUSLY THERE ARE, THERE ARE ISSUES WE DEAL WITH THAT ARISE PRIMARILY FROM A LACK OF OUTREACH.
UH, AMONG THE OTHER THINGS, MEANING THAT SOME OF THESE PROPERTIES WILL HAVE TO BE, UM, MODIFIED IN WAYS TO MEET THE REQUIREMENTS OF THIS ORDINANCE.
THE DELAYED ENFORCEMENT OF IT DOES GIVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO THAT OUTREACH AND HOPEFULLY ACHIEVE THE AGREEMENT AND COOPERATION THAT I THINK WE NEED FOR, FOR ANYTHING LIKE THIS TO BE SUCCESSFUL.
I, UM, IN REGARDS TO PARKING, UM, I DID NOTICE THAT YOU MADE A CHANGE FROM THE WORKSHOP WHERE PARKING WAS, UM, ALIGNED TO HOW MANY BEDROOMS, AND NOW YOU JUST HAVE A NUMBER OF SIX.
I CAN ALSO APPRECIATE THAT IT'S A LOT EASIER TO MANAGE IF EVERYBODY HAS ONE NUMBER, UM, FROM AN ENFORCEMENT, UH, POINT OF VIEW.
UM, AND THEN AS ANOTHER COUNCIL MEMBER MENTIONED, UM, HOW DO YOU MONITOR IF PEOPLE ARE PARKED OFF SITE? UM, UM, ON A TOTALLY DIFFERENT TOPIC IN REGARDS TO SHORT TERM RENTALS, UM, ALTHOUGH IT'S NOT PART OF THE PRO PRESENTATION, I WAS THINKING ABOUT THE COST OF THE OPERATIONS AND, UM, WANTED TO KNOW IS, IS THIS MANAGED LIKE A COST CENTER OR A PROFIT CENTER? MEANING ARE THE FEES THAT WE COLLECT COVERING THE OPERATIONAL COSTS, UM, FROM THE TOWN, INCLUDING THE PEOPLE ON THE SOFTWARE? UM, SO I'D BE INTERESTED IN UNDERSTANDING THAT.
[01:55:01]
YOU KNOW, CALCULATED WHAT THE ADDITIONAL, UM, INCOME WOULD BE FROM THE PERMITS.UM, IT WOULD BE, UH, INCREASES, IT'D BE AN EXTRA 700, $6,000, UM, OVER AND ABOVE ABOUT THE 1.8 THAT YOU ALREADY COLLECT.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, AS WE THINK ABOUT A MUNICIPAL COURT, YOU KNOW, UM, AND THE USE OF THAT, UM, TO HELP WITH ENFORCEMENT, IT MIGHT BE A WAY TO HELP FUND A MUNICIPAL COURT.
UM, AND THAT WAS EVERYTHING ON MY LIST.
MR. MAYOR, IF I COULD, I, I KNOW THAT COUNCILWOMAN BECCA HAS A LOT TO SAY ABOUT THIS.
WELL, I JUST WANNA CIRCLE BACK INITIALLY TO THE, TO THE BEDROOM DISCUSSION, UM, THAT WE WERE HAVING, BECAUSE AS I READ THE DEFINITION AND IT, AND IT'S UP THERE UNDER, UH, TWO FOR EVERYONE, A BEDROOM MEANS A ROOM WITHIN A SHORT TERM RENTAL PROPERTY THAT IS DESIGNATED, DESIGNED AND USED AS A SLEEPING AREA RATHER THAN A LIVING, DINING OR COMMON SPACE.
SO STOPPING THERE AND UNDERSTANDING THAT DEFINITIONS GIVE US WHAT IT IS THAT WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO EXPECT, BUT WE DON'T KNOW, UM, WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENS IN THESE RENTALS.
WE CERTAINLY ANECDOTALLY KNOW ABOUT ROOMS. I THINK COUNCILMAN OFFERED, GAVE US, UM, AN EXAMPLE OF WHERE A DINING ROOM WAS USED AND THERE WERE TRIPLE BUNKS, ET CETERA, UM, PUT IN THERE.
SO THAT WOULD BE OUTSIDE OF THIS DEFINITION, BUT WE MAY NEVER KNOW THAT FOR SURE, UNLESS WE HAVE PHOTOS AND SOMEONE'S SCANNING.
AND THEN IT GOES ON TO SAY THE ROOM MUST MEET BUILDING AND SAFETY CODES AND BE PRIMARILY USED FOR SLEEPING AND TYPICALLY CONTAINS AT LEAST ONE WINDOW AND A DOOR IN A BED OR OTHER SLEEPING FURNITURE.
AND I THINK THAT PORTION OF THAT, THAT BOTHERS ME WITH IS THAT TYPICALLY CONTAINS AT LEAST ONE WINDOW AND A DOOR.
IF WE HAVE A PLACE WHERE PEOPLE ARE SLEEPING AND CHIEF CAN PER POSSIBLY HELP ME WITH THIS, THERE MUST BE AN EXCESS FOR AN ESCAPE FOR PEOPLE TO, TO SAVE THEMSELVES IN ANY NUMBER OF TYPE OF SITUATIONS.
SO FOR ME, IT TYPICALLY CONTAINS IS NOT, IT, IT, IT, IT SHALL CONTAIN AND IT HAS TO BE UNOBSTRUCTED.
UM, SO THIS DEFINITION FALLS SHORT.
UM, AND SO THAT'S WHAT I WANTED TO SAY WITH REGARD TO, UM, DEFINITIONS AND BEDROOMS IN PARTICULAR.
UM, GO OS UM, I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA STOP FOR A SECOND AND GO BACK TO THE BEGINNING.
GO OS THE NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS THAT WE HEAR, ET CETERA.
WE ALL KNOW THAT GOBOS FALLS SHORT AS WELL.
AND, UM, I CAN TELL YOU HOW MANY REPORTS I'VE GOTTEN WITHIN THE LAST 10 DAYS OF FOLKS WHO HAVE CALLED GOBOS REPEATEDLY AND GOTTEN ZERO RESPONSE, UM, FROM THOSE PHONE CALLS.
AND SO WE'RE NOT CAPTURING THE PROBLEM AND THE RES RESIDENTS REMAIN FRUSTRATED, UM, AND INCONVENIENCED AT BEST IN THEIR OWN RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOODS.
SO GO OS I WOULD POLITELY LIKE TO ASK THAT WE, WE GIVE SOME, SOME LOOK INTO AND FIND OUT WHY IT IS THAT THEY'RE NOT ANSWERING PHONE CALLS AND RESPONDING.
THAT'S PART OF THE PROBLEM WITH OUR STATISTICS.
THE OTHER PART OF OUR PROBLEM WITH OUR STATISTICS IS WITHIN THE DOCUMENT THAT, UM, I'M READING, IT'S MENTIONS BUILDING A RELATIONSHIP WITH THE, UM, PDS BEHIND THE GATES.
WELL, WE KNOW FROM OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS THAT WE DO NOT GET THEIR DATA.
SO THEIR DATA, THEIR PHONE CALLS TO THEIR, UM, SECURITY, WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE, WHETHER THEY'RE CALLING OUT TO THE SHERIFF FIRST, WHATEVER HAPPENS, UM, ARE NOT COLLECT, THOSE ARE NOT COLLECTED AND IN PART OF THIS DATA SET.
AND SO THE PROBLEM WITH THAT IS WE TRULY DON'T KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENING.
BUT SECONDLY, A LOT OF PEOPLE LOOK AT THIS AS A PRINTED DOCUMENT AND THEY SAY, OH, WHERE'S THE PROBLEM? YOU'RE COLLECTING ALL THIS MONEY.
THERE'S WHATEVER THE NUMBER IS, 200 SOME ODD, UM, ISSUES.
AND, AND THAT'S NOT TRULY THE CASE.
SO I THINK WE NEED TO DO A MUCH BETTER JOB ON COLLECTING THE DATA, UM, STARTING WITH GOBOS.
AND THEN AS IT SAYS HERE, THE RELATIONSHIP WITH COLLECTING DATA THROUGH THE PUDS AND, AND THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT, WHOEVER IS RESPONDING TO THOSE CALLS.
IDEA ON THAT, AGAIN, THE, THE PARKING IS, IS OF THE, IS PRIMARY PROBLEM IN SO MANY PLACES.
AND FOR ME, I STILL DON'T UNDERSTAND THE CONNECTION BETWEEN,
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UM, CARS AND OCCUPANCY AND THAT WE'RE GOING TO LIMIT OCCUPANCY BY THE NUMBER OF CARS.AND SO, JUST TO START FROM THE BEGINNING ON THAT, IF WE'RE NOW SAYING THAT MAXIMUM NUMBER OF CARS ON A PROPERTY IS SIX AND THAT'S MODELED AFTER THE PALMETTO DUNES, UM, PERMITTING OF SIX CARS, UM, THAT THEY ALLOW, THE WAY THEY ALLOW IT, THEY GIVE A PERMIT.
SO IF YOU RENT SOMETHING, THERE'S A STICKER THAT YOU PUT IN YOUR CAR OUTSIDE OF THE GATES WHERE NO ONE IS MONITORING THAT, HOW WOULD YOU KNOW THAT THOSE CARS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH THAT PIECE OF PROPERTY? COMES A FINER POINT WHEN THE HOMEOWNER THEMSELVES ARE USING THE PROPERTY AND THEY ARE, DO NOT HAVE TO, AND AND I'M, AND THIS IS A QUESTION, MAYBE I'M WRONG.
UM, WOULDN'T NECESSARILY I IMAGINE HAVE TO ABIDE BY THAT PARKING RULE BECAUSE THAT PARKING RULES FOR SHORT TERM RENTAL, BUT I'M THE PROPERTY OWNER AND I'M THERE AND MY FAMILY'S VISITING AND I'VE GOT EIGHT CARS OR WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE.
AM I TREATED DIFFERENTLY AS THE PROPERTY OWNER THAN THE RENTER WOULD BE? AND HOW DO YOU MAKE THAT DISTINGUISH? HOW DO YOU DISTINGUISH THE DIFFERENCE AND AND WHAT IS INVOLVED IN ALL OF THAT? AND I'LL JUST LEAVE THAT AS A QUESTION AND IF MAYBE WE CAN HAVE A LITTLE DISCUSSION ABOUT, ABOUT THAT PIECE OF IT.
MAYBE I'VE MADE IT TOO COMPLICATED, BUT I THINK IT'S WORTH A DISCUSSION.
SO CERTAINLY WHEN A PROPERTY OWNER GOES AND THEY HAVE A SHORT TERM RENTAL PERMIT OR SHORT TERM RENTAL UNIT AND THEY GO TO UTILIZE THEIR PROPERTY, YES, NO, THE RULES DO NOT APPLY TO THEM WHEN THEY'RE USING THE PROPERTY FOR THEIR, FOR THEIR PER, FOR THEIR, FOR THEIR, FOR THEIR USE.
UM, TO YOUR POINT ABOUT HOW DO WE KNOW IT'S NOT A PERFECT SYSTEM? WE DON'T, WE AREN'T GOING TO KNOW UNLESS WE, WE, WE, WE ARE ASKED TO GO AND INVESTIGATE AND, AND, AND WE ASK.
AND EVEN THEN WE HAVE CERTAIN LIMITS ON WHAT WE CAN AND CANNOT DETERMINE.
UH, IN TERMS OF, OF GOV COMPLIANCE.
I THINK IF WE'RE GOING UP TO A SHORT TERM RENTAL OR WHAT WE BELIEVE IS A SHORT TERM RENTAL UNIT, AND THE O AND THE OWNER IS THERE AND WE ARE THERE TO ADDRESS A VIOLATION, I THINK THEY WOULD BE COMPELLED TO TELL US, HEY, I'M THE, I AM THE OWNER.
AND DEMONSTRATE TO US THAT THEY'RE THE OWNER.
AND SO THEY CAN SHOW THAT THEY'RE COMPLIANT.
BUT IT, IT'S, IT'S NOT A PERFECT SYSTEM.
JUST LIKE OXY'S, NOT A PERKIN PERFECT SYSTEM.
THE PARKING REGULATIONS ARE NOT A PERFECT SYSTEM.
I'VE HEARD A, A, A FEW MENTION, HOW DO WE, HOW DO WE KNOW IF IT'S OFFSITE PARKING SPACE? AGAIN, IT'S SOMETIMES IT'S GONNA BE MORE OBVIOUS THAN OTHERS.
IF THEY'RE IN A, IF WE SEE A CAR PARKED OVERNIGHT IN A, IN A, IN A PUBLIC PARK OR A PUBLIC PARKING LOT, UM, THERE, THAT'S, THAT'S A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THAN IF SOMEONE IS UTILIZING A NEIGHBOR'S PROPERTY TO PARK ON THEIR DRIVEWAY.
IT AGAIN, IT'S, IT'S, THEY'RE, THEY'RE, IT'S NOT WITHOUT CHALLENGES, BUT WE'RE, WE'RE TRYING TO GIVE OURSELVES A, A, A NUMBER OF TOOLS IN WHICH TO, TO ENFORCE THE, ENFORCE THE ORDINANCE AND CONTROL OVERCROWDING, PARKING, TRASH, FIRE SAFETY ISSUES AND SO FORTH, RIGHT? SO I HEAR THOSE AND I REALIZE IT'S IMPERFECT, BUT I THINK SOME OF THOSE IMPERFECTIONS ARE GOING TO CAUSE, UM, DISLOCATION AND, UM, TO OUR RESIDENTS, WHETHER THEY'RE FULL-TIME OR PART-TIME, I CARE ABOUT THEM.
UM, I WOULDN'T WANT SOMEONE COMING UP TO MY HOUSE KNOCKING ON THE DOOR AND ASKING ME WHY I HAVE SEVEN CARS IN MY DRIVEWAY.
UM, I, THAT'S NOT A WORLD I WANNA LIVE IN.
SO, UM, SO WE HAVE TO COME UP WITH SOMETHING BETTER THERE.
I'M NOT SURE I HAVE AN ANSWER FOR THAT, BUT, UM, FOR ME, THAT'S JUST, THAT'S NOT SOMETHING I WOULD WANNA IMPOSE ON OUR RESIDENTS.
UM, SO, AND THEN AGAIN, HOW THE PARKING SIX CARS, UM, WOULD ALIGN TO BE ABLE TO DOUBLE CHECK OR TO CONFIRM OR STYMIE OVER OCCUPANCY, UM, IS, IS CONFUSING TO ME THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THAT.
UM, AND SO THERE, WE, WE DO NOT HAVE A DIRECT RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN OCCUPANCY AND PARKING.
THEY'RE, THEY'RE, THEY'RE ALMOST TOO MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE IDEAS THE WAY THEY ARE, BUT THEY'RE BOTH INTENDED TO HELP CONTROL OVER OVER OCCUPANCY OVERCROWDING HELP CONTROL WHEN HOW MANY VEHICLES ARE SHOWING UP TO, TO A GIVEN PROPERTY.
UM, AND SO YOU'RE RIGHT THERE.
THEY DO DO NOT, THERE IS NOT A DIRECT CORRELATION.
WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO ON THE PARKING SIDE OF THE EQUATION IS TO, ONE, YES, A SITE PLAN IS CURRENTLY REQUIRED, BUT THERE ARE NOT ANY TEETH IN THAT SITE PLAN.
SO WE ARE PUTTING TEETH IN THAT SITE PLAN TO SAY, YOU'RE GONNA SHOW US NOT JUST WHERE YOU'RE GONNA PARK, BUT YOU'RE GONNA SHOW US THAT YOU'RE NOT GONNA HAVE MORE THAN SIX VEHICLES ON THE, ON THE PROPERTY.
UM, AND THEN GIGS IS OUR, OUR CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS A AN OPPORTUNITY TO, TO HELP
[02:05:01]
ENFORCE OR SOMETHING TO ENFORCE WHEN THEY GO OUT THERE.SO ONE, THEY'LL KNOW IF THERE'S MORE THAN SIX CARS AUTOMATICALLY THEY, THEY KNOW, UM, THAT THERE'S POTENTIALLY A VIOLATION THERE.
'CAUSE THEY CAN SEE ALL THAT DATA.
UH, AGAIN, IT'S, IT'S ANOTHER TOOL IN OUR TOOLBOX.
SO IT DOESN'T ACCOUNT FOR GARAGES WITH CLOSED DOORS.
WE DON'T KNOW WHAT'S IN PEOPLE'S GARAGES.
I'M JUST PLAYING DEVIL'S ADVOCATE AND THERE'S JUST, FOR ME, A A LOT OF ISSUES.
THE THING THAT, UM, THE THING THAT ALSO BOTHERS ME IS WE CERTAINLY HAVE SEEN, UM, AND I, I KNOW THAT OUR CODE ENFORCEMENT KNOWS ABOUT IT, UM, WHERE IF YOU SAY TO SOMEONE THEY CAN HAVE SIX CARS, EVEN THOUGH THEIR PROPERTY ONLY HOLDS FOUR CARS, THEY WILL PARK SIDEWAYS IN CATTYCORNER AND IN EVERY DIFFERENT WHICH WAY TO GET THOSE SIX CARS ON THAT PROPERTY.
AND THAT IS ALSO NOT NECESSARILY WHAT ANYONE WHO LIVES IN A RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD IS INTERESTED IN, IN HAVING TO DEAL WITH ON ANY GIVEN DAY.
AND IN THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS WHERE THERE'S A SIDEWALK, IF THEIR SITE PLAN INCLUDES PARKING SPACE THAT COVERS THE SIDEWALK, FORCING PEOPLE INTO THE DRIVEWAY AND AROUND PARKED CARS, HOW DOES THAT WORK? IS A SIDEWALK A AN AREA THAT IS UNMARKETABLE? UM, JUST SOME QUESTIONS WITH REGARD TO THOSE TYPES OF THINGS IN TERMS OF INSPECTIONS, UM, I THINK THAT, UM, OF ALL THE COSTS THAT WE'RE PUTTING OUT FOR PEOPLE TO HAVE TO PAY AN EXTRA COST TO COVER A CONSULTANT, A CONTRACTOR TO COME IN SO THAT WE'RE NOT OVERBURDENING OUR STAFF HERE WHO DOES THESE TYPES OF INSPECTIONS, WHO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE'S IN COMPLIANCE, CERTAINLY ISN'T AN UNREASONABLE THING TO THINK ABOUT.
UM, AND IMPACT TO, AND I'M NOT READING FROM THE DEFINITIONS RIGHT NOW, THAT ON PAGE 36, UM, UNDER 1D CLARIFY, THE ORDINANCE DOES NOT APPLY TO HOTELS, MOTELS, OR OTHER SIMILAR USES, OTHER SIMILAR LOOSE USES TELLS ME NOTHING.
AND IT LEAVES THE DOOR OPEN FOR, UM, FOR CHALLENGES.
AND SO THAT IS SOMETHING THAT I'M NOT PARTICULARLY COMFORTABLE WITH, UM, ON SAME SECTION, UM, WRITTEN NOTICE, LEGAL NOTICES PROVIDED IN WRITING OR ELECTRONICALLY PER THE SHORT TERM RENTAL REGULATIONS, JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE ARE ALSO LICENSED AS WE KEEP TALKING ABOUT PERMITS.
BUT THE STATE LAW REQUIRES THAT IF YOU OWN ONE OR MORE, UM, UNITS THAT YOU ALSO HAVE TO BE LICENSED.
I KNOW THEY GETS DOUBLE CHECKED WHEN FOLKS COME IN, BUT IT'S JUST NOT IN HERE.
SO FIGURED I WOULD MENTION IT WHILE I WAS GOING THROUGH MY LIST OF THINGS THAT I WANTED TO DISCUSS.
UM, THREE PERMIT REGULATIONS, LETTER D, SUBMISSION OF AN APPLICATION FORM, INCLUDING A SITE PLAN, UM, FOR SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENCE.
AND I HEARD IN, I THINK HE'S GONE NOW, BUT THAT THE PROPERTY MANAGERS HAVE TAKEN, UH, THE TIME TO HELP PEOPLE CREATE THEIR, UM, SITE PLANS.
UM, AND I TRUST EVERYBODY'S DOING THE RIGHT THING, BUT JUST CURIOUS ABOUT, UM, HOW VALID SOME OF THOSE SITE PLANS OVER THE TIME HAVE BEEN.
UM, SO PENALTIES FOR FALSE AND INACCURATE INFORMATION, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THOSE PENALTIES ARE.
I'M NOT SURE IF WE'VE OUTLINED DOLLAR FOR DOLLAR, WHAT PENALTIES ARE, AND I THINK WE NEED TO BE CLEAR AND LET PEOPLE KNOW.
UM, UNDER FOUR, ADDRESS ANY DELINQUENT FEES.
I ASSUME WHEN YOU SAY ADDRESS, YOU MEAN PAY, UM, AND SATISFY PRIOR TO RECEIVING A PERMIT.
UM, I KNOW THAT, UM, MOVING ON PAGE 37, UNDER THE GENERAL REGULATIONS NUMBER TWO, DISPLAY CONTACT INFORMATION AND SAFETY, NO NOTICES PROMINENTLY AT ONE TIME WE HAD A LITTLE PAMPHLET THAT WAS PUT TOGETHER WITH ALL OF THOSE TYPES OF THINGS.
IS THAT WHAT WE EXPECT EVERY RENTAL TO HAVE INSIDE OF IT? AND WE'RE ASSUMING THAT, AND, AND DO PROPERTY MANAGERS AND OWNERS BUY THEM FROM US? DO THEY HAVE A DOWNLOAD? THEY CAN PRINT THEM THEMSELVES SO THAT ALL OF THE INFORMATION IS CONSISTENT SO EVERYONE'S HEARING THE SAME MESSAGE AND GETTING THE SAME WARNINGS.
UM, THE OCCUPANCY REGULATIONS, YOU KNOW, I AGREE THE NUMBERS TO ME ARE A LITTLE BIT OFF.
AND, UM, AS WE WERE SCOURING, I GAVE MY HUSBAND, UM,
[02:10:01]
WE'RE MISSING SOME OF THE TYPE BEDROOMS, WE'RE MISSING SOME OF THE NINE BEDROOM, WE'RE MISSING SOME OF THE BIGGER ONES.AND WHEN YOU LOOK THAT UP, UM, YOU SEE THAT, IN FACT, I DON'T REMEMBER WHO IT WAS THAT SAID IT AT THIS POINT, BUT, UM, YOU CAN VARY, APPARENTLY VARY WELL, UM, FIT EIGHT BEDROOMS IN SOMETHING, UM, FAR UNDER 3,600 SQUARE, GOING BACK TO, UM, SAFETY CONCERNS AS A RULE, BUT ALSO WITH THE INCREASED NUMBER OF OCCUPANCY AND THE SMALLER ROOMS AND HOW SIZE IT JUST CREATES THE PROBLEM THAT WE, I THOUGHT WE WERE TRYING TO AVOID OVER, OVER, UM, OCCUPANCY TOO MUCH CARS, TOO MUCH NOISE, TOO MUCH TRASH BEING GENERATED.
SO, YOU KNOW, I REALIZE AS I'M TALKING THAT, UM, THESE BEST ATTEMPTS AT ADDRESSING THESE ISSUES DON'T ALWAYS FIT AND IT'S HARD.
UM, BUT IN THE LONG RUN, I THINK THAT IF WE HAVE THE DISCUSSION AND, AND WE ARE ABLE TO, TO HASH THESE OUT AND VET OUT THE BEST PLACE TO LAND, UM, WE'LL HAVE THE BEST PRODUCT THAT WE CAN HAVE THAT'S THE MOST EASILY ENFORCED.
AND, AND HOPEFULLY THE GREATEST AMOUNT OF SUCCESS BECAUSE IT IS AS, AS I'VE SAID FOREVER AND OTHER PEOPLE ARE STAYING HERE TONIGHT.
THIS IS ALL ABOUT THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR OUR RESIDENTS IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD AND THE VISITORS EXPERIENCE, UM, AS WELL.
BUT, UM, OUR RESIDENTS DESERVE US TAKING MORE TIME TO BE MORE CAREFUL TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GET THESE, UM, GET THESE AS CLOSE TO RIGHT AS WE CAN.
UM, I'M NOT BOTHERED HONESTLY BY THE FEES.
I KEEP HEARING A LOT ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THIS FEE, THAT FEE THAT THE OTHER TAX, UM, UM, TAXES, ET CETERA.
THIS IS THE COST OF DOING BUSINESS AND, UM, WE ALL HAVE TO MAKE ADJUSTMENTS TO RUN A SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS OR DECIDE IT'S NOT THE RIGHT BUSINESS FOR US.
SO, UM, WITH THAT, I THINK THAT, UM, I'VE KIND OF GONE OVER MOST OF MY BIGGEST CONCERNS WITH ALL OF THESE ISSUES AND I HOPE THAT FOR EVERYBODY LISTENING, ONE OF THE, UM, AND, AND PATSY THANK YOU FOR BRINGING IT UP.
INITIALLY, THOSE COMMUNICATIONS, UM, STAFF HELD MEETINGS AND DISCUSSIONS WITH TOWN COUNCILS AND MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC.
I'M HOPING THAT THOSE COMMUNICATIONS WITH REGARD TO MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC INCLUDE HOAS, WHERE THE RESIDENTS WHO ARE HERE FULL TIME WHO ARE THE MOST IMPACTED WERE THE ONES THAT WE WERE HEARING FROM AND NOT JUST THE PROPERTY MANAGERS.
SO IF THEY'RE NOT, THEN WE HAVE NOT DONE OUR JOB PROPERLY AND THOSE RESIDENTS NEED TO BE HEARD, UM, IN SMALL GROUPS SO THEY CAN TELL YOU THE SPECIFIC CONCERNS.
UH, I'M GONNA GO A LITTLE OFF SCRIPT HERE, MR. MAYOR, IF I MAY.
UM, TONIGHT IS A PRIME EXAMPLE OF WHY NEXT WEEK, WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY ARE GONNA BE SO IMPORTANT TO US.
I TOOK COUNCILWOMAN BECCA ABOUT 18 MINUTES TO GET THAT OFF.
WE HAVE HAD CONVERSATIONS AROUND SHORT TERM RENTALS FOR YEARS NOW, AND I CAN REMEMBER THE DAYS WHERE WE HAD NOTHING.
WE ARE NOW SAYING WE NEED MORE THAN WE CURRENTLY HAVE.
WE'VE GOTTA BE MORE EFFICIENT IN HOW WE HANDLE THIS BUSINESS.
UM, I ALMOST WANT TO ASK SEAN TO TAKE A SEAT BECAUSE HIS LEGS MAY BE GETTING LOCKED UP UP THERE.
MY BACK ACTUALLY,
I THINK THOSE ARE VALID QUESTIONS.
I, THE QUESTIONS AROUND HOW WE BRING FOLKS INTO COMPLIANCE, I THINK THOSE ARE VALID QUESTIONS AS WELL, BUT I'M NOT SURE THAT WE WANT TO WAIT ANOTHER YEAR AND WE TALK ABOUT PERMITS THAT ARE 2027 VERSUS 2026.
UH, SO WITH THAT, MR. MAYOR, I AM PREPARED TO MOVE FORWARD WITH CALLING THE QUESTION ON WHAT IS BEFORE US.
WE HAVE ONE MINUTE MORE THAN JUST A FIRE QUESTION.
UM, SO I WASN'T, I, YOU KNOW, WE WEREN'T HERE ON THE 16TH WHEN THIS HAPPENED, AND FOR THE LIFE OF ME, I DON'T REALLY UNDERSTAND WHAT COULD HAVE HAPPENED ON THE 16TH THAT WOULD'VE BROUGHT THIS HERE TODAY, HEARING EVERYTHING THAT EVERYONE SAID.
BUT JUST A COUPLE HIGH TOPICS,
[02:15:01]
HOT TOPICS FOR ME ARE LIKE, WE'RE TRYING TO, I THINK WE WORDSMITH A LOT OF THINGS.AND I KNOW THERE'S A CA LOT OF CYA GOING ON HERE.
UM, WHEN YOU INVOLVE A LOT OF ATTORNEYS IN WRITING, A LOT OF, A LOT OF LEARN A LOT OF WORDS TOGETHER.
BUT, YOU KNOW, LIKE FOR INSTANCE, THE BEDROOM, WHAT, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S A BEDROOM? WELL, WHY CAN'T WE JUST SIMPLIFY IT AND SAY IT'S THE PERMITTED DESIGN, BUILD AND RENOVATION PLAN PERIOD.
I MEAN, THAT DEFINES YOUR BEDROOMS. THE BEDROOMS THAT WERE IN THE PERMIT NOT HAVE TO GO AND INSPECT AND SEE IF THEY'RE SLEEPING IN THE BATHROOM, RIGHT? UM, FEES ACROSS THE BOARD.
WHY DO WE COMPLICATE IT AND ESCALATE FEES ACROSS THE BOARD? WE JUST MAKE IT HARDER FOR, YOU KNOW, ADMINISTRATIVELY.
SO WHY NOT JUST HAVE ONE FLAT FEE FOR EVERYONE? UM, THE OCCUPANCY RATE, I THINK WE COULD ALL PROBABLY AGREE THAT IF, AND IF NOTHING WRONG IS HAPPENING, WE WOULDN'T GET PHONE CALLS.
SO THERE'S NO NOISE VIOLATIONS.
THERE'S NO PARKING VIOLATIONS.
SO IF EVERYONE'S IN IN ORDER, WE WOULDN'T EVEN BE TALKING ABOUT THIS.
THIS IS WHAT BRINGS ALL THIS UP.
SO IT'S ALL ABOUT, IT'S ALL ABOUT ENFORCEMENT, ENFORCEMENT, ENFORCEMENT.
HOW CAN WE ENFORCE OCCUPANCY? AND WHEN WE'RE, WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT PARKING, AREN'T WE REALLY LOOKING AT PARKING AT SINGLE FAMILY HOMES, RIGHT? YES.
BECAUSE THE VILLAS THAT ARE RENTING OUT HAVE ASSIGNED PARKING.
SO I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY SINGLE FAMILY HOMES WE HAVE VERSUS VILLAS.
IT'S, I DON'T HAVE THE EXACT NU 1500.
SO IT'S ABOUT 70, IT'S ABOUT 73 TO WHATEVER, 27%, 73% BEING CONDO, 1500 HOMES.
I, I WOULD THINK BECAUSE WE'RE AT THAT PERCENTAGE THAT WE COULD INSPECT THESE HOMES AT THE PERMIT, WE COULD INSPECT THEIR, THEIR SITE PLAN AND LOOK AND SAY, YOU CAN ONLY HAVE THREE CARS.
WHY GIVE THEM SIX? WHY ARE WE GIVING THEM THAT OPTION TO LATER COME BACK ON AND GO, OH WOW.
BUT THE ORDINANCE SAYS SIX, SO I PARKED IN THE GRASS.
SO IF IT'S ONLY 15, 1700 HOMES, I KNOW THAT'S STILL A LOT, BUT IT'S NOT 7,000.
I THINK WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO INSPECT THEM.
UM, BEING ABLE TO ENFORCE THESE PERMIT DON'T MEAN THESE VIOLATIONS WITH THE MUNICIPAL COURT IS VERY IMPORTANT.
AND I THINK WE SHOULD ALL TRY TO HURRY THAT ALONG.
BUT FOR ME, IT'S ALL ABOUT ENFORCEMENT AND IT'S ALL ABOUT PEOPLE DOING WHAT THEY SHOULD BE DOING.
THE, IF THE OWNERS, IF THE OWNERS HAVE AN AGREEMENT WITH THE RENTAL COMPANY, THEN BOTH OF THOSE SHOULD BE ABIDING WITH THAT CONTRACT THEY HAVE BETWEEN EACH OTHER, AND THEY CAN PROBABLY ENFORCE MOST OF THESE OCCUPANCIES.
UH, FOR ME, THAT'S JUST AN UNENFORCEABLE ITEM.
UM, I HAVE SEVERAL MORE, BUT I DON'T WANNA HOLD UP 'CAUSE EVERYONE'S HAD A, HAD THEIR, I I COME 15 MINUTES WOULD LIKE TO HEAR THE REST OF WHAT YOU HAVE TO SAY.
WELL, I THINK, I JUST DON'T SEE HOW WE'RE GONNA GET, I MEAN, I DREAD THE SECOND READING.
I'LL PUT AN OVER UNDER, I'LL, I'LL TAKE THE OVER ON AMENDMENTS.
SO SEAN, A COUPLE QUESTIONS FOR YOU.
UM, WE, YOU KNOW, WE TALK ABOUT PARKING, UM, AND WE TALK ABOUT IDENTIFIED SPACES FOR PARKING.
AND WE KNOW THAT SOME OF THESE LARGER STRUCTURES HAVE PARKING FOR FOUR CARS IN A GARAGE, THEN THEY HAVE SPACE OUTSIDE FOR PROBABLY FOUR CARS, VIEWABLE VERSUS NON-VIEWABLE.
YOU KNOW, DID THAT COME UP IN THE CONVERSATIONS? YOU KNOW, WHEN WE'RE TRYING TO CREATE THIS, IT DID.
UM, THAT'S WHERE WE HAVE THE BALANCE WITH THE, YOU HAVE TO PUT AS A SITE PLAN.
SO IF YOU'RE GONNA PUT TWO CARS IN THE GARAGE AND YOU'RE ONLY GONNA SHOW FOUR CARS OUTSIDE, AND WE SHOW UP AND WE SEE SIX CARS OUTSIDE, YOU'RE NOT IN COMPLIANCE WITH YOUR SITE PLAN.
SO THAT'S WHY WE JUST LOOKED AT A, A TOTAL SPREAD.
YEAH, I JUST, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, THERE'S SOME THINGS THAT ARE A LITTLE CHALLENGING, BUT, YOU KNOW, WITHIN THIS.
BUT, UM, I WANNA TAKE A STEP BACK REAL QUICK BECAUSE I, I SHOULD HAVE STARTED WITH THIS.
UM, WE'RE IN YEAR THREE OF A SHORT TERM RENTAL ORDINANCE, AND IT'S NOT PERFECT.
WHAT WE'RE PRESENTING TODAY IS NOT PERFECT.
UM, BUT IT'S BEEN A PUSH FROM THE COMMUNITY TO DRIVE SOMETHING THAT CREATES A BETTER SITUATION FOR RESIDENTS AND GUESTS.
UM, SO WHILE IT'S NOT PERFECT, IT WILL BE ADDRESSED TO, UH, TO TALK ABOUT THOSE THINGS THAT, THAT AREN'T WORKING.
AND IF IT IS AFFECTING THE AT TAX REVENUES, WELL THAT, DOES THAT DESERVE A, A DIFFERENT LOOK.
RIGHT? AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S DOWN THE ROAD.
WE DIDN'T HAVE DATA WHEN WE STARTED THIS THREE YEARS AGO.
WE'RE CREATING A LOT MORE DATA NOW THAN WE'VE EVER HAD.
AND THAT'S WHERE YOU'VE GOTTA MAKE YOUR DECISIONS FROM.
[02:20:01]
AND NOISE ARE THE TWO BIGGEST ISSUES THAT ARE FACED WITH SHORT TERM RENTALS.SO WITHOUT ENFORCEMENT AS, AS, AS IT WAS TOLD TO ME WHEN I WAS UP AT WILD DUNES FOR A BEACH ADVOCATES MEETING, WE'RE THE WILD, WILD WEST DOWN HERE IN HILTON HEAD.
WE'VE GOT TO HAVE THE PROPER ENFORCEMENT IN PLACE.
I THINK THAT IF SHORT TERM RENTAL GETS A CITATION, THE OWNER AND THE MANAGEMENT COMPANY NEEDS TO BE NOTIFIED.
IF THAT PERSON GETS MULTIPLE CITATIONS AND THINGS AREN'T WORKING OUT, THEN THE PROPERTY MANAGEMENT COMPANY MAY NEED TO BE NOTIFIED AGAIN AND SAY THERE'S A RISK, THEN THERE'S A RISK TO THE OWNER, RIGHT? BECAUSE IT'S A HABITUAL PROPERTY.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, MS. HUNTER, TO YOUR QUESTION, HOW DO YOU DO THAT? THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S GOTTA GO INTO THAT TO, TO REALLY ADDRESS IT.
UM, SO, BUT I I, YOU GUYS HAVE DONE AN AMAZING JOB TO CREATE THE BEST POSSIBLE ORDINANCE YOU CAN CREATE.
AND, AND I, I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA SAY IT, BUT WE NEED TO TRUST YOU, THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING AND THE REST OF STAFF AND WHAT THEY'RE DOING.
AND THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT WE'VE BEEN PUTTING OUT THERE PUBLICLY TO Y'ALL.
AND I THINK WE NEED TO DO A BETTER JOB OF THAT AS A TOWN COUNCIL.
UM, SO I'M NOT DONE MS. BECKER.
OKAY, WELL, WELL, I'M NOT DONE.
NO ONE WAS TRYING TO STOP YOU.
UM, GOING BACK TO THE PARKING, RIGHT, YOU KNOW, SIX, I MEAN, IT'S, YOU KNOW, YOU'VE GOT A HOUSE THAT, THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, HAS FOUR GAR FOUR SPOTS IN THE GARAGE, AND YOU'VE, THEY HAVE MULTIPLE SPOTS OUTSIDE.
ARE WE CREATING IT TOO STRICT WITH THAT? WELL, I HAD A PART TWO TO, TO TO MY EXAMPLE.
SO, SO IF THEY SHOWED TWO CARS IN THE GARAGE AND THEY ONLY SHOW FOUR OUTSIDE, THEN WE KNOW THERE'S AN ISSUE.
WHAT WE, WHAT WHAT WE, WHAT WE DON'T KNOW IS AN ISSUE IF THEY HAVE FOUR CARS ON THE INSIDE, BUT THERE'S STILL SIX CARS ON THE OUTSIDE, RIGHT? SO THERE, THERE IS, THERE IS A COUNTERBALANCE WITH, WITH, WITH THAT REGULATION.
AND I'M ASKING THESE QUESTIONS JUST, JUST SO THAT IT'S PUT OUT THERE IN PUBLIC SO WE CAN HAVE THAT CONVERSATION.
UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THE THE 3,600 SQUARE FEET, YOU KNOW, WITH, WITH THE FIRE, YOU KNOW, IDENTIFYING SYSTEMS THAT, THAT WE WERE DISCUSSING, I AGREE THAT IT NEEDS TO BE TIED TO BEDROOMS AS WELL.
YOU, YOU KNOW, THERE, SO THERE'S SOME THINGS THERE THAT NEED TO BE REALLY LOOKED AT TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT WE'RE NOT JUST SAYING THAT SQUARE FOOTAGE, BUT OKAY, A SMALLER HOUSE DOES HAVE MORE BEDROOMS, OKAY? IT REQUIRES MORE.
UM, AND I THINK THAT WOULD BE GOOD FOR, FOR THE, THE, UM, THE CHIEF TO KNOW AS WELL IS, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S, WHAT'S THERE, RIGHT? BECAUSE MAYBE, MAYBE YOU DO NEED, DO NEED TO RESPOND WITH MORE THAN WHAT YOU'RE THE, THE TH 3,600 ORDINANCE CALLS FOR.
UM, YOU KNOW, AND IF, IF WE'RE GONNA IMPLEMENT THAT, I, I WOULD, I WOULD SUGGEST THAT WE PUT OFF RAISING FEES UNTIL 2027.
IF, IF THEY'RE GONNA HAVE TO COME IN AND, AND, AND UPFIT AND PAY SOME EXTRA, YOU KNOW WHAT? UNDERSTAND, PUT IT OFF A YEAR.
IT'S NOT, I DON'T THINK IT'S A PROFIT CENTER FOR US.
IT'S NOT, WE'RE NOT TRYING TO DO THIS TO DRIVE REVENUES FOR THE TOWN.
WE'RE DOING THIS TO, TO IMPROVE SAFETY FOR THE TOWN.
YES, WE, WE WANT TO COVER OUR COSTS.
UM, BUT I DON'T SEE, SEE THIS AS A PROFIT CENTER.
UM, YOU KNOW, AS MR. DESMOND SAID, 1500 HOMES, YOU KNOW, BREAK IT UP IN TWO YEARS.
YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU DO YOUR, YOU DO, UH, INSPECTIONS OVER A TWO YEAR PERIOD, RIGHT? YOU, YOU GET, YOU GET BETTER DATA, YOU GET WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW, AND YOU KNOW MORE ABOUT THAT PROPERTY.
I, YOU KNOW, SO, SO THAT INSPECTION PROCESS I, I THINK IS A GOOD THING.
UM, WE ARE GOING TO CONTINUE TALKING ABOUT EITHER A MUNICIPAL COURT OR CHANGES IN OUR ORDINANCE THAT ALLOWS US TO ISSUE CITATIONS FOR PARKING, LITTERING NOISE, AND EVERYTHING ELSE THAT WE DEEM THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED.
UM, SO WE HAVE GOT TO MOVE SOMETHING FORWARD, EVEN IF IT'S GONNA REQUIRE SOME ADJUSTMENTS DOWN THE ROAD.
HAVING SOMETHING IN PLACE ALLOWS US TO UNDERSTAND HOW IT WORKS OR DOESN'T WORK.
AND THEN WE'VE, WE MOVE ON THE FLY.
WE'VE GOT TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT.
MS. BECKER, I'LL GIVE IT TO YOU FOR, FOR A COUPLE OF MINUTES.
THE, UM, MOVING IT ON A FLY, THIS IS AN ORDINANCE WHICH DOESN'T MOVE ON THE FLY.
IF IT WAS A RESOLUTION, WE COULD COME IN AND WE CAN MAKE ADJUSTMENTS.
SO IN ORDER TO GET IT RIGHT AND TO THE, DO THE BEST OF OUR BUSINESS FOR EVERYONE INVOLVED, THIS PARTICULAR SHORT TERM RENTAL ORDINANCE AMENDMENT DISCUSSION SHOULD HAVE BEEN VETTED.
EVEN THOUGH IT'S, WE'VE BEEN INVOLVED IN THE BUSINESS FOR THREE YEARS, THIS SHOULD NOT BE THE FIRST TIME.
TWO PEOPLE ARE HAVING AN OPPORTUNITY TO CONTRIBUTE, NOR IS IT APPROPRIATE.
THAT'S THE FIRST TIME THAT WE'RE ALL DISCUSSING, UM, THE ITEMS
[02:25:01]
THAT WERE WITHIN THIS DOCUMENT, UM, THAT ARE CHANGES AND NEW TO US ALL.THERE ARE ISSUES THAT NEED TO BE ADDRESSED AND ENFORCEMENT IS THE BIGGEST, UM, THE BIGGEST PART OF IT.
AND WHEN WE TALK ABOUT NOT UPPING THE FEES FOR THE COST, THERE'S A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT I WANT TO HIGHLIGHT.
AND ONE IS THAT IF WE'RE GOING TO RELY ON A MUNICIPAL COURT SOMEWHERE IN THIS DOCUMENT, IT SAID THAT SOME OF THE FUNDS FROM THE, FROM THIS WOULD GO TO OFFSET THOSE EXPENSES.
MOREOVER, UM, OUR DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC SAFETY, UM, CAN ONLY DO SO MUCH WITH THE STAFF HE HAS AND THERE'S A LOT TO DO.
AND SO THOSE ARE ADDITIONAL COSTS.
AND WHY, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE BUDGET WILL LOOK LIKE THIS YEAR.
I CERTAINLY DO THINK THAT, UM, SOME OF THE FEES, INCREASING THE FEES WITH REGARD TO, UM, SHORT TERM RENTALS MIGHT BE APPROPRIATE.
UM, AND SO I WOULD, I WOULD MAKE SURE THAT I, I WILL HOLD RESERVATION ON THAT.
BUT THE MOST IMPORTANT THING THAT I THINK WE AS A COUNCIL NEED TO BE IS RESPONSIBLE AND RESPONSIVE.
IF WE CAN ASK FOR MORE ENFORCEMENT, IF WE CAN GET GOBOS TO DO A BETTER JOB, IF WE CAN PUT INTO REGULATION ONE, UM, THE REGULATIONS, THINGS THAT MAKE SENSE, THINGS THAT WILL ACTUALLY BE USEFUL AND NOT JUST THROW SOMETHING AT THE WALL BECAUSE WE'RE THE WILD, WILD WEST BY OTHER PEOPLE'S OPINION, UM, I THINK WE'LL DO A FAR BETTER JOB AT DOING OUR JOB AS, UM, REPRESENTATIVES OF THE COMMUNITY AND RESPONSIBLE FISCAL, UM, ELECTED OFFICIALS.
AND SO FOR THAT REASON, I'M GONNA FIND IT DIFFICULT TONIGHT TO SUPPORT THIS BECAUSE I THINK IT NEEDS MORE DISCUSSION.
AND I WOULD ASK A QUESTION TO OUR TOWN ATTORNEY WHO I THOUGHT I HEARD HIM SAY THAT THESE ARE SOME SIGNIFICANT CHANGES, AND THEREFORE, TYPICALLY WHEN THAT HAPPENS, IT HAS TO COME BACK FOR A FIRST READING AGAIN AFTER THOSE CHANGES BEEN MADE.
IS THAT THE CASE HERE, OR ARE WE NOT THERE? WELL, NO, I WAS TALKING ABOUT THE CHANGES THAT ARE EMBODIED IN THE TEXT OF THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT, CORRECT.
WHILE THERE HAS BEEN A LOT OF DISCUSSION ABOUT THINGS FOLKS MAY WANT TO SEE CHANGED, I HAVEN'T HEARD ANYONE MOVE TO AMEND THE TEXT OF WHAT'S BEFORE YOU.
AND THAT'S WHY THE TIMING IS REALLY NOT CORRECT FOR TONIGHT.
YOU GOT SOMETHING TO ADD TO THAT? I, I DO.
AND I WAITING, UH, TO HEAR THAT FROM, FROM CURTIS, MR. COLTRANE, BECAUSE YES, ON, ON THE FLOOR IS YOUR FIRST, YOU KNOW, IS YOUR, IS YOUR MOTION AND A SECOND FOR APPROVAL.
WE HEARD A LOT OF FEEDBACK, YOU KNOW, AS, AS I TYPICALLY WOULD.
I, I'VE TUCKED UP SOME NOTES AND I JUST WANNA BACK UP FOR ONE SECOND.
WHEN WE WERE HERE IN SEPTEMBER, IT WAS SOMETIME INTO THE PROGRAM WHERE TOWN COUNCIL ASKED ME AND, AND OUR TEAM AND, AND SEAN'S NEW, UM, KNEW NOW AND NOT NEW AFTER TONIGHT ANYMORE, SEAN.
UM, MY PROBATION PERIOD'S OVER, IT'S, IT'S OVER.
UM, BUT YOU ASKED US TO BRING BACK TO YOU LESSONS LEARNED AND, AND POTENTIAL CALIBRATION, UH, AMENDMENTS TO THE PROVISIONS OF THE CURRENT SHORT TERM RENTAL ORDINANCE.
AND AT THE TIME, WE, WE TALKED ABOUT PERMIT IDENTIFICATION, WHETHER THAT IS ON A BUILDING OR IN THE AD, BUT IT WAS SOMEWHERE PROFESSIONAL MANAGEMENT NOISE, ESPECIALLY AFTER HOURS, RIGHT? WE GO HOME, UH, DARK.
WE ARE NOT KNOCKING ON DOORS AT MIDNIGHT TELLING SOMEBODY THAT THEY'RE TOO NOISY.
THAT IS A BEAUFORT COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE ISSUE.
WE TALKED ABOUT PARKING PLANNED VERSUS ACTUAL.
AND I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE REITERATE THAT A PARKING PLAN AS YOU SUBMIT, IS SUBMITTED AND IT'S PART OF YOUR PERMIT.
SO WHEN YOU PARK IN A DIFFERENT PLACE, THE, THE RENTER OR THE PERSON IN THE SHORT TERM RENTAL HAVING A PARTY ON THE COUCH, THEY'RE ALSO ACCOUNTABLE TO OUR EXPECTATIONS HERE.
BUT SO IS THE PERMIT HOLDER NO, NO DIFFERENT THAN A SUBDIVISION APPLICATION PERMIT HOLDER DURING CONSTRUCTION.
BUT YOU DID SAY FIGURE OUT PARKING PLAN, ACTUAL ENFORCEMENT.
HOW DO WE ENFORCE BETTER BOB'S TO A DEGREE, HANDS ARE TIED AT CERTAIN POINTS AND HE, HE ALLUDED TO THAT TONIGHT.
BUT YOU SAID, HOW DO WE ENFORCE BETTER, INCLUDING AFTER HOURS? AND I CONTINUE TO HEAR ABOUT GOV OS WE ARE WORKING ON THAT.
APRIL'S HEAD WAS NODDING MOST OF THE TIME 'CAUSE I KNOW SHE'S LOOKING INTO IT.
BUT THE COMPLAINT PROCESS AS WELL AS THE ENFORCEMENT PROCESS NEED TO IMPROVE.
AND I THINK THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE, AT THE VERY MINIMUM PROVIDE FOR AT LEAST A BETTER ENFORCEMENT OCCUPANCY.
WE, WE, WE DON'T KNOW HOW TO LIMIT OCCUPANCY EXCEPT WE ARE ALL CHALLENGED WITH TOO MANY PEOPLE IN A HOME, ON
[02:30:01]
A SMALL STREET, ON A SMALL LOT.AND THE CAPACITY BECOMES THE ISSUE.
AND WE ALWAYS TALK ABOUT THE DECAY OF NEIGHBORHOOD BECAUSE THEY'RE SHORT TERM RENTAL UNITS, NO LONGER SINGLE FAMILY HOMES.
YOU, WHEN WE CAME TO YOU IN SEPTEMBER, YOU ALSO SAID ALIGN WITH POAS BETTER.
WE ARE WORKING AS MUCH AND AS WELL AS WE CAN WITH THOSE POAS AS WE CAN.
YOU KNOW, WE ALSO TALKED ABOUT FIRE SAFETY.
THERE WERE SOME OPPORTUNITIES TO IMPROVE THAT AS PART OF THE PERMIT, UM, COVER COSTS, AND THEN COMMUNICATE WITH MANAGEMENT COMPANIES.
FROM WHAT I HEARD TONIGHT, I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO BRING BACK FOR SECOND READING WITH ONE EXCEPTION ENFORCEMENT.
SO IF YOU WOULD, AND IF YOU COULD ALLOW ME TO BRING BACK FOR SECOND AND FINAL READING A BIFURCATION OF THE ENFORCEMENT PART BECAUSE, UM, BOB NEEDS OUR CO OUR, I WOULD SAY MR. BROMAGE, BUT OUR DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC SAFETY AND OUR SEVEN MEMBER, THAT'S ALL WE HAVE, SEVEN MEMBER TEAM, I THINK THAT'S ONE PERSON PER THOUSAND UNITS, UM, NEEDS SOME DIFFERENT STRENGTH THIS SEASON AND LAST.
AND SO I DON'T WANNA WAIT ON THAT.
AND SO THAT EVERYBODY CALLS ME AND SAYS, WHY ARE PEOPLE PARKING UP AND DOWN THE STREET AND WHY HAVEN'T WE GIVEN A TICKET? MAKE NO MISTAKE, WE CAN CHANGE THE ENFORCEMENT.
WE ARE STILL NOT, NOT KNOCKING ON DOORS AT 10 O'CLOCK AT NIGHT IN THE DARKNESS.
SO, UM, WE DO WORK AS MUCH AS WE CAN WITH THE BEAUFORT COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE, UM, ON, ON THOSE MATTERS.
SO IF NOTHING ELSE, I, I SUGGEST BRINGING FORWARD THE ENFORCEMENT SIDE, LETTING US GO BACK, LETTING SEAN EASES BACK UP A LITTLE BIT.
AND LET US GO BACK TO THE, THE, THE VIDEO TONIGHT AND REALLY SEE WHAT CHAT OR MAKE A MOTION TO MOVE THIS FORWARD AT FIRST READING FOR ENFORCEMENT ONLY.
BUT BE SPECIFIC ON WHAT YOU WANT ME TO CHANGE FOR SECOND AND FINAL READING ON THE OTHER ITEMS. IT, IT'S, IT'S YOUR CALL.
OKAY, MR. BROWN, WHY, WHY, WHY? LEMME SUGGEST, WHY NOT TABLE THIS ITEM AND BRING ANOTHER MOTION UP FOR ENFORCEMENT? THAT'S AN OPTION.
MAYOR, I'M TOTALLY AGAINST TABLING THIS BECAUSE OUR COMMUNITY HAS WAITED LONG ENOUGH AND WE'RE ABOUT TO HAVE ANOTHER SEASON, THE SPRING SEASON, THE SUMMER SEASON.
AND THERE IS A BALANCING HERE.
IT'S BALANCING FOR THOSE WHO ARE IN THE BUSINESS AND IT'S BALANCING FOR OUR RESIDENTS.
AND THIS TIME WE NEED TO TIP THE SCALES TOWARDS THE RESIDENTS AND START WITH ENFORCEMENT.
THIS DOESN'T TAKE IN THIS PARTICULAR ORDINANCE DOES NOT TAKE EFFECT UNTIL JANUARY 1ST, 2026.
SO THIS SEASON ENFORCEMENT IS REALLY THE CRUX OF EVERYTHING WE'VE GOT.
AND MAYOR, THAT'S WHY I SUGGESTED AND
I'M READY TO MOVE ON WITH THE WHOLE THING.
WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE ENFORCEMENT AND, AND THE PARKING PROVISIONS THAT MS. BECKER MENTIONED.
YOU CAN'T PARK IN THE ROAD, ET CETERA, IN THE BUFFER AREA.
'CAUSE I THINK THAT CAN BE DONE WELL.
WELL, WHAT DOES THAT GIVE YOU? WHAT DOES THAT GIVE YOU? WHAT DOES THAT GIVE YOU? IT GIVES YOU SOMETHING THAT WE CAN WORK ON AND TELL PEOPLE TO GET THEIR HOUSE IN ORDER.
UM, AND IT GIVES US THE ENFORCEMENT MECHANISM.
AND IF WE PUT IT OFF, WE'RE GONNA KEEP PUTTING IT OFF AND PUTTING IT OFF AND PUTTING IT OFF.
UM, AND OUR COMMUNITY IS NOT, WE NEED TO TREAT 'EM BETTER THAN THAT.
THE STAFF HAS DONE AN EXCELLENT JOB AT THIS.
I MEAN, I LOOKED AT THE STAFF REPORT, I LOOKED AT ALL THE AMENDMENTS, AND THE ONLY CONCERN I HAD WAS ABOUT THE EFFECTIVE DATE.
TELL MANAGER JUST SAID HE COULDN'T.
HE DOESN'T EVEN KNOW WHAT TO BRING BACK FOR A SECOND READING.
WELL, I'M TELLING HIM WHAT I WANT.
WELL, THAT'S WHY WE SHOULD VOTE AGAINST IT.
HANG ON, HANG ON, HANG ON, MR. ALFRED.
I THINK THE MANAGER HAS MADE A VERY REASONABLE SUGGESTION THAT WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THE ENFORCEMENT PROVISIONS.
ONE OF THE TWO THINGS THAT YOU SUGGESTED WAS LOOKING AT THE FILM FOR THIS AND FIGURING OUT WHAT IT IS THAT YOU CAN BRING BACK FOR FURTHER DISCUSSION, RIGHT? INTERPRETED YOU CORRECT ME.
YOU'RE GONNA WATCH THE VIDEO BACK AND TELL ME YOU'RE CORRECT ANYWAY, BUT WHAT, WHAT I'M, WHAT I'M, WHAT I'M GRAPPLING WITH IS YOU, RIGHT? SO FIRST AND SECOND TO APPROVE AS IS WITH SOME DISCUSSION ABOUT ENFORCEMENT.
HOWEVER, I DID HEAR ACROSS THE LINE IT'S MAYBE CHARGED IN 27, CHANGE PARKING.
YOU, YOU TALKED CHANGE OCCUPANCY.
YOU TALKED A LOT ABOUT WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO CHANGE.
AND MY, MY POINT SIMPLY IS THIS EVENING, WITH ALL DUE RESPECT, IF THOSE ARE THE EXPECTATIONS TO BRING BACK AT SECOND AND FINAL READING, THAT WE MAKE SOME MODIFICATION OTHER THAN WHAT WE PRESENTED, THAT YOU PROVIDE THAT CLARITY TO ME SO WE KNOW WHAT AMENDMENT TO CHANGE OR WE KNOW WHAT PROVISION
[02:35:01]
TO CHANGE.EXCUSE ME, WE CAN ADOPT IT AS WE DON'T BRING OUR RESIDENTS CONFUSION.
THAT'S WHAT IT'LL BE IF WE PASS IT.
UM,
UM, ARE YOU WILLING TO A, A ADJUST YOUR MOTION AND MR. ALFRED, YOU WOULD HAVE TO AGREE TO THAT AS WELL.
YOU KNOW, BECAUSE WE'RE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SOME, SOME CORE CHANGES TO THE OVERALL ORDINANCE.
UM, THE DISCUSSION ON ENFORCEMENT SEEMS TO BE ONE OF THE HIGHEST AND MOST CONSISTENT DISCUSSIONS.
UM, SO MR. MAYOR, THE SPIRIT OF BEING ACTION ORIENTED, I'D BE WILLING TO AMEND MY MOTION TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE, UH, AMENDMENTS AS PROPOSED AND ALSO TAKE UP THE EFFECTIVE AND ENFORCEMENT IS WHERE MS. BRYSON WAS GOING.
I'M NOT, I'M NOT SUGGESTING ANY MATERIAL CHANGES BASED ON THE CONVERSATION TODAY, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE ENFORCEMENT AND THE EFFECTIVE DATES, I WILL BE WILLING TO AMEND MY MOTION IN THAT MATTER.
MR. ER, WOULD YOU, UM, STILL SECOND THAT FOR DISCUSSION THEN? WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? CURTIS, IF I HAVE UNDERSTOOD THE CONVERSATION, THEN I THINK THAT WHAT MS. BRYSON SUGGESTED WAS THAT SHE IS PREPARED TO VOTE ON THE TEXT OF THE AMENDMENTS AS IT IS WRITTEN, BUT THAT SHE WANTS TO CHANGE THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THE WAIT A MINUTE, THE, THE WHAT? THE, THE, THE, THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THAT PORTION OF THE AMENDMENT THAT DEALS WITH ENFORCEMENT.
AND I CAN'T FIND IT TO GIVE YOU WHAT THAT SECTION IS.
OBJECTION CHAD DASH TWO DASH 60.
SO IF, IF, IF THAT IS WHAT YOUR PROPOSAL WAS, HAVE I STATED IT CORRECTLY? YES, SIR.
ALRIGHT, THEN I THINK WHAT WOULD NEED TO CHANGE WOULD NOT BE ANY OF THE TEXT WITHIN THE PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO THE CODE, BUT RATHER THE TEXT OF THE ADOPTING ORDINANCE ITSELF TO SIMPLY MODIFY TO SAY THAT THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF SECTIONS, WHATEVER REMAINS JANUARY 1ST, 2026.
HOWEVER, THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF, WAS IT 10 DASH TWO DASH 60 10 DASH TWO DASH 60 IS EFFECTIVE ON ADOPTION.
THAT WOULD NOT BE A CHANGE TO THE TEXT OF MR. LETTER.
I GIVE YOU CODE LIMITED TO CODE.
THAT WOULD JUST BE A TEXT TO THE, TO THE ORDINANCE THAT ADOPTS.
I I WANT, I WANT YOUR FEEDBACK ON THAT, MR. ORLANDO.
YES, I, I'M, I'M CLEAR ON THAT AND I, I APOLOGIZE IF I, I MADE THIS SOUND MORE COMPLICATED.
I I DID HEAR DON'T CHARGE FEES.
I, I HEARD, UH, APPLY THE 3,600 SQUARE FOOT FIRE ALARM ISSUE TO ALL HOMES.
SO THAT'S WHAT I WAS ALLUDING TO.
IT SEEMED LIKE THERE WERE A LOT OF SUGGESTIONS, BUT NO MOTIONS.
BUT IF YOU WERE MAKING THE MOTION IN WHOLE, NOT IN PART WITH ONE EXCEPTION, AND THAT BE ENFORCEMENT AND THAT ENFORCEMENT BE EFFECTIVE UPON ADOPTION OF SECOND AND FINAL READING AND EVERYTHING ELSE AS PROPOSED IN FIRST READING BY MR. LEININGER, UH, BE, UH, IN EFFECT JANUARY 1, 26.
SO BE IT, THAT MEANS YOU'RE APPRO IT, CORRECT? CORRECT.
WELL, THE AMENDMENT THAT I WOULD LIKE TO ADD, AND I'M NOT SURE WHAT THE CORRECT PROTOCOL IS, UM, AT A MINIMUM, UM, I WANT TO MAKE AN AMENDMENT.
I THINK WE'VE ALL SAID THAT THE, UM, FIRE, UM, THE UPDATED FIRE CODE WOULD APPLY TO ALL OF THE UNITS, UM, PERMITTED UNITS.
AND IT MAY NOT BE AS COMPLICATED.
AND I'LL LET CHIEF GIVE US, UM, HIS OPINION, BECAUSE I KNOW HE CARES ABOUT EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THEM.
AS MUCH AS WE ALL DO MORE THAN THE SAME, IS THAT IT DOESN'T NECESSARILY HAVE TO BE THE PULL HANDLE, BUT AS LONG AS EACH OF THE FIRED UNITS IS INTERCONNECTED AND THEN RAIL LAID TO A, NOT TO YOUR CELL PHONE, NOT TO
[02:40:01]
ANYWHERE ELSE, BUT DIRECTLY TO A MONITORING SYSTEM THAT REACHES IMMEDIATELY OUT TO Y'ALL, THAT THAT IS A REASONABLE, THAT WOULD BE REASONABLE AS WELL.I'M NOT TRYING TO OVERBURDEN EVERYONE WITH GETTING A PULL HANDLE AND THE, THE, THE CONTRACTOR AND ALL OF THAT.
REALLY EXPECTATION THAT THAT WOULD SERVE AN ADEQUATE PURPOSE.
LITERALLY, IT'S NOT THE, THE MONITORING OF IT, UM, WHICH IS REQUIRED UNDER THIS, UM, IN THIS, IN THE SMALLER UNITS THAT AREN'T AS LARGE, IF SOMEONE IS IN THE HOUSE, A FIRE IS GOING TO BE NOTICED A LITTLE BETTER THAN IN THE LARGER HOUSES.
UM, BUT IN YOUR STUDIO APARTMENTS, YOUR CONDOS AND STUFF THAT ALREADY ARE YOUR, UM, TIMESHARE TYPE STUFF, THAT STUFF ALREADY EXISTS, SO RIGHT.
AND YES, IT WOULD BE NOTICED IF YOU'RE AWAKE, CORRECT? YEAH.
SO ULTIMATELY, IS IT MORE SAFER? YES.
BUT WHAT, WHAT WHAT YOU'RE DOING IS YOU'RE PICKING IT APART AND JUST GRABBING SOMETHING THAT YOU WANT.
THERE'S STILL 25 OTHER PROBLEMS THAT ARE GOING ON.
BECKER MADE A MOTION TO AMEND THE MOTION ON THE TABLE, AND THAT IS TO TAKE IT FROM 3,600 SQUARE FEET TO ALL UNITS.
AND IS THERE A SECOND FOR THAT MOTION? SEEING NONE, THAT MOTION FAILS.
I MEAN THAT'S, THAT'S PROTOCOL.
I WILL UN UNDERSTAND THE PROTOCOL.
I'M JUST GONNA MAKE HEARD DISCUSS.
WE, UH, JUDGE, WE HAVE BEEN HAVING THIS DISCUSSION FOR A VERY LONG TIME.
WE ALL ON THIS DUS HAVE A VOTE, A PEACE.
IF WE DON'T LIKE WHAT'S BEFORE US, WE VOTE.
YOU ALSO HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO TALK TO EACH OTHER ABOUT, PLEASE, PLEASE, I THINK WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO TALK TO EACH OTHER.
I UNDERSTAND THAT I HAVE THE FLOOR, BUT I DIDN'T LIKE WHAT YOU SAID.
IF THE CONSENSUS IS TO VOTE NO AND THE STAFF HAS TO START OVER, THEN THAT'S DUE PROCESS.
IF THE CONSENSUS IS TO MOVE FORWARD, THEN WE MOVE FORWARD.
SO I'M ASKING THAT THE MAYOR CALL THE QUESTION.
ALRIGHT, SO MR. COLTRANE, I, I NEED THE CLARIFICATION FROM YOU, UM, BECAUSE WE HAVE THE ORIGINAL MOTION AND THEN IT WAS AMENDED BY MR. BROWN, A SECONDED BY MR. ALFRED, AND THAT'S WHAT WE NEED TO BE VOTING ON AND COMPLETE.
OR DO WE NEED TO BREAK IT DOWN IN, IN THE TWO YOU PULLING UP, IT WAS, IT WAS BIFURCATING, YOU KNOW, REMOVING THE ENHANCEMENT.
I DIDN'T THINK BIFURCATING WELL, I MEAN, AGAIN, IF I, IF I HEARD IT CORRECTLY IN THE ORDINANCE, THAT WOULD ADOPT CHANGES IF APPROVED SECTION THREE OF THAT ORDINANCE CURRENTLY READS, THIS ORDINANCE SHALL HAVE AN EFFECTIVE DATE OF JANUARY 1ST, 2026.
IN ORDER TO ACCOMPLISH WHAT MS. BRYSON PROPOSED, I WOULD CHANGE THAT TWO SECONDS.
I WOULD SUGGEST ADDING A SUBSECTION A AND A SUBSECTION B, A WITH SECTION 10 DASH TWO DASH 60 EFFECTIVE UPON ADOPTION.
AND B, THE REMAINING SECTIONS ADOPTED ARE EFFECTIVE AS OF JANUARY 1ST, 2026.
SO NOT, NOT SURE I HEARD THAT IT CURRENTLY READS THE ORDINANCE SHALL HAVE AN EFFECTIVE DATE OF JANUARY 1ST, 2026.
UM, I THINK WHAT IT SHOULD READ TO ACCOMPLISH WHAT YOU SEEK TO ACCOMPLISH WOULD BE SECTION 10 DASH TWO DASH 60.
AND IF YOU STATE IT THAT WAY, IT INCLUDES A AND B SHALL BECOME EFFECTIVE UPON ADOPTION SEMI THE REMAINING SECTIONS, WE COULD LIST THEM OUT, BUT JUST SAY THE REMAINING SECTIONS SHALL HAVE AN EFFECTIVE DATE OF JANUARY 1ST, 2026.
OKAY, THAT IS THE MOTION THAT IS ON THE TABLE.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE SIGNIFY BY RAISING YOUR RIGHT HAND.
ALL THOSE OPPOSED SIGNIFY BY RAISING YOUR RIGHT HAND.
WHO WAS AGAINST THAT? WOULD'VE BEEN, UH, MS. HUNTER, MYSELF, MS. BECKER? MR. UH, DESMO.
WELL, IT'S, WHILE IT'S A MOMENT HERE, CAN I ASK YOU A QUESTION? WHAT HAPPENED TO THE
[02:45:01]
RESPONSE THOUGH THAT WE WERE GOING TO GET, UM, AS SUGGESTED AN EXECUTIVE SESSION AS TO WHAT WOULD BE ENFORCEABLE? UM, GIVEN THAT SOME FOLKS ALREADY HAVE PERMITS, I STILL WANNA HEAR MORE ABOUT THAT, AND I REALIZE ALL THESE CONVERSATIONS TAKE TIME AND WHETHER IT'S 18 MINUTES OR 25 MINUTES, MY JOB IS HERE TO DO THE RIGHT THING.I, I WOULD SIMPLY SUGGEST IF YOU'D LIKE TO ADD THAT ITEM IN EXEC SESSION THIS EVENING, UH, PLEASE DO SO.
IF, IF NOT, WE'RE GONNA HAVE SOME MORE MEETINGS COMING UP, WE CAN ADD IT APPROPRIATELY, THEN, UM, WE HAVE A LOT OF INPUT ON THIS.
UH, I THINK WITH SOME MODIFICATIONS WE CAN BRING YOU BACK A CLEANER, MORE APPROPRIATE CURRENT VERSION OF A SHORT-TERM RENTAL ORDINANCE.
SO FIRST AND FOREMOST, I APPRECIATE MR. LEININGER, HIS, HIS HARD WORK AND, AND AS WELL, MR. COLTRANE, BUT ALSO THANK YOU TO YOU.
I APPRECIATE ALL THE WORK THAT YOU PUT INTO THIS.
[9. Public Comment - Non Agenda Items]
TO, UH, PUBLIC COMMENT.I'D LIKE TO RE REMIND EVERYONE THE NEW COMMENT, UH, PUBLIC COMMENT ORDINANCE THAT WAS ADOPTED IN JUNE THAT STATES THAT EVERYONE WISHING TO MAKE A PUBLIC COMMENT MUST FILL OUT A FORM PRIOR TO THE MEETING.
KIM, HAS ANYONE SIGNED UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENT? I HAVE ONE ADDITIONAL COMMENT TONIGHT.
I AM A DEDICATED VOLUNTEER AND AN ADVOCATE FOR SANDALWOOD.
UM, YESTERDAY THEY CELEBRATED 15 YEARS OF SERVING THE PUBLIC.
THEN THAT STARTED WITH COOKING A DINNER FOR FIVE FAMILIES AND FOUR OF THOSE PEOPLE THAT VOLUNTEERED WITH HER THAT NIGHT STILL WORK WITH HER IN THEIR NEW LOCATION.
UM, THEY'VE GOT SUCH A STRONG PROGRAM, HER VOLUNTEERS ARE SO DEDICATED TO THAT PROGRAM.
WHAT SHE ACCOMPLISHES WITH WHAT SHE'S GIVEN HAS JUST BEEN REMARKABLE.
SHE SPOKE BEFORE OUR, UM, PALMETTO QUILTING GROUP AND HAD SEVERAL PEOPLE IN TEARS BY TELLING A STORY ABOUT HOW MUCH THE QUILTS THAT SOME OF OUR WOMEN MADE, WHAT AN IMPRESSION IT HAD ON THE FAMILIES THAT THEY WERE GIVEN TO, THAT MAYBE NO ONE HAD EVER HANDMADE ANYTHING BEFORE THEM BEFORE.
UM, SO EVERY, WHAT I HAVE BEEN DOING IS WORKING WITH, UM, ALL THESE DONATIONS, CLOTHES, HOW DO HOUSEHOLD ITEMS ARE SET UP ON TABLES, AND I HELP WORK WITH PEOPLE ON THOSE.
EVERY DAY NANETTE WILL COME OUT AND TALK TO EVERYONE ABOUT WHAT HAS BEEN GOING ON AND WHAT'S IMPORTANT AND WHAT WE SHOULD ALL FOCUS ON.
AND SHE SPOKE TODAY, SHE ASKED EVERYONE TO PLEASE REMEMBER THAT THE LAND THAT THE TOWN OF HILTON THAT IS CONSIDERING FOR HER WAS COMING UP FOR VOTE TONIGHT.
AND SHE SAID, WILL EVERYONE PLEASE PRAYERFULLY CONSIDER THAT? AND I SAID TO HER, UM, IS THAT A MEETING? COULD I ATTEND? YOU KNOW, ARE SPEAKERS ALLOWED BECAUSE I'D LIKE TO ADVOCATE FOR SANDALWOOD.
ONE THING THAT SHE BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION WAS, UM, I BELIEVE, AND YOU MAY HAVE ALREADY ADDRESSED THAT, AND IF YOU HAVE, I'M SORRY THAT THE LEASE AS IT WAS WRITTEN WAS FOR 25 YEARS WITH TWO FIVE YEAR EXTENSIONS.
APPARENTLY WITH THE FINANCING THAT SHE HAS LINED UP AND WHAT SHE HAS PUT TOGETHER, SHE NEEDS A 40 YEAR LEASE WITH TWO FIVE YEAR EXTENSIONS.
IF YOU ARE AWARE OF THIS, I APOLOGIZE FOR THAT, BUT I JUST APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK.
THE TOWN OF HILTON HEAD RECOGNIZES WHAT SHE DOES FOR THE COMMUNITY AND ALL THE FAMILIES THAT SHE'S HELPING.
ONCE YOU START TO VOLUNTEER AND YOU DEVELOP A RELATIONSHIP WITH THE FAMILIES AND YOU SEE WHAT AN IMPACT IT HAS ON THEIR LIVES, UM, IT IT'S LIFE CHANGING.
IT JUST MAKES A BIG DIFFERENCE.
ALRIGHT, MR. LANDER, DO WE HAVE NEED
[10. Executive Session]
TO GO IN EXECUTIVE SESSION? YES, SIR.AS SHOWN ON, UH, THE TOWN COUNCIL AGENDA ITEMS 10 A AND B.
DO WE HAVE A MOTION TO GO TO EXECUTIVE SESSION? MAYOR, UH, MS. BECKER ASK THAT WE ADD ANOTHER ITEM TO EXECUTIVE SESSION.
SO IT, UH, I'M ASKING FOR THE TOWN ATTORNEY'S ATTENTION TO MAKE SURE WE GET THE RIGHT THING ADDED.
ERIC, CAN YOU ASK THE TOWN ATTORNEY TO MR. COLTRANE? CAN WE ADD A, AN ITEM TO EXECUTIVE SESSION
[02:50:02]
HAS ALREADY BEEN ADOPTED? THAT'S CORRECT.NO, IT'S NOT BEEN ADOPTED YET.
THERE WAS A, A MOTION TO DO IT, BUT IT WAS FOR WHAT SET FORTH ON THE AGENDA AND THE SUGGESTION WAS MADE, UH, TO ADD, UM, DISCUSSION OF LEGAL ADVICE FROM THE TOWN ATTORNEY AS A NEW NUMBER THREE DISCUSSION OF ENFORCEMENT OF THE PROPOSED, UM, STR ORDINANCE.
WELL, WITHOUT ANSWERING YOUR QUESTION, I WOULD SUGGEST THAT THAT WOULD BE BETTER FOR THE NEXT MEETING BECAUSE HAVEN'T REALLY HAD A CHANCE TO GET, GET READY FOR THAT.
WELL, THE, THE QUESTION IS BASICALLY CAN WE HAVE A CONVERSATION, AN EXECUTIVE SESSION AMONGST US REGARDING THE SHORT TERM RENTAL AND QUESTIONS THAT WE HAD HERE IN THE DAAS TO VET IT A LITTLE BIT MORE? AND, AND I, I DON'T THINK I WOULD DISAGREE THAT, THAT HAVING THAT COME BACK TO US FROM, FROM TOWN, UH, STAFF OR EVEN A WORKSHOP, UM, WOULD, WOULD BE MORE APPROPRIATE, CAN AMEND THE AGENDA TO PUT THAT ON.
IT REQUIRES THE, THE VOTE TO DO THAT.
IT'S NOT GONNA BE ANYTHING THAT COMES AND REQUIRES A VOTE OR WILL RESULT IN COUNCIL ACTION.
SO IS THERE A MOTION I'LL, I'LL TRY, BASED ON WHATEVER HE JUST SAID, UM,
IS THERE A SECOND TO THAT? YOU HAVE A FIRST AND A SECOND DISCUSSION? NONE.
THE MOTION AS STATED TO HAVE A DISCUSSION ON THE SHORT TERM RENTAL ORDINANCE IS REALLY NOT ANYTHING THAT SETS UP SOMETHING THAT'S COVERED AS AN EXECUTIVE SESSION ITEM.
SO THE CONVERSATION THAT'S, THAT WAS HAD WAS THERE WAS A SUGGESTION.
THERE WAS A SUGGESTION DURING THE DISCUSSION THAT I THINK PATSY MADE THAT THIS MIGHT BE A BETTER DISCUSSION IN EXECUTIVE SESSION AND IT WAS AGREED TO A RESPONSE TO SOMEONE ASKING ME A QUESTION ABOUT WHAT WE COULD DO.
THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT MY POINT WAS.
AND I WANTED TO HEAR WHAT YOUR RESPONSE WOULD BE THAT REQUIRED AN EXECUTIVE SESSION IN TERMS OF DISCUSSING SHORT TERM RENTALS IN EXECUTIVE SESSION.
I DO NOT AGREE, BUT THE SPECIFIC QUESTION THAT WAS REFERRED TO EXECUTIVE SESSION, THAT WAS MY POINT.
IT IS, IF IT IS FOR RE RECEIPT OF LEGAL ADVICE ON THAT QUESTION, THAT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE.
I, I WOULD REPEAT THAT WAS WHAT I WAS LOOKING FOR.
I'D BE READY TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION IN THE NEXT FIVE MINUTES.
UM, MAYOR, IT WOULD BE HELPFUL IF THE TOWN ATTORNEY WOULD TELL US WHAT SPECIFIC LANGUAGE TO USE IF WE CAN USE IT ON THIS OCCASION, AS OPPOSED TO TELLING US WHAT WE CANNOT USE.
WELL, WHAT, WHAT DO YOU SEEK TO DO? EXACTLY WHAT SHE SAID, WHICH YOU RESPONDED TO THAT YOU DIDN'T HAVE FIVE MINUTES.
IT'S A LONGER CONVERSATION, SO I'M FINE WITH THAT.
I'LL WITHDRAW MY REQUEST TO HAVE IN AN EXECUTIVE SESSION TONIGHT.
WHEN YOU'RE CON WHEN IT'S OF YOUR CONVENIENCE THOUGH, I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR THAT ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION.
I MEAN, THE NEXT MEETING WOULD BE APPROPRIATE.
SO, SO MS. BRYSON AND MS. TONER SINCE YOU BOTH FIRST AND SECONDED THAT MOTION.
YEAH, I'LL, UH, REVISE MY MOTION FOR EXECUTIVE SESSION AS SET FORTH ON THE AGENDA ONLY FIRST AND SECOND.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? PLEASE TAKE THE TOP.
I RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND, RIGHT HAND.
HEY HONEY, CAN YOU SET THE TABLE DALE? 9 1 1, YOUR EMERGENCY.
[02:55:15]
SECOND.[11. Action from Executive Session]
THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE SIGNIFY FOR RAISING YOUR RIGHT HAND.WE ARE OUT OF EXECUTIVE SESSION.
MR. BROWN, DO WE HAVE ANY ACTION COMING FROM EXECUTIVE SESSION? NO, SIR.
HERE'S WHAT'S HAPPENING IN BEAUFORT COUNTY.
WELL, IT'S BEEN A LONG TIME IN COMING.
WE'VE HAD, UH, YOU KNOW, THIS ON KIND OF ON THE DRAWING BOARDS FOR YEAR, YEAR AND A HALF.
AND IT, UH, REALLY WILL HELP SERVE THE NEEDS OF LIBRARY NEEDS OF ALL THE RESIDENTS IN BEAUFORT COUNTY, UH, PLACES THAT WE DON'T HAVE REAL ACCESS TO AND PEOPLE DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO LIBRARY, UH, SERVICES.
SO IT'S A VERY, VERY GOOD THING THAT WE'VE GOTTEN GOING AND I'M HAPPY TO SEE TODAY THAT IT'S, UH, READY AND READY TO ROLL JUNE 5TH.
WELL, THIS IS GONNA ENABLE THE LIBRARY SYSTEM TO REALLY GET OUT IN THE REMOTER COMMUNITIES, UH, IN THOSE COMMUNITIES.
THEY'RE NOT CLOSE TO, UH, UH, A LIBRARY BRANCH FACILITY.
UH, AND IT'LL GIVE US AN OPPORTUNITY TO GET OUT TO OUR ELDERLY POPULATION, UH, IN THE NURSING HOMES, UH, AND SOME OF THE, UH, SCHOOL CENTERS, UH, AND JUST BRING THE LIBRARY OUT TO THE PUBLIC RATHER THAN THE PEOPLE COMING TO THE LIBRARY.
IT'S GOT, UH, UH, ABOUT 2,500 ITEMS ON IT.
WE HAVE NOT HAD BOOKMOBILE SERVICE IN THIS COUNTY IN 23 YEARS.
SO IT'S, UH, IT'S, I THINK IT'S GONNA BE A FANTASTIC RESOURCE FOR THE COMMUNITY BACK WELL WE STARTED TALKING ABOUT IT IN 2015 AND WE WERE TALKING ABOUT HOW TO EXPAND SERVICE TO OUR RESIDENTS, ESPECIALLY IN PLACES THAT ARE A LITTLE BIT OUT OF THE AREA OF THE LIBRARY.
AND LOOKING AT HOW MUCH THE COST RETURN, RETURN ON INVESTMENT COULD BE FOR OUR RESIDENTS.
THIS WAS A GREAT DECISION FOR THE MONEY IT'S COSTING, AND WE'RE USING IMPACT FUNDS.
IT'S JUST A GREAT RETURN ON INVESTMENT TO GET IT BACK TO OUR RESIDENTS.
IF YOU HAVE A BEAUFORT COUNTY LIBRARY CARD, YOU'RE WELCOME TO USE IT.
IF YOU'RE NOT A BEAUFORT COUNTY RESIDENT, YOU CAN PURCHASE ONE FOR $30.
BUT WE'RE REALLY HOPING EVERYONE JUST LOVES THIS MACHINE.
THERE ARE SO MANY MATERIALS AVAILABLE ON THE BOOKMOBILE.
WE HAVE EVERYTHING FROM LARGE PRINT ITEMS TO REGULAR PRINT, AUDIO BOOKS, KIDS BOOKS, EASY READERS, PICTURE BOOKS, AS WELL AS MANGA.
AS YOU CAN SEE BEHIND US, GRAPHIC NOVELS AND UM, TEEN LITERATURE.
WE HAVE A FULLY FUNCTIONING WHEELCHAIR LIFT ON BOARD.
IT RIDES LIKE A DREAM, LIKE A CADILLAC ALMOST.
UM, AND SO I, I ENJOY RIDING IT.
I'M SURE OUR CUSTOMERS WILL AS WELL.
THE ROUTE, WE HAVE APPROXIMATELY 40 STOPS, WHICH IS QUITE AMBITIOUS.
UM, OUR STOPS WILL AVERAGE FROM ABOUT 30 MINUTES TO AN HOUR AND WE KNOW THAT WE MAY NEED TO ADJUST THAT IN THE FUTURE, BUT FOR NOW, I BELIEVE WE CAN GET THESE 40, UM, STOPS ACCOMPLISHED.
AND THEY'RE EVERYWHERE FROM ST.
SO WE COVER THE ENTIRE COUNTY.
OUR ROUTE IS ONLINE@BEAUFORTCOUNTYLIBRARY.ORG.
YOU CAN CLICK THE LINKS TO THE BOOKMOBILE, UM, AND YOU CAN CLICK EITHER FOR OUR GOOGLE MAP OR WE HAVE A PRINTABLE MAP AS WELL.
ONE OF THE BEAUTIFUL THINGS OF HAVING A BOOKMOBILE IS THAT WE CAN GO TO COMMUNITY EVENTS SUCH AS EITHER MAY FEST AND BLUFFTON WATER FESTIVAL PARADE, THOSE BIG TICKET, UM, COMMUNITY EVENTS WHERE WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE VISIBLE AND SEEN BY A LOT OF PEOPLE AND REACH A LOT OF PEOPLE.
IT'S OUR FIRST PROGRAM ON BOARD AND WE'RE CALLING IT THE NAME, THE BOOKMOBILE.
WE ARE INTERESTED TO SEE WHAT COMMUNITY RESIDENTS MIGHT WANT TO NAME HER.
SO WE WOULD LOVE TO SEE ALL OF OUR BEAUFORT COUNTY CITIZENS TAKE A CHANCE TO, UH, CHECK SOMETHING OUT ON BOARD OR JUST SAY, HI, BUT COME SEE US, COME VISIT US AND SEE YOUR BOOKMOBILE.
AND THAT'S WHAT'S HAPPENING IN BEAUFORT COUNTY.