May 23, 2025 Northern Regional Plan Implementation Committee

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CLOSED CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY BUFORT COUNTY.

UH, MAY 23RD, MEETING OF THE NORTH REGIONAL PLANNING COMMITTEE TO ORDER AND ASK IF WE

[1. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE]

WE'LL GET A FLAG BY NEXT TIME.

OKAY.

I, IN THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLICANS, WHICH IS STANDS ON UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.

YEAH.

WE GOTTA GET ON.

SO LET'S, UH, GO AROUND THE ROOM AND INTRODUCE OURSELVES.

UH, PHIL, UH, HOWARD BEAVER COUNTY COUNCIL, MY BOSS.

BE CONTACT.

MR. , ARE WE MIGRATING? UH, VAN WILLIS SITTING IN PREMIER MAYOR, JERRY, MIKE TO CITY OF BUFORD.

UH, THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING.

REALLY APPRECIATE IT.

WE DO HAVE A QUORUM TODAY, SO, UH, THAT'S GOOD.

UH, FI UH, FOIA,

[2. FOIA – PUBLIC NOTIFICATION OF THIS MEETING HAS BEEN PUBLISHED, POSTED, AND DISTRIBUTED IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE SOUTH CAROLINA FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT.]

[3. APPROVAL OF MINUTES – April 25, 2025]

MOVE SEVEN MINUTES.

APRIL 25TH.

SECOND.

MOTION IS SECOND.

ALL IN FAVOR? SECONDED.

RAISING HAND.

A AYE.

UNANIMOUS.

UH, I'LL OPEN IT

[4. CITIZEN COMMENTS (Comments are limited to 3 minutes.)]

OH, DID, DID WE GET ANYBODY ONLINE THAT, OH, MARY RYAN IS ONLINE.

MARY RYAN KREER IS ONLINE.

WE'LL OPEN IT UP THEN TO CITIZEN COMMENTS.

NOBODY WANTS TO COME FORWARD AND NOTHING ON.

OKAY.

I'LL CLOSE.

I'LL CLOSE CITIZEN COMMENTS AND, UH, GO TO OUR NEW BUSINESS AND WE'LL

[5. SOLO GROWTH BOUNDARIES – ROB MERCHANT, DIRECTOR, BEAUFORT COUNTY PLANNING & ZONING DEPARTMENT]

UH, SO, UM, GROWTH BOUNDARIES.

UM, IF YOU'RE READY TO DO YOUR PRESENTATION.

OH, THERE WE GO, .

WELL, GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE.

AND, UH, SO I MEAN, WE, WE DID DISCUSS THIS A LOT LAST WEEK OR LAST MONTH, BUT I'LL, UM, KIND OF RUN THROUGH QUICKLY THE PRESENTATION.

THIS IS PRETTY MUCH THE PRESENTATION WE MADE TO SO LOCO, AND I DON'T THINK THAT NECESSARILY I NEED TO SELL THE IDEA THAT THAT PLANNING REGIONALLY IS A GOOD IDEA, YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY TO THIS GROUP.

BUT, UM, I THINK THAT WE ALL RECOGNIZE, AND, AND CERTAINLY WE WENT THROUGH THIS 15 YEARS AGO, THAT, YOU KNOW, PLANNING JOINTLY AND, AND HAVING A SHARED LAND USE VISION IS SOMETHING THAT IS VITAL FOR THIS REGION, ESPECIALLY WITH THE GROWTH THAT WE'RE EXPERIENCING.

UH, THE CONCERNS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE CHANGING OF CHARACTER OF THE COMMUNITY AND, UM, THE ABILITY FOR US TO, YOU KNOW, WORK TOGETHER TO MAKE SURE OUR POLICIES, UM, COMPLEMENT AND MATCH EACH OTHER.

UM, YOU KNOW, THAT THIS IS A VITAL THING FOR OUR REGION, EVEN OUR GROWTH AND THE PRECIOUS, HISTORIC, CULTURAL AND NATURAL RESOURCES THAT WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO PROTECT AND CONTINUE.

UM, WE'VE, SO THE, SO LOCO PUT TOGETHER WHAT THEY CALL THE GROWTH SUBCOMMITTEE.

AND THE BASIC CHARGE FOR US WAS, WAS PRETTY GENERAL.

THEY WANTED US TO LOOK AT ALL THE COMPREHENSIVE PLANS AND LOOK AT SUCH ISSUES AS SHARED GROWTH

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SO THE, THE GROWTH SUBCOMMITTEE STARTED OUT PRETTY MUCH AT THE STAFF LEVEL.

WE HAD SOME MEETINGS, BUT WE KINDA REALIZED EARLY ON THAT WE HAD SEVERAL CHALLENGES FOR THIS BEING A STAFF EFFORT.

ONE WAS SIMPLY, WE ALL HAVE OUR DAY JOBS , EVEN THOUGH THIS IS CERTAINLY AN IMPORTANT THING THAT WE NEED TO BE DOING, WE'RE ALL BUSY, AND IT'S THE AMOUNT OF WORK AND THAT'S DECISIONS NECESSARY TO MOVE THIS FORWARD ARE PRETTY, YOU KNOW, PRETTY SIZABLE.

BUT THE OTHER THING IS THAT WE DIDN'T WANT TO, AT THE STAFF LEVEL, COME UP WITH A GREAT VISION AND PLAN, PRESENT IT TO THE ELECTED OFFICIALS, AND THEN NOT REALLY HAVE OWNERSHIP.

YOU KNOW, IT'S ONE THING FOR US TO ALL AGREE AT THE STAFF LEVEL, BUT WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THE, YOU KNOW, THE ELECTED OFFICIALS AND DECISION MAKERS AND STAKEHOLDERS ARE ON BOARD.

AND SO WE KIND OF RETOLD THIS IDEA TO MAKE IT MORE OF A PROPOSAL THAT, UM, WE DO SOME GROUNDWORK EARLY ON, BUT WE WOULD HAVE A WORKSHOP OR SERIES OF WORKSHOPS WHERE THE ELECTED OFFICIALS AND STAKEHOLDERS ACTIVELY ENGAGE IN SOME OF THE, THE QUESTIONS AND ISSUES THAT WE WANT TO ADDRESS.

AND THEN COMING OUT OF THAT, YOU KNOW, WE WOULD HAVE A VISION OR STEPS TO ACHIEVE THAT VISION.

I THINK WE'RE ALL AWARE THAT WE ARE DEALING WITH TREMENDOUS POPULATION GROWTH AND WHAT WE'RE SEEING, A TREND WHERE THE GROWTH IS IN THE SOUTHERN PART OF THE COUNTY, IT'S MOVING WEST, AND THEN IN THE NORTHERN PART OF THE COUNTY, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE SEEING STEADY GROWTH HERE.

AND I THINK WE'RE ALL AWARE, UM, CERTAIN AREAS IN THE COUNTY, WE'RE SEEING A LOT OF MULTIFAMILY, A LOT OF, UM, RESIDENTIAL GROWTH, UH, IN THE NORTHERN PART OF THE COUNTY.

UM, AND THAT OF COURSE HAS CONSEQUENCES, YOU KNOW.

AND, UM, ANOTHER THING THAT WE LOOKED AT IS RESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMIT ACTIVITY.

UM, RATHER THAN SINGLY WITHIN ONE JURISDICTION, JUST LOOKING ACROSS THE REGION AT BOTH BEAUFORT AND JASPER COUNTY, AND, YOU KNOW, JUST ON, ON ANY GIVEN YEAR, WE HAVE A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF PERMIT ACTIVITY, YOU KNOW, OR, UH, RESIDENTIAL DWELLINGS.

AND, UM, AS YOU CAN SEE FROM THIS HARVILLE IS, YOU KNOW, BY FAR THE FRONT RUNNER.

I MEAN, AND, AND THIS FOLLOWS THAT TREND THAT OUR GROWTH IS MOVING WEST.

YOU KNOW, BLUFFTON STILL GROWING, BUT THEY'RE BEGINNING TO FILL OUT THE, THE APPROVED DEVELOPMENT THAT THEY BUILT COUPLE YEARS AGO.

VILLE IS JUST, JUST GETTING STARTED.

SO, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE SEEING TRENDS IN THAT WAY.

AND I THOUGHT THIS WAS INTERESTING.

I THINK ANYONE IN BEAUFORT WOULD KNOW THERE'S TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF, UM, MULTIFAMILY PERMIT ACTIVITY IN THAT THAT REFLECTS, THIS IS JUST A SNAPSHOT OF ONE YEAR, YOU KNOW, IF THIS WERE A PREVIOUS YEAR, YOU KNOW, MIGHT SHOW FOR ROYAL WITH FOUR OF THOSE, THOSE PERMITS.

BUT THERE, THERE'S A LOT OF, UM, RESIDENTIAL GROWTH GOING ON IN THE COUNTY.

AND GIVEN THIS RATE OF GROWTH, WHEN WE LOOK AT, THIS IS JUST THE SOUTHERN PART OF THE COUNTY, BUT WHEN WE LOOK AT THE CAPACITY, WHEN I SAY CAPACITY, I DON'T MEAN THAT WE HAVE THE CAPACITY OF ROADS OR INFRASTRUCTURE, BUT IN APPROVED DEVELOPMENT THAT, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE HAVE THE, UM, ENTITLEMENT TO DEVELOP THESE DWELLING UNITS.

SO WE LOOK SOUTH OF ABROAD IN BEAUFORT COUNTY, BLUFFTON, HARVILLE, AND JASPER.

THERE'S, UM, 53,000 POTENTIAL FUTURE DWELLING UNITS IN ALL THE PUDS SUBDIVISIONS.

UM, NOW SOME OF THIS, THE GROWTH IS A LITTLE FURTHER SOUTH, AND THERE'S A LOT OF, YOU KNOW, THE RIVERPORT, SHERWOOD AND HARVILLE THAT IS MORE, UM, ALONG THE, THE STATE LINE.

AND ON ON I 95, IT'S ALMOST, UM, CHUCK IN OUR OFFICE SAID IT WAS PORT WENTWORTH 2.0.

I MEAN, IT'S JUST TAKING WHAT IS GOING ON IN, IN, IN SAVANNAH, MOVING IT ACROSS THE STATE LINE, BUT THERE'S A LOT OF GROWTH THAT'S HAPPENING RIGHT AT OUR DOORSTEP AND, AND AFFECTING, YOU KNOW, ONE 70 THE ROADS THAT WE SHARE THAT IS REALLY GONNA HAVE AN IMPACT.

AND SO, YOU KNOW, UH, AND I ALSO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE HELP THAT WE'VE HAD FROM BEAUFORT, JASPER WATER SEWER AUTHORITY.

UM, THEY HAVE REALLY STEPPED UP THEIR GAIN IN THE, IN PLANNING IN THE LAST COUPLE YEARS.

AND, UM, TAYLOR LOGAN, UH, AND ALSO, UM, DANA BAUER WITH, UH, THE, THE SENTINEL LANDSCAPE.

WE SORT OF HAVE A, YOU KNOW, THE THREE

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AND, AND YOU KNOW, SO THERE'S A HUGE IMPACT ON, ON SEWER WATER.

AND IT IS, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT NECESSARILY, AND I CAN, YOU KNOW, TAYLOR CAN SPEAK TO THIS BETTER THAN I CAN.

IT'S NOT A QUESTION OF AVAILABILITY, IT'S A QUESTION OF THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT NEEDS TO GO INTO INFRASTRUCTURE, TO, TO, TO SERVE FUTURE DEMAND AND WHAT THAT MEANS IN TERMS OF DOLLARS.

AND, UM, YOU KNOW, EVENTUALLY THAT THOSE COSTS ARE PASSED ON TO DEVELOPERS AND CONSUMERS.

SO THAT HAS A REAL IMPACT, YOU KNOW, AS WE GROW INTO THE FUTURE.

UM, THIS, I THINK THIS WAS THAT, YEAH.

NOT BE LOADING.

THERE WAS A SKIP OVER THIS FOR RIGHT NOW.

YEAH.

OH, HERE.

IT'S OKAY.

THIS IS KIND OF SHOWING OVER TIME, NOT ONLY WHERE WE ARE GROWING, YOU KNOW, WITH RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL GROWTH, WHICH IS THE, THE BLACK ON THIS MAP, BUT THERE HAS BEEN GREAT EFFORTS IN LAND PRESERVATION, AND THIS SHOWS OVER A, YOU KNOW, 20 YEAR LAPSE, HOW MUCH LAND WE'VE TAKEN UP WITH GROWTH, BUT ALSO HOW WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO PRESERVE LAND IN THE FUTURE.

AND I THINK THIS KIND OF IS, IS A BIT OF A, UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S A CONCERN, BUT ALSO, YOU KNOW, BRINGS A LITTLE BIT OF HOPE IN THAT, YOU KNOW, IF WE'RE PROACTIVE, YOU KNOW, WITH OUR LAND USE POLICIES, BUT ALSO, YOU KNOW, WE DO HAVE WITH BUFORD AND JASPER COUNTY LAND PRESERVATION PROGRAMS, AND, AND WE'RE VERY STRATEGIC IN, IN PRESERVING LAND, THESE TWO CAN GO HAND IN HAND TO HELP US GROW SMARTER INTO THE, INTO THE FUTURE.

WHAT'S THE BLACK? THE BLACK IS, AND IT, I DON'T KNOW.

IT DOESN'T QUITE SHOW UP TO THE MAGNITUDE.

I MEAN, THERE'S, THERE'S A LOT OF GROWTH.

I THINK THIS IS SHOWING OVER THAT TIME WHERE THAT FUTURE IS.

SEE THAT'S BE SPOT IN THE MIDDLE.

IS THAT GREGORY NICK? YES.

OKAY.

SO THIS IS SHOWING WITH EACH YEAR THE NEW PARCELS THAT CAME ONLINE IN, IN PRESERVATION.

SO THAT'S ONE OF OUR LATEST BIG ACQUISITIONS.

AND THE FIRST ONE WITH THE GREEN SPACE PROGRAM.

UM, AND THEN ALSO, YOU KNOW, UH, THE MILITARY AND MARY RYAN IS ONLINE AND, AND CAN ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE CONCERNING THIS.

BUT, YOU KNOW, ENCROACHMENT IS A BIG ISSUE AND IT GOES BEYOND SIMPLY THE, UH, AIRPORT OVERLAY DISTRICT, UH, IN, IN, SO THERE'S A DESIGNATION CALLED LANDSCAPE, WHICH IS REALLY THE WHOLE AREA OF INTEREST FOR THE, UH, INSTALLATIONS IN, IN BEAVER COUNTY.

AND, UM, DANA BAUER IS THE, THE LEAD STAFF PERSON FOR THAT.

AND SO THAT JUST IS A, ONCE AGAIN, ANOTHER REASON THAT PLANNING JOINTLY IS SO IMPORTANT BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE IDENTIFY AS, AS, AS A MILITARY COMMUNITY, BUT ALSO VERY MAJOR DRIVER OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.

AND SO, YOU KNOW, THAT'S ANOTHER REASON THAT PLANNING JOINTLY IS, IS SO IMPORTANT.

UM, AND THEN THIS ALSO HAS IMPACTS ON, YOU KNOW, ISSUES WITH NURSING, NURSING SHORTAGES AND THE, THE PEOPLE WHO WERE NEEDED TO, TO PROVIDE MEDICAL SERVICES.

THIS IS AN ISSUE ACROSS THE BOARD, BUT WHEN YOU'RE GROWING QUICKLY, IT ONLY ACCENTUATES THAT THESE CONCERNS.

AND ALSO WITH OUR, UM, RISING HOUSING COSTS, IT BECOMES MORE AND MORE DIFFICULT FOR, YOU KNOW, TO, TO ATTRACT PEOPLE LIKE NURSES OR JUST SO MANY, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE WHO STAFF MEDICAL SERVICES WHO ARE NOT, UM, NOT NECESSARILY IN THAT HIGHER INCOME BRACKET, BUT NEED HOUSING THAT, YOU KNOW, IS AFFORDABLE TO THEM.

AND SO THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IS DEFINITELY A REGIONAL CONCERN.

UM, AND THEN OF COURSE, AND I DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW MUCH I NEED TO GO INTO THIS.

WE KNOW THAT GROWTH HAS HAD A MAJOR IMPACT ON, UM, OUR ROADS AND OUR INFRASTRUCTURE.

AND WE HAVE SHARED CORRIDORS LIKE ONE 70 WHERE WE ARE NOW, UM, SEEING THE, THE IMPACTS OF THAT GROWTH.

UM, I WAS, YOU KNOW, WHEN I STARTED HERE, 2 78 WAS THE BIGGEST CONCERN.

AND SO WE HAD TO PUT A LOT OF MONEY INTO WIDENING THAT TO SIX LANES.

AND THAT TOOK ALMOST A DECADE TO FINALIZE THOSE IMPROVEMENTS.

2 78 STILL HAS PROBLEMS, BUT NOW ONE 70 IS THE NEW 2 78 AND ONE 70 IS EVEN MORE CRUCIAL BECAUSE IT'S A LIFELINE, NOT ONLY BETWEEN RESIDENTS OF NORTHERN BEAUFORD COUNTY OR SOUTHERN BEAUFORD COUNTY TO GET BACK AND FORTH, BUT TO GET TO SAVANNAH TO GET TO OTHER DESTINATIONS THAT ARE SOUTH.

SO, UM, YOU KNOW, THIS IS A HUGE CONCERN THAT, THAT WE ALL SHARE.

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PLUS THAT, THAT BECOMES AN OPTION THAT PROBLEMS ONLY GONNA INCREASE.

AND THEN ALL THE CONCERNS ABOUT THE LACK OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING GET INCREASED AS WELL.

UM, AND SO I THINK WITH THIS GROUP, WE'RE ALL AWARE, WE HAVE A GREAT HISTORY OF REGIONAL PLANNING.

UM, YOU KNOW, 15 YEARS AGO WE ADOPTED THE, ACTUALLY IT'S GETTING CLOSER TO 20 YEARS, IF YOU CAN BELIEVE IT.

THE NORTHERN BEAUFORT COUNTY REGIONAL PLAN.

BEFORE THAT TIME, WE REALLY DID NOT HAVE ANY KINDA SHARED VISION BETWEEN THE CITY OF BEAUFORT, TOWN OF PORT ROYAL AND BEAUFORT COUNTY.

AND THIS WAS A REALLY, THIS WAS A, AN INCREDIBLE ACCOMPLISHMENT BECAUSE AT THE START OF THE PROCESS, WE HAD PEOPLE WHO COULD BARELY SIT IN THE SAME ROOM WITH EACH OTHER.

AND AT THE END WE HAD A, YOU KNOW, IT WAS A COMPROMISE.

IT WAS SOME, A CONSENSUS AND COMPROMISE THAT WE HAD TO, TO BUILD.

AND, UM, WE NOW HAVE KIND OF A SHARED FUTURE LENGTH MISSION AND SHARED, UM, ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF, OF GROWTH BOUNDARIES AND, AND WHAT HAPPENS WITHIN AND WITHOUT, OUTSIDE OF THOSE GROWTH BOUNDARIES.

AND THIS IS REALLY, I THINK, BEEN A BENEFIT TO THE REGION AND KIND OF GOT US BEYOND A STICKY SPOT THAT WE HAD IN THE EARLY TWO THOUSANDS, YOU KNOW, WHERE WE WERE GROWING.

AND THERE WAS A, UM, CONCERN ABOUT LACK OF COORDINATION OF GROWTH.

UM, AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE, YOU KNOW, THE WORK THAT WE'VE DONE, THE JOINT LAND USE STUDIES, UM, FOR THE MILITARY INSTALLATIONS, UM, OTHER EFFORTS LIKE, YOU KNOW, THE SO LOCO, UM, STORMWATER DESIGN MANUAL, UH, YOU KNOW, ALL OF THESE ARE INCREDIBLE, UM, ACCOMPLISHMENTS FOR THE REGION.

AND SO BUILDING OFF THIS, YOU KNOW, WE SEE THE, YOU KNOW, WE WOULD LIKE TO CONTINUE THAT EFFORT IN HAVING A SHARED VISION FOR, UM, BEAUFORT COUNTY, JASPER COUNTY AND MUNICIPALITIES.

AND SO, AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IS RATHER THAN A FULL-BLOWN PLAN, WHICH I KNOW AS A PLANNER, I DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE AN APPETITE TO GO BACK AND DO ALL THE OFFICIAL STEPS THAT ARE INVOLVED IN THAT.

I THINK IT WOULD BE, I MEAN, IT WOULD BE A GREAT EFFORT 'CAUSE IT WOULD GET US ALL TOGETHER.

AND MAYBE THAT'S SOMETHING THAT COMING OUT OF THIS, THESE WORKSHOPS WE MIGHT DECIDE IS AN IMPORTANT NEXT STEP.

BUT I THINK THAT, UM, THE, THE FORMULA WE'RE LOOKING AT IS SOME SORT OF, UM, MAYBE TWO, A ONE DAY EVENT OR TWO HALF DAY EVENTS WHERE WE HAVE AN INDEPENDENT FACILITATOR, UH, YOU KNOW, ELECTED OFFICIALS AND STAKEHOLDERS ARE INVITED, AND THEN WORKING THROUGH SOME DIFFICULT QUESTIONS, HAVING TO DO WITH GROWTH AND, AND, UM, SHARED CONCERNS THAT WE HAVE FOR THE, THE FUTURE OF OUR COUNTY.

AND THEN COMING OUT OF THAT, UM, SOME RECOMMENDATIONS ABOUT WHAT THE NEXT STEPS ARE.

DO WE, YOU KNOW, IT COULD RESULT IN A GENERAL FUTURE LAND VISION FOR THE AREA, UH, IDENTIFYING AREAS THAT WE THINK ARE, ARE GOOD FOR PRESERVATION OR KEEPING MORE RURAL, IDENTIFYING THOSE AREAS WHERE WE WANNA TARGET FUTURE GROWTH AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING.

AND LOOKING AT SOME SORT OF MECHANISM, WHETHER IT'S INTERGOVERNMENT AGREEMENTS, KINDA LIKE WE DID WITH THE NORTHERN REGIONAL PLAN THAT WOULD HELP, YOU KNOW, SOLIDIFY THAT AND HELP US TO COMMIT TO IT AS, AS A REGION.

AND SO THIS IS THE, WHAT WE'RE RECOMMENDING.

AND, AND THERE'S AN INTERESTING AS, UM, ASIDE HERE, THOSE OF YOU WHO WERE INVOLVED IN THE NORTHERN REGIONAL PLAN, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU REMEMBER GREG DALE, BUT HE WAS OUR FACILITATOR.

UM, HE WORKED FOR MCBRIDE, DALE CLARION, AND HE, HE INVITED ME SEVERAL YEARS AGO TO WILLIAMSON COUNTY, TENNESSEE, WHICH IS JUST SOUTH OF NASHVILLE.

I THINK IT'S WHERE ALL THE, THE WEALTHY COUNTRY MUSIC SINGERS LIVE AND OR YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH THAT AREA? ? YEAH.

YEAH.

SO, UM, THINK HE INVITED ME THERE BECAUSE THEY, THE, THE, UM, MUNICIPALITIES AND COMMUNITIES WITHIN WILLIAMS COUNTY WERE LOOKING AT REVISING THEIR GROWTH BOUNDARIES.

AND SO THEY DEVISED A STEP, THEY CALLED IT SYMPOSIUM, BUT IT'S VERY SIMILAR.

THEY DIDN'T DO A FULL BLOWN PLAN, BUT THEY DID A SERIES OF WORKSHOPS THAT LED TO A VISION.

UM, AND SO HE INVITED ME TO TALK ABOUT SOME OF OUR SUCCESSES IN BEAUFORT COUNTY, WHICH WAS, UM,

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UM, AND I, GREG CONTACTED ME RECENTLY TO SAY THAT THEY WERE SUCCESSFUL IN, IN MOVING FORWARD IN, IN GETTING, UM, THEIR, THEIR GROWTH BOUNDARIES REVISED.

AND SO I KIND OF SAW THIS AS WE INSPIRED THEM, AND SO THEY MAYBE CAN INSPIRE US TO THE WORK THAT THEY DID, YOU KNOW, THAT THEY WERE ABLE TO DO THE SHARED VISION WITH, I, I BELIEVE IT'S SEVERAL DIFF DIFFERENT, UM, ENTITIES THAT WERE INVOLVED IN THAT.

BUT, UM, SO THAT, THAT'S GENERALLY THE, THE PRESENTATION THAT WE GAVE TO.

SO LOCO, WHAT THEY DIRECTED US TO DO, UM, WAS TO COME UP WITH A WORK PROGRAM AND, UH, ALSO A FORMULA IF, IF WE WERE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS, WHAT DO IT MEAN IN TERMS OF EACH, UH, JURISDICTION CONTRIBUTING TO THE PROCESS.

AND WE PRESENTED AT THE APRIL MEETING SOME, UH, A PROPOSAL OF SOME NUMBERS.

THEY ASKED US TO REFINE THEM A LITTLE MORE, UM, TO TAKE ANOTHER LOOK AT THE FORMULA.

AND SO WE HAVE THAT, THAT WE'RE GONNA BE PRESENTING NEXT TUESDAY.

BUT WHAT WE'RE GENERALLY LOOKING AT IS, UM, TO GET A INDEPENDENT FACILITATOR IN HERE TO DO THE BACKGROUND WORK NECESSARY, THEY CAN BUILD OFF OF A LOT OF THE EFFORTS THAT WE'VE DONE AT THE STAFF LEVEL.

UM, AND THEN TO CONDUCT THE, THE WORKSHOPS WE'RE LOOKING AT SOMEWHERE UP TO 75,000.

AND WHEN WE LOOK AT HOW YOU SPREAD THAT COST AMONG THE REGION, AMONG THE JURISDICTIONS, IT IS VERY REASONABLE.

UM, I DON'T HAVE THE NUMBERS WITH ME, BUT WE FIRST STARTED WITH A HUNDRED THOUSAND JUST LOOKING AT THAT.

AND THE BIGGEST COST BURDEN WAS BEAUFORT COUNTY, AND I THINK IT WAS 43,000 CITY OF BEAUFORT, PORT ROYAL OR BELOW 10,000.

SO IT'S, IT'S NOT REALLY THE COST.

I THINK WHAT WE SEE IS THE BENEFIT OF, OR, YOU KNOW, OUR RECOMMENDATION OF STAFF IS THAT, YOU KNOW, ALL OF US WOULD HAVE A STAKE IN THE OUTCOME, YOU KNOW, IF WE CONTRIBUTED AND, AND THIS IS A FORMULA BASED ON POPULATION, SO JUST, UH, ACROSS THE BOARD.

SO THAT'S WHERE WE'RE GONNA BE PRESENTING TO SOME LOCO ON TUESDAY WITH THOSE REVISED NUMBERS THAT WE'RE STILL WORKING ON AT THE STAFF LEVEL.

AND THEN, SO THAT'S KIND OF WHERE WE ARE, WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT THE PROSPECT.

I THINK, UM, THERE'S OTHER EFFORTS GOING ON.

THE GREATER ISLAND COUNCIL ON HILTON HEAD IS PROPOSING A MORE INVOLVED JOINT REGIONAL PLANNING EFFORTS.

I GUESS WHAT WE'RE SAYING, AND, AND WE'RE KIND OF LOOKING AT THAT RECOMMENDATION FROM THAT THEY GAVE THAT THE LAST MEETING, IS THAT WE THINK THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO START THIS PROCESS BECAUSE IF YOU GET EVERYONE IN THE ROOM AND WE START TO LOOK AT WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES WE'RE FACING AND THE STEPS WE NEED TO TAKE THAT FURTHER REFINES, DO WE WANNA DO A FULL BLOWN PLAN OR DO WE WANNA FOCUS ON CERTAIN THINGS THAT WE THINK THAT IS A REGION WE CAN BENEFIT BY WORKING TOGETHER? SO THAT'S, THAT'S KIND OF WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW.

AND CERTAINLY WANNA UNDERSTAND ANY QUESTION.

I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S A GREAT PRESENTATION.

YEAH, I DEFINITELY WANT TO GET IT AND SPEND MORE TIME TAKING A LOOK AT IT.

MM-HMM .

UM, I, I HAD TWO QUICK THINGS.

ONE IS WILLIAMSON COUNTY, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, HAVE LIKE 26 COUNTY COMMISSIONS ON THEIR BOARD.

SO YOU TALK ABOUT TRYING TO THAT'S FINE.

OH, YEAH.

GET THINGS DONE.

IT, IT WAS ALWAYS A CHALLENGE AND I HAD TO PRESENT MANY TIMES BEFORE THAT.

UM, BUT THE, UH, THE OTHER MORE IMPORTANT THING I, I THINK WE NEED IS, UH, UH, BUFORD, CITY OF BUFORD IS GOING TO BE, WHEN WE'RE DONE WITH OUR CODE SHORTLY, I HOPE, UH, WILL BE GETTING INTO OUR ACCOUNT PLAN.

MM-HMM .

AND, UH, OUR ACCOUNT PLAN THAT WAS DONE, UH, WHAT, THREE YEARS AGO, UM, UH, IT WAS, IT WAS KIND OF, IT HAD A LOT OF PUBLIC INPUT, IT WAS VERY QUICK.

AND, UH, GOING THROUGH IT, COMING UP HERE, I'D REALLY LIKE TO HAVE THE BENEFIT OF, UM, THE ENTIRE COUNTY AND THE INPUT THAT YOU'RE TRYING TO GET TO.

SO I THINK IT'D BE REALLY IMPORTANT IF YOU'RE GONNA HAVE THESE, UH, UH, REVIEWS.

UM, SO, UH, KIND OF EITHER DO THAT BEFORE OR AS WE'RE TRYING TO DO THE COMP PLAN ITSELF, UM, FOR US RIGHT NOW.

AND A LOT OF THAT WOULD HAVE ALSO, UH, UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT ALL OUR INDIVIDUAL GROWTH BOUNDARIES ARE.

WE ALWAYS HAVE DISCUSSIONS

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MM-HMM .

IN, IN MY MIND THAT YEAH, THE COUNTY IS KICKING UP.

WE HAVE A FIVE YEAR REVIEW OF OUR COMP PLAN, WE'RE KICKING IT OFF THIS SUMMER, SO WE'LL ALL BE DOING THAT AT THE SAME TIME.

YEAH.

WHICH REALLY, THE OTHER QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS, ROBIN, YOU, YOU SAID YOU THINK OF EITHER ONE DAY OR, OR A HALF DAY, UH, WITH THE PRICE OR A HALF DAY, AND IN OTHER WORDS, THAT MEANS THE GUY'S GOTTA BE HERE TWO DAYS, IS PRICE CHANGE? YEAH, WELL, WE KIND OF, WE TALKED WITH SOME CONSULTANTS ABOUT, AND I, IT'S A HARD THING TO PIN DOWN NUMBERS BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, BUT WE DID LOOK AT THE OPTION OF BOTH A, A A FULL DAY, ONE DAY EVENT AND TWO, AND THAT GOT US INTO THAT $75,000 RANGE.

UH, YOU KNOW, THE, THE ADVANTAGE OF TWO DAYS.

AND THEN THIS IS A TOUGH, YOU KNOW, IT'S A CHOICE THAT WE CAN MAKE, YOU KNOW, THE ELECTED OFFICIALS CAN MAKE IT HOW THEY WANNA PROCEED FORWARD.

WE HAD LAST FALL, A, UH, WHAT THEY CALL A REGIONAL ACCELERATOR FOR A, A RESILIENCE, AND WE HAVE A REALLY GOOD TURNOUT, BUT THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT COULD ONLY MAKE HALF THE DAY.

SO THEY TOOK PART IN THE MORNING AND DIDN'T REALLY GET INTO THE BIG DECISION MAKING THAT HAPPENED AT THE END OF THE DAY AND, AND VICE VERSA, YOU KNOW? SO, BUT THEN THE, THE DISADVANTAGE OF THE TWO DAY IS, IS, YOU KNOW, IT'S A GREATER COST, BUT ALSO WHAT IF SOMEBODY COULD ONLY MAKE ONE OF 'EM, YOU KNOW, IT, IT, IT'S THEN REQUIRING SOMEBODY TO BE ABLE TO BE AVAILABLE HALF DAY, ONE OF THOSE THAT ONLY MADE A HALF DAY.

YEAH.

I MEAN, IT'S STILL GOOD AND IT'S STILL, UM, WE'VE GOT A LOT OF GOOD INPUT THAT I THINK IF YOU'RE LOOKING AT WHAT IS ELECTED OFFICIALS AND INTO THE PEOPLE WHO WERE ASKING TO BE INVOLVED OR VERY BUSY, AND IT, WAS IT EASIER TO RESERVE A DAY OR RESERVE TWO HALF DAYS.

SOMETIMES IT'S, IT'S GOOD TO, FOR A HALF DAY, YOU, YOU HAVE THE OTHER HALF THE DAY ON THE REST OF THE DAY BEFORE THE NEXT MEETING TO DIGEST WHAT YOU HEARD THAT MORNING, KIND OF, YOU KNOW, RETHINK THINGS.

YEAH.

YOU THREW OUT A SCARY NUMBER OF NEW UNITS, UNITS COMING OFF BOARD.

54,000.

PARDON? OH MY GOSH.

THIS IS JUST SOUTH OF THE OF, AND SO, UM, YOU HAVE KIND OF A BREAKDOWN OF, UH, THE REGIONS THAT THOSE NUMBERS ARE COMING FROM.

WELL, UH, I'LL LOOK AT HOW YOU GOT TO THOSE NUMBERS.

YEAH, I THINK WE HAD IT.

I WOULDN'T SEE IT FROM HERE.

IT'S ALL OH, YEAH.

NOW THIS ISN'T, WELL, YEAH, I THINK MAYBE THAT IS, WE COMBINED A LOT OF 'EM, LIKE, UM, YOU KNOW, PALMETTO BLUFF, NEW RIVERSIDE, THAT'S A, A BIG REGION OF BLUFFTON AND IT'S PROBABLY THE, THAT AND THE, THE AREA AROUND CHARVILLE OR, OR GROWING THE FASTEST NOW.

SO WE HAVE THOSE NUMBERS, BUT IT'S, HARDY HAS THE, BY FAR, THE LARGEST SHARE OF THAT GROWTH.

PRETTY STAR.

YEAH.

AND THOSE WOULD, THOSE ARE THE ONES THAT AS A COUNTY, I THINK CONCERN US THE MOST IS WE CONSIDER RIGHT, YOU KNOW, RIGHT ALONG 2 78, 1 70 AND SHARING CORRIDORS THAT WE ALL USE.

WHAT, WHAT, WHAT ARE THE NUMBERS BASED ON? SO THEY'RE BASED ON THE, THE NUMBER OF APPROVED UNITS.

SO IT COULD EITHER BE A SUBDIVISION WHERE NOT EVERY LOT HAS BEEN BUILT ON, OR IT COULD BE A APPROVED PLAN PLANNING DEVELOPMENT WHERE THERE'S A FUTURE PHASE, YOU KNOW, THE, THE TOTAL NUMBER MIGHT BE, UM, YOU KNOW, 5,000 UNITS AND THEY'VE ONLY BUILT, YOU KNOW, 2,500.

SO THE, THE NUMBER WOULD BE BASED ON THE REMAINING 2,500.

OKAY.

SO THAT'S JUST APPROVED.

UH, DO YOU HAVE ANY KIND OF MECHANISM FOR PROJECTION IN FOLLOWING YEARS? NO, WE HAVEN'T DONE THAT AS PART OF THIS PRESENTATION.

THIS IS MORE WHAT WE'RE, THE POINT WE'RE GETTING ACROSS IS THAT WITHOUT CHANGING ANY LAWS, YOU KNOW, WITHOUT ANY REZONING, ANNEXATION, THIS IS WHAT'S ON THE BOOKS TODAY, YOU KNOW, UNLESS SOMEBODY, YOU KNOW, WENT THROUGH, IT'S VERY DIFFICULT ONCE YOU'VE APPROVED A PUD TO, TO GO BACK ON THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT'S DIFFICULT.

WE'RE YEAH, .

AND A LOT OF THESE, ESPECIALLY, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE, THEY HAVE AC COMPANY DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENTS, SO LEGALLY YOU CAN'T DO THAT.

BUT EVEN POLITICALLY, THAT IS A DIFFICULT, UM, POLITICAL ASK, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU'VE APPROVED A CERTAIN AMOUNT.

[00:30:01]

AND SO AS WE GROW IN THE FUTURE, OR IF WE WANNA LOOK AT THIS BIGGER PICTURE, WHERE DO, WHAT ADDITIONAL LAND WOULD WE CONSIDER FOR FUTURE GROWTH? AND WHERE DO WE REALLY WANNA DRAW THE LINE AS FAR AS LAND THAT WE WANNA PRESERVE OR, OR KEEP RURAL OR KEEP FROM, FROM URBANIZING? I THINK ALL THAT'S IMPORTANT, BUT ALSO INFRASTRUCTURE EXCUSE, BECAUSE WE'RE ALREADY BEING IMPACTED BY THAT.

AND, UH, LIKE YOU SAID WHEN YOU GOT INTO THAT, WE ALL KNOW THAT MM-HMM .

BUT HOW, HOW DO, YEAH.

WE'RE FOLLOWING CLOSELY, THERE'S LEGISLATION AT THE STATE LEVEL FOR, UM, ADEQUATE PUBLIC FACILITIES THAT GIVES MORE TEETH TO LOCAL JURISDICTIONS TO TIME GROWTH WITH THE PROVISION OF INFRASTRUCTURE.

AND THAT'S KIND OF WHAT WE'RE, AS A COUNTY WE'RE FACING.

WE'VE HAD SEVERAL REZONING APPLICATIONS ALONG THE ONE 70 CORRIDOR THAT BASED ON WHERE THEY WERE LOCATED IN OUR COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, THEY MET OUR FUTURE LAND USE SCHOOLS.

BUT WE ALL KNEW THAT THE, THE ONE 70 IS ALREADY CLOGGED, YOU KNOW, AND WE HAVE SCHOOL CAPACITY ISSUES AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

AND SO, YOU KNOW, FROM WHEN WE WERE MAKING A RECOMMENDATION AT THE STAFF LEVEL, YES, IT MEETS A CONFERENCE PLAN AS FAR AS A FUTURE LAND USE PLAN, BUT THERE ARE ALL THESE INFRASTRUCTURE ISSUES.

AND SO I THINK WITH THAT LEGISLATION, AND THAT'S CERTAINLY A DIRECTION THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT THE COUNTY IS, IS, YOU KNOW, PUTTING MORE EMPHASIS ON THAT TIMING OF INFRASTRUCTURE THAN SIMPLY LOOKING AT A MAP AND SAYING, THIS IS WHERE A FUTURE NODE OF ACTIVITY SHOULD OCCUR.

YOU KNOW, BECAUSE IT MAKES SENSE GEOGRAPHICALLY.

BUT IF UNTIL THE INFRASTRUCTURE'S THERE, OR UNTIL THAT AREA'S READY TO GROW, MAYBE THAT NEEDS TO, YOU KNOW, BE DORMANT UNTIL, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ABLE TO SUPPORT THAT GROWTH.

AND THEN THERE'S A LOT OF AREAS OF COUNTY THAT PROBABLY NEED THAT DESCRIPTION.

USED TO HAVE THAT IN THE NINETIES UNTIL THEY PUT IN THE, THROUGH THE, WHAT DO YOU CALL THE HIGHWAY? THE TOLL ROAD THAT GOES YEAH, THE CROSS HIGHWAY.

YEAH, YEAH.

YEAH.

THEY ACTUALLY, IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING, I, I DON'T KNOW, I DON'T HAVE ALL THE DETAILS, BUT I THINK THAT THEY DID A MORATORIUM BASED ON, UM, THE INSTALLATION OF THAT CROSS ISLAND, WHICH IS, I ALWAYS USE THAT AS AN EXAMPLE.

WHEN YOU HAVE A MORATORIUM, IT'S GOOD TO HAVE A, YOU NEED TO HAVE A GOAL .

YEAH.

YOU KNOW, TO SAY, OKAY, ONCE THIS IS DONE, WE'LL HAVE THE CAPACITY TO SERVE ALL FUTURE GROWTH.

WE HAVE THE NUMBERS, TRAFFIC LAWS, IN TERMS OF PUTTING A MORATORIUM.

IN OTHER WORDS, THIS IS THE ROAD CAPACITY OF ONE 70.

MM-HMM .

IS A CAP, CAN'T HAVE ANY MORE DEVELOPMENT 'CAUSE IT JUST CAN'T HANDLE IT YET.

UH, AND THEN YOU WOULD INSTITUTE MORATORIUM AND AS THE INFRASTRUCTURE WAS IMPROVED, AND THEN YOU COULD PERMIT IT.

BUT, UH, SOMETHING'S GOTTA BE DONE BECAUSE THE FIRST SIDE, YOUR QUALITY OF LIFE GOING DOWN THE TOS IS, IS TRAFFIC.

YEAH.

AND WE GOT IT ON ONE 70 MM-HMM .

AND, AND WE NEED PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION TOO.

ABSOLUTELY.

REFERENDUM DIDN'T PASS, SO I DON'T KNOW, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE BURDEN WOULD BE ON THE INDIVIDUAL MUNICIPALITIES.

ONLY COUNTY, WE HAD TO FUND THAT.

BUT ON THE OTHER HAND, RIDING HIGHWAYS IS EXPENSIVE TOO.

WELL, IT'D BE TOUGH TO RIDE IN SOME PLACES BECAUSE YOU, YOU ALLOW DEVELOPMENT RIGHT UP ON THE ROAD.

RIGHT.

DOES ANYONE REMEMBER HOW LONG IT TOOK TO BIDING ONE 70? I REMEMBER WHEN IT WAS JUST TWO LANES, BUT TO BUILD A BRIDGE AND BUILD IT, IT TOOK A WHILE.

WELL, WE, THEY HAD COMPANY THAT WAS 10 YEARS, BUT PLANNING, THEY WERE IN BANKRUPTCY OR SOMETHING.

AND THERE WAS A LOT OF PROBLEMS WITH THE CONSTRUCTION COMPANY 10 YEARS.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, ROB, ABOUT ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS? UM, I GUESS, UH, ROB, IS THERE ANY, I HAVE ONE MORE, JUST ROB, WHEN ARE YOU THINKING ABOUT HAVING THIS SYMPOSIUM? YEAH, TIME, TOM.

IF WE ALL GET ON BOARD WITH IT.

WHEN, WHEN, HOW SOON? I THINK NEXT FALL WOULD BE GREAT.

BUT, YOU KNOW, I THINK WHAT WE ARE HOPING AND, AND TIMING IS GETTING TIGHT NOW, BUT IF WE GOT THIS IDEA OUT THERE PRIOR TO US PUTTING OUR BUDGETS TOGETHER, YOU KNOW, THEN THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO SET ASIDE THIS FUNDS.

I KNOW WE'RE ALL GETTING TO THE WIRE AND I DON'T KNOW

[00:35:01]

I THINK IT'S, YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY IF IT'S, IT'S DIVIDED AMONG EACH OF US BY POPULATION.

AND THAT COULD BE MORE EXPENSIVE BY NOT DOING IT.

YEAH.

YEAH.

THAT'S IT'S A CHOICE.

YEAH.

.

YEAH.

WELL, IN THE FUTURE, REFERENDUM'S PROBABLY GONNA BE A LOT MORE PRESSURE TO IMPROVE SOMETHING, UH, NEXT TIME OUT.

EVERYBODY'S EXPERIENCING WHAT'S GOING ON NOW, SO IT'S HARD TO GET TO SAVANNAH FROM MM-HMM .

HERE NOW BECAUSE OF, I THINK IF YOU PUT YOUR NUMBERS TO THE PUBLIC, THEY, OKAY.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? ANYBODY FROM, I JUST DON'T THINK THAT, UM, TIMETABLE IN FALL IS SORT OF FAR OFF.

UH, UH, PERSONALLY BELIEVE IT SHOULD BE DONE MUCH SOONER.

UM, BUT, YOU KNOW, I UNDERSTAND FUNDING AND , BUT, UM, I THINK IT'S CRUCIAL.

EVERY SEVERAL MEETINGS WE'VE GONE TO, PEOPLE ARE QUESTIONING GROWTH IN BEAUFORT COUNTY AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S HARD TO, UM, DISMISS THAT ISSUE.

AND SOONER WE GET SOME DATA, UH, THE BETTER.

UM, I'VE BEEN FACING THE QUESTION OF A MORATORIUM ON ONE 70, UM, AS THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE, UM, NATURAL RESOURCE COMMITTEE AND BASICALLY, UM, WANT TO DO SOMETHING, BUT MY HANDS ARE TIED, SO WE CAN'T DO ANYTHING UNTIL WE GET GOOD INFORMATION AND STUFF.

UH, AND I THINK THAT'S WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW.

SO, WELL ROB, YOU SEE THE SYMPOSIUM AS KIND OF A KICKOFF PREVENT, UH, COLLECTIVELY HAVING ADDITIONAL MEETING TO GET TOWARDS RESOLUTION ON ITEMS, YOU'RE NOT GONNA RESOLUTION IN TWO DAYS.

YEAH, I THINK IT'S, UM, IT, I ALMOST HATE TO SAY IT ALMOST REMAINS TO BE SEEN.

I MEAN, I THINK THAT, UM, YOU CAN GET TO SOME GENERAL AGREEMENTS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, A LAND USE VISION OR, YOU KNOW, IT COULD BE THAT THERE ARE MATH EXERCISES INVOLVED IN THAT.

AND COMING OUT OF THAT ARE SOME RECOMMENDATIONS FOR, UH, GENERAL AGREEMENTS.

YOU KNOW, MAYBE IT STARTS OUT AS SHARING INFORMATION OR THERE BEING CERTAIN, I'M JUST THROWING OUT THE CER CERTAIN AREAS OF CONCERN, LIKE LET'S SAY THE 4 62 CORRIDOR AND YOU KNOW, BETWEEN RICHLAND AND BUFORT COUNTY, THAT DEVELOPMENT ALONG THERE, WE HAVE SOME SORT OF REGIONAL AGREEMENT WHERE WE ALL REVIEW AND MAKE COMMENTS OR THERE'S JUST A NUMBER OF WAYS IN LEVELS OF, UH, UM, DETAIL THAT THIS COULD BE.

I WOULD LOVE TO SEE SOMETHING SIMILAR TO NORTHERN BEAVER COUNTY WHERE THERE ARE LINES IN A MAP, YOU KNOW, WE SAY, OKAY, THIS IS, WE ALL AGREE WE'RE NOT GONNA ANNEX BEYOND THIS POINT, OR WE'RE GOING TO, YOU KNOW, UH, OR UP ZONE OR THINGS LIKE THAT.

AND THERE'S SOME SORT OF OF AGREEMENT THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE YOU SAYING THAT EVERYONE IS READY FOR SOMETHING LIKE THAT? BUT THAT WOULD BE A GREAT ACCOMPLISHMENT.

YEAH, I WOULD AGREE.

WOULD, UM, I KNOW YOU'RE BUSY AND YOU'RE SAYING IN FALL, WHAT WOULD BE THE SOONEST THAT SOMETHING LIKE THIS COULD HAPPEN TO GO ALONG WITH WHAT YOURS? WELL, WE WOULD HAVE TO GET EVERYONE TO AGREE, AND THEN THE NEXT STEP WOULD BE, IS KIND OF UP TO EACH LOCAL JURISDICTION, WHETHER THEY WANT TO GET, HAVE THIS AN OFFICIAL ACTION OF THEIR JURISDICTION, YOU KNOW, THROUGH THEIR ELECTED OFFICIALS, AND THEN STAFF WITH THEM WORK TO PUT TOGETHER A RFP OR RFQ AND THEN PROCURE SOMEBODY TO, YOU KNOW, TO, TO, TO DO THIS WORK.

THAT'S A GOOD MONTH AND A HALF.

AND THEN GETTING THEM ON BOARD.

AND THEN I, SO I GUESS JUST BY LOOKING AT THAT AND THEN LOOKING AT PEOPLE'S AVAILABILITY IN THE SUMMER, THAT'S WHY I CAME UP WITH THE FALL.

BUT IF WE START, IF WE DROPPED EVERYTHING AND STARTED THAT WORK, YOU KNOW, WE COULDN'T DO IT SOONER, BUT I THINK IT WOULD BE, WE STRESS ON YOU.

WELL, WELL GIVE THE PROCUREMENT PROCESS, RIGHT? YEAH.

I MEAN, YOU WANNA HAVE A MONTH, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE RESPOND RATES, GET

[00:40:01]

WE PROBABLY WANNA HAVE A GOOD CROSS SECTION OF JURISDICTIONS INVOLVED IN THAT ONLY GROUP THAT'S SO LOCAL, IF I REMEMBER RIGHT.

IT DIDN'T SEEM TO WANNA PARTICIPATE.

WAS HILTON PENN, YOU SAID THEY DID NOT, THEY DIDN'T SEE, BUT THAT WAS JUST ONE PERSON FROM HILTON, SO IT MIGHT, YOU KNOW, MAYOR, BUT IF I REMEMBER RIGHT FROM THE MEETING, IS THAT WHAT YOU REMEMBER WE TALKING ABOUT IT? YEAH, BUT I, I THINK IN THE BIG PICTURE, MAYBE THEY COULD BE BROUGHT IN, THEY SHOULD BE, YOU GOTTA GET HILTON HEAD THROUGH.

WELL, SO YOU'RE START THE PROCESS NOW AND JUST FIGURE OUT WHEN WE'RE GONNA, UM, WE'RE GONNA SEE WHAT KIND OF DIRECTION, SO LOCO GIVES US ON TUESDAY.

OKAY.

THAT I GUESS THAT'LL DETERMINE, LEMME ASK A QUESTION IF I MAY.

MM-HMM .

UM, HAS MUNICIPAL AND COUNTY LEADERS WE, UM, PLAN AND PREPARE TO ADDRESS GROWTH.

UM, AT WHAT POINT DO WE GET TO THE, UM, AT WHAT POINT DO WE GET TO THE POINT WHERE WE START THINKING IN TERMS OF PROHIBITING GROWTH, STOPPING THE GROWTH? RIGHT NOW WE'RE, WE'RE TRYING TO CONTROL AND MANAGE.

OKAY.

AND, AND GRANTED EVERYBODY WANTS SOME GROWTH BECAUSE IT'S, IT'S BENEFICIAL FOR THE, UH, COUNTY AND THE MUNICIPAL OPERATIONS.

BUT WHEN WE LOOK AT THE RESULTS OF THE GROWTH, THE TRAFFIC AND CONGESTION THAT WE'RE DEALING WITH, UM, AT SOME POINT I THINK WE SHOULD LOOK AT, OKAY, HOW DO WE, HOW DO WE PROHIBIT SOME OF THIS CALL? WHEN DID WE GET TO THAT POINT? IMAGINE WE BELIEVE IT.

WE CAN DO THAT.

YEAH.

THAT WE CAN DO MORE TOS WITH THE TEMPORARY.

YEAH, WE CAN ROBERT, YOUR GREEN PAINT, ALL OF YOUR RESOURCES, BUY DEVELOPMENT LAND THAT'S ALREADY GOT DESIGNED.

THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE WHAT WE INITIALLY WERE DOING WITH THE, WHAT'S THE GREEN SPACE? GREEN SPACE.

SO THE PROBLEM IS YOU HAVE TO HAVE A ONE LANDOWNER TOO.

YEAH, THAT'S RIGHT.

YEAH.

THAT'S, THAT IS A ANOTHER IMPORTANT PART THAT MAY STILL HAPPEN NOW.

YOU KNOW, JASPER COUNTY HAS, UH, THE GREEN BELT ON, SO WELL, CHELSEA'S OFF THE TABLE.

THAT'S A, I I'M NOT REALLY, UM, CONCERN ABOUT RESTRICTING GROWTH.

I I, I DO BELIEVE THAT WE BETTER HAVE GROWTH, UH, MAINTAIN A VIABLE COMMUNITY AS LONG AS IT'S NOT ON HELE, , .

BUT, BUT I, I'M, I'M REALLY, UH, IN FAVOR OF, UH, WHAT I CALL VERTICAL GROWTH YEAH.

VERSUS HORIZONTAL.

YEAH, I AGREE WITH YOU.

I THINK WE KIND OF MAINTAIN, UM, THAT, THAT VIBRANT, UM, RURAL COMMUNITY JUST IF NOTHING ELSE, UM, MANY OF US, UH, LIKE VENICE, WE GOTTA HAVE THE DEER RUNNING AROUND SOMEWHERE, SO WE GOTTA MAINTAIN A LITTLE BIT OF FOREST LAND, ET CETERA, ET CETERA, RURAL DEVELOPING TO ALLOW THAT.

BUT NOW WE CAN DO VERTICAL GROWTH AND WITHIN THAT JURISDICTION YOU CAN, YOU ALLOW TO GROW.

IT'S ALSO MORE EXPENSIVE TO ALLOW TO OUT.

MICHELLE, YOU GOT , THEN YOU GOT NO SCHOOLS, UM, ENOUGH TAX DOLLARS PAID FOR THAT GROWTH.

IT'S THAT GROWTH DOESN'T GENERATE ENOUGH TAX DOLLARS.

WELL, HAVING GROWN UP IN CHARLESTON, THEY WENT VERTICAL AND THE ROADS DIDN'T WIDEN.

AND SO YOU'VE GOT ALL THOSE PEOPLE THAT HAVE CARS.

YOU GOTTA HAVE GET ON TWO LANE STREETS AND IN SOME CASES YOU CAN'T MOVE.

NO.

I MEAN, YOU GOTTA, IT'S NOT ALWAYS GOOD.

RIGHT? I GET WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.

YOU DON'T WANT SPRAWLED, YOU OUGHT TO HAVE AREAS WHERE YOU CANNOT DEVELOP, PERIOD.

JUST IDENTIFY THOSE AHEAD OF TIME.

THOSE DON'T GET DEVELOPED.

UM, WHATEVER THEY ARE, USE A GREEN PENNY TO BUY 'EM OUT.

BUT, UH, GOING VERTICAL HAS, IT CAN CHANGE THE CHARACTER IN COMMUNITY.

IT DOES.

AND IT DOES.

NO, IT IS VERTICAL WITHIN YOUR CONSTRAINT.

YOU CAN DO THAT POINT, BUT WHEN YOU GO VERTICAL, SOMETIMES I'D HATE TO COME OVER TO THE BRIDGE, WOODS BRIDGE

[00:45:01]

YOU HAVE TWO STEEPLES, WHICH I THINK IS KIND OF AN, A NICE LOOKING VIEW TO START SEEING.

NO, I, I AGREE WITH THAT.

YEAH.

BUT IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE VERTICAL.

THERE COULD BE MORE DENSITY TO IT.

THAT'S WHAT I MEAN, MORE IN THE, IN INFO REDEVELOPMENT YEAH.

IS REALLY THE ANSWER FOR A LOT OF THE ADMINIS BECAUSE WE HAVE A LOT OF DATA SPACE.

YEAH.

OR YOU HAVE, I WAS JUST WONDERING, SHOULD WE GET LIKE DOT INVOLVED? SO MAYBE THE STATE OH YEAH.

ANY SENATE REPRESENTATIVES, BECAUSE THEY SEEM TO BE YOUR D STRUCTURE.

YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE STAKEHOLDERS WHO WOULD BE INVOLVED.

YEAH, THAT'S DEFINITELY YOU LOOKING AT MAKE LEGISLATIVE CHANGES TO IN THE DOMAIN THERE, THERE'S A LEGAL ACTION IN THAT.

WELL, I MEAN THIS AN OPTION, OBVIOUSLY SUE THEM IN DOMAIN BASED UPON PUBLIC ADMINIS, THAT SORT OF THING.

WE'VE ADDRESSED IT RECENTLY, RELATIVE DETAIL DEVELOPMENT THAT YOU COULDN'T, SO IF WE'RE TAKING IT LEGISLATION TO ADDRESSES SHORTCOMING SOME INFRASTRUCTURE PRIOR TO DEVELOPMENT, CHANGING LEGISLATION TO EXPAND , IT SOUNDS LIKE EVERYTHING'S GONNA BE COMING OUT OF THIS SYMPOSIUM THAT, UH, YOU'RE PUTTING TOGETHER.

SO I GUESS PRETTY IMPORTANT, .

OKAY.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR ROB ON THAT? SEEING NONE.

UM, ROB, I GUESS YOU'RE GONNA TELL US

[6. RESULTS OF PLASTIC BAG SURVEY-- ROB MERCHANT, DIRECTOR, BEAUFORT COUNTY PLANNING & ZONING DEPARTMENT]

HMM.

THIS IS NOT A DETAIL, BUT MORE, UH, KIND OF SHOWING YOU THE DIRECTION WE'RE GOING IN.

YEP.

THERE YOU GO.

BY THE WAY, DID EVERYBODY PARTICIPATE IN THE QUESTIONNAIRE ON PLASTIC BAGS? I DID.

YEAH, I DID TOO.

OKAY.

WELL, UM, I GUESS AS YOU'RE ALL AWARE, YOU KNOW, ABOUT FIVE YEARS AGO WE ADOPTED A PLASTIC BAG ORDINANCE.

AND, UM, YOU KNOW, AT THAT TIME, COASTAL CONSERVATION LEAGUE WAS REALLY, UM, BE TO BE COMMENDED IN, IN GETTING THIS ALL THE JURISDICTIONS TO GET ON BOARD WITH THESE CHANGES.

I THINK WE'VE ALL RECOGNIZED THAT THERE ARE SOME ISSUES THAT MAYBE WE WANNA ADDRESS, UH, AND, AND LOOK FURTHER BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT THERE'S STILL, UM, PLASTICS ACCUMULATING, UH, IN OUR WATERWAYS ALONG OUR ROADS.

AND, YOU KNOW, BEING A COASTAL COUNTY THERE, WE HAVE A EVEN A GREATER INTEREST IN, IN, IN REDUCING THE CUMULATION OF, OF WASTE LIKE THIS.

AND SO, UM, AT THE DIRECTION OF THE NATURAL RESOURCES COMMITTEE, WE, UM, WANTED TO TAKE ANOTHER LOOK AT THIS WHERE, UH, STAFF WAS CHARGED AT LOOKING AT WHAT SOME OTHER COMMUNITIES ARE DOING TO RESTRICT, UH, THE USE, UM, SINGLE USE PLASTIC AND STYROFOAM ITEMS, ESPECIALLY WITH FOOD SERVICE.

AND, UM, SO ONE OF THE FIRST STEPS THAT WE DID IS WE, WE TALKED TO SOME OF THE OTHER JURISDICTIONS, UH, ESPECIALLY THE CITY OF CHARLESTON, WHICH HAS RECENTLY ADOPTED SOME ADDITIONAL RESTRICTIONS ON, ON PLASTIC WASTE.

AND WHAT WE LEARNED FROM THEM IS THAT THEY WENT THROUGH A PUBLIC PROCESS, YOU KNOW, THEY DIDN'T TAKE THIS LIGHTLY AND JUST KIND OF LOOK AT WHAT ANOTHER COMMUNITY IS DOING.

YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY WENT AND, AND, UH, INTO A DEEP DIVE INTO SURVEYING BOTH RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES ABOUT, UH, WHAT THEIR INTEREST LEVEL WAS IN RESTRICTING CERTAIN PLASTIC ITEMS. AND SO COMING, YOU KNOW, LEARNING THAT FROM CHARLESTON, WHAT WE RECOMMENDED AT THAT POINT WAS TO DO A SIMILAR SURVEY.

AND SO THAT'S WHAT WE DID.

AND IT, THIS WENT, UH, LIVE IN FEBRUARY.

UH, I THINK, WHAT WAS THE FINAL DATE? IT WAS LIKE EARLY APRIL.

UM, YOU KNOW, SO WE, WE DID, UH, SOME SURVEY WORK AND THERE WERE TWO DIFFERENT SURVEYS.

ONE WENT TO RESIDENTS, OR, I MEAN, ONE WAS AVAILABLE TO RESIDENTS AND ONE WAS AVAILABLE TO

[00:50:01]

WHAT THEY'RE SEEING IS HUGE ACCUMULATION OF PLASTIC BAGS OR CUPS OR THINGS LIKE THAT.

UM, BUT BUSINESSES, OBVIOUSLY THEIR CONCERNED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THEIR, THEIR ABILITY TO OPERATE, WHAT IT MIGHT MEAN TO THE BOTTOM LINE IF, IF THEY ARE FACING FURTHER RESTRICTIONS IN SOME OF THESE.

AND SO WE TARGETED THESE TWO GROUPS AND WHAT WE FOUND OUT, SOME INITIAL DATA, SO OH, JANUARY 13TH THAT, SORRY.

YEAH, YEAH.

WE GOT, UH, OVER 6,000 CONSUMER RESPONSES AND THEN 138 BUSINESS RESPONSES.

UM, AND SO WHAT WE LOOKED AT IN THE SURVEY WAS NOT ONLY THE TYPES OF USES OR, OR TYPES OF ITEMS THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO RESTRICT, YOU KNOW, AND SO WE DIVIDED UP INTO PLASTIC BAGS, STYROFOAM CONTAINERS, UM, STYROFOAM CUPS, UM, UH, STRAWS.

I KEEP, YEAH, STRAWS.

AND THEN I KEEP FORGETTING THE, UH, PEOPLE CALL IT I GUESS PLASTICWARE AND SILVERWARE THAT'S MADE OUT OF PLASTIC UTENSILS.

THAT'S THE WORD.

EVEN.

SO WE HAD THESE DIFFERENT ITEMS THAT ALSO LOOKED AT DIFFERENT METHODS OF RESTRICTIONS.

AND WHAT WE LEARNED FROM CHARLESTON IS IT'S NOT SIMPLY A QUESTION OF BANNING AN ITEM.

THERE ARE DIFFERENT LEVELS OF, OF HOW AN ITEM IS, IS CONTROLLED OR RESTRICTED, YOU KNOW, THE MOST EXTREME BEING NOT ALLOWING, YOU KNOW, A PLASTIC BAG OF A CERTAIN THICKNESS, YOU KNOW, AS, AS A, UM, SINGLE USE.