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[I. CALL TO ORDER]
IS TUESDAY, OCTOBER THE SEVENTH, 2021.WE'RE CALLING THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING MEETING TO ORDER.
[II. ROLL CALL]
YOU GET A ROLL CALL PLEASE? WHEN I CALL YOUR NAME, PLEASE STAYED HERE.FRED HAMILTON GRAY STAPLES PRESENT.
DAN WOULD PRESENT GWEN CHAMBERS, MEG, JAMES, JOHN NICOLE UN-MUTED HERE.
[III. ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA]
THE AGENDA BEFORE US.CAN I GET AN, A, A MOTION TO ADOPTED THE AGENDA SECOND? ALL IN FAVOR OF LETTING KNOW BY SAYING AYE.
[IV. ADOPTION OF MINUTES]
UM, 2021 WE HOUSE, CAN WE GET IN THE MOTION TO ADOPT THE MINUTES? ALL IN FAVOR PROPOSE HAVING, OKAY.UH, VICTORIA, THEN WE WILL LET YOU LEAD US WITH OLIN NEW BUSINESS.
GOOD MORNING AGAIN TO EVERYONE.
HAPPY OCTOBER, HAPPY, FALL, HAPPY PUMPKINS HAVE CHRISTMAS TREES, ALL THAT IN ONE, CAUSE EVERYTHING IS OUT NOW.
[VII.1. Neighborhood Assistance Program Budget Update]
YOU HAVE OUR MEMO IN FRONT OF YOU.THE FISCAL YEAR 22 NEIGHBORHOOD ASSISTANCE PROGRAM WAS ADOPTED AT $190,000.
WHEN THIS REPORT WAS TURNED IN, THE AVAILABLE BUDGET WAS, OR IS $151,442 AND 10 CENTS $48,297 AND 90 CENTS HAS BEEN PAID OUT ON ROOFING REPAIRS AND SEPTIC BOUTS.
AS OF SEPTEMBER 30TH, TWO HOMES WAITING ON ESTIMATES.
WORK HAS BEGUN ON ONE HOME AND SHOULD BE COMPLETED WITHIN A FEW DAYS AND THAT WORK WAS COMPLETED.
SO WHEN YOU GUYS GET THE REPORT FOR NOVEMBER, YOU WILL SEE THOSE HOMES ADDED ON TO THE NEXT REPORT FOR NEXT MONTH.
UM, QUITE A FEW, IT'S BEEN BUSY THE PAST TWO WEEKS, I'M GOING OUT, PICKING UP APPLICATIONS AND GOING OUT WITH RICHARD AND GETTING THINGS DONE.
CONTRACTORS SEEM TO BE BACK INTO WORK.
WE ARE KIND OF BACKED UP WITH SOME TREE SERVICES THAT WE NEED TO PROVIDE.
UH, JOHNSON AND JOHNSON TREE CARE WENT OUT AND DID SOME ESTIMATES FOR ME.
THEY CAN'T GET THOSE HOUSES ON A SCHEDULE UNTIL NOVEMBER 17TH.
SO EVERYTHING IS A LITTLE BOOK OUT OF CHARACTER RIGHT NOW.
AGAIN, I'M GOING TO BLAME IT ON THE RAIN, BUT YOU KNOW, MOTHER NATURE KIND OF HAS A SAY SO OVER EVERYTHING.
SO RIGHT NOW THAT'S WHERE WE ARE.
UM, AFTER WE GOT OFF THE MEETING LAST MONTH, EL COGS AND DESA REPORT SLASH OR BILL.
SO FROM OCTOBER 15TH, 2020 TO SEPTEMBER 22ND, 2020 1, 26 RESIDENTS HAVE APPLIED FOR VERIFICATION THROUGH THE NEIGHBORHOOD, THE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.
SO I THINK THAT WAS PRETTY GOOD.
LIKE I SAID, ALCOHOL, UM, SENT US THAT BILL LAST A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO, UH, RIGHT AFTER WE GOT OUT OF THIS MEETING AND ALCOHOL IS THE COMPANY THAT DOES INCOME VERIFICATION FOR AS FAR AS RESIDENTS.
AND AGAIN, THAT WAS 26 RESIDENTS FROM OCTOBER 15 OF LAST YEAR TO SEPTEMBER 22ND OF THIS YEAR.
UM, ANY QUESTIONS ON THE MEMO, IF NOT, I'LL TAKE YOU TO
[VII.2. Ongoing Home Repair Update]
THE SPREADSHEET AND THAT PRETTY MUCH KIND OF GIVES A WRAP UP OF THOSE NUMBERS, A BREAKDOWN OF ALL THOSE NUMBERS AS OF SEPTEMBER 30TH, ANYONE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, OR CONCERNS.YOU SEEM PRETTY HAPPY WITH THAT, THAT NUMBER OF APPLICATIONS, YOU KNOW, HOW IT COMPARES TO PREVIOUS YEARS.
I SHOULD HAVE LOOKED THAT UP WHEN I WROTE THAT DOWN, I DID NOT LAST YEAR.
IT WAS PRETTY SLOW BEING THAT COVID, UM, I CAN LOOK IT UP AND I'LL EMAIL IT TO YOU, MAKE MYSELF A NOTE COMPARE, UM, COMPARE THE TWO YEARS, BUT I THINK LAST YEAR MIGHT'VE BEEN
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UNDER 20.I BELIEVE WE KIND OF KNOCKED OUT ABOUT 15 OR 16.
NOW OUT OF THAT 26, MAYBE ABOUT FOUR, UM, WERE OVERQUALIFIED FOR THE PROGRAM, BUT I NEVER GIVE A NO ALWAYS PASS THEM ONTO SOMEONE ELSE.
YOU KNOW, ANOTHER AGENCY THAT CAN HELP.
SO OUT OF THAT 26, I THINK ABOUT FOUR, UM, KINDA WAS OVER OUR GUIDELINES FOR WHAT THEY WERE REQUESTING.
UM, SO YES, I WILL SEND THAT OUT TO THE COMMITTEE ONCE I GET BACK TO MY DESK AND GIVE YOU THOSE NUMBERS COMPARISON.
UH, PASS IT BACK OVER TO YOU, CHAIRMAN, COUNCILMAN HAMILTON, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? OKAY.
CAN YOU PUT THE AGENDA BACK UP PLEASE? OKAY.
NOW I WANT, UM, TO GET EVERYBODY
[VIII. DISCUSSION]
BACK UP TO SPEED ON WHERE WE ARE WITH THE ONE 70 PROJECT PROJECT, UM, WE KIND OF GAVE YOU A LOT OF INFORMATION ON THE LAST MEETING.UM, SO HE'S WANTING TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU STAY ABREAST OF WHAT'S GOING ON.
UM, BUT BEFORE WE GET THERE, IS THERE ANY OTHER CONCERNS OR ANY OTHER QUESTIONS WE MAY HAVE ABOUT THE, ABOUT THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING PERIOD BEFORE WE GET TO ONE SEVEN? THOSE ANY, ANY COMMITTEE MEMBERS, UM, HAVE ANY CONCERNS OR QUESTIONS? OKAY.
OKAY, VICTORIA, THEN YOU, CAN YOU, UH, DO IT, UH, SHOW US THE NELSON'S ON, UM, ON, ON 1 74 US.
SO THE LAST TIME WE SPOKE, WHICH WAS LAST MONTH, KIND OF GAVE AN OVERVIEW OF WHERE WE STOOD.
UM, THE, AND I'M GOING TO JUMP TO FOR THE BUILDING INTEREST POLICY THAT WE PUT INTO PLACE IN AUGUST, WE THOUGHT EVERYTHING WAS TOGETHER.
UM, EVERYTHING WAS NOT TOGETHER WITH DIFFERENT AGENCIES THAT WE WERE WORKING TO, SO THAT BUILDER'S RISK POLICY HAS LAPSED.
SO RIGHT NOW WE MET ABOUT TWO WEEKS AGO, UM, WITH ALCOHOL BARBARA JOHNSON, FROM ALCOHOL JAMES WILLIAMS, FROM BUFORD JASPER, EOC STAFF MEMBERS HERE, KEVIN CHARLOTTE, HEATHER TOWN MANAGER, STEVE STEVEN STEAZ AND RICHARD SPRUCE, OUR BUILDING INSPECTOR, EVERYBODY CAME TOGETHER WITH THE FAMILY AND FEELS IN-COMPANY WHO THE CONTRACTOR THAT'S GOING TO BE DOING THE WORK WE ARE MOVING FORWARD.
EVERYTHING LOOKS GOOD AS OF THAT MEETING.
SO THE BUILDER'S PERMIT, EVERYTHING HAS BEEN APPROVED BY RICHARD SPRUCE AND ROD COREL.
ALL OF THOSE PERMITS ARE IN AND HAVE BEEN STAMPED FOR APPROVAL.
WE HAVE AN APPROVAL FROM STEVEN STACE, THE TOWN MANAGER.
AND RIGHT NOW THE ONLY THING THAT WE ARE WAITING TO GET A CHECK CUT IS FOR THE NEW BUILDER'S RISK POLICY, BECAUSE WE HAVE TO HAVE A BUILDER'S RISK POLICY FOR THE CONTRACTOR TO GO OVER THERE AND DO ANY WORK THAT WILL GIVE A 90 DAY LEEWAY AND WORK SHOULD BE COMPLETED.
AS SOON AS WE GET THAT, WE ARE WAITING FOR TOWN COUNCIL TO END ON TUESDAY NIGHT AND WEDNESDAY MORNING, ACTUALLY BE ABLE TO SEND EVERYTHING TO THE BEEF FOR EOC AND L COG, SO THAT, UM, PART HATS AND EVERYTHING WILL BE READY TO GO OVER THE ONE 70, HOPEFULLY FINGERS CROSSED PRAYERS BETWEEN WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY OF NEXT WEEK.
FRED, YOU'RE TALKING TO US, BUT YOU'RE YOU'RE UM, YOU'RE STILL ON MUTE.
SO YOU DID A VERY GOOD JOB OF, OF, UH, REPORTING WHAT, UM, WHERE WE ARE AT THIS POINT.
W DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? OKAY.
ARE THOSE, UH, NOTES THAT YOU JUST TOLD US VICKI ARE THOSE ANYWHERE THAT WE CAN JUST READ THEM? WE, UM, KEVIN ICAD TOOK SOME NOTES WHEN WE ALL MET TOGETHER.
UM, WOULD YOU JUST WANT TO SEE A PRINTOUT OF OUR TIMELINE? WHAT EXACTLY ARE YOU LOOKING FOR? YOU KNOW, I, I CAN, UM, TO BE HONEST ABOUT IT, I ALWAYS LIKE TO JUST SEE WHAT'S IN WRITING.
I UNDERSTAND YOU, BUT, UM, I JUST CAN'T PUT THAT TOGETHER THAT QUICKLY.
I UNDERSTAND WE CAN TALK, HOLD ON, VICK.
LET'S JUST SPEND SOME TIME WITH IT BECAUSE I DON'T THINK THE NOTES IS GOING TO GIVE YOU EXACTLY WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR EITHER, BECAUSE HERE'S, HERE'S WHY WE WERE KIND OF STEPPING OUT OF THE BOX A LITTLE BIT AND WHAT THIS PROJECT.
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UM, IF WE CAN, IF, IF EITHER I CAN DO IT HERE ON THIS MEETING, OR I CAN HELP YOU, UM, WITH A PHONE CALL AFTER THE MEETING, BUT WE HAVE TIME IF YOU WANT, JUST TO ASK SOME GENERAL QUESTIONS, WHICH WE TRY TO GET YOU, UM, CLOSE WITH TO UNDERSTAND WHAT'S GOING ON.AND, AND, AND THAT'S FAIR BECAUSE YOU, YOU, YOU, YOU, ONE OF OUR VALUABLE NEW NEW MEMBERS IS SO LET'S, LET'S TAKE THE TIME OUT TO GET YOU UP TO SPEED.
IF YOU COULD START AT THE BEGINNING, I'M SURE THAT WE COVERED THIS BEFORE, BUT IT'S NOT CONNECTING THE DOTS THIS MORNING.
UM, WHEN I SAY WE STEPPING OUT OF THE BOX A LITTLE BIT OUT, UM, TYPICAL REPAIR, UM, HOME HOME REPAIR PROGRAM, UH, ONLY DO, UM, SAFE AND DRY.
SO WE, WE COVER STUFF LIKE ROOFS, WINDOWS, DOORS, AND FLOORS, AND WE, AND WHEN THE, AND WHEN WE GET INTO, UM, A HOME THAT WE HAD TO DO A ROOF, AND IT MAY HAVE CAUSED SOME OTHER DAMAGE, LIKE THE WALLS OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, THEN WE TRY TO, UM, BE PAIRED THE DAMAGE THAT THE LEAK MAY HAVE CAUSED.
WE, WE CAN SPEND UP TO $15,000, UH, ON A, ON A PER, UM, PER REPAIR PER YEAR.
UM, SO THIS, THIS UNIT, THIS, UH, PROJECT HAS A NUMBER OF PARTNERS THAT WE BROUGHT ON TO DO A REPAIR.
THAT FIRST ESTIMATE CAME INTO US AT 62,000, A LITTLE OVER $62,000, UH, L LITTLE COUNTRY, UM, COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENT IS REALLY THE LEAD ON THIS PROJECT, UM, THAT WE PARTNERED WITH.
AND THEY'RE GOING TO PUT UP $40,000, UH, E O C, UM, IS GOING TO PUT UP $17,000.
UM, GREAT COLE HAS AGREED TO SUPPLY ALL THE MATERIALS, UM, THAT WE, THAT THE CONTRACTOR PROVIDED THAT WE WOULD NEED TO DO THE PROJECT AND THEY GIVE US THE CUSHION THAT WE WOULD NEED BECAUSE TWO YEARS AGO, THIS PROJECT STARTED.
AND WHEN IT STARTED, IT WAS, UM, PANDEMIC AND MATERIAL AND LABOR INCREASE ALMOST DOUBLE OR TRIPLE.
SO, UM, THEY GIVE US THE CUSHION OF, YOU NEED TO BE, TO BELIEVE THAT I'M A CONTRACTOR WITH $62,000.
UM, UH, IS IT MISSY HOLDS $62,000? WE ONLY, WE ONLY WAS ACCOMMODATED RIGHT NOW WITH LIKE $57,000.
SO WE CAN'T PUT A NUMBER RIGHT NOW ON WHAT A GRAY CODE CONTRIBUTION WOULD BE, BUT IT LEADS TO, IT TAKES OUT THE MATERIALS.
SO THE CONTRACTOR STILL AGREED TO HIS $62,000 AT THOSE POINTS.
SO WE FEEL LIKE WE, WE'RE STILL IN THE BALLPARK.
IT'S GIVING US $5,000 THAT WE WILL HAVE TO CONTRIBUTE OR LESS RICO CONTRIBUTES MORE OF THE MATERIALS, UH, THAT THAT'S, THAT'S A GOOD PLACE TO START, BUT IT'S, BUT IT'S NOT AS ACCURATE AS I LIKE IT TO BE.
UM, AND ALSO ANOTHER PARTNER ON THIS WAS, UM, SERVPRO, SERVPRO CONTRIBUTIONS, UM, WAS VERY, UH, HELPFUL IN THIS.
AND, AND WE CAN'T PUT A NUMBER ON THAT AS WELL BECAUSE THEY DID IT PRO BONO.
UM, BUT THEY CAME IN AND TOOK OUT ALL THE MOLD AND DID MOLD MEDIATION ON, UH, IN THE UNIT.
UM, AND PRIOR TO THAT, UM, SERVPRO PRO COMING IN, THEY WOULD ONLY AGREE TO DO THIS PROJECT.
IF THE ROOF WAS SECURE, THE ROOF WAS, UM, WAS IN TECH SO THAT WHEN
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THEY DID THE WORK, THEY WOULDN'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT, UM, MOLD REOCCURRING BECAUSE, UM, IT WOULDN'T BE SEALED UP.UM, CALL TO ACTION HAS ALSO BEEN A PARTNER IN, IN A COUPLE OF WAYS TO HELP WITH THE FAMILY, WITH FUNDING, FOR INSURANCE, AND AS WELL AS, UM, HOLDING THEIR HANDS WITH A LOT OF THE, UH, UH, DOCUMENTS THAT THEY WOULD NEED WHEN THEY, WHEN THEY GO TO ELKHART CALL TO GET QUALIFIED OR, UM, FOR THE PROJECT.
ARE THEY OCCUPIED THE PROPERTY OR IT'S INHABITABLE? NO, IT'S, IT'S INHABITABLE AT THIS TIME.
UM, SO THE TOWN PAID, UM, TWO AND A HALF YEARS AGO FOR THE ROOF TO BE, UM, INTACT.
SO WE DID THE ROOF, THEY QUALIFY AGAIN NOW FOR MORE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSISTANCE IF WE HAD TO, BUT WE WILL, WE'LL KIND OF PLAN A DAY BY DAY TO SEE, UM, IF THAT'S SOMETHING WE WOULD HAVE TO DO, BUT FINGERS CROSSED, IT LOOKED LIKE WE WOULDN'T HAVE TO DO THAT, BUT IT, BUT IF IT IS, WE, WE HAVE, WE HAVE, UM, UM, ANOTHER ROUND OF WHERE WE CAN HELP EACH, UM, APPLICANT YEAR.
DOES THAT HELP ANY, THAT HELPS A LOT.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FROM ANYONE ELSE ABOUT THE SAME PROJECT? ALRIGHT.
I, UM, I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING ELSE.
I JUST THINK THAT THIS IS A, THIS WAS A GOOD FEELING FOR 'EM TO BE ABLE TO, TO HELP A FAMILY, UM, DUE TO THEIR QUALITY OF LIFE AND, AND CROSSES HER.
I THINK IT WAS A GOOD FEELING.
I THINK PARTNERING WITH COMMUNITY PARTNERS HAS ALSO BEEN A GREAT THING BECAUSE HOPEFULLY WHEN THIS COME TO FRUITION TO FRUITION, WHEN THE PROJECT IS TRULY, UM, WE CAN SAY FAMILY IS BACK IN, UM, THEY CAN FEEL THEY MADE THEIR CONTRIBUTION TO THEIR COMMUNITY.
AND WHEN THERE'S ANOTHER NEED, THAT'S PROBABLY, UM, IN THE COMMUNITY, WE CAN COUNT ON THEM TO, TO STEP IN AND SAY, WE WANT TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
UM, THAT'S THE STRONGEST ANGLE THAT I THINK WE'RE GOING TO GET OUT OF.
THIS IS HOPEFULLY WE CAN FIND, UM, OTHER COMMUNITY PARTNERS.
UM, VICTORIA SAID EARLIER THAT, OF COURSE WE CAN'T HELP EVERYONE.
AND ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO MAY NOT BE INCOME QUALIFIED OR THOSE WHO MAY NOT LIVE IN THE TOWN LIMITS, BUT HAVING PARDONS LIKE THIS, THAT THERE'S, UM, THAT WE CAN CALL ON AND SAY, UM, CAN YOU LOOK AT THIS AND, UH, AND CONNECT AND CONNECT THEM WITH THAT PARTNER GIVES US SOME, A LOT OF LATITUDE TO, TO BE MORE, UM, UH, ACCESS.
I MEAN, TO BE, TO BRING MORE, UM, AFFORDABILITY WITH, WITH REPAIRS AND HOME REPAIRS, TO OUR COMMUNITY OUTSIDE OF, AGAIN, OUTSIDE OF OUR BOX, WE'RE NOT LOOKING TO DO THIS.
UM, UM, THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT I THINK WE WANT TO ALWAYS CHALLENGE, BUT I BELIEVE WITH ALL HANDS ON DECK, IT DOES GIVE US SOME SOMETHING THAT WE CAN SAY WE DID SOMETHING, UM, THAT WE CAN BE PROUD OF BECAUSE AFFORDABLE LIVING IN BLUFFTON HAS REALLY, UM, CHANGE AND ANY THINGS THAT WE CAN DO PROBABLY TO HELP SOMEONE, UM, TO AND PRESERVE SOME OF THE CULTURE THAT WE HAVE AS WELL AS PRESERVE.
UM, OUR SMALL TOWN FEEL THAT I THINK IS IMPORTANT FOR BLUFFTON IS GONNA, IT'S GONNA, IT'S GONNA, IT'S, IT'S ALWAYS A WIN IT'S, IT'S ALWAYS A GOOD FEELING FOR, FOR, FOR THE TOWN AS WELL AS COMMUNITY.
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UM, I JUST WANTED TO SAY, I, I THINK THAT IS, IS GREAT BECAUSE, UM, AS A REALTOR, I'M HAVING TO, FOR PEOPLE THAT ARE LOOKING FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING, I'M HAVING TO TAKE PEOPLE ALL THE WAY TO RICHMOND, RIDGELAND NOW AND TILLMAN.AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S A LITTLE DISHEARTENING JUST TO, TO KNOW THAT I HAVE TO DO THAT.
AND, YOU KNOW, CAUSE EVERYBODY WANTS TO LIVE AT LEAST IN HARTVILLE IF THEY CAN'T GET TO BLUFFTON, BUT BLUFFTON IS BECOMING JUST UNAFFORDABLE, UNLESS YOU'RE MIDDLE-CLASS OR BEEN HERE A LONG TIME OR UPPER MIDDLE CLASS AT THIS POINT.
SO I, I COMMEND US ON THAT WORK THAT WE'RE DOING AND ALL OF THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING.
UM, IF THERE'S NOTHING ELSE, NO OTHER CONCERNS OR COMMENTS, UM, WE'RE AT THE END OF, OF THIS, UH, OF OUR AGENDA ITEMS, BUT I'M STILL, WE STILL GOT A FEW MINUTES, IF THERE'S ANYONE ELSE, HOW ABOUT A, AN UPDATE ON STATE OF MIND AND, AND, UH, THE, THE THREE PROJECTS THAT WE'VE DISCUSSED FOREVER, YOU ALWAYS ASK THE TOUGH QUESTIONS, RIGHT? NO, I MEAN, I CAN SUSPECT THAT THAT'S A GOOD ANSWER, BUT NAH, YOU KNOW, I, I MET WITH THE TOWN MANAGER LAST WEEK ON AND I ASKED HIM TO GIVE AN UPDATE AND ALSO HAD A PHONE CALL FROM THE DEVELOPER FROM STATE OF MIND.
AND I THINK RIGHT NOW WE JUST IN A CONTRACT, UM, UH, PRO PROCESS, I THINK WE JUST GOING THROUGH TO MAKING SURE THAT AS A CROSS, UM, I TEASE ACROSS IN THE EYES OF DAUGHTER THEN THE CONTRACT, HOPEFULLY, UM, BECAUSE HE DIDN'T, YOU KNOW, THAT'S SOMETHING I THOUGHT WE WERE FURTHER ALONG WITH, BUT WE'RE NOT.
SO WE BUY NOW BUY NOW MAYBE WE ADD THAT AT THAT CROSSROAD.
AND I PROMISE YOU, I WILL FOLLOW UP AFTER THIS CALL AND, UM, ANY, EITHER HAVE AN ANSWER FOR VICTORIA TO EMAIL TO EVERYONE, OR WE WILL, UM, MAKE THAT AN AGENDA ITEM FOR NEXT MONTH.
ANYONE ELSE? I THANK YOU SO MUCH.
IT'S LOOK LIKE I WAS HAVING THE COMPUTER INTERNET PROBLEMS EARLIER, KEEP SIGNING ON, BUT IT KEEPS ME UP, KICKED ME OUT, BUT WE GOT THROUGH IT.
SO AGAIN, THANKS FOR YOUR COMMITMENT HERE ON THIS COMMITTEE.
AND YOU LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU ON, ON NEXT MONTH, UM, HAVE A GOOD DAY AND, UM, AND KEEP DOING GREAT THINGS.