* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. I CERTAINLY [00:00:01] CAN [1. Call to Order] MR. BROWN, MR. PARSON HERE, MR. AMES, MR. LENNOX, WE IN COMPLIANCE TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. UH, PLEDGE THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE, LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL, BUT THE FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH BUILD THAT. YES, LET'S PRAY GOD. WE DO THANK YOU SO MUCH. GOD, FOR THE MEN AND WOMEN WHO ARE ON THIS CALL, UH, THOSE THAT YOU HAVE CALLED TO LEAD OUR COMMUNITY. GOD, WE PRAY THAT YOU WOULD GIVE THEM WISDOM. I GOD, THAT YOU WOULD GIVE THEM DISCERNMENT AS THEY MAKE DECISIONS. UH, GOD, I PRAY THAT YOU WOULD HELP US TO, UH, JUST LIVE IN A STATE OF APPRECIATION. GOD, WE ARE THANKFUL FOR THIS, UH, COMMUNITY THAT YOU HAVE BLESSED US WITH, UH, GOD, FOR THE BEAUTIFUL CREATION THAT SURROUNDS US. GOD, WE PRAY THAT YOU WOULD GIVE US WISDOM AND GOD, WE JUST THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY THAT WE HAVE TO CALL HILTON HEAD ISLAND HOME. GOD, AGAIN, WE JUST ASK THAT YOU WOULD GIVE UNITY AND GOD GIVE A GREAT WISDOM TO THESE MEN AND WOMEN WHO ARE IN THESE POSITIONS OF AUTHORITY, UH, IN THESE POSITIONS OF SERVICE. WHEN IT'S IN CHRIST'S GREAT NAME, WE PRAY. AMEN. THANK YOU FOR THIS. WE APPRECIATE IT ALL THE MINUTES. [6. Approval of the Minutes] UH, MR. MAYOR, I'D LIKE TO SPEAK TO THIS ITEM PLEASE. YES, SIR. UH, AS YOU RECALL, UH, DURING OUR SEPTEMBER 21ST, 2021 TOWN COUNCIL MEETING IN ITEM 12 B ON PAGE FIVE OF THE AGENDA, UH, WE IMPROVED THE OFFICE OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS IN HARD STRATEGIC PLAN BY A VOTE AND FAITH WAS SIX AND FAVOR AND ONE ABSTENTION. UH, IT IS NOTED THAT COUNCILWOMAN BECKER ABSTAINED, ONCE SHE DETERMINED THAT THIS PLAN A HUNDRED CONSIDERATION WOULD IN FACT BE INCLUDED IN THE TOWN'S GREATER STRATEGIC PLANNER, IT IS IN ORDER TO FURTHER, AS IT IS NOW IN THE SECTION ENTITLED EDUCATIONAL CURRICULUM. IT STATES QUOTE NOT BUILT YET AND QUOTE WOULD BE AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE ARTS, THE ARTS STRATEGIC PLAN, WHICH WOULD ULTIMATELY BE ROLLED INTO THE TOWNS STRATEGIC PLAN. THEREFORE UPON REFLECTION, I BELIEVE WE WERE PRECIPITOUS AND APPROVING THE ART COUNCIL'S STRATEGIC PLAN BECAUSE WE DID NOT HAVE THE EDUCATIONAL CURRICULUM BEFORE US WITH ALL OF THIS SAID, I RESPECTFULLY MOVE THAT WE RESEND OUR APPROVAL OF THIS ITEM UNTIL THE EDUCATIONAL CURRICULUM. THAT IS PART OF THIS PLAN IS FULLY IDENTIFIED AND REVIEWED BY COUNCIL. WE'LL HAVE A SECOND, LET'S HAVE SOME DISCUSSION ON THIS. UM, MR. STANFORD, THEY ARE, I BELIEVE THAT, UH, IT IS NOT APPROPRIATE FOR US TO APPROVE SOMETHING BEFORE WE'VE SEEN IT. WE'VE SEEN SOME OF THAT IN THE NATIONAL GOVERNMENT AND WE KNOW THAT THAT DOESN'T WORK. SO I THINK THAT THIS MOTION IS ENTIRELY AN ODOR. THANK YOU, MR. BROWN. THANK YOU MR. MAYOR. UM, I'M TRYING TO CATCH UP HERE. UH, THE MINUTES REFLECT THAT THERE WAS A COMMENT MADE BY MR. ORLANDO AS TO, UH, I GUESS THE CONTENT OF THE CURRICULUM BEING BUILT ALONG THE WAY, AND THEN WE WORKED CLOSELY TOGETHER ON IT. BUT WHEN I REFER TO THE ACTUAL PLAN, I DON'T SEE THE LANGUAGE TO BE BUILT. CAN SOMEBODY HELP ME WITH THAT? UM, UH, ALEX, IF I'M ON YOUR WAVELENGTH THERE, NOT [00:05:01] YET. BILL IS RECORDED IN OUR MINUTES AND THE STATEMENT WAS MADE BY, UH, OUR TOWN MANAGER, MR. ORLANDO. OKAY. SO THE PLAN DOES NOT LEAVE OPEN THE QUOTE UNQUOTE TO BE BUILT. THAT'S JUST A STATEMENT THAT MR. ORLANDO MADE. UM, I GUESS I'M, I'M WANTING TO HAVE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE, THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE EDUCATIONAL COMPONENT AND THE OTHER COMPONENTS OF THIS PLAN. THAT TO A VERY STRONG DEGREE ARE BEING BUILT ALONG THE WAY ALSO. SO CAN SOMEBODY HELP ME WITH THAT? I'LL TAKE A, I'LL TAKE A STAB AT THIS. AND, UH, I, I PERSONALLY VIEW THE EDUCATIONAL CURRICULUM, UM, AND IT WAS NOTED DURING OUR SESSION THAT THIS IS A INTEGRAL PART OF THE STRATEGIC PLAN. AND SO GIVEN THAT, UH, IT SEEMS LIKE WE WERE, HE WAS MY WORDS PRECIPITOUS IN APPROVING THE PLAN, ABSENT AN INTRICAL COMPONENT OF IT. AND, UH, IF I MADE THROUGH THE MAYOR, UM, PASSED THIS TO COUNCIL, THEN, UH, COUNCIL WOMEN, EXCUSE ME, BECKER. UH, SHE SPOKE, I THOUGHT WISELY ON THE SUBJECT AT THAT MEETING. UH, UNFORTUNATELY I, FOR ONE DID NOT HEAT HER COMMENTS. I'M HAPPY IF THE MAYOR, UM, SO CHOOSES TO, TO STEP IN WITH, ON THAT. THANK YOU. SO THIS WAS THE SECOND TIME THAT I HAD ASKED FOR SPECIFICS WITH REGARD TO WHAT THE CURRICULUM, WHAT THE WORKSHOPS, ET CETERA WERE GOING TO ENTAIL. AND IT WAS THE SECOND TIME THAT NO ANSWER WAS PROVIDED, I GUESS AT THIS POINT, WE'RE ASSUMING THAT THERE WAS NO ANSWER BECAUSE THERE WAS NOTHING DEVELOPED WHAT THE EDUCATIONAL GOALS, UM, SAYS IS THAT WE'RE GOING TO PROVIDE CHALLENGING AND THOUGHT PROVOKING WORKSHOPS AND NETWORK TRAINING. THAT'S ALL WELL AND GOOD. UM, BUT I THINK THAT THE THING I BELIEVE VERY STRONGLY THAT WE EACH HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO OURSELVES, TO EACH OTHER, AND IMPORTANTLY OUR RESIDENTS TO BE SURE WE KNOW AND UNDERSTAND, AGREE WITH EVERY POINT WITHIN A DOCUMENT THAT WE ARE ASKED TO APPROVE FURTHER. I STRONGLY BELIEVE THAT IT'S OUR DUTY TO KNOW IF WHEN AND WHERE, HOW TAXPAYER MONIES ARE BEING SPENT. THIS ISN'T THE FIRST TIME I'VE ASKED THESE TYPES OF QUESTIONS. UM, AND I THINK IT WOULD MAKE SENSE FOR ALL OF US IN THE FUTURE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE NOT APPROVING DOCUMENTS THAT ARE NOT COMPLETE AND ANSWER THOSE QUESTIONS THAT I'VE JUST REFERRED TO, UM, TO OUR SATISFACTION, THIS DOCUMENT DOESN'T. AND I BELIEVE THAT IT'S, UH, BEHOOVES ALL OF US TO BE RESPONSIBLE AND TO MAKE SURE THAT WE, UM, HAVE TAKEN THE TIME TO, TO ACCESS THAT INFORMATION AND, UM, TAKE IT FROM THAT POINT, NOT WHERE WE ARE TODAY. MR. WAS ANSWERING MY QUESTION. I WASN'T DONE WITH MY COMMENTS. I'M SORRY. OKAY. SO, WELL, I CAN APPRECIATE COUNCIL WOMEN, BECCA CONCERNS WITH, UH, US KNOWING EXACTLY WHAT IT IS THAT WE HAVE APPROVING, UM, EVERY DETAIL, BUT I'M STILL STRUGGLING WITH THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE EDUCATIONAL COMPONENT. AND LET'S SAY THE MARKETING AND COMMUNICATION GOALS, WHICH ALSO OUTLINED IN THIS DOCUMENT THAT DON'T HAVE GREAT DETAILS ASSOCIATED WITH THEM. AND THEN THERE WILL BE TAX DOLLARS SPENT TOWARDS THOSE EFFORTS ALSO. SO I'M GOING TO ASK THE QUESTION AGAIN, WHAT IS IT EXACTLY ABOUT THE EDUCATIONAL COMPONENT THAT WE NEED TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT THAT WE'RE RESCINDING A 600 VOTES? I NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT. SO I CAN FURTHER, UM, SAY MR. BROWN, ALEX, UM, IS THAT IN MY FULL OPINION, THE DOCUMENT THAT ON ANY LEVEL HAD, DOESN'T ANSWER THOSE QUESTIONS SHOULD HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE VETTED THROUGH. [00:10:01] UM, WITH THOSE QUESTIONS ANSWERED, I ASKED IN THE PUBLIC PLANNING COMMITTEE MEETING THE SAME QUESTIONS. I THINK THAT WE HAVE AN OBLIGATION WHEN WE'RE CONSTANT POLICY ITEMS TO UNDERSTAND WHAT WE'RE PASSING. SO I'M NOT LEAVING THAT OUT. I THINK THE TRANSPARENCY THAT WE'RE ASKED TO PROVIDE, DEMANDED TO PROVIDE TO OUR CONSTITUENTS AND TO THE RESIDENTS OF HILTON HEAD ISLAND EXPECTS NO LESS. AND THAT'S, YOU'RE SUGGESTING THAT WE SHOULDN'T BE RESPONSIBLE TO THEM. THEN I THINK WE SHOULD HAVE FURTHER DISCUSSIONS ASIDE, BUT IN THIS MANNER, I BELIEVE 100% THAT WE STRONGLY HAVE THIS OBLIGATION IN THIS DOCUMENT, AS WELL AS OTHER DOCUMENTS. THIS IS ONE THAT'S BEFORE US AT THIS TIME. SO I HOPE THAT ANSWERS YOUR QUESTION, MR. BAYER, UH, I'LL, I'LL MAKE MY COMMENTS, YOU KNOW, TYPICALLY AS TYPICALLY AS ME, UM, WELL MY GULLAH DIALECT, WELL, I HAVE TROUBLE KNOWING IF I'M BEING COMPLETELY UNDERSTOOD OR NOT. HERE'S A DOCUMENT THAT HAS BEEN THROUGH SUBCOMMITTEE AND BEN IN FRONT OF COUNCIL. AND IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, WHEN THE ROLE WAS CALLED, THOSE THAT WENT IN SUPPORT, USE ADJECTIVES IN FRONT OF THEIR SUPPORT. SO I GUESS I'M, I'M, I'M REALLY, REALLY CONFUSED HERE. ARE WE ASKING MOVING FORWARD THAT ALSO IS A COUNCIL GET OUT OF THE BUSINESS OF SETTING POLICY AND INTO THE WEEKS OF CARRYING OUT THE TACTICS BEHIND THOSE? I GUESS THAT'S WHAT I'M REALLY CONFUSED ABOUT HERE. I GUESS I WOULDN'T HAVE THIS ARGUMENT ON MY MIND SO STRONGLY IF WE WERE RESCINDING THE VOTE BECAUSE EVERY PORTION OF THIS PLAN WAS INCOMPLETE, BUT THE MERE FACT THAT WE HAVE ATTEMPTED TO RESCIND IT BECAUSE ONE COMPONENT OF THE PLAN IS INCOMPLETE AND I'LL PUT QUOTATIONS AROUND INCOMPLETE BECAUSE AGAIN, THAT'S THE GOAL AND THE TACTIC OF THE STAFF, NOT THE POLICY MAKERS. SO I PERSONALLY DISAGREE. THE POLICY IS TO SET FORTH WHAT THE STRATEGIES AND THE TACTICS TO BE USED SHOULD, UM, SHOULD TO, TO ACHIEVE THE POLICY. AND, YOU KNOW, I FOCUS BECAUSE I'M AN EDUCATOR, ALEX, ON THE EDUCATIONAL COMPONENTS, I CAN CERTAINLY GOT THROUGH THE DOCUMENT AND PULL OUT OTHER PLACES THAT ARE ALSO IN PLAY AS AN EDUCATOR, AS SOMEONE THAT FOCUSES ON THAT SORT OF THING. THAT'S WHERE MY EYE GOES. SO IF IT HELPS YOU TO KNOW THAT, UM, IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THE POLICY WILL BE MORE, THE STRATEGIC PLAN WILL BE LOOKED AT, UM, AS A WHOLE. I THINK THAT IT PROBABLY MAKES SENSE THAT WE WOULD DO THAT. YEAH, BUT I JUST DON'T WANT IT. I'LL WRAP UP MR. MAYOR. I DON'T WANT US TO GET IN THE BUSINESS OF TIE-IN MR. ORLANDO'S HANDS WHEN IT COMES TO CARRYING OUT HOW A POLICY, OKAY. THE PLAN IS IN PLACE. IT'S BEEN SEEN TWICE. WE ALL AGREED THAT IT WAS A DIRECTION THAT WAS GOOD FOR OUR COMMUNITY, PARTICULARLY SINCE IT PULLS OUT PORTIONS OF OUR PLAN, THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN. UM, SO THERE'S NO WAY THAT I'M GOING TO SUPPORT RESCINDING IT. UH, AND THE BETTER EXPLANATION OF A DOCUMENT THAT'S BEEN SEEN BY A COUNCIL TWICE. AND THEN THE DAY OF A MINUTE APPROVAL, WE ARE ATTEMPTING TO RESCIND IT. UM, JUST BE VERY FRANK HERE AND SAY THAT THAT'S, THAT'S LOUSY ON OUR PART AS A COUNCIL. MR. ORLANDO HAS SOMETHING TO ADD TO THIS AS TO MAYBE HIS, UH, UNCOMFORT AND BEING ABLE TO ACHIEVE WHAT IS OUTLINED IN THIS PLAN. SO MAYBE I CAN, CAN BETTER UNDERSTAND OR GET ON BOARD HERE, BUT I'LL BE FRANK WITH YOU GUYS. I AM CONFUSED. AYE. AYE. YOU FINISHED. THANK YOU. UM, I WANT [00:15:01] TO PIGGYBACK ON ALEX BECAUSE I THINK HE'S RAISING THE RIGHT ISSUES. UH, THIS IS A STRATEGIC PLAN AND UNLESS THE TOWN MANAGER IS UNCOMFORTABLE, THAT IT DOESN'T GO FAR ENOUGH. I'M VERY COMFORTABLE IN RESTATING MY ENTHUSIASTIC OR EMPHATIC. YES. VOTE OF THAT MEETING WHEN WE APPROVE THIS. UM, IF, IF IT IS THE PLEASURE OF THE REST OF COUNCIL TO SOMEHOW HIGHLIGHT THE EDUCATION AREA, I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT WE AMEND THE MOTION TO ACCEPT WITH THE EX TO ACCEPTANCE THE, UM, UH, STRATEGIC PLAN, UH, EXEMPTING THE, UH, EDUCATION PIECE. BUT I WAS COMFORTABLE MOVING FORWARD ON THE BASIS OF WHAT WAS PRESENTED PREVIOUSLY. SORRY, GO AHEAD, MS. BENNETT, YOUR COMMENT ON THAT. I DO IT. I DON'T UNDERSTAND QUITE FRANKLY. AND I, AND I DON'T WANT TO GET INTO A BIG DEBATE HERE BECAUSE I THINK THAT IT'S, IT'S PRETTY SIMPLE. WE HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO UNDERSTAND COMPLETELY WHAT IS WITHIN DOCUMENTS THAT WE ARE APPROVING. LET ME BACK UP AND SAY THIS IN NO WAY, SHAPE OR FORM HAS ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE ART OF ON HILTON HEAD. I AM EXCITED BY MANY OF THE THINGS THAT HAVE COME FORTH AND I WILL CONTINUE TO BE, BUT IF I'VE ASKED TWICE FOR INFORMATION AND TWICE HAVE NOT GOTTEN IT AS A REPRESENTATIVE OF RESIDENTS ON THIS ISLAND. AND WHEN I ASKED FURTHER, WHO UNDERSTANDS AND THE ANSWER IS THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THERE YET. HOW CAN YOU APPROVE THAT? HOW CAN YOU PROVE IT IN THIS DOCUMENT OR ANYWHERE ELSE? HOW CAN YOU ANSWER A QUESTION FROM YOUR REST BENSON CONSTITUENTS ABOUT WHAT WE'RE DOING ON THE SILENCE, HOW OUR MONEY'S BEING SPENT, WHAT'S BEING DONE. IF YOU CAN'T, THEN YOU CAN'T, THEN YOU CANNOT NOT VOTE TO RESEND THIS UNTIL IT'S CLEANED UP. IT'S A SIMPLE QUESTION. I ASKED TWICE. WHY DIDN'T I GET ANY ANSWER? BECAUSE IT HASN'T BEEN BUILT. ALL RIGHT. WELL, I WANT TO KNOW WHAT IT IS I'M APPROVING. IF YOU DON'T, THEN THAT'S GOING TO BE ON YOUR BED. OKAY. WE'VE GOT TO BOTH BE AMENDED OR THE MOTION BE AMENDED HIS AMENDMENT. OKAY. THE BUBBLE WILL BE ON THE ORIGINAL SUGGESTION. MR. MR. COFFINS CALL. I'M NOT SUPPORTING THE MOTION APPROVED NOW, MR. STANFORD. YES. YES. IF IT'S APPROPRIATE, THEN I WOULD LIKE TO APPROVE, APPROVE THE MINUTES OF THE REMAINING MINUTES THAT WERE BEFORE US RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. UH, [7. Report of the Town Manager] BEFORE THE TOWN MANAGER. THANK YOU, MAYOR COUNCIL. I'M GOING TO ADD ONE QUICK THING. YOU, YOU ALL VOTED I'LL, I'LL I'LL WORK DILIGENTLY WITH, UM, GENUINE Q1 TWO. IF I COULD TAKE THIS PRIVILEGE TIME TO UNDERSTAND THOSE COMPONENTS AND BUILD THOSE PIECES OF THIS STRATEGIC PLAN. I WAS EXCITED ABOUT. WE WERE BOTH, UM, I COULDN'T ANSWER SOME QUESTIONS ON WHAT THE CURRICULUM WAS OR WASN'T OR THE MARKETING PLAN OR, OR, OR NOT. SO I KNOW THAT GENTLEMAN Q AND IS WORKING ON THOSE ITEMS, UM, AND WE'VE TALKED AS RECENT AS TODAY ABOUT NEXT STEPS ON THOSE. SO STAY TUNED. I'LL, I'LL WORK ON THIS WITH YOU. UM, WITH THAT BEING SAID, SOME EXCITING NEWS TO SHARE, AND I THINK GREAT NEWS FOR THE COMMUNITY TO KNOW THIS, AND WHEN WE ARE DOING OUR BEST TO GET THE INFORMATION OUT ON OUR SOCIAL MEDIA PAGE, UM, CONGRATS TO AN ENTIRE TEAM, UH, HELP FROM THE OTHER SIDE [00:20:01] AND A LOT OF WORK INSIDE THIS ORGANIZATION, AS AN, AS IN REGARD TO COVID-19 TESTING AND VACCINATION CLINICS. AND SO VACCINATION EVENTS, WE'RE HAVING THEM IN STATE STAND FORM TO THE COMMUNITY, STAY INFORMED, ARE IN TUNE WITH OUR SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS, BUT ON OCTOBER 8TH, 10TH AND 30TH, THERE'LL BE A CHAPLAIN PARK SHELTER COVE AND THE GOLLUM MUSEUM THROUGH THE GOLF FOOD MARKET. UM, AND THEN ALSO TESTING EVENTS. AND HERE'S ONE GOOD THING THAT'S OCCURRING EVERY MONDAY BETWEEN EIGHT 30 AND THREE 30 SOUTH CAROLINA LINE, A DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL, THE HECK THEY ARE AT STATION FOUR FIRE DEPARTMENT, UM, NORTH OF THE ISLAND BACK GATE OF HILTON HEAD PLANTATION TO CONDUCT TESTING EVENTS. SO EIGHT 30 TO THREE 30, IT'S A DRIVE-THROUGH TESTING EVENT. UM, GREAT JOB TO A GOOD, A GOOD TEAM. UM, PUTTING ALL OF THAT TOGETHER AND THANK YOU TO D HECK FOR HELPING US, UH, JUST QUICKLY. WE WANT A 20, 20 LOW COUNTRY NASH, NATURAL HAZARD MITIGATION PLAN AWARD. IT WAS PROVIDED TO US FOR OUR RECENT HAZARD MITIGATION PLAN IS ADOPTED BY COUNCIL AND IT'S RECEIVED FROM THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATIONS. UM, AND SO GREAT JOB, UH, TO A TERRIFIC TEAM, UM, UH, TOO MANY PEOPLE TO LIST HERE, BUT DEFINITELY SHERRY MENDRICK AS, AS THE TOWN LEADER IN ALL OF HER WORK WITH, WITH, WITH A LOT OF FOLKS. SO, UH, AT NEXT MEETING, THERE'VE BEEN ASKED TO MAKE SOME UPDATES, BUT AT THE NEXT MEETING, WE'LL HAVE SOME GOOD OUTDATES ON, UH, ON OUR CIP PROGRAM, SOME REAL GOOD UPDATES FROM THE GULLAH GEECHEE TASK FORCE ACTION PLAN, AND SOME MODEL DATES ON THIS RECENT REZONING ON MARCELAIN ROAD, WE CALL IT THE ROLLERS PROPERTY. UM, AND SO WE'LL HAVE SOME UPDATES ON THAT WITH THAT MAYOR. THAT'S ALL MY REPORT IS TODAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. UH, [8. Reports from the Members of Town Council] COMMITTEE REPORTS, ARE THERE ANY GENERAL REPORTS MR. BROWN, MR. BROWN? I THINK I CAN UNDERSTAND EVERY WORD YOU SAY SEROTONIN. NO. OKAY. WHAT ELSE? GOOD. GOOD TO HEAR THIS TO ME. I THANK YOU. UM, I JUST WANT TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY ON THE GENERAL REPORTS. UM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE, UH, WE WERE VERY BOLD AND GOING THROUGH A VISION AND PROCESS BEFORE WE, WE WROTE OUR COMPREHENSIVE PLAN. UH, VERY PROUD OF THAT. UM, REALLY IN PARTICULAR, BECAUSE WE WERE ABLE TO TOUCH SO MANY CORNERS OF OUR COMMUNITY, AND I'M EXCITED ABOUT WHAT CAME OUT OF THAT, UH, THROUGH SOME WORK GROUPS, EXTENSIVE WORK AND PUTTING TOGETHER A CONFERENCE, A PLAN, AND THE PIECE THAT'S REALLY STICKING WITH ME RIGHT NOW IS THE WHOLE INCLUSIVE AREA. OUR COUNCIL ITSELF IS DIVERSE THROUGH DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS, DIFFERENT EDUCATION, COLOR OF OUR SKIN, AND EVEN AGENDA I, FOR ONE, WHEN I WAS ELECTED, I WAS DISAPPOINTED WHEN I WENT TO MY ORIENTATION PROCESS AND THERE WAS NO DIVERSITY TRAINING INCORPORATED. AND I KNOW THAT MR. ORLANDO HAS, UH, SAID OUT LOUD IN PUBLIC THAT THAT IS PART OF HIS PLAN, BUT I JUST OFFER UP TO US AS A COUNSELOR THAT WE THOUGHT AS A LEADERSHIP GROUP FIRST. SO MR. ORLANDO CAN OBTAIN A PROFESSIONAL TO TAKE US THROUGH SOME TRAINING AS A COUNCIL, AND MAYBE THAT'S WHERE COUNCIL BECKWITH, COUNCILMAN REBECCA WAS BORN EARLIER. YOU KNOW, WE OURSELVES NEED TO BE SENSITIZED AND EDUCATED BEFORE WE START TO CRITIQUE. AND THAT'S UNDERSTANDING HOW DIFFERENCES BECAUSE OF OUR BACKGROUNDS AND DIVERSITY, I THINK IS CRUCIAL TO US BEING A SUCCESSFUL COUNSELING. SO I WOULD SUPPORT IN A VERY, VERY SOON FUTURE THAT WE AS A COUNCIL GO THROUGH THAT AND NOT ONE THAT'S SUGAR-COATED [00:25:01] ONE THAT WILL CHALLENGE US. I WOULD DEFINITELY APPRECIATE THAT. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. HEY, COME OUT. ANY MORE GENERAL REPORTS MS. MS. BECKER KIMMY. I VIEWED IT. NOPE. OKAY. UM, MARK, YOU MENTIONED, UM, UM, RECENT REZONING ON MARSHLAND THAT WAS DENIED BY THE BC. YEAH. YES, MA'AM. I WAS TALKING QUICKLY, I SHOULD SAY THAT IT WASN'T APPLICATION AND IT WAS VERY, UH, VERY, UH, APPARENT ON OUR COMMUNITY THAT THERE WERE CONCERNS WITH THE APP AND THEN THE APPLICATION NEXT, NEXT MEETING, A COUPLE OF WEEKS FROM NOW, I'LL GIVE A FULL UPDATE, BUT THE APPLICATION, UM, HAS BEEN WITH STAFF IN THROUGH PLANNING COMMISSION PLANNING COMMISSION HAS RECOMMENDED DENIAL. IT IS NOT ON COUNCIL'S AGENDA, BUT IT IS A CAUSE AND CONCERN FOR A LOT OF COMMUNITY INTEREST GROUPS, AS WELL AS CITIZENS IN OUR COMMUNITY ASKING QUESTIONS. I THINK IT'S JUST APPROPRIATE TO GIVE AN UPDATE ON IT AT THE NEXT MEETING. IT ISN'T ON THE AGENDA FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION. I, I DIDN'T THINK IT WAS. I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT I HAD THAT INFORMATION CORRECT. AND I ALSO JUST WANT TO STATE STRONGLY AS AN INDEPENDENT PERSON THAT I DON'T LIKE WORDS BEING PUT IN MY MOUTH. THANK YOU. OKAY. COMMUNITY MRS. STANFORD LAPS. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, THE LAST POLICY COMMITTEE MET ON OCTOBER. THE FIRST I ATTENDED THE MEETING AS THE TOWN'S REPRESENTATIVE OF INTEREST, UH, TO THIS COUNCIL AND TO THIS COMMUNITY, CRAIG, WHEN OF, UH, S C D O T REPORTED THAT THEY HAD RECEIVED SOME 546 PUBLIC COMMENTS ABOUT THE PROPOSED PLAN. UM, AND I ASSUME THE PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE, WHICH CAME AFTER PREFERRED AFTER THOSE COMMENTS HAD ALREADY BEGUN. UH, AND HE WAS IN THE PROCESS OF EVALUATING CO-LEADING AND ORGANIZING THOSE COMMENTS FOR A FULLER REPORT. ALL OF US, HE ALSO STATED THAT WITH REGARD TO THAT PROJECT, THE, THEY ARE WORKING DILIGENTLY TO FINALIZE THE ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT ASSOCIATED WITH THE PROJECT. THEN A GENERAL INTEREST. UH, HE MENTIONED THE IMPROVEMENTS THAT ARE HOT HAPPENING ON HIGHWAY 17, THE LAST SEGMENT, UH, JUST BEFORE YOU REACH, UH, THE TALMAGE BRIDGE IN SAVANNAH AND THAT THAT ROAD IS BEING REBUILT AND WIDENED, BUT IT'S GONNA TAKE A LONG TIME BECAUSE IT'S BUILT ON MUD. AND SO THEY'VE GOT TO COMPACT THE MUD, WHICH IS GOING TO TAKE A LOT OF TIME, UH, BEYOND THAT. UM, TH THAT'S MY REPORT, UH, FROM LAST THANK YOU MAYOR. THANK YOU, SIR. THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT, LOCAL COUNTRY COUNCIL GOVERNMENTS. THANK YOU. UM, JUST ONE QUICK NOTE THAT I SHOULD HAVE SAID, I SEE THAT, UM, SHERRY, UM, IS ON THIS CALL AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT I BACKTRACK AND CONGRATULATE HER ON A JOB WELL DONE FOR THE TOWN OF HILTON HEAD ISLAND AND, UM, THAT WE APPRECIATE HER HARD WORK ON SEPTEMBER 23RD, THE LOCAL COUNCIL BELL COUNTRY COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS, UM, MET. AND, UM, A NUMBER OF ITEMS WERE DISCUSSED OR REPORTED ON ONE OF THE PRESENTATIONS MADE WAS BY THE S C D O T WITH REGARD TO, UM, COMPLETE STREET UPDATE. AND, UM, WITHOUT GOING THROUGH IT, IF ANYONE HAS SPECIFIC QUESTIONS, I'M HAPPY TO SHARE THE, THE POWERPOINT INFORMATION, UM, WITH YOU. BUT THE GOAL OF THAT WAS BY THE BICYCLING ACCOMMODATIONS ON RESURFACING TO ENSURE THAT BIPEDAL PLANS ARE CONSIDERED AND CROSS-REFERENCED AS PAVEMENT IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM. AND THEN IT GOES THROUGH SOME INFORMATION, MOST OF WHICH, UM, I'M NOT REALLY SURE IS ALL THAT APPLICABLE RIGHT NOW TO US, BUT THOUGHT I WOULD SHARE THAT AS A GENERAL NOTE. THANK YOU TO SOUTH CAROLINA, THE WATER COMMISSION, MR. BROWN. UH, NO REPORT, SIR. THANK YOU. YOU GUYS DOWN SOUTHERN COFFEE, REGIONAL BOY, MR. INX. OH, LOCO. THANK YOU, JOHN. SO LOCAL MET, UH, ON TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28 AT THE RODEO COMMUNITY CENTER IN BLUFFTON, UH, BUILT PRO COMP, THE BUFORD CITY MANAGER MADE A PRESENTATION [00:30:01] SIMILAR TO THE ONE WE'RE GOING TO SEE LATER THIS AFTERNOON ON THE LOCAL OPTION SALES TAX, UH, WHITNEY RANCHLAND, DAN HEATHER WRATH, UH, MADE A PRESIDENT PRESENTATION OUTLINING THE STRUCTURE OF THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN FUNDING COMING FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, UH, QUESTIONS OR ASKED OF THE COUNTY. UH, AND, UH, JOE PASSMAN SAID THE COUNTY HAS NOT YET DECIDED HOW THEY WILL USE THEIR FUNDING. AND LASTLY, YOU SHALL PASS SOME AT, UH, TALK VERY BRIEFLY ABOUT THE UPCOMING REFERENDUM AND THE QUESTION OF LOSS AND THE QUESTION ABOUT THE NEW FORM OF COUNTY GOVERNMENT, UH, SHAUN KOREN AND I ATTENDED REPRESENTING THE TOWN OF HILTON HEAD AND GIVE US A LICENSE JUST TO AMES AT THE AIRPORT ADVISORY BOARD. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, THE PUBLIC MAY HAVE NOTICED A RAMP EXPANSION NEXT TO THE TERMINAL HAS BEGUN WITH CLEARING OF THE SITE EARTHWORK AND STORM WATER INSTITUTE INSTALLATION WILL FOLLOW, AND ALSO THERE'S NEW SCREENING EQUIPMENT IN THE TSA AREA. IT'S OPERATIONAL AND SHOULD BE GREATLY REDUCE THE NEED FOR PAT DOWNS. AND THEN LASTLY PASSENGER COUNTS REMAIN HIGH, BUT ARE TRENDING DOWNWARD CONSISTENT WITH SEASONAL TRENDS. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU. THE COMMUNITY SERVICE AND PUBLIC SAFETY. UH, THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. SINCE OUR LAST MEETING, THEY COMMUNITY SERVICE AND PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE MET TO DISCUSS THE TOWN'S POSSIBLE ACQUISITION OF, OF THE MAIN STREET ROAD. UH, STAFF PROVIDED EXCELLENT PRESENTATION AND IT WAS THE SENSE OF THE COMMITTEE TO BE RECOMMENDING TO TOWN COUNCIL THAT WE PROCEED AS OUTLINED BY STAFF. SO WITH YOUR PERMISSION, I'D LIKE TO REQUEST THAT DECIDE TO BE PLACED ON THE TOWN COUNCIL AGENDA FOR OUR NEXT MEETING. AND WE'LL BE BESOTTED. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THE SAME AS PUBLIC PLAN. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, THE PUBLIC PLANNING COMMITTEE MET ON SEPTEMBER 28TH TO HEAR A PRESENTATION ON THE SUBJECT OF SHORT-TERM RENTAL ORDINANCES BY THE CONSULTING FIRM, WHITE AND SMITH. THAT'S A PLANNING AND LAW GROUP. THE FIRM HAS EXTENSION EXTENSIVE EXPERIENCE IN DRAFTING SHORT-TERM ORDINANCES, RENTAL ORDINANCES. IT ASKS THE RHETORICAL QUESTION. WHY APP, WHY ACT AT ALL AND ANSWERED FOR A CONSISTENT ENFORCEMENT CERTAINTY AND PREDICTABILITY FOR SHORT-TERM RENTAL OPERATORS AND NEIGHBORHOOD RESIDENTS TO SET HILTON HEAD ISLAND'S OWN COURSE FOR THE INDUSTRY HERE TO ESTABLISH A BASELINE OF SAFETY AND ACCOUNTABILITY AND TO ENSURE PERMITTED SHORT-TERM RENTALS ARE COMPATIBLE WITH OTHER LAND USE WITH OTHER PERMITTED LAND USES A CONSULTANT PRESENTED EXAMPLES OF WHAT OTHER COMMUNITIES HAVE DONE IN THIS REGARD. AND THEN AS COMMITTEE MEMBERS FOR THEIR THOUGHTS WITH THAT INFORMATION, THE CONSULTANT WILL CONDUCT CONDUCT A SERIES OF FOCUS GROUPS WITH STAKEHOLDERS. IN ADDITION TO THE FOCUS GROUP MEETINGS, THERE'LL BE TWO PUBLIC OPEN HOUSE MEETINGS, ONE BEFORE THE ORDINANCES DRAFTED AND ONE AFTER. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU VERY MUCH MS. NAMES, THIS, THE LENNOX FINANCE ADMINISTRATIVE COMMITTEE, THE NEXT MEETING OF THE MNA COMMITTEE WILL BE OCTOBER 19TH. THAT ONE O'CLOCK TWO WEEKS FROM TODAY. THANK YOU. THIS APPROVED COMMENT. WE HAVE THREE GOOD CHAIRMAN, NONE OF THESE KOBE'S AND A LOT OF GOOD PEOPLE ON IT. AND I WOULD LIKE, AS WE TALKED TO BEFORE THAT A LOT OF THE IDEAS AND SUGGESTIONS AND SOME OF THE RESEARCH CABANA THE COMMITTEES BEFORE IT GOES TO TOWN STAFF AND THE STAFF ISN'T ONE OF THE ISLAND YOU GUYS ARE. SO I APPRECIATE IT MORE THE COMPETITIVE COMMITTEES RATHER THAN US REACTING TO STAFF PROPOSALS ALONG THE WAY. [9. Appearance by Citizens] YES, SIR. TODAY WE HAVE TWO CITIZENS SIGNED UP TO SPEAK. THE FIRST CITIZEN TO SPEAK IS TEMA NAVAL NAVAL. YES. MA'AM MS. NAVAL, PLEASE TURN OFF THE FACEBOOK FEED BEHIND YOU. CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES MA'AM. CAN YOU HEAR OKAY. OKAY. I'M CLOSING MY COMPUTER RIGHT NOW. [00:35:01] OKAY. SO EVERYONE ON THE TOWN COUNCIL CAN HEAR ME, RIGHT. OKAY. OKAY. SO I'M GOING TO START MY SPEECH. OKAY. JUST A QUICK, UM, UH, THE GENTLEMAN MR. BROWN, SPEAKING ABOUT THE GOLA ALEX, I'M FROM ALABAMA. SO SOMETIMES I HAVE TO SPEAK SLOWLY BECAUSE OF MY DIALECT. I HAVE A VERY STRONG SOUTHERN ACCENT. MY SPEECH IS CALLED VIOLENCE AND INTIMIDATION ON HILTON HEAD ISLAND, A VIOLATION, MY CIVIL AND HUMAN RIGHTS. I WANT TO THANK THE CITY COUNCIL FOR GIVING ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK. I LOVE HILTON HEAD ISLAND AND CONSIDER IT HOME AFTER LIVING HERE FOR THREE YEARS. BUT THE VIOLENCE THAT HAS BEEN PERPETUATED AGAINST ME IN MY OWN NEIGHBORHOOD WOULD HAVE BEEN A PART OF IT IS, IS UNLIKE ANYTHING I'VE SEEN IN MY 32 YEARS OF LIFE. EVEN MORE INCREDULOUSLY THE INEFFECTIVENESS AND LACK OF CONCERN FROM THE COURT SYSTEM IS COMPLETELY BAFFLING TO ME. SOME OF YOU CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS, YOURSELF HAVE SPOKEN TO ME AND OR MY CONCERN FAMILY MEMBERS, AND HONESTLY TOLD ME, AS YOU RUSHED ME OFF THE PHONE SAYING, THERE'S NOTHING I CAN DO TO HELP YOU. THAT IS WHY I'M HERE TODAY. TO TELL MY CONDENSED THREE MINUTES STORY OVER A YEAR'S WORTH OF VIOLENCE AND THREATS ON MY LIFE. THERE ARE SO MANY GOOD AND HARDWORKING PEOPLE AND FAMILIES WHO LIVE IN WOODHAVEN, BUT THERE IS ALSO AN UNDENIABLE PRESENCE OF CRIME AND VIOLENCE. I WAS SO UPSET UPON MOVING INTO THE NEIGHBORHOOD AS A SINGLE FEMALE, HOW MANY GROWN MEN WOULD GREET ME WITH INSTEAD OF HELLO? HOW MUCH MONEY DOES YOUR EIGHT S S COST? HOW MANY DRUGS CAN I GIVE YOU TO HAVE SEX WITH ME? UNFORTUNATELY, THIS WAS ONLY THE BEGINNING OF MY EDUCATION OF THE CRIME AND VIOLENCE THAT IS ALLOWED TO GO UNCHECKED IN WOODHAVEN. A YOUNG WOMAN NAMED WHITNEY GREEN, AGAIN TO BULLY ME, MERCILESSLY, MERCILESSLY, AND COOLLY. MS. GREEN HAS DRAGGED ME UP MY APARTMENT STAIRS BY THE HAIR, THROW ME ON THE GROUND, KEEP ME IN THE FACE AND CHEST. AND ALSO TOLD ME SHE OWNS A GUN AND CURIOSITY IS GOING TO KILL THE CAT. AND THAT I'M A CAT. EVERY TIME I GO OUTSIDE, IF SHE SEES ME, SHE THREATENED ME TO GO INSIDE FOR L B I T C H JUST LAST FRIDAY. I WAS CHASED DOWN BY MS. GREEN, AS I RODE MY BICYCLE THROUGH THE NEIGHBORHOOD, AFTER A LONG DAY OF WORK AND SHE YELLED THREAT, HER UNIDENTIFIED MALE FRIEND THREW A GLASS BOTTLE THAT CUT MY ANKLE DEEPLY. AND THIS WOMAN IS LYING TO THE POLICE AND HIDING HIM IN HER APARTMENT. I HAVE VIDEO TAPES OF ALL OF THIS VIOLENCE. I HAVE WITNESSES AS WELL, BUT YET I WAS TOLD THAT THE CASE HAS BEEN CLOSED. I WAITED MONTHS AND MONTHS AND MONTHS AFTER BEING BEATEN ON THE STAIRCASE AS THE COURT DATE WAS PUSHED BACK AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN, UNTIL SUDDENLY THE WAGES HITTING MY OWN FAMILY, MY AGING PARENTS, I WAS THE CASE HAS BEEN CLOSED. THERE IS NO CASE BECAUSE THEY YELLED AND ME HAD PD OFFICER WHO TOOK THE REPORT, DROPPED THE CASE ABOUT INFORMING ME AS A VICTIM THAT HE WAS DOING. SO THERE WERE FIVE OFFICERS ON SCENE. THE NIGHT OF THE MOST VIOLENT INTERMATIC ASSAULT I HAVE EVER OCCURRED IN MY LIFE. I NEVER GOT TO USE MY VOICE AS A VICTIM OF A VIOLENT CRIME, JUST BECAUSE ONE OFFICER WITH THE FORCE IS GREEN HAD BEEN BOLDED BY THE LACK OF ACCOUNTABILITY AND THE BULLYING AND THREATS ON MY LIFE HAS ONLY GOTTEN WORSE. I'M SO AFRAID. AND IN FEAR FOR MY WIFE, THE SOUTH CAROLINA CONSTITUTION STATES UNDER 16 DASH THREE DASH 1520, MS. NICK, I NEED YOU TO WRAP IT UP, PLEASE. OKAY. EXCUSE ME. HELLO? HELLO. HELLO, MS. MS. NAGLE, WE NEED YOU TO FINISH YOUR [00:40:01] COMMENTS PLEASE. MR. HOAGLAND, MR. HOAGLAND, CAN YOU HEAR ME? OKAY? YEP. HOAGLAND WINDMILL HARBOR JENKINS ISLAND, SOUTH CAROLINA, NOT ON HILTON HEAD. UH, WINDMILL HARBOR LAWSUIT WILL BE FILED NAMING YOUR TOWN, LAWYER, DIANE BUSH, WHO IS A RESIDENT AND SITS ON THE WINDMILL HARBOR BOARD. SHE'LL BE PART OF THE LAWSUIT, ITALY, MCCANN, AND BAKKER LENNOX. YOU ARE AND HAVE BEEN IN VIOLATION OF MY EIGHT TAX FOR YOU FOR ALL ACCOUNTING ON THE MILLIONS YOU AND OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE ASSISTED BILL MILES IN THIS ILLEGAL CHAMBER TO STEAL FOR MANY YEARS. AS YOU TWO SHYSTERS NOW REALIZE SOUTH CAROLINA TURK HAS SENT YOU A LETTER TELLING YOU THEY WANT YOU TO PROVIDE FULL ACCOUNTING TO THEM ON WHERE THESE MILLIONS JUST HANDED TO BILL MILES HAS DISAPPEARED. THIS INCLUDES THE OVER 1,000,008 TAX GO ON ONGOING TO CANADA. BILL MILES, 500 TO 600,000 SALARY PAID PACKAGE IS $2 MILLION HOME IN INDIGO RUN AND MARCH MORE AND HOW IT WAS PAID IN GENERATED WITH ILLEGAL USE OF TAX MONEY. I ASKED YOU TWO SWINDLERS TODAY. ARE YOU GOING TO, TO SOUTH CAROLINA TURK AND HONOR, MY FOIL IS BILL MILES STILL TELLING BOTH OF YOU, INCLUDING THREE COUNCILMAN FROM BEAVER COUNTY, HIS USE OF TAX FUNDS IS HIS SECRET SAUCE AND NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS, MR. MCCANN, LENNOX, AMES, LAWYER'S GROOVER, COLTRANE, AND BUSH. WHAT DO YOU THINK IS GOING TO HAPPEN TO ALL OF YOU? IF YOU DO NOT COMPLY TO MY A TAX FOR YOU AND DON'T COMPLY TO SOUTH CAROLINA, TURK, SOUTH CAROLINA, TREASURY, THE DOR SLED, FBI AIG, AND THE DOR AIMS AND LENNOX. IF YOU DO NOT FIX THIS AND GET THIS CHAMBER ACCOUNTING TO SOUTH CAROLINA, TURK, YOU AND REDO THE CHAMBER DMO CONTRACT, YOU BOTH CORRUPTED, YOU'LL BE DEFUNDED AND THERE WILL BE NO MONEY FOR BOTH OF YOU TO ALLOW AN ASSIST BILL MILES TO STEAL. YOU BOTH NEED TO COME TO YOUR SENSES TO LET HONEST MEN LIKE COUNCILMAN ALEX BROWN, TOM GARDOT AD AGENCY, OWNER, AND PAST COUNCILMAN MIKE COVERT GUIDE YOU. I SUGGEST YOU TALK TO AUTHORITIES AS WELL AND ASK FOR FORGIVENESS VERSUS THEM KNOCKING ON YOUR DOOR. IT'S ALL SO SIMPLE, A PROPER CHAMBER AND A SEPARATE PROPER DMO FOR OUR COMMUNITY. DOESN'T THIS MAKE SENSE VERSUS THIS LEVEL OF CORRUPTION? WHY WOULD YOU BOTH NOT WANT TO DO IT ANY OTHER WAY? NOT WANT TO DO IT ANY OTHER WAY. I DON'T GET IT. I LOOK FORWARD TO WATCHING ALL THIS UNFOLD. HAVE A NICE DAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. BALDWIN. I DIDN'T KNOW [10. Consent Agenda] THAT 10 ON THE AGENDA. I LIKE TO USE IT ON THAT. I CAN SET THE AGENDA. WE BOTH BY ON PCF SERVICE. I THINK I CAN PUT IT TOGETHER FOR A MOTION TO APPROVE MOTION, TO APPROVE SEVEN 30 QUESTIONS ON THESE TWO ITEMS. OKAY. YES. FOR STAFF, FOR BUSINESS PARENTS, UM, TO BE CONSISTENT IN, UM, IN MY REQUESTS AND SOMETIME AGO, UM, UNDER THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN FUNDS DISCUSSION I SPECIFICALLY HAD, UM, UM, SUGGESTED THAT, UM, WE DISCUSSED PROVIDING SOME GUIDANCE TO THE FOUNDATION, UM, WITH REGARD TO HILTON HEADS, UM, SOME GUIDANCE TO THE L FROM HILTON HEAD TO THE FOUNDATION REGARDING THE FUNDS THAT WE ARE PROVIDING TO THEM. ADDITIONALLY, THERE WAS A REQUEST, UM, FOR INFORMATION ON THE PERCENTAGE OF A FEE PERCENTAGE THAT WOULD BE PAID. I KNOW THAT I HAVE CONSTITUENTS WHO HAVE ASKED ME FOR FOLLOW UPS ON THAT. AND, UM, SO THOSE ARE MY THAT'S FINE. OKAY. OKAY. I CAN ATTEMPT TO ANSWER. UM, I BELIEVE THAT THE FEE, THE AMERICAN RESCUE FUNDS FOR THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION, CONTRARY TO WHAT I FIRST UNDERSTOOD TO BE ZERO FROM THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION IS A 2% PER YEAR. SO $10,000 PER FISCAL YEAR. UM, WE'VE HAD SOME, SOME CONVERSATIONS WITH THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION AND ARE FIRMING UP THAT AGREEMENT, RIGHT? HOW MANY YEARS DO WE ANTICIPATE THIS GOING? IT'S A TWO-YEAR TERM, EACH FISCAL [00:45:01] YEAR, A HALF, THIS DOLLARS. MY FIRST UNDERSTANDING WAS THAT THEY WOULDN'T BE CHARGED, BUT THE MORE WE TALK TO THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION WITH SOME OF THOSE EXPECTATIONS, THEY'VE SUGGESTED A FEE, A NOMINAL FEE OF $10,000 PER FISCAL YEAR. UM, AND IF IT'S A 2% AND THEY, THEY ACTUALLY ASSESSED A 3% THE LAST TIME WHEN WE, WHEN YOU ALL, WHEN WE WORKED WITH THEM, UM, WITH THE CDBG FUNDS EARLIER. SO WORKING THROUGH THAT, SOME OF THESE THINGS TAKE SOME TIME. THAT'S WHY I DIDN'T ANSWER THAT QUESTION YET BECAUSE I NEED TO UNDERSTAND WHERE THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION BOARD IS AND FULL DISCLOSURE. THEY'D BEEN, UH, A VERY, VERY WILLING, UH, PARTNER AND PARTICIPANT. AND I LOOK FORWARD TO SIGNING THAT DOCUMENT IN THE NEXT 24 TO 48 HOURS AND GETTING THIS ON, ON THIS, YOU KNOW, OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY. THANK YOU. THOSE ARE QUESTIONS THAT I'VE BEEN, UM, CONTINUE TO BE BEING ASKED. AND I, IT'S NICE TO HAVE THAT INFORMATION. I REALIZE IT'S A TWO YEAR, UM, UM, APPLICATION OF THOSE FUNDS TO US, AND I'M ASSUMING THAT THE FOUNDATION WILL COMPLETELY DISPERSE THOSE MONIES WITHIN THOSE TWO YEARS. UM, SO, AND THEN, UM, IF WE CAN, AT SOME POINT, I KNOW THAT YOU WERE WORKING, UM, ON THIS, JUST GET, UM, SOMETHING OF GUIDANCE TO THE, AS WE MENTIONED BEFORE, TO THE FOUNDATION ON HOW THE MONEY'S, WHERE THE MONEY'S WOULD BE DISPERSED, UM, THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO, UM, TO KNOW AS WELL. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ASSISTANCE IN ANSWERING THOSE QUESTIONS. OKAY. IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE? YES, SIR. UM, I WANT TO MAKE SURE I'M CLEAR. SO MR. LANDO, YOU, YOU, UH, YOU ARE CONTINUING TO WORK ON THE MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING WITH THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF LOW COUNTRY. YES, SIR. THAT'S CORRECT. YES, SIR. DOCUMENT IS NOT COMPLETE AT THE MOMENT, CORRECT. OKAY. YES. SORRY. SO BASICALLY WE'VE TAKEN A VOTE TODAY, SECOND READING OF AMENDING THE BUDGET SO THAT YOU CAN CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD. AM I CORRECT ON THAT? YES, SIR. THANK YOU. WE'RE 99.9%. THERE, THERE, THERE, THERE WAS SOME CLARITY THAT WE BOTH NEEDED FROM EACH OTHER AND WE'RE THERE AND ALEX, I'LL PUT IT ON THE NEXT MONTH. NEXT MEETING'S AGENDA. IT'D BE NICE TO KNOW IT, BUT WHAT'S IN FRONT OF US TODAY WILL BE APPROVED TODAY. YES. OKAY. I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT YOU UNDERSTAND. ALRIGHT. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS YES, SIR. MR. BROWN SUPPORT, MR. HARKINS. YES. MR. AMES, DAVID SOMEHOW WAS MUTED AT SOME POINT. OKAY. I SAID, YES. SO NOT TO COMPLICATE THINGS. I DIDN'T ASK THAT, THAT THEY PULLED OUT AND VOTED THAT LEATHER. I BE VOTED ON SEPARATELY. SO, UM, SINCE THE CONSENT AGENDA, AND IT SOUNDS AS THOUGH B IS GOING TO PASS ANYWAY, I'M GOING TO ABSTAIN FOR THE SAME REASONS AS I HAVE IN THE PAST. BUT WHAT I WANT YOU TO CONSIDER EITHER GOING YES OR NO AND NOT ABSTAINING. OKAY. BUT I WISH YOU PACIFIC ON ONE WAY OR THE OTHER IN THE FUTURE. YEAH. I UNDERSTAND THE RIGOR THAT THE LOW COUNTRY FOUNDATION WOULD PUT ALL OF THESE GRANT APPLICATIONS THROUGH. UH, AND I THINK BECAUSE OF THAT AND THE TIME INVESTED, UH I'M OKAY WITH A FEE. I WISH IT WERE NOTHING, BUT THAT BEING SAID, I THINK IT'S WELL WORTH THE $10,000 EACH OR THE NEXT TWO YEARS THAT WE USE THEM TO, TO, UH, REVIEW THE GRANT APPLICATIONS AND AWARD THE GRANTS. UH, I VOTE YES. AND SUPPORT MR. STANFORD. YES. I SUPPORT SIX ONE ABSTAIN. OKAY. [11.a. Consideration of a Resolution – Local Option Sales Tax] NOW WHAT ARE YOUR LOCAL AREA SALES TAX? AND JUST THE CHOICE I GIVE A PRESENTATION AT THAT, CORRECT, SIR? YES, SIR. MR. TORI, ARE YOU THERE? YES, MR. MAYOR. I AM. OKAY. I WILL, UM, SHARE MY SCREEN IF I CAN. I HOPE YOU CAN SEE THAT AND CERTAINLY STOP ME ANY TIME, BUT, UM, I WILL, UM, PRESENT OUR [00:50:01] LOCAL OPTION SALES TAX LAST MONTH. UM, TOWN COUNCIL CONVENED ON SEPTEMBER 20TH AND CONSIDERED THE REFERENDUM, UM, STAFF PRESENTED HOW IT WORKS AND STAFF PRESENTED INITIAL ESTIMATES FOR POSSIBLE FINANCIAL IMPACTS. UM, SINCE THAT TIME WE HAVE HEARD INPUT FROM COUNCIL AND SINCE THAT TIME WE'VE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO CONSIDER THEIR, UM, INPUT AND, UM, WE HAVE, UM, EVOLVED OUR RECOMMENDATION. AND SO YOU'LL SEE THAT LATER ON, IT'S SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT THAN WHAT WAS PRESENTED ON SEPTEMBER 20TH. UM, QUICK RECAP OF THE BACKGROUND. WE'LL TRY NOT TO TAKE TOO MUCH TIME, UH, GOING OVER WHAT WE'VE DONE BEFORE, BUT THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA GIVES, UM, LOCAL JURISDICTIONS, THE OPTION TO ENACT A LOCAL OPTION SALES TAX. AND IT IS PRESCRIBED BY STATE LAW, UM, THROUGH A REFERENCE. OKAY, WHAT IS IT? IT'S 1% SALES TAX AND THAT'S PRIMARILY TO PROVIDE TAX RELIEF WHEN NOVEMBER THE SECOND WILL BE THE OPPORTUNITY TO VOTE. UM, I'VE GOT JUST FOR EVERYBODY'S CONSIDERATION. THIS IS WHAT IT WILL LOOK LIKE ON THE BALLOT. YES OR NO QUESTION. UM, IF THE VOTERS APPROVE THE 1%, WE'LL START MAY 1ST, 2022. AND, UM, IF THE VOTERS APPROVE THE PROPERTY TAX CREDITS WOULD BE EFFECTIVE ON THE VERY NEXT PROPERTY TAX BILLS THAT GO OUT IN OCTOBER OF 2022. UM, SO, UH, AS WE SAID, THE PRIMARY REASON FOR THIS WOULD BE, WOULD BE TO PROVIDE PROPERTY TAX RELIEF, UM, FUNDED BY BOTH RESIDENTS AND VISITORS AND, UH, OFFSET WITH THE SALES TAX INCREASE. AND SO ON, THERE IS ANOTHER PIECE TO THIS CONSIDERATION AND THAT IS SOME OF THE PROCEEDS WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR ALL THE JURISDICTIONS, UM, ON A FORMULA BASED ON STATE LAW THAT, UM, EACH LEGISLATIVE BODY COULD DIRECT HOW THE REST OF THE FUNDS ARE USED. UM, HOW MUCH ARE WE TALKING ABOUT 49 MILLION IN SALES TAX? AT LEAST 32 MILLION WOULD BE ALLOCATED BACK TO, UM, RESIDENTS, RESIDENT TAXPAYERS AND PROPERTY TAX CREDITS. UM, HOW IS IT SPLIT, UH, 71% TAX RELIEF AND THAT'S A MINIMUM BY STATE LAW AND 29% LOCAL GOVERNMENT FUNDING. AND THAT WOULD BE EACH JURISDICTION WOULD CHOOSE HOW TO SPEND THAT 29%, UM, TAX RELIEF. THE MONEY GOES INTO A PROPERTY TAX CREDIT FUND, AND YOU'LL SEE THE CREDIT BACK ON YOUR PROPERTY TAX BILL, UH, LOCAL GOVERNMENTS THEN WOULD HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO, UM, DECIDE ON HOW TO SPEND THE 29%, UM, HOW MUCH RELIEF. UM, IT DEPENDS ON YOUR VALUE OF YOUR PROPERTY AND WHERE YOU LIVE. EACH JURISDICTION IS GOING TO BE DIFFERENT, UM, IS REPEALING THE LAST AN OPTION. YES. AND SO THERE IS A MECHANISM TO, UM, REPEAL THAT THROUGH STATE LAW, UM, WHO DECIDES ON WHAT IS TAXABLE AND TAX EXEMPT. UH, THE STATE DOES, AND THEY HAVE PROVIDED SOME INFORMATION FROM SOUTH CAROLINA, SOUTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE. EXCUSE ME, I'M SORRY. WHAT'D YOU GO BACK TO THE PREVIOUS SLIDE. I'D LIKE TO LOOK AT WHAT THOSE CONDITIONS ARE FOR REPEAL. YES. UH, THIS IS A PROCESS PRESCRIBED IN STATE LAW THAT IF THE VOTERS CHOOSE, UM, AND THEY FEEL IT, IT IS NO LONGER NEEDED, THEN, UM, IT'S GOTTA BE AT LEAST TWO YEARS. SO YOU CAN'T DO IT WITHIN TWO YEARS, BUT ONCE, TWO YEARS PASSES, THEN YOU CAN DO THIS. UM, HAVING A PETITION OF 15% OF QUALIFIED VOTERS PRESENTED TO THE COUNTY COUNCIL AND THE REFERENDUM WILL BE PLACED BACK ON THE BALLOT TODAY. ANSWER YOUR QUESTION. YEAH. SO 15% OF QUALIFIED BOULDERS IN THE COUNTY CAN, UH, CREATE A REFERENDUM. OKAY. THANKS. OKAY. SO BASICALLY THE VOTERS CAN VOTE IT IN VOTERS CAN VOTE IT OUT. SOUTH CAROLINA CHOOSES THAT DIFFERENT COUNTY HAS PUBLISHED SOME INFORMATION. YOU CAN LOOK ON THEIR WEBSITE. UM, SOME FAQ'S, UM, WHAT QUALIFIES FOR REDUCED PROPERTY TAXES, ANYTHING THAT YOU PAY PROPERTY TAXES ON, WHETHER IT'S YOUR HOUSE, LAND RENTAL, PROPERTY, BOATS, CARS, COMMERCIAL, PERSONAL PROPERTY, ALL WOULD GET A SHARE OF THE PROPERTY TAX CREDIT. SO IF YOU PAY PROPERTY TAXES ON ANY OF THOSE THINGS, THEN YOU WOULD GET SOME PROPERTY TAX RELIEF. WE'LL KEEP GOING THIS. UM, FAQ'S AND [00:55:01] SOME INTERESTING THINGS HERE. WHAT HAS ALREADY HAPPENED? YOU FOR COUNTY COUNCIL VOTED TO PLACE THE LOCAL OPTION SALES TAX ON THE BALLOT NOVEMBER 2ND. SO THIS IS HAPPENING. THE TOWNS OF BUFORD, BLUFFTON, HARTVILLE, PORT ROYAL AND EMC HAVE ALREADY CHOSEN A CONSULTANT TO HELP CRAFT A COMMUNICATION CONSISTENT WITH STATE LAW, TO HELP THE VOTERS HAVE THE INFORMATION THEY NEED TO MAKE THE DECISION TO MAKE THEM PHONES. UM, AND THEY HAVE ASKED THE TOWN TO JOIN THEIR EFFORTS TO HELP IN THE EDUCATIONAL INFORMATION. UM, AND OUR REQUEST IS TO JOIN THAT FOR UP TO $15,000, UM, $10,000 FOR HELPING TO CRAFT THE MESSAGE IN 5,000 FOR MARKETING MATERIALS. UM, OUR EXPECTATION IS, IS THAT WE WOULD ONE EMPHASIZE FACTUAL INFORMATION, EMPHASIZE THE EFFECT ON, UM, DIFFERENTLY SITUATED TAXPAYERS AND, UM, EMPHASIZE ON THE CHOICES THAT PEOPLE CAN MAKE AND NOT TO LEAD VOTERS TO ONE DECISION OR ANOTHER, UH, COUNSEL. UH, YOU CAN SAY YES OR NO AS FAR AS TO JOIN WITH THIS, UM, INFORMATION, UM, TOWN COUNCIL, UM, HAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO DIRECT AND CHOOSE WHERE THE 29% GOES TO FOR A SPECIFIC TO HILTON HEAD ISLAND. UM, PREVIOUSLY, UM, STAFF RECOMMENDED ONE POSSIBLE ALLOCATION OF 29% IN THIS PROPOSAL, WHICH IS DIFFERENT THAN BACK IN SEPTEMBER. IN THIS PROPOSAL, WE WOULD SUBMIT TELLING COUNCIL CAN MAKE THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS AT THE SAME TIME AND THROUGH THE BUDGET PROCESS EACH YEAR. AND SO THAT WOULD, THAT'S A DIFFERENCE FROM THE SEPTEMBER 20TH MEETING AND OUR CURRENT RECOMMENDATION. AND SO, UM, 29% WOULD JUST BE A PART OF NORMAL, BUT YOU PROCESS, UM, POSSIBLE USES OF THE 29% FUNDS. AND THIS IS ALL WITHIN TOWN. COUNCIL'S JURISDICTION COULD BE ADDITIONAL PROPERTY TAX RELIEF. IT COULD BE FOR STRATEGIC INITIATIVES LIKE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS OR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, OR BE PURPOSING COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS OR WORKFORCE HOUSING COULD BE THAT IT COULD BE FOR OPERATIONS, OR IT COULD BE A COMMON COMBINATION OF THOSE ITEMS. AND SO TO ME, COUNCIL HAS IN SEVERAL DIFFERENT OPTIONS THAT THEY COULD USE AND GO THROUGH A DELIBERATIVE PROCESS TO MAKE THOSE DECISIONS. UM, WHAT AMOUNTS ARE WE TALKING ABOUT? THE BOTTOM LINE IS MANNERS $49 MILLION EXPECTED COLLECTIONS. THE STATE WOULD GET 2 MILLION COUNTY PROPERTY TAX RELIEF, 22 MILLION MUNICIPAL TAX RELIEF, 10 MILLION. AND THEN WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT AND SPLIT BY JURISDICTIONS WOULD BE 13 HILTON HEAD SPECIFIC, UM, MUNICIPAL TAX RELIEF FOR HILTON HEAD WOULD BE $5.4 MILLION. AND THE AMOUNT THAT COUNCIL WOULD HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO CHOOSE IS EXPECTED TO BE $3.6 MILLION A YEAR. UM, COUPLE OF CALCULATIONS, UM, OUR EXPECTATION, WHAT WE UNDERSTAND FROM THE OTHER JURISDICTIONS THAT ARE GOING TO USE $350,000 HOME AS A MEDIAN OR AVERAGE FOR BUFORD COUNTY WIDE. AND THEY WANTED TO SHOW THAT THE IMPACT OF THE $350,000 HOUSE ON THE ISLAND. AND WE HAVE HAD, UM, INFORMATION THAT WOULD, UM, SHOW US THAT THAT'S THE MEDIAN VALUE. AND, UH, AND I KNOW WHAT PRICES ARE LATELY, BUT, UM, AT ONE POINT THIS WAS THE MEDIAN VALUE OF HOMES ON THE PROPERTY OF 471,000. SO WE TRIED TO PRESENT BOTH LOOKS, UM, WHAT'S IMPORTANT IS I'LL JUST GO THROUGH ONE, UH, ON A MEDIUM VALUE HOUSE AND ISLAND AND YOUR CURRENT COUNTY AND MUNICIPAL TAX BILL WOULD BE $1,700. UM, AFTER THE CREDITS, YOUR NEW PROPERTY TAX BILL WOULD BE EXPECTED TO BE JUST OVER A THOUSAND DOLLARS AND YOUR ESTIMATED TOTAL TAX WOULD BE $700. AND SO THAT'S THE QUICK MATH FOR THAT PARTICULAR, UM, ON THE HUB. UM, AND SO IF YOU WANT TO LOOK AT A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT THINGS FOR $350,000 VALUE PROPERTY, YOU HAVE TO SPEND $53,000 TAXABLE TRANSACTIONS IN ORDER TO, UM, BREAK EVEN. SO IF YOU SPENT SOMETHING LESS THAN THAT, THAT'S GOING TO BE YOUR GROCERIES AND GOING OUT TO EAT SALES TAX ON PURCHASING GOODS. UM, IF YOU SPENT LESS THAN THAT, THEN YOU'LL GET A NET BENEFIT. AND, AND I THINK PART OF THIS IS THE PHILOSOPHY [01:00:01] OF TRADING SALES TAX FOR PROPERTY TAX. AND, UM, AND THEN THE MATH WORKS OUT ALSO. AND SO YOU CAN SEE IT AT OUR AREA, MEDIAN INCOME, $35,000 FOR AN INDIVIDUAL AND $73,000 PER HOUSEHOLD. UM, SO OUR UPDATED RECOMMEND RECOMMENDATIONS, THREE ITEMS SUPPORT CONDUCTING A REFERENDUM TO ASK THE VOTERS TO DECIDE, PROVIDE FOR THE DISTRIBUTION REVENUE 71% FROM PROPERTY TAX RELIEF AND 29% TO BE DECIDED ANNUALLY THROUGH THE BUDGET PROCESS BY 10 ACCOUNTS, ITEM, THREE AUTHORIZED AND TOWN MANAGER TO ENTER INTO AN INTER-GOVERNMENTAL AGREEMENT TO PROVIDE OBJECTIVE EDUCATIONAL INFORMATION. SO THAT'S, THAT'S A RECOMMENDATION. SO WE'VE HAD A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT COMMENTS FROM COUNCIL. AND SO, SO THANK YOU COUNCIL FOR YOUR INPUT AND THAT HELPED TO MAKE OUR RECOMMENDATION WHAT IT IS TODAY. UH, UH, LET ME JUST GO THROUGH THESE KIND OF QUICKLY, UM, COUNCIL MEMBERS STATING TO SUPPORT THE REFERENDUM, NOT THE TAX SUPPORT, NEUTRAL FACT SHARING AND MAKE SURE THERE IS NOT A MARKETING, NOT MARKETING AND PARTICULAR OUTCOME. UM, WE HAD ALSO SUPPORT FOR, UM, HE'LL CONNECT ISLAND'S SPECIFIC NEUTRAL MATUSOW AND EMPHASIS. THERE ARE NEUTRAL, UH, JURISDICTIONS WHO ARE PARTICIPATING OR OIL, YOUNG SEEDS, BUFORD CITY, HARLEYSVILLE, BLUFFTON, BEAUTIFUL COUNTY IS NOT PARTICIPATING. AND, UM, ELTON THAT ISLANDS TOWNSVILLE NADELLA IS, UH, WE'RE AWAITING DIRECTION FROM TOWN COUNCIL. UM, WE HAD A SUGGESTION TO LIMIT THE BONDING OF ANY LOCAL OPTION SALES TAX FUNDS, NO MORE THAN 15% OF THE ANNUAL INCOME. UM, AND SO THAT WAS SUGGESTED IN ORDER TO NOT COMMIT FUTURE COUNCILS. AND SO WE CAN ACCOMMODATE TOM COUNCIL'S DIRECTION. UH, 29% WOULD BE AVAILABLE FOR STRATEGIC INVESTMENTS AS DETERMINED BY TELECOMS OR SO THERE WAS AN EMPHASIS THERE, THERE ON, UM, COUNCIL, STRATEGIC INITIATIVES. UH, THERE WAS A QUESTION, IS THERE A SUNSET IN THIS DIMENSION INITIATIVE? NO, UM, THERE IS NOT, BUT THERE IS A LEGAL MECHANISM TO REPEAL AND, UH, THERE HAS BEEN A SUGGESTION TO REQUEST A 10 YEAR SUNSET. UH, WE DID RECEIVE A STATEMENT THAT THERE IS NO GOOD TIME TO RAISE TAXES ON BUMPY. WE WOULD OFFER THAT THIS PROPOSAL, BOTH RACES, SALE SALES TAXES, AND REDUCES PROPERTY TAXES. AND SO IT'S, IT'S A CHOICE AND IT'S A BALANCE ONE UP AND ONE DOWN AND DO THE VOTERS WANT TO MAKE THAT TRADE? AND SO THERE WAS A QUESTION, IS THERE AN IMPENDING DEFICIT OR NEED FOR REVENUE? NO, THERE'S, THERE'S NOT THAT, BUT THIS PROPOSAL IS PRIMARILY AN OFFSET. SO SALES TAX COLLECTED TO HELP REDUCE PROPERTY TAXES AND THAT WE HAVE A SPECIAL SIGNIFICANCE AROUND THE EFFECT ON RENTERS. AND SO LANDLORDS WILL BENEFIT FROM PROPERTY TAX RELIEF. LANDLORDS HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO PASS ON SOME OF THOSE SAVINGS TO RENTERS THAT CAN, OR, OR DON'T HAVE TO THAT'S UP TO THEM. UM, BUT IT MAY BE A TOOL TO HELP PREVENT FUTURE RENT INCREASES, BUT IT DOES REDUCE THE COST OF BEING A LANDLORD. UM, AND JUST ANOTHER STATEMENT WITH THIS INFORMATION CAMPAIGN. IT'S OUR EXPECTATION WITH TOWN COUNCIL APPROVE IS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN ENGAGE WITH A CONSULTANT AND MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE FACTUAL NEUTRAL INFORMATION THAT'S SPECIFIC TO THE TOWN OF HILTON HEAD ISLAND AND SPECIFIC TO A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT, UM, TAX PAYER, UM, CIRCUMSTANCES SO THAT WE CAN, WE CAN TELL THE STORY, HERE'S HOW IT WILL AFFECT YOU. AND SO THAT'S OUR EMPHASIS, AND THAT WOULD BE OUR DIRECTION TO THE CONSULTANTS IF WE ARE, UM, APPROVED FOR THAT. UM, I COMPLETED MY, UM, COMMENTS AND MR. MAYOR, UM, TOM COUNSEL WITH AN OFFER FOR ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS, MR. MAYOR? I DO HAVE A QUESTION. I DO HAVE A QUESTION. YES, SIR. OR MAYBE IT'S MORE OF A COMMENT. UM, JOHN, COULD YOU BRING US BACK TO YOUR SLIDE NUMBER 32? THE THINGS WE'RE BEING ASKED TO DO HERE TODAY? [01:05:01] YES, SIR. THANK YOU. UM, WE'RE BEING ASKED TO SUPPORT CONDUCTING A REFERENDUM IS REALLY NOTHING FOR US TO SUPPORT THERE BECAUSE THE COUNTY, THE COUNTY COUNCIL HAS ALREADY PLACED THIS ITEM ON THE BALLOT FOR CONSIDERATION BY THE CITIZEN OF HILTON HEAD ISLAND, AS WELL AS THE OTHER CITIZENS HERE IN THIS COUNTY. SO I DON'T SEE WHERE WE SUPPORT CONDUCTING THIS AS, AS ADDING MUCH THEN IN SO FAR AS DISTRIBUTION OF THE REVENUE, UH, YES, 71% OF PROPERTY TAX, 29% DISCRETIONARY WITH THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT. AGAIN, THAT'S SET BY LAW. SO THERE'S NOTHING THERE THAT I SEE THAT WE SH WE NEED TO ADOPT BY RESOLUTION. AND THEN IN THE MATTER OF FINANCIAL SUPPORT, UM, THE TOWNS THAT YOU MENTIONED, UM, NEWFORD, UH, PORT ROYAL UMC AND SO FORTH HAVE ALREADY STARTED THIS PROCESS. THEY'VE ALREADY HIRED A CONSULTANT AND IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THEY ALREADY HAVE A PROGRAM AND EDUCATION PROGRAM ALREADY IN PLACE. AND SO TO ME, IT DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE FOR US TO JUST TAG ONTO THAT WHEN WE HAVEN'T HAD A VOICE IN THE WAY THAT IS TO BE CONSTRUCTED, UM, THEY TOOK OFF WITHOUT US. THE COUNTY HAS HAD THIS PLAN FOR SOME TIME. WE NEVER HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO EVEN CONSIDER IT UNTIL NOW. AND SO, AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED, THE BATTER'S GOING TO BE ON THE BALLOT AND I'LL RELY ON THE GOOD JUDGMENT OF THE CITIZENS OF HILTON HEAD ISLAND TO ADOPT IT OR TO PROJECT IT. THANK YOU. OKAY. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR JOHN? I HAVE, OH, SORRY, GO AHEAD, DAVID. I DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING YET. YOU WANT TO SAY SOMETHING? YEAH. TAMMY CAN GO IN. I WAS JUST GOING TO SAY THAT, UM, IT, GLEN PRETTY MUCH SUMMED UP EVERYTHING THAT WAS ON MY NOTE PAD. AND SO, UH, AND THAT'S ALL I WANTED TO SAY. I AGREE. OKAY, DAVID, I THINK WHEN SORT OF SPOKE FOR ME ALSO, BUT I'VE TAKEN SOME TIME AND I, AND I'D LIKE TO, UM, SORT OF MAKE A COUPLE OF COMMENTS. UH, I'LL BEGIN BY SAYING, UH, I BELIEVE OUR ISLANDS QUALITY OF LIFE AND PROPERTY VALUES DEPEND ON CONSTANT PUBLIC INVESTMENT AND RENEWAL. AND THE LOSS MAY BE A VEHICLE TO DO THAT UNDER THE RIGHT CONSTRAINTS AND INSURANCES. BUT HAVING SAID THAT, THERE'S A PART OF ME THAT WANTS TO CRY FOUL ON BEHALF OF THE HILLMAN VOTERS. AND THEY'VE BEEN PUT IN AN UNACCEPTABLE POSITION REGARDING THE LOST RIVER AT REFERENDUM FOR THREE REASONS. ONE TO MY KNOWLEDGE AND GLENN HAS SPOKEN ABOUT THIS. HILTON HAS TOWN COUNCIL WAS NOT INVOLVED NOR INVITED TO EARLY DISCUSSIONS THAT INITIATED THE REFERENDUM AND PLACED IT ON THE NOVEMBER BALLOT. THIS DESPITE HILTON HEADS BEING THE PRINCIPAL CONTRIBUTOR TO FUTURE LOSS REVENANCE AND TWO AT THIS LATE DATE, IN MY OPINION, THERE'S INADEQUATE TIME FOR ISLAND VOTERS. AND IN FACT, ALL COUNTY VOTERS TO BE PRESENTED INFORMATION AND THEN AMPLY CONSIDER THE PROS AND CONS OF A PERMANENT TAX. AND THREE COUNCIL IS BEING ASKED TODAY TO RETROACTIVELY SIGN AN AGREEMENT ALREADY AND FORCED TO FUND A PUBLIC EDUCATION EFFORT AND EFFORT COUNTY COUNCIL. THE SPONSORING AGENCY VOTED NOT TO SUPPORT, WHICH IS INTERESTING. I WONDER I SHOULD HAVE THE FULL CONFIDENCE IN THIS PUBLICITY IT'S MOVING FORWARD, WHICH HAS BEEN REFERRED TO AS PUBLIC EXPECTATION, AND THEY SHOULD HAVE CONFIDENCE THAT IT WILL BE IMPARTIAL OBJECTIVE AND BALANCED, AND THIS COUNCIL MUST MAKE SURE IT IS FOR THAT. IT IS THAT FOR THE STAKE OF THE VOTERS, RESIDENTS AND VOTERS DESERVE TO KNOW IF LOSS PASSES, FUTURE REVENUES WILL NOT BE A SLUSH FUND, BUT WILL BE DIRECTED TOWARDS STRATEGIC CAPITAL AND PROGRAMMATIC INVESTMENTS THAT ENHANCE THE ISLAND'S QUALITY OF LIFE AND PROPERTY VALUES FOR THEIR RESIDENTS DESERVE ASSURANCE THAT NO SINGLE TOWNSEL CAN WITH SIMPLY A MAJORITY IS PENN WITH A SIMPLE MAJORITY OBLIGATE THE FULL BOND AND CAPACITY OF THE EXPECTED LOSS REVENUE STRAIN, [01:10:02] AND REGARDING THE WHEREAS CLAUSE THAT STATES THE TOWN IS OF THE OPINION AND BELIEF THAT ALL PROPERTY OWNERS WITH A TOWN SHOULD CONSIDER BENEFITS FROM THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE LOCAL OPTION SALES TAX, AS AN ALTERNATIVE REVENUE SOURCE IN THEIR DECISION-MAKING PROCESS. AND AS SUCH PUBLICLY SUPPORT THE INPUT FROM THE VOTERS FROM THIS REFERENDUM, I ASKED THE QUESTION, WHAT ABOUT NON-PROPERTY OWNERS? SHOULDN'T IT READ ALL VOTERS? I THINK THE LANGUAGE IS THAT LANGUAGE IN THAT PARTICULAR, WHEREAS IS CONFUSING BECAUSE IT IS TWO SEPARATE THOUGHTS. ONE BASICALLY SAY, DO YOUR HOMEWORK. AND TWO COUNCIL SUPPORTS HAVING THE REFERENDUM IS THE LATTER NECESSARY, OR SHOULD THE WORDING BE REPHRASED? THE COUNCIL SUPPORTS REFERENDUM AS GLENN HAS ALREADY SAID, IT'S MOVING FORWARD. WE CAN SAY WE SUPPORT IT TO GIVE THE VOTERS THE OPPORTUNITY TO VOICE OPINION. BUT THE SECOND PART OF IS COUNSEL CANNOT ADVOCATE A POSITION IN THE REFERENDUM AND THE WORD BENEFIT IMPLIES IN MY MIND SUPPORT. I SUGGEST AMENDING THAT TO RELATIVE BENEFITS. SO I'D FINALLY GO BACK TO WHAT I BEGAN WITH. I PERSONALLY BELIEVE OUR ISLAND'S QUALITY OF LIFE AND PROPERTY VALUES DEPEND ON A CONSTANT PUBLIC INVESTMENT AND RENEWAL LOST MAYBE A VEHICLE TO DO THAT, BUT I THINK IT HAS TO BE DONE UNDER THE RIGHT CONSTRAINTS AND INSURANCES. AND AT THIS POINT, I DON'T THINK WE HAVE GIVEN THE VOTERS ADEQUATE ASSURANCES AND CONSTRAINTS, BUT THEY WILL BE VOTING ON NOVEMBER 2ND, I BELIEVE. AND WE WILL DECIDE YOU WILL HAVE THEIR DECISION AT THAT POINT. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UH, THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR, THE PRINCIPLE OF THOUGHT I HAVE RELATIVE TO THE, THE LAST, UH, OPPORTUNITY HERE IS THAT I, I BELIEVE IF THIS IS DONE CORRECTLY, UH, IT CAN PROVIDE A, A LONG-TERM SOURCE OF NEW, UH, FUNDING TO DO A LOT OF GREAT THINGS FOR THIS COMMUNITY, UH, BY GREAT THINGS. I MEAN, A MULTI-GENERATIONAL, UH, UH, UH, PROJECTS, YOU KNOW, WHETHER IT BE, UH, AN ART CENTER, A PERFORMING, UH, PERFORMING ARTS CENTER, UM, HELPING US WITH, UH, WORKFORCE HOUSING, UM, MANY, MANY THINGS, AND IT'S UNFORTUNATE WE'RE BEING BROUGHT IN AT THE 11TH HOUR, UH, TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS PROCESS. UH, UH, THAT SAID, I THINK, UH, I, I WILL HAVE AN EYE TASK, OUR TOWN MANAGER OR QUESTION, UM, I, YOU KNOW, I'M UNCOMFORTABLE WITH ANOTHER GROUP THAT WE DIDN'T PICK DOING THE EDUCATION, UH, BUT THAT BEGS THE QUESTION. COULD WE CHOOSE OUR OWN GROUP TO DO THE EDUCATION AND BY EDUCATION? I MEAN, LOOK AT IT VERY OBJECTIVELY. WHAT ARE THE PLUSES AND MINUSES? WHAT'S THE UPSIDE, WHAT'S THE DOWNSIDE, SO THAT, UH, UH, OUR COMMUNITY, WHICH IS A VERY INTELLIGENT COMMUNITY CAN DECIDE FOR THEMSELVES. UM, UH, I'M ALSO SUPPORTIVE OF NOT BINDING ONE, UM, COUNCIL TODAY, UH, BINDING FUTURE COUNCILS AND IN YEARS TO COME. UM, THE, SO I THINK, LET ME, LET ME STOP THERE AND JUST SAY THAT THE EDUCATION, NOT THE PROMOTION, BUT THE EDUCATION IS, IS, IS CRITICAL. AND W WHAT CAN WE DO? I KNOW TIME IS SHORT. I DON'T THINK IT'S IMPOSSIBLE IF IT'S DONE WELL. UH, IS THERE ANYTHING WE CAN DO THERE, AND MAY I DIRECT THAT MR. MAYOR TO THE TOMI? YES, SIR. YES. THANK YOU. UH, JUST TO MAYBE BACK UP A LITTLE BIT AND EXPLAIN KIND OF HOW WE'RE HERE, WHY WE'RE HERE, YOU KNOW, AS WE KNOW, THIS WAS VOTED BY ME FOR COUNTY COUNCIL TO PUT ON THE BALLOT LATE LAST YEAR. UH, I KNOW THAT THE MUNICIPALITY IS DEFINITELY DUE FOR AN BLUFFTON, HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH EACH OTHER. AND THEN I ALSO BELIEVE WITH, BE FOR COUNTY TO PUT THIS EDUCATION PROGRAM TOGETHER, JUST SO YOU'RE ALL VERY CLEAR. AND I THINK FOR THE PUBLIC TO HEAR AS WELL, I WAS NOTICED EARLY AUGUST BY [01:15:01] BUFORD'S MAYOR, A GOOD FRIEND BILL PRO COP, THAT THEY HAD ALL STARTED TO REALLY GET TOGETHER. THEY REALIZED THE COUNTY WASN'T GOING TO, UM, HIRE A CONSULTANT AND HELP EDUCATE, BUT INSTEAD THAT THE MUNICIPALITIES WOULD HAVE THAT RESPONSIBILITY. BUFORD ASKED AT THAT TIME WHAT EVERYBODY THOUGHT. AND I PUT THIS ON THE NEXT AVAILABLE AGENDA. UM, I THINK JUST SIMPLY FROM AGENDA MEETING TIMES AND WHATNOT, WE ARE WHERE WE ARE BUFORD VETTED SEVERAL CONSULTANTS. THEY VETTED, I DON'T KNOW, FIVE OR SIX CONSULTANTS. I BELIEVE WE WERE NOT INVOLVED WITH THAT PROCESS SIMPLY BECAUSE I SAID, ALTHOUGH I WAS INVITED, I SAID, I DON'T HAVE ANY DIRECTION FROM MY COUNCIL YET. AND IT'S ALREADY ON THE BALLOT. STATE LAW IS WHAT IT IS. UM, BUT LET'S, YOU KNOW, LET ME GET IT ON AN AGENDA AND ASK, UH, BY THEN THEY HAD ALREADY SELECTED A CONSULTANT. THEY SELECTED A GOOD ONE. THEY SELECTED A CONSULTING TEAM. I DON'T KNOW THEIR NAME, BUT IT'S BEING HEADED UP BY HEATHER SIMMONS JONES WHO WAS VERY INVOLVED WITH BUFORD COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT SOME YEARS AGO, WENT ON TO HAVE GREAT SUCCESS IN GREENWOOD, SOUTH CAROLINA. AND NOW HEATHER IS WORKING FOR A CONSULTING FIRM LEADING, UM, I WOULD SAY, UH, THE CHARLESTON OFFICE AND THE REGION. SO IT'S A GOOD CONSULTANT. THEY'RE, THEY'RE CRAFTING WHATEVER MESSAGE THE MUNICIPALITIES HAVE ASKED THEM TO CRAFT. UM, I'M NOT, I THINK JOHN COVERED A LITTLE BIT OF IT, BUT THEY'RE CALLING IT BOOST B O O S T BOOST, BUFORD BOOST, BLUFFTON BOOST THE MSC, IF YOU WOULD LIKE OUR, AND I'M, THAT'S WHAT I'VE HEARD FROM YOU. THE MAJORITY OF YOU, UM, IF NOT ALL OF YOU THAT THE MESSAGE NEEDS TO BE NEUTRAL. WE COULD UTILIZE THIS CONSULTANT TO PREPARE A NEUTRAL MESSAGE FOR US ALONG WITH, YOU KNOW, ALONG THOSE SAME LINES. WE DON'T HAVE TO PIGGYBACK EVERYBODY ELSE, BUT GOING OUT AT THIS POINT AND SEEKING A NEW CONSULTANT AND VETTING THEM AND QUALIFYING THEM WHERE WE'RE ABOUT 30 DAYS AWAY FROM THE BOAT. UM, I WOULD JUST THINK THAT WHAT WE NEED TO DO IS PREPARE A NEUTRAL MESSAGE, HAVE IT ON OUR WEBSITE, PUT IT ON OUR SOCIAL MEDIA, GET OUT AND ABOUT AND SHARE THE MESSAGE. UM, I'VE HEARD A LOT OF GREAT COMMENTS FROM, FROM YOU ALL ABOUT N NOT JUST A NEUTRAL STATEMENT, BUT REALLY EXPLAINING HOW THIS AFFECTS THE PROPERTY TAX PAYERS, THE FOUR, SIX, AND 10, AS MUCH AS THOSE FOLKS THAT ARE, THAT ARE RENTING. AND SO WE, WE HAVE SOME WORK TO DO TO PREPARE THAT MESSAGE, UM, REALLY THIS, THIS, THIS CAME ON THE AGENDA TO ASK YOU FOR SOME FUNDS, NOT TO REALLY BACKTRACK AND FIGURE OUT WHAT HAPPENED MONTHS BEFORE MY ARRIVAL HERE. AND WHY B FOR COUNTY PUT THAT ON THE BALLOT. SO REALLY I'M SIMPLY SAYING TO YOU THAT YES, WE CAN DO SOME OF THIS WORK IN HOUSE. YES. I CAN GO FIND ANOTHER CONSULTANT. ALL OF THAT IS GOING TO TAKE SOME MORE TIME AND WE ONLY HAVE 30 DAYS TO EDUCATE OUR RESIDENTS. SO IT'S REALLY YOUR WILL. UM, IF, IF YOU'RE COMFORTABLE WITH ME SPENDING 10, $15,000 MAX, CLOSER TO 10 THAN 15 AND GET ON WITH IT TO CRAFT A NEUTRAL MESSAGE, I'M HAPPY TO DO SO, BUT I WOULD SUGGEST, LET ME DETERMINE WHO THE BEST CONSULTANT IS. I, I BELIEVE IT'S HEATHER SIMMONS JONES. I HAVEN'T HAD ANY CONVERSATIONS WITH HER ABOUT OUR MESSAGE WHATSOEVER. I KNOW. OH YEAH. THANK YOU. UH, UH, MARK, UH, W WITH YOUR STATEMENTS, THEN I'M COMFORTABLE, UH, MOVING FORWARD WITH, UH, UH, TO USE YOUR ADJECTIVE, A NEUTRAL, UH, EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM. UH, I PERSONALLY THINK THERE'S MORE, THERE'S MORE OF AN UPSIDE THAN A DOWNSIDE, UH, WITH THIS VEHICLE. AND, UH, I THINK I HAVE A LOT OF TRUST IN YOUR JUDGMENT AS TO WHAT GROUP COULD SERVE US WELL. UH, AND I W I WOULD BE WILLING TO SAY YOU GO OUT THERE AND, UH, REVIEW THE EXISTING FIRM IF YOU'RE REALLY COMFORTABLE. UM, THEN, UM, GO AHEAD AND START THE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM. IF YOU'RE NOT LOOK, LOOK FOR ANOTHER GROUP, BUT, UH, TIME, TIME'S NOT OUR FRIEND HERE, AND I THINK WE REALLY HAVE TO GET GOING. THANK YOU. UM, I'M SORRY, TOM. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. UH, I HAVE, UH, I'M COMFORTABLE WITH THE ECONOMICS, UH, OF THE LAST, UH, TAX SIDE. I UNDERSTAND, [01:20:01] UH, HOW THE APPLICATION OF LOST TAXES IS APPLIED TO THE VARIOUS MUNICIPALITIES. I UNDERSTAND HOW WE CAN USE IT AND HOW WE ARE PROHIBITED FROM USING IT. UH, AND I WOULD ALSO SAY THAT THAT, UH, OUR ENTIRE BUDGET PROCESS, UH, IS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. UH, AND WE DO WORKSHOPS WHERE THE PUBLIC WEIGH IN ON HOW WE'RE PROPOSING TO SPEND, UH, THE REVENUE GEN GENERATED FROM, UH, SOURCES SUCH AS LOST. UH, I CAN'T, I CAN'T CLIMB TO THE LEVEL, UH, SAYING THAT, UH, AS A RESULT OF THAT OPEN, UH, BUDGET AND FISCAL PROCESS, THAT ANY COUNCIL WOULD DO ANYTHING THAT WAS ANYTHING LESS THAN APPROPRIATE, UM, FOR THE COMMUNITY AND DO NOTHING BUT ENHANCE OR PROTECT THE QUALITY OF LIFE THAT WE ALL CHERISH SO MUCH. AND WITH REGARD TO OBLIGATING AND FUTURE COUNCILS, WE DO IT NOW, OH, WE SIGNED THE DEBT INSTRUMENTS THAT THE CROSS COUNCILS ROUTINE WAY. SO I CAN'T CLIMB TO THE LEVEL, UH, THAT SAYS, UH, I DON'T TRUST ONE COUNCIL AND THE COMMUNITY INPUT TO THAT COUNCIL TO OBLIGATE A SUBSEQUENT COUNCIL. CAUSE THAT HAPPENS LIKEWISE, BASED ON WHAT, WHAT MARK SAID, UH, AND IN THE SPIRIT OF REGIONALISM, BECAUSE I RECOGNIZE THAT HILTON HEAD IS A DONOR MUNICIPALITY IN VIEW FOR A COUNTY. LIKEWISE, BUFORD COUNTY IS A DONOR TO THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA. WE CAN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT THAT. THAT'S THE ENVIRONMENT THAT WE LIVE IN AND WE HAVE DEALT WITH IT ROUTINELY PRIOR TO THIS ISSUE. UH, I DON'T HAVE ANY REASON TO DOUBT THEREFORE THAT THE COUNTY AND THE MUNICIPALITIES WILL ENGAGE A CONSULTANT TO DO THE RIGHT THING. I, I REGRET THE INTERGOVERNMENTAL AGREEMENT, UH, AND ON THE SECOND PAGE, I THINK IT'S VERY CLEAR, UH, THE TERMS UNDER WHICH WE WOULD AGREE TO BE A PARTY THAT'S AT ALL THREE OF THOSE TERMS ARE APPROPRIATE TO THE DISCUSSION THAT WE'VE HAD RIGHT HERE. AND I THINK COVER IT APPROPRIATELY FOR ELUTION. AND I THINK YOU'VE DONE A GOOD JOB CLEARLY STATING, UH, THAT WE SUPPORT THE IDEA OF PUTTING THE QUESTION TO THE BOATERS AND LET THE VOTERS DECIDE, UH, MR. MAYOR. I AM OKAY. IN MOVING FORWARD BASED UPON STAFF'S RECOMMENDATIONS. THANK YOU, MR. BROWN. YES. UH, THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. UM, I'VE GOT A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS FOR, FOR STAFF. I'LL START WITH, UH, MR. TROY, UH, ONE OF YOUR SLIDES, UH, SHOWED US A, I GUESS, A $49 MILLION INTAKE AND 32 MILLION OF THAT, UH, COMING BACK TO THE COUNTY. IS THAT SOMEWHERE IN YOUR SLIDE THERE IN THE BEGINNING? I THOUGHT I SAW IT. SURE. UM, YEAH. AND, UH, THERE WAS EARLIER, BUT I'M, I'M SHOWING A SLIDE 27, THE EXPECTED, UM, PROCEEDS OF THE 1% OF THE 48 MILLION 5 87 ROUND NUMBERS. 40 MONTHS OF THAT TAX RELIEF WOULD BE TWO DIFFERENT PIECES COUNTY TAX RELIEF AT 21 9, AND THIS WILL TAX RELIEF 10. SO THOSE TWO TOGETHER WOULD BE $32 MILLION IN PROPERTY TAX RELIEF FROM THE SALES TAX. AND THEN THE DIFFERENCE, UM, PART OF THAT IS THE, UM, THAT THE STATE STATE TAKES 2 MILLION OFF THE TOP. AND THEN EACH JURISDICTION WOULD HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO VOTE ON HOW THE REMAINDER OF THE 29% WOULD BE ALLOCATED, UM, OF THE $13 MILLION. I HOPE THAT ANSWERS YOUR QUESTION. YEAH. YEAH. I UNDERSTAND THAT PART. I'M MORE INTERESTED IN THE INTAKE PROCESS. DO WE HAVE ANY IDEA OF HOW MUCH OF THAT 49 MILLION THAT WILL BE EXPECTED? WE HAVE A NEW COMING IN FROM THE 1% THAT WOULD BE GENERATED BY HILTON HEAD. GIVE ME THE, UM, RESIDENTS VERSUS VISITORS JUST AS A WHOLE 38%. MR. LENNOX HAS MENTIONED THAT. AND I THINK THERE'S, I THINK THERE'S A CALCULATION IN THERE, UM, THAT SHOWS THAT WELL, SO 38, IF THE DEPARTMENT REVENUE, AS, AS INCLUDED THEIR PROJECTED SALES, AND I CAN'T TELL YOU RIGHT [01:25:01] OFF THE BAT, BUT IT'S A NUMBER. YES. WOULD YOU ALEX ELEPHANTS, ALEX STILL ON? WAS IT ME? THAT WAS FROZEN. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. I APOLOGIZE. UM, SO I, I THINK, UH, MR. LINUX WAS CHARMING IN THERE AND APPROXIMATELY 38% OF THAT 49 MILLION IS WHAT WOULD BE INTAKE IN THE HILTON HEAD AREA. RIGHT. OKAY. UM, I THINK THAT'S AN IMPORTANT FIGURE, PARTICULARLY WHEN YOU START TO LOOK AT WHAT IS RETURNED TO OUR, UH, UH, HILTON HEAD AREA SPECIFICALLY. UM, AND, UH, I GUESS THESE QUESTIONS ARE FOR MR. ORLANDO. UH, YOU MENTIONED THAT THIS, UH, THIS WAS DECIDED ABOUT BUFORD COUNTY LATE IN 2020 TO PUT ON THE BALLOT. YES, IT WAS IN JOHN'S PRESENTATION. TELL HIM WHAT WAS THE DATE THAT THEY VOTED ON THIS I'M THINKING IT WAS DECEMBER OF 2020. YEAH. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. UM, AND WILL THERE BE ANOTHER QUESTION ON THE BALLOT ALSO FOR HILTON HEAD RESIDENTS? THE COMMON QUESTION. WHAT'S THAT QUESTION? YES. THERE WILL BE SIR, UM, THE FORM OF GOVERNMENT. OKAY. AND IS THERE AN EDUCATIONAL COMPONENT BEING CRAFTED FOR THAT? UM, I'M NOT AWARE. I HAVEN'T CONNECTED WITH MR. GREENWAY ON THEIR INTENT AND THEIR EDUCATION ON THAT. I CAN CHECK INTO THAT AND GET BACK TO YOU. OKAY. UM, I UNDERSTAND YOUR POINT. YEAH. YOU KNOW, IF THERE'S, THERE'S NOT ONE WITH EVEN FURTHER BEHIND THE EIGHT BALL, AS FAR AS THAT'S CONCERNED, WHEN IT COMES TO OUR CITIZENS, UNDERSTANDING THAT QUESTION, UM, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT GOING TO TAKE THE TIME TO GO, UH, GOING INTO IF THIS IS, IF THIS IS GOOD IN THAT I THINK WE NEED TO STAY NEUTRAL, UM, BY ALL MEANS NECESSARY. UM, I AGREE WITH THE PREVIOUS COMMENTS THAT AT THIS POINT IS GOING TO BE ON THE BALLOT, REGARDLESS IF WE SUPPORT THIS RESOLUTION OR NOT. AND THE PERCENTAGES OR A DAY IN BLACK AND WHITE, ALSO OUT OF OUR CONTROL, UM, BECAUSE IT IS A FINANCIAL DECISION FOR OUR VOTERS ON HILTON HEAD. I WOULD SUPPORT MR. ORLANDO DEVELOPING AN EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM, HILTON HEAD SPECIFIC. YOU CAN USE WHAT YOU WANT TO USE IN MY OPINION, MR. ORLANDO, BUT IT NEEDS TO BE HILTON HEAD SPECIFIC. UM, COUNCILMAN LENNOX IS RIGHT. WE ARE DOWN A DONOR MUNICIPALITY. WE CAN'T CHANGE THAT PART OF IT. UH, BUT WE, WE CAN DO ALL THAT WE CAN TO EDUCATE OUR VOTERS AS TO IF THIS IS, UH, GOOD OR BAD THING FOR US. LONG-TERM AND I THINK WE CAN BE VERY NEUTRAL AND DELIVERING THAT MESSAGE. UH, SO I'M NOT IN FAVOR OF HANDING ANY MONEY OVER TO ANY OTHER MUNICIPALITY TO GO THROUGH THAT EXERCISE THAT WE CONTROL IT SOLELY, UH, THROUGH OUR TOWN MANAGERS DISCRETION. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR, MR. MAYOR, I HAVE A QUESTION. FOLLOW-UP QUESTION. UM, I MENTIONED THAT ONE, WHEREAS, AND IT'S STATES THAT ALL PROPERTY OWNERS WAS THAT DELIBERATELY DONE AS OPPOSED TO ALL VOTERS, BECAUSE ALL EVERYBODY'S GOING TO BE VOTING ON THIS. ARE WE DISENFRANCHISING RENDERS AND OTHER NON-PROPERTY OWNERS? IN OTHER WORDS, DOES THAT, [01:30:01] WHEREAS HAVE TO BE AMENDED TO, TO STATE ALL VOTERS, MR. AMES, IT WASN'T INTENTIONAL. I'M VERY OPEN TO AN AMENDMENT, JUST FOR CLARITY ON, ON THAT, UH, ON THAT ITEM, I HAVE TAKEN SOME NOTES. UM, I'D BE OPEN AS WELL, PERHAPS SUGGESTING IF, IF, IF THAT'S YOUR COMFORT LEVEL, UH, A RECOMMENDATION WITH SOME CLARITY ON PREFERRED LANGUAGE. YEAH, THAT WOULD BE MY, MY, UH, UH, PREFERENCE. UM, THIS, THIS DOCUMENTS A PUBLIC DOCUMENT. I DON'T THINK WE WANT TO BE ANSWERING QUESTIONS. WHY NON-PROPERTY OWNERS WEREN'T INCLUDED, RIGHT. IT'S NOT OUR INTENTION. I THINK IT'S A COUNTY ISSUE. IT'S NOT SOMETHING WE CAN GO ON OUR OWN AND CLARIFY, THE COUNTY HAS TO CLARIFY, WHEREAS OUR DOCUMENT OR THE COUNTY DOCUMENT, I WAS REFERRING TO THE RESOLUTION WE PREPARED FOR YOU, THE WHEREAS CLAUSES AND RECYCLES THAT WE PUT TOGETHER. NOT ALL, NOT, NOT THE QUESTION ON IT. OKAY. YES. OKAY. DAVID, ISN'T THAT COVERED IN THE PREVIOUS, WHEREAS I DON'T HAVE THAT IN FRONT OF ME, TOM, IF IT IS, WHEREAS, AND TALKS ABOUT, UH, THE VOTERS OF BUFORD COUNTY WITHOUT DEFINING THEM AS PROPERTY OWNERS OR NOT. WELL, TOM, UM, I DON'T WANT TO BELABOR THIS POINT. I JUST WOULD PREFER HAVING IT BE CHANGED IN THAT SENSE TO ALL VOTERS WITHIN THE TOWN. AND I'M OKAY WITH THAT TOO. MR. MAY HAVE A FOLLOW-UP COMMENT OF APPROPRIATE. I WOULD MUCH PREFER, I WOULD MUCH PREFER TO SEE US NOT APPROVE THIS PARTICULAR RESOLUTION BEFORE US, AND THEN TO COME FORWARD WITH A RESOLUTION, WHICH I WOULD BE PREPARED TO MOVE, TO AUTHORIZE THE TOWN MANAGER, UH, TO USE NO MORE THAN $10,000 TO DEVELOP AN EDUCATION PROGRAM FOCUSED ON THE CITIZENS OF HILTON HEAD ISLAND. THANK YOU. JUST ABOUT TO DAVID'S POINT. UM, AND, AND, AND TOM'S DISCUSSION. YES. THE ONE, WHEREAS, UM, THE VOTERS OF BUPA COUNTY MAY ADOPT THAT'S CORRECT. AND I THINK THAT'S GOOD. I GET, UM, I THINK I GET, AND I DON'T WANT TO PUT WORDS IN ANYONE'S MOUTH, BUT I WILL, FOR MYSELF SAY THAT ON BEHALF OF THE PROPERTY OWNERS WITHIN THE TOWN SHOULD CONSIDER THE BENEFITS OF THE IMPLEMENTATION. UM, I THINK IF YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT IT, JUST IN TERMS OF THE PROPERTY TAX, THEN OBVIOUSLY IT'S THE PROPERTY OWNERS, IF YOU'RE THINKING OF IT IN TERMS OF A TAX IN GENERAL, UM, I'M NOT SURE THE BENEFITS TO EVERYONE. AND SO I, IT'S JUST A MATTER OF, UM, WHO WE'RE ADDRESSING WITHIN THAT. WHEREAS AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED, FEATHERING ANOTHER QUESTION THOUGH, I WAS AT A MEETING RECENTLY AND I BELIEVE I HEARD OUR TREASURER REFER TO THIS, UM, WITH SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT PERCENTAGES. UM, AS I RECALL, THAT WAS 70 AND 30% A WEEK. ARE WE CERTAIN OF THE 71 AND 29% THAT'S STATE LAW, SO, OKAY. OKAY. JUST WANT TO CLARIFICATION ON THAT. AND, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, MY FEELINGS ASIDE ABOUT THE TAX, UM, I THINK THAT, UM, THAT'S FOR EACH VOTER TO, UM, TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION FOR THEMSELVES, HOW THAT WILL IMPACT THEIR LIVES, UM, IN THE, IN HILTON HEAD AND IN THE COUNTY. AND BECAUSE OF ALL THE REASONS, AS I SAID, I THINK LEN OUTLINED IT PRETTY WELL. THE, UM, THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT WE WOULD CONTRIBUTE TO THIS, IT SHOULD BE, UM, AS GLEN SAID, RE REDONE SO THAT IT IS THE TOWN INITIATING THAT, UM, PIECE, UM, INFORMATIONAL PIECE. I'D LIKE TO CALL IT RATHER THAN AN EDUCATIONAL PIECE AND INFORMATIONAL PIECE. AND IT WAS THAT, UM, UH, THAT THEY SPECIFIC TO HILTON HEAD ISLAND AS WELL. W WHY DON'T YOU TRY TO SET US UP FOR A SECOND? UH, MY PERSONAL BELIEF IS THAT SOME OF HIS MONEY SHOULD GO INTO A RESERVE FUND THAT WE SHOULD NOT SPEND ALL OF IT AT ANY TIME THAT WE SHOULD RESERVE FUNDED RESERVE SOME OF IT FOR WHATEVER THE FUTURE MIGHT BRING US ALONG THE WAY. BUT HAVING SAID THAT, I THINK WE SHOULD MOVE AND VOTE ON IT TODAY. GLEN'S MESSAGE THAT WE AUTHORIZE THE TOWN MANAGER TO SPEND UP TO $10,000 EDUCATION ON THE EDUCATION [01:35:01] FOR OUR SERVICES, UNTIL THAT CITIZENS ON THE REFERENDUM, WHETHER HE USE TO, TO SOMETHING WE DON'T KNOW, OR THEY WORKS IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE OTHER TOWNS, BUT THE, UH, THE ADVERTISING PERMIT MAY HAVE SOMEONE MAKE THAT MOTION. WE COULD MOVE ON MR. MAYOR, MR. MAYOR, I WOULD MOVE THAT. WE AUTHORIZE THE TOWN MANAGER TO SPEND AN AMOUNT OF MONEY, NOT TO EXCEED $10,000 TO CONDUCT AN INFORMATION CAMPAIGN DIRECTED TO THE CITIZENS OF HILTON HEAD ISLAND CONCERNING THE LOCAL OPTION SALES TAX, WHICH HAS BEEN PLACED ON THE, UH, BALLOT BY DIFFERENT COUNTY. WELL, I HAVE A SECOND DYNAMIC. IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION ON IT? YES. WHAT WAS THAT BILL? UH, YES. UH, I, I RECALL OUR TOWN MANAGER, UH, GIVING, UH, SOME FLEXIBILITY THERE WITH A FIGURE WE RANGE IN BETWEEN 10,000 AND 15,000. UH, I I'D HATE TO HAVE TO HAVE HIM COME BACK. HE HAS A REALLY GOOD ARRANGEMENT FOR 13,500. SO I, I WOULD DEFER TO HIS JUDGMENT. HE'S OBVIOUSLY GOING TO TRY TO GET A QUALITY PRODUCT FOR AS CHEAPLY AS POSSIBLE. MY SUGGESTION WOULD BE LET'S STAY WITH THE RANGE 10 TO 15. I WOULD BE WILLING TO ACCEPT THAT AS AN AMENDMENT TO MY MOTION. OKAY. IF THERE ARE NO OTHER DISCUSSION, I HAVE A COMMENT, JOHN. YES, SIR. I CAN'T, I CAN'T. UH, AND THE ALLOCATION OF FUNDS IT'S CALLING FOR 50, $50,000 FROM SIX MUNICIPALITIES. UH, I ASSUME THERE ARE FOUR THAT THEY'RE ANTICIPATING, UH, THERE ARE CONSULTANT WORK, UH, WILL BE UP TO $50,000. SO NOW WE'RE GOING TO TRY TO HIRE SOMEBODY TO DO BASICALLY THE SAME THING FOR 13,005. UH, I SUBMIT TO YOU, YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR. I, AND I CAN'T POSSIBLY SUPPORT THAT WITHOUT HAVING MARK OR JOSH OR A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE TOWN, TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT THE SIX METER OR THE OTHER FIVE MINUTES. WHAT IF, WHAT THEY HAVE IS GOOD, WHAT THEY HAVE APPLIES TO HILTON HEAD AS MUCH OR MORE THAN OTHER MUNICIPALITIES IN THE COUNTY. I THINK IF WE WANT TO GO TO THIS DIRECTION, UH, I SURE WOULD WANT MARK OR JOSH TO TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT THEY'VE GOT AND WEIGH IN AS TO ITS APPLICATION FOR HILTON HEAD BEFORE GOING OFF ON OUR OWN. OKAY. THANK YOU, SIR. MR. LENNOX. AND I'VE GENERALLY SUGGESTED THAT EARLIER, I KNOW THE CONSULTANT, WE CAN WORK WITH THEM AND WITH ALL THE WORK THAT'S DONE, UH, WITH THE KNOWLEDGE OF LOCAL OPTION SALES TAX AND SOUTH CAROLINA, WITH THE KNOWLEDGE OF BEEF FOR COUNTY, WITH THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE FORMULA. SO ON AND SO FORTH, I'LL WORK TO CRAFT THE APPROPRIATE MESSAGE. MOST LIKELY WITH THE CURRENT CONSULTANT, IT IS A GOOD CONSULTANT. UM, IT'S NOT JUST A COST-EFFECTIVE, BUT I ALSO BELIEVE THEY UNDERSTAND THIS AREA, THIS ISSUE, AND WITHIN 30 DAYS, THE BEST CHOICE. SO WE'LL, WE'LL DEFINITELY MAKE THE MOST OUT OF OUR DOLLARS. UH, I ANTICIPATE THAT WE COULD SPEND $10,000 WITH THE CONSULTANT, PLUS A FEW MORE DOLLARS, A LITTLE BIT MORE MONEY FOR REAL PRINTED OR MARKETING MATERIALS ABOVE AND BEYOND. SO THANK YOU FOR THAT. AND WHAT ARE THEY ALREADY HAVE THAT? AND WHAT IF, WHAT THEY HAVE IS ACCEPTABLE TO YOU, WHAT THEY HAVE IS BOOST A BOOST MESSAGE. SO IT IS NOT A, IT'S DEFINITELY AN EDUCATION COMPONENT. I'M NOT SAYING THAT THAT IT'S EXACTLY WHAT I NEED, BUT I BELIEVE BASED UPON WHAT I SAW QUICKLY, WE'RE GOING TO NEED TO MASSAGE THE INFORMATION A LITTLE BIT, UM, FOR THE APPETITE OF TOWN COUNCIL. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. THAT'S DIFFERENT. UM, TO BE CLEAR, SIR, I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE I'M CALLING IT ON THE APPROPRIATE MOTION, WHICH WAS THE AMENDMENT OF THE AMENDMENT TO NOT EXCEED MORE THAN 10 TO $15,000 FOR THE EDUCATION CAMPAIGN. MR. [01:40:01] BROWN. YES. YES. MR. AMES. YES. MRS. BECKER. YES. MR. LETTUCE. I AM STILL CONFUSED. IS THIS ON THE INTERGOVERNMENTAL AGREEMENT AND THE RESOLUTION, OR JUST ON THE INTERGOVERNMENTAL AGREEMENT? MR. LENNOX INDICATES IT'S ON ALLOWING ME TO SPEND UP TO $15,000 ON THE EDUCATIONAL PIECE. SO BY DOING THAT, UH, WE ARE NOT A PARTY TO THE INTERGOVERNMENTAL AGREEMENT. IF I WOULD UTILIZE THEIR CONSULTANT AND FUND THIS INITIATIVES THROUGH THE AGREEMENT. YES. IF NOT THEN NO. SO I WILL FIGURE OUT THOSE DETAILS. THIS MOTION HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH A RESOLUTION. YES. MR. STANFORD. YES. AND YES. OKAY. THIS, THERE WOULD NEED TO BE EXECUTIVE SESSION. YES, WE DO, SIR. FOR THE PURPOSES OF MR. MAYOR, MR. MAYOR. YES. ARE WE, ARE WE MOVING ON THE RESOLUTION? DON'T WORRY. NO, NO ACTION ON THE RESOLUTION. JUST MAKING SURE WE WEREN'T FREEZING UP PERSONALLY. I BELIEVE THAT WE MAY HAVE TO HAVE THE MAKER IN THE SECOND YEAR OF THE INITIAL EMOTION WITH DROUGHT THAT WAS TO APPROVE THE RESOLUTION, MAKE THAT MOTION, MR. STEWART TO BILL. YES. SO I WITHDRAW. THANKS A SECOND ON BILLS WITH TORI DAVID. OKAY. THANK YOU ALL IN FAVOR. RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND. OKAY. THERE, I HAVE ONE ANCILLARY QUESTION THAT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH A SUBJECT AT THE TABLE. SO AT THE APPROPRIATE TIME, I'D LIKE TO ASK IT, UM, WHEN DO YOU ANTICIPATE THAT WE MIGHT FEED BACK IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBERS? I'LL BE PROBABLY LATE NOVEMBER, EARLY DECEMBER, BUT THE NUMBERS HAVE GONE DOWN WITH THE COUNTY FOR THE TENANT, ESPECIALLY WITH THE SEVERITY OF THE CASE HAVE GOTTEN WORSE. THERE ARE MORE PEOPLE IN ICU THAN BEFORE. THERE ARE MORE PEOPLE CRITICALLY ILL AND BEFORE. SO THE SEVERITY OF THIS THAT YOU THOUGHT HAD GONE DOWN IS GREATER. CAN I ASK THAT WE HAVE SOME DISCUSSION WITH SOME MEDICAL PEOPLE ON THAT SUBJECT AT OUR NEXT MEETING. THANK YOU, [12. Executive Session] MR. LANDO, EVEN ON, IN EXECUTIVE SESSION, YOU SAID YES. YES, SIR. AND FOR WHAT PURPOSE? RECEIPT OF LEGAL ADVICE. CAUSE STARTING TO KIND OF THREATENER CLIENT-RELATED TOO MUCH OF ELAINE AND ST. CASTLE'S BY THE SAME BULLSHIT THAT CONFESSION MODE, THEY ALL RAISE THEIR RIGHT HAND. GOOD. WE'LL TAKE A BREAK WHILE WE GO INTO THE SECOND SESSION. COORDINATING GOING LIFE EVERYWHERE. YES, SIR. [13. Possible actions by Town Council concerning matters discussed in Executive Session] OKAY. WE'RE BACK FROM EXECUTIVE SESSION ONE, NOTHING TO REPORT, UM, KIND OF A MOTION TO ADJOURN THE MEETING. PLEASE RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, GUYS. APPRECIATE IT. HAVE A GREAT NIGHT. THANK YOU. RECORDING. STOPPED. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.