A - Town Council Meetings

MOUNT PLEASANT TOWN COUNCIL TOWN COUNCIL AGENDA Tuesday, May 12, 2020, 6:00 p.m. Video-Conference Meeting AGENDA Live Streaming Link: https://youtu.be/_bwyl_wu9CQ MINUTES I. CALL TO ORDER Mayor Haynie called the meeting to order at 6:27 p.m. II. ROLL CALL Mayor Will Haynie and Council Members, Howard Chapman, Brenda Corley, Laura Hyatt, Kathy Landing, Tom O’Rourke, Jake Rambo, Gary Santos and Guang Ming Whitley were all present. III. PRAYER Ms. Landing led Council in prayer. IV. PLEDGE Mr. O’Rourke led Council in the Pledge of Allegiance. V. APPROVAL OF AGENDA Mr. Santos moved for approval; seconded by Mr. Chapman. All present voted in favor. VI. APPROVAL OF MINUTES FROM THE MARCH 17 AND MARCH 27, 2020 EMERGENCY TOWN COUNCIL MEETINGS, THE APRIL 14, 2020 TOWN COUNCIL MEETING AND THE APRIL 2020 FINANCIAL STATEMENT.  Mr. Rambo moved for approval; seconded by Mr. Chapman. All present voted in favor. VII. PUBLIC COMMENT Ms. Sheri Thompson - This is to let you know several homes on Morrison Street (Old Village) flooded Thursday, 4/23/20, on the block between Whilden/Royall and Hamp Fludd Streets. In the case of my home, we just put in over $200,000 into renovating and upgrading it in order to sell. Now we are faced with tearing up warped hardwood floors, base boards, cutting into sheet rock to remove wet insulation... our brand new $2,500 refrigerator and dishwasher died... and now how are we going to sell?? My husband and I have spoken to Jodi Peele, director of Sanitation at the town of Mt. Pleasant, and were told there is an unfunded plan to upgrade the Stormwater drain system. What can be done to get the monies and expedite this project? We cant sleep at night!! We can’t go away on vacation for fear of coming home to a house full of water. This is utterly heartbreaking!!! Our home is our biggest investment and we just invested everything in this real estate, now what are we going to do?? Sheri & Curt Thompson 843-819-4300 1. What is being done for the storm drain system on Morrison Street? 2. How much money is needed to solve the problem? 3. What is the timeline? Page 2 of 12 We just had the SCDOT out here this morning looking at the 4 storm drains on the corner of Morrison/Whilden/Royall, and all of them are full with still water. The SCDOT truck was out here vacuuming and cleaning out the drain; there are no obstacles. The problem seems to be that the drains have settled and so there is no longer the grade needed for water to flow. Three homes on this corner flooded, with water damage to the interior of our homes. 4. Can we get a pump for the street to pipe the water above ground to some other storm drain before we have another rain event, the same way the town has done for property on Freeman Street? 5. Can the town provide a map of the storm drain system in this area? Kevin Cunnane - I notice that PR Advisor/ Mayor Haynie has latched on to the one region reignite plan. This slickly marketed new guidebook and webpage basically reissued info that we have all seen for months now. It includes such pressing gems as the suggestion to maintain social distancing in restrooms, yes, it actually says that. On its face, it is unclear exactly what funding streams paid for this so called plan, but, during budget talks, it might be worth a look. For Haynie's part, we have seen this dance before. Lacking any actionable knowledge himself, he will seize upon this repackaged information, memorize talking points, retweet them but never actually have an original idea. Get ready for Haynie to recite the slick marketing aspects, but we know he is fully incapable of anything past soundbites and self promotion. Perhaps the Haynie version should be called "Regurgitate: spewing old info during a pandemic". With regard to the issue of public comment, I notice that the PD used the open space on the steps of town hall to swear in 8 new officers. This was done with distancing and safety in mind. Question: why can't council use that space to reignite our constitutional right to participate in our local government? It seems all efforts are being taken to prohibit workable redress of grievances, while the same space continues to be used for various town publicity purposes, including regular Haynie PR stunts. Page 3 of 12 Thank you for your service to the town. Marie Santillanes - As a resident of Mount Pleasant, I oppose the $5m on boat slips at the end of the pier at Waterfront Park and would never want to see slips long enough to allow cruise ships tenders to dock. I oppose it! It is of no benefit to the residents of Mount Pleasant. Jenny Williams - I vehemently oppose boat slips on the Mt. Pleasant pier. It’s currently a safe and family friendly environment that our community needs and I fear that would be ruined by any commercial entity such as boat slips. Brenda Wright - We are trying desperately to recover from something that most of us have never seen in our lifetime. I would hope that council will put this subject on a back burner for now...preferably forever. Our town has become overcome with tall buildings, traffic woes, and building that is out of control. We, the residents, do not wish to have a place for boats and large ships to dock in our town. Our opinions have been expressed previously in many emails. Please don't try to slide this under the table and vote it in today. There are many more ways this money could be spent. Find a way to move it around and help our town recover from being on a lockdown due to the COVID19 virus. Businesses are suffering and desperately need help. Please find a way to help them with this money instead of putting it to use on something that the town DOES NOT WANT. Thank you for your consideration. Paul Todorovich - Please add my voice to the others opposing the expenditure of 5 million taxpayer dollars for boat slips for the Mount Pleasant pier. It seems those slips would be of little use for the majority of taxpayers, primarily benefit privately owned hotels and restaurants, and the money could be better spent (or saved) considering tax increases are being talked about as inevitable. Mary Yost - As a concerned citizen, I am writing to oppose boat slips at the Mt. Pleasant Pier. This should be kept as a family spot and not spoiled by boaters. There are many other places boaters can access the Wando River. This is completely Page 4 of 12  unnecessary and a waste of taxpayer money. Kindly vote against this! Bill Yaeger - I am writing this letter to ask you to please ask Town Council to NOT approve ANY changes to the Mt. Pleasant Pier. Right now, this is a great place to go for a stroll and spend some time with family and friends looking at the harbor. We do not need any boat slips, water taxis, restaurants, or anything of the like there. Please leave it alone and let us continue to enjoy what is there at this time. Thank you for your consideration. Therese Kristiansen - Please rescind the decision to spend money on useless boat slips at the Mount Pleasant Pier. The slips are not only unnecessary but will destroy the family and ecology friendly aspect of the pier. The funds are not supposed to be used for such projects anyway. Thank you. Betty Benton - As a taxpayer I strongly oppose the taking away of this resource that belongs to we the citizens of Mt Pleasant. You have used almost every inch of our beautiful area to make this an almost undesirable place to live. Stop thinking of profiting rich people and just let us profit from this resource which we love. Jordan Falkiewicz - I have just been notified of a vote or discussion regarding boat slips and docks added to our Mt. Pleasant pier. I would strongly oppose cruise ships and wealthy boat owners blocking the enjoyment and view of residents from one of the only spots left in town to enjoy the river view. Is there any piece of Mt Pleasant left for its residents to enjoy, it is our town (not just those people that are wealthy enough to buy waterfront property). This is just sad! Please vote no on this. VIII. Committee Reports A. Economic Development Approval to extend by thirty days the due date for remittance of the business license tax Ms. Landing stated that in the Economic Development Committee meeting, there was discussion regarding the COVID-19 virus and the difficulty the community suffered, where some steps could be made to assist. She stated that typically the Town’s Business Page 5 of 12 License Tax would be paid on or before July 31st of each year. In an effort to provide some regulatory relief, the Economic Development Committee recommends to full Council that the due date be delayed until August 31, 2020 with all other terms remaining in place. Mayor Haynie asked if this was a motion from the Committee, as it does not require a second. Ms. Landing stated that this is a motion from the Economic Development Committee. (No second required) Mr. Santos stated that this was addressed in the Budget Committee meeting and approved. Mayor Haynie asked Mr. DeMoura if delaying the receipt of the business license tax would present any cash flow difficulty to the Town. Mr. DeMoura stated that it would not. Mayor Haynie asked Legal Counsel to confirm that this is only temporary for this year 2020. He said Council may always reevaluate; however, believes this is only for the year 2020. Mr. Pagliarini responded in the affirmative. Mr. Rambo asked Ms. Landing if there was also discussion of an Impact Fee schedule delay. Ms. Landing stated that this item was discussed; however, it was not part of the budget. All present voted in favor of approval to extend the Business License remittance due date until August 31, 2020. Page 6 of 12  B. Finance Committee Recommendation to accept the FY 2019 hazard Mitigation Grant Program Ms. Cotov stated that the Town was awarded a grant to provide funding to allow the Town to have an independent contractor design and engineer a Town-wide Flood Assessment Map product in the amount of $118,125 with a required match of $39,375 for a total project budget of $157,500. She stated that this came out of Hurricane Florence. The match is available. Mr. Santos moved for approval; seconded by Mr. Chapman. Mayor Haynie asked when this would be completed. Ms. Cotov stated that because this is federal funding, the Town will be required to go through the contracting process. Mayor Haynie asked how long this process takes. Ms. Cotov stated that it is brought to the Bids and Purchases Committee, because the award amount exceeds $100,000. Once this process takes place, they will have a timeline. All present voted in favor. IX. Adoption: A Resolution by the Town of Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, making a Declaration of Intent to enter into Lease Purchase Agreements. (R.20052) Page 7 of 12  Mayor Haynie stated that this is for heavy equipment for Public Services and the Fire Department. He stated that some of the equipment is past their useful life. Mr. Santos moved to approve; seconded by Mr. O’Rourke. All present voted to approve. Ms. Corley asked what happens to the outdated equipment. Ms. Cotov stated that according to the Procurement Ordinance, staff in the Procurement Division places the outdated equipment on a site called “Gov Deals”, for sale. Once the equipment is sold, the revenue returns to the Town’s budget. She said a section was added to the ordinance to allow the Town to utilize a broker if staff feels they are able to obtain a better selling price, or if the broker is able to lower the purchase price of new equipment. She stated that the Town utilizes all these mechanisms to obtain the best pricing for the Town. All present voted in favor. This Resolution SIGNED, SEALED and DELIVERED this date. X. Final Reading: An Ordinance to adopt and appropriate a budget for the Town of Mount Pleasant for Fiscal Year 2021 (July 1, 2020, through June 30, 2021). (Ord. No. 20024) Page 8 of 12  Mr. Santos moved to approve; seconded by Mr. O’Rourke. Mayor Haynie asked Mr. DeMoura to provide a brief explanation of why the total amount proposed and the total amount recommended differ. He stated that there is a difference of approximately $6 million. Mr. DeMoura stated that the amended budget is different from the original proposed budget, which received first reading prior to the pandemic. He said that the amended budget is a responsive budget, or a budget that has been developed in response to what is expected to be a significant financial hit to the Town of Mount Pleasant. He stated that the goal is to maintain services to the Town’s citizens and business owners throughout the year. This budget contains a multi- layered approach. He said the big issue is that the money that may have been reserved for a particular project, or employee raises or wage and classification implementation and salaries, have instead been lifted and sent to a reserve account where it will sit and may only be spent by Council. He said this funding is there and may only be deployed depending on the conditions that the community is facing going forward budgetarily. Mayor Haynie directed his questions to Legal Counsel and the Clerk of Council. He stated that since the Town went into great detail in the Budget Committee meeting, which is a Committee of all Council Page 9 of 12 members prior to this meeting, if Council may use the minutes of the Budget Committee meeting as an attachment to this item to indicate the level of detail that took place. He stated that to the public, it does not appear that Council even discussed this item. Mr. Pagliarini stated that what Council has is a motion and a second for final reading. He stated that one amendment may clarify all of this. He said in order to adopt the changed budget from First Reading, as Mr. DeMoura stated, there needs to be an amendment to the main motion. This amendment could be a motion to amend, to include the budget as presented at this Council meeting and to include the minutes of the Budget Committee of Council of this same date in the Council minutes. He said this would be an appropriate motion to address both the amendment and inclusion of today’s Budget Committee meeting minutes. He said, again, in order to adopt this new version of the budget, there does need to be an amendment to the main motion. Mr. O’Rourke so moved as outlined by Legal Counsel; seconded by Mr. Santos. Mr. Pagliarini repeated the motion, which is to amend the main motion to include the updated budget presented at this Town Council meeting, as well as adopted by the Budget Committee of Council and to further include the minutes of the Budget Committee of Council of today’s date in the minutes for this Council meeting. Mr. Chapman stated that during the Budget Committee meeting, he made a presentation regarding the importance of drainage and resiliency. He asked how this gets reflected and at what point does Council discuss how to get to starting the work on the Old Village drainage and the drainage cleaning crew. At what point does Council discuss how to accomplish this. Mayor Haynie asked if Mr. Chapman is offering this as an amendment to the budget. Mr. Chapman stated that if this funding is appropriated this time or if there will be another budget discussion, that would be more appropriate. Mr. Pagliarini stated that currently we are discussing the amended motion that was stated. Current discussion should be on this with a vote. He said whether this vote passes or fails, it would be Page 10 of 12 appropriate to accept further possible amendments after this current amendment is addressed. He stated that Council is welcome to make further amendments after this amendment has been voted on. After which, Council will vote on the main motion, as amended. Mr. DeMoura stated that there are three places Mr. Chapman’s item may be discussed. There is the Public Services Committee or the Flood Resiliency Committee; however, typically any discussion of revenue generation happens at the Finance Committee. Mr. Chapman stated we are taking the Finance Committee’s recommendation and putting it in the form of a Budget so it appears he will need to make an amendment. Ms. Landing stated that significant time was spent on this subject prior to Mr. Chapman’s term on Town Council. What the Town is currently waiting on important information from FEMA regarding grants and if they are awarded at the level requested, it would almost pay for the first phases requested, which is Royall Avenue and Edwards Lane. She said the Town is hoping to receive information soon from FEMA and the Town will then be able to fund the first phase and possibly the first two phases of this work. She stated that the permitting for the first phase is not yet complete and the second phase is further out. She does not believe this is a discussion for this meeting. She said Council needs to pass the budget this evening so that on July 1, 2020, we can begin the new fiscal year. She said when the FEMA grants come through, or even if they do not, then Council will come back and revisit this in the Finance and Public Services Committees and may need to adjust the budget at that time. She stated that at this time, Council needs to address current projects and discuss the current amendment on the floor. Mayor Haynie addressed his comments to Mr. DeMoura and stated that as the economy revives and the Town returns to normal, if any adjustments need to be made in the new fiscal year in June or July, Council may revisit various projects. Mr. DeMoura responded in the affirmative. Mr. Chapman stated that he would like to ensure that the minutes, including the slides and the suggestion and most importantly, including the fact that South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT), with the assistance of Tim Henderson, District Engineer, Leland Colvin, State Highway Engineer and Transportation Secretary Page 11 of 12  Christy Hall, have agreed to give the Town back $1.2 million to help with the drainage improvements in the Old Village and to suggest that there is a way, if the Town does not receive the FEMA funding, to begin the drainage improvements with a potential small amount annually. Mayor Haynie stated that Council may address this at a later date. Mr. Chapman stated that he wanted to ensure that the record reflects, as has been suggested, that the other information is part of the record. Mayor Haynie stated that what was discussed is for all the minutes from the Budget Committee meeting, which would include Mr. Chapman’s presentation on flooding, including the recent event. This would all be as an exhibit or attachment to the minutes. May 12 2020 Budget Committee Minutes Ms. Corley, Ms. Hyatt, Ms. Landing, Mr. O’Rourke, Mr. Rambo, Mr. Santos, Ms. Whitley, Mr. Chapman and Mayor Haynie were all in favor of the amendment to the budget. Mr. Santos moved to approve the budget as amended; seconded by Mr. Chapman. All present voted in favor. This Ordinance SIGNED, SEALED and DELIVERED this date. Mayor Haynie stated that he has questions regarding alternative ways to fund drainage as well. He believes this is the most unusual time for a budget to be passed in recent history of the Town. He stated that Council still has the flexibility to change the budget as needed and make other priorities. He has some in mind but will address them at a later date. XI. ADJOURN Mr. Chapman moved to adjourn; seconded by Mr. Santos. All present voted in favor. Council adjourned at 6:57 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Barbara Ashe May 12, 2020 Page 12 of 12