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CLOSED CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY BUFORT COUNTY.
MORNING, EVERYONE, IF YOU, EVERYONE WILL TAKE THEIR SEATS AND WE'LL GET STARTED.
GOOD MORNING EVERYONE, AND THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING.
UM, WE'RE GONNA GET RIGHT INTO IT, AS USUAL.
THE, UM, I AM GONNA CHANGE THE ORDER BECAUSE, UM, ROB MERCHANT WAS STUCK IN TRAFFIC LIKE MANY OF YOU WERE, WHO WERE COMING FROM THE NORTH OF THE BROAD.
AL ALICE AND TAB, DID YOU HEAR THAT?
SO WE'RE GONNA START WITH, UH, BLUFF THEN'S ORDINANCE REGARDING A 50 FOOT BUFFER FROM THE WETLANDS.
THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF, UH, CHAT ON THAT SINCE THEY DID IT.
SO AT LAST MONTH, THE BOARD ASKED THAT WE GET A, UM, A LITTLE RUNDOWN ON WHAT THAT'S ALL ABOUT.
SO KEVIN ICARD IS GOING TO DO THAT PRESENTATION.
UH, THANK YOU MAYOR WILLIAMS. UM, YOU'LL NOTICE HERE ON OUR, OUR MAIN SLIDE, I GOT A LITTLE MAN HOLDING HIS, UH, HAND UP.
AND IF YOU GUYS REMEMBER AT THE LAST MEETING, UM, I RAISED MY HAND TO MAKE A COMMENT.
AND BECAUSE OF THAT, UH, I'M NOW DOING THE PRESENTATION ON THIS
SO, UM, SO WE'RE GONNA JUST TALK ABOUT, UH, WHAT THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON IS DOING, UH, AS IT RELATES TO WETLANDS AND BUFFERS.
UM, AS MOST OF YOU WILL REMEMBER, UM, THAT IN 2023, UH, THE SST VERSUS THE EPA, UM, UM, DECISION CAME OUT AND, AND IN ESSENCE, A LOT OF THE WETLANDS THAT WERE, UM, WERE PROTECTED ON A FEDERAL LEVEL, WE'RE NO LONGER PROTECTED.
UM, SO A LOT OF, UM, MUNICIPALITIES STATES HAVE HAVE BEEN SCRAMBLING, UH, TOWN OF BLUFF, AND WE'VE KIND OF BEEN TAKING THE LEAD.
UH, WE FELT THAT WHAT WE WANTED TO DO IS TO PUT, UM, REGULATIONS IN PLACE.
NUMBER ONE IS TO DETERMINE WHAT WETLANDS ARE, UM, AND THEN BE ABLE TO MOVE FORWARD.
SO THIS DIAGRAM HERE, UM, IT'S, IT'S A GOOD ONE.
AND, AND ALSO I'D LIKE TO STATE THAT OUR, UM, WATERSHED, UM, MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT ARE THE ONES THAT HAVE BEEN SPEARHEADING A LOT OF THIS.
SO, I, I'M NOT TAKING ALL THE CREDIT.
I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT IT'S, UH, UNDERSTOOD THAT THEY'RE THE ONES THAT HAVE BEEN DOING A LOT OF THE WORK ON THIS, AND IT'S VERY APPRECIATIVE.
UH, THIS IS A GREAT SLIDE HERE TO JUST KIND OF GIVE YOU A REPRESENTATION.
AND I, I DON'T KNOW, DOES HAVE A POINTER? YES.
UM, SO THE, THE WETLANDS, THE FLOODPLAIN WETLANDS, UM, UH, KIND OF AREA THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT RIGHT HERE, YOU CAN SEE HOW THERE WERE PROTECTIONS IN PLACE.
AND WHAT I'VE DONE IS JUST SO YOU SEE THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, IN 2015, UH, THERE WAS A LOT OF PROTECTIONS.
AND THEN OVER THE TIME, UM, WE'VE HAD SOME DISCRETIONARY PROTECTIONS.
AND THEN AS OF THE RULING IN 2023, WE NOW NO LONGER HAVE ANY PROTECTION.
SO THE WHOLE POINT OF THE WETLANDS, OBVIOUSLY, IS TO ABSORB STORM WATER STORE IT, PROTECT THE WATER, UM, AS IT'S, UM, RECHARGES OUR AQUIFERS, AND ULTIMATELY IS DISCHARGE.
UH, SO THESE AMENDMENTS ARE FOR, FOR PROTECTION, CONSERVATION OF THE EXISTING WETLANDS, AND THEN TO, UH, ESTABLISH THE WETLAND BUFFERS FOR STORMWATER MANAGEMENT.
UM, ONE OF THE BIG THINGS THAT I WANTED TO PUT ON HERE, UM, IT SAYS THE REVISIONS OF THE DEFINITION OF WETLANDS WILL ENSURE THAT ANY AND ALL AREAS IDENTIFIED IN THE WETLAND DEVIATION IS VIEWED AS WETLANDS PROTECTED AS SUCH.
UM, REGARDLESS OF WHETHER THE WETLANDS ARE CONSIDERED, UH, JURISDICTIONAL, NON-JURISDICTIONAL.
AND THAT'S ONE OF THE BIGGEST ISSUES THAT WE'RE FACED WITH, IS THE NON-JURISDICTIONAL FRESHWATER WETLANDS.
UH, THESE ARE, UH, WATERS, UM, THAT ARE NOT NAVIGABLE WATERS.
SO THESE ARE THE, THE BIG ONES THAT OUR GOAL IS TO PROTECT THEM.
ALRIGHT, UM, SO WE'VE PUT AN ORDINANCE TOGETHER.
UM, IT'S GONE THROUGH FIRST READING, UH, PENDING DOCTRINE.
UM, SOME OF THE, UM, ITEMS, NUMBER ONE WAS TO, WE WANTED TO DEFINE WHAT A WETLAND IS, AND OBVIOUSLY OUR GOAL IS TO PROTECT THEM.
UM, SO WE INCLUDED, UH, LANGUAGE OVER THE WETLAND BUFFER, UH, FOR PROTECTIONS OF THEMSELVES AND AS WELL AS, UM, WE REVISE THE VIOLATIONS, ENFORCEMENT AND PENALTIES.
SO ON THE STATE LEVEL, UM, STATE HAS REGULATIONS IN PLACE TO HELP PROTECTION, UH, PROTECT THEM, ESPECIALLY FOR THE EIGHT COUNTIES ON THE, THE COASTAL COUNTIES.
UM, NOW I'LL ALSO STATE THAT, UM, AND SPEAKING WITH ENGINEERS THAT, THAT WORK IN THIS FIELD, THEY SAY, WELL, THERE'S ALREADY PROTECTIONS IN PLACE AT THE STATE LEVEL.
HOWEVER, HOWEVER, WE NEED TO ESTABLISH THESE AS WELL, SO THAT WAY WE CAN ENFORCE THEM.
SO IF WE CAN ENFOR, WE CAN'T ENFORCE STATE, UH, RULES, BUT WE CAN ENFORCE LOCAL RULES.
SO THAT'S ONE OF THE BIG ITEMS IS THAT WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE THE ABILITY
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TO GO OUT THERE.AND IF WE SEE SOMEONE THAT IS IMPACTING A WETLAND, OUR STORM WATER TEAM CAN GO OUT THERE AND FIND THEM.
THEY CAN TICKET THEM, THEY CAN MAKE THEM GET BACK TO THE STATE THAT IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE IN.
SO THAT'S ONE OF THE BIG REASONS THAT WE'RE DOING THIS.
UM, SO NEXT, WHAT DOES THIS ALL MEAN? LIKE REALLY, WHAT, WHAT DOES THIS LOOK LIKE? WHAT IS, HOW, HOW DOES THIS WORK? SO I'M GONNA PROVIDE AN EXAMPLE HERE FOR YOU.
THIS IS A, AN EXAMPLE OF A 26 LOT, UH, SUBDIVISION.
UH, IT'S ROUGHLY ON 5.7 ACRES.
UH, WE HAVE A FORM-BASED CODE SO THEY CAN, UH, ADJUST THE LOT LINES AS THEY SO CHOOSE.
AND AS LONG AS YOU CAN FIT EVERYTHING IN, THEN YOU CAN BUILD HOWEVER MANY LOTS THAT WOULD WORK.
SO THIS EXAMPLE, AND THIS IS A REAL LIFE EXAMPLE THAT'S GOING THROUGH RIGHT NOW, UM, AS, SO PRE, UH, WETLANDS DEVELOPMENT.
SO YOU CAN SEE THE, THE RED LINE HERE, AND I'VE JUST KIND OF SUPERIMPOSED THAT TO SHOW YOU WHERE THE WETLAND IS LOCATED.
NOW, THIS APPLICATION, UM, CAME IN ON MARCH 18TH.
UH, WE HAD PENDING DOCTRINE ON MARCH 11TH.
SO THEY CAME IN A WEEK AFTER, UM, ALL OUR, OUR, UM, OUR ORDINANCE CAME INTO EFFECT.
SO AS YOU CAN SEE, UH, THEY WERE PROPOSING THE 26 LOTS.
UH, THEY DID NOT PROVIDE A BUFFER.
UH, THEY WERE IMPACTING A NON-JURISDICTIONAL WETLAND, WHICH IS KIND OF HARD TO SEE, BUT IT'S RIGHT IN THIS AREA RIGHT HERE.
AND AS I STATED, IT WAS SUBMITTED ONE WEEK AFTER OUR APPLICATION CAME IN.
SO THEY CAME UP WITH A REVISION.
SO NOW AS YOU CAN SEE, WE REQUIRE A 50 FOOT BUFFER ALONG THE WETLANDS.
SO THAT'D BE HERE, THAT'S THE YELLOW LINE RIGHT THERE.
AND THEN, UM, SO THAT KNOCKED THEM DOWN TO 18 LOTS.
UM, WITH THAT, THEY ARE STILL PROPOSING THE IMPACT ON THAT NON-JURISDICTIONAL WETLAND.
SO YOU CAN SEE RIGHT HERE IS THAT IF THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO, IF THEY WERE TO COME IN THAT AREA RIGHT NOW, AS OUR ORDINANCE READS IS PROTECTED, SO THEY WOULD HAVE TO REDESIGN THIS SITE IN ORDER TO PROTECT NOT ONLY THE NON JURISDICTIONAL WETLAND, EVEN THOUGH IT IS 0.1 ACRE, IT IS THERE AS WELL AS A 50 FOOT BUFFER AROUND THAT.
SO HOPEFULLY EVERYONE CAN SEE THE RED AND THE YELLOW.
UM, SO THEY ARE IN REQUESTING THEY'RE GONNA GO MOVE FORWARD TO REQUEST A VARIANCE IN ORDER TO IMPACT THAT WETLAND.
NOW, I'D ALSO STATE THAT HAD THERE BEEN AN IMPROVED ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS IMPACT FOR THAT WETLAND, THEN THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WOULD, WOULD STILL APPLY.
'CAUSE YOU'D BE, IN ESSENCE GRANDFATHERED IN, YOU'D BE VESTED IN HAVING THAT ABILITY.
HOWEVER, THEY HAVE NOT SUBMITTED FOR THAT.
THEREFORE, THEY DO NOT HAVE THE ABILITY TO IMPACT THAT.
ALSO, WITH OUR PROTECTIONS THAT ARE NOW IN PLACE, WE'VE CLEARLY ESTABLISHED WHAT A WETLAND IS.
WE'VE ESTABLISHED WHAT A BUFFER IS, AND THAT OUR ULTIMATE GOAL IS TO PROTECT THEM.
SO AS THEY MOVE FORWARD, IF THEY WERE TO MOVE FORWARD WITHOUT A VARIANCE, IN ESSENCE, BASED OFF THE DESIGN THAT THEY'VE SHOWN, THEY WOULD LOOK TO HAVE 12 WATTS.
SO THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF WHY WE'RE PUTTING THIS IN PLACE.
UM, ALL OF THESE PROPERTIES, A LOT OF PROPERTIES, AS EVERYONE KNOWS, UH, WE'RE SURROUNDED BY WETLANDS, UH, WE'RE SURROUNDED BY THE NON-JURISDICTIONAL WETLANDS.
AND THE ULTIMATE GOAL OF TOWN COUNCIL IS TO PROTECT THESE WETLANDS.
AND THIS IS, THIS IS A PRIME EXAMPLE OF HOW YOU HAVE A SITE THAT WHILE FORM-BASED CODE ALLOWS THEM, THEY CAN FIT, FIT UP TO 26, WHAT THEY THOUGHT THEY COULD, IT IS NOW REDUCED DOWN TO POSSIBLY 18 OR 12.
SO THAT IS A VERY, VERY HIGH LEVEL.
I DIDN'T WANNA GET INTO THE WEEDS, UM, BUT JUST TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF WHAT THIS WETLANDS BUFFER IS AND HOW THAT IMPACTS DEVELOPMENT.
AND THAT'S REALLY MY PRESENTATION.
UM, AND I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT THE GROUP MAY HAVE.
ANYONE FROM THE BOARD HAVE QUESTIONS? ALICE? YES.
UM, CAN YOU HEAR ME OKAY? WHO IS, IS CODE ENFORCEMENT ENFORCING IT OR DO YOU HAVE A STAFF PERSON THAT SPECIALIZES IN WETLANDS? THAT'D BE OUR WATERSHED MANAGEMENT DIVISION.
UM, THEY HAVE, THEY HAVE INSPECTORS.
UH, SO WE HAVE MULTIPLE INSPECTORS, UM, AS WELL AS THE MANAGER.
SO IN ESSENCE, TWO TO THREE INDIVIDUALS.
ANYONE ELSE? I HAVE TWO QUESTIONS, JOSH.
UM, SO THE FIRST ONE IS, UM, IF THE FEDERALLY ESTABLISHED CLEAN WATER ACT WAS OVERTURNED IN COURT AND THE DEFINITION OF WHAT A WETLAND WAS AND WHAT WAS PREVIOUSLY PROTECTED WAS CHANGED, WHAT IS IT THAT PROVIDES THE LOCALITIES MORE PROTECTION OR IS POTENTIAL LITIGATION, UM,
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A CONSIDERATION? AND HOW WOULD THAT BE OVERCOME IF SOMETHING LIKE THIS WAS IMPLEMENTED AND THEN CHALLENGED? THAT IS A GOOD LEGAL QUESTION.I DON'T HAVE AN ANSWER FOR IT.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THE SACKET DECISION DID, AND WE ACTUALLY HAVE OUR LEGAL COUNSEL HERE WHO CAN ADDRESS THAT, OR ONE OF OUR LEGAL COUNSELS IF SHE'S STILL HERE.
UM, BUT, UM, IT DIDN'T CHANGE THE DEFINITION AS MUCH AS IT CHANGED WHAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT COULD OVERSEE.
SO JURISDICTIONAL WETLAND VER WITH THE CLEAN WATER ACT, THEY, THEY STARTED DEFINING HOW, LIKE NAVIGABLE WATER SOURCES AND HOW FAR AWAY FROM THAT YOU COULD GET.
SO THESE ARE CONSIDERED INLAND FRESH WATER WETLANDS.
THEY, UM, SAID THAT THEY, THAT THE, UM, THEY DIDN'T HAVE JURISDICTION OVER THOSE.
THEY DIDN'T SAY THEY DIDN'T EXIST OR, OR CHANGE THE DEFINITION.
THEY JUST SAID THAT THEY DON'T, THAT THE CORPS OF ENGINEERS DOESN'T HAVE JURISDICTION TO ISSUE PERMITS OVER THOSE ANYMORE.
SO WE'VE NOW TAKEN THAT INTO OUR JURISDICTION TO ISSUE TO, TO OVERSEE.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF THAT CLARIFIES OR IF I SAID ANYTHING WRONG, BRITTANY, THAT, OKAY.
UM, AND THEN THE SECOND QUESTION WOULD BE, IF I REMEMBER RIGHT, YOU GUYS HAD DNR PROVIDE A WATERSHED ASSESSMENT REPORT, THAT WAS ONE OF THE THINGS ON THE ORIGINAL CHECKLIST.
HOW LONG DID THAT TAKE TO GET BACK? DO YOU REMEMBER? I SURE IT'S SOMETHING WE CAN, WE CAN LOOK INTO AND GIVE TO YOU.
UM, BUT I'D ALSO STATE THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THE TOWN IS WORKING TOWARDS IS AN OVERALL INVENTORY OF ALL WETLANDS.
WE'VE HIRED A CONSULTANT TO HELP TO ESTABLISH ALL THE WETLANDS THAT GIVES US A, A BASELINE IN ORDER TO MOVE FORWARD.
UM, 'CAUSE ONE OF THE CONCERNS THAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW IS, WELL, HOW DO YOU DETERMINE WHERE THE WETLAND IS? UM, SO WE'RE, WHEN SOMEONE WERE TO, IF YOU WERE TO SUBMIT AN APPLICATION, UM, YOU KNOW, WE WOULD LOOK AT, WHILE NATIONAL WETLANDS INVENTORY MAP IS A SOURCE, IT IS NOT THE END ALL BE ALL.
UM, BUT WE WOULD ASK APPLICANTS TO BE ABLE TO CLEARLY DEFINE, UM, WHERE THE WETLANDS ARE.
AND THEN WE ALSO, WE LOOK AT AERIAL'S, UM, YOU KNOW, PAST INFORMATION TO DETERMINE IF THEY ARE ACCURATE.
AND THEN WE USE THAT INFORMATION AS WE'RE MOVING FORWARD.
SO IS THE IDEA FOR BLUFFTON TO HAVE THIS BUILT INTO THEIR GIS SYSTEM TO WHERE IF SOMEBODY OWNS THE PROPERTY, THEY'D BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND EXACTLY WHERE THE WETLANDS WERE AND THEN MAYBE WHAT THE BUFFER IS AROUND IT PRIOR TO GETTING THE FIRST STEP IN DEVELOPMENT? ABSOLUTELY.
THAT'S THE INVENTORY THAT WE'RE GONNA DO.
AND THE TIMEFRAME ON THAT IS THE FIRST PART OF 26.
WE'RE SUPPOSED TO HAVE THAT BACK FROM OUR CONSULTANT.
THERE'S, THERE'S A NINE TO 12 MONTH TURNAROUND.
NINE TO 12 MONTH FROM THE TIME YOU GUYS STARTED.
WHICH WAS A COUPLE MONTHS AGO.
AND, UM, ONCE THAT IS COMPLETED, THEY'LL BE, THEY'LL ACTUALLY COME BACK WITH A UPDATED AND NEW MODEL ORDINANCE FOR US TO MATCH EVERYTHING THAT THEY'RE COMPLETING FOR US AS WELL.
SO KEVIN, YEAH, YOU'VE GOT A, YOU'VE GOT SOME LARGE TRACKS OF LAND OUT THERE THAT HAVE VALUE BASED UPON WHERE IT WAS PURCHASED RIGHT WHEN IT WAS PURCHASED.
UM, ARE YOU HEARING OF PENDING LAWSUITS COMING AROUND CHALLENGING IT? UM, BECAUSE I, YOU KNOW, FROM A, FROM A, YOU KNOW, 26 TO 18 TO 12, THERE'S A, THERE'S A DIFFERENCE IN VALUE ON THAT PROPERTY.
SO I'M JUST CURIOUS HOW Y'ALL ARE GONNA ADDRESS THAT, AND ESPECIALLY GOING FORWARD, YOU KNOW, AS PROPERTIES ARE SOLD, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE YOU KNOW, THAT BUYER NEEDS TO BE AWARE OF THESE, THESE ELEMENTS THAT, UH, REDUCES THE BUILDABLE FOOTPRINT.
UM, I WILL, I WILL SAY THAT WE'VE, WE'VE HEARD CONCERNS, UM, WE'VE HEARD CONCERNS ABOUT THAT.
UM, AND I, I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE REFERRING TO FROM AN ENTITLEMENT STANDPOINT.
UH, SOMEONE'S MOVING FORWARD AND THEY'RE, THEY'RE BASING FINANCING ON, YOU KNOW, X, Y, AND Z OF THIS, THIS AMOUNT OF LAND MASS.
AND WE ARE, WE'RE IN ESSENCE CHANGING THE RULES, RIGHT? AND I'M ASKING THIS BECAUSE WE'RE GOING THROUGH OUR LAND MANAGEMENT ORDINANCE REWRITE PROCESS NOW, WHERE WE'RE GONNA REDUCE, UH, WELL, WE'RE GONNA INCREASE OPEN AREA ON PROPERTY, UM, BUT ALSO, UH, REDUCE THE, THE NUMBER OF UNITS PER ACRE.
SO SAME, SAME, SAME CHALLENGE.
UM, BUT IT'S BETTER FOR THE, FOR THE AREA.
YEAH, I WOULD JUST TO GO ALONG WITH THAT, SAY THAT ANYTIME THAT COUNCIL ADOPTS ANYTHING WITH LAND USE, IT CAN BE SEEN AS REDUCING THE RIGHT, IF YOU, IF YOU INCREASE SETBACKS OR YOU CHANGE LOT LINE SIZES OR ANY OF THAT, THERE'S ALWAYS A RISK.
BUT AGAIN, THAT RISE WITHIN THE AUTHORITY OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENTS TO DETERMINE THE BUILDABILITY OF THE, THE LAND.
AND WE HAD THAT CONVERSATION AHEAD OF ADOPTING THIS, THAT SHOULD LAWSUITS COME.
IF WE WERE PREPARED FOR THAT, WE KNEW THAT WAS A BYPRODUCT.
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ADD IS THAT THROUGH THE, SO LOCO DESIGN MANUAL, UM, BETTER SITE DESIGN IS ACTUALLY ONE OF THE, THE, THE FACTORS IN DOING THIS.AND, AND THERE ARE MULTIPLE WAYS TO DEVELOP SITES.
SO JUST BECAUSE THE WAY THAT YOU THINK, UH, WILL NOT WORK DOESN'T MEAN THAT THERE'S NOT ANOTHER WAY.
SO IT ACTUALLY CHALLENGES INDIVIDUALS TO BE ABLE TO COME UP WITH DIFFERENT DESIGNS.
UM, MAYBE THE LOT IS NOT A ACRE LOT.
MAYBE THE LOT IS A QUARTER ACRE.
YOU KNOW, LIKE THOSE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT, THAT NEED TO BE LOOKED AT.
UM, AND, AND I THINK IT'S JUST, IT, IT WILL FORCE, IT'LL FORCE ENGINEERS AND LAND PLANNERS TO RETHINK HOW THEY DESIGN SITES.
ANYONE ELSE FROM THE BOARD? I JUST HAD ONE CLARIFYING QUESTION.
UM, AND I DON'T HAVE IT IN FRONT OF ME, BUT DID I SEE SOMETHING IN THE ORDINANCE THAT E EXEMPTED LOTS THAT WERE LESS THAN FIVE ACRES? OR NO, IT'S, UM, THERE, THERE IS A, A STATEMENT IN HERE, AND YOU HAVE TO GIMME A SECOND HERE TO FIND, UM, THE, IT'S, IT'S AN EXEMPTION SPECIFIC FOR A SPECIFIC REASON.
AND, AND I'M HA I CAN TALK TO YOU AFTERWARDS.
UM, JUST FOR THE SAKE OF TIME, UH, TO SHOW THAT TO YOU AND, AND EXPLAIN IT.
UH, THIS EXAMPLE SHOWS REDUCTION IN THE NUMBER OF LOTS.
WHAT ABOUT THE DENSITY? SO IF SOMEONE WANTED TO BUILD MULTIFAMILY INSTEAD OF SINGLE FAMILY, YOU'RE CORRECT.
UH, SO WE HAVE A FORM-BASED CODE, UH, WHICH THAT THEY COULD COME UP WITH AN ALTERNATIVE SOLUTION FOR THE NUMBER OF UNITS THAT THEY'RE LOOKING TO DO.
UM, AND IF THEY WANTED TO CHANGE THE DESIGN, IF THEY WANTED TO, UH, GO FROM SINGLE FAMILY TO A, A MULTI-FAMILY, THEY COULD STILL GET THE NUMBER OF UNITS.
AGAIN, THAT GETS BACK TO THAT BETTER SITE, UH, SITE DESIGN.
UM, AND, AND YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE REQUIREMENTS THAT WE HAVE AND WE'VE CHANGED IN OUR CODE IS, UM, IN THIS, UH, THIS TYPE OF DEVELOPMENT IS, UH, IF YOU ARE LESS THAN 50 FOOT WIDE WIDTH OF LOTS, YOU NOW HAVE TO HAVE, UH, A REAR LOADED PRODUCT.
UM, AND THE INTENT IS FROM A NEW TRADITIONAL TYPE DESIGN IS THAT YOU'RE BRINGING THE BUILDINGS UP TO THE FRONT AND NOT NECESSARILY HAVING GARAGES UP TO THE FRONT.
SO THAT'S WHY YOU SEE THAT THIS, THIS SITE DESIGN AND, UM, THE ONE PREVIOUS TO IT, THE INITIAL ONE, UH, IT'S ALLEY FED, UM, NOW THEY COULD, THEY COULD COME BACK WITH A, WITH A DIFFERENT PRODUCT.
UM, THEY COULD COME BACK WITH MULTIPLE THINGS TO, UM, IF, IF THEY HAVE A NUMBER IN MIND, THEY COULD TRY TO FIND A WAY TO MAKE IT WORK.
ANYONE ELSE FROM THE BOARD? I HAVE A, A COUPLE QUESTIONS.
YOU, YOUR ORDINANCE CHANGES TO 50 FEET.
WHAT WAS IT PRIOR? IT DEPENDS.
UM, SO THERE WERE, IT DEPENDS ON, UH, A LOT OF THE DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENTS.
IF THERE IS LANGUAGE IN THERE, UM, FOR A SPECIFIC AMOUNT, THEN THEY WOULD, THEY WOULD HAVE TO MEET THAT SOME, SOME OF THEM SHOW A RANGE, UM, WHERE, YOU KNOW, YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO LESSEN THE, THE BUFFER ON ONE SIDE AS LONG AS YOU PROVIDED MORE SOMEWHERE ELSE.
UM, SO THERE'S NOT, THERE WAS NOT A HARD AND FAST, UH, NUMBER THAT WAS SPECIFICALLY REQUIRED.
NOW THAT WAS PREVIOUSLY, AND OBVIOUSLY WITH THE DECISION IN 2023, THEN IN 2024, WE CAME THROUGH AND PROVIDED, UM, A TEXT AMENDMENT TO APPLY A 25 FOOT BUFFER ACROSS THE BOARD.
UH, THE WAY THAT WE HAD IT WRITTEN WAS NOT, UM, IT WASN'T APPLICABLE.
UM, SO THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE TODAY WITH THE 50, WITH THE CHANGES, UH, OF ACTUAL DEFINITIONS OF WETLANDS AND THE WETLAND BUFFERS.
UH, AND, AND IT'S, IT'S, IT'S PART OF THE WHOLE PROCESS AS WE'RE MOVING FORWARD.
UM, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE GOALS I THINK, UM, COMING FROM THIS IS, IS TO SPUR ON FROM A STATE LEVEL.
UM, IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT, THAT IF YOU KNOW, HOWEVER MANY MUNICIPALITIES ARE IN SOUTH CAROLINA, EACH ONE OF THEM HAS THEIR OWN RULES AND REGULATIONS.
SO I THINK HOPEFULLY THIS WILL HELP A ESTABLISH A STATE, UM, A SOLUTION TO THIS AS WELL.
SO, UM, OBVIOUSLY THE BUILDERS IN GENERAL WOULD HAVE AN OBJECTION TO THIS BECAUSE IT REDUCES HOW THEY CAN BUILD ON THE LAND OR HOW THEY ORIGINALLY PLANNED.
DO YOU EXPECT TO HAVE A STATEWIDE, UM, LOBBY, UH, OBJECT TO THIS? I, I, THAT THAT'S MORE DIRECTED TOWARDS THE TOWN MANAGER FOR THAT MM-HMM
UM, WE HAVE NOT HEARD FROM ANY STATEWIDE LOBBY ON THIS YET.
UM, AS KEVIN OUTLINED, THE CONCERNS THAT WE'VE DEALT WITH IN THE INTERIM BETWEEN FIRST READING AND SECOND READING HAVE BEEN MOSTLY RELATED TO JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THE IMPACTS.
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SOME MINOR, UH, TWEAKS THAT WILL COME TO COUNSEL IN BETWEEN FIRST AND SECOND.ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WASN'T INCLUDED WAS, UH, KIND OF AN, A VARI, UH, UH, APPEALS PROCESS WITHIN THERE.
UM, SO THEY'LL, THAT, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WILL BE ADDED.
UM, BUT THOSE ARE MOST OF THE CONCERNS THAT WE'VE HAD.
UM, AS KEVIN OUTLINED EARLIER, PART OF THE CONVERSATIONS WE HAD HAVE BEEN RELATED TO ALTERNATIVE DEVELOPMENTS.
INSTEAD OF, YES, YOU'RE TRYING TO SQUEEZE 26 LOTS, AS MANY RECTANGLES AS YOU CAN ON THE PIECE OF PROPERTY.
YOU HAVE, HAVE YOU LOOKED AT ALTERNATIVES? AND IF YOUR ANSWER IS NO, THEN A VARIANCE ISN'T PROBABLY GONNA BE SOMETHING THAT YOU'RE GONNA QUALIFY FOR.
IT'S, AGAIN, THERE ARE MORE THAN, THERE'S MORE THAN ONE WAY TO DEVELOP A SINGLE PIECE OF PROPERTY WITHIN THE TOWN OR WITH ANYWHERE.
AND WE'RE TRYING TO GET PEOPLE TO REVISIT AND DO SMART GROWTH ON THEIR PROPERTY AND SMART DEVELOPMENT ON THEIR PROPERTY, BESIDES JUST TRYING TO FIT AS MANY RECTANGLES AS THEY POSSIBLY CAN.
IF YOU GO BACK TO THE OTHER SLIDE WHERE THERE'S, WHERE LOT SEVEN AND EIGHT ARE IMPACTED WITH THE WETLAND, THAT NOW THAT'S, UM, JURISDICTIONAL OR NON-JURISDICTIONAL.
SO, UH, PRIOR, IF I HAVE MY FACTS CORRECT, UM, THESE WETLANDS COULD BE TRADED IN OTHER WORDS, BY WETLANDS SOMEWHERE ELSE.
DOES THAT THAT LAW STILL APPLY? NO, THAT'S, THAT'S THE WHOLE INTENT OF THIS ORDINANCE IS TO SAY, NO, THAT THESE ARE THE ONES THAT WE'RE PROTECTING.
YOU'RE GONNA PROTECT THAT AND YOU'RE NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO TRADE IT OFF FOR ANOTHER AREA.
THAT, THAT'S THE KEY TO REMEMBER.
AND THIS IS ONE OF THE, IF YOU ASK COUNSEL WHY THIS WAS ADOPTED, I THINK YOU WOULD GET A VARIETY OF REASONS.
BUT ONE OF THE MAIN REASONS THAT WE'RE PUSHING FORWARD WITH IT IS FOR, UM, FLOODING THAT HAS OCCURRED.
AND THE STORMWATER SYSTEM AND WETLANDS GO INTO PREVENTING FLOODING IN THE FUTURE.
BECAUSE IF YOU HAVE, YOU PRESERVE YOUR WETLANDS, YOU HAVE A PLACE FOR THE WATER TO SIT, WHEN HURRICANES COME THROUGH, WHEN FLOOD RAIN STORMS COME THROUGH, YOU HAVE THAT NATURAL PLACE TO HOLD WATER.
BUYING A WETLAND IN GIM MISSY, AND CHANGING IT OUT FOR ONE THAT SITS IN THE HEART OF OLD TOWN, DOES IT CHANGE THAT THAT MAY NOW LEAD TO FLOODING WITHIN THOSE HOMES IN THE FUTURE? SO THE GOAL IS TO PROTECT THE WETLANDS WHERE THEY SIT WITHIN THE TOWN TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY CAN SERVE THEIR PURPOSE LONG TERM, WHICH IS TO BE WETLANDS, TO HOLD WATER, AND TO PROTECT DURING STORMWATER.
UH, AND, UH, AS STORMWATER, UH, IS BEING DESIGNED AND BUILT AND FLOODING OR RAIN EVENTS COME IN THE FUTURE.
UM, AS OUR PHILOSOPHY IS, LET NO GOOD IDEA GO ON.
UM, THE, THE CITY OF HARVILLE IS LOOKING AT YOUR ORDINANCE AND, AND LOOKING TO ADOPT THE SAME OR SIMILAR, UM, ORDINANCE FOR OUR CITY.
NOW, AT THIS POINT, I'D LIKE TO OPEN IT UP TO THE PUBLIC, UM, ANYONE FROM THE PUBLIC WHO WOULD LIKE TO, UH, ASK A QUESTION OR MAKE A COMMENT.
UH, WE'RE GOING TO THANK YOU, KEVIN.
AND THANK YOU FOR THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON FOR PROVIDING THIS, UH, INFORMATION.
AND FROM A NEXT STEP STANDPOINT, UH, WE'RE DOING A WORKSHOP ON APRIL 29TH WITH TOWN COUNCIL, UH, JUST TO GO OVER CHANGES FROM THAT FIRST READING, SECOND READING, SECOND PROPOSED.
UM, AND THEN MAY 13TH WILL BE THE SECOND AND FINAL READING.
WOULD YOU PLEASE, UH, SHARE THAT AFTER YOU'VE DONE YES, SIR.
DONE WHATEVER MODIFICATIONS, BECAUSE OUR, OUR STAFF IS LOOKING AT IT AS WELL.
UH, NEXT, UH, WE'RE GONNA GO, UH, HAS ROB'S SHOWN UP.
ROB'S, WE'RE GONNA GIVE ROB, WE'RE GONNA GIVE YOU A CHANCE TO CATCH YOUR BREATH AND WE'RE GONNA PUT YOU ON LAST.
SO, UH, UH, AND RIGHT NOW I'M GONNA ASK, UH, MR. TOM LENNOX TO COME UP.
IF YOU'LL RECALL FROM THE LAST MEETING, UH, THERE WAS A PROPOSAL, UM, FROM A TASK FORCE TO, UH, BE ADOPTED BY, UH, SO LOCO.
AND WE ASKED HIM TO COME BACK TODAY WITH SOME MORE DETAILS ON WHAT THIS TASK FORCE, UM, IS HOPING TO ACCOMPLISH.
LAST MONTH WE TALKED VERY BRIEFLY ABOUT THIS TASK FORCE, UM, AND
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IS CHARGED WITH DEVELOPING A FRAMEWORK OR STRUCTURE FOR A REGIONAL 20 YEAR PLAN.AND MOST APPROPRIATELY, YOU ASKED, UH, FOR MORE DETAIL ABOUT THE MISSION, IF YOU WOULD FOCUS ON THE MIDDLE PARAGRAPH.
YOU SEE THE MISSION IS MORE CLEARLY DEFINED AS CREATING A STRUCTURED, INCLUSIVE AND ADAPTIVE FRAMEWORK THAT ENABLES DIVERSE STAKEHOLDERS TO COLLABORATE, ALIGN PRIORITIES AND ADDRESS REGIONAL CHALLENGES.
SOUNDS LIKE KO AND THAT FRAMEWORK WILL PROBABLY INCLUDE AMONG OTHERS.
PROBABLY AMONG OTHERS, ISSUES SUCH AS GOVERNANCE, BASELINE ASSESSMENTS OF THE ENTIRE REGION, A VISION AND GOALS FOR THE REGION, STRATEGIES MANAGEMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION PLANS AND MEASUREMENT AND EVALUATION.
WE'LL BE DISCUSSING, UH, OUR ESTIMATED TIME TO COMPLETE THIS PROJECT.
UH, BUT FOR NOW, WE'LL START WITH 90 DAYS AND ADJUST IF THE PROJECT AND WORK EXPANDS.
I ANTICIPATE THIS LIST, UH, TO BE INCOMPLETE AND WILL CHANGE SIGNIFICANTLY FROM THE NEXT TIME I PRESENT IT TO YOU ALL.
NOW, THE QUESTION BEFORE THE BOARD IS, UH, THIS IS A TASK FORCE THAT IS WHO, WHO HAD, UH, INITIALLY, UH, INITIATED THIS WAS THIS.
G-I-C-G-I-C HAS EXPANDED, UH, THEIR FOCUS FROM ISLAND CENTRIC TO REGIONAL CENTRIC.
SO THIS CONCEPT, UH, WAS ACTUALLY BORN BY JOE PASAMA LAST YEAR, UH, AND PICKED UP BY GIC THIS YEAR.
SO THE QUESTION BEFORE THE BOARD IS, DO WE WANT TO ADOPT THIS AS AN OFFICIAL? SO LOCO SUBCOMMITTEE, TASK FORCE, WHATEVER YOU WANNA, HOWEVER WAY YOU WANT TO CALL IT.
UM, AND UH, SO THAT'S, THAT'S THE DECISION BEFORE THIS BOARD.
UH, SO GIVEN THAT, ARE THERE ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD? I HAVE A QUESTION.
UM, I THINK IT WOULD BE BENEFICIAL IF WE HEAR WHAT ROB MERCHANT TALKS ABOUT, WHAT THEY'VE ALREADY BEEN WORKING ON THAT GROUP, BECAUSE THERE'S SOME OVERLAP AND SOME OF YOUR GOALS ARE INCLUDED IN THAT GROUP'S GOALS.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE MIGHT WANNA SEPARATE SOME OF THESE THINGS INTO, UM, I MEAN, WE WANT TO HAVE, YOU'LL HEAR ROB TALK ABOUT WHAT, WHAT THE NEXT STEPS ARE, BUT, YOU KNOW, SOME OF YOUR GOALS ARE ADMIRABLE, BUT SOME OF 'EM, I THINK WE'VE, WE'LL BE COVERING IN A, IF WE DO A WORKSHOP IN THE NEAR FUTURE ABOUT GROWTH PARTICULARLY.
WE, WE WANNA MAXIMIZE, UM, EVERYONE'S EFFORTS AND NOT DUPLICATE THAT.
JOHN, YOU KNOW, MS. HOWARD SAID, ALICE SAID SHE'S DOING BUFORD, BUT I THINK TOM'S, THAT GROUP IS SPOT SUPPOSED TO BE THE REGIONAL NO, NO, THAT'S NOT WHAT I MEANT.
ROB'S GONNA ADDRESS JASPER AND BUFORT COUNTY.
THAT'S, THAT GROUP ADDRESSED BOTH.
ROB, ROB IS DOING, THIS IS A SO, SO LOCO, WHICH INCLUDES BOTH.
I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT'S IT IS RIGHT.
WE WOULD NEVER FORGET YOU JOHN
UM, I DO HAVE A COMMENT, BUT WITH, UH, MS. HOWARD'S SUGGESTION, I'M GONNA HOLD MY COMMENT UNTIL AFTER WE HEAR FROM ROB MERCHANT.
[00:30:02]
AT THIS POINT I'LL ASK THE PUBLIC IF YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS REGARDING, UH, THIS PROPOSAL.SO WHY DON'T WE, UM, ADOPT, UH, MS. HOWARD'S SUGGESTION AND WE'LL GO AND HEAR FROM MR. MERCHANT
ROB, DID YOU CATCH YOUR BREATH? YES.
IS THERE, UH, DO YOU HAVE THE, THE LAPTOP, RIGHT? AND, AND ROB, COULD YOU REMIND THE, REMIND US WHO WAS ON THAT COMMITTEE THAT Y'ALL WORKED ON? YES.
'CAUSE IT'S A VARIETY OF PEOPLE FROM DIFFERENT ALL OVER
UM, AND TAYLOR LATT IS WITH ME, ALSO WITH, OR TAYLOR LOGAN WITH, YES.
UM, WITH BEAVER, JASPER WATER SEWER AUTHORITY.
AND WE'VE BEEN WORKING TOGETHER BECAUSE I THINK THAT ONE ADVANTAGE OF THAT ORGANIZATION IS THEY ARE SEEING THINGS AS A REGION.
AND SO, UM, WITH THAT, THIS COMMITTEE SUBCOMMITTEE WAS APPOINTED BY SO LOCO, UM, AND IT'S MADE UP OF ALL THE PLANNERS OF THE VARIOUS JURISDICTIONS THAT, THAT MAKE UP.
SO LOCO, IN ADDITION, WE BROUGHT IN A LOT OF REGIONAL PARTNERS TO ASSIST US WITH, WITH WHAT THE PROPOSED, I GUESS, ACTION ITEM WOULD BE THAT WE WOULD BRING BACK TO THIS COMMITTEE.
SO JUST TO PICK UP WHERE WE LEFT OFF AT THE LAST MEETING, UM, AT, AT THE, UH, MARCH MEETING OF SO LOCO, UM, THIS COMMITTEE PRESENTED TO YOU A PROPOSAL FOR A, UH, RATHER THAN A FULL BLOWN REGIONAL PLAN, MORE OF A, UH, SERIES OF WORKSHOPS THAT WOULD LEAD TO SOME VERY SPECIFIC ACTION ITEMS WITH THE GOAL OF A AGREED UPON FUTURE LAND USE VISION FOR THE LOW COUNTRY, FOR, UH, THE TWO COUNTIES, BEAUFORT AND JASPER AND ALL THE, THE MUNICIPALITIES WITHIN THEM.
AND SO WE PRESENTED KIND OF SOME INFORMATION ABOUT WHY WE FELT IT WAS A GOOD IDEA TO WORK JOINTLY AND SOME OF THE CONSEQUENCES IF, IF WE DIDN'T.
AND THIS COMMITTEE GAVE US THE DIRECTION TO LOOK INTO IT FURTHER AND, AND TRY TO PROVIDE A BETTER PICTURE OF WHAT THIS STRATEGY MIGHT LOOK LIKE, SPECIFICALLY WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IN TERMS OF COST AND HOW THAT COST MIGHT BE SHARED AMONG THE JURISDICTIONS.
AND SO WHAT WE HAVE NOW, I WOULD SAY IS A LITTLE MORE SPECIFIC, BUT WE DO RECOGNIZE THAT THERE'S STILL MORE WORK TO DO IN TERMS OF IT, THE, THIS IT'S SO LOCO'S DIRECTION IF THEY'RE INTERESTED IN MOVING FORWARD, YOU KNOW, THEN WE WILL TALK ABOUT WHAT THE NEXT STEPS ARE.
BUT AS I MENTIONED LAST TIME, WHAT WE'RE SPEAKING OF IS A SERIES OR ONE WORKSHOP, OR A SERIES OF WORKSHOPS WHERE THE ELECTED OFFICIALS AND STAKEHOLDERS IN THE REGION WOULD ACTIVELY ENGAGE AND, AND, YOU KNOW, WORK THROUGH SOME IMPORTANT ISSUES FACING OUR REGION.
AND, UM, OUT OF THAT PROCESS WOULD COME RECOMMENDATIONS ABOUT HOW WE CAN FORWARD A JOINT LAND USE VISION FOR THE REGION, AND WHAT TOOLS WOULD IMPLEMENT THAT.
AND SO THAT'S WHAT WE, WE WORKED WITH A CONSULTANT WHO WAS WILLING TO PROVIDE US WITH SOME, UH, GUIDANCE AND SOME VERY GENERAL, UH, COST RANGES.
AND SO THAT'S KIND OF WHAT WE HAVE NOW IS A LITTLE MORE DETAILED SCOPE THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, REFLECTS THAT WORK.
SO THE FIRST PHASE OF THIS PROCESS REALLY WOULD, YOU KNOW, REQUIRE ALL THE JURISDICTIONS TO GATHER INFORMATION.
SO WE'D BE WORKING WITH A FACILITATOR TO MAKE SURE THEY HAD ALL THE UPDATED INFORMATION IN TERMS OF LAND USE OF, OF, UH, COMPREHENSIVE PLANS, THE TYPE OF BASE INFORMATION THAT IF THEY WERE HAVING A WORKSHOP THAT WOULD BE PRESENTED TO EACH OF THE PARTICIPANTS AS THIS IS WHERE WE'RE STARTING FROM.
AND SO THAT WORK, YOU KNOW, THAT WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, THAT, UM, PHASE ONE, THAT, THAT ADVANCE WORK NECESSARY
[00:35:01]
FOR THE WORKSHOPS.PHASE TWO WOULD BE REGIONAL WORKSHOPS.
THE, UM, CONSULTANTS THAT WE WORK WITH, SHE RECOMMENDED, AND I'M SORRY, I'M SAYING SHE, AND I'M POINTING TO TAYLOR, AND THAT'S
I THINK THAT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE, WE'RE CONCERNED WITH IS IF WE TRY TO HAVE A WHOLE DAY WORKSHOP, AND I'VE SEEN THAT HAPPEN, IT'S VERY HARD TO HAVE PEOPLE WHO CAN DEVOTE A WHOLE DAY.
YOU HAVE PEOPLE COMING IN AND LEAVING, UM, BUT IT'S ALSO, YOU'RE VERY LIMITED TO WHAT YOU COULD DO WITH A HALF DAY.
AND SO WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IS PERHAPS TWO HALF DAY WORKSHOPS THAT BUILD ON EACH OTHER.
MAYBE QUESTIONS ARE RAISED IN THE FIRST ONE, THE CONSULTANT TAKES THAT INFORMATION, PROVIDES, THIS IS WHAT WE THINK YOU'RE ASKING, AND THEN THEY CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION.
AND THEN OUT OF THOSE, UM, REGIONAL WORKSHOPS, THEN WE WOULD LOOK AT WHAT WE'RE TALKING, WHAT WE'RE CALLING A REGIONAL GROWTH STRATEGY ROADMAP.
I LIKE THE TERM ROADMAP BECAUSE IT'S NOT SPECIFICALLY IT, IT PROVIDES SOME ABILITY FOR THE PEOPLE WHO PARTICIPATE IN THE PROCESS TO DECIDE THE LEVEL OF DETAIL THAT THEY WOULD WANT.
WHAT DOES A FUTURE SHARED LAND USE VISION LOOK LIKE? HOW COULD THAT GUIDE OUR DECISIONS BUT STILL KEEP US WITH LOCAL AUTONOMY IN MAKING THOSE DECISIONS? SO, YOU KNOW, PART OF THAT WOULD BE SOME SORT OF FUTURE LAND USE MAP.
MAYBE IT'S NOT PARCEL BY PARCEL, BUT IT'S REALLY SHOWS THE, THE REGIONS WHERE WE'RE WANTING TO PROMOTE INFILL DEVELOPMENT, FUTURE GROWTH, AND AREAS THAT WE'RE WANTING TO PROMOTE CONSERVATION OR RURAL PRESERVATION.
UM, SOME SORT OF INTERGOVERNMENTAL AGREEMENT THAT OUTLINES THE RULE OF EACH JURISDICTION WITHIN THIS FRAMEWORK.
UH, YOU KNOW, SHARING OF INFORMATION, THOSE TYPES OF THINGS.
AND YOU KNOW, THE LEGAL FRAMEWORK FOR THAT.
SO IF WE MOVE DOWN ON HERE, HERE'S THE QUESTION.
WE WERE GIVEN A, WE WERE GIVEN A BASICALLY A, A 75 TO A HUNDRED THOUSAND.
THIS IS, I WOULD SAY A LITTLE BIT ON THE HIGH END, BUT THE REASON WE CHOSE THAT IS WHAT WE'RE ENVISIONING IS KIND WORKING WITH THE SO LOCO, IF THERE IS AN INTEREST IN PURSUING THIS FURTHER, THIS GIVES AN IDEA ABOUT WHAT TYPE OF BUDGETING WOULD BE NECESSARY TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN.
RECOGNIZING THAT A SCOPE OF WORK REALLY NEEDS TO BE REFINED BY THIS GROUP.
THAT, THAT THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT SHOULD BE RUSHED.
AND WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, SO LOCO HAS ENOUGH INPUT INTO THE, THE DETAILS OF, OF, OF THIS PROCESS.
BUT 75 TO A HUNDRED WAS ARRANGED THAT, YOU KNOW, ALLOWS SOME FLEXIBILITY AND CRAFTING A WORK PROGRAM.
AND WHAT WE DID WAS WE TOOK EACH OF THE JURISDICTIONS AT THE REQUEST OF THIS COMMITTEE, WE WENT STRICTLY BY POPULATION, UH, AND, YOU KNOW, FROM EACH JURISDICTION AND ANY, UM, UNINCORPORATED PORTIONS OF EACH COUNTY.
AND SO JUST TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA, A HUNDRED THOUSAND, YOU KNOW, THE BIGGEST HIT IT WOULD BEAUFORT COUNTY AT 43, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S BASICALLY 43% OF THE POPULATION, YOU KNOW, HILTON HEAD IN BLUFFTON OR IN THE TEENS, NO, NO OTHER JURISDICTION WOULD BE HAVING TO PAY MORE THAN 10,000, YOU KNOW, WITH, WITH THAT, THAT PRICE RANGE.
SO WE'RE HOPING THAT THIS APP, YOU KNOW, THIS GENERAL APPROACH, THIS IDEA ABOUT WHAT IT WOULD MEAN IN TERMS OF COST, I GUESS WHAT WE'RE ASKING THE COMMITTEE IS IF THEY'RE INTERESTED IN PURSUING THIS FURTHER THAN WHAT WE BELIEVE IS, I THINK IT'S NECESSARY TO HIT EVERYONE DURING THE BUDGET SEASON IF THERE'S AN INTEREST IN PURSUING THIS.
UM, AND THEN BEING ABLE TO REFINE THE PROCESS BECAUSE ULTIMATELY WE WOULD WANNA CRAFT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS OR REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS AND, UM, CHOOSE A FACILITATOR TO, TO PURSUE THIS.
SO, AND THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THIS AND THE, THE PRESENTATION BEFORE MINE, IT SOUNDS LIKE, YOU KNOW, THIS IS MORE OF A FOCUS ON THE LAND USE ISSUES AND THIS IS A PROCESS THAT REALLY GETS EVERYONE IN AT THE TABLE.
A AN ENTIRE, UM, REGIONAL PLAN WOULD PROBABLY TAKE IN A LOT OF OTHER FACTORS, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, DEEP DIVE INTO DEMOGRAPHIC TRENDS, THE, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF OTHER ISSUES, UM, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, HOUSING, YOU KNOW, THOSE ARE
[00:40:01]
ISSUES THAT ARE TYPICAL OF A PLAN WHERE THIS IS REALLY FOCUSING ON A REGIONAL VISION.SO I REALLY BELIEVE THAT THE TWO, IF IT IS THE INTEREST OF THE COMMITTEE TO REALLY CONSIDER BOTH APPROACHES, THE TWO CAN COMPLIMENT EACH OTHER.
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT COULD BE, MAYBE THIS IS PHASE ONE OF A, OF A PROCESS THAT DELVES DEEPER AND THAT'S, YOU KNOW, CERTAINLY, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING THAT THE COMMITTEE MAY WANNA LOOK AT WITH THAT.
I, YOU KNOW, WE'RE WILLING TO ASK, ENTERTAIN ANY QUESTIONS.
UM, JUST TO PUT THIS IN THE FRAMEWORK BEFORE I OPEN IT FOR QUESTIONS.
WE HAVE IN THE PAST, THROUGH THE ALMOST EIGHT YEARS OF, OF SO LOCO, WHEN WE'VE HAD, UM, A TASK FORCE ASK US TO ALL CONTRIBUTE, THE STORM WATER PLAN THAT GOT DONE, THE BEAUFORT, JASPER HOUSING TRUST STARTED PRETTY MUCH THE SAME WAY.
UM, WE ALL TOOK IT BACK TO OUR COUNCILS BECAUSE WE CAN, THIS IS NOT A COMMITTEE OR A BOARD THAT MAKES THOSE DECISIONS.
AND THE, THEN EACH JURISDICTION CAME BACK AND SAID YAY OR NAY.
UM, SO THAT'S WHAT WE WOULD HAVE TO DO AGAIN THIS TIME BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO MAKE ANY, UM, BUDGET DECISIONS HERE.
SO UNDERSTANDING THAT, UM, I'M GONNA UNDER, UH, OPEN THIS UP TO QUESTIONS FIRST BY THE BOARD.
DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD HERE? JOSH? UM, HE REACHED FIRST JOHN? YES.
SO REAL QUICKLY, I'M NOT SURE WHY THE TASK FORCE PROPOSAL AND, UM, THE GROWTH PLANNING WORKSHOP INITIATIVE COULD NOT RUN IN PARALLEL.
I THINK THAT THEY WOULD ACTUALLY COMPLIMENT EACH OTHER.
AND, AND I DIDN'T TAKE NOTES ON THE ENTIRE SLIDE, BUT SOME OF THE TASK FORCE PROPOSAL INITIATIVES THAT JUMPED OUT TO ME WERE THE LAND USE ZONING, TRANSPORTATION AND MOBILITY ENVIRONMENT, AND RESILIENCY HOUSING AND DEVELOPMENT.
AND I DO THINK THAT, AS STATED IN OUR PREVIOUS MEETING, A LOT OF THE ISSUES IS THE FACT THAT OUR DEVELOPMENT CODES COMPETE WITH EACH OTHER AND THEY DON'T COMPLIMENT EACH OTHER THE WAY THAT WE WOULD'VE INITIALLY HAVE WANTED.
UM, SO I THINK THAT THERE'S SOME REFINEMENT THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE THERE, AND MAYBE THE TASK FORCE PROPOSAL WOULD, WOULD FOCUS IN ON, UM, SOME OF THOSE ISSUES.
WHEREAS THE, THE, WHAT YOU'RE PROPOSING HERE, UM, A FOR THE CITY OF BEAUFORT, IT'S NOT REALLY A TALL ORDER FOR US TO, TO PITCH IN OUR PART AT $6,000, BUT THE BENEFIT WOULD BE TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR FUTURE LAND USE MAPS ARE WORKING IN CONJUNCTION WITH EACH OTHER.
SO ONE OF THE DEFICIENCIES THAT I CAN SEE IN OUR FUTURE LAND USE MAP IS IT DOESN'T GIVE A FUTURE LAND USE FOR PROPERTIES THAT ARE WITHIN THE GROWTH BOUNDARY, BUT NOT NECESSARILY IN THE MUNICIPALITY YET.
SO YOU HAVE IN THE COUNTY WHERE THEY WILL, UH, IDENTIFY FUTURE LAND USE FOR A GIVEN PARCEL, AND THAT PARCEL MAY BE WITHIN THE GROWTH BOUNDARIES FOR THE CITY OF BEAUFORT OR THE TOWN OF PORT ROYAL.
BUT OUR INDIVIDUAL FUTURE LAND USE MAPS DO NOT INDICATE WHAT THE FUTURE LAND USE WOULD BE IF ANNEXED INTO THE MUNICIPALITY.
SO IT KIND OF LEAVES IT WIDE OPEN, UH, AND I THINK THAT THERE'S, THERE'S ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT THERE.
SO I GUESS ALL OF THAT, JUST TO SAY THAT I THINK THAT BOTH OF THESE COULD RUN IN PARALLEL.
AND FOR ME, BASED ON MY UNDERSTANDING IN BOTH PRESENTATIONS THIS MORNING, I WOULD BE IN FAVOR OF SUPPORTING BOTH, UM, BECAUSE I DO THINK THAT IT'S NEEDED.
JOHN, DID YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY? TWO, QUESTION TWO.
UH, WHAT WAS THE CENSUS? WHAT CENSUS DO YOU USE FOR THE NU POPULATION? JUST FOR, SO THIS IS, UH, THE AMERICAN COMMUNITY SURVEY.
SO IT'S, THE ESTIMATES UPDATING TO 2023.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE, THE LAST CENSUS OF COURSE IS 2020, YOU KNOW, SO WE COULD GO BACK TO THOSE NUMBERS, BUT, UM, THIS IS JUST THE LATEST, UH, INFORMATION THAT'S AVAILABLE ON THE AMERICAN COMMUNITY SURVEY.
AND I THINK THAT WITH THE TWO GROUPS, I THINK YOU SHOULD BOTH GET TOGETHER AND DIVIDE A LITTLE BIT.
I MEAN, YOU HAVE NORTH OF THE BROAD, SOUTH OF THE BROAD HARDY JASPER, AND THEN YOU HAVE RIDGELAND.
I MEAN, EACH ONE HAS A LITTLE DIFFERENT FLAVOR, RIGHT? AND WHAT WORKS IN SOUTH OF ABROAD DOESN'T WORK IN JASPER FOR THE MOST PART.
WE'VE SEEN THIS MANY TIMES IN THE HOUSING TRUST AND ALL THAT.
SO I THINK THAT REALLY WE SHOULD LOOK AT IT,
[00:45:01]
SAY, LET'S TAKE THE TWO COMMITTEES, PUT 'EM TOGETHER, GET 'EM TOGETHER, AND SAY, OKAY, THEY, THEY COULD DO PART OF IT, YOU COULD DO PART OF IT AND SEE IF THEY MELD TOGETHER AND WHERE THEY DON'T MELD TOGETHER, YOU COULD PUT TOGETHER.BUT HAVING ONE COMMITTEE DO THE ENTIRE LOCA ENTIRE AREA, IT JUST SEEMS TO BE OVERWHELMING.
IT'S OVERWHELMING TO ME, YOU KNOW? SO THAT'S MY 2 CENTS IN IT.
WELL, AND LET ME, YOU DON'T MIND JUMP IN REAL QUICK.
UM, UH, COUNCILMAN KEMP, APPRECIATE YOUR INPUT THERE.
UM, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S AN UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT MR. LENNOX IS PROPOSING, AT LEAST WHAT I HEARD IS THAT THEY'RE PROPOSING TO PUT TOGETHER A RECOMMENDED STRUCTURE AND APPROACH TO DEVELOPING A PLAN.
THEY ARE NOT GOING TO DO THE PLAN.
SO THAT IS WHY IT'S A 90 DAY TIMEFRAME.
AND I THINK IT SOUNDS LIKE AN AWESOME WAY TO GO ABOUT ESSENTIALLY DOING A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN FOR OUR REGION.
UH, BUT THEY'RE NOT DOING THE PLAN.
SO WHAT WE ARE ACTUALLY DOING IS EXECUTING A TASK ITEM TO GET SOMEWHERE AND DEVELOP A FUTURE LAND USE MAP AND GROWTH FRAMEWORK FOR THE REGION.
SO THAT WOULD BE A COMPONENT OF A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN ONCE WE GET THERE.
BUT, UM, SO I THINK THAT THERE IS SOME CONVERSATION THAT THE TWO GROUPS COULD HAVE WITH THE TASK FORCE FROM, UM, LIN'S GROUP AND AS WELL AS WHAT WE'RE DOING, BUT WE'RE DOING SOMETHING THAT'S A LITTLE BIT MORE ACUTE THAN WHAT THEY'RE LOOKING AT AT THIS POINT IN TIME.
SO I THINK THEY'RE PRESENTING A PATHWAY TO GET TOWARDS DEVELOPING A REGIONAL PLAN, BUT THEY'RE NOT ACTUALLY GONNA DO THE PLAN YET.
SO THEY MAY HAVE SOMEONE IN MIND, BUT YOU KNOW, THEY'RE, THEY'RE ACTUALLY PROVIDING SOME REALLY, UM, INSIGHTFUL DIRECTION.
SO, SO SOMETHING I, I THINK, UM, I, I AGREE WITH, WITH WHAT JOHN WAS SAYING IS ABOUT GETTING TOGETHER, AND I, I THINK THAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN SOONER THAN LATER, UM, TO GET A CLEARER UNDERSTANDING.
I DON'T, I WANT IT, I WOULD WANT Y'ALL TO COME BACK TOGETHER AND SAY, THIS IS WHAT WE ARE DOING, THIS IS HOW WE'RE GOING TO MOVE FORWARD.
I THINK, UM, THAT A, A 75 TO A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS, UM, COST STRUCTURE, I THINK THAT IS ON THE HIGH SIDE.
UM, WE JUST HAD OUR STRATEGIC ACTION PLANS BACK IN FEBRUARY, AND IT WAS A TWO DAY EVENT, A DEEP DIVE, UH, WITH TWO INDIVIDUALS, UM, THAT CAME IN AND I THINK WE WERE UNDER $50,000.
UM, UNDERSTANDING THIS IS A LARGER REGION AND EVERYTHING ELSE, BUT I, BUT I THINK THERE ARE RESOURCES OUT THERE AS WELL THAT, UH, IT, IT SHOULD COME IN MUCH LESS.
AND SO WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IS THAT THE TWO GROUPS GET TOGETHER AND REALLY COME BACK WITH A CLEAR DIRECTIVE AS TO WHAT IT IS THAT WE'RE, WE'RE LOOKING TO MOVE FORWARD.
IS THAT THE CREATION OF HOW TO LOOK AT IT? OR IS IT THE ACTUAL, OR THE ACTION OF, OF DOING IT? UM, AND HOW THAT ALL FITS TOGETHER BECAUSE THERE'S GREAT KNOWLEDGE ON BOTH SIDES.
UM, AND I DON'T WANNA SEE DUAL EFFORTS OUT THERE COMPETING AGAINST EACH OTHER WHEN IT IS THE SAME, BECAUSE IT DOES SOUND LIKE SO LOCO.
UM, SO I JUST WANNA MAKE CERTAIN THAT WE'RE NOT, UH, DUPLICATING EFFORTS.
UM, MAYOR PERRY, UH, I WILL KIND OF CLARIFY A LITTLE BIT AS TO WHERE THE PRICING ON THIS IS COMING FROM.
SOME OF IT HAS TO DO WITH THE SHEER AMOUNT OF INFORMATION AND DISCOVERY AND DATA THAT HAS TO BE COLLECTED AND COMBED THROUGH AND COORDINATED, BECAUSE I MEAN, EVEN LIKE WITHIN, AND SOME OF YOU HAVE HEARD ME SAY THIS BEFORE, IF YOU'VE COME TO SOME OF OUR WORKSHOPS FOR OUR MASTER PLANNING PROCESS WITHIN EVEN A TWO SQUARE MILE AREA AROUND PORT ROYAL AND BLUFFTON, AND UNINCORPORATED BEAUFORT COUNTY, I MEAN, SORRY, CITY OF BEAUFORT, UNINCORPORATED BEAUFORT COUNTY, THERE'S THREE DIFFERENT ZONING CODES.
THERE'S THREE DIFFERENT FUTURE LAND USE MAPS.
SO IT'S, IT, AND THIS IS PART OF WHAT MY CONSULTANT WITH OUR MASTER PLAN IS GOING THROUGH, IS COORDINATING ALL OF THIS INFORMATION AND THAT GETS, THAT LEGWORK DOES GET EXPENSIVE AS WELL AS THE DELIVERABLE AFTER THE FACT.
UHHUH,
I'M SITTING HERE THINKING ABOUT THE GREEN TAX COMMITTEE AND WHAT, WHAT WAS TRYING TO BE DONE THERE.
AND I HAVEN'T HEARD MENTION OF THEM OF BEING PART OF THIS BECAUSE WE'RE PUTTING OUR EFFORTS THERE WITH THESE GROUPS TO, TO PROTECT LAND, TO, TO BUY DENSITY, UM, TO BRING DEVELOPMENT IN, TO BRING JOBS IN, YOU KNOW, SO THERE'S, AND I KNOW THAT, THAT WITH THE ORIGINAL, WITH WHAT MR. LENNOX SAID, YOU KNOW, OTHER PARTNERS, BUT THERE'S SO MUCH THAT'S GOING ON OUT THERE.
IF WE'RE NOT ALL TALKING COHESIVELY TOGETHER, THEN THERE'S GONNA BE SOMETHING THAT COMES OUT THAT ONE GROUP IS NOT GOING GOING TO AGREE WITH.
AND THE EDC IS GONNA CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH BIGGER GROWTH AND BIGGER OPPORTUNITIES THAT IT MAY NOT BE THE WILL OF THOSE MUNICIPALITIES AS TO WHAT WE WANNA SEE IN THIS AREA.
SO YOU, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, THERE'S A, I THINK A LOT MORE, AND I'M NOT SAYING THERE HASN'T BEEN A LOT OF CONVERSATION, BUT, UM, TO COME OUT TODAY AND, AND TRY TO MAKE A DECISION AND BRING THIS BACK
[00:50:01]
TO COUN, RESPECTIVE COUNCILS AND SAY, THIS IS WHAT WE THINK SHOULD HAPPEN OR NOT HAPPEN.I THINK SOME MORE, MORE DISCUSSION NEEDS TO GO INTO IT.
FROM MY STANDPOINT, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO MENTION THAT WE ANTICIPATE, YOU KNOW, WE REALLY WANT ELECTED OFFICIALS TO BE, YOU KNOW, ENGAGING IN THIS PROCESS, BUT WE ANTICIPATE THERE TO BE STAKEHOLDERS.
AND I THINK PART OF IT IS, YOU KNOW, WHAT DOES, DO EACH OF US RECOMMEND AS WHO ARE THOSE KEY STAKEHOLDERS HAVING A PROCESS? 'CAUSE THAT, YOU KNOW, BUT I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT ALSO TO HAVE THE, THE DECISION MAKERS, ELECTED OFFICIALS INVOLVED AS WELL.
WE, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE, YOU KNOW, BROADENING THE, THE INPUT.
JOSH, DO YOU HAVE SOMETHING FURTHER? ONE QUICK COMMENT FOR CLARIFICATION.
UM, UNDER YOUR SCOPE WHERE IT SAYS CREATE A SET OF BASE MAPS WITH REGIONAL CURRENT LAND USE, APPROVED, APPROVED DEVELOPMENTS, IS THAT TO SAY THAT THE INTENT IS TO BRING INTO ONE PLACE ALL OF THE PUDS THAT HAVE BEEN APPROVED SO THAT THERE'S A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT WAS PREVIOUSLY APPROVED, AND SO THAT, THAT THAT DOESN'T FALL OFF THE RADAR AND MAYBE WHEN THOSE APPROVALS WERE TO EXPIRE, JUST SO THAT THERE'S A, A, A COLLECTED HUB OF PREVIOUSLY APPROVED DEVELOPMENTS? YES.
I MEAN THAT, SO THAT'S AN IMPORTANT STEP OF THE PROCESS AND IT IS SOMETHING WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON, IS TO TRY TO COMPILE THAT INFORMATION BECAUSE SOME DECISIONS PROBABLY CAN'T BE WALKED BACK, YOU KNOW, SO IF, IF THERE HAS BEEN DEVELOPMENT THAT'S BEEN ENTITLED, WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT THAT'S PART OF, YOU KNOW, IN, IN TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT A FUTURE LAND USE VISION LOOKS LIKE, TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THOSE ENTITLEMENTS THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN MADE.
UM, THERE MAY BE SOME THAT, YOU KNOW, OLD PUDS THAT, THAT ARE STILL SITTING THERE DORMANT.
MAYBE THEY'RE, THEY'RE IN PLAY, BUT IT'S IMPORTANT TO HAVE THAT BACKGROUND INFORMATION.
AND THAT THAT'S AN IMPORTANT PART OF THIS INFORMATION GATHERING.
YOU KNOW, SO WE'RE KIND OF GOING FULL, YOU KNOW, EYES WIDE OPEN ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHERE, WHERE WE COULD AFFECT CHANGE AND WHERE WE NEED TO RECOGNIZE THAT WE'VE ALREADY ENTITLED GROWTH TO OCCUR.
UM, I, I, I AGREE WITH THE CONVERSATION THAT'S HAPPENED SO FAR.
LOOKING AT THIS FROM A REGIONAL FOCUS IS SO IMPORTANT BECAUSE OF ALL THE GROWTH OCCURRING IN THE LOW COUNTRY.
UM, AND I SEE THAT THESE TWO PIECES WORKING TOGETHER, I THINK THE COMPARISON THAT TAYLOR LAD MADE TO A COMPREHENSIVE LAND USE PLAN IS ACCURATE BECAUSE THERE ARE MORE ELEMENTS THAN LAND USE.
UM, AND, AND I WROTE DOWN, AND I'M GLAD THAT MAYOR PERRY MENTIONED ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, BECAUSE I WROTE DOWN ELEMENTS MISSING FROM THE REGIONAL GROWTH STRATEGY WOULD BE THINGS LIKE TRANSPORTATION, UM, INFRASTRUCTURE IS GREAT, RECOVERING WATER AND SEWER.
AND I KNOW THAT LAND USE DOES COVER, UH, TRANSPORTATION AS WELL.
BUT IT'S CERTAINLY A KEY ELEMENT NOW, UH, ABOUT HOW TO GET FOLKS AROUND IN OUR REGION.
AND THAT'S NOT EXACTLY INCLUDED IN LAND USE PLANNING, SOMEWHAT, BUT NOT EXACTLY A COMP PLAN.
I'M GLAD TO SEE CARLTON DALLAS HERE FROM, UH, THE COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION BECAUSE WE NEED TO ALSO LOOK AT THE EDUCATION NEEDS AND HOW DOES THAT FEEL FIT WITHIN THE REGIONAL PLANNING AND REGIONAL STRATEGIC PLANNING.
UM, AND THEN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, UH, WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO FOR THE FUTURE AND HOW DO WE WORK WITH USEB AND LOW COUNTRY TECHNICAL COLLEGE, UM, IN ORDER TO, UH, TO BUILD SOME ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT THAT IS REFLECTIVE OF THE VALUES OF THE REGION AND REGIONAL PLANNING CAN DO THAT.
SO I SEE THE TWO PIECES WORKING TOGETHER.
UM, I DON'T WANT TO SLOW DOWN ONE GROUP
SO IF I COULD SUMMARIZE WHAT THE GENERAL CONVERSATION IS, WE WOULD, UH, WANT TO DIRECT A, THE TASK FORCE TO PROCEED, BUT, UH, FIRST TALK WITH ROB AND GET A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT PATH EACH WILL TAKE IN THE FUTURE.
UH, SECONDLY, UM, UH, MAYOR PERRY SUGGESTION IS TO TAKE ANOTHER LOOK AT THE EXACTLY WHAT, UH, IF THERE ARE OTHER OPTIONS TO THE COST.
DID I SAY THAT CORRECTLY? YEAH, YEAH.
I, YOU KNOW, AFTER HEARING WHAT YOU'RE SAYING ABOUT SOME OF THE DOCUMENTS PULLING IN AND THINGS LIKE THAT, THE CHALLENGE IS, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY EXPLORE, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, IS THIS AN OPPORTUNITY TO PULL IN SOMEBODY FROM USCB THAT'S GOING
[00:55:01]
THROUGH A BUSINESS SCHOOL THAT CAN HELP OUT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S SOME OPPORTUNITIES THERE.SO THAT'S, THAT'S JUST HOW MY MIND GOES IMMEDIATELY.
BUT ALSO, UH, IF PERHAPS IF YOU COULD FORWARD TO ROB, YOU KNOW, WHO YOU USED, UM, AND GET, UM, JUST TAKE A LOOK AND SEE IF THERE'S ANOTHER OPTION.
I WOULD ADD TO THAT, THAT EACH OF THESE JURISDICTIONS OUT THERE UPDATE THEIR NUMBERS.
I DON'T WANT TO PUT THE CITY OF HARDY V INTO SPENDING MORE MONEY, BUT, UH, I THINK, I THINK THE NUMBERS ARE A LITTLE LOW IN, IN OUR CASE.
UH, AND, UM, SO, AND MAYBE EVEN BLUFFTON AS WELL.
SO OUR NUMBERS LOOK A LITTLE HIGH TO ME.
YOU SAID PERHAPS, ROB, WHAT I WOULD SUGGEST TO YOU IS TO ASK EACH ONE OF THESE JURISDICTIONS TO GIVE THEIR UPDATED NUMBERS AND THEN RE REEVALUATE HOW IT'S BROKEN DOWN AND THEN COME BACK, UH, IS NEXT MONTH TOO SOON? AND SO NEXT MONTH, UM, TOM, PLEASE WORK WITH, UH, ROB.
IS THAT, CAN WE ASK YOU TO DO THAT? I SEE, I SEE TOM'S TASK FORCE, THIS IS FREE LABOR.
YOU KNOW, WHY NOT TAKE ADVANTAGE OF, OF THEIR, THEIR CAPABILITIES? SO WHAT'S THAT? I THINK IT'S FREE
UM, AND THEN COME BACK NEXT MONTH WITH A FOLLOW UP REPORT.
AND THEN EACH OF US CAN DEC OR THE BOARD CAN DECIDE WHETHER OR NOT WE WANT TO TAKE THIS PROPOSAL, WE, OUR INDIVIDUAL JURISDICTIONS AND ASSIGN THAT THOSE FUNDS.
I DON'T THINK WE CAN LET IT GO ANY FURTHER THAN NEXT MONTH BECAUSE THE VOTES ON EVERYBODY'S BUDGET WILL, UM, WILL BE PASSED.
SO I WOULD ASK THE BOARD TO PLEASE DO SOME INITIAL, UM, TEMPERATURE TAKING OF EACH ONE OF OUR COUNCILS AS TO WHETHER OR NOT WE WOULD, YOU WOULD BE INTERESTED IN ADDING THIS TO YOUR BUDGETS.
AND THAT WAY WE, WE, WE CAN GO FORWARD.
CAN WE GET THIS VIRTUALLY SO WE CAN SHARE? YES.
I HAD ONE QUESTION OF ROB AND I DON'T WANNA PUT YOU ON THE SPOT.
DID YOU HAPPEN TO BRING THE SLIDE WITH THE UPDATED? YES, I DO HAVE THAT.
UM, THERE WAS A DISCREPANCY ON WHEN HE MADE THE PREVIOUS PRESENTATION ABOUT THE NUMBER OF PERMITS, AND JOE PASSMAN CAUGHT IT ACTUALLY, UM, ABOUT WEST A AND EAST A.
SO JUST IF Y'ALL CAN SEE THAT AND WE CAN SHARE IT WITH EVERYONE TOO.
YEAH,
I THINK WE HAD A NUMBER AROUND FIVE AND IT'S ACTUALLY 53,000.
AND I WOULD TAKE A LOOK AT THE, UH, SOME OF THE HARDY V NUMBERS.
JUST KNOW THAT THOSE TWO YOU MIGHT WANT TO GET FROM THE JURISDICTIONS, BECAUSE I THINK THERE'S, THOSE NUMBERS ARE SLIGHTLY OFF AS WELL.
I, I SHOULD PAY THE WHOLE DAY
I DON'T WANNA GO THAT FAR, FRANK.
AND THIS, THIS GIVES YOU, WE WE'RE STILL REFIN.
WE HAVE A MAP, AN ONLINE MAP THAT WE'RE REFINING, AND OUR GOAL IS TO HAVE THAT SOMETHING THAT IS AVAILABLE SO THAT PEOPLE HAVE AN IDEA ABOUT FUTURE GROWTH IN THE AREA.
BUT WE'RE NOT GONNA RELEASE THAT UNTIL WE'RE COMFORTABLE AND WE HAVE EVERY JURISDICTION COMFORTABLE WITH THE NUMBERS.
UH, BEFORE I LEAVE THIS SUBJECT, DOES ANYONE FROM THE PUBLIC HAVE ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? AND DON'T LEAVE? ROB, YOU'RE GOING TO TELL US ABOUT THE, UH, SURVEY, RIGHT? THE PLASTIC BAG CIRCLE? YES.
WHY DON'T WE DO THAT? AND THEN, UH, THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS FROM THE PUBLIC REGARDING EITHER ONE.
YEAH, AND I'LL BE, I'LL BE REAL BRIEF WITH THIS BECAUSE THIS IS STILL SORT OF AN UPDATE.
WE'RE STILL REFINING THE NUMBERS, BUT, SO I THINK
[01:00:01]
MAYBE ABOUT SIX MONTHS AGO, UM, THIS COMMITTEE WAS PRESENTED, I THINK GRANT MCCLURE FROM THE COASTAL CONSERVATION LEAGUE TALKED ABOUT, UH, THE PLASTIC BAG ORDINANCE AND CONSIDERATION OF OTHER MATERIALS THAT ARE ACCUMULATING IN THE LOW COUNTRY AND WHETHER WE WANTED TO TAKE A, ANOTHER LOOK AT THIS AS A REGION.AND SO, UM, JUST TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF, YOU KNOW, OUT OF THAT PROCESS, WE PUT TOGETHER A WORKING GROUP, YOU KNOW, MADE UP OF, UM, REALLY THIS IS RIGHT NOW BEING INITIATED BY BEAUFORT COUNTY, BUT WE BELIEVE THAT A LOT OF THIS WORK HAS, YOU KNOW, THE POTENTIAL TO, UM, BE ADOPTED BY EACH OF THE JURISDICTIONS.
AND WE WOULD LIKE TO DO THIS, YOU KNOW, IN CONJUNCTION WITH OTHERS IF, IF WE DO TAKE THESE EXTRA STEPS.
BUT, UM, WE PUT TOGETHER A COMMITTEE IN INVOLVING OUR PLANNING DEPARTMENT, SOLID WASTE AND RECYCLING.
WE HAVE SOME COMMUNITY MEMBERS ON THERE, PORT ROYAL SOUND FOUNDATION, COASTAL CONSERVATION LEAGUE, SOME OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS TO LOOK AT, UM, WHAT TYPES OF PLASTICS ARE ACCUMULATING IN THE LOW COUNTRY, IN ADDITION TO LOOKING AT WHAT OTHER JURISDICTIONS IN COASTAL SOUTH CAROLINA ARE DOING.
AND WHAT WE'RE FINDING IS THAT THERE REALLY IS A GROWING, UM, AWARENESS IN, IN COASTAL COUNTIES AND COASTAL JURISDICTIONS TO LIMIT PLASTIC WASTE BECAUSE THE CONCERN ABOUT WATER QUALITY AND POLLUTION.
AND SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DID IS WE WORKED WITH, YOU KNOW, WE REACHED OUT TO SOME OF THOSE OTHER JURISDICTIONS, UH, CITY OF CHARLESTON WAS ONE THAT WE, WE SPOKE TO AT LENGTH.
AND, AND WE LEARNED SOME THINGS FROM THEM ABOUT NOT ONLY WHAT KIND OF PROCESS THEY TOOK AT, YOU KNOW, TO GET TO WHERE THEY ARE, UM, BUT ALSO, UM, WHAT LOOKING AT HOW THEY REGULATE, THERE'S DIFFERENT WAYS OF REGULATING OR, UM, MANAGING, UH, THE, THE ACCUMULATION OF PLASTIC.
AND IT DOESN'T ALWAYS, YOU KNOW, CORRESPOND WITH AN OUTRIGHT BAN, YOU KNOW, AND SO THAT'S SOMETHING WE LEARNED FROM THE PROCESS AS WELL.
BUT THE FIRST THING THAT WE WANTED TO DO, LEARNING FROM THEM WAS GOING OUT TO THE COMMUNITY WITH A SURVEY, WHICH I THINK WE PROVIDED SOME UPDATE TO.
SO LOCO, WE WANTED TO HAVE A SURVEY THAT INCLUDED BOTH THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY AND THE CONSUMERS, BECAUSE WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE HEARING FROM EACH GROUP AND WHAT THEIR CONCERNS ARE.
AND WE LOOKED AT, UH, UH, JULIANA PREPARED THIS, I FORGOT I HAD A LITTLE BIT OF ANIMATION IN IT, BUT WE LOOKED AT PLASTIC BAGS, BUT ALSO PLASTIC STYROFOAM CONTAINERS, UH, STYROFOAM CUPS, PLASTIC CUTLERY, OR WHATEVER.
I WANNA SAY SILVERWARE, BUT IT'S PLASTICWARE AND THEN STRAWS, YOU KNOW, SO THESE ARE THE KIND OF THE COMMON ITEMS THAT THERE'S CONCERN ABOUT, BECAUSE A LOT OF THEM ARE ONE USE AND THEY'RE GOING OUT EITHER IN THE TRASH OR BEING LITTERED.
AND WE PROVIDED SOME BACKGROUND INFORMATION AND REALLY ASKED THE COMMUNITY TO LOOK AT IS THERE AN INTEREST IN LIMITING THE ACCUMULATION OF THESE, AND WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? SO, UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE FOUND, WELL, WE CAN GO INTO THIS, BUT SOME, SOME ITEMS SUCH AS SINGLE USE PLASTIC BAGS OR, UH, CONTAINERS, THINGS LIKE THAT.
THERE SEEMED TO BE A STRONGER INTEREST IN SOME SORT OF LIMITATION OR BAN OF THOSE ITEMS. BUT WE GOT IN, GOT TO ITEMS LIKE THE, THE SILVERWARE AND THE STRAWS.
THERE WAS A GENERAL CONSENSUS THAT MAYBE THE, A BAN IS NOT THE BEST WAY TO MOVE FORWARD.
BUT ACTUALLY A LOT, WHAT A LOT OF JURISDICTIONS DO IS, UH, A LAW THAT SAYS THESE THINGS ARE AVAILABLE BY DEMAND ONLY.
AND THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE FOUND FROM TALKING TO CHARLESTON WAS A WIN-WIN SITUATION WITH MANY OF THE BUSINESSES.
BECAUSE WHAT THAT DOES IS, YOU KNOW, 'CAUSE I THINK IF MOST OF, YOU'RE AWARE, YOU GO OUT TO A FAST FOOD RESTAURANT AND THEY IMMEDIATELY GIVE YOU A STRAW WITH YOUR DRINK, OR, YOU KNOW, YOU MAY GET A FORK WITH CHINESE TAKEOUT, BUT YOU, YOU'RE TAKING IT HOME AND YOU'RE GONNA USE YOUR OWN FORK.
SO JUST BY THAT NOT AUTOMATICALLY OFFERING, IT PROVIDES AN OPPORTUNITY FOR BUSINESSES TO REDUCE THE NUMBER OF MATERIALS, YOU KNOW, THAT THEY HAVE TO PURCHASE, BUT ALSO THE ACCUMULATION.
PERSONALLY, I DON'T USE STRAWS.
I'VE ALWAYS HANDED THEM AT RESTAURANTS, AND SO I, I WOULD, YOU KNOW, CERTAINLY APPRECIATE SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
[01:05:01]
WHAT WE LEARNED FROM THE COMMUNITY IN PUTTING OUT THIS SURVEY IS THAT THERE SEEMED TO BE, UM, AND I'LL, THIS IS JUST TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA.WE, WE GOT 6,062 CONSUMER RESPONSES AND 138 BUSINESS RESPONSES.
AND THERE SOME SEEM TO BE SOME GENERAL TRENDS IN THE DATA THAT WE GOT FROM THEM THAT WE'RE STILL IN THE PROCESS OF ANALYZING.
BUT WHAT WE'RE SEEING IS FOR, FOR PLASTIC BAGS AND FOR, UH, STYROFOAM CONTAINERS AS CLAMSHELLS THAT SEEM TO BE THE PRIMARY TAKEOUT CONTAINER, THERE WAS AN INTEREST IN REALLY REDUCING THE ACCUMULATION OF THOSE WHERE THERE SEEMED TO BE MORE OF A SUPPORT FOR SOME SORT OF BAN OF THOSE AND, AND, AND USING OTHER MATERIALS.
BUT FOR, UH, STRAWS AND FOR THE SILVERWARE, THERE WAS MORE OF SUPPORT FOR, UM, YOU KNOW, JUST REQUIRING THEM TO BE BY ON, ON REQUESTS ONLY.
AND SO WE'RE BEGINNING TO SEE THIS TREND OF THE TYPES OF ITEMS THAT THE COMMUNITY AND THE BUSINESSES SUPPORT, YOU KNOW, REGULATION AND, AND, AND OTHERS THAT, WHERE THEY'RE LOOKING AT SOME SORT OF REDUCTION BY NOT REQUIRING THEM TO BE HANDED OUT.
SO I THINK THAT THAT'S, IT'S ENCOURAGING TO HAVE SOME DIRECTION.
AND SO WHAT WE, WE WENT, SPOKE TO OUR, UM, NATURAL RESOURCES COMMITTEE OF COUNTY COUNCIL EARLIER THIS MONTH, AND WE SAID THAT WE'RE GONNA TAKE THIS INFORMATION AND THEN COME UP WITH SOME RECOMMENDATIONS, YOU KNOW, KIND OF A FULL REPORT OF THE SURVEY DATA, AND THEN WHAT WE BELIEVE AS A COMMITTEE MIGHT BE SOME POSSIBLE PATH FORWARD.
AND SO PRESENTING THAT TO COUNCIL, BUT THAT KIND OF GIVES YOU AN IDEA OF WHERE WE ARE.
UM, AND SO WITH THAT, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, SO FIRST FROM THE BOARD, ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? A QUESTION? YES.
MS. DE, UM, IN LOOKING IN WHAT OTHER JURISDICTIONS ARE DOING, HAVE YOU FOUND ANYWHERE WHERE THEY'RE OFFERING KIND OF INCENTIVE OR GRANTS OR ANY KIND OF PROGRAM TO ENCOURAGE THE USE OF MORE LIKE BIODEGRADABLE OR, OR STUFF? MM-HMM
UM, WE'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS ABOUT IF THAT POTENTIAL, BUT WASN'T SURE IF THERE'S A PROGRAM THAT EXISTS ALREADY SOMEWHERE.
YES, ACTUALLY, UH, CITY OF CHARLESTON HAD A PILOT PROGRAM WHERE THEY, THEY RECEIVED SOME GRANT FUNDS AND THAT, SO WHAT THEY DID WAS THEY GOT SOME, I THINK THERE WERE, YOU KNOW, CARDBOARD, BUT DIFFERENT TYPES OF CLAMSHELL CONTAINERS THAT WERE NOT STYROFOAM.
AND YOU HAVE THOSE AVAILABLE TO SMALL BUSINESSES.
SO YEAH, THERE ARE A LOT OF, UM, OPPORTUNITIES TO HAVE A, YOU KNOW, RULING OUT IF, IF THIS IS SOMETHING THAT THE JURISDICTIONS WANT TO PURSUE, IT'S NOT NECESSARILY SOMETHING WHERE TOMORROW ALL OF A SUDDEN THIS IS THE LAW.
THERE'S MAYBE A, A TRIAL PERIOD RULING OUT ENCOURAGING, YOU KNOW, UH, REACHING OUT TO BUSINESSES.
SO THERE'S, YEAH, I, I THINK THAT THAT'S AN IMPORTANT COMPONENT OF THIS.
AND I FORGOT TO MENTION THAT WE LEARNED FROM TALKING TO THE OTHER JURISDICTIONS.
ONE OF 'EM IS ON THE ON DEMAND.
SO I CAN SEE HOW AN ON DEMAND WOULD WORK IF YOU'RE AT A SIT DOWN RESTAURANT AND THEY DON'T PROVIDE YOU A STRAW, AND THEN YOU ASK FOR ONE OR YOU DON'T, HOW DOES THAT PLAY INTO FAST FOOD RESTAURANT WHERE MAYBE YOU'RE GOING THROUGH A DRIVE THROUGH AND YOU PULL OFF BEFORE YOU REALIZE THAT THEY DIDN'T PUT A STRAW IN THERE AND YOU DON'T, YOU DON'T KNOW THAT NOW THERE'S THIS ON DEMAND, THIS ON DEMAND, UM, ON, ON STRAWS OR SO HAVE, HAVE OTHER MUNICIPALITIES WORKED THROUGH, UM, FAST FOOD VERSUS A SIT DOWN RESTAURANT? YEAH.
AND I THINK THAT THAT WOULD COME TO THE OUTREACH AND EDUCATION.
YOU KNOW, IT COULD BE THAT, YOU KNOW, JUST HAVING THE PERSON AT THE DRIVE THROUGH WINDOW SAY, DO YOU NEED A STRAW WITH THAT, YOU KNOW, BEFORE THE PERSON LEAVES, YOU KNOW, VERSUS EXPECTING THE CUSTOMER TO KNOW, OH, I NEED A STRAW.
I THINK THAT'S, UM, THAT SEEMS PRETTY TEDIOUS.
IT SEEMS A LOT TO ASK FOR THE INDIVIDUALS WORKING OR THE, THE CONSUMER MM-HMM
UM, BUT REGARDLESS IF THAT'S, I GUESS MORE THOUGHT CAN GO INTO, UM, HOW WE ADDRESS THAT ISSUE.
ANOTHER QUESTION BECAUSE, AND THIS IS JUST ACKNOWLEDGING, UM, A VERY REAL THING THAT DOES HAPPEN THAT SHOULDN'T AND HAS FOR A LONG TIME.
ON THE NOTE OF REDUCING PLASTICS AND PROTECTING THE ENVIRONMENT, HAS THERE BEEN ANY DISCUSSION? AND IF NOT, WHY NOT ON HOW WE REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF HOUSEHOLD TRASH THAT IS BURNED EVERY DAY IN OUR COMMUNITY? BECAUSE THERE ARE HUNDREDS, IF NOT THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE THAT HAVE DONE THAT FOR
[01:10:01]
A VERY LONG TIME.AND IF WE'RE GONNA HAVE A REAL CONVERSATION ABOUT PROTECTING THE ENVIRONMENT, AT SOME POINT, WE HAVE TO ADDRESS THAT.
UH, YOU KNOW, IT COULD BE PART OF THIS, OR IT COULD BE A, A SEPARATE, YOU KNOW, THAT I THINK WE ALL HAVE BURN ORDINANCES.
UH, MAYBE IT COMES OUT OF A, A DISCUSSION ABOUT THAT, BUT I MEAN, I, YOU, THAT'S CERTAINLY, WELL, EVERYBODY DOES HAVE BURN ORDINANCES, AND THE BURN ORDINANCES HAVE BEEN IN PLACE FOR A WHILE, BUT IT OBVIOUSLY HAS NOT REDUCED THE AMOUNT OF HOUSEHOLD.
SO I, I THINK THERE HAS TO BE SOMETHING ELSE THAT'S DONE.
AND, AND I THINK IT'S WORTHWHILE FOR IF WE'RE GONNA HAVE THESE DISCUSSIONS TO ALSO ADDRESS THE FACT THAT, THAT THOSE ISSUES EXIST.
UM, BECAUSE THE REALITY IS, IS EVEN ON A PLASTIC BAG, I MEAN, YOU COULD TAKE AWAY PLASTIC BAGS AND GO TO BROWN PAPER BAGS IN YOUR GROCERY STORE, BUT THE REALITY IS, IS 90 TO 95% OF WHAT YOU GET IN THE STORE WHILE YOU'RE SHOPPING IS WRAPPED IN PLASTIC.
AND THEN YOU'RE GONNA PUT THAT IN A PAPER BAG.
SO MAYBE YOU REDUCE IT A LITTLE BIT.
BUT IN THIS CASE, AND I THINK IT'S SO IMPORTANT THAT YOU GUYS WENT OUT AND GOT RESPONSES FROM THE BUSINESSES BECAUSE YOUR LARGE SCALE GROCERY STORE THAT CAN MAYBE, UM, A AFFORD ANOTHER OPTION, MAY NOT BE AVAILABLE TO A SMALL BUSINESS TO, YOU KNOW, IF, IF YOU WORKED IN AN INCENTIVE OF SOME KIND.
BUT I'D WANT TO FURTHER UNDERSTAND WHAT THE, THE FINANCIAL IMPACT TO A SMALL BUSINESS IS, IF THEY HAVE TO, UM, ADAPT AND MAYBE PROVIDE, YOU KNOW, A MORE EXPENSIVE MATERIAL, UM, FOR SILVERWARE OR STRAWS OR WHAT HAVE YOU.
UM, CAN WE JUST, I'LL OPEN TO THE PUBLIC REAL QUICK IF THERE ARE ANY FINAL COMMENTS F FROM GUESTS, PLEASE.
UH, ONE QUICK COMMENT, MAYOR HARRY WILLIAMS, I'D BE REMISS IF IT DIDN'T SAY, TODAY IS EARTH DAY
ONE IS, I THINK IT'D BE HELPFUL.
I FIRST OF ALL THANK YOU FOR DOING THIS.
I, I THINK, IS COMPLETING ANALYSIS OF THE DATA FROM THE SURVEY.
IT MIGHT BE GOOD TO HEAR MORE ABOUT THE DATA POINTS THAT YOU'RE GONNA BE LOOKING AT.
BECAUSE YOU'VE TALKED ABOUT STRAWS, UM, AND, UM, HOW MUCH ABOUT PLASTIC BAGS AND A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, UH, THE, THE TAKEAWAY CONTAINERS.
UM, BUT I THINK IT'D BE HELPFUL TO KNOW ABOUT THAT AS WELL.
WHAT ARE YOUR FOCUS AREAS? AND THEN TWO OTHER GROUPS I WOULD SUGGEST THAT YOU TALK TO.
AND THAT IS THE SEA TURTLE PATROL ON HILTON HEAD ISLAND AND OTHER AREAS OF THE LOW COUNTRY, UH, BECAUSE THEY TALK ABOUT THE IMPACT ON SEA TURTLES OF PLASTIC BOTTLES, PLASTIC, OTHER KIND OF PLASTIC CONTAINERS, UM, AN OUTSIDE FOUNDATION.
I KNOW THEY'RE BOTH DOING AN ISLAND RECREATION.
THEY'RE ALL DOING EARTH DAY ACTIVITIES TODAY.
SO WHOEVER'S DOING EARTH DAY ACTIVITIES, IT MIGHT BE HELPFUL TO GET THEIR INPUT ON THE IMPACT ON EARTH DAY.
SO, UM, TO SUMMARIZE, WE WILL, UM, WE'LL HEAR FROM ROB AND TOM ON, ON THE MAY AGENDA.
UM, I WOULD ASK THE BOARD TO PLEASE, LAST MONTH WE SENT EVERYONE A, A PROPOSED RESOLUTION REGARDING TRI SHARE FROM THE, UH, CHILDCARE, UH, SUBCOMMITTEE.
I WOULD ASK THAT EACH JURISDICTION GIVE US AN UPDATE, YOU KNOW, SO THAT WE HAVE AT LEAST SOME IDEA IF THERE'S GOING TO BE A YAY OR A NAY, YOU KNOW, UH, IS IT, DO YOU HAVE AN IDEA WHEN, WHERE, UH, WE HAVE THE LUXURY OF BASICALLY A YEAR BECAUSE THE STATE WILL NOT, THEIR BUDGET IS, YOU KNOW, PASSED.
UH, THE CITY OF HARDY DID PASS THE RESOLUTION LAST THURSDAY.
UM, WE DID GET A PRESENTATION FROM MR. LEWIS, THE, UH, HEAD OF THAT SUBCOMMITTEE TO OUR COUNCIL.
WE DID, I DID ASK THAT, UH, COMMITTEE TO STRUCTURE A TEST AND THAT THE, UH, GIVEN THAT STRUCTURE, PERHAPS THE CITY OF HARVILLE, UH, WOULD BE THE, THE TEST BABY.
IF SO, WE'LL COME BACK WITH A TEST.
HOPEFULLY THEY'LL BE READY NEXT MONTH.
UH, WHAT THAT WOULD LOOK LIKE AND WHO WOULD FUND IT AND, AND HOW THAT ACTUALLY COULD TAKE PLACE.
BECAUSE WE, THERE'S, YOU HAVE TO GET THE CHILDCARE FACILITY INVOLVED IN THIS.
[01:15:01]
YOU HAVE TO GET EMPLOYERS INVOLVED IN THIS.AND SINCE WE CAN'T ASK THE STATE WHO WOULD FUND THE THIRD OF THAT, SO THAT'S WHY I ASKED THEM TO COME BACK AND GIVE US SOME, WHAT A STRUCTURE OF A TEST WOULD BE, BECAUSE WE HAVE AN ESSENCE A YEAR TO TAKE IT TO THE STATE.
SO I'LL, UH, I'LL PUT THAT ON THE AGENDA FOR MAY AS WELL.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER SUGGESTIONS FOR MAY AT THIS TIME? OKAY.
ANY OTHER THOUGHTS BEFORE WE ADJOURN FOR THE DAY? MR. DALLAS? UH, YES.
AT SOME POINT, I DON'T KNOW ON THE WHAT ON THE SILICON BAR, WHICH WE WON, UH, TRADEMARK OWNERSHIP, WHERE I WE'RE TRYING TO REALLY TARGET, UH, HIM PRO SILICON VALLEY IS TWO MAJOR INSTITUTIONS.
SO WE HAVE THOSE THINGS VERY SIMILAR.
WE JUST WANT TO PACK THEM ALL THE GUIDANCE OF ALL THE LEADERS OF THIS PARTICULAR GATHERING AND OTHERS.
SO, UH, WOULD YOU PLEASE SEND ME A, HOW MUCH TIME YOU WOULD LIKE A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF THE, WHAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO SAY TO THE BOARD AND I WILL MAKE SURE THAT WE, UM, I, I'LL PUT IT UP TO THE BOARD FOR WHETHER OR NOT THEY WANT THAT AND WHEN, THANK YOU.
THANKS FOR WATCHING BEAUFORT COUNTY TV THIRD QUARTER, THE SWAT TEAM.
WE STARTED BACK IN 1986 AND, UH, I WAS ACTUALLY ONE OF THE FIRST TEAM MEMBERS OF THE SWAT IN 1986.
AND IT WAS MAINLY TO, UH, YOU KNOW, TO SERVE HIGH RISK WARRANTS.
AND, UH, AND WE WERE, DURING THAT TIME WERE HEAVILY INVOLVED IN SOME, UH, VIP PROTECTION BECAUSE OF HILTON HEAD AND, AND SOME OF THE FOLKS THAT VISITED US HERE IN IN BEAUFORT COUNTY.
UH, SWAT, UH, BASICALLY STANDS FOR SPECIAL WEAPONS AND TACTICS AND BASICALLY IT'S MADE UP OF SPECIALIZED OFFICERS WITH SPECIALIZED TRAINING AND EQUIPMENT.
THEIR PRIMARY MISSION IS TO SUPPORT THE ROAD PATROL.
ANYTHING THAT'S, THAT IS OUT OF THE CAPABILITY OF THE ROAD PATROL.
THE SWAT TEAM WILL HANDLE, UH, ANYBODY THAT'S ARMED AND DANGEROUS, UH, HAS A EX EXTENSIVE CRIMINAL HISTORY.
UM, HIGH RISK WARRANT SERVICE, UM, DRUG RAIDS,
[01:20:01]
UH, VIP PROTECTION, BARRICADES, HOSTAGE RESCUE, UM, OR EVEN SURVEILLANCE DETAILS WHERE WE'RE SURVEILLING AN ARMED AND DANGEROUS PERSON.UM, THEY ARE CALLED IN TO DEAL WITH THAT SUSPECT DUE TO THEIR EXPERIENCE IN THE TRAINING.
TRAINING, UH, CONSISTS OF, UH, WE, WE TRAIN TWICE A MONTH, EIGHT HOURS A DAY FOR TOTAL 16 HOURS.
THAT'S NOT INCLUDING ANY TYPE OF SPECIAL EXERCISES OR, UH, ADDITIONAL TRAINING.
AND BASICALLY WHAT THOSE TRAINING HOURS DO IS ALLOW US TO, UH, REHEARSE AND TO, UH, WORK ON THE, THE DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF THE JOB SUSPECT TAKE DOWN OBVIOUSLY WEAPONS TRAINING, UH, EXTENSIVE WEAPONS TRAINING.
UM, AND WE HAVE VERY, WE HAVE A LOT OF DIFFERENT PIECES OF EQUIPMENT THAT OBVIOUSLY WE HAVE TO KEEP UP ON.
THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA HAS RECENTLY STARTED UP A, UH, THE, THE STATE LAW ENFORCEMENT DIVISION.
UH, OUR STATE POLICE HAS STARTED UP A WMD INITIATIVE FOR ANTI-TERRORIST OPERATIONS IN THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA.
AND THEY'VE, I, THEY'VE IDENTIFIED SEVEN, UH, SWAT TEAMS THROUGHOUT THE STATE, UH, TO BASICALLY COME TOGETHER AND PROTECT THE STATE AGAINST TERRORIST, UH, UH, SITUATIONS.
AND BEFORD COUNTY SWAT TEAM IS ONE WE HANDLE THE LOW COUNTRY, UM, WHICH IS SEVEN COUNTIES.
AND WHAT WE'LL DO IS WE ARE, OUR TEAM IS COMBINED WITH THE HILTON HEAD ISLAND, UH, HAZMAT TEAM, OUR SWAT TEAM, AND THE, THE, UH, BEAUFORD COUNTY BOMB SQUAD.
AND WE CAN RESPOND REALLY ANYWHERE IN THE STATE, BUT NORMALLY THE LOWER PART, THE LOWER SEVEN COUNTIES AND STATE, UH, FOR ANY TYPE OF TERRORIST INCIDENT, WE WILL ACTUALLY RESPOND THERE AND HANDLE THOSE CALLS.
WHAT WE WERE TRAINED FOR HERE IS IF WE HAVE A BARRICADED SUBJECT INSIDE A BUILDING WITH A MULTI-STORY, WITH SOME WINDOWS THAT WE CAN REPEL INTO.
UM, SOME OF THE TIME WE CAN'T, UH, MAKE ENTRY INTO A BUILDING FROM OUTSIDE THE PERIMETER BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY WITH ALL THE WINDOWS HE CAN SEE WHERE WE'RE COMING FROM.
IF WE CAN GET ON THE SIDE THAT WE KNOW HE'S NOT LOOKING AT, WE CAN GET TO THE TOP OF THE BUILDING AND REPEL DOWN IN THROUGH THE WINDOWS AND GAIN ENTRY TO ONE OF THE MULTI UH, STORIES AND COME DOWN THE STAIRS AND, YOU KNOW, GET THE SUBJECT FROM THERE WHILE, UM, AT THE SAME TIME COMING IN WITH THE ENTRY TEAM SO WE CAN GET IT FROM BOTH SIDES.
ONE THING IS THE COMRADERY, JUST BEING ON A TEAM ASPECT.
UM, IT'S ALWAYS AN ADRENALINE GETTER, EVERYTHING WE DO, AND THAT'S WHAT MAKES IT EXCITING.
IT'S DANGEROUS, BUT IT'S ALSO EXCITING AT THE SAME TIME.
I SERVED FOUR YEARS WITH THE MILITARY, UM, AND THEN WENT TO COLLEGE AND IT'S JUST SOMETHING THAT I WANTED TO DO.
I AM THE REPEL MASTER FOR THE TEAM AND THEY, THE SCHOOLS TO LEARN HOW TO TIE THE SYSTEMS AND HOOK EVERYTHING UP SO IT'S DONE IN A SAFE MANNER.
THEY MIGHT BE EXPECTING US TO COME FROM THE BOTTOM FLOOR AND IN FACT, WE CAN EITHER COME THROUGH THE TOP FLOOR WINDOWS, WHICH WOULD BE AN ADVANTAGE ON US 'CAUSE WE GET THE ELEMENT OF SURPRISE.
OR WE CAN ALSO, UH, YOU KNOW, DEPLOY FLASH BANGS.
ALL THESE GUYS ON THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE, SWAT TEAM VOLUNTEER FOR THIS.
YOU KNOW, THIS IS, UH, IT'S A COLLATERAL DUTY FOR THESE GUYS AND, AND THEY ALL VOLUNTEER TO DO IT.
AFTER COMING OUTTA THE MILITARY, UH, SWAT TEAM HAD THE OPTIONS OF THE SAME THINGS I DID WHEN I WAS IN THE SERVICE AIR MORNING FOR THREE, YOU KNOW, BEING IN THE FRONT LINES TIP OF THE SPEAR, DOING THE TYPES OF, UH, HIGH SPEED THINGS THAT DID THE MILITARY, UH, PROVIDE A GREATER SENSE OF SECURITY TO THE, UH, BU COUNTY.
ONE THING ABOUT THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE, I CAN DEFINITELY SAY IS WE DO HAVE THE TOP LINE EQUIPMENT, UH, ALL THE NEWEST GADGETS AND GIZMOS WEAPONS, YOU KNOW, AND ET THAT'S GONNA HELP US DO OUR JOB BETTER AND SAFER.
WE HAVE OBVIOUSLY ALL THE WEAPONS.
WE HAVE A, WE HAVE A LARGE SELECTION OF WEAPONS FOR THE DIFFERENT SITUATIONS.
WE HAVE PEL GEAR, RESCUE GEAR.
WE HAVE A LOT OF, UH, WATERBORNE TYPE, UH, GEAR BECAUSE WE DO, 'CAUSE THE, THE AREA THAT WE LIVE IN, WE WORK ON THE WATER A LOT.
WE HAVE A LOT OF PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT, WHICH ARE BALLISTIC SHIELDS AND VESTS AND HELMETS.
UM, AND THEN WE HAVE DIFFERENT CHEMICAL MUNITIONS.
SO IF WE ACTUALLY HAVE TO FORCE SOMEBODY OUT OF A LOCATION, WE HAVE, UH, A LOT OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF CHEMICAL MUNITIONS THAT WE CAN DEPLOY TO TRY TO RESOLVE THAT SITUATION.
[01:25:01]
THE BOMB TEAM CAME AROUND, UH, OVER THE PAST COUPLE YEARS.UH, AND THE REALITY THERE IS WE WERE DEPENDENT UPON AN AGENCY, UH, WHICH IS REFERRED TO AS SLED LOCATED IN COLUMBIA, WHICH REQUIRES SEVERAL HOURS OF NOTICE BEFORE THEY CAN RESPOND AND ACTUALLY BE HERE IN BEAUFORT COUNTY.
AND WE SAW THE BENEFITS OF WHAT SWAT HAS DONE, UH, FOR, FOR US LOCALLY, AND KNEW THAT THE BOMB TEAM WOULD DO THE SAME THING.
WE'VE HAD A BOMB SQUAD, UH, COMING UP ON THREE YEARS NOW.
AND, UH, I'M ONE OF THE ORIGINAL MEMBERS, MYSELF AND THE CAPTAIN WITH WHAT BIT OF KNOWLEDGE I DID HAVE FROM THE MILITARY OF, UH, MECHANICAL THINGS AND EXPLOSIVES AND ELECTRICAL, UH, THAT IT, THAT, UH, I MIGHT MAKE AN ASSET TO IT.
AND, UH, I THINK, UH, BEAUFORT COUNTY IS VERY PROGRESSIVE.
EVERY BOMB SQUAD IN THE UNITED STATES IS ACCREDITED THROUGH THE FBI.
AND ONCE WE GOT THAT ACCREDITATION, WHICH WAS A COMBINATION OF ACQUIRING THE EQUIPMENT AND SENDING OUR OUR PEOPLE TO BOMB SCHOOL, THAT'S WHEN THE, THE TEAM ACTUALLY, UH, WAS STOOD UP AND WE STARTED ANSWERING CALLS IN THE COUNTY.
WE HAVE, HAVE GROWN BOTH OF THOSE UNITS TO INCLUDE, UH, WATER RESCUE WITH OUR ZODIAC, UH, BOAT.
UH, WE ARE HEAVILY INVOLVED IN, YOU KNOW, IN, IN WATERBORNE UH, SITUATIONS, UH, BECAUSE OF HOMELAND SECURITY AND THE PROTECTION OF OUR COUNTY.
BUT WE ARE, WE'RE A COASTAL COUNTY.
THE, THE THEORY BEHIND ALL OF THOSE SPECIAL TEAMS IS TO HAVE BOOTS ON THE GROUND, UH, VERY QUICKLY, UH, IN CRITICAL SITUATIONS AND PROTECT BEAUFORT COUNTY CITIZENS AND GUESTS THAT, UH, THAT UH, WE'RE HERE AND SWORN TO PROTECT BECAUSE OF THE JOB.
WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO WORK IN THE WATER, YOU KNOW, WORK IN THE WOODS, YOU KNOW, WORK IN URBAN ENVIRONMENTS, UH, UH, BECAUSE WE NEVER KNOW WHERE WE'RE GONNA BE CALLED TO, TO RESPOND TO THESE GUYS AND GALS.
THEY WORK HARD, THEY TRAIN HARD, UH, THEY DO AN EXCELLENT JOB AND THEY'RE ABLE TO DO ALL OF WHAT THEY DO, NOT ONLY WITH THEIR PRIMARY JOB, BUT THEIR SECONDARY RESPONSIBILITIES AS WELL.
MY NAME IS WENDY AND I WORK HERE AT THE HILTON HEAD BRANCH LIBRARY.
YOU FIND ME AT THE CIRCULATION DESK.
AND THIS TO ME IS HOME FROM HOME.
THAT'S HOW I FEEL ABOUT THE LIBRARY.
UM, THESE PEOPLE HERE ARE MY EXTENDED FAMILY AND WHEN OUR PATRONS COME IN, I LIKE TO MAKE THEM FEEL WELCOME AND LIKE THEIR EXTENDED FAMILY AS WELL.
WHEN I WAS A LITTLE GIRL GROWING UP IN ENGLAND, MY DAD AND I, EVERY THURSDAY NIGHT AFTER DINNER OR TEA, AS WE WOULD CALL IT, WOULD TAKE THE, ABOUT A MILE DOWN THE ROAD, WE WOULD GO TO OUR LOCAL LIBRARY.
AND I WAS FILLED WITH SUCH EXCITEMENT AND ANTICIPATION EVERY TIME I WENT.
I, I WAS VERY LUCKY IN THE FACT THAT MY HUSBAND GOT TO TRAVEL AN AWFUL LOT WITH HIS JOB.
AND WE WENT ALL OVER THE WORLD IN LOTS AND LOTS OF DIFFERENT PLACES AND WE GOT TO SEE A LOT OF THINGS.
BUT THE FIRST THING WE ALWAYS WENT TO SEE WAS THE LIBRARY.
EVERYWHERE WE WENT AND EVEN SOMETIMES BEFORE WE EVEN LOOKED AT HOUSES, WE'D GO AND CHECK OUT THE LIBRARY FIRST BECAUSE THAT'S IMPORTANT.
'CAUSE THAT'S WHERE WE WERE GOING TO SPEND OUR TIME.