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GOOD AFTERNOON, EVERYONE, AND WELCOME.
AM I TOO CLOSE? WHAT'S THAT? OKAY. THAT'S BETTER.
OKAY, LET'S LET'S LET'S DO A REFRESH.
GOOD AFTERNOON, EVERYBODY, AND WELCOME.
AND I'D LIKE TO WELCOME THE VERY FIRST TIME OUR NEW CITY MANAGER, MR. JOSH GRUBER [APPLAUSE].
[INAUDIBLE] DEAR FATHER, THANK YOU FOR THE MANY BLESSINGS WE HAVE INDIVIDUALLY IN OUR LIVES AND COLLECTIVELY AS A CITY.
GUIDE US IN OUR DELIBERATIONS.
HELP US MAKE THE RIGHT KINDS OF DECISIONS THAT BENEFIT EVERYONE.
AMEN. AMEN. PLEDGE OF 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.
PLEASE REMAIN STANDING FOR A MOMENT OF SILENCE, PARTICULARLY FOR THE UPCOMING VETERANS DAY.
A MOMENT OF SILENCE FOR OUR SERVICEMEN AND WOMEN WHO HAVE FOUGHT AND DIED FOR OUR FREEDOM, AND FOR ALL THOSE WHO CONTINUE TO SERVE AROUND THE WORLD, PROTECTING OUR WAY OF LIFE. THANK YOU.
I'LL NOW CALL THIS MEETING TO ORDER.
THIS IS A CITY OF HARDEEVILLE REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING AND PUBLIC HEARING 205 MAIN STREET, HARDEEVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA NOVEMBER 7TH, 2024 AT 5 P.M..
THE FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS IS TO APPROVE THE AGENDA.
I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO CONSIDER ITEM G AT THE BEGINNING OF NEW BUSINESS.
I WOULD FURTHER LIKE TO CLARIFY THAT THE ITEM NUMBERS WILL NOT CHANGE.
THE MOTION IS SIMPLY TO CONSIDER ITEM G FIRST.
SO CAN I WITH THAT MOTION CAN I HAVE A SECOND? SECOND. WE HAVE A MOTION.
SO ITEM G WILL BE HEARD FIRST IN NEW BUSINESS.
MISS CINDY, ANYBODY SIGN UP? NO SIR. PUBLIC PRESENTATIONS.
POLITE. DID I SAY THAT CORRECTLY? THAT'S CORRECT. VERY POLITE.
GOOD EVENING. IT IS. IT IS TYQUAN POLITE.
UNFORTUNATELY, HE HAD AN EMERGENCY.
HE WAS GOING TO TRY AND GET HERE, BUT WAS UNABLE TO DO SO.
SO I APOLOGIZE, BUT POSSIBLY WE COULD RESCHEDULE HIM FOR NEXT COUNCIL MEETING.
TERRIFIC. WE'LL SEE HIM NEXT ONE.
NEXT, WE HAVE HARDEEVILLE COMMUNITY TRANSFORMATION FOUNDATION EDUCATIONAL GRANT UPDATE, NEIL.
GOOD EVENING. AS YOU MAY RECALL, WE WE TALKED ABOUT THIS BACK IN MAY AND JUNE OF THIS YEAR THAT WE WANTED TO ESTABLISH SOME SORT OF PROGRAM IN ORDER TO UTILIZE THE SCHOOL DEVELOPMENT FEES THAT WE HAD COLLECTED AND TRY TO GET THOSE FEES OUT TO THE VARIOUS ENTITIES THAT SERVICE THE CITY OF HARDEEVILLE.
AND WITH THAT, I MEAN, WE BASICALLY THE OVERVIEW, WE DEVELOPED A PROGRAM, THE EDUCATIONAL WORKFORCE GRANT PROGRAM, TO SUPPORT THE EDUCATION WORKFORCE TRAINING WITH THE SCHOOLS, COLLEGES, UNIVERSITIES, NONPROFITS AND TECHNICAL CENTERS TO MEET THE ONGOING CHALLENGES OF THE CITY AND REGIONAL CONTINUAL GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT.
AS PART OF THE PROGRAM, WE CREATED AN ANNUAL COMPETITIVE GRANT, CAPITAL CONTRIBUTION AND SPONSORSHIP PROGRAM BY UTILIZING THE CITY'S COLLECTION, NEGOTIATED DEVELOPMENT FEES, EVENTS, EDUCATIONAL WORKFORCE PROJECT, AND PROGRAMS THAT SUPPORT THE CITY'S ESTABLISHED GOALS AND PRIORITIES.
A RESOLUTION BY THE CITY COUNCIL WAS SIGNED JULY 11TH AND PUTTING THIS IN MOTION.
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AND THEN YOU HAD THE ELIGIBLE ELIGIBLE PARTICIPANTS AND YOU HAD PUBLIC, PRIVATE AND CHARTER SCHOOLS THAT SERVICE THE CITY OF HARDEEVILLE REGIONAL COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITIES LOCATED IN JASPER COUNTY, AND REGIONAL NONPROFIT PROVIDING EDUCATIONAL WORKFORCE PROGRAMS AND WORKFORCE TRAINING CENTERS, ALSO SERVING THE CITY OF HARDEEVILLE IN THE REGION.SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, THIS IS THE BREAKDOWN OF HOW THE FUNDS WERE SEPARATED IN THE GRANT.
SO YOU HAD VARIOUS OPERATIONAL TYPE GRANTS HERE, THAT WAS UP TO $10,000.
YOU HAD THE MINOR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS THAT WENT UP TO $25,000.
AND THAT WAS THAT WAS ONLY FOR THE COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITIES SO THEY WAS CONSTRUCTING A MAJOR BUILDING OR PROGRAM THAT WOULD IMPACT WORKFORCE TRAINING OR EDUCATION IN THIS REGION. AND THEN YOU HAD SPONSORSHIPS AND STUFF AS WELL THAT WOULD GO UP TO $5,000.
THE GRANT REVIEW AND AWARD PROCESS.
SO WITH THE GRANT APPLICATION PROCESS WAS MADE AVAILABLE TO ALL POTENTIAL APPLICANTS.
THE 1ST OF SEPTEMBER, WE EXTENDED THE APPLICATION DEADLINE TO OCTOBER 4TH, 2024.
WE HAD A LOT OF GOOD RESPONSE.
THE PROGRAM RECEIVED A TOTAL OF SEVEN GRANT APPLICATIONS.
THE FOUNDATION BOARD MET AND APPROVED THE APPLICATIONS ON OCTOBER 30TH, 2024.
SO HERE'S A LIST OF THE GROUPS THAT APPLIED AND THE CATEGORIES IN WHICH THEY APPLIED FOR.
THEN YOU HAD THE BEAUFORT JASPER ACE, THEN THOMAS HEYWARD ACADEMY.
UNDER THE CATEGORY OF THE MINOR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS, YOU HAD ROYAL LIVE OAKS ACADEMY.
SO IF THEY SCORED AND THEY END UP GETTING, FOR INSTANCE, 92% OR 80%, 90%, 78% OR 83% OUT OF THE 10,000, THAT WOULD BE THE AMOUNT OF STUFF THEY WOULD BE AWARDED, WHICH YOU SEE HERE 92,897 ALL THE WAY DOWN TO SO THAT TOTAL FOR THAT CATEGORY IS 42,000, AND THE CATEGORY FOR THE AMOUNT OF CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS YOU SAW, THEY APPLIED FOR 25,000 BASED ON THEIR SCORING OF THE APPLICATION END UP BEING 17,000.
AND FINALLY, THE CAPITAL CONSTRUCTION AND THE IT WAS $150,000 ASK AND APPROVED FOR $150,000.
SO THE TOTAL RECOMMENDATION FUNDS FOR ALL CATEGORIES IS $210,000.
THIS CHART DOES NOT SHOW THAT THE OFF THE TOP AMOUNT THAT GOES STRAIGHT TO OUR WORKFORCE TRAINING PROGRAM, THAT TOO IS ALSO INCLUDED IN THAT UP TO $100,000 AS PART OF THIS PROCESS SO.
WE'VE ALREADY HAD PROBABLY FOUR OF THEM THAT'S ALREADY RETURNED THEIRS.
GRANT CHECKS SHOULD GO OUT NEXT SOMETIME NEXT WEEK.
SO THEY ARE VERY, VERY PLEASED AND HAPPY WITH THIS PROCESS.
AND AS YOU CAN SEE, I MEAN, WE HAD SOME, YOU KNOW, SOME VARIOUS SCHOOLS AND STUFF THAT DID APPLY LIKE THE ACE PROGRAM, THEY INDICATED THAT THEY'RE GOING TO USE UNUSED CLASSROOMS AND TRANSFORM THEM INTO BARBERSHOPS TRAINING CENTERS.
SO, YOU KNOW, THAT'S SOMETHING, SOMETHING USEFUL STUFF THERE.
THAT OF COURSE, THE TECHNICAL COLLEGE IS VERY HAPPY WITH THAT.
SO IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS [INAUDIBLE].
TERRIFIC. I THINK THAT'S A REALLY GREAT PROGRAM THAT WE STARTED.
COUNCIL ANY QUESTIONS FOR NEIL? GREAT. SO YOU'LL GET SOMETHING WITH TCL.
WE'RE GOING TO DO A MORE FORMAL PRESENTATION.
AND WE ALSO WANT TO I MEAN, IT'S A GOOD PARTNERSHIP.
WE WANT WE WANT TO SPOTLIGHT THAT AS MUCH AS WE CAN WITH THE WHOLE GROUP.
THANK YOU NEIL. NEXT WE HAVE PROCLAMATION FOR WORLD
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PANCREATIC CANCER DAY.I'M GOING TO READ THIS MYSELF.
THIS IS THE CITY OF HARDEEVILLE PROCLAMATION NOVEMBER PANCREATIC CANCER AWARENESS MONTH.
WORLD PANCREATIC CANCER DAY 2024.
DECLARING NOVEMBER 7TH AS WORLD PANCREATIC CANCER DAY IN THE CITY OF HARDEEVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA.
WHEREAS IN 2024, AN ESTIMATED 66,440 PEOPLE WILL BE DIAGNOSED WITH PANCREATIC CANCER IN THE UNITED STATES, AND 51,750 WILL DIE FROM THE DISEASE.
WHEREAS PANCREATIC CANCER IS ONE OF THE DEADLIEST CANCERS AND IS CURRENTLY THE THIRD LEADING CAUSE OF CANCER DEATH IN THE UNITED STATES, AND IS PROJECTED TO BECOME THE SECOND LEADING CAUSE AROUND 2030.
WHEREAS WHEN SYMPTOMS OF PANCREATIC CANCER PRESENT THEMSELVES, IT IS GENERALLY IN LATER STAGES AND 88% OF PANCREATIC CANCER PATIENTS DIE WITHIN THE FIRST FIVE YEARS.
WHEREAS APPROXIMATELY 920 DEATHS WILL OCCUR IN SOUTH CAROLINA IN 2024.
WHEREAS PANCREATIC CANCER IS THE SEVENTH MOST COMMON CAUSE OF CANCER RELATED DEATH ACROSS THE WORLD.
WHEREAS THERE WERE AN ESTIMATED 510,992 NEW PANCREATIC CANCER CASES DIAGNOSED WORLDWIDE IN 2022. WHEREAS THE GOOD HEALTH AND WELLBEING OF THE RESIDENTS OF THE CITY OF HARDEEVILLE ARE ENHANCED AS A DIRECT RESULT OF INCREASED AWARENESS ABOUT THE SYMPTOMS AND RISK OF PANCREATIC CANCER AND RESEARCH INTO EARLY DETECTION CAUSES AND EFFECTIVE TREATMENTS.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, I MAYOR HARRY WILLIAMS DESIGNATES NOVEMBER 7TH AS WORLD PANCREATIC CANCER DAY IN THE CITY OF HARDEEVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA. WHEN WE FIRST GOT INVOLVED WITH THIS PROCLAMATION I DID THIS PROCLAMATION, AND I DID SO IN MEMORY OF MY BROTHER.
IT OCCURRED TO ME, A GOOD FRIEND OF US IN THE CITY OF HARDEEVILLE DIED IN JUNE, AND A DEAR FRIEND REVEREND VANESSA JOHNSON OF SAINT STEPHEN'S AME CHURCH HER HUSBAND, SAM, DIED IN JUNE. SO I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE THIS DECLARATION IN MEMORY OF MR. SAM JOHNSON.
SO COUNCIL, I WOULD LIKE A MOTION TO ENDORSE THIS PROCLAMATION AND GIVING IT IN HONOR OF MR. SAM JOHNSON.
ANYONE? MR. MAYOR, I'LL MAKE THAT MOTION.
WE HAVE A MOTION. DO WE HAVE A SECOND? SECOND. WE HAVE A MOTION WE HAVE A SECOND.
ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE, AYE.
THERE'S A COPY FOR YOUR FAMILY.
SO PLEASE GIVE MY BEST TO YOUR FAMILY.
AND IT'S AN HONOR THAT YOU'VE BEEN SUCH SAINT STEPHEN'S, YOUR MOM, WHO YOU LOOK EXACTLY ALIKE, HAS BEEN SUCH A GOOD PARTNER WITH THE CITY OF HARDEEVILLE.
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MAY I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE, DISAPPROVE, OR MAKE ANY CHANGES TO THE MINUTES OF OCTOBER 27TH OCTOBER 17TH, 2024.MOVE FOR THE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES FROM OCTOBER 17TH, 2024.
WE HAVE A MOTION. DO WE HAVE A SECOND? SECOND. WE HAVE A MOTION.
WE HAVE A SECOND. ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE.
AYE AYE. WE HAVE NO OLD BUSINESS TONIGHT.
AND IN KEEPING WITH OUR EARLIER MOTION, WE'RE GOING TO ITEM NUMBER G.
THIS IS A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY OF HARDEEVILLE SOUTH CAROLINA CITY COUNCIL ENTERING INTO A MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING WITH RIVER DEVELOPMENT EQUITIES, LLC, ESTABLISHING A PUBLIC PRIVATE COLLABORATION FOR THE REVITALIZATION AND REDEVELOPMENT OF THE WHYTE HARDEE BOULEVARD CORRIDOR AND AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE THE AGREEMENT ON BEHALF OF THE CITY, THIS IS RESOLUTION 2024-11 -7G.
THIS IS A RESOLUTION WHICH REQUIRES ONLY ONE VOTE.
WHO WILL MR. GRUBER, WHO WILL BE HANDLING THIS THIS EVENING? THANK YOU MAYOR. THIS MATTER WILL HELP FORMALIZE THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE CITY AND RIVER DEVELOPMENT, LLC.
WE'VE GOT MR. WARREN WATERS WITH RIVER DEVELOPMENT EQUITIES VIRTUALLY JOINING US.
AND I'M GOING TO CALL MATT UP HERE TO HELP TEE UP THIS ISSUE FOR US.
I'M ACTUALLY REALLY EXCITED TO BE HERE ABOUT THIS AND REALLY PLEASED AND I THINK YOU ALL ARE TOO.
IT'S BEEN A IT'S BEEN A PROCESS TO GET TO THIS POINT.
AND SO THIS REALLY ALL STARTED SEVERAL YEARS AGO.
AS YOU KNOW, WE ESTABLISHED A FUND WITH THE WITH MONIES THAT WE RECEIVED FROM SALE OF LOTS IN THE, IN THE COMMERCE PARK, AND WE WERE ABLE TO BUY PROPERTIES ALONG WHYTE HARDEE BOULEVARD AND THE CITY DID THAT.
AND ONCE WE HAD ACQUIRED A LITTLE OVER SIX ACRES, WE ABOUT TWO OVER TWO YEARS AGO, WE CREATED A AN RFP FOR A PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP TO REDEVELOP THAT AREA.
WE HAD NO TAKERS. WE HAD A LOT OF FOLKS INTERESTED, BUT WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY TAKERS.
SO IN THE INTERVENING, INTERVENING TIME THE PREVIOUS CITY MANAGER AND MYSELF TALKED TO A LOT OF FOLKS AND JUST KIND OF SHOPPED IT AROUND AND SAID, HEY, ARE YOU INTERESTED? ARE YOU INTERESTED? AND FINALLY, WE WERE PUT IN TOUCH WITH WITH MR. WATERS, AND HE KIND OF GOT OUR VISION RIGHT AWAY AND THE CITY'S VISION, WHICH HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED THROUGH THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, THE WHYTE HARDEE BOULEVARD MASTER PLAN.
AND AND SO WE'VE BEEN KIND OF WORKING WITH THEIR GROUP FOR OVER A YEAR NOW TO GET TO THIS POINT.
AND WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THAT.
YOU'RE GOING TO SEE A LOT OF THIS AS THINGS HAPPEN.
IT IS GOING TO OBVIOUSLY RELY HEAVILY ON THE INPUT FROM THE FROM THE WHYTE HARDEE BOULEVARD MASTER PLAN, AS WELL AS THE TRANSECT ZONING THAT'S NOW IN THE MZDO, WHICH REALLY TRANSECT ZONING IS REALLY JUST A FANCY WAY OF SAYING THAT YOU REALLY YOU KIND OF CONSIDER THE HUMAN SCALE WITHIN THE DEVELOPMENT AND DIFFERENT PLACES IT VARIES WITH THAT WITH THAT INTERACTION IS LIKE AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY OBVIOUSLY, THERE'S NOT MUCH HUMAN SCALE, IT'S VEHICLE SCALE, BUT WE'RE LOOKING FOR MORE OF THE HUMAN SCALE ALONG WHYTE HARDEE BOULEVARD AND THAT REVITALIZED AREA.
SO THAT'S REALLY WHAT WE'RE DOING.
LIKE I SAY, THIS WILL BE A VERY PUBLIC PROCESS ALL ALL ALONG THE WAY.
AND WITH THAT, I'LL ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS OR LET MR. WATERS CHIME IN IF YOU'D LIKE.
OKAY. JUST FOR THE PUBLIC'S RECOGNITION, WE DID HOLD A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO A WORKSHOP ON THIS.
SO THE CITY COUNCIL HAS HEARD AND ASKED A LOT OF QUESTIONS OF MR. WATERS. SO AT THIS TIME, I WOULD LIKE TO INVITE HIM VIRTUALLY.
WARREN, WHERE ARE YOU? DO YOU HEAR US? THAT'S THE LONGEST I'VE HEARD YOU SILENCE SINCE I MET YOU.
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MIC] THANK YOU WARREN. WOW.YEAH. JUST EMPHASIZES WHAT YOU SAY.
ALL RIGHT. I'M GOING TO OPEN IT UP FOR COUNCIL QUESTIONING.
LET'S START WITH MR. MEERSMAN. I HAVE NO QUESTIONS.
MRS. GUZMAN. NO QUESTIONS, SIR.
YES, SIR. CAN YOU ABOUT THE JAIL? BECAUSE I'VE HAD SOME CITIZENS COME CONCERNS ABOUT PRESERVING IT.
SO WOULDN'T THAT KIND OF BE IN THIS? YES, SIR. WE CERTAINLY, WHEN WE WROTE THE RFP, WE CERTAINLY PUT IN THERE THAT IT WOULD HAVE TO BE, YOU KNOW, RESEARCHED AND ARCHITECTURAL HISTORIANS AND DO A FULL BLOWN REPORT ON IT AND LAY EVERYTHING OUT, LAY THE HISTORY OF IT OUT, AND THEN THE DECISION CAN BE MADE IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT SHOULD BE PRESERVED OR OTHERWISE ARCHIVED.
OKAY. YES. SO, WARREN, ARE YOU FAMILIAR WITH WHAT MR. CARROLL IS TALKING ABOUT WITH THE JAIL? YOU MIGHT BE MUTED.
I THINK I THINK THAT'S THE REASSURANCE THAT MR. CARROLL WAS LOOKING FOR.
WE DON'T WANT TO JUST GO AHEAD WITH PLANS AND FORGET THAT THAT HISTORIC JAIL IS THERE.
JOHN ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS? NO, SIR EXCEPT I'M GLAD TO MENTION THAT TONIGHT BECAUSE I HAVE HAD SOME SEVERAL PEOPLE CONCERNED ABOUT WANTING TO PRESERVE THAT, BECAUSE THAT IS ONE OF HARDEEVILLE OLD, OLD LANDMARKS.
MATT WARREN, AS I WENT THROUGH THE MOU I WAS LOOKING FOR ANY CLAUSES ABOUT I DON'T WANT TO PUT THIS WRONG, BUT PERFORMANCE TIMETABLES.
IN OTHER WORDS, WE HAVE WE HAVE A PLAN HERE.
I DON'T WANT TO WAKE UP SIX YEARS FROM NOW AND SAY, WELL, NOTHING'S BEEN DONE.
SO ARE THERE ANY PERFORMANCE? I DIDN'T SEE ANY PERFORMANCE TIMETABLES IN THIS MOU, OR IS THIS NOT THE RIGHT PLACE FOR IT?
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THERE ARE NOT IN THIS DOCUMENT, BUT I THINK CERTAINLY THERE ARE GOING TO BE ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTS AS WE WORK THROUGH THIS AND WE CAN ESTABLISH THOSE KINDS OF TIMEFRAMES AND EXPECTATIONS. I THINK THAT'S ALL PART OF THE PROCESS.YEAH. I THINK WE SHOULD PUT SOME TIMETABLES IN THERE.
GOOD POINT. YOU KNOW, MY MY FAVORITE ANALOGY IS MARGARITAVILLE AND I, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO HAVE SOME EXPECTATIONS MET. OKAY.
WARREN, DO YOU UNDERSTAND THAT PART THAT THAT QUESTION.
I JUST HAVE ONE OTHER OBSERVATION AND NOT NECESSARILY A QUESTION.
I THINK WE HAVE TO GET SERIOUS AND UNDERSTAND, AND IT COULD AFFECT WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE.
WE HAVE TO SET A TIMETABLE AND FIRST FIND A LOCATION FOR A NEW POLICE STATION.
I THINK THAT THAT'S A THAT'S GOING TO BE AN IMPORTANT EMPHASIS GOING FORWARD THAT WE GET THAT SETTLED AND NOT KEEP KICKING THAT DOWN THE ROAD WE, YOU KNOW, SO IN ORDER TO UNDERSTAND WHETHER THAT AFFECTS THIS OR NOT, WE HAVE TO AT SOME POINT FAIRLY SOON IDENTIFY WHERE WE WANT TO PUT THAT.
OKAY. SO THAT'S JUST AN OBSERVATION BECAUSE IT MAY OR MAY NOT AFFECT WHAT'S HAPPENING HERE.
HE YOU KNOW, HE'S LEANING AGAINST THE WALL.
IT KIND OF TOOK HIS BREATH, BUT HE'S DESIGNING THE NEW BUILDING, RIGHT? OKAY. OKAY.
AT THIS TIME, I'D LIKE TO OPEN IT UP TO THE PUBLIC.
WOULD THE PUBLIC HAVE ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS THAT THEY'D LIKE TO ASK AT THIS TIME? SEEING NONE, I'D LIKE A MOTION TO APPROVE, DISAPPROVE, OR MAKE ANY CHANGES TO RESOLUTION 2024-11-7G.
MR. MAYOR, I MAKE A MOTION THAT WE APPROVE RESOLUTION 2024-11-7G.
WE HAVE A MOTION. DO WE HAVE A SECOND? SECOND. WE HAVE A MOTION.
ANY FURTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS BY COUNCIL OR THE PUBLIC? SEEING NONE I'LL CALL FOR A VOICE VOTE ON THIS.
WE'RE GOING TO FLIP BACK TO A NOW.
THIS IS THE FIRST READING OF AN ORDINANCE TO ADOPT A PLANNED DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT AMENDMENT SUBMITTAL FOR A TRACT OF LAND CONSISTING OF APPROXIMATELY 46.2 ACRES, KNOWN AS HARDEE STATION, LOCATED BETWEEN U.S.
IT'S THE HARDEE STATION PLANNED DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT PARCEL NUMBER 042-00-02- 011. THIS IS ORDINANCE 2024-11-7A.
THERE'S ALSO, I MIGHT NOTE BEFORE I TURN IT OVER TO MR.
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GRUBER. THERE ARE.WHAT DO WE HAVE? THREE ORDINANCES INVOLVING HARDEE STATION.
WE WILL HAVE TO HAVE THREE SEPARATE VOTES, THREE SEPARATE PUBLIC COMMENT AREAS, BUT FEEL FREE IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS AT ALL REGARDING THIS, THAT YOU CAN DO IT AT ANY TIME DURING THE PROCESS.
HAVING SAID THAT, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO MR. GRUBER. THANK YOU MAYOR.
YOU COVERED ALL THE POINTS THAT I WAS GOING TO COVER WITH THIS.
I'M GOING TO INVITE BRANA TO COME UP AND BRIEF YOU ON THIS PROJECT.
THANK YOU AND GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
I'M HAPPY. I THINK THE RAIN HAS FINALLY STOPPED, SO WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO GET HOME TONIGHT.
WITH GREAT PLEASURE THE NEW HARDEE STATION, PLANNED DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT AND INITIAL MASTER PLAN.
I'M GOING TO PRESENT THOSE TWO ITEMS TOGETHER, AS YOU HEARD AT THE WORKSHOP.
IT MAKES IT A LOT SIMPLER TO LOOK AT IT AS ONE ONE PRESENTATION.
THIS IS LOCATED AT I-95, 278 AND 17, RIGHT BY EXIT EIGHT.
IT IS IT WAS ORIGINALLY APPROVED IN 2009 THIS WAS THE ORIGINAL.
IT WAS FOR HOTELS, RESTAURANTS, THAT TYPE OF USE.
AT THAT POINT, THEY DIDN'T BELIEVE THAT THAT WAS NECESSARY.
LUCKILY, WE'VE WE'VE MADE SOME PROGRESS IN THAT, IN THAT ASPECT.
THE PROJECT SETTING THAT THE PROPERTY SUBJECT PROPERTY IS OUTLINED IN RED.
AND THIS IS THE PROPOSED MASTER PLAN, CONCEPTUAL MASTER PLAN, AND IMP FOR THE TRAVEL CENTER AND OUTPARCELS ACCOMPLISH. YOU CAN SEE THE TRAVEL CENTER WITH PARKING AND FUEL PUMPS, AS WELL AS THE OUTPARCELS ON EITHER END OF THE PROPERTY.
YOU WILL NOTICE AND WE'LL GET INTO MORE DETAIL ABOUT IT, THAT THE ACCESS FOR THE HOLIDAY INN EXPRESS AND THE INN MARKET WILL WILL COME OFF OF 17 THERE. COMPARING THE TWO, WE JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE HAD A GOOD COMPARISON FOR YOU IN YOUR PACKET THAT YOU COULD SEE WHERE WHERE WE'VE COME FROM AND WHERE WE'RE GOING.
APPROXIMATELY 46 ACRES PROPOSED MIXED USE DEVELOPMENT, LARGE TRAVEL CENTER, FUTURE COMMERCIAL USES, RETAIL, HOTEL, RESTAURANTS, ALL THINGS THAT ARE GOING TO BE NEEDED AROUND THIS, THIS MAJOR USE.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DOES ELEMENT OF THE COMP PLAN CERTAINLY SUPPORTS THIS.
TRANSPORTATION ELEMENT ALSO LOOKS FOR COLLABORATION.
THEY WILL HAVE THREE POINTS OF ACCESS, OFF OF US 17, AS WELL AS DIRECT ACCESS TO EXCUSE ME TO 278.
PROVIDES ONCE AGAIN, WE COORDINATED WITH STAFF AND THE TIA AND SUPPLEMENTAL TRAFFIC MEMO ALL HAVE BEEN REVIEWED BY STAFF DOT, AS WELL AS A THIRD PARTY CONSULTANT HIRED BY THE CITY.
THIS IS LOOKING BACK UP 278 TOWARDS EXIT EIGHT.
AND THEN ON THE ON THE RIGHT IS LOOKING NORTH ON HIGHWAY 17.
AND THE SUBJECT PARCEL IS ON THE LEFT OVER HERE.
ONCE AGAIN, WE WE HAVE DONE TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF TRANSPORTATION ANALYSIS AND PLANNING ON THIS.
IT IS A, A BIG TRAFFIC GENERATOR COMING INTO THE SITE AS WELL AS WE'RE CONCERNED ABOUT CONNECTIVITY AND MAKING SURE THAT THE IMPROVEMENTS FOR EXIT EIGHT ARE IN THE RIGHT PLACE AT THE RIGHT TIME FOR THIS, FOR THIS USE AS WELL.
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AND IT ALL FITS AS A BIG PART OF THE PUZZLE.THE OPEN SPACE PLAN, WHICH WAS VERY IMPORTANT FOR US COMING OFF OF THE PREVIOUS PLAN, WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE HAD SOME OPEN SPACE AND THAT TRAVELERS HAD SOME AMENITIES THERE AS WELL.
SO THE YOU CAN SEE THE GREEN THERE THEY ARE TRAILS AND WALKWAYS AND I BELIEVE A DOG WALKING AREA AS WELL SO A NUMBER OF THINGS. SUPPORTED IN THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN BY THE LAND USE ELEMENT AND THE NATURAL RESOURCES ELEMENT, THEY WILL HAVE ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING STATIONS, DOG WALKING STATIONS AND A BIKE PLAZA.
I THINK WE'VE MENTIONED IN THE WORKSHOP ALSO THAT THERE'S GOING TO BE SOME CONNECTION WITH THE DIFFERENT GREENWAYS AND PATHWAYS, PEDESTRIAN WAYS, AS WELL AS ACROSS [INAUDIBLE] RESIDENTS HOSPITAL.
DID REMOVE THE FROM THE CURRENT PDD AND IMP, A BUSINESS PARK LIGHT INDUSTRIAL USES THOSE WERE NOT NECESSARY CONVERSION OF LANGUAGE RELATED TO THOSE. THERE WERE SOME VAGUE LANGUAGE IN THE ORIGINAL FROM FOR USES THAT MAY HAPPEN ONE DAY, AND WE MADE SURE THAT WAS ALL CLEANED UP.
I MENTIONED THE OPEN SPACE, ADDITIONAL AMENITIES.
OVERALL JUST MADE IT MORE MODERNIZED AND MORE APPROPRIATE FOR WHAT WE SEE TODAY BECOMING THE CITY OF HARDEEVILLE AND ALSO MADE SURE THAT IT WAS REVIEWED AT THE SAME TIME WITH THE DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT.
SO SO THE TWO DOCUMENTS WILL MARRY WELL.
SHOW YOU HOW MANY REVIEWS AND HOW MUCH HOW MANY MEETINGS WE'VE HAD ON THIS PLANNING COMMISSION.
SO THERE'S A LOT OF LEVELS OF OF REVIEW AND DIFFERENT AGENCIES.
RECOMMENDATION, AS FAR AS THE PLANNING COMMISSION RECOMMENDED APPROVAL, THERE WAS ONE CONDITION THAT THE PARKING LOT LANDSCAPING ISLANDS BE REQUIRED THROUGHOUT THE EXCEPT IN THE FUEL CANOPY AREA WHERE YOU DON'T WANT LANDSCAPING GROWING UP UNDER THE FUEL CANOPY.
THAT WAS ONE THING WE WERE PLANNING COMMISSION AND STAFF WERE PLEASED WITH.
SO WE DO RECOMMEND APPROVAL ON THIS.
AND WITH YOUR PERMISSION, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO CASEY.
HEY GOOD EVENING CASEY WARFIELD WITH KIMLEY-HORN.
GOOD TO SEE YOU ALL AGAIN. WORKSHOP A FEW WEEKS AGO.
YOU DID A GREAT JOB KIND OF SUMMARIZING WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING HERE AT HARDEE STATION.
KIND OF ELABORATING ON THAT A LITTLE BIT.
THAT IS A DESIGN BUILD PROJECT AND THE DESIGN IS BEING LED BY KCI.
SO WE'VE BEEN IN COORDINATION WITH THEM FOR THE PROPOSED IMPROVEMENTS YOU SEE ON THE SCREEN AND MARRYING THOSE UP WITH THE PROPOSED IMPROVEMENTS TO THE INTERCHANGE WITH THE IDEA AND KIND OF WHAT WAS COMMUNICATED PREVIOUSLY, THAT IT WOULD BE A DUAL RIBBON CUTTING FROM A TIMING STANDPOINT, THAT THE THE TRAVEL CENTER FACILITY AND, YOU KNOW, KIND OF FIRST PHASE OF HARDEE STATION HERE WOULD WOULD COINCIDE WITH THOSE IMPROVEMENTS THAT DOT ARE WORKING THROUGH FROM THERE. BIKE PLAZA, EV STATIONS OR DOG WALKING STATIONS AND ENHANCEMENTS ADDED TO THE SITE.
INCREASE IN OPEN OPEN SPACE AS WELL AS THOSE INCREASED BUFFER WIDTHS.
WITH THAT, I'M GOING TO MAYBE BE QUIET AND OPEN UP FOR, FOR QUESTIONS.
AND THEN MY PARTNER, CONRAD SALVESEN CAN HELP SPEAK TO ANY TRAFFIC QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE.
AND JUST TO REPEAT, WE DID HAVE A WORKSHOP ON THIS AND SO A LOT OF QUESTIONS HAVE BEEN ANSWERED.
SO BUT WE'LL REVIEW THE IMPORTANT POINTS OR WHATEVER THE COUNCIL WOULD LIKE TO ASK ABOUT.
SO I'M GOING TO START TO MY LEFT, THIS TIME WITH MR. CARROLL. DO YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS, MR. CARROLL? YES, AND WE DID.
AND YOU'RE RIGHT. WE HAD A WORKSHOP AND IT WAS AND WE DID GET A LOT OF THE QUESTIONS ANSWERED.
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AND IT'S A GOOD PROJECT.AND BUT WITH THE WORKSHOP AND THE CONSULTATION WITH THE SCDOT AND THE THINGS THAT YOU'VE TALKED ABOUT, IT SOUNDS LIKE THAT YOU HAVE REALLY TAKEN TO HEART ABOUT THE TRAFFIC SITUATION.
BUT I THINK THAT YOU ALL HAVE REALLY GONE THE EXTRA MILE AND AND THAT WAS MY MAJOR CONCERN.
GOOD. THANK YOU, MR. WHITE. HIGHLIGHTING OF THE TRAFFIC AND YOU'VE HEARD IT AND YOU'VE DONE SOME PLANNING IS A KEY FACTOR AND HAS A LOT OF PLUSES TO THE PROJECT.
SO I HAVE NO FURTHER QUESTIONS.
THANK YOU. ALL MY QUESTIONS HAVE BEEN ANSWERED ALREADY.
IT WAS CONFIRMED THAT THERE WOULD BE BIKE PATHS.
SO PARTICULARLY ACROSS THE HIGHWAY, THERE'S GOING TO BE EARLIER THIS YEAR, WE APPROVED AN APARTMENT COMPLEX WITH 350 UNITS, AND THAT'S GOING TO BE VERY IMPORTANT IN CASE THERE'S ANY WORKERS THAT COME THERE AND AND YOU CONFIRM THERE'S A BIKE RACK FOR THAT.
SO THAT CONNECTIVITY OF BIKE AND PEDESTRIAN HAS BEING ACCOMMODATED IN THIS PLAN.
AND THAT'S GOOD. WE WE TALKED ABOUT THE CHARGING STATIONS THAT COULD BE TESLA AND NORTHE, BUT THAT'S NOT DETERMINED YET. RIGHT.
OKAY. THE OTHER THING THAT WAS DISCUSSED, I WANT TO JUST MAKE SURE THAT MY MEMORY SERVES ME RIGHT AT THE INTERSECTION OF 278 AND 17, WE HAVE A LIGHT PLANNED FOR THERE AT SOME POINT.
OKAY. SO BECAUSE THAT'S A LOT OF QUESTIONS THAT INTERSECTION, SECTION THERE.
THAT'S THAT'S GOING TO BE A MAJOR INTERSECTION NOW, PARTICULARLY WITH TRAFFIC COMING OFF THE HIGHWAY AS WELL AS OUR LOCAL TRAFFIC GOING IN THAT AREA. SO I JUST WANTED TO REITERATE THOSE, THOSE THINGS.
WAS THAT RECOMMENDATION REVIEWED WITH THE APPLICANT? AND IS THAT OKAY? SO THAT EVERYBODY'S COOL WITH THAT, THAT RECOMMENDATION.
ALL ON THE SAME PAGE ON THAT ONE.
IT WAS JUST THEY DIDN'T THEIR CONCERN WAS UNDER THE CANOPIES.
OKAY. AND THERE WAS ONE QUESTION THAT I GAVE I ASKED BRANA.
BUT I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO ASK IN PUBLIC BECAUSE IN THE ORDINANCE.
THE AGREEMENT IS BETWEEN RED MOON DEVELOPMENT AND CONSTRUCTION, INC., AND RED MOON IS THE OWNER OF THE LAND.
AND WHO IS RED MOON, WHO ARE THE OWNERS OF RED MOON? AS I RESPONDED ON THE APPLICATION, I HAD MR. BRAD WOODRUFF'S NAME ON THERE AS WELL FOR RED MOON.
AND THEN IT HAD WE ALSO KNOW WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH MR. FARRUGGIO, BRIAN MCCLURE, AND THERE ARE OTHER INVESTORS AS WELL.
SO AT WHAT POINT DOES THE LAND TRANSFER TO THE TRAVEL CENTER, OR IS IT THE LAND STAYED AND IT'S LEASED? HOW DOES THAT WORK? KEVIN, DO YOU WANT TO SPEAK TO THAT? GOOD EVENING. KEVIN FARRUGGIO ROI REAL ESTATE REPRESENT THE LANDOWNER? YES, IT'S IT'S GOING TO BE A CONVEYANCE.
TO THE TRAVEL CENTER. AND WHO ACTUALLY, KEVIN, WHO ACTUALLY IS THE BUILDER.
IS THAT JUST LOCAL CONTRACTORS? THEY COULD SPEAK TO THAT.
[00:45:01]
YEAH. THERE HASN'T BEEN A CONTRACTOR SELECTED YET.YOU KNOW, WE'RE STILL IN THE EARLY STAGES, THIS BEING A KEY STEP TO THAT APPROVAL.
BUT WE'LL NEED A FULL, DETAILED, YOU KNOW, CONSTRUCTION DRAWINGS.
AND I MAY BE INCORRECT HERE, BUT I THINK YOUR YOUR QUESTION MAY BE AS IT RELATES TO THE CURRENT PROPERTY OWNER, THERE'S A CONTRACTOR NAME WITHIN THAT RED MOON LLC.
AND I BELIEVE THAT'S JUST ONE OF THE ENTITIES IN IT.
THAT'S CORRECT. THAT'S BRAD WOODRUFF'S COMPANY.
RIGHT. OKAY. THE REASON FOR THE QUESTION, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT SEVERAL MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL HAVE EXPRESSED IN OTHER DEVELOPMENTS THE PREFERENCE FOR LOCAL CONTRACTORS AND LABOR TO BE USED WHEREVER POSSIBLE.
SO, YOU KNOW, I UNDERSTAND WE'RE NOT NEAR THAT.
BUT I THOUGHT IT WAS IMPORTANT TO PUT THAT OUT, THAT WE WOULD THAT'S OUR PREFERENCE.
MAYOR, THAT'S A GOOD POINT. DIDN'T WE MENTION THAT IN THE WORKSHOP? WE DID MENTION IT.
AND I WANTED TO, YOU KNOW, BRING THAT POINT UNDERLINE AGAIN.
GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS.
THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY. BUC-EE'S.
YES. IS THAT I'M SAYING THAT NOW.
I'VE NEVER I'VE NEVER HEARD OF THAT.
OH, YOU HAVEN'T HEARD OF THAT? I HAVEN'T YEAH.
COMPANY. SMALL COMPANY OUT OF TEXAS.
SO WE USE GENERAL CONTRACTORS.
WE HAVE 2 OR 3 PRE-QUALIFIED RIGHT NOW.
IT'S FOR PRE-QUALIFIED GENERAL CONTRACTORS, AND THEY OVERSEE THE PROJECT.
OUR PROJECTS ARE BID PUBLICLY, SO THEY ALLOW FOR ANYBODY WHO HAS THE ABILITIES.
WE DO HAVE STRICT SCHEDULING REQUIREMENTS.
GREAT, AND THANK YOU FOR THAT, BECAUSE WE DO.
YOU'RE GOING TO BRING A LOT OF BENEFIT TO OUR AREA, AND THAT SHOULD INCLUDE RIGHT FROM GROUND UP.
WE KNOW THAT OUR THE LOCAL CONTRACTORS AND SUBCONTRACTORS, THEY HAVE ALL THE LOCAL EXPERIENCE.
THEY KNOW WHERE TO GET STUFF AND GET THINGS DONE.
SO WE USE QUITE A FEW OF THEM.
NOT TO SAY THAT EVERYBODY IS GOING TO BE FROM THIS AREA.
GREAT I UNDERSTOOD, THANK YOU.
TERRIFIC. THAT'S, I THINK, ALL THE QUESTIONS THAT I HAD.
AT THIS POINT, THEN WE GO TO PUBLIC COMMENT AND I'M GOING TO START OFF, WE DID GET A PUBLIC COMMENT OR MS. GUZMAN DID RECEIVE A PUBLIC COMMENT A FEW HOURS AGO.
SO THIS WAS AN EMAIL THAT I RECEIVED YESTERDAY.
AND THE GIST OF THE EMAIL IS THIS YOUNG LADY IS VERY CONCERNED WITH THE TRAFFIC THAT THIS PARTICULAR PROJECT IS GOING TO BRING INTO THE AREA.
SO I'M JUST GOING TO READ THE EMAIL OUT.
I PREFACE THIS EMAIL WITH SAYING I AM EXCITED AND HAPPY FOR THE GROWTH IN OUR AREA.
I AM UNABLE TO ATTEND THE UPCOMING CITY COUNCIL MEETING, SO I SEND THIS EMAIL TO YOUR ATTENTION.
I HAVE LIVED IN HARDEEVILLE FOR THE LAST FOUR AND A HALF YEARS.
IN THAT TIME I HAVE SEEN DRASTIC CHANGES TO THE AREA.
MANY OF THEM ARE GOOD, BUT THE BIGGEST CONCERN I HAVE SEEN FOR MYSELF AND MY NEIGHBORS IS THE INCREASING TRAFFIC AND DANGEROUS DRIVING CONDITIONS ONTO 78. I HAVE FOLLOWED THE DEVELOPMENT OF HARDEEVILLE AROUND THE 278 US 17 AREA.
WHILE I AM EXCITED FOR THE GROWTH IN HARDEEVILLE, IT IS MY HOPE THAT WITH THIS EMAIL, THE COUNCIL WILL TAKE THE CONCERNS ABOUT THE TRAFFIC FROM THE HARDEE STATION DEVELOPMENT INTO SERIOUS CONSIDERATION.
A MASTER PLAN FOR DEVELOPMENT HAS PREVIOUSLY BEEN DISCUSSED NEAR JOHN SMITH ROAD AND 278.
[00:50:04]
ROUNDABOUT IN JOHN SMITH.WITH THIS PLAN IN POTENTIAL DEVELOPMENT AND THE POTENTIAL FOR A TRAVEL CENTER, I HAVE SERIOUS CONCERNS ABOUT THE CONCENTRATION OF VEHICLE TRAFFIC AND TRAFFIC THAT IS ABOUT TO HIT THE 278 17 AREA.
FOR EXAMPLE, RECENTLY TRAVEL FROM THE PINE ARBOR ROAD AREA THROUGH JOHN SMITH MADE TO ONE OF THE GAS STATIONS ON 278 NEAR 95 IN THE MORNING AROUND 07:40 A.M..
THIS DISTANCE WAS ABOUT THREE MILES IN EACH DIRECTION.
ROUND TRIP THE ENTIRE PROCESS TOOK 45 MINUTES DUE TO THE TRAFFIC INTO 78.
THIS WAS JUST IN A REGULAR DAY.
AS WE ALL KNOW, HARDEEVILLE IS SLAMMED WITH HOLIDAY TRAFFIC, MAKING IT ALMOST DIFFICULT FOR ANYONE IN THE DOWNTOWN/MAIN STREET AREA TO LEAVE THEIR HOMES. BRINGING IN A LARGE TRAVEL CENTER.
I REACH OUT TO YOUR OFFICE NOT TO STOP DEVELOPMENT, BUT TO CONSCIOUSLY CONSIDER THE DRASTIC CHANGES TO HARDEEVILLE THAT WILL OCCUR WITH THIS TRAVEL CENTER AND MUST BE DONE IN ORDER TO COMBAT THE INCREASING POPULATION AND TRAFFIC ISSUES THAT WE HAVE NOW THAT WILL ONLY BE EXACERBATED BY THE DEVELOPMENT OF HARDEE STATION.
PLEASE DO NOT HESITATE TO REACH OUT TO ME.
MISS FAGAN, THANK YOU FOR THOSE COMMENTS.
COUNCILWOMAN. GUZMAN, IF I COULD ASK YOU TO PLEASE ANSWER THE EMAIL, ASK HER TO LOOK AT THIS PRESENTATION AND THE TRAFFIC IMPROVEMENTS THAT ARE DONE AND IF SHE HAS ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS AFTER REVIEWING THIS MEETING THAT SHE CAN ALWAYS ASK THEM AT THE SECOND READING.
OKAY. BUT I THINK IF SHE LOOKS AT WHAT WE DISCUSSED HERE TODAY, A LOT OF THOSE CONCERNS MAY BE ALLEVIATED, OR MITIGATED FROM WHAT SHE ASKED ABOUT.
BUT SHE'LL HAVE ANOTHER CHANCE TO COMMENT IN TWO WEEKS.
OKAY. THANK YOU SIR. THANK YOU.
ANYONE ELSE FROM THE PUBLIC WHO WOULD LIKE TO COME FORWARD AND ASK ANY QUESTIONS REGARDING.
IS THERE ANYTHING ONLINE? ANY QUESTIONS ONLINE? YES, SIR. OKAY.
LAMAR, DID YOU HAVE SOMETHING? I WASN'T GOING TO LET IT GO BY.
YOU TWO ARE HAVING FUN OVER THERE.
DO WE HAVE A SECOND? SECOND. WE HAVE A MOTION.
ANY FURTHER COMMENTS BY COUNCIL OR THE PUBLIC? SEEING NONE I'M GOING TO CALL FOR A VOICE VOTE ON THIS.
AYE. ALL OPPOSED? OKAY, NOW, THIS IS THE SECOND ORDINANCE REGARDING A HARDEE STATION.
AND THIS IS ORDINANCE 2024-11-7B SO THE FIRST ONE ADOPTED A PLANNED DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT AMENDMENT.
AND THIS ONE IS THE INITIAL MASTER PLAN.
MR. GRUBER, DO YOU WANT TO HAVE ANYTHING FURTHER TO ADD? NO, SIR. THANK YOU MAYOR. THANK YOU, BRANA, FOR COVERING BOTH OF THESE IN HER PRESENTATION.
OKAY, SO THIS IS THE INITIAL MASTER PLAN.
THIS MAP THAT YOU SEE UP THERE.
OKAY. I THINK WE STARTED WITH MR. CARROLL. SO LET'S START WITH MR. MEERSMAN. DO YOU HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS, SIR? NO, SIR, I DO NOT.
NO QUESTIONS, SIR. MR. WHITE. NO QUESTIONS.
MR. CARROLL? NO, SIR. NO ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS.
I HAVE NO ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS.
I ASKED THEM ALL THE FIRST TIME.
SO NOW WE, THE PUBLIC, HAS ANOTHER CHANCE TO MAKE ANY COMMENTS OR ASK ANY QUESTIONS.
[00:55:05]
SEEING NONE, I'D LIKE A MOTION TO APPROVE, DISAPPROVE OR MAKE ANY CHANGES.THIS IS ORDINANCE 2024-11-7B MAKE A MOTION.
WE HAVE A SECOND. ANY FURTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS BY COUNCIL OR THE PUBLIC? SEEING NONE, I'LL CALL FOR A VOICE VOTE ON THIS AS WELL.
OWNER OF THE LAND WITHIN THE CITY OF HARDEEVILLE, COMMONLY KNOWN AS THE HARDEE STATION.
THIS IS ORDINANCE 2024-11C MR. GRUBER, COULD I, PERHAPS, FOR THE SAKE OF THE PUBLIC EXPLAIN OR BRANA WHAT THE DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT ENTAILS? YES, SIR.
THANK YOU, MAYOR. NORMALLY WE WOULD CALL UPON THE CITY ATTORNEY TO PROVIDE A SUMMARY OF THIS DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT WITH HER NOT BEING ABLE TO BE HERE TONIGHT, I'M GOING TO ASK MATT TO COME UP AND PROVIDE USERS WITH A HIGH LEVEL SUMMARY OF THE TERMS OF THIS AGREEMENT.
ATTORNEY. GETTING SOME AIRTIME.
[LAUGHTER] RIGHT. HELLO AGAIN.
YEAH, AS AS MR. GRUBER SAID, THE DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT, SIMPLY AS YOU ALL KNOW, YOU'VE SEEN MANY OF THEM.
THEY SIMPLY LAY OUT THE RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF ALL THE PARTIES THAT BOTH THE DEVELOPER AND THE CITY, YOU KNOW, MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE YOU KNOW, WE CONFIRM THAT WE'RE GOING TO PROVIDE VARIOUS CITY SERVICES.
THEY'RE GOING TO PERFORM IN A CERTAIN MANNER ALL THOSE KINDS OF THINGS.
THERE ARE DEVELOPMENT FEES THAT WE HAVE WORKED OUT FOR THIS DEVELOPMENT.
KIND OF GOING BACK TO YOUR PREVIOUS POINT, AND I WOULD JUST JUST SO, YOU KNOW AS PART OF THE WIDENING AND THE, AND THE REBUILD OF, OF I-95 AND EXIT EIGHT THERE.
SCDOT IS INSTALLING A SIGNAL AT US 17 AND 278.
AND THEN WHEN THE COMES IN OR IN CONJUNCTION REALLY, SINCE, THEY ARE TEED UP TO GO CONCURRENTLY SO THAT ONE DOESN'T HAPPEN BEFORE THE OTHER AND CERTAINLY NOT THE BUC-EE'S BEFORE THE INTERCHANGE IS COMPLETE.
SO THAT WILL THOSE IMPROVEMENTS WILL BE IN PLACE, BUT THAT WILL CREATE A SECOND LEFT TURN FROM BUC-EE'S ONTO OR FROM US 17 SOUTH ONTO US 278 AND THAT WILL BE THEIR RESPONSIBILITY.
AND THEN IN ADDITION TO THAT, THERE ARE AND I DID A CONSERVATIVE ESTIMATE LOOKING AT THE ENTIRE PARCEL, NOT JUST THE BUC-EE'S, BUT ALSO THE OTHER OUT PARCELS FOR HOPEFULLY HOTELS AND RESTAURANTS. AND A VERY CONSERVATIVE ESTIMATE IS PROBABLY SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 600 AND $700,000 OF DEVELOPMENT FEES.
HARD TO TELL FOR SURE UNTIL YOU ACTUALLY SEE IT, BECAUSE IT'S BASED ON SQUARE FOOTAGE, BUT WE'LL HAVE SEVERAL HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS IN ADDITIONAL ROAD FEES AS WELL, IN ADDITION TO WHAT THEY ALREADY HAVE TO DO.
AND, YOU KNOW, UPGRADE THE APPEARANCE.
SO YOU KNOW, THEY ARE PAYING THAT.
BUT THAT'S, REALLY THE ESSENCE OF THE DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT.
OKAY. SO YOU MENTIONED SOMETHING.
AND I JUST PARTICULARLY IN LIGHT OF THE EMAIL THAT MRS. GUZMAN JUST READ PLEASE EXPLAIN IN DETAIL WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH, WELL, NOT DETAILED, BUT JUST EXPLAIN WITH THE WIDENING AND THE RECONFIGURATION OF OF 278 EXIT AND THE OPENING OF BUC-EE'S THAT IS CONCURRENT, IS THAT CORRECT? THAT IS CORRECT. I JUST WANT TO MARK DOWN THAT I'M A LAWYER AND A TRAFFIC ENGINEER.
OKAY, SO REVIEW TIME IS COMING, SIR.
I'M JUST TRYING TO. SO BECAUSE MS. FAGAN WAS, CONCERNED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE HIGHWAY TRAFFIC.
THAT'S RIGHT. THE WIDENING OF I-95 IS BEING DONE TO ALLEVIATE ALL THOSE BACKUPS.
365 DAYS A YEAR THAT HAPPENS IN HARDEEVILLE ON I-95, AS WELL AS THE RECONFIGURATION OF EXIT EIGHT SO THAT THE TRAFFIC FLOW IN AND OUT OF THE EXIT OFF I-95 IS MUCH SAFER.
AND THE APPLICANT, THE BUC-EE'S FOLKS HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH SCDOT FOR QUITE SOME TIME TO, YOU KNOW, TO COORDINATE THOSE AND MAKE SURE THAT THE INTERCHANGE, THEIR CONSTRUCTION SCHEDULE IS GOING TO BE BASED IN LARGE PART ON THE CONSTRUCTION SCHEDULE AND THE PROGRESS OF THE EXIT EIGHT INTERCHANGE.
IT DOESN'T REALLY BENEFIT THEM, I WOULDN'T THINK.
[01:00:01]
I DON'T WANT TO SPEAK FOR THEM, BUT IT'S NOT GOING TO BENEFIT THEM IF THAT INTERCHANGE IS NOT COMPLETE BEFORE THEY OPEN.SO THAT'S YOU KNOW, THAT'S BEEN THE GOAL ALL ALONG FOR QUITE SOME TIME.
THEY'VE BEEN WORKING TOGETHER.
AND BECAUSE I KNOW WE ALL WILL BE GETTING QUESTIONS, YOU KNOW, FIVE MINUTES AFTER ADJOURNMENT SCDOT SCHEDULE FOR THE WIDENING UP TO EXIT EIGHT IS WHEN DO YOU, I DON'T KNOW, OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD BECAUSE THERE'S DIFFERENT PHASES. I DO KNOW THAT THAT'S SUPPOSED TO BE IN THE BEGINNING.
THE VERY BEGINNING. I WILL HAVE THAT FOR YOU FOR SECOND READING.
NO PROBLEM. TO MY KNOWLEDGE AND NEIL, IS 2028 THE NUMBER I HAVE CORRECT IN MY HEAD.
SO SOMEWHERE IN 2028 THERE WILL BE THREE THINGS COMPLETE.
I-95 WILL BE WIDENED UP TO ACTUALLY THE MILE MARKER NINE.
THE EXIT RECONFIGURATION WILL BE COMPLETE AND WE WILL CUT THE RIBBON WITH SOME BEAVERS FROM TEXAS.
IS THAT CORRECT? [LAUGHTER] YES. OKAY.
ALL RIGHT. SO HAVING SAID THAT, ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS? I WILL START WITH MR. CARROLL. ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS? NO, SIR. MR. WHITE. NO QUESTIONS.
MRS. GUZMAN. NO QUESTIONS, SIR.
THANK YOU. AT THIS POINT, I'D LIKE TO OPEN IT UP TO THE PUBLIC FOR ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS, INCLUDING JAMES, DO WE HAVE ANYONE FROM ONLINE? NOPE. ANYONE PRESENT WITH QUESTIONS? OKAY, SO WITH NO FURTHER QUESTIONS, I'D LIKE A MOTION TO APPROVE, DISAPPROVE OR MAKE ANY CHANGES.
THIS IS ORDINANCE 2024-11-7C MAKE A MOTION THAT WE APPROVE ORDINANCE 2024- 11-7C WE HAVE A MOTION.
DO WE HAVE A SECOND? SECOND WE HAVE A MOTION.
WE HAVE A SECOND. ANY FURTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS BY COUNCIL OR THE PUBLIC? SEEING NONE I'LL CALL FOR A VOICE VOTE ON THIS.
THE SECOND READING OF THESE ORDINANCES WILL BE IN TWO WEEKS ON NOVEMBER 21ST.
SEE YOU THEN. THANK YOU, THANK YOU.
NEXT WE HAVE THE FIRST READING OF AN ORDINANCE TO ADOPT AN INITIAL MASTER PLAN SUBMITTAL FOR A TRACT OF LAND CONSISTING OF APPROXIMATELY 628.82 ACRES, TO BE KNOWN AS RIVERPORT COMMERCE PARK PHASE THREE AND RIVERPORT PARKWAY SOUTH, LOCATED BETWEEN I-95 AND US 17.
RIVERPORT PLANNED DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT.
AND THIS IS ORDINANCE 2024-11-7D.
THANK YOU. MAYOR. I'M GOING TO ASK BRANA TO COME UP AND GIVE YOU AN OVERVIEW.
IT IS 621 ACRES AND OVER 628 ACRES FOR MULTI USE BUSINESS PARK EXTENSION AND AN EXTENSION OF THE RIVERPORT PARK PARKWAY THAT WILL GET IT JUST SOUTH OF THE EXIT THREE INTERCHANGE.
SO ONCE AGAIN, BIG STRIDES IN OUR TRANSPORTATION NETWORK.
THE PROJECT SETTING. THIS IS THE BEST MAP THAT WE COULD SHOW YOU THAT SHOWS ALL OF THAT LARGE AREA.
84, KIND OF ON TOP OF PHASE TWO OF RIVERPORT.
THAT IS SHOWING YOU PHASE TWO AND THE AREA BACK IN HERE IS.
THIS DIRECTION IS WHERE WE WILL HAVE THE PHASE 3 PD, ORIGINALLY APPROVED IN 2009.
ONCE AGAIN, MOST RECENTLY AMENDED IN LATE 2023.
PHASES ONE AND TWO HAVE INITIAL MASTER PLANS AND ARE CURRENTLY MOSTLY BUILT AT THIS POINT.
[01:05:04]
FIRE STATION 84 IS LOCATED IN PHASE TWO.THIS IS THE INITIAL MASTER PLAN FOR THE AREA.
YOU CAN SEE A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT SIZED BUILDINGS.
THIS ONE'S GOT THE PHASE ONE, AND TWO HAVE MAINLY LARGE BUILDINGS.
THIS ONE'S GOING TO HAVE A MIXTURE.
AS YOU SAW IN SOME OF THE TEXT AND EVERYTHING.
PERRYSBURG ROAD I KNOW I'M NOT SAYING THAT.
RIGHT. PERRYSBURG ROAD I WILL ONE DAY LEARN.
I WILL TEACH YOU HOW TO SAY IT.
I KNOW I'M WORKING ON I GOT SOUTH CAROLINA.
I JUST DON'T HAVE HARDEEVILLE YET.
SOUTH HARDEEVILLE. THE THE ROADWAY THAT WILL BE IMPROVED AND INCLUDED IN THIS MASTER PLAN IS SHOWN THERE JUST TO THE NORTH OF THE DEVELOPMENT UP TOWARDS EXIT THREE.
THE PROPOSED RIVERPORT COMMERCE PARK PHASE THREE INCLUDES 3.82 MILLION SQUARE FEET, 86,000FT² OF FLEX SPACE. 140,000FT² OF COMMERCIAL TRUCK FACILITIES.
AND THE 3.25 MILES OF THE DIVIDED PARKWAY.
AND DEFINITELY A BIG PART OF MAKING ALL THIS HAPPEN FOR OUR PORTS.
PLANNING COMMISSION, CITY COUNCIL SITE DEVELOPMENT PERMIT.
SO PLENTY OF OPPORTUNITIES TO STILL TO LOOK AT THIS AS WELL AS GOING THROUGH THE DETAIL AND THE SITE DEVELOPMENT PERMIT PROCESS OF SRC PLANNING COMMISSION DOES RECOMMEND APPROVAL ON THIS INITIAL MASTER PLAN.
THEY DID ASK FOR BECAUSE OF SOME OF THE PREVIOUS CONFUSION WE HAD WITH NOTIFICATIONS.
THEY WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THE APPLICANT'S NEIGHBORS WERE ALL NOTIFIED.
THEY HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED AND BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY OF THOSE QUESTIONS.
WE ALSO HAVE FELIPE TOLEDO FROM THOMAS AND HUTTON TO SPEAK FOR THE APPLICANT.
AND MR. HARPER IS HERE AS WELL. SO BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS AND TURN IT OVER TO THEM.
BRANA, BEFORE YOU TURN IT OVER FOR CLARIFICATION, I KNOW I'VE ASKED THIS, BUT COULD YOU GO ONE FURTHER SLIDE AND EXPLAIN WHAT FLEX SPACE IS AND COMMERCIAL TRUCK FACILITIES.
FLEX SPACE WE'VE ALWAYS CALLED IT AROUND THE OFFICE AS OFFICE WAREHOUSE.
IT'S A SMALLER WAREHOUSE FOOTPRINT SOMETIMES FOR WITH A SHOWROOM OR OFFICE SPACE OR RETAIL UP FRONT.
SO SIMILAR TO I THINK WE TALKED ABOUT THIS TO WHAT'S DOWN IN FREEDOM INDUSTRIAL PARK DOWN BY THE GRANITE LOCATION AND THOSE, TYPES OF BUILDINGS ARE ON A LITTLE SMALLER SCALE, BUT THEY HOUSED CONTRACTORS AND HVAC, TYPICAL SUPPLY FOR CONSTRUCTION, THOSE TYPE OF USES.
RIGHT NOW THERE ARE SOME NEEDS TO TO CLASSIFY THAT SOMETIME AS, AS COMMERCIAL TRUCK OPERATIONS.
GOOD EVENING, MAYOR, AND COUNCIL MEMBERS.
GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS FELIPE TOLEDO WITH THOMAS AND HUTTON.
AND I'M HERE REPRESENTING THE [INAUDIBLE] BROTHERS.
SO I WANT TO TOUCH ON A FEW SUBJECTS RELATED TO THIS DEVELOPMENT, MAINLY ON THE TOPIC OF TRANSPORTATION, STORMWATER AND UTILITIES.
SO AS BRENA EXPLAINED, THIS IS PART OF THE RIVERPORT PARKWAY, IS PART OF A MASTER PLAN OF TRANSPORTATION THAT INCLUDES THE WIDENING OF I-95 EXIT THREE, AND IMPROVEMENT ON EXIT FIVE AND EIGHT AS WELL.
SO THIS EXPANSION OF RIVERPORT PARKWAY, A FOUR LANE DIVIDED HIGHWAY, WILL CONNECT A HIGHWAY 17 TO EXIT THREE, FUTURE EXIT THREE, AND IT WILL PROVIDE ALL THE TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE TO SUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE RIVERPORT TRACTS.
[01:10:02]
THE PD FOR THIS DEVELOPMENT.REGARDING THE STORMWATER, WE MASTER PLAN PONDS AND TO HELP WITH THE WATER RUNOFF CONTROL AND PROVIDE WATER QUALITY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT AND THE DEVELOPMENT WILL CONFORM TO A STATE AND LOCAL STORMWATER REGULATION.
AS FAR AS UTILITIES, THIS TRACT IS SERVED BY WATER BY BEAUFORT-JASPER.
AS FAR AS THE SEWER, THERE WILL BE A PUMP STATION LOCATED HERE THAT WILL DISCHARGE TO THE EXISTING PUMP STATION LOCATED AT REAR PORT PHASE TWO, AND FROM THAT PUMP STATION BUILDINGS WILL BE SERVED BY A GRAVITY.
WELL AND HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE.
THANK YOU. LET'S START THE QUESTIONING WITH MR. MEERSMAN. I HAVE NO QUESTIONS.
MRS GUZMAN. NO QUESTIONS, SIR.
OKAY. I ALREADY ASKED ABOUT DEFINING THOSE TERMS. BUT I HAVE ONE FURTHER QUESTION.
THERE'S WAREHOUSING, THERE'S FLEX SPACE, AND THERE'S 140,000FT² OF COMMERCIAL TRUCKING SPACE.
ARE THESE INTERCHANGEABLE? LIKE, IS IT OR ARE THEY STRICTLY DEFINED? IN OTHER WORDS, AS YOU START DEVELOPING, MAYBE YOU ONLY NEED 43,000 OF FLEX SPACE.
AND YOU YOU BUILD MORE WAREHOUSING.
SO THIS JUST IS THIS DEFINES WHAT YOU EXPECT OR CAN THIS CHANGE AS MARKET CONDITIONS CHANGE.
WELL IT DEFINES WHAT'S SHOWN ON THIS INITIAL MASTER PLAN.
YEAH. MARKET CONDITIONS CAN CERTAINLY CHANGE THAT.
OKAY. THIS IS PROBABLY A LIKELY USE.
BUT YEAH, THE COMMERCIAL TRUCK FACILITIES THAT COULD SHRINK IN SIZE A LITTLE BIT.
BUILDING CONFIGURATION COULD CHANGE BASED UPON THE ACTUAL TYPE OF USE.
BUT GENERALLY SPEAKING, THERE WILL BE SOMEWHAT IN LINE WITH WHAT'S LISTED AS THIS IS TESTED OUT.
SO AT THIS POINT I WOULD LIKE TO OPEN IT UP TO THE PUBLIC.
OKAY. SEEING NONE, I'D LIKE A MOTION TO APPROVE, DISAPPROVE OR MAKE ANY CHANGES.
MR. MAYOR, I MAKE A MOTION THAT WE APPROVE 2024-11-7D ORDINANCE ON FIRST READING.
DO WE HAVE A SECOND? SECOND? WE HAVE A MOTION. WE HAVE A SECOND.
ANY FURTHER COMMENTS BY COUNCIL OR THE PUBLIC? SEEING NONE, I'LL CALL FOR A VOICE VOTE ON THIS.
THE SECOND READING WILL BE IN TWO WEEKS ON NOVEMBER 21ST.
NEXT, WE HAVE THE FIRST READING OF AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND THE FISCAL YEAR 2024 BUDGET OF REVENUES AND EXPENDITURES TOTALING 54,000. OH OR THE BUDGET IS TOTAL $54,736,570. THIS IS ORDINANCE 2024-11-7E.
MR. BOYLE, I ASSUME THAT'S OKAY WITH YOU.
MR. GRUBER. I'LL GO AHEAD AND RUN IT.
THERE'S A COVER SLIDE HERE WHICH YOU'RE VERY USED TO SEEING, YOU KNOW.
BUT ANYWAY, THIS AND I CAN'T GET IT TO CHANGE THAT, BUT THE AMENDMENT WE TRY TO DO HERE, AND WE DO THIS EVERY YEAR AT THE, AT POST FISCAL YEAR, AS WE LOOK AT OUR, EACH DEPARTMENT AND WHAT MIGHT BE A LITTLE BIT OVER, A LITTLE BIT UNDER.
AND THIS AMENDMENT THREE OR BUDGET AMENDMENT THREE FOR FISCAL YEAR 24 DOES JUST THAT.
SO JUST TO WALK THROUGH THIS IS WHERE WE'RE PULLING FUNDS FROM BUDGETED FUNDS FROM DEPARTMENTS WHO WERE UNDER AND WERE OVER TO COVER THEM. NONE OF THE DEPARTMENTS THAT ARE OVER DID ANYTHING THEY WEREN'T SUPPOSED TO DO.
FOR EXAMPLE, FIRE THEY HAD SUBSTANTIALLY MORE TURNOVER THAN, THEY'RE TYPICALLY USED TO.
[01:15:04]
AT ONE TIME HE WAS SEVEN PEOPLE SHORT.SO THAT'S PEOPLE WORKING 24 HOUR SHIFTS THAT WE'RE PAYING OVERTIME.
AND THAT WENT ON FOR A NUMBER OF WEEKS AND MONTHS.
SO THAT'S A BIG CHUNK OF WHAT HE HAD THERE.
HE ALSO WAS SOME OF THE NEW SERVICES HE'S DOING.
THERE WAS ANOTHER LARGE CHUNK OF ANOTHER RELATIVELY LARGE CHUNK OF THAT THAT WAS EQUIPMENT COSTS.
SO THAT EXPLAINS WHAT HAPPENED WITH FIRE.
WE'RE MOVING $50,000 TO COVER THOSE EXPENSES.
I KEPT THEM AROUND JUST FOR SIMPLICITY'S SAKE.
WORKFORCE TRAINING FOR THEM TO BE A LITTLE BIT OVER.
THAT MEANS WE SERVE MORE CITIZENS IN THOSE PROGRAMS. SO THAT'S A WIN.
THAT'S NOT A BAD THING AT ALL.
COMMUNICATION INFORMATION AND DATA SERVICES THERE WAS A LARGE AMOUNT OF DATA SOFTWARE THAT HAD TO BE OR SOFTWARE THAT HAD TO BE PURCHASED FOR A NUMBER OF DEPARTMENTS.
AND THAT'S WHERE THOSE EXPENSES ARE COVERED ARE DONE.
FACILITY MAINTENANCE, JUST ABOUT HALF OF THAT WAS UTILITIES.
UTILITIES COST MORE, A LITTLE BIT MORE THIS YEAR THAN WE HAD BUDGETED.
AND THEN ANOTHER LARGE CHUNK OF THAT WAS SOME WORK WE DID AT THE LIBRARY.
AND THEN LASTLY, AGAIN, NOT A BAD THING.
FESTIVAL ON MAIN IS GETTING BIGGER AND BIGGER.
WE SPEND A LITTLE MORE THAN WE HAD ANTICIPATED, AND IN DOING SO WE ARE MOVING $25,000 TO PICK THAT UP AS WELL. THANK YOU.
ANYTHING ELSE, MR. GRUBER? NO, SIR. I WOULD SAY IT'S MORE FOR THE PUBLIC'S BENEFIT THAN COUNCIL'S.
STAFF ALWAYS MAKES SURE THAT BEFORE WE MOVE FORWARD WITH INCURRING SOME OF THESE EXPENDITURES, THAT WE WILL HAVE SUFFICIENT REVENUES FROM OTHER SOURCES SO THAT REGARDLESS OF WHAT COMES UP AT THE END OF THE YEAR, WE WILL NOT EXCEED THE BUDGET THAT'S ADOPTED BY COUNCIL.
SO THESE ARE MODIFICATIONS THAT HELP TRUE UP SOME OF THESE ACCOUNTS.
AND THAT WAY, ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE, WE CAN ADDRESS RIGHT THEN AND THERE.
BUT ULTIMATELY, THIS IS MORE OF AN ACCOUNTING EXERCISE, BUT I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE PUBLIC IS CLEAR THAT IT'S DONE WITH CLEAR INTENTIONS AND AN UNDERSTANDING THAT THE FUNDS ARE AVAILABLE WITHIN THE ADOPTED BUDGET.
I'M GOING TO START THE QUESTIONING WITH MR. CARROLL. NO QUESTIONS.
JOHN EXPLAINED IT WHY HE HAD TO DO IT, AND THAT'S UNDERSTANDABLE.
AND YOU ALWAYS KEEP US STRAIGHT.
AND SO I DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.
NO QUESTIONS, SIR. MR. MEERSMAN. THE $575,000 BEING REMOVED OUT OF THE POLICE BUDGET.
GOOD QUESTION. WHY IS THAT? WHY ARE THOSE FUNDS AVAILABLE? WELL, WHY ARE THOSE FUNDS AVAILABLE? AND ARE WE SHORTCHANGING OURSELVES BY MOVING THEM? WAS IF THEY WERE PUT INTO THE BUDGET, WHAT WASN'T DONE TO HAVE THAT MUCH EXCESS? AS I BELIEVE YOU'RE AWARE, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT HAS HAS, IS WORKING REALLY HARD TO GET THEIR STAFFING UP, BUT THEY HAVEN'T BEEN AT FULL STAFF FOR QUITE A WHILE.
SO THAT'S WHERE I HATE TO SAY IT IS SAVINGS BECAUSE WE CONTINUE TO WE AS.
A SAVINGS, BUT IT'S A LOSS WE DON'T HAVE IT'S LAPSED SALARY MONEY THAT BECOMES AVAILABLE FOR OTHER THINGS.
YES, SIR. AND THE OTHER IS ON FESTIVAL ON MAIN.
WHAT WERE THE INCREASED EXPENSES THAT WE INCURRED ON THAT? I DON'T HAVE ANY SPECIFICS ON THAT, BUT IT WAS OPERATING EXPENSES.
YEAH. NEIL, IF YOU HAVE INFORMATION ON THAT, CAN YOU COME ON? GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL ONCE AGAIN JUST TO TOUCH BASE ON THE FESTIVAL.
SO, SO AS THEY MENTIONED, AS CITY MANAGER MENTIONED, THE MONEY IS THERE.
DOES IT ALSO REFLECT ALL THE SPONSORSHIP DOLLARS AND DIFFERENT THINGS OF THAT SORT? SO THAT'S THE REASON WHY YOU SEE, THE PRICE DID GO UP ON THE FESTIVAL ON MAIN, BUT WE'RE HAPPY TO SAY THAT, I MEAN, THROUGH THE MONIES, THROUGH TAX DOLLARS AND ALSO THE FESTIVAL
[01:20:01]
OF THE SPONSORSHIPS AND STUFF THAT WE RECEIVED WE DID COVER ALL THE COSTS AND STUFF FOR THE FESTIVAL THIS YEAR.ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? STEVE. I'M GOING TO FOLLOW UP ON YOUR QUESTION.
YOU KNOW, I UNDERSTAND OUR PUBLIC SERVICES ARE OPERATING 24 OVER SEVEN.
BEING SHORT OF STAFF OF FIRE DEPARTMENT, WE GO OVER $575,000.
WE'RE SHORT IN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT IS ALSO 24 OVER SEVEN.
I KNOW WHAT WE'RE DOING, BUT I ALSO KNOW WHEN WE WERE IN BUDGET SEASON, WE WANTED TO INCREASE POLICE PRESENCE AND NOT FIRE.
NOT THAT BECAUSE NOT THAT WE DON'T WANT FIRE COVERED, BUT I.
I'M A LITTLE CONCERNED THAT WE'RE NOT SPENDING AS DIRECTED BY COUNCIL DURING BUDGET SEASON TO THIS LARGE EXTENT.
THE STAFFING FOR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN AN ONGOING CHALLENGE, AS AT LEAST I'VE BEEN HERE.
AND SAM, TO HIS CREDIT, AT LEAST ONE PERSON'S OPINION IS HE'S NOT HIRING PEOPLE JUST TO FILL SLOTS.
HE'S MAKING SURE HE HAS THE RIGHT PEOPLE IN THE RIGHT JOBS.
I DON'T WANT TO SPEAK FOR CHIEF, BUT AM I PRETTY CLOSE? OKAY. WELL, I AGAIN, YOU KNOW, 20,000 120,000 IS ONE THING.
$500,000 IS A BIG DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE DIRECTIVE OF COUNCIL AND THE REALITY.
AND I UNDERSTAND THE REASONS I'M NOT BEING CRITICAL.
I THINK I'VE NOT BEEN AS CLEAR AS I NEED TO.
SAM'S. THERE'S A THERE'S A CHUNK OF MONEY FROM WHAT SAM WASN'T ABLE TO HIRE, BUT THERE WAS ALSO SOME SAVINGS IN OTHER IN OTHER LINE ITEMS THAT HE HAD THAT ENABLED US TO MOVE THIS 575.
IT'S NOT HALF $1 MILLION OF JUST STAFFING THAT HASN'T BEEN ACCOMPLISHED.
OKAY, I'M GLAD YOU. I'M SORRY FOR THAT.
I'M GLAD YOU CLARIFIED THAT WE, YOU KNOW, MINOR DIFFERENCES.
WE ALL UNDERSTAND AND WE UNDERSTAND WE HAVE TO HAVE OUR OUR PUBLIC SAFETY SERVICES 24 OVER SEVEN.
AND I UNDERSTAND THE OVERTIME.
BUT YOU KNOW THAT THAT'S A BIG SWING.
AND I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE DOING AND I KNOW I'M NOT GOING TO GO ANY FURTHER.
I KNOW WE'RE DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN.
MAYOR, IF I COULD ADD TO THAT, SINCE THIS IS FIRST READING OF AN ORDINANCE THAT WILL COME BACK FOR SECOND READING, WE'LL PREPARE SOME INFORMATION THAT HAS SOME MORE DETAILED LINE ITEMS WITH THOSE. THAT WAY, YOU CAN HAVE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF WHERE THOSE CHANGES ARE ACTUALLY COMING FROM.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH. AT THIS TIME, I WOULD LIKE TO OPEN IT UP TO THE PUBLIC.
WOULD THE PUBLIC LIKE TO MAKE ANY COMMENTS OR ASK ANY QUESTIONS REGARDING THIS BUDGET? HOUSEKEEPING. OKAY.
MR. MAYOR, I MAKE A MOTION THAT WE APPROVE ON FIRST READING ORDINANCE 20 2411 DASH SEVEN.
DO WE HAVE A SECOND? SECOND. WE HAVE A MOTION.
WE HAVE A SECOND. ANY FURTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS BY COUNCIL OR THE PUBLIC? SEEING NONE I'LL CALL FOR A VOICE VOTE ON THIS.
SECOND READING IS IN TWO WEEKS.
NEXT. I HAVE ONE COMMENT, IF I MAY PLEASE.
SURE. ONE OF THE THINGS I'M REMEMBERING BACK FROM A LONG TIME AGO WHEN I WAS AT RAYTHEON, WE WERE HAVING A LOT OF TROUBLE GETTING SOFTWARE ENGINEERS.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE WERE HIRING 5 OR 600 A YEAR, AND WE.
AND I GUESS I'M WONDERING, SAM, THIS IS AN ONGOING PROBLEM.
[01:25:01]
AND AND IT'S NOT A I'M NOT BEING CRITICAL.I'M JUST WONDERING IF PLAN A CONTINUES NOT TO WORK.
BUT TO ME, IT'S A REAL ISSUE AND IT'S A SIGNIFICANT ISSUE.
AND I THINK SAFETY IS PROBABLY OUR PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITY TO OUR CITIZENS.
SO I'M JUST THINKING OUT LOUD.
I'M REMEMBERING BACK AND WE WERE ABLE TO DO SOME THINGS THAT SOLVED IT.
AND AND I'M WONDERING I'M JUST THINKING OUT LOUD WITH YOU.
I'M NOT BEING SCOLDING OR CRITICAL.
YES, SIR. I'M ALREADY AT PLAN D.
IT SOUNDS LIKE F AND G NEED TO BE COMING ALONG STEADILY, WORKING WITH THE COMMAND STAFF AND EVERYBODY AT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT TO TRY TO GET THE BEST POSSIBLE PEOPLE I CAN GET, AS I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'RE AWARE OF IT, THAT I HAD TO LET TWO INDIVIDUALS GO BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T FIT THE GRADE.
OKAY. THAT WOULD HAVE LEFT ME ONLY NOW DOWN TO THREE.
BUT UNFORTUNATELY THAT HAPPENED.
SO I'M RECRUITING, TRYING TO GET MORE PEOPLE NOW.
I GOT A GENTLEMAN COMING IN FROM NEW JERSEY THAT WE JUST HIRED.
DOES HE SPEAK ENGLISH? YES, SIR. YES, SIR.
DOES HE HAVE A SEARCH WARRANT FOR A CERTAIN GUY? WELL. WE CHECKED. WE CHECKED HIM OUT.
JUST DIDN'T FIT THE GRADE ALSO.
I'M JUST LOOKING FOR GOOD PEOPLE.
AND MAY I ASK A QUESTION? WHEN YOU SAY DON'T FIT THE GRADE, DO YOU MEAN THEY'RE NOT AS GOOD THINGS IN THE BACKGROUND? JUST DIDN'T. I GOT YOU DIDN'T SUIT MYSELF AS THE CHIEF OF POLICE AND DIDN'T SUIT WHAT I FELT WAS BEST FOR THE CITY OF HARDEEVILLE.
AND AGAIN, WE LOOK WE LOOK AT THESE APPLICANTS VERY HARD.
AND LIKE I SAID, I GO WITH MY COMMAND STAFF.
I LET THEM VENT THEM AND THEY BRING THEM TO ME, AND I'VE BEEN THEM.
SO THAT HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES.
SO IT'S JUST I'M LOOKING FOR THE RIGHT PEOPLE.
WE'RE JUST WHAT'S THAT? WE'RE NOT JUST HIRING A BODY.
YOU'RE HIRING? NO, SIR, I'M NOT DOING THAT.
I'VE SEEN TOO MANY COME AND GO IF I DO IT THAT WAY.
AND TO ADD TO THAT, SAM, YOU HAVE A GOOD REP.
YOUR DEPARTMENT HAS A GOOD REPUTATION IN THIS DAY AND TIME.
THAT'S WHAT I WANT TO TRY TO KEEP. AND IN THIS DAY AND TIME, THAT'S SAYING SOMETHING.
WELL, I WISH I COULD HIRE ALL OF THEM TO MARS.
MAYBE IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS THAT MIGHT HAPPEN, AND WE'LL JUST HAVE TO WAIT AND SEE.
WE'LL HAVE SECOND READING, AND WE EXPECT TO HAVE SOME PEOPLE HIRED BY THEN CHIEF.
HE'S GOING TO NEW JERSEY ON A HE'S GOING TO NEW JERSEY FROM NEW JERSEY.
GOT TO STAY CLOSE TO YOU A LITTLE BIT CLOSER IN THE UNITED STATES.
SAM, IF YOU CAN, WE'RE GOING TO RAISE THE BAR, CHIEF.
YEAH. I NEXT IS A RESOLUTION IN THE CITY OF HARDEEVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA CITY COUNCIL AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO HIRE A GENERAL CONTRACTOR TO COMPLETE THE JUJU HUDSON PLAYGROUND PHASE TWO PROJECT IN THE AMOUNT OF $1,102,000.
THIS IS RESOLUTION 2024, DASH 11 DASH SEVEN.
IT'S A RESOLUTION REQUIRES ONLY ONE VOTE.
ORIGINALLY, WE WERE GOING TO CALL UPON JEN TO COVER THIS WITH YOU TONIGHT.
SHE'S OUT OF THE OFFICE, AND SO WE'RE GOING TO ASK JODY.
JODY, UNFORTUNATELY, HAS TAKEN SICK.
SO HE'S HE'S NO LONGER THE LAWYER TODAY.
A LOT TODAY. YEAH. YOU GET PAID BY THE APPEARANCE? YEAH. THAT'S A GOOD IDEA.
CAN I GET, LIKE, A INCENTIVE CONTRACT? YEAH. WEAR THAT SUIT NEXT TIME YOU COME OVER.
ALL RIGHT. WELL, GOOD EVENING AGAIN.
NOT THAT I DON'T LIKE BEING HERE. JUST, YOU KNOW, IT'S GETTING LATE.
YES. SO. YEAH, BEAR WITH ME JUST A LITTLE BIT.
[01:30:03]
AGAIN, THIS IS OBVIOUSLY THIS IS THIS IS THE EXISTING HUDSON PARK HERE.THE PLAYGROUND HAS ALREADY BEEN CONSTRUCTED.
HAS THAT LOVELY ORANGE TEMPORARY FENCING AROUND IT.
BUT THAT'S WHERE WE'RE GOING TO DO ALL THIS WORK.
MORE PERMANENT. THIS IS THE PLAN.
IT'S GOING TO FEATURE THIS PAVILION WITH RESTROOMS. HERE'S THE EXISTING PLAYGROUND.
IT'LL BE MUCH MORE PLAY AREA WITH A PLAY LAWN.
VERY NICE DECORATIVE FENCING ALL THE WAY AROUND.
I THINK THERE'S FIVE TOTAL GATES, ADDITIONAL TREE PLANTINGS, OTHER LANDSCAPING.
IT'S REALLY GOING TO LOOK GREAT.
THIS HAS BEEN A LONG TIME COMING.
THERE'S ALSO ADDITIONAL PARKING ALONG THE DRIVE HERE.
THIS IS KIND OF LIKE THE THERE'S IT'S TABBY.
KIND OF LIKE THE PARKING SPACES IN FRONT OF THE DOG PARK.
I'M SORRY, THE GRINDER PUMP THAT IS HERE.
DUE TO DEMAND BOTH IN THE EXISTING RESTROOMS AND AND THEN THE NEW RESTROOMS AS WELL.
AGAIN, AS JEN TELLS YOU ALL THE TIME, THIS THIS PARK IS JUST JUST SEES A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF USE.
IT'S REALLY I MEAN, IT'S KIND OF AMAZING, REALLY.
HOW MANY PEOPLE COME THERE ON A TRULY A DAILY BASIS? AND THIS IS JUST SOME, SOME RENDERINGS.
IT'S GOING TO LOOK VERY, VERY SIMILAR TO THIS, THIS STRUCTURE THAT ALREADY EXISTS.
THIS IS THE KIND OF FENCING THAT WILL BE AROUND IT, AROUND THE WHOLE PLAY AREA.
SO WE ARE PAYING FOR THIS WITH ARPA FUNDS, THE ARPA FUNDS FROM A FEW YEARS AGO.
AND WE WE HAVE DONE A GOOD JOB.
SO WE REALLY NEED TO MOVE ON THIS THAT WE HAVE THAT HUNDRED AND 49,000 APPROVED NOT TO EXCEED.
BUT AGAIN, TRULY, THAT'S WHY WE JODI EMPHASIZED THE USE IT OR LOSE IT.
SO THE MEMORIAL PARK WAS STARTED AS THE VETERANS PARK, AS YOU KNOW, AS PART OF THE HUB PLAN.
WE HAVE IN THIS CURRENT FISCAL YEAR, WE WE WE YOU APPROVED $1.9 MILLION IN IN NSIP FOR CONSTRUCTION THAT'S GOING TO CARRY OVER INTO THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR TO COMPLETE THAT PROJECT WITH AN ADDITIONAL 1.9 MILLION.
THERE WASN'T THERE WERE NO FUNDS IN THE BUDGET FOR A SPLASH PAD.
THEY WEREN'T REQUESTED OR APPROVED AT THIS TIME OR IN THIS CURRENT BUDGET.
AND I'M GOING TO COME BACK TO THAT IN JUST I'LL CIRCLE BACK.
AGAIN, THIS IS THE BID AT 1.1 MILLION.
WE DID OBVIOUSLY ADVERTISE THIS AS WE DO ALL OF OUR LARGE CONTRACTS.
WE ONLY HAD ONE ONE RESPONDENT.
SO, YEAH, JUST ONE YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF WORK AROUND RIGHT NOW.
SOME FOLKS JUST DON'T LIKE TO DO SOME OF THIS KIND OF WORK, BUT THAT THAT IS WHAT WE GOT.
BUT BUT THIS IS THE SINGLE RESPONDENT BUFORD CONSTRUCTION.
AS YOU KNOW, WE KIND OF TOOK WE HIT THE GROUND RUNNING ONCE.
YOU KNOW, EVERYONE GOT ON THE SAME PAGE AND SAID, YOU KNOW, LET'S DO THIS.
ALL THAT GOOD STUFF REALLY DOVETAILS VERY NICELY TO OUR MUNICIPAL HUB PLAN.
I THINK THAT'S REALLY NEAT. BUT I DID WANT TO EMPHASIZE.
SO THE THE MEMORIAL PARK IS HERE.
THAT WAS PHASE ONE OF THE, OF THE MUNICIPAL HUB PLAN.
PROBABLY WE SHOULD BE BUILDING BIDDING THAT BY THE END OF THE YEAR, WE ACTUALLY MEETING WITH THOSE FOLKS TOMORROW TO FINALIZE THE CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENTS. SO WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT.
BUT THE SECOND PHASE THAT WAS ALWAYS IDENTIFIED WAS WHAT IS JUST IN GENERAL TERMS WAS CALLED THE EVENT PARK, WHICH INCLUDES TBE CARROLL PARK, THE LIBRARY, THE OLD CITY HALL AREA AND ALL THAT.
THIS IS NOT THE FINAL DESIGN, AS YOU RECALL.
THIS IS JUST SORT OF A PLACEHOLDER, A CONCEPT.
[01:35:09]
YEAR FOR THE VETERANS PARK.AND THEN WE HAD THE WE HAD PUSHED THE EVENT PARKS FULLY OUT TO FY 27.
CERTAINLY FUNDS FUNDING DEPENDENT.
WE COULD GO AHEAD IN THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR.
I THINK IT WOULD BE PROBABLY PRUDENT TO REQUEST ENGINEERING DESIGN FUNDS AND GET THAT KICKED OFF FOR THE FOR FOR THAT WHOLE EVENT PARK AREA AND TB CARROLL PARK AND INCLUDING THE SPLASH PAD.
SO WE'RE KIND OF A, YOU KNOW, ALREADY AHEAD OF THE GAME, SO TO SPEAK.
BUT THAT'S WHAT WE WOULD SUGGEST.
BUT, YOU KNOW, THE FURTHER OUT YOU GET IN THOSE, THOSE THOSE LATER YEARS.
BUT THAT'S WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT FOR THAT.
AND JUST WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW THAT.
BUT. BUT TONIGHT WE ARE ASKING FOR APPROVAL SO WE CAN AWARD THAT CONTRACT AND AND GET FINISH UP THE JUJU HUDSON PLAYGROUND, WHICH IS REALLY KIND OF FINISH IT OFF BECAUSE RIGHT NOW IT'S BEEN KIND OF HALF DONE FOR, WHAT, TWO OVER TWO YEARS NOW.
I'LL TRY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS IF I CAN.
I THINK IT'S MR. CARROLL'S TURN THIS TIME.
THAT'S A SURPRISE. AND THE ONLY ONE.
BUT I GUESS THERE'S SO MUCH WORK TO DO.
AND I HAD TALKED TO JEN, AND MAYBE IT'S AND SHE HAD ASSURED ME.
BUT I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WHEN WE DO THIS, THAT WE HAVE A NICE SIGN.
YES, SIR. OKAY. MR. WHITE MET ONE OF THE SLIDES YOU HAD HAD 1226.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS I'M CURIOUS ABOUT IS GOOD PLAN, LOTS OF THINGS, BUT ALSO GETTING PEOPLE TO BID BECAUSE OF A LOT OF CIRCUMSTANCES, A LOT OF WORK OUT THERE CONCERNS YOU MIGHT HAVE CAPACITY THAT WE HAVE INTERNALLY TO BE ABLE TO KEEP MANAGING THESE THINGS, JUST THINKING OUT LOUD, THAT SORT OF 30,000FT.
ANYTHING THAT YOU COME, COMES TO MIND FOR YOU.
YOU KNOW CITY MANAGER DOES NOW HAVE A PART TIME HELP.
SO THAT THAT'S A THAT'S BEEN A REAL BLESSING TO HELP WITH SOME OF THESE CITY PROJECTS.
I DON'T FORESEE THAT BEING AN ISSUE.
BUT AGAIN, THE KEY IS JUST THAT THAT THESE FUNDS HAVE TO BE CONTRACTED.
IT'S NOT JUST THE CITY COUNCIL SAYING WE'RE GOING TO SPEND THEM.
WE HAVE TO ACTUALLY INK THE CONTRACT.
AND, YOU KNOW, TRULY, YOU KNOW, DESIGNATE THOSE FUNDS AND YOU'RE OPTIMISTIC ABOUT THAT.
MATT. IF I COULD JUST PIGGYBACK ON THAT REAL QUICK.
I CAN TELL YOU, I'VE PREVIOUSLY WORKED WITH BEAUFORT CONSTRUCTION.
MY KEY QUESTION IS AVAILABILITY OF RESOURCES TO GET.
I KNOW WE CAN MANAGE AND WE'VE GOT THE FUNDS.
YES. I MEAN, AS FAR AS AS FAR AS MATERIALS, ARE YOU TALKING? NO, JUST PEOPLE THAT ARE GOING TO DO THE WORK, LIKE.
YEAH. I MEAN, I DON'T THINK THEY WOULD HAVE BID IT IF THEY WEREN'T CONFIDENT THAT THEY COULD.
NO, I'M TALKING ABOUT BEYOND THAT.
YOU'RE GOING TO NEED OTHER BIDS TOO, AREN'T YOU.
AND STUFF DOWN THE ROAD, OTHER RESOURCES OR IS THAT IT.
OH I MEAN WITH WITH OTHER PHASES.
MRS. GUZMAN. I HEARD WHAT JOSH JUST SAID ABOUT THAT HE'S WORKED WITH THEM BEFORE.
WHAT ARE THEY GOING TO WHAT? ARE WE GOING TO WORK IN A CONTINGENCY PLAN IN IN HERE? BECAUSE THERE ARE ONLY ONE BIDDER.
SOMETHING GOES SOUTH SOMEWHERE.
WHAT'S OUR OPTION? YEAH. THAT'S IT.
THEY'LL THEY'LL BOND IT. AND SO FOR SOME REASON, IF THEY HAVE FINANCIAL DIFFICULTIES, IF THEY GO BANKRUPT, WE'LL HAVE THE ABILITY TO STEP IN AND THE BOND HOLDER WILL PAY FOR US TO HIRE ANOTHER VENDOR TO COMPLETE THE WORK.
[01:40:05]
OKAY. THANK YOU, MR. MEERSMAN. A COUPLE OF THINGS.DO WE HAVE PERFORMANCE TIMELINES INCLUDED IN THE CONTRACT? YES, SIR. THERE ARE. OKAY.
THIS IS A $1.1 MILLION EXPANSION OF THE PARK.
YOU CAN SAY IT'S SLOW. YOU CAN SAY IT FAST.
I HAVE TALKED WITH JEN ABOUT THIS BEFORE.
AND I'VE SPENT QUITE A BIT OF TIME IN THE EVENINGS DOWN HERE HAVE WITH THE GRANDSON PLAYING SOCCER.
WE ARE GOING TO HAVE THE SAME LABOR INCREASES WITH THE VETERANS PARK AND WITH THE SPLASH PAD.
SO LET'S ALL BE CONSCIOUS WHEN SHE COMES WITH THESE INCREASES FOR STAFFING.
BUT I THINK IT'S A GREAT ADDITION.
FIRST OF ALL, AND THIS JUST CAME TO ME AS YOU WERE SHOWING THIS.
WE'RE PUTTING RESTROOMS IN THAT PAVILION.
IT'S WHAT HAPPENS TO THE EXISTING RESTROOMS. THEY'RE YOU'RE STILL THERE. SO WE'RE GOING TO PUT RESTROOMS 100FT APART FROM EACH OTHER.
I MEAN, AND AGAIN, THE IDEA HERE IS THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS THIS THIS PARK IS, IS FENCED.
SO YOU HAVE LITTLE KIDS SO YOU FEEL MORE SECURE.
YOU KNOW, YOUR CHILD GOES IN HERE.
MAYBE YOU DON'T HAVE TO TAKE THEM OVER HERE.
AND JUST FROM A SIMPLE USE STANDPOINT IT JUST IT JUST MAKES A LOT OF SENSE TO HAVE MORE RESTROOMS. AND, MATT, TO KIND OF EMPHASIZE THAT FACT.
MY UNDERSTANDING IS PART OF THE REASON WHY THE SEWER PUMP IS BEING INCLUDED AS PART OF THIS PROJECT IS BECAUSE IT IS NOT MEETING THE CURRENT CAPACITY FOR WHAT'S ALREADY OUT THERE, LET ALONE THE ADDITION, WHICH IS WHY IT'S GOING TO HAVE TO BE UPGRADED BASED UPON THE CURRENT VOLUME AND USAGE.
AND TO MR. MEERSMAN POINT ABOUT THE PRICE TAG ON THIS.
ABOUT 20% OF THIS IS ACTUALLY JUST THE GRINDER.
WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, UNDERGROUND.
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT NOBODY SEES.
ALL RIGHT, I'M GOING TO MOVE ON.
THERE IS IN THE OTHER SLIDE AND IN THE BID ESTIMATES THERE'S EXCLUSIONS.
AND IT EXCLUDES YOU KNOW, MUSIC EQUIPMENT AND APPLIANCES AND STUFF LIKE THAT. DO WE NEED TO BUY MORE THINGS ONCE THIS IS ALL DONE, OR IS THIS IT? THAT'S A PRETTY STANDARD CONTRACT THING THAT FOR ANY PROJECT.
AND YEAH, SO WE'RE NOT WE'RE NOT FORGOING ANYTHING THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO ADD LATER.
LET'S GO BACK TO THE THE DRAWING OF OF THE PARK THERE WHERE THE PAVILION IS.
COULD YOU PUT THAT BACK UP? NOW, I'M GOING FROM MEMORY, BUT.
BUT IF WE ALL GONE, IF YOU RECALL.
YES, SIR. AND AND THAT FAILS YOU.
WHEN WE WERE FIRST DISCUSSING THIS WHOLE PHASE ONE, PHASE TWO, PHASE THREE WHICH INCLUDED AT THAT TIME WE DIDN'T HAVE COVERED BASKETBALL COURTS. THAT PLAYGROUND WASN'T THERE, THE DOG PARK WASN'T DONE.
THE IDEA OF SPLASH PADS CAME UP IN THIS LOCATION.
DO YOU REMEMBER THIS, JOHN? THERE WAS A REASON WHY I COULDN'T GO THERE.
DO YOU. DO YOU RECALL THAT? WELL, YOU MAY NOT EVEN HAVE BEEN HERE, BUT IS DOES ANYBODY.
CAN ANYBODY ANSWER WHY THE SPLASH PADS CANNOT GO IN THAT BIG LAWN AREA? MY UNDERSTANDING IS IT'S A SPACE ISSUE BECAUSE IT'S NOT JUST YOU NEED A WHOLE LIKE PUMP HOUSE AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO IT REALLY IS A SPACE ISSUE.
I COULDN'T THINK TOO WELL THERE.
IF YOU HAD THE SPACE, HAVING A PLAYGROUND RIGHT THERE.
[01:45:04]
THEY HAD THE PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT AND THEY HAD THE SLIDES AND THEY HAD THEY HAD THE SPLASH PADS.AND IT WAS IT WAS A WHOLE COMPLEX FOR FOR FAMILIES AND KIDS TO PLAY.
SO IF THE SPLASH PAD GOES SOMEWHERE IN THIS AREA AND AGAIN, THIS IS, THAT'S JUST A CONCEPT.
THAT'S NOT WHAT IT WILL LOOK LIKE ULTIMATELY.
BUT RIGHT HERE IS ANOTHER PLAYGROUND AS WELL.
SO YOU WOULD HAVE THAT SAME SIMILAR SITUATION.
MAYOR I RAISE THAT QUESTION WHEN WE WERE DISCUSSING, AND JENNIFER EXPLAINED IT TO ME AT THE TIME THAT THE SPACE ISSUE IS BECAUSE OF PARKING AND THE PROXIMITY TO THE ACCESS ROAD THAT LEADS DOWN TO THE BACKFIELD IN THE PARKING LOT FOR EMERGENCY EQUIPMENT.
YEAH, I KNEW THERE WAS A REASON WHY I COULDN'T GO THERE.
OKAY. WELL, THANKS FOR REFRESHING MY MEMORY.
YEAH. AND THE ONLY OTHER REASON I BROUGHT UP THIS ASKING IN ADVANCE ABOUT THE SPLASH PADS AND THE MEMORIAL PARK WAS, AS SOMEONE NOTED, WE SPENT A LOT OF MONEY ON THIS, AND THAT'S GOOD.
BUT I DON'T WANT TO LOSE SIGHT OF THE FACT THAT I GET A SENSE FROM THIS COUNCIL THAT THE MEMORIAL PARK AND THE SPLASH PADS ARE SOMETHING WE WANT TO SEE HAPPEN.
SO I DON'T WANT TO LOSE SIGHT OF THAT.
AND I THINK WHEN WE GET TO OUR RETREAT IN JANUARY, WE HAVE TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE AND ASK THE COUNCIL IF THEY WANT TO MOVE FORWARD. THIS AND SOMETHING PRIOR TO 2027, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO ASSIGN A BUDGET TO IT. SO COUNCIL WILL HAVE TO DECIDE HOW FAST THEY WANT THIS DONE.
AND THAT'S WHY I KEEP BRINGING IT UP, BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO LOSE SIGHT OF IT.
AND I WENT TO I THINK I SENT PICTURES TO COUNCIL TODAY.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU SAW IT. IT WAS THIS AFTERNOON.
I THINK WE CAN REALLY DO SOMETHING SPECIAL.
EVEN MORE TO THE TIE IN TO THE TRAIN IS A GOOD IDEA.
AND YOU KNOW, I JUST I THINK IT'S SOMETHING THAT THE COMMUNITY WOULD LOOK FORWARD TO.
THAT'S ALL THE QUESTIONS I HAVE.
AT THIS POINT, NOW WE OPEN IT UP TO THE PUBLIC.
DOES ANYONE FROM THE PUBLIC HAVE ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? ALL RIGHT. SEEING NONE, I'D LIKE A MOTION TO APPROVE, DISAPPROVE OR MAKE ANY CHANGES TO RESOLUTION 2024.
MR. MAYOR, I MAKE A MOTION THAT WE APPROVE RESOLUTION 2024, DASH 11, DASH SEVEN F.
WE HAVE A MOTION. DO WE HAVE A SECOND? SECOND. WE HAVE A MOTION.
ANY FURTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS BY COUNCIL OR THE PUBLIC? SEEING NONE I'LL CALL FOR A VOICE VOTE ON THIS.
SO WE ARE GOING RIGHT TO MR. GRUBER'S FIRST MANAGER'S REPORT.
THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND I KNOW THAT WAS GETTING LATE, SO I WILL BE QUICK.
BUT I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO EVERYONE ON STAFF.
THANK YOU TO EVERYONE ON COUNCIL.
AND THANK YOU EVERYONE WITHIN THE PUBLIC.
IT'S BEEN AN INCREDIBLE WEEK SO FAR.
SO THANK YOU TO EVERYONE FOR MAKING THIS AN EASY TRANSITION FOR ME.
JUST A COUPLE OF ITEMS I WANT TO COVER TONIGHT.
FIRST, THE CITY CELEBRATED HALLOWEEN IN STYLE ON OCTOBER 31ST WITH A WELL ATTENDED TRUNK OR TREAT.
I'M HEARING TERMS LIKE RECORD ATTENDANCE NEVER SEEN BEFORE AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
I ALSO WANT TO ADDRESS. PUBLIC WORKS HAS BEEN OUT THIS WEEK WORKING EARLIER ON MAIN STREET AND GETTING DOWN TOWARDS PINE ARBOR, PRIMARILY WITH DEALING WITH STORMWATER RUNOFF AND DRAINAGE GIVEN TODAY.
I THINK YOU'RE SEEING THOSE SYSTEMS TESTED AGAIN.
AGAIN, BUT THEY'VE BEEN OUT WORKING DILIGENTLY THIS WEEK KNOWING WHERE THOSE SOME OF THOSE PROBLEM SPOTS ARE AND ARE GOING TO CONTINUE TO WORK UNTIL WE CAN HOPEFULLY GET A FINAL RESOLUTION TO THOSE ISSUES.
AND THEN LASTLY, I WANT TO RECOGNIZE OUR DISTINGUISHED POLICE CHIEF, SAM WOODWARD.
EARLIER THIS WEEK, HE WENT UP TO COLUMBIA TO RECEIVE THE AWARD.
[01:50:01]
I BELIEVE HE IS THE SECOND GRADUATE IN THE STATE OF MASKS RISK MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE.AND SO KUDOS TO YOU, SIR, FOR BLAZING A PATH AND SETTING AN EXAMPLE FOR OTHERS TO FOLLOW.
SO WE ARE GOING TO BE WORKING ON THE ROOF REPLACEMENT POWER WASHING OF CITY HALL.
I THINK THEY'RE GOING TO KICK OFF ON THAT ON THE 11TH.
IS THAT CORRECT? SHOULD TAKE A COUPLE OF DAYS.
GREAT. ANYTHING ELSE, MR. GRUBER? NO, SIR.
LAST TIME WE WENT ALPHABETICALLY.
SO I'M GOING TO GO TO REVERSE ALPHABETICALLY AND START WITH MR. WHITE. IN TERMS OF OUR WHAT WE'VE BEEN UP TO, IN TERMS OF WHATEVER YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT WHATEVER TERMS YOU WANT. I HAVE SPENT A LOT OF TIME IN THE COMMUNITIES OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS GETTING FEEDBACK ON THE STATE OF THINGS.
JOHN AND I OFTEN WENT TOGETHER, AND IT WAS VERY HELPFUL.
AND JOHN AND I WERE FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO GET AN OPPORTUNITY TO CONTINUE.
HE WAS A GREAT PRO AND GOTTEN TO KNOW HIM AND HE'S A GOOD MAN.
AND SO OTHER THAN THAT I'M PLEASED JOSH, THAT YOU'RE HERE.
AND I THINK IT'S GOING TO BE A NICE ERA FOR US.
AND SO THOSE HAVE BEEN MY FOCAL AREAS AND NOTHING MORE TO ADD.
OKAY. NEXT IS MR. MEERSMAN. FIRST I'D LIKE TO START OFF WITH MONDAY THE HME VETERANS ORGANIZATION.
WE HAVE A SALUTE TO VETERANS IN LATITUDE MARGARITAVILLE BEGINNING AT 930.
THE COUNCIL AND THE PUBLIC THAT ARE HERE, YOU'RE ALL INVITED AND STAFF FROM HARDEEVILLE.
TRUNK OR TREAT. GREAT SUCCESS.
MORE KIDS THAN I'VE EVER SEEN IN ONE SPOT.
WELL-BEHAVED. I MEAN, IT WAS A GREAT EVENT.
YES, AND I'M LOOKING AT THE CHIEF OVER THERE, TOO.
NOT HE DIDN'T HAVE A COSTUME ON.
OKAY. I WOULD LIKE TO CONGRATULATE JOSH.
WELCOME ABOARD. I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU.
CONGRATULATIONS. MAYOR WILLIAMS. COUNCILMAN CARROLL.
COUNCILMAN WHITE ON YOUR WINS.
I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS.
LANDON, THANK YOU FOR TAKING THIS ON TO RUN.
IT'S GREAT TO SEE THE PUBLIC THAT WANTS TO GET INVOLVED.
IT'S VERY EASY TO SIT BACK AND THROW STONES, BUT GET UP HERE AND BE THE PIECE OF GLASS SOMETIMES.
BUT THANK YOU AGAIN FOR TAKING THAT ON.
THANK YOU. MRS. GUZMAN. OKAY, SO CONGRATULATIONS AGAIN TO OUR FAMOUS THREE UP HERE. THE MAYOR AND MR. WHITE AND MR. CARROLL, THE THREE MUSKETEERS.
YES, I COULD SUGGEST SOMETHING ELSE, BUT I'M NOT GOING TO SAY IT.
FAMOUS OR INFAMOUS? THAT'S UP FOR DEBATE.
I LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING TO WORK WITH YOU, GENTLEMEN.
I LOOK FORWARD TO A GREAT RELATIONSHIP WITH YOU TO MOVE THIS CITY FORWARD.
MR. POPE YOU DID RUN A GOOD CAMPAIGN.
IN THIS CYCLE, IT'S IT'S VERY HARD.
SO ON THE 26TH OF OCTOBER, I ATTENDED A CHARLESTON STYLE TEA PARTY THAT YOU ALL WERE INVITED TO BY MRS. DECOURSEY AT THE OLD HOUSE PLANTATION.
IT WAS FASCINATING TO LISTEN TO MISS PEGGY PICKETT, WHO IS A LIVING HISTORY INTERPRETER WHO RECOUNTED THE LIFE OF DOROTHY SINKLER RICHARDSON, WHO WAS MARRIED.
[01:55:06]
ALL THIS TOOK PLACE JUST STEPS AWAY FROM THE RESTING PLACE OF THOMAS HAYWOOD JUNIOR, WHO IS A SIGNER OF THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE.AND IT WAS IT WAS A VERY WELL ATTENDED TEA AND THE SPEAKERS WERE FANTASTIC.
TO ME, IT BROUGHT HOME AS AN IMMIGRANT TO THIS COUNTRY.
IT BROUGHT HOME HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO PRESERVE AMERICAN HISTORY.
MR. MAYOR, I KNOW THAT'S ONE OF YOUR LOVES AMERICAN.
AND I KNOW THAT'S ONE OF YOUR DESIRES.
SHE'S NOT HERE TODAY, BUT A HUGE THANK YOU TO MRS. DECOSTE FOR HER TIRELESS WORK TO PRESERVE OUR HISTORY AND ALL THE VOLUNTEERS WHO WORK TO PUT THIS WELL-ATTENDED EVENT TOGETHER.
SO ON THAT NOTE, I'LL BOW OUT.
BO. WE'LL GO TO COUNCILMAN CARROLL.
MAYOR. REPETITION TO ADD TO THE TRUNK OR TREAT HOW WELL IT WAS COORDINATED AND THE CROWDS.
AND I'M STILL HEARING REMARKS ABOUT THE FESTIVAL ON MAIN.
WHAT A FABULOUS EVENT IT WAS, HOW WELL PLANNED IT WAS.
THE ATTENDANCE I THINK ENDED UP LIKE 10,000 OR SOMETHING.
WOW. AGAIN, WATCH TOM ITERATE WHAT STEVE SAID ABOUT VETERANS DAY AT MARGARITAVILLE.
ALSO. HE RAN A GOOD CAMPAIGN AND HAS NO NEGATIVE THINGS THAT WE SAID.
WE ALL AND HE GET HIS EXPERIENCE AND HE'D BE READY TO GO GROUND RUNNING.
THANK YOU. I'M GLAD YOU ARE THINKING OF ME WHEN THE PLAN CAME UP.
VERY GOOD RAILING AND THINGS ATTACHED.
I LOVE WHEN PEOPLE ARE TAKING CARE OF ME AND LOOKING OUT FOR ME.
IT'S BEEN REALLY, REALLY BUSY.
MY. MY WIFE SAID TO ME A WEEK OR SO AGO, SHE SAID, ARE YOU GOING TO BE THIS BUSY IN THE NEXT FOUR YEARS? SO I DID WHAT ANY GOOD HUSBAND WOULD DO.
I LIED AND SAID, NO, IT'LL BE.
SHE IS WATCHING TONIGHT. SHE IS WATCHING.
OKAY. NO, SHE'S HEARD ME TELL THAT JOKE.
SO FIRST OF ALL, WELCOME, JOSH.
AND WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO A VERY SUCCESSFUL TENURE.
AND I THINK WE'RE GOING TO HAVE ABOUT 60 OR SO TOMORROW.
SO COUNCIL I HOPE TO SEE EVERYBODY THERE.
830. CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THE WINNERS.
YOU KNOW, AND I DID SEND A NOTE SEPARATELY TO LANDON THANKING HIM FOR HIS WILLINGNESS TO SERVE.
IT WAS REALLY BUSY THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS.
ON THE 18TH, I WAS AT THE DEDICATION OF THE DOLORES YOUNG HIGHWAY.
WHICH HIGHWAY 315 WILL NOW BE CALLED FROM AGAPE DOWN TO HIGHWAY 17.
THAT WAS REALLY A GREAT HONOR FOR HER AND WELL DESERVED.
THAT SAME EVENING, A NUMBER OF US WENT TO THE BLUFFTON SELF-HELP EVENT.
YOU KNOW, IT WAS AMAZING WHAT PEOPLE WERE SPENDING THERE.
THE FOLLOWING DAY, ON THE 19TH, THE DEDICATION OF HARVEY PLACE TOOK TO HAPPENED.
AND THAT WAS REALLY SPECIAL FOR ME BECAUSE HABITAT FOR HUMANITY FARRUGGIO AND THE CITY ALL COMBINED TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN.
AND THOSE TEN FAMILIES THAT ARE GOING TO BE CLOSING ACTUALLY HAD TO GO TO THE BANK AS SECRETARY FOR HABITAT AND SIGN THE DOCUMENTS SO THOSE MORTGAGES COULD BE COMPLETED. AND THEY WILL GO IN THIS MONTH.
[02:00:02]
AND THEY WERE SO GRATEFUL THEY WERE THAT THE FAMILIES SEEMED SO NICE.AND THEY'LL BE A GREAT ADDITION TO HARVEY HARDEEVILLE.
AND THAT EVENING I WENT TO THE JCSU EVENT AND MR. MOIR SENT A THANK YOU TO THE COUNCIL AS A THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH FOR YOUR GENEROUS DONATION TO HELP MAKE OUR 25TH ANNIVERSARY A SUCCESS.
WITH PARTNERS LIKE THE CITY OR NONPROFIT CAN ONLY CONTINUE TO GROW.
THANKS, JAKE AND YOU AND STAFF.
FOLLOWING WEEK ON SATURDAY, WHILE YOU WERE AT YOUR TEA, I WAS AT THE ALZHEIMER'S WALK IN BLUFFTON, AND I THINK THEY RAISED CLOSE TO $90,000.
AND TEAM, TEAM HARDEEVILLE, I THINK WE RAISED ABOUT $700.
SO WHOEVER CONTRIBUTED TO THAT WALK, THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING TEAM HARDEEVILLE.
AND NEXT YEAR, WE'RE GOING TO REALLY KNOCK IT DEAD, RIGHT? GOOD. THE I APPEARED ON THE HILTON HEAD HAD ISLAND POWER HOUR WITH JARED FREILICH TALKING ABOUT THE REFERENDUMS. JASPER PASSED AT BUFORD.
JOSH AND I ON THE 31ST HAD LUNCH WITH HOYER, WHO IS THE OWNER OF THE MORGAN TRACK, AND I SENT A REPORT TO COUNCIL ON THAT.
THAT EVENING WAS TRUNK OR TREAT.
AND AS EVERYBODY SAID, THAT WAS I WAS SO TIRED.
I DON'T YOU KNOW, I JUST KEPT GOING FROM THE, THE TRUNK TO TO THE TREAT BAGS.
IT WAS REALLY QUITE, QUITE A GOOD TURNOUT.
AND THEN WE HAD JOSH'S BREAKFAST ON ON MONDAY, WHICH WITH STAFF AND THAT WAS.
JOSH AND I MET WITH JEFF COGGIN THIS AFTERNOON OR THIS MORNING.
AND THERE WILL BE SOME FURTHER OUTCOMES OF THAT REGARDING ROAD A IN THE FUTURE. AND TOMORROW, OF COURSE, I TALKED ABOUT THAT AND THE I'D LIKE TO AGAIN COMPLIMENT THE COUNCIL ON GIVING THE SCHOOLS THAT WERE IN NEAL TALKED ABOUT EARLIER AND JOSH, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO PUT THIS IN YOUR HEAD.
AND I THINK WE TALKED ABOUT IT, GIVEN THAT WE'VE NOW INSTITUTED THIS AND USING THE FEES FROM THE SCHOOLS, ARE THERE OPPORTUNITIES IN SOME OF THESE NEWER, NEWER DEVELOPMENTS, MINTS, SHOULD WE? AND THIS IS NOT A QUESTION TO BE ANSWERED HERE, BUT I'D LIKE YOU TO THINK ABOUT SHOULD WE BE ADDING IN SCHOOL DAY FEES NOW THAT WE ARE USING THEM TO CONTRIBUTE NOT JUST TO, YOU KNOW, CHARTER SCHOOLS OR GRAMMAR SCHOOLS, BUT TO UNIVERSITIES? WE HAVE USCB, WE HAVE TCO.
SHOULD WE HAVE DEVELOPMENT FEES FOR SCHOOLS? YES. OKAY.
AND THAT'S ALL I HAVE FOR THIS EVENING.
WITH THAT, I WILL CALL FOR A MOTION TO ADD ONE LITTLE THING.
NO. YEAH, I GAVE YOU A CHANCE.
THIS. THIS TIME? ALL RIGHT. I DIDN'T COMMENT ON THE ALL TIMERS WALK.
I COULD HAVE SAID. YEAH, I KNOW, I KNOW, THANK YOU.
FORGET ABOUT THE ALZHEIMER'S WAR.
I LIKE THAT ONE. I JUST WANTED TO ADD BECAUSE.
AND I HAD REMEMBERED WHEN HE MENTIONED HARVEY PLACE.
THOSE TOWNHOUSES SEEMED LIKE THEY WERE SO WELL BUILT, AND I WAS REAL IMPRESSED.
AND THEY'VE DONE AN AWFUL LOT FOR THE CITIZENS OF HARDEEVILLE AND JASPER COUNTY AND BEAUFORT COUNTY.
MATTER OF FACT, ONE OF THE FIRST BUILDINGS IN THE USCB WAS BUILT BY THE HARVEY FAMILY.
SO, ANYWAY, I JUST WANTED TO ADD THAT MR. MAYOR, THANK YOU FOR DOING THAT, I FORGOT.
I SHOULD HAVE SHOULD HAVE MENTIONED THAT MYSELF, BUT.
[02:05:01]
CZYMBOR IS REALLY KICKING IN.I'M NOT GOING TO HEAR THE END OF THAT.
LET'S LET'S HAVE A MOTION TO ADJOURN BEFORE I GET BEAT UP ANYMORE.
I MAKE A MOTION THAT WE ADJOURN.
AND A SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE.
AYE AYE.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.