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[1. CALL TO ORDER]
MEETING TO ORDER AS I CALL YOUR NAME, WOULD YOU PLEASE ANNOUNCE THAT YOU ARE PRESENT MR. COVERT PRESENT MR. DAWSON PRESENT.MR.
MR.
MR. LAWSON MCKELLEN PRESENT MR. RODMAN PRESENT MR. SUMMERVILLE AND CHAIR PASS HIM IN HIS PRESENT.
ALL 11 OF US ARE HERE SO WE CAN CONDUCT THE COUNCIL BUSINESS FOR THIS EVENING.
WOULD YOU ALL RISE FOR THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE CONDUCTOR? I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
WOULD YOU PLEASE REMAIN STANDING WHILE I READ THIS IN VOCATION? DEAR LORD.
GIVE US GUIDANCE DURING THIS MEETING, AS WE EXERCISE OUR DUTIES AND MAKE IMPORTANT DECISIONS, LET OUR ACTIONS IN THIS MEETING BE VALUABLE.
LET OUR DELIBERATIONS BE PRODUCTIVE.
LET US BE EFFECTIVE AND DECISIVE DECISIVE THAT OUR DISCUSSIONS BE PRODUCTIVE AND EFFECTIVE.
UM, PUBLIC NOTICE OF THIS MEETING HAS BEEN PUBLISHED, POSTED AND DISTRIBUTED IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE CAROLINA FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT.
[4. APPROVAL OF AGENDA]
I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE AGENDA PLEASE? SO MOVED, MR. MCKELLEN MAKES THE MOTION.MAY I HAVE A SECOND PLACE? OKAY.
EVERYBODY DIDN'T DID SAID THAT AT ONCE.
WHO WAS THE SECOND PLACE? MR. LAWSON, DID YOU CHIME IN FOREST GLOVER WAS THERE AS WELL.
SO WE'LL HAVE, UH, MR. LAWSON, YOU WILL BE THE SECOND I WOULD ASK FOR APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA WITHOUT EXCEPTION.
ARE THERE ANY EXCEPTIONS SEEING NONE? THE AGENDA IS APPROVED WITHOUT EXCEPTION.
UM, PRIOR TO TAKING CITIZEN COMMENTS, LET ME TELL YOU WHY WE ARE MEETING TONIGHT, WHAT WE NEED TO DO AND WHY WE NEED TO DO IT TONIGHT.
WE NEED TO TAKE SEVERAL ACTIONS AS A RESULT OF WHAT WE THOUGHT WAS THE APPROVAL OF THE EMERGENCY 2020 SLASH ZERO SEVEN.
DONE ON A SPECIAL MEETING AT COUNTY COUNCIL, OCTOBER 5TH, 2020 FIRST, THE EMERGENCY ORDINANCE APPROVE DID NOT MEET THE COUNCIL REQUIRED VOTE OF TWO THIRDS APPROVAL OF THOSE PRESENT AND VOTING.
SINCE 11 MEMBERS WERE PRESENT, EIGHT VOTES WERE REQUIRED.
SECOND, THE ORDINANCE AS WRITTEN AND APPROVED DID NOT COMPLY WITH WHAT IS REQUIRED BY RULE 0.4 0.6, ENTITLED ORDINANCES AND RESOLUTIONS OF THE BUFORD COUNTY RULES AND PROCEDURES RULE 4.6 REQUIRES THE ORDINANCE AUTOMATICALLY EXPIRE AS OF THE 61ST DAY.
FOLLOWING ENACTMENT ENACTMENT.
THEREFORE THIS SPECIAL MEETING HAS BEEN CALLED TO CORRECT.
THE ACTIONS TAKEN ON OCTOBER 5TH, 2020, AND WE'RE GOING TO NEED SEVERAL ACTIONS TO BE TAKEN IN A SPECIFIC ORDER, WHICH I WILL GET TO AFTER WE HEAR FROM THE PUBLIC IS ANY MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC RESPONDED TO THIS MEETING? NO, SIR.
I HAVE NOT RECEIVED ANY, OKAY.
SEEING NO RESPONSE FROM THE PUBLIC, WE WILL CLOSE THE PUBLIC COMMENTS AND HOW WE WILL TAKE CERTAIN ACTIONS.
[6. CONSIDERATION OF AN ORDONANCE EXTENDING THE STATE OF EMERGENCY IN BEAUFORT COUNTY ]
HERE'S WHAT WE'RE GOING TO NEED TO DO TONIGHT.FIRST, I WILL NEED A MEMBER OF COUNTY COUNCIL TO CALL, TO MAKE A MOTION THAT WE APPROVE.
EMERGENCY ORDINANCE 2020 SLASH ZERO SEVEN, EXTENDING THE STATE OF EMERGENCY IN BUFORD COUNTY.
ONCE THAT IS DONE, I WILL THEN NEED A MEMBER OF COUNCIL TO MAKE A MOTION TO AMEND THE ORDINANCE 2020 ZERO
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SEVEN AS WILL BE SHOWN ON THE SCREEN.IT DOES NOT MEET RULE 4.6 AFTER DISCUSSION ABOUT THE AMENDMENTS THAT ARE NEEDED.
I WILL CALL FOR A VOTE FOR THE AMENDED ACTION TO TAKE PLACE THAT WILL REQUIRE AN A MAJORITY THAT YOU WILL SEE WHAT'S ON THE SCREEN NOW.
AND THIRD, IF THAT AMENDMENT IS SUCCESSFUL, WE WILL THEN VOTE ON THE AMENDED MOTION.
THAT ONE WILL REQUIRE A TWO THIRDS, MAJORITY OF THOSE PRESENT AND VOTING THIS EVENING, WHICH MEANS EIGHT MEMBERS WILL HAVE TO VOTE.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS BEFORE WE MOVE ON SEEING NONE FIRST, I WOULD CALL FOR A MEMBER OF COUNCIL TO MAKE A MOTION THAT WE APPROVE EMERGENCY ORDINANCE 2020 SLASH ZERO, EXTENDING THE STATE OF EMERGENCY IN BUFORD COUNTY.
MR. MCKELLEN MAKES THE MOTION.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION SEEING NO DISCUSSION, MR. COVERT? YEAH.
I HAD SOMEBODY ASK ME FOR CLARIFICATION AND I CANNOT FIND IT.
WHERE IN THE FOUR, NINE, ONE 30 IN THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS, THE HOST FOR THE EXTENSION OF AN EMERGENCY ORDINANCE.
UM, WHAT I'VE BEEN SHOWN IS THAT THEY CANNOT BE EXTENDED.
THEY HAVE TO BE RE A NEW OR EMERGENCY ORDINANCE.
CAN YOU CLARIFY THAT AT ALL? SURE.
UM, THE ENACTMENT OF EACH OF THESE EMERGENCY ORDINANCES IS THE EXTENSION.
WE HAD HAD TO PASS ANOTHER ORDINANCE AFTER THE EXPIRATION OF THE EARLIER ONES IN ORDER TO EXTEND IT.
BUT THAT IS A SEPARATE STANDALONE ORDINANCE AND THAT'S WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING.
SO MR. CHAIRMAN, UM, I AM, I'VE BEEN ROLLING THROUGH MY HEAD AFTER IF THIS GETS APPROVED.
THE NEXT PIECE IS TO AMEND THIS, TO QUALIFY FOR SECTION FOUR POINT, WHATEVER, CORRECT.
SO LET ME, MR. CHAIRMAN, WHAT I WANT TO EVERYBODY TO UNDERSTAND, IT'D BE CLEAR.
WHAT DOES THIS STATE OF EMERGENCY SEE DO FOR BUFORD COUNTY COUNCIL? IT ALLOWS US TO MEET REMOTELY WITHOUT THIS ORDINANCE PASSED THIS WAY.
WE HAVE NO AUTHORITY TO MEET REMOTELY, WHICH, OKAY.
DOES THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION THEN? I HAVE, I HAD THE PLEASURE OF MEETING WITH SEVERAL FOLKS TODAY, UM, OVER ON THE ISLAND AND THEY MENTIONED TWO THINGS TO ME THAT I THINK ACTUALLY MAKE A LOT OF SENSE.
YOU KNOW, RECENTLY THERE WAS A MEETING ABOUT THE BAY POINT, UH, FIASCO AND ZONING BOARD.
UM, THE FINAL MEETING THAT WAS HELD OPEN AND IN PUBLIC, UH, WITH A CROWD LARGER THAN WE HAVE, EVEN ON OUR MOST CONTENTIOUS NIGHTS, BUT YET COUNTY COUNCIL CAN'T MEET IN PUBLIC RECENTLY, THE TAX BILL, THE PROPERTY TAX SALE HE'LL BY THE TREASURER WAS HELD AND THEY HAD A CROWD SIX TO SEVEN TIMES REPORTED THE SIZE OF THE BAY POINT MEETING HELD IN AN OPEN PUBLIC PLACE, BUT YET COUNTY COUNCIL CAN'T HOLD THEIR MEETINGS IN.
SO THE QUESTION ASKED TO ME BY THESE FOLKS AND BY SOME OTHERS AS WE'VE COME UP TO THIS IS WHY IS IT THAT COUNTY COUNCIL CANNOT MEET IN OPEN PUBLIC SETTING, OBSERVING ALL THE SOCIAL DISTANCING PROTOCOLS, ET CETERA, AND ALLOW THE PUBLIC TO HAVE FACE TO FACE CONVERSATIONS WITH US.
WHY, WHY IS IT THAT THAT CAN'T HAPPEN? WE WOULDN'T HAVE TO HAVE EVERY MEETING, NOT JUST OF COUNTY COUNCIL, BUT EVERY COMMITTEE MEETING, UM, DURING COVID-19 WITHOUT PROPER, UM, PROTOCOLS IN PLACE.
WE'RE PUTTING OUR EMPLOYEES AT RISK WHEREVER WE ARE, BUT THE BAY POINT MEETING AND THE PROPERTY TAX SALE, DIDN'T DO THAT.
MR. CHAIRMAN, I CAN ADDRESS THAT.
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THE CBO MEETING WAS HELD IN PUBLIC, UM, IN COMPARISON BECAUSE, UM, WE NEEDED TO GET INPUT FROM THE PUBLIC AND A VIRTUAL MEETING WAS JUST NOT GOING TO BE SUFFICIENT FOR THAT, THAT TYPE OF EVENT, SAME THING WITH THE TAX SALE THAT JUST WASN'T POSSIBLE TO BE DONE VIRTUALLY COULDN'T MEET.UM, YOU COULD MEET IN PERSON AND YOU COULD DO IT WITHOUT, YOU KNOW, HAVING THE PUBLIC COME IN.
THAT IS AN OPTION, BUT YOU COULD MEET IN PERSON WITH THE PUBLIC AND WE CAN SOCIAL DISTANCE SO WE CAN SPREAD OUT SEATS AND HAVE DIVIDER ALL PROTECTED MEASURES.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, MR. COVERT YET, JOE FROM MIKE? YEAH, GO AHEAD, BRIAN.
A LITTLE BIT OF, UH, SOME, SOME ADVICE ON THE ORDER THAT YOU'VE ASKED FOR, DON'T ASK FOR THE VOTE YET ASKED FOR THE AMENDMENT.
THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT WE NEED NOW.
NO, WE NEED A MOTION AND SECOND TO PUT IT ON THE FLOOR NOW WOULD NEED TO AMEND IT BECAUSE THE ORIGINAL ORDINANCE STILL IS NOT CORRECT.
WHAT YOU SEE ON THE SCREEN IS WHAT WE HAVE TO AMEND THE ORDINANCE BY TAKING OUT A CERTAIN LANGUAGE AND PUTTING IN DIFFERENT LANGUAGE.
SO I WOULD ASK IF THERE IS NO OTHER DISCUSSION, I WOULD ASK SOMEONE TO MAKE THE MOTION TO AMEND EMERGENCY ORDINANCE 20 SLASH OH SEVEN, MR.
AND I, I THINK I HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS AND I'LL GO, COULD WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND AND AN OPENING.
WE ALREADY HAD A MOTION AND A SECOND, DID WE NOT? YES, WE DO HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND, I'M LOOKING FOR THE LANGUAGE TO BE AMENDED NOW.
BUT YOU NEED A MOTION FOR, RIGHT? CORRECT.
CAN I ASK MY QUESTIONS? GO AHEAD.
NUMBER ONE, FOR THE, UM,
AND THEN NUMBER TWO, I'M SLOWLY CONCERNED BY THE ADDRESSING OF HOW PUBLIC COMMENT IS HANDLED, UM, IN THE MOST RECENT ISLAND PACKET ARTICLE, WHICH I READ YESTERDAY.
SO IF WE ARE TO GO FORWARD WITH THIS, I THINK WE ALSO NEED TO HAVE A ADEQUATE, UM, POLICY AND PROCEDURE IN PLACE SO THAT THE PUBLIC CAN GIVE POLITICS IN A WAY THAT IS MEANINGFUL AND THAT WE'RE NOT, YOU KNOW, READING FACEBOOK COMMENTS AND WE'RE NOT SELECTIVELY PICKING EMAILS THAT WE RECEIVE AND THAT WE CAN SEE SOME SORT OF A FACE TO FACE INTERACTION.
PREFERABLY HOW ARE WE GOING TO ADDRESS ALL OF THOSE THINGS? AND THEN ALSO, YOU KNOW, THE QUESTION ABOUT THE ZOA MEETING AND THE TAX SALE.
I THINK WE SHOULD ADDRESS THOSE BEFORE.
ADMINISTRATION CAN ADDRESS THOSE, BUT I WILL TELL YOU, I'VE ALREADY DISCUSSED WITH ADMINISTRATION, A NEW PROTOCOL AND PROCEDURE OF HOW THE PUBLIC WILL ADDRESS COUNTY COUNCIL.
SO THAT INDIVIDUALS, UM, AS YOU RECALL, WHEN WE USED TO MEET IN PERSON, SEEMS LIKE FOREVER AGO, IN ORDER FOR YOU TO, UH, GIVE YOUR COMMENTS WITH COUNTY COUNCIL, YOU SIGNED UP BEFOREHAND AND WE HAD A LIST OF INDIVIDUALS.
THERE ARE COUNTIES AND OUR OWN MUNICIPALITY DO IT IN SUCH A MANNER THAT ALLOWS INDIVIDUALS BE ABLE TO COME INTO THE MEETINGS, BE RECOGNIZED AND BE ABLE TO SPEAK TO COUNTY COUNCIL.
AND WE ARE GOING TO TAKE THAT UP A SAP.
SO I LET ADMINISTRATION ANSWER THE QUESTION ABOUT WHAT THEY DID TO PROTECT EVERYONE FOR THE ZONING BOARD MEETING AND THE TAX SALE AND THE TAX SALE PHASED OUT ALL OF THE SEATS.
WE ALSO REQUIRED FACE COVERINGS.
AND, UM, THERE WERE, UM, THERE WERE JUST A NUMBER OF LIMITED NUMBER OF PEOPLE ALLOWED IN EACH SPACE.
AND WE DID HAVE A VIRTUAL COMPONENT FOR EACH OF THOSE MEETINGS AS WELL, SO THAT PEOPLE HAVE A NUMBER OF PEOPLE IN THE BUILDING.
DOES THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, MR. HARVEY, SEAN? YEAH, I THINK SO.
BUT NOW THAT YOU MENTIONED THAT THE PIECE ABOUT PEOPLE BEING ABLE TO COME INTO THE MEETING TO ADDRESS US FACE TO FACE, ARE WE NECESSARILY, AT THAT POINT ELIMINATING OUR POPULATION,
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WHO'S MAYBE NOT AS TECHNOLOGY SAVVY OR WHO DOES NOT HAVE ACCESS TO TECHNOLOGY IN ORDER TO DO THAT.THEY, THEY WILL BE ABLE TO CALL IN AS WELL.
WHAT IF COMMENT, MR. CHAIRMAN, DURING THE WORKSHOP FOR, UM, THE IMPACT PHASE WE HAD PEOPLE CALLING IN.
THERE'S WAYS OF DOING IT MUCH BETTER THAN WE'RE DOING IT NOW.
AND WE ARE GOING TO INSTITUTE THOSE IF I MAY, MR. CHAIRMAN IS, SO IS THAT GOING TO BE INSTITUTED FOR STRICTLY VIRTUAL MEETINGS OR ARE THEY PUTTING TOGETHER SOMETHING FOR A DIFFERENT MYRIAD OF MEETINGS? I WOULD SUSPECT OF IF WE HAVE IT ON OUR WEBSITE AND THAT'S WHERE WE INTEND TO START THE PROCESS, ANY MEETING WE HAVE WOULD BE ABLE TO BE PARTICIPATED BY THE PUBLIC IN A VIRTUAL MEANING WHERE THEY COULD COME IN, MAKE THEIR COMMENT AND LEAVE.
SO THERE IS NO INTENTION OF GOING BACK TO A PHYSICAL MEETING ANYTIME SOON.
WELL THAT, NO, THAT'S NOT TO SAY THAT WE WOULDN'T DO IT.
IF THERE WAS SOMETHING SO PRESSING THAT WE HAD TO HAVE PUBLIC INPUT, WE WOULD CONSIDER DOING THAT.
I, UH, YOU KNOW, TWO THINGS WITH THAT.
I MEAN, I THINK I SAID I'M UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT ANYTIME SOMEBODY IN THE PUBLIC WANTS TO SAY SOMETHING, I'LL SIT THERE ALL NIGHT AND LISTEN TO THEM.
BUT THEN I LOOK AT FOLKS IN THE, IN THE MORE RURAL PARTS OF THE COUNTY WHO HAVE, I'VE HEARD FOR FOUR YEARS, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LACK OF INTERNET, A LACK OF CELL SERVICE AND THE INFRASTRUCTURE.
THAT'S A TRAGEDY THAT IN 2020, THE RICHEST COUNTY IN SOUTH CAROLINA DOESN'T HAVE INTERNET EVERYWHERE.
THEY OBVIOUSLY CAN'T PARTICIPATE LIKE WE'VE BEEN DOING SINCE MARCH.
SO I DON'T KNOW, JUST SEEMS LIKE WE'RE HAMSTRINGING PEOPLE, BUT DOING IT FOR OUR, OUR GOOD AND I DON'T, I JUST DON'T AGREE WITH THAT, YOU KNOW? OKAY.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS MR. CHAIRMAN, I'D LIKE TO MOVE THIS, CAN YOU JUST, THAT ARE ADDRESSED IN THE SCREEN, RIGHT.
MR.
MAY I HAVE A SECOND? SO MOVED MR. MCKELLEN, YOU WILL MAKE THE SECOND FOR THE MOTION TO AMEND.
AS YOU CAN SEE THE, IN THE RED AND CROSSED OUT IS THE LANGUAGE TO BE REMOVED.
WOULD YOU PLEASE PUT UP THE NEXT SLIDE PLEASE, WHICH WILL SHOW YOU HOW IT HAS TO BE REPLACED IF I, IF I MIGHT, UH, OH, GO AHEAD.
LET'S SEE WHAT YOU, WHAT YOU WANT TO SAY.
THOSE TWO SECTIONS HAVE TO BE REPLACED AND I WILL READ TO YOU THE ORIGINAL SECTION SAID, AND I'M JUST GOING TO READ THE WORDS THAT ARE BEING TAKEN OUT NECESSITY, NOT THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF WHERE IT SHOWS THE FIRST BLUE SECTION FROM OCTOBER NINE, 2020 FOR 60 DAYS, ALLOWED BY LAW WILL BE REPLACED WITH, UM, WHAT SHELL, WHICH SHALL EXPIRE AUTOMATICALLY AS OF THE 61ST DAY.
FOLLOWING THE DATE OF ENACTMENT THAT MEETS THE STANDARD OF RULE 4.6 IN THE SECOND PARAGRAPH.
THE NEXT PARAGRAPH, ALL THE WORDING FROM HEREBY, ALL OF THAT IS TAKEN OUT AND REPLACED WITH THE WORDS SHALL EXPIRE AUTOMATICALLY AS OF THE 61ST DAY, FOLLOWING THE DATE OF ENACTMENT AGAIN, TO COMPLY WITH THE, UM, 4.6 RULES AND REGULATIONS THAT THEN ALLOWS THIS ORDINANCE WILL BE DONE ACCURATELY.
SO DISCUSSION ON THE ITEM TO AMEND IF I MIGHT, MR. CHAIRMAN, MR. FLOLAN, ALTHOUGH I'M, ALTHOUGH I'M, UM, I'M THE MAKER OF THIS MOTION, UM, I'M, I'M REALLY STUCK IN THAT CONUNDRUM HERE BECAUSE THE WHOLE PURPOSE OF AN EMERGENCY ORDINANCE, THE DRA, AND TO ADDRESS AN EMERGENCY OR AN EMERGING KIND OF PROBLEM, WHICH COVID-19, SINCE IT'S BEEN AROUND SINCE JANUARY OF THIS YEAR CAN NO LONGER BE CONSIDERED AN EMERGING OR EMERGENCY KIND OF, UM,
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UM, SITUATION.WE'VE GOT SOMETHING THAT'S BEEN AROUND THAT WE'VE LEARNED TO LIVE WITH.
WHAT WE NEED TO DO IS ADDRESS THE ISSUES, WHICH WE NEED TO HAVE FIXED SO THAT WE CAN DO WHAT WE NEED TO DO.
AND THE ADMINISTRATOR CAN DO WHAT SHE NEEDS TO DO.
AND REGULAR COORDINATOR, THAT'S THREE READINGS AND A PUBLIC HEARING MAKE THOSE CHANGES NECESSARY SO THAT WE CAN DO OUR BUSINESS WHATEVER WAY WE NEED TO DO THAT.
IN, IN THIS NEW SITUATION, IT'S NOT AN EMERGENCY AND IT'S NOT EMERGING ANYMORE.
AND THERE'S NOTHING URGENT ABOUT IT, EXCEPT THAT WE HAVEN'T CAUGHT UP TO OUR OWN BUSINESS.
AND SO I'M GOING TO VOTE AGAINST THIS.
I THINK IT'S BAD POLICY TO KEEP DOING THINGS THAT AS AN EMERGENCY, WHEN CLEARLY WE'VE PASSED THE STATE OF EMERGENCY WE'RE IN, WE'RE IN A, IN A HOLDING PATTERN.
NOW WE NEED TO ADDRESS OUR ORDINANCES PROPERLY.
MR. CHAIRMAN, I, UH, I, UH, SECOND WHAT MR.
NOW WE, YOU KNOW, I ACTUALLY EXPECT TO GET IT.
UM, IS IT SERIOUS? WELL, I GUESS IT WAS, IT'S STILL A CONCERN, BUT YOU KNOW, LOWE'S IS FULL OF PEOPLE.
UH, RESTAURANTS ARE BACK AT A HUNDRED PERCENT CAPACITY.
I DO NOT SEE WHERE LOOK AT THE TOWN OF PORT ROYAL.
I DIDN'T KNOW THIS PORT ROYAL TOWN COUNCIL HAS BEEN MEETING IN PERSON.
THAT'S WHAT I WAS TOLD ABOUT TWO PEOPLE.
UM, I DON'T SEE WHERE WE ARE IN AN EMERGING, EMERGING SITUATION ANY LONGER, ANY LONGER.
AND THE PUBLIC WANTS TO HAVE THE COMMUNICATION WITH US, NOT THROUGH FACEBOOK, NOT THROUGH, CAUSE THEY GET OILED DOWN LAST NIGHT BEFORE LAST OR WHATEVER, 700 COMMENTS, EVEN IF YOU WANTED TO READ ALL OF THEM, I MEAN, YOU COULDN'T DO IT.
UM, THEY DON'T WANT TO COMMUNICATE THAT WAY WITH US.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS? I DON'T KNOW IF YOU CAN SEE MY HAND, MR. RODMAN.
UM, ONE IS WHEN WE HAD THE PRIOR MEETING, WE VOTED TO MAKE IT RUN CONCURRENT WITH THE GOVERNOR'S STATE OF EMERGENCY AND EXPIRE.
WHENEVER THAT ONE EXPIRES, IS THAT IN THE CURRENT LANGUAGE, IT IS NOT, IT CANNOT BE OUR RULE CAN PRESTIGIOUS SPECIFICALLY SAY, WHICH IS WHY WE AMENDED THIS.
IT HAS TO SAY IT AUTOMATICALLY EXPIRES AS OF THE 61ST DAY FOLLOWING THE DATE OF THE NIGHT.
UM, THE SECOND ONE IS I'M VERY INTERESTED CAUSE I WAS GOING TO ASK THIS QUESTION.
I MEAN, ANYWAY, BUT ASHLEY ANSWERED IT ALREADY.
UM, IT SOUNDS LIKE THAT WE DO HAVE THE ABILITY FOR US TO MEET FACE TO FACE, BUT TO LIMIT THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE OR TO EXCLUDE THE PUBLIC FROM COMING FOR THE COMING TO THE MEETINGS.
IF WE DO THAT, THE HAVING TOO LARGE A, A GROUP IS, IS DANGEROUS.
UM, COULD, COULD WE EXPAND ON THAT A LITTLE BIT? IS THAT, IS THAT DOABLE? CAUSE IT SEEMS TO ME THAT PUTS A LITTLE DIFFERENT LIGHT ON WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
I'M NOT SURE THAT THAT'S GERMANE TO THE AMENDMENT.
WELL, I'M NOT SURE WHERE IT FITS IN, BUT IT'S GERMANE TO THE VOTE.
I THINK MR. PARLIAMENTARIAN, I DON'T THINK THIS IS GERMANE TO THE AMENDMENT.
THE AMENDMENT IS TALKS ABOUT TWO SPECIFIC ITEMS THERE THAT TALK ABOUT COMPLYING WITH RULE 4.6, WHICH IS THE ENACTMENT AUTOMATICALLY EXPIRING ON THE 61ST DAY.
YOU KNOW? UM, I, I BELIEVE YOU MAY BE CORRECT MR. CHAIRMAN, THAT THIS DOES NOT SPECIFICALLY RELATE TO THE AMENDMENT THAT IS ON THE TABLE.
HOWEVER, IT'S CERTAINLY GERMANE TO THE OVERALL QUESTION.
SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, ONCE YOU, ONCE YOU DETERMINE THIS, RIGHT, I THINK IT'S VERY APPROPRIATE THAT MR. RODMAN'S QUESTION GET ANSWERED BECAUSE IT WILL MAYBE DETERMINE HOW HE CHOOSES TO VOTE ON THE ISSUE.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, MAYBE CALL THIS QUESTION REAL QUICK AND THEN GET TO HIS QUESTION.
UH, ANY OTHER COMMENTS BEFORE I CALL THE QUESTION, SEEING NONE, I WILL CALL THE QUESTION, GOT ONE MORE WITH JONES.
UM, I'M GOING TO, I'M GOING TO VOTE AGAINST THIS.
I, YOU KNOW, AS I SAID A COUPLE MINUTES AGO, I JUST DO NOT THINK THAT, UM, MEETING VIRTUALLY FOR COUNCIL IS A COMPELLING REASON TO
[00:25:01]
PASS THIS.AND THE OTHER THING THAT I'LL POSE WHEN I POST THIS, EVERY TIME THAT WE TALKED ABOUT SOMETHING COVERT RELATED, WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN FOR US TO GO BACK TO NORMAL.
I KEEP HEARING THAT IT'S A VACCINE, BUT THAT'S KIND OF A NEBULOUS THING, RIGHT? WHEN IS THAT GOING TO HAPPEN? IS THAT GOING TO HAPPEN? WE CAN'T REQUIRE PEOPLE TO TAKE THE VACCINE.
I THINK AT SOME POINT WE NEED TO BITE THE BULLET AND COME UP WITH SOME SORT OF FACTS AND CIRCUMSTANCES THAT WE ARE WILLING TO ACCEPT IN ORDER FOR US TO GO BACK TO, OR START TO MIGRATE BACK TO WHAT IS NORMAL.
MR. MR. CHAIRMAN, THIS IS MARK.
UM, AND, AND I, I GUESS WHEN I LOOK AT THIS, I'M A LITTLE CONFUSED ON, ON, UM, UM, WHERE, WHERE EVERYONE'S COMING FROM.
BECAUSE AGAIN, WE, WE WANT TO PROTECT THE PUBLIC.
WE NEED TO DO IT IN A PLACE THAT EVERYONE CAN SHOW UP.
WE, WE CAN'T LIMIT THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT COME TO MEETINGS, WHICH WE KNOW THAT WOULD HAVE TO FIND SOMEPLACE DIFFERENT.
SO TO ALLOW AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE TO STILL ATTEND, WITHOUT HAVING TO ATTEND IN PERSON, IT WOULD BE TO DO IT VIRTUALLY.
AND I UNDERSTAND, UM, WHERE EVERYONE WAS COMING FROM WHEN THEY THINK THAT WE NEED TO MEET IN PERSON SO PEOPLE CAN SHOW UP IN PERSON.
HOWEVER, IF ANYONE IS, I'M WORRIED ABOUT THE COVID VIRUS, IF ANYONE IS WORRIED ABOUT CATCHING IT OR GIVING IT TO SOMEBODY, WELL, THEN THEY WOULD NOT BE COMING TO THOSE MEETINGS.
SO, UM, I THINK THAT WHAT WE NEED TO DO, MIKE, AND IF YOU'RE OFFERING THE HELP AND AGAIN, YOU'RE THE TRANSPARENCY CHAIRMAN IS TO COME UP WITH A WAY THAT WE CAN HEAR THE PUBLIC IN A, IN A COHERENT, UM, GOOD WAY THAT THEY CAN STILL VOICE THEIR OPINION.
UH, WE DO HAVE A 15 MINUTE LIMIT THAT WE'VE HAD IN PLACE FOR A VERY LONG TIME.
UM, AND I I'VE WATCHED SOME OF THE OTHER MUNICIPALITIES AROUND THE STATE AND WHAT THEY'VE DONE AND HOW THEY'VE BEEN ABLE TO HEAL IT DURING THIS TIME.
AND WE, AS A COUNCIL CAN CHOOSE AT ANY TIME TO MEET IN PERSON.
IT'S NOT THAT THIS AMENDMENT MAKES IT SO WE HAVE TO MEET VIRTUALLY, RIGHT? WE CAN ANY TIME CHOOSE TO MEET IN PERSON.
SO AGAIN, WE'RE NOT LIMITING OURSELVES WITH THIS, BUT AGAIN, OUR BIGGEST THING IS WE NEED TO PROTECT OUR, OUR, UM, THE CITIZENS OF THE COUNTY.
AND AGAIN, GIVE THEM THE RIGHT TO, AND THE BEST OPTION TO, UM, BE ABLE TO SPEAK IN THEIR VOICES IF, IF I CAN RESPOND MR. CHAIRMAN, GO AHEAD, MR. COVERT.
HOWEVER, I MEAN, YOU, YOU SAY THAT THIS, THIS TYPE OF ORDINANCE IS GOING TO, WE DO THIS TO PROTECT THE CITIZENS, BUT YET YOU WANT US TO LOOK AT A WAY TO MEET TOGETHER, BUT NOT HAVE THE, UH, CITIZENS THERE IN FRONT OF US.
I MEAN, THAT SOUNDS TO ME LIKE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT BOTH SIDES OF THE FENCE.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE
EVERYBODY HAS GOT THEIR MASK ON.
AND IF SOMEBODY DOESN'T WANT TO BE THERE WOULD THEY WOULD NOT PARTICIPATE THAT WAY.
UM, IT WOULD BE A EITHER OR, BUT I DON'T THINK THAT ANY OF US REALLY EXPECT THE PUBLIC TO BELIEVE THAT ANY OF THE 11 OF US ARE GOING TO SAY, JUST BECAUSE THERE'S, WE HAVE THIS ORDINANCE.
IF WE DECIDE NEXT WEEK THAT, HEY, LET'S ALL GET TOGETHER IN PERSON.
I THINK IT'S SAFE TO SAY THAT THAT'S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN.
THIS IS GOING TO, WE'RE GOING TO MEET VIRTUALLY AS LONG AS THIS, THIS IS IN, IN, IN EFFECT.
I MEAN, I THINK THAT THAT'S JUST GETTING DOWN TO BRASS TACKS.
I DON'T SEE IT HAPPENING ANY OTHER WAY.
AND, AND MR. HERBERT, SEAN MAKES AN EXCELLENT POINT.
AND MR. CHAIRMAN, I REALLY LIKE TO SEE SOMETHING THAT WOULD QUANTIFY THIS BEFORE WE VOTE FORWARD IS WHAT WILL IT TAKE TO, TO NOT HAVE THIS CONTINUE NOT TO DO IT AGAIN FOR 61 DAYS? WHAT INVENT MECHANISM THAT MEASURING STICK THAT WE SAY, THIS IS ENOUGH, YOU KNOW, AND I DON'T WANT, I DO NOT WANT ANYONE IN THE PUBLIC AND I'M STARTING TO HEAR THIS TO SAY THAT IT'S A PERSONAL AGENDA OF COUNTY COUNCIL MEMBERS.
WE JUST DON'T WANT TO GET TOGETHER BECAUSE WE'RE, FOR WHATEVER REASON, INSERT HERE.
UM, I JUST, I WANT THEM, WHAT IS THAT MEASURING STICK? I THINK THAT'S A VERY, VERY APROPOS, YOU KNOW, ASK IS FOR THE OTHER SIDE OF THIS THING BEFORE ANYBODY ELSE HAS ANY COMMENTS, MR. CHAIRMAN, WOULD YOU PLEASE CALL THE QUESTION ON THE TABLE? THE AMENDMENT SO WE CAN GET TO MR. RODMAN'S QUESTION, WHO I BELIEVE IS FIRST.
THE FIRST VOTING MEMBER ON THE AMENDMENT IS MR. FLUE WELLING, BECAUSE YOU MADE THE MOTION.
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MR. DAWSON.THE MOTION IS SUCCESSFUL EIGHT.
THIS NOW THEN BECOMES THE MOTION.
SO WE'RE BACK TO THE ORIGINAL MOTION AS AMENDED.
UM, MR. RODMAN, MAKE YOUR POINT AGAIN, PLEASE.
YEAH, IT, IT, IT SEEMS TO ME A WAY FORWARD MIGHT BE THIS.
CLEARLY I FALL IN THE CAMP OF THAT.
IT'S GOOD FOR US TO START TO MEET FACE TO FACE, AND WE CAN CERTAINLY DO THAT BY SPREADING OUT, CAUSE IT'S A MORE EFFECTIVE MEETING.
AND AS I NOW UNDERSTAND IT, WE DON'T HAVE TO HAVE THE PUBLIC PHYSICALLY AT THE MEETING, BUT WE HAVE A WAY TO INCLUDE THEM.
AND WHERE ARE WE TO DO THAT? WE COULD ALSO HAVE FLEXIBILITY FOR ANY MEMBERS WHO WERE UNCOMFORTABLE WITH COMING IN PERSON THAT THEY COULD STILL PARTICIPATE, UH, IN A VIRAL STANDPOINT.
SO, UM, TO ME, THAT'S WHERE I KIND OF LIKED TO GO.
I'M NOT SURE WHERE IT, WHERE EVERYBODY ELSE IS, BUT IF THAT MAKES SOME SENSE, MAYBE WE COULD TALK ABOUT HOW WE GET THERE.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS? I, YOU KNOW, I CAN ANSWER YOU THAT WAY.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER COMMENTS MR. JONES? I JUST CONFIRM WITH THE TOWN MANAGER, THEY ARE NOT MEETING HIM IN PERSON, IN TOWN OF PORT ROYAL.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS, MR. RODMAN? I WOULD SAY THIS, THE IDEA OF MEETING IN PERSON WITHOUT THE PUBLIC THERE DEFEATS THE PURPOSE.
IF YOU WEREN'T GOING TO MEET IN PERSON, THE PUBLIC SHOULD BE THERE.
THEY HAVE A RIGHT TO BE THERE.
IN MY ESTIMATION, IF YOU ARE HAVING A PUBLIC MEETING WHERE COUNCIL IS HOLDING PUBLIC MEETINGS, I DON'T BELIEVE YOU CAN EXCLUDE THE PUBLIC.
IF YOU HAVE A VIRTUAL MEETING, I BELIEVE IF WE HAVE THE RIGHT TECHNOLOGY AND LORD KNOWS, WE HAVE TRIED SEVERAL TIMES TO ENSURE THAT THE PUBLIC HAS A CHANCE TO WATCH US PARTICIPATE, BE HEARD AND DO IT THE RIGHT WAY.
WE THINK WE NOW HAVE THAT IN TALKING TO OUR COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR, SHE IS WORKING ON THE PLAN AS WE SPEAK TO ENSURE THAT THE PUBLIC WILL BE ABLE TO VISUALLY BE ABLE TO TELL US AND VERBALLY TELL US WHAT THEY THINK ABOUT ANY PARTICULAR ISSUE WE HAVE ON THE AGENDA.
SO TO, TO, UM, YOUR POINT, MR. RODMAN, IF YOU WERE TO VOTE, NO, WE CAN ONLY MEET IN PUBLIC AND THEREFORE, I DON'T THINK WE CAN EXCLUDE THE PUBLIC.
I THOUGHT I HEARD ASHLEY SAY EARLIER THAT WE IN FACT CAN DO THAT.
WELL, MAYBE SHE COULD EXPAND ON THAT CAUSE THAT'S IMPORTANT TO OUR DISCUSSION.
ASHLEY, I WOULDN'T SEE ANY REASON WHY YOU CAN'T MEET IN PERSON AND JUST RESTRICT PUBLIC ACCESS AND JUST MAKE IT ACCESSIBLE TO THE PUBLIC, YOUR BROADCAST THROUGH THE FORM THAT WE'VE CREATED.
THERE'S A FORM WHERE THE PUBLIC CAN GO ONLINE AND SIGN UP TO SEE, UM, AND WE CAN MAKE THEM, UM, VISIBLE TO COUNCIL.
SO, I MEAN, I THINK YOU'VE GOT OPTIONS FOR HOW YOU WOULD BE ABLE TO MEET.
WHERE DID YOU DO THAT? DO WE HAVE TO DO ANYTHING IN THIS ORDINANCE? OR CAN WE DO THAT INDEPENDENT OF THIS ORDINANCE? I'LL LET SOMEONE ELSE ANSWER THEM.
MR. CHAIRMAN, I THINK MCALLEN THINK THIS ORDINANCE GIVES US THE ABILITY TO DO EITHER A, THIS GIVES US THE AUTHORITY TO MEET, UM, REMOTELY, BUT IT DOES NOT PROHIBIT US FROM MEETING, UM, PUBLICLY.
CORRECT? IF YOU DON'T PASS THIS TODAY THOUGH, THE STATE OF EMERGENCY, AND I THINK YOU WILL HAVE TO MEET IN PERSON ON MONDAY.
IF THIS DOES NOT PASS, WE WILL BE UNABLE TO MEET REMOTELY.
IF IT DOES PASS, WE HAVE AN OPTION OF MEETING EITHER WAY, EITHER REMOTELY OR PUBLICLY,
[00:35:01]
I GUESS ONE LAST COMMENT.IF I MIGHT, MR. CHAIRMAN, MAYBE IT BRINGS US BACK.
I THINK, I THINK IT MAKES SENSE TO APPROVE THIS AND GO FORWARD.
THEN IT RAISES THE QUESTION OF, DO WE REALLY WANT TO GO OUT 60 DAYS? OR SHOULD WE MAYBE GO BACK TO 30 DAYS, EVEN THOUGH IT'S CUMBERSOME TO HAVE TO REDO, KEEP REVISITING IT.
WE CANNOT OUR OWN RULES AND REGULATIONS SPECIFY.
IT IS THE 61ST DAY, WHICH IS WHY WE HAD TO AMEND THIS ORDINANCE THIS WAY.
SO I DO UNDERSTAND THAT NOW IF THE GOVERNOR WAS TO REMOVE HIS STATE OF EMERGENCY, WE COULD COME BACK AND REVOLT ON THIS.
IS THAT, WOULD THAT BE CORRECT? OKAY.
ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? ALL RIGHT, THEN I WILL CALL THE QUESTION YOU HAVE.
NOW YOU ARE NOW VOTING EIGHT MEMBERS OF COUNCIL MUST VOTE A FOREMAN AFFIRMATIVELY TO HAVE THIS EMERGENCY ORDINANCE AS AMENDED TO BE APPROVED.
THE ORIGINAL MOTION WAS MADE BY MR. MCKELLEN.
MR. SOMERVILLE, THE CHAIR VOTES.
THE MOTION IS SUCCESSFUL EIGHT YES.
IS THERE ANY OTHER, UM, ITEM OR DISCUSSION TO COME BEFORE COUNCIL? UM, YOUR POINTS ARE WELL TAKEN.
UM, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE PUBLIC IS WELL-INFORMED OF WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO, THAT THEY DO HAVE INPUT.
YOU WILL SEE THAT WE HAVE A LENGTHY AGENDA ON MONDAY AND WE ALREADY ARE TAKING STEPS TO ENSURE THAT THE PUBLIC WILL HAVE ADEQUATE, UM, TIME AND HAVE ADEQUATE PLACE TO BE PART OF OUR MEETING.
YEAH, JUST A PROCEDURAL QUESTION.
UM, I AM IN FAVOR OF US STARTING TO MEET FACE TO FACE WITH ANY MEMBERS THAT DON'T WANT TO COUNT PARTICIPATING.
UM, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WE COULD PICK UP AT A MEETING IN THE NEAR FUTURE? OH, WE CERTAINLY CAN HAVE THAT DISCUSSION BECAUSE THIS WILL ALLOW US TO MEET REMOTELY.
THAT DOES NOT MEAN THAT EVERY SINGLE PERSON, UH, I WILL ASK LEGAL TO WEIGH IN ON THAT, BUT IT WOULD SEEM THAT WE COULD HAVE A MIXTURE OF INDIVIDUALS WHO WOULD BE QUOTE UNQUOTE IN PERSON AND OTHERS WHO WOULD BE, UM, REMOTE.
IS THAT YOU CAN'T LET MR. TERRELL, I BELIEVE YOU CAN.
SO PERHAPS A PATH FORWARD WOULD BE TO, FOR ANY MEMBERS THAT WANT TO COME, THAT THEY COULD COME THE MEETINGS AND WE'D JUST VOTE WITH OUR FEET AS TO WHETHER WE WANTED TO BE THERE IN PERSON OR PARTICIPATE VIRALLY.
SO, UM, BUT I THINK THAT WE CAN LEAVE THAT FOR ANOTHER DAY BEING A FRIDAY EVENING, A LOT OF THE VIEWERS, UM, BELIEVE OR, UM, UNINFORMED, UH, ON WHAT THE EXTENT OF OUR VOTING WAS GOING TO BE TONIGHT.
AND I THINK A GREAT MANY VIEWERS BELIEVED THAT THIS WOULD BE A VOTE ON THE MASK ORDINANCE AND IT, AND IT IS NOT READY.
JUST TAKE A MOMENT AND EXPLAIN WHEN THAT VOTE WILL TAKE PLACE FOR THE PEOPLE WHO ARE WATCHING, EXPECTING THAT TO HAPPEN TONIGHT.
WELL, THE AGENDA IS OUT AND THAT IS A PART OF THE AGENDA ON MONDAY.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, MR. CHAIRMAN? THIS IS NOT A QUESTION CONCERNING ANYTHING TONIGHT.
MR. GLOVER, I DID RUN INTO A CONFLICT ON TUESDAY AND I'M HAVE TO BE BACK IN BUFORD.
UM, I'M GOING TO BE A LITTLE LATE IN BUFORD ANYWAY, FIVE O'CLOCK.
I WAS JUST WONDERING WHETHER WE COULD CHANGE THE MEETING TO TWO 30 AT LEAST, UH, GIVE ME A FEW MINUTES, UM, MORE AND STUFF, UM, ON TUESDAYS, IF THAT'S POSSIBLE, IF NOT, DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT.
WELL, UM, YOU KNOW, WE WILL, WE CAN DISCUSS THAT TOMORROW ON, UM, MONDAY.
[00:40:01]
STILL YOUNG, BUT WE'RE WAY TO CHANGE THE TIME THEN WE'RE WITHIN, I THINK THE 24 HOUR NOTICE OF YOUR MEETING.SO I THINK WE PROBABLY OUGHT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE, I HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH HIS MOVING IT UP A HALF AN HOUR AN HOUR, IF WE WANT AN HOUR IS FINE.
UM, ANY OTHER MEMBER WOULD HAVE A PROBLEM MEETING AT TWO 30, RATHER THAN THREE.
SEEING THAT WE WILL, UM, MAKE SURE THAT WE CHANGED THE TIME TO TWO 30.
ANY OTHER THING BEFORE IT'S? UM, A LOT OF TIME FOR US TO ADJOURN.
WELL THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR COMING OUT ON A FRIDAY NIGHT.
UM, AND, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT EASY MAKING THE CHANGES WE HAVE TO MAKE AND DOING THE THINGS WE HAVE TO DO, UM, AND TAKING RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ERRORS THAT WE MAKE AND DOING THEM CORRECTLY.
SO THIS IS NOW CORRECT, AND WE MOVE ON.
SO HAVE A GOOD EVENING EVERYONE, AND WE'LL SEE YOU ON MONDAY.