County Council - Regular Meeting

I serve as Chairman of the County Council. We're going to begin with our Finance Committee. Item 1, approval of minutes. Move for approval. All in favor say aye. Aye. Ayes have it. Item number 2, we have a presentation of 2A College of Charleston and County MPA.

I just want to say thank you for partnering with us and welcome aboard. We're excited to have you all here and Mr. Worcester, awesome job. Always great to bring folks in to get to be part of the county family and hope you'll come back. And I've got to back up before I go forward. In my haste to move the meeting along, I was remiss in allowing my folks to be able to introduce themselves. So I'd like key staff and our council personnel, the members, to introduce themselves. I'll start with Mr. Moody.

Brantley Moody, District 7. Darby, District 4.

Teddy Pryor, District 5. Rob Wurman, District 3.

Thank you all. Moving on to Item 2B, Fleet Internship Program, a presentation.

I'll say a couple of things. Much like our EMS program and training our own here, it builds loyalty and camaraderie and a sense of team and esprit de corps. As someone who began my career right here at Charleston County and loved it so much to come back to it, I'm telling you guys, you're making great choices. I'm so proud of y'all. I see before me a bunch of soon-to-be master techs in the making. And what a great place to start. And I hope you guys stay and continue to be part of our Charleston County family.

3A. I'll move for staff recommendation for all items.

Second. Let's take 3B separate. I've got some questions.

We'll move 3B out. 3A, C, and D, staff recommendation, please.

Second that. All right. Any discussion on those three? Hearing none, all in favor say aye. Aye. Opposed? Ayes have it.

Yeah, thank you, Mr. Chairman. I mean, I just, you know, with the name of the dang thing, which, you know, whatever. I mean, unnecessary and mainly makes me roll my eyes. But I just want to make sure that's all I need to do and that this isn't something with strings attached. So can someone give me some assurance that this does not carry any sort of requirements for the county to assist in any kind of federal operations through the grant period? Mr. Administrator.

All right. I might wait until I hear that, but we can move forward with the vote.

Okay. Anything further? All right. All in favor say aye. Aye. Opposed? Nay. All right.

The ayes have it. I'm going to be in there until Tuesday to get some more information.

Move along to item 4, 4A, operation and maintenance of material recovery facility, MRF.

Moved and seconded. Any discussion? All in favor say aye. Aye. Opposed? Ayes have it. Okay, item 5A, reallocation of urban entitlement funds for program.

Maybe I can get with Mr. Tootin tomorrow or next week. I'm going to support this. I think this is a wonderful list, but there's one or two on here that were in some other rounds of funding that we had some issues with documentation that I think we've straightened some stuff out, but I wanted to just confirm that everything was straightened out with those folks, so maybe we can talk after the meeting or tomorrow.

Maybe you can tell us. Sidewalks for the city of North Charleston, you know, what are these? Stuff that we know we help them out with or they don't have any funding to do it because I see we got almost half a million dollars of sidewalks in the city of North Charleston. That wouldn't come out of the CTC to have any sales tax, you know, for these sidewalks.

Right, I know it's separate. That's what I'm saying.

So, okay, do we have any idea where these sidewalks are going to go?

If you have a list for me on Tuesday, I appreciate it. As a matter of fact, if you email it to everybody, that would be great. We can study it over the weekend. Okay. Okay. And one more, this Metanoia new construction. I'd like to know what they're planning on building as well, too, because I'm getting a lot of complaints from some of my constituents. They're coming in, and it's not like they're driving up the market, but folks feel that they're driving up the market by coming in. I know they're supposed to be less expensive than others, but most of those rentals, are they going to be homeownership? If you can get those information and let me know, I appreciate it. Yes, sir, I can.

So Wright Avenue is in Liberty Hill. Okay. I got you. All right. If you can just send that to me, I appreciate it. Okay. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Yes, sir. All right. All those in favor say aye. Aye. Opposed? Ayes have it. All right. At this point, we'll adjourn the Finance Committee meeting, and I'm going to hand it over to Mr. Pryor for Planning and Public Works.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. All members of council gets to participate. Item number one, approval of the minutes. July 16th and 21st. Okay. Is there a second? Second. Any deletion or addition? Hearing none, all in favor signify by saying aye. Aye. all opposed eyes have it uh item number two amendments to charleston county zoning and land development regulations ordinance zldr round six what is the pleasure uh move for staff recommendation sir is there a second okay any discussion all in favor signify by saying aye aye aye all opposed the eyes have it okay item number three a is the transportation

All right. Thank you. But before we go into questions from council members, I'm going to go down. But I hear you keep saying, don't worry about the numbers. But numbers are important. It's like me going to a dealership and you tell me to take the car home and he'll give me the numbers later. And it's a big surprise when he gives me the number. So numbers are important and they're important to our constituents. And I know you said that there are some costs and we all bear costs, but the reason why I brought y'all here too and Mr. Moody did is I don't want the public to think that just because w

I was going to say, since the numbers was a norm not to speak of us, I don't have any questions, sir. I do. Thank you all for being here tonight. I did have a couple questions. I agree with Mr. Pryor. I mean, I know we've got a lot of unknowns, but don't pay attention to the numbers. We can't do that. Before I start with a few questions, you mentioned an MOU with the DOT for the SRT. Say that five times. Can you explain to us what's included in that, or is that confidential, or what's...

Following up on that, we've got, you know, If voters approve TST, we're still years away from construction. To that point, wouldn't you have plenty of time to plan for these infrastructure pieces? And I'll follow up by saying I don't think, Mr. Thigpen, these plans are fully developed. We have road concepts, but they're not developed. So how can you forecast or project? Are you just saying, well, just wipe the whole thing out and that's a number? I know Glenn McConnell, I think, Mr. Thigpen, we didn't have any relocations.

$400 million on your balance sheet. You've got years to go. You said yourself that stuff's aging. What are you going to do then if TST doesn't pass? You still have to replace those pipes. No question.

Mr. Thigpen, you all mentioned the 4% Act 36. We would be theoretically working on state roads. We would be taking the place of the state as the contractor, I guess, on these projects. Would we be paying the same 4% to them that the state does?

Okay, that's in the pie. Yes, sir. Already playing out in the pie. Okay. Okay, I think I'm good for now. My concern, I want to make sure, Mr. Thigpenny, y'all have done a great job of this, is that If we've got to relocate a four, whatever, 20-inch pipe, I don't know the numbers, that we're not putting in a 28-inch pipe, that we're not replacing a pinto with a Cadillac. So put a Ford in there, but don't put a Cadillac in there. I want to make sure that we're not jumping up to the top of class on the TST back. Is that clear?

I agree. I mean, if we're in there, we're in there. Let's do what's going to support the growth. I don't disagree with that. But, you know, let's don't go nuts.

Mr. Darby? None. Mr. Sass? None. Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Mr. Pryor. Chairman Pritchard, I just want to say thank you very much for coming up here with your staff today. I agree with you 100%. Collaboration and cost savings and avoiding relocation where we can is to our mutual benefit. And I look forward to working with you and your staff together on these projects. And at the end of the day, it's all either ratepayer or taxpayer dollars. And so everything we can do to lower those costs and not waste any money is a mutual benefit to all. So thank you.

yeah uh mr pritchard i just echo a lot of what's been said i mean you know no one no one should have to choose between water and and transportation improvements um and i i thank you all for coming coming here it sounds like you know known unknowns i mean i wouldn't have any shame in using that phrasing because i mean that's how we get ahead of that's how we get ahead of issues and um look forward to being collaborative in that way you know moving forward regardless of whether it's TST or any other infrastructure project. So I think that's certainly something that we want to do for everyone in

Thank you for coming and answering the question, and look forward to working with you all in the future. Appreciate it. All right, back to you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Mr. Pryor. With that, we stand adjourned.