[0:01] Hi, everyone. I've got three o'clock. Looks like our clock's about two minutes slow, but

[0:07] we'll go ahead and get started. I don't see anyone else heading up to the building. I'd

[0:14] like to welcome everyone and call our Rethink Folly Road meeting to order. For those who

[0:21] will, join me in prayer and we'll follow that by the Pledge of Allegiance. Dear God,

[0:28] Thank you for the ability to gather here today to work together for the betterment of our

[0:34] island or James Island.

[0:36] I'm in.

[0:55] Everyone would please sign in.

[0:57] We have a sign-in sheet back there as well.

[1:01] I know Mike, thank you for sending out that list every couple of months when we have a

[1:09] meeting of everyone's names, addresses, and emails when y'all get a chance, please

[1:13] Please check those and make sure we have everyone's accurate information.

[1:18] I'd also like y'all to consider, well, to please keep Fred Whittle in your prayers.

[1:23] He had surgery yesterday, so that's why he's not here with us today, and we sure wish

[1:28] him well and a very speedy recovery.

[1:33] Is there a motion from the steering committee?

[1:37] I hope everyone's had a chance to review the minutes.

[1:39] If so, is there a motion to approve the minutes and a second for approval?

[1:47] Any corrections or discussion on the minutes from July 16?

[1:55] Hearing none, all in favor, aye.

[1:57] Aye.

[1:58] Opposed?

[2:00] Minutes are approved unanimously.

[2:03] I don't think we had any public comments signed up yet.

[2:07] Any public comments, Mike?

[2:11] Okay, great. We'll wait for the sheet.

[2:45] Mike, is the microphone on over there?

[2:52] Test.

[2:53] Okay, great. Maybe we should turn it around so they can speak. Thank you very much.

[2:59] I'll call your name as you sign in. Richard Sturd, did you want to address...

[3:05] Okay. Leslie Skardin, did you want to address the group?

[3:09] Okay, just signing in. Deanna Miller, did you want to address the group?

[3:14] Okay, if you would please come up and state your name and your address, and you have up to three minutes.

[3:22] Thank you. Really quick. Deanna Miller, 1568, Ocean Neighbors. Just a question.

[3:30] So I represent a community on an online page that is comprised of ocean neighbors,

[3:37] and we've opened it up to Secessionville and Fort Lamar, over 650 residents,

[3:41] and mainly, you know, on South Side of Grimble Road.

[3:45] And so a question that's been asked is, I know that Phase 1 has been starting to ramp up,

[3:52] but the question that everyone keeps asking is,

[3:56] do we have a date for phase one to start, a goal date?

[4:02] We, I do not have that on the top of my head,

[4:06] but we can find that out if we don't have it here today.

[4:10] I'm a project agent,

[4:33] no type of bid.

[4:37] We can't accept their bid, and so we have to move

[4:39] to the next lowest bidder, so we're working with them

[4:42] to get them in for a contract,

[4:43] So, good night to the DOT and hopefully they will be awarded the contract.

[4:49] Awesome.

[4:50] Next

[4:52] three levels.

[4:53] Okay, perfect.

[4:54] Great.

[4:54] Awesome.

[4:55] Thank you.

[4:55] And once they're contracted, yeah.

[4:57] And hopefully then this will be a big hit.

[5:02] Great.

[5:03] Well, hopefully we'll have more of a closer update at our next meeting.

[5:07] Yeah.

[5:07] Thank you.

[5:09] Next up, Annette.

[5:12] Ann, you're here.

[5:13] Hi.

[5:14] Would you like to come up and speak?

[5:15] Okay. Well, we'll consider everyone else signed in. We're glad y'all are all here.

[5:24] First up of old business is the Folly Road Safety Audit.

[5:29] We have been in touch with some of the engineers for that.

[5:35] It's my understanding they're still working.

[5:37] They have mixed the idea so far of a stoplight that we were so hoping to get

[5:43] an additional stoplight over there by the Chick-fil-A, I'm sorry, my brain. Thank you.

[5:52] So they have nixed that idea at this point at Santee, unfortunately.

[5:58] As long as everyone in Centerville and everyone in day front understands that the

[6:05] semis with the trailers will be going for their neighborhoods to deliver to

[6:10] to the businesses on that side of follow-up rate?

[6:13] They understand.

[6:14] If those medians go in, they definitely understand.

[6:19] It's my understanding that Representative Wetmore,

[6:22] who could not be here today,

[6:24] she's pushing to make some more additional changes

[6:28] from the revise that we got

[6:31] and hopefully we can push those back even further.

[6:36] It does seem like they are all kind of right

[6:38] in front of the town, businesses.

[6:41] Making one road safe is that of many others of neighborhoods.

[6:45] Can you grab a mic there?

[6:48] Making one road safe at the expense of many others doesn't seem logical.

[6:56] I'm sorry, no one from the DOT is here, are they?

[7:00] And that's in reference to Centerville and Day Front being impacted by the SEMIs and

[7:07] their trailers delivering to the restaurants and other businesses on that side of Folly

[7:11] Road. It will impact the neighborhoods. There's nothing they can do to stop it if they put

[7:16] the medians in. We'll get a copy of the map to have at our next meeting for those of

[7:22] y'all who have not been following this closely and you can understand a little

[7:27] bit more. I know there's been a number of meetings with the DOT about the Folly

[7:32] road safety audit. A lot of the businesses are pretty upset about it, wanting to put

[7:37] the medians in the roads. I know we have a lot of folks here running for office, so

[7:41] please take note. Please help us join the fight if when some of y'all went to

[7:49] help us, you know.

[7:54] It's not it's not etched in stone, but they they they did

[7:58] cut some of them back, but not the ones that we felt like we're going to run the people

[8:03] through the Bayfront and the Centerville neighborhoods.

[8:10] Is there a map available?

[8:13] Mike, do we have a map handy?

[8:17] Find it and put it up here.

[8:19] If people have a link on our website,

[8:26] it was proposed, hopeful, would have made more

[8:30] sense.

[8:31] Which intersection is this?

[8:32] It's Santee and Fallow.

[8:37] So I know a lot of our town businesses were especially sensitive to this because it seems

[8:44] like those medians are all in front of a lot of the commercial that the town has.

[8:51] Locally owned commercial businesses, not franchises, not national businesses, locally owned commercial

[8:56] businesses.

[8:58] And if there's medians in the road, then when the delivery trucks come they can't

[9:03] turn directly in. They have to go right into a neighborhood, turn around, try to come out at a light. It will be a nightmare.

[9:13] Did you get any feedback from DOT regarding your thinking on that?

[9:17] Sorry, can you speak in your mic?

[9:19] Did you get any feedback from DOT regarding their thinking about why they decided not to do the...

[9:26] They said that it wasn't warranted, but they didn't do a traffic count out of the center's parking lots.

[9:33] which common sense would dictate that's where the cars are coming from,

[9:37] that's where they should do the traffic count. They did not.

[9:40] And they say the medians will help prevent accidents. That was a higher account of accidents.

[9:47] I remember we had a lot of discussion around that, so I just wanted to see their rationale for where they landed.

[9:55] So they ignored a data set. That's the answer.

[9:57] At

[10:25] one point we had the big map.

[10:26] Well, while you look for that, why don't we,

[10:29] is there any more discussion without the map on that?

[10:33] Okay.

[10:38] The Camp Road Middle School traffic.

[10:43] Talked to Carol this morning.

[10:44] She's here, yay.

[10:46] So glad to see you.

[10:46] We do have some good news on the Camp Road Middle

[10:49] and the traffic.

[10:52] It's my, would you like to,

[10:55] well it's my understanding that y'all are y'all being the school board and the

[11:02] school they've made arrangements for some of the children to be dropped off at

[11:06] the library where their parents can pick them up to help alleviate some of the

[11:10] car lines so that should be very helpful and they're looking into a

[11:15] second lane to for the drive-through so is did I get that great

[13:03] so we need

[13:04] more bus drivers. Anybody who needs a part-time job needs to go drive a bus. It's

[13:17] like a split shift.

[14:19] I'm hearing the personal reasons that

[14:23] students can't mitigate that, but anyway.

[14:27] So if they don't line up, I'm just curious

[14:31] and they're lining up the block of traffic, is there any

[14:34] more applications for that? I mean, does any three block there

[14:36] say keep on moving and get a ticket?

[14:40] Well, that's when you at least

[14:43] would have to come in to have

[14:46] and the school district can't do that.

[14:48] Oh, I'm just curious.

[14:49] It's a neighbor and somebody who gets lost on the road.

[14:53] It's pretty annoying.

[14:54] I mean, I've got my kids in school too,

[14:56] and we all did it.

[14:57] So I'm on bus, I think we got two.

[15:32] I

[15:50] think it's 315. I think they don't allow the parent, right, they don't allow them to come

[15:55] until then they have it blocked off. I know we've gotten some complaints here at the town

[16:00] who, you know, from citizens who are just mad and they want to be able to go at 230 and

[16:06] just be the first in line and sit there which does stack it up. And I think that's helped.

[16:11] I think everybody loves the new principal and some of the changes that that she's doing and

[16:15] You know, I think it's better. You know, I've heard that it's better. It just you know, we still have work to do

[16:21] We

[16:29] did not receive anything from Michael. Not yet. Maybe he's still working on it

[16:35] We'll follow up on that on

[16:42] any other questions comments for camp road mental traffic

[16:50] discussion for a consultant

[16:53] is, I talked to Alex last week with the county. He was going to try to come or send someone,

[16:59] but I don't.

[17:11] Okay. Well, thank you for being here. I'm glad the county's represented. Yeah,

[17:17] I had reached out to him. I talked to him about the county participating with the town and the city.

[17:23] We were looking into hiring a consultant so we can move forward. We feel like we've been kind of

[17:29] languishing and we come and we meet and it's like great that we're getting bids

[17:35] and we're gonna move forward with that but we need to start making concrete

[17:39] plans for the next phase and and moving on but thank you thank you so much okay

[17:46] that would be great yes yes

[17:54] thank

[18:06] you and unfortunately Jenny Honeycutt

[18:09] couldn't be here today so anyway we had hoped to have a representative so

[18:15] so we could discuss it in a little more detail.

[18:18] I know we had talked about the past consultant

[18:22] who was so helpful before,

[18:24] and I know some folks are interested

[18:26] in potentially hiring them again.

[18:30] So, we will,

[18:32] we'll adjust the conditions.

[18:36] Correct.

[18:37] Well, and Folly Beach, I did not mean to leave you out too,

[18:40] because y'all chip in as well, so thank you.

[18:45] Yes, Katie.

[18:46] Can you please speak into the mic, Katie?

[18:48] You're very soft-spoken,

[18:49] and you might sway over there.

[18:51] Thank you so much.

[18:52] I'm trying to be better about being louder and more obnoxious.

[18:56] Oh, no, you're never obnoxious, Katie,

[18:58] but if you are soft-spoken.

[19:01] I might be misremembering.

[19:03] I feel like it was the last time the county's portion

[19:07] was budgeted.

[19:08] It came out of the planning department's budget.

[19:11] Do you know?

[19:12] I should have let it go from

[19:26] the public works

[19:27] because TST is not wild about funding studies and people growth.

[19:44] So we...

[19:46] I feel like we're in a circle.

[19:47] I do too.

[19:49] So...

[19:51] I don't know what to do to make people come.

[19:58] What we need is for council members Honeycutt and Boykin to say this is a priority for our districts

[20:10] And because in the past it's that funding has gone through all of the municipalities budgeting cycles.

[20:17] So this is we're not at that point right now with the county.

[20:22] So council members need to say we need to find this money somewhere.

[20:28] And we just that's that's been the barrier every single time.

[20:42] I mean, I think and then we also have to then city of Fallow Beach City of Charleston and

[21:03] I certainly thought that they brought value, the consultants brought value to the table.

[21:08] We were better organized than they said. We were better organized.

[21:14] Not for lack of leadership, by the way. There's been changing leadership, so it's been under several chairs.

[21:23] Well, something like this, you need a consultant. No, you're right.

[21:27] It helps with the grant applications that, you know, it's comprehensive.

[22:05] Great.

[22:06] Do you know what grant program they're applying for?

[22:12] I often talk and I don't know, but it's, I think in by July they have to have the application.

[22:20] So they're working on it.

[22:22] If they need letters of support or any public support, I think I know I can speak for Charleston moves

[22:30] Submit a letter of support. I can speak for the town. We definitely will support letters of support

[22:36] That

[22:42] was the part of the data that I had asked

[22:46] or was

[22:47] Do we know how many and sort of without

[22:52] Where

[22:57] So that could give us some focus areas on where we can focus our energy as a committee on biped improvements as well

[23:27] Thank

[23:38] you so much

[23:52] I've got one question about the funding for the consultant.

[23:55] Do we have a ballpark?

[23:57] I'm just trying to estimate our commitment as far as what funds would be.

[24:01] I think it would depend on what we're going to do.

[24:03] I think we need to define that to really make the next step kind of decision.

[24:08] I personally, you know, am still pretty new and don't have experience with the past funding.

[24:14] I don't know, Katie, if you were involved with that or Kristen, I know Kristen was.

[24:19] Did

[24:58] they build a municipality separately, Kristen?

[25:02] Who was there?

[25:04] Like, a rethink folly checkbook that we all put money in and then paid it, or was it built

[25:09] separately?

[25:24] They would reimburse us and we would just pay.

[25:27] We would certainly be willing to do that again.

[25:32] Do you remember who we worked with there?

[26:10] Yeah, I'd like to see like a scope as far as what the investment is going to return and that type of things.

[26:22] Yeah.

[26:29] Well, Kristen and I can get together and it's Kristen, you've worked with them in the past.

[26:35] We can reach out to them and get some ideas, some figures and at least have a ballpark to present for, you know, at least to get them back on board

[26:47] and work with us to figure out how much we want to do, what we want to spend,

[26:52] and maybe come do a presentation for us.

[27:05] Would y'all want to share that at our next meeting then

[27:08] and before we bring Tool in?

[27:13] Okay.

[27:16] So you've got time, our next meeting is not until November 19th

[27:21] over two months. And then in the meantime

[27:24] I know that this honeycut had requested

[27:28] today from Mike, an Outlook invitation instead of the general email.

[27:36] So you'll all start getting an Outlook invitation instead.

[27:40] So maybe that will help.

[27:43] And hopefully we'll get Honeycut Boykin.

[27:47] Let's see, we actually will have our new city rep by then as well.

[27:52] So that'll be great from the November election.

[27:57] So hopefully, we can get the ball rolling.

[28:01] Construction on phase one will also help.

[28:04] Yes.

[28:05] We can encourage.

[28:06] Yes, it'll give momentum.

[28:08] Yes.

[28:09] And we'll have an updated report.

[28:12] So, all right.

[28:13] And actually, since so many people have been waiting so long for this to start,

[28:19] I wonder if we should do some kind of a groundbreaking?

[28:24] Yes, I think we should do a big groundbreaking.

[28:26] Yeah

[28:27] So when you get a date, can you please let us know and we'll schedule something we

[28:36] have a lot of golden shovels will bring

[28:42] That's a great idea. Thank you.

[28:52] Well, that's that's exciting

[28:57] Folly Beach Center Street stormwater project update Jenna Jenna here. Hey Jenna

[29:50] We are with our consultants, with the national department.

[30:08] Great.

[30:09] The reason why I was looking at that is because I was thinking about what a great accidental

[30:17] tactical urbanism project this is going to be because you're going to natural energy

[30:21] gains on Center Street for a little bit and we'll be able to sort of see how that works

[30:27] from a traffic comment perspective. So it could be really interesting.

[30:39] Yeah, it's helpful. When they were doing some big construction on the Peninsula on King Street

[30:44] where King Street for six months was one lane of travel and it worked beautifully.

[30:51] So it was funny to have that data and then have people read gals about the idea later.

[30:57] So it's just good to have that.

[31:01] We're on top of it. We're definitely looking at it from that perspective.

[31:06] So allowing people to stay through but also capturing.

[31:15] Any other questions for Jenna?

[31:19] We've been advertising it on our Facebook, too, so we're trying to

[31:23] help spread the word, yes. Thank you. Thank you for your report.

[31:29] Charleston County Central Park Road Update. Do either one of you ladies from Charleston

[31:33] County have an update? But

[31:40] there are too many complaints, so it must be going really

[31:42] Well,

[31:58] great. Maybe at the next meeting, that would be great. Thank you so much.

[32:05] And under new business, so we had two crosswalk requests, one at Prescott on Folly and one across Folly at Wilton.

[32:16] And Spencer Webmore had indicated that she would talk with the SCDOT safety study engineers

[32:26] and try to get that incorporated that because they have money budgeted safety.

[32:32] It's part of it.

[32:33] I'm sorry?

[32:34] So the...

[32:35] And get it paid for that way.

[32:37] The one at Wilton Street, that's part of phase one for Wink Hollywood,

[32:41] and the one near Prescott Street is the mid-block crossing that is proposed in the audit.

[32:47] That's what?

[32:48] Now, Katie, there's a mid-block crossing near Prescott

[32:51] proposed in the red safety audit.

[32:54] It's in the safety audit?

[32:58] Yeah, so as long as they haven't removed it as they've been assessing.

[33:09] Well that

[33:14] will make some folks very happy.

[33:17] Is there any other new business?

[33:22] I think it would be, if Representative Wetmore was going to reach out to DPT,

[33:28] it would be great and I'm happy to text her.

[33:32] but just if she's reminded that that mid-block crossing is already proposed

[33:37] and if she could just let DOT know that there is support for that I think that

[33:44] would be helpful just

[33:49] given how much pushback they've gotten on other stuff.

[33:56] Thank you. Any other new business?

[34:02] Irristictional updates.

[34:07] Chris?

[34:09] Jenna kind of summed it up with the Center Street stuff. We're also doing

[34:12] some waterline updates on East Hudson. So we basically from East Erie, Hudson and

[34:19] Huron are all pretty much blocked right now. So you got to go around. So just be

[34:23] prepared when you come into town. There's a little bit of driving.

[34:29] I'm glad traffic's

[34:30] a little bit lighter than it was a month ago. It's a good time to do it.

[34:34] Definitely. Any updates from the county?

[34:41] I'm sorry. Okay. How about the

[34:45] James Allen PSC. I see Ashley and Tamara back there.

[34:49] Y'all have any updates for us?

[35:17] Thank you, Jenna.

[35:20] Yes.

[35:57] Thank you.

[36:13] That is wonderful news.

[36:16] Yay. Thank you so much.

[36:23] That's great. Thank you.

[36:30] So as far as the town of James Allen goes, we

[36:35] We're still waiting on the jack of cups to open.

[36:37] We're really excited.

[36:38] They're getting close and the bagel place has decided to hold off for now.

[36:44] We're still waiting to see.

[36:46] We're just always looking forward to new restaurants.

[36:49] The well, as many of you know, Mondos has been undergoing a lot of new renovations.

[36:54] We're excited.

[36:55] They've expanded and I think we're still hoping to get someone in next

[37:03] to the Hymes and the empty lot there where the Kentucky Fried Chicken tried to go a while

[37:08] ago. So hopefully we'll get someone there. There's another interested party in the Jimmy

[37:14] John, the place that was going to be at Jimmy John's right there in your camp. So

[37:19] we're hoping to get something nice for our citizens and visitors there as well. We do

[37:26] have a lot going on in the town. We're having an election like many of the other

[37:30] municipalities. I know that we voted two years ago to add two additional

[37:36] council seats. We have four people running for them. I know there's a mayoral

[37:40] and council race at Folly.

[37:44] I think what five folks are running for one seat of

[37:48] mayor, what Chris has won, and then there's five for three council spots.

[37:54] And then we have all three of the ladies who are running for the city district here today.

[38:04] So we welcome y'all. Do y'all want to introduce yourselves?

[38:14] Good afternoon, everyone. I'm Annette Begner. I'm running for District 12, James Island.

[38:19] I'm standing on the infrastructure, taking care of that, taking care of the flooding, building the sidewalks.

[38:26] I also stand behind small business owners.

[38:28] I do own my own small business and realize their struggles.

[38:33] I like to work closely with the police department to make sure everyone's safe as well.

[38:37] So I do believe in a balanced government and I believe our national politics need to stay out of our local community.

[38:45] So I just wanted to say hi and thanks for having me here.

[38:48] Thank you.

[38:48] And great job, by the way.

[38:50] Great job on all of you for doing this.

[38:52] Thank you for your interest in coming to Rethink Folly.

[38:54] Yeah.

[38:55] It's nice to meet you.

[38:56] I think it's really important that we all work together on this.

[38:59] Yes.

[39:00] I do.

[39:01] Yes.

[39:02] Ms. Dana, would you like to come up and introduce yourself?

[39:09] I'll keep this quick.

[39:12] I'm Deanna Miller and I'm running also for District 12 for City Council.

[39:17] I've been on James Island for 22 years in the same house and raised my kids through

[39:22] the schools.

[39:22] And, like I said, I've said this before, but now they're at an age where I can do something

[39:28] like this because all they care about is money and food as they head into their upper teen

[39:34] years.

[39:35] But I've done a lot of volunteering in the area.

[39:37] I've worked with We Are Family.

[39:39] I've worked with, I'm currently on the discipline committee at James Island Charter

[39:42] High School.

[39:42] This is my third year.

[39:44] I, like I said, have run the Facebook page and keep an eye on developments and I'm

[39:47] constantly involved in watching development and making sure that we're not building in

[39:53] flood prone areas. And I've been managing that for 15 years, so a long time there.

[40:01] And have been involved in the schools too. St. Andrews was on the School Improvement

[40:07] Council and was a part of James Island Youth Soccer Club. I also run a small business

[40:13] and it's a family business, and I'm the managing director,

[40:17] so constantly involved with RFPs and budgeting,

[40:20] so all of that good business stuff.

[40:22] But my website has everything,

[40:24] so if you wanna learn more, just diana-miller.com,

[40:27] and you can read all about me there,

[40:29] but thank you for letting us speak.

[40:30] That was really nice, yeah.

[40:31] Thank you, Diana, it's good to see you.

[40:34] Thank you for your interest in improving Folly Road,

[40:37] and we have, is Leslie here?

[40:40] Oh, she left.

[40:41] Well, and then Leslie Skardon is the other person.

[40:45] So I thought it's nice for everybody to get to know our potential new members.

[40:52] And I don't see anyone here today that's running for town council.

[40:55] So maybe come to our town council meeting tomorrow night at 7 p.m. and you can meet those folks.

[41:01] We are actually having a forum on October the 20th for the four potential council members that will be here.

[41:08] And I think Folly Beach is having a forum on the 16th.

[41:12] So, you know, put those on your calendar if you're interested in meeting the candidates.

[41:17] I'm sorry?

[41:20] The one for the town is on October the 20th, and it's at 6 o'clock.

[41:26] And the one for Folly Beach is on the 16th, and I don't know what time.

[41:30] They're both at 6.

[41:31] We have a 16th and 17th, I believe.

[41:33] Oh, you have two.

[41:34] Each is the council.

[41:35] Oh, yeah, you're right.

[41:35] Oh, wow.

[41:37] Well, that's probably a good idea with that many people running.

[41:44] We'll update on the town, our art and community center that will be built next door on our Hillman lot.

[41:51] We've started working with our team on permitting.

[41:55] We'll be having some public meetings to get input for the design as we move along with that.

[42:01] So that's really exciting. Hope to have a groundbreaking sometime in the spring.

[42:07] We will have our town market here on October the 3rd.

[42:11] We are doing a big silent auction to benefit the James Island Outreach.

[42:18] I know a lot of y'all support that organization and they are getting a new food pantry

[42:23] building and there's a gap of about 70,000 in their funding

[42:27] and we're hoping to make a big difference in that for them.

[42:30] We've got a lot of donations of some really nice artwork and other things and we'll have something going out Friday on that

[42:37] You can either buy it ahead of time for the value or you can come and do the silent bidding at our town market

[42:44] And we've got a great band and some

[42:47] Student dancers and about 45 vendors and it's going to be great as long as it is sunny

[42:54] Fingers crossed, InterGov will be meeting here on October the 30th in the

[43:00] Intergovernmental meeting at 7 p.m. Councilwoman Miniano cheers that and that

[43:08] will be our last one of the year so everyone please try to come that'll be

[43:12] right before the election so hopefully we'll see all of the folks for that to

[43:18] meet and greet. I'm sorry? That's Wednesday October the

[43:24] 30th. And for you animal lovers like me, pet helpers, we're partnering with them to do a

[43:31] rabies clinic here on December the 6th. So if you or know anyone you need, your animals

[43:37] need shots. It's a much more affordable way. You've got great, that's great people.

[43:44] And it's right here in this room. And that will be that Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon

[43:49] or until they run out of vaccines.

[43:51] They also, they were doing microchipping in our last one,

[43:55] so hopefully they'll do that again.

[43:57] We haven't gotten that far in the discussion.

[43:59] Yes, Ashley,

[44:05] you are correct.

[44:06] If that's a Wednesday.

[44:08] Yes, ma'am, it is Wednesday.

[44:10] Thank you, Ashley.

[44:11] I really appreciate your catching me on that.

[44:15] Well, I just said something.

[44:16] Well, no, yes, because the 30th is a Thursday.

[44:21] It's the 29th.

[44:24] Intergovernmental meeting is October 29th, here at 7 p.m.

[44:29] So please come.

[44:38] The swim school that we sponsored with the town?

[44:41] The swimming site, call it right.

[44:44] Oh, I'm sorry, so the request was denied.

[44:49] What the question was, there was a request

[44:53] to change the zoning.

[44:55] It had actually been changed to allow the swim school

[44:58] And then there was a change to ups...

[45:00] It's on it to allow for the sale of, she was wanting to put in like those portable sheds

[45:07] like you see going down to Ravenel on the left. The planning commission did not approve it and

[45:14] neither did town council. So that was not approved. And so I'm not sure what's going to happen.

[45:22] I believe the property may still be for sale. So hopefully we'll get something good in

[45:28] there if we can't get the swim school. Any other questions or community

[45:34] happenings or comments? I will say Charleston County Council has developed

[45:44] a new committee, an outstanding committee of council for the transportation

[45:48] sales tax that may or may not be put on the referendum next year but I think

[45:56] I think it's important for everybody to pay attention to that process and participate when

[46:00] the time comes, and I believe that committee's first meeting is next week on September 25th.

[46:08] And Katie, what will that be? Can you explain it to us and what?

[46:12] Yeah. So, yep, thank you. I really thought I was yelling.

[46:19] I am. So most of, well, a lot of our transportation funding within the county, and I'm not with

[46:30] the county, I'm not speaking for the county, just sharing information, comes through our

[46:35] transportation sales tax. So in 2024 there was a referendum on the ballot to extend the

[46:42] sales tax, it was a resounding no from the public.

[46:46] And so County Council has been looking at

[46:50] what a potential sales tax referendum,

[46:54] transportation sales tax referendum could look like

[46:56] to go on the ballot in 2026.

[46:59] So they've been having workshops facilitated

[47:04] by former Secretary of Transportation, Christy Hall.

[47:07] They have hired a firm to work on outreach and data assessment.

[47:13] The Council of Governments is also doing data assessment.

[47:16] They're going to start a public input process at some point later this year.

[47:22] But in addition to all of that,

[47:25] Chairman Middleton formed a standing committee of County Council

[47:28] comprised of all members of County Council to be on a new transportation sales tax committee.

[47:35] and that committee's first meeting is next week.

[47:39] I'm guessing it'll be at 5 p.m.

[47:41] What's the date?

[47:42] The 25th.

[47:43] The 25th.

[47:43] As long as that's a Thursday.

[47:45] Okay.

[47:46] It's not a 5 p.m.

[47:47] It's great.

[47:50] Well thank you for that.

[47:51] It's just something to, I mean rethink,

[47:53] a lot of rethink follies money so far

[47:57] has come out of the transportation sales tax

[47:59] as well as the gas tax allocations

[48:02] as well as federal funding.

[48:03] So transportation sales tax is really important

[48:05] for what we are doing in these meetings

[48:08] and a lot of other things we discuss in these meetings.

[48:13] Well, thank you so much.

[48:15] So the public meetings,

[48:16] will that be like what they had prior to the election

[48:19] last year when they went around and did?

[48:21] I think they'll be better.

[48:22] You think they'll be better?

[48:23] I think they've done some soul searching

[48:25] and realized that the public needs

[48:28] to be actively involved.

[48:31] And so I think we'll see much better public engagement

[48:35] when the time comes.

[48:37] That's great.

[48:38] Fingers crossed.

[48:39] Fingers crossed.

[48:40] Yeah.

[48:42] Good.

[48:43] Anybody else have anything?

[48:47] If not, meeting adjourned.

[48:50] Look forward to seeing y'all in November,

[48:53] and we will try not to be going around in circles in November.

[48:56] We'll have more data, more information,

[49:00] and look forward to seeing y'all.

Sep 17, 2025 ReThink Folly Road Steering Committee

Agenda

Transcript