* 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. [00:00:01] CLOSED CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY BUFORT COUNTY. WELCOME EVERYONE. TODAY'S [I. CALL TO ORDER ] TUESDAY, JUNE 9TH, 2026, AND WE'LL CALL THIS MEETING TO ORDER PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE, FOLLOWED BY THE ALLEGIANCE MIRACLE TO THE REPUBLIC SIN GOD. FATHER GOD, WE PRAY ALWAYS FOR STRENGTH, FOR COURAGE AND WISDOM. PLEASE EMPOWER US AS LEADERS WITH THE FORESIGHT AND EMPATHY TO SEE ALL PEOPLE REGARDLESS OF RACE, GENDER, RELIGIOUS BELIEFS, ETHNICITY OR POLITICAL AFFILIATIONS AS HUMAN BEINGS DESERVING OF CIVIL RIGHTS, DIGNITY, AND HUMANITY. AS WE FACE THE VISION AROUND US, GRANT US THE FORTITUDE TO UNITE, UNDERSTANDING THAT WE WILL RISE OR FALL ALWAYS TOGETHER. AND, UH, CONTINUE TO ALLOW US TO BE COMMITTED AS A COMMUNITY WORKING TOGETHER FOR THE GREATER GOOD OF THE COLLECTIVE. ALLOW US TO LEAD WITH LOVE AND GOVERN WITH RESPECT. PLEASE CONTINUE TO KEEP US, GUIDE US AND PROTECT US ALL. IN JESUS' NAME WE PRAY. AMEN. AMEN. OKAY, THAT FIRST WE HAVE, UH, [IV. ADOPTION OF THE MINUTES] WE HAVE THREE DIFFERENT SETS, MINUTES HERE. IS THERE ANYTHING WOULD LIKE TO CHANGE? FIRST ONE, ANY MINUTES? 12. FIVE, 12. IF NOT, IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE? SO MOVED. SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. AYE. OUR NEXT IS THE BUDGET WORKSHOP. MINUTES OF 5 21. IS THERE A MOTION? MEET THE MOTION TO APPROVE. SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. UP NEXT WE HAVE THE BUDGET WORKSHOP. MINUTES OF 5 28. MR. , I MAKE THE MOTION TO APPROVE. I'LL SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. AYE. ALL UNANIM. UP NEXT WE HAVE PRE [V. PRESENTATIONS, CELEBRATIONS, AND RECOGNITIONS] PRESENTATION CELEBRATIONS AND RECOGNITIONS OF, FIRST WE'RE GONNA HAVE BEAUFORT COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT CHARACTER STUDENT. THEN WE'LL HAVE A JUNETEENTH PROCLAMATION. THEN WE'LL HAVE CAROLINA DAY'S PROCLAMATION. AND THEN WE'LL HAVE AN UPDATE FROM BEAUFORT COUNTY TRANSPORTATION. PENNY TAX ADVISORY COMMITTEE. MS. LISA? SO MM-HMM . SHE'S NOT HERE. WELL, SHE'S A CHAIR. SHE'S NOT HERE. NO. SHE'S A CHAIR CAMP. SO THIS IS FOR CAMILLE JOHNSON, A 12TH GRADER AT LEFT AND HIGH. YOU SAID SOMEONE WAS GONNA BE HERE AND THEN NOBODY CAME. NOBODY CAME. SHE IS CURRENTLY OUT OF THE AREA ATTENDING CHEER. SURE. OKAY. SO WE'LL HAVE TO YES. WELL, SHERIFF WAS JUNETEENTH. NEXT WE HAVE JUNETEENTH PROCLAMATION. ON JANUARY 1ST, 1863, PRESIDENT ABRAHAM LINCOLN SIGNED AN E EMANCIPATION PROCLAMATION, WHICH DECLARED THE ENSLAVED PEOPLES IN ANY STATE TO BE FREE FOREVER, FOREVER FREE. ON JUNE 19TH, 1865, FEDERAL ORDERS WERE READ IN GALVESTON, TEXAS REACHING TO THOSE WHO HAD NOT YET RECEIVED WORD OF THE SIGNING OF THE EMANCIPATION PROCLAMATION. JUNE 19TH HAS SINCE BECOME A HOLIDAY THAT COMMEMORATES THE ANNOUNCEMENT AND THE ABUTMENT OF SLAVERY IN TEXAS, TEXAS. THE BLUFFTON JUNETEENTH CELEBRATION IS SPONSORED AND HOSTED BY THE BLUFFTON M-L-B-M-L-K OBSERVANCE COMMITTEE WITH ITS 11TH ANNUAL CELEBRATION THIS YEAR. I'M MAYOR LARRY TUBER, ALONG WITH BLUFFTON TOWN COUNCIL DUTY FOR CLAIM. JUNE 19TH, 2026 AS JUNETEENTH DAY, IS THERE SOMEONE TO ACCEPT THIS? WOULD YOU LIKE TO SAY A FEW WORDS AND TELL US MORE THAN I JUST TOLD EVERYBODY? WELL, YOU DID A WONDERFUL JOB. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MAYOR . UM, I'LL LISTEN TO THAT. UM, MY NAME IS ANGELA DOUGLAS. I'M ACCEPTING THIS PROCLAMATION ON BEHALF OF THE BLUFFTON MLK OBSERVANCE COMMITTEE. UM, LIKE THE MAYOR SAID, THIS IS OUR 11TH YEAR CELEBRATING. UM, NEXT WEEKEND THERE'S A THREE DAY EVENT OF CELEBRATION, STARTING WITH THE, UM, RODEO THEMED FOOD TRUCK FESTIVAL DOWN AT THE NEW RIVERSIDE PARK, FOLLOWED BY THE [00:05:01] SATURDAY JUNETEENTH FESTIVAL CELEBRATION, UM, IN THE MA DAISY'S CAMPUS. AND THEN SUNDAY CONCLUDING WITH A JAZZ BRUNCH AT MA DAISY'S. SO, FOR MORE INFORMATION, FOLLOW THE BLUFFTON MLK OBSERVANCE COMMITTEE FACEBOOK PAGE, AND WE HOPE TO SEE EVERYONE COME OUT AND HAVE A GOOD TIME. THANK YOU. YOU WANNA GET PICTURE? YOU WANNA HOLD YOUR TROPHY? ? OH, I FORGOT TO BRING MY BOAT IN STICKER. OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OKAY, UP NEXT WE HAVE CAROLINA DAYS PROCLAMATION. I THINK WE HAVE, UM, MR. MIKE WILLIAMS, YOU WANNA COME UP HERE? SURE. SURE. MR. THOMAS HAYWARD JR. YEAH. OKAY. ON JUNE 28TH, 1776, THE PATRIOT FORCES OF SOUTH CAROLINA DEFEATED FORT SULLIVAN AGAINST A POWERFUL BRITISH NAVAL ASSAULT. ON JULY 4TH, 1776, CONGRESS VOTED TO IN FAVOR OF INDEPENDENCE, AND THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE WAS PUBLISHED TO THE WORLD. THIS YEAR, 2026 MARKS THE 250TH ANNIVERSARY OF THESE EVENTS AND REPRESENTS AN EXTRAORDINARY CONVERGENCE OF LOCAL AND NATIONAL HISTORY. I MAYOR THE TO, ALONG WITH BLUFFTON TOWN COUNCIL, DO HEREBY PROCLAIM JUNE 27TH, SEVENTH THROUGH JULY 5TH AS CAROLINA DAYS, AND ENCOURAGE ALL RESIDENTS TO JOIN IN COMMENSURATING COMMEMORATING THE HEROISM OF THOSE WHO FOUGHT FOR AMERICAN INDEPENDENCE. AND HOW WELL WOULD YOU LIKE TO SAY MORE? WELL, , YOU SAID IT ALL PRETTY MUCH, BUT I, I THANK YOU MAYOR AND TOWN COUNCIL MEMBERS FOR, UH, HONORING, UH, CAROLINA DAYS. AND WE HOPE THAT YOU WILL ATTEND SOME OF THE EVENTS. YOU CAN ALWAYS GO TO BEAUFORT TWO FIFTY.COM WHERE WE HAVE A LOT OF EVENTS ALREADY LISTED ON OUR WEBSITE. SO WE HOPE THAT YOU WILL ATTEND. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THAT FOR YOU CHIEF, SO, OKAY. ALRIGHT. OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. UP NEXT WE'LL HAVE A MR. ALKA, GIVE US AN UPDATE ON THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE, TASK FORCE, WHATEVER YOU CALL THAT. YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES TOO. NO, I DON'T. THERE'S NO PRESENTATION, BUT I AM HIGH. EVERYBODY, I'M NOT GONNA TAKE LONG BECAUSE Y'ALL HAD HAVE BEEN SO WONDERFUL TO LET ME PRESENT ALONG THE WAY. BUT, UM, OUR COMMITTEE HAS SUNSET. I'M NOT SURE WHY I'M HERE STILL DOING PRESENTATIONS, BUT I REALLY DO BELIEVE IN THIS PENNY. AND I HOPE PEOPLE HERE TONIGHT WILL EDUCATE THEMSELVES ON THIS AND BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR MORE EDUCATION THAT WILL BE COMING SOON. SO I'M GONNA GO THROUGH THESE PRETTY QUICKLY. THIS IS A, A PRESENTATION YOU CAN ABSOLUTELY SHARE, BUT JUST AS A QUICK BACKGROUND, COUNTY COUNCIL HAD 15 SPOTS. ONE OF THE FIRST TIMES WE INCLUDED OUR MUNICIPALITIES, UM, IN A PUBLIC WAY. SO EACH COUNCIL MEMBER GAVE THEIR REPRESENTATIVE IN EACH TOWN, GAVE THEIR REPRESENTATIVE, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR CHOOSING ME. UM, I WAS ACTUALLY VOTED CHAIR GLEN STANFORD OF HILTON HEAD WAS VICE CHAIR. AND I LOVE THIS GROUP. IF YOU EVER GET A CHANCE TO GO ON THE WEBSITE AND FOLLOW THEM, THEY ARE ALL AGES, ALL DEMOGRAPHICS, ALL WALKS OF LIFE. AND IT REALLY BROUGHT OPINIONS THAT HELP. LIKE I SAY, A RISING TIDE RAISES ALL SHIPS. AND EVERY ONE OF THESE MEN AND WOMEN REALIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF WHAT WE WERE DOING. THAT WE WEREN'T HELPING A STREET IN A NEIGHBORHOOD, THAT WE WERE HELPING EVERYBODY. SO IT WAS REALLY WONDERFUL. WE HAD NINE MEETINGS AND WE ENDED UP WITH THE COUNTY. WE MADE A FINAL PRESENTATION ON MAY 11TH. THEY WENT TO PUBLIC FACILITIES WITH A MAJORITY VOTE ON THAT MAY 25TH WAS THEIR READING. AND I'LL GO THROUGH THE PROCESS OF WHAT THE COUNCIL'S DONE SINCE THEN. BUT THE GOAL IS TO GET IT ON THE BALLOT ON ELECTION DAY. SO WE HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE TALKING THAT HAVE LIVED HERE, UM, FOR A LONG, LONG TIME. BUT THEN WE HAVE SO MANY PEOPLE THAT JUST MOVED HERE AND DIDN'T REALIZE THAT WE HAD PASSED THREE PENNIES. WE ACTUALLY PASSED THE VERY FIRST PENNY THE STATE OFFERED IN 1998. SO BEAUFORT COUNTY DOES A LOT OF FIRST AND WE DO A LOT OF FIRST THINGS GREAT, BUT WE NEED TO DO THE FOURTH THING. GREAT WITH THIS. WE PASSED A 98 PENNY. WE PASSED A 2006 PENNY, AND WE PASSED A 2000 IN BETWEEN A 2018 PENNY. LOOK AT THE THREE YEAR, THE THREE TIMES WE HAD A PENNY. THEY'RE ROUGHLY ABOUT 20 16, 15, 20 [00:10:02] YEARS APART. THE FIRST PENNY WAS A TWO YEAR COLLECTION. THE SECOND WAS A SIX. THE PATHWAY PENNY IS WHAT I CALL IT AN 18. IT REALLY WAS NOT A TRANSPORTATION PENNY. IT WAS A FOUR YEAR PROGRAM. I PUT THIS UP BECAUSE IN 2006 WAS THE VERY LAST TIME WE HAD A TRUE PENNY THAT REALLY DID WHAT IT WAS INTENDED TO DO. AND THAT WAS BE PROACTIVE AND TRY TO CATCH UP WITH WHAT GROWTH WE HAD. AND WE ALL KNOW IN 2006 WE WERE NOT VERY BIG, BUT WE HAD THE WORLD IN FRONT OF US ALL OVER THIS COUNTY AND ALL, ALL OVER THE STATE. BUT WE HAD PROJECTS. IT WAS ALL VERY TERRITORIAL. THEN. I WAS COUNT ON COUNCIL. BUT REALLY WE STARTED MEETING ABOUT THE TIME I WAS MAYOR IN 2008. AND IF NORTH OF ABROAD HAD IT SOUTH ABROAD, HAD TO HAVE IT SOUTH OF THE BROAD, HAD A PROJECT WE BETTER MAKE SURE NORTH OF THE BROAD'S PROJECT. IT WAS RIGHT BEHIND IT. IT WAS VERY TERRITORIAL. BUT Y'ALL, IF YOU LOOK AT THIS LIST AND YOU GO ON OUR ROADS, 2 78, THE WIDENING OF ONE 70 BLUFFTON PARKWAY CHANGED THAT LIFE FOR THE BETTER. 30% OF THE TRAFFIC ON 2 78 WENT ON BLUFFTON PARKWAY. AND IT EASED OUR LIFE. BUT WE HAVEN'T DONE ANYTHING SINCE. NOT ONE THING ON ANY OF OUR ROADS THAT MATTER TO THESE WONDERFUL WORKERS AND PEOPLE WHO ARE TRYING SO HARD TO GET TO WORK TO THEIR DOCTOR'S APPOINTMENT AND EVERYWHERE ELSE. SO, UM, 2018, JUST VERY QUICKLY IN YOUR HEAD, YOU MAY BE THINKING, WHY ARE WE DOING THIS? BECAUSE WE HAVEN'T FINISHED 18. IT TAKES A LONG TIME TO COLLECT PENNIES. IT TAKES A LONG TIME TO BUILD PATHWAYS. ALL JOY ROAD HAD 133 EASEMENTS ON THAT LITTLE STRETCH OF ALL JOY ROAD. EVERYTHING TOOK LONGER WITH THE, UM, PATHWAYS AND COVID DID NOT HELP IT AT ALL. BUT COUNCIL GOT TOGETHER. THEY ARE COMMITTED TO COMPLETING THESE PROJECTS BY 28 AND ALL OF THE RIGHT OF WAY FOR ALL OF THE PROJECTS IN THE 18. PENNY WILL HAVE ALL THEIR RIGHT OF WAY TAKEN AND GATHERED BY THE END OF THIS YEAR. OOPS, I KEEP GOING BACKWARDS. I'M SORRY. SO THERE'S A GREAT SITE I'D LOVE FOR ALL OF Y'ALL TO GO ON. BEAUFORT COUNTY PENNY.COM. I WENT ON IT TODAY AND IT HAS BEEN UPDATED ROUGHLY MONTHLY. IT'LL GET UPDATED, BUT IT TELLS YOU ABOUT THE 18, THE 26, AND THEN THE HISTORY OF THE PENNY. THIS IS VERY HARD TO SEE, BUT IT'S THESE, THIS IS IN LADIES ISLAND, SO REALLY DOESN'T AFFECT US. BUT WHERE THE ARROWS ARE, ARE THE PROJECTS THAT ARE STILL IN PROCESS WITH A COMPLETION DATE. THE LAST ONE IS SECOND QUARTER OF 2028. THE REST OF 'EM ARE IN 26 AND 27. BLUFFTON DIDN'T SEE MUCH WITH THIS PENNY, AS WE ALL KNOW, BUT WE DID GET ALL JOY ROAD AND WE DID GET BURNT CHURCH ROAD. BURNT CHURCH ROAD, UM, WILL BE THE END OF 27. ALL JOY ROAD, AS YOU SEE IT IS GETTING COMPLETED. I'D SAY THREE QUARTERS OF THE WAY THERE. UM, THERE ARE SOME COMPLETED PROJECTS AND THEN THE ARROWS SHOW RIGHT OF WAY AND DESIGN. AND I THINK THE LATEST IS 27. SO THE PROJECTS ON 28 WILL BE COMPLETE BY THE TIME WE START COLLECTING THE PENNY ON THIS PENNY REFERENDUM. SO WHAT'S THE REALITY OF IT? I'VE, I'VE GONE AROUND AND TALKED TO PEOPLE. THE STATE'S GONNA DO IT. THE COUNTY SHOULD CUT THEIR BUDGET, THEY SHOULD DO IT. EVERYONE SHOULD DO IT. BUT US IS REALLY WHAT I'VE GATHERED. THIS, UH, STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA IS DOING INTERSTATES AND BRIDGES. THAT IS ALL THEY'RE DOING. THEY OWN 41,000 MILES OF ROADWAY, WHICH IS THE FOURTH LARGEST IN THE COUNTRY. BUT WE'RE IN THE BOTTOM 10. THE BOTTOM 10 IN SIZE OF STATE. DON'T ASK ME WHY, WHAT'D WE DO WAY BACK THEN WHEN SOUTH CAROLINA THOUGHT WE COULD HAVE ALL THESE ROADS, BUT WE OWN A LOT OF ROADS. 41,000 MILES. SO THE MONEY THEY GET IS GOING TO INTERSTATE WIDENING AND BRIDGES. WE ARE ONE OF THREE COUNTIES WITHOUT A PENNY. EVERYONE SURROUNDING US ALL THE WAY THROUGH UNTIL YOU GET TO CLEMSON AND GREENVILLE. OCONEE AND GREENVILLE AND BEAUFORT COUNTY ARE THE ONLY THREE COUNTIES IN THE STATE WITHOUT A TRANSPORTATION PENNY. WE HAVE NEIGHBORS THAT PASS IT EASILY. JASPER HAS THEIR PENNY PASSED AND YOU'RE GONNA SEE SIGNS ALONG THE ROAD RIGHT NOW IF YOU GO DOWN 2278, THAT SHOW YOU THE PROGRESS THEY'RE MAKING. SO THIS COMMITTEE, UH, 15 MEMBER COMMITTEE FOCUSED ON THE COUNCIL GUIDELINES FROM THE COUNTY. WIDENING, RESURFACING, DIRT PAVING AND SAFETY INTERSECTION IMPROVEMENTS. BUT WE AS A GROUP REALLY WITHIN THAT, FOCUSED ON SAFETY, EVACUATION ROUTES, HOTSPOTS. UM, MR. RICKETT WAS ON OUR COMMITTEE AND HE WORKED WITH YOU AND BEAUFORT, UH, CHIEF TO REALLY FIGURE OUT THE LOCAL HOTSPOTS. AND THEN THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT GAVE US THEIRS AND MAINLY MOVEMENT OF TRANSPORTATION. SO REAL QUICK, WE LISTENED TO BEAUFORT COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT. WE LISTENED TO THE, UH, CTC, THE DIRT ROAD [00:15:01] COMMITTEE THROUGH THE COUNTY. WE WENT TO HILTON HEAD, WE WENT TO BEAUFORT. WE WENT TO BLUFFTON. LOVED WHEN WE WENT TO BLUFFTON 'CAUSE IT WAS IN THE WORST AREA IN THE WORLD FOR TRAFFIC. AND EVERYONE DROVE AROUND THAT CIRCLE AND SAW THE TRAFFIC ON ONE 70 AND ALL THE TRAFFIC COMING AND GOING FROM SAVANNAH, UM, BEAUFORT BLACK IN PORT ROYAL AND HILTON HEAD. THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE TALKED TO US. STEPHANIE, WOULD LANCE TALK TO US? SO WE ALL LISTENED. WE, WE HAD NO, WE DIDN'T HAVE THE BACKGROUND TO FIGURE THIS OUT, SO WHY NOT JUST LISTEN TO THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN AND BREATHE IT? AND THAT IS HOW OUR 15 MEMBER COMMITTEE CAME UP WITH A FABULOUS LIST. WE CAME UP, WE HAD OVER, IF WE WOULD'VE HAD THREE MORE MEETINGS, WE WOULD'VE BEEN CLOSER TO $2 BILLION IN PROJECTS. WE HAD TO STOP IT. SO WE CUT THAT $1.47 BILLION PROJECT LIST ALMOST IN HALF TO 780 MILLION FOR, FOR EIGHT YEARS. WE SENT TO THE COUNTY COUNCIL THE RECOMMENDATION ALONG WITH THAT PENNY AND THE AMOUNT WE, UH, RECOMMENDED THAT THEY CREATE AN OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE FOR, FOR, TO GET UPDATES QUARTERLY. WE BELIEVE THAT THE MUNICIPALITIES NEED TO BE AT THE TABLE WITH THE COUNTY AND SEE WHERE THE MUNICIPALITIES MAYBE COULD TAKE ON THEIR OWN PROJECTS IF THEY, IF THEY HAVE THE BANDWIDTH TO DO SO. BUT MAINLY JUST TO FOLLOW THROUGH WITH THEM ON TIMING, WHAT WE'RE DOING AS A MUNICIPALITY AND HOW IT CAN COMPLIMENT WHATEVER PROJECT THAT REACTS TO WHATEVER PROJECT EACH TOWN'S DOING. WE WANTED THEM TO BE FLEXIBLE AND WE WANTED THEM TO CONSIDER. BONNIE COMPLETE STREETS IS A NEW STATE PROGRAM. IF YOU PAY WIDEN A STATE ROAD BY BY LAW, NOW YOU HAVE TO DO PATHWAYS OTHER THAN 2 78. WE INCLUDED THAT BECAUSE NOBODY HAS AGREED EVER TO PUT A PATHWAY ON 2 78. UM, BUT ONE 70 AND 46, IF THEY WIDEN THE ROADS, PATHWAYS HAVE COME WITH IT. MATCH GO FOR MATCHING FUNDS. AND THIS ENHANCED SAFETY STRIPING IS PRETTY INTERESTING. THE STANDARD IS FOUR INCH, SIX INCH IS SUPER SAFE. AND WE ARE INCLUDING THAT WITH ANY RESURFACING OR WIDENING THAT WE DO. SIX INCH STRIPING. SO WE HAD FOUR PILLARS, 45 PROJECTS IN INTERSECTION AND SAFETY. THAT WAS THE MOST IMPORTANT LANE THEY GAVE US 16 RESURFACING, 18 DIRT ROAD PAVING, AND FOUR WIDENING PROJECTS SINCE MAY 11TH, WE HAVE PRESENTED TO THEIR ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS ON HILTON HEAD BUFORT. THE HILTON HAD LEFT IN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, SUN CITY NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION, TWICE THE REGIONAL COMMITTEE, UM, HILTON HEAD, BEAUFORT, PORT ROYAL BLUFFTON, AND HARDY MAYORS. SO LOCO THE NORTHERN NORTHERN REGIONAL PLANNING COMMITTEE. AND I'M GOING TO THE GREATER CHAMBER LEFT IN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE ON THE 17TH. SO HERE ARE UPDATES. FIRST READING PAST 10, 10 0 WITH AN AMENDMENT THAT WAS PASSED TO EXTEND THE NUMBER OF YEARS TO NINE BECAUSE AFTER OUR COMMITTEE, SUNSET DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE TOLD THE COUNTY THAT WE ALSO CAN TAX UNPREPARED FOOD AND UNPREPARED FOOD IS GOING TO BURDEN THANK YOU RESIDENTS. SO COUNTY COUNCIL VOTED TO NOT TAX UNPREPARED FOOD. WELL THAT'S ABOUT $12 MILLION A YEAR IF YOU TAX UNPREPARED FOOD. SO WE HAD TO EXTEND THE NUMBER OF YEARS TO KEEP OUR DOLLAR AMOUNT THAT WE DESPERATELY NEEDED TO DO THE PROJECTS WE HAD LISTED. UM, SO THAT WAS AN AMENDMENT THAT WAS PASSED. AND FIRST READING IT PASSED. SECOND READING WAS LAST NIGHT. AND I DON'T KNOW ABOUT ANY OF Y'ALL, BUT IF YOU COULDN'T SLEEP, THAT'S THE YOUTUBE TO LOOK AT. IT WAS FOUR AND A HALF HOURS LONG, 10 30. IT WAS HARD. I KNOW I WAS, IT WAS REALLY HARD. UM, PAST EIGHT THREE, UM, THEY ADDED AN AMENDMENT TO PUT OUR ENTIRE LIST ON THE REFERENDUM BECAUSE THE WAY THE ORDINANCE WAS, WAS WRITTEN IN DRAFT FORM. IT WAS VERY VAGUE ABOUT THE LIST. COULD THEY CHANGE THE LIST? COULD THEY DELETE THE LIST? AND JOE PASSMAN MADE THE AMENDMENT, UM, THE MOTION TO PUT OUR LIST, WHICH I'LL SHOW Y'ALL ON THE BALLOT, WHICH I THOUGHT WAS GREAT. 'CAUSE ALL THAT HARD WORK, YOU KNOW, TO WATCH IT WIGGLE AWAY WOULD BE FRUSTRATING. AND HE ALSO, HE ALSO PASSED AN AMENDMENT TO APPROVE A BOND QUESTION, WHICH IS THE SECOND QUESTION ON THE BALLOT UP TO 450. HOLY MOLY, I PUT FOUR ZEROS HERE. I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT CAME UP TO BE. $450 MILLION. UM, SO THOUGH THAT PASSED ON SECOND READING, UM, NOT QUITE SURE WHY TWO OF THE THREE VOTED NO. I THINK THEY HAD A FEW MORE QUESTIONS WHERE THEY REPRESENTED. UM, BUT IT DID PASS EIGHT THREE, WHICH [00:20:01] I WAS VERY EXCITED ABOUT. THIRD READING IS JUNE 22ND. THIS IS SUPER, SUPER SMALL. UH, BUT IT IS WORTH IT IF Y'ALL CAN DOWNLOAD IT ON YOUR SCREENS AND PULL IT UP. SO JOE PASSMAN PUT THE SPREADSHEET TOGETHER. THESE ARE THE PROJECTS. IT'S THE PROJECT NAME, THE ESTIMATED COST. THE ESTIMATED COST HAS A CONTINGENCY FACTOR ON TOP OF IT BEING BASED OFF OF 2030 COST. SO THERE IS MORE CONTINGENCY IN THERE THAN WE SAW IN PAST PENNIES. UM, THE CATEGORY WE WERE IN AND WHAT DISTRICT IT COVERED. AND IF YOU SEE A MAP LATER ON, YOU'RE GONNA SEE OUR PROJECTS. WE DIDN'T LOOK AT THE MAP TO SEE WELL, THEY'RE GETTING IT, SO WE NEED TO PUT ONE HERE AND HERE AND HERE. WHEN WE CAME UP WITH A LIST, IT COVERED ALL OF BEAUFORT COUNTY, WHICH WAS WONDERFUL TO SEE. UM, I HEARD SOMEBODY AT PUBLIC COMMENT SAY, WE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT WE WERE DOING AND WE WEREN'T FOLLOWING THE STUDIES. SO I WENT BACK TO ALL THE STUDIES THAT LATS HAS DONE. AND ON THAT FIRST COLUMN, YOU'LL SEE WHAT PROJECT ALIGNS WITH WHAT STUDY THERE IS. SO YOU SEE PRETTY MUCH ON JUST THE SCREEN, THE MAJORITY OF THE PROJECTS MATCH A STUDY THAT LOW COG OR LATS OR THE TOWNS HAVE DONE. UM, THESE ARE MORE INTERSECTION SAFETY, THEN YOU HAVE WIDENING. AND THEN THE BOTTOM IS RESURFACING AND DIRT ROAD PAVING. THEY WOULD NOT HAVE A STUDY WITH THEM, BUT THEY ARE PROJECTS THAT HAVE RUN THROUGH THE COUNTY CTC COUNTY TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE. AND THEY'RE THE DIRT ROAD COMMITTEE THAT GETS MONEY FROM THE STATE. THEY HAVE ENOUGH MONEY TO PAVE TWO MILES OF DIRT ROAD A YEAR. AND WE HAVE OVER 75 MILES OF DIRT ROAD IN THIS COUNTY. AND WE HAVE 14, I THINK OF THESE DIRT ROADS THAT HAVE BEEN ON SOME LISTS FOR 30 YEARS. THEY DON'T AFFECT US, BUT THEY AFFECT NORTH OF THE BROAD. AND THIS COMMITTEE FELT LIKE IT'S ABOUT TIME TO GET THIS LIST CLEANED UP AND GET THEM LOOKING ON THE NEXT 17 OR 20 ROADS. OUT OF THE 75, THIS IS ON THE PENNY WEBSITE. AND YOU'LL SEE THERE'S PURPLE AND RED AND YELLOW, ALL OF THE LITTLE DOTS IN THE LINES FROM BEAUFORT COUNTY. YOU'LL SEE WE'RE COVERING EVERY SECTION OF BEAUFORT COUNTY. AND YOU CAN GO ON THIS. IT'S PRETTY MUCH GOOD. IT'S INTERACTIVE. I'M GONNA SHOW YOU JUST TWO THAT Y'ALL HAD SUGGESTED. SO THIS IS THE FOUR. THIS IS ONE 70 THAT GOES TO JASPER COUNTY LINE. THIS IS ON THAT MAP. IF YOU GO TO THE INTERACTIVE MAP AND TOUCH IT AND YOU SEE A SHEET JUST LIKE THIS POP UP, I JUST DID THIS AS AN EXAMPLE 'CAUSE THIS WAS ONE OF Y'ALL'S PROJECTS. UM, IT'LL TELL YOU IF IT'S, IT'S THE SAFETY ACTION PLAN. IT TELLS YOU THE STUDY. IT GIVES YOU MORE INFORMATION. IF YOU SEE THE BOTTOM LEFT WHERE YOU SEE THE LEGEND, FATAL INJURY, SERIOUS INJURY, SUSPECTED INJURY. THERE ARE A LOT OF DOTS ON THAT ROAD. AND IF Y'ALL GET TO YOUR COMPUTER AND YOU'LL PULL IT UP, THAT THAT'S GONNA MAKE A HUGE DIFFERENCE. AND I SEE CHIEF SHAKING HIS HEAD. SO THAT'S GOOD. THIS IS JUST AN EXAMPLE OF THE BUCK BUCKWALTER CHANGE. UM, THIS ALSO WAS UNDER THE SAFETY ACTION PLAN. AND IT'LL SHOW YOU AGAIN, THE LEGEND WHERE ALL THE INJURIES ARE. AND IT'LL GIVE YOU A LITTLE MORE INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT THE PLAN IS. THEY WANNA UPGRADE THE SIGNALS AT BUCKWALTER PARKWAY, UM, THE MCCRACKEN, YOU'LL SEE THE DESCRIPTION. SO IT'S VERY WELL VETTED, IT'S VERY TRANSPARENT AND IT'S RIGHT THERE FOR YOU TO GO ON AND GO AND LOOK AT THIS MAP AND KIND OF SEE WHERE WE'RE, WHERE WE'RE FOCUSED. UM, EVERY MUNICIPALITY GOT EVERY PROJECT THEY REQUESTED. AND THIS COMMITTEE FELT OF ANYBODY ALONG WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENTS AND LAW ENFORCEMENT WHO KNOWS THEIR ROADS BETTER THAN TOWNS AND LAW ENFORCEMENT. AND THAT'S REALLY WHERE WE LEAN TO. AND I HAD SOMEONE FROM BEAUFORT HAVE ON HIS LIST A LOT OF BLUFFTON PROJECTS. I HAD SOMEONE FROM HILTON HEAD WHO PUT A LOT OF BEAUFORT PROJECTS ON THEIR LIST. I MEAN, WE REALIZED WE ARE GONNA HELP THESE WORKERS COMING FROM BEAUFORT TO HILTON HEAD AND EVERYWHERE IN BETWEEN, EVERY SINGLE DAY. I DON'T KNOW HOW THEY DO IT. I I CAN DO IT ONCE A WEEK. UM, SO IT IS A HUGE LIST. WE ARE NOT GONNA CATCH UP, BUT WE ARE GONNA MAKE A HUGE IMPACT. WE HAD OVER 150 PROJECTS, 1.47 BILLION AND IT WAS GROWING. UM, THE REALTORS ASSOCIATION IN THIS TOWN DID SURVEYS AND NUMBER ONE ISSUE. TRANSPORTATION. THAT IS IT. UM, QUESTIONS, QUESTIONS FROM COUNCIL. MS. FRAZIER? NO. GOOD JOB. UM, VERY THOROUGH. [00:25:01] AND I LIKE HOW, UM, IT'S PAIRED WITH THE COMPARABLE SETTING. SO THOSE WHO HAVE PREVIOUS QUESTIONS ON IF HAS THIS BEEN VETTED OR NOT. GET TO SEE THE TRANSPARENCY OF THE SCOPE OF WHAT YOU ALL ARE PROJECTING. AND GOING BACK TO THAT, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME WE'VE HAD A PENNY WHERE WE'VE HAD SO MUCH PROFESSIONAL WORK ON THE BACK END THROUGH LABS. THEY'VE DONE THE WORK. YOU KNOW, WE'RE OUT OUR GUIDE SHARE FOR SO MANY YEARS BECAUSE OF THE BACK QUARTER BRIDGE AND GOING TO SAVANNAH. THAT'S WHERE ALL THE, THE MONEY WAS GOING FOR I THINK 20 YEARS WHEN WE SET THE MPO UP. BUT THEY DID HAVE MONEY TO DO STUDIES AND THE STUDIES MATTER. 'CAUSE NOW WE CAN GO RIGHT FROM DESIGN TO CONSTRUCTION. THE WIDENING IS GONNA TAKE A WHILE. IT'S NOT GONNA BE DONE IN TWO YEARS, BUT YOU'RE GONNA START SEEING A LOT OF MOVEMENT ON THIS PENNY. SO THANK YOU FOR THAT. I AGREE. MR. WOOD. YES. I WANT TO, I I'VE SAID THIS, YOU PERSONALLY, UM, AND I'VE HEARD LOTS OF ACCOLADES COME YOUR WAY. UM, TO TAKE A 15 PERSON COMMITTEE AND GET THEM TO AGREE TO PRESENT SOMETHING UNANIMOUSLY TO THE COUNTY COUNCIL WAS REMARKABLE. AND I THINK YOU WERE PROBABLY THE ONLY PERSON IN BEAUFORT COUNTY THAT COULD HAVE MADE THAT HAPPEN , BECAUSE WE USED TO, WE USED TO HAVE YOU UP HERE AS A MAYOR, SO WE KNOW HOW YOU'RE, BUT UH, IT WAS A GREAT JOB. AND UH, AGAIN, I'VE HEARD NOTHING BUT POSITIVE FEEDBACK FROM YOU AND OR ABOUT YOU AND THE COMMITTEE. AND I JUST WANT FOR THE PUBLIC'S KNOWLEDGE. YOU COULDN'T SAY EVERYTHING AT ONE TIME HERE, BUT THE SYNCHRONIZATION OF THE LIGHTS IS PART OF THIS. YEP. THAT'S A, UH, SOMETHING THAT EVERYBODY ASKS ABOUT. YEP. CONSTANTLY. AND THE OTHER THING THAT IMPACTS, UH, IS NOT JUST THE WORKERS BUT THE SCHOOL BUSES. YEAH. AND THE SCHOOL DISTRICT. WE DID HEAR FROM THEM. THANK YOU DAN. YOU KNOW, WE, I TOLD EVERYONE, I SPOKE TO THE HILTON HEAD, LEFT AND CHAMBER. I SAID, I WILL, I WANNA CHALLENGE YOU AND I'LL CHALLENGE ANYONE HERE. GO TO BEAUFORT FOR WEEK, THREE DAYS OFF THE WEEK, GO AND THEN TURN AROUND AND COME BACK HERE AND PUT YOURSELF IN THE CAR. MAJORITY OF THEM ARE WORKERS. THEY'RE TRYING TO GET TO HILTON HEAD. THEY'RE TRYING TO GO TO HARDY. THEY'RE TRYING TO COME TO BLUFFTON, DROPPING THEIR CHILDREN OFF AT JP TWO, GOING TO THE NEW CHARTER SCHOOL. I MEAN, IT'S A LOT OF TRAFFIC. NOW PUT IN THAT TRAFFIC, THE PEOPLE WHO JUST HAVE TO GET TO A DOCTOR'S APPOINTMENT, UM, YOU KNOW, THE IN AND OUTS. BUT THOSE WORKERS EVERY DAY, IMAGINE THEIR MINDSET WHEN THEY COME TO WORK. AND THEN A MIND, IMAGINE THEIR MINDSET IF THEY'RE LATE PICKING UP THEIR CHILDREN. IF THERE'S AN ACCIDENT ON THE ISLAND, THEY HAVE TO GET GROCERIES AND THEN THEIR HOME. IMAGINE THAT FAMILY. I DIDN'T HAVE THAT. I DIDN'T HAVE TO BE IN A TRAFFIC JAM EVERY DAY. AND I SAID, JUST PUT YOURSELF IN THEIR SHOES. DO IT ONCE, BUT THEN IMAGINE THIS PERSON'S DOING IT 10 TIMES A WEEK. AND I THINK THAT REALLY HIT AN ACCORD WITH THE GROUP. AND I THINK COUNTY COUNCIL REALLY STARTED THINKING ABOUT IT. AND THAT'S WHAT WE DID IT FOR. AND IF WE DO NOT, IF YOU DO NOT LIKE IT AND YOU'RE DON'T VOTE FOR IT, BUT BE HAPPY WITH WHAT WE HAVE BECAUSE NO ONE ELSE IS GONNA FIX THIS PROBLEM. NOBODY. THANK YOU MR. MARTIN. I AGREE WITH EVERYTHING SAID. THANK YOU FOR REPRESENTING US SO WELL. AND YOUR PRESENTATION, UM, WAS VERY THOROUGH. UM, AND I LOVE ALL THE DETAILS AND I THINK IT ANSWERS A LOT OF QUESTIONS. I HOPE WE CAN GET ALL OF THIS INFORMATION OUT JUST TO EDUCATE PEOPLE, UM, ON THE FUNDING AND EVERYTHING BEHIND IT. AND THIS WAS THE FIRST COUNTY COUNCIL UNANIMOUSLY SUPPORTED PUTTING OUT A REFER AN RFP FOR AN EDUCATION CONSULTANT. AND THEY HAVE DECIDED, I HAVEN'T HEARD WHO IT WAS, BUT I THINK THERE WERE 10 APPLICATIONS AND THEY HAVE ONE. SO THAT'S ON BOARD TO HELP EDUCATE. UM, I HAVE HEARD THROUGH MANY OF THESE PRESENTATIONS. ONCE IT GOES THROUGH THIRD READING AND COUNTY IS AWARE, UM, RESOLUTIONS WILL BE PASSED. AND THERE ARE OTHER GROUPS THAT WANT TO PAY FOR ADVOCACY. SO PEOPLE ARE REALLY STARTING TO REALIZE THIS IS IMPORTANT. WE JUST HAVE TO HAVE THE RIGHT BULLET POINTS TO COME BACK BECAUSE THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT JUST DON'T WANT ANYTHING TO HAPPEN. AND THEY ARE, THEY'RE OUT THERE NOW TALKING ABOUT IT. SO, UM, REAL OTHER THING, MARK LAWSON SAID, IT WAS INTERESTING. HE SAID, YOU KNOW, WE JUST PASSED A $200 MILLION BUDGET. WE'VE HAD PEOPLE ON NEXT DOOR SAY THE COUNTY CAN DO ALL OF THIS. WE DON'T NEED TO DO THIS. HE SAID, SAY WE, WELL, WE CAN'T CUT OUR BUDGET. WE WOULDN'T HAVE ANYBODY TO RUN THE PROJECTS, BUT SAY WE USED EVERY PENNY THAT WAS IN OUR BUDGET. THAT'S FOUR YEARS. BUT THEN YOU DON'T HAVE ANY EMPLOYEES. 'CAUSE YOU'VE KINDA SHUT DOWN THE COUNTY. TAKE 10%, 20 MILLION. SAY YOU CAN CUT 20 MILLION. HOW MANY YEARS IS THAT? 37. SO THIS IS HOW WE CAN DO IT, MAKE THE MOST FROM OUR, OUR VISITORS, UM, TAKE THE LOAD OFF OF US WITH UNPREPARED FOODS. AND [00:30:01] I DON'T CARE WHO IS ON COUNTY COUNCIL, I DON'T CARE WHO THE ADMINISTRATOR IS. THIS IS GONNA BE MANAGED BY THE STATE. THIS MONEY IS GONNA BE PUT TOWARD PROJECTS. UM, SO WE'VE GOT TO SURROUND OURSELVES WITH THAT AND KNOCK OUT THE NOISE THAT'S GOING ON RIGHT NOW. MR. HAMILTON . THANK . THANK YOU LISA. UM, EDUCATION IS ALWAYS THE ONLY AVENUE THAT WE HAVE TO GET THESE TYPE OF PROJECT DONE. UM, WHAT IS, UM, DON'T HAVE THE TIME TO SIT DOWN AND DO THE STUDIES THAT YOUR COMMITTEE DID AND VOTERS HAVE NO WAY OF KNOWING HOW YOU GOT TO YOUR, UM, FINAL DECISIONS BECAUSE, UM, SO WHEN WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY LIKE, LIKE TONIGHT WHERE, AND I'M, AND FIRST OF ALL, I BELIEVE THAT THIS IS A REGIONAL PROBLEM. THIS IS NOT JUST BLUFFTON. OKAY? BUT, BUT FOR BLUFFTON, I, I THINK WE NEED TO KNOW HOW AND, AND HOW IT'S GOING TO IMPACT US IF WE DO. AND THEN WE NEED TO KNOW IF WE DON'T PASS THIS WELL, IF WE DON'T, Y'ALL LIVED THE LAST 10 YEARS WITH TRAFFIC AND PEOPLE ARE MOVING HERE, WE CAN'T SHUT, WE CAN'T SHUT DOWN. LIFE, UM, IS JUST GONNA KEEP BUILDING. IF WE DO, UM, JARED AT THE COUNTY HAS ANOTHER RFP OUT ON ENGINEERING SERVICES AND I THINK HE HAD ABOUT 20 COME IN AND HE NEEDS ABOUT 12. SOMEWHERE IN THAT NUMBER WHERE HE HAS ENGINEERS THAT HE CAN START SHUFFLING THINGS OFF. HILTON HEADS WANTS TO MANAGE THEIR PROJECTS. SO IF WE CAN COME UP WITH A MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING WITH HILTON HEAD, THEY'VE GOT THE BANDWIDTH TO DO IT. THAT'S GONNA BE SIX PROJECTS THAT THE COUNTY CAN OVERSEE BUT DOESN'T HAVE TO MANAGE. IF THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON WANTS TO DO THE RESURFACING OF OUR TOWN ROADS, I MEAN THERE, THERE ARE GONNA BE WAYS WE CAN SIT AT THE SAME TABLE. WELL, STAFF CAN SIT AT THE SAME TABLE AND FIGURE IT OUT. UH, THE COUNTY WILL TAKE SOME, THERE'S A LADY FROM PORT ROYAL THAT REPRESENTED PORT ROYAL AND SHE WAS AN ENGINEER AND SHE USED TO WORK FOR DOT. HER WHOLE GOAL WAS TO GO IN CONCERT WITH JASPER. LIKE, WHATEVER JASPER'S DOING, WE NEED TO TAKE JASPER LINE AND MOVE ON. AND THAT'S THE 2 78, THE ONE 70 AND 46 FOR OUR SIDE. BUT EQUALLY THERE ARE PROJECTS ON NORTH OF THE BROAD THAT WILL BLEND INTO JASPER. SO IT'S REALLY WELL THOUGHT OUT AND IT, I THINK IT'S THE RIGHT TIME. WE GOTTA EDUCATE. THANK YOU. UM, TDO TO WHAT EVERYONE ELSE SAID. THANK YOU FOR SERVING. YOU KNOW, YOU THREW ME UNDER THE BUS ONE TIME, LAST WHILE I'M SITTING UP THERE. SO YOU BACK UNDER. THANK YOU. I DON'T REMEMBER. OH YEAH, I DID RIGHT THERE. . UM, I WATCHED THAT UNTIL 10 30 LAST NIGHT WHEN YEAH. ONLY THING I DIDN'T GET WAS, WHAT WAS THE REASONING FOR THE CAP OF 450 BOND? YEAH. SO DURING ONE OF THE MEETINGS, THE BOND, IT MUST HAVE BEEN AFTER IT WENT TO COUNTY COUNCIL AND, AND I EVEN TOLD THE COUNTY, I SAID I WAS CONFUSED IN 24 OVER THE BOND QUESTION. BUT YOU HAVE TO PUT IT ON THE BALLOT A CERTAIN WAY. A LOT OF THE LEGAL JARGON. SO YOU GO IN AND YOU GO TO VOTE AND YOU'RE LIKE, OH, THEY WANT 780 MILLION, BUT THEN THEY WANT ANOTHER 780 MILLION. IT'S REALLY CONFUSING THE QUESTIONS ON THE BALLOT. 'CAUSE IF YOU'RE NOT FOLLOWING, YOU'RE THINKING NOW THE COUNTY IS SAYING, WELL I WANT SEVEN 80, BUT THEN I WANT BOND SEVEN 80. BUT THEY DON'T REALIZE BONDING IS JUST KIND OF A LOAN TO PAY BACK AND THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND IT. SO WE'RE JUST TRYING TO BE CONSERVATIVE. 450 MILLION. IF WE CAN BOND UP TO THAT AND THAT GETS PASSED, YOU'RE GONNA SEE ABSOLUTELY RESURFACING, WE'LL START WITHIN A MONTH, BUT YOU'RE GONNA SEE A FOCUS ON 1 70 46 AND 2 78 THAT, THAT IS GONNA SEE SIGNS GETTING UP REALLY QUICKLY. BUT IF WE DON'T BOND, SO YOU PASS IT IN NOVEMBER, THEY START COLLECTING IN MAY OF THE FOLLOWING YEAR, TAKES A YEAR TO GET IT. SO NOW YOU'RE TWO YEARS INTO IT, YOU CAN SEE WHY A FOUR YEAR PENNY DOESN'T WORK. 'CAUSE HALFWAY THROUGH IT YOU DON'T EVEN HAVE THE MONEY. SO THAT'S THE REASON. YEAH. AND I, I, I WASN'T BONDING. I WOULDN'T SUPPORT IT IF THEY WEREN'T GONNA BOND IT AND DO IT. BECAUSE IF YOU WAIT UNTIL YOU GOT THE MONEY TO DO IT, IT'S GONNA COST TWICE AS MUCH TO DO. YOU'RE ONLY GONNA END UP WITH HALF OF THE PROJECT DONE. ANYWAY, THAT LAST. SO THAT'S, I WAS IN FAVOR OF BONDING SO THAT THEY COULD GET TO WORK IN MORE THAN JUST ONE OR TWO AREAS, [00:35:01] YOU KNOW? SO, AND WE HAVE IT LESSONS THAT WE'VE LEARNED HERE. WELL, I WAS ABOUT, 'CAUSE I TALKED ABOUT YOU WITH NEW RIVERSIDE, UM, BECAUSE YOUR SUGGESTION WAS TO SPAWN THE THING AND GET IT DONE. AND WHAT ARE THESE, THIS PHASING MESS WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO DO IT. SOMETHING LIKE THIS HAS TO GET VOTED ON. RIGHT? SO I HOPE PEOPLE PASS BOTH. WE CAN PASS THE PENNY AND NOT THE BOND, BUT IF WE PASS THE BOND AND NOT THE PENNY, IT DOESN'T MATTER. BUT WE, WE REALLY SHOULD DO BOTH. WELL, IT'S REALLY GONNA BE THE WAY IT'S WRITTEN. I MEAN, IF YOU JUST MAKE 'EM UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS TO HELP US START CONSTRUCTION SOONER THAN LATER. RIGHT. IT'S NO ADDITIONAL MONEY. RIGHT. THAT'S THE KEY. RIGHT. SO, AND I WANNA SAY ALSO, AGAIN, YOU DON'T HAVE ABLE TO SAY EVERYTHING IN HERE, BUT THE PARKWAY WILL GET SOME BENEFIT OUT OF THIS AS WELL. MM-HMM . Y'ALL. WE HAVE A LOT OF IT. I MEAN, WE'RE THE GROWING AREA, BUT, AND I'LL REAL QUICK, IF PEOPLE ARE LISTENING OR WATCHING, I HEARD CONSTANTLY HILTON HAD, SORRY, TERRY HILTON HAD GIVES ALL THE PENNY HILTON HAD GIVES THE MAJORITY OF THE PENNY. WHY AREN'T WE TAKEN CARE OF FIRST? WELL, I DID MY OWN RESEARCH AND JARED HELPED ME. THE 2018 PENNY HILTON HAD CONTRIBUTED 30% OF THAT PENNY, NOT 67%, WHICH WAS TOLD TO ME AT THE COMMITTEE, UM, UNINCORPORATED BEAUFORT COUNTY IS 40% AND THEN NO, NO 30%. AND THEN BEAUFORT HILTON LOUGHTON, AND PORT ROYAL IS 40%. THAT WAS IN 18 DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE SAID IT'S DROPPING BECAUSE BUFORT IS GROWING. BLUFFTON IS GROWING. HILTON HEAD ISN'T SEEING THE GROWTH IN RESIDENTIAL AS MUCH. SO THEIR PENNY, THEY'RE PROBABLY ABOUT 28% NOW, BUT IT'S STILL EVEN. AND WE'RE HELPING EVERYONE. WHAT PEOPLE HAVE TO REALIZE IS IF YOU DON'T GO BY BOAT OR YOU DON'T FLY TO HILTON HEAD, YOU COME THROUGH HERE AND USE THESE VERY ROADS THAT WE NEED FIXING. RIGHT? THAT'S HOW YOU GET TO HILTON HEAD. RIGHT? IT ALWAYS HAS BEEN. SO, YOU KNOW, NO MATTER WHERE THE PEOPLE ACTUALLY END UP AND DEPEND ARE GENERATED, YOU HAVE TO GET FROM POINT A TO POINT B TO GET THAT, YOU KNOW. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR EVERYTHING. WE'RE GONNA MOVE [VI. PUBLIC COMMENT ] ON HERE WITH PUBLIC COMMENTS. UP NEXT. OUR FIRST PERSON IS, OH, I GUESS WE GOTTA PLAY OUR SONG OR STRING OUR RULES AND YOU WANT TO DO THIS, YOU'RE FINE. THANK YOU. DURING PUBLIC COMMENT, EACH SPEAKER IS LIMITED TO A TOTAL OF THREE MINUTES PER MEETING, REGARDLESS OF WHETHER THE PERSON IS SPEAKING ON THEIR OWN BEHALF OR AS AN AGENT FOR OTHERS, MEETING ATTENDEES MAY NOT DONATE, TRANSFER YIELD, OR GIVE ALL OR ANY PORTION OF THEIR SPEAKING TIME TO ANOTHER PERSON. ALL PUBLIC COMMENTS ARE TO BE CONDUCTED FROM THE PODIUM AND DIRECTED TO THE TOWN COUNCIL AS A WHOLE AND NOT TO ANY MEMBER THEREOF. ALL SPEAKERS SHALL BE MINDFUL AND RESPECTFUL OF THOSE PARTICIPATING IN OR PRESENT AT THE MEETING. SPEAKERS SHALL BE EXPECTED TO BE CIVIL IN THEIR LANGUAGE AND SHALL REFRAIN FROM COMMENT OR BEHAVIOR THAT INVOLVES DISORDERLY SPEECH OR ACTION, NAME CALLING, PERSONAL ATTACKS, THREATS, OBSCENE OR INDECENT REMARKS AND OR DISRUPTIVE ACTIONS. ALL SPEAKERS SHALL CONFINE THEIR COMMENTS TO ISSUES UNDER THE JURISDICTION OF THE TOWN COUNCIL. SPEAKERS SHALL NOT USE THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD TO PROMOTE OR ADVERTISE AWARDS, BUSINESSES, SERVICES, GOODS, OR CANDIDATES FOR PUBLIC OFFICE. ANY SPEAKER THAT VIOLATES THESE RULES AND PROTOCOLS FOR PUBLIC COMMENT MAY BE RULED OUT OF ORDER BY THE PRESIDING OFFICER. ANY PERSON WHOSE COMMENTS HAVE BEEN RULED OUT OF ORDER SHALL IMMEDIATELY CEASE AND DESIST FROM FURTHER IMPROPER COMMENTS. THE REFUSAL OF AN INDIVIDUAL TO DESIST FROM FURTHER IMPROPER COMMENTS MAY SUBJECT THE INDIVIDUAL TO REMOVAL FROM THE MEETING AND OR A CITATION UNDER SECTION TWO DASH FOUR NINE OF THE TOWN CODE. OKAY. FIRST WE HAVE WAS ROBIN OTTERBINE OTTER? YEAH. CLOSE ENOUGH. OKAY. GOT THE OTTER PART RIGHT? YES, YOU DID WELL, MR. MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS ROBIN OTTERBINE AND I LIVE IN PINE RIDGE COMMUNITY IN BLUFFTON. UM, I'D LIKE TO ADDRESS WHAT FEELS LIKE THE BLATANT UNSAFE OPERATION AND DISREGARD FOR RULES FOR THE PD FOR PEDESTRIANS AND VEHICLES WHILE OPERATING E-BIKES AND SCOOTERS IN OUR LOCAL COMMUNITIES. UM, I'VE BEEN IN COMMUNICATION WITH OTHER RESIDENTIAL COMMUNITIES IN THE AREA, UM, BLUFFTON POLICE DEPARTMENT. UM, AND I THINK EVERYONE AGREES THAT THERE IS AN ISSUE WITH E-BIKES AND SCOOTERS AND RULES AND NOT FOLLOWING. UM, IF POSSIBLE IT WOULD BE NICE TO ESTABLISH A COM UH, COMMITTEE TO LOOK INTO ENACTING A LOCAL ORDINANCE THAT FOCUSES ON THE SAFETY, THE INFRASTRUCTURE [00:40:01] AND USER RESPONSIBILITY, UM, SIMILAR TO THE ONE THAT WAS ADOPTED FOR GOLF CARTS. UM, RIGHT NOW THE ONLY THING THAT WE HAVE IS SOUTH CAROLINA STATE, UM, SO THAT WE CAN EDUCATE, UM, AND THE PARENTAL RESPONSIBILITY ALONG WITH, UM, WITH REGARDS TO THE OPERATION OF THE E-BIKES. UM, UNFORTUNATELY OF LOT OF WHAT WE ARE SEEING ARE THE PEOPLE THAT ARE JUST RIDING RECKLESSLY AND NOT PAYING ATTENTION TO THE TRAFFIC, NOT TAKING INTO ACCOUNT, UM, ANY PEDESTRIANS ON THE SIDEWALKS. UM, I'VE HAD SOME, UM, FEEDBACK FROM SOME OF OUR, IN OUR, UM, COMMUNITY THAT, UM, HAVE EITHER HAD TO MOVE OFF THE, THE SIDEWALK, UM, AT A FAIR GETTING RAN OVER BY SOMEBODY ON AN E-BIKE. UM, SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. UM, I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO WORKING, YOU KNOW, TOWARDS A SOLUTION AND HOPEFUL, HOPEFULLY PREVENTING A TRAGEDY HAPPENING. THANK YOU. WE ARE WELL AWARE AND, AND WE ARE. DON'T KNOW WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO TO FIX IT. YEAH. BUT WE, YEAH, WE ARE AWARE AND WE'RE LOOKING INTO AVENUES TO GET A GRIP ON IT. OKAY. THANK YOU ALL. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. UP NEXT WE HAVE DAVID COWARD. MR. MAYOR, COUNSEL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. DAVID COWARD. I LIVE AT 23 PINE CREST WAY IN THE LOVELY MUNICIPALITY THAT WE CALL HOME. UM, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. I'M HERE REPRESENTING THE PROPERTY OWNERS ASSOCIATION OF PINECREST AND JUST WANTED TO SAY ONE MORE TIME, THANK YOU ALL FOR NOT SUPPORTING REDEVELOPMENT OF THE GOLF COURSE AND OTHER PARTS OF PIECES OF PROPERTY IN WITHIN PINECREST. UH, SINCE OUR LAST MEETING, WE, THERE HAS BEEN A GROUP THAT HAS APPROACHED THE PRESIDENT OF THE POA AND THEY CAME TO REVIEW THE PROPERTY AND THE PUB AND THE LAND AROUND THE PUB. AND THEY'RE INTERESTED IN PURCHASING THAT, OPENING IT AS A RESTAURANT AND PUTTING I BELIEVE 20 HOMES AROUND THAT AREA. SO THAT IS, THAT'S NOT RUMOR. THAT IS SOMEONE HAS SHOWN UP AND EXPRESSED THAT INTEREST. THERE'S OTHER THINGS THAT I WON'T GET INTO 'CAUSE I'M NOT HERE TO MONGA RUMORS, BUT AGAIN, I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU. WE APPRECIATE YOUR SUPPORT. AND, UH, OH, AND ONE OTHER THING. THE OWNERS OF THE GOLF COURSE ARE MAKING A GOOD FAITH EFFORT. THEY'RE WATERING IT, THEY'RE MOWING IT, THEY'RE FERTILIZING, IT, IT, IT ACTUALLY LOOKS LIKE THEY COULD OPEN IN IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS IF THEY REALLY WANTED TO. SO IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE DERELICT PROPERTY. SO AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT. I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU VERY MUCH. YES, SIR. UP NEXT WE HAVE DREW LONER. KER, YEAH. YOU, YEAH, YEAH. UM, I, I'M DREW LOCKER. UM, I'M A CIVIL ENGINEER WITH THOMAS HUTTON. UM, I LIVE IN SAVANNAH. UM, BUT I HAVE DONE WORK IN BLUFFTON, UM, FOR SEVERAL YEARS. UM, WORKING ON DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENTS PROJECTS, UM, STORMWATER STUDIES, FEMA MODELING, FLOOD MAPPING, UM, ALL THAT KIND OF GOOD STUFF. AND THEN, AND THEN ALSO, UH, WETLAND PERMITTING. UM, I DID WANNA SPEAK TODAY JUST REAL QUICK ABOUT THE, UH, WETLAND ORDINANCE AND THE, UH, STORM WATER ORDINANCE. UM, THERE'S SOME CHANGES COMING IN FRONT OF YOU, UM, AS YOU KIND OF REVIEW THOSE. I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT REALLY TWO THINGS. ONE IS, IS THE VARIANCE PROCEDURE. UM, THE WAY THE ORDINANCE IS WRITTEN RIGHT NOW, IT'S, IT'S FAIRLY GENERAL. UM, AND WHEN, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE'RE GOING TO GET WETLAND PERMITS, I'VE, I'VE BEEN WORKING ON ONE RIGHT NOW FOR THREE YEARS. UM, WE'VE BEEN MEETING WITH THE CORE ENGINEERS, SOUTH CAROLINA, BCM, UM, S-C-D-N-R, SHIPPO, UM, ALL, ALL OF THESE AGENCIES, RIGHT? AND THEY ALL HAVE GOT THEIR OWN CONDITIONS, EVERYTHING THEY WANT TO SEE AND ALL THAT. SO I WOULD JUST ASK THAT WE KIND OF GET A SPECIFIC CRITERIA FOR THAT VARIANCE PROCEDURE. UM, YOU KNOW, IF SOMEONE GOES AND GETS A WETLAND PERMIT, SPENDS THREE YEARS DOING THAT WORK. UM, JUST, JUST SOME KIND OF LEVEL OF COMFORT THAT, THAT THE TOWN WILL EITHER HONOR THAT PERMIT OR BE ABLE TO LOOK AT THAT PERMIT AND SAY, YOU KNOW, YES, WE AGREE WITH THESE CONDITIONS. UM, BECAUSE AGAIN, IF WE'RE, IF WE'RE GETTING GUIDANCE FROM ALL THESE DIFFERENT, ALL THESE DIFFERENT ENTITIES, UM, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THERE'S CONSISTENCY THERE AND SOMETHING THAT CAN BE RELIED UPON, RELIED UPON. SO, UM, THE, THE, THE OTHER CONCERN THAT I HAD WAS JUST ABOUT WETLAND BUFFERS AND THOSE CROSSING PROPERTY LINES. UM, IF THE, AGAIN, THE WAY THE ORDINANCE READS RIGHT NOW, UM, IT LOOKS LIKE IF A WETLAND IS ON, SAY, YOUR NEIGHBOR'S PROPERTY, THERE'S [00:45:01] A 50 FOOT BUFFER ON THAT THAT COULD THEN COME ONTO YOUR PROPERTY. UM, SO I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, AS YOU'RE CONSIDERING THAT, THAT THE RESIDENTS KIND OF COULD UNDERSTAND THAT THAT COULD BE A CONDITION THAT COULD GET PUT ON THEIR PROPERTY. UM, EVEN WITH DUE DILIGENCE AND EVERYTHING, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF TIMES PEOPLE ARE JUST LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, THEIR BOX, RIGHT? UM, IF YOU KIND OF ZOOM OUT, LOOK AT THE LANGUAGE IN THE ORDINANCE ITSELF, IT COULD PUT A WETLAND BUFFER ON YOUR PROPERTY THAT MAYBE YOU WEREN'T AWARE OF. UM, SO JUST GETTING CLARIFICATION ON THESE THINGS. I'M SURE, LIKE YOU'VE GOT A GREAT STAFF HERE, I KNOW LIKE ANDREA AND HER TEAM HAVE DONE AN AWESOME JOB WITH, WITH KIND OF DOING THE LEGWORK TO DRAFT THIS THING. UM, BUT JUST CLARITY ON THOSE TWO ITEMS AND, AND, YOU KNOW, AS YOU'RE CONSIDERING IT, UM, IF YOU ARE CONSIDERING AN APPROVAL OF IT, JUST MAYBE, MAYBE HAVE SOME CONDITIONS UPON IT TO, UM, LOOK AT THOSE ITEMS A LITTLE CLOSER. UM, 'CAUSE I JUST SEE SOME OPPORTUNITY FOR, FOR MAYBE SOME, NOT MISUNDERSTANDING, BUT JUST OPPORTUNITIES WHERE THERE'S NOT, UM, CONSISTENT ENFORCEMENT THROUGHOUT. SO, THANK YOU. THANK YOU. UP NEXT WE HAVE MS. CAP DONALDSON MAYOR, MEMBERS OF COUNCIL. THANK Y'ALL. I, CAPTAIN DONALDSON. I LIVE AT 14 PALM BEACH LANE. I ACTUALLY, UM, HAVE TWO THINGS I WANNA ADDRESS TODAY. ONE OF 'EM I FORGOT, SO I DIDN'T PUT IT ON THE SHEET. AND THAT IS, IN LOOKING THROUGH SOME OF THE FUNDING FOR SOME OF THE UPCOMING PROJECTS IN TOWN, I NOTICED WHAT FELT JUST AT FIRST GLANCE, LIKE KIND OF AN EGREGIOUS AMOUNT OF MONEY TO SPEND ON A DISC GOLF COURSE. NOW, I HAVE A DAUGHTER WHO LOVES DISC GOLF, WENT TO A CAMP THE ENTIRETY OF MY CHILDHOOD, WHERE I WAS PRETTY CONVINCED THAT'S WHERE DISC GOLF BEGAN. AND SO WE ARE FANS OF THAT. WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO OFFER IS JUST A THING OUTSIDE THE BOX, AND I'LL COMMIT TO, UM, BEING ONE OF THE FIRST SPONSORS, IS THAT YOU SHOULD GET 18 HOLES SPONSORED BY LOCAL BUSINESS MEMBERS, UM, AND HAVE A PLAQUE, NOT A, YOU KNOW, MORE OF A PERMANENT, UH, SPONSORSHIP. YOU COULD, UM, MAYBE TO THE TUNE OF, I DON'T KNOW THAT YOU'D GET 10 GRAND, BUT FIVE GRAND, A WHOLE SEEMS REASONABLE TO ME. UM, A LITTLE WAY TO ADVERTISE SOME OF OUR LOCAL BUSINESSES AND THEN BRING THAT NUMBER DOWN. SO THAT IS JUST KIND OF FOOD FOR THOUGHT THAT I WOULD HOPE THAT MAYBE Y'ALL, UM, WOULD CONSIDER. THE SECOND THING IS I WANNA TALK TO YOU ABOUT THE CLOSING OF THE ROAD FOR THE JUNETEENTH CELEBRATION. AND NOT JUST THAT CELEBRATION, BUT I ACTUALLY WANNA TALK TO YOU ABOUT CLOSING MAY RIVER ROAD FOR ALL OF OUR FESTIVALS. WE HAVE AMPLE SPACE IN THE TOWN FOR SOME OF THESE OTHER FESTIVALS TO NAVIGATE WITHOUT THE CLOSING OF THAT ROAD. THE REASON THAT I AM HERE, AND THAT I AM BRINGING IT UP IS BECAUSE SEVERAL BUSINESS OWNERS CONTACTED ME WHO ARE IN THE, UM, PATH WHERE, UM, THE MOD DAISY, UM, CELEBRATION OR THE UPCOMING ON THAT SATURDAY IS TO BE, UM, HELD. AND SEVERAL OF THOSE BUSINESSES EXPERIENCED LAST YEAR THE NEED FOR ACTUAL CLOSURE. THERE ARE SIX OTHER RESTAURANTS WITHIN THE, UM, AREA WHERE THE ROAD IS GONNA BE SHUT DOWN THAT WILL BE FINANCIALLY IMPACTED IF THAT ROAD IS CLOSED BETWEEN THE HOURS OF TWO AND 11. UM, AS IS MY UNDERSTANDING THE, UH, RECOMMENDATION IS. SO I JUST, I'M, I THINK JUNETEENTH IS GREAT. I HAVE ZERO, NOR DO ANY OF THESE BUSINESS, UM, MEMBERS HAVE ANY ISSUES WITH FUNDING IT WITH THE AT TAX DOLLARS. I THINK IT'S A VERY WORTHWHILE, UM, THING TO BE FUNDED. I JUST THINK YOU NEED TO, IM CONSIDER THE IMPACT OF THE LOCAL BUSINESS OWNERS AROUND THAT AREA FOR THAT TIME. IN ADDITION, CONSIDER IT FOR MAY FEST, CONSIDER IT FOR THE SEAFOOD FEST. WE HAVE BOUNDARY STREET, WE HAVE OTHER STREETS IN DOWNTOWN THAT CAN BE USED IF, IF WE'VE GROWN AS BIG AS I KNOW THAT WE HAVE. I MEAN, I THINK, I THINK JUNETEENTH IS EXPECTING THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE. THAT'S A LOT OF PEOPLE TO PUT INTO THAT AREA. SO MANY. SO, AND I DON'T KNOW IF WE CAN DO THIS AT SUCH A LATE DATE NOW THAT I WOULD ALSO OFFER SOME OF MY OWN FUNDS TO ASSIST IN THE RENTAL OF A PARK IN TOWN THAT CAN'T ACCOMMODATE THAT GROUP OF PEOPLE WITHOUT THE NEED FOR CLOSING, UM, THE ROAD. SO IF THERE'S ANY INTEREST IN THAT OR ANY INTEREST IN THAT GOING FORWARD IN YEARS TO COME, PLEASE ALL OF YOU KNOW ME. YOU ALL KNOW HOW TO FIND ME, REACH OUT TO ME AND I WOULD BE HAPPY TO TALK FURTHER ABOUT IT. OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU MR. ROBINSON. UP NEXT WE HAVE WILL HOWARD. WELCOME WILL THANK YOU MAYOR. UH, WILL HIGHWAY 65 JUDGE CEDAR STREET. UM, I TOO AM HERE TO SPEAK AS, AS WAS DREW LOCKER ABOUT THE WETLAND ORDINANCE. UM, I UNDERSTAND THERE MAY BE HAVE BEEN SOME CHANGES SINCE, UM, THE ORDINANCE WAS PRESENTED AT PLANNING COMMISSION. UM, AS A PLANNING COMMISSIONER, I DID NOT SUPPORT THE ORDINANCE, AND I'M JUST HERE TO TELL YOU WHY. AS IT WAS WRITTEN, UM, THE, THE ORDINANCE AS IT WAS WRITTEN AND PRESENTED AT PLANNING COMMISSION LACKED, UM, IT LACKED QUANTITATIVE CRITERIA, CONCRETE CRITERIA FOR [00:50:01] THE WAIVER PROCESS. IT LACKED QUANTITATIVE AND CONCRETE CRITERIA FOR, UM, ANY, ANY PERMIT, REVISION OR RESTRICTION THAT THE TOWN WOULD TRY TO IMPOSE ABOVE AND BEYOND A STATE PERMIT THAT ANYONE HAD HAD BEEN ISSUED, UM, BY THE BUREAU OF COASTAL MANAGEMENT. AND AS YOU ALL KNOW, I ALSO HAD, I TOOK OBJECTION WITH THE FACT THE ORDINANCE KEEPS BEING PRESENTED AS A STOPGAP PROCEDURE BECAUSE THERE WAS, UH, THE SST RE THE SST DECISION RESULTED IN THE LOSS OF PROTECTION OF, OF WETLANDS IN THE STATE. AND IT DID NOT IN IN THE COASTAL COUNTIES, ALL OF THE COASTAL COUNTIES, NON-JURISDICTIONAL WETLANDS. WE HAVE TO GET PERMITS FROM THE STATE BUREAU OF COASTAL MANAGEMENT TO MAKE IMPACTS, UM, IF THE TOWN IS GOING TO TRY TO IMPOSE FOR THOSE, THOSE EITHER PRIVATE CITIZENS OR DEVELOPERS THAT HAVE GOTTEN A PERMIT ISSUED BY THE STATE, THEY'VE BEEN THROUGH ALL OF THE, ALL OF THE HOOPS THAT THEY HAD TO JUMP THROUGH TO GET THOSE PERMITS, ONLY TO HAVE THE TOWN IMPOSE FURTHER RESTRICTIONS WITHOUT ANY QUANTITATIVE CRITERIA THAT CAN BE MEASURED. IT'S VERY SUBJECTIVE. I HOPE THAT THERE WERE SOME, SOME, UH, CORRECTIONS OR, OR REVISIONS IF YOU WILL MADE SINCE PLANNING COMMISSION. AND IF SO, I WOULD ASK THAT YOU PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT YOU CAN REMOVE ALL SUBJECTIVITY FROM THE ORDINANCE. UM, I, I HAVE NO PROBLEM IF, IF IT IS OBJECTIVE WITH VERY CLEAR CRITERIA OF WHAT NEEDS TO BE MET TO MAKE ANY WETLAND IMPACT TO THE NON-JURISDICTIONAL WETLANDS THAT ARE THE SUBJECT OF UNDER THE PURVIEW OF THE STATE. SO THAT'S, THAT'S ALL THAT I ASK. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OKAY, UP NEXT, [VII. COMMUNICATIONS FROM MAYOR AND COUNCIL] WE HAVE COMMUNICATION FROM US. WE'LL START WITH MR. BURDEN. UM, I THINK I'M GONNA ADDRESS THE, FIRST OF ALL, I ALWAYS APPRECIATE WHEN PEOPLE COME SPEAK, SO THANK YOU FOR SHOWING UP. I KNOW IT'S A LOT OF YOUR TIME, BUT, UM, I THINK AS WE GO THROUGH THE PROGRAM, I MIGHT ADDRESS SOME OF THEM, LIKE EACH SPECIFIC WETLAND. UM, , NO, I'M GONNA HOLD MY PEACE. THANK YOU MR. WOOD. I'M GOOD, SIR. HOW ABOUT YOU MS. FRAZIER? HOW ARE YOU ? SURE. I I DID WANNA ADDRESS ONE OF THE COMMENTS THAT WAS MADE, UM, OR ONE OF THE PUBLIC COMMENTS IN REGARDS TO, UM, THE COMMENTS THAT WAS PREVIOUSLY MADE ABOUT THE BLUFFTON JUNETEENTH FESTIVAL. UM, I WILL SAY THAT THE FESTIVAL, NOT JUST IN THIS AREA, UM, BUT AROUND THE COUNTRY, HAS OFTEN BEEN SUBJECT OF A LOT OF CONDESCENDING AND OFTEN, UM, DEMEANING SEDIMENTS IN TERMS OF, SOME PEOPLE FEEL IT'S A REAL HOLIDAY. SOME PEOPLE FEEL IT'S NOT, MAY NOT UNDERSTAND THE PURPOSE. UM, I THINK IT'S GREAT FOR EVERYONE TO EDUCATE THEMSELVES ON THE MEANING OF IT, UM, SIMPLY BECAUSE AS A COUNTRY WE'RE CELEBRATING 250 YEARS OF INDEPENDENCE. AND JUNETEENTH IS A, UM, REFLECTION OF SET INDEPENDENCE, ONLY CONSIDERING THAT, UM, THAT INDEPENDENCE OF THE ENSLAVED IN THIS COUNTRY DIDN'T COME UNTIL NEARLY A HUNDRED YEARS LATER. AND SO, JUNETEENTH IS MORE THAN JUST AN OPPORTUNITY FOR COMMUNITY TO GET TOGETHER, BUT IT'S ALSO AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THOSE WHO ARE DESCENDANTS OF ONE OF THE MOST EGREGIOUS TRAGEDIES IN THIS COUNTRY, TO BE ABLE TO REFLECT ON THE RESILIENCY OF THAT AND LOOK AT, UM, THE SACRIFICES OF THOSE WHO WERE NOT ABLE TO LIVE IN A TIME TO EXPERIENCE THAT FREEDOM, TO SEE THOSE WHO DO GET TO ENJOY IT. UM, I'LL ALSO SAY IN TERMS OF THE CLOSURES, IF THERE ARE ANY BUSINESSES THAT WERE DIRECTLY IMPACTED, UH, NONE HAVE REACHED OUT TO THE BLUFFTON MLK COMMITTEE WHO ORGANIZED THE EVENT. UM, AS A COUNCIL MEMBER. I'M NOT SURE WHO'S REACHED OUT TO ANY OF, OF MY, UM, FELLOW COLLEAGUES TO SHARE THOSE SEDIMENTS, BUT I HAVE NOT HEARD OR HAD COMMUNICATIONS FROM SOME AS, UM, I'M IN DIRECT COMMUNICATION WITH SOME OF THE NEIGHBORING, UH, RESTAURANTS IN THAT VICINITY WHO ACTUALLY BENEFITED FROM THE CROWDS THAT CAME TO THAT EVENT, UM, AS THEY WERE ENCOURAGED TO GO AND, UM, VISIT THE, UH, AREAS. UH, A LOT OF MONEY COMES IN FOR SEVERAL OTHER BUSINESSES, UM, AND IT'S WELL ORGANIZED. IT'S A FESTIVAL THAT OFFERS OFFSITE PARKING AT, UM, LOCAL SCHOOLS. PEOPLE ARE TROLLEYED IN. AND IF THIS IS A, UM, PROTOCOL AND PROCEDURE WHERE IT'S ALWAYS FOLLOWED, YOU HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE STATE, YOU HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE LOCAL [00:55:01] POLICE DEPARTMENT. UM, IT'S NOT SOMETHING ARBITRARILY DONE. AND IF WE'RE ABLE TO DO THIS AND PROTOCOL CAN BE ADHERED TO FOR OTHER FESTIVAL AND EVENTS, UM, I DON'T THINK THAT JUNETEENTH SHOULD BE SINGLED OUT AS IT'S NOT THE ONLY EVENT THAT HAS DONE SO, AND IT'S ONLY A SHORT AMOUNT OF, UH, CLOSURES, UM, THAT'S HAPPENING. AND THERE'S STILL ACCESS TO SIDE STREETS AND THE, UH, BUSINESSES WHO ARE IN THAT VICINITY. SO I WOULD ENCOURAGE ANYONE WHO HAS MORE QUESTIONS OR HAS CONCERNS TO REACH OUT TO THE MLK OBSERVANCE COMMITTEE AND TO REACH OUT TO COUNSEL DIRECTLY, UM, AS WE'RE ALWAYS OPEN TO HEAR ANY CONCERNS THAT SOMEONE MAY HAVE ABOUT THAT. OKAY. UM, I'LL MAKE A STATEMENT. I HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH JUNETEENTH WHATSOEVER. UM, I'VE ALWAYS SUPPORTED IT. AT SOME POINT I THINK THAT COUNCIL NEEDS TO CONSIDER THE ROAD CLOSURE. UM, THAT'S NOT, THAT'S NOT THE EVENT, THAT'S THE LOCATION FOR ALL OF OUR FESTIVALS. UM, YOU KNOW, THE ARTS OF SEAFOOD FESTIVAL, THE MAY FEST, WE HAVE SO MUCH TRAFFIC COMING THROUGH MAY RIVER ROAD NOW, UM, THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S, I'M NOT SAYING IT'S GONNA TAKE SOME, SOME TALKING ABOUT AND SOME STUDYING AND FIGURE OUT WHETHER THERE'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN DO OR WE CAN'T DO TO MAKE IT, UM, TO KEEP THE FLOW MOVING. SO THAT'S WHERE I'M AT. ANYTHING ELSE FROM COUNSEL? ANYBODY COMMENTS? ANYTHING? OKAY. WE'LL MOVE ON TO [IX. PUBLIC HEARING & FINAL READING ] PUBLIC HEARING AND FINAL READING FOR CONSIDERATION OF AN ORDINANCE APPROVING THE TOWN OF LUPTON FISCAL YEAR 2027, PROPOSED CONSOLIDATED BUDGET, PUBLIC HEARING, AND FINAL READING. WE'LL CALL, FIRST CALL FOR PUBLIC COMMENT ON THE BUDGET. SECOND CALL FOR PUBLIC COMMENT. THIRD CALL, PUBLIC COMMENT IS CLOSED. AND WE WILL HAVE MR. STEVE, THIS WILL BE MUCH QUICKER THAN THE PREVIOUS MEETINGS. UH, THREE MINUTES SIR. , I THINK HE JUST LOST 45 SECONDS. THE TIME'S ON DON'T THINK HAVE, HANG ON, TRACY. IT'S IN PRESENTATION. THIS PUT, WILL THIS PULL IT UP? SO NONE. THIS IS IN THE PRESENTATION FOLDER. I GOTTA GET UP SO WE CAN COME Y'ALL. THAT WASN'T BEEN A MINUTE AND A HALF. GOOD THING YOU HAD HOT YOUR PASSWORD ON . THERE IT IS. PUBLIC HEARING. NO, NO, I'M GOOD. SO MAYOR AND COUNCIL, UM, UH, WE ARE HERE FOR THE, UM, [01:00:01] PUBLIC HEARING AND SECOND AND FINAL READING FOR THE PROPOSED BUDGET. UH, TO DATE WE DID THE FIRST READING AND ON MAY 12TH WE'VE HAD TWO BUDGET WORKSHOPS WITH COUNSEL TO GO THROUGH, UH, THE DETAILS AND ANY QUESTIONS THAT AROSE. SO SOME OF THE QUESTIONS, AND JUST TO RECAP AND UPDATES FROM FIRST READING IN THE WORKSHOPS IS, UM, THE DISCUSSION ABOUT HAVING AN ADDITIONAL SRO AT MAY RIVER HIGH SCHOOL. WE'RE WORKING TOWARDS MAKING THAT HAPPEN WITHIN THE STAFFING THAT WE HAVE WITHIN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT RIGHT NOW. AND AS WE DISCUSSED DURING THE SECOND, UM, WORKSHOP. SO THE POLICE GET, UH, FULL STAFF WILL COME BACK AND HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT STAFFING TO BE ABLE TO ACCOMMODATE THAT ADDITIONAL SPOT GOING INTO THERE. AND THE CHIEF IS CONTINUING TO WORK WITH DR. RODRIGUEZ AND THE SCHOOL SYSTEM TO BE ABLE TO FIGURE OUT COST SHARE FOR THAT, UM, OFFICER AND THE BEST WAY TO ACCOMMODATE, UM, THE QUESTION CAME UP ABOUT SHUTTLE EVENTS. UM, IT IS RIGHT NOW IT'S FUNDED, UM, ABOUT WHETHER THE AT TAX COULD COVER THAT COST. SO IT'S INCLUDED IN THE AT TAX APPLICATIONS THAT, UH, COME IN FROM STATE AT TAX. UM, BUT IF WE WANTED TO DIRECTLY FUND THAT FROM THE TOWN, WE WOULD PROBABLY LOOK AT DOING THAT SIMILAR TO THE WAY WE DO POLICE PROTECTION, WHICH IS JUST AS AN INTERNAL TRANSFER. UM, BUT RIGHT NOW, UM, ANYBODY WHO DOES INCLUDE TRANSPORTATION IN THEIR AT TAX APPLICATION, THAT IS A CALL. SO THEY INCLUDE IN THERE, UM, THERE WAS THE RECOMMENDATION TO PUT, UH, A PLACEHOLDER FOR 30,000 UP TO $30,000 FOR THE, UH, BEAUFORT MARINE RE, UH, SEARCH AND RESCUE. UM, THAT PLACEHOLDER IS IN PLACE AND ANYTHING THAT WE WOULD DO TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT WOULD COME BACK TO COUNCIL TO APPROVE, WHETHER IT'S A MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT OR UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN US AND THE ENTITY AND OUTLINE THE PARAMETERS AND THE REPORTING THEY WOULD HAVE TO DO BACK RELATED TO THOSE FUNDS. UM, AND THEN WE ALSO HAD THE DISCUSSION ABOUT WANTING TO GET AN IDEA OF WHAT PROPERTIES ARE NOT HOOKED TO SEWER. WE'RE CONTINUING TO WORK THROUGH THAT. RIGHT NOW OUR ESTIMATE IS AROUND ABOUT 50 TO 75, UM, SEPTIC SYSTEMS THAT ARE STILL IN PLACE THAT HAVE NOT BEEN CONVERTED. AND, UM, THAT IS PART OF OUR STRATEGIC PLAN FOR NEXT YEAR THAT WILL KICK IN HERE JULY 1ST IS TO LOOK AT, UM, MOVING FORWARD AND HOW WE WANNA MAKE THOSE LA WORK TO GET THOSE LAST FEW HOMES CONNECTED FROM SEPTIC TO SEWER AND, UH, IF WE NEED TO CHANGE OUR PROGRAM OR ANYTHING TO MOVE FORWARD. SO THOSE ARE REALLY THE MAIN TOPICS THAT CAME UP DURING THE WORKSHOPS AND JUST ANY CHANGES THAT TOOK PLACE. ANY QUESTIONS? YES, SIR. UM, MAYBE A QUESTION FOR NATALIE. UM, CAN YOU GO BACK TO THE FIRST ONE, SECOND, PHOENIX, WHICH WHERE THE, UH, ONE MORE CLICK ONE MORE TIME. RIGHT THERE. YES SIR. NATALIE, WHAT WAS THE REQUEST FOR ATEX FOR THE MARINE RESCUE? UM, A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO. HOW MUCH? IT WAS ABOUT, IT WAS ABOUT $20,000. AND THERE'S ANOTHER REQUEST FOR THIS EVENING TOO. YES. IT'S ACTUALLY REQUEST DENIED ONE FOR 20 AND ONE'S FOR LIKE 90, 7500. FOR 7,500. BUT, BUT YOU SAID TWO. I'M I'M ONLY TALKING ABOUT MARINE RESCUE RIGHT NOW. THE MARINE RESCUE MADE TWO APPLICATIONS FOR AT TAX FUNDS, TWO SEPARATE APPLICATIONS AS CURRENT PERIOD. AND SO ONE WAS FOR 20 AND ONE AND THE OTHER WAS FOR HOW MANY? 7,500. OKAY. ONE WAS FOR THE, UH, PURCHASE OF EQUIPMENT. THE OTHER ONE'S FOR MARKETING. MARKETING AND PURCHASE OF EQUIPMENT. YES, SIR. OKAY. THANK YOU. AND, AND AGAIN, IT'S A PLACEHOLDER. IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THAT'S WHAT WILL BE SPENT. THAT'S AN UP TO AMOUNT. ANY, ANYTHING WOULD COME BACK TO US AND COUNSEL WOULD VOTE ON APPROVAL. IF, IF AT ALL, LET ME, THAT'S JUST, YEAH. I'M SORRY, INTERRUPTION. GO RIGHT AHEAD. THE ONLY POINT THAT I HAD ON THAT SUBJECT WAS THE MARKETING. I TRIED TO FIGURE OUT, I TALKED TO TOWN MANAGER TODAY, TALKED TO NATALIE, AND I TRIED TO GET MY HEAD WRAPPED AROUND THE PROTOCOL OF THIS WHOLE ORGANIZATION. OBVIOUSLY THERE'S A NEED, AND I THINK THEY SAID IN THEIR LITERATURE THEY HAD 97 MISSIONS, UH, NEARLY 40% ATTRIBUTED TO BLUFFTON. UM, AND THEY WORK UNDER DIRECTION OF BEAUFORT COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AND MAINTAIN STRONG OPERATIONAL PARTNERSHIPS WITH US COAST GUARD, DNR, BLUFFTON, POLICE, FIRE RESCUE. THE POINT IS, FOR ME, UNLESS I'M OVERTHINKING THIS OR OVERLOOKING IT, WHEN THEY GET A CALL, IT'S PROBABLY GOING TO 9 1 1, I'M ASSUMING. RIGHT, RIGHT. I DON'T KNOW WHY WE NEED MARKETING FOR THAT. NOT NECESSARILY. YEAH, WELL STILL, I, I JUST DON'T YOU CALL FROM THEIR PHONES WHEN THEY'RE IN BOTH. RIGHT. BUT I DON'T YOU CALL DIRECT BECAUSE I'M DEALING WITH MARKETING. I DON'T UNDERSTAND. YEAH. AND I MEAN, VOTES. ONE SECOND. WE'RE NOT EVEN THIS. [01:05:01] WE CAN TALK ABOUT ALL THAT WHEN IT'S, UM, NO, BUT HE'S RIGHT, LARRY, I MEAN, WE COULD, HE'S TALKING, IF YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT HIM, I MEAN, WE GET ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY TO TALK ABOUT THAT WITH THE, A TAX RECOMMENDATIONS FROM OUR A TAX COMMITTEE. UM, BUT THAT, AT THAT POINT, UM, IT'S PERTAINING TO THAT. ONLY JUST NOW WE GET, WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR DISCUSSION AND I WANT, I WANT TO USE THE OPPORTUNITY FOR DISCUSSION. THEY ASKED FOR 20,000 AND THAT'S WHAT I WANT TO PUT A PLACEHOLDER FOR IS THE 20,000, EVEN AFTER THINKING ABOUT IT FOR A COUPLE OF MONTHS, I DO WANNA SUPPORT IT, BUT I DON'T WANT TO, I DON'T WANT TO PUT A PLACEHOLDER FOR 30,000 BECAUSE THAT, THAT ALSO LEAVE ROOM FOR THEM TO GET MARKETING BECAUSE THEY'RE ASKING FOR TWO DIFFERENT SUBJECTS. SO COUNSEL, I'M ASKING US TO RECONSIDER THIS 30,000 PLACEHOLDER AND MAKE IT A 20,000 PLACEHOLDER BECAUSE I THINK THEY DESERVE $20,000. THAT'S WHAT THEY SAY. THEY REALLY NEED TO OPERATE A BOAT OR BUY A BOAT. BUT I DON'T, I'M NOT SUPPORTING MARKETING, ESPECIALLY IF ATECH DOESN'T SUPPORT IT. SO IF THAT IS THE DIRECTION THE COUNCIL WANTS TO MOVE FORWARD WITH, I WOULD JUST ASK WHENEVER WE GET TO THE END THAT WHEN YOU MAKE THE MOTION, IT SHOULD NOT AFFECT THE READING OF THE, THIS DID NOT AFFECT THE BUDGETARY NUMBER. RIGHT. WE'LL JUST MAKE A NOTE GOING FORWARD THAT, UM, THAT PLACEHOLDER THAT WE HAVE WOULD BE REDUCED TO $20,000 BECAUSE WE DIDN'T REDUCE, UH, IT DID NOT AFFECT THE BUDGET NUMBER AT THE END OF THE BUDGET. RIGHT. SO WOULD IT BE REDUCED TO THE 21,875 THAT THEY'VE REQUESTED SPECIFICALLY FOR THE VOTE? BUT THEN ALSO IT WOULD HAVE TO COME BACK IN FRONT OF US AGAIN BEFORE? WELL, WELL, BASED ON THE DISCUSSION THAT MR. COUNCILMAN HAMILTON JUST MADE, IT WOULD BE $20,000 IF YOU WANT IT TO BE REDUCED TO WHAT THEIR REQUEST WAS FOR AT TAX OF THE 21 AND CHANGE, I WOULD ASK THAT COUNCIL, CLARIFY. SO WE CAN SET THAT NUMBER. SO ARE YOU GOOD WITH THIS 21,875? YOU'RE JUST NOT GOOD WITH THE 7,500 FOR THE MARKETING? IS THAT THE DIRECTION OF COUNSEL? WELL, WHEN WE GET THERE, YEAH. OKAY. I AGREE WITH THEM. OKAY. ALRIGHT. YOU GOT THAT? YEAH. OKAY. ALRIGHT. SO I'M GOING TO GO THROUGH, UM, REAL QUICK JUST WHERE WE ENDED UP, UH, WITH THE BUDGET, WHICH IS PRETTY MUCH WHERE WE STARTED, WHICH IS A TOTAL BUDGET OF $113,913,988. UM, THAT IS AN INCREASE OF ABOUT FOUR, 4.4% OVER THE PREVIOUS BUDGET YEAR. THIS JUST GOES THROUGH ALL THE INNER FUND TRANSFERS FOR THE MONEY, MOVES FROM THE DIFFERENT ACCOUNTS TO OTHERS TO COVER DIFFERENT, UH, EXPENSES. UM, YOU CAN SEE THE HOSPITALITY TAX LOCAL AT TAX, UM, STORMWATER AND DEBT SERVICE WHERE THEY TRANSFER INTO GENERAL FUNDS AND VICE VERSA. UM, YOU CAN SEE THAT, UM, FOR THE MOST PART, THE BIGGEST TRANSFERS GO INTO THE CAPITAL OPERATING, UM, FOR THE DIFFERENT PROJECTS AND LAND PURCHASES THAT THE TOWN IS LOOKING TO MAKE. SO JUST TO HIGHLIGHT, UH, SOME OF THE, OR HIT SOME OF THE BUDGET HIGHLIGHTS, IT DOES MAINTAIN THE PROPERTY MILLAGE WHERE IT IS AT 36 MILLS TOTAL. IT FOCUSES ON TOWN COUNCIL'S PRIORITIES OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING, HISTORIC PRESERVATION, UH, QUALITY, UH, PROJECTS, AND, AND, UH, MAINTAINING OUR COMMUNITY, UH, OUTREACH AND CELEBRATIONS. IT ALSO WORKS TO KEEP OUR REPETITIVE, UH, EXCUSE ME, OUR PAY COMPETITIVE WITH THOSE AROUND US, WHICH IS A COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENT OF 3% AS WELL AS THE MID-YEAR MERIT, UH, OF UP TO 4% WITH A $3,000 CAP. SO ANYBODY THAT, UH, CAPS OUT ABOVE THAT WOULD SEE A REDUCED PERCENTAGE INCREASE, AGAIN, WORKING TO GET OUR LOWEST PAY UP, UP FASTER THAN THOSE IN OUR HIGHER PAY. UM, AND IT CONTINUES TO INVEST IN PUBLIC IN INFRASTRUCTURE AS WE TALKED A MINUTE AGO WITH, UH, CONVERSION FROM SEPTIC TO SEWER, STREET SCAPES, PARKS, AS WELL AS WORKING, UM, AS PRESERVING OUR TOWN HISTORIC PROPERTIES. UM, IT ALSO CONTINUES OUR INTERAGENCY PARTNERSHIPS. UM, PALMETTO BREEZE, IT DOES CONTINUE, BUT AT A, IT CONTINUES AT A REDUCED LEVEL OF WHAT THEY ASKED FOR. UM, JUST AS A NOTE, THEY REQUESTED A LITTLE OVER 326,000 BASED ON WHAT WE FUNDED THIS CURRENT FISCAL YEAR. IT IS RECOMMENDED. AND WHAT WE DISCUSSED DURING THE BUDGET WORKSHOP WAS TO DO A 10% INCREASE, UH, FOR FISCAL YEAR 2026. THEY DID COME BACK AND ASK MID-YEAR FOR ADDITIONAL FUNDS. I WOULD EXPECT THEY'LL PROBABLY DO THE SAME NEXT YEAR. BUT THAT IS WHAT IS REFLECTED WITHIN THE BUDGET BASED ON THOSE DISCUSSIONS. UM, KEEPS UP OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH USCB FOR THE MICROBIAL LAB AND TESTING, AS WELL AS OUR PARTNERSHIPS WITH THE, UM, SROS THAT WE HAVE AT ALL OF THE SCHOOLS THROUGHOUT THE TOWN. UM, ALSO WORKING [01:10:01] WITH DRCI AND MOVING OUR ACCOMMODATIONS TAX FUNDS THAT ARE ALLOWED PER STATE LAW. 15% FOR STATE, 15% FOR, UM, LOCAL INTO AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROGRAMS. AND THEN CONTINUING OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH OUR DMO, WHICH IS THE HILTON HEAD, BLUFFTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE. SO JUST TO SUMMARIZE, THAT IS THE BUDGET THAT IS IN FRONT OF COUNCIL THAT WE'VE WORKED THROUGH OVER THE LAST THREE MEETINGS TO GET TO, UM, AND I'LL BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. AND AS ALWAYS, BEFORE I WRAP UP, I DO WANT TO MAKE SURE I THANK ALL OF THE FINANCE STAFF, NATALIE, CHRIS SHANNON, UM, TOWN, UH, SENIOR STAFF COUNSEL FOR YOUR INVOLVEMENT IN MAKING SURE THAT WE WERE ABLE TO GET TO A BALANCED BUDGET THAT REFLECTS THE PRIORITIES OF COUNCIL AND CONTINUES THE OPERATIONS AND THE SERVICES THAT WE PROVIDE AS A TOWN. IF COUNSEL IS GOOD, I DO HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE SECOND AND FINAL READING OF THE BUDGET. UM, AND AS I STATED, BASED ON THE PLACEHOLDER THAT'S IN THERE, WE CAN MAKE THAT REFLECTION. IT DOESN'T NEED TO BE PART OF THE MOTION THAT COUNCIL APPROVES. MAYOR. YES, SIR. BEFORE WE HAVE A MOTION, MAY I MAKE SOME COMMENTS? MM-HMM . UM, SO WE, UM, SO LOCO, AS WE REMEMBER, SUPPORTED TRIS SHARE. UM, AND THEN TRIS SHARE WAS A MYTHOLOGY TO DO A MODEL. UH, WE WERE TRYING TO GET THE STATE TO PROVIDE ONE THIRD FUNDING BUSINESS WOULD PROVIDE ONE THIRD FUNDING, AND THE PERSON, THE PARENT WOULD PROVIDE ONE THIRD FUNDING. UM, UNANIMOUSLY ALL THE MUNICIPALITIES SIGNED OFF AND SUPPORTED IT, AS DID BEAUFORT COUNTY AND JASPER COUNTY. THROUGH THE STATE BUDGET PROCESS, IT DID NOT GET SUPPORT FOR FUNDING IN THE STATE. SO RECENTLY, MAYOR WILLIAMS, THE CHAIR OF SO LOCO THROUGH HARDY, REQUESTED THAT THE MUNICIPALITIES POTENTIALLY PUT UP $18,000 EACH TO FUND WHAT WE WERE HOPING TO GET FROM THE COUNTY, BUT, UM, DO OUR OWN MODEL. AND SO HE IS ASKED THAT OF EACH JURISDICTION. SO LAST NIGHT I THINK IT WAS, UH, THE COUNTY PROVIDED $12,000 TO FUNDING, NOT 18,000. CORRECT. SO THEY'RE THE FIRST ONES. SO WHAT I'M ASKING FOR FROM THIS COUNCIL IS A PLACEHOLDER DOESN'T MEAN WE WILL DO IT, BUT POTENTIALLY HAVE SOMETHING SET ASIDE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE RESOLUTION THAT WE ALL PROVIDED IN SUPPORT OF TRI SHARE ORIGINALLY. SO, I MEAN, THERE IS A CHANGE. WE'RE NOT GONNA GET STATE FUNDING. THAT'S THE ESSENCE OF THIS REQUEST. UM, SO I'M ASKING COUNSEL, IS THIS SOMETHING THEY'RE WILLING TO CONSIDER? WELL, TO CLARIFY, I'M GLAD YOU BROUGHT THAT UP BECAUSE I MEANT TO, THIS IS JUST A ONE TIME ONE START A PROGRAM AND BASICALLY WHAT WE'RE GONNA BE DOING IS ASSISTING WITH HOW MANY KIDS? THREE. YEAH, I DON'T REMEMBER EXACTLY. FOUR. THREE OR FOUR KIDS WITHIN BLUFFTON. THEY'RE DOING THREE OR FOUR IN VILLE, THREE OR FOUR PORT WALL, THREE OR FOUR BEAUFORT, THREE OR FOUR ON BUILDING. SO IT'S JUST A PILOT PROGRAM SO THAT WE CAN GET LOADED TO GO BACK TO THE STATE WHEN THOSE FUNDS BECOME AVAILABLE OR POSSIBLY AVAILABLE AGAIN TO GET STATE AND FEDERAL FUNDING. IT'S A PILOT PROGRAM. UM, WE TALKED TO, MET ABOUT IT MANY TIMES AT SO LOCO EVERYBODY, YOU KNOW, IN AN EFFORT TO, TO HELP WITH CHILDCARE, AFFORD AFFORDABILITY. WE CAN'T FIX IT ALL 'CAUSE IT'S TOO MUCH, BUT WE ALL, UM, VOTED AT SO LOCO TO ASSIST TO, TO TRY TO START WITH A PILOT PROGRAM AND DO SOMETHING, UM, SOMETHING, DOING SOMETHING IS BETTER THAN DOING NOTHING. UM, IT'S A SMALL AMOUNT OF MONEY IN MY OPINION. IF WE CAN HELP THREE OR FOUR FAMILIES, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT QUALIFY FOR IT, UM, I THINK IT'S A, A GOOD THING. AND I, I WOULD SUPPORT IT. JUST, JUST AS A REMINDER, THIS WAS, UH, A MODEL I THINK OUT OF, HELP ME, STEVEN MICHIGAN ORIGINALLY MICHIGAN, NORTH CAROLINA. NORTH CAROLINA. NORTH CAROLINA. I THINK THERE'S ABOUT THREE OR FOUR STATES. THERE'S FOUR STATES NOW THAT'S BECOME SUCCESSFUL IN OTHER STATES. AND ALSO, UH, THE, THE HILTON HEAD ISLAND BLUFFTON CHAMBER ON THE COMMITTEE THAT I WAS ON HAD A REPRESENTATIVE THERE. THEY SUPPORTED, WHICH MEANS FROM THE BUSINESS PERSPECTIVE, THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY HAD SOME SUPPORT FOR IT. SO ANYWAY, I THANK YOU MAYOR FOR YOUR SUPPORT ON THAT. I'M JUST THROWING THAT OUT THERE TO SEE WHAT RIGHT, WHAT WE, AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT [01:15:01] WE DO NEED TO TALK ABOUT TONIGHT BEFORE WE GO TO VOTE. I THINK IT'S A GREAT PROGRAM. UM, COUNCILMAN WHAT I REMEMBER WHEN YOU BROUGHT IT FOUR TO EVERYONE, UM, I WOULD JUST HAVE SOME CONCERNS OVER THE, UM, SUCH A SMALL NUMBER IN TERMS OF THE THREE OR FOUR. I KNOW WE CAN'T ADDRESS, UM, LARGER THAN THAT. BUT, UM, WHAT WOULD BE THE PROCESS OF IDENTIFYING THAT IN TERMS OF, IS THAT GONNA BE SELECTED OFF OF A LOTTERY SYSTEM OF THOSE WHO'VE QUALIFIED FOR IT? OR IS IT ALREADY A LIST OF IDENTIFYING? NO, THERE'S NO, NOT THAT I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW MORE LIKE, ABOUT THAT PROCESS. IF WE ARE GONNA, YOU KNOW, PUT RESOURCES INTO IT JUST IN A SENSE OF LIKE, IF FOLKS COME TO US FOR, UM, QUESTIONS ON IT, BECAUSE THAT IS, I DUNNO WHO'S GONNA HAVE THAT JOB, BUT THREE TO FOUR KIDS OUT OF A, A VERY GROWING ISSUE GONNA BE. RIGHT. AND AND IT'S ALMOST LIKE AN EXPERIMENTAL SCHOLARSHIP TYPE PROGRAM IS THE WAY I SEE IT. UM, BUT IT'S, AND AND WE DON'T KNOW, YOU KNOW, IT'S A LEARNING. IT'S, IT'S JUST A REGIONAL PROBLEM AND IT'S ONE LITTLE SMALL STEP IN US SHOWING THAT WE DO CARE. WE DO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THERE ARE ISSUES OUT HERE WITH, UM, KIDS THAT, AND PARENTS THAT, THAT WE COULD HELP. JUST I'M ALL FOR IT AS WE DO OUR OWN TOWN EMPLOYEES, AS LONG AS WE KNOW, LIKE THERE'S, UM, YOU KNOW, THE THE PROCESS ITSELF IS, YOU KNOW, TRANSPARENT IN TERMS OF SELECTION. I THINK IT, YOU KNOW, IT'S A GOOD, I'M SURE THERE, THERE WOULD HAVE TO BE SOME KIND OF PROTOCOL TOO BEFORE WE, AND, AND YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT, IT'S IT'S BASICALLY IT'S US, THE EMPLOYER AND, AND THE CHILD THAT NEEDS HELP. YOU KNOW, SO THAT'S WHY THEY CALL IT TRY. THERE'S THREE DIFFERENT ENTITIES INVOLVED. AND SO, UM, MR. HAMILTON, GO AHEAD. I'M, BUT I, I'M, I'M 200% BEHIND BRIDGES, UM, RESERVATION OR CONCERN. UM, BECAUSE, UH, WE GET TO, WE GET TO TO A POINT WHERE WE SAY WE WANNA SUPPORT IT, BUT WE DON'T HAVE THE PARAMETERS OF HOW WE SUPPORT IT. THAT'S NOT, THAT'S NOT BEING PROACTIVE, THAT JUST THROWING OUT A, A THOUGHT AND, AND NOT HAVING, UM, THE GROUNDS TO, TO SAY, WHY SHOULD I BUY INTO THIS? UM, SO WE NEED, WE, WE NEED MORE GUIDANCE ON THAT AND, AND, AND I AM SU I WOULD SUPPORT IT, BUT I NEED, I NEED TO KNOW WHAT I'M SUPPORTING. WHY? WELL, LET ME FINISH. I'M NOT FINISHED. GO AHEAD. UM, THE HILTON HEAD, BLUFFTON CHAMBER SUPPORTED, ARE THEY GONNA SUPPORT IT FINANCIALLY? THEY HAD MY UNDERSTANDING, FRED YES. WAS THE MODEL WAS DISCUSSED ON HILTON HEAD WITH THEIR BUSINESS PARTNERS, THEIR, UM, MEMBERS MEMBERSHIP TO SEE IF THERE WAS A NEED TO IDENTIFY IT AND ALSO TO SEE IF THERE WAS A WILL TO DO IT. AND THEY HAD, TOM HENS WAS THEIR REPRESENTATIVE. HE'S ON THE, HE WORKS FOR THE CHAMBER AND SERVED ON THE COMMITTEE. AND SO HE WAS THE ONE THAT, UH, ORIGINALLY BROUGHT TRI SHARE FORWARD AND FROM THE CHAMBER PERSPECTIVE. AND SO TO SAY THEY'RE GONNA DO IT FINANCIALLY NO. IS THE IDEA, IS THE GOAL AGAIN, WAS TO GET THE STATE GOVERNMENT, LIKE THE OTHER MODELS IN THE OTHER STATES AND THEN THE BUSINESS AND THEN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE BUSINESS AND UH, UH, PERSON THAT WORKS THAT NEEDS THE HELP. AND I WOULD ALSO, UH, GLADLY SAY, UM, OBVIOUSLY I WOULD NOT EXPEND WANT TO EXPEND DOLLARS WITHOUT KNOWING MORE DETAIL. WE'RE NOT GONNA EXPEND ANY DOLLARS RIGHT NOW. AND I MADE A NOTE AS SOON AS SHE STARTED SPEAKING MM-HMM . TO GET THIS INFORMATION OUT TO EVERYBODY. OKAY. THE MODEL HAS NOT BEEN, UH, IMPLEMENTED AT ALL BECAUSE NOBODY KNEW WHETHER IT WOULD EVEN GET FUNDED, DIDN'T HAVE FUNDING, YOU COULDN'T, NO NEED TO DO ALL THAT. UM, AND THEN THE OTHER, THE OTHER PERSONS, UH, THAT WE SHOULD TALK TO IS THE CHILDCARE FACILITIES. YOU KNOW, I THINK THEY SHOULD HAVE A BUY-IN TO THIS AS WELL, BECAUSE FOR AN EXAMPLE, THE REASON WHY WE ARE HERE IS THAT THEIR RATES ARE SO HIGH RIGHT NOW. SO IF, IF WE GOING TO PARTNER AND WE GOING TO DO TRI SHARE AND THE CHAMBER WHO'S GOING TO DO A LETTER OF SUPPORT SHOULD DO A FINANCIAL SHOULD BACK THAT UP WITH SOME FINANCIALS. UM, BECAUSE THE CHAMBER IS ALSO THE SUPPORTING THE BUSINESS THAT NEEDS THIS, UM, THAT NEEDS THE RELIEF FOR, FOR THE EMPLOYEES. UM, BUT LET'S TRY AND ALSO WORK WITH THE, UH, CHILDCARE [01:20:02] AGENCIES TO LET, SO THAT THEY, UM, THEIR RATES ARE, UH, AT LEAST CONSIDERED WHILE WE TRYING TO, UM, TO BRING THIS, THIS TO, UH, UM, ONE YEAR IS NOT GONNA WORK. ONE YEAR IS JUST THE TRIAL, BUT THE FOLLOWING YEAR WE WILL NEED, WE WILL NEED THE CHILDCARE FACILITIES TO BE IN, IN AGREEMENT TO THIS, TO THIS PROBLEM. THAT'S ALL I HAVE. I HAVE A CLARIFICATION. HAVE WE ALREADY COMMITTED TO A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF MONEY AND NOW THAT YOU'RE WANTING US TO COMMIT TO MORE? YES. NO. NO. HAVE WE COMMITTED ANYTHING OTHER THAN OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT WITH THE GODDARD SCHOOL? YEAH, WELL, BUT WE THOUGHT YOU SAID DAYCARE. HOW MUCH DID WE ASK THE STATE FOR THEN? PARDON ME? HOW MUCH DID WE ASK THE STATE FOR THE STATE CUT THE FUNDING THEY USED TO HAVE FUNDING TO PUT PROGRAMS LIKE THIS IN THE LAST YEAR? MY UNDERSTANDING, SO THEY HAD ASKED THE STATE TO CREATE A PILOT, AND THEN WE HAD BE, BECAUSE ALL THE, UM, MUNICIPALITIES AND COUNTY DID A LETTER OF SUPPORT ASKING THE STATE TO DO IT. WE WERE AT THE, WE, ONE OF THE THINGS WE HAD ASKED THE STATE WAS FOR THE PI, ONE OF THE PILOTS TO BE IN THE, UH, BEAUFORT, UM, AND JASPER COUNTY AREA. THEY DID NOT PASS THE LAW AT THE STATE. SO THERE WAS NO FUNDING INCLUDED AT THE STATE FOR THE PILOT PROGRAM. UM, SO WHAT MAYOR WILLIAM HAS PROPOSED IS TO DO THE PILOT PROGRAM LOCALLY TO SHOW THE STATE THAT IT CAN BE SUCCESSFUL IN HOPES THAT THEY'LL PASS IT AT THE STATE LEVEL AND CREATE A PROGRAM AND, AND, AND, AND, AND FUND IT AND, AND CREATE IT. AND, UH, REPRESENTATIVE ERICKSON WAS THE ONE HOPEFULLY THAT'S BEEN LEADING THE CHARGE AND HOPEFULLY WILL CONTINUE TO PUSH IT. UM, SO WHAT HAS BEEN PROPOSED THROUGH WHAT MAYOR WILLIAMS HAS OUTLINED IS THAT THE PROGRAM WOULD ACTUALLY BE MANAGED BY THE UNITED WAY OF THE UNITED WAY, AND THEY WOULD HANDLE FINDING THE, THE CHIL THE, THE PARENTS, THE CHILDREN, AND WORK WITH THE, THE, UM, DAYCARES, OR EXCUSE, EXCUSE ME, CHILDCARE FACILITIES AND, AND BUSINESSES AND WORK ALL THAT TOGETHER. UM, THE FUNDING WOULD GO THROUGH THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF THE LOW COUNTRY WITH THE, UM, AND THEY'RE GOING WITH THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF THE LOW COUNTRY RIGHT NOW IN ANTICIPATION THAT THEY'LL MATCH DOLLAR FOR DOLLAR FOR EVERY, FOR WHAT EVERY LOCAL JURISDICTION PUTS IN. SO THEIR GOAL, MAYOR WILLIAMS' GOAL IS TO HOPEFULLY DOUBLE THE FUNDS THAT THE LOCAL GOVERNMENTS GIVE AND THE COUNTY GIVES TO THEN BE ABLE TO EXPAND THOSE PROGRAMS OUT EVEN FURTHER AND DO MORE KIDS THROUGH THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION. THAT, THAT IS, THERE'S INTEREST FROM THERE. I DON'T THINK HE HAS A COMMITMENT FROM THAT RIGHT NOW. UM, I DO KNOW THAT HE'S TALKED TO THE, UH, UNITED WAY ABOUT MANAGING THE PROGRAM AND THEY FEEL COMFORTABLE MANAGING THE PROGRAM ON BE TO THE PILOT DURING THAT TIME. SO THOSE ARE SOME THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN PUT IN PLACE, UM, OR THAT ARE IN PROCESS TO MAKE THE PROGRAM HOPEFULLY BE THE PILOT, BE SUCCESSFUL AND HAVE, UM, PEOPLE THAT ARE ALREADY EXPERIENCED IN MANAGING SEARCH SUCH PROGRAMS BE ABLE TO DO SO AND MAKE SURE IT'S SUCCESSFUL. STEVEN, DO YOU RECALL, MAYOR BROUGHT IT UP A MINUTE AGO. I, I DON'T REMEMBER THE CALCULUS WAS, AND I DON'T KNOW WHETHER IT WAS PER JURISDICTION, THE ORIGINAL 18,000 REQUEST IT WAS PER JURISDICTION WAS THE ORIGINAL 18,000. SO THAT INCLUDED, HOW MANY CHILDREN DO YOU RECALL? IT IS ABOUT $3,000 PER CHILD. OKAY. SO THE, IF IT WAS 12,000, IT WOULD DO AROUND FOUR CHILDREN. IF IT'S 18,000, IT WOULD DO SIX. UM, AND THEN THE GOAL WOULD BE TO GO AND GET MATCHING FUNDS FROM THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION FROM THEIR FUNDS AND HOPEFULLY DOUBLE THAT. UM, BUT IT'S ABOUT $3,000 PER CHILD PER YEAR. PER YEAR. WOULD THEY DOUBLE IT PER JURISDICTION? SO LIKE IF WE DID 18,000 AND FUNDED SIX CHILDREN, IF THEY MATCHED IT, WOULD THEY FUND SIX CHILDREN? SHOULD THEY COMMIT TO THAT? THAT IS THE GOAL. IT WOULD DOUBLE FOR EVERYBODY. YES MA'AM. MAYOR, FOR EACH OF THE FUNDS, MAYOR FELT STRONGLY THAT IF THE MUNICIPALITIES AND THE COUNTY WOULD DIVVY UP THE 18,000 EACH, THAT WOULD GIVE US A HUNDRED AND SOMETHING THOUSAND. IT'S ABOUT $150,000, 50,000 AND HIS GUT FEELING. AND AFTER TALKING TO SOME OF THE OTHER, WE'D GET THAT MATCHED. SO THAT WOULD DOUBLE THE EFFECT, YOU KNOW, SO JUST SAY IT WOULD BE $300,000 TO GO TOWARDS THE PROP PILOT PROGRAM FOR ONE YEAR. SO YOU SAID THAT BEAUFORT COUNTY VOTED TO DO 12,000 LAST NIGHT. HAS ANY OF THE OTHER JURISDICTIONS, I MEAN, NOT YET. THEY WERE THE FIRST ONES, BUT I JUST GOT THAT EMAIL LAST TIME OR YESTERDAY. I THINK, UM, MS. UH, REPRESENTATIVE ERICKSON WAS THE WRONG PERSON FOR US TO USE TO [01:25:01] GO THROUGH THE STATE. SHE HAVE A BUSINESS IN CHILDCARE, SHE SOLD THEM. WELL, SHE STILL HAVE, SHE STILL WOULD BE SOMEONE THAT LOOK LIKE SHE'S SUPPORTING HER BUSINESS, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? SO SHE FUTURE, WE NEED TO GET SOMEONE THAT DON'T HAVE ANY, ANY SKIN IN THE GAME. I, I WILL SAY SHE'S CHAIR OF THE STATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE. MM-HMM . AND I BELIEVE THAT IS THE REASON THAT THEY LEANED ON HER TO HELP WITH THE PILOT PROGRAMS. THIS, THIS WENT TO EACH LEG LOCAL LEGISLATOR AS WELL, ASKING FOR HELP. UM, SO IF IT'S SOMETHING THAT COUNCIL IS INTERESTED IN, UM, WE CAN MOVE FORWARD A COUPLE WAYS. ONE, WE CAN PUT A PLACEHOLDER NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET IF YOU ARE COMFORTABLE WITH MOVING FORWARD AND SUBMITTING AND, AND MAKING A DONATION TO THE PROGRAM AND ANTICIPATION OF IT WORKING. YOU COULD ACTUALLY VOTE TO USE FUNDS BEFORE THIS CURRENT FISCAL YEAR ENDS, AND WE COULD SEND THE MONEY TO THE FOUNDATION BEFORE THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR. UM, AND WE CAN FIND THOSE FUNDS IN THIS YEAR'S BUDGET THROUGH LAPSED SALARIES THROUGH, UM, OTHER FUNDS AND, AND PUT THAT MONEY INTO THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION. NOW, I WOULD SUGGEST IF, IF I MAY, UM, INSTEAD OF I, I KNOW I WAS ON THE COMMITTEE, BUT I WOULD THINK ITS STAFF WOULD ACTUALLY GET THE QUESTIONS ANSWERED THAT BRIDGET AND FRED HAVE ASKED THIS EVENING INSTEAD OF ME TRYING TO RUN IT DOWN. YOU KNOW, IF THAT'S OKAY WITH YOU. I I, I'M GOOD WITH YOU EVERY WAY COUNSEL WOULD WANT TO MOVE FORWARD. I WANNA MAKE SURE YOU FEEL COMFORTABLE IF AND IF, BUT IF IT'S A DIRECTION YOU'RE WANTING TO GO, I JUST WANTED TO GIVE YOU A COUPLE OPTIONS THAT YOU COULD TAKE. THEN MY, MY FINAL QUESTION WOULD BE IS IT SOUNDS LIKE THERE'S SUPPORT TO TRY TO SET SOME MONEY ASIDE AND THEN GET THE INFORMATION AND THEN DETERMINE WHETHER WE WANT TO COMMIT OURSELVES TO IT. BUT NOW THE QUESTION WOULD BE IS DO YOU DO 12 OR DO YOU DO 18, WHATEVER NUMBER IN BETWEEN THAT YOU'RE INTERESTED IN? I THINK FOR ME, I WOULDN'T MIND SUPPORTING IT. I WOULD SUPPORT IT ON A CONDITIONAL BASIS IN TERMS OF HAVING THOSE, UM, WHATEVER ADDITIONAL CLARITY OR QUESTIONS NEED TO BE ANSWERED. UM, SAYING THAT WE'LL, YOU KNOW, PUT FUNDS THAT WAY. AND, UM, ALSO HAVING THE ASSURANCE, WHETHER IT'S THROUGH DOCUMENTATION, THAT THOSE FUNDS ARE GONNA BE USED, UM, BY THE ORGANIZATION IN CHARGE FOR BLUFFTON, UM, FAMILIES AND KIDS. ONLY A NUMBER. WELL, CAN I ASK THE QUESTION FIRST? WHAT, WHAT DID, UM, HILTON HAD AND HARVILLE AGREED TO, THEY, THEY HAVE NOT AGREED, THEY HAVE NOT BROUGHT IT TO THEIR COUNCIL AND VOTED ON IT YET, BUT THEY DON'T HAVE A NUMBER THAT THEY'RE TRYING TO GET TO. EIGHT 18 BETWEEN 12 TO $18,000. 12 TO 18. YES SIR. HE'S 18. IT WAS 18. 18 WAS THE REQUEST, BUT STRAIGHT 18 BY THE MUNICIPALITIES. AND IS THAT NUMBER BASED ON THE AMOUNT OF KIDS THAT WILL BENEFIT FROM THAT? SO 12, I'M ASSUMING WILL BE A SMALLER NUMBER 18 TO BE A LARGER, UM, YOU KNOW, CHILDCARE IS, IS IN DIRE NEED, YOU KNOW, ALL OVER SOME, IF WE'RE GONNA PUT FUNDS TOWARDS IT, I WOULD, UM, GO TOWARDS WHATEVER'S GONNA ALLOW US TO IMPACT MOST FAMILIES, LIKE I SAID, ON A CONDITIONAL BASIS THAT WE CAN GET ADDITIONAL CLARITY. BUT I WOULD BE IN FAVOR OF THE 18. AND LEMME SAY TOO, JUST FROM A POINT OF INTEREST, UM, RECENTLY THE STATE JUST CUT A BUNCH OF CHILDCARE FUNDING. UM, I THINK THE, UH, THE NONPROFIT OVER THERE ON HILTON HEAD HAS BEEN IMPACTED BY THAT SEVERELY. UM, ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS, I'LL, LAST THING I'LL ADD, UM, IS THAT I WOULD ASSUME THAT PRIOR TO THE PROGRAM BEING IN PLACE, THAT THERE WOULD BE SOME SORT OF GUIDELINES, SOME SORT OF AGREEMENT TO THE PARTIES. IT'S JUST NO DIFFERENT THAN THE HOUSING FUND THAT WE DID, EVEN IF IT'S MINIMUM JUST TO OUTLINE WHAT THE COMMITMENT IS. AND SO I, I BELIEVE WE CAN, IF, IF WE REACH OUT TO, UH, MAYOR WILLIAMS AND SAY THAT THE, THE COUNCIL IS COMMITTED UP TO 18,000, THAT WE JUST NEED TO WORK THROUGH THE FINAL DETAILS AND ONCE ALL THAT'S IN PLACE AND EVERYTHING'S LINED UP, THEN WE CAN WORK ON MOVING FORWARD. I THINK HE WOULD BE, I THINK THAT WOULD BE A GOOD AND REASONABLE STEP. YEAH. AND THERE'S A POSSIBILITY THAT IT'LL NEVER COME THROUGH. I MEAN, I'M JUST SAYING IF WE, IF WE COULD PUT A PLACE CALL OVER, IT COULD COME BACK TO COUNCIL AS A FORMAL ITEM BEFORE WE ALLOCATE THE FUNDS. NO DIFFERENT THAN WHAT WE JUST TALKED ABOUT CIP OR ANYTHING ELSE, YOU KNOW, SO IT'S NOT LIKE WE'RE, I JUST DON'T WANT, I DON'T WANT TO COME, I DON'T WANT COUNSEL TO COME TO YOU GUYS AND SAY, WE WOULD REALLY WANT TO HELP WITH THIS. WE WANT TO HELP CREATE THIS. AND WE SAY, WELL, WE DON'T HAVE NO MONEY COURT, SO WE CAN'T DO IT. RIGHT. IF ONLY ONE OTHER JURISDICTION COMMITS, THEN IT MAY NOT BE ENOUGH TO ACTUALLY MOVE FORWARD WITH THE POLICY. EXACTLY. AND MAYBE THE, YOU KNOW, THE, [01:30:01] THE MATCHING FUNDING DOESN'T COME THROUGH OR SOMETHING. SO I, I THINK WE HAVE THE SUPPORT, BUT I CAN HEAR TONIGHT, UM, AND BRIDGET MADE A, UM, I GUESS A, A THOUGHT A NUMBER OF 18. I'M WILLING TO SUPPORT THAT. SUPPORT THAT I SUPPORT THAT. BUT YOU WOULD NEED A PLACEHOLDER IN, IN THIS BUDGET. OH, WE, SINCE IT'S GONNA COME BACK AND HAVE TO BE, COME BACK TO COUNCIL FOR APPROVAL, I DON'T THINK WE NEED A AMENDMENT TO WHAT'S THE PROPOSED MOTION IS. UM, WE, UM, WITHIN THE BUDGET PART OF WHAT'S PRESENTED, THE BUDGET PROVIDES ME WITH A SMALL CONTINGENCY WITHIN THE BUDGET. I CAN PRETTY MUCH WHAT THAT IS, WILL BE COVERED. AND THEN WHEN WE DO MID-YEAR BUDGET AMENDMENT, WE CAN ALWAYS ADDRESS WHATEVER IS CAUGHT BY COUNSEL. SO I FEEL COMFORTABLE THAT WE CAN MAKE IT WORK WITHIN THE BUDGET THAT'S PRESENTED TO COUNCIL. IT WOULD NOT CHANGE THE NUMBERS THAT ARE, UM, BUDGETED AND WHAT YOU WOULD ACTUALLY BE APPROVING. SO I FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH Y'ALL MOVING FORWARD KNOWING THAT WE MAKE THOSE TWO NOTES, UM, AND HAVE A, HAVE A PLACEHOLDER FOR THOSE. OKAY. GOOD. ALRIGHT. ANY MORE FROM COUNSEL? IF NOT FOR SARAH MOTION. DON'T NEED A MOTION. I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING ELSE ON THIS ISSUE, BUT SEE IF YOU CAN GO BACK TO YOUR PREVIOUS SIDE BEFORE WE VOTE ON THE BUDGET. THE ONE BEFORE THIS, UM, WHEN YOU BROKE. YES. UM, THE SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS. I SEE CROSS SCHOOLS HERE. MM-HMM . UM, DO WE PROVIDE, UM, FINANCIAL SUPPORT TO ALL OF OUR PRIVATE AND, UM, CHARTER SCHOOLS? THAT HOUSE A SRO OR IS IT JUST CROSS? JUST CROSS BECAUSE THEY PAY A HUNDRED PERCENT OF THE COST. THEY, THEY ASK FOR ONE AND, UH, THEY HAVE AN AGREEMENT WITH THE TOWN WHERE THEY REIMBURSE US A HUNDRED PERCENT OF THE COST TO PROVIDE THAT OFFICER. AND SHOULD THEY NOT, THEY, WE WOULD REMOVE THAT OFFICER FROM THE SCHOOL. IS THERE A MOTION, SIR? I'LL MOVE TO APPROVE THE SECOND FINAL READING OF THE FISCAL YEAR. 2027. PROPOSED CON CONSOLIDATED BUDGET. SECOND. ANY DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE. AYE. AYE. IT'S UNANIMOUS. THANK Y'ALL. THANK YOU. GOOD JOB, STEVEN. I DON'T NEED TO MOVE. I GOT TWO MORE. OKAY. UP NEXT WE HAVE A [X. FORMAL AGENDA ITEMS] CONSIDERATION OF ORDINARY AUTHORIZING AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INCENTIVE. , IF YOU WANT TO TAKE IT SEAT, WE GOT A CALL. BLUFFTON AND STERLING CORPORATION. THIS IS PAUL AND HIS, UH, SECOND AND FINAL READING, UH, MAYOR AND COUNCIL TONIGHT I HAVE A FOR YOU FOR SECOND AND FINAL READING. UM, BLUFFING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INCENTIVE GRANT. STERLING HELICOPTER. THE ONLY THING UPDATE IS TO THE AVERAGE SALARY INFORMATION, WHICH WAS, UH, INCORRECTLY STATED LAST TIME. AND IT IS $73,000 ANNUALLY FOR THE 15 JOBS THAT ARE PROPOSED. AND MOTION ON THIS MADE FOR YOU. DISCUSSION OF QUESTIONS FROM COUNSEL, NOT IS THERE A MOTION? I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE SECOND FINAL READING OF AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE TOWN MANAGER TO ENTER INTO AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GRANT AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE TOWN OF LUPTON AND STERLING HELICOPTER. SECOND. I'LL SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE. AYE. AYE. UNANIM. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. UP NEXT, WE HAVE A CONSIDERATION OF A RESOLUTION TO INSTALL A FOUR-WAY STOP SIGN AT THE INTERSECTION OF BOUNDARY IN LAWRENCE STREET. MR. SKI, I HOPE THIS WILL BE QUICKER THAN THE LAST ONE. UM, KEVIN, I'M GONNA YELL AT ME 'CAUSE I'VE GONE LONGER THAN THREE MINUTES. SO, ALL RIGHT. SO, UM, IN FRONT OF YOU TONIGHT IS THE DISCUSSION ABOUT, UH, SAW A POTENTIAL FOUR-WAY STOP AT THE INTERSECTION OF BOUNDARY IN LAWRENCE. UM, IT IDENTIFIES A COUPLE STRATEGIC ITEMS THAT ARE IN THE, A COUPLE ITEMS THAT ARE IN THE STRATEGIC PLAN, WHICH IS TO IMPROVE, UH, PEDESTRIAN SAFETY IN THE HISTORIC DISTRICT, AS WELL AS, UM, OUR BOUNDARY, STREET STREET SCAPE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS, UH, TO INCLUDE TRAFFIC CALMING MEASURES. SO WE'RE WORKING ON FINALIZING THE DESIGN ELEMENTS, EASEMENTS AND PEDESTRIAN SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS FOR THE BOUNDARY STREET STREETSCAPE, WHICH WILL GO TO BID AT THE END OF THIS YEAR. UM, THE DESIGN WE'RE LOOKING AT PEDESTRIAN SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS AT THAT INTERSECTION NEAR THE PARKS. THE RECOMMENDATION FROM THE DESIGN WAS ACTUALLY TO INSTALL A FOUR-WAY INTERSECTION AT BOUNDARY IN LAWRENCE. UM, IN DISCUSSION IT WAS BROUGHT UP ABOUT WHY DO WE NEED TO WAIT FOR THE STREETSCAPE TO BE COMPLETED WHEN WE COULD GO AHEAD AND INSTALL A FOUR-WAY STOP NOW TO HELP WITH PEDESTRIAN SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS. SO IT'S BEING BROUGHT IN FRONT OF COUNCIL TONIGHT FOR CONSIDERATION. SO THE PROPOSED FOUR-WAY STOP WOULD MIRROR THE SAME ONE THAT'S ON CALHOUN AND LAWRENCE AT THE OTHER END. UM, IT WOULD ALSO PROVIDE A SPEED BREAK BETWEEN MAY RIVER, [01:35:01] UH, BREWING ROADS UP THERE, THE FOUR-WAY THERE AS AND THE FOUR-WAY AT BRIDGE STREET. UM, IT WOULD ALSO CAUSE VEHICLES TO STOP NEAR, UH, DU BOIS AND MARTIN FAMILY TO ALLOW PEDESTRIANS TO SAFELY CROSS AND IT WOULD BRING THEM TO A STOP RIGHT NEAR BOTH OF THE PARKS. IT ALSO WILL GET, UH, VEHICLES USED TO STOPPING AT THAT INTERSECTION. 'CAUSE WE'RE, UM, AT MARTIN FAMILY PARK, YOU KNOW, WE BLOCKED OFF SOME AREAS WITH A SMALL WOODEN, UH, BARRICADE, A BARRIER ON THE GROUND. THE OTHER SECTION WILL ACTUALLY END UP BECOMING, IS RECOMMENDED TO BECOME GOLF CART PARKING AS PART OF THE STREETSCAPE PROJECT. SO THAT STOP SIGN WILL ACTUALLY STOP TRAFFIC TO ALLOW GOLF CARTS THAT USE THAT PARKING TO, TO BACK OUT AND LEAVE THAT WITHOUT HAVING TO WORRY ABOUT CARS COMING DOWN THERE. SO IT'LL GET PEOPLE USED TO THAT FUTURE STREETSCAPE PROJECT IN THE PARKING THAT WILL BE THERE. SO THE CURRENT INTERSECTION, AND THIS IS WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE NOW, UM, NOT MUCH CHANGE, JUST WHAT'S PROPOSED IS TO, UH, SIGNAL IT, UH, WITH, UH, FOUR STOP SIGNS AND THEN PUT UP STOP BARS, UM, ON THE GROUND FOR THOSE COMING SOUTH AND NORTH ON, UH, BOUNDARY. WE ALREADY HAVE STOP BARS COMING ON THE CROSSROADS ON LAWRENCE, SO WE WOULD JUST NEED TO INSTALL 'EM THERE. SHOULD COUNCIL IMPROVE, WE WOULD INSTALL EVERYTHING. UM, WE WOULD ALSO PUT, UH, TEMPORARY SIGNAGE TO IDENTIFY THE NEW INTERSECTION IMPROVEMENTS, WORK WITH THE CHIEF TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S ENFORCED BECAUSE IT WILL BE NEW AND PEOPLE WELL NEED SOME WARNING TO MAKE SURE THEY KNOW THAT IT'S THERE. AND THEN WE'LL ALSO NOTIFY THE ME THE PUBLIC THROUGH MEDIA RELEASES AND SOCIAL MEDIA. AND THEN WHEN WE DO ANY FUTURE IMPROVEMENTS ON THE STREETS SCAPE, WE'LL MAKE SURE TO PUT THAT BACK AND, UM, AND BETTER AND, AND ENSURE, ENSURE THAT IT'S INCLUDED IN THE STREETSCAPE PLAN. SHOULD COUNCIL APPROVE, WE CAN GO AHEAD AND INSTALL THE SIGNAGE AND GET IT, UH, IN PLACE IN JULY TO MAKE YOU KNOW, AND MAKE SURE WE GIVE SOME NOTICE AHEAD OF TIME. AND THEN THIS IS THE SCHEDULE FOR THE BOUNDARY STREET STREETSCAPE PROJECT WITH EASEMENT ACQUISITION COMING UP AND IT GOING OUT TO BID, UM, IN LATE THIS YEAR. SHOULD COUNSEL HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I'LL BE MORE THAN GLAD TO ANSWER 'EM. IF NOT, I DO HAVE A PROPOSED MOTION TO MOVE FORWARD. QUESTIONS FROM THIS ISSUE FROM COUNCIL? MR. MR. MAYOR? UM, NOT REALLY A QUESTION. I HOPE THAT IT WILL REDIRECT SOME OF THE HEAVY TRUCKS THEY COME THROUGH THERE EVERY SINGLE MORNING. I MEAN, THEY, THEY COME FLYING THROUGH THERE, BUT THERE'S A MULTITUDE OF THEM. AND IF IT COMES INCONVENIENT, IT MAY MAKE THEM REROUTE A DIFFERENT DIRECTION. WHY? WHY WOULD, WHY WOULD A STOP SIGN REROUTE? IT SLOWS 'EM DOWN. 'CAUSE THEY, THEY JUST, THEY BARREL THROUGH THERE. OH, OKAY. I GOT YOU. UM, ANYTHING? NO, I'D SAY THAT, UM, BRIDGET, DID I ASK YOU IF YOU HAD A COMMENT? NO, BUT I DON'T, UM, I WOULD SAY THAT I, I THINK THIS IS A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. THAT'S SUCH A CRITICAL AND DANGEROUS AREA THERE WITH OUR KIDS BEING SIX FEET OFF THE ROAD. UM, AND I, CARS DO FLY THROUGH THERE A LOT, SO PROBABLY TAKE A LITTLE WHILE TO GET 'EM TO REALIZE THAT THEY HAVE TO STOP MAYBE SOME BLUE LIGHTS AND HANDCUFFS OR WHATEVER TAKES PLACE. I, I WAS THINKING MORE WARNINGS THAN . WE GOT PROBLEMS WITH THE STOP SIGNS ON WHERE WE HAVE STOP SIGNS ALREADY, SO I'M SURE THIS IS GONNA TAKE A LITTLE WHILE, BUT IT'S, UM, THERE'S A LOT OF KIDS THAT USE THAT PART AND I THINK IT'S WELL WORTH SPENDING THE MONEY TO FOR SAFETY. SO IS THERE A MOTION? I'LL MAKE THE MOTION. MAYOR, I MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE INSTALLATION OF THE FOUR-WAY STOP SIGNS AT THE INTERSECTION OF BOUNDARY AND LAWRENCE STREETS. I SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE. AYE. A AYE. A UNANIMOUS THANK Y'ALL CONSIDERATION OF A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING AN EXTENSION OF THE VALIDITY PERIOD FOR THE PURCHASE AND SALE OF PARCEL OF REAL ESTATE PROPERTY LOCATED IN BLUFFTON, SOUTH CAROLINA OF APPROXIMATELY 55.18 ACRES OWNED BY INLAND LAND BLUFFTON, MR. KEITH, UH, MAYOR AND COUNCIL. SO A LITTLE BACKGROUND ON THIS. THE TOWN COUNCIL APPROVED THE PURCHASE AND SELL AGREEMENT FOR THE, WITH THE INLAND BLUFFTON, LLC FOR THE 55 ACRE PARCEL. UM, BACK ABOUT EIGHT MONTHS AGO, UM, OR EXCUSE ME, SIX MONTHS AGO, WE HAD A SIX MONTH DUE DILIGENCE PERIOD. WE ARE HAVE APPLIED THROUGH THE BEAUFORT COUNTY GREEN PENNY PROGRAM TO GET A GRANT TO GO TOWARDS THE REIMBURSEMENTS FOR THE PURCHASE OF THIS PROPERTY. AND WE'RE WORKING THROUGH DUE DILIGENCE WITH THEM THAT DUE DILIGENCE HAS TAKEN LONGER THAN ANTICIPATED. UM, SO WE'RE WORKING TO, UM, ASK TO EXTEND THIS, UH, DUE DILIGENCE PERIOD, UM, FOR ADDITIONAL SO WE CAN MAKE SURE WE GET THROUGH THAT PROGRAM. UM, IT'S [01:40:01] LOCATED BETWEEN THE TWO FOOTHILLS PROPERTY, THE TOWN PURCHASED AND, UH, 2025, AND THAT WE JUST GOT APPROVED AND RECEIVED. UM, THE COUNTY HAS DISPERSED OUR FUNDS FOR THE, UM, THOSE TWO PROPERTIES. UM, THIS MAP KIND OF HIGHLIGHTS THAT THE BROWN PIECES ARE PROPERTY, THE TOWN HAS PURCHASED AND THAT WE OWN ALREADY. THE INLAND BLUFFTON PARCEL IS THE, UM, ORANGE PIECE AT THE BOTTOM, AND THEN WILLOW RUN IS UP AT THE TOP. BOTH OF THOSE ARE PROPERTIES THAT THE TOWN CURRENTLY HAS UNDER CONTRACT. UM, JUST TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF WHERE WE ARE DISCUSSING. SO NEXT STEP, SHOULD COUNSEL APPROVE THIS WOULD EXTEND OUR DUE DILIGENCE FOR SIX MONTHS UNTIL DECEMBER, 2026. THE OWNER OF THE PROPERTY IS SUPPORTIVE OF THIS AND HAS ALREADY SIGNED THE EXTENSION AND ANTICIPATION OF COUNCIL APPROVAL. UM, WE'LL CONTINUE TO WORK WITH THE GREEN PENNY THROUGH THE PROCESS. THE COMMITTEE IS SUPPORTIVE OF THE APPLICATION AND ACTUALLY THEY APPROACHED US TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GET THIS PIECE OF PROPERTY SINCE WE WERE BUYING THOSE AROUND IT. SO, UM, I FEEL COMFORTABLE IF WE CAN GET EVERYTHING IN LINE THAT THIS ONE WILL BE APPROVED. UM, AND THEN WE ANTICIPATE FINALIZING IT SOMETIMES TOWARDS THE ENDS OF THIS YEAR WITH THE GREEN PENNY AND WORKING TO GET OUR GRANT FUNDS, UM, TO BE REIMBURSED FOR THIS PROPERTY. QUESTIONS FROM COUNSEL? MS. MS. FRAZIER? MR. WOOD? YES, SIR. MR. ANDERSON? NO QUESTIONS. I HAVE NONE EITHER. SO IF COUNSEL WAS GOOD, I HAVE A RECOMMENDED MOTION. YOU CAN JUST, UH, AMEN. THE MOTION THAT'S ON THE SCREEN. SECOND. THERE YOU GO. ANY DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE. A AYE. THAT'S GREAT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. CONSIDERATION OF A RESOLUTION TO ESTABLISH AN ENTERTAINMENT VENUE EXPLORATORY COMMITTEE. MR. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL. UM, SO THIS IS A CONTINUATION OF OUR ONGOING DISCUSSION, UM, FROM OUR LAST WORKSHOP. AS A REMINDER, THESE ARE THE FOCUS AREAS WE ARE, UM, OPERATING UNDER AS FAR AS THIS INITIATIVE. IT'S HELD UNDER ECONOMIC GROWTH, BUT ALSO IMPACTS QUALITY OF LIFE IN OUR LONG-TERM SUSTAINABILITY. HERE'S THE TIMELINE OF WHAT WE'VE DONE SO FAR. UM, WE HAD, UH, UH, THE EXECUTIVE OFFICE INITIALLY GOT THE REQUEST TO LOOK INTO THIS BACK IN 2024. UM, WE HIRED A, UH, INTERNATIONAL RECOGNIZED CONSULTANT TO DO A MARKET STUDY AND ECONOMIC IMPACT. UH, THE INITIAL PHASE WAS REPORTED OUT TO YOU IN JULY OF 25. THE SECOND PHASE WAS IN OCTOBER OF 25. UM, WE CONDUCTED A SERIES OF SITE VISITS AND THEN I REPORTED TO YOU ALL IN APRIL OF 26, UM, AT THE WORKSHOP. SO THE QUEST, UH, TONIGHT IS TO ESTABLISH A WORK GROUP TO LOOK INTO THIS FURTHER AND OF COURSE, APPROVE THE WORK GROUP CHARGE. THE OVERALL PURPOSE IS REALLY TO, UH, PROVIDE TOWN COUNCIL WITH, UH, AN ADDITIONAL INFORMED BASIS UPON WHICH TO DETERMINE, UH, IF WE SHOULD ADVANCE OR CHANGE PATHS OR, OR STOP. UM, SO THE IDEA IS TO GET A SEVERAL INDIVIDUALS FROM THE COMMUNITY, UH, TO HELP GUIDE THIS PROCESS. WE'RE RECOMMENDING A, UH, MEMBERSHIP OF NO MORE THAN SEVEN IN THE COMMUNITY, UM, WITH ANNUAL TERMS OR AS LONG AS NEEDED. IF WE THEY COMPLETE THEIR WORK, UH, PRIOR TO A YEAR, THEN WE CAN DISBAND THEM. OR IF WE SHIFT THEIR FOCUS, THEY CAN BE SHIFTED TO ANOTHER PURPOSE. THE STAFF SUPPORT, UH, EXECUTIVE SPONSOR WILL BE MYSELF AND OUR STAFF. LEAD IS, UH, PAUL A A WHO IS THE DON RYAN, CEO. THE SCOPE OF THE COMMITTEE IS TO, UH, INITIALLY ASSESS THE CURRENT RESEARCH AND REPORTS THAT HAVE BEEN DONE AND PROVIDE AN OPINION ON THAT. MAKE SURE THAT ADDITIONAL COMMUNITY INPUT IS GATHERED AND PROVIDED TO YOU ALL. UH, REVIEWING ALL THE FINANCIALS AND ECONOMIC IMPACT TO GIVE YOU AN OPINION ON THOSE. UH, EXAMINE WHAT OTHER FEASIBILITY WE HAVE AROUND FUNDRAISING AND FINANCING OF THE, UH, POTENTIAL FOR A NEW FACILITY. AND THEN JUST PROVIDE GENERAL OVERSIGHT AND MAKING SURE THAT AS WE PROCEED, WE'RE KEEPING IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE OVERALL COUNCIL OF STRATEGIC GOALS, THE SPECIFIC DELIVERABLES THAT HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED IN THE CHARGE AS AN INITIAL REPORT, UM, UH, PROVIDING AN OPINION ON THE INITIAL RESEARCH AND IDENTIFYING FOR YOU ALL WHAT ARE THE PROS AND CONS OF MOVING FORWARD, OR IF THERE'S OTHER, UH, OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE COULD LOOK AT OR, OR IF WE SHOULD, SHOULD, UH, UH, STOP AS WE ARE. UM, ADDITIONALLY, WE WANT TO LOOK INTO A COMMUNITY OPINION SURVEY TO ASSESS, UH, OVERALL COMMUNITY, UH, SENTIMENT AROUND THE CONCEPT OR, OR CONCEPTS THAT MAY COME OUT OF THEIR, THE COMMITTEE. AND THEN A FUNDRAISING FEASIBILITY STUDY TO ASSESS WHAT THE POTENTIAL IS FOR PRIVATE CAPITAL THAT CAN BE ADDED TO THE CAPITAL STACK THAT WE DISCUSSED AT THE, UH, THE WORKSHOP. AND THEN IF IT GOES BEYOND THAT, LOOKING AT [01:45:01] WHAT OPERATIONAL STRUCTURES WE, WE SHOULD RECOMMEND, WHETHER IT'S TOWN RUN OR NON-PROFIT RUN, OR IF THERE'S A POTENTIAL TO FIND A FOR-PROFIT ENTITY TO, TO FUND THIS IDEA. JUST TO LOOK AT OVER ALL THOSE OPTIONS THAT, THAT ARE OUT THERE. AND FINALLY, A REPORT AND RE, UM, RECOMMENDATION TO YOU ALL ON WHAT DIRECTION, UH, THEY RECOMMEND COUNCIL TAKE. THIS WAS THE TIMELINE THAT WAS SHARED AT THE WORKSHOP AND IT KIND OF CORRELATES WITH OTHER, UM, INITIATIVES THAT ARE IN THE WORKS, INCLUDING THE PARKS AND REC MASTER PLAN AND SOME ADJUSTMENTS TO OUR TIP DISTRICT. SO THE OVERALL GOAL IS TO HAVE CHECKPOINTS THROUGHOUT THIS OVER THE NEXT SEVEN, EIGHT MONTHS WITH THE FINAL REPORT PROVIDED DURING OUR COUNCIL WORKSHOP IN JANUARY OF 27. ANY QUESTIONS? COMMENTS? GO BACK PLEASE. YEP. PARK AND RECREATION MASTER. IS THAT WHAT YOU, IS THAT WHAT THIS COMMITTEE IS GOING TO DO? NO, NO. THESE ARE JUST SOME OF THE OTHER INITIATIVES THAT ARE HAPPENING IN PARALLEL TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL RESEARCH AND GUIDANCE TO YOU ALL AS WE GO INTO THE 2040 PLANNING SESSION. UM, THIS, THIS, THIS WORK GROUP IS JUST ONE PIECE OF THAT OVERALL PROCESS. THANK YOU. QUESTIONS FOR COUNSEL. MS. FRAZIER? MR. YES, SIR. NO, I JUST HAVE A STATEMENT. UM, AND I APPRECIATE YOU PUTTING THIS COMMITTEE TOGETHER. I THINK IT'S GREAT. IT SOUNDS LIKE THEY'RE GONNA LOOK AT ALL OPTIONS. I KNOW WE FOCUSED ON SPECIFICALLY A PERFORMING ARTS CENTER UP TILL NOW, BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE THIS COMMITTEE WILL LOOK AT OTHER, UM, IDEAS AS WELL AS JUST TO SEE, UM, IF IT IS SOMETHING THAT IS WHAT'S BEST FOR BLUFFTON AND MOVING FORWARD, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, HEARING FROM OUR CITIZENS AND IF IT'S SOMETHING THAT THEY WANT. SO I THINK, UM, THIS IS A GREAT IDEA. I APPRECIATE IT. I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND THAT. I LOOK AT OTHER IDEAS. WELL, I DON'T. YEAH, SO THE IDEA IS THEN TO ASSESS THE WORK THAT'S BEEN DONE AND IDENTIFY IF THERE ARE OTHER OPTIONS FOR PROVIDING ENTERTAINMENT VENUES OF DIFFERENT TYPES, UM, THAT CAN BE EXPLORED. SO IT'S, IT'S NOT KIND OF KEEPING US WITHIN A PARTICULAR BOX, BUT OVERALL, IF WE'RE GONNA PUT A VENUE IN THE TOWN TO SUPPORT THE, THE COMMUNITY OR ATTRACT VISITORS AND TOURISTS, UM, WHAT ARE THE OPTIONS THAT ARE OUT THERE THAT WE MAY HAVE NOT THOUGHT OF YET? I'M NOT SURE I AGREE WITH THAT. I THINK THIS IS SOMETHING THAT CHANGE. WE WERE TALKING ABOUT PUTTING A COMMITTEE TOGETHER TO TALK ABOUT THE PROS AND CONS OF A, UM, A PERFORMING ART. SO WHEN DID THAT CHANGE AND WHO CHANGES? WELL, IT'S STILL A, AN ARTS VENUE. IT'S, IT'S, IT'S REALLY, AGAIN, WE GO THROUGH THE STEPS HERE. SO IDENTIFYING THE CURRENT RESEARCH AND STUDIES AND THEN RELYING ON THE EXPERTISE OF THESE COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO IDENTIFY ARE THERE THINGS THAT WE DIDN'T THINK OF OR ARE, ARE THERE GAPS IN THAT STUDY? AND PROVIDING TO YOU ALL THE PROS AND CONS OF WHAT HAS BEEN DONE AND IF THERE SHOULD BE SOMETHING ELSE THAT WE SHOULD BE CONSIDERING OR LOOKING AT. UM, SO THAT WILL BE REPORTED OUT TO YOU ALL. AND THEN IF THE DIRECTION IS YES, LOOK INTO THESE OTHER THINGS AND THEN WE GO FURTHER, BUT THEN IT GOES THROUGH ALL THESE OTHER STEPS. SO GETTING A COMMUNITY OPINION ON IT. THERE'S THE, THE, THE RESEARCH AND PROPOSALS THAT HAVE BEEN DONE SO FAR. WHAT ARE THE, WHAT IS THE SENTIMENT OF THE COMMUNITY? IS COMMUNITY THINKING ABOUT OTHER THINGS AND THEN LOOKING AT, GOING THROUGH EACH OF THOSE STEPS. SO THERE'S STEPS ALONG THE WAY AND THERE'S A, UM, UH, OPTIONS FOR BROADER FEEDBACK TO BE PROVIDED TO THIS COMMITTEE, TO YOU ALL. AM I CORRECT ON SAYING INSTEAD OF JUST LOOKING AT A A, A ARTS CENTER THAT'S BIG AND SEATS 800 PEOPLE OR A THOUSAND OR 500 OR WHATEVER, THIS WOULD, WE WOULD GET INFORMATION BACK FOR LIKE EMILY WAS SAYING, UM, WHAT DO YOU CALL IT? UH, THE OPEN AIR OUTDOOR THEATER AT THE THEATER, WHATEVER. SO THEY WOULD JUST GET US INFORMATION ON ALL THE DIFFERENT POSSIBILITIES OR OPTIONS OR WHATEVER. RIGHT, RIGHT. SO I MEAN, ENTERTAINMENT VENUE ALWAYS IN THE PURPOSE THOUGH. ENTERTAINMENT VENUES CAN VARY WIDELY. SO, YOU KNOW, WE LOOKED AT PERFORMING ARTS CENTER, THEN THERE'S MULTIFUNCTIONAL SPACES, WHICH WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT. UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN OUR VISIT VISIT TO GREENVILLE AT THE PEACE CENTER, THEY HAD OUTDOOR ANTIQUE. THEY HAD A, UH, CABARET THEATER. SO THERE'S DIFFERENT WAYS YOU CAN ADDRESS, UH, ENTERTAINMENT [01:50:01] AND TOURISM. RIGHT. THEY'RE JUST GONNA GIVE US OPINIONS ON OPTIONS, EDUCATE US. RIGHT, RIGHT. THAT'S ALL. I MEAN, THAT'S ALL THEY'RE DOING. THEY'RE NOT RIGHT. AND, AND MAYOR AS, AS CHRIS OUTLINED, EACH STEP OF THE WAY, THEY'LL BE COMING BACK AND PRESENTING TO COUNCIL AND IT'LL BE UP TO Y'ALL TO PROVIDE THEM. IF YOU WANT THEM TO DEVIATE OR CHANGE DIRECTION AT ALL. THEY ALREADY DEVIATED AND THEY DIDN'T COME TO COUNSELING AND SAY WHAT YOU THINK UNTIL THE, UNTIL TONIGHT. UNTIL ALREADY DEVIATED. WELL, WE'RE, WE'RE GIVING THEM THE OPPORTUNITY TO, TO ASSESS WHAT HAS BEEN DONE SO FAR. AND THE OPENING A DOOR TO SAY WE SHOULD GO A DIFFERENT DIRECTION OR NOT. ALRIGHT, WOOKEY, THANKS THERE A MOTION. YOU, YOU DON'T HAVE ANY, YOU HAVE ANYTHING ELSE? OKAY. I'LL MAKE THE MOTION. MAYOR, I MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE A RESOLUTION ESTABLISHING, ESTABLISHING TOWN AT BLUFFTON ENTERTAINMENT VENUE EXPLORATORY WORK GROUP AND APPROVING THE WORK GROUP CHARGE. SECOND, SECOND. SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE. AYE. AYE. THANK YOU. UP NEXT, WE HAVE CONSIDERATION OF AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON CODE OF ORDINANCE CHAPTER 23, UNIFIED DEVELOPMENT ORDINANCE ARTICLE FIVE, STANDARD SECTION 5.10 ORDER, AND ARTICLE NINE, DEFINITIONS AND INTERPRETATION SECTION 9.2 DEFINED TERMS. MS. ANDREA? HEY, GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNSEL. UM, BEFORE I DIVE INTO MY PRESENTATION, I'D LIKE TO TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS SOME OF THE PUBLIC COMMENT. UM, THE REST HOPEFULLY WILL BE ADDRESSED AS I GO THROUGH MY PRESENTATION. UM, SPECIFICALLY REGARDING THE CONCERN OF THE WETLAND BUFFER BEING IMPOSED ON ADJACENT PROPERTIES THAT EXIST CURRENTLY. THE WETLANDS DON'T KNOW JURISDICTIONAL BOUNDARIES, JUST LIKE THEY DON'T KNOW PROPERTY LINES. SO OUR 50 FOOT BUFFER IS IMPOSED ON ALL WETLANDS THROUGHOUT THE TOWN'S JURISDICTION. WELL, OUTSIDE OF PUDS, WHICH AGAIN WE'LL COVER IN THE PRESENTATION, WILL YOU PLEASE A LITTLE BIT? I'M HARD, SORRY, I'M WITH YOU. I'M TALL. SORRY. SORRY. UM, SO THE CONCERN FROM STAFF WOULD BE THAT IF WE WERE TO IMPOSE A CONDITION WHEREBY THAT BUFFER STOPS ESSENTIALLY AT THE PROPERTY LINE AND THEREBY DOESN'T IMPACT AN ADJACENT PROPERTY OWNER, THAT PROPERTY OWNER COULD THEN SUBDIVIDE SO THAT THEY DON'T HAVE TO IMPOSE THE WETLAND BUFFER AT ALL. UM, BUT IT GOES BACK TO THE WHOLE POINT OF THE WETLAND BUFFERS IS TO PROTECT THE WETLANDS THEMSELVES. AND SO IT'S, YOU KNOW, IF, IF A PROPERTY IS RENDERED, UM, UNABLE TO BE DEVELOPED IN ANY WAY AND THEY HAVE, UM, A REASON TO SUBMIT FOR A WAIVER OR A VARIANCE, THEN THEY'RE ABLE TO DO SO. UM, REGARDING, CAN I ASK YOU A QUESTION JUST REGARDING THAT? YEAH, YEAH, SURE. UM, SO IF, LET'S SAY SOMEBODY CURRENTLY OWNS A PROPERTY AND THE PROPERTY NEXT TO THEM HAS A WETLAND ON IT AND THEY'VE OWNED THIS PROPERTY FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS, SO LET'S SAY THEY DID NOT JUST PURCHASE IT. IF THEY CAN NO LONGER BUILD A SINGLE HOME ON IT, AS WAS THEIR INTENT BECAUSE OF THE WETLAND ON AN ADJACENT PROPERTY, THEY WOULD THEN HAVE TO REQUEST A VARIANCE OR A WAIVER. THAT'S CORRECT. YEAH. OR A WAIVER. MM-HMM . IS THERE ANY GUARANTEE THAT THEY WOULD RECEIVE IT? NO, THEY'D HAVE TO, UM, SIMILAR TO THE VARIANCE WHERE THEY'D HAVE TO PRESENT AN UNDUE BURDEN NOT TO HARDSHIP. UM, THEY'D HAVE TO PRESENT THAT AND THAT BE THE CASE. I NEED YOU TO PLEASE SPEAK MORE INTO YOUR MICROPHONE. THEY WOULD HAVE TO, THEY WOULD HAVE TO. NO, I GOT YOU. THEY WOULD HAVE TO, UM, SHOW THAT THEY HAVE AN UNDUE BURDEN OR HARDSHIP AND SUBMIT FOR A VARIANCE OR WAIVER AND NO LONGER BEING ABLE TO BUILD A HOUSE. SOUNDS LIKE WOULD QUALIFY AS THAT. UM, THE OTHER PIECE I WANNA SPEAK TO WAS STATE PURVIEW. UM, SO YES, THE TOWN ADOPTED OUR WETLAND ORDINANCE, UM, AFTER THE SAC DECISION. THAT WAS REALLY THE IMPETUS FOR ADOPTING OUR, OUR WETLAND ORDINANCE, BUT IT WAS ALSO BECAUSE WE WERE HAVING ONGOING ISSUES OF ILLICIT FILLING OR LEGAL FILLING OF WETLANDS THROUGHOUT OUR JURISDICTION IMPACTING OUR RESIDENTS. AND THAT WAS WHY THERE WAS A BIG PUSH TO YOU GUYS TO MOVE ON A WETLAND PROTECTION ORDINANCE IN THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA. WITHIN THE EIGHT COASTAL COUNTIES, THE STATE OFFICE OF BUREAU OF COASTAL, UH, MANAGEMENT, BCM, THEY HAVE AN OVERVIEW OF ALL WETLANDS WITHIN OUR JURISDICTION, SPECIFICALLY THOSE THAT ARE DEEMED NON-JURISDICTIONAL, JURISDICTIONAL BEING WITHIN THE CO'S PURVIEW. HOWEVER, THERE ARE GAPS IN THAT PURVIEW THAT STATE PURVIEW, ANYTHING LESS THAN AN ACRE, NOT PART OF A LARGER COMMON PLAN RECEIVES AN AUTO COVERAGE PERMIT, MEANING THEY'RE NOT SUBMITTING TO THE STATE, THEY'RE AUTO COVERAGE. [01:55:01] SO THERE IS NO PURVIEW FROM THE STATE IN TERMS OF WETLAND IMPACTS IF IT'S LESS THAN ACRE OR NOT PART OF A LARGER COMMON PLAN. ADDITIONALLY, THERE IS A LACK OF ENFORCEMENT. THE COASTAL ZONE MANAGEMENT ACT DOESN'T DO A GOOD JOB OF OUTLINING ENFORCEMENT, UM, CAPABILITIES OF THE STATE TO GO AFTER PEOPLE WHO HAVE IMPACTED, UM, WETLANDS WITHOUT A STATE OR FEDERAL PERMIT. ALSO, PROTECTIVE MEASURES REGARDING ON WETLANDS, EXCUSE ME, HAVE SHIFTED, UM, AWAY FROM IMPOSING BUFFERS AND COVENANTS AND RESTRICTIONS. THIS, UH, STATE LEVEL AND THE SHIFT MORE NOW HAS MOVED TOWARDS PAYING INTO THE SOUTH CAROLINA WETLAND MITIGATION BANK. SO FOR OUR AREA THAT DOES NOT PROTECT WETLANDS. SO JUSTIFICATION FOR US IMPOSING OUR CURRENT WETLAND ORDINANCE AND THEN AMENDING THESE REVISIONS IS TO ENSURE PROTECTIONS OF OUR WETLANDS HERE. OKAY. UM, SO STAFF ARE REQUESTING THAT TOWN COUNCIL, UM, APPROVE THE PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO UDO SECTION FIVE 10 STORMWATER AND 9.2 ARE DEFINED TERMS AS THEY PERTAIN TO THE WETLAND ORDINANCE, THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND WAPAC HAVE PROVIDED THEIR RECOMMENDATION OF APPROVAL OF THE PROPOSED TAX AMENDMENTS AS PRESENTED. AS A REMINDER OF WHY WE'RE EVEN HERE, HERE TONIGHT, THE CURRENT WETLAND ORDINANCE WAS ADOPTED AS AN INTERIM WETLAND ORDINANCE THAT WAS ALWAYS MEANT TO BE LATER SUPERSEDED BY A COMPREHENSIVE WETLAND ORDINANCE THAT INCORPORATES OUR CONSULTANT TEAM RECOMMENDATIONS. THIS IS MCCORMICK TAYLOR AND CENTER FOR WATERSHED PROTECTION, UM, FEEDBACK FROM THE PUBLIC, WHICH WAS GARNERED DURING A STANDALONE 30 DAY PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD. IN ADDITION TO FOUR PUBLIC COMMENT OPPORTUNITIES ASSOCIATED WITH PUBLIC MEETINGS NOT INCLUDING TONIGHT, AND ALSO RELIANCE UPON A NEW TOWN OWNED WETLAND MAPPING TOOL. THE TOWN IS CURRENTLY RELYING ON THE NATIONAL WETLAND INVENTORY AS OUR SOURCE OF MAPPED WETLANDS. HOWEVER, IT'S OUT OF DATE FOR OUR AREA AND DOESN'T OFTEN INDICATE THE PRESENCE OF SMALLER ISOLATED WETLANDS OF WHICH WE KNOW WE HAVE AN ABUNDANCE. SO RELIANCE UPON A TOWN OWNED WETLAND MAPPING TOOL, UM, WAS A BIG PART OF THESE AMENDMENTS. THE WETLAND ORDINANCE IS APPLICABLE TOWN WIDE IN THAT THE TOWN DOES HAVE A REVIEW OF ALL PROPOSED IMPACTS TO WETLANDS ACROSS OUR JURISDICTION. HOWEVER, THE 50 FOOT BUFFER SPECIFICALLY IS NOT APPLICABLE TO THE PUDS AS THE DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENTS INCLUDE THEIR OWN BUFFER WIDTHS. PER THIS TABLE ON THE SCREEN, SINCE ITS ADOPTION TOWN STAFF HAVE RECEIVED ONE VARIANCE REQUEST TO BE HEARD BY THE BOARD OF ZONING APPEALS AND THREE REQUESTS FOR A WAIVER TO BE HEARD BY THE UDO ADMINISTRATOR. THIS NUMBER OF VARIANCES AND WAIVERS HASN'T CHANGED SINCE WE ADOPTED OUR ORDINANCE AND IT HASN'T CHANGED SINCE I WAS IN FRONT OF YOU ALL IN JANUARY TO WORKSHOP THESE AMENDMENTS. WERE THOSE GRANTED THE THREE WAIVERS WERE? YES. SO SPECIFIC TO SECTIONS FIVE 10 STORMWATER, OUR REVISIONS INCLUDE CORRECTIONS OF SCRIBNER'S ERRORS AND GENERAL GOOD HOUSEKEEPING EDITS. WE ARE INCLUDING ENHANCED RESILIENCE RELATED LANGUAGE UNDER THE STORMWATER SECTION AND WE ARE ADDING CLARIFYING LANGUAGE REGARDING THE AUTHORITY OF THE UDO ADMINISTRATOR FOLLOWING, UM, FEEDBACK FROM PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD AND PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD TONIGHT. UM, THERE IS CONCERNS ABOUT THE SUBJECTIVITY OF THE UDO ADMINISTRATOR'S DISCRETION TO EXEMPT ACTIVITIES BEYOND WHAT WAS ALREADY LISTED AS AN ALLOWED ACTIVITY WITHIN A WETLAND AND WETLAND BUFFER AND ALSO PRIOR TO ALLOWED EXEMPTION ASKING FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION TO SHOW, JUST SHOW, UM, PROTECTION OF THE WETLANDS TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PRACTICAL. SO WE HAVE ADDED A REFERENCE TO TOWN POLICIES AND GUIDELINES SPECIFICALLY IN THESE TWO SECTIONS OF THE UDO, UM, AND THE PROPOSED AMENDMENTS. UM, THIS INCLUDES THE WAIVER POLICY DOCUMENT THAT IS CURRENTLY IN ITS DRAFT STAGE, UM, THAT TOWN STAFF WILL UTILIZE UDO ADMINISTRATOR WILL UTILIZE, UM, AS, AS WE GO THROUGH THESE WAIVER REQUESTS IN MAKING ANY DECISION. AND THEN ANY DECISION THAT IS TO BE MADE BY THE UDO ADMINISTRATOR IS TO BE DOCUMENTED IN WRITING. UM, WE'VE ALSO GOT INCLUSION OF A REFERENCE TO THE TOWN WETLAND MAPPING TOOL TO AID TOWN STAFF AND APPLICANTS IN WETLAND AND WETLAND BUFFER IDENTIFICATION. THIS MAP WILL BE ON BLUFF AND EXPLORER AND IS PLANNED TO GO LIVE FOLLOWING SECOND AND FINAL READING OF THESE PROPOSED AMENDMENTS. WE ARE ALSO ELABORATING ON CORE EXCEPTIONS. SO CURRENTLY THERE IS EXCEPTION FROM THE WETLAND ORDINANCE WHEREBY IF THERE IS AN IMPACT, A CORE PERMIT TO IMPACT JURISDICTIONAL WETLANDS, IT'S EXEMPT FROM OUR ORDINANCE. WE ARE PROPOSING A STAFF TO REVISE A LANGUAGE TO REQUIRE AN ACCOMPANYING JURISDICTIONAL DETERMINATION TO GO ALONG WITH THESE CORE PERMITS AS THE CORE ARE THE ONLY ONES WHO CAN DEFINITIVELY [02:00:01] DETERMINE JURISDICTIONAL STATUS. I WILL SAY THAT FOLLOWING VERY RECENT, UM, CONCERNS BROUGHT UP, UM, BY POTENTIAL APPLICANTS STAFF ARE RECOMMENDING THAT WE TAKE THIS A STEP FURTHER AND ADD IN ACCOMPANYING APPROVED JURISDICTIONAL DETERMINATION TO THE LANGUAGE AS THIS IS THE ONLY JUST JURISDICTIONAL DETERMINATION PROVIDED BY THE CORPS WHERE THEY ARE LOOKING AT ALL PROPOSED IMPACTS TO WETLANDS ON A PROPERTY AND DISCERNING BETWEEN JURISDICTIONAL AND NON-JURISDICTIONAL. THIS IS IMPORTANT FOR US IS BECAUSE AS WE'RE LOOKING TO NAVIGATE WHERE OUR WETLAND ORDINANCE WOULD APPLY, WE NEED TO KNOW WHAT IS NON-JURISDICTIONAL. SO IF YOU ALL AGREE WITH THIS, THEN STAFF WOULD REVISE THE LANGUAGE AND PROPOSE THAT EDITION OF APPROVED JURISDICTIONAL TERMINATION. UM, FOR SECOND READING, UM, WE ARE ALSO LOOKING TO INCLUDE A LIST OF ALLOWED ACTIVITIES WITHIN WETLANDS THEMSELVES. THIS INCLUDES PUBLIC BOARDWALKS AND PUBLIC MULTI-USE PATHWAYS. UM, FOLLOWING PLANNING COMMISSION FEEDBACK, UM, WE'VE ADDED SPECIFIC LANGUAGE THAT MULTI-USE PATHWAYS WILL BE PERVIOUS TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PRACTICAL. UM, THEY ARE, THAT CURRENTLY WAS NOT IN THERE AS WE WERE FOCUSED ON MEETING A DA COMPLIANCE, BUT THIS WAS A RECOMMENDATION SO THAT WHERE FEASIBLE THEY COULD BE PERVIOUS. UM, WE'RE ALSO INCLUDING A LIST OF ASSURANCES FOR THE PROTECTION OF WETLANDS AND WETLAND BUFFERS. THIS INCLUDES THE PERMIT RESTRICTION FORM THAT WE DISCUSSED DURING THAT JANUARY WORKSHOP. I HAVE A QUESTION UNDER IF YOU YEAH, SURE. UM, SO UNDER, UM, NUMBER 4.2, DO WE ALREADY HAVE A CRITERIA IN WHICH WE'RE GONNA BASE, UM, THE NEED OF THE ACCOMPANYING JURISDICTIONAL JURISDICTIONAL DETERMINATION ON YES. SO IT'S WHENEVER THERE IS AN IMPACT TO A CORE, LIKE FOR A CORE PERMIT, WHENEVER THEY, SOMEONE IS TRYING TO COME IN AND SAY, HEY, WE'VE GOT A CORE PERMIT, THEREFORE WE'RE EXEMPT FROM YOUR ORDINANCE, WE WANNA SEE IN AN ACCOMPANYING JURISDICTIONAL TERMINATION. AND AGAIN, WE'RE RECOMMENDING THAT IT BE AN ACCOMPANYING APPROVED JURISDICTIONAL TERMINATION. WE NEED TO KNOW THAT IT'S JURISDICTIONAL. SO THAT RIGHT. AND WHO WILL BE THAT, UM, GOVERNING BODY? IS THAT IN-HOUSE OR IS THAT SOMETHING THAT'S CONTRACTED OUT GOVERNING BODY? FOR WHAT? I'M SORRY. LIKE, UM, IN TERMS OF WHO'S GONNA BE THAT IF THEY COME IN WITH A, A PERMIT FROM THE COURT THAT SAYS THAT THEY DON'T, THEY DON'T HAVE TO ABIDE BY WHATEVER THEY'RE SAYING. THEY HAVE A WAIVER. AND OUR POINT HERE IS SAYING THAT EVEN IF THEY HAVE THAT PERMIT, THEY STILL HAVE TO HAVE AN ADDITIONAL, UM, JURISDICTIONAL DETERMINATION. I'M ASKING THAT GOVERNING BODY IS, UM, OUR CURRENT, UH, STORMWATER, UH, TEAM, THE ONE REVIEWING IT, REQUIRING THAT THAT YES, YES, YES. THAT WOULD BE STAFF REVIEWING WHAT THEY'VE PROVIDED AND THEN SAY, HEY, WE NEED THE COMPANY JURISDICTIONAL TERMINATION. YES. MM-HMM . SO THAT'S ROLLETTE IS TRUST BUT VERIFY ESSENTIALLY. MM-HMM . OKAY. UM, ASSOCIATE DEFINITIONS ARE ALSO PROPOSED UNDER 9.2. UM, THIS INCLUDES ADDING DEFINITIONS OF WETLAND, BUFFER AND HEAVY MACHINERY. UM, THE HEAVY MACHINERY DEFINITION APPLIES TO TWO EXEMPTIONS FROM THE ENTIRE STORMWATER ORDINANCE. THIS IS PRUNING AND TRIMMING OF VEGETATION AND A WETLAND OR WETLAND BUFFER AND ANY RESEARCH OF SOIL, WATER, VEGETATION, FISH AND WILDLIFE. WHILE THESE ACTIVITIES THEMSELVES NOT REQUIRE A STORMWATER PERMIT, THEY'RE AN EXEMPTED ACTIVITY FROM OUR ORDINANCE. WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THERE AREN'T ANY, THERE ISN'T ANY UNINTENDED LAND DISTURBANCE, WHICH THE USE OF HEAVY MACHINERY LIKE EXCAVATORS AND BULLDOZERS CAN CAUSE. UM, I KNOW THERE WAS SOME CONFUSION DURING THE WORKSHOP, SO I WANTED TO CLARIFY THAT. AND THEN WE ARE ALSO REVISING THE CURRENT DEFINITION OF WETLAND DELINEATION. UM, ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE SPECIFYING WHO CAN PROVIDE A WETLAND DELINEATION HAS BEEN PROVIDED FOLLOWING FEEDBACK FROM PLANNING COMMISSION AND WAY PACK. THIS TEXT THAT YOU SEE ON YOUR SCREEN IS THAT PROPOSED ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE. UM, REALLY WE'RE LOOKING AT SOMEBODY WHO HAS THE PROFESSIONAL KNOWLEDGE OR EXPERIENCE IN IDENTIFYING THE BOUNDARIES OF WETLANDS. AND THEN WE GAVE THE EXAMPLE OF A WETLANDS SCIENTIST. WHEN ASSESSING AN APPLICATION FOR UDO TAX AMENDMENTS, TOWN COUNCIL IS REQUIRED TO CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING CRITERIA AS OUTLINED IN UDO SECTION 3 5 3. UM, STAFF HAVE FOUND THE PROPOSED AMENDMENTS ARE CONSISTENT WITH COMPREHENSIVE PLAN POLICIES FOR STORM WATER MANAGEMENT. THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT SUPPORT BEST PLANNING PRACTICES FOR STORM WATER MANAGEMENT AND SUPPORT THE GENERAL WELFARE OF THE TOWN AND ITS RESIDENTS. PROPOSED AMENDMENTS HAVE NO RELATIONSHIP TO THE PROVISION OF PUBLIC SERVICES AND THE PROPOSED AMENDMENTS COMPLY WITH THE APPLICABLE REQUIREMENTS IN THE APPLICATIONS MANUAL AS GRANTED BY THE POWERS AND DUTY SET FORTH IN SECTION 2 2 64 OF THE UDO TOWN. COUNCIL HAS THE AUTHORITY TO TAKE THE FOLLOWING ACTIONS WITH RESPECT TO THIS UDO TEXT APPLICATION. UM, APPROVE THE APPLICATION AS SUBMITTED, APPROVE [02:05:01] THE APPLICATION WITH AMENDMENTS OR DENY IT. OUR NEXT AND LAST STEP IN THIS LONG LINE HERE, UM, IS TO TAKE THIS HOPEFULLY TO SECOND AND FINAL READING NEXT MONTH. UM, AND THEN WE WILL IMMEDIATELY, UM, IMPOSE THE REVISIONS TO THE ORDINANCE. IT'LL BE APPLICABLE. BEFORE WE GET TO A MOTION, DO YOU GUYS HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR ME? QUESTIONS FROM, UM, NO QUESTIONS COMMENT. UM, I'M ALWAYS IN FAVOR OF THE WETLAND PROTECTIONS THAT WE HAVE AND HAVE BEEN VERY PROUD THAT WE KIND OF LEAVE THE WAY IN THAT. I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT IN WHAT WE'RE DOING, UM, THERE'S ALSO A TENDENCY TO ADD MORE, SOMETIMES BUREAUCRACY TO BELABOR, YOU KNOW, THE PROCESS. AND I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE DOES WORK IN TANDEM WITH OUR OVERALL GOAL OF PROTECTING OUR WETLANDS. UM, BUT I DON'T WANT IT TO ALSO COME AT THE EXPENSE OF PUNISHING THOSE WHO DO ABIDE BY OUR POLICIES FOR LIKE, UM, INACTIONS OF THOSE, OR NEGLIGIBLE, NEGLIGIBLE ACTIONS OF THOSE WHO PROCEEDED. UM, THESE PROCESSES. AS LONG AS WE CONTINUE TO PUT THINGS IN PLACE WHERE WE'RE WORKING WITH INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE ABIDING BY OUR POLICIES AND NOT ADDING ADDITIONAL, UM, POINTS THAT JUST BELABOR WHAT WHAT WE WANT, I THINK IS GREAT. SO, UM, I LIKE THE, THE DIRECTION OF THIS. MR. GOOD. MR. HELMAN. RICHARD, YOU'RE STARTING TO SONG LIKE DAN, YOU'RE TALKING TOO MUCH WHEN IT COMES TO WETLANDS. I'M ALWAYS GONNA TALK TOO MUCH. . ALRIGHT. WELL THAT'S EXCITING. GOOD JOB. GOOD JOB, RICHARD. THANK YOU WETLAND. UM, SO WHAT CHANGES WERE MADE SINCE THE PLANNING COMMISSION? UM, WE, TO MY KNOWLEDGE, NONE ACTUALLY. UM, WE DIDN'T MAKE ANY TEXT AMENDMENTS. UM, FOLLOWING PLANNING COMMISSION. THEY APPROVED THE TEXT AS AS SUBMITTED. I THINK THAT WAS IT. I THINK YOU ANSWERED MATH QUESTIONS IN YOUR PRESENTATION. I CAN'T HEAR YOU. COULD YOU GO BACK THREE SCREENS OR THREE? SURE. THREE. ONE MORE I THINK. ONE MORE? YES. ALL RIGHT. DOWN AT THE END, YES. PROFESSIONALS IN THE FIELDS OF ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE, WETLAND BIOLOGY, ECOLOGY, UM, THAT THEY HAVE TO HAVE ALL THREE OF THOSE. OR DOES THAT, SHOULD THAT BE AN OR THERE? UM, GREAT. GIVE SOME THOUGHT TO THAT. OKAY. OKAY, GOT IT. WITH THE WAY THAT READS NOW, THEY'D HAVE TO GET OUT. UM, THEY'D HAVE TO BE PROFESSIONAL IN ALL THREE FIELDS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. APPRECIATE THAT. ANYTHING ELSE FROM COUNCIL? THAT IS IT. I DO HAVE, YES, I HAVE ONE ON THE SCREEN FOR YOU. I MOVE TO APPROVE FIRST READING OF AN ORDINANCE AMENDING IN TOWN OF BLUFFTON, CODE OF ORDINANCES CHAPTER 2385, DEVELOPMENT ORDINANCE ARTICLE FIVE, DESIGN STANDARDS SECTION 5.10 STORMWATER AND ARTICLE NINE, DEFINITIONS AND INTERPRETATION SECTION 9.2 DEFINED TERMS. IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND ON LATER. AYE. UNANIM AND YOU, ONCE AGAIN, I'M IMPRESSED WITH YOUR PRESENTATION. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OKAY, UP NEXT WE HAVE CONSIDERATION OF ACCOMMODATION TAX ADVISORY COMMITTEE FIND FUNDING RECOMMENDATIONS FOR QUARTER ENDING MARCH 31ST, 26TH. MS. SHANNON, GOOD EVENING. EXCUSE ME. SO FOR OUR QUARTER THAT ENDED ON MARCH 31ST, WE RECEIVED SIX APPLICATIONS FOR AWARD. SORRY, I'M TRYING TO BE LOUDER. , FOR THE APPLICATION PERIOD THAT ENDED ON MARCH 31ST, WE RECEIVED SIX APPLICATIONS FOR FUNDING. UH, FIVE OUT OF THE SIX WERE APPLICANTS THAT HAVE BEEN BEFORE US PREVIOUSLY AND ONE WAS A NEW REQUEST. THAT BEING THE MARKETING CAMPAIGN FOR THE BEAUFORT WATER SEARCH AND RESCUE. UH, WE HAVE JUST OVER $517,000 AVAILABLE FOR DISTRIBUTION AND WE HAD SEVERAL LAPSE GRANTS. UH, LAST QUARTER. YOU MAY RECALL THAT WE DIDN'T REPORT ANY LAPSE GRANTS. WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF GOING THROUGH A LOT OF FINAL REPORTS AND QUARTERLY, UH, REQUESTS THAT HAD COME IN. SO WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY LAPSE GRANTS AT THAT TIME, WHICH IS WHY THE LAPSE GRANTS IN THIS QUARTER IS REALLY TWO QUARTERS COMBINED. AND WE'VE SHORED UP A LOT OF FINAL REPORTS AND CLOSED OUT A LOT OF GRANTS THAT WERE AWARDED A WHILE AGO. AND WE'VE MADE OUR STANDARD ALLOCATIONS [02:10:01] TO THE GENERAL FUND TO THE DMO AND TO HOUSING, WHICH LEAVES US WITH OUR $517,123 AVAILABLE. HERE IS A SNAPSHOT OF THE AVERAGE SCORING OF ALL THE REQUESTS THAT WE RECEIVED LAST QUARTER. HOLD THAT FOR A SECOND. OKAY. AND OUR FIRST REQUEST IS FROM THE FARMER'S MARKETS. THEY ACTUALLY RECEIVED AN AWARD IN DECEMBER FOR THIS CALENDAR YEAR, BUT THEY NEEDED SOME ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR FACILITY SUPPORT RELATED TO THE RENTAL VENUE RENTAL OF MARTIN FAMILY PARK THAT THEY HAD NOT CALCULATED ENOUGH IN THEIR BUDGET FOR THAT. SO THEY HAVE COME BACK BEFORE US FOR AN ADDITIONAL $9,375 TO ADD TO THAT PREVIOUS AWARD. IF THIS IS APPROVED, THAT WILL BRING THEIR CALENDAR YEAR 2026 AWARD TO $75,875. SO THIS CHART LOOKS A LITTLE DIFFERENT THAN THE OTHERS BECAUSE WE WANTED TO BREAK OUT THE PREVIOUS AWARD, THE NEW AWARD, AND WHAT THE NEW TOTAL WOULD BE. OKAY. ARE WE GOING TO VOTE ON EACH ONE OF THESE AS WE GO? YES. CORRECT. YES. THAT'S WHAT I SEE HERE. THAT WAY. QUESTIONS FROM COUNCIL? IS THERE A MOTION? I'LL MAKE THE MOTION. MAYOR, I APPROVE. I MOVE TO APPROVE A 93 93 75 SUPPLEMENTAL GRANT TO THE FARMER'S MARKET OF BLUFFTON FOR ADDITIONAL FACILITIES SUPPORT DURING 2026. MARKET SEASON. SECOND. SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. AYE. AYE. UNANIMOUS. OUR NEXT ONE IS FROM THE SYMPHONY FOR THEIR TWO CONCERTS THAT THEY DO IN THE FALL. OUTDOOR POPS THAT IS PART OF ARTS AND SEAFOOD FESTIVAL AND THEIR HOLIDAY POPS CONCERT THAT THEY DO AT ST. GREGORY THE GREAT IN NOVEMBER EACH YEAR, THIS YEAR, THEY'RE REQUESTING $46,818 AND THE COMMITTEE VOTED UNANIMOUSLY TO MAKE THIS AWARD. QUESTIONS. IF NOT, IS THERE A MOTION I MOVE TO APPROVE A $46,818 GRANT TO THE HILTON HEAD SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA FOR THE 2026 BLUFFTON CONCERTS? SECOND. I SECOND THAT. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. AYE. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT ONE IS THE BEAUFORT WATER SEARCH AND RESCUE ORGANIZATION. THIS IS ESSENTIALLY THE SAME REQUEST THAT WAS CONSIDERED LAST QUARTER FOR THE PURCHASE OF A REPLACEMENT BOAT. THE AMOUNT DID INCREASE FROM $20,000, WHICH WAS JUST FOR THE BOAT LAST TIME. THIS TIME THEY'RE ASKING FOR $21,875, WHICH INCLUDES SOME EQUIPMENT FOR THE VOTE AS WELL AS DELIVERY OF THE VOTE. UH, THE COMMITTEE AGAIN VOTED NOT TO MAKE A RECOMMENDATION OF AWARD AS THEY FELT THIS DOES NOT FIT THE PARAMETERS OF ACCOMMODATIONS TAX. SO YOU HAVE TWO MOTIONS ON THE SCREEN FOR THIS. EITHER TO SUPPORT THE RECOMMENDATION MADE BY ATAC OR MODIFY THAT RECOMMENDATION. SO THE, THE APPLICATION WAS COMPLETE OTHER THAN IT JUST DIDN'T QUALIFY FOR YOUR INTERPRETATION OF ATACS. CORRECT. I DO HAVE A, A QUESTION ON, UM, ON THAT INTERPRETATION BEFORE I, UM, MAKE A VOTE ON IT. UM, I WOULD ALWAYS WANT TO GO BY THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE COMMITTEE AND I WANNA MAKE SURE EITHER, UM, SHANNON CAN RESPOND OR NATALIE, THAT UM, THIS IS AN APPLICABLE, UM, AWARD IN TERMS OF WHAT THE STATE ATAC PARAMETERS HAVE SENT. AND IF NOT, SHOULD WE THEN BE, UM, IF WE'RE ALL IN FAVOR OF THIS REQUEST, TAKING THIS FROM A SEPARATE FUND. LIKE I DON'T WANNA TAKE FROM ATAC AND THIS IS NOT WHAT THE STATE ALLOWS 'CAUSE THEY HAVE CERTAIN, THEY HAVE A VERY STRICT CRITERIA IN TERMS OF WHAT YOU'RE ABLE TO USE ONES FOR. MY, MY RECOMMENDATION IS THAT WE DENY THIS AS WELL AS THE COMMITTEE HAS AND WE VOTE ON IT LATER ON. UH, FROM, FROM, OH, IT'S BASICALLY THE MOTION IS THE ATAC COMMITTEE DE DENIED IT? YES. SO IF YOU TAKE THE FIRST MOTION, YOU'RE AGREEING WITH THE ATAC COMMITTEE TO DENY IT, RIGHT? RIGHT. 'CAUSE WE, WE GOING TO AWARD IT IN A DIFFERENT PLACE. THAT'S WHAT YOU DISCUSSED EARLIER WITH THE SECOND READING OF THE BUDGET. YES. CORRECT. YES. UM, JUST CLEAR THE AIR. UM, I'M NOT EXACTLY SURE WHY IT DOESN'T FIT IN, UM, TO YOUR KNOWLEDGE OF IT. I KNOW WE USE ATEX FOR POLICE PROTECTION, UM, AND IMPROVEMENTS ON FACILITIES. YOU KNOW, THERE'S, [02:15:01] THERE'S YOU'S A NUMBER OF THINGS WHERE ATEX CAN BE USED. IT HAS TO BE SPECIFICALLY CONNECTED TO AN EVENT. YOU KNOW, I TAKE THIS AS, UM, A SAFETY JUST LIKE A POLICE OFFICER OR JUST LIKE A, A FLOCK CAMERA, YOU KNOW, WHEN THERE'S ANOTHER SERVICE THAT'S BEING, YOU KNOW, AND I'M, I'M NOT GONNA ARGUE ABOUT IT OR ANYTHING, I JUST, I SEE WHERE IT IS RELATED TO SOME OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT WE DO USE AT TAX MONEY FOR. I BELIEVE THE COMMITTEE'S GENERAL SENSE IS THAT THEIR FUNDING IS TO ATTRACT THE TOURISTS HERE. AND THEN ONCE THEY'RE HERE FOR AN EVENTS OR TO VISIT A MUSEUM OR A FACILITY THAT HAS BROUGHT THEM HERE, THEN WE FUND OTHER THINGS THAT SUPPORT THAT INITIATIVE. AND THE BUYING A BOAT IS NOT MAKING PEOPLE WANT TO COME HERE NECESSARILY, IF THAT MAKES SENSE. WELL, IT IS A SERVICE TOO. THEM, SORRY. OKAY. I'M, I'M FINE. GOOD. SO IS THERE A MOTION I MOVED TO SUPPORT THE RECOMMENDATION MADE BY THE AEX COMMITTEE OF NO WARD TO THE BEAUTIFUL WATER SEARCH AND RESCUE FOR THE PURCHASE OR REPLACEMENT OF A BOAT? A SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. AYE. NEXT ONE. THE NEXT ONE IS ALSO FROM THE SAME ORGANIZATION. THIS IS THE MARKETING CAMPAIGN THAT WAS ALSO DISCUSSED EARLIER IN THE BUDGET DISCUSSION. THEY HAVE REQUESTED $7,500 TO PREPARE THE BROCHURES AND PAMPHLETS TO BE LEFT AT BOAT DOCKS AND DNR OFFICES TO ESSENTIALLY MAKE PEOPLE AWARE OF THEIR EXISTENCE FOR THEIR SERVICES AND JUST EDUCATE PEOPLE THAT ARE HERE ON VOTER SAFETY IF THEY ARE OUT ON THE WATER. AND THIS IS SIMILAR TO THE BOAT. UM, THEY DIDN'T FEEL THAT THIS WAS A MARKETING CAMPAIGN THAT WOULD ATTRACT PEOPLE TO COME TO BLUFFTON. IT WAS JUST SORT OF INFORMING THEM OF THINGS THAT EXISTED ONCE THEY'RE ALREADY HERE. SO FOR THIS ONE, THEY ALSO VOTED UNANIMOUSLY TO NOT RECOMMEND AN AWARD. I GOT A QUESTION FOR YOU. YOU DENIED IT A COUPLE OF A MONTH AGO OR SO, MAYBE TWO MONTHS AGO. THE BOAT? YES. THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME THEY'VE REQUESTED MARKETING FUNDS. OKAY. BUT THEY CAME BACK AND ASKED FOR THE BOAT AGAIN WITH MORE MONEY. CORRECT. DID THEY GIVE YOU MORE INFORMATION? JUST AN UPDATED QUOTE THAT HAD, IT HAD ADDITIONAL EQUIPMENT AND THE COST OF THE DELIVERY OF THE BOAT, BUT THE REST OF IT WAS THE SAME. OKAY. THANK YOU. QUESTIONS FOR MOTION? I MOVE TO SUPPORT THE RECOMMENDATION MADE BY ATAC OF NO AWARD FOR BEAUFORT WATER SEARCH AND RESCUE FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 2026 TARGETED MARKETING CAMPAIGN. THANK YOU. SECOND . OUR NEXT APPLICATION IS FROM THE BLUFFTON MOK OBSERVANCE COMMITTEE FOR THE 11TH ANNUAL JUNETEENTH CELEBRATION WEEKEND. THEY'RE REQUESTING $20,000 CROSS ELIGIBLE CATEGORIES OF ATAC. UH, AGAIN, ATAC VOTED UNANIMOUSLY UNANIMOUSLY TO MAKE THIS AWARD. MARSH, I NEED A RECUSAL FORM FOR THIS MR. MAYOR. I DO HAVE A COMMENT ON THIS ONE. GO AHEAD, MS. BAR. UM, FIRST I JUST WANT IT KNOWN THAT I DO FULLY SUPPORT THIS JUNETEENTH HOLIDAY AND OBVIOUSLY THE CELEBRATION. UM, BUT I DID SEE IN THE APPLICATION THAT THEY ARE REQUESTING TO SHUT DOWN, UM, A FAIRLY LARGE PART OF MAY RIVER ROAD ON THE SATURDAY, WHICH, UM, YOU KNOW, IS WITH TRAFFIC TO HILTON HEAD CHECK IN CHECKOUT DAY IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SUMMER, UM, IS A VERY BIG REQUEST IN MY EYES. UM, I I BELIEVE LAST YEAR WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT IT WAS REQUESTED TO BE SHUT DOWN THE ROAD. UM, AND I CANNOT SUPPORT THE SHUT SHUTTING DOWN OF MAY RIVER ROAD, UM, IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SUMMER ON A SATURDAY, THIS BIG OF A SECTION. BUT AGAIN, I HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH THE FUNDS AND USING IT AND OBVIOUSLY IT VERY MUCH QUALIFIES. I JUST HAVE AN ISSUE WITH THE SHUTTING DOWN OF MAY RIVER ROAD. READ AS WE'RE NOT VOTING ON THIS ISSUE YET. I DO HAVE A QUESTION. UH, COUNCILMAN BURTON, DID YOU ATTEND THE JUNETEENTH FESTIVAL LAST YEAR? I DID NOT. I WAS TAKING MY, I THOUGHT YOU WERE ACCUSED FROM VOTING. I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER HER QUESTIONS. YOU OUT, YOU ACTUALLY SUPPOSED SOME MONEY IN. YOU'RE OUT. YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO LEAVE THE ROOM. I DON'T MIND ANSWERING HER QUESTIONS. WE DON'T DO THAT. BUT I WAS TAKING MY DAUGHTER'S CAMP THAT DAY AND I COULD NOT ATTEND. NO COMMENTS, NO CONVERSATION, RIGHT? YEAH. OKAY. UM, SO WERE YOU STILL TALKING IN REAL? I'M SORRY. NO, BUT I WAS HAPPY TO ANSWER HER QUESTION. I DIDN'T HEAR THE QUESTION OR HARDLY ANSWER. OKAY. ANYTHING FROM YOU AND [02:20:01] MR. WOOD? NO, I'M GOOD. YOU MR. HAMILTON? NO. WOULD SOMEBODY LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION I MOVE TO APPROVE 20,000 GRAND FOR THE ML BLUFFTON MLK OBSERVATION COMMITTEE IN SUPPORT OF THE 11TH ANNUAL JUNETEENTH CELEBRATION WEEKEND? IS THERE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE. AYE. AYE. HOW IS IT? NO, NO. SO THAT'S 3 1 1 RECUSAL. UP NEXT WE HAVE THE, OH, GOT ONE MORE. THAT'S YOUR JOB HERE. OUR LAST APPLICATION IS FROM HISTORIC BLUFFTON FOUNDATION FOR OPERATIONS OF THE HAYWARD HOUSE MUSEUM. IT'S THE $50,000 MAX THAT'S IN OUR POLICY IS ALLOWABLE FOR OPERATING EXPENSES, WHICH IS THE SAME AS WHAT THEY REQUESTED FOR THIS CURRENT FISCAL YEAR. THIS WOULD BE 50,000 FOR THEIR NEXT FISCAL YEAR. IT DOES NOT INCLUDE ANY PAYROLL OR CAPITAL EXPENSES. QUESTIONS FROM COUNSEL, MS. FRASIER? MR. WOOD? NO. MR. HAMILTON, NO QUESTIONS. MR. BURDEN? NO QUESTIONS. IS THERE A MOTION I MOVE TO APPROVE $50,000 GRANT FOR THE HISTORIC BLOCKER FOUNDATION SUPPORT OF FFY 2027 OPERATIONAL EXPENSE RELATED TO THE HAYWARD HOUSE MUSEUM? THERE A SECOND. I'LL SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE. AYE. MR. UNANIM, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU MR. SAM. NEXT APPROVAL TO OFFER BY CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT CONSTRUCTION COMPANY, INC. FOR THE NEW RIVERSIDE BARNES PARK IS GULF COURSE. THIS IS GONNA IMPACT $229,385 AND 3 CENTS. MR. PAT ROONEY. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL. I'M HERE FOR TO SUBMIT ANOTHER CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT FOR YOUR REVIEW AND CONSIDERATION. UH, THIS ONE'S FOR THE NEW RIVERSIDE BARN DISC GOLF COURSE, WHICH, UH, ORIGINATED, UH, WITH THE, UM, IN THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS PROGRAM WITH THE ADOPTION OF THE STRATEGIC PLAN THIS PAST YEAR. AND IT WAS FUNDED WITH, FUNDED WITH THE 20 FISCAL YEAR 26 CONSOLIDATED BUDGET. THE DESIGN OF THE DISC GOLF COURSE, UH, STARTED IN SEPTEMBER THIS PAST YEAR WITH WOODEN PARTNERS AS KIND OF THE LEAGUE CONSULTANT. THEY HIRED A SUB CONSULTANT TO WORK WITH THEM NAMED ACE PLACE DESIGN OUTTA ROCK HILL. AND, UM, THEY'RE INTERESTING GROUP. THEY JUST DO DISC GOLF COURSES AND THEY DO THE DESIGN PRIMARILY IN THE FIELD WORKING AROUND ALL THE EXISTING TREES AND SUCH. SO IT WAS AN INTERESTING PROCESS FOR US. UH, ONCE WE GOT THE LAYOUT OF THE COURSE, THIS PAST WINTER PUBLIC SERVICES HELPED US OUT BY UNDER BRUSHING THE GOLF COURSE OR THE DISC GOLF FAIRWAYS. UM, AND, UM, SO WE CAN GET TO THIS POINT WHERE WE CAN START CONSTRUCTION THIS PAST THIS SUMMER. THIS IS A LAYOUT OF THE DISC GOLF COURSE. UH, THERE ARE FIVE HOLES THAT ARE KIND OF IN THAT LARGE OPEN LAWN AREA ADJACENT TO HIGHWAY ONE 70. THOSE ARE KIND OF THE STARTING IN RETURNING HOLES. UH, THE BASKETS THEMSELVES ARE KIND OF NESTLED INTO SOME EXISTING TREES THAT ARE REMAINING IN THAT MEADOW AREA. SO THEY'RE, UH, I DON'T THINK YOU'LL GET A FEEL THAT THIS CHANGES THAT LARGE MEADOW AREA THAT MUCH. I'M TOLD THAT THESE BASKETS CAN BE PULLED UP AS WELL. IF WE HAVE A LARGE EVENT IN THE, IN THAT LARGE LAWN AREA, IT WOULDN'T IMPACT, UH, THOSE EVENTS FOR OVERFLOW PARKING OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. UM, THE GOLF COURSE IS KIND OF DESIGNED FOR BEGINNERS AND MODERATE PLAYERS, BUT IT'S ALSO CHALLENGING ENOUGH FOR THE, THE MORE EXPERIENCED PLAYERS. SO THIS IS THE GENERAL SCOPE OF WORK FOR THIS CONTRACT. THERE'S A LOT OF SITE CLEANUP THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE. UM, THE FAIRWAYS, UH, NEED TO BE GRADED OUT AND MULCHED IN THE END. THERE'S SOME SELECTIVE PRUNING OF TREES, UM, OF TREES FOR THE, UM, THE AREA WHERE THEY THROW THE DISC OFF. UM, DI DISCS. UM, THERE'S CONSTRUCTION OF 18 FOUR BY EIGHT CONCRETE PADS. THAT'S WHERE THEY, THEY, THEY DO A THREE STEP AND THROW THE, THROW THE DISC DOWN THE FAIRWAY. UH, THERE'S INSTALLATION OF, UH, DISC GOLF BASKETS. UH, WE HAVE TO DO SOME FENCE MODIFICATION FOR PLAYERS TO GO FROM THE LAWN AREA INTO THE WOODED AREA AND BACK. SO THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF WORK ON THE EXISTING FENCE THAT THERE'S ALONG THE TREE LINE. UH, WE ARE ALSO INSTALLING TWO RAIL FENCE ALONG THE LAGOON EDGES, UH, IN CERTAIN AREAS 'CAUSE WE WANT KEEP PEOPLE FROM GETTING TOO CLOSE TO THE LAGOON. UM, AND THERE'S A LOT OF SIGNAGE RELATED TO THIS. THERE'S AN OVERALL [02:25:02] COURSE LAYOUT OF THAT IMAGE I SHOWED YOU EARLIER. AND THEN THERE'S, UM, THE SIGNS AT EACH TEE BOX THAT SHOW THE DIRECTION OF THE HOLES. AND, UH, THERE'S ALSO SOME HAZARD SIGNS RELATED TO THE, UH, LAGOON ITSELF. AND SO, AND ALONG THE, ALONG THE, THE BI THE THE PATHWAY, THERE'S ALSO SOME SITE FURNISHINGS. NOT TOO MUCH. THERE'S A COUPLE BENCHES, A COUPLE TRASH RECEPTACLES AND AN A-D-A-E-D THAT'S BEING PLACED OUT THERE. AND THEN THERE'S, UM, A A LITTLE BIT OF BUFFER SCREEN PLANTING ALONG THE, I GUESS THAT WOULD BE THE SOUTHERN EDGE ADJACENT TO A NEW RIVER FOREST. UM, THERE'S ONE HOLE THAT KIND OF RUNS PARALLEL TO THAT, AND WE WANNA BE GOOD NEIGHBORS AND, AND MAKE SURE IT'S SCREENED PROPERLY. SO AS FAR AS PROCUREMENT, WE PUT THIS OUT TO BID, UH, IN APRIL AND GOT BIDS BACK IN, IN MAY. UH, UNFORTUNATELY THE BIDS WE GOT BACK WERE OVER OUR BUDGET. UH, THEY CAME IN OVER $300,000. SO WE TOOK THE LOW BIDDER, WHICH WAS NICK'S CONSTRUCTION, AND WORKED WITH THEM TO TRY TO VALUE IN THE PROJECT TO REDUCE COSTS. AND THE, THE NUMBER THAT WE CAME, WE ENDED UP WAS, WAS 208,000, WHICH WAS A 90 $98,000 REDUCTION FROM THE ORIGINAL BID COST. THE MAJORITY OF THAT CAME, UH, AS A RESULT OF REDESIGNING A COUPLE OF HOLES THAT WERE, HAD, HAD RETAINING WALLS AND HAD STEPS UP TO A, A KIND OF A PAD AREA WHERE THE, AS ACTUAL BASKETS WERE, UH, REMOVING THAT WAS, UH, ABOUT $58,000 REDUCTION. SO WE'RE, UH, THAT WAS A BIG PORTION OF OUR REDUCTION. UM, ALSO OUR PUBLIC SERVICES PEOPLE ARE GONNA, UH, INSTALL OUR SITE FURNISHINGS THE TWO RAIL FENCE AND THE BUFFER PLANTINGS FOR US. SO THEY CAN DO THAT. ABOUT A THIRD OF THE COST OF WHAT WE HAD IN OUR BID FOR THIS PROJECT. AND THEN THE LAST THING WAS, UM, AS A RESULT OF THE FIRST ITEM ON THE LIST THERE, THE REDESIGN OF THE DISC CALL, THERE WAS A REDUCTION IN THE CONTRACTOR FEE AND ELIMINATION OF AN ENGINEERING FEE THAT WOULD'VE BEEN REQUIRED FOR THE, THE DESIGN OF THE RETAINING WALLS AND STEPS AND SUCH. SO OUR REQUEST TONIGHT IS, UH, FOR TOWN COUNCIL TO AUTHORIZE THE TOWN MANAGER TO EXECUTE A CONTRACT WITH NICK'S CONSTRUCTION. UH, FOR THE DISC GOLF COURSE, THE CONTRACT AMOUNT IS $208,531 AND 85 CENTS. AND WE ARE REQUESTING 10% CONTINGENCY TO COVER ANY UNFORESEEN CHANGES THAT MAY ARISE DURING CONSTRUCTION. SO THE TOTAL FISCAL IMPACT IS 229,385 AND 3 CENTS. OUR NEXT STEPS WOULD BE, UH, IF YOU ALL DECIDE TO APPROVE THIS, IS TO SCHEDULE A PRE-CONSTRUCTION MEETING. AND AT THAT PRE-CONSTRUCTION MEETING, WE WOULD SET A NOTICE TO PROCEED. RIGHT NOW THAT'S SCHEDULED TO BE MID-JULY TO START CONSTRUCTION AND IT'S 130 DAY CONSTRUCTION PERIOD. UM, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, GIVEN GOOD WEATHER CONDITIONS, WE COULD BE PLAYING DISC GOLF OUT THERE IN OCTOBER, MID-OCTOBER. SO IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I'D BE GLAD TO ANSWER THAT. AND OTHERWISE THERE IS A, A MOTION IN YOUR PACKET FOR HERE'S CONSIDERATION. ANY QUESTIONS? QUESTIONS FROM COUNSEL? YES, I HAVE SOME. GO AHEAD. MR. HAMILTON, WHERE IS THE NEAREST DISC GOLF COURSE? TO OUR, THE TWO THAT I'M AWARE OF IS A JASPER COUNTY STATE PARK OR JASPER COUNTY PARK. THERE'S A DISC GOLF COURSE OUT THERE. SERGEANT JA. SERGEANT JASPER, YES. AND THEN, UM, THERE'S ONE ON HILTON HEAD NOW WHERE THEY RE KIND OF REUTILIZED THE, AN OLD GOLF COURSE THAT THEY BOUGHT THE, THE PROPERTY AND THEY'RE USING THE GOLF FAIRWAYS FOR IT. SO, UM, THAT'S APPARENTLY A VERY LONG COURSE. UM, BUT THIS IS, THIS IS INTERESTING 'CAUSE IT'S GOT SOME OPEN HOLES AND IT'S GOT SOME FAIRLY NARROW WOODED HOLES, SO IT'S GOT A LOT OF CHARACTER TO IT. AND WHAT IS THE, UM, THE USES OF THOSE TWO GOLF COURSES? HOW MANY, HOW MANY, HOW MANY PEOPLE DO YOU THINK WHEN THOSE TWO COMMUNITIES ACTUALLY PARTICIPATE ON THESE COURSES? I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW THE PARTICIPATION RATE, BUT, YOU KNOW, I KNOW THAT WHEN WE HAD SOME OPEN HOUSE RELATED TO THE, UH, THE PARKS AND RECREATION MASTER PLAN, THERE WAS A GROUP OF DISC GOLFERS THAT CAME TO THAT EVENT AND EXPRESSED THEIR EXCITEMENT THAT WE WERE GETTING READY TO DO THIS. AND I THINK IT GIVES THEM A LITTLE BIT ANOTHER PLACE TO PLAY THAT THEY HAVE TO GO. THEY DON'T HAVE TO GO TO SAVANNAH OR GO TO FLORIDA TO HAVE THEIR, TO PLAY DISCO GOLF. UM, IT'S A LOT OF MONEY. SO WE WANNA SPEND THAT KIND OF MONEY. WE WOULD NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS IS, UH, AS POPULAR AS, [02:30:01] WHAT'S THE OTHER THING THAT PICKLEBALL, PICKLEBALL, . WELL, EVERYBODY WANTS TO PLAY , DAN. EVEN DAN WANTS TO PLAY. I'M GONNA START A SENIOR LEAGUE FOR THIS DISC GOLF, FRED. AND YOU'RE PART OF MY TEAM. , LET ME, ARE YOU FINISHED? YES, GO AHEAD. HEAR ME. I JUMP IN. YOU, JOE. JOE. UM, I WAS, I LOOKED IT UP TODAY AND I LOOKED IT UP AGAIN RIGHT NOW. I WAS SHOCKED. OKAY? MM-HMM . I HAD NO CLUE HOW POPULAR THIS SPORT WAS. MM-HMM . UM, 40 COUNTRIES RIGHT NOW. AND I THOUGHT I HAD SEEN SOMEWHERE TODAY, IT'S NOT HERE, BUT ABOUT 50 MILLION PEOPLE PLAY IT. MM-HMM . UM, 16,000 DISC GOLF COURSES. AND, UM, THERE'S EVEN LEAGUES OF THIS SITE, PROFESSIONAL DISC, GOLF LEAGUES, , UM, THEY GOT A, AN ORGANIZATION WITH MEMBERS OF 112,000. UH, SEE THERE ARE 300, 318,870 TOTAL MEMBERS AND 112 PLUS SUBSCRIBED MEMBERS OF A DISC GOLF ASSOCIATION. SO ALL I'M TRYING TO SAY IS I WONDERED IF IT WAS A FAD AND MAYBE IT FLAME OUT, BUT IT'S, IT'S A GROWING SPORT. FROM EVERYTHING I READ TODAY. I, I KNEW NOTHING. I WAS LIKE, WOW, I WAS IGNORANT ABOUT IT. SO IT'S POSSIBLY VERY IMPRESSIVE. DID HE, DID IT SAY HOW MANY PEOPLE IN THIS AREA EXPLAIN? I DIDN'T LOOK FOR THAT. I JUST, WIKIPEDIA IS ALL I DID. I MEAN, I, I SAW A TOURNAMENT AT THE HILTON HEAD COURSE RECENTLY, AND THERE WAS A LOT OF, A LOT OF PLAYERS THAT CAME FOR THAT EVENT. I CAN'T SAY THAT IT HAPPENS EVERY WEEKEND OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, BUT THERE'S SOME INTEREST ON THE WAY. YOU SAID YOU SAW A TOURNAMENT. EXCUSE ME. YES. THE TOURNAMENT. YES. BUT IN YOUR, UM, COST HERE, PAT, A LOT OF THE, UM, UH, COST AROUND THIS IS NOT LIMITED TO JUST THE ACTUAL, UM, THE DISC ACTIVITY ITSELF, BUT IT'S THE SITE GRADING AND EVERYTHING ELSE THAT'S INVOLVED WITH THAT THAT I THINK, UM, SHOULD BE LIKE INCLUDED IN A SENSE OF LIKE, AS FOLKS ARE, UM, TRYING TO UNDERSTAND LIKE WHERE THE COST IS COMING FROM. IT'S NOT JUST LIKE THE EQUIPMENT OR THE GAME ITSELF, BUT THE NEEDS TO ACTUALLY PREP THAT SITE FOR THIS PARTICULAR PURPOSE IN ADDITION TO WHATEVER ELSE IS BEING PUT INTO IT. YOU SAID YOU HAD THREE BIBS ON THIS PROJECT? WE HAD TWO AND ONE WAS NICK'S CONSTRUCTION AND THEY WERE 3 0 6, SOMETHING LIKE THAT. AND THE OTHER ONE I THINK WAS 360 92. 3 92. SO WE WENT TO NIXON AND SAID, CAN YOU DO US, CAN YOU HELP US OUT HERE? WE NEED TO GET WITHIN BUDGET. AND UH, THAT'S WHY THEY CAME UP WITH THIS. AND, AND BRIDGE IS RIGHT. I MEAN IT'S A, WHEN YOU CONSIDER IT, IT'S 4,700 FEET LONG. IT'S 20 FEET WIDE FAIRWAYS. WE HAVE TO MAKE IT SAFE AND ACCESSIBLE. SO WE NEED TO GRADE IT OUT. WE NEED TO MAKE IT SURE THAT IT'S NOT A HAZARD. UM, IS WHOLE SPONSORSHIP SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD CONSIDER? YEAH, I HEARD THAT EARLIER. WE'RE MORE THAN WILLING TO TAKE THAT. I MEAN, THAT'D BE FINE IF SOMEBODY WANTS TO DO THAT. I AGREE WITH FRED. IT'S A LOT OF MONEY, BUT I HAVE HEARD HOW POPULAR IT IS AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I KNOW I'VE HEARD A LOT OF PEOPLE ASK FOR, BUT I MEAN, IF PEOPLE ARE WILLING TO SPONSOR THESE HOLES, I THINK IT'S SOMETHING WE SHOULD ABSOLUTELY CONSIDER. I DO LIKE THE IDEA OF THE SPONSORSHIP AND I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING WE CAN LOOK INTO, ESPECIALLY SINCE WE JUST STARTED THE SPONSORSHIP PROGRAM FOR EVENTS AND STUFF LIKE THAT. IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY THAT EXISTS OUT THERE THAT WE COULD, COULD OPEN UP SOUNDS GOOD. THE MONEY SO THAT THEY CAN BUILD IT BEFORE WE GET A SPONSOR TO MAKE A DONATION THROUGH. SOUNDS GOOD. WELL THEN I'LL NEED TO APPROVE THE MOTION AS PRESENTED ON THE SCREEN. IS THERE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE. AYE. AYE. UNANIMOUS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU PAT. SAVE THAT CONTINGENCY THOUGH. THIS JOB. AYE, AYE. GOOD EVENING. UM, I'M HERE TO INTRODUCE, UM, ARIANA AND CHASE TO PRESENT THE 2027 MARKETING PLAN, UM, THAT THE DMO WILL PROVIDE FOR THE TOWN. THIS IS A CONSIDERATION OF A RESOLUTION FOR PHYSICAL YEAR 2027 ANNUAL MARKETING PLAN PRESENTED BY THE DESTINATION MARKETING ORGANIZATION. MS. ARIANA, WELCOME. THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL TIME MANAGER. THANK YOU FOR HAVING US. THANK YOU FOR MAKING THE ACCOMMODATIONS. I APPRECIATE IT. UH, MY NAME IS ARIANA PERISE. I AM THE VICE PRESIDENT OF THE VISITOR AND CONVENTION BUREAU FOR THE HILTON HEAD ISLAND BLUFFTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, AND MY COLLEAGUE CHASE ADELL. YEP. I'M CHASE ADELL. I'M THE RESEARCH MANAGER FOR THE CHAMBER OF . HEY, TONIGHT WE'RE HERE TO PRESENT, UM, OUR PROPOSED PLAN AND BUDGET AS WELL AS A LOOK BACK AND WHAT WE DID IN THIS LAST CALENDAR YEAR [02:35:01] OF 2025. AND WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO FISCAL YEAR, AS YOU MENTIONED, MAYOR TO FISCAL YEAR 26, 27. SO IF YOU'RE OKAY, I'LL PROCEED ON SCREEN TONIGHT. WE'LL TALK ABOUT, UM, 2025 CALENDAR YEAR IN REVIEW. WE'LL TALK ABOUT JUST QUICKLY HOW WE ARE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON. AND THIRD, WHAT OUR PLAN IS MOVING FORWARD FOR PROMOTING TOURISM IN THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON FOR FISCAL YEAR 26, 27. IF WE LOOK BACK, UM, IN THE 2025 CALENDAR YEAR, UM, AND THE REASON WE DO CALENDAR YEAR, 'CAUSE WHEN THE PLAN GOES TO, UM, BE PUT TOGETHER FOR THE FUTURE OF 26 27, WE HAVE TO PUT A TIMESTAMP ON IT. AND WE'D LOOK AT THE CALENDAR YEAR PRIOR. THE VACATION PLANNER IS WILDLY SUCCESSFUL. IT IS A 30,000, UM, PIECE, UM, THAT WE DEVELOP AND DISTRIBUTE ACROSS MULTIPLE DIFFERENT TOUCH POINTS. IT IS NOT ONLY FULFILLED AS A WALK-IN PIECE, IT IS PLACED IN OUR ACCOMMODATIONS, BUT IT IS ALSO FULFILLED AT OUR AAA OFFICES ACROSS THE COUNTRY, AT ALL OF OUR SOUTH CAROLINA WELCOME CENTERS. WE TAKE THEM TO ALL TRADE SHOWS AND EVENTS. AND CHASE HAS A GREAT STORY. HE JUST ATTENDED IPW, WHICH IS A EVENT DOWN IN FORT LAUDERDALE THIS YEAR WHERE WE ENGAGED LEISURE, UH, TOUR OPERATORS. AND, UM, IF YOU WANNA TELL YOUR STORY. YEAH. SO, UM, ON THE TABLE, UH, WE HAD A COPY OF OF THE BUDGET VACATION PLANNER. UM, WE HAVE HANDOUTS, WE HAND OUT TO PEOPLE SO THEY GET INFORMATION, UH, DESTINATION. BUT, UH, WE BROUGHT ONE COPY OF THE VACATION PLANNER JUST TO SHOW PEOPLE AND WALK THEM THROUGH IT. AND SO, UH, MYSELF, ONE OF MY COWORKERS, THERE WAS A BRI UH, THROUGHOUT THE DAY. SO WE HAD GO GRAB A CUP OF COFFEE AND WE CAME BACK. SOMEBODY HAD TAKEN THE VACATION PLAN SO MUCH. UM, BUT WE'RE VERY PROUD OF THE FACT THAT, UM, THIS IS A PIECE THAT, UM, WITH THE NUMBER THAT WE HAVE PROVIDED, THE 30,000, UM, IN 20 26, 25, 25, I WANNA MAKE SURE I HAVE IT RIGHT, 25, EXCUSE ME, WITH MY NUMBERS, THAT WE WERE FULFILLING OVER 27,000, ALMOST 28,000 OF THOSE BOOKS. UM, CURRENTLY IN OUR, JUST SO YOU CAN HAVE A REFERENCE POINT, WE ARE FULFILLING 2026, AND WE ARE MORE THAN HALFWAY THROUGH. WE'RE OVER HALFWAY, HALFWAY, WHICH IS, AGAIN, THIS PIECE IS, UM, PICKED UP. IT IS USED IN THE, WE HAD SOME FUN PIECES. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'VE HAD A CHANCE, AND I'M SPENDING A LOT OF TIME ON THE VACATION PLANNER. UH, BUT WE'RE VERY EXCITED ABOUT A NEW OPPORTUNITY THAT WE PLACED IN IT. IT'S CALLED THE BLUFF AND RAMBLE. AND THE BLUFF AND RAMBLE IS A WAY AS WE ALL PROMOTE THE PARKS AND FAMILY AND ENGAGEMENT THAT, UM, WE, UH, START AND FINISH AT THE NEW WELCOME CENTER HERE IN TON. UM, AND IT TAKES YOU ON A TOUR OF OLD TOWN. AND THEN, UM, ALONG THE WAY IT GIVES YOU DIFFERENT OPPORTUNITIES OF DISCOVERY. AND THEN FROM THERE, WHEN YOU RETURN BACK TO, UM, THE OFFICIAL WELCOME CENTER, YOU'RE GIVEN A STICKER. IT'S BECOME SO POPULAR THAT WE HAD TO PRINT, UM, STANDALONE COPIES OF THE RAMBLE. UM, SO AS THERE ARE MULTIPLE KIDDOS IN THE GROUP PAGES AS WELL, IT'S, UM, BETWEEN 36 AND 37. AND THIS IS ALSO DIGITAL SO PEOPLE CAN ACCESS THIS, UM, ON THE VISIT LEFT AND ORG SIDE AS WELL. SO AGAIN, WE LOVE THIS PIECE. IT IS DONE SURPRISINGLY WELL. UM, AND, AND THE KIDS, UM, AND FAMILIES OF LIFE ARE LOVING IT THIS YEAR'S ITERATION, WHICH WE WON'T SPOIL, BUT WE'RE GONNA DO A CULINARY EXPLORATION. SO THERE'LL BE A KIDS VERSION AND A MORE OF A GROWNUP CULINARY COMPONENT, UM, PIECE OF IT. EXCUSE ME. SO MORE TO COME ON THAT. BUT EVERYTHING REALLY, UM, SURROUNDS OUTSIDE OF THAT ONE, UM, PRINT FULFILLMENT PIECE SURROUNDS THE, THE WEBSITE AND WE'RE VERY PROUD OF THIS WEBSITE. WE THINK IT REPRESENTS NOT ONLY THE GOALS OF THE COMMUNITY OF THE TOWN, BUT ALSO OF THE VISITORS AND WHAT THEY'RE LOOKING FOR. UM, AND SO CHASE WILL TALK TO A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE WEBSITE PERFORMANCE IN TERMS OF PAGE VIEWS, AD IMPRESSIONS AND REFERRALS. YEAH, SO, UH, IT WAS ACTUALLY A PRETTY GOOD YEAR OVERALL FOR WEBSITE METRICS. UM, AND THAT, UM, UH, JUST TO GIVE SOME CONTEXT, UH, FOR A LOT OF DESTINATIONS, THAT IS NOT THE CASE RIGHT NOW. UM, WE'LL GET MORE INTO IT LATER. UH, BUT AI SEARCH HAS REALLY DISRUPTED, UH, THE WEB, UH, THE WAY PEOPLE LIKE SEARCH AND INTERACT WITH WEBSITES. UH, SO TO SEE THESE METRICS HERE ARE ACTUALLY VERY ENCOURAGING. IT'S ABOUT A 2% RISE IN THE NUMBER OF PAGE VIEWS. AD IMPRESSIONS ARE ABOUT FLAT. AND WE DID SEE A, UM, DOUBLE DIGIT INCREASE, UH, PERCENTAGE WISE IN, UM, REFERRALS. AND THAT'S REFERRALS IS, UM, CLICKS OVER TO, UH, BUSINESSES WITHIN THE COMMUNITY. UM, SOCIAL WAS KIND OF A SIMILAR STORY. SOCIAL WORKED VERY WELL FOR US THIS YEAR. UM, WE ADDED, UM, UH, A LITTLE BIT OVER EIGHT, WELL, A LITTLE BIT OVER EIGHT AND A HALF THOUSAND, UH, NEW FOLLOWERS, WHICH PUTS OUR, UM, TOTAL FOLLOWER ACCOUNT AT ABOUT 65 ISH, 65,000. UM, A LOT OF THAT IS COMING FROM FACEBOOK. FACEBOOK IS OUR, IS OUR BIGGEST PLATFORM, FOLLOWED BY INSTAGRAM AND THEN TIKTOK AND THEN KIND OF DOWN FROM THERE. BUT FACEBOOK IS THE BIGGEST. UM, SO WE'VE SEEN ENCOURAGING GROWTH THERE AND IT'S BECOMING AGAIN, UH, AS WE TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE HEADWINDS THAT WEBSITES ARE FACING, SOCIAL IS BECOMING, UM, EVEN MORE IMPORTANT THAN IT HAS BEEN IN THE PAST. SO THAT'S A FOCUS FOR US. CAN I ASK YOU A QUESTION ON THAT? MY [02:40:01] KIDS TELL ME I'M OLD BECAUSE I'M ON FACEBOOK . I WOULDN'T. WHY YOU? IS THAT JUST OLD PEOPLE? ? I AGREE WITH THEM. OKAY. ALRIGHT. ASK YOU A LITTLE, LITTLE BIT OLDER AND ENGAGE. UM, BUT THEN INSTAGRAM WOULD BE ITS YOUNGER SISTER IF WE CAN. AND THEN TIKTOK IS REALLY AN EXCITING NEW PLATFORM. NEW TO MANY WHO HAVE DABBLED IN FACEBOOK OR FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE IN FACEBOOK. UM, WE SEE THAT CONVERSION WITH OUR YOUNGER, UH, VISITOR SUBSET. THEY ARE, THEY DO ALL THINGS ON TIKTOK. UM, SO IT'S JUST HOW ARE WE DOING THAT, UH, SPLIT OF SHARE IN TERMS OF FUNDS. BUT, UM, FACEBOOK HAS WORKED VERY HARD FOR US AS A DESTINATION. IT'S EXCITING TO SEE 'CAUSE THEY ENGAGE AND IT, YOU SEE WHAT THEY'RE DOING ON SOCIAL AND IT'S TRANSLATING OVER TO THE WEBSITE. THE AVERAGE, UM, LENGTH OF TIME SPENT ON A WEB WEBSITE IN OUR INDUSTRY IS 43 SECONDS. WE'RE GETTING 21, ALMOST 22 SECONDS OF SOMEONE'S TIME. SO THEY'RE REALLY ENGAGING AND IT STARTS ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND IT REALLY TRANSLATES OVER. PEOPLE ARE ENGAGED WITH WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE, AND I THINK IT'S EXCITING TO HELP TELL THAT STORY. AND ON STORIES WE WILL TALK ABOUT PUBLIC RELATIONS. UM, PUBLIC IS AN EARNED PART. IT'S THOSE RELATIONSHIPS THAT WE BUILD, UM, AND THAT WE HAVE WITH EDITORS ACROSS, UM, DIFFERENT PUBLICATIONS ONLINE IN PRINT OR A COMBINATION OF, AND YOU CAN SEE HERE OF THE 25, UM, 2025, UH, CALENDAR, OR EXCUSE ME, THERE WERE OVER 190 MENTIONS, UM, OF THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON, WHICH AGAIN, IF YOU WERE TO GO OUT AND PURCHASE THAT, UM, IT IS WELL OVER, UM, THE BUDGETS ALLOWED AND, AND THAT YOU WOULD WANNA SEEK. SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, THOSE ADD IMPRESSIONS AND THE ADDED VALUE THAT WE SEE, THERE ARE SOMETHING TO BE VERY PROUD OF. AND WE GET INTO THAT A LITTLE BIT FURTHER ON THE NEXT PAGE WHEN YOU LOOK AT SOME OF THOSE ACCOLADES AND PEOPLE WHO ARE TALKING ABOUT US. AND WHAT I THINK SO IMPORTANT ABOUT WHAT PEOPLE ARE TALKING ABOUT YOU IS YOU'RE NOT HAVING TO SAY YOURSELF. PEOPLE ARE SHOUTING FROM THE ROOFTOPS FOR YOU. AND THAT'S THE BEST ENDORSEMENT THAT YOU CAN GET. SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT ACCOLADES AND, AND PEOPLE TELLING YOU YOU'RE THE BEST FALL GETAWAY FROM SOUTHERN LIVING, COUNTRY, LIVING, EBONY TRAVEL AND LEISURE AND COUNTRY LIVING, THOSE ARE THINGS YOU WANNA HANG YOUR HAT ON. AND THAT PEOPLE ARE, AGAIN, THROUGH THOSE EARNED RELATIONSHIPS, THEY'RE EXCITED ABOUT THE TOWN OF LEFT, AND THEY'RE SCREAMING IT AND SHOUTING IT FROM THE ROOFTOPS, AND THEY'RE DOING IT SO IN PARTNERSHIP TO SAY, HEY, WE WANNA TELL ALL OF OUR READERSHIP ABOUT IT. UM, AND SO THAT'S ONE, ONE THING THAT WE'RE VERY EXCITED ABOUT. SO THIS IS JUST A BASIC SUMMARY OF WHERE WE'RE GONNA COVER IN MORE DETAIL AS WE CONTINUE THROUGH HERE. BUT BASICALLY, UH, THIS IS HOW WE APPROACH OUR ENTIRE MARKETING PLAN. AND THIS IS A PLAN. UM, THE, THESE, UH, UH, EXPERIENCES THAT YOU SEE AT THE BOTTOM HERE, WERE CREATED, UH, IN COLLABORATION, UM, WITH THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON. UM, AND LIKE I SAID, WE'RE GONNA GO INTO MORE DETAIL ON ALL THESE, BUT, UH, THESE ARE KIND OF OUR GUIDING PRINCIPLES. CAN WE DO THAT UNDERNEATH OUR VISION, MISSION AND BRAND COMMITMENT TO THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON? THESE ARE THINGS AGAIN THAT WE HELD HANDS TOGETHER SEVERAL YEARS AGO WHEN WE DID THE, UM, PLANNING EFFORTS FOR HOW WE WILL APPROACH TOURISM. AND SO AGAIN, THESE ARE IN PARTNERSHIP THAT THESE, UM, THE, THIS BRAND COMMITMENT THAT WE LIVE AGAINST EVERY SINGLE DAY AND CHART FORWARD WITH ON THE VISION AND MISSION. AND SO NOW THAT WE TALKED ABOUT OUR GUIDING PRINCIPLES, THIS IS THE MORE STRATEGIC, THESE ARE THE GOALS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH, AND THIS IS HOW WE PLAN TO ACCOMPLISH THAT. YOU KNOW, BUILDING BRAND AWARENESS, DRIVING DISCOVERY, UM, HAVE A STRATEGIC MIX OF DIFFERENT METHODS THAT WE USE TO DO THAT. UM, WE ALSO HAVE AN ENHANCED LEISURE AND GROUP BUSINESS STRATEGY THIS YEAR. UM, AND UH, OBVIOUSLY WE WANT PEOPLE TO RESPECT THE DELICATE ECOSYSTEM, UM, AND, YOU KNOW, RESPECT THE NATURAL BEAUTY THAT BLUFFTON HAS. WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE BUDGET, WE'RE FOCUSED ON THE, UH, MIDDLE COLUMN, AND IT'S THE FISCAL YEAR, 26, 27 BLUFFTON OF 340,000. AND IF YOU LOOK AT THIS BREAKDOWN, WHAT YOU'LL SEE THAT'S NEW TO THIS, UM, UH, GRID THIS YEAR VERSUS YEARS PAST IS THAT WE HAVE A DEDICATED PUBLIC RELATIONS LINE. UM, THAT'S NEW. WE'VE NEVER HAD THAT. UM, BEFORE DEDICATED EFFORT, THOUGH, WE DID ALWAYS, UM, PURSUE PUBLIC RELATIONS ON BEHALF OF THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON. WE FELT IT WAS IMPORTANT BASED ON THE, UM, CONVERSATION WE'LL HAVE IN A LITTLE BIT REGARDING THE NEW HEADWINDS THAT WE'RE FACING, THAT, UM, PR IS, IS GOING TO CONTINUE TO BE EVER A VERY IMPORTANT COMPONENT TO ENSURING TOURISM INTO THE DESTINATION. SO AGAIN, THE ASK IS FOR 340,000 FOR THE FISCAL YEAR, 26, 27. AND SO, UH, WHAT YOU SEE IN FRONT OF YOU HERE IS, UH, THE RESULTS OF OUR 2025 VISITOR PROFILE STUDY. UM, THAT'S A SURVEY THAT WE SEND OUT TO VISITORS FROM BLUFFTON. THEY ANSWER AND THEY GIVE US INFORMATION, UM, ABOUT WHO THEY ARE, WHY THEY CAME TO BLUFFTON, WHAT THEY LOVED ABOUT IT. UM, BUT THIS YEAR IS ACTUALLY THE FIRST YEAR WE'VE ACTUALLY STARTED INCORPORATING GEOLOCATION DATA. UH, SO IT'S NOT JUST SURVEY RESULTS, IT'S ALSO, UH, WE UTILIZE A SERVICE CALLED PLACER AI WHERE WE CAN ACTUALLY, UH, GEOFENCE THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON OR SPECIFIC [02:45:01] LOCATIONS WITHIN IT AND GAIN HIGH LEVEL DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION ABOUT PEOPLE WHO VISITED THE TOWN. SO, UM, WE'RE NO LONGER BOUND JUST BY THE SURVEY RESPONSES. WE CAN ACTUALLY GET, UM, UH, MUCH MORE DETAILED, UM, ANALYSIS THAT WE CAN FOLD INTO THESE STUDIES. SO, UM, VISITORS TO BLUFFTON THIS YEAR DID SKEW FEMALE. UM, THAT'S A TREND WE'RE KIND OF SEEING, UH, IN A COUPLE DIFFERENT PLACES ACROSS THE NATION. UM, SO THE FEMALE IS THE DECISION MAKER, UM, IN DECISIONS AROUND TRAVEL. UM, THE TRAVELER'S, VERY AFFLUENT, VERY EDUCATED, HYPER PROCLIVITY TO TRAVEL. THIS IS EXACTLY THE KIND OF DEMOGRAPHIC WE'RE GOING AFTER. AND THOUGH SHE'S THE DECISION MAKER AT THE FINAL CLICK, UM, IT IS A COLLABORATIVE DISCUSSION AND THERE ARE MANY WEIGHING IN. SO WHY IT'S IMPORTANT TO BE ON FACEBOOK AND TIKTOK IS 'CAUSE EVERYONE'S AT THE TABLE TALKING ABOUT IT. AND SO, WHERE DO YOU WANNA GO THIS YEAR? AND IF WE'RE FEEDING DIFFERENT ADS OR IMAGERY OF THE DESTINATION, EVERYONE IS ABLE TO TALK ABOUT THAT AND MAKE THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS BEFORE THAT CLICK IS MADE. AND SO THESE ARE KIND OF THE PERSONAS WE BREAK THAT TARGET DEMOGRAPHIC INTO. UH, SO YOU CAN KIND OF SEE ALL THE INFORMATION THERE, BUT, UH, THERE'S SEVERAL DIFFERENT TYPES OF TRAVELERS LIKE ARCHETYPES AS THEY ARE. AND SO THESE ARE KIND OF HOW WE SEPARATE THOSE OUT AND KIND OF INFORM HOW WE MARKET TO THOSE SPECIFIC, UH, GROUPS. SO IT ISN'T JUST THINK OF IT AS A BLANKET EFFORT OUTREACH, BUT WE ARE BEING SPECIFIC. WE'RE APPROPRIATE TO TALK MORE ON A, ON A DEEPER SCALE ABOUT IF THIS IS A FAMILY ORIENTED, UM, CONVERSATION OR PEOPLE ENJOY WEEKENDS. AND WE'VE SEEN THOSE TRENDS FOR SOME OF THE ANALYTICS AND INSIGHTS THAT WE CAN GAIN. SO KNOWING WHERE WE'VE BEEN AND WHO WE'RE TARGETING, WHERE ARE WE GOING IN FISCAL YEAR 26, 27? IT'S GONNA BE DIGITALLY WIDE. AND I'LL LET, UM, CHASE TALK ABOUT KIND OF SOME OF THE HEADWINDS THAT THE INDUSTRY IS FACING, BUT I WOULD EVEN, UH, GO AS FAR AS SAYING ARE, UH, WE ARE ALL FACING IN ALL OF OUR BUSINESSES, AND THIS IS SOME OF THAT NEW G-E-O-S-E-O CONVERSATION THAT WE'VE HAD. AND I DON'T WANT TO GO TOO FAR, BUT IF THIS IS A GOOD PLACE FOR US TO START TALKING ABOUT THAT. YEAH. I'M GONNA TRIP AHEAD TO THE NEXT SLIDE REAL QUICK. JUST TALK ABOUT THE OVERALL, UM, MARKETING. WELL, WE, I USE THE TERM FUNNEL. THIS OBVIOUSLY DOESN'T LIKE A FUNNEL. FUNNEL HAS A WEIRD CONNOTATION, BUT, UM, THIS IS JUST THE, UH, BASIC STRATEGY WE GO INTO. SO THE FIRST, THE, THE TOP LEVEL CASTING, THE WIDEST POSSIBLE NET IS AWARENESS. THAT'S JUST, UM, GETTING DESTINATION IMAGERY OUT THERE, LETTING PEOPLE KNOW THAT BLUFFTON IS HERE, KIND OF GETTING THAT THOUGHT IN THEIR HEAD. THEN WE MOVE DOWN TO INTENT, AND THAT'S WHERE WE'VE MOVED, OKAY, I'M AWARE OF BLUFFTON. NOW LET ME START THINKING ABOUT DO I WANT TO TRAVEL TO BLUFFTON? AFTER THAT, THE LAST STEP OF THE JOURNEY IS CONVERSION. THAT'S WHEN THEY HAVE DECIDED THEY WANT TO COME TO BLUFFTON AND THEY ARE GOING TO ACTUALLY MAKE A BOOKING AND, UM, CONVERT, UH, FROM BEING A POTENTIAL VISITOR TO A VISITOR. AND SO ALONG THAT SPECTRUM, YOU SEE THE DIFFERENT TOUCH POINTS THAT WE HAVE TO REACH THOSE PEOPLE, UH, ALONG THAT JOURNEY. SO AGAIN, WE GO FROM THE AWARENESS IS REALLY CREATING, UM, AN AWARENESS AND, AND GENERATING THAT DEMAND, AND THEN IT'S REALLY CAPTURING THE DEMAND AT THE VERY OTHER SIDE OF IT. SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE DO ON A DAILY BASIS ENSURE THAT WE'RE MEETING THAT VISITOR OF WHERE THEY ARE IN THAT PROCESS AND WE CONTINUE TO PULL THEM ALONG. ALL RIGHT, SO NOW WE GET TO TALK ABOUT THE GEO ASPECT. SO I'M SURE YOU GUYS ARE FAMILIAR WITH THE TERM SEO THAT'S KIND OF BEEN THE INDUSTRY STANDARD FOR QUITE A WHILE. UM, BUT THINGS ARE CHANGING AND, UH, I, I'VE USED THIS PHRASE TOO MANY TIMES NOW, BUT LIKE, TO CALL IT DISRUPTED IS AN UNDERSTATEMENT. UM, GOOGLE, UM, GENERAT GENERATIVE SEARCH AND AI OVERVIEWS HAVE, UM, COMPLETELY CHANGED THE INTERNET LANDSCAPE. SO YOU SEE HERE, KIND OF THE VISUAL, THE OLD WAY, UH, THAT YOU MAY HAVE BEEN USED TO WAS YOU WANNA TRAVEL SOMEWHERE, YOU WANNA KNOW WHAT TO DO IN BLUFFTON THIS WEEKEND OR WHERE TO STAY IN BLUFFTON. UH, YOU WOULD TYPE IT IN, GOOGLE WOULD SEND YOU, UH, LIKE A LIST OF WEBSITES YOU COULD CLICK ON. YOU CLICK TO THE WEBSITE, YOU READ THE INFORMATION, YOU CLICKED OVER, YOU BOOKED, MAYBE THAT'S NOT REALLY THE CASE ANYMORE. NOW YOU GO AND GOOGLE, YOU KNOW, PLACES TO STAY IN BLUFFTON AND GOOGLE WILL SERVE YOU AN AI SUMMARY THAT SAYS, OH, HERE'S A BUNCH OF INFORMATION ABOUT PLACES TO STAY. AND THAT PERSON MAY NEVER ACTUALLY MAKE THEIR WAY TO A WEBSITE. MM-HMM . WE CALL THAT ZERO CLICK SEARCH. THEY GET THE INFORMATION THEY NEED, THEY CLOSE THEIR BROWSER AND THEY MOVE ON, RIGHT? IT'S COMPLETELY CHANGED HOW WE HAVE TO, UM, BUILD OUR WEBSITE. SO NOW I'M GOING TO GO AHEAD ONE MORE SLIDE. YEAH. SO NOW, UM, THE NAME OF THE GAME ISN'T NECESSARILY DRIVING VISITATION TO OUR WEBSITE. THE NAME OF THE GAME IS, UH, THE, THE VALUE ON OUR WEBSITE IS BECOMING THE SOURCE OF AUTHORITY FOR ALL THINGS BLUFFTON, RIGHT? SO WHEN AN AI SURFACES INFORMATION TO GIVE TO SOMEONE IN THAT AI OVERVIEW, IT'S IMPORTANT THAT INFORMATION IS ACCURATE, THAT INFORMATION IS ON BRAND, AND THAT INFORMATION IS TRUSTWORTHY. SO OUR JOB ON OUR WEBSITE IS TO BUILD OUR WEBSITE. SO IT'S EASILY CRAWLABLE, EASILY CRAWLABLE BY AI BOTS. UM, AI CONSIDERS US TRUSTWORTHY. AI CONSIDERS US A SOURCE OF RECORD SO THAT THAT INFORMATION THAT'S SERVED IN THOSE SUMMARIES IS COMING FROM US. AND THAT'S THE VALUE IN OUR DESTINATION WEBSITE IS MAKING SURE [02:50:01] THAT EVEN IF SOMEONE DOESN'T GET TO US, TO OUR WEBSITE, THEY'RE STILL GETTING INFORMATION THAT WE CREATED AND THAT THEY CAN TRUST. SO I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT HERE IS THE TAKEAWAY. METRICS ARE CHANGING, WEBSITES ARE STILL RELEVANT, BUT THEY'RE ONLY RELEVANT IF YOU'RE THE AUTHORITY. AND SO CHASE HAS BEEN, UM, AHEAD OF THE CURVE AND HAS INTRODUCED HIMSELF TO GOOGLE AND HAS MADE INROADS TO BETA TEST WITH THEM ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS AND HAS A CLEAR, UH, LINE OF COMMUNICATION WITH GOOGLE AND THE PEOPLE KIND OF LEADING THE CHARGE WITHIN THIS GEO SPACE. UM, AND WITH THAT HAS LEARNED NOT ONLY ALONG THE DIFFERENT STAGES OF WHAT ROLLOUTS THEY HAVE, UM, AS THIS IS LIKE REAL TIME, UM, DEVELOPING IN TERMS OF WHAT GEO IS AND WHAT IT MEANS TO OUR INDUSTRY. HE HAS BEEN, UM, AVAILABLE AND ABLE TO WORK WITH OUR, UM, TEAM TO ENSURE THAT WE ARE THE AUTHORITY THAT THEN NOW WE'RE GETTING THE CREDIT FOR IT. THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT JUST SHOWING UP, BUT WE'RE GETTING THAT CHECK THAT OKAY, AND THEY'RE GETTING A LITTLE BIT OF A CREDIT FOR IT AS WELL. ALL THOSE THINGS GO TOWARDS WHERE WE THINK IT'S GONNA GO, UM, AND, AND MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE IN THE RIGHT PLACE. YEAH, AND IT TAKES, UM, AND I PROMISE I'LL GO THROUGH SOME OF THIS A LITTLE BIT QUICKER THAN I HAVE BEEN, BUT, UM, THERE'S BASICALLY THREE WAYS THAT YOU OPTIMIZE FOR THIS. THERE IS THE ONPAGE CONTENT. UH, THE WAY AN AI BOT READS A WEBSITE IS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT THAN THE WAY A HUMAN READS THE WEBSITE. UH, SO IF YOU REMEMBER BACK IN THE DAY, YOU WOULD LIKE, UH, LET'S SAY THERE'S A BLOG POST OR SOMETHING, YOU WANT TO GIVE IT LIKE A, A CATCHY TITLE TO CATCH A HUMAN EYE. WELL, FOR AI, THEY WANNA KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THAT ARTICLE'S ABOUT. THEY DON'T WANT SOMETHING CATCHY. THEY WANT SOMETHING THEY CAN SAY, THIS IS WHAT THIS IS ABOUT, THIS IS HOW I CAN PULL IT. SO THAT'S THE ONPAGE CONTENT WE'RE ADJUSTING. THEN THERE'S THE TECHNICAL ASPECT THAT'S THE BEHIND THE SCENES STUFF, THE MARKUP AND STUFF WE CAN DO ON THE BACK END OF THE WEBSITE TO MAKE IT EASIER FOR THOSE CRAWLERS TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY'RE GETTING. BUT THEN THERE'S THE THIRD PIECE, WHICH IS OFF PAGE, BECAUSE THE WAY YOU BUILD CREDIBILITY IS, UM, BASICALLY OTHER PLACES LINKING TO YOU AND SAYING THAT YOU'RE THE AUTHORITY. SO IT'S NOT JUST WHAT WE DO ON OUR WEBSITE, IT'S MAKING SURE THAT THAT WE UTILIZE SOCIAL OR THOSE EARNED MEDIA PIECES THAT ALL ARE DRIVING PEOPLE BACK TO OUR DESTINATION WEBSITE TO SHOW THOSE BOTS, OKAY, THIS IS THE SOURCE OF AUTHORITY BECAUSE SO MANY OTHER PEOPLE ARE LINKING TO THEM. SO IT'S A THREE-PRONGED APPROACH. AND WE HAD MENTIONED THAT OUR METRICS ARE ADJUSTING. THERE ARE NO, AS, AS CHASE WILL JUST, UH, NEXT, BASICALLY WE HAVE KIND OF HELD OURSELVES ACCOUNTABLE FOR 12 TO 13 METRICS WHEN WE REPORT OUT HOW DO WE DO FOR THE YEAR REGARDING TOURISM FOR THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON. AND I THINK NOW WHAT WE'RE GONNA SEE IS THAT IS ADJUSTING REAL TIME THAT THOSE METRICS HAVE NOT EVEN BEEN DEFINED BY GOOGLE. UM, THEY'RE IN THE PROCESS OF CREATING THEM, BUT CHASE AGAIN HAS BEEN A LEADER IN THAT SPACE AND WORKING ALONGSIDE GOOGLE AND HAS PROVIDED A COUPLE NEW WAYS TO LOOK AT THESE METRICS AS THEY ARE BUILT BEING BUILT. YEAH, AND JUST TO WALK THROUGH A COUPLE OF THESE AI AI SAY AI CITATION SHARE IS BASICALLY HOW OFTEN AI IS CITING YOU WITHIN A GIVEN RESPONSE. UM, THEN THERE'S, UM, AGENT CONVERSION RATE, UH, THAT JUST MEANS HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE ACTUALLY CONVERTING TO YOUR WEBSITE FROM AN AI CHAT BOT. SO IF I GO INTO CHAT GPT AND I SAY, WHERE TO SAY, BLUFFTON, THIS WEEKEND I GET A LIST, I WANNA LEARN MORE AND I CLICK OVER FROM THERE TO THE WEBSITE. THAT IS, UM, A DIFFERENT KIND OF CONVERSION THAN IT WOULD BE FROM A GOOGLE SEARCH. UM, API CALLS, THAT'S HOW OFTEN YOUR WEBSITE'S BEING SCRAPED BY THE BOTS. AND THEN AI CONTENT ACCURACY. UM, YOU GUYS ARE ALL PROBABLY AWARE AI CAN HALLUCINATE FROM TIME TO TIME. SO MAKING SURE THAT WHEN, UH, INFORMATION ABOUT BLUFFTON IS BROUGHT UP THAT IT'S ACCURATE IS ANOTHER METRIC WE CAN TRACK. I'VE GOT A QUESTION AND I, AND I'VE SEEN THAT TOO MANY TIMES TO COUNT ON AI THAT IT'S JUST TOTALLY LIKE, WHERE IS THAT COMING FROM? IT'S TOTALLY WRONG. SO YOU KEPT MENTIONING GOOGLE AND GOOGLE WAS THE PRIMARY SEARCH ENGINE BEFORE AI JUMPED OUT THERE, AND NOW YOU'VE GOT CHAT, CBT AND CLAUDE AND THESE OTHER THINGS. UH, A LOT OF US, I'M ASSUMING I I'M ONE I GO TO, TO THE, I BOUGHT CHAT GBT, BUT SOMETIMES DON'T EVEN BOTHER WITH GOOGLE. IS ONE STARTING TO MOVE IN ON TOP OF THE OTHER AND COMPETE WITH THEM? YEAH, THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION. SO YES, A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE USING CHAT, GBT AND A LOT, A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE USING CLAUDE. UM, THOSE ARE STILL, UH, THOSE, THOSE MAKE UP A SIGNIFICANT MARKET SHARE, DON'T GET ME WRONG. BUT A LOT OF THE TIMES WHEN PEOPLE ARE USING THOSE, THEY'RE USING IT MORE AS AN ASSISTANT. UM, WHEREAS PEOPLE WHO ARE USING AI OVERVIEWS OR GEMINI OR WHATEVER, 'CAUSE ON GOOGLE, YOU DON'T HAVE TO OPEN UP AN AI BOT, RIGHT? YOU JUST OPEN UP A CHROME TAB AND THEN RIGHT THERE IN THE SEARCH BAR YOU TYPE SOMETHING AND THEN THE AI JUST KIND OF SHOWS UP. SO YOU DON'T HAVE, SINCE YOU DON'T HAVE TO OPEN A SEPARATE PROGRAM FOR THAT. OVERALL, WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SEARCH, UM, GOOGLE IS STILL DOMINANT IN THAT SPACE. WE KIND OF ANTICIPATE THAT CONTINUING TO BE THE CASE. UM, I THINK OPENAI OR CHAT CPD ROLLED OUT THEIR OWN BROWSER A COUPLE MONTHS AGO, BUT UM, CHROME IS STILL FAR AND AWAY THE MOST POPULAR BROWSER IN AMERICA. SO, UH, THEY STILL HAVE KIND OF A MONOPOLY, UM, AT, AT LEAST AS OF RIGHT NOW ON PEOPLE DOING RESEARCH LIKE THAT. WAKE UP CHRIS, [02:55:01] RIGHT? IT IS ELECTION NIGHT. , LET'S GO. WE GOT MUCH MORE . WE CAN RUN, WE CAN RUN THROUGH PART OF THIS QUICK. THIS IS JUST KIND OF A SUMMARY SLIDE EXPLAINING KIND OF JUST A SUMMARY OF WHAT WE JUST WENT OVER, OVER HALF OF WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT. I DON'T HAVE A CLUE. WE'RE WE'RE ON IT, WE'RE WE'RE WORKING ON IT AND WE'VE GOT THE BUSINESS OUT THERE, WHICH IS, UM, CHASE IS DOING A GREAT JOB WITH THE TEAM. SO, UM, AGAIN, WEBSITES ARE RELEVANT. VISIT BLUFFTON IS REALLY WORKING HARD FOR US IN MANY, MANY WAYS. UM, AND SO WE WILL CONTINUE, WE WILL CONTINUE TO, UM, LEAN INTO THE DATA AND THE PERSONALIZATION OF THE WEBSITE. WE THINK THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT AS PEOPLE ARE ASKING VERY SPECIFIC QUESTIONS, UM, WHEN THEY'RE LOOKING FOR TRAVEL. AND SO WE WILL CONTINUE TO LEAN INTO THE COMMUNITY TO OUR BUSINESSES AND UNDERSTAND HOW, UM, THEY ARE PROMOTING THEMSELVES AND HOW WE CAN WORK TOGETHER ON THOSE EFFORTS. JUST A REMINDER OF THE WEBSITE, SOCIAL MEDIA AS WE TALKED ABOUT, AND HOW GEO IS USING THAT. ARE WE GONNA GO QUICKER? YEAH, JUST PUTTING A FOCUS ON SOCIAL BECAUSE IT, UM, UH, MEETS USERS IN A WAY THAT'S A LITTLE BIT SIMPLER AND MORE SEAMLESS THAN THE WEB EXPERIENCE RIGHT NOW. SO WE HAVE OUR GOALS AROUND SOCIAL MEDIA, WHICH AGAIN, ARE JUST SHOWCASING THE BRAND PILLARS, LOCAL BUSINESSES AND STAKEHOLDERS. UM, CAPITALIZE ON TOP PERFORMING CONTENT, UM, AND FURTHER GENERATE DESTINATION AWARENESS IN THOSE KEY OUT MARKETS, UM, WHICH WILL STRENGTHEN DISCOVERABILITY AND HELP WITH THE AI EFFORTS. WE TALKED ABOUT PR AND HOW IMPORTANT THAT WILL BE AND THAT WE'VE DEDICATED DOLLARS TO THAT. AND LEISURE MEDIA PARTNERSHIPS. WE'VE HAD GREAT SUCCESS TALKING, UM, WITH THE READERSHIP OF THIRD PARTIES LIKE CONDE NAST TRAVEL AND LEISURE, SOUTHERN LIVING, UM, EBONY, GARDENING GUN. THOSE REALLY RESONATE TO THOSE WHO ARE LOOKING FOR THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON. AND SO WE WILL CONTINUE TO SEEK THOSE OPPORTUNITIES, UM, AND BRING THEM FORWARD TO, UM, WHEN THEY PRESENT THEMSELVES. I'LL KIND OF JUMP THROUGH THIS SECTION AGAIN PRETTY QUICKLY, BUT, UM, WE HAVE, UH, A NEW DIRECTOR OF SALES WHO'S BEEN GREAT, JUST KIND OF REVAMPED OUR MEETINGS AND GROUP SALES STRATEGY. UH, SO WHAT WE'RE REALLY FOCUSED ON HERE IS, UH, GROUPS THAT BRING IN, UM, HIGH RATES, THE GROUPS THAT, UM, MATCH THE, UH, EVENT SIZE FOR WHAT OUR HOTEL PARTNERS ARE LOOKING FOR. UM, WE'VE COME UP WITH SOME OF THESE. UM, I, I FELT SOME OF THESE, UM, GROUPS ARE LOOKING FOR THOSE TYPES WERE MADE IN COLLABORATION WITH THE HOTELS TO MAKE SURE WE WERE ON THE SAME, UH, SAME PAGE. AND THEN IF WE JUMP AHEAD A LITTLE BIT, SEE WHAT THE MARKETS ARE FOR THE GROUPS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO BRING IN, AND THEN THE KIND OF EXPERIENCES WE'RE TRYING TO GIVE THEM WHILE THEY'RE HERE TO GET THEM, UH, HERE TO BLACKTON. WE TALKED ABOUT THE FULFILLMENT. AGAIN, WE FEEL VERY COMFORTABLE WITH THAT 30,000, UM, PIECE OR 30,000 NUMBER AND WE ARE FULFILLING THAT. UM, AND THERE IS A DEMAND FOR IT. SO WE'RE VERY EXCITED. THIS IS AGAIN, JUST A, A SNAPSHOT THAT YOU KNOW OF WHERE WE DISTRIBUTE THOSE. RIGHT. AND THIS IS THE LAST SLIDE. UM, SO, UH, MAKE THIS, UM, KIND OF A SUMMARY. UH, OUR RESEARCH STRATEGY IS NOT BASED ON A SINGLE DATA POINT. IT'S, UH, BASED ON USING MULTIPLE DATA POINTS TO GET A CLEAR PICTURE, UH, FOR THE DESTINATIONS TOTALITY. UH, SO IT'S NOT ONLY, UH, FIGURING OUT WHERE VISITORS ARE, WHY THEY'RE COMING, WHAT THEY LIKE ABOUT US, BUT ALSO ONCE THEY'RE HERE, WHAT IS THE ECONOMIC IMPACT THEY'RE HAVING ON THE COMMUNITY AND ARE THEY BRINGING VALUE TO THE PEOPLE OF LUCK? THANK YOU. YOUR QUESTIONS. WE APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITIES. QUESTIONS FROM COUNCIL? I HAVE A COUPLE MAYOR, GO AHEAD. SO, UM, DEBRIEF, I'M CURIOUS. SO FOR THE TOURISM PORTION OF IT, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE MONTAGE, THE OLD TOWN HAS BEEN KIND OF OUR DESTINATION FOR PEOPLE TO COME WALK, VISIT THE SHOPS AND STUFF. AND BECAUSE OF THE ECONOMY AND HIGH RENTS AND STUFF, WE HAVE SOME ISSUES GOING ON IN THE OLD TOWN FOR THE MERCHANTS. ONE THING I'M CURIOUS ABOUT IS, IS THERE A WAY TO KEEP UP WITH THAT TO DETERMINE WHEN PEOPLE COME HERE, ARE THEY REALLY VISITING AND HANGING OUT AT OLD TOWN, UH, TO DETERMINE WHETHER WE'RE GETTING THE FOOT TRAFFIC WE NEED TO HELP THEM SUSTAIN THEIRSELVES? AND THEN THE NEXT QUESTION WOULD BE HIL. UH, WE HAVE VERY FEW HOTELS AS EVERYBODY KNOWS. SO WHEN WE'RE BRINGING PEOPLE THIS DIRECTION, HOW MANY OF THEM ARE ACTUALLY, ARE WE LOSING THE HILTON HIT? 'CAUSE OVER THE YEARS, WHAT I'VE ALWAYS SEEN, I CAN'T COUNT THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT GO TO HILTON HEAD TO STAY, BUT THEN THEY COME OVER AND VISIT US FOR THE DAY, BUT THEY JUST, JUST, THEY'RE NOT GONNA STAY HERE, YOU KNOW? 'CAUSE THERE'S NOT THAT MANY HOTELS, SO THEY GO BACK TO HILTON HEAD. SO I'M CURIOUS, WHAT, WHAT ARE WE LOSING TO THEM? IF THERE'S A WAY TO DETERMINE THAT, UH, TO YOUR FIRST POINT ABOUT THE, UM, OLD TOWN AND SEEING FOOT TRAFFIC COMING IN AND OUTTA BUSINESSES. UM, [03:00:01] YES. UH, THAT PLACE OR AI TOOL I MENTIONED EARLIER THAT WE USE TO FOLD INTO OUR VISITOR PROFILE STUDY THAT DOESN'T JUST LOOK AT A MARKET LEVEL, THAT CAN ALSO LOOK AT PROPERTY LEVEL, UM, AS LONG AS IT'S COMMERCIAL AND NOT, UH, RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY. BUT, UM, BUT BASICALLY YES, WE CAN DRAW A FENCE AROUND A BUSINESS, UH, TRACK FOOT TRAFFIC TRACK YEAR OVER YEAR, SEE THE KIND OF DEMOGRAPHIC COMING IN AND OUTTA THE BUSINESS. UM, SEE, YOU KNOW, WHAT TIME, WHAT TIMES OF YEAR ARE MOST POPULAR FOR THAT BUSINESS. THAT IS INFORMATION WE HAVE ACCESS TO. WE'RE MORE THAN HAPPY TO, TO WORK WITH BUSINESSES IN OLD TOWN AND HELP SHARE SOME OF THAT INFORMATION. THEY COULD USE IT. YEAH. AND TO YOUR OTHER POINT ABOUT, UM, SOME OF THAT CROSS TRAFFIC BETWEEN HILTON PET AND LOUGHTON, I BELIEVE OUR VISITOR PROFILE STUDY DOES KIND OF, UM, LAY OUT THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN OVERNIGHT VISITORS AND THEN NATURE VISITORS. SO THAT'S KIND OF A METRIC YOU CAN LOOK AT, BUT I'D BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO DIG FURTHER INTO THAT. TO GET A, TO GET A MORE CONCRETE ANSWER. DAN ALREADY TOOK ALL MY QUESTIONS. OBJECTION. GOOD JOB. THANK YOU. GOOD. THANK Y'ALL VERY MUCH. GREAT PRESENTATION. APPRECIATE WHAT YOU DO. OKAY. OKAY. NEED SOME MOTION? I'M HERE WITH SOMEONE LIKE TO TALK ABOUT IT OR MAKE IT I MOVE TO APPROVE A RESOLUTION FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 2027 BUDGET AND MARKETING PLAN WITH THE HILTON HEAD ISLAND BLUFFTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE. THERE A SECOND. SO MOVED. ALL IN FAVOR LIKE TO SAY. AYE. AYE. AYE. UNANIMOUS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH MADAM. NEXT WE HAVE CONSENT. AGENDA [XI. CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS ] ITEMS. IS THERE ANYTHING NEEDS TO BE REMOVED OR WOULD ANYBODY ON COUNCIL LIKE TO REMOVE? IF NOT, IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA? SECOND. SECOND. I IN FAVOR SAY AYE. A AYE. AYE. IS THERE A MOTION [XII. EXECUTIVE SESSION] TO MOVE INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION FOR PERSONNEL MATTERS REGARDING TOWN COUNCIL APPOINTMENTS OF BOARD COMMITTEES AND COMMISSIONS PURSUANT TO FREEDOM OF MAYOR ACT MASON ACT 30 DASH FOUR 70. MOVE. IS THERE A SECOND? WE'RE IN EXECUTIVE SESSION. NO VOTES WERE TAKEN. WE WILL HAVE MOTIONS. ACTION, ACTION, ACTION HERE IN A MINUTE. WHEN ELSE SHE'S GOING THROUGH THE LIMIT? NO. DID YOU GET THAT, BRIDGET, OR NO? NO. I GOT IT FROM, IT WAS BY LARRY. NO, YOU GOT IT. DO YOU NEED TO SAY SOMETHING ABOUT US COMING OUT OF EXECUTIVE? HE DID. HE DID. OH, I'M SORRY. I DIDN'T HEAR YOU OKAY ON YOU. I'M SORRY. I WAS WAITING ON YOU. OKAY. I HAVE A MOTION I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE. UM, I WOULD LIKE TO, WE, I MAKE A MOTION TO APPOINT THE FOLLOWING CITIZENS WITH TERMS EXPIRING JUNE 30TH, 2029. MICHAEL LAPORTE TO THE ACCOMMODATIONS TAX ADVISORY COMMITTEE. COMMITTEE AS THE HOSPITALITY SEAT. LINDSEY HARTMAN TO THE DON RYAN CENTER FOR INNOVATION BOARD AS A DIRECTOR SEAT. JOSH TILLER TO THE BOARD OF ZONING APPEALS. SARAH WITCHER TO THE PUBLIC ARTS COMMITTEE. UM, I WOULD LIKE, UM, APPOINT THE FOLLOWING CITIZENS TO THE ENTERTAINMENT VENUE EXPLORATORY COMMITTEE. ASHLEY FESTER, CHARLIE WETMORE, DAVID JOHNSON, LISA SOKA, JOEL TAYLOR, LYNN HUMMEL, AND HUSAM ABU QATAR. I MAKE A MOTION TO RE REAPPOINT THE FOLLOWING CITIZENS WITH TERMS EXPIRING JUNE 30TH, 2029. CHRISTIE PARKER, NATE PRINGLE, AND SCOTT THRASHER TO THE ACCOMMODATIONS TAX ADVISORY COMMITTEE. JESSICA PALADINO TO THE BEAUTIFICATION COMMITTEE. DENNIS POLITE, DOUG MCGILL AND MEG JAMES TO THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING COMMITTEE. TIM DOLNICK AND JERRY WORKMAN TO THE BOARD OF ZONING APPEALS, JOE NICKS, ROB MARINO AND CARRIE MILLER TO THE CONSTRUCTION BOARD OF ADJUSTMENTS AND APPEAL. JOE DEPU POE, CARLI FRAZIER, JIM HESS AND DEBBIE WONDER TO THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMITTEE COMMISSION. MICHAEL BROCK AND LYDIA DEPUY TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION. MICHAEL FRAZIER, REGEN AL HOWARD, MYRA VA RIVIERA VASQUEZ AND TABER VOX TO THE LAW ENFORCEMENT CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE. I SECOND THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS. ANY DISCUSSIONS? ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE. A AYE. [03:05:01] IS THERE A MOTION TO ADJOURN? THAT'S MY TURN. THIS IS NATALIE HEFTER AND THIS IS YOUR BEAUFORT COUNTY MOMENT. STARTING IN THE 1740S, INDIGO WAS INTRODUCED TO THE CAROLINAS. ELIZA LUCAS AND ANDRE DEVEAUX ARE CREDITED WITH BRINGING THE PROCESS TO FRUITION HERE IN SOUTH CAROLINA. WHILE IT WASN'T INTRODUCED IN BEAUFORT COUNTY UNTIL THE 1750S, BY THEN, IT HAD ALREADY EXPANDED TO BE ONE OF SOUTH CAROLINA'S MOST IMPORTANT EXPORTS. IN THE LATE 1740S, ENGLAND PASSED A BOUNTY ON CAROLINA INDIGO, WHICH GREATLY INCREASED PRODUCTION. HERE, THE PROCESSING OF INDIGO INVOLVED A LONG, SEVERAL DAYS OF FERMENTING THE PLANT IN VATS OF URINE AND WATER. ONCE THAT HAD HAPPENED, THEN THE DYE WAS LEFT OUT OF THE SOLUTION TO DRY PACKAGED UP IN BARRELS AND SHIPPED TO ENGLAND. BY 1775, OVER 1 MILLION POUNDS OF INDIGO WAS EXPORTED FROM THE CAROLINAS BY 1802. HOWEVER, THERE WAS NO LONGER AN EXPORT FOR INDIGO, AS MOST PLANTERS HAD TURNED THEIR EYES TOWARDS SEA ISLAND COTTON. THIS IS NATALIE HEFTER FROM THE COASTAL DISCOVERY MUSEUM, AND THIS HAS BEEN YOUR BEAUFORT COUNTY MOMENT. TO SEE MORE BEAUFORT COUNTY MOMENTS GO TO THE BEAUFORT COUNTY LIBRARY HOMEPAGE AND CLICK ON THE LOCAL HISTORY TAB. I. * 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.