* 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 BUFORD COUNTY. I'D LIKE TO CALL [1. Call to Order] THIS MEETING TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION TO ORDER AND INVITE YOU ALL TO JOIN ME IN THE P OF THE FLAG, MY PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND TO THE REPUBLIC, WHICH WHICH STANDS MY NATION UNDER GOD IN THIS WALL WITH LIBERTY. FOR THE RECORD, WE DO HAVE A QUORUM PRESENT. UH, COMMISSIONERS, [3. Adoption of the Agenda] YOU'VE ALL HAD A CHANCE TO REVIEW THE AGENDA. UH, STAFF, ARE THERE ANY CHANGES TO TODAY'S AGENDA? THERE ARE NONE. SO DO I. CAN I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE TODAY'S AGENDA? COMMISSIONER HENCE, MOVES SUPPORTED BY COMMISSIONER LOBAUGH. ANY DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND. IT'S UNANIMOUS. UH, [4. Approval of the Minutes] AGAIN, THE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES FROM OUR REGULAR MEETING OF MAY 21ST. UH, THOSE WERE CIRCULATED IN ADVANCE SO WE'VE HAD A CHANCE TO REVIEW THEM, ANY CHANGES OR ADDITIONS TO THOSE MINUTES. OTHERWISE, IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE? UH, COMMISSIONER LOBAUGH, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER WHALEY. OKAY. ANY DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR OF APPROVAL OF MINUTES FOR MAY 21ST. RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND, PLEASE. IT'S UNANIMOUS AS WELL. OKAY. THERE IS NO UNFINISHED BUSINESS. SO WE [6.a. Gullah-Geechee Land & Cultural Preservation Task Force Update - Lavon Stevens, Chairman] WILL GO, UH, TO OUR FIRST ITEM ON THE AGENDA TODAY, WHICH IS A REPORT ON THE GULLAH GEECHEE LAND AND CULTURAL PRESERVATION TASK FORCE. AND THE CHAIRMAN OF THAT GROUP, LEVON STEVENS, IS GOING TO GIVE US A PRESENTATION NOW. SO, MR. STEVENS, WELCOME. OKAY. I SHOULD, I SHOULD NOTE THAT BEING A, A MUSICIAN AND ENTERTAINER, WE LOVE MICROPHONES. UH, AGAIN, LEVON STEVENS, UH, BUT THE, UH, TOWN OF HILTON HEAD, GULLAH GEECHEE LAND AND CULTURAL TASK FORCE, UH, IT'S MY PLEASURE TO BE HERE WITH YOU TODAY. THANK YOU FOR INVITING ME. AND, UH, UH, AGAIN, I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE SERVICE OF YOU GUYS AS PLANNING COMMISSIONERS THAT I'VE SAT IN YOUR SEAT AND HAVE TRANSITIONED TO THIS POSITION AS THE CHAIR, UH, OF THE TASK FORCE. SO I STILL CONTINUE TO BE INVOLVED IN THE COMMUNITY, CERTAINLY, UH, UH, BEING A SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE TASK FORCE. AND, AND AGAIN, IT'S BEEN MY PLEASURE TO, TO SERVE IN THIS POSITION. UH, I THINK WE'VE MADE SOME TREMENDOUS PROGRESS, UH, WITH OUR, UH, GULLAH GEECHEE CULTURE AND SOME OF THE PRESERVATION OF SOME OF THE ISSUES. JUST A LITTLE BIT OF THE CONTEXT. UM, IF MOST OF US WHO KNOW, AND I WON'T ASSUME THAT WE ALL KNOW, SO PARDON ME, I DON'T WANT TO INSULT YOUR INTELLIGENCE, BUT THE GULLAH GEECHEE CULTURE, OF COURSE, IS, UH, VERY IMPORTANT TO THIS ISLAND AND TO THIS REGION. UH, THE GULLAH GEECHEE, UH, HERITAGE CORRIDOR, WHICH IS A, THE NATIONAL ORGANIZATION'S BEEN ESTABLISHED BY THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS. UH, THE, THE AREAS SPANNING FROM SOUTHERN PARTS OF NORTH CAROLINA, DOWN THROUGH THE COAST, SOUTH CAROLINA, GEORGIA, AND, UH, NORTHERN PARTS OF FLORIDA, AND GOING ABOUT 30 MILES INLAND, IS THAT CORRIDOR. SO A LOT OF THE THINGS THAT WE ARE DOING AND AND TALKING ABOUT ARE, ARE ISSUES THAT ARE AFFECTING THE GULLAH CULTURE UP AND DOWN THE COAST. AND FOR A LOT OF, UH, PEOPLE WHO ARE INVOLVED IN THAT EFFORT ARE DISCOVERING THAT IT IS ACTUALLY SOMETHING THAT'S BEING NA UH, RECOGNIZED NATIONALLY. SO, AGAIN, WE'RE PROUD OF THE WORK THAT THE TOWN, UH, HAS RECOGNIZED THAT BACK IN, UH, 20 20 23 AS PART OF THEIR STRATEGIC PLAN AND THE GULLAH GEECHEE CULTURE AS AN IMPORTANT, IMPORTANT FABRIC OF THIS ISLAND. AND ALSO THE DISTURBING TREND THAT WE SEE IN THE LOSS OF LAND, THE LOSS OF THE CULTURE, AND THEREFORE THE LOSS OF THE PEOPLE THAT WE SEE THAT ARE A PART OF THIS CULTURE FOR MANY, MANY YEARS, UH, UH, PEOPLE HAVE FELT DISENFRANCHISED AND, UH, HAVE LIVED HERE. AND THIS HISTORY THAT WE ALL LIVE IN PRESENTLY, UH, FOLKS WHO WERE HERE GENERATIONS AGO REALIZED THAT THE TOWN OF HILTON HEAD WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1983 WHILE FOLKS WERE ALREADY HERE, THEY HAD TO ADOPT TO A LOT OF CHANGES IN FINDING THAT THE WAY OF LIFE WAS CHANGING, UH, AND, AND HAVING TO, UM, ADHERE TO SOME OF THE POLICIES AND, UH, RULES AND REGULATIONS, UH, OF THE TOWN, IF YOU WILL. THIS WAS A DISTURBING TREND TO A LOT OF US IN THE COMMUNITY, BECAUSE AGAIN, PEOPLE WERE, UH, LOSING THEIR PROPERTY, NOT KNOWING WHAT TO DO WITH THEIR PROPERTY [00:05:01] OR FEELING LIKE THEY DON'T HAVE THE SAME OPPORTUNITIES. UH, I'M SPEAK, I'M SPEAKING NOT FROM MY OWN HEART, BUT FROM THOSE WHO ARE IN OUR COMMUNITY, I CONSIDERED MENTORS. THE TOM BARNWELLS, THE EMORY CAMPBELLS, UH, GOD BLESS HIS SOUL, PERRY WHITES AND SO MANY OTHERS, DR. LOUISE COHEN. AND THE LIST GOES ON AND ON. WHEN I HEAR THESE FOLKS TALK ABOUT, UH, SOME OF THE ISSUES THAT WE NEED TO ADDRESS IN FEELING LIKE, AGAIN, THERE'S BEEN SOME, UH, NOT ALWAYS, UH, A FAIR BALANCE WHEN IT COMES TO, UH, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND SUSTAINING THEMSELVES AS A CULTURE AND AS A PEOPLE. I AM HAPPY AND PROUD TO SAY THAT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'VE TRIED TO DO IN MY COMMUNITY SERVICES TO BUILD BRIDGES AND MEN FENCES, YES, WE ALWAYS REALIZED THERE'S BEEN SOME THINGS THAT MAY NOT HAVE BEEN, UM, YOU KNOW, SERVICE OR IN SOME OF THE INJUSTICES, BUT WE ARE BRAVE ENOUGH TO SPEAK UP TO THOSE AND ADDRESS THEM HEAD ON AND MOVE FORWARD AS A COMMUNITY. SO, THANK YOU GUYS AGAIN FOR BEING IN THE POSITION THAT YOU ARE UNDERSTANDING THAT THE TASK FORCE IS A SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION. UH, WE STAND AS STAKEHOLDERS TO HELP ADDRESS THE ISSUES THAT COME BEFORE YOU AS PLANNING COMMISSION AND EVENTUALLY TO A TOWN COUNCIL, AND THEN EVENTUALLY INTO POLICIES AND THINGS THAT ARE GOING TO AFFECT NOT JUST THE GULLAH GEECHEE CULTURE, BUT OUR COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE. SO, I'M JUST GONNA GO BRIEFLY THROUGH SOME OF THESE THINGS, AND FEEL FREE TO STOP ME IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ALONG THE WAY. AND I TRY NOT TO TAKE UP TOO MUCH OF YOUR TIME, BUT AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME HERE. UM, YES, IN THE CALENDAR YEAR OF 2024, UH, THROUGH DECEMBER, JANUARY THROUGH DECEMBER, UH, THE TASK FORCE HELD SIX MEETINGS. AND THIS WAS A SUMMARY OF THOSE MEETINGS. THE, UH, GUCI CULTURAL PRESERVATION TASK PROJECT REPORT OUTLINES 37 RECOMMENDATIONS WITH 16 IDENTIFIED AS PRIORITIES ALIGNED WITH THE TOWN COUNCIL'S 20 23, 20 25 STRATEGIC PLAN. UM, AND 13 OF THOSE HAVE REALLY BEEN, WE'VE MA MADE SOME REALLY GOOD PROGRESS ON THOSE. UH, THE REPORT PROVIDES RECOMMENDATIONS IN THE FOLLOWING CATEGORIES. CULTURAL PRESERVATION FOCUSES ON PRESERVING THE GULLAH GEECHEE IDENTITY THROUGH EDUCATION, STORYTELLING, HISTORIC SITE INTERPRETATION, CULTURAL EVENTS, YOUTH ENGAGEMENT AND CREATIVE HERITAGE TOURISM EFFORTS. PUBLIC POLICY SUPPORTS SYSTEMIC CHANGES THAT PROTECT GULLAH OWNED LAND AND EMPOWER RESIDENTS, INCLUDES UPDATES TO ZONING, LAND USE, REG REGULATIONS, APPLICATION FET STRUCTURES, AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INCENTIVES. HEIRS PROPERTY, UH, ADDRESSES GENERAL GENERATIONAL LAND OWNERSHIP AND CHALLENGES PROMOTE BY PROMOTING LEGAL EDUCATION, SUPPORTING TITLE CLEARANCE, ENCOURAGING FAMILY PLANNING, AND ADVOCATING FOR RESOURCES TO PREVENT LAND LOSS. AND THE MAJORITY OF THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS HAVE BEEN ACTIVATED AND OR CURRENTLY IN PROGRESS. UH, 23 OF THOSE TO, TO NUMBER THEM HAVE, HAVE BEEN ACTIVATED. UM, AND YOU'LL HEAR A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT DEFINITION OF THE WORD ACTIVATED. WE DON'T LIKE TO EVER SAY THAT THE WORK IS DONE OR IT'S FINISHED BECAUSE IT'S ALWAYS ONGOING AS WE CONTINUE TO LOOK AT THOSE. AND, UH, THE REMAINING RECOMMENDATIONS, WHICH HAVE NOT BEEN ACTIVATED WILL TRANSITION INTO THE GULLAH GEECHEE HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOODS COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION FOR FUTURE IMPLEMENTATION, WHICH I'M VERY HAPPY AND PROUD TO SAY, UH, IN THE LAST YEAR OR SO THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO ESTABLISH THAT COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, UH, CORPORATION GOING FORWARD. NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS IN 2024 INCLUDE LAUNCHING THE, THE GULLAH HISTORY AND CULTURAL AWARENESS PROGRAM, IMPLEMENTING EXPEDITED PERMITTING AND FLEXIBLE LAND USE PROVISIONS AND ADVANCING HEIRS PROPERTY SUPPORT EFFORTS. AND, UH, THE CULTURAL AWARENESS PROGRAM IS ONE THAT, UH, I'LL SPEAK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT BECAUSE ONE OF THE THINGS WE TRY TO DO IS THE INTERACTION BETWEEN THE CULTURE AND THE TOWN. AND CERTAINLY, UM, THE UNDERSTANDING THE EDUCATION PIECE IS ALWAYS IMPORTANT. IT'S NOT ALWAYS SOMETIMES THAT, UH, PEOPLE DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY CAN OR CANNOT DO WITH THEIR PROPERTY OR HOW THEY OPERATE IN THE TOWN, BUT IT'S, IT'S ABOUT EDUCATION. UH, WE TALK ABOUT THAT FRONT DOOR EXPERIENCE A LOT OF TIMES. SO WHEN FOLKS COME TO THE TOWN, WHAT'S THAT EXPERIENCE THEY GET AT THE FRONT DOOR? IS IT JUST A HARD NO OR IS IT WALK IN? LET'S SEE WHAT WE CAN DO. SO I THINK WE'VE MADE SOME SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS WITH THAT, CERTAINLY [00:10:01] BY ADDING THE, UH, OUR, OUR LAND PLANNER AND OUR ADMINISTRATOR, UH, WHO IS THAT POSITION NOW AS MS. VERONICA GAVIN. AND, UH, HAVING SOMEONE HERE AT THE TOWN LEVEL ON OUR STAFF HAS BEEN, UH, SOMETHING I CAN TELL YOU THAT IN THE COMMUNITY MAKES US FEEL GOOD ABOUT, WE HAVE SOME PLACE TO GO TO ADDRESS OUR CONCERNS, ASK THOSE QUESTIONS, AND FEEL LIKE WE'RE BEING HEARD. UM, THE FOLLOWING REPORTS AND DISCUSSIONS WERE LED BY TOWN STAFF WITH THE TASK FORCE. THE LAND MANAGEMENT ORDINANCE PLANNING STAFF PROVIDED PERIODIC UPDATES OF THE STATUS OF THE LMO PROJECT, INCLUDING PRIORITY AMENDMENTS, DISTRICT PLANNING. UM, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IS, IN MY MIND, IS VERY EXCITING. AND AS A TASK FORCE, WE'RE HAPPY TO BE IN A POSITION OF STAKEHOLDERS AND CERTAINLY LISTENING, UH, EARS TO THE COMMUNITY. AND AGAIN, UH, AS YOU KNOW, UH, HELPING THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND TOWN COUNCIL, UNDERSTANDING THE VOICES AND WHAT WE ARE HEARING IN THE COMMUNITY. MOST PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY KNOW THAT THEY CAN COME TO THE TASK FORCE IF THEY DON'T COME TO THE TOWN MEETINGS OR PLANNING COMMISSION MEETINGS, OR IF THEY'RE NOT AWARE OF THINGS, IF THEY DO HAVE, UH, THOSE OF US WHO ARE INTERACTING WITH, UH, THE COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE. THE HOME AND HOME SAFETY AND REPAIR PROGRAM HAS BEEN GOING VERY WELL. UM, IT WAS SUCCESSFULLY RELAUNCHED IN JULY OF 2024 WITH UPDATED PROCESSES AND PROCEDURES DESIGNED TO IMPROVE EFFICIENCY FOR STAFF APPLICANTS AND CONTRACTORS. WITH APPROXIMATELY 899,000 IN AVAILABLE FUNDING THE PROGRAM IDENTIFIED AND ASSISTED 68 HOUSEHOLDS IN ADDRESSING CRITICAL HOME REPAIR NEEDS. AND I CAN TELL YOU SOME SPEAKING WITH, UH, VERONICA, THAT FOLKS ARE SHOWING A LOT OF GRATITUDE THAT WE'RE HELPING TO ADDRESS SOME OF THOSE HOME REPAIR ISSUES, UH, IN OUR COMMUNITY. LATERAL SEWER CONNECTION PROGRAM WAS APPROXIMATELY SIX 69,000 IN FUNDING PROVIDED IN 2024, THE LATERAL SEWER CONNECTION PROGRAM SUCCESSFULLY CONNECTED ADDITIONAL PROPERTIES TO THE PUBLIC SEWER SYSTEM. AND I REMEMBER WHEN WE STARTED THIS EFFORT, AND AGAIN, IT WAS ABOUT EDUCATION AND GOING OUT AND TO KNOCK ON DOORS AND INFORM PEOPLE OF WHY CONNECTING TO THE SEWER WAS SO IMPORTANT. OF COURSE, THERE WAS A LOT OF FEAR ABOUT, YOU KNOW, PROPERTY, HOW THAT WAS GONNA AFFECT THEIR PROPERTY VALUES AND HOW IT WAS GOING TO IMPACT, UM, THE PROPERTY THAT THEY HAD. SO THAT WAS A, A HUGE SUCCESS, AND IT IS STILL, AGAIN, ONGOING. UM, WE HAD A SPECIAL MEETING ON, ON JULY THE FIRST IN 2024, AND THE PRESENTATION OF THE GULLAH HISTORY AND CULTURAL AWARENESS PROGRAM FOR EMPLOYEES WAS DELIVERED TO THE TASK FORCE LED BY SANKOFA COMMUNICATIONS. THIS IS, AGAIN, VERY IMPORTANT AS WE UNDERSTAND HOW WE INTERACT WITH EACH OTHER, AND THAT, UH, WHEN WE HAVE NEW STAFF AND FOLKS WHO ARE NEW TO, UH, OUR DIFFERENT COMMITTEES IN THE TOWN, UM, TO BE EDUCATED ABOUT THIS CULTURE, AND AGAIN, HOW WE COMMUNICATE AND HOW WE ASK THOSE QUESTIONS, AND HOW WE FIND THOSE ANSWERS AND, AND MOVE FORWARD TOGETHER AS, AS A COMMUNITY. UM, AND I JUST WANNA PAUSE RIGHT THERE TO SEE IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS SO FAR. ANY QUESTIONS OF MR. STEVENS AT THIS POINT? I THINK, NO, I THINK WE'RE, I THINK WE'RE GOOD FOR NOW. OKAY. PLEASE CONTINUE. AND I'M JUST GONNA TOUCH ON A FEW OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON WITH SOME OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS. UH, AND, AND I APPRECIATE MR. HESS AS BEING A PART OF OUR TASK FORCE AND CERTAINLY, UH, JOHN CAMPBELL AS, UH, REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE, UH, PLANNING COMMISSION. UM, THE, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT ACTIVATED RECOMMENDATIONS, ACTIVATED MEANS A RECOMMENDATION HAS BEEN PUT INTO ACTION AND IS NOW ACTIVELY BEING USED OR CARRIED OUT AS PART OF THE TOWN'S STANDARD PROCEDURES. SO THAT'S WHAT WE MEAN WHEN WE SAY ACTIVATED. AND WE, AGAIN, WE'VE GOT 23 OF THE 37 RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WERE FROM THE GULLAH GEECHEE REPORT, UM, THAT, THAT WAS THE TOWN WHEN WE HIRED THE CONSULTANTS, PUT THAT REPORT TOGETHER. AND I HOPE AND ENCOURAGE THAT ALL OF YOU HAVE READ THAT REPORT AND ARE FAMILIAR WITH THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS. FOR THOSE OF US WHO WERE INTIMATELY INVOLVED IN THAT PROCESS, UM, WE KNOW WHAT A LOT OF THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS ARE, AND WE TAKE THEM TO HEART. SO, UM, THE PURPOSE AND BACKGROUND OF THE, UH, GULLAH GEECHEE CULTURAL PRESERVATION PROJECT FOCUSES ON PRESERVING AND CELEBRATING THE RICH HERITAGE OF THE GULLAH GEECHEE COMMUNITY ON HILTON HEAD, THROUGH STRATEGIES ADDRESSING CULTURAL PRESERVATION, PUBLIC POLICY, HEIRS, PROPERTY [00:15:01] CHALLENGES. UM, AND AS I SAID, WE OUTLINED 37 OF THOSE REPORTS. THOSE ARE THE THREE MAIN AREAS THAT WE TALK ABOUT. UM, THE CULTURAL PRESERVATION, PUBLIC POLICY, AND HEIRS PROPERTY. UM, THE COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH DEMONSTRATES THE TOWN'S COMMITMENT TO PRESERVING THE GULLAH GEECHEE CULTURE AND ADDRESSING CRITICAL CHALLENGES FACED BY THE COMMUNITY THROUGH COLLABORATION WITH THE GULLAH GEECHEE LAND AND CULTURAL PRESERVATION TASK FORCE, THE GULLAH GEECHEE, HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOODS COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, AND, UH, COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION AND EXTERNAL PARTNERS. THE TOWN IS MAKING MEASURABLE PROGRESS TOWARD IMPLEMENTING THE RECOMMENDATIONS AND ENSURING THE SUSTAINABILITY, UM, OF THIS CULTURAL HERITAGE. A FEW OF THOSE ACTIVATED RECOMMENDATIONS INCLUDE, UM, WE PROMOTE THE HERITAGE LIBRARY. THEY'VE BEEN VERY HELPFUL IN, UH, HELPING US TO ESTABLISH SOME OF THE LINEAGE WITH THE FAMILIES AND IDENTIFYING LEGAL RESOURCES GOING FORWARD TO HELP CLEAR TITLES IN DEALING WITH HEIRS PROPERTY ISSUES. SO WE'RE VERY GRATEFUL FOR THAT ORGANIZATION AND THE WORK THAT THEY'RE DOING. UH, FUNDING INITIATIVE FOR GULLAH CULTURAL PROGRAM AND INTERPRETIVE SITES, UH, ADAPTING THE GULLAH GEECHEE CORRIDOR. AGAIN, THAT'S THE NATIONAL ORGANIZATION, INTERPRETIVE THEMES FOR CONSISTENT GULLAH STORYTELLING ON HILTON HEAD. UH, CREATE, UH, MULTI-FORMAT, SELF-GUIDED TOURS ON GULLAH SITES. I KNOW WE'VE WORKED VERY CLOSELY WITH THE OFFICE OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS TO HELP US WITH A LOT OF THOSE, UH, TRACK BEING ATTRACTED TO SITES, THE TOURS AND THE SIGNAGE AROUND, AROUND THE ISLAND A CONSISTENT WAY, FINDING AN EXHIBIT SYSTEM FOR GULLAH, UH, CULTURAL SITES. STUDENT LED ORAL PROGRAMS REGARDING GULLAH ELDERS EDUCATION PROGRAM, ENGAGING YOUTH THROUGH INTERACTIVE CULTURAL INTERPRETATION, TECHNICAL AND FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FOR GULLAH BUSINESSES. AND THIS IS ONE THAT WE CERTAINLY HOPE TO KEEP MAKING SOME PROGRESS WITH AS WE FIND NEW WAYS AND NEW RESOURCES. AND AGAIN, THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION WILL BE VERY INSTRUMENTAL IN THAT. THE COMPREHENSIVE INVENTORY OF GULLAH CULTURAL RESOURCES ON HILTON HEAD. UH, WE LIKE TO DO AN INVENTORY ON CULTURAL RESOURCES AS WELL AS THE PROPERTIES AND THE RESIDENTS, AND TRY TO SEE, TO MEASURE OUR PROGRESS, TO SEE WHERE WE WERE FIVE YEARS AGO, 10 YEARS AGO, AS TO WHERE WE ARE NOW. SEE WHAT THOSE TRENDS ARE AND HOW WE CAN ADDRESS THOSE TRENDS. AND EVEN WITH THE REPORTS THAT WE'VE ESTABLISHED, WE REALIZED THAT WE HAVE TO ADJUST ALONG THE WAY. AND WE, WHEN WE, UH, DISCOVERING NEW WAYS TO, TO MOVE FORWARD OUTREACH WITH GULLAH CHURCHES, WHICH IS A VERY BIG FABRIC OF OUR GULLAH COMMUNITY AND OF OUR TOTAL COMMUNITY HERE ON HILTON HEAD PRESERVATION, RECOGNITION OF GULLAH CEMETERIES. I KNOW WE'VE, IN THE LAST TWO OR THREE YEARS HAVE HAD TO ADDRESS SOME ISSUES. AND I THINK THAT'S BROUGHT SOME ATTENTION TO THE IMPORTANCE OF OUR GULLAH CEMETERIES, WHICH IS WHERE WE FIND A LOT OF OUR HISTORY IN THOSE GULLAH CEMETERIES. AND THROUGH OUR FAMILIES AND THROUGH THE GENERATIONS WHO'VE BEEN HERE. FAST TRACK, FAMILY COMPOUND AND FAMILY SUBDIVISION APPLICATIONS, HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOOD PERMITTING AND DESIGN STUDIO. DESIGN STUDIO IS ANOTHER ONE THAT WE'RE VERY PROUD OF, WHERE FOLKS CAN COME TO THE TOWN WHEN THEY, UH, HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT DOING SOMETHING WITH THEIR PROPERTY, IF THEY WANT TO DEVELOP THEIR PROPERTY, OR IF THEY DON'T WANNA DEVELOP THEIR PROPERTY, HOW DO THEY PROTECT IT? HOW DO THEY PRESERVE IT GOING FORWARD? IF THEY WANNA DO A FAMILY COMPOUND, IF THEY WANT TO DO A FAMILY SUBDIVISION. MOST OF US AS, UH, UH, RESIDENTS AND NATIVES, UH, ARE NOT DEVELOPERS. AND SO WE'VE BEEN ADDRESSING SOME OF THOSE ISSUES. IF YOU WANT TO DEVELOP YOUR PROPERTY, WHAT ARE THOSE RESOURCES GOING FORWARD AND HOW CAN WE DO THAT AND ASSIST? AND AGAIN, THAT'S ALL A PART OF CULTURAL PRESERVATION. ESTABLISHING AN OVERLAY DISTRICT, WHICH WE NOW KNOW SOME OF THAT LANGUAGE IS BEING TRANSFERRED INTO DISTRICT PLANNING, FAMILY COMPOUND AND FAMILY SUBDIVISION, ALLOWING SITE, UH, DESIGN FLEXIBILITY IS ANOTHER AREA. UH, WE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THAT A LOT OF THE NATIVE ISLAND, UH, PROPERTIES, UH, ESPECIALLY AFTER THE TOWN HAS BEEN DEVELOPED, AND WE HAVE A LOT OF DEVELOPED NEW MOVE IN, UM, THEY'RE NOT ALWAYS CLEARLY DEFINED AND NOT ALWAYS CLEARLY RECOGNIZED. SO WE HAVE TO MAKE SOME ADJUSTMENTS FOR SOME OF THE SITES AS FAR AS SETBACKS AND BUFFERS AND THINGS LIKE THAT. UM, AND CERTAINLY WITH LANDSCAPING, AND I THINK IT IS A, A GOOD PARTNERSHIP AGAIN, THAT WE UNDERSTAND AS RESIDENTS, AGAIN, HOW WE CAN DO IT [00:20:01] AND WHAT WE CAN DO AND WHERE OUR LIMITATIONS ARE. FUND FOR DELINQUENT TAXES. I KNOW THAT THROUGH LOW COUNTRY GULLAH, WE'VE GOT TO IDENTIFY SOME RESOURCES TO HELP FOLKS WITH, UH, RESCUING THEIR PROPERTY FROM TAX SALES AND THINGS LIKE THAT. AND ALSO EDUCATION, AGAIN, FOR FOLKS TO STAY OFF THE TAX SALE LIST EVERY YEAR. AND WE HAVE IDENTIFIED RESOURCES AND EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS FOR THEM TO BE INVOLVED WITH AND, UH, UNDERSTAND THAT THROUGH GENERATIONS. THAT HAS BEEN SOMETHING WE'VE TRIED TO ADDRESS. UH, SO LOW COUNTRY GULLAH, AND CERTAINLY THE HERITAGE LIBRARY HAS BEEN VERY INSTRUMENTAL IN THAT. BUT WE DO THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, EDUCATIONAL MEETINGS AND WORKSHOPS AND FEEL LIKE THE CDC WILL ALSO BE VERY MUCH INVOLVED IN PROMOTING, UH, THE COMMUNITY REINVESTMENT ACT, WHERE WE ARE APPROACHING SOME OF OUR FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS ABOUT BEING INVOLVED IN HELPING TO ASSIST FOLKS WITH FINDING RESOURCES FOR DEVELOPING AND FINDING MONIES TO, UM, TO JUST TO SURVIVE AND STRIVE, UH, TO JUST TO BE HERE. UH, WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO APPROACH THOSE FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS TO HELP THEM UNDERSTAND HOW IMPORTANT IT IS FOR THEM TO BE INVOLVED IN OUR COMMUNITY. AGAIN, LOTS OF FOLKS HAVE LAND OR PROPERTY, BUT AS WE SAY, WE ARE LAND RICH AND MONEY POOR. SO WE'VE, WE'RE LEARNING HOW TO, UH, WORK THAT PARTNERSHIP TO ACCESS THOSE RESOURCES WITH OUR FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS. OTHER ACTIVE VAD RECOMMENDATIONS ARE HEIRS, PROPERTY AND FAMILY RESEARCH PROJECT. I'VE TALKED ABOUT THAT A LITTLE BIT. UM, AND COORDINATING WITH HEIRS PROPERTY ORGANIZATIONS, THE CENTER FOR HEIRS, PROPERTY PRESERVATION SATELLITE OFFICE. I KNOW WE'VE EXPLORED THAT, THAT HAS NOT BEEN ESTABLISHED HERE ON THE ISLAND. AND WE'VE LOOKED AT THAT AND TALKED WITH THOSE FOLKS AND HAVEN'T QUITE DECIDED IF THAT IS SOMETHING THAT IS BEST FOR US TO HAVE HERE ON THE ISLAND. AND THEY HAVEN'T SEEN A REAL NEED TO COME HERE AS WELL. BUT, UH, WE STILL HAVE THEM AS ONE OF OUR RESOURCES RECOMMENDATIONS, UH, IN PROGRESS BY DISTRICT PLANS AND LMO PROJECT IMPLEMENT, TRANSFER OF DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS AND HISTORIC GULLAH NEIGHBORHOODS. UM, AND WE ARE LEARNING HOW THAT WORKS, QUESTIONING HOW THAT WORKS, AND ASKING IF THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE CAN USE IN OUR GULLAH COMMUNITIES WHERE PEOPLE HAVE CHALLENGES, AGAIN, WITH PARTICULAR PIECES OF LAND, UH, THAT MAY NOT BE USEFUL IN ONE AREA, THAT THEY COULD COMBINE OR TRANSFER THOSE RIGHTS TO ANOTHER AREA OR PARTNER WITH OTHER FOLKS TO DO A DEVELOPMENT. AND AGAIN, IT'S ALL ABOUT CULTURAL PRESERVATION. UM, PRESERVING GULLAH LAND OWNERSHIP THROUGH DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS, PURCHASE DESIGN REGULATION AMENDMENTS TO REFLECT GULLAH CULTURAL TRADITIONS. UH, WE'VE, AS GULLAH FOLK HAVE CERTAIN THINGS THAT ARE IN OUR CULTURE, UH, THAT, UH, HELP US IDENTIFY WHO WE ARE. SOMETIMES THAT MIGHT NOT FIT INTO THE EXACT DESIGN OF WHAT PEOPLE THINK OF, OF THIS COMMUNITY OR HILTON HEAD ISLAND, BUT, YOU KNOW, UH, SO WE, WE WANT TO LOOK AT THOSE DESIGNS, THOSE, UH, UM, ARCHITECTURAL DESIGNS, IF YOU WILL. AND THAT'S WHY YOU MIGHT SEE A PURPLE HOUSE SOMETIMES, OR A YELLOW HOUSE INSTEAD OF JUST THE PLAIN OLD BROWN AND TAN HOUSE THROUGHOUT THE ISLAND, WHICH WE KNOW THAT'S A MAIN DESIGN HERE ON HILTON HEAD. AND THAT JUST REFLECTS THE CULTURE AGAIN. AND WE WANT THE COMMUNITY TO EMBRACE THAT AND NOT BE OFFENDED BY THAT. TO, TO RECOGNIZE THAT THIS CULTURE IS VERY IMPORTANT TO THIS ISLAND. IT HAS BECOME A GREAT ATTRACTION THROUGH MANY OF OUR ORGANIZATIONS HERE, UH, THROUGH THE MITCHELLVILLE FREEDOM PARK, THE GULLAH MUSEUM, AND CERTAINLY OUR GULLAH HERITAGE TRAILS AND MANY OTHERS. I'M HAPPY TO SAY THAT WE HAVE A LOT OF YOUNG ENTREPRENEURS COMING UP ON THE ISLAND NOW WHO ARE STARTING TO ASK THOSE QUESTIONS ABOUT, UM, HOW CAN WE OPERATE IN THE TOWN? SO I'M ENCOURAGED BY THAT BECAUSE WE BELIEVE THAT THE ECONOMIC SUSTAINABILITY CERTAINLY LIES WITH, UH, THIS GENERATION AND THE GENERATIONS THAT COME BEHIND US. SO WE WANT TO ENCOURAGE FOLKS THAT THERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES HERE. 'CAUSE TOO MANY TIMES OVER THE YEARS, WHAT WE'VE HEARD IS THAT I HAVE TO LEAVE HERE. MY FAMILY WAS HERE, BUT THERE'S NOTHING FOR ME TO DO HERE. I CAN'T SURVIVE HERE. I CAN'T THRIVE HERE. SO WE ARE CHANGING THAT, AND, UM, I'M HAPPY ABOUT THAT. PROMOTING, UH, GULLAH CULTURAL ATTRACTIONS REGIONALLY, UH, INTEGRATING GULLAH CULTURE INTO ISLAND WIDE. TOURISM MARKETING, THAT'S THE SAME THING I'M SPEAKING ABOUT NOW, INTO, HAVE A PROGRAM THAT, UH, GULLAH AUTHENTICITY CERTIFICATE CERTIFICATION PROGRAM. WHAT IS BONAFIDE [00:25:01] GULLAH? WHAT IS GENUINELY GULLAH? UM, I, I WILL JUST SAY A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT. WE HAVE TO BE MINDFUL AND, UH, SOMEWHAT OF GATEKEEPERS ABOUT, UH, NOT BEING, UM, TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF IN OUR CULTURE WHEN WE HAVE PEOPLE WHO SPEAK ABOUT OUR CULTURE, MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE, UH, SAYING THE RIGHT THINGS OR COMING FROM THE RIGHT PLACE. THIS IS A WORLD THAT WE LIVE IN NOW, THAT ANYBODY HAS ANY ACCESS TO ANYTHING AND CAN INTERPRET ANY WAY THEY WANT TO AND MAKE MONEY OFF OF IT. SO I CAN TELL YOU THAT THERE ARE PEOPLE IN OUR GULLAH CULTURE WHO ARE VERY SENSITIVE ABOUT THINGS LIKE THAT. IF YOU TAKE A PHOTO, IF YOU RECORD THEM, IF IT'S ON FACEBOOK, YOU KNOW, IT'S LIKE, HOW ARE WE BENEFITING THAT? WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS? SO WE ASK QUESTIONS A LOT OF TIMES JUST TO BE AS GATEKEEPERS, UH, FOR THE CULTURE, UM, LEVERAGING THE ECONOMIC IMPACT STUDIES AND STRENGTH IN GULLAH HERITAGE TOURISM. I SPOKE ABOUT THAT A LITTLE BIT ALREADY, TO ESTABLISH THE OPEN AIR GULLAH MARKET. UM, THAT IS SOMETHING, AGAIN, WHERE WE CAN HAVE SOMETHING VISUALLY FOLKS CAN SEE. I REMEMBER YEARS AGO WE HAD THE, THE, UH, GULLAH FLEA MARKET HERE. I DON'T KNOW IF ANYBODY IN THE ROOM HAS BEEN HERE LONG ENOUGH TO REMEMBER WHEN PERRY WHITE HAD THAT MARKET UP ON THE NORTH END. IT WAS A PLACE WHERE PEOPLE WOULD GO TO THE FLEA MARKET AND, YOU KNOW, YOU COULD GO THERE. AND THEN IT WAS, IT WAS A FLEA MARKET TRUE ENOUGH, BUT IT WAS A CULTURAL EXPERIENCE, AND FOLKS WERE BE THERE SELLING THEIR ART OR THEIR WARES AND FURNITURE, AND CERTAINLY FRUITS AND VEGETABLES. BUT THAT ALSO, UH, GAVE US AN OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE THAT VISUAL ART PRESENTATION, AS WELL AS ECONOMIC SUSTAINABILITY. UH, THE COMPREHENSIVE CULTURAL PRESERVATION PLAN, UH, ON THE FOCUS ON GULLAH HERITAGE GOING FORWARD. UH, WE'RE LOOKING AT SOME OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS TO BE CARRIED OUT BY THE, UH, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, LANDOWNER DEVELOPMENT PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM FOR HISTORIC GULLAH NEIGHBORHOODS DEVELOPMENT FEE WAIVERS AND GRANT ASSISTANCE FOR GULLAH NEIGHBORHOODS REDUCE TAX BURDEN THROUGH CURRENT USE, VALUATION AND HISTORIC GULLAH AREAS, TEMPORARY AND SEASONAL SIGNS, AND FUN TO CLEAR, UM, TITLES. SO AGAIN, NUMEROUS OF THESE, UH, RECOMMENDATIONS HAVE BEEN ACTIVATED, AND WE ARE CONTINUING TO WORK, UH, WITH STRONG COMMUNITY AND INTER-AGENCY COLLABORATION IN PLACE, MEASURABLE IMPACTS ON CULTURAL PRESERVATION, ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY, AND POLICY REFORM. UH, THE FOUNDATION LAYS FOR CONTINUED PROGRESS THROUGH THE GULLAH GEECHEE HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOODS COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION. AND WE ARE AGAIN, EXCITED ABOUT, UH, THE PROGRESS THAT WE HAVE MADE, BUT WE KNOW THERE'S STILL A LOT OF WORK TO BE DONE. AND I WILL SAY THAT, UH, WITH OUR, WITH GULLAH GEECHEE TASK FORCE, THE COMMUNITY IS HOLDING US ACCOUNTABLE. SO THEY'RE LOOKING AT US TO BE STAKEHOLDERS AND, UH, WATCHDOGS, IF YOU WILL. SO AS WE GO FORWARD WITH THINGS LIKE THE DISTRICT PLANNING, WE WANT TO BE INTIMATELY INVOLVED. AGAIN, THE TASK FORCE STANDS HERE TO ASSIST THE PLANNING COMMISSION IN THE EFFORTS THAT YOU ARE WORKING ON, EVEN WHEN THOSE EFFORTS ARE NOT NECESSARILY, UH, INVOLVING CULTURAL PRESERVATION. BUT IF IT CALLS FOR INTERACTION WITH, UH, THE COMMUNITY AND WITH OUR CULTURE, WE STAND HERE TO BE AVAILABLE TO HELP YOU WITH, WITH THOSE THINGS. AND, UM, WITH THAT, I, I WILL STOP THERE. I WOULD LIKE TO READ THIS LAST QUOTE, UH, THAT I HAVE. IT SAYS, PRESERVING GULLAH GEECHEE HERITAGE IS NOT JUST A PROJECT, IT IS A RESPONSIBILITY THROUGH UNITY, STRATEGIC ACTION AND RESPECT FOR THE PAST, WE ARE SHAPING A FUTURE WHERE CULTURE AND COMMUNITY THRIVE TOGETHER ON HILTON HEAD. SO WITH THAT, I'LL CLOSE AND ASK IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR ME. AND AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY. THANK YOU, MR. STEVENS. ANY QUESTIONS? UH, UH, COMMISSIONER WHALEY, I, MR. STEVEN, I'M SO GLAD TO FINALLY PUT A NAME TO THE FACE, , UH, TO THE FACE I'VE SEEN ON, UH, THE REMOTE VIEWING OF YOUTUBE. I HAVE TWO QUESTIONS. UM, AND FORGIVE ME, I'M NOT STEEPED IN YOUR CULTURE, BUT HOW FAR ALONG ARE WE AS A COMMUNITY AND UNDERSTANDING HOW MUCH HEIRS PROPERTY IS IN THAT RISK CATEGORY? HAVE WE, HAVE WE STARTED STRAIGHT IT OUT? DO WE HAVE A LONG WAY TO GO? I'VE NEVER GOT A GOOD SENSE OF THAT. AND, UM, [00:30:01] WHAT CAN WE DO AS, YOU KNOW, FELLOW RESIDENTS? AND I DON'T KNOW IF THE PLANNING COMMISSION HAS ANY ROLE IN THAT, BUT HOW DO WE GET THAT CLARIFIED AND MOVED ALONG? BECAUSE I KNOW, UH, NOT JUST IN HILTON HEAD, BUT YOU KNOW, INLAND, SOUTH CAROLINA, THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF GRIEF AND JUST, I THINK, UH, SCURRILOUS BEHAVIOR WITH RESPECT TO FAMILIES. AND I'M JUST CURIOUS WHERE WE STAND ON THE ISLAND, WHAT'S BEEN DONE AND WHAT CAN'T BE DONE IN THE FUTURE. THANK, THANK YOU FOR THAT QUESTION. THAT'S A VERY GOOD QUESTION. HES, PROPERTY IS CERTAINLY ONE OF THE VERY SENSITIVE AREAS WE'VE DEALT WITH IN THE LAST, UH, FOUR OR FIVE YEARS. I'D SAY A LITTLE BIT MORE AGGRESSIVELY. UH, ORGANIZATIONS LIKE LOW COUNTRY GULLAH, UH, HAS ESTABLISHED, UH, A PROGRAM, UH, AGAIN, WHERE WE, UM, GO TO, TO TAX SALES. UH, AND BEFORE THAT, WE LOOK AT WHO'S ON THAT LIST AND CONTACT THOSE FAMILIES AND MAKE THEM AWARE THAT THEY'RE ON THE LIST. UM, SOMETIMES FOLKS DON'T EVEN KNOW THAT THEY'RE ON THE LIST, UH, BECAUSE IF SOMEONE PASSES ON OR THE TAXES DON'T GET PAID, AND THEN THE NEXT THING WE KNOW, WE'VE LOST THE PROPERTY ON A TAX SALE. SO WE'VE MADE SOME SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS WITH THAT, UM, WITH LOW COUNTRY GULLAH AND THE WORK THAT THEY'RE DOING. AND, UH, SO, UH, MS. LUANA GRAVE SELLERS HAS DONE SOME GREAT WORK WITH THAT IN TAKING AN INVENTORY TO TRY TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION TO SAY, WHERE WERE WE? AND WHERE ARE WE NOW? I CAN TELL YOU THAT IN THE LAST TWO, THREE YEARS, WE'VE MADE REAL SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS IN KEEPING FOLKS OFF OF THAT TAX SALE THROUGH, AGAIN, EDUCATION AND AWARENESS. AND AGAIN, SHE ALSO HAS A PROGRAM WHERE WE'VE RAISED SOME FUNDS TO ASSIST FAMILIES WITH PAYING THOSE TAXES IF THEY NEED SOME HELP, UH, WITH THAT, WHAT WE DON'T WANT TO DO IS TO, UH, HAVE THAT HAPPEN YEAR AFTER YEAR. THAT'S WHY THE EDUCATION PIECE IS SO IMPORTANT. WHAT CAN WE DO AS RESIDENTS? UH, CERTAINLY AGAIN, THE AWARENESS THAT, THAT THIS IS ACTUALLY HAPPENING, UH, TO OUR NEIGHBORS. AND TO BE AWARE OF THAT THERE ARE FUNDRAISING EFFORTS THAT YOU CAN SUPPORT, UH, THROUGH FINANCIAL, UH, CONTRIBUTIONS AND CERTAINLY JUST THOSE OF US WHO ARE IN KEY POSITIONS, TOWN COUNCIL, COUNCILMAN PLANNING COMMISSION, JUST TO BE AWARE OF THIS AND THE WORK THAT'S GOING ON. UH, OTHER QUESTIONS OF MR. STEVENS? WELL, WE THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR BRINGING US UP TO DATE. I, I KNOW WE, UH, LOVE HEARING FROM YOU AT LEAST ANNUALLY, BUT DON'T LET THAT BE THE ONLY TIME WE HEAR FROM YOU. IF THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT YOUR TASK FORCE FEEL THAT NEED TO BE BROUGHT TO OUR ATTENTION OR THAT YOU, WHERE YOU THINK THAT THE PLANNING COMMISSION MIGHT BE ABLE TO ASSIST YOU IN SOME WAY, PLEASE DON'T WAIT FOR THE ANNUAL REPORT TO . YEAH, LET US KNOW ABOUT THAT. WELL, I HOPE TO SEE YOU A LITTLE BIT MORE OFTEN THEN, SO, GREAT. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE SO MUCH APPRECIATE, THANK YOU FOR INVITING ME. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT. UH, OKAY. [6.b. STDV-000362-2025 – Consideration of a Public Hearing for Nadine Chaplin, owner of 55 Sugar Horse Lane, proposing to name a new street name off Sugar Horse Lane. The affected parcels are R510 004 006K 0000 and R510 004 006F 0000. - Joheida Fister, Deputy Fire Chief] OUR NEXT ITEM OF BUSINESS WILL BE THE CONSIDERATION OF A STREET DAM OPPORTUNITY KNOWN AS STDV 0 0 0 3 6 2 20 25. AND WE WILL HAVE A REPORT, UH, FROM JOE HEIDA FISTER ON THAT. BUT FIRST, LET ME OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING AND THEN INVITE JOE HEIDA TO HELP US UNDERSTAND THIS WELL. GOOD AFTERNOON, JOE HEIDA FISTER, DEPUTY FIRE CHIEF. UM, TODAY I AM HERE, TROOPER, UH, STDV 0 0 0 3 6 2, UH, 2025. UM, SO THIS IS ON BEHALF OF NADINE CHAPLAIN IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE TOWN OF HILTON HEAD ISLAND'S DIRT ROAD PAVING PROJECT, UM, WHICH YOU WILL SEE ON THE MAP COMING FORWARD. THAT AS PART OF THE REPAY OR THE PAVING OF ALICE PERRY, IT IS CHANGING SOME OF THE, UM, STRUCTURE OF THE ROADS THERE. AND SO WE NEED TO RENAME AN ACCESS EASEMENT THAT IS LOCATED OFF OF ALICE PERRY DRIVE. UH, LIZETTE PLACE IS WHAT WE ARE PROPOSING THE NAME TO BE. IT'LL PROVIDE DIRECT ACCESS TO SEVEN HOMES ON TWO PARCELS. AND, UM, DUE TO THE ZONING IN THAT AREA, UM, THERE IS AN UNDEVELOPED LOT THAT COULD ALSO HOLD UP TO SEVEN DWELLING UNITS IN THE FUTURE. OUR RECOMMENDATION IS THAT THE PLANNING COMMISSION APPROVE THE APPLICATION BASED UPON THE RE THE REVIEW CRITERIA THAT IS ENCLOSED IN THE STAFF, UM, REPORT. UH, LIZETTE PLACE WAS CHOSEN AS THE NEW STREET NAME. LIZETTE IS THE APPLICANT'S MIDDLE NAME, WHICH IT WILL FIT THE CHARACTER OF THAT AREA AS, UM, THERE'S AN ACCESS THAT IS ADJACENT TO IT THAT WE NA WE NAMED, UM, NADINE'S WAY. AND YOU'LL SEE THIS IS THE [00:35:01] REALIGNMENT OF ALICE PERRY AND THE PAVING. AND SO, UM, RIGHT NOW HORSE SUGAR KIND OF MEANDERS HERE AND GOES THIS WAY UP TO THIS PARS, THESE PARCELS, UM, WITH THE PAVING OF ALICE PERRY, IT'S GONNA STRAIGHTEN OUT AND MAKE ALICE PERRY, UM, KIND OF CUT BETWEEN THOSE, THAT THAT AREA. UM, SO THESE PARCELS UP HERE HAVE ADDRESSES OFF OF HORSE SUGAR AND IT WON'T MAKE SENSE ANYMORE ONCE WE DO THE PAVING PROJECT. UM, AND SO YOU'LL SEE THIS IS HOW IT IS TODAY. ALICE PERRY, UM, COMES IN OFF OF FISH HALL AND KIND OF ENDS THERE WHERE THIS IS HORSE SUGAR AND IT COMES UP AND CREATES THAT LOOP UP THERE. SO THE PAVING PROJECT IS REALLY GOING TO, UM, CREATE GOOD ACCESS FOR US FIRE DEPARTMENT WISE, AND IT'S GONNA REALLY DEFINE WHAT THE ROADS TRULY ARE IN THAT AREA. UM, AND SO THIS IS WHAT IS CURRENTLY THAT SECOND PART OF HORSE SUGAR. AND YOU CAN SEE NADINE'S WAY IS RIGHT THERE. UM, ALICE PERRY COMES UP HERE AND WILL GET STRAIGHTENED OUT, AND THEN THIS ACCESS WILL COME OFF OF IT. AND SO WE NEEDED TO RENAME IT TO GIVE, UM, THAT PART SO THAT IT'S NOT HORSE SUGAR AND IT DOESN'T, IT MAKES SENSE, UM, IN THE NEW ALIGNMENT. AND THIS IS JUST HOW IT LOOKS TODAY. AND AS DESCRIBED IN THE STAFF REPORT, UM, WE VETTED THE STREET NAMES. THEY MEET THE CRITERIA THAT IS SET, SET OUT IN THE LMO. SO WE ARE ASKING THAT YOU, UM, APPROVE THIS, THE NEW STREAM NAME. DO YOU GUYS HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? OKAY, ANY QUESTIONS BY COMMISSIONERS OF JO HAIDA? DON'T SEE ANY, LET ME INVITE PUBLIC COMMENT. IS THERE ANYONE HERE TODAY WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK TO US ON THIS APPLICATION? I, OKAY, SEEING NONE, I'LL CLOSE THE, UH, PUBLIC HEARING AND GO TO THE COMMISSION FOR DISCUSSION OR A MOTION. I MAKE A MOTION, I MAKE A MOTION THAT WE APPROVE THE REQUEST TO RENAME THE STREET TO LIZETTE. PLEASE. MOVED BY COMMISSIONER LOBOS, SECONDED BY C UH, COMMISSIONER DEIS. DISCUSSION ON THE MOTION OR ANY READY TO VOTE? OKAY. ALL IN FAVOR OF APPROVAL OF MOTION. IT GOES FIVE ZERO AND WE ARE ON TO NOW STDV [6.c. STDV-000308-2025 – Consideration of a Public Hearing for Herbert Ford, owner of 19 Marshland Road, proposing to name a new street name off Marshland Road. The affected parcel is R510 008 000 0460 0000. - Joheida Fister, Deputy Fire Chief] 0 0 0 3 0 8 20 25 JODA. ALL RIGHT, SO THE, THE SECOND ONE IS, UM, FOR RO ROSANNA LANE. UM, SO THIS ONE IS ON BEHALF OF MR. FORD, AND IT ALSO IS THE ACCESS THAT WILL SERVE THE TOWN'S FUTURE PATTERSON PARK. UM, MR. FORD IS, UH, DEVELOPING SOME OF, UH, SOME ADDITIONAL HOMES ON HIS PROPERTY. AND IN ORDER TO GIVE THEM ADDRESSES AND TO PLAN FOR THE PARK SO THAT THE PARK HAS AN ADDRESS, UM, WE ARE PROPOSING TO NAME THE ROAD THAT WILL SERVE THEM. UM, IT PROVIDES, LIKE I SAID, ACCESS TO THE TOWN'S FUTURE PARK, AND IT COULD ALSO SERVE UP TO EIGHT ADDITIONAL DWELLING UNITS IN THE FUTURE ON ADJACENT PARCELS. SO STAFF IS RECOMMENDING THE PLANNING COMMISSION APPROVE THE APPLICATION BASED ON THE CRITERIA IN THE LMO. UM, ROSANNA LANE WAS SELECTED AS A NEW STRAIGHT NAME IN HONOR OF ROSANNA MURRAY, THE MATRIARCH OF THE GREEN FAMILY. THE GREEN FAMILY HAS DEEP ROOTS ON HILTON HEAD WITH A HISTORY SPANNING MULTIPLE GENERATIONS. THEIR LINEAGE INCLUDES AN ANCESTOR WHO BRAVELY ESCAPED THE CONFEDERATE ARMY TO SERVE IN THE UNION FORCES DURING THE CIVIL WAR. NAMING THE STREET IS A TRIBUTE TO THEIR ENDURING LEGACY AND PROUD HERITAGE. AND, UM, IT WAS, UH, MR. FORD'S RECOMMENDATION THAT WE CHOOSE ROSANNA LANE. UM, THIS, IT WILL SERVE, UM, THE, THE STREET WILL COME THROUGH THIS PARCEL RIGHT HERE, AND IT WILL SERVE THE PARK, WHICH IS NOW 23 MARSHLAND ROAD. AND THEN IT WILL ALSO SERVE 2119 AND THIS ADDITIONAL PARCEL BACK HERE. AND THAT'S JUST A LITTLE, UM, TO SHOW WHERE THE PARK IS GOING. SAME, UH, THE FUTURE PATTERSON PARK AND THE SUBJECT PROPERTY. AND THEN THIS IS JUST A, UH, RENDERING OF WHAT THE STREET WILL BECOME, THE, FOR THE PARK. AND THEN, UM, MR. FORD'S LOTS ARE THESE TWO RIGHT HERE. [00:40:05] SO AS DESCRIBED IN THE STAFF REPORT, THE STREET NAMES, WE VETTED THEM AND THEY MEET THE CRITERIA THAT IT WAS SET OUT IN THE LMO. SO WE JUST ASK THAT YOU WOULD APPROVE ROSANNA LANE SO THAT WE COULD MOVE FORWARD WITH THE NEW STREET. THANK YOU, JOE. HEIDA, ANY QUESTIONS ON THIS PROPOSAL? THE COMMISSION? UH, I INVITE PUBLIC COMMENT. IS THERE ANYONE HERE WHO WOULD LIKE TO COMMENT ON THIS APPLICATION TODAY? OKAY. WE WILL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING AND GO BACK TO THE COMMISSION FOR DISCUSSION, OR A MOTION MOVED BY COMMISSIONER WHALEY TO APPROVE, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER DUBOIS. ANY DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR, LET'S RAISE OUR RIGHT HAND. IT'S UNANIMOUS. AND WE ARE GOOD. THANKS JOHANNE. WE APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU. THIS WOULD BE A TIME ON THE AGENDA [7. Public Comment - Non Agenda Items] THAT WOULD BE OPEN FOR PUBLIC COMMENT. FOR ITEMS THAT DON'T APPEAR ON TODAY'S AGENDA, IS THERE ANYBODY HERE WHO WOULD LIKE TO COMMENT, MAKE A COMMENT TO US, UM, ON SOMETHING THAT DOES NOT APPEAR ON THE AGENDA TODAY? I'M SEEING NONE. SO WE WILL MOVE TO THE NEXT ITEM, WHICH [8.a. Nomination & Election of New Officers for July 1, 2025 - June 30, 2026. ] IS THE, UH, ELECTION OF OFFICERS FOR NEXT YEAR. UH, LET ME OUTLINE, UH, UH, KIND OF REITERATE WHAT, UH, I SENT TO YOU IN AN EMAIL WITHIN THE LAST WEEK ABOUT HOW WE'RE GONNA DO THIS TODAY. UM, I WILL, UH, WE'RE GONNA USE THE OPEN NOMINATIONS PROCESS. SO I WILL FIRST ASK, UH, FOR NOMINATIONS, THOSE NOMINATIONS DO NOT REQUIRE A SECOND. HOWEVER, IF THERE'S, IT'S NOT INAPPROPRIATE. IF SOMEBODY FEELS LIKE THEY WANNA SECOND IT, THEY CAN, BUT, BUT IT'S NOT NECESSARY TO KEEP THE NOMINATION LIVE. AND SELF NOMINATIONS, UH, ARE ALLOWED. UH, AFTER ALL THE NOMINATIONS ARE MADE, UH, I WILL ACTUALLY ASK THE NOMINEES IF THEY'RE WILLING TO SERVE, IF ELECTED. AND AFTER THOSE RESPONSES, WE'LL MOVE TO THE VOTE. WE WILL START WITH THE PERSON WHO IS NOMINATED FIRST AND KEEP MOVING UNTIL WE MOVE THROUGH THAT. AND WE WILL BEGIN WITH THE OFFICE OF CHAIRPERSON BEFORE MOVING TO THE OFFICE OF VICE CHAIR. SO, WITH THAT GROUND RULES UNDERWAY, UH, I WOULD NOW, UH, OPEN THE FLOOR FOR NOMINATIONS FOR THE OFFICE OF CHAIR FOR THE, UH, COMMISSIONER WHALEY. YES. UM, NOMINATIONS. CAN ANYBODY HEAR ME? , AT THIS TIME, I'D LIKE TO PROPOSE A NOMINATION. MR. HENS, UH, HE HAS LONGEST TENURE HERE. HE'S BEEN VERY CLEAR IN HELPING TO ARTICULATE PROBLEMS, UH, UNDERSTAND AND LISTEN TO THE COMMUNITY. UM, NOW I DON'T ALWAYS AGREE ON EVERYTHING, BUT I THINK HE'D BE A, HE'S, HE'S, HE UNDERSTANDS THE COMMUNITY AND THE PROCESS, AND I'D BE SUPPORTIVE OF HIS CHAIRMANSHIP. THANK YOU. WE HAVE A NOMINATION FOR COMMISSIONER THOMAS HENS AS CHAIR. UM, ARE THERE OTHER NOMINATIONS FOR THE OFFICE OF CHAIR? I WOULD SECOND THE NOMINATION. THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER DEIS. I'LL ASK ONE MORE TIME OTHER NOMINATIONS FOR THE POSITION OF CHAIRPERSON. OKAY. THEN WE'LL CLOSE THE NOMINATIONS. AND, UH, IT SOUNDS LIKE WE, UH, DON'T HAVE MULTIPLE VOTES. SO, UH, LET'S JUST ASK FOR A VOTE ON THE MOTION THAT THOMAS, UH, HENS BE ELECTED CHAIR OF THE COMMITTEE. SORRY. COMMISSIONER HENS, WOULD YOU BE WILLING TO SERVE IF ELECTED? UH, SURE. IT'D BE MY HONOR. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. YEAH, I GET THAT. I GIVE YOU THE RULES. YOU HAVE TO FEED 'EM BACK TO ME. OKAY. UH, LOOKS LIKE WE'RE READY THEN. SO, ALL IN FAVOR OF, OF THAT MOTION, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND. OKAY. CONGRATULATIONS, UH, CHAIRMAN, HENCE, WE APPRECIATE YOUR WILLINGNESS TO DO THAT. SO I WILL NOW OPEN UP THE PROCESS FOR THE SAME, UH, OFFICE FOR THE OFFICE OF VICE CHAIR. DO WE HAVE ANY NOMINATIONS FOR THE OFFICE OF VICE CHAIR? UH, COMMISSIONER DEVO? I WOULD NOMINATE COMMISSIONER WHALEY FOR THE VICE CHAIR. OKAY. COMMISSIONER, COMMISSIONER WHALEY IS NOMINATED. ARE THERE OTHER NOMINATIONS FOR THE COMMISSIONER? VICE CHAIR? COMMISSIONER WHALEY, WOULD YOU BE WILLING TO SERVE IF ELECTED GONNA DO ALL WORK? JUST KIDDING. UM, YES, GO AHEAD. OKAY. WE HAVE, UH, WE HAVE AGREEMENT THERE. I, I'M GONNA ASK ONE MORE TIME, ARE THERE OTHER NOMINATIONS FOR THE COMMISSION FOR THE ROLE OF VICE CHAIR? UH, CASE ALL IN FAVOR OF, UH, ELECTING ELLEN WHALEY TO THAT OFFICE OF VICE CHAIR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND. OKAY. WE HAVE A NEW CHAIR AND A VICE CHAIR. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. YOUR ROLES WILL BEGIN WITH OUR MEETING IN JULY, ALTHOUGH IT WILL PROBABLY BEGIN SOONER BECAUSE SHAY WILL BE IN TOUCH WITH YOU TO TALK ABOUT THE AGENDA FOR THAT MEETING. AND YOU'LL BE, UH, OFF AND RUNNING FROM THAT POINT [9. Chairman's Report ] UNDER THE CHAIR REPORT. EXCUSE ME. I'M JUST, UH, MAKE A COMMENT THAT IT'S BEEN MY PRIVILEGE AND HONOR TO SERVE FOR THE LAST TWO AND A HALF YEARS IN THIS ROLE. AND I'M, UH, INTENDING TO STAY ON THE COMMISSION AND SUPPORT OUR NEW LEADERSHIP. BUT, UH, THANK YOU FOR STEPPING UP AND OFFERING TO DO THAT AND LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING TO WORK WITH YOU. NOW, LET ME FIND [10. Staff Reports ] OUT, IS THERE A STAFF REPORT TODAY, SHAY, ANY ANYTHING FROM THE STAFF? ANYTHING ELSE FROM [00:45:01] THE COMMISSION? COMMISSIONER WHALEY, UH, SINCE THIS IS YOUR LAST OPPORTUNITY TO BE CHAIRMAN HERE, UM, AND I'VE ONLY BEEN ON IT FOR, UH, ONE TERM AND A QUARTER, I JUST WANT TO TELL YOU THAT I'VE APPRECIATED YOUR LEADERSHIP, YOUR ABILITY TO MODERATE, UH, SET AGENDAS, COMMUNICATE TO THE PUBLIC DURING PUBLIC HEARINGS, WHICH CAN GET QUITE PASSIONATE HERE. AND I'VE LEARNED A LOT FROM YOU. UH, I APPRECIATE ALL THE TIME AND EFFORT YOU PUT INTO MODERATING THE WHOLE PROCESS. YOUR LEADERSHIP HAS BEEN, UH, INSTRUMENTAL IN ME UNDERSTANDING THINGS. THANK YOU. I, I THINK THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I APPRECIATE THAT. THANK YOU. ARE YOU ALLOWED TO DO AN APPLAUSE? NO, . THANK, THANK YOU SO MUCH. I APPRECIATE IT. UM, SEEMS LIKE THERE'S NO OTHER BUSINESS, SO I'LL TAKE MY LAST WRAP AT THE GAVEL DURING THE MEETING. , YOU'RE WATCHING BEAUFORT COUNTY TV, LIVE, WORK, PLAY. * 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.