Beaufort County, South Carolina Town of Hilton Head, 28 Apr 2022

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From YouTube: Town of Hilton Head Island Public Planning Committee Meeting Thursday, April 28, 2022, 10:00 AM Agen

Description

1. Call to Order
2. FOIA Compliance Public notification of this meeting has been published, posted, and distributed in compliance with the South Carolina Freedom of Information Act and the requirements of the Town of Hilton Head Island.
3. Roll Call
4. Approval of the Agenda
5. Approval of the Minutes
a. Regular Meeting - March 24, 2022
6. Appearance by Citizens Citizens who wish to address the Committee may do so by contacting the Town Clerk at 843.341.4701, no later than 4:30 p.m., Wednesday, April 27, 2022. Citizens may also submit comments on the agenda items via the eComment portal at: Public Planning Committee Meeting Information
7. New Business
a. Discussion of Palmetto Breeze Trolley Service Enhancements that Deliver an Innovative and Memorable Rider Experience
b. Consideration of Proposed Ordinance 2022-08 Amending Sections 12-1-110 and 12-1-511 of the Municipal Code for the Town of Hilton Head Island, South Carolina with Regard to e-Bike Regulations
8. Adjournment

A

A

B

Oh there, it is.

B

Thank you you're the best. I really appreciate it.

A

A

A

C

Good morning, I would like to welcome everybody to the planning commission.

D

C

Committees, public planning committees, meeting of april 28th and kristen, would you call the roll please.

B

Yes, sir, mr brown.

E

B

Mrs becker here, mr stanford, here mr ames, here.

C

And also also are we in compliance with floya? Yes,.

B

C

Thank you is: are there any suggested changing to the agenda hearing, none will accept it as submitted approval of minutes move. Adoption is written all right. Second, all those in favor signify by saying aye aye all right passes unanimously. Thank you appearance by citizens. Chris, do we have anybody slated to speak general citizen comments today.

B

No sir, we had nobody sign up for appearance by citizens, nor were any comments submitted through the portal. All.

C

Right, thank you very much. New business discussion of palmetto breeze trolley service enhancements that deliver an innovative and memorable rider experience. Welcome mary lou. It's good to see you again. Thank.

F

You good to be here well with that introduction. I would like to say I think that we have done a great job in enhancing the experience each year as we come out again, and one of the things that I gave everybody to look at is our new brochure and what we decided early on is we didn't want any advertising on the trolley.

F

We didn't want a moving billboard around hilton head and so the the businesses really wanted to be able to advertise, and so this is our first version, where we've really gotten a lot of ads in there the ads are tied to the maps. The maps tell you what trolley stop you can go to what business and we sold out all the ads very quickly it paid for 40 000 of those brochures, so it was really a win situation and each year we try to enhance what we do as far as that.

F

The other thing I would really like to point out, um because I find it very impressive- the social media that we do on the trolley. I have a marketing person, that's very, very good at social media and boosting and all the things he does, which I know nothing about, and we have a huge following on twitter and facebook, and I don't know if he went to tiktok, but he answers every inquiry into facebook about the trolley uh off season on season.

F

It really surprises us sunday, night he's responding to people, so I think that that does give a a very great uh experience to the person. That's trying to figure out whether they want to use the trolley or when it runs or what they can do. He gets right in and and has that relationship with people? The other thing I do want to talk about is um where we are in ridership. um This was as of the 21st.

F

uh We were um at 4774 people from the 9th to the 21st, which is more than um all of april of last year, so we're seeing it's very preliminary, we're very preliminary the numbers, but we're seeing quite an increase already earliest early on, and so we'll keep you up to date with that and then some of the things that I uh did do some investigation about um had to do with.

F

um I was asked to look at some innovative and different things, and one thing we have um had on the radar and been looking at is the electric trolley, and I I gave you the brochure of the trolley they um they have not built this. Yet this is uh the manufacturer that built our trolley who's now offering this. So this is very new and I think the costs will go down as time goes on, but just to want you to be aware that this option is available to order and purchase an electric trolley.

F

There are 850 000 for one.

G

H

F

It's quite a lot, um hopefully, as electric vehicles uh get into the mix that that price will go down, but that is a opportunity we could explore. As far as grant funding, I don't I don't know what that would get us, but there is grants for electric vehicles, so we could look into that.

F

um I thought that table would be up here that you put stuff up.

B

Oh, no, I didn't realize you needed it well,.

F

Yeah it just I just wanted to show like some of these um handouts. I brought I apologize, I didn't have it.

C

While you're doing that, what does a normal gas or diesel trolley cost.

F

Oh, I think the trolleys we got were 374 000.

F

And that doesn't include um all of the things we put into the trolley but there's other additional items that go in tablets and things. But yeah.

I

Just following up on that, while you're getting set up, is there an annual cost associated with gas etc? Just.

F

The electric to run it once we purchase it, then it would be ours um uh to.

I

F

Current ones, oh the current ones, what's the question, what the gas.

I

Bill annually looks like.

F

They probably get around six miles to the gallon. I don't I don't I mean I could figure my the mileage and and do it that way, but I didn't come prepared for that.

H

But interesting yeah thank.

F

You with the cost of fuel going up, it becomes even more enticing that, because what happens with us in our budget, we may budget a certain amount for fuel, and you see what has happened this year. It's gone up to three dollars for diesel.

F

It really throws our budget out of whack, whereas with something like this might be a little more predictable. Although I do think that um it's going to put a you know the supply and demand it's going to put a demand for electric on on the on the grid. So I don't know if that's going to raise everybody's electric price or you know how that even works, I'm very new at this.

F

I was uh given this flyer for the eco shuttle, um that's something that uh that is made, and um I also have really quickly I'll show this one as well. This is uh a little golf car shuttle they they do in um lakeland florida and um it's called citrus connection. It's a three year. Citrus connection is the bus system. It's a three year pilot project.

F

They started out doing it lunch time and on friday and saturday nights and then now they just do it friday and saturday nights and people have to pay a fair, but they run around the downtown district, and so that's interesting. So I right away called and talked to them, and they did that with um all non-fta money and that and when I've said before that, we can't really do that. Well, we can do anything really if it's transportation, but our grant money will not fund it.

F

The fta requires our vehicles to go through certification and they crash test them in pennsylvania to make sure that they they're safe in a rollover safe in a side hit safe in all the different ways that they could get in an accident, and so the only way I can buy vehicles with my grant money they have to have come through altoona testing. That's not to say we couldn't do something like this.

F

If the town wanted to do that, and I wrote the prices by each one of those vehicles up there on the eco shuttle, um I know you've asked before. Could we do something like this and the answer is yes, we can do it. We can't use our grant funding for it, but but we could do it.

C

Amy, do you have any questions or comments.

H

I'm going to take some time and do some additional research on it. I think that.

I

Hilton head is a place where we expect us to use whatever means to be sensitive to our environment and our and I well personally, not going out to buy an e-vehicle.

I

I would like to know the comparisons on cost and how this would benefit and set the standard that we're we as a town are sensitive to so I'll. I'm going to take all your great information here and look a little bit further into it, and I hope we get to have a conversation later about it.

J

Yes, you have a nice number 4 700 for the first two weeks of service this spring, which is an impressive number. I wonder if that can be broken down at all, in terms of how many are going to the beach versus how many are going to other destinations in town.

F

We do have the ability to pull that data out and I have to say that it's been a big push over there with the trolley starting up. I have some uh personnel changeovers and um typically we have this data ready and it was not ready today and so.

J

That's fine, but yes, we.

F

Have the ability to do stop by um where people get on and we have a passenger counters that can do that on the buses, and we can. We gave you the information for the year last year. We can do it on intervals.

J

I think periodically that would be useful data for us to have the other question. I've got for you in the same vein, is: are people using the shuttle to park at uscb and go down to coligny? Is that is that a routine? I.

F

Know once we run that beach shuttle and we haven't started yet um because last year in april we didn't really carry anybody. So they asked me for the data, and so we haven't started yet because I guess we're not at that point. But once the beach shuttle starts running, the trolleys also watch that uscb parking lot and the answer.

D

F

They carry um several hundred people, you know on a saturday and a sunday in a monday if it's a holiday from uscb to colleen.

J

In connection with that, it would be useful to know if that we're receiving any comments from those passengers.

J

You've heard me before concern about whether there's enough room on the trolley for all of the stuff that people want to take to the beach, and so I'd like to know if you're hearing about that one way or the other as it's moving forward, I'm very pleased with the success of the shuttle. I applaud you for your service, I'm proud of the town for partnering with you. Thank you. Thank.

F

You, I would say the only uh comment, I've gotten so far. No one has ever has made any comments that they were not allowed to bring any of their things. The issue we have now is pets.

F

People want to bring their dogs on the bus and we allow a pet in a carrier and that's our rule, because we don't want that charlie overrun with big wet dogs, and I love dogs, but if they're in a carrier, you know they have those little soft carriers, they can bring their their pet that they brought on vacation in their carrier, and so that's probably the biggest uh concern. I've heard uh this year.

C

Thank you, glenn good, to see you again, mary lou. um I I think I look at our conversation regarding innovation from a a brand standpoint and you're well aware of that emphasis.

C

um So I I look at vehicles that suggest a different scale than the trolleys that we're using. I look at the vehicles from a from a fun standpoint. I look at the vehicles from perhaps an environmental standpoint. I.E does electric uh suggest something about the island that diesel doesn't so on so happen.

C

Having said that, I recognize that these vehicles that you have up on the screen, probably aren't the appropriate ones to be driving up and down 278.

C

So it begs the question: if you were to analyze our ability to use a vehicle like this, how would you go about establishing a route and then deciding what vehicle and what budget might be needed to make it a successful, invent venture.

F

Well- um and I was going to talk about the airport service too, because that's something new that we're coming through, and so if something is pretty comprehensive and and fairly large and needs a lot of public input, I look for consultants to help me with that, because that's real important, especially on hilton head, that um that everybody's afforded an opportunity to give their opinion on where they want a bus to go or where they want a route to go.

F

So if it was a big project like I believe the airport is, I would get a consultant to do it. If you just asked me to provide transportation between uscb and coligny, then I would go about it a different way. You know looking at what the demand is and what are people what's the mission? Are they trying to bring their beach stuff? Are they just parking there and heading into into uh kaligni area? So so I guess the approach would be whatever really fits. What we're trying to do?

F

I know with the trolley coming in and doing those routes.

F

I worked with your town staff, which was amazing, and every year we've altered that route, and so uh with this year's alterations going up into where the sandbox is and in lowcountry park that didn't exist when we started, and so it didn't really make sense, and so I believe that if you're don't aren't open to to making these changes and looking every year at you know what are people requesting what's a good area, you know what would work out then you're, pretty stagnant, and so that I commit to that every year we look at, you know, what's going on um what does the town looking for and then what can we do with our existing resources?.

C

My my objective here would be to provide a service in areas that are more concentrated, I.e. The pope avenue palmetto bay road corridor, where people might be less inclined to get an automobile uh as a as a goal. um So the question that it comes to mind is: how do we? How do we analyze the possibility of trying to achieve that goal?

C

And I I look to ann and missy and the staff and just wonder whether or not that's something staff is going to be doing or whether palmetto breeze would be doing that. But my my personal objective would be to make it more convenient for people to move up and down the corridor without getting in an automobile and to have it be an experience that benefits the community brand.

C

So I think that we recognize, I mean I think we can recognize that there are time, share vehicles going up and down the road that uh provide a level of service, but are they the kind of message that we in this community want to be reinforcing?

C

uh So I I think that palmetto breeze is doing a admirable job of moving people up and down the 278 corridor. I'd be very interested in knowing whether or not people are using the trolley to avoid getting in a car in the more congested area of pope avenue and so on. So that's a little bit following up on glen alex. We have a question. Oh yeah, good, um alex glenn reminds me that you're there do. You have something you want to add.

C

Have we lost alex.

E

Can you hear me okay,.

C

Yeah now we can alex thanks: okay.

E

All right, thank you, sir. I appreciate it and mary lou thank you for joining us again. um I agree with all comments that have been made. Thus far from my colleagues, um I would just challenge us with our partnership with palmetto breeze.

E

We all know that parking, for example, is a premium on hilton head and the more that we can do to change the culture of folks driving from one place to another is so important to us long term on hilton head we're not going to be able to to build enough parking to deal with any type of increase of capacity, not that we're looking for increases, but we know that they have been natural.

E

um You know, I know that there are a lot of of grants available. May lou you've alluded to them, but I would I would not box ourselves in as to the possibilities based on grand availability.

E

I think transportation on island is something that's very important has to be incorporated into our long-term planning um into our uh budgeting process as well. uh So manu I'd ask that you be more aggressive in your conversations with staff and start to bring back not only more data as councilman stanford is suggesting, but also more conceptual plans with numbers attached to them so that we can start making some decisions as far as direction is concerned.

E

Those are my comments, mr chair. Thank you.

C

Thank you, mr brown, uh mary lou, just one other comment. I'd make in my mind. um We, as mr brown suggested. We need to open up parking lots that are available uh for the beach and there are over 300 parking places down at crossings park.

C

That would be a logical place for a smaller vehicle to move up and down pope avenue and palmetto bay collecting people at different parking lots that might be available to them, uscb and so on. So I think, there's a there is a a different scale of operation, that's suggested here and that's what I think we should be looking into.

I

I have two additional questions: mary lou, in terms of the data that glenn mentioned, is it possible to also look at if anyone is using the um trolley as transportation to get from their residents to work.

F

Rather other than just having a surveyor on the bus asking people and anecdotal uh responses, I don't know how we would get that data, but we could. We could pull the drivers and see what they know they get to know. They have the same route every week they get to know who's riding and the people that use it to go to work will be going every day and they'll know the driver, and so I can find out that way and the other thing would be to put somebody on to survey people right.

F

That would be great.

C

Thank you if we could have.

I

C

Statistics that glenn was referencing, ridership and so on and stops on a monthly basis. Yes,.

F

That would be helpful. That's not a problem. Thank.

C

F

The other thing I just have to show you because I'm here, um where we're at with this airport uh service, it's uh in the study phase and we originally were supposed to get the vehicles the end of february. I don't know if anybody's been buying vehicles lately, but it's it's a real crap shoot when you get them so they did leave the factory last week, two of the three left to head to columbia, where they're going to upfit them with some of our cameras and different things.

F

So we're thinking we will have two buses before memorial day ready to roll. So that's really good news and I uh conveyed that to the consultant, because, basically I told him you know, there's no need to put this on a super rush because we don't have vehicles.

F

So I just want to show you just a teaser here, because it's not all the data's not out- and I can put this on here- this just says: what will the service look like and uh I uh really like what they've come up with so far and what they're doing uh what they're proposing uh that we should do is there's two loop routes from the airport going around the north way and around the south way.

F

So if you're, because a loop route is very problematic, if there's only one, because if you live three quarters of the way around you've got a long ride to get home, whereas if they go both ways unless you're halfway out, you have a quick way back and forth, and so I know this is really small. I didn't really want to get down to the road details, but this is, after all, of the public input and the um uh and what they've come up with so far the one the northernmost piece is around the airport.

F

You can kind of see the runways, but it's using the cross island uh to to complete the loop and what made me you know when you said hey, we should be doing something on palmetto bay road. This.

F

This bus could do that because um it's not just for the airport, it's for um transportation around the island, and I really like this concept and I think that uh short of going through a lot of gates and things we're serving a lot of people here in a lot of um homes and villas, and I just think this is.

F

This is one piece of our transportation puzzle and when this is in a final form, it will come back for everybody to comment on and you guys are all stakeholders there'll be a meeting for everybody to to comment and look at it. But I just had to put that out there after you made that comment as well about palmetto bay, road and the crossings. This could very well serve that.

C

Thank you, mary lou mm-hmm.

C

Good. Thank you. I appreciate your time. Thank you.

F

It's exciting to see what we've done in uh this is our fifth year, and it's really.

C

F

C

Good progress. Thank you.

C

Second item on new business, consideration of proposed ordinance, 2022-08 amending sections, 12, 1, 110 and 12-1-5-111 of the municipal code of the town of hilton head island, south carolina with regard to e-bike regulations and missy. You have a presentation for our benefit.

C

Missy, I appreciate your jumping in and taking on this project. Well,.

D

Thank you good morning, everyone. My name is missy lueck principal planner for the record, and we are going to be discussing electrical bicycles or e-bikes. um Yes, I did jump into this a little bit midstream, but I'm happy to do so.

D

This is a little bit of the overview that will be included in the presentation today, a little bit of summary, of where we've been project history. Some communication efforts, public feedback, as well as the draft ordinance.

D

So ebike use is growing quickly and this technology provides many positive attributes in allowing older individuals, individuals with disabilities, commuting workers and people who may be new to biking the ability to ride a bicycle and to enjoy the town's recreational pathways.

D

The usage of this equipment has led to increased demand on our infrastructure and presented the need to discuss possible regulations or and or policy guidelines to protect the safety of all users on our pathways. So that's why we're here.

D

And you all probably know this history better than I do, but this topic has been discussed several times before the public planning committee. It started back in june of 2021, then the then town attorney provided some legal overview about e-bike definitions and regulations.

D

Then in august of 21 it came back to ppc again and the after math of that was to hold a series of stakeholder meetings that were held between august and november of 21, with various stakeholders that are listed here.

D

um And then, in january of this year, and and this is where I kind of joined the discussion, um the topic was before ppc again and um staff was tasked with drafting the ordinance for consideration, as well as communicating with area bike shops and conducting a survey to get communication and input from them on the proposed concepts that were up for discussion.

D

Those responses are included in the packet materials today, as well as the draft ordinance.

D

So, since the last meeting we did create an e email distribution list to those bike, shops and I've communicated with them. Several times we didn't send the the written survey to those bike shops.

D

There were 37 letters that were issued and we received four written responses that were that was in the packet um and then we also worked with bikewalk hilton head island on the safety and etiquette guidelines that are also included in the packet materials.

D

So two of the main areas of public comment that were heard based on the feedback we received was that there was general support for the safety and etiquette materials and those guidelines.

D

There was some concern that was expressed by some of those who responded that it puts the burden on the bike, shops and the private sector, but otherwise it seemed like there was overall support for that education from them to be able to do to help us with the safety and etiquette component.

D

The other main comment that we heard was related to the requirement of limiting the speed on an e-bike or a governor.

D

We did have some mixed comments on that, and there were some who did express some concerns regarding this recommendation. Some believe the speed limit is too high. Some felt like it was a good. We we looked at it and thought that it was a good compromise figure.

D

Some thought the restriction was not necessary and does place an undue burden on the business to make alterations to the bicycles than what is delivered from the factory and that it may cause problems with their warranty on those items.

D

And then in the packet there was a draft ordinance and- and there was an amended version of that that was uh handed out this morning- that corrected three typos that were pointed out.

D

Thank you for that, and there are really four key points that are part of the ordinance that is to amend the town code to define that certain types of lower speed e-bikes are permitted on our pathways to require the distribution of the town bike, safety, etiquette materials with each transaction and again those materials are included in the packet and was this this document third, to require the use of a governor that would limit the speed uh to no greater than 12 miles per hour on an e-bike and then to establish an enforcement mechanism.

D

There are several things that we're going to continue to look at that aren't in the current proposal, but we're going to look at discussing additional pathway, signage and etiquette and other safety practices, especially in critical areas, focal points or congested areas that are on our town pathways.

D

Also looking at the pope avenue streetscape project, that's coming up in the cip to examine transportation related issues in this area. The items of study could include increasing the pathway, widths, adding on-street bike lanes, multi-purpose, travel lanes, uniform striping and signage and other technology to improve safety and congestion improvements, etc.

D

We would like to explore further partnering with bike ambassador programs to enhance more of the education and promote safe behavior on the pathways for all users, and that we would recommend that we continue looking at all of these items and monitor the pathway, safety programs for potential additional enhancements.

D

And finally, in a lot of the comments that we see we received, there was some discussion about e other equipment, not just related to e-bicycles, and currently motorized vehicles are prohibited on our pathways, but we will continue to look at each other equipment and evaluate that if that need arises. So ultimately, staff is requesting that the committee recommend approval of the ordinance to town council and I can take any questions that you may have.

C

Thank you alex. Are you on board? I want to ask a question: make a comment.

E

uh Yes, uh yes, can you hear me yes,.

C

E

Okay, thank you. uh Thank you, uh missy for your uh presentation. uh I'm prepared to move forward with this uh proposal to full town council. As far as the e-bikes are concerned, um I I did want to make a comment on uh some of the additional items that that obviously mentioned.

E

um We definitely need to improve our infrastructure when it comes to our pathways.

E

The part that I'm concerned about is, I guess, this idea of leaning on the ambassadors um when it comes to the experience on our bike paths it just it leans more towards that limited service government attitude. um You know.

A

We've got pathways.

E

Just about everyone out and we've done a great job with doing that, but now we have a critical point where they need to be enhanced, making them wider absolutely, but we've got line of sight issues um if we're going to enforce speed limits and that sort of things. We need to monitor that, in my opinion, in-house so leaning more towards public safety within our pathways and how the pathway user engages with the roadway user is our responsibility.

E

uh So what whatever needs to be done to uh to enhance that, I think, is important as we move forward. Those are my comments, mr chair. Thank you.

C

Thank you alex.

J

Glenn, thank you missy good report. I appreciate the efforts of the town's staff to develop this issue and it always makes it easier when you have to make decisions to have them clearly presented and you've done that.

J

One additional item for communication- that I don't think you mentioned is that we need to engage the villa rental companies, um the marketing companies, uh the time share, the providers etc.

J

Come up with a a brochure come up with some sort of statement that they can use to in turn circulate uh to tenants and others who would be coming to the island bringing their own e-bikes because we know that's coming then. As a matter of comment and next explanation here, I feel trapped in this having to make this decision.

J

The trap is that we have a state law that says that e-bikes are bicycles, so the only way we could truly ban e-bikes would be to ban bicycles from the pathways and that's just not a viable conclusion for us to reach.

J

We have tried to come up with reasonable restrictions on the use of these bicycles, speed, etc.

J

Trying to engage the bicycle rental companies in how they provide these services and it's going to be an ongoing process like so many things that we have here. I've heard from many well-meaning carefully thought out comments from many citizens here on the island, who are very concerned about the safety aspects of that we understand it, but we just simply cannot ban bicycles from the paths, so I intend to support moving this forward to the full council as well. Thank you.

C

I

Thanks so um thank you, messi and um thank you to everyone who has sent their comments directly. I think to all of us. um I know that each of us have read them carefully and considered all of those comments carefully.

I

I do have you know my own questions and concerns.

I

First of all, a regulation for the purpose of just having something on the books to me, never makes sense, and so, having said that, I don't know if this ordinance really accomplishes um very much.

I

I do like the fact that we are educating people and I would, as glenn mentioned as part of our permitting and the information that the town is asking short-term rentals to include in their villas that this is a required piece of information. We know that people are bringing their bicycles and now they're bringing their e-bicycles with them.

I

I don't know what that means other than the educational piece to those who bring their bicycles in terms of regulating their speeds, with any type of control features unlikely to happen right.

I

Those of us who live on the island who own e-bicycles we aren't held by, I don't know how many of those will reach and how many will regulate their bicycles. It doesn't speak to the beach which we know. Increasing numbers of people using our beaches means less room for people to ride their bicycles, etc. Historically, we used to have all sorts of wonderful opportunities on our beach with the sand cruisers and the sunfish boats that were able to be rented and utilized, and now, with more and more people taking up more and more space.

I

We don't have those, and I don't see how e-bicycles and their speed is being addressed through this ordinance. So a missing piece there for me in terms of safety. Obviously everything that we can do to provide a safe environment on the island we are all in on. First responsibility of being up here is to make sure that we have safety.

I

But if that means e-bikes.

I

In large numbers on our pathways that are already populated with bicycles and people walking and children and dogs and trains, literally trains of bicycles, with connecting pieces down the down the back of them, I'm not sure that signage, more signage isn't nothing anything more than a distraction.

I

The stop signs that we currently have are rarely noticed or are paid attention to with a with an actual stop.

I

So those are all concerns that I have the idea that we would widen our and stripe our roadways and pathways anymore is goes counter to my belief that I'm trying to hold back on any further urbanization of our small paradise island here that includes our natural environment, that we look to retain so lots of problems. For me in this ordinance.

I

And I think right now, that's in where I have to stop, because I don't know if having an ordinance for the sake of having an ordinance that doesn't fulfill any number of the things that I've brought up.

I

It makes a lot of sense for me if we could attend to everything in a meaningful and thoughtful way and actually accomplish something, then I'd be all in, but not sure we're there thanks. Thank you.

C

Missy good job, um I'm going to support the the staff proposal and move it on from my standpoint, move it on to full council.

C

We have to recognize that our pathways are a lot like our roads. There's limited capacity at this point. Any decision that we as a council make to bring more people on to the island is going to exacerbate that those issues.

C

um Increased tourism is going to complicate those issues, but we are where we are in terms of the width of our pathways.

C

So it really depends to a large degree on what the people who are on our pathways feel is their responsibility and the town's expectations.

C

So the two things that we are, including in this ordinance that I think are significant, is we are regulating speed and there is an expectation of etiquette because of the communication that is provided within the ordinance.

C

I also think that, uh without the ordinance, we really are a little bit like the wild west and the ordinance does begin to bracket standards for rental companies that I think, are important and appropriate.

C

The bottom line, though, is the state law that we have been given and have to abide by, and that says that we do not have this council does not have the ability to prohibit e-bikes without prohibiting bikes, so our option that is left is to regulate in some way reasonable expectations and reasonable speed, and I think this ordinance has done that. Thank you.

C

We will allow public comment, but uh it's appropriate to have a motion on the floor before we do that. So is there a motion to move this forward to town council.

J

Yes, mr chairman, I would move that the public planning committee recommend forward to the full town council adoption of the draft ordinance that's before us today.

C

Thank you. Is there a second.

H

C

Thank you all right. Public comment. Yes, ms alvin.

K

uh Steve alford on behalf of the bike, walk hilton head island- frank babel would have been here today, but for the unfortunate loss of his wife on monday. uh First, I want to uh congratulate missy for doing an excellent job of putting together a proposal following having to step in on on diane's departure.

K

The objective here is safety primarily, and that boils down simply to speed. uh Etiquette would be nice. This, to my understanding, is, is the first part of what could be a two-phase approach to the problem.

K

This ordinance deals only with bikes that come through the rental companies. It doesn't deal with e-bikes that come from other sources, so it's only going to hit a portion of the e-bike riding population.

K

In phase two, which I hope there will be, I think we've got to deal with a broader audience.

K

Let me say one technical point that I think is a problem or could be a problem in the ordinance as presented is that it proposes to limit, through the governor on the electric motor, the speed to 12 miles per hour. I my personal view is that that's not really the way to go.

K

The governors have to be set for class type, one and type two at 20 miles an hour. They can be set by the bike shops at any speed they want, they can make them 35, they can make them 15.. My understanding is that the bike shops would like to have a limit that is actually less than 20.

K

that's up to them, but these bikes can be used elsewhere. They can be used on the on the main streets. They can be used off island. They can be used if they're owned they can be taken back at home, so that limiting the speed of the bike to any particular number by the governor is seems to me should be up to the bike shops, not in the ordinance.

K

Our objective here is to obtain a speed limit of, say, 12., pope avenue speed limits, maybe should be lower than that elsewhere.

K

12 seems fine, but I think we have to limit that in another way than by going after the governor that the bike shops can adjust with a lot of experience in c pines on the same issue, we have found basically that pamphlets and other written uh advice handed out through the bike shops and it out through rental agencies and other sources.

K

uh A are not red or b, are not remembered when they get on the bike paths, so my view essentially is if you want to obtain a particular type of behavior by cyclists on the bike paths, you have to tell them the message where they are. That means on the bike paths, and that means signs. So I hope that we we get to that in um in phase two uh of dealing with that particular aspect of it, uh and thank you very much.

C

Thank you, mr other comments.

C

Uh-Oh what'd, you do patsy too.

G

Much exercise right right right, that's right! Yes,.

G

uh Patsy bryson 360 elliott avenue all disclosed for the record. I did not fall off a bicycle and I was not run over by a bicycle, but I have a broken ankle, um but I do stand here with several hats. On um I'm co-founder of the coalition of island neighbors, we've sent a memo to the committee in opposition to this ordinance, but in favor of safety regulations.

G

Also, I'm a member of the bike walk hilton head island board. There is a division of opinion on that board as to whether or not this is the appropriate ordinance to adopt, including a division of opinion.

G

With regard to the staff's interpretation of the state law, I would respectfully request that they revisit that opinion, which is handicapping you at this point, because the particularly pointing out scdot design manual was revised in february of 2021 to define a shared youth use pathway, which is what we have as not allowing non-motor not allowing motorized vehicles, so it allows non-motorized vehicles.

G

So I respectfully request that, based upon the information that I have personally provided to the committee and to the town staff, they revisit that opinion, which dates back and also it's important, as we all know, to ask the proper question to the general counsel of the municipal association to make sure that the question that the response comports with what the town really desires. So I hope that that can be revisited and thank you very much to councilmember becker for raising the issue about the beaches.

G

My husband and I do bike a lot and we bike on the beach, as well as on the pathways sometimes on the road, um but it we do not bike at high tide on the beach there's just not room even during the off season, and I don't think we even have an off-season these days. Mother hats are as an active participant in pedal hilton head island. Until this year I've even been a bike leader so and also along with my colleague and friend, john witherspoon am a bike ambassador, but not right now.

G

So um I have a lot of experience with pathways. I've provided evidence to this committee of the the challenges of the bike has with e-bikes on them. There's been no evidence that I've seen that the committee has received to the contrary.

G

I share council member becker's concern about widening pathways in certain places, because I too believe in maintaining the beauty of this island, but the fact is, our multi-use pathways are not safe for e-bikes and for you to push forward with this ordinance without addressing that and without requesting that it be reviewed by your attorney again.

G

In light of some changes in the law, I think is a mistake and, on behalf of all those hats aware, I respectfully urge you to not move this forward, to send it back to staff for more of you, but to adopt the safety.

C

G

Thank you very much. Thank.

C

You betsy mr buller.

L

Hello, jason, bullock. I own multiple bike brands on the island. Oddly, I agree with both of them on different sides of the issue. I agree with miss bryson that I think that the legal interpretation of the code is completely incorrect. It doesn't deal with multi-use pathways. It deals with pathways specifically set aside for bikes if the committee in the town are going to jump past that I agree with the earlier speaker forcing us to modify something that has been certified by the consumer product safety commission is wrong.

L

Making us modify something that is built to a specification is not something that you should make us do forcing us to make an item. Go 12 miles an hour modifies and voids the warranties and puts us in violation of it, and I find it odd, based upon the two of the larger bike renters on the island, mr hall and myself writing to the committee in expressing our displeasure with the idea of forcing us to do a speed limit. Speed limits are absolutely correct.

L

Speed limits are absolutely nice, but you're not forcing hertz or avis to modify cars to only go 45 miles. An hour, the maximum speed on the island to force us to modify something built to a specification is wrong. So with that, I hope at least you reconsider the forcing of the 12 miles an hour. Thank you. Thank you.

C

M

John witherspoon, chairman of the bike ambassador program, I didn't plan on talking today, but I just wanted dr lyon what steve betsy that's. He said uh these are fantastic flyers that were designed and produced by taylor, land of the town staff.

M

We love them, but our bike ambassadors have only a few seconds to interact with people on vacation.

M

Answering questions passing out maps, so flyers in the past have not been very efficient way to get the message across more as steve said, personal uh information.

M

However, having said that, another committee member and I will be taking these out with us on patrol just as a test run see if uh you know we can uh get their attention for a few minutes, but uh that's the best we can uh say at this point, but this is fantastic and we really appreciate the into this we're going to train 17 more bikers early next month, all highly motivated we've got to get our ambassador crew expanded to meet the demand that you see every day when you're driving around the aisle.

M

Thank you for time.

C

Any other public comments in response to this proposal, seeing none we'll bring it back to the diocese. Other comments from us up here sure.

I

Why did I ask? Why did.

A

I

um Well, following up on some of the comments that were presented, I'd like to ask curtis it had where the legal opinion in his mind, sits and whether or not hilton head has any room to create a situation where we make our own decisions on. What's best on our island.

I

I don't mean to put you on the spot if this is something that you'd prefer to answer after that's that's fine, too,.

L

I would prefer to answer that later.

I

Okay, no problem so I'll, wait for that um and then secondly, on the bicycles themselves, is there? Is there an odometer? Is there something that indicates what speed you're riding at there is on all of them? That comes as a piece of equipment? Okay, all right! Those were two questions today. Thank you, pardon me, and what.

I

Oh so it doesn't indicate the speed that you're riding at about 50 50.. So that's not the same on all bikes.

B

Excuse me, mrs thank.

I

J

I'd like to remember mr witherspoon, and to the other bike ambassadors, how much we appreciate your volunteer service, promoting safety, promoting the good things about this island. Thank you for your efforts in that regard.

C

There's a motion before the public planning committee: if there are no other comments from the committee krista, would you call the role please.

B

Yes, sir, mr brown.

E

B

Mrs becker, no mr stamford.

J

B

Mr ames, yes motion carries sir.

C

Thank you very much.

C

That concludes the items on the agenda. Is there a motion to adjourn so the is there a second all, those in favor signify by saying hi and thank you alex.

C