[00:00:01]
CLOSED CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY BUFORT COUNTY, UM, TO
[1. Call to Order]
ORDER, AND IF YOU'LL JOIN ME, PLEASE.[2. Pledge to the Flag]
PLEDGE, ALL TO THE FACT THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA TO[3. Adoption of the Agenda]
ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA, UM, I'M GOING TO ASK, UM, IF WE CAN AMEND THAT BY PLACING, UH, PUBLIC COMMENT ON NON-AGENDA ITEMS, UM, BEFORE WE HAVE ANY PRESENTATIONS.SO IF I COULD GET A SECOND ON THAT.
ALRIGHT, ALL IN FAVOR OF MOVING PUBLIC COMMENT FOR NON AGENDA ITEMS FORWARD.
[7. Public Comment - Non Agenda Items (Part 1 of 2)]
STEVE IMO SMOKE.AND IS THERE ANYONE HERE WHO HAVE IN THEIR HEADS AND THEIR HEARTS COMMENTS? WHAT I HAVE? UM, I HAVE A FEW HERE.
ON NON AGENDA ITEMS. UM, THERE, THE AGENDA ITEMS ARE NOT SPECIFIED, SO I'M ASSUMING IT'S NON AGENDA.
UM, CHET WILLIAMS PASS AND MARTIN LES.
AND THE REASON I DO THAT IS, UM, THIS, OUR MEETINGS WITH PRESENTATIONS CAN, CAN BE A LITTLE BIT LONG.
SO IF YOU'RE HERE AND YOU'RE NOT HERE FOR ONE OF THE SPECIFIC ITEMS THAT WE ARE, UM, GOING TO DISCUSS, UM, I'D LIKE FOR YOU TO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK, UM, AND TO BE HEARD WITHOUT HAVING TO WAIT AN HOUR TO DO SO.
SO IF YOU DO HAVE ANY COMMENTS ON AGENDA ITEMS, WE'LL WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT AS WE MOVE THROUGH THE AGENDA.
BUT FOR NOW, WE HAVE A PRESENTATION, UM, BY FIRE AND RESCUE ON THEIR ANNUAL REPORT.
AND SO, I'M SORRY YOU ADOPT THE MINUTES.
DID I JUMP OVER THE MINUTES? I DID.
[4. Approval of the Minutes ]
TO APPROVE THE MINUTES FROM FEBRUARY 9TH? ALL IN FAVOR.DID YOU, DID YOU GET ALL OF THAT, KIM? YEAH.
[5.a. Fire Rescue Annual Report - Chris Blankenship, Fire Chief]
UH, CHIEF BLANKENSHIP, UM, UP FOR THE ANNUAL REPORT.GOOD AFTERNOON, UH, CHRIS, FIRE CHIEF FOR THE REPORT.
I WANNA START BY SAYING THANK YOU AGAIN, UM, TO ALL OF YOU AND THE REST OF COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT ARE HERE FOR JOINING US SATURDAY NIGHT, UH, TO CELEBRATE OUR PEOPLE.
UM, WE APPRECIATE YOU GUYS BEING THERE, AND WE APPRECIATE YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT AND EVERYTHING THAT WE DO.
I'LL TRY TO BE MORE BRIEF THAN THAT NIGHT.
SO, UH, WE'LL GET INTO OUR 2025 ANNUAL REPORT, UM, SHOW YOU SOME DATA, SHOW YOU SOME THINGS THAT WE ACCOMPLISHED LAST YEAR, AND KIND OF WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS NEXT YEAR.
SO IN OPERATIONS, UM, YOU CAN SEE HERE WE HAD JUST OVER, JUST UNDER 14,000 UNIT RESPONSES.
UM, AGAIN, ANOTHER RECORD BREAKING YEAR IN 2025 WITH, UH, JUST OVER 10,000 CALLS OF SERVICE.
THAT TREND CONTINUES TO GO UP, UM, EVERY YEAR.
UH, STRUCTURE FIRES WERE ACTUALLY DOWN, UM, FROM FROM LAST YEAR.
WE HAD, UH, FORTUNATELY NO FIRE FATALITIES.
WE DID HAVE ONE INJURY, UM, BUT 26 FIRES WITHIN A STRUCTURE.
UM, OF THOSE, UH, 13 CONFIDE TO THE OBJECT OF ORIGIN ACHE TO THE ROOM OF ORIGIN, AND THREE TO THE BUILDING OF ORIGIN, WHICH IS, IS ACTUALLY REALLY GOOD.
UM, PROPERTY LOST WAS, UH, JUST OVER FOUR AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS, BUT WE LIKE TO CONCENTRATE ON THE PROPERTY SAVED, AND THAT WAS A HUNDRED JUST SHY OF $194 MILLION OF, UH, PROPERTY SAVED.
UM, AND SINCE BY STATION, SO STATION ONE AND STATION FIVE CONTINUE TO BE OUR, OUR HIGHEST OPERATING STATIONS.
UM, THAT WOULD BE SHIPYARD, UH, THE STATION AND SHIPYARD, AND AT THE FRONT GATE OF HILTON HEAD PLANTATION.
SO WHAT YOU'LL SEE HERE IS OUR, UH, TOTAL RESPONSE TIMES FROM 2024 HAVE DECREASED.
WE, UH, CONTRIBUTE THIS TO THE NEW, UM, CAD SOFTWARE AND THE NEW STATION ALERTING THAT WE HAVE PUT IN PLACE NOW FOR A FULL YEAR.
UM, YOU'LL SEE WHERE THE BIGGEST MAKEUP IN THESE TIMES ARE IS IN THE ALARM HANDLING TIME.
THAT'S FROM THE TIME, UH, NINE ONE ONE CALL COMES IN UNTIL THE TIME OUR UNITS ARE DISPATCHED.
AND BOTH OF THOSE, UM, SOFTWARES HAVE, HAVE INCREASED, UH, OR DECREASED REALLY THAT THAT TIME.
SO STILL HITTING OUR BENCHMARKS, UM,
[00:05:02]
FOR THE LAST FIVE YEARS.UH, AND AGAIN, LOW RISK FIRE SUPPRESSION.
THE BIGGEST, UH, TREND DOWNWARD IS THE ALARM HANDLING TIME.
AND WITH THIS, THIS IS REALLY THE ONLY, UH, KIND OF DATA I'M GONNA SHOW YOU, BUT IN ALL OF YOUR MAILBOXES, THERE IS A, UH, DATA, UH, ANNUAL DATA REPORT THAT YOU CAN LOOK THROUGH IN YOUR LEISURE.
UM, YARD WORK, UH, YARD WASTE BURNING STILL THING ON HILTON HEAD.
LAST YEAR WE HAD 197 REGISTERED PERMITS.
WE INSPECTED EVERY ONE OF THOSE.
UM, THOSE BURNS WE DID ISSUE TWO CITATIONS.
THOSE ARE USUALLY FOR BURNING TRASH, UM, AND SIX WARNINGS.
UH, EMS CONTINUES TO DRIVE EVERYTHING THAT WE DO.
UM, IT IS OUR, UM, HIGHEST PERCENT OF CALL VOLUME.
UM, ROUGHLY 80% OF THE CALLS WE RUN ARE EMS. UM, OUR THREE TOP PRIMARY IMPRESSIONS, THAT'S WHAT THE PATIENT PRESENTS WHEN WE GET THERE.
GENERAL WEAKNESS, INJURY TO THE HEAD SYNCOPE AND FAINTING.
THAT INJURY TO THE HEAD IS BECAUSE USUALLY OF FALLS, UM, JUST BREAKS DOWN A LITTLE DEMOGRAPHICS BETWEEN MALE AND FEMALE.
AND AGE CONTINUES TO BE THE BIG ONE.
THE OLDER WE GET ON THE COMMUNITY.
UM, THE MORE CALLS WE TEND TO RUN AND THAT 65 AND OLDER IS OUR, UM, BY FAR HIGHEST DEMOGRAPHIC OF PEOPLE WE GO TO.
WE HAVE A LOT OF VISITORS TO HILTON HEAD.
WHERE ARE WE RUNNING OUR CALLS? UM, EMS WISE, THE SHOWS THAT WE ARE RUNNING, THE MAJORITY OF OUR CALLS TO OUR, UM, RESIDENTS, UM, MOSTLY, MOSTLY OUR RESIDENTS, BUT IN THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA AT, UH, 50, JUST UNDER 5,200, UM, PEOPLE.
UH, A LITTLE UPDATE ON WHERE WE ARE WITH PARAMEDICS.
UM, WE CURRENTLY HAVE 59 IN THE DEPARTMENT, WHICH 54%, UM, ARE ON THE LINE OF ALL LINE PERSONNEL.
AND THIS LAST YEAR WE WERE ABLE TO GET SIX NEW PARAMEDICS.
AND YOU HEARD A LITTLE BIT SATURDAY NIGHT WHY THAT IS WITH THAT, THAT, UH, CREW AT, AT STATION FOUR, UH, HELPING THEM, UH, REACH CERTIFICATION, WHICH HAS BEEN AWESOME.
WE HAD SIX CARDIAC ARREST ARREST SURVIVORS LAST YEAR.
UM, YOU'LL SEE THE, THE LOVELY WOMAN IN THE MIDDLE OF THAT PHOTO, UM, IS ONE OF THEM.
SHE, UH, ACTUALLY INVITED US ALL TO HER HOUSE TO, TO KIND OF CELEBRATE THOSE ARE HER RESCUERS IN THE FRONT THERE.
UM, THAT FIRST FOUND HER, DID BYSTANDER CPR, AND THEN THE CREWS THAT ULTIMATELY RESPONDED TO HER WE'RE STILL, UH, TWO TIMES THE NATIONAL AVERAGE IN SAV RATE FROM WITNESS CARDIAC ARREST.
AND WE ARE ONE OF 11 IN THE NATION, UM, RESUSCITATION ACADEMY, LIGHTHOUSE COMMUNITIES.
SO IT'S A FANTASTIC RECOGNITION.
UM, THROUGH THE RESUSCITATION ALLIANCE, OUR REVENUE COLLECTED WAS JUST OVER, UH, 2.5 MILLION FROM EMS BILLING, WHICH WAS UP ABOUT 89,000 FROM 2024.
WE CONTINUE TO, TO HAVE GREAT, UM, COLLECTION.
WE MAINTAIN ONE OF THE HIGHEST COLLECTION RATES IN THE NATION.
UM, A LOT OF THAT IS DUE DUE MEDICARE, MEDICAID, UM, BUT IT'S, IT'S PHENOMENAL IN WHAT WE DO TO BE ABLE TO COLLECT THAT.
THAT NUMBER DOES REFLECT OUTSIDE OF PERSONNEL, UM, SALARIES AND BENEFITS.
IT IS, IT COVERS, UH, FIRE RESCUE'S, COMPLETE OPERATING BUDGET OUTSIDE OF PERSONNEL.
UM, AS YOU ARE WELL AWARE BECAUSE YOU ADOPTED IT.
UM, WE HAVE THE SU SUBSTANCE ABUSE AND MENTAL HEALTH MANAGEMENT TEAM NOW, UM, COMING OUT OF THE, UH, SOUTH CAROLINA OPIOID RECOVERY FUNDING, UM, THAT WE PARTNERED WITH, UH, FIRE RESCUE RECEIVED 93,859 OF THAT DOLLARS, WE PUT IT TO USE THAT DID PROGRAM CAME UP AT THE VERY END OF 2025.
SO IN 2025, WE ONLY MADE, UH, TWO PATIENT CONTACTS.
BUT SINCE THE INCEPTION, BACK IN, I BELIEVE THE END OF OCTOBER, WE'VE MADE 19 CONNECTIONS, UH, WITH EITHER SUBSTANCE ABUSE OR MENTAL HEALTH WITH THAT TEAM.
SO IT, IT IS, IT IS STRONG, IT IS LIVE, AND IT IS GOING VERY WELL, UH, IN OUR FACILITY TRANSPORTS.
THIS IS WHEN WE TAKE ONE OF OUR AMBULANCES, THE HOSPITAL, HOSPITAL, AS WE TAKE IT TO HILTON HEAD HOSPITAL.
WE PICK UP A PATIENT AND WE TAKE IT TO A HIGHER LEVEL OF CARE.
SAVANNAH MEMORIAL OR, UM, MUSC IN CHARLESTON.
WE'VE INCORPORATED THIS PAST YEAR A NEW POLICY THAT FOR CERTAIN TYPE CALLS, THEY HAVE TO SEND SOMEONE WITH US, UM, A NURSE.
AND I WILL SAY THAT WE WERE INFORMED LAST WEEK THAT THEY WILL NO LONGER DO THAT.
SO I BELIEVE NEXT YEAR THIS NUMBER MAY BE ZERO BECAUSE WE'RE JUST GONNA STOP DOING IT.
UM, THEY HAVE TO RELY ON, ON PRIVATE.
SO THOSE TALKS HAVE BEEN IN THE WORKS FOR YEARS WITH, UH, THE HOSPITAL.
I THOUGHT WE HAD A REALLY GOOD PROGRAM COMING UP.
UM, BUT FOR WHATEVER REASON, THEY'RE, THEY'RE NO LONGER GONNA DO IT.
SO WE WILL BE TALKING WITH THEIR, THEIR STAFF AND THEIR POWERS TO BE AND COME UP WITH A SOLUTION FOR THAT.
THE HOSPITAL TO AIRPORT IS, SINCE WE DON'T HAVE A HELIPAD AT HILTON HEAD HOSPITAL, UM, ALL MED, MED FLIGHT, UH, OUTTA HILTON HEAD HAS TO GO FROM HILTON HEAD AIRPORT.
SO WE HAVE TO TAKE THE FLIGHT CREW FROM THE AIRPORT TO THE HOSPITAL, PICK UP THE PATIENT, AND THEN TAXI THEM BACK TO HILTON HEAD AIRPORT.
UH, SO WE DID THAT 52 TIMES LAST YEAR.
UH, SAFETY AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, THAT'S OUR TRAINING CENTER.
UH, WE CONTINUE, AS YOU HEARD ME SAY THE OTHER NIGHT, UM, YOU KNOW, WE WE'RE, WE'RE BUSIER EVERY YEAR, UM,
[00:10:01]
BUT, BUT WE CONTINUE TO DO, UM, EVERYTHING ELSE WE DO.SO TRAINING IS A BIG PART OF THAT.
ALMOST 38,000 HOURS OF TRAINING, UM, CONDUCTED LAST YEAR.
AND THEN OF THAT 38,000, 23,000 WAS AT THE COMPANY LEVEL.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S THE ENTIRE COMPANY DOING THE TRAINING IN THE STATIONS.
AND THE 38,000 IS, IS, UH, COULD BE INDIVIDUAL AS AS WELL.
UM, LAST YEAR WE, UH, IT'S CALLED THE EVERYDAY LEADER.
WE WERE THE FIRST FIRE DEPARTMENT TO DO IT THROUGH, UH, A CONTRACT VENDOR ABOUT LEADERSHIP, EXPANDING OUR LEADERSHIP, UM, SELF TEAM, ORGANIZATION, UH, WITHIN OUR DEPARTMENT.
WE ACTUALLY MET WITH HIM THIS MORNING ABOUT WHAT OUR NEXT STEPS ARE, UM, THROUGH 2026.
AND IT'S REALLY JUST, UH, MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE STILL, WE'RE, WE'RE STILL TRAINING, WE'RE STILL LEARNING, AND WE'RE BECOMING BETTER LEAD LEADERS FOR OUR PEOPLE.
UM, AS YOU KNOW, SPECIAL OPERATIONS, UH, UH, HILTON ISLAND FIRE RESCUE HOUSES, TWO REGIONAL RESPONSE TEAMS, SOUTH CAROLINA TASK FORCE FOUR, WHICH IS OUR URBAN SEARCH AND RESCUE TEAM, AND SOUTH CAROLINA HAZMAT FOUR, WHICH IS OUR HAZARDOUS MATERIALS TEAM.
UM, HAPPY TO SAY THAT NEITHER ONE OF THOSE TEAMS DEPLOYED IN 2025, WHICH IS GOOD FOR THE STATE.
UM, HOWEVER, THE TASK FORCE HAS ALREADY DEPLOYED ONCE THIS YEAR FOR THE WINTER STORM THAT HIT THE, THAT HIT GREENVILLE.
SO, UM, THEY'RE ALWAYS READY TO GO.
UM, AND TWO GREAT TEAMS TO HAVE OUR NINE ONE ONE CALL CENTER.
WE'RE ACTUALLY DOWN ABOUT 5,000 CALLS, UM, FROM LAST YEAR, WHICH IS, IS KIND OF WEIRD BECAUSE WE HAD A HIGHER LEVEL OF INCIDENTS, BUT A DRAMATICALLY LOWER NUMBER OF CALLS COMING IN.
SO, UM, THEY CONTINUE TO, TO BE VERY BUSY, UM, AS, AS THEY WILL THIS NEXT YEAR WITH TRYING TO, TO MOVE THEM INTO THE NEW BUILDING.
OUR COMMUNITY RISK REDUCTION PROGRAM.
YOU GUYS ALSO HEAR A LOT ABOUT THIS.
THIS IS KIND OF EVERYTHING ELSE WE DO OUTSIDE OF EMERGENCY RESPONSE.
THIS IS OUR INSPECTIONS, OUR CPR AND A ED.
YOU KNOW, I, I ALWAYS LOVE TO HIGHLIGHT THAT, THAT NUMBER.
WE, WE TAUGHT 571 PEOPLE LAST YEAR, CPR, WHICH IS GREAT.
WE DO OUR PLANS, REVIEWS OUR HYDRANTS.
WE INSPECT OUR HYDRANTS EVERY YEAR.
WE DO VOCAL ALARM CHECKS INSIDE HOMES.
UM, TWO OF OUR BIG PROGRAMS, THE FIRE ON THE STREETS AND THE AFTER THE FIRE HOME VISITS.
UH, WE DID 263, UM, TOUCHES DURING THOSE, UH, VISITS LAST YEAR.
UM, SO THIS IS ALL THE GOOD STUFF TO PREVENT THE INCIDENT RESPONSES.
OUR COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND RE UH, RECRUITMENT.
LAST YEAR WE FARM FAR FORMED TWO NEW PARTNERSHIPS AND TWO NEW PROGRAMS. UH, WE HAD THREE COMMUNITY PRESENTATIONS DEMONSTRATING FIRE RESCUES IMPACT WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND, UH, WE ATTENDED OR HOSTED 33 PUBLIC EVENTS.
AND SOME OF THOSE PARTNERSHIPS YOU CAN SEE HILTON HEAD HUMANE.
ACTUALLY, THAT WAS A FACEBOOK POST FOR HILTON HEAD HUMANE THAT THE DOG WAS ADOPTED EITHER THE SAME DAY OR THE NEXT DAY AFTER, UH, THE POST WENT OUT.
UH, BEAUFORT COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICTS, WE STILL CONTINUE TO WORK WITH USCB NURSING PROGRAM.
THEIR NURSING STUDENTS, EVERY ONE OF 'EM RIDES OUT WITH OUR AMBULANCES TO SEE WHAT IT'S LIKE PRE-HOSPITAL.
SO WHAT THEY CAN EXPECT WHEN THEY GET INTO THE HOSPITAL.
NOVANT HEALTH IS STILL A PARTNER.
AND THEN FROSTY FROG AND ISLAND REC, UH, OUR SOCIAL MEDIA CONTINUES TO, TO GROW.
UM, AND I WILL SAY YOU'LL SEE A LOT OF BIG NUMBER INCREASES HERE.
KENZIE DOES A PHENOMENAL JOB WITH THIS.
AND WHEN WE BRING PEOPLE IN TO HIRE, WE ALWAYS ASK 'EM LIKE, HOW DO YOU HEAR ABOUT HOME HEAD? HOW DO YOU KNOW ABOUT US? AND OVERWHELMINGLY, IT IS THROUGH OUR SOCIAL MEDIA.
THEY LOVE THAT WE'RE NOT JUST SHOWING, UM, SCENES AND RECS AND STUFF LIKE THAT, BUT WE'RE SHOWING, CELEBRATING OUR PEOPLE AND EVERYTHING WE'RE DOING WITHIN THE COMMUNITY.
SO SHE DOES A PHENOMENAL JOB, UM, WITH ALL OF THAT.
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT'S, UH, NOT TOO BUSY.
LAST YEAR THING, I'M A KNOCK ON WOOD.
UH, WE HAD THE, THE WINTER STORM IN JANUARY, AND THEN OBVIOUSLY RBC HERITAGE TOM HAS A BIG, UM, A BIG LIFT IN THAT AND RUNNING THAT DOWN THERE.
AND THEN THE, UH, SOME OF THE OTHER THINGS, THOSE ARE ALL THE ADVISORIES THAT THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PROVIDES.
YOU CAN SEE WE HAD THE WINTER, WE HAD THE, THE RAIN, THE NON RAIN EVENTS AND THE FLOODING EVENTS.
BUT 20 PRESENTATIONS, ROUGHLY 900 PARTICIPANTS.
AND OVER 2000 EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT GUYS DISTRIBUTED LAST YEAR.
FLEET MAINTENANCE CONTINUES TO STAY BUSY.
WE HAVE ABOUT 160, UM, PIECES OF EQUIPMENT OR VEHICLES THAT ARE MAINTAINED ON AN ANNUAL BASIS.
UH, WE'RE GONNA HOPE TO SEE SOME OF THESE, UM, UNSCHEDULED REPAIRS GO DOWN WITH THE NEW FLEET AND SERVICE OF NEW FLEET OF FIRE TRUCKS.
OUR LADDERS ARE GETTING READY TO GO INTO SERVICE.
AND THEN WE'VE GOT TWO MORE LADDERS COMING TOWARDS THE END OF THE YEAR, BUT THESE GUYS REMAIN, UM, REMAIN BUSY EVERY DAY.
UM, SOME STAFFING UPDATES FOR YOU.
IN 2025, WE HIRED THREE LOCAL, UH, DISPATCHERS.
WE STILL HAVE TWO CURRENT POSITIONS OPEN THAT WE'RE LOOKING TO FILL.
WE HAVE A SUPPLY AND SUPPORT SPECIALIST, OUR LIEUTENANT
[00:15:01]
POSITION THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE OPENING DUE TO A RETIREMENT LAST FRIDAY.AND, UM, AS OF TODAY ON THE LINE, FIREFIGHTERS IN THE STATIONS, WE ARE FULLY STAFFED.
UH, WE WELCOMED SIX NEW, UH, PERSONNEL THIS MORNING AT EIGHT O'CLOCK.
UM, AND I, I APPLAUD MY TEAM FOR THAT.
UH, SO 2026 DISHES WE HAVE FOR THIS COMING YEAR.
OBVIOUSLY THE HEADQUARTERS DISPATCH AND EOC BUILD OUT, WE STILL HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO WITH THAT.
UM, GETTING THAT READY TO MOVE THAT DISPATCH AND EOC CENTER OVER, WE ARE IN, WE'RE THE EASY PART.
UM, BUT THERE'S A HEAVY LIFT COMING, UM, OVER THE NEXT YEAR TO GET ALL THAT DONE, REDESIGNED, AND, AND BUILT.
UH, WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF REACCREDITATION THIS YEAR.
WE'LL HAVE A SITE TEAM COME IN AT THE END OF THE YEAR, GO OVER ALL OF OUR DOCUMENTS, EVERYTHING THAT WE DO, AND JUST, UH, MAKE SURE THAT EVERYTHING'S WHAT WE SAY IT IS.
UM, WITH THAT WE'LL HAVE A NEW STRATEGIC PLAN.
UM, THIS COMING OUT THIS YEAR, WE'RE GETTING READY TO START THAT AND A COMMUNITY RISK ASSESSMENT.
AND WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO EN ENHANCE OUR EVERYDAY LEADER, UM, LEADERSHIP PROGRAM.
UM, SOME OBSTACLES THAT WE COULD FORESEE.
UM, UH, MS. BECKER, YOU, YOU, YOU'VE BEEN ON THIS COMMITTEE FOR A LONG TIME AND HAVE ALWAYS ASKED, WHAT CAN WE DO FOR YOU? LIKE, WHAT ELSE CAN WE DO? AND I ALWAYS SAY IT'S BUDGET.
EVERYTHING WE NEED, WE ASK FOR IN BUDGET.
UM, THIS, THIS IS BUDGETARY, BUT IT'S A LITTLE DIFFERENT.
SO IN OUR LAST STRATEGIC PLAN THAT IS, IS FINISHING UP THIS YEAR, WE DID A STAFFING STUDY.
SO WE ARE, WE KNOW WE'RE BEHIND STAFFING PEOPLE ON THE TRUCKS, THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE ON THE TRUCKS PER NFPA, PER OSHA.
IT'S JUST ALWAYS WORKED FOR US.
WE'RE IN A 30-YEAR-OLD MODEL OF SERVICE DELIVERY TO OUR COMMUNITY.
AND AS OUR EMS, UM, CALLS CONTINUE TO GROW, WE'RE PUTTING AMBULANCES ON THE STREETS AND PUTTING FIRE TRUCKS OUTTA SERVICE.
SO INTERNALLY, WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH SOME REALIGNMENT REORGANIZATION.
ON JANUARY 1ST, I WAS ABLE TO GET ANOTHER STATION STAFF TO TWO AND TWO, UM, WHICH MEANS THERE'S FOUR PEOPLE THERE.
IF A MEDICAL CALL COMES OUT, TWO PEOPLE GET ON THE AMBULANCE AND GO AND LEAVES TWO PEOPLE IN A FIRETRUCK.
WELL, INDUSTRY STANDARD IS A FIRETRUCK SHOULD NEVER LEAVE THE STATION WITHOUT FOUR PEOPLE ON IT.
UM, OSHA IS CURRENTLY BEING REWRITTEN ON THE NATIONAL LEVEL LEVEL, AND THE CURRENT RECOMMENDATION IS THAT OSHA FOLLOWS NFPA.
WELL, IF THAT GOES IN TO FRUITION, THAT WOULD MEAN EVERY FIRETRUCK IN THE COUNTRY CANNOT LEAVE THE FIRE STATION WITHOUT FOUR PEOPLE.
WE DON'T KNOW IF IT'S GONNA PASS THE MUNICIPAL ASSOCIATION, THE STATE FIRE, EVERYONE'S LOOKING AT IT.
UM, IT WOULD, IT COULD PUT VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENTS OUT OF BUSINESS.
YOU KNOW, IT'S A HUGE IMPACT, A BUDGETARY IMPACT.
BUT THE FEDS HAVE ALREADY GONE TO IT.
WE KNOW THAT WE'RE LOSING PEOPLE TO THE FEDERAL INSTALLATIONS, UM, BECAUSE THEY ARE UPSTAFFING ALL OF THEIR TRUCKS.
UM, SO IT'S SOMETHING WE'RE KEEPING AN EYE ON.
IT'S SOMETHING WE'RE LOOKING AT.
BUT REALLY WHAT OUR FIVE YEAR PLAN IS LOOKING AT IS JUST GETTING OUR STATIONS TO THAT TWO AND TWO.
UM, WE WERE ABLE TO DO IT THIS YEAR WITH ONE CREW.
UM, WE'LL LOOK TO DO IT GOING FORWARD AND WE'LL HAVE THE DATA TO BACK IT UP.
I KNOW ASKING FOR PEOPLE IS ALWAYS HARD, AND I WILL WORK WITH, WITH MARK IN THAT.
HE KNOWS WE HAVE, WE HAVE THIS AND WHERE THINGS ARE A LITTLE DIFFERENT.
YOU KNOW, IF WE LOOK AT THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN, YOU KNOW, A PUBLIC WORKS, CAN WE, CAN WE TAKE, YOU KNOW, CAN WE LESSEN CONTRACTS WITH THIS DEPARTMENT? UNFORTUNATELY, IN EMERGENCY SERVICES, THERE'S NO FINANCIAL GAIN TO IT, BUT THERE'S THAT, YOU KNOW, RESILIENCE AND HAVING PEOPLE AVAILABLE TO RUN THE CALLS.
SO THAT'S PROBABLY OUR BIG OBSTACLE IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS.
AND THEN JUST SOME ACCOMPLISHMENTS, UH, WE RECEIVED THE, UH, MISSION LIFELINE GOLD.
ERICA MCHENRY AS OUR NEW MEDICAL PHYSICIAN TEAM.
UM, WE ADOPTED OUR COMPREHENSIVE FIVE-YEAR IMPLEMENTATION PLAN FOR FIRE RESCUES UNMANNED, UH, DRONE PROGRAM.
UH, A BIG THING FOR, FOR THE COMMUNITY IS WE TRANSITIONED ALL 22 TOWN PARK AEDS, UM, OUT OF THE WOMEN'S BATHROOMS, WHERE WE ALWAYS KIND OF THOUGHT THEY WOULD BE THE SAFEST INTO LOCKED BOXES ON THE EXTERIOR OF ALL OUR BATHROOMS IN OUR PARK.
SO THAT WAS A, THAT WAS A BIG LIFT, BUT IT, IT'S, IT'S GOOD.
AND KNOCK ON WOOD TO DATE, I DON'T THINK WE'VE HAD ANY VANDALIZED.
SO, AND THEN OBVIOUSLY THE SOUTH CAROLINA OPIOID RECOVER FUNDING THAT'S, UH, STILL ONGOING AND IS ALREADY MAKING AN IMPACT IN OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, THIS IS JUST SOME FEEDBACK WE GOT ON THE BACK OF OUR ANNUAL REPORT.
UH, WE, WE SEND OUT SURVEYS, UM, TO PRETTY MUCH EVERYONE WE COME IN CONTACT.
AND THIS IS JUST SOME OF THE FEEDBACK WE'VE GOTTEN, UM, OVER TIME.
AND WITH THAT, I'LL ASK IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.
THE GRAPHICS, THE DETAIL WITH THE INFORMATION IS, UM, IS, UM, WONDERFUL TO SEE.
I'M GONNA OPEN UP TO THESE TWO GUYS
[00:20:01]
AND SEE IF THEY HAVE ANY, UM, QUESTIONS.BUT, YOU KNOW, SATURDAY WAS TERRIFIC.
IT'S ALWAYS GOOD TO SEE ADVANCEMENT AND PEOPLE GETTING THEIR PROMOTIONS AND, AND SAD TO SEE RETIREMENT, BUT IT'S GOOD TO HEAR THE LENGTH OF TIME THESE PEOPLE SPEND WITH YOU.
YOU KNOW, IT'S, UH, SOME OF ONE GUY THERE 41 YEARS.
AND YOU KNOW, THAT'S AS LONG AS WE'VE BEEN AROUND MM-HMM
SO HE, HE MUST HAVE STARTED THIS, UH, YOU KNOW, EVERYONE IN THE COMMUNITY TALKS ABOUT HOW GREAT OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT IS.
AND, AND I GOT THIS QUESTION ONE TIME AND I TOTALLY FORGOT.
I SAID, I'M GONNA FIND OUT, AND THIS WAS A WHILE BACK WHEN YOU GUYS, UM, ARRIVE ON A SCENE AND YOU, AND THIS IS FOR TRANSPORT.
WHEN YOU ARRIVE ON A SCENE AND YOU ASSESS THE SITUATION AND PACKAGE THE PATIENT, HOW LONG DOES IT, DO YOU HAVE AN AVERAGE THAT IT TAKES TO ARRIVE, ASSESS, AND TRANSPORT? SO I WOULD SAY IT'S DIFFERENT WITH EVERY CALL.
UM, WE, WE DO HAVE SOME BENCHMARKS FOR, UM, CODES.
WE, WE HAVE BENCHMARKS FOR FIRST CERTAIN TYPE CALLS.
WE GIVE FEEDBACK TO OUR CREWS, OUR DOCTORS LOOK AT THAT.
UM, WE'RE VERY FORTUNATE TO HAVE VERY GOOD FEEDBACK FROM HILTON HEAD HOSPITAL, UM, THROUGH, THROUGH A, A SYSTEM THAT WE HAVE TO FIND AND REALLY TO FIND OUT THE DIAGNOSIS TOO.
'CAUSE WE MAY THINK IT'S THIS, AND THEN THEY'RE LIKE, NO, IT ACTUALLY WASN'T THIS.
BUT WE GET TO SEE THE, THE OUTCOMES OF IT.
BUT YES, WE HAVE BENCHMARKS FOR SPECIFIC THINGS, BUT YOU ALSO SEE YOU, YOU GO AROUND THIS ISLAND, YOU PROBABLY DON'T NOTICE IT 'CAUSE YOU NOR NORMALLY NOTICE LIGHTS AND SIRENS.
THE MAJORITY OF OUR MEDICAL CALLS, WE DON'T RUN LIGHTS AND SIRENS BECAUSE THEY'RE LOW ACUITY CALLS.
UM, SO ALL THE LOW ACUITY CALLS THAT WE GET DISPATCHED TO, WE WON'T GO LICENSE SIRENS EVEN TO THE CALL.
AND THEN ONCE YOU ASSESS THE PATIENT, YOU, YOU DETERMINE THAT RISK OF RISK BENEFIT OF WHETHER YOU NEED TO RUN.
IS IT, IS IT TIMELY THAT YOU NEED TO GET THEM THERE? AND IF IT'S NOT, YOU JUST RUN REGULAR.
SO I WOULD SAY THE MAJORITY OF OUR CALLS FOR AS MUCH AS WE HEAR SIRENS ON THIS ISLAND, THE MAJORITY OF OUR CALLS, WE DO NOT RUN LIGHTS, SIRENS.
IS THAT SOMETHING THAT'S MARKED NATIONALLY? YEAH, YEAH, YEAH.
IT'S, UH, IT'S, UM, IT'S PRO QA AND DISPATCH.
IT'S THE INFORMATION THAT THE DISPATCHER'S GETTING.
IT'S, IT'S A NATIONAL STANDARD AND WE BREAK IT DOWN INTO ALPHA BRAVO, CHARLIE DELTA AND ECHO CALLS.
I MEAN, I KNEW, I KNEW YOU'D HAVE AN ANSWER.
IT WAS GOOD TO SEE AND GOOD TO BE AND GOOD TO BE THERE.
UM, THANK YOU FOR A VERY THOROUGH AND DETAILED REPORT.
SEEMS LIKE YOU SPENT A LOT OF TIME FIGURING OUT HOW MANY ADDITIONAL REPORTS SUBJECT YOU CAN COVER,
WHAT IS THE PERCENTAGE BREAKDOWN BETWEEN THOSE, UM, RESPONSES, UH, FOR FIRE AND THOSE FOR EMT? I WOULD SAY 80, 71, 70 1% ARE MEDICAL.
SO, I MEAN, HUH? OH, I'M SORRY.
UM, AND THAT, AND I WOULD SAY THAT'S ACROSS THE NATION.
THAT IS EVERY FIRE DEPARTMENT ACROSS THE NATION IS ROUGHLY 70% IS MEDICAL.
UH, I NOTICED THERE WERE A FAIR NUMBER OF 9 1 1 CALLS THAT WERE TRANSFERRED.
WHERE DID THEY GET TRANSFERRED TO? UM, SO YEAH, SO ON HILTON HEAD, IF YOU, IF YOU CALL 9 1 1 ON HILTON HEAD, IT IS BEING ANSWERED BY OUR DISPATCH CENTER.
SO YOU COULD CALL FOR FIRE EMS OR LAW ENFORCEMENT.
EVERY ONE OF 'EM IS GETTING ANSWERED ON HILTON HEAD.
IF IT'S LAW ENFORCEMENT, IT GETS TRANSFERRED TO BEAUFORT COUNTY.
SO A LOT OF THOSE TRANSFERRED CALLS ARE GOING TO BEAUFORT COUNTY BECAUSE THEY'RE POLICE CALLS.
AND YOU MENTIONED THAT, UH, THE DEFIBRILLATORS WERE BEING LOCATED OUTSIDE THE BUILDINGS.
DID I HEAR YOU SAY THEY WERE LOCKED? THEY'RE LOCKED WITH, UH, KEY CODE.
SO OUR DISPATCHER, THEY WILL DIRECT PEOPLE TO THEM, AND WHEN THEY GET THERE, THEY'LL GIVE THEM A CODE TO UNLOCK 'EM.
WE ALSO HAVE, UM, WITH US, UM, TODAY, COUNCILMAN BRYSON, COUNCILMAN TURNER, AND COUNCILMAN, UH, BROWN.
WOULD Y'ALL LIKE TO ASK ANY QUESTIONS OR HAVE ANY FEEDBACK AT THIS TIME? ALL GOOD.
JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, YOU GOT AN OPPORTUNITY.
WELL, FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, I COULDN'T BE MORE PROUD.
AND I ALWAYS GET EMOTIONAL WHEN I TALK TO YOU GUYS,
BUT I KNOW PERSONALLY HOW IMPORTANT YOU ARE TO OUR COMMUNITY AND TO EVERY LIFE ON THIS ISLAND.
SO, UM, I LIKE THE FACT THAT YOU HIGHLIGHT THE, UM, PROPERTY SAVED BECAUSE THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT, RIGHT? THAT'S WHAT IT'S REALLY ALL ABOUT, SAVING LIVES, SAVING PROPERTY.
AND, UM, AND CONNECTED TO THAT IS, UM, THE STATISTICS THAT YOU HAVE IN YOUR, UM, PACKET TODAY THAT INDICATE THAT THERE IS A DECREASE IN RESPONSE TIMES IN BOTH, UM, THE BASELINE AND FOR THE, UM,
[00:25:02]
FIRE SUPPRESSION AND FOR, I GUESS LOW RISK EMS. THOSE ARE IMPORTANT.AND THAT JUST A FIRSTHAND EXPERIENCE, HOW IMPORTANT IT IS.
AS YOU'RE WAITING FOR Y'ALL TO GET THERE.
THAT'S ALL YOUR EARS ARE TRAINED ON, IS TO HEAR THOSE SIRENS, TO HEAR THOSE TIRES COMING DOWN THE ROAD.
AND, UM, IT'S A VERY SHORT TIME AND IT'S VERY IMPRESSIVE IN WHAT YOU DO.
BUT FOR THAT PERSON WAITING, IT IS AN ETERNITY.
SO THANK YOU FOR ALL THE GOOD WORK THAT YOU DO IN TERMS OF REDUCING THAT.
'CAUSE THE ANXIETY ON THE OTHER SIDE IS TREMENDOUS.
UM, AND I JUST WANTED TO MAKE THOSE, THOSE BRIEF COMMENTS.
BUT I ALSO RECALL, YOU KNOW, WE'VE FOREVER SAID, WELL, HOW COULD IT BE SO HARD TO HIRE ON HILTON HEAD? EVERYBODY WANTS TO LIVE ON HILTON HEAD.
HILTON HEAD ITSELF SHOULD BE THE DRAW.
AND QUITE HONESTLY, WE ARE, BUT YOU AND FIRE AND RESCUE WITH ALL OF THE WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE WITH EVERYTHING YOU'VE DEMONSTRATED THROUGH THIS VERY BRIEF, UM, BUT INTENSE, UM, ANNUAL REPORT INDICATES TO EVERYBODY THAT Y'ALL ARE THE DRAW, YOU ARE THE CREAM OF THE CROP.
YOU HAVE DONE EVERYTHING TO MAKE THIS PLACE SOMEPLACE THAT EVERYONE SHOULD WANNA WORK.
AND, AND, UM, IT WAS EVIDENCED AT THE, UM, EVENT SATURDAY NIGHT, HOW MUCH YOU TAKE YOUR ENTIRE COMMUNITY IN AS A FAMILY AND RECOGNIZE THEIR ACCOMPLISHMENTS.
AND, UM, ONE OF THE HIGHLIGHTS FOR ME IS SEEING ALL OF THAT, OF COURSE, BUT ALSO IS SEEING THE FAMILY, THE CHILDREN THAT SHOW UP.
AND THE JUST, IT, IT'S JUST AMAZING.
UM, I WILL BE A HUNDRED PERCENT SUPPORTIVE, UH, AND I WILL ENCOURAGE THE REST OF OUR COUNCIL TO, TO HEAR MORE MAYBE IF THEY NEED TO, BUT TO ALSO BE A HUNDRED PERCENT SUPPORTIVE IN YOUR NEEDS WITH REGARD TO THE BUDGET AND GETTING, BEING ABLE TO PUT FOUR PEOPLE ON THOSE FIRE TRUCKS.
UM, THE WORK YOU DO CANNOT BE SECOND DONE BY SOMEBODY ELSE.
UM, AND SO WE WILL CONTINUE TO SUPPORT YOU IN EVERYTHING THAT YOU NEED MOVING FORWARD.
IF THERE'S NO OTHER QUESTIONS, IS THERE ANYONE IN THE PUBLIC, THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THOSE AGENDA COMMENTS.
IF YOU HAVE ANYTHING YOU'D LIKE TO ADD TO THE CONVERSATION, THAT WAS A GOOD TIME AND WE WELCOME YOU.
I'M SURE YOU APPRECIATE THOSE NEW DIGS, RIGHT? WE DO.
THANK, YEAH, LISTEN, IT'S OUR NEW FACILITY, OUR NEW TRUCKS.
UM, WE WILL ROLL OUT HOPEFULLY NEXT WEEK WHEN OUR FIRST NEW LADDER TRUCK, UM, THAT JUST CAME IN.
IT'S, WE, WE DO, WE DO HAVE, WE HAVE GREAT EQUIPMENT.
WE ARE, WE HAVE GREAT FACILITIES.
WE ARE, WE'RE VERY SUPPORTED IN EVERYTHING WE DO.
AND I WILL SAY, JUST BY ALL OF YOU ATTENDING, UM, THE OTHER NIGHT, I SEE IT ALL THE TIME.
I TALK TO YOU ALL THE TIME, BUT MY STAFF DOESN'T GET THAT OPPORTUNITY.
SO THE, THE GUYS THAT JUST STARTED LAST WEEK, UM, YOU KNOW, ACTUALLY OUR CONSULTANT SAID THE SAME THING.
HE WAS THERE, HE WAS ONE OF OUR SPONSORS.
AND HE SAID THIS MORNING TO US, HE'S LIKE, THE SUPPORT YOU GUYS HAVE IN THAT ROOM, HE'S LIKE, HEY, HE'S FROM FIRE SERVICE.
HE'S LIKE, I, I'VE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
SO WE APPRECIATE EVERYTHING YOU GUYS DO FOR US TOO.
I GOTTA TELL YOU, KIND OF COMICAL, BUT SAD, BUT COMICAL.
BUT YOU KNOW, THE PLACE YOU CAME FROM, YOU MOVED OVER FROM, YOU KNOW, I, I KIND OF MATCHED THAT UP.
MY BROTHER WAS A FIREMAN, JUST RETIRED IN LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY, AND HE WAS IN FORENSICS.
AND YOU GUYS THOUGHT YOU HAD IT ROUGH.
HE HAD TO, UH, SLEEP IN THE MORGUE,
THE FORENSICS WAS IN THE MORGUE.
AND SO IT WAS, UH, I'D GO SEE HIM EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE.
I JUST HAD TO, I HAD TO QUIT VISITING THEM, JUST WAIT TILL HE GOT HOME.
SO YOU GUYS, YOU GUYS HAD IT EASY.
WELL, WE'RE CERTAINLY, I THINK I CAN SPEAK FOR ALL OF US.
I'M VERY HONORED TO BE ABLE TO, UM, HELP PROVIDE THE NEW HEADQUARTERS.
UM, NO ONE SHOULD WORK IN THOSE OTHER NO PLACES THAT YOU WERE HAVING, UM, TO CARRY ON.
SO, UM, AND IF THERE'S ANY ASSISTANCE IN ANY WAY, I DID HEAR YOUR FRUSTRATION WITH REGARD TO THE HOSPITAL, AND, UM, IF THERE'S ANY ASSISTANCE IN ANY WAY THAT WE CAN HELP, PLEASE RAISE A HAND CALL ON US.
AND, AND I'M CERTAINLY WHERE WE WOULD ALL BE AVAILABLE TO, TO TRY TO MAKE AN IMPACT THERE.
UM, LIKE I SAID, I JUST FOUND OUT LAST WEEK, BUT WE, WE, WE HAVE OVER THE YEARS, FORMED THOSE RELATIONSHIPS AND BEEN ABLE TO WORK THROUGH THESE KINDS OF THINGS.
I DON'T, I DON'T EVEN KNOW THAT THEY ALL AGREE ON, ON THEIR SIDE.
WE'LL ALWAYS DO WHAT'S BEST FOR OUR COMMUNITY, BUT I THINK THAT THE TIME IS COMING, UM, WE, WE ARE DOING THIS FOR THE HOSPITAL AND I, I DON'T KNOW THAT EVEN WITH OUR CALL VOLUME THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO DO IT.
SO, BUT WE'LL HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS.
BUT I APPRECIATE THE SUPPORT AND, AND THE PUBLIC RELATIONS.
UM, YOU HAVE A, A GREAT SLIDE IN HERE ABOUT ALL THE GOOD WORK THAT'S BEING DONE WITH THAT.
UM, IF THERE'S ANY WAY ALSO THAT WE CAN HELP WITH, WITH SHARING THROUGH
[00:30:01]
EITHER OUR FACEBOOK PAGES OR WHATEVER, LET US KNOW WHAT THOSE OPPORTUNITIES ARE.I KNOW I ALWAYS TRY TO SHARE WHATEVER GETS POSTED, UM, BUT HAPPY TO DO THAT.
AND I JUST WANNA ENCOURAGE THE COMMUNITY.
THOSE ARE HERE AND THOSE ARE, MIGHT BE LISTENING OR WATCHING LATER.
UM, THOSE CPR CLASSES THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO THE COMMUNITY, THAT OUTREACH THAT THE FIRE AND RESCUE DEPARTMENT IS DOING INTO THE COMMUNITY IS SO CRITICAL.
EVERYONE SHOULD BE TAKING THEM.
EVERYONE SHOULD MAKE A CALL AND TAKE THEM, GET INVOLVED AND, AND REALLY SUPPORT AND HIGHLIGHT THE WORK.
THAT IT'S NOT JUST SHOWING UP WHEN THERE'S A MEDICAL EMERGENCY OR A FIRE OR THAT SORT OF THING, AN ACCIDENT.
BUT IT'S ALSO ALL THE OUTREACH THAT YOU DO INTO THIS COMMUNITY THAT IS INCREDIBLY IMPRESSIVE.
UM, SO SKILLED AND WELL DELIVERED AND, UM, HIGHLY RESPECTED.
AND EVERYONE LISTENING SHOULD TAKE ADVANTAGE, UM, AT ALL TIMES.
YEAH, THOSE SIX SURVIVORS WE HAD LAST YEAR WOULD NOT HAVE SURVIVED WITHOUT BOSTON CPR BEFORE WE GOT THERE.
NO, PLEASE, PLEASE TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IT.
YOU WANT
THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR SOME POSITIVE COMMENTS OR SOME CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM EITHER WAY.
BUT WE ALWAYS LOVE THE POSITIVE ABOUT BATTLE BOYS.
ANYWAY, MY GRANDSON FROM ALASKA, HE'S A GONZAGA ROLLER, FOUR YEARS.
HE CAME AND VISITED FOR A COUPLE OF WEEKS AND WE WERE TALKING ABOUT HIS LIFE, HIS LIFE IS FISHING AND MOUNTAINS AND THAT SORT OF THING.
AND HE STARTED SAYING, YOU KNOW, MAYBE THIS, MAYBE, MAYBE BEING A FIREMAN WOULD SORT OF BE INTERESTING.
WELL, WE SAT DOWN AT ONE OF THE LOCAL RESTAURANTS AND WHO'S SITTING NEXT TO ME WAS A PERSON WHO USED TO WORK AT THE BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB, HAS BEEN A FARM FIREMAN FOR 14 YEARS.
AND HE DID A VERY GOOD JOB OF ARTICULATING WHAT IT HAS HAPPENED TO HIM.
HE SAYS, WHY DON'T YOU GO FOR A RIDE? JUST GIMME A CALL.
WELL, IT DOESN'T WORK THAT WAY, BUT WE FOLLOWED IT THROUGH.
AND SO MY GRANDSON WENT, UH, AND FOLLOWED UP WITH IT.
AND HE'S NEVER SEEN ANY MORE PROFESSIONALISM, GOOD PEOPLE, TEAMWORK AS HE EVER SAW THAT HE LEFT HERE, HE'S GOING TO ALASKA OR SOMEPLACE UP NORTH, BUT HE'S GONNA BE A FIREMAN.
AND WE OWE IT BECAUSE OF THESE GUYS AND THE JOB THEY DID.
TOTALLY PROFESSIONAL IN EVERY REGARD.
I JUST HAVE TO SAY THAT THAT IS A G GREAT COMMENT.
OKAY, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SHARING THAT.
AND FOR THE RECORD, THAT'S FRANK BABEL,
[5.b. Update on Public Safety and Pedestrian Accident Data - Shawn Gillen, Assistant Town Manager]
OUR NEXT, UH, PRESENTATION IS AN UPDATE ON PUBLIC SAFETY AND PEDESTRIAN ACCIDENT DATA.AND, UM, ASSISTANT TOWN MANAGER SEAN GILLEN, IS GOING TO DELIVER THAT.
UH, MADAM CHAIR COUNCIL MEMBERS, I APPRECIATE YOU LETTING ME BE HERE TODAY.
UM, AGAIN, UH, AS, AS YOU SAID, WE ARE HERE TO PRESENT THE ANNUAL REPORT ON THE, UH, PEDESTRIAN AND, UM, BICYCLE ACCIDENT DATA THAT WE, UH, WE COLLECT THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
AND I JUST WANTED TO GIVE KUDOS TO THEREA MCVAY, WHO DID THE REAL HEAVY LIFTING FOR DIGGING UP THE DATA, UH, AND PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER AND WITH, UM, A LITTLE BIT OF HELP FROM SOME, FROM HER TEAMMATES HERE.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT TODAY IS NOT ONLY JUST WHAT THE DATA IS, BUT HOW WE UTILIZE IT IN OUR DECISION MAKING IN, IN THERESA'S DEPARTMENT, BUT IN THE CIP DEPARTMENT AS WELL, WHEN WE LOOK AT PEDESTRIAN AND BICYCLE SAFETY ELEMENTS THROUGHOUT THE TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM ON THE ISLAND.
SO WE'VE GOT, WE'VE GOT A FEW ITEMS IN THE PRESENTATION, SOME HEAT MAPS SHOWING YOU WHERE THE HOTSPOTS ARE ON THE ISLAND FOR, FOR THE CRASH DATA AND, UM, SOME OF THE PROJECTS THAT WE'RE DOING CURRENTLY AND THAT WE'RE PROPOSING TO DO TO TRY TO ADDRESS THOSE ISSUES.
AND WE CAN TALK A LITTLE ABOUT THAT.
SO OUR FIRST IS, UH, A HEAT MAP SHOWING THE PEDESTRIAN ACCIDENTS THROUGHOUT THE ISLAND.
AND YOU CAN SEE PROBABLY NO SURPRISE HERE, AND IT'S IN, IN THE MAIN BUSIEST CORRIDORS OF THE, OF THE, OF THE ISLAND.
IT IS WHERE VOLUME HAS, WAS VOLUME GOES UP, VEHICLES AND BICYCLES AND PEDESTRIANS INTERACT AND ACCIDENTS OCCUR.
SO THE MORE, THE MORE NUMBERS YOU HAVE, THE HIGHER THE PROBABILITY OF SOMETHING HAPPENING.
YOU SEE, ALONG, ALONG THE, UH, DOWN HERE BY KIG ME AND ALONG THE CORRIDOR ON THE NORTH END OF TOWN, SO IS WHERE THE, THE BIGGEST HOTSPOTS ARE FOR BICYCLES.
YOU SEE THE SAME GENERAL PATTERN.
UM, WHEN YOU SEE INTER INTERACTIONS
[00:35:01]
WHERE THEY INTERACT WITH VEHICLES THE MOST, WITH THE HIGHEST VOLUME OF PEOPLE IS WHERE YOU SEE THE HIGHEST VOLUME OF ACCIDENTS.BUT YOU ALSO SEE A SPREAD THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY OF OTHER AREAS.
IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THESE WEREN'T BAD, IT'S JUST NOT AS MANY HAPPENED.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE LOOK AT WHEN WE DO THIS IS, OKAY, WHAT, WHAT IS THE POTENTIAL? WHAT IS CAUSING THESE, THESE INCIDENTS IN THESE AREAS? AND WE LOOK AT VOLUME, WHAT'S, SO WHAT IS INCREASING TRAFFIC VOLUME? WE LOOK AT, WELL, WHAT NEW DEVELOPMENT IS HAPPENING? AND WE'LL GET INTO SOME OF THE PROJECTS THAT WE'RE PROPOSING, BUT WE'RE LOOKING IN SOME OF THE AREAS.
SO BEFORE WE START GETTING ACCIDENTS, WHAT CAN WE CHANGE IN THIS AREA THAT WE DID OVER HERE TO PREVENT IT FROM HAPPENING IN THE FIRST PLACE? SO JUST SOME OF THE RAW DATA, UM, WE'RE NOT GONNA SPEND A LOT OF TIME GOING OVER NUMBERS, BUT YOU CAN SEE NO SURPRISES IN THE SPIKE COMING IN TOWARDS THE SEASON, YOU KNOW, AND DOWN TOWARDS THE, IN THE FALL.
SO YOU GET MORE ACCIDENTS IN APRIL, MAY, JUNE AND JULY IN AUGUST THAN YOU SEE IN, IN THE, IN THE COLLAR, UM, THE SHOULDER MONTHS, AS YOU MIGHT SAY.
AGAIN, JUST A GRAPHICAL REPRESENTATION OF THE ANNUAL DATA.
UM, NO SURPRISE TO ME HERE, UM, WITH THE POST COVID SPIKE IN TOURISM.
SO YOU SAW A HIGHER NUMBER OF PEOPLE ON THE ISLAND, I'M SURE IN 2022, UH, THAT CORRESPONDS WITH HIGHER NUMBER OF INCIDENTS AND THE SAME SORT OF PATTERNS WE SEE HERE WITH BICYCLE 21 AND 22.
UM, YOU KNOW, THE POST, THE, I MEAN, COVID WAS STILL THE, ALL THE RESTRICTIONS WERE STILL IN PLACE A LOT THROUGH THIS TIMEFRAME AND THEN GETTING LIFTED.
SO YOU SEE THAT SPIKE PEOPLE WERE TRYING TO GET AWAY FROM WHERE THEY COULDN'T GET OUTDOORS TO WHERE THEY COULD COMING DOWN TO THE, THE SOUTHEAST AND GETTING THERE.
SO THAT'S KIND OF THE PATTERN WE SEE HERE.
AND IT'S LEVELED OFF IN 23, 24 AND 25.
WHAT, WHAT IS THIS? WHAT AM I LOOKING AT? IS THIS VEHICLES OR BICYCLES? THIS IS NOT BICYCLE RELATED INCIDENT.
IS THIS BICYCLE RELATED TO VE WITH VEHICLES? YES, SIR.
SO, SO JUST TO, JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT CLEAR THEN, THAT THIS IS VEHICLE BICYCLE RELATED AND, UM, NOTHING ELSE.
THIS ISN'T JUST A BICYCLE WHO HITS A ROCK AND GETS SOMEBODY GETS INJURED.
SO JUST A, THIS IS A MAP KIND OF SHOWING WHERE, WHERE THE INCIDENTS OCCURRED.
YOU SEE THE HEAT MAP ALIGNED WITH THIS, THIS IS THE DATA, THAT SAME DATA USED TO CREATE THIS MAP, BUT IT SHOWS YOU THE TYPE OF ACCIDENT BICYCLE.
UH, WE HAD THREE FATAL CRASHES, UH, AND 29 SERIOUS INJURY CRASHES, PEDESTRIANS, WE HAD SEVEN FATAL CRASHES AND 17 SERIOUS INJURIES.
AND YOU CAN SEE THE SPREAD OF THOSE.
AND THIS IS OVER A FIVE YEAR PERIOD.
THIS IS OVER, THIS IS OVER A FIVE YEAR PERIOD.
AS, AS WE WERE, UH, LOOKING AT THE DATA.
WHAT, WHERE DO THINGS START TO SHOW UP IN PATTERNS AROUND THE, AROUND THE, UH, THE ISLAND.
THIS IS BICYCLE PEDESTRIAN WITH THE, UH, RED STARS BEING BICYCLE AND, AND THE, THE BLUE BOX BEING PEDESTRIAN.
SO YOU SEE THAT SAME, SAME PATTERN THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY.
DO YOU ASSIGN FAULT TO, TO THESE? WAS IT THE, WAS IT THE VEHICLE, WAS IT THE BICYCLIST? WE DID NOT GET INTO THAT DEEP INTO THE, THE DATA, UH, WHICH IS SOMETHING THAT WOULD TAKE A LOT MORE, UH, LOT MORE TIME AND EFFORT ON, ON STAFF TO, TO KIND OF REALLY DIG DOWN INTO THE YEAH, IT JUST, IT WOULD BE VERY INTERESTING.
YEAH, BECAUSE I WOULD, UH, YOU KNOW, THEN TRY TO ASSIGN IS IS IT A DESIGN CHANGE IN OUR BIKE PATH SYSTEM THAT COULD PREVENT THAT INCIDENT OR A DESIGN CHANGE IN A SIGNALING SIGNALING THAT WOULD PREVENT THE ACCIDENT? YOU KNOW, WHO, WHO WAS AT FAULT? UM, THERE ARE INCIDENT REPORTS THAT ARE PREPARED AND THAT WOULD BE THE SOURCE OF THAT KIND OF INFORMATION.
WHO PREPARES THOSE REPORT? WHO PREPARES THOSE REPORTS? IS THAT THROUGH THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT? YES, MA'AM.
AND THAT WOULD BE VERY INTERESTING DATA TO HAVE AND GETTING THAT DATA COLLECTED AND GETTING COLLATED IS, IS OF COURSE, TIME CONSUMING, BUT IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD BE AFRAID OF UNDERTAKING, BUT WE WOULD WANNA MAKE SURE WE THOUGHT IT THROUGH AS FAR AS HOW MUCH STAFF TIME WOULD BE AVAILABLE TO DO THAT.
BUT, UM, I UNDERSTAND COMPLETELY WHAT YOU'RE SAYING BEFORE WE CHANGE A LIGHT CYCLE,
[00:40:01]
OR I KNOW I'M COMING FROM, YOU KNOW, IT STARTS TO BUILD UP IN ONE AREA.SHOULD THERE BE A STROBE? YOU KNOW, SHOULD THERE BE A CORRECT SPEED BUMP? SO WE, WE LAID THE CITY OUT IN SOME FOCUS AREAS TO KIND OF JUST HAVE A, JUST A FRAMEWORK TO DISCUSS WHERE THE, WHERE THE ISSUES ARE.
YOU SEE THE BUSIEST AREAS DOWN IN HERE AND THEN ALONG THE, ALONG THE CORRIDOR OVER ON THE NORTH SIDE, BUT ALSO REACHES BACK INTO THE NEIGHBORHOODS OVER HERE AS WELL.
AND THAT'S, WE LOOK AT, AT SQUARE POPE ROAD AND GUMTREE ROAD AND, AND ALL SOME OF THE AREAS OVER THERE WHERE, UM, IN WILDHORSE ROAD WHERE WE GOT NEW THINGS HAPPENING OVER THERE, NEW PARKS AND THINGS THAT, WELL, WE MIGHT SEE SOME MORE TRAFFIC AND PEDESTRIAN AND BICYCLE INTERACTIONS WITH VEHICLES HAPPENING IN THAT AREA.
SO WE'RE GONNA WANNA FOCUS SOME, SOME, SOME OF OUR EFFORTS THERE.
AND, UM, THEN ALONG THE, ALONG THE, ALONG THE CORRIDOR ITSELF, AS, AS YOU KNOW, WE'RE LOOKING AT, AT CORRIDORS, MASTER PLANS AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE TO HELP WITH PEDESTRIAN AND BICYCLE SAFETY IN THOSE AREAS.
SO IN 2026, JUST SOME OF THE THINGS WE DID, UM, TO HELP IMPROVE SOME OF THE SAFETY IN SOME OF THE HOTSPOTS, THIS SQUARE PIPE ROAD, OLD WILDHORSE, WILDHORSE AND GUMTREE, JUST, UM, IN FOCUS, HIGHLY VISIBLE CROSSWALKS, UM, WERE IMPLEMENTED AT ALL MID-BLOCK CROSSINGS TO, TO MAKE THEM MORE VISIBLE.
THE STRIPING WAS NOT GREAT, THE SIGNAGE WAS NOT GREAT, WE GOT, SO WE WENT AND DID SOME IMPROVEMENTS THERE ON PEDESTRIAN WARNING SIGNS AND UPGRADED.
AND A LOT OF THE SIGNS WERE EITHER THE WRONG COLOR OR A MISHMASH OF COLORS.
AND SO WE GET, UM, THERESA AND HER TEAM BROUGHT IT UP TO STANDARDS.
WILLIAM HILTON PARKWAY, DILL ROAD TO BEACH CITY ROAD.
UM, THE SAME SORT OF IMPROVEMENTS, IMPROVING THE CROSSWALKS THAT GET WORN OUT FROM TRAFFIC LEVEL, UH, HIGH VISIBILITY CROSSWALKS, SAFE PEDESTRIAN REFUGE REFUGE AND, UM, WHERE INSTALLED IN THE AREA AS WELL.
IF YOU'RE CROSSING FOUR LANES OF TRAFFIC AND YOU MAKE A MISTAKE, YOU WANT TO BE, HAVE SOME PLACE TO GO TO FOR SAFETY.
A LOT OF PEOPLE COME HERE, THEY'RE NOT FROM HERE AND THEY'RE NOT USED TO THE TRAFFIC LEVELS SOMETIMES.
SO WILLIAM HILL PARKWAY, DILL ROAD TO BEACH CITY ROAD SPEED LIMIT DU REDUCED TO 40 MILES PER HOUR.
WE INSTALLED RECTANGULAR RAPID FLASH AM MIRROR RFPS, AS WE LIKE TO CALL 'EM AT NORTH RIDGE DRIVE IN PALMETTO PARKWAY.
SAFE PEDESTRIAN REFUGES AGAIN, UH, ROADWAY AND PATHWAY AND SIGNAGE AND, UH, PAVEMENT UPGRADES WERE ALL MADE THERE.
AND, UH, CUSTOM SIGNAGE FOR THEIR RRFB AND, UH, SOMETHING THAT IS, THOSE HAVE BEEN VERY HELPFUL, WE THINK HAS BEEN VERY IMPACTFUL TO GIVE PEOPLE, UH, A, A WAY TO LET, LET THE CARS KNOW SOMEONE'S COMING INTO THE WALKWAY.
UPDATED SIGNS, UH, INSTALLED ON MASSED ARMS, UH, BY THE PEDESTRIAN, UM, UH, THE PEDESTRIAN, THE PUSH BUTTON AREAS OF THE RFB AND THEN A HIGH, HIGH INTENSITY ACTIVATED CROSSWALK BEACON, WHICH I LOVE THE HAWK SYSTEM, UH, IS SIMPLIFY AND BETTER DIRECT MOTOR AND PEDESTRIAN.
IF YOU'VE NEVER SEEN ONE OF THESE THINGS BEFORE, IT CAN BE A LITTLE BIT CONFUSING OR INTIMIDATING, YOU KNOW, DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT THIS THING IS.
SO MAKING IT CLEAR TO PEOPLE, UH, 'CAUSE YOU'RE EDUCATING NEW PEOPLE EVERY WEEK, UH, DURING THE SEASON.
PATHWAY IMPROVEMENTS, UH, IN, IN SQUIRE POPE ROAD, WELL, WIRE HORSE ROAD, MORE RFPS, UH, IMPLEMENTATION OF LEADING PEDESTRIAN INTERVAL AT ALL.
PEDESTRIAN PHASE, ALSO KNOWN AS A SCRAMBLE AT POPE AVENUE LAGOON ROAD.
SO IT'S SOMETHING THAT THEY'RE, THAT THEY'RE LOOKING AT.
AND THERE'S SOME CHALLENGES WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE, WHERE THE HANDICAP RAMPS HIT THE STREET VERSUS THE SIDEWALK AND WHERE YOUR CROSSWALK WILL ENTER.
SO THERESA AND HER TEAM ARE EVALUATING THAT TO SEE WHAT'S THE, THE BEST WAY TO DO THAT.
BUT THERE'S, THERE'S ALL, THERE'S ALL KINDS OF OPTIONS WITH, WITH, UM, HAVING LEADING PEDESTRIAN TIMES OR PEDESTRIAN ONLY TIMES FOR CROSSINGS, UH, WHICH ARE NOT UNLIKE WHAT THE SCRAMBLE LOOKS LIKE.
YOU'VE NEVER SEEN A SCRAMBLE HAPPEN AS A DRIVER.
IT CAN, IT CAN BE, IT SEEMS A LITTLE CHAOTIC.
UH, BUT IT, THEY DO WORK TO MOVE PEOPLE IN AND OUT THE INTERSECTION SAFELY.
UM, TRAFFIC CALMING, INSTALLATION OF SPEED FEEDBACK SIGNS, WHICH WE FOUND TO BE VERY EFFECTIVE ALONG FOLEY FIELD ROAD AND STARFISH DRIVE, MORE PAVEMENT MARKING IMPROVEMENTS.
[00:45:01]
SEE THE OLD CONDITION OF THEM.THIS DOESN'T, THIS ISN'T CONDUCIVE TO PEDESTRIAN SAFETY.
UPCOMING IN 2027 IN, UH, THE PROPOSED BUDGET THAT WE WERE PUTTING OFF, PUTTING FORTH MORE RFPS AND CROSSINGS FOR THE TAYLOR FAMILY PARK AREA AND PATTERSON FAMILY PARK PATHWAY IMPROVEMENTS, SIGN UPGRADES INCLUDING CROSSWALK MARKINGS AND ALONG SPANISH WELLS AND MARSHLAND ROAD.
UM, IN MORE PATH YOU'LL SEE A GENERAL THEME.
THE PATHWAY MARKINGS AND THE PAVEMENT MARKINGS HAVE BEEN, HAVE BEEN, UH, WEARING OUT VERY RAPIDLY WITH THE HIGH LEVEL OF TRAFFIC.
SO WE'RE WORKING VERY HARD TO GET THOSE IMPROVED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
LOW LEVEL LIGHTING AND PATHWAYS, JUST MAKING SURE YOU CAN SEE WHERE YOU'RE GOING AND, UH, KNOW WHERE YOUR PATHWAY IS VERSUS THE, THE, UH, THE REST OF THE ROADWAY.
UH, F UH, FULLY FIELD ROAD TRAFFIC, CALMING IMPLEMENTATION RAISED INTERSECTION.
AND A RAISED, UH, WHITE EDGE LINES ARE, ARE, UH, COMING, UH, PART OF THAT WAS A RECLASSIFICATION OF THE STREET, UM, BY DOT.
SO WE COULD LOWER THE SPEED LIMITS SO THEN WE COULD PUT IN THE RAISED TRAFFIC TABLES TO, UM, SLOW TRAFFIC DOWN.
SO BY DESIGN, WE CONTROL THE SPEED THROUGH THAT AREA, WHICH CAN, WHICH WE SEE MORE AND MORE DEVELOPMENT HAPPENING IN THAT AREA.
WE SEE, WE ANTICIPATE HIGHER TRAFFIC LEVELS, NOT ONLY VEHICULAR TRAFFIC, BUT PEDESTRIAN AND BICYCLE LEVELS.
SO ONE OF THE MAIN FACTORS OF ANY, UH, VEHICLE INTERACTION IS, UH, NEGATIVE INTERACTION IS SPEED.
SO GETTING 'EM TO SLOW DOWN, BUT STILL MAKING IT A, A, A USEFUL WAY FOR YOU TO DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE.
UH, SO THERE'S A LOT OF, UH, THINGS THAT ARE COMING FOR THE FLY FIELD ROAD AREA.
UH, THE OTHER, ONE OTHER ITEM WE'RE LOOKING AT IS POOR ROYAL PATHWAY COGS POINT AND RELOCATE THE CROSSWALK, UH, TO A SAFER LOCATION.
SO THE PATHWAYS, YOU KNOW, COMES DOWN THE 2 78 CORRIDOR AND GOES IN TO PORT ROYAL AND CROSSES OVER RIGHT IN HERE WHERE THE, WHERE YOU SEE THOSE TWO VEHICLES AND THEN PICKS UP WITH THE PATHWAY INTO OTHER SIDE, GOES BACK OUT TO THE CORRIDOR AND, AND HEADS ON, UH, THEY HAVE REQUESTED.
AND WE AGREE TO MOVE THIS FURTHER BACK INTO THE SUBDIVISION AND, UM, INTO, UH, COGGINS, UM, POINT AND, UM, HAVE THE CROSSING FURTHER BACK.
'CAUSE THERE'S A WHOLE BUNCH OF STUFF HAPPENING RIGHT HERE.
THERE'S VEHICLES COMING BOTH WAYS, BUT THERE'S ALSO CROSS VEHICULAR TRAFFIC IF SOMEONE'S MAKING A U-TURN, THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND THEY, THEY, AND THE OTHER THING THAT HAPPENS AS PEOPLE ARE CROSSING TRAFFIC IS STOPPING HERE AND THE THE TRAFFIC THEN IS STACKING BACK UP TO THE CORRIDOR.
SO THAT'S ONE ITEM WE'VE, WE'VE PUT INTO THE CIP FOR 2027 TO IMPROVE BOTH SAFETY AND, AND THE EFFICIENCY OF THAT AREA AS WELL.
RESURFACING PROJECTS CONTINUE THE SOUTH FOREST BEACH DRIVE POPE AVENUE, UH, MORE MARKING UPGRADES, CROSSWALK MARKINGS ON POPE AVENUE NORTH FOREST BEACH DRIVE, SOUTH FOREST BEACH DRIVE IN CILLA PARKWAY, UH, NORTH FOREST BEACH SIDEWALK AT BEACH MARKET, UH, AT KIG THERE ENHANCEMENT EXTENDING THE SIDEWALK DOWN HERE.
YOU CAN KIND OF SEE THE, UH, THE PATHWAY HERE THAT'S FOOT TRAFFIC HAS CREATED.
SO TRYING TO CREATE A SAFER, UH, WAY FOR PEOPLE TO WALK FROM, FROM KAGEY CIRCLE DOWN THIS TO, UM, THE NORTH FOREST BEACH, SOUTH FOREST BEACH PATHWAY TO SEASCAPES VILLAS, UH, RELOCATE TO PATHWAY OUT OF THE PARKING LOT.
OKAY, THOSE ARE JUST SOME OF THE, THE HIGHLIGHTS THAT ARE ON THE CIP THAT WE'RE, WE'RE LOOKING AT, UH, TO THE DATA.
WELL, I, I FIRST WANTED TO, UH, CONGRATULATE, UH, YOU, UH, MR. GILLEN AND, UH, MS. MCVAY ON PUTTING TOGETHER A REALLY EXHAUSTIVE AND THOROUGH REPORT.
UH, WE HAVEN'T HAD THIS FOR THE LAST COUPLE YEARS, SO THIS IS REALLY, UH, A SIGNIFICANT, UH, ADVANCE AND IMPROVEMENT.
AND, UH, I PARTICULARLY APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT YOU WENT BEYOND JUST STATISTICS WITH INDICATIONS OF STEPS THAT WOULD BE TAKEN TO MITIGATE THE PROBLEMS. AND, UM, UH, I CAN ALWAYS SAY, I HOPE YOU CON CONTINUE TO DO THIS ON A REGULAR BASIS.
I AGREE WITH THE OTHER, STEVE.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER COMMENTS THAT, OR, UM, QUESTIONS THAT THE COUNCIL FOLKS HERE WITH US TODAY WOULD LIKE TO STEP FORWARD AND, AND ASK OR SPEAK? YEAH.
[00:50:08]
THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR.UH, FIRST OF ALL, I ECHO WHAT MR. ALFRED SAID ABOUT THIS KIND OF DATA AND THIS PRESENTATION AND THE PROJECTS THEMSELVES HAVING SERVED ON BIKE WALK, UM, BOARD OF DIRECTORS.
I'M FAMILIAR WITH A LOT OF THESE AREAS AND THE ISSUES, UH, THE THINGS THAT I WOULD ADVOCATE FOR PRIMARILY, UH, AND I'VE BEEN BEGGING FOR THIS FOR YEARS, IS THAT THE CROSSING ON POPE AVENUE FROM THE COUNTRY CELEBRATION PARK OVER TO LAGOON, UH, WITH, UM, PEDESTRIAN, ESPECIALLY DURING THE SUMMER MONTHS, WELL FROM NOW ON UNTIL AFTER LABOR DAY, BUT ALL THE FOLKS CROSSING BETWEEN KIG AND LOW COUNTRY CELEBRATION PARK.
UM, I'VE BEEN ADVOCATING FOR, I CALL IT AN ALL STOP SCRAMBLE.
SOUNDS A LITTLE BIT SCARY, UM, BUT TO STOP ALL THE TRAFFIC SO PEDESTRIANS AND BICYCLISTS CAN CROSS.
THERE'S PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS WHEN YOU, AND, AND, AND YOU GOTTA TAKE OUT THE RIGHT HAND TURN COMING OFF OF LAGOON ONTO POPE TOO, BECAUSE WHAT HAPPENS IS YOU'VE GOT CROSSING TRAFFIC WITH A LOT OF BICYCLES AND PEDESTRIANS COMING FROM LOW COUNTRY CELEBRATION PARK TO GO OVER TO THE KLINKY AREA, AND YOU'VE GOT RIGHT TURN PEOPLE COMING OFF OF LAGOON, AND THEN YOU'VE GOT LEFT HAND PEOPLE COMING OFF, UM, UH, LOW COUNTRY CELEBRATION PARKING AREA RIGHT INTO THE CROSSING TRAFFIC.
AND I HAD TO PULL MY HUSBAND BACK ONE TIME FROM BEING HIT BY A TRUCK RIGHT THERE WHO WAS, WHO WAS TURNING RIGHT.
UM, AND YOU CAN'T SEE OVER YOUR SHOULDER IN EITHER DIRECTION WHEN YOU ARE, IF YOU'RE A PEDESTRIAN OR CYCLIST AND YOU'RE TRYING TO CROSS AND SOMEBODY'S TURNING BEHIND YOU OVER YOUR SHOULDER, YOU CAN'T SEE THEM.
AND ALSO THE TRAFFIC CAN'T SEE PEOPLE CROSSING THERE BECAUSE THEY'RE LOOKING AT OTHER TRAFFIC AND FIGURING OUT WHEN IS THEIR TURN TO GO OR TURN.
IT IS HIGHLY DANGEROUS, THANKFUL THAT NOTHING'S SERIOUS THAT YOU, YOU'VE SEEN THE HEAT MAPS IN THAT AREA SO THANKFUL THAT NOTHING SERIOUS HAS HAPPENED THERE OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
BUT PLEASE, PLEASE DO THAT TOMORROW.
CAN'T WE JUST CHANGE THE SIGNALS TOMORROW?
AND THEN THE OTHER AREA THAT, UM, I THOUGHT WAS ON OUR LIST AT LOOKING AT, UM, ESPECIALLY IN THAT SOUTH FOREST BEACH AREA, UM, I'M GLAD TO SEE THE PROJECT INCLUDED NORTH FOREST BEACH DRIVE FROM BEACH MARKET ON, ON THE, ON THE BEACH SIDE, IF YOU WILL, ACROSS FROM KIG PLAZA, ADDING THAT, AND I'M GLAD THERE'S A PHOTO HERE.
UH, UH, A YOUNG PERSON ON THEIR BICYCLE IN THE STREET CRITICAL AREA, A LOT OF TRAFFIC IN THAT AREA.
UM, TAKING THE, THE, UM, PATHWAY OUTTA THE SEASCAPE VILLAS PARKING AREA IS GOOD BECAUSE IT CAN BE CONFUSING THERE, BUT WE'RE FORGETTING THE OTHER SIDE OF THE STREET FROM KLINKY BEACH ACCESS DOWN TO, UM, SEASIDE VILLAS.
IT'S BEYOND WHERE THE HAWK CROSSING IS.
THE SIDEWALK GOES BEYOND THE HAWK CROSSING.
AND THEN I'VE SEEN SO MANY FOLKS CROSS RIGHT THERE TO TRY TO GET TO THE OTHER SIDE OF SOUTH FOREST BEACH DRIVE TO CONTINUE ON DOWN TOWARDS, UM, OCEAN GATE.
AND THERE'S NO, THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO.
SO THEY JUST CROSS TRAFFIC THERE.
AND THAT'S WHERE YOU START TO HAVE TWO LANES.
I UNDERSTAND THERE'S DESIGNS FOR THAT.
IT'S A RIGHT OF WAY QUESTION, BUT I HOPE WE WILL ADD THAT TO THE 2027 SAFETY IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS BECAUSE THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE COMING FROM THE BEACH GOING DOWN TO THOSE CONDOS ON SOUTH FOREST BEACH AND THERE'S NO SAFE PLACE FOR THEM TO CROSS WITHOUT ANY KIND OF INDICATION OF WHERE HE SHOULD CROSS.
UM, WHEN YOU IMPLEMENT A SCRAMBLE THAT'S FULL STOP IN ALL FOUR DIRECTIONS YES SIR.
HOW DO YOU, IS THERE SOMETHING SPECIAL THAT TELLS THEM, THAT ALSO INCLUDES NO RIGHT ON RED, I'M GONNA DEFER TO MY TRAFFIC ENGINEER? YES, YES.
WHEN YOU, UM, IMPLEMENT, UM, A SCRAMBLE OR AN ALL PEDESTRIAN, UM, PHASE, UM, WE WOULD HAVE TO ELIMINATE THE RIGHT TURNS ON RED.
RIGHT? BUT HOW DO YOU, AS A REQUIREMENT, HOW DO YOU, HOW DO YOU INDICATE THAT WITH THE LIGHTS? UM, IT, IT WOULD BE WITH, UM, LIKE A BLACKOUT SIGN, A BLANK OUT SIGN.
IT WOULD ILLUMINATE THAT YOU, UM, THAT YOU CANNOT MAKE THE RIGHT TURN.
SO IT ONLY WHEN YOU'RE IN THE, IN THE SCRAMBLED MODE, ONLY DURING THE PEDESTRIAN PHASE, RIGHT.
SO YES, THAT'S, I'M JUST, OKAY.
HOW DO THEY KNOW THEY'RE IN THE SCRAMBLE MODE? THAT'S MY QUESTION.
'CAUSE WHEN THE LIGHT TURNS RED, EVERYONE'S LIGHT TURNS RED.
HOW DO THEY KNOW IT'S JUST NOT JUST A RED? WELL, ALL FOUR LEGS WOULD HAVE A RED.
SO UNDERSTAND ALL FOUR LEGS, BUT YOU'RE NOT, COULD BE STOPPED.
YOU'RE NOT LOOKING HERE, HERE AND HERE TO SEE IF THEY'RE MOVING TO
[00:55:01]
SAY, AM I IN A SCRAMBLE? WELL, YOUR PEDESTRIAN PHASES ARE GONNA COME UP.SO IT'D BE JUST LIKE A PEDESTRIAN PHASE THAT WHEN AT A, AT ANY OTHER NORMAL INTERSECTION, UM, THE PEDESTRIAN PHASE, WE'LL HAVE THE WALK.
SO IT'LL HAVE THE WALK ON ALL FOUR CORNERS.
UM, AND WE WOULD PROBABLY, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE LOOKING INTO NOW, WHETHER WE DO A SCRAMBLE OR JUST AN ALL PED PHASE BECAUSE, UM, ON AT THAT INTERSECTION THERE'S SOME GEOMETRIC, UH, ISSUES THERE, UM, WITH THE CORNERS AND THE A DA RAMPS, RIGHT? SO YOU NEED TO HAVE LIKE ONE POINT OF ENTRY AND TWO OF THOSE CORNERS DO NOT HAVE ONE POINT OF ENTRY.
THEY HAVE TWO POINTS OF ENTRY.
SO TO GET THAT CROSS, UM, TO A DIAGONAL TO RAMPS, YOU WOULD HAVE TO DO SOME GEOMETRIC IMPROVEMENTS THERE.
SO YOU WOULD PROBABLY BE BETTER OFF DOING JUST AN ALL PED PHASE ACROSS ALL FOUR CORNERS.
UM, YOUR PEDESTRIAN SIGNAL WOULD COME UP WHEN YOU HAVE A RED AND YOU SEE THE PEDESTRIAN SIGNAL UP, ALL THE PEDESTRIANS ARE GONNA MOVE.
SO YOU KNOW THAT IT'S IN PEDESTRIAN PHASE AND THEN YOUR BLANK OUT SIGNS WOULD COME UP TO SAY NO RIGHTS ON RED OR IT'LL TELL YOU THAT THE RIGHT TURNS ELIMINATED DURING THAT PHASE.
WE CAN JUST LEAVE IT AT THAT RIGHT NOW.
BUT I SEE, YEAH, I SEE SOME ISSUES
AND TO THAT POINT, I THINK THAT, UM, WHEN WE DISCUSS THIS, IF IN THE FUTURE PERHAPS SOME STATISTICS ON THE SUCCESS OF SUCH A DESIGN WOULD BE HELPFUL SURE.
SO THAT WE KNOW HOW IT GETS IMPLEMENTED IN.
UM, IN TENNESSEE, UM, IN, UM, ONE OF THEIR BIG CITIES, THEY HAVE A SCRAMBLE.
I'LL SEND YOU A LINK, YOU CAN LOOK AT IT.
AND, AND I SEE THAT COUNCILMAN BROWN IS APPROACHING AS WELL.
UM, I APPRECIATE THE ADDITIONAL DATA.
I GOT SOME, UH, RECOMMENDATIONS AS FAR AS HOW IT'S BEING PRESENTED, BUT Y'ALL KNOW, I LIKE TO TELL STORIES.
I'M GONNA TELL A STORY REAL QUICK.
I REMEMBER GROWING UP IN THE CHAPLAIN AREA AND ALL WE HAD WAS WHAT WE CALLED THE SIDEWALK, WHICH WAS SOME THAT WAS POURED RIGHT NEXT TO THE HIGHWAY.
SO WE DIDN'T SEE A WHOLE LOT OF PEOPLE WALKING AROUND AND BIKING AROUND EXCEPT FOR THE LOCALS.
IF YOU BUILD IT, THEY WILL COME.
WE DO NOT HAVE, IN THIS REPORT THE AMOUNT OF ACTUAL TRAFFIC THAT IS HAPPENING FROM A BIKE AND PEDESTRIAN STANDPOINT.
AND WITH OUR NEW, UH, SIGNAL SYSTEM, I BELIEVE I REMEMBER THAT IT HAS THE CAPABILITY TO DO SOME TRAFFIC COUNTING WHEN IT COMES TO PEDESTRIAN AND BICYCLE ACTIVITY.
I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO HAVE THAT MOVING ALONG.
AND THEN SECONDLY, UM, I, SINCE I GOT ALL, I GUESS SIX OF US HERE, I WANT US TO STAY AGGRESSIVE IN, IN THIS PROGRAM, PARTICULARLY ON THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT SIDE BECAUSE THIS IS DEFINITELY SOMETHING THAT OUR LOCALS AS WELL AS VISITORS TAKE ADVANTAGE OF.
AND THE MORE THAT WE CAN INVEST IN NOT JUST THE UPKEEP, BUT THE IMPROVEMENT I THINK IS IMPORTANT.
I'D HATE FOR US TO PUSH THINGS ASIDE, UM, WHEN IT COMES TO THIS PARTICULAR PROGRAM.
AND LASTLY, UM, DURING THE PRESENTATION, UH, WE SAW THE, UH, TRAFFIC CALMING SPEED LIMIT SIGNS.
NOW, DARREN SHOEMAKER, WHEN HE WAS DOING SOME IMPROVEMENT WORK AROUND HILTON HEAD, HE WAS TAKING PRIDE IN THE SIGNAGE THAT YOU SEE ON HILTON HEAD.
ONE EXAMPLE IS WHEN YOU'RE LEAVING, UH, THE COMMUNITY OF PORT ROYAL AND TAKING A RIGHT, YOU MERGE IN THE TRAFFIC AND THERE'S A SIGN UP THERE THAT SAYS KEEP MOVING AND CHANGE LANES LATER.
WE'VE GOT IT AT, UH, PEMBROKE, WE'VE GOT IT, UH, AT THE KROGER INTERSECTION.
HE TOOK PRIDE IN SAYING HILTON HITT IS ONE OF THE FEW COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE THAT TYPE OF SIGNAGE.
SINCE WE HAVE NOT AS MUCH COVERAGE AROUND SPEEDING ON HILTON HEAD THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE FROM OUR SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT, I'M JUST ENCOURAGING US TO CONSIDER MAYBE THAT THE TOWN BE PROACTIVE AND TRYING TO GET MORE OF THAT TYPE OF SPEED LIMIT WITH THE FLASHING WHEN YOU'RE GOING TOO FAST SIGNAGE AROUND TOWN.
I THINK THAT WILL AT LEAST HELP, PARTICULARLY WITH THE AMOUNT OF VISITORS THAT IT WOULD HAVE THE SHOCK FACTOR WITH.
AND COUNCILMAN COUNCILWOMAN, EXCUSE ME.
[01:00:03]
COULDN'T STAY OVER THERE BY YOURSELF.UM, AND, UM, THIS WAS A GREAT REPORT.
I HAVEN'T SEEN THIS REPORT BEFORE 'CAUSE I WASN'T HERE A COUPLE YEARS AGO.
UM, I APPRECIATE ALL THE DETAIL AND INFORMATION BECAUSE I LEARNED A LOT ABOUT, UH, SPECIFICALLY WHERE SOME OF THESE IN INCIDENTS OCCURRED.
I THINK FROM THE QUESTIONS THAT COUNCILMAN D SIMONE, UH, ASKED REGARDING THE SCRAMBLE AND OTHER KINDS OF TOOLS, UM, IT REALLY PROVIDES AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO THINK ABOUT EDUCATING THE DRIVERS AS WELL AS THE PEDESTRIANS AND THE BICYCLISTS.
I HEAR FROM COMMUNITY MEMBERS ALL THE TIME ABOUT THEIR CONFUSION ABOUT WHAT TO DO.
AND IT HAS TO DO WITH PERHAPS WHERE THEY USED TO LIVE HAVE HAS DIFFERENT RULES IN HOW WE HANDLE THINGS HERE IN SOUTH CAROLINA.
SO NOT ONLY DO WE NEED TO INVEST IN IMPROVING THESE INTERSECTIONS, WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE EDUCATE OUR, THE REPUBLIC SO THAT EVERYBODY KNOWS HOW TO USE THESE, UH, FOR THEIR INTENDED USE.
SO WE DO COLLECT, UM, VOLUME DATA AND PEDESTRIAN DATA AT ALL OF OUR SIGNALED INTERSECTIONS.
WE DO THAT ON AN ANNUAL BASIS.
AND AS YOU KNOW, WE PUT TOGETHER AN ANNUAL TRAFFIC REPORT EVERY YEAR THAT DARREN SCHUMAKER USED TO PRESENT TO YOU.
UM, THE SIGNS THAT COUNCILMAN BROWN WAS TALKING ABOUT, THE KEEP MOVING SIGNS, THEY ARE AT LOCATIONS ONLY WHERE THERE'S A FREE RIGHT.
SO THERE'S NO YIELD OR NO STOP.
IT HAS A LANE THAT YOU CAN CONTINUE MOVING ON.
SO THAT'S WHY THOSE SIGNS ARE AT THOSE LOCATIONS.
UM, MAYBE WE CAN GET, IF YOU HAVE THAT AVAILABLE TO YOU, THAT DATA WITH REGARD TO THE PIPE AND PEDESTRIAN TRAFFIC, IF WE CAN GET THAT, UM, SENT OVER TO ALL OF US, THAT'D BE WONDERFUL.
AND AGAIN, IT WAS A GREAT, UM, REPORT.
UM, EDUCATION IS A PRIMARY, UM, CONCERN.
UM, COUNCILWOMAN TANNER IS CORRECT.
PEOPLE COME HERE FROM DIFFERENT AREAS AND THEY DON'T REALLY UNDERSTAND HOW OUR SYSTEM OF, UM, BIKES CROSSING INTERSECTIONS WORK.
AND QUITE FRANKLY, THAT'S BECAUSE NOBODY ACTUALLY DOES IT.
WHETHER YOU'RE HERE, WHETHER YOU'RE ELSEWHERE, THE STOP SIGNS, UM, ARE IGNORED ON A ROUTINE BASIS.
UM, AND I WAS SPEAKING WITH COUNCILMAN ALFRED EARLIER, THE PROBLEM, AND IT HAPPENS WHERE YOU'RE MAKING, YOU'RE ALL COMING OFF OF 2 78 AND YOU'RE MAKING A TURN ONTO ONE OF THE SIDE STREETS AND SOMEONE HAS IGNORED THE STOP SIGN ON THE PEDESTRIAN.
AND SO THEY'RE ENTERING THE CROSSWALK, BUT YOU'VE ALREADY STARTED TO MAKE YOUR CROSS TO GET TO THE SIDE STREET.
AND SO NATURALLY YOU STOP YOUR CAR, BUT THEN THAT PUTS YOU IN DANGER OF BEING T-BONED BY SOMEONE COMING UP, UM, COMING UP BEHIND YOUR, ONTO 78.
SO THERE ARE SOME INHERENT PROBLEMS THAT WE HAVE TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE SOLVE, AND WHETHER THAT'S WITH EDUCATION OR BETTER SIGNAGE.
THERE NEEDS TO BE A PUBLIC, UM, AWARENESS CAMPAIGN WITH REGARD TO THAT.
I THINK ALSO THE QUESTION WITH REGARD TO EVALUATING WHO'S AT FAULT IS RELEVANT.
UM, BECAUSE IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HOW WE'RE GOING TO MAKE IMPROVEMENTS, WE HAVE TO KNOW WHERE IT IS THAT THE FAILURE OCCURRED.
AND, UM, AND SO THAT EVALUATION AND, AND REPORT SHOULD, SHOULD BE ON THE LIST.
AND, UM, AS WOULD REQUEST THAT WE GET THAT WITH THE NEXT, UM, REPORT ON PEDESTRIAN AND BICYCLE, UH, CRASH DATA, UM, THE INFORMATION ON FOLEY FIELD.
WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON THAT FOR A WHILE AND I'M HAPPY TO SEE THE PROGRESS.
IT'S, UM, LONG OVERDUE AND VERY MUCH NEEDED AND VERY TIMELY AS THOSE TIME SHARES ARE COMING ON INTO, UM, UM, EFFECT WITH PEOPLE LIVING THERE.
IT, IT, I THINK IN THE REPORT IT SHOWED THAT THE HAPPY FACES OR THE REMINDER OF THE SPEED LIMIT, THAT THAT WAS ALREADY INSTALLED.
I WAS THERE YESTERDAY A MEETING WITH A CONSTITUENT ON ANOTHER ISSUE AND I DIDN'T SEE THOSE, UM, UP YET.
IS, IS, ARE WE AHEAD OF OURSELVES IN THAT? UM, I THINK THE REPORT OR THE PRESENTATION SAID THAT THAT IS UNDERWAY.
UM, WE JUST RECEIVED OUR ENCROACHMENT PERMIT TO INSTALL THOSE AND THEY ARE ON ORDER.
SO WHEN THEY COME IN, WE'LL HAVE THEM INSTALLED.
AND IF YOU CAN LET ME KNOW JUST SO I CAN LET THE RESIDENTS KNOW, UM, WHERE IT'S, THE THOUGHT IS ABOUT WHERE THOSE WOULD BE PLACED.
[01:05:01]
INGER COMING UP TO JOIN US.THIS IS A REALLY GREAT CONVERSATION.
THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR PARTICIPATING.
CHEF INGER ENGINEERING DIRECTOR.
JUST ONE POINT OF CLARIFICATION ON THOSE SPEED BACK SIGNS WHEN THEY'RE ON A PUBLIC STREET, THEY'RE NOT GONNA BE HAPPY FACE, SAD FACE.
IT'S JUST GONNA SHOW WHAT YOUR SPEED IS.
AND IT'S ON PUBLIC ROAD, IT'S JUST GONNA DISPLAY THE SPEED IN SOUTH CAROLINA.
THEY CAN'T FLASH JUST SHOW WHAT THE SPEED IS, BUT STILL VERY, THEY'RE VERY HELPFUL.
SO CAN YOU SAY THAT AGAIN SO I CAN MAKE SURE I'M CLEAR? SO, SO SOME OF THE THINGS THAT YOU SEE IN THE PRIVATE COMMUNITIES WHEN THEY HAVE THE SPEED FEEDBACK SIGNS MM-HMM
THEY WILL USE FACIAL EXPRESSIONS, SMILEYS YEAH.
SAD FACES, ALL THAT KIND OF STUFF.
THESE ARE GONNA BE JUST SHOWING YOU WHAT YOUR SPEED IS.
SO, BUT THEY'RE STILL VERY, VERY EFFECTIVE.
WELL THEY REPEAT IT'LL, IT'LL BE AGAINST THE BACKDROP OF THE REAL SPEED THOUGH, RIGHT? YEAH.
THEY HAVE TO BE LOCATED DIRECTLY UNDERNEATH THE POSTED SPEED LIMIT SIGN ON THE SAME POST.
AND, AND RIGHT NOW THE SPEED LIMIT ON FOLEY FIELD CHANGES, UM, CURRENTLY, BUT IT'S BEING REDUCED TO DO WE KNOW THE, WE'RE WE'RE WAITING ON, UM, THE STATE TO REVIEW AND ALLOW US TO REDUCE THAT ROAD TO A MINOR COLLECTOR FROM A MAJOR COLLECTOR.
ONCE THAT HAPPENS AND THE DATA THAT THE VOLUME DATA SUPPORTS THAT CHANGE IN FUNCTIONAL CLASSIFICATION, ONCE THAT HAPPENS, THEN WE CAN LOWER THE SPEED LIMIT.
THEN WE CAN INSTALL THE DESIGN AND INSTALL THE PEDESTRIAN RAISE PEDESTRIAN MM-HMM
INTERSECTIONS AND MAKE THOSE SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS.
SO WHAT WE'RE DOING WITH THE SPEED FEEDBACK SIGNS IS, IS OUR FIRST STEP IN A SERIES OF STEPS TO GET THERE.
IF YOU KEEP US IN THE LOOP AND THE TIMING AND ALL OF THAT, I'D APPRECIATE IT.
SO, UM, THE SPEED FEEDBACK SIGNS WILL GO IN WITH THE 30 MILES PER HOUR FOR NOW.
AND THEN WE, ONCE WE RECEIVE, UM, WORD THAT WE CAN HAVE THE, THE BROAD RECLASSIFIED AS A MINOR, UM, COLLECTOR, THEN WE'LL CHANGE THE SPEED LIMIT SIGNS THEMSELVES, THE FEEDBACK SIGN, IT DOESN'T MATTER, YOU KNOW, 'CAUSE IT'LL JUST, IT'LL PICK UP THE RADAR OF YOUR SPEED.
SORRY, THIS DOESN'T IMPACT THE STARFISH P PIECE.
'CAUSE RIGHT NOW STARFISH IS 25, SO CORRECT.
BUT WE'RE INSTALLING FEEDBACK SIGNS THERE AS WELL.
BUT THAT WON'T, THAT SPEED LIMIT WON'T RAISE.
IT'LL ALL, SO WE'RE NOT BEING CONSISTENT WITH THE SPEED BECAUSE THAT IS ALREADY AT A ACCEPTABLE SPEED LIMIT.
JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE ALL THE I'S ARE DOTTED.
UM, AND I ALSO WANT TO, UM, MAKE SURE THAT IT'S NOTED, I THINK IT WAS A, UH, RECOMMENDATION BY COUNCILWOMAN BRYSON TO LOOK AT THAT SIGNAL BOX, UM, ON POPE AND LAGOON AND TO EVALUATE AND GET US SOME ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON THAT.
AND WE TALKED ABOUT THE BIKE PEDESTRIAN STATS, WHICH I THOUGHT WAS IMPORTANT, WHICH WAS ANOTHER COMMENT BY ONE OF OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS.
AND THANK YOU ALL AGAIN, UM, FOR YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS.
AND, AND COUNCILMAN BROWN, I AGREE WITH YOU.
THERE ARE SECTIONS WHERE THE SIDEWALK IS LITERALLY ON TOP OF THE ROADWAY AND THOSE SITUATIONS ARE INCREDIBLY DANGEROUS.
AND EVEN THOUGH AT THIS POINT THERE MAY BE SOME ADDITIONAL PATHWAYS THAT HAVE BEEN BUILT, PEOPLE STILL USE THOSE SIDEWALKS AND, UM, LOOK FORWARD TO WHEN WE CAN HAVE A SAFER, EVEN IF WE DO SOME PLANTINGS OR SOMETHING TO MAKE SURE THAT FOLKS HAVE SOMETHING THAT WILL PROTECT THEM IN THOSE AREAS.
IS THERE, ARE THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT WITH REGARD TO THIS PARTICULAR ITEM? YES, MR. BABEL SIGNED UP.
WELL, FIRST OF ALL, LET ME JUST THANK EVERYBODY WHO PARTICIPATED IN THIS STUDY.
YOU GUY, YOU FOLKS DID A GREAT JOB AND JEFF DID AS WELL.
AND THANK YOU COUNCILMAN COUNCIL LADIES FOR STANDING UP AND HAVING SOME EDUCATED REALLY RIGHT ON REMARKS.
SO, UH, I'D LIKE TO KEEP THESE THINGS GOING.
UM, I'D SAY THOUGH, FROM A STANDPOINT OF, OF BIKE WALK, UH, THIS PROJECT WAS BASICALLY, UH, WHERE ARE THE CRASHES TAKING PLACE AND, YOU KNOW, CRASHES ARE ACCIDENTS THAT COULD BE PREVENTED.
SO, UH, WE, WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE A LITTLE BIT MORE OF THE WHY AND HOW.
AND WE DID THIS WORK A FEW YEARS BACK.
WE DID A LOT OF IT AND, AND WE REALLY WERE ABLE TO MAKE SOME IMPROVEMENTS.
BUT THERE WAS JUST A SMALL NUMBER OF US AND NOT MUCH INTEREST ELSEWHERE.
[01:10:01]
WE HAVE A 14 BIKE FRIENDLY BUSINESSES NOW WHO ARE EAGER TO WORK.WE HAVE A BIKE FRIENDLY, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A BIKE WALK GROUP OF PEOPLE WHO ARE WILLING TO WORK AND WE CAN PULL UP OUR SLEEVES WITH THE INCIDENT REPORTS AND WE CAN LOOK AT WHAT HAPPENED.
YOU KNOW, WAS IT PEOPLE CROSSED PAST PEOPLE AND DIDN'T SAY PASSING ON YOUR LEFT? OR WAS IT CARS THAT DIDN'T STOP AND MAKE EYE CONTACT? WHAT WAS IT WE SHOULD, WE SHOULD LOOK AT THAT.
BUT THE NUMBER ONE THING, THE NUMBER ONE THING THAT CAN AFFECT SAFETY, I THINK YOU KNOW WHAT IT IS, RIGHT? SPEED.
SO WE HAVE A NUMBER OF SUGGESTIONS WE HAVE ABOUT REDUCING SPEED.
SO WE'D LIKE TO WORK WITH THE TOWN AND HAVE THAT STUFF BROUGHT TO YOU.
AND A CASE MADE FOR SPEED REDUCTION WHERE IT MAKES SENSE BECAUSE THAT'S THE NUMBER ONE THING THAT'LL REDUCE DEATHS.
IF, IF A CAR GETS HIT, A CAR HITS A, A BIKE, NOW THEY'RE NOT GONNA SURVIVE.
SO SPEED IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING WE'D LIKE TO WORK ON THAT WE VOLUNTEER THAT.
WE ALSO NEED PROGRAMS TO TEACH PEOPLE WHAT TO DO.
WE DON'T HAVE MUCH ETIQUETTE OUT THERE.
SO SOME OF THE NEW KIOSK HAVE MUCH SHORTER ETIQUETTE.
WE'VE PUT IT DOWN TO SEVEN KEY THINGS.
WE NEED TO GET PEOPLE TO THINK ABOUT BIKES, THINKS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, BEING A, A GOOD PEDESTRIAN, THINK ABOUT WRITING AND UN UNDERSTANDING WHAT THE LAWS ARE 'CAUSE THEY'RE NOT NOW.
WE, AND WE'VE NEVER HAD REALLY A PROGRAM AND THAT'S SOFTWARE AND THAT'S HARD TO DO.
THIS IS ABOUT HARDWARE AND INFRASTRUCTURE, THIS IS ABOUT SOFTWARE, THIS STUFF THAT'LL WORK.
SO, UM, I'M NOT GONNA SAY ANYMORE BECAUSE I HAVE 12 SECONDS THIS TIME.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH AND I APPRECIATE ALL YOU'RE DOING.
AND WITH REGARD TO INFORMATION, THE EDUCATIONAL INFORMATION, UM, I THINK THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT.
IS THAT SHARE, CAN THAT BE ELECTRONICALLY SHARED? I'M HAPPY TO DISTRIBUTE IT WHEREVER I CAN AND I THINK IT SHOULD BE AN ONGOING EDUCATIONAL PROCESS AS WELL.
SO AS OFTEN AND AS, UM, AS WIDESPREAD AS WE CAN, WE SHOULD PUT THAT OUT THERE FOR PEOPLE NEED THIS STUFF OR, OR THE UH, OR THE INCIDENT REPORTS? NO, THE THE EDUCATIONAL PIECE THAT YOU WERE DESCRIBING, I THINK THAT'S AN IMPORTANT PIECE FOR YEAH.
THESE, THESE WERE DONE BY DARREN SHOEMAKER AT HOME, BUT IF WE COULD JUST GET BULLET POINTS, SOMETHING THAT'S EASY TO SHARE.
YOU CAN HAND IT WHEREVER YOU WOULD.
I'LL TAKE IT OR YOU CAN JUST LEAVE IT THERE AND I'LL PICK IT UP AFTER THE MEETING.
BUT WE WANNA SEE HOW IT CAN HELP KEEP, WE WANNA KEEP IT SIMPLE.
WE WANNA DEVELOP AN ATTITUDE OF YES SIR, OF ETIQUETTE.
AND YOU KNOW, AND THE SHOULDER MONTHS THAT WE HAVE AS MANY CRASHES AS WE DO IN THE BUSY MONTHS, YOU'D BE AMAZED.
PEOPLE DON'T, DON'T THINK ABOUT BIKES IN THE SUMMER.
I HIT A LOT OF BIKES, THEY'RE GONNA SLOW DOWN.
AND THEY HIT JUST AS MANY PEOPLE.
CHESTER WILLIAMS, MARTIN LES NATASHA CASH.
AND, AND I SAW THAT WE HAVE A PLANNING COMMISSION IN OUR, UM, WITH US HERE TODAY IN CHAMBERS.
AND SHE WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A COMMENT.
I'M NOT, WE'RE HERE AS A PLANNING COMMISSIONER.
UM, I'M SORRY, CAN YOU, CAN YOU STATE YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD? OH, ELLEN WHALEY.
UM, WHEN I LOOKED AT THE TRANSPORTATION STUDY, ONE OF THE THINGS I'M JUST GOING TO SUGGEST I DON'T NEED AN ANSWER TO IS GUMTREE, UM, NOVA, YEAH.
THE NORTH POINT'S MOVING ALONG.
A LOT OF PEOPLE ALONG THAT ROAD AND THAT COME UP THAT ROAD OR, OR ASKING AN FOR ANSWERS.
I HAVE, YOU KNOW, I DON'T HAVE, SO I WOULD JUST RESPECTFULLY, UH, IF THERE'S SOME WAY YOU CAN START TO RELEASE THAT INFORMATION.
AND THEN ALSO ON MAIN STREET, PARTICULARLY BETWEEN THE CIRCLE ON MAIN STREET, UH, GOING OUT TO HOSPITAL BOULEVARD AND THEN, UM, GOING BACK UP TOWARDS, UH, 2 78, UM, THERE ARE A LOT OF CURVY PARTS THAT ROAD, UH, PEOPLE HAVE STARTED TO ASK QUESTIONS ABOUT WHERE THE TRAFFIC, HOW MAIN STREET'S GONNA HANDLE THAT.
UH, AT ONE ENGINEER AT ONE, ONE GATHERING SAID, WELL DON'T YOU, I DO THIS ANALYSIS.
I HAD TO KIND OF EXPLAIN LIKE, CERTAIN THINGS GET EXEMPT.
SO I THINK WITH THE NOVAN PROJECT THAT IS GOING TO BE ON MAIN STREET, THE NOVANT PROJECT, IT'S GONNA BE ON HOSPITAL CENTER BOULEVARD AND
[01:15:01]
THE COVENANT OR WHATEVER THE NAME OF THAT, UM, NURSING HOME OR WHATEVERUH, WHEN THAT STARTS TO UH, UM, GET PEOPLE MOVING IN IT, I THINK THE SOONER YOU CAN GET INFORMATION OUT TO FOLKS, I THINK IT WOULD BE REALLY HELPFUL TO KNOW.
WELL AGAIN, THANK YOU EVERYONE.
THAT'S WHAT THESE MEETINGS ARE FOR.
IT'S FOR HAVING CONVERSATIONS AND, AND HAVING AN OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT IDEAS AND TO TALK THROUGH THEM.
AND I APPRECIATE YOU ALL FOR PARTICIPATING.
[6.a. Consideration of a Resolution of the Town of Hilton Head Island Town Council Approving Rental Locations Proposed by Shore Beach Services for 2026 Beach Season - Jimmy Acosta, Asset and Risk Management Director]
WE ARE GOING TO MOVE ON TO NEW BUSINESS AND UNDER NEW BUSINESS.WE HAVE A CONSIDERATION OF A RESOLUTION OF THE TOWN OF HILTON HEAD, ISLAND TOWN COUNCIL, PROVING RENTAL LOCATIONS PROPOSED BY SHORE BEACH SERVICES FOR 2026 BEACH SEASON.
AND, UM, WE HAVE A PRESENTATION HERE BY, UH, MR. ACASA.
HE'S AN ASSET AND RISK MANAGEMENT DIRECTOR HERE AT THE TOWN.
MAD AFTERNOON CHAIR, MEMBER OF THE COMMITTEE.
UM, JIMMY ACASA, ASSET RISK MANAGING DIRECTOR.
UH, SO I'M HERE TODAY TO PRESENT A, UH, AMENDED RESOLUTION TO THE 2026 BEACH RENTAL LOCATIONS AND QUANTITIES AS PROPOSED BY SHORE BEACH SERVICES UNDER THEIR CURRENT EXISTING AGREEMENT.
UM, IF WHEN WE MET BACK IN FEBRUARY 9TH, I BELIEVE, UH, THE COMMITTEE VOTED 3 2 0 TO RECOMMEND THE APPROVAL OF THE ORIGINAL RESOLUTION.
AND AFTER THAT MEETING, WE DID RECEIVE SOME CORRESPONDENCE FROM THE ISLAND CLUB BOARDS ADDRESSED TO THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
AND THAT LETTER IS IN YOUR PACKET IF YOU HAD A CHANCE TO REVIEW THAT.
UM, FOLLOWING THE RECEIPT OF THAT LETTER, UH, WE THEN TOOK STAFF, THEN TOOK, UH, ACTION IN COORDINATED WITH SHORT BEACH SERVICES AND LOOKING BACK AT WHAT THOSE QUANTITIES WERE AND WHERE THEY WERE PLACED.
AND, UH, IN LOOKING AT THAT, WE COME TO, UH, REALIZATION THAT THE MAIDEN CAME RESORT IS NOT SCHEDULED TO OPEN PROBABLY UNTIL AFTER THE SEASON.
SO THAT BEING SAID, WE, UH, IN, UH, COORDINATION WITH SHELBY SERVICES AND MIKE WENER HERE, WE THEN AMENDED THOSE QUANTITIES AND REVERTED BACK TO THE 2025 NUMBERS.
AND THEREFORE YOU, YOU WILL NOT SEE, WELL, YOU'LL SEE IN THE REPORT THAT THERE ARE NO CHANGES FROM 2025 TO 2026 IN THE ON CLUB LOCATION.
UH, HAVING SAID ALL THAT, UH, AND BASED ON THOSE IN THAT EXPLANATION, WHICH IS FOUND IN THE NEW STAFF REPORT, WE RECOMMEND THAT TO STAFF THAT THIS RESOLUTION IS PASSED FORWARD TO THE COUNCIL FOR, FOR APPROVAL.
AND, UH, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I CAN ANSWER, UH, MIKE NER IS HERE AS WELL.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS? ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS? NO, I'LL MOVE APPROVAL OF THE RESOLUTION A SECOND.
AND I DO WANNA SAY THAT, UM, THIS IS, UM, THIS IS A GOOD MOVE.
UM, THE RESIDENTS OF ISLAND CLUB REALLY FEEL THE PRESSURE, UM, THAT'S BEFORE THEM.
AND, UM, SO I'M HAPPY TO SEE THAT THIS HAS COME FORWARD IN THIS WAY.
UM, WHAT DID I SKIP? CURTIS
THANK YOU, MR. UM, AND SO I APPRECIATE THE, UM, THE CHANGE.
UM, AND I HOPE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE LOOKING AT THIS COMING CURRENT YEAR, BUT, UM, I THINK THIS SHOULD BE THE STATUS QUO OVER TIME.
UM, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE PROTECT THE FOLKS WHO ARE ACCUSTOMED AND WHO LIVE HERE ON A REGULAR BASIS TO USING THEIR BEACH ACCESSES.
UM, AND I KNOW THAT MR. WAGNER AND I HAVE TALKED A LOT ABOUT THAT AND I APPRECIATE HIS ACCOMMODATION AND WILLINGNESS TO WORK WITH US.
UM, WE HAVE A MOTION AND IS, IS THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS MOTION? YES, SIR.
CAN JURY FINALE AND I DO HAVE A RESIDENCY IN THE ISLAND CLUB AND I APPRECIATE WHAT THIS COMMITTEE AND THE BOARD HAS DONE SO FAR IN, IN REALIZING WHAT WE HAVE AT STAKE HERE.
THE ONLY QUESTION I HAVE IS THAT I THINK I HEARD THAT THIS IS BEING DONE BECAUSE MAIDEN CAYNE IS NOT OPENING UNTIL AFTER THE SEASON.
OUR CONCERN IS WHEN MAIDEN CAE OPENS MM-HMM
THAT IT WILL BE USED AS A VERY, UH, THEY'LL, IF PEOPLE MOVE THEIR, THEY CAN'T GET ACCESS TO OUR BEACH THROUGH OUR PROPERTY MM-HMM
BUT IF THEY WALK DOWN TO WHERE THE BEACH CHAIRS ARE AND THEN WANT TO WALK BACK, IT'S SO MUCH EASIER TO WALK THROUGH OUR PROPERTY.
SO IT, IT, WE APPRECIATE IT, BUT IT HAS MORE TO DO WITH WHEN MAIDEN CA DOES OPEN THAN WHEN IT'S, IT IT'S NOT OPEN.
WOULD WOULD YOU LIKE TO ADDRESS THAT? YEAH, SURE.
SO WE, WE OBVIOUSLY AWARE OF THAT AND IN THE UPCOMING SEASON, SO IN DISCUSSIONS WITH MIKE AS WELL AS, BUT WITH BOB, OUR, UH,
[01:20:01]
DIRECTOR OF SECURITY, WE WILL ADDRESS THAT SITUATION AT THE END OF THE SEASON.WE WILL MAKE SURE THAT, UH, WE, WE LOOK AT WHAT THE, THE PATH IS IN WALKING TO THE BEACH.
WE DO UNDERSTAND THAT THE ISLAND CLUB DOES HAVE SECURITY ON, ON, ON SITE.
UH, SO IN DISCUSSIONS WITH THEM, HOPEFULLY WE'LL BE ABLE TO FIND AN AMICABLE WAY TO ACCOMMODATE EVERYBODY.
AND IF THAT MEANS SPLITTING SOME OF THOSE QUANTITIES THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT INTO DIFFERENT AREAS, THEN WE WILL DO SO AS WELL.
BUT WE WILL LOOK AT ALL THE OPTIONS AVAILABLE TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY'S PLEASED WITH THAT, WITH WHATEVER THAT DECISION IS.
YOU, ANY COMMENTS? AND, AND, AND AGAIN, I JUST WANNA REITERATE IT IS A CONCERN WITH TRESPASSING ACROSS THE ISLAND CLOUD PROPER, UM, PROPERTY, AND IT'S, I UNDERSTAND IT, THEY, THERE WILL BE PEOPLE MOVING INTO THOSE TIMESHARES, UM, FOR USE IN APRIL.
SO IT AS PART OF THIS SEASON'S CONCERN? YEAH, NO, THE UNDER THE UNDERSTANDING THAT WE HAVE IN DISCUSSION WE'VE MADE AND CA IS THEY'RE OPENING PHASE ONE AT THE MOMENT MM-HMM
BUT THERE'S NO RESIDENTS AT THIS STAGE MOVING IN.
SO WHAT'S OPENING IN APRIL IS JUST A PUBLIC AREA.
THERE ARE NO RESIDENTS AND IT'S NOT ANTICIPATED THAT THERE'LL BE ANY RESIDENTS THEREFORE THROUGH, THROUGH, THROUGH THIS SEASON, THROUGH THIS SEASON.
AND IF ANYTHING CHANGES MADAM CHAIR, WE WILL MAKE SURE THAT WE WILL ADDRESS THAT.
AND I KNOW WE'VE MADE PLANS WITH REGARD TO A PATHWAY, UM, THROUGH ISLAND CLUB TO DIRECT.
SO WE WILL LOOK AT THAT SITUATION WHEN THAT TIME COMES.
SO JUST KEEPING US ABREAST OF WHEN THAT TIME COMES, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT ISLAND CLUB IS AWARE THAT WE ARE LISTENING TO THEIR OBSERVATIONS AND HEARING THEIR CONCERNS ABOUT WHAT COULD HAPPEN.
UM, AND THAT WE ARE TAKING APPROPRIATE ACTION TO PROTECT THEM.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC? KIM? I KNOW THAT I ALWAYS SKIP OVER AND WAS THERE ANYONE WHO SIGNED UP TO SPEAK? OKAY.
I SO APOLOGIZE FOR DOING THAT.
UH, WELL THEN WE HAVE A MOTION ON THE TABLE WITH A SECOND AND ALL IN FAVOR.
[7. Public Comment - Non Agenda Items (Part 2 of 2)]
THAT I MOVED, UM, PUBLIC COMMENT UP AND I DON'T THINK ANYONE HAS ADJOIN JOINED US SINCE THEN.SO, UM, I'M GOING TO ADJOURN THIS MEETING.
DO WE HAVE A MOTION? WHAT I MOVE, WHOOPS.
AND I KNOW YOU CAME IN LATE AND SO THAT ADJUSTMENT WAS MADE PRIOR TO YOUR ARRIVAL.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO MAKE A PUBLIC COMMENT? YES.
WELL WE CERTAINLY CAN TAKE A MOMENT.
AGAIN, NOT COMING UP AS PLANNING.
UM, I WAS HOPEFUL THAT ALL THREE MEMBERS OF THE, THE LAND MANAGEMENT TASK JUST, OH, ELLEN WHALEY.
I THINK SHE HAS ME, UH, LAND MANAGEMENT TASK FORCE FOR HERE.
UM, I WOULD ASK THE, UH, PUBLIC SAFETY AND PLANNING COMMISSION, TWO OF YOU ARE ON IT.
AND THE CHAIRMAN OF THE TASK FORCE IS HERE THAT, UM, THERE WAS AN ITEM, I THINK IT WAS B ONE THAT FOCUSED ON 2014 AMENDMENTS, UH, THAT WERE GOING TO BE MONITORED OR CARRIED FORWARD.
BUT ONE OF THE ONES THAT CAUSED A LOT OF COMMUNITY, UH, DISCUSSION, UM, IRRITATION AND I THINK NEEDS FURTHER STUDY ARE ADAPTIVE REUSE OF HOTELS.
SO I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU WOULD LIKE THAT PRESENTED TO YOU AS CHAIRMAN AND AS THE THREE MEMBERS OF THE, UH, TASK FORCE IN ORDER TO BRING THAT BACK UP IN B ONE.
'CAUSE I KNOW YOU PASSED B ONE, THERE WAS NOTHING THAT WAS GONNA BE A FUTURE AMENDMENT OR A REMAINING AMENDMENT.
BUT, UH, I KNOW THAT WHEN MISSY WAS HERE, WE SPOKE A LOT ABOUT IT, THAT IT NEEDED A LOT MORE RESEARCH, STUDY AND CRITERIA DEVELOPED BECAUSE THE CURRENT COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, WHILE IT REFERS TO ADAPTIVE REUSE FOR COMMERCIAL SPACE, UM, IT STARTED TO CREATE A REAL SORT OF HABITABLE SITUATION WHERE WE'RE KIND OF TRANSIENT HOUSING, WHAT KIND OF MEASURE WE WERE GONNA SEND, UH, FOR ADAPTIVE REUSE OF HOTELS.
SO I WOULD RESPECTIVELY REQUEST THAT, UH, MAYBE YOU COULD HAVE THE STAFF PUT THAT ON THE AGENDA AND HAVE A COMMUNITY DISCUSSION ABOUT IT WITH THE 21 MEMBERS.
YOU CAN PUT THAT IN A, IN A FORMAL EMAIL THAT REQUEST.
AND JUST SEND IT TO ME AND COPY STAFF.
AND WE'LL HAVE, WE'LL BRING THAT UP IN OUR NEXT SESSION.
AND WITH THAT, UM, A MOTION TO ADJOURN.
[01:25:19]
YOU ARE WATCHING BEAUFORT COUNTY TV.THIS IS LARRY ROWLAND AND THIS IS A BEAUFORT COUNTY MOMENT.
ONE OF THE EXCITING ASPECTS OF CO COLON, THE COLONIAL SEA ISLANDS WAS THE ARRIVAL OF NUMEROUS FREEBOOTERS AND PIRATES IN THIS AREA.
THE PIRACY IN THE CARIBBEAN WAS ESSENTIALLY ENDED IN 1713 WITH THE TREATY BETWEEN SPAIN AND ENGLAND.
BUT THE PIRATES WHO, UH, HAD INFESTED THE SPANISH MAINE FOR A HUNDRED YEARS MOVED NORTH.
MANY MOVED INTO THE BAHAMAS, MANY MOVED INTO THE SEA ISLANDS OF THE SOUTH CAROLINA COAST AND INTO THE OUTER BANKS OF NORTH CAROLINA IN THIS AREA.
THE COMMON PIRATE HANGOUT WAS THE COAST OF NORTH CAROLINA, WHICH WAS LESS POPULATED AND LESS DEFENDED THAN EITHER THE SEA ISLANDS OR THE NORTH COAST OF SOUTH CAROLINA.
SO IN 1719, SOUTH CAROLINA SENT A FLEET TO NORTH CAROLINA, WHICH CAPTURED STEED BONNET AND SANK HIS VESSEL, DROVE BLACKBEARD NORTH INTO BEAUFORT, NORTH CAROLINA, WHERE VIRGINIANS CAPTURED HIS VESSEL AND KILLED BLACKBEARD.
AND HIS VESSEL, QUEEN ANN'S REVENGE IS BEING ARCHEOLOGICALLY RECOVERED OFF OF BEAUFORT, NORTH CAROLINA AS WE SPEAK, UH, SOUTH OF CHARLESTON.
THIS PLACE BECAME A VERY ACTIVE CENTER FOR A PRIVATEER WAR IN THE 1730S AND 1740S.
IT WAS ESSENTIALLY A CONTEST BETWEEN THE SPANISH AND ST.
AUGUSTINE AND THE ENGLISH IN CHARLESTON.
DURING THE 1740S, SPANISH PRIVATEERS INFESTED THIS COAST AND VIRTUALLY STOPPED THE MARITIME TRADE FROM PORT ROYAL NEAR BEAUFORT AND FROM CHARLESTON, HARVARD.
THE MOST NOTABLE OF THOSE SPANISH PRIVATEERS WAS FRANCISCO LORENZO.
HE CAPTURED MANY SOUTH CAROLINIANS IN HIS VOYAGES, CAPTURED 56 ENGLISH VESSELS OFF THE COAST OF SOUTH CAROLINA IN THE SINGLE YEAR OF 1741.
BUT ALL OF HIS PRISONERS, HE TREATED WELL WHEN HE WAS FINALLY CAPTURED BY SOUTH CAROLINA NAVAL FORCES IN LATE 1741.
HE WAS TAKEN TO CHARLESTON AND THE POPULATION ASSEMBLED AND CHEERED HIM WHEN HE CAME ASHORE BECAUSE HE HAD BEEN SUCH AN HONORABLE PIRATE.
IF THERE IS SUCH A THING, OTHER PIRATES, FRENCH AND SPANISH CONTINUED TO INVEST THE COAST FROM 1742 TO 1744.
AND THEN AGAIN FROM 1748 TO 1751.
THE LAST SPANISH PIRATE, DON JULIAN DE VEGA, UH, WAS HERE AS LATE AS 1760, AND HE WAS CAPTURED BY SPANISH GUARD OF COASTUS, NOT ENGLISH COAST GUARDS.
DURING THAT TIME, THE IANS AND THE CHARLESTONIANS BUILT TWO INLAND GALLEYS ROAD GALLEYS WITH HEAVY GUNS THAT COULD PROTECT THE INLAND WATERS FROM THE SPANISH AND FRENCH FREE BOOERS.
BUT BETWEEN 1739, WHICH IS THE BEGINNING OF THE WAR OF JENKINS EAR, AND 1763, WHICH WAS THE TREATY OF PARIS THAT ENDED THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR, THIS WAS AN ACTIVE AREA FOR PRIVATEERS AND PIRATES AND THEIR COUNTER FORCES, THE GALLEYS OF SOUTH CAROLINA AND GEORGIA.
THIS HAS BEEN A BEAUFORT COUNTY MOMENT.
TO SEE MORE BEAUFORT COUNTY MOMENTS GO TO THE BEAUFORT COUNTY LIBRARY HOMEPAGE AND CLICK ON THE LOCAL HISTORY TAB.