[00:00:01]
CLOSED CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY BEAUFORT COUNTY,
[1. CALL TO ORDER]
THE BEAUFORT COUNTY STORMWATER MANAGEMENT UTILITY BOARD, UH, THIS WEDNESDAY, JUNE 18TH, 2025.UH, FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS, UH, IS THE APPROVAL OF TODAY'S AGENDA.
I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE TODAY'S AGENDA.
UH, FOR THOSE IN THE AUDIENCE, UH, WE HAVE ONE OF OUR MEMBERS, UH, IS, UH, CALLING IN BY, IS IT VIDEO? WHAT DO THEY CALL THAT? ZOOM.
UH, MR. ED WARNER IS ON THE SCREEN BEHIND US, SO THERE MUST BE A LAG, BUT WE DID GET AN EYE FOR HIM ON THE APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA.
UH, THE NEXT THING IS, UH, THE APPROVAL OF MINUTES.
THE MINUTES WERE CORRECTED, UH, UH, AS THEY'RE WRITTEN NOW, UH, DO I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF APRIL 17TH, 2025? I MOVE.
A FEW MINUTES OF APRIL 17TH, 2025 ARE APPROVED.
[2. INTRODUCTIONS]
WE WILL GO WITH INTRODUCTIONS, UH, STARTING WITH, UH, BRADLEY.GOOD AFTERNOON, BRADLEY HARRIS.
CAN I PULL THE WORKS? UH, BILL BAUER, TOWN OF BLUFFTON, RON BUCHANAN, ST.
UH, I'M MARK FEINBERG, AND I REPRESENT, UH, UNINCORPORATED DISTRICT NINE AND DUSKY ISLAND.
PATRICK MITCHELL, REPRESENTING LADIES ISLAND.
DENNIS ROSS AT LARGE PUBLIC WORKS.
TAYLOR BREWER, STORMWATER
JIM LAWTON, AJOY YOUNG LADY, PAULA BROWN, BEAUFORT COUNTY COUNCIL.
TOM RANKS BEAUFORT COUNTY COUNCIL.
[3. PUBLIC COMMENT]
AGENDA, WE OPEN IT UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENT.UH, IF THERE IS ANY PUBLIC COMMENT, WE EXPECT, UH, TO BE, UH, ALL COMMENTS, TO BE RESPECTFUL AND ONLY LAST, UH, FOUR, THREE MINUTES DURATION AT THIS TIME, IS THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT? JUST KNOW THAT THERE WILL BE A PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD AT THE END OF THE MEETING.
ANYONE WISHING TO COME UP? UH, MAY DO SO AT THIS TIME.
UM, I JUST, I'M GONNA JUST READ SOMETHING IF I MAY.
UM, THAT WAS, IT'S BEEN FOUR YEARS TODAY THAT PRESERVE AND PROTECT AJOY CAME ABOUT.
WE'VE BEEN ASKED TO SHARE SOME OF WHAT WE'VE ADVOCATED FOR DURING THIS TIME AND HOW THE PROCESS HAS BEEN AND WHY.
INITIATED BY A MEETING HELD AT A NONPROFIT PRESERVATION PERSON'S HOME WITH A PRE-PLANNED ANNOUNCEMENT FROM THOSE INVITED TO SPEAK TO THE AL JY COMMUNITY OF CONCRETE PASS, RIPPING OUT SPARTINA BOARDWALKS, EXPANDED PARKING, AND THE IMPORTANCE OF CONNECTIVITY.
THEN HEARING FROM THE CROWD A GUTTURAL CRY.
WHAT ABOUT OUR DRAINAGE ISSUES? WHAT ABOUT OUR STORM WATER? SEVERAL FOLKS THERE SAID TO EACH OTHER, THIS IS WRONG.
KNOWING THAT THE FOREMOST NEEDS THIS COMMUNITY HAS FOUR YEARS IS WHY PRESERVE AND PROTECT ALL JOY BEGAN THE NEEDS CLEANED AND MAINTAINED DITCHES TO HELP WITH THE DRAINAGE ISSUES, HOUSES FLOODING, STORM WATER, ACCESS TO AFFORDABLE SEW, BECAUSE WHEN IT FLOODS, THERE'S FLOATING FECES AND TRANSPARENCY IN DECISION MAKING PROCESSES THAT AFFECT THE AJOY COMMUNITY.
WE WERE INFORMED THAT THE THEN PUBLIC WORKS ASSISTANT DIRECTOR DID NOT LIKE AJOY, AND I JUST PUT IT AS AN ACRONYM.
AND IT SHOWED BY THE CONSTANT PUSHBACK RECEIVED TO HAVE DITCHES CLEANED AND CLEARED.
WORK WAS PIECEMEAL UNTIL MEETING THE STORMWATER UTILITY BOARD CHAIRMAN
[00:05:01]
MARK FEINBERG.MARK VISITED AJOY, TOOK NUMEROUS PICTURES, SEEN THE DEBRIS IN THE DITCHES, CLOGGED PIPES, AND COULD BARELY BELIEVE THE HARD CONDITIONS.
MARK SHARED HIS FINDINGS WITH HIS BOARD AND AWARENESS BEGAN REGARDING OUR NEEDS.
WE WERE EXCITED TO LEARN A NEW STORMWATER, UH, MANAGER WAS HIRED.
A, A SMART, ENVIRONMENTALLY MINDED YOUNG WOMAN WHO ALSO TOURED ALL JOY, MET MANY LONG-TERM RESIDENTS WHO FOUND HER TO BE CARING, KIND, A CARING INDIVIDUAL WHO WOULD WORK TO HELP THEM.
SHORTLY AFTER THE PLAID, WE'LL JUST SAY THAT PUBLIC WORKS ADMIN ASSISTANT DIRECTOR FORBID THE STORE THE MANAGER TO FURTHER ASSIST ALL JOY COMMUNITY AND ENSURED REROUTING CORRESPONDENCE WOULD ONLY BE RECEIVED BY THE TWO PUBLIC WORKS ASSISTANT DIRECTORS FOR OVER A YEAR AFTER THREE FULL YEARS OF EMAILING TIMES 10, CALLING TIMES 10 MEETING AND PLEADING WITH THE PLAID, WHO ALSO BLOCKED FOR TWO FULL MONTHS SUBMITTING THE RIA GRANT FOR THE DRAINAGE STUDY UNTIL THE PRESSURE BECAME TOO GREAT.
SHE AND ANOTHER HELD A COMMUNITY MEETING JULY, 2024 AT THE BLUFF AND REC CENTER.
THIS MEETING WAS THE START OF STOPPED ROAD SIGNAGE HELPFUL TO MANY IN THE AJOY COMMUNITY, ADVERTISING PUBLIC MEETINGS, UTILIZING THEIR SPIDEY SENSES, PRESERVE AND PROTECT ALL JOY.
FOLKS INVITED THE NEW COUNTY ADMIN AND ALL COUNCIL TO ATTEND.
AFTER THAT MEETING, THE PLAID WAS GONE AND THE NEW CA MADE SURE THAT EVERY SINGLE DITCH AND ALL JOY WAS COMPLETED AND CLEARED, CLEANED JUST BEFORE TROPICAL STORM, DEBBIE.
AND WHAT A DIFFERENCE IT MADE.
WE ARE SUPER GRATEFUL FOR THE BOOTS ON THE GROUND FOLKS WITH PUBLIC WORKS AND S-E-D-O-T FOR THE TRULY AUTHENTIC CARE ABOUT ALL JOY.
WE JUST WANT TO THANK AGAIN, THE STORMWATER BOARD AND PLEASE, IF YOU COULD SPEAK TO, WE CAN'T HAVE ALL THIS CONCRETE DOWN IN ALL JOY.
THANK YOU AGAIN FOR ALL THAT YOU HAVE DONE ALREADY.
I BELIEVE I'LL WAIT FOR THE SECOND ONE.
SOMEONE HAS JUST JOINED THE MEETING.
WOULD YOU IDENTIFY YOURSELF? YES.
I'M ANDREW
[4. REPORTS]
WILL GO TO REPORTS.UH, IT LOOKS LIKE DR. PETTY IS NOT PRESENT, UH, NOR SOMEONE FROM THE HIS LABORATORY.
PETTY'S MONITORING UPDATE, UH, MUNICIPAL REPORTS.
UH, TOWN OF BLUFFTON HAS A COUPLE THINGS.
UH, WE'RE PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE THAT WE DID PASS THE WETLAND ORDINANCE, UM, LAST TOWN COUNCIL MEETING, UH, UNANIMOUSLY, WHICH WILL, I WANNA COMMEND MY STAFF, ANDREA MARINO AND BETH LEWIS FOR THEIR TIRELESSLY EFFORTS TO MAKE SURE THAT GETS THROUGH.
SO I WANNA MAKE SURE THEY GET THEIR, UH, KUDOS FOR THAT.
UH, THEY DID ALSO PASS OUR, UH, BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 26, UH, INSIDE THAT, THE, UH, SUB WATERSHED DRAINAGE STUDIES, MOVING ON TO ROSE DO CREEK AND FINISHING UP CROOKED COVE DRAINAGE REPORTS GOING FORWARD.
THE, UM, COOPERATION WITH THE USCB LAB FOR THE MST LAB AND THE WATER QUALITY LAB WILL CONTINUE, WHICH WE'RE VERY EXCITED ABOUT.
UM, TALKING ABOUT DRAINAGE STUDIES, THE, UH, HAYWARD COVE DRAINAGE STUDY OWNER'S REPORT WENT OUT, UH, AND WAS RECEIVED, UH, FAVORABLY BY THE STATE.
AND, UH, I BELIEVE THE COUNTY, UH, I THINK YOU GUYS GOT YOUR REPORT, UH, SO THAT THAT WAS, UH, THAT'S MOVING FORWARD.
SO KIRK COVE SHOULD BE COMING OUT IN ANOTHER MONTH OR TWO.
AND THEN, LIKE I SAID, WE START IN ROSE DO CREEK.
UH, THE OTHER BIG, UH, INITIATIVE IS THE, UM, THE CONTRACT WITH MCCORMICK TAYLOR TO, UH, START OUR WETLAND MAPPING.
WE'RE, UH, FINISHING UP THE FINAL PARTS OF THAT THAT SHOULD GO OVER THROUGH THE SUMMER AND HAVE SOMETHING OUT BY, UH, THE END OF THE YEAR TO MARCH OF NEXT YEAR.
AT THIS TIME, I REALLY WANNA THANK, UH, THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON AND MR. BROWER FOR HIS CONTINUED, UH, UH, ATTENDANCE AND CONTRIBUTIONS, UH, FROM A MUNICIPALITY.
UH, DURING THE LAST MEETING, UH, I, AS CHAIRMAN STATED THAT I WOULD WRITE A LETTER, UH, TO THE MUNICIPALITIES ASKING FOR THEIR ATTENDANCE AND INFORMATION FLOW, ESPECIALLY IN LIGHT OF THE FACT THAT MANY OF OUR PROJECTS, UH, ARE COMMINGLED, UH, ALONG WITH MUNICIPALITIES AND THE COUNTY.
SO IT'S IMPERATIVE THAT WE KNOW WHAT OUR MUNICIPALITIES
[00:10:02]
NEED AND WHETHER THERE'S ANY, UH, UH, SYMBIOTIC RELATIONSHIPS AND EFFORTS THAT WE CAN, UH, INITIATE.BAY PINES BEING A GREAT EXAMPLE OF THAT.
SO, UH, IN LIGHT OF WHAT I PROMISED LAST MONTH, UH, THIS WEEK COMING, UH, THERE WILL BE A LETTER THAT I HAVE DRAFTED, UH, FROM THE STORMWATER UTILITY BOARD TO OUR OTHER THREE MUNICIPALITIES, ASKING THEIR, UH, UH, ATTENDANCE AT OUR MEETINGS AND CONTRIBUTIONS, UH, TO THAT.
AND, UH, DOES ANYBODY ON OUR BOARD WANNA MAKE ANY OTHER STATEMENTS ABOUT MUNICIPAL REPORTS? UH, I THINK IT'S, IT'S BEEN MENTIONED A COUPLE TIMES THAT, UH, NOT ONLY THEIR THEIR PRESENCE HERE, BUT THEIR EITHER UNWILLINGNESS OR INABILITY TO PRESENT THEIR FINANCIAL REPORTS IN A TIMELY MANNER.
AND, UH, I, I THINK WE NEED TO KEEP HOLDING THEIR FEET TO THE FIRE.
I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THAT.
UH, AGAIN, UH, UH, HOPEFULLY THIS LETTER WILL, UH, UH, ADDRESS THAT, THOSE ISSUES AND WE'LL GET SOME, UH, COOPERATION.
UH, NEXT IS, UH, UH, THE MAINTENANCE PROJECTS REPORT.
STEPHEN CARTER, SUPERINTENDENT STONEWATER, UH, SPEAK TO YOU ALL ABOUT A FEW OF THE MAJOR PROJECTS AND THE MINOR PROJECTS THAT WERE DONE THROUGHOUT THE BEAUTIFUL COUNTY MUNICIPALITY.
FIRST PROJECT I WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ABOUT IS THE WEBY LAND ROAD PROJECT.
THIS PROJECT IMPROVED 11,683 LINEAR FEET OF DRAINAGE SYSTEM.
THE SCOPE OF WORK INCLUDED HANGING OUT 11,683 LINEAR FEET OF ROADSIDE DITCH JETTING, ONE CROSS LINE PIPE, AND THE TOTAL COST OF THAT WAS 104,731.
ANOTHER PROJECT THAT WE HAD WAS THE BIBLE CAMP ON ST.
AND THE SCOPE OF WORK INCLUDED INSTALLING ONE ACCESS PIPE AND UPSIZING ONE CROSS LINE PIPE AND INSTALLING RIP WRAP FOR EROSION CONTROL.
AND THE TOTAL COST OF THAT WAS 36,400 FOR EIGHT.
AND WE TAKE A LOOK AT THE, SOME OF THE MINOR PROJECTS.
WE HAD THE ARTHUR HORN PARK, THE POND.
THE PROJECT IMPROVED 700 LINEAR FEET OF DRAINAGE SYSTEM.
THE SCOPE OF WORK INCLUDED GRUBBY AND CLEARING 700 LINEAR FEET OF PENINSULA AND INSTALLING ONE ACCESS GATE.
THE TOTAL COST OF THAT WAS 9,533.
ANOTHER ONE OF OUR, UH, MINOR PROJECTS THAT WE HAD WAS DOOR DRIVE, AND THAT'S IN THE LADIES ISLAND AREA.
AND THE PROJECT IMPROVED 1,312 LINEAR FEET OF DRAINAGE SYSTEM.
THE SCOPE OF WORK INCLUDED CLEANING OUT 1,312 LINEAR FEET OF RURAL SIDE DITCH, ALSO JETTING, 20 DRIVEWAY PIPES AND ONE CROSSLINE PIPE.
THE TOTAL COST OF THAT WAS 10,239.
THOSE ARE JUST SOME OF THE PROJECTS THAT WE HAVE IN THE REPORT.
IF YOU LOOK THROUGH, YOU'LL SEE THE REST OF THE, UH, THE MAJOR PROJECTS AND THE SCOPE OF WORK AS WELL.
LOOKS LIKE YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN BUSY.
UM, ARE YOU GETTING ALL THE SUPPORT YOU NEED FROM THE ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT? YEAH, WE'RE GETTING ALL THE WORK ON THE STAFF IS GETTING BEEFED UP.
WE'RE UP TO ABOUT 30 TO 33 EMPLOYEES NOW.
UH, WE HAVE A COUPLE MAJOR PROJECTS STILL ONGOING IN BLUFF IN THE BLUFFING AREA AT DON AT SUGARY.
UM, AND ANOTHER MAJOR PROJECT WITH, UM, ON HICKORY HILL WITH PIPE INSTALLATION.
AND, UM, JUST HAD A CREW JET OUT SOME DRIVEWAY PIPES AT BRADLEY CIRCLE IN THE HILTON HEAD AREA.
UH, NEXT, UH, IS A REPORT, UH, IF, IF THEY CHOOSE TO SPEAK OUR LIAISONS.
WE HAVE TWO COUNCIL PEOPLE HERE, OUR FORMAL LIAISON, MS. PAULA BROWN.
MS. BROWN, WOULD YOU LIKE TO SPEAK? I REALLY DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TO COURT, BUT I KNOW THIS GENTLEMAN DOES WELL.
SHE'S GOING TO DEFER TO COUNCILMAN RITZ, RIGHT? DEFER, YEAH.
CHAIRMAN, UH, BOARD, UH, MS. SALLY, THANKS FOR HAVING ME HERE.
UM, I DID NOT KNOW THAT I WAS GONNA SPEAK TODAY, AND I BELIEVE THAT'S PROBABLY MY OVERSIGHT.
I DIDN'T LOOK, AND I APOLOGIZE FOR THAT.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ON AN ISLAND AND WE HAVE THIS BEAUTIFUL PLACE WE CALL HOME THAT IS SURROUNDED BY WATER.
AND ONE OF THE PRIMARY THINGS WE DO IS TRY TO PROTECT OUR PEOPLE FROM THE STORMWATER
[00:15:01]
RUNOFF.AND SINCE AUGUST 5TH STORM, DEBBIE, UH, I'M HERE TO REPORT, UM, BETWEEN THE STAFF, UH, MS. BREWER, UH, BRADLEY, UH, AND THIS BOARD, WE'VE DONE SOME INCREDIBLE WORK.
AND I THINK MR. CARTER JUST MENTIONED BRADLEY CIRCLE AND BAY PINES.
UM, BAY PINES WAS, UH, UH, AUGUST 5TH, UH, THAT STORM DEBBIE CAME IN AND, UH, WRECKED HAVOC ON THAT PLACE AND MANY OTHER PLACES, BUT PARTICULARLY BAY PINES.
AND WHAT I LEARNED FROM THAT MOMENT, I WAS THERE THAT NIGHT AND MANY OF THE NEXT DAYS FOLLOWING, IS THAT OUR COUNTY DID NOT SERVE THESE PEOPLE LIKE WE ARE DOING NOW.
AND I'M GONNA TELL YOU, I'M PROUD TO BE PART OF THIS TEAM.
UM, MR. CARTER TALKED ABOUT A $10,000 CONTRACT JUST IN THE LAST FEW MONTHS.
WE'VE, UM, DEPLOYED CLOSE TO A HALF A MILLION DOLLARS WORTH OF WORK JUST IN BAY PINES BASED ON WHAT THIS BOARD STORMWATER AND WHAT, UH, MS. BREWER AND OUR TEAM IS DOING INTERNALLY.
UM, SINCE BAY PINES, WE BROUGHT IN BRADLEY CIRCLE, UM, ASHTON, UM, COVE, CEDAR WOODS, UH, POINT COMFORT, POINT COMFORT CLUB, OLD WOODLANDS THAT HAVE HAD LONG EXISTING, UH, STORMWATER DRAINAGE PROBLEMS. AND, YOU KNOW, JUST YESTERDAY IS COINCIDENTAL.
MS. BREWER AND I WERE BACK IN BAY PINES.
I WORK FULL-TIME STILL, UNFORTUNATELY, I LIKE IT, BUT I MEAN, I GOTTA DO THAT TO PAY THE BILLS.
BUT, UM, WE WERE THERE DURING MY LUNCH HOUR AND WE MET SOME PEOPLE THERE THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING A LOT OF WORK FOR.
WE'VE LEARNED A LOT OF THINGS ALONG THE WAY ON HOW WE COULD SERVE THESE PEOPLE EVEN BETTER.
BUT THIS HUMBLE COUNCILMAN IS HERE TO SAY THAT THE WORK THAT YOU DO, AND SOME OF US REALLY DON'T KNOW EACH OTHER YET, BUT THE WORK THAT YOU DO TO KEEP AN EYE ON WHAT WE DO TO SERVE THE PEOPLE WITH ONE OF THE MAJOR PRIORITIES, I GOTTA TELL YOU, I'M PROUD OF YOU.
UM, AND, AND I'M PROUD OF THIS TEAM THAT I WORK WITH BECAUSE WE, UH, WE HAVE PEOPLE ON THE GROUND NOW FOR THE FIRST TIME IN YEARS LISTENING.
AND MR. FEINBERG AND I, I THINK WE MET EACH OTHER FIRST TIME BACK IN A SEPTEMBER OF LAST YEAR AT A COMMUNITY MEETING THAT I HELD IN BAY PINES.
WE LEARNED ABOUT WHAT YOUR ROLE AND WHAT YOUR FUNCTION IS WITH THE BOARD IN RELATION TO WHAT WE DO INTERNALLY.
AND I I'M TELLING YOU RIGHT NOW, THE PEOPLE THAT WE SERVE ARE APPRECIATIVE OF WHAT WE'RE DOING.
AND IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT WE CAN DO AS COUNCILMEN AND, AND, AND THE PEOPLE I REPRESENT, I LIVE WITH 'EM, UM, LET US KNOW.
UM, MY, I I LISTEN TO MS. WILSON.
UM, MY LIMIT, UM, MY, I'M LIMITED WITH ALL JOY, BUT IF THERE'S SOMETHING WE CAN DO THERE, IF THERE'S SOMETHING PERVIOUS WITH THE SIDEWALK THAT WE CAN LOOK AT AND MAYBE PAY ATTENTION TO, UM, LET US KNOW, GUIDE US IN HOW WE CAN HELP YOU THERE.
BUT, UM, IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS MR. FEINBERG LET ME KNOW, BUT WE'RE DOING A GREAT THING TOGETHER.
UM, IF THERE'S ANYTHING I MISSED, THERE'S A LOT.
MS. BREWER, DID I COVER THIS? OKAY.
WITH WHAT WE'RE DOING? WE LEARNED AN AWFUL LOT SINCE AUGUST 5TH, LOT MORE TO LEARN, BUT THERE'S NO BETTER TEAM THAN WHAT WE HAVE AND IF WE CAN JUST WORK TOGETHER.
SIR? UH, I CAN SAY THAT, UH, I HAVE WORKED WITH THE COUNCIL, THE GR GREAT COUNCILMAN, UH, ON PROJECTS IN HILTON HEAD.
AND, UH, I JUST HOPE HE SETS AN EXAMPLE FOR THE REST OF THE COUNCIL PEOPLE, UH, IN BUFORD COUNTY.
UH, NEXT WE HAVE, UH, OUR, OUR STORM WATER UTILITY REPORT BY MRS. BREWER.
GOOD AFTERNOON, CHAIRMAN FEINBERG AND MEMBERS.
SO WE'LL START WITH OUR UTILITY UPDATE.
SO WILBERG IS IN THE PROCESS OF DEVELOPING US OPTIONS FOR A NEW STRUCTURE, UH, FOR THE WAY THAT WE COLLECT FEES.
AND JUST TO REMIND EVERYBODY, WE ARE NOT TRYING TO RAISE FEES.
WE ARE TRYING TO CREATE AN EASIER WAY TO CALCULATE THE FEES THAT CAN BE HANDLED INTERNALLY INSTEAD OF CONTRACTING OUT OUR TAX RUN TO TWO DIFFERENT EXTERNAL COMPANIES, AS WELL AS MAKING IT MORE EQUITABLE TO CITIZENS BEING COMMERCIAL AND SINGLE FAMILY.
AND WHERE THAT BRUNT LIES OF THE STORMWATER FEE.
SO, UM, THE FIRST STEP IS WE ARE HAVING A, WELL, THE FIRST STEP WAS TO START.
AND THE SECOND STEP, I GUESS WOULD BE TO HAVE A MEETING WITH OUR ORIGINAL STAKEHOLDERS, AS I CALL THEM.
WE CALL THEM THE SWIC MEMBERS, THAT'S THE OTHER MUNICIPALITIES.
UM, PRESENT THOSE OPTIONS TO THE MUNICIPALITIES TO SEE WHAT THEIR FEEDBACK IS.
UH, WE HAVE SEVERAL MEMBERS IN SWIC THAT WERE AROUND WHEN THE ORIGINAL, UH, FEE STRUCTURE WAS CREATED.
SO THEY'RE VERY HELPFUL IN GIVING A LOT OF BACKGROUND AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO, UM, WE'RE GONNA GET THAT BACKGROUND AND INCORPORATE THAT
[00:20:01]
IN WHATEVER DECISION MAKING WE MOVE FORWARD WITH.ONCE WE GET THE WIC MEMBERS, UM, TOGETHER AND GET THEIR INPUT, THEN WE WILL COME BACK TO THE BOARD WITH A FORMAL RECOMMENDATION OF WHAT OPTIONS FOR FEE STRUCTURES WE'RE LOOKING AT.
I IS, IS THE OVERALL PLAN, UH, UH, WITH WALPERT LOOKING AT THE OPTIONS TO GO WITH ONE INSTEAD OF TWO DIFFERENT, UH, UH, COMPANIES? YES.
WELL, IT'S TO BE ABLE TO HANDLE THE TAX RUN INTERNALLY.
AND IT WILL BE A LOT LESS COMPLICATED.
I THINK CITIZENS WILL BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND WHERE THEIR STORMWATER FEE IS COMING FROM AND WHERE THAT CHARGE IS BEING SPENT EASIER.
DO YOU HAVE A TIMEFRAME WHEN THE STAKEHOLDER STAKEHOLDER MEETING'S GONNA BE HELD WITHIN THE NEXT TWO WEEKS? I'VE REQUESTED AVAILABILITIES, UM, FROM WILPERT AND THEN WE'LL HAVE THAT MEETING SOON FOR THE SO LOW CODE MANUAL.
UH, WE HAD TOSSED AROUND THE IDEA OF HAVING A THIRD PARTY LOOK AT IT, UM, AS FAR AS MAKING SURE THAT IT'S COHESIVE AND, UH, DOABLE FOR ENGINEERS, BUT ALSO MAINTAINS THE INTENT TO FORCE RESPONSIBLE DEVELOPMENT.
UM, BLUFFTON HAS COME THROUGH WITH A SERIES OF EDIT.
UM, ONCE AGAIN, I'LL GIVE SHOUT OUTS TO MISS ANDREA THAT HAVE BEEN VETTED BY NOT ONLY THE PUBLIC BY, BUT SERIOUSLY LOOKED AT BY INTERNAL STAFF.
AND, UM, WE THINK THAT IN THE INTEREST OF TIME, WE WOULD LIKE TO PRESENT THOSE EDITS AS ADOPTION IN BEAUFORT COUNTY AS WELL TO EDIT OUR MANUAL TO MORE CLOSELY REFLECT, UH, WHAT BLUFFTON HAS DONE.
SO ALSO IN THAT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE AN UPDATED FORMAT OF OUR SOLO CO MANUAL ONLINE THAT IS NOT A DRAFT FORMAT AND THAT IS FULLY, UM, VETTED AND CORRECT.
SO MORE TO COME ON THAT AS WELL.
I THINK THAT WILL EXPEDITE THE PROCESS VERSUS HAVING A THIRD PARTY LOOK AT IT.
BUT WE WANTED TO GO AHEAD AND GET THIS STRAIGHTENED OUT SOONER THAN LATER.
UH, I UNDERSTAND THAT THAT BLUFFTON HAD EDITS AND I BELIEVE HARDY V AND SOME OTHERS HAD EDITS OR, OR THEY, THEY THEY ADOPTED IT IN, IN TOTAL.
ARE WE LOOKING AT OUR PARTNERS TO BE THE THIRD PARTY OBSERVER OR ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT HIRING A PROFESSIONAL AD HOC GROUP TO LOOK AT IT? YES, SIR.
WE WERE TALKING ABOUT HIRING A FIRM, UM, TO LOOK AT THE MANUAL TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S APPROPRIATE.
WE DON'T WANT ANY LOOPHOLES, WE DON'T WANT ANY CONTRADICTIONS OR OTHERWISE WE WANT THE MANUAL TO SOLIDLY STAND ON ITS OWN.
WE ALSO, THAT INCLUDES A LEGAL REVIEW BECAUSE THERE IS CONTRADICTING VERBIAGE IN THERE, LIKE SHOULD AND SHALL THAT HAS GIVEN ME HEARTBURN.
SO WE ARE GONNA MAKE SURE THAT LEGALLY AS WELL, IT HAS ALL OF THE RIGHT JARGON IN IT TO BE ENFORCEABLE.
THAT MOVES US TO OUR PROJECTS REPORT, UM, FOR ALL JOY.
OUR DRAFT CONTRACT FOR SEMEN AND WHITESIDE IS STILL UNDER REVIEW BY RIA, THAT BEING GIVEN, UM, I HAD A DISCUSSION WITH MS. MAZZA WHO KIND OF HANDLES OUR GRANT CASE.
AND BEING THAT THE PROJECT WAS SUPPOSED TO START IN FEBRUARY AND CLOSE OUT IN NOVEMBER, I FELT THAT AN UNFAIR TIMELINE FOR OUR CONSULTANT.
SO WE DID ASK FOR A GRANT EXTENSION.
SHE AGREED, UM, THAT THEIR REVIEW HAS TAKEN LONGER THAN ANTICIPATED.
SO WE WILL HAVE PUT IN THE PAPERWORK FOR GRANT EXTENSION AND HAVE BEEN GIVEN VERBAL CONFIRMATION THAT IT WILL BE EXTENDED THROUGH APRIL OF 2026.
AND I WILL LET YOU KNOW IF, WHEN WE GET WRITTEN CONFIRMATION, SO WE HAVE A DELAY IN RA RIA, LOOKING AT WHAT OUR PROPOSAL IS, JUST THE CONTRACT.
THEY HAVE VERY SPECIFIC LANGUAGE, UM, THAT OUR COUNTY PROCUREMENT DEPARTMENT DOESN'T NORMALLY INSERT INTO CONTRACTS.
UM, AND THEY LIKE IT TWEAKED A CERTAIN WAY.
SO, UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THEY WANTED TO PUT IN WAS THAT WE WOULD INVESTIGATE ALTERNATIVE FUNDING SOURCES.
WE DO HAVE A STORMWATER UTILITY FUND, BUT SOME COUNTIES DON'T THAT APPLY FOR RA GRANTS.
THEY WANNA MAKE SURE THAT IN THE EVENT SOMETHING HAPPENS, THAT WE ARE ABLE TO THEN STILL FUND THE PROJECT.
THAT SHOULDN'T BE HARD BECAUSE WE DO HAVE A BUFFER OF MONEY.
THAT'S JUST ONE PIECE OF LANGUAGE THAT THEY WANTED ADDED TO THE CONTRACT AND IT'S BEEN A BACK AND FORTH OF OUR PROCUREMENT AND RIA TO GET EVERYTHING INCLUDED IN THAT CONTRACT THE WAY THEY WANT.
SO WE CAN'T GET THE CONTRACT APPROVED.
[00:25:01]
START THE STUDY.SO WE HAVE TO ASK AGAIN FOR AN EXTENSION OF THE SAME PEOPLE WHO ARE TAKING THE DELAY OF REVIEWING THE RIA.
BUT THEY HOLD THE PURSE FOR THIS PROJECT.
NOT A, WE'RE NOT GONNA WAIT FOREVER ON THEM.
BUT I, I GUESS THAT'S MY POINT.
WE'RE WE'RE, WE'RE SORT OF SPINNING OUR WHEELS HERE.
BEING THAT THIS IS OUR FIRST EXTENSION, I THINK WE'LL BE OKAY.
WE DON'T FORESEE ANY MORE DELAYS.
UH, SO THERE'S A TWO PART PROCESS THERE.
THERE'S A MAINTENANCE SHELF PROJECT.
UM, THAT ONE IS PRETTY MUCH TOWARDS ITS LAST LEG.
THE CLEARING AND GRADING HAS BEEN COMPLETE.
THE NEXT STEP WILL BE TO HYDRO SEED, THE MAINTENANCE SHELF.
WE ARE WORKING WITH THE ADJOINING COMMUNITY TO INSTALL A FENCE, UM, THAT, BECAUSE THE FENCE WAS DISRUPTED IN THE CLEARING OF THE MAINTENANCE SHELF, BUT WE WERE GONNA WAIT TO INSTALL THAT FENCE UNTIL AFTER HYDRO SEEDING TO PREVENT ANY FURTHER DAMAGE TO THAT FENCE FOR THAT.
UM, WE IN THE CONTRACT AGREED TO REPLACE THE FENCE TO THE QUALITY THAT IT WAS PREVIOUSLY, BUT THE ADJOINING COMMUNITY WOULD LIKE TO PICK OUT A MORE ROBUST, POSSIBLY MORE EXPENSIVE FENCE AND HAVE AGREED TO MEET THE DIFFERENCE WITH COST.
SO WE WILL FULFILL OUR ORIGINAL CONTRACT OBLIGATIONS AND THEY WILL PAY THE DIFFERENCE FOR WHATEVER KIND OF FANCY FENCE THEY WANT.
UM, ALSO ON THE DRAINAGE STUDY FOR BAY PINE.
SO THE SECOND PART OF THAT IS TO OVERALL ANALYZE THE AREA AND COME UP WITH SOME SOLUTIONS TO ALLEVIATE THE LOCALIZED FLOODING.
UH, WE BROUGHT IN MR. JEFF INGER FROM, UH, TARANA HILTON HEAD AND HAD A DISCUSSION WITH WILPERT ABOUT THEIR DESIGN AND THE INPUTS THAT THEY HAD IN THEIR MODEL.
AND MR. JEFF HAD A LOT OF HISTORICAL KNOWLEDGE THAT WAS VERY HELPFUL IN, UM, REALIZING SOME THINGS THAT MAYBE NOT HAD BEEN CONSIDERED IN THE MODEL.
ONE OF THEM BEING THAT THE OUTFALL IS COMPLETELY CLOGGED EVERY TIME I'VE BEEN THERE IN THE FIELD.
AND THE MODEL DESCRIBED IT AS NOT AN ISSUE.
SO WILPERT HAS GONE BACK TO, UH, NOT THE DRAWING BOARD, BUT THEY'RE GONNA MAKE SOME TWEAKS IN THE MODEL AND THEN RE RERUNS THE DESIGN STORMS ESSENTIALLY TO SEE, UM, IF THEY CAN COME UP WITH A SCENARIO WHERE THE MODEL SHOWS THE OUTFALL BEING BLOCKED THE WAY IT IS ON THE GROUND.
SO MORE TO COME ON THAT ONE FOR.
SO THERE'S BEEN NO MOVEMENT ON SHELL POINT, SO WE'LL JUST MOVE OVER THAT ONE UNLESS THERE'S ANY SPECIFIC BEFORE YOU LEAVE SHELL.
UH, IT LOOKS LIKE THE, THE, THE COMPANY, UH, JAY BRAGG REQUESTED A MEETING.
DID THEY HAVE THAT MEETING YET? UM, I BELIEVE THEY'VE HAD SEVERAL MEETINGS SINCE THEN.
I DON'T KNOW THAT THERE'S BEEN A CONCLUSIVE, UH, DECISION.
I KNOW THAT THERE WERE TALKS OF THEM PRODUCING A DESIGN FOR THE HAMRICK DRIVE OUTFALL AND US TAKING THAT OUT OF OUR GRANT THAT WE HAVE APPLIED FOR.
AND CONTINUING WITH THE GRANT FOR THE REST OF THE AREA, UH, WITH A DIFFERENT CONTRACTOR.
SEVERAL MEETINGS WITH WHO? J BRAGG AND UPPER ADMINISTRATION.
DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY COMMENTS ABOUT IT? IT'S JUST PAINFULLY SLOW.
IT JUST SEEMS LIKE THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOREVER AND EVER AND EVER AND EVER.
AND, AND THE COMMON DENOMINATOR ALWAYS SEEMS TO BE JAY BRAGG.
AND I HAD THOUGHT AT ONE POINT, MAYBE BRAG, THOUGHT THEY WERE GONE.
BECAUSE THAT YOU NON RESPONSIBLE, THAT WHAT YOU TOLD US ABOUT.
AND THEN MAGICALLY AT THAT LAST MEETING, THEY POPPED UP AGAIN.
SO WHAT IS THE, WHAT IS THE, THE HOLD THAT THEY HAVE ON THE COUNTY THAT WE JUST CAN'T SAY? SEE YOU LATER.
DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD? YOU CAN, ABOVE ME.
THE DECISION MADE ABOVE ME, WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE WITH J BRAGG.
'CAUSE THERE WAS A, UH, MR. MRS. BROWN OR MR. RE.
IS THERE ANY WAY THAT YOU GUYS CAN ASK ABOUT THAT? OR WHY DO WE CONTINUE TO HAVE THIS RELATIONSHIP WITH JAY BRAND? JARED, GIVE US SOMETHING.
IF, IF YOU COULD, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
THIS MEETING YOU HAVE COME BACK.
I DO BELIEVE ONE OF THE INTENTIONS WAS THAT THEY ARE WORKING ON OTHER PROJECTS IN THE AREA.
AND HYPOTHETICALLY, IT WOULD BE NICE IF THOSE PROJECTS WOULD TIE IN TOGETHER.
SO I THINK THE THOUGHT PROCESS WAS MAYBE THAT, UM, THAT WOULD BE BETTER IF IT WAS THE SAME CONTRACTOR.
WELL, I, I UNDER, I UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT TO HAVE THE CITIZENS OF THAT COMMUNITY HAVE TO STRUGGLE FOR HOWEVER MANY YEARS IT'S BEEN NOW, AND I SAY THIS 'CAUSE I'VE GOT A FRIEND OF MINE THAT LIVES IN THAT AREA AND TALKS ABOUT WATCHING PIECES OF PAPER FLOAT THROUGH HIS YARD THAT NEVER USED TO DO THAT 10, 15 YEARS AGO.
[00:30:01]
SO I, I THINK, I THINK THE APPEASEMENT HAS TO COME TO EITHER APPEASE THE CONTRACTOR OR DO WE APPEASE THE COMMUNITY.AND I WILL, UM, PUSH FOR AN UPDATE ON THAT.
AND I WILL OFFER ANY HELP THAT I CAN GIVE TO THE SITUATION.
J BRAG CONSULTANT FOR AN ACTUAL ENGINEER.
THEY ARE THE ENGINEER ON THE PROJECT ENGINEER, THE CONSULTING ENGINEER.
SO WHAT THEY'RE MOVING FORWARD WITH, IS IT IN ADDITION TO WHAT WE'VE, WHAT THE COUNTY'S ALREADY PAID THEM? YES, SIR.
IT WOULD BE AN ADDITIONAL FEE AND IT'S THE DESIGN FOR THE HAMRICK DRIVE OUT ALL SPECIFICALLY.
I I'M SORT OF, I, I DON'T WANNA SOUND TOTALLY IGNORANT, BUT I GUESS I AM WITH RESPECT TO WHAT HAPPENED INITIALLY IN THIS PROJECT TO CAUSE IT TO BE SO DELAYED AID.
AND IS THERE, IS THERE AN EASY ANSWER AS TO WHY THIS HAS TAKEN SO LONG? IT STARTED LONG BEFORE YOUR TENURE HERE.
I DID NOT UNDERSTAND WHY THE DRAG IN THIS PROJECT EITHER.
WELL, HOPEFULLY, UH, WE'RE, WE'RE GOING TO ASK MR. FLIK TO COME TO THE MICROPHONE.
UH, MR. UH, WHAT WE'RE GONNA GIVE YOU
I JUST WELL, WE ARE, WE ARE, UH, RIGHT NOW WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SHELL POINT AND IT'S RELATIONSHIP WITH THE CONSULTING ENGINEERING FIRM OF JAY BRAGG.
AND THIS HAS BEEN A, UH, LANGUISHING PROJECT ON THE LIST OF PROJECTS FOR STORMWATER FOR SOME TIME.
AND THERE'S A QUESTION, UH, UH, BY MANY OF OUR, UH, BOARD MEMBERS AS TO NUMBER ONE, WHY JA JAY BRAGG IS STILL INVOLVED IF THEY WERE THE CAUSE OF THE MAJOR DELAY.
AND THEN, UH, WE'LL START WITH THAT ONE AND I'LL LET MY BOARD MEMBERS ASK ANY OTHER QUESTIONS THEY WISH.
YEAH, I CAN ANSWER SOME OF THOSE.
AND, UH, SO JAY BRA, I GUESS BACKSTORY REAL QUICK.
UM, THE STUDY IDENTIFIED SOME AREA, IT WAS BY CRANSTON, I BELIEVE.
UM, AFTER THAT IT IDENTIFIED RECOMMENDATIONS.
BRAGG WAS THE QUALIFIED FIRM THAT WAS SELECTED BY THE COUNTY TO IMPLEMENT DESIGN AND IMPLEMENT AND PERMIT THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS.
AND GOING THROUGH THAT, THEN THERE WAS SOME INTERACTION BETWEEN JAY BRAGG'S ENGINEERING TEAM AND THE STUDY THAT WAS PERFORMED.
AND THEN HOW DO WE MAKE THOSE IMPROVEMENTS ON SOME OF THE DOT RIGHT OF WAY.
AND DOT HAS DIFFERENT STANDARDS OF DRAINAGE STANDARDS AND DESIGN THAN WHAT WAS ACCOUNTED FOR IN THE STUDY.
SO THAT WAS SOME OF THE ISSUES AND DELAY.
UM, BUT WITH JAY BRAGG, WHEN SHE GOT AWARDED THE CONTRACT, SHE GOT AWARDED A, SHE, UH, JENNIFER BRAG AS THE ENGINE AS THE PRESIDENT.
THEY GOT AWARDED, UM, A CONTRACT, I BELIEVE UP TO 800 OR $850,000 IN CONTRACT VALUE.
AND OUT OF THAT WE'VE ISSUED PURCHASE ORDERS OR TASK ORDERS UP TO THAT THRESHOLD.
WE HAVEN'T EXPENDED THAT MUCH.
UM, SO THERE'S BEEN SOME, SOME TIME DELAY TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT PARTS OF THE STUDY WERE APPROPRIATE OR IF ANYTHING NEEDED TO BE REDONE.
UM, WE'VE DONE SOME MAINTENANCE PROJECTS OUT THERE AND SOME PRELIMINARY PROJECTS OUT THERE.
WE'VE BID AND I THINK REBID SOME SECTIONS OF DRAINAGE DITCHES THAT WE ARE GOING TO GET IMPROVED.
AND THEN WHAT WE'RE DOING RIGHT NOW IS WORKING THROUGH A PROPOSAL THAT SHE'S OFFERED FOR JUST A SMALL PORTION OF, NOT A SMALL PORTION, BUT, UM, A SPECIFIC PORTION OF THE OVERALL DRAINAGE STUDY, WHICH IS THE HAMRICK CIRCLE OR A HAMRICK DRIVE DRAINAGE, UM, OUTFALL, AS WELL AS SOME IMPROVEMENTS BEHIND THE FOOD LINE, UH, DETENTION POND.
UM, SO WE HAVE A PROPOSAL FOR THAT TASK ORDER UNDER THE $850,000.
AND WE'RE TRYING TO SOLVE THAT AND MOVE THAT FORWARD.
UM, IF WE CAN'T COME TO TERMS ON THAT TASK, THEN THERE'S GOING TO BE A POINT WHERE, OKAY, WELL I THINK WE'VE GONE AS FAR AS WE CAN UNDER THAT CONTRACT WITH, WITH JAY BRAGG AND THE TEAM.
SO, UM, BUT WE'RE, WE'RE GOING TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT.
AND THEN THAT WOULD BE THE CULMINATION OF THAT CONTRACT AND PURCHASE ORDER.
CRANSTON WAS A CONSULTING FIRM THAT LOOKED AT WHAT JAY BRAGG HAD PROPOSED OR HAD DONE? NO, J CRANSTON WAS THE INITIAL FIRM THAT A COUNTY HIRED TO DO THE STUDY OF THE OVERALL DRAINAGE BASIN.
UM, WHAT WE'VE LEARNED FROM PREVIOUS DRAINAGE PROJECTS AND WHAT WE'RE DOING NOW IS WHEN WE DO AN RFQ
[00:35:01]
FOR A DRAINAGE AREA, LIKE AJOY IS A GOOD EXAMPLE, UM, WE'RE PUTTING OUT THE SCOPE OF WORK TO INCLUDE THE INITIAL DRAINAGE STUDY AS WELL AS THE SCOPE FOR THE PERMITTING AND CONSTRUCTION PLANS FOR WHATEVER THE RECOMMENDATIONS.SO THAT WAY WE DON'T HAVE TWO ENGINEERS THAT WHAT WE GOT CAUGHT IN AT SHELL POINT IS A LITTLE BIT OF THIS.
UM, SO WHOEVER DOES THE STUDY AND MAKES THE RECOMMENDATIONS, DOES THE WORK, DOES THE WORK TO ACTUALLY DO THE DESIGN AND THE PERMIT.
AND SO THAT'S JUST ONE OF OUR LESSONS LEARNED.
AND SHELL POINT HAPPENS TO BE ONE OF OUR OLDER PROJECTS THAT WE'RE WORKING THROUGH.
UH, HOW LONG HAVE WE, HOW LONG HAS THE COUNTY HAD A RELATIONSHIP WITH JAY BRAGG HAS IT HAD A, A MULTITUDE OF PROJECTS OVER THE YEAR? I DON'T KNOW THE LONG TERM HISTORY.
UM, BUT SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE IN 2020, UM, I DON'T KNOW IF IT WAS THEIR FIRST PROJECT OR NOT, BUT WE'VE AWARDED, THEY'RE THE PRO PROGRAM MANAGER FOR OUR 2018 SALES TAX.
I THINK THAT GOT ESTABLISHED IN 2020 OR 2021.
UM, ADDITION TO THAT, THEY HAVE A PROGRAM MANAGEMENT CONTRACT OUTSIDE OF SALES TAX, OTHER TRANSPORTATION RELATED PROJECTS.
THIS IS, UH, WHAT I BELIEVE THEIR FIRST, UM, DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENT PROJECT THAT THEY'VE DONE FOR US.
UM, SO AT LEAST THOSE THREE CONTRACTS, AND I'M NOT SURE WHAT OTHER THEY'RE, THEY'RE A RELATIVELY NEWER FIRM, 10 YEARS OLD OR SO.
AND, AND, AND HOW WOULD THEIR TRACK RECORD BE AS FAR AS COMPLETING JOBS OR FOLLOWING THROUGH ON WHAT THE COUNTY HAS REQUESTED OF THEM? HAVE WE GOTTEN THE HEISMAN FROM 'EM ON OTHER AREAS TO WHERE WELL, WE'RE WORKING ON THIS, BUT THERE'S A PROBLEM WITH THAT.
I MEAN, WE NEED SOMEONE WHO'S GONNA TAKE ACTION, NOT SOMEONE WHO'S GONNA KEEP GIVING US THE STIFF ARM.
'CAUSE AS I SAID, IT'S THE CITIZENS OF THAT COMMUNITY SURE.
ARE THE ONES THAT ARE SUFFERING BECAUSE OF THEIR DELAYS.
UH, I THINK WE'RE, WE'VE HAD PROJECTS WHERE WE'VE, UM, OTHER PROJECTS ON THE TRANSPORTATION SALES TAX.
YOU GUYS, IF YOU'RE NOT AWARE, THOSE PROGRAMS AND PROJECTS HAVE TAKEN A LONG TIME.
THAT'S NOT ALL ATTRIBUTED TO JENNIFER BRAGG AND, AND HER TEAM.
UM, THE SAME THING HERE IS, UM, WE GOT HERE TOGETHER.
UM, BUT TOGETHER, WE'RE ALSO GONNA GET OUT OF HERE.
AND SO I THINK US BEING ABLE TO SOLVE THIS, WE'RE WORKING THROUGH THE PROPOSAL TERMS RIGHT NOW FOR THAT SCOPE.
I JUST DESCRIBED THE, THE HAMMER DRIVE AREA.
UH, AND IF WE CAN COME TO TERMS WITH THAT, THAT WILL BRING SOME CONCLUSION AND FINALITY TO THEIR SCOPE INSIDE THE SHELL POINT AREA.
ONE QUESTION I HAVE IS, I THOUGHT WHEN WE WERE BRIEFED ON THIS LAST TIME, THAT THE WORK THAT JAY BRAGG HAD DONE WHATEVER WORK THEY HAD DONE, I THOUGHT WE WERE BRIEFED THAT IT WASN'T CORRECT.
THAT'S WHAT, THAT'S WHAT I, THAT'S WHAT I ASSUMED THAT CRANSTON BASED, THEIR STUDY SAID THAT JAY BRAGG'S WORK WAS SUBSTANDARD.
CRANSTON CRANSTON DID THE WORK FIRST.
YEAH, I, I I THINK WE WERE TOLD WRONG INFORMATION, IS WHAT I'M SAYING.
I I THOUGHT WE WERE TOLD IT WAS OPPOSITE THAT JAY BRAGG, I THOUGHT WE WERE TOLD THAT WHATEVER WORK JAY BRAGG HAD BEEN AWARDED AND PERFORMED, WHICH WE'D PAID THEM, THE COUNTY HAD PAID THEM FOR, WAS LOOKED AT BY EITHER STAFF OR ANOTHER ENGINEER AND SAID, THAT'S NOT GONNA WORK.
I BELIEVE THAT WAS THE CRANSTON STUDY THAT WE WERE TRYING.
JAY BRAGG SAID THAT CRANSTON STUDY WAS WRONG.
WE WERE TOLD THAT COMPLETELY WRONG.
THEY JUST, WE FOUND SOME, WE KIND OF FOUND SOME DONUT HOLES IN IT.
WELL, I WOULDN'T SAY IT WAS COMPLETELY WRONG.
BUT THERE WAS SOME DONUT HOLES IN IT THAT WELL, AND, AND WHEN WE'RE I THINK SO, RIGHT.
THAT'S WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WRONG THINK OUR CONCERN.
I THINK WE WERE RELAYED SOME WRONG INFORMATION.
WELL, AND, AND WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WRONG OR RIGHT, UM, THE WORD THAT CRANSTON DID WAS APPROPRIATE.
THE ISSUE IS THE TWO ENGINEERS WE'VE GOT A LITTLE BIT I UNDERSTAND THAT AND, AND JAY, BRAD, THEY'RE MORE OF A TRANSPORTATION FOCUSED GROUP.
CRANSTON IS SITE DEVELOPMENT AND HYDROLOGY.
UM, SO A LOT OF THE ROADS THAT WE RUN INTO, A LOT OF THE IMPROVEMENTS ARE INSIDE THE DOT RIGHT OF WAY.
SO KNOWING THAT JAY BRAGG WITH THAT BACKGROUND, UM, UM, THEY KNOW WHAT DO T'S GOING TO ACCEPT OR NOT ACCEPT, AND SOME OF THE DESIGN RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WERE PUT FORTH IN THE CRANSTON STUDY ARE NOT GONNA GET ACCEPTED BY DOT.
THAT WAS WHERE THE CONFLICT GOT THE FLIP.
AND IF, IF WE GOT THE FLIP WRONG, WE APOLOGIZE, WE WEREN'T YEAH.
THAT I THINK IT WAS RELAYED TO US THAT WE, THE COUNTY HAD PAID JBR TO DO ALL THIS WORK, AND NOW WE'RE BEING
[00:40:01]
TOLD BY EITHER STAFF OR ANOTHER ENGINEER THAT IT'S ALL NOT GONNA WORK.I THINK IT WAS, THAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN FLIPPED, BUT IT'S PROBABLY SOMEWHERE IN THE MIDDLE IF THAT MAKES A LITTLE MORE SENSE.
WE TO RIVERS END, MS. BREWER, YOU KEEP GOING.
RIVERS END, IF YOU'LL REMEMBER, UM, IS A LITTLE SUBDIVISION IN OKT AND THERE'S A DOUBLE LAYERED SYSTEM THAT'S MIXED WITH RCP AND PLASTIC PIPE.
AND WE ARE, WE HAVE GIVEN WILBERT THE TASK ORDER TO DESIGN STAMPED PLANS THAT WILL RESTORE THAT SYSTEM TO AN, UM, OPEN DITCH SYSTEM ON TOP.
WE'RE GONNA COMPLETELY RE REPLACE THE BOTTOM DRAINAGE SYSTEM AND THEN WE'LL HAVE, UH, LOVELY PLANTED BIOSWALES ON TOP OF THE SYSTEM THAT WILL NOT ONLY INCREASE THE QUALITY, THE QUANTITY OF WATER THAT'S ALLOWED TO FLOW THROUGH THE SYSTEM, BUT THE QUALITY AS WELL.
IF YOU'LL REMEMBER THIS ONE, HAS A POND AT THE END.
AND WE WOULD LOVE TO DO, UM, A PATHWAY, AN EARTH AND PATHWAY AROUND THE POND, UH, WITH EDUCATIONAL SIGNAGE AND WATER, STORM WATER EDUCATION FEATURES.
AND THEN, UM, WE WANT TO, THIS WILL BE PHASE TWO OF THE PROJECT.
UH, FIRST ORDER IS TO REPLACE THE PIPES, SECOND THE POND.
UM, BUT ALSO WE WILL INCREASE THE WATER QUALITY FOR THE OUTFALL OF THAT, UH, WHICH HOPEFULLY WILL GIVE US SOME CREDIT FOR THE TMDL.
FOR TUXEDO PARK, THIS IS A POND DREDGE.
THE PAVEMENT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE REPLACED.
I THINK THEY WERE GONNA GO IN THIS WEEK, TODAY AND TOMORROW, IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY.
AND REPLACED THE PAVEMENT THAT WAS TORN UP FROM ALL THE MACHINERY GOING IN AND OUT TO DREDGE THE POND.
THIS WAS A PIPING, PIPING IN A DITCH SYSTEM.
AND THEY WILL CALLED AND SAID THEY'LL BE ON SITE PROBABLY NEXT WEEK, POSSIBLY IF WEATHER COOPERATES.
UM, TO START THAT PROJECT, TO FINISH THAT PROJECT.
THE CLEARINGS BEEN DONE FOR IT FOR THE OKA T RIVER POND DAM.
THE GEOTECH REPORT HAS BEEN COMPLETED.
WE'VE VERIFIED THAT THE DAM IS NOT REGULATED BY DES.
UM, IT'S STAMPED PLANS ARE UNDERWAY.
SO THE DUE DATE FOR THAT IS JULY 30TH.
UM, IF YOU'RE INTERESTED, I THINK THAT'S GONNA BE A REALLY COOL PROJECT.
AND IF YOU'LL REMEMBER, THAT'S US REVAMPING THE DAM FOR THE PASSIVE PARKS PROJECT.
PASSIVE PARKS BOUGHT A PIECE OF PROPERTY.
UM, WE'RE MAKING SURE THE DAMS FUNCTIONING CORRECTLY FOR ROYAL PINES.
UH, WE'VE HAD SOME ISSUES WITH SEVERAL DIFFERENT PROPERTIES AROUND ROYAL PINES, AND WE HAD A STUDY DONE A WHILE BACK AND THERE WEREN'T REALLY ANY FEASIBLE PROPOSED SOLUTIONS, UH, TO COME FOR THAT AREA.
HOWEVER, UH, IT HAS BEEN PROPOSED THAT WE LOOK INTO THE FEASIBILITY OF A BUYOUT PROGRAM FOR STORMWATER USING STORMWATER UTILITY FUNDS.
THAT WOULD BE WHEN WE HAVE A PROPERTY THAT IS INUNDATED BY STORMWATER THAT COULD BE BENEFICIAL TO ENHANCING OUR SYSTEM OVERALL, WE WOULD BE ABLE TO PURCHASE THAT PROPERTY AND THEN TURN IT INTO SOME SORT OF STORMWATER.
I HAD A FUN CONVERSATION TODAY WITH MR. MARK ABOUT, UM, THE POSSIBILITY OF PARTNERING WITH GREEN SPACE ON THIS, WHICH WOULD ALLOW US TO PUT COVENANTS AND RESTRICTIONS ON WHATEVER LAND WE PURCHASED THAT WOULD NOT ALLOW IT TO BE DEVELOPED IN THE FUTURE.
SO IT WOULD BE ONLY FOR STORMWATER USE.
SO WE'RE LOOKING INTO THE FEASIBILITY OF THAT, MAKING SURE THAT IT'S ALL LEGALLY.
SO WOULD THOSE FUNDS COME FROM STORMWATER OR GREEN SPACE? YEAH, WE, GREEN SPACE WOULD MATCH.
IT WOULD BE, UM, A 50 50 PARTNERSHIP.
ARE WE TALKING ABOUT BUYING HOUSES OR, OR LAND? UM, POSSIBLY BOTH.
SO WITH HOUSES, IT GETS TRICKY.
UM, BUT IF THEY ARE WILLING TO RELOCATE, THEN WE WOULD COME TO AN AGREEABLE PRICE AND PURCHASE THAT PROPERTY AND TAKE THE HOUSE DOWN AND THEN RESTORE THAT PROPERTY TO, HAS THAT EVER BEEN DONE IN THIS COUNTY? UH, GREENVILLE COUNTY DOES IT.
AND OH, DO YOU REMEMBER UP HERE ON THE, THE CITY OF BEAUFORT DID THIS AREA RIGHT UP HERE ON UM, OLD BOUNDARY ON THE RIGHT.
REMEMBER THE BEAUFORT COUNTY OLD, OLD, OLD BUILDING THERE ON THE RIGHT? USED TO BE THE WENDY'S? YEAH, YEAH, YEAH.
SO BASICALLY THAT'S WHAT THEY'VE DONE.
SO THE COUNTY OR THE CITY AND THE COUNTY I THINK PARTNERED WITH THAT.
I KNOW THE CITY WENT THERE AND BOUGHT THAT WHOLE STRIP, FINALLY BOUGHT THOSE BUSINESSES OUT.
THEY, YOU KNOW, FINALLY BOUGHT 'EM OUT, TORE 'EM DOWN AND JUST PUT 'EM BACK TO NATURAL LAND.
BUT THAT, BUT THAT IS A, THAT IS SOMETHING THEY DO, BUT THAT'S COMMERCIAL.
THERE'S, THERE'S AREAS IT'S BEEN DONE.
WE'RE ACTUALLY LOOKING AT THAT AS MITIGATION
[00:45:01]
AREAS TOO.UM, AS FAR AS STORMWATER MITIGATION, WE'VE HAD THAT DISCUSSION TOO ABOUT AREAS THAT COMMONLY FLOOD.
UM, EVEN IF THERE'S A RESIDENT ON IT, WE COULD TURN IT INTO A STORMWATER FEATURE.
BECAUSE OVER A PERIOD OF TIMES, IF A PLACE FLOODS MORE THAN A FEW TIMES, FEMA'S NOT GONNA CONTINUE TO PAY YOU.
YOU KNOW, THEY'RE GONNA TELL YOU TO EITHER MITIGATE YOUR PROPERTY OR WE'RE NOT GONNA, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, YOU HAVE TO MITIGATE THE PROPERTY BASICALLY.
SO YOU HAVE TO BUILD YOUR HOUSE UP, MITIGATE THE LAND.
OR MAYBE THERE'S SOMETHING THAT STORMWATER COULD LOOK INTO IS BUYING THAT PROPERTY, MAKING IT A STORMWATER FEATURE TO HELP WITH THE STORMWATER ISSUES IN NEIGHBORHOODS AND AREAS THAT, CERTAIN AREAS THAT JUST DOESN'T, JUST NATURALLY DON'T DRAIN WELL, I THINK IT'S PRETTY CREATIVE.
UH, BRADLEY DOESN'T EVEN KNOW THIS YET, BUT THERE'S A SECTION OF THE OLD GOLF COURSE THAT'S UP FOR SALE IN THE ROYAL PINES AREA, AND MR. MARK HAS HIS EYE ON, NOT THAT RON, UH, WE'RE LOOKING INTO THAT AS WELL TOO.
THERE'S SOME AREAS IN THAT AREA THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT.
I, I WOULD JUST ASK THAT, THAT WE'VE ALREADY SENT FORWARD NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET, SO I DIDN'T SEE ANY OF THESE IN OUR NEXT YEAR'S STORM WATER BUDGET.
IT WOULD HAVE TO BE AN ADDITIONAL CHARGE.
IT COULD BE SOMETHING ADDITIONAL OR IT COULD BE NATURE.
THIS IS JUST, THIS IS VERY EARLY, EARLY PRELIMINARY.
STEP ONE IS MAKING SURE THAT OUR UTILITY IS SET UP IN A WAY THAT THIS WOULD BE LEGAL FOR US TO BUY LAND.
THEY USUALLY ARE, BUT WE JUST WANNA MAKE SURE, AND IF YOU WANNA LOOK AT A GOOD, A GOOD EXAMPLE.
UM, FOR ARTHUR HORN, THIS IS A LITTLE, WELL, A LITTLE 17 ACRE WETLAND IN THE PORT ROYAL AREA.
UM, IT WAS NOT, IT FUNCTIONED AS A NATURAL STORMWATER WETLANDS AND IT WAS KNOCKED DOWN IN HURRICANE MATTHEW.
AND THE DRAINAGE REROUTED ITSELF AS WATER DOES INTO PEOPLE'S BACKYARDS.
SO THE DOWNSTREAM SYSTEM IS CLEAR, THERE'S NO OBSTRUCTIONS, BUT THE WATER'S NOT MAKING IT TO THE OUTFALL.
SO THIS IS A PLACE THAT USED TO HAVE A BOARDWALK OUT INTO A WETLANDS AREA.
UH, MANY OF THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS ENJOYED IT AS AN AMENITY FOR THE COMMUNITY.
UH, THEY HAVE EXPRESSED INTENT THAT THEY WOULD LIKE THAT RESTORED.
SO WE ARE LOOKING AT A TWO PHASE PROJECT HERE.
NUMBER ONE, RESTORING DRAINAGE, UH, MAKING SURE THAT, UH, EVERYTHING'S FUNCTIONING THE WAY THAT IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE TO ALLEVIATE THE FLOODING.
AND THEN THE SECOND WOULD BE AN AMENITY SIMILAR TO RIVERS INN.
SO WE WOULD DO A PATHWAY BOARDWALK TYPE PATHWAY AROUND THE WETLANDS AREA.
PART OF THE PRELIMINARY DESIGN INCLUDES A WET POND THAT WE WERE THINKING ABOUT TRYING TO GET CERTIFIED AS A DUCK IMPOUNDMENT AFTERWARDS.
I DON'T KNOW IF Y'ALL HAVE BEEN TO CYPRUS WETLANDS IN PORTLAND AND PORT ROYAL, BUT IT'S BEAUTIFUL.
UM, IT'S A BIG DRAW ATTRACTION FOR THE AREA.
WE DON'T WANNA STEAL THEIR THUNDER, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO BRING IN AN ECOLOGICAL ASPECT TO THIS PROJECT, WHETHER IT BE DUCKS OR TURTLES OR SOMETHING.
UM, AND THAT CAN BE DONE ON THE BACK END, BUT WE JUST WANNA MAKE SURE WE'RE CONSIDERING THAT IN THE DESIGN.
I THINK IT WOULD BE A GREAT AMENITY FOR NOT ONLY THE COMMUNITY, BUT THE WATER QUALITY OF THE AREA.
CYRUS WETLANDS IN PORT ROYAL IS, IS A GREAT EXAMPLE OF WHAT FOLK LAND'S MANAGEMENT DID.
WE, WE HAD A MEETING THERE TWO YEARS AGO, UH, UH, OUR STORM STORMWATER BOARD.
AND IT IS A, A VERY ATTRACTIVE FEATURE FOR PORT ROYAL.
IT GETS A LOT OF VISITORS AND IT'S VERY ECOLOGICALLY FRIENDLY.
BUT IS THAT, THAT THAT WATER I DO NOT BELIEVE IS TIDDLY TIDAL, UH, MOVEMENT.
THE, I-I-I-I-I-I-I REALLY BIG STORM EVENT OR SOMETHING? NO, I, I, I KNOW ONE THAT IS TOTALLY TITLE, UH, UH, EVENTFUL.
UH, AND IT'S LOCATED, UH, BETWEEN ROSE HILL AND UH, UH, UH, PLACE CALLED BELFAIR AND IT'S TITLE.
AND IT HAS A RICE GATE AND IT HAS LOTS OF DIFFICULTIES.
I MEAN, YOU SEE, DON'T SEE DUCKS, BUT WE SEE OTHER WATERFALL, UH, WATER FOUL.
HOWEVER, IT IS REALLY DIFFICULT TO MAINTAIN THROUGH THE RICE GATES AS WELL AS THIS ARTHUR HORN PART SHE'S TALKING ABOUT.
IT'S BEEN A VERY, IT'S, IT'S VERY, VERY DIFFICULT TO MANAGE, MAINTAIN.
THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO NOW, IS TO GET IT WHERE WE CAN HAVE SOME POSITIVE FLOW THROUGH THE WET, NATURALLY FLOW THROUGH THE WETLAND, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, IT WOULDN'T BE A WHOLE LOT OF MAINTENANCE, IF YOU WILL.
IT WOULD JUST BE, GET IT KIND OF REESTABLISHED.
THE, THE ONE I'M TALKING ABOUT TAKES A LOT OF MAINTENANCE AND A LOT OF DREDGING AND IT'S VERY COSTLY TO MAINTENANCE.
WE WOULD, WE WOULD NOT DESIGN ANYTHING THAT WOULD REQUIRE EXTENSIVE MAINTENANCE LIKE THAT BECAUSE WE WOULD HAVE TO GET PERMITS TO GO BACK AND DO AN, ANY KIND OF MAINTENANCE LIKE THAT.
BECAUSE WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE SUPPER, SWEAT LINES, THERE'S ALSO THE CRYSTAL LAKE PARK, WHICH WAS PART OF, BUT THAT'S NOT TALLY AFFECTED.
[00:50:01]
ANOTHER LITTLE HIDDEN GEM THAT'S IN LADIES ISLAND.AND DON, IF YOU'VE BEEN BY ARTHUR HORN WHERE IT'S AT, IT'S ESSENTIALLY LOCATED LIKE LITERALLY IN THE MIDDLE PRIVATE CENTER NEIGHBORHOOD.
I MEAN, IT'S AN OLDER OLD NEIGHBORHOOD.
BEEN THERE FOREVER, UM, RIGHT OFF OF, YOU KNOW, MAGNOLIA THERE.
AND THAT, THAT RFP FOR DESIGN'S ALREADY OUT, CORRECT? YES SIR.
UM, WE'RE ALMOST, WE'RE NEARING THE END OF ITS 30 DAY POSTING.
SO WE SHOULD HAVE THE QUALIFICATIONS BACK REALLY SOON.
WE HAD 42 FIRMS ATTEND THE PRE-QUAL MEETING, WHICH I'VE NEVER SEEN.
I THINK THEY ECOLOGICAL SIDE IS DRAWING A LOT OF INTEREST FOR THE ENGINEERING FIRMS 'CAUSE IT'S SOMETHING NEW, SOMETHING FUN.
I THINK IT'S GONNA BE A GOOD PROJECT FOR, I THINK IT'S GONNA BE A GOOD, VERY GOOD POSITIVE FOR STORMWATER BOARD AND FOR STORMWATER IN GENERAL IN BEAUFORT COUNTY.
I THINK IT'S JUST GONNA BE A REALLY GOOD POSITIVE PROJECT TO GET THAT AGREE PUBLISHED THERE.
AND THAT'S ONE, IF YOU'LL REMEMBER THAT WE HAD APPLIED FOR A GRANT AND WE HAD VERBAL CONFIRMATION THAT WE WERE GONNA RECEIVE A GRANT.
SO MANAGEMENT DECIDED TO MOVE FORWARD WITH FUNDING THIS OUTTA THE STORMWATER UTILITY FUND.
UM, SO THAT BRINGS ME TO OUR PROFESSIONAL CONTRACTS UPDATE.
WE HAVE WILPERT CURRENTLY AS OUR ON CALL FOR A E STORMWATER SERVICES.
THEIR TASK ORDER BASED CONTRACT EXPIRES IN OCTOBER OF THIS YEAR.
WE WOULD LIKE TO CONTINUE WITH THEM, BUT WE DO HAVE TO PUT IT OUT FOR RFP.
AND WE ARE, WE HAVE BEEN INSTRUCTED TO MODEL HOW THE ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT HAS THREE FIRMS ON CALL FOR VARIETY OF DIFFERENT, UM, SERVICES.
SO IT WOULD BE NICE TO HAVE A COUPLE OF ENGINEERING FIRMS, THREE SPECIFICALLY ON CALL THAT SPECIALIZE IN DIFFERENT TYPES OF PROJECTS THAT WOULD ALSO GIVE US, UM, AN ADVANTAGE WHEN WE HAVE TO COLLECT, UM, QUOTES FROM THREE PEOPLE.
SO, SO, SO I TAKE IT YOU LIKE WALPERT AND TWO OTHERS? WELL, WE WOULD HAVE TO PUT OUT AN RFQ AND WE WOULD GIVE FIRMS, THEY WOULD HAVE TO APPLY AND THEN WE WOULD RANK THEM THROUGH OUR PROCUREMENT PROCESS.
AND THEN THE TOP THREE RANKED FIRMS WOULD BE SELECTED.
AND WHEN, WHEN DO YOU EXPECT THAT TO? WE ARE STARTING IN JULY.
AND IT'S EARLY, BUT WE HAVE, WE WILL HAVE TO GET IT, GET IT GOING.
SO ALSO, LAST BUT NOT LEAST, AND ON A GOOD NOTE, WE CAN SAY THERE IS SOMETHING NEW TO REPORT.
THERE IS SOMETHING NEW TO REPORT ON THE STAFF REPORT.
I THOUGHT THAT I HAD DONE THIS AT THE LAST MEETING AND WHEN I CHECKED WITH HIM, I HAD NOT.
SO WE HAVE A NEW STORMWATER PROGRAM MANAGER.
MR. JACOB BROUGHT PROJECT MANAGER.
I DON'T WANNA GIVE HIM MY JOB.
SO, UM, I ASKED HIM TO WRITE A LITTLE WRITE UP ABOUT HIMSELF BECAUSE I DID WANNA INTRODUCE HIM TO Y'ALL.
SO I'M GONNA READ HIS INTRODUCTION.
I'M A 29-YEAR-OLD AND HAVE BEEN RAISED IN BEAUFORT FOR THE LAST 28 YEARS.
I'VE WORKED FOR BEAUFORT COUNTY FOR OVER EIGHT YEARS NOW.
I GOT MY START WITH THE COUNTY IN GROUNDS MAINTENANCE AS A MAINTENANCE TECHNICIAN, THEN WORKED MY WAY TO STORMWATER INFRASTRUCTURE AS AN INSPECTION TECHNICIAN.
AFTER TWO YEARS THERE, I WAS PROMOTED TO STORMWATER INSPECTOR IN THE STORMWATER REGULATORY DEPARTMENT WHERE I REMAINED FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS, I HAVE NOW BEEN PROMOTED TO STORMWATER PROJECT MANAGER.
PRIOR TO GETTING MY START WITH BEAUFORT COUNTY IN 2017, I GOT MY DEGREE IN FORESTRY AND WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AFTER COLLEGE AND SPENDING SOME TIME IN TEXAS, I KNEW I WANTED TO COME BACK AND DO MORE FOR MY HOME COUNTY.
AFTER SOME HARD WORK AND PATIENCE, I FEEL LIKE I'M FINALLY WHERE I'M SUPPOSED TO BE TO REALLY MAKE IT, TO REALLY HELP MAKE A POSITIVE IMPACT, NOT ONLY FOR THE LOCAL WATERWAYS AND WILDLIFE THAT UTILIZE THEM, BUT ALSO FOR THE COMMUNITY TO LOVE AND ENJOY AS WELL.
I COULD NOT BE MORE EXCITED AND GRATEFUL FOR THE POSITION I'M IN NOW.
AND I LOOK FORWARD TO WHAT THE FUTURE AND WHAT WE CAN ALL ACCOMPLISH TOGETHER.
AND I WOULD LIKE, WELL JACOB, PLEASE STAND BECAUSE WE ARE RECORDING THIS AGAIN FROM THE BOARD.
THAT IS THE CONCLUSION OF MY MANAGER'S REPORT.
UNLESS ANYONE HAS ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS? NOT AT THIS TIME.
AT, AT THIS STAGE, IS THERE ANY UNFINISHED OR OLD BUSINESS NEEDS TO COME BEFORE THE BOARD OR ANY BOARD MEMBERS? ED, ARE YOU THERE NAPPING? YEAH, I HAD UNMUTE MY SCREEN.
[00:55:02]
I HAVE NOTHING TO ADD.[6. NEW BUSINESS]
THIS TIME, IS THERE ANY NEW BUSINESS THAT NEEDS TO COME BEFORE THE BOARD, MR. CHAIRMAN? YES, SIR.SO THIS, THIS IS A, I FEEL LIKE I'M BEATING A DEAD HORSE SOMETIMES.
I THINK ALL OF US ARE GONNA THINK BEATING THE DEAD HORSE AND I CERTAINLY HOPE THAT STAFF OR ANYBODY ELSE FEELS LIKE I'M BEATING UP ON THEM.
I'M JUST KIND OF STATING THE OBVIOUS.
AND ALSO, I, I HAVE SOME QUESTIONS AND I I I WANNA MAKE SURE I GET THIS RIGHT AND MR. CHAIRMAN, OBVIOUSLY, AS ALWAYS, FEEL FREE TO ADMONISH ME IF I STEP OUTTA LINE.
'CAUSE I'VE BEEN ON THE BEFORE.
UM, FIRST QUESTION THAT I HAVE, AND AND THIS LARGELY PERTAINS TO THE AL JOY NEIGHBORHOOD IS, IS HOW HAS, HAS MR. KRAUS MET KRAUS? HAS HE BEEN IN CONTACT, HAS HE BEEN ACTIVELY ENGAGED ON EVERYTHING THAT'S GOING ON, PARTICULARLY WITH THE S-C-D-O-T BUILDING OF THE ROADWAY AND THE WALKWAY? HE GETS AN UPDATE FROM ENGINEERING.
AND HE'S OB OBVIOUSLY BEEN, HE'S JUST, HE'S LIKE A POINT OF CONTACT.
SO ANY INFORMATION, HE'S KIND OF THE BRING IT IN, PUSH IT OUT.
YOU KNOW, IF WE HAVE INFORMATION, WE GIVE THEM INFORMATION TO HIM, HE PUSHES IT OUT TO THE COMMUNITY.
I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE, UM, LITTLE BACK HISTORY IS, I, I NEED TO CATCH UP ON SOME OF THIS STUFF.
UH, AS THIS, THIS GOES BACK, THIS ROADWAY PROJECT ON AJOY WAS OBVIOUSLY PART OF THE 2018 SALES TAX REFERENDUM.
AND THIS WAS ONE OF THE IDENTIFIED PROJECTS THAT THE COUNTY FELT THAT IT NEEDED TO HAVE DONE WAS THE REBUILDING OF THAT ROAD AND THAT WALKWAY ALONG OLD ALL JOY ROAD DOWN TO THE DOCKS.
UH, AS FAR BACK TAKES ALL WAY TO THE DOCK.
RIGHT IN, IN THAT, 'CAUSE I WAS AT THE PRESENTATION THAT THEY DID AT BLUFFTON LIBRARY, WHAT THEY'RE, WHAT THEY WANTED TO DO.
UH, NOW AND AS FAR BACK AS, AS OF JUNE OF 2021, THE AJOY RESIDENTS HAVE OPPOSED A BIKE PATH AND THEY EVEN HAD A PETITION, UH, STATING THAT FACT.
YET THE COUNTY STILL FELT THAT THEY NEEDED TO MARCH FORWARD.
IS THAT CORRECT? AS FAR AS I KNOW, YES SIR.
AND THAT WAS THROUGH PART THAT PROJECT.
I, I HEAR KIND OF WHAT YOU HEAR.
I GET YOU AND I, I'M LOOKING FOR TAYLOR, IF YOU HAVE ANY CORPORATE KNOWLEDGE ON THIS, FOLLOW ME.
JUST FEEL FREE TO JUMP IN OR, OR MS. BROWER, MS. RE UM, SO THIS, THIS ALL WAS PROVED EVEN THOUGH THAT THE RESIDENTS WHO LIVED THERE AND HAVE BEEN DEALING WITH FLOODING AND STORMWATER PROBLEMS, FOR GOD KNOWS HOW LONG THAT THE STATE DECIDED RAISING THEIR CAKE, FLYING BEHIND 'EM, THAT WE'RE GONNA COME IN, WE'RE GONNA REBUILD THE ROAD, AND WE'RE GONNA PUT IN A WALKWAY.
AND I THINK IT'S A GOOD IDEA TO HAVE A WALKWAY.
BUT THERE, FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND FROM THE CONVERSATION YOU AND I HAD, THEY WON'T PUT DOWN ANYTHING BUT OUS SUBSTANCE BECAUSE THEY DON'T WANNA MAINTAIN THE DOGONE THING.
DOESN'T MAKE UNDERSTAND FROM SCDT.
IS IS THERE ANYTHING, OR IS THERE, HAVE WE HAD ANY OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH S-C-D-O-T TO SEE IF THERE WILL BE THE ABILITY FOR THE COUNTY TO PERHAPS EVEN SUBCONTRACT THAT PATH OR THAT WALKWAY TO JUST A NATURAL TYPE OF ENVIRONMENT, A NA NA NATURE TRAIL SO THAT IT WON'T ADD TO THE PROBLEM THAT AJOY ALREADY HAS? IS THERE, SO IS THERE, IS THAT POSSIBLE? I DIDN'T REFER BY ENGINEERING.
'CAUSE THEY'RE HAND, THEY'RE RUNNING THE PROJECT, THEY'RE HANDLING THE PROJECT.
SO I'LL HAVE TO REFER TO ENGINEERING ON THAT TO SEE IF, BUT I'LL ASK THE QUESTION.
I WOULD LOVE TO, TO HEAR THAT.
I'M GONNA BRING IT UP AT COUNTY COUNCIL AT LAND LIAISON.
I'M SORRY, I'M GONNA BRING IT UP MONDAY, MOR MONDAY AT THE COUNTY COUNCIL.
TOM AND I BOTH AND ASK COUNCIL, AND ESPECIALLY MARK LAWSON, THIS IS HIS DISTRICT.
WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO? BECAUSE I MEAN, MS. WILSON AND A LOT OF OTHERS HAVE COME TO US OR COME TO ME.
THIS DISTRICT NINE, I'M DISTRICT EIGHT, NOT DISTRICT NINE.
AND THEY'VE COME TO ME AND I'M TRYING, I'M GONNA TRY TO HELP 'EM.
BUT THIS IS MARK'S DISTRICT AND I'M JUST GONNA BRING IT UP AT THE
IT IS, IT'S CONSTANT WITH EVERYTHING WE DO.
IT IS, YOU KNOW, KNOW, BUT WHY CAN'T WE DO THE JOB THE RIGHT WAY THE FIRST TIME, NOT THE SECOND OR THIRD, BUT THE FIRST TIME.
DON'T GET ME STARTED THIS PLEASE.
I, I'LL TRY NOT TO, BUT I I'M GETTING SPOOLED UP TOO, SO I'LL GET YOU SPOOLED UP.
AND THIS, AND BRAD, YOU GUYS KNOW THIS IS AGAINST YOU.
I, I, I WANT WHAT'S BEST FOR THESE COMMUNITIES.
UM, THEY DON'T WANT THAT IMPERVIOUS.
THERE WAS EVEN A PETITION WITH OVER A THOUSAND NAMES ON THAT PETITION THAT SAID, NO, WE DON'T WANT THIS.
I DON'T THINK IT EVER CAME BEFORE COUNCIL.
I DON'T THINK IT'S EVER BEEN MADE AWARE.
SO THAT WAS ANOTHER THING THAT I DID IN MY RESEARCH.
AND AGAIN, LISTEN, I, I'M, I'M AN A SCIENCE MAJOR.
[01:00:01]
DO WITH ENGINEERING.AND I THINK THAT PRETTY MUCH SHOWS EVERY TIME I OPEN MY TRAP.
BUT IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE TO ME.
I THINK ONE OF THE BIGGEST THINGS THAT WE NEED TO DO FOR THIS COMMUNITY AND A LOT OF THESE COMMUNITIES,
HE SAID, WE OUGHT TO JUST PAVE EVERYTHING OVER AND JUST BE DONE WITH IT.
HE GOES, BECAUSE THAT'S THE ONLY WAY, THAT'S WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN EVENTUALLY ANYWAY.
BUT THE PROBLEM IS, IS WE HAVE A VISION GOING FORWARD.
AND I HAVE TO BRING UP MY, MY BUDDY THAT LIVES IN THE SHELL POINT NEIGHBORHOOD, WHEN HE MOVED IN THERE FOUR YEARS AGO, I GAVE HIM A BACHELOR PARTY 40 YEARS AGO WHEN HE MOVED IN THIS HOUSE IN SHE POINT.
AND NOW EVERY TIME IT RAINS, BECAUSE THEY'VE BUILT UP THAT APARTMENT COMPLEX ON ONE SIDE OUT BY THE BROAD RIVER, THEY'VE BUILT UP THE HOUSING UNITS ON THE OTHER SIDE.
HE GOES, EVERY TIME IT RAINS, NOW I GET FLOODED.
SO OUR PROBLEM IS, AT LEAST IN MY VIEW, IS WE FAIL TO HAVE MITIGATION OR LONG-TERM MITIGATION.
WE HAVE A PROJECT, WE MITIGATE IT AND THEN IT PRESENTS A PROBLEM.
AND THEN WE HAVE TO MITIGATE THAT.
AND THEN WE HAVE TO SOLVE A PROBLEM.
I, I WANT US TO BE ABLE, PARTICULARLY IN THIS ALL JOINT NEIGHBORHOOD, WITH THIS PATHWAY, TO HAVE THE VISION TO UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS JUST GONNA COMPOUND THE PROBLEM.
IT MIGHT NOT BE MONUMENTAL, BUT IT'S GONNA BE A BIG ENOUGH PROBLEM TO WHERE FIVE YEARS FROM NOW WE'RE GONNA GO, WELL, MAY RIVER, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO SHUT IT DOWN TO SHELL FISHING AND FISHING AND EVERYTHING ELSE.
'CAUSE ALL THIS CHEMICAL RUNOFF AND ALL THIS OTHER NONSENSE.
I, I BEG COUNSEL, AS YOU SAID, YOU'RE GONNA BRING US UP MONDAY.
WE NEED TO HAVE THIS VISION, NOT JUST A COUPLE YEARS GOING FORWARD, BUT WAY FORWARD DOWN THE ROAD TO SAY THE THINGS WE DO TODAY ARE GOING TO HAVE AN IMPACT FIVE YEARS FROM NOW.
AND THEN WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO REGROUP AND TRY AND FIX IT AGAIN.
AND IT'S MORE COUNTY FUNDS, MORE MAN HOURS, MORE MANPOWER.
AND IT JUST, IT SEEMS LIKE WE JUST KEEP CHASING OUR TAIL.
I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY DOUBLE CAROLINA DON CAN'T CHANGE THE, UH, THE MATERIALS.
NO, BRADLEY WILL FIND OUT FOR US.
ABSOLUTELY FINE FOR THE COUNTY TO TAKE THAT CONTRACT AND DO IT, LAURA.
THAT'S WHY THEY PUT IT THE CT CHAIRMAN.
THAT NEEDS TO BE A PUBLIC COMMENT.
THAT NEEDS TO BE AT THE END, UM, ADDRESS ON MONDAY.
UH, THE, THE LAST THING THAT I'LL SAY, I'M SORRY, I GOT ONE MORE THING RUNNING AT THE MOUTH HERE.
BUT, YOU KNOW, WE TALKED ABOUT THE SO LOCO MANUAL AND ODDLY ENOUGH, I'M, I'M NOT AN EXCITING PERSON.
I READ THESE THINGS AND I GO THROUGH AND WOW, THAT MAKES SENSE.
IT'S PART OF WHAT I THINK WE ALL NEED TO DO.
BUT I, I LOOK AT THE SO LOCO MANUAL, I LOOK AT THE COMPREHENSIVE PEN RE RESILIENCY PLAN AND THESE THINGS HAVE TO WORK TOGETHER.
IF WE'RE GONNA HAVE A LONG-TERM VISION FOR THIS COUNTY, IT'S THE FASTEST GROWING COUNTY IN THE STATE.
IT'S THE FASTEST GROWING STATE IN THE UNION.
AND IF WE JUST SIT BACK AND JUST, I'LL FIX A LITTLE HERE, I'LL FIX A LITTLE THERE.
WE'RE ALREADY BEHIND, THAT'S AVIATION TERM.
WE'RE WHAT WE CALL A REGION OF REVERSE COMMAND.
YOU CAN ADD ALL THE POWER YOU WANT, YOU'RE NEVER GONNA GET OUT OF THAT HOLE.
UH, AT THIS STAGE WITH RESPECT TO THIS PATHWAY SIDEWALK BIKE PATH, UH, WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO DO IS ENTERTAIN A MOTION FROM THE STORMWATER COUNTY STORMWATER UTILITY MANAGEMENT BOARD THAT WE DISAGREE WITH THE DECISION OF THE COUNTY'S ENGINEERING TO APPROVE THE PERMIT TO HAVE AN IMPERVIOUS WALK SLASH BIKEWAY ALONG ALL JOY ROADS ROAD.
THIS DECISION TO HAVE AN IMPERVIOUS SURFACE IS NOT IN KEEPING WITH THE CURRENT BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES KNOWN AS BMPS FOR THE CONTROL AND CONTAINMENT OF STORMWATER RUNOFF.
THIS IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT SINCE THE POTENTIAL STORMWATER WILL CARRY POLLUTANTS IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO THE MAY RIVER.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THAT MOTION APPROVED BY THIS BOARD THAT WE CAN SEND ON TO COUNCIL TO READ AT THEIR NEXT MEETING.
AND I'M LOOKING FOR A SECOND AND A VOTE.
THAT'S A UNANIMOUS DECISION THAT THIS MOTION, UH, WILL GO FORWARD, UH, TO COUNSEL.
SO, UH, WE CAN READ THAT MOTION IF YOU WANNA SEND IT TO ME.
[01:05:01]
OR I WILL READ IT AS A MOTION.YOU WILL, HE WILL SET THE MOTION.
I'LL SECOND IT DURING THE LAST SUMMIT SO THEY CAN'T STOP US.
WILL WILL, BRADLEY, WILL YOU HAVE BE ABLE TO GARNER ANY INFORMATION BY MONDAY'S MEETING TO BE ABLE TO PRESENT TO COUNSEL IF THEY HAVE A QUESTION? WELL, JARED'S IN THE NEXT ROOM.
YEAH, JUST SEND ME THE MOTION AND TOM AND I WILL MO WE FIRST, SECOND NOTIFY ENGINEERING THAT THIS HAS BEEN MOTION HERE, JUST SO THEY'RE AWARE.
[7. PUBLIC COMMENT]
AT THIS TIME I OPEN UP THE FLOOR FOR PUBLIC COMMENT.UH, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, LADY IN THE BACK.
I DON'T KNOW IF SHE WANTS TO, UH, GO RIGHT AHEAD, SIR.
I LIVE AT 52 OYSTER STREET, UH, IN BLUFFTON.
UM, THANK YOU FOR, UM, HAVING US HERE.
UM, I'M A LITTLE BIT ALL OVER THE PLACE 'CAUSE I WAS JUST TOLD THIS MORNING, WE NEED TO GET TO THIS MEETING AND, UM, I HAVE PLENTY OF STUFF TO DO AT HOME.
UM, BUT I THINK WE ALL AGREE THAT THIS BOARD IS ONE OF THE MOST CONSEQUENTIAL BOARDS IN THE WHOLE COUNTY BECAUSE WE ARE A WATER BOUND COUNTY WITH THIS BIG RIVER IN BETWEEN THAT SEEMS TO MAKE NORTH AND SOUTH LIKE CONTINENTS FROM ONE ANOTHER.
WE REALIZED THAT THERE ARE THREE MAJOR MUNICIPALITIES IN THE COUNTY.
IT USED TO BE JUST BUFORT AND HILTON HEAD, SORT OF, UM, YOU KNOW, DUKE INDEL OUT NOW WITH PALMETTO BLUFF, BLESS THEIR HEARTS ANNEXING INTO BLUFFTON OR THE OTHER WAY AROUND.
WE HAVE THREE LARGE MUNICIPALITIES AND A MARINE BASE.
THOSE ARE THE KIND OF MUNICIPALITIES WITHIN OUR COUNTY.
BUT THE GREAT MAJORITY OF BUFORT COUNTY IS RURAL AND UNINCORPORATED AND PROUD OF IT.
I DON'T THINK WE WANT A COUNTY, UH, OF ONE BIG URBAN SPRAWL.
I THINK OUR LITTLE COMMUNITIES LIKE SHE POINT AND AJOY ARE REALLY CRITICAL TO THE CHARACTER OF OUR, UM, OF OUR COUNTY.
102 YEARS AGO, TWO PEOPLE GOT TOGETHER, MY GRANDFATHER THOMAS O LAWTON AND CE ELMER TO LAY OUT A PLAT FOR THE BRIGHTON BEACH COMMUNITY, WHICH IS WHAT ALL JOY IS.
THEY THOUGHT THAT IT WOULD BE A GREAT PLACE FOR PEOPLE TO ESCAPE THE HEAT.
AND I I'M SURE GRANDFATHER HAD NO IDEA THAT IT WOULD BE SO FULL OF, OF FULL-TIME RESIDENTS.
NOW, I MEAN, IT IS KIND OF BUILT OUT, YOU KNOW, EVERY NOOK AND CRANNY.
AND THERE ARE FAMILIES LIKE MINE WHO ARE JUST ABOUT READY TO CELEBRATE OUR HUNDREDTH YEAR OF OUR FAMILY ON THE BLUFF.
AND THOSE, YOU KNOW, IF IT GETS DEVELOPED, IF IT GETS SWALLOWED INTO THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON, WHICH WE LOVE DEARLY AND WE LOVE WHAT BLUFFTON IS DOING TO PROTECT OUR COMMON RIVER, UM, THE NONSENSE THAT IS GOING ON AND, UH, WITH COUNTY ENGINEERING IN TERMS OF COMMUNICATION IS JUST ABYSMAL.
AND WE WANNA TURN THAT AROUND.
WE WANNA BE HEARD, WE WANT TRANSPARENT GOVERNMENT AND WE'RE NOT SEEING IT EXCEPT HERE WITH THIS BOARD.
I'M ALLOWING YOU TO, SO WHY ARE THE COMMENTS OF ALL JY RESIDENTS BEING SORT OF IGNORED? WHAT IS THE END GAME OF THE COUNTY FOR OUR COMMUNITY? DO THEY WANT US TO BE PUSHED INTO THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON? WE DON'T WANT THAT.
OUR BOAT LANDING, WHICH MY GRANDFATHER ALSO GAVE TO THE COUNTY TO REMAIN A BOAT RAMP FOR OUR COMMUNITY, NOT A MAJOR PLAYGROUND FOR SUN CITY OR ANYBODY ELSE.
IT'S A VERY TIGHT SPACE THAT WE ALL KNOW CAN'T REALLY EXPAND ANYMORE.
SO WHAT DO YOU DO? ARE ARE, ARE WE GOING TO BE, ARE OUR
[01:10:01]
BELIEFS GOING TO BE LISTENED TO? YOU'RE THE ONLY BOARD THAT THAT GENUINELY DOES.SO, UM, I'M HOPING I, I'LL COME ON MONDAY AND I'LL MAKE MY COMMENTS TO COUNTY COUNCIL, BUT, UH, I, I'M JUST ASTOUNDED HOW LITTLE ENGINEERING LISTENS TO US.
THEY PUT TOGETHER, THEY HAVE THESE, THESE THINGS THAT OUR LIBRARY, BUT WE STILL DON'T KNOW WHAT A PLAN IS FOR.
UM, THE BOAT LANDING, WE HAVE SAID HUNDREDS OF TIMES, IMPERVIOUS SURFACE, NO FANCY, UM, PAVILION, JUST THE RAMP, MAYBE A FISHING DOCK WHERE, WHERE THE OLD BOWMAN DOCK WAS, BUT KEEP IT SMALL.
I MEAN THE BEACH ITSELF, WHICH IS CALLED BRIGHTON BEACH.
IT'S LIKE THE COUNTY COULD GIVE A DAMN ABOUT US SOMETIMES.
WHY NOT MAINTAIN WHAT WE HAVE? WE GAVE THE COUNTY A 15 FOOT BY 436 FOOT SLICE BECAUSE WE WERE DESPERATE TO GET A SHERIFF TO POLICE IT.
AND THAT WAS GOING TO BE, YOU KNOW, SOLVE ALL OUR PROBLEMS. NONE OF THEM HAS BEEN SOLVED.
WHEN I MEET A CRUISER WALK IN THE LOOP EVERY MORNING I SAY, YOU KNOW, THERE'S NOT REALLY MUCH ACTIVITY DOWN HERE AT NINE O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING.
WE NEED YOU THERE AT 9:00 PM HE SAYS, OH, WE JUST, WE ONLY HAVE TWO, TWO PATROL CARS TO POLICE ALL OF THIS PART OF, OF, OF THE COUNTY.
I SAID, WELL, THAT WAS THE DEAL YOUR SHERIFF PROMISED.
PLUS IN TERMS OF, OF, UM, STORM WATER ISSUES ON THE FRONT ROW, THOSE HOUSES ARE IN DANGER BECAUSE THE, NOBODY HAS FIGURED OUT WHAT TO DO WITH THE BEACH.
AND I'M ALL FOR THE SPARTINA GRASS.
I'M ALSO ALL FOR HAVING SOME SORT OF SWIMMING BEACH.
BUT THE HOUSES WITHIN THE LOOP ARE IN DANGER FROM, UM, NOTHING BEING DEALT WITH AS INFER IN TERMS OF RIP WRAP AND THE SECONDARY, UM, LINE OF DEFENSE TO SURGING TIDES.
WELL, SO I THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK.
I THANK YOU FOR YOUR KIND COMMENTS AND THINGS WITHIN OUR PURVIEW.
WE WILL CONTINUE TO TRY TO ASSIST.
THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT YOU HAVE MENTIONED THAT ARE QUITE FRANKLY OUTSIDE OF OUR PURVIEW, BUT WE ARE ALL COUNTY RESIDENTS AND FEEL YOUR PAIN.
WELL, THE MAY, THE MAY RIVER, YOU KNOW, THE BUFORT RIVER.
THESE ARE THE DEFINING CHARACTERISTICS OF, OF OUR COUNTY AND WHY IT IS GROWING FASTER THAN ANY OTHER PLACE IN THE STATE.
UM, SO WE WANNA MAINTAIN THAT BEAUTY AND THE HEALTH OF OUR RIVERS.
ANY OTHER ONE THING TO THAT? IF I COULD PLEASE COME UP TO THE PODIUM? YES, PLEASE.
COUNSEL ADDRESS MR. LAWSON? UM, WE JUST APPROVED THE LAWTON LAWTON.
UM, WE JUST APPROVED A BUDGET FOR THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT.
THEY'RE RAISING THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT TO 60,000 A YEAR.
AND HE WAS DOWN, I DON'T KNOW, 20 SOME 30.
SO THAT'S PROBABLY GONNA HELP THE SITUATION WITH ALWAY ALONG WITH OTHER NEIGHBORHOODS.
YOU'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA HAVE MORE DEPUTY SHERIFFS ON THE STREET, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE THEY'RE GETTING A BIG RAISE AND HE'S GONNA BE ABLE TO HIRE SOME PEOPLE BECAUSE HE'S LOSING HIS PEOPLE TO SLED OR TO BLUFFTON POLICE OR PORT ROYAL POLICE OR WHEREVER BEFOR CITY.
AND BECAUSE HE CAN HE KEEP HE CAN KEEP THEM.
AND UM, BUT NOW HE WILL BE ABLE TO SO THAT GONNA HELP THE SITUATION MAYBE INSTEAD OF NINE IN THE MORNING, NINE O'CLOCK AT NIGHT.
IT'S JUST CHANGED THEIR SCHEDULE.
BUT HE DOESN'T HAVE COUNCILMAN VERY BRIEFLY, UM, MR. LAWTON, I'M
[01:15:01]
A HISTORY BUFF AND I THANK YOU FOR THE HISTORY.UM, MR. ROSS TO WHAT YOU OPINED ABOUT IS SOMETHING THAT I LEARNED SINCE AUGUST 5TH.
UM, WHEN IT COMES TO STORM WATER, THERE WAS A LOT OF THINGS THAT WE DID NOT ADDRESS IN THE HILTON HEAD AREA.
AND AS A RESULT OF BAY PINES AND LEARNING ABOUT ALL THESE OTHER COMMUNITIES, UH, YOU KNOW, I STARTED GOING BACK TO THE COUNTY OF THE TOWN WITH CEDARWOOD, SEA PINES, TIDE POINT, ALL THIS.
AND I GET A CALL FROM, I, I WAS SEAN COLEEN OR JEFF INGER THAT, UH, MS. BREWER TALKED ABOUT.
AND HE SAID TO ME, HE SAID, TOMMY COUNCILMAN, YOU'RE KILLING US HERE.
UM, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO PUT TOGETHER AN ISLAND WIDE MASTER DRAINAGE PLAN.
WE'RE AN ISLAND COMMUNITY FOR ALL THESE YEARS.
YOU KNOW, THAT 1862 HISTORY, BY THE WAY, IS INCREDIBLE.
WE GOT A, AGAIN, I APPLAUD MR. LAWTON SAYING HOW GOOD YOU ARE.
THE WORK WE'RE DOING NOW WITH BOOTS ON THE GROUND SINCE AUGUST 5TH, WE'VE COME UP BETWEEN TOWN AND COUNTY AND WE'RE GONNA PUT TOGETHER AN ISLAND WIDE MASTER PLAN THAT'S GONNA GIVE US, IT ALL WORKS TOGETHER AND WE NEED TO KNOW THAT.
SO MUSIC TO YOUR EARS, I HOPE.
BUT WE GOT SOME GOOD THINGS GOING ON AND WE'RE WORKING TOGETHER.
MISS UH, COUNCILWOMAN GROUND TALKS ABOUT DISTRICTS, I DON'T EVEN WHAT NUMBER ON DISTRICT.
WE'RE ALL FOR THE PEOPLE AND WE'RE STARTING TO WORK THAT WAY.
I'LL SAY HELP US, LET US KNOW WHAT YOU NEED.
WE'LL LET YOU KNOW WHAT WE NEED.
I'M TELLING YOU THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS WE CAN DO.
AND, AND LISTEN, WHATEVER TIME I HAVE LEFT, I WANNA GIVE TO THAT MAN.
HE WENT OVER A LITTLE BIT, SO JUST COVER HIM.
NOT SURE I CAN SAY ANYTHING THAT WOULD, UH, BE APROPROS AT THIS TIME.
UH, IS THERE ANY OTHER PUBLIC COMMENT AT THIS TIME? IF THERE JUST REAL QUICK, NOT ALL.
AND I JUST WANTED TO MENTION, YOU KNOW, IT'S FUNNY WHEN JENNIFER BRAGG'S NAME CAME UP, BECAUSE AT THAT VERY, VERY FIRST MEETING, JUNE 12TH, 2021, THAT'S WHAT MADE THE WOMAN SCREAM WHEN JENNIFER WAS STATING ALL THAT WAS GOING TO OCCUR TO AJOY.
SO THAT'S INTERESTING TO CATCH THAT.
ALSO, WE HAVE A LETTER FROM ENGINEERING, UM, IT'S FROM BRITTANY FIELDS, JUNE 20TH, 2021.
AND IT STATED, AJOY ROAD WAS ACTUALLY, THE PATH WAS NEVER FOR AJOY EVER.
THERE'S ABOUT 60 CHILDREN ON SHAD.
IT WAS NEVER, THERE WERE TWO VIRTUAL MEETINGS AND FOLKS KNOW THAT WE CAN'T DO, WE'RE NOT VIRTUAL DOWN THERE, WE JUST AREN'T.
AND SO TWO MEETINGS GOT THAT MOVE FROM SHAD TO AJOY.
SO JUST, AND I CAN SEND FORWARD TO THIS BOARD, THE LETTER FROM ENGINEERING THAT WAS RECEIVED AND IT GAVE ALL THE CRITERIA DOWN.
UM, AND AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, WE DID CONTACT S-C-D-O-T.
THEY SAID THE ONLY REASON THAT THEY'RE DOING THIS, BECAUSE THE COUNTY DOESN'T WANNA MAINTAIN IT.
NOW THEY DO HAVE POROUS CONCRETE.
AND WE THANK THIS BOARD AGAIN FOR PUTTING FORTH TO BEAUFORT COUNTY COUNCIL TO PLEASE STOP THIS CONCRETE.
BECAUSE TWO ITEMS THAT WE DESPERATELY NEEDED DOWN THERE WHEN THAT WOMAN SCREAMED OUT WAS STORM WATER AND AFFORDABLE SEWER.
AND IT HAS BEEN THE RESIDENTS, THE RESIDENTS, BOB WILLIAMS FOUND THE RIA GRANT.
IT TOOK ME TWO FULL MONTHS TO PUSH IT IN WITH KATIE HERRERA WITH THE PREVIOUS, I MEAN, WE ARE JUST, IT SEEMED LIKE, AND WE WERE TOLD THAT THEY JUST DIDN'T LIKE AJOY AND DIDN'T WANT TO ASSIST.
SO IT HAS BEEN A CONSTANT PUSHING THE ROCK UP THE HILL.
BUT THESE PEOPLE DESERVE IT BECAUSE THEY HAVE ASKED FOR YEARS STORM WATER AND ALL AND THAT.
BUT IT CONCERNS ME THAT THIS BIG PATH, THIS BIG CONCRETE MONSTROSITY THAT'S COME, THAT'S PROJECTED TO COME TOWARDS US, YOU KNOW, WHY ISN'T THE, AND THE PEOPLE HAVE ASKED REPEATEDLY, BUT OUR DISTRICT REP, I GUESS WE HAVE TO ORDER A HEARING AID TO SEND.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO, BUT I MEAN IT, WHAT OUR NEEDS.
WE'VE BEEN ASKING AND PLEADING AND BEGGING AND PETITIONING AND EVERYTHING.
SO SOMETHING IS A SKEW WITH ENGINEERING.
AND I KNOW WITH THAT FIRST MEETING WHEN A WHOLE PEOPLE BROUGHT IT DOWN AND ERIC GREENWAY WAS THERE, THERE'S PEOPLE THAT ARE PUTTING THAT GREENWAY NAME TO SOMEONE ELSE WITHIN THE COUNTY BECAUSE THE WORK IS STILL GOING.
THE LAST THING I WANNA SAY IS WE RECENTLY WENT TO AN AJOY MEETING.
PEOPLE SAY WE'RE NOT EVEN GOING, IT'S JUST THEY'RE TICKING OFF THE BOXES.
THEY'RE GONNA PICK LIKE FOUR THAT THEY WANT TO USE.
UM, WE WENT TO, UH, COUNCILMAN TOM RE'S.
THE PERSON THAT WENT WITH ME CRIED AT HIS MEETING BECAUSE HE LISTENS TO HIS PEOPLE.
[01:20:01]
HE'S LIKE SHOULDER TO SHOULDER.AND THAT'S WHERE AGAIN, WE JUST THANK THIS BOARD 'CAUSE THIS BOARD DOES LISTEN.
AND WE APPRECIATE YOU VERY, VERY MUCH.
AT THIS TIME WITH NO OTHER COMMENT FROM THE BOARD OR FROM THE PUBLIC, I DECLARE THIS MEETING ADJOURNED.
THANKS FOR WATCHING BEAUFORT COUNTY TV.