[00:00:02]
[2. Pledge to the Flag]
THE UNITED, THE UNITED STATES, AMERICA, AND GENERAL REPUBLIC OF WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.[4. Approval of the Minutes]
HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES FROMUM, WELL LET'S APPROVE THE MINUTES AND WE'LL ALL IN FAVOR OF THE MINUTES ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA.
[3. Adoption of the Agenda]
IS THERE A MOTION TO ADOPT THE AGENDA? NO.ALL IN FAVOR? AND ARE THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS ON ANYTHING NOT RELATED TO TODAY'S AGENDA? DID ANYONE SIGN UP, KIM? NO.
[6. New Business]
NEW BUSINESS, WE HAVE A CONSIDERATION OF A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE EXECUTION OF A STANDARDIZED STORM WATER AGREEMENT FOR THE CEDARWOOD SUBDIVISION.AND MR. INGER IS GOING TO COME AND GIVE US THAT PRESENTATION.
JEFF INGER, UM, DIRECTOR OF ENGINEERING AND PROJECTS.
UM, SO CEDAR WOODS CAME TO US AFTER, UH, HURRICANE DEBBIE AND WAS REALLY, UH, STRUGGLING WITH THE DRAINAGE ISSUES THEY WERE HAVING THERE, KIND OF LOW LYING AREA, AN OLDER NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND THEY ASKED US IF THEY, I, YOU KNOW, I LET THEM KNOW THAT THEIR COMMUNITY AS IT WAS, WOULD QUALIFY FOR A DRAINAGE AGREEMENT AS THEY WERE MADE AWARE OF THAT AND THEY MADE A FORMAL RECOMMENDATION.
AND, UH, SO THAT WAS, THAT WAS BROUGHT TO US AND WE HAVE DETERMINED THAT IT WOULD QUALIFY FOR THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF ALL THE PREVIOUS AGREEMENTS.
WE'VE ISSUED 26TH AGREEMENTS TODAY.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS? AND IS THIS IS ALL THE SAME AS AS OUR PRIOR AGREEMENTS AND, UM, SIMILAR TO WE, WE'VE ALREADY TAKEN OVER CERTAIN AREAS AND NEARBY, YES.
IT WOULD ONLY BE TO, TO, UH, TAKE OVER THE DRAINAGE AREAS THAT WOULD DRAIN THE PUBLIC RIGHTS, THE RIGHTS AWAY WITHIN THE COMMUNITY, THE PLANET RIGHTS AWAY WITHIN THE COMMUNITY.
IS THERE A MOTION, UM, FOR CONSIDERATION OF THE RESOLUTION? NO, MOVED.
AND ARE THERE ANY PUBLIC, DID YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? NO.
ARE THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS ON THIS AGENDA ITEM? NO.
THEN, UM, ALL IN FAVOR RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND.
I THINK I'LL JUST STAY RIGHT HERE.
CONSIDERATION OF A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE ACCEPTANCE OF ROADWAYS IN THE CEDAR WOODS SUBDIVISION, KNOWN AS SPAR SONG SPARROW LANE.
PHOEBE LANE AND GOLDFINCH LANE.
AND AGAIN, UM, MR. MESSENGER, OUR DIRECTOR OF ENGINEERING PUBLIC PROJECTS.
SO AGAIN, UM, CEDAR WOODS ALSO ARE, THEY WERE A, THEY WERE A PRIVATE POA 28 HOMES.
UH, MAYBE IT'S 38 HOMES, I'M SORRY.
UM, BUT THEY HAVE A, UH, THREE PRIVATE ROADS TO MAINTAIN.
THEY ARE A SMALL COMMUNITY IMMEDIATELY ADJACENT TO COMMUNITY POINT COMFORT WOODS THAT, UH, HAD THEIR PRIVATE SYSTEM ACCEPTED BY THE TOWN, UH, IN 2001, THEY ARE STRUGGLING WITH MAINTAINING THEIR SYSTEM.
THEY ARE HAVING DRAINAGE ISSUES AND ROAD MAINTENANCE ISSUES, AND THEY HAVE OFFICIALLY ASKED THE TOWN TO ADOPT THE ROADS AND BRING THEM INTO THE PUBLIC SYSTEM AS TOWN OWNED ROADS.
THEY HAVE WORKED WITH THE TOWN ATTORNEY TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY HAVE DRAFTED A, A, A DEED TO MAKE THIS THIS TRANSFER POSSIBLE.
AND, UH, THIS ALL BEGAN WITH A LETTER THAT WE RECEIVED, THE TOWN RECEIVED IN JULY OF 2025, UH, FORMALLY REQUESTING ACCEPTANCE OF THE ROADS.
IS THERE A, UH, A MAJOR ALCOHOL ON THIS CEDAR WOODS? THERE IS SOME, SOME OF THE DRAINAGE THAT COMES FROM POINT COMFORT ROAD THAT FLOWS THROUGH, UM, POINT COMFORT WOODS AND THEN THROUGH CEDAR WOODS TO THE MARSH OUTFALL.
BUT THERE'S NO MAJOR SYSTEM THAT GOES THROUGH THERE.
SO THERE'S NO UPGRADES TO THE OUTFALL SYSTEM.
THERE ARE NO UPGRADES TO THE OUTLAW SYSTEM NECESSARY
[00:05:01]
AT THIS POINT TO OUR UNDERSTANDING.BUT OF COURSE, WE WILL CONTINUE TO LEARN MORE.
THEY DO HAVE A, A, A, A DEFICIENCY WITH A COUPLE OF THE ROADSIDE, UM, DITCHES AND, AND DRIVEWAY PIPES THAT ARE, THAT ARE OF CONCERN.
IT IS A COMMON PRACTICE IN MANY MUNICIPALITIES WERE REQUESTED TO TAKE OVER ROADWAYS TO REQUIRE THAT THE ROADWAYS BE IN GOOD SHAPE.
UH, HAVE WE DONE ANY, UH, EXAMINATION OF THE CONDITION OF THESE ROADWAYS? WE DID ASSESS THE ROADS WHEN THIS FIRST CAME ABOUT.
AND THE GENERAL ASSESSMENT IS THAT THEY'RE ABOUT AVERAGE.
THERE'S, THEY'RE NOT SPECIAL IN ESPECIALLY BAD SHAPE, BUT THEY'RE NOT PRISTINE.
SO, YEAH, I MEAN, TYPICALLY IN OTHER COMMUNITIES, IF A, IF A SUBDIVISION WAS TO TRY AND, AND GET A DEAL TO HAVE THE ROADS ACCEPTED BY THE, BY THE PUBLIC ENTITY, THERE WOULD BE A WARRANTY PERIOD SHORTLY AFTER CONSTRUCTION THAT WOULD, THAT'S NOT THE CASE HERE.
THE ROADS HAVE NOT BEEN BROUGHT UP TO SNUFF, SO TO SPEAK.
THEY HAVE THE, A ABILITY, UH, TO MAKE ANY TYPE OF IMPROVEMENTS OR CONTRIBUTE FINANCIALLY TO IMPROVEMENTS TO THE ROADWAY CONDITIONS THEY HAVE NOT OFFERED THAT.
HAVE YOU, UH, SAYING, HAVE YOU ASSESSED THE, UH, A MONETARY VALUE ON THE STORMWATER SYSTEM UPGRADE? SO WE DID SOME, UH, A LOT OF INTERNAL WORK TO TRY AND DETERMINE WHAT THE AVERAGE ANNUAL COST FOR, UH, A SECTION OF ROADWAY B.
THE TOWN, CURRENTLY THE TOWN HAS 16, UM, LANE MILES OF, OF ROAD.
THIS WOULD INCREASE THAT TO 16 AND A HALF.
WHEN YOU COMBINE THE THREE NEW ROADS TO THAT REFERRING TO THE STORMWATER MORE THAN THE ROADWAY.
WELL, THE STORMWATER SYSTEM IS PART OF THE CALCULATION.
SO IT'S, 'CAUSE THE WHOLE INTENT HERE IS TO HAVE THE STORMWATER SYSTEM THAT DRAINS THE ROADS ALSO PART OF THAT SYSTEM.
SO IT'S ABOUT, UM, $25,000 A YEAR ON AVERAGE OVER THE, YOU KNOW, IN THE LONG TERM THAT WOULD INCLUDE POTHOLES, UH, OCCASIONAL, UM, RESURFACING OF THE ROADWAY, MAINTAIN THE DRAINAGE SYSTEM, AND FIXING, FAILING INFRASTRUCTURE WHEN IT FAILED.
AND WE SKIPPED AHEAD WITHOUT GETTING A MOTION, UH, FIRST, SO IF SOMEONE CAN MAKE A MOTION, UM, ON THIS RESOLUTION, WE CAN MOVE ON.
AND I ALSO WOULD LIKE TO HEAR WE HAVE, UM, THREE OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS IN THE ROOM.
UM, I SEE COUNCILMAN TANNER IS COMING UP TO TO SPEAK, BUT ALSO COUNCILWOMAN BRYSON AND COUNCILMAN, UM, BROWN ARE IN THE ROOM AS WELL.
THANK YOU FOR JOINING US THIS MORNING.
UM, SO I'M JUST PICKING BACKING OFF OF COUNCILMAN ALFRED'S, UM, QUESTION REGARDING IF THERE WAS ANY OPPORTUNITY FOR THE COMMUNITY TO CONTRIBUTE AND, UH, IT JUST MAKES ME WONDER, UM, MOST, UH, HOAS HAVE DUES AND, UM, AND WONDERING IF THEY HAVE BEEN SAVING UP ANY MONEY TO, UH, TAKE CARE OF THEIR ROADS.
UM, SO I HAVE THAT AS A QUESTION AND THEN I HAVE A PROCESS RELATED QUESTION.
SO A COMMUNITY HAS COME TO US AND SAID, PLEASE TAKE OVER OUR ROADS.
UM, DO WE HAVE A POLICY ON THIS? AND IF SO, I BELIEVE WE SHOULD.
UM, BECAUSE ALTHOUGH THIS ONE COMMUNITY HAS COME TO US ASKING THIS REQUEST, YOU KNOW, WHAT IF MANY COMMUNITIES COME AND ASK, UM, I THINK WE SHOULD HAVE A POLICY ON THAT, UM, SO THAT WE CAN UNDERSTAND WHAT IT IS THAT WE WANT TO OCCUR BEFORE THAT HAPPENS AND WHAT OUR DECISION MAKING PROCESS IS.
UM, SEAN, DID YOU WANNA ANSWER THE QUESTION WITH REGARD TO A POLICY ON, OR IS THIS SOMETHING, OR CURTIS, OR IS SOMETHING WE CAN CIRCLE BACK WITH WITH ADDITIONAL INFORMATION? I AM UNAWARE, EXCUSE ME, UNAWARE OF ANY FIXED POLICY COUNCIL HAS ON THIS.
UM, MOST RECENTLY THE TOWN ACCEPTED THE MAIN STREET RIGHTS OF WAY, AND THOSE CONNECTED TO IT, THAT PROPERTY OWNERS ASSOCIATION DID HAVE SOME FUNDS THAT IT HAD COLLECTED, UM, OVER A, A A PERIOD THAT WERE TURNED OVER TO THE TOWN IN CONNECTION WITH THE UPGRADES AND MAINTENANCE TO MAIN STREET.
UM, THAT'S THE ONLY RECENT ONE THAT, UH, WE'VE DONE.
AND IT WAS, YOU KNOW, UH, NEGOTIATED WITH THE,
[00:10:01]
UH, MAIN STREET PROPERTY OWNERS ASSOCIATION BASED ON WHAT THEY HAD.UM, AND I THINK, I MEAN, THIS ONE MR. INGER SAID CAME UP EARLIER THIS YEAR.
UM, AND THERE HAS NOT BEEN ANY PARTICULAR, I MEAN, THERE WASN'T ANY OFFER OF, OF, OF ANY FUNDING OR, UH, NO ONE REVEALED THE EXISTENCE OF ANY.
SO, UM, UH, AGAIN, THERE HADN'T BEEN A FIXED POLICY.
IT'S, IT'S BEEN A KIND OF AD HOC THING WHEN PEOPLE COME TO THE TOWN TO ASK THIS.
I WAS ABOUT TO, UH, MAKE MENTION MR. COLTRANE OF THE SAME SITUATION WHEN THE TOWN TOOK OVER MAIN STREET.
UM, I'M SORRY, I DIDN'T, I'M NOT SURE I UNDERSTOOD WHAT YOU SAID EARLIER MR. INGER ABOUT THE FINANCIAL SITUATION OF THIS, UH, HOA, DO THEY HAVE ANY FUNDS? THEY DO.
THEY, THEY ARE, THEY ARE AN ORGANIZED POA AND THEY DO HAVE ANNUAL, THEY DO HAVE ANNUAL, ANNUAL DUES.
SO I'M, I'M NOT COMFORTABLE, UM, WITH APPROVING THIS WITHOUT EXAMINING THE FINANCIAL SITUATION BECAUSE I THINK IT SETS A BAD PRECEDENT.
UH, I WOULD PREFER THAT WE TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT THE FINANCIAL SITUATION IS AND WHAT THE POSSIBILITIES FOR THEIR MAKING A CONTRIBUTION TO THE TOWN MAY BE.
I I WOULD'VE THOUGHT THEY HAD A REPRESENTATIVE HERE TODAY, BUT WHAT'S HER NAME? UM, OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, I DON'T REMEMBER.
UM, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE DISCUSSED PREVIOUSLY, CORRECT? THIS WAS AN, AN AGENDA ITEM, UM, IN EXECUTIVE SESSION AS I RECALL.
UM, AM I CONFUSING THAT WAS SOMETHING ELSE OR WAS THIS PREVIOUSLY DISCUSSED? NO, MS. BECKER, THIS WAS, EXCUSE ME, PREVIOUSLY DISCUSSED.
WHAT WAS THE STAFF'S RECOMMENDATIONS FOR IT BEING IN A, UH, CRITICAL AREA FOR STORMWATER? SO THE, THE DRAINAGE AGREEMENT, UM, THAT YOU'VE JUST, UH, APPROVED WOULD COVER ALL BUT THE ALL BUT THE, UH, DRIVEWAY PIPES ALONG THE ROAD IN THE COMMUNITY.
SO ALL OF THE THROUGH WATER AND THE WATER THAT DRAINS THE RIGHT AWAY TO THE MARSH WOULD BE COVERED UNDER THAT DRAINAGE AGREEMENT.
YEAH, I DON'T, I MEAN, I DON'T SEE ANY YES.
ISSUE, BUT IF YOU WANNA, YOU WANT TO GET AN ACCOUNTING, I'M FINE WITH TABLE UNTIL THE NEXT, UNTIL THE NEXT MEETING.
I JUST GET AN ACCOUNTING FROM THE BOARD.
YES, I WOULD, I WOULD, UH, I WOULD PREFER THAT SOME EXPIRATION OF THEIR FINANCIAL ABILITY TO MAKE A CONTRIBUTION BE EXPLORED BEFORE WE APPROVE THIS.
SO, UM, YOU MENTIONED, OH, YEAH.
SO LET ME CHANGE THE, CAN I AMEND THE MOTION THAT I HAVE ON THE TABLE THEN? SURE.
UM, WHY DON'T WE, UM, A MOTION TO TABLE THIS ITEM FOR CEDAR WOODS UNTIL OUR NEXT MEETING AND ASK, EXCUSE ME, I CAN'T HEAR.
I SAID, UH, I WANNA AMEND THE MOTION TO TABLE THIS ITEM UNTIL OUR NEXT MEETING AND ASK THAT THE HOA PRESIDENT OR THE REPRESENTATIVE BRING THAT INFORMATION IN OR PROVIDE THAT INFORMATION PRIOR TO US MEETING NEXT TIME.
SO IS THERE A SECOND FOR THAT AMENDMENT? WELL, WHO COULD SECOND YOU? THAT'S WHO GOOD.
I, I MEAN, FOR WHAT IT'S WORTH, AND ACTUALLY MR. WILLIAMS IS HERE.
WHEN THE TOWN, UM, RECEIVED TITLE TO THE POINT COMFORT WOODS ROADWAYS THE EARLY TWO THOUSANDS, I DON'T RECALL THAT THERE WAS ANY REQUIREMENT FOR ANY FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTION AT THAT TIME.
SO FOR FOR CLARITY, YOU'RE, YOU'RE ASKING, UM, WHAT THEIR CAPACITY TO, TO CONTRIBUTE, CONTRIBUTE, UM, ON A ONE TIME BASIS, I'M ASSUMING.
THAT'S WHAT WE WANT THE CLARITY ON AND THEN HAVE THE REPRESENTED.
YEAH, I JUST, HERE, I THINK, I THINK IT WOULD BE PROPER WHEN WE TAKE OVER THESE PROPERTIES THAT WE AT LEAST ASSESS THEIR, UM, I DON'T KNOW WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR, BUT YOU KNOW WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR.
IT'S JUST THEIR, UM, THEIR FINANCIAL ABILITY TO, UH, JOIN IN THE TRANSFER FINANCIALLY.
SO, UM, ANYONE ELSE HAVE ANYTHING THEY WANNA CONTRIBUTE? UM, MELINDA OR PATSY? ALEX.
KIM, WHAT IS OUR NEXT MEETING? NOVEMBER 17TH.
[00:15:01]
WHAT WOULD THAT THE TABLE, UHHUHYOU WANNA ADD THAT? SO WE HAVE A DATE CERTAIN, YEAH.
OR NEXT MEETING? YES, FEBRUARY 17TH.
YOU KNOW, AND, AND JUST, I GUESS, I GUESS IT'S JUST KIND OF TYING UP, TYING UP, PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THEY COULD VERY WELL COME BACK AND SAY, WE HAVE NONE.
SO, UM, THEN WE HAVE TO MAKE THE DECISION AGAIN.
SO THAT'S ALSO NEED TO HAVE, UH, A POLICY ESTABLISHED IN THIS REGARD.
THIS WON'T BE THE LAST REQUEST FOR TAKING OVER PRIVATE ROADWAYS, AS, AS I REMEMBER, AND CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, BUT WHEN WE DISCUSSED THIS PREVIOUSLY, UM, I DON'T RECALL ANY OF THESE QUESTIONS HAVING COME UP OR WHERE ELSE WE WOULD'VE HAD THE INFORMATION FOR TODAY.
SO HAVING THE QUESTIONS NOW IS FINE.
UM, WE WILL VOTE ON THE MOTION TO TABLE IT UNTIL NOVEMBER 17TH.
EVERYONE COULD COME BACK AND SAY, WHICH THEY'VE PROBABLY DONE, THEY WOULDN'T BE ASKING.
SO WE HAVE, UM, DISCUSSION REGARDING THE HOLIDAY HOMES, NEIGHBORHOOD CHARACTER OVERLAY, DISTRICT AMENDMENT REQUEST, AND SEAN, UM, MENGER IS OUR DEPUTY TOWN MANAGER AND HE'S HERE TO MAKE THAT PRESENTATION.
AND I JUST RECEIVED A MESSAGE FROM, UM, THE COMMUNITY THAT THEY WERE SOMEHOW NOT AWARE THAT TODAY WAS THE DISCUSSION, BUT THEY'LL TRY TO MAKE, SEND A REPRESENTATIVE OVER AT SOME POINT, BUT THEY'LL WATCH AS WELL.
GOOD MORNING, MADAM, MADAM CHAIR, MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE.
SEAN LAER, DEPUTY TOWN MANAGER.
UH, JUST AS A POINT OF OF PROCESS, RECOGNIZING THAT REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE NEIGHBORHOOD AREN'T HERE, UH, TODAY, AND THIS IS A REQUEST FROM THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
I'M HAPPY TO GO THROUGH THE PRESENTATION AND SHARE WITH YOU WHAT THE REQUEST IS, BUT RECOGNIZE IT'S NOT THERE.
WOULD YOUR PREFERENCE BE FOR ME TO DO THAT OR TO, TO TABLE THIS? TO THE, TO THE NEXT MEETING? I THINK IN THEIR INTEREST, THEY PROBABLY WOULD LIKE TO BE HERE, SO I'M NOT SURE.
I SAW AN EMAIL, SO I'M NOT REALLY SURE HOW THE MISCOMMUNICATION HAPPENED.
BUT IN ANY CASE, UM, IF THAT'S OKAY WITH THE COMMITTEE, I WOULD SUGGEST AND RECOMMEND THAT WE MOVE THIS TO THE NOVEMBER 17TH DATE AS WELL.
WE NEED TO MAKE A MOTION FOR THAT, CURTIS? YES.
CAN SOMEONE MAKE THAT MOTION, PLEASE? UH, YES.
I, UH, I MOVE THAT WE MAY, UH, THAT WE MOVE THIS, THAT WE TABLED THIS ITEM SIX C REGARDING, UH, HOLLYWOOD HOL HOLIDAY HOMES NEIGHBORHOOD CHARACTER OVER LATE DISTRICT UNTIL OUR NEXT MEETING ON NOVEMBER THE 17TH.
[7. Executive Session]
UM, THEN DO WE, WE HAVE A NEED FOR AN EXECUTIVE SESSION TO DISCUSS FOR DISCUSSION OF APPOINTMENTS TO BOARDS, COMMISSIONS, AND COMMITTEES PURSUANT TO SOUTH CAROLINA FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT, SECTION 34 70 A ONE, AND IT'S RELATED TO BUFORT COUNTY AIRPORT BOARD, BUFORT, JASPER HOUSING TRUST BOARD OF ZONING APPEALS IN THE HOUSING ACTION COMMITTEE.DO I HAVE A MOTION TO GO INTO AN EXECUTIVE SESSION? THOSE SECOND.
[8. Action from Executive Session]
WE TOOK NO ACTION DURING EXECUTIVE SESSION AND ALL, UM, IN AGREEMENT VOTE.RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND ADJOURNMENT.
[9. Adjournment]
OUR ADJOURNING, THANK YOU SO MUCH.