* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [00:00:01] CLOSED CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY BUFORT COUNTY 29TH. [I. CALL TO ORDER] WE'LL CALL THIS WORKSHOP, QUARTERLY WORKSHOP TO ORDER. WE'LL START OFF WITH [II.1. Presentation of the Town of Bluffton Community Survey Results – Adam Probolsky, President of Probolsky Research] OUR FIRST WORKSHOP AGENDA, ITEM OF PRESENTATIONS, A PRESENTATION OF THE TOWN OF LOUGHTON COMMUNITY SURVEY RESULTS, ADAM, AND THIS WILL BE VIRTUAL. AND THEN WE WILL, EVERYTHING ELSE WILL BE LIVE. FOLKS, YOU WANT ME TO GET STARTED? YEAH. UM, DO WE NEED, CAN WE TURN HIM UP? LITTLE VOLUME IF WE COULD? HERE WE GO. CAN YOU HEAR US? CAN ROLLING? GIMME, UH, SECOND. IT'LL BE LIVE. OKAY. HOPEFULLY YOU CAN SEE ALL THAT. AND, UH, I'LL START GOING THROUGH IT. IT'S, UH, UH, A DECENT AMOUNT OF SLIDES ABOUT, UH, 40 PLUS SLIDES. SO I'M GONNA MOVE SOMEWHAT QUICK, QUICKLY, BUT OBVIOUSLY, UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS, PLEASE STOP ME AT ANY POINT. UH, I'LL BE HAPPY TO GIVE OTHER COMMENTS. AND, UM, THERE'S A LOT OF DATA TO , SO LOOK, LOOK ABOUT 40 PLUS SLIDES, BUT THERE'S PLENTY OF PAGES AND, UH, OF OTHER DATA THAT WE CAN, UH, WE CAN SPEAK TO AND REFERENCE AND, AND, UH, COME BACK TO IN ANOTHER TIME. YOU WANT THE MORE DETAILS? OKAY. ADAM, JUST ONE SECOND. CAN EVERYBODY IN THE BACK HERE SEEMS LIKE THE VOLUME'S A LITTLE LOW TO ME, BUT I GOT OLD EARS, ADAM. HOLD ON JUST A MOMENT. THEY'RE SAYING TO ME THE VOLUME IS LOW ON OUR SIDE. YEAH, SO IT'S LOW TO ME RIGHT HERE. OR TWO. ALRIGHT, GO AHEAD. TRY IT AGAIN, ADAM. IF, IF THAT WORKS. I'LL ALSO SPEAK UP. UM, AND TYPICAL SURVEY, WE'VE DONE THIS FOR YOU BEFORE, AND JUST IN GENERAL, THIS IS KIND OF WHAT YOUR PEERS DO, WHAT MOST, UH, CITIES AND TOWNS WILL DO ACROSS THE COUNTRY. UH, A MULTI MOOD SURVEY, TALKING TO PEOPLE IN THE WAY THEY PREFER TO TALK TO THE, TO THE WORLD. UH, ON THE PHONE, SOME OF THEM, ABOUT 13 TO 14%, WELL LESS THAN THAT, HAVE, HAVE LANDLINES. UH, WE TALK TO 'EM ON THE REST. OBVIOUSLY, MOBILE PHONES, HOW MOST OF US COMMUNICATE, AND A LOT OF PEOPLE PREFER TO TAKE THE SURVEY ONLINE, EMAIL, TEXT, UH, WE ALSO MAILED AND, AND SENT THEM TO THE, UH, TO, TO THE SURVEY AS WELL. SO A LOT OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR PEOPLE TO HAVE, UH, RECEIVED THE, THE INVITE AND PARTICIPATE. UM, ENGLISH AND SPANISH WERE OFFERED. THREE AND A HALF PERCENT OF YOUR RESIDENTS CHOSE SPANISH. DOESN'T MEAN THEY DON'T SPEAK ENGLISH, IT JUST MEANS THAT THAT'S THEIR PREFERENCE AT HOME. AND, UH, IT WAS CONDUCTED OVER THE COURSE OF A, OF A FEW WEEKS. AND AGAIN, 485 IS ACTUALLY BIGGER THAN OUR TYPICAL TOWN YOUR SIZE, SO PRETTY ROBUST. TO PUT IT IN CONTEXT. STATEWIDE, WE MIGHT DO 700 OR 900. SO TOWN OF BLUFFTON 45, PRETTY SIGNIFICANT. LOOKING AT AN OPEN-ENDED QUESTION THAT IS MORE WHAT'S TOP OF MIND FOR PEOPLE NECESSARILY THAN WHAT THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, UH, YOU'LL SEE THIS THEME COME UP AGAIN. BUT REALLY WE ASK THEM WHAT'S THE, THE MOST IMPORTANT ISSUE FACING THE TOWN? AND YOU CAN SEE NOT MUCH DIFFERENCE FROM 2021 THE LAST TIME THE SURVEY WAS CONDUCTED. OVERPOPULATION GROWTH DEVELOPMENT IS A BIG CONCERN. TRAFFIC, TRANSPORTATION, BIG CONCERN. UM, THOSE NUMBERS HAVE INCREASED, UH, OVER THE COURSE OF THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS. AND THEN AFTER THAT, IT REALLY FALLS OFF WITH OTHER CONCERNS THAT ARE VALID. AND WE DON'T DISMISS ANY OF THEM. UM, OBVIOUSLY THINGS LIKE COVID HAVE, YOU KNOW, GONE AWAY. BUT REALLY IT'S, UH, IT IS THOSE TWO KEY ISSUES THAT PEOPLE ARE REALLY, REALLY MOST CONCERNED ABOUT. UM, WE ASKED THEM IN GENERAL, IS THE TOWN HEADED IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION, IN THE WRONG DIRECTION? UM, THIS IS WHERE, YOU KNOW, I SAY, I DON'T REALLY LIKE THIS QUESTION VERY MUCH, AND I IMAGINE YOU DON'T EITHER. UM, THESE NUMBERS HAVE CLEARLY CROSSED INTO A NEGATIVE DIRECTION, AND YOU'RE GONNA SEE IN A SECOND WHAT PEOPLE SAY, UH, ARE THEIR CONCERNS. BUT I'M GONNA TELL YOU, UH, BEYOND THAT, WE ARE LIVING IN AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE WE ARE BEING TOLD ON A DAILY BASIS THAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO THINK GOVERNMENT IS DOING SOMETHING WRONG. AND, AND WE'RE SUPPOSED TO, YOU KNOW, BE SKEPTICAL OF, OF, OF WHAT THEY'RE UP TO. AND SO THAT'S THE, THE, UH, ENVIRONMENT WE'RE IN. AND SO THEY'RE GONNA LOOK FOR WAYS TO BE UPSET. AND, AND, AND THAT'S JUST KIND OF A, A HUMAN NATURE THING BECAUSE THE, THE MEDIA IS BOMBARDING US WITH THESE MESSAGES. UM, YOU ARE NOT DIFFERENT, VERY DIFFERENT THAN YOUR PEERS. THE THESE NUMBERS, THE WRONG DIRECTION NUMBERS HAVE, YOU KNOW, HAVE, [00:05:01] HAVE GONE UP SIGNIFICANTLY IN THE LAST, YOU KNOW, SEVERAL MONTHS. AND, AND CERTAINLY EVEN BEFORE THAT, UM, WE ASK THEM WHY, YOU KNOW, WHY DO YOU FEEL THINGS ARE GOING IN THE WRONG DIRECTION AMONG THAT GROUP THAT SAYS THAT'S THE CASE? UH, AND, UM, UH, AMONG THIS 43%, AND YOU CAN SEE THE NUMBER ONE ANSWER HERE IS DEVELOPMENT AND OVERBUILDING. SO WE, WE, WE SEE THAT. AND THEN OVERPOPULATION, OVERCROWDING, UM, THOSE ARE THEMES THAT COME FROM THE TOP OF MIND. SO THOSE ARE CLEARLY A THING THAT ARE THERE FOR PEOPLE. AND, UM, IF, IF YOU ADD THESE THINGS UP HERE, ALL RELATED TO PUTTING UP STICKS, UH, IS WHAT ALL THESE THINGS ARE, ARE ABOUT. AND SO THAT CLEARLY INDICATES THAT'S A, A, A SIGNIFICANT CONCERN OF YOUR RESONANCE. UM, I UNDERSTAND THAT'S PROBABLY GONNA SLOW DOWN AT SOME POINT, BUT, UH, PRETTY SOON. BUT THAT'S A, A TOP CONCERN THERE. AND THEN THESE OTHER THINGS FALL OFF. AGAIN, ALL THINGS THAT YOU MIGHT WANNA ADDRESS, BUT CLEARLY THAT'S THE HIGHEST, UH, CONCERN FOR PEOPLE. AND PRETTY SIMILAR TO PREVIOUS YEAR, UM, OVERALL QUALITY OF LIFE IN BLUFFTON. HERE'S WHERE WE GET THE GREAT NUMBERS, RIGHT? WE, WE GET 82%. SO IT, IT'S, UM, THIS JUXTAPOSITION OF, I'M SUPPOSED TO TELL YOU I'M UPSET WITH THINGS, BUT MY QUALITY OF LIFE IS FANTASTIC, SO THAT'S AWESOME. AND WE DON'T PUT A VALUE JUDGMENT ON FAIR. WE THINK FAIR IS JUST KIND OF THE WAY IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE, OR, OKAY. SO IF YOU COMBINE GOOD AND FAIR, YOU'RE IN, YOU KNOW, IN IN, IN THE STRATOSPHERE THERE'S ONLY LESS THAN 2% WHO SAY THAT THEIR QUALITY OF LIFE IS POOR AND BLUFFTON. UM, AND, AND I MEAN, YOU KNOW, VERY, VERY FEW TIMES DO WE GET THAT MUCH CONSENSUS THAT PEOPLE ARE HAPPY WITH THE QUALITY OF LIFE WITH WHERE THEY LIVE REALLY, REALLY STRONG. AND THAT'S GONE UP DRAMATICALLY SINCE 2021. REALLY STRONG NUMBER, UM, TOP STARS IS FOR NEWS. WE DO ASK 'EM WHERE THEY GET THEIR NEWS AND INFORMATION SO YOU CAN MOST EFFECTIVELY COMMUNICATE WITH THEM. THE THE GOOD NEWS IS, UH, YOU KNOW, YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA PAGES ARE, ARE HIGH ON THE LIST, UH, AS IS, UH, AS YOUR WEBSITE. UM, THE BAD NEWS IS IT'S KINDA HARD TO, TO BUY ADS WITH FRIENDS AND FAMILY. SO YOU DO HAVE TO DO A REALLY BROAD BASE, UH, OUTREACH IN ORDER TO REACH, UH, REACH THE KIND OF PEOPLE COMMUNICATING WITH EACH OTHER. UM, AND THEN WE ASK 'EM TO TELL US WHERE THEY SPEND TIME, ESSENTIALLY ONLINE. AND FACEBOOK IS REALLY AN OUTSIZED, UH, UH, PLACE WHERE THEY ARE. UH, IT'S A, A FACTOR OF, OF OLDER POPULATION, AND THAT'S WHERE THEY ARE. BUT YOU CAN CLEARLY TALK TO 'EM ALSO ON INSTAGRAM AND IF YOU HAVE A NEXT DOOR STRATEGY THERE AS WELL. UM, BUT YOU CAN SEE PROBABLY NOT, UH, SOMETHING YOU'RE GONNA BE, YOU'RE PROBABLY NOT GONNA BE ENGAGED IN SNAPCHAT ANYTIME SOON. 'CAUSE IT'S JUST NOT A, A, A FACTOR FOR, FOR YOUR RESIDENTS. UH, RESPONSIVE TO THE RESIDENT'S NEEDS. AGREE OR DISAGREE? 50, 58% SAY THEY AGREE, 41% SAY THEY DISAGREE. YOU OBVIOUSLY, 41 IS A LARGE NUMBER, BUT THE, THE, UH, SIGNIFICANT MAJORITY SAYS THEY AGREE. AND, AND, UH, YOU MAY HAVE HEARD ME SAY IT BEFORE, BUT THIS IS NOT AN ACADEMIC EXERCISE. YOU KNOW, THE, THE 58% IS NOT A, YOU KNOW, D UH, GRADE OR D MINUS. IT'S, UM, UH, IT'S, IT'S, YOU KNOW, THE FACTOR OF HAVING, YOU KNOW, WE'RE AMERICANS, WE DON'T AGREE ON ANYTHING. SO IF WE HAVE 58% AGREEING ON SOMETHING, IT'S A PRETTY SIGNIFICANT NUMBER. AND IN THIS CASE IT'S, YOU KNOW, SUPER MAJORITY, SO PRETTY STRONG. OBVIOUSLY THOSE NUMBERS HAVE COME DOWN A BIT FROM, FROM LAST, UH, LAST SURVEY. BUT, BUT STILL IN A STRONG PLACE, SATISFIED WITH THE SERVICES PROVIDED BY THE TOWN. AGAIN, WE, WE JUMP BACK UP. UM, WHEN IT COMES TO THE FUNCTIONAL WORK OF WHAT YOU DO, PEOPLE ARE REALLY HAPPY, 78% SATISFIED. AND OF COURSE, UH, I'M SURE YOU WANNA DO SOMETHING TO MAKE THOSE OTHER 16%, UH, SATISFIED. BUT REALLY THAT NUMBER IS PRETTY STATIC. UH, NOT A LOT OF, UH, UNSATISFIED PEOPLE. WHERE ARE THE UNSURE? WHAT ARE THEY ABOUT? UM, WELL, IT'S ACTUALLY A VERY LOW NUMBER FOR A TOWN LIKE BLUFFTON. UM, THESE ARE THE PEOPLE WHO SAY, I JUST DON'T HAVE CONTEXT. I DON'T REALLY KNOW. UH, I, I DON'T HAVE A SENSE OF IT. AND SO THAT'S WHERE THEY ARE. UH, BUT IT'S A REALLY SMALL NUMBER. THIS SHOWS A VERY ENGAGED, UH, COMMUNITY THAT REALLY KNOWS WHAT'S HAPPENING IN, IN, IN THEIR BACKYARD. UM, ARE, ARE THERE ANY, UH, TOWN SERVICES NOT CURRENTLY, UH, PROVIDED THAT YOU'D LIKE, UH, THE, THE TOWN TO SUPPORT? UM, YOU'VE GOT 24% WHO SAY YES MOST, WHO SAY NO, BECAUSE THEY JUST CAN'T CONJURE SOMETHING. IT'S JUST NOT SOMETHING THEY'RE THINKING ABOUT. THEY DON'T THINK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, YOU ALL THAT MUCH, UH, THEY'RE, THEY'RE THINKING ABOUT THEIR OWN, YOU KNOW, SOCCER GAMES FOR THEIR KIDS AND, AND, UH, SAVE IT UP TO GO OUT TO THE, THE MOVIES. SO, BUT WE DO ASK 'EM, WHAT IS IT? IF YOU, IF YOU HAVE AN IDEA OF YES, WHAT COULD WE DO FOR YOU? UM, AND THEY GIVE US A LIST. UH, NOTHING STANDS OUT IN A SIGNIFICANT WAY, BUT ALL THESE THINGS, YOU KNOW, COULD BE CONSIDERED HOMEWORK. UH, ANY ONE OF THESE [00:10:01] ONES ON THESE LISTS ARE THINGS THAT YOU MAY WANT TO TAKE UP AND ADDRESS. AND, UM, THIS IS WHERE I'LL POINT OUT IN THE, IN THE BIGGER REPORTING BOOK THAT YOU, YOU CAN HAVE, UH, GRAB ONLINE, I'M SURE STAFF, UH, IS PROVIDING IT. THERE ARE THESE OPEN-ENDED RESPONSES. SO HERE WE CATEGORIZE THEM, BUT IN THE, IN THE, UH, THE REPORTING, YOU CAN LOOK AT THE ACTUAL WORDS PEOPLE SAY. SO, UH, YOU KNOW, DEBRIS REMOVAL MIGHT MEAN, YOU KNOW, TRASH IN THE STREET. AND, AND SO THEN YOU CAN READ THAT WE ALSO OVERLAY, UM, NOT THEIR NAME, BUT THEIR AGE, THEIR GENDER, UH, WHAT ZIP CODE, UH, WHAT LANGUAGE. SO YOU START TO GET A SENSE OF WHO IT IS THAT'S SAYING THIS. AND THOSE CAN BE REALLY POWERFUL WORDS FOR YOU TO READ. IT'S A, IT'S A, IT'S A, IT'S A LONG SET OF WORDS, UH, UH, A LOT OF REPORTING. BUT, UH, I ASSUME A LOT OF YOU MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN READING THROUGH THAT. UH, SO HERE WE HAVE A LIST, UH, OF ISSUES THAT, THAT PEOPLE IN THE TOWN, YOU KNOW, MAY BE CONCERNED ABOUT. THAT'S WHAT WE PRESENT TO THEM. AND AGAIN, ON THE LEFT IS 2021. ON THE RIGHT IS 2025. UM, AND WE ASKED THEM TO INDICATE WHICH THEY THINK ARE SERIOUS PROBLEMS FOR PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN THE TOWN. AND YOU CAN SEE HIGH ON THE LIST IS, UH, YOU KNOW, STREETS AND ROADS AND TRAFFIC, UM, AND AGAIN, DEVELOPMENT. AND, AND THEY WERE OBVIOUSLY ABLE TO SELECT MORE THAN ONCE YOU SEE THAT BULKING AT THE TOP OF THOSE TOP THREE OR SO. UM, THERE'S ALSO CONCERN OVER OPEN SPACE AND WATER QUALITY. UM, AND SO THAT'S A CLEAR INDICATOR THAT THERE'S, YOU KNOW, PERHAPS A FOCUS TO BE HERE. BUT ALL OF THESE OBVIOUSLY COULD BE ADDRESSED 'CAUSE THERE'S LARGELY A SIGNIFICANT NUMBERS OF PEOPLE WHO CARE ABOUT THOSE THINGS AS WELL. UM, AND, UH, NEXT WEEK WE SAY, NOW WE HAVE A LIST OF, UH, SERVICES PROVIDED BY THE TOWN. UH, INDICATE WHICH SERVICES YOU THINK ARE, ARE, ARE VERY IMPORTANT TO YOU PERSONALLY. SO WHICH ONES ARE, ARE REALLY, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, CLOSE TO MY HEART. AND, UM, MANAGING GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT, UH, AND THEN STREETS AND ROADS, KIND OF, UH, UH, THEMES HAPPENING HERE. AND, UH, EFFECTIVE POLICE SERVICES AND LANDSCAPING FOR PARKS AND THINGS LIKE THAT. SO YOU SEE THERE'S A, UM, A LIST OF THINGS. THIS IS WHAT I REALLY CARE ABOUT. AND THEN, UH, WE ASK HIM, ARE YOU SATISFIED WITH, UH, POLICE SERVICES? AND 76% SAY THEY'RE SATISFIED. SO AGAIN, WE COME BACK TO THIS PLACE WHERE THE FUNCTIONAL WORK YOU DO, THEY'RE REALLY HAPPY WITH. AND, YOU KNOW, THIS MAY BE A, A FLOOR, RIGHT? ABOUT 16% OF PEOPLE WHO ARE JUST GONNA GENERALLY SAY THEY'RE UNHAPPY. UM, UH, THE, UH, HOW THE TOWN PREPARES FOR EMERGENCIES, 77% ARE SATISFIED. STRONG, STRONG NUMBERS, JUST A FEW MORE THAT ARE UNSURE 'CAUSE THEY DON'T, THEY DON'T KNOW. UM, UH, WE TELL THEM SOMETHING THAT MAY NOT BE PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE OR TRULY KIND OF UNDERSTAND IT. UNDERSTOOD THE FACT THAT THE, THE ROADS IN BLUFFTON ARE PRIVATELY OWNED OR, OR CONTROLLED BY THE COUNTY OR THE STATE. UM, AND THEN WE ASK THEM, ARE YOU SATISFIED WITH THE ROADS? AND A MAJORITY SAY YES. UM, BUT THERE'S A BIG, BIG, UH, GROUP OF PEOPLE THERE AT 44% WHO SAY THEY'RE UNSATISFIED. AND THOSE NUMBERS ARE JUST ABOUT, UH, YOU KNOW, CLOSING IN ON EACH OTHER. SO, UM, UH, THAT'S, THAT IN ITSELF COULD BE AN EDUCATION PROCESS TO KIND OF MAKE IT CLEAR. OBVIOUSLY, FIRST OF ALL, IT'S NOT NECESSARILY YOUR RESPONSIBILITY. AND THEN YOU KNOW HOW YOU'RE HELPING AT LEAST TO POTENTIALLY, YOU KNOW, UH, IMPROVE THAT EVEN THOUGH IT'S NOT YOUR, UH, IT'S NOT IN YOUR BUDGET, IT'S NOT YOUR PROCESS. SATISFIED WITH, UH, HOW THE TOWN MAINTAINS, UH, PUBLIC LANDSCAPING IN PARKS, BIG NUMBER, 83%, UH, REALLY, REALLY STRONG. MAINTAINING, ACTUALLY INCREASING A LITTLE BIT, UH, SATISFIED WITH HOW THE TOWN PRESERVES. IT MAINTAINS RIVERS AND STREAMS, 64% SATISFIED. A FEW MORE PEOPLE WHO ARE UNSATISFIED AND A, A LARGER GROUP THAT ARE JUST UNSURE 'CAUSE IT'S NOT SOMETHING THEY'RE FAMILIAR WITH, SATISFACTION WITH HOW THE TOWN PROMOTES ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND JOB CREATION. UH, YOU'RE, YOU'RE, YOU'RE NOT QUITE TWO TO ONE SATISFIED, UNSATISFIED, BUT THERE'S A BIG DELTA THERE. WE, WE LOOK AT THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THESE TWO, AND THEN OF COURSE, HERE WE SEE, UM, IT'S JUST NOT SOMETHING I DIDN'T EVEN, MAYBE I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW THE TOWN DOES THAT, UH, OR IT'S NOT SOMETHING RELEVANT TO ME. THAT'S, UH, UH, HOW WE GET THESE, THESE LARGE NUMBER OF UNSURE, UM, SATISFACTION WITH HOW THE TOWN MANAGES GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT. YOU KNOW, WE, WE KNEW THIS WAS COMING, UH, THEY'VE ALREADY TOLD US THAT THIS IS A CONCERN OF THEIRS. AND SO THIS IS THE, THE, THE BIG NUMBER WHERE, UM, IT, IT'S, IT'S SHIFTED OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS AND, AND IT'S, YOU KNOW, APPROACHING TWO THIRDS THAT ARE, THAT ARE UNHAPPY WITH THAT PROCESS TODAY. UM, SATISFACTION WITH HOW THE TOWN PROVIDES COMMUNITY EVENTS AND SPECIAL EVENTS AND LIKE HOLIDAY CELEBRATIONS, BIG NUMBER, 81%, ALMOST NOBODY, UH, UNSATISFIED IN THAT AREA. SATISFACTION WITH HOW [00:15:01] THE TOWN, UH, ENFORCES ZONING AND BUILDING CODES. A REFLECTION OF COURSE OF CONCERN OVER DEVELOPMENT. AND, UH, WHILE IT'S, YOU KNOW, MARGINALLY SATISFIED IN A PLURALITY SENSE, REALLY, IT'S KIND OF, UH, EVEN ACROSS THE BOARD SATISFACTION, UNSATISFIED AND UNSURE. UH, SO, UH, BUT JUST FEEDING INTO THAT AND THOSE NUMBERS WE'VE SEEN EARLIER SATISFACTION WITH HOW THE TOWN SUPPORTS AFFORDABLE, UH, AND WORKFORCE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT. UM, JUST MARGINALLY, UH, UNSATISFIED, EDGING YOU OUT SATISFACTION. AND THIS IS A CHALLENGE WE SEE IN, IN, IN YOUR PEER TOWNS AND CITIES ALL OVER THE COUNTRY. UH, SOME ABILITY TO IMPACT THIS, BUT, YOU KNOW, IT'S A, IT'S A BIG EXPENSE TO BE ABLE TO REALLY DIVE INTO IT. AND IN MOST PLACES, THIS IS KIND OF THE SCENARIO, UH, NOT A LOT OF ABILITY TO REALLY IMPACT THAT, UM, SATISFACTION WITH TOWN'S, UH, COMMUNICATION, UH, ISSUES, EVENTS, INCIDENT NOTIFICATION, TWO THIRDS HAPPY, 68%. UH, AND, UH, AND SO THIS, THIS SAYS, YOU KNOW, KEEP DOING WHAT YOU'RE DOING AND, UH, MAYBE, MAYBE HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE ABILITY TO DO THIS SORT OF THING BECAUSE, UH, MAYBE YOU CAN CHANGE THIS NUMBER A LITTLE BIT. UM, SATISFACTION WITH HOW THE TOWN USES TECHNOLOGY, UH, APPLYING FOR PERMITS, REPORTING CONCERNS, UH, ACCESSING IMPORTANT INFORMATION. UH, BIG DELTA BETWEEN THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO ARE UNSATISFIED AND SATISFIED, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, ALMOST FIVE TO ONE. UH, BUT, UH, ALSO A BIG GROUP OF PEOPLE WHO JUST AREN'T DOING THAT, RIGHT? THEY HAVEN'T BEEN TO YOUR WEBSITE, UH, THEY HAVEN'T PULLED A PERMIT, IT'S NOT RELEVANT TO THEM. SO AMONG THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE INTERACTED WITH YOUR DIGITAL SERVICES TECHNOLOGY, THEY'RE REALLY, REALLY HAPPY WITH IT. UH, AND THINKING ABOUT NEW DEVELOPMENT IN, IN BLUFFTON, WOULD YOU SAY THERE'S TOO MUCH, TOO LITTLE, OR JUST ABOUT RIGHT? UM, THIS ANOTHER NUMBER, WE HAD A PRETTY GOOD SENSE OF, UM, I, I THINK IT IS WORTH POINTING OUT THOUGH, THAT WHILE WE, WE'VE SEEN THEMATICALLY THAT PEOPLE ARE, ARE CONCERNED ABOUT DEVELOPMENT, YOU DO HAVE 26% WHO SAY IT'S, IT'S, IT'S FINE THE WAY IT IS. UM, AND THERE ARE 3% WHO SAY THAT IT'S TOO LITTLE. WE NEED TO BRING MORE IN. SO THERE'S AN ELEMENT OF YOUR POPULATION WHO REALLY DOES BELIEVE YOU'RE, YOU'RE IN A, IN, IN THE RIGHT PLACE, OR, OR YOU COULD GROW YOUR, YOUR DEVELOPMENT. UM, ARE YOU AWARE THE TOWN, UH, WHICH HAS CURRENT POPULATION OF 40,000 IS OVER 80% OF MAXIMUM RESIDENTIAL BUILD OUT BASED ON DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENTS AND CURRENT BOUNDARIES? UM, AND MOST PEOPLE SAID NO. SO IF THERE'S A DESIRE TO KIND OF COMMUNICATE THE, THE, THE WHERE YOU'RE GOING WHEN IT COMES TO DEVELOPMENT, THIS MAY BE ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT YOU CAN USE, UH, TO KIND OF DRIVE YOUR COMMUNICATIONS AND SAY, HEY, WE REALLY NEED TO DO A BETTER JOB EXPLAINING WHERE WE'RE AT, AND THAT WE'RE REALLY NOT GONNA GROW THAT MUCH MORE. UM, WE ASK HIM ABOUT, UH, SPECIFICALLY RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT, UH, TOO MUCH, TOO LITTLE, JUST ABOUT RIGHT? AND YOU CAN SEE, UH, NO ONE ACHIEVES, NO, NO, UH, ANSWER. ACHIEVES A MAJORITY, VERY CLOSE WITH TOO MUCH. UM, BUT HERE YOU'RE, YOU'RE MUCH CLOSER TOGETHER WITH, UH, JUST THE RIGHT AMOUNT AND TOO LITTLE AND, AND EVEN UNSURE. UM, SO, UH, THE, THE IDEA THERE IS THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS IS MAYBE THE KIND OF DEVELOPMENT PEOPLE ARE MORE AMENABLE TO. UH, AND IT ALSO SPEAKS TO THE AFFORDABILITY FACTOR. THERE'S A, UH, YOUR RESIDENTS ARE, HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF, UH, ECONOMICS KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTAND IF YOU HAVE MORE, UH, SUPPLY THAT MAYBE THERE'S A MORE AFFORDABILITY. UM, WE ASK 'EM SPECIFICALLY ABOUT COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT, AND HERE'S WHERE THEY SAY, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE JUST ABOUT RIGHT. UH, AGAIN, RIGHT? ALMOST AT A 50% MARK THERE. UH, AND THEY'RE SAYING TOO MUCH. AND, AND ANOTHER GROUP SAYING, YOU KNOW, BRING ON SOME MORE. SO YOU'RE IN A STRONG PLACE HERE WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF, OF BRINGING IN MORE, UH, MORE, MORE COMMERCIAL SUPPORT FOR USING FUNDS, UH, AND OR GRANT FUNDS, UH, TO PURCHASE PROPERTY OR DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS, UH, TO PRESERVE GREEN SPACE, BIG SUPPORT. IF THIS IS A POLICY DIRECTION, YOU ALL GIVE, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE STRONG SUPPORT FROM THE PUBLIC. IF YOU TALK ABOUT THIS IN, IN A COMMUNITY FORUM OR ANY KIND OF A SPEECH ANYONE GIVES, THEY'RE GONNA, THEY'RE GONNA RESONATE WITH THAT AND BE EXCITED ABOUT THE PROSPECT. IS THERE SUPPORT FOR STUDYING PLANS THAT WOULD IMPROVE INTERSECTIONS, EXPAND ROADS, UH, OR CONSTRUCTION, YOU KNOW, CONSTRUCT NEW ROADS TO ADDRESS TRAFFIC CONGESTION. UH, THEY ARE ONBOARD, UH, 91% SUPPORT AND A VERY, VERY SMALL NUMBER, UH, WHO SAY THEY OPPOSE. SO, UH, I MEAN, DRAMATIC NUMBER THERE. UH, IF YOU EMBARK ON AN EFFORT LIKE THIS, YOU'VE GOT BIG SUPPORT FROM YOUR, YOUR PUBLIC. UH, AND HERE WE'VE GOT, UH, TOO MUCH, TOO LITTLE OR JUST ABOUT RIGHT OF POLICE PRESIDENTS OR, OR VEHICLE PATROLS. UH, MORE THAN HALF SAY, YOU'RE JUST ABOUT RIGHT. AND ANOTHER GROUP, ABOUT 42% SAY, UH, TOO [00:20:01] LITTLE. YOU CAN, YOU CAN BEEF THAT UP. UM, JUST 2% SAY TOO MUCH. SO, UH, THIS IS A, A GREAT STARTING POINT, AND AND YOU PROBABLY GET TO, UH, GROW THAT IF, IF THAT'S A PRIORITY FOR Y'ALL. UH, HOW WOULD YOU RATE THE FRIENDLINESS AND APPROACHABILITY OF, OF THE PD, THE, THE POLICE OFFICER, THE POLICE OFFICERS, AND THE EMPLOYEES OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT? 69% SAY GOOD, 11% SAY FAIR. AGAIN, NOT A VALUE JUDGMENT ON THAT. THE, THE, THE PROUD NUMBER HERE IS 3.3% SAY THAT THAT POOR, UM, OBVIOUSLY YOU WANT THAT TO BE ZERO, UH, BUT NO ONE IS GONNA BE, UH, HAPPY ABOUT HAVING GOTTEN THE TICKET LAST WEEK AND, AND SOMEONE ON THE SURVEY DID. SO, UH, THAT'S THE, A REALLY STRONG PLACE TO BE THAT YOU'VE DONE WHATEVER YOU'VE DONE WITH, WITH, WITH PD, UH, YOUR PUBLIC IS PRETTY DARN HAPPY WITH, WITH HOW THEY, UH, HOW THEY APPROACH THE, THE, THE RESIDENTS. SO, UH, DO YOU HAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS ON HOW POLICE DEPARTMENT CAN IMPROVE ITS SERVICES? IT'S OPEN-ENDED QUESTION. WE CATEGORIZE THESE, SO TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT, MORE VISIBILITY, UH, COMMUNITY OUTREACH INVOLVEMENT, ALL THINGS THAT KIND OF SHOW UP HERE. NONE OF THESE THINGS ARE, ARE ZERO, BUT PRETTY SMALL NUMBERS WITH, YOU KNOW, TALK ABOUT CHIEF AND LEADERSHIP. UM, THERE'S SOME OTHER THINGS MENTIONED HERE THAT MIGHT, MIGHT, UH, MAKE SENSE TO YOU ALL. UM, AND, UH, AND READING THROUGH THESE, I THINK COULD REALLY BE, UH, INFORMATIONAL FOR, FOR KIND OF UNDERSTANDING WHERE YOUR RESIDENTS ARE COMING FROM. BUT NOTHING THAT, I THINK THE BIGGEST THING HERE IS THERE'S, THE BIGGEST NUMBER IS NOTHING. AND SO THAT REALLY GIVES YOU CONFIDENCE THAT THERE ISN'T SOME OVERARCHING ISSUE THAT PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, THINK OF THAT THEY CAN DO DIFFERENTLY. UH, PARK MAINTENANCE, UH, IN THE TOWN, 81% GOOD. YOU, YOU ADD FEAR ON TOP OF THAT, AND YOU'RE IN THE NINETIES AND YOU'RE IN A STRONG PLACE. UH, AND WHAT'S COOL ABOUT THIS NUMBER IS IT REALLY HAS SHARPLY DRIVEN UP. SO IF YOU HAVE SPECIFIC THINGS YOU CAN POINT TO THAT, THAT'S WHY IT'S, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, WHY THAT'S HAPPENED, THAT'S GREAT. IF NOT, JUST IN GENERAL, THERE'S MORE ENGAGEMENT THERE OR THEY'RE REALLY HAPPY. UH, PATHS, TRAILS MAINTENANCE, AGAIN, TWO THIRDS GOOD. UH, AND, AND 16% FAIR. VERY, VERY SMALL NUMBER OF PEOPLE POOR. AND OF COURSE SOME PEOPLE WHO JUST DON'T, DON'T, UH, WALK OR, OR RIDE ON THEM. BUT AGAIN, BIG STRONG NUMBER GOING UP IN THE, THE RIGHT DIRECTION. UM, ARE YOU A PEDESTRIAN FRIENDLY TOWN? MAJORITY SAYS YES, 61%, UH, BUT THERE IS, YOU KNOW, A GROUP OUT THERE, 27% THAT SAY NO. SO, UH, AN OPPORTUNITY POTENTIALLY FOR IMPROVEMENT, UH, RECOMMENDATIONS TO HOW TO IMPROVE PEDESTRIAN FRIENDLINESS, UH, TO ACCOMMODATE FOR, UH, PEDESTRIANS, UM, SIDEWALKS. UH, THAT'S A, THAT'S PRETTY MUCH THE, THE ONE OTHER THINGS MENTIONED THERE. UH, BUT REALLY FOCUSING ON SIDEWALKS. THAT'S WHAT PEOPLE WHO, UM, YOU KNOW, SAY THAT THEY, THEY, THIS IS AMONG THE PEOPLE WHO SAY, NO, YOU'RE NOT PEDESTRIAN FRIENDLY. WE GET THE ANSWER THERE, UH, TO AMONG THEM WHAT THEY THINK THEY SHOULD HAPPEN. AND THEY THINK, UH, MORE SIDEWALKS. UH, ARE YOU BIKE FRIENDLY? A MAJORITY SAYS YES, BUT, UH, 29% SAY NO. AND WE ASK THOSE FOLKS, WHAT CAN WE DO TO IMPROVE, MAKE IT MORE BIKE FRIENDLY AND BIKE PATHS AND BIKE LANES. THAT'S REALLY WHAT STANDS OUT SIGNIFICANTLY. GETTING CLOSE TO THE END HERE. UH, THINKING ABOUT CONCERTS AND ENTERTAINMENT EVENTS IN BLUFFTON, ARE THERE TOO MANY JUST ABOUT RIGHT OR TOO LITTLE? THEY LOVE WHAT YOU'RE DOING. 63%, AND YOU COULD EVEN ADD ON TOP OF THAT WITH 25% SAYING BRING IT ON. SO, UH, STRONG NUMBERS THERE. UH, IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS, HAVE YOU BEEN IN CONTACT WITH A TOWN EMPLOYEE? MOST PEOPLE SAY NO, BUT, UH, MORE THAN A THIRD SAY YES. UH, AND THE, UM, THE, THE INCREASE THERE, YOU PROBABLY HAVE SOME METRICS OF THAT AT, UH, TOWN HALL OR, OR, OR IN, IN OTHER INTERACTIONS. UM, AND SO, UH, IF THEY SAID YES, IF THEY INTERACTED WITH, WITH YOUR, YOUR FOLKS, UH, 37%, WE SAID, HOW WOULD YOU RATE IT? UH, 84% SAY, GOOD 9%. AND, UH, SAY, SAY FAIR. UH, ONLY 7% SAY POOR. THIS IS, YOU KNOW, THE SLIDE YOU PUT UP IN THE BREAK ROOM AND THE CORPORATE YARD, AND, AND YOU, YOU MAKE SURE EVERYBODY, UH, ON YOUR TEAM KNOWS THAT, THAT, UH, THEY'RE DOING A GREAT JOB AND THE PUBLIC IS HAPPY AND THAT NUMBER IS IMPROVING. SO THEY'RE REALLY, THEY'RE REALLY, UH, UH, SERVING THE PUBLIC IN A WAY THE PUBLIC WANTS TO BE SERVED. UH, INTEREST IN SERVING ON A TOWN COMMITTEE OR A COMMISSION. UH, MOST PEOPLE SAY NO. AND, AND, UH, UH, THAT NUMBER IS, UH, UH, IS GOING DOWN, WHICH IS KIND OF INTERESTING ENGAGEMENT, YOU KNOW, POSSIBILITY OF ENGAGEMENT, UH, IS, IS GOING UP. UH, SO YOU'VE GOT MORE PEOPLE THAT MIGHT BE, UH, UH, APPLYING FOR THOSE POSITIONS AND MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN, IN SERVING. SO, UH, KIND OF A COOL THING TO SEE, [00:25:01] UH, THIS KIND OF A, A LOOSE REPRESENTATION OF, YOU KNOW, JUST SHOWING YOU THAT THE, UH, SURVEY RESPONSES WERE ALL OVER TOWN, AND THIS IS YOUR DEMOGRAPHICS. THIS IS WHO, UH, THE TOWN IS, THIS IS CENSUS DATA. UH, AND IT MATCHES ALL WITHIN A, A COUPLE PERCENTAGE POINTS OF, UH, OF ACTUAL RESPONDENTS AND, AND ACTUAL CENSUS DATA, UH, TO, TO MAKE SURE WE GOT A REPRESENTATIVE SAMPLE OF THE TOWN. I KNOW THAT WAS A LOT. UH, SORRY IT WENT LONG. UH, HAPPY TO ANSWER QUESTIONS AND, UH, IT'S BEEN A PLEASURE WORKING WITH STAFF AND WE'RE HAPPY TO CONTINUE TO WORK WITH THEM TO MAKE SURE THEY GET ALL THE ANSWERS AND BEST, HIGHEST USE OUT OF THE DATA. THANK YOU, ADAM. UM, BEFORE I SEE WHAT COUNSEL WANTS TO ASK YOU, THE QUESTIONS THAT YOU DID, THE COMPARISON FROM 21 TILL 25, WERE THOSE EXACT QUESTIONS OR JUST QUESTIONS THAT GOT SIMILAR ANSWERS, YOU KNOW, WAS, WAS THIS SURVEY THE SAME AS THE ONE IN 21? YEAH, SO, UH, WE DID CARRY FORWARD A LOT OF THE QUESTIONS, UH, PARTLY BECAUSE THEY'RE JUST GOOD QUESTIONS AND WE TYPICALLY WOULD ASK THEM, UH, AND ALSO BECAUSE WE WANTED TO GIVE YOU THAT CONTINUITY AND UNDERSTAND WHERE YOU STAND COMPARED TO 2021. AND, AND I'LL, I'LL SAY IT WAS KIND OF A, YOU KNOW, IF YOU DO THIS AGAIN IN A YEAR OR TWO OR FIVE, WE'LL START TO REALIZE THAT 2021 WAS A LITTLE BIT OF A, A, YOU KNOW, AN ODD, UH, YOU KNOW, A BLIP OF A YEAR. UM, BUT, UH, BUT YEAH, ALMOST ALL THOSE QUESTIONS WERE EXACTLY THE SAME. IF THEY WERE DIFFERENT, THERE WOULD'VE TYPICALLY HAVE BEEN AN ASTERISK AND SAID IT WAS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT. BUT YES, THOSE WERE PRETTY MUCH EXACTLY THE SAME. THANK YOU, UH, MS. BURDEN, ANYTHING? I DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR ADAM. THANK YOU, MR. HAMILTON. ADAM, THANKS FOR YOUR PRESENTATION QUESTION. HOW DID YOU DETERMINE WHETHER THEY WERE INCORPORATED RESIDENCE OR NOT? SO THAT IS A, UH, IT'S A REAL JOB FOR US. AND SO OUR JOB IS TO MAKE SURE THEY ABSOLUTELY ARE. UM, AND WE USE GIS, UH, TO, TO IDENTIFY THE BOUNDARIES, UH, AND THEN WE, UH, ARE ABLE TO ONLY IN THIS CASE, MALE TO PEOPLE WITHIN THE CITY. UH, AND THEN ALSO CALL AND EMAIL BECAUSE WE HAVE ACTUAL ADDRESSES. SO EVERYONE WE TALKED TO, UH, WE KNEW, YOU KNOW, EXACTLY WHO THEY WERE AND WHERE THEY LIVED. UH, AND OBVIOUSLY NONE OF THE DATA IS TIED BACK TO YOUR RESIDENCE. IT'S ALL PERSONALLY IDENTIFI IDENTIFYING INFORMATION, UH, EXCLUDED YOU. UH, THERE'S NOTHING IN HERE TO IDENTIFY AT HOME OR OR PLACE, YOU KNOW, A, A RESIDENT, ANYTHING ABOUT THAT. UM, BUT UH, WE DO KNOW THAT WE WERE WITHIN THE GIS BOUNDARIES OF THE INCORPORATED CITY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. FRAZIER. I DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS. OKAY. WELL, IF NOTHING ELSE, THANK YOU VERY MUCH ADAM, AND WE'LL WORK ON WHERE WE NEED TO WORK. FANTASTIC. LOOKING FORWARD TO WORKING, UH, WITH STAFF GOING FORWARD, HELPING USE THIS DATA TO THE FULLEST EXTENT. THANK YOU. OKAY, UP NEXT WE [II.2. Presentation of the Facilities and Space Needs Study Results and Recommendations – Brent Green, LEED AP, Creech & Associates] HAVE A PRESENTATION OF THE FACILITIES AND SPACE NEEDS, STUDY RESULTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS. GRANT GREEN. UM, MAYOR. YES. BEFORE YOU MOVE, I, I JUST WANTED TO PROVIDE ONE POINT OF INFORMATION FOR COUNCIL AS A FOLLOW UP TO THAT. UM, WE GOT THE SURVEY RESULTS A FEW WEEKS BACK. SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE ARE WORKING ON, 'CAUSE THERE WERE SOME QUESTIONS YOU SAW IN THERE ABOUT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT ROAD MAINTENANCE AND DID YOU KNOW ABOUT THE TOWN BEING BUILT OUT? SO, UM, OUR, OUR, UH, COMMUNICATIONS TEAM IS PUTTING TOGETHER A, WHAT WE'RE CALLING LIKE A, UM, A RESIDENCE RESOURCE GUIDE. AND INSTEAD OF DOING OUR, UM, NEWSLETTER THAT WE NORMALLY DO EVERY TWICE A YEAR, WE'RE GONNA SEND THIS OUT IN ITS PLACE. SO IT'LL GO TO EVERY RESIDENT WITHIN THE TOWN, AND IT'S GONNA BE ABOUT 16 PAGES OR SO, LIKE OUR NORMAL NEWSLETTER IS. BUT IT'S GONNA ADDRESS A LOT OF THE ITEMS THAT CAME UP IN THE SURVEY TO TALK ABOUT THE TOWN BEING IN DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENTS, BEING WHAT OUR BUILD OUT LOOKS LIKE, THE COMMERCIAL ROAD MAINTENANCE, AND ADDRESS A LOT OF THOSE ITEMS. IT'S REALLY GONNA BE KIND OF OUR, UM, WHEN WE GO IN AND WE DO THE, UM, MOBILE TOWN HALLS AND, UM, FOR A LOT OF THE NEIGHBORHOODS IT'S GONNA BE A, A, A VERSION OF THAT THAT WILL GO TO EVERY HOME WITHIN THE, IN, WITHIN THE TOWN, RIGHT? AND THAT'S SUPPOSED TO GO OUT IN JULY. AND THEN THEY'RE ACTUALLY GONNA RECORD VIDEOS ALONG THAT SAME WAY THAT WILL BE ON OUR WEBSITE THAT WILL ADDRESS THESE TOPICS. THE SAME PERSON WHO'S DOING THE VIDEOS FOR THE WELCOME CENTER ARE GONNA PUT THOSE ON THE WEBSITE AS WELL. I THINK THAT'D BE VERY HELPFUL BECAUSE WE HAVE TO REMEMBER THAT SINCE COVID 21 WHEN THIS LAST SURVEY WAS DONE, WE GOT A LOT, LOT, LOT MORE PEOPLE HERE NOW THAN WE HAD, YOU KNOW, SO IT'S A LOT OF, A LOT OF PEOPLE JUST DON'T KNOW. UM, MR. REED GREEN BRENT, [00:30:01] WHO IS THIS? BRENT GREEN LEAD AP CREATURE AND ASSOCIATES. YES. GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE HERE WITH YOU. UH, HERE TO ALSO LIKE TO THE FIRST GENTLEMAN, SORT OF CONDENSE ABOUT A 250 PAGE REPORT INTO A FEW SLIDES AND TRY AND KEEP IT AT A CERTAIN PACE. AS ALWAYS, FEEL FREE IF YOU NEED TO ASK ANY QUESTIONS. MY NAME IS BRENT GREEN, I'M A PRINCIPAL AND, UH, LEAD DESIGNER WITH CREEKS AND ASSOCIATES. AND THE GOAL OF THESE STUDIES, AS ALWAYS IS TO PROVIDE SOME CAPITAL PLANNING INFORMATION THAT YOU ALL CAN UTILIZE, UM, TO BEGIN TO ALLOCATE RESOURCES TO MAINTAIN THE WONDERFUL FACILITIES THAT ARE IN YOUR INVENTORY. SO AGAIN, I THINK THE SUMMARY HAS THREE MAIN COMPONENTS. THERE IS THE SPACE NEEDS ASSESSMENT, WHICH IS EXACTLY WHAT IT SAYS, HOW MUCH SPACE IS REQUIRED. WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT EACH ONE OF THESE IN DETAIL HERE AS WE MOVE ALONG. THERE IS A FACILITY CONDITION ASSESSMENT. WHAT IS THE PHYSICAL CONDITION OF EACH OF THESE FACILITIES AND WHAT WOULD BE REQUIRED IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN THEM AT THEIR CURRENT OR BETTER THEIR CONDITION? AND THEN OF COURSE, WE TAKE THOSE TWO PIECES OF INFORMATION AND OVERLAY THEM TO CREATE WHAT IS A MASTER PLAN THAT CAN LOOK AT EITHER A 10 OR A 20 YEAR OPTION FOR HOW THESE NEEDS CAN BE ADDRESSED. UM, ACROSS YOUR, YOUR INVENTORY, WE DISTILLED THE STUDY INTO SIX LOCATIONS THAT WERE SORT OF, UH, FOR DRILL DOWN, UH, THE TOWN HALL, UH, THE CALHOUN STATION, UH, WE TALKED ABOUT THE, UM, THE LAW ENFORCEMENT CENTER OBVIOUSLY, AND THEN THE PUBLIC WORKS POTENTIAL FOR A CAMPUS EXPANSION. UM, THEN THE POLICE HAS A SUBSTATION AS WELL AS WATERSHED, WHICH BOTH RESIDE, YOU KNOW, IN THE HISTORIC OLD TOWN. SO JUST AT A HIGH LEVEL SUMMARY, I THINK THE FCA IDENTIFIES FOUR OR FIVE DIFFERENT TIERS OF KIND OF, YOU KNOW, ADDRESSING, UH, PRIORITIES FOR BUDGET CYCLES. UM, THERE'S SOME RECOMMENDATIONS THAT ARE MADE IN THE REPORT THAT, THAT BACKS THIS UP ALONG THOSE CERTAIN PRIORITY ITEMS. AGAIN, THOSE ARE JUST DESIGNED TO PROTECT YOUR INVESTMENT IN THE FACILITIES THAT YOU HAVE. AND THEN OF COURSE, WE HAVE A, WE HAVE A 10 YEAR PLAN THAT WE'RE GONNA SHOW YOU TONIGHT. AND, YOU KNOW, AT THE END OF THIS, YOU CAN DECIDE IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S ACCOMPLISHABLE WITHIN THAT 10 YEAR PERIOD, OR IF IT NEEDS TO EXPAND OUT AND BECOME SOMETHING THAT WE LOOK AT, AT A LONGER PERIOD OF TIME TO ACCOMPLISH, UM, THE, THE FINANCIAL CAPACITY THAT IS NEEDED TO, TO IMPLEMENT THESE PROJECTS. OKAY, SO I'LL START WITH THE SPACE NEEDS ASSESSMENT AGAIN, UH, 19 DEPARTMENTS ACROSS THOSE SIX BUILDINGS THAT WE JUST TALKED ABOUT. UM, WE, WE TALK ABOUT SPACES IN TERMS OF WHERE DEPARTMENTS RESIDE NOW. SO A PART OF THIS ANALYSIS IS BEING IN THESE BUILDINGS AND LOOKING AT EXISTING FOOTPRINTS AND UNDERSTANDING WHAT THE CURRENT IS OF EACH OF THESE SO THAT WE CAN COMPARE THAT TO WHAT THEIR NEEDS ARE. REMEMBER THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT A 20 YEAR HORIZON. SO, YOU KNOW, CIVIC BUILDINGS HAVE A MUCH LONGER LIFESPAN THAN THAT PERHAPS, BUT THAT'S WHAT THE CRYSTAL BALL IN THIS PARTICULAR STUDY IS YIELDING. SO THAT OVER TIME SUGGESTED A 77% INCREASE IN SPACE, AGAIN, OVER 20 YEARS, OVER SIX FACILITIES IN 19 APARTMENTS. WHEN WE TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE SPACE NEEDS, WE'RE GONNA USE THESE TERMS. I'LL GO OVER THESE BRIEFLY. YOU MAY BE FAMILIAR WITH THEM. WE TALK ABOUT NET ASSIGNABLE AREA, WE WON'T USE THAT ONE TOO MUCH TONIGHT. THAT IS THE ACTUAL SPACE YOU'RE IN. MY OFFICE IS 10 BY 12. IT'S 120 SQUARE FEET. UM, WHEN WE LAY OUT A SUITE OF OFFICES THAT ARE INTERCONNECTED WITH CIRC WITH CIRCULATION, WE USE A TERM CALLED NET USABLE. AND IN MASTER PLANNING, THAT'S, UH, PARTICULARLY BENEFICIAL BECAUSE WE CAN PICK UP SUITES AND SHIFT THEM AROUND AS WE BEGIN TO LOOK FOR APPROPRIATE LOCATIONS FOR THEM TO RESIDE. THEN OF COURSE, ALL THOSE THINGS ROLL UP TOGETHER INTO WHAT BECOMES GROWTH SQUARE FOOTAGE, WHICH IS THE BUILDING AS A WHOLE, INCLUDING ALL OF ITS CIRCULATION AND SUPPORT SPACES THAT ARE REQUIRED. SO MOST OF THE TIME WE'LL TALK ABOUT NET USABLE SPACE THIS EVENING. OKAY, SO THIS IS THE ROADMAP. THIS IS WHERE WE'VE BEEN OVER THE LAST YEAR OR SO, WORKING WITH YOUR STAFF, WHICH HAS BEEN A WONDERFUL PROCESS. THIS IS INTENDED TO ILLUSTRATE THAT WE, AFTER STARTUP WORKED ON SOME TASKS IN PARALLEL, WORKING WITH YOUR STAFF ONSITE, DOING INTERVIEWS, WORKING WITH STAFF TO GENERATE DATA AND WORK ON OUR FORECAST SO WE CAN PREDICT GROWTH ACCURATELY, UH, ASSESSING THE FACILITIES, AS I MENTIONED, WORKING TO GENERATE PROGRAMS TO ALLOCATE SPACE NEEDS. AND THEN WE OVERLAID ALL THOSE THINGS TO, TO SORT OF INFORM THE OPTIONS THAT WE'LL SHARE WITH YOU THIS EVENING, INCLUDING WHAT SOME OF THOSE MAY COST POTENTIALLY. OKAY, I JUST TALKED ABOUT INTERVIEWS. ONE OF THE EXERCISES WE ALWAYS GO THROUGH AS WE TRY AND PROJECT GROWTH ACROSS 20 YEARS IS A POPULATION METRIC THAT WE HAVE DEVELOPED. UM, AND YOU CAN SEE THAT THERE, WELL, YOU MAY NOT BE ABLE TO SEE, IT'S QUITE AN EYE CHART, BUT I THINK WHAT I'LL SHARE WITH YOU IS THAT THERE'S A FAIRLY WIDE RANGE, DEPENDING ON THE METRIC THAT YOU LOOK AT. SOME OF THEM ARE AS LOW AS A 10TH OF A PERCENT, SOME OF THEM ARE AS HIGH AS 11.3%. IF YOU AVERAGE THEM ALL OUT, THEY RANGE RIGHT AT 4.9%. THAT IS, THAT IS INDICATIVE OF SOME OF THE CONCERNS I THINK WE JUST HEARD ABOUT GROWTH. I MEAN, THAT IS A STEEP RATE ACROSS THE CAROLINAS. THAT'S A VERY HEALTHY GROWTH RATE. AND THEN OF COURSE, AT THE BOTTOM YOU WILL SEE THERE, ULTIMATELY WHAT WE DID TO RIGHT SIZE GROWTH IS PARALLEL YOUR CURRENT POPULATION PROJECTIONS THAT WERE GENERATED INTERNALLY. WE, WE GENERATE, WE, WE UTILIZE THOSE AS WE APPLY GROWTH TO EACH DEPARTMENT. OKAY? AND THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF HOW THAT TRANSLATES. SO ALL THAT INFORMATION THEN TRANSLATES DOWN TO EACH DEPARTMENT. THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF THE EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT WHERE YOU SEE EACH OF THOSE LINE ITEMS AND HOW THEY WOULD IMPLICATE [00:35:01] STAFF INCREASES IN FIVE YEAR INCREMENTS ACROSS THAT 20 YEAR HORIZON. ULTIMATELY, WE ALWAYS ASK EACH DEPARTMENT HOW THEY THINK THEY'LL GROW. THAT'S IN NUMBER LINE. ITEM 10. WE TAKE THE AVERAGE AND THEN MAKE A RECOMMENDATION DOWN AT THE BOTTOM. THIS IS DONE SYSTEMATICALLY ACROSS EACH DEPARTMENT, AND IT'S OUR FORMULA FOR MAKE, MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE RIGHT SIZE GROWTH. HOW DO WE KNOW WHAT ALL THESE SPACES ARE THAT ARE IN THE PROGRAM? BUT WE HAVE SPACE STANDARDS, THEY'RE THE BUILDING BLOCKS OF OUR PROGRAM, AND THEY'RE BASED ON THINGS THAT ARE BUILT. I MEAN, SO WE HAVE A RANGE OF OFFICE SIZES. OUR MISSION HERE IS TO, IS TO BE AS SPARTAN WITH SPACE AS POSSIBLE. OUR GOAL IS NOT TO MAKE OVERLY INFLATED BUILDINGS, IT'S ACTUALLY THE OPPOSITE. UM, WE'RE ADVOCATES FOR OPEN OFFICE, WE'RE APPROPRIATE. WE'RE, WE'RE ADVOCATES FOR PRIVACY WHEN YOUR ROLE, YOU KNOW, SORT OF REQUIRES THAT IN WHATEVER FORM THAT COMES. BUT IN TERMS OF THE ACTUAL OFFICE COMPONENTS, THE MEETING SPACES, SPACES LIKE THIS, WE'VE CONSTRUCTED THEM ALL AND THEY'VE INFORMED OUR SPACE STANDARDS THAT ARE THE BASIS OF OUR PROGRAMS. SO THE PROGRAM SUMMARIES, I'M GONNA RUN THROUGH EACH OF THESE. UM, WE TALKED ABOUT NET USABLE SQUARE FOOTAGE A MOMENT AGO, SO YOU'LL SEE THAT IN USF OUT HERE. UM, THERE, I'M GONNA TRY AND BE BRIEF ON THESE AGAIN, THERE'S SORT OF SIX OF THESE TO TOUCH ON. I'M TRYING TO HIT THE HIGH SPOTS WITH THE KEY TAKEAWAYS. SO IN THIS BUILDING, I THINK WE HAVE SOME, SOME MOVING PIECES OR POTENTIAL. YOU KNOW, WE HAVE THE, WE HAVE THE MAY RIVER THEATER, WHICH IS VERY IMPORTANT FACILITY AND, AND MAY VERY WELL NEED TO MAINTAIN EXACTLY WHAT ITS FUNCTION IS TODAY, BUT IT IS REAL ESTATE WITHIN THIS AREA. SO AS PART OF THIS EXERCISE, WE CONTEMPLATED WHAT IT COULD TURN INTO POTENTIALLY AS THE, THE SPACE NEEDS UNFOLDED. CALKIN STATION FITS INTO THAT EXACT SAME CATEGORY. AND AGAIN, THE INTENT HERE IS NOT TO SAY THAT EITHER OF THOSE NEED TO BE RENOVATED OR CHANGED AND FUNCTIONED. WE JUST LOOKED AT THEM AS WHAT THEIR CONTAINER OFFERS WITHIN THE AREA THAT IS INSIDE OF THE TOWN HALL FOOTPRINT. SO THAT FOOTPRINT IS 17,978, SO ALMOST EIGHT THOU 18,000 SQUARE FEET. THAT, THAT, THAT THE LINE IN THE CENTER IS CURRENT PROPOSED. SO WE TAKE YOUR CURRENT STAFF AND PUT IT INTO OUR MODEL OF SPACE STANDARDS. A LOT OF THAT WILL SORT OF CATCH OFFICES THAT MIGHT BE UNDERSIZED OR SPACES THAT ARE MEETING SPACES THAT HAVE BEEN CANNIBALIZED FOR OFFICES THAT NEED TO RETURN TO PROGRAMMATIC USAGE. SO BASICALLY THERE'S A, FROM 18,000 TO 23 4, GET YOU TO YOUR CURRENT NEEDS, AND THEN WHEN YOU APPLY THAT 20 YEAR HORIZON, YOU'RE AT 26,532. WELL, WHAT DOES ALL THAT MEAN? IT MEANS WE NEED TO FIND ABOUT 8,500 SQUARE FEET AT THIS FACILITY IN ORDER TO MEET THE 20 YEAR NEEDS. SO NOW THAT WE'VE GONE THROUGH THIS EXODUS SORT OF CADENCE, ONCE, YOU'LL SEE HOW THIS REPEAT AS WE LOOK AT EACH OF THE OTHERS. SO IT'S WHAT YOU'RE IN TODAY, WHAT YOU SHOULD BE IN TODAY, WHAT THE 20 YEAR NEEDS ARE, AND THE DEFICIT IS REALLY WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE. SO WE SHIFT THAT CONVERSATION TO THE LAW ENFORCEMENT CENTER. AGAIN, A NEW PIECE OF INVENTORY THAT'S JUST STRESSED BECAUSE OF THE AMOUNT OF GROWTH THAT YOU'VE EXPERIENCED, THE CURRENT THAT USABLE IS 13 TWO. THE, THE CURRENT PROPOSED WOULD BE 23 3. AGAIN, THAT REPRESENTS JUST SPACES THAT ARE HAVING TO BE USED FOR OTHER THINGS. AND THEY WERE ORIGINALLY INTENDED JUST TO ACCOUNT FOR, FOR GROWTH AND BEING PINCHED. UH, AND THEN YOU SEE A SMALLER GROWTH CURVE TO GET TO THE 20 YEAR HORIZON THERE. SO WE'RE AT AN 11,362 SQUARE FOOT DEFICIT AT THE LAW ENFORCEMENT CENTER. THAT WILL OBVIOUSLY REQUIRE A LITTLE BIT OF NEW CONSTRUCTION AS WE WORK TOWARDS SOME SOLUTIONS FOR THAT ONE. SO PUBLIC WORKS, UH, AGAIN, I THINK THE NUMBERS THAT YOU SEE HERE, I WANNA BE VERY CLEAR, ARE JUST ABOUT THE ADMINISTRATIVE COMPONENT. MOST OF THE PUBLIC WORKS NEEDS ARE IN MORE OF THE MAINTENANCE AND WAREHOUSE TYPE OF SPACE. UM, BUT YOU KNOW, THE, THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION IS IN ALMOST A THOUSAND SQUARE FEET. NO SURPRISE, THEY WOULD NEED TO BECOME ALMOST 3000 SQUARE FEET. SO THERE'S A DEFICIT THERE. IT'S MUCH SMALLER BECAUSE IT'S A SMALLER NUMBER. BUT WE'LL TALK ABOUT WHEN WE GET TO THE SOLUTIONS, HOW THOSE OTHER TYPE OF SPACES OTHER THAN ADMINISTRATION WILL UNDER CAMPUS AND ESTIMATE. OKAY? AND THEN WATERSHED, AS WE'RE WINDING OUR WAY DOWN, AGAIN, THESE ARE THE TWO FACILITIES THAT OCCUPY HISTORIC BUILDINGS, YOU KNOW, UM, IN THE DISTRICT. UM, AND BECAUSE OF THAT, THEIR OPPORTUNITY FOR RENOVATION AND CHANGE IS RELATIVELY LIMITED. SO THEY BASICALLY SORT OF OFFER THE FOOTPRINT THAT THEY OFFER. UM, AGAIN, WATERSHED, UH, UH, IN 1,179 SQUARE FEET, THEIR FUTURE PROPOSED WAS 2000. SO THERE'S ABOUT 900 SQUARE FEET OF GROWTH THERE PACKED IN THAT FACILITY IN DESPERATE NEED OF SOME STORAGE. AND THEN 1264 MAY RIVER ROAD, AGAIN, THE POLICE SUBSTATION, SUPER IMPORTANT TO HAVE A FOOTPRINT PERHAPS IN THAT AREA OR CERTAINLY SEPARATE FROM THE MAIN FACILITY. UM, BUT, YOU KNOW, FIXED IN TERMS OF THE LOCATION AND ITS ABILITY TO EXPAND, THEY'RE AT A DEFICIT THERE AS WELL FOR WHAT PROGRAMMATIC NEEDS THEY WOULD HAVE TO CONTINUE SERVICE IN THAT LOCATION. OKAY, I RAN THROUGH ALL OF THAT TO SAY THAT'S THE SUMMARY FOR THE SPACE NEEDS ASSESSMENT. I'M GONNA TALK ABOUT THE FACILITY CONDITIONS ASSESSMENT. AND LIKE THE FIRST PART OF THIS, THERE IS A DEEP WELL OF DATA BEHIND THE INFORMATION THAT WE'RE GONNA SHARE HERE. SO EFFECTIVELY WHAT HAPPENED IS A, A TEAM OF FOLKS, UH, DESCENDED UPON THE TOWN AND KIND OF COMBED THROUGH ALL THESE FACILITIES REALLY VERY CLOSELY LOOKED AT EVERY SYSTEM. ARCHITECTURAL, STRUCTURAL, MECHANICAL, ELECTRICAL, PLUMBING, BASICALLY EVERY COMPONENT OF EACH BUILDING. THE IDEA IS TO DEVELOP WHAT THE CAPITAL EXPENDITURES ARE REQUIRED IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN THE CAPACITY AND THE CONDITION OF THE FACILITY. AND YOU SEE THOSE KIND OF [00:40:01] CAPTURED ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE OF THAT SLIDE. YOU CAN SEE KIND OF AT A SQUINT TEST THAT INTERIOR IS KIND OF UPDATING FINISHES OVER 10 YEARS AS THINGS WERE OUT LIKE CARPET. AND THEN OF COURSE ROOF. WE ALL KNOW THAT EVENTUALLY ROOFS HAVE A LIFESPAN THAT'S GOING TO, THAT'S GOING TO LIFE OUT, AND YOU'LL WANT TO REPLACE THOSE IN ORDER TO AVOID LEAKS AND OTHER MAINTENANCE REQUIREMENTS. SO THAT GENERATES YOUR EXPENDITURES. AND THEN ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE ARE THOSE KIND OF INDUSTRY STANDARD METRICS THAT ARE UTILIZED TO JUDGE THE CONDITION OF FACILITY. SO YOU HAVE THE FCI, THE FACILITY CONDITION INDEX, WHICH IS WHAT TODAY'S YEARS EXPENDITURES ARE COMPARED TO THE VALUE OF YOUR BUILDING. EXCELLENT SCORE. FANTASTIC. UH, IF YOU LOOK AT THE EX EXPENDITURES IS ANTICIPATED OVER 10 YEARS, AND YOU COMPARE THOSE TO THAT SAME, UH, REPLACEMENT VALUE, IT ACTUALLY WOULD SAY THAT YOU FALL BELOW AVERAGE. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? IT MEANS THAT YOU NEED TO STAY ON TOP OF THOSE EXPENDITURES THAT WERE IDENTIFIED ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN THAT EXCELLENT RATING AS YOU MOVE THROUGH TIME AND, AND MAINTAIN THE CONDITION OF THESE FACILITIES. OKAY? THERE IS ONE OF THESE FOR EACH OF EACH OF THE SIX FACILITIES, AND THEN THERE IS A, A BACKUP FOR EACH OF THOSE AS WELL WITHIN THE REPORT. SO FINALLY, WE DID ALL THAT WORK AND WE GET TO USE IT. ALL RIGHT, SO WE OVERLAY THE SPACE NEEDS ASSESSMENTS, THE CONDITION OF THE FACILITIES, AND WE LOOKED AT, THERE'S ACTUALLY FIVE SPOTS, BUT TWO OF THEM ARE REALLY CLOSE TOGETHER. SO THERE'S KIND OF FOUR AREAS. WE TALKED ABOUT TOWN HALL, WHERE WE ARE NOW, THE LAW ENFORCEMENT CENTER, WHAT WOULD BE THE PUBLIC WORKS NEW SITE, UH, THE WATERSHED AND SUBSTATION FOR POLICE. OKAY, SO WE'LL HEAT HIT EACH ONE OF THOSE IN TERMS OF WHAT POTENTIAL SOLUTIONS MIGHT BE. THIS LOVELY GRAPHIC IS INDICATIVE OF THE TIMELINE. SO ANYTIME WE DO ONE OF THESE AND WE HAVE FIVE PROJECTS OR SIX PROJECTS TO TALK ABOUT, WE HAVE TO HAVE A DISCUSSION ON PRIORITY. SO, UH, YOU KNOW, STAFF HAS IDENTIFIED WHAT THEY BELIEVE TO BE THINGS THAT OF, OF THE MOST IMPORTANCE. AND SO OBVIOUSLY THOSE BEGIN TO APPEAR AS PROJECTS THAT WE WOULD ADDRESS SOONER IN THE TIMELINE. UH, THE HORIZONTAL BANDS, IF YOU'LL SEE BELOW THE TIMELINE, IS THE DOWNTOWN PROJECT. SO THAT COMBINES WATERSHED AND POLICE SUBSTANCES. AND THEN ABOVE THE TIMELINE YOU HAVE PUBLIC WORKS AND THEN THE LEC AND THEN TOWN HALL AT THE TOP. SO EFFECTIVELY WHAT THIS IS TELLING US IS THAT PUBLIC WORKS HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED AS THE INITIAL PHASE WITH THE HIGHEST PRIORITY, MOVING THEN TOWARDS B, WHICH WILL BE HELPING OUT WITH THE DOWNTOWN PROJECTS, UH, THE LAW ENFORCEMENT CENTER COMING FOLLOWING THAT, AND IN TOWN HALL FOLLOWING THAT, THOSE ARE IN THIS MODEL WITHIN A 10 YEAR WINDOW. WHY IS THAT IMPORTANT? YOU KNOW, BECAUSE WE HAVE TO TALK ABOUT A PHRASE CALLED ESCALATION, WHICH IS PARTICULARLY RELEVANT IN TODAY'S WORLD. AS YOU KNOW, OUR GLOBAL ECONOMY IS CHANGING. THE LONGER YOU WAIT IN THEORY, THE MORE EXPENSIVE THINGS ARE GOING TO COST. IF YOU'RE WAITING A YEAR, THAT'S LESS IMPORTANT THAN IF YOU'RE WAITING 10 YEARS TO FUND SOMETHING. SO WE HAVE TO BE PRUDENT TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU ALL ARE AWARE OF WHAT WE THINK THOSE COSTS WOULD ADD, THE LONGER THAT THOSE PROJECTS TAKE TO INITIATE. OKAY, SO I'M GONNA RUN THROUGH EACH OF THESE AGAIN. IN TERMS OF THE SOLUTIONS, THERE ARE TWO OPTIONS. I'M NOT GONNA READ EACH ONE OF THESE. YOU KNOW, THE, THE LEVERS IN TOWN HALL ARE THE ONES THAT I JUST MENTIONED EARLIER, WHICH ARE, WHAT ABOUT MAY RIVER AND WHAT ABOUT THE CALHOUN STATION? YOU KNOW, THE FOOTPRINT FOR ADDITIONS FOR CHANGE AROUND, UH, IN THIS AREA IS RELATIVELY LIMITED. AND SO WE KIND OF JUST LOOKED AT HOW WE COULD REUSE BETTER, OR PERHAPS DIFFERENTLY, I SHOULD SAY, THE THINGS THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO US HERE. SO THERE ARE TWO OPTIONS HERE. UM, ONE ON THE LEFT WHERE THE MAY RIVER THEATER WOULD STAY INTACT, AND IN THIS OPTION, THE POLICE SUBSTATION WOULD ACTUALLY, UH, SHIFT ACROSS THE STREET IN THE DOWNTOWN. YOU'LL SEE HOW THAT'S CONNECTED TO SOME OTHER SOLUTIONS LATER ON. UH, COUNCIL CHAMBER THAT WE'RE IN HERE WOULD REMAIN, AND YOU CAN SEE THEN, UH, YOU KNOW, WE WOULD, UH, BE REQUESTING TO REPURPOSE SPACE WITHIN CALHOUN STATION AND THEN ALLOW TOWN FUNCTIONS TO EXPAND OVER INTO THAT AREA. UH, Y'ALL HAVE BEEN IN THE FACILITY, REQUIRE A LITTLE BIT OF UPBRINGING TO, TO BRING IT UP TO THE STANDARDS THAT THE REST OF THIS FACILITY IS, BUT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S ACCOUNTED FOR IN THE ESTIMATE. AGAIN, I THINK THE IDEA IS TO KIND OF CREATE THIS CONTINUING OF CAMPUS, BUT ALLOW THE FOOTPRINT OF SPACE NEEDS TO EXPAND INTO THAT AREA. THE POINTS OF ENTRY FOR PUBLIC, THE CONTROL NODES, ALL THOSE THINGS THAT ARE IN PLACE NOW WOULD STAY. IT'S JUST REALLY ALLOWING INTERNAL SPACES TO EXPAND ON THE RIGHT IS A SEPARATE OPTION, WHICH IS TIED TO A THOUGHT. AND AGAIN, THIS IS NOT TO SAY THIS IS GOING TO HAPPEN, BUT PERHAPS IF THE POLICE SUBSTATION COULD ALSO UTILIZE THAT SPACE. AND WE KNOW THAT WILL REQUIRE RENOVATION. THERE'S A SLOPED FLOOR AND THERE'S COMPONENTS THAT GO WITH THAT, BUT THAT IS A SUITABLE LOCATION IN TERMS OF PROXIMITY TO THE DOWNTOWN AS WELL AS SIZE. AND SO THAT IN THEORY COULD SOLVE A DIFFERENT NEED RELATIVE TO THE FACILITIES THAT WE HAVE IN THE HISTORIC DISTRICT. SO JUST TWO OPTIONS FOR HOW TO SOLVE NEEDS IN TOWN HALL. OKAY. LAW ENFORCEMENT CENTER, AGAIN, IT'S KIND OF AN L-SHAPED BUILDING, SO THE SOLUTIONS ARE TO SORT OF ALPHABETIZE IT. WE EITHER GO TO A C OR TO AN OI THINK ONE OF THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES THEY EXPERIENCED IS THAT THEIR SALLY PORT HAS BECOME USED IN A WAY THAT IT WAS NOT ORIGINALLY INTENDED. SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT AS A KEY KIND OF CORE FUNCTIONALITY AND BEST PRACTICE, WE WANTED TO RE RETURN TO, TO, TO SERVICE IN TERMS OF THE DESIGN. SO REALLY AGAIN, THIS IS JUST ABOUT HOW WE ADD ON AND REPURPOSE, REMOVE, REBUILD A SALLY PORT THAT'S FUNCTIONAL FOR THEM. SO YOU'LL SEE [00:45:01] THE SITE ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE AGAIN, UH, THE SITE IS MORE CONSTRAINED THAN IT WAS BECAUSE OF SOME ECONOMIC STIMULUS PROJECTS THAT ARE HAPPENING AROUND IT. SO WE ARE SORT OF CONFINED TO THAT IMMEDIATE LOCATION. BUT YOU CAN SEE THEN AGAIN, IN THIS OPTION, WHICH IS THE C, WE WOULD BE ADDING A WING TO PLAN NORTH AND RELOCATING A SALLY PORT IN ITS LOCATION AS IT SHOULD BE ADJACENT TO, UM, THOSE CORE FUNCTIONALITIES FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT. AND THEN IN AN OPTION TWO, WE WENT AHEAD AND MADE IT AN O AND COMPLETED THAT FOURTH LOOP AGAINST SALLY PORT IN SIMILAR LOCATION, WHICH JUST CREATES AN INTERNAL COURTYARD. SO IT'S VERY SIMILAR OPTIONS. OUR, OUR OPTIONS ARE SOMEWHAT LIMITED ON THIS SITE, AGAIN, BECAUSE OF THE SORT OF EXTERNAL CONSTRAINTS AND OPPORTUNITIES TO EXPAND AND MAINTAIN PARKING. OKAY, PUBLIC WORKS, UH, PROBABLY YOUR GREATEST DEFICIT IS, IS ILLUSTRATED BY THE FACT THAT THEY WERE IDENTIFIED AS THE HIGHEST PRIORITY. EFFECTIVELY IT'S ON THE SITE WHERE THEY ARE NOW. SO WHERE YOU SEE THAT WHITE BOX ON THE BOTTOM LEFT, IT SAYS ADMIN THAT'S CURRENTLY ADMIN AND WAREHOUSE AND EVERYTHING. UM, SO YOU KNOW, ADMIN WOULD EXPAND INTO THAT ONE FACILITY. AND THEN YOU CAN SEE THEY HAVE A DEMAND FOR COVERED EXTERIOR, WHICH PROTECTS THOSE VALUABLE VEHICLES THAT ARE SO EXPENSIVE, YOU KNOW, THAT DEGRADE FROM UV AND WEATHER, WEATHER DEGRADATION. THEN YOU SEE THOSE OTHER WHITE BOXES THAT ARE LITERALLY WAREHOUSE SPACES FOR FACILITIES, FOR ROADS, FOR PARKS, FOR ALL THOSE THINGS THAT WE JUST, WE JUST HEARD IN THE PREVIOUS PRESENTATION, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT ARE GREAT SERVICES TO THE TOWN. WELL, IN OPTION ONE, ON THE RIGHT HAND OF THE BOTTOM THERE, YOU'LL SEE A LITTLE WHITE SQUARE THAT SAYS WATERSHED. SO IN THIS OPTION, WE CONTEMPLATED CREATING A NEW FACILITY FOR WATERSHED TO ALLOW THEM TO MOVE FROM THE DOWNTOWN INTO THIS LOCATION. IT FITS, UH, IT OBVIOUSLY WOULD BRING SOME MORE EXPENSE AS YOU CAN SEE UP AT THE TOP THERE, BUT IT SOLVES A NEED FOR SPACE IN THE, IN, IN THOSE HISTORIC BUILDINGS AND, AND RELIEVES A PINCH POINT. SO WE WANT TO CONSIDER THAT. AND THE OPTION ON THE RIGHT IS VERY SIMILAR. THE WAREHOUSES ARE DETACHED INSTEAD OF ATTACHED. SO THEY COULD BE BUILT IN PHASES INSTEAD OF ALL AT ONCE. AND THEN WE DENIED ADD WATERSHED. BUT YOU KNOW, LAY DOWN AREAS IS AN IMPORTANT PART OF THIS THAT IS ALSO AT A DEFICIT AND IT'S TUCKED IN NICELY BEHIND THE DOG PARK AND THE, THE BASEBALL FIELDS THERE ON A PROPERTY THAT YOU ALREADY OWN. OKAY, WE'RE GETTING CLOSE. UH, WATERSHED AND THE POLICE SUBSTATION, AGAIN, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THOSE EFFECTIVELY. THERE'S KIND OF TWO OPTIONS AND I'VE TOUCHED ON THEM IN ONE OF THEM WATERSHED MOVES TO THAT NEW BUILDING WE JUST LOOKED AT ON PUBLIC WORK SITE AND, AND IN THAT OPTION, POLICE WOULD MOVE INTO THEIR BUILDING BECAUSE IT'S ACTUALLY A LITTLE BIT LARGER IN THE DOWNTOWN. UH, AND THEN THE OTHER OPTION, THEY STAND, THEY STAY WHERE THEY ARE. UM, AND YOU KNOW, AGAIN, THEN WE WOULD HAVE TO, TO FIND A WAY OF HOPEFULLY ADDRESSING THEIR NEEDS IN OTHER WAYS. OKAY, SO I'LL GO THROUGH THOSE QUICKLY. AGAIN. YOU SEE UP ON THE TOP YOU HAVE WATERSHED AT 1261, YOU HAVE, UH, THE 1264 ACROSS THE STREET. SO ON OPTION ONE, MAY RIVER OR THE WATERSHED MOVES TO THE PUBLIC WORK SITE, POLICE MOVES ACROSS THE STREET, AND THEN IN THEORY 1264 IS VACANT. SO YOU COULD MAINTAIN THAT AS ADDITIONAL TOWN FOOTPRINT OR DO WHATEVER WITH IT AS YOU WOULD SO CHOOSE. UH, AND THEN IN OPTION TWO, AS I MENTIONED, WHEN THE POLICE SUBSTATION WOULD COME TO THE MAY RIVER THEATER HERE, WATERSHED COULD EXPAND AND OCCUPY BOTH BUILDINGS IN THE DOWNTOWN. I FEEL LIKE I WAS SPRINTING TO THAT. I APOLOGIZE IF THAT WAS AT A QUICK PACE. I'M TRYING TO GET THIS IN. OKAY, LAST SLIDE. SO WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN? UM, AND WHAT WE'VE DONE HERE, AND THERE'S ADDITIONAL BACKUP THAT, THAT COMES WITH THIS IN THE REPORT. WE'VE KIND OF TAKEN THOSE PROJECTS. WE'VE LOCATED THEM AS IT WAS SHOWN IN THAT TIMELINE THAT ALLOWED US TO APPLY ESCALATION TO GET YOU TO BID DATES. WE'VE STAGGERED THEM ACROSS THE 10 YEAR PERIOD AND YOU CAN SEE THERE WERE TWO OPTIONS. THEY CAME OVER, THEY CAME IN ROUGHLY $3 MILLION APART. UM, THE, THE OPTION THAT COST THE MOST MONEY WOULD BE THE OPTION WHERE WE'RE BUILDING THE NEW WATERSHED COMPONENT ON THE PUBLIC WORK SITE. UM, BUT OTHERWISE I THINK THEY'RE BASICALLY COMPARABLE IN COST. UM, AND WHAT ARE FOR YOU OPTIONS FOR CONSIDERATION AS YOU MOVE FORWARD? AND AGAIN, REMEMBER THE TIMELINE FOR 10 YEARS WAS JUST OUR STARTING POINT. THOSE ARE ALL, YOU KNOW, OPPORTUNITIES FOR DISCUSSIONS AS WE TALK ABOUT THE FUNDING REQUIRED TO IMPLEMENT THESE PROJECTS OVER THE DURATION. SO THAT'S ALL THAT I HAD FOR YOU THIS EVENING AND I HOPE THAT, UH, YOU WERE ABLE TO FOLLOW ALONG AT THAT PACE AND I'LL BE HAPPY TO TRY AND ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE. MS. FRAZIER, ANY QUESTIONS? YES. UM, THANK YOU. UH, VERY THOROUGH PRESENTATION. I DO HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS ON SOME OF THE FINDINGS YOU HAVE. UM, FIRST QUESTION I HAVE IS THE NEEDS ASSESSMENT THAT YOU HAVE FOR, UM, SOME OF THE, THE SPACE THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE OR EVEN ADDING ADDITIONAL SPACES, UM, WAS THAT DONE BASED OFF OF A PROJECTION FROM STAFF IN TERMS OF, UM, DEPARTMENT HEADS? LIKE WHAT POSITIONS THEY EXPECT TO ANTICIPATE OVER THE NEXT, UM, FEW YEARS FOR THEIR DEPARTMENT? OR WAS IT DONE LOOKING AT, UM, UH, CITY COMPARABLE TO OURS IN TERMS OF LIKE OUR POPULATION AND OTHER THINGS? UM, SO ULTIMATELY MAX SAYING WHAT WAS YOUR BASIS FOR, UM, LOOKING AT INCREASING THOSE SIZES? IT WAS ACTUALLY BOTH OF THOSE. AND THAT'S A REALLY GOOD QUESTION BECAUSE AS PART OF OUR INTERVIEWS WITH FOLKS ON, ON, ON STAFF, WE ALWAYS ASK THAT QUESTION BECAUSE [00:50:01] OUR DEPARTMENT HEADS TEND TO HAVE A PRETTY GOOD IDEA ABOUT HOW THEIR, UH, DEPARTMENTS WILL GROW. BUT WE ALSO UTILIZE ALL THOSE OTHER METRICS RELATIVE TO POPULATIONS OF THIS TOWN, THE CENSUS INFORMATION, SIMILAR SIZE TOWN. SO YES, THERE'S A DATA SET OF EIGHT OTHER METRICS THAT WERE CONSIDERED ON IN ADDITION TO WHAT THE DEPARTMENT ACTUAL PROJECTION WAS. SO YES MA'AM, WE DID, WE DID ACTUALLY UTILIZE BOTH OF THOSE AND WE, WE CAPTURED THOSE IN A TABLE FOR EACH DEPARTMENT IN THE REPORT. THANK YOU. TWO MORE QUESTIONS. MY SECOND QUESTION, UM, IS, UH, WITH THE ASSESSMENT THAT YOU ALL HAVE THERE ON THOSE PROJECTIONS, IS IT BASED OFF OF INCREASE IN OUR POPULATION JUST ON OUR CITY LIMITS, OR IS IT BASED OFF AN INCREASE IN OUR POPULATION FOR THE ENTIRE, UM, CITY TO ALSO INCLUDE OUR UNINCORPORATED AREAS? THAT IS A GREAT QUESTION. I DO NOT BELIEVE IT INCLUDES THE UNINCORPORATED AREAS AS I'M LOOKING AT THAT, BUT UH, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I MIGHT HAVE TO RESEARCH ON AND BRING BACK TO YOU. GO BACK TO THE SHEET THAT WHERE YOU SHOWED THE POPULATION GROWTH, YOU HAD NUMBERS ON THE LEFT THAT ARE HIGHER YOU YEAH, BUT IF YOU LOOK ON THE RIGHT, I APOLOGIZE FOR THAT. THERE'S THE POPULATION NUMBER RECOMMENDED TOWN OF BLUFFTON. IT HAS OUR ACTUAL CAP OUT GROWTH NUMBERS AROUND 60 TO 65 IN 2040, RIGHT? WHICH IS WHAT OUR, UM, RDU USED IN ESTIMATE POPULATION ESTIMATES. AND THAT'S WHAT HE WAS PROVIDED BY THE TOWN TO USE. SO THANK YOU FOR POINTING OUT THAT MISTAKE. YEAH, THAT, THAT BLUE GRAPHIC. YEAH, BECAUSE I SAW THE SAME THING WHEN HE SHOWED 80,000 OVER THERE. SO THAT BLUE GRAPHIC ON THE GRAPHIC IS ACTUALLY INCORRECT. WHAT WE DID THAT WAS WHAT IF WE WOULD NOT HAVE GONE WITH TOWN'S PROJECTION, OUR MODEL WOULD'VE SHOWN, BUT BECAUSE OF THE CAP AND THOSE OTHER DYNAMICS THAT WERE JUST MENTIONED, WE DID GO WITH THE TOWN PROJECTION. GOTCHA. WHICH WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN AN ISSUE. THE REASON I ASKED IS BECAUSE I KNOW THAT WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT STAFF NEEDS AND AS WE'RE GROWING, UM, WE ARE A LITTLE UNIQUE IN COMPARISON TO OTHER MUNICIPALITIES WHERE WE DON'T, UM, HAVE FULL JURISDICTION OFF OF EVERYTHING THAT'S IN BLUFFTON. AND SO I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT LIKE OUR ASSESSMENT WASN'T INCLUSIVE OF AREAS THAT, UM, WOULDN'T BE STAFFED BECAUSE WE DON'T, WE DON'T GOVERN THAT. UM, AND MY LAST QUESTION IS, UM, DID THE ASSESSMENT UH, INCLUDE ALSO, UM, CONSIDERATIONS OF HYBRID WORK IN THE SENSE OF, UM, AS YOU'RE LOOKING AT SPACES THAT WE WILL HAVE ALLOTTED, WE DO HAVE, UH, REMOTE, UM, STAFF OR SOME STAFF THAT DOES NOT, UM, WORK WITHIN THE ACTUAL BUILDINGS. UM, AND WAS THAT A CONSIDERATION AS YOU GUYS WERE MAKING THOSE PROJECTIONS? WE DEFINITELY HAD THAT DISCUSSION, AND I THINK THAT DISCUSSION HAS CHANGED AS THE YEARS HAVE PASSED SINCE WE GOT THROUGH 2021 AND 2022. SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE WERE HAVING, WE HAVE SOME, SOME CLIENTS THAT, THAT HAVE REDUCED THEIR FOOTPRINT IN ORDER TO GO TO A FULL COMMITMENT TO REMOTE WORK. THE VAST MAJORITY OF OUR CLIENTS HAVE SAID WE'RE PAST THAT PHASE AND THAT WE FUNCTION BETTER IF EVERYONE IS HERE. AND SO I WILL TELL YOU THAT THESE, THESE ESTIMATES ACCOUNT FOR EVERYONE BEING IN PLACE. IF THERE WAS AN INITIATIVE OR A POLICY PUT IN PLACE TO IMPLEMENT REMOTE WORK, THEN PERHAPS THERE COULD BE SOME, YOU KNOW, SOME WORK SHARING. BUT I WILL SAY THAT THAT SOUNDS LIKE A SILVER BULLET. BUT THE, THE, UH, THE, THE WORK, THE WORKING FROM HOME REALLY ONLY CHANGES YOUR SPATIAL IMPLICATIONS IF YOU COMMIT TO A TRUE HYBRID MODEL, WHICH MEANS I'M ONLY IN THE OFFICE TWO DAYS A WEEK AND THERE'S SOMEONE ELSE IN THE OFFICE THOSE OTHER TWO DAYS A WEEK THAT'S IN MY SEAT. OTHERWISE, WE'RE STILL PLANNING FOR SPACE FOR INDIVIDUALS FOR THE MOST PART, SPECIFICALLY IN MUNICIPALITIES. SO IT DOES REQUIRE A BIT OF A COMMITMENT ON YOUR PART, BUT YES, IT WAS DISCUSSED, BUT THESE MODELS DO NOT INCORPORATE, UH, WORK FROM HOME. THANK YOU. ANY QUESTIONS, MR. HAMILTON? NO QUESTIONS. THANK YOU, SIR. THANK YOU, SIR. ANY QUESTIONS, MS. BURDEN? DO YOU KNOW WHEN THE LAST TIME A NEED STUDY WAS COMPLETED ON OUR TOWN FACILITIES? I'M NOT AWARE OF ONE. HAVE WE EVER HAD, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME WE'VE EVER DONE ONE. AS FAR AS I KNOW. THANK YOU. I GOT A LOT OF QUESTIONS, BUT WE GOT A LONG WAYS TO GO TONIGHT, SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH. AND I'LL DIG INTO THIS ONE. UH, IF I EVER GET TIME SOMETIME BETWEEN NOW AND 2035, WELL, THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR TIME. I APOLOGIZE FOR RUNNING OVER BIT LONG AND, UH, WE'RE ALWAYS HERE TO SUPPORT YOU IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS AFTER THE MEETING. THANK YOU. OKAY, UP NEXT WE [II.3. Discussion of a Proposed Ordinance to Amend the Town of Bluffton Code of Ordinances, Chapter 23 – Unified Development Ordinance, Article 5 – Design Standards, Sec. 5.4 (Wetlands) and Sec. 5.10 (Stormwater); and Article 9 – Definitions and Interpretation, Sec. 9.2 (Defined Terms) – Kevin Icard, Director of Growth Management] HAVE DISCUSSION OF A PROPOSED ORDINANCE TO AMEND THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON CODE OF ORDINANCE CHAPTER 23, UNIFIED DEVELOPMENT ORDINANCE, ARTICLE FIVE, DESIGN STANDARDS SECTION 5.4 WETLANDS, THE SECTION 5.9 STORMWATER AND ARTICLE NINE, DEFINITIONS, INTERPRETATION SECTION 9.2, DEFINED TERMS IN MR. KEVIN, I ARGUE. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THREE MINUTES, SIR. VERY GOOD. , UM, JUST, UH, THIS EVENING WE'RE HERE FOR SOME, UH, SOME DIRECTION, UM, AND ANY ADDITIONAL COMMENTS YOU MAY HAVE AS IT RELATES TO THE AMENDMENTS THAT HAVE, UH, PREVIOUSLY BEEN, UM, SUBMITTED TO YOU FOR A FIRST READING. UH, SO I'M GONNA GO THROUGH THIS RELATIVELY QUICKLY. UH, THIS WAS JUST THE OVERVIEW OF THAT FIRST READING OF UDO AMENDMENTS, UH, WHERE WE MADE SOME CHANGES TO [00:55:01] THE FOR TREE CONSERVATION UPDATING THE WETLAND BUFFERS, UH, VERBIAGE OF REMOVING A SECTION, UH, FROM, UH, THE UDO, UH, AND RELOCATING IT INTO, UH, SECTION FIVE POINT 10, DEALING WITH STORM WATER. UM, AND THEN THE CHANGES, UH, FOR THE WETLAND, WETLAND BUFFER PROTECTIONS, UM, THE LANGUAGE TO EXPAND THOSE PROTECTIONS. AND THEN THE, UM, VIOLATIONS AND ENFORCEMENTS AND PENALTIES THAT WE'VE DISCUSSED, UH, AS WELL AS A FEW, UH, DEFINITIONS THAT WERE ADDED TO SECTION NINE. UM, WE HELD A FIRST READING THAT WAS, UH, BACK IN MARCH. UM, AND, UH, DURING THAT TIME THERE WAS PUBLIC COMMENT. UM, FROM THEN YOU REQUESTED THAT WE COME BACK, UH, WITH SOME REVISIONS TO THE GENERAL REQUIREMENTS EXCEPTIONS AND THE BUFFERS SETBACKS. SO, UM, I'M JUST GONNA GO OVER THIS VERY BRIEFLY. UM, I'M ABLE TO, UH, GO INTO MORE DEPTH IF YOU SO CHOOSE. UH, SO SOME OF THE ITEMS UNDER GENERAL REQUIREMENTS, WHAT I'VE DONE IS, UM, THE SECTION THAT IS UNDERLINED IN BLACK TEXT IS WHAT WAS PROVIDED IN FIRST READING. AND WHAT IS UNDERLINED IN RED TEXT IN ESSENCE IS WHAT IS THE REVISION TO THAT? SO, UH, WE CHANGED TO SOME, SOME VERBIAGE WHERE PREVIOUSLY SAID WITHIN WETLAND OR BUFFER, A WETLAND BUFFER AREA, WE SAID, LOCATED ON OR IMMEDIATELY ADJACENT TO THE WETLAND BUFFERS. UM, THIS IS DEALING WITH THE BUILDING DEVELOP SITE ALTERATIONS. UM, ALSO, UM, WE PREVIOUSLY HAD, UM, THAT THE U ADMINISTRATOR, UM, HAD THE AUTHORITY TO ISSUE DENY OR CONDITIONALLY IMPROVE WETLAND CERTIFICATIONS. THAT'S NOT THE CASE. UH, IT'S THE IMPACTS WE'RE DISCUSSING THE IMPACTS TO THESE WETLANDS. THE, THE WETLANDS, THE UD ADMINISTRATOR IS NOT, DOESN'T HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO, UM, TO AUTHORIZE CERTIFICATIONS, BUT RATHER WE'RE FOCUSING ON WHAT THOSE IMPACTS ARE. UH, SOME OTHER, UH, CHANGES THAT WE HAVE IS, UH, FOR, UH, WALK WALKWAYS. WE WANTED TO INCREASE THAT FROM FOUR FEET TO FIVE FEET. UH, THAT'S MORE A DA ACCESS, UH, COMPLIANCE. UH, WE HAVE SOME CLARITY REGARDING THE REPAIRS AND MAINTENANCE OF, UH, DEGRADED, UH, DEVICES OR STRUCTURES. THESE ARE FOR EXISTING STORM PONDS, UM, THAT THEY'RE ABLE TO GO IN AND MAKE NECESSARY REPAIRS TO THEM. UM, THERE WAS A LOT OF REDUNDANCIES THAT WE HAD IN THE TEXT THAT WE WERE ABLE TO ELIMINATE. UM, AND THEN ALSO WE'VE INCLUDED, UH, DISCRETIONS, UM, FOR DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES THAT SAYS AFTER CONSIDERATION OF SITE CONSTRAINTS, EXISTING REPORTS, PERMITS, COVENANTS, MITIGATION, BANK CREDITS TO ADEQUATE PROTECTION OF WETLAND WATER QUALITY MITIGATION, ANY LOSS OR DAMAGE TO THE WETLAND, UM, UH, DAMAGE TO THE WILDLIFE HABITAT OR, UM, NATIVE PLANT COMMUNITIES. SO IT GIVES US DISCRETION AS TO WE'RE LOOKING THROUGH THESE DEVELOPMENT, UH, ACTIVITIES. UM, ALSO IT GIVES THE, UM, THE UDO ADMINISTRATOR, UH, THE DISCRETION TO DEEM ADDITIONAL MEASURES, UM, TO ALLOW FOR, UM, EXCEPTIONS OF ACTIVITIES THAT ARE IN THE, UM, UH, WETLAND BUFFER. UM, WE, UM, REMOVED THE DIFFERENTIATION, DIFFERENTIATION OF TYPES OF WETLAND BUFFERS FOR CLARITY. UM, AND THEN, UM, THAT WAS, THAT WAS ROUGHLY IT. SO I KNOW THAT WAS VERY HIGH LEVEL. UH, OBVIOUSLY THERE WAS A LOT OF INFORMATION THAT WAS IN THAT FIRST PART OF THE REASON, BUT THESE ARE THE, EXCUSE ME, FIRST READING. THESE WERE THE CHANGES THAT WE HAD WORKED ON BASED OFF OF FEEDBACK THAT WE HAD RECEIVED. SO, UM, I'M HAPPY TO, UM, OPEN DISCUSSION IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS. UM, IF NOT QUESTIONS, MS. BURDEN, UM, ARE WE GONNA HEAR FROM EVERYBODY THAT'S HERE TO SPEAK ON THIS BEFORE? I FEEL LIKE I AM GONNA HAVE A LOT OF QUESTIONS YOU, YOU WANT. WE COULD GO TO TOP PUBLIC COMMENT FIRST, AND THEN I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR FROM EVERYBODY THAT'S HERE TO SPEAK ON THIS BEFORE. IS, IS THAT GOOD WITH YOU, KEVIN? YOU'RE OKAY? RUNNING, THAT'S JUST MY PERSONAL WE'LL [III. PUBLIC COMMENTS - Pertaining only to agenda items] MOVE ON TO PUBLIC COMMENT. COULD I GET MY, UH, RULES UP HERE PERTAINING TO PUBLIC COMMENT DURING PUBLIC COMMENT? EACH SPEAKER IS LIMITED TO A TOTAL OF THREE MINUTES PER MEETING, REGARDLESS OF WHETHER THE PERSON IS SPEAKING ON THEIR OWN BEHALF OR AS AN AGENT FOR OTHERS. MEETING AT ATTENDEES MAY NOT DONATE, TRANSFER YIELD, OR GIVE ALL OR ANY PORTION OF THEIR SPEAKING TIME TO ANOTHER PERSON. ALL PUBLIC COMMENTS ARE TO BE CONDUCTED FROM THE PODIUM AND DIRECTED TO THE TOWN COUNCIL AS A WHOLE AND NOT TO ANY MEMBER THEREOF. ALL SPEAKERS SHALL BE MINDFUL AND RESPECTFUL OF THOSE PARTICIPATING OR PRESENT AT THE MEETING. SPEAKERS SHALL NOT BE, SHALL SPEAKERS, SHALL BE EXPECTED TO BE CIVIL IN THEIR LANGUAGE, AND SHALL REFRAIN FROM COMMENT OR BEHAVIOR THAT INVOLVES DISORDERLY SPEECH OR ACTION, NAME CALLING, PERSONAL ATTACKS, THREATS, OBSCENE OR INDECENT REMARKS AND OR DISRUPTIVE ACTIONS. ALL SPEAKERS SHOULD COMBINE THEIR COMMENTS TO THE ISSUES UNDER THE JURISDICTION OF THE TOWN COUNCIL. SPEAKERS SHALL NOT USE THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD TO PROMOTE OR ADVERTISE AWARDS, BUSINESSES, SERVICES, GOODS, OR CANDIDATES FOR PUBLIC OFFICE. ANY SPEAKER THAT VIOLATES THESE RULES AND PROTOCOLS FOR THE PUBLIC COMMENT MAY BE RULED OUT OF ORDER BY THE PRESIDING OFFICER. ANY PERSON WHOSE COMMENTS HAVE BEEN RULES AND ORDER SHALL IMMEDIATELY CEASE AND DESIST FROM FURTHER IMPROPER COMMENTS. [01:00:01] THE REFUSAL WILL LIFE. ANY INDIVIDUAL TO DESIST FROM FURTHER IMPROPER COMMENTS MAY BE SUBJECT THAT MAY SUBJECT THE INDIVIDUAL TO REMOVAL FROM THE MEETING AND OR CITATION UNDER SECTION TWO FOUR DASH TWO DASH FOUR NINE OF THE TOWN CODE. AND ONE THING WE'RE GONNA START DOING HERE NOW, WE MIGHT AS WELL START IT TONIGHT. I'D LIKE WHEN YOU WALK UP, SAY YOUR NAME AND YOUR ADDRESS, AND ALSO WHETHER OR NOT YOU ARE A BLUFFTON, YOU LIVE IN THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON. SO WE CAN KIND OF START GETTING A GRIP ON WHO'S, WHO'S TELLING, WHO'S TELLING US WHAT WE SHOULD DO, WHAT WE SHOULD DO, YOU KNOW, WHETHER IT'S TOWN, RESIDENCE OR, YOU KNOW, UNINCORPORATED OR, OR WHERE YOU LIVE. 'CAUSE SOME ADDRESSES, WE GOT SO MANY ADDRESSES. I DON'T RECOGNIZE 90% OF 'EM PERSON HERE, BUT, UH, FIRST, MR. JACOB REED . GOOD EVENING COUNSEL. MY NAME'S JAKE REED. I LIVE AT 20 IVORY STROLL IN BLUFFTON. IT'S IN THE WALK COMMUNITY RIGHT DOWN THE STREET. THANKS FOR HAVING ME THIS EVENING. UM, SOME SPECIFIC COMMENTS, UH, AFTER REVIEWING THIS AND SEVERAL CONVERSATIONS, I'LL TRY TO GET TO THEM QUICKLY. UH, IN MAY OF 2024, THE MESSAGE, UH, FOR THESE SETBACKS THAT OUR PRIMARY GOAL WAS TO STOP PEOPLE IN SPECIFIC AREAS FROM FILLING WETLANDS ILLEGALLY. I TOLD TOWN STAFF THAT THE GREATEST IMPACT WOULD INADVERTENTLY BE UPON THOSE THAT FOLLOWED THE LAW TOWN. STORMWATER STAFF ACKNOWLEDGED THIS AND AGREED THAT THOSE DOING IT ILLEGALLY WOULD LIKELY BE ABLE TO CONTINUE. NOW, THERE IS AN EFFORT TO INHIBIT THOSE WHO FOLLOW THE LAW AS WELL. UH, THE REASON GIVEN IS THAT THE STATE DOES NOT HAVE ADEQUATE MEASURES IN PLACE TO PROTECT WETLANDS. WETLANDS AND VI AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONSULTANTS REFUTE THAT POSITION BASED ON STATE REQUIREMENTS. UH, THE TOWN'S ADOPTION OF A 50 FOOT MINIMUM BUFFER IS A GROSS EXAGGERATION OF THE ALREADY IN PLACE REQUIREMENTS BY THE CORE OCRM AND THE TOWN'S EXISTING STANDARDS. UH, OUR QUESTION IS, WHERE'S THE SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE INDICATING THAT AN ADDITIONAL 25 FEET IS CRITICAL TO THE SAFETY, WELFARE AND HEALTH OF THE COMMUNITY? UH, FOR THOSE OF US WITH LARGE PROPERTY INTERESTS, THAT IS A SIGNIFICANT TAKING FOR OUR PROPERTIES ALONE IN BUCK WALTER, THAT WOULD, IT'D BE A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF PROPERTY. UH, WE HAVE SEVERAL MILES OF PROPERTY, UH, IN THAT AREA, UM, AND IT WOULD BE DEEMED UNUSABLE. QUESTIONS I'VE GOT ARE, WHAT ABOUT THOSE OF US THAT HAVE ALREADY PLACED WETLAND BUFFERS ON OUR PROPERTIES AS AN AGREEMENT WITH THE US ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS? WHAT IF THOSE BUFFERS STILL EXIST TODAY AND WILL REMAIN IN PERPETUITY, BUT THE PERMITS DON'T EXIST ANYMORE? IF A PROJECT HAS A PROPOSED IMPACT TO A BUFFER OR WETLAND, WHEN DOES THE REVIEW BY THE UDO ADMINISTRATOR RECUR IN THE PERMITTING PROCESS? WILL THEY ACTUALLY REVIEW IT OR WILL IT BE SUBBED OUT TO A THIRD PARTY? WHAT'S THE PROPOSED RESPONSE TIME? ARE THERE ADDITIONAL FEES IF THE CORPS APPROVES AN IMPACT, CAN THE TOWN DENY IT? UM, MANY SO-CALLED WETLANDS ARE ACTUALLY TEMPORARY, UH, STANDING WATER PUDDLES. UH, THE TOWN IS SPENDING OVER $150,000 AS I UNDERSTAND IT, ON DEVELOPING A WETLANDS MAP, UM, THAT IT COULD HAVE GOT FROM A LOT OF THE PEOPLE THAT ARE IN HERE FOR NOT THAT EXPENSE. DOES IT INTEND TO UPDATE THAT ANNUALLY? UM, WETLANDS DO CHANGE THE EBB AND FLOW. SO IS THAT GONNA BE AN ANNUAL EXPENSE? UM, WHY DOES THE TOWN NOT THINK THE STATE'S OVERSIGHT IS ENOUGH? WHY WOULD THE TOWN PASS THESE LAWS WITHOUT A REAL CONSTRUCTIVE WORKSHOP WITH LEADING FOLKS IN THE INDUSTRY? WE HAVEN'T SEEN THAT. MY CONCERN IS THAT THE TOWN IS ADDING REGULATIONS ON TOP OF EXISTING REGULATIONS SIMPLY IN AN EFFORT TO SLOW OR STOP DEVELOPMENT, WHICH WILL HAVE AN ADVERSE IMPACT ON THE TOWN'S NEEDS FOR MORE COMMERCIAL AND MEDICAL APPLICATIONS. I'M ADDITIONALLY CONCERNED THAT THIS EFFORT WILL NOT ACTUALLY ACCOMPLISH THE GOALS FOR WHICH IT'S SET OUT TO. IT WILL INSTEAD HAVE AN ADVERSE IMPACT ON PROPERTY OWNERS LIKE US AND CONTINUE TO OVERLOOK THOSE WHO ARE ILLEGALLY FILLING WETLANDS. THE UNCON, UH, THE UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES MAY LEAD TO COSTLY LAWSUITS AND DAMAGES. THAT'S IT. THANKS. THANK YOU, JACOB. UM, NEXT WE HAVE JOHN REED. HELLO, I'M JOHN REED. I LIVE AT 38 MINUTE MAN, NOT INSIDE BLUFFTON, BUT IT'S RIGHT ACROSS THE ROAD. BUT I'VE DEVELOPED A LOT OF PROPERTY IN BLUFFTON, A COUPLE THOUSAND ACRES, AND, UH, WE STILL OWN A COUPLE HUNDRED ACRES INSIDE BLUFFTON. AND, UH, I THINK WE'RE KNOWN FOR FAIRLY ENVIRONMENTALLY SENSITIVE DEVELOPMENT. UM, 200 ACRE BIO BASIN LAKE AT HAMPTON LAKE, 300 ACRES OF WETLAND PRESERVE AND SO FORTH. SO WE'VE BEEN DOING THIS FOR ABOUT 40 YEARS IN BLUFFTON, IN THE BLUFFTON AREA. AND MY CONCERN, I I WANT TO SAVE, [01:05:01] MAKE SURE WE PRESERVE WETLANDS, THE QUALITY DEVELOPMENT AND SO FORTH. AND TWO OR THREE SPECIFIC THINGS COME TO MIND. I DON'T, I I HAVEN'T SEEN ANY SCIENTIFIC, UH, PROOF THAT A 50 FOOT BUFFER IS BETTER THAN A 25 FOOT BUFFER THAT THE CORE OF ENGINEER HAS, HAS USED FOR YEARS. I DON'T IF IT, IF THERE'S SCIENTIFIC, SCIENTIFIC PROOF, I'D LIKE TO SEE IT. OTHERWISE, IT'S A TAKING OF PROPERTY THAT YOU DON'T NEED TO TAKE. AND, UH, WHAT THE CORE DOES IS EITHER 25 OR 30 ACRES AVERAGE WITH A 10 FOOT MINIMUM. I'D LIKE YOU TO CONSIDER THAT BECAUSE I DON'T WHY TAKE PROPERTY IF IT DOESN'T DO ANYTHING, YOU KNOW, TO PRESERVE WETLANDS. SO I DON'T MIND, I DON'T MIND A BUFFER, BUT MAKE IT A REASONABLE BUFFER AND ASK THE, ASK SOME OF THE LOCAL, UH, SCIENTISTS, UH, ASHER HALL AND OTHER ONES ON THAT. UM, THEN WE, WE STILL NEED THE ABILITY TO MITIGATE, WHICH I THINK WE DO. BUT, UM, I THINK, I THINK THAT, UH, THE LAWS THAT WE HAVE IN PLACE, FOR THE MOST PART, PRETTY RESTRICTIVE AND, AND WORK. AND SO I DON'T, I HATE TO SEE IT CHANGE IT TOO MUCH BECAUSE CORPS OF ENGINEERS NOT THE EASIEST PEOPLE TO WORK WITH ALREADY. AND, UM, I WANNA BE SURE THERE'S NOT UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES BECAUSE, UM, WE PASS LAWS THAT OVERREACH, THEN THE SUPREME COURT COMES IN LIKE THEY DID ON THE SACKET CASE. AND IT'S, IT, IT'S A TREMENDOUS ABUSE, A LOSS OF MONEY FOR TOWN AND FOR THE DEVELOPERS AND SO FORTH. AND, UM, I THINK YOU SHOULD CATCH THE PEOPLE YOU KNOW, WHO ARE DOING ON THE SMALL LOTS OR WHATEVER, WHOEVER, UM, IS DOING HURTING WETLANDS. AND I'LL SAY ONE OTHER THING. THERE'S SOME WETLANDS THAT COME ACROSS ON LIDAR THAT AREN'T WETLANDS. IT'S JUST THEY'RE TEMPORARY WATER SITTING THERE BECAUSE OF TOO MUCH RAIN OR THE COUNTY ROADS, WHICH I, WE HAVE A PROBLEM RIGHT NOW WHERE THEY ARE NOT MAINTAINING THE DITCHES, THEY DIDN'T PUT THE RIGHT PIPES IN AND WHATEVER. AND WE'VE BEEN ON THEM FOR A YEAR NOW AND THEY STILL WON'T FIX IT. AND THE, THE WATER IS JUST POOLING ON OUR PROPERTY. SO WE ARE HAVING TO GO IN AND DITCH IT OURSELVES TO GET IT, GET IT OFF OUR PROPERTY. SO THE TRUE DEFINITION OF A WETLAND. OKAY, STEVE KAISER CAN'T MOVE AS FAST AS Y'ALL. YOU OLDER, I KNOW. MY NAME IS STEVE KAISER. I LIVE IN THE UNINCORPORATED SECTION OF BLUFFTON TOWNSHIP DOWN THE ROAD AT MYRTLE ISLAND. AND I HAVE A HOME THERE. AND I HAVE A BUSINESS OPERATION IN THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON IN THE INCORPORATED AREA. SO I'M A HYBRID, SO THAT'S WHO I AM. THAT'S WHERE I'M FROM. I AM MANAGING TRUSTEE FOR CROSS OUTREACH MINISTRIES. UH, CROSS OUTREACH MINISTRIES WAS ORGANIZED IN 2004 TO THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA SECRETARY OF STATE'S OFFICE AS A NONPROFIT RELIGIOUS CORPORATION, AND QUALIFIED WITH THE INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE AS A 5 0 1 C3 TAX EXEMPT ORGANIZATION. SINCE ITS INCEPTION, ITS MISSION STATEMENT HAS ALWAYS BEEN THE SPREADING OF THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST. CROSS OUTREACH MINISTRIES FUNCTIONS AS A CHRISTIAN CHARITABLE EDUCATIONAL CORPORATION IN MINISTRY PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CHURCH OF THE CROSS THAT WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1767 IN ST. LUKE'S PARISH AND WITH CROSS SCHOOLS THAT WAS ESTABLISHED IN SOUTH CAROLINA AND FOUNDED IN 1999. CROSS OUTREACH MINISTRIES OWN 78.04 ACRES OF LAND AND IMPROVEMENTS AT ITS BUCK WALTER CAMPUS INCLUDES WETLANDS, UPLANDS, AND STORM WATER DETENTION PONDS THAT EXIST TODAY. THE HORIZONTAL AND VERTICAL IMPROVEMENTS THAT ARE VISIBLE AT THE FRONT OF THAT CAMPUS ENCOMPASS 13.85 ACRES OF UPLAND AREA. THEN THERE ARE 29.57 ACRES OF UPLAND AREA IN THE BACK PORTION OF THE CAMPUS WITH TWO ISOLATED WETLANDS. AND I'M ATTACHED TO THIS COMMENTARY, UH, A BLACK AND WHITE SURVEY THAT WAS PRODUCED ON NOVEMBER THE 21ST, 2015 FOR THE TOWN AND REVISIONS THAT EXTEND ALL THE WAY THROUGH MARCH OF 2023. THE DEVELOPED 13.85 ACRES OF THE FRONT PARCEL HAVE ABOUT 115,000 SQUARE FEET OF BUILDINGS, A SINGLE SPORTS FIELD AND SUPPORTING INFRASTRUCTURE, ROADS, WATER, SEWER, COVERED WALKWAYS, A CHAPEL OFFICES FOR THE CHURCH, [01:10:01] AND OTHER CAMPUS FACILITIES FOR THE SCHOOL. UH, THOSE CHURCH FACILITIES BENEFIT 2,800 MEMBERS AND FAMILIES IN THIS COMMUNITY. FAMILY MEMBERS, CLERGY AND STAFF. THE CROSS SCHOOL BENEFITS 700 STUDENTS AND FAMILIES IN THIS COMMUNITY, PLUS FACULTY AND STAFF. THE BACK PROPERTY THERE AT THAT CAMPUS IS NOT DEVELOPED AND HAS ALWAYS BEEN A PART OF THE EXPANDED PLAN FOR THE SCHOOL CAMPUS. AS PRESENTED TO THE TOWN STAFF OVER THE YEARS, THE BACK PROPERTY HAS BEEN IN MASTER PLANNING STAGES FOR MANY YEARS. THE ESSENTIAL BACK PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT EXPANSIONS INCLUDE ROAD CROSSINGS, ROADWAYS, PARKING AREA, STORMWATER PONDS, FOOTBALL AND SOCCER FIELDS, AND A LIST OF OTHER IMPROVEMENTS THAT THE TOWN HAS ACCOMPLISHED. UH, AS A RESULT OF THE MAY 30TH, 2024 MEETING WITH THE TOWN, WE WERE ASKED TO SUPPLY ALL THIS INFORMATION UNDER JURISDICTIONAL AUTHORITY REGULATIONS. AT THAT TIME, WE HAVE DONE SO. WE PRESENTED ALL OF OUR MATERIALS, UH, AND WE WERE PUT ON HOLD BECAUSE OF SOME COMPLEXITIES THAT EXISTED WITH TOWN ACCESS MANAGEMENT PLAN THAT WAS IN PROCESS AND THE COMPLEXITIES OF THE FIVE B PARKWAY EXTENSION. SINCE THAT TIME, AN AWFUL LOT OF NEED HAS OCCURRED THROUGH THE EXPANSION REQUEST FOR OUR PROPERTY AND MASTER PLAN ADDITIONS. SO WE RESPECTFULLY RE REPLY TONIGHT IN, IN LIGHT OF ALL THAT'S BEING SAID, THAT THE TOWN CONSIDER OUR MASTER PLAN PROPOSAL MADE TO IT ON MAY THE 30TH, 2024 AS A, UH, A MASTER PLAN FOR APPROVAL AT THIS TIME IN LIGHT OF THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT. THAT'S BEFORE THE COUNCIL AT THIS TIME. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. OKAY. THANK YOU MR. CARTER. I'LL LET YOU GO OVER JUST 'CAUSE YOU'RE SUCH A NICE GUY. YOU ARE A GENTLEMAN. MIKE HUGHES. MIKE, YOU SEND THE SAME THING TO ME 'CAUSE I'M A NICE GUY TOO. NO, I'M GONNA CUT YOU OFF SHORT. STEVE USED TWO OF YOUR MINUTES. AH, I'LL, I'LL ACTUALLY YIELD IT. UM, HONESTLY, UM, THANK YOU FOR, UH, FOR HOLDING THIS. I REALLY DO THINK IT'S, IT'S GREAT THAT WE'RE HAVING THIS OPPORTUNITY TO TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE CHANGES. UM, I WAS AT THE LAST MEETING AND I HAVE SPOKEN TO EACH ONE OF YOU SINCE THAT TIME TO TALK ABOUT THE CONCERNS SPECIFICALLY. UM, CHANGES WERE MADE BETWEEN THE ORIGINAL READING AND NOW, BUT REALLY WHAT IT MOSTLY AMOUNTED TO WAS GIVING THE ZONING ADMINISTRATOR THE AUTHORITY. UM, ALSO, MY NAME IS MIKE HUGHES. UH, I LIVE IN SAVANNAH, GEORGIA, AND I WORK FOR THOMAS AND HUNT. I DO NOT LIVE IN THOMAS BLUFFTON. UM, BUT REALLY WHAT'S BEEN GIVEN AND GRANTED IS THE RIGHT AND THE, AND THE ABILITY FOR THE ZONING ADMINISTRATOR TO GRANT, UM, THE ABILITY TO APPROVE OR DISAPPROVE, UM, IF YOU HAVE A WETLAND PERMIT OR IF YOU HAVE SOME OTHER MEANS TO MAKE THE IMPACTS. THE CONCERN THERE REALLY IS, IT'S NOT AN ENTITLED RIGHT. UM, WE DO HAVE, AND AS, UH, AS THE READS HAVE STATED, UM, IT IS A LONG, ARDUOUS PROCESS TO GO THROUGH THE STATE AND THE FEDERAL REGULATIONS BETWEEN GOING THROUGH ARCHEOLOGICAL REVIEW, GOING THROUGH BIOLOGICAL ASSESSMENTS. THESE THINGS TAKE A LOT OF TIME AND THERE'S A LOT OF WORK THAT'S DONE TO UNDERSTAND THE VALUE, THE IMPACTS, AND THEN THE NET BENEFIT OF THE IMPACTS OF THE WETLANDS. SOME WETLANDS ARE MORE VALUABLE THAN OTHERS. UM, AT PALMER BLUFF WE DO STUDIES SEPARATELY JUST TO UNDERSTAND THE DANGEROUS SPECIES AND THE HABITAT THAT'S CREATED IN THE ANIMALS THAT LIVE THERE. SO I JUST, MY CONCERN IS WHAT WAS WRITTEN REALLY ISN'T MUCH OF A CHANGE. IT JUST PROVIDED DISCRETION TO APPROVE ON. WHAT WE WOULD REALLY LIKE TO SEE IS IF YOU ARE FOLLOWING THE RULES, IF YOU'RE ABIDING BY THE LAW TO ALLOW FOR THE ENFORCEMENT BY THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON, WHICH IS REALLY WHAT'S MISSING IS THE ABILITY FOR THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON TO ENFORCE THE REGULATION THAT THE STATE IS NOT COMING DOWN FROM CHARLESTON TO ENFORCE. IT'S THEIR CODES, IT'S THEIR REGULATIONS, IT'S THEIR PROTECTIONS. BUT UNFORTUNATELY THEY DON'T HAVE THE RESOURCES TO ENFORCE THOSE. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE TOWN ENFORCE THOSE OF US WHO ARE FOLLOWING THE LAW, PROTECT THE WETLANDS THAT NEED TO BE PROTECTED UNDER THE STATE AND FEDERAL REGULATIONS. ONE OF THE THINGS I JUST WANNA POINT OUT REAL QUICKLY, AND IT IT KEEPS FALLING INTO THE STAFF REPORTS, IS THAT, UM, THERE ARE NOT STATE REGULATIONS TO PROTECT FRESHWATER WETLANDS. AND AGAIN, IN THE EIGHT COASTAL COUNTIES, THERE IS, I BROUGHT THE DOCUMENT. SO TO SAY THAT ALL THESE WETLANDS ARE SUBJECT TO, TO IMPACT IS NOT TRUE. IF YOU GO FOR COASTAL ZONE CONSISTENCY, WHICH IS REQUIRED FOR DEVELOPMENT IN ANY OF THE COASTAL COUNTIES, YOU MUST GO THROUGH THAT PROCESS. YOU MUST DELINEATE WETLANDS. AND THE STATE TAKES JURISDICTION EVEN OVER THE WETLANDS THAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT DOES NOT. SO FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TAKES OVER ANYTHING THAT'S CONNECTED TO A FEDERAL WATER. THE STATE, ON THE OTHER HAND SAID OF THE COASTAL COUNTIES, WE ARE TAKING JURISDICTION OVER ALL WETLANDS. WE HAVE THE RIGHT TO REGULATE THEIR IMPACTS. YOU MUST FOLLOW THE RULES. YOU MUST FOLLOW COAST'S OWN CONSISTENCY [01:15:01] TO MAKE SURE YOU ARE ADHERING TO PROTECTION OF THE COASTAL COUNTIES. SO I JUST ASK THAT WE ADHERE TO THOSE AND ENFORCE THROUGH THE TOWN. JUST A JUST ONE COMMENT I WANNA MAKE ON THAT. MIKE, YOU SAID THAT, THAT THEY HAVE THAT ORDINANCE AND THAT'S A REGULATION, BUT THEY HAVE NO ONE TO ENFORCE IT. IS THAT WHAT I JUST HEARD YOU SAY AS YEAH, CORRECT. AS I UNDERSTAND THAT THE FRUSTRATION WITH THE TOWN IS THAT THEY'VE CALLED ATTENTION TO SOME OF THESE VIOLATIONS AND THEIR STATE HAS NOT HAD THE CAPACITY TO BE ABLE TO COME DOWN AND ENFORCE THOSE, NOR HAS THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. SO WHAT THE TOWN AND WHAT WE ABSOLUTELY SUPPORT IS FOR THE TOWN TO HAVE LAWS IN PLACE TO ALLOW THEM TO ENFORCE AND MAKE SURE VIOLATORS ARE PENALIZED AND HAVE TO RESTORE THE WETLANDS, WHICH IS PARTLY WHAT THIS ORDINANCE, WHAT I UNDERSTAND THE ORDINANCE WAS ENTIRELY DESIGNED TO DO. AND ALSO WHAT SOME OF THE TEETH OF THIS ORDINANCE HAS DONE. THE PART I HAVE CONCERNS WITH IS THE OVERREACH. I'M PUTTING BUFFERS WHEN WE'RE GOING THROUGH PROCESSES THAT REGULATE THE IMPACTS OF BOTH STATE AND FEDERAL WETLANDS. THANK YOU. OKAY. WHO WANTS TO GO FIRST? EMILY? WAS THAT IT? BRIDGE? YEAH. . WE, UM, SEEK, I KNOW THERE ARE SOME, UH, RESIDENTS HERE TONIGHT THAT THOUGHT THAT THIS BEING A WORKSHOPS, I DON'T THINK SOME PEOPLE SIGNED UP. I DUNNO IF THAT'S A CONSIDERATION. DO WE HAVE ANYBODY ELSE THAT WOULD LIKE TO SAY A FEW WORDS? NO. NESTOR, YOU KNOW, . UM, IS THERE GONNA BE A DIALOGUE CLEAR OR IS THIS PUBLIC COMMENT IS THE ONLY OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO SPEAK? I I DIDN'T SIGN UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENT BECAUSE I WAS, I DIDN'T WANT TO TALK TO YOU. I WANTED TO HAVE A DIALOGUE WITH YOU AND DISCUSS THIS OPENLY. WELL, WE'RE, I'M GONNA LET THE PUBLIC MAKE A COMMENT AND THEN COUNSEL WILL HAVE A DISCUSSION. AND I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR FROM ANYBODY THAT'S HERE, THAT WOULD LIKE THIS BE. I'M FINE. EVEN IF YOU DID NOT SIGN UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENT, I'M FINE WITH THAT. WE'RE NOT GONNA GET INTO A SITUATION. I CAN'T SIT HERE AND ARGUE WITH YOU ABOUT WHETHER I LIKE WHAT YOUR IDEA IS OR NOT, NOT BECAUSE I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE THAT MAKES A DECISION. YOU DON'T WANT TO HEAR EVERYBODY'S OPINION, YOU KNOW, AND, AND WE'LL TAKE THAT INTO CONSIDERATION AS A TOWN AND A COUNCIL. AND THEY, WE MAKE OUR DECISION ON WHAT WE VOTE YAY TO OR NAY TO, OR WHO WE, YOU KNOW, WE MAY BE DIFFERENT. I DON'T HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO MAKE A DECISION ON THAT. IT'S ALL OF US. SO SHARON, YOU WANT TO TAKE THREE MINUTES? I DON'T EVEN NEED, I SHOULDN'T LET, UM, WHO DID I LET GO OVER? OH, STEVE, HE'S PUT US, OH PARDON. GOOD EVENING. SAME THING. YOU KNOW, MY NAME IS SHARON BROWN. I'M AT 1 6 3 BUCK ISLAND ROAD. I THANK YOU ALL FOR ALLOWING ME THIS TIME. 'CAUSE MS. MARCY SAID I COULDN'T, BUT I THANK YOU MS. BRIDGET, FOR OPENING THAT DOOR COUNCIL. SO I'M HERE TO TALK ABOUT, UM, THAT I KNOW THERE ARE SOME DEVELOPERS THAT WOULD LIKE TO REVERSE THE ORDINANCE THAT'S GOING ON AS FAR AS FOR THE WETLANDS. AND WE KNOW THAT WHEN WE FILL UP WETLANDS WITH SAND, IT WILL CAUSE FLOODING FOR RESIDENTS, ESPECIALLY IN OUR NATIVE AREAS. SO I WOULD LIKE YOU GUYS TO NOT CONSIDER WHATEVER THE DEVELOPERS ARE TRYING TO DO AS FAR AS REVERSING THE ORDINANCE WHEN IT COMES TO OUR WETLAND. WE KNOW THAT ALL THAT WATER AND IT'S PILED UP WHEN SAND'S PILED UP ON IT, THE WATER HAS TO GO SOMEWHERE. AM I RIGHT? SO WHERE WOULD IT GO? IT WILL GO PROBABLY IN SOME, IN A RESIDENT'S HOME OR ACROSS THE STREET OR CAUSE FLOODING. SO I KNOW IT'S ALL ABOUT THE MONEY AND MAKING THE MONEY, BUT WE NEED TO CONSIDER OUR RESIDENTS AND WHAT IMPACT THAT WOULD HAVE IF WE DO ALLOW THIS TO BE REVERSED. THE ORDINANCE AS FAR AS WETLANDS IS CONCERNED. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALLOWING ME JUST THAT MOMENT FOR THE BRIEF STATEMENT ABOUT HOW TO PRESERVE THE RESIDENTS AREAS WHERE WE LIVE, WHERE THERE IS WETLAND, AND THE POSSIBILITY OF THAT BEING HAPPENING. OKAY? THANK YOU SO MUCH. GOD BLESS YOU. YOU'RE WELCOME. WHO ELSE HAD THEIR HAND UP? UM, . CAN I SEE SOMEBODY IN THE BACK OVER HERE? PAT, YOU GO LEFT BACK IN THE BACK. YES, SIR. I SEE YOU BACK THERE. BUT JUST GOOD EVENING MAYOR, MEMBERS OF COUNCIL. 3 8 6 SPANISH WELLS. UH, I'M THE CEO OF THE HILTON HEAD IN CHARLESTON HOME BUILDERS ASSOCIATION. AND WE LIVE IN A UNIQUE AND VERY SPECIAL PLACE. I REPRESENT THE EIGHT COUNTIES SPREAD FROM SAVANNAH RIVER UP TO GEORGETOWN. WE KNOW WE LIVE IN A SPECIAL AND UNIQUE PLACE THAT DESERVES PROTECTION. WE ALSO KNOW THAT WE HAVE VERY STRONG STATE STANDARDS THAT PROVIDE VERY CLEAR PATHWAYS FOR BUFFERS THROUGH OUR WETLANDS. I'M CONCERNED THAT THIS PROCESS HAS BEEN INFLUENCED BY ADVOCACY ORGANIZATIONS CONCERNED NOT WITH THE LEGAL RISK THE TOWN WILL TAKE ON BY TAKING THIS ACTION OR THE RIGHTS THAT WILL VIOLATE THROUGH THE RESIDENTS OF HISTORIC PROPERTY OWNERSHIP ACROSS THIS REGION, BUT MORE INTENT ON USING BLUFFTON AS A KEY IN WHICH TO [01:20:01] PROMOTE AN ADVOCACY PLATFORM TO TEST THIS LEGALLY. THERE ARE WAYS TO DO THIS, AND I ENCOURAGE COUNSEL TO SLOW DOWN. YOU'VE HEARD FROM HERE YOU HAVE LOCAL EXPERTS THAT KNOW THIS COMMUNITY WELL AND HAVE WORKED HERE FOR GENERATIONS AND UNDERSTAND THE WETLANDS THAT EXIST. SLOW THE PROCESS DOWN, ENGAGE THE BUILDING COMMUNITY IN A THOUGHTFUL AND CONSIDERED DIALOGUE. HAVE THE EXPERTS COME TO BEAR TO THIS TASK AND LET US TOGETHER COME UP WITH A PLAN. YOU'VE HEARD ENFORCEMENT. THERE ARE LAWS ON THE BOOKS, AND WE KNOW OUR STATE DOES NOT HAVE THE NECESSARY RESOURCES TO TRULY BE THOUGHTFUL AND INTENTIONAL WITH ENFORCEMENT. YOU HAVE SOME OF THE BEST CHARACTERS IN THIS ROOM THAT ARE THOUGHTFUL AND INTENTIONAL WITH THE WAY THEY DEVELOP THEIR PROPERTIES. REWARD THOSE INDIVIDUALS FOR CONTINUING THAT GOOD STEWARDSHIP OF OUR LAND AND OUR CULTURE AND OUR PEOPLE TAKE TO TASK THOSE THAT STEP IN THE WAY, THAT VIOLATE THE RULES THAT FILL THE WETLANDS ILLEGALLY. TAKE THAT ACTION WITH US. WE WANNA WORK WITH YOU AS AN ASSOCIATION THAT REPRESENT MORE THAN 500 BUILDERS ACROSS THIS REGION. MANY LIVE AND WORK IN THIS TOWN ARE SMALL BUSINESS, MULTI-GENERATIONAL BUSINESSES. WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE COLLABORATIVE, INTENTIONAL, AND YES, SLOWING DOWN TO DO IT RIGHT IS BETTER THAN TAKING THE RIGHTS OF THOSE THAT HAVE HAD GENERATIONAL OWNERSHIP AND IMPACTING THEIR ECONOMIC PROSPERITY. YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT FAMILIES, NOT JUST THE EVIL DEVELOPER THAT WE LIKE TO BE LIKE TO BE PAINTED AS. WE'RE TRULY THOUGHTFUL AND INTENTIONAL WITH THIS PROCESS. WE WANT TO CONTINUE THIS SPECIAL PLACE WE LIVE. AND SO ASK FOR THAT OPPORTUNITY TO WORK COLLABORATIVELY WITH YOU, WITH OUR MEMBERSHIP TO ENSURE WE GET A PROCESS THAT ALLOWS YOU TO ACHIEVE WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO ACHIEVE AT THE END OF THE DAY, BUT ALSO ALLOWS US TO PROTECT PROPERTY RIGHTS. THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP. I KNOW THE TASK IN FRONT OF YOU IS DIFFICULT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. UM, UH, HELLO. MY NAME IS GRANT MCCLURE. UH, I WORK FOR THE COASTAL CONSERVATION LEAGUE. I DO LIVE AT 1511 SYCAMORE STREET AND THAT'S IN BEAUFORT. UM, SO I APPRECIATE YOU HAVING ME HERE TONIGHT. UM, I DID WANT TO TOUCH ON REALLY JUST ONE POINT, UM, THAT WAS BROUGHT UP EARLIER ABOUT THE WIDTH OF BUFFERS. UM, AND GENERALLY SPEAKING, THE WIDER YOUR BUFFER IS, THE GREATER THE BENEFITS. UM, AND SO REALLY 50 FEET IS, UH, ENCOURAGED, ESPECIALLY FOR WILDLIFE HABITAT, UM, FOR, UH, ANIMALS USE THOSE AREAS, UH, TO MOVE ACROSS LANDSCAPES. AND SO 50 FOOT IS KIND OF THE RECOMMENDED BUFFER FOR, UH, PRESERVING THAT HABITAT CONNECTIVITY. SO, UM, I CAN, I CAN ATTEST THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, HAVING THAT 50 FEET REALLY DOES MAKE A DIFFERENCE VERSUS 25 FEET. UM, AND SO, UH, I'VE GOT A MASTER'S IN WILDLIFE AND FISHERIES RESOURCES. I WOULD BE HAPPY TO TALK TO YOU MORE ABOUT WHY THAT'S BENEFICIAL. UM, BUT JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY THAT POINT, AND I APPRECIATE YOUR TIME AND, UM, UH, REALLY THE TOWN'S LEADERSHIP ON TAKING UP THE WETLANDS ORDINANCE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THAT, UM, GOOD EVENING. MY NAME'S ANDREA ELDRIDGE. I LIVE AT 5 9 2 5 GINKGO LANE IN STOCK FARM. SO I LIVE ALL THE WAY IN THE BACK OF STOCK FARM. UM, AND I'M ALSO THE, UM, HOME BUILDERS ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT THIS YEAR. I KNOW THAT WE ALL LOVE BLUFFTON AND WE ALL HAVE BEEN HERE FOR A REALLY LONG TIME AND, OR SOME OF US MORE THAN OTHERS, BUT I JUST, I'M VERY SCARED OF THIS GOING THROUGH NEXT MONTH. I THINK WE ALL JUST NEED TO TAKE A PAUSE AND KIND OF FIGURE OUT WHAT'S GONNA BE BEST FOR THE TOWN LONG TERM. BECAUSE WHEN I READ THROUGH THIS AND IT SAID THAT IT'S BEING RECOMMENDED TO BE APPROVED NEXT MONTH IN MAY, I THINK THAT THAT'S REALLY TOO FAST FOR EVERYBODY TO MAKE AN INFORMED DECISION OF WHAT'S GONNA BE BEST FOR US, BOTH LONG-TERM RESIDENTS, BUT ALSO NEW DEVELOPMENT COMING THROUGH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. UM, WILL, WE'LL MAKE CATHERINE GO LIVE. HI, I AM WILL HOWARD, 65 RED CEDAR STREET. UM, IS THAT IN BLUFFTON? BLUFFTON. I ALSO, I ALSO WORK IN BLUFFTON. UM, AND FIRST OF ALL, I, I MET WITH ALL OF YOU. I THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME THAT, UM, ALWAYS APPRECIATED. UM, MET WITH HEATHER. MET WITH STEVEN. MET WITH KEVIN. UM, AND YOU KNOW, I WANT TO ECHO WHAT, WHAT MIKE HUGHES HAS SAID. WE ARE 100% BEHIND PROVIDING THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON ENFORCEMENT CAPABILITIES FOR ANYONE THAT IS ILLEGALLY IMPACTING WETLANDS. UM, AND IN SPEAKING WITH ALL OF YOU, I THINK THAT WAS WHAT I HEARD FROM YOU WHEN WE ASKED, I ASKED, WHAT IS THE INTENT OF THIS ORDINANCE? AND WHAT I HEARD MOST WAS WE LACK ENFORCEMENT CAPABILITY. UM, LET'S WORK ON ENFORCEMENT CAPABILITY BECAUSE IF THAT'S WHAT WE NEED, WHAT'S HAPPENING [01:25:01] IS AN OVERREACH. FOR THOSE OF US THAT HAVE SPENT HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS TO OBTAIN THE WETLAND PERMITS TO DEVELOP OUR PROPERTY. UM, WE HAVE A MASTER PLAN FOR PALMETTO BLUFF THAT WILL TAKE US 20 PLUS YEARS TO COMPLETE. UM, IT'S ALL DEPENDENT ON THE WETLAND BUFFERS THAT HAVE, THAT WE ALREADY HAVE IN PLACE. IF WE ARE NOW SUBJECT TO THE CHANGES THAT ARE IMPOSED BY THIS ORDINANCE THAT WOULD USURP OUR STATE AND FEDERAL PERMITS, THERE ARE ROAD CROSSINGS THAT WE CAN'T MAKE THERE. BETWEEN WETLANDS, THERE ARE ROADS THAT WE CAN'T BUILD. THERE ARE PRIVATE HOMEOWNERS WHO ALREADY HAVE LOTS THAT HAVE YET TO BUILD THAT WOULD BE IMPACTED THERE LOTS WOULD BECOME UNDEVELOPABLE. UM, SO I'M ASKING YOU, WHAT IS YOUR INTENT FOR THIS ORDINANCE? BECAUSE YOU ALREADY HAVE A 25 FOOT BUFFER IN PLACE. UM, MR. MCCLURE HAS REFERENCED A STUDY THAT SAYS 50 FOOT BUFFERS ARE, ARE, ARE BETTER THAN 25. I'D LIKE TO SEE THAT STUDY BECAUSE, UH, WHEN WE MET WITH THE TOWN, THERE WAS A STUDY REFERENCE FROM THE CENTER FOR WATERSHED PROTECTION. WE LOOKED FOR THAT STUDY. I CAN'T FIND IT. IT DOESN'T EXIST THAT I KNOW OF. SO I JUST WANNA KNOW WHAT IS THE INTENT WE SPOKE ABOUT, UM, YOU, IN INCLUDING EXCEPTIONS IN THE LANGUAGE THAT WOULD EXEMPT ANYONE HOLDING A STATE OR FEDERAL PERMIT. THAT'S NOT WHAT IS PRESENTED TONIGHT OR THIS AFTERNOON. IT IS PROVIDING THE UDO ADMINISTRATOR, THE ABILITY TO MAKE EXCEPTIONS ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS. UM, AND THAT'S JUST, THAT'S NOT RIGHT FOR THOSE OF US WHO ALREADY HOLD THE PERMITS, UM, WHO'VE INVESTED A LOT OF TIME AND A LOT OF MONEY, UM, TO OBTAIN THOSE PERMITS TO ALLOW US TO, TO DEVELOP OUR PROPERTY, WHICH THANK YOU WALTER. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. MY NAME IS WALTER NESTER. I LIVE IN UNINCORPORATED SOUTHERN BEAUFORT COUNTY, AND I, UH, I'M AN ATTORNEY IN MY OFFICE, IS IN THE INCORPORATED PORTIONS OF THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON. UM, UH, I'M A BIG FAN OF HISTORY AND PARTICULARLY THE HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON AND BEAUFORT COUNTY. UM, SOMETIME IN 1989, EMMA MCCRACKEN THEN ON COUNTY COUNCIL WHEN VOTING TO APPROVE THE DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT FOR SUN CITY, SAID SOMETHING TO THE EFFECT OF, I'M VOTING IN FAVOR OF THIS, BUT THIS IS GOING TO CHANGE BEAUFORT COUNTY FOREVER. IN AROUND THAT SAME TIME, THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON WAS ONE SQUARE MILE. ONE SQUARE MILE. IT'S INCREASED NOW TO NEARLY 55 SQUARE MILES. ALL OF THAT INCREASE HAS BEEN DONE PURSUANT TO PLANS. IT'S ALL BEEN DONE PURSUANT TO PLANS AND HUNDREDS OF, PROBABLY HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS HAVE BEEN SPENT IN DESIGNING THOSE PLANS. AS, UH, WILL INDICATED A FEW MINUTES AGO, THE POTENTIAL TO CREATE UNDEVELOPABLE LOTS FROM EXISTING LOTS OF RECORDS IS A PROBLEM, BUT ENCOURAGED BY THE PLANNING, HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF INVESTMENT HAS BEEN MADE. THE BENEFITS OF AN ORDINANCE SUCH AS THE ONE BEING PROPOSED AND CONSIDERED ARE GREAT. THE DETRIMENTS ALSO OF THAT ORDINANCE MAY BE GREAT, AND I DON'T THINK THAT WE KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION. SWEEPING ORDINANCES HAVE THAT EFFECT. THERE ARE UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES. AND I WOULD SUGGEST, I DON'T THINK THERE WAS A MENTION OF IT EARLIER, MR. MAYOR, I WOULD SUGGEST THAT THAT TOWN COUNCIL CREATE A CITIZEN COMMITTEE, CREATE A COMMITTEE BASED USE SOME OF THESE CONSULTANTS AND PROPERTY OWNERS GET YOUR STAFF TO, TO MEET AND TO TALK AND TO COME UP AND TO WRITE AN ORDINANCE THAT WOULD THEN BE PRESENTED. I KNOW THAT'S THROWING OUT AN ANCHOR AND SLOWING DOWN THE PROCESS, BUT I THINK THAT THERE'S, THE ISSUES ARE SIGNIFICANT ENOUGH THAT THERE SHOULD BE IMPACT OUTSIDE OF STAFF. AND, AND I WOULD, I WOULD WELCOME THE OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE AND I KNOW OTHERS IN THIS, IN THIS CHAMBER WOULD AS WELL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. WELCOME, CATHERINE, GO AHEAD. I'LL LET YOU GO NEXT LAST, UH, DO, DO YOU WANT ME TO SIT BACK NOW? NO'S GIVING YOU A HARD TIME BECAUSE CATHERINE DONALDSON, I LIVE AT 14 PO BEACH LANE JUST OUTSIDE OF THE TOWN LIMITS, RIGHT DOWN ALL JOY ROAD, AN AREA THAT SEES A LOT OF DRAINAGE ISSUES, A LOT OF, UM, POTENTIAL STORM WATER RELATED, UM, ISSUES, WHICH COULD SOMEHOW TIE INTO THIS A LITTLE BIT. UM, I HAVE TWO REALLY THINGS I WANNA TOUCH ON. ONE IS [01:30:01] THE COMMUNITY OF HAMPTON HALL, AND ITS RECENT FLOODING THAT WAS SEEN. I'VE HEARD SOME RUMBLINGS, EVEN THOUGH I THINK I SPOKE TO A FEW OF YOU. I DON'T THINK THAT COUNCILWOMAN FRAZIER AND I SPOKE ABOUT THIS, UM, PARTICULARLY EVEN AFTER, UH, THE RECENT FLOODING EVENT IN THAT COMMUNITY. I HAVE PLENTY OF CLIENTS IN THAT COMMUNITY. I'M SELLING A HOME TOMORROW IN THAT COMMUNITY. UH, I KNOW THERE'S SOMEBODY BACK HERE THAT'S GOT TREMENDOUS, UM, EXPERIENCE WITH THAT COMMUNITY. I THINK THERE WERE SOME RUMBLINGS ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT SOME OF THE FILLING OF WETLANDS IN THAT PART OF TOWN, UH, WHEN A LOT OF THE DEVELOPMENT WAS DONE MAY HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THIS. I THINK BEFORE WE JUMP TO CONCLUSIONS AND SAY AREA WIDE, THAT THAT IS THE CASE, WITHOUT FINALIZING THOSE STUDIES, UH, WHICH I DO UNDERSTAND ARE SOMEWHAT IN THE WORKS, I KNOW THAT THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF, UM, INFORMATION, UM, TRYING TO BE GARNERED SINCE THAT HAPPENED. UH, I THINK WE NEED TO GO ON AND, AND NOT BLANKET THE WHOLE TOWN WITH THIS, UM, AND, AND KIND OF FIGURE OUT IF INDEED THOSE ISSUES EXIST AS A RESULT SO THAT WE CAN PREVENT THAT FROM HAPPENING SOMEWHERE ELSE IN THE FUTURE. I ALSO THINK, UM, AND WOULD CAUTION MEMBERS OF THE, OF THE COUNCIL, UM, AS WELL AS, YOU KNOW, MR. NESTER IS AN ATTORNEY. YOU'VE GOT A GREAT ONE SITTING UP HERE. I DO NOT PROFESS TO BE ONE. DIDN'T EVEN TAKE POLITICAL SCIENCE. UM, BUT I DO FEEL THAT WHEN, UM, 150 PLUS THOUSAND DOLLARS OF THE TOWN, UH, PEOPLE'S MONEY HAS BEEN UTILIZED FOR SOMETHING THAT COULD HAVE BEEN POTENTIALLY, UH, INFORMATION THAT COULD HAVE BEEN GARNERED FOR A LOT LESS MONEY, UM, THAT THE COUNCIL DOES HAVE A FIDUCIARY AND FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY TO ITS CONSTITUENTS. AND SO, UM, TO, TO KIND OF PIGGYBACK ON THAT, I TRIED TO FIND A COUPLE OF PROPERTIES AS EXAMPLES BEFORE THE MEETING THAT WEREN'T OWNED BY BIG DEVELOPERS IN THE TOWN, BUT JUST MAYBE AN INDIVIDUAL SO THAT YOU COULD KIND OF SEE THE IMPACT THAT ONE INDIVIDUAL MIGHT HAVE, ESPECIALLY FROM A, UM, A FINANCIAL, UM, STANDPOINT. AND THE BEST ONE I COULD ACTUALLY COME UP BELONG WITH BELONGS TO YOU ONE 15 BLUFF AND ROAD, THE TOWN'S PROPERTY WHO, UM, WHO, WHICH WAS PURCHASED, UM, WITH TOWN PAYER OR TAXPAYERS, UH, FUNDS FROM THE TOWN. AND THAT PROPERTY, UM, HAS SIGNIFICANT WETLANDS IN PLACE AND, AND MOST OF IT WILL NO LONGER BE BUILDABLE. AND SO WHEN YOU PROVIDE, OR IF YOU PROVIDE YOUR OWN VARIANCE FOR YOUR OWN PROPERTY, AND YOU MIGHT WANT TO LOOK A LITTLE BIT AT THAT PIECE OF PROPERTY AND SEE WHAT THAT RELATIVE TO OTHER PARCELS IN THE TOWN AND WHAT THOSE FOLKS WOULD EXPECT. I MEAN, DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? THANK YOU. DID I SAY ANYBODY ELSE? OH, YEAH. DID YOU HAVE YOUR AREA END UP, SIR? UH, YES. HEY, UM, DREW LANKER, UM, I DO NOT LIVE IN BLUFFTON. I LIVE IN SAVANNAH. UM, I'M A CIVIL ENGINEER, UM, WITH, I'VE PRIMARILY FOCUSED IN HYDRAULICS AND HYDRAULIC. UM, I JUST KIND OF WANTED TO SAY, IT SOUNDS LIKE THE, SOME OF THE CONCERNS, UM, REGARDING FILLING OF WETLANDS AND REALLY THE, THE, THE ROOT OF THOSE CONCERNS ARE FLOODING OF ADJACENT PROPERTIES. UM, SO I DID JUST WANNA POINT OUT THAT, YOU KNOW, WHEN, WHEN PEOPLE IMPACT WETLANDS, UM, AS ALLOWED BY, SAY THE US ARMY CORPS ENGINEER OR STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA, UM, THERE ARE CONDITIONS PUT ON THOSE PERMITS THAT, UM, PREVENT OR REQUIRE THAT THERE ARE NO ALTERATION OF WATER COURSES. SO IF STORM WATERS GOING ONE PLACE NOW, IT NEEDS TO CONTINUE TO GO THAT WAY. UM, THIS ORDINANCE, I DON'T THINK NECESSARILY WOULD, UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THE GOAL IS TO PREVENT PEOPLE FROM PILLING WETLANDS TO NOT DISCHARGE STORMWATER AND OTHER PEOPLE'S PROPERTY. SO, UM, DOING THIS KIND OF PENALIZES PEOPLE THAT MAYBE ARE FOLLOWING THOSE RULES RATHER THAN ADDRESSING THE PROBLEM OF THAT ILLEGAL WEAPON AND FILLING. SO, THANK YOU. UM, OKAY. QUESTIONS FROM CONVERSATION COUNSEL. CHRIS MARTIN, YOU WANT TO START OFF? I'M HAPPY TO START. UM, KEVIN, I GUESS I'M GONNA, I GUESS I'M GONNA START WITH YOU WITH THE QUESTIONS. HOW DID WE COME UP WITH THE 50 FOOT VERSUS THE 25? I'M ACTUALLY GONNA HAVE BILL BAUER. OKAY, SOUNDS GREAT. THANK YOU. BILL BAUER, I LIVE AT, UH, 5 99 HOLSTON AVENUE IN CYPRESS RIDGE. I AM A BLUFFTON RESIDENT, UH, JUST TO MAKE SURE EVERYBODY KNOWS THAT. BUT, UH, IN OUR COURSE OF DISCUSSION WITH OUR CONSULTANTS AND OTHER, [01:35:01] UH, ENVIRONMENTAL PEOPLE THROUGHOUT THE STATE AND MULTIPLE STATES, UH, THE, UH, BUFFERS WERE DISCUSSED INTENSIVELY. UM, TO PUT IT SIMPLY, A HUNDRED FOOT BUFFER IS THE BEST BUFFER YOU CAN HAVE FOR A WATERSHED. IT GIVES YOU THE MOST DISTANCE BETWEEN, UH, UH, BUILDINGS AND WETLANDS FOR WA WATER PROTECTION, WATER QUALITY, WATER VOLUME, AND, UH, NATURE PRESERVE. UH, WE CAME UP WITH THE 50 FOOT WITH MULTIPLE CONVERSATIONS WITH, UH, ENGINEERS, UH, BUILDING COMMUNITIES. UH, MAYBE NOT EVERYBODY IN THIS ROOM, BUT WE'VE HAD A LOT OF CONVERSATIONS. SO 50 FOOT BUFFER CAME UP WAS A COMPROMISE BETWEEN A HUNDRED FOOT AND A 25 FOOT BUFFER. 25 BROOK FOOT BUFFER REALLY DOESN'T GIVE YOU MUCH, UH, WATER QUALITY AND WATER VOLUME SUPPORT. SO THAT'S WHY WE CAME UP WITH THE 50 WOOD BUFFER. COUNCILMAN COUNCILMAN VERNON, IF I MAY, UM, IN SOME CONVERSATIONS, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, THAT HAD BEEN THROWN BACK, THERE WAS A EPA AR OR AN ARTICLE THAT'S PUBLISHED WITH THE EPA ON ENVIRONMENTAL LAW INSTITUTE, AND I JUST WANTED TO PROVIDE THIS JUST A SNIPPET OF IT. AND IT'S OBVIOUSLY A VERY LONG ARTICLE. YES, A LOT OF INFORMATION, BUT THEY DID A STUDY IN COOK COUNTY, WASHINGTON, OR EXCUSE ME, IN WASHINGTON, COUNT A COUPLE WASHINGTON COUNTIES LOOKED AT 21 ESTABLISHED BUFFERS AND BUFFERS OF LESS THAN 50 FEET WERE FOUND TO BE MORE SUSCEPTIBLE TO DEGRADATION BY HUMAN DISTURBANCE. AND IN FACT, NO BUFFERS OF 25 FEET OR LESS WERE FUNCTIONING TO REDUCE DISTURBANCE TO THE ADJACENT WETLAND OVER TIME. AND THAT'S BECAUSE, AGAIN, THE SMALLER BUFFER, THE MORE, THE MORE LIKELY THERE IS TO BE ADDITIONAL HUMAN IMPACT ON THAT. AND SO THAT'S JUST ONE STUDY. BUT, UM, THAT'S SOME OF THE SUPPORT THAT STORMWATER AND OTHERS HAD BROUGHT UP IN DISCUSSING THIS 50 FOOT BUFFER, WHICH I DO UNDERSTAND IS FROM LISTENING TO THE PUBLIC COMMENT HERE IS ONE OF THE PRIMARY CONCERNS IS, IS THE, THE NEW WIDTH OF THAT BUFFER. UH, YOU SAID THAT'S ONE STUDY. THIS WAS A STUDY THAT IT WAS PUBLISHED, IT WAS DONE BY THE ENVIRONMENTAL LAW INSTITUTE. IT WAS FUNDED BY THE EPA AND IT WAS PUBLISHED BACK IN 2009. THAT'S JUST ONE STUDY THAT I WAS ABLE TO FIND FROM ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAD DISCUSSED. OBVIOUSLY, I WOULD DEFER TO MS. JONES, UH, OR EXCUSE ME, TIM AND BILL AND THE CONSULTANTS THAT Y'ALL HAVE HIRED TO WORK ON THIS, BUT THAT IS ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE STUDIES WE WERE ABLE TO SEE. AND I DON'T REALLY NECESSARILY WANNA GO BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN OUR, OUR CONSULTANTS, OUR ENGINEERS, AND THE WELL QUALIFIED ENGINEERS AND CONSULTANTS THAT SIT IN THIS ROOM. WHERE IS THE SCIENCE BASED? I JUST DID A QUICK GOOGLE SEARCH AND SOUTH CAROLINA DNR SAYS A MINIMUM 50 TO A HUNDRED FOOT RIPARIAN BUFFER SHOULD BE ESTABLISHED AND MAINTAINED. NATIVE VEGETATION TREE SHUT. THIS IS OUR STATE AGENCY OF SCIENTISTS WHO HAVE MEASURED POLLUTANT REMOVAL AND BUFFERS. AND THAT'S, I THINK ALL I CAN SAY ON THAT. I DON'T GOOGLING INFORMATION. WHO ARE YOU? THAT'S NOT GOOD JOB. WATER. THE DIRECTOR OF PROJECT AND WATERSHED RESILIENT FOR THE TOWN OF BLESSING FOR 18 YEARS. HEY, HEY, HEY, HEY, HEY, HEY. WHAT'S THE MATTER? WHY, WHY ARE WE SHOUTING IN THEREOF? I KNOW, RIGHT? I'M PROTECTING ME, SIR. I'M NOT SHOUTING. I'M SORRY. THERE'S IKA SHOUTING. MA'AM, I WAS NOT. I APOLOGIZE. ALRIGHT, EVERYBODY JUST CALM DOWN. WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A 300 FOOT FAIR IN HERE. , UM, MS. BAR, DO YOU HAVE ANY MORE COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS FROM STAFF? I DO. UM, I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE I FULLY UNDERSTAND THIS. SO FOR CLARITY REASONS, THE STATE DOES HAVE YOUR REGULATIONS, WHICH INCLUDE A 25 FOOT BUFFER, BUT THEY DO NOT ENFORCE IT BECAUSE IT'S PRETTY MUCH IMPOSSIBLE. IS THAT CORRECT? I'M GONNA HAVE TO GET BACK WITH YOU ON THE EXACT TERMINOLOGY. I DON'T, I DON'T WANT, I DON'T WANNA SPEAK OUT OF TURN. I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE STATE'S BUFFER REQUIREMENT IS OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, IF YOU WOULDN'T MIND, BILL. BILL, THANK YOU. OKAY. IF AN OWNER CURRENTLY HAS A PERMIT FROM THE ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEER, DOES THAT PERMIT STILL APPLY? YES. YES. YES. SO IF SOMEONE HAS A PERMIT AS MR. HOWARD SPOKE, AND THAT THAT IS STILL APPLICABLE AND DOES NOT HAVE TO GET APPROVED? THAT IS CORRECT. THAT'S CORRECT. OKAY. UM, IF THERE'S A WETLAND ON ONE PIECE OF PROPERTY, AND I'M SAYING A PRI YOU KNOW, SMALL PARCEL THAT SOMEONE PLANS TO BUILD A HOME ON, UM, IF THERE'S A WETLAND ON ONE. [01:40:01] OKAY, LET ME REVERSE THIS QUESTION. IF SOMEONE BUYS A P PIECE OF PROPERTY WANTING TO BUILD A HOME AND THERE'S A WETLAND ON THE ADJACENT PROPERTY, DOES THAT, DOES THE NEW ORDINANCE APPLY TO THE PROPERTY THAT SOMEONE PURCHASED TO BUILD A HOME? AND IF THAT'S WITHIN 50 FOOT, IF THERE'S WETLAND WITHIN THAT 50 FOOT, THEY WOULD NO LONGER BE ABLE TO BUILD ON THEIR PROPERTY. IS THAT CORRECT? THERE WOULD BE A WETLAND BUFFER ON THE PROPERTY. THAT DOES NOT NECESSARILY MEAN THAT THEY WILL NOT BE ABLE TO DEVELOP THEIR PROPERTY WITHOUT AN EXCEPTION. THAT'S NOT NECESSARILY TRUE. UM, THERE ARE, THERE ARE BUILDING SETBACKS, UH, FOR PROPERTIES, UM, EVEN IN THE OLD TOWN DISTRICT AND, UM, RESIDENTIAL GENERAL DISTRICT. UH, TYPICALLY YOU MIGHT HAVE A, LIKE A REAR SETBACK OF 25 TO TO 40 FEET. SO IF THERE WAS AN ENCROACHMENT OF A BUFFER THAT'S IN WITHIN THAT ONE SETBACK, THEN YOU STILL WOULDN'T BE ENCROACHING INTO THAT, THAT BUFFER BECAUSE YOUR BUILDING WOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO BE IN THAT AREA AT ALL. SO IT IS ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS, THE CASE THAT SHE SET, WHAT WOULD HAPPEN. SO I DON'T, SO I, I UNDERSTAND THAT SETBACKS, BUT I'M JUST ASKING IF THERE IS A WETLAND ON ONE PIECE OF PROPERTY ON THE ADJACENT PROPERTY, IF THAT HOUSE IS BEING BUILT WITHIN 50 FEET OF THAT WETLAND, IT WOULD REQUIRE AN EXCEPTION. IS THAT CORRECT? ARE YOU SPEAKING OF TWO DIFFERENT PARCELS? YEAH, I, I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE REFERRING TO. ONE AND ONE AND ONE'S GOT A WET, THERE'S POTENTIAL AN IMPACT. YES. OKAY. UM, I, I'M, MY GOAL IS FOR THIS TO BE A CONSTRUCTIVE WORKSHOP. THIS IS OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, A VERY HOT TOPIC. I APPRECIATE EVERYONE THAT HAS BEEN HERE AND THOSE THAT HAVE REACHED OUT PRIOR TO THIS MEETING AND TONIGHT. UM, I MIGHT RESERVE MORE QUESTIONS FOR A LITTLE WHILE, IF THAT'S OKAY? CERTAINLY. THANK YOU, MR. HAMILTON. MY QUESTION IS KIND OF, UM, CONTINUES FROM, FROM MS. BURDEN'S. UM, I'M NOT SURE THAT WE HAVE DONE ENOUGH STUDIES TO BE EXPERT HERE TONIGHT BECAUSE I LISTENED TO, UH, TO BOTH SIDES OF THIS, UM, OF THIS HOT TOPIC THAT SAID, IT SOUNDS LIKE WE, UM, WE STILL HAVE SOME WORK TO DO. I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE MAKE, UM, A DECISION TO, UH, NEXT MONTH THAT IT'S NOT RUSHED JUDGMENT. I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE MAKE A DECISION THAT'S GOING BE BENEFIT TO OUR RESIDENTS. THERE'S, THERE HAS BEEN SOME CONCERNS ABOUT DEVELOPMENT THAT MAY HAVE CAUSED HAD FLOODING, AND WHEN WE HAVE LIVE STORMS, UM, I'M A STRONG BELIEVER THAT WHEN WE MAKE A MISTAKE, UM, AND, UM, ESPECIALLY IN OUR DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENTS, THAT WE HAVE THE COURAGE TO ADMIT, TO ADMIT THAT AND TO CORRECT IT. AND I'LL GO BACK TO WHEN WE KNOW BETTER, WE DO BETTER. SO I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT SOME OF THOSE, UH, THAT THOUGHT THAT WE'VE PUT INTO THIS PROCESS IS, IS CALCULATING WHERE WE CAN LOOK FOR ERRORS AND WHERE WE CAN MAKE AN ADJUST, MAKE, MAKE THE PROPER DECISION TO, UM, TO FIX THOSE IN, IN, IN, IN THE FUTURE. JUST BECAUSE THE STATE DOESN'T HAVE, UH, THE ABILITY TO REGULATE IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT WE SHOULDN'T FEEL OBLIGATED TO, TO TREAT BLUFFTON AS ITS OWN, UM, AS ITS OWN PLACE. SO IF WE, AND I, AND I TOTALLY AGREE THAT WE SHOULD HAVE RULES AND GUIDELINES THAT GIVE US THE ABILITY TO MAKE BLUFFING DIFFERENT. UM, SO, BUT THE INFORMATION THAT THAT THAT WE HAVE TONIGHT STILL HAVE SOME QUESTIONS. AND I HAVE SOME QUESTIONS, BUT I CAN'T GET THEM TONIGHT. OKAY. I, IF I MAY, UM, I, I THINK THAT BASED OFF WHAT YOU JUST STATED AND BASED OFF WHAT THE COUNSEL, UH, ULTIMATELY REQUESTS, UH, TO GATHER IS, IS IF THAT'S THE CASE, UH, I WOULD, I WOULD SAY THAT THERE WOULD BE MUCH MORE TIME THAT'S NEEDED. UM, YOU KNOW, WE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO HOLD MEETINGS AND COLLECTIVELY BE ABLE TO COME UP WITH POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS PRIOR TO THE MAY 13TH DATE. UM, THAT IS, IT WILL NOT HAPPEN. UM, SO, UH, UH, AND, AND I LOOK TO THE TOWN MANAGER AND FOR LEGAL ADVICE HERE, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, WE ARE STILL IN PENDING DOCTRINE. UH, SO THIS ORDINANCE IS IN PLACE, UH, AS A FIRST READING. UM, SO IN ORDER FOR THAT TO CHANGE, WE [01:45:01] WOULD NEED TO HAVE A SECOND READING. AND FROM THERE, UM, HOW YOU CHOOSE TO DECIDE, UM, MOVING FORWARD FROM THAT SECOND READING CAN THEN GIVE US THE INSTRUCTIONS THAT WE NEED IN ORDER TO MOVE FORWARD BASED OFF OF WHAT WE'RE HEARING THIS EVENING. AND RICHARD SAID, IF I, EXCUSE ME, BILL RICHARD, CAN, CAN YOU CLARIFY THIS, THIS ORDINANCE RIGHT NOW? WE DID, WE PASSED A PENDING DOCTRINE. IT IS IN EFFECT AS WE SIT HERE YES, YES SIR, MR. WITHOUT ANY OF THE CHANGES THAT HAVE BEEN DONE RIGHT HERE. WHAT WE SAID THEN IS LAW RIGHT NOW. YEAH, THE IDEA, DOES IT MATTER IF WE, AS IS BEING SUGGESTED, WAIT ANOTHER MONTH FOR SECOND READ, WHAT DOES STATE, WHAT DOES OUR LAW SAY WE HAVE TO DO? WHAT'S OUR TIMELINE? SO STATE LAW DOESN'T HAVE A FIRM TIMELINE. IT DOESN'T SAY YOU HAVE TO ADOPT WITHIN SIXTY, NINETY, A HUNDRED TWENTY DAYS, BUT THIS IDEA OF PENDING ORDINANCE DOCTRINE, FOR THOSE WHO IN THE AUDIENCE WHO MAY NOT BE FAMILIAR WITH THAT TERM, IT'S AN IDEA THAT AN ORDINANCE CAN BE ADOPTED, UH, OR THE IMPACTS OF AN ORDINANCE THAT IS BEING CONSIDERED BY THE GOVERNING BODY CAN BE APPLIED SO AS TO PREVENT PEOPLE WHEN THEY SEE AN ORDINANCE COMING, COMING INTO EFFECT, THEY RUSH TO THE, THE COURTHOUSE TO TRY TO FILE AS MUCH AS THEY CAN, ALL THESE PAPERS TO TRY TO BEAT THAT ORDINANCE IN. SO THIS IS PENDING ORDINANCE IS A LEGAL TERM, BUT IT ALSO TAKES INTO CONSIDERATION THE RIGHTS OF THE PROPERTY OWNER. SO IT CAN'T LAST IN PERPETUITY. OKAY. SO DOES EVERYBODY UNDERSTAND ANY MORE QUESTIONS FROM YOU, FRED? NO, I WAS, RICHARD, YOU GOT SOME? YEAH, I DO. UM, I HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS, BUT BEFORE I RESPOND, I DID WANNA SAY THAT, UM, CERTAINLY APPRECIATIVE OF THOSE WHO CAME TO VOICE THEIR OPINIONS, UM, AND CONCERNS TONIGHT. I ALSO THOUGH WANT TO STATE THAT, UM, I THINK IT'S RESPECTFUL OF ALL OF US TO NOT UNDERMINE, UM, THE WORK OF STAFF AND THEIR EXPERTISE AS WELL. UM, THIS WAS NOT SOMETHING THAT WAS ARRIVED AT OVERNIGHT. IT ALSO WASN'T SOMETHING THAT WE DID, UM, UH, COVERTLY. WE DID HAVE A PUBLIC WORKSHOP ON THIS. WE DID HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR CONCERNS AS WE WERE CRAFTING IT. UM, AND I BELIEVE MIKE WAS ONE OF THE ONLY ONES, UM, ON, FROM A DEVELOPMENT STANDPOINT OR ENGINEERING STANDPOINT, THAT CAME IN AND SPOKE AND OFFERED COMMENTS. UM, SO THIS IS THE TYPE OF DIALOGUE THAT WE ALWAYS ENCOURAGE IF THERE IS A CONCERN ABOUT SOMETHING BECAUSE, UM, WE ARE NOT THE EXPERTS, BUT WE DO WANNA MAINTAIN A, UM, A RAPPORT, PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP WITH THOSE WHO DO DO BUSINESS IN THE TOWN. UM, JUST CLARIFYING ALSO ONE OF THE STATEMENTS THAT WAS MADE. UM, WHILE THERE ARE, UH, REGULATORY PRACTICES IN PLACE THROUGH OCRM AND THE ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEER, THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA DOES NOT REGULATE OR HAVE A REGULATORY AGENCY IN PLACE RIGHT NOW FOR ANY WETLANDS THAT ARE OUTSIDE OF THOSE COASTAL, UH, OR CONSIDERED COASTAL OR THAILAND WETLANDS. UM, THOSE HAVE THEIR OWN REGULATION AND JURISDICTION. UM, AND THE REASON FOR US COMING UP WITH AN ORDINANCE, UM, EVEN IF IT'S ONE THAT WE'RE GONNA, UH, BE REVISING, THE REASON FOR COMING UP WHAT THAT WAS BECAUSE OF THAT FACT. SO THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA NOW, UM, IS DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE SCRAP DHC. AND IN THAT PROCESS OF THEM DOING THEIR REASSEMBLING, UM, HAVING A WETLAND PROTECTION WAS NOT THE PRIORITY. SO AS WE SAY, THERE'S NO WETLAND PROTECTION. IT DOES NOT, UM, INCLUDE WHAT'S THERE WITH OCRM BECAUSE THOSE WHO DO GO THROUGH THAT PERMITTING PROCESS, IT IS RIGOROUS, IT IS COSTLY, AND WE'RE NOT CASTING A SHADOW ON THAT. WE'RE SPEAKING SPECIFICALLY TO THE PLACES WHERE THEY ARE NOT GOVERNED BY THAT REGULATORY AGENCY. AND BECAUSE OF THAT, THERE WAS A NEED FOR US TO BE ABLE TO STEP IN TO IMPLEMENT SOME TYPE OF ORDINANCE WHERE WE COULD ENFORCE THAT, UM, IN A PLACE WHERE THE STATE WAS NOT. UM, I THINK THERE'S SOME CONFUSION HERE FROM A STANDPOINT OF THE DEVELOPER SIDE WHERE, UM, MANY HAVE FOLLOWED THOSE GUIDELINES CONTINUE TO DO THAT AND HAVE STEWARDED THAT RESPONSIBILITY GREATLY. AND IT'S CERTAINLY APPRECIATIVE, UM, FROM A MORE, UH, SMALLER OR RESIDENTIAL STANDPOINT. UM, OUR ENFORCEMENT NEED WAS PRIMARILY TO FOCUS ON THAT AS WELL. WE DO HAVE RESIDENTS AND WILL AND I IN CONVERSATION CAN ATTEST THAT HE'S EVEN TRY TO STOP, UH, THOSE WHO ARE IN FILLING ON SMALLER AREAS. SO NATIVES WHO MAY HAVE, UH, A ACHE OR A SMALLER PARCEL THAT IS NOT IN A PUD, THEY'RE NOT A DEVELOPER. IF YOU HAVE SOMEONE DUMPING 10 TRUCKLOADS OF DIRT ONTO A PROPERTY AND YOU HAVE FOLKS WHO ARE DIGGING DITCHES IN THE BACK OF PEOPLE'S YARDS TO DRAIN WATER OFF OF THEIR PROPERTY, WE DO HAVE RESIDENTS WHO HAVE, UM, BEEN SUBJECTED TO THAT TYPE OF DEGRADATION. AND, UH, PART OF THE ORDINANCE, UM, WAS TO ENSURE THAT WE HAD SOMETHING [01:50:01] ON THE BOOKS TO BE ABLE TO, UH, STOP THOSE WHO WERE NOT ABIDING BY THOSE, UM, THOSE RULES. SO, UH, THERE SHOULD NOT BE A, JUST A BLANKETED, UM, PROCESS HERE THAT IMPACTS THOSE WHO ARE ABIDING BY WHAT WE HAVE IN PLACE. UM, SO THE 50 FOOT BUFFER SEEMS TO BE THE MOST, UM, OR THE ISSUE WITH THE MOST CONTENTION, AND I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING WITH CONSIDERATION BETWEEN STAFF AND THE REST OF COUNCIL. UH, WE CAN VISIT BECAUSE IT SEEMS FOR THE MOST PART, THE ORDINANCE OUTSIDE OF THAT, UM, IS SOMETHING THAT EVERYONE IS, UM, IS IN FAVOR OF. SO JUST WANNA BE MINDFUL TO SAY THAT, UM, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE INCLUDE PROTECTIONS FOR EVERYONE OUT HERE WITH THAT, BUT WE WANNA HAVE THE ABILITY TO ENFORCE, UH, WHAT'S GONNA BE IN THE BEST INTEREST OF, UM, BLUFFTON AS WELL. UM, WITH THAT, MY ONLY QUESTION FOR YOU, UH, KEVIN, IS DOES THE, UH, ORDINANCE AS PROPOSED ATTEMPT TO OVERRIDE OR USURP ANY, UH, PERMITS THAT HAVE BEEN ISSUED ALREADY BY OCRM OR THE ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERING? NO, THANK YOU. BILL, YOU WANNA SAY SOMETHING? DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING ELSE? GOING BACK TO OUR PACE ON THIS ADOPTION? UH, IT, IT DOES SEEM QUICK, BUT THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS WE'VE STAFF HAS DONE A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF RESEARCH AND DISCUSSION, UH, WITH OUR PARTY, MCCARNEY TAYLOR, WHO WROTE THE SO LOCO MANUAL. THEY'RE ALSO HELPING US WITH OUR RESILIENCY, UH, ANALYSIS. AND DURING OUR, UH, ANALYSIS, READING, RESILIENCY ANALYSIS JUST GOT DONE. WE'RE STILL WAITING ON THE FINAL REPORT, BUT IT SHOULD BE OUT. IT SHOWED THAT HOW DEVELOPMENT THAT'S LEFT IN BLUFFTON CAN STILL BE BUILT AND STILL MEET OUR REQUIREMENT OF HOW MANY HOUSING UNITS CAN BE BUILT ON AREAS THAT ARE OUTSIDE OF THE WETLANDS. SO THERE COULD BE INSTANCES WHERE INDIVIDUAL PARCELS, WE BROKE IT DOWN TO EVEN IF THE PARCELS WERE FIVE ACRES, WE BROKE 'EM DOWN TO A QUARTER ACRE PARCEL SHOWN THAT WE CAN MEET OUR DEVELOPMENT REQUIREMENTS THROUGH A STRATEGIC AND UH, UH, UH, UH, HOLISTIC LOOK ON EACH AND INDIVIDUAL WATERSHEDS ON HOW TO BUILD WHERE, AND MAKING SURE THAT WETLANDS ARE PROTECTED, WETLANDS ARE, UH, ESTABLISHED, WETLANDS ARE PROTECTED, BUT ALSO WE MEET OUR BUILDING REQUIREMENTS. SO IT IS A, IT IS A, IT IS GOING TO BE A LITTLE BIT OF A PARTNERSHIP, BUT IT CAN BE DONE. SO WE REALLY LOOKED HARD ON WHAT CAN BE BUILT, WHAT COULDN'T BE BUILT, WHAT KIND OF IMPACTS. THAT'S STILL ONGOING, BUT IT, IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN ANY CONSIDERATION. THANK YOU, BILL. UM, I JUST WANNA BRING OUT A FEW, LARRY TO KIND OF POINTS. FIRST OF ALL, IF YOU WENT FROM 50 FOOT, FROM 25 TO 50, THAT'S ABOUT THE SAME DISTANCE AS FROM METEOR, Y'ALL. I MEAN, I CAN SEE YOU REALLY GOOD. IT'S NOT LIKE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT, WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT WITH ACRES OF LAND IN ONE SPOT OR ONE LOT, YOU KNOW, THAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SITTING HERE AND SITTING WHERE A WHEEL IS 25 FEET. OCRM LINE IS 50 FOOT. RIGHT? I WONDER WHERE THEY GOT THAT FROM. 50 FOOT FROM THE RIVER, OR 50 FOOT FROM THE WETLANDS. THE STORM WATER GOES IN THERE, THE SAME BAD STUFF RUNS OFF. SAME AMOUNT OF DISTANCE THAT IT TAKES TO FILTER CONTAMINANTS AND ALL FROM THE RIVER'S SIDE IS, IT'S THE SAME DIFFERENCE, RIGHT? I MEAN, WATER RUNS DOWNHILL. UM, I'M, I'M ALL FOR INCREASED WATER QUALITY, THE BEST FOR OUR RESIDENTS, NOT FLOODING LIKE WE HAD IN HAMPTON LAKE IN THE FARM THESE LAST YEARS. YOU KNOW, WE'RE GETTING MORE STORMS. IT'S COMING. EVERYBODY SAYS IT'S, WE KNOW IT'S COMING. UM, I DIDN'T REALLY THINK THAT THAT 25 FOOT FROM THE WETLANDS WHERE THE BUGS LIVE AND EVERYTHING ELSE, YOU KNOW, FROM, FROM THE BACK OF THE HOUSE WAS THAT BIG A DEAL. UM, SO, WE'LL, WE'LL WAIT, WE'LL LISTEN SOME MORE. WE'LL TALK TO SOME MORE SCIENTISTS, BUT I'M HERE TO DO ANYTHING THAT I CAN DO UNDER MY POWER TO MAKE OUR TOWN BETTER FOR THE FUTURE. AND I'M TALKING ABOUT MY KIDS, YOUR KIDS AND GENERATIONS TO COME. AND SOMETIMES LESS IS MORE, BETTER QUALITY. AND I CAN'T WAIT WHILE I'M UP THERE 20, 30, 40, 50 YEARS FROM NOW, HEARING THE, THE PEOPLE THAT ARE HERE, I SURE AM GLAD THEY STOOD UP FOR SOMETHING AND JUST DIDN'T DESTROY OUR ENTIRE, ENTIRE COMMUNITY. WE STILL HAVE A RIVER, [01:55:01] WE STILL HAVE WATER QUALITY. WE STILL HAVE A TOWN THAT WE CAN CALL HOME. SO THAT'S WHERE LARRY TUB'S FROM. MIGHT AGREE. MIGHT NOT, BUT THAT'S WHO I AM. SO CAN I MAKE ONE MORE COMMENT? YES, MA'AM. THANK YOU. UM, I, I DO THINK STAFF HAS WORKED HARD, UM, ON THIS. AND SO I DO WANT Y'ALL TO KNOW HOW MUCH I APPRECIATE IT. I ALSO WANT IT VERY, VERY CLEAR THAT I WANT TO PROTECT THE WETLANDS. ABSOLUTELY. I WANT TO DO ANYTHING WE CAN FOR OUR RIVER AS WELL. BUT I THINK I, I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE THOROUGHLY THOUGHT THROUGH THE UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES, UM, AND MAKE THE RIGHT DECISION. MAY MAYOR TUBER, YES, IF I MAY, JUST SO THAT WE CAN BETTER WORK TOGETHER WITH STAFF TO MAKE SURE THAT NEXT MONTH OR WHENEVER WE COME BACK WITH TO Y'ALL THAT WE'VE ADDRESSED THE ISSUES AND WE HAVE ADEQUATE ANSWERS FOR YOU. UM, AND LISTENING TO THE PUBLIC COMMENT AND LISTENING TO YOUR COMMENT HERE TONIGHT, I THINK THAT THERE'S MAYBE FOUR OR FIVE KEY TOPICS THAT WE HAVE. I CAN JUST RUN THOSE BY YOU QUICKLY. AND THEN I'VE ALSO GOT A LIST OF NAMES SO I CAN COMMUNICATE. CERTAINLY Y'ALL HELP ME ON THIS TOO. IF YOU THINK OF SOMETHING, THE, THE FIRST QUESTION I, I THINK THAT WAS RAISED WAS THE, ABOUT THE EVIDENTIARY SUPPORT FOR THE BUFFER WIDTH. WHAT IS THE SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE? WHY, WHY DO WE HAVE 50 FEET VERSUS 25 FEET? UH, NUMBER TWO WAS THE IMPACT OF THE PROPOSED NEW ORDINANCE ON APPROVED PLANS AND PERMITS. IN PARTICULAR, THOSE FROM THE ARMY CORPS AND FROM, UH, WHAT WAS FORMALLY KNOWN AS DHEC, UH, THREE, THE, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS THE RISK TO THE TOWN OF OUR WATERWAYS? IF THERE'S A FAILURE TO ACT, WHAT IS UNDER OUR CURRENT REGULATIONS, UNDER CURRENT STATE LAW AND FEDERAL LAW, WHAT RISK ARE WE UNDER? SO WE PROVIDE YOU ALL A BETTER ANALYSIS OF WHAT THE CURRENT FRAMEWORK IS LEGALLY. NUMBER FOUR WAS THE BUFFERS WITHIN THE DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENTS. AND HOW DO THOSE APPLY IN PARTICULAR, IN THE VE YOU KNOW, 92% OF OUR TOWN IS WITHIN THE DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT. HOW ARE BUFFERS REGULATED THERE? WETLAND BUFFERS. AND THEN FIVE, UM, IS I THINK MAYBE GONNA GO INTO NUMBER THREE, BUT PROTECTING WETLANDS THAT AREN'T COVERED BY FEDERAL OR STATE LAW. HOW ARE WE PROPERLY REGULATING THOSE AND ARE WE PROPERLY CATCHING THOSE IN THIS NEW ORDINANCE, WHICH WAS PART OF THE MAJOR IMPETUS TO GET US TO GET Y'ALL, UH, AND TO GET TOWN STAFF MOVING ON THIS NEW ORDINANCE, WAS THAT SACKET DECISION THAT SAID, FEDERAL JURISDICTION OVER WETLANDS IS GONNA BE, YOU KNOW, TIGHTLY, TIGHTLY CONSTRAINED. IT'S GONNA BE BROUGHT BACK TO ONLY THESE NAVIGABLE WATERS, WHICH OPENED UP POTENTIALLY ALL THESE WETLANDS TO, UM, A LACK OF FEDERAL PROTECTION. SO WE GOT MIKE, WALTER, WILL, JOSH, JOHN, JAKE, STEVE. I THINK I SEE MR. BACK THERE TOO. UM, A BUNCH OF DIFFERENT INDIVIDUALS, BUT OBVIOUSLY COMMUNICATING WITH STAFF AND WORKING WITH STAFF TO BE ABLE TO ADDRESS THOSE UNDER THE CURRENT ITERATION OF THIS ORDINANCE TO BE ABLE TO BETTER ADVISE Y'ALL. I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THERE ARE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAVE OR ISSUES. UM, YOU SAID THERE'S TWO THINGS THERE. THERE'S, THERE'S DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENTS WHO ALREADY HAVE EXISTING PERMITS, AND THEN THERE ARE DEVELOPED UDS THAT DON'T HAVE PERMITS. SO THAT'S TWO DIFFERENT THINGS THAT YOU NEED TO ADDRESS THE HANDLING OF FRED. YES. UM, MS. BROWN BROUGHT UP A POINT THAT I, I, I DON'T THINK YOU MENTIONED IN THAT, AND THAT'S PROTECTING SMALLER, LOTS OF PRIVATE, UM, HOME OWNERSHIP BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THIS FOR YEARS NOW, AND I'VE ALWAYS SAID SOMEONE BUILD A HOUSE NEXT DOOR TO YOU AND THEY BUILD THEIR HOUSE ON A HIGHER PLATFORM THAN, THAN THE NEIGHBORS. WE HAVE TO PROTECT, UH, THOSE, UH, RESIDENTS AS WELL. WE CAN CERTAINLY DO THAT. UM, WE CAN CERTAINLY LOOK INTO THAT. AND I WOULD LIKE TO ADD TOO, AS STAFF IS LOOKING FOR, UM, UH, DIRECTION, I THINK SOME OF THE, ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT CAME UP THIS EVENING, UM, AS WE ARE, UH, FIRMING UP AND BEFORE WE GET TO, UM, OUR FINAL READING ON IT, I THINK IT SHOULD BE CONSIDERATIONS GIVEN TO THOSE WHO HAVE ALREADY PROCURED, UM, PERMITS FROM OCRM AND THE, UM, ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEER, UM, IN TERMS OF IF THEY HAVE, THEY'VE RECEIVED THOSE APPROVALS PRIOR TO, UM, THAT THEY SHOULDN'T BE IN ENCUMBERED IN TERMS OF PROCEEDING. UM, AND I KNOW ANOTHER QUESTION THAT CAME UP IN THE REVISION. I THINK KEVIN, YOU WERE LOOKING ON GUIDANCE ON, UM, AND SOME FOLKS MENTIONED IS LEAVING THE, UM, UH, JURISDICTION AT THE LEVEL OF THE UVO ADMINISTRATOR. UM, I WOULD DEFINITELY BE IN IN FAVOR OF SEEING SOMETHING LIKE THAT OPPOSED TO IT GOING BACK TO A FULL, UM, COMMISSION REVIEW IN A SENSE OF, I KNOW THAT JUST ADDS ANOTHER LAYER OF BUREAUCRACY AND SOMETIMES, UM, ELONGATES THE PROCESS EVEN MORE. BUT I THINK, UH, CASE BY CASE, UH, SITUATION, UM, AS NEEDED IN AND THE LANGUAGE WOULD, WOULD HELP. THOSE WAS JUST MY, MY THOUGHTS. I DON'T KNOW HOW REC [02:00:01] COUNCIL FEELS ON ANY OF THAT. UM, HOLD ON, JOHN, IS THERE ANY, STEVEN, YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD TO THIS? UM, I DON'T THINK SO. UM, I, I'LL JUST SAY, UH, RICHARD AND I HAVE BEEN CHATTING OVER HERE AS Y'ALL HAVE HAD CONVERSATIONS TO MAKE SURE WE'RE TRYING TO CAPTURE EVERYTHING. UM, THE ONLY DIRECTION I WANNA MAKE SURE IS, AS FOR MAY COUNSEL TO, TO GET THIS DONE, WE'LL PROBABLY HAVE TO DELAY SECOND REASON UNTIL JUNE. THAT'S WHAT I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE COUNSEL'S AWARE OF THAT FINE WITH THAT. IT WILL PROVIDE US TIME TO GET THE ANSWERS TO THE QUESTIONS, HAVE THE CONVERSATIONS WE NEED TO HAVE. UM, AND, UM, WHILE THAT IS OCCURRING, THE PENDING DOCTRINE THAT'S IN PLACE WILL REMAIN IN PLACE UNTIL SECOND READING, UNTIL ANY CHANGES ARE ADOPTED. I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE COUNSEL'S AWARE OF THAT, BECAUSE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT, LIKE THE UDO ADMINISTRATOR HAVING THE ABILITY TO GIVE A WAIVER AND THAT KIND OF STUFF WAS, WAS WHAT WAS IN THE AMENDED LANGUAGE THAT YOU SAW TONIGHT. SO THAT WAS WHAT WAS PROPOSED FOR MAY. SO THAT WILL NOT BE IN PLACE UNTIL WE GET FURTHER, SO WE GET, GET FURTHER. SO I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE WHAT WE'RE, YOU KNOW, AS A REMINDER, SO THAT, DOES THAT PUT A HOLD OR STOP ON THOSE WHO ALREADY GONE THROUGH THEIR REGULATORY PROCESS? ARE THEY ABLE TO PROCEED STILL OR NO? IT, IT, IT, IT IS REALLY, HONESTLY, IT'S GONNA BE A CASE BY CASE BASIS. THOSE WITH VESTED RIGHTS THAT EXISTED BEFORE THE, YOU KNOW, THE FIRST PUBLIC HEARING AND, AND THE FIRST READING OF THE ORDINANCE ARE GONNA HAVE THOSE VESTED RIGHTS. THE FUTURE ORDINANCE ISN'T GOING TO IMPACT THOSE. OKAY. THOSE WHO WANT TO SUBMIT SOMETHING OR HAVE SUBMITTED SOMETHING AFTERWARDS, THE THINGS THAT CONFLICT WITH THIS ORDINANCE WILL NOT BE PERMITTED AND NO VARIANCE CAN BE APPROVED UNTIL AFTER SECOND. NOW THEY CAN APPLY FOR A VARIANCE OF THE BOARD OF ZONING APPEALS, BUT THE WAIVER THAT WAS PUT IN HERE TO ALLOW AT THE UDO LEVEL DOES NOT EXIST AT THIS TIME. RIGHT? I THINK EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS THAT. UM, WE WANT TO GET THIS RIGHT, WE WANT TO DO ALL WE CAN TO DO THE RIGHT THING. UM, THIS IS AN ALL WE HAVE. WE'RE SPENDING MONEY TO IDENTIFY WETLANDS AND TO GET IT ALL MAPPED OUT AND, AND TO HELP US MAKE BETTER DECISIONS EVEN AFTER ALL THIS IS DONE. SO IT'S NOT LIKE, AND THIS DIDN'T JUST WASN'T A KNEE JERK ORDINANCE THAT WE THREW UP HERE. WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON THIS FOR MONTHS. YEAH. A YEAR OR MORE. SO, UM, ANYWAY, I DIDN'T HEAR. OH, OKAY. THANK YOU KEVIN. I THINK, IS IT TOO LATE TO MAKE A COMMENT? WOULD YOU LIKE TO MAKE A COMMENT, SIR? COME ON UP. COME. I'LL GET YOU NEXT. JOHN. MY NAME IS, I JUST WANT TO PUT A FACE LOUD MIC THERE. I JUST WANT TO PUT A FACE ON BEING A VICTIM OF WETLAND BEING FILLED AND WATER SATURATING MY PROPERTY. I LIVE IN THE VILLE BUCK ISLAND AREA AND IT'S FRUSTRATING WHEN YOU CAN'T GET ANY HELP IN A SITUATION LIKE THAT. SO I WOULD ASK THAT YOU ALL PLEASE BE VERY MINDFUL THAT THE PROPERTIES THAT ARE BEING AFFECTED BY FLOODING, WE WE'RE PEOPLE JUST LIKE EVERYONE ELSE. I MAY LIVE IN A SHACK, BUT MY SHACK IS JUST AS IMPORTANT AS ANYONE ELSE'S MANSION. SO WHEN YOU ALL, UH, GO INTO YOUR MEETING DEALING WITH THE BUFFERS, I'VE BEEN IN A LOT OF MEETINGS OVER IN JASPER COUNTY AND 50 FEET BUFFERS HAS ALWAYS BEEN RECOMMENDED. I AGREE WITH THE YOUNG MAN IN THE BACK WHEN HE SAID THAT, BUT JUST TAKING INTO CONSIDERATION BEFORE YOU MAKE A HASTY DECISION THAT, UH, I THINK I HEARD BRIDGET AND THE COUNCIL SAY, EVERYONE IS IMPORTANT. EVERYONE IS IMPORTANT. AND SO WHEN I'M COMING OUT OF MY HOUSE TO GO TO CHURCH AND, UM, MY WIFE HAVE TO PUT ON SOME RUBBER BOOTS TO GET TO THE CAR, IT'S FRUSTRATING. SO WE ASK THAT YOU, YOU KNOW, TAKE FULL CONTROL OF THIS AND, UM, I UNDERSTAND DEVELOPERS, YOU KNOW, THEY NEED TO MAKE THEIR MONEY BACK, BUT, YOU KNOW, MAKE SURE IT DOESN'T AFFECT SOMEBODY LIKE, LIKE ME WHO DON'T HAVE ALL THE MONEY IN THE WORLD TO BE ABLE TO MOVE OUT SOMEPLACE ELSE OR BUY A NEW HOUSE AND BE A PART OF THE DEVELOPMENT. AND THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. JOHN. YOU WANNA SAY ONE LAST ONE? I JUST A QUESTION. UH, ONE OF YOU WERE LISTING THINGS TO WORK ON. WE WERE TALKING ABOUT, UH, FLOODING AND MORE RAINS AND SO FORTH. ONE OF THE THINGS WE DO WHEN WE BUY A THOUSAND ACRES OF LAND AND, AND, UM, DEVELOP, WHETHER IT'S THE HAMPTON LAKE OR HAMPTON HALL, WE HIRE SOME OF THE BEST ENGINEERS AND PLANTERS, AND THEN PART OF IT IS FOR THE DRAINAGE DITCHES AND SO FORTH TO TAKE CARE OF THE [02:05:01] WATER. BUT WHEN WE LEAVE, YOU KNOW, FIVE YEARS, 10 YEARS LATER, THE PROPERTY OWNERS TAKE OVER AND THEY HAVE TO MAINTAIN THOSE DITCHES. BUT IF THERE'S NO ENFORCEMENT ON MAINTAINING THE DITCHES, THEY GET STOPPED UP. AND SO I I, I'D JUST LIKE TO ADD THAT AS PART OF, ONE OF THE BIGGEST THINGS I HEARD TONIGHT WAS WE, WE JUST LACK ENFORCEMENT. YOU TALK ABOUT 25 VERSUS A HUNDRED FEET, WELL, THAT PEOPLE GET IN AND, UH, ON BUFFERS AND, UH, IT THE FIFTIES BETTER THAN 25 BECAUSE, BUT NOT BECAUSE THEY GO IN AND CLEAR IT. BUT I'M SAYING IF YOU HAD ENFORCEMENT, THAT'S AN ENFORCEMENT ISSUE. IT'S ALSO AN ENFORCEMENT ISSUE. AND TO GET THE POAS TO CLEAR, CLEAN THEIR, MAINTAIN THEIR DITCHES, JUST BE SURE YOU PUT THAT IN TO THE, UH, UM, YOUR PLANNING OF, OF ENFORCEMENT, BECAUSE WE SPENT A LOT OF MONEY ENGINEERING ASK THOMAS AND HUT. OH, I'M SURE YOU DO. AND I UNDERSTAND HOW MUCH EVERYTHING COSTS. SO AT THAT, I JUST WANTED TO SAY, SINCE YOU BROUGHT UP THE HAMPTON HALL FLOODING SITUATION, WE'D LOVE TO SEE THE ENGINEER DESIGNS OF HOW THE DRAINAGE WAS PUT IN THERE. I I THINK YOU OUGHTA GO THE POA WE HAD THAT WAS THROUGH BEAUFORT COUNTY APPROVED ALL THAT, AND WE WOULD LOVE TO HAVE THAT SO THAT WE KNOW WE COULD POSSIBLY DO SOMETHING TO MAKE IT BETTER. I THINK SO. AND I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAVE THAT. I HAVE, IT'S BEEN 20 YEARS AND I'M TRYING 75, BUT YEAH, WE DO, WE HAVE IT. YOU DO. PLEASE GET IT BECAUSE THE MONEY SPENT, USE THE MONEY THAT WE SPENT FOR THIS DRAINAGE, AND I WILL, YOU WILL FIND OUT THAT THEY DIDN'T, THE POAS DIDN'T MEAN TO, IT'S JUST THEY'RE NOT, THEY'RE NOT PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPERS EITHER, AND THEY FORGET TO MAINTAIN IT AND WE NEED TO MAKE SURE ON AN ANNUAL BASIS, QUARTERLY BASIS, THEY'RE MAINTAINING THOSE DITCHES. WELL, JOHN, TO YOUR, UH, POINT BEFORE WE, UH, CLOSE, THAT IS SOMETHING THAT, UM, STAFF HAS WORKED ON AND COUNCIL HAS ALREADY APPROVED IN TERMS OF, UH, A STORM WATER MAINTENANCE PLAN. SO THAT'S ALREADY IN THE WORKS. THIS IS SEPARATE FROM BEING ABLE TO, UM, ISSUE AN ENFORCEMENT ON SOMEONE NOT ABIDING BY REGULATION THAT DOES NOT HAVE A-O-C-R-M OR ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEER PERMIT. THANK YOU. DOING A GREAT JOB. THANK YOU. UM, TO FOLLOW UP WITH WHAT COUNCILMAN FRASER SAID, COUNCIL HAS ALREADY THAT YOU ADOPTED AN ORDINANCE A FEW MONTHS BACK TO REQUIRE THE ANNUAL REPORT, THE ANNUAL INSPECTIONS TO BE SENT TO STAFF AND US TO ENFORCE THAT THEY'RE BEING DONE. SO THAT'S IN PLACE. QUESTION I JUST WANTED TO SAY BEFORE ANY MORE TOWN FUNDS ARE SPENT ON IDENTIFYING AND MAPPING THE WETLANDS, UH, WE CAN OFFER UP A LOT OF THAT INFORMATION FOR ALL OF THE PALMETTO BLUFF, PUD, THE NEW RIVERSIDE, PUD, THE JONES ESTATE, PUD AND MOST OF BUCK WALTER. SO WE CAN TAKE CARE OF HOW, HOW WOULD THAT BE? WILL, IT'S FAIRLY RECENT. I GOT IT. IT'S, YEAH, IT, IT'S, IT'S NOT GONNA CHANGE SIGNIFICANTLY FROM WHAT YOU'RE PAYING FOR ALREADY. SO WE CAN, WE CAN OFFER UP A LOT OF THAT INFORMATION FOR FREE. AND YOU HAVE THAT FOR THE PD THAT YOU GUYS HAVE, UH, JURISDICTION OVER IS WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, OR YOU HAVE IT FOR WE DEFINITELY, I CAN AUTHORIZE FOR PALMETTO BLUFF NEW RIVERSIDE, UM, THOMASTON HUTTON HAS THE INFORMATION FOR THE JONES ESTATE, UM, AND PROBABLY A LOT OF BUCK. WALTER, PED AS WELL TOOK OURS AS A COLLECTIVE TO BE ABLE TO RIGHT, TO GET ALL, CAPTURE ALL, EVEN THE ONES THAT HAVEN'T BEEN, UM, IDENTIFIED. IT'LL BE A COST SAVINGS IF YOU TAKE THIS. I, I GREATLY APPRECIATE THAT. IF YOU'LL CONNECT WITH THE COMMUNITY, HELP US DO BETTER, ANYTHING THAT, AND IT WILL HELP SAVE TIME AS WELL. IF NOBODY ELSE HAS NOTHING FOR FREE, BE GOING HOME. , IS THERE A MOTION TO ADJOURN? I THINK FRED JUST MADE THAT . YOU'RE WATCHING BEAUFORT COUNTY TV. LIVE, WORK, PLAY. I. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.