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WE HAVE, UH, BEGAN OUR SPECIAL START TIME OF FIVE 30.
SO WE CAN GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION BEFORE A PUBLIC MEETING STARTS AT SIX.
WE WILL CALL THIS MEETING TO ORDER.
UM, IF WE CAN ALL SAY THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE, UH, IT'S REALLY JUST TO A FLOOD OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
ONE NIGHT, INDIVISIBLE WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE.
UH, WHO HAS INVOCATION? OKAY, PLEASE.
UH, PRAYER WITH ME AND PRAY WITH ME.
HEAVENLY FATHER, YOU HAVE ALWAYS BLESSED OUR COMMUNITY AND WE ASK YOU TO CONTINUE TO BLESS YOUR GRACE UPON US.
DURING THESE TROUBLING TIMES, WE ASK WHERE YOU CONTINUE TO FAVOR TO KEEP US PHYSICALLY, EMOTIONALLY, AND FINANCIALLY HEALTHY.
SO WE MAY TAKE CARE OF OURSELVES, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, OUR FAMILIES, BUT YOU CONTINUE TO BLESS THOSE WHO GIVE SO GENEROUSLY TO THE STRANGERS AND NEIGHBORS IN OUR COMMUNITY BY PROVIDING HOPE AND A HAND UP THROUGH THEIR DESPERATELY NEEDED DONATIONS.
WE GIVE ALL HONOR AND GLORY TO YOU AND WE REQUEST YOUR CONTINUED BLESSINGS FOR OUR BELOVED TOWN.
WE ASKED ALL OF THIS GOD'S HOLY NAME.
NEXT TO SEE ADOPTION, THE AGENDA.
ARE THERE ANY CHANGES ON THE AGENDA IS LISTED HERE? IF NOT MARK, ARE THERE ANY CHANGES ON THE AGENDA? NO CHANGES THERE.
A MOTION TO ACCEPT THE AGENDA THERE.
ANY DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR STATE BY SAYING AYE.
NEXT IS OUR EXECUTIVE SESSION.
IS THERE A MOTION TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION FOR RECEIPT OF LEGAL ADVICE RELATING TO THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENTS PURSUANT TO FOUR YEAR ACT 34, 78 TO THEIR SECOND.
ANY DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR OF STATEMENTS SAYING I HOST THAT'S UNANIMOUS.
WE ARE OUT OF EXECUTIVE SESSION.
THERE WAS NO ACTION FROM EXECUTIVE SESSION ON TO NUMBER SEVEN ADOPTION OF MINUTES.
FIRST WE HAVE THE TOWN COUNCIL, REGULAR MEETING MINUTES OF APRIL 14TH.
IF THERE ARE NO CHANGES, IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE SOME OF YOUR SECOND? OKAY.
AND IF THERE'S ANY DISCUSSION, ALL IN FAVOR STATE BY SAYING AYE.
ANY OPPOSED? THAT'S UNANIMOUS NEXT.
I'M NOT GOING TO DO A ROLL CALL VOTE FOR THE MINUTES IF THAT'S OKAY.
WE CAN JUST ALL SOUND NEXT TO THE SPECIAL MEETING MINUTES OF APRIL 23RD, 2020.
IF THERE ARE NO CHANGES, IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE THEIR SECOND? ANY DISCUSSION ALL IN FAVOR STATE BY SAYING AYE.
THAT'S UNANIMOUS FOLLOWED BY THE TOWN COUNCIL, SPECIAL MEETING MINUTES OF APRIL 28, 2020.
IS THERE A MOTION TO ACCEPT YOUR SECOND, BRIDGET AND LARRY KIM ALL IN FAVOR STATE BY SAYING AYE OPPOSED THAT'S UNANIMOUS.
AND FINALLY THE TOWN COUNCIL SPECIAL MEETING AND WORK SESSION MINUTES OF APRIL 30TH, 2020.
IS THERE A MOTION TO ACCEPT THE BIRD'S EXCEPTED THERE? SECOND, ANY DISCUSSION ALL IN FAVOR STATE BY SAYING AYE OPPOSED THAT'S UNANIMOUS.
WE HAVE SEVERAL PRESENTATIONS, CELEBRATIONS AND RECOGNITIONS.
WE HAVE THREE PROCLAMATIONS, WHICH ARE ALL VERY IMPORTANT SINCE THEY ARE NOT HERE
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TO BE ABLE TO ACCEPT IT.WE'VE WRITTEN THE PROCLAMATIONS AND WE'VE SENT THEM ON TO THE APPROPRIATE GROUPS.
THE FIRST IS KIDS TO PARK DAY.
UH, WHAT WERE THE WORTHY? HE CALLS, UH, NATIONAL MENTAL HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE AWARENESS MONTH PROCLAMATION.
AND THIS TIME I THINK IT'S, IT'S VERY IMPORTANT FOR US ALL TO TAKE NOTE OF OUR MENTAL HEALTH THAT HAS BEEN FORWARDED ON TO THE GROUP AND THE NATIONAL PRESERVATION MONTH PREP PROCLAMATION WAS ALSO SENT.
SO THOSE PROCLAMATIONS ARE IN OUR, ON OUR WEBSITE.
UM, AND CAN BE READ IF YOU'D LIKE MORE DETAILS.
NEXT IS THE ITEM FOUR IS HILTON HEAD ISLAND, BLUFFTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, UH, OUR BLUFFTON MARKETING PLAN AND FYI 2122 BUDGET AS THE TOWN'S DESIGNATED MARKETING ORGANIZATION, ARIANA IS UP AND I WOULD ASK ALL OF US TO MUTE, WHICH WE ALL ARE EXCEPT ME.
SO YOU'RE UP RIGHT? GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING US THIS EVENING.
I'M JOINED BY RAY DIEHL, WHO IS OUR CONTROLLER HERE AT THE HILTON THAT ISLAND BLUFFTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, UM, MAYOR AND TOWN COUNCIL.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME TONIGHT.
I WANT TO SHARE WITH YOU, UM, OUR, UM, EFFORTS FOR THE 22,000 2021, UM, DMO MARKETING BUDGET AND MARKETING AND PR EFFORTS.
AND WITH THAT, IF YOU'LL ALLOW ME, I'M GOING TO SHARE MY SCREEN.
AND, UM, AGAIN, AS WE MENTIONED, WE'RE WALKING THROUGH THE 20, 20, 20, 21 TOWN OF BLUFFTON MARKETING PLAN.
AS WE ALWAYS LIKE TO START, WE TALK ABOUT, UM, WHAT OUR, WHAT WE'RE REALLY CHARGED WITH OUR VISION AND MISSION AS WELL AS OVERARCHING, WHAT DRIVES US EVERY SINGLE DAY.
AND THAT IS TO KEEP, UM, THE COMMUNITY COMMUNITY FIRST AND FOREMOST, TOP OF MIND, AS WE PROMOTE, UM, IN OUR OUT MARKETS, ALL THOSE ASSETS THAT, THAT DRAW NOT ONLY OUR COMMUNITY, UM, TO THIS DESTINATION, BUT ALSO ALL OF OUR VISITORS.
IT'S WHAT WE LOVE DAY IN AND DAY OUT.
I TH I THINK IT WOULD, WE'D BE REMISS IF WE DID NOT TALK ABOUT THE CURRENT PANDEMIC AND I WON'T SPEND TOO LONG ON THIS DETAIL, BUT I THINK IT REALLY SETS THE FRAME OF WHAT, WHERE OUR REQUESTS AND EFFORTS KIND OF LIE FOR THE OVERALL 20, 20, 21 BUDGET.
UM, SO IF YOU WILL ALLOW ME ONE MINUTE OR SO TO TALK ABOUT COVID AS A NATIONAL OVERVIEW, THE IMPACT, UM, THAT COVID-19 HAS HAD ON THE TRAVEL INDUSTRY AS A WHOLE IS QUITE STAGGERING.
UM, IF YOU LOOK THROUGH THIS SLIDE, UM, THE IMPACT OF COVID AT THIS MOMENT IS NINE TIMES THE IMPACT OF NINE 11.
IF YOU LOOK AT, UM, ECONOMIC LOSS AS A WHOLE TO DATE, IT'S 1.2 TRILLION, THEY'RE ANTICIPATING 5.5 HUNDRED, 519 BILLION, EXCUSE ME, IN DIRECT TRAVEL SPENDING LOSS, UM, AND THE STAGGERING NUMBER OF, UM, 8 MILLION AND TOTAL UNEMPLOYMENT LOSS.
THOSE NUMBERS WILL CONTINUE TO GROW AS WE WORKED THROUGH THIS PANDEMIC, UM, AND WORK TO REOPEN OUR CITIES WHEN IT IS SAFE.
AND WE JUST TALKED ABOUT THAT STAGGERING NUMBER OF 8 MILLION LOCALLY.
THAT NUMBER IS STAGGERING AS WELL.
WHEN WE LOOK AT HOW IT'S IMPACTED LOCALLY, UM, AND WE, AND WE LOOK THROUGH THOUSANDS, UM, AT THIS POINT OF JOBS LOST THROUGHOUT BEAVER COUNTY, WE'VE HAD OVER 3000 AT THE HIGHEST POINT OF, UM, APPLICATION SUBMITTED TO THE BUFORD COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF EMPLOYMENT AT WORKFORCE.
THE WEEKEND, ITS HIGHEST WAS THE WEEK OF THREE 21 THROUGH FOUR, FOUR, UH, WE'VE HAD 2.8 BILLION APPROVED AND SMALL BUSINESS LOAN APPLICATIONS OF WHICH, UM, I SHOULD SAY SBA LOAN APPLICATIONS OF WHICH 14,300 WERE SMALL BUSINESS CUSTOMERS.
AND WHEN WE LOOK AT TOTAL UNITS ACROSS THE AREA, THE LANDSCAPE OF SOUTHERN BUFORD COUNTY, INCLUSIVE OF HILTON HEAD, BUT ALSO TALKING ABOUT OUR BACKYARD AS WELL IN BLUFFTON WITH PALMETTO BLUFF, UM, WE'VE HAD OVER 1700 KEYS OR UNITS, UM, AVAILABLE EACH AND EVERY NIGHT BECAUSE THE PROPERTIES WERE CLOSED.
AND THEN IN TERMS OF OUR, UM, OUTREACH INTO THE COMMUNITY TO ENSURE THAT WE ARE MEETING THE NEEDS OF OUR COMMUNITY DURING THIS TOUGH TIME, WE HAVE PROVIDED, UM, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH MANY OF YOU OVER 5,000 PLUS MEALS THROUGH HELP FOR HOPE.
SO AS WE LOOK AT THOSE NUMBERS, AND THEN WE LOOK FORWARD TO WHAT 20, 20, 21 MIGHT BRING US IN TERMS OF TOURISM AND PROMOTION.
UM, WE WANTED TO AT LEAST HAVE THOSE NUMBERS IN FRONT OF YOU, UM, IN TERMS OF BUDGET AND WHERE WE'RE OVERALL LOOKING, UM, TO, IN TERMS OF, OF EFFORTS AND OUTREACH, WE ARE WORKING WITH A TOTAL EXPENSE OF $82,000.
AS YOU KNOW, THAT'S, THAT'S VERY, UM, DIFFERENT FROM YEARS PAST THIS NUMBER WAS WORKED, UM, TO TOGETHER.
UM, WE WERE, WE BROUGHT TO THIS NUMBER AND WORKING TOGETHER, BUT THE TOWN
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OF BLUFFTON, UM, AS WELL AS, UM, JUST OUR FORECASTING EFFORTS IN THAT WE HAVE IN PLACE TO HELP US UNDERSTAND WHAT WE'RE ANTICIPATING FOR Q1 AND Q2 OF THIS COMING FISCAL YEAR, THE WAY THAT WE'RE BREAKING APART, $82,000, AND IT WILL APPLY INTO THE BUSINESS OF PROMOTION.TOURISM PROMOTION IS THROUGH SEVERAL EFFORTS HERE THAT I'VE LISTED.
SO SEO AND SOCIAL MEDIA A YEAR AGO, ABOUT A YEAR AND CHANGE AGO, WE MADE A, UM, A COMMITMENT TO PROMOTE THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON STARTING WITH, UM, SOCIAL MEDIA FIRST.
AND WHEN WE LOOK AT SOCIAL MEDIA AND THE POWER THAT IT HAS ACROSS THE MANY DIFFERENT CHANNELS THAT WE ALL PROBABLY UTILIZE INCLUSIVE OF FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM, PINTEREST, TWITTER, UM, AND MANY OTHERS THAT WE ARE WHERE WE'RE WORKING WITH, THAT IS OUR MAIN CHANNEL OF PROMOTING THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON, UM, AND GETTING ADDITIONAL FOLLOWERS AND EYEBALLS INTO THE DESTINATION TO UNDERSTAND ALL THE BEAUTY AND ALL THE ASSETS THAT WE TOGETHER ARE PROMOTING.
WE COUPLE THAT WITH OUR SCM AND SOCIAL MEDIA ADVERTISING.
SO AGAIN, THAT'S THE PAID EFFORT, UM, THAT GOES BEHIND WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU LOOK OUT AT YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA AND IT SAYS, IF YOU WANT TO BOOST OR PROMOTE SOMETHING THAT IS THAT PAID EFFORT THAT GOES BEHIND, IT ALLOWS US TO BE, UM, A LITTLE BIT DEEPER REACHING IN TERMS OF CURATING THAT SPECIFIC VISITOR THAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR.
UM, WE ALSO NEED TO MAINTAIN AND UNDERSTAND GROWTH OF WEBSITE.
AND AGAIN, WHEN I SAY GROWTH, IT'S THE OVERALL MAINTENANCE.
IF WE WANT TO, YOU KNOW, DAY TO DAY OPERATIONS OF KEEPING THAT WEBSITE UP AND THAT'S, UM, UH, VISIT BLUFFTON.ORG, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT HAS ALL THE MOST UP-TO-DATE INFORMATION POSSIBLE.
IT'S PROMOTING OUR DIFFERENT BUSINESSES, UM, AND EFFORTS IN TERMS OF FESTIVALS AND EVENTS, COLLATERAL, AND FULFILLMENT REALLY TALKED TO THE, UM, OFFICIAL PLANNER THAT HAS A NOT ONLY A PRINT COMPONENT AND HAS BEEN UPGRADED TO A COFFEE STYLE BOOK, BUT IT ALSO HAS A DIGITAL COMPONENT THIS YEAR AND THAT WE ARE DOING FOR THE FIRST TIME.
WE'VE ALWAYS HAD A FLIPBOOK COMPONENT, BUT THE DIGITAL COMPONENT NEW TO THIS, UM, NEW TO US THIS YEAR REALLY ALLOWS US TO DIVE DEEPER INTO TELLING THE STORY OF NOT ONLY THE DESTINATION, BUT ALSO HELPING US TELL THE STORY OF OUR PARTNERS.
AND THERE'S SO MANY GREAT STORIES, AS YOU KNOW, SO IT ALLOWS US AN EXTENSION OF A PRINT PIECE, UM, THAT AT TIMES HAS SEEMED, UM, SOMEWHAT SHORTENED TIME, THE STORY OVER AND OVER, WE CAN, WE CAN CONTINUE THAT WITH THE DIGITAL VERSION THAT WE HAVE IN PLACE RESEARCH AND PLANNING, AS WE'VE HELD HANDS IN OUR EFFORTS TO, UM, ENSURE THAT WE HAVE THE RICHEST AND DEEPEST INFORMATION ABOUT OUR VISITORS AND WHAT THOSE VISITORS BRING TO THE DESTINATION IN TERMS OF IMPACT, WE WILL MOVE FORWARD WITH THOSE EFFORTS.
UM, AND WE WANT TO SUPPORT THAT WITH THE NUMBERS THAT WE HAVE THERE, THAT AGAIN, WILL BE, UM, IN ALIGN WITH WHAT WE HAVE IN OUR CONTRACT AND THEN OUR OPS AND MANAGEMENT THAT BRINGS US TO $82,000 AND I HAVE ADDITIONAL SLIDES, BUT, UM, I WANTED TO BE RESPECTFUL OF THE REQUEST TO KEEP IT TOWARDS, UM, BUDGETS.
ANY, DO YOU, THIS IS, UM, A PRESENTATION.
WE'RE GOING TO BE LOOKING AT THE REQUEST HERE IN ATEX.
UM, IS THERE, DOES ANYONE HAVE QUESTIONS OR WANT SOMETHING MORE FROM THE CHAMBER? I'LL ASK ARIANA AND IN THE PAST WE'VE HAD A NICE BOOK PUT TOGETHER OF ALL THE THINGS.
IS THAT SOMETHING WE'RE GOING TO SEE AGAIN? OR, I MEAN, THIS IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE LIGHTEST PRESENTATIONS I'VE SEEN WITH NO REAL BACKUPS.
SO I'LL THROW THAT OUT HERE AND THEN I'LL GO THROUGH THE LINES STARTING WITH DAN.
YES, WE DO HAVE, UM, A FULL BREATH, UM, PRESENTATION AS WELL AS THE ACTUAL BOOK ITSELF AND THAT ISN'T CURRENTLY IN A FLIP BOOK, UM, PLATFORM, BUT WE ABSOLUTELY WILL PRINT IT, BUT BASED ON, UM, COVID-19, WE DID NOT MOVE FORWARD WITH THE PRINTING, BUT IT, IT HAS BEEN DELIVERED TO YOUR TEAM AS A FLIPBOOK AND AVAILABLE DIGITALLY.
AND YOU WOULD READ IT JUST LIKE YOU WOULD A REGULAR BOOK EXCEPT ONLINE, AND I'M HAPPY TO SHARE A FULLER PRESENTATION WITH YOU IF NEEDED BY TO YOU OR TO THE COUNCIL AS A WHOLE.
UM, I, I HAVE THAT DETAIL IF NEEDED MORE OF AN INSIGHT FROM YEAR TO YEAR, BUT WE'LL RUN DOWN ANY QUESTIONS FROM ANYONE.
UM, AN OBSERVATION COMMENT AREA.
I WAS CURIOUS IS THIS, NONE OF US REALLY UNDERSTAND THE TRUE IMPACT.
AND WE'VE GOT SO MUCH TIME AHEAD OF US.
DO WE HAVE TO NAVIGATE THROUGH WITH TRAVEL WITH AIRLINES AND CAR DRIVING A DISTANCE SO FORTH, WE ALL BE ABLE
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TO MAYBE GIVE THE TOWN MANAGER A MONTHLY SUMMARY OF WHAT YOU FIND.IN OTHER WORDS, AIRLINE ACTIVITY, PEOPLE THAT ARE ACTUALLY STARTING TO HIT THE HOTELS COMING TO DIFFERENT LOCATIONS, NOT JUST FOR HILTON HEAD, BUT YOU KNOW, ANY IMPACT THAT YOU'RE SEEING FROM YOUR YOU'RE ADVERTISING ON BEHALF OF BLUFF.
YES, COUNCILMAN, WHAT, I'D BE HAPPY TO PROVIDE THAT STARTING, UM, BY END OF THIS WEEK, I WILL HAVE SOMETHING TO YOU.
THAT WILL HELP US HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING AS TIME GOES FORWARD OF THE IMPACT, WHETHER IT'S GROWING OR NOT, YOU KNOW, AS FAR AS TOURISM, ANYTHING ELSE, DAN? NO, MA'AM OKAY.
FRED, ANYTHING ON THIS? NOTHING FROM ME.
LARRY, ANYTHING FROM YOU? YEAH.
IF I MAY DO WE HAVE A COMPARISON AS TO WHERE WE WORKED 12 MONTHS AGO WITH THIS, JUST SAY TOTAL, NOT BREAKING IT DOWN INTO CATEGORIES, BUT WHERE WE'RE LOOKING AT 82,000 TODAY, WHAT WERE WE, WHAT WAS THAT NUMBER 12 MONTHS AGO AT THE SAME TIME OF YEAR, RIGHT.
UM, I HAVE RACHEL ON HERE, BUT OUR OVERALL BUDGET WAS 200,000 FOR, UH, THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON, UM, FOR THIS PAST FISCAL YEAR.
SO AGAIN, RAY DEAL, UM, CHAMBER, UM, 200,000 WAS THE BUDGET FOR FISCAL 20 THAT WE'RE IN, IN FISCAL 19.
UM, WHEN WE FIRST DID THE BUDGET IN FEBRUARY, UH, THE BUDGET WAS ABOUT (220) 220-5000.
BUT, UH, OBVIOUSLY WITH WHAT HAPPENED, WE WENT BACK AND REVAMPED THE BUDGET.
UM, AND THAT'S WHERE WE CAME UP WITH 82,000.
UM, WE'RE LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, OVER THE NEXT FOUR QUARTERS, UM, 15%, 40%, 60% AND 75% RESPECTIVELY OF ACCOMMODATION TAXES COLLECTED.
THAT'S HOW WE CAME UP THE 2000.
SO THIS IS THE 82 IS FOR THE QUARTER, OR THIS IS FOR THE YEAR 82,000 IS FOR THE ENTIRE FISCAL YEAR.
UM, LET ME, I GOT A QUESTION ON THAT TOO.
SO, UM, BRIDGET, ANYTHING I'LL GO TO YOU THEN I'LL END.
I HAVE A QUESTION, A GENERIC QUESTION.
UM, SO WHEN YOU ALL ARE DOING THE MARKETING FOR BLUFFTON, UM, WHAT PARTICULAR CONTENT THEMES DO YOU GUYS USE? THANK YOU, COUNSELOR AND BRIDGET, I HAPPILY GO ONTO, IF YOU WILL ALLOW ME TO PROGRESS THE SLIDE, UM, OUR KEY AREAS OF INTEREST.
AND AGAIN, WE HELD HANDS WITH THE TOWN TO ENSURE THESE AREAS OF INTEREST, THE AREA, UM, DISTRICT DESIGNATIONS.
UM, I'M GOING TO NOT READ THEM TO YOU.
YOU CAN SEE THEM THAT HISTORY, CULTURE AND ARTS.
UM, WE WANT TO ENSURE THAT THE HISTORICAL REGISTER DESIGNATIONS ARE INCLUDED.
UM, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT OUR OPEN SPACES OR PUBLIC SPACES THAT THE TOWN SUPPORTS AND PROMOTES AS WELL AS PALMETTO BLUFF MONTAGE HAS AND NATURAL BEAUTY AND MAY RIVER, WHICH HAVE BEEN, UM, AT THE CENTER OF OUR FOCUS FOR THE PAST FEW YEARS, WE'VE INCLUDED THE INCREASED, UM, BULLETS THAT YOU SEE ABOVE THAT, BUT NATURAL BEAUTY AND MAY RIVER HAVE BEEN, UM, PART OF THE EVERGREEN PROMOTION WHEN YOU LOOK TO TAKE IT A STEP FURTHER AND IN KEY AREAS OF INTEREST.
WELL, THAT'S GREAT WHEN WE'RE PROMOTING THOSE, BUT WHO ARE WE PROMOTING TO? AND THAT'S WHERE WE BREAK INTO PERSONAS.
UM, AND THESE PERSONAS REALLY START TO CAPTURE HOW WE COUPLE AREAS OF INTEREST WITH SPECIFIC PEOPLE WHO SPECIFICALLY HAVE INTERESTS FOR THAT, RIGHT? WE CAN BE MORE FINITE IN OUR EFFORTS AND USE THOSE DOLLARS REALLY SPECIFICALLY TO, UM, THOSE THAT HAVE, YOU KNOW, HAVE A SPORTS ENTHUSIAST BACKGROUND OR CULINARY BACKGROUND, TAKING THOSE AREAS OF INTEREST AND REALLY COUPLING WITH THEM THAT HAVE RAISED THEIR HAND TO SAY, YOU KNOW, I'M INTERESTED IN THIS.
THIS IS WHAT I DO DAY IN AND DAY OUT WHEN I'M LOOKING TO TRAVEL OR EXPLORE, THESE ARE MY AREAS.
AND SO WE WOULD PROMOTE THOSE SPECIFICALLY TO THEM AND IT REALLY THE SOCIAL MEDIA AND DIGITAL COMPONENTS OF THE PLAN ALLOW US TO BE THAT SPECIFIC.
UM, AND THAT'S WHERE WE CAN REALLY SEE US HONE IN AND GET THE GREATEST RETURN ON THOSE INVESTMENTS.
SO WE'RE EXCITED THAT EVEN WITH A, UM, A SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER BUDGET, WE CAN STILL BE VERY, UM, STRATEGIC AND, AND SHOWCASE SOME, UM, HOPEFULLY SOME STRONG RESULTS FOR YOU IN THAT, UM, IN THAT AREA.
ONE MORE QUESTION IN LOOKING AT THAT, UM, CV, UH, THE DEMOGRAPHIC AND PERSONA OUTLINE YOU HAVE HERE.
UM, DO YOU NOTICE THAT, UM, THE DEMOGRAPHICS, DEMOGRAPHICS
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OR PERSONAS HONE IN ON ONE PARTICULAR GROUP MORE THAN OTHER MORE THAN LIKE OTHERS? I'M SORRY, COUNCILMAN FRIGID.I DON'T, I DON'T UNDERSTAND THE QUESTION IS THAT YOU MEAN IN TERMS OF GOING FURTHER OR DEEPER THAN FAMILY, UM, OUR AREAS OR LOCATION OR SO WHEN WE LOOK, IS, IS THAT ANSWERING THE QUESTION? SO IT'S FOR FAMILY, IF I TAKE DEMOGRAPHIC AND PERSONA, IS THAT WE CAN SEE THROUGH OUR ANALYTICS, THESE ARE THROUGH GOOGLE ANALYTICS OR A DARRA.
I'M ABLE TO ACTUALLY PINPOINT NOT ONLY AREA, UH, WHERE THIS FAMILY IS RAISING THEIR HAND, UM, TO SAY THAT THEY HAVE INTERESTS IN AREAS THAT WE'VE DEFINED AS ASSETS TO THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON, BUT WE ALSO ENSURE THAT WHEN WE GET INTO, YOU KNOW, THE MARKETING TO THEM, WE CAN BE SPECIFIC ON WHAT THAT MESSAGE IS.
SO WE'RE NOT GOING TO PROMOTE NECESSARILY THE SPORTS COMPONENT, BUT WE'RE GOING TO BE PROMOTING MORE FAMILY ACTIVITY, THINGS OF THAT NATURE THAT WOULD BE MORE APPEALING TO THEM.
UM, AT TARGETED TIMES THAT WE KNOW THAT THEY LIKE TO TRAVEL.
UM, SO THE, THAT IS HOW DETAILED WE BECOME WITH OUR, WITH OUR EFFORTS.
AND THOSE REALLY CAN BE TARGETED, WHETHER THAT BE IN OUR NEIGHBOR OF GEORGIA, IF WE'RE GOING UP TO NORTH CAROLINA, IF WE'RE GOING UPSTATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA, WE CAN BE VERY SPECIFIC IN THOSE EFFORTS, UM, AND HOW WE HONE IN WE'RE USING DRIVE MARKETS, BUT WE COULD EASILY USE THAT FOR FLY AS WELL.
JUST A COUPLE OF THINGS ALREADY ON TO KIND OF, TO FOLLOW UP WITH BRIDGET ON THAT, ON THIS SCREEN.
CAN YOU GET TO THE DETAILS OF, OF, UM, A, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THINGS WE'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO ASK ABOUT A AGE, UM, ARE THEY LOOKING AT HISTORY OR ARE THEY LOOKING AT DAY TRIPS OR ARE THEY LOOKING TO MOVE TO HILTON HEAD FOR THE WEEK, BUT THEY WANT TO KNOW WHERE THEY CAN GO TO, TO KIND OF CHECK OUT BLUFFTON, MAYBE IN THE CULTURAL AND THE FAMILY.
CAN YOU GET DOWN TO EXACTLY WHAT INTERESTS THEM? EXACTLY.
UM, MAYOR THOSE ARE GREAT QUESTIONS AND, AND YES.
SO WE, UM, HAVE THE CAPABILITIES WITH, UM, GOOGLE ANALYTICS AS WELL AS A DORA TO SEE BOTH SIDES.
SO WE CAN SEE THEIR CONSUMER HABITS.
HOW ARE THEY SPENDING IF, AND THIS IS A DORIS SPECIFICALLY, BUT IF WE, UM, WERE TO, I'M GOING TO USE YOU AS AN EXAMPLE, BUT MAYOR, IF YOU WERE TO COME TO VISIT BLUFFTON.ORG, I WILL PIXEL YOU AND I WILL FOLLOW YOU AROUND FOR 90 DAYS.
AND IN THAT 90 DAYS, ANY TRANSACTION OR SEARCH THAT YOU DO WITHIN THE WEBSITE GAINS, AND I GAIN INSIGHT INTO WHAT YOU'RE DOING, WHAT ARE YOUR CONSUMER HABITS? WHAT ARE YOU PURCHASING? AND AT THAT POINT, WE CAN START TO BUILD A PROFILE AND UNDERSTAND WHEN YOU DO MAKE THAT PURCHASE, THAT THE LENGTH OF TIME IT TOOK YOU FROM LOOK TO BOOK.
ON THE OTHER SIDE, GOOGLE ANALYTICS IS ALSO ABLE TO GIVE US INSIGHT ONTO HOUSEHOLD INCOME.
HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE IN YOUR HOUSE? HOW MANY DEVICES ARE IN YOUR HOUSE? I MEAN, WE CAN GET THAT SPECIFIC.
WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING AT? WHAT ARE YOU INTERESTED IN, UM, IN, IN SOME WAY, SHAPE OR FORM, WE'RE, WE'RE UNDERSTANDING THE NUANCES OF, OF YOUR DAY-TO-DAY LIFE AND YOUR FAMILY'S DAY-TO-DAY LIFE.
SO WHEN WE PICK THESE PERSONAS AND DEMOGRAPHICS, WE'RE NOT, YOU KNOW, JUST ARBITRARILY SAYING SNOWBIRDS OR FAMILY OR WEEKENDERS WE'VE, WE'VE BUILT THOSE, UM, SIX PERSONAS ON RESEARCH THAT WE'VE HAD TO DATE, UM, WITH THE VISIT BLUFFTON WEBSITE, AS WELL AS, UM, SOME OF OUR OTHER EFFORTS THAT HAVE BEEN TIED BACK TO THE WEBSITE THAT GAVE US THAT INSIGHT.
YOU HAVE MORE OF THE PRESENTATION TO GIVE YOU HAVE MORE, NOTHING MORE THAN WOULD JUST BE MORE GRANULAR QUESTION ON REALLY.
HE SAID, HE'S PROJECTING, Y'ALL GET THE PERCENTAGE OF OUR ATEX REVENUE.
AND FROM, FOR THE LAST TWO MONTHS, THERE'S PROBABLY BEEN ZERO REVENUE.
AND I KNOW YOU'VE LOOKED AT WHAT, AND WHEN DOES OUR BUDGET START? WHEN DOES THIS START JULY? SO YOU'RE LOOKING AT THE FOLLOWING YEAR AND YOU'RE HOPING JULY, THE FIRST QUARTER IS GOING TO BE MORE, 15% YOU'RE SEEING, THEN IT MOVES UP TO NEXT YEAR.
THIS TIME YOU FEEL LIKE WE'RE AT 75%.
IS THAT KIND OF WHERE YOU WERE THINKING, RAY? YEAH.
SO THE FIRST, YEAH, SO THE FIRST COLLECTION IN THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR IS ACTUALLY IN AUGUST AND THAT'S FOR THE, UM, THAT'S FOR THE APRIL, MAY AND JUNE QUARTER.
SO THE QUARTER THAT WE'RE IN RIGHT NOW, YOU KNOW, APRIL, APRIL AND IN HALF A MAY HAS BEEN BASICALLY ZERO.
WHAT WE'RE HOPING IS THAT WITH THE OPENING OF MONTAGE COMING UP, UM, THAT WE'RE NOT GOING TO LOSE ALL OF JUNE, BUT THAT'S WHY THE NUMBER IS SO SMALL AT 15%.
AND THEN, AND THEN THE, THE QUARTER OF THE NEXT QUARTER, OR THE JULY THROUGH SEPTEMBER PORTAL, WHICH WE
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GET, UH, THE MONIES IN NOVEMBER, UM, WE LOOKED AT AT 40, AT 40%.UM, AND THEN THE NEXT QUARTER AFTER THE OCTOBER THROUGH DECEMBER, WHICH WE WOULD GET THOSE MONIES IN FEBRUARY, UM, AT, UH, AT 75 OR EXCUSE ME AT 60% AND THEN THE, AND THEN THE PHONE QUARTER AT SEVEN 75%.
SO THE ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION IS WE DON'T THINK WE'RE GOING TO MAKE IT ALL THE WAY BACK.
UM, ONCE WE GET TO, YOU KNOW, A YEAR FROM NOW, WE THINK WE'RE GOING TO BE 75% BACK.
WELL, THAT JUST WANTED TO OWN THAT.
CAUSE I WAS ON A CALL TODAY WITH MONTAGE AND THEIR GROUP.
UM, AND THEY WERE KIND OF GOING THROUGH SOME OF THIS AS WELL, SO, OKAY.
THAT'S ALL I REALLY HAD ON IT.
JUST KIND OF LOOKING AND SEEING HOW YOU'RE, HOW YOU'RE SCHEDULING THAT.
UM, ANYTHING ELSE FROM ANYONE? DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING ELSE ARIANA ON THIS? YES, MAYOR, THANK YOU.
I THINK JUST TO NOTE, BASED ON THE FINANCIALS, YOU KNOW, WE ARE BEING CONSERVATIVE AND HOPEFUL THAT, YOU KNOW, WE, WE CAN FLEX THAT IF IT, IF, IF THOSE DOLLARS CHANGE OR A TAX, UM, COLLECTIONS CHANGE, BUT WE WANTED TO BRING FORTH THE, YOU KNOW, THE HEAVINESS OF THIS PANDEMIC AND UNDERSTANDING THAT WE NEED TO BE, UM, MINDFUL OF THOSE NUMBERS, THAT, THAT WE COULDN'T BE ANTICIPATING FOR THEM AT LEAST FOR THE FIRST TWO QUARTERS.
SO THOSE ARE THE BUDGETS AND THE REASONS BEHIND THE NUMBERS THAT YOU'RE SEEING TODAY.
BUT I APPRECIATE THE CAUTION ON IT BECAUSE WE ALL HAVE TO BE CAUTIOUS.
AND, AND I KNOW WE'LL ASK THIS OF OTHER APPLICANTS TONIGHT.
I THINK I'M WITH DAN AND I I'LL GET A THUMBS UP FROM COUNCIL.
I THINK IT WOULD BE GOOD IF YOU COULD COME EVEN AT PUBLIC COMMENT, NOT A FULL, YOU KNOW, YOUR COUNCIL, JUST TO SAY, THIS IS THE TREND AND, AND I'M FINE WITH HILTON HEAD, BUT I THINK HE NEEDED TO DO IT REALLY BLOCKED.
AND THIS IS OUR TREND LOCALLY.
AND I THINK IT HELPED COUNCIL AT LEAST KIND OF SEE WHERE WE ARE ON TRACK.
ABSOLUTELY ABSOLUTELY HOTEL ROOMS AND WHATEVER.
SO ANYTHING ELSE FROM COUNCIL? OKAY.
UM, MOVING ON TO FORMAL AGENDA ITEM, THE FIRST UP IS SCOTT MARSHALL CONSIDERATION OF EMERGENCY ORDINANCE OF THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON EXTENDING TEMPORARY SUSPENSION OF NORMAL OPERATING PROCEDURES OF THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON TOWN, COUNCIL MEETINGS, AND OTHER PUBLIC MEETINGS, AND TO AUTHORIZE THE TOWN MANAGER TO DEVELOP AND ENACT SUCH PLANS AND POLICIES NEEDED TO ENSURE CONTINUITY IN THE DELIVERY OF GOVERNMENT SURGEON SERVICES IN LIGHT OF COVID-19 OUTBREAK, SCOTT, YOU WERE UP THERE.
WELL, YOU HAVEN'T LEARNED TO DO SHORT YET THOROUGH.
BASICALLY, WE'RE GOING TO CONSIDER AN EMERGENCY ORDINANCE TONIGHT.
UH, THE ONE THAT WE'RE PRESENTING TO YOU FOR CONSIDERATION EFFECTIVELY EXTENDS TWO SECTIONS OF THE ORDINANCE YOU PASS PREVIOUSLY, UH, ON MARCH 17TH AND THAT'S ORDINANCE 2020 DASH OH THREE.
AND IT EXTENDS THE PROVISIONS OF THAT IN SECTIONS ONE AND TWO FOR AN ADDITIONAL 60 DAYS, THE EMERGENCY ORDINANCE, 20 2003 THAT YOU APPROVED ON MARCH 17TH EFFECTIVELY EXPIRES MAY 17.
SO THAT'S WHY WE NEED TO TAKE SOME ACTION.
IF WE WANT TO CONTINUE OUR EMERGENCY PROTOCOLS FOR SOME BACKGROUND FOR COUNCIL ON MARCH 16TH, A TOWN OF BLUFFTON STATE OF EMERGENCY WAS DECLARED VIA MAIL OR PLAQUE PROCLAMATION.
A MARCH 17TH TOWN COUNCIL PASSED THE EMERGENCY ORDINANCE 2020 DASH OH THREE.
THE PURPOSE OF 20 2003 BASICALLY HAS FOUR MAIN SECTIONS IN ITS REVISION.
UH, THE FIRST OF WHICH PROVIDES STANDARDS FOR ELECTRONIC PUBLIC MEETINGS, WHICH IS WHAT WE'RE IN NOW.
AND THE REASON WHY WE CAN HAVE MEETINGS LIKE THIS.
NOW THE SECOND SECTION PROVIDES AUTHORIZATION TO THE TOWN MANAGER, UH, AS PART OF OUR STANDARD CODE OF ORDINANCES, TWO DASH ONE 16 EMERGENCY POWERS OF GENERAL MANAGER THAT ENABLES HIM TO ENACT PLANS AND POLICIES, TO BE SURE WE CAN CONTINUE TO DELIVER SERVICES TO THE PUBLIC AND THAT HE CAN TAKE OTHER ACTIONS AS NECESSARY, UH, TO PROTECT THE PUBLIC INTERESTS AND PROTECT THE TOWN.
AND JUST TO THE GREATEST EXTENT, POSSIBLE SECTION THREE, SUSPEND CERTAIN MUNICIPAL DEADLINES, SECTION FOUR, A WAS WRITTEN TO ENFORCE A GOVERNOR HENRY MCMASTER'S EXECUTIVE ORDER 2020 DASH 10, WHICH EXTENDS CERTAIN MUNICIPAL TAX DEADLINES.
SECTIONS THREE AND FOUR WERE EXTENDED BY EMERGENCY ORDINANCE 2020 DASH FOUR, WHICH COUNCIL PASSED ON APRIL 20TH, 2020.
AND IF YOU RECALL THOSE EXTENDED PAYMENT FOR SOME TAX DEADLINES, UH, TO GIVE OUR BUSINESS COMMUNITY SOME RELIEF SECTIONS ONE AND TWO, IF YOU PASS THIS ORDINANCE, THE SEASONING WOULD BE EXTENDED UNTIL JULY 18, 2020 UNDER THE EMERGENCY ORDINANCE THAT YOU HAVE FOR CONSIDERATION RIGHT NOW.
[00:30:01]
UH, THIS EMERGENCY ORDINANCE REQUIRES TWO-THIRDS VOTE OF TOWN COUNCIL TO PASS.THAT MEANS FOUR OUT OF FIVE OF YOU MUST VOTE.
IN ORDER TO APPROVE THIS ORDINANCE AFTER THE APPROVAL, UH, KIM WILL FILE IT AS APPROPRIATE AND THE TOWN WILL CONTINUE TO FUNCTION UNDER EMERGENCY CONDITION PROTOCOLS THAT WE'VE ALREADY ESTABLISHED AND RESPONSE TO COVID-19.
AND LASTLY, THIS EMERGENCY ORDINANCE WOULD SUNSET ON JULY 18, 2020, UNLESS COUNCIL DECIDED TO TAKE ACTION SOONER TO RESEND IT.
I WILL STOP SHARING MY SCREEN.
NOW IN THE EVENT YOU WOULD LIKE TO DISCUSS IT.
UM, AND I KNOW I JUST BYPASS PUBLIC COMMENT AND COUNCIL COMMUNICATIONS.
I'LL GO BACK TO IT AFTER THIS.
THIS IS SOMETHING WE CAN, WELL, I'LL JUST LET COUNCIL TALK BECAUSE THEY CAN ASK YOU QUESTIONS.
LET'S START DAN QUESTIONS, MUTE DAN YOU'RE ON MUTE.
I HOPE EVERYONE'S HAD A CHANCE TO LOOK AT THE, UH, CONSENT AGENDA AND THERE'S AN EXCELLENT GRAPHIC CHART PREPARED BY THE POLICE DEPARTMENT IN THERE SHOWING YOU THE NUMBERS THROUGHOUT THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA ON A PER DAY SCALE, AND THEN WHERE WE ARE IN BUFORD COUNTY.
AND WE HAVE MADE, UH, I FEEL LIKE WE'VE MADE GREAT PROGRESS AS A COUNTY.
WE'VE BEEN PRETTY MUCH, UM, WE HAVEN'T BEEN DEVASTATED BY THE, UM, THE COVID-19, YOU KNOW, THROUGH OUR, OUR HEALTH SITUATION IN THE HOSPITALS AND EVERYTHING.
SO ANYWAY, I DON'T WANT TO GIVE UP THAT GROUND.
I THINK THAT, UH, I THINK WE'RE IN A SAFE ENVIRONMENT AND I KNOW WITH PEOPLE MOVING AROUND, I WANT TO CONTINUE TO COURAGE, ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO DO A SAFE DISTANCING, AND TRY TO WEAR A MASK AND STUFF.
DON'T GIVE UP THOSE NUMBERS THAT LOOK, YOU KNOW, THEY HAVEN'T MOVED THAT MUCH.
THE ONLY OTHER POINT QUESTION THAT I WOULD HAVE IS, AND I DON'T THINK WE HAVE AN ANSWER FOR THIS.
UM, AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT PUBLIC POLICY IS ON THIS NATIONALLY, BUT, UM, I'M VERY INTERESTED IN OUR PARKS.
UM, I DON'T WANT TO PUT ANYBODY IN HARM'S WAY, SO I'M NOT ASKING WE DO ANYTHING TONIGHT, BUT I THAT'S ONE AREA THAT I'M CERTAINLY ANXIOUS TO SEE TAKE PLACE.
WE WERE TURNED DOWN FOR THOSE QUESTIONS FOR, FOR SCOTT ON THIS PARTICULAR ITEM, OR WERE YOU JUMPING INTO MAYOR AND COMMENT FROM MARIN COUNTY FOR THE EMERGENCY ORDER? WE'VE WE WERE DOING A GOOD JOB BY KEEPING THE COVID NUMBERS LEVEL IN THE COUNTY AND IN THE TOWN.
SO I SUPPORT THE ORDINANCE OR HIS REQUEST BASED ON THAT.
UM, FRED, ANYTHING ON THIS FORMAL ITEM, I'M JUST GOING TO STICK TO THE FORM, COME BACK TO WHEN IT'S TIME COME.
ANYTHING ON THIS ITEM? LARRY, JUST ONE QUICK QUESTION.
THIS JUST BECAUSE WE EXTENDED IT FOR ANOTHER 60 DAYS.
IF, IF THINGS GET BACK TO NORMAL, HOW, HOW DO WE COME? HOW DO WE GET AWAY FROM IT? OR, OR HOW DOES IT HAVE TO EXPIRE AT THE END OF 60 DAYS WITHOUT A RENEWAL FROM US OR IN 30 DAYS OF FLIGHT, SOMEWHAT BACK TO NORMAL? DO WE GO BACK TO NORMAL WAYS? UM, IT'S MORE OF A QUESTION AND JUST DECLARE MY MIND.
THE ANSWER IS, UH, IF COUNCIL CHOOSES TO TAKE ACTION TO RESEND THAT ORDINANCE SOONER, THEN THEY CAN DO SO.
SO IN OTHER WORDS, HAVE CONDITIONS DRAMATICALLY IMPROVED AND COUNCIL CAN TAKE FORMAL ACTION TO RESEND THIS EMERGENCY ORDINANCE AND YOU WOULD GO BACK TO NORMAL BUSINESS OPERATIONS OR TO WHATEVER LEVEL OF OPERATIONS YOU DEEM APPROPRIATE AT THAT TIME.
UM, BRIDGET, ANYTHING YOU'RE ON MUTE ORDINANCE THAT SCOTT'S REFERRING TO IS MORE SO, UM, JUST ALLOWING US TO HAVE VIRTUAL MEETINGS AND, UM, OTHER THINGS FROM WHAT I'M SEEING THIS ISN'T THE ONE PERTAINING TO, UH, PARKS OR ANY OTHER PUBLIC SPACES, CORRECT? THE ANSWER, UH, COUNCILMAN FRAZIER IS, UH, COUNCILWOMAN FRAZIER'S.
UM, THERE IS A COMPONENT, THERE IS A SECTION TWO THAT GRANTS, THE
[00:35:01]
TOWN MANAGER AUTHORIZATION TO TAKE ACTIONS AS NECESSARY.AND THE PUBLIC'S INTEREST IN LIGHT OF THE THREAT THAT WE HAVE UNDER COVID-19, UH, TO MAKE CERTAIN DECISIONS.
AND AMONG THOSE DECISIONS ARE THE DECISION TO KEEP THE PARKS OPEN OR TO KEEP THE PARKS CLOSED.
AND THOSE TYPES OF THINGS, W WHEN WE OPEN TOWN HALL, HOW WE OPEN TOWN HALL, ALL OF THOSE ITEMS FALL UNDER THE TOWN MANAGER'S PURVIEW.
AND THAT GOES BACK TO OUR BASIC TOWN OF BLUFFTON CODE OF ORDINANCES, SECTION TWO DASH ONE 16, WHICH IS AUTHORIZATION OF A TOWN MANAGER EMERGENCY POWERS, WHICH ARE ACTIVATED BY THIS ORDINANCE THAT, THAT YOU'VE PASSED ON MARCH 17TH.
AND WHICH WE'RE ASKING YOU ROOM TONIGHT.
YEAH, I DON'T WANT IT 60 DAYS EITHER.
SO IF ANY OF Y'ALL AND I WILL RELY ON MARK TO LET US AND ALL THE CALLS WE'RE ON.
IF WE SEE THAT IT, WE CAN TAKE IT AWAY, I'M ALL ABOUT IT.
WE CAN HAVE A SPECIAL MEETING TO DO IT SO EASY, OR WE CAN LOOK AT IT.
UM, I DON'T, YOU KNOW, WE CAN LOOK AT IT DEFINITELY IN JUNE, BUT IF WE NEED A SPECIAL MEETING TO RESCIND IT, I'M ALL ABOUT IT TOO.
SO THAT SOLVES ALL THE QUESTIONS.
IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE AN EMERGENCY ORDINANCE OF THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON TEMPORARILY SUSPENDING THE NORMAL OPERATING PROCEDURES OF THE TOWN OF BLOCKED AND TOWN COUNCIL MEETINGS AND OTHER TOWN OF BLUFFTON PUBLIC MEETINGS, AND TO AUTHORIZE THE TOWN MANAGER FOR THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON TO DEVELOP AND ENACT SUCH PLANS AND POLICIES NEEDED TO ENSURE CONTINUITY AND THE DELIVERY OF GOVERNMENT SERVICES IN LIGHT OF THE COVID-19 OUTBREAK TO TEMPORARILY SUSPEND THE OPERATION OF DEADLINES AND POST UPON THE TOWN EXTEND TAX COMPLIANCE AND DEADLINES AND MATTERS RELATED THERE TOO.
AND SEVERABILITY AS PRESENTED.
ANY DISCUSSION? I'LL DO A ROLL CALL, I THINK WILL BE EASIER.
LISA I, LARRY BRIDGET THAT'S UNANIMOUS.
UH, OVERLOOK PUBLIC COMMENT, UH, APOLOGIZE.
AND THEN WE'LL DO COMMUNICATIONS FROM MAYOR AND COUNCIL, AND THEN WE'LL JUMP INTO ATEC.
SO PUBLIC COMMENT DURING THIS TIME, YOU WERE, YOU WERE FILING YOUR PUBLIC COMMENT ONLINE.
KIM CHAPMAN HAS REQUIREMENTS ON THAT.
IT'S ON THE BOTTOM OF OUR AGENDAS AS TO WHEN TO GET IT.
SHE READS THE PUBLIC COMMENT AND AT THREE MINUTES WE POLITELY END IT.
UM, WE'VE GOT ONE PUBLIC COMMENT AND IT'S IN REGARDS TO THE WORKSHOP ITEM, UM, REGARDING HISTORIC DISTRICT INCENTIVES.
WAIT ON THE TIME WE'RE HERE FOR A MINUTE.
UM, PUBLIC COMMENT FROM DEBBIE WONDER 41 AND 45 BRIDGE STREET IN BLUFFTON, MY HUSBAND, RUSTY PISTACHIO AND MYSELF OWN A HISTORIC BUILDING ON THE CORNER OF BRIDGE AND BOUNDARY KNOWN AS THE RIGHT.
WE ARE VERY EXCITED TO HEAR THAT THERE WAS A PROPOSAL BEING CONSIDERED BY THE TOWN COUNCIL CALLED THE BAILEY BILL.
WE CAN ONLY SPEAK FROM OUR OWN EXPERIENCE, BUT AS OWNERS IN THE MIDDLE OF REHABILITATING.
I'M GOING TO THOUGHT FOR A SEC.
UM, WE, WE CAN ONLY SPEAK FROM OUR OWN EXPERIENCE, BUT AS OWNERS IN THE MIDDLE OF REHABILITATING, A HISTORIC STRUCTURE IN OLD TOWN, BLUFFTON, THE UNDERTAKING OF THIS PROJECT HAS BEEN DAUNTING, FRUSTRATING, BUT ULTIMATELY REWARDING AS A LABOR OF LOVE.
WE PURCHASED THE PROPERTY TWO YEARS AGO FROM PREVIOUS OWNERS THAT HAD NEGLECTED THE RATE AND LET IT COME DANGEROUSLY CLOSE TO A FULL COLLAPSE.
WE ARE NOT DEVELOPERS NOR HAVE EXPERIENCED IN CONSTRUCTION, BUT WE DO HAVE A LOVE AND RESPECT FOR IMPORTANCE OF HISTORIC BUILDINGS IN OLD TOWN.
OUR GOAL WAS TO STABILIZE AND BREATHE LIFE INTO THIS COMMUNITY LANDMARK BY RESTORING THE EXTERIOR LOOK OF THE RATE WHILE MAKING IT A FUNCTIONING SPACE INSIDE THE SUPPORT OF HPC HPRC AND THE COMMUNITY HAS BEEN OVERWHELMING.
BUT TO SAY THAT WE HAVE FACED CHALLENGES IN THIS RESTORATION IS AN UNDERSTATEMENT.
IF WE WERE BUILDING A BRAND NEW STRUCTURE FROM THE GROUND UP, THIS PROJECT WOULD HAVE BEEN COMPLETED A YEAR AGO.
THANKFULLY WE MET JOSH SIMPSON OF SIMPSON CONSTRUCTION AND HAS, WHO HAS A LOVE OF THE TOWN AS MUCH AS WE DO AND AGREED TO GO ON THIS JOURNEY OF STABILIZING AN OLD CINDER BLOCK BUILDING WITH SO MANY UNKNOWNS.
WE CAN NOT OVERSTATE HIS PATIENTS' GUIDANCE AND UNDERSTANDING OF OUR SITUATION, JUST SPEAK FINELY.
AND REALLY DIDN'T ANTICIPATE ALL THE UNFORESEEN COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH RESTORING A DILAPIDATED STRUCTURE WITH NO FOUNDATION ELECTRICITY OR PLUMBING.
SO WHEN OUR PROPERTY TAX BILL ARRIVED THIS PAST FALL, WE SAW THE AMOUNT
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HAD GONE UP 300% FROM THE PREVIOUS YEAR AND OTHER COSTS.WE DID NOT ANTICIPATE PERSONALLY IT STUNG A LITTLE TO BE PUTTING EVERYTHING WE HAVE INTO BRINGING BACK A BELOVED BUILDING IN THE COMMUNITY AND THEN TO BE HIT WITH A TAX BILL OF THAT SIZE.
WE SEE MANY GREAT HISTORIC STRUCTURES IN TOWN THAT WOULD BENEFIT THE COMMUNITY IF THEY WERE REHABILITATED AND HAVING SOME KIND OF FINANCIAL INCENTIVE, LIKE THE BIG BAILEY BILL WOULD PROVIDE, WE BELIEVE THIS WOULD HELP MOTIVATE OTHER PEOPLE LIKE US.
THEY WANT TO DO THE RIGHT THING, BUT MAYBE DON'T HAVE ALL THE MONEY THEY NEED TO DO.
SO ANOTHER THOUGHT, IN ADDITION TO AN ABATEMENT ON PROPERTY TAX, LIKE THE BAILEY BILL PROPOSES, MAYBE THERE CAN BE A FUND FOR VETTED AND APPROVED CONTRACTORS WHO ARE WILLING TO TAKE ON SUCH A PROJECT WHERE THEY CAN DRAW ON THESE FUNDS SPECIFICALLY FOR IMPROVEMENT OR REHABILITATION FOR OLD TOWN, HISTORIC STRUCTURES, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND CONSIDERATION.
AND THAT WAS ALL A PUBLIC COMMENT.
PUBLIC COMMENT IS OVER, I GUESS IT WAS MEANT THAT I BYPASS THE WORKSHOP ITEM AS WELL AS PUBLIC COMMENT.
SO, UM, HOPE WE CAN ADDRESS SOME OF HER COMMENTS WHEN WE GO TO THE WORKSHOP AGENDA ITEM.
UM, NEXT IS COMMUNICATIONS FROM MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
ANYONE DAN, JUST AGAIN, I WANT TO REMIND THE CITIZENS THAT, UH, WE'RE IN A NEW NORMAL.
I KNOW EVERYBODY WANTS TO GET OUT AND FILL UP THE RESTAURANTS AND THE BARS AND GET OUT AND VISIT, BUT IT'S A NEW NORMAL, IT'S NOT THE OLD NORMAL AND, UH, CONTINUE TO PLEASE SUPPORT YOUR CHURCHES AND YOUR NONPROFITS.
UM, IN ARIANA'S, UM, PRESENTATION, UM, I TOOK SOME MENTAL NOTES THAT, UM, THAT THEY, I DIDN'T SEE OTHER THAN THE GABI HOUSE, WHERE THEY ARE PROMOTING THE GULLAH CULTURE, ESPECIALLY IN BLUFFTON AND ALSO IN THEIR DEMOGRAPHIC AND PERSONA, IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE BLUFFTON.
IT LOOKED LIKE IT COULD BE ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD.
IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE THEY'RE BLUFFING WAS THEIR HIGHLIGHT.
IT COULD HAVE BEEN HILTON HEAD OR IT COULD HAVE BEEN MYRTLE BEACH, BUT I LIKE TO SEE BLUFFTON, UH, AS THE FOCUS CAUSE WE, WE, WE TRYING TO BE, UM, VERY, UM, UM, AWARDING IN, IN, IN, IN THE FUNDS THAT WE'VE BEEN GIVEN THEM OVER THE YEARS.
SO I'D LIKE TO SEE BLUFFTON, UH, SHOWN AS A, AS A, AS A TRUE PARTNER AND, AND, AND HIS EFFORT HAS TO BE A LITTLE BIT MORE, UH, UM, PRESENTABLE FOR THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITY AS WELL AS, UM, AND, AND SOME OF THOSE PICTURES SHOULD, SHOULD SHOW THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITY AS WELL.
UM, LARRY, ANYTHING FROM MAYOR COUNCIL? UM, JUST ONE QUICK ONE, UM, I'M HEARING AND SEEING, YOU KNOW, WHAT THE PARTS, UM, I'M HOPING THAT AS WE PROGRESS, YOU KNOW, WHAT THE, THE OTHER BUSINESSES AND STUFF OPENING UP THAT WE COULD POSSIBLY CONSIDER STARTING TO OPEN UP SOME OF OUR PARTS, EVEN IF NOT ALL FOUR, EVEN IF IT'S A LIMITED ACCESS, BUT I'M HEARING FROM THE PEOPLE THAT THEY'RE WANTING, THE DOG PARK OPEN, UM, AND YOU KNOW, WANTING TO USE SOME OF OUR OPEN SPACE THAT WE'VE ACCUMULATED.
SO JUST, JUST PASSING THE WORD.
OKAY, SIR, ANYTHING FROM BRIDGETTE MARIN COUNCIL, ANYTHING FROM ME, BRIDGET RIGHT NOW.
THANK YOU TO ALL THE ORGANIZATIONS WHO'VE BEEN WORKING TO SUPPORT THOSE WHO'VE BEEN IN NEED DURING THE PANDEMIC, AND ALSO RECOGNITION TO, UM, SOME FRONTLINERS WHO HAVEN'T REALLY GOTTEN MUCH.
AND THOSE ARE THE CUSTODIANS AND DOMESTIC WORKERS.
WHO'VE BEEN WORKING HARD TO KEEP HOSPITALS CLEAN AND OTHER PLACES CLEAN AND SANITIZE, AND, UH, JUST A HUGE KUDOS TO THEM AND, UM, IN THEIR HARD WORK AS WELL.
UM, I HAD A MEETING TODAY WITH THE MONTAGE, WITH, UH, WITH 165 OF THEIR EMPLOYEES TALKING ABOUT OPENING, TALKING ABOUT WHAT THEY'RE DOING TO MAKE THEIR CUSTOMERS FEEL COMFORTABLE.
ALL THE PROCEDURES ARE IN PLACE.
MARKET REMINDED ME OF WHAT YOU'RE DOING FOR TOWN.
THE, THE LINKS THAT THEY'RE GOING TO TAKE THE REQUIREMENT OF MASK WITHOUT BEING TOLD TO THEY DON'T HAVE A MASK ON, THEY DON'T COME TO WORK.
UM, JUST A LOT OF THINGS THAT EVERYONE SHOULD BE DOING QUITE FRANKLY, TO GIVE THAT CUSTOMER AND THAT CLIENT, A FEELING OF SECURITY, IT MIGHT NOT HELP AT ALL, BUT IT GIVES THEM THAT FEELING OF YOU
[00:45:01]
CARE ABOUT ME.SO I'M GOING TO CARE ABOUT YOU.
IT WAS A REALLY GREAT MEETING.
I'M GOING TO ASK IF HE CAN SEND ME THE PRESENTATION, I'LL BE GLAD TO SEND IT TO EVERYONE.
UM, JUST WELL THOUGHT OUT, UM, THAT'S IT.
I'M, I'M GONNA, YOU KNOW, BRIDGET, I JUST GONNA THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU'RE DOING WITH YOUR CHURCH AND THE CON WHAT'S COME FROM IT.
OTHER THAN FEEDING SCHOOL CHILDREN ON SATURDAY HAS GIVEN CHIEF CHAPMAN AND HIS TEAM, THE ABILITY TO COMMUNITY POLICE IN A TOTALLY DIFFERENT WAY.
AND THEY HAVE THE RESPECT AND TRUST OF, UH, SOME OF THE COMMUNITY THAT DIDN'T TRUST THEM BEFORE.
AND I RODE WITH THEM SATURDAY, AND I WAS TELLING SOMEONE WHO WAS WITH ME THAT WANTED TO HAND OUT FOOD.
UM, I SAID, LOOK AT THE SIRENS.
WHAT DO YOU THINK PEOPLE THINK? WHAT DO YOU THINK SIRENS AND LIGHTS RUN? WELL, THEY'RE NOT RUNNING AWAY ANYMORE.
AND THE, WHAT YOU'RE DOING CHIEF, I JUST THANK YOU.
I WANTED YOU TO KNOW THAT PUBLICLY.
IT'S JUST AMAZING WHAT YOUR TEAM AND SOME OF YOUR NEW HIRES ARE DOING AND REALLY SPECIAL.
SO, UM, IT'S ALL ON OUR WEBSITE ON HELPING HANDS.
SO PLEASE GO ON THERE AND SEE WHERE YOU CAN HELP OUT IF YOU'RE LISTENING OR WANT TO HELP DONATE TO WHAT CALLS.
UH, RYAN COLEMAN DID A GREAT SITE UNDER HELPING HANDS ON OUR MAP PAGE.
AND IT'S ALSO UNDER THE RESOURCE LINK IN, ON OUR SITE.
IF I PASSED ANYTHING, WORKSHOP, AGENDA IS RIGHT, IS NEXT KIM.
SO THE WORKSHOP AGENDA IS DISCUSSION AND DIRECTION ON THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON, HISTORIC DISTRICT FINANCIAL INCENTIVES TO PROMOTE AND SUPPORT THE PRESERVATION OF HISTORIC STRUCTURES.
THIS IS A WORKSHOP TO GET DIRECTION ON WHERE TO GO.
AND I AM GIVING THAT TO HEATHER.
I'M GOING TO SHARE MY SCREEN HERE SO YOU CAN SEE MY PRESENTATION AND WHILE YOU'RE DOING IT FOR THOSE OF YOU UN-MUTED, IF YOU COULD MUTE, UM, THAT'D BE GREAT, RAY YOU'RE ONE.
SO, UM, AS THE PUBLIC COMMENT WAS, UH, DISCUSSING THIS, THIS IS THE DISCUSSION AND DIRECTION FOR, UM, HISTORIC DISTRICT FINANCIAL INCENTIVES TO PROMOTE AND SUPPORT THE PRESERVATION OF HISTORIC STRUCTURES.
THE BAILEY BILL IS ONE OF THOSE INCENTIVES, UM, AND THERE ARE ALSO OTHER ONES THAT I WILL PRESENT AND SORT OF A MENU, SO TO SPEAK OF OPTIONS THAT WE COULD CONSIDER MOVING FORWARD.
SO YOU MAY RECALL, UM, I WAS, DID A WORKSHOP ITEM ON THIS A WHILE AGO, AND AT THAT POINT WE HAD OUTLINED SOME STEPS AND THINGS THAT HAD TO TAKE PLACE IN ORDER TO GET TO THE POINT OF, UM, MOVING FORWARD TO THE NEXT STEP.
BUT FURTHER, THIS IS SUPPORTED IN THE STRATEGIC PLAN AS APPROVED BY TOWN COUNCIL.
AND, UM, REALLY THE TAX INCENTIVES CAN ENCOURAGE ECONOMIC GROWTH, WHICH IS ONE OF THE STRATEGIC PLAN ITEMS TO PRESERVE THE TOWNS, OLDER BUILDINGS, THE HERITAGE AND CULTURE SUPPORT HERITAGE TOURISM, WHICH HELPS WITH THE ECONOMY AS WELL AS INCREASED PROPERTY VALUES.
THE BAILEY BILL IS, UM, THE SPECIAL PROPERTY TAX ASSESSMENT.
AND ONE OF THE MORE FAMILIAR ONES THAT OFFERS THE MOST, UH, TAX THAT SPECIAL TAX ASSESSMENT THAT IS A TAX ABATEMENT FOR REHABILITATED HISTORIC PROPERTIES, THAT SPECIAL ASSESSMENT PERMITS A PROPERTY OWNER TO ESSENTIALLY LOCK IN AT THAT PRE REHABILITATION WORK, TAXABLE ASSESSED VALUE OF THE PROPERTY.
THE TAXES ARE NOT PAID ON THAT INCREASED VALUE OF THE PROPERTY UNTIL THAT ASSESSMENT PERIOD ENDS, WHICH COULD BE ANYWHERE UP TO 20 YEARS.
AND THAT IS ALSO TRANSFERRABLE TO, UM, THE NEXT OWNERS PARTICIPATION IS VOLUNTARY AND THERE ARE MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS THAT MUST BE MET, WHICH ARE OUTLINED IN THIS STATE CODE, WHICH I WILL TOUCH ON THROUGHOUT THE PRESENTATION.
THIS IS JUST AN EXAMPLE THAT THE MUNICIPAL ASSOCIATION OF SOUTH CAROLINA HAS PUT TOGETHER FOR DIFFERENT TYPES OF PROPERTIES.
AND I WILL GET FURTHER IN THE PRESENTATION.
THERE IS THE LOCAL TOWN, UM, ASSESSMENT AS WELL AS A POTENTIAL TO INCLUDE BUFORD COUNTY, AS WELL AS THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.
THE MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS INCLUDE A PRELIMINARY CERTIFICATION.
SO BASICALLY THAT WOULD CONFIRM A CONTRIBUTING STATUS OF THE STRUCTURE OR, UM, AND THEN ALSO THE PROPOSED REHABILITATION ACTIVITIES AND ALL OF THAT CAN BE OUTLINED IN THE ORDINANCE, AS FAR AS THE SPECIFICS IN THAT VALUE, THAT MUST BE INVESTED ONCE THE WORK.
DO YOU NOT SHARE THE SPRAYING FOR THE PUBLIC TO WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT? SORRY.
[00:50:01]
MAYBE JUST WHERE YOU ARE.CAN YOU ALL SEE THAT? PERFECT.
THERE'S A SLIGHT DELAY WHILE I WILL SAY, UM, I'M HAPPY TO GO BACK.
I THINK I TOUCHED ON EVERYTHING, UM, PRETTY WELL, BUT ONE THING THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO SEE AS THIS IS THE EXAMPLE THAT I PRESENTED THAT THIS IS FROM THE MUNICIPAL ASSOCIATION AND THIS JUST OUTLINES A, UM, A POSSIBLE SCENARIO AS FAR AS WHAT, WHAT THOSE NUMBERS WOULD BE.
IF YOU HAD A INCREASED VALUE OF $50,000 FOR RESIDENTIAL OR EXAMPLE, 150 FOR COMMERCIAL.
AND THEN ALSO, LIKE I SAID, YOU COULD, THIS COULD INCLUDE JUST THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON, BUT WE COULD ALSO, UM, PARTNER WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICT AS WELL AS THE COUNTY TO INCREASE THAT SAVINGS.
LIKE I SAID, THERE'S THE PRELIMINARY AND THE FINAL CERTIFICATION AND APPROVAL PROCESS AS WHATEVER THOSE DETAILS ARE OUTLINED IN THE ORDINANCE, SHOULD IT MOVE FORWARD? AND THESE ARE THE MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS.
SO LIKE I SAID, THERE IS, UM, YOU'VE GOT THAT PRELIMINARY AND FINAL CERTIFICATION FOR ELIGIBLE PROPERTIES.
THERE IS ALSO A SYSTEM THAT NEEDS TO BE DESIGNATED TO QUALIFY PROPERTIES.
SO THAT COULD BE AN OR STATEMENT OF DESIGNATED ON THE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES BEING DESIGNATED AS A CONTRIBUTING STRUCTURE, OR ALSO JUST 50 YEARS OLDER AND MEET THAT LOCAL CRITERIA.
THERE'S ALSO A MINIMUM REQUIREMENT THAT MUST BE SET AS FAR AS THE MINIMUM REHABILITATION WORK.
SO THIS FURTHERS, THE, UM, WORKSHOP ITEMS THAT I DISCUSSED THE LAST TIME I WAS BEFORE YOU ON THIS AGENDA ITEM AND THINGS THAT NEEDED TO, UM, MOVE FORWARD WITH AN ORDER TO CONSIDER THE ADOPTION OF THE ORDINANCE.
AND THAT INCLUDES CHANGES TO OUR UNIFIED DEVELOPMENT ORDINANCE, SPECIFICALLY AS HISTORIC STRUCTURES AND CONTRIBUTING STRUCTURES ARE DEFINED AS WELL AS UPDATING OUR CONTRIBUTING STRUCTURES, A LIST IN OUR SURVEY, WHICH WE ARE WELL UNDERWAY, SURVEY HAS BEEN COMPLETED, AND WE ARE ON TRACK TO BRING ALL OF THAT FORWARD TO YOU, THIS COMING JULY.
AND AGAIN, WE HAVE WORKED ON THAT HISTORIC RESOURCE SURVEY STAFF IS DILIGENTLY REVIEWING THAT AND MAKING SURE IT'S ALIGNED WITH OUR UDL AND OUR ORDINANCE.
AND THAT IS, AGAIN, ALL OF THAT IS ESTIMATED TO BRING FORWARD TO YOU TOGETHER IN THIS COMING JULY.
SO THE STEPS TO, UM, ADOPT THE ORDINANCE IS TO DETERMINE WHAT THAT LENGTH OF THAT ASSESSMENT PERIOD IS THERE.
IT RANGES FROM 10 YEARS TO 20 YEARS MAXIMUM, THE CITY OF BUFORD HAS ESTABLISHED A 10 YEAR PERIOD.
AND I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT AT LEAST AS A STARTING POINT FOR DISCUSSION THIS EVENING, THAT WE FOLLOW, UM, WHAT THEY HAVE BEEN USING.
THERE'S ALSO, LIKE I MENTIONED, A MINIMUM INVESTMENT THAT'S REQUIRED BY THE PROPERTY OWNER.
THE CITY OF BUFORD REQUIRES THAT MINIMUM INVESTMENT TO BE 75%.
AND SO THERE'S JUST AN EXAMPLE.
SO IF YOUR PROPERTIES VALUED PRIOR TO THE WORK AT A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS, YOU WOULD HAVE TO INVEST IF 75% WHERE THAT NUMBER $75,000 WOULD QUALIFY.
AND THEN YOU WOULD, YOU WOULD BE LOCKED IN AT A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR THE PERIOD OF 10 YEARS FOR YOUR ASSESSMENT.
CAN I JUMP IN WITH A QUESTION REAL QUICK ON THAT? OF COURSE, UM, THE, IT SAYS BUFORD COUNTY ONLY ADOPTED IT FOR AREAS OF
SO ARE IN LINE WITH US TO DO THIS.
AND WHEN THEY DID IT FOR BUFORD, DID THEY DO 10 YEARS? IT'S 10 YEARS WAS THE, WAS WHAT THEY'VE USED MOVING FORWARD.
WE HAVE STARTED THE DISCUSSION WITH THE COUNTY STAFF AND LET THEM KNOW THAT WE ARE MOVING FORWARD WITH A WORKSHOP ITEM ON THIS, BUT THERE ARE ADDITIONAL STEPS THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO BRING FORWARD TO BUFORD COUNTY COUNCIL FOR THEIR CONSIDERATION TO INCLUDE THAT TAX PORTION.
IF WE CHOSE FOR COUNTY DO A 10 YEAR OR A 20 YEAR WHEN THEY SUPPORTED IT, CITY OF BUFORD IN AREAS OF DIVERSITY.
SO MOVING ON THE OTHER THING THAT WOULD HAVE TO BE QUALIFIED AS THE THREE, THREE CATEGORIES OF PROPERTY THAT WOULD QUALIFY AS HISTORIC.
SO THAT WOULD BE IN THIS AGAIN IS AN OR STATEMENT, UM, RIGHT NOW, BUT WE COULD DEFINITELY, UH, THIS CAN BE SPECIFIED, HOWEVER, THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON
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SHOWS, BUT THE CODE ALLOWS YOU TO ALLOW NATIONAL REGISTER OF IF YOU'RE ON THE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES.SO FOR THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON GAMBLING AND ME CHURCH, CHURCH OF THE CROSS OR ANY, UM, CONTRIBUTING STRUCTURES THAT ARE IN INDIVIDUAL PROPERTIES IN THE HISTORIC DISTRICT, AS WELL AS ANY PROPERTY, THAT'S 50 YEARS OR OLDER, THAT MEETS THAT LOCAL GOVERNMENT, UH, DESIGNATION.
AND THAT'S WHY WE WERE MOVING FORWARD WITH, UM, UPDATING THAT CONTRIBUTING RESOURCE SURVEY TO ALIGN EVERYTHING TOGETHER.
SO HERE'S, UM, FOLLOWING ACTIVITIES THAT WOULD QUALIFY SO IMPROVEMENTS LOCATED ON OR WITHIN THE CONTRIBUTING STRUCTURE, UH, IMPROVEMENTS OUTSIDE, BUT DIRECTLY ATTACHED TO THE CONTRIBUTING STRUCTURE.
SO THIS COULD BE, UM, THAT RENTABLE HABIT, OLD FLOOR SPACE.
SO INTERIOR WORK AS WELL, ARCHITECTURAL OR ENGINEERING SERVICES THAT GO ALONG TO THE DESIGN OF THE IMPROVEMENTS AND THE COST NECESSARY TO MAINTAIN.
WE ALSO HAVE TO IDENTIFY AN AGENCY OR DEPARTMENT THAT WOULD DO THE FINAL CERTIFICATIONS FOR QUALIFYING PROPERTIES.
TYPICALLY THAT WOULD BE THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION REVIEW COMMITTEE OR SOMETHING SIMILAR.
SO STAFF WOULD RECOMMEND THAT THAT IS WITHIN THE TOWN'S HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION.
AND THEN AGAIN, THAT EXPANDS ON WORKING WITH BUFORD COUNTY TO EXPAND THE TAX SAVINGS, SHOULD THE TOWN, SHOULD YOU ALL DIRECT STAFF TO, UM, EXPLORE THE ADDITIONAL OPTIONS AND SPECIAL TAX ASSESSMENT? OKAY.
THAT'S MY SUMMARY FOR THE BAILEY BELL.
AND THEN I HAVE THE LIST AND THE ATTACHMENT OF THE ADDITIONAL FINANCIAL INCENTIVES THAT WE COULD MOVE FORWARD WITH AS WELL.
SO DO YOU WANT US SUPPORT OF MOVING WITH THE BAILEY BILL? DO YOU WANT US TO GIVE YOU SUGGESTIONS OF THE CRITERIA? SHOULDN'T YOU BRING US WHAT YOU THINK AT MORE OF A FORMAL ITEM AND LET US DISCUSS IT? YES.
WHAT, WHAT WE'D LIKE RIGHT NOW, AND I'VE INCLUDED THE, IN YOUR PACKET, THE CITY OF BUFORD ORDINANCE, WHAT STAFF IS RECOMMENDING IS THAT WE CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE BAILEY BILL WITH USING THOSE CRITERIA REQUIREMENTS THAT THE CITY OF BUFORD HAS PUT IN PLACE TO STAY ALIGNED WITH THAT.
AND SHOULD WE MOVE FORWARD? WE CAN START THE CONVERSATION WITH BOTH BUFORD COUNTY GOVERNMENT TO INCREASE THAT SPECIAL TAX ASSESSMENT SAVINGS EXPAND RATHER.
AND THEN ALSO THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO INCLUDE THOSE, THAT SPECIAL TAX ASSESSMENT AS WELL.
ANY THOUGHTS OR CONVERSATIONS ON THIS PART OF HER WORKSHOP FROM ANYBODY? I HAVE A QUESTION, BRIDGET.
UM, SO HEATHER IN THE BILL ON UNDER THE DESCRIPTION, IT ALSO MENTIONS THAT, UM, ALSO FOR BUILDINGS, UH, IT SAYS LOW AND MODERATE INCOME RENTAL PROPERTIES.
AND NOW IS THIS FOR, UH, THOSE RENTAL PROPERTIES THAT HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED AS HISTORIC AND REHABILITATE REHABILITATED TO BE USED AS RENTAL PROPERTIES? OR IS THAT JUST SAYING THAT THE BILL IS ALSO, UM, AVAILABLE FOR LOW AND MODERATE INCOME PROPERTIES? I BELIEVE IT SAYS THAT THE BILLS ALSO, YOU CAN ALSO USE IT FOR THE LOW TO MODERATE INCOME PROPERTIES, BUT AGAIN, WITH THE, IS IF IT'S A HISTORIC PRESERVATION OR REHABILITATION, UM, ACTIVITY.
AND MY OTHER QUESTIONS ARE, UM, WHAT DOES QUALIFY FOR A PREVIOUSLY REHABILITATED PROPERTY? OR IS THIS SOMETHING THAT'S ONLY GOING TO GO INTO EFFECT FOR NEW OR CURRENT REHABILITATION PROJECTS? IT WOULD BE NEW OR, UM, NEW PROPOSALS MOVING FORWARD DUE TO THE CERTIFICATION.
ANYTHING ELSE FROM ANYONE ON THIS PARTICULAR SECTION? OH, DAN, DAN AND LARRY.
DID YOU HAVE SOMETHING TOO? OKAY.
UH, AND HEATHER, WHEN I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND, UM, FOR EXAMPLE, THE LADY MS. WANDER, WHO HAD WRITTEN IN THE COMMENT WHO'S WORKING, RIGHT.
UM, IF SHE'S STILL WORKING, THEY'RE STILL WORKING ON THAT SIX MONTHS TO A YEAR FROM NOW AND THIS THINGS IMPLEMENTED, WOULD THEY QUALIFY OR THEY WOULDN'T QUALIFY FOR ASSISTANCE?
[01:00:01]
I BELIEVE ANY WORK THAT HASN'T BEEN STARTED YET COULD GO THROUGH THE REVIEW PROCESS.HOWEVER, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I CAN CERTAINLY, UM, FOLLOW UP ON AND, AND MAKE AND GET A CERTAIN DEFINITIVE ANSWER FOR YOU.
BUT I BELIEVE IF THE WORK HAS NOT YET BEEN DONE, UM, AGAIN, YOU JUST HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE CERTIFICATION PROCESS.
THE PRE-ASSESS, THE PRE-WORK ASSESSED VALUE MAYBE HIGHER THAN IF THEY WOULD'VE STARTED FROM THE VERY BEGINNING.
TWO MORE, TWO MORE ITEMS REAL QUICK, THE, UM, THE SELECTION OF THE MODEL FROM THE TOWN OR THE CITY OF BUFORD HAVE THEY ACTUALLY USED IT? UM, YES, I BELIEVE SO.
THERE IT'S VERY LIMITED PROPERTIES.
UM, BUT I W I WILL HAVE THOSE, I CAN HAVE SPECIFIC EXAMPLES FOR YOU MOVING FORWARD.
AND THE OTHER PART IS BECAUSE I KNOW THAT WE ALL KNOW THAT HISTORIC, UH, REVITALIZATION OF A BUILDING CAN BE EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, SOME PEOPLE DON'T WANT TO SPEND THAT KIND OF MONEY, WHICH IS THE REASON WE'RE HAVING THIS DISCUSSION.
BUT, UM, IN THE, IN YOUR REPORT TONIGHT, YOUR WORKSHOP, YOU GAVE EXAMPLES OF, UH, FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, UM, INCENTIVES.
YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT THE COUNTY AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT STATE.
UM, IS THERE AN EXAMPLE YOU CAN PROVIDE NEXT TIME MAYBE SHOWING? UH, BECAUSE AGAIN, WE'RE JUST LOOKING AT ONE AVENUE AND IT DOESN'T REALLY PAINT A GOOD PICTURE FOR SOMEBODY THAT WOULD QUALIFY FOR NUMEROUS INCENTIVES INSTEAD OF JUST ONE.
AND DOES THAT LEAD ME TO RIGHT LAYER? IS THAT ALL DAN? OKAY.
LARRY, ANYTHING I JUST HAD THERE WITH THE I'M IN A CITY OF BUFORD THAT ASSESSED THAT YOU HAS THE COUNTY AGREED.
I MEAN, IS THAT, IS THAT GUY FOR A COUNTY AND TOWN ASSESSMENT, OR JUST THE PART OF THE TAX BILL THAT THE TOWN OF YOU FORGETS? IS IT MY, UM, MY UNDERSTANDING IS BOTH BAIT IS BOTH THE COUNTY, AS WELL AS THE CITY OF BUFORD.
SO COUNTY BASICALLY HAS TO GIVE THEIR BLESSINGS BECAUSE THEY GET MOST OF THE TAX.
SO WE WOULD HAVE TO GET APPROVAL FROM THE COUNTY.
WOULD THAT BE DONE ON, UM, JUST LIKE, UH, YOU KNOW, IF WE PASS THIS ORDINANCE, WOULD THAT THEY WOULD, THEY AUTOMATICALLY AGREE TO A STRUCTURE THAT WE AGREE TO, OR WOULD IT HAVE TO GO THROUGH, WOULD IT HAVE TO GET THEIR BLESSINGS BEFORE THOSE CREDITS, YOU KNOW, BEFORE THAT NEW ASSESSMENT TO TAKE PLACE, IT WOULD HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE BUFORD COUNTY FINANCE COMMITTEE AND GO THROUGH THEIR PROCESS THROUGH THEIR APPROVAL PROCESS.
JUST EACH INDIVIDUAL PROPERTY WOULD HAVE TO DO THAT, RIGHT? NO, SIR.
ONCE THE ORDINANCE IS APPROVED, THEN IT'S IN PLACE.
SO EACH, EACH INDIVIDUAL PROPERTY OR APPLICATION WOULD ONLY GO THROUGH WHATEVER REVIEW PROCESS WE ESTABLISHED IN THE ORDINANCE, WHICH WOULD BE THAT, THAT PREAPPROVAL CRITERIA AND, OR THE PRE-CERTIFICATION CRITERIA.
AND THEN THE CERTIFICATION FROM THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION, IT WOULD NOT INVOLVE, UM, THE OTHER TAXING AGENCIES.
SO THE COUNTY THAT WOULDN'T HAVE TO SIGN OFF, IF WE SAY IT'S OKAY, THEN THEY WOULD AUTOMATICALLY AGREE, I GUESS, IS WHAT I'M TRYING TO SAY.
NO, THE COUNTY WOULD HAVE TO SIGN OFF ON THE ORDINANCE, APPROVING, APPROVING THE SAME THING, BUT ONCE THE ORDINANCE APPROVED IS APPROVED, UM, IF IT SHOULD BE APPROVED BY THE COUNTY, AS WELL AS IF WE WOULD LIKE TO INCLUDE THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, UM, TAX ASSESSMENT SAVING AS WELL, BOTH OF THOSE ENTITIES WOULD HAVE TO APPROVE, APPROVE, APPROVE THE ORDINANCE, BUT NOT THE INDIVIDUAL APPLICATIONS AFTER THAT POINT.
I THINK IF WE CAN KEEP IT AS CLOSE TO THE CITY OF BUFORD, IT SETS A PRECEDENT.
IF THE COUNTY SUPPORTED THE CITY OF BUFORD REQUESTS AND WE CAN KEEP IT ALONG THOSE LINES, THERE SHOULD BE NO REASON IT SHOULD BE EASY.
SO I HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.
CAN WE DO THIS UNDER PENDING DOCTRINE WHEN IT GETS TO IT? SO IF THERE ARE ANY JUST THINKING ABOUT IT, THEY CAN AT LEAST GET IN THE LOOP.
AND, UM, I WENT BACK TO THE COUNTY, HAD, I WAS, I DIDN'T KNOW, THEY JUST DID IT FOR A FEW THINGS.
HOW CAN WE HELP THE RATE? HOW CAN WE HELP PEOPLE WHO ARE A SMALL PERCENTAGE OF OUR POPULATION THAT ACTUALLY WANT TO KEEP BUILDINGS UP THAT HAVE STORIES TO THEM? AND I'M SO PROUD OF THEM.
AND I, YOU KNOW, I'M JUST, HOW CAN WE DO IT FROM THIS POINT FORWARD? DID THEY HAVE IT ASSESS A, DID THEY HAVE AN APPRAISAL? WHEN I FIRST STARTED, I GUESS I'M ASKING, CAN WE FIND WAYS TO HELP THEM, EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE
[01:05:01]
MIDSTREAM.AND IF WE DID THIS WITH PENDING DOCTRINE ORDINANCE, IT COULD MOVE SOMEONE LIKE THAT FURTHER ALONG, PERHAPS.
SO THOSE ARE JUST MY, YOU DON'T NEED TO ANSWER JUST QUESTIONS FOR WHEN YOU PRESENT ANYONE ELSE.
SO BAILEY BILL SOUNDS LIKE WE'RE OKAY.
NO ONE SAID ANYTHING TO THE NEGATIVE.
YOU'VE TAKEN NOTES ON OUR QUESTIONS ON WHAT WE'D LIKE TO SEE AND MOVE ON.
UM, WELL, AND WITH THAT, I CAN CONTINUE THROUGH THE OTHER INCENTIVES YOU ASKED WHAT THEY COULD DO FOR THE RATE, UM, OR OTHER PROPERTIES.
WE PULLED TOGETHER, ALL OF THE OTHER INCENTIVES THAT ARE AVAILABLE AT EITHER THE FEDERAL LEVEL, THE STATE, AND ALSO THE LOCAL.
MANY OF THESE MAY REQUIRE IF WE MOVED FORWARD, A BUDGETARY COMPONENT INCLUDED AND SOME WOULD NOT NECESSARILY REQUIRE BUDGETARY COMPONENT AT THE BEGINNING, BUT, UM, WOULD JUST BE TIME AND MAYBE INCOME WITH, UH, SOME BUILDING PERMITS, UM, WAIVER OPTIONS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
BUT THIS IS WHERE I TALKED ABOUT THE BAILEY BILL, I GUESS, IS THE MAIN COURSE, SO TO SPEAK.
AND HERE'S THE REST OF THE MENU WHERE WE CAN, UM, YOU KNOW, MOVE FORWARD.
IF THERE ARE CERTAIN ONES THAT YOU'D LIKE STAFF TO MOVE FORWARD WITH AND SEE WHAT THOSE BUDGETARY IMPLICATIONS COULD BE OR WHAT THAT WOULD AFFECT, UM, THAT CERTAINLY AN OPTION, BUT THESE ARE ALSO OTHER INCENTIVES THAT ARE AVAILABLE RIGHT NOW.
SO, UM, AND THIS LISTS OUT, I KNOW IT'S A LOT OF INFORMATION I CAN, UM, CERTAINLY GO THROUGH AND ANSWER QUESTIONS, OR IF YOU HAVE COMMENTS ON INDIVIDUAL INCENTIVE OPPORTUNITIES, BUT THERE IS, AS YOU CAN SEE HERE, SOME, A LIST OF THE STATE INCENTIVES OF, UM, OPPORTUNITIES THAT ARE AVAILABLE NOW, UM, AND THEN HERE'S SOME LOCAL INCENTIVE OPTIONS, THOSE POTENTIAL OPTIONS FOR FUTURE CONSIDERATION.
AND THIS IS WHERE WE LISTED ALL OF THOSE.
UM, YOU CAN SEE THE VERY FIRST ONE, THERE'S THE BAILEY BILL, WHICH, UH, RECEIVED YOUR INPUT AND MOVING FORWARD WITH THAT THERE'S OTHER OPTIONS, UM, LISTED, LIKE I SAID, THE LOANS, THE MATCHING FUNDS, AND AGAIN, UM, THERE'S JUST CERTAIN CERTAIN PROCESS, IMPROVED PROCESS CHANGES THAT WOULD HAVE TO TAKE PLACE.
UM, HOWEVER, THERE ARE, UM, SOME LET'S SEE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, UM, WORKSHOPS THAT WE COULD HOLD.
UM, WE HAVE DONE THIS IN THE PAST, ESPECIALLY RELATED TO IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE PRESERVATION SYMPOSIUM AND OTHER, UM, COMMUNITY WORKSHOPS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
BUT WE COULD MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT AND TRY TO GET SOME PARTNERS IN AND CONDUCT SOME, SOME ASSISTANCE AND WORKSHOP OPPORTUNITIES.
THERE'S A BUILDING CODE, UM, THINGS THAT COULD TAKE PLACE AS FAR AS REDUCING OR WAVING OF CERTAIN FEES ASSOCIATED WITH HISTORIC REHABILITATION OR IMPROVEMENTS.
UM, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, THAT'S ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY.
SO THIS IS AGAIN HERE, SOME MORE HERE, UM, JUST LOANS, GRANTS, AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
SO THERE'S KIND OF A WHOLE LIST OF OPTIONS THAT WE COULD, UM, GET SOME MORE INFORMATION TOGETHER AND MOVE FORWARD WITH AS WE CONTINUE TO HELP OUT AND, UM, WORK WITH PROPERTY OWNERS AND BUSINESS OWNERS AND RESIDENTS TO REHABILITATE THEIR PROPERTIES.
SO YOU WANT US, I MEAN, YOU WANT US TO GIVE YOU OUR INPUT ON ALL OF THIS? I THINK ALL OF, I MEAN, WHILST THERE'S A, DO WE HAVE SOMEONE IN PLACE? I KNOW AT ONE POINT IT WAS THE BLUFFTON HISTORIC PRESERVATION SOCIETY WHO WAS GOING TO PROMOTE PRESERVATION.
SHOULD WE PUT A TASKFORCE TOGETHER? WE HAVE THE PEOPLE WHO OWN THE RATE RIGHT NOW, GONE THROUGH IT.
THEY SURE KNOW WHAT WOULD BE NEEDED.
UM, JOANIE, HAYWARD'S GONE THROUGH IT.
THE GENTLEMAN WHO BOUGHT THE LOUDON HOUSE, I MEAN, THERE ARE SO MANY PEOPLE WHO'VE, WHO'VE PUT SOME SWEAT INTO THIS.
I WISH WE HAD SOMEONE THAT COULD CARRY SOMEONE RIGHT THROUGH IT.
LIKE THE DON RYAN CENTER DOES WITH THEIR HUB, LIKE SOMEONE THAT CAN JUST WALK PEOPLE RIGHT.
THROUGH EVERY POSSIBLE CONSIDERATION.
ANYBODY ELSE, THE WORKSHOP ITEMS TO CHIME IN.
EVERYONE'S ON MUTE SINCE I'M NOT ON MUTE, I WILL SAY THEY ALL OFF.
I WAS GOING TO SAY, SORRY, YOU PROPOSEDLY SO LIKE A, A COMMITTEE THAT WOULD SIT AND REVIEW STUFF LIKE THIS.
I WAS JUST THINKING, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE PEOPLE THAT HAVE DONE IT.
WHAT, WHAT ARE THE THINGS THEY WISH THEY COULD HAVE TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF? WHAT ARE SOME PEOPLE THINKING? AND MAYBE WE FIND SOME PEOPLE WHO HAVE THESE STRUCTURES THAT HAVE THE, THAT WOULD LIKE TO DO IT, BUT HAVE NO IDEA WHAT OF THESE THINGS ARE THE ITEMS
[01:10:01]
WHAT'S BUFORD USE, WHAT DO OTHER PLACES USE? AND LET'S TACKLE IT, RIGHT.BE LIKE I'M PUTTING TOGETHER A PACK SIMILAR TO LIKE THE MOBILE VENDING ORDINANCE WHERE YOU GIVE A STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE OF LIKE, KIND OF WHERE TO START IN AND WHAT YOU NEED TO DO.
WHAT'S WHAT DO YOU NEED TO HAVE FILLED OUT IN ORDER TO, UM, TO QUALIFY FOR THIS? THAT MIGHT BE GOOD.
WELL, WE, UM, WE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A BIT, AND I'M NOT, AS I'M NOT ASKING TO DO THIS NOW OR SUGGESTING THAT, BUT WE HAVE A POSITION, YOU KNOW, WHEN AARON LEFT AND WE HAVE A POSITION THAT EVENTUALLY WILL BE FILLED AND YOU WILL, YOU'RE GOING TO NEED THAT INDIVIDUAL TO HELP NAVIGATE ALL OF THIS.
I MEAN, RIGHT HERE, AS I'M LOOKING AT YOUR SCREEN, THERE'S NUMEROUS ADVANTAGES.
AND AGAIN, NOT ONLY COUNTING THE FEDERAL AND THE STATE AND THE COUNTY, AND SO LIKE THE MAYOR, WE WANT TO GIVE EVERY ADVANTAGE TO THOSE WHO WERE TRYING TO SALVAGE WE'LL OFTEN HISTORY.
UM, BUT, BUT AGAIN, WE NEED SOME EXAMPLES OF SOME OF SOME SORT TO, I CAN'T DECIPHER IT MYSELF.
AND SO I CAN'T IMAGINE JOHN PUBLIC CAN'T EITHER.
ANYONE, FRED ONLY I AGREE WITH SOMETHING DAN SAID ON THE SCREEN, BUT I THINK IT'S, I THINK WE HAD A PLACE WHERE WE REALLY HAD TO PUT OUR HEADS AROUND THIS EVEN MORE.
THERE'S A LOT OF INFORMATION HERE.
THERE'S A LOT OF ADVANTAGES AND MAYBE SOME DISADVANTAGES.
SO I THINK WE NEED TO WORKSHOP THIS A LITTLE BIT MORE SO WE CAN HAVE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING.
I HAVE SOME EXPERIENCE ABOUT THE BAILEY BILL THROUGH THE MUNICIPAL ASSOCIATION.
UM, BUT WE, THIS IS WAY TOO ADVANCED FOR US TO TRY TO PUT IN, UM, IN THE HANDS OF OTHERS RIGHT NOW.
AND I W I WOULD LIKE FOR COUNCIL TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GIVE STRONG DIRECTION, EVEN IF WE DO PUT IN, IN THE HANDS OF, OF, UM, OF THE PUBLIC.
SO, UM, I THINK WE NEED MORE TIME.
UM, I MEAN, I'M DEFINITELY SUPPORTING IT, BUT I THINK WE NEED MORE TIME TO UNDERSTAND THAT, HOW IT WORKS FOR BLUFFTON AND HOW WE CAN DEFINE IT SO THAT WE CAN GET THE BEST, UM, POTENTIAL OUT OF THIS GROUP, OUT OF THIS BAILEY BILL.
IT HAS SO MANY LEGS TO IT THAT WE NEED TO MAKE SURE WE UNDERSTAND IT.
UM, WHERE ARE WE IN HIRING THE NEW ERRAND? AND I KNOW WE'VE GOT THE COVID.
I KNOW ALL OF THAT, BUT I MEAN, IS IT NEXT? I MEAN, ARE WE JUST GOING WITHOUT ANYONE OTHER, I MEAN, KATIE'S DOING GREAT, BUT RIGHT NOW, RIGHT NOW WE'RE ON HOLD.
UM, JUST, JUST ONCE WE SEE WHERE, WHERE WE'RE AT, UM, BASED ON THE SITUATION, UH, WITH JUST WORKING FROM AFAR AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE, BUT, UM, I DON'T THINK IT'S GONE AWAY, BUT I'LL DEFER TO COUNSEL AND TELL HIM MANAGER, DO YOU HAVE GOOD FEEDBACK ON THE HEATHER? WE DON'T LIKE YOU TWO MORE YEARS.
WE DID THIS IN 18, AND NOW WE'RE IN 2021.
MAYBE YOU FORGET SOME EXAMPLES OF THE BAILEY BILL AND HOW IT WORKED IN BUFORD.
AND WHAT, UM, WHAT IT SOUNDS LIKE MOVING FORWARD, I WILL MOVE FORWARD WITH THE BAILEY BELL BASED ON YOUR COMMENTS.
AND NEXT STEPS WOULD BE FIRST READING, SECOND READING, PUBLIC HEARING.
SO, SO THERE WILL BE, UM, MORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR ME TO PROVIDE THAT ADDITIONAL INFORMATION TO YOU AND TO MAKE SURE I'VE CAPTURED EVERYONE'S DIRECTION AND COMMENTS MOVING FORWARD, AND THEN THE ADDITIONAL ITEMS, UM, CONTINUE TO WORKSHOP AND, UM, MOVE FORWARD WITH, BUT AT LEAST MOVE FORWARD WITH THE BAILEY BILL BASED ON THE DISCUSSION TONIGHT AND CHECK ON THE PENDING DOCTRINE.
OF COURSE, MAYOR, IF I COULD MAKE ONE COMMENT, UM, I THINK IT WOULD BE A GREAT ADVANTAGE IF WE COULD POSSIBLY SURVEY SOME OF THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE DONE THESE PROJECTS, UM, YOU KNOW, WHETHER IT BE JOANIE OR, OR WHOEVER THAT'S THAT'S, LIKE YOU SAID, HAS EXPERIENCE KNOWS THE BUMPS IN THE ROAD.
UM, IF WE COULD POSSIBLY FIND OUT FROM THEM, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT, THEY'RE, WHAT THEY SUGGEST MAYBE IT COULD HELP GUIDE US IN THE DIRECTION TO MAKE IT SIMPLER AND YOU KNOW, MORE USER-FRIENDLY POSSIBLY FOR THE, FOR THE NEXT ONE THAT WANTS TO DO SOMETHING.
ANYTHING ELSE? YEAH, I HAVE THAT FOR
[01:15:01]
THE, UM, THE NEXT TIME THAT THIS IS BROUGHT UP ON THE FIRST READING, WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE TO HAVE A USER-FRIENDLY, UM, GUIDELINE, IF LIKE A DRAFT PUT TOGETHER OF WHAT IT POTENTIALLY COULD LOOK LIKE? UM, SO WE CAN, YOU KNOW, KIND OF LIKE DISSECT THAT ONE TO SEE WHAT'S, UM, WHAT WOULD NEED TO BE, UM, CLARIFY MORE TO MAKE SURE IT CAN PEOPLE SURE.ARE YOU LOOKING FOR A, UM, A USER GUIDE FOR POTENTIAL APPLICANTS OR, UM, OR SUMMARY SHEETS? OKAY.
AND THAT, THAT, THAT MAY BE WHERE SOME OF THESE WHO HAVE DONE IT CAN HELP YOU HEATHER, MAYBE, UM, YOU KNOW, I DON'T THEY'RE MANY, I COULD PROBABLY A DOZEN IN TOWN THAT HAVE UTILIZED GRANTS.
THEY COULD LOOK AT THIS AND SAY, PUT THIS, THIS IS HOW AN APPLICANT WOULD COME.
AND THIS IS WHAT I WOULD SAY TO DO, AND MAYBE BASE IT OFF OF WHATEVER APPRAISE VALUE OF SOME BUILDING WOULD BE.
AND, UM, NO ONE THAT IT'S ALL ESTIMATE IS THAT WHERE YOU'RE GOING, BRIDGET, JUST KIND OF GET AN IDEA OF IF YOU HAD IT AS STORAGE STRUCTURE, WHAT WOULD YOUR STEPS BE, RIGHT? OR FOR THOSE WHO, AND ESPECIALLY FOR THOSE WHO NOW CAN TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS PARTICULAR, UM, BILL, UH, THEY DON'T NEED TO GO NECESSARILY LOOK THE BILL UP.
THEY MORE SO WOULD WANT TO HAVE THAT GUIDE IN FRONT OF THEM OF WHERE DO I START TO FIRST MAKE SURE THAT MY PROPERTY IS HISTORIC.
AND THEN NOW THAT I KNOW THAT IT I'VE CHECKED OFF THAT BOX, NOW LET ME MOVE TO THE NEXT STEP TO SEE IF IT, IF I'VE MET THE INVESTMENT, UH, QUALIFICATION, YOU KNOW, FOR ALMOST LIKE CREATING SOMETHING THAT THEY CAN USE AS A CHECKLIST.
SO IT'S NOT A MATTER OF, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS THIS, OR WHAT'S THAT THEY KIND OF ALREADY HAVE IT IN FRONT OF THEM.
UM, AND AT LEAST GIVES THEM A CLEAR STARTING POINT OF, OF WHERE TO GO.
KIND OF A HERE'S THE HOUSE, IF YOU SAY, YES, YOU GO THIS WAY.
IF YOU SAY, NO, YOU'RE GOING DOWN TO THIS OPTION.
AND IT KINDA, YOU KNOW, A DIAGRAM LIKE, UM, JUST LIKE THE ORDINANCE ONE, I THINK THAT MARK AND STAFF CREATED FOR THE MOBILE VENDING THING, YOU KNOW, IT GIVES YOU ALL OF THE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS.
YOU MIGHT HAVE TO GO THROUGH, WHETHER IT'S THE FIRE DEPARTMENT FOR YOUR HUD INSPECTION OR D HAG FOR YOUR KITCHEN, IT'S LIKE, IT, IT LISTS, STEP-BY-STEP WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO.
THEN ONCE YOU HAVE THAT, THEN YOU COME TO WHOMEVER TO GET YOUR FINAL APPROVAL AND EVERYTHING ELSE, EVERYBODY GOOD.
UM, HEATHER, THIS, WE'RE NOT GOING TO FEEL THAT POSITION THIS YEAR, COMING YEAR, UM, KNOW FRED REFERENCED THE, UH, MUNICIPAL ASSOCIATION WHO DID, UH, THEY HAD SOME CONSULTANTS WHO GAVE DISCUSSIONS ON THIS VERY TOPIC ABOUT A YEAR OR TWO AGO.
ARE YOU GOING TO NEED SOME ASSISTANCE FROM A CONSULTANT? I MEAN, DO WE NEED TO LOOK AT DOING THAT FOR THIS BUDGETS APPROVED OR IS THIS A PRETTY COMPLEX AND IT LOOKS TO ME LIKE IT WOULD BE TIMELY TIME-CONSUMING UM, I THINK FOR THE BAILEYVILLE, IF WE'RE USING THE CITY OF BUFORD AS AN EXAMPLE AND A MODEL, UM, CERTAINLY I CAN REACH, REACH OUT IF NEEDED TO, UH, PROFESSIONAL SERVICES OR CONSULTANTS, BUT CITY OF BUFORD HAS ALREADY, UM, GONE THROUGH THE PROCESS.
AND SO I THINK THERE'S LOTS OF EXAMPLES OUT THERE CONCERNING THE BAILEY BILL THAT I CAN MOVE FORWARD WITH.
UM, BUT CERTAINLY THAT'S, THAT'S ALWAYS AN OPPORTUNITY, BUT, UM, I'M CONFIDENT THAT WE CAN, WE CAN MOVE FORWARD WITH THE BAILEY BELL NEXT STEPS, UM, WITH THE STAFF RIGHT NOW AND AGAIN, USING OUR PARTNERS IN THE REGION.
WE ARE MOVING ON TO THE ACCOMMODATIONS TAX ADVISORY COMMITTEE FUNDING RECOMMENDATION.
THE QUARTER ENDED MARCH 30TH, 2020 NATALIE.
AND IF YOU HAVE A SCREEN, DO YOU HAVE A SCREEN CHAIR? YES.
WHILE WE'RE ON AND SHE'S GETTING READY.
WE DO HAVE, UM, SEVERAL PEOPLE APPLICANTS, AND WE HAVE SAM BRENT, WHO IS STILL THE CHAIR.
UM, THAT'S HERE AND WE CAN ASK QUESTIONS OF THEM.
CAN YOU SEE, CAN YOU SEE MY SCREEN? OKAY.
UM, YOU HAVE, BEFORE YOU, THE ACCOMMODATIONS TAX ADVISORY, COMMITTEE'S RECOMMENDATIONS FOR QUARTER ENDING MARCH 31ST, 2020, UM, HERE YOU HAVE ALL FOUR APPLICANTS.
I WOULD LIKE TO STATE THE PALMETTO BLUFF
[01:20:01]
CONSERVANCY HAS WITHDRAWN THEIR APPLICATION.UM, AND SO NOW THERE ARE THREE APPLICANTS FOR THIS, WHICH INCLUDES, UM, THE RESOLUTION FOR APPROVAL OF THE DMO FUNDING FOR FYI 2021.
WITH THAT, WITH WITHDRAWN APPLICANT, IT BRINGS THE TOTAL AMOUNT, UM, BEING REQUESTED TO 284,000, UM, DUE TO THE TIMING OF THE ATEC COMMITTEE IN APRIL.
UM, WE DID NOT HAVE THE STATE FUNDS YET.
UM, AND SO THIS IS REFLECTED HERE AS ZERO, AND THEN WE ONLY HAVE THE LOCAL FUNDS HERE NOTED THROUGH THE END OF MARCH.
AT THE TIME OF THE COMMITTEE, THERE WERE $866,283 AVAILABLE FOR DISTRIBUTION.
UM, SINCE THAT TIME WE HAVE RECEIVED THE STATE FUNDS AND THE ADDITIONAL MONTH'S WORTH OF THE LOCAL.
SO THAT NUMBER IS, IS HIGHER NOW.
UM, AND IT IS $956,789 AVAILABLE FOR DISTRIBUTION.
UM, THE FIRST, UM, RECOMMENDATION FROM ATEC IS FOR THE DMO FUNDING RESOLUTION FOR 2021, AS IT PERTAINS TO THE CURRENT 2019 DASH 33 CONTRACT WITH HILTON HEAD ISLAND, BLUFFTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE TO MANAGE AND DIRECT THE EXPENDITURES OF THE 30% OF THE STATE ACCOMMODATIONS TAX AND THE UP TO 8% OF THE BALANCE OF LOCAL ACCOMMODATIONS TAX.
AND AS PRESENTED EARLIER FROM ARIANA, UM, AND RE DEAL, THEIR REQUESTED BUDGET IS 82,000.
AND HERE'S A COMPARISON FROM LAST FISCAL YEAR, UM, AGAINST THIS FISCAL YEAR'S REQUEST.
UM, AND THEN THE NEXT ITEM IS BHPS THE BLUFFTON HISTORICAL PRESERVATION SOCIETY.
AND THAT IS A RESOLUTION, UM, AUTHORIZING AN AMENDMENT TO THE CURRENT 2017 DASH SIX NINE MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT FOR THE ANNUAL REQUEST OF THE BLUFFTON HISTORICAL PRESERVATION SOCIETY AS THE TOWN OF LOCKTON'S OFFICIAL WELCOME CENTER AND ADHERES TO THE TERMS WITHIN THE MOA.
AND HERE AGAIN IS ANOTHER COMPARISON OF THE REQUESTS FROM BHPS AGAINST THEIR LAST YEAR'S OR THIS CURRENT YEAR'S REQUEST FOR FISCAL YEAR 2020.
YOU'RE NOT, YOU'RE NOT SHOWING US THE, YOU DIDN'T SHOW US THE BEFORE AND AFTER FOR THE CHAMBER OR THIS OTHER ONE.
LET ME, I SEE IT, BUT I DON'T THINK PEOPLE ON FACEBOOK, THEY CAN ONLY SEE YOUR MAY 12TH OR YOUR PAGE ONE RECOMMENDATION.
YOU NEED TO SCROLL DOWN, JUST SCROLL DOWN, SCROLL UP IF IT'S STUCK AND YOU NOT SCROLL DOWN.
I'M ABLE TO SCROLL DOWN ON MY SCREEN.
LET ME TRY AND SHARE IT AGAIN AND SEE IF SOMETHING'S STUCK FOR SOME REASON.
WE WEREN'T GETTING, BUT THE TOP OF IT THAT'S OKAY.
LET'S SEE IF THIS WILL WORK NOW, DID IT UPDATE IT AT ALL? MUCH BETTER? OKAY.
THIS IS SO DO YOU SEE THE DMO HERE? YES.
DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ON THIS AND YOU WANT ME TO SCROLL DOWN IT SHOW THE LAST YEAR AND THIS YEAR ON ALL OF THEM, AND THEN WE'LL TAKE IT ONE AT A TIME IF THAT'S OKAY.
AND THEN HERE IS, UM, A SIMILAR CHART, BUT FOR BHPS, UM, WITH THE FYI 2020 VERSUS THE FYI 2021 REQUEST, WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO, TO PROGRESS TO THE THIRD APPLICANT? OKAY.
AND THEN THE FINAL APPLICANT FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION IS FOR, SORRY, I NEED TO SCROLL THROUGH THE BLUFFTON OR COME OUT OF BLUFF.
UM, IS FROM THE SOCIETY OF BLUFFTON ARTISTS, UM, FOR SUPPORT AND ADVERTISING FOR PROMOTION OF THE ARTS OF THE LOW COUNTRY AND BEYOND THE ORIGINAL REQUEST WAS FOR 16,000, BUT HVAC IS RECOMMENDING 12,000 FOR THE NOTES AND GUIDELINES WITHIN THE TOWN OF LOCKTON'S A TAX APPLICATION.
UM, AND THE COMMITTEE HAS RECOMMENDED TO FULLY FUND ALL OF THE ELIGIBILITY OR I'M SORRY, ALL OF THE ELIGIBLE REQUESTED AMOUNTS.
UM, AS STATED BEFORE WE HAVE REPRESENTATIVES FROM ALL OF THE APPLICATIONS, AS WELL AS, UM, UM, BRETT AS CHAIR QUESTIONS, WE'RE HAPPY TO, TO ADDRESS THEM.
IF THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS, I'LL JUST LIKE COUNSEL ASS,
[01:25:01]
LET'S START WITH OUR DMO BUDGET.UM, THE PRESENTATION WAS GIVEN, ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT OTHER THAN ARIANA? I THINK IT DRESS FRED'S CONCERNING.
I THINK BRIDGET WAS GOING THERE AND I WAS TRYING TO GO THERE, BUT FRED JUST TOOK THE STRAIGHT LINE.
UM, WHAT IS THAT COMMITTEE MADE UP WITH THE TOWN? HOW DO WE MAKE ALL OF OUR MARKETING LOOK LIKE OUR TOWN, WHICH INCLUDES ALL RACE HISPANIC TO, YOU KNOW, UM, JUST HOW DO WE GET THAT INPUT AND MAKE SURE IT'S IN, IN OUR MARKETING,
HOW ABOUT MAYOR? THANK YOU FOR THOSE QUESTIONS.
AND, UM, WE WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH YOUR STAFF AND, UM, WE WILL CONTINUE TO DO SO.
AND I THINK WITH OUR CADENCE OF COMMUNICATION AND OUR EFFORTS PUT FORWARD IN TERMS OF PHOTOGRAPHY, UM, EFFORTS IN WHICH WE PROMOTE AND WHO WE PROMOTE TO, UM, THOSE ARE ALL DISCUSSED AND WE CAN TAKE THAT EVEN A STEP FURTHER TO ENSURE THAT THOSE ARE AGENDA ITEMS THAT YOU'RE SEEING PRIOR.
BUT, UM, THOSE ITEMS IN OUR, IN OUR REGULAR CADENCE OF COMMUNICATION, THOSE WOULD BE THE, THE TOUCH POINTS IN WHICH WE WOULD DISCUSS THAT.
SO BEFORE HEADING OUT INTO A SHOOT OR FOR A VIDEOGRAPHY EFFORT, WE WOULD, UM, LOOK TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE TOWN STAFF TO ENSURE WE'RE NOT ONLY CAPTURING THE HIGHER LEVEL DETAIL THAT WE SPOKE ABOUT, BUT ALSO GETTING INTO EXACTLY SOME OF THE SHOTS AND, UM, AND EFFORTS THAT WE WANT TO DO.
WE WANT TO CAPTURE ENCOMPASSING, ENSURING THAT WE COVER ALL DEMOGRAPHICS.
ANY QUESTIONS ON THIS PARTICULAR, THIS ONE ITEM WE HAVE ARIANA HERE, AND THEN WE HAVE, UM, YOU HAVE THE CHAIR, LIKE I SAID, WE HAVE SAM HERE FROM ATEX.
CAN NOW NO, SAME TO WHAT I WAS GETTING AT, UM, EARLIER, UH, FRED TOUCHED ON IT A LITTLE BIT, BUT MY QUESTION WAS MORE SNOW IN THE DEMOGRAPHIC AND THE PERSONAS.
UM, I SEE WHERE THE MARKETING GOES TO, YOU KNOW, BASIS LIKE SEVEN LIVING IN GARDEN AND GUN AND OTHER THINGS.
UM, I WAS MORE SO TRYING TO GET TO DO WE LOOK AT, UM, OR CAN YOU START TO LOOK AT OTHER AVENUES THAT YOU MARKET TO KNOWING THAT THERE ARE, UM, TRAP OTHER TRAVELERS WHO DO HIT THE AREA? AND IT SEEMS LIKE WE MIGHT BE MISSING A GROUP IF WE'RE ONLY LOOKING AT MARKETING TO, UM, A CERTAIN BASE OR A CERTAIN DEMOGRAPHIC.
I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE WERE BEING, UH, MORE INCLUSIVE, UM, OF THAT.
WELL, I, YOU KNOW, WHAT WOULD BE, I THINK WHAT WE DO AS A COUNCIL, WE NEED TO GET OUR STAFF.
AND I THINK IT'S DEBBIE AND LINDSEY AND SIT WITH THEM ON WHAT WE, THEY NEED TO BRING TO THE TABLE.
I'VE SAT IN THOSE MARKETING MEETINGS ON OCCASION.
I THINK ALL OF US GOOD, AS LONG AS IT'S NOT A CORUM.
UM, BUT THEN WE HAVE OUR STAFF THAT GOES DIRECTLY TO THEM.
I THINK WE'VE GOT TO HOLD THEM KIND OF ACCOUNTABLE FOR, FOR IDEAS AND ARIANA, MAYBE BRING SOME IDEAS LIKE THAT.
WHAT'S, UH, YOU KNOW, IN THE HISTORICAL AND THE, UM, THE HISTORICAL TOURISM KIND OF WORLD TOO.
AND, UM, JUST MARKETING TO WHAT MAKES BLUFFTON WHAT IT IS.
SO YOU CAN RESPOND OR JUST MAKE SURE, YOU KNOW, BRIDGET, I THINK WE ALL HAVE TO GIVE OUR STAFF THE IDEAS TO TAKE TO THAT MARKETING MEETING.
SO EVERYBODY, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON THIS? DID YOU WANT TO ANSWER ARIANA? NO, JUST THAT IT'S NOTED.
AND WE WILL MAKE SURE THAT THOSE CONVERSATIONS ARE HAPPENING WITH YOUR STAFF AND ENSURE THAT WE COVER THOSE POINTS DURING OUR CONVERSATIONS.
AND IF WE HAVE IDEAS OF PLACES WE THINK WE'RE MISSING, LET'S, LET'S GIVE THEM TO WHO, I GUESS, TO DEBBIE, WHOEVER OUR POINT PERSON IS, LET'S GIVE THEM THOSE IDEAS OF PLACES THEY CAN LOOK TO.
SO, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS AT THE FIRST REQUEST, WHICH IS THE 2021 BUDGET MARKETING PLAN REQUESTED 82 AMOUNT RECOMMENDED 82.
WE KNOW IT IS A PERCENTAGE OF THE TOTAL REVENUE THAT COULD BE UPPER DOWN, WHO KNOWS WHAT IT'S GOING TO BE ON.
DO Y'ALL WANT TO VOTE ON THAT WHILE WE HAVE IT, AND THERE ARE NO OTHER QUESTIONS.
IS THERE A MOTION TO ACCEPT THE HILTON HEAD ISLAND, BLUFFTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, DMO BUDGET AND MARKETING PLAN AMOUNT REQUESTED 82,000 AMOUNT RECOMMENDED 82,000, THEIR SECOND ONE SECOND.
ANY DISCUSSION ALL IN FAVOR STATE BY SAYING,
[01:30:01]
AYE WILL JUST SAY IT.AND NEXT IS BLOCKED IN HISTORIC PRESERVATION SOCIETY.
WHY DON'T YOU SCROLL DOWN TO THAT? NATALIE? WE HAVE KELLY IS HERE AND AGAIN, WE HAVE SAM BRIT WHO IS ONLINE.
IF WE HAVE QUESTIONS BESIDES TWO TO NATALIE.
SO QUESTIONS, ANYBODY, UM, WHERE DOES IT, WHERE DOES IT APPLES TO APPLES TO THE OTHER, YOU KNOW, WHERE YOU PUT JUST TO, IS IT THE FY 20? IS IT THE ATEX AWARD TO 2020 TO THE ATEX AWARD OF 2021 NATALIE? OR WHEREAS WE COMPARE IT TO THE LAST ONE.
THESE PERCENTAGES SHOULD BE BASED OFF OF THE AWARD FEAR AND THE REQUEST AND THE, REALLY THE RECOMMENDED AMOUNT HERE.
QUESTIONS, NO QUESTIONS ON THIS.
I REMEMBER, UM, IN THE MEETING WE HAD, WE DISCUSSED THAT.
HE SAID HE COULD OPERATE WITH $20,000 LESS.
IT DOESN'T REFLECT THAT IN THIS BUDGET, BECAUSE AT THAT TIME HE WAS ASKING FOR 190,000.
ARE YOU FAMILIAR WITH THAT? UM, NATALIE, I AM COUNSELING HAMILTON.
AND, UM, THERE HAS BEEN CONTINUAL DIALOGUE BETWEEN THE TOWN AND BHPS, THIS WAS ON THIS CURRENT FISCAL YEAR'S WORTH OF, UM, THE BUDGET, THE MARKETING ALLOCATION FOR THAT BUDGET.
IF MY CURSOR IS WORKING, UM, THE REQUEST WAS 25,000 AND THEN DURING THE MEETING, THE 20,000 WAS DISCUSSED.
UM, WE HAVE NOT REIMBURSED THAT 20,000, SO WE'VE KEPT IT.
UM, BUT THEN YOU'LL HEAR, OR WE HAVE NOT REIMBURSED THE 20,000 THAT WAS DISCUSSED AT THAT MEETING.
AND THEN YOU'LL SEE HERE FOR THE 21 REQUEST, IT IS REDUCED TO 4,500 AND THEN ALSO THE RECOMMENDATION IS 4,500 FOR MARKETING.
YOU CONFUSED ME BECAUSE THE NUMBERS, THE FINAL NUMBER IS STILL 190,000.
IT IS, UM, THERE WAS NOT, UM, OUR REVISED VOTE FOR THAT ORIGINAL REQUEST OF THE ONE 90.
UM, BUT THERE WAS JUST THE, THE DISCUSSION THAT, THAT 20,000 NOT BE USED.
DOES THAT HELP ANSWER YOUR QUESTION? UH, THANK YOU FOR TRYING WELCOME.
MAY I, MAY I ATTEMPT TO ANSWER THIS QUESTION? THANK YOU.
CAN YOU HEAR ME, LISA? CAN YOU HEAR ME? I AM HERE.
FRED ASKED THE QUESTION, BUT IT'S STILL AT 190, YOU KNOW, I THINK, I THINK WE'RE ANSWERING THE QUESTION OF WHAT HAPPENED TO THE $20,000 THAT KELLY AT LAST PRESENT OR LAST YEAR'S PRESENTATION OFFERED THAT PERHAPS HE COULD OPERATE WITHOUT.
AND WHILE HE ASKED FOR $25,000 UNDER ADVERTISING AND MARKETING, UH, THERE WAS SOME DISCUSSION OF LOWERING THAT NUMBER, UH, $20,000.
SO THEY HAVEN'T ASKED, WE HAVEN'T REIMBURSED THAT $20,000, UH, ULTIMATELY AFFECTS THEIR LAST YEAR'S AWARD BY 190 BEING APPROVED.
BUT THEY, BUT, BUT BHPS, AS FAR AS I UNDERSTAND, WILL NOT ASK US FOR ANYTHING MORE THAN 170 THERE IN LIES THAT 20, THEY ARE ASKING FOR 190 AGAIN THIS YEAR.
AND SO WHILE THE ADVERTISING AND MARKETING IS LOWER FROM 25 K DOWN TO 45, YOU CAN SEE WHERE THE $20,000 IS, IS BEING ASKED FOR.
AND IT, AND IT'S RIGHT HERE WHERE I'M MOVING MY MOUSE.
IT'S IN THAT FYI 21 REQUEST WHERE THEY'VE ASKED FOR $20,000 FOR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS.
AND IT SEEMS THAT THE ACCOMMODATIONS TAX, UH, COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION IS FOR 13, UH, COUNCILMAN HAMILTON THERE IN, IS THAT EXTRA 20 LOST IN MARKETING, BUT ASKED FOR IN CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS THIS YEAR.
I THINK THAT, UM, DOES THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, SIR? UM, WE'LL DEAL WITH THAT ANOTHER TIME, BUT I'M, I'M GOOD IF I MAY REAL QUICK, KELLY, LET ME JUST MAKE
[01:35:01]
SURE THERE'S NOTHING ELSE FIRST, BUT SAY THAT AND LET ME DO, I SHOULD'VE SAID AT THE BEGINNING, MY HUSBAND IS ON THIS BOARD, SO I'M RUNNING THIS, BUT I WILL NOT BE VOTING OR ASKING ANY QUESTIONS.I'M JUST GOING TO RUN THROUGH THIS AND GET Y'ALL ON TRACK.
SO I WILL ABSTAIN WHEN I VOTE.
UM, SO DON'T WAIT ON ME TO ASK QUESTIONS.
I'M NOT GOING TO BE ASKING TONIGHT.
SO ANYTHING ELSE BEFORE KELLY CAN SPEAK? WHERE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS HE CAN ANSWER? OKAY, KELLY, SORRY.
I JUST WANTED TO GET THAT OUT THERE.
MAYOR COUNCIL MANAGERS AND STAFF FOR HAVING US THIS EVENING, WE WERE ON TRACK TO HAVE A RECORD BREAKING YEAR.
AGAIN THIS YEAR IN, UH, FISCAL YEAR 1819.
WE HAD OUR HIGHEST VISITOR TOTAL EVER, WHICH WAS JUST UNDER 13,000 PEOPLE.
IT'S JUST OVER A THOUSAND VISITORS A MONTH ON AVERAGE, 82% OF THEM COME FROM OUT OF TOWN.
SURPRISING THAT THAT'S THE AMOUNT OF THE WELCOME CENTER BUDGET THAT IS ALLOWED FOR IN THE FORMULA TO BE PAID FOR, WITH ACCOMMODATIONS TAX.
SO YOU ARE REIMBURSING US FOR 82.
IT MAY BE 83% OF THE WELCOME CENTER BUDGET.
SO AS I HEARD MAYOR ORLANDO, UH, MANAGER ORLANDO SAY YESTERDAY IN HIS PRESENTATION MEETING, WE HAD THE BENEFIT OF TIME THIS YEAR BECAUSE WE WORK ON OUR BUDGET IN FEBRUARY.
SO WHEN THE, WHEN EVERYTHING WENT SOUTH IN MARCH, WE WERE ABLE TO CUT 33,000 FROM THIS YEAR'S BUDGET, DROPPING IT FROM 300,000 TO 267,000, WHICH IS OUR TOTAL BUDGET.
THE LAST QUARTER THAT WE WERE ABLE TO COMPLETE, WHICH WAS OUR SECOND QUARTER, THAT WAS LAST OCTOBER THROUGH DECEMBER, WE HAD 4,200 GUESTS.
SO, UM, IT WAS AN UNPRECEDENTED YEAR.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE PROVED TO OURSELVES WAS THAT THIS YEAR, FIRST YEAR OF COMMON GROUND, WHICH WAS AS YOU KNOW, OUR CONCEPT TO RAISE FUNDS AND HELP SUPPORT OURSELVES.
UM, WE HAD AN INCREDIBLE YEAR.
AND THEN IN THAT FIRST YEAR OF OPERATION, WE HAD PROJECTED 17,500 IN, UM, REVENUES AND WE'VE EARNED $33,000.
SO THERE'S, THAT'S BETWEEN SPECIAL EVENTS RENTALS AND OUR PROGRAMS AT COMMON GROUND A GREAT YEAR.
UM, WE'RE NOT GONNA HAVE THAT THIS YEAR.
WE JUST DON'T HAVE THE, THE NUMBER.
SO THE ABILITY TO ENTERTAIN EVENTS, LARGE EVENTS AND GROUPS.
SO THEREFORE WE'VE CUT OUR BUDGET BY $33,000.
WE ARE ASKING FOR, WE BASICALLY CUT IT TO THE OPERATION LEVEL.
UM, WE ARE ASKING FOR EXACTLY THE SAME AMOUNT OF MONEY THIS YEAR THAT WE DID LAST YEAR, $190,000.
MOST OF THAT GOES STRAIGHT TO OPERATIONS, AS YOU MAY KNOW.
AND, UM, WE ARE LOOKING TO DO MORE WITH LESS, AND WE'VE GOTTEN SMART ABOUT OUR MARKETING.
WE'RE GOING TO BE MARKETING ON SHOESTRING AND USING FACEBOOK AND, AND, UH, PUMPING, BOOSTING OUR POSTS.
WE'VE ALREADY STARTED A GREAT PROGRAM OF THAT ON OUR WEBSITE.
AND I WOULD INVITE EVERYONE TO GO TO HAYWARD HOUSE.ORG AND HIT THE VIDEOS BUTTON.
WE'VE GOT A WHOLE NEW SERIES OF EDUCATIONAL VIDEOS THAT TALK ABOUT THE CULTURE AND HISTORY OF BLUFFTON.
WE ALSO I'VE HAD TALKS WITH JARED GESTURE AT HERITAGE PEANUT COMPANY WHO HAS COMMITTED TO AS SOON AS WE CAN GET OUT OF THIS JUNGLE.
WE ARE READY TO ROLL OUT AND HAVE THE PLAN AND THE PROCESS IN OUR BACK POCKET TO DO, UH, ANOTHER BOILED PEANUT FESTIVAL.
AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO DOING THAT.
IF WE CAN, THIS FALL, LAST YEAR'S FESTIVAL, WE DREW 588 PAID TICKET HOLDERS, AND WE TRACKED ZIP CODES AT THE GATE THAT SHOWED 232 OF THOSE CAME FROM OUTSIDE OUR LOCAL TOS ZIP CODE AREA
[01:40:01]
AS TWO NINE, NINE ONE OH AND TWO NINE, NINE OH NINE, WHICH IS OT.KELLY, TRY TO STAY ON THIS BECAUSE I KNOW YOU'LL COME BACK AT SOME OTHER TIME FOR THAT.
IF YOU JUST, IF YOU WOULDN'T MIND, I'M SORRY, THIS WAS MY PAIRED DOWN VERSION.
SO I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT WAS A 39% VISITOR RATIO IN THAT ONE SPECIAL EVENT.
SO WE'RE HOPING WE CAN DO THAT THIS YEAR.
WE WANT TO DO A SPECIAL EVENT.
AND, UM, I'LL BE GLAD TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS IF I COULD JUST VERY QUICKLY NOTE TODAY IS KATIE APP'S SEVENTH ANNIVERSARY WORKING FOR THE FOUNDATION, SHOUT OUT TO KATIE.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON THIS SECOND, UM, REQUEST, IT'S A REQUEST FOR ONE 90 AMOUNT RECOMMENDED ONE 90, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OF NATALIE OR SAM OR R KELLY? OKAY.
UM, ONE THING I'LL MAKE A GENERAL THOUGHT KELLY.
I WOULD, I THINK IT'D BE NICE NOT TO HAVE A 20 MINUTE PRESENTATION, BUT TO HAVE KATIE USED TO COME EVERY COUPLE OF MONTHS TO GIVE US THOSE NUMBERS OF WHO'S COMING IN.
I THINK IT'S ALWAYS BEEN HELPFUL FOR COUNCIL, JUST AT PUBLIC COMMENTS.
SHE'D GIVE A THREE MINUTE BLURB WHO WAS COMING IN ON YOUR WEBSITE, WHO'S COMING IN THE DOOR.
IT REALLY DOES HELP THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
UM, SINCE WE'RE ASKING OUR DMO TO KIND OF DO IT, IT WOULD BE NICE IF YOU COULD, IT WOULDN'T BE A POWERPOINT.
IS HER STANDING THERE OR ARE YOU JUST GIVING US NUMBERS AND A HANDOUT? IT WOULD BE REALLY NICE.
UM, I THINK FOR COUNCIL AND THE PUBLIC TO KNOW ABOUT, I HAD TO DO THAT.
WE DO A MONTHLY REPORT THAT THE TOWN GETS.
I THINK WE'D PROBABLY JUST REITERATE THE HIGH POINTS OF THAT THREE MINUTES OR LESS.
ANY OTHER, ANY OTHER THOUGHTS I WILL ASK IF THERE'S A MOTION TO APPROVE THE RECOMMENDATION FOR THE BOSTON HISTORICAL PRESERVATION SOCIETY FOR $190,000 ALL IN FAVOR.
IS THERE A MOTION? IS THERE A SECOND? ANY DISCUSSION? YEAH, I HAVE A DISCUSSION POINT.
I BELIEVE WE LOST COUNCILMAN HAMILTON AND JUST BECAUSE OF THE VOTE AND AN OPPORTUNITY TO ASK ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS, I WANT TO MAKE SURE HE CAN GET BACK INTO THE CALL.
I DON'T HAVE EVERYONE UP IN MY SCREEN.
I SEE LARRY KELLY, YOU DAN AND NATALIE.
I DON'T, WELL, I I'VE SCROLLED THROUGH THE LIST AND JUST SENT KIM A TEXT TO ASK OR HELP FRED GET BACK IN.
FRED INDICATES THAT HE'S LOCKED OUT.
SO WE'RE ALL HAVING SOME INTERNET DIFFICULTIES TODAY.
UM, WELL HE NEEDS TO KNOW ABOUT THE SOBA AS WELL.
UM, HOLD ON THIS, THERE'S A SECOND AND FINAL READING ON THE OWN.
YOUR CAN WE, CAN WE MOVE ON TO THIS SECOND AND FINAL READING? THERE WERE NO CHANGES ON THAT WITH CHRIS AND IF HE'S NOT HERE TO VOTE, IT'S JUST, UH, IT JUST HAS TO BE UNANIMOUS, RIGHT? FRED'S BATTERY DIED ON HIS LAPTOP.
SO HE'S PLUGGING IN AND CALL AND CALL HIM BACK IN AND I COULD CALL HIM FROM, OKAY, CAUSE I GOT A CALL.
WE WERE NOT DOING ANYTHING WITHOUT YOU.
SO WE WERE, SO WHAT I SAID, IF THERE WERE NO OTHER QUESTIONS, AS I SAID IS WE WERE AT A, FOR MO FIRST AND A SECOND AND WE WERE AT ANY DISCUSSION ON THIS ONE SECOND ITEM.
AND I WAS ABOUT TO SAY, I WILL BE ABSTAINING.
SO IT'LL BE THE VOTE OF THE FOUR OF Y'ALL.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER DISCUSSION POINTS ON THIS REQUEST? ALL IN FAVOR STATE BY SAYING AYE.
UM, MOVING ON, NATALIE, LET ME GET BACK TO RUBY.
UM, WE ARE AT SOCIETY OF BLUFFTON ARTIST, PERMITTING ARTS IN THE LOW COUNTRY AMOUNT REQUESTED 16,000 AMOUNT RECOMMENDED 12.
AND YOU ARE GETTING DOWN TO THAT.
SCROLL DOWN SOME, DO YOU SEE THE CHART HERE? YES.
WE HAVE SOMEONE HERE, MR. BELL BOGLE IS HERE.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS AND MR. BOGLE OR SAM, BRETT OR NATALIE.
[01:45:04]
OKAY.IF NO QUESTIONS, THE, UM, THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE COMMITTEE WAS 12,000.
IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE APPROVE SOCIETY OF BLUFFTON ARTISTS FOR $12,000? THEIR SECOND, ANY DISCUSSION ALL IN FAVOR STATE BY SAYING AYE.
I APPRECIATE ALL OF YOU STAYING ON THIS.
YOU'RE WELCOME TO STAY ON THE REMAINING OF THE TOWN COUNCIL MEETING IS NOT THAT MUCH.
UM, BUT WE DO APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE AND ANSWERING OUR QUESTIONS.
UM, NEXT, REMOVING ON TO THE SECOND AND FINAL READING OF THE ORDINANCE TO AUTHORIZE THE TOWN MANAGER, TO EXTEND DEADLINE FOR PAYMENT OF BUSINESS LICENSE TAX RENEWALS UNTIL AUGUST 7TH, 2020, AND TO WAIVE ALL LATE FEES ASSESSED ON RENEWABLES.
UM, AND THIS IS SECOND AND FINAL READING.
AND WERE, WERE THERE ANY CHANGES, CHRIS? UM, FROM LAST MONTH TO THIS TIME, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OF THIS? IF NOT, IS THERE A MOTION TO AUTHORIZE THE TOWN MANAGER TO EXTEND THE DEADLINE FOR PAYMENT OF BUSINESS ICE, TEXAS TAX RENEWALS UNTIL AUGUST SEVEN 2020 AND TO WEIGH ALL LATE FEES ASSESSED ON RENEWALS DUE, BUT NOT PAID BETWEEN APRIL 30 AND AUGUST SEVEN SECOND, BRIDGET, SECOND, ANY DISCUSSION ALL IN FAVOR, SAY AYE, THE ANIMALS.
UM, AND WE'RE ON TO FIRST READING CONSIDERATION OF AN APPROVAL OF AN ORDINANCE TO THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON CODE OF ORDINANCES, UTILITIES ARTICLE FOR SMALL CELL FACILITIES.
WE HAD A WORKSHOP ON THIS A COUPLE MONTHS AGO AND HEATHER, YOU ARE UP AND YOU'RE NEEDED.
LET ME PULL UP MY SHARED SCREEN HERE.
YOU DO A GREAT JOB OF HERDING CATS ARE CUTE.
CATS, DARLIN, LITTLE KITTY CATS.
DOES EVERYONE SEE THAT? DID I SAY SUCCESSFUL THIS TIME? YOU DID GOOD.
SO THIS IS LIKE YOU SAID, FIRST READING OF AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON CODE OF ORDINANCES, CHAPTER 28 UTILITIES TO ADDRESS SMALL WIRELESS FACILITIES AND COVERED AREAS.
WE DID HAVE A WORKSHOP ON THIS ITEM AND PRESENTED TO YOU THE MODEL ORDINANCE, UM, WITH SOME SLIGHT MODIFICATIONS TO MAKE IT SPECIFIC TO THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON, UH, LAST MONTH.
AND WE HAVE NOT MADE ANY ADDITIONAL CHANGES OR THERE'S BEEN NO CHANGES SINCE THAT POINT, JUST TO OUTLINE, UM, AGAIN, THIS IS THE REQUEST IS FOR APPROVAL OF FIRST READING OF THE ORDINANCE THAT ADDRESSES THESE FACILITIES.
AGAIN, THIS IS, UM, WITH THE RECOMMENDATION FROM THE MUNICIPAL ASSOCIATION OF SOUTH CAROLINA, TO ESTABLISH THE REGULATION FOR THESE FACILITIES, THESE TYPES OF FACILITIES ARE INTENDED TO SUPPORT THE NEXT GENERATION OF CELLULAR SERVICE, THAT 5G COMMUNICATIONS, UM, THERE'S BEEN VARIOUS FEDERAL ORDERS AS IT RELATES TO, UM, HOW COMMUNITIES ADDRESS THIS, WHICH IS WHY WE'VE MOVED FORWARD WITH THE RECOMMENDATIONS AGAIN, FROM THE MUNICIPAL ASSOCIATION, SINCE THE WORKSHOP WE HAVE ALSO, UM, WORKED WITH, UH, RICHARD SILVER, BRUCE AND, UH, TERRY FINGER, THE TOWN AND ATTORNEYS TO MAKE SURE THAT, UH, EVERYTHING ALIGNS WITH THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON AND MOVING FORWARD.
THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF, UM, WHAT ONE OF THE FACILITIES COULD LOOK LIKE.
IT'S A LIGHT POST WITH A SMALL INTENT ON THE TOP, AND THEN YOU'LL SEE, UH, CABINET EQUIPMENT, UH, ON, ON THE GROUND THERE AGAIN, THIS IS A EXAMPLE OF A TRAFFIC LIGHT WITH AN ANTENNA ON THE TOP TOP HERE, AGAIN, JUST SOME MORE EXAMPLES OF THINGS THAT ARE POSSIBLE.
UH, AND I CAN ALSO PULL UP THE ORDINANCE.
UM, LIKE I SAID, WE HAD THAT WORKSHOP.
WE HAVE NOT MADE ANY ADDITIONAL CHANGES SINCE THEN.
UM, WHERE, BEFORE YOU, FOR FIRST READING TONIGHT, UM, SHOULD THIS MOVE FORWARD? IT WILL REQUIRE A SECOND READING AND PUBLIC HEARING.
I ALSO TO ADD THAT WE HAVE HAD, SINCE THAT WORKSHOP, WHEN WE HAVE HAD CONVERSATIONS FROM, UH, TWO PROVIDERS WHO, UM, WERE ASKING WHETHER OR NOT WE HAD ORDINANCES AND HOW TO MOVE FORWARD, AND THEY WERE VERY
[01:50:01]
ACCOMMODATING AND DISCUSSING JUST VERY PRELIMINARILY, UM, MOVING FORWARD.SO, UH, THEY'VE REVIEWED THE ORDINANCE.
AND, UM, LIKE I SAID, I HADN'T HAD NO COMMENTS, UH, OFFERED ALL THAT INFORMATION FOR THEM AT THIS POINT.
UM, LIKE I SAID, THEY ARE RECEPTIVE OF, OF MOVING FORWARD AND WORKING WITH THE TOWN.
AND LIKE I SAID, I'M HAPPY TO PULL UP THE PACKET AS WELL, IF YOU'D LIKE, OR JUST MOVE ON WITH QUESTIONS THAT RE THAT TELLS ME WE SHOULD DO A PENDING DOCTRINE ON THIS, IF SOMEBODY IS ASKING JUST SO WE HAVE IT TOMORROW, SOMEBODY KNOCKS ON YOUR DOOR.
AND I WILL SAY, UM, AGAIN, WE WE'VE HAD THE CONVERSATIONS, UH, RICHARDSON WHEN BRUCE WAS IN, WE DID INCLUDE HIM IN, IN THAT PRELIMINARY, PRELIMINARY MEETING.
UH, SINCE STAFF, WE, WE KNOW WE HAVE THESE ORDINANCES THAT WE'RE MOVING FORWARD WITH.
UM, QUITE HONESTLY HAVE NOT HAD A REQUEST, UH, SIMILAR TO THIS IN THE PAST.
THEY ARE SEVERAL MONTHS AWAY MOVING FORWARD.
UM, BUT AGAIN, THAT THAT'S SOMETHING WE DID.
WE DID TALK TO, UM, RICHARDSON, UH, TO FIND OUT HIS INPUT.
BUT CARRIE, CAN WE DO THIS UNDER PENDING DOCTRINE AND JUST FOR FACEBOOK AND OTHERS PENDING DOCTRINE MEANS IT GOES FIRST READING HERE, HE GOT OFF MUTE TERRY.
MAYOR YOU COULD, UM, TYPICALLY IT'S DONE FROM A, WHEN IT'S A LAND DEVELOPMENT, UM, ORDINANCE AS MUCH AS ANYTHING ELSE, UM, YOU CAN INVOKE THE AKRON WHEN YOU, UM, IT'S CERTAINLY IT'S UP TO COUNCIL, DO IT OR NOT.
IF THERE'S NO PENDING APPLICATIONS RIGHT NOW, THEN I'M NOT SURE IT'S NECESSARY.
UM, IT'S NOT SOMETHING WE HAVE USED A LOT IN THE PAST, BUT YOU'RE CERTAINLY ENTITLED TO USE IT.
IF YOU DESIGN IT, WONDER WHAT IF SOMETHING COMES IN NEXT WEEK AND WE DIDN'T DO IT, THEN THERE WOULD BE SECOND READING ON, UM, JUNE 9TH.
AND, UH, I'D BE SURPRISED IF ANYBODY WAS QUICK ENOUGH TO GO THAT FAST.
SO, UM, IT, IT, IT'S ENTIRELY UP TO COUNCIL.
SO THAT'S OUT THERE FOR COUNCIL, IF THAT'S, IF YOU WANT TO ADD THAT ON EMOTION, UM, ARE YOU OKAY IF I READ IT THAT I ADD IT TO THE MOTION? ANY QUESTIONS OF HEATHER AND THOUGHTS ON THAT? I HAVE A QUESTION AS SOON AS LIKE WE READY TO MAKE A DECISION AND HILDA, IS THAT WHAT YOU REQUESTED? SHE'S MUTING AGAIN, BUT SHE SAID YES.
JUST GIVE ME A MOMENT TO UNMUTE.
I, YES, I AM REQUESTING APPROVAL FIRST READING THE ORDINANCE AND I CAN PULL UP THE PACKET IF YOU'D LIKE HE'S ON THE PHONE.
DO YOU, DO YOU HAVE A PLACE YOU CAN LOOK AT IT, FRED OR DID YOU, YOU HAD IT IN YOUR PACKET? THEY SENT, I JUST DON'T SEE THAT YOU CAN BE ON VIDEO, BUT OKAY.
DO YOU WANT, DO Y'ALL WANT HER TO PULL IT UP SO Y'ALL CAN SEE THE ORDINANCE AGAIN? OKAY.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? ARE YOU OPPOSED TO DOING THIS UNDERPINNING DOCTRINE? NO.
I JUST WANT, I MEAN, IT SOUNDS TO ME THAT, UM, TERRY GIVEN THIS BACK TO THE HANDS OF A COUNSELOR, IT DOESN'T SAY THAT, UM, SOMETHING THAT YOU RECOMMEND IN MY OPINION, BUT I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM.
UM, AS LONG AS, AS LONG AS IT'S WE ILLEGALLY DOING THE RIGHT THING, I'M I'M GOOD.
THE ONLY REASON I ADD SUGGESTED IS THAT JUST LOOK AT WHAT'S HAPPENED.
THAT'S BEEN APPROVED A YEAR OR TWO AGO, AND PEOPLE ARE WANTING THINGS TO HAPPEN AND IT MAY HAVE FALLEN THROUGH THE CRACKS OF AN APPROVAL OR WHATEVER, JUST THINKING AHEAD.
AND IT'S JUST, WHO KNOWS PEOPLE ARE STAYING HOME.
THEY MAY DECIDE TO PUT A SMALL CELL.
IF THEY SEE WE PASS THIS ON FIRST READING, AS LONG AS WE CAN HOLD THEM OFF UNTIL SECOND READING, IF THEY DO COME FORWARD, CARRY, I MEAN, I'M JUST THROWING IT OUT THERE.
I JUST DON'T WANT TO HAVE A CONVERSATION NEXT MONTH THAT SOMEBODY PUT AN APPLICATION IN NEXT WEEK.
NO, THE EXTENT OF THE APPLICATION PROCESS FOR SOMETHING LIKE THIS, BUT I CAN IMAGINE IT BEING, UM, LESS THAN 27 DAYS.
SO, UM, FRED'S PROBABLY READING ME CORRECTLY FOR LACK OF A BETTER TERM.
I DON'T LIKE TO SAY I TOLD YOU SO, BUT I AM THE MOTHER HEN HERE.
IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE ON FIRST READING AN ORDINANCE AMENDING CHAPTER 28 OF THE CODE OF ORDINANCES FOR THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON UTILITIES
[01:55:01]
BY ADOPTING ARTICLE FOUR, SMALL WIRELESS FACILITIES IN COVERED AREAS, I'LL MAKE THAT MOTION.IS THERE A SECOND, ANY DISCUSSION, ALL IN FAVOR STATEMENTS SAYING AYE OPPOSED THAT'S UNANIMOUS.
SCOTT, YOU HAVE EUROPE FIRST RATING CONSIDERATION OF AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON CODE OF ORDINANCES, CHAPTER 13, PUBLIC PROPERTY, ARTICLE TWO PUBLIC DOCK VOTE.
I WILL SHARE MY SCREEN AGAIN, BUT I PROMISE NOT TO SHOW YOU MY SCREEN.
WELL, THIS IS FIRST READING THE RULES TO THE USE OF CERTAIN TOWN OPERATED PROPERTIES.
WE HAD A WORKSHOP ON THIS THE SAME TIME WE HAD THE WORKSHOP ON SMALL CELLS, I BELIEVE.
THIS IS JUST THE FOLLOW-UP FROM OUR WORKSHOP.
NOW STAFF TOOK YOUR DIRECTION, UH, THAT YOU GAVE US IN THE WORKSHOP AND THE ORDINANCE THAT I'M BRINGING TO YOU TONIGHT AS A RESULT OF THAT, UH, BASICALLY WHAT THIS ORDINANCE DOES IS IT CHANGES THE REFERENCE TO THE PARK AT 68 BOUNDARY STREET TO REFLECT MARTIN FAMILY PARK, WHICH OUR RESOLUTION EARLIER YOU HAVE NAMED THAT PARK.
UM, IN HONOR OF, UH, THE MARTIN FAMILY, IT ALSO MODIFIES THE RULES FOR THAT PARK REGARDING THE USE OF ALCOHOL ON THE PROPERTY.
WHEN WE HAD THE WORKSHOP COUNSEL INDICATED THAT, UH, THEY WANTED TO CHANGE THE STRICT PROHIBITION OF ALCOHOL AND THAT PROPERTY TO, UH, ALCOHOL BEING ALLOWED WITH THE PROPER PERMIT IN PLACE FOR A SPECIAL EVENT.
SO WE HAVE MADE THE REQUISITE CHANGES TO THE ORDINANCE TO REFLECT THAT, UH, AND ALSO SOME HOUSEKEEPING MEASURES.
WE ARE AMENDING THE NAME OF THE PUBLIC PARK, BUT WHAT BUCK WATER PLACE, MULTI COUNTY INDUSTRIAL PARK CURRENTLY IN OUR ORDINANCE, IT'S REFERRED TO AS VETERANS MEMORIAL PARK, UH, STAFF FELT THAT COULD BE CONFUSING BECAUSE THE VETERANS MEMORIAL WAS TO SAY SMALL PORTION OF THAT PARK.
AND COUNCIL INDICATED THAT AT A LATER DATE, YOU MAY WANT TO CONSIDER RENTING THAT PARK.
HOWEVER, THE VETERANS MEMORIAL PARK ITSELF WOULD NOT BE, UH, SUBJECT TO, TO RENTAL.
SO WE WANTED TO MAKE THE CHANGE TO THAT NAME AS WELL.
SO AT THE MARCH 17 WORKSHOP, YOUR DIRECTION WAS TO PLACE THE MARTIN FAMILY PARK ON THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON MASTER FEE SCHEDULE IN FISCAL YEAR 21 AND MAKE IT A RENTAL PROPERTY.
SO WE HAVE INCLUDED ON THE MASTER FEE SCHEDULE AND WE HAVE A PROPOSED THE SAME FEES THAT THEY'RE IN USE FOR THE FIELD OF DREAMS, BECAUSE THAT IS THE, UH, CLOSEST, UH, PROPERTY, UH, SIMILAR TO MARTIN FAMILY PARK THAT WE HAVE.
YOU ALSO GAVE US DIRECTION TO MODIFY THE EXISTING STRICT PROHIBITION OF ALCOHOL, UH, WHICH I JUST COVERED.
UH, AND WE CHANGED THE WORDING TO REFLECT THAT, UH, ALCOHOL IS ALLOWED IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE APPROVAL OF A SPECIAL EVENTS PERMIT.
UH, YOU WANT TO JUST PUT THE PUBLIC PARK AT BUCK WALTER PLACE, MULTI-COUNTY INDUSTRIAL PARK ON THE BLUFFTON MASTER FEE SCHEDULE.
AND AGAIN, UH, THE PARK WE HAVE THAT MOST CLOSELY RESEMBLES AND FEATURES TO THAT PARK IS THE FIELD OF DREAMS. SO WE HAVE ADOPTED THE FIELD OF FIELD OF DREAMS, UH, FEE SCHEDULE, OR THAT OTHER HOUSE HOUSEKEEPING ITEMS. AS I SAID, WE HAVE CHANGED THE NAME OF PARK AT 68 BOUNDARY STREET, UH, TO MARTIN FAMILY PARK.
AND WE'RE CHANGING THE NAME OF BUCK WALTER PLAYS, VETERANS MEMORIAL PARK TO PUBLIC PARK AT BUCK WALTER PLACE.
MULTICOUNTY INDUSTRIAL PARK, UH, UPON YOUR APPROVAL OF FIRST READING, WE'LL BRING IT BACK TO YOU, UH, MOST LIKELY NEXT MONTH, UH, FOR A SECOND AND FINAL READING.
UM, AND THEN WE'RE ALSO ASKING AS PART OF THE CONSOLIDATED BUDGET REQUESTS TO CONSIDER CHANGES TO THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON MASTER FEE SCHEDULE TO ACCOMMODATE YOUR DESIRES AS INDICATED IN YOUR MARCH WORKSHOP.
UH, ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS ON THE PART OF COUNCIL? ANY QUESTIONS ON THIS? THIS IS A FIRST READING, AS LONG AS WE DON'T MAKE TOO MANY CHANGES, YOU HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY BETWEEN FIRST AND SECOND.
UM, IF YOU GET ANY INPUT FROM THE PUBLIC TO EVERYBODY, OKAY.
ANY QUESTIONS, IF NOT, IS THERE A MOVE TO APPROVE THE ORDINANCE TO AMEND THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON CODE OF ORDINANCES, CHAPTER 13, PUBLIC PROPERTY, ARTICLE TWO PUBLIC PARK DOCK AND BOAT LANDING RULES TO MODIFY THE NAMES AND RULES PERTAINING TO THE USE OF CERTAIN TOWN OPERATED PROPERTIES AS PRESENTED FOR FIRST READING THEIR SECOND, ANY DISCUSSION ALL IN FAVOR STATE BY SAYING AYE OPPOSED THAT'S UNANIMOUS.
UM, ITEM SIX, MARK IS HERE READY OF AN ORDINANCE APPROVING THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON FISCAL YEAR 2021 PROPOSED CONSOLIDATED BUDGET, FIRST READING
[02:00:02]
MEMBERS OF TOWN COUNCIL AND EVERYBODY WATCHING.UH, I DON'T HAVE ANY, UH, PHOTOS OF SCUBA DIVING TRIPS OR HALLOWEEN PICTURES.
IT WON'T BE ABLE TO SHARE THOSE, BUT, BUT I AM, I AM PLEASED TO SHARE WITH YOU OUR FISCAL YEAR 21 PROPOSED BUDGET.
I'M GOING TO SHARE MY SCREEN, UH, KICKOFF THE PRESENTATION.
UM, AND SO, UM, THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME AND, UH, THE PRIVILEGE AND HONOR TO PRESENT AND PROPOSE TO YOU FISCAL YEAR 20 ONE'S BUDGET.
UH, I'D BE REMISS TO NOT THANK TOWN COUNCIL FOR YOUR GUIDANCE TODAY.
UH, YOUR IMPACT, YOUR, YOUR, YOUR INPUT AND FEEDBACK, AS WELL AS OUR BUDGET TEAM LED BY CHRIS FORRESTER AND VICKI ISAACS AND ALL THE DEPARTMENT HEADS THAT ARE ON THE CALL AND WATCHING TONIGHT.
UM, THIS, THIS DEFINITELY WAS A VERY INTERESTING BUDGET TO WORK THROUGH.
WE HAD OUR BUDGETS SET IN FEBRUARY MORE OR LESS.
WE HAD OUR REVENUES UNDERSTOOD OUR PROPOSED EXPENDITURES, UM, IN OUR SYSTEM.
AND I WAS WORKING THROUGH THE BUDGET, UM, AND TRYING TO MAKE SOME FINAL DECISIONS ON IT SHORTLY BEFORE MANY OF US, UM, MOVED OUT OF OUR TOWN FACILITIES AND TO A REMOTE AND MOBILE LOCATION.
SO SINCE THEN WE HAVE PROVIDED ACROSS THE BOARD A SENSITIVITY ANALYSIS ON THE BUDGET, ON, ON HOW OUR DOLLARS ARE RAISED OUR REVENUES, AS WELL AS DEFINITELY OUR EXPENDITURES, WHAT THOSE DOLLARS HAVE BEEN SPENT FOR IN PAST YEARS AND WHERE THOSE TRENDS.
SO WE'VE MADE SOME DECISIONS INTERNALLY AS A TEAM, AS A, AS A TOWN MANAGER, I'M PROPOSING THOSE TO YOU TONIGHT.
UM, BUT PLEASE KNOW THAT THE THROAT, THE BUDGET, UH, WE'VE DEFINITELY, UH, HAVE DONE OUR BEST TO UNDERSTAND THE COVID-19 RESPONSE.
UM, WHERE DOES THAT LEAVE US IN REVENUES AND WHERE SHOULD THAT BRING US IN OUR EXPENDITURE PROPOSAL? AND JUST LIKE EVERY OTHER YEAR, YOU'LL SEE A LOT OF THIS SAME INFORMATION, JUST A DIFFERENT LOOK FOR 21.
I'LL SHARE WITH YOU TONIGHT REAL QUICK, WHAT WE'VE DONE WITH THE RESPONSIVENESS PLANNING FOR COVID AND WHAT THOSE ECONOMIC FACTORS ARE TELLING US.
UM, WE'VE TRIED TO COMPARE THE TWO AS WE WORK THROUGH THE BUDGET AND THEN REALLY DIVE INTO THE BUDGET GOALS, THE OVERALL CONSOLIDATED BUDGET, I'D EXPLAIN TO YOU THE, THE REVIEW PROCESS TONIGHT BEING THE FIRST KICKOFF, UH, PRESENTATION AND FIRST READING.
SO WHERE DO I GET MY INFORMATION? YOU KNOW, OF COURSE COMPARING NOTES WITH, WITH MEMBERS OF COUNCIL, AS WELL AS OTHER MANAGERS ACROSS THE REGION AND STATE AND SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES, BUT I ALWAYS LOOK AT THE INTERNATIONAL CITY COUNTY MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION PROVIDES SOME GUIDANCE AND ON THE RIGHT BEFORE STEPS FOR BUDGETING DURING A CRISIS.
IT'S INTERESTING TO TAKE A LOOK BACK AT THIS WHERE IT, YOU KNOW, STEP ONE, UNDERSTAND THE NEXT SIX TO 18 MONTHS.
SO DEFINITELY HAVE CHECKED THAT BOX, TRYING TO UNDERSTAND AS THIS FOLKS KEEP SAYING, WE'RE GOING TO, WHEN WE RETURNED TO NORMAL, I THINK THINK IS A CONSENSUS THAT I'M HEARING THAT PERHAPS WE'RE NOT RETURNING TO NORMAL.
MAYBE WE'RE GOING TO RETURN TO AN ABNORMAL, BUT AS FAST AS WE CAN, WE ARE TRYING TO RETURN BACK TO, UH, BACK TO REALITY WITH, WITH A DEEP UNDERSTANDING OF, OF HOW THIS GLOBAL PANDEMIC IS AFFECTING US HERE IN BLUFFTON AND IN SOUTH CAROLINA.
AND SO FURTHER STEPS REDUCED SPENDING, UM, W FIND NEW, FIND NEW SOURCES OF MONEY, UM, REDUCE YOUR MATERIALS AND, AND OR YOUR COSTS, YOUR CONTRACTOR COSTS COMMUNICATE AND ENGAGE.
AND THEN ALSO ONCE, ONCE YOU ALL MAKE THE DECISION IN 30 DAYS, SUPPORT, SUPPORT YOUR DECISION-MAKING.
AND SO I REALLY LIKE WHAT'S ON THE RIGHT-HAND SIDE OF SHARED THAT WITH THE SENIOR TEAM.
AND I THINK THAT WE'RE STAYING ON TRACK WITH THAT PLAYBOOK.
AND SO WHAT DOES BLUFFTON LOOK LIKE? OF COURSE, WE'RE 54 SQUARE MILES.
I'M OVER HERE ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE PAGE.
WE HAVE ABOUT 24,000, UH, FOLKS THAT WE COUNT.
UM, ESTIMATED THIS IS A GREAT TIME TO PLUG OUR CENSUS.
PLEASE FILL OUT YOUR CENSUS, PLEASE BE, UH, ON TOP OF THAT, I KNOW THAT OUR NUMBER THAT WE SERVE IS MUCH HIGHER THAN 24,000, WHERE WE THINK THAT BUFORD COUNTY UNINCORPORATED IS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF PERHAPS OF THE ROADWAY.
I THINK THAT NUMBER CLOSE TO DOUBLES IN TERMS OF OUR IMPACT.
UM, BUT JUST IN BLUFFTON ALONE, THAT IS A 28% INCREASE IN POPULATION SINCE 15, OUR MEDIAN AGE CLIMBED SLIGHTLY IT'S 37 YEARS OF AGE.
UM, AND THEN YOU CAN SEE THESE OTHER NUMBERS.
I DON'T NEED TO GO THROUGH EACH ONE OF THEM FOR TIME SAKE, BUT, BUT A 13% INCREASE IN PER CAPITA INCOME SINCE 17, UH, 19% INCREASE
[02:05:01]
IN HOUSEHOLD INCOME, A 15% INCREASE IN MEDIAN RENT AND 25% IN HOME VALUE.SO DEFINITELY TRACKING THOSE NUMBERS AND THEY AFFECT OUR BUDGET.
THEY AFFECT OUR REVENUES, BUT THEY ALSO AFFECT WHERE WE'RE FOCUSED ON OUR DOLLARS ON AS I PROPOSE BUDGETS TO YOU.
AND WHAT'S INTERESTING RIGHT NOW IS, IS WE KNOW THOSE THAT ARE BEING HIT THE HARDEST BY THE COVID 19, UH, PANDEMIC ARE OUR LARGEST LOCAL ECONOMIC DRIVERS, RIGHT? WHAT THIS DOESN'T FACTOR IN IS TOURISM AND OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES, BUT IT REALLY TELLS YOU WHERE YOUR, YOUR REVENUES ARE COMING FROM.
UM, AND HOW WILL THEY AFFECT BLUFFTON AS, AS WE LOOK AT OUR BUSINESS LICENSING, 13% ACCOMMODATIONS AND FOOD, 13% HEALTHCARE CLOSE TO 12% IN CONSTRUCTION AND 11% RETAIL.
AND SO WE CONTINUE TO BENEFIT FROM THE ONGOING ECONOMIC GROWTH.
UM, WE HAVE, WE, WE MAINTAIN OUR EXCELLENT CREDIT POSITION.
AND I'LL EXPLAIN A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT TO YOU, BUT AS WE REFINANCED, WE MAINTAIN THE AA ONE BOND RATING AND THE AA PLUS BOTH FROM MOODY'S AND STANDARD AND POOREST.
AND THAT IS I'M PLEASED TO SAY STRONGER THAN THE U S MEDIANS MEDIUM BOND RATING OF AA THREE.
AND SO WHY IS THAT? YOU CAN SEE THAT ON YOUR SCREEN RIGHT HERE, TAX BASE, A GROWING ONE, UH, VERY, VERY PRUDENT FISCAL MANAGEMENT AND STRONG FINANCIAL POSITION, SO ON, SO FORTH.
UM, AND SO AS WE DIVE INTO THE BUDGET A LITTLE MORE START TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHAT OUR BUDGET GOALS ARE.
IT OF COURSE, IS TO DELIVER TO THE COMMUNITY ON BEHALF OF TOWN COUNCIL, THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON STRATEGIC PLAN AND THOSE ACTION PLAN PRIORITIES.
WE'RE DEFINITELY A VISION AND MISSION BASED ORGANIZATION.
AND YOU CAN SEE ON THE SCREEN, UM, ALL THOSE DIFFERENT COMPONENTS OF OUR STRATEGIC PLAN, UM, FROM HOUSING TO MAY RIVER, TO FISCAL SUSTAINABILITY, UM, AND SO ON, SO FORTH.
SO SET OUT TO CONTINUE OPERATING, UH, AT A VERY LEAN, UH, LEVEL, BUT ALSO TO CONTINUE THE OPERATIONAL IMPROVEMENTS.
WE ALSO KNOW THAT OUR BUDGET NEEDS TO SUPPORT OUR CUSTOMERS AND OUR EMPLOYEES, AND THAT WE NEED TO BE INNOVATIVE, ESPECIALLY IN THIS DAY AND AGE CURRENTLY, UM, IN DOING SO WE CONTINUE TO HAVE A BUDGET GOAL, AS I PROPOSE TO YOU INVESTING IN INFRASTRUCTURE, AND THAT AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE USE OUR BUDGET AS A CATALYST, AS WE IMPLEMENT CHANGE AND IMPROVEMENT.
AND SO ARGUABLY THAT'S TRYING TO CONTINUE TO BUILD A RESILIENT BLUFF AND COMMUNITY.
SO OVERALL OUR BUDGET HAS FOUR FUNDS AND, UM, I'LL DIVE INTO A LITTLE BIT OF THIS AND I'M GOING TO GO THROUGH SOME SLIDES QUICK AND THEN SLOW DOWN DURING THE UPCOMING WORKSHOPS NEXT WEEK.
BUT WE HAVE FOUR FUNDS, THE GENERAL FUND, UM, A STORM WATER UTILITY FUND, OUR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM FUND, AND OUR DEBT SERVICE.
THOSE FOUR FUNDS MAKE UP OUR CONSOLIDATED BUDGET.
WE OPERATE THOSE FOUR FUNDS TOGETHER AS A CONSOLIDATED BUDGET, BUT WE ALSO OPERATE THEM SEPARATELY AND INDIVIDUALLY AS WE EXECUTE OPERATIONS AND PROJECTS AND WHATNOT.
AND YOU'LL SEE, ALONG THE WAY, WE DO SHARE SOME FUNDS FROM ONE ACCOUNT, REALLY ONE FUND TO THE OTHER.
SO THIS YEAR I'M PLEASED TO PRESENT TO YOU, AND YOU CAN SEE ON THE SCREEN HERE, THE FISCAL YEAR 21 PROPOSED BUDGET OF A TOTAL OF 34 MILLION, $223,867.
UM, AND THAT'S, UH, THAT'S AN 8.3% DECLINE FROM LAST YEAR.
AND YOU CAN SEE ON THE FAR RIGHT COLUMN WHERE THOSE ARE AFFECTED A 4% AND CHANGE A DIFFERENCE, BUT ALMOST AN 827,000 WHERE IT REALLY EIGHT 26, ZERO NINE NINE DECREASE IN OPERATING OUR GENERAL FUND, A STORMWATER UTILITY, A 1% INCREASE CIP, A REDUCTION OF CLOSE TO 23% AND REQUESTED FUNDS.
AND THEY'RE IN OUR DEBT SERVICE OF 13.6.
AND THAT NUMBER SEEMS ELEVATED SIMPLY BECAUSE WE'RE UTILIZING TIF DOLLARS, UM, TO PUT INTO THE CIP PROGRAM.
SO, UM, ACTUALLY IF, AND IF, IF YOU REALLY LOOK AT IT, WHAT WE'RE DOING IS, IS A 37,000,302 LAST YEAR AS APPROVED AND A 34 AND CHANGE REQUESTS THIS YEAR.
SO A DIFFERENCE OVERALL IN THE BUDGET, SOMEONE, YOU KNOW, AS FOLKS ASK, HOW DOES COVID AFFECT THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON? IT AFFECTS THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON, UM, BY 8.3.
WHERE DID THE REVENUES COME FROM? YOU SEE THAT THE MAJORITY OF OUR REVENUES ARE PROPERTY TAXES, LICENSING, AND PERMITTING AND TRANSFERS IN THOSE TRANSFERS AND ARE MANY DIFFERENT, MANY DIFFERENT PLACES, A TAX AGE TAX, STORMWATER, UTILITY
[02:10:01]
FUND BALANCE, AND SOME NEW REVENUES PROPOSED, WHICH I'LL EXPLAIN.YOU CAN SEE THOSE DOLLARS REALLY HERE, AND WE CAN DIVE INTO THIS TONIGHT IF YOU'D LIKE, BUT I'D LIKE TO SHARE THAT OUR, OUR, OUR NUMBERS ON THE SCREEN ARE, ARE VERY CONSERVATIVE AND YOU SEE THE PROPERTY TAX INCREASE, INCLUDING ALL THE GROWTH THAT'S GOING ON.
WE'RE ONLY CONTEMPLATING A 2% CHANGE LICENSE AND PERMITS.
AND THE OBVIOUS QUESTION IS, WELL, IF WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE AS BUSY, HOW IS THAT, HOW IS THAT GOING UP? UM, SO BUILDING PERMITS REDUCTION A DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT FEES AS A REDUCTION, BUT WE'VE ADDED SOME, I'VE PROPOSED AN ADDITION OF, OF SOME ADDITIONAL REVENUES THROUGH SOME PERMIT FEES FOR STORM WATER, UM, TO OFFSET THAT.
SO YOU CAN SEE THAT AND THEN ON AND ON, BUT AS YOU REALLY START GETTING INTO THE NUMBERS, UM, YOU CAN SEE THE REDUCTIONS IN GRANTS.
YOU CAN SEE THE REDUCTIONS IN INTER-GOVERNMENTAL TRANSFERS AND SERVICE REVENUES AND SO FORTH.
AND SO ALL OF THAT REALLY EQUATES TO THAT 8.3, AND YOU CAN SEE WHERE THOSE DOLLARS, UM, THAT'S JUST A DIFFERENT LOOK AT IT.
AND SO OUR EXPENDITURES, YOU SEE THAT PERSONNEL AND BENEFITS A PERCENTAGE CHANGE OF 3%.
THAT INCLUDES AN ADDITIONAL POSITION REQUESTED IN JANUARY PLUS A COUPLE OF POSITIONS, UM, GRANT DEPENDENT.
AND THEN YOU CAN SEE ACROSS THE BOARD, UH, ALMOST A 1% REDUCTION IN OPERATING.
UM, SEWER PROJECTS, ROAD PROJECTS IS GOING OUT, BUT THOSE ARE BASED ON EXISTING CIP.
AND YOU CAN SEE AGAIN, JUST A DIFFERENT LOOK AND OF EXPENDITURES.
AND SO OVERALL THE BELIEVE THE BUDGET IS BALANCED WITH CONSERVATIVE REVENUE, PROJECTIONS, AND CAREFUL EXPENDITURE REDUCTIONS.
AND I SAY THAT A BUNCH OF TIMES, AS I'M WORKING ON THE, ON THE BUDGET, A VERY CONSERVATIVE REVENUE, PROJECTION, AND A VERY CAREFUL EXPENDITURE REDUCTION.
THIS IS A BUDGET THAT THIS YEAR WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO TRACK MONTHLY.
WE CANNOT SIMPLY JUST RELY UPON THE TRADITIONAL CASH FLOWS.
WE, WE DEFINITELY NEED TO TRACK PAYMENTS AND TIMELINES AND BUSINESS LICENSE, RENEWAL DATES, AND MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE TRACKING APPROPRIATELY, UH, PROPERTY TAX MILLAGE OF COURSE REMAINS THE SAME, NO SURPRISES THERE.
UH, I HAVE PROPOSED TO UTILIZE SOME MILLAGE FROM DEBT SERVICE.
THIS YEAR AND TRANSFER TO GENERAL FUND.
AND I'LL EXPLAIN THAT, UH, WE HAVE A LEAN OPERATING BUDGET.
IT EXPANDS THE ONLY IN OPERATIONS ON EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AND PUBLIC SAFETY.
AND SO HOLDING STEADY EVERYWHERE ELSE.
I DO BELIEVE WE ALL, AS A STAFF ARE DOING MORE, BUT, BUT ASKING FOR DOLLARS, THE EXPANSION IS EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AND PUBLIC SAFETY.
AND OF COURSE THE BUDGET CONTINUES TO INVEST IN PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE OF PROPOSED THREE DIFFERENT NEW SOURCES OF FUNDING.
UM, SO NEW REVENUE, A STORMWATER PLAN REVIEW AND INSPECTION FEE, UM, IN THE STORM WATER FUND.
AND SO THAT'S DIRECTLY INTO THE STORM WATER FUND WITH A LITTLE BIT OF DOLLARS TRANSFERRED OUT FOR OPERATING.
IT ALSO PROPOSES AN INCREASE TO THE STORM WATER UTILITY FEET, AND IT ALSO PROPOSES A VEHICLE TAG FEE OF $25 PER VEHICLE THAT WOULD GO DIRECTLY INTO THE GENERAL FUND.
AND WE WOULD USE THAT TO OFFSET OUR COSTS FOR MAINTENANCE OF RIGHT OF WAYS, LIGHTING TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT, UH, INCLUDING THE LRT TA REQUEST, UH, THIS BUDGET OF COURSE SUCCEEDS THE ESSENTIAL LEVELS OF FUND BALANCE RESERVES, THE 15% EMERGENCY RESERVE AND THE 25% ON ASSIGNED RESERVE AND A GREATLY EXCEEDS THOSE DOLLARS, UM, IN THOSE PERCENTAGES.
AND IT'S SUPPORTIVE OF THE STRATEGIC INTER-AGENCY PARTNERSHIPS.
AND SO FOR ALL OF THOSE THAT YOU SEE ON THE PAGE HERE FROM PALMETTO BREEZE, THE SOLICITOR OR PUBLIC DEFENDER, THE U S CB PROGRAMS THROUGH OUR AMBASSADOR AND WATER QUALITY LAB, TWO DIFFERENT PROGRAMS AND CONTRACTS AND ALL THE WAY DOWN, UM, THIS, THIS BUDGET FULLY FUNDS, THOSE REQUESTS AND THE BUSINESS THAT WE HAVE TRADITIONALLY KEPT.
UM, AND IT ALSO INCLUDED THE, UH, ANNUAL ACCOMMODATIONS TAX REQUESTS THAT YOU'VE, THAT YOU'VE ADDRESSED AND REVIEWED TONIGHT WITH OUR BHPS WELCOME CENTER, AS WELL AS OUR DMO, OUR DESTINATION MARKETING ORGANIZATION.
AND SO DIVING INTO GENERAL FUND, HOW ARE WE USING IT? IT'S DEFINITELY OUR OPERATING ACCOUNT.
YOU CAN SEE THAT THE VALUE OF A MIL IS ANTICIPATED TO ALMOST BE $250,000 THIS YEAR, $249,071.
AND YOU SEE THAT THE MILLAGE WHILE THE OVERALL REMAINS THE SAME,
[02:15:01]
THE GENERAL FUND MILL RATE MOVES FROM 35.3 TO 36.8.AND THE DEBT SERVICE MILL DROPS FROM 3.2 TO 1.7 AS A PROPOSED BUDGET.
YOU SEE THE STRENGTH OF THE MILL OVER TIME.
IT'S, IT'S SUCH A GREAT GRAPH.
IT REALLY EXPLAINS WHERE WE'VE BEEN SINCE 2013, BUT OUR MILL VALUE HAS INCREASED BY ABOUT A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS, UM, PER MILL IN, IN, UH, YOU KNOW, IN SEVEN YEARS, OUR GENERAL FUND REVENUES ARE JUST A SMALLER SAMPLING OF THE REVENUES THAT I SHOWED YOU FOR CONSOLIDATED, BUT OPERATING MONEY, OPERATING DOLLARS, TRADITIONALLY MOSTLY COMES FROM LICENSING AND PERMITTING, UM, AS WELL AS PROPERTY TAXES, 49.2% AND 33.7% RESPECTIVELY, AND THEN, UH, UH, VARIOUS PERCENTAGE OF BREAKDOWN OF OTHERS, DIFFERENT WAY TO LOOK AT IT.
BUT OVERALL IT'S SHOWING THAT GENERAL FUND IS A DECREASE OF 4.1%, UM, OVERALL, AND YOU CAN, YOU CAN SEE WHERE THOSE REVENUES ARE, ARE BEING GENERATED, PROPERTY TAXES, LICENSING GRANTS, AND OUR GOVERNMENTAL AND SO ON AND SO FORTH.
UM, I WANNA MAKE SURE, I, I, I, I HIT PAUSE FOR A SECOND, SLOW DOWN TO EXPLAIN THIS.
AND SO WHAT WE'RE SEEING IN THE YELLOW LINE WHERE MY MOUSE IS MOVING OVER OUR ACTUAL REVENUES THROUGHOUT THE YEARS.
SO FROM 17 TO 18 AND 18 TO 19, WE SIMPLY TRACKED OUR ACTUAL REVENUE GENERATION OVERALL IN GENERAL FUND IN, IN THE DOWNWARD DECLINE, OR I SHOULD SAY IN THE UPWARD INCLINE IS WHERE WE PROJECTED IN FEBRUARY PRIOR TO THE COVID-19, UH, CRISIS AND PANDEMIC, WHERE WE WERE PROJECTING OUR REVENUES TO BE.
AND SO ALL OF THESE REVENUES THAT I SHOWED YOU, PROPERTY TAXES, LICENSING, AND PERMITS, WE PROJECTED THOSE TO CONTINUE TO INCREASE BASED UPON OUR VERY CONSERVATIVE AND I THINK VERY REALISTIC REVENUE PROJECTIONS.
WE KNEW THAT WE WERE GOING TO BE IMPACTED DOWN WHERE YOU SEE THIS PURPLE LINE AND THAT PURPLE LINE IS A, IS A GREAT RATE OF REDUCTION DOWN, YOU KNOW, CLOSE TO $3 MILLION DIFFERENCE $2.8 MILLION DIFFERENTIAL FROM WHERE WE WERE, WHERE WE WERE TRYING TO TRACK.
SO, SO HOW DO WE MAKE UP THAT DIFFERENCE? WELL, WE MAKE UP THAT DIFFERENCE BY REDUCING COSTS AND INCREASING SOME REVENUES.
AND SO THAT'S THE, THAT'S THE BIG PICTURE LOOK OF GENERAL FUND BUDGET TONIGHT.
SO YOU SEE ON THE RIGHT SIDE COST REDUCTION PROPOSALS, NO MERIT INCREASES WHATSOEVER FOR STAFF IS WHAT'S BEING PROPOSED AND ON THE TABLE.
AND AGAIN, UM, I, I APPRECIATE THE STAFF.
I, I ADMIRE THOSE FOLKS THAT I'M, THAT I'M HAVING THE HONOR OF WORKING WITH AND, AND, AND WORKING FOR YOU, BUT AS A SENSITIVITY THROUGH A SENSITIVITY ASSESSMENT IN THE BUDGET, AND SOME CONVERSATIONS WITH, WITH A LOT OF MY TRUSTED, UH, DEPARTMENT HEADS WERE PROPOSING A ZERO MERIT INCREASE THIS YEAR.
AND SO NO COST OF LIVING INDEFINITELY, NO MERIT, I'VE FROZEN A COUPLE OF OPEN POSITIONS.
AND SO THE POSITION YOU ASKED ABOUT EARLIER FOR HISTORIC PRESERVATION, SENIOR PLANNER, UM, UH, AS WELL AS ANOTHER POSITION TO SLIPPED MY MIND, BUT, BUT A COUPLE OF FROZEN POSITIONS.
AND SO WHAT I'M INTENDING TO DO IS LEAVE THE FTES ON THE TABLE, BUT COME BACK TO YOU IN JANUARY OR BEYOND AND DISCUSS REVENUES WITH YOU.
AND IF REVENUE SUPPORT IT TO SIMPLY ADD THOSE POSITIONS BACK TO THE WORKFORCE, UM, I'VE FROZEN IN AND OUT OF STATE TRAVEL.
UM, WE CAN ALL ACCOMPLISH OUR CONTINUING EDUCATION AND, AND WE CAN CONTINUE TO INVEST IN OUR EMPLOYEES ONLINE.
AND SO I KNOW THAT MY 40 OR SO HOURS THAT ARE NEEDED FOR MY CREDENTIALED MANAGER THIS YEAR, I CAN TAKE SEVERAL WEBINARS INCLUDING THROUGH ICMI INTERNATIONAL CITY MANAGER TO ACCOMPLISH THAT.
AND SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING IN THE BUDGET FOR ALL OF STAFF AND THEN NO NEWER REPLACEMENT VEHICLES WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE GRANT POSITION.
SO REVENUE ENHANCEMENTS, THE $25 TAG FEE SHIFTING DEBT SERVICE, PARTIAL USE OF SOME FUND BALANCES AND TRANSFERRING OF SOME DOLLARS FROM STORMWATER, ESPECIALLY WITH SOME STORMWATER REVENUE ENHANCEMENTS MAKES UP THE DIFFERENCE, BUT OUR BUDGET IS HIT BY 1.9% OFFSET BY THE 9.9 MILLION, UM, REVENUE ENHANCEMENT.
YOU CAN SEE REVENUE TRENDS OVER TIME.
YOU SEE REAL PROPERTY TAX BUSINESS LICENSE.
THESE ARE MAJOR FUNDS IN GENERAL FUND, BUT YOU CAN SEE THAT, YOU KNOW, THE FYI 20 ESTIMATE VERSUS THE 21 PROJECTED PROPERTY
[02:20:01]
TAX WILL INCREASE BUSINESS LICENSE AND DECREASE.UM, MAS SEE INSURANCE TAX AT 2.3 IS ALMOST FLAT A LITTLE BIT, UH, SAME WITH FRANCHISE FEES PROJECTED AS FLAT AND PERMITS GOING DOWN A LITTLE BIT, BUT KEEP IN MIND, PERMITS WOULD GO DOWN A WHOLE BUNCH.
IF WE WEREN'T RECOMMENDING SOME NEW PERMIT NUMBERS AND YOU SEE THE DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT FEES AS WELL, DIFFERENT WAY TO LOOK AT IT, UM, BUDGET EXPENDITURES ACROSS THE GENERAL FUND, MOSTLY FOR SALARIES AND OPERATING AND BENEFITS.
AND YOU CAN SEE THAT THE SALARIES OPERATING AND BENEFITS IS LISTED ON THIS TABLE, UH, RIGHT HERE.
AND SO GENERAL FUND HIGHLIGHTS.
I WON'T REPEAT WHAT I'VE ALREADY SAID, LIKE THE FIRST FEW POINTS, UH, TELL YOU THAT, UM, WHAT I'VE MENTIONED IN THAT EARLIER SLIDE, WE'VE ALSO CONTINUED TO ALLOW THE PTO PAYOUT OF 25 HOURS FOR EMPLOYEE CARRYING A 40 HOUR BALANCE.
THAT'S ALWAYS A NICE, UH, BENEFIT TO AN EMPLOYEE, UM, AT, IN AND AROUND, UH, CHRISTMAS.
AND SO WE WE'VE PROVIDED THAT PRIOR TO CHRISTMAS, WE'VE PAID FOR THE EMPLOYEE PORTION BENEFIT FOR RETIREMENT AND HEALTH INSURANCE AT A ONE IN 5% INCREASE.
AND THEN AGAIN, THIS PROPOSES THREE FULL-TIME POSITIONS, A FULL-TIME NON-STOP EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT DIRECTOR, UM, PROPOSING THAT POSITION IN THE BUDGET.
UM, IT WOULD RELIEVE A CAPTAIN IN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT FROM THAT, FROM THAT DUTY.
UM, PLEASE KNOW THAT OUR CAPTAIN ISN'T WORKING IN EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT FULL TIME, UH, THE WAY I, THE WAY I BELIEVE, ESPECIALLY NOW WITH THE PANDEMIC AND HAVING BEEN THROUGH A FEW HURRICANES AND EVACUATIONS AND RECOVERY OPERATIONS THAT, THAT, I THINK IT'S TIME THAT THIS TOWN HAVE A FULL-TIME EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT DIRECTOR, AND I'VE ALSO PUT IN THE BUDGET TO TRAFFIC POLICE OFFICERS, BUT THOSE ARE DEPENDENT ON A GRANT.
AND SO WE APPLIED FOR A GRANT WE SHOULD KNOW IN OCTOBER WHETHER WE SEE WE RECEIVE IT OR NOT.
UM, BUT IT, BUT AGAIN, IF WE WOULDN'T RECEIVE THAT GRANT, THOSE POSITIONS FOR THE TRAFFIC OFFICERS WOULD, WOULD GO AWAY, UH, PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT.
I MENTIONED EMPLOYEE CLASS IN COMP STUDY PER YOUR STRAP PLAN, THE WASTE MANAGEMENT CONTRACT THAT'S ON CONSENT AGENDA TONIGHT, UM, WHICH IS AN INCREASE IN SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN AN EXPENDITURE.
UH, IT INCLUDES ALSO THE REFORESTATION PLAN INSTALLATION PHASE ONE, I BELIEVE THERE'S $40,000 A YEAR MARKED FOR THAT.
AND THEN IT SUPPORTS OUR DON RYAN CENTER FOR INNOVATION.
AND I ADDED IN HERE, YOU KNOW, TRADITIONALLY, WHAT DO THEY DO? INCUBATION RETENTION, EXPANSION, COMMERCE PARK OVERSIGHT, AND LEADERSHIP.
BUT I ADDED THIS YEAR, THE SMALL BUSINESS RESILIENCY PLAN, UM, TO RESPOND TO COVID-19 AS YOU ALL ADOPTED, UM, A FEW WEEKS AGO, IT, THEN THE GENERAL FUND SIMPLY SUPPORTS OUR EXISTING PROGRAMS. IT MAINTAINS ALL OF THOSE GREAT PROGRAMS UNDER CHIEF CHAPMAN'S LEADERSHIP, THAT CANINE UNIT THAT THE TASK FORCE IS LET'S SEE, 43, THE SORROWS, ALL OF THOSE, IT ALSO PUTS IN THE BUDGET $150,000 IN YEAR ONE OF TWO FISCAL YEAR 21 AND 22 ARE THE YEARS THAT WE WOULD OVERHAUL TRULY OVERHAUL OUR COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
AND SO THIS BUDGET IS TOUGH AS THIS YEAR WAS, UM, UH, TO SUPPORT HEATHER AND THE COMP PLAN AND THE OVERALL, UH, EFFORT IN THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON.
THERE'S 150,000 FOR THAT, IT CONTINUES TO MAINTAIN AND SUPPORT THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING INITIATIVE.
IT ADDS AND PROPOSES A NEW DANGEROUS TREE REMOVAL PROGRAM.
IT ADDS A DANGEROUS TREE REMOVAL PROGRAM.
AND THAT WAS A RECOMMENDATION IN MY BUDGET DISCUSSIONS WITH A COUNCIL MEMBER TO ADD THAT $10,000.
SO I PROPOSED TO HERE, THE DOLLARS ARE AVAILABLE.
IT'S NOT BLEEDING THE EXISTING PROGRAM, BUT ENHANCING AND INCREASING WHAT WE'RE CURRENTLY DOING.
UM, AND THEN ALSO IT SUPPORTS THE BEAUTIFICATION COMMITTEE PLAN.
AND SO THAT'S EVERYTHING FOR OPERATING STORMWATER UTILITY, UH, REALLY IS, IS, IS IT COUNTS FOR AND REPORTS THE FINANCIAL RESOURCE FOR ALL STORMWATER RELATED MATTERS.
THE OVERARCHING GOAL, AS WE KNOW, IS TO SUSTAIN THE WATER QUALITY AND IMPROVE THE WATER QUALITY OF THE MAY RIVER AND ALL WATERSHEDS AND THE PRIMARY SOURCE OF REVENUE, OUR STORMWATER UTILITY FEES.
WE'VE TALKED A LOT ABOUT THOSE, THAT STRATEGIC PLAN AND OUR CURRENT SINGLE FAMILY UNIT BASED RATE.
SO THE BASE FEE THAT WAS ESTABLISHED IN 2008, ABOUT 12 YEARS AGO, OR 12 YEARS AGO IS $98.
AND SO PRE COVID POST COVID PRE COVID MAY RIVER WATERSHED ACTION PLAN, UM, MADE A RECOMMENDATION TO INCREASE THE $98 TO $150.
[02:25:01]
CHANGING THAT THAT RATE WAS TO OF COURSE, GENERATE A SURPLUS REVENUE THAT WOULD ALLOW US TO BUILD OUR STORMWATER PROJECTS, OUR SEWER PROJECTS, PUBLIC SEWER, LATERAL CONNECTION, UM, THROUGH GRANTS, AND ALSO THE, THE WATER QUALITY RESTORATION PROJECTS THAT WE'RE NOT YET GETTING TO.IT WOULD, IT WOULD ALLOW A SURPLUS OF REVENUE SO THAT WE COULD SOURCE A PUBLIC BOND AND BUILD THOSE PROJECTS AT A MUCH FASTER RATE.
AND SO THAT WAY, PAC COMMITTEE WATERSHED ACTION PLAN COMMITTEE, AND ON FEBRUARY 27TH MADE THE RECOMMENDATION TO INCREASE TO ABOUT 150 AS I STARTED TO LOOK AT THE BUDGET AND SPEAK WITH COUNCIL AND SPEAK WITH STAFF, AND JUST THINK, YOU KNOW, THROUGH MY OWN THOUGHTS, THE $150 FROM 98 WOULD BE A DRASTIC, A DRASTIC CHANGE TO A SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENT OR A COMMERCIAL BUSINESS.
AND SO WHAT I'M PROPOSING IN THE BUDGET IS NOT THE 150 AS RECOMMENDED AT WEIGHT PACK A FEW MONTHS AGO, BUT INSTEAD OF $98 TO $115 CHANGE, AND YOU CAN SEE THAT, THAT CHANGE HERE.
I'VE ALSO SUGGESTING THAT WE IMPLEMENT A NATIONAL POLLUTANT DISCHARGE ELIMINATION SYSTEM, THE NPDS FEE FOR STORMWATER PLAN REVIEWS AND INSPECTIONS.
AND SO THIS IS ALLOWING OUR TIME AND STORMWATER AND PLANNING THEIR TIME ON THIS EXTRA PERMIT THAT WE HAVE IN PLACE AND THE EXTRA REVIEW RESPONSIBILITIES AND REPORTING MECHANISMS TO BE PAID FOR BY THE APPLICANT.
AND SO THEN I'VE ALSO RECOMMENDED THAT IF THOSE TWO ITEMS CAN BE ADOPTED IN THE BUDGET, WE ARE WELL-ESTABLISHED AND POSITIONED, UH, TO ISSUE A $5 MILLION BOND FOR STORMWATER CAPITAL PROJECTS.
AND SO HOW DOES THIS AFFECT DIFFERENT, UH, DIFFERENT PROPERTIES? AND SO YOU CAN SEE THE DIFFERENT TIERS.
AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO JUST SLOW DOWN FOR A SECOND AND SHOW YOU HOW THE $98 TO $115 RECOMMENDATION AFFECTS A HOME.
AND WE CAN USE A COUPLE OF CASE STUDIES.
I DON'T CARE WHAT WE USE ON HERE, BUT LESS THAN 2,500 SQUARE FEET.
AND AGAIN, THESE ARE BASED UPON PERVIOUS AND IMPERVIOUS RATIOS.
AND SO THIS ISN'T, IT DOESN'T HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH VALUE OF HOME, UH, PROPERTY TAX CLASS.
IT SIMPLY HAS TO DO WITH THE PERVIOUS NEWNESS AND, AND THE SUBSEQUENT IMPERVIOUSNESS OF YOUR SITE.
WE HAVE THIS IN PLACE THROUGH BEAVER COUNTY.
WE HAVE AN OPERATING AGREEMENT IN PLACE AND A JOINT ORDINANCE THAT WAS ADOPTED REGIONALLY.
AND SO YOU CAN SEE A TIER ONE LESS THAN 2,500 SQUARE FEET.
THE DIFFERENTIAL BETWEEN 58, 50 AND 72 50 IS $14.
AND SO THIS WOULD AFFECT A SINGLE FAMILY UNIT LESS THAN 25, 21 SQUARE FEET BY $14.
AND IT WOULD AFFECT THE MOBILE HOME.
AND THAT'S WHERE THE SENSITIVITY FACTOR COMES FOR ME.
A VERY IMPORTANT LOOK AT THIS IS HOW IS THIS AFFECTING THOSE, THOSE FOLKS THAT, THAT, THAT WILL STRUGGLE TO PAY FOR INCREASED FEES TO GENERATE OUR REVENUES.
AND SO A MOBILE HOME BASED ON, ON THIS PROPERTY DESCRIPTION AND RATE WOULD BE AFFECTED BY $13.
SO WHERE ARE WE IN THE REGION? YOU FOR COUNTIES AT A HUNDRED CITY OF BUFORD SAT 135 PORT ROYALS AT 60 HILTON HEADS AT 150, AND WE'VE BEEN AT 98 FOR, FOR SOME TIME.
AND SO WHILE NOT RECOMMENDING TO BRING IT ALL THE WAY UP TO 150, UM, I'M DEFINITELY, UH, MAKING A RECOMMENDATION TO GENERATE SOME ADDITIONAL STORM WATER REVENUES FOR THOSE PURPOSES, I'VE OUTLINED AND IDENTIFIED.
WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE ON A TAX BILL? I ALWAYS LIKE TO SHOW THIS, IT SIMPLY SHOWS AN ADDITIONAL ANNUAL CHANGE, AND I BASED THIS ON A MEDIAN HOME VALUE, UM, WHICH IS OUR, OUR TOWN OF BLUFFTON MEDIAN HOME VALUE, BUT BASED UPON A TIER TWO, WHICH IS 25, 22 TO 72 65 SQUARE FEET.
SO THAT'S THAT 2,500 SQUARE FOOT AND UP, UM, UP TO, AND IT WOULD AFFECT THOSE HOMEOWNERS TAX BILL BY $17.
THE NPDS PLAN REVIEW PETE FEE, YOU CAN SEE THE RED, THE RED ON HERE IS THAT WE'VE NEVER HAD A FEE IN PLACE.
AND SO I CAN'T COMPARE WHAT WE'VE DONE, WHAT, WHAT IT CURRENTLY IS AND COMPARE THE REVENUE GENERATED OVER TIME.
WE HAVE NOT HAD THIS PLAN REVIEW FEE IN PLACE.
WE HAVE NOT, UM, HAD A LOT OF THESE RESPONSIBILITIES AND THESE EXTRA EFFORTS THAT WE'RE, THAT WE'RE FOCUSED ON THE WAY WE DO TODAY, BUT YOU CAN SEE ON THIS SLIDE AND I WON'T GO THROUGH IT, BUT YOU CAN SEE AS AN EXAMPLE, UM, WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING IS VERY SIMILAR TO THE CITY OF CHARLESTON'S
[02:30:02]
AND P D E S PLAN REVIEW AND INSPECTION FEE, OUR STORMWATER UTILITY FEES MAKE UP MOST OF THOSE DOLLARS THIS YEAR, THE NPDS FEE WOULD GENERATE CLOSE TO 18% OF THOSE DOLLARS.AND SO HERE'S WHERE THIS STARTS, UM, FOR ME BECOMING INTERESTING, BUT, BUT TWO, I WOULD LIKE TO POINT OUT TO COUNCIL LAST YEAR IN FISCAL YEAR 20, THIS THE $98 RATE GENERATED 1.3, ALMOST $1.4 MILLION OF REVENUE.
WE HAD $65,000 OF A GRANT AND WE USED FUND BALANCE $576,000 IN CHANGE OF THE STORM WATER UTILITY FUND FUND BALANCE.
AND SO OF COURSE WE CAN'T ALWAYS KEEP USING THAT FUND BALANCE TO GENERATE REVENUE.
UM, WE'LL, WE'LL SOON RUN OUT OF THE FUND, BUT YOU CAN SEE THIS YEAR THAT WITH THE CHANGE OF RATE, WE INCREASE OUR REVENUES BY 21.5%.
AND SO FROM 1.381 TO 1.6, SEVEN EIGHT, AND YOU CAN SEE THAT IT'S ALMOST, YOU KNOW, REALLY, UH, ALMOST A $300,000, UH, IMPACT POSITIVE IMPACT TO OUR BUDGET.
AND THEN THE NPD ESV GENERATES AN EXTRA 365 IN OUR BUDGET.
AND SO YOU CAN SEE THAT THIS YEAR COMPARED TO LAST, WE'RE USING ALMOST THE SAME AMOUNT OF MONEY, BUT WHAT WE'RE NOT RELYING UPON AS GRANT, AND WE'RE NOT RELYING UPON FUND BALANCE TO ACHIEVE THAT.
IT, IT MAKES OUR STRENGTH OF REVENUE AND THEREFORE OUR POSITION FOR THE PUBLIC BOND, MUCH STRONGER.
AND IT'S JUST MORE OR LESS THE SAME INFORMATION.
UM, THE, THE BUDGET HIGHLIGHTS, AND I CAN GO INTO THIS A LITTLE MORE IN THE WORKSHOP, UH, BUT WHAT ARE THOSE DOLLARS PAYING FOR AND SUPPORTING, UM, DEFINITELY SUPPORTING THE U S CB WATER QUALITY CONTRACT AND RELATIONSHIP PARTNERSHIP, UH, DITCH MAINTENANCE, UM, AND DRAINAGE MAINTENANCE, AND THE TOWN IN CONJUNCTION WITH DOD IN BUFORD COUNTY.
I KNOW THAT WE HAVE A NEW EMPLOYEE THAT EMPLOYEE REVENUE OR THAT EMPLOYEES, UM, SALARY IS GENERATED OUT OF STORMWATER.
AND I KNOW THEY'VE BEEN HARD AT WORK, KIM JONES, AND I TALKED THIS WEEK AND SHE LET ME KNOW THAT THEY WERE OUT WALKING BUCK ISLAND, SIMMONS, BILL WORKING WITH PRIVATE PROPERTY OWNERS AND WHATNOT.
SO THIS BUDGET ALL SUPPORTS THOSE INITIATIVES.
UM, IT SUPPORTS A WATER QUANTITY MODEL, AND IT ALSO PROVIDES A REPLACEMENT VEHICLE FOR WATERSHED MANAGEMENT, BUT TRULY IS COMING OUT OF STORM WATER.
THEN I KNOW I MENTIONED NO VEHICLES, BUT THAT WAS GENERAL FUND, BUT IT, IT, THE VEHICLE I'M TRYING TO SAY IS IN THE SHOP WAY MORE THAN IT'S ON THE ROAD.
AND I KNOW OUR STAFF, UM, HAS REQUESTED THAT, AND I SUPPORTED THAT REQUEST IN THIS BUDGET.
AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, OR AS IMPORTANT, THERE'S NOTHING MORE IMPORTANT THAN WHAT WE SEE ON OUR SCREEN RIGHT HERE.
THE STORMWATER FUND BUDGET SUPPORTS ALL OF THESE PROJECTS.
AND SO THE ASTERIX, THE RED ASTRIX, WHICH IS A PENDING BOND AUTHORIZATION PUTS US IN A POSITION TO, FOR THE MOST PART PLUS OR MINUS SOME OUTLIER PROPERTIES TO HAVE 100% OF BLUFFTON RESIDENT, 100% ON PUBLIC SEWER WITHIN A COUPLE OF FISCAL YEARS, FISCAL YEAR 21 INCLUDED.
AND SO I KNOW BRIAN IS WORKING ON BRIAN MCELWEE.
OUR HEAD ENGINEER, DIRECTOR OF ENGINEERING IS WORKING ON AN ASSESSMENT TO SHOW ME THOSE PROPERTIES THAT ARE THOSE OUTLIERS OUTSIDE OF, OUTSIDE OF THESE PHASES RIGHT HERE, SO THAT WE CAN PUT UP A SCHEDULE, UH, AND, AND, UH, IN A BUDGET TOGETHER TO TRULY UNDERSTAND WHAT A HUNDRED PERCENT OF BLUFFTON WOULD BE ON PUBLIC SEWER CIP.
AND WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A CIP WORKSHOP IN A WEEK.
AND SO PLEASE KNOW THAT THE BIGGER PICTURE TONIGHT AT FIRST READING IS THAT CAPITAL PROJECT FUND IS MOST, YOU KNOW, ANY CATEGORY MORE THAN $5,000 WITH THE EXCEPTION OF ROADS, BUILDINGS, AND SOFTWARE FOR COMPUTERS, AND OVER 50, MOST OF SOURCES OF REVENUE IN SEATTLE PR STATE AND FEDERAL GRANTS, WHICH WILL BE IMPACTED HOSPITALITY, TAXES, STORMWATER FEES, UM, ACCOMMODATIONS, TAX FEES, AND OTHER RESTRICTED REVENUES FOR CAP PROJECTS.
AND SO WHERE DOES OUR MONEY COME FROM? THE PROPOSED BUDGET OF 9.185407 INCLUDES THAT THAT $900.2 MILLION APPROXIMATE INCLUDES WHATEVER DOLLARS THAT WE DON'T COMPLETE THIS YEAR.
SO PLEASE KNOW THAT THE FISCAL YEAR $20 LOTS WILL BE COMPLETE, BUT WHAT ROLLS OVER REALLY OUT OF THAT 9.185 IS A 4.3 MILLION
[02:35:02]
CARRY OVER AND NEW MONEY, A 4.9.AND THOSE DOLLARS WHETHER NEW OR CARRY FORWARD ARE CLEARLY IDENTIFIED ON THE, ON THE PAGE.
AND YOU SEE THAT WE, WE ACQUIRE A LOT OF DOLLARS FROM TIFF GRANTS.
UM, PENDING BOND IS IN THIS NUMBER, THE SEVEN OH EIGHT STORMWATER FUND AND HOSPITALITY TAX.
AND THEN WE'RE ALSO PROPOSING TO USE SOME CIP FUND BALANCE THAT HAS BEEN SAVED FOR THESE, THESE TYPES OF PROJECTS.
AND SO WHERE ARE THOSE DOLLARS PLANNED? AND THIS SHOULDN'T COME TO A SURPRISE, COME AS A SURPRISE.
THIS INFORMATION IS NO DIFFERENT THAN WHAT WE'VE WORKED ON IN STRATEGIC PLAN IS JUST PUTTING SOME DOLLAR SIGNS TO IT.
BUT THE MAJORITY OF OUR PROJECTS ARE SEWER ROADS FACILITIES, AND THEN, AND THEN HOUSING OUR HOUSING PROJECT.
UM, WE'RE EXCITED TO GET ON WITH THAT.
YOU SEE AN 840, ALMOST ALMOST $842,000 HOUSING ACCOUNT THERE.
AND THEN YOU CAN SEE THOSE DOLLARS.
THIS IS SO MUCH EASIER TO SHOW ON A SCREEN INSTEAD OF SHOWING UP AT COUNCIL AND REALIZING MY SLIDES TOO SMALL FOR EVERYBODY TO SEE, YOU CAN SEE THAT THE TOTAL FISCAL YEAR 21 PROJECT IS 9.185.
SO THAT I'M CLEAR ON ALL THESE PROJECTS.
IT'S ALWAYS BEEN A, BEEN A CHALLENGE IN, IN THE BUDGET TO REALLY HIGHLIGHT AND, AND DO MY, DO MY BEST TO EXPLAIN THE SCOPE OF THE PROJECT.
SO THIS YEAR I BROKE IT DOWN TO SIMPLY SHOW YOU ALL OF OUR CAPITAL PROJECTS, WHETHER THEY'RE EXISTING PROJECTS, ALL OF THEM, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF BOUNDARY STREET STREETSCAPE, WHICH IS A NEW PROJECT.
AND SO THAT IT'S NOT MISLEADING.
I WANT TO MAKE SURE I SHOW YOU ALL WHERE OUR DOLLARS ARE BEING PROPOSED IN FISCAL YEAR 21.
SO THE LIFE CYCLE OF A CONSTRUCTION PROJECT IS DESIGN PERMIT CONSTRUCTION, RIGHT? MORE OR LESS BROKEN DOWN THAT WAY.
AND SO I WANT TO SHOW YOU THAT THOSE PROJECTS THAT WILL BE LIVE IN 21 SHOW UP ON THIS SLIDE, BUCK ISLAND, PHASE FIVE, LEC, UH, UH, OUTSIDE THEIR DOORS, GETTING READY FOR THOSE, YOU KNOW, FOR A SERVICE YARD, AS WELL AS PLANNING THE OTHER SIDE OF THE SERVICE YARD, AS WELL AS WE TRY TO RECRUIT MORE, UH, MORE ASSETS TO, TO OUR COMMERCE PARK ON OUR TOWN OWNED LAND, GO WITH THESE SCHULTZ PHASE TWO CALHOUN STREET, DOC OSCAR FRAZIER PARK, RIGHT FAMILY.
AND YOU CAN SEE THOSE COMMUNITIES, SAFETY CAMERAS, TOWN HALL IMPROVEMENTS, AND RESIDUAL DOLLARS THERE.
AND THEN WATERSHED MANAGEMENT BUILDING.
WE HAVE SOME ISSUES WITH SOME WATER DAMAGE AND SOME IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED THERE.
SO YOU CAN SEE WHAT'S UNDER CONSTRUCTION.
YOU CAN SEE WHAT CENTERED DESIGN PERMITTING AND CONSTRUCTION.
SO THESE PROJECTS WILL COME OUT OF THE GATE ALREADY LIVE IN FISCAL YEAR 21.
THESE PROJECTS WE'LL BE STARTING THE DESIGN PERMITTING CONSTRUCTION.
I THINK WE CAN START SOME DESIGN ON THESE EARLY, YOU KNOW, LATE THIS YEAR, BUT MAJORITY NEXT, AND THEN CONSTRUCTING, STARTING CONSTRUCTION NEXT.
AND THEN YOU CAN SEE WHERE THE DESIGN AND PERMITTING CAUSE THESE PROJECTS TO SIMPLY GET THESE PROJECTS SHOVEL READY.
AND SO ALL OF THESE ARE UNDER CONSTRUCTION AT SOME POINT IN 21.
AND THESE PROJECTS BEING SHOVEL-READY THROUGH THE DESIGN, WHICH WOULD INCLUDE CIVIL, ANY AGENCY PERMITTING, AND REALLY GETTING THEM READY TO LOOK FOR SOME GRANTS AND, OR FUND THEM IN A FUTURE FISCAL YEAR.
AND YOU CAN SEE ON THEIR CALHOUN STREET, STRAIGHT STREETS, CAPE, I SHOULD SAY, NEW RIVERSIDE BARN, BOUNDARY STREET BRIDGE STREET, THE STREETSCAPE DESIGNS, OYSTER FACTORY PARK, GETTING THAT DESIGN FINISHED AND READY.
AND THEN ALSO THE PHASE FIVE AND SIX SEWER.
UM, THIS IS A SLOWER LOOK IT'S, UH, IT'S, IT'S NOT AS MUCH, IT'S NOT AS AN AGGRESSIVE PACE OF CONSTRUCTION BECAUSE OF COVID.
AND YOU SAW EARLIER WHERE I SHOWED YOU THOSE DOLLARS WERE AFFECTED OUR PROJECTS OVERALL, AND THEN DEBT SERVICE.
WE KNOW WE HAVE TWO SOURCES OF DEBT ONCE FOR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT ISSUED IN 2010, RECENTLY REFINANCED WITH A NET SAVINGS OF $59,000 A YEAR.
UM, AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE OUR TIF DEBT THAT WAS GENERATED IN OH FIVE AND OH SIX.
YOU CAN SEE THE PRINCIPAL AND INTEREST PAYMENTS OVER THE FISCAL YEAR, OVER THE FISCAL YEAR 21.
AND THEN YOU CAN ALSO SEE THAT WE HAVE 8.86 FOR A MILLION DOLLARS OF OUTSTANDING DEBT BETWEEN THOSE TWO, BETWEEN THOSE TWO BONDS REVENUES FOR TIF.
IT'S EASIER TO SHOW YOU HERE IS DEFINITELY OUR TIF DISTRICT IS GENERATING, UH, SO WELL FOR US, UH, PROPERTY TAXES, AS WELL AS SOME OTHER DOLLARS MUNICIPAL IMPROVEMENT DEVELOPMENT FEE AND PRIOR YEAR TIF FUND BALANCE.
[02:40:01]
AND THEN THOSE, THOSE BUDGET REVENUES REALLY GET TRANSFERRED INTO, UH, PRINCIPAL AND INTEREST PAYMENTS.SO THAT'S PAYING FOR PRINCIPAL AND INTEREST AS WELL AS TRANSFERS OUT THIS YEAR TO CIP.
AND YOU CAN SEE HERE THAT THE REVENUE GENERATED IS, IS, IS OFF 31.6% BECAUSE OF THE REFI OF THE BOND.
AND BECAUSE OF THE TRANSFER TO THE GENERAL FUND MILLAGE, WE HAVE A HEALTHY FUND BALANCE, ALL INCLUSIVE IN EXCESS OF $23 MILLION.
YOU CAN SEE THE GENERAL FUND AND SOME OF THESE DOLLARS ARE ENCUMBERED AND UNENCUMBERED FOR EMERGENCIES AND CAP PROJECTS AND DIFFERENT THINGS.
BUT I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE IMPORTANT TO YOU, ESPECIALLY THIS YEAR TO SHOW YOU AND TO SHOW THE PUBLIC THAT OUR, THAT OUR FUND BALANCE REMAINS HEALTHY AND STRONG.
AND WITH THAT, UH, WRAPPING IT UP THE CONSOLIDATED BUDGET PROPOSAL OF 34 MILLION TO 23, $867, WHICH IS AN 8.3% OVERALL DECLINE FROM LAST YEAR.
AND SO TONIGHT WE'RE AT FIRST READING, WE HAVE A FEW MORE STEPS TO GO AND A LOT MORE TIME TOGETHER.
YOU'LL SEE THAT WE'VE PROGRAMMED THE MAY 21 AND 26 WORKSHOPS, THE JUNE SIX, PUBLIC HEARING, SECOND AND FINAL READING.
AND THEN I'LL BRING FORWARD IN JULY THE STRATEGIC PLAN ACTION AGENDA AND THE REVISED AND UPDATED STRATEGIC PLAN BASED UPON WHATEVER YOU APPROVE IN THE BUDGET.
UM, AND WITH THAT, I'LL OPEN IT UP TO ANY QUESTIONS, REALLY GREAT REPORT.
I HATE WE DON'T HAVE IT IN OUR BOOK IN FRONT OF US SMART, BUT REALLY GOOD JOB.
UM, WE DO HAVE TWO WORKSHOPS IN BETWEEN, UM, JUST FOR FACEBOOK, IF THEY'RE STILL ON, WE DID MEET WITH YOU AND FINANCE TO GO THROUGH ALL OF THIS.
SO, UM, WE HAD A LOT OF QUESTIONS AT THAT TIME WHEN WE MET ONE-ON-ONE ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS, UH, MARK I'LL RUN IT DOWN.
DAN, ANYTHING, NO MATTER FRED, YOU'RE UP.
ANYTHING? NO QUESTIONS, BRIDGET.
I MEAN, LARRY, LARRY IN THE DARK.
BRIDGET, ANYTHING? NO GREAT PRESENTATION.
I DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS I HAD TO JUST TO GO BACK TO OR NOT.
ONE THING I JUST WAS, I NOTICED YOUR DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT PHASE MARK.
THEY WERE AT A MILLION, BUT ALMOST DROPPED BY HALF.
IS THAT WHAT WE'RE STARTING TO SEE THE TREND? IS THERE GOING TO BE A DAY SOON WHERE WE'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE THAT AS A SOURCE OF REAL REVENUE ON THE DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT FEES, AND YOU CAN DISCUSS IT WORKSHOP FOR NOW.
THERE'S DEFINITELY A HIT, THERE'S DEFINITELY NEGATIVE IMPACT TO DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT FEES IN THIS BUDGET.
I'M LOOKING AT MY CONSOLIDATE YEAR.
UM, IT REALLY HAS, IT REALLY HAS TO DO WITH COVID-19 AND JUST DEVELOPMENT SLOWING DOWN AND BUILDING PERMITS, SLOWING, AND THOSE ARE CONSERVATIVE REVENUES.
I DON'T THINK WE'RE ANYWHERE NEAR SEEING LESS DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT FEES OVER TIME WITH THE EXCEPTION OF SOME MAJOR IMPACT TO THE REAL ESTATE MARKETS NATIONALLY, REGIONALLY.
WELL, I JUST THOUGHT IT WAS LIKE 1,000,001.
AND THEN IT WENT BACK TO, IT WAS LIKE EIGHT SOMETHING.
AND THEN YOU PROJECTED TOP, I THOUGHT THOSE WERE STANDARD FEES.
MAYBE PART OF THE AGREEMENTS THAT WERE TO BE PAID THROUGHOUT THE TERM OF THE AGREEMENT.
YOU'RE ASKING A LOT, SOME OF THE FEES ARE AT, ARE ON AN ANNUAL BASIS, BUT I WOULD SAY THAT A LOT OF THOSE FEES, I WANT TO SAY A MAJORITY OF THE FEES ARE, ARE TIMED AT TIME OF ACTIVITY.
SO, SO THEY NEED TO BE DOING SOMETHING TO GENERATE THOSE DOLLARS.
SO LIKE NOT ALL DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENTS HAVE AN ANNUAL PAYMENT AND YOU PAY IT, YOU PAY PER STRUCTURE OR AT TIME OF SUBDIVISION DEPENDING.
AND THAT'S HOW THAT, AND THAT'S WHY THAT'S FACTOR THAT WAY.
AND THEN THE OTHER THING I JUST, SINCE WE TALKED ABOUT THIS PRESERVATION AND ALL THESE ITEMS, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT'S PART OF WHAT MAKES BLUFFTON, BLUFFTON IS THE HISTORIC SIDE.
AND I HATE TO SEE, YOU HAVE, HAVE TO PUT OWN WHOLE POSITIONS.
ARE THOSE THINGS THAT YOU COULD SEE YOU WOULD FILL AS WE GET BACK? YOU KNOW, EVEN IN THIS BUDGET YEAR OR YOU'RE JUST PUTTING THEM ON HOLD THIS WHOLE BUDGET YEAR.
AND MY UP IS, IS THERE SOME WAY TO, TO CONTRACT THAT OUT IF WE NEED IT, I JUST WOULD HATE TO SEE THAT PASSION OF PRESERVATION PUSHED ASIDE.
SO I'VE, I'VE THOUGHT I'VE THOUGHT THROUGH BOTH OF THOSE QUESTIONS.
WELL, WELL, BEFORE TODAY, SO THE, THE ANSWER TO YOUR FIRST QUESTION IS
[02:45:01]
I HAVE REQUESTED TO YOU ALL TO KEEP THAT FULL-TIME EMPLOYEE IN FISCAL YEAR 20 ONE'S BUDGET, BUT SIMPLY NOT TRY TO LOOK FOR AND APPLY SOME REVENUE TO THAT SALARY.I WANT TO COME BACK TO YOU IN JANUARY AND LET YOU KNOW HOW OUR REVENUES ARE TRACKING.
IF OUR REVENUES ARE TRACKING POSITIVELY, THEN I THINK THE MOST IMPORTANT POSITION OF THE TWO.
I REMEMBER WHAT THE SECOND ONE IS.
ONE IS A ONE IS A PLANNING AND ENGINEERING TECHNICIAN SITE INSPECTOR.
AND THE OTHER ONE IS A SENIOR PLANNER.
UM, FOR HISTORIC PRESERVATION.
THE PRESERVATIONIST IS OF THE TWO OF THE MOST IMPORTANT.
I WILL COME BACK TO YOU AT THE TIME AND SAY, MAYOR COUNCIL, OUR REVENUES ARE EXCEEDING OUR PROJECTIONS AND OUR BUDGET.
AND I THINK THROUGH A BUDGET AMENDMENT, WE SHOULD FUND THIS POSITION OR THESE POSITIONS.
I MAY EVEN ASK YOU FOR SOME ADDITIONAL OTHER EXPENDITURES AS WE GO THAT I'VE LEFT OFF THE TABLE TONIGHT.
SO THAT'S THE ANSWER TO YOUR FIRST QUESTION.
NOW I FORGET WHAT YOU ASKED ME.
IF WE HAVE TO CONTRACT SOMETHING OUT, DO YOU HAVE THAT LITTLE BIT OF FUNDING FOR CERTAIN THINGS THAT ARE GOING TO BE REALLY IMPORTANT TO A LOT OF PEOPLE? I THINK, YES.
UM, I HEARD DAN'S QUESTION ASKING HOW TO DO THAT EARLIER ABOUT BAILEY BILL.
UM, I UNDERSTOOD THE QUESTION.
WE HAVE OUTSOURCED A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING, ESPECIALLY IN PLANNING GROWTH MANAGEMENT LATELY, WE HAVE OVER THE LAST SIX TO EIGHT MONTHS, OUTSOURCED AT LEAST TWICE TO EXPERTS IN THEIR FIELD, UM, ON HISTORIC PRESERVATION ISSUES, WHETHER THAT BE A NEW APPLICATION OR A PRESERVATION OF AN EXISTING STRUCTURE, LET ALONE SOME OF THE POLICY WE'RE TRYING TO.
RIGHT? SO WE, WE HAVE SOME DOLLARS, UM, THIS YEAR AND POTENTIALLY NEXT FOR A LITTLE BIT ABOUT SOURCING, WHICH, WHICH IS WAY LESS THAN A FULL-TIME EMPLOYEE AT THIS POINT.
WE LOOK FORWARD TO THE WORKSHOP, WHICH IS MAY 21ST AND THAT'S NEXT, UM, IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS, NINE DAYS.
SO MOST LIKELY THE SAME WAY AS WE'RE DOING IT NOW.
UM, SO MORE TO COME ON THAT NEXT IS OUR CONSENT AGENDA.
LAST MONTH, FRED HAD ASKED THAT WE PULL POLICE OFF.
ARE YOU STILL WANTING THAT ALL FRED? I'M SORRY.
WE NEED A MOTION FOR THE BUDGET.
THERE'S THE FIRST, SORRY, FRED.
UM, IS THERE A MOTION TO CONSIDER THE ORDINANCE APPROVING THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON FISCAL YEAR 2021 PROPOSED CONSOLIDATED BUDGET.
YOUR SECOND, ANY DISCUSSION? YES.
I GAVE MARK ALL THE CREDIT, BUT I KNOW YOU AND YOUR STAFF DID ALL THE WORK, SO THANK YOU FOR YEAH.
CHRIS ON THE LEFT AND CHRIS ON THE RIGHT.
I GAVE HIM BREAD FOR THE WRECK COUNCILMAN HAMILTON FOR THE RECORD.
I DID GIVE CHRIS A LOT OF THAT.
A LOT OF THAT WE CAN GO BACK AND WATCH THE TAPE IF WE NEED TO.
OH, YOU'RE POINTING TO KIM ON MY SCREEN.
UM, ANY OTHER DISCUSSION, GREAT JOB TO EVERYONE, EVERYONE ALL IN FAVOR STATE BY SAYING AYE OPPOSED.
THANK YOU, MS. CHAPMAN FOR REMINDING ME OF THAT NEXT WE HAVE CONSENT AGENDA.
UM, AS I WAS SAYING, FRED, YOU STILL WANT THE POLICE PULLED OFF.
IS THERE ANYTHING OFF OF CONSENT AGENDA OTHER THAN THE POLICE REPORT? IF NOT WITH THE EXCEPTION OF CHIEF CHAPMAN'S REPORT THERE A MOTION TO PASS THESE ITEMS ON CONSENT AGENDA FOR SECOND, ANY DISCUSSION ALL IN FAVOR STATE BY SAYING AYE OPPOSED THAT'S UNANIMOUS CHIEF.
LET ME SEE IF I CAN GET THE SCREEN TO SHARE WE'RE SHARING THE RIGHT THING.
SO IF I UNDERSTAND CORRECTLY, YOU GUYS WOULD LIKE TO KIND OF SEE A SNAPSHOT OF HOW THE COVID CRISIS HAS AFFECTED US OVER THE LAST MONTH, YOU KNOW, FROM THE REPORTING STATUS CALLS FOR SERVICE AND THOSE TYPE THINGS.
THE FIRST THING I'D LIKE TO POINT OUT IN THIS FIRST SLIDE IS IF YOU'LL SEE THAT OUR CALLS FOR SERVICE LAST MONTH WERE NEARLY DOUBLED
[02:50:01]
THAT 90% INCREASE.AND THAT WAS BASED ON, UM, US DOING THE EXTRA PATROLS TO ENFORCE THE GOVERNOR'S EXECUTIVE ORDERS.
SO WE NEARLY HAD, UH, 9,500 CALLS FOR SERVICE LAST MONTH.
AND SO YOU CAN UNDERSTAND HOW THAT TAXED OUR RESOURCES AND, UH, CAMPUS FAIRLY BUSY.
UM, YOU'LL ALSO NOTICE THAT OUR, WHAT WE WOULD NORMALLY CONSIDER PROACTIVE POLICING, UH, WAS PROBABLY DOWN CONSIDERABLY.
IF YOU LOOK AT OUR TRAFFIC CITATIONS, EVERYBODY WAS WORRIED ABOUT THE EXPOSURE RATES.
SO THAT WAS A TREND ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
YOU DIDN'T SEE AS MANY TRAFFIC CITATIONS AND WE WERE, WE WERE DOWN IN THAT.
I'M NOT GOING TO TOUCH ON EVERY SLIDE.
IF THERE'S SOMETHING THAT YOU SEE IN THE REPORT THAT YOU WANT ME TO COVER, UH, BE GLAD TO, BUT WHAT I'M GOING TO TRY TO DO IS COVER THE AREAS THAT WE DEALT WITH DURING THE CRISIS THAT WE SAW AN UPTAKE IN OR CRISIS RELATED ISSUES.
AND IF ANYBODY HAS A QUESTION OF HIM, ARE YOU OKAY IF THEY STOP YOU AT THE SLOT CHIEF? YES, MA'AM HOWEVER YOU GUYS WANT TO DO IT.
UM, SO THESE ARE SOME OF OUR NORMAL CALLS FOR SERVICE THAT WE TRACK.
UM, WHAT WE WANT TO POINT OUT IS IF YOU NOTICE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CALLS, WE'VE, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THAT, UH, THEY'RE UP TREMENDOUSLY ABOUT 13%, BUT WE'RE, WE'RE TRACKING ONE TO TWO DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CALLS NEARLY EVERY DAY.
AND THEN IF YOU ADD IN WHAT OUR PARTNER, UH, PARTNERS ARE DOING, AND DO YOU FORESEE, UM, BUFORD COUNTY AND, UH, HARTSVILLE FORT ROLL, UH, WE'RE ALL SEEING A CONSIDERABLE UPTAKE IN THAT.
AND SO THAT'S A, THAT'S AN ALARMING FACTOR BECAUSE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CALLS ARE TRADITIONALLY THE MOST DANGEROUS CALLS FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS TO GO ON.
SO ANYTIME WE SEE THOSE UPTICKS, UH, THAT'S CONCERNING, THERE WAS AN OFFICER KILLED IN ANOTHER PART OF THE COUNTRY TODAY ANSWERING A DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CALL.
SO THAT'S ALWAYS CONCERNING TO US.
UH, OVERALL OUR ARRESTS THOUGH ARE CONSIDERABLY DOWN.
UH, AGAIN, THAT'S JUST BECAUSE THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF A DIFFERENT STANDARD, UH, ISSUE IN A LOT OF CITATIONS VERSUS ACTUALLY PHYSICALLY ARRESTING PEOPLE.
SO THOSE NUMBERS ARE DOWN NOW, THIS, UH, THIS TRACKS WHAT WE HAVE TO REPORT TO THE FBI EVERY YEAR FOR OUR CRIME STATS.
THIS IS, THIS IS WHERE WE ARE, WHERE IT'S DETERMINED IF WE'RE THE FIRST OR SECOND SAFEST CITY IN SOUTH CAROLINA.
SO, UH, YOU KNOW, WE GET, WE'LL GET THOSE A COUPLE OF TIMES A YEAR.
SO WE'RE PRETTY PROUD OF THAT, BUT THERE'S, THERE'S THREE OR FOUR AREAS THAT WE WANT TO POINT OUT THAT PEOPLE HAVE TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF OUR CITIZENS DURING THIS CRISIS.
UH, FORGERIES AND FRAUDS ARE UP ABOUT 90%.
SO THERE'S A LOT OF SCAMS OUT THERE.
YOU GUYS SEE THE, THE EMAILS FROM, UH, TOMMY, UH, WEEKLY ABOUT THE DIFFERENT SCAMS THROUGH THE EMAIL SYSTEM.
UH, WE'RE ALSO GETTING A LOT OF PHONE SCAMS. WE'RE GETTING A LOT OF PEOPLE'S DEBIT CARDS, HACKED, UH, AND INFORMATION STOLEN OUT OF MAILBOXES WHERE CHECKS ARE FORGED AND, AND, AND FRAUD IS REALLY ON THE UPTICK.
SO WE NEED TO BE VERY CAREFUL ABOUT THAT AND PAY ATTENTION TO THAT OUR MINOR ASSAULTS AND ON OUR FELONY ASSAULTS.
BUT OUR MONITOR ASSAULTS ARE UP ABOUT 38%.
UH, THERE'S JUST A LOT OF PEOPLE OUT THERE WITH NOTHING BETTER TO DO, AND THERE'S A LOT OF ARGUMENTS THAT OCCUR.
AND SO WE SEE THAT UP AND ARE BREAKING AND ENTERINGS.
WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THAT ALSO IN SOME OF OUR FACEBOOK LIVE CONVERSATIONS, UH, ABOUT HOW THOSE NUMBERS ARE UP CONSIDERABLY A NEARLY A HUNDRED PERCENT INCREASE DURING THIS CRISIS.
AND SO WE WERE VERY, VERY, YOU KNOW, ENCOURAGING PEOPLE TO LOCK THEIR CARS, REMOVE THEIR VALUABLES OUT OF THEIR CARS.
DON'T, DON'T MAKE THEMSELVES A TARGET WHEN THEY DON'T NEED TO BE.
UH, AND THOSE NUMBERS ARE, ARE ALL, ALL OF THOSE FORGERIES FRAUDS ASSAULTS, BURGLARIES AND BREAKING RENDERINGS ARE ALL UP.
UM, AND THOSE ARE THE AREAS, THE, THE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CALLS, UH, THOSE OTHER THREE CATEGORIES THERE, THAT'S WHERE WE'RE SEEING THE LARGEST IMPACT.
UH, DAN, YOU POINTED OUT EARLIER, UH, COUNSELING.
AND WOULD YOU POINT OUT EARLIER THE GRAPH, UH, THAT WE'VE BEEN TRACKING, WE'VE DOING A GOOD JOB OF TRACKING THAT AND TRYING TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE PUBLIC OF WHAT OUR NUMBERS TRULY LOOK LIKE.
AND I GOT THE NUMBERS THIS AFTERNOON FOR THE, UH, ZIP CODE FOR BUFORD COUNTY.
I MEAN, WE'VE ONLY HAD 23 CASES REPORTED IN THE LAST 14 DAYS.
UH, THE NUMBERS IN OUR TWO ZIP CODES ARE LOOKING REALLY, REALLY GOOD.
SO I THINK THERE IS LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL ON THAT.
AGAIN, THESE ARE, YOU KNOW, FOUR OR FIVE AT FOUR AREAS WE'RE TRACKING SPECIFICALLY DUE TO THE COVID CRISIS, BECAUSE THIS IS WHAT WE'RE SEEING AN INCREASE IN ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
AGAIN, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE UP ABOUT 13 TO 14%, UH, OUR ASSAULT AND BATTERIES ON THE FELONY LEVEL ARE, ARE DOWN, BUT THE MISDEMEANOR LEVELS UP.
UM, AND THEN LOOK AT THIS THIRD CATEGORY, THIS IS ANOTHER AREA THAT'S VERY, VERY CONCERNING FOR US.
AND IT TAKES A LOT OF OUR TIME AND RESOURCES TO DEAL WITH.
AND THAT IS THE MINERAL SUBJECT TRANSPORTS.
WHEN WE GO OUT ON A MENTAL WELFARE CALL AND WE ACTUALLY HAVE TO TAKE THAT PERSON TO THE HOSPITAL, DEDICATE THAT OFFICER, UM, TO THAT INDIVIDUAL AND THEN TRANSPORT HIM TO CHARLESTON OR SOMEWHERE UP IN THE, UM, AREA AROUND GREENVILLE.
[02:55:01]
SOMETIMES SPEND EIGHT HOURS A DAY ON MENTAL TRANSPORT AND WE HAD 11 OF THOSE LAST MONTH AND COMPARED TO NONE LAST YEAR.SO THAT'S, THAT'S PRETTY ALARMING, UM, ARMED ROBBERIES, UH, NOT A HUGE INCREASE, BUT WE HAD ONE, UH, WHICH, UH, I BELIEVE WE HAVE WARRANTS ON THE SUBJECT NOW.
SO THAT'S, UH, THAT'S A GOOD THING.
UM, AND THAT KIND OF, THAT KIND OF COVERS THE, THE AREAS OF CONCERN WITH THE CRISIS.
I DO WANT TO POINT OUT I'M SORRY, IS, IS THIS COST FOR SERVICE? UM, WE SPENT NEARLY, WE, WE, WE HAD 6,000 CALLS FOR SERVICE RELATED TO THE EXECUTIVE ORDERS.
THAT'S US CHECKING BUSINESSES DOING, WALK-THROUGHS MAKING SURE THEY'RE CLOSED WHEN THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO BE CLOSED OR THEY'RE SOCIALLY DISTANCING.
AND IF YOU THINK ABOUT THAT 6,000 CALLS IN A MONTH IS THAT'S A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT.
AND, UH, AGAIN, OUR CALLS FOR SERVICE WERE NEARLY DOUBLE LAST MONTH.
AND I THINK WE'LL SEE THAT NUMBER GO DOWN JUST A LITTLE BIT IN MAY, BUT AGAIN, IT'S GOING TO BE INCREASED BECAUSE WE'RE HAVING TO FOLLOW UP ON THE EVER-CHANGING EXECUTIVE ORDERS THAT ARE COMING OUT OF COLUMBIA.
AND, UH, SO IT'S A FULL-TIME JOB, BUT I'LL, I'LL BE GLAD TO ENTERTAIN ANY QUESTIONS.
UH, BUT THOSE WERE THE CATEGORIES AND AREAS THAT WE'RE CONCERNED WITH DURING THE CUT OF THE CRASHES CHIEF ON THE CALLS FOR SERVICE, IS THAT YOUR TELLING YOUR, YOUR CREW TO GO MAKE A CALL? SO IS THAT, IS THAT ONE BUSINESS, OR IS IT PEOPLE CALLING YOU TO SAY, I DON'T THINK THEY'RE DOING THINGS RIGHT, OR IS IT A LITTLE IT'S US, IT'S US PROACTIVELY HANDLING CALLS THAT COME IN, PEOPLE SAYING, HEY, THERE'S KIDS IN THE PARK GO ADDRESS THAT.
OR THERE'S A MUSICIAN ON THE, DOWN AT THE PROMENADE OR US BEING PROACTIVE, DOING OUR WALKTHROUGHS ON THE BUSINESSES AND ENSURING THAT EVERYBODY'S FOLLOWING THE GUIDELINES.
SO, SO IT'S A COMBINATION OF BOTH, BUT ANY, A CALL FOR SERVICES, ANY, ANY CALL THAT AN OFFICER HAS TO DEDICATE TIME TO, AND WE HAVE TO TRACK THAT ANYTHING FROM ANYONE ELSE, THANK YOU FOR DOING THIS.
DID HE GET TO WHAT YOU WERE LOOKING FOR? GOOD JOB, CHIEF.
UM, IT'S A GREAT SNAPSHOT OF WHERE, WHERE WE ARE AND HOW MUCH THE, UM, COVID HAS EFFECTED US.
AND, AND I CAN SEE THAT IT'S REALLY BEEN A, A CHALLENGE FOR, UM, FOR YOUR DEPARTMENT, THAT MANY CALLS FOR SERVICE, UM, IS ALARMING AND, UM, AS WELL AS THE FACT THAT YOUR FRONTLINE, UM, UM, I GUESS PHYSICIAN MAKES YOU, UM, MAKES YOU EVEN MORE VULNERABLE TO, TO, TO BE IN A PUBLIC.
BUT I, I APPRECIATE ALL THAT YOU'RE DOING, AND I APPRECIATE THIS PRESENTATION.
EVERYBODY'S GOT A GREAT ATTITUDE AND YOU'VE DONE A WONDERFUL JOB OVER THE LAST, I GUESS WE'RE GOING INTO NINE WEEKS NOW AND, UH, EVERYBODY'S HELD UP REALLY WELL AND, AND WE PUT GOOD PROTOCOLS AND SAFETY PROCEDURES IN PLACE TO TAKE CARE OF EVERYBODY.
AVERAGE IS A LOT DIVIDED BY NOT MANY OFFICERS.
UM, AS ALWAYS, THANKS YOU, UH, CHIEF FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU DO HERE IN THE COMMUNITY, ESPECIALLY AS MUCH AS YOU GUYS HAVE PARTNERED WITH THE, UM, SATURDAY LUNCH BAG INITIATIVE AND FEEDING KIDS.
UM, YOU MENTIONED THAT THERE WAS AN INCREASE IN THE, UM, AMOUNT OF, UH, MENTAL HEALTH, UM, CASES THAT YOU HAD IN TERMS OF THE, DOING THE TRANSPORT TO CHARLESTON.
IS THERE EVER ANY FOLLOW-UP WITH THOSE INDIVIDUALS? UM, ONCE THEY RETURN BACK TO THE AREA IT'S USUALLY DONE BY THE MEDICAL STAFF, UH, EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE, WE'LL HAVE SOME SORT OF FOLLOW UP WHERE WE HAVE TO TRANSPORT THEM BACK TO THE HEARING OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, BUT CERTAINLY NORMALLY OUR INTERACTION AFTER THAT, THAT INITIAL DELIVERY SERVICE, SO TO SPEAK AND THAT ESCORT, UH, WE DON'T HAVE A LOT TO DO WITH IT AFTER THAT, UNLESS THEY'RE A VICTIM OF A CRIME.
AND THAT'S WHERE SARAH, UH, UH, OUR VICTIM'S ASSISTANCE COORDINATOR COMES IN AND SHE HAS CLOSE CONTACT WITH THEM AND SHE CAN REPORT BACK SOMETIMES, BUT, UM, PROBABLY 90% OF THOSE MENTAL HEALTH CALLS ONCE THEY GET INTO THE MEDICAL SYSTEM, UH, ITSELF AND RECEIVE THE HELP AND ARE DISCHARGED, WE'RE NOT NECESSARILY INVOLVED, UH, AT ANY, ANY LEVEL IN THE LONGER.
UM, BUT WHO'S TO WHO'S AND ALL THOSE BREAK-INS, UM, I'M ASSUMING LIKE THE HIGHEST PERCENTAGE OF THAT IS JUST VEHICLE AND YOU'RE NOT HAVING A HOME INTRUSIONS, ARE YOU RIGHT? AND SO A BURGLARY IS A HOME IS A, EITHER, EITHER A COMMERCIAL STRUCTURE, A BUSINESS OR A HOME AND A BREAKING OR ENTERING IS TO A VEHICLE OR A SHARED.
UH, SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT, UM, RAKING RAIN RANGE, WE'RE PRIMARILY TALKING ABOUT VEHICLE.
[03:00:01]
YOU HAVE DONE A GREAT JOB.ANYONE ELSE JUST SAY, THANK YOU, CHIEF.
LIKE I SAID, THEY'RE COMING TO WORK EVERY DAY AND GRINDING, SO THEY'VE DONE A GREAT JOB OVER THE LAST NINE WEEKS.
ANYTHING ELSE? THANK YOU FOR THIS.
AND FOR THOSE WATCHING, THIS IS ALL ON OUR HYPERLINK.
PRETTY MUCH THE SAME INFORMATION UNDER, UM, A REPORT FROM OUR DEPARTMENT.
ANYTHING ELSE? IF NOT, IS THERE A MOTION TO ADJOURN? SECOND I'M HUNGRY AND I, HOW MANY TIMES DO I HIT IT TWICE? YOU'RE A JERK.