* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [1. CALL TO ORDER] [00:00:02] WE'RE GONNA GET STARTED. UM, OH, OKAY. UH, THE NATURAL RESOURCE COMMITTEE MEETING IS AT FOUR O'CLOCK. IT IS TIME TO GET STARTED. UM, SO I'M CALLING THIS MEETING TO ORDER AND IF YOU WOULD RISE WITH ME, THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG. I APPRECIATE THAT. THE, TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS. ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. THANK YOU. UM, LET'S SEE. UM, STATEMENT OF A COMPLIANCE, FREEDOM OF INFORMATION. UM, I'M ASSUMING EVERY NOTICE WAS GIVEN TO EVERYBODY THAT NEEDED A NOTICE, RIGHT? YES, SIR. IT WAS. OKAY. THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE THAT. UM, RIGHT NOW, THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS, UH, ALL PRESENT. UM, AND IN ADDITION TO COMMITTEE MEMBERS, WE HAVE, UM, MR. UH, LAWSON AND ANYBODY ELSE LINE? NO, I THINK THE OTHER TWO LEFT. UHHUH. . OKAY. OKAY. UM, I GOTTA TALK TO THEM ABOUT THAT. I STAYED TO THEIR MEETING. . OKAY. LET ME KNOW HOW IT GOES. , . CAN I GET APPROVAL OF [4. APPROVAL OF AGENDA ] THE AGENDA AS OUTLINED? SO, MOVED SECOND. SECONDED AND APPROVE. UH, MOTION. AND SECONDED. UH, THOSE IN FAVOR. THIS INDICATE BY RAISING YOUR HAND. OKAY. IT IS UNANIMOUS. AND I'D ALSO LIKE [5. APPROVAL OF MINUTES ] TO GET, UH, APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES. UM, SO MOVED. OKAY. FEBRUARY 3RD, 2026. IT HAS BEEN PROPERLY MOTION. AND SECOND, THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE. I SECOND. ANY QUESTION? SOMEBODY MADE THE MOTION. I'LL SECOND IT. NO, COMMITTEE CHAIR. HARRY HAS MADE IT IN AND GENERAL SECOND IT. OKAY. ALRIGHT. YEAH. UM, LARRY WANTS TO GET OUTTA HERE IN AN HOUR, SO HE'S PUSHING IT RIGHT ALONG. REALLY. UM, THOSE IN FAVOR, . UM, OKAY. IT IS UNANIMOUS. UM, AND NOW WE AT THE, [6. PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD – 15 MINUTES TOTAL ] UM, THE PUBLIC COMMENT, UM, WE HAVE AT LEAST FIVE, I BELIEVE HERE. FOUR, I THINK, UH, PUBLIC COMMENTS. AND, UM, WOULD JUST LIKE TO NOTE THAT EVERYBODY WHO DRESSED THIS BODY HERE, YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES, UH, TO MAKE PUBLIC COMMENTS. UH, WE ASK THAT YOU BE RESPECTFUL AND THAT YOU DIRECT ALL YOUR COMMENTS TO COUNCIL. SO YOU HEAR THE CHAIR THAT AT ANY INDIVIDUAL, AND I THINK THAT WOULD PROBABLY TAKE ALL THE CONSIDERATION. YOU WATCH THE LANGUAGE. PLEASE DO. UM, AND SO WITH THAT, THE FIRST, UM, PERSON IS GRANT MCC. UH, AND HE'S GOING TO TALK ABOUT PLASTIC, THE PLASTIC ORDINANCE. THANK YOU, MR. MCCLURE. HELLO, MY NAME IS GRANT MCCLURE. I'M THE SOUTH COAST OFFICE DIRECTOR WITH THE COASTAL CONSERVATION LEAGUE, UH, WORKING HERE IN BEAUFORT, BUT ALSO IN JASPER HAMPTON IN IN CARLETON COUNTIES. UM, THE CONSERVATION LEAGUE IS A, IS A 5 0 1 C3 ENVIRONMENTAL ADVOCACY ORGANIZATION. UM, SO MY ON BEHALF OF THE LEAGUE, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR BRINGING FORWARD THE PROPOSED UPDATE TO THE 2018 PLASTIC BAG ORDINANCE. UM, AS YOU MAY KNOW, AFTER A THOROUGH COUNTYWIDE SURVEY, UH, WITH OVER 6,000 RESPONSES, UM, IT'S CLEAR THAT RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES OF BEAUFORT COUNTY SUPPORT FURTHER REDUCING SINGLE USE PLASTICS. UH, THE CONSERVATION LEAGUE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO PARTNER WITH BEAUFORT COUNTY STAFF, UH, THE PORT ROYAL SOUND FOUNDATION, AS WELL AS THE KEEP BEAUFORT COUNTY BEAUTIFUL BOARD ON CRAFTING THE ORDINANCE LANGUAGE, UH, WHICH WE BELIEVE, UH, PROVIDES A TAILORED STRATEGY TO HELP ACHIEVE THE OBJECTIVE OF, OF REDUCING PLASTIC IN THIS COUNTY. AND SPECIFICALLY, THIS REVISED ORDINANCE WILL PROHIBIT THICK AND THIN PLASTIC BAGS, ELIMINATE POLYSTYRENE FOAM PRODUCTS, MAKE, CARRY OUT CUTLERY AND PLASTIC STRAWS AVAILABLE ON REQUEST. AND WE BELIEVE THAT THESE CHANGES WILL HELP TO IMPROVE THE L LONGEVITY OF YOUR LANDFILLS, KEEP YOUR STORM DRAINS FLOWING, AND ALSO HELP TO REDUCE WASTE THAT'S ENTERING THE ENVIRONMENT. AND ROADSIDE LITTER, HELPING TO KEEP BEAUFORT COUNTY A BEAUTIFUL PLACE, UM, BY MITIGATING MICROPLASTICS. UM, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT ENTER THE ENVIRONMENT WHENEVER THESE PRODUCTS BREAK DOWN. WE'RE ALSO IMPROVING THE HEALTH OF, OF PEOPLE IN WILDLIFE IN BEAUFORT COUNTY. AND WE BELIEVE THAT A REGIONAL APPROACH IS NECESSARY TO TACKLE OUR WASTE MANAGEMENT AND LITTER CHALLENGES. UM, IN THE COMING MONTHS, WE'RE OPTIMISTIC THAT THE CITY OF BEAUFORT, WHICH IS ALREADY UH, PASSED A SIMILAR ORDINANCE ON FIRST READING, UH, AS WELL AS THE TOWN OF PORT ROYAL TOWN OF BLUFFTON AND TOWN OF HILTON HEAD ISLAND, WILL ALL, UH, HOPEFULLY ADOPT THE SAME OR SIMILAR ORDINANCES. ADDITIONALLY, UM, THESE PROPOSED CHANGES ALIGN WITH [00:05:01] POLICIES THAT ALREADY EXIST TO THE NORTH AND CHARLESTON COUNTY AS WELL AS MANY OF THE MUNICIPALITIES IN THAT REGION. AND SO, UH, WE BELIEVE THAT TAKING ACTION TO UPDATE THE COUNTY'S PLASTIC COORDINATES IS A GREAT STEP TOWARD, UH, IMPROVING OUR WATERWAYS, UH, PROTECTING OUR WILDLIFE AND, AND KEEPING BEAUFORT COUNTY A SPECIAL PLACE. I WANNA THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME. UH, AND ALSO JUST MENTION THAT I'M ENCOURAGED BY THE GREEN SPACE PROJECTS ON HERE TODAY, UM, AND LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING THOSE, UM, HOPEFULLY PASSED AS WELL. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME AND, UH, HOPE YOU'LL MAKE THE CORRECT DECISION AND APPRECIATE IT. HAPPY TO BE A RESOURCE. THANKS. THANK YOU. UH, NEXT SPEAKER IS TOM DONAHUE AND HE'S ALSO IS GONNA SPEAK ON THE PLASTIC ORDINANCE. YEAH. HOW Y'ALL DOING? UM, THANKS FOR HEARING ME. UM, PLASTICS IS A VERY, IT'S VERY CLOSE TO MY HEART. UM, I'VE HAD SOME PERSONAL EXPERIENCES WITH IT. I, I'M OLD ENOUGH TO REMEMBER WHAT LIFE WAS LIKE WITHOUT PLASTICS AND WE NEED TO GET BACK TO THAT 'CAUSE I BELIEVE IT'S THE WORST THING HUMANS EVER DID. UM, UH, I PERSONALLY SAVED ONE LEATHERBACK TURTLE. I LIVED, I'VE BEEN ON THE WATER MY WHOLE LIFE. I LIVED UP ON THE CHESAPEAKE BAY BEFORE I MOVED HERE, AND ONE YEAR I FIND A LEATHERBACK TURTLE STRUGGLING TO LIVE WITH A PLASTIC BAG LODGED IN ITS THROAT. I WAS ABLE TO REMOVE THAT BAG AND GET HIM TO SWIM ON OFF. AND THEN THE NEXT YEAR I FOUND ONE THAT WAS DEAD WITH A PLASTIC BAG LODGED IN HIS THROAT. UH, A COUPLE YEARS AFTER I MOVED HERE, I WENT LONG LINING. WE STARTED OUT 200 MILES SOUTH OF BERMUDA AND I GOT TO WITNESS THE PLASTIC ISLAND IN THE SARGASSO SEA AND IT LITERALLY BROKE MY HEART. I COULDN'T EVEN TAKE A PICTURE OR ANYTHING. UM, BUT I HAVE SEEN FIRSTHAND THE DESTRUCTION THAT IT DOES, UM, ON A LOCAL LEVEL. UM, WELL, LEMME GO BACK TO THIS. THE, THE THICK BAGS ARE GOOD. THE DOUBLE BAGS. I BELIEVE THEY'RE, THEY'RE GOOD. BUT WHEN I GO TO DOLLAR GENERAL AND WHEREVER I ASK, DOES ANYBODY EVER BRING THEM IN AND REUSE THEM? AND THE ANSWER IS NO. UM, THE THIN ONES, YOU KNOW, I I I DON'T HAVE ANY GOOD FEELINGS ABOUT THEM EITHER. UM, UH, SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE, I REMEMBER THAT THE, UH, THE SECURING YOUR GARBAGE LAW WAS PASSED IN THIS COUNTY WHERE ALL TRAILERS AND PICKUPS HAVE TO HAVE THEIR GARBAGE PROPERLY. AND, AND IT DOESN'T HAPPEN. I'VE SEEN IT PERSONALLY. I SEE THE GARBAGE BAGS ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD THAT BOUNCE OUT OF PEOPLE'S TRAILERS AND, AND THEN EVEN ON A WORSE NOTE, AND WHEN I MOVED HERE, I ACTUALLY TALKED TO THE LADY IN CHARGE OF THE LITTER DEPARTMENT FOR THE STATE. I CAN'T REMEMBER HER NAME, BUT, YOU KNOW, APPARENTLY FINANCES ARE NOT AVAILABLE TO, TO SERVE A LOT OF THIS. BUT AT ANY RATE, THE BUSH HOG COMPANIES, THEY GO DOWN THE ROAD, NOBODY PICKS UP THE GARBAGE AHEAD OF THEM. I'VE BEEN SPEAKING THREE MINUTES ALREADY. NO, YOU GOT 30 SECONDS. GO AHEAD. ANYWAY, THE, UH, SOMEHOW THESE, THESE CONTRACTORS NEED TO GET, GET PEOPLE EXTRA PEOPLE ON TO PICK UP THE GARBAGE AHEAD OF THE BUSH HOGS. 'CAUSE, YOU KNOW, AND THE OTHER THING ABOUT THE PLASTICS BLOWING OUT, MOST OF THAT OCCURS ON BRIDGES BECAUSE OF THE WIND AND THE OPENNESS AND SO FORTH. SO IT GOES RIGHT IN THE CREEKS. UM, ANYWAY, THAT, THAT NEEDS TO BE SECURED. UM, ANOTHER THING I DID IN VIRGINIA WAS WITH PICK IT UP, MRS. DONAHUE. WHAT? YOU HAVE TO WRAP IT UP NOW. OKAY. ALRIGHT. UM, ANOTHER THING THAT, I CONTACTED THE SHERIFF IN LANCASTER COUNTY IN VIRGINIA BECAUSE I SAW THE SAME STUFF GOING ON THERE. HE WAS ABLE TO GET LOW RISK PRISONERS OUT OF THE JAIL TO GO OUT AND DO IT. WE ALSO GOT THEM, THE JUDGES, WHEN THEY DO COMMUNITY SERVICE FOR PEOPLE, THEY WOULD TELL THEM THAT THEY COULD GET SOME GOOD COMMUNITY SERVICE BY PICKING UP ROADSIDE GARBAGE THAT WORKED. UM, DONAHUE, WE THANK YOU. YEAH. UM, WE THANK YOU. ANYWAY, WE, WE GOT A CHANCE TO SET A STATEWIDE PRECEDENCE HERE. WE REALLY DO, SIR. THANK YOU. AND WE GOT TO TAKE CARE OF IT. SO, ONE MORE THING. ELIMINATE PLASTIC BAGS ALTOGETHER. I'VE BEEN ON THE PHONE WITH WALMART CORPORATE. I'M GOING TO, TO GENERAL. GENERAL. GENERAL. MR. MR. DONNY. THANK YOU. I, I KNOW, BUT THIS WAS THE MOST IMPORTANT. YOU COME BACK ANOTHER TIME. SORRY. YES, SIR. OKAY. I APPRECIATE YOU MR. DONAHUE. UM, COURTNEY KIMBLE. KIMMEL KIM? [00:10:01] YES. OKAY. THANKS FOR HAVING ME. MY NAME IS COURTNEY KIMMEL. I'M THE DIRECTOR OF CONSERVATION FOR THE PORT ORAL SOUND FOUNDATION. I WANNA THANK THIS COMMITTEE FOR CONSIDERING THIS ORDINANCE LANGUAGE THAT CLOSES A LOOPHOLE THAT WAS LEFT IN A SIMILAR ORDINANCE EIGHT YEARS AGO TO SOLVE THE SAME PROBLEM THAT WE'RE FACING TODAY. YOU KNOW, AND THE GOOD NEWS FROM A ENVIRONMENTAL PERSPECTIVE, PLASTIC IS A, IS A PROBLEM THAT WE HAVE A SOLUTION TO. THERE'S A LOT OF SCIENTISTS THAT ARE WORKING ON COOL WAYS TO GET PLASTIC OUT OF THE ENVIRONMENT, BUT WE KNOW HOW TO STOP IT FROM GOING IN. AND THAT'S A MATTER OF DECISION MAKING, WHICH WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO TODAY. UH, AT THE PORT ROYAL SOUND FOUNDATION, WE DO T TRA NETS WITH STUDENTS. WE, WE DRAW A REALLY FINE, SANE NET ALONG TO BE ABLE TO COLLECT PLANKTON AND LOOK AT THAT PLANKTON. UNDER THE MICROSCOPES. WE CAN SEE ALL THAT MICROSCOPIC LIFE. AND IN 10 YEARS, THE EDUCATORS THAT HAVE BEEN DOING THESE, THESE PLANKTON TRIALS, HAVE NOT ONCE PULLED A NET THAT THEY HAVEN'T ALSO SEEN MICROSCOPIC PIECES OF PLASTIC MIXED IN WITH THAT PLANKTON. SO IT'S HAPPENING RIGHT HERE. THIS ISN'T A PROBLEM THAT'S OUT IN THE WORLD SOMEWHERE. IT'S, IT'S IN OUR OWN BACKYARD. UM, AND RESEARCH, THE SCIENTISTS WILL TELL YOU THAT HUMANS ARE CONSUMING THAT PLASTIC RIGHT WHEN IT BREAKS DOWN LITTLE AND LITTLE AND FISH ARE EATING IT, AND WE END UP EATING IT. AND, YOU KNOW, THE CURRENT SCIENCE SAYS THAT HUMANS ARE EATING ABOUT, UH, CREDIT CARDS WORTH OF PLASTIC A WEEK, FIVE GRAMS OF PLASTIC, WHICH IS KIND OF CRAZY WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT IT. ONE OF THE BIGGEST CONTRIBUTORS TO THAT IS SEAFOOD. THERE WAS A STUDY OUT OF OREGON THAT LOOKED AT, UM, SEAFOOD AND FOR PLASTIC CONTAMINATION, AND 99% OF WHAT THEY LOOKED AT HAD PLASTIC IN IT, AND WHERE THE HIGHEST CONCENTRATIONS WERE IN SHRIMP, UNFORTUNATELY. SO IT'S SOMETHING THAT IS VERY RELEVANT HERE. UM, SO, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S, IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS. THE COUNTY DID A TREMENDOUS JOB OF POLLING CITIZENS AND BUSINESSES TO UNDERSTAND WHAT SOLUTIONS WOULD WORK, WHAT, WHERE WAS THE, YOU KNOW, WILLINGNESS, WHERE WAS THE APPETITE, NO PUN INTENDED. UM, AND, YOU KNOW, THE ORDINANCE THAT YOU HAVE IN FRONT OF YOU, I THINK REFLECTS REALLY NICELY WHAT THE COMMUNITY HAS SAID, WHAT BUSINESSES ARE WILLING TO DO. UM, SO I, I HOPE AND I ENCOURAGE THE COMMITTEE TO PASS THIS FORWARD TO COUNCIL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. AND, UH, LAST, UH, SPEAKER IS CHRIS CAMPBELL. UH, HELLO EVERYONE. NICE TO SEE YOU ALL. THANK YOU. UM, MY NAME IS CHRIS CAMPBELL. I LIVE OUT IN SHELDON. I AM THE CHAIRMAN OF KEEP BEAUFORT COUNTY. BEAUTIFUL. HAVE BEEN FOR A LONG TIME. GERALD COUNCILMAN DALMAN POINTED ME THAT POSITION. I DIDN'T KNOW IT WAS GONNA BE A FULL-TIME JOB, BUT THAT'S OKAY. JOE , UH, , YOU, WE ALL KNOW THAT THE PLASTIC PROBLEM IS WHAT IT IS. I I DON'T WANT TO GET UP HERE AND TAKE ALL OF YOUR TIME, BUT I, I REALLY WOULD APPRECIATE IT IF YOU WOULD THINK ABOUT IT AND VOTE WITH YOUR HEART ON THIS ISSUE. THANK YOU. AND THANK YOU. AND MR. CAMPBELL, WE WANT TO THANK YOU FOR PARTICIPATING IN THE, UM, COMMITTEES, UM, THAT BRING THIS, BROUGHT THIS, THIS BRINGING THIS, UM, ORDINANCE TO US. SO WE WANNA THANK YOU FOR THAT AS WELL. YEAH. UM, WE ARE DOWN TO [7. ASSISTANT COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR REPORT ] THE ASSISTANT COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR REPORT. MR. KINSON. YEAH. GOOD AFTERNOON. SO, A FEW WEEKS AGO AT A COUNCIL MEETING, QUESTIONS CAME UP CONCERNING THE DISTRIBUTION OF GREEN SPACE FUNDS, BOTH WITHIN THE GEOGRAPHIC BOUNDARIES OF THE COUNTY AND OUTSIDE. YES, MA'AM. TAB. SHE SAID IT WAS ME. YES, MA'AM. IT WAS YOU. AND THAT WAS GREAT AND VERY GOOD QUESTIONS. UM, AS A RESULT OF THE, UH, THE QUESTIONS THAT WERE ASKED AND THE VERY ROBUST CONVERSATION THAT WAS HAD, UH, STAFF WORKING WITH MR. MCSHANE ADDED THE TOPIC TO THE, UH, MOST RECENT GREEN SPACE COMMITTEE MEETING. AND THAT COMMITTEE, UH, HAD A VERY GOOD DISCUSSION ABOUT THE DISTRIBUTION AND RECOMMENDED THAT STAFF GO BACK, WORK WITH THE COMMITTEE AND SENATOR DAVIS AT THE STATE LEVEL TO DRAFT AMENDMENTS THAT WILL GIVE COUNTY COUNCIL MORE LEEWAY AND DISCRETION OVER THE DISTRIBUTION AND MORE CLEARLY DEFINED TERMS LIKE EQUALLY AND EQUITABLY. SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING RIGHT NOW. WE ARE WORKING THROUGH THAT. UH, WE'RE CONFIDENT THAT WE CAN BRING BACK EDITS THAT WILL SATISFY THE NEEDS THAT WERE BROUGHT UP AT, UH, AT, UH, THE COUNCIL MEETING. AND, UH, THAT'S WHERE WE ARE. SO I WOULD BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS OR IF MR. MCSHANE, IF YOU HAVE ANYTHING ELSE TO ADD, UM, THAT WOULD BE GREAT. THANK YOU, MR. ATKINSON. NOW I'D ADD JUST EXPECTATION THIS LATE IN THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION, SENATOR DAVIS IS WORKING THROUGH SOME OF THE RECOMMENDED CHANGES HE WANTS TO APPLY AT THE STATE STATUTE. MR. CHAIRMAN, THAT WILL THEN HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE COMMITTEE PROCESS TO GO TO THE OTHER CHAMBER, IS PROBABLY NOT LIKELY NOT GONNA HAPPEN THIS, THIS YEAR. SO NOW WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE NEXT GENERAL ASSEMBLY SESSION, WHICH WOULD BE IN JANUARY OF 27, A NEW SESSION. THEREFORE, HE CAN THEN GO THROUGH. BUT HOPEFULLY IT'LL THEN OCCUR VERY EARLY ON. THERE'S GREAT INTEREST, NOT ONLY HERE, BUT OTHER COUNTIES THAT ARE [00:15:01] LOOKING AT BEAUFORT COUNTY AS A MODEL OF YOUR GREEN SPACE PROGRAM TO LOOK AT THE DEFINITION OF EQUALLY, WHICH REALLY MANY PEOPLE HAD A NARROW THOUGHT OF. IT WAS SIMPLY THE METRIC OF DOLLARS WHEN REALLY EQUALLY WAS BEING TALKED ABOUT THE IMPACTS, THE IMPACT ON WATERFRONT IS THE IMPACT ON WATER QUALITY, THE IMPACT OF, OF THINGS OF THAT NATURE. AND THE VALUES WE KNOW THAT ARE VERY DIFFERENT ACROSS THE COUNTY FROM NORTHERN TO SOUTHERN BEAUFORT COUNTY. THERE. THIS COUNCIL, THOUGH, SHOULD CONTINUE TO TAKE GREAT PRIDE. YOU PUT, YOU STRUCK THE STANDARD. AND THESE TWEAKS I THINK WOULD BE EXPECTED. YOU HAD THESE DISCUSSIONS WHEN YOU WERE PASSING THE ORDINANCE THAT THESE DISCUSSIONS WOULD OCCUR THAT WILL CONTINUE TO WORK THROUGH AND BRING BACK RECOMMENDATIONS. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN. ANY QUESTIONS? GO AHEAD. UM, MR. TAB. SO MY OTHER QUESTION WAS, WE HAVE THE FOUR AREAS. I GET IT. WE HAD TALKED ABOUT ALL THAT, BUT THEN WE HAVE PURCHASES OUTSIDE OF THE COUNTY AND WE PUT 'EM IN THE DIFFERENT AREAS. WHY DIDN'T WE CREATE AN AREA FOR PURCHASES OUTSIDE THE COUNTY? SURE. I'LL BE HAPPY TO ANSWER THAT. SO UP ON THE SCREEN IS THE BEAUFORT COUNTY ORDINANCE THAT REGULATES, THAT CURRENTLY REGULATES THE, UH, DISTRIBUTION. ITEM B GIVES SPECIFIC GUIDANCE ON HOW, UH, WHERE TO ALLOCATE OUT OF COUNTY, UH, EXPENDITURES. IN THE, UH, THIRD SENTENCE, THIRD SENTENCE, IT SAYS, WHEN CONSIDERING THESE APPLICATIONS, THE PROGRAM SHALL TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION THE EQUITABLE IMPACT OF THE PROPOSED EXPENDITURES BY IDENTIFYING THE GEOGRAPHIC REGION OR REGIONS THAT THE PROCUREMENT BEST SERVES. IE THE REGION. WHICH EXPERIENCE IS THE GREATEST BENEFIT? SO THE, THE ONLY ONE THAT WE HAVE SPLIT IS THE $1 MILLION, I THINK IT WAS FOR GREGORY NECK. THAT WAS BECAUSE OF THE WATERSHED THAT COMES OFF OF THAT PROPERTY. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT ALL FOUR EQUALLY BENEFITED. SO WE PUT $250,000 ALLOCATED TO EACH. UM, THERE WAS A $6 MILLION LOAN THAT WAS ALLOCATED TO, I THINK IT WAS THE WESTERN BECAUSE IT TOUCHED IT. IT WAS, THAT WAS THE GEOGRAPHICALLY THE CLOSEST ONE. SO THOSE ARE THE ONLY ONES THAT WE HAVE. THAT'S THE GUIDANCE THAT WE WERE WORKING OFF OF. THAT'S WHY WE ALLOCATED THEM WHERE WE DID. UH, THE 6 MILLION LOAN IS ABOUT TO BE, UM, SATISFIED. YOU'RE GONNA SEE THAT ONE TONIGHT. BUT THAT'S THE GUIDANCE. AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE GOING TO ADDRESS ALSO WITH OUR UPDATE, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT'S IN THERE. IT'S JUST VERY ARBITRARY WHERE IT SERVES AT THE BEST. I MEAN, IT'S SUBJECTIVE. IT'S YEAH, IT'S SUBJECTIVE. YEAH, IT IS. SO THANKS FOR WORKING ON IT. I APPRECIATE THAT. OH, YOU'RE WELCOME. BUT OUR COMMITMENT IS TO BRING, TO ADDRESS BOTH YEP. THE METRIC, BUT ALSO THEN WE HANDLE THAT COUNTY . ANY OTHER QUESTION FOR, OKAY. ANYTHING ELSE, MR. SSON? SIR? THAT'S IT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. OKAY. THANK YOU FOR LOOKING INTO IT. UM, WE'RE DOWN TO ITEM [8.a. An Ordinance to amend Beaufort County's Ordinance Chapter 38 Environment, Article VII Green Space Program, Section 38-196 Method of Program and Procedures of the Beaufort County Code of Ordinances. (FISCAL IMPACT: N/A) - County Attorney Brian Hulbert, Mark Davis, and Mr. Mike McShane, Chair of the Green Space Advisory Committee ] EIGHT A, UM, AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND BEAUFORT COUNTY'S ORDINANCE, CHAPTER 38, ENVIRONMENTAL ARTICLE SEVEN, GREEN SPACE, UH, SECTION 38 DASH 1 96, METHOD OF PRO PROGRAM AND PROCEDURES OF THE BEAUFORD COUNTY CODE OF ORDINANCE FISCAL IMPACT. UM, NA AND THIS IS BEING DONE BY BOTH BRIAN AND, UM, MARK AND MR. SHANE. I'LL MAKE THE MOTION. OKAY. IT'S BEEN MOTION SECONDED. IT'S BEEN SECONDED. UM, MR. HUBBARD? YES, SIR. THESE, UH, AMENDMENTS ARE BROUGHT FORTH TO, UH, THE COMMITTEE FOR CONSIDERATION AT THE REQUEST OF THE GREEN STATES COMMITTEE, UH, AND COUNCILMAN MCKELLAN. UH, THEY THOUGHT THERE'D BE GREAT BENEFIT IF WE COULD EXPEDITE, UH, THE PROCESS OF GETTING APPLICATIONS BEFORE COUNCIL FOR ACTION FOR BOTH THE, UH, UH, DUE DILIGENCE AND FOR FINALITY AS FAR AS MAKING A DECISION WHETHER TO PURCHASE DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS OR PURCHASE THE PROPERTY. UH, SO THIS TAKES CARE OF THAT AS FAR AS ALLOWING IT TO GO DIRECTLY FROM GREEN SPACE TO COUNTY COUNCIL, RATHER GOING VIA THE NATURAL RESOURCES COMMITTEE. BUT COUNTY COUNCIL WOULD ALWAYS RETAIN THE RIGHT TO REMAND IT BACK TO NATURAL RESOURCES COMMITTEE FOR CONSIDERATION AND A RECOMMENDATION IF COUNCIL CHOSE TO. BUT THE GREATEST BENEFIT IS THIS WILL EXPEDITE THE APPLICATIONS GOING TO, UH, COUNCIL FOR CONSIDERATION, FOR APPROVAL, FOR DUE DILIGENCE AND FOR APPROVAL. AND THE OTHER CHANGES IN HERE ARE JUST SOME MINOR HOUSEKEEPING, JUST TO CLEAN IT UP, UH, TO MAKE IT READ BETTER AS FAR AS A STATUTE OR AN ORDINANCE. UH, MARK, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD TO THAT? UM, NO. I'LL ADD SIMPLY THIS, THIS IS NOT A, A, UH, REFLECTION ON [00:20:01] THE NATURAL RESOURCE COMMITTEE'S ABILITY TO DO THIS IS SIMPLY LOOKING AT TIMING. IT IS, YOU MEET MORE FREQUENTLY AS A FULL COUNCIL THAN THE COMMITTEE MEETS. AND THERE WERE TIMES EXPERIENCED RECENTLY WHERE THE COMMITTEE WAS NOT MEETING FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME, PRINCIPALLY IN THE SUMMER, WHICH MEANT THAT WHEN YOU MET IN JUNE, THE NEXT TIME YOU MET WAS SEPTEMBER. WE WERE MISSING SOME OPPORTUNITIES TO WORK THROUGH. SO THIS IS NO REFLECTION ON THE VALUE OF THE COMMITTEE. IT'S SIMPLY LOOKING AT EFFICIENCY OF TIME, BRINGING THIS STILL THE ABILITY FOR COUNSEL TO REMAIN IT BACK TO, TO THE COMMITTEE, IF SO, DETERMINED EITHER WAY, WHETHER AT THE DUE DILIGENCE PERIOD FOR YOUR INITIAL APPROVAL OR THE RECOMMENDATION, COME BACK AT FINAL APPROVAL. JUST WANNA BE CLEAR, MR. CHAIRMAN, THERE'S NO REFLECTION ON THE COMMITTEE. WELL, IT, IT IS SIMPLY TRUST. TRUST, TRUST ME, I WAS, I WAS NOT OFFENDED AT ALL AS A COMMITTEE CHAIR, BUT I, UM, UM, MS. HOWARD ALSO TALKED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, EXPEDITING, UH, THE PROCESS. AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT WE ARE DEALING WITH RIGHT HERE. IT'S ACCELERATING THE OPPORTUNITY THAT'S, AND THEN, UH, DEALING WITH IT AND MOVING IT FORWARD. BECAUSE, I MEAN, THAT'S HOW I UNDERSTOOD MS. HOWARD. IS THAT OKAY? AND THEN, UH, THE VICE CHAIRMAN IS ON THERE. I DON'T THINK HE WAS OFFENDED, WAS HE? NO, NOT AT ALL. OKAY. . WE, WE, OKAY. UH, ANY OTHER QUESTION FOR, I JUST HAVE A COMMENT. UH, I THINK IT'S GREAT TO ACCELERATE IT, AND AS MR. ATKINSON SAID, WE CAN ALWAYS REMAND IT BACK TO COMMITTEE IF THERE'S QUESTIONS ABOUT THE ACTUAL GREEN SPACE. UM, THOUGHT. BUT WE WERE WAY DRAGGING TOO LONG. RIGHT. AND LIKE YOU SAID, SOME OF THESE ARE TIME SENSITIVE, SO I THINK THIS IS FINE. AND THIS COMES WITH EXPERIENCE. SO YOUR ORDINANCE NOW IS COMING UP ON THREE YEARS WHEN YOU ADOPTED IT IN THE, UH, SUMMER OF 23. SO THE ELECTION WAS 22. YOUR ORDINANCE CAME IN IN 23. SO NOW WE'VE GOT A LITTLE BIT OF A TRACK RECORD AND EXPERIENCE THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE AT THAT POINT. SO THERE'S AN ACCELERATE AND THINK ABOUT WHAT'S ACCELERATED IN OUR COMMUNITIES IN THE LAST COUPLE YEARS. I THINK THIS SORT OF, UH, STRESSES THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING AS EFFICIENT AS WE CAN. I THINK AT THE SAME TIME, IT, UM, IT, IT, UM, HIGHLIGHTS, UM, THE VALUE OF THE COMMITTEE AND THE APPLICATION PROCESS. THEY'VE PUT VERY GOOD COMPETENT PEOPLE THERE. SO, UM, YEAH. Y'ALL DO DUE DILIGENCE WELL, SO, YEAH. ANY OTHER QUESTION? A MOTION, UM, TO APPROVE THIS ORDINANCE, UM, AMENDMENT. I MEAN, THE CHANGES HAS BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED. UM, CAN WE DO THIS WITHOUT ANY OBJECTION? MM-HMM . I THINK SO. OKAY. THEN, UH, THERE IS NO OBJECTION. UH, WE ARE MOVING TO, UM, [8.b. A Resolution authorizing the County Administrator to execute the documents necessary and to provide funds to contribute to the procurement by the applicant, the Open Land Trust, for a conservation easement on property located in unincorporated Jasper County known as the Chelsea Tracts (TMS# 081-00-02-001, 081-00-02-008 and 081-00-02-009), for the requested amount ($2,000,000) (FISCAL IMPACT: $2,000,000 from the Green Space Program Fund Account #4706. Fund balance as of March 5, 2026 - $96,592,555. This is a grant and match is required.) - Mr. Mike McShane, Chair of Green Space Advisory Committee & Mr. Mark Davis, Green Space Program Manager (10 minutes) ] ITEM B, WHICH IS A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR TO, TO EXECUTE THE DOCUMENTS NECESSARY AND TO PROVIDE FUNDS TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE PROCUREMENT BY THE APPLICANT. THE OPEN LAND TRUST FOR A CONSERVATION EASEMENT ON PROPERTY LOCATED IN UNINCORPORATED JASPER COUNTY, KNOWN AS THE CHELSEA TRACK. AND IT HAS THESE, UM, NUMBERS THERE, UM, FOR THE REQUESTED AMOUNT OF $2 MILLION. UM, MR. ACHE, YOU ARE UP. I'LL MAKE THE MOTION. THAT'S RIGHT. SECOND. OKAY. IT IS BEEN PROPERLY MOTION. AND SECOND, IT'S ON THE TABLE. NOW. YOU ARE UP. YES, SIR. MR. CHAIRMAN, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE. JUST A BRIEF RE RECOLLECTION, THIS CO THIS COUNCIL TOOK THE EXTRAORDINARY ACTION OF CREATING A REIMBURSABLE GRANT TO, TO HELP THE NATURE CONSERVANCY ACQUIRE THE CHELSEA PROPERTY. WE ARE NOW COMING BACK, THAT'S A REIMBURSABLE GRANT. SO I WANNA SEPARATE TODAY'S REQUEST IS A TRADITIONAL OUTTA COUNTY GRANT THAT WOULD BE LEFT INTO THE REAL ESTATE OF $2 MILLION. SO YOU STILL HAVE THE REIMBURSABLE PORTION OF 6 MILLION. THIS IS THE REQUEST OF 2 MILLION. THE TRANSACTION WILL LIKELY MEAN YOU NET OUT. IN ESSENCE, YOU'LL RECEIVE $4 MILLION NET BACK. THAT, BUT THAT 2 MILLION IS BASED ON THAT. THIS IS THE PROPERTY THAT WILL, UM, TRANSFER TO THE STATE FORESTRY COMMISSION AND IS POINTED OUT BEFORE, UH, MR. CHAIRMAN, THIS IS THE, THE BENEFIT OF YOU, YOU'RE LITERALLY TAKING OF THE, THE PROPERTY THERE, UH, SEVEN MILES OF HAZARD CREEK PROTECTION, THE ROAD FRONTAGE ALONG SNAKE ROAD AND 4 62 IN TERMS OF THEIR VALUE TO YOUR COMMUNITY. AND, AND THAT'S IN THE COUNTY. YOU'RE, YOU'RE LIKELY TAKING A THOUSAND HOMES OFF [00:25:01] A THOUSAND HOMES THAT COULD BE POTENTIALLY BUILT, IF NOT MORE, IF IT WERE ANNEXED INTO THE TOWN OF RIDGELAND. THE EASEMENT VALUE IS $11 MILLION. SO YOU'RE, YOU'RE PAYING A VERY SMALL PORTION OF THE TOTAL EASEMENT VALUE THAT GIVES YOU THE CERTAINTY THAT THE, THAT THE BENEFIT THAT YOU'VE INVESTED IN WILL ALWAYS BE MAINTAINED. 'CAUSE THAT'S AN EASEMENT IN PERPETUITY, EVEN THOUGH IT'S GONNA BE A STATE ASSET IN TIME. ANY QUESTION? I HAVE A QUESTION, MR. TABER. SO WHICH QUADRANT IS THIS ALLOCATED TO? AND MY OTHER SECOND QUESTION, YOU MIGHT AS WELL GET IT ALL AT ONE TIME. THIS IS IN JASPER COUNTY. WHAT ARE THEY PUTTING IN? THIS WAS AT, AT DISCUSSION HELD BY THIS COUNCIL, WAS THAT THE EXPECTATION WAS JASPER COUNTY WOULD BE MATCHING THAT $2 MILLION GRANT. SO THAT WAS OUR EXPECTATION. YEAH. THEY WERE GOING THROUGH THEIR ORDINANCE PROCESS. I UNDERSTAND. IS IT TO TONIGHT, I BELIEVE THEY ARE TO FINALIZE THAT. IS THAT CORRECT? I'M ASKING SOMEONE WHO'S GONNA BE PAYING ATTENTION TO THAT . SO YES, MA'AM. IT'LL BE RETROACTIVE. THEY'LL HAVE A, THEY'LL HAVE A GRANT REQUEST IN FOR $2 MILLION IN THEIR PROCESS. THE STATE, OUR STATE BANK. SO IF I MAY FOR A MOMENT, PUT MY STATE BANK HAT ON, WE MADE A $1.5 MILLION COMMITMENT AND ALREADY GOT JOINT BOND REVIEW COMMITTEE SUPPORT ON THAT, ON THAT. SO I HAVE HIGH CONFIDENCE. IS THERE SOME RISK ALWAYS? THERE'S NO, I CAN'T SAY THERE'S GONNA BE NO, NO RISK, BUT I THINK IT'S SUCH A LOW RISK. I'M NOT EVEN, IT'S NOT EVEN MY, IN MY METRICS. YOU MAY AS WELL MENTION THE MILITARY. YEAH. WELL THIS, THIS WAS THE INTENT OF THE REIMBURSABLE GRANT AS YOU FUNDED, IN ESSENCE, WHAT THE DEPARTMENT OF WAR IS DOING, UH, TO DO SO. AND SO THEY WILL CONTINUE THAT, THAT PROCESS IS ONGOING. AND AGAIN, WE HAVE HIGH CONFIDENCE BECAUSE OF ITS LOCATION THAT THIS IS A PRIORITY FOR THAT. AND THE FUNDS, MY UNDERSTANDING, THE FUNDS WERE ALREADY, THE FUNDS ARE IN PLACE. THEY'RE MOVING THROUGH THE CLOSING PHASE WITH AN EXPECTATION THAT WOULD CLOSE IN JULY. WE'RE LOOKING AT A SUMMER CLOSING ON THAT. THEN THERE'LL BE A LITTLE BIT OF A CARRY FOR TIME FOR THE NATURE CONSERVANCY TO GET THAT TRANSFERRED TO THE STATE FORESTRY COMMISSION. THE STATE FORESTRY COMMISSION, MR. CHAIRMAN WILL GO THROUGH THEIR TYPICAL UNDER STATUTE. THEY'LL GO THROUGH A FOREST MANAGEMENT PLAN, WHICH INCLUDES A RECREATIONAL COMPONENT OF THAT. SO THEN THAT'LL BE HOW THAT'LL BE DETERMINED, HOW IT'LL BE OPEN FOR PUBLIC USE. AND I SEE IT'S PROBABLY GONNA BE ASSIGNED TO THE WESTERN DISTRICT. I SEE THE LITTLE STAR THERE. SO I ANTICIPATED YOUR QUESTION, THAT'S WHY I WALKED UP HERE. I KNEW IT. SO STAFF WOULD ALLOCATE THAT UNDER THE GUIDANCE WE HAVE IN THE ORDINANCE TO THE WESTERN REGION. IF COUNTY COUNCIL WANTS TO INCLUDE IN THEIR MOTION A DIFFERENT DISTRIBUTION, SAY HALF A MILLION DOLLARS TO EACH OR WHATEVER THE DISCRETION IS OF COUNCIL, WE WILL BE HAPPY TO FOLLOW THAT. I HAVE A QUESTION IN LIGHT OF THAT. GO AHEAD. OH, I'M SORRY, MS. TAB. NO, I, I THINK THAT WOULD BE GREAT. I'M MORE INTERESTED IN APPORTIONING IT, BUT YEAH, I WOULD AGREE WITH THAT BECAUSE IT WILL BENEFIT, UM, THE MILITARY BASES, ALL OF THEM SOMEHOW NORTHERN AND EASTERN REGION TOO, BY PRESERVING GREEN, DOES IT, IT DOESN'T HAVE A STRONG OPINION. OH, THIS WON'T BE, IN ESSENCE, MIKE IS AGNOSTIC TO THAT. BECAUSE I DO LOOK AT THIS, THAT THIS BENEFITS THE ENTIRE COUNTY. IN FACT, THE GREGORY NECK PROJECT BENEFITS THE ENTIRE COUNTY COUNTY. RIGHT. THIS BENEFITS THE ENTIRE COUNTY WITH THAT. IF YOU PUT A THOUSAND PLUS HOMES ON THAT OOT 4 62 AND ONE 70 IS GONNA BECOME YOUR BIGGEST NIGHTMARE. WELL, WE HAVE SOME BIG NIGHTMARES OUT THERE ALREADY. YEAH, CORRECT. IT WOULD BE EVEN A BIGGER NIGHTMARE. BIGGER RIGHT THERE. AND, AND IT DOES BENEFIT, OH, SORRY. IT DOES BECAUSE OF THE WATER QUALITY. GOING BACK TO IT TOO. ALL, ALL OF US GET OUR WATER FROM THAT CANAL . YEAH, BECAUSE YOU ALSO ARE, YOU ARE ALSO BENEFITING THE PROTECTION OF ABOUT A LITTLE OVER ONE MILE OF THE BEAUFORT JASPER WATER SEWER AUTHORITIES CANAL THAT RUNS RIGHT THROUGH THIS PROPERTY. WHICH BENEFITS AGAIN, THE ENTIRE COUNTY. MR. PASSMAN, SINCE I MADE THE MOTION, I WOULD, UM, RESPECTFULLY ADD AN A AMEND FURTHER ALLOCATE THE MONEY EQUALLY AMONG ALL OF THE REGIONS BECAUSE OF THE EQUITABLE SUPPORTIVE AMENDMENT. MAY ASK A POINT OF CLARIFICATION JUST WHEN YOU, EQUALLY, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT 25% SINCE THERE ARE FOUR REGIONS IDENTIFIED IN YOUR ORDINANCE. 25% OF THE VALUE OF WHAT COUNCIL APPROVES TO THIS PROJECT WILL BE TO EACH OF THE REGIONS. I'LL SECOND THAT AMENDED. OKAY. [00:30:01] UM, THERE'S PROPERTY MOTION. AND SECOND TO ADD THE AMENDMENT TO, UH, EQUALLY PROPULSION. THE, UM, THE FUNDING TO ALL FOUR, UH, DISTRICT. UM, ANY QUESTION CONCERNS? CAN WE VOTE ON THAT, UM, BY ANY, UH, WITHOUT OBJECTION. OKAY. SO THE AMENDMENT IS, AMENDMENT HAS BEEN PASSED. THE, THE MOTION AS AMENDED ON THE FLOOR IS TO APPROVE, UM, THE, UM, $2 MILLION, UM, TO PURCHASE THIS PROPERTY. THE CONSERVATION EASEMENT, PARTICIPATING WITH JASPER COUNTY, THE STATE, AS WELL AS THE, UH, FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. ANY QUESTIONS ON THAT? THOSE IN FAVOR? UH, IT IS NO APPROVING THE MOTION AS AS AMENDED. AS AMENDED. UM, UM, IF THERE'S NO OBJECTION TO THE AMENDED MOTION, UH, WE'LL PASS THAT MOTION THERE. ARE THERE ANY OBJECTION? NO OBJECTION. SEEING NONE, THAT MOTION HAS BEEN PASSED. UM, AND WE [8.c. A Resolution authorizing the County Administrator to execute the documents necessary and to provide funds to contribute to the procurement by the applicant, the Open Land Trust, for a conservation easement on property located in unincorporated Beaufort County known as the Victoria Bluff Tracts (PIN# R600 032 000 0002 0000, R600 032 000 0003 0000), for the requested amount ($7,470,000) (FISCAL IMPACT: $7,470,000 from the Green Space Program Fund Account #4706. Fund balance as of March 5, 2026 - $96,592,555. This is a grant and match is required.) - Mr. Mike McShane, Chair of the Green Space Advisory Committee & Mr. Mark Davis, Green Space Program Manager (10 minutes)] ARE DOWN TO NUMBER C AND LARRY, WE WAS GETTING OUTTA HERE FOR REAL MAN , UH, A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING ACCOUNT ADMINISTRATION TO EXECUTE THE DOCUMENTS NECESSARY AND TO PROVIDE FUNDS TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE PROCUREMENT OF, OF, BY THE APPLICANT THE OVERLAND TRUST FOR THE CONSERVATION EASEMENT ON PROPERTY LOCATED IN UNINCORPORATED BEAUFORT COUNTY, KNOWN AS THE VICTORIA BLUFF TRACK. AND THEY HAVE THE, UH, PEN NUMBER THERE, UH, FOR THE REQUESTED AMOUNT OF $7,470,000. WE'LL MAKE THAT MOTION. OKAY. IT'S BEEN MOTION BY MR. PASSMAN A SECOND BY MR. MCALLEN, UM, TO PUT THIS ON THE TABLE. SO, MR. MACHE, YOU ROLLING TODAY? SO GO AHEAD. YES, SIR. I'M HERE FOR YOU, SIR. MR. CHAIRMAN, THIS IS GONNA BE, THE WESTERN REGION IS DEFINED UNDER YOUR ORDINANCE. IT IS ON THE MAP THAT, THANK YOU SARAH, FOR PUTTING UP. IS THAT THE ONLY ONE YOU HAD, SARAH? AND THAT'S FINE IF THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE. I WAS, I DIDN'T KNOW IF THERE WAS ONE THAT GAVE A LITTLE MORE CONTEXT. SO WHAT'S AROUND IT? THIS IS, UH, THANK YOU. THAT'S THE MAP I WAS LOOKING FOR. SO THIS IS THE 406 ACRES THAT'S IN THE YELLOW BLOCK TO GIVE SOME LANDMARKS. THIS IS RIGHT THERE OFF 2 78 IN BLUFFTON. THIS WILL BE THE FIRST EASEMENT IN THE BLUFFTON AREA. UH, OPEN LAND TRUST IS, UH, PLANNING ON APPLYING TO THE STATE BANK, I BELIEVE BY THE END OF THIS MONTH, BECAUSE WE WOULD LOOK TO TAKE IT AT A JUNE ACTION. I'M GONNA TURN TO KAY. AND THAT'S AN, UH, AFFIRMATION. THANK YOU KAY. TO DO THAT. THIS IS, UH, UH, RIGHT IN PROXIMITY OF THE HERITAGE PRESERVE, ALSO KNOWN AS VICTORIA BLUFF. THIS WILL REMAIN IN PRIVATE HOLDING. AND AS WE'VE TALKED BEFORE ABOUT THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PUBLIC ACCESS AND A PRIVATE AND A PUBLIC OWNED PROPERTY AND PUBLIC BENEFIT. THIS IS A HIGHLIGHT, REALLY THE ILLUSTRATION OF A PUBLIC BENEFIT. IT BALANCES WELL, THE PUBLIC OWNERSHIP OF THE HERITAGE TRUST. YOU DON'T NEED TO OF THE SITE, YOU DON'T NEED TO SEE THIS 406 ACRES TURN INTO A HIGH DENSITY DEVELOPMENT AND PUT EVEN MORE PRESSURE ON WHAT IS A REAL GEM OF A PUBLIC TRUST OF THAT VICTORIA BLUFF TRACK. AND SO IT IS, UH, EXPENSIVE BECAUSE OF ITS LOCATION, BUT THIS WOULD BE ONE OF THE BIGGEST PROJECTS THAT WE WILL DO IN THE WESTERN REGION IN TERMS OF, UH, CONSERVATION EASEMENT. ONE OF THE, UM, AREAS, UM, THAT THIS COUNTY, UM, THROUGH OPEN LAND TRUST DID WAS, UM, UM, IS IT PINNEY COLONY? HOW FAR IS PINNEY COLONY FROM, IS THAT PINNEY COLONY THERE OR WAS THAT THE, JUST OFF NORTH? THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S THE PICKNEY ISLAND IS THE OKAY. THE GREEN THING. RIGHT. I GOT THAT RIGHT THERE. THAT'S PINKNEY ISLAND. AND PINKNEY COLONY IS A LITTLE FURTHER TO THE RIGHT. THE LEFT, LEFT STILL LEFT YOU TALKING ABOUT. OH, OKAY. UM, I'M USING THAT AS A COMPARISON PRICE. UM, 'CAUSE IF I REMEMBER, THAT WAS VERY EXPENSIVE FOR 200 OR SO ACRES. AND YOU'RE LOOKING AT WHAT, 400, 6 400 SOMETHING HERE. SO WITH TODAY'S VALUES, AND WE, THE GREEN SPACE COMMITTEE WAS VERY DILIGENT IN GOING THROUGH THAT APPRAISAL ALONG WITH YOUR COUNTY STAFF. YEAH. AND FEELS CONFIDENT. IT IS VERY DEFENSIBLE. THIS WOULD BE CONSIDERED DISCOUNT, I THINK COMPARED TO THAT. THIS IS JUST AN EASEMENT. THIS IS, THIS ISN'T, WE [00:35:01] PURCHASED PIN CALLING. THAT WAS A PURCHASE. YEAH, THAT'S RIGHT. THIS, THIS, THIS IS AN EASEMENT. THIS IS SIMPLY MAKES A DIFFERENCE. YEAH. OKAY. I'M SORRY. ANY QUESTION FOR MR. MACHE AT THIS TIME? NONE. WELL, THERE IS A MOTION ON THE FLOOR. UM, IS, UH, ARE THERE ANY OBJECTION TO THE MOTION? NO. SEEING NONE, UH, THE MOTION PASSES. THANK YOU, SIR. ANYTHING ELSE YOU WOULD LIKE TO SAY TO US BEFORE YOU LEAVE? UM, WELL, WE HAVE, YOU STILL HAVE ME FOR ONE MORE, SIR? OH. OH, HE'S ON A ROLL. OKAY. IT'S, UH, YOU GET THREE IN CHARGE AND ONE FOR NO CHARGE. UH, [8.d. Approval to fund due diligence and negotiate terms of acquisition for the Green Space Program application Grangers Retreat Tracts (FISCAL IMPACT: $35,000 from the Green Space Program Fund Account #4706. Fund balance as of March 5, 2026 - $96,592,555.) - Mr. Mike McShane, Chair of Green Space Advisory Committee & Mr. Mark Davis, Green Space Program Manager (10 minutes). ] D YES, SIR. UH, APPROVAL TO FUND, UH, DUE DILIGENCE AND NEGOTIATION. NEGOTIATE TERMS OF ACQUISITION FOR THE GREEN SPACE PROGRAM APPLICATION, GRAINGER'S RETREAT TRACKS. UM, AND THIS WOULD IMPACT ABOUT $35,000 FOR, UH, THE DUE D DUE DILIGENCE, UM, AT THIS TIME. SO, UM, TAKE THAT MOTION. OKAY, MS. AND IT'S BEEN SECONDED BY, UH, MR. MCALLEN AND MOTION BY MR. PASSMAN. UM, GO AHEAD, SIR. MR. CHAIRMAN, UH, IF YOU LOOK AT THE MAP, YOU'LL SEE IT'S ACTUALLY TWO SEPARATE TRACKS. THERE'S THE LARGER YELLOW TRACK THAT'S AN ACTUAL ISLAND, AND THEN THERE'S, YOU MIGHT SEE WHERE THE ARROW'S POINTING. THAT ON THE MAP SHOWS THIS PARTIAL ALSO INCLUDED IN THE APPLICATION. YEAH. IS TANGENTIAL TO YOUR, UH, IS THAT WALLACE CREEK? WALLACE CREEK BOAT LANDING? YEAH. I THINK THAT'S, I BELIEVE, FORGIVE ME FOR A MEMORY. MY LAPS IS WALLACE CREEK. YES, SIR. UH, WOULD, WELL, SOME PEOPLE CALL CREEK. SO THIS, THEY, THE OWNERS WHO HAVE BROUGHT TO GREEN SPACE A CONSIDERATION OF AN ACQUI, UH, OF, UH, CORRIDOR PROTECTION ACQUISITION OF THAT GREEN SPACE, UH, UNDER A, A LOT OF DISCUSSION, HAS ENOUGH INTEREST TO DO THE DUE DILIGENCE OF LOOKING AT DO WE HAVE ACCESS ISSUES AND WHAT ARE THE VALUES? SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE SEEKING TODAY TO COME BACK TO COUNCIL ON COMMITTEE ON A RECOMMENDATION, WHETHER WE PURSUE THAT OR NOT, UM, IS THERE IS EMOTION ON THE FLOOR. UM, ONE, ONE OF THE BENEFIT THAT, ONE THAT, UM, THAT EXISTS WITH THIS ACQUISITIONS, THAT SMALLER TRACK, WHICH, UM, THERE IS A BOAT LANDING, UM, NEXT TO IT. YES, SIR. YEAH. THAT IS OWNED BY THE COUNTY. UM, AND THIS WOULD JUST ENHANCE THAT BOAT LANDING. COULD PROBABLY, IT'S CERTAINLY ONE OF THE BENEFITS. BENEFITS OF HAVING AND STUFF. YEAH. SO, UM, BUT ANYWAY, UH, THAT'S, ANY, ANY MORE DISCUSSION? UM, NONE. UM, CAN WE PASS THIS WITHOUT ANY OBJECTION? UH, IT IS PASSED, UH, WITHOUT ANY OBJECTIONS. MR. CHAIRMAN, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR THE, THE COMMITTEE MAY HAVE ON GREEN SPACE? NO, SIR. NO, SIR. IF I MAY JUST REITERATE, WE HAVE A TOUR SCHEDULED THIS FRIDAY MORNING AT 10:00 AM FOR TRACK IN THE SOUTHERN REGION IN BLUFFTON, BUT IN THE SOUTHERN REGION, MR. LAWSON, UH, THAT WE ARE CALLING THE NEW RIVER TRACK. AND THAT'S AT 10:00 AM AND THEN GREEN SPACE WILL MEET THAT AFTERNOON IN THE BLUFFTON LIBRARY, CORRECT. LIBRARY AT 1:00 PM OH, OKAY. UM, THERE, UM, PROBABLY MORE THAN, UM, SIX MEMBERS OF COUNCIL THAT ARE GOING. I BELIEVE THAT NOW WE ARE, IT MAY BE AT LEAST EIGHT MEMBERS OF COUNCIL. YES. SO THERE ARE, AND WE'RE GONNA ADVERTISE IT ACCORDINGLY. OKAY. OKAY. YEAH. GOOD. BUT THE FACT THAT EIGHT MEMBERS OF OF 11 PERSON BODY HAVE AGREED TO COME SEE IT, I THINK IT'S EXCITING THAT YOU'RE WILLING TO COME SEE IT. OKAY. OKAY. THANK YOU. AND THANKS. I DON'T KNOW WHO'S SETTING THE TOUR UP, BUT, UM, I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO MYSELF. YEAH, YOU OUTTA THE WOODS. I'LL MAKE SURE I WEAR MY BOOTS TOO THERE. MY SNAKE BOOTS. WELL, I GOT . ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO COMING DOWN ONE 70 SOUTH OF THE BROAD? NO, I'M, I'M RIDING IN THE, WE HAVE A VAN GOING, RIGHT? YEAH, I'M RIDING THE VAN. SO YOU'RE STILL GONNA SIT IN TRAFFIC. THAT'S ALL RIGHT. I, I'M NOT DRIVING. SO THAT'S, THAT'S THE GOOD PART. OKAY. UM, YEAH, , THEY OKAY? YEAH. SNAKES ARE OKAY, MAN. BUT ANYWAY, UM, WE HAVE ONE MORE. UM, I HAD AN, [8.e. An Ordinance amending Chapter 38 Environment, Article VI Single Use Plastic Bags; Article VI Section 38-161 Purpose and Intent; Section 38-162 Definitions; Section 38-163 Regulations; Section 38-164 Exemptions; and Section 38-166 Effective Date and Review of the Beaufort County Code of Ordinances. (FISCAL IMPACT: No impact.) - Rob Merchant, Director of Planning and Zoning & Juliana Zadik, Environmental Long Range Planner (10 minutes)] I HAD AN E AN ORDINANCE AMENDING CHAPTER 38, ENVIRONMENTAL ARTICLE SIX, SINGLE USE PLASTIC BAGS. ARTICLE SIX SECTION 30 DASH 1 61, PURPOSE AND INTENT SECTION 38 DASH, UM, 1 62 [00:40:01] DEFINITION SECTION 38 DASH 1 63 REGULATIONS SECTION 38 DASH 6 1 64 EXEMPTIONS. AND SECTION 38 DASH 1 66 EFFECTIVE DATE AND REVIEW OF THE BEAUFORT COUNTY CODE OF AUDITORS. WE'LL MAKE THAT MOTION. I'LL SECOND. OKAY. MR. HOWARD. THE SECOND, UH, MR. PASSMAN MOTION. SO, OH, ROB YOU UP FOR DISCUSSION AND YOU ARE WITH YEAH. SUPPORT. YEAH, I HAVE SUPPORT, BUT MUCH MAJOR SUPPORT. NO, I'M JUST KIDDING. . UM, I JUST WANTED TO SAY A FEW WORDS, UM, KIND OF TO REMIND THE COMMITTEE ABOUT WHY WE'RE HERE. UM, THIS IS GOING BACK ACTUALLY TO 2018. BEAUFORT COUNTY ADOPTED ITS PLASTIC BAG ORDINANCE. AND THIS WAS REALLY AN UNPRECEDENTED MOVE IN THAT, YOU KNOW, IT WAS KIND OF A CONTROVERSIAL ISSUE, BUT THE COUNTY WAS ABLE TO WORK IN TANDEM WITH THE MUNICIPALITIES AND THAT WAS REALLY KIND OF THE FIRST TIME THAT WE HAD DONE SOMETHING LIKE THAT. AND SO IT'S BEEN VERY, YOU KNOW, SUCCESSFUL IN, IN GETTING THAT ENACTED. BUT I THINK THAT THERE'S ALWAYS BEEN AN INTEREST IN, YOU KNOW, REEVALUATING TO SEE HOW THE ORDINANCE IS WORKING. AND THIS COMMITTEE BACK IN, UH, 2024, MAY OF 2024 ASKED, UH, STAFF TO LOOK AT THIS FURTHER. I THINK AT THAT TIME WE HAD A DRAFT ORDINANCE, BUT THE COMMITTEE REALLY WANTED TO STAFF TO TAKE A, A MUCH CLOSER LOOK AT IT. AND I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT SINCE THAT TIME, UM, WE'VE UNDERGONE A VERY RIGOROUS, UH, EVALUATION OF THIS, UH, STARTING WITH REACHING OUT TO OTHER SOUTH CAROLINA COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE SIMILAR KIND OF REGULATIONS TO SEE HOW SUCCESSFUL THEY'VE BEEN, HOW THEY UN, YOU KNOW, BASICALLY RULED OUT THESE PROGRAMS BECAUSE YOU, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S VERY CHALLENGING. UM, AT THAT POINT WE PUT TOGETHER AN AD HOC COMMITTEE WITH REPRESENTATION NOT ONLY FROM, YOU KNOW, OUR DEPARTMENT, BUT SOLID WASTE, UM, SOLID WASTE AND RECYCLING, UM, STORM WATER IN ADDITION TO OUR, UM, YOU KNOW, WE HAD THE COASTAL CONSERVATION LEAGUE, THE, UM, PORT ROYAL SOUND FOUNDATION, AND THE, UH, MEMBERS OF THE KEEP BEFORD COUNTY BEAUTIFUL. AND THEY, THEY HAVE VOLUNTEERED THEIR TIME AND IT HAS JUST BEEN A VERY, I WOULD SAY, VERY FOCUSED AND MOTIVATED GROUP. UM, WE CONDUCTED A SURVEY, AS I THINK YOU'RE AWARE, I THINK WE GAVE AN UPDATE OF THAT EARLIER OR ABOUT THIS TIME LAST YEAR. UM, SIGNIFICANT OUTREACH AND, UH, INPUT FROM THE MUNICIPALITIES. UM, I THINK THAT JULIANA WENT TO MORE MEETINGS LAST YEAR IN, IN TWO MONTHS THAN I DID ALL YEAR. UM, YOU KNOW, BASICALLY JUST WORKING WITH EACH ONE, ANSWERING QUESTIONS. UM, LEGAL REVIEW. WE EVEN CONSULTED CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS. SO I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT AT THE STAFF LEVEL, AND I CAN ONLY TAKE A SMALL FRACTION OF THE CREDIT. I THINK A LOT MORE OF THE CREDIT GOES GI IC WHO WILL GIVE, BE GIVEN A PRESENTATION, UM, THAT I THINK THAT THIS HAS BEEN THOROUGHLY VERY REGULARLY DRAFTED AND, UM, YOU KNOW, VETTED. AND HOPEFULLY, YOU KNOW, WITH THAT WE'LL HAVE SOMETHING THAT YOU COULD EVALUATE ON ITS MERITS AND, AND WHETHER YOU WANT TO MOVE FORWARD WITH POLICY. BUT WITH THAT, I'M GONNA GIVE IT TO JULIANA TO, UM, GIVE YOU AN OVERVIEW. OKAY. OKAY. JUST WANNA LET YOU KNOW WE'VE BEEN WAITING FORWARD TO THIS PRESENTATION. SO YOU ALL THANK YOU. YES, MA'AM. UM, JULIANA ZEEK, YOUR ENVIRONMENTAL LONG RANGE PLANNER, ROB DID A REALLY GREAT JOB OF GIVING SOME BACKGROUND THAT I WAS GONNA HIT ON. SO I'LL SKIP SOME OF THAT NOW TO KEEP IT SHORTER. AND OUR PARTNERS WHO ARE HERE TONIGHT WHO GAVE PUBLIC COMMENT, DID A GOOD JOB GOING OVER SOME OF THOSE REASONS. SO I'LL, I'LL TRY TO GET STRAIGHT TO THE NUTS AND BOLTS WITH JUST A LITTLE TINY BRIEF OVERVIEW HERE FOR YOU ALL. UM, ROB SAID IT AT THE TOP, THIS WAS A REQUEST FROM COUNCIL COMMITTEE TO HAVE STAFF TO TAKE A LOOK AT HOW WE COULD UPDATE OUR 2018 PLASTIC BAG ORDINANCE. SO WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON THAT. THERE ARE MANY OTHER REASONS TO DO SUCH A THING. UH, REDUCING UNRECYCLABLE WASTE ALIGNS WITH OUR STATE AND COUNTY WASTE REDUCTION GOALS. IT PROTECTS CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE, PARTICULARLY OUR LANDFILL, OUR RECYCLING MACHINERY, BECAUSE THESE MATERIALS ARE NOT RECYCLABLE AND CAN DAMAGE THOSE PIECES OF MACHINERY AND OUR STORM WATER INFRASTRUCTURE, IT BEAUTIFIES OUR ENVIRONMENT AND COMMUNITIES BY REDUCING LITTER OUT THERE. AND IT HELPS REDUCE EXPOSURE TO MICROPLASTICS. AND OF COURSE, WE KNOW FROM EXPERIENCE, AND WE'VE SEEN IT REPEATED UP AND DOWN THE SOUTH CAROLINA COAST, LOCAL ACTION HAS THE BIGGEST IMPACT ON THIS. SO, SOME BACKGROUND, MAY, 2024 IS WHEN COUNCIL COMMITTEE ASKED STAFF TO TAKE A LOOK AT THIS. THE AD HOC WORKING GROUP WAS FORMED [00:45:01] AND MET FOR THE FIRST TIME IN AUGUST, 2024. AND I'D LIKE TO THANK AND RECOGNIZE OUR MEMBERS WHO ARE HERE IN THE AUDIENCE, UM, WHO'VE BEEN HELPING US WITH THAT EFFORT. WE HAVE PUBLIC SURVEYS THAT WERE DEPLOYED JANUARY THROUGH APRIL OF 2025. AND JUST AS SOON AS THAT ENDED ALMOST A YEAR AGO TODAY, ACTUALLY, WE GOT, UH, BEFORE YOU ALL TO GIVE YOU ALL AN UPDATE ON WHERE WE WERE IN THAT PROCESS. BY OCTOBER, WE'D GIVE, CAME BEFORE YOU AGAIN TO GIVE A DETAILED ANALYSIS OF THOSE SURVEY RESULTS. AND THAT SURVEY REPORT IS IN THE PACKET AGAIN TONIGHT. AND THEN WE DID THE ROAD SHOW THAT ROB REFERENCED WHERE WE WENT TO ALL OF OUR MUNICIPAL PARTNERS FROM THE 2018 PLASTIC BAG ORDINANCE AND TO COUNCIL AND, UM, TO REGIONAL BOARDS AND COMMITTEES AS WELL, TO GIVE THEM THE SAME INFORMATION WE HAD GIVEN YOU ALL IN ORDER TO LET THEM KNOW WHAT WE LEARNED THROUGH THE SURVEY PROCESS, AND ALSO LET THEM KNOW HOW IT WAS INFORMING OUR, UM, PROPOSED AMENDMENT GOING FORWARD. BY DECEMBER OF LAST YEAR, THE DRAFT AMENDMENTS WERE DEVELOPED. WE SHARED THEM WITH OUR MUNICIPAL PARTNERS AT THE STAFF LEVEL, JANUARY THROUGH FEBRUARY TO GET FEEDBACK AND TAKE ANY QUESTIONS. WE ALSO GAVE PRESENTATIONS TO THE JASPER COUNTY COUNCIL AND THE RIDGELAND TOWN COUNCIL ABOUT, WITH THE SAME PRESENTATION THAT YOU ALL SAW EARLIER, UM, LAST YEAR. AND THEN IN MARCH, THE CITY OF BEAUFORT TOOK UP FIRST READING OF THE DRAFT AMENDMENTS AND IT DID PASS. FIRST READING A BRIEF REMINDER OF THE SURVEY RESULTS. WE SAW THAT THERE WAS STRONG SUPPORT FOR REGULATING UNRECYCLABLE SINGLE USE PLASTIC ITEMS. AND WE WERE GIVEN PRETTY CLEAR GUIDANCE ON WHAT STRATEGIES WERE MOST APPROPRIATE BASED ON THE KIND OF ITEMS. SO THIS INFORMED THE AMENDMENTS THAT ARE BEFORE YOU A TONIGHT. SO OUR AMENDMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN AS PROPOSED WOULD EXPAND THE EXISTING PLASTIC BAG BAND TO INCLUDE THOSE THICK PLASTIC BAGS, WHICH WERE NEVER MEANT TO NOT BE INCLUDED, UM, AS WELL AS STYROFOAM DISPOSABLE FOOD SERVICE WARE. SO THESE ARE STYROFOAM TAKEOUT CONTAINERS, CUPS, PLATES, TRAYS, BOWLS. IT ALSO ADDS A NEW RULE, A BY REQUEST ONLY RULE FOR PLASTIC CUTLERY AND PLASTIC STRAWS. SO ESSENTIALLY WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE IS THAT THESE ITEMS ARE NOT GIVEN OUT AUTOMATICALLY FOR EACH ORDER THEY'RE GIVEN ABOUT OUT IN SELF SERVICE AREAS, OR IF A CUSTOMER REQUESTS THEM. STAFF CAN ALSO ASK CUSTOMERS IF THEY WOULD LIKE THEM AND THEN RECEIVE THEM IF THERE'S AN AFFIRMATIVE RESPONSE. I'M GONNA TAKE A DRINK OF WATER THAT PICTURE, THAT PICTURE THERE. UM, I HOPE THAT'S NOT IN BEAUFORT COUNTY. YES, SIR. THAT'S ON ONE 70. COURTNEY TOOK, TOOK THAT PHOTO. YES, INDEED. YEAH. OKAY. YEP. THOSE WERE ALL WALMART BAGS THAT MUST'VE COME OFF OF A TRUCK AT SOME POINT AND ENDED UP THERE. IT ALSO ESTABLISHES EXEMPTION EXEMPTIONS FOR USES. SO I WAS GOING TO GO OVER THOSE FOR YOU ALL HERE. SO WE HAVE EXEMPTIONS FOR STYROFOAM TYPE ITEMS. THOSE INCLUDE STYROFOAM TRAYS THAT ARE USED FOR UNPREPARED DAIRY PRODUCTS, MEATS, PRODUCE THAT YOU MIGHT FIND IN GROCERY STORES, STYROFOAM PRODUCTS THAT ARE FULLY ENCAPSULATED, AND SOMETHING THAT'S MORE DURABLE. SO THIS IS A COOLER OR SURFBOARD. THOSE ARE A COUPLE OF EXAMPLES OF THAT STYROFOAM PRODUCTS THAT ARE USED IN CONSTRUCTION SO LONG AS IT ADHERES TO OUR BUILDING CODES RULES HERE IN BEAUFORT COUNTY. WE ALSO HAVE EXEMPTIONS FOR ANY PRODUCTS THAT ARE PURCHASED AND THEN DELIVERED TO THE COUNTY OR RESOLD IN THE COUNTY. AND THAT HELPS ADDRESS STYROFOAM. THAT MIGHT BE IN PACKAGING MATERIALS OR STYROFOAM PRODUCTS THAT ARE SOLD IN BULK THROUGH GROCERY STORES. SO FOR AN EXAMPLE WOULD BE STYROFOAM CUPS IN A PACKET THAT PEOPLE COULD BUY FROM GROCERY STORES WOULD BE EXEMPT FROM THIS ORDINANCE. WE ALSO HAVE EXEMPTIONS FOR, UH, ANYTHING THAT IS REQUIRED BY STATE LAW FOR FOOD OR GROCERY ESTABLISHMENTS TO USE. AND THEN ANY MATERIALS THAT ARE LARGELY MADE OUT OF PAPER, BUT MIGHT BE HAVE SOME ASSOCIATED PLASTIC MATERIALS IN THEM. SO THIS WOULD BE PLASTIC LINERS OR PLASTIC INSERTS. JUST TO CLARIFY THAT THOSE ARE NOT CAPTURED BY THIS ORDINANCE. THEN THERE ARE TWO TYPES OF ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE INCLUDED IN THE EXEMPTIONS. THEY ARE 5 0 1 C THREES THAT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH HUMANITARIAN ORGANIZATIONS, UM, SCHOOLS AND CHURCHES. SO THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO USE THE BAGS AND THE STYROFOAM PRODUCTS FOR DISTRIBUTING FOOD, GROCERY PRODUCTS, CLOTHING OR OTHER HOUSEHOLD ITEMS. AND THEN ANY ORGANIZATION PROVIDING EMERGENCY SERVICES DURING A DECLARED STATE OF EMERGENCY OR AN EMERGENCY SITUATION THAT THREATENS THE HEALTH, SAFETY AND WELFARE OF OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS. SO THOSE ARE EXEMPTIONS. AND THEN FOR OUR DEFINITIONS, WE'VE CLARIFIED SOME OF THEM. SO EXPANDED, UH, WHAT BUSINESS ESTABLISHMENT MEANS, EXPANDED WHAT A CUSTOMER MEANS, WE ADDED DISPOSABLE FOOD SERVICE WEAR DEFINITION [00:50:01] TO EXPLAIN WHAT THAT CAPTURES. WE'VE ADDED EXPANDED POLY POLYSTYRENE FOAM, WHICH IS STYROFOAM. THAT'S HOW IT'S MOST COMMONLY ADDRESSED, KIND OF LIKE KLEENEX AND TISSUES. WE ADDED A PLASTIC CARRY OUT BAG DEFINITION, WHAT RECYCLABLE MEANS. AND THEN WE'VE EXPANDED THE DEFINITION FOR REUSABLE CARRYOUT BAGS IN ORDER TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE THAT WAS ALLOWING THE THICK PLASTIC BAGS. AND SO THAT'S DONE IN A FEW WAYS. IT ADDRESSES THAT THE HANDLES ARE STITCHED AND NOT HEAT VIEWS, THAT THE BAGS ARE CAPABLE OF BEING CLEANED AND DISINFECTED. AND THEN IT USES, UH, A STANDARD THAT WE FIND, UH, NATIONALLY AND UP AND DOWN THE COAST OF SOUTH CAROLINA, UH, FOR THE WAY OR THE LIFETIME USE OF CAPABILITY OF THESE BAGS. SO YOU SEE THAT IN THAT DEFINITION AS WELL. AND WITH, OH, THE ONLY OTHER THING I WANTED TO MAKE SURE TO POINT OUT IS THERE IS AN EIGHT MONTH TRANSITION PERIOD IF THIS GETS ADOPTED MINIMUM, OR WHEN THE LAST MINUTES A BALLOT ADOPTS IT. SO IF THAT'S BEYOND EIGHT MONTHS, THEN THAT TRANSITION PERIOD WOULD BE LONGER. QUESTIONS. OH, YOU FINISHED? YES. OH, OH, OH, OKAY. UH, UM, ANY QUESTION? YES. I MEAN, NOT NECESSARILY A, A QUESTION AND, UM, I'M NOT COMPLETELY ON BOARD WITH THIS YET, WHICH SOUNDS CRAZY 'CAUSE I ACTUALLY CLEAN UP TWO MILES TO THE BLUFFED PARKWAY HAVE FOR 6, 7, 8 YEARS. SO I GO OUT AND PICK UP TRASH AND KNOW WHAT I'M, I'M PICKING UP. UM, AND VERY SELDOM DO I EVER PICK UP A, A PLASTIC BAG. I MEAN, IT'S, THERE'S, THERE'S LOTS OF TRASH OUT THERE. UM, IT IS MORE PLASTIC BOTTLES, BUT THAT'S NOT IN YOUR ORDINANCE. MM-HMM . THAT'S WHAT YOU MOSTLY SEE IS PLASTIC BOTTLES AND CANS. LOTS OF FAST FOOD PAPER BAGS. SO AGAIN, THINGS THAT, THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE THAT I SEE IN PICK UP, YOU KNOW, FROM DOWN MY WAY ON BLUFFTON PARKWAY IS CHICK-FIL-A AND MCDONALD'S, YOU KNOW, THEY USE, THEY USE PAPER FOR, FOR EVERYTHING NOW. BUT, BUT AGAIN, THAT'S WHAT THAT I PICK UP MOST. OR AS MR. DONOVAN MENTIONED, IT'S IT'S TRASH THAT COMES OUT OF BACK OF CONSTRUCTION VEHICLES. I MEAN, IT'S, IT'S BOXES AND, UM, THOSE TYPE OF THINGS. SO, UM, WHEN I, WHEN I LOOK AT THIS AND, AND SURPRISINGLY WHENEVER THIS CAME UP BEFORE, UM, UH, COMMITTEE, I THINK ALICE, YOU WERE THE CHAIR OF THE COMMITTEE WHEN IT CAME BACK UP AND I VOTED AGAINST IT, I PROBABLY HAD MORE PEOPLE THAT CAME AND SAID, I'M GLAD YOU DIDN'T, UM, APPROVE IT AND YOU VOTED IT AGAINST IT, WHICH KIND SHOCKED ME. UM, SO AGAIN, I'M, I'M NOT COMPLETELY SOLD IN THIS ORDINANCE YET. UH, I'M NOT SAYING IT'S A BAD THING. I THINK IT'S, IN SOME WAYS IT'S AN OVERREACH OR AN OVERKILL. AND IF ANYTHING, IT'S GONNA COST ALL OF OUR CONSUMERS MORE MONEY. UM, THE ONE THING I PROBABLY PICK UP, THE, THE, OF ALL THE THINGS YOU'VE MENTIONED IS THE STYROFOAM FOOD CONTAINERS. 'CAUSE PEOPLE SEEM TO DRIVE DOWN THE ROAD AND TOSS THOSE OUT THE WINDOW. SO, UM, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, THAT I SEE MORE OF THOSE. BUT AGAIN, NO PLASTIC BAGS ARE VERY FEW, VERY FEW PLASTIC BAGS. UM, I DO HAVE, ONE PERSON THAT I'VE THOUGHT ABOUT GOING OUT AND TRYING TO CATCH IS SOME GUY THAT DRINKS LOW SODIUM TOMATO JUICE, AND I THINK HE THROWS THAT CAN OUT THE EXACT SAME SPOT EVERY DAY. 'CAUSE WHEN I GO TO PICK UP TRASH, THERE'S THESE ALUMINUM CANS IN THE EXACT SAME SPOT THAT THAT COMES OUT. SO, UM, AGAIN, I'M NOT COMPLETELY SOLD ON THIS YET. I, I STILL KIND OF THINK IT'S AN OVERREACH. AND I THINK EVEN WHENEVER, UM, I WAS WAS AT THE LAST, UH, MAY RIVER CLEANUP, AND MR. CAMPBELL AND I TALKED ABOUT THIS, AND I CLEAN UP PROBABLY ABOUT A MILE OF THE MAY RIVER OFF MY BOAT EVERY TIME THERE'S A, A BLUFFTON MAY RIVER CLEANUP AS WELL. AND THERE IT'S, AGAIN, IT'S, IT'S ALL PLASTIC BOTTLES THAT IS PICKED UP THERE AND, AND NO, NO PLASTIC BAGS THAT'S THERE. SO JUST FROM MY OWN EXPERIENCE, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, I'M, I'M NOT COMPLETELY SOLD ON THIS ORDINANCE YET. YES. UM, I'M ABSOLUTELY IN SUPPORT OF THIS. IT IS A START. UH, OTHER STATES DO A MUCH BETTER JOB OF RECYCLING AND CONTROLLING WASTE THAN WE DO. I DO KNOW THAT THE RESTAURANT INDUSTRY HERE IS LOOKING AT HELP. UH, AND THE MAJOR, UH, PRODUCERS OF THE PRODUCTS FOR THEM ARE WORKING WITH THEM TO CHANGE FROM THE, WHAT THEY CALL THE CLAMSHELL STYROFOAM TO ENVIRONMENTALLY PROTECTED PRODUCTS THAT THEY CAN USE. SO IT'S A, IT'S A GOOD START. AND I DO PICK UP A LOT OF PLASTIC BAGS ON ONE SEVEN POWELL. YES. I, I'D JUST LIKE TO TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO THANK THE COMMITTEE AND THE MEMBERS THAT ARE HERE. THIS GROUP WORKED REALLY HARD. UM, THEY HEARD COUNTY COUNCIL SAY THAT THEY NEEDED MORE EVIDENCE. AND I THINK THE SURVEY, 6,000 PEOPLE THAT WERE SURVEYED, UM, IN THE RESULT, I THINK, UH, LIKE, LIKE COUNCILMAN PASSMAN SAID IS A, IS A START. I PICK UP [00:55:01] TRASH, UM, TWO IN TWO DIFFERENT LOCATIONS AND A LOT OF STRAWS, A LOT OF STYROFOAM, UM, BEING THROWN OUT FROM FAST FOOD PLACES IS WHAT WE, WHAT I PLUS ALUMINUM CANS, WHICH I'M LIKE, YOU CAN RECYCLE THAT SO EASY. BUT, BUT PEOPLE TEND TO DO THAT. OKAY, THANK YOU. SO I WOULD ECHO SOME OF THE THINGS MR. LAWSON SAID. I SEE PLASTIC BOTTLES, I SEE CHICK-FIL-A VAPE, THAT KIND OF STUFF. BUT I WANT TO TALK ABOUT MY TWO COLLEAGUES WHO WEREN'T HERE AND WHO TALKED THE LAST TIME, ONE OF WHOM IS A BUSINESS OWNER AND WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THE COST OF THE BUSINESS, WHICH, AS MR. LAWSON SAID, WILL BE PASSED ON TO THE CONSUMER. SO IN THE END, PEOPLE WHO ARE CARELESS AND THROW STUFF AWAY, THEY'RE GONNA COST ALL OF US MORE MONEY. SO I'M JUST SAYING THAT ON BEHALF OF MY TWO COLLEAGUES THAT AREN'T HERE, BUT I THINK YOU DID A GREAT JOB OF REVISING IT. YEAH, THIS IS AWESOME. ALRIGHT. UM, I, I TOO WANNA COMMEND THE COMMITTEE FOR A JOB WELL DONE, UM, PROCESS OF DOING YOUR SURVEY. UM, MY CONCERN HAS ALWAYS BEEN FOR THE, UH, BIG FOOD CHAINS LIKE FOOD LINE, UH, SURVEY. THEY SURE THAT THEY'RE ON BOARD WITH THIS OR THEY'RE OPPOSING IN THIS OR WHERE'D THEY STAND? I DON'T REMEMBER SEEING A SELF-IDENTIFICATION COMING FROM A BIG BOX STORE, BUT I KNOW THAT IN THE REGIONS NORTH TO US THAT HAVE VERY SIMILAR ORDINANCES ALREADY IN PLACE, THAT THEY COME INTO COMPLIANCE. AND THERE'S SIMILAR ORDINANCES NATIONWIDE WHERE THESE BUSINESSES ARE OPERATING AND THEY'LL SWITCH OVER TO THE PAPERBACKS OR WHAT THEY NEED TO DO ACCORDING TO THE ORDINANCE. YOU ALSO SAID YOU MADE, JASPER COUNTY COUNCIL RECEIVED A PRESENTATION AND THE TOWN OF RIDGELAND AND WE'RE WE'RE STILL WORKING TO GET ONTO THE CITY OF HARDY V'S. AGENDA TO GIVE THEM THE SAME PRESENTATION. ARE THEY COMING ON BOARD? IT WAS A POSITIVE, IT WAS A POSITIVE MEETING WITH, UM, INTEREST FOR IT, BUT I, WE HAVEN'T SENT THEM THE DRAFT AMENDMENTS YET. WE ONLY SHARED THOSE WITH OUR MUNICIPAL PARTNERS HERE IN BEAUFORT COUNTY THUS FAR. THANK YOU. I JUST WANNA TAKE A MINUTE AND OFFER MY CONGRATULATIONS TO ROB AND TO JULIANA. YOU'RE KNOWN FOR YOUR METICULOUS PREPARATION FOR ALL THE THINGS THAT YOU PRESENT TO US. AND, UH, YOU'VE DONE IT ONCE AGAIN. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH. VERY, VERY LONG PERIOD OF TIME WITH A GREAT MANY PARTNERS. SO MY TIP, UM, ANY, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? ? OKAY. UH, I WOULD JUST ECHO WHAT, UM, HAS BEEN SAID ABOUT THE COMMITTEE ABOUT YOU, UM, AND BRINGING THIS HEAD FORWARD TO US AT THIS TIME. UM, JUST HOPE THAT, UM, RIGHT NOW WE, THE NEED IS TO MOVE IT TO COUNCIL FOR FIRST READING. UM, AND WE WOULD ANTICIPATE BEFORE WE MOVE TO SECOND READING, MS. HOWARD, UM, THAT, UM, THE MUNICIPALITIES WOULD AT LEAST HAVE THEIR FIRST READING ALL OF THEM. IS THAT WHAT YOU WANT? I DON'T THINK THEY WILL. ALL OF THEM. SOME OF 'EM ARE WAITING TO SEE WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO. THAT IS WHAT I HAVE HEARD IS THAT THEY'RE WATCHING TO SEE HOW THE LANGUAGE SHAKES OUT BECAUSE THE WORD SUBSTANTIALLY SIMILAR ARE INCLUDED IN THERE FOR THE MUNICIPALITIES TO ADOPT AMENDMENTS. AND SO THEY WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE GONNA BE SIMILAR TO WHATEVER LANGUAGE ENDS UP BEING ADOPTED. IF THAT HAPPENS HERE FOR BEAUFORT COUNTY. OKAY. MM-HMM . THEN I THINK THEY'RE LOOKING FOR US TO KINDA LEAD THE WAY TO LEAD. OKAY. UM, THEN THE MOTION IS ON THE FLOOR. UM, UM, SHOULD I DO THIS WITHOUT ANY OBJECTION? I'M GONNA OBJECT, SO I'LL BE THE ONE OBJECTION. UM, MS. TAMNICK, I'M, I'M GONNA OBJECT. OKAY. AT THIS POINT. ANY OTHER THEN LET IT GO. UM, ALMOST THAT TO FIVE TO TWO. OKAY. UH, MOTION CARRIES. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. UM, I THINK THAT EXHAUSTED THE AGENDA AND, UM, IT'S NOT FIVE O'CLOCK YET, . OH, LOOK AT THAT ONE HOUR, EXACTLY. ONE HOUR. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.