* 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. [00:00:02] WE WILL [1. CALL TO ORDER] CALL TO ORDER THE COUNTY COUNCIL MEETING FOR MAY MONDAY, MAY 11TH, 6:00 PM IT'S OBVIOUSLY SIX 20, AND WE APOLOGIZE FOR RUNNING OVER ON OUR EXECUTIVE SESSION. SO, UM, CALL TO ORDER NOW PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE AND THE INVOCATION WILL BE BY MR. LAWSON. HE IS WORKING ON IT. FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS. ONE, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDI HIS WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. LORD, WE ASK YOU FOR YOUR BLESSING. LET US BE QUICK TO LISTEN, SLOW TO SPEAK, AND SLOW TO ANGER. LET US USE THE WISDOM YOU'VE GIVEN US TO MAKE DECISIONS THAT ARE BEST FOR MANY AND NOT JUST THE FEW. LET US PROTECT THOSE WHO CANNOT PROTECT THEMSELVES. LET US PUT OUR PRIDE AND PERSONALITIES ASIDE TO DO WHAT IS BEST FOR ALL THOSE WE REPRESENT. PLEASE BLESS THE CITIZENS OF BEAUFORT COUNTY, ITS EMPLOYEES, STAFF, AND ELECTED OFFICIALS, AND ESPECIALLY BLESS AND PROTECT OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT AND AS FIRST RESPONDERS, KEEP THEM SAFE. LORD, WE THANK YOU FOR LETTING US LIVE IN SUCH A WONDERFUL AND GREAT PLACE. BEAUFORT COUNTY. AMEN. THANK YOU MR. LAWSON. WE DO HAVE MS. HOWARD ONLINE. SHE'S REMOTE, SO I JUST WANNA POINT THAT OUT. OKAY. UH, MS. BROCK, ARE WE IN COMPLIANCE WITH FOIA REQUIREMENTS? YES, MA'AM. THIS MEETING HAS BEEN PUBLISHED, POSTED, AND DISTRIBUTED IN COMPLIANCE WITH FOIA. THANK YOU. [4. APPROVAL OF AGENDA] I'D LIKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE AGENDA, PLEASE. SO MOVED. MR. PASSMAN AND MR. DAWSON SECONDED. IS THAT RIGHT? OKAY. ALL IN FAVOR OF APPROVING THE AGENDA. RAISE YOUR HAND. AYE, MS. HOWARD? OKAY, THANK YOU. IT'S UNANIMOUS. WE HAD [5. APPROVAL OF MINUTES] MINUTES FROM COUNTY COUNCIL BUDGET WORKSHOP ON APRIL 20TH, THE CAUCUS AND THE COUNTY COUNCIL MEETING ON APRIL 27TH. CAN I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE ALL THREE SETS OF MINUTES? SO MOVED. YOU GUYS ARE GONNA HAVE TO BE QUICKER TO GET IN THERE BEFORE MR. PASS. I'LL SECOND THAT. OKAY. MS. BROWN'S A SECOND. THANK YOU. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. THANK YOU. [6. PROCLAMATION ] OKAY, WE HAVE SOME PROCLAMATIONS. LET'S SEE. FIRST ONE IS NURSES WEEK. THAT'LL BE COUNCILWOMAN BROWN. DO YOU HAVE ANY NURSES HERE? I'M SURE THERE'S COME UP WE WEEK. THERE'S OUR NURSES. THERE WE GO. I HAVE A HUGE APPRECIATION WITH HEALTHCARE. MY ZONE WASN'T TRAUMA CENTER FOR TWO WEEKS. UM, WHEREAS NURSES ARE THE LARGEST SEGMENT OF THE UNITED STATES HEALTHCARE WORKFORCE AND PLAY A VITAL ROLE IN MEETING THE NATION'S EVOLVING HEALTHCARE NEEDS. AND WHEREAS THE NURSING PROFESSIONAL IS ESSENTIAL TO THE QUALITY, SAFETY, AND DELIVERY OF CARE ACROSS ALL SETTINGS, INCLUDING ON THE FRONT LINES OF PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCIES. AND WHEREAS THE DEMAND FOR NURSING SERVICES CONTINUES TO GROW DUE TO AN AGING POPULATION, ADVANCING TECHNOLOGY AND INCREASINGLY COMPLEX HEALTHCARE NEEDS. AND WHEREAS NURSES AT BEAUFORT MEMORIAL PROVIDE COMPASSIONATE HIGH QUALITY CARE AND HAVE SERVED THE BEAUFORT COMMUNITY FOR OVER 81 YEARS. AND WHEREAS NATIONAL NURSES WEEK OBSERVED MAY 6TH TO THE 12TH RECOGNIZES THE CRITICAL CONTRIBUTIONS OF NURSES NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT BUFORT COUNTY COUNCIL DOES HEREBY PROCLAIM THAT MAY 6TH TO THE 12TH HAS NATIONAL NURSES WEEK AND CALLS UPON RESIDENTS TO HONOR AND RECOGNIZE NURSES FOR THEIR DEDICATION AND SERVICE. AND IT, AND B, IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT RESIDENTS OF BEAUFORT COUNTY EXPRESS THEIR GRATITUDE AND APPRECIATION FOR ALL NURSES, ESPECIALLY THOSE AT BEAUFORT MEMORIAL THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. DATED THIS 11TH OF DAY OF MAY, 2026. ALICE HOWARD, CHAIR OF BEAUFORT COUNTY COUNCIL, WHO WOULD LIKE TO TAKE THIS? YOU'RE GOOD. WOULD YOU LIKE TO SAY SOMETHING AFTER THE PICTURE? 3, 2, 1. ALRIGHT, NOW EVERYBODY OKAY. IF YOU'D LIKE TO SAY SOMETHING, GO AHEAD. THANK YOU. ON BEHALF OF ALL OF US AT BEAUFORT MEMORIAL HOSPITAL, THANK YOU FOR RECOGNIZING NURSES WEEK, UH, THROUGH TODAY'S PROCLAMATION READINGS. [00:05:01] WE ARE DEEPLY HONORED BY YOUR SUPPORT AND GRATEFUL FOR THE PARTNERSHIP WE SHARE IN CARING FOR THIS COMMUNITY. I'VE ONLY JOINED THE HOSPITAL JUST A SHORT TWO MONTHS AGO, AND WHAT I'VE ALREADY RECOGNIZED IN THOSE SHORT TWO MONTHS IS THAT THE MISSION OF THE HOSPITAL IS ONE THING, BUT THE DEEP SEATED COMMITMENT OF OUR STAFF TO THIS COMMUNITY IS SOMETHING VERY, VERY SPECIAL ABOUT BEAUFORT AND BEAUFORT MEMORIAL. EVERY DAY, OUR NURSES, PHYSICIANS, AND CLINICIANS AND TEAM MEMBERS SHOW UP UNDERSTANDING THAT THEY'RE LIKE THAT THEIR WORK MATTERS, NOT JUST A JOB, BUT AS A CALLING THAT IMPACTS THE LIVES OF NEIGHBORS, FAMILIES, AND FRIENDS. THEY CARE FOR EVERY DAY. THIS RECOGNITION MEANS SO MUCH TO OUR ENTIRE HOSPITAL TEAM. THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO CELEBRATE THE PEOPLE BEHIND THE CARE AND FOR ACKNOWLEDGING THE IMPORTANT ROLE THAT HEALTHCARE PLAYS IN THE STRENGTH AND WELLBEING OF OUR COMMUNITY. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT PROCLAMATION IS NATIONAL HOSPITAL WEEK. MR. PAMAN? YES. DO WE HAVE ANYBODY FROM OUR HOSPITALS? PROBABLY THE NURSES AGAIN, COME ON BACK UP. COME ON BACK. WE'RE 50% OF OUR I UNDERSTAND. , JOIN US BECAUSE YOU ARE DRESSED FOR THE POSITION RIGHT NOW. THIS PRO PROCLAMATION IS FOR NATIONAL HOSPITAL WEEK, WHEREAS HOSPITALS AND HEALTHCARE SYSTEMS ACROSS THE UNITED STATES ARE VITAL TO THEIR COMMUNITIES PROVIDING ESSENTIAL CARE AND PROMOTING THE HEALTH AND WELLNESS OF ALL RESIDENTS. AND WHEREAS HOSPITAL PROFE PROFESSIONALS, INCLUDING PHYSICIANS, NURSES, TECHNICIANS, SUPPORT STAFF, ADMINISTRATORS, THEY ALL DEMONSTRATE DEDICATION, COMPASSION, AND EXPERTISE IN MEETING THE INVOLVING HEALTHCARE NEEDS. AND WHEREAS HOSPITALS PAY A PLAY A CRU CRUCIAL ROLE IN EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS, PUBLIC HEALTH RESPONSE AND CARE CO COORDINATION, INCLUDING SERVING ON THE FRONT LINES DURING CRISIS. AND WHEREAS HOSPITALS ADVANCE COMMUNITY HEALTH THROUGH TREATMENT, EDUCATION, PREVENTION, AND OUTREACH SUPPORTED BY ONGOING COLLABORATION AND INNOVATION. AND WHEREAS THE STAFF AT BEAUFORT MEMORIAL HAVE PROVIDED CAP COMPASSIONATE HIGH QUALITY CARE TO THE BUFORT COUNTY COMMUNITY FOR OVER 81 YEARS. AND WHEREAS NATIONAL HOSPITAL WEEK IS OBSERVED MAY 10TH THROUGH THE 16TH, AND IT RECOGNIZES THE INVALUABLE CONTRIBUTIONS OF HOSPITALS AND HEALTHCARE WORKERS. NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT BUFORT COUNTY COUNCIL DOES HEREBY PROCLAIM MAY 10TH THROUGH THE 16TH AS NATIONAL HOSPITAL WEEK AND CALLS UPON RESIDENTS TO HONOR AND RECOGNIZE THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF HOSPITALS, THEIR STAFF, AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT THE RESIDENTS OF BUFORT COUNTY EXPRESS THEIR GRATITUDE AND APPRECI APPRECIATION FOR ALL HOSPITAL WORKERS, ESPECIALLY THOSE AT BUFORT MEMORIAL THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. DATED TODAY, UH, THE 11TH OF MAY, 2026. AND SIGNED BY ALICE HOWARD, CHAIR OF THE BUFORT COUNTY COUNCIL. CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF YOU. WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK IN THIS ONE? ANYBODY WANT TO SPEAK ON THAT ONE? AND THEN WE'LL HAVE A NICE PICTURE? SURE. THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR RECOGNITION. UH, MY NAME IS JESS O'BRIEN. I'M THE MARKETING DIRECTOR FOR BEAUFORT MEMORIAL. AND IN THE SHORT TIME THAT I'VE BEEN EMPLOYED THERE, IT REALLY IS TRULY, UH, WITHOUT SAYING THAT THE STAFF CARE MORE THAN ANYWHERE IN ANY COMMUNITY I'VE EVER SEEN BEFORE. SO THANK YOU AGAIN FOR THIS RECOGNITION. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COME ON IN. ARE NOBODY READY? THANK YOU AGAIN. ALL RIGHT. OUR NEXT PROCLAMATION WILL BE BY DOC, UH, LARRY. I ALMOST CALLED HIM DR. LARRY MCMILLAN ON PROCLAMATION NATIONAL CORRECTION OFFICERS WEEK. , I'LL TAKE THE PROMOTION. THANK YOU, LARRY. YOU'LL TAKE IT. OKAY. I'D LIKE TO WELCOME EVERYONE HERE TONIGHT. GREAT TO SEE ALL OF YOU. ARE THERE ANY, UM, CORRECTION OFFICERS FROM THE DETENTION CENTER HERE? IF YOU ARE, YOU'RE WELCOME TO COME FORWARD AND SHARE IN THE CELEBRATION. DON'T BE SHY. . HELLO. THANKS FOR COMING. COME ON UP. YOU STAND HERE AND YOU STAND OVER HERE AND YOU CAN FACE OUT. I'M JUST GONNA READ THIS ON YOUR BEHALF. OKAY. IN 1987, CONGRESS PASSED AND PRESIDENT RONALD REAGAN SIGNED A PUBLIC LAW PROCLAIMING THE FIRST WEEK OF MAY AS NATIONAL CORRECTIONAL OFFICERS [00:10:01] WEEK. THE OPERATION OF CORRECTIONAL AND DETENTION FACILITIES REPRESENTS A CRUCIAL COMPONENT OF OUR CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM. CORRECTIONAL OFFICERS PLAY A VITAL ROLE IN PROTECTING THE RIGHTS OF THE PUBLIC TO BE SAFEGUARDED FROM CRIMINAL ACTIVITY. AND CORRECTIONAL PERSONNEL ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SAFETY AND DIGNITY OF THE HUMAN BEINGS TO CHARGE TO THEIR CARE AND CORRECTIONAL PERSON. PERSONNEL WORK UNDER DEMANDING CIRCUMSTANCES AND FACE DANGER IN THEIR DAILY WORK LIVES, OFTEN SACRIFICING PERSONAL AND FAMILY TIME TO PROVIDE A NECESSARY AND OFTEN UNFORTUNATELY, THANKLESS, UNRECOGNIZED, AND BEHIND THE SCENES SERVICE TO THE PUBLIC. THE STAFF OF THE BEAUFORT COUNTY DETENTION CENTER HAS CONTINUALLY DEMONSTRATED THEIR SCALE AND PROFESSIONALISM IN RUNNING ONE OF THE FINEST FACILITIES IN THE STATE. AND FOR THAT THEY SHOULD BE CONGRATULATED. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT BEAUFORT COUNTY COUNCIL DOES HEREBY PROCLAIM MAY THREE THROUGH MAY NINE AS NATIONAL CORRECTIONAL OFFICERS WEEK. SO WE OFFER OUR CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU FOR THE FINE WORK THAT YOU DO. AND MAY, WHO WOULD LIKE TO ACCEPT THIS? SHE DOES. OKAY, , THANK YOU. IF YOU'D LIKE TO MAKE SOME COMMENTS, PLEASE GO. RIGHT. NO COMMENTS. THANK YOU, . LAST TIME I WAS STOPPED FOR SPEEDING. THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT I SAID. , NO COMMENT. WELL DONE. OKAY. THE NEXT IS A PROCLAMATION RECOGNIZING, UH, EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES WEEK BY MR. DAWSON. ANY EMC? COME ON UP. WELL, WE HAVE OUR E EMERGENCY MEDICAL PERSONNELS COME FORWARD PLEASE. ONE MINUTE. WOW. WORKING TO SEE A LOT OF YOU. YEAH. ALRIGHT. THIS PRO PROCLAMATION IS FOR THE EMERGENCY MEDICAL, UH, SERVICES, UH, PERSONNEL. WHEREAS BEAUFORT COUNTY IS FORTUNATE IN HAVING HIGHLY TRAINED AND WELL EQUIPPED EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES. AND WHEREAS THIS EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICE STAFFED BY PROFESSIONAL AND EXPERIENCED EMERGENCY MEDICAL TECHNICIANS AND PARAMEDICS WHO ARE ON CALL DAY AND NIGHT. AND WHEREAS EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES IS A VITAL PUBLIC SERVICE, AND WHEREAS THE MEMBERS OF THE EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES TEAM ARE READY TO PROVIDE LIFESAVING CARE TO THOSE IN NEED 24 HOURS A DAY, SEVEN DAYS A WEEK. AND WHEREAS ACCESS TO QUALITY EMERGENCY CARE DRAMATICALLY IMPROVES THE SURVIVAL AND RECOVERY RATES OF THOSE WHO EXPERIENCE SUDDEN ILLNESS OR INJURY. AND WHEREAS THE MEMBERS OF THE EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICE TEAMS, WHETHER CAREER OR VOLUNTEER, ENGAGE IN THOUSANDS OF HOURS OF SPECIALIZED TRAINING AND CONTINUING EDUCATION TO ENHANCE THEIR LIFESAVING SKILLS. AND WHEREAS IT IS APPROPRIATE TO RECOGNIZE THE VALUE AND THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES PROVIDED BY DESIGNATING EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICE WEEK. NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, BEAUFORD COUNTY COUNCIL DOES HEREBY PROCLAIM MAY 17 THROUGH MAY 23RD, EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICE WEEK DATED THIS 11TH DAY OF MAY, 2026, SIGNED BY ALICE HOWARD, CHAIR BEFORD COUNTY COUNCIL. I WANNA THANK ALL OF YOU AND EVEN OUR EMS PERSONNELS WHO ARE NOT HERE WITH YOU TODAY FOR ALL THE FINE WORK THAT YOU ALL DO. I KNOW IT'S NOT EASY AND YOU ALL ARE HIGHLY TRAINED AND PROFESSIONALS. EVERYBODY LOOK AT ME. GIMME A BIG SMILE. FEW WORDS, DONNA, FEW WORDS THAT JUST DOESN'T SEEM TO GO TOGETHER, . BUT ANYWAY, UM, I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU FOR THE RECOGNITION. WE TRULY APPRECIATE IT. NOBODY GETS AN EMS FOR THE RECOGNITION, THE MONEY OR ANYTHING ELSE. THIS IS A JOB YOU HAVE TO REALLY LIKE TO DO. AND I'M TELLING YOU THAT MOST PEOPLE CAN'T DO IT. IT'S A VERY DIFFICULT JO JOB. AND THESE PEOPLE GIVE UP THEIR TIME WITH THEIR FAMILIES, THEIR PERSONAL LIVES JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT THE SAFE SAFETY OF THIS COUNTY IS TAKEN CARE OF. IT'S [00:15:01] A HIGHLY EDUCATED JOB AND THEY HAVE TO MAINTAIN THAT EDUCATION CONSTANTLY TO KEEP UP WITH THE CHANGING MEDICINE WORK WORLD. UM, AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR RECOGNIZE THESE PEOPLE, BUT AGAIN, THEY DON'T DO IT FOR THAT. BUT IT IS NICE TO HAVE IT RECOGNIZED WHEN THEY DO GET OUT THERE FOR THE PUBLIC TO SEE WHAT THEY ARE AND WHAT THEY DO. IF YOU SEE A, UH, EMT PERSON ON, PLEASE THANK 'EM FOR THE JOB THEY DO. I, WE REALLY APPRECIATE THAT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OUR LAST PROCLAMATION RECOGNIZING MAY AS INTERNATIONAL DOULA MONTH WILL BE MR. YORK GLOVER. HEY, UM, I KNOW MS. WALKER IS HERE, PLEASE. THANK YOU. GOOD TO SEE YOU, MAN. YEAH, I SEE THAT . OH, OKAY. HOW YOU DOING? HEY. OKAY. OH, I GOT THE WHOLE, YEAH, THE WHOLE THING. YEAH. ALRIGHT, GOOD AFTERNOON. UM, THIS PROCLAMATION SAYS, WHEREAS DOULA ARE TRAINED PROFESSIONALS WHO PROVIDE CONTINUOUS, PHYSICAL, EMOTIONAL, AND INFORMATIONAL SUPPORT TO FAMILIES BEFORE, DURING, AND AFTER CHILDBIRTH. AND WHEREAS DOULAS PLAY A VITAL ROLE IN REDUCING MEDICAL, I MEAN MATERNAL AND INFANT HEALTH DISPARITIES BY PROVIDING CULTURAL COMPETENT CARE AND ADVOCATING FOR THE NEEDS AND, UH, PREFERENCES OF FAMILIES THEY SERVE. AND WHEREAS THE SUPPORT PROVIDED BY DOULAS, UH, FOSTERS A MORE POSITIVE BIRTH EXPERIENCE, HELPING TO EMPOWER PARENTS AS THEY TRANSITION INTO THEIR NEW ROLES AND STRENGTHENING THE FOUNDATION OF THE FAMILY UNIT. AND WHEREAS INTERNATIONAL DOULA MONTH IS OBSERVED ANNUALLY TO RAISE AWARENESS OF THE BENEFITS OF DOULA SUPPORT AND CELEBRATE THE, THE DEDICATION OF THESE PROFESSIONALS IN IMPROVING MATERNAL CARE WORLDWIDE. NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT BEAUFORT COUNTY COUNCIL DOES HEREBY PROCLAIMS MAY AS INTERNATIONAL DOULA MONTH AND ENCOURAGE ALL CITIZENS TO, TO RECOGNIZE AND THE IMPORTANCE CONTRIBUTION THAT DOULAS MAKE TO THE HEALTH AND WELLBEING OF OUR COMMUNITY'S FAMILY. DATED THIS, THE 11TH DAY OF MAY, 2026 BY MS. HOWARD, ALICE HOWARD, CHAIRPERSON OF BEFORD COUNTY COUNCIL. CONGRAT, WOULD YOU LIKE TO MAKE A, SOMEBODY LIKE TO SPEAK? YEP. GOOD EVENING. I FEEL LIKE, LOOK, I HAVE TO TURN INTO MY TRANSFORMATION OF BIG MAMA MIKA, SO I'M GONNA STAND UP ON MY TIPPY TOES. UM, THANK YOU SO MUCH. COUNCIL MEMBERS. UM, THIS IS REALLY NEAR AND DEAR TO OUR HEART. WE ARE A COMMUNITY HERE IN BEAUFORT. WE SUPPORT BEAUFORT, JASPER, AND HAMPTON COUNTIES. UM, WE HAVE A UNIQUE POSITION WHEN IT COMES TO BEING HEALTHCARE ALLIES. WE ARE NOW IN THE FOREFRONT OF WHAT WE CALL THE MATERNAL HEALTH DESERTS THAT WE ARE SEEING IN OUR STATES EIGHTH IN THE NATION WHEN IT COMES TO MATERNAL MORTALITY RATES. SO WE ARE NOW AT THE FOREFRONT WHERE WE GET TO BRIDGE THE GAP WHEN IT COMES TO CLINICAL AND COMMUNITY CARE. SO WE ARE HONORED TO BE ABLE TO SUPPORT MOTHERS, FATHERS FAMILIES BEFORE, DURING, AND AFTER BIRTH. NOT ONLY IN HOSPITALS, HOME BIRTHS, AND ALSO BIRTH CENTER BIRTHS. WE ARE THERE TO HELP THEM UNDERSTAND PRENATAL APPOINTMENTS WHEN THEY ONLY HAVE ABOUT 15 MINUTES. DOCTORS, WE LOVE YOU, RIGHT? BUT THEY NEED A LITTLE BIT MORE. ALSO IN THOSE BIRTH SETTINGS, WE KNOW THE NURSES, WE COMMEND YOU ALL, THANK YOU SO MUCH. BUT WE ARE THERE TO BE YOUR ALLIES IN THOSE ROOMS BECAUSE WE KNOW YOU'RE THERE FOR MEDICAL. WE'RE THERE TO MAKE SURE IT'S CONTINUITY OF CARE FOR OUR FAMILIES. AND THEN IN POSTPARTUM, WE KNOW WE ARE LOSING OUR MOTHERS BEFORE 12 MONTHS BEFORE THEY ARE ABLE TO CELEBRATE A CHILD'S FIRST BIRTHDAY. SO WE ARE THERE TO ALSO FOLLOW THOSE FAMILIES HOME TO MAKE SURE THEY HAVE THAT SUPPORT. SO WE THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUE AND TO SUPPORT, TO SUPPORT BEAUFORT COUNTY. THANK YOU. [00:20:01] THANK YOU. THANK YOU TO ALL THE RECIPIENTS THAT CAME FOR THE PROCLAMATIONS. UH, MR. MOORE [7. ADMINISTRATOR'S REPORT] ADMINISTRATORS REPORT, PLEASE. GOOD EVENING, MADAM VICE CHAIR AND COUNSEL. UM, WE DO NOT HAVE ANY RECOGNITIONS THIS EVENING, BUT WE, UH, I WOULD LIKE TO GIVE YOU ALL AN UPDATE ON THE, UH, TRANSPORTATION ON THE TAC AND, UH, ON WEDNESDAY, AND THEY'RE HERE TONIGHT. BUT, UH, I JUST WANTED TO, UH, THEY HELD THEIR FINAL MEETING AND COMPLETED THE WORK. I'M NOT GONNA GET INTO THE DETAILS OF RECOMMENDATIONS AS CHAIRMAN SOCK WILL PRESENT THAT SHORTLY, BUT I WANNA RECOGNIZE SOME OF THE EFFORTS THAT WENT ON BEHIND THIS. FIRST I WANT TO CONGRATULATE AND THANK THE, THE COMMITTEE COMPLETING ITS WORK ON SCHEDULE. AND HIS PLAN WITH A VERY AGGRESSIVE SCHEDULE WAS A SIGNIFICANT ASSIGNMENT WITH 15 CITIZENS COMING TOGETHER OVER A SHORT THREE MONTH PERIOD TO REVIEW OUR TRANSPORTATION NEEDS, EVALUATE PRIORITIES, AND DEVELOP A RECOMMENDATION THAT IF APPROVED BY COUNCIL, AND ULTIMATELY THE VOTERS WILL IMPACT EVERY PART OF THE COUNTY. SECOND, OF COURSE, I WANT TO THANK OUR COUNTY STAFF WHO SUPPORTED THE COMMITTEE. THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS, JARED AND BRIAN BAUER, JARED FRAY, AND BRIAN BAUER HELPED LEAD THE EFFORT AND PROVIDE TECHNICAL SUPPORT. THEY WERE ALL THE MEETINGS, DID A LOT OF WORK TO PROVIDE THE COMMITTEE WITH THE INFORMATION THEY HAVE. I'D ALSO LIKE TO NOTE, UH, RUSTY BRATZ, PAMELA BERNARD, KELSEY FLOYD, AND OUR ENGINEERING STAFF WHO WERE ALSO INVOLVED IN THE COST ESTIMATING, UH, GS MAPPING AND PROJECT DEVELOPMENT. I'D ALSO LIKE TO THANK CLERK TO COUNCIL SARAH AND HER STAFF. UH, THEY PROVIDED ALL THE ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT, COORDINATE COMMITTEE, UH, OPERATIONS, UH, INCLUDING COMPILING THE NOMINATIONS AND COMMITTEE MEMBER INFORMATION. THEY MANAGED ALL THE MEETINGS, ALL THE AGENDAS, MINUTES, SECURING VENUES, AND HANDLING ALL THE LOGISTICS. SO IT WAS A GREAT EFFORT BY OUR STAFF. I'D ALSO LIKE TO RECOGNIZE HANNAH NICHOLS AND CHLOE GEE FOR THEIR PUBLIC COMMUNICATION THROUGH INTERVIEWS, WEBSITE UPDATES, UH, SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS AND PUBLIC INFORMATION EFFORTS. AND OF COURSE, WE HAD GENERAL SUPPORT FROM PUBLIC WORKS TO HELP SET UP AND BREAK DOWN FACILITIES FOR THE LARGER, UH, COMMUNITY MEETINGS. AND FINALLY, OUR BROADCASTING TEAM HELPED MAKE SURE ALL THE MEETINGS WERE RECORDED, BROADCAST, AND ACCESSIBLE TO THE PUBLIC AND TO EVERYONE WHO GAVE THEIR TIME, INCLUDING THE CITIZENS WHO CAME TO THE MEETINGS, PROVIDED THEIR, UH, OPINIONS AND INPUTS, ENERGY AND TALENTS, THIS IMPORTANT EFFORT. THANK YOU. IT'S A SUBSTANTIAL UNDERTAKING. A STRONG EXAMPLE OF COLLABORATION, TRANSPARENCY, AND COMMITMENT TO MOVING BEAUFORT COUNTY FORWARD. I'D ALSO LIKE TO NOTE ON THE, UH, RFP FOR THE PUBLIC EDUCATION COMMITTEE OUTREACH SERVICES THAT CLOSES ON MAY 13TH, WHICH IS WEDNESDAY. AND WE'LL HAVE ALL THE INPUTS AND, UH, WE'LL SELECT, UM, A CONSULTANT TO HELP WITH THE EDUCATION EFFORT. SO, PENDING ANY QUESTIONS. THAT CONCLUDES MY UPDATE. ANY QUESTIONS FROM COUNSEL? ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU MR. MOORE. [8. PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD - 30 MINUTES TOTAL] ALRIGHT, WE'RE GOING TO ENTER INTO PUBLIC COMMENT. IT'S 30 MINUTES. UM, I HAVE THE REQUEST FOR PEOPLE TO SPEAK THE SPEAKER. THIS IS A REMINDER, A SPEAKER SHALL BE PERMITTED NO MORE THAN THREE MINUTES, AND MS. BROCK PUTS A CAMERA UP THERE. THREE MINUTES TO COMPLETE THEIR COMMENTS TO COUNCIL. EVERYONE SPEAKING BEFORE COUNCIL WILL BE REQUIRED TO DO SO IN A CIVIL MANNER. COUNCIL WILL NOT TOLERATE PERSONAL ATTACKS ON INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS, COUNTY STAFF, OR ANY PERSON OR GROUP. RACIAL SLURS AND PROFANITY ARE NOT PERMITTED. COUNSEL WILL LISTEN TO PUBLIC COMMENTS BUT NOT RESPOND. AND PLEASE NOTE IF YOU HAVE ANY HANDOUTS THAT YOU'RE PRESENTING TO COUNSEL, THEY BECOME OFFICIAL PART OF THE RECORDS AND A COPIES ATTACHED TO THE AGENDA. OUR FIRST PERSON IS ROBERT HENDRICK. PLEASE COME FORTH, STATE YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD AND THEN YOU HAVE YOUR THREE MINUTES. WELL, THANK YOU CHAIRMAN'S. UH, MY NAME IS ROBERT HENDRICKS. I LIVE IN HABERSHAM. UH, I'VE SPENT ALSO ABOUT EIGHT YEARS ON DELTA ISLAND, UM, ON DELTA ISLAND. I, I LED A GROUP OF PEOPLE, 50 OF 'EM THAT WE EVERY MONTH WENT OUT AND CLEANED UP THE LITTER ON HIGHWAY 22 THAT WENT FROM WHAT IS NOW WALMART OUT THE FROG MART. I REMEMBER IN 2014, WE PICKED UP 540 FULL TRASH BAGS OF LITTER. MOST OF THAT WHICH WAS PLASTIC, PLASTIC BOTTLES, PAPER BAGS, WHATEVER. AS WE ALL KNOW, THE PLASTIC ISSUE HAS BECOME A GLOBAL ISSUE. IT'S REJECTED BY THE YEAR 2030, THERE'LL BE BY WEIGHT, MORE PLASTIC IN THE OCEAN THAN THERE IS FISH ON DA, I MEAN, ON HABERSHAM. EVERY QUARTER WE GO OUT THERE, A NUMBER OF US, AND WE CLEAN THE ROADS, WALK OUT INTO THE DRY MARSHES AND PICK THIS STUFF [00:25:01] UP. MANY PEOPLE DON'T SEE THIS LITTER. THEY DON'T SEE THE PLASTIC. MANY PEOPLE HAVE LIVED ALL THEIR LIVES. THAT'S JUST PART OF THE NORMAL WORLD IN MY PROFESSION. I WAS A WORLD TRAVELER. AND I CAN ASSURE YOU THAT ALTHOUGH THERE ARE PLACES THAT ARE ASTOUNDINGLY WORSE, THERE ARE A LOT OF PLACES THAT ARE ASTOUNDINGLY BETTER THAN WHAT YOU SEE IN OUR COUNTY ROADS. SO WHEN THIS ISSUE CAME UP AND YOUR GOOD WORK, I GUESS A COUPLE YEARS AGO WHERE YOU TRIED TO CONTROL THE AMOUNT OF SINGLE USE PLASTIC BAGS, I WAS VERY DI VERY DISAPPOINTED IN OUR, SOME OF OUR CORPORATE RESPONSES, WHICH I THOUGHT WERE RATHER CYNICAL. AND THAT WAS DOUBLE THE THICKNESS OF THE BAG AND WE'LL CALL IT REUSABLE. IF WE'RE GONNA HAVE ANY CONTROL OF THE GROWING GLOBAL PRI PROBLEM. THIS AMONG OTHER PROBLEMS, IT HAS TO START AT A LOCAL LEVEL. THE AMOUNT OF EFFORT THAT A CITIZEN HAS TO TAKE TO BRING THEIR OWN BAG INSTEAD OF TAKING THESE THICK BAGS IS TRIVIAL COMPARED TO THE EVENTUAL COLLECTIVE COSTS. SO I APPLAUD THE COUNTY'S BRINGING AND ENTERTAINING THIS AND COMING UP WITH SOME OPTIONS, AND I REALLY ENCOURAGE YOU TO PASS THE ORDINANCE THAT TIGHTENS UP THE, THE SINGLE USE WASTE ISSUE. UM, SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU MR. HENDRICKS. UM, MR. WILLIAM SCARBOROUGH, DISTRICT FOUR. HELLO, HELLO. STATE YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD. WILLIAM SCARBOROUGH. UH, GOOD EVENING COUNCIL MEMBERS AND FELLOW CITIZENS. UM, MY NAME IS DR. WILLIAM SCARBOROUGH AND I LIVE AT, UH, ONE 13 ELLIOT STREET, UH, DIRECTLY ADJACENT TO THE PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT, UH, SITE ON ELLIOT STREET. I'M ALSO HERE SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF, UH, THE A HUNDRED PINES NEIGHBORHOOD COMMITTEE, UH, INCLUDING MY NEIGHBOR LIVING AT 8 64 REBAR ROAD, UM, WHO IS ALSO DIRECTLY ADJACENT TO THE PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT SITE ON REYNOLDS ROAD. I'M HERE TONIGHT BECAUSE WHILE WE SUPPORT THE VITAL GOAL OF PROVIDING ATTAINABLE HOUSING FOR OUR LOCAL WORKFORCE ORDINANCE 20 26 12, AS CURRENTLY DESIGNED PRESENTS SPECIFIC DOCUMENTED CONFLICTS, UH, WITH OUR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CODE AND OUR 2040 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN. FIRST, THIS PROJECT VIOLATES, UH, NEIGHBORHOOD COMPATIBILITY STANDARDS UNDER CDC, ARTICLE FIVE. OUR NEIGHBORHOOD IS DEFINED BY SINGLE FAMILY HOMES AND INTRODUCING 26 TO 29 UNITS. A DENSITY OF ROUGHLY 12 UNITS PER ACRE IS A MASSIVE LEAP THAT FAILS TO PROVIDE THE TRANSITIONAL DENSITY, UH, REQUIRED BY LAW TO PROTECT ESTABLISHED RESIDENTIAL AREAS. THE SCALE SIMPLY DOES NOT FIT OUR BLOCK ON ELLIOT STREET, UH, NOR REYNOLDS ROAD OR, UH, UH, REBAR ROAD FOR THAT MATTER. SECOND, THIS DENSITY SPIKE IS INCONSISTENT WITH OUR 2040 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN. THE PLAN MANDATES THAT NEW GROWTH MUST PROTECT AND PRESERVE ESTABLISHED NEIGHBORHOODS AND REINFORCE A UNIQUE SENSE OF PLACE BY PLACING HIGH DENSITY HOMES, UH, TOWN HOMES, AND TIGHTLY PACKED SINGLE FAMILY HOMES DIRECTLY AGAINST EXISTING HOUSES WITHOUT PROPER SCALING OR BUFFERING, UH, THIS DEVELOPMENT CONTRADICTS THE VERY LAND USE GOALS THIS COUNCIL HAS SWORE TO UPHOLD. THIRD, WE HAVE A SERIOUS CONCERNS REGARDING INFRASTRUCTURE AND STORMWATER MANAGEMENT. PER CDC DIVISION 3.10, ALL NEW PROJECTS MUST MITIGATE RUNOFF IMPACTS. MY NEIGHBORS AND I ARE ALREADY MANAGING DRAINAGE ISSUES IN THIS AREA. ADDING NEARLY 30 UNITS OF IMPERVIOUS SURFACE WILL DRASTICALLY ALTER RUNOFF PATTERNS. WE HAVE YET TO SEE AN INDEPENDENT SITE SPECIFIC DRAINAGE ANALYSIS THAT GUARANTEES OUR PROPERTIES WILL NOT FACE INCREASED FLOODING. FINALLY, WE MUST ADDRESS PUBLIC SAFETY AND, UH, TRAFFIC. ELLIOT STREET AND REYNOLDS ROAD ARE BOTH NARROW, UH, RESIDENTIAL CORRIDORS, ADDING AT LEAST 50 MORE VEHICLES TO ALREADY SATURATED REYNOLDS ROAD AND REBA ROAD INTERSECTION. IT, IT EXCEEDS THE SAFE, UM, LEVEL OF SERVICE FOR OUR STREETS. WE AREN'T ASKING YOU TO CANCEL ATTAINABLE WORKFORCE HOUSING. WE'RE ASKING YOU TO FOLLOW THE LAW. I URGE YOU TO POSTPONE THE THIRD READING OF THIS ORDINANCE UNTIL A FULL COMPATIBILITY REVIEW AND TRAFFIC END DATE, UH, UPDATE IMPACT ANALYSIS ARE CONDUCTED. THANK YOU. THANK YOU MR. SCARBOROUGH. THANK YOU. APPRECIATE IT. NEXT SPEAKER IS SOPHIE BROWN. COMES ON DOWN. SOPHIE, [00:30:01] YOU DON'T HAVE TO RUN. IT'S OKAY. . HELLO? HEY, MAY I BEGIN? OH, OKAY. YES, YOU MAY BEGIN. ALL RIGHT. GOOD EVENING. UM, THANK YOU TO MEMBERS OF COUNCIL FOR YOUR SERVICE TO OUR COMMUNITY. FIRST OFF, UM, MY NAME IS SOPHIE, LIKE THEY SAID, AND I'M 18. UM, I'M ALSO A SENIOR AT BUFORT HIGH SCHOOL AND I'VE LIVED HERE IN BEAUFORT, ALL OF THOSE AWESOME YEARS. UM, I'M SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF MY NATIVE PERSPECTIVE, BUT ALSO ON BEHALF OF MY AP CHEMISTRY TEACHER, DR. BODA. UM, IN HER PERSPECTIVE, DR. BODA IS THE ADVISOR OF CREATE REAL ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS THROUGH EDUCATION CLUB AT MY HIGH SCHOOL IN WHICH I'M PRESIDENT. UM, ALSO FOR MORE BACKGROUND ABOUT ME, I'LL BE STUDYING ENVIRONMENTAL SOCIOLOGY AND CLIMATE STUDIES AND MINORING IN LEGAL STUDIES AT VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY THIS FALL. NICE. I'M HERE TO SHOW MY SUPPORT FOR THE REVISED ORDINANCE TO REDUCE THE FLOW OF PLASTIC POLLUTION INTO OUR COMMUNITY ENVIRONMENT AND BODIES. HUMANS INGEST, INHALE AND ABSORB ROUGHLY FIVE GRAMS OF MICROPLASTICS EVERY WEEK EQUIVALENT TO A CREDIT CARD OR A DEBIT CARD FOR FRUGAL PEOPLE TO FAT THROUGH FOOD, WATER, AND AIR. THESE PARTICLES NOW FOUND IN HUMAN BLOOD, LUNGS AND BREAST MILK ARE RISING WITH CONSUMPTION SIX TIMES HIGHER THAN IN 1990 A TIME THAT I WASN'T AROUND , BUT I'M SURE PLASTIC RELATED HEALTH CONCERNS IN THAT RESEARCH WASN'T EITHER. BUT SUPPORTING THIS ORDINANCE TO THE NEXT STEP OR BY SUPPORTING THIS ORDINANCE, YOU AREN'T JUST HELPING MY GENERATION, BUT YOURS TOO AND THE HEALTH OF EVERYONE IN BEAUFORT COUNTY AND EVERYONE WHO TRAVELS HERE BE SELFLESS AND SELFISH. PLEASE CONSIDER VOTING YES TO ADVANCE THIS ORDINANCE TO THE NEXT STEP TO REDUCE THE IMPACTS OF PLASTIC POLLUTION HERE IN BEAUFORT COUNTY. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME AGAIN AND ALL THAT YOU DO. THANK YOU. APPRECIATE IT. NEXT WE HAVE MR. GRANT MCCLURE. I WAS GONNA SAY, I WON'T MISS HIM STANDING UP. I CAN SEE YOU . TILT THE MICROPHONE. GRANT, TILT IT UP. YEP, I GOTCHA. . GO AHEAD, . HELLO. UM, MY NAME IS GRANT MCCLURE. UM, I'M THE SOUTH COAST OFFICE DIRECTOR WITH THE COASTAL CONSERVATION LEAGUE, WHICH IS A 5 0 1 C3 ENVIRONMENTAL ADVOCACY ORGANIZATION. I'M ALSO A RESIDENT OF BEAUFORT COUNTY. UM, AND I'M HERE TO SPEAK IN SUPPORT OF THE, THE PLASTIC ORDINANCE. UM, I ALSO WANTED TO SHARE THAT I'VE RECEIVED SOME LETTERS OF SUPPORT FROM MANY OF OUR PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS, SOME OF WHICH ARE HERE TONIGHT, INCLUDING THE SOUTH CAROLINA AQUARIUM, THE TURTLE TRACKERS GROUP OF HILTON HEAD ISLAND, THE SEA TURTLE PATROL OF HILTON HEAD ISLAND, UM, AS WELL AS, UH, OCEANA, WHICH IS A NATIONAL, UH, ADVOCACY GROUP. UM, AND SO IT'S, IT'S, UM, YOU KNOW, REALLY BEEN EMPOWERING TO SEE, UM, YOU KNOW, FOLKS COALESCE AROUND THIS PLASTICS ISSUE. UM, YOU KNOW, WE HAD GREAT RESULTS FROM THE SURVEY, UM, THAT WENT OUT, UM, ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO. UM, AND SO I'M ENCOURAGED BY THIS PROGRESS AND I WANTED TO PRESENT THESE LETTERS THIS EVENING TO THE CLERK SO THAT THEY'RE ON THE RECORD. UM, AND LASTLY ON, ON A PERSONAL NOTE, UM, MY WIFE, EMMA BARNES, IS A ART PROFESSOR AT USCB. AND, UM, SHE, UH, HAS OFFERED TO DONATE THIS, UH, PRINT WHICH SHE MADE OF, OF PRITCHARD'S ISLAND, UH, WILDLIFE. AND SO I'M HOPEFUL THAT THIS CAN BE SOME INSPIRATION TO CONTINUE SOME OF THE GREAT WORK, UH, AROUND ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES. UM, SOME OF MY FAVORITE SHOREBIRDS ARE PICTURED HERE FROM THE BLACK SKIMMER TO THE BLACK BELLY PLOVER, UM, AS WELL AS THE ROOF OF RED KNOT OSPREY. UM, AND SO YEAH, JUST WANTED TO, UM, SHE WANTED TO GIVE THIS TO THE COUNCIL, UM, AS A REMINDER, UH, TO, TO BE COMMITTED TO ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP. AND SO I APPRECIATE YOUR TIME AND, UM, HOPE YOU'LL, UH, VOTE YES ON THE PLASTIC ORDINANCES. THANK YOU. THANK YOU MR. MCCLURE. MR. JOSEPH KLEIN. MR. JOSEPH KLEIN, COME ON DOWN. GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS JOSEPH KLEIN TO MADAM CHAIR LADY, MADAM VICE CHAIR LADY TO MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL. UH, I FIRST WOULD LIKE TO THANK COUNCILMAN DAWSON FOR ASKING ME TO SERVE ON THE TRANSPORTATION ADVISORY COMMITTEE. UH, THIS IS MY FOURTH TIME SERVING. [00:35:01] WE HAD, UH, MY RECORD IS RIGHT NOW IS TWO PAST AND ONE FAILED PRAYERFULLY. WE CAN EVEN THINGS UP AT A FATE OF 500. I WANT TO SAY THAT THE EFFORT PUT FORTH WAS TREMENDOUS. I WANT TO SAY TO YOU THAT WE COALESCED AROUND ONE MAJOR THING IN PUTTING THE ORDINANCE TOGETHER, NOT WHAT ONE AREA NEEDED OVER THE OTHER, NOT WHAT THE AMOUNT OF TAX THAT WAS GENERATED IN ONE AREA VERSUS ANOTHER, BUT THE TOTALITY OF THE NEEDS OF BEAUFORT COUNTY FOR TO BE SUCCESSFUL WITH THIS REFERENDUM, WE FELT STRONGLY THAT EVERY PART OF THE COUNTY HAD TO BE RECOGNIZED. WHETHER YOU WALKED ON A DIRT ROAD FOR THE PAST 100 YEARS, OR IF YOU ARE TIED TO BEING STUCK IN TRAFFIC AND BLUFFTON OR HILTON HEAD, OR WHETHER YOU FEEL WE NEED ANOTHER BRIDGE, IT NEEDED TO BE ADDRESSED. AND I FEEL THAT THE COLLECTIVENESS AND THE COHESIVENESS OF THE COMMITTEE IS DISPLAYED IN THAT DOCUMENT. WE LISTEN TO THE PROFESSIONALS FROM THE COUNTY, FROM AND FROM EACH MUNICIPALITY. I TAKE THE POSITION THAT EACH PROFESSIONAL WAS THE BEST THAT MONEY CAN BUY. SO IT WAS ADVISABLE FOR US TO LISTEN TO THEM, THEREFORE, PUT BEFORE YOU. AS A RESULT OF OUR EFFORTS, WE TOOK IN GREAT CONSIDERATION THAT IF, IF ALL OF ONE PART OF THE COUNTY IS HAPPY, THEN THE REST OF THE COUNTY IS NOT GONNA VOTE FOR IT. SO INCLUSIVITY WAS A GREAT PART OF THE THOUGHT PATTERN. I WANT TO THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE CONTINUALLY AS I HAVE FOR THE MOST OF MY LIFE, SERVING AS A COUNTY COUNCILMAN AND A MAGISTRATE AS WRITTEN, I'M PREPARED TO GO OUT AND CAMPAIGN FOR THIS DOCUMENT AS WRITTEN. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU FOR SERVING . AND BY THE WAY, EVERYONE CAN WATCH EVERY TAC MEETING. IT'S ON BCTV. I ATTEND MOST OF 'EM, TWO OF 'EM I WATCHED. UM, THEY'RE ALL ON THERE. JIM LAWTON, YOU ARE NEXT. NUMBER SIX. HELLO. HI, JIM LAWTON, 52 OYSTER STREET, BLUFFTON, THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE TO OUR COUNTY AND THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TO COUNCIL. I'M HERE TONIGHT TO SO SHOW MY SUPPORT FOR THE REVISED ORDINANCE TO REDUCE THE FLOW OF PLASTIC POLLUTION INTO OUR COMMUNITY ENVIRONMENT BODIES. WHAT DO WE MEAN BY BODIES? FOR FUN, TAKE YOUR GRANDKID TO THE MARITIME CENTER AT PORT ROYAL FOUNDATION AND, UM, WITH A SAMPLE OF YOUR DRINKING WATER. SIGN UP TO USE ONE OF THEIR COOL TELESCOPE OR MICROSCOPES AND SEE WHAT'S FLOATING IN IT. I THINK WE ALL CAN AGREE. WE LIVE IN A TRULY UNIQUE ECOSYSTEM HERE IN BEAUFORT COUNTY, AN AUDACIOUS COASTAL HABITAT WHERE THE FLORA AND FAUNA OF THE LOW COUNTRY DOMINATE OUR WORLDVIEW. IT'S WHAT SEEMINGLY ANIMATES DEVELOPERS ADVERTISING OF COASTAL PROPERTIES AND GIVE SOLACE TO OLD PEOPLE LIKE ME. BECAUSE WE LIVE IN A INTIMATE RELATIONSHIP TO THIS ENVIRONMENT AND UNDERSTAND WHATEVER WE HUMANS DO, UPLAND OF OUR RIVERS AND CREEKS, IT TENDS TO FLOW OR BLOW DOWNSTREAM INTO THE VERY THING WE LOVE ABOUT THIS PLACE. THIS INCLUDES SALT WATER FROM OUR ROOFS AND DRIVEWAYS AND SINGLE USE PLASTICS SUCH AS GROCERY BAGS, TAKEOUT CONTAINERS, CUPS, STRAWS, ET CETERA, ET CETERA. NONE OF THESE INTEGRATE INTO OUR BELOVED ENVIRONMENT AT ALL. SO THERE IS A HEIGHTENED RESPONSIBILITY, UH, TO THE PUBLIC, TO THE BUSINESSES WITHIN BUFORT COUNTY AND COUNTY GOVERNMENT TO TAKE THE EXTRA MEASURE TO PROTECT IT, TO OFFER SOME PERSPECTIVE. EARTH DAY 2026, DREW 1,150 VOLUNTEERS COVERED 136 MILES OF BEAUFORT COUNTY AND PICKED UP AN ASTOUNDING 36,828 POUNDS OF GARBAGE. IN ADDITION, 233 VOLUNTEERS OF THE ADOPT A HIGHWAY PROGRAM COVERED 46 MILES AND PICKED UP 33, UH, HUNDRED 60 POUNDS IN APRIL ALONE. VIRTUALLY ALL OF IT IS NOT BIODEGRADABLE. THESE ARE YOUR CITIZENS AT WORK. WE NEED TO STRENGTHEN CHAPTER 38, ARTICLE SIX, SECTION 38 TO EX TO EXCLUDE PLASTICS IN STYROFOAM. THERE ARE SO MANY BIODEGRADABLE AND CHEAPER ALTERNATIVES TO THESE PROJECTS. IF THE ARGUMENT IS, [00:40:01] IS THAT IT PUTS UNDUE ECONOMIC BURDENS ON BUSINESSES, I WOULD REPLY THAT THE HEALTH IMPLICATIONS OF PLASTICS IN THE LOW CAR TREE FAR OUTWEIGH THAT BURDEN. THE PUBLIC IS ON THE SIDE OF SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES AND WILL RECOGNIZE THE BUSINESSES THAT DO AS WELL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU MR. LYON. THIS IS LEE HICKS. LEE HICKS. OH, THERE YOU ARE, RIGHT HERE. COME ON DOWN. READY FOR YOU. WELL, GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS LEE HICKS. I LIVE RIGHT DOWN THE ROAD ON REEBOK ROAD HERE AT 8 64. IN FACT, WE LIVE RIGHT NEXT DOOR TO THE, UH, THREE. UH, I'VE SEEN THREE AND I'VE SEEN FIVE COUNTY LOTS THAT ARE PROPOSED FOR THIS REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT. AND I'M COMING HERE TONIGHT TO, UH, ASK YOU TO RECONSIDER AND PUT A LITTLE MORE THOUGHT INTO THIS. I APPRECIATE THE WORK THE COUNTY HAS DONE. I UNDERSTAND THE HOSPITAL'S STAFFING ISSUES AND THEIR CONCERNS. UH, BUT, UH, THIS IS HAVING A, A DRAMATIC EFFECT ON THE NEIGHBORHOOD, AND I DON'T THINK THOSE ISSUES HAVE BEEN CONSIDERED YET. AS DR. SCARBOROUGH, MY NEIGHBOR MENTIONED EARLIER. IN OUR VIEW, IT VIOLATES THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN ADOPTED BY THIS COUNTY. IT DOES NOT PRESERVE THE 100 PINES NEIGHBORHOOD. IT ADDS 12 UNITS PER ACRE IN A SINGLE FAMILY HOME, NEIGHBORHOOD, HOME NEIGHBORHOOD. UH, WE'RE RIGHT NEXT DOOR RIGHT NOW. OUR BACKYARD HAS, AND WE ENJOY A LOT OF PRIVACY BECAUSE OF THE MANY MATURE TREES ON BOTH SIDES OF US. UH, OUR CONCERN, OBVIOUSLY, WE'VE GOT YOUNG CHILDREN THAT PLAY BACK THERE. UH, WE'RE RIGHT NEXT DOOR AND OUR CONCERN IS THAT WE'RE GONNA LOSE THAT PRIVACY, THAT THESE TOWN HOMES ARE GOING TO BE LOOKING RIGHT OVER AT US IN OUR BACKYARD. UM, I HAD A GOOD MEETING WITH CLAUDE HICKS LAST WEEK. I DON'T BELIEVE HE WOULD OBJECT TO THESE. OF COURSE, HE CAN SPEAK TO HIMSELF, BUT WE DO ASK THAT, UH, THE COUNTY CONDITION, ITS APPROVAL OF THIS ORDINANCE ON SOME REASONABLE, WHAT I THINK ARE REASONABLE PRIVACY MITIGATION REQUIREMENTS, UH, REQUIRE AN EIGHT FOOT PRIVACY FENCE, UH, REQUIRE RETENTION OF THE MATURE TREES ALONG OUR BORDER. OUR PROPERTY LINE, UH, REQUIRE A LANDSCAPING BUFFER, UH, THAT WOULD HELP PRESERVE WHAT WE ENJOY NOW WITH, WITH SOME PRIVACY, UH, REQUIRE THAT SECOND STORY WINDOWS BE ORIENTED AWAY FROM OUR LOT AND NEIGHBORING LOTS, UH, AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. UH, THERE ARE ALSO SOME CONCERNS THAT GO BEYOND JUST OUR IMMEDIATE PRIVACY ISSUES, AND DR. SCARBOROUGH MENTIONED THOSE, UH, A FULL TRAFFIC IMPACT ANALYSIS OUGHT TO BE DONE. THESE ARE SMALL ROADS, ONE OF THEM IS A DIRT ROAD, AND YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT PUTTING A LOT OF TRAFFIC RIGHT THERE. UH, AND I'M SPEAKING OF REYNOLDS, UM, A STORM WATER DRAINAGE STUDY. UH, LIKE DR. SCARBOROUGH SAID, REYNOLDS ROAD REGULARLY PULLS UP WITH WATER WHEN IT RAINS. UH, I CAN'T IMAGINE WHAT THIS IS GOING TO DO TO AND TO OUR, OUR PROPERTY. AND I'D LIKE THAT TO BE STUDIED, TO BE SEEN. I SEE MY TIME'S UP. I'D ASK FOR YOU TO CONSIDER THESE, UH, CONDITIONS ON THE ORDINANCE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU MR. HICKS. NEXT IS KELLY THOR VON, DID I SAY THAT RIGHT? I WAS GONNA SAY HOW WELL YOU SAID THAT. THAT'S WELL, YOU PRINTED, IT'S REALLY RARE YOU PRINTED SO I COULD READ IT. THERE YOU GO. UH, GOOD EVENING COUNSEL. THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING FOR PUBLIC COMMENT. MY NAME IS KELLY THON. I'M FROM THE SOUTH CAROLINA AQUARIUM IN CHARLESTON. UM, I'M SPEAKING IN REGARD TO THE AMENDMENT, UH, UH, FOR THE CHAPTER 38, ARTICLE SIX ORDINANCE LIMITING SINGLE USE PLASTICS PROVIDED BY BUSINESSES. OUR ENVIRONMENT IS INCREASINGLY OVERWHELMED BY PLASTIC POLLUTION. YOU I'M SURE ARE AWARE OF THAT, BUT PARTICULARLY SINGLE USE FOOD AND DRINK PLASTIC AND UH, AND BUSINESS PLASTICS. UH, OCEAN LIFE FROM PLANKTON. THE VERY BASIS OF THE MARINE FOOD CHAIN TO WHALES ARE CONSUMING PLASTIC. AND THE SOUTH CAROLINA AQUARIUM HAS TREATED OVER 50 SEA TURTLES THAT HAVE INGESTED PLASTIC AND MADE THEIR WAY INTO OUR HOSPITAL. SEA TURTLE NESTING SEASON HAS JUST STARTED ALONG THE COAST OF SOUTH CAROLINA AND IT'S PRUDENT THAT WE DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO REDUCE THE PRESSURES THAT, UH, THESE THREATENED AND ENDANGERED SPECIES ARE FACING. BUT IN ADDITION TO THE THREATS TO WILDLIFE RESEARCH HAS SHOWN THAT HEAVILY LITTERED AREAS HAVE INCREASED CRIME, [00:45:02] UH, IN TOURIST DESTINATIONS. IT, UH, VISITATION FALTERS OR LOWERS. AND THERE'S GROWING SCIENTIFIC CONCERN, AS YOU HEARD FROM THE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT EARLIER ABOUT THE HUMAN HEALTH IMPACTS OF, UH, PLASTIC CHEMICALS ENTERING OUR OWN BODIES. IN SHORT, PLASTIC POLLUTION IS ONE OF THE GREATEST CRISES OF OUR TIME. IT'S NOT JUST AN ENVIRONMENTAL CRISIS, IT'S A HEALTH CRISIS. FOR CLOSE TO 10 YEARS, THE SOUTH CAROLINA AQUARIUM HAS BEEN WORKING AROUND THE STATE TO MITIGATE PLASTIC POLLUTION. AND WE DO THIS BY TRACKING THE DEBRIS TYPES DURING LITTER SWEEPS, UH, WHICH LEADS TO FINDING SOURCES OF THOSE DEBRIS. YOU HAVE TO KNOW WHAT THEY ARE TO FIND THE SOURCE OF THEM. THESE DATA, UH, ARE ENTERED INTO THE LITTER JOURNAL, WHICH IS A PROJECT IN THE AQUARIUMS CITIZEN SCIENCE APP. UM, AND ARE THESE DATA NOT ONLY HELP FIND SOLUTIONS TO LITTER AND PLASTIC POLLUTION, BUT THEY HELP MONITOR SOLUTIONS THAT HAVE BEEN PUT IN PLACE. YOU CAN SEE TRENDS IN THE DEBRIS WHEN THEY'RE BEING TRACKED. ANALYSES OF LITTER JOURNAL DATA AND MUNICIPALITIES THAT HAVE CREATED LAWS LIKE THE ONE PROPOSED HERE, UH, SHOW A GREATLY REDUCED, UH, LEVEL OF LITTERED ITEMS THAT ARE BANNED. SO THESE LAWS WORK PROVEN. UH, I'D LIKE TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP IN PROTECTING WATER AND WILDLIFE THAT MAKE BEAUFORT COUNTY SO SPECIAL. UH, WITH YOUR CONSIDERATION TO PASS THE AMENDMENT ON THIS PLASTIC ORDINANCE, THE SOUTH CAROLINA AQUARIUM IS READY TO PARTNER WITH LOCAL, LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS TO HELP TRACK THE IMPACT OF THIS, UH, SOLUTION. AND I BROUGHT YOU ALL A SET OF REUSABLE UTENSILS THAT YOU CAN CARRY IN YOUR CAR. AND THE BEST PART ABOUT IT IS THEY ARE METAL, THEY'RE NOT WOODEN OR BAMBOO, WHICH ARE NOT THE MOST PLEASANT TO EAT WITH. SO, UM, I WILL LEAVE THESE WITH THE CLERK AND YOU CAN HAVE YOUR OWN UTENSILS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU MS. THORESON. THANK YOU. NEXT I HAVE CARMEN AVON MANNING, COME ON DOWN. HELLO, MS. MANNING. HI, GOOD EVENING. UM, I KNOW WE NEED TO FIX OUR TRANSPORTATION ISSUES AND I WANT A SUCCESSFUL REFERENDUM. I APPRECIATE ALL THAT'S ALREADY BEEN SAID ABOUT THE TAG COMMITTEE AND ALL THE STAFF. AND I KNOW THEY HAD TO ENDURE HOURS LISTENING TO WISHLIST PRESENTATIONS, BUT I'M SORRY TO SAY I'M VERY DISAPPOINTED WITH THE OUTCOME. ESSENTIALLY, IT'S A COLLATED LIST WITH NO PRIORITIZATION AND TWO PARAGRAPHS OF QUALIFIERS STATING THESE ARE ONLY PLANNING LEVEL COST SUBJECT TO CHANGE AND NO ACCOUNTABILITY. NOT EVEN AN ASTERISK FOR ONE PROJECT TO SAY THIS IS A REAL CONSTRUCTION NUMBER. I MAY HAVE BEEN MISTAKEN, BUT I THOUGHT THE FOCUS WAS GONNA BE ON SAFETY. AND TO ADDRESS THE 3,300 CRASHES A YEAR WITH A THOUSAND INJURIES AND 40 FATALITIES I PROVIDED TO TAC, THAT AMOUNTS TO 500 MILLION IN CAPCO COST. OKAY? THAT'S THE ESSENTIAL ACCOUNTING FOR THE INJURIES AND THE FATALITIES DOESN'T ACCOUNT FOR ALL THE DELAYS. INSTEAD OF SAFETY, WE GOT WIDENING 205 MILLION FOR THREE, THEN IT BECAME FOUR PROJECTS. ARE THOSE ENGINEERING COSTS OR DOLLARS PER MILE ESTIMATES? THEN WE HAVE RESURFACING $241 MILLION. TAXPAYERS ALREADY PAY FOR PAVING THROUGH THE GASOLINE TAX AND $20 MILLION A YEAR FROM S-C-D-O-T THAT WAS JUST KIND OF SLIPPED IN AT THE LAST MINUTE, BUT THEN IGNORED. SO THAT'S 20 MILLION TIMES EIGHT, 160 MILLION. HOW ARE THOSE RESURFACING PROJECTS PRIORITIZED? THE COUNTY TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE ALREADY DOES THAT AND THEY ACTUALLY USE INDICES. LASTLY, THE STATE LEGISLATURE'S SUPPOSED TO FIX THE GASOLINE TAX AND THEY'RE WORKING ON IT. SAFETY AGAIN, IS MY, MY PET. ADDRESSING SAFETY BECAME A PICK 14 LOTTERY. DURING THE LA NEXT TO LAST MEETING, THEY LISTED THOSE AS SAFETY PROJECTS, BUT MOST OF THEM WERE PROJECTS PUT IN BY THE MUNICIPALITIES. AND THERE WERE ONLY A FEW FROM THE SAFETY ACTION PLAN. THAT SAFETY ACTION PLAN TOLD, EXPLAINED IN VERY GOOD DETAIL WHAT THE BENEFIT COST OF ALL OF THOSE PROJECTS WOULD BE. HOW DID THE COMMITTEE DECIDE IT WAS OKAY TO CONTINUE TO HURT AND KILL FOLKS WITH KNOWN SAFETY HAZARDS WHEN THE COUNTERMEASURES ARE CLEARLY DEFINED? I KNOW YOU HAVE DEADLINES. I KNOW [00:50:01] IT'S A TOUGH DEADLINE TO MEET TO GET THIS REFERENDUM ON THE BALLOT. I'M JUST ASKING YOU, BE PRAGMATIC. ADDRESS THE SAFETY ISSUES, MAKE SURE THAT'S A ADDRESSING, INCLUDING THE ADAPT SIGNALS, WHICH WAS IN THE SAFETY ACTION PLAN. AND MAKE SURE YOU EXPLAIN TO THE, EXPLAIN TO THE VOTERS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN STUDIES AND CONSTRUCTION. DON'T TELL ME I'M PAYING MILLIONS OF DOLLARS AND ALL I'M GETTING IS A REPORT, NOT A ROAD. THANK YOU, MS. MANNING. JAY RESA PRINCE. I AM MARISA PRINCE REPRESENTING THE LOW COUNTRY COALITION AGAINST HATE TO DISCUSS THE HATE INTIMIDATION ORDINANCE. FIRST I WANNA EXPLAIN WHY I MISSED YOUR LAST TWO MEETINGS. I WAS IN AUSTRIAN, POLAND, PARTICIPATING IN MARCH OF THE LIVING, A JOURNEY THROUGH THE SITES WHERE HISTORY SHOWS US WHAT HAPPENS WHEN HATRED IS LEFT UNCHECKED. I WALKED THROUGH AUSCHWITZ, BIRKENAU, LINGA, AND MATTSON, THE VERY PLACE WHERE MY LATE MOTHER-IN-LAW WAS A SLAVE LABORER. IN 1945, I SAW THE REMNANTS WHERE MILLIONS OF HUMAN BEINGS, INCLUDING MUCH OF MY EXTENDED FAMILY, WERE MURDERED SIMPLY BECAUSE OF WHO THEY WERE. NOW LET ME BE ABSOLUTELY CLEAR. I UNDERSTAND THERE IS A VAST DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A GOVERNMENT THAT PROMOTES HATE AND LAWS DESIGNED TO PROTECT PEOPLE FROM HATE. BUT AFTER VIEWING YOUR LAST MEETING, I WAS LEFT DEEPLY CONFUSED. YOU CONSULTED WITH THE COUNTY SOLICITOR AND THE SHERIFF BOTH SUPPORTED THE LANGUAGE OF THE ORDINANCE. YOU KNOW THAT DOZENS OF SOUTH CAROLINA MUNICIPALITIES HAVING HAVE ENACTED SIMILAR ORDINANCES IN RICHLAND COUNTY. A DEFENDANT RECENTLY PLED GUILTY TO THESE SAME HATE INTIMIDATION CHARGES WITHOUT CHALLENGE. THIS ORDINANCE IS NOT RADICAL, IT'S NOT CENSORSHIP, AND IT CERTAINLY IS NOT AN ATTACK ON FREE SPEECH. IT IS A PENALTY ENHANCEMENT ORDINANCE. IF AN UNDERLYING ACT DOES NOT VIOLATE SOUTH CAROLINA LAW, THE ORDINANCE DOES NOT APPLY. AND CONSTITUTIONALLY PROTECTED SPEECH REMAINS COMPLETELY OUTSIDE ITS SCOPE. SO AFTER ACKNOWLEDGING ALL OF THAT AND AFTER PASSING THE ORDINANCE ON FIRST READING, I HAVE TO ASK, HOW DID THIS GET DERAILED? WITH ALL DUE RESPECT TO YOUR LEGAL COUNSEL, THEIR ROLE SHOULD NOT SIMPLY BE TO IMAGINE WORST CASE SCENARIOS. THE BEST LEGAL TEAMS I WORKED WITH IN MY CORPORATE CAREER UNDERSTOOD THE OBJECTIVE AND WORK TO ACHIEVE IT WHILE MINIMIZING RISK. INSTEAD, YOUR CONVERSATION BECAME DOMINATED BY HYPOTHETICAL ABUSES, IRRATIONAL FEARS ABOUT UNFAIR PROSECUTIONS. AND EVEN THE SUGGESTION THAT THIS ORDINANCE SOMEHOW TRIVIAL TRIVIALIZES HATE INTIMIDATION, BUT REALLY DOING NOTHING IS WHAT TRIVIALIZES IT. RIGHT NOW IN BEAUFORT COUNTY, JUSTICE DEPENDS ON A ZIP CODE. A VICTIM IN ONE AREA RECEIVES PROTECTION WHILE A VICTIM ELSEWHERE DOES NOT. AND THAT INCONSISTENCY IS WRONG. WHEN GOVERNMENT REFUSES TO ACT AGAINST HATE, DESPITE HAVING THE TOOLS TO DO SO IN ACTION. LOOKS LIKE YOU CONDONE ACTS OF HATE. I URGE YOU TO RECONSIDER THIS ORDINANCE, NOT BECAUSE IT SOLVES EVERYTHING, BUT BECAUSE IT SAYS CLEARLY PUBLICLY AND UNEQUIVOCALLY THAT BEAUFORT COUNTY COUNCIL WILL NOT STAND SILENT IN THE FACE OF HATE. THANK YOU. I'LL ASK IF A COUNCIL MEMBER WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO EXTEND PUBLIC COMMENT. WE HAVE ONE HERE AND ONE THAT WAS NOT PERMITTED TO SIGN UP BECAUSE WE HIT THE MAXIMUM. SURE WE COULD DO THAT. YEP. AND I'LL, I'LL SECOND THAT. THANK YOU. OKAY, SO THEY ALL MOVED IN SECOND. JUST PUT EVERYBODY ON THERE. SO THE NEXT PERSON IS JOY COE. UM, GOOD EVENING COUNSEL. UM, I'M GONNA TALK ABOUT SOMETHING A LITTLE DIFFERENT, BUT MY NAME IS JOY COE AND I WOULD LIKE TO COMMENT ON ITEM 11, A CONSIDERATION OF THE REAL PROPERTY COVENANT AND LAND USE RESTRICTIONS PROVIDED BY THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON FOR THEIR GREEN SPACE PROGRAM APPLICATION. BUCK WATER, PUD TRACKS PARCEL FIVE A AND FIVE B LOCATED IN THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON COUNCIL VOTED TO APPROVE THIS APPLICATION ONCE BEFORE ON SEPTEMBER 22ND, 2025. I HOPE THAT YOU'LL COME TO THIS SAME DECISION TONIGHT. THE PURPOSE OF GREEN SPACE IS TO REDUCE [00:55:01] RUNOFF, REDUCE FLOODING, PRESERVE FARMLAND, AND REDUCE DEVELOPMENT. IT IS ALSO TO PRESERVE OPEN SPACE, PROTECT CRITICAL AND NATURAL RESOURCES, AND TO PROVIDE LAND FOR RECREATION. THIS PROPERTY CHECKS ALMOST ALL OF THE ABOVE. THIS IS ONE OF THE LAST LARGE UNDEVELOPED TRACKS IN BLUFFTON AND IT SITS IN THE ROSE DO WATERSHED, WHICH IS THE WORST WATERSHED IN TERMS OF CONDITION BASED ON 2018 VALUES. THE ROSE DO WATERSHED WAS 20% IMPERVIOUS AND IS UNDOUBTEDLY WORSE NOW WITH ALL THE ADDED ROOFTOPS ROADS AND COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT. I KNOW MANY OF YOU THINK THAT THIS TRACT IS MOSTLY WETLANDS AND WON'T BE DEVELOPED ANYWAY. BUT THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON HAS FILLED OVER 500 ACRES OF WETLANDS IN THE PAST 20 YEARS. THE TOWN PASSED A WETLANDS ORDINANCE, BUT IT ONLY PERTAINS TO 8% OF BLUFFTON. THE OTHER 92%, INCLUDING THIS TRACT, ARE IN DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENTS AND ARE NOT SUBJECT TO THIS NEW LAW. ALONG WITH THE RELAXED FEDERAL LAWS PROTECTING WETLANDS, YOU CAN'T BANK ON THESE WETLANDS BEING PRESERVED. THE TOP THREE CONSERVATION PRIORITIES OF THE PUBLIC CONCERNING GREEN PRINT, OR 77% WATER QUALITY, 75% HABITAT PROTECTION AND 50% FLOOD FLOODPLAIN PROTECTION. THIS PROPERTY, AGAIN, FULFILLS THESE PRIORITIES AND WILL PROVIDE CRITICAL HABITAT PROTECTION IN AN AREA THAT HAS SEEN NOTHING BUT DEVELOPMENT AND DESTRUCTION OF WOODED AREAS. IN CLOSING, I ASK THAT YOU VOTE YES TO THIS GREEN SPACE APPLICATION TO HELP IN AN AREA PRONE TO FLOODING AND TO PROVIDE HABITAT PROTECTION TO OUR REMAINING WILDLIFE. THANK YOU MS. SO I CAN'T READ THE SIGN THAT THAT LITTLE PERSON'S HOLDING UP. CAN SOMEBODY TELL ME WHAT IT SAYS? OKAY, THANK YOU. AND WE HAD ONE PERSON THAT WAS WELL NOT ALLOWED TO SIGN UP 'CAUSE WE HAD REACHED A 30 MINUTE PERIOD. ANNUS, GOOD EVENING. GOOD EVENING. THANK YOU. NICE TO SEE SMILING FACES AGAIN. UNTIL I SPEAK . I WAS GONNA SAY, YOU ABOUT TO YELL AT US UNTIL I SPEAK. YOU. GO AHEAD. UM, JUST RECENTLY FIVE OF THESE COUNCIL MEMBERS WERE AT ONE OF OUR RECENT MEETINGS AT THE BEAUFORT TEA PARTY AND WE STRESSED THAT AT THIS POINT AS WE SEE THE RESOLUTION, IT IS NOT A CLEAR CUT RESOLUTION WITH SPECIFIC PROJECTS AND DETAILS. AT THIS POINT, THERE IS NO SAFETY REPORTS, NO TRAFFIC SURVEYS, NO ENGINEERING REPORTS TO SAY WHAT THESE PROJECTS WILL COST OR WILL OCCUR. HOW MANY ACCIDENTS CARMEN HAS MENTIONED. HOW MUCH DOES IT COST ALREADY? CARMEN HAS MENTIONED. IN ADDITION, WE HAVE STATE, UH, STATE 1 25 THAT ARE DEVELOPERS THAT ARE NOW HAVE A FREE FOR ALL IN OUR COUNTY CAN NOW APPLY TO BE TAX FREE. IF THEY TAKE ONE 10TH OF 1% OF THEIR DEVELOPMENT AND PUT IT ASIDE FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING, THE ENTIRE COMPLEX GOES TAX FREE UNDER ACT 1 45, WHICH WE'RE REQUESTING TO BE REPEALED THIS DATE, 9.4 MILLION IN TAX REVENUE TO THIS COUNTY HAS BEEN LOST IN THAT PROPERTY TAX. I GOT MY TAX BILL IN RECENTLY FOR MY CAR AND IT'S NOT A BIG CAR, IT'S NOT EXPENSIVE OR ANYTHING. THE BILL WAS $276 AND CHANGE AND I CHOKED. HOW MANY MORE PEOPLE CAN SEE THEIR CAR REGISTRATIONS, THEIR BOAT REGISTRATIONS, THEIR HOME MILLAGE GO UP BECAUSE YOU CAN'T GET THE FUNDS FOR THIS. THIS IS A DISASTER, THIS TAX BILL. YOU KNOW, AT THIS POINT, THE WAY YOU'RE PRESENTING IT, THIS IS ACTUALLY TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION BECAUSE IT IS NOT A CLEAR CUT PLAN THAT THE CONSTITUENTS CAN SEE CLEARLY UNDERSTAND AND SAY YES OR NO, OR MAYBE WE CAN AMEND IT HERE OR NOT. YOU ARE GONNA COME TO A FIRST READING AND THE PUBLIC HAS NO IDEA WHAT YOU'RE GONNA VOTE ON. IT'S A JOKE. HONESTLY. YOU SHOULD BE VOTE VOTING ON A COMPLETE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN TO TELL US EXACTLY WHAT THE PROJECTS ARE, WHAT YOU ARE SPECIFICALLY DOING, AND WHAT IS GOING TO COST NOT SOMETHING SKETCHY OR A A GUESSTIMATE. WE NEED HONEST ANSWERS HERE. SO I'M ASKING YOU TO VOTE NO ON THIS REFERENDUM. GO BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD AND GIVE US SOMETHING WE CAN CHEW ON. GIVE US SOME MEAT RIGHT NOW. WE GOT NOTHING. WE GOT LITTLE AIR PUFFS, CLOUDS, NOTHING. GIVE US WHAT WE NEED SO WE CAN TELL YOU YES, IT'S A GOOD PLAN. OR MAYBE JUST TWEAK IT HERE OR THERE. NOT A MESS UP LIKE THIS IS, SO I THANK YOU. PLEASE VOTE. NO. THANK YOU MISS ELLIAS. [9. LIAISON AND COMMITTEE REPORTS] OKAY, NEXT ARE LIAISON AND COMMITTEE REPORTS. AND IN THE INTEREST OF TIMES, SINCE IT'S SEVEN 20, I AM NOT READING EVERY ONE OF THESE. I'LL JUST GO BY MEMBER AND IF YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO REPORT, [01:00:01] DO SO. MR. RES VERY QUICKLY, WHO HAS FLOWN OUT OF THE HILTON HEAD AIRPORT SINCE APRIL 30TH? OH, MS. JEN. OKAY. OKAY. EXCELLENT. PHASE ONE IS DONE. UM, GREAT JOB. IF YOU WANT TO GET THERE AND CHECK IT OUT, BUT, UH, IN THE FOR TIME I'LL LET, I'LL MOVE THIS ON. THANK YOU. THANK YOU MR. RE. MR. GLOVER. UH, I'M ON THE AGENDA, SO I'M GOOD. OKAY, MR. PAMAN? UH, NOTHING. UH, I DO HAVE AN UPCOMING LIBRARY BOARD MEETING. OKAY, MR. UH, WE, OUR NEXT FINANCE ADMINISTRATION, UH, MEETING IS NEXT, UM, MONDAY AT TWO O'CLOCK. SO ALL ARE INVITED TO ATTEND. THANK YOU MR. BARIA. YEAH, WE HAD, UH, TWO, TWO PRETTY IMPORTANT THINGS, UH, AT OUR COMMUNITY SERVICES MEETING. ONE WAS THE PASSING OF A RESOLUTION FOR ORGANICS FIRST, UH, PESTICIDE USE. UM, WE'RE STILL WORKING ON THAT AND IT IS STILL DEVELOPING, BUT I THINK THAT WAS A HUGE WIN. AND THEN WE ALSO HAD A, HAD A REALLY GOOD UPDATE, UH, FOR THE HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES MERGER WITH NEXUS. UH, IF YOU'RE GONNA BE IMPACTED BY THAT, I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO GO WATCH, UH, THAT MEETING. IT WAS A LOT OF GOOD INFORMATION IN THAT ONE, SO THANKS. THANK YOU MRS. BROWN. I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING. THANK YOU MR. CUNNINGHAM. UH, NEXT MEETING FOR PUBLIC FACILITIES IS GONNA BE MONDAY AT FOUR AND THEN ALSO THE BLUFFTON TOWN, UM, FIRE SHIP. THE BOARD IS COMPLETELY FULL FOR THE FIRST TIME IN ABOUT TWO YEARS, AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE A GROUNDBREAKING CEREMONY COMING UP ON WEDNESDAY OF THE NEW, UH, FIRE STATION. THANK YOU MR. DAWSON. MR. MCGOWAN COMMITTEE VOTED TO SEND TO COUNCIL FOR THEIR REVIEW ATION ON JUNE 8TH, UM, PURCHASE, UH, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH TOWN HILTON HEAD. UH, NINE ACRES ON MARSHLAND ROAD ON HILTON HEAD, AND, UH, 5,000 ACRES IN BLUFFTON, UM, NEW RIVER FOREST PROJECT. SO BOTH OF THOSE ITEMS WILL BE COMING, UH, TO COUNCIL JUNE 8TH. THANK YOU. AND MY REPORT, UM, WE ATTENDED, SO LOCO ON ON THE 28TH OF APRIL E-BIKES HAPPENS TO BE THE TOPIC OF DISCUSSION. . YEAH. WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT AND, UH, WE'RE, THEY'RE PURSUING THAT. HILTON HEAD DOES HAVE AN ORDINANCE, THE OTHER MUNICIPALITIES DO NOT. THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. WE HAVE AN AGENDA TOMORROW WE HAVE A WORKSHOP ON THE BEAUFORT COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION. AND SO ANYONE'S WELCOME TO COME. IT STARTS AT NINE O'CLOCK. I DO WANNA SAY THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, IF YOU WANNA WATCH THEIR WORK SESSION. IT WAS FOUR HOURS AND SIX MINUTES LONG. BUT IT WAS VERY INTERESTING BECAUSE TANYA CROSBY TALKED ABOUT THEIR, THE BUDGET COMING UP AND SHE'S GOING TO PRESENT TO FINANCE COMMITTEE COMING UP. BUT SHE ANSWERED A LOT OF QUESTIONS FROM, UH, THE BOARD MEMBERS ABOUT STAFF COMPENSATION, LEARNING ENVIRONMENT AND SO ON. THEY ALSO DISCUSS THE ACADEMIC CALENDAR COMING UP FOR 28, 29 AND, UM, GRADUATION DATES. AND THEIR NEXT MEETING IS FIVE, UH, 15. ALRIGHT, ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ONE TO ADD? ALRIGHT. ALL RIGHT. THAT WILL CLOSE. OH, MS. HOWARD, HOW ABOUT YOU? YOU DID HOSPITAL BOARD. I HAVE NOTHING TO REPORT EXCEPT I'D LIKE TO BRAG A LITTLE BIT. I WENT TO THE SCHOOL BOARD MEETING AND UM, ALSO OUR DAUGHTER WAS RECOGNIZED FOR TEACHER OF THE YEAR AT MOSSY OAKS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. HEY. ALRIGHT, NOW WE'RE GOING. SO ANYBODY THAT CARES TO LEAVE NOW WOULD BE A FINE TIME, UM, PRESENTATION. OH, YOU MIGHT WANNA WAIT FOR THIS ONE PRESENTATION [10. PRESENTATIONS AND DISCUSSION ITEMS] OF THE SALES TAX RECOMMENDATIONS BY THE TRANSPORTATION ADVISORY COMMITTEE. AND THIS WILL BE MS. LISA SKA. COME ON DOWN. YEP. THIS WAS A CHALLENGING TASK, WAS IT NOT? WOO. AND THANK YOU ALL. BEFORE I START, I DO WANNA SHOUT OUT TO SOPHIE BROWN. SOPHIE BROWN RECEIVED ONE OF OUR 14, UH, 10 SCHOLARSHIPS FROM THE RBC HERITAGE PRESENTED BY BOEING, UM, HERITAGE CLASSIC FOUNDATION, UM, BOARD WE SPREAD ALL ACROSS THE COUNTY. SOPHIE WAS ONE OF THREE, UH, BEAUFORT WINNERS. SO SOPHIE DID GREAT. NOW YOU KNOW WHY SHE WON 4,000 A YEAR FOR FOUR YEARS. SO THANK YOU MADAM CHAIR FOR LETTING ME KIND OF SEGUE OUT OF THERE FOR A LITTLE BIT. UM, THANK YOU ALL AND THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE. UM, I, YOU KNOW, WE, WE HAD A BIG CHARGE, THIS 15 MEMBER COMMITTEE FROM Y'ALL. SO I DO WANNA THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR PUTTING US ALL TOGETHER. UM, REALLY MORE FOR TRANSPARENCY FOR THE PUBLIC WHO MAY NOT HAVE FOLLOWED ANY OF THE MEETINGS. I WANT TO GO OVER THIS MEMORANDUM THAT YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE, THAT YOU HAVE IN FRONT OF YOU. AND I THINK IT'S COME [01:05:01] COMING UP ON THE SCREEN. UM, THE MEMO IS FOR US TO TRANSMIT THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE TRANSPORTATION ADVISORY COMMITTEE REGARDING A PROPOSED 2026 SALES TAX REFERENDUM. THIS IS FOR YOUR REVIEW, YOUR CONSIDERATION, MODIFICATION AND POTENTIAL ADOPTION. INCLUDED IN THIS WERE PROPOSED PROJECT LIST, AMOUNT OF SALES TAX TO BE COLLECTED, THE DURATION OF THE COLLECTION, AND ANY OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS. UM, I DO WANNA THANK, I KNOW MICHAEL MOORE, UH, THANKED A LOT OF STAFF, BUT HE DIDN'T THANK HIMSELF. SO I DO WANNA THANK YOU MR. MOORE, UH, FOR HEADING THIS UP. JARED FRAX, BRIAN BAUER, ASHLEY BERGER, SARAH BROCK, HANNAH, WHO VIDEOED ALL OF US ALL THE TIME. BEAUFORT COUNTY TV, WHO STAYED MUCH LATER THAN THEY PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE, AND LISTENED TO A LOT OF RUSTLING PAPERS. SO, UM, AND TO Y'ALL, THANK YOU FOR PUTTING YOUR APPOINTEES ON THE COMMITTEE AND THANK YOU TO THE MUNICIPALITIES, UM, FOR PUTTING REPRESENTATION ON THERE. SO YOUR CHARGE OF OUR COMMITTEE, UM, WAS FOR US TO, UH, SAID THE APPOINTEES, BUT I AM SO PROUD OF THEM. THEY, WE ALL HAVE THINGS TO DO TONIGHT AND ALL BUT TWO OR THREE SHOWED UP. SO IF THE COMMITTEE COULD STAND UP OR RAISE YOUR HANDS. I KNOW JENNIFER WAS BACK HERE AND I FEEL LIKE A ROLL CALL, BUT I THINK THEY DESERVE TO HAVE THEIR NAME CALLED OUT JUDGE KLINE AND I COULD HAVE JUST SAID DITTO TO HIS WHEN YOU CALL THEM, IF THEY COULD COME UP, WE'RE GIVING THEM THE COVETED BUFORD COUNTER IN, SO, SO WE DIDN'T GET A PAYCHECK. UH, MR. SANFORD, YOU'RE GETTING A PEN. JUDGE JOSEPH KLE, IF YOU COULD COME UP, I'LL DO THIS FAST. PAUL TRASK AND JUDGE KLE WAS DISTRICT ONE. PAUL TRASK WAS DISTRICT TWO. ANTHONY JONES WAS DISTRICT THREE. ELIZABETH PENN SANDERS IS DISTRICT FOUR. OH, YOU WANNA WALK OUT HERE SO EVERYBODY CAN SEE YOU? YES. AND THEN WE'LL TAKE A PICTURE. OH MY. GO STAY. GET UP THERE. JERRY REEVES WAS DISTRICT FIVE. CRAIG FOREST WAS DISTRICT SIX AND FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO KNOW CRAIG FOREST, HE HAS SENT, HE HAS MOVED TO BACK TO BALTIMORE, MARYLAND. CRAIG FOREST WAS ON THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION FOR MANY YEARS. BILL RICKETT IS NOT HERE. HE'S DISTRICT SEVEN. UNLESS HE WALKED IN. NO. JOY COE DISTRICT EIGHT AND SHE WAS OUR SECRETARY, MATT HARDEN. DISTRICT NINE. CHARLES PERRY, DISTRICT 10. JENNIFER ERICKSON, DISTRICT 11. AND HERE ARE THESE BUGGY LITTLE MUNICIPALITIES. GRADY WOODS, CITY OF BEAUFORT. GARY FREEMAN, TOWN OF PORT ROYAL GLEN STANFORD TOWN OF HILTON HEAD. AND HE WAS THE VICE CHAIR. AND MYSELF, I REPRESENTED THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON AND I'M THE CHAIR. SO THANK YOU ALL. THANK YOU. I'LL GETTING OUT. STAND AND TAKE A PICTURE WITH THE WHOLE GROUP. OH LORD. YOU THERE? JARED JAR? OPEN THE PICTURE. YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO SQUISH IN FRONT OF EACH OTHER. SQUISH? YEAH. SHORT PEOPLE IN THE FRONT. THAT'S USUALLY ME. . IT IS GREAT. I DON'T LIKE EACH OTHER. I HAD A RABBIT LEFT THERE. ALRIGHT, EVERYBODY GONNA SAY TACK? THERE YOU GO. . WHAT'S IT CALLED? YEAH. SOMEONE LEFT THERE. STILL HERE. SECOND HERE. THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR SERVING. SO WE HAD NINE MEETINGS. WE WENT THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY. WE HAD PRESENTATIONS LIKE JUDGE KLINE SAID FROM PROFESSIONALS. AND I WANNA GET MY NOTES. WE HAD, AND I KNOW THERE ARE A LOT OF ACRONYMS, I READ YOUR NOTES. UH, MR. PESS, WE HAD THE LOW COUNTRY AREA TRANSPORTATION STUDY GROUP. UH, STEPHANIE ROSSI. WE HAD THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT. WE HAD BEAUFORT COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT. WE WENT TO HILTON HEAD ISLAND. WE WENT TO THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON. WE WENT TO THE CITY OF BEAUFORT AND WE WENT TO PORT ROYAL. WE WENT TO THE NORTH OF THE BROAD FOR AN EVENING SESSION. WE CAME OVER TO THE SOUTH OF THE BROAD FOR AN EVENING SESSION. THE ONE THING ABOUT THIS COMMITTEE, UM, WE CAME FROM DIFFERENT AREAS. MM-HMM . WE BROUGHT OUR OWN VIEWS. [01:10:01] BUT AS WE STARTED TO GET TO KNOW EACH OTHER, LISTENED TO THE PROFESSIONALS, WE PUT OUR FOCUS ON THE TENS OF THOUSANDS, MAYBE 50, 60,000 CARS EVERY DAY THAT TRAVEL FROM BEAUFORT TO HILTON, HEAD FROM HILTON HEAD TO BLUFFTON, FROM HARDY TO BEAUFORT. WE FOCUSED ON THOSE DRIVERS. IMAGINE DOING THAT EVERY DAY, EVERY AFTERNOON IN YOUR CAR ON ONE 70. AND IF YOU HAVEN'T DONE IT, I WOULD URGE ALL OF YOU TO DO IT. UM, AND RETHINK WHAT WE NEED TO DO WITH TRANSPORTATION. UM, WE LISTENED AND I THINK THAT WAS THE MOST IMPORTANT, IMPORTANT THING. AND I COULD SIT DOWN FROM THERE, BUT I KNOW THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO WANNA SEE PROJECTS. WE LISTENED. WE NEVER COUNTED THE BRIDGE AS A DIVIDER. YOU HAD NORTH OF THE BROAD, UM, REPRESENTATION THAT ACTUALLY VOTED FOR MORE SOUTH OF THE BROAD PROJECTS AND VICE VERSA. WE HAD SOUTH OF THE BROAD THAT THAT HEARD AND LISTENED. THERE WAS MERIT IN DIRT ROADS, DIRT ROADS THAT HAVEN'T BEEN PAID FOR 30 YEARS. DIRT ROADS, THEY GET VERY LITTLE EVERY YEAR. AND WE HAVE HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS OF MILES OF DIRT ROADS. SO WE LISTENED. UM, THE COMMITTEE RECOGNIZED THAT THE RECOMMENDED LIST PRESENTS A PLANNING LEVEL PROGRAM AND NOT A FINAL CONSTRUCTION BUDGET. INDIVIDUAL PROJECTS WILL DEFINITELY REQUIRE FURTHER DEVELOPMENT, SCOPE CONFIRMATION, COST REFINEMENT, PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT, COORDINATION WITH APPLICABLE JURISDICTIONS AND AGENCIES BEFORE WE CAN IMPLEMENT THEM. WE ALSO UNDERSTAND THE COMPLETION OF THE PROJECTS WILL GO WELL PAST COLLECTION. IT HAS SINCE 1998. UM, WE DID HIGHLY WELL. THE NUMBER ONE, UM, CATEGORY IS INTERSECTION AND SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS, AND WE SAVED IT UNTIL THE LAST, BUT WE WERE VERY THOROUGH IN INTERSECTION IN SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS. AND YOU'RE GONNA SEE IT ON THE LIST. SO IF YOU CAN GO PAST EXECUTIVE SUMMARY, AND I'M GIVING Y'ALL A LOT OF INFORMATION, I'M HOPING IF EVERYONE BEHIND ME WILL GO TO BEAUFORT COUNTY PENNY.COM AS SOON AS Y'ALL GIVE THE OKAY TO GET THIS, THIS LIST ONLINE SO PEOPLE CAN SEE IT. UM, 326 MILLION FOR SAFETY AND INTERSECTION IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS. AND THAT DOES INCLUDE TRAFFIC SIGNAL IMPROVEMENTS IN ADAPT SIGNALIZATION. UM, WE WANTED TO REMAIN FOCUSED ON PROJECTS THAT IMPROVE SAFETY, REDUCE CONGESTION, ENHANCE TRAFFIC FLOW, AND PROVIDE A MEASURABLE BENEFIT TO MOTORISTS, PEDESTRIANS, CYCLISTS, EMERGENCY RESPONDERS, AND TRANSIT USERS. AND WE'LL MAKE A TRUE DIFFERENCE ON THE 40,000 PLUS CARS THAT DRIVE TO AND FROM ACROSS OUR COUNTY EVERY DAY. THE NEXT SUBJECT AREA YOU WANTED US TO FOCUS ON WAS WIDENING PROJECTS. AND I'M, AND YOU'RE GONNA GO THROUGH THIS LIST. YOU'RE GONNA SEE A COMMON THREAD THROUGH ALL THREE CATEGORIES THAT YOU CHARGED US WITH LOOKING AT ONE 70. EVERY SINGLE PERSON ON THAT COMMITTEE VOTED FOR EVERY PROJECT THAT HAD TO DO WITH ONE 70, WHETHER IT'S IN BEAUFORT, CONNECTING TO JASPER, GOING THROUGH BLUFFTON, GETTING TO 2 78 TO GO TO THE BRIDGE. THAT WAS VERY, VERY IMPORTANT FOR THIS COMMITTEE. UM, 100%. THE WIDENING PROJECTS FOCUSED ON MAJOR CAPACITY INVESTMENTS ON CORRIDORS THAT SERVE REGIONAL MOVEMENT, COMMUTER TRAFFIC, RESIDENTIAL GROWTH, LONG-TERM MOBILITY, AND COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT. THE THIRD BUCKET THAT YOU CHARGED US WITH WAS RESURFACING AND DIRT, DIRT ROAD PAVING. I MENTIONED THE DIRT ROADS. AND IN YOUR LIST YOU'LL SEE A BACKUP OF ALL THE ROADS THAT ARE ON THERE. AND I'M SURE ON BEAUFORT COUNTY, PENNY, WHEN IT GETS UPLOADED, WE'LL HAVE THAT BACK UP FOR THE PUBLIC. MUNICIPAL ROADS NEED RESURFACING, DIRT ROAD PAVING. UM, YOU CAN FOLLOW THE LIST. IT'S RESURFACING THAT, THAT WE REALLY NEED TO ADDRESS. UM, RESURFACING GIVES FLEXIBILITY TO ADDRESS HIGH IMPACT OPERATIONAL IMPROVEMENTS THAT MAY NOT REQUIRE THE SAME LEVEL OF INVESTMENT AS MAJOR WIDENING PROJECTS, BUT CAN, CAN SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVE DAILY MOBILITY AND PUBLIC SAFETY. SO ON TOP OF THIS LIST, AND I KNOW IT'S LENGTHY, AS YOU SCROLLED THROUGH IT, WE DO HAVE SOME OTHER CONSIDERATIONS. WE WOULD REALLY LIKE TO ENCOURAGE YOU TO INCLUDE. ESTABLISH AN OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE TO MAINTAIN TRANSPARENCY. [01:15:01] THIS WAS DONE IN 2006, PENNY, AND IT WORKED. IT, IT WAS WONDERFUL TO FOLLOW ALONG. IF YOU WEREN'T COMING TO THESE MEETINGS, YOU COULD FOLLOW IT ONLINE. PLEASE ESTABLISH AN OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE TO MEET REGULARLY. MONITOR PROJECT PROGRESS, PROVIDE ONGOING PROGRAM OVERSIGHT. THEY SHOULD BE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC AND INCLUDE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR PUBLIC COMMENT. THEY SHOULD BE ORGANIZED AROUND CLEAR PROJECT CATEGORIES, PUBLISH PROJECT LIST, REGULAR PROGRESS REPORTING AND TRANSPARENT FINAL FINANCIAL TRACKING. CONSIDER A BOND IF IT'S FEASIBLE FOR Y'ALL PART OR ALL OF IT. WE WOULD SUPPORT THAT. PROVIDE MUNICIPAL PROJECT MANAGEMENT OPPORTUNITIES. AND I, AND I'VE WRITTEN DOWN A LITTLE BIT MORE OF THIS, BUT IF A MUNICIPALITY TO ELECTS TO MANAGE A PROJECT, THERE'LL BE RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE COUNTY AND THE MUNICIPALITY THROUGH AN INTERGOVERNMENTAL AGREEMENT. SIX INCHES IS NOT COMMON IN THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA. AND I THINK WE MADE JARED VERY HAPPY WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT A SIX INCH, UM, WIDE LINE STRIPING. IT AFFECTS SAFETY. SO PLEASE CONSIDER THAT. UM, PRIMARY ROOTS TO IMPROVE VISIBILITY, SAFETY, AND CONSISTENCY. UM, THE COMPLETE STREET PRINCIPLES. WE BELIEVE WE SHOULD ABIDE BY THOSE CORRIDORS OF 46 AND ONE 70 TO INCLUDE PEDESTRIAN ACCOMMODATIONS CONSIDERED CONSISTENT WITH BEAUFORT COUNTY'S BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN MASTER PLAN. PURSUE MATCHING FUNDS. WE ALL AGREE ON THAT. I THINK PRE, UH, PRESERVE FLEXIBILITY FOR FINAL PROJECT DEVELOPMENT. COORDINATE WITH MUNICIPAL AND STATE PARTNERS. SO THOSE ARE OUR RECOMMENDATIONS ON TOP OF THE LIST THAT I'M GIVING YOU. UM, TONIGHT, YOU KNOW, THE LIST IS LARGE, BUT WITH ALL OF THE PEOPLE THAT SPOKE AT PUBLIC COMMENT, ALL OF THE PROFESSIONALS WHO GAVE THEIR PROJECT LIST, WE HAD OVER 150 PROJECTS WITH 1.5 BILLION IN 20 $30. WE HAVEN'T HAD A REAL TRANSPORTATION PENNY PASS SINCE 2006. REAL TRANSPORTATION, BLUFFTON PARKWAY WAS 2006. WIDENING ONE 70 WAS 2006. THAT WAS THE LAST TIME. SO WE ARE 20 YEARS BEHIND IN PROJECTS AS WE SPEAK TODAY. UM, BEAUFORT COUNTY PENNY.COM IS THE PLACE TO GO. IT'S GETTING UPDATED EVERY TIME I LOOK AT IT TO DO A PRESIDENT, UH, EXCUSE ME, TO DO A PRESENTATION. IT'S BEEN UPDATED. UM, Y'ALL HAVE A PROFESSIONAL STAFF. YOU ARE SURROUNDED YOURSELF WITH PEOPLE WHO KNOW WHAT THEY'RE DOING. GIVE THEM THE BENEFIT TO GET YOU THE PRICING. GO THROUGH IT. YOU ARE ACCEPTING THIS TONIGHT. ON MAY 25TH OF MAY 25TH, YOU'LL HAVE A RESOLUTION TO ACCEPT OUR PROPOSALS. AND THEN IT GOES THROUGH THE READINGS. SO I WILL TAKE QUESTIONS OR I'LL BRING JARED UP TO TAKE QUESTIONS. , LET'S START MR. REED'S QUESTION BACK TO ME, PLEASE. OKAY. ANY MR. GLOVER? UH, NO. I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU, UM, LISA, YOU, UM, YOU CHAMPION THIS TASK AND THEY PICKED THE RIGHT PERSON FOR THIS JOB. SO I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU. WELL, YOU CAN THANK THEM , MR. PESO. UM, I ABSOLUTELY COMMEND YOU FOR WHAT YOU DID. UH, IT WAS A MONUMENTAL TASK TO SAY THE LEAST. UM, I WAS AT THE LAST HACK MEETING WHERE THE, UH, FINAL PRODUCT WAS PUT TOGETHER AND THE AGREEMENT FOR WHAT WE NEEDED TO DO, COVERING ALL ASPECTS OF THE COUNTY, WAS MOST IMPORTANT. HEY, MR. LAWSON, I'LL GIVE TO YOU, MS. HOWARD. YEAH, NO, THANK YOU AGAIN FOR, UM, ALL THE HARD WORK AND WHAT YOU ALL HAVE DONE. UM, THERE'S, THERE'S OBVIOUSLY MORE THINGS THAT COULD BE ON THIS LIST, BUT DECIDING WHAT WOULD, WHAT WE SPEND MONEY ON IS, IS AN IMPORTANT THING. UM, AND JUST LIKE THE LAST, UM, UH, REFERENDUM THAT DID NOT PASS, I MEAN, I TELL PEOPLE ALL THE TIME THAT IF THEY LIKE THE ROADS THE WAY THEY ARE, THEY DON'T THINK WE'RE GONNA HAVE A PROBLEM AND THEY SHOULD VOTE NO FOR THIS IF THEY THINK THAT THERE IS GONNA BE ISSUES LATER ON, THAT WE NEED TO SPEND MONEY ON IMPROVING OUR ROAD SYSTEMS. AND THEY NEED, NEED TO VOTE. YES. SO EITHER WAY, PEOPLE VOTE. UM, BUT AGAIN, IT'S SOMETHING THAT, UH, WE ALL SEE WHAT'S HAPPENING TO, UM, NOT JUST SOUTHERN BEAUFORT COUNTY, BUT NOW NORTHERN BEAUFORT COUNTY, UM, IN INCLUDED. SO, SO AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING YOU'VE DONE. MR. YEAH, JUST TWO THINGS. ONE, UH, I COMPLETELY AGREE WITH THE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE THAT SHOULD THIS PASS. WE CANNOT DO IT WITHOUT AN OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE. I THINK THAT'S GREAT THAT Y'ALL INCORPORATED THAT. THE ONE THING I HAVEN'T HAD LONG TO LOOK AT THIS, BUT THE ONE THING I I, ONE ISSUE I HAVE IS THE PEANUT ROUNDABOUT IDEA FOR LADIES ISLAND. I KNOW JARED ALREADY KNOWS ABOUT IT, BUT JUST JARED, THAT, UH, THE MERIDIAN ROAD AND ISLAND CAUSEWAY AND LADIES ISLAND DRIVE, I, I THINK THAT WOULD BE A DISASTER. [01:20:01] UM, PERSONALLY, BUT I'M NO EXPERT IN THAT. I'M NOT AN ENGINEER EITHER, BUT THANK YOU. I KNOW THERE WAS SOME THINGS, ATTORNEY, WE EDUCATED OURSELVES ON A LOT OF ACRONYMS AND WORDING. I CAN, THE ATTORNEY AND ME WITH A DOUBLE ROUNDABOUT ON LADIES ISLAND. I, I CAN TELL YOU THE, THE CAR WRECKS ARE PROBABLY GONNA INCREASE. SO , I, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S ACTUALLY A SAFETY ONE OR NOT. MS. HOWARD. UM, YES. I WANTED TO THANK THE WHOLE COMMITTEE. IF I WAS THERE IN PERSON, I, I WOULD'VE HUGGED EACH ONE OF YOU NECK. I, I APPRECIATE ALL THE HARD WORK. I WENT TO SEVERAL OF YOUR MEETINGS. UM, THE MEETING IN THE CITY OF BUFORT, PARTICULARLY THAT ONE, UH, SAFETY, SAFETY, SAFETY WAS MENTIONED. AND THE SCHOOL DISTRICT SPOKE AT THAT ONE. UH, AND I REALLY APPRECIATE THE INPUT THAT THEY HAD. AND I ALSO APPRECIATE THAT YOU RECOMMENDED TO FORM THE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE. I THINK THAT IS VITAL TO THE SUCCESS OF WHATEVER, UH, HAPPENS IN THE FALL IF IT'S AFFIRMATIVE VOTE. MY DISTRICT IN PARTICULAR, DISTRICT FOUR, I'VE, I, I'VE TOLD MANY OF YOU THIS VOTED NO. UM, ALL OF MY PRECINCTS DID. UH, MANY OF MY CONSTITUENTS ARE NOW SAYING, WE NEED THIS NOW. AND THEY ARE OF A DIFFERENT MINDSET THAN THEY WERE IN THE LAST REFERENDUM. AND AGAIN, UM, CHAIRMAN SOKO, YOU WERE THE RIGHT PERSON FOR THE RIGHT JOB. THANKS AGAIN. THANK YOU, MRS. BROWN. I JUST WANNA THANK ALL THE COMMITTEE AND ALL THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS AND ALL THEIR HARD WORK. I KNOW THIS WAS DONE ON YOUR OWN TIME AND I REALLY, REALLY APPRECIATE IT. AND I WANNA SAY THANK YOU TO EVERYBODY AND THANK YOU FOR THAT BECAUSE WE EQUAL TIME. THEY PUT ME HERE. NOW, I'M NOT SURE WHY , BUT WE, WE WORKED VERY WELL TOGETHER AND WE HAD OUR DIFFERENT OPINIONS ON SO MANY THINGS, BUT WE NEVER HAD MORE THAN TWO VOTE NO ON ANYTHING WE VOTED FOR. SO I THOUGHT IT WORKED REALLY WELL, MR. CUNNINGHAM. YEAH, I WAS GONNA SAY, YOU GUYS DID A FANTASTIC JOB. IT DEFINITELY WAS NOT AN EASY TASK. I I'VE WATCHED SOME OF THE MEETINGS. I MEAN, HOW YOU GUYS GOT THROUGH THAT. IT CAME OUT BETTER THAN I REALLY THOUGHT. UM, SO COMMEND YOURSELF SERIOUSLY. UM, I WANT TO THANK YOU GUYS FOR NOT ADDING ANY NEW ROADS. THAT WAS SOMETHING WE WERE BIG ABOUT, WAS THE SAFETY CONCERNS AND RESURFACING AND FIXING WHAT WE ALREADY HAVE. ANY ADDED ROADS, WE KNOW ADDS GROWTH. AND OUR WHOLE GOAL WAS ACTUALLY TO CATCH UP TO THE GROWTH THAT'S ALREADY HERE. SO I APPRECIATE YOU GUYS BEING ADAMANT ON THAT. UM, THE ONE QUESTION I DO HAVE FOR YOU GUYS, MAYBE TO TAKE BACK OR MAYBE GIVE US FEEDBACK OVER THE NEXT COUPLE WEEKS, 'CAUSE WE'RE ALL GONNA HAVE TO LOOK AT OUR AREAS. THERE'S NO WAY EVERY SINGLE ONE OF US KNOWS EVERY SINGLE ONE OR ROAD ON HERE, LIKE THE BACK OF THEIR HAND. BUT WE KNOW OUR AREAS AND IT'S GONNA BE OUR JOB TO DIG DEEP INTO THOSE. UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT CONCERNS, I KNOW ME AND TAB IN OUR LOCATION IS GONNA BE THE WIDENING ONE 70 AND 2 78 UP TO THE JASPER COUNTY LINE. THE THING I'VE BEEN ARGUING THE MOST IS WE'RE FIGHTING JASPER COUNTY'S GROWTH THAT WE KNOW THAT'S COMING NEXT. UM, OUR JOB'S GONNA BE TO TRY TO GET THEM TO GO ON BOARD TO WIDEN THOSE ROADS AT THE SAME TIME WE DO. WHEN IT IT COMES TO THE COUNTY LINE, HOW DO YOU GUYS FEEL CONVERSATION WISE, GETTING THEM ON BOARD WITH THAT AS WELL? 'CAUSE IF NOT, WE'RE JUST GONNA MOVE THE BOTTLENECK SOMEWHERE ELSE, RIGHT? UM, YOU KNOW, REMEMBER, AND THANK YOU FOR ALL OF THAT. AND I DID PUT UP A MAP WITH ALL THE PROJECTS YOU CAN KIND OF, AND MAINLY TO SEE THE COUNTY. WE HIT EVERYTHING MM-HMM . UM, MR. JONES ACTUALLY SUGGESTED AT ONE MEETING, ARE WE TALKING TO OUR DELEGATION? ARE WE TALKING TO THE STATE? I'VE TALKED TO EVERY MAYOR I'VE SAT WITH HERE AT MAYOR WILLIAMS. I'VE TALKED TO OUR DELEGATION. UM, THE STATE IS FOCUSED ON INTERSTATES AND BRIDGES, AND THAT IS ALL THEY'RE GONNA DO. AND GO TO A LATS MEETING AND YOU'RE GONNA SEE THE, UM, YOU'LL SEE I'M RIGHT ON THAT, ON WHAT THEY SAID. UM, THEY'RE THRILLED WE'RE DOING THIS. THEY KNOW WE NEED SAFETY AND INTERSECTION IMPROVEMENTS. AND THAT WAS A BIG, BIG, BIG CHARGE. MS. ERICKSON BROUGHT IT UP EVERY MEETING, SAFETY AND INTERSECTION. SO, AND WE ALL AGREED ON THAT. BUT I BELIEVE WE'LL GET OUT. WE'VE SPOKEN TO THE REALTORS ASSOCIATION. I'M SPEAKING TO SOMETHING HERE IN BEAUFORT, I GUESS YOUR NORTHERN REGIONAL PLAN. WE HAVE FIVE OR SIX DIFFERENT THINGS, EVEN THOUGH WE'VE SUNSETTED OUR MISSION TONIGHT. BUT LIKE JUDGE KLINE SAID, AS PRESENTED, YOU'RE GONNA, I'M GONNA WORK HARD. AND I THINK WORKING WITH THE MUNICIPALITIES, WHICH IS IN THIS MEMO, YOU'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO, UM, FIND SOME ALIGNMENT WITH THE WIDENING. MAYBE THAT WIDENING DOESN'T START. AND WE PARTNER WITH JASPER COUNTY AND DO IT ALL AT ONE TIME, BECAUSE WE DON'T WANNA CREATE ANY MORE BOTTLENECKS THAT WE ALREADY HAVE. AND, UM, ELIZABETH HAD SAID THAT ONE OF HER, AND SHE'S AN ENGINEER, UM, SHE WAS VERY FOCUSED ON WHAT COMPLIMENTS THE JASPER PENNY, WHICH DID GET PASSED EASILY. SO, UM, WE'VE JUST, WE'VE GOTTA TAKE A STEP FORWARD AND WORK WITH THEM. DID THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION? IT DOES. OKAY. IT DOES. WE GOTTA GO TO WORK NOW. YES. . MR. DAWSON, [01:25:03] I WANNA TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO THANK, UH, NOT ONLY YOU LISA, BUT THE ENTIRE, UM, COMMITTEE. Y'ALL DID AN EXCELLENT JOB. UM, I'M PARTICULARLY, UH, NOT THAT I'M NOT INTERESTED IN THE REST OF THE COUNTY, BUT, UH, I REPRESENT DISTRICT ONE, WHICH IS THE RURAL PART OF THE BEAUFORT COUNTY. MM-HMM . AND WE STILL HAVE A LOT OF DIRT ROADS THAT ARE NOT PAVED. AND I TELL MY CONSTITUENTS HERE ON, ON, ON THE DS, OR OFTENTIMES I TELL 'EM, UH, YOU ALL NEED TO TAKE A RIDE OUT INTO THE RURAL PART OF THE COUNTY WHEN WE HAVE INCLEMENT WEATHER. AND YOU'LL SEE WHAT OUR, WHAT OUR GOOD ROADS LOOK LIKE. YOU KNOW, WE DON'T HAVE THE PRIVILEGE OF DRIVING INTO PA OF CUL-DE-SACS AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE. SO, UH, I, I SEE YOU GOT IT INCLUDED IN HERE. AND SO WE APPRECIATE THAT. THAT'S EXACTLY RIGHT. TWO JUDGE TOLD ME APPROXIMATELY TWO MILES A YEAR GET PAVED. AND WE HAVE BEEN TRYING FOR 30 YEARS TO PAVE THESE DIRT ROADS. AND WE DID LISTEN AND WE LISTENED TO CHOW AND CREEK, DIDN'T WE, MR. JONES? UM, WE REALLY LISTEN, AND I THINK THAT'S THE KEY. I'VE NEVER, IN 20 YEARS OF SERVING THIS MY TOWN, I'VE NEVER SEEN SUCH COOPERATION AND DOING WHAT GOD GAVE YOU, GIVE YOU TWO EARS TO LISTEN. SO THANK YOU MR. MCKELLEN. HI MAYOR. HOW ARE YOU? HI. WELL, MY CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF THE MEMBERS, UH, OF THE COMMITTEE. AND I'M, I'M VERY ENCOURAGED TO SEE ONE 70 MENTIONED SO FREQUENTLY HERE. IT, IT SAYS 1 72 78 4 62 JASPER COUNTY LINE, JASPER COUNTY LINE 1 71 70. THE TOTAL THERE INVOLVING IMPROVEMENTS TO ONE 70 IS $198 MILLION. I THINK THAT'S NOT ENOUGH TO DO WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO ONE 70, BECAUSE THAT, THAT ROAD IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT CIRCUITS THAT WE HAVE FROM EVERYWHERE ELSE WE COME. IT'S JUST SOMETHING EVERYBODY GOES TO. SO 198 MILLION IS A GREAT START, AND I'M HAPPY TO SEE ALL OF THE NOISE BEING MADE ABOUT HOW IT CONNECTS TO EVERYTHING ELSE AND VERY ENCOURAGED TO SEE IT APPEAR SO MANY TIMES. SO CONGRATULATIONS TO EVERYONE FOR MAKING SURE ALL OF THOSE ROADS WERE CONNECTED TO WHAT WE NEED TO DO WITH ONE 70. THANK YOU. AND IF YOU LOOK AT EACH OF YOUR THREE BUCKETS, YOU CHARGED US TO LOOK AT, WIDENING, RESURFACING, PAVING, DIRT, ROADS, INTERSECTION, AND SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS, YOU'RE GONNA SEE ONE 70 IN EVERY ONE OF THOSE. AND I THINK WE FIGURED IF WE DID EVERYTHING THAT HAD TO TOUCH ONE 70, IT WAS AROUND 350 MILLION. AND I THINK YOU'LL SEE THAT IN THIS HUGE LIST YOU DIDN'T GET A CHANCE TO LOOK AT. BUT LOOK AT INTERSECTION AND SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS. 1 71 70, YOU'RE GONNA SEE IT. VICE CHAIR. LET ME, I'LL FINISH OUT. YOU CAN GO THEN I'LL FINISH. GO AHEAD. OH, YOU GO AHEAD. NO, GO AHEAD. ALRIGHT, I'D LIKE TO LEAVE YOU LAST ANYWAY. THAT'S GOOD. RIGHT? YOU CAN CLOSE US OUT. LAST, YEAH. SAY THE MS. SKO. THANK YOU. UM, AND I WANT TO THANK THIS COMMITTEE TO SEE THAT YOU HAD NINE MEETINGS WITH THE PUBLIC. TO ME, THAT'S, UM, A, A BEAUTIFUL THING. SO, UH, MY THING IS, LIKE LOGAN SAID, WE GOTTA DO OUR HOMEWORK HERE. AND MAYBE JUST A COMMENT FROM YOU AS TO THE COMMITMENTS TO HAVE EQUAL PROJECTS ALL OVER. HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THAT? I THINK THAT NATURALLY OCCURRED WHEN WE DECIDED WE WERE GONNA DO WHAT'S BEST FOR THE PEOPLE THAT WORK EVERY SINGLE DAY AND GETTING THAT TRAFFIC. AND MOST OF THEM, IF NOT ALL OF THEM, TOUCH ONE 70 IN SOME WAY. UM, AND I THINK THAT JUST HELPED US LOOK AT THE DISTRICT'S, UM, COMMITTEE MEMBER REEVES SUGGESTED AT OUR LAST MEETING, WE HAD ALREADY APPROVED THE AMOUNT, AND I DON'T THINK I EVEN SAID THAT HERE. IT WAS EIGHT YEARS. UM, OKAY. I DID, I, SORRY. UM, AND SUGGESTED THE, WHAT WE HAD LEFT WITH INTERSECTION AND THE LIST THAT WE HAD KIND OF WHITTLED DOWN SOME. WHY NOT USE DO IT ALL? BECAUSE THAT WAS VERY, VERY IMPORTANT THAT INTERSECTION AND SAFETY BE A PRIORITY. SO IT HIT EVERY DISTRICT. JUST SAFETY AND INTERSECTION SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS HIT EVERY DISTRICT. SO EVERY DISTRICT WILL HAVE SOMETHING. AND THEN THE WIDENING JUST HELPED THE RESIDENTS WHO WORK. I DO IT TWICE A WEEK. TRY TO DRIVE THAT EVERY DAY FOR A WEEK AND SEE IF YOU WOULD KEEP YOUR JOB . WHETHER YOU'RE COMING FROM HILTON HEAD TO BUFORT OR VICE VERSA. I, I DON'T KNOW HOW THEY FUNCTION WHEN THEY GET TO WORK AND IF THEY'RE IN A REALLY GOOD MOOD WHEN THEY GET HOME. I MEAN, MENTAL WELLNESS IS VERY IMPORTANT. UM, IT'S HARD. IT IS VERY HARD. SO I FEEL LIKE WE DID IT KIND OF ORGANICALLY AND WE DID NOT TAKE EVERYTHING THAT WAS THROWN ON THE WALL. WE HAD $1.5 BILLION OF PROJECTS. WE HAD TO, PLUS HAD TO WHITTLE DOWN YOUR STAFF, PUT 20, 30 NUMBERS AS AN ESTIMATE TO HAVE SOME CONTINGENCY IN THERE. SO THERE WERE WELL THOUGHT OUT NUMBERS, [01:30:01] BUT YOU KNOW, YOU DON'T KNOW UNTIL YOU START DIGGING. I MEAN, DRIVE DOWN ALL JOY. THANK YOU FOR DOING THE PATHWAY DOWN THERE, BY THE WAY. UM, THEY COME UP, THINGS HAPPEN. SO I, I JUST APPLAUD STAFF FOR DOING THE WORK THAT THEY DID. I'LL CLOSE IT OUT BY SAYING THIS, THE TIME THAT YOU AND THE STAFF TOOK HAS INSPIRED THIS GROUP RIGHT HERE TO TAKE THE TIME TO REALLY DIG IN. I HAVE A GOOD FEELING WE'RE GONNA GET SOME GOOD FEEDBACK OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS FROM THIS COMMITTEE. AND NOW THAT THE PUBLIC'S HAD A CHANCE TO SEE WHAT YOU PRESENTED, AND I THINK YOU DID A GREAT JOB. UM, WE'RE GONNA GET SOME FEEDBACK AND PUSHBACK, YOU KNOW, THAT I JUST ASK THAT YOU AND THIS TEAM BE OPEN TO HEARING SOME OF THAT PUSHBACK WHEN WE GET IT. AND I LIKE THE FACT THAT YOU DIDN'T COMBINE IT WITH 2018 PROJECTS. UM, I, I THINK THAT WE GOT TO REALLY FOCUS A LITTLE BIT TOO ON WHAT SCDO T'S GONNA DO WITH THAT SEA PINE CIRCLE AND HOW THEY'RE GONNA LOOK AT THAT AND WHERE THAT MONEY COMES FROM. SO AGAIN, I COMMEND YOU IN THIS INCREDIBLE TEAM, UM, AND WE'RE GONNA DO OUR JOB NOW AND WE APPRECIATE THAT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. APPRECIATE IT, MS. CHAIR. SO I WOULD DO THE FINAL STATEMENT. I ATTENDED MOST OF 'EM EXCEPT FOR TWO. AND I WILL TELL YOU AROUND MAYBE MEETING FIVE, SIX. I REMEMBER TELLING A COUPLE COUNCIL PEOPLE, NO WAY. THEY'RE GONNA COME TO CONSENSUS . I MEAN, IT, IT WAS REALLY KINDA ROUGH FOR A LITTLE WHILE. YEAH, BUT YOU PULLED IT OFF AT THE LAST MEETING. I WAS KIND OF STUNNED BECAUSE IT WAS ALL OVER THE BOARD FOR A COUPLE MINUTES. THE BURTON WELLS MEETING WAS A LITTLE BIT ROUGH TO ME. , BUT YEAH. YEAH. OKAY. BUT YOU COULDN'T HEAR IT. YEAH, YOU ALL PULLED IT OFF. SO CONGRATS TO YOU AND YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS. NOW, I'M TOLD GO TO PUBLIC FACILITIES MEETING MONDAY. SO IT'S NOT, THEY'RE DONE. THEIR TASK IS DONE. WE'RE GOING TO LISTEN TO THE PUBLIC AND IT'S GOING TO PUBLIC FACILITIES. THAT'S MR. CUNNINGHAM'S ON MONDAY. SO THANK YOU. AND WHEN YOU GET TO THE POINT, I THINK THE MUNICIPALITIES WOULD LIKE TO SEE YOUR FIRST READING FIRST, BUT I THINK THERE'S GONNA BE NO PROBLEM GETTING RESOLUTIONS FROM MOST OF THEM, IF NOT ALL. AND, UM, WE ARE GREAT. WE DON'T WANNA MEET AT BURTON WELLS AGAIN IN THE GYM. IT WAS, IT WAS STRESSFUL, BUT WE TOOK COPIOUS NOTES AND WE SENT OUT A RECAP TO ALL THE COMMITTEE BECAUSE REALLY IT WAS HARD TO HEAR. IT WAS A REALLY HARD PLACE. SO MAYBE THINK ABOUT SOUND BUFFERS IN THE GYM IF Y'ALL HAVE EXTRA MONEY. NO, WE WILL NEVER MEET THERE AGAIN. IT'S HORRIBLE. IT'S A BEAUTIFUL, BEAUTIFUL FACILITY. YEAH, BUT NOT FOR A MEETING. NOT FOR, NO SIR. WASN'T THAT THE MARATHON SESSION TOO COMMITTEE? WE WENT TILL 2:00 AM LAST TIME. Y'ALL DON'T NEED JARED FOR ANYTHING. WHAT IS A PEANUT LANE? DO YOU WANNA TELL THE AUDIENCE? I'M AFRAID TO ASK. I HAVE A FEELING I NEED TO KNOW TOO. SOMETHING LIKE THIS. I WOULD LIKE TO THAT AS WELL, JARED. YEAH, I, I CIRCLE THAT JARED IN MY REPORT TRYING TO AVOID, BUT YOU GOT ME UP HERE. SORRY. IT IS A PEANUT ROUNDABOUT AND THE SIMPLEST FORM IS A ROUNDABOUT JUST KIND OF SQUISHED IN THE MIDDLE. SO, UM, WHENEVER THERE'S A MISALIGNMENT OF ROADS AND SO YOU'RE TRYING TO PROVIDE SAFETY AND, AND REVERSIBILITY BETWEEN THE TWO, UM, YOU JUST ELONGATE THAT ROUNDABOUT AND KIND OF ALLOW PEOPLE TO. SO ALSO FIGURE EIGHT IS ANOTHER TERMINOLOGY. SO FIGURE EIGHT MAKES SENSE. PEANUT, NO. OKAY. YOU DON'T EAT WELL. PEANUTS PROBABLY EITHER ROASTED. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU MS. SO WE REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR COMMITTEE. YOU KNOW, THEY'RE DONE, BUT YOU'RE JUST GETTING STARTED, RIGHT? YEAH. OKAY. ANYBODY THAT WANTS TO LEAVE BEFORE WE GO THROUGH ORDINANCES, WE UNDERSTAND WE WON'T TAKE IT PERSONALLY. [11.a. Consideration of the Real Property Covenant and Land Use Restrictions provided by the Town of Bluffton for their Green Space Program application (Buckwalter PUD Tracts – Parcels 5A & 5B), located in the Town of Bluffton] OKAY. THE NEXT AGENDA, ITEM NUMBER 11 A IS CONSIDERATION OF REAL PROPERTY, COVENANT AND LAND USE RESTRICTIONS PROVIDED BY THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON FOR THEIR GREEN SPACE PROGRAM APPLICATION. BUCKWALTER, PUD TRACKS PARCELS FIVE A AND FIVE B LOCATED IN THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON. AND MR. MCSHANE, HE, HE LOVES, OH, WE'RE ALL DRESSED UP TODAY. I LIKE THE OUTFIT . WELL, LET ME APOLOGIZE. FIRST OF ALL, I'VE BEEN ON CALL SINCE YESTERDAY AND AT FIVE THIS MORNING WHEN I THOUGHT I DID NOT THINK ABOUT TONIGHT. SO I APOLOGIZE, UH, IN ADVANCE TO YOU AND TO THE PUBLIC. IT'S A NEW YOU. WELL, I'M DEDICATED TO MY PROFESSION. I CAN ASSURE YOU OF THAT. YOU SHOULD BE. THANK YOU MADAM CHAIRMAN AND COUNSEL. WE'RE HERE TONIGHT BECAUSE IN SEPTEMBER OF, OF 25 YOU AUTHORIZED, YOU TOOK OUR RECOMMENDATION, AUTHORIZED THE ADMINISTRATOR TO FINALIZE A GRANT THAT WE RECOMMENDED TO THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON. QUICK HISTORY. IN THAT TIMEFRAME, THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON WENT AHEAD AND CLOSED ON THAT PROPERTY WITHOUT OUR GRANT, SOMETHING THEY'RE CERTAINLY FREE TO DO. [01:35:03] WE, UH, AS A GREEN SPACE REACHED OUT AND RECOMMENDED TO GIVE CONSIDERATION TO COME BACK TO THE GREEN SPACE COMMITTEE TO TALK ABOUT A REIMBURSABLE GRANT. SO THAT BRINGS US HERE THIS EVENING, IS THAT THE GREEN SPACE COMMITTEE DID IN FACT RECEIVE A REQUEST FROM THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON TO CONSIDER A REIMBURSABLE GRANT. BUT THERE ARE SOME AMENDMENTS TO YOU. AS A COURTESY. YOU APPROVED MAKING A GRANT PRIOR TO ACQUISITION. I'M HERE TONIGHT WITH A RECOMMENDATION THAT WE MAKE A REIMBURSABLE GRANT. WE'RE NOT CHANGING THE METRICS, BUT JUST CHANGING THE FACT THAT IT'S A REIMBURSABLE GRANT TO THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON FOR THE ACQUISITION OF FIVE A AND FIVE B. WE WILL COME BACK AT SOME POINT HERE RELATIVELY SOON TO TALK ABOUT WHAT WE CALL SECTION FIVE C FIVE C. JUST FOR CLARIFICATION, IS THE, IS THE PROPERTY IN BETWEEN THE TWO YELLOW IDENTIFIED TRACKS THAT YOU SEE ON THE MAP? THIS IS NOT CONNECTED TO THE COINCIDENTALLY NAMED POTENTIAL ROAD THAT PEOPLE REFER TO AS FIVE B. I WANNA BE CLEAR ON THAT. 'CAUSE THAT HAS CREATED SOME CONFUSION IN THE PUBLIC OUT THERE. THIS WAS ALSO, UH, PREVIOUSLY KNOWN AS THE FOOTHILLS CONSERVANCY PROPERTY. 'CAUSE I HEARD SOME PEOPLE EARLIER THIS EVENING WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT WHAT I THINK THEY HAVE HISTORICALLY KNOWN THIS TREK AS. SO IT IS HERE TO COME TO HIS REIMBURSABLE GRANT. IT'S ALSO FAIR THOUGH THAT THE COUN COUNCIL KNOW THAT IN OUR DISCUSSIONS WITH THE TOWN AND THE APPLICATION, WE MADE SOME RECOMMENDATIONS THAT INCLUDED RESTRICTING A COUPLE USES THAT THE TOWN HAD LOOKED AT AS AN EXAMPLE. THEY WANTED THE ABILITY FOR EQUESTRIAN USE. NOW I SAY THIS UNDERSTANDING THAT I'M MARRIED TO AN EQUESTRIAN CHAMPION AND THREE DAUGHTERS WHO ARE ALL EQUESTRIANS. SO I HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF FIRSTHAND KNOWLEDGE ON THIS. BUT THIS WAS NOT A REFLECTION ON THE SPORT. THIS WAS A REFLECTION ON THE USE, THE IMPACT IT WOULD HAVE ON THE PROPERTY. THERE WAS ALSO INTEREST, AS AN EXAMPLE, ON SOME OTHER RECREATIONAL, UM, BOCHY COURTS AND AERIAL DRONES. I UNDERSTAND THAT THAT'S AN INTEREST TODAY BY MANY ABOUT HAVING PLACES TO DO THAT. BUT WE DIDN'T FEEL LIKE THAT WAS A REC THAT A RECOMMENDATION WE COULD MAKE USING GREEN SPACE DOLLARS FOR THOSE USES. THEY HAVE A COUPLE, UH, UM, THREE POINTS THAT I'LL BRING UP THAT I THINK MOST OF THE COUNCIL'S AWARE OF. THEY WANT THE RIGHT TO OPTION TO PURCHASE SOME ADDITIONAL PROPERTY OUT OF WHAT WOULD'VE BEEN IN GREEN SPACE IF IN FACT THAT ROAD EVER WERE TO BE BUILT. I'LL COME BACK TO THAT IN A MOMENT. THEY WANT TO USE, THEY, THEY WANNA SET THE PRICE TODAY VERSUS GOING TO WHATEVER A FAIR MARKET VALUE MAY BE AT THAT TIME. AND THEY WANT THE TIMEFRAME TO ACTUALLY PAY FOR THAT ONCE THE ROAD IS COMPLETED. MEANING THE IMPACTS WOULD BE, WOULD WOULD HAPPEN PRIOR TO ANY RECEIPT OF DOLLARS FOR THAT, FOR THAT PURCHASE. THAT IS A DECISION COUNCIL NEEDS TO MAKE. GREEN SPACE RECOMMENDATION IS BASED ON WHAT WE BELIEVE IS A REASONABLE RISK OF A REIMBURSABLE GRANT TO THE TOWN. THAT REALLY MAKES A COMPELLING CASE THAT THAT ROAD NEVER WILL BE BUILT. I THINK THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I WOULD HOPE COUNTIES AT LARGE, AND FOR DISCLOSURE, FOR THOSE WHO DON'T KNOW, I'M NOT A RESIDENT OF BEAUFORT COUNTY. I'M A RESIDENT OF CHARLESTON COUNTY. THE COUNTY YOU SHOULD LOOK TO, TO SEE ALL THE MISTAKES THEY HAVE MADE BEFORE YOU MAKE 'EM . REALLY THAT IS NOT A EDITORIAL, IT'S JUST THE REALITY THAT I LIVE IN THERE. IT IS NOT, BUT I BELIEVE THERE'S GOOD FAITH THAT THE TOWN IS OPERATED BY DEMONSTRATING THEY WENT AHEAD AND BOUGHT THE LAND. THAT THESE RESTRICTIONS WILL MAKE THIS AS LARGE A COMPELLING CASE AS TO NEVER HAVE THE NEED FOR A ROAD. THEY WOULD BE THE ONLY VEHICLE, I THINK TO MAKE, TO DECIDE TO BUILD A ROAD. THE STATE IS NOT INTERESTED IN IT. YOU'VE IDENTIFIED THE COUNTY'S NOT INTERESTED IN THAT. I THINK THAT WOULD BE THE ONLY ENTITY THAT WOULD BE INTERESTED IN TRYING TO BUILD THAT ROAD. AND I DON'T SEE THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON TRYING TO DO THAT. I HAVE NOT, I HAVE TO ADMIT, I DO NOT KNOW TO THE ADMINISTRATOR IF THE TOWN HAS RESPONDED TO OUR RECOMMENDATIONS ON THOSE ACTIVITIES. I DO NOT KNOW THAT. AND I THINK THAT NEEDS TO, MR. PARDON ME, MR. LA BRUCE IS HERE. WELL, I WOULDN'T HAVE KNOWN THAT, SIR. SORRY. I NOT, I'M TAUGHT TO NOT LOOK BEHIND ME WHEN I GO INTO WHAT LOOKS LIKE A CHURCH. SO, UH, I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT, BUT I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THE ADMINISTRATOR WOULD WANT TO HAVE BEFORE YOU DECIDE TO FOLLOW THROUGH ON, ON THAT, ON THAT. SO OUR RECOMMENDATION IS TO AWARD A REIMBURSABLE GRANT TO THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON IN THE AMOUNT THAT IT WAS PREVIOUSLY APPROVED [01:40:01] WITH THE AMENDMENTS THAT WE'RE RECOMMENDING OF LIMITED, UH, RESTRICTING A COUPLE OF THOSE USES, UNDERSTANDING THOSE THREE COMPONENTS. THEY WANT THE RIGHT TO ACQUIRE PROPERTIES AROUND WHAT COULD POTENTIALLY COULD BE A ROAD. THEY WANT TO FIX THE PRICE OF WHAT THAT WOULD BE TODAY. AND THEY DON'T WANNA PAY FOR IT UNTIL THE ROAD WOULD'VE BEEN COMPLETE. I REALIZE THAT THAT MAKES IT COMPLICATED. IT'S REASONABLE RISK. ALRIGHT, QUESTIONS FOR MR. MCSHANE? OH, YOU MA'AM. I, I JUST WANNA MAKE, SINCE I DIDN'T KNOW THAT MR. LABREE WAS HERE, JUST TO ASK, WAS THAT ALL A FAIR SUMMARY OF HOW I SAID THAT? MAY, MAY I YEAH, COME ON UP. SPEAK INTO THE MIC SO THEY CAN ABSOLUTELY. UH, MEMBERS OF COUNTY COUNCIL. MY NAME'S RICHARDSON LABUS. I'M HERE ON BEHALF OF THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON, SERVING AS THEIR ATTORNEY. UH, WE ALSO HAVE THE TOWN MANAGER, STEVEN STE HERE, AS WELL AS FELICIA ROTH, WHO IS THE TOWN'S DIRECTOR OF CONTRACTS AND COMPLIANCE. AND, UH, YES, I THINK THAT WAS A VERY ACCURATE, UM, SYNOPSIS OF WHERE WE'VE GONE AND WHERE WE'VE GOTTEN TO HERE. UH, TO KIND OF EXPLAIN WHY WE CLOSED IN DECEMBER, IT WAS BECAUSE UNDER THE CONTRACT WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY ABILITY TO EXTEND THE DUE DILIGENCE OUT ANYMORE. WE COULDN'T WAIT. AND WE, WE BELIEVED THAT THE COUNTY, WE COULD ALL COME TO TERMS ON THESE COVENANTS EVENTUALLY. AND SO WE WENT AHEAD AND CLOSED ON THAT. THE, THE TOWN DID. AS FAR AS THOSE THREE USE RESTRICTIONS, THE EQUESTRIAN, THE DRONES, THE BOCCE COURTS, THE TOWN HAS INDICATED THAT THEY HAVE NO ISSUE WITH REMOVING THAT WE WERE, WHEN WE WERE NEGOTIATING THE COVENANTS. THIS HAS NOT BEEN MASTER PLAN YET, 240 ACRES. WE WANT TO HAVE, UM, PASSIVE RECREATIONAL USE. WE WANTED TO TRY TO BROADLY DEFINE THAT TO ENCOMPASS WHATEVER CHANGING NEEDS MAY HAPPEN IN BLUFFTON. AND, UH, THE, THE GREEN SPACE ADVISORY COMMITTEE AND THE PUBLIC AT THAT MEETING WERE VERY CLEAR AS TO WHY EQUESTRIAN IN PARTICULAR WOULD NOT BE A GREAT USE FOR THAT PROPERTY . AND THEY, THEY CERTAINLY CONVINCED ME, UM, AND I KNOW THEY CONVINCED THE, UH, THE TOWN MANAGER AND MS. ROTH AS WELL. SAME WITH BOCCE AND, UM, THE DRONES. THE ONLY TYPE OF DRONE USE I THINK WOULD BE OUT THERE WOULD BE THOSE RELATED TO LAND MANAGEMENT AND FORESTRY WORK FOR THE 240 ACRES. I AM HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS ON THE HISTORY OF THE PROPERTY AND THE ROAD IN PARTICULAR, BECAUSE I UNDERSTAND THAT'S A BIG ISSUE, HOW WE CAME TO THAT, IF YOU FEEL LIKE IT'S NECESSARY. UM, BUT IF NOT, I ECHO EVERYTHING THAT MR. MCSHANE SAID. I THINK IT'S A GOOD PROJECT. AGAIN, IT'S 240 ACRES IN THE HEART OF BLUFFTON. UM, THE DEVELOPMENT IS EXTRAORDINARILY LIMITED UNDER THESE COVENANTS, AND IT IS YOU, THE TOWN IS ACTIVELY LOOKING TO TRY TO SAVE LAND AND PRESERVE LAND WITHIN BLUFFTON BECAUSE WE, WE'VE HEARD THE PEOPLE, WE'VE HEARD WHAT THE PEOPLE WANT, AND WE'RE JUST TRYING TO PRESERVE WHAT WE CAN QUESTIONS FOR MR. MCSHANE OR MR. I DO. MR. OKAY. YES. I, I APPRECIATE THAT. UM, I, I WAS JUST LOOKING THROUGH SOME OF THIS AND UM, HELP, HELP ME WITH THE, UM, THE PERCENTAGE. UM, YOU MOVE FROM A 20, FROM A 15 TO A 25% OF THE, UM, UH, TOTAL SURFACE, UH, TO BE DEVELOPED IS THAT YOU HAD 15% AND YOU SCRATCHED THROUGH THAT AND USED THE 25 5. AND THAT'S THE TOTAL ACREAGE, I MEAN, TOTAL SQUARE FOOTAGE AREA TO BE, THAT COULD BE THE TOTAL SURFACE AREA. THAT COULD BE, UM, UM, DEVELOPED. I'M ASSUMING THAT'S WHAT IT SAYS. TOTAL ALLOWED, DEVELOPED SURFACE AREA OF THE PROPERTY SHALL NOT EXCEED A MAXIMUM OF 25%. TELL ME, JUST HELP ME WITH THAT. THAT'S ALL. SO THERE WAS SOME DISCUSSION AND NEGOTIATION ON THAT. THE COUNTY'S COVENANTS STATE THAT THERE CAN'T BE A CERTAIN PERCENTAGE OF DEVELOPMENT OF GROSS NET ACRES. WELL, THE GROSS NET ACRES HAS A DEFINITION THAT WHEN YOU LOOK AT IT UNDER THE, UM, UNDER THE DEFINITION THERE, IT ALL WETLANDS ARE EXCLUDED. ANYTHING THAT'S SUBJECT TO AN EASEMENT, AS I RECALL, UH, RIGHT OF WAYS. SO WHEN WE WERE LOOKING AT THE TOTAL 240 ACRES, WHAT THE GROSS NET ACREAGE WOULD BE SOMEWHERE AROUND 85 ACRES. 'CAUSE THERE'S ABOUT 150 ACRES OF WETLANDS. THERE'S RIGHTS OF AWAY. AND SO WE'RE STILL GOING THROUGH THAT PROCESS OF DETERMINING WHAT EXACTLY THOSE WETLANDS ARE. WE'RE HAVING THAT DELINEATION DONE. SO WHAT WE TRIED TO DO AT FIRST WAS SAY, WELL, WHY DON'T WE LOOK AT THE ENTIRE 240 ACRES AND SPECIFY A PERCENTAGE OF THE 240 ACRES THAT COULD [01:45:01] BE DEVELOPED AS PASSIVE USE. AND AGAIN, THIS IS NOT ANYTHING VERTICAL. IT IS HIKING TRAILS, WALKING TRAILS, UH, MAYBE A PARKING AREA FOR CARS FOR PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO ACCESS THE FACILITY. VERY LIMITED, NON INTENSE USES. PASSIVE RECREATION IS THE GOAL. BUT ANY TYPE OF DEVELOPMENT TAKING, YOU KNOW, CUTTING DOWN A FEW BUSHES AND PUTTING A FOUR FOOT, UH, HIKING TRAILS CONSIDERED DEVELOPMENT UNDER THESE COVENANTS. SO WE WANTED TO BE VERY CLEAR THAT, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T HAVE A DESIRE TO DO ANYTHING LARGE THERE, BUT WE WANTED THE FLEXIBILITY TO BE ABLE TO MAKE IT SUITABLE FOR PUBLIC USE IN THE FUTURE. AND THAT COULD BE, YOU KNOW, A ONE MILE OF A FOUR FOOT HIKING TRAIL ACCORDING TO CHAT. GPT, UH, IS ABOUT AN HALF ACRE OF DISTURBANCE. SO WHAT WE WANTED TO DO WAS CLARIFY THAT, LOOK AT THAT AND TRY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE WERE GIVING OURSELVES AMPLE FLEXIBILITY TO DESIGN A PASSIVE PARK THAT THE PEOPLE OF BUFORT COUNTY AND THE PEOPLE OF BLUFFTON COULD USE WHILE ALSO MINIMIZING THE DISTURBANCE. BECAUSE WE KNEW AT NET ACREAGE, THE TOTAL CAP, IF YOU EVEN SAID A HUNDRED PERCENT, WOULD ONLY BE 85 OF THE 240 ACRES. OKAY. SO WE WANTED TO MAKE IT VERY CLEAR THAT WE WERE, YEAH, WE HAD A LITTLE BIT OF FLEXIBILITY THERE. OKAY. WELL THAT EXPLAINED EVERYTHING THEN. YEAH. I APPRECIATE IT. GOOD JOB. GOOD JOB. THANK GUYS. ANY OTHER QUESTION FROM COUNCIL MR. CUNNINGHAM? YEAH, YOU, UNLESS THERE'S SOMEBODY ELSE THAT WANTS TO GO FIRST. GO AHEAD. UM, YEAH, SO I HAVE A COUPLE QUESTIONS. ONE, THE BUYBACK OF LAND. WHAT CAN BE DEVELOPED WITH THE, THE LAND THAT YOU WOULD BUY BACK? ONLY THE ROAD. ONLY THE ROAD. NOTHING ELSE. AND, AND LET I, YEAH, AND THIS, THIS ONE'S KIND OF WHY WE PUT THAT IN THERE. IT, I THINK IN ABSTRACT DOESN'T MAKE MUCH SENSE, BUT IT'S, WE AGREE. WE BOUGHT THE LAND SUBJECT TO THE COVENANTS THAT WERE ALREADY ON THERE. WE BOUGHT THIS LAND THAT WAS SUBJECT TO THE BUCK WALTER DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT. THAT BUCK WALTER DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT INCLUDED REFERENCES TO, AS WE'VE HEARD HIM TALK ABOUT PHASE FIVE B, NOT ON THIS PROPERTY, BUT ALSO THIS NORTH SOUTH CONNECTOR AS PART OF LONG RANGE PLANNING BY BUFORT COUNTY YEARS AGO, THEY IDENTIFIED THESE TWO ROADS AS FUTURE, FUTURE, UH, POTENTIAL ROADS. SO WHEN BLUFFTON WAS DEVELOPING AND NEGOTIATING THIS DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT, THEY INCLUDED REQUIREMENTS FOR THE OWNERS OF CERTAIN PIECES OF PROPERTY TO ACTUALLY BUILD THAT NORTH SOUTH CONNECTOR. THE NORTH SOUTH CONNECTOR WOULD BE ON THE FOOTHILLS PROPERTY, THE FIVE A FIVE B, BUT IS ACTUALLY TO BE DEVELOPED BY THE OWNER OF A DIFFERENT PIECE. WHAT'S KNOWN AS THE WILLOW RUN TRACK. IT'S A, IT'S THE ONE CLOSER TO THE ROAD. CORRECT? UH, CLOSER TO 2 78. SO IF THE OWNER OF THE WILLOW RUN TRACK DECIDED THEY WANTED TO GO AHEAD AND BUILD ONE OF THEIR 150 UNIT HOTELS, THAT THEY HAVE THE ABILITY, THEY HAVE TWO, THEY CAN BUILD 2 150 UNIT HOTELS. THEY HAVE 240 RESIDENTIAL DWELLING UNITS, HUNDREDS OF ACRES OF COMMERCIAL DENSITY THEY CAN BUILD UP THERE. IF THEY DEVELOP THAT PROPERTY, THEY ARE OBLIGATED UNDER THE DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT TO CONSTRUCT THE NORTH SOUTH CONNECTOR ROAD. WE CAN'T RESTRICT IT TO SAY, OH, YOU CAN ONLY, YOU CAN ONLY BUILD IT RIGHT HERE, THIS 10.1 POINT, 10.181 ACRES. THERE MAY BE SPECIMEN TREES THAT NEED TO BE PRESERVED. THERE MAY BE WETLANDS THAT THEY NEED TO RELOCATE AROUND. SO IT COULD BE 10.6 ACRES, IT COULD BE 11, IT COULD BE LESS THAN THAT. WHAT WE TRIED TO DO WAS CREATE A CALCULATION BASED OFF OF THE LAND AS WE KNEW IT, THE, UM, THE, THE ROAD WIDTH THAT WE ESTIMATED AND BE ABLE TO TAKE OUT THAT PERCENTAGE OF ACREAGE FROM OUR REQUEST FOR THE COUNTY. SO WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, WE PAID MORE THAN WE'RE REQUESTING FROM THE COUNTY. WE EXCLUDED THAT PER ACRE BASIS FOR 10.181, WHICH IS A POTENTIAL ROAD. UM, BUT IN THE EVENT THAT MORE THAN THAT'S TAKEN, THE TOWN BELIEVED IT TO BE FAIR TO BRING THAT MONEY BACK TO Y'ALL BECAUSE EVEN IF THE TOWN DOESN'T DEVELOP IT, SOMEBODY ELSE COULD, SOMEBODY ELSE COULD BUILD THAT ROAD ON OUR PROPERTY BECAUSE THEY HAVE THE RIGHT AND THE OBLIGATION. I WAS GONNA SAY, BY LAW THEY HAVE TO, AND THEY HAVE TO IF THEY WANT TO DEVELOP THEIR PROPERTY. SO WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE WERE BEING FAIR TO Y'ALL. BUT AT THE SAME TIME, WHY WE LOCKED IT IN ON THE FAIR MARKET VALUE NOW IS BECAUSE WHAT WE DIDN'T WANNA DO WAS, YOU KNOW, HAVE TO DEAL WITH A FINANCIAL VALUATION FOR, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, ACRES AND ACRES AND ACRES IN BLUFFTON THAT FLUCTUATIONS CAN VALUE CHANGE DRAMATICALLY FROM TIME TO TIME. WHICH COULD CONCEIVABLY, YOU KNOW, GUT THE WHOLE PURPOSE OF TRYING TO GET THIS REIMBURSEMENT ANYWAYS. SO WE WANTED TO BE FAIR TO THE TOWN, BUT ALSO FAIR TO THE COUNTY AND FAIR TO TAXPAYERS AND TAKE CARE AND TAKE MANAGEMENT OF Y'ALL'S OR HOPE Y'ALL TAKE MANAGEMENT OF THOSE FUNDS. UH, SO I'LL BE HONEST, THE, THE NORTH SOUTH CONNECTOR ISN'T WHAT MAKES ME NERVOUS. IT'S EAST, WEST, UM, FIVE B, WHICH, UH, PARCEL IS THAT B THAT'S CLOSER OR A C'S? THE ONE IN BETWEEN. I SEE. SO ALL OF ALL OF FIVE B IS LAID OUT ON PARCEL FIVE C. IT IS SHAPED LIKE A TOP HAT. [01:50:01] SO IN BETWEEN IT STILL HAS TO GO THROUGH FIVE B OR THE PARCEL OF FIVE B ACCORDING TO THE COUNTY MAP AND THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON MAP, I THINK A I, ACCORDING TO OUR TITLE WORK, I DON'T THINK IT ACTUALLY TOUCHES FIVE B. IT IS ALL PREPPED ON FIVE CI THINK MAYBE THE MAPS AREN'T QUITE ACCORDING TO TITLE WORK ENTIRELY IN FIVE C'S. RIGHT. UH, THE LAND OF FIVE C. SO, AND WE DO AND WE DON'T AND WE DON'T OWN THAT. YEAH, CORRECT. WELL, NOT YET. IT'S COMING. SO ACCORDING TO THE MAPS THOUGH, IT'S COMING DOWN THAT POWER LINE FROM THE LEFT SIDE OF FIVE B TO THE RIGHT SIDE OF FIVE B INTO PARTIAL C THAT'S ON THE COUNTY MAP. AND IT'S THE TOWN OF BLUFF IN'S WEBSITE CURRENTLY WHERE IT SAYS FUTURE BLUFFTON PARKWAY UNDER THE DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT. IT'S THE OBLIGATION OF THE OWNER OF FIVE C, NOT FIVE B OR FIVE A OBLIGATION, BUT IT STILL HAS TO GO THROUGH IT. WELL I THINK IT'S, IT'S, IT'S THE OBLIGATION TO PUT IT ON THE PROPERTY OF FIVE C AND I AND I IT HAS BEEN MAPPED CONSISTENT WITH THAT POWER LINE. MM-HMM UH, FOR A LONG TIME. BUT WHEN THE DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT WAS ACTUALLY DRAFTED THE ROAD, THAT ITSELF GOING TO BE WITHIN FIVE C. SO FIVE C HAS THAT OBLIGATION TO DONATE THE, WHAT WE CALL THE IB CONNECTOR, MAKE IT AS CLEAR AS MUD FOR YOU. SO I GUESS , THANK YOU MR. CUNNINGHAM. YOU GIVE YOUR COUNCIL'S GIVEN US THE DUE DILIGENCE AUTHORITY TO WORK WITH THE TOWN ON THE ACQUISITION OF FIVE C STILL TO COME FORWARD TO COUNCIL FOR APPROVAL. SO THAT LEADS ME TO MY LAST QUESTION. UM, WE HAD MEETINGS PRIOR TO THIS BEFORE TONIGHT, AND I ASKED THE QUESTION, IF THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON WOULD BE WILLING TO LET THE COUNTY OWN PARCEL FIVE C, WAS THAT EVER BROUGHT TO YOU GUYS FOR DISCUSSION? I'M GETTING A LOT OF HEAD SHAKES. SO, AND I GUESS MY QUESTION WILL GO TOWARDS STAFF OF WHY THAT WAS NOT BROUGHT TO THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON. BUT IT'S, IT'S CERTAINLY SOMETHING WE'VE JUST, THIS IS A, I WANTED TO DISCUSS BEFORE TODAY. I WAS UNDER THE ASSUMPTION IT WAS, WELL WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO SO, SIR, BECAUSE WE'VE NOT HAD THE, EVEN THE GREEN SPACE HAS NOT HAD THE MEETING TO GET THE DUE TO MAKE A RECOMMENDATION ON WHETHER WE WOULD FULFILL THE GRANT APPLICATION BY THE TOWN OR MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TO DO SOMETHING ELSE. GUESS THAT, THAT LEAVES ME WITH TWO PROBLEMS, WHICH COUNCIL CAN ALREADY SEE WHERE I'M ABOUT TO GO WITH THIS. I, I'M ALL ON BOARD WITH HAVING THAT CONVERSATION BECAUSE I, I'VE BEEN A FIRM BELIEVER FIVE B COULD COME ONE DAY. THE ROAD ITSELF, I'VE ALWAYS BEEN THE PERSON THAT SAID, I'LL NEVER SAY NO. 'CAUSE ONE DAY YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO HAVE ANOTHER WAY TO GO FROM HILTON HEAD TO 95. I KNOW THAT'S A POSSIBILITY. ONE DAY I MIGHT NOT BE HERE, I MIGHT NOT EVEN BE ALIVE. I HAVE NO CLUE WHEN THAT IS. SO I UNDERSTAND THAT IS SOMETHING THAT COULD HAPPEN IN THE FUTURE, BUT I WOULD WANT THAT TO BE A PROJECT THAT'S DONE WITH THE COUNTY AND THE TOWN. SO ESPECIALLY 'CAUSE YOU'RE TYING INTO COUNTY ROADS TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN. BUT I'M A LITTLE MORE CONCERNED THAT IT WAS NEVER BROUGHT TO YOU GUYS IN THE PAST THREE OR FOUR WEEKS WHEN WE DISCUSSED THAT, UM, FOR US TO HAVE THIS CONVERSATION TODAY. 'CAUSE I'D TELL YOU RIGHT NOW, I COULD GIVE YOU FULL GREEN LIGHT. LET'S DO THIS, MOVE FORWARD, LET'S GET THIS DONE. LET US HAVE FIVE C WE'LL MEET EVERY REQUIREMENT YOU MAKE. SO IT SOUNDS LIKE WE'RE HAVING OPEN NEGOTIATIONS SINCE WE DIDN'T HAVE THESE CONVERSATIONS PRIOR, WHICH WE SHOULD HAVE. UM, BUT THAT'S, THAT'S A PROBLEM I HAVE HERE IN THE COUNTY. BUT I CAN TELL YOU COUNCIL WISE, WE WANNA SEE THIS PROTECTED AND NOT DEVELOPED. BUT YOU ALSO WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYTHING WE FOUGHT FOR THE PAST SIX YEARS TO PUT FIVE B TO REST STAYS TO REST. SO I'M ALL ON BOARD WITH WORKING WITH THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON IF I HAVE TO SIT AND MEET WITH YOU GUYS 'CAUSE THERE'S SOME LACK OF COMMUNICATION SOMEWHERE AND THAT HURTS SOMEONE'S FEELINGS. I DON'T REALLY CARE. I WANNA SEE IT DONE. I WANNA SEE THIS PROTECTED. UM, I KNOW GREEN SPACES HAS WORKED THEIR BEHIND OFF TO GET TO THIS POINT. UM, I, I DON'T, I TECHNICALLY THIS IS CONSIDERED A CONSIDERATION, SO WE'RE NOT EVEN CONSIDER, WE'RE NOT VOTING, WE'RE NOT EVEN TAKING THE VOTE FOR IT. SO BEFORE I, I DON'T SEE ANY ISSUE WITH US MOVING THIS FORWARD AS LONG AS WE CAN HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT FIVE C TO MAKE SURE THAT WHEN THAT TIME DOES COME, THAT'S A COLLABORATIVE PROJECT. I THINK, UM, BLUFFTON HAS BEEN VERY OPEN IN WANTING TO COLLABORATE IN THIS. I THINK, UM, I I HOPE THAT CONTINUES. I KNOW WE'VE GOT A LOT OF WORK THAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IN THAT AREA, UM, INCLUDING SOME OTHER ACQUISITIONS THAT WE'RE, WE'RE WORKING ON HERE. RIGHT? YEAH. UH, WE, WE'VE ENTERED INTO CONTRACTS. WE HAVE TO MAKE CERTAIN DECISIONS WITHIN A CERTAIN TIMEFRAME WITH THE OWNER OF FIVE C, WHICH IS IN LYNN BLUFFTON. I KNOW THE, THE TOWN WAS HOPING TO HAVE SOME RESOLUTION TO THIS PARTICULAR QUESTION A WHILE BACK. UH, AND AND DUE TO, DUE TO ISSUES NOT SOLELY WITHIN THE CA WITHIN THE COUNTY BUT BLUFFTON AS WELL. IT JUST TOOK A LITTLE BIT LONGER AND I THINK THE TOWN WANTS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE A FORM OF COVENANT THAT WORKS BEFORE WE CLOSE ON ANYTHING WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT THERE WILL BE GREEN PENNY OR GREEN SPACE INVOLVEMENT. 'CAUSE AGAIN, THE GOAL OF BUYING THAT INLAND [01:55:01] BLUFFTON PEACH PIECE, WHICH IS MORE EXPENSIVE THAN THE 240 ACRES, UH, FOR THE FOOTHILLS TRACKED, IT'S ONLY ABOUT 50 ACRES, BUT IT'S MORE EXPENSIVE THAN THE THE 240 ACRE FOOTHILL. WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE, WE ACTUALLY ARE HAVING THAT RELATIONSHIP AND WE HAVE THAT SORT OF PARTNERSHIP WITH Y'ALL. SO I CAN TOUCH BASE WITH TOWN STAFF, TOWN COUNCIL AND WE CAN CERTAINLY DISCUSS WHETHER UM, THERE'S AN INTEREST IN WORKING WITH Y'ALL OR EVEN ASSIGNING THAT CONTRACT OVER TO YOU TONIGHT. IT'S JUST A, ANY OTHER COMMENT? I'M SORRY I DIDN'T, I WOULD LIKE THAT LAST QUESTION ANSWERED BEFORE WE'RE DONE THOUGH. THE LAST WHY IT WASN'T BROUGHT TO THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON WEEKS AGO WHEN WE DISCUSSED IT. I KNOW. HAVE THE ANSWER TO THAT. I KNOW BEFORE THIS CONVERSATION ENDS, I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THAT. WELL, I DON'T HAVE ANY ANSWER BEFORE THAT. YEAH. SPECIFIC. OH NO, YOU, IT IT'S TOWARDS NOT GUYS. YEAH. HE'S LOOKING AT OUR EMPLOYEES. YEAH. SO I, I'M AT A LOSS. I I DON'T REMEMBER WHEN THAT WAS DISCUSSED. OBVIOUSLY WE WILL TAKE THIS FORWARD. UM, SO IF, IF THERE'S REASON TO BLAME SOMEBODY THAT'S ME. SO I DON'T HAVE AN ANSWER COMING UP ON JUNE 12TH. I BELIEVE MR. MCCLELLAN, I BELIEVE, UM, BY MEMORY I'M NOT EVEN OPPOSED TO CALLING A SPECIAL PURPOSE MEETING IF IT ALREADY EXTENDED OUR DUE DILIGENCE PERIOD UNDER INLAND BLUFFTON CONTRACT MAXIMUM EXTENT THAT WE CAN, I BELIEVE DUE DILIGENCE EXPIRE SOME TIME THAT THERE'S SOME URGENCY. THERE IS SOME URGENCY THERE. SO I WOULD ASK MADAM CHAIRMAN, WITH YOUR PERMISSION AND THE COUNCIL PERMISSION TO ASK THE ADMINISTRATOR IF HE WOULD JUST ON MY BEHALF, IF YOU WOULD CHECK WITH YOUR STAFF ON WHERE WE ARE APPRAISAL ASPECT THAT, THAT THE COUNTY ORDERED, I DON'T, I DON'T STAFF FOR THAT IS NOT HERE TONIGHT AND PERHAPS WE CAN, CAN PUT SOME EMERGENCY IN BEHIND 'CAUSE THEY DON'T. TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE. YES SIR. WHAT I HOPE COUNCIL WILL LOOK AT IS THIS WAS A COURTESY BY THE GREEN SPACE TO COME BACK. YOU'RE RIGHT. WE DIDN'T, WE WERE NOT ASKING FOR A VOTE TONIGHT, BUT WE FELT VERY STRONGLY THAT THIS IS CHANGING FROM A GRANT AHEAD OF TIME TO A REIMBURSABLE GRANT. AND THE CREDIBILITY OF THE GREEN SPACE TO ME IS FRANKLY MORE IMPORTANT THAN ANYTHING ELSE GOING FORWARD, WHETHER I'M ON IT OR NOT, THAT IS CRITICAL TO ITS MISSION, IS TO YOU THE PUBLIC HAVE CREDIBILITY AND INTEGRITY IN THAT SYSTEM. AND BY DOING SO, WE WANTED TO BRING THESE ITEMS TO YOUR ATTENTION. THERE ARE SOME RECOMMENDATIONS WE HAVE THAT WE CAN HELP THE ADMINISTRATOR IN WORKING ON FIVE A FIVE B TRACK ON THOSE THREE POINTS. THE ADMINISTRATOR CAN NEGOTIATE WITH THE TOWN ON MAYBE PUTTING A CAP ON HOW MANY OF THOSE ACRES THAT THEY COULD POTENTIALLY DO. THEY CAN PUT A CAP ON, THEY CAN PUT A PROCESS ON HOW THEY'RE GONNA VALUE THOSE PARTICULAR ACREAGE AT THIS TIME AND THEN WHEN IT WOULD BE PAID IF IT WERE TO BE IMPACTED. 'CAUSE THOSE ARE THE THREE OUTSTANDING POINTS THAT THE TOWN AND THE COUNTY NEED TO WORK OUT. GREEN SPACE REALLY DOESN'T HAVE A, IS NOT ITS ROLE TO DO THAT. IT'S ROLE REALLY IS TO COME BACK AND SAY, OKAY, THERE'S, I THINK, ADHERES TO WHAT THE CITIZENS ARE LOOKING FOR IN THAT PROJECT. SO THIS WAS A DISCUSSION ITEM. SO IT WOULD GO TO NATURAL RESOURCE OR MAKE A MOTION TO SEND IT TO COUNCIL. WELL YOU'RE GONNA BE TAKING THIRD READING THIS EVENING, MADAM CHAIRMAN ON HAVING A D WHERE GREEN SPACE IS. UH, YOU'RE CHANGING THE ORDINANCE TO BRING, TO ALLOW GREEN SPACE TO COME DIRECTLY TO COUNCIL. WE ARE COUNCIL CAN DECIDE IF YOU WANT TO THEN REMAND IT BACK TO NATIONAL RESOURCES FOR A CASE IN THIS CASE, I'D RECOMMEND, SINCE YOU'RE GONNA HAVE THIRD READING, WE'RE GONNA HAVE, UH, PROJECTS COMING FORWARD IN EARLY JUNE THAT WE MIGHT TRY TO SEE IF WE CAN MAKE SOMETHING LIKE THAT WORK IN THAT TIMEFRAME. IF THAT'S, YOU'RE RIGHT, IT'S A THIRD READING TONIGHT. PARDON ME? I DIDN'T REALIZE HE WAS COMING UP BEHIND ME LIKE THAT. OF COURSE HE IS. GET THE HELL OUTTA ME WHEN YOU DO THAT. UH, COUNCIL RECALL THAT WE HAD, UH, A CAUCUS, UH, TWO WEEKS AGO IN WHICH WE DISCUSSED THE LEGAL ISSUES ON THIS. AND OUR GOAL WAS TO BRING THIS TO AN OPEN DISCUSSION AND WE WERE LOOKING FOR GUIDANCE FROM COUNSEL TO GIVE TO THE ADMINISTRATOR TO NEGOTIATE AND FINALIZE THOSE COVENANTS. SO WE WERE LOOKING FOR A VOTE TONIGHT WITH THE GUIDANCE AS FAR AS HOW YOU FELT ABOUT THE THREE ISSUES THAT WERE RAISED THAT, UH, DR. BI SHANE, UH, JUST RAISED WITH YOU AND IDENTIFIED WITH YOU AND WALKED YOU THROUGH VERY WELL, VERY ELOQUENTLY. UH, SO WE ARE LOOKING FOR THAT GUIDANCE SO THE ADMINISTRATOR CAN [02:00:01] EXECUTE THE GO COVENANTS, UH, THAT MEET THE SATISFACTION OF COUNSEL BASED ON THOSE ISSUES THERE. SO WE'RE HOPING IN THAT. NOW AS FAR AS OWNING PARCEL FIVE C, IF COUNCIL WANTS COUNTY STAFF TO MOVE FORWARD WITH AN APPLICATION TO GREEN SPACE FOR THAT, IT WOULD REQUIRE A VOTE OF COUNCIL TO GIVE THAT DIRECTION TO THEIR, I'M NOT SURE WHEN THESE COMMUNICATIONS OCCURRED, WHAT THESE COMMUNICATIONS WERE AS FAR AS ASKING STAFF TO LOOK AT THAT, BUT IT WOULD TAKE A VOTE OF COUNSEL TO UH, DIRECT THE ADMINISTRATOR TO BRING AN APPLICATION FOR THAT. THAT WAS IN THAT SAME MEETING. WE HAD THAT CONVERSATION MM-HMM WHEN I ASKED TO SEE IF WE COULD GO TO THEM TO FIND OUT IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WAS POSSIBLE. AND IF YOU DON'T BELIEVE ME, YOU CAN ASK HOW THAT COUNCIL MEMBER'S UP HERE THAT WAS IN THAT MEETING. SO PART OF THAT LEGAL DISCUSSION TWO WEEKS AGO IS WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT CORRECT. IS WHEN I ASKED CAN YOU GO TO THE TOWN AND ASK 'EM IF THEY'D BE WILLING TO NEGOTIATE FOR US TO OWN PARTIAL C TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN SO WE CAN STREAMLINE IT AND PUT THESE THREE TOGETHER. WE CAN CERTAINLY HAVE DISCUSSIONS, BUT WHETHER THEY, UH, AGREE TO IT OR NOT, THE COUNTY CAN BECOME AN APPLICANT JUST LIKE ANYBODY ELSE IN THE COUNTY COULD BECOME AN APPLICANT BECAUSE THE PROPERTY IS FOR SALE. UH, AND UNTIL THERE'S A GRANT FOR IT OR SOMEBODY PURCHASES IT, IT'S STILL OUT THERE. BUT YOU NEED THAT DIRECTION FROM COUNCIL AND THE WAY TO DO THAT IS VIA VOTE. NOT A FEW MEMBERS SPEAKING IN A UH, EXECUTIVE SESSION LIKE THAT, BUT HAVING THE CONVERSATION AND DIRECTING YOU. WE WERE IN THERE FOR LEGAL ADVICE AND I ASKED THE QUESTION FOR LEGALLY TO SEE IF IT'S SOMETHING THAT THEY'RE WILLING TO NEGOTIATE TO DO THAT THAT'S PART OF NEGOTIATIONS WAS THAT THAT PROJECT WITH IT AND FOR THEM TO NOT KNOW WHEN THEY CAME IN HERE IS UNFAIR TO THEM. AND I FEEL BAD TO BE COMPLETELY HONEST. LET ME SPEAK TO INCLUDING TO MR. MCSHANE. HE WAS EVEN UNAWARE AT THE MOMENT. WE CLEARLY MISSED THAT. LET ME SPEAK TO, UH, MR. PHELPS, UH, AND SEE IF HE'S TALKED WITH UH, MARK DAVIS WHO'S NOT HERE TO SEE IF THERE'S BEEN ANY DISCUSSIONS OR ANYTHING. UM, I'LL HAVE TO COORDINATE WITH UH, BOTH OF THEM WHO ARE NOT AVAILABLE TONIGHT TO ANSWER THOSE QUESTIONS. WE'LL GET YOU AN ANSWER ON THAT. UH, AND IF YOU WANT US TO PURSUE THAT, WE'LL JUST ASK COUNSEL TO GIVE US A, UH, VOTE AFTER WE'VE HAD THOSE DISCUSSIONS. UH, FOR THAT GUIDANCE ANYWAY, WE ARE LOOKING FOR GUIDANCE SO THE ADMINISTRATOR CAN KNOW OR TONIGHT WHAT COVENANTS TO EXECUTE SO WE CAN GET THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON THEIR MONEY AND PUT THIS ISSUE TO BED FOR FIVE A AND FIVE B. SO WE'RE LOOKING FOR A MOTION TO DIRECT THE ADMINISTRATOR TO DO THE MONEY. YEAH. A MOTION. YOU RECEIVED YOUR LEGAL ADVICE FROM MR. PHELPS TWO WEEKS AGO FOR, UM, WE ALL AGREED WE'D COME OUT AND HAVE THIS OPEN DISCUSSION AND THEN PROVIDE GUIDANCE TO THE ADMINISTRATOR. UH, IF WE'RE GOING TO UH, CONTINUE WITH THE GRANT, UH, AND REACH AN AGREEMENT ON THESE COVENANTS IS WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR. AND THE COVENANTS ARE THE ONLY THING HOLDING IT UP. SO MADAM CHAIRMAN, PERHAPS IF I MAY OFFER A MOTION TO RECOMMEND TO THE OR TO HAVE THE ADMINISTRATOR BE APPRECIATING ON A COUPLE OF THOSE THREE POINTS THAT WERE HIGHLIGHTED ABOUT, UH, PERHAPS A CAP ON ACRES IMPACTED IF NEEDED, UH, HOW YOU WANT TO VALUE THOSE AND WHEN THAT TRANSACTION WOULD TAKE PLACE ON THAT, THAT WOULD CLOSE OUT FIVE A AND AND FIVE B AND FIVE B FROM PARCELS AND PUT 'EM UNDER AND HAVE GREEN SPACE DOLLARS IN 'EM. WE WILL BE COMING BACK TO COUNCIL RAPIDLY, UH, WITH, 'CAUSE I BELIEVE OUR DUE DILIGENCE SHOULD BE REALLY CLOSE ON BASED ON THE TIMEFRAME ON FIVE C AND HAPPY TO WORK WITH THE TOWN ON A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT TO, UH, ON THAT BECAUSE IT'S CLOSE BY THE END OF THE MONTH. RIGHT. IT'S FINE. I AM NOT TRYING TO UNDERCUT YOUR CONTRACT WITH SOMEBODY YOU'RE NEGOTIATING WITH. UNDERSTAND . ALRIGHT, SO LET'S HAVE THE MOTION. CAN I HAVE SOMEBODY MAKE THE MOTION? MY MOTIONED YOU WANNA STATE THE MOTION SO EVERYBODY KNOWS WHAT THEY'RE VOTING FOR? YEAH, I THINK IT NEEDS TO BE A DETAILED MOTION. YEAH. OKAY. SO WE'RE GONNA MOTION TO, UM, PUT FIVE A AND FIVE B PARCELS, NOT THE ROAD PARCELS INTO GREEN SPACE. CORRECT. MAY I OFFER SOME ASSISTANCE? YES, PLEASE. THANK YOU. UH, COUNCILWOMAN BROWN, WOULD YOU ACCEPT THAT THE MOTION IS TO AUTHORIZE THE ADMINISTRATOR TO MAKE THE RE TO MAKE THE GRANT ON PARCELS FIVE A, FIVE B AS A REIMBURSABLE GRANT, UH, GIVING HIM AUTHORITY TO NEGOTIATE ON A COUPLE OF THE, THE POINTS OF ACREAGE IMPACT ON THE PROSPECT OF A POTENTIAL ROAD KNOWN AS FIVE B? YES. YES. IS THAT ACCEPTABLE? I COULDN'T, I COULD NOT SAY IT LIKE YOU DO. I'LL SECOND THAT. . OKAY. MOTION MADE BY MRS. BROWN. OKAY. SECONDED BY MR. BARTHOLOMEW. ANY OTHER QUESTION, MR. PASSMAN OF THE [02:05:01] IDEA OF FIXING THE PRICE IN TODAY'S DOLLARS? YEAH. FOR SOMETHING THAT COULD HAPPEN FAR IN THE FUTURE, FIND A FUTURE COUNSEL THAT WAY. THAT MAY BE, IT'S A FAIR QUESTION. MR. PES, UH, MY EXPERIENCE AT THE STATE LEVEL HAS BEEN THAT WE HAVE SET IN PLACE WHERE A, THE ABILITY TO NEGOTIATE A PRICE IN THE FUTURE. AND WE'VE OFTEN USED TERMS THAT WHATEVER FAIR MARKET VALUE IS AND APPRAISAL TO BE ESTABLISHED AT THAT TIME ALONG THOSE WORDS VERSUS A FIXED PRICE THAT'S SET IN TODAY. I LIKE THE LANGUAGE. YEAH. AGAIN, I THINK YOU'RE GIVEN SOMETHING, YOU'RE GIVEN THE ADMINISTRATOR THAT CAPACITY TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION. I BELIEVE BY THAT MOTION WE WOULD WRITE INTO THE COVENANTS AS FAR AS THE AMOUNT OF ACREAGE THAT COUNCIL'S WILLING TO ALLOW THEM, UH, IF ANY IN ADDITION TO THIS 10.85 I THINK IT WAS THAT, UH, ARE CURRENTLY AUTHORIZED AND THAT IT WOULD BE AT THE FAIR MARKET PRICE. BUT THE QUESTION IS FAIR MARKET PRICE OF TODAY'S DOLLARS OR AT THE TIME THEY PURCHASE IT. AND THEN THE QUESTION IS DO THEY PAY AT THE TIME THEY NEED THE PROPERTY OR AFTER THEY'VE CONSTRUCTED THE ROAD, ARE YOU GONNA LET THEM DO CONSTRUCTION PRIOR TO PURCHASE REIMBURSING FOR THE GREEN SPACE? OKAY. SO THAT WAS THE GUIDANCE WE'RE LOOKING FOR. RIGHT? BUT, BUT TO MY POINT, YES, THAT'S DOWN THE ROAD. THAT'S A, THAT'S ANOTHER COUNCIL. THAT'S NOT THIS COUNCIL, BUT THEY'RE THE COVENANTS THAT YOU'RE PLACING ON THE PROPERTY AT THE TIME THE GRANT IS BEING AWARDED. SO THEY REMAIN THEIR IN PERPETUITY. SO THE COVENANT WILL FOLLOW THROUGH WITH THE PROPERTY DESPITE WHOEVER IS ON. ALRIGHT. WE HAVE A MOTION ON THE FLOOR IN A SECOND. ANY OTHER DISCUSSION OR QUESTION? IS THIS A ONE, ONE TIME READ OR JUST TO MOVE IT FORWARD FOR THREE READINGS IN THE FUTURE? GREEN SPACE ONLY REQUIRES YOU TO DO THIS ONE TIME, NOT THREE TIMES. THIS IS ONE VOTE MR. THE GUIDANCE THAT YOU WANT IN THE COVENANTS IS WHAT WE'RE HERE. I'M HEARING THAT THE VOTE IS FOR, UH, HIM TO NEGOTIATE THE COVENANTS AND THEY SHOULD BE CLOSE TO WHAT EXISTS TODAY BASED UPON WHAT I RECALL THE CONVERSATIONS TWO WEEKS AGO IN EXECUTIVE SESSION, THE DISCUSSION ABOUT THE LEGAL PARAMETERS. UM, IF YOU WANT TO CHANGE IT TO WHERE YOU WANT TO ALLOW THEM TO PURCHASE ADDITIONAL TO THE 10.85 AS THEY NEED TO, WE NEED TO KNOW THAT NOW. AND IF YOU WANT TO CHANGE IT FROM FAIR MARKET PRICE AT THE TIME THEY PURCHASE IT, UH, TO TODAY'S FAIR MARKET PRICE, WE NEED TO HEAR THAT NOW. AND IF YOU WANT TO ALLOW THEM TO PAY FOR IT AFTER THE FACT RATHER THAN PRIOR TO, UH, ACQUIRING THE PROPERTY TO BUILD THAT ROAD, WE NEED TO HEAR THAT NOW. THAT'S THE GUIDANCE WE'VE BEEN SEEKING FOR TONIGHT. IF VICE CHAIR, SO I UNDERSTAND RIGHT NOW THEY, IT WOULD BE THE FAIR MARKET VALUE TODAY. THAT'S WHAT THEY WERE ASKING FOR IN THE, AS IT CAME FORTH. THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE ASKING FOR. GREEN SPACE RECOMMENDED TO COUNCIL. THE GREEN SPACE ONLY RECOMMENDED, UH, THE CHANGES TO THE PASSIVE PARK. UH, AS FAR AS THE DRONES, THE EQUESTRIAN AND THE BOCCE BALL I GUESS I HEARD TONIGHT. MAY I CLARIFY ONE THING? YOU CERTAINLY CAN. WE'RE NOT ASKING BASED OFF THE, NECESSARILY THE FAIR MARKET VALUE PRICE TODAY WE ARE SAYING BASED OFF OF THE, THE PURCHASE PRICE AND HOW WE CALCULATED THE REIMBURSEMENT ON THE, ON THAT PER ACREAGE BASIS. 'CAUSE THE TOWN BELIEVES THAT THE FAIR MARKET VALUE FAR EXCEEDS WHAT WE ACTUALLY PAID FOR IT. AND TERRIBLE SALES IN BLUFFTON GOING FOR FAR MORE. THAT'S WHY WE HAVE, THAT'S WHY WE ARE RECOMMENDING THAT WE PUT THAT, THAT SAME SORT OF LANGUAGE IN HAPPENS. IT COULD BE IN TWO YEARS IF THE OWNER OF WILL ON INDIAN HILL DECIDES TO DO IT, OR IT COULD IN 12 YEARS WHEN THE DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT EXPIRES. I THINK IT'S 2040 OR 2039, MAYBE, SOMEWHERE AROUND THERE. WE'LL KNOW FOR SURE WHETHER THAT ROAD AND THAT OBLIGATION WILL CONTINUE TO EXIST. BUT WE BELIEVE THAT THE FAIR MARKET VALUE ON A PER ACRE BASIS AS FAR EXCEEDS WHAT WE PAID FOR THE PROPERTY AND WHAT WE'RE ASKING YOU TO REIMBURSE US FOR. SO THAT'S WHY WE ARE, I I JUST WANTED TO MAKE IT VERY CLEAR 'CAUSE I HEARD THE FAIR MARKET VALUE TODAY. THANK YOU AND APOLOGIZE FOR INTERRUPTING. NO PROBLEM. CHAIR. ANOTHER ISSUE WAS YOU HEARD OR YOU RECALL THE DISCUSSION BASED UPON THE ENTIRE PARCEL PROPERTY, UH, OR THE HIGH LAND PROPERTY THAT THEY CAN, UH, BUILD ON, UH, AS FAR AS THE MARKET VALUE, ACREAGES, VICE CHAIR. ONE THING WITH ALL THE UNCERTAINTY AND THE CONFUSION, DO WE TAKE A BREAK AND TAKE A PAUSE RIGHT HERE? REGARDLESS, WE WOULD VOTE THE MOTION DOWN IF WE DON'T WANNA DO IT TODAY, AND IT WOULD COME BACK ANOTHER TIME. I MEAN, IS IT, ARE WE BEING GOOD STEWARDS BY, UH, TAKING A PAUSE? I'M SAYING, I MEAN, JUST, I DON'T THINK ANYBODY KNOWS WHAT WE'RE DOING. I DO. IF WE DON'T WANT TO VOTE [02:10:01] THE MOTION DOWN NECESSARILY, DO WE WANNA VOTE FOR THIS? IF YOU'RE NOT READY TO MAKE A DECISION, YOU CAN POSTPONE IT UNTIL THE NEXT MEETING IS WHAT YOU CAN DO. UM, BUT DON'T LET THE ISSUE DIE HERE, UH, WITH THE, UH, BE IN THE COVENANTS FOR THIS GRANT, UH, TO GO THROUGH. THIS IS IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD'S, DISTRICTS. LET US KNOW WHAT YOU WANT. LET'S GO. I MEAN, MY BIGGEST FEAR IS IF WE HAVE, OKAY, MAY I SPEAK? YEAH. ALL OF MY, MY CONSTITUENTS ARE HERE FROM ROSE HILL. THEY CAME HERE TONIGHT TO, TO ASK US TO VOTE YES ON THIS AND GET IT DONE. I DON'T KNOW WHY. YEAH. I DUNNO WHY EVERYTHING'S SO DIFFICULT. AND MR. REHAN, THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. YOU'RE WELCOME. FOR EVERYTHING. NO, I MEAN, I THANK YOU. WE NEED TO VOTE YES ON THE FIVE A AND THE FIVE B AND GET THIS DONE. ONE ASSURANCE MADAM, I WILL NOT BE ON GREEN SPACE IN 2039 WITH THIS AND WE WILL NOT BE ON COUNCIL, BE COUNCIL. SO WE'RE GOOD. OKAY. YEAH. OKAY. AND CHAIRMAN? YEP. YEAH, I, I WOULD MOVE THIS FORWARD, UM, AS WELL. AND I, I JUST DON'T HAVE, I JUST DON'T FEEL GOOD ABOUT LOCKING YOUR PRICE IN TODAY FOR 20, 30 YEARS FROM NOW. I THINK IF YOU HAVE A LANGUAGE WHERE YOU CAN NEGOTIATE A PRICE, YOU DON'T EVEN HAVE TO DEAL WITH THE FAIR MARKET PRICE. BUT I DON'T WANT TO BE NEGOTIATE SETTING A PRICE TODAY FOR 20, 30 YEARS FROM NOW. AT THE SAME TIME, I DON'T WANT TO, UM, I HEAR THE ATTORNEY FROM BLUFFTON SPEAK ABOUT ADDITIONAL ACREAGE. UM, THIS LANGUAGE HERE BASICALLY LEAVES IT OPEN-ENDED. IT COULD BE MORE THAN 20 ACRES DEPENDING ON WHATEVER. I DON'T THINK THAT'S WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN. BUT I THINK WHEN YOU DON'T SAY EXACTLY HOW MUCH ACRES YOU CAN GET UP TO, THEN IT MAKES IT LIKE, I CAN GET 30 ACRES HERE TO DO THIS ROAD. AND I DON'T THINK WE WANNA DO THAT. I THINK WE NEED TO SET ASIDE ACREAGE AND SAY, YOU CAN GET ADDITIONAL TWO, THREE ACRES OR WHATEVER, BUT DON'T LEAVE IT JUST OPEN-ENDED. CHAIRMAN, THAT WAS ONE OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS MADE BY COUNSEL TO YOU A COUPLE WEEKS. PROPERTY AS MUCH AS PRESERVED IN PERPETUITY. IT WAS ALSO RECOMMENDATION, UH, ABOUT HAVING A NEGOTIATION AT THE TIME OF THAT TRANSACTION OF A ROAD TO BE BUILT TO WHAT THE PRICE, THE VALUE WOULD BE AS WELL AS AT THAT TIME BEFORE THE ACTUAL PHYSICAL IMPACT WOULD OCCUR. BUT COUNSEL GAVE YOU A COUPLE WEEKS AGO, GREEN SPACE WAS VERY RIGHTLY APPOINTED OUT. WE MADE SOME RECOMMENDATIONS ON, ON RESTRICTING SOME OF THE PASSIVE USE, BUT TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE REIMBURSEMENT AND MAKE IT A RE WHAT INITIATED THIS WHOLE CONVERSATION. WE WENT FROM A GRANT TO A REIMBURSABLE GRANT. I FELT ANYBODY ELSE COMMENT CONCERNED ABOUT, WE CAN TALK ABOUT THIS. LEAVE IT TO, THEY CAN APPROACH COUNTY COUNCIL TO ACQUIRE ADDITIONAL LAND. UH, IF THERE'S A NEED TO BUILD THAT REQUIRES MORE THAN 10.85 ACRES, AND IT COULD BE A PRICE AS AGREED UPON BY THAT COUNTY COUNCIL AND THAT TOWN COUNCIL AT THE TIME. I REALLY DON'T CARE ABOUT THE MONEY. I DON'T CARE ABOUT THEM BUYING EXTRA ACREAGE. I DON'T CARE ABOUT LOCKING IT IN. THEY CAN HAVE ALL THAT BECAUSE ALL OF THAT IS PENNIES ON THE DOLLAR COMPARED TO IF WE HAVE TO HAVE AN AGREEMENT ON FIVE B. SO ALL THIS STILL REVOLVES AROUND PARCEL C. IF WE VOTE YES TODAY ON THIS WITHOUT ANY CONVERSATION, WHICH WE SHOULD HAVE HAD WEEKS AGO ON FIVE C, THAT NEGOTIATION COULD POSSIBLY DIE COMPLETELY. SO I DON'T CARE LOCKING THE PRICE. NOW WE'RE, WE'RE TALKING A COUPLE MILLION DOLLARS. IF YOU'RE TALKING IN 20, 30 YEARS, A COUPLE MILLION DOLLARS IS A TOTAL DIFFERENT THING TO DISCUSS. THIS IS, IT'S A NO BRAINER TO PRESERVE THE LAND AND THEN BUYING THE LAND BACK, BUYING THE EXTRA ACREAGE DOESN'T BOTHER ME. IT'S THE ROAD THAT CAN GO EAST TO WEST AND THAT REVOLVES AROUND SEA. SO WE'RE EITHER GONNA VOTE ON THE MOTION ON THE FLOOR OR PUSH IT FORWARD, POSTPONE IT. WE HAVE A MOTION ON THE FLOOR. ISN'T THE DUE DILIGENCE CLOSING ON THIS SEED IS AT THE END OF THE MONTH? THEY ALREADY OWN ONE. SEE, THEY HAVE TO PURCHASE BY THE END OF THE MONTH. WE ILLEGALLY, I WOULD NEVER WANT TO GO IN AND UNDERCUT ONE OF THEIR CONTRACTS THAT JUST SETS UP A LAWSUIT AND THEY SHOULD BE UPSET ABOUT THAT. BUT I WANNA WORK WITH THE MUNICIPALITY, NOT AGAINST THEM. THIS IS CREATING A RELATIONSHIP, NOT FRACTURING ONE, AND IT'S STARTING TO TURN INTO THAT. AND I, THAT'S NOT THE GOAL. THE WHOLE POINT IS TO WORK TOGETHER WITH THIS GREEN SPACE, PRESERVE THE LAND, PROTECT [02:15:01] ONE OF THE LARGEST TRACKS STILL LEFT IN BLUFFTON, BUT ALSO HAVE AN AGREEMENT FOR THE FUTURE ON THIS FIVE B. THAT WHEN IT HAPPENS, WE'LL DO IT TOGETHER. THAT'S WHAT I WANT TO SEE DONE. JUST TO ADDRESS IT, UH, HE JUST TOLD ME THAT THE DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT EXPIRES IN 2039. SO YOU HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THAT ROAD REQUIREMENT FOR 13 YEARS IS WHAT I'M HEARING. UH, SO PRICE COULD BE FIXED BECAUSE YOU ONLY TALK ABOUT A 13 YEAR PERIOD THAT, UH, YOU'RE OBLIGATED. ALL RIGHT, I'LL REPEAT. WE HAVE A MOTION ON THE FLOOR. SECOND AND A SECOND. WE'VE HAD DISCUSSION. SO WE'RE EITHER GOING TO VOTE ON THE MOTION OR SOMEONE'S GOING TO AMEND IT TO PUSH IT FORWARD. THAT RIGHT. LET'S VOTE ON THE MOTION. VOTE ON THE MOTION. VOTE ON THE MOTION, PLEASE. ALRIGHT. SHE'S CALLING THE QUESTION. LET'S CALL THE QUESTION IF YOU WOULD DO A ROLL CALL, PLEASE. MS. BROCK. COUNCIL MEMBER BROWN? YES. COUNCIL MEMBER BARTHOLOMEW? YES. COUNCIL MEMBER REEDS? YES. COUNCIL MEMBER PASSIT? YES. COUNCIL MEMBER MCALLEN? YES. COUNCIL MEMBER LAWSON. MARK LAWSON. YES. COUNCIL MEMBER GLOVER? YES. COUNCIL MEMBER DAWSON? YES. COUNCIL MEMBER CUNNINGHAM? YES, BUT PLEASE, LET'S TRY TO WORK TOGETHER ON C. TAKE HIS YES. AND MOVE VICE CHAIR. TABER. YES. CHAIR HOWARD? YES. THE MOTION PASSES. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. IT'S MY COMMITMENT TO BRING THIS BACK ON THE OTHER PROJECT. YES. KNOWN AS FIVE C AS QUICKLY AS WE CAN WITH A RECOMMENDATION. THAT'LL BE FINE, MAAM. WE APPRECIATE THAT, MA'AM. THANK YOU FOR THE PRIVILEGE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU TO THE NO, YOU, TO THE RESIDENTS OF THIS COUNTY WHO PUT THIS PROGRAM TOGETHER. BE CAREFUL GOING HOME. HAD THIS PROGRAM, WE WOULD NOT BE HAVING THIS DISCUSSION WHATSOEVER. SO THANKS FOR DRIVING FROM CHARLESTON. BE CAREFUL GOING BACK AND TELL MY ROSE HILL RESIDENTS. PLEASE BE CAREFUL GOING HOME. [12.a. 2026/10: An Ordinance to reallocate remaining American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds in the amount of $739,108.13 towards existing projects as obligated to the Department of Treasury.] OKAY, I'M MOVING ON. THANK YOU. ORDINANCE FOR THIRD READING. AND I JUST FOR THE PUBLIC TO KNOW, I'M GONNA GO THROUGH THESE QUICKLY BECAUSE THEY'VE ALREADY BEEN THROUGH COMMITTEE. THEY'VE ALREADY HAD FIRST READING, THEY'VE ALREADY HAD SECOND READING WITH PUBLIC HEARING. SO THIS IS THE FINAL READING. 2026 SLASH 10, AN ORDINANCE TO REALLOCATE REMAINING ARPA FUNDS AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN IN THE AMOUNT OF $739, 108 AND 13 CENTS TOWARD EXISTING PROJECTS AS OBLIGATED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF TREASURY. MAKE THAT MOTION. SECOND. THE VOTE OF FINANCE WAS EIGHT ZERO. THE VOTE OF FIRST READING APRIL 13TH, 11 ZERO. AND THE VOTE AT SECOND READING WITH THE PUBLIC HEARING WAS 10 ZERO. WHO MADE THE MOTION? JOE? MR. LAWSON. YEAH. WHO WANTS TO SECOND IT? OH, I SECOND IT. YEAH. MR. BARTH. MUL. SECOND YORK. OH, YORK WOULD SECOND IT. OKAY. MARK AND YORK. UM, AND THERE SHOULD BE NO DISCUSSION. WE'VE BEAT THESE AEP. ALL RIGHT. ALL IN FAVOR OF THIS ORDINANCE. RAISE YOUR HAND. IT'S UNANIMOUS. THANK [12.b. 2026/11: An Ordinance Authorizing the County Administrator to Execute the necessary documents and provide funding for the purchase of real property located at 641 Sea Island Parkway. ] YOU. 2026 SLASH 11. AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR TO EXECUTE THE NECESSARY DOCUMENTS AND PROVIDE FUNDING FOR THE PURCHASE OF REAL PROPERTY. LOCATED AT 6 41 C ISLAND PARKWAY. AND THE VOTE AT COMMITTEE. AND THE FIRST READING AND SECOND READING WAS 8 0, 11 0 AND 10 ZERO. BEEN SOME MOVED, BEEN CHAIRMAN. I'LL, I'LL SECOND THAT. MR. WHO? WHO I MOVED SECOND. MR. GLOVER MOVED IT. MR. BAROLO, YOU SECONDED? ANY DISCUSSION? JUST IN CASE? ALRIGHT. ALL IN FAVOR? RAISE YOUR HAND. [12.c. 2026/12: An Ordinance authorizing the County Administrator to execute the necessary documents to convey five parcels of real property TMS Nos. R120 005 000 0105 0000, R120 005 000 0127 0000, R120 005 000 0132 0000, R120 005 000 132A 0000, R120 005 000 0133 0000, to the Beaufort Jasper Housing Trust for development of attainable housing in partnership with Beaufort Memorial Hospital and other matters related thereto.] 2026, UH, SLASH 12 IN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR TO EXECUTE THE NECESSARY DOCUMENTS TO CONVEY FIVE PARCELS OF REAL PROPERTY TMS NUMBERS. R 1 20 0 0 5, 0 0, 0, 0 1, 0 5, 0 0. AND YOU CAN READ THE REST OF THEM TO THE BUFORT JASPER HOUSING TRUST FUND FOR DEVELOPMENT OF ATTAINABLE HOUSING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH BUFORT MEMORIAL HOSPITAL AND OTHER MATTERS RELATED THERE TO AND AT THE COMMITTEE IN FIRST AND SECOND READING, THERE WAS NO OBJECTION. SO A MOTION PLEASE. MR. PASSMAN? YOU MOVED? YES. I'LL SECOND, SECOND. MR. CUNNINGHAM COMMENT OR QUESTION FROM THE COUNCIL? YEAH, I'D LIKE TO, UH, ASK CLAUDE IF YOU, UH, HAVE A MOMENT. YOU'RE, YOU'RE INVOLVED IN THIS. I APPRECIATE THAT TOO. I WAS GONNA ASK THE SAME. YEAH, YOU SURE DID. ? SORRY, WHAT WAS THE QUESTION? , YOU'RE GONNA REITERATE WHAT YOU'VE ALREADY SAID TWICE. SO, UM, LET ME RESPOND TO WHAT MR. HICKS, UH, SAID IN HIS COMMENTS DURING, UH, PUBLIC DISCUSSION. UH, AS SOON AS MR. HICKS LET ME KNOW THAT HE WANTED TO HAVE A CONVERSATION, WE DID MEET, UH, AT OUR OFFICES. UH, [02:20:01] I ASSURED HIM THAT WE WOULD LOOK AT, UH, EVERY POSSIBLE MEANS OF PROTECTING, UH, HIS PRIVACY RIGHTS, INCLUDING PUTTING UP A FENCE, INCLUDING PUT, LEAVING THE TREE LINE THAT IS THERE. UM, I ALSO TOLD HIM, AND I WOULD TELL ANYONE WHO'S HERE, UH, THIS IS THE BEGINNING OF THE PROCESS. WE DO NOT NORMALLY BEGIN THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS OF THE DUE DILIGENCE UNTIL AFTER WE ACTUALLY HAVE SITE CONTROL OF THE PROPERTY. SO WE WILL WORK WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD WE ALREADY COMMITTED TO MR. HICKS. WE WOULD DO SO. UH, WE, THE VERY FIRST THING THAT WE ARE DOING IS WE'RE MEETING, I THINK ON THURSDAY OR FRIDAY WITH THE ARCHITECT WHO DREW UP THE ORIGINAL PLANS TO ASK HIM FOUR YEARS AGO. WHAT WAS THE VISION? WHAT WERE YOU THINKING? AND THEN HOW MIGHT WE ADJUST THOSE PLANS, UH, FOR THE CONDITIONS THAT ARE, UH, ARE THERE TODAY. WE WANNA BE PART OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD. WE CLEARLY WANT THE MEDICAL STAFF THAT'S GOING TO LIVE HERE, THE NURSES, THE TECHNICIANS, UH, TO FEEL LIKE A PART OF THE COMMUNITY. SO WE'RE WIDE OPEN, WE'RE TRANSPARENT. WE HAVE BEEN DOING THIS A LONG TIME. UM, AFTER YOU DO THE 200TH ONE, YOU REALIZE VERY QUICKLY THAT EACH ONE IS DIFFERENT AND WE'RE PREPARED TO BE TRANSPARENT. MS. HOWARD? UM, YES. UH, I'VE HEARD THEIR CONCERNS ABOUT STORM WARNER AND RUNOFF. UM, OF COURSE THIS IS IN THE CITY OF BEAUFORT AND UNDER THEIR JURISDICTION. UH, BUT I, I WOULD, UM, JUST LIKE TO MENTION THAT, UM, THE CITY OF BEAUFORT WILL OF COURSE ENFORCE THEIR STORMWATER REGULATIONS THAT ARE IN EFFECT NOW. UH, WHEN THE NEIGHBOR, SOME OF THE NEIGHBORS, UH, AREA WAS BUILT, THAT WAS BEFORE WE HAD STORMWATER REGULATIONS. BUT NOW THAT WE DO, AND I'M SURE MISS, UM, THE TRUST, UM, AUTHORITY WILL ALSO MAKE SURE THAT IT WILL COMPLY WITH ALL OF THE CITY OF BEAUFORT STORMWATER REGULATIONS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ANYBODY ELSE? QUESTION FOR MR. HICKS OR YES, MR. ROBERT? YEAH. UM, AND I, I APPRECIATE WHAT YOU JUST SAID. AND I THINK WHEN THE, WHEN I FIRST HEARD ABOUT THE OBJECTION TO THIS PROPOSAL RIGHT HERE, IT WAS AT THE CHAT, UM, AT THE COUNTY CHAT AND THE GENTLEMAN CAME FORWARD AND HE TALKED ABOUT IT AND STUFF. AND, UM, WE WANTED TO BASICALLY PROVIDE HOUSING. I THINK THAT WHEN, IF, IF THERE'S, THERE'S SOMETHING IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD IS COMING AND I HAVE SOME OBJECTIONS TO IT, YOU KNOW, I'LL HAVE VOICED MY CONCERN. SO I'M HOPING THAT BECAUSE IT'S THE CITY WHO HAS ALL OF THE, UM, IT'S IN THIS WITHIN THE CITY LIMITS. SO THEY'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR, THEY GOT THE PUBLIC HEARING, ET CETERA, ET CETERA. UM, WE WANTED TO BASICALLY SUPPORT THE HOUSING NEEDS AND YOU MAY WANT TO BACK OFF OF SOME OF THOSE, YOU KNOW, TRY TO CONFORM TO THE COMMUNITY. BUT I HOPE THAT YOU WILL WORK WITH THE COMMUNITY TO CONFORM. SO I'M GONNA SUPPORT THE MOTION, BUT I'M GONNA LEAVE IT UP TO YOU BECAUSE I FIGURE YOU'RE GONNA COME BACK ONE DAY. THANK YOU, . ALL RIGHT. ANYBODY ELSE? QUESTION? YEAH. MR. , UM, MY QUESTION THAT YOU'VE ANSWERED MOST OF WHAT I HAD ALREADY, BUT I GUESS THE BIGGEST ONE IS WHAT COMMUNICATION STRATEGY YOU'RE GONNA HAVE. BECAUSE THERE, THERE WAS OBVIOUSLY PEOPLE THAT HAVE COME FORWARD. WE'VE GOT A COUPLE OF EMAILS THAT THEY HAD NEVER HEARD OF THE PROJECT OR MOVED IN LATE, AWARE OF THE HISTORY OF IT. UH, JUST WHAT COMMUNICATION STRATEGY ARE Y'ALL GOING TO USE FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND THE DEVELOPMENT? SO THIS EXISTED ABOUT TWO YEARS BEFORE I GOT HERE. UH, THE HOSPITAL HAD DONE A GOOD BIT OF WORK IN TERMS OF IMAGINING WHAT COULD BE HERE, DOING THAT AMOUNT OF WORK. WHAT WE NORMALLY DO IS ONCE WE MEET WITH THE ARCHITECT AND WE DETERMINE WHAT THIS IS GOING TO LOOK LIKE, OR AT LEAST TWO OR THREE VERSIONS OF IT, UH, WE'LL ACTUALLY FORM A NEIGHBORHOOD COMMITTEE. WE'LL GO BEFORE THE NEIGHBORHOOD. IT WILL BE OPEN TO ANYONE WHO'S WOULD LIKE TO COME IN AND TALK. UH, SHOW THEM WHAT WE'VE GOT, SHOW THEM HOW IT WILL IMPACT THE NEIGHBORHOOD. UH, I'M SURE WE WILL HEAR A HUNDRED OBJECTIONS. UH, AND WE'LL TRY AND ADDRESS THEM EACH AND EVERY ONE. APPRECIATE IT. ALRIGHT. ELSE JUST WANNA SAY, THIS IS THE SECOND PROJECT WE DUMPED YOU MEMORIAL. THE FIRST ONE WE TOOK THAT STEP DID IT RIGHT IN BLUFFTON. UM, AND IT'S LIKE 140 UNITS AND THEY'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THE MUNICIPALITY THERE TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT GETS DONE AS WELL AND TO SATISFY THE PEOPLE AROUND. SO THE RECORD ALREADY SHOWS THAT YOU GUYS ARE WILLING TO WORK WITH THE PEOPLE IN THAT AREA. UH, AND I TOLD PEOPLE BEFORE, IF I'M GONNA PUSH AFFORDABLE HOUSING, WORKFORCE HOUSING AND TABLE HOUSING, WHATEVER WORD YOU WANNA USE, THAT I WOULD BE THE FIRST ONE TO MAKE SURE THAT IT HAPPENED IN MY AREA. 'CAUSE I WOULDN'T WANNA PUT IT ANYWHERE ELSE IF I'M NOT WILLING TO DO IT MYSELF. SO I'LL SUPPORT THIS MOTION. ALRIGHT. ALL IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND. THANK YOU. IT'S UNANIMOUS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU [12.d. 2026/13: 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. ] MR. HICKS. UM, 2026 SLASH 13. THIS IS THE GREEN SPACE ORDINANCE TO AMEND BEAUFORT COUNTY'S ORDINANCE. CHAPTER 38, ENVIRONMENT. ARTICLE SEVEN, GREEN SPACE PROGRAM, SECTION 38 [02:25:01] DASH 1 96, METHOD OF PROGRAM AND PROCEDURES OF BEAUFORT COUNTY CODE OF ORDINANCES IN THIS PAST COMMITTEE. AND TWO, HEARING TWO, UH, READINGS PLUS PUBLIC HEARING WITH NO OBJECTION. THIS IS WHAT MR. MCSHANE ALLUDED TO. SHALL MOVED. MOVING IT FORWARD. SECOND. OKAY. WE HAVE, UH, MR. CUNNINGHAM MOVED IT. MR. , YOU SECOND IT. ANY QUESTION? ALRIGHT. ALL IN FAVOR? THANK YOU MS. HOWARD. YES, SHE'S ON THERE. [12.e. 2026/14: An Ordinance adding a new Section 54-8 to the Beaufort County Code of Ordinances so as to prohibit and make unlawful the discharge of firearms in certain unincorporated areas of the county, to provide the civil penalty pertaining to such violations, and to provide certain exceptions and limitations thereto. ] OKAY. 2026 SLASH 14 IN ORDINANCE, ADDING A NEW SECTION FI 54 DASH EIGHT TO THE BUFORT COUNTY CODE OF ORDINANCES SO AS TO PROHIBIT AND MAKE UNLAWFUL THE DISCHARGE OF FIREARMS IN CERTAIN UNINCORPORATED AREAS OF THE COUNTY TO PROVIDE THE CIVIL PENALTY PERTAINING TO SUCH VIOLATIONS AND TO PROVIDE CERTAIN EXCEPTIONS AND LIMITATIONS THERETO THIS PAST THE COMMUNITY SERVICE COMMITTEE. THE FIRST READING, SECOND READING WITH THE PUBLIC HEARING WITH NO OBJECTION. CAN I HAVE A MOTION? SO MOVED. I'LL MOTION. ALRIGHT, WE'LL LET MS. BROWN HAVE THIS ONE, IF YOU DON'T MIND. MM-HMM . MR. PASSMAN WILL TAKE THE SECOND HE DOESN'T MIND. ALRIGHT. QUESTION, COMMENT ON THIS ONE. WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON THIS ONE A LONG TIME. I'VE SAID THIS BEFORE AS A FACT THAT, UH, I, I HAVE PEOPLE THAT ASK ME WHY WE'RE DOING THIS IS BECAUSE WE'VE HAD PEOPLE THAT HAVE NOT BEEN GUN SAFETY, THEY'VE BEEN STUPID. AND, UM, WE THEN HAVE TO, UM, RAMP LEGISLATION BECAUSE OF THAT, TO PROTECT OUR, OUR CONSTITUENTS. SO AGAIN, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE'VE DONE, UH, WITH, UM, THE, THE COOPERATION OF THE, UM, SOLICITOR'S OFFICE AND THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE. AND AGAIN, WORKED ON THIS WITH THE COMMUNITY, UM, TO HAVE SOME TEETH, UH, TO AGAIN, TO ENFORCE THIS WHEN, WHEN NEEDED. SO AGAIN, JUST KIND OF AN OVERVIEW THAT, THAT WHY WE'RE, WHY WE'RE DOING THIS. THANK YOU MR. LAWSON. VERY WELL SAID. THANK YOU. AND WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT THIS AT WORKSHOP, AT A COMMITTEE MEETING AT TWO MEETINGS AND A PUBLIC HEARING. SO, ALRIGHT. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. THANK GOODNESS. THIS ONE'S DONE. [12.f. 2026/16: An Ordinance authorizing the County Administrator to execute the necessary documents to convey a parcel of real property TMS No. R100 033 00A 021B 000 to the Habitat for Humanity of the Lowcountry for development of workforce/affordable housing and other matters related thereto. ] 2026 SLASH 16 IS AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR TO EXECUTE THE NECESSARY DOCUMENTS TO CONVEY A PARCEL OF REAL PROPERTY TMS NUMBER ONE R 100 0 3 3 0 0 A 0 21 B THREE ZEROS TO THE HABITAT FOR HUMANITY OF THE LOW COUNTRY FOR DEVELOPMENT OF WORKFORCE, AFFORDABLE HOUSING, AND OTHER MATTERS RELATED THERE TOO. AND THIS PAST, UM, THE COMMITTEE AND FIRST READING AND SECOND READING WITH NO OBJECTION. MADAM CHAIRMAN, I'D LIKE TO SECOND MS. HOWARD'S MOTION. OH, MS. OKAY. MS. HOWARD'S GONNA MAKE THE MOTION. THANK YOU. AND MR. GLOVER WILL SECOND? SECOND. YES. THANK YOU. ANY QUESTION, COMMENT. ALRIGHT. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. THANK YOU. [13.a. 2026/17: An Ordinance to amend Beaufort County’s Budget Ordinance for Fiscal Year 2026 (ordinance no. 2025/29) to appropriate General Fund Fund Balance for the purpose of purchasing a helicopter for BCSO; redemption of certain General Obligation Bonds; and fully fund the Buckwalter Recreation Athletic Complex Expansion project.] ALL RIGHT. NOW WE ARE ON 2026 SLASH 17. UH, THESE ARE ORDINANCES FOR SECOND READING AND I'M TOLD THE PUBLIC HEARINGS WILL BE THE NEXT TIME BECAUSE WE DIDN'T HAVE TIME TO GET IT ADVERTISED. SO THIS INORDINANCE TO AMEND BEAVER COUNTY'S BUDGET ORDINANCE FOR FISCAL YEAR 26, ORDINANCE NUMBER 2025 SLASH 29 TO APPROPRIATE GENERAL FUND FUND BALANCE FOR THE PURPOSE OF PURCHASING A HELICOPTER FOR BEAVER COUNTY SHERIFF OFFICE, REDEMPTION OF CERTAIN GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS AND FULLY FUND THE BUCKWALTER RECREATION ATHLETIC COMPLEX EXPANSION PROJECT. IT WENT THROUGH FINANCE COMMITTEE WITH NO OBJECTION AND THE FIRST READING WAS EIGHT TWO. SO MOVED. MADAM CHAIR, MR. CUNNINGHAM MAKES A MOTION. SECOND IT. MS. BROWN SECONDS. IT, UM, MS. HARRIET IS HERE. YES. TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, UH, PUBLIC HEARING WILL BE AT THIRD READING SINCE WE AMENDED IT UP. FIRST READING. YEP. ANYBODY HAVE A QUESTION FOR MS. HARRIET ON THIS ORDINANCE? I MEAN, WE HAVE PRETTY MUCH TALKED ABOUT THIS ONE TOO. ALL RIGHT. ALL IN FAVOR OF THIS ORDINANCE, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND. AND ALL OPPOSED? I HAVE ONE OPPOSITION. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. [13.b. 2026/18: An Ordinance Authorizing the Purchase of Real Property from the Town of Hilton Head Island for the St. James Baptist Church Relocation Project.] 2026 SLASH 18 AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE PURCHASE OF REAL PROPERTY FROM THE TOWN OF HILTON HAD ISLAND FOR THE ST. JAMES BAPTIST CHURCH RELOCATION PROJECT. SO MOVED THE VOTE AT PUBLIC FACILITIES AND THE FIRST READING WAS NO OBJECTION. SO MOVED. UH, MR. REETS MADE THE MOTION. A SECOND. GO AHEAD MR. PASSMAN A SECOND. THIS IS JARED'S FAVORITE PROJECT. UHHUH . ANYBODY HAVE A QUESTION? WE'VE TALKED ABOUT ST. JAMES CHURCH QUITE A BIT. ALL RIGHT. ALL IN FAVOR? PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND. ALL RIGHT. [13.c. 2026/19: An Ordinance Authorizing the Conveyance of Real Property to St. James Baptist Church Following Completion of the Relocation Project.] 2026 SLASH 18 IS AN ORDINANCE, I'M SORRY, 19. THERE'S SO MANY HERE I KNOW. AUTHORIZING THE CONVEYANCE OF REAL PROPERTY TO ST. JAMES BAPTIST CHURCH. FOLLOWING COMPLETION OF THE RELOCATION PROPERTY PROJECT, [02:30:01] THE VOTE AT PUBLIC FACILITIES AND AT THE FIRST READING WERE 10 ZERO. SO MOVED. MR. REEDS MAKES A MOTION. SECOND, MR. CUNNINGHAM WILL SECOND. ANYONE HAVE A QUESTION? BECAUSE MR. FRA IS HERE EAGERLY AWAITING ANY QUESTION? YOU'RE OFF THE HOOK. ALRIGHT. ALL IN FAVOR OF THIS ORDINANCE, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND. THANK YOU. THAT KIND OF DOES IT FOR ST. JAMES CHURCH RIGHT NOW. I GOT ONE MORE ROUND. THAT'S ONLY SECOND READING. YEAH, THIS IS ONLY SECOND READING. WE HAVE TO HAVE PUBLIC HEARING. RIGHT. [13.d. 2026/22: An Ordinance to amend the current Disaster Recovery Ordinance.] 2026 SLASH 22 IS AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND THE CURRENT DISASTER RECOVERY ORDINANCE AND THE VOTE WAS 10 ZERO AT THE COMMITTEE AND AT FIRST READING. AND MR. KRAUS IS READY TO, I NEED A MOTION FIRST. SO MOVED. I MOVED. I'LL SECOND. ALRIGHT, MR. PASSMAN MOVED. MR. CUNNINGHAM SECOND. ANY QUESTIONS FOR MR. KRAUSE? IT'S PRETTY SPECIFIC. WHAT'S IN THE DOCUMENT. JUST WANNA SAY AGAIN THAT IT'S NOT JUST A FULL PLAN. THEY CAN USE IT FOR A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS, WHETHER IT'S TROPICAL STORMS, HURRICANES, SO THERE IS DIFFERENT LEVELS OF THE PLANNED. SO IT DEFINITELY IS, UH, BENEFICIAL NO MATTER WHAT KIND OF STORM OR INCLEMENT, WHETHER ANY QUESTION. ALL RIGHT. ALL IN FAVOR OF THIS ORDINANCE, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND. THANKS FOR STAYING FOR THAT. THANK YOU. YEAH, YOU STAYED ALL THAT TIME FOR THAT [13.e. 2026/23: An Ordinance authorizing the County Administrator to execute all necessary documents to convey the County’s Right of Way Interest in a segment of Scheper Lane to SCDOT and to accept the SCDOT Right of Way Interest in a segment of Roosevelt Avenue into the County Road Inventory.] 2026 SLASH 23 AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR TO EXECUTE ALL NECESSARY DOCUMENTS TO CONVEY THE COUNTY'S RIGHT OF WAY INTEREST IN A SEGMENT OF SHEPHERD LANE TO S-C-D-O-T AND TO ACCEPT THE S-C-D-O-T RIGHT OF WAY INTEREST IN A SEGMENT OF ROOSEVELT AVENUE INTO THE COUNTY ROAD INVENTORY AND THIS PAST PUBLIC FACILITIES. AND FIRST READING WITH NO OBJECTION. SO MOVED. MR. PASSMAN MAKES A MOTION. SECOND IT, UH, MR. LAWSON SECOND. ANY QUESTION ON THIS ONE? ON, UH, MS. HOWARD? NO. NO. I FEEL LIKE WE'VE SEEN SHE WROTE A HUNDRED TIMES ALREADY. YEAH. OKAY. ALRIGHT. ALL IN FAVOR OF THIS ORDINANCE, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND. AYE. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. SHE ROAD, [13.f. 2026/24: An Ordinance authorizing the County Administrator to execute any and all necessary documents for the acceptance of a portion of Airport Circle (S-776) which is to be abandoned by SCDOT.] UM, NEXT 2026 SLASH 24 ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR TO EXECUTE ANY AND ALL NECESSARY DOCUMENTS FOR THE ACCEPTANCE OF A PORTION OF AIRPORT CIRCLE S 7 76, WHICH IS TO BE ABANDONED BY S-C-D-O-T AND THIS PAST THE COMMITTEE AND FIRST READING WITH NO OBJECTION. MOVE. SECOND. OKAY. MR. PASSMAN MOVED. MR. GLOVER SECOND. ANY QUESTION ON THIS ONE? ALL RIGHT. ALL IN FAVOR OF THIS ONE, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND. [13.g. 2026/25: An Ordinance authorizing the conveyance of an undeveloped portion of real property adjacent to Nanny Cove Road located in a section of Palmetto Beach in Bluffton Township, Beaufort County.] NEXT ONE IS 2026 SLASH 25. IT'S ON THE BREAK OF MY COMPUTER. SORRY. AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE CONVEYANCE OF AN UNDEVELOPED PORTION OF REAL PROPERTY ADJACENT TO NANNY COVE ROAD, LOCATED IN THE SECTION OF PALMETTO BEACH IN BLUFFTON TOWNSHIP, BUFORT COUNTY. AND THE VOTE WAS 10 ZERO AT COMMITTEE AND FIRST READING. I'LL MAKE THAT MOTION. MR. LAWSON MAKES A MOTION. I'LL SECOND THAT. OH, CAN SHE HAVE THE SECOND? SURE. MS. BROWN TAKES THE SECOND. UM, ANY QUESTION ON THIS ONE? I'D JUST LIKE TO KNOW WHERE IT IS. DO YOU KNOW MARK? UH, YES. IT'S, IT'S ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE GOING, COMING OFF ALL JOY ROAD. GOING BACK TO MYRTLE ISLAND. THIS WILL BE LITTLE NEIGHBORHOOD. OH, OKAY. THAT WAY. OKAY. LITTLE NEIGHBORHOOD RIGHT BACK IN THERE ON THE, ON THE, ON THE WATER. ALL ALL IN FAVOR OF THIS ORDINANCE. AYE. THANK YOU. [14.a. 2026/26: 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.] AND GUESS WHAT ORDINANCE FOR FIRST READING OUR LAST ONE. TRY NOT TO CHEER. 2026 SLASH 26. OH LORD, I FORGOT THIS. A BIG ONE. IN ORDINANCE. IN ORDINANCE AMENDING CHAPTER 38, ENVIRONMENT, ARTICLE SIX, SINGLE USE PLASTIC BAGS. WELL, WE'VE BEEN FLYING THROUGH ARTICLE SIX, SECTION 38, 1 61, PURPOSE AND INTENT SECTION 38 1 62 DEFINITIONS, SECTION 38 1 63 REGULATIONS SECTION 38 1 64 EXEMPTIONS AND SECTION 38, 1 66, EFFECTIVE DATE AND REVIEW OF THE BEAUFORT COUNTY CODE OF ORDINANCE. AND THIS IS COMING OUT OF THE NATURAL RESOURCE COMMITTEE WHERE IT PASSED. FIVE TWO. SO MOVED. ALL RIGHT. MR. PASSMAN A SECOND. I SECOND. OH, OH, MS. HOW MS. HOWARD? HE'S A SECOND IN. WELL, I WAS GONNA GIVE IT TO MR. DAWSON. HE'S BEEN VERY, YOU BEAT ALL Y'ALL. YEAH. I'M GONNA GIVE IT TO MR. DAWSON AS A SECOND. OKAY. HERE WE ARE. GO. HATE TO BREAK YOUR MOMENTUM, . I KNOW. YOU. IT'S JUST RUINING THE FLOW NOW. YEAH. WELL, UM, BEFORE I HAND THE, THE PRESENTATION OVER TO, TO JULIANA, UH, ZA, I WANTED TO, I GUESS, EMPHASIZE TWO THINGS. YOU KNOW, [02:35:01] OUR STAFF WAS HANDED THIS PROJECT, UM, I THINK IT WAS MAY OF, UH, 2024, UH, BY THE NATURAL RESOURCES COMMITTEE. I THINK AT THAT TIME, THEY LOOKED AT AN ORDINANCE. THERE WAS A LOT OF, UM, CONCERN ABOUT THE IMPACT OF, OF EXPANDING THE PLASTIC BAG ORDINANCE. SO, UM, WE TOOK THAT OVER AS STAFF. AND I WILL SAY THE, PROBABLY THE EASY WAY OUT WOULD BE TO SIMPLY, OH, I'M JUST CHECKING. OH, OKAY. , IT'S BEEN SO LONG, I DON'T REMEMBER IF WE TURNED IT ON. WE DIDN'T YEAH. YOU KNOW, TO, TO KIND OF MAYBE DO A LITTLE LOOKING AT OTHER MUNICIPALITIES AND WHAT THEY'RE DOING. UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT THEY DID WITH THEIR ORDINANCE. BUT WHAT WE DID IS WE, WE REACHED OUT TO THE CITY OF CHARLESTON BECAUSE THEY HAD JUST ADOPTED A SIMILAR ORDINANCE AND TALKED TO THEM ABOUT, YOU KNOW, BASICALLY THE PROCESS THEY WENT THROUGH. AND, AND WE REALLY LEARNED FROM THAT, THAT, YOU KNOW, IT, THERE'S NO BENEFIT IN RUSHING, YOU KNOW, AND SO IT, IT WAS REALLY AT THE DIRECTION, YOU KNOW, FROM, FROM THAT MEETING THAT WE, UM, PURSUED PUTTING TOGETHER A, UH, TASK FORCE TO OVERSEE THIS PROJECT AND THEN PUTTING OUT A SURVEY AND, AND REALLY KIND OF PLOTTING THROUGH WORKING WITH EACH OF THE MUNICIPALITIES TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE WAS, WAS AWARE OF, OF THE ORDINANCE AND, AND ITS DRAFT GETTING INPUT. AND SO I THINK THAT WE'VE HAD A VERY THOROUGH VETTING OF THIS PROCESS. WE TOOK IT SLOW, AND I THINK THAT WE BENEFITED FROM THAT. AND I THINK THAT THE OTHER THING I WANTED TO EMPHASIZE, AND I HOPE I'M NOT TAKING TOO MUCH, IS, AND I THINK YOU, YOU HEARD THIS IN SOME OF THE PUBLIC COMMENT, THAT THIS IS AN ORDINANCE THAT MEETS A LOT OF DIFFERENT OBJECTIVES. THERE'S AN ENVIRONMENTAL IN WATER QUALITY, UM, BENEFITS. AND I THINK THAT WHAT WE'VE BEEN LEARNING IS THAT, UH, OUR SHELLFISH, YOU KNOW, A LOT THE, THIS MICRO PLASTICS ARE REALLY WORKING THEIR WAY INTO THE ENVIRONMENT. SO ANY STEP THAT WE COULD TAKE LOCALLY, AND THIS IS ONE OF THOSE WHERE REALLY WHAT LOCAL COMMUNITIES DO MAKES A DIFFERENCE. AND I THINK THAT'S THE REASON WE'VE SEEN A LOT OF COASTAL COUNTIES IN SOUTH CAROLINA, UH, TAKE THIS STEP. THE OTHER THING IS INFRASTRUCTURE AND THEN SOLID WASTE. YOU KNOW, THE LONGER WE ARE, THE LESS MATERIALS WE'RE PUTTING IN THE ENVIRONMENT, THE MORE, UM, THE, WE'RE PROLONGING THE LIFESPAN OF THE, THE LANDFILL. AND I THINK IT'S, IT'S MAKES GOOD SENSE THERE TOO, ALONG WITH, UM, INFRASTRUCTURE, THE ENVIRONMENT. AND OF COURSE, THE NUMBER ONE CONCERN THAT WE'VE HEARD IS, IS LITTER AND, AND JUST THAT IMPACT. SO I WILL HAND THIS OVER TO JULIANA ZEEK, AND YOU GO, THANK YOU, ROB. OKAY. GOOD EVENING. IT'S, UM, TOUGH TO BE THE VERY LAST ONE HERE, AFTER A COUPLE OF HOURS. SO I'LL TRY TO KEEP THIS BRIEF FOR YOU. ROB DID A REALLY GREAT JOB SUMMING UP MY FIRST COUPLE OF SLIDES SO I CAN SKIP OVER THOSE, MAKING SURE THAT I HAVEN'T MISSED ANY OF THE, UH, MESSAGES THAT I WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE DISCUSSED HERE. UM, BUT I THINK, I THINK WE'VE DONE A PRETTY GOOD JOB COVERING THAT. SO I'LL SKIP OVER THAT ONE FOR YOU. UM, SOME, SOME BACKGROUNDS, AS ROB MENTIONED, MAY, 2024 IS WHEN THIS ALL BEGAN. IT CAME TO OUR DEPARTMENT TO, UH, TAKE A LOOK AT WAYS WE COULD IMPROVE THE 2018 PLASTIC BAG ORDINANCE. WE, SINCE THAT TIME, LATER THAT SUMMER, PULLED TOGETHER AN AD HOC WORKING GROUP WITH MEMBERS FROM SEVERAL DEPARTMENTS FROM BEAUFORT COUNTY. UM, SO WE HAVE REPRESENTATION FROM OUR STORMWATER DEPARTMENT, OUR SOLID, UH, WASTE AND RECYCLING DEPARTMENT. OUR PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICE WAS THERE TO HELP US ALONG THE WAY. AND OF COURSE, THE PLANNING AND ZONING DEPARTMENT, AS WELL AS REPRESENTATION FROM THE KEEP BEAUFORT COUNTY BEAUTIFUL BOARD, WHICH WE DO HAVE A MEMBER HERE TONIGHT. UM, OUR PORT ROYAL SOUND FOUNDATION AND THE COASTAL CONSERVATION LEAGUE. I WOULD LIKE TO JUST ASK OUR AD HOC WORKING GROUP COMMITTEE MEMBERS WHO ARE HERE IN THE AUDIENCE TO JUST, THERE'S A LOT OF WORK THAT THEY WENT THROUGH TO HELP INFORM THIS PROCESS. UM, WE'VE BEEN AT IT FOR, FOR TWO YEARS NOW, AND MANY OF THEM HAVE SHOWN UP TO EVERY MEETING THAT I'VE BEEN A PART OF, WHICH HAS BEEN QUITE A FEW OF THEM TO HELP, UH, SUPPORT AND ANSWER QUESTIONS. SO I, I'M REALLY APPRECIATIVE TO THE GROUP. UM, SO IN JANUARY THROUGH APRIL, 2025 IS WHEN THOSE SURVEYS WERE DEPLOYED, AND WE GAVE YOU ALL AN UPDATE ON APRIL 7TH, THE DAY AFTER MY SON WAS BORN. SO YOU DID NOT SEE ME HERE FOR THAT MEETING. AND THEN AGAIN, IN OCTOBER, ONCE WE HAD TIME TO ANALYZE THE RESULTS THAT WE RECEIVED, THAT SURVEY WENT FOR THREE MONTHS AND IT GARNERED 6,200 RESPONSES. UM, I WAS LOOKING THROUGH MY DATA TODAY AND REALIZED THAT THE CHARLESTON SURVEY THAT WAS DONE COVERED THREE COUNTIES, WENT FOR FOUR MONTHS AND BROUGHT IN 4,900 RESPONSES. SO I DO THINK THAT THE SHEER NUMBER OF RESPONSES REFLECTS, UM, THAT THERE'S PASSION ABOUT THIS ISSUE, REGARDLESS OF WHAT SIDE YOU'RE ON. IT, IT'S, IT'S AN IMPORTANT, UM, THING THAT PEOPLE WANTED TO GIVE FEEDBACK TO. SO WE BROUGHT THOSE, UH, ANALYSES TO YOU ALL AT OCTOBER 6TH, [02:40:01] AND THEN WE WENT TO EVERY MUNICIPAL PARTNER WE HAD IN THE 2018 PLASTIC BAG BAN, UM, TO GIVE THEM THE UPDATE ON WHAT WE HAD LEARNED THROUGH THAT PROCESS. THE GOAL, THE GOAL HERE IS TO TAKE A UNIFIED APPROACH AND RECREATE WHAT WE DID BACK IN 2018 WITH THE ORIGINAL PLASTIC BAG ORDINANCE. UM, WE ALSO WENT TO REGIONAL BOARDS, SO SOME OF YOU MAY HAVE HEARD THAT PRESENTATION SEVERAL TIMES. THEN AFTER THAT WORK, AND WE GOT FEEDBACK FROM OUR, OUR MUNICIPALITIES, OUR ELECTEDS, AND OUR REGIONAL BOARDS, WE STARTED DRAFTING OUR AMENDMENTS. UM, ONCE OUR DRAFT AMENDMENTS HAD BEEN REVIEWED THROUGH OUR OWN LEGAL TEAM, WE SHARED THEM WITH MUNICIPAL STAFF, AGAIN, TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY WERE AWARE OF WHAT WE'RE DRAFTING AND DIDN'T HAVE ANY FEEDBACK THAT THEY WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE INCLUDED IN THOSE ORDINANCE, UH, AMENDMENTS. WE ALSO, UM, MEMBERS OF OUR AD HOC WORKING GROUP WENT TO JASPER COUNTY RIDGELAND, AND MOST RECENTLY, JUST THIS PAST MONTH, THE TOWN OF HARDY BILL TO GIVE THE SAME PRESENTATION THAT WAS GIVEN TO OUR NATURAL RESOURCES COMMITTEE IN OCTOBER OF LAST YEAR, TO GIVE THEM AN UPDATE ON THE PROCESS WE'VE GONE THROUGH AND WHAT FEEDBACK WE WERE HEARING. AND IT HAS BEEN REALLY POSITIVE ACROSS THE BOARD FROM OUR OWN MUNICIPALITIES HERE IN BEAUFORT COUNTY, AS WELL AS IN JASPER COUNTY. UM, THERE ARE OF COURSE CONCERNS AND WE HAVE THESE SAME CONCERNS AS THE AD HOC WORKING GROUP AND HAVE WORKED OUR HARDEST TO ADDRESS THOSE. AND SO WE'LL GET INTO THOSE HERE IN A LITTLE BIT. AND THEN IN MARCH, UH, THE CITY OF BEAUFORT TOOK THE INITIATIVE AND TOOK THE AMENDMENTS AS THEY'VE BEEN DRAFTED TO, UM, TAKE THEM THROUGH FIRST READING, AND THEY PASS THEM THROUGH FIRST READING. SO RIGHT NOW THEY ARE HOLDING UNTIL THEIR SECOND READING TO SEE HOW THE LANGUAGE KIND OF SETTLES OUT, UM, TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE STICKING CLOSELY TO WHAT'S, UH, THE COUNTY IS CONSIDERING. AND THE REASON THAT IS, IS BECAUSE THERE IS A TRANSITION PERIOD BUILT INTO THIS ORDINANCE AMENDMENTS, UM, AT A MINIMUM AN EIGHT MONTH TRANSITION PERIOD IF THE AMENDMENTS ARE ADOPTED OR WHEN THE LAST MUNICIPALITY IN BEAUFORT COUNTY ADOPTS THEM. SO THAT WOULD BE ONE OF THE FOUR WHO WERE PARTNERS WITH US IN 2018. BLUFFTON, HILTON HEAD, BEAUFORT, AND THE TOWN OF PORT ROYAL. SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, LET'S GET INTO THINGS. SO I DID WANT TO RECAP OUR SURVEY RESULTS. UM, REALLY HIGH LEVEL, THERE IS A REPORT, IT'S INCLUDED IN THE PACKET IF YOU'VE HAD A CHANCE TO GO THROUGH IT. AND IT WAS PRESENTED AT THE OCTOBER MEETING LAST YEAR. UM, BUT LIKE I SAID, WE HAD OVER 6,000 RESPONSES TO THE SURVEY, AND ONE OF THE QUESTIONS WE ASKED WAS, HOW SUPPORTIVE ARE YOU OR YOUR BUSINESS? BECAUSE THERE WAS A RESIDENT SURVEY AND THERE WAS A BUSINESS SURVEY IN ORDER TO GET THOSE DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES APPROPRIATELY OF A COMPLETE BAN ON THE FOLLOWING PLASTIC ITEMS. WHEN WE WENT IN THIS, I DON'T THINK WE KNEW WHAT TO EXPECT BECAUSE THERE ARE STRONG FEELINGS, UM, ACROSS THE BOARD HERE ABOUT PLASTICS AND WHAT WE NEED TO, TO DO WITH THEM OR NOT DO WITH THEM. AND SO WE WERE PRETTY SURPRISED TO SEE THE STRONG SUPPORT ACROSS THE BOARD FOR TAKING A BAN ACTION ON ALL FIVE OF THE ITEMS THAT WE PRESENTED IN THE SURVEY. THOSE FIVE ITEMS, AGAIN, ARE, THEY, ARE THE PLASTIC THICK PLASTIC BAGS, THE STYROFOAM TAKEOUT CONTAINERS IN CUPS, PLASTIC UTENSILS, AND PLASTIC STRAWS. UM, SO REALLY HIGH LEVELS OF SUPPORT THAT KIND OF, UH, TOOK US A BIT BY SURPRISE, I WOULD SAY. UM, THEN WE HAD A, A FOLLOW UP QUESTION TO LEARN FROM OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND OUR BUSINESSES ABOUT WHAT APPROACH IS APPROPRIATE FOR EACH ITEM, IF ANY APPROACH AT ALL. SO THE QUESTION ASKED WAS, WHICH APPROACH DO YOU THINK WOULD BE THE MOST EFFECTIVE FOR REDUCING THESE NON BIODEGRADABLE ITEMS FROM BEAUFORT COUNTY'S LANDFILL AND ENVIRONMENT? THE OPTIONS THEY HAD TO CHOOSE FROM ARE NONE OF THESE, UM, BY REQUEST ONLY, WHICH IS, I THINK MANY OF YOU ARE FAMILIAR WITH THIS BY NOW. BUT, UM, FOR THOSE OF US IN THE PUBLIC WHO MAY NOT HAVE HEARD YET, IS, UH, BY REQUEST ONLY WOULD MEAN THAT YOU WOULD NOT AUTOMATICALLY RECEIVE THESE ITEMS AT THE POINT OF SALE. YOU WOULD HAVE TO REQUEST THESE ITEMS. I THINK THE STRAW IS THE EASIEST EXAMPLE. A STRAW WOULD NOT AUTOMATICALLY COME IN YOUR GLASS IF YOU ORDERED, UH, A DRINK AT A RESTAURANT, YOU WOULD HAVE TO ASK FOR IT. OR THE STAFF MIGHT ASK YOU IF YOU WANT ONE AND GIVE YOU ONE ON AN AFFIRMATIVE. OR THERE MIGHT BE A SELF-SERVICE AREA TO PICK UP YOUR OWN STRAW, WHICH IS DONE IN SEVERAL RESTAURANTS, UM, THROUGHOUT, THROUGHOUT BEAUFORT COUNTY. AND THEN THERE IS THE CUSTOMER FEE, WHICH YOU'LL NOTICE IS THE LEAST POPULAR OF ALL OF THE OPTIONS, UM, HERE ON OUR SURVEY RESULTS. AND THEN FINALLY, A BAN. SO ELIMINATING THE ITEM, IT WAS INTERESTING TO SEE THE, HOW THIS KIND OF SETTLED OUT. UM, WE HAD THE STRONG SUPPORT FOR BANDS ACROSS THE BOARD, BUT OUR SURVEY RESPONDENTS FELT THAT EACH ITEM SHOULD BE HANDLED SOMEWHAT DIFFERENTLY. WE HAD TWO DIFFERENT GROUPS IN THE END. SO, UM, BANDS FOR PLASTIC BAGS AND STYROFOAM ITEMS WERE, UH, HOW THE RESULTS, UM, SETTLED OUT FOR THOSE. [02:45:01] AND THEN FOR OUR PLASTIC UTENSILS AND PLASTIC STRAWS BY REQUEST ONLY REALLY CAME TO THE FOREFRONT AS THE PREFERRED METHOD FOR REGULATING THOSE. THIS IS GONNA PERMIT OUR BUSINESS', UM, FLEXIBILITY TO STILL USE THESE ITEMS. UH, IF, UM, BUT IT DOESN'T, IT WILL ALSO HELP TO REDUCE THESE ITEMS FROM ENTERING THE WASTE STREAM. SO LET ME MAKE SURE I'VE GOT EVERYTHING THERE. OKAY. OH, BECAUSE THIS WAS, THIS ALSO KIND OF STANDS OUT. YOU DO HAVE THE OPTION TO TAKE, UH, TO USE NONE OF THESE. UM, AND NOWHERE DID THAT COME OUT AS THE MOST PREFERRED ACTION. SO THERE, THERE IS APPETITE FOR REGULATORY ACTION ON THESE ITEMS. SO I DID JUST WANT TO POINT THAT OUT. OKAY, SO LET'S GET INTO OUR AMENDMENTS. AND I'M GONNA GET A LITTLE WEEDSY AND I APOLOGIZE. I KNOW IT'S BEEN A LONG, A LONG MEETING, BUT I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE WE COVER EVERYTHING ONCE I FLIP THROUGH ALL OF MY, MANY, MANY PAPERS THAT I BROUGHT WITH ME. OKAY. SO THE REGULATION PORTION OF THE PROPOSED AMENDMENTS IS EXPANDING THE EXISTING 2018 PLASTIC BAG BAN TO INCLUDE THE THICK PLASTIC BAGS. NOW, THOSE THICK PLASTIC BAGS WERE A RESULT. THEY DID TURN UP AFTER THE 2018 PLASTIC BAG ORDINANCE WENT INTO PLACE. I BELIEVE YOU HEARD IT IN PUBLIC COMMENT TONIGHT. I DON'T THINK IT WAS RECOGNIZED, NOT JUST HERE IN BEAUFORT COUNTY, BECAUSE WE ARE BY NO MEANS PIONEERS, EVEN WITH OUR 2018 PLASTIC BAG ORDINANCE. THINK THESE HAD BE DONE, HAD BEEN DONE UP AND DOWN THE COAST OF THE EASTERN SEABOARD AND ACROSS THE COUNTRY. BUT THESE WERE, UM, UNFORTUNATELY A CONSEQUENCE THAT CAME OUT OF THAT. SO OUR PROPOSED AMENDMENTS WILL EXPAND TO CAPTURE THE THICK PLASTIC BAGS. IT ALSO WILL EXPAND TO CAPTURE STYROFOAM DISPOSABLE FOOD SERVICE WEAR. SO THESE ARE, UM, ITEMS THAT YOU PROBABLY ALL COME ACROSS BEFORE TAKE OUT CONTAINERS, CUPS, PLATES, TRACE BOWLS, AND SIMILAR ITEMS THAT ARE STYROFOAM. STYROFOAM IS NOT RECYCLABLE. UM, AND SO IT'S, IT'S, WE CAN'T PROCESS IT HERE IN BEAUFORT COUNTY. SO THAT'S THE REGULATORY CHANGES. WE ALSO, AS FAR AS A BAN IS CONSIDERED, WE'VE ALSO, UH, PROPOSED ADDING A BUY REQUEST ONLY REGULATION FOR PLASTIC STRAWS AND CUTLERY. SO WE'VE ALREADY TALKED ABOUT THIS, UM, BUT ESSENTIALLY THERE'S THREE WAYS THIS CAN MANIFEST. IT CAN BE THESE ITEMS ARE OFFERED IN A SELF-SERVICE AREA. CHICKEN SALAD CHICK DOES THIS WITH THEIR CUTLERY. UM, HOT DOG DOWN HERE IN BEAUFORT DOES THE SAME THING. UH, IT CAN BE STAFF ASKING CUSTOMERS IF THEY WOULD LIKE THESE ITEMS, AND THEN UPON THE AFFIRMATIVE STAFF GIVING THOSE ITEMS TO THE CUSTOMERS. OR IT COULD BE, UH, CUSTOMERS ASKING FOR THE ITEMS. UM, SO THIS IS, UH, UH, AN EFFECTIVE WAY WE SAW IN CASE STUDIES TO REDUCE THESE ITEMS FROM THE WASTE STREAM, UM, WHILE ALSO HELPING TO SAVE BUSINESSES MONEY BECAUSE THEY DO NOT HAVE TO CHANGE THEIR PRODUCT THAT THEY'RE USING. AND THEY'RE ALSO NOT GIVING OUT AS MUCH OF THE PRODUCT WHILE STILL MEETING THE NEEDS OF THEIR CUSTOMERS WHO NEED THESE THINGS. SO WE HAVE ALSO GONE IN AND HAD TO UPDATE OUR EXEMPTIONS AND OUR DEFINITIONS BECAUSE WE HAVE NEW ITEMS THAT WE ARE CONSIDERING FOR OUR DEFINITIONS. WE HAVE UPDATED AND CLARIFIED BUSINESS ESTABLISHMENT TO BE AS THOROUGH AS POSSIBLE ABOUT WHAT A BUSINESS ESTABLISHMENT MIGHT REPRESENT IN THIS ORDINANCE. WE HAVE UPDATED CUSTOMER TO CLARIFY EXACTLY WHO IS A CUSTOMER, UM, SPECIFICALLY WITH CONCERNS ABOUT, UH, IF YOU'RE AT AN EVENT AND THERE IS CATERING HAPPENING AND YOU RECEIVE FOOD, BUT YOU DIDN'T TECHNICALLY PAY FOR IT 'CAUSE YOU'RE AT THE EVENT, ARE YOU STILL A CUSTOMER? AND SO THE ORDINANCE WAS UPDATED TO CAPTURE THAT, YES, THAT PERSON WOULD STILL BE A CONSIDERED A CUSTOMER ACCORDING TO THIS SPECIFIC ORDINANCE. UM, DISPOSABLE FOOD SERVICE WEAR IS AN ADDED DEFINITION. SO THIS IS INTERCHANGEABLE WITH TO-GO CONTAINERS AND IT INCLUDES THOSE ITEMS, UH, THAT ARE PREVIEWED IN THE LIST HERE ON THE SLIDE. THEN THERE'S EXPANDED POLYSTYRENE FOAM STYROFOAM IS ESSENTIALLY WHAT THAT IS. BUT STYROFOAM IS A BRAND. SO WE'RE, WE'RE USING WHAT, UH, THE WORDS THAT EXPLAIN EXACTLY WHAT IT IS. UM, THEN WE HAVE, UH, THE PLASTIC CARRYOUT BAG, WHICH GIVES US A DEFINITION OF WHAT THAT MEANS. UM, AND IT, AND IT'S CAPTURING WHAT IT COULD BE MADE OUT OF, WHETHER IT'S PETROLEUM OR BIOLOGICALLY BASED SOURCE. AND THEN RECYCLABLE, OF COURSE, IS INCLUDED IN HERE IN ORDER TO REPRESENT WHAT WE ARE DOING IN BEAUFORT COUNTY AS FAR AS OUR RECYCLING PROGRAM GOES. THEN OUR REUSABLE CARRYOUT BAG HAS BEEN REFINED TO EXPAND AND, UM, TO EXPAND THE SCOPE OF THE ORDINANCE IN ORDER TO, UM, EXCLUDE THE THICK PLASTIC BAGS. AND SO THE WAY THAT'S DONE IS BY SPECIFICALLY TALKING ABOUT HOW THE HANDLES ARE CREATED, UH, MAKING THEM STITCHED AND NOT HEAT FUSED FOR THE HANDLES FOR OUR REUSABLE CARRYOUT BAG. UM, WHAT TYPE OF [02:50:01] MATERIAL THEY ARE MADE OUT OF. AND SO WE'VE GOT, UM, OUR TRADITIONAL, OUR CLOTH, OUR WASHABLE FABRIC AND OTHER DURABLE MATERIALS, WHETHER WOVEN OR NON-WOVEN, BUT ALSO CAPABLE OF BEING CLEAN AND DISINFECTED. AND THEN FINALLY, THIS IS AN INDUSTRY STANDARD THAT WE SEE ACROSS ALL OF THE ORDINANCES THAT HAVE BEEN ADOPTED HERE IN SOUTH CAROLINA AND BEYOND WHEN IT COMES TO TRYING TO CAPTURE THE THICK PLASTIC BAGS, UM, WHICH IS THE MINIMUM LIFETIME AND CAPABILITY OF A REUSABLE BAG. SO THAT'S INCLUDED IN THERE AS WELL. AND THEN THE LAST PIECE OF THIS, AS FAR AS OUR ORDINANCE UPDATES GO, UM, ARE THE PROPOSED EXEMPTIONS. SO PRIOR TO NOW, WE HAD FOUR EXEMPTIONS. UH, WE'VE ADDED MORE, UM, BECAUSE WE HAVE MORE ITEMS THAT ARE BEING INCLUDED. ARE WE ALL GOOD? YEAH. JUST LET ME KNOW WHEN YOU CHANGE. OH, I GOT IT. THANKS. UM, I APPRECIATE IT. VERY ATTENTIVE. UM, SO WHEN IT COMES TO STYROFOAM ITEMS, PACKAGING TRAYS OR CARTONS MADE OUTTA STYROFOAM, THESE ARE THE ONES THAT WE SEE IN GROCERY STORES TYPICALLY USED FOR UNPREPARED FOODS LIKE MEATS, EGGS, PRODUCE, AND DAIRY PRODUCTS ARE EXEMPT FROM THIS ORDINANCE. THEY WOULD STAY IN PLACE. UM, ANYTHING THAT'S MADE OUT OF STYROFOAM BUT IS WHOLLY ENCAPSULATED IN SOMETHING MORE DURABLE. SO THINKING SURFBOARDS, BOATS, LIFE PRESERVERS, THEY ARE EXEMPT FROM THIS ORDINANCE. AND THEN CONSTRUCTION PRODUCTS MADE FROM STYROFOAM AS LONG AS THEY COMPLY WITH BEAUFORT COUNTY BUILDING CODES AND ARE USED IN A MANNER THAT PREVENT THEM FROM BEING RELEASED INTO THE ENVIRONMENT ARE ALSO EXEMPT FROM THIS ORDINANCE. OTHER ITEMS THAT ARE EXEMPTED FROM THIS ORDINANCE ARE ANY PRODUCTS THAT ARE PURCHASED PREPARED OR PACKAGED OUTSIDE OF THE COUNTY AND THEN DELIVERED TO OR SOLD IN THE COUNTY. SO THIS CAPTURES THINGS LIKE PACKAGES OF STYROFOAM PLATES THAT YOU COULD PURCHASE FROM THE GROCERY STORE OR STYROFOAM THAT MIGHT COME IN A, UM, IN A PACKAGE THAT YOU ORDERED. RIGHT? SO THOSE THINGS ARE CONSIDERED EXEMPT IN THIS ORDINANCE. THEY'RE NOT CAPTURED BY THIS ORDINANCE THAT THE SAME THING GOES FOR, UM, PLASTIC BAGS THAT MIGHT BE SOLD IN BULK THROUGH GROCERY STORES. THEN WE'VE GOT OUR LAST ITEMS HERE WOULD BE, UM, ANY, ANYTHING THAT IS REQUIRED BY STATE OR FEDERAL FOOD SAFETY LAWS ARE EXEMPT FROM THIS ORDINANCE. AND THEN FINALLY, LET ME MAKE SURE I GOT EVERYTHING. OH, WE ALSO HAVE, UM, ANY PRODUCTS THAT ARE USED FOR READY TO EAT FOODS BY FOOD OR GROCERY ESTABLISHMENTS THAT ARE MOSTLY MADE OF PAPER, BUT INCORPORATE PLASTIC IN SOME WAY. SO THIS MIGHT BE PAPER BOXES THAT HAVE PLASTIC INSERTS SO THAT YOU CAN SEE WHAT'S INSIDE. THIS MIGHT BE PAPER CUPS THAT HAVE PLASTIC LININGS TO PREVENT, UM, SPILLAGE AND THINGS LIKE THAT. UH, THEY ARE EXEMPT FROM THIS ORDINANCE AND SO THAT WE SPECIFICALLY JUST HAVE THAT CALLED OUT. IT'S REFLECTED IN ORDINANCES TO THE NORTH OF US AS WELL, SO THAT THERE'S NO CONFUSION ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS WITH THOSE MULTI, UM, MATERIAL PRODUCTS. AND THEN FINALLY, THERE ARE TWO TYPES OF ORGANIZATIONS WHO ARE EXEMPT. THAT'S ANY ORGANIZATION PROVIDING EMERGENCY SERVICES DURING A DECLARE STATE OF EMERGENCY OR EMERGENCY SITUATION, UM, WHERE THE IMMEDIATE PRESERVATION OF THE PUBLIC PEACE, HEALTH AND SAFETY IS INVOLVED. AND THEN BAGS AND DISPOSABLE FOOD SERVICE SQUARE USED BY 5 0 1 C3 ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH SCHOOLS, RELIGIOUS GROUPS, HUMANITARIAN ORGANIZATIONS ARE ALSO EXEMPT. SO THOSE ARE THE CHANGES . UM, AND I'M, I AM HAPPY TO KNOW, I MEAN, I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. I DID HAVE ONE FINAL SLIDE BECAUSE THIS, THIS HAS BEEN A CONCERN THAT OUR COMMITTEE HAS HAD THROUGHOUT, UM, AND IT'S BEEN A CONCERN THAT WE'VE HEARD FROM YOU ALL AND IT'S BEEN A CONCERN WE'VE HEARD FROM MUNICIPALITIES, UH, AS WELL IS WHAT ARE THE COST BURDENS OF IMPLEMENTING, UH, A BAN ON THREE OF THESE ITEMS? SO THAT'S THE GROCERY BAGS AND THEN THE OR TWO OR THE GROCERY BAGS IN THE STYROFOAM, UM, UH, STYROFOAM DISPOSABLE FOOD SERVICE WEAR. AND SO OUR AD HOC WORKING GROUP, INITIALLY, THE INITIAL, UM, NUMBERS THAT WE BROUGHT YOU ALL BACK IN OCTOBER WERE NUMBERS FOR ECO-FRIENDLY ALTERNATIVES. AND IT WAS COMING FROM A KIND OF AN INTERNATIONAL DATABASE OF INFORMATION. THIS IS NOT ECO-FRIENDLY ALTERNATIVES. THIS IS JUST THE NEXT POSSIBLE THING THAT YOU COULD GET. SO IF YOU'RE, UM, GETTING RID OF STYROFOAM CUPS, YOU COULD GET A PLASTIC CUP OR YOU COULD GET A COATED PAPER CUP INSTEAD. IF YOU'RE GETTING RID OF, UH, THE STYROFOAM TAKEOUT CONTAINERS, THEN YOU CAN MOVE ON TO A PLASTIC TAKEOUT CONTAINER, UM, INSTEAD. AND SO WE WANTED TO PULL KIND OF THOSE REAL, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T HAVE TO GO ABOVE AND BEYOND. IT'S NOT BEING REQUIRED THROUGH THIS ORDINANCE FOR BUSINESSES TO GO TO ECO-FRIENDLY OPTIONS. THEY CAN OF COURSE, IF THEY WANT TO. UM, BUT WE WANTED TO REFLECT HERE IN OUR, OUR CONVERSATION TONIGHT ABOUT WHAT THOSE PRICE CHANGES MAY LOOK LIKE BASED ON LOCAL NUMBERS PULLED FROM LOCAL DISTRIBUTORS THAT HA HAVE ACCESS HERE. SO OUR RESOURCES THAT WE WERE USING US FOODS, ULINE, I HAVE A [02:55:01] LIST OF OTHERS THAT I'LL HAVE TO GET TO YOU BECAUSE THEY ESCAPE ME RIGHT NOW. UM, BUT THESE ARE ALTERNATIVES THAT CAN BE PURCHASED RIGHT HERE. SO I CAN LET YOU ALL DIGEST THAT AS YOU NEED. I DO HAVE THE INFORMATION ON ECO-FRIENDLY OPTIONS IF ANYBODY WANTS THAT. UM, FROM LOCAL, LOCAL SOURCES, PAPER PACKAGE, PAPER PLUS PACKAGING, THAT WAS ANOTHER ONE, UM, AS WELL. SO SOME OF THESE PLACES WHERE THESE ITEMS CAN BE PURCHASED READILY. OKAY. AND I THINK, YEAH, I THINK THAT'S IT. SORRY, I HAVE SEVERAL. OH, ALRIGHT. LEMME START ON THIS END NOW. GO AHEAD MRS. BROWN, GO. ARE YOU SURE? YEAH, SURE. BECAUSE I'VE BEEN STARTING WITH MR. GLOVER. OKAY. YOU KNOW, LAST YEAR I HAD ASKED, UM, FOR A LIST OF THE EMAIL LIST OF WHO YOU SENT THEM OUT TO. I NEVER DID GET THAT. UM, BUT I'D LIKE TO KNOW WHO WROTE THE SURVEY, WHO WROTE IT. UH, IT WAS PUT TOGETHER BY THAT AD HOC WORKING GROUP, AND WE USED SOME OF THE INFORMATION THAT WE GOT FROM THE CITY OF CHARLESTON ON HOW THEY FORMULATED THEIR SURVEY AS WELL. THE AD HOC GROUP. WHO'S THE AD HOC GROUP? SO THE AD HOC WORKING GROUP IS, UM, STAFF FROM BEAUFORT COUNTY. SO IT'S MYSELF, IT IS RPIO. IT IS, UM, ROB WAS A PART OF THAT. WE HAD, UM, REPRESENTATION FROM OUR STORM WATER DEPARTMENT AND OUR SOLID WASTE. OKAY, THAT'S FINE. OKAY. AND WE ALSO HAD THE PORT. YEAH. KEEP BUFORT COUNTY BEAUTIFUL BOARD WAS A BIG PART OF THAT. OH, PORT ROYAL TOWN FOUNDATION. I KNOW COASTAL CONSERVATION. UM, SOMEONE TOLD ME AT CITY OF BEAUFORT MEETING, AND I, I'M JUST TRYING TO DO THIS FROM MEMORY AND I MAY BE TOTALLY WRONG, UM, IN THE ORDINANCE IS, IS THERE ARE, ARE THERE FINES IF THEY DON'T COMPLY? SO WE'RE KEEPING, BECAUSE I DIDN'T SEE THAT ANYWHERE. YES. SO THE, WE'RE KEEPING, WE DIDN'T CHANGE THE WAY THE PENALTIES WERE HANDLED AT ALL FROM OUR 2018 PLASTIC BAG ORDINANCE. SO I, I APOLOGIZE, I DIDN'T GO INTO THAT. UM, BUT YES, THERE ARE FINES. NOW I WILL SAY WE TALKED TO OUR CODES ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS ABOUT WHAT, UM, VIOLATIONS THEY'VE RUN INTO SINCE THE 2018 PLASTIC BAG ORDINANCE WAS PUT INTO PLACE. AND I CAN'T REMEMBER THE EXACT NUMBERS OFF OF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, BUT THERE WERE ONLY A HANDFUL OF VIOLATIONS THAT HAPPENED. AND THEY WERE ALL RESOLVED BY VISITS TO THE ESTABLISHMENT TO LET THEM KNOW THAT THE ORDINANCE WAS IN PLACE. AND SO FINES HAVE NEVER BEEN LEVIED BY BEAUFORT COUNTY IN RESPONSE TO ANYONE VIOLATING THIS. BUT WHAT ARE THE FINES? SO THE FINES ARE, THE PENALTIES SHALL NOT EXCEED FOR THE FIRST VIOLATION, A HUNDRED DOLLARS, 200 FOR THE SECOND VIOLATION WITHIN ANY 12 MONTH PERIOD AND $500 FOR EACH ADDITIONAL VIOLATION WITHIN ANY 12 MONTH PERIOD. EACH DAY THAT THE VIOLATION CONTINUES WILL CONSTITUTE A SEPARATE OFFENSE. AND THIS IS WHAT WE ALREADY HAVE IN PLACE FOR OUR 2018 PLASTIC BAG ORDINANCE. OKAY. SO CODE ENFORCEMENT FORCES THAT NO, OUR, UM, YES. YEAH. OUR CODE ENFORCEMENT WAS WHO WAS GOING OUT ON THAT SINCE THE 2018? WE EVER HAD TO ISSUE A FINE. OKAY. ALRIGHT. IT WAS ALWAYS HANDLED BY A VISIT. OKAY. SO, UM, WE HAD A DISCUSSION LAST YEAR. UM, YOU SENT, YOU SAID YOU SENT 'EM OUT TO BUS BUSINESS AND RESIDENTIAL MM-HMM . AND I WENT AROUND AND ASKED THE BUSINESS IN BLUFFTON AT MR. MCAL, AND I GO TO THE SAME RESTAURANTS MM-HMM . AND I ALSO ASKED ALL MY NEIGHBORS, NOBODY GOT THAT SURVEY. OKAY. NOBODY GOT IT. BUT WHAT I DID IS I'VE GONE AROUND AND JUST WATCHED AND ASKED THE DIFFERENT RESTAURANTS THIS PAST WEEKEND, WHAT DO YOU USE? AND MAJORITY OF THE RESTAURANTS THEY USE, UM, A BROWN. A BROWN LIKE, UM, OH, FOR THE TO GO CONTAINERS, CARDBOARD. YES. YEAH. CONTAINER. I HAVE SEEN THAT. YES. OR THEY USE, UM, ONLY TWO HAD STYROFOAM AND EVERYBODY ELSE HAD THIS OTHER THING. IT'S A ALUMINUM FOIL BOTTOM. YES. WITH A CLEAR PLASTIC MM-HMM . SO WOULD THAT BE OKAY? THAT WOULD BE ABSOLUTELY OKAY. YES. THAT WOULD BE REALLY GREAT. IT'S, IT'S ONLY STYROFOAM BECAUSE THEY'RE, THAT'S BEING ADDRESSED ONLY TWO PLACES WITH STYROFOAM. AND MY, ONE OF MY CONSTITUENTS, WELL ONE OF MY, UM, AREAS, THEY GO AND PICK UP TRASH IN FRONT OF THEIR PLANTATION ON 2 78 AND THEY GET A LOT OF TRASH. MM-HMM . AND THE MAJORITY OF IT IS STYROFOAM CUPS, IS STYROFOAM CONTAINERS. NOW, I KNOW WHEN WE CARRY OUT THIS OTHER ONE RESTAURANT IN BLUFFTON, THEY HAVE THIS ALUMINUM FOIL AND THE PLASTIC, YOU CAN USE THAT AGAIN. YES. OR IF YOU HAVE COMPANY OVER YOUR HOUSE AND YOU HAVE LEFTOVERS AND THEY, THEY WANNA TAKE SOME LEFTOVERS ON, THEY'RE GOOD TO USE AGAIN AND AGAIN. AND WE CLEAN, YOU KNOW, CLEAN OURS IN THE, SO THAT'S OKAY. YES, THAT'S OKAY. YES. UM, SO, ALL RIGHT. SO, AND I'M REALLY HAPPY TO REPORT THAT THE CHINESE RESTAURANTS STOP USING PLASTIC BAGS. THEY ARE USING PAPER [03:00:01] NOW. UM, HAVE TO TO, HUH? THEY HAVE TO. WELL, NO, THE THICK BAGS' BEEN TIME. YEAH. BUT THEY ARE NOW. OKAY. . UM, YEAH. UH, OKAY. SO, AND THE WALMART BAGS, HOW WE GONNA FORCE THAT? HOW ARE YOU GONNA FORCE WALMART TO GET RID OF THOSE PLASTIC BAGS AND NEWSPAPER LIKE PUBLIX AND KROGER'S? YES. SO THE, THIS ACTUALLY HAS HAPPENED IN OTHER COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND HERE IN SOUTH CAROLINA AS WELL, THAT THE, THE BIG BOX STORES HAVE BEEN PRIMARILY THE USERS OF THE THICK PLASTIC BAGS. AND WE'VE EVEN SEEN HERE LOCALLY, LOWE'S WAS USING THE THICK PLASTIC BAGS, BUT THEY'VE RECENTLY TRANSITIONED OVER TO, AND BY RECENTLY, I MEAN IN THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS TO PAPER BAGS, BECAUSE I REMEMBER SEEING THAT HAPPEN. SO SOME BUSINESSES ARE TAKING THE INITIATIVE ON THEIR OWN, BUT IT WOULD BE ENFORCED JUST THE WAY IT'S SPELLED OUT HERE IN OUR PENALTY SECTION. UM, AND, AND WE'VE SEEN IN OTHER COMMUNITIES IN SOUTH CAROLINA THAT WALMART DOES MAKE THE TRANSITION TO THE PAPER BAGS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. YOU'RE WELCOME. MR. REEDS. UM, WE HAVE 15 PIERS OR BOAT LANDINGS THROUGHOUT BEAUFORT COUNTY, AND WE HAVE ORDINANCE THAT WE HAVEN'T ENFORCED IN AT FOREVER. HOW MANY RESTAURANTS ARE ON HILTON HEAD ISLAND RIGHT NOW? GOSH, THAT'S, UM, ROUGHLY, I DON'T WANT TO HAZARD TO GUESS. A LITTLE OVER 200. YES. LET ME ASK YOU THIS JUST CRAZY QUESTION. HOW, IF WE CAN'T ENFORCE REGULATIONS AT 15 PEERS THAT TRAVERSE THIS ENTIRE COUNTY, HOW ARE WE GONNA ENFORCE OR CODE ENFORCE THIS? AND ARE WE GONNA TARGET CERTAIN RESTAURANTS AND NOT OTHERS? UM, I WOULD SAY, UH, JUST FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION THAT WE HAVE THE SINGLE USE PLASTIC BAG ORDINANCE IN PLACE, AND I'M SURE THERE ARE AS MANY BUSINESSES IN HILTON HEAD AS RESTAURANTS THAT WERE USING SINGLE USE PLASTIC BAGS THAT MIGHT, UH, FEEL THE IMPACTS OF THIS CHANGE. AND MANY OF OUR BUSINESSES HAVE COME INTO COMPLIANCE WITH NOW THAT NOW THERE, THERE MIGHT BE ISSUES WITH BUSINESSES NOT BEING AWARE OF A PLASTIC BAG ORDINANCE THAT WENT INTO PLACE IN 2018. UM, BUT LIKE I WAS SAYING EARLIER, OUR BUILDING CODES WHEN THEY, NOT OUR BUILDING CODES, OUR CODES ENFORCEMENT, WHEN THEY RECEIVE THOSE COMPLAINTS OR REPORTS FROM CITIZENS WHO ARE OUT, THEY GO VISIT THE BUSINESS AND TALK WITH THE MANAGER ON DUTY ABOUT, HEY, THIS IS NOT ALLOWED ANYMORE. AND OFTENTIMES WHAT, WHAT, WHAT I HEARD FROM OUR CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS ARE THAT IT'S, UH, AN ISSUE THAT CAME DOWN KIND OF FROM THE HIGHER UPS, THE, THE CEOI DON'T KNOW THE RIGHT WORDS. I'M NOT A BUSINESS PERSON, YOU KNOW, CORPORATE, CORPORATE IS WHAT I WANT CORPORATE, UM, THAT AN UNINTENTIONAL ORDER WAS SENT THEIR WAY OF THE WRONG ITEM, AND THAT'S WHY THEY HAD TO SWITCH TEMPORARILY. UM, BUT THEY, THEY WOULD QUICKLY COME INTO COMPLIANCE. SO I THINK THAT, I THINK BASED ON WHAT WE'VE SEEN THROUGH THE SURVEYS, THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF FOLKS WHO ARE PAYING ATTENTION TO THIS ISSUE. MANY OF THEM WHO FEEL VERY, UM, STRONGLY THAT ACTION NEEDS TO BE TAKEN AND THAT THEY WILL HELP, HELP KIND OF, UH, GUIDE BUSINESSES THAT MAY NOT BE AWARE OF THE CHANGES THAT ARE COMING. AND I, FROM OUR, UM, PRESENTATION THAT WE DID TO THE TOWN OF HILTON HEAD, UM, THE COUNCIL THERE AND THEIR ADMINISTRATOR DID LET US KNOW THAT THEY ARE, UM, INTERESTED IN REFLECTING WHAT THE COUNTY DOES IN ORDER TO MAKE ENFORCEMENT EASIER. WHICH IS ONE OF THE, THE, UM, CONSIDERATIONS, I THINK FOR WHY IT'S IMPORTANT FOR THIS TO BE A UNIFIED APPROACH SO THAT IT'S NOT, YOU KNOW, A BUSINESS IS RIGHT NEXT TO WHERE IN BEAUFORT COUNTY, TO A BUSINESS IN HILTON HEAD AND ONE GETS TREATED ONE WAY AND THE OTHER GETS TREATED A DIFFERENT WAY. IF THAT MAKES SENSE. YES. THANK YOU. OKAY. I CAN ADD TO THAT, THAT HILTON HEAD HAS THEIR OWN CODE ENFORCEMENT, UH, DEPARTMENT AND THEY ENFORCE THE ORDINANCES THAT THEY'VE ADOPTED WITHIN THE TOWN, AND THEY'RE VERY ACTIVE IN THEIR ENFORCEMENT. THANK YOU. ANYBODY ELSE? YES, CHAIRMAN. YES. UM, THANK YOU, UM, FOR THE, UM, PROPOSAL. I'M GONNA SUPPORT IT. UH, QUICK QUESTION THOUGH. UM, YOU TALK ABOUT CHARLESTON GETTING INFORMATION, YOU SPREADING THE WORD TO THE JASPER COUNTY IS SAVANNAH. I, I DON'T KNOW IF I COULD TELL YOU NOT EVEN FROM VISITING. I'M JUST NOT SURE IF I COULD TELL YOU. UM, I WAS WONDERING , YOU KNOW, THERE'S BIG OLD OCEAN OUT THERE STUFF, I'M JUST WONDERING YEAH, YEAH. PLASTIC CUBS ON RIVER STREET. YEAH, I CAN TELL YOU THAT. OKAY. HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT? AND I'M, I'M GLAD THAT YOU HAVE, UM, MADE THE PROVISION FOR AGRICULTURE TO BE SO THEY CAN USE THEIR PLASTIC WARES TO HELP WITH, UM, PRODUCE, ET CETERA, ET CETERA. RIGHT? RIGHT. YES. YES. MR. AL, YOU, YEAH. ALRIGHT. SO ONE, I APPRECIATE ALL THE WORK Y'ALL, Y'ALL PUT INTO IT. THANK YOU. I KNOW A LOT. I SAW THE PRESENTATION THAT YOU GAVE AT NERPA. IT WAS WONDERFUL. UM, SO HAVE Y'ALL THOUGHT [03:05:01] ABOUT THE UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES? 'CAUSE I, I, I KNOW THE, THE THICK PLASTIC BAG WAS AN UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCE, RIGHT. OF THE LAS ROUND. SO HAVE Y'ALL THOUGHT ABOUT ANY OF THOSE UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES? YEAH, I WOULD SAY, UM, ONE UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCE, AND IT'S SOMETHING FOR CONSIDERATION, IS THAT WE HAVE, UM, A REALLY DIVERSE POPULATION HERE IN BEFORD COUNTY. AND SO DIFFERENT PEOPLE NEED DIFFERENT THINGS. I I REMEMBER WHEN PLASTICS STRAW BANS KIND OF FIRST CAME ABOUT, THERE WAS A LOT OF CONCERNS ABOUT FOLKS WHO HAD, UM, DISABILITY ISSUES THAT REQUIRED THEM TO USE A STRAW. AND WHAT KIND OF CONSIDERATIONS WERE BEING MADE FOR THAT? UM, BECAUSE WE'RE NOT GETTING RID OF THE STRAWS. FORTUNATELY, THAT'S NOT AN, AN ISSUE FOR US HERE, BUT THERE MAY BE OTHER THINGS THAT WE NEED TO CONSIDER WHEN IT COMES TO THE ITEMS THAT ARE BEING BANNED. NOW, AS FAR AS STYROFOAM GOES, I'M, I DON'T, I AM NOT AWARE OF WHERE THAT WOULD BECOME A KIND OF AN ACCESSIBILITY ISSUE. AND, AND I'D BE HAPPY TO, UM, HEAR FEEDBACK FROM THAT IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT WE'RE MISSING ON THAT. UM, FROM THE BAG POINT OF VIEW, I DO KNOW THAT THICK PLASTIC BAGS ARE OF COURSE, STRONGER OFTENTIMES THAN OUR PAPER BAGS CAN BE. AND IF THERE'S ANY WEATHER EVENT WHEN YOU'RE TRYING TO TAKE YOUR GROCERIES OR WHATEVER IT IS YOU'VE PURCHASED FROM THE STORE TO YOUR CAR, YOU CAN RUN INTO AN ISSUE WITH THE BAG GETTING WET AND AND FALLING APART. SO THAT OF COURSE IS A CONCERN. UM, I THINK THE THE PROVISION OF ALLOWING, UM, OF THE, THE HIGHER QUALITY REUSABLE BAGS TO BE AN OPTION IS HELPFUL, BUT I, I'M NOT SURE IF IT NECESSARILY MEETS, UM, ALL OF THE NEEDS. SO YES, THERE, THERE COULD BE UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES THERE. AND I, I GOT LOOKED AT, LIKE, I WAS CRAZY THE LAST TIME THIS CAME UP WHEN I BROUGHT UP, UH, PFAS YES. FOREVER CHEMICALS. PFAS. YES. GOT IT. SO I'M, I'M LOOKING AT IT RIGHT NOW FROM THE US FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION. THERE IS A PHASE OUT RIGHT NOW FOR F FOR FOOD PACKAGING IN PARTICULAR. BUT NONETHELESS, THERE'S A, I'M TRYING TO FIND THE WORD HERE. A DIETARY MIGRATION OF PFAS INTO OUR FOOD BASED OFF PAPER, PAPER PRODUCTS CODED WITH PFAS. NOT ONLY IS THAT HARMFUL TO US, BUT WHAT DOES THAT DO FOR RUNOFF AND COMPOSTING IN OUR LANDFILL? IN OUR WATERWAYS. YES. YES. UM, AND I WOULD, I GUESS, HAS THAT BEEN, BEEN ANALYZED IN THIS APPROACH AS WELL? THAT SPECIFICALLY, NO, BUT I WOULD ALSO SAY THAT WE ARE ALSO GETTING ALL OF THE CHEMICALS THAT COME FROM THE PLASTIC ITEMS THAT WE'RE ALREADY USING. SO IT'S, IT'S KIND OF A, I MEAN, WE COULD, WE COULD CAPTURE IT ALL IF, IF COUNCIL WANTS TO AND THROW IT ALL IN THERE, BUT THERE, THERE, IT'S A VERY BIG ISSUE THAT WE'RE ALL GLOBALLY JUST BEGINNING TO UNDERSTAND. BUT YES, PFAS IS DEFINITELY A CONCERN. THE OTHER, THIS REALLY ISN'T SO MUCH A QUESTION FOR YOU TO ANSWER, BUT, UM, WHAT CONCERNS ME, ONE, THE MISDEMEANOR, YOU'VE ALREADY TOUCHED ON THAT. I, I DO NOT LIKE THAT LANGUAGE IN THIS, THIS PARTICULAR ORDINANCE. I THINK WE GET MORE BUY-IN IF WE WERE TO HAVE AN IN INCENTIVIZATION. MM-HMM . I, I APPROACHED THAT SUBJECT LAST, UH, WHENEVER IT CAME UP THAT I THINK WE C CODE SIX DASH ONE DASH 400 G TWO ALLOWS US TO CREATE SUBCATEGORIES WITH THE RATIONAL BASIS TO INCENTIVIZE MM-HMM . THIS TYPE OF BEHAVIOR. I DO NOT LIKE USING THE POLICE POWER IN THIS MECHANISM. I ALSO LIKE THAT WE HAVE CARVED OUT THE COUNTY AND THE, THE MUNICIPALITY OR THE GOVERNING BODIES FROM THIS ORDINANCE, AND WE TARGET SPECIFIC BUSINESS. I THINK IF WE'RE GOING TO BE PASSING AN ORDINANCE SUCH AS THIS, WE NEED TO BE SPECIFICALLY BEHOLDEN TO OURSELVES ACCOUNTABLE AND BE LEADERS IN THIS, YOU MEAN SPECIFICALLY, UM, GOVERNMENTAL ENTITIES LIKE BEAUFORT COUNTY NEEDS TO COUNTY YES. AND THE LANGUAGE THERE. YEAH. I DID THINK IT WAS IN THERE, BUT THE, I'VE SEEN SO MANY ITERATIONS THAT IT'S DEFINITELY DON'T POSSIBLE THAT IT BACKUP THE COUNTY ITSELF WOULD BE, YEAH. SO IN THE, I'LL HOLD TO THE, TO THIS LANGUAGE. OKAY. IN THE, IN THE REGULATIONS. AND, UM, AND I, THIS IS MY FAULT. I SHOULD HAVE GONE OVER THIS PIECE. I I FAILED TO MENTION THIS. OKAY. SO WE, WE TALKED ABOUT HOW WE CHANGED THE REGULATIONS TO BRING IN THOSE ITEMS, BUT WE DID HAVE LANGUAGE IN HERE THAT SAYS, UM, BEAUFORT COUNTY SHALL ONLY PROVIDE, DISTRIBUTE OR DELIVER PLASTIC STRAWS OR PLASTIC CUTLERY FOR PREPARED FOODS UPON REQUEST OR THE AFFIRMATIVE RESPONSE. UM, AND THEN, OH, HOLD ON. I'M SORRY. I SEE WHAT I'M DOING. I'M MISREADING IT. YEP. YEAH. THE BUSINESS WITHIN, YEAH. YEAH. UM, THE BUSINESS ESTABLISHMENT SPECIFICALLY. SO YES, IT'S ALL ABOUT BUSINESS ESTABLISHMENTS. I MEAN, WE COULD, WE COULD, IF, IF THE COUNCIL PLEASES, WE COULD MAKE THE AMENDMENT TO INCLUDE OURSELVES. I DO KNOW THAT OUR PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN WORKING REALLY HARD TO MAKE WASTE FREE EVENTS. SO THERE'S ALREADY MOTIVATION HERE FOR BEAUFORT COUNTY. WE DID CHECK, UM, WITH OUR DEPARTMENTS TO SEE HOW WOULD THIS ORDINANCE IMPACT COUNTY OPERATIONS? WHERE MIGHT WE BE USING ITEMS THAT WE'RE PROPOSING BE REGULATED HERE? UM, AND WE, WE DID FIND THAT THEY'RE ONLY VERY MINIMALLY USED, UM, FOR OUR SENIOR MEALS, I THINK ARE USING [03:10:01] STYROFOAM PLATES, I THINK. YES. UM, AND THEN THAT THERE ARE SOME INMATES THAT REQUIRE, I DON'T KNOW IF THEY REQUIRE, BUT THEY USE, SO I DON'T WANNA MISSPEAK, UH, USE SOME STYROFOAM, UM, UH, BOWLS AND THINGS LIKE THAT. AND THEN PLASTIC CUTLERY. AND THEN WE DID CHECK WITH OUR SCHOOLS AS WELL TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY WERE USING. UM, AND, UH, SURPRISINGLY NOT MUCH OF THE ITEMS THAT ARE BEING PROPOSED FOR, UH, A BAND. SO, UH, STYROFOAM TRAYS ARE USED BY SOME SCHOOLS. BUT, UM, THE REPRESENTATIVE THAT I SPOKE WITH INDICATED THAT THE SCHOOLS HAD ALREADY BEEN HAVING CONVERSATIONS ABOUT TRANSITIONING AWAY FROM THE STYROFOAM. UM, THEY DO USE PLASTIC STRAWS, UH, FOR SPECIFIC DRINKS, BUT THEY'RE IN, UM, SELF-SERVICE AREAS AS WELL AS PLASTIC CUTLERY AND AREAS. SO THAT, AT LEAST THAT COMPONENT WOULD ALREADY ADHERE TO THIS. BUT, UM, WE, WE COULD DEFINITELY CONSIDER MAKING AN AMENDMENT GUESS LAST THING WITH THE MISDEMEANOR, IF, IF THE COUNTY WERE TO BE INCORPORATED IN THIS IS MIKE. WANNA GET THE TICKET? SLEEP OVER THERE. ABSOLUTELY . ALRIGHT. LOGAN RESCUE WORKS FOR HIM. HEY, THANK, THANK YOU SO MUCH. I APPRECIATE IT. UM, ALICE SAYS TOO, IF SHE WANTS TO GO FIRST. OH, ALICE, MS. HOWARD, I'D LIKE TO JUST THANK THE, THE AD HOC GROUP. I'M, I'M, I WAS, UM, CHAIRMAN OF NATURAL RESOURCES WHEN THIS WENT TO THEM, AND I MET WITH THEM REGULARLY. UM, AND I WOULD LIKE TO RE REITERATE THAT THEY DID A LOT OF RESEARCH ON WHAT OTHER MUNICIPALITIES IN THE STATE HAD DONE, ESPECIALLY ABOUT THE SURVEY QUESTIONS. THEY DIDN'T JUST COME, YOU KNOW, FROM OUT OF THEIR HEADS, THEY, THEY USED, UM, THEY DIDN'T REINVENT THE WHEEL ON THAT. THE OTHER THING I'D LIKE TO MENTION, UM, PUBLIC WORKS HAS DONE AN OUTSTANDING JOB, AND THEY'RE ALSO SAVING THE COUNTY A LOT OF MONEY. THEY DO NOT BUY PLASTIC WATER BOTTLES FOR THEIR STAFF. UM, AND, YOU KNOW, THEY NEED A LOT OF WATER WHEN THEY'RE OUT WORKING. UM, THEY DO PROVIDE WATER AND THEY ALSO PROVIDED, UM, THEIR STAFF WHEN THEY'RE OUTSIDE AND DOING ALL THAT HOT WORK, UM, THEIR OWN, THEIR OWN STEEL, UM, BOTTLES OR BOTTLES, UM, TO USE AND REUSE. AND IT HAS, IT IS AN, IT IS JUST AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT CAN HAPPEN IN INTERNALLY. AND, UM, I DON'T KNOW THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT'S BEEN SAVED BY PUBLIC WORKS, BUT IT, IT IS AN OUTSTANDING EXAMPLE. AND THE LAST EARTH DAY CELEBRATION WAS A, UM, UH, ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF HOW THINGS CAN BE RECYCLED AND WHAT WE, WE CAN DO AS A COUNTY IF WE DO IT. UH, GOING BACK TO THE CODE ENFORCEMENT, IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY, OUR OWN CODE ENFORCEMENT PERSON SAID HE HAD TO GO, UM, TO THREE BUSINESSES AND REMIND THEM THAT'S WHAT HE BRIEFED US. I'VE TALKED TO THE CODE ENFORCEMENT PEOPLE IN THE CITY OF BEAUFORT. THEY'VE NEVER HAD TO, UH, AND, YOU KNOW, GO BEYOND JUST A REMINDER, UM, UH, LOCAL DRUG STORES, UH, IN THE CITY OF BEAUFORT, SUCH AS, I WON'T CALL OUT A NAME, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE SEVERAL CHAINS OF DRUG STORES. UH, CITY OF BEAUFORT JUST REMINDED THEM AND IT TOOK CARE OF ITSELF. AND I'D LIKE TO REMIND THE REST OF COUNCIL THAT THIS ALSO HAS AN EIGHT MONTH TURN, TURN, UH, GRACE PERIOD, WHICH IS, UH, WELL, WELL THOUGHT OUT. I THINK THAT'S MY ONLY COMMENTS. THANK MR. LAWSON. UM, YOU KNOW, I I, I'VE SPOKE OUT AGAINST THIS IN THE PAST AND I, I MEAN, AND I'M SURE PEOPLE ARE THINKING, WELL, HOW CAN YOU BE NOT IN SUPPORT OF THIS? UM, YOU KNOW, I, I REMEMBER WHEN THEY PASSED THIS BACK IN 2018, AND I DIDN'T LIKE IT BACK IN 2018 WHEN THEY FIRST PASSED IT. UH, SO HERE WE'RE NOW TRYING TO COME BACK AND, AND REDO IT AGAIN. BUT, UM, I DON'T THINK IT'S OUR JOB AS A COUNTY COUNCIL TO BE, UM, ACTUALLY REGULATING THIS. I THINK THIS SHOULD BE CONSUMER DRIVEN. THIS SHOULD BE SOMETHING THAT IF I'M A CONSUMER, I SHOULD WALK IN AND SAY, THIS IS WHAT I WANT. I'M NOT GONNA GO TO THE PLACES THAT DO WHATEVER THEY'RE DOING OR NOT DOING, OR ASKED THE RESTAURANT THAT I GO TO TO HAVE THOSE OPTIONS. SO, UH, AGAIN, IT'S, IT, IT, WHEN YOU LOOK AT IT, THIS SHOULD BE DONE BY THE PUSH FROM THE CONSUMERS AND THEN THE BUSINESSES WHO, WHO WANNA FOLLOW UP. UM, YOU KNOW, AND I, I, I'VE MENTIONED THIS BEFORE, I CLEAN UP TWO MILES OF THE BLUFFTON PARKWAY, MYSELF AND MY FAMILY. REALLY, IT'S JUST ME AND MY WIFE THAT DOES IT MOST, MOST OF THAT. UM, AND YOU KNOW, SO, AND I, I THINK I'VE BEEN TO EVERY SINGLE MAY RIVER CLEAN UP THE PAST 10 YEARS. I THINK I'VE MISSED TWO, UH, TO CLEAN UP AS WELL. MY KIDS GETTING NETTED BECAUSE THEY'RE OUT IN THE BOAT IN THE MAY RIVER, AND I TURN AROUND TO GO BACK TO GET A BOTTLE OF WATER. THEY KNOW THEY NEED TO GO TO THE FRONT OF THE BOAT WITH A NET TO GET THE, THE BOTTLE OF WATER WE JUST PASSED. [03:15:01] AND, YOU KNOW, THIS IS WHAT WE FIND MOSTLY IN THE RIVERS, AND THIS IS WHAT WE FIND ALONG THE ROADS. UM, SO IF WE WANNA BAN SOMETHING, IT WOULD BE A BOTTLE, A PLASTIC BOTTLE OF THIS. THIS IS REALLY WHAT'S CAUSING THE PROBLEM. SO I THINK WE'RE TRYING TO TAKE A BITE OUT OF IT, BUT IT, IT'S, IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK, I THINK IT'S SOMETHING THAT, THAT IT SHOULD BE DECIDED UPON BY THE CONSUMER. MY WIFE CARRIES THE BAGS EVERY PLACE SHE GOES. I DON'T, I USE THE, THE PAPER BAGS THAT ARE THERE, WHATEVER ELSE IS THERE. UM, IF PEOPLE REALLY THOUGHT, YOU KNOW, THAT THEY, THEY, THIS WAS A BIG DEAL. THEY SHOULD STOP GOING TO WALMART, UM, OR CARRY THEIR OWN BAGS, BUT PEOPLE STILL GO TO WALMART AND STILL USE THE PLASTIC BAGS. UM, SO I, I, I THINK THIS IS BEING OVERREGULATED, SO I'M GONNA VOTE AGAINST IT. IT'S NOT BECAUSE I'M NOT A GREEN PERSON. AGAIN, I CLEAN UP TRASH AND DO THAT STUFF ON A REGULAR BASIS. UH, UM, AGAIN, THE TWO MILES OF THE BLUFF IN THE PARKWAY THAT I CLEAN UP. BUT, UM, YOU DO A GREAT JOB TOO. YOU KEEP IT CLEAN, YOU DO TRY TO GO OUT ONCE A MONTH IS MY THING. BUT IT, THAT'S A DIFFERENT SUBJECT. BUT, UM, SO AGAIN, I MEAN, I THINK YOU'VE DONE A GREAT JOB IN THIS. I REALLY DO. BUT I, AGAIN, I THINK AS GOVERNMENT OVERREACH, YOU KNOW, FROM, FROM, FROM WHERE, WHERE WE ARE, UM, AND AGAIN, WE ALL HAVE DIFFERENT THOUGHTS UP HERE AND HOW THIS GOES. AND, UH, AGAIN, SO I'M GONNA, I VOTE AGAINST IT, BUT AGAIN, NOTHING, YOU'VE DONE IT AN EXCELLENT PRESENTATION AND, YOU KNOW, UM, MR. CAMP, EVERYTHING YOU'VE DONE, YOU KNOW, THE THINGS THAT YOU DO OUT THERE ARE INCREDIBLE. SO AGAIN, I APPRECIATE THAT. UM, UH, BUT AGAIN, I'M GONNA VOTE AGAINST IT. MR. CUNNINGHAM, UM, YEAH, I'M IN THE SAME BOAT AS MARK, UM, FOR A LOT OF DIFFERENT REASONS, TO BE COMPLETELY HONEST. UM, SO JUST TO UNDERSTAND, TO MAKE SURE THAT I'VE READ EVERYTHING CORRECTLY. SO, BANNING STYROFOAM FROM RESTAURANTS, BUT NOT FOR ANYBODY ELSE TO GO PURCHASE IT OR RESTAURANTS, GROCERY STORE, ANYTHING THAT'S A SINGLE USE AT, UH, A FOOD DISPOSAL FOOD SERVICE. BUT IF I GO TO A GROCERY STORE AND I CAN BUY TOGO CONTAINERS AT A GROCERY STORE, YOU CAN STILL BUY IT. YES. OKAY. SO THERE'S, I CAN STILL GO BUY IT, I CAN STILL PUT IT IN THE COUNTY. IT CAN STILL GET INTO THE WATERWAYS. THE ONLY PEOPLE THAT ARE BEING REGULATED ARE BUSINESSES. NOBODY ELSE. SO THE ONLY PEOPLE THAT ARE GONNA TAKE A HIT ON THIS ARE THEM. AGAIN, TO ME, THAT'S A GOVERNMENT OVERREACH WHEN WE'RE DICTATING HOW A BUSINESS OPERATES. YEAH. MY QUESTION IS WHY STYROFOAM AND NOT PLASTIC? YES. UM, OR ALUMINUM WHEN THEY ALL DECOMPOSE AT THE SAME TIMEFRAME. RIGHT. STYROFOAM IN AND OF ITSELF IS NOT A RECYCLABLE ITEM. SO EVEN IF, UM, WE CONTINUE TO PERMIT IT, OF COURSE THAT'S YOUR ALL'S DECISION. IT'S NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO GO THROUGH A RECYCLING PROCESS AND GET REUSED. IT WILL JUST CONTINUALLY FILL UP THE LANDFILL. SO IT'S JUST ONE TIME USE AND GOING IN THERE. STYROFOAMS ALSO NOT REUSED. UH, ONE OF THE QUESTIONS WE ASKED FROM OUR SURVEY PARTICIPANTS, UM, WAS WHAT ITEMS ARE YOU REUSING? AND STYROFOAM IS, WAS NEVER REUSED. AND SO IT IS, IT IS A SINGLE USE ISSUE. THE, THE CONSIDERATION WITH, UM, IT BEING USED AT RESTAURANTS IS IF YOU REQUESTED A, A TAKEOUT RIGHT, FOR YOUR FOOD, OR IF YOU'RE ORDERING TAKEOUT, YOU'RE NOT GIVEN THE OPTION TO CHOOSE SOMETHING OTHER THAN STYROFOAM. SO YOU WOULD INEVITABLY HAVE TO CHOOSE NOT TO GO TO THAT BUSINESS. UM, IN ORDER TO AVOID THE STYROFOAM, WHEN YOU'RE GOING TO A GROCERY STORE, YOU HAVE THE CHOICE NOT TO PURCHASE THE STYROFOAM. SO THAT'S A, A VERY SMALL DIFFERENCE. AND IT PROBABLY ISN'T, UM, GONNA MEAN TOO MUCH, BUT IT'S JUST, I WANTED TO POINT THAT OUT, KIND OF THE DIFFERENCE OF HOW, UM, HOW NOT HAVING THE CHOICE, UM, WHEN YOU'RE ORDERING THINGS HAS AN IMPACT. SO JUST, AND OBVIOUSLY THIS IS, I'M, I KNOW WHERE I STAND THIS ISSUE, BUT JUST FOR CLARIFICATION OF INFORMATION ON BOTH SIDES OF IT, STYROFOAM IS 500 YEARS TO BREAK DOWN. PLASTIC BOTTLES IS FOUR 50. THE ORIGINAL PLASTIC BAGS THAT ARE NOT DOUBLE-SIDED IS BETWEEN 20 AND 30, WHICH WERE THE FIRST THINGS THAT WERE BANNED. UM, AND PLASTIC STRAWS ARE 200 YEARS. SO, AND ALUMINUM'S 500 YEARS. AND, UM, PLASTIC IS 500, 450 TO 500 YEARS. SO I, I CAN SAY ONE THING THOUGH, I'M NOT SURE WHERE THOSE NUMBERS CAME FROM ON THAT SLIDE. UM, I CAN TELL YOU, I CAN GET DIRECTLY ON CISCO'S WEBSITE AND IT'S ANYWHERE BETWEEN 150 TO 400% MORE EXPENSIVE. UM, JUST RIGHT ON THEIR WEBSITE, OFF THE RIP. UM, 12,000 PLASTIC STRAWS, $61, 2,500 PAPER STRAWS IS $135. SO IT'S A FOURTH OF THE AMOUNT OF STRAWS FOR TWICE THE COST. YEAH. FORTUNATELY, WE'RE NOT REGULATING THE STRAWS THAT WAY THOUGH. I, I KNOW THAT'S JUST ONE EXAMPLE. I CAN DO THE SAME THING WITH PLASTIC CONTAINERS AND PAPER AND SO ON AND SO ON. UH, MY BIGGEST ISSUE THOUGH, I DO HAVE TWO. ONE I DO BELIEVE IS OVERREGULATING BUSINESSES. I THINK THAT SHOULD BE A BUSINESS DECISION. WE CHOOSE TO GO TO BUSINESSES. OUR, WE'RE JUST GONNA PUT MORE, CONT MORE CONSTRAINTS ON THEM, ESPECIALLY IN A TIME WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT COST OF EVERYTHING GOING UP. THE SECOND PART IS WHY ARE NON-PROFITS OR ANY [03:20:01] OTHER ENTITIES EXEMPT FROM IT WHEN A BUSINESS WHO'S TRYING TO MAKE MONEY HAS TO PAY MORE, BUT A NONPROFIT THAT'S SUPPORTED BY THOSE BUSINESSES AND THE COMMUNITY IS GETTING TO GO AROUND THAT RULE. YES. UM, SO THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT WE SAW COME THROUGH OTHER COMMUNITIES ORDINANCES. IT WAS ACTUALLY BROUGHT UP DURING THE CITY OF BEAUFORT, THE SAME CONCERN. SHOULD WE REMOVE THAT EXEMPTION? AND SO THAT'S DEFINITELY UP FOR COUNCIL COUNCIL'S CONSIDERATION. UM, I, I BELIEVE THE COMMENT WAS THAT THESE ORGANIZATIONS SHOULD BE THE, YOU KNOW, THE LEADERS IN THE COMMUNITY, BUT THAT WAS FROM THE CITY OF BELFORT'S COUNCIL, UM, WITH REGARD TO THAT SPECIFIC EXEMPTION. SO THAT, THAT HAS BEEN BROUGHT UP TO US. I GUESS MY ONLY QUESTION IS, THE ONLY REASON YOU'D EXEMPT THEM IS BECAUSE YOU'RE ACKNOWLEDGING THAT IT COSTS MORE. THERE'S NO OTHER REASON TO DO IT. IF IT'S A PLACE THAT'S NOT MAKING MONEY AND THEY'RE WORRIED ABOUT COST, THAT WOULD BE THE ONLY REASON YOU'D GIVE THEM AN EXEMPTION EXEMPTION. SO LIKE, WE'RE ACKNOWLEDGING THE FACT THAT THIS IS GONNA COST BUSINESSES MORE MONEY. UM, I CAN'T SUPPORT IT. I DIDN'T SUPPORT THE BAG TO BEGIN WITH. UM, THE BAGS NOW ARE WORSE THAN THEY WERE TO BEGIN WITH. UM, SO I, I WON'T BELABOR THE POINT. IT'S GOING FOR TWO MORE READINGS, BUT I, I CANNOT SUPPORT THIS THE WAY IT IS WRITTEN. I THINK IT SHOULD BE DONE BY BUSINESSES AND CONSUMERS, NOT BY THE GOVERNMENT. ANYBODY ELSE. THE HOURS VERY LATE SURE. HAVE TO BE BACK AT 9:00 AM IT'S NOT 2:00 AM YET TAX IN 12. I CAN'T DO ENOUGH AT 2:00 AM I HAVE ONE QUICK QUESTION. OH, GOODNESS. AND THAT'S A MISDEMEANOR. IS THERE A MISDEMEANOR IN THIS ORDINANCE? CORRECT, DAVID? THERE IS. WELL, I WAS GONNA VOTE YES UNTIL NOW. . YES. AND WE, UNLESS WE'RE WILLING TO MAKE JUST SOME ADJUSTMENTS ON THIS, AND WE WILL, IF, IF THERE ARE AMENDMENTS THAT YOU ALL HAVE, WE CAN TAKE THEM BACK AND, AND REWORK THE LANGUAGE AND, AND DO THAT. UM, THAT WAS A HOLDOVER FROM THE 2018 ORDER ORDINANCE. AND WE RAN, WE RERAN THAT THROUGH LEGAL WHEN WE BROUGHT THROUGH THE AMENDMENTS. SO I REMEMBER LAST TIME I VOTED FOR, OH, I THOUGHT IT WAS VOTING, JUST GET RID OF THE PLASTIC BAGS. AND IT WAS ALL THIS OTHER STUFF WAS, IT WAS, UH, EARMARKED IN THERE. SO I WAS LIKE, THEN I VOTED NO. BUT THIS IS A MISDEMEANOR. IT CAN BE NO, THEY DON'T. SHE SAID NOBODY ENFORCED IT. ENFORCE IT NEVER WENT THAT FAR. OKAY, GREAT. I DO HAVE ONE QUESTION OF ONE LANGUAGE IN THERE. IT SAID THAT, UM, PLASTICS, SILVERWARE AND STRAWS CAN BE GIVEN UPON REQUESTS OR SUGGESTION. WHAT IF YOU GIVE IT OUT WITHOUT REQUEST OR SUGGESTION? SO THAT WOULD BE IN VIOLATION OF THE RULE AND NOBODY'S GONNA REPORT THAT. I MEAN, LET'S, YEAH. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. BUT WE DID HAVE, AND I'M SORRY I DON'T WANNA KEEP US TOO LONG, BUT WE DID LOOK AT CASE STUDIES AND THERE WERE, UM, THERE WAS EVIDENCE THAT HAVING BUY REQUEST ONLY REGULATION HELPS PREVENT TENS OF THOUSANDS OF POUNDS OF GARBAGE TO FROM GOING IN ANNUALLY INTO THE LANDFILL. AND IT ALSO HELPS, UH, REDUCE, UM, THE AMOUNT OF STOCK THAT'S WALKING OUT THE DOOR FOR BUSINESSES. I SAW, UH, ONE CASE STUDY WAS IN 94% REDUCTION ON THE NUMBER OF PLASTIC CUTLERY PIECES WALKING OUT OF RESTAURANTS FOR JUST TO GO ORDERS. SO WHAT I SUGGEST, IF YOU HAVE EDITS TO THIS OR AMENDMENTS, YOU BRING IT FOR A SECOND READING, THERE'S NO POINT IN BELABORING IT. OKAY. AGAIN, TONIGHT. ALL RIGHT. UNLESS SOMEBODY WANTS TO MAKE A MOTION TO AMEND. OKAY. I MEAN, IF YOU WANNA DO THAT, FINE. OKAY. THERE IS NO REASON TO JUST DRAG THIS ON. OKAY. I'M SORRY, BUT IT'S LATE. YEAH. I'LL TAKE A ROLL CALL. LET'S, LET'S FINISH ON A HIGH NOTE. I WILL. AND I'M GONNA QUICKLY SAY THAT LAST YEAR, ALL COUNTY COUNCIL MEMBERS I GOT THAT WERE GIVEN ONE OF THESE. YES. AND MY HUSBAND USED BY OUR SOLID WASTE AND RECYCLING TEAM, WHICH I USE EVERY SINGLE DAY. YEAH. MY HUSBAND, I JUST WANNA QUICKLY STATE THAT ALL OF YOU WERE GIVEN ONE OF THESE. HE LOVES ME. I SAW PEOPLE HOLDING UP THEIR WATER BOTTLES. AND I WANT BACK OUR TEAM UP BY SAYING YOU ALL GOT ONE OF THESE. SORRY. NOW I'LL CALL THE QUESTION. THANK YOU, SARAH. ALRIGHT, GO WITH THE ROLL CALL. COUNCIL MEMBER PASSMAN? YES. COUNCIL MEMBER DAWSON? YES. COUNCIL MEMBER REEDS? NO. COUNCIL MEMBER MCKELLEN? YES. COUNCIL MEMBER LAWSON. MARK LAWSON. NO. COUNCIL MEMBER GLOVER? YES. COUNCIL MEMBER CUNNINGHAM? NO. COUNCIL MEMBER BROWN. NO. COUNCIL MEMBER BARTHOLOMEW? NO. VICE CHAIR. TABER GONNA VOTE YES TO MOVE IT TO SECOND READING. GET OUT CHAIR HOWARD? YES. THE MOTION PASSES. WHAT WAS THE NUMBER? IT'S A SECOND READING. SIX ONE. SIX ONE. OH GOSH. SORRY. 6, 6, 5. I'M SO SORRY. . I WAS LOOKING AT THE BOTTOM. SIX, FIVE. IT'S GONNA AMENDED AT SECOND WEEK. IT'S BEEN A LONG NIGHT. ALL THERE IS NO FURTHER BUSINESS IN FRONT OF US. AND IF YOU SAY SOMETHING, I'M GONNA DEVIL YOU OUT. ANYWAY, WE'RE ADJOURNED. THANK YOU. * 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.