Oct 25, 2021 County Council Regular Session

INPUTS, MONITORS AND RESPONDS TO ALL FREEDOM OF INFORMATION, ACT REQUESTS, ALL MAINTAINING COMPLIANCE, ALL FOYER WALLS.

THE, UM, WE ALSO HAVE SCHEDULED WEDNESDAY EVENING, BEGINNING AT SIX.

O'CLOCK AT THE USC CAMPUS HERE IN BUFORD, A WORKSHOP ON REDISTRICTING.

I DO NOT KNOW WHAT TYPE OF DETAIL.

I DON'T THINK MUCH WORK HAS BEEN DONE TO REDISTRICT IN PROCESS, BUT WE WILL TAKE THAT OFF, UH, IN A WORKSHOP, UH, IN CONJUNCTION WITH A, UH, PUBLIC MEETING, UH, WITH U S CB, OUR GIS DEPARTMENT AND, UM, MR. FRANK RAINWATER AND HIS OFFICE WILL BE HERE, UH, TO LEAD THAT FOR YOU ALL.

I WANT TO KEEP ON, UH, JUST PUT IT ON COUNTS.

YOU RATE ALL ONCE AGAIN ON NOVEMBER 3RD, FOURTH, AND FIFTH WILL BE THE PLANNING RETREAT FOR STRATEGIC PLANNING AND BUDGETING, UH, THAT FALL LAST YEARS MODEL.

FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT ARE GOING TO BE HERE IN PERSON, WE WILL HAVE LUNCH FOR YOU EACH DAY, BUT YOU CAN ALSO DO ONE DIGITALLY.

UH, IT'LL BE BROKEN UP IN THE MORNING AND AFTERNOON SESSIONS WITH A BREAK IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DATE.

AND WE WILL CONCLUDE, UH, SHORTLY, UH, AFTER LAUNCH ON FRIDAY WITH A WRAP UP OF THE, SO YOU ALWAYS SHOULD BE DONE BY TWO O'CLOCK ON FRIDAY, IF NOT SOONER THAN THAT AS IS CUSTOMARY, ALWAYS INTRODUCE, UH, EMPLOYEES AND NOT HOW FAR FOR, TO INTRODUCE THIS EVENING.

OUR FIRST EMPLOYEE THIS EVENING IS JOINING US VIA ZOOM ONLINE.

SHE IS A VERY TALENTED, UH, EMPLOYEE.

SHE HANDLES OUR FOYA COMPLIANCE ISSUES.

SHE'S A FOYA SPECIALIST DIVISION.

HER NAME IS WHITNEY SNYDER, AND SHE HAS BEEN WITH US FOUR AND A HALF YEARS.

SHE RECEIVES

[00:05:01]

SHE RESEARCHES AND PULLS RECORDS WITHIN RECORDS.

MANAGEMENTS INCLUDED RECORDS MANAGEMENT, INCLUDING EMAILS AND SOCIAL MEDIA REQUEST.

SHE REFUSED ALL RECORDS FOR REDACTIONS AND ENSURES THAT THEY ARE APPROPRIATE AND LEGAL, LEGAL COMPLIANCE ALSO ASSIST YOU WITH THE CREATION OF THE RECENTLY ADOPTED FOUR YEAR GUIDELINES THAT YOU ALL ARE PROVIDED.

AND IN ADDITION TO THAT, SHE ENDED X IS BUILDING PLANS AND MAKE SURE THAT THOSE ARE PLACED IN THE APPROPRIATE PLACE IN APPLICATION EXTENDED, WHICH WILL SOLVE FOR A PROGRAM THAT WE USE A GI ACCESS.

THOSE ALL RECORD TIME.

SHE IS A GREAT EMPLOYEE.

SHE ENJOYS ON A PERSONAL LEVEL.

SHE ENJOYS WOODWORKING AND CRAFTING IN HER SPARE TIME.

SO IF YOU WANT TO SAY A FEW WORDS, COUNSEL, IF YOU WANT TO MEET YOURSELF, MAYBE SHE'S WOODWORKING.

MAYBE SHE HAS THE PATIENT DOING TRACK OR SOMETHING.

SO WE CAN'T HEAR YOU WHITNEY.

SO WE'LL, WE'LL MOVE ON.

I APPRECIATE YOUR SERVICE TO THE COUNTY.

LET'S GIVE HER A ROUND WITH OUR NEXT EMPLOYEE.

CANNOT BE WITH US THIS EVENING, HAVE A PHOTO OF HIM.

AND HIS NAME WAS ALI CHICKENS.

HE WORKS AS A TECHNICIAN AND HE'S BEEN WITH US FOR 14 YEARS.

HE CONDUCTS SURVEILLANCE OF MOSQUITOES AND MOSQUITO BORN DISEASES.

HE RESPONDS TO SERVICE REQUESTS SUCH AS INSPECTION OF PROPERTIES, AND HE OPERATES VARIOUS WILL AND TO CONTROL IMMATURE AND ADULT MOSQUITOES.

AND DURING THE PAST MONTH, UH, THE CONTROL FOR THE OWN HAS BEEN 24, 7 OCTOBER.

SO, UH, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU ALL HAVE DIRECT EXPERIENCE WITH THAT, UH, NOT WORKING ON THE DEPARTMENT, BUT, UH, I'M SURE SOME OF US DO, UH, EVEN WAS BORN AND RAISED IN PHILADELPHIA.

SO HAVE YOU, UH, FOLKS THAT CAME HERE FROM OTHER AREAS OF THE UNITED STATES, UH, MIGHT BE, CAN RELATE TO THAT PART OF THE COUNTRY.

SO, UH, AND HIS INTEREST, INCLUDING HIS FAMILY AND WATCHING SPORTS.

SO ALI, THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE TO MOSQUITO CONTROL.

NOW LET'S GIVE HIM A ROUND .

SO THIS IS A CONSTANTINE BARRY REED.

HE WORKS IN OUR MAPPING AND APPLICATIONS DEPARTMENT AS A GIS ANALYST.

HE'S BEEN WITH US.

YOU GUYS ARE GOING TO UNDERSTAND WHAT I'M SAYING.

HE'S BEEN WITH US 25 YEARS.

HE PRIMARILY SUPPORTS PUBLIC WORKS IN STORMWATER DEPARTMENTS.

UH, HE SUPPORTS THE PUBLIC DEFENDER AND SOLICITOR'S OFFICE FOR MAPPING AND LAMINATING REQUEST FOR WORK CASES.

HE ALSO FEELS CITIZENS' MAP AND DATA REQUEST AND WE'RE FILMING ANY REQUEST, COMPLETE, UH, SOMETHING UNIQUE ABOUT HIM.

UH, HE, UM, HE WAS BORN IN BARBADOS, MIGRATED TO THE UNITED STATES AT 15 YEARS OLD AND ENJOYS PLAYING CHESS.

HE, HIS ORIGINAL CAREER GOAL WAS TO BE AN ARCHITECT.

HE SPENT EIGHT YEARS IN THE UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS, INCLUDING TOURS IN HAWAII AND IN PARIS, ALAN, AS A DRILL INSTRUCTOR.

SO YOU CAN WORK IT OUT.

HE HAS A LOVE ROCKWELL OR A DOGS.

UM, AND I'M GOING TO LET YOU COME OVER HERE.

AND I WANT YOU TO TELL THEM IN YOUR OWN WORDS, THAT LAST SENTENCE, BECAUSE I THINK YOU SHOULD BE THAT SICK AND TRULY IN JANUARY, YOU FOR COUNTY AND SALON FULL CITIZENS.

WELL, MY MOST EXCITING JOB BY FAR AS BEING A FATHER AND BEING A GOOD ROLE MODEL FOR MY DAUGHTER.

I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU.

UH, IT JUST WORKED FOR YOU FOR COUNTY FOR THE PAST ONE, FIVE YEARS.

I ENJOY YOUR WORK THROUGH THE MAPPING APPLICATION DEPARTMENT.

WE HAVE A BRIEF TEAM PAID AWESOME NEEDED AT IT, MORGAN, AND THAT IS TRULY SAY WE, YOU KNOW, WE LOOK FORWARD TO JUST WORKING IN DECISIONS, WORKING FOR US IS GREAT.

AND THEN MY FINAL EMPLOY THIS EVENING WORKS IN THE MAGISTRATE'S OFFICE, EVEN THOUGH I DON'T HAVE A LOT OF, UH, OVERSIGHT IN THAT HER NAME IS FELICIA NIXON.

[00:10:02]

SHE HAS A SENIOR VICTIM ADVOCATE.

SHE'S BEEN WITH US FOR 15 YEARS.

SHE INTERACTS WITH A VAST NUMBER OF PEOPLE FROM LAW ENFORCEMENT ATTORNEYS, DETENTION CENTER OFFICERS AND STAFF DEFENDANTS, AND THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS.

AND MOST IMPORTANTLY VICTIMS AND THEIR FAMILY.

SHE HAS AN IMPORTANT ROLE.

SHE PLAYS THERE IN THE MAGISTRATE'S OFFICE.

SHE EXHIBITS SENSITIVITY AND GRACE AND HELPING OTHERS.

AND HAS THE TRUST AND CONFIDENCE ALL YOU KNOW, AND INTERACT WITH ARE SOME OF THE UNIQUE ABOUT HER.

SHE ENJOYS SPENDING TIME WITH HER FAMILY FISHING, TALKING AND LAUGHING WITH EVERYONE.

SHE MEETS IS A VALUED COLLEAGUE AND FRIEND TO EVERYONE AT BUFORD COUNTY.

I DON'T KNOW IF HE WANTS TO SAY ANYTHING, BUT I'M SURE HE WORKED WITH OUR COUNCIL MEMBER, MIKE ELLEN, DO YOU HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL WORDS SHE'S NOT HERE THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO ADD ON HER BEHALF? YEAH, I'M, I'M THRILLED TO SAY THAT SHE'S BEEN SINGLED OUT FOR, UH, TO BE HONORED HERE TONIGHT.

FELICIA HAS WORKED FOR THE MAGISTRATES' COURT FOR MANY, MANY YEARS.

SHE IS RELIABLE, SHE'S SMART, SHE'S HARD WORKING AND A PROBLEM SOLVER.

IF THERE WAS A PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED THERE, YOU WOULD FIND FELICIA AND SHE WOULD SOLVE THE PROBLEM.

UH, SHE VOLUNTEERS HER TIME.

SHE HELPS EVERYBODY DO THEIR JOB.

UH, SHE MAKES THINGS EASY FOR YOU WHEN YOU'RE OPERATING IN BOND COURT, WHICH IS NOT THE EASIEST PLACE TO BE.

AND I'M VERY HAPPY TO SEE THAT SHE'S BEING HONORED HERE TONIGHT.

AND I OFFER MY CONGRATULATIONS TO HER FOR A JOB THAT SHE CONTINUES TO DO VERY, VERY EXCELLENT WAY.

GOOD TO SEE YOU THERE.

FELICIA.

THANK YOU, SIR.

MR. CHAIRMAN, THAT CONCLUDES THIS EVENING.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

UM, NEXT ON THE AGENDA IS A

[6. PRESENTATION BY PALMETTO PRIDE ON KEEP BEAUFORT COUNTY BEAUTIFUL - Mallory Coffey, Keep South Carolina Beautiful Leader and Community Outreach Program Manager.]

PRESENTATION BY L METAL PRIDE ON KEEP BUFORD COUNTY.

BEAUTIFUL, BEAUTIFUL.

AND MALLORY COFFEE IS GOING TO DO THE PRESENTATION, UM, MALLORY ONLINE.

YEP.

HI.

CAN YOU HEAR ME? WE CAN GO AHEAD.

ALL RIGHT, GREAT.

I'M GOING TO GO AHEAD AND SHARE MY SCREEN REALLY QUICKLY.

WE ARE SO EXCITED TO BE HERE WITH YOU ALL TODAY.

UM, WE ARE HERE FOR, UH, VARIOUS REASONS, UM, AND IT'S BECAUSE HE BEAVER COUNTY BEAUTIFUL.

IT SEEMED TO TAKE HOME THE GOLD THIS YEAR AT THE MARIJUANA BEAUTIFUL CONFERENCE.

SO WHEN IT CAME TO THE AWARD, UM, AND WE JUST WANTED TO PRESENT THE AWARD THAT THE AFFILIATE HAS RECEIVED.

UM, AND ALSO PRISONS.

WE HAD A SPECIAL AWARD, UM, THAT NO ONE KNEW ABOUT.

UM, IT'S SOMETHING THAT, UH, WILL BE GIVEN AT THE END THAT CHRIS CAME ON, THE AUDIENCE IS THERE TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF THIS AWARD AS WELL.

CREATE THIS CLEAN GREEN AND BEAUTIFUL COUNTY.

SO THE FIRST RECOGNITION THAT I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE WITH YOU ALL IS THE KEY PIECE OF PLANNING.

BEAUTIFUL.

THEY RECEIVED THE KEEP AMERICA BEAUTIFUL PRESIDENT'S CIRCLE AWARD.

IT'S AMAZING TO SEE ACROSS THE NATION, HOW MANY AFFILIATES DO NOT RECEIVE THIS AWARD.

UM, BUT BASICALLY THIS MEANS THAT THEY'RE DOING EVERYTHING THAT THEY ARE DOING TO STAY ON TRACK.

SO, ESPECIALLY DURING COVID TO SEE THAT THEY ACHIEVED THIS, OR IT WAS A REALLY, REALLY, REALLY BIG DEAL.

UM, THE SECOND AWARD THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO PRESENT ON BEHALF OF THE AFFILIATE THIS EVENING IS TO KEEP SOUTH CAROLINA'S BEAUTIFUL AFFILIATE RECOGNITION AWARDS AND KEEP BEAVER COUNTY BEAUTIFUL.

THEY WERE NOMINATED FOR THIS, AND THEY RECEIVED IT ONLY A HANDFUL OF AFFILIATES EVERY YEAR RECEIVED THIS AWARD FROM ACROSS THE STATE.

UM, THEY HAVE TO SUBMIT AN APPLICATION.

THEY HAVE TO SUBMIT A LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION AND SUPPORT, AND THAT ACTUALLY CAME FROM COUNCIL WOMAN, ALICE HOWARD.

UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT SHE SAID IN HER LETTER WAS THAT TO KEEP DECENT COUNTY BEAUTIFUL AFFILIATE HAS PLAYED A VERY IMPORTANT ROLE IN CONTINUOUSLY WORKING TO PROTECT AND PRESERVE OUR NATURAL RESOURCES THAT ARE AN IMPORTANT PART OF OUR LIFESTYLE AND BEAVER COUNTY.

UM, THAT COMMENT IS SO TRUE.

WE'VE SEEN THAT HERE AT PALMETTO PRIDE, UM, ACROSS MANY, MANY, MANY YEARS, AND WE'VE SEEN HOW THE AFFILIATE BOARD, THEY, HOW THEY TAKE ACTION ON THE IDEAS THAT THE CITIZENS BRING TO THE TABLE AND HOW THEY WORK AS A TEAM TOGETHER.

YOU KNOW, IT DOESN'T MATTER WHO COMES TO THE BOARD OR WHO VOLUNTEERS IT'S SUCH A DIVERSE GROUP, UM, AND WHY THEIR APPLICATIONS DEAD.

AND LIKE SO MANY OTHER PEOPLE HAVE SAID OVER THE YEARS, THEY ARE DEDICATED TO THEIR MISSION AND HAVE BEEN FOR MORE THAN 30 YEARS.

THEIR COMMITMENT IS UNMATCHED FASTER THAN MANY OTHERS AND THEIR ENTHUSIASM THAT THEY HAVE TO

[00:15:01]

IT NEVER GOES AWAY.

AND SO WE WERE SO PROUD THAT, UM, AWARD ARE COUNTY BEAUTIFUL WITH THE AFFILIATE RECOGNITION AWARD.

THE NEXT AWARD THAT, UM, HE BUFORD COUNTY BEAUTIFUL NOMINATED SOMEONE FOR WAS THE SOUTH CAROLINA, BEAUTIFUL LOCAL GOVERNMENT AWARD.

ONLY TWO COUNTIES WERE NOMINATED THIS YEAR.

UM, AND I'M NOT GOING TO SAY WHAT THEY WERE, BUT WHEN WE WERE GOING THROUGH THE NOMINATIONS, UM, AND COMPARING, YOU KNOW, WHO DID WHAT AND WHAT LOCAL GOVERNMENT SUPPORTED THE AFFILIATE, UM, WE ENDED UP SELECTING PIECEWORK COUNTY AS THE WINNER OF THAT AWARD.

AND IT'S BECAUSE, UM, THE BEAVER COUNTY GOVERNMENT IS THE REASON WHY I KEEP THESE ARE COUNTY BEAUTIFUL, EXISTS.

YOU ALL TOOK STEPS TO MAKE THE, A BOARD OFFICIAL, AND YOU HAVE MADE SURE THAT THEY HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE INVOLVED ON THE STATE AND NATIONAL LEVEL WITHOUT YOUR SUPPORT.

THEY WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN ABLE TO BE THIS OUTLET TO PULL LIKE-MINDED PEOPLE TOGETHER, YOU KNOW, TO PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES TO GET INVOLVED IN BEAUTIFICATION OR CYCLE AND LET HER PICK UP IT'S BECAUSE OF YOU, THAT THEY ARE ABLE TO, UM, ENSURE THAT CITIZENS STAY INFORMED AND EDUCATE OTHERS ABOUT RECYCLING AND LITTER PREVENTION, AND JUST TO BE ABLE TO ACHIEVE THEIR MISSION AND SHARE WHAT THEY DO WITH NOT ONLY THE TRADITIONS, BUT ALSO THE VISITORS, UM, AND BUSINESSES.

SO THANK YOU ALL TO BE FOR COUNTING THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT FOR SUPPORTING THE FOR COUNTY BEAUTIFUL AFFILIATE AGAIN, IF IT WEREN'T FOR YOU ALL, UM, THIS WOULDN'T HAPPEN.

SO CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU ALL FOR THAT.

THE NEXT AWARD IS THE KEY SOUTH CAROLINA, BEAUTIFUL AFFILIATE COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP AWARD.

THERE ARE THREE CATEGORIES FOR THIS AWARD.

WE HAVE THE BUSINESS, THE SOCIAL, THE GOVERNMENT, AND AN OVERALL, UM, EXCUSE ME, THAT'S FOUR, FOUR CATEGORIES, UM, AND KEEP DIFFERENT KENNEDY TO FULL IN THE PORT ROYAL SOUND, UM, RECEIVE THIS AWARD FOR THE EFFORTS THAT THEY HAVE TOGETHER TO ACHIEVE THEIR MISSION.

NOT ONLY DOES THE SOUND ENSURE THAT THE AFFILIATE HAS A PLACE TO MEET, UM, BUT THEY ALSO HELP SHARE THE MESSAGE THEY GET INVOLVED.

THEY DO LITTER PICKUPS TOGETHER.

THEY ENSURE THAT IF THERE'S SOMETHING THAT THE AFFILIATE IS DOING, THAT THEY'RE HEARING IT AND VICE VERSA.

UM, IT'S NOT VERY OFTEN THAT WE SEE RELATIONSHIPS LIKE THIS TAKE PLACE ACROSS THE COUNTY, UM, AND ACROSS AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME.

SO CONGRATULATIONS TO THE PORT ROYAL SOUND FOUNDATION AND KEEP YOU FOR COUNTY BEAUTIFUL FOR THEIR WORK ON ACHIEVING THE SOCIAL, UH, AFFILIATE COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP AWARD, AND THE LAST AWARD THAT WE HAVE, SUPPOSE IT TONIGHT.

IT'S THE ONE I SPOKE ABOUT EARLIER.

UM, AND I THINK, FOR INSTANCE, LIKE I SAID, THERE IN PERSON, CHRIS, IF YOU WANT TO GO AHEAD AND COME FORWARD.

SO AFTER WE READ THIS, YOU'LL BE ABLE TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF THIS AWARD AS WELL.

I'D APPRECIATE IT.

UM, THE LITERACY CHAMPION AWARD IS GIVEN TO SOMEONE WHO IS EITHER NOMINATED OR THE BOARD MEMBER OF THE YEAR AWARD FROM KEEP SOUTH CAROLINA BEAUTIFUL, OR JUST SHARES, UM, AN EXTENSIVE AMOUNT OF SUPPORT TOWARDS THE AFFILIATES.

UM, SARAH ALLOWS THE DIRECTOR OF PALMETTO PRIDE.

UM, I'M GOING TO READ WHAT SHE WROTE TO THESE ARE SARAH'S WORDS.

WHEN I STARTED MY CAREER WITH , I KNEW VERY LITTLE ABOUT THE NATIONAL PROGRAM AND EVEN LESS ABOUT THE STATE NETWORK.

I WENT AROUND THE STATE TO INTERVIEW THE COORDINATORS WITHOUT THEIR NAMES, AND WON'T SEE HOW I CAN HELP.

WHEN I GOT TO BUFORD, I HAD THE PLEASURE OF MEETING TWO PEOPLE WHO HAVE BECOME FRIENDS AND MENTORS TO ME OVER THE YEARS, VERONICA MILLER WAS ONE OF THOSE AND SHE HAS SINCE PASSED.

THE OTHER WAS CAROL MURPHY.

I COMMUNICATED WITH CAROL ALMOST PHONE OR EMAIL FOR A WHILE BEFORE MEETING IN PERSON, WORKING ON GRANTS OR OTHER KID RELATED PROGRAM.

AND I CAN'T REMEMBER WHY I WAS GOING TO BE PART AND WHY WASN'T MEETING WITH VERONICA, BUT I WAS GOING TO SEE CAROL.

WE WERE HAVING LUNCH AND IT WAS LIKE, I HAD KNOWN HER FOR YEARS ASIDE FROM HER KNOWLEDGE ON THE HISTORY OF LITTER PREVENTION EFFORTS IN THE COUNTY, HER DEDICATION TO THE AFFILIATE AND HER SUPPORT OF THE AFFILIATE COORDINATOR FROM VERONICA TO CAROLINE NAIL HAS BEEN INSPIRING.

WE CRUSHED WHEN QUESTIONS FROM COUNTY COUNCIL CAME UP ABOUT ORGANIZATIONAL MATTERS.

SHE WAS THERE TO ASK AND PROVIDE FEEDBACK.

MOST ORGANIZATIONS GO THROUGH TOUGH TIMES, BUT YOU WERE LUCKY TO HAVE A BOARD MEMBER LIKE CAROL, WHO CAN HOLD THE SHIP STEADY WHILE THEY FIXED THE LEAKS AND HOLES.

A BOARD MEMBER SAID THAT SHE HAS BEEN THE GLUE THAT KEPT US TOGETHER AND MOVING FORWARD MANY TIMES.

AND THAT IS SO TRUE.

CAROL HAS NEVER NEEDED THE SPOTLIGHT.

SHE'S NEVER ASKED FOR THE GLORY.

SHE HAS WORKED ALONGSIDE HER BOARD AND AFFILIATE COORDINATOR TO GET THINGS DONE FOR THE GOOD OF THE ORGANIZATION.

SHE HAS HELPED SO MANY INCLUDING ME HOW TO DO SOMETHING AND WHY IT SHOULD BE DONE OR NOT DONE BY JUST DOING

[00:20:01]

LEADING BY EXAMPLE.

WE ARE HONORED TO PRESENT THIS AWARD, THE HOW MEN OF PRIDE LITTER CHAMPION AWARD TO CAROL MURPHY FOR HER LEADERSHIP AND TIRELESS, DEDICATION TO LITTER PREVENTION AND B FOR COUNTY IN SOUTH CAROLINA.

SO CONGRATULATIONS TO CAROL MURPHY, A VOLUNTEER FOR TD BURT COUNTY.

BEAUTIFUL.

WE ARE SO PROUD OF YOU, CAROLYN.

I ECHO EVERYTHING THAT SARAH HAS SAID ABOUT UGANDA, THAT WE'VE NEVER HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO MEET IN PERSON THAT JUST TALKING ON FILM.

UM, I D I TO FEEL AS IF I'VE KNOWN ME FOREVER, AND I'VE HEARD CAROLINE SPEAK ABOUT YOU IN SO MANY OTHERS, AND I CAN NOT WAIT FOR THE DAY THAT I GET TO MEET THIS FABULOUS WOMAN THAT I'VE HEARD SO MUCH ABOUT AND BE ABLE TO THANK YOU IN PERSON FOR EVERYTHING YOU'VE DONE FOR BEAVER COUNTY AND FOR SOUTH CAROLINA.

CONGRATULATIONS, CHRIS, YOU WANT TO ADDRESS? I WOULD LIKE TO, UM, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

UM, IT'S A NOTE FROM CAROL WHO GREAT APPRECIATION.

SHE ADDRESSES IT TO THE COUNTY COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT MET HER PRIDE GUESTS IN THE KEEPS YOU FROM COUNTY BOARD REPRESENTATIVES AND ALL THE CITIZENS OF THE COUNTY.

FIRST, I WANT TO THANK PAM MATTER PRIDE OF SOUTH CAROLINA FOR THEIR CONTINUING SUPPORT OF OUR EFFORTS IN BUFORD COUNTY AND IN THE STATE, WE APPRECIATE MALLORY SPEAKING TODAY OR REMINDING OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS AND CITIZENS OF THE VALUE AND IMPORTANCE OF KEEPING YOU FROM COUNTY BEAUTIFUL ADOPT A HIGHWAY GROUPS AND THE DEDICATED COUNTY STAFF IN THE DEEP SOUTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION, AS WE CONTINUE TO BATTLE LITTER AND OTHER RELATED SOLID WASTE AND RECYCLING ISSUES IN OUR COUNTY IS THIS WITH TRUE HONOR AND SURPRISE THAT I RECEIVED THIS PRESTIGIOUS SOUTH CAROLINA CHAMPION AWARD FOR MY DECADES OF SERVICE TO KEEP YOU FOR COUNTY BEAUTIFUL IN THEIR EFFORTS, STARTING WITH WAY BACK WITH BECKY TRASK, GETTING THE BALL ROLLING WITH TRASH AND LITTER CONTROL AND BUFORD COUNTY.

IT GREW INTO WHAT WE HAVE TODAY.

STATEWIDE.

I'M A PROUD TO BE PART OF THAT PROGRESS.

I WISH TO SAY THERE WAS NO MORE LITTER OR ILLEGAL DUMPING AND THE TASK WAS COMPLETE, BUT AS WE KNOW IT CONTINUES AND I TELL THE DISCOURAGED PEOPLE, IF WE DID NOTHING, WE'D BE UP TO OUR EYEBALLS.

SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS INCREDIBLE HONOR.

CAROL MURPHY, VICE CHAIR, TPU FOR COUNTY.

BEAUTIFUL.

THANK YOU, CHRIS.

IS THERE ANYBODY IN THE AUDIENCE THAT WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A COMMENT? DO WE HAVE ANYBODY ONLINE? OKAY.

WE ARE AT OUR CITIZEN COMMENTS.

[7. CITIZEN COMMENTS - (ANYONE who wishes to speak during the Citizen Comment portion of the meeting will limit their comments to no longer than three (3) minutes ( a total of 15 minutes ) and will address Council in a respectful manner appropriate to the decorum of the meeting, refraining from the use of profane, abusive, or obscene language]

SO NOW WE'LL MOVE ON TO OUR LIAISON

[8. LIASION AND COMMITTEE REPORTS ]

AND COMMITTEE REPORTS.

UH, AND WE'LL BEGIN WITH, UM, OUR NATURAL RESOURCES COMMITTEE.

TALK ABOUT WHAT'S ON THE CONSENT AGENDA OR ANYTHING ELSE YOU WOULD LIKE TO TALK ABOUT.

WE'LL BE MEETING NEXT WEEK.

THE COMMITTEE WILL, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO MENTION THAT TONIGHT WE'RE DOING ON THE CONSENT AGENDA.

THE SECOND READING OF THE ORDINANCE ADOPTING THE ENVISION VIEW FOR COUNTY 2040 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AND THE BUFORD COUNTY CONNECTS BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN PLAN 2021, WHICH IS AN APPENDIX TO THAT PLAN.

UM, WE HAD NUMEROUS MEETINGS BEFORE EVERYTHING WAS SHUT DOWN REGARDING THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.

AND THEN AFTER THINGS OPENED BACK UP A LITTLE BIT, WE HAD MORE MEETINGS, UH, WITH THE PUBLIC AND ACTUALLY ADOPTED THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN BASED ON SOME OF THOSE COMMENTS THAT WE HEARD THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY AND THE MEETINGS STAFF DID AN OUTSTANDING JOB ON LISTENING TO THE PUBLIC AND INCORPORATING THE COMMENTS THAT WERE MADE A LITTLE BIT LATE, BUT THAT WAS OKAY BECAUSE WE HAD COVID GOING ON.

WE COULDN'T GET AS MUCH INPUT AS WE WANTED TO BEGIN WITH.

WE'RE ALSO LOOKING FORWARD TO USING THE BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN PLAN AS A PLAN FOR ALL OF US, FOR THE FUTURE AS PART OF THAT COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.

AND THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO REPORT, UM, PUBLIC FACILITIES.

THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN, WE HAD THREE ITEMS COMING OUT OF THE, UH, MEETING.

UH, ONE WAS A COMMERCIAL SERVICE CLEANING CONTRACT FOR THE HILTON HEAD AIRPORT 200 AND ROUGHLY $60,000.

IT'S A, A CURRENT VENDOR IS DOING A GREAT JOB FOR US.

AND WE HAD TWO KINDS OF MINOR ITEMS, ONE WHICH WAS MODIFICATION OF AN EASEMENT.

AND THE OTHER WAS ACCEPTING A SMALL PIECE OF PROPERTY THAT MAY PROVE USEFUL IN THE FUTURE TOO.

AND ALL OF THOSE CAME OUT OF COMMITTEE UNANIMOUSLY, SIR.

[00:25:02]

UM, I HAVE ONE ITEM IF THERE IS NO OTHER ITEM.

UM, RECENTLY I RECEIVED A LETTER FROM BAMBERG COUNTY PAMPER COUNTY AND SUBMITTING AN APPLICATION FOR THEIR COUNTY TO SERVE AS A SITE FOR NATIONAL CEMETERY.

UH, THIS IS THEIR OPPORTUNITY TO HONOR THEIR LOCAL VETERANS WITH A FINAL RESTING PLACE FOR THEIR VETERANS TO BE CLOSE AT HOME.

AND, UH, THERE WAS A FORM LETTER THAT THEY'VE ASKED ME, UH, FOR, FOR SUPPORTING THIS, WHICH I HAVE INSTRUCTED OUR STAFF TO PREPARE AND SEND OUT, UM, NO OTHER COMMENTS.

THE APPROVAL OF THE CONSENT AGENDA.

WE WILL NOW MOVE TO

[9. APPROVAL OF CONSENT AGENDA]

MAY I HAVE A MOTION FOR THE APPROVAL OF THE CONSENT AGENDA MOTION TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA AS HOWARD MAKES THE MOTION.

MR. RODMAN MAKES THE SECOND MR. CHAIRMAN, MR. FLOLAN.

THANKS.

UM, JUST A, A COMMENT.

UM, I INTEND TO VOTE FOR IT AND, UH, AND HOPE THAT THIS GETS FIXED BEFORE THIRD READING.

AND THAT IS IN THE, UM, THE SHORT-TERM PROJECT LIST.

UH, IT SAID BURDEN HILL ROAD, OLD SALEM ROAD.

MAYBE I, MAYBE I MISSED MISREAD IT, BUT MY UNDERSTANDING THAT IT WAS SALEM ROAD THAT, UH, IS IN THE CURRENT BOND REFERENDUM.

UM, MAYBE, MAYBE I WAS LOOKING AT IT INCORRECTLY, BUT IT JUST, SOMETHING OCCURRED TO ME.

IT SHOULD BE SALEM ROAD THAT IS ABOUT TO OAKLEY, ABOUT TO BE GRANTED UP PEDESTRIAN BIKE, UH, ACCESS EASEMENT, AND, UH, INFRASTRUCTURE.

AND I THINK THAT BURTON HILL AND OLD SALEM IS FURTHER DOWN THE LIST.

MAYBE I JUST MID MR. OKAY.

UM, ADMINISTRATION WILL LOOK INTO THAT.

ARISING OUT OF THE EXECUTIVE SESSION AT CAUCUS.

DULY MOTION AND SECONDED, AND THIS WILL BE DONE WITHOUT OBJECTIONS.

ARE THERE ANY OBJECTIONS SEEING NONE ITEM NUMBER NINE? THE CONSENT AGENDA HAS BEEN APPROVED.

ITEM NUMBER 10 MATTERS

[10. MATTERS ARISING OUT OF THE CAUCUS EXECUTIVE SESSION]

I WOULD ASK A MEMBER OF COUNCIL TO MAKE A MOTION AS FOLLOWS MOTION TO CONVEY REAL PROPERTY IDENTIFIED AS PARCEL A CONVEY A PERPETUAL EASEMENT OVER REAL PROPERTY IDENTIFIED AS PARCEL B FOR THE CONTINUED EXISTING USE AND ACCEPT, AND THEN MENDED PERPETUAL EASEMENT OVER REAL PROPERTY IDENTIFIED AS PARCEL C TO ALLOW FOR PUBLIC VEHICULAR ACCESS TO THE RIVER PARK.

I'LL MAKE THAT MOTION.

MR. CHAIRMAN, MR. CUNNINGHAM MAKES THE MOTION AS SECOND, PLEASE.

SECOND, MR. HART VISHAAN MAKES THE SECOND DISCUSSION MR. SUMMERVILLE, YOU KNOW, I HAVE TO WRITE, HE DID.

I WAS KIND OF HOPING, YOU'D ASK ME TO MAKE THE MOTION.

HAVE YOU MAKE THE MOTION? THE MEETING ENDS AT EIGHT O'CLOCK AND, UH, I RESPECT YOUR, UH, YOUR CALL THAT I'M GOING TO VOTE AGAINST THIS.

I, I HAVE ALWAYS FELT THAT I OWED MY CONSTITUENTS A RESPONSE OR AN EXPLANATION WHEN I VOTE AGAINST SOMETHING OR FOR SOMETHING FOR THAT MATTER.

AND I'M GONNA VOTE AGAINST THIS.

UH, I COULD GO ON AND ON AND ON FOR A LONG TIME ABOUT WHY I'M OPPOSED TO THIS, BUT, UH, I GAVE YOU A SIMPLE, THE SIMPLE VERSION IS THAT WE'RE GIVING UP 50,000, AT LEAST $50,000 WORTH OF A PROPERTY TO GET A $25,000 CONTRIBUTION FROM THE DEVELOPER WHO SHOULD'VE GIVEN US ACCESS IN THE FIRST PLACE AND WHO HAS AGREED TO DO IT ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS ON HIS RENEGED.

UM, I GUESS I COULD SAY, WELL, IT'S THE LESSER OF EVILS AND VOTE FOR IT, BUT I'M NOT GOING TO DO THAT.

I COULD PUT A CLOTHES PIN ON MY NOSE AND VOTE FOR IT, BUT I'M NOT GOING TO DO THAT.

SO I'M GOING TO VOTE.

NO.

I GO, MR. GLOVER, DO YOU KNOW WHAT I COULD? UM, I WOULD SAY DITTO TO WHAT MS. SYLVIA JUST SAID A FEW MINUTES AGO AND THAT'D BE ENOUGH.

MS. HOWARD, YES.

CHAIRMAN, I WILL VOTE AGAINST THIS FOR THE SAME REASONS THAT I'VE ALREADY BEEN EXPRESSED.

UM, I, I DON'T LIKE WHAT WE'RE DOING AND I DON'T THINK WE ARE DOING THE RIGHT THING FOR BUFORD COUNTY TAXPAYERS.

TRYING TO GET ACCESS TO A PARK THAT WE SPENT MILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO, TO GET, UM, TO GET DIRECT ACCESS.

ANY OTHER COMMENTS MR. CUNNINGHAM, SOMEBODY HAS GOT TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THAT AISLE.

UM, I'M GOING TO SUPPORT THIS FOR A COUPLE REASONS.

UM, I TELL YOU GUYS, WE TRY TO BE AS TRANSPARENT AS POSSIBLE.

YOU KNOW, THERE'S MULTIPLE MISTAKES THAT COULD HAVE BEEN MADE ON BOTH SIDES OF THIS, WHETHER IT'S, UM, THE COUNTY LEVEL, THE SELLER'S LEVEL.

UM, BUT THE POINT IS WE'RE

[00:30:01]

WE NEED THAT EASEMENT IN THE GREEN, UM, WHATEVER GRAY AREA COMES OUT WITH NOT GOING INTO TOO MANY DETAILS.

UM, AND THE BLUE AND ORANGE AREA, IT COMES DOWN ABOUT $25,000 AN ACRE.

WHEN YOU BREAK IT DOWN TO THE VALUE.

NOW THERE'S SOME DISCUSSION THAT SOME PARTS OF LAND ARE WORTH MORE THAN OTHERS BECAUSE IT'S CLOSER TO WATER AND NOT CLOSER TO WATER, BUT IT IS RECOMMENDED TO US BY OUR PLANNING DEPARTMENT THAT THE BLUE AND ORANGE AREA WE HAD NO USE FOR ANYWAYS.

AND WE HAD NO PLANS TO DEVELOP IT.

WE HAD NO PLANS TO MAKE THAT A PART OF THE PARK THAT'S ACTUALLY RIGHT NEAR WHERE PART OF THE PARKING LOT IS GOING TO BE ON THE WHITE AREA ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF IT.

UM, SO IT DOESN'T HURT US IN THE LONG RUN.

WE DID NOT HAVE TO MAINTAIN THE BLUE AREA, WHICH WILL SAVE TAX DOLLARS IN THE LONG RUN, ESPECIALLY WITH THE DOCK OVER THERE.

UM, THE ORANGE AREA IS GOING TO BE UNDER OUR CONTROL WITH AN EASEMENT, UM, BY THE PROPERTY OWNERS, THIS AVOIDS, UM, ANYBODY THAT WANTS TO GO TO THIS PARK BY DRIVING THROUGH AN APARTMENT COMPLEX, THIS GIVES THEM DIRECT ACCESS TO IT.

UM, I DON'T KNOW IF WE HAVE THAT OTHER MAP TO SHOW THAT, UM, BUT IT DEFINITELY MAKES IT A LOT MORE USER-FRIENDLY TO OUR TAXPAYERS THAT HAVE ALREADY INVESTED MONEY INTO THIS.

UM, IT IS A SWAP OF LAND OR AN EASEMENT TO SAY, BUT BETWEEN THE $25,000, THAT'S COMING BACK TO OUR CRITICAL LAND.

I BELIEVE THAT'S GOING TO CRITICAL LAND, RIGHT? THE OTHER 25,000, IT'S STILL KEEPING THE EASEMENT AND THE ORANGE AND GETTING THE EASEMENT FOR THE CARS TO GET DIRECT ACCESS.

IT'S A WIN TO ME.

UM, IT'S A WIN FOR THE TAXPAYERS.

I WANT TO USE THIS.

THIS IS JUST OUTSIDE OF MY DISTRICT, BUT IT'S DEFINITELY SOMETHING I WOULD WANT TO USE.

UM, I'M SURE THAT PEOPLE AROUND ME WELL AS WELL, BUT IT JUST MAKES IT A LOT MORE ATTRACTIVE TO THE PUBLIC TO HAVE DIRECT ACCESS TO THAT ROAD AND NOT HAVE TO DRIVE THROUGH SOMEBODY'S NEIGHBORHOOD TO GET TO IT.

UM, SO I'M GOING TO SUPPORT IT.

UM, I DID SPENT A LONG, HARD NEGOTIATIONS ON THIS TO COME TO A MUTUAL AGREEMENT.

I THINK IT'S THE BEST THING FOR BUFORD COUNTY AT THIS TIME, MR. LAW, I AM GOING TO, UH, SUPPORT IT.

I THINK THAT, UM, WE, IF WE LOOK AT WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE TODAY, UM, AND THIS IS A CORRECTIVE ACTION, IT GETS US WHAT WE NEED.

AND WE CAN'T LOOK AT AT MISTAKES OR OVERSIGHTS THAT HAVE HAPPENED IN THE PAST.

THAT'S NOT WHAT WE'RE VOTING ON TODAY.

WE'RE VOTING ON HOW DO WE CORRECT WHAT WE HAVE IN FRONT OF US, AND THIS IS THE BEST OPTION.

UM, AND I THINK THAT, UH, AGAIN, IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S EXCITING TO SEE HAPPEN AND THEN MUST MOVE FORWARD AND, AND BE ABLE THEN TO, TO, TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE SOMETHING THAT WE'VE PROMISED A LONG TIME AGO.

MR. DAWSON, DID YOU WISH TO MAKE A COMMENT? YES.

THIS WAS A BAD DEAL FROM THE VERY BEGINNING FOUR OR FIVE YEARS AGO WHEN WE STARTED THIS NEGOTIATION.

AND I'LL AVERAGE FROM THE COUNTY PERSPECTIVE WAS TO TRY TO CONTROL THE NUMBER OF UNITS THAT WOULD BE DEVELOPED, UH, IN, IN THIS DEVELOPMENT.

AND, UM, AS I SAID, UM, IT WAS A BAD DEAL FROM THE VERY BEGINNING.

AND EVEN AT, AS WE'RE ABOUT TO WRAP THIS THING UP THE DAY, IT IS STILL A BAD DEAL FOR, UH, BUFORD COUNTY.

AND I'M NOT GOING TO SUPPORT IT.

MR. VASHAWN, THANK YOU.

I THINK MR. LAWSON USED THE EXACT TERMINOLOGY OF CORRECTIVE ACTION IS WHAT THIS IS AT THE MOMENT.

I THINK STAFF DID A VERY GOOD JOB IN EXECUTIVE SESSION WITHOUT GOING INTO TOO MUCH DETAIL, UM, ABOUT WHY THIS IS THE BEST OPTION THAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW.

SO FOR THAT REASON, I'M GOING TO SUPPORT IT.

AND THE OTHER FINAL COMMENTS, MR. UM, YES, UM, OF THE THREE PARCELS, I THOUGHT MR. MADE A VERY VALID POINT THAT THE ONE AT THE VERY TOP, UH, IS DISPUTED AND THAT THE REALLY THE BEST PATH FORWARD IS FOR US TO CONSIDER A CLAIM AGAINST THE TITLE COMPANY.

AND THAT'S THE BEST WAY TO RESOLVE THOSE, THAT PARTICULAR ONE, AS FAR AS THE OTHER TWO PIECES OF PROPERTY, THE ORIGINAL CONCERN WAS THE VALUE OF THE RELATIVE LAND SWAP.

THE LAND SWAP IS NOW OFF THE TABLE.

AND BASICALLY WE'RE LOOKING AT EXCHANGING EASEMENTS AND THERE'S VERY SIGNIFICANT VALUE TO THESE MEN.

THAT'S ON THE TABLE THAT WAS ACTUALLY PROPOSED BY THE STAFF BECAUSE WE GET A, A VERY DIRECT AND MORE BEAUTIFUL, UH, ENTRY TO WHAT WE WANT TO BE A WORLD-CLASS PARK.

AND, UH, SO I, I WILL VOTE FOR IT.

AND, UH, UM, I ALSO THINK THAT THE, THE FOLKS THAT ARE AGAINST IT, TO SOME EXTENT I'D BE INTERESTED IN, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT WOULD BE THE ALTERNATIVE, BECAUSE IT STRIKES ME THAT IT'S REALLY A ROUND ABOUT WAY AND QUITE A BIT MORE EXPENSIVE AND TIME CONSUMING AND, UH, AS A GOING FORWARD TO VOTE FOR MR. JEREMY, ANY OTHER COMMENTS? YEAH.

SO IF I MIGHT, MR. CHAIRMAN, YOU KNOW, I, I GENERALLY, UM, THINK WHERE WE ARE GETTING THE SHORT END OF THE STEAK, BUT I ABSOLUTELY AGREE THAT THE OVERWHELMING VALUE TO OUR PARK SYSTEM IS TO HAVE THIS

[00:35:01]

DIRECT ACCESS.

AND SO IN ORDER TO, TO SEE THAT PROCESS MOVE FORWARD, I'M GOING TO VOTE FOR THIS, UM, HOLDING MY NOSE THE WHOLE TIME, BECAUSE I DO THINK WE'RE GETTING THE SHORT END OF THE STICK HERE, BUT, UH, I THINK THAT THE EASEMENT HAS SIGNIFICANT VALUE TO US AND WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT GETS DONE.

I'M SEEING NO OTHER COMMENTS.

I WILL CALL THE ROLL.

SEAN, YOU WERE SECOND.

NO, MR. .

MR. SUMMERVILLE, NO CHAIR VOTES.

WE HAVE 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, YES.

AND FOUR.

NO, THE MOTION PASSES.

[11. FIRST READING OF AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE EXECUTION AND DELIVERY OF AN ACCESS AND UTILITY EASEMENT FOR A PORTION OF A RIGHT OF WAY OWNED BY BEAUFORT COUNTY KNOWN AS CASSIDY DRIVE OFF BUCKWALTER PARKWAY IN BULFFTON TOWNSHIP SOUTH CAROLINA]

NUMBER 11 IS A FIRST READING OF AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE EXECUTION AND DELIVERY OF AN ACCESS AND UTILITY EASEMENT FOR A POACHER PORTION OF THE RIGHT OF WAY OWNED BY BUFORD COUNTY, KNOWN AS CASSIDY DRIVE OFF BUNK WALTER PARKWAY IN BLUFFTON TOWNSHIP MAY HAVE SUCH A MOTION PLEASE.

SO MOVING CHAIRMAN, MR. RODMAN SECOND I'LL SECOND, SIR.

MR. ANY DISCUSSION SEEING NO DISCUSSION, THIS WILL BE APPROVED AND FIRST READING WITHOUT OBJECTION.

AND I SEE NO OBJECTIONS.

ITEM NUMBER 12

[12. FIRST READING OF AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND THE FY2022 BUDGET ORDINANCE 2021/30 TO INCLUDE AN ADDITIONAL $150,000 TO THE SOLICITOR’S OFFICE]

IS THE FIRST READING OF AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND THE FISCAL YEAR 2022 BUDGET ORDINANCE 2021 SLASH 30 TO INCLUDE AN ADDITIONAL $150,000 TO THE SOLICITORS OFFICE.

MAY I HAVE SUCH A MOTION, PLEASE, PLEASE.

MR. MAKES THE MOTION.

I'LL SECOND.

MR. CUNNINGHAM MAKES THE SECOND DISCUSSION.

I'M GOING TO VOTE AGAINST THIS, UH, BECAUSE, UH, WELL, I'M CONCERNED ABOUT TRANSPARENCY FROM ALL DEPARTMENTS, INCLUDING THE SOLICITORS.

WE'VE HAD DISCUSSIONS IN THE PAST ABOUT TRANSPARENCY FROM THE SOLICITOR'S OFFICE.

AND, UM, ONE OF THE BIGGEST CONCERNS I'VE ALWAYS HAD IS THE WAY THEIR FINANCES ARE RUN THROUGH COLLIN COUNTY.

WE SENT CHECKS TO COLLIN COUNTY AND THE IN CARLTON COUNTY MAKES THE DISBURSEMENTS, UH, THE 14TH CIRCUIT IS, UH, REPRESENTS, THEY WENT FIVE COUNTIES, UH, CAN'T REMEMBER FIVE OR SIX COUNTIES ANYWAY.

UM, AND SO, UH, CALL IT MS. ONE OF THOSE COUNTIES.

UM, MOST OF THE FOLKS THAT WE FUND, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THERE ARE ANY EXCEPTIONS OR NOT WITH THE POSSIBLE, EXCEPT WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE SOLICITOR'S OFFICE.

WE, UH, WE PAY THEIR, WE PAY THEIR INVOICES SO WE KNOW WHERE THE MONEY GOES OR WE RIGHT.

PUT THE MONEY IN, BUT WE KNOW EXACTLY WHERE IT GOES.

UH, WE DON'T HAVE THE, THAT BENEFIT OR THAT LUXURY OR THAT NECESSITY OUT OF THE SOLICITOR'S OFFICE.

SO I'M GOING TO VOTE.

NO.

AND, UH, I'M GOING TO ASK, UM, WITH THE CONSENT OF COUNCIL AND THE CHAIR THAT, UH, THAT THE, UH, STAFF BEGIN TO PUT TOGETHER FOR US, WHAT, UH, TRANSPARENCY FROM THE SOLICITOR'S OFFICE MIGHT LOOK LIKE I'M THERE.

I CAN SPECULATE ON WHAT IT MIGHT LOOK LIKE AND WHAT WE NEED TO DO, WHAT THEY NEED TO DO FOR US TO FEEL COMFORTABLE, THAT, THAT, UH, WE'RE GETTING A TRANSPARENCY ON THE DOLLARS THAT WE GIVE THEM FOR, UH, FOR THEIR OPERATIONS.

I MEAN, IF YOU LOOK AT, IF YOU GRAPH THE, UH, AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT WE'VE GIVEN THEM OVER THE LAST, I DUNNO, PICK AT TIME FIVE YEARS, IT JUST, IT'S A GRAPH THAT GOES UP UP, UP.

I'M NOT QUESTIONING THAT THEY NEED THESE DOLLARS TO RUN THAT RUN THAT DEPARTMENT.

BUT I'M SAYING IS WHEN WE GIVE AWAY, WE PUT OUT TAXPAYER DOLLARS, WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO BE ACCOUNTABLE.

WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO JUSTIFY WHAT, WHERE DID THAT MONEY GO? WHAT, WHAT JUST DIDN'T GO TO DEPARTMENT X AND THEY SPEND IT ON SOMETHING AND WE DON'T KNOW EXACTLY.

UH, WE NEED A LOT MORE SPECIFICS AND A LOT MORE TRANSPARENCY.

SO, UM, I'M GOING TO ASK STAFF TO, TO BEGIN THE PROCESS, UH, TO TELL US, TO BRING TO US SOME, SOME SENSE OF WHAT TRANSPARENCY SHOULD LOOK LIKE FROM THE SOLICITOR'S OFFICE.

AND SO WE CAN START, WE AS A BODY CAN DELIBERATE THAT, DEBATE, THAT, AND DECIDE WHAT WE'RE GOING TO REQUIRE THEM GOING FORWARD.

BUT AS FAR AS ADDITIONAL MONIES RIGHT NOW, MY ANSWER TO THAT IS I, I CAN'T DO IT IN ALL CONTENTS BECAUSE THERE'S JUST

[00:40:01]

NOT ENOUGH TRANSPARENCY FOR ME TO FEEL COMFORTABLE.

UM, WHILE THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE CAN TAKE UP, I THINK THAT'S A SEPARATE ITEM THAT SHOULD BE DISCUSSED AT OUR EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE WHEREBY WE COULD TAKE AN OFFICIAL ACTION AT THAT POINT IN TIME.

MR. HARVEY, THANK YOU.

I'VE GOT TWO QUESTIONS, TWO ACTUAL QUESTIONS, I GUESS, FOR STAFF.

AND THEN A RHETORICAL QUESTION.

THE ACTUAL QUESTIONS ARE, HOW MANY ATTORNEYS IS THIS GOING TO FUND? WHAT'S IT GOING TO DO FOR THEIR BACKLOG? AND THEN THE RHETORICAL QUESTION IS, ARE WE PREPARED TO FUND THIS INTO PERPETUITY? UM, EXCELLENT POINTS.

COUNSEL ADDRESSED AN IMPORTANT ISSUE IN BUFORD COUNTY INVOLVING ALCOHOL IMPAIRED DRIVING, BUT ALSO INVOLVED ADDITIONAL LAWYERS.

WE'LL ASK I'M THREE, OUR JOURNEYS, OUR PINKY, I'M SORRY.

THE REQUEST IS TO FUND THREE ATTORNEYS FOR PART OF FISCAL YEAR 22, AND THEN THEY DO PLAN TO ASK FOR FULL FUNDING FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 23 BUDGET.

ANY IDEA ON THE BACKLOG? I DO NOT, SIR.

THANK YOU, MR. LAWSON.

AND LET ME JUST TRY TO HELP CHRIS OUT, WHATEVER THEY CAME TO US THIS YEAR FOR MONEY, THEY ASKED FOR $300,000.

AND AT THAT TIME IT WAS TO HIRE THREE ATTORNEYS IS WHAT, UM, UM, THE SOLICITOR HAD TOLD US THEY AT THAT TIME BECAUSE OF COVID, THE COURTS WERE CLOSED AND WE ASKED THEM TO BACK OFF AND WAIT.

AND IF THEY NEEDED TO COME BACK TO US, THAT THAT THEY WOULD, UM, I THINK RIGHT NOW, UM, THERE IS SUCH A BACKLOG THAT IT MAKES SENSE FOR US TO, TO GO AHEAD AND, AND FUND THIS.

AND WE EXPECT THAT, UM, AS WE'VE HEARD, THE, THE, THE, THE, THE PUBLIC DEFENDER'S OFFICE MIGHT COME TO US AND ALSO ASK US FOR ADDITIONAL MONEY.

AND, AND IF ANYTHING THAT WE NEED TO SPEND MONEY ON IS FOR THE DEFENDER'S OFFICE AND ALSO FACILITIES FOR SOLICITOR'S OFFICE TO GET THESE CASES, UM, TAKEN CARE OF, UM, HAVE THEM, UH, BE DONE IN A QUICK AND SPEEDY TIME.

SO PEOPLE ARE NOT WAITING.

CAUSE I'VE TALKED TO PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR A YEAR OR TWO WITH A CASE THAT'S BEEN OUT THERE TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION ABOUT, UH, PERPETUITY.

UM, IT USUALLY IS ANYTIME THAT WE HAVE A ELECTED OFFICIAL COME TO US AND ASK US FOR MONEY AND WE INCREASE THEIR BUDGET, WE NORMALLY THEN ARE STUCK WITH THAT THE NEXT YEAR.

SO, UM, I WOULD PROBABLY SAY, YES, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT THEY WOULD, UM, UH, SEE IN THEIR BUDGET AND THEIR REQUESTS NEXT YEAR.

UM, I HAVE TALKED TO MR. STONE ABOUT THIS AND, AND HE HAS SAID THAT THAT, UH, YES, THEY WOULD ASK FOR THAT AMOUNT, BUT AGAIN, THEY DON'T SEE ASKING FOR ANY ADDITIONAL TO THAT NEXT YEAR AND THEN POSSIBLY THEM DO THE, THE, THE SECOND OR THIRD YEAR FROM NOW.

SO AGAIN, THAT'S, BUT AGAIN, THERE'S NOTHING TO STOP THEM FROM ASKING FOR MORE MONEY.

AGAIN, THAT'S JUST MY CONVERSATION I HAD WITH, UM, UH, SOLICITOR STONE CHAIRMAN, MR. MCCULLOUGH, WITH REGARD TO, UH, ITEM NUMBER 12.

UM, I WILL NOT SUPPORT A SOLICITOR'S REQUESTS FOR ADDITIONAL FUNDING TO CLEAR A TEMPORARY BACKLOG.

AND IN CASES, THIS POSITION MAY SEEM SOMEWHAT SURPRISING CONSIDERING MY LAW ENFORCEMENT AND MAGISTRATE'S SERVICE HISTORY.

BUT AS I SEE IT, THIS BACKLOG OF CASES IS A TEMPORARY ISSUE THAT NEEDS TO BE RESOLVED BY MANAGEMENT, USING EXISTING RESOURCES.

THIS BACKLOG HAS BEEN ACCUMULATING FROM MORE THAN FIVE YEARS, AND COVID NO DOUBT EXACERBATED THE SITUATION BY CAUSING SUSPENSION OF SOME COURT ACTIVITIES.

REPORTEDLY THERE ARE OVER 6,000 CASES THAT NEED ATTENTION, PERHAPS AS MANY AS HALF OF THESE CASES ACCUMULATED BEFORE THE RECENT FOURTH DELAYS, BUT WE DON'T KNOW ACTUAL NUMBERS IN BUFORD COUNTY BECAUSE THAT INFORMATION HAS NOT BEEN PROVIDED TO COUNCIL BY THE SOLICITOR'S OFFICE.

IN MY EXPERIENCE REQUESTING FUNDS TO HIRE ADDITIONAL PERMANENT EMPLOYEES TO ADDRESS TEMPORARY PROBLEMS IS NOT A PRACTICAL STRATEGY.

WE KNOW SALARIES AND BENEFITS FOR MORE PERSONNEL BECOME PERSONAL, BECOME PERMANENT BUDGET ITEMS. THAT FORM A BASE THAT APPEARS YEAR AFTER YEAR.

THAT MEANS THAT IF THIS SPECIFIC REQUEST THAT EVENTUALLY WILL BE A TOTAL OF $300,000 IS APPROVED, IT NEVER GOES AWAY.

AFTER TWO YEARS, THE COST IS 600,000 FOR YEARS.

IT'S 1.2 MILLION IN SIX YEARS.

IT'S 1.8 MILLION AND 10 YEARS.

IT'S $3 MILLION ON AND ON AND ON ALL THIS MONEY TO SOLVE A TEMPORARY PROBLEM.

I WON'T SUPPORT THIS REQUEST MORE MONEY TO ADDRESS WHAT I CONSIDER ESSENTIALLY TO BE A MANAGEMENT ISSUE.

AND AS LONG AS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HIRING THE LAWYERS, I WOULD LIKE TO POINT OUT THAT IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS, COUNCIL HAS INCREASED THE BUFORD COUNTY CONTRIBUTION TO THE SOLICITOR'S BUDGET BY OVER $800,000 A YEAR.

AND TWO YEARS AGO,

[00:45:01]

WE LEARNED IN 2017 AND 18 AT THE SOUTH CAROLINA HIGHWAY PATROL WHAT 690 DUI CASES TO COURT.

33% OF THOSE WERE CONVICTED IN 66%.

REPLETED DOWN THE SEMESTER, NOT GUILTY.

THE SHERIFF BROUGHT 258 CASES.

31% WERE CONVICTED.

AND 69% PLEADED DOWN DISMISSED AND KNOXVILLE LEFT AND BROUGHT TO 424 CASES.

24% WERE CONVICTED.

75% WERE PLEADED DOWN DISMISSED OR NOT GUILTY.

AND BUFORD GROWN 128 CASES.

35% WERE CONVICTED.

64% PLEADED DOWN WERE DISMISSED AND NOT GUILTY.

COUNSEL UNDERSTOOD.

THE CRUX OF THE PROBLEM IS THE ABSENCE OF LAWYERS IN THE SOLICITOR'S OFFICE, PROSECUTING CASES IN MAGISTRATES' COURT, WHICH THEY ROUTINELY ROUTINELY DO IN OTHER CIRCUITS IN THE STATE HOUSE WILL ADDRESS THIS BY PROVIDING FUNDS IN A TEMPORARY PILOT PROGRAM TO ALLOW HIRING OF FOUR ATTORNEYS TO ASSIST THE POLICE OFFICERS IN PROSECUTING DUI CASES IN MAGISTRATES' COURT.

WE BELIEVE THOSE ATTORNEYS WERE HIRED.

AT SOME POINT DURING THAT FISCAL YEAR, THE FUNDS WERE APPROVED.

THEY MAY BE ON THE PAYROLL CURRENTLY.

WELL, WE HAVE NO IDEA IF THE PROGRAM HAS BEEN INITIATED OR IF IT'S BEEN SUCCESS.

THOSE QUESTIONS WERE ASKED DURING THE LAST BUDGET CYCLE, BUT THE ANSWERS WERE NEVER PROVIDED BY THE SOLICITOR.

WE ALSO PROVIDED FUNDING FOR THREE MORE LAWYERS TO ASSIST IN OTHER MATTERS THAT THE SOLICITOR DEEMED IMPORTANT, THUS RESULTING IN A CONTRIBUTION FROM BUFORD COUNTY, A $1,887,500 A YEAR FOR THE SOLICITOR'S OFFICE TO 2015.

THAT WAS 1,060,000.

NOW IT'S 1,887,000 THUS FAR, WE HAVE NOT RECEIVED ANY INFORMATION AS TO WHETHER THOSE ADDITIONAL THREE LAWYERS WILL HIRE WHAT THEIR DUTIES WERE OR HOW EFFECTIVE THEY ARE THIS MOST RECENT REQUEST BY THE SOLICITOR IN THE LAST BUDGET CYCLE, THE $265 TO HIRE YET, STILL MORE LAWYERS WAS DENIED AS THE ANSWERS TO MOST QUESTIONS WE POSED ARE STILL PENDING.

DESPITE THAT DENIAL, FOR LACK OF TRANSPARENCY, WE'RE NOW DEALING WITH YET ANOTHER REQUEST THAT WOULD BRING BUFORD COUNTY'S CONTRIBUTION TO THE SOLICITOR'S OFFICE TO OVER $2 MILLION A YEAR WITH NO ACCOUNTABILITY FOR THE FUNDS THAT WE'RE PROVIDING, WHICH IS APPROXIMATELY $500,000 PER QUARTER IN THE NEXT BUDGET CYCLE.

I WILL ASK AGAIN ABOUT THE FULL LAWYERS COUNCIL FUNDED FOR THE SOLICITORS DUI PROGRAM IN MAGISTRATES' COURT.

BECAUSE SOUTH CAROLINA RANKED IN THE TOP FIVE STATES IN THE COUNTRY PER CAPITA DUI CASES, APPROXIMATELY 50% OF FATAL CAR CRASHES IN SOUTH CAROLINA ARE RELATED TO DRUNK DRIVING.

I WILL ALSO POSE ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS AND SEEK ANSWERS AS TO WHY 70% OF THE 1,415 CASES OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE FILE SINCE 2015 IN BUFORD COUNTY BY THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE WERE DISMISSED.

THAT'S RIGHT, 70% WERE DISMISSED 621 WERE DISMISSED OR NOT PROSECUTED.

95 WERE REFERRED TO A LOWER COURT OF THE 308 CASES THAT WERE PROSECUTED WITH 301 LEAD DEALS.

IT WAS SEVEN TRIALS RESULTING IN ONE GUILTY VERDICT AND SIX NOT GUILTY VERDICTS IN 2019 SOUTH CAROLINA WAS THE SIXTH WORST STATE IN THE UNITED STATES WITH A DOMESTIC VIOLENCE MURDER RATE.

1.5 TIMES THE NATIONAL AVERAGE BETWEEN 2000 AND 2015, WE TOPPED THE LIST FOUR TIMES AS THE WORST STATE FOR DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.

AND WE HAVE BEEN IN THE TOP 10 WORST STATES IN THAT CATEGORY FOR ALMOST TWO DECADES TO ME IN MY EXPERIENCE, BACKLOGS COME AND GO.

DO YOU EYES AND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CONTINUE TO PLAY GUS ANNUALLY.

I BELIEVE THESE ARE THE AREAS THAT NEED ATTENTION IN BUFORD COUNTY, AND I BELIEVE WE CAN DO BETTER.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

I THINK IT WOULD BE FAIR TO ASK THE SOLICITOR TO COME IN AND ADDRESS SOME OF THESE ISSUES.

OTHER COMMENTS, MR. RODMAN,

[00:50:01]

I'D BE SURPRISED IF HE, YOU KNOW, DIDN'T WANT TO DO IT.

UH, BUT YOU KNOW, IT, AT THE END OF THE DAY, THE ONLY WAY YOU WORK THROUGH A BACKLOG IS WITH MORE MANPOWER.

AND THE QUESTION WAS ASKED, WELL, THERE ARE TEMPORARY WHAT HAPPENS IN THE FUTURE AND WHERE WE'RE GROWING SO FASTLY AND YOU HAVE TURNOVER ANYWAY.

SO I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU SOLVE THE PROBLEM WITHOUT MANPOWER.

CERTAINLY THERE'S A QUESTION OF WHETHER IT'S THE RIGHT AMOUNT, BUT I DO BELIEVE THAT ON THE FACE OF IT, MORE PEOPLE ARE REQUIRED.

IF YOU'RE GOING TO REDUCE A BACKLOG THAT IS INCREASING SIGNIFICANTLY.

OTHER COMMENTS, UM, YORK, UH, YES, SIR.

CHAIRMAN, THANK YOU.

UM, UM, OPPOSE THE MOTION THAT'S ON THE FLOOR AND, UM, UH, I THINK WE NEED MORE ACCOUNTABILITY FROM THE SOLICITOR'S OFFICE.

SO I'M JUST GOING TO STOP HERE.

THANK YOU, MR. SOMMERVILLE.

I'LL TAKE ALICE.

HASN'T SPOKEN YET.

ALICE, GO AHEAD, MR. CHAIRMAN.

I, YOU KNOW, WE WOULD ALL FEEL GOOD, JUST GIVING SOME MORE MONEY AND SAYING WE'RE GOING TO CLEAN UP THE BACKLOG.

THAT WOULD ALL MAKE US FEEL GOOD, BUT THERE'S NOT ENOUGH DETAILS HERE AND I'M GOING TO VOTE AGAINST THIS.

AND I DON'T THINK THAT'S THE ANSWER TO THE PROBLEM FROM WHAT I'VE HEARD TODAY.

YEAH, JUST A COMMENT, MR. CHAIRMAN, WE RESEARCHED THIS SOME TIME AGO AND AS I RECALL, THE STATE STATUTE IS VERY CLEAR THAT ONCE, UH, DOLLARS ARE AWARDED TO A CONSTITUTIONAL OFFICER, THEY CANNOT BE UNILATERALLY RESCINDED.

IN OTHER WORDS, YOU GIVE A BUCK IT'S FOREVER.

SO, OKAY.

ANY OTHER COMMENTS? ONE COMMENT FROM MICE.

OH, SORRY.

UM, WHAT I WILL SAY IS WE HAVE A LOT OF QUESTIONS AND UNFORTUNATELY, REALLY NOBODY HERE TO ANSWER THEM.

I'M NEW TO COUNCIL BEEN HERE THIS FIRST YEAR, BUT THERE'S MANY TIMES I'VE SEEN A LOT OF YOU VOTE IN SUPPORT OF SOMETHING TO GET TO SECOND READING, TO GET MORE INFORMATION.

UM, I HAVE A LOT OF QUESTIONS ON THIS MYSELF.

UM, ESPECIALLY AFTER HEARING, UM, COUNCILMAN MCKELLEN'S, UM, STATEMENT, IT RAISED A LOT OF QUESTIONS FOR ME.

UM, AND UNFORTUNATELY WE CAN'T ASK THAT THIS ONLY, SO I CAN GET SOME ANSWERS AND THE NEXT READING, UM, IF WE DO NOT HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO GET THOSE ANSWERS IN THE NEXT READING, THEN I WILL NOT SUPPORT IT.

UM, I WOULD ASK YOU GUYS TO DO THE SAME THING SO WE CAN HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY TO DO THAT.

UM, I TELL YOU RIGHT NOW IN FRONT OF EVERYONE HERE, I WILL VOTE IT DOWN.

IF WE DID NOT GET THOSE ANSWERS, UM, I WOULD SUPPORT YOU GUYS ON THAT ON SOME OTHER THINGS.

AND I'M REQUESTING THAT YOU GUYS DO THAT ON THIS AS WELL.

NO, WE HAVE 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 1 2, 3, 4, 5.

ANY OTHER COMMENTS? UH, ONE THING THAT WE DID NOT DISCUSS AS YET IS THE WHOLE PURPOSE OF THIS IS TO ADDRESS A BACKLOG.

WELL, IF IN FACT WE'RE GOING TO ADDRESS THE BACKLOG, THEN THERE IS GOING TO BE EQUITY, WHICH MEANS OUR PUBLIC DEFENDER WILL COME AND SAY, IN ORDER FOR US TO ADDRESS THE BACKLOG, WE TOO WILL NEED TO BE FUNDED AT THE SAME LEVEL.

SO WE HAVE TO TAKE THAT INTO ACCOUNT WITHOUT, WITHOUT ANY FURTHER ADO, WE WILL BEGIN THE VOTE.

MR. YOU MADE THE MOTION.

YOU GET TO VOTE FIRST.

I AM THE DECIDING VOTE AND I AM A NO MOTION IS DEFEATED.

MOVING ON

[13. FIRST READING OF AN ORDINANCE DECLARING CERTAIN COUNTY OWNED REAL PROPERTY AS SURPLUS PROPERTY AND AUTHORIZING THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR TO EXECUTE ANY AND ALL NECESSARY DOCUMENTS TO SELL REAL PROPERTY IDENTIFIED AS TMS NO. R700 036 000 13J 0000, R700 036 000 0112 0000, R700 036 000 0109 0000, R700 036 000 002C 0000 AND R600 036 000 001B 0000 ]

TO THE NEXT ITEM.

FIRST READING OF AN ORDINANCE, UH, DECLARING THE CERTAIN COUNTY OWNED REAL PROPERTY AS SURPLUS PROPERTY AND AUTHORIZING THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR TO EXECUTE ANY AND ALL NECESSARY DOCUMENTS.

DO SEX, SELL THE REAL PROPERTY AS IDENTIFIED BY THE PROPERTY NUMBERS.

MAY I HAVE SUCH A MOTION? I'LL MAKE A MOTION.

MR. CHAIRMAN, MS. HOWARD MAKES THE MOTION.

I'LL SECOND.

MR. CHAIRMAN, UH, I FULLY SUPPORT THE SELLING OF EXCESS PROPERTY.

MR. DAWSON MAKES THE SECOND DISCUSSION

[00:55:01]

AT ONE TIME, WE TALKED ABOUT DESIGNATING THE FUNDS, WHICH WE CAN DO LEGALLY FROM THE SALE OF THIS PROPERTY OF THESE PROPERTIES IDENTIFIED.

AND AS WE KNOW, UH, THERE IS A AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEFICIT IN OUR COUNTY.

WE HAD SET ASIDE A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS AT, UH, DURING THE LAST BUDGET CYCLE TO HOOK UP A PORTABLE HOUSING THAT WAS BEING BUILT FOR WATER AND SEWAGE FEES, WHICH WE CANNOT NOT PAY THAT TO HELP PEOPLE WHO ARE DEVELOPING AFFORDABLE HOUSING.

I WOULD LIKE TO AMEND THIS MOTION SO THAT WE CAN DESIGNATE THE FUNDS TO BE USED FOR PURPOSES OF AFFORDABLE NEW, AFFORDABLE HOUSING, UH, PARTICULARLY FOR HOOKUP FEES FOR THOSE UNITS.

AND I HATE TO USE WORD FENCE, BUT SET ASIDE MIGHT USE A BETTER WORD.

DOES EVERYBODY UNDERSTAND THE AMENDED MOTION A SECOND? THAT MOTION, MR. GLOVER, YOU WILL SECOND THAT MOTION.

WE NOW NEED TO SPEAK TO THE AMENDMENT FIRST, TAKE ACTION ON THE AMENDMENT AND THEN COME BACK TO THE MOTION.

ANYBODY WISH TO MAKE COMMENTS, MR. RODDEN.

IF I UNDERSTAND IT, THAT THIS WOULD GO INTO THE FUND THAT WE USE TO RESTORE IMPACT FEES THAT ARE WAIVED, CORRECT? CORRECT.

EXACTLY WHAT A GOOD IDEA.

ANY OTHER COMMENTS? I HAVE A QUESTION.

AND BASED ON OUR LAST MEETING TWO WEEKS AGO, WOULDN'T THOSE FUNDS BE ABLE TO GO TOWARDS SOME OF THE SITUATIONS THAT WE TALKED ABOUT, UM, WITH MUNICIPALITIES, THEY COULD BE IN A MUNICIPALITY.

SURE.

THEN I'M NOT GOING TO SUPPORT THIS.

THEN THE AFFORDABLE, AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN BEAUFORT COUNTY.

SO THEN IT CAN'T GO TOWARDS THE MUNICIPALITIES.

WELL, IF THE MUNICIPALITY HAS AFFORDABLE HOUSING, I MEAN, WE USE SOME OF THE MONEY IN AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN THE CITY OF BUFORD FOR THAT PURPOSE FOR HOOKUP FEES.

I'M STILL NOT GOING TO SUPPORT IT AS CHAIRMAN.

I HEAR, UM, MR. CUNNINGHAM AND I, UH, I WOULD PROBABLY BE IN WITH SOME, SO I HAVEN'T REALLY SUPPORTING THIS IN CONCEPT.

UM, AND WE CAN DEFINE HOW THE FUNDS WILL BE USED LATER ON.

WELL, I CAN CHANGE MY MOTION TO JUST BE USED IN UNINCORPORATED BEAVER COUNTY, IF YOU SO DESIRE, IF THAT'S MORE PALATABLE.

AND LOVING GAME, YOU ALL SAY, WE WANT TO WAVE THE IMPACT PIECE.

SO THE MOTION HAS BEEN, UH, DULY CHANGED BY THE MAKER OF THE MOTION AND THE PERSON WHO SECOND TO IDENTIFY THAT THE FUNDS WOULD ONLY BE USED IN UNINCORPORATED BUFORD COUNTY.

EVERYBODY UNDERSTAND ANY OTHER COMMENTS LIKE I, AS FAR AS I KNOW, WE'RE OBLIGATED TO PAY THOSE NO MATTER WHERE THIS MONEY GOES.

SO SOMETHING THAT, THAT WE'RE OBLIGATED TO PAY THE, THE, UM, UH, HOOKUP FEES.

IT'S JUST THAT, YOU'RE WHAT YOU'RE ASKING THIS MONEY TO BE SET ASIDE FOR THAT AMOUNT.

SO WE'RE NOT PULLING MONEY OUT OF THE GENERAL FUND, BECAUSE AGAIN, WE'RE STILL OBLIGATED.

WHETHER WE JUST GOING INTO GENERAL FUND, THAT WOULD GO SPECIFICALLY FOR THAT.

BUT, BUT I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND THAT THAT OBVIOUSLY WE ARE OBLIGATED TO PAY ANYONE THAT QUALIFIES FOR HOOKUP FEES.

ANYHOW.

SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, THAT WAS SET UP.

I DON'T RECALL.

MINISTRATION.

MAYBE YOU CAN START WITH THAT.

I BELIEVE THERE IS A LIMIT.

I THINK IT'S A HUNDRED THOUSAND PER YEAR, RIGHT? YEAH.

YOU ALL, YOU ALL HAVE ALLOCATED A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS A YEAR.

I'M NOT SURE THAT YOU'RE OBLIGATED TO COVER IMPACT FEE WAIVERS FOR ALL PARTS OF THE COUNTY.

I DON'T THINK WE ARE HISTORICALLY, YOU HAVE DONE THAT.

YOU HAVE CHOSEN TO DO THAT, BUT THE STATUTE DOES NOT SAY THAT THE COUNTY COUNCIL HAS TO DO IT, THE FUNDING TO COVER IT COULD COME FROM OTHER SHORES THE WAY OUR STATUTE.

SO WE HAVE ALWAYS TAKEN THE INITIATIVE AND VOLUNTARILY DONE THAT.

, IT'S NOT A REQUIREMENT FOR THAT.

UM, I WAS THINKING THAT IN OUR ORDINANCE, IF SOMEONE COMES TO US, WE ARE OBLIGATED.

IF THEY QUALIFY, WE'RE OBLIGATED TO PAY THEIR IMPACT FEES.

AND WHENEVER THE FUND IS DEPLETED, WE WOULD THEN REPLENISH THAT FUND.

I THINK WE'RE SAYING KIND OF THE SAME THING YOU ARE, RIGHT? THE STATUTE THAT GUIDES YOU AND THE COUNTY SAYS, THERE'S SOMEONE IS AT 80% OF AMI.

THEY GET A 60% REDUCTION IN THEIR IMPACT FEE.

IF THEY'RE 60% OF AMI AND THEY GET A HUNDRED PERCENT REDUCTION FEE.

AND THAT, THAT MONEY HAS TO BE, THAT WAIVER HAS TO BE COVERED SOMEHOW THROUGH A FUNDING SOURCE.

THE STATUTE DOES NOT SAY WHO COVERS THE FUNDING.

SO IF IT'S A, IF THERE'S A PROJECT IN THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON

[01:00:01]

YOU ALL CAN THEORETICALLY TELL BLUFFTON THEY WERE OKAY WITH THAT.

BUT YOU ISLAND, YOU ALL HAVE TO COME UP WITH THE MONEY TO COVER THESE WAIVERS.

SO, YEAH, YOU'RE RIGHT.

THE STATUTE DOES SAY IT HAS TO BE COVERED.

IT JUST DOES NOT SAY YOU HAS TO COVER.

OTHERWISE WE'RE JUST GUESSING.

WHILE YOU'RE UP THERE, UM, I'M A LITTLE BIT CONFUSED ON THE TAXIS.

I UNDERSTAND THE WAIVER OF THE IMPACT BASE, BUT I'VE NOT HEARD DISCUSSIONS REGARDING THE TAP, THE TAP FEES FOR PUPIL JASPER, IS THAT COVERED UNDER THE ORDINANCE BECAUSE I'M NOT AWARE THAT IT IS SO, UM, WELL, THE WAY WE'VE HISTORICALLY HANDLED THAT IS WE HAVEN'T ACTUALLY COVERED IT WITH FUNDING.

WE HAVE AN OCCASION IN THE CITY OF BUFORD AND A COUPLE OF OTHER AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECTS.

WE HAVE, YOU USED WHAT WE CALL OUR CAPACITY CREDITS WITH YOU FOR JASPER WATER AND SANITATION.

SO WE HAVEN'T PAID ANYTHING.

WE GIVE A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF CREDITS FROM USERS AND WE HAVE AWARDED SOME OF THOSE CREDITS TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING PRODUCT.

WELL, LET ME JUST ASK TO MAKE HER THE MOTION D WAS YOUR MOTION TO, TO USE THIS MONEY FOR ALL IMPACTS.

THESE ARE JUST FOR TAP FEES OR ALL OF THE ABOVE, BECAUSE I'M ALL CONFUSED ON THAT.

I WAS THINKING PRIMARILY OF THE TAP FEES.

THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT YOU WERE SAYING.

UM, AND THAT'S FINE.

IF, IF, IF I WERE YOU ALL, IF YOU WANT TO DO THAT, UH, WE'LL CALL IT.

WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO WHAT WE DO NOT KNOW YOU, AND I'M GOING TO BE PRESENTING THE RESULTS OF THE HOUSING TRUST FUND NEXT WEEKEND RETREAT.

I WOULD REQUEST IT IF YOU ALL WANT THIS MONEY TO BE USED FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING, THAT YOU JUST MAKE THE MOTION, THAT EFFECT.

AND THEN WE PUT ASIDE, WHAT IS THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAY TO USE IT FOR AFFORDABLE? HOW DO WE MAKE CHOOSE TO USE THAT MONEY? IF NOT EVERYBODY NOW, NOT ALL JURISDICTIONS GIVING THEM MONEY TO SEEK THE HOUSING TRUST FUND.

WE MAY WANT TO USE THIS MONEY TO HELP START UP AND PROVIDE SOME FINANCING BACKING TO START UP A REGIONAL HOUSING TRUST FUND.

SO SOME BANK HAD A MORE FLEXIBLE MUCH.

I WOULD JUST SAY THAT THE MONEY BE HELD AND USED FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECTS AND UNINCORPORATED, I CAN DO THAT, BUT LIKE TO HEAR SOME MORE DISCUSSION BEFORE I CHANGE IT AGAIN, MORE DISCUSSION, UM, YOU KNOW, IN GENERAL, I'M NOT A BIG FAN OF TAKING STREAMS OF MONEY, PARTICULARLY ONE THAT'S VERY UNCERTAIN LIKE THIS, AND THEN TRYING TO KEEP TRACK OF IT OVER THE YEARS AS TO WHERE IT'S GOING.

UH, I THINK THAT THE PROBLEM WE'RE TRYING TO SOLVE IN THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS BIGGER THAN THE MONEY WE'RE GOING TO COLLECT HERE.

SO I THINK THERE'S SOME ARGUMENT THAT SAYS, YOU KNOW, PUT IT IN THE GENERAL FUND.

AND THEN WE AS A COUNCIL ON A YEAR TO YEAR BASIS, FIGURE OUT WHAT THE AMOUNT IS, WHETHER IT'S A HUNDRED THOUSAND OR 400,000, THEN WE NEED TO PUT IT IN THERE.

AND THESE ARE A LOT OF LITTLE BITS AND PIECES.

I REMEMBER HIS HOTEL AND HOW QUICKLY THEY'LL SELL OR WHEN WE'LL GET THE MONEY, BUT IT'S A START.

BUT TO MY POINT, DOES IT START? MY LINE OF THINKING IS ALONG STEWS AND UNCERTAINTY OUT OF MONEY, THAT WE ARE ALLOCATING TOWARD A SEMI DEFINED PURPOSE.

AND WE'RE BASICALLY PAYING OURSELVES INTO A CORNER.

I CAN'T GET BEHIND.

UH, I DON'T KNOW.

I WOULD DISAGREE BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO MAKE A START SOMEWHERE.

AND ALTHOUGH THIS MAY BE A SMALL AMOUNT OF MONEY, IT'S A START.

AND THEN IT SHOWS THAT'S TRUE.

WE KNOW, BUT IT'S A START.

AND THAT'S MY POINT.

IT'S A START FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING.

IF YOU'RE, IF YOU, IF YOU FEEL LIKE THAT IS NOT A GOOD START, THEN NO MONEY WOULD BE ALLOCATED.

AND THAT'S WHAT I WOULD, I WOULD SAY, THIS IS A START.

WE DON'T KNOW THE AMOUNT, THE NEXT PROPERTY THAT SOLD IT.

IT WILL BE ANOTHER STAR OR NOT.

I'M JUST SAYING, LET'S START SOMETHING WITH THIS.

AND THAT'S WHY I TOOK IT DOWN SPECIFIC TO TAP FEES, BUT WE CAN MAKE IT, I WILL CHANGE MY MOTION TO MAKE IT UNINCORPORATED BUFORD COUNTY FOR THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROGRAM PERIOD.

LEAVE IT PERIOD.

LEAVE IT AT THAT.

AND THIS IS VERY SPECIFIC TO THESE PARTICULAR PROPERTIES AND THE RESULTS OF THE SALE OF THESE PROPERTIES WILL BE TO SET ASIDE THIS MONEY IN A FUND THAT WE ALREADY HAVE, BUT DEFINE THAT THAT MONEY IS GOING SPECIFICALLY FOR WHAT YOU SAID AS YOUR AMENDMENT, AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND UNINCORPORATED BEAVER COUNTY.

RIGHT.

SO DOES THAT HELP YOU CHRIS HELP? NO.

AT COUNCIL OR DOES IT JUST GET TO BE APPLIED FOR AND SPENT WITHOUT OUR APPROVAL? SO YOU, YOU ALL ARE BASICALLY RIGHT.

WELL, SO I DO HAVE ONE OF THE SAME QUESTIONS AS CHRIS.

I'M A LITTLE BIT MORE OPEN TO IT AFTER WE'VE HAD SOME MORE DISCUSSIONS, BUT ONE OF MY QUESTIONS WOULD BE, LET'S SAY WE GET THE MONEY IN THERE.

LET'S SAY IT GOES 1.5 MILLION, WHATEVER.

AT SOME POINT, DO WE STILL HAVE THE ULTIMATE DECIDING FACTOR IF WE'RE GOING TO APPROVE IT FOR THAT SPECIFIC AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECT BACK

[01:05:01]

YOU'RE DESIGNATING SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT WE'RE GOING TO USE THE MONEY FOR A YEAH.

BUT IF WE, IF WE SPEND ANY OF THIS MONEY, ONCE WE SELL THESE PROPERTIES THAT HAS TO COME BEFORE COUNTY COUNCIL, THE AUTHORIZED AND YOU OUGHT TO SAY, YES, THIS IS WHAT WE'RE GOING TO USE THIS MONEY FOR.

IT'S AN INDIVIDUAL PROJECT OR PUTTING IN A POT TO START THAT OUT.

RIGHT? SO MY PHILOSOPHY WITH AFFORDABLE HOUSING, ISN'T, ISN'T NECESSARILY GETTING INVOLVED AS IN ABOUT THE GOVERNMENT, HELPING IT'S ABOUT CREATING OPPORTUNITY FOR PEOPLE TO COME IN THERE AND MAKE IT HAPPEN.

I DON'T WANNA GET INVOLVED WITH BUILDERS.

I DON'T WANT TO GET INVOLVED WITH PEOPLE'S PERSONAL PROPERTY, BUT I DO WANT TO SAY, OKAY, IF WE CREATED THIS ROAD, HYPOTHETICALLY, JUST USING THE SITUATION.

IF WE CREATED THIS ROAD AND GOT SEWAGE AND ELECTRICAL OUT THERE, WOULD THIS BE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR BUSINESSES BUILDERS TO COME IN HERE AND BUILD THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING? THAT'S THE TYPE OF HELP I WANT TO DO WITH AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS CREATE THE OPPORTUNITY, NOT FUND IT MYSELF, NOT MANAGE IT, NOT GET INVOLVED.

SO IF YOU'RE GOING TO TELL US THAT IF THIS GETS APPROVED AND MOVE FORWARD, THAT THE MONEY THAT GETS PUT IN THAT POT STILL HAS TO COME BACK TO US FOR APPROVAL.

BEFORE A DIAMOND IS SPENT, I'LL SUPPORT IT.

IF THIS MONEY IS GOING TO GO TO WHATEVER PROJECT DO WE NEVER GET TO SEE IT AFTER THAT POINT, THEN I WOULD NOT.

BUT ONE OF THE MOST COSTLY ITEMS IN CONSTRUCTION OF THE HOME IS THE WATER AND SEWER FEES THAT HAVE TO BE PAID TO HOOK UP THAT AND SCHOOL IMPACT FEES.

BUT YEAH, WHATEVER WE DO WITH IT, YOU ALL WILL HAVE, YOU ALL WILL HAVE, THE ULTIMATE IS SAFE BEFORE IT'S EXPENSIVE.

I WILL SUPPORT THAT THEN ALICE, AND JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE HER COUNSEL IT'S VERY LIKELY THAT SOME AND NOT ALL OF THESE PROPERTIES TO BE SOLD TO SOMEONE THAT WANTS TO PURCHASE THE PROPERTIES FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING, THE VERY LOW MOAN ENTITY HERE IN NEWPORT COUNTY.

WELL, I THINK IF WE LEAVE IT AS FLEXIBLE AS WE CAN, UM, IT'S A START.

WE DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH IT WILL BE, BUT IT'S A START AS FAR AS THAT, THAT GOES.

AND THAT'S WHY I WANTED TO MAKE A MOTION.

I DIDN'T WANT THE MONEY TO JUST GO INTO THE GENERAL FUND AND BE SPENT ON OPERATING EXPENSES OR WHATEVER.

MR. HARVEY SHINE QUESTION.

OH, I'M SORRY.

HOLD ON A SECOND, MR. DAWSON, YOU HAD YOUR HAND UP BEFORE AND I DIDN'T GET TO YOU.

GO AHEAD.

WE'VE EARNED OFF, SELL THESE PROPERTIES TO HELP THE APPROPRIATE THAT 1.1 600, YOU KNOW, UM, UM, I UNDERSTAND THE, UM, THE, UH, THE IMPETUS FOR THE CHANGE IN THE MOTION, BUT I'M GOING TO SPEAK AGAINST THAT BECAUSE MY, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT OUR HOUSING SHORTAGE IS REGIONAL AND IT'S NOT JUST THE UNINCORPORATED AREA OF BUFORD COUNTY AND THE IMPACT OF A HOUSING SHORTAGE ON THE LOW END.

I WAS JUST CURIOUS FOR MY OWN, UH, GENERAL INFORMATION.

I KNOW THE IMPACT FEE AND THE IS PRETTY EXPENSIVE AND THAT'S PROBLEMATIC FOR A LOT OF NEW HOME.

UM, UH, HOMEOWNERS.

UH, WHAT, WHAT IS THE GOING RATE FOR THE TAB IS GOING TO BE FOR COUNTY ROUGHLY GOT $8,500.

HOW MUCH? 8,500 I BELIEVE IS WATER AND SEWER.

THAT'S PROBABLY THE MONEY RUNS OUT.

WE PAID FOR TAP FEES FOR SOME DEVELOPERS SOMEWHERE.

THE NEXT DEVELOPER THAT COMES IN THAT WHATEVER WE ENDED UP, WE'RE JUST GOING TO CONTINUALLY PAY.

WELL, WHAT WE'RE DOING IS TWOFOLD.

THIS, THIS ONE IS VERY SPECIFIC BECAUSE WE'VE HAD A POT OF MONEY ABOUT A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS, AND WE'VE BEEN USING THAT UP.

NOW, WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO AS, UH, MR. GREENWAY IS GOING TO PRESENT TO US IS A REGIONAL HOUSING TRUST FUND THAT ALL OF THE ENTITIES IN, UM, BUFORD COUNTY ARE HOPEFULLY GOING TO SIGN ON TO THIS AS WELL AS THE, UH, CITY OF HARTVILLE AND JASPER COUNTY TO TALK ABOUT A REGIONAL HOUSING TRUST FUND TO BUILD AFFORDABLE HOUSING, TO GET DEVELOPERS, TO COME IN AND PARTNER WITH VARIOUS ENTITIES OUT THERE, YOU KNOW, BANKS AND OTHER ENTITIES TO BE ABLE TO CONSTRUCT AFFORDABLE HOUSE, BUT ARE WE SETTING OURSELVES UP TO PAY FOR TAP FEES, INTO PERPETUITY AND, OR A TAP FEES IN ANOTHER COUNTY OR ANOTHER COUNTY YOU'RE GOING TO BE PAYING FOR TOP OF USING BUFORD COUNTY? LIKE HOW I JUST NEED A LITTLE BIT MORE, I DON'T KNOW.

I KNOW THAT'S, THAT'S NOT, YOU WOULDN'T BE SETTING YOURSELF UP FOR ANYTHING IN THE FUTURE IF YOU USE IT FOR THAT.

BUT THE WAY, THE WAY THE MOTION APPEARS THAT WE HAD THAT MAY BE SPENT FOR OTHER THINGS.

LET ME GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE OF THAT.

YOU KNOW, IT'S LIKELY THAT THIS IS GOING TO GENERATE FOUR TO $500,000 AND SELL THESE PROPERTIES BEYOND THE COUNTY'S CONTRIBUTION TO START UP REGIONAL HOUSING TRUST ON IT'S RECOMMENDED TO BE 1.1 MILLION FOR THE FIRST TWO YEARS OF THAT.

SO YOU ALL MAY SAY, WELL, SO DO A LONG, LONG, WE'RE GOING TO DO THIS FOR, UH, $400,000.

[01:10:01]

THE LOW END OF THE SCALE IS A REGIONAL IMPACT.

WE ARE THEN REQUIRED TO BUILD MORE ROADS, YOU KNOW, IN ORDER TO GET PEOPLE TO WORK AND THE APPROPRIATE SHOPPING.

SO, SO WHILE I UNDERSTAND AND, YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M ALL FOR, YOU KNOW, MOST OF THE TIME WHAT'S IN UNINCORPORATED AREA STAYS IN UNINCORPORATED AREA.

BUT I THINK IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE, WE REALLY NEED TO THINK, UM, MORE WIDELY THINK COUNTY-WIDE AT LEAST IF NOT REGIONAL, INCLUDING JASPER COUNTY AND HAMPTON, ASIDE FROM WHAT WE DECIDED TO DO HERE, MR. CHAIRMAN, I LEFT OUR LAST DISCUSSION WITH THE FEELING THAT WE WERE RAPIDLY CONSUMING OR WOULD CONSUME THE A HUNDRED THOUSAND AND THAT, UM, WE COULD POTENTIALLY RUN OFF A CLIFF AND THAT WE NEEDED TO COME BACK AND FIND OUT FROM STAFF WHERE WE STAND, WHAT THE FUTURE LOOKS LIKE.

AND, UH, PROBABLY LOOK AT IF WE HAVE SOME SURPLUSES PUTTING A COUPLE OF HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS INTO THIS, REGARDLESS OF WHAT WE DO HERE.

BACK TO YOU, MS. HOWARD, DO YOU WISH TO, I FIND YOUR MOTION.

I, I HAVE REFINED IT AS MUCH AS I CAN AT THIS POINT, AND THIS IS FIRST READING.

SO IF SOMEONE HAS A BETTER IDEA BY SECOND READING, HOW TO REFINE IT AGAIN, I WOULD WELCOME THAT.

I THINK WE STILL NEED HIS SECOND GLOVER'S IF FOR HER SECOND AMENDMENT.

I SECOND.

SO WE HAVE AN AMENDMENT, MR. LYONS, IF WE'RE INTO DISCUSSION, I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE I'VE HEARD TAP FEES AND I'VE HEARD IMPACT FEES.

SO THAT'S WHERE I THOUGHT THAT JUST AFFORDABLE HOUSING, WE'LL SIMPLIFY AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN UNINCORPORATED BUFORD.

ALTHOUGH I THINK COUNCILMAN FOILING MAKES A GOOD POINT.

WE'LL LEAVE IT AT THAT BECAUSE IT'S BOTH I THINK, AND UNENGAGED TO BE USED AN UNINCORPORATED BUFORD COUNTY, THE SALE OF THESE PROPERTIES.

SO, UM, SO SAY THAT I, I DON'T LIKE IT, BUT I'M GOING TO VOTE FOR IT.

SO WE GET TO GET TO THE SECOND, UH, SECOND READING.

YES MA'AM.

SO I TRIED TO DO EARLIER.

UM, EVERYBODY NOW UNDERSTANDS THE AMENDMENT THAT WE ARE GOING TO VOTE ON.

ANYBODY NEED CLARIFICATION ON THAT? OKAY.

MS. HOWARD, YOU MADE THE AMENDED MOTION.

YOU GET TO VOTE FIRST.

AND MR. GLOVER, YOU WERE SECOND.

MR. HARVEY, SEAN, UH, MR. LAWSON PARK LAWSON.

NO, THE AMENDMENT IS INCORPORATED.

WE'RE BACK TO THE ORIGINAL MOTION THAT WAS MADE BY MS. HOWARD AND SECONDED BY MR. DAWSON.

IS THERE ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION ABOUT THE MAIN MOTION SEEING NONE? DO WE NEED TO TAKE A ROLE PAUL ON THE MAIN MOTION AS AMENDED SINCE WE HAVE TWO, NO VOTES, I WOULD ASSUME.

NO, I'M FINE WITH THAT.

ITEM NUMBER 14 IS A FIRST READING OF AN ORDINANCE REGARDING A TEXT AMENDMENT TO BUFORD COUNTY CODE OF ORDINANCE ARTICLE SEVEN, DIVISION FOUR, SECTION TWO DASH 5 0 8 AND 5 0 9 SECTIONS TWO DASH FIVE, 13 AND FIVE 17.

ON THIS.

OKAY, THEN, UM, I WILL SAY THAT WE WILL DO THIS WITHOUT OBJECTION.

DO I HAVE ANY OBJECTIONS SEEING NONE? THE AMENDED MOTION OR ITEM NUMBER 13 PASSES AT FIRST READING

[14. FIRST READING OF AN ORDINANCE regarding a TEXT AMENDMENT TO BEAUFORT COUNTY CODE OF ORDINANCES: ARTICLE VII, DIVISION 4, SECTION 2-508; SECTION 2-509; SECTION 2-513; SECTION 2-517; AND SECTION 2-541 TO UPDATE ADMINISTRATIVE CHANGES, TO PROVIDE NECESSARY CONTRACT DOLLAR THRESHOLD CHANGES AND TO UPDATE EXEMPTION PROVISIONS AND PROCEDURES.]

AND SECTION TWO DASH 5 41 2 UPGRADE UPDATE ADMINISTRATIVE CHART CHANGES TO PROVIDE NECESSARY CONTRACT DOLLAR THRESHOLD CHANGES AND TO UPDATE EXEMPTION,

[01:15:01]

PROVISIONS AND PROCEDURES.

MAY I HAVE SUCH A MOTION? I'LL MAKE THAT MOTION.

MR. LAWSON MAKES THE MOTION SECOND, PLEASE.

SECOND, MR. RODMAN MAKES THE SECOND ANY DISCUSSION.

WELL, JUST SEEING NO, MR. RODMAN, IF I UNDERSTAND THE PROPOSED SCHEDULE, THIS WOULD RELATE TO ITEMS THAT ARE WITHIN THE BUDGET THAT WE'VE APPROVED FOR THE PARTICULAR YEAR.

UM, AND I THINK WE NEED TO ADDRESS WHAT HAPPENS TO ITEMS THAT COME FORWARD THAT ARE OUT OF THE BUDGET.

AND, UH, WHAT I HAD SUGGESTED BEFORE, AND I'LL DO IT IN THE FORM OF A MOTION IS THAT, UM, OUT OF BUDGET ITEMS WOULD BE AT 50% OF THE ITEM OF THE, OF THE THRESHOLDS THAT ARE LISTED FOR IN BUDGET ITEMS, SIMPLE WAY TO KEEP TRACK OF THEM.

SO YOU WERE MAKING AN AMENDMENT TO THE MOTION TO INDICATE THAT SOMETHING THAT IS OUT OF THE BUDGET BE AT 50% OF THE, UM, AND, AND, AND THE THEORY BEING THAT IT, IT PROBABLY RE RE DESERVES MORE SCRUTINY BECAUSE IT DIDN'T GO THROUGH THE BUDGET PROCESS.

DOES ADMINISTRATION WISH TO ADDRESS THAT? UM, JUST SO JUST SO A COUNCIL IS CLEAR, IS CLEAR.

UH, ADMINISTRATION DOES NOT HAVE ANY WAY THE AUTHORITY TO EXPEND FUNDS THAT HAVE NOT BEEN APPROPRIATED OR BUDGETED BY THE COUNTY COUNCIL.

WE DO HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO TRANSFER MONEY WITHIN A VARIOUS BUDGETS.

IF WE SEE THAT THERE'S A SURPLUS, UH, SOMEWHERE IN THE DEPARTMENT, WE CAN APPROVE TRANSFERS WITHIN THOSE DEPARTMENTS.

UH, SO, UM, WE WOULD, UH, WE WOULD RECOMMEND, UH, THAT YOU ALL GO WITH THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE STAFF OF THE ORDINANCE IS DRAFTED AS MUCH CLEANER PROCESS AS A CONFUSING, I WOULD BE MORE EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE FOR US TO MANAGE THE PROCESS.

AND THAT'S THE PURPOSE OF US, UH, OFFERING, UH, THIS AMENDMENT UP FOR CONSIDERATION IS TO MAYBE A MORE EFFICIENT AND MUCH EASIER FOR US TO DO OUR DAY-TO-DAY JOBS WITHOUT BOGGING YOU ALL DOWN AND MAKING THIS.

SO THE SUMMARIZATION IS UNLESS IT'S BUDGETED, YOU, YOU CAN SPEND THE MONEY.

YOU WOULD HAVE TO COME TO COUNCIL AND COUNCIL WOULD HAVE TO APPROVE THAT EXPENDITURE AND ASK YOU, WHERE ARE WE GOING TO GET THE MONEY? RIGHT.

I'M GOING TO TAKE A SHOT HERE, HAVE NOT DISCUSSED THIS WITH MY STAFF.

WITH THAT IN MIND, DO YOU WISH TO WITH, WELL, IT'S JUST AS A PRACTICAL MATTER HERE, IT SEEMS TO ME AND A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLAR BUDGET THAT YOU'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE EVERYTHING THAT YOU WANTED DETAILED DOWN TO A LINE ITEM.

SO YOU MAY HAVE A THOUSAND HERE, 3000 THERE THAT YOU NEED TO SPEND.

AND I WOULD ENVISION THAT YOU WOULDN'T WANT TO GO TO THE TROUBLE TO BRING IT BACK.

AND I WOULD DOUBT THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING THAT, BUT SO JUST TELL ME HOW, HOW WE DO.

WE WANT EVERY LAST DOLLAR THAT COME BACK THROUGH HERE.

UH, IF, IF IT'S NOT IN THE BUDGET, NO, IT'S IN THE BUDGET.

BUT IF, IF THEY WISH TO BUY SOMETHING THAT IS BUDGETED, LET'S SAY A VEHICLE, THEY BUDGETED $50,000 FOR THIS VEHICLE.

WE KNOW NOW THAT VEHICLES ARE HARD TO COME BY.

SO THAT VEHICLE NOW COMES IN FOR $55,000.

IT'S BUDGETED AT 50 WHITNEY, HER TEAM, ERIC, HIS TEAM.

EVERYBODY'S GOING TO TAKE A LOOK AT THAT AND SAY, PINKY, WHERE ARE WE GOING TO GET THE OTHER 5,000 IN? PINKY'S GONNA SAY, WELL, WE BOUGHT THIS FOR LESS MONEY.

I CAN TAKE MONEY FROM THIS LINE AND MOVE IT TO THAT LINE.

AND THE BUDGET HAS DONE SO EVERY SINGLE MONTH, THEY ARE LOOKING AT THEIR VARIOUS LINE ITEMS TO SEE HOW THEY HAVE TO MOVE MONEY AROUND.

THAT'S JUST THE NATURE OF BUDGETING.

I DID THAT FOR 30 YEARS.

WELL, I, I UNDERSTAND THE, MOVING IT AROUND ON BUDGET ITEMS THAT WERE IN THE BUDGET, BUT WHAT DO YOU DO THAT? LET'S SAY YOU WERE GOING TO BUY A TRUCK AND THEN LATER ON YOU DECIDED YOU NEEDED TO BUY A BACKHOE.

SO YOU GOT SOME MONEY, BUT IT IT'S, IT'S OUT OF BUDGET.

SOMETHING THAT YOU NEVER TOLD US YOU WANTED TO DO.

IT JUST SEEMS TO ME, IT'S A, IT'S A BURDEN I'M TRYING TO EASE YOUR LOAD.

I'M NOT TRYING TO THINK.

I UNDERSTAND WHERE YOU'RE TRYING TO MAKE YOUR JOB EASIER.

IT'S NOT BUDGETED.

I WOULDN'T HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO EXPAND A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF NON BUDGETED MONEY WITHOUT IT COMING TO ACCOUNTS.

THAT'S WHERE I WAS TRYING TO GO TO MAKE IT EASIER FOR YOU, HOW I WOULD.

UM, SO, UM,

[01:20:01]

I'M JUST GOING TO TELL YOU THAT MY CONSERVATIVE MINDSET, UM, I DON'T WANT, I DON'T WANT TO BE PUT IN THAT POSITION, UH, HONESTLY, BECAUSE WHAT THAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN IS INDIVIDUAL COUNCIL MEMBERS POTENTIALLY CALL THEM UP AND SAY, HEY, YOU HAVE THIS AUTHORITY.

IT'S NOT BUDGETED AT ONCE.

YOU JUST GO AHEAD AND APPROVE THIS, UH, FOR THIS PARTICULAR ITEM, I THINK THAT PUTS, IT WOULD PUT ME IN AN UNCOMFORTABLE POSITION AND POSSIBLY PUT UNDER COUNTY ADMINISTRATORS ON A SLIPPERY SLOPE OF DOING SOMETHING THAT YOU ALL AS A COUNCIL MAY NOT WANT TO SEE HAPPEN BY, UH, UNAUTHORIZED EXPENDITURE THAT YOU ALL HAVE.

IF IT'S, IF, IF YOU'RE UNCOMFORTABLE, I WITHDRAW MY MOTION.

WE'RE BACK TO THE MAIN MOTION.

ANY OTHER DISCUSSION ABOUT THE MAIN MOTION, MR. ARVIS? YEAH, I'M A LITTLE BIT UNCOMFORTABLE WITH THE THRESHOLDS.

UM, BASICALLY THE DUB DOUBLING THE PURCHASING BUDGET DIRECTOR, DOUBLING THE ADMINISTRATOR, DOUBLING THE COMMITTEE, AND THEN EVERYTHING THAT COMES TO COUNCIL NOW IS ABOVE A HUNDRED THOUSAND, BUT THE NEW ONE'S GOING TO BE 200,000.

I JUST FEEL LIKE THERE'S NOT, I FEEL LIKE THERE'S GOING TO BE A MATERIAL DIFFERENCE IN WHAT COMES TO COUNCIL AND WHAT COMES TO THE COMMITTEE VERSUS WHAT CURRENTLY DOES.

AND THAT MAKES ME UNCOMFORTABLE.

IT WAS THOROUGHLY DISCUSSED AT THE MEETING AS TO WHY THESE WERE AND HOW IT WAS ANALYZED.

AND, AND WE, WE HAVE A QUALITY TEAM THAT WE BELIEVE IN THE LONG RUN.

THIS IS GOING TO SAVE THE COUNTY MONEY WITH ALL THE ADVERTISING WE HAVE TO DO WITH ALL OF THE VARIOUS MEANS AND METHODS WE HAVE AT OUR DISPOSAL TO GET THE BEST PRICES.

SO THAT WAS THE RECOMMENDATION.

AND I CERTAINLY UNDERSTAND YOUR HESITANCY ABOUT RAISING THE THRESHOLD, UH, EVEN WITH US RAISING THE THRESHOLDS WE ARE FOR, YOU KNOW, AND I KNOW THIS MAY NOT DO ANYTHING TO HELP YOU, BUT WE'RE STILL KIND OF IN THE MIDDLE OF WHAT OTHER JURISDICTIONS AROUND THIS AREA OF THE STATE ARE DOING WITH REGARDS TO THOSE THRESHOLDS.

IT WAS BASICALLY THE FREE, UH, AGENDA SPACE OF THE PROCESS UP AND TO ALLOW STAFF TO CONTINUE TO DO THE WORK WITHOUT, YOU KNOW, HAVING A WAVELET COMMITTEE MEETING COUNCIL MEETINGS, UH, TO BE ABLE TO, I KNOW THAT DOESN'T DO ANYTHING MUCH TO CONVINCE YOU, BUT I JUST WANTED YOU TO UNDERSTAND.

YEAH, I APPRECIATE THAT.

SO LET ME, LET ME PROVIDE SOME MORE COLOR.

UM, SO WHERE I'M AT, IT'S NOT THE CONCERN ABOUT STAFF NECESSARILY, BUT LOOKING AT THE THRESHOLD FOR A COMMITTEE, IT GOES FROM A HUNDRED THOUSAND 200,000, WHICH MEANS THAT THERE'S GOING TO BE MORE ITEMS THAT ARE APPROVED BY COMMITTEE, WHICH MEANS THAT IF WE WANT TO HAVE INSIGHT OR OUR SAY INTO THESE ITEMS THAT ARE COMING THROUGH A COMMITTEE, IT MEANS WE'VE GOT TO GO TO MORE COMMITTEE MEETINGS.

SO IT'S ALMOST LIKE WE GOTTA BE AT EVERY COMMITTEE MEETING NOW.

RIGHT.

UM, SO I, I UNDERSTAND THAT IT'S LESS BURDENSOME FOR A STAFF, BUT I'M NOT WONDERING IF IT'S NOT MORE BURDENSOME FOR COUNSELING PERSONAL.

WE UNANIMOUSLY PASSED TRANSFERRING MONEY, UM, FROM ONE PROJECT TO ANOTHER PROJECT.

I MEAN, I UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT THE VAST MAJORITY OF COUNCIL PEOPLE GO TO EVERY COMMITTEE MEETING AND THE FACT THAT WE ARE HYBRID MEANS YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BE THERE IN PERSON HERE.

THAT'S MY TAKE ON IT.

IT'S JEREMY.

UM, MR. HALL, I'M DOING THAT.

I WAS LIKE CHRIS.

UM, WHEN I SAW THE THRESHOLD UP, I WAS LIKE, WOW, WELL, YOU KNOW, BUT I THINK AT THE SAME TIME, UM, AS A COUNCIL, UH, AS A GOVERNMENT, RIGHT NOW, WE ARE MOVING IN A DIRECTION WHERE, UH, IT TAKES COUNCIL A LONG TIME TO GET THINGS DONE.

AND I'M JUST WONDERING WHETHER WE ARE PROHIBITING THE STAFF TO MOVE FORWARD AND GETTING THINGS MUCH QUICKER BECAUSE THEY'VE GOT TO GO THROUGH COMMITTEES, ET CETERA, ET CETERA.

UM, I'M HOPING THAT BY FREEING THE STAFF, UM, SOME RESULTS IN THE PUBLICAN CAN BE DONE MUCH QUICKER.

UM, CAUSE THERE ARE SOME THINGS THIS WILL MAKE IT MORE EFFICIENT BECAUSE RATHER THAN DO IT AT A COMMITTEE AND THEN HAVE TO BRING IT TO COUNCIL, THE COMMITTEE IS GOING TO APPROVE IT AND THAT'S WHY I'M SUPPORTING IT.

BUT YOU'RE KIND OF, SO MY HESITANCY COMES FROM, I'D SAY ACCESS TO THE PUBLIC.

WE KNOW MOST PUBLIC DOESN'T ATTEND ANY COMMITTEE MEETING.

UM, MOST OF THE TIME WE DON'T EVEN HAVE FULL COUNCIL ON ALL OF OUR COMMITTEE MEETINGS AND I TRY TO GO AS MANY AS POSSIBLE.

UM, UH, IT DOES MAKE ME WEARY TO SEE WHAT COULD BE PASSED TO THE COMMITTEE.

AND SO WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THAT ITEM GETS PASSED? CAUSE THERE ARE TIMES WE HAVE PASS THINGS THROUGH COMMITTEE AND IT CAME TO US AT THE COUNCIL LEVEL AND WE WERE LIKE, WHAT THE HECK JUST HAPPENED? WE JUST HAD TO HAPPEN ON OUR LAST MEETING.

[01:25:01]

AND WE FILLED OUT THIS ROOM WITH PEOPLE OPPOSING THAT, BUT NOBODY SHOWED UP IN THAT ACCOUNT AND THAT COMMITTEE MEETING TO OPPOSE IT WHATSOEVER.

SO THAT PART WORRIES ME.

UM, AND MAYBE THAT'S JUST THAT ONE SITUATION.

MAYBE IT DOESN'T HAPPEN ALL THE TIME.

UM, I'LL MAKE THE MOTION TO LOWER THE COMMITTEE BUDGET BACK DOWN TO A HUNDRED THOUSAND, UM, AND LEAVE THE REST OF THE LESS OF THE SAME.

MR. CUNNINGHAM MAKES THE MOTION.

I'LL SECOND THAT FOR DISCUSSION AT LEAST.

BRIAN AND SECONDARY.

ARE THERE ANY OTHER COMMENTS IF I MAY COMMENT ON THE REQUEST FOR THE AMENDMENT? NO.

MY ONLY CONCERN IS, UH, WE INSTITUTED THIS POLICY OF BREAKING UP DIFFERENT AUTHORITIES, UM, SOMEWHERE I THINK NEAR THE BEGINNING OF MY FIRST TERM.

SO THAT WAS 12 YEARS AGO.

THE VALUE OF THE DOLLAR AND THE VALUE OF THE SIZE OF THE COUNTY BUDGETS IS INCREASED SIGNIFICANTLY OVER THAT TIME.

AND SO I DON'T SEE THAT, UM, THAT THE ACTUAL SPENDING POWER OF THAT AMOUNT, UM, IF IT'S RAISED IS SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERENT FOR US.

THAT'S MY ONLY THAT'S.

I MEAN, I UNDERSTAND WHY YOU'RE SAYING WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, WHAT THE, THE COUNCIL MEMBER IS SAYING, BUT I THINK, I THINK I'LL HAVE TO VOTE AGAINST IT BECAUSE I THINK THE BUYING POWER OF THAT DOLLARS IS ABOUT COMPARABLE TO WHERE IT WAS WHEN THE POLICY WAS FIRST INTUITED.

ANY OTHER COMMENTS? YEAH.

MR. CHAIRMAN, THE OTHER THING I WOULD SAY IS I THINK THESE CONTRACTS ARE A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THAN A LOT OF OTHER THINGS WHERE WE VOTE ON.

AND THEN, AND AFTER DIFFERENCES OF OPINION, I CAN'T ACTUALLY RECALL IN MY 15 YEARS THAT WE EVER HAD A CASE WHERE WE DIDN'T APPROVE A CONTRACT, I COULD BE WRONG, BUT I JUST CAN'T REMEMBER ANY THAT WE'VE EVER HAD.

SO IT'S KIND OF A ROUTINE THING.

AND I DO THINK IT'S A BENEFIT TO THE STAFF TO NOT HAVE TO BRING US A LOT OF SMALL ONES AND WE REALLY OUGHT TO CONCENTRATE ON THE REAL BIG ONES.

ANY OTHER COMMENTS BEFORE WE VOTE? OKAY.

UH, MR. CUNNINGHAM, YOU MADE THE MOTION.

YOU WILL VOTE.

EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS WHAT THE MOTION IS IS, IS TO RETURN THE AMOUNT TO $100,000 BEFORE IT HAS TO COME TO COUNCIL.

MS. HOWARD, MR. LAWSON.

AND THE CHAIR VOTES? NO NINE, NO TWO.

MOTION IS DEFEATED.

WE'RE BACK TO THE ORIGINAL MOTION.

ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION ABOUT THE ORIGINAL MOTION SEEING NONE.

UM, DO I NEED TO CALL THE ROLL ON THIS? YES.

ITEM NUMBER 15, THE FIRST READING OF AN ORDINANCE AMENDING THE BUFORD COUNTY ORDINANCE 2008 SLASH 17 AND ADOPTING THE WALTER ACCESS MANAGEMENT PLAN MOTION, PLEASE MOVE.

MOTION WAS MADE BY, UM, MR. DAWSON, YOU MADE THE MOTION AND MR. RODMAN, YOU MADE THE SECOND.

SO MR. DAWSON, YOU GO FIRST.

MR. DAWSON.

I DON'T RECALL MAKING THE MOTION.

MR. LAWSON, YOU SAID? YES.

TWO, NO MOTION PASSES

[15. FIRST READING OF AN ORDINANCE AMENDING BEAUFORT COUNTY ORDINANCE 2008/17 AND ADOPTING THE BUCKWALTER ACCESS MANAGEMENT PLAN ]

[01:30:02]

AND SECOND SECOND, MR. RODMAN, YOU MADE THE SECOND DISCUSSION, MR. SOMERVILLE GOING TO VOTE FOR IT.

TONIGHT, BECAUSE I DON'T SEE ANYBODY HERE FROM ENGINEERING, BUT AT SECOND READING, I'M GOING TO ASK THIS QUESTION OF ENGINEERING.

IS THERE ANYTHING ON THAT ACCESS MANAGEMENT PLAN THAT CONTEMPLATES THE MOVING OF THAT INTERSECTION ON THE, UM, ON THE, ON THE BLUFFTON PARKWAY? BECAUSE IF THERE IS, I'LL VOTE AGAINST IT, IF THERE'S NOTHING ON THERE THAT CONTEMPLATE SET, I'M FINE WITH IT.

SO WE'LL JUST HAVE TO SAY MR. HARVEY, SHARON JARED IS ACTUALLY ON HERE AT JOHN.

IF YOU WANT TO ASK HIM, I CAN, I CAN SPEAK TO THAT IF YOU'D LIKE MR. SUMMERVILLE.

TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION.

SO THE TERMINOLOGY TO THIS PLAN IS THE SAME AS THE ORIGINAL STUDY DONE IN 2007, FROM 2 78 TO BLUFFTON PARKWAY NORTH.

SO, UM, DUE TO THE PROXIMITY OF THE INTERSECTION PROJECT, WE WERE MADE SURE THAT WE STAY WITH THE SAME PARAMETERS.

SO DOES NOT CONTEMPLATE ANY OF THE, UM, INTERSECTION, THE P SQUARED INTERSECTION IMPROVEMENTS.

OKAY, MR. HARVEY, SEAN, THANK YOU A LITTLE BIT UNCLEAR BECAUSE IF I LOOK AT PAGES 58, 59 AND 60 OF OUR BACKUP, THAT TO ME, IT LOOKS LIKE FIVE BIG.

THIS, THAT WAS THE PRESENTATION.

UM, BUT, UM, AND I DON'T HAVE THE MATH UP.

I APOLOGIZE.

58, 59 IN FRONT OF ME.

UM, SO THE, BASICALLY THE, THE BOAT, AGAIN, THE, THE STUDY IS GOING FROM THE TERMINI TO, UH, 2 78 TO BLUFFTON PARKWAY.

AND THAT'S WHAT SORT OF BROUGHT THAT IN THE OVERALL STUDY.

AND THEN WE'LL BE IN THE AMENDED ORDINANCE.

UM, SO A QUESTION WOULD BE, WE'RE ASKING FOR AN AMENDMENT TO THIS FOR SOMETHING THAT WAS ALREADY APPROVED BACK IN 2008, WHAT ARE THE CHANGES THAT REQUIRE AN AMENDMENT? I CAN TACKLE THAT IF YOU WANT JARED, UNLESS YOU WANT TO, YOU CAN GO AHEAD AND THEN I CAN ANSWER FROM THERE.

SO THE BIGGEST AMENDMENT TO THIS IS ACTUALLY GOING TO BE MOVING ONE OF THE LIGHTS.

IF YOU LOOK RIGHT NOW, UM, OUR ORIGINAL PLAN WAS TO PUT A LIGHT AT THE MOVIE THEATER, WHICH IS WHERE THE MOVIE THEATER IS BOJANGLES, THE CARWASH THAT WAS GOING TO BE RIGHT THERE.

BUT NOW THAT WASHINGTON SQUARE IS OPENING UP AND A POSSIBLE NOTHER, UM, COMMERCIAL BUSINESS IN FRONT OF WOODBRIDGE.

IT'S BEEN DEEMED THAT A LIGHT IS MORE NECESSARY AT THE WOODBRIDGE ENTRANCE INSTEAD OF THE PARKERS AND MOVIE THEATER ENTRANCE.

THAT'S THE BIGGEST CHANGE TO THIS PLAN.

IT STOPS BEFORE IT GETS TO THE REALIGNMENT, WHICH YOU GUYS KNOW THAT I ARGUED AGAINST.

I WOULD NOT HAVE SUPPORTED IF IT HAD THAT IN THERE.

UM, AND THEN NOW WE'RE TALKING ABOUT MAYBE DOING ANOTHER ONE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF BLUFFTON PARKWAY, BUT THAT'S THE BIGGEST CHANGE IS THAT LIGHT RIGHT THERE.

IT GIVES WOODBRIDGE, UM, ACCESS TO A LIGHT IN ANOTHER NEIGHBORHOOD WITH THE ANTICIPATION OF THE COMMERCIAL PROPERTY BEING DEVELOPED ACROSS THE STREET FROM THEM AND AT THE ENTRANCE OF THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD AS WELL.

AND IN ADDITION TO THAT, SO THERE'S, WE'RE NOT ADDING ANY SIGNALS IN THIS SEGMENT, UM, BUT WE'RE JUST IN THREE SIGNALS.

THAT BEING ONE OF THEM, THE ONE TO THE NORTH AT PINELLAS, WHICH IS THE SOUTH SIDE OF, UH, THE TURN, THE STAMINA, UH, IS MOVING TO THE NORTH ENTRANCE OF THE SEMINAR.

AND THEN, UM, AT BLUFF WALTER PLACE, WHICH IS THE KROGER IS MOVING FROM, UM, THE PROPOSED ACCESS, WHICH IS KIND OF IN BETWEEN, UH, FRANKIE BONES AND THE KROGER FUEL TO THE NORTH SIDE OF THE KROGER FUEL.

UM, SINCE WE'RE MOVING TO THE WASHINGTON SQUARE ONE NORTH THAT GAVE MORE OPPORTUNITY TO SEPARATE THAT SIGNAL FROM THE EXISTING PUBLIC SIGNAL.

AND JARED, AM I CORRECT THAT IT'S ALSO UPDATING AND IT'S ADDING THE ACCESS.

SO YOU'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO GO FROM KROGER, THEORETICALLY, ALL THE WAY TO THE MOVIE THEATER THROUGH BACK ROADS, WITHOUT GOING ON, BUCK WALTER AS WELL.

THERE'S SUPPOSED TO BE CONNECTIONS FROM THE CORPORATE COMPLEX TO WASHINGTON SQUARE AND THE WASHINGTON SQUARE TO THE, THE PLAN CALLS OUT FOR THAT.

IT DOESN'T DESIGNATE ANY SPECIFIC.

UM, THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT A TOWN OF BLUFFTON WOULD HAVE TO HOLD THE DEVELOPMENT, THE DEVELOPERS TO AS PART OF THEIR DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENTS.

BUT IN ESSENCE, YES.

AND THEN AFTER COUNCIL TAKES ACTION, THEN THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON WOULD TAKE ACTION AS WELL.

RIGHT.

I'M SORRY.

I'M JUST NOT ENTIRELY CLEAR.

WHAT IS SCENARIO TWO AND WHY IS IT IN OUR BACKUP? WHAT PAGE YOU ON CHRIS?

[01:35:01]

58, 59 60.

YOU PROBABLY PROBABLY WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT.

UM, SO WE, WE TO MAKE OUR PROCESSES MORE EFFICIENT INTERNALLY NOW, UH, WE PROBABLY CARRIED OVER THE SAME BACKGROUND, CHEER THAT THE COMMITTEE HAD.

SO THERE'S PROBABLY STUFF IN THERE THAT WAS NOT RECOMMENDED OUT OF COMMITTEE.

BASICALLY WHAT YOU ALL ARE DOING RIGHT NOW IS GIVING THEM FIRST READING TO YOU, THE ACCESS MANAGEMENT PLAN.

IF YOU ALL WILL GIVE IT FIRST READING IN THE NIGHT, WE WILL CLEAN UP, UH, THE PACKAGE OR A SECOND MEETING SO THAT YOU ALL WILL BE FULLY AWARE OF WHAT YOU'RE ACTUALLY VOTING ON ARTISTS THERE.

THAT CLARIFYING, BUT THAT GETS ME GOOD ENOUGH.

OKAY, CHRIS, THIS MIGHT HELP YOU, LET ME ASK JARED ONE QUESTION, JARED.

UM, WHEN YOU GAVE THE PRESENTATION ON MONDAY, YOU DESCRIBED THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN, UM, ROADS AND TRAFFIC SIGNALS AS WELL.

LIKE ONE WAS, UM, SIGNALIZATION AND THE OTHER ONE WAS SOMETHING ELSE.

I CAN'T REMEMBER EXACTLY.

THAT MIGHT HELP CLEAR IT UP.

WHAT EXACTLY WHERE PROVING IS JUST THE SIGNALIZATION ASPECT.

SO, UH, THE INTERSECTION PROJECT IS, IS MORE GEARED TOWARDS TRANSPORTATION.

I THINK THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE GETTING TO AND VERSUS TRAFFIC.

SO TRAFFIC, TRANSPORTATION, AND TRAFFIC ARE TWO DIFFERENT ELEMENTS INSIDE OF, UM, THE GLOBAL TRANSPORTATION.

UM, SO THIS IS MORE SPECIFICALLY BEING AS A TRAFFIC STUDY, UM, OR A TRAFFIC ACCESS MANAGEMENT STUDY.

SO THIS IS DEALING WITH THE SIGNALS AND THE CORRIDOR AS IT FUNCTIONS AS A WHOLE, UM, VERSUS ACTUAL ROAD DESIGN OR ANYTHING ASSOCIATED WITH ROAD PROJECT.

16, RESOLUTION TO ACCEPT S F Y 2022 GRANT NEED FUNDS FROM THE SOUTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL FOR BUFORD COUNTY EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES IN THE AMOUNT OF 15,800, $3 AND 61 CENTS.

EVERYBODY HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT WE'RE VOTING ON.

YEP.

COOL.

GOTCHA.

UH, DO I NEED TO HAVE A ROLL CALL, VOTE ON THIS? EVERYBODY'S OKAY WITH IT.

SO WITHOUT OBJECTION, THIS WILL BE APPROVED AS FIRST READING AND WE'LL GET, UH, ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PRIOR TO THE SECOND RATING.

SO WITHOUT OBJECTION, AND I SEE NO OBJECTIONS, ITEM NUMBER 15 IS APPROVED.

UM, WE'RE APPROACHING THE WITCHING HOUR TO MAKE SURE THAT WE WELL LET'S MOVE ALONG QUICKLY.

YES, YES.

UM, I THINK WE CAN FINISH BEFORE THE EIGHT O'CLOCK HOUR, UH, ITEM NUMBER

[Items 16 & 17 ]

AND WE CAN ALSO TAKE ITEM NUMBER 17 WITH THAT BECAUSE IT'S ALSO ACCEPTING A DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY GRANT IN THE AMOUNT OF 40,000 FOR BUFORD COUNTY EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES.

MAY I HAVE A MOTION FOR ITEMS 16 AND 17.

IT WOULD MAKE THE MOTION FOR 16 AND 17.

AND MR. CHAIRMAN, I WOULD ALSO ADD 19 AND 20, WHICH ARE ACCEPTANCE OF GRANTS.

UM, I THINK WE NEED TO TAKE THOSE.

SO WE DO THOSE SEPARATELY.

I DO 16 AND SEVEN, 16 AND 17.

MAY I HAVE A SECOND? I CAN PLEASE.

MR. GLOVER.

18 RESOLUTION FORMERLY ADOPTING THE BUFORD COUNTY EMPLOYEE CLASSIFICATION AND COMPENSATION PLAN INCLUDED IN THE RESOLUTION IS EXHIBIT A DASH 2021 CLASSIFICATION AND COMPENSATION PLAN.

ANY DISCUSSION SEEING NO DISCUSSION, THESE, THESE TWO ITEMS WILL BE APPROVED WITHOUT OBJECTION.

AND I SEE NO OBJECTIONS, ITEM NUMBER

[18. RESOLUTION FORMALLY ADOPTING THE BEAUFORT COUNTY EMPLOYEE CLASSIFICATION AND COMPENSATION PLAN. INCLUDED IN THE RESOLUTION IS EXHIBIT A - 2021 CLASSIFICATION AND COMPENSATION PLAN]

MAY I HAVE SUCH A MOTION? SECOND? UM, MR. HARVEY, SEAN MADE THE MOTION.

MR. GLOVER MADE THE SECOND.

IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION NECESSARY SEEING NO DISCUSSION? THIS WILL BE APPROVED WITHOUT OBJECTION.

AND I SEE NO OBJECTIONS ITEMS

[Items 19 & 20 ]

19 AND 20 ARE APPROVAL OF HOMELAND SECURITY, DRA GRANTS FOR THE BUFORD COUNTY SWAT TEAM AND BOMB SQUAD.

SO MAY I HAVE A MOTION FOR 19 AND 20? SO MOVED.

MR. CUNNINGHAM MAKES THE MOTION.

MR. MAKES THE SECOND ANY DISCUSSION MR. CHAIRMAN.

I'D JUST LIKE TO SAY ONE THING.

I THINK SCOTT JOHNSON HAS BEEN ON HERE FROM THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE ALL NIGHT.

I DO THANK YOU FOR JOINING US AND, UH, SORRY THAT YOU WAITED SO LONG TO GET TO THIS POINT, SIR.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH, SCOTT.

WE'RE OFFICIALLY GOING TO APPROVE THEM.

SO STAY TUNED FOR A SECOND.

IS THERE ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? THESE ITEMS WILL BE APPROVED WITHOUT OBJECTION, AND I SEE NO OBJECTIONS AND CONGRATULATIONS TO

[01:40:01]

OUR, UH, BUFORD COUNTY SWAT TEAM AND BOMB SQUAD.

THE CITIZEN COMMENTS, IF ANY, IS THERE ANYBODY IN THE AUDIENCE? THERE IS NO AUDIENCE BLAME ME SEEING NONE CLOSE THE CITIZEN COMMENTS.

OUR SECOND SECTION OF

[21. CITIZEN COMMENTS - (ANYONE who wishes to speak during the Citizen Comment portion of the meeting will limit their comments to no longer than three (3) minutes ( a total of 15 minutes ) and will address Council in a respectful manner appropriate to the decorum of the meeting, refraining from the use of profane, abusive, or obscene language) ]

IF THERE IS NO FURTHER ACTION I WILL DECLARE.

YES, SIR.

AND MR. SCOTT, WHEN YOU SAY SOMETHING ABOUT THIS, I DON'T KNOW, SCOTT, WOULD YOU LIKE TO SAY ANYTHING YOU'VE BEEN HERE PATIENTLY ALL NIGHT? NO, I'M I'M FINE.

DO YOU HAVE QUESTIONS? WE'LL BE HAPPY TO ANSWER, BUT IF NOT, THANK YOU.