Jun 07, 2021 Executive Committee

[1. CALL TO ORDER]

[00:00:05]

. EVERY ONE I WOULD LIKE TO CALL THE MEETING OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE TO ORDER. IT IS A HYBRID MEETING. WE DO HAVE PEOPLE IN PERSON AND ONLINE. THE CHAIRMAN MR. SOMERVILLE IS ON HIS WAY TO LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY. HE HAD TOLD ME THAT THERE WAS A SLIGHT CHANGE THAT WOULD NOT PERMIT HIM TO BE ONLINE IMMEDIATELY. SO I WILL BEGIN THE MEETING AND HE WILL JOIN US AS SOON AS HE POSSIBLY CAN. IN LOOKING AT THE SCREEN I NOTICED THAT COUNCIL MEMBERS CUNNINGHAM DAWSON PURVIS, SHAWN HOWARD LAWSON MCKELLEN, RODMAN AND MYSELF ARE PRESENT MEMBERS OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE ARE COUNCILWOMAN HOWARD, COUNCILMAN LAWSON, COUNCILMAN NICK ALLEN AND COUNCILMAN RODMAN. THEREFORE WE DO HAVE A QUORUM OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE TO CONDUCT ANY BUSINESS THAT IS NECESSARY.

SO WOULD YOU ALL RISE FOR THE PLEDGE TO THE FLAG? I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG STATES OF HIGHER PROPERTY WHICH STANDS ON MY CHANGED UNDER GOD INDIVISIBLE WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL PUBLIC NOTICE OF THIS MEETING HAS BEEN PUBLISHED, POSTED AND DISTRIBUTED IN COMPLYING WITH THE SOUTH CAROLINA FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT.

[4. APPROVAL OF AGENDA]

AGENDA ITEM NUMBER ELEVEN AND MOVE THAT UP AFTER WE COME OUT OF EXECUTIVE SESSION.

IS THAT NOT CORRECT? NO, YOU'RE ON YOU, TOM. YES.

WE WANTED TO HAVE. NO. I THINK THE AGENDA HAS BEEN CORRECTED SINCE OUR AGENDA REVIEW. SO WE'RE GONNA GO OUT OF EXECUTIVE SESSION AND INTO ITEM NUMBER 9. I THINK YES.

INTO ITEM NUMBER 9. >> YES. VERY GOOD.

OK THEN WE'RE GOOD. THE WAY IT IS. SO CAN I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE AGENDA PLEASE? OH NO. MR. CHAIRMAN.

MR. MCCULLEN MAKES THE MOTION. MR. DAWSON MAKES THIS SECOND. IS THERE ANY QUESTIONS, CONCERNS, DISCUSSION OF THE AGENDA? MY GRANDDAUGHTERS SEE SEEING NONE THEN WE WILL APPROVE THE AGENDA WITHOUT ANY OBJECTIONS AND I SEE NO OBJECTIONS.

[5. APPROVAL OF MINUTES]

SECOND. >> MR. MCCULLUM MAKES THE SECOND.

DOOLEY MOTION DIDN'T SECOND. I HOPE EVERYBODY HAD A CHANCE TO READ THEM.

ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS, CONCERNS, DISCUSSIONS REGARDING THE MINUTES SEEING NONE.

THE MINUTES WILL BE APPROVED WITHOUT ANY OBJECTION AND LOOKING AROUND THERE ARE NO OBJECTIONS. THEREFORE THE MINUTES ARE APPROVED.

[6. CITIZEN COMMENTS]

WELL, OR SOME OF THEM ARE OK. WE CAN WE CAN CERTAINLY DO THAT NOW BECAUSE WE'RE AT THE CITIZEN COMMENTS SECTION. SO IF ANYBODY IS ONLINE WHO WISHES TO MAKE A COMMENT.

NOW IS THE TIME I HAVE IT AS A GALLERY VIEW AND I DO NOT SEE ANYBODY WHO IS COMING ONLINE TO MAKE COMMENTS. OK. SEEING NONE.

[EXECUTIVE SESSION]

[00:05:06]

THEREFORE AT 1 0 5 . >> WE LIVE AGAIN IN THAT WERE THE ITEM NUMBER SEVEN OUR EXECUTIVE SESSION. THE NEXT ITEM IS ITEM NUMBER

[Items 8 & 9]

AND KNOW THAT I'D LIKE TO MAKE A COMMENT. >> OH YES SIR.

I MUST GET COMFORTABLE MOVING THIS ALONG THIS FAST. I DON'T THINK WE'VE HAD A FULL DISCUSSION OR EXCELLENT KNOW WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH OR HOW WE'RE GOING TO ACCOMPLISH IT. I DON'T THINK IT HAS TO GO TO COUNCIL ON MONDAY FOR A FIRST READING. I THINK THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE CUT SHORT TODAY AT EXECUTIVE SESSION WITHOUT A FULL EXPLANATION. I'VE READ IT THOROUGHLY.

I LIKE IT BUT I THINK THERE'S A DISCOMFORT LEVEL OF SOME OF THE MEMBERS ON COUNCIL I WOULD SPEAK FOR THEM. I'M NOT SUPPORT MOVING THIS ALONG AND MONDAY THANK YOU MR.

MACALLAN. >> ANYBODY ELSE ANY COMMENTS? >> CHAIRMAN I I CONCUR WITH LARRY AT THIS TIME. I THINK WE SHOULD MOVEMENT BUT I'M FEELING UNCOMFORTABLE AT THIS TIME. HINK THE DOCUMENTS FROM US SHARE HERE.

>> THANK YOU. GLAD MANY OTHER COMMENTS POSTED FOR US TO GO AHEAD.

OUR READ THIS CORRECTLY THAT THIS WAS IN THE BACKUP. SO IT'S OUT IN THE PUBLIC DOMAIN, CORRECT? BEING THAT IT'S OUT THERE AND WE ONLY HAVE ONE MEETING JULY 1 AND AUGUST I ACTUALLY THINK WE'RE WELL SERVED TO PROCEED PARTICULARLY SINCE THEY BROUGHT THE SUIT AGAINST US. THANK YOU, SIR. ANYBODY ELSE HERE? NONE. I ASSUME THEY'RE GOING TO BE OBJECTIONS SO I'LL CALL THE ROLL ON THIS. SIR, CAN YOU HELP ME IDENTIFY THOSE PRESENT? I THINK I MIGHT BE ABLE TO DO IT FROM THE PICTURE OF THE CONFERENCE ROOM.

>> I CAN HELP YOU. ELLIS MADE THE MOTION SO SHE WILL GO FIRST.

ALL RIGHT. THAT'S ABOUT YES. GERALD WENT MADE THE SECOND.

HE WILL GO NEXT. YES. MR. CUNNINGHAM.

NO, MR. GLOVER STEEN. REALLY? NO.

MR. LAWSON. >> LAWSON. YES.

MR. HER VERSION? NO. MR. MCKELLEN.

NO, HE WASN'T A NOBODY TREATED. SORRY. NO.

MR. RUDMAN. YES. MR. SOMERVILLE.

YES. I AM. YES.

THREE, FIVE, FIVE. YES. FOUR NO.

ONE ABSTENTION. I THINK IT'S SIX. JOE SHERRY I THINK YES.

THREE. NOW I'M SORRY IT'S SIX. YES.

ONE, TWO, THREE NO AND ONE ABSTENTION. CORRECT.

SO THE MOTION IS SUCCESSFUL. ALL RIGHT. HE'LL BE MOVED TO COUNTY COUNCIL. RIGHT. THAT BRINGS US TO ITEM NUMBER.

[11. PRESENTATION FROM FRANK RAINWATER REGARDING REDISTRICTING]

>> WE NEED TO SWITCH. 10:00 AND 11:00 IS CAUSE FRANK IS ON BOARD BECAUSE HE'S NOT HE'S ON HIS OWN. OK. SO MR. RAINWATER, ARE YOU WITH

US? >> YES. VICTOR AND HER VICTOR AND I ARE HERE WITH YOU. THANK YOU. WELCOME, SIR.

YOU EVER FIND THAT YOU WANT ME? I CAN SHARE MY SCREEN. IS THAT THE BEST WAY? YES, SIR. YES, SIR. AND EVERYONE SEE OUR SCREEN OK.

[00:10:07]

>> THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. MEMBERS ACCOUNT. SO THINK YOU'RE FROM AND I HERE WITH YOU. WE'RE HAPPY TO PRESENT TO YOU ABOUT THE UPCOMING REDISTRICTING. WE'LL TELL YOU A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT OUR OFFICE ABOUT THE BASIC PRINCIPLE OF REDISTRICTING. AND THEY ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.

IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF COUNTY COUNCIL TO REDISTRICT AFTER THE CENSUS DATA ARE RELEASED. YOU HAVE THE OPTION TO USE OUR OFFICE OR YOU MAY WANT TO USE ANOTHER VENDOR. THAT'S PERFECTLY WHAT IS WHATEVER SUITS YOUR SERVICES

FIRST SEEMED TO BE SERVICES BEST YOUR NEEDS BEST. >> SO LET ME GO THROUGH A LITTLE BIT ABOUT REDISTRICTING HERE FOR YOU TO HIGHLIGHT FOR YOU JUST TO EDUCATE YOU ABOUT

YOUR OFFICE. >> I'M SORRY I'M NOT VERY FAMILIAR WITH YOUR MEMBERSHIP.

HOW MANY OF YOU WERE HERE AT THE LAST REDISTRICTING? PROCESS WORKS.

THIS WILL BE YOUR FIRST ONE GOING THROUGH. BUT OUR OFFICE IS THE OFFICIAL STATE CONTACT WITH THE CENSUS. WE'RE DESIGNATED BY THE GOVERNOR AND BY THE MAJORITY AND MINORITY LEADERS OF BOTH THE HOUSE AND THE SENATE. REDISTRICTING THE CENSUS DATA IS NOT SOMETHING WE DO EVERY 10 YEARS. IT IS SOMETHING WE DO ON A DAILY BASIS. PART OF OUR OFFICE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR MAINTAINING THE OFFICIAL PRECINCT MAPS AS ESTABLISHED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

AND WE USE THE SAME DATA TO COORDINATE WITH A LOT OF OTHER PROGRAMS. WE HELP WITH THE JURY MAGIC JURY AREAS IN CORPORATIONS MATTERS OF THAT NATURE WHERE THERE IS ALSO A LOT OF PREP WORK. OUR OFFICE HAS BEEN INTIMATELY INVOLVED WITH THE CENSUS OVER THE PAST FOUR OR FIVE YEARS GETTING THE DETAILS, GETTING THE BOUNDARIES, HELPING TO ESTABLISH THE PRECINCTS AND BOUNDARY LINES FALL FOR THE CENSUS SURVEY THAT WAS GOING OUT AND CERTAINLY WE WILL BE RECEIVING THAT DATA AND SHARING IT FOR GRANTED STATE PROGRAMS WHEN IT'S RELEASED LATER THIS YEAR.

OVER THE PAST DECADES SINCE THE 80S OUR OFFICE HAS SERVED AS TECHNICAL ADVISERS TO THE FEDERAL COURT. SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE I'VE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO SIT ON TWO SUCH CASES INVOLVING FEDERAL LAWSUITS BROUGHT ONLY DISTRICT MATTER.

WE'RE HAPPY TO PROVIDE FREE OF CHARGE TO REDISTRICTING SERVICES IN ACCORDANCE WITH REDISTRICTING LAWS AND PRINCIPLES TO OUR LOCAL GOVERNMENTS.

WE DO NOT CHARGE FOR THAT IS SIMPLY A SERVICE THAT WE DO. HOWEVER, WE ARE NOT PROVIDING LEGAL ADVICE. OUR GOAL HOWEVER IS TO MAKE SURE THAT ANYTHING WE PRESENT TO YOU IS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONSTITUTIONAL AND FEDERAL AND STATUTORY PRINCIPLES AND REQUIREMENTS THAT WE ARE NOT HERE AS ATTORNEYS TO REPRESENT YOU ON SOME OF THE CERTAIN DETAILS. BUT WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT ANY PLAN WE PRESENT TO YOU IS GONNA SUSTAINED ANY QUESTIONS BROUGHT IN A LEGAL OR LEGAL MATTER.

>> SO JUST A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHO'S RESPONSIBLE FOR REDISTRICTING.

COUNTY COUNCIL UNDER HOME RULE YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE TO DO THAT. IT REQUIRES THREE READINGS AND YOU ARE REQUIRED TO DO THAT BEFORE THE NEXT GENERAL ELECTION WHICH WOULD BE NOVEMBER OF TWENTY 22. SO JUST OVER A YEAR AND A HALF FROM NOW.

HOWEVER, NORMALLY THE CENSUS IS RELEASED BACK. BY THIS TIME AND WE HAVE A YEAR AND A HALF TO GET READY THERE ARE SOME ISSUES GOING WITH THE CENSUS.

THEY ARE NOT GOING TO HAVE THAT DATA AVAILABLE TILL SEPTEMBER 30TH OF THIS YEAR.

THAT SEEMS LIKE A LONG TIME BUT UNDER STATUTE YOUR FILING FOR YOUR COUNTY COUNCIL SEATS ARE SUPPOSED TO OPEN IN SEPTEMBER. BUT SEPTEMBER IN MARCH MARCH OF TWENTY ONE.

SO REALLY WE HAVE SIX MONTHS HERE AND WORKING WITH THE COUNTIES TO GET ALL THE REDISTRICTING DONE. WE HAVE SOME CITIES WE'RE WORKING WITH MUNICIPALITIES ON A DIFFERENT TIMELINE. SOME MAY COME BEFORE NOVEMBER OF 2010, SOME MAY COME AFTER BUT IT IT IS A LITTLE DISHEARTENING THAT AFTER DECADES HERE WEDDING OR THE NEXT SIX IS RELEASED WE'VE BEEN DELAYED BY 6 5 6 MONTHS AND IT'S COSTING US SOME TIME BUT WE'RE GETTING PREPARED TO MAKE SURE WE CAN HELP YOU AND THE OTHER COUNTIES AND CITIES AS WE

GO FORWARD. ALL RIGHT. >> I'M FRANK I GOING TO INTERRUPT S.. YOU SAID MARCH OF TWENTY ONE BUT DID YOU MEAN MARCH

OF TWENTY TWO? YES, SIR. >> THANK YOU FOR CATCHING.

I DIDN'T MAKE IT TO FORTY TWO. YES THANK YOU. YES THANK YOU FOR GREAT THAT.

SO BASICALLY YOU GOT ABOUT SIX MONTHS AFTER THE DATA BECOMES AVAILABLE SO YOUR MEMBERS KNOW WHOEVER WHOEVER IS GOING TO PLAN TO FILE YOU HAVE TO KNOW THAT BEFORE FILING A SO LET'S

JUST TALK ABOUT SOME TOOLS WALLS AND BASIC PRINCIPLES. >> THESE ARE TERMS THAT YOU WILL BE EXPOSED TO OR HAVE TO UNDERSTAND OR BECOME FAMILIAR WITH AS YOU GO THROUGH THE REDISTRICTING PROCESS. WE'VE ADOPTED THE BASIC RACIAL FIELD GUIDELINES STATED BY THE

[00:15:01]

WE HAVE HISPANIC NONWHITE DOCTORS, THINGS LIKE NON HISPANIC BLACK POPULATION, ASIAN POPULATION. SO THESE ARE SOME OF THE KEY CHARACTERISTICS OF DEAD INCLUDED IN THE TOOLS WE WILL BE WORKING WITH WHEN YOU SAY CENSUS.

TECHNOLOGY HAS MADE THIS SIMPLER. THE CENSUS IS BROKEN OUT INTO WHAT IS CALLED CENSUS BLOCKS IN THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA. THERE'S APPROXIMATELY 100 NINETY THOUSAND UNITS WHERE PEOPLE WILL BE DIVIDED INTO LINN COUNTED IN A CENSUS BLOCK.

SO THAT'S PRETTY DETAILED AND THIS MAP JUST SHOWING YOU HAVE SOME OF THE GEOGRAPHY IS THE SMALL AREAS REPRESENT THE CENSUS BLOCK THE BLACK LINES THERE AND THAT'S THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE IN EACH CENSUS BLOCK. YOU SEE CITY BLOCKS ARE NOT UNIFORM.

YOU CAN SEE HERE ON THE LEFT SIDE. THIS CENSUS BLOCK HAS ONE HUNDRED NINETY TWO. THEN YOU'VE GOT ANOTHER CENSUS BOX AND MAY HAVE 5 OR 14.

AND WITH THOSE BLOCKS WE GET RACIAL IDENTIFIER SO WE KNOW HOW MANY WHITE NONWHITE BLACKS ASIANS, HISPANICS ARE IN THERE. WE GO THROUGH OUR STATISTICAL CALCULATION AND IT IS ABOUT BUILDING UPON THESE BLOCKS OR GROUPING THESE BLOCKS TOGETHER WHICH YOU CREATE YOUR DISTRICTS . SO THIS IS WHAT SOME OF THE MAPS WILL LOOK LIKE.

>> YOU BEGIN WITH COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY AND COLOR CODING. THIS WE CAN OUTLINE THE CENSUS BLOCKS. WE CAN GROUP THAT TO SHOW YOUR DISTRICTS AND ENOUGH STATISTICS NOT THAT WE NEED TO GO THROUGH THAT TODAY BUT BE AWARE OF THIS PROCESS MAKES IT VERY TRANSPARENT TO SEE WHICH VOTERS ARE BEING PUT INTO WHICH DISTRICTS.

WHAT'S THE COMPOSITION OF THOSE VOTERS AND HOW THAT PLAYS INTO A LARGER FIELD.

SO SOME OF THE KEY PRINCIPLES WE WILL TALK ABOUT WITH ONE PERSON ONE VOTE.

ONE OF THE KEY PRINCIPLES ONE PERSON, ONE VOTE. AND THAT MEANS THAT ONE VOTE FOR ANY PARTICULAR VENDOR IN ONE DISTRICT HIS OR HER VOTE HAS TO COUNT JUST AS MUCH AS THE VOTER IN THE ADJOINING DISTRICT. SO WHAT HAPPENS OVER WELL OVER TIME IS THAT THE POPULATION GROWS FASTER IN SOME DISTRICTS THAN IN THE OTHER.

LET'S SAY THINGS WERE PERFECTLY EQUAL 10 YEARS AGO. BUT IF YOU ADD ONE COUNTY THEN IT IS GROWING TWICE AS FAST AS THE OTHER DISTRICT THAT HAS TWICE AS MANY PEOPLE LET'S SAY AND THEN THE OTHER DISTRICT DOES COUNT ABOUT HALF AS MUCH BECAUSE IT TAKES TWICE AS MANY PEOPLE TO ELECT ONE PERSON FROM THAT DISTRICT. YOU SHOULD JOIN A DISTRICT.

>> SO UNDER THE ONE PERSON ONE VOTE IS WOULD HAVE TO EQUALIZE THE DISTRICT AS FAR AS THE

POPULATION. >> WHAT IT SAYS IN THE 14TH AMENDMENT IS THAT RACE CANNOT BE USED AS THE PREDOMINANT FACTOR. NO, TAKE THE FLIP SIDE OF THAT IN A MINUTE WE'LL GET TO THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT. SO I MEAN THE 14TH AMENDMENT WE HAVE TO EQUAL POPULATION BUT WE CANNOT USE RACE AS A PREDOMINANT FACTOR IN DOING SO

. >> YOU'RE ALLOWED TO DEVIATE EVEN THOUGH WE LIKELY TO GET TO THE EXACT NUMBER OF FOUR PEOPLE IN EVERY DISTRICT. YOU'RE ALSO VARIOUS WE CALL THAT DEVIATION. SO THIS IS NOT A MATHEMATIC PRECISION WHERE EACH DISTRICT USES ITS ZERO OR ONE PERSON DIFFERENCE. THE A LOT LIKE TO 10 PERCENT THAT'S NOT AN AUTOMATIC 10 PERCENT. THERE ARE SOME CRITERIA BUT DEPENDING ON YOUR SIZE YOU POPULATE IN THE YEARS WE HAVE TO GO YOU'RE ALLOWED A LITTLE VARIATION. SO DEPENDING ON YOUR SIZE YOUR POPULATION IS STILL WITHIN ACCEPTABLE RANGE. YOU MAY HAVE MAYBE FIVE OR 10 OR MAYBE 50 OR MAYBE 100 DEPENDING ON THE SIZE OF YOUR DISTRICT. THERE MAY BE FEW MORE PEOPLE IN ONE DISTRICT THAN ANOTHER AND THAT'S JUST SOMETHING WE WORK WITH CONGRESS.

JUST FOR PERSPECTIVE, WHEN CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTS DRONE THERE'S ONLY A ONE PERSON DIFFERENCE IN THE TOTAL POPULATION IN EACH DISTRICT ON THE CONGRESSIONAL LEVEL.

THAT'S EASIER TO DO ON A BIGGER ONLY BIGGER SCALE ON A LARGER SCALE SO TO SPEAK ON A LOCAL SCALE MAY NOT BE QUITE THAT SIMPLE BUT IT GIVES YOU SOME VARIATION THERE IN DRAWING YOUR DISTRICT. BUT WE'VE GOT TO HAVE STRONG REASONS WHY WHEN YOU HAVE THAT DIFFERENCE THERE AND THAT'S SOMETHING WE WILL TALK ABOUT LATER WHEN YOU'RE PLAYING THIS

PRESENTED RACIAL GERRYMANDERING IS IN THE 14TH AMENDMENT. >> COURTS HAVE RULED RACIAL GERRYMANDER WAS A VIOLATION OF EQUAL PROTECTION AND THE LEADERS SOME OF THE COURT CASES INVOLVED WITH THAT AND THE STANDARD LIFE FOR THE ATTORNEYS THERE IT'S A STRICT SCRUTINY STANDARD IF RACIAL GERRYMANDERING IS GOING TO BE EXAMINED.

>> YOU CAN'T DO THAT. AND THESE ARE JUST SOME EXAMPLES OF SOME CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTS AROUND THE STATE AND AROUND THE NATION THAT HAS BEEN UNCONSTITUTIONAL.

AND THESE ARE THE DISTRICTS YOU KIND OF SEE JUST FROM THE ATF WHICH WE'LL TALK ABOUT

[00:20:07]

. >> KNOW CERTAINLY THEY WERE NOT LOOKING AT THE WHOLE PICTURE,

SO TO SPEAK. >> SO TO BALANCE THAT EVEN THOUGH UNDER THE EQUAL EXCUSE ME UNDER THE 14TH AMENDMENT RACE CANNOT BE THE PREDOMINANT FACTOR.

IT IS A FACTOR TO BE CONSIDERED. THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT SAYS YOU HAVE TO PROTECT THE INTERESTS OF THE RACIAL MINORITY. SO WHAT WE HAVE HERE IS A BALANCING ACT. WE CAN'T USE RACE PREDOMINANT FACTOR BUT YOU CAN'T USE IT TO DISREGARD THE THE IMPACT OF A RACIAL MINORITY. AND YOU HAVE TO WORK TO PRESERVE THAT AS WELL. THERE WAS A COMPLETE FEATURE IN HERE.

THE CITY OF MOBILE VERSUS BOLDEN YOU MAY DRAW THE BEST PLAY IN OR PLAY IT MAY BE DRAWN WITHOUT THE INTENT OF REDISTRICTING. BUT IF SOMETHING HAPPENS DURING THE ELECTION PROCESS OR AFTERWARDS, IF IT HAD THE EFFECT OF DISCRIMINATION THEN THAT CAN BE A VIOLATION OF THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT. SO IT TAKES A LOT OF ANALYSIS TO MAKE SURE THAT EVEN THOUGH YOU DRAW THE PLAN IT DOESN'T HAVE THE INTENT OR MADAM BUT EVERYBODY'S INTENT TO DO THE RIGHT THING. BUT IF YOU'RE NOT PAYING ATTENTION TO THE DETAILS AND THAT HAS THE EFFECT OF DISCRIMINATION UNFAIRLY THEN YOU COULD BE EQUALLY FOLLOWED THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT. SO THESE ARE JUST SOME OF THE CLAIMS YOU HAVE TO GO THROUGH AND SOME OF THE BALANCING ISSUES WHEN YOU GO THROUGH THINGS WE HAVE TO BALANCE THE 14TH AMENDMENT WITH THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT SECTIONS THERE TO HELP DO THAT WITH THE VOTING RIGHTS THERE TEST AND THE THREE STEP FACTOR WE HAVE TO GO THROUGH. WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT MINORITY GROUPS ARE LARGE ENOUGH TO BE GOOD TO BE GEOGRAPHICALLY COMPACT ENOUGH TO DRAW DISTRICT IF YOU CAN IMAGINE LET'S SAY THE MINORITY POPULATION IS 30 PERCENT OF A COUNTY IDEAL WORLD AND EVERY THIRD HOUSE WOULD BE A MINORITY POPULATION AND IT WOULD BASICALLY BE IMPOSSIBLE TO DRAW DISTRICTS LIKE THAT A MINORITY DISTRICT. BUT GIVEN COMPACTNESS OF WHERE PEOPLE LIVE YOU MAY BE ABLE TO DRAW MINORITY DISTRICTS. SO THOSE ARE FACTORS WE HAVE TO LOOK AT BUT THERE ARE OTHER TENETS TO THAT THE MOST ALREADY.

LET'S BE POLITICALLY COHESIVE AND THAT BY SEPARATING THAT BLOCKS SO TO SPEAK YOU WOULD BE DEFEATING THE MINORITY CANDIDATE OF CHOICE. SO ALL THESE FACTORS THAT WE LOOK NOT ONLY THE DEMOGRAPHICS THERE IN THE SEXES BUT WE HAVE TO LOOK AT SOME ELECTION RESULTS FOR YOUR COUNTY COUNCIL DISTRICTS OVER TIME TO MAKE SURE THAT WE COMPLY WITH THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT AS IT AS IT EXISTS TODAY. THERE IS SOME DEBATE IN CONGRESS ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT THEY'RE GOING TO EXPAND IT OR MEAN THAT WE'LL JUST HAVE WE'RE CONTINUING TO MONITOR THAT AND IF SOMETHING CHANGES WE'LL CERTAINLY TAKE THAT INTO ACCOUNT AS WE GO FORWARD. VOTING RIGHTS ACT FOR THOSE OF YOU UNFAMILIAR SOUTH CAROLINA THERE WAS A FORMULA THAT REQUIRED PRECLEARANCE THAT CAME UNDER SECTION 5 SECTION 4 OF THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT. THAT IS THE PART OF THE VOTING RIGHTS THAT HAS BEEN DECLARED UNCONSTITUTIONAL. CERTAINLY THE PAST WHEN YOU ADOPTED A REDISTRICTING PLAN.

WE HAD TO SEND THAT TO DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE FOR APPROVAL PRECLEARANCE BEFORE IT COULD BE IMPLEMENTED. THAT IS NO LONGER A REQUIREMENT OF THE VOTING RIGHTS AS IT EXISTS TODAY. WHETHER THAT GETS REVIVED IN THE CURRENT CONGRESS WE NEED TO FOLLOW THAT ACCORDINGLY. BUT RIGHT NOW IT'S NOT A REQUIREMENT.

SO THE BANK HERE FIVE BASIC REDISTRICTING PRINCIPLES THAT EVERYBODY HAS TO EVERYBODY ACROSS THE COUNTRY HAS TO ADHERE TO. THE FIRST ONE IS CONTIGUOUS TO EXCUSE ME CONTIGUOUS. I'M SORRY I CAN'T TALK TODAY CONTIGUOUS.

MISS. ALL PARTS OF YOUR DISTRICTS MUST BE TOUCHING.

IN OTHER WORDS, WE CAN'T TAKE YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD AND SKIP ACROSS TOWN ACROSS ANOTHER DISTRICT AND PICK UP A ANOTHER AREA BECAUSE OF WHATEVER REASON YOUR DISTRICTS HAVE TO BE CAN TAKE YOU CONTIGUOUS. THEY HAVE TO TOUCH DISTRICTS ALSO HAVE TO BE COMPACT.

AND THIS GOES BACK TO THOSE CHARTS OR SHE'S WITH THOSE EXAMPLES I SHOWED YOU EARLIER DISTRICTS SHOULD BE ABLE TO PASS AND TEST AS WELL AS TEST MODELS SO SOMETIMES IT JUST DOESN'T LOOK RIGHT. ADMITTEDLY THOUGH, IT DEPENDS ON THE MAKEUP AND THE POPULATION THE DISBURSEMENT OF THE POPULATION AMONG YOUR COUNTY NOTHING'S GOING TO BE DRAWN IS PERFECT SQUARE SO TO SPEAK BUT NOT THAT COMPACTNESS AND THAT ACTIVIST IS IMPORTANT FOR SOMETHING THAT'S IMPORTANT. I KNOW TO A LOT OF MEMBERS HERE IS CONSTITUENT CONSISTENCY.

WHEN WE DO REDISTRICTING WE TRY TO PRESERVE THE CORE OF EXISTING DISTRICTS AND RESPECT INCUMBENTS. WHEN WE DRAW DISTRICT IN PLAY IN ONE OF THE FIRST ELEMENTS WE

[00:25:04]

THE GOAL IS HERE IS KIND TO WORK AROUND THE EDGES. IF YOUR DISTRICT HAS GROWN TOO MUCH IN POPULATION YOU MAY HAVE TO GIVE UP AN AREA OF POPULATION BASED IF YOU'RE DRAWING DISTRICT HAS NOT GROWN ENOUGH THEY HAVE TO ADD CONSTITUENTS.

SO WHAT WE TRY TO WORK AROUND THE EXISTING COAL WE TRY TO WORK AROUND YOUR EXISTING INCUMBENT. IT IS NOT OUR INTENT TO PUT INCUMBENTS TOGETHER IN THE SAME REDISTRICT. WE DON'T START IN THE NORTHWEST CORNER OF THE DISTRICT AND START DRAWING A SQUARE AND THEN MOVE TO THE NEXT WHERE IT'S UP. IT'S ABOUT MAINTAINING AS MUCH CONSISTENCY AS WE CAN WITH EXISTING DISTRICTS. BUT IT DEPENDS ON YOUR POPULATION GROWTH. HOW MUCH YOUR POPULATION HAS GROWN IN THE COUNTY BECAUSE ONCE YOU START AFFECTING ONE DISTRICT THAT HAS THAT DOMINO EFFECT TO THE OTHERS UNTIL WE HAVE THE REDISTRICTING DATA AND WE KNOW HOW FAST THE COUNTY IS GROW WHERE THAT GROWTH IS, IT'S

JUST HARD TO MAKE ANY COMMITMENTS AT THIS POINT. >> I MEAN ANOTHER BASIC PRINCIPLE IS COMMUNITIES OF INTEREST IN COMMUNITIES OF INTEREST ARE BROADLY DEFINED . THEY MAY BE THE EXAMPLE OF A SCHOOL DISTRICT OR A SCHOOL ATTENDANCE ZONE. IT COULD BE AN ECONOMIC AREA. IT COULD BE A NEIGHBORHOOD.

IT COULD BE A VARIETY OF THINGS. BUT THOSE ARE SOMETHING WE TRIED TO LOOK AT TO MAKE SURE WE MAINTAIN TOGETHER. OF COURSE YOU PROBABLY KNOW THAT BETTER THAN WE DO AND IN MOST OF OUR CASES WE WILL PRESENT A PRELIMINARY PLAN FOR YOU. BUT WE DO EXPECT TO GET SOME FEEDBACK AFTER A PRELIMINARY PLAY AND YOU MAY SAY WELL YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO LOOK AT THIS COMMUNITY OR YOU'RE NOT AWARE OF THE WAY THE LINES WERE DRAWN. WE AFFECTED COMMUNITY OF INTEREST AND MAYBE IT'S BETTER TO REGROUP. SO WHEN WE PRESENT THIS 48

THINGS THE PRINCIPALS WE'LL BE WORKING WITH. >> BUT WE CERTAINLY WELCOME FEEDBACK ON SUGGESTIONS OR CHANGES YOU MAY WANT IN A PLAN TO ACCOMMODATE THESE OTHER ISSUES. THE LAST KEY PRINCIPLE IS AVOID SPLITTING PRECINCTS.

THIS IS NOT ONE HUNDRED PERCENT REQUIREMENT. SOMETIMES IT JUST HAS TO BE DONE. BUT WE DON'T LIKE TO AVOID SPLITTING PRECINCTS UNNECESSARY . IT LEADS TO TOO MUCH VOTER CONFUSION AND WE LIKE TO AVOID THAT. SO AGAIN WE'RE WORKING WITH THAT AND WE'LL JUST HAVE TO SEE HOW THE POPULATION SHIFTS THE EFFECT. SO THIS JUST SHOWS YOU THESE ARE ESTIMATES. THE ACTUAL CENSUS DATA OWNER ON A DETAILED LEVEL THAT WE NEED ON THE BLOCK LEVEL IS NOT EXPECTED TO BE RELEASED UNTIL SEPTEMBER.

BUT THESE THE LARGER THESE ARE CENSUS TRACK. SO I MENTIONED EARLIER THERE IS ABOUT A HUNDRED AND EIGHTY THOUSAND CITIES BLOCKS HERE. THERE IS ABOUT 100 CENSUS TRACKS. SO A CENSUS TRACK IS A LARGER SUBSET OF THE CENSUS BLOCKS IN WASHOE WHERE THE POPULATION OF GROWTH HAS BEEN IN SOUTH CAROLINA.

>> THE DARKER THE BLUE HERE IN THESE AREAS THE FASTER THE GROWTH YOU SEE DOWNTOWN GREENVILLE SOME HERE IN NORTHWEST ANDERSON AN AREA YOU SEE LOTS OF AREAS ALREADY COUNTY, CHARLESTON AND DORCHESTER HERE IN THE YOU SEE JASPER AND SOME ARE HERE FOR COUNTY THE WIDER THE AREA HAD BEEN IN DECLINE. SO THESE AREAS HERE YOU SEE JUST NORTH OF HERE IN THE PBA AREA THAT THE NORTHERN MIDLANDS HERE THEY HAVE LOST POPULATION IN SOUTH CAROLINA AND WESTERN PART OF THE STATE. WE CAN ZOOM IN A LITTLE BIT FOR

YOU. >> AND AGAIN, THESE ARE JUST ESTIMATES.

THESE ARE NOT ACTUAL DATA. THESE ARE CENSUS ESTIMATES FROM LAST YEAR.

HOPEFULLY THESE ESTIMATES THAT THE CENSUS IS PROVIDED BY THESE BLOG WHAT YOU KIND OF SEE WHERE THESE GROWING AREAS BEFORE COUNTY ARE DOWN HERE ALONG THE COAST WE'VE HAD THE FASTEST GROWING AND ALL YOUR WESTERN EDGE IT LOOKS LIKE YOUR NORTHERN PART OF THE COUNTY AS LAST POPULATION. I CAN'T TELL YOU AGAIN UNTIL WE GET THE ACTUAL DATA BUT YOU CAN KIND OF SEE WHERE THE CONCENTRATION OF PEOPLE IN THIS AREA HERE HAD THE FASTEST GROWTH THIS AREA PROBABLY WILL BE. YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE TO SPLIT UP.

I DON'T KNOW WHERE YOU ARE. I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU DISTRICTS ARE CURRENTLY CONFIGURED.

BUT THIS AREA HERE IS POPULATION GROWTH. THOSE MORE LIKELY SPLIT THIS AREA HERE HAS LOST POPULATION. SO THIS AREA WILL HAVE TO BE COMBINED WITH ONE OF THESE OTHER AREAS LIKELY TO PICK UP POPULATION. BUT AGAIN, UNTIL WE GET THE EXACT DETAIL IN THE CENSUS BLOCK, THESE ARE JUST THE ESTIMATIONS.

[00:30:04]

>> I WANT TO SAY IT'S MUCH LIKE THE PRE GAME AND THAT'S MONTHS COLLEGE FOOTBALL SEASON.

WE HAVE AN IDEA OF WHAT'S GOING TILL YOU GET THE KICKOFF TIME AND PEOPLE GET THE ACTUAL DATE AND SEE WHAT'S GOING ON. IT'S DIFFICULT TO SAY EXACTLY WHAT HAS TO BE CHANGE BUT YOU KIND OF HAVE AN IDEA. EXCUSE ME. NO IDEA.

HERE ARE WHERE YOUR POPULATION GROWTH HAS BEEN THE WORST EXPECTED TO BE.

SO THE KEY THAT IS WE URGE ALL CITIES IN COUNTIES IS TO START YOUR EDUCATION PROCESS AND

PREPARE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. >> LOOK AT THE TIMELINES TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE IS ENOUGH TIME TO GET THREE READINGS IN TO GET THIS DONE BEFORE THE START OF FILING SEASON PLAYS CONTACT OUR OFFICE OR SOMEONE PROFESSIONAL HERE FOR ASSISTANCE DRAWING YOUR MAP.

THERE'S SOME OTHER ELEMENTARY ITEMS THAT NEED TO BE ACCOMPLISHED.

ONE IS WE NEED TO HELP VERIFY WE HAVE THE LOCAL BOUNDARIES AND CURRENT ELECTION DISTRICTS AND A LOT OF CASES OUR OFFICE HELPED DRAW. THE PREVIOUS ELECTION DISTRICTS AND WE HAVE THAT BUT WE JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE STARTING WITH THE RIGHT DATA TO START WITH. IT'S MORE OF AN ISSUE WITH THE CITIES ON THE LOCAL BOUNDARIES BECAUSE OF ANNEXATION. WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE WE'VE GOT THE RIGHT AREAS.

THAT'S NOT REALLY AN ISSUE WITH THE COUNTIES. BUT AGAIN WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE AS MUCH AS THE PRELIMINARY WORK DONE HAVING THE CORRECT RECORDS.

SO WHEN THE CENSUS DATA IS RELEASED IT'S A MATTER OF JUST UPDATING OUR RECORDS.

WE ALSO HAVE TO KEEP MIND. THIS WORK DOES NOT END BY ITSELF.

ONCE YOU ADOPT REDISTRICTING PLAN YOU HAVE TO NOTIFY YOUR COUNTY ELECTIONS OFFICE.

THEY NEED TIME TO PROCESS CHANGES. THE ISSUE NEW VOTER REGISTRATION CARDS AND THEN IN SOME COUNTIES SOME COUNTIES THE SCOPE OF WORKS FOLLOW THE SAME DISTRICT LINES. IS THE COUNTY COUNCIL. SO WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE ARE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT AS WELL SO IT JUST DOESN'T END BY ADOPTING AN AUDIT.

THERE'S A LOT OF WORK GOING IN PRIOR TO THAT ORDINANCE AND THEN THERE'S A LOT OF WORK AFTERWARDS AND MAKE SURE IT GETS DONE APPROPRIATELY AND TIMELY.

THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS IS TO HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING AND THIS IS SOMETHING OUR OFFICE IS GLAD TO HELP THAT WITH A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T UNDERSTAND ABOUT REDISTRICTING PROCESS.

AND WE ARE HAPPY TO COME WITH YOU. E. MCPHERSON OR VIRTUALLY DEPENDING ON YOUR NEEDS AND HELP YOU HOLD A PUBLIC HEARING AND EXPLAIN TO THE PUBLIC IN A BIT MORE DETAIL WHAT I'VE SHARED WITH YOU TODAY BUT ALSO PRESENT THEM THE ACTUAL DATA TO THEM AND WHAT AREAS OF THE COUNTY HAVE GROWN TO SAY WHICH COUNCIL DISTRICTS GROWN TOO MUCH AND HAVE TO GIVE UP POPULATION? WHICH COUNTY WHICH COUNCIL DISTRICTS ARE BELOW THE MINIMUM OR BELOW THE AVERAGE? AND TO BRING THOSE UP.

SO WE'RE GLAD TO COME IN TO HELP HOLD A PUBLIC HEARING AND SOLICIT FEEDBACK BECAUSE I KNOW JUST AS YOU DID IT STARTED THIS MEETING YOU HAD OPPORTUNITY FOR PUBLIC FEEDBACK AND THAT'S AN

IMPORTANT PART OF THE PROCESS. >> AND AGAIN, AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN TO ENSURE PROPER DOCUMENTATION AND RETENTION OF RECORDS.

I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW MANY TIMES YOU KNOW IN THE PAST WE'VE GOTTEN A HANDWRITTEN PIECE OF PAPER WITH SOME TYPE OF CHANGE. MY BACKGROUND IS BEING AN ATTORNEY VERY WELL FOR ME WITH THE NEED TO MAKE SURE THINGS ARE PROPERLY DOCUMENTED AND WHAT I DON'T WANT HAVE TO DO IS IF YOU'RE CHALLENGED AFTERWARDS AFTER REDISTRICTING YOU GO BACK AND CREATE THE RECORD OR FIND THE E-MAILS AND PUT THINGS TOGETHER AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE YOU HAVE A CLEAN PACKET THAT HAS ALL THE DOCUMENTATION AND ALL THE INFORMATION GOING FORWARD AND THEN THE ANNEXATION THAT I GOT GIVEN THAT BALTIMORE OR THE CITIES.

SO JUST A REMINDER WE NEED TO ADOPT THIS IN YOUR RESOLUTION. WE HAVE TO STATE AFTER YOUR WHAT YOUR PREFERENCES ARE, WHAT YOUR GOALS AND EXPECTATIONS. AGAIN, IT'S PART OF CREATING THE RECORD. IF YOU GET CHARGED, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU HAD A PLAN LAID OUT IN ADVANCE OF WHAT YOUR EXPECTATIONS AND THAT YOU AS A COUNCIL AGREE THAT WE'RE GOING TO ADHERE TO THE COURT ORDER CONSTITUTIONAL REQUIREMENT OF ONE PERSON, ONE VOTE. WE'RE GOING TO SET SOME TYPE OF VERY VARIANCE THERE YOUR DEVIATION SOMEWHERE BETWEEN ZERO AND 10 PERCENT DEPENDING ON YOUR LOCAL NEEDS.

>> WE'RE GOING TO MAKE SURE WE EVERYBODY AT HERE AND PLAY IS GOING TO ADHERE TO THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT. WE'RE GOING TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL PARTS OF THE DISTRICTS ARE CONTIGUOUS. WE'RE GOING TO DO OUR BEST TO KEEP DISTRICTS KIND OF BAD, MAINTAIN THAT CONSTITUENT CONSISTENCY, RESPECT COMMUNITIES OF INTEREST.

AND SO THESE ARE THE THINGS WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT THE PROCESS IS TRANSPARENT AND

[00:35:05]

>> THE FINAL THOUGHT I'D JUST LIKE TO SHARE WITH YOU IS THIS PROCESS IS TO BE PROACTIVE AND NOT REACTIVE. WE WANT TO GET AHEAD. WE WANT TO GET AHEAD OF THIS ISSUE. BE PREPARED FOR WHEN THE DATA IS RELEASED THAT YOU'D HAVE A GAME PLAN ON YOUR TIMELINE WHEN YOU NEED TO DO THIS. HOW YOU WANT TO DO IT, HOW YOU'RE GOING TO WORK WITH THE COMMUNITY IN SHARING THIS AND THEN THE OTHER THE FINAL THOUGHT HAS JUST NOT BEING TRANSPARENT. WE'RE WORKING ON A DOCUMENT THAT WE'RE GOING TO PROVIDE TO ALL THE ENTITIES WE WORK WITH AND WE'RE GOING TO LAY THIS OUT NOVEL AND JUST PRESENT A MAP. BUT THE DETAIL AND EXPLANATION BEHIND IT TO HELP YOU HELP OTHER PEOPLE UNDERSTAND EXACTLY WHAT'S GOING ON AND WHY THE RIGHT DECISIONS ARE BEING MADE.

AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT YOU ALL HAVE YOU GIVE CONSIDERATION TO.

>> WE CERTAINLY EXPECT IF WE WORK WITH YOU WHAT PRESENT YOU WITH YOUR INITIAL REPORT ON WHAT'S GOING. BUT AT THAT POINT YOU HAVE THE OPTION YOU CAN ACCEPT THE REPORT. YOU CAN ASK FOR COMMITMENTS OR YOU CAN MAKE MAKE MY BANK ANOTHER DECISION. MAKE YOU LIKE SOMEBODY ELSE BETTER.

BUT. BUT AGAIN, OUR SURFACE HERE IS TO HELP MAKE SURE GOVERNMENT WORKS AS EFFICIENTLY AS POSSIBLE GOING THROUGH THIS REQUIREMENT.

IF YOU HAVE ANY, HERE'S OUR CONTACT INFORMATION YOU CAN FEEL FREE TO CONTACT THIS LATER EITHER VICTOR OR MYSELF AT THESE PHONE NUMBERS OR EMAIL ADDRESSES BUT THAT'S OUR PRESENTATION. AND MR. CHAIRMAN, IF YOU ANY MEMBERS OF COUNCIL HAVE ANY QUESTIONS WE'LL BE GLAD TO TRY TO ANSWER THOSE FOR YOU AT THIS TIME.

>> I WANT TO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR AN EXCELLENT PRESENTATION AND.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH. DO YOU KNOW I HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS TO KIND OF KICK IT OFF IF BEAUFORT COUNTY OUR COUNCIL ELECTS TO USE THE SOUTH CAROLINA REVENUE PHYSICAL SINGER'S OFFICE THERE. THERE ARE 46 COUNTIES IN BEAUFORT IN SOUTH CAROLINA.

DO WE NEED TO MAKE AN. DO WE NEED TO TAKE A NUMBER AND GET IN LINE OR DO YOU.

ARE YOU STAFFED UP FOR THIS HOUSE KIND OF WORK? WELL, YES AND YES.

WE HAVE ABOUT 20 ENTITIES WE'RE WORKING ON. WE HAVE ABOUT I THINK ABOUT ELEVEN COUNTIES. VICTOR AND I ARE GETTING PREPARED.

WE HAVE ADDITIONAL RESOURCES HERE. WE'RE GOING TO MAKE SURE THAT FOR THOSE WHO REQUESTED OUR SERVICE, WE WORK WITH YOU FIRST .

LOOKS LIKE THE COUNTIES HAVE THE EARLIER DEADLINE OF THIS MARCH.

WE'RE GOING TO PUT YOU AT THE FOREFRONT OF THIS PROCESS AND WE EXPECT TO BE BUSY IN THE MONTHS OF OCTOBER, NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER TO DO THIS. IF I NEED ADDITIONAL RESOURCES, I WILL ACQUIRE ADDITIONAL RESOURCES TO BUT BECAUSE IT REQUIRES THREE RATINGS WE CAN WORK REAL HARD TO GET YOU TO THE FIRST DRAFT. IT'S GOING TAKE Y'ALL SOME TIME TO DIGEST. YES. SO IT REALLY DEPENDS FOR YOU TO GET THREE READINGS THROUGH KIND OF WHAT'S YOUR TIMELINE THERE? I FULLY EXPECT TO HAVE ALL THESE COUNTIES DONE AT LEAST REPORT TO THEM CERTAINLY BY EARLY DECEMBER AND I THINK PART OF IT IS UP TO YOU AFTERWARDS ON HOW MUCH WORK NEEDS TO BE DONE.

HOW MUCH THE CHANGES NEED TO BE INVOLVED. >> THE ONE THING WE DO ASK IS WE'D LIKE TO HAVE ONE POINT OF CONTACT AS CHAIRMAN FOR YOUR QUESTION.

WE'D LIKE TO HAVE A LETTER FOR THE RECORD AND WE'D LIKE TO WANT TO MAKE SURE WE DON'T DROP THE BALL. MISS OKATIE BODY BUT WE WOULD LIKE ONE POINT OF CONTACT AGAIN. WE'RE A SMALL OFFICE. WE'RE HAPPY TO HELP AS MANY AS WE CAN. BUT I DON'T HAVE THE LUXURY TO BE ABLE TO 46 COUNTIES AND SEVEN TO NINE COUNCIL MEMBERS IN HERE AND LISTEN ONE BY ONE. SO WE NEED A POINT OF CONTACT FROM OUR STANDPOINT. MAKE THIS AS EFFICIENT AS POSSIBLE.

>> AND THEN THE NEXT QUESTION I HAVE IS YOU MENTIONED THAT YES .

YOU WOULD COME OUT WITH A PRELIMINARY REPORT. IS THAT GOING TO COME AUTOMATICALLY OR IS THAT ONLY COME IF WE IF WE NOTIFY USE IT? MUELLER COUNTY WISHES TO USE YOUR SERVICES. ONLY IF YOU NOT ONLY FOR THOSE THAT WANT TO ENGAGE US.

>> HELLO, SIR. YES. SO WE'LL NEED TO MAKE A DECISION ON THAT FAIRLY QUICKLY AND IT SOUNDS LIKE YES, SIR. IN YOUR CAR WHAT MIGHT YOUR TIMELINE LOOK LIKE WHEN THE WELL ASSUMING WHEN THE DATA COMES OUT BECOMES AVAILABLE THE DATE IS GONNA BECOME AVAILABLE SEPTEMBER 30TH. WE'RE GOING TO START SPENDING THE EARLY PART OF OCTOBER. PREPARING THESE. MY GOAL IS TO START GETTING REPORTS OUT BY THE MIDDLE OF OCTOBER TO THE COUNTIES. AND SO I GUESS IT DEPENDS ON THE NEED. IN PREPARING THESE BUT I WOULD THINK NOT MAKING PROMISES BUT

[00:40:04]

>> WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE M.A. SOMETIME MIDDLE NOVEMBER THERE TO TAKE CARE OF THE COUNTIES BEFORE THANKSGIVING. AND THAT GIVES IT SOME TIME AFTERWARDS.

THE CITIES IF THE CITIES LOOKS LIKE THEY MAY MISS THIS REDISTRICTING PROCESS BECAUSE RIGHT HERE IF THE CITIES DON'T HAVE A ELECTION UNTIL NOVEMBER 23, THAT KIND OF HELPS WITH OUR TIMELINE. WE DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THOSE.

THERE MIGHT BE A CITY OR TWO THAT HAS A NOVEMBER ELECTION THIS NEXT YEAR IN 2020 TO BUT RIGHT NOW I FEEL COMFORTABLE FOR US TO LEAVE TO GET A PRELIMINARY REPORT TO YOU CERTAINLY BY THE NOVEMBER HERE AND GIVE YOU SOME TIME TO CONSIDER THAT.

TWO MORE QUESTIONS NOW OPEN IT UP. ONE IS WOULD YOU BE INVOLVED WITH MUNICIPALITIES THAT ONLY HAVE AT LARGE AT LARGE ELECTIONS?

>> THOSE ARE IF A CITY OR COUNTY ONLY HAS AT LARGE THAT DOES NOT REQUIRE OUR WORK IS

JUST THOSE THAT HAVE SINGLE MEMBER DISTRICTS. >> SECOND THING IS I WENT THROUGH THE 2010 REDISTRICTING ALONG WITH SEVERAL OF MY FELLOW COUNCIL PERSONS AND I REMEMBER SEEING THE THEN STATE OF THE ART SOFTWARE WHERE YOU HAD LITERALLY LITERALLY HAD A STYLUS AND AS YOU MOVED THE STYLUS ON THE MAP ALL THE NUMBERS AND THE DEMOGRAPHICS AT THE TOP CHANGE. IT WAS AMAZING PROCESS. MY QUESTION TO YOU IS IN 2000 20, 21 NOW WHEN YOU USE THE SAME STYLUS, ARE YOU GOING TO. IS IT GOING TO MOVE BY INDIVIDUAL RESIDENCES OR BY THOSE SUB SUB DISTRICTS THAT YOU DESCRIBED EARLIER? IT WILL GO ABOUT THIS. BUT THE CENSUS BLOCKS BY THOSE BLOCKS THAT'S WHAT THAT WAS MY QUESTION. SO IT WON'T BE BY JOE BLOW'S HOUSE.

IT WILL BE BY THE SYSTEM THE CENSUS BLOCK THAT JOE BLOW LIVES IN.

>> THAT'S RIGHT. THE BLOCKS ARE THE DEFINED UNITS THAT WE WORK WITH.

YES. THE ONE MOVE ONE AT A TIME IT'LL MOVE BLOCKS AT A TIME.

>> YES. YES. OK, THANK YOU.

LET ME OPEN IT UP. I'M SURE THERE'S SOME QUESTIONS FROM OUR FELLOW MEMBERS

OF WHICH TOO. >> YEAH, I REMEMBER BACK WHEN WE DID THIS BEFORE IT WENT EXTREMELY SMOOTHLY. THE SOFTWARE WAS WAS QUITE GOOD.

IT'S CALLED DESCRIBED IT. YOU COULD MOVE THINGS AROUND. I REMEMBER WE REALLY HAD NO DISAGREEMENT AS A COUNCIL. WHENEVER WE WERE TOGETHER AND TALKED ABOUT IT AND SAID WELL WHAT IF WE MOVE THIS ONE HERE AND MOVE THAT ONE THERE? I DON'T THINK ANYBODY DISAGREED WITH IT ALONG THE WAY AS I REMEMBER. SO I THINK WE DO.

BE WELL SERVED SOONER RATHER THAN LATER TO MAKE A COMMITMENT TO PROCEED WITH THE STATE AGAIN. IS THAT GOING TO BE A MOTION? WELL, WE DO DESCRIBE WHAT WE MAKE A MOTION. WHO ELSE IS PRETTY FASCINATING STUFF.

GO AHEAD. YES, SIR. THANK YOU.

THE COUNCIL JUST IS CHARGED WITH THE REDISTRICTING. SHOULD WE ALSO INVOLVE THE SCHOOL BOARD AS WELL BECAUSE THEY HAVE BEEN FOLLOWING OUR DISTRICT.

SO WOULD YOU ADVISE US TO MAKE SURE THAT THE SCHOOL BOARD IS A PART OF THIS PROCESS AS WELL?

>> BUT YOU ASK ARE YOU ASKING FRANK RAINWATER? ARE YOU ASKING ME EITHER ONE

OF YOU? >> AND I WOULD CERTAINLY SAY THAT IF YOU'RE THREATENING SOMEBODY ELSE IT WOULD CERTAINLY BE WISE TO INVOLVE THEM ON THAT ADVANCE.

>> I'LL HAVE THE STATUTES DRAFTED. I'M NOT EXACTLY SURE BUT IT'S THE WAY I UNDERSTAND IT AND SAFETY FOLLOWS THE COUNTY. YOU THE ONE RESPONSIBLE FOR PASSING WHAT? WELL, I THINK IT'S WISE TO WORK WITH THEM.

BUT IF I'M DRAWING THAT I'M GOING FOR IT FOR COUNTY COUNCIL I.

YOU SAID EARLIER, FRANK, THAT WE SHOULD AT A MINIMUM NOTIFY OUR COUNTERPARTS ON THIS ON THE SCHOOL BOARD AND WE'VE CERTAINLY DO THAT IN A MINUTE, SIR.

ELSE ALL RIGHT. YOU'RE LIKE A MONSTER, MR. CHAIRMAN.

YEAH, SURE. GO AHEAD. >> I WOULD MAKE A MOTION THAT WE PROCEED WITH THAT USING THE STATE AGAIN TO HELP US WITH THE REDISTRICTING BASED ON THE FINE JOB THAT THEY DID 10 YEARS AGO WHEN I WOULD CLARIFY THAT A LITTLE BIT BY SAYING INSTEAD OF THE STATE SOUTH CAROLINA REVENUE AND THE FISCAL AFFAIRS OFFICER JERRY I'LL SECOND THE

MOTION PLEASE. >> WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND DISCUSSION.

>> YEAH. THIS THIS SHOULD BE TWEET TO SAY WHERE WE'RE GOING TO MOVE THIS TO COUNCIL FOR ACTION BY COUNCIL SINCE THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE UNILATERALLY CANNOT

DO THIS. >> YOU TAKE US SO WE'LL HAVE IT ON THE UPCOMING COUNCIL AGENDA

[00:45:03]

FOR THAT PARTICULAR OFFICE SO WE MOVE IT FORWARD. >> IT WOULDN'T BE TILL TO NEXT HOUR. IT WILL BE OUR NEXT MONDAY. IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE SAYING HERE ? YES. OK.

ANY OTHER COMMENTS? >> WELL, MR. CHAIRMAN, IT'S A MYSTERY RAINWATER.

DO YOU DO YOU YOU FEEL THAT AT THIS TIME THAT BETWEEN OCTOBER AND PROBABLY JANUARY THAT WE CAN HAVE THESE DISTRICTS DRAWN UP AND PRESENTED TO THE PUBLIC?

>> YES, SIR. WE ALREADY HAVE AN IDEA OF WHAT THE COUNTY MEETING SCARECROWS ARE. WE'VE ALERTED OUR FAMILY NOT TO EXPECT US AT HOME BUT I WILL SAY I WAS IN YOUR TELLING ME OVER THE WEEKEND HELPING MY DAUGHTER PICK A WEDDING VENUE SO MAYBE IT'LL WORK OUT. I GET TO PRESENT YOU ABOUT THAT SAYING THAT I CAN KILL TWO BIRDS WITH ONE STONE BUT NO. THAT IS OUR INTENT BECAUSE WE UNDERSTAND THE IMPACT THIS AND WE'RE GOING TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE THE RESOURCES AND PLANS THERE FOR YOU IN TIME TO DO THIS FRANK. I'M WORKING WITH MY DAUGHTER ON A WEDDING VENUE.

CAN YOU AND I SPEAK LINE ABOUT THAT MAY NOT BE HELPFUL BUT HEARING NO FURTHER QUESTIONS I'LL LET I'LL PASS THIS ON TO COUNCIL WITHOUT OBJECTION. ARE THERE ANY OBJECTIONS HERE? NONE. THIS WILL BE MOVED ON THE COUNCIL ON COUNCIL MEETING WITHOUT OBJECTION. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, FRANK. AND AND ALSO VICTOR, WE APPRECIATE YOUR VERY MUCH A GREAT PRESENTATION LIKE YOU BRING US BACK TO YOU GUYS.

[10. SOUTHERN CAROLINA ALLIANCE PRESENTATION AND DISCUSSION]

I WAS HEAVILY INVOLVED IN THAT ALONG WITH MAYOR MURRAY. AND SO BUT I CAN MEMORY WAS MORE HEAVILY INVOLVED IN IT THAN I WAS. SO SO HE HAS A GOOD HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE ON IT AND CAN PROBABLY ANSWER A LOT OF QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW THIS THING EVOLVED AND HOW WE GOT TO WHERE WE ARE TODAY. I'M IN A HURRY.

ARE YOU PREPARED TO SPEAK TO US? >> I AM.

WHAT WOULD YOU SODIUM SIR? YEAH. THANK YOU.

APOLOGY FOR CREDIT THE PUBLICATION ON REDISTRICTING SOMETHING IMPORTANT WORK THAT'S COMING UP FIRST FOR ALL OF US AND LET IT THE CITY DOESN'T HAVE TO WORK THROUGH THAT PROCESS. WELL WELL THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE WITH YOU TODAY. I APPRECIATE GERMAN PARLIAMENT INVITING ME TO COME AND TALK ABOUT SOMETHING THAT I'M REALLY PASSIONATE ABOUT MY ORGANIZATION THAT I'VE NOT LOVE BECAUSE IT IS CREATING GENERATIONAL IMPACT FOR BEAUFORT COUNTY.

I MEAN THAT'S THAT'S JUST AS SIMPLE AS IT IS. SOMEONE TELL YOU A LITTLE BIT OF A STORY I WILL TRY TO YOU KNOW, AS A KID I WATCHED DRAGNET RERUNS.

I DIDN'T HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO WATCH THEM AND WHEN THEY FIRST CAME ON RIGHT JOE? JUST THE FACTS, MA'AM. SOMEONE WOULD TRY TO BE FACT BASED AND NOT PEPPER MY OWN MY OWN PERSONAL OPINIONS. SO TAKE YOU BACK TO DECEMBER OF 2014.

WE HAD A GROUP CALLED THE LOW COUNTRY ECONOMIC NETWORK THAT HAD BEEN CREATED AFTER THE COLLAPSE LOWCOUNTRY ECONOMIC ALLIANCE. THIS COUNTY WAS REALLY SPLIT.

COUNTY COUNCIL WILL SPLIT. MUNICIPAL LEADERS WERE SPLIT. PRIVATE SECTOR WAS SPLIT ABOUT WHAT DIRECTION THAT WE GO IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. I THINK THE GOOD NEWS WAS THAT OVER THE THREE OR FOUR YEARS PRIOR WE HAD ACTUALLY TURNED THE PUBLIC OPINION ABOUT THIS COUNTY'S NEED TO BE ON THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT BUSINESS AND TO BE COMMITTED TO ECONOMIC DIVERSIFICATION BECAUSE WE'VE SEEN THAT WE'VE GOT RETIREES MOVING IN.

WE'VE GOT A COST OF LIVING THAT'S GOING UP. WE'VE GOT WAGES PRIMARILY AROUND SERVICE ECONOMY THAT ARE LOW THAT DON'T ALLOW OUR YOUNG WORKING PROFESSIONALS TO BE ABLE TO LIVE HERE. RIGHT. SO HOW DO WE WORK TOGETHER AS COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP TO BE ABLE TO STEM THAT TIDE AND KEEP OUR YOUNG PEOPLE HERE THE SENSE OF VIBRANCY THAT WE NEED? HOW DO WE DIVERSIFY OUR TAX BASE TO PROVIDE SUSTAINABLE FUTURE? SO WE STARTED FROM A GOOD PLACE AND WE WANT TO DO SOMETHING.

BUT WHAT THE DO WE DO? AND WE REALLY KIND OF DIVIDED INTO TWO CAMPS.

THERE WAS ONE GROUP THAT THOUGHT WE NEEDED A NEW ENTITY SIMILAR TO HOW LITTLE COUNTRY ECONOMIC NETWORKING THE ALLIANCE STRUCTURE. AND THEN THERE WAS THIS OTHER

[00:50:03]

AND NOTHING WAS HAPPENING OVER THOSE WHO WERE ON THE TABLE. WE HAD CONVERSATIONS BUT WE HAD NO FORWARD MOMENTUM. SO THE MAYORS GOT TOGETHER AND I'LL GET MY PREDECESSOR, MAYOR KEISLING MAYOR SILKE WAS A HUGE LEADER IN THIS INITIATIVE TO GET GOING.

DAVID BENNETT AND MAYOR MURRAY AND PORT ROYAL THEY GOT TOGETHER AND WROTE A MEMO THAT A NUMBER OF US HELP POLISH FOR THEM AND SEND IT TO COUNTY COUNCIL.

AND THERE WERE EIGHT BULLET POINTS IN THAT MEMO. I BELIEVE IT WAS ABOUT MARCH OF 2009 15. AND ONE OF THE ITEMS WAS THAT WE OUGHT TO FORM A MULTI JURISDICTIONAL BROAD COALITION ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO MOVE THIS ISSUE FORWARD. AND SO THANKS THE COUNTY COUNCIL LEADERSHIP AT THE TIME THEY CHARTERED WHAT WAS CALLED THE BEAUFORT COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION.

WE TOOK A LITTLE FLAK BECAUSE FOLKS DIDN'T THINK IT WAS A VERY CREATIVE NAME AND WE SHOULDN'T COME UP WITH SOMETHING FOR DIFFERENT COUNTY. BUT WHATEVER WE WERE A LITTLE PRAGMATIC, RIGHT? IT WAS LIKE LET'S GET TO WORK. SO WE CREATED THAT RIGHT IN THIS ROOM. I WAS A FEW MINUTES LATE TO THE MEETING THAT DAY AND SOMEHOW GOT ELECTED CHAIRMAN OF THE GROUP. I WILL BE FRANK AND TELL YOU THAT I THOUGHT POLITICALLY IT WAS A WAY FOR A COUNTY COUNCIL TO DISTANCE THEMSELVES FROM THE ISSUE, PUSH IT OFF ON A BUNCH OF US. THIS NEW GREEN GUY THAT WE PROBABLY WEREN'T GOING TO BE SUCCESSFUL BUT WE AT LEAST HAD TO TRY.

SO ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS I DID WAS GO TO COFFEE OR DINNER OR DRINKS FOR THE ELEVEN COUNCIL MEMBERS AND TALK ABOUT WHERE WE OUGHT TO GO. AND IF I TALKED TO ELEVEN OF YOU I GOT ELEVEN DIFFERENT OPINIONS. SO I WENT BACK TO MY BOARD AND SAID FOLKS, I'VE GOT A PROBLEM. IT'S HARD TO MOVE A SHIP ANYWHERE IF WE ALL WANT TO GO TO IN DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS. SO WE DID WHAT WE OFTEN DO BEST IN THE COUNTY AND I INCLUDE THE MINUTES PARTIES IN THIS IN THE STATEMENT WE HIRED A CONSULTANT.

WE'VE ECONOMICALLY DEVELOPED LOTS OF CONSULTANTS IN THE LAST COUPLE OF DECADES IN THIS COUNTY. WE WENT OUT AND GOT A REALLY GREAT GUY ROB KAMAU.

HE'S OUT OF NEW YORK. HE'S TIED IN WITH INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPERS COUNCIL.

HE WRITES WHITE PAPERS. HE DISSIPATES POLICY COMMITTEES.

WE HIRED ROB AND WE BROUGHT HIM DOWN TO BE FOR COUNTY. WE HAD COMPLETED IT OVER THE LAST THREE OR FOUR YEARS THROUGH THE ALLIANCE AND THE NETWORK AND HILTON HAD HAD THEIR OWN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GROUP. WE HAD COMPLETED OVER A QUARTER OF A MILLION DOLLARS WORTH OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STUDIES IN THE FEW YEARS PRIOR ABOUT WHERE WE OUGHT TO GO. SO WE DIDN'T FEEL LIKE WE NEEDED TO REINVENT THE WHEEL BECAUSE WE HAD A LOT OF GOOD DATA. THAT WE SPENT A LOT OF PUBLIC MONEY ON. SO WE LOOKED AT THOSE STUDIES WITH ROB'S EXPERTISE.

WE LOOKED AT NATIONAL BEST PRACTICES. HOW WERE OUR PEERS, HOW WERE OUR NEIGHBORS, HOW ARE THEY BEING SUCCESSFUL IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT? BECAUSE IT'S IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THAT WHILE WE WERE FAILING TO STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA IT WAS KILLING IT. WE STILL THE NUMBER ONE STATE FOR DIRECT FOREIGN INVESTMENT.

YOU'VE SEEN HUGE ANNOUNCEMENTS LIKE BOEING AND VOLVO AND THE BIG GUYS GET MOST OF THE HEADLINES BUT THERE ARE PILES A LITTLE SMALL BOUTIQUE MANUFACTURERS AND HIGH GROWTH FIRMS MOVING SOUTH CAROLINA EVERY DAY THAT ARE PROVIDING GREAT JOBS AND AGAIN DIVERSIFY TAX BASE. SO ROB CAME IN, LOOKED NATIONAL BEST PRACTICES, LOOKED AT ALL THOSE STUDIES WE HAD AND THEN HE INTERVIEWED 60 PLUS STAKEHOLDERS SO INTERVIEWED A PILOT POLITICAL LEADERSHIP, A PILOT, PRIVATE SECTOR FOLKS, UTILITIES, EDUCATION AND TRIED TO MAKE SENSE OF WHAT THE CONSENSUS WAS. AND AT THE END OF THAT EXERCISE THE DOCUMENT IS AVAILABLE ON THE WEB SITE UNDER THE BEAUFORT COUNTY FOR COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION BOARD COMMISSION PAGE COUNTY WEB SITE CAME UP WITH AN ORGANIZATIONAL STRATEGY FOR US AND IT SAID A FEW THINGS. ONE THAT BEAUFORT COUNTY DESERVED AND NEEDED SOMEBODY WHO WOKE UP EVERY DAY AND THOUGHT ABOUT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT BEAUFORT COUNTY. RIGHT. AND SO WE NEEDED OUR OWN ENTITY . IT HAD TO BE A BROAD COALITION. IT COULDN'T BE LED BY COUNTY.

IT COULDN'T BE LED BY THE MINUTES COUNTIES. IT COULDN'T BE LED BY THE PRIVATE SECTOR. IT HAD TO BE ALL OF THESE ENTITIES WORKING HAND-IN-HAND TO MOVE THE NEEDLE FORWARD BECAUSE THAT'S NATIONAL BEST PRACTICE AND THAT'S HOW OTHER COMMUNITIES IN THE REGION MOVE THE EFFORTS. IT SAID THE SBA WASN'T THE BE ALL END ALL RIGHT. IT WAS A PARTNERSHIP. IT WAS A COLLABORATION WITH THE SBA AS MUCH AS IT WAS HAVING YOUR OWN ENTITY IN THE B.C. EDC SO COUNCIL IN 2017 GAVE THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION A UNANIMOUS VOTE SUPPORT.

IT WAS MULTIPLE ONES AS IT WORKED ITS WAY OUT OF COMMITTEE FOR BUDGETS FOR AUTHORITY TO NEGOTIATE ON YOUR BEHALF BECAUSE THE OTHER THING IT SAID IS THAT THE PREVIOUS EFFORTS SOMETIMES SUFFERED FROM POLITICAL MEDDLING. RIGHT.

AND I DON'T SAY THAT LIGHTLY AS A MAYOR AS A COUNCIL MEMBER AT THE TIME, BUT OFTENTIMES THOSE POLITICIANS WE CAN'T HELP OURSELVES AND WE LIKE TO BE MAYBE TOO FAR IN THE WEEDS DAILY OPERATIONS OF SOME OF THE ORGANIZATIONS AND THINGS THAT WE SERVE.

AND SO IT WAS A WARNING TO MYSELF INCLUDED ABOUT HOW MUCH WE GET INTO THE WEEDS OF THINGS. IT ALSO SAID THAT WE PREVIOUS EFFORTS WE DIDN'T REPORT TO OUR

[00:55:04]

AND SO WE KNEW THAT WE HAD TO DO THOSE THINGS BETTER IF WE WERE GOING TO BE SUCCESSFUL MOVING FORWARD. SO I SERVED AS THE VOLUNTEER UNPAID SORT OF EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR CHAIRMAN FOR ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF AS WE GOT THE EFFORT GOING.

WE DID A NATIONAL SEARCH. WE HAD 50 OVER 50 APPLICANTS FOR THE JOB, MOST OF WHOM WERE QUALIFIED. WE HAD A VERY OPEN PROCESS. THOSE WHO WERE AROUND REMEMBER AT BLUFFTON, THE ROTARY CENTER IN BLUFFTON. WE HAD COME IN AND MEET A COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP AND GET FEEDBACK FROM COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP.

WE MADE THE HIRE BUT WE WERE VERY FORTUNATE TO HIRE JOHN O'TOOLE WHO HAD A VERY SIGNIFICANT AND SUCCESSFUL BACKGROUND IN THE NORTHEAST. IT WAS ALSO AN ELECTED OFFICIAL UNDERSTANDS POLITICAL DYNAMICS. SO FAST FOR JOHN YOU BETTER WHAT THREE YEARS NOW? IT SO FAST FOR THREE YEARS TO DATE ALMOST 200 MILLION DOLLARS IN CAPITAL INVESTMENT, ALMOST 900 COMMITTED OR RETAIN JOBS AT AN AVERAGE WAGE OF FORTY SEVEN THOUSAND DOLLARS A YEAR AND ALMOST 10 MILLION DOLLARS NOW MONEY MONEY THAT WE'VE BEEN SENT INTO COLOMBIA BECAUSE THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE GRANTS OUT AND INCENTIVES IN GRANTS TO ENTITIES LIKE OURS THAT WE'VE BEEN SENDING THERE FOR YEARS AND NEVER GETTING BACK ALMOST 10 MILLION DOLLARS THAT MONEY BACK INTO BACK INTO OUR COMMUNITY AND WE'RE JUST GETTING WE'RE JUST GETTING GOING. SO I THINK REGARDLESS OF THE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THE SBA OR THE EDC OR HOW WE WORK AND HOW WE INTERFACE TOGETHER, I JUST ASKED THAT WE PLEASE NOT LOSE SIGHT THAT THE STRATEGY THAT WE PUT TOGETHER AND THAT WE WERE VERY INTENTIONAL IN STANDING FOUR OR FIVE YEARS AGO IS WORKING AND THAT'S MY GRANDFATHER WOULD SAY, YOU KNOW, IF IT AIN'T BROKE, DON'T FIX IT WHICH SOMETIMES IS A GUY WHO LIKES TO MEDDLE IN THINGS.

I HAVE TO REMIND MYSELF OF THAT IF YOUR GRANDPA TALKING TO THE BACK OF MY HEAD SO IN 2017 THE COUNCIL GAVE THE FTC THE AUTHORITY TO NEGOTIATE THE SCA CONTRACT ON COUNTY COUNCIL'S BEHALF. WE FORMED A SMALL SUBCOMMITTEE OF OUR BOARD.

I LED THE NEGOTIATIONS ON BEHALF OF THE COUNTY TO GO SIT DOWN WITH DANTE BLACK AND BUDDY PHILLIPS WHO IS THE CHAIR OF THE SBA AT THE TIME IT TOOK US PROBABLY SIX MONTHS BUT AT THE END OF THE NEGOTIATIONS WE DID WE WERE ABLE TO REACH A DEAL WHICH IS THE CONTRACT THAT YOU THAT YOU'VE SEEN. I UNDERSTAND THAT SOME FOLKS BELIEVE THE CONTRACT IS RENEWED AND SO WE'RE IN ANOTHER TWO AND A HALF LEFT YOUR LEFT CONTRACT. AND THAT'S FINE.

PERSONALLY I WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE METRICS ASSOCIATED WITH WHAT WE GET BACK FROM THE SBA.

INCLUDED IN THE CONTRACT AND IN TERMS OF NUMBER OF LEADS AND CONTACT AND MARKETING AND PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT PIECES, I DON'T THINK THAT'S TOO MUCH TO ASK.

I THINK WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE EDC AND HOW WE CONDUCT OUR BUSINESS, OUR BOARD MEETS ANNUALLY FOR FOUR OUR STRATEGIC PLANNING MEETING WE SET VERY CLEAR GOALS WITH VERY CLEAR METRICS AND VERY CLEAR TACTICS ON HOW WE'RE GONNA ACCOMPLISH THOSE GOALS.

WE REPORT BACK TO OUR STAKEHOLDERS ON A VERY REGULAR BASIS.

SO YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHAT'S GOING ON. OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR HAS PERSONAL PERFORMANCE GOALS THAT ARE TIED TO THE STRATEGIC GOALS.

LAST WEEK WE MET IN OUR EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE WE MET IN BLUFFTON TO GO OVER HIS PERFORMANCE GOALS, HIS EVALUATION. WE'RE GOING TO WRITE UP A LETTER OF WHAT HE'S DOING RIGHT. WE CAN DO A LITTLE BIT BETTER HOW IT TIES TO WHAT WE'RE DOING AS AN ORGANIZATION, AS A COUNTY DESERVE THAT TYPE OF BUSINESS, A BUSINESS DRIVEN APPROACH TO HOW WE CONDUCT OUR NONPROFITS TO TRY TO AGAIN MOVE

OUT, MOVE OUR GOALS FORWARD. >> SO WE WANT TO KEEP DOING THAT.

WE WANT TO KEEP DOING THAT ON YOUR BEHALF. THE OTHER THE OTHER PART OF THE ORGANIZATIONAL STRATEGY THAT I THINK IS IMPORTANT IS THAT IT'S GOING TO BE DIFFICULT FOR YOU TO HAVE A COMPREHENSIVE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT POLICY. IF YOU'VE GOT A COUPLE OF KIDS GOING IN DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS RIGHT. YOU'VE GOT THE NCAA OVER.

YOU'RE DOING ONE THING AND YOU'VE GOT THE EDC OFF YOU'RE DOING SOMETHING ELSE CAN BE REALLY HARD TO GET THOSE FOLKS SORT OF WORK TOGETHER. SO THEN THE QUESTION BECOMES HOW DO YOU TIE HOW DO YOU TIE THOSE ENTITIES TOGETHER? IF COUNTY COUNCIL STILL WANTS TO EDC TO BE YOUR ARM AND TO BE YOUR VOICE ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND SO THE WAY WE ANSWERED THAT QUESTION FIVE YEARS AGO WAS THROUGH THE THREE SEATS THAT THE COUNTY GETS ON THE SGA BOARD AND THE WAY WE SET IT UP WAS WHO ARE THE CHAIR OF THE EDC WAS THEY WOULD SERVE ON THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE SEAT OF THE SCA. AND SO ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF I HELD THAT SEAT WENT TO HAMPTON, WENT TO THE MEETINGS WITH THE SCA THE SECOND SEAT IS A COUNTY COUNCIL. YOU GOT AN APPOINTEE TO THE ABC BOARD AND SO WE ALSO THOUGHT IT WAS IMPORTANT TO TIE THOSE THREE ENTITIES TOGETHER. SO THAT SEAT HISTORICALLY IS ALSO HELD ON THE SBA. SO IT'S THE SBA, THE ADC AND A COUNTY COUNCIL MEMBER ALSO THE ONE AND THE SAME PERSON. AND THEN THIRDLY WE THOUGHT IT WAS IMPORTANT THAT SOMEONE FROM

[01:00:04]

FOR THE ABC THAT WAY THE RIGHT HAND KNOWS WHAT THE LEFT HAND IS DOING.

IT GIVES THE CHAIR OF THE EDC A LARGER VOICE WHEN THEY'RE SITTING AROUND THE SBA TABLE.

WE'RE TRYING TO PUSH FOR PERFORMANCE METRICS BUT WE'RE TRYING TO GET OUR GOALS ACCOMPLISHED WITH THE SBA. AND SO I WOULD ARGUE THAT TIME THE ORGANIZATIONS TOGETHER THROUGH THAT GOVERNANCE STRUCTURE IS IMPORTANT AND IT'S BEEN WORKING PRETTY WELL.

SO I JUST ASK THAT WE MAYBE NOT CHANGE THAT BECAUSE IT'S WORKING.

I THINK WE'VE GOT A GREAT CHAIR AT THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION.

I PERSONALLY HANDPICKED MRS. FEASTER SUCCEED ME WHEN I STEPPED DOWN AS THE CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD AFTER A FEW YEARS I ACTUALLY GOT THE RIGHT PERSONALITY HER BUSINESS BACKGROUND WITH PALMETTO ELECTRIC CREATES A STRONGER TIE BETWEEN THE SBA AND OTHER COUNTIES IN THE REGION. WE'VE GOT THE RIGHT GROUP. IF YOU HAVEN'T INTO AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION BOARD MEETING I ASK THAT YOU PLEASE JOIN US NEXT MONTH AND SEE THE GROUP THAT WE HAVE. SO I FEEL LIKE I'VE RAMBLED LONG ENOUGH.

ARE THERE ANY SPECIFIC QUESTIONS ABOUT THE HISTORY OR HOW WE GOT TO TO WHERE WE ARE?

>> THIS YEAR I MIGHT JUST SAY A PIECE THINK YOU VERY CORRECTLY CHARACTERIZED THE CHRONOLOGICAL

WE WENT THROUGH. >> WHAT ARE THE ISSUES THAT SURFACED IS WHETHER OR NOT WE SHOULD DO SOMETHING, WHETHER WE SHOULD DROP OUT OF THE FCA AND SOME BACKGROUND OF WHAT LED UP TO WHERE YOUR HISTORY STARTED WAS WHERE WE WERE WHEN WE WERE LOOKING AT THAT COUNCIL WAS

HEAVILY SPLIT. >> I WAS CHAIRING THE GOVERNMENTAL COMMITTEE AT THAT TIME WHICH HAD ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. THERE WERE REALLY FOUR OPTIONS ON THE TABLE. ONE WAS SHOULD WE DO SOMETHING WITH SOUTHERN AIRLINES? NUMBER TWO WAS WHETHER WE SHOULD GO IT ALONE WITH JASPER. WAS CONVERSATIONS HELD WITH JASPER. THEY SAID THEY WANTED TO PARTNER WITH US BUT ONLY THROUGH THE SBA. THERE WERE OTHERS ON COUNCIL THAT SAID WE REALLY OUGHT HOOKUP UP WITH CHARLESTON SO WE CONTACTED CHARLESTON AND THEY WROTE BACK AND SAID NO THANK YOU AND WE'RE WILLING THAT THEY'RE WILLING TO DATE WHICH I'M STILL NOT QUITE SURE WHAT

THAT IS. >> WELL THEN THEY APPARENTLY TALKED TO COMMERCE POWERS CALLED US AND SAID NO THEY DON'T THEY REALLY DON'T WANT TO DO IT.

AND THEN THE LAST THING WAS WHETHER WE COULD GO ON OUR OWN. I MET WITH BOBBY HERE WHO STILL THE CHAIRMAN OF COMMERCE AND HE SAID YOU'RE WELCOME TO DO WHAT YOU WANT TO.

BUT YOU KNOW THE STATE MONEY WOULD PROBABLY GET CUT OFF AT THAT TIME.

SO THAT WAS HOW WE GOT TO THE SBA AND I'VE ALWAYS BELIEVED I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH HOW WE ORGANIZE INTERNALLY THE BBC. BUT I THINK WE'D BE SHORTSIGHTED IF WE WALKED AWAY FROM THE SBA GOING TO BE A LOT OF RAMIFICATIONS THAT WE DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT.

YEAH, WELL I I'D AGREE WITH THAT. I MEAN THERE WERE THERE WERE DIFFERENT MODELS. WE WENT TALK TO DAVID TROST REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT ALLIANCE AND THEY'RE VERY NICE AND OPEN. I WAS IN CHARLESTON THIS MORNING AT THE OPENING OF THE CHARLESTON TECH CENTER AND I DO THINK WE OUGHT TO HAVE A STRONG RELATIONSHIP WITH OUR FORECAST IN CHARLESTON BECAUSE OFTENTIMES WE LOOK MORE LIKE THEM THAN WE DO SOME OF OUR NEIGHBORING OUR OTHER NEIGHBORING RURAL COUNTIES. I GUESS I WOULD ARGUE THAT, YOU KNOW, JOHN AND CHARLEY HAVE ESTABLISHED REALLY GREAT RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE FOLKS COMMERCE WHETHER YOU GUYS YOU TALK TO THE EXISTING INDUSTRY GUYS YOU TALK TO THE PROJECT MANAGER AND YOU TALK TO THE FINANCE FOLKS. IF YOU KNOW FOLKS AT COMMERCE, I ENCOURAGE YOU TO CALL AND ASK WHAT THEY THINK ABOUT JOHN THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION BECAUSE IT'S WORKING. I'LL BE REALLY FRANK I DON'T CARE WHETHER WE STAY IN A RELATIONSHIP WITH THIS. RIGHT.

I DON'T THINK THEY BRING ENOUGH VALUE FOR WHAT WE CURRENTLY PAYING THAT.

WHICH IS WHY YOU'VE SEEN THE METRICS THAT WE'VE TRIED TO INSERT IN THE CONTRACT THAT I THINK ARE A PRETTY LOW BAR FOR THEM TO AGREE TO FOR WHATEVER REASON THEY DON'T WANT TO AGREE TO THAT. SO IF WE WANT TO STAY IN A CONTRACT WITH THE FCA AND PROVIDE MONEY THEY DO BRING SOME VALUE. I THINK JOHN CHARLIE AND THE BOARD ARE WORKING TO STRENGTHEN THAT RELATIONSHIP TO GET THEM TO COMPLY TO SOME OF THOSE CONDITIONS VOLUNTARILY. BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, JOHN AND CHARLIE, THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS, THE COUNTY ERIC GREENWAY, KIRK TAYLOR HAS BEEN AN INTEGRAL PART OF WHAT WE DO OVER THERE. THE CORPORATION GETS ITS TEAM BEAUFORT BEAUFORT KIND OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION WHO'S GETTING THE JOB? I MEAN THAT'S THE REALITY OF IT. SO I'D LIKE TO CHANGE THE CONVERSATION AND I THINK WE'VE SPENT TOO MUCH TIME PERSONALLY WE'VE TALKED TOO MUCH TIME TALKING ABOUT THE SCADA RELATIONSHIP WHEN WE'RE RUNNING OUT OF PRODUCT, WE'RE RUNNING OUT OF AVAILABLE LAND, AVAILABLE BUILDINGS TO BOOK DEALS.

AND SO AS A MENTOR OF MINE USED TO SAY IN BUSINESS IT DOESN'T MATTER HOW GOOD YOUR MARKETING IS IF YOU DON'T HAVE STUFF TO SELL IT DOESN'T MATTER. AND THAT'S THE POSITION WE'RE GOING TO BE IN HERE IN SHORT ORDER IS NOT HAVING NOT HAVING STUFF TO SELL TO PEOPLE.

[01:05:01]

WE'VE GOT A GREAT PLACE TO LIVE. WE FINALLY GOT A GOVERNMENT THAT IS SUPPORTIVE OF INDUSTRY AND WANTS TO HELP CREATE BETTER JOBS FOR PEOPLE.

THAT'S GOT TO BE OUR FOCUS. THAT'S THE STRATEGY IN THE LONG TERM PRIORITIES THAT WE NEED TO BE TALKING ABOUT NOT MR. BLACK WHO WANTS TO ACCUSE PEOPLE OF HAVING PERSONALITY CONFLICTS AND BEAUFORT COUNTY. MR. CHAIRMAN, I JUST WANT TO ECHO WHAT MR. MURRAY IS.

THIS STATED AND I DO AGREE WHOLEHEARTEDLY WITH YOU. I PERSONALLY LOOK TO THE COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT BOARD FOR JOB CREATION HERE AND YOU COUNTY.

WE GET TO HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH SOMEONE LIONS. SO I SUPPORT THAT BECAUSE WE HAVE TO HAVE THAT BACK BECAUSE OF THE STATE ECONOMIC CAUSE. BUT I DON'T REALLY LOOK TO THEM FOR ANYTHING PERSONALLY. AND SO THE LEAST AMOUNT OF MONEY WE COULD DISH OUT TO THEM IS FINE WITH ME. SO I'D LIKE TO MAKE THAT STATEMENT PUBLICLY.

I WOULD JUST ASK MR. CHAIRMAN IF IT'S OK IF THE CHAIRMAN OF THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT BOARD WANT TO SAY SOMETHING, ALLOW HER TO DO THAT AT THIS TIME IF THAT'S OK.

MR. CHAIRMAN AND OTHER THAN THAT, YES, I AGREE WITH EVERYTHING.

MURRAY'S MYSELF. I APOLOGIZE. I HAVE TO GO FOR MYSELF BUT I AGREE WHOLEHEARTEDLY WHAT YOU SAID TRACK TRACK THAT WE'RE ON BY WAY IF WE EVER DO THIS I BELIEVE ESSAY FIRST TALKED TO TOM DAVIS ON SENATE FINANCE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, DAVID.

WE APPRECIATE IT. AND NOW WE'RE ALREADY AWAY WAY OVER TWO HOURS WHICH IS NOT YOUR FAULT. IT'S OUR COLLECTIVE FAULT DO THE WAY WE TRIED TO ACCOMPLISH TOO MUCH TODAY BUT SO WE NEED TO WE NEED TO MOVE ON TO OUR COMMUNITY SERVICES.

FOR THE PRESENTATION. COULD YOU APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY HERE AND I PROBABLY DON'T SAY IT ENOUGH BUT I SINCERELY APPRECIATE YOUR LEADERSHIP ON ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT BECAUSE WE WOULDN'T BE HERE IF IT WASN'T FOR FOUR COUNTY COUNCIL'S CONTINUED TO

THANK YOU. >> THE ONLY THING LEFT ON OUR AGENDA IS JUST THE IS THE TWO ITEMS IN THE IN THE COUNTY COUNCIL SO THAT IF THEY IN THE COUNTY COUNCIL HANDBOOK PROCEDURES HANDBOOK YOU'RE STARTING OFF SIMPLE WE HAVE A PREAMBLE IN CHAPTER ONE IS

PRETTY STRAIGHTFORWARD. >> I DON'T THINK WE NEED TO SPEND TIME TALKING ON A POINT I'D LIKE TO DO IS BETWEEN NOW AND NEXT TIME WE MEET HAVE YOU TAKE A LOOK AT YOU HAVE ANY OBJECTIONS OR ANY SORT OF PRECEDENT TO ME DURING THAT MONTH OR BRING THEM UP AT THE NEXT MEETING AND WILL APPROVE THEM AT THAT TIME AND THEN WE'LL MOVE ON.

WE'VE GOT ANOTHER 10 CHAPTERS TO GO. IT'S GOING TO TAKE US A WHILE.

SOME OF US GOING TO BE A LITTLE MORE CONTROVERSIAL. I DON'T THINK THIS SHOULD BE PARTICULARLY CONTROVERSIAL. BUT AGAIN, IF YOU HAVE SOME CONCERNS ABOUT BRING THEM TO MY ATTENTION OR ELSE BRING IT UP AT THE NEXT MEETING AND WITH APOLOGIES TO LARRY MCCABE MAX

MACALLAN, WHERE ARE YOU, LARRY? >> YES. SLEEP.

YEAH, YOU'RE RIGHT. ARE YOU READY TO TAKE OVER MY SO WITHOUT ALL ADJOURN THE MEETING AND APOLOGIZE, LARRY, AND ULTIMATELY APOLOGIZE TO THE CHAIRMAN AND THAT FOR THESE HORSES AS WELL BECAUSE WHO KNOWS WHAT WE'RE GOING TO THAT. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH, LARRY.

YOU WANT TO GIVE HIM A FIVE MINUTE BREAK? YEAH, I THINK IT'S SMART FOR US TO RECONVENE 350 MILES

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.