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CLOSED CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY BUFORT COUNTY.
WE WILL CALL THIS MEETING TO ORDER.
DO WE NEED TO BE THIS CLOSE TO THE MIC OR CAN WE TALK LIKE THIS? AS LONG AS IT LIGHTS UP RED SHOULD BE AS LONG AS IT LIGHTS UP RED, Y'ALL KNOW TO YOU'RE IN A GOOD SPOT.
IF WE COULD STAND FOR THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS.
ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY.
WE WILL CONTINUE ON WITH ITEM NUMBER THREE, WHICH IS THE FOIA NOTIFICATION.
THIS HAS BEEN PUBLISHED, POSTED, AND DISTRIBUTED IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE SOUTH CAROLINA FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT.
IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE AGENDA THERE? A SECOND.
RICKETT, ANY DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR STATE BY SAYING AYE.
UM, AND WE HAVE THE MINUTES THAT WERE SENT OUT EARLIER THIS WEEK.
I DIDN'T SEE ANY CHANGES THAT NEEDED TO BE MADE, BUT SOMEONE MAY HAVE FOUND SOMETHING.
IF NOT, IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE? SO MOVED.
ANY DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR? I GUESS I'LL DO, RAISE YOUR HANDS.
WE HAVE PUBLIC OH ONE MR. RICKETT ABSTAINED.
UM, NEXT WE HAVE PUBLIC COMMENT AND I HATE MY BACK TO THE CROWD, BUT I DO APPRECIATE THE CITIZENS WHO ARE HERE TODAY AS WELL AS OUR, SOME OF OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS.
UM, BUT I DO SEE CHAIRMAN HOWARD.
YOU DO NEED TO FILL OUT A FORM WHICH HAS BEEN DONE.
IF YOU'LL COME TO THE PODIUM AND JUST STATE, YOU DON'T HAVE TO SAY YOUR ADDRESS, BUT MAYBE WHAT DISTRICT YOU'RE FROM WOULD BE REALLY WONDERFUL FOR US TO HAVE.
IS THAT GOOD? HERE? MAYBE A LITTLE CLOSER.
A LITTLE CLOSER FOR THE, A LITTLE CLOSER.
AND I THINK IT'S DISTRICT SIX.
UM, I SHOULD KNOW THAT 'CAUSE I DO THE ELECTIONS, BUT, UH,
WELL FIRST THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE TO IMPROVE TRANSPORTATION IN BEAUFORT COUNTY.
YOU'RE TASKED TO, UM, PROPOSE A REFERENDUM THAT'S SELLABLE TO THE VOTERS IS QUITE THE CHALLENGE.
SO HOPEFULLY I CAN PROVIDE SOME INPUT TO HELP YOU ACHIEVE THAT GOAL.
YOUR ATTENTION TO REDUCE CONGESTION AND DELAYS IS IMPORTANT, BUT WE ALSO HAVE TO STOP HURTING PEOPLE ON THE ROADWAYS.
SO THAT'S WHAT I WANNA TALK ABOUT.
USING THE DATA THAT'S IN THE SAFETY ACTION PLAN.
WE ARE AVERAGING IN BEAUFORT COUNTY 20 FATALITIES A YEAR.
THAT'S PRETTY SAD FOR THOSE FAMILIES AND IT SOUNDS AWFUL, BUT THEY DO ATTACH A MONETARY VALUE TO ALL THE INJURIES AND ALL THE FATALITIES AND USING THE NUMBERS FOR THE LAST FIVE YEARS, WE ARE AVERAGING $520 MILLION OF LOSS BECAUSE OF HOW WE'RE HURTING PEOPLE.
SO FAR, WE'VE HAD FIVE FATALITIES THIS YEAR AND IF WE CONTINUE IT THAT RATE, WE'RE GONNA EXCEED THE 20.
THOSE VALUES DO NOT INCLUDE PROPERTY DAMAGE, NOR DO THEY ACCOUNT FOR THE MEMORABLE DELAYS TO CLEAR ACCIDENTS WHICH IMPACT BUSINESS INTERRUPTION AND GOING TO WORK GETTING TO YOUR KIDS' SOCCER GAME.
THE PRIMARY CONTRIBUTORS ARE FAILURE TO YIELD DRIVING TOO FAST, DRIVING UNDER THE
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INFLUENCE.AND MY FAVORITE
MANY MAY SAY THAT THOSE ARE BEHAVIORAL ISSUES AND ACCIDENTS HAPPEN.
NOT MUCH YOU CAN DO EXCEPT ENFORCEMENT.
BUT FUNDAMENTAL SAFETY SAYS ACCIDENTS ARE PREVENTABLE AND WE ENCOURAGE SAFE BEHAVIOR.
GOOD VISIBILITY AND INTERSECTION DESIGN ARE PRIMARY FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE SAFE BEHAVIOR AND THEY ARE INEXPENSIVE TO FIX.
AND YOU GET QUICK RESULTS IF YOU ARE ABLE TO ATTEND THE LEGISLATIVE MEETINGS.
UH, WITH THE AD HOC MODERN MODERNIZATION DOT MEETINGS, YOU HEARD COMMISSIONER POWELL SAID, SAY THAT HE HAD 20% IMPROVEMENT ON RURAL ROADS BY ADDING RUMBLE STRIPS AND WIDENING THE SHOULDER.
I'M OFFERING YOU TWO SUGGESTIONS.
FEDERAL HIGHWAY COMMISSION, FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATIVE NOTES, EVEN HIGHER IMPROVEMENTS.
BY PAINTING THE LINES SIX INCHES WIDE INSTEAD OF FOUR INCHES, YOU USUALLY GET 30% IMPROVEMENT.
OUR NEIGHBOR IN NORTH CAROLINA, DOT JUST GOT A NATIONAL RECOGNITION.
THEY'RE USING THERMO THERMOPLASTIC ADHESIVES.
THOSE ARE MORE REFLECTIVE, THEY'RE A LITTLE MORE COSTLY THAN JUST PAINT, BUT, AND, BUT THEY LAST LONGER AND THEY EVEN SAW UP TO 79% REDUCTION IN CRASHES ON WET ROADS AND AT NIGHT.
YOU'RE FINISH YOUR THREE MINUTE MINUTES, BUT I DIDN'T TELL YOU 'CAUSE IT'S BEHIND YOU, BUT TRY TO TRY TO FINISH IT UP.
WE HAVE SIGNALS ALL THROUGH THIS COUNTY HANGING BY A CABLE.
THEY NEED A MASS ACROSS THE ROAD.
IN THAT CASE, YOU GET 50% REDUCTION IN, IN INCIDENTS.
UM, IN ADDITION, THERE ARE TECHNOLOGY IMPROVEMENTS AND I THINK YOU'VE HEARD ABOUT THOSE.
AND IN CLOSING, I JUST OFFER FROM YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN TRYING TO GET MAJOR, MAJOR PROJECTS APPROVED BIG TIME ENVIRONMENTAL PROJECTS.
I FIRST WON MY MANAGEMENT'S APPROVAL BY GETTING THE LITTLE ONES DONE AND SHOWING THEM THAT AND BUILDING THAT TRUST.
SO I'VE HEARD YOUR DISCUSSIONS ABOUT REFERENDUMS GOING ON FOR 30 YEARS.
VOTER SENTIMENT IS, UM, IS POOR.
I SUGGEST YOU HAVE A HANDFUL OF PROJECTS AND IMPLEMENT THOSE SAFETY PROJECTS COUNTYWIDE, GAIN THAT TRUST AND THEN COME BACK WITH A MORE SUBSTANTIAL REFERENDUM.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR, YOUR TIME.
UM, WE HAVE, AND I'M SORRY MS. MANNING, I DIDN'T TELL YOU.
I THOUGHT THE CLOCK WAS BEHIND ME.
UM, NEXT IS ABSOLUTELY MY BAD.
AND IT'S HARD FOR YOU TO SEE, BUT MAYBE IF YOU'RE NOT FINISHING UP IN ABOUT 20 SECONDS, I'M GONNA KIND DO THIS.
I DON'T WANNA INTERRUPT YOUR TALK.
AND ALSO WHERE YOUR, YOUR LOCATION PLEASE.
UH, I LIVE AT 1 54 MIDDLE ROAD.
MY NAME'S CRAIG SPROUL AND I BELIEVE IT'S DISTRICT TWO.
WE'VE BEEN HAVING AN ISSUE ON MIDDLE ROAD AT THE INTERSECTIONS OF LE MOINES AND MIDDLE ROAD, SHERWOOD AND MIDDLE ROAD.
WE'VE HAD FIVE ACCIDENTS, TWO AT SHERWOOD, THREE AT LEMOINE.
AND IT'S NOT ADDRESSED BY ANY OF THE NOTES THAT I'VE SEEN COME OUT OF THE COMMITTEE.
ONE IS YOU HAVE A UH, DASH LINE GOING NORTHBOUND AND A SOLID LINE GOING SOUTHBOUND.
BUT I'VE SEEN OVER AND OVER AGAIN PEOPLE PASSING JUST THE OTHER DAY, FOUR CARS.
THE FOURTH CAR DECIDED TO GO NORTHBOUND, PASS ALL FOUR CARS ON 1.6 STRETCHER ROAD.
AND I'M SURPRISED THEY DIDN'T HAVE AN ACCIDENT BECAUSE MORE OFTEN THAN THAT, WHAT HAPPENS IS PEOPLE TRY TO GO PAST THE INTERSECTION AND THEY COLLIDE.
SO IT'S PROBABLY A MARKING ISSUE FOR THE ROADS, BUT TWO PEOPLE DRIVE DOWN THAT CAR, THAT ROAD ANYWHERE BETWEEN 45, WHICH IS THE POSTED SPEED
AND I HAVE A LITTLE HANDHELD RADAR THAT CLOCKED IT JUST THE OTHER DAY.
THE FOUR CAR INCIDENT JUST HAPPENED ON SATURDAY.
ONE IS YOU CAN ALWAYS ADD A TRAFFIC LIGHT, TOO EXPENSIVE OR YOU COULD PROBABLY CHANGE THE CONFIGURATION OF THE INTERSECTIONS.
SO THE TWO THAT MIGHT BE LOGICAL, PUT A STOP SIGN UP THAT STRETCHER ROAD, PEOPLE AREN'T GONNA STOP THE THIRD OPTION.
OR ACTUALLY THE FOURTH OPTION WOULD BE PUT IN RUMBLE, UH, PUT IN THE SPEED BUMPS.
'CAUSE THAT'S THE ONLY WAY PEOPLE ARE GONNA STOP SPEEDING DOWN THAT ROAD.
'CAUSE AS SOON AS THEY SEE THAT STRETCHER ROAD COMING FROM THE DUMP SOUTH TO MARSH LANE, THEY GO LIKE A BAT OUTTA HELL.
IT'S 50, 55 MILES AN HOUR GOING DOWN THAT ROAD.
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NO WONDER WE'VE HAD SO MANY ACCIDENTS.WHERE IS THIS LOCATED? JUST FOR THOSE OF US THAT MAY NOT BE FAMILIAR WITH THE ROAD NAMES ON LADIES ISLAND.
UH, YOU ARE COMING UP SAMS POINT ROAD.
YOU TURN AROUND THE CIRCLE, GO ON MIDDLE ROAD.
AND YOU HAVE UH, BRICKYARD NORTH.
BRICKYARD SOUTH THAT GOES UP TO BRICKYARD NORTH.
SO PAST THAT LIGHT DOWN LADIES ISLAND, RIGHT NEAR NORTH NEW POINT AND THAT AREA.
YOU'RE UP PAST THE TRAFFIC CIRCLE AND YOU TAKE THE ONE TWO THIRD EXIT OFF THE TRAFFIC CIRCLE.
AND IF YOU GO DOWN THERE, UH, PROBABLY ABOUT HALF A MILE, THEN YOU'LL SEE THAT ONE STRETCH OF ROAD.
AND IS WHOSE DISTRICT IS HE IN? IS ANYONE HERE TODAY? LET ME, LET ME CATCH YOU MR. TRASK.
ARE YOU GONNA BE HERE FOR THE FULL MEETING? YES, SIR.
SO WE'LL MAKE SURE MR. TRASK IS AWARE OF THAT TO SUPPORT THAT WHEN WE GET DOWN TO IT.
AND I THINK I SAW ROBERT, ARE YOU READY? YES, MA'AM.
SO WE HAVE TWO PRESENTATIONS TODAY.
ONE FROM THE SCHOOL DISTRICT AND ONE FROM THE CITY OF BEAUFORT.
AND WE WILL START WITH MR. OTTING WITH THE BEAUFORT COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT.
IF THERE ARE QUESTIONS, IF YOU COULD JUST GET MY ATTENTION SO WE CAN KEEP THIS RUNNING AND, AND GET THE QUESTIONS ASKED IN THE ORDER THAT I SEE THE HANDS ARE RAISED.
AND ARE YOU O DO YOU WANNA FINISH YOUR PRESENTATION BEFORE WE ASK QUESTIONS OR ARE YOU OKAY DURING TO STOP AND IT'S WHATEVER YOU I'M OKAY WITH.
WHICHEVER YOU'RE MORE COMFORTABLE WITH.
SO IF Y'ALL HAVE QUESTIONS, THEN IT JUST, I'LL TRY TO GET EVERYONE WITH GLEN ON THE, I MIGHT NOT SEE GLEN IF THE PRESENTATION'S UP, UM, I'LL, I'LL BE ABLE TO SHARE IT.
IF Y'ALL WOULD JUST LET ME RECOGNIZE YOU AND THEN WE'LL ASK HIM A QUESTION.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A GROUP LIKE THIS IN THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, SO THIS IS PRETTY FAMILIAR WITH, UH, THIS KIND OF FORMAT.
SO I'M, IT'S GREAT THAT Y'ALL ARE DOING THIS.
LIKE, UH, MS. SULCA SAID, I'M ROBERT OTTING, I'M THE CHIEF OPERATIONS OFFICER WITH BEAUFORT COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT.
I ALSO BROUGHT WITH ME MR. GLENN FRAZIER, HE'S THE DIRECTOR OF TRANSPORTATION.
SO HE'S GONNA SPEAK IN A MINUTE ABOUT SOME OF THE ROAD ISSUES WE SEE SPECIFICALLY.
FIRST OFF, WHAT I'D LIKE TO TALK ABOUT, IF YOU'RE NOT FAMILIAR WITH IT, THE SCHOOL DISTRICT HAS A FACILITIES MASTER PLAN.
UM, WE, UH, A LOT OF THE BOARD MEMBERS LOOK AT THIS AND BASICALLY ANYTHING YOU WANNA KNOW ABOUT THE SCHOOL DISTRICT AND GROWTH IS IN HERE.
I WAS GONNA SHOW REAL QUICK HOW YOU CAN FIND IT.
'CAUSE THIS IS AVAILABLE ONLINE.
IF YOU HAVE ANY INTEREST, UH, IF YOU GO TO THE SCHOOL DISTRICT WEBSITE REAL QUICK, UM, YOU GO TO ABOUT US DEPARTMENTS OPERATIONS, AND THIS IS HOW I DO IT.
I THINK THERE'S ANOTHER MORE DIRECT WAY.
BUT, AND THEN GO TO, UH, FIVE YEAR CAPITAL PLANS.
AND THEN THE 2026 FACILITIES MASTER PLAN.
SO WHAT IS IN HERE? ONE OF THE THINGS, OR THE STUFF THAT IS IN HERE INVOLVES, UM, DEMOGRAPHICS OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT WHERE WE'RE GROWING, UH, HOW WE'RE TRACKING POP, UH, STUDENT POPULATION TRENDS.
NOW RECOGNIZE AS A SCHOOL DISTRICT, WE TRACK GROWTH OF STUDENTS.
WE'RE STUDENTS IN PUBLIC SCHOOL.
SO WE'RE, THERE MAY BE GROWTH IN AREAS, BUT THAT DOESN'T NECESSARILY MEAN THAT THERE'S STUDENTS IN THOSE AREAS.
UM, AND WE TRACK THIS ANNUALLY, UM, AND WE DO IT BY, UH, SMALL PLANNING UNITS.
SO WE DIVIDE UP AREAS INTO SMALL LITTLE PLANNING UNITS AND WE TRACK EACH OF THOSE INDIVIDUAL PLANNING UNITS INDIVIDUALLY TO SEE WHERE THE GROWTH IS.
UM, THE OTHER THING THAT'S IMPORTANT IN HERE IS FACILITIES.
WHAT WE SEE IS OUR BIG CAPITAL NEEDS AS FAR AS SOMETHING THAT YOU MIGHT BE FAMILIAR WITH AT THIS GROUP THAT YOU'RE KINDA LOOKING AT.
SO ONE OF OUR MAIN ITEMS, AND THIS CAME OUT OF WHAT WE CALL OUR CPRC, I GOTTA REMEMBER THE COMMUNITY PROJECT REVIEW COMMITTEE.
UH, I BELIEVE JUDGE KLEIN, YOU MAY HAVE BEEN ON THIS, UH, A TIME OR TWO.
AND SO WHAT THAT GROUP DOES, KINDA LIKE YOU LOOKS AT ALL THE SCHOOL DISTRICT PROJECTS AND, UM, COMES UP, REVIEWS WHAT WE'RE PRESENTING.
THEY ASK QUESTIONS, THEY GO VISIT SITES, AND THEY EVENTUALLY COME UP WITH A CAPITAL PROJECT LIST FOR THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.
ONE OF THE ITEMS THAT CAME OUT OF THE LAST CPRC, UM, THAT DID NOT GET FUNDED.
AND WE HOLD THAT AND WE'LL PROBABLY LOOK AT IT AGAIN AS PARKING LOTS AND DRIVES AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
UM, WE HAVE 3.4 MILLION SQUARE FEET IN PARKING LOTS.
UH, PARTICULARLY, UH, ONE THAT, UH, WE HAVE A LOT OF, UH, ISSUES WITH OR CONVERSATIONS ABOUT IS BUS DRIVE ON HILTON HEAD.
WE ALSO OWN SOME ROADS YOU MAY NOT ASSOCIATE WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, LIKE RUDE DEIS OVER BEHIND BEAUFORT HIGH.
THAT'S KIND OF SEPARATE FROM THE REST OF THE SCHOOL CAMPUS, BUT WE OWN THAT ROAD.
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UM, AND THOSE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO MAINTAIN.OUR AVERAGE LIFE OF PARKING LOTS AND IS, AND DRIVES IS 33 YEARS OLD.
SO WHEN IT COMES TO PARKING LOTS AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE, JUST ON OUR OWN, WE HAVE A LOT OF NEEDS.
UNFORTUNATELY, WHEN YOU'RE A SCHOOL DISTRICT, THE FUNDING THAT COMES, UH, IS MORE FOR THE SCHOOL BUILDING, FOR THE CLASSROOMS, FOR THE TEACHERS.
SO ROADS BECOMES ON OUR END A LOWER PRIORITY.
SO IT'S SOMETHING WE OFTEN STRUGGLE WITH.
I JUST WANTED TO GIVE A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF KIND OF HOW WE TRACK PROJECTS AND WHAT, AND HOW WE TRACK GROWTH AND WHAT WE'RE SEEING.
I'M GONNA HAND IT OVER TO MR. FRAZIER TO TALK ABOUT ACTUAL, UH, TRAFFIC ISSUES THAT WE SEE.
BUT BEFORE I DO, DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR ME? DOES ANYONE HAVE QUESTIONS? MR. STANFORD? I DO NOT SEE YOUR FACE.
DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS RIGHT NOW? YOU'RE ON MUTE.
WE'LL LOOK AT THE BUS DRIVE ISSUE.
ANY QUESTIONS AS HE GOES? OKAY.
GLENN FRASER, THE DIRECTOR OF TRANSPORTATION.
AND AND THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING US TO COME IN AND BE A PART OF THIS, UH, COMMITTEE THAT YOU HAVE PUT TOGETHER.
UM, JUST A FEW QUICK THINGS AND, AND A FEW QUESTIONS THAT, THAT HAVE ARISEN.
UH, IS THE NUMBER OF ROUTES THAT WE HAVE IN PARTICULAR AREA AND WHERE OUR PARTICULAR CONCERNS ARE RIGHT NOW ARE IN THE BLUFFTON AREA.
UM, WE HAVE APPROXIMATELY 115 ROUTES THAT OPERATE ON THE THREE MAJOR ROADWAYS IN THE BLUFFTON AREA.
AND OUT OF THOSE, UH, ROUTES THAT CONSIST OF APPROXIMATELY 50 BUSES AND 5,000 STUDENTS ARE IMPACTED BY THOSE ROUTES ON THOSE PARTICULAR ROADS.
UM, THE IMPACT THAT IT'S CAUSING WITH TRANSPORTATION WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICT IS, OF COURSE WE HAVE SLOWER RUNTIMES, UH, IN O IN OTHER WORDS, UH, PICKING UP OUR STUDENTS, GETTING THEM TO THE SCHOOL IN A, IN A SHORTER TIME PERIOD.
WE HAVE, UH, DELAYS IN ARRIVAL TIMES, UH, INCREASED RIDE TIMES FOR THE STUDENTS.
AND, UM, DANGEROUS CONDITIONS DURING PICKUP AND DROP OFF, UH, PARTICULARLY ON, UH, HIGHWAY 46 DUE TO NOT HAVING SIDEWALKS, UH, THAT STUDENTS CAN, CAN WALK ON.
SO SOME OF THOSE, UH, PARTICULAR ROADWAYS, UH, I HAVE SPOKEN WITH WITH, UH, BRIAN, AND I KNOW THAT Y'ALL ARE TRYING TO ADDRESS SOME OF THOSE ISSUES, BUT WE WANTED TO COME IN AND TELL YOU HOW IT AFFECTS THE SCHOOL DISTRICT AND GETTING OUR STUDENTS TO AND FROM SCHOOL SAFELY.
UH, AND WHAT COULD WE GAIN BY THE IMPROVEMENTS TO THE ROADS IN THE, UH, BLUFFTON AREA IN PARTICULAR WOULD BE, OF COURSE, SAFER BUS STOPS FOR OUR STUDENTS.
UH, UH, CONSISTED ARRIVAL TIMES TO THE SCHOOLS AND, UH, DECREASED RIDE TIMES, INCREASED EFFICIENCY AND, UH, TIME ALLOWING FOR BETTER COVERAGE OF THE ATTENDANCE ZONES.
SO BECAUSE OF THE ROUTES, UM, AND THE, THE, THE TIME THAT IT TAKES US TO GET THROUGH THOSE TRAFFIC AREAS, IT AFFECTS HOW MANY BUSES WE HAVE TO PUT ON THE ROAD AND THE ASSETS THAT WE HAVE TO USE IN THAT AREA.
SO, UH, WITH THE ROAD IMPROVEMENTS THAT ARE BEING TALKED ABOUT HERE IN THIS COMMITTEE, UH, THAT WOULD ALLOW US TO USE, UH, OUR ASSETS A LITTLE BETTER, MAYBE NOT AS MANY ROUTES, UH, AND IMPROVE JUST THE OVERALL TRAFFIC TIME, UH, FOR THE CITIZENS OF BEAUFORT COUNTY, TRAVELING ON THOSE ROAD ROADWAYS AND NOT HAVING TO STOP AS MANY TIMES FOR BUS STOPS AND, AND SUCH AS THAT.
SO THOSE ARE THE AREAS THAT WE WANTED TO DISCUSS WITH THE COMMITTEE AND JUST BRING UP TO THE COMMITTEE SO THAT YOU COULD THINK ABOUT THOSE.
UH, AGAIN, WE ARE JUST TALKING ABOUT, UH, THE BLUFFTON AREA IN PARTICULAR TODAY.
UM, BUT I CAN GET YOU SOME MORE NUMBERS ON, UH, OTHER AREAS ON THE NORTHERN PART OF THE COUNTY IF YOU'D LIKE THOSE.
BUT IF ANYBODY HAS ANY QUESTIONS? QUESTIONS OF THE COMMITTEE? MR. RICKETT? YEAH.
JUST OUTTA CURIOSITY, I KNOW IT'S BEEN AN ISSUE IN THE PAST, UH, FINDING ENOUGH DRIVERS.
UM, IS THAT STILL AN ISSUE OR HAVE YOU BEEN ABLE TO PRETTY MUCH, UH, UH, GET PAST THAT? IT, IT IS STILL AN ISSUE, BUT WE HAVE DONE MUCH IMPROVEMENT, UH, SINCE MARCH OF LAST YEAR, SINCE MARCH OF LAST YEAR.
I WAS SHORT 24 DRIVERS WHEN I, UH, TOOK OVER, UH, THE DEPARTMENT.
AND AT THIS PARTICULAR TIME, I BELIEVE I'M ABOUT FOUR, FOUR DRIVERS SHORT.
UM, AND AGAIN, WITH THAT QUESTION
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AND BEING ABLE TO FIND DRIVERS, THE ROAD IMPROVEMENTS THAT THAT WOULD BE DISCUSSED OR POSSIBLY IMPLEMENTED WOULD ASSIST IN THAT BECAUSE I WOULD BE ABLE TO USE FEWER ASSETS TO, AND I WOULDN'T HAVE TO HAVE AS MANY DRIVERS 'CAUSE I COULD TIE SOME OF THOSE ROUTES IN TOGETHER.UM, BUT YES, IT'S ALWAYS A CHALLENGE TO FIND DRIVERS
AND THEN JUDGE, TALKING ABOUT INTERSECTION BIKE PATHS, WALKING PATHS.
CAN YOU GET US A, UH, A LIST OF ISSUES, SPECIFIC ISSUES, UH, SAFETY AT, UH, INTERSECTIONS? SURE.
UH, BIKE PATHS, WALKING PATHS THAT ARE NEEDED, UH, FOR THE NORTHERN BEAUFORT COUNTY AND SOUTHERN BEAUFORT COUNTY.
CAN YOU GET IT IN A TIMELY MANNER BECAUSE WE'RE GETTING READY TO MAKE SOME DECISIONS HERE.
I CAN WORK WITH BRIAN ON THAT BECAUSE HE HAS SOME NUMBERS AS WELL AND I CAN, I CAN GET WITH BRIAN AND WORK ON THAT.
UH, CAN YOU GIVE US SOME INFORMATION ON CURRENTLY THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY, HOW MANY BUS ROUTES STILL TRAVERSE DIRT ROADS? I, I, I WOULD HAVE TO DO A LITTLE RESEARCH, BUT I CAN GET THOSE, UH, ROUTES FOR YES, SIR.
AND, AND SADLY WE CAN ONLY PAVE PUBLIC DIRT ROADS, SO THAT'S GONNA BE HARD.
'CAUSE I KNOW IT'S SO MUCH A NEED.
THAT WILL BE, YOU WILL BE SPEAKING ABOUT A DRIVEWAY.
I'M SPEAKING ABOUT WHERE YOU TRAVERSE DIRT ROADS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY WITH A BUS ROUTE COVERS DIRT ROADS.
I I SAID IT WRONG, BUT I, I AGREE WITH WHAT HE SAID.
I DO KNOW THAT WE HAVE, UH, SEVERAL ROUTES IN THE ST.
HELENA AREA THAT TRAVEL DOWN DIRT ROADS.
UM, BUT I'M SURE THERE ARE MORE IN, UH, IN THE SOUTHERN PART OF THE DISTRICT.
WELL, DISTRICT COVERED THE WHOLE TOWN.
UM, I, I MET A GIRL AT THE HIGHWAY ONE 70 STUDY AND SHE WAS TALKING ABOUT THE SCHOOLS AND THAT HER, SHE LIVES OVER IN NEW RIVERSIDE AND THAT SHE SAID, UM, I'M NOT SURE IF IT'S HOW YOU ZONE WHERE STUDENTS GO, BUT SHE SAID STUDENTS FROM CHICHE WERE GOING TO MAY RIVER WHEN IT WAS MUCH CLOSER TO GO TO LIGHT ROBERT SMALLS HIGH SCHOOL AS OPPOSED TO THE MAY RIVER HIGH SCHOOL.
AND, AND THEN HER CHILDREN WHO LIVE IN NEW RIVERSIDE WEREN'T GOING TO MAY RIVER LIKE HIGH SCHOOL.
THEY HAD TO BE GO SOMEWHERE ELSE AND BE BUSED OR DRIVEN.
SO I'LL LET MR. OUTING ADDRESS THAT
UM, WE DO HAVE WAS GONNA THOSE CONSIDERATIONS RIGHT NOW.
SO YOU ASKED A COUPLE QUESTIONS THERE.
SO JUST ONE THING TO NOTE, AND OUR BOARD MADE THIS A POLICY SOME TIME AGO.
'CAUSE WHENEVER WE'RE ACTUALLY IN A CONVERSATION RIGHT NOW ABOUT STUDENT REASSIGNMENTS, BECAUSE WE'RE BRINGING ON BOARD MAY RIVER ELEMENTARY, AND AS MAY RIVER ELEMENTARY COMES ON BOARD, OBVIOUSLY WE'LL HAVE TO CREATE A ZONE FOR THAT SCHOOL, WHICH WILL INVOLVE ALL THE BLUFFTON AREA BASICALLY.
AND SO WE'RE GONNA DO, UH, A NEW STUDENT REASSIGNMENT.
RIGHT NOW, WE'RE IN THE PROCESS IN APRIL, ACTUALLY, WE'RE SUPPOSED TO TAKE OUR FIRST ROUND, UH, TO THE BOARD.
THEN THE BOARD'S GOING TO REVIEW AND THEN WE'RE GONNA BRING IT BACK TO THE PUBLIC.
WE JUST FINISHED PUBLIC COMMENTS IN DECEMBER.
SO THAT WAS, AND I, I SAY ALL THAT JUST TO SAY ONE OF THE ISSUES IS OUR BOARD PRETTY MUCH SAYS THAT, UH, THE BROAD RIVER IS A DIVIDING LINE.
LIKE EVERYBODY NORTH OF THE BROAD RIVER GOES TO NORTH OF BROAD RIVER IS ZONED FOR NORTH OF BROAD RIVER AND THEN SOUTH.
LOTS OF PEOPLE BRING UP EVERY TIME WE LOOK AT THIS, UH, THAT, YOU KNOW, WHY CAN'T WE CROSS THAT? AND AS SOON AS THAT CONVERSATION STARTS, IT BECOMES VERY HEATED ALL OF A SUDDEN.
SO WE'VE, OVER TIME, THE BOARD KIND OF JUST SAID, THAT'S A, THAT'S A LINE.
NOW KIDS CAN BY CHOICE GO ACROSS THAT LINE.
BUT AS FAR AS THE WAY WE ZONE SCHOOLS, THAT'S HOW THEY'RE SET UP NEW RIVERSIDE.
UM, THE THING ABOUT NEW RIVERSIDE IS, IS, UH, BACK IN 2018, UH, OR ABOUT THAT TIMEFRAME, THE BOARD WAS NOT INTERESTED IN REDISTRICTING.
AND WE WERE HAVING A PROBLEM WITH GROWTH IN THE MAY RIVER AREA.
UM, SOME OF THE SCHOOLS THAT HAD PROBLEMS, WELL, PRITCHARD V BY FAR HAD SOME OF THE BIGGEST ISSUES ALONG WITH MAY RIVER HIGH SCHOOL.
AND BACK THEN WE WERE GIVEN THE AUTHORITY THAT WE WERE ABLE TO ZONE SCHOOLS WITHOUT PEOPLE IN IT, TO SCHOOLS THAT HAD CAPACITY.
SO IN THE NEW RIVERSIDE AREA AT THAT TIME, WE REZO, WE ZONED.
NOW WHAT IS THE LAKES 'CAUSE NO, THERE WERE NO BUILDINGS BUILT AND WE KNEW WE HAD GROWTH PROBLEMS. THEY WERE ZONED FOR BLUFFTON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AND BLUFFTON HIGH SCHOOL.
AND THERE ARE A COUPLE OTHER COMMUNITIES THROUGHOUT BLUFFTON THAT ARE LIKE THAT.
AND SO ONE OF OUR THINGS THAT WE'RE WANTING TO DO WITH THIS NEW STUDENT
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REASSIGNMENT IS TO CORRECT THOSE, WE CALL THOSE DONUT HOLES.THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF A WHOLE SCHOOL, BUT THEY GO TO A DIFFERENT SCHOOL.
AND, UH, WE'RE HOPING THAT THOSE ARE ALL CORRECTED AS PART OF THIS STUDENT REASSIGNMENT.
SO HOPEFULLY I A ANSWERED ALL YOUR QUESTIONS.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? MR. HARDEN, WHAT IS MAY RIVER ELEMENTARY CURRENTLY SCHEDULED TO COME ONLINE? UH, IT WILL OPEN IN AUGUST OF 2027.
AND IF YOU HAVEN'T BEEN OUT THERE, IT'S COMING RIGHT ALONG.
WE'RE ON SCHEDULE, SO WE'RE VERY EXCITED ABOUT THAT.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OF THE COMMITTEE? UM, MR. STANFORD, ANY QUESTIONS? I HAVE A COUPLE HAVE Y'ALL.
SO WE GO THROUGH THIS GROUP'S GONNA MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TO COUNTY COUNCIL.
HAS YOU, HAVE YOU THOUGHT TO GO TO YOUR BOARD TO GET SUPPORT FOR THIS PENNY BASED ON THE PROJECTS OR NOT BASED ON THE PROJECTS? HAVE Y'ALL DISCUSSED THAT? I MEAN, AS FAR AS ON THE TRANSPORTATION SIDE MM-HMM
UM, ARE IN SUPPORT OF A PENNY TO EASE SAFETY CONGEN OF THE WHOLE THING.
I, I'D HAVE TO SAY, AS FAR AS US, WE HAVE NOT HAD THAT CONVERSATION OR A CONVERSATION LIKE THAT IF THE COMMITTEE'S OKAY.
I I THINK WE SHOULD ASK IF Y'ALL WOULD CONSIDER IT.
ESPECIALLY IF IT, THAT WOULD BE IMPORTANT.
YEAH, I THINK IT WOULD BE IMPORTANT.
UM, THE OTHER IS, UM, DURING ALL YOUR SURVEYS YOU'VE DONE, I'M SURE YOU'VE DONE 'EM, DID YOU, DID YOU EVER SEE WHERE TRANSPORTATION, AND IT COULD BE SOMETHING YOU GOTTA GET BACK TO US AND WHERE TRANSPORTATION WAS HIGHER ON THE LIST.
MAYBE YOU COULD ASK THE BOARD THAT TOO ON ANY SURVEYS THAT WERE DONE.
AND IT MAY NOT HAVE GONE THAT FAR DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE, BUT THAT WAS JUST A QUESTION.
I THINK WHEN WE GET CLOSER TO COORDINATING THE PROJECTS, IT WOULD BE GOOD, AND I'M ONLY ASKING THE COMMITTEE REALLY TO SEE WHERE, WHERE IT IS HELPFUL FOR THE SCHOOL.
WHERE WE MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO DO EXACTLY WHAT YOU WANTED, BUT WHERE ARE WE IN LINE? BECAUSE I KNOW A LOT OF OUR PROJECTS ARE GONNA AFFECT BOTH SIDES, THE WHOLE COUNTY, BUT HOW DOES IT WORK WITH MAYBE HELPING YOU REWORK YOUR BUSING AND ZONING AND EVERYTHING? SO THAT REALLY WASN'T A QUESTION.
IT'S MORE OF A NO, BUT I'D AGREE AND WE'D LOVE THAT OPPORTUNITY.
I MEAN, SOME OF THE THOUGHTS OF WHERE WE CAN ACTUALLY WORK TOGETHER AND THERE'S A LOT OF, UH, PROGRESS ON BOTH SIDES.
COULD BE LIKE SIDEWALKS, WALKING TO SCHOOLS.
AND THEN THAT ALLOWS FOR THERE TO BE SAFE ROCK WALKS, UH, ROUTES TO SCHOOL.
BECAUSE IF A BUS WE'RE REQUIRED BY A STATE TO KICK, UH, PICK UP ALL KIDS WITHIN A OR NOT HAVE THEM WALK WITHIN AN AREA UNLESS THERE'S NOT A SAFE ROUTE.
SO IF THERE'S NOT A SIDEWALK THERE, THEN A BUS HAS TO PICK 'EM UP.
AND IF THERE WAS, THEY WOULDN'T HAVE TO.
I ACTUALLY BROUGHT A THIRD QUESTION.
I KNOW WITH BLUFFTON MIDDLE, UM, WE, YOU HAD TO PROVIDE SOME FORM OF THAT SIDEWALK ON BUCK ISLAND.
IS THAT SOMETHING YOU'RE DOING AT MAY RIVER ELEMENTARY OR ARE ALL THE PATHWAYS AND SIDEWALKS PRETTY MUCH IN PLACE? SO WE'RE GONNA PROVIDE SIDEWALKS ACTUALLY TO THE LAKES, THE NEIGHBORHOOD RIGHT.
CLOSEST TO US AND ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE PATH PATHWAY ON NEW RIVERSIDE.
SO THE PATHWAYS ARE ALREADY THERE, SO, BUT IT'LL BE CONNECTED.
WHICH BRINGS UP, LIKE, I I, IF I CAN REAL QUICK, SOME EXAMPLES WHERE NEED LOOK AT.
WELL BRANCH EARLY COLLEGE HIGH SCHOOL, WE'VE BUILT THE SIDEWALK THERE IN FRONT OF OUR SCHOOL, BUT IT DOESN'T CONNECT ANYTHING 'CAUSE THERE'S NO SIDEWALKS ON ANY OF THE ROADS IN THAT AREA.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? MADAM CHAIR? YES, MR. HARVEY, ARE THERE ISSUES, UH, WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICT WHERE, UH, SAFETY, OTHER THAN CROSSWALKS SAY LIGHTING SLOW DOWN, YOU KNOW, SIGNS THAT TELL FOLKS TO SLOW DOWN SPEEDING WISE? I HAVE ONE THAT JUMPS OUT.
YEAH, I MEAN WE'VE, WE'VE HAD SOME ISSUES WITH LIGHTING IN AREAS, UH, WHICH CAUSES SAFETY, THEN ABILITY FOR THE STUDENT TO WALK TO SCHOOL OR WHATEVER IT MAY BE.
SO THEN WE HAVE TO PICK, THE STATE REQUIRES THAT, UH, STUDENTS THAT LIVE A MILE AND A HALF OF THE, OF THE SCHOOL ARE IN A WALK ZONE AND THE STATE WILL NOT SUPPORT OR, OR FUND, UH, STUDENTS BEING PICKED UP IN THAT AREA UNLESS THERE ARE SAFETY HAZARDS, WHICH CAUSES US TO HAVE TO DO THAT.
UH, SO LIGHTING CONCERNS, SIDEWALKS, UH, THINGS LIKE THAT, HEAVY TRAFFIC DETERMINE WHETHER WE CAN MAKE IT A WALK ZONE OR WHETHER WE HAVE TO MAKE IT A HAZARDOUS ZONE AND THEN HAVE TO RUN A ROUTE TO PICK 'EM UP AGAIN.
UH, IF WE HAVE TO PICK UP STUDENTS WITHIN THAT MILE AND A HALF, UH, IT CAUSES US TO HAVE MORE ROUTES, UH, AND, UM, THE NEED FOR MORE DRIVERS AS YOU SPOKE ABOUT EARLIER.
SO THINGS LIKE THAT, UH, COULD IMPROVE, UH, WALK ZONE AREAS AND REDUCE SOME OF THE ROUTES THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO RUN.
I THINK IT'D BE GREAT TO REVISIT THIS BECAUSE THAT'S A COMPONENT THAT WE WOULDN'T NECESSARILY HAVE INFORMATION ON, UM, LIKE WITHIN THAT MILE AND A HALF.
I MEAN, AND IF YOU'RE STRUGGLING TRYING TO FIND BUS DRIVERS AND, AND, AND, AND THE LIKE, I MEAN THAT'S, THAT SEEMS LIKE A LOGICAL FIT.
[00:30:01]
I THINK I CAN THINK OF ONE EXAMPLE RIGHT OFF THAT I KNOW I'VE GOTTEN A LOT OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT.THE, IT'S GOT, IT HAS SIDEWALKS COMING UP TO JOSEPH SHANKLIN, BUT DUE TO THE DARKNESS IN THE AREA AND ALL THAT, THEY, WE PICK 'EM UP BY BUS.
SO LIGHTS WOULD HELP ON THAT STREET.
IS IT POSSIBLE TO PUT JUST A LIST AND THE COUNTY'S GONNA BE SO AWARE OF THE STREET NAMES, UNLIKE PROBABLY SOME OF US TO, SO THEY CAN COMPARE IT WITH WHAT MAY BE ALREADY ON THE LIST FOR US TO DISCUSS.
CAN YOU DO THAT BEFORE APRIL 1ST? APRIL 1ST? THAT'S WHAT I WAS ABOUT TO ASK.
ISN'T THAT OUR NEXT MEETING? LET'S THE DEADLINE APRIL 1ST.
WELL, WE START WORK SHOPPING THIS THE FIRST TWO WEEKS IN APRIL.
AND I THAT YOUR QUESTION? YEAH.
UM, THE, UM, THE GASOLINE TAX THAT WE COLLECT, CAN ANY OF THAT BE USED TO REPAVE SOME OF YOUR PARKING LOTS AND ROADS OR ARE YOU GUYS A TOTAL TOTALLY SEPARATE ENTITY THAT THEY CAN'T? I CAN ANSWER THAT.
SO THE GASOLINE TAX, I THINK WHAT YOU'RE REFERRING TO IS OUR CTC.
THE THREE PENNS OUTTA STATE TAX.
UM, SO IT CAN BE USED ON THE ROADS, PUBLIC ROADS.
CTC WOULD HAVE TO SET THAT ASIDE AND SPECIFY THAT ROAD.
IT CANNOT USED BE USED ON PARKING LOTS.
SO IT COULD BE USED ON THEIR ROADS, WELL ON PUBLIC.
SO IF IT'S A DOT OR A COUNTY OWNED ROAD, THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, UM, NOT THEIR DRIVEWAY WITHIN THE PARCEL FOR THE SCHOOL, BUT THE OUTSIDE ROAD IN FRONT, IF IT'S A COUNTY OWNED OR TOWN OWNED, OR DOT OWNED ROAD.
I DON'T, WE'D HAVE TO ASK THE QUESTION.
I DON'T KNOW THAT THAT WOULD PROBABLY APPLY, BUT WE'LL HAVE A FEW WEEKS TO FIGURE THAT OUT.
AND I'LL, WE HAVE RESURFACE ROADS THAT LEAD TO SCHOOLS.
WE DID FIDDLER DRIVE WITHIN THE LAST COUPLE YEARS, WHICH HAS A DIRECT DRIVEWAY INTO OSA ELEMENTARY.
SO SOME OF THOSE ROADS ARE INCLUDED WITH THE CDC PAVING JUST BY DEFAULT.
SO ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? THANK YOU.
OH, JUDGE KLON, JUST WANNA REITERATE THE, THAT YOU FINALLY GOT TO THE RULE OF THE MATTER OF THERE'S THEIR NEEDS AND, AND, AND MUNICIPAL COMMUNITIES, THEIR NEEDS IN RURAL COMMUNITIES.
HE BROUGHT UP WILL BRANCH EARLY COLLEGE HIGH SCHOOL, NOT THAT SAME ISSUE AS AT DAVIS, THE SAME ISSUE AS AT THE SCHOOLS IN STEWART POINT.
YOU HAVE MA MAJOR TRAFFIC AREAS WHERE KIDS AND THE, LIKE, WHEN THE TIME CHANGES, THEY WALK TO SCHOOL IN THE DARK OR THEY'RE WALKING HOME IN THE DARK ON A TWO-LANE ROAD WITH NO HERE'S THE PAVEMENT, HERE'S THE GRASS.
WEIGHING ON SHINE, THEY STILL HAVE TO WALK.
SO THAT'S THE POINT I WANNA BRING.
THE NEED TO LOOK AT, AND I'M SURE THE FACT THAT BUSES ARE STILL TRAVELING DIRT ROADS, GUESS WHAT? THOSE KIDS ARE ON THOSE DIRT ROADS, YOU KNOW, WHERE THEY HAVE TO WALK TO GET TO THE BUS AND WALK BACK HOME.
SO THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE LOOK AT COUNTY DIRT ROADS, THAT, THAT ARE MAJOR ROOTS FOR THE SCHOOL SYSTEM.
AND IS THAT DATA YOU CAN GET IN THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF TIME,
WE'RE NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO DISTINGUISH WHETHER THEY'RE PRIVATE OR PUBLIC.
WE'RE JUST GONNA TALK ABOUT DIRT ROAD DIRT ROAD DIRT ROADS AND BUSES ARE ON GREEN SIGN ROADS.
CORRECT SIGNS OR CONNIE ROADS.
MR. FREEMAN ALSO, MADAM CHAIR, IF I COULD TAIL OFF OF JUDGE KLEIN'S COMMENT.
ARE THERE DIRT ROADS WHERE I KNOW DIRT ROADS ARE NARROW? ARE THERE ROADS WHERE BUSES CAN'T TURN AROUND? I MEAN, SOME OF THOSE ARE DEAD END.
AND IF YOU COULD THROW YOUR HAT AT THAT TOO.
I KNOW THAT'S A TOTAL ORDER BY APRIL ONE.
I'M TRYING TO THINK RIGHT OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD.
I DO, I DO KNOW THAT THERE IS, UH, A DIRT ROAD IN THE, UH, CUSA AREA, CUSA ELEMENTARY AREA THAT, UM, IS IN VERY ROUGH CONDITION THAT THE BUS TRAVELS DOWN.
AND, UM, WE'VE HAD TO ACTUALLY TURN AROUND ON THE ROAD BECAUSE IT CAUSES SO MUCH PROBLEMS TO OUR BUSES.
IF YOU GO ACROSS THOSE DIRT ROADS, LIKE YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, LIKE JUDGE KLEIN IS TALKING ABOUT, UM, EVEN AT 25 MILES AN HOUR, UM, THE WEAR AND TEAR ON THE BUSES CAUSES PROBLEMS FOR US.
UH, AND, AND DOWN BUSES, WHICH CAUSES US TO HAVE TO UTILIZE, UH, COUNTY BUSES THAT THE SCHOOL DISTRICT OWNS THEMSELVES OR TRY TO GET A SPARE BUS FROM THE STATE GARAGE AND, WHICH CAN BE DIFFICULT AT TIMES.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? GREAT INFORMATION THAT WE'RE EDUCATING OURSELF ON ALL THESE PRESENTATIONS AND IT'S VERY ENLIGHTENING.
NEXT WE HAVE THE CITY OF BEAUFORT THAT'S GONNA DO THEIR PRESENTATION ON THE NEEDS OF THEIR MUNICIPALITY.
WHO'S PRESENTING? OH, SCOTT, THERE YOU GO.
[00:35:01]
INTRODUCE YOURSELF TO THOSE WHO DON'T KNOW YOU.SO, YEAH, UH, MADAM CHAIR, MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE, THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TODAY TO COME SPEAK TO YOU.
I'M THE NEW, UH, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER AT THE CITY OF BEAUFORT, SO UMM, HAPPY TO BE HERE.
I'M GONNA HAVE TO KIND OF TURN AROUND SO IT'S, I CAN, I CAN LOOK AT THE SLIDESHOW.
DO I HAVE ACCESS? CAN I CLICK? IT SHOULD BE THE CLIP.
YOU JUST HAVE TO SPEAK WHERE THE MIC IS RED.
ALRIGHT, WELL I'LL KIND OF STEP OFF TO THE SIDE AND WE CAN SEE, YOU CAN SEE.
UH, SO THANK YOU TODAY, UH, FOR WELCOMING US AND ALLOWING US TO BE ABLE TO, UH, SPEAK ON OUR PROJECTS.
YEAH, IF YOU WOULD KEEP GLENN UP THERE SO WE KNOW IF HE HAS A QUESTION, THAT'D BE GREAT.
SO I'LL RUN THROUGH A LITTLE BIT OF THE CONTENT THAT WE HAVE FOR TODAY.
SO WE'LL LOOK AT BEAUFORT AT A GLANCE.
SOME OF OUR DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS THAT ARE IMPACTING A LOT OF OUR MAJOR CORRIDORS IN THE COMMUNITY IDENTIFIED LATS PROJECTS AND STUDIES, ADDITIONAL LOCAL PROJECTS AND INITIATIVES.
FINALLY, WE'LL LOOK AT TAKEAWAYS AND THEN ANY QUESTIONS YOU ALL MAY HAVE.
SO FIRST OFF, UH, JUST BEAUFORT AS A AT A GLANCE, UH, WE'RE 25.3 SQUARE MILES, ABOUT 24.4 OF THAT IS ACTUAL LAND.
UH, ABOUT NINE TENTHS OF THAT IS WATER, UH, ESTIMATED POPULATION.
YOU CAN SEE THAT IN 2020 WAS A LITTLE, UH, ABOUT 13 AND A HALF THOUSAND.
AND IN 2025 IT WAS, UH, ABOUT 14 AND A HALF.
HELENA'S POPULATION IS A, IS ALMOST 26,000.
SO THE, I BRING THAT UP BECAUSE THERE'S ONLY ONE WAY AND ONE WAY OFF OF ST.
AND SO FOR THE RESIDENTS AND VISITORS, WHEN THEY, WHEN THEY HAVE TO EVACUATE FOR A HURRICANE, THEY HAVE TO TRAVEL THROUGH THE CITY OF BEAUFORT TO BE ABLE TO EVACUATE.
UM, AND THERE'S 2 MILLION ANNUAL VISITORS TO NORTHERN BUFORT COUNTY.
SO THAT INCLUDES CITY OF BEAUFORT, PORT ROYAL, THE SEA ISLANDS, UM, SO ABOUT 2 MILLION, 2 MILLION VISITORS.
AND MOST ROADS ARE, UH, OWNED OR MAINTAINED BY S-C-D-O-T OR BEAUFORT COUNTY.
SO HERE'S A MAP OF THE HURRICANE EVACUATION ROUTE, JUST SO YOU ALL CAN GET A VISUAL ON THAT.
BUT AS YOU CAN SEE, UH, ESSENTIALLY ALL OF THE SEA ISLANDS IN NORTHERN BUFORT COUNTY HAVE TO TRAVEL THROUGH THE CITY OF BUFORT TO BE ABLE TO EVACUATE.
UH, IN THE CASE OF A HURRICANE, HERE'S A MAP THAT SHOWS LOOKING AT CRASHES ALONG A LOT OF THOSE SAME CORRIDORS.
YOU KNOW, AS YOU CAN EXPECT, IT'S A LOT.
IT'S ON THE MAJOR CORRIDORS IS AT THE INTERSECTION OF THE MAJOR CORRIDORS.
UH, BUT YOU CAN SEE PARAS ISLAND GATEWAY AND ROBERT SMALLS.
THAT'S WHERE OUR HIGHEST CONCENTRATION OF CRASHES ARE OCCURRING.
BUT THEN ALSO BOUNDARY AND ONE 70 BOUNDARY AND REBO ROAD, UH, ETTE AND THE SWING BRIDGE AT WOOD WOODS MEMORIAL.
AND THEN LADIES ISLAND DRIVE AND, UM, 8 0 2.
SO, AND, AND TO HELP MAYBE SOME, JUST CAN YOU POINT WHICH, WHERE THOSE PLACES ARE ON THAT MAP? I KNOW IT'S IN THOSE HOT SPOTS IT'S GONNA SHOW, GONNA SHOW, BUT MAYBE JUST POINT EASILY.
SO HERE IS PARAS ISLAND GATEWAY.
THAT'S, THAT'S PARAS ISLAND GATEWAY, THE SKEWED INTERSECTION RIGHT BY BEAUFORT STATION, UH, THEN AT BOUNDARY AND, UH, ONE 70 IS CHICK-FIL-A.
JUST SO THAT EVERYONE UNDERSTANDS WHERE THAT'S AT, UH, REBO ROAD.
AND, UH, AND, UH, BOUNDARY IS WHERE THE COUNTY AND THE CITY IS LOCATED, WHERE WE'RE ACTUALLY AT TODAY.
AND THEN, UH, EVERYONE KNOWS WHERE THE WOODS MEMORIAL BRIDGE IS.
SO, SO WE REALLY, WE CAN'T REALLY TALK ABOUT THE NEEDS ON THE TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM UNLESS WE TALK ABOUT DEVELOPMENT AND WHAT WE'VE SEEN OCCUR OVER THE COURSE.
IF EVERYONE COULD MAYBE SILENCE THEIR PHONES.
IT'S REALLY HARD TO HEAR THE PRESENTATION AND I HAD TO TOO.
SO YEAH, WE, WE REALLY CAN'T TALK ABOUT THE IMPACT ON THE TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM UNLESS WE TALK ABOUT THE DEVELOPMENT, ESPECIALLY THE MORE RECENT DEVELOPMENT THAT WE'VE SEEN OCCUR, UH, IN BUFORT OVER THE COURSE OF THE, OF THE LAST COUPLE YEARS.
SO HERE ARE SOME OF THE COMPLETED PROJECTS.
AGAIN, I WOULD FOCUS ON THE NUMBER OF, THE NUMBER OF UNITS IN EACH ONE OF THESE PROJECTS.
AND KNOW THAT WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, UH, MULTIFAMILY, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT SIX TO SEVEN TRIPS PER EVERY ONE OF THOSE UNITS.
WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT RESIDENTIAL HOUSING, YOU'RE LOOKING AT NINE TO 10 TRIPS.
SO AGAIN, TRIPS ARE FOR AN INDIVIDUAL TO LEAVE THEIR, LEAVE THEIR PROPERTY, ENTER ONE OF THESE ROADWAYS FOR A SPECIFIC TRIP, AND THEN COME BACK TO THEIR PROPERTY.
IS THAT PER DAY? THAT'S PER DAY.
[00:40:01]
UM, UM, POINT, GRAND POINT, GRAND APARTMENT.SORRY, I CAN'T SEE IT WITH THE, UH, UH, WITH THAT, WITH THAT UP THERE, UH, 3 28 UNITS WITH SOME FUTURE COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT.
SO AGAIN, AS YOU CAN SEE HERE, THIS IS RIGHT OFF OF, OF ONE 70 OR ROBERT SMALLS PARKWAY.
AND, AND AGAIN, THESE ARE COMPLETED.
SO THIS IS PINTO POINT APARTMENTS.
THIS IS 84 UNITS RIGHT OFF OF BOUNDARY STREETS.
SO BETWEEN, UH, ONE 70 AND REBO ROAD.
SO AGAIN, ONE OF THOSE MAJOR CORRIDORS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
AND YOU SAID THESE WERE COMPLETED AND BEING RENTED AS WE SPEAK AT SOME POINT, THESE ARE COMPLETED PROJECTS.
SO I HAVE, I HAVE THIS BROKEN DOWN INTO COMPLETED GOOD, UH, UNDER CONSTRUCTION AS WELL AS APPROVED.
SO WE CAN MOVE GLEN DOWN IN THAT BOTTOM RIGHT, LEFT CORNER.
GLEN, YOU'RE BLOCK, YOU'RE BLOCKING MY VIEW.
SO THE, UH, THIS APARTMENT, AND I'M TRYING TO REMEMBER THE NAME OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, HANOVER PARK.
HANOVER PARK, UH, 280 UNITS WITH SOME FU FUTURE COMMERCIAL.
AGAIN, AS YOU CAN SEE, THIS IS RIGHT OFF OF ONE 70.
SO AGAIN, A LOT OF THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
A LOT OF, UH, CARINGTON MANNER.
SO RIGHT OFF OF, OF ONE 70, AGAIN, THIS IS GRAY TRACK, BEAUFORT, UH, BEAUFORT APARTMENTS.
THIS IS RIGHT ALONG, UH, SC ONE 70 ROBERT SMALLS PARKWAY, 340 UNITS WITH MEDICAL THAT'S, THAT'S BEEN COMPLETED.
SO AGAIN, CONNECTING TO ONE OF THOSE, THOSE CRITICAL INTERSECTIONS ON ONE 70, UH, 298 UNITS.
UH, AND ONLY EIGHT OF THOSE LOTS STILL REMAIN.
SO THAT JUST KIND OF TELLS YOU THE, THE TYPE OF GROWTH WE'RE SEEING.
SO NOW WE'LL MOVE ON TO SOME APPROVED OR UNDER CONSTRUCTION DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS.
WE HAVE WHITE WHITEHALL MIXED USE.
SO, UH, 4,500 SQUARE FEET OF, OF MIXED USE.
THAT IS CURRENTLY UNDER CONSTRUCTION 1 0 1 SCOTT STREET, UH, 16,500 SQUARE FOOT, UH, THAT'S FULLY APPROVED.
IT'S NOT UNDER CONSTRUCTION YET, BUT THIS IS, UH, RIGHT OFF OF OUR DOWNTOWN 10 26 REBO ROAD.
UH, MAJOR, MAJOR DEVELOPMENT WAS 72 DWELLING UNITS DIRECTLY ACROSS THE STREET FROM BEAUFORT MEMORIAL HOSPITAL DOWNTOWN MIXED USE AT 10 13 CHARLES STREET, UH, ALMOST 8,000 SQUARE FEET, UH, WAITING ON PERMIT, BUT APARTMENTS AND MIXED USE UPPER CANE ISLAND, UM, 16 UNITS, UH, CURRENTLY UNDER CONSTRUCTION.
SO AGAIN, UM, AS YOU'LL SEE LATER ON WITH, WITH SOME OF THESE PROJECTS, THAT INTERSECTION WITH, UM, WITH ISLAND CAUSEWAY AND, UM, AND SEA ALLEN PARKWAY IS ONE OF THE MOST DANGEROUS INTERSECTIONS THAT I FEEL LIKE WE HAVE IN THIS COMMUNITY.
SO, MOVING ON TO IN REVIEW DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS, UH, THE GROVE APARTMENTS, UH, DENSITY IS 204 UNITS.
SO AGAIN, UH, REQUIRES LIFT STATION, BUT, UH, THESE ARE CURRENTLY, UH, CURRENTLY MOVING FORWARD.
SO AGAIN, AS WE TALK ABOUT ISLAND CAUSEWAY, ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE OFFSET INTERSECTION IS MERIDIAN ROAD.
SO AGAIN, UH, 21 UNITS ON MERIDIAN.
AND THEN LAST BUT NOT LEAST, UH, LOWER CANE ISLAND.
SO AGAIN, ISLAND CAUSEWAY, AGAIN, WE'RE SEEING 264 UNITS WITH 80,000 SQUARE FEET OF COMMERCIAL.
SO AGAIN, PRETTY LARGE IMPACT.
AGAIN, I BRING THESE UP JUST BECAUSE THIS REFLECTS SOME OF THE MAJOR CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITY THAT WE'VE SEEN COMPLETED, AS WELL AS, AS IN PROGRESS ALONG MANY OF OUR, OUR ALREADY CONGESTED ROADWAYS.
SO, LOOKING AT THE PROJECT CATEGORIES THAT YOU ALL HAD US LOOK AT, IT'S WIDENING SAFETY AND INTERSECTION RESURFACING, UH, AND DIRT ROAD PAVING.
SO WE'VE BROKEN THIS DOWN INTO LATS PROJECTS AND THEN SEPARATE CITY PROJECTS THAT DON'T FALL UNDER SOMETHING ALREADY IDENTIFIED WITH LATS.
SO THE THESE PROJECTS ARE, ARE PROJECTS THAT ARE IN THE TIP.
STEPHANIE CAME AND SPOKE TO YOU LAST WEEK, UH, ABOUT THE TIP.
UH, THIS, THIS ALL TIES IN WITH THE LONG RANGE TRANSPORTATION PLAN, WHICH IS CURRENTLY IN REVIEW RIGHT NOW.
[00:45:01]
SO, UH, WE WILL, WE MAY NEED TO, AND WE CANNOT SEE THAT I CAN MOVE MR. GLENN AGAIN.UH, SO THESE ARE SOME OF THE LATS TIP AND SAFETY ACTION PLAN PROJECTS.
SO WE'VE GOT REBO ROAD CORRIDOR IMPROVEMENTS.
THIS KIND OF TIES IN WITH WHAT POOR ROYAL HAD HAS, UH, PROPOSED IN THE WAY OF COMPLETE STREETS BEARING OF ELECTRIC ENHANCED PEDESTRIAN FEATURES, INTERSECTION SAFETY PROJECTS, LANDSCAPING ALONG REBO ROAD, UH, FROM BOUNDARY, UH, TO WHERE IT TIES IN WITH, UH, WITH THE PORT ROYAL PROJECT ITS MASTER PLAN.
SO A LOT OF TIMES WHEN PEOPLE THINK ITS THEY THINK, UH, SMART SIGNALS OR ADAPTIVE SIGNALS, IT'S MORE THAN THAT.
IT WOULD BE ADDITIONAL DMS BOARDS.
SO WHEN WOODS MEMORIAL BRIDGE IS OPEN TO INDICATE TO TO PEOPLE THAT, THAT IT'S OPEN, THEY COULD TAKE A BYPASS ON REBO ROAD OR WHATEVER THAT MAY LOOK LIKE, AS WELL AS SAFE, UH, SENSORS IN THE, IN THE PAVEMENT TO, UH, HELP PREVENT CRASHES, THAT SORT OF THING.
SO IT'S REALLY, UH, OVERALL, IT'S A SMART, SMART TRAFFIC SYSTEM, UH, NEW SIGNAL ICE INTERSECTION ON ROBERT SMALLS PARKWAY BETWEEN BURTON HILL AND BOUNDARY STREET.
SO AS WE SEE ALL THAT DEVELOPMENT, ESPECIALLY AROUND SALEM, WE KNOW THAT SALEM ROAD IS TOO CLOSE TO THE HAWK CROSSING FOR, UM, FOR THE, THE TRAIL SYSTEM.
UH, HOWEVER, THAT'S, WE ALSO RECOGNIZE THAT WE NEED SOME ADDITIONAL SIGNAL SOMEWHERE BETWEEN BURTON HILL, WHICH AGAIN, JUST FOR EVERYONE IN THE ROOM, THAT'S BETWEEN LOWE'S ON ONE 70 AND CHICK-FIL-A.
SO A SIGNAL SOMEWHERE, SOMEWHERE BETWEEN THOSE TWO INTERSECTIONS.
UM, GEOMETRIC IMPROVEMENTS AT PARIS ISLAND GATEWAY AND ROBERT SMALL.
SO WE TALKED ABOUT THAT ONE, IF YOU REMEMBER.
THAT'S WHERE THE, THE HIGH CONCENTRATION OF CRASHES ARE ON THE SKEWED INTERSECTION THERE AT BEAUFORT STATION.
UH, GEOMETRIC IMPROVEMENTS ON LADIES ISLAND DRIVE AND ISLAND CAUSEWAY SLASH MERIDIAN ROAD.
SO THAT'S THE ONE WHERE, UH, WITH THE, THE TWO CANE ISLAND, UH, PROJECTS WHERE WE HAVE THE, THE OFFSET INTERSECTION OFF OF LADIES ISLAND DRIVE.
UM, THE NEXT PROJECT IS NOT ONE THAT'S, THAT'S GONNA BE CONSIDERED WITH THIS GROUP, BUT AGAIN, IT'S A PRIORITY FOR THE CITY.
AND THAT'S THE, THE THIRD BRIDGE CONNECTION SOMEWHERE ON LADIES ISLAND.
UM, I THINK WE SAW THAT THIS WEEK.
THE BRIDGE MALFUNCTIONED AT, AT, UH, I BELIEVE IT WAS ON MONDAY MORNING AT RUSH HOUR.
SO AGAIN, UH, JUST KIND OF SPEAKS TO THE NEED OF LOOKING AT, AT SOME ALTERNATIVE FOR A THIRD, THIRD BRIDGE CONNECTION AT SOME POINT IN THE FUTURE.
AND AGAIN, THE LAST ONE THAT I HAVE ON THIS LIST IS NOT ONE THAT'S PROBABLY GONNA BE CONSIDERED AS WELL, BUT THAT'S THE TRAIL SYSTEM THAT RUNS ACROSS ONE 70 FOR ALTERNATIVE TRANSPORTATION.
I KNOW YOU ALL AREN'T LOOKING AT TRAILS OR SIDEWALK PROJECTS WITH THIS TAX, BUT THAT IS A PRIORITY FOR THE COMMUNITY.
A COUPLE OTHER PROJECTS THAT WE, THAT WE'VE INCLUDED, THESE ARE PART OF THE LAT SAFETY PLAN.
UH, BOUNDARY STREET CARTER AND BAY STREET PEDESTRIAN SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS, UH, AT SOME KEY LOCATIONS TO GET PEOPLE ACROSS THE, ACROSS THE STREET.
CURRENTLY, THERE'S ONLY A COUPLE OF SIGNALS ALONG THESE CORRIDORS.
UH, ANOTHER ONE IS THE LADIES ISLAND CORRIDOR IMPROVEMENTS.
SO SOME OF THIS WAS PART OF THE 2018 SALES TAX, SOME OF IT NOT.
SO AGAIN, THIS IS LOOKING AT PEDESTRIAN FEATURES, UH, CORRIDOR, UH, COMPLETE STREET CORRIDOR WITH LANDSCAPING, NEW LIGHTING, NEW SIDEWALKS, THAT SORT OF THING.
UH, ESSENTIALLY FROM THE WOODS MEMORIAL BRIDGE BACK TO 8 0 2.
SO NOW THAT WE'VE LOOKED AT THE PROJECTS THAT ARE INCLUDED WITH LATS, HERE ARE SOME ADDITIONAL CITY PROJECTS THAT WE WOULD LIKE, UH, TO BRING UP FOR CONSIDERATION.
SO THIS WOULD, THIS AGAIN, WOULD NOT BE ELIGIBLE IN TOTAL, LIKE A TOTAL PROJECT, BUT WE COULD LOOK AT THE NODES POTENTIALLY ON EITHER SIDE OF THE CORRIDOR.
IT'S ESSENTIALLY A, A, A CONNECTION BETWEEN, UH, ONE 70 AND REBO ROAD, SOME KIND OF BYPASS ROUTE TO WHERE TO AVOID, UH, ALL THE TRAFFIC IN, IN CONGESTION THAT WE SEE ON BOUNDARY SALEM ROAD IMPROVEMENTS, AS YOU SAW FROM A LOT OF THE DEVELOPMENT THAT WE, THAT WE SEE IN AND AROUND THAT AREA.
THIS IS A COMPLETE STREET CORRIDOR FOR THAT, UH, FOR THAT ROADWAY AS WELL.
SO PEDESTRIAN FEATURES, UM, UH, ADDITIONAL LIGHTING, UH, SAFETY AT INTERSECTIONS, THAT SORT OF THING.
UH, CITYWIDE LIGHTING IMPROVEMENTS.
SO SIMILAR TO WHAT THE SCHOOL SYSTEM JUST TALKED ABOUT, UH, WE HAVE, WE HAVE MANY AREAS, ESPECIALLY IN OUR DOWNTOWN ALONG BOUNDARY IN CARTER RED WHERE, UH, THE LIGHTING SYSTEM'S BEEN ANTIQUATED, WE CAN'T FIND PARTS FOR IT.
SO AGAIN, FOR SAFETY AT THOSE INTERSECTIONS, ESPECIALLY THOSE PEDESTRIAN CROSSINGS, WE REALLY NEED TO LOOK AT SOME KIND OF LIGHTING REPLACEMENT, UH, LEFT TURN SIGNAL AT BURTON HILL
[00:50:01]
AND ROBERT SMALLS.THIS IS AT THE, THE LOWE'S INTERSECTION.
THE GOOD NEWS ON THIS ONE IS S-C-D-O-T HAS COMMITTED TO DOING A TRAFFIC COUNT AT THAT PARTICULAR LOCATION.
AND IF LEFT TURN SIGNALS ARE WARRANTED, THEY, THEY HAVE COMMITTED TO DOING THAT IMPLEMENTATION, UH, RECONSTRUCTION OF THE TRAFFIC SIGNAL AT C ALLEN PARKWAY AND CHOW CREEK.
THIS IS AT DISTANT ISLAND, SO OVER ON ST.
HELENA, UH, AT, AT THE DISTANT ISLAND INTERSECTION.
IT'S BEEN OUT THERE FOR 20 OR 25 YEARS WITHOUT, UM, WITHOUT MUCH OF, OF ANY MAINTENANCE.
AND THEN LAST BUT NOT LEAST, CITYWIDE RESURFACING.
SO THE COUNTY HAD ALLOWED, OR AS THEY WERE DOING THEIR PAVEMENT CONDITION ANALYSIS THIS, THIS LAST YEAR, THEY INCLUDED THE CITY STREETS, UH, WITHIN THAT ANALYSIS.
SO HERE, SOMETIME SHORTLY IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS, WE'LL HAVE THAT DATA BACK TO UNDERSTAND WHERE WE'RE AT, UM, IN THE WAY OF PAVEMENT CONDITION RATING ON ANY OF THE CITY MAINTAIN STREETS.
UH, BEAUFORT COUNTY'S IN THE TOP 10 FOR THE FASTEST GROWTH IN THE STATE.
UH, MAIN HIGHWAYS AND ARTERIALS EXPERIENCE CAPACITY ISSUES, ESPECIALLY IN PEAK TRAVEL TIMES, THE ENTIRE POPULATION OF ST.
HELENA MUST TRAVEL THROUGH BEAUFORT FOR HURRICANE EVACUATION.
THE MAIN ARTERIAL ROADS HAVE EXPERIENCED SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENT, EITHER DIRECTLY ON OR ADJACENT TO MAJOR ARTERIALS, SPECIFICALLY ROBERT SMALLS PARKWAY, BOUNDARY STREET, PARIS ISLAND GATEWAY, AND REBO ROAD.
UH, THE LET'S TIP AND SAFETY ACTION PLAN ALREADY INCLUDES MANY OF THE CRITICAL PROJECTS FOR THE TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM IN NORTHERN BEAUFORT COUNTY.
UH, IT'S IMPERATIVE TO LOOK BEYOND JUST THE CAPACITY PROJECTS, THOUGH WE SHOULD LOOK AT ALTERNATIVES SUCH AS ITS, MULTIMODAL AND EXPANSION OF GREENWAY TRAILS, UH, TO COM COMBAT SOME OF THE CAPACITY ISSUES THAT WE SEE.
AND THEN CITY COUNCIL PASSED A RESOLUTION TO RECOMMEND THE PROJECTS LISTED TODAY AT THE MARCH 10TH REGULAR MEETING.
AND I DROPPED THAT OFF AT EVERY ONE OF YOUR, YOUR SEATS.
SO I THINK, UH, THIS KIND OF TIE, UH, WRAPS EVERYTHING UP, THIS QUOTE FROM ANTHONY FOX, FORMER SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION.
THE REALITY ABOUT TRANSPORTATION IS THAT IT'S FUTURE ORIENTED.
IF WE'RE PLANNING FOR WHAT WE HAVE, WE'RE BEHIND THE CURVE.
SO I THINK WE CAN ALL AGREE ON THAT.
AND WITH THAT QUESTIONS, I'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
MR. REEVES, SO HOW MANY, HOW MANY UNITS, UH, HAVE Y'ALL APPROVED IN BEAUFORT? I DON'T HAVE THAT TOTAL NUMBER.
UH, WE CAN GET THAT THOUGH TO, UH, FOR THIS GROUP TO FIGURE, TO FIGURE, FIGURE OUT, FIGURE, LIKE OVER THE COURSE OF, BECAUSE THAT, THAT'S NOT, THAT'S NOT A COMPLETE LIST.
I LOOKED AT JUST THE ONES THAT WERE PRIMARILY RIGHT OFF OF THE, THOSE MAJOR ARTERIAL ROADS.
SO WE CAN COME UP WITH THE TOTAL NUMBER THOUGH.
SO THERE'S MORE THAN WHAT YOU JUST SHOWED US.
I HAVE A SIMILAR QUESTION, MS. CO, HOW DID ALL THESE DEVELOPMENTS GET APPROVED WITHOUT LIKE, ADEQUATE INFRASTRUCTURE? I KNOW WE HAVE TRAFFIC IMPACT ANALYSIS AND FOR COUNTYWIDE.
AND SO HOW IN THE WORLD DID YOU APPROVE ALL THESE PROJECTS KNOWING YOU DON'T HAVE ANY INFRASTRUCTURE TO SUPPORT IT? SO SOME, SOME OF THE PROJECTS HAVE BEEN, SOME OF THE PROJECTS WERE RUN THROUGH TRAFFIC, UH, ANALYSIS.
SOME OF 'EM, SOME OF 'EM UNFORTUNATELY WERE NOT.
UH, A LOT OF THE PROJECTS THAT THAT WE SEE, THEY WERE, WE, WE HAD STARTED, OR THE COUNTY HAD STARTED CORRIDOR STUDIES AT A LOT OF THESE MAJOR ROADWAYS, UM, TO ADDRESS THAT.
UH, IT, A LOT OF TIMES IT'S REALLY HARD TO PIN THESE IMPROVEMENTS ON A, AN INDIVIDUAL DEVELOPMENT.
UH, WE'RE WORKING ON THAT TO TRY TO TRY TO IMPROVE UPON THAT.
BUT THAT'S THE, THAT'S THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER, THAT A LOT OF THE, A LOT OF THE DEVELOPMENTS HAVE BEEN APPROVED WITHOUT, UM, NECESSARILY ALL THE, UM, ALL THE TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENTS THAT ARE PROBABLY NEEDED IN THOSE SPECIFIC AREAS I MIGHT ADD.
I MEAN, I'M ONLY REPEATING TO GET YOU ON THE SPEAKER LEGACY PODS AND PLAN UNIT DEVELOPMENTS WITH THE 25, 30 YEARS AGO.
SO YOU'RE, YOU'RE JUST THE LAST ONE.
UM, I DO HAVE A QUESTION TO FOLLOW UP ON MS. COSO.
ARE THERE, AND I, I DIDN'T ASK OF THE OTHER OR THE COUNTY, BUT I THINK WE SHOULD ASK YOUR PROJECTS, WHAT ARE ALREADY IN A CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN FOR Y'ALL OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS? THAT MAY BE SOMETHING WE CAN HELP WITH.
UM, WHAT WAS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE DEVELOPER? I'M SURE SOME OF THESE INTERSECTIONS, A DEVELOPER HAS TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR A LOT OF SOMETHING, SO
[00:55:01]
WE FEEL THEY SHOULD STILL PAY IT.I DON'T THINK TAXPAYERS WANNA PAY, CERTAINLY FOR DEVELOPER COMMITMENTS.
UM, AND WHAT IT, WHERE IS THE FUND? DO YOU HAVE ANY, LIKE IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS YOU WERE TRYING TO FIND FUNDING FOR THROUGH YOUR OWN BUDGET? AND I THINK WE SHOULD PROBABLY ASK THAT OF EVERYONE.
UM, BECAUSE THAT WILL HELP WHEN YOU SEE THE BOOK OF PROJECTS, WE HAVE
I, I THINK ONE OF THE IMPORTANT THINGS TO, TO BRING UP AS WELL, IT'S NOT NECESSARILY TRANSPORTATION, BUT WE DO HAVE THE WATERFRONT PARK THAT'S CLOSED.
AND AGAIN, THAT'S ONE OF OUR NUMBER ONE, PROBABLY THE NUMBER ONE PROJECT THAT WE HAVE IN THE CITY OF EUFOR.
SO AGAIN, A LOT OF OUR CAPITAL DOLLARS ARE GONNA HAVE TO BE FOCUSED ON, ON COMING UP WITH THE SOLUTION THERE.
DID YOU HAVE A QUESTION, MR. FREEMAN? UM, I'D JUST LIKE TO MAKE A GENERAL STATEMENT, UH, ABOUT DEVELOPMENT.
IF YOU CAN REMEMBER THE HARRIS TEETER, UH, ON LADIES ISLAND WHEN THEY CAME INTO PLAY, UM, THERE WERE SIGNIFICANT TURNING LANE IMPROVEMENTS THAT WERE DONE AS PART OF THAT DEVELOPMENT.
SO DEVELOPERS DO PAY A LOT OF THEIR SHARE AS THEY DEVELOP SOMETHING.
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT STAFF, I THINK BRINGS, BRINGS TO BEAR ON DEVELOPERS.
SO I, I DON'T THINK IT'S FAIR TO SAY IT, IT'S NOT BORN BY THEM.
AND THAT, THAT'S PROBABLY WHAT WE NEED ON SOME OF THESE, EVEN ON ISLAND CAUSEWAY, OUR UPCOMING PROJECTS BECAUSE WE'RE GONNA HAVE SO MANY PROJECTS TO LOOK AT AND WE WANT OUR LIST TO RISE ALL SHIPS, YOU KNOW.
SO, UM, THOSE WERE MY QUESTIONS.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? MR. REEVES? MADAM CHAIR? I HAVE A QUESTION.
CAN GLEN ASK AND THEN MR. STANFORD? THAT'S OKAY.
UM, LISTENING TO THIS REPORT, IT SOUNDS LIKE YOUR POPULATION COULD GROW BY SOMETHING LIKE 20% WITH ALL OF THESE DEVELOPMENTS BEING OCCUPIED.
UM, THAT'S GONNA BE A MAJOR IMPACT, NOT JUST ON THE ROADS, BUT ON EVERYTHING.
UH, I HOPE PLANNING HAS BEEN DONE FOR THAT WITHIN THE CITY OF BEAUFORT.
I WAS SEEING IF THE SCHOOL REPRESENTATIVES ARE HERE BECAUSE
AND THEN, AND THEN SECONDLY, SECONDLY, UM, ARE ANY, WILL ANY OF THESE UNITS BE PERMITTED TO BE SHORT TERM RENTALS? SHORT TERM RENTALS? UH, NO.
NOT, NOT TO MY, NOT TO MY KNOWLEDGE.
I MEAN, I GUESS THERE, THERE'S, WE HAVE A SHORT TERM RENTAL ORDINANCE THAT, THAT'S GOING THROUGH CITY COUNCIL RIGHT NOW, WHICH ALLOWS A, A CERTAIN PERCENTAGE OF THOSE.
BUT A AGAIN, AS WE LOOKED AT THOSE DEVELOPMENTS, I BELIEVE THERE WERE ONLY A COUPLE OF SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL UNITS.
SO AGAIN, MOST OF THOSE ARE APARTMENTS OR MISUSE.
WELL, APARTMENTS COULD BE USED FOR IT AS WELL, I GUESS, UH, WITH AN INVESTOR COMING IN AND BUYING THEM.
SO TAKE THAT INTO ACCOUNT BECAUSE SHORT TERM RENTALS MAGNIFIES THE IMPACT OF THOSE TRIPS.
MR. REEVES, CAN WE GET A COPY OF, UH, WHAT YOU JUST PRESENTED? CERTAINLY, YES.
FOR EACH ONE OF THE MEMBERS, ABSOLUTELY.
IF YOU'LL EMAIL IT, WE'LL MAKE SURE WE PRINT IT.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? I HAVE ONE QUESTION, MS. CO FOR THE CANE ISLAND.
I KNOW MR. BARTOLOM, YOU HAD TALKED ABOUT THIS AT A COUNTY COUNCIL MEETING ABOUT THEM.
I, I THINK IT GOES DOWN A CAUSEWAY, A CAUSEWAY THAT HE WAS REALLY CONCERNED ABOUT ALL THE AMOUNT OF, UM, IN, UH, HOUSING AND WHATEVER.
SO ARE THEY GONNA BE PAYING TO FIX THAT CAUSEWAY OR, OR MAKE IT, UM, SUPPORT THE LEVEL OF HOUSING THAT YOU'RE PUTTING OUT THERE? I DON'T, I, THAT I DON'T KNOW IN THE WAY OF WHAT THOSE IMPROVEMENTS LOOK LIKE ON THE ACTUAL CAUSEWAY ITSELF.
SCOTT, DO YOU, SCOTT MARSHALL, THE CITY MANAGER FOR THE CITY OF BEAVER.
UM, THERE HAS BEEN SOME DISCUSSION BETWEEN DOT AND THE DEVELOPER FOR THE UPPER CANE DEVELOPMENT ON THE NEED TO INSTALL A TRAFFIC SIGNAL AT THE, UM, HEAD OF ISLANDS CAUSEWAY AND, UH, LADIES ISLAND DRIVE.
SO THAT DISCUSSION HAS TAKEN PLACE.
UH, BUT I DON'T THINK THAT REQUIREMENT TRIPS UNTIL THEY GET TO 64 APPROVED UNITS.
AND SO FOR THE TIME BEING, THERE WILL BE NO ADDITIONAL SIGNAL AT THAT INTERSECTION.
WHAT, WHAT ABOUT THE CAUSEWAY? WILL THEY HAVE TO DO ANYTHING? I THINK HE WAS MORE CONCERNED ABOUT THE CAUSEWAY GOING OUT THERE.
I AM NOT AWARE IF THAT HAS BEEN ADDRESSED YET OR NOT.
AND I THINK THAT FALLS INTO THE, THE STAFF, SOMEONE GETTING THESE PROJECTS WHERE DEVELOPER OR THE TOWN OR THE COUNTIES ON THE HOOK TO DO THESE.
AND BECAUSE THAT WILL BE A HUGE NEGATIVE WITH THOSE WHO DON'T WANT THIS PENNY TO PASS TO SAY THAT.
SO WE WANNA GIVE A GOOD LIST THAT'S GONNA MAKE EVERYONE HAPPY AT THE END OF THE DAY AND THAT THE COUNTY CAN FULFILL AND WORK WITH THEIR PARTNERS IN THE MUNICIPALITIES IN THE STATE TO HELP WITH THESE PROJECTS.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS WE HAVE? WE HAVE THE TOWN MANAGER, WE HAVE THE MAYOR,
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WE HAVE ERIC.ANYTHING ELSE, MADAM CHAIR? YES.
SO NOT SPECIFICALLY TO THESE GENTLEMEN, HOWEVER, UM, AS I SEE THESE DEVELOPMENT NUMBERS, THOSE ARE HUGE.
UM, I WOULD LIKE FOR THIS COMMITTEE TO REACH OUT TO THE WATER AND SEWER PURVEYOR FOR THE COUNTY AND SEE IF THEY'VE COORDINATED WITH THAT GROUP AND MAYBE HAVE THAT GROUP BEFORE THIS COMMITTEE TO SPEAK ABOUT IMPROVEMENTS THAT THEY HAVE.
BECAUSE THE WORST THING I LIKE SEEING IS, IS HAVING A FRESH ASPHALT, A NEW ASPHALT ON A ROAD, AND THEN WATER AND SEWER HAS TO BE PUT IN TO, TO ACCOMMODATE DEVELOPMENT.
SO CAN Y'ALL HELP WITH THAT? BECAUSE I KNOW THEY HAVE TO GIVE A LETTER TO, I CANNOT SPEAK FOR BEAUFORT JASPER WATER SEWER AUTHORITY, BUT WE HAVE HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH THEM.
UM, I KNOW THERE HAS BEEN AN ISSUE WITH THE DEVELOPMENT ALONG THE ONE 70 CORE WITH REGARD TO CAPACITY FOR WATER AND SEWER.
UM, SOME OF THAT'S BEEN WORKED OUT AND SOME OF IT IS IN THEIR FUTURE PLANS.
UM, IT HAS IN SOME CASES, UH, DELAYED OR CAUSED A DEVELOPER TO ABANDON A PROJECT, SO.
UM, ON THAT QUESTION, IS THAT SOMETHING WHEN WE GET DOWN TO OUR LIST TO GO THROUGH WHEN YOU'RE GETTING ESTIMATES, CAN WE SEE WHERE THE PLANS ARE WITH BEAUFORT, JASPER, ON, ON WHATEVER THEY'RE GONNA DO ON THE ROADWAYS? WE MAY BE WIDENING.
DO Y'ALL TAKE THAT INTO ACCOUNT? YEAH, WE CAN.
UM, IF YOU WANT BE FOR JASPER TO COME TO THE COMMITTEE, WE CAN ASK THEM TO COME TO PRESENT.
UM, WHEN WE'RE DOING, ESPECIALLY ON EXPANSION PROJECTS, LIKE A WIDENING THAT WOULD BE CONSIDERED.
SO IF THEY'RE IN THE EDGE OF THE ROAD OR THE EDGE OF THE, UM, SHOULDER RIGHT NOW, THAT WOULD BE PART OF THAT TYPE OF PROJECT IS A UTILITY RELOCATION, IF WE'RE JUST RESURFACING ROAD OR DOING SOME SURFACE TREATMENTS, BUT THEN THERE'S A, A CUT ACROSS, THAT WOULD BE THE PART THAT YOU'RE ADDRESSING.
AND I AGREE WITH YOU, I HATE NOTHING WORSE THAN THE UTILITY CUTTING THE ROAD AFTER YOU PAVE IT.
AND I WILL SAY WE'VE TRIED TO COORDINATE WITH BEFORD JASPER OVER THE LAST COUPLE YEARS TO, THEY HAVE OUR RESURFACING PLAN.
WE HAVE THEIR, UM, PLAN TO REPLACE THEIR PIPES.
UM, SO WE'RE TRYING TO COORDINATE THOSE.
SO WE DON'T HAVE THAT ISSUE ON REGULAR RESURFACING ALSO.
AND MS. SANDERS WAS A PART OF THAT CONVERSATION IN HER PREVIOUS ROLE.
SO LET'S SEE HOW WE CAN FIGURE THAT OUT.
THEY DON'T NEED TO GIVE US AN HOUR PRESENTATION, BUT MAYBE WHEN WE GET MAYBE BETWEEN WORKSHOP ONE AND WORKSHOP TWO, WE GET SOME KIND OF AN IDEA OF WHAT LISTS WE'RE LOOKING AT.
YEAH, WE COULD DEFINITELY ASK, JUST EVEN SHORT, LIKE THE INTENTIONAL PUN, UM, WE COULD ASK THEM IF THEY'VE, A GOOD EXAMPLE IS, IS BLUFFTON PARKWAY WHERE THEY JUST INSTALLED A WATER TOWER AND THEY HAD TO RUN A WHOLE NEW WATER LINE.
UM, THOSE WOULD BE THE REALLY BIG ONES, I WOULD THINK, WOULD BE STUFF THAT WE COULD COORDINATE EASILY WITH THE SMALLER ONES.
UH, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE THOSE, UNFORTUNATELY, BUT AS MUCH AS WE CAN COORDINATE.
SO POTENTIALLY IN THE NEXT MEETING OR TWO, WE CAN ASK B FOR JASPER IF THEY CAN COME GIVE A A 10 MINUTE OVERVIEW OF KIND OF BIG PROJECTS THAT THEY HAVE PLANNED AND HOW WE CAN COORDINATE TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS.
ONE, ONE OTHER THING THOUGH THAT I'D LIKE TO MENTION IS, IS THE WORK THAT BEAUFORT COUNTY HAS DONE IN THE WAY OF, OF TIAS OR TRAFFIC, UH, IMPACT ANALYSIS THAT THEY'VE COORDINATED THAT TO WHERE THAT ONLY GOES THROUGH.
SO AGAIN, WE'VE LEARNED BY PAST MISTAKES.
SO ALL THAT GOES THROUGH, UH, CERTAIN FOLKS THAT THEY HAVE SELECTED TO BE ABLE TO REVIEW THOSE TIAS.
THAT WAY A DEVELOPER CAN'T JUST COME IN AND PICK WHO HANDPICK, WHOEVER THEY WANT TO, TO MAKE THE NUMBERS WORK OUT IN THEIR FAVOR.
SO AGAIN, THOSE ARE ALL THAT WAS, THAT WAS DONE THROUGH LATS.
UH, BUT AGAIN, A PROGRAM THAT THE, THAT THE COUNTY'S WORKED ON THAT IS GONNA SOLVE A LOT OF THOSE, UH, TIA ISSUES THOUGHT OF ANOTHER QUESTION.
YOU AND PORT ROYAL HAVE A MUTUAL PLANNING ORGANIZATION STILL, RIGHT? NO.
YOU AND PORT ROYAL ARE YING AND YANG.
I MEAN, YOU REALLY DON'T KNOW WHEN YOU LEAVE ONE AND THE OTHER.
HAVE YOU LOOKED AT THEIR PROJECTS? HAVE YOU LOOKED AND COMPARED THEM TO YOURS AND TO PROBABLY THE HUNDREDS? WE HAVE THAT BENEFIT BOTH OF Y'ALL.
LIKE IF WE, BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW HOW WE COULD DO EVERY PROJECT BROUGHT TO US, BUT ARE THERE PROJECTS THAT YOU COULD POSSIBLY SEND JARED OR BRIAN THAT WOULD COORDINATE WITH SOME OF THEIRS? ABSOLUTELY.
UH, YOU KNOW, AND AGAIN, I THINK THE REBA ROAD PROJECT IS A, IS A PRIME EXAMPLE OF THAT.
IT'S, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, THAT THAT WENT ACROSS JURISDICTIONAL BOUNDARIES.
AND, AND AGAIN, WHERE ONE ENDS, THE OTHER ONE WOULD JUST TIE DIRECTLY INTO IT.
ON THE, ON THE HURRICANE EVACUATION ROUTES, THE ONE FOR BUFORD, IS IT, IT ONLY GOES OUT TO, I'M LOOKING AT THIS MAP.
SO IS THERE JUST ONE WAY, SO EVERYBODY GOES TO 21 AND THEN WHAT OUT TO, THAT'S OUT TO 95? THAT'S CORRECT.
BECAUSE OF THE SWING BRIDGE, UH, ESSENTIALLY THEY, THEY, UM, THEY COME ACROSS, UM, 21 AND HAVE TO TURN ONTO, UM, SEA ISLAND PARKWAY
[01:05:01]
TO, TO REBO ROAD AND THEN, AND THEN ACROSS TO PARIS ISLAND GATEWAY.SO IF YOU'RE COMING FROM FRIPP ISLAND TO GET OFF AN EVACUATION, YOU COME DOWN, UM, YOU TURN DOWN LADIES ISLAND DRIVE AT 8 0 2 ON LADIES ISLAND.
COME ACROSS LADIES ISLAND BRIDGE.
YOU HANG A LEFT ON THE REBO ROAD, AND REBO ROAD TAKES YOU ALL THE WAY OUT PAST WALMART TO 21 PROPER TRASH PARKWAY TOWARDS THE AIR STATION.
EVERYBODY GOES OUT THE AIR STATION TO EXIT 33 AND BEYOND.
THE SWING BRIDGE, I KNOW IT'S BEEN THERE A LONG TIME, WOULD THAT NOT BE INSTEAD OF A THIRD BRIDGE, WOULD YOU NOT MAYBE REPLACE THAT WHERE IT'S NOT A SWING BRIDGE? WELL, NUMBER ONE, IT'S A HISTORIC BRIDGE.
AND NUMBER TWO, TO BE ABLE TO GET THE HEIGHT, TO GET, UM, THE, THE VESSELS UNDERNEATH IT, THERE'S, THERE'S JUST NOT ENOUGH SPACE BETWEEN DOWNTOWN AND WHITEHALL ON THE OTHER SIDE TO BE ABLE TO GET THAT HEIGHT.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? I'LL GO AROUND THE ROOM.
MR. STANFORD, ANYTHING ELSE? OKAY, GREAT PRESENTATION.
UM, SO NOW WE HAVE MEMBER, UH, COMMITTEE MEMBER DISCUSSION.
I WILL END IT UP, BUT I DID WANT YOU TO KNOW AT YOUR TABLE, UM, WE PRINTED OUT, THE STAFF PRINTED OUT AN UPDATED, MR. REEVES ASKED FOR THIS, AN UPDATED SPREADSHEET WITH ALL THE PROJECTS.
I BELIEVE THESE ARE ON THERE ALSO.
MAYBE THE ONES PRESENTED TODAY.
AND THEN, UM, WE ALSO ASKED
YEAH, I BELIEVE 'CAUSE THE RESOLUTION WAS PASSED ON THE 10TH, IT WAS AVAILABLE.
SO I BELIEVE WE INCLUDED THOSE ON THERE.
SO IT HAS EVERY PROJECT UP TO TODAY, THROUGH TODAY ON THIS LIST.
THESE ARE GONNA BE ALL THE PROJECTS THAT ARE SHOWN ON THE GIS MAP.
AND THEY ARE WORKING ON THE NUMBERS, THE ESTIMATED COSTS, IF THEY'RE ON THERE, THOSE ARE ENGINEERED NUMBERS.
NUMBERS THAT ARE ON THERE ARE FROM THE STUDIES THAT BIRTH THESE PROJECTS.
SO THESE MAY WILL BE LOWER THAN WHAT THEY SHOULD BE.
UM, BRIAN AND JARED ALSO PRINTED OUT THE EVACUATION ROUTES FROM, FOR ALL THE BEAUFORT COUNTY.
AND I HAD SENT HIM, AND WE CAN GET IT, THE SLIDE WITH THE CONGESTION ROUTES.
AND THEN I PRINTED OUT FOR Y'ALL TWO ARTICLES.
WE'VE HAD A LOT OF PEOPLE REACH OUT, WHICH I THINK IS WONDERFUL.
CITIZENS HAVE REACHED OUT TO ALL OF US, UM, WITH GREAT SUGGESTIONS.
AND THERE WAS AN ARTICLE FROM THE CHARLESTON, UM, BILLION DOLLAR PENNY THAT THEY'RE TRYING TO PASS.
UM, BUT IT GAVE $5 BILLION PENNY.
THEY'RE TRYING, BUT IT WAS A GREAT ARTICLE TALKING ABOUT HOW IT FAILED, WHAT THEY DID, WHAT THEY PAID ATTENTION TO.
AND THEN MS. CO SENT AN EMAIL WITH TWO, UM, ARTICLES ON, UH, SIGNALIZATION AND AI.
SO I THOUGHT MAYBE WHEN WE GOT AROUND HER, SHE COULD BRING THAT UP AND TALK TO US.
JUST AGAIN, THIS IS FOR EDUCATION, SO WE'LL GO AROUND THE ROOM IF ANYONE HAS ANY THOUGHTS.
IF WE BRING UP PROJECT IDEAS AND IF PUBLIC COMMENT BRINGS IT, DO Y'ALL PUT IT ON THE LIST OR DO WE NEED TO PUT IT ON THAT PAPER TO GIVE TO YOU? UM, AS FAR AS PUBLIC COMMENTS, WHAT WE'VE DONE SO FAR IS THEY'LL MAKE A COMMENT, WE'LL, WE'RE TAKING NOTES, BUT IF, IF THE BEST WAY IS THOSE HAVE COME THROUGH THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS.
SO IF THEY'VE REPRESENTED A CERTAIN DISTRICT, AND THEN WE'LL TAKE AND ADD THAT TO GIS AT THAT TIME.
IF YOU GUYS HAVE A PROJECT, UM, WE'RE TAKING NOTE AND WE CAN LOAD THOSE DIRECTLY OR IF YOU WANT TO A PROJECT LIST, WHATEVER CORRECT.
HOW SO, MR. JUDGE KLEIN, I THINK SINCE SUMMON ASKED FOR THAT SHEET, AND OF COURSE I LEFT IT IN MY BINDER AT HOME.
ANYBODY HAVE THOUGHTS, QUESTIONS, IDEAS, PLACES YOU'VE DRIVEN THAT WE HAVEN'T REACHED? 'CAUSE WE HAVE REALLY MET OUR EDUCATION PORTION OF THIS JUDGE KLEIN.
WELL, ON THE APPROACH OF ADDING PROJECTS, I TOOK THE POSITION THAT I SHOULD SPEAK TO, NUMBER ONE, MY COUNCILMAN, AND NUMBER TWO, THE GENTLEMAN THAT REPRESENT DISTRICT ONE ON THE COUNTY, UH, TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE.
WHICH, AND THEY GAVE ME A LIST OF ROADS.
THEY DO NOT AGREE WITH WHAT'S ON THIS LIST HERE BECAUSE ONE ROAD RUNS THROUGH A WOODS.
AND THE OTHER ROAD, YOU KNOW, WHEN FROM MY, FROM MY INVOLVEMENT AND EXPERTISE WITH ROADS IS THE COUNTY HAD A CRITERIA.
THE ROAD HAD TO LEAVE A PAVE ROAD, THEY CONNECT TO A PAVE ROAD, AND THEY CONSIDERED THE NUMBER OF RESIDENTS THE NUMBER OF VEHICLES, UH, YOU KNOW, BEFORE THE ROAD BECAME A PRIORITY.
ON THE DAY OF, NOW THIS IS LIKE 30 YEARS AGO,
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I LEFT COUNTY COUNCIL 30 YEARS AGO, SO I KNOW A LOT HAVE CHANGED.SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE CRITERIA ARE RIGHT NOW.
SO I'M GONNA SPEAK TO YOU GUYS ABOUT THAT FOR, FOR A ROAD TO BE CONSIDERED TO BE A PRIORITY ON A PAVING LIST.
OKAY? THE SECOND THING IS, I WOULD JUST WANT TO CITE AN EXAMPLE OF HOW TO DO SOMETHING WRONG.
30 YEARS AGO WHEN I LEFT COUNTY COUNCIL, THE COUNCIL HAD IN PLACE, IT WAS BETWEEN ONE AND A HALF AND TWO MILLS OF THE COUNTY BUDGET ANNUALLY WENT TO PAVE ROADS AND ROAD IMPROVEMENT AND DRAINAGE.
SOMEWHERE ALONG THE LINE, THEY DROPPED THAT OUT OF THE COUNTY BUDGET AND SAYS THE LITTLE TAX MONEY, WHICH AMOUNTS TO MAYBE TWO TO $3 MILLION A YEAR FOR PAVING ROADS.
WELL, IT TAKES A MILLION DOLLARS TO PAY US A TO PAVE A MILE.
IT'LL BE A HUNDRED YEARS AND WE'LL STILL HAVE THE SAME ISSUE BE 160 YEARS WHEN YOU ADD THE 30 THE TIME I SPENT ON COUNCIL.
SO WHAT I'M SAYING, BAD PLANNING, WE COULD HAVE KEPT THE SAME THING IN PLACE.
NOW YOU FIGURE 30 YEARS OF ONE AND A HALF TO 2 MILLION, TWO, TWO MILLS FROM THE COUNTY BUDGET ADDRESSING THIS ISSUE, IT WOULD'VE BEEN SOLVED.
SO AGAIN, ATTRIBUTED TO ME FROM WHAT I INTERPRETATION IS BAD PLANNING.
SO I KNOW WE CANNOT FIX IT ALL IN THIS EFFORT, BUT I JUST WANT YOU TO GIVE A HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE OF HOW WE COULD HAVE DONE SOMETHING DIFFERENT AND BE IN A LOT BETTER POSITION RIGHT NOW.
SO, UM, AND AGAIN, MY AGE, WE HAVE KIDS IN THE COUNTY DEALING WITH THE SAME ISSUE TO GET THE SCHOOL THAT I WENT THROUGH, HAVING A DIRT ROAD THAT CAN ONLY MOVE 20 MILES AN HOUR.
YOU KNOW, UH, SO AGAIN, WE ARE LOOKING AT A MASSIVE ENTITY THAT WE HAVE TO FUNNEL DOWN THROUGH A FUNNEL TO COME UP WITH A WORKABLE PRODUCT.
I TAKE THE APPROACH THAT IF A PROJECT, YOU HAVE TO FILTER THINGS THROUGH, SO WHEN IT GETS HERE, THEN WE CAN SAY THIS IS A VIABLE PRO PROJECT THAT IS PASSED THE SMELL TEST FROM THE COUNCILMAN, THE CTC.
AND SO THERE'S NOT A CONFLICT WHEN THE REFERENDUM GOES OUT, BECAUSE IF WE PUT A PROJECT IN HERE THAT THE LOCAL COUNCILMAN DOES NOT SUPPORT, REMEMBER THEY'RE GONNA MAKE THE FINAL DECISION.
SO IF YOU PUT STUFF IN, IN HERE THAT YOU HAVEN'T GOT THE SMELL TEST FROM THE, THE LOCAL ELECTED OFFICIAL, THEN GUESS WHAT? HE GONNA KNOCK IT OUT.
SO NOT ONLY THAT MAKES US LOOK BAD, IT'S GONNA MAKE THE PERSON WHO MADE THAT SUGGESTION NOT FEEL WELL.
BUT IF IT COMES THROUGH THE FILTER, THEN GUESS WHAT? EVERYTHING IS COPACETIC.
SO I JUST WANT TO MENTION THOSE COUPLE OF THINGS THAT I THINK THAT ARE VERY IMPORTANT.
I WILL HAVE SOME THINGS THAT I'M GONNA PRESENT, BUT I'M GONNA TRY TO MAKE SURE IT GOES THROUGH THE RIGHT FILTERS SO WE CAN GET CONTINUAL SUPPORT.
GREAT, GREAT HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE TOO.
MR. TASK, ANYTHING NEW OR? UH, YES, THE, UM, UH, I SENT AN EMAIL TO THE COMMITTEE, UH, FORWARDING COUNCILMAN BARTHOLOMEW'S RECOMMENDATIONS FOR DISTRICT TWO.
I SEE TWO OF THOSE ON THE LIST THERE.
SCHWARTZ LANDING SIGNAL IS ONE.
UH, THE LADIES ISLAND DRIVE, MERIDIAN ROAD IMPROVEMENTS, WHICH WERE ALSO SPOKEN TO THIS AFTERNOON.
ALSO ON THAT LIST WAS THE NORTHERN MERIDIAN ROAD CONSIDERATION FOR THE INTERSECTION WITH, UH, SEA ISLAND PARKWAY.
AND THEN THE GENTLEMAN, OF COURSE THAT, THAT GAVE HIS COMMENTS EARLIER, UH, FOR MIDDLE ROAD, I'D LIKE TO, UH, VISIT WITH HIM AND PERHAPS ADD THOSE TO THE LIST AS WELL.
HAVE WE TAKEN THEIR EMAILS? 'CAUSE I DON'T THINK THEY EMAILED THE WHOLE COMMITTEE.
ARE THEY GONNA BE ON THIS LIST OR FOR US TO DISCUSS? WE CAN DEFINITELY LOOK AT ADDING THOSE, YES.
I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE WE'RE NOT MISSING SOMETHING.
AND I BELIEVE THERE IS SOME OVERLAP WITH PROJECTS THAT MAY ALREADY BE ON THE LIST, SO WE'LL CONFIRM THAT.
ELIZABETH, ANYTHING? UM, NO, JUST TO REITERATE, I APPRECIATE BOTH PRESENTATIONS AND ENLIGHTENED BY SEVERAL TOPICS PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, BUT, UH, JUST WANTED TO, UH, PUT SUPPORT BEHIND THE IMPROVEMENTS FOR THE REBO ROAD CORRIDOR AND SPECIFICALLY AT THE INTERSECTION, UM, WITH LADIES ALLEN DRIVE AND
[01:15:01]
ALLEVIATING CONGESTION AND REROUTING, ESPECIALLY WITH RESPECT TO THE HISTORICAL STRUCTURE, UH, WAS MEMORIAL AND JUST THE IMPACT OVERALL IN THE NORTHERN BEAUFORT COMMUNITIES THAT IT WILL HAVE CROSSING NOT ONLY PORT ROYAL, BUT CITY OF BEAUFORT, AND THEN THE RURAL, UM, SECTIONS OF BEAUFORT COUNTY AND ST.UM, BUT THAT, THAT WOULD BE A HUGE IMPACTFUL PROJECT COMMUNITY WIDE, ESPECIALLY IN THE NORTHERN SECTION.
MR. REEVES, ANYTHING? UH, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SAY THAT CRAIG AND I HAD A GREAT MEETING WITH, UH, UH, SUN CITY ON FRIDAY.
AND, UH, WE GOT A LOT OF POSITIVE FEEDBACK AND, UH, AND I THINK THE RESIDENTS AT SUN CITY THAT WE'RE AT THE MEETING, UH, SEEMED TO BE FAIRLY POSITIVE ABOUT WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO HERE.
UH, 10 OUT OF THE 11 DIS UH, VOTING DISTRICTS AND, AND VOTED FOR THE PAST REVENUE INCREASE.
SO THERE IS A LOT OF SYMPATHY FOR IT.
UH, I I THINK THE SYMPATHY IS GOING TO BE MORE ANALYZED AS WE DEVELOP THE PROJECT LIST AND SO ON.
GET A LITTLE CLOSER, MR. FOREST, YOUR RED LIGHT WENT OFF.
I'M, I'M WATCHING STILL A LITTLE WOOZY HERE TODAY.
UM, I THINK PARTICULAR AREA, CERTAINLY, UH, AGAIN, SOUTH CAROLINA ONE 70 AND WHAT, IF ANYTHING, WE'RE GOING TO DO WITH THE 2 78 CARTER.
UM, AND QUITE NATURALLY MY TOP THREE ARE 1 72, 78 AND THE, UH, REBO ROAD PROJECTS, UH, I THINK THEY'RE THE ONES THAT STAND OUT.
AND I, AND I LOOK AT THOSE THREE, AND I, I TRY TO FIGURE OUT IN MY MIND WHEN I LOOK AT THIS VERSUS THOSE THREE, HOW MUCH MONEY IS LEFT OVER FOR THE, FOR THESE PARTICULAR PROJECTS.
AND, UH, IF, IF MY PAST SERVES ME, IT'S GONNA BE VERY, VERY DIFFICULT FOR ME TO GET A TREMENDOUS EXTENSION ON THE AMOUNTS OF TIME.
ANYWHERE FROM SIX TO 10 YEARS BEYOND THAT, I, I PROBABLY AM GOING TO HAVE A PROBLEM WITH.
AND I, AND SO I LOOK AT THE NEEDS VERSUS THE POTENTIAL FUNDING AND, YOU KNOW, WE, WE'VE GOT A HECK OF A JOB AHEAD OF US.
WELL, WE HAVE THE RIGHT GROUP.
ANYTHING, MS. COE? YEAH, YEAH.
UM, ACTUALLY I WAS TALKING TO SOMEBODY LAST NIGHT AND THEY HAD JUST MENTIONED TWO AREAS.
I'M NOT EVEN IN THAT DISTRICT, BUT THEY DRIVE THERE EVERY DAY.
BUT, UM, SQUIRE, POPE ROAD, WHEN YOU'RE COMING OFF ISLAND ON THE RIGHT SIDE, UM, IF IT'S, THE LADY SAID IF THEY WOULD EVEN JUST HAVE LITTLE, LIKE THEY DO AT WINDMILL, THEY HAVE LITTLE, UM, POLES STICKING UP BECAUSE PEOPLE COME ON THAT FAR, RIGHT? AND RIGHT AT THE LAST SECOND, I'VE SEEN THEM DO IT THERE, THERE'S AN INTERSECTION THERE, AND THEY CUT IN RIGHT BEFORE, I MEAN, THEY ALMOST HIT THE LITTLE CURB ON THE INTERSECTION AND THEY CUT IN FRONT OF THE CAR.
AND THEN ALSO SHE SAID, COMING OFF THE CROSS ISLAND FROM THE SOUTH END MM-HMM
AND THEN IF SOMEHOW THEY COULD MAKE THAT, WHERE THAT LANE IS JUST FOR THOSE PEOPLE COMING OFF THE CROSS ISLAND, BECAUSE ALL THE PEOPLE FROM GUMTREE ROAD COMING OFF THE ISLAND ALL JUMP OVER AND JUMP INTO CUT, CUT THEM OFF, AND VICE VERSA.
AND THEN, UM, ALSO JUST, UM, I LIVE IN ROSE HILL AND JUST OUR GENERAL MANAGER HAD ASKED THAT IF POSSIBLE, THE TURNING LANES INTO, UM, INTO ROSE HILL, COMING FROM HILTON HEAD AND COMING FROM BEAUFORT, THEY TEND TO GET BACKED UP AT RUSH HOUR, AND THEN THEY'RE BACKING OUT INTO 2 78 AND THEY'RE BLOCKING PEOPLE FROM GOING, YOU KNOW, IT'S IMPACTING TRAFFIC.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S, THAT WOULD BE RIGHT AWAY IN THERE, BUT THAT WAS, UM, AND THEN I ALSO DID SEND YOU GUYS SOME THINGS ON AI.
THEY'RE, THEY'RE EACH OF THEM.
UM, I JUST THINK WE SHOULD, WE SHOULD REALLY TAKE A GOOD LOOK AT THAT.
IN DOING IT COUNTYWIDE, THERE'S 80 LIGHTS.
I DID LOOK INTO PRICING AND IT WOULD BE PROBABLY BETWEEN EIGHT AND 10 MILLION TO DO THE ENTIRE COUNTY, UM, COST-WISE.
AND THEN THERE'S SOME, THERE'S SOME MAINTENANCE REQUIRED EACH YEAR.
BUT, UM, I, I THINK IT'S A DOABLE THING AND, AND IT WOULD, YOU KNOW, I I THINK IT WOULD HELP EVERYBODY OUT.
IT HELPS SAFETY WISE, FROM WHAT I'VE READ.
IT HELPS WITH, UM, THE TRAFFIC MOVEMENT.
IT HELPS, HELPS WITH PEDESTRIAN CROSSING.
UM, SO IT'S KIND OF ALL THE THINGS THAT WE'RE LOOKING
[01:20:01]
AT.AND THEN JUST LAST, UM, I, I THINK THAT WE NEED TO DECIDE WHAT ARE THE, LIKE THE TOP TWO PRIORITIES FOR WHY WE'RE DOING THIS SALES TAX TO BEGIN WITH SO THAT WE CAN NARROW DOWN THESE PROJECTS AND, UM, YOU KNOW, WHETHER THAT JUST BE, THAT IT'S SAFETY AND TO REDUCE CONGESTION.
BUT IF THERE'S OTHER REASONS, THEN I GUESS THEY NEED TO BE STATED OR, YOU KNOW, I, I DON'T KNOW WHAT EVERYBODY'S VISION IS FOR WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH BY, UH, DOING THE SALES TAX.
SO, UM, I THINK WE NEED TO DECIDE.
AND I, AND THOSE ARE REALLY GOOD POINTS FOR WHEN WE MEET FOR OUR WORKING SESSION.
SO EVERYTHING YOU THINK WE SHOULD BE LOOKING AT IN APRIL, LIKE, JUST LET US ALL KNOW.
'CAUSE I'M TAKING NOTES AND I SEE EVERYONE TAKING NOTES.
UM, MR. RICKETT, ANYTHING? UH, YEAH, UH, VERY QUICKLY, UM, IN, IN READING THE INFORMATION THAT JOY HAD SENT OVER ON AI, I SHARED WITH HER SOME ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.
THE BUFF, UH, UH, TOWNSHIP FIRE DISTRICT HAS STARTED TO TAKE A LOOK AT THAT.
AND THERE WAS SOME ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FROM ONE OF OUR BATTALION CHIEFS THAT I SENT TO JOY TO TAKE A LOOK AT.
THERE MIGHT BE SOME DUPLICATION, BUT I THINK JOY, YOU'RE GONNA SEE WHAT, UH, WHAT WE CAN GET OUT OF THAT.
'CAUSE I, I AGREE WITH JOY ON EVERYTHING SHE SAID ABOUT AI.
IT LOOKS LIKE THE FUTURE IN CONTROLLING THE TRAFFIC SIGNALS AND HELPING TO IMPROVE TRAFFIC FLOW AND SAFETY.
UM, I'M MEETING WITH CHIEF BABITZ BLUFFTON POLICE ON FRIDAY.
I THINK WHEN WE'RE DONE LOOKING AT ALL OF THE PROJECTS, FIRE DEPARTMENT, POLICE DEPARTMENT AND TOWN OF BLUFFTON ARE PROBABLY GONNA BE ON THE SAME PAGE ON 99% OF THESE.
SO WE'LL BE ABLE TO PRESENT AT SOME POINT, UH, UH, UH, A COMBINED LIST WHERE, WHERE ALL ARE PRETTY MUCH IN AGREEMENT.
ONE COMMENT I HAVE, ONE OF THE PROJECTS THAT IS, UH, PLAN SET IS THE, UH, UH, SAFETY PROJECT AT GOTHE ROAD, UH, WHERE IT EXITS ONTO BLUFFTON PARKWAY.
FOR THOSE OF YOU KNOW, THE AREA, THE, UH, PLAN IS TO MAKE GOTHE A RIGHT IN RIGHT OUT ONLY TO PREVENT CROSSOVERS TO GO WESTBOUND ON BLUFFTON PARKWAY.
THERE ARE A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF ACCIDENTS THERE.
FIRE DEPARTMENT HAS EXPRESSED CONCERN, HOWEVER, THAT PEOPLE MAKING THE RIGHT OUT WILL THEN PROCEED TO THE BLUFFTON CIRCLE AND DO A 360 TO GO BACK WESTBOUND.
AND THEY FORESEE SOME MAJOR ISSUES WITH THAT, DEPENDING ON HOW THE CIRCLE IS, UH, UH, IS, UH, IMPROVED.
AND THE ONLY THING I'VE SEEN PROPOSED ON THAT CIRCLE IMPROVEMENT SO FAR IS BETTER SIGNAGE.
I GO THROUGH THAT CIRCLE A LOT BETTER.
SIGNAGE IS NOT GONNA HELP
UH, WE'LL LOOK AT THAT MOVING FORWARD.
MR. HARDEN, UH, I APPRECIATE THE COUNTY PUTTING THIS SPREADSHEET TOGETHER.
UM, GOING THROUGH THIS THIS AFTERNOON, UH, MANY OF THE THINGS THAT FOLKS ARE, ARE CONCERNED WITH IN, IN MY DISTRICT AND SURROUNDING DISTRICTS ARE COVERED IN THIS.
SO, UH, THIS, THIS IS GREAT FOR US TO USE.
AND, UH, WHEN WE GET IN, UM, THE OTHER THING I WANTED TO MENTION, IF YOU GUYS HAVEN'T HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO, UM, TAKE A LOOK AT THIS INFORMATION ON THESE AI TRAFFIC SIGNALS, I FIND THIS STUFF FASCINATING.
UM, I, I, I, I, THE, THE ARTICLES THAT CAME OUT OF BOTH CHARLESTON AND LEXINGTON, I THINK, UM, IT, IT'S GREAT.
JUST VERY QUICKLY, WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE MAYBE TO GET SOMEONE FROM CHARLESTON AND LEXINGTON TO ZOOM FOR A BRIEF PRESENTATION ON AI, ON HOW IT'S, UH, WORKED FOR THEM? I'LL GO TO YOU.
YEAH, WE CAN, WE CAN ASK AND SEE IF WE CAN GET SOMEBODY MIGHT BE HELPFUL.
I CAN'T PROMISE, BUT, UH, WE CAN SURE.
I APPRECIATE ALL THE PRESENTATIONS, ESPECIALLY THE SCHOOL DISTRICT PRESENTATION.
UH, I HAVE A, I HAVE SOME COMMENTS ON THE SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT SUBJECT.
IT DOESN'T RELATE TO PRIORITIZATION, IT RELATES TO, UH, EDUCATION AND EDUCATION OF THE PEOPLE OF BEAUFORT COUNTY AS TO WHAT WE'RE DOING.
UM, SO THAT WHEN THEY GO TO VOTE, UH, THEY ARE ABLE TO CAST A BALLOT IN THE MOST INTELLIGENT WAY, UNDERSTANDING BOTH THE BENEFITS AND THE DETRIMENTS, UH, TO WHAT WE ARE DOING HERE TODAY.
UM, MY VIEW IS THAT UNLESS WE BEGIN TO CREATE THE STRUCTURE SO THAT THAT EDUCATION CAN TAKE PLACE, UH, WE ARE GOING TO END UP AT THE END OF THE DAY WITHOUT THE ABILITY, UM, TO EDUCATE THE PEOPLE AND THEREFORE FOR THEM TO INVOKE INTELLIGENTLY FOR WHAT WE'RE GONNA PROPOSE.
AND SO I KNOW THAT THERE ARE CONSTRAINTS THAT ARE PLACED UPON THE COUNTY, UH, WITH REGARD TO WHAT THEY CAN AND CANNOT DO.
I KNOW THAT THEY CAN'T ENGAGE IN ADVOCACY, BUT I THINK THEY CAN ENGAGE IN EDUCATION.
AND SO I WOULD CALL UPON THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR AND CHAIRMAN, UM, TO LOOK AT VERY CLOSELY
[01:25:01]
WHAT YOU CAN DO TO CREATE A FUND, UH, SO THAT WE CAN, UH, WE AS A COMMITTEE CAN RETAIN, UH,UM, AND, AND BEING ABLE TO, UH, EDUCATE THE POPULATION AND ON A MULTIMEDIA BASIS.
I MEAN, I'M HAPPY TO GO TO ALL THE QANTAS CLUB MEETINGS AND WHAT HAVE YOU AND TALK ABOUT IT, AND I'M SURE OTHER PEOPLE ARE TOO, BUT THAT'S NOT GONNA GET US THERE.
UH, WE HAVE TO HAVE A MULTIMEDIA EDUCATIONAL CAMPAIGN THAT SHOWS WHAT THE BENEFITS ARE AND TO BE FAIR, TO SHOW WHAT THE DETRIMENTS ARE AND TO SHOW WHAT THE NO ACTION ALTERNATIVE LEADS TO.
AND IF WE DON'T DO THAT, AND IF WE DON'T GET ON
WE, WE ARE, WE'RE RUNNING OUT OF TIME.
IF YOU READ THE ARTICLE THAT LISA CIRCULATED ABOUT CHARLESTON COUNTY, THEY HAVE A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT PROCESS, IT SOUNDED LIKE TO ME, WHERE THE, THE, THE COMMUNITY'S MUCH MORE INVOLVED AND MUCH MORE SOPHISTICATED IN LOOKING AT THE PROJECTS THAT ARE COMING UP.
AND WE NEED TO GET TO OUR, WE NEED TO MOVE OURSELVES ALONG THAT LINE.
AND WE DO NEED TO DO IT VERY, VERY QUICKLY BECAUSE NOVEMBER'S GONNA BE HERE BEFORE YOU KNOW IT.
UH, AND WE NEED TO, TO MAKE SURE THAT THE, THAT THE PEOPLE THAT ARE GONNA VOTE ON THIS UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY'RE VOTING FOR AND UNDERSTAND BOTH THE POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE OF WHAT THEY, WHAT'S BEFORE 'EM.
I THINK LOOKING AT EVERYONE THEY WERE AGREEMENT, AND I WOULD ADD MADAM CHAIRMAN IF, IF, IF, IF, IF YOU CAN DELEGATE SOMEBODY OR DELEGATE MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE WHO FEEL SIMILARLY OR DON'T FEEL SIMILARLY, UH, TO PURSUE THIS, UH, ON WHATEVER BASIS IT CAN.
AND IT CAN ALSO BE PRIVATE FUNDING TOO.
UH, IT DOESN'T NECESSARILY HAVE TO COME FROM THE COUNTY.
IT COULD COME FROM THE CHAMBER OR FROM OTHER ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE AN INTEREST IN THIS.
BUT IF YOU WANTED TO APPOINT SOMEONE TO, UH, OR A GROUP OF PEOPLE TO LOOK INTO THIS AND TO, TO ACTUALLY, UH, TAKE OWNERSHIP OF IT, I THINK THAT WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA AS WELL.
IF SOMEONE'S INTERESTED IN HELPING, AND I'M VERY MUCH FOR THIS, I DON'T KNOW HOW EVERYONE ELSE FEELS.
JERRY, WOULD YOU BE THE POINT PERSON TO MEET WITH THEM? EMAIL OR PHONE CALL OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT? YEAH.
AND, AND JUST TO HIGHLIGHT, UM, SO THE COUNTY CAN SUPPORT EDUCATIONAL EFFORTS, UH, ADVOCACY EFFORTS WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT HAVE TO BE DONE BY PRIVATE AND OUTSIDE ENTITIES.
BUT, UM, WE HAVE STAFF AND ARE ARE READY TO SUPPORT ADDITIONAL EDUCATIONAL EFFORTS.
ANY, ANY ASSISTANCE OR ANY PERSON WHO WANTS TO REACH OUT, WE CAN COORDINATE FURTHER.
WE'LL GET SOMETHING GOING ON THAT.
MR. FREEMAN MADAM CHAIR, I HAVE A COMMENT, PLEASE.
NO, I'M GONNA MR. FREEMAN'S NEXT AND THEN YOU SORRY, GO AHEAD, MR. FREEMAN'S.
UM, BEFORE WE GET TO THE EDUCATION, UH, COMPONENT OF THAT, WHICH I THINK IS VERY VALUABLE, WE AS A COMMITTEE NEED TO UNDERSTAND AND, AND REALIZE THAT JUST IF YOU LOOK AT THE DOLLAR VALUES OF THE, THE FEW THAT ARE, THAT HAVE TALLIES HERE, THERE'S A LARGE DOLLAR AMOUNT HERE.
UM, AND IT HAS TO BE SPREAD ACROSS THE COUNTY.
IT CAN'T JUST BE LOCALIZED IN ONE AREA.
SO FOR THIS TO BE A, AN APPROVABLE, UM, BOND REFERENDUM, IT NEED OR, OR ELSE WE'RE GONNA HAVE NO ACTION, RIGHT? IF IT'S, IF IT'S VOTED DOWN, THEN WE, YOU KNOW, WE WASTED OUR TIME.
SO IT, WE NEED TO FOCUS ON WHAT WE CAN DO TO SPREAD THIS OUT OVER THE ENTIRETY OF THE COUNTY.
AND, UH, IT LOOKS LIKE A GOOD START.
MR. STANFORD, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
I SEE THAT, UH, SPREADSHEETS HAVE BEEN PASSED AROUND.
I MUCH PREFER TO HAVE THIS STUFF IN DIGITAL FORM.
I DUNNO WHETHER OTHER MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE FEEL THAT WAY.
I CAN WORK WITH DIGITAL DOCUMENTS, I CAN'T WORK WITH PAPER DOCUMENTS.
SO IF THOSE CAN BE MADE AVAILABLE TO US IN A DIGITAL FORMAT, THAT'LL BE VERY HELPFUL.
THEN IN TERMS OF COMMENTS, UH, CHARLES, I THINK I MIGHT NEED PSYCHOLOGICAL HELP ALONG WITH YOU AND OTHERS IF WE TRY TO GO THROUGH THE ENORMITY OF THIS LIST AND TO ASSIGN PRIORITIES TO THEM.
I'M INCLINED TO THINK THAT, UH, CRAIG FOREST IS CORRECT, THAT MAYBE WE PICK OUT THREE, MAYBE FOUR KEY PROJECTS THAT'LL BE BENEFICIAL TO EVERYONE THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY.
AND, AND I'M THINKING ABOUT ONE 70 REBO ROAD AND HIGHWAY 2 78, AND REALLY PUT OUR EGGS INTO THAT.
REALLY PUT OUR EMPHASIS INTO THAT, UH, THAT COULD CARRY US ACROSS THE FINISH LINE.
WHEREAS IF WE HAVE A LIST OF 25 OR 30 PROJECTS, UH, NO MATTER HOW MUCH MONEY IS INVOLVED, IT'S GONNA BE CONFUSING TO EVERYONE.
SO THIS IS GONNA BE A DIFFICULT PROCESS FOR US.
[01:30:01]
THANK YOU.UM, I'M, LET ME, DO YOU HAVE AN ADD? I WANNA, I'LL FINISH UP.
I JUST WANTED TO ADD, UM, TO THE INTELLIGENT, UH, SIGNALIZATION, UH, COMMENTS VERY BRIEFLY.
SO LAST WEEK WE HEARD, UH, THE TOWN OF HILTON HEADS PRESENTATION, AND APPARENTLY THEY ARE MAKING USE OF THAT TECHNOLOGY WITH, WITH SOME DEGREE OF SUCCESS.
I ASKED THE TOWN'S ENGINEER TO FORWARD, UH, THEIR STUDY AND THEIR DOCUMENTS TO ME THEY HAVE DONE.
SO, I APOLOGIZE, I HAVE NOT CIRCULATED THOSE AMONGST THE GROUP, FRANKLY, IT'S A LOT OF MATERIAL.
I DIDN'T, IT'S SORT OF BROAD BRUSH, YOU KNOW, OVER AND ABOVE ALL THE ISSUES THAT ARE ON OUR LIST, BUT IT'S NEVERTHELESS VALUABLE.
SO I'M GOING TO FORWARD IT TO EVERYONE, UH, FOR THEIR THOUGHTS AND, UH, REVIEW.
AND PLEASE INCLUDE, I'M GONNA SAY SARAH, UNLESS SHE SHAKES HER HEAD.
NO, SARAH, BRIAN, JARED, AND MR. MOORE.
DO YOU WANNA BE PART OF THAT, THE FOUR OF THEM AND ANYTHING? BECAUSE THEY CAN GET IT OUT TO US AND ALSO HAVE SOME, THEY MAY KNOW ABOUT ALL THIS, SO IT'D BE GOOD FOR THEM TO HAVE.
SO I'VE BEEN DOING A COUPLE OF THINGS.
I'M GETTING A LOT OF EMAILS FROM VERY CITIZENS WHO ARE VERY MUCH IN FAVOR OF TRANSPORTATION.
AND THEN I GET SOME FROM PEOPLE WHO THINK WE ARE JUST GONNA DO SOMETHING THE SAME WAY WE'VE BEEN DOING IT, WHICH I DON'T EVER LOOK IN THE PAST.
UM, AND I WANTED TO READ OUT SOME THOUGHTS, AND I'VE EMAILED Y'ALL THESE, BUT ONE FROM THE HILTON HEAD PRESENTATION JUST HIGHLIGHTED, A RESIDENT SAID, WE NEED MORE CREDIBILITY.
CLEARLY SHOW PRIORITIES WHY AND WHO, WHY DO IT, WHO BENEFITS, UM, KNOW THE VISITOR, SHARE THE TAX IS REALLY IMPORTANT.
AND I'VE HEARD THAT FROM 10 OTHER PEOPLE.
THE, THE PERCENTAGE OF THIS PENNY, AND I THINK YOU HAVE MENTIONED IT, JERRY, UM, BE ABLE TO ARTICULATE THE IMPACT THAT THE REFERENDUM DOES NOT PASS.
SO THAT WAS ONE THEN SOMEBODY ELSE SAID THAT WORKED ON THE SCHOOL, PENNY.
I THINK VOTERS FEEL NEGATIVE BECAUSE THE PRESS ONLY PITCHES NEGATIVE NARRATIVE.
BILLBOARDS OF TRUCKS ON HIGH TRAFFIC AREAS.
DO WE FEEL EVACUATION? COULD YOU EVACUATE IN THIS CONGESTION? AND THEN I DON'T EVEN KNOW IF I WANNA GO ON FACEBOOK, BUT THEY, THEY ARE TIRED OF HEARING US BLAME EVERYTHING ON COVID.
UM, WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? SO I WAS, I'VE BEEN THINKING, GOSH, I THOUGHT MORE ABOUT THIS THAN WHILE I WAS MAYOR, BUT YOU KNOW, WHERE DO WE GO? I THINK WE HAVE THREE BUCKETS OF MONEY.
SO WE'RE TRYING TO FIGURE THIS OUT.
WE'RE CHARGED WITH RESURFACING, PAVING, DIRT ROADS, WIDENING AN INTERSECTION, AND SAFETY.
WE'RE TASKED WITH HOW MANY YEARS? SO, AND I'VE LISTENED TO Y'ALL AND IT'S EVERYTHING I JUST WROTE DOWN, BUT YOU KNOW, LIKE GLENN AND MR. FOREST SAID THREE BUCKETS.
AND I'D ASKED JUST QUICKLY FOR QUICK ESTIMATES, AND THIS IS NOT RIGHT.
SO ADD 30% ON IT IF YOU WANT TO.
AND I DID NOT, I DID NOT ADD REBO.
BUT THAT IS PERFECT IF WE WOULD CONSIDER, IT'S JUST FOR Y'ALL TO THINK ABOUT FOR THE NEXT MEETING.
IF WE DID ONE BIG PROJECT, IF YOU DID 2 78 FROM, IF YOU DID ONE 70 AND 46.
SO THERE THAT GOES FROM THE CITY OF BEAUFORT TO THE JASPER COUNTY LINE THAT AFFECTS RESIDENTS IN BEAUFORT DRIVING SOMEWHERE.
THEY'RE COMING, THEY'RE GOING SOMEWHERE BECAUSE THE TRAFFIC ON ONE 70 IS SO CRAZY.
AND YOU INCLUDE THE SAFETY, YOU INCLUDE ALL THOSE IMPROVEMENTS, NOT JUST WIDENING.
THAT COST ON A LOW END IS ABOUT 350 MILLION THAT RISES ALL SHIPS.
SO THAT TAKES BEAUFORT PORT, ROYAL BLUFFTON, HILTON, HILTON HEAD 'CAUSE THE WORKERS ARE GOING TO HILTON HEAD.
UM, IT GIVES US A LARGE AMOUNT TO THEN CONSIDER, OKAY, WELL 350 MILLION IS A, WELL, A SIX YEAR PENNY IS ABOUT 450 MILLION CONSERVATIVELY.
SO IF WE WENT TO AN EIGHT YEAR PENNY, A MINIMUM OF 600 MILLION.
SO DO WE THINK ABOUT A BIG PROJECT THAT CAN BE PUBLICIZED EVERYWHERE, EASY TO PUT ON THE BALLOT.
AND THEN THE OTHER PROJECTS, DIRT, ROADS, SAFETY, SMALLER THINGS HELP WITH MAYBE TOWN AND COUNTY PROJECTS THAT THEY DO HAVE FUNDED.
BUT OVER A FIVE YEAR PERIOD, AND I THINK A LOT OF OUR PRESENTATIONS, AND I ASKED HILTON HEAD AND ALL THOSE PROJECTS WHILE THEY'RE IN THEIR FIVE YEAR CAPITAL PLAN, WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO HELP IF IT'S ONE OF THOSE CRITERIA.
IT COULD BE EASIER FOR US TO WHITTLE IT DOWN.
IF WE TOOK REALLY MAJOR PROJECTS AND FIGURED OUT WHAT THE COSTS WERE, IT'D BE EASIER FOR US
[01:35:01]
AND THEN HAVE SOME MONEY LEFT OVER AND WE MIGHT HAVE TO GO TO AN EIGHT YEAR PENNY TO DEAL WITH THE CHILDREN GOING TO SCHOOL OR INTERSECTION IMPROVEMENTS.SO I THOUGHT ABOUT THAT THIS MORNING AND JUST PUT ROUGH NUMBERS ON IT.
UM, YOU KNOW, IF THE PENNY DOESN'T PASS AND JARED AND SAID THIS, SO I'M GONNA GIVE YOU CREDIT, WE'RE NEVER GONNA LOSE THE CHARACTER OF WHERE WE LIVE.
WE'RE, WE'RE INSANELY CRAZY WHEN WE GET ON THE ROAD, BUT WHEN WE GO HOME AND ON A BEAUTIFUL WEEKEND, WHERE ELSE WOULD YOU LIVE? BUT, BUT IT, THAT THE PENNY WILL ENHANCE THE TRAFFIC ISSUES AND IT WILL ENHANCE THE EASE OF OUR RESIDENTS GOING FROM HERE TO HERE.
'CAUSE THEY'RE GONNA STILL GO FROM HERE TO HERE.
UNLESS OUR MUNICIPALITIES AND OUR COUNTY PUTS 10 TIMES THIS IN INDUSTRY, THAT WILL COME CLOSER TO THEIR HOUSE.
BUT THAT HURTS AREAS OF OUR COUNTY AS WELL, BECAUSE THEN THEY'RE GONNA BE LOOKING FOR EMPLOYEES.
I JUST WANT THE PUBLIC TO KNOW THAT THIS GROUP IS HERE.
WE'RE NOT IN IT FOR ANY AGENDA.
AND WE, I FEEL WE MOSTLY BELIEVE THIS IS A NECESSITY BECAUSE IF WE DON'T DO IT AND IT'S NOT NEGATIVE, IT'S NOT GONNA BE DONE.
THE, THE STATE IS NOT PAYING FOR THIS.
SO WE, WE KIND OF END UP HAVING TO DO WHAT WE GOTTA DO TO MAKE OUR LIVES BETTER.
SO THAT WAS KIND OF SOMETHING TO END ON.
UM, THE NEXT MEETING, WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? JARED
SO YOU KIND OF, THAT WAS A GOOD SEGUE TO I THINK WHERE THE COMMITTEE GOES NEXT.
UM, WE'LL HAVE, WHAT, WHAT BRIAN AND I AND STAFF PLAN TO HAVE IS, UM, OVER THE NEXT WEEK OR SO WE'RE GONNA HAVE THIS PROJECT LIST, UH, MAKE SURE THAT WE'VE GOT ALL THE PROJECTS THAT WE'VE HEARD AND SUBMITTED.
AND THEN OUR NEXT MEETING IS APRIL 1ST.
WE'LL PIN DOWN THE LOCATION THAT'S, WE'LL COORDINATE AND FINALIZE THAT.
UM, BUT BEFORE APRIL 1ST, OUR GOAL AS STAFF IS TO HAVE MOST, IF NOT ALL OF THE PROJECT COSTS FILLED OUT ON THIS SHEET AS WELL.
AND THEN OBVIOUSLY A TOTAL AT THE BOTTOM, IT'S PROBABLY GONNA BE A VERY LARGE NUMBER.
UM, BUT THAT TOTAL, AND THEN FOR YOU GUYS AS MENTIONED, UM, YOU'VE GOT TIME, MONEY, AND PROJECTS.
UM, SO THE FIRST TWO, UH, WE'VE GOT ACTUALLY HAVE IT AND I CAN PASS OUT AND SEND A DIGITAL COPY OF, WE'VE GOT A, A PRELIMINARY COST FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE ON THOSE COLLECTION RATES ROUGHLY $75 MILLION A YEAR.
SO THAT'S WHERE THE NUMBERS, UH, MS. SILKA WAS PRESENTING OR COMING FROM.
AND THEN WE'RE GONNA GET AN UPDATED VERSION, JUST THIS WAS FOR CAPITAL PROJECT SALES TAX THAT WE GOT LAST SUMMER.
AND WE'LL GET TRANSPORTATION TO FINE TUNE THE NUMBERS, BUT ROUGHLY IT BREAKS IT DOWN PER YEAR.
SO YOU CAN START TO KNOW WHETHER YOU DO FOUR YEARS, SIX YEAR, EIGHT YEAR, HOW MUCH THAT COLLECTS AND THEN YOU CAN START BACKING INTO, UH, PROJECTS AND, AND ALL THE SUCH.
SO WE'RE REALLY GETTING INTO THE HEART OF IT.
I THINK WHAT YOU'LL SEE IS, I'VE HEARD A COUPLE PEOPLE MENTION IF YOU PUT THE BIG PROJECTS AND START WITH THE BIG PROJECTS, IF YOU'RE TRYING TO FILL UP A BUCKET, YOU START WITH THE BIG ROCKS, THEN YOU PUT IN THE MEDIUM ROCKS AND THEN YOU PUT IN THE SAND, UH, AND YOU CAN FILL A LARGE BUCKET.
SO I THINK THAT'S THE PROCESS HERE THAT YOU GUYS, UM, ARE GOING DOWN ORGANICALLY ALREADY.
SO I THINK WE'RE TRENDING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION, RIGHT? SO LOOK AT, SO WE'RE NOT HAVING A MEETING NEXT WEEK.
DID I HEAR THAT? OUR NEXT ONE IS THE FIRST WHAT SCHEDULE? SO WE WERE DOING THE MUNICIPAL MEETINGS AND WE WERE HITTING EVERY WEEK DURING THE WORKING TIME.
OUR NEXT SCHEDULE MEETING'S APRIL 1ST.
UH, SO IT'S TWO WEEKS AND IT'S A EVENING MEETING.
SO THE INTENT WITH THE NEXT TWO SCHEDULE MEETINGS PER SCHEDULE, WE'RE ONE NORTH, ONE SOUTH IN THE EVENING.
SO IF WE HAVE MORE PUBLIC COMMENT THAT'LL HOPEFULLY HAVE PEOPLE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY.
ONE OTHER THING THAT'LL BE CONSIDERED I THINK Y'ALL HAVE A GOOD FEEL FOR AT NEXT MEETING IS WE GET TALKING ABOUT, YOU GUYS START TALKING ABOUT PROJECTS AND FITTING ALL THIS IN AT THE END OF THAT MEETING, PROBABLY NEED SOME DECISION ON THE SCHEDULE WE HAVE.
I THINK THERE'S THREE MEETINGS LEFT.
THREE MAY NOT BE ENOUGH, IT MAY BE JUST RIGHT.
IT DEPENDS WHERE THAT DISCUSSION LEADS AND UM, THAT'LL PROBABLY BE SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED AS WELL.
SO WE HAVE SIX WEEKS BASICALLY.
UM, AND YOU, IF YOU NEED TO FILL IN EXTRA MEETINGS THAT CAN BE DISCUSSED THEN MR. PERRY, UH, MADAM CHAIRMAN, I HAVE ONE ADDITIONAL COMMENT JUST SO WE DON'T LOSE SIGHT OF IT.
ONE OF THE OPTIONS THAT WE HAVE IS TO, UH, BOND THIS OUT.
[01:40:01]
USE THE, UH, THE, THE TAX, UH, THAT IS RAISED TO FUND BONDS.UH, AND THAT MAKES A MORE ATTRACTIVE BOND IF THERE'S A KNOWN SOURCE OF OF FUNDING.
I WOULD, I MENTIONED THAT BECAUSE SOME OF THE PROJECTS ARE MORE URGENT THAN OTHERS AND IT TAKES A WHILE TO BUILD THE, THE WAR CHEST.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE NEED TO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION IS BONDING AND THE COST TO BONDING BECAUSE THE COST, THERE IS A COST TO BONDING AND THAT REDUCES THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT YOU ULTIMATELY GET.
BUT WE CAN'T MAKE AN INTELLIGENT DECISION ABOUT THAT UNLESS WE HAVE THAT.
SO, UH, JARED, I WOULD, I IT MAY BE A A, A MOMENT PREMATURE, BUT AT SOME POINT WE HAVE TO START FIGURING THAT IN AND MAKE A DECISION ON WHETHER WE WANT TO RECOMMEND BONDING OR NOT BONDING.
SO JUST DON'T LOSE SIGHT OF THAT FACT.
AND THAT WOULD HAVE TO BE ON THE BALLOT.
SO WE WOULD NOT BE GUARANTEED UNTIL THE VOTE CAME, WHICH, YOU KNOW, YOU WERE ON THIS COMMITTEE.
BUT, UM, ALSO WHAT, WHAT CAN THE COUNTY HELP WITH TO KNOW THEY'RE GONNA GET IT RECOUPED.
AND, AND I KNOW THAT'S A COUNTY COUNCIL AND A FINANCE QUESTION, BUT UNFORTUNATELY WE HAVE OUR BIG BRAIN FINANCE OFFICER, CFO HERE TO HELP, BUT ONE, ONE AND ONLY TIME SHE'S GONNA BE HERE NOW
UM, BUT THOSE ARE GOOD QUESTIONS AND UM, AND APPROPRIATE.
SO IF THE BONDING IS RECOMMENDED, THERE'S TWO QUESTIONS FOR THAT.
THERE'S THE REFERENDUM QUESTION IN THE PROJECTS AND THEN TO BOND OR NOT TO BOND.
UM, WHAT WE'VE DONE IN THE PAST, UH, ON AT LEAST THE 2018 I'M VERY FAMILIAR WITH IS THAT QUESTION WAS PART OF IT.
UM, THE COUNTY GOT A YES VOTE ON BOTH THE PROGRAM AND THE BONDING.
UM, WHAT WE DO HAVE AGAIN, IS A STRONG PENNY.
AND SO IT IS REALLY THE FIRST OR SECOND YEAR, I MEAN BY THE TIME YOU'RE IN TWO YEARS, YOU'RE COLLECTED $150 MILLION.
SO TO GET THAT SPENT THAT QUICKLY, UM, THE, THE PACE IS REALLY GOOD.
SO IT'S IF WE, THE COUNTY NEEDS THE BOND AND THAT'S WHAT WE'LL COORDINATE WITH CFO, UM, IT WOULD BE A SMALLER AMOUNT, BUT IT STILL WOULD REQUIRE IT TO BE ON A BALLOT IF WE NEED TO BOND AT ALL.
AND YOU, WE WOULD NEED TO RECOMMEND THAT TO COUNTY COUNCIL WITH OUR LIST.
THAT WOULD BE SOMEBODY ELSE HAD A MS. JUDGE KLINE, I JUST, AND YOU REPEATED IT RIGHT NOW, YOUR FINANCIAL EXPERTS IS PROJECTING THAT A, A PENNY SALE STARTING IN 27.
WILL PRO WILL, WILL, WE COULD LOOK AT PLANNING ON PERCEIVED RECEIPTS TOTALING 75 MILLION A YEAR.
AND I, I'LL SHARE THIS RIGHT NOW AND MR. STANFORD, I KNOW YOU'RE ONLINE, I'LL BE SURE TO EMAIL THIS TO YOU.
UM, BUT WHAT WE HAVE, I'LL PASS OUT HERE AFTER I GET DONE TALKING IS, UM, FROM OUR FISCAL, UH, REVENUE AND FISCAL AFFAIRS OFFICE.
SO WE HAD ASKED THEM LAST YEAR BEFORE IT CAME TO TRANSPORTATION COUNTY COUNCIL WAS ENTERTAINING CAPITAL PROJECT SALES TAX.
IT COLLECTS SIMILARLY, BUT A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT.
SO WE'LL ASKING THEM TO REFINE THAT, BUT OVER THE CAPITAL PROJECT HAS UP TO EIGHT YEARS.
SO THAT'S THE NUMBERS THAT WE HAVE AND IT GROWS OVER TIME.
SO 75 IS NOW, BUT OVER EIGHT YEARS, WE EXPECT MORE THAN 75 MILLION A YEAR OR THE STATE DOES.
UM, SO I'LL PASS THAT OUT FOR EVERYBODY TO HAVE.
AND THEN THAT'LL BE BASICALLY THE STARTING POINT FOR FOR NEXT WEEK, RIGHT? TWO WEEKS OR THE NEXT MEETING, TWO WEEKS.
UM, AND I'LL SAY COVID 'CAUSE IT DID MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
IT SHUT US DOWN, BUT IT ALSO TRIPLED PRICES.
SO FOR THE PEOPLE WHO SAY WE'RE TIRED OF HEARING IT, THAT'S THE FACTS.
IT CAUSED GREAT PRICE INCREASES.
BUT FROM THE 2018 PENNY, IT WAS REPRIORITIZED BY COUNTY COUNCIL.
SIX PROJECTS ARE COMPLETED, ONE IS IN CONSTRUCTION, THE REMAINDER ARE IN DESIGN OR RIGHT OF WAY.
UM, FIVE ARE SCHEDULED B BE IN CONSTRUCTION BY THE END OF 2026.
THE LAST UPDATED ON THE PENNY SITE WAS MARCH 16TH, 2026.
SO I WOULD, I THINK MS. ERICKSON SAID IT HADN'T BEEN UPDATED, BUT I THINK SHE DIDN'T REFRESH HER COOKIES, BUT IT WAS UPDATED.
UM, IT IS WHAT IT IS AND I THINK THIS GROUP'S GONNA BRING A LITTLE BIT, UM, MORE PROFESSIONALISM IN RECOMMENDING TO THIS COUNTY COUNCIL.
AND I THINK THEY TRUST US OR THEY WOULDN'T HAVE PUT US HERE.
UM, SO I THINK WE HAVE A GOOD START.
I, I'VE HEARD SEVERAL TIMES 1 72 78 AND REBO ROAD AND I THINK THAT MIGHT BE A GOOD TEST TO SEE THAT COST OF WHETHER IT'S INTERSECTION OR SAFETY OR WIDE OR WHATEVER IT IS TO GIVE US THAT NUMBER THAT NEXT TWO WEEKS.
'CAUSE I'VE HEARD SOUTH AND NORTH OF THE BROAD MENTION THAT, AND I WOULD AGREE REBA ROAD'S INTERESTING.
UM, JUST A COUPLE, COUPLE THINGS.
UM, ONE, UM, MR. TRASK HAD GIVEN A LIST OF WHAT
[01:45:01]
DISTRICT, WHAT DISTRICT ARE YOU IN? 2, 2, 2 WANTED.I WAS JUST WONDERING IF THE OTHER DISTRICT SHOULD BE TURNING IN SOMETHING LIKE, I KNOW, UM, MR. JONES HAD MENTIONED ABOUT THEHOW ONE CREEK BRIDGE AND SOMETHING WARSAW ISLAND.
UM, IF THOSE SHOULD BE ADDED TO THE LIST, UM, IF, YOU KNOW, SINCE THE MUNICIPALITIES ALL HAD THEIR LITTLE THINGS, SHOULD EACH DISTRICT HA YOU KNOW, TRY TO LIMIT IT BUT MAYBE PUT THAT AND THEN ALSO ON THE ONE 70, I WAS JUST WONDERING WHAT EXACTLY WE, BECAUSE I WENT TO THAT ONE 70 MEETING AND THEY DID THE WHOLE STRETCH MM-HMM
RIGHT? AND IT WAS HUGE AND IT HAD A, THEY WOULDN'T EVEN GIVE ME A FIGURE PERIOD OF ANYTHING.
SO I'M NOT SURE HOW YOU GOT THE THREE 50 MILLION AND IF SO, IS THAT JUST THE PART BETWEEN 4 62 AND 2 78 OR IS THAT THE WHOLE ENTIRE THING? I, I GAVE A ESTIMATION AND I CAUGHT JARED AND BRIAN TOTALLY OFF GUARD, BUT THEY KNOW THAT THEY'VE SAID THEIR NUMBERS THREE DIFFERENT TIMES AND THEY'RE ALL THE SAME.
SO ESTIMATED, ESTIMATED ON THE LOWER END PROBABLY IT WAS, UH, THE WIDENING FROM 2 78 TO 4 62 AND THEN IT, IT WAS BOUNDARY STREET TO THE JASPER COUNTY LINE.
DO NOT THINK THAT STUDY IS A STUDY WE'RE GONNA GO BY.
IT WAS A 50 YEAR STUDY AND IT'S PROBABLY A BILLION DOLLARS WITH ALL KINDS OF THINGS THAT THEY'RE STUDYING.
WE'RE NOT STUDYING THAT WE'RE MORE GROUND LEVEL WIDENING INTERSECTION IMPROVEMENTS.
SO THE INTERSECTION SAFETY WAS ABOUT 50 MILLION.
THE PAVING TOTAL WAS ABOUT A HUNDRED, UH, 50 FOR THE TRAFFIC CIRCLE TO JASPER COUNTY LINE IN BLUFFTON, 150 MILLION FROM 2 78 TO 4 62.
AND, UM, RESURFACING AND SMALL INTERSECTION IMPROVEMENTS COULD BE DONE REALLY QUICKLY.
NOW I WOULD SAY PUT IN REBO TOO, 'CAUSE I REALLY, I AGREE I'M OVER HERE AS MUCH.
IT JUST WASN'T IN MY HEAD UNTIL Y'ALL MENTIONED IT.
BUT THOSE ARE NUMBERS THAT WERE VERY DRAFT BUT FROM STUDIES.
SO IT PLEASE LOOK AT THAT STUDY.
I, I CAUGHT, I REPLIED TO THAT STUDY 'CAUSE I DO SEE A NEED FOR, UM, RED LIGHTS AT CERTAIN AREAS.
IT, IT'LL SLOW THE TRAFFIC ENOUGH TO MOVE THE TRAFFIC.
I'D ALSO SAY ON THE DISTRICTS, Y'ALL ARE HERE REPRESENTING YOUR DISTRICT, YOU'RE THE CITIZEN VOICE.
SO PLEASE GO AROUND AND LOOK AT THESE ROADS THAT THEY'RE NEAR YOU.
YOUR WORK IS COMING FROM YOUR COUNTY COUNCIL WHO SUPPORTS WHAT THEIR TEAM IS PRESENTING.
THERE ARE A LOT OF COUNTY PROJECTS IN HERE, BUT IF THEY'VE MISSED SOMETHING, ABSOLUTELY BRING IT FORWARD.
BUT I THINK YOU'LL FIND IT'S PROBABLY IN SOME OF THESE, BUT DON'T LET IT SLIP.
LIKE YOU'VE MENTIONED THREE TODAY, THEY MAY HAVE FALLEN IN TO SOMETHING THAT'S ALREADY BEEN SUBMITTED.
I JUST DIDN'T KNOW IF EACH DISTRICT SHOULD BE TURNING SOMETHING IN.
UM, WELL I'LL, I GUESS I'D LOOK AT ALICE WHO'S BEHIND ME.
UM, I WOULD EXPECT THAT JARED AND BRIAN ARE REPRESENTING THE COUNTY IN THE PROJECTS, BUT I MIGHT BE WRONG.
WELL, AM I WRONG? AND MR. MOORE? YEAH, SO, SO WE'VE GOT, UM, PROJECTS THAT ARE LISTED.
THE PROJECTS THAT WE LIFTED OFF OFF OF THE STUDIES ARE MOSTLY UNINCORPORATED.
SO, UM, LIKE THE ONE 70, IT GOES IN AND OUT OF CITY OF BEAUFORT AND PORT ROYAL UP HERE.
UM, BUT THE REST OF IT'S PRETTY MUCH AN UNINCORPORATED HIGHWAY 21 GOING OUT TOWARDS SHELDON.
UH, WE'VE LIFTED SOME PROJECTS OFF OF THAT.
SO YES, WE, WE REPRESENTED THE UNINCORPORATED PROJECTS THAT ARE REFLECTED ON THERE.
OKAY, WELL JUST ONE THING, BUT NONE OF ST.
HELENA IS IN ANY OF THAT LA STUDIES.
SO YEAH, SO THERE'S GONNA BE, AND THIS IS THE SAME IN BOTH OUR MOST RURAL AREAS, ST.
HELENA AND SHELDON BURTON, UM, AREA OR UM, LOKO AREA.
YOU'RE NOT GONNA SEE AS MANY MAJOR PROJECTS.
YOU'RE GONNA SEE SPOT INTERSECTION PROJECTS AND THEN MORE DIRT ROAD PAVING IS WHAT'S GONNA SHOW UP IN THOSE AREAS.
I DON'T BELIEVE WE HAVE THE DIRT ROAD PAVING.
SO WE HAVE A FIVE YEAR DIRT ROAD PAVING PLAN AND THAT'S REALLY THE, THE LIST THAT WE WOULD RECOMMEND BECAUSE A LOT OF THOSE PROJECTS IN THAT PLAN ALREADY HAVE ESTABLISHED RIGHT OF WAY, WHICH IS GOING TO BE REQUIRED TO GET THOSE PROJECTS COMPLETE.
UM, SO WE'RE GOING TO ADD THAT TO THE LIST TO MAKE SURE THOSE ROADS ARE REPRESENTED IN THE RURAL AREAS.
UM, AND JUST ONE LAST POINT THAT AI TECHNOLOGY, I KNOW I KEEP HITTING ON IT, BUT I THINK IT'S SO IMPORTANT THAT PEOPLE, I KNOW I WOULD BE MUCH MORE ON BOARD IF I KNEW THAT WAS GOING ON TO SUPPORT THE SALES TAX AND UM, AND JUST IN THIS ONE LEXINGTON ARTICLE, THEY ALSO USED IT FOR HELPING WITH EVACUATION AND, AND PEOPLE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT EVACUATION AND THEY WERE ABLE TO LIKE REVERSE ALL THE LIGHTS
[01:50:01]
AND UM, UP IN COLUMBIA THEY ACTUALLY ADDED EXTRA LIGHTS SO THAT COLUMBIA CAN EVACUATE AND THEY CAN JUST TURN IT ON A DIME, ALL OF THEM AT LIKE THE SAME TIME.SO I, I DO THINK IT'S IMPORTANT.
SO THAT'S JUST ONE THING THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL FROM STAFF TO THE COMMITTEE ASK OF Y'ALL.
UM, WE'VE, WE'VE HEARD IT A LOT.
THE ITS, THE SMART SIGNALS, THE AI, UM, THAT INVOLVES A LOT OF DIFFERENT TECHNOLOGIES.
UM, AND IT'S GOING TO BE REALLY HARD.
ONE OF THE COUNCIL GOALS WAS TO BE SPECIFIC.
SO IT'S GONNA BE REALLY HARD TO BE SPECIFIC WHEN WE SAY IMPROVEMENT IN SIGNALS AND TO AI AND ALL THAT STUFF.
HOW DOES THE COMMITTEE REPRESENT THAT IT'S IMPORTANT? WE'VE HEARD IT MULTIPLE TIMES.
UM, AND WE'D LIKE TO REPRESENT THAT AS WELL.
BUT IT'S TO JUST SAY IT AT ONE INTERSECTION OR THIS INTERSECTION.
IT'S REALLY AN INTEGRATED SYSTEM AND, AND HOW IS THAT GONNA BE PERCEIVED BY THE VOTING PUBLIC? SO RIGHT, THAT'S THE QUESTION.
LET, LET ME GET TO JERRY JUST TO SPREAD THE QUESTIONS AROUND AND WE'LL COME BACK.
WHY DON'T YOU SAY, WHY DON'T YOU SAY WE ARE GOING TO IMPROVE ALL INTERSECTIONS SAFETY WISE WITH NEW IMPROVEMENTS.
YOU KNOW, AI LIGHTS, DECELERATION LANES, INCEL, UH, ACCELERATION LANES, STRIPING CROSSWALKS, ALL OF THAT, YOU KNOW, INCLUDE SAFETY IS PART OF WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A ACROSS THE WHOLE ENTIRE COUNTY, EVERYWHERE.
SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE NUMBER IS, BUT YOU KNOW, THAT'S SOMETHING YOU CAN SELL TO THE PUBLIC.
THEY CAN UNDERSTAND THAT THEY'LL PAY FOR THAT.
SO THAT YEAH, JUST TO COMMENT.
I THINK THAT'S A GOOD WAY TO DO IT.
UM, WHEN WE DID THE 24 SALES TAX, THAT WAS ONE OF THE COMMENTS THAT WE HEARD.
WE HAD A KIND OF SAFETY BUCKET AND IT WASN'T VERY DEFINED.
IT WAS, IT WAS CATCHALL TO ALL THESE THINGS THAT YOU JUST MENTIONED.
UM, AND THAT, THAT WAS HOW YOU GUYS NEED TO MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TO COUNTY COUNCIL IF THAT IS SPECIFIC ENOUGH.
Y'ALL ARE REPRESENTING THE PUBLIC.
AND IF YOU THINK THAT IS A PUBLIC, YOU CAN, YOU CAN REPRESENT THAT.
WELL THEN I THINK THAT'S A, A GOOD IDEA.
THAT WAS JUST, LIKE I SAID, ONE OF THE COMMENTS THAT WE GOT BACK, UM, ON LAST YEAR ON 20 FOURISH REFERENDUM WAS BUCKETS.
WELL LET'S BE THINKING THROUGH THAT.
'CAUSE I THINK THE BUCKETS IS WHAT I DON'T, I DON'T HAVE, I'M NOT GONNA SAY IT 'CAUSE I DON'T HAVE FACTS TO BACK UP WHAT I'M SAYING, BUT LET'S THINK THROUGH HOW IT'S WORDED.
THE COUNCIL GAVE A VERY CLEAR ROLE ON WHAT THEY WANNA SEE.
SO SPECIFICS STAYING WITHIN THESE AREAS.
UM, AND THEN I DO THINK IF IT IS IN THE BUDGET FOR THE COUNTY TO DO OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS, YOU NEED TO LET US KNOW
LET ME ASK EVERYONE ELSE, 'CAUSE I KNOW YOU'VE HAD A LOT OF QUESTIONS AND THAT'S GREAT.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS RIGHT HERE MA'AM? YES, SIR.
JUST A, A POINT OF CONCERN AND THAT IS, I NOTICED WE HAVE A NUMBER OF STUDIES LISTED.
IF WE ARE PLANNING TO DO A STUDY TO AFFECT THE RESULT OF THE STUDY, IF WE ARE GOING TO REQUIRE STATE AND OR FEDERAL FUNDING TO DO A PROJECT, LET'S TRY TO GET SOME INFORMATION TO SU ON WHERE IS THE STATE PLANNING AS TO WHAT OUR GOALS ARE.
BECAUSE THE PAY FOR A STUDY THAT'S GOING TO SIT ON THE SHELF FOR 10 YEARS, BY THE TIME YOU DO THE PROJECT, THAT'S, THAT STUDY IS HEADED STRAIGHT TO FILE 13 TRASHCAN.
SO THAT, AND THAT, THAT HAPPENED IN A PRIOR REFERENDUM EFFORT.
WE WERE TRYING TO DO A STUDY TO AFFECT SOMETHING THAT THE STATE SAYS.
WE'RE NOT EVEN THINKING ABOUT IT.
SO WE HAVE, WE SERVE A VERY INTELLIGENT AUDIENCE AND THEY'RE GOING TO, YOU STUDY FOR WHAT THEN THEY'RE GOING TO, IF WE DON'T DO IT, THEY'RE GONNA DO IT FOR US.
IT PUTS US IN AN EMBARRASSING POSITION.
AND WE HAVE, AND I THINK THAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE EIGHT, DEFINITELY THE 18 PENNY AND MAYBE A LITTLE BIT OF THE 24 PENNY.
WE HAVE STUDIES THAT BACK UP EVERYTHING WE'RE LOOKING AT.
IF WE WANTED TO JUST LOOK AT THE STUDIES, Y'ALL ALL HAVE IT IN YOUR DROPBOX, Y'ALL, THERE'S 600 PAGES.
I DON'T KNOW HOW WE CAN PRINT IT ALL OUT.
YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO FIND ACCESS TO THAT AND THEN I THINK STAFF MAYBE PRINT OUT SOME OF IT FOR A BINDER FOR US BY THE FIRST NEXT MEETING.
BUT I AGREE WITH YOU, BUT I'M REFERRING TO STUDIES THAT THIS PROJECT THAT WE ARE WORKING ON WILL FUND NOT STUDIES THAT HAVE BEEN DONE IN THE PAST.
SO ANYTHING THAT'S LISTED ON THE SHEET THAT SAYS STUDY IS ALREADY DONE, THAT'S WHERE THESE PROJECTS
[01:55:01]
ARE COMING FROM.WE'RE NOT PROPOSING ANY STUDIES TO BE DONE.
WE, THAT WOULD BE PERCEIVED AS AN ITEM THAT WE WILL FUND WITH THE PAINTING.
SO WE WOULDN'T BE FUNDING A STUDY.
IF THE STUDY IS ALREADY DONE, THEN LET'S, LET'S DENOTE THAT THAT, SO WE'RE DOING EXACTLY WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
SO STUDIES HAVE BEEN DONE BY THE LATS AND THEY'RE SITTING ON THE SHELF AND THIS IS THE POTENTIAL FUNDING MECHANISM TO, TO THE, THAT'S, THAT'S A DIFFERENT SCENARIO.
AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT, WHEN Y'ALL LOOK AT THE HANDOUT AND MR. STANFORD, WHEN YOU GET IT ELECTRONICALLY, YOU'RE GONNA SEE COLUMN THREE AND IT'S, IF A STUDY HAS BEEN COMPLETED, IT'S LISTED.
IF IT'S NOT ON THERE, I THINK THOSE ARE QUESTIONS WE NEED TO ASK.
DOES IT TAKE A STUDY? 'CAUSE I DON'T THINK THE PENNY SHOULD FUND A STUDY PERSONALLY, BUT I WOULD SAY 75%, NO, PROBABLY 80% OF THESE, UM, RESURFACING DOESN'T NEED A STUDY.
UM, PAVING DIRT ROADS PROBABLY DOESN'T.
BUT 80 OR 90% OF THESE PROJECTS TO DATE HAVE HAD STUDIES READY TO GO.
SO MS. CO, YOU HAD OTHER QUESTIONS? UM, I THINK THE STUDY COMPLETED COMPLETED STU COMPLETED, RIGHT? GUYS COMPLETED STUDIES.
YEAH, I JUST THINK MR. REEVES IS CORRECT ON THE SAFETY THAT, UM, AS MS. MANNING SPOKE, IT'S, IT'S REALLY, REALLY IMPORTANT AND IT, IT NEEDS TO BE TOLD HOW, HOW WE'RE GONNA KEEP THE PEOPLE SAFE, LIKE WITH THE EVERYTHING THAT YOU SAID.
AND THEN ALSO WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE TO GET, UH, TO GET AN ESTIMATE OF, I KNOW THERE'S LIKE 80 LIGHTS IN BEAUFORT COUNTY TO CHANGE THEM ALL.
WHAT WOULD BE A COST OF THAT TO CHANGE THEM TO AI? I MEAN IT IS, IT, YOU KNOW, I MEAN I THINK IT'S PALES IN COMPARISON TO THE AMOUNT OF THESE, YOU KNOW, 350 MILLION, ONE 70 AND WE'RE HELPING THE ENTIRE, ENTIRE BEAUFORT COUNTY.
SO WE, I DON'T UNDERSTAND, WE COULD PROBABLY GET A COST TO PUT ADAPTIVE ON EACH SIGNAL OR AI, BUT WHAT WOULD BE MORE DIFFICULT IS EACH SIGNAL IF THERE'S, WE DON'T KNOW IF THE DETECTION'S WORKING OR IF THAT'S GONNA BE NEEDED OR IF THERE'S GONNA BE GEOMETRY ADDED TURN LANES.
THAT'S WHAT WOULD GET DIFFICULT.
BUT I MEAN, WE COULD GET A COST TO A GENERAL COST TO SAY THIS INTERSECTION PER INTERSECTION IS X AMOUNT TO ADD ADAPTIVE TO IT.
SO WE CAN LOOK INTO THAT PER INTERSECTION.
BUT YEAH, AND THEN WE COULD EXTRAPOLATE THAT TO THE REST OF 'EM.
SO, BUT WOULD THEY ALL CONNECT TO EACH OTHER BECAUSE, I MEAN, OR DO THEY NEED WHOLE NEW LIGHT, A WHOLE NEW LIGHTING SYSTEM? 'CAUSE I, I LOOKED AND THEY WERE LIKE 115,000 PER LIGHT OR SOMETHING.
AND THAT'S FOR THE LIKE TOP OF THE TOP END.
I MEAN, IT'S GOING TO DEPEND AND UH, WE'D HAVE TO, WE'RE DOING STUDY ON ITS NOW, BUT A LOT OF 'EM ARE GONNA NEED EITHER CELLULAR, CELLULAR CONNECTIONS OR FIBER TO BE ABLE TO HAVE INTERCONNECTIVITY WITH THEM.
SO THAT'S GONNA BE ADDED COST TO ADD FIBER TO THE NETWORK.
JERRY, DO YOU WANNA ADD, LET JERRY ADD ON TO THAT AND THEN Y'ALL ANSWER, ANSWER, BUT YOU COULDN'T.
YOU GO TO COLUMBIA AND ASK THEM WHAT, WHAT IT COSTS PER SIGNAL OR PER INTERSECTION.
SAY IT'S, YOU KNOW, SAY IT'S, UH, $1 MILLION PER INTERSECTION AND FIND OUT WHAT THEIR NUMBER IS AND THEN YOU KNOW, HOW MANY INTERSECTIONS WE GOT AND MULTIPLY IT BY THE NUMBER OF INTERSECTIONS.
JUST GIVE US A, YOU KNOW, A BALLPARK.
WE, WE CAN GET YOU A BALLPARK PER INTERSECTION FOR SOFTWARE SOLUTIONS.
COLUMBIA'S NOT GONNA HAVE IT BECAUSE THIS IS ABOVE AND BEYOND DOT STANDARDS.
OKAY, WELL, WHOEVER HAS IT, WELL, I THINK HE MEANT ONE OF THE COUNTIES LIKE LEXINGTON OR CHARLES, WHOEVER, WHOEVER HAS IT, WE CAN, WE CAN TALK TO THEM ABOUT THEIR SOFTWARE SOLUTIONS TO, TO BRIAN'S POINT, UM, WE HAVE, IT'S NOT LISTED HERE, BUT ITS MASTER PLAN THAT LATS IS, IS MOVING, IT'S NOT COMPLETED YET.
AND THAT'S THE ARCHITECTURE THAT SETS THE DESIGN FOR THE ENTIRE COUNTY.
SO IT'S GOOD TO HAVE SOFTWARE.
IT'S KINDA LIKE I PUT A NEW SOFTWARE ON MY COMPUTER, BUT I DON'T HAVE THE HARDWARE THAT IT TAKES TO RUN THE SOFTWARE.
UM, SO IT'S, IT'S A CONNECTED SYSTEM.
IT'S NOT JUST A ONE AND DONE HERE AND THERE.
UM, WE'LL GET THE DATA THAT'S BEING ASKED ABOUT PER INTERSECTION, BUT THERE MAY BE SOME OTHER COMPLEMENTING TECHNOLOGIES AND IMPROVEMENTS THAT WOULD NEED TO IMPLEMENT ALL OF IT.
AND I DO THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT.
I DON'T KNOW HOW, YOU KNOW, WE'RE THREE OR FOUR OF US ARE TALKING ABOUT IT.
WE DON'T KNOW HOW EVERYONE ELSE FEELS.
AND I KNOW JUDGE KLINE JUST SAID, LET, WE'RE GONNA, LET'S NOT DO SOMETHING THAT DOESN'T HAVE A STUDY ATTACHED.
AND THIS IS SADLY A STUDY TAKING PLACE AT THE MOMENT.
SECOND, IF, IF I MAY, SECONDLY, WE DO NOT HAVE THE, THE, THE CONNECTIVITY ABILITY ACROSS THE COUNTY.
NOW SPARK LIGHT JUST BOUGHT OUT HARGRAVE AND NORTHERN BEAUTIFUL COUNTY DOES NOT HAVE THE PROPER CABLING.
SO YOU HAVE TO HAVE THE INTERNET CONNECTIVITY TO GET ALL THE STUFF TO WORK.
AND SO DOES THIS SAY COUNTYWIDE FIVE, UM, AI TRAFFIC, THAT'S NOT GONNA WORK.
[02:00:01]
IS NOT IN PLACE FOR IT TO WORK IN 10 YEARS.YOU MAY BE THERE MORE LIKE 15 BEFORE YOU'RE GONNA SAY, FROM OUR BOUNDARIES, FROM HIGHER TUBMAN BRIDGE TO POINT SOUTH TO THE END OF HILTON, HEAD TO THE SAVANNAH BOUNDARIES, WE GOING TO HAVE TRAFFIC LIGHT CONNECTIVITY AT EVERY TRAFFIC LIGHT.
WE DON'T, WE, THAT'S BEYOND WHAT OUR SCOPE AND MY PERSPECTIVE BECAUSE OF THE, THIS, THE STRUCTURE, THE INTERNET STRUCTURE, THE A TO SUPPORT IT IS NOT THERE.
THAT'S LIKE ME BUYING A, A LAP, A A $15 A A $500 LAPTOP AND I WANNA PUT A MAJOR CORPORATION, RUN A MAJOR CORPORATION, UH, WITH AI SOFTWARE FROM A $500 LAPTOP.
CAN YOU ASK LEXINGTON OR CHARLESTON HOW LONG IT TOOK 'EM TO GET TO THAT POINT? I THINK THAT COULD BE HELPFUL.
YES, BECAUSE CHARLESTON COUNTY IS PRETTY SIMILAR TO BEAUFORT COUNTY.
AND WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE 3 0 1, SO WE'RE GONNA END IN A MINUTE.
I KNOW I CAME IN LATE, MADAM CHAIRMAN AND I'LL, I'LL, I'M PROBABLY STILL REFRESHED AFTER ALL THIS DISCUSSION, BUT YOU ALL ARE SORT OF DRAGGING A LITTLE.
BUT I THINK THERE ARE SEVERAL POINTS I NEED TO MAKE, AT LEAST FROM MY PARTICULAR PERSPECTIVE ON THE ITS ISSUES.
I'LL REITERATE, I STRONGLY SUPPORT ITS SIGNALIZATION WHATEVER, BECAUSE THE OPPORTUNITIES ARE SO VAST THAT IT'D BE A LINE ITEM THAT SAYS THERE'S A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF MONEY.
I MADE THIS POINT LAST TIME, BUT PMS WERE GETTING READY TO GET DOWN TO THE NITTY GRITTY.
HERE'S WHAT I'M GONNA BE LOOKING FOR, THESE THREE PARTICULAR THINGS OVER THE, OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS.
FIRST OF ALL, THE ISSUE OF PRIORITIES.
I'VE HEARD THAT A LOT OF TIMES.
WHAT ARE YOUR PRIORITIES AND SO ON, FOLKS, THE LONG RANGE PLAN IS VERY, VERY IMPORTANT.
I CAN'T EMPHASIZE THAT ENOUGH.
THAT IS THE PRIORITY OF OUR METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZATION AS DETERMINED BY THE ELECTED OFFICIALS.
SO TO ME, I'M GOING TO BE LOOKING AT THAT PARTICULAR ASPECT, IF THAT'S THE ADOPTED PLAN, THAT'S THE ADOPTED PRIORITY OF THIS REGION.
SECONDLY, WITH ALL DUE RESPECT TO MR. FREEMAN, THERE'S AN ETERNAL QUESTION AS IT RELATES TO TRANSPORTATION FUNDING.
IT HAS TO DO WITH GEOGRAPHIC EQUITY VERSUS NEED.
GEOGRAPHIC EQUITY TO ME IS A POLITICAL ISSUE.
IT'S AN ELECTED OFFICIAL ISSUE.
I'M ALWAYS GONNA COME DOWN ON THE SIDE OF NEEDS VERSUS GEOGRAPHIC EQUITY.
AND LASTLY, I WANT TO, UH, SOMETHING THAT I THINK WAS SAID ABOUT, YOU KNOW, HOW THIS IS PRESENTED TO THE COUNCIL AND SO ON.
I'M GONNA GO, I'M GONNA BE GOING BACK TO 2011 WHEN I WAS ON THE COMMISSION AND WE HADN'T HAD A REVENUE INCREASE IN 20, 25 YEARS FOR THE DEPARTMENT.
AND WE HAD A COMMITTEE THAT LOOKED AT THE REVENUE ENHANCEMENT BACK THEN.
AND WHAT WE DID, AND I THINK IT'S VERY, VERY APPROPRIATE FOR HOW WE VIEW THIS, IS WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT THE REVENUE ENHANCEMENT, WHAT ARE THE ISSUES? WHAT ARE THE NEEDS? WHAT IF WE DON'T DO SOMETHING TO GET A REVENUE EN ENHANCEMENT? AND WHAT ARE THE LAUNDRY LIST OF OPPORTUNITIES THAT THE COUNTY HAS TO ADDRESS THOSE PARTICULAR NEEDS AND SO ON.
THAT'S HOW I'M GONNA BE LOOKING AT IT.
I HOPE THIS IS HOPEFUL, UH, HELPFUL.
IF IT'S NOT, I APOLOGIZE AND I'LL SHUT UP.
DON'T THAT YOU'VE, I THINK EVERYONE'S KIND OF REITERATED THAT WE JUST GOTTA, WE GOTTA GET IT ALL IN FRONT OF US AND GET IT DOWN THAT FUNNEL.
IF THERE'S NOTHING ELSE, GO AROUND THE ROOM.
I'M GONNA ASK FOR A MOTION TO ADJOURN.
AH, I'M GONNA VIEW MR. RICKETT RE ADJOURNED.
YOU ARE WATCHING FE 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
[02:05:01]
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 AND 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 KEISLING, 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 BEAUFORD COUNTY.
WE MET THEN UP AT, UH, I THINK IT WAS A CAROLINA BANK AND SOME YEARS AGO, BACK THERE ON WEST STREET, AND THEN WE PUT 'EM IN PILES.
YOU KNOW, LIKE, GOOD, BAD MAYBE UNTIL WE FINALLY GOT IT DOWN TO THE ONE THAT WE NOW USE.
COUNTY COUNCIL APPROVED THE SEAL COMMITTEE'S RECOMMENDATION, WHICH REFLECTED THE COUNTY'S HISTORY, TRADITIONS, AND NATURAL BEAUTY.
THE SEAL'S COLORS OF BLUE AND GREEN REPRESENT THE COLORS OF THE COUNTY'S OUTDOOR ENVIRONMENT WITH ITS MANY WATERWAYS, MARSHLANDS, AND MARITIME FOREST.
THE FIVE IMAGES WITHIN THE SEAL DEPICT SOME OF THE COUNTY'S DISTINGUISHING FEATURES.
ANCIENT LIVE OAK TREES, THE SEAFOOD INDUSTRY, RICH NATURAL RESOURCES, AND 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 WERE LOOKING FOR A SEAL THAT WOULD, WHEN YOU LOOKED AT IT AND JUST THOUGHT ABOUT IT A LITTLE BIT, IT REALLY COVERS THE ASPECTS OF BEAUFORT COUNTY.
SO HE DID A GOOD JOB OF BRINGING TOGETHER THE THINGS THAT WE, UH, HOLD SO DEAR AND WHAT WE REALLY LIKE ABOUT BEAUFORT COUNTY.
COUNCILMAN BILL MCBRIDE WAS IN OFFICE WHEN THE CONTEST WAS HELD AND WAS PRESENT WHEN THE COMMITTEE REVEALED THE WINNING DESIGN.
I THINK COUNCIL WAS ECSTATIC ABOUT IT.
UH, WE THOUGHT THAT THE, THE SEMINARS ON THE SEAL REPRESENTED, UM, ASPECTS OF LIFE IN BEAUFORT COUNTY.
THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANGE IN THE ORIGINAL, UM, DRAFT THAT WAS PRESENTED TO US WHERE YOU HAVE THE SHRIMP BOAT TODAY.
INITIALLY, THAT WAS A PLEASURE CRAFT, A SAILBOAT AND YACHT TYPE BOAT.
AND, UH, IT WAS CHANGED BY COUNTY COUNCIL BECAUSE WE FELT THAT THE SHRIMP BOAT WAS A BETTER REPRESENTATION, UM, OF A MORE COMPREHENSIVE, UH, ASPECT OF BEAUFORD 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 BEAUFORT COUNTY CULTURE, SHRIMPING, ESPECIALLY AT THAT TIME, WOULD BE REFLECTED ON THE SEAL.
THE WINNER OF THE CONTEST WAS AN ARTIST FROM HILTON HEAD ISLAND, THE LATE LEE PAYNE, WHOSE DESIGN WAS SELECTED FROM MORE THAN 126 CENTURIES SUBMITTED FROM AS FAR AWAY AS INDIANA AND TENNESSEE.
HE WAS AWARDED $250 FOR HIS DESIGN.
BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, HE CAPTURED THE LEGACY OF OUTDOOR BEAUTY, CULTURE, AND HISTORY THAT HELPED TO DEFINE IMPORTANT ASPECTS OF LIFE IN BEAUFORT COUNTY.
TO SEE MORE BEAUFORT COUNTY MOMENTS GO TO THE BEAUFORT COUNTY LIBRARY HOMEPAGE AND CLICK ON THE LOCAL HISTORY TAB.