I. Special Town Council Meeting - February 11th
Call to Order
The meeting was called to order.
Public Comment
A period was provided for public comment, with a two-and-a-half-minute limit per speaker.
Executive Session
A motion was made and approved to enter executive session for two purposes:
Personnel matters: consideration of applications for the Historic District Preservation Commission
Legal and contractual matters: discussion regarding the Harbor Entrepreneur Center
It was noted that the council may take action on any items discussed in the executive session.
Reconvening from Executive Session
The council reconvened, and it was stated that no votes were cast and no actions were taken during the executive session.
Historic District Preservation Commission Appointments
A motion was made, seconded, and approved to recommend Mr. Foxworth and Mr. Craft for the Historic District Preservation Commission.
Adjournment
The special meeting was adjourned.
II. Regular Town Council Meeting - February 11th
Call to Order
The regular Town Council meeting was called to order.
A moment of silence was observed for Councilman Chapman's son.
Invocation and Pledge of Allegiance
A prayer was led by Chaplin Dewey, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance led by Mayor Po.
Approval of the Agenda
A motion was made, seconded, and approved to approve the meeting's agenda.
Public Hearing: Amended Municipal Budget for 2025 Fiscal Year
A public hearing was held regarding the proposed amended Municipal budget for the 2025 fiscal year, with a focus on a $7,392 budget amendment.
No public comments were made, and the public hearing was closed.
Approval of Minutes and Financial Statement
A motion was made, seconded, and approved to approve the minutes from the December 2nd and 10th meetings, as well as the December 2024 financial statement.
It was noted that the January minutes were not on the agenda due to their length.
Public Comment
Several residents spoke during the public comment period, addressing a range of topics:
Michael Thean: Proposed changes to ordinance readings, audio issues with streamed meetings, texting while driving, and a candidate forum
Michael Winter: Discussed ordinance 25008, suggesting a three-reading format for ordinances.
Allison Hunt: Expressed support for the Patriots Annex development agreement
James Wilson: Briefly introduced the Patriots Annex project and its public waterfront element.
David Quick: Spoke about undergrounding power lines to protect trees, and thanked the town for live streaming.
Public comment was closed.
Consent Agenda Items
A motion was made and seconded to approve the consent agenda items A through F.
Item F, concerning Mount Pleasant Water Works' standard procedure for excavation, was removed from the consent agenda for further discussion.
Items A through E were approved.
Item F was referred to the water supply committee.
Planning: New Business Items
Two new business items were presented together:
An amendment to the development agreement for the Patriots Annex, with a 5-year extension.
Adoption of a Planned Development District (PD) ordinance for the same area.
The PD would carry over existing entitlements and land uses but with some key differences in:
Density
Patriots Point Road buffer
Minimum green space
Waterfront public walkways and pedestrian connections.
Design standards for stucco and flat roofs
Critical line buffer.
Planning commission recommendations included a reduction in density, maximizing boardwalks and pedestrian areas, making stucco a secondary material, and 40% tree canopy cover.
The committee recommended the following changes:
Memorializing 14% open space.
Capping residential units at 80.
Prohibiting flat roofs.
Reducing tree coverage to 120 inches per acre.
Limiting cottage heights to 35 feet.
Council members discussed the benefits of the PD as an opportunity to memorialize town goals and the flexibility that the developer needs.
James Wilson, representing the developer, addressed the council's concerns, agreeing to many of the conditions.
Open space was adjusted to 12% from 10%
Residential units were proposed to be at 8 units per acre.
Flat roofs would be prohibited
Tree coverage was proposed at 120 inches per acre
Heights in specific areas were proposed to be 35 ft.
A motion was made and approved for the first reading of the development agreement extension and the planned development district ordinance.
The items were placed on the planning committee agenda for further discussion.
Committee Actions
Finance: Approval of accepting a police vehicle donation from the G Galana Automotive Group.
Council New Business
Approval of Blessing of the Fleet Beneficiaries: The Mount Pleasant Rotary Club and Meow Dog Animal Rescue were recommended as beneficiaries.
Approval of a right-of-way agreement.
Resolution authorizing a law enforcement assistance and support agreement between the Hermo Police and Mount Pleasant Police.
Final Reading of Ordinance to Amend the Budget
A mid-year budget amendment was considered, with the following changes:
The amount for the Farmers Market was reduced to $25,000.
Additional funding for the upcoming special election was approved, bringing the total to $81,800.
The amended budget was approved.
Adjournment
The meeting was adjourned.
*meeting auto transcribed, please excuse any typos & misspellings
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