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CLOSED CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY BUFORT COUNTY.
UM, ANYBODY ELSE, UH, FROM THE BOARD WANT TO JOIN US UP HERE? OKAY.
[I. CALL TO ORDER]
ALMOST 10, SO WE'LL GET STARTED.[III.1. Town of Bluffton Update. Stephen Steese, Town Manager]
FIRST ITEM ON OUR AGENDA TODAY IS THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON UPDATE.STEVENS, STEVE OF OF BLUFFTON.
I'VE SEEN THIS AND I'M, IT'S VERY GOOD.
WELL, MAYOR, I WILL APOLOGIZE 'CAUSE YOU MAY GET BORED 'CAUSE YOU SAW A STRATEGIC PLAN.
AND THEN I'VE GOT SOME STAFF OUT HERE THAT'LL BE PROBABLY THE SECOND OR THIRD TIME THEY'VE HEARD IT.
UM, BUT I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY GIVING UPDATE ON SOME OF THE STUFF WE'VE GOT GOING ON IN BLUFFTON AND SOME GROWTH AND INITIATIVES.
SO I'M GONNA, UH, GO THROUGH AND TRY TO STAY WITHIN THE TIMEFRAME THAT YOU GAVE US.
SO GIVE A LITTLE BIT OF UPDATE ON WHERE BLUFFTON IS TODAY.
SOME OF THE DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS THAT ARE GOING ON AROUND THE TOWN.
UM, SOME OF OUR CIP AS WELL AS, UM, THE TOWN SURVEY THAT WE COMPLETED A UPDATE ON, AND THEN SOME OF THE INITIATIVES THAT HAVE COME OUT FROM THAT.
SO WHERE WE ARE, UH, WE'RE STILL ABOUT 54 SQUARE MILES, EVEN THOUGH WE DID ANNEX.
SO A COUPLE DOZEN ACRES THIS PAST YEAR.
UM, SOMEWHERE AROUND 35,000 GIVE OR TAKE.
UM, THAT NUMBER KIND OF FLUCTUATES RIGHT NOW, BUT AS, UM, ESTIMATED ABOUT 35,000, ALWAYS THROW IN SOME OF THE ECONOMIC NUMBERS AT THE BOTTOM.
UM, JUST BASED ON INCOME, AVERAGE HOUSEHOLD RENT.
UM, THE MEDIAN LISTING PRICE THERE FOR OUR HOUSE, I PULLED THAT FROM REALTOR BACK IN JULY TO SEE WHERE WE WERE AT.
NEED TO UPDATE IT NOW THAT WE'RE A FEW MONTHS OUT.
BUT, UM, THE AVERAGE HOME PRICE WAS AROUND 525,000 ON REALTOR BACK THEN.
SO JUST TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF HOW THINGS HAVE CHANGED IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS, I THINK, UM, IN 2020 IT WAS SOMEWHERE AROUND A COUPLE HUNDRED, LIKE TWO 50.
UM, SO WHERE IS BLUFFED AND GROWING? SO, LIKE I SAID, WE ANNEXED, UH, ABOUT 30 ACRES AND, UM, I'M SORRY, ANNEXED ABOUT 65 ACRES.
UH, A FEW DOZEN, UM, IN THE BUCKWALTER AREA.
I'LL TALK ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON IN THAT AREA HERE SHORTLY, BUT WE KIND OF LOOK YEAR OVER YEAR.
WE WILL DO THIS AGAIN IN JANUARY AND LOOK OVER WHERE WE ARE THROUGH, UH, 2025.
BUT YOU CAN SEE A LOT OF OUR RESIDENTIAL BUILDOUT IS OVER IN THAT GREEN AND YELLOW AND KINDA I GUESS, UH, PINKISH AREAS.
UM, THAT'S WHERE WE'RE SEEING MOST OF OUR RESIDENTIAL.
WE'RE ALSO SEEING A BIG UPTICK IN THE COMMERCIAL IN THE BUCK WALTER, AS WELL AS THE NEW RIVERSIDE AREA.
AND I'LL TALK ABOUT THAT HERE IN JUST A SECOND.
UM, OVERALL YOU CAN SEE OUR RESIDENTIAL IS UP TO ABOUT 84% BUILDOUT.
UM, THAT MEANS THAT THEY'RE PERMITTED FOR 84% OF OUR RESIDENTIAL UNITS.
SO WE, WHERE HARDY VILLAGE'S JUST GETTING STARTED, WE'RE KIND OF, KIND OF STARTING TO GET TOWARDS THAT, UH, CLOSEOUT, UM, OR LOOKING AT THE NEXT 10, 15 YEARS FOR BUILD OUT FOR US.
UM, AND THEN COMMERCIAL ACTUALLY WENT DOWN BECAUSE OF THOSE 65 ACRES WE ANNEX WERE ALL COMMERCIAL.
THERE WAS NO RESIDENTIAL IN THOSE.
SO SOME OF THE THINGS THAT'S GOING ON, THE ONE ON THE RIGHT, THAT'S PART OF WHAT'S GOING IN THE 65 ACRES THAT WE ANNEX, THAT'S A NOVANT HEALTH HOSPITAL.
UM, RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET FROM THERE IS THE BLUFFTON MEMORIAL, UM, MEDICAL CAMPUS WHERE THEY'RE LOOKING TO BUILD THEIR HOSPITAL.
BOTH OF THESE ARE ON BUCKWALTER AND PART OF A LARGER, UH, THEME ON BUCKWALTER.
NOVANT'S ACTUALLY BUILDING A STANDALONE EMERGENCY ROOM OUT THERE AS WELL, SIMILAR TO WHAT THEY HAVE IN TIDE WATCH.
UM, YOU HAVE A BEAUFORT MEMORIAL AND MUSC PARTNERSHIP WHERE THEY'RE BUILDING, UH, OFFICE SPACE SO THAT MUSC CAN HAVE DOCTORS THAT ARE COMING DOWN FROM CHARLESTON HAVE OFFICE HOURS AND SAVE PEOPLE SOME TRIPS TO CHARLESTON TO HAVE TO SEE SPECIALISTS.
SO THEY'LL ACTUALLY HAVE THAT.
UM, AND IT'S GOING IN RIGHT ACROSS FROM WHERE BE MEMORIAL IS BUILDING THEIR HOSPITAL, WHICH I THINK IT'S DECEMBER 4TH, THEY'RE HAVING THEIR TOPPING OUT CEREMONY.
UM, SO THEY'RE GETTING CLOSE TO GETTING COMPLETELY VERTICAL AND THEN START FILLING IN.
UM, AND THEN ACROSS THE STREET FROM THAT IS WHERE NOVANT HEALTH IS GOING THROUGH THE PERMITTING PROCESS TO BUILD THEIR HOSPITAL, WHICH SQUARE FOOT WISE IS ABOUT THREE TIMES WHAT BEAUFORT MEMORIAL IS LOOKING IS IN THE PROCESS OF CONSTRUCTION RIGHT NOW.
SO A LOT OF MEDICAL GOING IN THERE.
UM, AGAIN, BLUFFTON WAS DESIGNED FOR THIS TO BE A HIGH DENSITY COMMERCIAL AREA.
THE MEDICAL IS IS AN IDEAL USE THERE.
IT'S SOMETHING WE NEED IN THE COMMUNITY.
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RESIDENTS FOR YEARS.WE NEED MEDICAL NOT HAVING TO DRIVE TO SAVANNAH, CHARLESTON, HILTON HEAD BEAUFORT TO BE ABLE TO GET IT.
SO I THINK WHAT YOU'LL SEE IS THIS AREA WILL SUB SERVE AS A MEDICAL HUB FOR THE SOUTHERN BEAUFORT COUNTY ONCE IT'S ALL BUILT OUT, UM, IN THAT SAME AREA.
UM, WE HAVE A TOWN PROJECT THAT WE'RE WORKING ON IN BUCKWALTER.
IT'S ACTUALLY A PARTNERSHIP WITH TIM DOLNIK, WHO'S A PRIVATE PARTNER.
UM, THERE ARE THREE BUILDINGS THAT ARE BEING CONSTRUCTED IN BUCKWALTER.
THE VERY, IF YOU LOOK AT THE VERY BOTTOM RIGHT OF THE SCREEN, THAT'S ACTUALLY A BUILDING THAT WILL COME BACK TO THE TOWN.
UM, WE'RE GONNA HAVE A DAYCARE THAT WE'RE PARTNERING WITH ONE OF OUR DRCI, UM, PROGRAMS TO OPEN A CHILDCARE FACILITY.
I THINK THERE'S 54 GIVE OR TAKE.
UM, NUMBERS ALL RUN TOGETHER, BUT I KNOW IT'S OVER 50, UM, CHILD CARE SPOTS AND ABOUT 20% OF THOSE WILL BE, UH, LOW AND MODERATE THAT TAKE VOUCHERS AS PART OF THE AGREEMENT THAT WE HAVE IN PLACE.
THE REST OF THE BUILDING WILL HAVE A COUPLE, UM, MIXED USE, UM, AT MARKET RATE TO HELP OFFSET SOME OF THE COSTS OF THE BUILDING.
AND THEN THE TOP FLOOR WILL BE A LOT OF RENTAL SPACE AS WELL AS OPEN OFFICE SPACE LANDING PAD SPACE, SIMILAR TO WHAT BEAUFORT HAS.
SO THAT WE HAVE ONE HERE SOUTH OF THE BROAD WHERE IF A COMPANY'S LOOKING TO RELOCATE, I THINK ONE OF THE ONES WE'RE TALKING TO IS SOMEONE THAT'S LOOKING TO LOCATE ONE OF THE ONES YOU'RE WORKING WITH IN HARDY V BECAUSE THEY'RE TRYING TO GET HERE BEFORE THEY ACTUALLY OPEN SO THEY CAN START BUILDING THE NETWORK AND HIRING PEOPLE AND THEY NEED A PLACE TO LAND AND, AND TRY TO HAVE AN OFFICE TO BE ABLE TO DO SO.
SO, UM, WE WANT TO HAVE ONE OF THOSE SOUTH OF THE BROAD AND WE WANT THAT TO BE IN BLUFFED.
AND SO WE'RE WORKING ON THAT RIGHT NOW.
UM, I THINK WE'RE LOOKING TO RIBBON CUT THE BUILDING SOMETIME AROUND THE, UH, FIRST MID OF JANUARY.
SO, UM, BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THAT.
AND THEN WE'LL START FINISHING UP THE, UP THE FIT UPFIT FOR EACH OF THE INDIVIDUAL SPACES FOR OUR LEASES.
UM, OUT THERE IN BUCK WALTER AS WELL.
IF YOU DRIVE BY, YOU'LL SEE WASHINGTON SQUARE, LOTS OF BUSINESSES GOING UP IN THERE.
UM, IF YOU COME TO ANY OF THE CHAMBER RIBBON CUTTINGS SOUTH OF THE BROAD HERE, YOU'LL PROBABLY HAVE GONE TO A COUPLE IN THERE LIKE WINE TIME, FLEET FEET, AND SOME OTHER PLACES THAT, UM, WHAT WE'RE SEEING IS SECONDARY LOCATIONS BECAUSE THEIR PEOPLE ARE DRIVING FROM BLUFFTON TO HILTON HEAD OR TO OLD TOWN, UH, OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT TO GET THEIR SERVICES.
NOW AGAIN, THIS WILL WHERE IT MAY SLOW SOME OF THOSE OTHER BUSINESSES DOWN FROM WHERE THEY'RE CURRENTLY LOCATED.
IT PROVIDES AN OPPORTUNITY CLOSER TO WHERE PEOPLE ARE LIVING AND LESS TRAFFIC ON THE ROAD TO BE ABLE TO GO OUT AND ENJOY THAT.
UM, HE STILL HAS A GOOD BIT MORE SPACE.
I DON'T KNOW IF I CAN POINT OUT ON HERE, LIKE HE'S GETTING READY TO PERMIT THE OPPOSITE CORNER HERE, THE MIRROR VERSION OF THAT.
AND THEN HE STILL, THERE'S A CHILDCARE FACILITY THAT'S SUPPOSED TO GO IN HERE AND SOME MORE DEVELOPMENT GOING ALONG IN THERE.
UM, THIS IS A NEW RIVERSIDE VILLAGE IF YOU'VE DRIVEN OUT BY WHERE OUR BARN PARK IS, YOU'VE SEEN THIS TAKEN A LOT OF, UH, UH, UNDERTAKE A LOT OF CHANGE HERE OVER THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS.
WE'VE HAD A LOT OF BUSINESSES OPEN.
THE, UM, APARTMENTS ARE OPEN AND THE TOWN HOMES ARE STARTING TO, UM, FINISH UP AND SELL RIGHT NOW.
UM, AND IT IS DIRECTLY ACROSS THE STREET.
YOU CAN KIND OF SEE IT IN THE CORNER RIGHT OVER HERE FROM OUR NEW RIVERSIDE PARK THAT WE OPENED EARLIER THIS YEAR.
SO IT TIES IN TO SOME OF THE CAPITAL PROJECTS THAT WE'VE HAD GOING ON THE PA THIS CURRENT YEAR.
UM, THIS IS SQUIRE POPE CARRIAGE HOUSE.
THIS WAS A COUPLE YEARS IN THE MAKING, BUT THIS IS OUR NEW WELCOME CENTER RIGHT AT WRIGHT FAMILY PARK.
UM, WE'VE COMPLETED THE RENOVATION FOR THIS AND OPENED IT UP IN FEBRUARY OF THIS YEAR.
EXCITED TO HAVE IT SINCE THIS PICTURE WAS TAKEN.
WE'VE INSTALLED OUR FIRST PIECE OF PUBLIC ART RIGHT HERE CALLED THE BLUFFTON PEARL, AND UH, THAT'S ONE OF ABOUT FOUR THAT COUNCIL IS AWARDED RIGHT NOW.
SO, BUT THAT'S THE FIRST ONE THAT'S BEEN INSTALLED.
SO WE'RE EXCITED TO SEE THE PUBLIC ART ACTUALLY TAKE OFF AND, UM, SEE SOME PIECES THAT ARE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE COMMUNITY.
UM, I ALWAYS SAY THAT IT'S KIND OF A CHEAT TO PUT THIS ON HERE 'CAUSE TECHNICALLY WE OPENED THE SPLASH PAD IN NOVEMBER OF LAST YEAR, BUT IT WAS ONLY OPEN FOR ABOUT THREE WEEKS.
THIS IS OUR FIRST FULL YEAR THAT IT'S BEEN OPEN, STILL WILDLY POPULAR, UH, GETTING READY TO SHUT IT DOWN FOR THE HOLIDAYS HERE.
UM, WE ALSO HAVE LEARNED IN THE FIRST FULL YEAR THAT IT'S BEEN OPEN THAT YOU CAN'T DESIGN THINGS TO BE COMPLETELY CHILDPROOF.
UM, THEY FIND WAYS TO, UH, FIGURE OUT ANY LOOSE PART OR ANYTHING THAT CAN BE PULLED UP WILL BE PULLED UP.
SO THERE'S SOME REPAIRS AND UPGRADES THAT WE'LL NEED TO DO OVER THE WINTER WHILE IT'S SHUT DOWN TO REPAIR SOME OF THE SURFACES AND STUFF THAT, UM, NEED TO BE DONE.
UM, OUR, UM, GYM FOR THIS PAST YEAR IS OUR NEW RIVERSIDE PARK.
UM, THIS IS KIND OF AN ARROW VIEW, JUST SOME OF THE PARK AND PLAYGROUND.
IF YOU HAVEN'T BEEN BY THERE, TAKE YOUR KIDS OUT THERE, GRANDKIDS, WHICHEVER.
LET 'EM, UH, ENJOY THE, THE ONE HILL IN BLUFFTON THAT WE HAVE THAT THE KIDS SEEM TO WANNA PLAY KING OF THE HILL ON.
UM, WHO KNEW THAT A THREE FOOT TALL HILL WOULD BE THE MOST POPULAR PLAYGROUND FEATURE OUTSIDE OF THE, UM, I CAN NEVER REMEMBER.
AND THERE'S A LINE FOR THE ZIP LINE EVERY TIME YOU GO OUT THERE.
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THE BARN, IT OPENS FEBRUARY 1ST, I THINK WE HAVE ABOUT 30 RENOVATIONS ALREADY GOING INTO 20, 26.COUPLE PROMS, SOME WEDDINGS, COUPLE MILITARY RETIREMENTS.
A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO ARE EXCITED ABOUT IT.
UM, WE ACTUALLY JUST HAD OUR THANKSGIVING LUNCH THERE LAST WEEK AND KICKED IT OFF AS, UH, GAVE IT A TEST RUN TO MAKE SURE HOW EVERYTHING WORKS.
I THINK, UH, OVERALL SENTIMENT WAS JUST GONNA BE A, A GREAT ADDITION TO OUR INVENTORY OF VENUES THAT THE PUBLIC CAN USE.
UM, AND THEN RIGHT NEXT TO IT, UM, I DIDN'T HAVE PICTURES OF IT TO ADD IN HERE, BUT, UM, YOU'LL SEE THERE'S A PAVILION THAT'S GOING UP AND THE PAVILION WILL ACTUALLY SIT RIGHT HERE.
SO YOU CAN, AND IT'LL BE ALL THE WAY THROUGH SO THAT YOU CAN EITHER SET UP AND FACE BACK TOWARDS THE BARN IF YOU'RE HAVING AN EVENT AT THE BARN OR FOR US, WE CAN HAVE IT AND FACE OUT OVER THE LAWN AND HAVE BIGGER CONCERT VENUE WHERE WE CAN HAVE PEOPLE WITH LAWN CHAIRS, BLANKETS THAT WANNA SIT OUT THERE.
AND YOU CAN HAVE SEVERAL THOUSAND SITTING ON THE LAWN OUT THERE.
SO IT GIVES US A LOT MORE, UH, FLEXIBILITY AND USE WITH THE PROPERTY.
UM, WE'RE ALSO WORKING ON THE NEW RIVERSIDE TRAIL TO, UH, PAVE IT.
UM, FOR THOSE THAT DON'T KNOW WHERE THAT IS, YOU PROBABLY DRIVE BY IT EVERY TIME YOU GO DOWN 46 AND DON'T EVEN REALIZE YOU'RE PASSING A TRAIL BECAUSE IT LOOKS LIKE A POWER LINE EASEMENT.
THIS WILL MAKE IT MORE ACCESSIBLE.
IT WILL ALLOW A DA USE AND IT'LL ALSO BETTER DEFINE IT SO THE PUBLIC KNOWS THAT IT IS ACTUALLY A PUBLIC TRAIL THAT YOU CAN USE.
AND IT WILL GO ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE NEW RIVER.
WE'LL HAVE A BOARD, UH, UM, APPEAR DOWN THERE SO THAT YOU CAN GO OUT AND, UH, AND STOP AT THE RIVER.
AND THEN IT GOES ALL THE WAY UP INTO THE BACK OF SUN CITY.
AND THEN EVENTUALLY THE GOAL IS TO TAKE IT EAST AND TIE INTO ONE 70.
UM, WITH THE MULTIPURPOSE TRAILS OUT THERE, THAT'LL BE A LITTLE BIT MORE EXTENSIVE.
THERE'S A LOT MORE WETLANDS ALONG THERE.
UH, IT'LL PROBABLY MOSTLY BE ALL ELEVATED, BUT THAT'S FUTURE PHASES.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE KICKING OFF IS A LOT OF STREETSCAPE PROJECTS.
WE DID PHASE ONE OF BRIDGE STREET LAST YEAR.
IF YOU'VE BEEN DOWN IN OLD TOWN, YOU'VE SEEN THAT WE'RE GONNA DO PHASE TWO, WHICH GOES PAST THE BRIDGE AND ON DOWN THE REST OF THE WAY NEAR OYSTER FACTORY PARK.
UH, WE'RE GETTING READY TO START PRITCHARD STREET, WHICH IS THE ONE THAT RUNS BY TOWN HALL.
THAT ONE STARTED REALLY MORE OF THE DRAINAGE PROJECT 'CAUSE WE HAVE NO DRAINAGE ALONG THAT ROADWAY.
AND THERE'S BEEN QUITE A BIT OF DRAINAGE ISSUES.
SO WHAT TURNED OUT, STARTED AS A DRAINAGE PROJECT IS TURNING INTO A BEAUTIFICATION STREETSCAPE PROJECT.
AND THEN WE'RE GONNA GET TO THE TWO BIG ONES, WHICH ARE BOUNDARY AND CALHOUN.
AND THOSE ARE GONNA BE ONES THAT ARE GONNA TAKE A LITTLE LONGER.
THEY'LL PROBABLY GO BLOCK BY BLOCK BECAUSE WE HAVE A LOT OF BUSINESSES AND RESIDENTS THAT WILL BE IMPACTED BY THOSE.
AND WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT AS WE WORK THROUGH THOSE, THAT WE CAN KEEP THE BUSINESSES OPEN AND MAKE SURE THAT WE DO AS LITTLE IMPACT AS POSSIBLE AS WE'RE WORKING THROUGH THOSE TWO STREETS STREETSCAPE PROJECTS CHECKS.
UH, SO LAST THING, I'M GONNA TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE SURVEY AND SOME OF THE INITIATIVES THAT THE TOWN HAS TAKEN BASED ON THAT.
SO WE DO A SURVEY, WE TRY TO DO IT ABOUT EVERY TWO TO THREE YEARS.
UH, WE COMPLETED IT IN MARCH OF 2025.
UM, THE LAST ONE WE DID WAS LIKE IN NOVEMBER OF 2021.
SO IT ENDED UP BEING, IT SAYS FOUR YEARS ON HERE, BUT IT'S ABOUT THREE AND A LITTLE MORE, ABOUT THREE AND FOUR MONTHS THAT THEY WERE SEPARATED.
UM, BUT BECAUSE WE'VE DONE IT TWICE NOW, WE'RE ABLE TO START TRACKING AND SEEING SOME TRENDS BETWEEN YEAR OVER YEAR.
SO I WAS GONNA HIT ON SOME OF THOSE AND JUST TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE INITIATIVES THAT WE'VE TAKEN BASED ON THE SURVEYS THAT WE HEAR FROM OUR RESIDENTS.
UM, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT YOU'RE GONNA SEE ARE THINGS THAT WE ALREADY KNOW.
UM, THE HIGHEST, MOST CONCERNING THING THAT PEOPLE BROUGHT UP WAS OVERPOPULATION, CONTROLLING GROWTH, DEVELOPMENT, TRANSPORTATION.
UM, AND WHAT I WOULD JUST POINT OUT IS IF YOU LOOK FROM THREE AND A HALF YEARS AGO TO NOW, UM, THE NUMBERS JUST GET HIGHER.
SO THAT MEANS A LOT OF THOSE PEOPLE MOVED IN AND NOW THAT THEY'VE BEEN HERE, THEY'RE COMPLAINING ABOUT GROWTH TOO.
UM, SO WHERE IT WAS 38% IN 2021, IT'S 56% NOW, WHERE TRA TRAFFIC WAS 16%, IT'S NOW 22%.
UM, SO AGAIN, WHEN WE ASKED WHAT A SERIOUS PROBLEM FOR BLUFFTON IS, ONE THING I WOULD POINT OUT IN 2021, AFFORDABILITY OF HOUSING WAS THE NUMBER ONE.
IT STAYED ABOUT THE SAME, BUT IT, UH, ACTUALLY WENT DOWN A LITTLE BIT, BUT IT DROPPED TO FIFTH.
WHAT YOU SAW WAS EVERYTHING WENT TO TRAFFIC TOO MUCH DEVELOPMENT, PROTECTING OUR OPEN SPACE, CONDITIONS OF STREETS, ROADS, SIDEWALKS, UM, AND THEN EVERYTHING ELSE PRETTY MUCH STAYED THE SAME BELOW THERE.
BUT THOSE TOP THREE WE SAW GO OVER 50%, WHICH MEANS THEY ARE A MAJOR ISSUE THAT NEED TO BE ADDRESSED SOMEHOW.
UM, WE FOUND THAT 66% WERE UNSATISFIED WITH THE TOWN.
HOW THE TOWN MANAGES GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT, YOU'RE GONNA SEE THIS AS A TREND.
THE BLUE LINE IS THOSE THAT ARE SATISFIED, THE ORANGE IS UNSATISFIED.
THOSE THAT WERE SATISFIED THREE YEARS AGO JUST WENT TO THE UNSATISFIED.
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27%, UNSATISFIED WENT UP ALMOST 30%, TOO MUCH NEW GROWTH.AGAIN, YOU'RE GONNA SEE THOSE THAT WERE JUST ABOUT THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF TIME BACK THEN WENT TO NOW IT'S TOO MUCH.
50% SAID THERE'S WAY, THERE'S TOO MUCH DEVELOPMENTAL.
AGAIN, THOSE THAT WERE JUST ABOUT THE RIGHT AMOUNT WENT TO, THERE'S NOW TOO MUCH.
50% SAY THERE'S JUST ABOUT THE RIGHT OF COMMERCIAL AGAIN, THAT WENT DOWN.
SO, YOU KNOW, STILL NOT AS BAD ON THE COMMERCIAL BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT PEOPLE KNOW WE NEED IT, BUT STILL TOO MUCH YET, 82% OF THE PEOPLES WOULD RATE THE QUALITY OF LIFE IN BLUFFTON AS EITHER GOOD OR EXCELLENT.
AND THAT WENT UP DURING THAT SAME TIME PERIOD.
IT NOT ONLY WENT UP, IT WENT UP ALMOST 20%.
SO THAT TELLS YOU THAT EVEN THOUGH PEOPLE AREN'T UNHAPPY WITH THE GROWTH, THEY'RE UNHAPPY WITH SOME OF THE THINGS THAT ARE TAKING PLACE.
THEY STILL BELIEVE THAT WE'RE INVESTING IN MAKING SURE THAT QUALITY OF LIFE IS A TOP PRIORITY IN THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON.
SO AS WITH ANYTHING, THERE'S NEGATIVES AND POSITIVES.
SO THERE ARE NEGATIVES THAT WE NEED TO ADDRESS AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT HOW WE'RE ADDRESSING SOME OF THOSE.
BUT THE POSITIVE IS, IS THAT THE INVESTMENT THAT WE'RE MAKING INTO PARKS, WE'RE MAKING INTO ROADS, CONNECTIONS, THE THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING SERVE AS A BENEFIT OVER THE LAST THREE YEARS THAT OUR RESIDENTS ARE HAP I THINK OUR QUALITY OF LIFE IS HIGHER NOW THAN IT WAS THREE YEARS AGO.
SO WHAT HAVE WE DONE? WE'VE DONE SOME CITIZEN EDUCATION.
WE FOUND OUT THAT THE MAJORITY OF OUR RESIDENTS DIDN'T KNOW THAT THE TOWN ACTUALLY HAS A CAP ON BUILD OUT AND THAT WE WERE OVER 80% OF THAT CAP.
WE'RE PUSHING 85% OF OUR RESIDENTIAL UNITS.
OVER HALF OF THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE HERE DON'T EVEN KNOW ABOUT THAT.
SO WE NEED TO EDUCATE OUR PUBLIC.
SO WE DID OUR, OUR RESIDENT RESOURCE GUIDE.
UM, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE PUSHED OUT.
UM, WE CREATED, WE MADE IT TO BE AN EVERGREEN DOCUMENT.
THE NUMBERS ARE ALL THE MAIN NUMBERS THAT REACHED OTHER PEOPLE.
THE WAY WE LOOKED AT IT AS PEOPLE WHO MOVE INTO THE POAS NEIGHBORHOODS COMMUNITY, YOU KNOW, THEY'LL GET STUFF FROM THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD THAT THEY'LL PUT THIS WITH IT.
AND THIS BECOMES A DOCUMENT WHEN THEY SAY, I GOT A QUESTION ON A ROAD, WHERE DO I GO? I GOT A QUESTION ON THE, ON WHO I CONTACT TO ASK A QUESTION ABOUT TRASH.
UM, AND SO WE'VE WORKED TO NOT ONLY MAIL THIS TO EVERY RESIDENT THAT'S IN THE TOWN, WE'VE PUT OUT, UH, VIDEOS ON IT.
SO IF YOU GO ON OUR SOCIAL MEDIA PAGE, YOU'LL START SEEING US ROLLING OUT ABOUT A MINUTE LONG VIDEOS.
AND IF I HAD THE ABILITY, I PROBABLY WOULD'VE PUT A COUPLE IN HERE, BUT I'M TRYING TO STAND ON MY TIME CONSTRAINTS.
UM, BUT THEY'RE ABOUT A MINUTE LONG AND THEY TALK ABOUT THE FORM OF GOVERNMENT WHO MAINTAINS ROADS, WHICH PARKS THE TOWN OWNS AND MAINTAINS WHO TO CONTACT IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ON ZONING AND SO FORTH LIKE THAT.
SO WE'VE MADE ABOUT ABOUT EIGHT OF THEM.
AND THE GOAL IS, IS TO MAKE 'EM EASILY DIGESTIBLE SO THAT WHEN WE PUT 'EM OUT, THE PUBLIC CAN WATCH 'EM IN ABOUT 45 TO 50 SECONDS AND GET INFORMATION THAT THEY HAVE QUESTIONS ON.
ONE OF THE BIG ONES THAT WE DO IS HOW BLUFF AND GREW, BECAUSE A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY WE HAVE DONUT HOLES.
THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY BLUFFTON EVEN WANTED TO ANNEX ALL THIS PROPERTY WHEN SUN CITY STARTED DEVELOPING.
SO WE'VE TRIED TO TELL SOME OF THAT STORY TO THE PEOPLE WHO MOVED HERE IN THE LAST TWO OR THREE YEARS AND DON'T KNOW THE 25 YEAR HISTORY OF THE DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENTS AND ANNEXATION AND ALL THAT WITHIN THE COMMUNITY.
SO OUTSIDE OF THAT, UM, NUMBER THREE WAS PROTECTING OPEN SPACE AND WATER QUALITY.
AGAIN, THAT NUMBER ALMOST DOUBLED FROM WHERE IT WAS, UM, THREE YEARS AGO.
AND THEN 64% WERE SATISFIED WITH HOW THE TOWN MAINTAINS.
BUT THAT ACTUALLY HAD GONE DOWN ABOUT 12%.
SO, AND THE UNSATISFIED WENT UP ABOUT 8%.
SO WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE, UM, OUTLINED SOME OF THE THINGS THAT COUNCIL HAS DONE AND THAT THE TOWN HAS DONE TO MOVE FORWARD TO PROTECT, UM, OPEN SPACES, WETLANDS, AND NATURAL RESOURCES.
SO SOME OF THE THINGS THAT COUNCIL HAS DONE IS WE'VE ADOPTED A TREE MITIGATION ORDINANCE.
WE'VE ADOPTED THE SOCO STORM STORMWATER STANDARDS, AND WE CONTINUE TO PUSH, UM, THOSE AND MAKE SURE THAT THERE, UM, ANY UPDATES THAT NEED TO BE IN PLACE OR DONE.
UM, WE PUT IN PHASE CLEARING OF TREES BECAUSE THAT WAS ONE OF THE BIGGEST CONCERNS WE HEARD IS PEOPLE GO IN, THEY CLEAR CUT ALL FOUR PHASES OF A SUBDIVISION EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE ONLY BUILDING THE FIRST PHASE.
AND IT DOESN'T MATTER THAT IT'S A CIVIL CULTURE AND THOSE ARE PLANTED PINES.
IT'S STILL TREES THAT PEOPLE SEE AND THAT IS A VALUE.
UM, WE ALSO ADOPTED A WETLANDS BUFFER ORDINANCE.
WE WERE THE FIRST ONE IN THE STATE AND FIRST ONE IN THE REGION THAT I KNOW OF, UM, TO PROTECT INLAND, INLAND WETLAND.
UM, WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF, I MEAN WE HAVE THE RIVERS, BUT WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF NAVIGABLE WATERWAYS THAT COME IN LIKE HILTON HEAD WITH, UH, UM, THE, THE, UM, 'CAUSE YOU'RE AN ISLAND, UH, THAT'S SURROUNDED COMPLETELY
UM, SO, BUT WHAT WE HAVE IS A LOT OF POCKET INLAND FRESHWATER, UM, WETLANDS.
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SACKET DECISION SAID THAT THE CORPS OF ENGINEERS NO LONGER HAS JURISDICTION OVER THOSE BECAUSE IT USED TO BE THAT THOSE WETLANDS FLOW EVENTUALLY INTO THE RIVER.SO THEY SAID THEY TOUCH A NAVIGABLE WATER SOURCE.
THE SUPREME COURT SAID THAT'S, IT'S GOTTA DIRECTLY TOUCH.
SO WE WANTED TO PROTECT OUR INLAND WETLAND BUFFERS.
SO WE CREATED ONE AND, UH, WE PROVIDED A 50 FOOT BUFFER AROUND ALL INLAND, UH, FRESHWATER WETLANDS.
AND WE KIND OF DEFINED THAT CURRENTLY AS WHAT WAS IN PLACE AT THE TIME OF THE SACKET DECISION.
WE'RE WORKING ON A LONGER TERM, UH, ORDINANCE THAT WILL ACTUALLY DO OUR OWN MAPPING OF THE ENTIRE TOWN AND SET ALL OUR WETLAND BUFFERS FOR THE TOWN GOING FORWARD.
AND WE HOPE TO HAVE THAT IN PLACE, UM, IN 2026.
UH, BUT WE WILL HAVE IT IN PLACE.
BUT HOPEFULLY BY, UM, BY SUMMER OF 2026, WE'LL HAVE THE FINAL ORDINANCE IN PLACE.
UM, SOME OF THE STUDIES WE'RE DOING IS WE'RE DOING A LOT OF MODELING.
UM, WE'RE GOING INTO OUR DRAINAGE BASINS.
WE'RE GOING INTO HAYWARD COVE, CROOKED COVE.
UH, NEXT ONE IS ROADS DEW, WHICH IS WHERE WE HAD SOME FLOODING DURING HURRICANE DEBBIE.
UM, TO ACTUALLY MODEL AND IDENTIFY WHAT'S CURRENTLY THERE FOR STORMWATER DRAINAGE MODEL BASED ON, UM, DIFFERENT LEVELS OF RAIN AND IN INDURATION, UH, OR, UM, JUST IMPACT WHERE FAILURES WILL OCCUR.
AND THEN WORK WITH THOSE THAT ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR MAINTENANCE OF THAT TO GET THOSE UPDATED.
BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT THERE, A LOT OF THESE NEIGHBORHOODS WERE BUILT ON STANDARDS BEFORE.
SO LOW CO STANDARDS, THEY WERE BUILT ON STANDARDS BEFORE WE BECAME AN MS FOUR.
AND THE ONES THAT ARE FAILING ARE ONES THAT ARE BUILT ON THOSE OLDER STANDARDS.
SO WE NEED TO SEE HOW WHAT UPGRADES CAN BE MADE, UM, TO, TO GET THOSE DONE.
UM, THE OTHER THING WE DID IS WE DID A MAY RIVER BASELINE ASSESSMENT FOR THE FIRST TIME IN ABOUT 20 YEARS.
AND WHAT WE FOUND OUT IS WE'RE PRETTY LEVEL COMPARED TO WHERE WE WERE 20 YEARS AGO, EVEN WITH ALL THE DEVELOPMENT THAT WE'VE HAD.
SO THAT WAS POSITIVE AND SHOWS THAT COUNCIL STEWARDSHIP HAS HELPED KEEP THOSE LEVELS FROM SPIKING.
UM, WE KNOW WE DO HAVE SOME ISSUES IN THE RI UH, MAY RIVER, ESPECIALLY WITH FECAL COLIFORM AND SOME OF THE SHELLFISH HARVESTING CLOSED.
BUT AGAIN, WE'RE DOING WHAT WE CAN TO WORK TOWARDS THAT AS WELL.
UM, ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS WE'RE DOING IS LAND ACQUISITION AND PRESERVATION.
UM, WE ACTUALLY ASKED OUR RESIDENTS AND 90% OF 'EM SAID THAT THEY SUPPORT USING TOWN FUNDS TO PURCHASE PROPERTY OR DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS TO PRESERVE GREEN SPACE.
SO COUNCIL TOOK THAT AS A MANDATE THAT THEY HAD THE ABILITY TO GO AND USE TOWN FUNDS TO PURCHASE LAND.
UM, WE'VE DONE SO SEVERAL DIFFERENT WAYS.
UM, THIS IS A PROPERTY AT THE CORNER OF BUCK ISLAND, BLUFFTON PARKWAY.
UH, DEVELOPER WAS LOOKING TO BUILD TOWN HOMES ON IT.
THE TOWN WAS ABLE TO PURCHASE IT.
AND THIS WILL BE A PARK THAT WE'LL LOOK TO BUILD FOR THE BUCK ISLAND SIMMONS COMMUNITY.
THAT'S BEEN, UH, PART OF OUR PLANS FOR YEARS.
UM, WHAT YOU SEE ON THE RIGHT IS WE ACTUALLY WENT TO THE MIDDLE SCHOOL, BLUFF AND MIDDLE DURING CAREER DAY LAST YEAR, SPOKE TO THE SIXTH, SEVENTH, AND EIGHTH GRADERS AND SAID, HEY, DURING CAREER DAY Y'ALL ARE GONNA DO OUR JOB FOR US.
TELL US WHAT AMENITIES YOU WANNA SEE AT THIS PARK.
'CAUSE YOU'RE THE ONES THAT ARE GONNA BE BIKING TO IT, RIDING TO IT, WALKING TO IT.
AND THIS IS WHAT THE SURVEY RESULTS PUT OUT FOR US.
UM, SOME OF THE THINGS WE NEVER WOULD'VE THOUGHT OF, NUMBER ONE WAS THE SAND VOLLEYBALL COURT.
UM, THEY WERE MORE INTERESTED IN TURF FIELDS AND MORE, UM, SINCE YOU'RE TALKING TO SIXTH, SEVENTH, AND EIGHTH GRADERS, MORE AGE APPROPRIATE PLAYGROUND AND EQUIPMENT TOWARDS THEM VERSUS YOUNGER KIDS.
UM, SO AGAIN, WHAT WE'LL FIND OUT, UM, AS WE GO THROUGH TO THE COMMUNITY IN HERE, WHAT ELSE WE'RE MISSING FROM THIS, FROM THE OTHER COMMUNITY RESIDENTS BESIDES THE SIXTH, SEVENTH, AND EIGHTH GRADERS.
BUT, UM, IT GAVE US A VERY GOOD BASELINE ON SOME THINGS THAT WE KNOW THAT WE PROBABLY WANNA PROGRAM INTO THERE AS WE GO FORWARD.
UM, SO THIS CONGLOMERATION IS WHAT WE CALL A BUNCH OF KIND OF WILLOW RUN AND PROPERTIES SURROUNDING IT.
UH, THE GREEN PROPERTIES YOU SEE ON HERE ARE TWO PROPERTIES THAT WE'RE GOING, THAT WE HAVE BEEN APPROVED FOR.
THE GREEN PENNY, THAT'S PROPERTY FIVE A AND FIVE C, THEY TOTAL ABOUT 313 ACRES.
THE COUNTY HAS ALREADY APPROVED US.
WE'RE WORKING ON, UM, COUNCIL HAS ALREADY APPROVED THE GRANT AGREEMENTS AND COVENANT AGREEMENTS.
SO WE'RE WORKING TO GET THOSE FINALIZED AND CLOSE ON THOSE PROPERTIES.
THE GOAL IS TO CLOSE ON THEM HERE IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS.
THE RED ONE WE HAVE GOING THROUGH THE GREEN PENNY APPLICATION PROCESS RIGHT NOW.
UM, WE'VE PURCHASED THIS, I GUESS YOU MIGHT CALL IT A LIGHT PINK PROPERTY RIGHT HERE CALLED THE MOONEY TRACT.
AND THEN THIS IS THE PURPLE IS WHAT YOU CALL WILLOW RUN.
AND WE WERE IN A PURCHASE AGREEMENT WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICT TO TRY TO GET CONTROL OF THAT, BUT WE'RE STILL WORKING ON TRYING TO, UH, FIGURE OUT HOW TO SECURE THAT PROPERTY.
AND THE TOWN ALREADY OWNS THE YELLOW PIECE OF PROPERTY THERE.
SO THE GOAL IS TO TRY TO ACQUIRE THESE LAST LARGE CHUNKS OF PROPERTY THAT SIT, UM, REALLY IN BETWEEN SOME TOWN RESIDENTS, BUT MOSTLY IT'S A BUNCH OF COUNTY RESIDENTS AROUND THERE TOO, BECAUSE THOSE ARE THOSE DONUT HOLES.
YOU GOT ROSE HILL TO THE RIGHT, YOU GOT WOODBRIDGE TO THE LEFT, BUT THEN YOU'VE GOT, UM, PINE RIDGE AND UM,
[00:25:01]
AND UH, SHELL HALL TO THE SOUTH DOWN THERE THAT WE'RE TRYING TO, UH, PROVIDE BUFFERS FOR AS WELL.UM, SO WE'RE, THAT'S ONE OF THE MAIN THINGS THAT COUNCIL IS WORKING ON RIGHT NOW IS TRYING TO SECURE SOME OF THIS LAND FOR PRESERVATION TO REMOVE DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS AND HOLD IT FOR, UM, REALLY PASSIVE PARKS IN THE FUTURE TRAILS, MAYBE PAVILIONS NATURE, MORE STUFF LIKE THAT, AND ADD AMENITIES TO OUR RESIDENTS WHILE TAKING DEVELOPMENT OFF THE BOOKS.
SO I FLEW THROUGH THAT AND I'LL BE HAPPY TO ENTER, ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE.
ANYONE FROM THE BOARD HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? I HAVE JUST TWO REALLY QUICK, UM, JUST FOR CLARIFICATION, WHEN YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT THE, UM, SST VERSUS EPA AND THE WETLAND BUFFER THAT YOU GUYS ASKED, IS USING THE TOWN FUNDS BLUFF IN'S WAY OF PURCHASING THE DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS FOR THE PUDS? OR HOW DOES THE WETLAND BUFFER THAT YOU GUYS PASSED FIT INTO THE PUDS THAT ARE APPROVED? SO, UM, WITHIN THE WETLAND BUFFERS, THERE'S, WE'RE VERY LIMITED ON SOME OF THE CHANGES THAT WE CAN MAKE.
ONE OF 'EM HAS TO DO WITH STORMWATER AND DRAINAGE.
AND WHEN YOU START TALKING ABOUT INLAND, UH, INLAND BUFFERS, THEY ACTUALLY ARE PART OF THE STORMWATER DRAINAGE SYSTEM THAT'S IN PLACE.
SO WE WERE ABLE TO TIE THOSE IN TOGETHER.
UM, WE ALSO ACTUALLY WITHIN, WE FOUND AS WE WERE GOING THROUGH THIS, WITHIN OUR DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENTS, THERE WAS ALREADY REQUIRED BUFFERS FOR INLAND WETLANDS.
AND IT WAS DEFINED AS EITHER, MOST OF 'EM WERE EITHER 50 FOOT BUFFERS OR AS APPROVED BY THE STATE.
SINCE THE STATE NOW SAYS IT'S INLAND WETLANDS, WE, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WAS SUPPOSED TO REGULATE THOSE, THOSE BUFFERS WERE, WERE ALREADY IN OUR DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENTS, SO NOW WE'RE ENFORCING THEM.
UM, SO, UM, WHAT WE'VE FOUND IS THAT WE ALSO PUT IN A, UM, WAIVER PROCESS SO THAT IF THEY WERE GOING THROUGH THE PROCESS AND THEN THIS CHANGED IN MID, THEY COULD WORK WITH, YOU KNOW, GET A, GET A WAIVER TO GET SOME THINGS DONE.
UM, WE ALSO ALLOWED SOME THINGS THAT COULD BE DONE WITHIN THOSE BUFFERS, LIKE BMPS FOR STORMWATER, UM, TRAILS, UM, AND STUFF LIKE THAT THAT WOULD BE LOW IMPACT AND NOT HAVE TO IMPACT THE BUFFER, UM, THAT THEY CAN GET WAIVERS FOR.
UM, AND I THINK SINCE WE'VE ADOPTED IT, SAW HEATHER, WHAT HAVE WE HAD TWO WAIVERS, 3, 3, 3, 3 WAIVERS.
ONE WAS FOR MEDICAL, THAT WAS IN PROCESS, AND THEN I THINK THE OTHER TWO HAVE BEEN FOR SCHOOLS.
SO, UM, BUT SINCE THEN, BUT WE HAVEN'T HAD ANY OTHER MAJOR ISSUES SINCE WE'VE ADOPTED.
UM, AND THEN THE SECOND QUESTION, YOU SAID YOU GUYS WERE DOING SOME MODELING FOR THE STORM WATER, JUST TO KINDA GET A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF, YOU KNOW, WHERE YOU MIGHT HAVE ISSUES IN THE FUTURE.
IS THAT SOMETHING YOU GUYS ARE DOING IN-HOUSE OR IS THAT SOMETHING YOU'VE OUTSOURCED? WE'RE WE'VE OUTSOURCED.
SO WE'VE OUTSOURCED AND THEY ACTUALLY COME IN AND, AND DO THE SURVEY OF WHAT'S INSTALLED AND THEN THEY'LL DO THE MODELING FOR US AND THEY'LL PROVIDE US THE RESULTS OF THAT.
UM, AND THEN, BUT WE'LL TAKE IT IN-HOUSE AFTER THAT TO WORK WITH, WHETHER IT'S THE POAS, DOT COUNTY, WHOEVER'S RESPONSIBLE FOR MAINTENANCE TO GET THE IMPROVEMENTS MADE.
WHAT KIND OF RESPONSE DID YOU GET ON YOUR SURVEY? SO WE ACTUALLY HIRED A SURVEY COMPANY TO DO IT, AND THEY ARE TARGETED ON HOW THEY APPROACH, THEY ACTUALLY TARGET AREAS WITHIN THE COMMUNITY.
I THINK THEY DID, IT WAS LIKE ABOUT 678 SURVEYS TOTAL.
UM, BUT THEY DO IT BY, UM, EITHER PHONE, LIKE TALKING TO PEOPLE, UH, YOU COULD DO IT THROUGH, UM, FILL IT OUT ONLINE OR YOU COULD DO IT THROUGH TEXT.
UM, BUT WE, UM, THE, THIS IS WHAT THEY DO FOR A LIVING AND WE ACTUALLY DID A HIGHER NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAN WE DID LAST TIME.
BUT I THINK OUR, IT'S WITHIN PLUS OR MINUS 4%, 3%, SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
UM, THE EXAMPLE THAT I I LIKE IS, UH, WE CALL IT KIND OF THE POT OF CHILI, WHERE IF YOU'RE MAKING A BIG OLD POT OF CHILI AND YOU TAKE A BIG LADLE AND GO ALL THE WAY DOWN AND PULL OUT A LADLE, YOU'VE GOT A VERY GOOD REPRESENTATIVE OF EVERYTHING THAT'S IN THAT POT OF CHILI.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO EAT THE WHOLE POT OF CHILI TO KNOW WHAT'S IN THERE.
THAT LADLE IS GONNA GIVE YOU A VERY GOOD EXAMPLE AND IF YOU PULL MORE LADS OUT, IT'S GONNA BE PLUS OR MINUS 3% OF WHAT YOU PULLED OUT TO BEGIN WITH.
AND, UM, SO WE'VE, WE FEEL VERY COMFORTABLE WITH WHAT WE'VE DONE.
I, YOUR BROCHURE, I MEAN, I'VE SEEN IT.
DID YOU, THANK YOU MAIL IT TO ALL YOUR RESIDENTS.
HOW OFTEN DO YOU REVISE IT? UM, THE GOAL IS NOT TO HAVE TO, UM, THAT'S WHY WE TRIED TO MAKE SURE THAT IT DOESN'T REFERENCE NAMES.
AND LIKE WHEN WE TELL 'EM TO CALL THE COUNTY FOR LIKE, ROAD ISSUES, WE TELL 'EM TO CALL THE MAIN COUNTY NUMBER.
AND THE GOAL WAS TO MAKE IT SO THAT SOMEBODY COULD STICK IT WITH RANDOM STUFF AROUND THE HOUSE AND WHEN THEY HAVE AN ISSUE, THEY COULD FIND IT.
UM, WE'RE ALSO WORKING WITH LIKE, UM, THE POAS AND THE REALTORS, THE MANAGEMENT COMPANIES TO GIVE THEM
[00:30:01]
COPIES SO THAT WHEN SOMEBODY NEW MOVES IN, THEY CAN GIVE THEM A COPY OF THAT AS WELL, UM, SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO CONTINUE TO KEEP MAILING IT OUT OVER AND OVER AGAIN.ANYONE ELSE? ALL UM, WE'RE ALREADY IN THE PROCESS OF COPYING THE RESIDENT GUIDE
NEVER, NEVER LET A GOOD IDEA GO.
HEY, THAT'S WHAT'S THE WAY THE GOVERNMENT WORKS.
[III.2. Town of Hilton Head Island Update. Ben Brown, Strategic Initiatives Director]
WE HAVE THE, UM, TOWN OF HILTON HEAD ISLAND, AND WE HAVE MR. BEN BROWN.GOOD MORNING, MR. CHAIRMAN, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.
I'VE, I'VE BEEN VISITING HILTON HEAD FOR ABOUT 40 YEARS.
I FIRST STARTED VISITING MY FAMILY ON HILTON HEAD ISLAND BACK IN THE 1980S.
MY WIFE AND I HAVE HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF LIVING AND WORKING ON HILTON HEAD FOR THE PAST 25 YEARS.
AND I MENTION THAT BECAUSE FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, THIS IS A REALLY EXCITING TIME TO BE ON HILTON HEAD ISLAND.
AND I CREDIT THAT TO THE LEADERSHIP OF OUR MAYOR, OUR TOWN COUNCIL, OUR TOWN MANAGER, A A REALLY DEDICATED STAFF AND A VERY SUPPORTIVE COMMUNITY.
THIS IS A UNIQUE TIME, AND I'M GONNA TALK ABOUT JUST FOUR INITIATIVES THIS MORNING.
AND THEY'VE ALL BEEN DRIVEN FROM THE TOWNS LAND ACQUISITION PROGRAM, BUT THE TOWNS LAND ACQUISITION PROGRAM GOES BACK TO THE, THE LATE 1980S.
AND, UH, AS A LOT OF US KNOW, IT BECAME REALLY ROBUST IN THE LATE, UH, 1990S, EARLY TWO THOUSANDS, THE TOWN HAS ACQUIRED A LOT OF PROPERTY.
AND THEN IN THE PAST THREE YEARS, WE'VE AGAIN BEEN ACQUIRING QUITE A FEW PROPERTIES, BUT WE'VE ALSO BEEN REPURPOSING SOME OF THE PROPERTIES WE HAVE.
WE'RE LOOKING AT WHAT SHOULD BE PRESERVED, WHAT COULD BE USED FOR, UH, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, WHAT COULD BE USED FOR HOUSING, AND HOW WE BEST PURPOSE THESE PROPERTIES.
BUT SINCE 2023, WE'VE ACQUIRED, UH, 14 PROPERTIES.
WE ALSO HAVE, AND OTHER, UH, 12 PROPERTIES UNDER CONTRACT.
AND THAT'S ABOUT 85 ACRES AND ABOUT $60 MILLION OVER THE PAST THREE YEARS.
AND ONE THING I'D REALLY LIKE TO MENTION TO THE, TO THE GROUP IS THAT 15 MILLION OF THAT CAME FROM THE, UH, PENNY TAX FROM THE GREEN SPACE PROGRAM, WHICH HAS BEEN REALLY WELL RECEIVED ON HILTON HU ISLAND.
AND THE, UH, THE COMMITTEE'S BEEN GREAT TO WORK WITH.
THE STAFF HAVE BEEN SUPER SUPPORTIVE.
BUT NOT ONLY HAVE WE SUBMITTED SEVERAL APPLICATIONS, WE ALSO HAVE, UH, TWO NEW APPLICATIONS THAT WE'VE SUBMITTED.
UH, ONE IS FOR A CONSERVATION EASEMENT OFF OF SPANNER SWELLS ROAD.
ANOTHER IS A, UH, ALMOST 10 ACRE PROPERTY THAT'S ON BROAD CREEK THAT'S ENTITLED FOR UP TO 152 APARTMENT UNITS.
AND, UM, SO WE'VE, WE'VE BEEN IN THE LAND ACQUISITION BUSINESS AND TO SHARE FOUR STRATEGIC INITIATIVES WITH YOU.
ONE IS THE JONESVILLE STABLES.
UH, ANYONE WHO'S VISITED JONESVILLE ROAD RECENTLY HAS SEEN A LOT OF DEVELOPMENT PRESSURE, PARTICULARLY FROM PRODUCTION BUILDERS.
BUT WE HAVE HAD, WE HAD ONE PROPERTY IN PARTICULAR THAT WAS THE STABLES PROPERTY.
IT WAS ENTITLED FOR UP TO 96 HOMES.
AND BASED ON THE DEVELOPMENT PATTERN IN THAT AREA, THEY WERE MOST LIKELY GONNA BE PRODUCTION BUILD.
UH, A LOT OF HOMES THAT LOOK VERY SIMILAR, A LOT OF HEAVY TREE CLEARING.
SO THE COMMUNITY REACHED OUT TO COUNCIL AND ASKED COUNCIL, WOULD YOU CONSIDER ACQUIRING THIS PROPERTY? AND WE DID.
WE, WE BOUGHT THE, UH, THE, THE TOWN BOUGHT THE 12 ACRES.
WE INVITED THE COMMUNITY TO THE SITE TO REALLY UNDERSTAND WHAT THE COMMUNITY'S VISION FOR IT WAS.
AND INTERESTINGLY, SOME OF US ON STAFF THOUGHT THE COMMUNITY MAY WANNA PARK ON THE PROPERTY, BUT AFTER WE HEARD 'EM HEARD AND TALKED WITH THEM, WHAT THEY REALLY WANTED TO, TO DO IS PRESERVE THE, UM, THE RURAL NATURE OF IT.
THEY WANTED TO PRESERVE THE, UH, THE EQUESTRIAN FACILITIES AND SOME AGRICULTURAL USES.
SO WHAT WE DID, WE, THE TOWN WE'RE, WE'RE NOT IN THE EQUESTRIAN BUSINESS.
SO WHAT WE DID IS WE PUT TOGETHER AN RFQ TO BRING IN A, UH, PARTNER, AN OPERATING PARTNER, SOMEBODY THAT CAN COME IN AND HELP US, UH, REIMAGINE, REPURPOSE THE SITE AND CONTINUE TO OPERATE, OPERATE IT FOR EQUESTRIAN, USES BRYANT ROAD.
THIS IS ANOTHER PROPERTY THAT THE, UH, THAT THE TOWN HAS PURCHASED WITHIN THE LAST THREE YEARS.
BUT I MENTIONED SOME OF THE DEVELOPMENT PRESSURE ON JONESVILLE ROAD.
UH, WE STARTED FEELING SOME SIMILAR PRESSURE HERE ON BRYANT ROAD AS PART OF THE, THE SPANISH WALLS NEIGHBORHOOD.
BUT THIS IS SEVEN ACRES AT THE TOWN ACQUIRED SHORTLY AFTER ACQUIRING THE, THE JONESVILLE ROAD PROPERTY.
AND THIS WAS A MOBILE HOME MANUFACTURED HOME PARK.
THE PROPERTY OWNER ASKED, UH, THEY ESSENTIALLY, UH,
[00:35:01]
RELOCATED EVERYBODY OFF OF THE SITE.AND, UM, SO IT WAS GOING TO BE MARKETED FOR REDEVELOPMENT, PROBABLY MORE PRODUCTION BUILDS SIMILAR TO WHAT WE WERE SEEING ON JONESVILLE ROAD.
UH, BUT THE, THE TOWN GOT INTERESTED IN THE SITE AND WE BEGAN VISITING THE PROPERTY, TALKING WITH THE PROPERTY OWNER.
AND ULTIMATELY WE ACQUIRED THE PROPERTY WITH OVERWHELMING SUPPORT FROM TOWN COUNCIL FROM THE COMMUNITY.
AND, UH, WE'RE LOOKING AT PUTTING TOGETHER ANOTHER PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP FOR THIS PROPERTY WHERE WE COULD BRING SOME REALLY HIGH QUALITY WORKFORCE HOUSING TO THE PROPERTY.
THE SITE CAN YIELD ABOUT 40 HOMES.
AND, UM, WE'RE GONNA TALK TO COUNCIL AS SOON AS NEXT MONTH ABOUT RELEASING AN RFQ TO BRING IN A, UH, A PARTNER TO REDEVELOP THIS AREA.
WE ALSO MET WITH THE COMMUNITY FOR BRYANT ROAD, LIKE WE DID WITH JONESVILLE, TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE COMMUNITY'S VISION WAS FOR THIS AREA.
AND WHAT THE COMMUNITY TOLD US IS THEY REALLY WANTED TO KEEP THE NEIGHBORHOOD SCALE AND THEY WANTED TO SEE A PERMANENT AFFORDABLE HOUSING ON THE PROPERTY.
THE FORMER MODERN CLASSIC MOTOR SITE, THIS IS IF ANYONE REMEMBERS THE, UH, OLD HONDA DEALERSHIP THAT WAS ON WILLIAM PELTON PARKWAY.
THE PROPERTY IS ABOUT FOUR AND A HALF ACRES.
IT WAS PURCHASED BY THE TOWN FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT BACK IN, UH, 2019.
AND THE TOWN RESTORED THE SITE WITH MONEY FROM THE PALMETTO ELECTRIC UTILITY TAX CREDITS AND A LOT OF TALK FROM TOWN COUNCIL.
THE BEST USE OF THE PROPERTY IS FOR MEDICAL SERVICES.
SO THE TOWN WANTED TO, AGAIN, PUT TOGETHER A PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT TO ATTRACT MEDICAL SERVICES TO THIS PROPERTY.
SO AFTER IT WAS RESTORED, UH, WE PUT TOGETHER AN RFP.
AND THROUGH THE RFP, WE, WE, UM, ATTRACTED A VERY INTERESTED AND QUALIFIED REGIONAL MEDICAL PROVIDER.
AND I'M HOPING THAT WE CAN MAKE AN ANNOUNCEMENT AS SOON AS, UH, UH, DECEMBER 9TH FOLLOWING TOWN COUNCIL'S EXECUTIVE SESSION.
BUT THIS IS, THIS IS REALLY EXCITING FOR US AND I LOOK FORWARD TO SHARING THIS.
THE LAST TOWN INITIATIVE THAT I'LL TALK ABOUT IS THE NORTH POINT WORKFORCE HOUSING, PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP.
THIS IS PROBABLY OUR MOST EXCITING, CERTAINLY FROM MY, MY POSITION 'CAUSE I'VE BEEN BEEN VERY INVOLVED IN THIS.
BUT IT'S A 11 ACRES OF TOWN OWNED PROPERTY.
IT'S LOCATED CLOSE TO THE POST OFFICE.
IF WE GO BACK TO THE LATE NINETIES, THIS IS PROPERTY THAT THE STATE DOT ACQUIRED TO HELP ACCOMMODATE THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE CROSS ISLAND PARKWAY.
IT WAS ORIGINALLY A COMMERCIAL SUBDIVISION THAT NEVER WENT VERTICAL.
DOT BOUGHT THE PROPERTY, THEN THE TOWN ACQUIRED THE PROPERTY FROM THE DOT.
AND WE ON HILTON HEAD HAVE BEEN TALKING FOR A LONG TIME ABOUT WORKFORCE HOUSING.
AND, UH, THROUGH THIS PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP, WE'RE CONFIDENT THAT WE HAVE A PARTNER THAT CAN HELP US BRING BEST IN CLASS WORKFORCE HOUSING TO HILTON HEAD ISLAND.
AND HERE'S THE PROPERTY, IF YOU'RE NOT FAMILIAR WITH IT, BUT IT'S THE NORTH POINT TRACK.
IT'S A TOWN OWNED 11 ACRES LOCATED ON JARVIS CREEK RIGHT NEXT TO THE US POST OFFICE.
WITHIN A MILE, THE HILTON HEAD SCHOOLS CLOSE TO ISLAND REC, BUT A REALLY IDEAL LOCATION FOR WORKFORCE HOUSING.
AND IT'S ALSO CLOSE TO A LOT OF, UH, LOCAL JOBS.
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE'RE ALL REALLY PROUD OF, BUT THE TOWN OWNS THIS 11 ACRE SITE.
SO THIS WAS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO WORK CLOSELY WITH THE COMMUNITY AND OUR PARTNER TO BRING FORWARD A, A CLASS A COMMUNITY WITH CLASS A AMENITIES.
WHEN WE ORIGINALLY CAME INTO THIS THROUGH OUR DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT, WE KNEW THE SITE COULD ACCOMMODATE BETWEEN ABOUT 150 AND 170 UNITS, BUT WE WANTED TO CALIBRATE IT TO REALLY BEST IN CLASS.
SO WHAT WE FOUND WORKING CLOSELY WITH OUR DEVELOPMENT PARTNERS, 157 UNITS FIT IDEALLY ON THE SITE.
THAT'S A COMBINATION OF 1, 2, 3 BEDROOM UNITS.
UH, WE HAVE OVER 50% OF THE SITE IS FUNCTIONAL, OPEN SPACE OVER AN ACRE AND A HALF IS PRESERVED IN PERPETUITY ALONG JARVIS CREEK.
IT ALLOWS US TO HAVE DOG WALKING AREAS, UH, COMMUNITY GARDENS, YOGA AMENITIES, A RESORT STYLE SWIMMING POOL.
BUT THIS IS SOMETHING WE'RE REALLY PROUD OF.
AND AS WE STARTED, UH, WORKING WITH OUR DEVELOPMENT PARTNER, ONE STREET RESIDENTIAL, WHO HAS OVER 35 YEARS EXPERIENCE WITH MIXED INCOME AND WORKFORCE HOUSING, UH, WE'RE BEING ABLE TO BRING BEST IN CLASS TO MARKET WITH AFFORDABLE RATES.
UH, RBC IS OUR EQUITY PARTNER AND, UH, I'LL SHOW YOU A A FEW PICTURES, BUT ONE THING THAT I LEARNED EARLY ON IS WE WERE ON THE NORTH POINT SITE, ALTHOUGH WE'RE LOCATED
[00:40:01]
LESS THAN A MILE FROM THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, UH, WE DIDN'T HAVE GOOD ACCESS TO THE SCHOOL.AND I'M SURE JOSH REMEMBERS THREE YEARS AGO WHEN WE FIRST REACHED OUT TO THE US POSTAL SERVICE.
I'VE BEEN HELPING FOLKS DEVELOP PROPERTY ON HILTON HEAD FOR OVER 25 YEARS.
I HAVE NEVER EXPERIENCED ANYTHING QUITE LIKE WORKING WITH THE US POSTAL SERVICE,
ULTIMATELY, ULTIMATELY, WE, ULTIMATELY, IT WAS A MUTUALLY A BENEFICIAL AGREEMENT.
BUT, UH, WE HAD TO REACH OUT TO SENATOR DAVIS FOR HELP.
WE HAD TO REACH OUT TO SENATOR GRAHAM'S OFFICE FOR HELP.
AND FINALLY, WE WERE ABLE TO ACQUIRE PROPERTY FROM THE US POSTAL SERVICE TO CREATE REALLY SAFE ACCESS TO THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, WHICH, UM, MAKES THIS PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP THAT, THAT MUCH BETTER.
ONE THING THAT I LEARNED EARLY ON AS WE WERE TALKING ABOUT WORKFORCE HOUSING IS THAT, UH, WE HEAR, WE TALK ABOUT A MI, BUT WHAT IS A MI? IT'S IT'S PEOPLE.
SO WHAT WE DID IS WE STARTED CALIBRATING A MI TO OUR LOCAL WORKFORCE.
SO OUR PLANNING STAFF STARTED CALLING THE, THE LOCAL EMPLOYERS AND ASKING THEM, WHAT ARE YOUR, WHAT ARE YOUR WAGES? AND THEN WE WERE CALIBRATING THAT TO A MI.
SO WHAT WE FOUND IS THAT OUR ESSENTIAL WORKFORCE ON HILTON HEAD WERE EARNED BETWEEN 60% OF THE A MI UP TO 150% OF THE A MI.
AND WHEN WE STARTED CALIBRATING IT, INITIALLY WE WERE UP TO ONE 20, BUT THEN WE STARTED LOOKING AT THE EXPERIENCED NURSE WITH THE EXPERIENCED FIREFIGHTER.
AND THAT GETS US UP TO THAT 150% A MI.
SO TO TRULY SERVE OUR ESSENTIAL WORKFORCE AND TO TRULY HAVE MIXED INCOME FROM 60% OF THE A MI FROM THE CAREGIVER, THE GROCERY STORE ASSOCIATE TO 150% OF THE A MI, THE EXPERIENCED FIREFIGHTER, THE NURSES, ET CETERA, UH, WE WERE ABLE TO BRING TRULY MIXED INCOME WORKFORCE HOUSING TO MARKET.
AND WHEN I FIRST BECAME INVOLVED IN THIS AND STARTED TALKING WITH OUR, OUR PEERS, WE REACHED OUT TO THE ATHENS HOUSING AUTHORITY, THE CHARLESTON HOUSING AUTHORITY, MARTHA'S VINEYARD HOUSING TRUST.
WE REACHED OUT TO THE STATE, WE REACHED OUT TO THE COUNTY, AND NOBODY WAS DOING EXACTLY WHAT WE WERE DOING.
AND I FEEL LIKE WE'VE PUT TOGETHER A FRAMEWORK THAT'S GONNA REALLY SERVE THIS, THIS REGION.
WELL, I WOULD LIKE TO SHOW JUST A FEW PICTURES.
I HAVE A ABOUT TWO MINUTES LEFT.
THIS IS OUR NORTH POINT DEVELOPMENT.
IT HAS LOTS OF FUNCTIONAL OPEN SPACE.
IT'S A COMBINATION OF ONE, TWO, AND THREE STORY BUILDINGS.
AND WE DID THAT SO WE COULD KEEP NEIGHBORHOOD SCALE.
WE HAVE THREE STORIES ON THE NORTHERN PART OF OUR PROPERTY.
UM, AND WHAT WE'VE DONE IS WE'VE MATCHED THE DEVELOPMENT PATTERNS OF THE ADJACENT NEIGHBORHOOD.
UH, WE HAVE LOTS OF PATHWAYS, WE HAVE LOTS OF COMMUNITY SPACE, A LEASING OFFICE, AMENITIES SPACE.
AND THE LAST THING I WOULD LOVE TO SHOW WITH YOU IS A, UH, PROJECT VIDEO THAT WE'RE REALLY PROUD OF.
CAN I AFFORD TO LIVE ON HILL ISLAND? TO WORK ON HILL ISLAND? SO MANY COMMUNITIES NOW ARE, ARE INVOLVED IN ADDRESSING THE SHORTAGE OF AFFORDABLE UNTENABLE HOUSING.
AND YET I KNOW OF NO OTHER COMMUNITY THAT'S BROUGHT THE RESOURCES TOGETHER OR THE EFFORT THAT THE TOWNVILLE NET ISLAND HAS TO MAKE THIS POSSIBLE.
FOR 35 YEARS, WEST STREET HAS BEEN ADMITTED TO CREATING WORKFORCE HOUSING.
I THINK WE'VE LEARNED A LOT ALONG THE WAY OVER THE YEARS ABOUT HOW TO DO THAT SUCCESSFULLY.
PREVIOUS COUNCIL CAME OUT WITH THIS IDEA AND COUNCIL CURRENTLY IS TAKING IT COURSE.
SO IT REALLY IS A CHAMPIONSHIP OF COUNCIL, RIGHT? TO CREATE A PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP AND UTILIZE RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE WITHIN THE TOWN TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT WE CREATE AN ATMOSPHERE THAT IS, IS ONE, TO PROMOTE HEALTH AND WEALTH AND GROWTH AND JUST HAVE THE ASSETS AND AMENITIES HERE TO CREATE A FUN LIFESTYLE TOO.
IT'S A SITE THAT THE TOWN ACQUIRED SOME YEARS AGO.
THE FACT THAT WE HAVE THE LAND TO LEVERAGE AND, AND NEGOTIATE OUR OUTCOMES WITH BY PUTTING THE LAND IN HERE, RECEIVING THE FEDERAL GRANT, THE STIMULUS MONEY FROM, FROM COVID, THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN GRANT, WE HAVE A MILLION DOLLARS EARMARK.
YOU HAVE TO WORK ON THE ISLAND TO LIVE AT, AT THE SITE.
WE HAVE 1, 2, 3 BEDROOM APARTMENTS FOR THE WIDE RANGE OF INCOMES, FROM FIREFIGHTERS TO NURSES TO POLICE OFFICERS, BUT ALSO THOSE FOLKS THAT ARE WORKING IN FOOD AND BEVERAGE AND LANDSCAPING AND ALL OF THOSE CORE, YOU KNOW, JUST PRIMARY JOBS.
BUT THOSE CORE JOBS AT OUR ISLAND, WE ALL HAVE THE ABILITY TO CREATE A BOUTIQUE SCALE COMMUNITY WITH LOTS OF GREEN SPACE WALKING THROUGH SIDEWALKS, I AMENITIES, COMMUNITY GARDENS, BUT ALSO THINGS THAT WILL HELP KNIT THESE, UH, RESIDENTS TOGETHER AS A TRUE COMMUNITY.
IT REALLY IS A SPECIAL THING TO, TO COME IN HERE AND CREATE A QUALITY OF LIFE FOR OUR WORKERS, YOU KNOW, FOR THE PEOPLE THAT MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN OUR COMMUNITY AND FIELDS.
PARTNERSHIPS WITH THE BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB, THE REC CENTER WITH OTHER ORGANIZATIONS TO BRING A, A DIFFERENT AND UNIQUE QUALITY OF LIFE ASPECT TO WORKFORCE
[00:45:01]
SOUTH.THERE'S A PLACE THAT I KNOW OF I HILL ISLAND.
SO THIS IS A SPECIAL PLACE WITH A SPECIAL FORM OF BEAUTY.
I'M HAVE A BLOCK HERE BECAUSE WE JUST WOULD LOVE TO BE HERE.
THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO THIS WITH A FORWARD THINKING TOWN AND TOWN COUNCIL AND COMMUNITY THAT INCLUDES NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS AND BUSINESSES IS UNLIKE ANYTHING WE'VE EVER BEEN ABLE TO DO.
AND I THINK THE RESULT IS GOING TO BE MORE BEAUTIFUL AND MORE LIVABLE THAN ANYTHING WE'VE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO IN THE PAST.
BUT AS I STARTED OUT SAYING THIS, THIS IS AN EXCITING TIME FOR HILTON HEAD.
THESE ARE GENERATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES.
THESE ARE NOT JUST GREAT OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALL OF US WHO LIVE, WORK, AND PLAY ON HILTON HEAD, BUT THESE ARE GREAT FOR THE REGION AND I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE HERE.
I'D BE HAPPY TO GET INTO THE WEEDS WITH ANYONE ON NORTH POINT AFTER THE MEETING.
BUT IN, IN SHORT, WE, THE TOWN ARE CONTRIBUTING 11 ACRES OF LAND THROUGH A 65 YEAR GROUND LEASE.
WE HAVE A DEVELOPMENT PARTNER WHO'S CONTRIBUTING ABOUT $43 MILLION TO IMPROVE THE PROPERTY.
WE'RE CONTRIBUTING A MILLION DOLLAR GRANT THROUGH ARPA THAT WAS, UH, COVID STIMULUS MONEY.
AND AT THE END OF THE 65 YEAR GROUND LEASE, ALL THE IMPROVEMENTS ARE COMING BACK TO THE TOWN.
THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY.
I'M SURE YOU COULD, UH, SHARE THOSE WEEDS WITH MR. GRUBER.
'CAUSE UH, WE WOULD BE, WE WOULD BE VERY INTERESTING IN COPYING SOMETHING FROM YOU AS WELL, YOU KNOW,
UM, DOES ANYONE FROM THE BOARD, EITHER ON A DESK OR IN IN THE, UH, CROWD HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, UH, FOR MR. BROWN? I'D LIKE TO ADD, JUST ADD SOMETHING TO IT.
AND IT'S KIND OF A, A, A PUSH FOR, FOR THE COMMUNITIES AND MUNICIPALITIES TO REALLY GO AFTER, UH, THE GREEN SPACE TAX.
UM, BECAUSE WHAT, WHAT IT'S MEANT TO HILTON HEAD SINCE ITS INCEPTION OF LAND ACQUISITION, IS IT'S BEEN A REDUCTION OF 4.65.
AND THIS IS BEFORE THE 85 ACRES RE RECENTLY ACQUIRED 4.65 MILLION SQUARE FEET OF COMMERCIAL SPACE, 1,460 MOTEL ROOMS, 4,787 RESIDENTIAL AND TIMESHARE UNITS, AND A REDUCTION OF 43,890 7:00 PM PEAK HOUR DRIVING TO, UH, TRIPS.
SO AS WE TALK ABOUT EXPANSIONS IN ROADWAYS AND EVERYTHING ELSE, IT REALLY DOES COME BACK TO THE ACQUISITION OF PROPERTIES THAT HELP REDUCE THE IMPACTS TO OUR NEIGHBORHOODS.
SO, YOU KNOW, I, I PUSHED THE, THE COUNTY TO MOVE FAST ON I APPROVING GREEN SPACE PURCHASES AND I MO OR, YOU KNOW, REALLY PUSH THE MUNICIPALITIES TO GO AFTER THAT AS WELL.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S A GOOD POINT.
AND UH, I LEARNED FROM BOTH BLUFFTON AND HILTON HEAD, AND I SEE THE CHAIR BACK THERE OF JASPER COUNTY.
WE DO HAVE, UH, $94 MILLION ON OUR REFERENDUM, OURS BEING JASPER COUNTY, THAT PERHAPS WE COULD LEARN SOMETHING FROM YOUR USE OF THAT GREEN PENNY.
LAND ACQUISITION HAS BEEN A GAME CHANGER ON HILTON, THAT ISLAND.
UH, AT THIS POINT I WOULD LIKE TO, UM, ASK THE, ANY EITHER, UH, BOARD MEMBERS SITTING IN, NOT IN THE, UH, DAAS AND, UM, ANYONE FROM THE PUBLIC WILL HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ON THE TWO PRESENTATIONS.
EVERYBODY HAS TO GO HOME AND COOK A TURKEY.
SO, UH, WE WILL GO TO THE NEXT ITEM
[III.3. Beaufort County Sales Referendum Update. Alice Howard, County Council Chair]
ON THE AGENDA.UM, WE NOW HAVE A, UH, UPDATE FROM MS. HOWARD, UH, THE BEAUFORT COUNTY CHAIR ON THE BEAUFORT COUNTY SALES TAX REFERENDUM.
I PASSED OUT TWO THINGS TO ALL OF YOU.
ONE IS THE RESOLUTION THAT WAS PASSED NOVEMBER 10TH.
AND WITH THAT ALSO IS THE AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY THAT I JUST PASSED OUT.
UH, THIS RESOLUTION WAS PASSED BY COUNTY COUNCIL AND THEN ON NOVEMBER 13TH, IMMEDIATELY AFTER IT WAS THE RESOLUTION WAS PASSED, WHICH I'LL TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THAT.
WE SENT LETTERS TO ALL THE MAYORS AND, UM, MANAGERS AND ADMINISTRATORS IN THE COUNTY ASKING THEM TO, UM, GO FORTH WITH THE RESOLUTION AND NOMINATE A PERSON, UH, TO BE ON WHAT WE ARE CALLING THE TAC.
IT'S THE TRANSPORTATION ADVISORY
[00:50:01]
COMMITTEE.AND THIS IS COMPRISED OF CITIZEN REPRESENTATIVES TO PROVIDE RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING POTENTIAL PROJECTS, THE PROPOSED TAX AMOUNT IN THE DURATION OF THE COLLECTION PERIOD.
UM, THIS COMMITTEE WILL BE AIDED WITH, UM, ENGINEERING, UM, ESTIMATES FROM OUR, NOT OUR STAFF, WE'RE ACTUALLY GONNA USE PROBABLY, UM, AN ENGINEERING FIRM.
BUT I'D LIKE TO TELL YOU HOW WE GOT HERE.
UM, OUR, OUR ADMINISTRATOR, MIKE MOORE, TAB TABER, NICK AND MYSELF MET WITH ALL THE MAYORS, UM, OVER A PERIOD OF ABOUT A WEEK AND A HALF AND SPENT A LOT OF TIME WITH 'EM AND LISTENING.
AND WE, WE LEARNED A LOT ABOUT WHAT THE NEEDS ARE FOR EACH OF THE MUNICIPALITIES IN THE COUNTY.
WE ALSO MET, LAST BUT NOT LEAST, UM, WAS THE, WAS THE SCHOOL SCHOOL BOARD DICK AND DR. RODRIGUEZ BECAUSE THEY'VE BEEN SUCCESSFUL WITH THEIR REFERENDUMS AND WE LEARNED A LOT FROM LISTENING TO THEM.
AND THAT WAS ONE OF THE MAJOR REASONS THAT, UH, WE RECOMMENDED TO OUR FULL COUNCIL, THAT OUR COMMITTEE BE MADE UP OF CITIZENS, HOPEFULLY WAS EXPERTISE IN THEIR AREA SUCH AS ENGINEERS OR, UM, PEOPLE WHO, UM, THEY, THE SCHOOL BOARD EVEN RECOMMENDED TO APPOINTING SOME NAYSAYERS THAT DIDN'T VOTE FOR THE REFERENDUM LAST TIME.
UH, AS YOU KNOW, OUR REFEREND REFERENDUM FAILED, UNLIKE JASPER COUNTIES, WHICH PASSED.
UM, BUT, UH, BY DECEMBER 5TH WE HAVE ASKED THE MAYORS TO APPOINT WHO THEIR REPRESENTATIVES ARE AND NO ELECTED OR APPOINTED OFFICIALS WILL SERVE ON THE COMMITTEE.
AS THIS RESOLUTION STATES, OUR STAFF WILL PROVIDE SUPPORTING MATERIALS AND LISTS OF POTENTIAL PROJECTS AND DOCUMENTATION.
UM, THESE WILL BE ALSO THE ESTIMATES, LIKE I SAID, SO THAT WE'RE, UM, NOT FLYING BLIND FOR THE COMMITTEE.
THEY'LL, THEY'LL HAVE A ENGINEERING PEOPLE AT THEIR, AT THEIR DISPOSAL TO HELP WITH THE PROJECTS AND THE ESTIMATES.
THE AMOUNT IS STILL TO BE DETERMINED.
UM, WHEN WE TALKED TO THE MUNICIPALITIES, UM, YOU KNOW, WE KNOW HOW MUCH THE GREEN SPACE RAISED IN TWO YEARS, WHICH WAS AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF MONEY.
UM, BUT THIS NEEDS TO BE A LONGER COLLECTION PERIOD THAN TWO YEARS.
THAT SEEMED TO BE THE CONSENSUS AND IT'S ON A FAST TRACK.
UH, WE WANT THIS COMMITTEE TO COMPLETE THEIR WORK AND RECOMMEND TO COUNCIL BY APRIL 3RD, 2026.
SO THAT'S MY UPDATE UNLESS SOMEONE HAS QUESTIONS.
UH, ANYONE FROM THE BOARD? HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR ALICE? YEAH, I, I, UM, SINCE WE HAVEN'T HAD A CHANCE TO, TO SPEAK ON THIS, UM, THE, THE MAY, I'M SORRY.
THE DECEMBER 5TH DATE IS A DIFFICULT TIME FOR US BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE A MEETING UNTIL NOVEMBER 9TH.
BUT YOU, BUT THE MAYOR CAN APPOINT.
IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE BY COUNCIL.
AND, AND THAT JUST, THAT THAT DOESN'T FLOAT WITH OUR COUNCIL, I CAN TELL YOU THAT.
UM, SO THAT, THAT, THAT, THAT WILL BE A CHALLENGE BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT MEMBERS THAT ARE OUT FOR HOLIDAY.
SO THAT, JUST FROM THE STANDPOINT OF HILTON, THAT'S GONNA BE A CHALLENGE.
ANYONE ELSE? WE DON'T MEET AS WELL UNTIL THE NINTH.
WE SENT THE LETTER, IT WENT OUT VIA EMAIL ON NOVEMBER 13TH TO ALL THE MAYOR'S EMAILS AND THE MANAGERS.
SO, BUT IF THAT, YOU KNOW, UM, I'D, I'D HAVE TO GO BACK TO FULL COUNSEL IF WE CHANGE THAT DATE.
AND I'M LOOKING UP MY VICE CHAIRMAN
SO, I MEAN, I UNDERSTAND THAT AND OUR COUNCIL WOULDN'T, LIKE, WE'RE UP TOP.
I'M VERY THANKFUL YOU CAN SEE TODAY.
AND OUR COUNCIL WOULD NOT APPRECIATE US DOING THAT EITHER.
I THINK WE COULD GO BACK TO OUR COUNCIL.
THE COMMITTEE'S NOT GONNA MEET TILL JANUARY RIGHT.
SO I THINK IF WE PUSHED IT BACK, IT'S NOT THAT BIG A DEAL.
BUT I'M ONE COUNCIL MEMBER AND ALISON, I WOULD HAVE TO GO BACK.
WE HAVE A MEETING ON THE EIGHTH, DECEMBER 8TH.
SO I DON'T THINK IT, IT REALLY UP, UP, YOU KNOW, DOESN'T UPHEAVAL TO THE PROJECT.
WE JUST HAVE TO HAVE 'EM SEATED BY JANUARY AND THAT'S FINE.
UM, I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT, WELL, FIRST OF ALL, WE'VE HAD A LOT OF HEAVY ISSUES BEEN DISCUSSED LATELY.
AND TRYING TO GET EVERYTHING FIT IN ON A TIMELY BASIS HAS BEEN A VERY BIG CHALLENGE.
SO, COMING IN, EVEN THOUGH THAT THE EMAIL CAME OUT NOVEMBER 13TH, IT DOES NOT GIVE US THE TIME TO GO THROUGH PROPERLY AS WE NEED TO DO.
UM, SO I WOULD ASK THAT IF WE COULD, WE COULD EXTEND THAT PAST THE NINTH, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
WHEN'S YOUR FIRST MEETING IN JANUARY? I'M NOT SURE WHEN OUR FIRST MEETING IN JANUARY IS, HOW WAS IT? SECOND TUESDAY.
[00:55:01]
NEW THE CITY BUFORT SECOND TUESDAY.I I THINK OUR COUNCIL WOULD AGREE TO THAT, UM, 13TH BECAUSE WE WANT THE MUNICIPALITIES TO BE PARTNERS.
WE WANT THE RIGHT PEOPLE ON IT IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE DEADLINE.
SO I, I, I CAN'T SPEAK FOR THE REST OF COUNCIL EITHER, BUT WE CAN BRING IT UP ON DECEMBER 8TH.
IT SHOULD BE EASY IF, IF WORST COMES TO WORST, SO THAT WE HAVE A REPRESENTATION ON THAT COMMITTEE.
SOME WOULD BE APPOINTED, BUT WE MIGHT END UP CHANGING THAT PERSON.
WELL, AGAIN, THEY'RE NOT GONNA MEET TILL JANUARY.
SO I, I KNOW I JUST, ALLISON AND I DON'T SEE A PROBLEM WITH PUSHING THE TIME BACK.
BUT AGAIN, WE DON'T SPEAK FOR ALL 11 MEMBERS.
MY POINT IS I DON'T WANNA SPEAK FOR ALL SEVEN MEMBERS.
OH, I UNDERSTAND THAT REALLY,
I'M GOING TO THROW A, A MONKEY WRENCH, BUT OF COURSE, WHAT THE HECK? UM, ONE OF THE THINGS IN JASPER COUNTY ALSO PASSED A REFERENDUM, AND I UNDERSTAND THE SCHOOL DISTRICT DID IN BEAUFORT, UM, WHAT JASPER COUNTY DID, THEIR COMMITTEE THAT THEY DID BEFORE THE ORDINANCE WAS PASSED FOR THE REFERENDUM AND AFTER, AND PUT IT IN THE ORDINANCE OF THE REFERENDUM, HAVE THE TWO MAYORS AND THE COUNTY CHAIR AS WELL AS A SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER AS PART OF IT.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WOULD SUGGEST, AND YOU DON'T, NOBODY HAS TO ANSWER, JUST NO, I, I WON'T ANSWER IT NOW, BUT YOU AND I HAD A LONG DISCUSSION YESTERDAY.
UH, WE'RE NOT CHANGE, WE ARE NOT GONNA HAVE ELECTED OFFICIALS.
BUT MY SUGGESTION FOR THE RECORD, WELL, THAT IS, THAT'S FINE.
AND YOU KNOW, I KNOW YOUR OPPOSED TO IT MM-HMM
BUT, UM, IS TO PUT THE, AT LEAST THE FIVE MAYORS, UH, 'CAUSE I DON'T KNOW IF Y EMBASSY COULD BE PUT WITH BEAUFORT COUNTY AND PUT THE COUNTY CHAIR AND THE COUNTY VICE CHAIR.
SO YOU HAVE SEVEN, UH, ODD NUMBER TO BREAK ANY TIES OF PEOPLE WHO ARE ELECTED TO THEIR OFFICE AND REPRESENT EVERY CITIZEN IN BEAUFORT COUNTY.
WELL, UH, TO YOUR POINT, WE WILL HAVE INPUT AS ELECTED OFFICIALS ONCE WE GET THE LIST FROM THE COMMITTEE.
BUT, BUT AS YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TRIED TO BUILD TRUST IN BEAUFORT COUNTY GOVERNMENT AND IT'S BEEN VERY HARD.
AND, UH, IF WE HAVE ELECTED OFFICIALS, I THINK WE'LL LOSE SOME OF THAT TRUST THAT WE'VE GAINED IN THE LAST YEAR.
AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUGGESTION.
BUT I WOULDN'T, I WOULD NOT VOTE FOR THAT.
I, I THINK THE, UH, THE MAYORS ARE PROBABLY THE MOST TRUSTED, UH, BASED ON THEIR ELECTIONS TO OFFICE OF, OF ANY GROUP IN, IN BEAUFORT COUNTY.
SO THAT'S JUST MY SUGGESTION, MS. HOWARD.
AND, AND WE WANT THIS COMMITTEE TO HAVE PEOPLE WITH EXPERTISE IN THEIR FIELDS SUCH AS ENGINEERING AND, UM, TRAFFIC AND PLANT, EVEN, YOU KNOW, COMPREHENSIVE PLANNING, ALL OF THOSE TOOLS.
WE HAVE A WEALTH OF RETIREES IN BEAUFORT COUNTY THAT HAVE THOSE SKILL SETS.
I KNOW THE GROUP THAT THE, UM, SCHOOL BOARD HAD HAD SEVERAL RETIREES FROM VERY LARGE CONSTRUCTION COMPANIES THAT AIDED IN IT.
UM, MR. CHAIR, IF I COULD THROW ONE COMMENT OUT THERE, BUT I KNOW BEFORE WE MOVE ON, I APOLOGIZE.
CERTAINLY, BUT I, I DO THINK IT'S IMPORTANT 'CAUSE I, WHERE THESE COMMENTS ARE COMING FROM, I THINK IT'S COMMON GROUND FOR EVERYBODY, WHICH IS IT TAKES AN EXTRAORDINARY AMOUNT OF TIME, ENERGY, AND EFFORT, NOT ONLY TO PUT THESE THINGS TOGETHER, BUT TO THEN GET THE INFORMATION OUT TO THE PUBLIC AND TO SEE IT THROUGH AN ENTIRE PROCESS.
AND I THINK WE ALL WANT TO GO THROUGH THIS WITH AN UNDERSTANDING THAT WE ARE SETTING IT UP TO BE AS SUCCESSFUL AS WE CAN.
OTHERWISE WE'RE WASTING A BUNCH OF TIME, ENERGY, AND RESOURCES.
AND SO THAT'S WHY IT'S IMPORTANT, I THINK, TO HAVE THESE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT HOW CAN WE STRUCTURE THIS IN A WAY THAT'S LIKELY TO GIVE IT THE MOST, THE GREATEST CHANCE OF SUCCESS WITH THE PUBLIC, BECAUSE THAT'S, AT THE END OF THE DAY, THAT'S WHO WE HAVE TO INFORM MM-HMM
AND EDUCATE AND MAKE THEM FEEL COMFORTABLE ABOUT THIS.
AND SO I CERTAINLY UNDERSTAND THE LOGIC OF WHERE APPOINTING CITIZEN REPRESENTATIVES COME FROM BECAUSE WE ARE A REPRESENTATIVE DEMOCRACY, AND SO WE WANT TO HAVE INPUT FROM PEOPLE OUT IN THE COMMUNITY.
THE CONCERN IS THE WAY THAT, THAT IT LOOKS, THAT IT'S BEING SET UP IS NOT A LOT DIFFERENT THAN WHAT WAS DONE IN SAY, 2024.
AND AGAIN, THAT WAS A VERY LARGE MULTI-MEMBER, CITIZEN DRIVEN COMMITTEE THAT PUT TOGETHER A LAUNDRY LIST OF PROJECTS AND IT FAILED MISERABLY.
BUT IT WASN'T BECAUSE OF THE COMMITTEE.
I, I DON'T, DON'T DISAGREE WITH THAT, BUT IT'S ALL ABOUT LOOKING AT WHAT HAS BEEN SUCCESSFUL SO THAT WE CAN TRY TO REPLICATE IT.
BECAUSE ADMITTEDLY, BEAUFORT COUNTY IS UNLIKE ANY OTHER COMMUNITY IN THE STATE.
IT, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN'T POINT, WELL, HORRY COUNTY HAS THREE SALES TAX, SO WHY CAN'T WE GET SOMETHING THAT DOES NOT WORK HERE? WE ARE A VERY UNIQUE COMMUNITY.
[01:00:01]
ALONG THOSE LINES, IN LOOKING BACK HISTORICALLY, WHAT HAS WORKED WHEN IT COMES TO TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS, WHEN THE BEAUFORT COUNTY TRANSPORTATION ADVISORY GROUP WAS FORMED IN THE LATE TEENS, THAT WAS A VERY SUCCESSFUL EFFORT.THAT GOT A LARGE LIST OF CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS PASSED BY THE SUPPORT OF ALL THE ELECTED OFFICIALS THAT WERE INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS.
AND IT ALLOWED FOR CONTINUING OVERSIGHT AFTER THE PROJECTS WERE BEING IMPLEMENTED WITH REGULAR REPORTS AND UPDATES.
AND SO IT'S BECAUSE OF THAT SUCCESSFUL TRACK RECORD THAT WE'RE HAVING THE CONVERSATION ABOUT, SHOULD WE LOOK AT TRYING TO REPLICATE THAT? THAT'S, I I THINK IT WAS IMPORTANT TO GET THE INFORMATION OUT THERE ABOUT WHY WE'RE WANTING TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION.
AND IT'S BECAUSE IT'S THE GOAL AND INTENT TO TRY TO CREATE THIS TO BE SUCCESSFUL WHEN IT DOES GO BACK TO THE PUBLIC.
UM, INPUT IS INPUT AND THERE WILL ALWAYS BE DIFFERENCES OF OPINION.
SO, UM, THERE'S, UH, A LITTLE BIT OF BOTH RATE, UM, WHAT WE HAVE LEFT ON THE AGENDA.
UM, EVERYBODY HAS A, FIRST OF ALL, DO EASY STUFF.
THERE ARE ANY, UH, QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD? UH, AGAIN, IT'S THE FOURTH TUESDAY OF EVERY MONTH.
THE LAST, UH, MEETING OF THE YEAR IS ALWAYS, UH, THE NOVEMBER, THAT IS AGAIN THANKSGIVING WEEK IF EVERYBODY'S GOOD WITH THIS.
HAVE, IT'S FOR Y'ALL AS ELECTED OFFICIALS.
THE JUNE 23RD ESPECIALLY IS THE PRIMARY DATE FOR, THAT'S THE PRIMARY DATE.
UM, SO I DIDN'T KNOW IF THERE WAS, I I I DON'T, HANG ON, LEMME SEE IF THAT'S, THAT'S A RUNOFF.
IF IT NEEDED, IF NEEDED, IF NEEDED, THAT'D BE THE RUNOFF TWO WEEKS LATER.
THAT'S THE ONLY ONE THAT I SAW THAT I DIDN'T KNOW IF THERE'D BE ANY ISSUE FOR OKAY.
ANYBODY HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THAT? IT DOESN'T AFFECT US.
I WAS WORRIED ABOUT THOSE THAT HAVE ELECTION LAST YEAR.
THAT'S WHY I BROUGHT IT UP TO, TO HAVE, UH, A LOT OF EYES ON IT TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE GOOD DATES HERE.
[III.4. Child Care Resolutions Update. Mayor Williams of Hardeeville]
CHILDCARE RESOLUTION, I JUST WANT TO FIRST OF ALL, THANK EVERYBODY AND ALL THE COUNCILS FOR PASSING IT.UM, I, I RECEIVED EVERYBODY'S AND I'M GOING TO BE, UH, DELIVERING THAT TO THE DELEGATIONS AND ASKING FOR TIME IN FRONT OF THEM ON THEIR NEXT MEETING.
UM, I THINK THE MOST APPROPRIATE WAY FROM TALKING TO PEOPLE IS TO ASK FOR AN ALLOCATION THAT WOULD BE DISTRIBUTED THROUGH THE DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES.
THERE'S A SIMILAR, UM, APPROPRIATION, UH, THAT WAS PROPOSED LAST SESSION THAT WILL COME UP FOR, UH, VOTE THIS SESSION.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S ONE OF THE GOALS WE'LL, WE'RE TRYING TO DO, IS TO GET THESE RESOLUTIONS IN FRONT OF THE DELEGATION SO THAT WE CAN GET SOME APPROPRIATIONS FOR THE JASPER AND BEAUFORT COUNTY.
[IV.1. 2026 Agenda Discussion]
WE HAVE BEFORE THE HOLIDAYS IS, UH, I SENT OUT A LIST OF, UH, POSSIBLE, UH, AGENDA ITEMS FOR 2026.UM, THERE'S TWO THINGS THAT WE NEED TO DECIDE.
FIRST OF ALL, FOR JANUARY, DO WE WANT TO HAVE, UM, THE, UH, UH, BEAUFORT AND PORT ROYAL TO GIVE THEIR UPDATES? UH, OR DO WE WANT TO GET LA LATS AND LOW COG? THAT WAS ONE OF THE SUGGESTIONS TO GET THAT, GET THEM, UH, IN HERE IN JANUARY.
UH, PARTICULARLY IN LIGHT OF WHAT, WHAT MS. HOWARD HAS, UH, GOING IN THAT COMMITTEE.
UH, THOSE PROJECTS, UH, MAY NEED TO GO ON, ON THE TIP AND WHAT, UH, THE TIP HAS THERE.
SO THAT MIGHT BE ONE POSSIBILITY.
UH, ANY THOUGHTS? YEAH, I, I, I'LL SUGGEST THAT, UM, LATS AND LOCO, UM, IS JANUARY.
I THINK THAT WITH THE NEW LEADER COMING IN AT LOW COG AS WELL, UM, IT'S A GOOD TIME TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS TO SEE THE DIRECTION THAT THEY'RE GOING, HOW WE CAN UTILIZE THEM BETTER, UM, AND THEN ALSO GET INFORMATION FROM LANCE AS TO WHERE THEY STAND ON DIFFERENT, UH, ROAD PROJECTS.
AND, AND I WOULD AGREE WITH THAT.
[01:05:01]
THINKING I, I KNOW THAT THE CITY HAS TO GO THROUGH OUR COMPREHENSIVE PLAN THIS NEXT YEAR, AND I'M NOT SURE WHO ELSE DOES, BUT, UM, I WAS THINKING THE BEAUFORT COUNTY AND JASPER COUNTY HAPPENINGS COULD BE IN, IN FEBRUARY, AND THEN THE MUNICIPALITIES OR MAIN BEAUFORT, PORT ROYAL AND YEE IN MARCH.UM, THAT WOULD GIVE US TIME TO HEAR WHAT TRANSPORTATION STUDIES HAVE BEEN COMPLETED, WHAT RECOMMENDATIONS ARE ON THE TABLE, AND THEN HEAR FROM BOTH COUNTIES AND THE REMAINING MUNICIPALITIES PRIOR TO, UM, THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN DISCUSSIONS THAT WE MAY HAVE.
ANYONE HAVE ANY THOUGHTS ON THAT, UH, SUGGESTION? EVERYBODY GOOD WITH THAT? ANYBODY OUT? UH, ANY OF THE BOARD MEMBERS OUT IN THE AUDIENCE? YOU OKAY WITH THAT? I THOUGHT YOU WEREN'T GONNA TALK.
I THOUGHT YOU WERE GONNA GO BACK.
I DON'T THINK JANUARY WOULD BE FOR, UM,
HE STARTS THE FIRST, OR WHOEVER IT IS, STARTS THE FIRST AND THAT'S THREE WEEKS.
HE'S A I'M, I'M SURE YOU HIRED SOMEBODY SO SEASONED THAT HE'D BE READY IN THREE WEEKS.
I DON'T THINK WE NEED, I DON'T THINK, I DON'T KNOW THAT WE NEED, UH, I MEAN, ANYBODY HAVE ANY THOUGHTS ON THAT OR? THE CONVERSATION'S GONNA BE MOSTLY AROUND LATS AND TRANSPORTATION.
WE HAVE STEPHANIE MATS AND TRANSPORTATION IN THE AUDIENCE ALREADY.
THEY CAN, STEPHANIE PROBABLY, IT MIGHT BE GOOD FOR THEM, WHOEVER THE NEW DIRECTOR IS TO INTRODUCE THEMSELVES AND TALK ABOUT SOME OF THEIR VISION AND THEN TURN IT OVER AND LET STEPHANIE TALK ABOUT LATS AND THE STUDIES THAT THEY'RE MOVING FORWARD WITH.
STEPHANIE, ARE YOU, UH, ARE YOU OKAY WITH THAT ONE TODAY?
I'LL, I'LL WORK WITH STEPHANIE, UH, PRIOR TO SENDING OUT THE AGENDA TO SEE HOW MUCH TIME SHE NEEDS AND IF THERE'S, UH, OTHER THINGS LIKE THE, UM, THE HILTON HEAD REALTORS SURVEY OR SOMETHING THAT CAN FIT IN THE TIME SLOT.
CAN I MAKE A RECOMMENDATION ON THAT? SURE.
UM, SO AT THE BOTTOM WE HAVE LITTER PREVENTION AND IN THE CITY, UM, I PUT A NOTE DOWN HERE AT THE BOTTOM, BUT, UM, PLEASE FORGIVE ME IF I MISPRONOUNCE THE LAST NAME.
JEN CLEMENT, TONY, SHE CAME TO US.
UM, SHE'S WITH THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR WITH CAROLINA BRIGHT BIRDING CENTER, AND SHE, UM, SENT THE CITY SOME, SOME FACTS ON HOW BALLOON RELEASES AFFECT THE ENVIRONMENT AND ARE DETRIMENTAL TO THE, UH, ANIMAL LIFE AND JUST A LOT OF REALLY GOOD INFORMATION.
SO LAST MEETING, WE HAD A FIRST READING ON AN ORDINANCE IN THE CITY THAT WOULD BAN BALLOON RELEASES IN CITY LIMITS.
AND SO IF THERE IS TIME ON THE BACKEND FOR OUR JANUARY WITH THE, UH, PRESENTATION FROM LATS, I'D LIKE TO MAYBE RECOMMEND MOVING THE LITTER PREVENTION UP AND HAVING HER DO A LITTLE PRESENTATION ON WHAT THAT COULD LOOK LIKE IF THE OTHERS WANTED TO TAKE THAT BACK TO THEIR RESPECTIVE COUNCILS AND HAVE THE SAME DISCUSSION.
UH, JEN, IF COULD YOU PLEASE, AND IF YOU NEED THE INFORMATION, UH, SEND ME AN EMAIL WITH YOUR INFORMATION AND ALSO HOW MUCH TIME YOU WOULD NEED, UH, SO I CAN FIT IT INTO THE AGENDAS, UH, AS THE TIME PERMITS.
SO, UH, ANYONE ELSE, EITHER IN THE PUBLIC OR ON THE BOARD? UM, DO YOU ALREADY SPOKE ONCE? I KNOW
ANY, ANY OTHER SUGGESTIONS AFTER MS. UH, MS. TABER? YEAH.
SO ALL DUE RESPECT TO LITTER AND EVERYTHING ELSE, I, I SUGGEST THIS GROUP START TALKING ABOUT HARASSING OUR LEGISLATORS, ABOUT PUTTING IN RED LIGHT CAMERAS.
I'M SORRY, BUT TRANSPORTATION AND SAVING LIVES COMES ABOVE EVERYTHING ELSE.
AND YOU ALL KNOW VARIOUS STATES HAVE RED LIGHT CAMERAS.
YOU RUN THE LIGHT, YOU GET THE TICKET.
I UNDERSTAND BY LOOKING AT THIS, SOMEBODY TOLD ME PREVIOUS GOVERNOR SANFORD PUT IT IN.
I DON'T KNOW THAT HISTORY, BUT YOU CAN TELL, TALK TO ANYBODY THAT GOES ON 2 78 OR ONE 70, THEY FLY THROUGH THE LIGHTS.
IT'S NOT UNCOMMON TO HAVE AN ACCIDENT ANYWHERE.
AND THOSE TWO AND PUTS THE ISLAND PARKWAY IN IT, PUT RIBO, PUT 'EM ALL IN IT.
I MEAN, EVERY DAY SOMEBODY'S RUNNING THE LIGHT.
AND I TALKED TO JARED FLIKS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, ELONGATING THE LIGHT, LIKE WAIT FOUR MORE SECONDS.
[01:10:01]
THINK OUR LEGISLATIVE, IT'S TIME FOR THEM TO WAKE UP, PUT RED LIGHT CAMERAS, START TICKETING PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY IN SCHOOL ZONES.YOU KNOW, YOU GO BY A SCHOOL ZONE, NOBODY'S GOING 45, NOBODY'S GOING 35.
SO I WOULD LIKE US TO DISCUSS THAT COULD SAVE A FEW LIVES, COULD GENERATE REVENUE FOR DIFFERENT PLACES.
I'M NOT EVEN TALKING SPEEDING CAMERAS.
BUT RED LIGHT IS, SHOULD BE AN EASY THING TO DO.
TAB YOU PLEASE, UH, SEND ME, UM, WHO WOULD GIVE THIS PRESENTATION, WHO WOULD GIVE THIS TALK AND HOW MUCH TIME.
SO IF YOU GIVE THAT, THEN WE'LL GET THAT.
I THOUGHT I HAD IT ON THE LIST OF AGENDA ITEMS. I'M SORRY.
I SENT IT TO YOU LAST TIME, BUT WE CAN DO IT AGAIN.
YEAH, I THOUGHT, I, I JUST THINK WE SHOULD TALK ABOUT IT.
SO IF YOU COULD FOLLOW UP AND LET ME KNOW.
UM, AND I HOPE YOU ARE, WE'LL START SAVING, PUT SOME MONEY ASIDE WHEN WE CATCH YOU
I, I'VE HAD NO REPORTS OF ARREST OF YOU TODAY, SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
ANY OTHER SUGGESTIONS FOR AGENDA ITEMS FOR 2026? AND IF YOU DON'T HAVE, HAVE AND YOU THINK OF IT LATER, PLEASE SEND THEM TO ME.
WE WENT OVER 10 MINUTES, BUT WE DON'T HAVE A MEETING IN DECEMBER, SO, UH, THAT ALLOWED.
UM, LASTLY, HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO EVERYBODY.
UH, MERRY CHRISTMAS, HAPPY HANUKKAH AND HAPPY NEW YEAR 'CAUSE WE WON'T SEE YOU UNTIL THE END OF JANUARY.
AND SO I COMMEND EVERYBODY WHO HAS STAYED WITH US AND MADE SO LOCO A SUCCESSFUL ENTERPRISE.
YOU'RE WATCHING BEAUFORT COUNTY TV, LIVE, WORK, PLAY.
AND THIS IS YOUR BEAUFORT COUNTY MOMENT.
THE MARSH TACKY IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT ASSETS IN THE GULLAH CULTURE.
THE MARSH TACKY WAS USED FOR PLOWING, FOR CARRYING PEOPLE TO CHURCH, AS WELL AS TO PULL WAGONS.
IT'S A BREED OF HORSE THAT WAS LEFT BY THE SPANISH IN THE 15 HUNDREDS, AND SINCE THAT TIME, IT HAS BEEN IN BRED MARSH.
TACHY HAS A NARROW CHEST AND SLENDER LEGS, BUT IT'S VERY TOUGH HORSE.
AND BEFORE MODERN DEVELOPMENT, EVERY FAMILY HAD AT LEAST ONE MOSH TACKY.
IT WAS LIKE A CAR OR A TRUCK TODAY.
AND SO WE HAVE ALWAYS ADMIRED THE TACKY.
IT IS ALSO ONE OF THE ENTERTAINERS OF THE AREA BECAUSE WE HAD RACES WITH MARSH TACKY AT LEAST TWICE A YEAR.
TODAY, THE MARSH TACKY HAS BEEN PRESERVED BY CERTAIN PEOPLE THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY, THROUGHOUT THE LOW COUNTRY AREA.
THIS IS EMERY CAMPBELL, AND THAT HAS BEEN YOUR BEAUFORT COUNTY MOMENTS.
TO SEE MORE BEAUFORT COUNTY MOMENTS GO TO THE BEAUFORT COUNTY LIBRARY HOMEPAGE AND, AND CLICK ON THE LOCAL HISTORY TAB.