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CLOSED CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY BUFORT COUNTY PUBLIC SERVICES COMMITTEE, UM, TOOK ORDER.
AND IF YOU WILL, PLEASE ALL RISE AND, UH, JOIN ME IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE P OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA TO THE REPUBLIC WHICH NATION?
UM, CAN WE HAVE AN ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA PLEASE? SO MOVED.
AND AN APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING.
MINUTES OF, UH, DECEMBER 15TH, 2025.
ALL IN FAVOR? RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND.
AND UNDER NEW BUSINESS, WE HAVE A CONSIDERATION OF A RESOLUTION OF THE TOWN OF HILTON HEAD ISLAND COUNCIL APPROVING RENTAL LOCATIONS PROPOSED BY SHORE BEACH SERVICES, UH, FOR 2026 BEACH SEASON.
AND, HI, YOU'RE NOT BEN BROWN?
HOW ARE YOU? WELL, THANK YOU, UH, MADAM CHAIR, MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE.
SO, UM, I'M HERE TO PRESENT THE, UH, PROPOSED RESOLUTION FOR SHOR BEACH SERVICES, UH, BASED ON THE, UH, AGREEMENT THAT WAS SIGNED ON JUNE OF 2024.
AND, UM, IN FRONT OF YOU, YOU HAVE THE STAFF REPORT WITH, UH, THE DETAILED BACKGROUND ALONG WITH A COPY OF THE RESOLUTION THAT WAS DRAFTED BY OUR TOWN ATTORNEY, UM, THE, UH, INSURANCE BEACH SERVICES.
SO, AS YOU KNOW, THEY'VE BEEN, UH, PART OF THE TOWN SINCE ITS INCEPTION.
AND, UH, PART OF THE ARTICLE FIVE OF THE AGREEMENT CALLS FOR THEM TO PRESENT EVERY YEAR THE REQUIRE OPERATIONAL EQUIPMENT THAT THEY'RE GONNA USE FOR SEASON OF, UH, UH, 2026.
UM, FOR REFERENCE, UH, JUST TO BE CLEAR, THE RESOLUTION IN FRONT OF YOU, UH, AS EXHIBITS A AND B ARE EXHIBITS B ONE AND C, UH, B ONE AND B SIX, AND C ONE AND C FIVE OF OUR STAFF REPORT THAT DETAILED.
THE, THE QUANTITIES, THE CHANGES ON, ON THE EQUIPMENT FROM 25 TO 26, AS WELL AS THE LOCATIONS OF WHERE, UM, THE OPERATIONS TAKES PLACE.
UM, SOME OF THE CHANGES THAT HAVE BEEN MADE FROM LAST YEAR, VERY MINOR, UH, IN, IN A AND IN ADDITION TO THAT, YOU WILL SEE THAT THERE HAVE BEEN 14 UMBRELLAS AND 28 CHAIRS ADDED AT ISLAND CLUB.
UH, AND OVERALL WITH THE SHIFT, ALSO MORE OF THE EQUIPMENT FROM DUNES IN HILTON, THAT'S ABOUT LESS THAN 1% ON CHANGES, UH, FROM LAST YEAR.
UM, THE REPORT THAT YOU HAVE IN FRONT OF YOU HAS THE, THE COMPLETE SCHEDULES AS WELL AS THE FRANCHISE AGREEMENT AND THE RESOLUTION, YOU KNOW, REQUIRING YOUR RECOMMENDATION TO COUNSEL.
UH, ANY QUESTIONS? STEVE, DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? STEVE, DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? UM, YOU JUST WANTED, I, YOU HAVE INDICATED WHERE ALL THE LIFEGUARDS WILL BE LOCATED.
UH, I'M CURIOUS AS TO IF YOU'RE ABLE TO RESPOND HOW YOUR ORGANIZATION DEALS WITH A SITUATION WHERE A SHARK IS SPOTTED AT ONE PARTICULAR LOCATION.
HOW DO YOU NOTIFY AND THE REST OF THE BEACH GOERS? THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
AND MIKE WAGNER IS HERE WITH US, SO I'M GONNA ALLOW MIKE TO PLEASE COME IN AND, UH, ANSWER THAT FOR US PLEASE.
UM, ALL OF OUR, UH, LIFEGUARDS AND RENTAL ATTENDANTS CARRY RADIOS, UH, SO THEY CAN COMMUNICATE WITH EACH OTHER.
UH, THEY KEEP TRACK OF THE DIRECTION IT'S GOING.
THEY'LL CLEAR THE WATER, UH, YOU KNOW, VIA WHISTLE TO GET PEOPLE OUT OF THE WATER.
UH, AND IF WE KNOW IT'S MOVING IN A DIRECTION, WE'LL, UH, CONTINUE CLEARING THE WATER IN THAT DIRECTION.
UH, WE ALSO PUT UP RED FLAGS, UH, AS, AS IT'S PRACTICAL, SOMETIMES YOU'RE TOO BUSY CLEARING THE WATER TO THEM TO GET THE FLAG UP SO THEY CAN ACTIVELY KEEP THE PEOPLE OUT OF THE WATER.
SO IS A STANDARD PROCEDURE, FOR EXAMPLE, IF A, IF A SHARK IS CITED OFF, UH, COLIGNY TO GO ON THE RADIO AND AND ANNOUNCE THAT FOR THE OTHER LIFEGUARDS UP AND DOWN THE BEACH OR NOT, THEY'LL USUALLY TELL OTHER GUARDS
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RIGHT IN THAT AREA THAT THEY'RE CLEARING THE WATER.UH, AND SO THEY'RE ALL ON THE SAME CHANNEL, SO EVERYBODY HEARS IT.
BUT, SO WHETHER THE LIFEGUARDS AT KIG OR WESTIN OR SEA PINES, UH, RADIO CALL, THEY WILL ALL HEAR IT.
UM, IS THERE ANYTHING THAT, THAT IS DONE OR COULD BE DONE FOR THE AREAS OF THE BEACH AS TO FOR WHICH THERE ARE NO LIFEGUARDS SUCH AS BETWEENY AND SOUTH BEACH? UH, WE, I MEAN OUR SUPERVISORS AND OTHER PERSONNEL AND TRUCKS, IF THEY SEE THE, UH, IF THEY'VE GOT EITHER SIGHT, A SHARK, A LOT OF TIMES PEOPLE WILL STOP AND TELL PEOPLE, UH, OR PEOPLE WILL STOP AND TELL US THAT THEY'VE SEEN SOMETHING.
WE'LL CLEAR THE WATER IN THAT AREA, BUT, UH, AS FAR AS, AND THEY'LL MONITOR THE DIRECTION OF THE SHARK AND KEEP CLEARING THE WATER IN THAT DIRECTION.
STEVE, ANY QUESTIONS? UM, THANK YOU.
AND I ALSO WANTED TO, UM, SAY THAT THE ADDITION OF A, THE FLAGS IN PLACES WHERE PREVIOUSLY THERE WEREN'T FLAGS HAS BEEN, UM, WELL RECEIVED.
DO THE ASSISTANCE TO, TO STATE, UH, COUNCILMAN, UM, ALFRED'S POINT, DO THE LIFEGUARDS WHO ARE NOT ON THE CHAIRS, UM, BUT ARE DOING THE RENTALS MM-HMM
IF THERE WAS AN EMERGENCY OR A, UM, SHARK SIDING AND THEY WERE TRYING TO GET, MOVE PEOPLE OUT OF THE WATER LIKE YOU JUST DESCRIBED, DOES EVERYONE GET INVOLVED OR, OH YEAH.
IF IT'S ANY KIND OF EMERGENCY, THEY'LL DROP EVERYTHING.
UM, TYPICALLY WE'LL TRY TO, A LOT OF TIMES THEY'LL BE THE ONE THAT ACTUALLY GO OUT AND ACTIVELY CLEAR THE WATER.
'CAUSE WE'LL KEEP THE HIGHCHAIR, THE LIFEGUARDS UP IN THE HIGHCHAIR.
I'M GLAD TO HEAR THAT YOU SAY THEY ACTUALLY GO OUT IN THE WATER WITH THE SHARK AND TELL EVERYBODY ELSE TO GET OUT.
WHAT'S THAT? YOU SAY THEY ACTUALLY GO OUT INTO THE WATER WITH THE SHARK AND TELL EVERYBODY ELSE TO GET OUT
THERE'S ALWAYS SOMEBODY THAT WON'T, BUT I'M NOT GONNA VOLUNTEER TO BE A LIFE GUY.
HAVE YOU EVER HAD THE BEACH TOO CROWDED TO MANAGE? I DON'T THINK SO.
I MEAN, THERE'S A FEW TIMES I WOULD SAY IT'S ON THE BUBBLE, BUT, UM, NO, I, WE WE'VE GOT PEOPLE STATIONED WHERE THEY CAN HANDLE IT.
'CAUSE I'VE NOTICED, YOU KNOW, ON THOSE BIG WEEKENDS IN THE SUMMER MM-HMM
YOU, I MEAN, YOU CAN'T RIDE A BIKE FROM ONE SPOT TO THE OTHER BECAUSE YOU, YOU RIDE OVER TOWELS.
AND SO I JUST WONDER HOW YOU GUYS ACTUALLY DO EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT IN THAT SITUATION.
THE RENOURISHMENT WILL HELP A LOT IN THAT REGARD.
JUST GETTING FROM POINT A TO POINT B, THAT'S BEEN A CHALLENGE FOR A FEW YEARS.
I, I GUESS IF THAT BECAME A PROBLEM, WE'D HAVE A CONVERSATION OR YOU'D LET US KNOW HOW YOU WERE MANAGING IT.
I DO HAVE, UM, SO WITH THE INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF UMBRELLAS AND THERE ARE THOSE THREE SPECIFIC AREAS, WHAT NECESSITATED THAT WAS THAT WERE THERE, I I GUESS TO UM, COUNCILMAN DEON'S POINT, WERE THERE JUST SO MANY PEOPLE IN THAT AREA THAT YOU FOUND YOU HAD ADDITIONAL CUSTOMERS THAT YOU COULD PREVIOUSLY COULDN'T ASSIST OR, YOU KNOW, IT'S REALLY JUST THE MAIN ADDITION IS, UM, LEMME LET GET THERE.
THIS RELOCATION OF TWO, SORRY.
LET ME, LET ME TRY TO GET TO THE STAFF REPORT.
TRYING TO GET US TO RIGHT HERE.
SO THE BIGGEST, THE BIGGEST PLACE WE ADDED WAS AT ISLAND CLUB BECAUSE THERE'S THE NEW, UM, UH, TIMESHARE GOING IN ACROSS THE STREET ON FOLLY FIELD ROAD.
I DON'T KNOW THAT WE'LL NEED TO ADD THOSE, BUT THAT WAS KIND OF A, JUST IN CASE WE DO, IF THERE'S DEMAND IN THAT AREA.
OTHER THAN THAT, THERE WERE A CO THE MAIN THING WE EVER REALLY DID WAS JUST SHIFT SOME UMBRELLAS FROM THE MARRIOTT RESORT IN PALMETTO DUNES TO DUNES HOUSE.
UH, JUST 'CAUSE THERE'S BEEN A LITTLE MORE, THEY KIND, THOSE TWO PLACES KIND OF ALMOST RUN INTO EACH OTHER.
SO I THINK MORE PEOPLE HAVE JUST BEEN, BEEN GOING TO DUNES HOUSE INSTEAD OF MARRIOTT.
WHEN YOU PUT THOSE CHAIRS OUT, DO YOU GO THROUGH ISLAND OR SPEECH, UM, PARKING LOT OR DO YOU GO THROUGH ISLAND CLUB TO GET THOSE? UH, I, I, WE'RE REALLY NOT SURE WHERE THEY'RE GONNA ACCESS.
UM, SO WE JUST PUT 'EM DOWN AT ISLAND CLUB BECAUSE THEY'LL BE A LITTLE MORE OUT OF THE WAY FROM ALL THE OTHER PEOPLE THAT ISLANDERS COULD, TENDS TO BE A LITTLE MORE CROWDED DOWN THERE WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU FIGURE THAT OUT, JUST LET ME KNOW.
AND I'M NOT EVEN POSITIVE THEY'LL BE OPEN THIS YEAR, BUT I'M ASSUMING
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I UNDERSTAND THAT THEY'RE SCHEDULED TO OPEN IN APRIL OF THIS YEAR.ONE BILL, PHASE ONE, PHASE ONE, PHASE ONE OF THE DEVELOPMENT APRIL THIS YEAR.
ANOTHER THING ON THE, ON THE CROWDED AREA.
UM, DO YOU ALWAYS MAINTAIN ACCESS FOR THE VEHICLE? UH, YEAH.
IT, AND ACTUALLY OUR UMBRELLAS ARE ACTUALLY SUPER HELPFUL IN MAINTAINING THAT AREA.
'CAUSE THEY KEEP A STRAIGHT LINE BEHIND THAT.
THEY CAN, UH, THAT THEY CAN OPEN.
WHAT ABOUT LIKE A COLIGNY COLIGNY? WE CONE IT OFF.
ON THE BUSY DAYS WE CONE THAT BACK AREA OFF AGAIN.
THE RENOURISHMENT WILL MAKE THAT A LOT EASIER, BUT WE KEEP A CONNED PATH, WHICH, UM, HIT OR MISS IF PEOPLE PAY ATTENTION TO IT, BUT MAKES IT EASIER TO CLEAR 'EM OUT IF WE NEED TO.
AND I ALSO WANTED TO RECOGNIZE THAT, UH, COUNCILMAN BROWN HAS JOINED US HERE TODAY.
DO WE HAVE A, UH, MOTION? IS THERE A MOTION INCLUDED? UH, NO, NOT, IT WAS NOT.
CAN YOU PULL THAT UP? IS IT ON THE MOTION WOULD JUST BE TO APPROVE A RECOMMENDATION.
A RECOMMENDATION TO APPROVE THE RESOLUTION AND THEN YOU JUST, OKAY, SO THERE WASN'T ONE.
SO IS CURTIS, DOES THIS GO TO TOWN COUNCIL? YES.
SO IT'S A RECOMMENDATION TO MOVE TO YES.
THE MOTION WOULD BE CORRECT TO FORWARD THE MATTER TO TOWN COUNCIL WITH A RECOMMENDATION FOR APPROVAL? CORRECT.
AND WITH THAT, IS THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT WE HAVE MR. WILLIAMS. SS THAT'S IT.
AND ALL IN FAVOR? ALL RIGHT, SO THE ONLY OTHER THING ON OUR AGENDA TODAY IS PUBLIC COMMENT THAT WAS ON NON AGENDA ITEMS. AND IS THERE ANYONE WHO HAS ANY COMMENTS THEY'D LIKE TO MAKE ON ANYTHING THAT WAS NOT ON OUR AGENDA? SEEING NONE, WERE ADJOURNED.
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 KLING, 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.
YOU KNOW, LIKE, GOOD, BAD MAYBE UNTIL WE FINALLY GOT IT DOWN TO THE ONE THAT WE NOW
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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 A RARE MARINE ECOLOGY, LOW COUNTRY ARCHITECTURE AND MILES OF RIVERS, CREEKS, AND INLETS.
I THOUGHT IT ENCOMPASSED WHAT THE, WHAT WE AS A BODY WAS LOOKING FOR A SEAL.
IT 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 THINGS THAT WE, UH, WHOLE SO THERE AND WHAT WE REALLY LIKE ABOUT BEAUFORT COUNTY.
COUNCILMAN BILL MCBRIDE WAS AN 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 BUTT COUNTY.
THEY, IT IS A SLANG CHANGE IN THE ORIGINAL ON DRAFT THAT WAS PRESENTED TO US WHERE YOU HAVE THE SHRIMP BOAT TODAY.
INITIALLY, THAT WAS A PLEASURE CRAFT, A SAILBOAT 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 TO 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 BEAUTIFUL 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 HELP 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.