Jul 15, 2025 Bluffton Town Council Special Meeting

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CLOSED CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY BUFORT COUNTY.

[I. CALL TO ORDER]

I'D LIKE TO CALL THIS MEETING TO ORDER, AND TODAY IS TUESDAY, JULY THE 15TH.

UH, THIS IS A SPECIAL MEETING THAT WE CALLED TOGETHER TO WORK ON.

WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON THIS PARTICULAR PROJECT FOR QUITE SOME TIME, AND THERE'S SOME TIMING ISSUES INVOLVED WITH IT, WITH LITECH CREDITS AND OTHER THINGS.

IT, UH, IT WAS DRAGGING OUT AS FAR AS THE TIME SCHEDULE WENT, SO WE'RE TRYING TO MOVE THIS FORWARD.

THIS WILL BE TONIGHT'S FIRST READING, HOWEVER THAT TURNS OUT.

AND THEN IT WILL GO TO A FULL COUNCIL MEETING, UH, WITH EVERYBODY AT THE NEXT TOWN COUNCIL MEETING.

WITH THAT, PLEASE.

I WOULD LIKE TO DO THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE PLEDGE PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO, TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.

WERE THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS? NO PUBLIC COMMENTS.

THAT MEANS WE DON'T HAVE TO PUT THAT THREE PARAGRAPH ITEM ON THE SCREEN THIS EVENING.

ALL RIGHT, SO WE HAVE

[IV. 1. A Request by Livewell Terrace L.P. (Woda Cooper Group), with Authorization from the Property Owner Beaufort Memorial Hospital, for the 100% Affordable/Workforce Housing Project to be known as Livewell Terrace Located at 335 Buckwalter Parkway and Identified as Beaufort County Tax Map No. R610 030 000 0712 0000. First Reading – Kevin Icard, Director of Growth Management]

UM, MR. KEVIN, THANK, UM, THANK YOU, MS. WOOD.

UH, GOOD EVENING, ALL.

THANK YOU, UH, FOR BEING HERE FOR THIS SPECIAL MEETING.

UM, SO WE DO HAVE A REQUEST IN FRONT OF YOU.

THIS IS FOR A FIRST READING.

UH, THIS IS FOR A TRANSFER OF DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS REQUEST AND, AND AMENDING THE BUCKWALTER DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT AND THE CONCEPT PLAN.

UH, SO AS YOU SEE ON THE AGENDA THERE, ACTUALLY THERE'S THREE SEPARATE ITEMS. UM, IT'S ONE PRESENTATION AT THE END.

UM, WE WILL HAVE THREE SEPARATE MOTIONS.

UM, AND WITH THE MOTIONS, YOU CAN JUST SAY, YOU KNOW, I APPROVE OR APPROVE OF THE CONDITIONS AS, UH, NOTED ON THE SCREEN FOR, UH, FOR EASE.

SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO SIT THERE AND, AND, AND SAY THROUGH.

UH, SO REAL QUICK, UH, WE HAVE THE REQUEST FROM WADO COOPER GROUP.

UH, THIS IS THE LIVEWELL TERRACE, AND THIS IS IN WITH AUTHOR AUTHORIZATION FROM YOU FOR MEMORIAL, UH, TO REQUEST, UM, THE ACQUISITION OF 60 OF THE TOWN'S, UM, UH, RESIDENTIAL DWELLING UNITS, UH, THAT ARE HELD IN OUR, UH, RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT BANK.

UM, AND THAT'S A PART OF THAT TRANSFER OF DEVELOPMENT, RIGHT? SO THAT'S THE FIRST REQUEST.

AND THEN THE SECOND REQUEST IS TO, UH, UPDATE.

WE HAVE TO UPDATE THE, UH, WITH A DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT AND A CONCEPT PLAN AMENDMENT TO THEN ASSOCIATE THOSE 60 UNITS TO THE BUCK, WALTER, UH, PUD AS SHOWN ON THE, ON THE PLAN.

SO THAT'S IN ESSENCE THE, UM, THE REASON WE'RE HERE FOR THIS, FOR THIS EVENING, AND ULTIMATELY THIS IS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF 120 UNIT AFFORDABLE HOUSING, UH, COMPLEX.

NOW, OBVIOUSLY, WE'RE GIVING 60 UNITS, AND AS WE'VE KIND OF DESCRIBED PREVIOUSLY IS THAT, UH, AND I'LL GO INTO A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL HERE, IS PROVIDING A DENSITY BONUS IN ORDER TO ALLOW FOR THAT DEVELOPMENT.

UH, JUST QUICKLY FROM A, UH, THE VICINITY MAP HERE, YOU CAN SEE THE PROPERTIES HIGHLIGHTED IN RED.

UH, IT'S LOCATED ACROSS, UH, FROM BUCKWALTER PLACE.

UH, HERE IS AN AERIAL.

YOU CAN SEE, UM, THE LOCATION TRYING TO GET THE CURSOR MIGHT NOT WORK.

UM, HERE'S A SIDE AERIAL VIEW.

AGAIN, YOU CAN SEE THE PROPERTY, UH, WHERE IT'S LOCATED OFF OF BUCK WALTER PARKWAY.

AND THEN AGAIN, THAT THIS IS IN THE BUCKWALTER, PUD, THE GREEN AREA.

UH, THE PROPERTY, UH, CONTAINS, UH, 10 ACRES, UH, AND IT ALSO HAS 10 ACRES OF GENERAL COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS ASSOCIATED WITH IT.

UH, THIS WAS PURCHASED BY BEAUFORT COUNTY, UH, FROM ST.

ANDREW'S BY THE SEA, UH, IN 2024, UH, FOR 3 MILLION, $3.2 MILLION.

AND THERE'S THEIR ORDINANCES, UH, WHERE THEY APPROVED ALL THAT.

AND THEN THEY THEN REVISED THAT ORIGINAL ORDINANCE, UM, AND AUTHORIZING, UM, OR CONVEYED THE PROPERTY TO BUFORD MEMORIAL WITH CERTAIN PROVISIONS.

UH, THOSE PROVISIONS WERE INITIALLY OUTLINED, UH, IN THAT RESOLUTION, UH, THAT WAS PRESENTED TO YOU IN JANUARY OF THIS YEAR.

UM, AND THEN ALSO THERE, THE ACQUI, THEY'RE REQUIRING, UH, REQUESTING THE 60 UNITS, UH, FROM, FROM THE TOWN THROUGH BEFORD MEMORIAL.

AND AGAIN, IT'S THE 120 UNIT COMPLEX.

UM, WE HAVE IN OUR ORDINANCE, UH, PROVISIONS THAT STATE THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN PROVIDE, UM, INCENTIVES FOR INDIVIDUALS WHO WANT TO DO AFFORDABLE HOUSING.

UH, IT'S SOMEWHAT VAGUE IN THE BUCK WE PUD.

UM, HOWEVER, IN OUR UNIFIED DEVELOPMENT ORDINANCE, IT CLEARLY DEFINES HOW WE, UH, GIVE A DENSITY BONUS INCENTIVE.

SO WE HAVE A TABLE HERE TO SHOW THAT, YOU KNOW, BASED OFF THE PERCENTAGE OF THE NUMBER OF UNITS IS WHAT THAT BONUS THAT YOU WOULD RECEIVE.

SO IN THE CASE THAT WE HAVE IN

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SO OBVIOUSLY WE ARE A PARTNER IN THIS DEVELOPMENT BECAUSE THEY NEED THE UNITS.

UH, WE'RE ABLE TO THEN, UM, ALLOCATE THAT THOSE 60 UNITS AND THEN PROVIDE A DENSITY BONUS OF DOUBLING THEM.

UH, THIS IS, UH, NO DIFFERENT FROM SOME OTHER, OTHER PROJECT, UH, PROJECTS WE'VE DONE SPECIFICALLY THE, UH, 97, UM, GO THROUGH ROAD PROJECT THAT JUST RECENTLY HAS WALKED THROUGH WHERE THEY HAD ONE LOT AND THEY WERE ACTUALLY ABLE TO SUBDIVIDE IT INTO TWO LOTS, UH, WHILE IT'S MUCH SMALLER, BUT IT'S, IT'S SAME, THE SAME PREMISE, UM, THAT WE HAVE HERE.

UM, ALSO, UH, JUST SO YOU KNOW, THAT THAT DENSITY BONUS, UM, PROCESS IS, IS, IS ON A, UH, IT'S ON A, IT DOES NOT HAVE TO GO THROUGH AN ORDINANCE READING, SO THAT'S WHY THAT'S NOT UP ON THE SCREEN RIGHT NOW.

UM, SO AS WE STATED, UM, THE 60 UNITS, UM, AND THEN, UM, THEY, UH, BE MEMORIAL HAS AGREED THAT, UM, THEY HAVE THE, THEY'RE PROPOSING A 6,000 SQUARE FOOT MEDICAL OFFICE, UH, BUILDING ON THE SITE.

AND THAT, UM, ONCE THEY WERE TO, UH, CONSTRUCT THAT SITE AND USE THE NECESSARY, UH, GENERAL COMMERCIAL RIGHTS, THAT THEY WOULD THEN DONATE THE REST OF THOSE RIGHTS TO THE TOWN.

SO WE WOULD THEN ACQUIRE APPROXIMATELY NINE ACRES WORTH OF COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS, UH, THAT WOULD THEN COME OFF THE BOOKS.

UM, AND I JUST COULD PUT THIS ONE UP HERE FOR YOU, THAT FOR ALL THE REVIEW CRITERIA THAT WE HAVE, AND THEY'RE ALL OUTLINED IN THE STAFF BOARD, IT'S A 20 PAGE, UH, STAFF REPORT, AND I'M HAPPY TO GO THROUGH ANY OF THE SPECIFIC ONES YOU MAY HAVE.

UM, BUT OF ALL THE REVIEW CRITERIA FOR THE TRANSFER OF THE DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS, THE DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT, AND THE CONCEPT PLAN AMENDMENT, UM, ALL OF THE CONDITIONS, UM, ARE, ARE MET AND ARE SATISFIED.

SO WE TALK ABOUT NEXT STEPS AND KIND OF AS YOU OUTLINED, UM, STAFF WORKED WITH THE APPLICANT, UM, 'CAUSE THEY HAVE A, A VERY HARD, UH, TIMELINE.

AND WHAT WAS HAPPENING IS THAT IF THEY DID NOT, UM, GET THE, TO A CERTAIN, UM, POINT IN THEIR DEVELOPMENT, UM, THAT THEY WOULD LOSE ALL FUNDING AND THE, THE PROJECT IN ESSENCE WOULD JUST FALL APART.

SO WE BACKTRACKED, UM, WE BACKTRACKED INTO THEIR, UH, PROGRAMMING IN ORDER TO MAKE SURE THAT WE COULD STILL MEET ALL OF OUR REQUIREMENTS THAT WE HAVE.

AND THAT'S WHERE THE ONE MEETING OF, UM, WE HAD THE ISSUE OF NOT BEING ABLE TO MAKE LAST WEEK'S MEETING, BUT WE'RE ABLE TO GET IT ONTO THIS WEEK'S MEETING.

SO JUST SO YOU CAN SEE KIND OF WHAT WE'RE DOING IS THE FIRST READING OBVIOUSLY IS TONIGHT.

UH, WE WILL THEN, UH, TAKE THIS TO PLANNING COMMISSION FOR THE PUBLIC HEARING ON THE 23RD.

UM, IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT YOU'LL SEE THAT, UM, LAST MONTH, JUNE, UH, PLANNING COMMISSION, WE HAVE A WORKSHOP FOR THAT TRANSFER OF DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS.

SO THEY'RE AWARE OF WHAT'S HAPPENING.

SO WE'VE ALREADY PRESENTED, UM, THIS SPECIFICALLY FOR THE TRANSFER OF DEVELOPMENT RIDES, BUT THEN THE WHOLE PROJECT, WE, WE EXPLAINED WHAT WAS HAPPENING.

SO THIS IS NOT A, IT IS NOT SOMETHING NEW TO THEM.

THEY'VE ALREADY SEEN THIS ONCE, UM, IN AN INFORMAL SETTING.

AND THEN, UH, THIS MONTH THEY'LL HAVE, UH, THE FORMAL, UH, RECOMMENDATION BACK TO YOU AND WE WILL BRING THAT BACK TO YOU AT THE AUGUST MEETING.

KEVIN? YES, SIR.

IF I COULD, UH, JUST, I KNOW THERE WAS A QUESTION ABOUT, UH, THE TIMING FOR THIS.

AS A REMINDER, TONIGHT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A WORKSHOP AND WE HAD THIS ON FOR THE WORKSHOP AGENDA, BUT WITH THE MAYOR BEING OUT OF TOWN AND THERE BEING SOME CONVERSATIONS THAT WERE GONNA BE HAD DURING THE WORKSHOP THAT MAYOR WANTED TO BE A PART OF, WE DID DELAY THOSE WORKSHOP ITEMS. SO THAT'S WHY THIS ENDED UP BEING A SPECIAL CALL MEETING TONIGHT INSTEAD OF JUST BEING THE WORKSHOP WITH THIS BEING ONE OF THE ITEMS WE WERE GONNA DISCUSS AND VOTE ON.

ANYWAY.

SO I JUST WANTED TO HIT ON THAT 'CAUSE I KNOW THERE WAS SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT THE TIMING OF WHAT TONIGHT VERSUS SOME, SOME OTHER TIME.

THANK YOU.

AND SO WITH THE SCHEDULE THAT'S OUTLINED HERE, PLUS WE WERE GONNA HAVE A MEETING TONIGHT ANYWAY, JUST WANTED TO HIT THOSE TOPICS FOR Y'ALL.

AND WITH THAT, I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.

UH, THE APPLICANT IS HERE, UM, THEY'RE, UH, AVAILABLE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE.

UM, SO IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR ME? NO ONE, I HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS.

OKAY.

UM, WHAT TAX CREDITS IS THE DEVELOPER GETTING FROM THE TOWN? WHAT TAX CREDITS? UM, WELL WE ARE, THEY, THEY HAVEN'T, UH, SUBMITTED ANYTHING FROM THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT SIDE OF IT.

THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR.

UM, BUT THE, THE DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS, UM, THAT'S A COMMODITY, RIGHT? SO THERE'S A, THERE IS A VALUE TO THAT ON THE OPEN MARKET.

SO WE ARE, WE ARE GIVING THEM THOSE RIGHTS FOR FREE.

UM, SO THAT IS A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF, OF, OF SAVINGS RIGHT THERE.

UH, THAT NORMALLY WOULD HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, BE PAID FOR.

UH, SO THAT'S THE, IT'S NOT NECESSARILY TAX CREDITS, THAT'S WHY I JUST WANTED TO CONFIRM THAT.

I THINK I HAD GOTTEN SOME QUESTIONS THAT PEOPLE THOUGHT THE TOWN WAS GIVING THEM TAX CREDITS, WHICH IS NOT THE TAX CREDITS ARE THE LITECH, THEY'RE COMING FROM THE STATE, COMING FROM THE STATE, STATE, YES.

SO THEY'RE GETTING STATE, THERE ARE

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YES, THERE ARE.

STATE FROM THE TOWN, YES, MA'AM.

OKAY, THANK YOU.

UM, ANOTHER QUESTION WAS, IS THIS SECTION HOUSING? NO.

OKAY.

THANK YOU.

THIS IS NOT, UM, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WENT OVER IT IN YOUR PRESENTATION, THE DIFFERENT RENT LEVELS, WAS THAT INCLUDED? I DID NOT.

OR THE DIFFERENT LEVELS OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING.

UM, I I DID NOT.

THAT'S NOT, UM, IT'S NOT REALLY NECESSARY AS PART OF THE DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT, UH, PROCESS.

UM, I BELIEVE IT WAS OUTLINED IN THEIR APPLICATION, UM, AS TO THE DIFFERENT, UM, THE DIFFERENT, UM, LAYERS THAT THEY HAVE.

IT DOES, IT DOES STATE IN PARAGRAPH ON PAGE NINE OF YOUR MEMORANDUM, IT BREAKS DOWN THE 30 UNITS ARE 40%.

A MI 60 UNITS ARE 60% A MI AND 30 UNITS ARE 80% A MI.

SO IT DOES SET OUT, UM, GO THAT THE RATIO OF A MI, UM, FOR THE 120 UNITS.

AND I THINK IT, IT KIND OF COVERS THE, THE SPECTRUM FOR CLARITY.

THAT IS PERCENTAGES.

I, I'M NOT SURE THAT SHE WASN'T ASKING ABOUT DOLLAR VALUE ALSO, BUT RIGHT.

IT THAT IS, THAT NUMBER COMES FROM BEAUFORT COUNTY YES.

EVERY YEAR.

THAT'S PROVIDED TO WHAT THE, THE A MI NUMBERS ARE.

RIGHT.

AND I THINK JUST FOR, SO EVERYBODY THAT'S HERE OR LISTENING CAN HEAR ARE A MI THAT AGAIN, UM, IS SET BY BEAUFORT COUNTY FOR 2025 IS UM, FOR A FAMILY OF FOUR.

THE A MI IS 112,500.

SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE DIFFERENT LEVELS, 30%, 60% IT IS OF THAT 112,500 FOR A FAMILY OF FOUR.

YES.

UM, I JUST WANTED PEOPLE, I KNOW THAT THERE WAS SOME MISCONCEPTION ABOUT THAT, AND I JUST WANT PEOPLE TO REALIZE THAT WE'RE NOT THE ONES ACTUALLY SETTING, UM, THIS, THAT IT IS SET BY THE CORRECT.

AND WE DID PROVIDE A COPY OF THAT, THAT SCALE, THE 2025, UM, SCALE FOR THE A MI IN THE, IN THE PACKET.

IN THE PACKET.

THANK YOU.

UM, I KNOW THAT YOU HAD, I WOULD LISTEN TO YOU IN YOUR PRESENTATION, YOU DID TALK ABOUT THAT THEY'RE GONNA GIVE BACK NINE ACRES OF COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS TO THE TOWN, APPROXIMATELY, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER THAT, WHATEVER THE AMOUNT THAT'S REMAINING AFTER THEY HAVE DEVELOPED THE MEDICAL OFFICE SITE, WHICH TYPICALLY WOULD EQUATE TO ABOUT HOW MUCH SQUARE FOOTAGE.

I MEAN, WE EQUATE TO ABOUT 10,000, ROUGHLY 10,000 SQUARE FEET OF COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT EQUATES TO ONE ACRE.

SO THAT COULD POTENTIALLY BE ABOUT 90,000 PLUS OR MINUS.

WELL, IT'S, IT'S, THERE'S 10 ACRES OF, OF COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT, SO TECHNICALLY THAT'S ABOUT A HUNDRED THOUSAND SQUARE FEET.

UM, BUT SO EVEN THOUGH WE'RE GIVING THEM THESE 60 UNITS, WE'RE GOING TO GET BACK DEVELOPMENT TAKE OFF THE BOOK SOME OF THIS COMMERCIAL.

YES, MA'AM.

OKAY.

UM, THANK YOU.

YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW ANYONE THAT IS, WANTS MORE DEVELOPMENT OR BUILDING, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, WE NEED SOMEWHERE FOR OUR NURSES AND OUR POLICEMEN AND OUR TEACHERS AND ALL THESE ESSENTIAL SERVICE WORKERS TO LIVE IN THE HOME CRISIS ARE IN OUR AREA.

I VERY MUCH EXCEEDED WHAT PEOPLE CAN, WE DEFINITELY NEED AFFORDABLE HOUSING WORK.

THIS IS 120 UNITS.

I APPLAUD YOU FOR MEMORIAL OR TO COOPER AND THE TOWN FOR DOING THIS.

I THINK IT'S A BIG STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.

FRA NO, I DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.

JUST, UH, COMMENTS.

UM, I'M GRATEFUL TO THE, UM, DEVELOPERS ON THIS PARTICULAR PROJECT.

WE VERY RARELY HAVE SEEN ANYONE COME IN WILLING TO BUILD, UM, AFFORDABLE HOUSING AT A RATE OF 40% OF THE A MI AND THAT IMPACTS THE MAJORITY OF OUR RESIDENTS WHO ARE STRUGGLING TO FIND AFFORDABLE HOUSING BECAUSE EVERYONE HEARS THAT TERM AND HEARS A MI AND THINK IT'S, IT'S BUILT, UM, TO SUIT THEM.

BUT THE REALITY IS WE ARE ONE OF THE HIGHEST, UH, A MI NOT JUST IN THE, IN THE STATE, IN THE COUNTRY, AND SO NOT MANY PEOPLE CAN AFFORD HOMES THAT STARTED A $300,000 PRICE RANGE.

SO, UM, I HOPE THAT OTHER DEVELOPERS TAKE THIS AS A, UM, UM, A WAY TO BE ENCOURAGED TO BUILD HOUSING, UM, IN THIS, UH, THIS MANNER.

AND I'M GRATEFUL TO HOPEFULLY THAT WE'RE ABLE TO PARTNER WITH THEM AND NOT DOING THAT.

SO, UM, THANK YOU.

THANK YOU.

YEAH, I'LL JUST ADD REAL QUICK, I, I DITO BOTH OF THEM.

UM, YOU KNOW, THIS HAS BEEN TALKED ABOUT FOR A FEW YEARS.

YOU KNOW, YOU'VE TALKED SOON AND EARLY, BUT THEN IT TAKES A WHILE FOR THE, THE TREE TO BEAR THE FRUIT.

AND I JUST WANNA SAY DIVISION FROM BEAUFORT MEMORIAL HAS ALWAYS CAUGHT MY ATTENTION.

UH, THE LEADERSHIP DOES A GOOD JOB THERE AND THEY, THEY'RE VERY INGRAINED IN THEIR COMMUNITY AND, AND THE 120 UNITS IS QUITE A MULTIPLIER.

UH, YOU KNOW, WE HAD WAR STREET, I DON'T REMEMBER WHETHER IT WAS SIX OR EIGHT UNITS, THAT WAS LIKE 13 YEARS AGO.

WE'RE BUILDING 12 NOW, AND I THINK THE MAJORITY OF COUNCIL HAS, UH, WE, WE NEED TO DO EVERYTHING WE CAN.

NO ONE SIZE FITS ALL, BUT TO GET 120 RENTAL UNITS IS DESPERATELY NEEDED.

SO WE ARE GRATEFUL THAT THIS IS COMING

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UH, WE LOOK FORWARD TO IT.

SO TAKE US FORWARD.

YES, SIR.

ALRIGHT.

UM, AS I STATED, WE DO HAVE THE, UH, THREE SEPARATE MOTIONS.

UM, SO IF YOU SO CHOOSE, YOU CAN SAY THE WHOLE THING OUT LOUD OR AS SHOWN ON THE SCREEN.

AS SHOWN ON THE SCREEN IS FINE.

YES.

I'LL MAKE A MOTION, UM, TO APPROVE WHAT IS SHOWN ON THE SCREEN A SECOND.

IS THAT COMFORTABLE? YEAH.

DID YOU SECOND YOU SECOND? I CAN'T, I'M SORRY.

I WASN'T SECONDING.

I WAS ASKING IF YOU WERE SECONDED.

.

SORRY.

SO MOVED.

OKAY.

ALRIGHT.

UH, ANY MORE DISCUSSION? ALRIGHT.

ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE.

AYE.

AYE.

OKAY.

UH, IT'S A SECOND MOTION.

I MOVE TO APPROVE THE MOTION AS SHOWN ON THE SCREEN.

SECOND.

OKAY.

ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE.

AYE.

AYE.

AND THE LAST MOTION COPY.

I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE OR TO APPROVE WHAT'S ON THE SCREEN.

SECOND, ALL, ANY, I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANY OTHER DISCUSSION.

IS THERE? ALRIGHT.

ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE.

A AYE.

ALRIGHT.

GREAT.

MOTIONS CARRIED.

THANK YOU SO MUCH, AND WE'LL BE SEEING YOU IN AUGUST.

THANK YOU.

I NEED A MOTION TO ADJOURN.

SO MOVED.

SECOND.

THANKS FOR WATCHING BEAUFORT COUNTY TV.

THE COUNTY IS ONE OF THE OLDEST FORMS OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT IN THE UNITED STATES.

EARLY SETTLERS FROM ENGLAND BROUGHT THE TRADITION OF COUNTY GOVERNMENT TO AMERICA.

TODAY, MORE THAN 3000 COUNTY GOVERNMENTS PROVIDE SERVICES THAT AFFECT ALMOST EVERY CITIZEN'S LIFE.

SOUTH CAROLINA'S 46 COUNTIES ARE VERY REPRESENTATIVE OF HOW COUNTY GOVERNMENT HAS EVOLVED NATIONALLY.

THE COUNTY UNIT IN SOUTH CAROLINA WAS REGARDED AS A LOCAL EXTENSION OF STATE GOVERNMENT, BUT A STATE CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM MOVEMENT IN THE EARLY 1970S LED TO THE SOUTH CAROLINA GENERAL ASSEMBLY, PASSING THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT LAW, ALSO KNOWN AS THE HOME RULE ACT.

IN 1975, THE HOME RULE ACT GREATLY EXPANDED COUNTY AUTHORITY AND CHANGED THE NATURE OF COUNTY ORGANIZATION AND ADMINISTRATION TO WHAT WE KNOW TODAY.

BEAUFORT COUNTY WENT FROM HAVING A BOARD OF DIRECTORS TO A COUNTY COUNCIL.

MEMBERS OF THE 1975 COUNCIL INCLUDED CHAIRMAN ARTHUR HORN, VICE CHAIRMAN, GRADY THAMES, LEROY BROWN, GARY FORDHAM, WILLIAM GRANT, HARRIET KAISER LINK, DAVID JONES, BILL MCBRIDE, AND BOOKER WASHINGTON.

AS THE NEW COUNCIL SOUGHT TO DISTINGUISH ITSELF, COUNCIL MEMBERS DESIRED AN OFFICIAL SYMBOL THAT WOULD REPRESENT THE JURISDICTION'S IDENTITY AND UNIQUE CHARACTER COUNCIL APPOINTED AN AD HOC COMMITTEE TO UNDERTAKE THE TASK AND CARRY OUT A CONTEST FOR THE BEST COUNTY SEAL DESIGN.

HARRIET KLIN WAS A MEMBER OF COUNTY COUNCIL, AND IT WAS HER IDEA BECAUSE WE DIDN'T HAVE ANYTHING THAT COULD SIGNIFICANTLY IDENTIFY OUR BEAUTIFUL, BEAUTIFUL COUNTY.

WE MET THEN UP AT, UH, I THINK IT WAS A CAROLINA BANK, AND SOME YEARS AGO, BACK THERE ON WEST STREET.

AND THEN WE PUT 'EM IN PILES, YOU KNOW, LIKE, GOOD, BAD MAYBE UNTIL WE FINALLY GOT IT DOWN TO THE ONE THAT WE NOW USE.

COUNTY COUNCIL APPROVED THE SEAL COMMITTEE'S RECOMMENDATION, WHICH REFLECTED THE COUNTY'S HISTORY, TRADITIONS, AND NATURAL BEAUTY.

THE SEAL'S COLORS OF BLUE AND GREEN REPRESENT THE COLORS OF THE COUNTY'S OUTDOOR ENVIRONMENT WITH ITS MANY WATERWAYS, MARSHLANDS, AND MARITIME FOREST.

THE FIVE IMAGES WITHIN THE SEAL DEPICT SOME OF THE COUNTY'S DISTINGUISHING FEATURES, ANCIENT LIVE OAK TREES, THE SEAFOOD INDUSTRY, RICH NATURAL RESOURCES, AND RARE MARINE ECOLOGY, LOWCOUNTRY ARCHITECTURE, AND MILES OF RIVERS, CREEKS, AND INLETS.

I WAS REALLY IMPRESSED.

I THOUGHT IT ENCOMPASSED WHAT THE, WHAT WE AS A BODY WERE LOOKING FOR A SEAL THAT WOULD, WHEN YOU LOOKED AT IT AND JUST THOUGHT ABOUT IT A LITTLE BIT, IT REALLY COVERS THE ASPECTS OF BEAUFORT COUNTY.

SO HE DID A GOOD JOB OF BRINGING TOGETHER THE

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COUNCILMAN BILL MCBRIDE WAS IN OFFICE WHEN THE CONTEST WAS HELD AND WAS PRESENT WHEN THE COMMITTEE REVEALED THE WINNING DESIGN.

I THINK COUNCIL WAS ECSTATIC ABOUT IT.

UH, WE THOUGHT THAT THE, THE SIMS ON THE SEAL REPRESENTED, UM, ASPECTS OF LIFE IN BEAUFORT COUNTY.

THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANGE IN THE ORIGINAL, UM, DRAFT THAT WAS PRESENTED TO US WHERE YOU HAVE THE SHRIMP BOAT TODAY.

INITIALLY, THAT WAS A PLEASURE CRAFT, A SAILBOAT AND YACHT TYPE BOAT.

AND, UH, IT WAS CHANGED BY COUNTY COUNCIL BECAUSE WE FELT THAT THE SHRIMP BOAT WAS A BETTER REPRESENTATION, UM, OF A MORE COMPREHENSIVE, UH, ASPECT OF, BUT COUNTY LIFE BECAUSE YOU HAD OTHER THINGS ON THE SEAL THAT REPRESENT THE PLEASURE AND RECREATION, THE FISHING AND THE BEACH.

SO THEY THOUGHT THE SHRIMP BOAT, WHICH WAS A VERY IMPORTANT PART OF BEAUFORD COUNTY CULTURE, SHRIMPING, ESPECIALLY AT THAT TIME, WOULD BE REFLECTED ON THE SEAL.

THE WINNER OF THE CONTEST WAS AN ARTIST FROM HILTON HEAD ISLAND, THE LATE LEE PAYNE, WHOSE DESIGN WAS SELECTED FROM MORE THAN 126 CENTURIES SUBMITTED FROM AS FAR AWAY AS INDIANA AND TENNESSEE.

HE WAS AWARDED $250 FOR HIS DESIGN.

BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, HE CAPTURED THE LEGACY OF OUTDOOR BEAUTY, CULTURE, AND HISTORY THAT HELPED TO DEFINE IMPORTANT ASPECTS OF LIFE IN BEAUFORT COUNTY.

TO SEE MORE BEAUFORT COUNTY MOMENTS GO TO THE BEAUFORT COUNTY LIBRARY HOMEPAGE AND CLICK ON THE LOCAL HISTORY TAB.