[00:00:01]
ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL, UH, PUBLIC NOTIFICATION OF THIS MEETING HAS BEEN PUBLISHED, POSTED, AND DISTRIBUTED, AND IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE SOUTH CAROLINA FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT,
[4. APPROVAL OF AGENDA]
I NEED A MOTION TO APPROVE THE AGENDA OR AMANDA CHAIRMAN.I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE SECOND SECOND, UH, WITHOUT OBJECTION.
WE'LL APPROVE THE AGENDA FOR TODAY.
ANY OBJECTION ONLINE AND FOLKS ONLINE? UH, IT BRINGS US TO THE CITIZENS COMMENTS.
I KNOW WE HAVE AT LEAST ONE SET OF MINUTES TO ADDRESS US.
WE MAY HAVE OTHERS, UH, MAYOR, YOU WANT TO STEP UP? YOU'RE UP? ALL RIGHT.
OKAY, STAY RIGHT THERE, MAYOR.
[5. APPROVAL OF MINUTES FROM NOVEMBER 1, 2021]
I NEED A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES FROM NOVEMBER 1ST, 2021.SO MOVED SECOND, SECOND WITHOUT OBJECTION.
WE'LL APPROVE THE MINUTES FROM NOVEMBER 1ST, 2021.
ARE THERE ANY OBJECTIONS HEARING? NONE.
THE MINUTES FROM NOVEMBER 1ST, 2021 ARE APPROVED.
[6. 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)]
MAYOR.THANK YOU FOR WAITING YOUR UP.
LISA SALKA TOWN OF BLUFFTON AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS, MERRY CHRISTMAS.
WE'RE ALL OUTSIDE ENJOYING IT.
I'M ACTUALLY HERE TODAY TO SPEAK ON ITEM NUMBER EIGHT AND IT'S MORE THAN ENOUGH THAT REALLY MORE FOR ERIC GREENWAY AS WELL.
I MET WITH THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION AT THE LOW COUNTRY TODAY OVER, UM, JUST PROJECTS THEY'RE WILLING TO DO IN THE FOUR COUNTY AND CALL IT 10 JASPER IN BUFORD.
AND HE LOVED YOUR PRESENTATION, ERIC, ON THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING TRUST AND THEIR BOARD HAS MADE AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND WORKFORCE HOUSING, ONE OF THEIR TOP PRIORITIES.
SO WE WERE EXPLAINING WHAT WE WERE DOING AS MUNICIPALITIES IN THE COUNTY AND THEY WERE FINE WITH ME RELAYING FINANCIALLY.
THEY WOULD BE VERY INTERESTED IN PLAYING A PART OF IT.
SO, UM, I KNOW HE'S MET WITH THE NEW CHAIR OF THAT AND WE WERE EXCITED ABOUT THAT IN OUR TOWNS.
WE'LL BE LOOKING FORWARD TO THE ABOUT YOU WHEN WE WILL WORK TO GET THE OTHER MUNICIPALITIES ON BOARD.
AND WHILE I'M UP HERE, I ENDED UP 10 AND 11.
THANK YOU, JARED, FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD.
UM, WE HAVE SOME RESIDENT NON TOWN RESIDENTS IN OUR, OUR AREA THAT ARE EXCITED ABOUT THIS BECAUSE IT, IT GIVES THEM MEANS TO GO TO THE FEMA AND OTHER RESOURCES FOR FUNDING TO GET THEIR HOUSES RAISED.
I HAVE A PERSONAL STAKE IN IT.
I HAVE FAMILY AND I HAVE FRIENDS THAT LIVE IN THE AREA THAT ARE REALLY CLOSE TO GETTING THAT CRAMP, SO THAT ITEM OF LEBANON MUCH NEEDED.
ANY OTHER PUBLIC COMMENTS, SARAH? ANYBODY ELSE? YES, SIR.
[7. DISCUSSION OF 2022 PENNY SALES TAX REFERENDUM]
ITEM SEVEN IS A DISCUSSION OF THE 20 PROPOSED 2022 PENNY SALES TAX REFERENDUM WHO WAS SPEAKING TO THAT NEVER ENDING NEED FOR ROADS, BRIDGES AND OTHER INFRASTRUCTURE.THAT'LL BE ME, UH, CHAIRMAN SOMERVILLE.
DON'T ALWAYS GET TO TALK IN FRONT OF EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE.
SO, UH, A LOT OF FAMILIAR FACES I SEE ON THE OTHER COMMITTEES.
UM, BUT THANKS FOR LETTING ME TALK ABOUT FUTURE SALES TAX REFERENDUM.
UM, SO OBVIOUSLY WE HAVE OUR CURRENT SALES TAX REFERENDUM, OUR 2018, 120 MILLION, AND WE HAD THREE PROJECTS, WHICH WE'RE WORKING THROUGH THOSE.
UM, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A FUTURE SALES TAX AND POTENTIALLY 22.
UM, THERE'S ALSO BEEN TALK ABOUT MAYBE PUSHING THAT OFF TO LATER.
UM, HOWEVER, WHAT I'VE LEARNED FROM WORKING WITH COUNCILMAN RODMAN OVER THE LAST YEAR, IT'S ALWAYS VERY HANDY TO HAVE A HOUSE HANDOUT.
UM, SO I HAVE A HANDOUT WITH ME TODAY.
IT IS NOT A SPREADSHEET, UM, BUT I WILL HAND IT OUT BEFORE I HAND IT OUT TO EACH OF YOU THAT I HAVE A FEW SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS ON IT.
AND I ASK YOU NOT TO OPEN IT UNTIL THE END OF, OF ME TALKING.
AND I'LL, I'LL LET YOU KNOW WHEN FOR THOSE OF YOU ONLINE, SOMETHING TO, UH, TO , UH, TO GET HER TO LOAD UP THE SCREEN FOR, FOR WHAT I'M GOING TO SHARE.
AND THEN LASTLY, I TRIED THIS EXERCISE WITH MY TWO YEAR OLD THIS MORNING AND IT FAILED MISERABLY, NOT LOOKING INSIDE.
SO I KNOW YOU GUYS WILL DO MUCH BETTER.
[00:05:01]
THIS MAY BE THE FIRST TIME I QUESTIONED YOUR JUDGMENT ABOUT PASSING.YES, AS I WAS TALKING, UM, I KNOW THERE'S BEEN SOME DISCUSSION LATELY, AS FAR AS WHETHER SALES TECH IN 2022 IS APPROPRIATE OR WHETHER WE SHOULD WAIT UNTIL LATER.
UM, WE DON'T HAVE ALL THE PROJECTS DONE IN OUR CURRENT SALES TAX.
UM, BUT I GOT TO THINK OF MYSELF AS I WAS COMING TO TALK TO YOU GUYS, WHAT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE FOR ME TO JUST TALK AND TALK ABOUT ALL THE FACTS, ALL THE FIGURES.
UM, I FIGURED COUNCILMAN RODMAN WOULD HAVE A SPREADSHEET LATER.
SO I FIGURED I WOULDN'T COVER THAT.
UM, BUT RATHER THAN TALK TRADITIONALLY ABOUT THINGS YOU PROBABLY ALREADY KNOW.
I THOUGHT IF YOU GUYS WOULD BEAR WITH ME A LITTLE WHILE, I LIKE TO TELL THE STORY AND I'LL PROMISE, I'LL BRING IT ALL BACK TO A POINT.
UM, BUT LET ME TELL YOU A LITTLE STORY.
UH, SO THREE YEARS AGO, MY FAMILY AND I, WE WENT ON A FAMILY VACATION TO THE BEST PLACE ON EARTH, ALL DISNEY WORLD.
SO, UH, WE VISITED W UH, ORLANDO.
AND IN DOING THAT ALL ALONG THE WAY, THE ENTIRE STATE OF FLORIDA, IF YOU HADN'T BEEN IN THE LAST THREE YEARS WAS UNDER CONSTRUCTION OR SO IT'S SEAT.
EVERY ROAD FROM JACKSONVILLE TO ORLANDO WAS TORE UP AND THEY WERE BUILDING BRIDGES AND ANYTHING ROAD, INFRASTRUCTURE, TOLL ROADS, EVERYTHING YOU COULD THINK OF IN THAT TIME.
WELL, THIS FORD, FAST-FORWARD THREE YEARS, THIS PAST THANKSGIVING JUST RECENTLY MY FAMILY.
WE WENT TO UNIVERSAL STUDIOS AND WE HAD A BLAST AND THEY WERE ABOUT 90% DONE WITH ALL THAT INFRASTRUCTURE.
AND IT WAS PHENOMENAL TO THE POINT WHERE, AND I DIDN'T REALIZE HOW NERDY OF A DAD I WAS AND HOW MUCH OF A GEEK ON RO-TEL WAS UNTIL MY OLDEST DAUGHTER SITTING IN THE BACK SAID, HEY, DAD, THESE ROADS ARE REALLY SMOOTH.
I'M LIKE, OKAY, I'LL TAKE THAT ONE.
BUT THE TAKEAWAY FROM THAT IS THAT I HAVE NO IDEA HOW MUCH THIS ROOM PRIDE IS COST, BUT THEY WERE IN THE MILLIONS, PROBABLY EVEN BILLIONS OF ROAD PRICE.
THE TAKEAWAY THOUGH, IS SOMEONE PUT THOSE ROADS INTO ACTION MANY, MANY, MANY YEARS AGO TO WHAT IS NOW, UM, ON THE WAY BACK ON, ON THANKSGIVING WEEKEND, WE DIDN'T SIT IN TRAFFIC AT ALL UNTIL WE GOT HALFWAY THROUGH GEORGIA AND THEN THE STAND STILL IN SOUTH CAROLINA.
SO WHILE WE WERE IN ORLANDO, EVERY ROAD DOWN THERE, IT'S NOT THREE LANES IS THREE PLUS OR FOUR OR FIVE LANES.
AND NOT SAYING THAT WE NEED TO GO THAT ROUTE, BUT EVERY ROAD WAS BRAND NEW BLACK ASPHALT.
THEY HAD ON STREET BIKING LANES ON EVERY ROAD, ON BOTH SIDES OF THE ROAD.
THEY HAD A FIVE FOOT GRASS STRIP.
THEY HAD AN EIGHT FOOT MULTI-USE PATH ON BOTH SIDES OF THE ROAD.
THEY HAVE BUS STOPS EVERYWHERE.
THEY HAD GREEN ENERGY BUSES RIDING THOSE BUDS.
IT WAS THE MECCA OF TRANSPORTATION.
LIKE WHEN YOU THINK OF GOLD STANDARD, THIS IS THE GOLD STANDARD OF WHAT WE CHOOSE TO BE LIKE, WHAT SHOULD WE SCRAP TO BE IS ORLANDO.
NOW I RECOGNIZE THEY HAVE PROBABLY A BILLION PLUS VISITORS A YEAR, UH, AND THAT'LL DO IT WITH WALT DISNEY WORLD.
AND SARAH PROBABLY GOES FIVE TIMES A YEAR.
SO YOU COUNT HER A COUPLE OF TIMES, BUT WE DO HAVE MILLIONS OF VISITORS THAT COME, UH, TO OUR COUNTY AND OUR AREA AND VISIT THE, THE GREAT THINGS THAT WE HAVE HERE IN BUFORD COUNTY.
AND I RECOGNIZE THAT THIS DIDN'T HAPPEN TO ORLANDO OVERNIGHT, THAT THEIR ROAD IMPACT OR THEIR ROADS DON'T LOOK THE WAY THEY DO TODAY BECAUSE IT, SOMEBODY SNAPPED THEIR FINGERS.
IT ACTUALLY STARTED WELL OVER 50 YEARS AGO, BY ONE CHARISMATIC LEADER WHO YOU CAN NAME AS MISTER WALT DISNEY AND THE VISION.
AND THAT VISION GREW FROM, FROM, UH, FROM, UH, THEME PARK, AMUSEMENT PARK TO THE COMMUNITY, TO A CITY, TO A COUNTY, TO A REACH, BUT IT STARTED WITH A VISION.
SO RATHER THAN US GET HERE AND TALK ABOUT SALES TAX, I WOULD ENCOURAGE US TO TELL, TALK ABOUT A VISION.
AND WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT IS A 30 YEAR VISION OF WHAT OUR ROADS COULD LOOK LIKE.
AND SALES TAX IS A REOCCURRING SALES TAX.
WHETHER IT BE FOUR YEARS THAT WE HAVE NOW A 10 25, WHATEVER THAT IS A REOCCURRING SALES TAX IS JUST A TOOL TO ACCOMPLISH THAT VISION.
SO IMAGINE IF YOU WOULD, WITH ME, WHAT $4 MILLION EXTRA WOULD DO TO RESURFACE IN OUR ROADS WITH DOD SOUNDS LIKE A LOT OF MONEY.
WE HAVE A LOT OF ROADS AND A LOT OF POTHOLES.
I DON'T KNOW HOW FAR THAT WILL GO, BUT WHEN YOU TAKE THAT $4 MILLION AND YOU STACK IT WITH THEIR FEDERAL GRANT AT AN 80 20 SPLIT, THAT $4 MILLION INSTANTLY BECOMES $20 MILLION.
[00:10:01]
THAT $20 MILLION OVER 30 YEARS, THEY ALREADY SPEND $20 MILLION, BUT NOW YOU'VE GOT AN ADDITIONAL $20 MILLION.OUR ROADS IN BUFORD COUNTY WILL LOOK FANTASTIC AND WOULD LOOK THE SAME AS THEY DO IN ORLANDO TODAY IN 30 YEARS.
NOW, IMAGINE WHAT OUR ROADS WOULD LOOK LIKE.
OUR DIRT ROADS WOULD LOOK LIKE, WELL, YOU TALKED ABOUT THIS ALREADY.
UM, BUT RIGHT NOW WE SPEND ABOUT $2 MILLION A YEAR ON OUR DIRT ROADS.
IT'S INSIDE OUR SALES TAX AND OUR 30 YEAR VISION.
WE SPEND AN EXTRA $4 MILLION A YEAR ON PAVE AND DIRT ROADS.
IN A MATTER OF 10 OR 15 YEARS, WE WOULDN'T HAVE ONE SINGLE DIRT ROAD IN BUFORD COUNTY.
AND THEN IMAGINE THAT WE'RE PREPARED ENOUGH THAT WE'RE READY TO CATCH SOME OF THESE INFRASTRUCTURE BILL DOLLARS THAT WE KEEP HERE OR ANOTHER ROUND OF SEED FUNDING THAT WE'VE ALREADY CAPTURED.
BUT IN ORDER TO DO THAT, WE'VE GOT TO BE RICH, READY TO POUNCE.
WE'VE GOT TO BE LEANING FORWARD IN AN ATHLETIC POSITION.
IF YOU THINK ABOUT SPORTS AND SORRY, I'LL ALWAYS GO BACK TO SPORTS.
BUT, UM, I WATCHED A LOT OF ESPN.
SO EVERY ATHLETE STARTS IN AN ATHLETIC POSITION, WHETHER YOU'RE SITTING THERE AS A LINEBACKER OR SHORTSTOP OR A SPRINTER OR SKIER, YOU'RE IN AN ATHLETIC POSITION, YOUR, YOUR MUSCLES ARE ENGAGED IN, YOU'RE READY TO POUNCE.
YOU'RE ALSO SITTING ON THE BALLS OF YOUR FEET, NOT YOUR TOES, NOT LEANING TOO FAR FORWARD.
AND YOU'RE DEFINITELY NOT SITTING ON YOUR CUBES.
THERE'S NEVER BEEN ONE PERSON THAT'S WON A GOLD MEDAL BY STANDING ON THEIR HEELS DURING AN EVENT.
WE'VE ALREADY SET THIS EXAMPLE.
SOME PEOPLE MAY NOT HAVE BEEN ON COUNCIL AT THE TIME.
I WASN'T WITH THE COUNTY AT THE TIME, BUT WE'VE DONE THIS IN 2 78.
WE BROUGHT THAT VISION TO DLT AND SAID, HEY, WE WANT TO DO A ROAD IMPROVEMENT ON 2 78.
AND THEY SAID, THAT SOUNDS GREAT.
WE NEED $6 MILLION TO DO SOME INITIAL STUDIES.
WE'VE GOT A FIXED ONE BRIDGE ON 2 78.
BUT IF YOU DON'T COME TOGETHER WITH A BIGGER PROJECT BY THEN, WE'RE GOING TO JUST GO FIX OUR OWN PROJECT.
SO WE SAID, OKAY, WE FIGURED OUT A WAY WITH LAST TO GET $6 MILLION, THEN BY THE END OF 2018, WE PUT IT ON A REFERENDUM.
AND WE DID SAID, WE DIDN'T KNOW HOW BIG THE PROJECT WAS GOING TO BE.
WE JUST SAID $80 MILLION THAT GIVE US A GOOD START ON A BRIDGE.
AND WE WERE SUCCESSFUL IN GETTING THAT $80 MILLION.
WE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT THE END STATE LOOKED LIKE, BUT WE KNEW THAT WORKING AND KEEPING THIS GOING, THAT WE WERE GOING TO BE SUCCESSFUL.
SO THEN WE GET T TO SAY, YES, WE'LL PUT OUR $40 MILLION IS, AND THEN WE TOOK THAT $120 MILLION AND SAID, HEY, MR. SU, WE'VE GOT $120 MILLION.
WE'D LIKE TO ENCOURAGE TO GET YOUR $120 MILLION FOR $240 MILLION ROAD PROJECT.
AND THEY SAID, YOU KNOW WHAT, THAT'S THE BEST APPLICATION IN THE ENTIRE STATE.
DOES SOMEBODY COME TO ME AT 50% AND SAY, I CAN LEVERAGE MY MONEY 50%? YES.
NOW WE COULD HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFUL AT 20% OR 30%.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT WE WOULD HAVE BEEN, BUT THE FACT THAT WE HAD 50% IN THERE READY TO DO IT, THAT THAT'S HOW WE GOT THE FULL BRIDGE FUNDING.
WE CAME TO EVERYBODY WITH A VISION AND WE CAME TO THEM WITH MONEY.
SO WE, WE HAVE ALL THIS INFRASTRUCTURE BILL, BUT IT'S NOT ONE FALL IN OUR LAPS.
THE WAY IT FALLS INTO OUR LAPSES, WE GOT FIRST CAST VISION, THEN STARTED PLAYING, THEN PUT SOME OUR OWN CAPITAL UP AND THEN GO SHIP, UH, FILL OUT AN APPLICATION.
BUT I REMEMBER THIS PATH IS A JOURNEY AND THE VISION IS WHAT LIGHTS THE PATH.
SO IF YOU START PULLING THIS UP AND YOU CAN UNFOLD.
SO NOW AS SARAH PULLS THIS UP, YOU CAN SEE IN FRONT OF YOU, THIS HANDOUT FROM OUR ONCE POET LAUREATE OF OUR NATION, MR. ROBERT FROS, I ENCOURAGE EACH OF YOU TO READ THIS ALONG WITH ME.
AS I READ IT ALOUD, THE POEM, THE ROAD NOT TAKE TWO ROADS DIVERGED IN A YELLOW WOOD, AND SORRY, I COULD NOT TRAVEL BOTH AND BE ONE TRAVELER LONG LISTED AND LOOKED DOWN ONE AS FAR AS I COULD, TO WHERE IT BENT IN THE UNDERGROWTH THEN TOOK THE OTHER AS JUST AS FAIR AND HAVING PERHAPS THE BETTER CLAIM BECAUSE IT WAS GRASSY AND WANTED WEAR, THOUGH.
AS FAR AS THE PASSING THERE HAD WORN THEM REALLY ABOUT THE SAME AND BOTH THAT MORNING, EQUALLY LAY IN LEAVES, NO STEP HAD TRIED AND BLACK.
OH, I KEPT THE FIRST FOR ANOTHER DAY YET.
KNOWING HOW WAY LEADS ON TO LAY.
I DOUBTED IF I SHOULD EVER COME BACK, I SHALL BE TELLING THIS WITH A SIGH SOMEWHERE AGES AND AGES, HENCE TWO ROADS DIVERGE IN A WOOD.
AND I, I TOOK THE ONE LESS TRAVEL BY, AND THAT HAS MADE ALL THE DIFFERENCE.
SO CANCEL WHETHER WE TALK ABOUT A SALES TEST TODAY OR TOMORROW, I HOPE
[00:15:01]
THAT YOU GUYS, UH, CHOOSE THAT ROAD THAT HAS LESS TRAVEL THE ONE TO MOVE FORWARD ON AND PUSH UNTIL DON'T PUSH UNTIL LATER.UM, I KNOW THAT YOU GUYS WILL MAKE THE RIGHT ANSWER EVENTUALLY.
AND WHATEVER THAT ANSWER IS, WE'LL STILL GET DOWN THE JOURNEY IN THE PATH TOGETHER.
BUT I JUST OFFER THAT AS SOMETHING TO HOLD ONTO AS WE THINK ABOUT WHETHER NOW'S THE RIGHT TIME OR SHOULD WE WAIT UNTIL LATER? UM, AND WITH THAT, THAT'S ALL I HAD TO SAY.
VERY, NOT TRADITIONAL, PROBABLY WHAT YOU WANTED ME TO SAY HERE, BUT THAT'S WHAT CAME TO MIND AND I'LL GLADLY TAKE ANY QUESTIONS.
I'LL MAKE A COMMENT IF THAT'S OKAY.
UM, I THINK THAT'S A GREAT WAY TO EXPLAIN WHAT IT IS THAT WE NEED TO DO.
UM, AS I'VE REFLECTED ON THIS, I THINK, UM, IF I WENT BACK IN TIME, I, I TRADITIONALLY LOOKED AT DO ONE EVERY FOUR YEARS.
UM, BUT I'VE EVOLVED AND DO PART TWO, UH, OUR CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THE, THE LONGER VISION THAT WE NEED.
UH, YOU'VE HIGHLIGHTED SEVERAL OF THE THINGS THAT ARE EXTREMELY IMPORTANT IN TERMS OF LEVERAGING OUR MONEY.
UH, ANOTHER ONE THAT YOU'VE BROUGHT UP IN THE PAST IS THAT INTEREST RATES ARE VERY LOW CONSTRUCTION COSTS ARE RISING A LOT FASTER.
SO ACTUALLY THIS IS ONE OF THOSE TIMES WHERE WE'RE BETTER OFF TO INVEST SOONER, UM, AND PAY IT BACK OVER THE LONG TIME AT, UH, AT LOW INTEREST RATES.
UM, SO WHERE I COME OUT ON THIS IS THAT I THINK IT WOULD BE SHORT-SIGHTED TO JUST LOOK AT DOING A FOUR YEAR.
AND IN FACT, I THINK THE FOUR YEAR WOULD BE MORE CHALLENGING AND I VERY MUCH BUY INTO THE LONGER TERM.
I KNOW YOU, ERIC HAS, UM, SOME EXPERIENCE IN THAT WHERE HE'S BEEN, I KNOW KURT HAS SOME EXPERIENCE WHERE THEY'VE BEEN, UM, AND YOU'VE CAPTURED THAT THERE ARE OTHER THINGS THAT WE COULD FOLD INTO THAT.
SO I'M VERY MUCH IN FAVOR OF US DOING IT NEXT YEAR, BUT MAKING IT A, LONG-TERM NOT A SHORT-TERM ONE.
AND I THINK IT ACTUALLY WOULD, WOULD SELL BETTER WITH THE PUBLIC THAN TRYING TO DO A SHORT TERM ONE.
AND I THINK WE HAVE, I THINK IT'S EASIER FRANKLY, TO PACKAGE IN THE TIME THAT WE HAVE TO DO IT.
UM, I THINK, I THINK MY FEELINGS ON THIS MATTER HAS, HAVE BEEN MADE CLEAR IN PREVIOUS MEETINGS, BUT IN CASE ANYBODY IS JUST TUNING IN NOW AND JUST BEING ENGAGED IN THIS, LET ME, LET ME SUMMARIZE THEM.
THERE IS NO WAY THAT I COULD SUPPORT A REFERENDUM IN 2022 WHEN EVERY SINGLE PROJECT THAT WE'VE ALREADY RECEIVED, ALL THE MONEY FOR HAS NOT BEEN DONE.
EVERY THERE'S NOT A SINGLE PROJECT THAT'S BEEN COMPLETED OUT OF THE LIST OF ONE T SIDEWALKS, UM, 10 OR 15 ROAD PROJECTS ON LADY'S ISLAND, ET CETERA, 10 ALTOGETHER, I THINK.
UM, AND PLUS THE BRIDGE ON 2 78, UH, THERE, THERE'S NO WAY THAT, THAT I WOULD VOTE FOR THIS AND THERE'S NO WAY I WOULD SUPPORT IT.
UM, ALICE, PAUL AND I JUST CAME BACK FROM THE SCAC LEGISLATIVE CONFERENCE AND ONE OF THE PRESENTATIONS IN THERE WAS FROM THE S C D O T.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THEY HAD TO SAY, WE ARE NOW THE FOURTH LARGEST STATE HIGHWAY SYSTEM IN THE NATION, AND WE'RE SERVING THE 10TH FASTEST GROWING POPULATION IN THE NATION.
THEY UNDERSTAND HOW BAD OUR ROADS ARE IN SOUTH CAROLINA.
THE NUMBER OF ACCIDENTS THERE ARE, UH, WE, WE USE TERMS MALFUNCTION JUNCTION.
AND THAT'S WHAT PIQUES MY INTEREST.
NOW, MOVING FORWARD, WE HAVE TO COME UP WITH THAT VISION THAT YOU SAID ABOUT LONG-TERM, HOW DO WE FIX EVERY ONE OF THESE ROADS? IF WE HAD ALL THE MONEY, THIS IS THE VISION WE WOULD HAVE.
SO I APPLAUD YOU FOR DOING THAT.
I THINK THAT'S THE APPROACH WE NEED TO TAKE, WHETHER WE CAN DO IT NEXT YEAR, 2022, THERE'S THE EDUCATION PART.
WE HAVE TO GET EVERYBODY ON BOARD WITH OUR VISION.
THE STATE IS GOING TO DO SOME THINGS IN OUR AREA.
[00:20:01]
IN 20, 23 OR 2024, BUT WE HAVE TO PLAN FOR THE FUTURE.UM, I AGREE WITH JOE AND, UM, I LIKE, UM, YOUR APPROACH.
UM, EVERYBODY KEEP REFERRING TO YOU AS AN ENGINEER.
I DON'T SEE ENGINEERING IN YOU CAUSE THAT TO TOO MANY ENGINEERING, I CAN SIT DOWN AND TALK TO DIFFERENT MOMENTS.
UM, I THINK YOU COULD COUNTY, IF WE PUT FORTH A VISION PURPOSE, A PLAN, I THINK THE VOTERS WILL SUPPORT IT, BUT IT HAS TO BE THERE.
AND THE REASON WHY WE'RE DOING WHAT WE'RE DOING, I WILL FALL BACK ON SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE DONE OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN, WHICH IS THE, UM, THE, UH, CONSERVATION, UM, PROJECT, UH, WHERE THE VOTERS IN THE COUNTY HAS VOTED OVERWHELMINGLY FORWARD.
THEY SUPPORTED, UH, I THINK IF WE PUT TOGETHER A VISION, A PURPOSE WITH A PLAN, THIS IS WHAT WE, THIS IS WHERE WE HEADING.
AND THESE ARE THE TOOLS THAT YOU HAVE OUTLINED HERE, UM, THAT WE GOING TO NEED TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN.
I THINK THE VOTERS IN DIFFERENT COUNTY WILL SUPPORT IT.
I ALSO APPLAUD YOU BECAUSE YOU USE ONE OF MY FAVORITE AUTHORS LIKE HE HANDS.
THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN, JARED, AS ALWAYS, IT'S EVENTFUL LISTENING TO SPEAK.
UM, UH, MY APPROACH ON THIS IS GOING TO BE A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT.
THAT'S WHY, UM, I CAME OUT AGAINST THE LOCAL OPTION SALES TAX WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT IT, BECAUSE THERE WAS NO PLAN.
THERE WAS NO OBJECTS THAT WE WERE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH.
UH, THE ONE THING I WILL SAY THAT SCARES ME, IT SEEMS LIKE I MIGHT DISAGREE WITH A LOT OF YOU GUYS ON IS I, I WOULDN'T SUPPORT ANYTHING OVER FOUR YEARS.
UM, I THINK WE NEED TO CREATE A SET PLAN FOCUSED ON THEM AND GET THOSE GOALS ACCOMPLISHED.
THAT'S THE, WITH JUST LIKE BRIAN SAID A FEW MINUTES AGO, WE HAVEN'T ACCOMPLISHED ALL THE GOALS ON OUR LAST ONE.
I WOULD LIKE TO DO THIS IN 2022.
I HAVE SAID THAT THIS SUMMER, UM, I HAD TOLD THE PEOPLE WE WERE COMING BACK TO THEM, UM, IN 2022 OR 2023 FOR THIS, WE ALL KNEW IT WAS COMING.
WE ALL KNEW WHAT WAS ON OUR MIND.
UM, I THINK WE NEEDED TO BE UP FRONT ABOUT THAT.
I THINK IF WE WANT TO GET THIS ACCOMPLISHED AND GET THIS DONE, UM, I'M ALL FOR THINKING BIG, BUT A TEN-YEAR PROJECT FOR BILLIONS OF DOLLARS.
UM, THAT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE AN EASY THING TO BITE OFF.
AND THE OTHER THING THAT WORRIES ME TOO, IS THINGS CHANGE, UM, WHERE WE'RE DEALING WITH ISSUES RIGHT NOW, WITH THINGS THAT WERE APPROVED IN 2006 THAT NOW BUFORD COUNTY DOESN'T WANT ANYMORE.
AND WE JUST HAD A HUGE MEETING ABOUT THAT.
YOU WERE WITH ME ON THAT MEETING HERE.
UM, SO I, I DO THINK MAYBE WE SHOULD LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, THE IMPORTANT PROJECT AND START FOCUSING ON THOSE AND FUNDING THOSE, UM, AND YOU KNOW, FOCUS ON THE HEARTBEAT OF BEAVER COUNTY AND GET THOSE THINGS ACCOMPLISHED FIRST BY I WILL SUPPORT THEM GETTING DONE AND 20, 22 ON THE BALLOT.
UM, BUT, OR IN FOUR OR FIVE YEARS, IT'S GOING TO BE MY MAX ON THAT.
UM, I'M ALL FOR THE BIG VISION, BUT YOU'VE HEARD COUNTY DOES CHANGE A LOT IN THOSE YEARS.
SEE ANYBODY ELSE? I'LL JUST MAKE A COMMENT.
I THINK, UH, I THINK BRIAN HAS A GOOD POINT.
THERE, THERE NEEDS TO BE HERE.
THERE NEEDS TO BE A CLEAR VISION OF WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO AND HOW WE'RE GOING TO DO IT, AND WOULDN'T, WE'RE GOING TO DO IT.
AND THAT IT HAS TO INCLUDE WHAT'S ALREADY ON THE TABLE.
I THINK THAT IT HAS TO BE A CONTINUUM OF WHAT WE'VE ALREADY FUNDED THROUGH PENNY SALES TAX AND OTHER SOURCES, HOW THAT'S GOING, WHEN IS IT? WHAT'S THE COMPLETION DATE AND WHEN WE'RE GOING TO BEGIN ON THESE NEW PROJECTS AND WHAT THAT CONTINUUM LOOKS LIKE.
SO I THINK THAT'S UP TO US AND, UH, I DON'T, I DON'T QUESTION IT.
I THINK THERE ARE SOME QUESTIONS.
WHAT ABOUT ALL THESE PROJECTS THAT ARE STILL SITTING OUT THERE UNDONE, BUT THAT'S GOING TO CHANGE SOME TIMELINES.
UM, I JUST WANT TO ADDRESS THE COMMENT ABOUT EXISTING PROJECTS.
UM, UH, SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE IT CLEAR FOR THE RECORD THAT THE EXISTING PROJECTS HAVE NOT BEEN COMPLETED OR STARTED.
UH, NOT BECAUSE STAFF HASN'T BEEN TRYING TO DO THEM, BUT WHENEVER WE GET INTO A SITUATION WHERE LIKE WE ARE ON 2 78 LIGHT, WE ARE ON SEATTLE, ON PARKWAY, LOT.
WE ARE ON A LOT OF THE OTHER PATHWAYS WHERE WE HAVE TO KEEP GOING BACK TO COMMUNITIES TO ADDRESS COMMUNITY CONCERNS, UH, UNNECESSARILY AND SOMETIMES, UH, OVER AND OVER AGAIN, THAT RESULTS IN DELAYS.
[00:25:01]
YOU ALL THE POLITICAL ENVIRONMENT THAT WE'VE BEEN IN ON HOW WE 2 78 TRYING TO MOVE THAT PROJECT ALONG.UH, BUT I JUST WANT TO MAKE IT CLEAR, MAKE SURE COUNCIL UNDERSTANDS THAT STAFF IS DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN.
JARED IS DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN.
ADMINISTRATION IS DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN TO MOVE THESE PROJECTS FORWARD.
AND MANY TIMES WE GET TOLD TO HOLD UP.
UH, SO WE CAN DO ANOTHER STUDY OR LOOKING AT SOMETHING THEY ALL SHARE, HOLD ANOTHER MEETING AND GET SOME ADDITIONAL COMMENTS ON IT.
SO, UH, WE JUST NEED TO TRUST THE EXPERTS, UH, TRUST THE OT ON TUESDAY NIGHT, TRUST JARED, AND TRUST EVERYONE TO DO THE RIGHT THING THERE.
AND TO DESIGN A PROJECT THAT'S APPROPRIATE, LOOKS GOOD AND IT'S GOING TO WORK AS EFFICIENTLY AS WE POSSIBLY CAN.
SO WE'RE, WE'LL BRING BACK A PLAN TO YOU ALL AS FAR AS ADVANCING THE 22 SALES TAX PROJECT, WHICH WILL INCLUDE, UH, THE APPOINTMENT OF A CITIZENS COMMITTEE TO HELP ACTUALLY BUILD THE PROJECT LIST, UH, THAT YOU ALL AS INDIVIDUAL COUNCIL MEMBERS WILL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO APPOINT, UH, CITIZENS TO.
I WOULD ASK THAT WHEN WE DO THAT AND YOU APPOINT THOSE FOLKS THAT YOU MAKE SURE THAT THOSE FOLKS THAT YOU WANT ARE PEOPLE THAT UNDERSTAND TRANSPORTATION, UH, THAT UNDERSTANDS THE NEEDS OF THE COUNTY AS FAR AS TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE IS CONCERNED.
AND, UH, LET US GET THIS GOING.
I THINK JARED HAS THE ABILITY HAS THE VISION AND HAS THE KNOWLEDGE OF WHAT PROJECTS NEED TO BE AND WHEN WE WOULD HAVE HAD, SO THANK YOU.
I JUST WANT TO ECHO WHAT, UM, MR. GREENWAY JUST SAID IN ALL, UM, HE RESPECTFUL OF THE STAFF.
UM, THEY HAVE BEEN WORKING ON MY PROJECTS, UH, IN MY COMMUNITY.
UM, MY COMMUNITY BASICALLY, UH, FOR THE FIRST TIME I'D SEEN SOME OF THESE ISSUES AND IT'S BROUGHT IT TO OUR ATTENTION.
AND I THINK IN MOVING FORWARD, UM, AS WE GET BEYOND THE PANDEMIC, WE CAN HAVE MORE AND MORE MEANINGFUL MEETINGS, BUT, UM, UM, A LOT OF IT HAS BEEN REALLY PEOPLE BASED AGAIN AND STOOD UP AND NOW THEY'RE COMING OUT AND THEIR VOICE AND THEIR CONCERN FOR THE FIRST TIME.
SO I'M, I'M, I'M SEEING STAFF DOING THEIR WORK.
UM, IT'S JUST TAKING SOME TIME GETTING THE END RESULTS, BUT THEY'RE MOVING AND, UM, JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU.
AND I APPRECIATE WHAT Y'ALL DEAL WITH.
LIKE YES, AS A PRACTICAL MATTER, UH, WE WOULD PROBABLY BE SOMETIME IN THE SPRING WHEN WE WOULD BE MAKING OUR FINAL VOTE ON WHETHER TO GO FORWARD OR NOT GO FORWARD.
AND IN ORDER TO TAKE SOMETHING TO THE PUBLIC THAT'S MEANINGFUL, THERE'S GOING TO BE AN AWFUL LOT OF WORK, A LOT OF DISCUSSION.
THAT'S GOING TO PRECEDE THE FINAL VOTE THAT WE TAKE ON TAKING IT FORWARD.
UH, MY SENSE IS THAT THE, AT LEAST THE MAJORITY, UM, WOULD SAY THAT WE PROBABLY SHOULD BE MOVING FORWARD.
AND I THINK AS PART OF THAT, AS YOU'RE PLANNING IT, UH, CERTAINLY WHETHER IT STARTS IN 22 OR 24, OR WHETHER IT'S FOUR YEARS OR EIGHT YEARS OR SOMETHING LONGER THAT WILL COME OUT IN, UH, IN THE WASH.
SO, UM, I THINK IT DOES MAKE SENSE FOR US TO PROCEED AND MAKE THIS A PRIORITY.
MR. CHAIRMAN, I APPLAUD YOUR VISION ON GETTING ALL THE DIRT ROADS PAVED.
THIS IS WHAT I REALLY LIKE ABOUT IT.
I GREW UP ON A DIRT ROAD, NEVER GOT PAID IN ANOTHER STATE.
AND, UM, BUT, UM, IT, EVERYONE, IF WE CAN DO THIS AND GET ALL THE ROADS PAVED INSTEAD OF DOING ONE A YEAR OR TWO A YEAR AND ALSO PATHWAYS, I KNOW THAT'S PART OF YOUR VISION.
AND I THINK THAT'S PART OF THE CITIZENS GROUP.
UH, THERE WASN'T ENOUGH MONEY TO DO THE PATHWAYS THAT WE PROMISED AND, UH, THIS WOULD HAVE HELPED US AND THAT WOULD GET ACTUALLY MORE CARS OFF THE ROAD, HOPEFULLY, AND, UM, MORE USE OF PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION AS NEED.
SO I'M NOT ALL ABOUT BUILDING MORE ROADS BECAUSE IF YOU BUILD THEM, THEY COME, BUT, UM, THEY'RE COMING ANYWAY.
WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO HANDLE IT AND I APPRECIATE YOUR VISION.
ANYBODY ELSE? JUST ONE FINAL COMMENT THERE, TIMELINES, DEADLINES NEED TO BE MET.
UM, IT IS MY SUGGESTION, MR. CHAIRMAN, THAT WE REFERRED THIS TO THE PUBLIC FACILITIES COMMITTEE COMMITTEE TO DIRECT, WELL, WE CAN, WE SHOULD DIRECT ADMINISTRATION.
NOW YOU'VE MADE THE PRESENTATION.
YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT THE VISION.
WE NOW HAVE TO PUT THAT VISION ON PAPER.
WE NEED TO BRING IT BEFORE PUBLIC FACILITIES ASAP.
UH, MORE THAN LIKELY NO LATER THAN JANUARY.
WE NEED TO ESTABLISH ALL OF THE ANCILLARY COMMITTEES THAT WILL BE NECESSARY TO HAVE IT LOCKED DOWN BY EARLY SPRING.
BE IT FEBRUARY OR MARCH AT THE LATEST SO THAT WE CAN BEGIN TO EDUCATE
[00:30:01]
THE PUBLIC PROPER.HEY, ONE FINAL COMMENT THEN THIS IS NOT IN RESPONSE TO ANYTHING ANYBODY ELSE HAS SAID, BUT A QUESTION I THINK FOR JARED, BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE THE BENEFIT OF THE LIST THAT HE'S LOOKING AT.
I'M WONDERING THOUGH IT SEEMS, IT SEEMS IN MY MIND THAT THE BIGGEST TRANSPORTATION ISSUES WE HAVE ARE THOSE AREAS WHERE WE SEEM TO BE BUTTING UP AGAINST JASPER COUNTY, UM, AND SOMEWHERE ALONG THE BORDER OR, UM, I GUESS EVEN SAVANNAH, ESSENTIALLY THROUGH JASPER COUNTY, I'M WONDERING WHAT KIND OF COOPERATIVE ARRANGEMENTS WE HAVE TO SHARE COSTS WITH.
IN OTHER WORDS, JASPER COUNTY CITIZENS, UM, COMING TO BUFORD TO WORK OR YOU'RE FOR COUNTING CITIZENS GOING TO JASPER TO WORK.
COULD WE HAVE SOME, SOME WAY TO ASK FOR ASSISTANCE FROM JASPER HARDY BILL SHARON'S? UM, LET ME TELL YOU WHAT I ENVISIONED AS THE THREE BIG PROJECTS IN SALES TAX AND FOR THE COUNTY AT LARGE BEYOND WHAT WE'RE WORKING ON WITH 2 78 RIGHT NOW, UM, ONE IS, AND ALL THREE OF THEM HAVE THAT COMPONENT THAT YOU TALKED ABOUT COUNCILMEN AND FLU ILLNESS, SOME JOINT CON SOME JOINT USE.
SO ONE IS , WHICH IS, UH, JASPER COUNTY, BEAVER COUNTY AND TOWN OF HARTSVILLE AND DOD, OR IS IN ALL OF THESE.
UH, SO THOSE THREE, THE SECOND ONE IS REBO ROAD ALL THE WAY FROM BOUNDARY STREET TO THE PARIS ALLEN BRIDGE, WHICH AGAIN IS B FOR COUNTY, CITY OF BUFORD AND TOWN OF PORT ROYAL AND BEAUTY.
AND THIRD IS NOT AS PRESSING AS FAR AS, UH, CURRENT TRANSPORTATION, BUT AS FUTURE AND BEYOND IS S C 46 WIDENING FROM ROUNDABOUT TO THE JASPER COUNTY LINE.
AND MY GOAL WOULD BE THAT IT GOES BEYOND THAT, THAT WE CONTINUE TO EXTEND THAT WE'RE CURRENTLY IN THE PROCESS OF WIDENING S UH, UH, US 17.
UM, AND SO BASICALLY IF WE LAND ALL THE WAY FROM US 17 TO C ONE 70, THERE WOULD BE FOUR LANES OF OPEN AND AVAILABLE TRAFFIC FROM SAVANNAH TO BUFORD COUNTY AND TO THE JASPER REPORT EVENTUALLY.
UM, SO DOING OUR PART AND THEN COORDINATING WITH JASPER COUNTY, ALL THREE OF THOSE HAVE A, A VERY LUCRATIVE FUNDING PARAMETERS AND PARTNERS EITHER THROUGH THE STATE OR FEDERAL DELEGATION.
UM, UH, REPRESENTATIVE CLAIBORNE IS IN JASPER COUNTY, AS WE'RE ALL AWARE.
AND THEN, UH, AGAIN, THE SIB WOULD BE ANOTHER PARTNER AND THEN OTHER REPRESENTATIVES AS WELL.
SO ALL THOSE ARE THE THREE BIG PROJECTS OUTSIDE OF 2 78.
JARED, YOU, WHEN YOU SAY 17 IN JASPER COUNTY, AND THAT'S AN OLD AND JASPER COUNTY THOUGH, RIGHT? RIGHT.
OUR PORTION WOULD BE 46 FROM TO JASPER COUNTY LINE.
THE REMAINDER IS IN JASPER COUNTY, WHICH IS THE LARGER PORTION, BUT AGAIN, JASPER COUNTY DOESN'T HAVE THE FUNDS THAT WE DO.
THEY DO HAVE SOME FUNDS THEY'RE LOOKING AT GOING AT ANOTHER SALES TAX IN THE COMING YEARS.
I DON'T THINK 22, BUT POSSIBLY LATER.
UM, BUT THEN SENATOR OR REPRESENTATIVE CLAVERN REPRESENTS A LARGER PORTION OF JASPER COUNTY.
AND I THINK WE HAVE A BETTER OPPORTUNITY ON THAT ONE DUE TO THE POOR AT THE STATE LEVEL, AND THEN WITH A REPRESENTATIVE COLLABORATIVE TO REALLY DRESS THAT PROJECT UP AND MAKE IT APPEALING.
IF I MIGHT, UH, JARED GREAT PRESENTATION, GREAT VISION.
UM, I WOULD SAY TO ALL OF US AS LEADERS, UH, THE CITIZENS OF BUFORD COUNTY, UM, WITHOUT A VISION, UH, OUR PEOPLE PERISH AND WITHOUT A VISION, WE, THE COUNTY, WE WILL FIND OURSELVES BEHIND THE EIGHT BALL TRYING TO DEAL WITH THE INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDED TO KEEP UP WITH THE GROWTH.
SO HOW I WOULD SUPPORT US GOING AHEAD AND DEVELOPING THE PLAN TO, UH, TO MEET, UH, THE VISION THAT JARED HAS LAID OUT.
BUT I, I, I AM ONE WHO THANKED THAT WE NEED TO SHOW THE PUBLIC THAT, UM, WE HAVE, UH, PUT FORTH SOME OF THE PROJECTS THAT, UM, THAT THEY, THEY HAVE, UH, SUPPORTED BEFORE WE ASKED THEM TO SUPPORT ANOTHER ROUND OF PROJECTS.
SO, UM, LET'S PUT THE PLAN TOGETHER AND RATHER THAN TRY AND RUSH TO GET IT IN FOR 2022, I'VE BEEN SUPPORTIVE OF US WAITING TILL 20, 25.
I THINK WE STAND A MUCH BETTER CHANCE.
[00:35:01]
I'M LOOKING FOR A MOTION TO REFER THIS TO THE PUBLIC FACILITIES COMMITTEE FOR THE PURPOSE OF PUTTING THE MEAT ON THE BONE.IF YOU WILL COMING UP WITH A SPECIFIC PLAN TO MOVE FORWARD.
I'M NOT EXACTLY SURE WHAT THAT PLAN WOULD LOOK LIKE, BUT, UH, CERTAINLY A COMMITTEE TO, UH, TO BEGIN LOOKING AT THE DIFFERENT PROJECTS THAT WE MIGHT CONSIDER TO BE PART OF IT.
SO I HAVE A MOTION, LOGAN MADE THE MOTION.
UM, DO WE NEED TO DO A ROLL CALL ON THIS? ARE THERE ANY OBJECTIONS TO THIS TO MOVE IN IT? UH, PUBLIC FACILITIES HEARING NONE? UM, NO, NO, GO AHEAD AND MOVE IT TO PUBLIC FACILITIES.
IN MY OPINION, WE NEED TO DEPTHS, WE GET SOME MEAT ON THESE BONES ANYWAY.
I DON'T FEEL COMFORTABLE VOTING NO ON SOMETHING THAT'S KIND OF EMPTY RIGHT NOW.
WITHOUT OBJECTION, WE'LL MOVE THIS FORWARD TO THE, UH, PUBLIC FACILITIES COMPETING PUBLIC FACILITIES COMMITTEE AT THE TIME THAT MR. ROBIN WAS TO TAKE IT UP WHENEVER THAT MAY BE SOONER RATHER THAN LATER,
[8. APPROVAL OF ARPA PROJECT LIST RECOMMENDATIONS]
UH, MOVING ON TO NUMBER EIGHT.UM, EVERYBODY REMEMBERS THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN, UH, ACT.
WE'VE GOT SO MANY OF THESE FEDERAL PROGRAMS HANGING OUT THERE.
WE GET CONFUSED AS TO WHICH ONE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
WE'VE GOT THE ARPA, WHICH IS THE ONE WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT NOW.
AND WE'VE GOT THE INFRASTRUCTURE PLAN, WHICH HAS ALREADY PASSED CONGRESS AND BEEN SIGNED BY THE PRESIDENT.
AND THEN WE HAVE BILL BACK BETTER AMERICA, WHICH MAY OR MAY NOT GO ANYWHERE.
SO RIGHT NOW WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ONE, THAT'S A LITTLE, I DON'T WANT A COUPLE OF YEARS OLD, HOWEVER OLD, OLD IT IS ARPA.
WE GOT A LOT OF MONEY AND NOW WE'VE GOT TO FIGURE OUT WHAT TO DO WITH IT.
AND OUR STAFF'S GOING TO GIVE US SOME IDEA WHAT THOSE OPTIONS MIGHT LOOK LIKE.
SO, UM, YEAH, SO THIS ONE WAS ESTABLISHED IN THE LAW IN MARCH 11TH, 2020, UM, 2025.
LET'S GET MY YEARS MIXED UP TO 2021.
IT SEEMS LIKE WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT FOR YEARS.
UM, SO, UH, WE TALKED ABOUT THIS AT, AT COUNCIL RETREAT AND WE GAVE YOU GUYS A TASTE OF WHERE WE'RE HEADED WE'VE SINCE THEN, UH, OVER THE PAST MONTHS, HEATHER AND I AND STAFF HAVE BEEN COORDINATED WITH ALL OF OUR PARTNERS, UH, THAT WE PROPOSED AND THE, AND THE PROPOSED PROJECTS AND DEVELOP THOSE FURTHER FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION.
AND OUR GOAL TODAY IS TO PROVIDE YOU MORE DETAILS TO THOSE PROJECTS AND, AND HAVE DISCUSSION.
AND, UH, BY THE END OF THAT DISCUSSION, HOPEFULLY PROVIDE THIS LIST TO MOVE IT FORWARD TO COUNCIL FOR APPROVAL LATER IN THE MONTH, SO THAT WE CAN START WORKING ON THIS LIST.
THIS IS A LIST IS A PLAN, JUST LIKE A BUDGET IS A PLAN.
UH, IT, IF THINGS CHANGE AND THERE'S OPPORTUNITY THAT CONFRONT US, I EAT FUNDING FROM THE STATE LEVEL THAT THEY MAKE AVAILABLE.
WE MAY COME BACK TO YOU GUYS AND REVISE THE PLAN, BUT THIS, WITH THE KNOWLEDGE THAT WE HAVE IN FRONT OF US TODAY IS WHERE WE ARE BASED IN THESE PLANS AND PROPOSALS IN FRONT OF YOU.
AND AGAIN, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS WITH OUR PARTNERS, VERY GREAT CONVERSATIONS OVER THIS LAST MONTH IN YOUR DOCKET IS THE, A SPREADSHEET OF ALL THE PROJECTS.
AND WITH THAT, I'LL INTRODUCE MISS WRATH TO COME BACK AND TALK TO US THROUGH EACH OF THESE PROJECTS.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, SHARON AND COUNSEL.
IT'S GREAT TO BE IN FRONT OF YOU AGAIN, I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THE WORK THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO DO AROUND ARBA OVER THE LAST, UM, WELL, I GUESS ABOUT SIX MONTHS NOW, BUT REALLY WE'VE TAKEN A DEEP DIVE BY UTILIZING YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS FROM WHEN WE CAME AND SPOKE TO YOU DURING A BUDGET PROCESS.
SO AGAIN, WHAT IS ARPA-E? SO ARPA IS HR 13, 19.
IT WAS SIGNED INTO LAW ON MARCH 11TH OF THIS YEAR.
AND BUFORD COUNTY IS RECEIVING $37.3 MILLION.
REMEMBER THIS ENTIRE BILL AND I TALKED ABOUT THIS IN MY LAST PRESENTATION IS 1.9 TRILLION.
SO WHILE WE'RE RECEIVING THE 37 MILLION, WE DON'T NEED TO BE TAKING OUR EYE OFF OF THAT 1.9 TRILLION BECAUSE THAT IS AVAILABLE TO US AS WELL IN OTHER FORMS AND FASHIONS.
SO WHAT CAN OUR CRA BE USED FOR? SO ARIBA CAN SUPPORT URGENT COVID RESPONSE.
IT CAN REPLACE LAST SECTOR REVENUE.
IT CAN SUPPORT IMMEDIATE ECONOMIC STABILIZATIONS FOR HOUSEHOLDS AND BUSINESSES.
IT CAN ADDRESS SYSTEMATIC PUBLIC HEALTH AND ECONOMIC CHALLENGES, AND IT CAN NOT BE USED TO DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY OFFSET A REDUCTION IN TAX REVENUE.
IT CANNOT BE USED TO MAKE A DEPOSIT TO A PENSION FUND, NO DEPOSITS TO RAINY DAY FUNDS.
UM, GENERAL INFRASTRUCTURE SPENDING IS NOT COVERED IN ELIGIBLE USE, BUT WE CAN
[00:40:01]
COVER THAT UNDER THE LOST REVENUE SECTOR.IT IS NOT TO BE USED FOR LEGAL SETTLEMENTS OR JUDGEMENTS OR FOR FUNDING DEBT SERVICE.
SO AGAIN, THE BEAVER COUNTY PROCESS, HOW WE GOT HERE.
SO IN APRIL OF 2021, WE FORMED THE TASK FORCE AND WE MET WITH THE TASK FORCE.
THERE WAS ABOUT 20 DIFFERENT AGENCIES THAT WERE REPRESENTED ON OUR TASK FORCE TEAM.
WE'VE MET OVER A SERIES OF MONTHS AND IN THOSE MONTHS WE ALSO PUT IN FOR FEDERAL AND STATE APPROPRIATIONS, UM, NUMBER OF NOVEMBER 4TH, I CAME TO Y'ALL AND I MADE OUR DRAFT RECOMMENDATIONS.
UM, AND I GOT SOME GUIDANCE FROM YOU.
AND AGAIN, I WANT TO TALK ABOUT THIS TASK FORCE FOR A MINUTE, BECAUSE IT WAS REALLY INCLUSIVE TASKFORCE.
AND I REALLY WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS THAT ERIC GREENWAY, HE REALLY RECOGNIZED THE NEED TO FORM THIS TASK FORCE AND SET PRIORITIES FOR SPENDING.
UM, THIS IS A ONCE IN A LIFETIME AMENDMENT FOR BUFORD COUNTY AND FOR OUR COUNTRY.
AND, UM, THE STAKEHOLDERS REALLY BROUGHT A LOT TO THE TABLE AND BROUGHT A LOT OF INFORMATION TO US.
SO FOR THE LAST MONTH, FROM NOVEMBER TO DECEMBER, JARED AND I WORKED WITH YOUR FEEDBACK TO FORMULATE PLANS AND THAT WE RECEIVED ON, UM, I'M SORRY TO FORMULATE PLANS FROM THE COUNCIL FEEDBACK RECEIVED ON NOVEMBER FOUR, UM, DECEMBER 6TH, THIS IS TODAY.
I WOULD LIKE TO PRESENT YOU THE PROJECT PLANS AND RECEIVE FEEDBACK FROM YOU.
AND THEN OF COURSE, WE'LL BE AT A FUTURE DATE FOR A COUNCIL.
AND AGAIN, JUST TO REITERATE TODAY, I'M GOING TO BE REVIEWING EACH OF THE PROJECT PLANS.
AND THEN EACH PLAN WILL BE MET WITH MEMORANDUMS OF UNDERSTANDING.
MOU IS WHEN NECESSARY TO ENSURE TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY.
WE HAVE A LOT OF PARTNER PROJECTS THAT I'M PRESENTING TO YOU TODAY.
SO AGAIN, THE MOU IS, ARE GOING TO BE VERY IMPORTANT TO THE PROCESS.
AND THEN AGAIN, CLEAR COMMUNICATION WITH FOCUS SCHOOLS ENSURES CREDIBILITY AND CONFIDENCE FOR Y'ALL TO MOVE FORWARD NEXT NIGHT.
THANK YOU AGAIN, THIS IS THE TASK FORCE MEMBERS, KIND OF SMALL FONT THERE, BUT YOU CAN SEE THAT WE HAVE A LOT OF DIFFERENT REPRESENTATION FROM DIFFERENT ENTITIES ALL ACROSS THE COUNTY.
SO OUR Y HOW WE MEASURED PROJECTS, WE LOOKED AT PROJECTS THAT HAD A HIGH LEVERAGE FINANCIAL OPPORTUNITIES WITH MATCHING FRIENDS, NOT JUST FROM OUR PARTNERS, BUT FROM THE FEDERAL LEVEL, THE STATE LEVEL SCHOOL DISTRICT, MUNICIPALITIES NONPROFITS, AND EVEN THE PRIVATE SECTOR.
WE LOOKED AT PROJECTS THAT SERVE A WIDE VARIETY OF RESIDENTS.
WE LOOKED AT PROJECTS THAT CREATE A RETURN ON INVESTMENT OR RE REVENUE SOURCE, AND THEN PROJECTS THAT WILL HAVE A LASTING IMPACT.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS, WHEN I WAS LOOKING THROUGH YOUR COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AND REALLY DIGGING INTO IT, THERE WERE THREE THINGS THAT KEPT, CAME UP, RESILIENCY, EQUITABLY EQUITY, EQUITABLE, AND YOU NEED TO PLACE PROJECTS.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE LOOKED AT WHEN WE WERE DOING OUR WHY AS WELL.
SO HOW OTHER MUNICIPALITIES ARE USING THEIR ARPA FUNDING, THEY'RE USING IT FOR PANDEMIC IMPACT GRANTS FOR NONPROFITS.
THEY'RE USING IT FOR HOME REPAIR OR REMOVE OLD STRUCTURES, SECURITY AND TECHNOLOGY IMPROVEMENTS, WORKFORCE HOUSING, PUBLIC RECREATION, AND THEN OF COURSE, SEWER CONNECTION.
SO THIS IS THE MEAT AND POTATOES, AND I WANTED TO GET INTO THIS RIGHT AWAY.
SO WHAT I'M DOING, YOU SHOULD HAVE A SPREADSHEET THAT WAS IN YOUR PACKET, AND I'M GOING LINE BY LINE DOWN THE SPREADSHEET.
SO EVERY PROJECT THAT I'M BRINGING TO YOU WILL MATCH ON THIS SPREADSHEET.
THE VERY FIRST ONE THAT I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT IS UNDER WORKFORCE.
AND WE HAVE FIVE PROJECTS THAT WE'RE PRESENTING TODAY UNDER WORKFORCE.
THE FIRST ONE IS A TEACHER LOAN PAYOFF PROGRAM, AND THIS IS A $1 MILLION INVESTMENT.
AND THE CHALLENGE IS THIS OVER 50% OF TEACHERS LEAVE THE WORKFORCE ENTIRELY AFTER FIVE YEARS.
THIS IS NOT A STATISTIC JUST FOR BUFORD COUNTY, IT'S NATIONAL.
AND SO THIS MAKES RECRUITING AND RETAINING TEACHERS AND B FOR COUNTY, A VERY DIFFICULT TASK CONSIDERING THE LOW ENTRY PAY SCALE AND THE HIGH COST OF HOUSING HERE IN THE COUNTY.
SO OUR GOAL IS TO CREATE A SUSTAINABLE WORKFORCE OF TEACHERS AND BEAVER COUNTY, AND HOW WE WANT TO DO THAT IS BY PARTNERING WITH THE BEAVER COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT TO CREATE A LOAN PAYOFF PROGRAM FOR TEACHERS, WE WOULD BE ABLE TO PROVIDE UP TO $30,000 IN LOAN PAYOFF FOR TEACHERS WORKING ON BUFORD COUNTY OVER A SIX-YEAR PERIOD THAT GETS THEM OVER THAT FIVE-YEAR HUMP.
IT WOULD BE $5,000 A YEAR FOR SIX YEARS PAID IN SIX MONTH INCREMENTS.
WE WOULD PROVIDE 100% LOAN PAYOFF FOR T-SHIRTS WORKING IN COUNTY FOR A TEN-YEAR PERIOD.
THESE TEACHERS MUST BE NEW HIRES TO BE FOR COUNTY.
THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT WE HEARD BACK FROM COUNCIL ON.
SO IT WOULD BE A RECRUITMENT TOOL.
THE TEACHERS ARE NOT REQUIRED TO LIVE IN BEAVER COUNTY, AND THEY MAY TEACH AT ANY DISTRICT IN, IN THE, THEY MAY TEACH AT ANY SCHOOL IN THE DISTRICT AND IN ANY CURRICULUM SOURCE.
[00:45:01]
UM, THE MATCHING REQUEST HAS BEEN MADE TO THE BUFORD COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT.AND THEY'RE VERY INTERESTED IN PARTNERING WITH US.
THE PROGRAM COULD BE ADMINISTRATED OR ADMINISTERED BY COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF THE LOW COUNTRY OR THE BEAVER COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT.
AGAIN, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU ALL CAN PROVIDE GUIDANCE ON.
AND THEN SUSTAINABILITY, UM, AFTER THE $1 MILLION IS USED, COULD BE FOUND IN LOCAL NONPROFITS, UM, WHO WERE ENCOURAGING TEACHER RETENTION AND RECRUITMENT AND, OR THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.
AND AGAIN, WE WOULD HAVE TO DETERMINE SUCCESS.
UM, THIS ALSO FITS YOUR ECONOMY CHAPTER OF THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, WHICH STRONGLY SUPPORTS ANY PROGRAM AIMED AT DEVELOPING A SKILLED WORKFORCE.
AND SO WITH THAT, UM, CHAIR, COUNCILMAN SUMMERVILLE, WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO STOP AFTER EACH OF THEM AND TAKE COMMENTS OR WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO KEEP DOING, DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY COMMENTS ON THE, UH, ON THE TEACHER PAYOFF PROGRAM? I HAVE ONE CHAIRMAN, APOSTLE LOGAN.
YOU WANT TO COMMENT? UH, YEAH, ONE OF MY QUESTIONS I GUESS, WOULD BE, IT SAYS PROVIDE UP TO 30,000 LOAN PAYOFF FOR TEACHERS.
AND THEN YOU WENT ON TO SAY THAT IF THEY WORKED FOR US FOR 10 YEARS, THAT'D BE A HUNDRED PERCENT PAY OFF.
UM, JUST MAKING SURE WE'RE ON THE SAME PAGE, WE ARE AWARE THAT THERE ARE SOME TEACHERS THAT HAVE OVER A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS OF DEBT BECAUSE OF THE SCHOOL THEY CHOSE TO GO DO.
JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT'S OUT THERE.
SO, LIKE WHEN WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THESE NUMBERS, THERE'S A BIG DIFFERENCE BETWEEN 30,000 AND AN EXTRA 70,000.
LIKE I KNOW, I KNOW KIDS AND WORKED WITH TEACHERS THAT WENT TO CLEMSON.
WE THEN CHOSE TO GO TO CLEMSON AND HAVE A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS OF DEBT.
I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE EVERYONE ON.
COUNSEL'S AWARE THAT SOMEONE THAT WENT TO USC THAT HAS $40,000 ALONE AND SOMEONE I WENT TO CLEMSON, THAT WAS A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS, THAT ALONE IS GETTING THE SAME CALL ALUM PAYOUT, JUST WANTING TO PUT THAT OUT THERE AND MAKE SURE THAT I UNDERSTOOD WHAT YOU WERE SAYING WITH CORRECTLY.
AND EVERYONE ON COUNCIL ALSO UNDERSTOOD THAT.
I THINK WE'D HAVE TO, THAT'S A GOOD POINT.
UH, LOGAN WE'D HAVE TO AGREE WITH THEM ON OURSELVES IF THIS IS AN OPEN-ENDED COMMITMENT, AS OPPOSED TO A SIMPLE MILLION DOLLAR CONTRIBUTION TO A SPECIFIC FUND OF IT'S AN OPEN-ENDED COMMITMENT.
WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT BECAUSE WHAT WAS THE NUMBERS LOOK LIKE? BECAUSE THEY'RE ALWAYS JUST SAYING A MILLION DOLLARS MORE THAN A MILLION DOLLARS RUNS OUT.
AND PARTNERSHIP WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICT AND THEN THE SCHOOL DISTRICT CAN, IF THEY FIND SUCCESS IN THIS PROGRAM, THEN THEY CAN GO ON AND FUND IT ON THEIR OWN.
CAUSE I, I DIDN'T THINK WE WANT TO COMMIT TO OPEN-ENDED AND ARPA-E IS VERY SPECIFIC ABOUT SAYING, DO NOT CREATE PROJECTS THAT HAVE, YOU KNOW, A LONG LIFE CYCLE ON THEM.
HOW DID, UH, IS THERE A MAXIMUM PAYOUT HERE IN YOUR PLAN OF $30,000 PER STUDENT, PER TEACHER? SO IF THESE FUNDS FROM THESE FUNDS AND LESS, YOU WANTED TO GO AHEAD AND TAKE THE 100% LOAN PAYOFF FOR TEACHERS WORKING IN BUFORD COUNTY FOR A TEN-YEAR PERIOD.
AND THAT WAS TO LEVERAGE TEACHERS TO STAY FOR A LONGER PERIOD OF TIME.
UM, COUNCILMAN CUNNINGHAM'S ABSOLUTELY CORRECT.
YOU HAVE TEACHERS THAT HAVE MASTERS AND DOCTORATES, RIGHT.
AND WITH THAT COMES, UM, LOANS.
BUT IT WOULD BE $5,000 A YEAR FOR FIVE, FIVE YEARS OR 10 YEARS.
SO IT'S $5,000 A YEAR FOR SIX YEARS PAID IN SIX MONTHS, SIX MONTH INCREMENTS.
AND THEN IF YOU WANT TO EXTEND IT, IT WOULD STILL BE 5,000 A YEAR FOR THE FLOOR UP AT THE 10 YEAR.
THAT WOULD, THAT WOULD BE, THAT WOULD TO BE DETERMINED, BUT I WANT IT TO HIT THAT 10 YEAR MARK, BECAUSE AGAIN, DR.
RODRIGUEZ, WHEN WE TALKED TO HIM ABOUT THIS PLAN, HE SAID, IF WE HAVE TEACHERS STAY WITH US FOR 10 YEARS, THEY STAY WITH US.
SO OUR LIABILITY WITH RESPECT TO OUR ARPA MONEY AND TO THE MILLION DOLLARS.
I'M NOT SURE YOU SAID THE NEW HARMS THAT COMMENT CAME FROM COUNTY COUNCIL.
I DON'T, I DON'T THINK IT SHOULD JUST BE NEW HIRES.
YOU KNOW, RETENTION IS VERY IMPORTANT, BUT I GUESS YOU CHANGED THAT TO NEW HIRES SINCE YOU GOT COMMENTS FROM, UM, COUNTY COUNCIL BEFORE THAT SAID NEW HIRES.
I MEAN, I, I CAN, WE CAN, THIS PLAN IS COMPLETELY FLUID, SO WHATEVER Y'ALL WOULD LIKE TO SEE, AND I, YOU KNOW, I, I SEE SOME LEAVE AFTER TWO, TWO YEARS, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, I, I DON'T KNOW MAYBE LOGAN OR YOUR CAPSULE COMMENTS TOO.
CAUSE THERE ARE TWO PEOPLE IN THE TEACHING FIELD TO YEAH.
YOU KNOW, THE ONLY COMMENT I'M GONNA MAKE IS THAT, UM, THIS IS, UM, ME SPEAKING, UM, I THINK THIS SHOULD BE USED AS A TOOL TO ENCOURAGE RETENTION AND THE TENURE IS THERE.
IF IT IS 10 YEARS, UH, AFTER, YOU KNOW, THEY GONNA STAY ON, THEN THE TARGET SHOULD BE 10 YEARS NOW.
[00:50:01]
UM, UH, A, UM, A UNDERGRADUATE DEGREE, UM, AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED IS TO FACE, UH, A MASTER'S A CHOICE.UH, EVEN THOUGH NOW THEY'RE ENCOURAGING A MASTER, BUT IF ANYBODY WANTS TO GET A DOCTORATE DEGREE THAT'S ON, ON AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED, BUT IT'S REALLY ONE OF USING, UM, UM, SOME TOOLS TO ACTUALLY ENCOURAGE THEM TO STAY BECAUSE THEY DO NEED, UH, SOMETIMES I'M A LITTLE ENTICEMENT JUST TO HANG AROUND AND IF THEY CAN STAY FOR 10 YEARS AND I THINK THE SCHOOL DISTRICT KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THEY NEED.
SO I WAS GOING TO MEAN TO YOU, BUT I AM NOT IN FAVOR OF PAYING OFF, UH, A DOCTOR DEGREE PROGRAM.
YOU'RE NOT IN FAVOR OF PAYING OFF A DOCTORAL PROGRAM.
IF I UNDERSTAND THIS, UH, IT'S ALMOST LIKE WE WOULDN'T BE MAKING A CONTRIBUTION TO A SCHOOL DISTRICT PROGRAM THAT THEY WOULD ADMINISTER.
AND I THINK WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND EXACTLY WHAT THEY'RE PROPOSING TO DO.
UM, I ALSO THINK THE RETENTION PROBABLY IS WORTH MORE THAN THEY, UH, PLACING IT ON NEW HIRES AS WE GO FORWARD.
BUT IT DOESN'T MEAN IF THEY HIRED SOMEBODY, THAT PERSON COULDN'T BE ELIGIBLE ALSO IT'S, IT'S NOT, ARE ONLY TALKING 30 TEACHERS OUT OF 2000 OR WHATEVER THEIR PROFESSIONAL STAFF IS THAT THEY'RE GOING TO GET $70 MILLION.
SO WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND HOW MUCH SKIN THEY'VE GOT IN THE GAME.
RIGHT? I MEAN, IF YOU DO THE QUICK MATH ON THIS $30,000, THAT TAKES CARE OF 33 PEOPLE, SO IT'S REALLY A DROP IN THE BUCKET.
SO I THINK STEWS NOTION THAT IT'S A CONTRIBUTION TO SOMEBODY ELSE'S FUND IS ABSOLUTELY IT HAS TO BE RIGHT.
CAUSE OTHERWISE WE'RE, WE'RE STEPPING INTO, UH, AN OPEN-ENDED SITUATION THAT NOBODY CAN PREDICT LOOKS LIKE.
SO THEY'RE GOING TO, I THINK GIVING A MILLION DOLLARS TO A SCHOOL, THAT'S A GREAT IDEA, UH, OUT OF, OUT OF THESE FUNDS, BUT, BUT THAT'S IT.
AND THEN THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS ARE GONNA HAVE TO FIGURE OUT HOW THAT PROGRAM IS GOING TO WORK AND WHAT, WHAT THE LONGTERM PROGNOSIS IS FOR PEOPLE WHO MAYBE SOMEBODY WANTS TO GET A PHD OR A MASTER'S DEGREE BETWEEN NOW AND YEAR 10.
IS THAT GOING TO BE COVERED? I MEAN, THAT'S SOMETHING THE SCHOOL DISTRICT GONNA HAVE TO FIGURE OUT, RIGHT.
UH, ONE FINAL, ONE FINAL POINT, IF I COULD, MR. CHAIRMAN, THANK YOU.
UM, YOU KNOW, I'M, UM, I'M AGAIN WITH QUALIFICATIONS, UM, I'M, UM, I'M HAPPY THAT THIS HAS MADE THE CUT AS A POTENTIAL, UH, RECIPIENT OF SOME OF OUR ARPA MONEY, BUT AGAIN, WITH QUALIFICATIONS, ALL OF THEM, EXCEPT FOR ONE HAS BEEN DISCUSSED.
THE POINT THAT I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE IS THAT I'D LIKE TO SEE THAT THIS TIDE BE TIED TO SOME, UM, SOME MEASURABLE, UM, GOAL, UH, SOME, SOME WAY TO JUDGE WHETHER OR NOT THIS TEACHER IS ACTUALLY SUCCESSFUL IN THE CLASSROOM.
UM, YOU KNOW, WITH STUDENTS, WITH ACTUALLY TEACHING STUDENTS, I DON'T WANT THIS JUST TO, YOU KNOW, A PERSON WHO COMES IN AND JUST, YOU KNOW, PUNCHES A CLOCK WITH OUR, WITH OUR CHILDREN.
I WANT THEM TO BE SOMEBODY WHO'S TRULY DEDICATED TO THE WONDERFUL PROFESSION OF TEACHING.
UM, YOUNG PEOPLE, IT'S A, IT'S AN HONORABLE PROFESSION AND WE NEED TO ELEVATE THAT AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.
AND IF THIS COULD BE AN INSTRUMENT IN THAT, UM, IN OUR QUIVER TO ELEVATE IT, THEN I THINK WE SHOULD.
UH, THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN, THE FIRST ONE I'LL COMMENT ON YOU.
I AGREE WITH YOU 100%, UM, THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS IS JUST US HELPING THEM START TO STOP, AND THEN THEY GO ON THEIR OWN ON THE SCHOOL DISTRICT TO FUND IT.
I JUST DO WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE CAREFUL THAT THEY DON'T USE RESERVE FUNDS, WHICH I DON'T KNOW IF THEY'RE ALLOWED TO WHICH WHAT EVENTUALLY CAME FROM US PASSING A BUDGET OR THAT THE SCHOOL BOY COMES US FOR MORE MONEY THAT THEY WOULD NEED JUST UPON THIS PROGRAM, BECAUSE ULTIMATELY WE'D JUST BE STILL PAYING FOR IT, WHETHER IT'S THROUGH ARPA OR ANOTHER FORM, THAT'S STILL BE US PAYING FOR IT ON THE COUNTY LEVEL.
THE OTHER PART IS WITH MR. GLOVER.
I'M NOT HERE TO, YOU KNOW, PAY FOR THE DOCTORATES OR ANYTHING ALONG THOSE LINES, BUT I ALSO WANT TO MAKE YOU GUYS AWARE, UM, YOU KNOW, GOING TO, UM, LANDER UNIVERSITY OR CLEMSON, WE'RE JUST TALKING TO UNDERGRAD FOR A HUNDRED K.
WE'RE NOT EVEN TALKING ABOUT YOUR MASTERS OR YOUR DOCTORATE GETTING OVER A HUNDRED K LIKE YOU WILL EASILY GO OVER A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS IF YOU PUT THAT FULLY ON ALONE, BY GOING TO A PRIVATE SCHOOL, WHICH SOUTH CAROLINA HAS QUITE A FEW OF THEM.
I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ALL UP TO DATE AND AWARE OF, YOU KNOW, THE CONTRIBUTION THAT IT WOULD TAKE.
YOU KNOW, IT MIGHT NOT BE A BAD IDEA IT'S TO HAVE THE SCHOOL DISTRICT COME AND MAKE A PRESENTATION TO US AT SOME POINT ON WHAT THAT, WHAT THAT PROGRAM LOOKS LIKE.
I THINK THAT THAT WOULD MAKE US ALL FEEL A LITTLE BETTER.
[00:55:01]
I MEAN, IT WON'T HAPPEN TODAY, BUT I THINK THAT'S NUMBER.WE CAN DO IT ANYBODY ELSE, CAUSE I KNOW HEATHER HAS TO MOVE ON.
AND SO WHAT AGAIN, WHAT I'M DOING IS I'M TAKING ALL THE FEEDBACK AND THEN I'LL READ FORMAT, I'LL GET WITH JARED AND WE'LL GET WITH OUR PARTNERS AND WE'LL BE ABLE TO COME BACK.
SO THE NEXT ONE IS HERE FOR THE COUNTY.
IT'S THE COUNTY PUBLIC SAFETY, PUBLIC SAFETY RECRUITMENT, AND RELOCATION PACKAGE FOR $500,000.
OUR CHALLENGE CURRENTLY IS THAT BEAVER COUNTY IS CHALLENGED IN RECRUITING AND RELOCATING TRAINED EMS AND DETENTION CENTER PERSONNEL.
UM, OUR GOAL IS TO SHORE UP A SUSTAINABLE WORKFORCE OF TRAINED EMS AND DETENTION CENTER PEOPLE AND OUR OPPORTUNITY.
WE WANT TO CREATE INCENTIVES FOR THE HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT TO UTILIZE, UH, RECRUITMENT EFFORTS THROUGH STIPEND, SIGNING BONUSES AND OTHER INCENTIVES IN ORDER TO HIRE AND KEEP EMPLOYEES.
SO WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IS FOR FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES HIRED TO WORK IN EMS OR IN THE BEAVER COUNTY DETENTION CENTER ARE ELIGIBLE FOR A $10,000 SIGN-ON BONUS PAID OVER TWO YEARS.
THE FIRST PAYMENT WOULD BE $2,000, $2,000 ALLOCATED AFTER TRAINING FOLLOWED BY A $3,000 PAYMENT UPON COMPLETELY COMPLETION OF PROBATION AND THEN SHOE TWENTY-FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS PAYMENTS PAID ON THE ONE-YEAR IN THE TWO YEAR ANNIVERSARY, UH, GENERAL STIPEND OF 2,500 PER EMPLOYEE.
WOULDN'T BE AVAILABLE FOR RELOCATION TO BE USED AT HUMAN RESOURCES DISCRETION.
AND THIS PROGRAM WOULD BE MANAGED BY BUFORD COUNTY.
THERE WOULD BE NO REQUIREMENT TO LIVE IN BUFORD COUNTY.
AND THEN AGAIN, SUSTAINABILITY ON THIS PROGRAM, IF SUCCESSFUL COULD BE FOUND THROUGH LOCAL NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS OR PERHAPS THE COUNTY ITSELF, AND THIS FALLS INTO THE ECONOMY CHAPTER OF THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, WHICH AGAIN DEVELOPS IS TAR TALKS ABOUT DEVELOPING A HIGHLY SKILLED WORKFORCE.
QUESTIONS, COMMENTS? YEAH, YEAH.
UM, I'M UH, UH, I I'M, I'M MODERATELY HAPPY ABOUT THIS ONE IS, WELL, I NOTE THAT THE FIRST YEAR WILL BE $7,500 AND $2,500 THE SECOND YEAR THAT'S, UH, UM, $2,000 SIGNING BONUS AND A 3000 HOUR PROBATION BONUS IN 2,500 AT FIRST ANNIVERSARY.
THAT SEEMS KIND OF, UM, UH, A LITTLE, UH, BEGINNING END OF THE STICK KIND OF A CARROT AND STICK THING.
LIKE THAT'S PRETTY CLOSE TO THE HANDLE.
UM, I'M THINKING MAYBE I WOULD PREFER THAT THIS BE SPREAD OUT A LITTLE BIT FARTHER.
UM, THE SECOND NOTE THING I WOULD NOTE IS THAT THEY, UM, THE RELOCATION BONUS TO BUFORD COUNTY, UM, THAT THERE IS NO REQUIREMENT THAT THEY LIVE IN BUFORD COUNTY.
I CAN UNDERSTAND NOT REQUIRING OUR EMS, UM, AND, AND, UH, PUBLIC SAFETY, UM, PEOPLE ACTUALLY HAVING TO LIVE IN BE FOR COUNTY, BUT I DON'T LIKE THE IDEA OF FUNDING THEM TO LIVE IN ANOTHER COUNTY.
I THINK THAT KIND OF, UM, THAT, THAT DOESN'T WORK, THE MATHEMATICS JUST DON'T WORK FOR ME.
IT'S GOING TO BE ADMINISTERED BY SALE PHIL'S DEPARTMENT, I GUESS IT IS.
UH, IT'D BE, UH, IT WOULD BE ADMINISTERED BY HR FEEL AND ALSO WANT COUNCIL AND BE AWARE THAT WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF SCHEDULING A MEETING WITH THE SHERIFF AS WELL.
WE WERE NOT, UH, WE KNOW OUR SHORTAGES, UH, IN, IN OUR RECRUITMENT ISSUES.
NOT NECESSARILY ALWAYS AWARE OF WHAT THE SHERIFF IS FACING, BUT APPARENTLY THEY'RE HAVING DIFFICULTY IN RECRUITING FOLKS AS WELL.
SO WE WOULD EXTEND THIS PROGRAM OUT TO THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE AS WELL, IF THEY'RE INTERESTED IN PARTICIPATING AND WE COULD ADMINISTER IT ON THEIR BEHALF AS WELL.
SO HAVE A MEETING ON THAT, UP ON THAT VERY SHORTLY WITH THE SHERIFF OR REPRESENTING THE $2,500 RELOCATION FEE AS FOR SOMEONE WHO LIVES IN ANOTHER COUNTY TO COME TO BUFORD COUNTY, WE'RE NOT FUNDING SOMEONE TO LIVE IN ANOTHER.
THAT WOULD BE A RECRUITMENT TOOL.
SO IF WE WANTED SOMEBODY FROM CHARLESTON COUNTY THAT WAS, YOU KNOW, TRAINED HIGH LEVEL OF UMASS TO COME DOWN TO OUR ACCOUNT TEAM.
THIS IS, UH, ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF SOMETHING THAT COULD QUICKLY EXCEED THE, THE CAP, WHAT I'LL CALL THE CAP TO 500,000.
SO WE'D HAVE TO HAVE TO BE CLEAR THAT WHETHER IT COMES FROM THE DETENTION CENTER OR WHETHER IT COMES FROM EMS, WHEN IT COMES FROM THE SHERIFF OR A COMBINATION THERE OF WHEN THE 500,000 IS GONE, IT'S GONE.
SO, I MEAN, I THINK THAT'S ALL WE'RE DOING TODAY IS AGREEING ON WHAT TO DO WITH ARPA FUNDS, NOT FUTURE FUNDS.
ALL WE'RE DOING TODAY IS AS A COMMITMENT FOR HOW WE'RE GOING TO SPEND THE ARPA MONEY, THE 37 AND A HALF MILLION,
[01:00:01]
WE'VE ALREADY GOTTEN OUR FIRST DISTRIBUTION.WE'RE GETTING ANOTHER ONE IN TWO YEARS.
SOME OF THESE PROGRAMS MAY BE SUCCESSFUL.
SO THAT FUTURE COUNCILS ARE, YOU ALL ARE STILL ON.
COUNCIL CAN MAKE A DECISION AT THE APPROPRIATE TIME, DOWN THE ROAD TO SAY, HEY, THAT WORKED VERY WELL AS CONTINUING TO DO THIS BECAUSE WE MADE A LOT OF IMPROVEMENTS IN OUR RECRUITING AND RETENTION OF OUR EMPLOYEES.
AND WHEN WE ALL KNOW THAT A RECRUITING AND RETENTION OF EMPLOYEES RIGHT NOW, DOESN'T JUST APPLY TO THE DIFFICULTY OF THAT.
DOESN'T JUST APPLY TO, TO COUNTY GOVERNMENTS OR ANYONE EVERYBODY'S HAVING TROUBLE.
SO WHATEVER WE CAN DO, WE HAVE A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO USE THIS MONEY WISELY, TO HELP, HELP, UH, MAKE GREAT STRIDES IN THAT.
SO, UH, I I'D POINT OUT THAT YOU, YOU NEED TO WORK ON THE WORDING OF THE SLIDE HERE, BECAUSE IT SAYS SPECIFICALLY AFTER, UM, THE STIPEND FOR RELOCATION, THERE IS NO REQUIREMENT TO LIVE IN BUFORD COUNTY.
YOU MIGHT WANT TO REWORD THAT.
AND THAT HR ISN'T PUT IN A POSITION OF, UM, APPROVING, UH, ERRONEOUSLY, SOMEBODY TO MOVE INTO JASPER COUNTY, BUT WORK IN BUFORD, LOGAN.
I WAS JUST ABOUT TO SAY EXACTLY WHAT BRIAN SAID.
UM, MAYBE WE SHOULDN'T FOCUS ON THE RELOCATION IS WITH PEOPLE THAT ACTUALLY NOT ONLY WORK IN BEAVER COUNTY, BUT ALSO LIVE IN BEAVER COUNTY AS WELL.
UM, THAT'S A DOUBLE INCENTIVE FOR US.
AND THEN, UM, THE OTHER THING I WOULD SAY IS, HAVE WE TALKED TO, UM, MUNICIPALITIES ABOUT SEEING IF THERE'S A WAY, AND I DON'T KNOW IF THERE IS, BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW THE RULES OF THE FUNDS.
WE'VE GOT TO EXTEND THIS TO FIRE AND BEAVER COUNTY BECAUSE OUR EMS AND FIRE DO WORK HAND IN HAND.
I DIDN'T KNOW IF THAT WAS POSSIBLE OR NOT.
IT MIGHT NOT BE, BUT I JUST FIGURED IT'D BE SOMETHING TO EXPLORE.
AND WE HAVE FOCUSED PRIMARILY ON AMS AND DETENTION, BUT I'M HAPPY TO HAVE THOSE FURTHER CONVERSATIONS WITH FIRE.
AND THIS IS KIND OF A GENERAL QUESTION, HEATHER.
SO WE'RE GOING THROUGH THESE RIGHTS NET RIGHT NOW.
HOW ARE THESE GOING TO COME BACK TO US? CAUSE RIGHT NOW YOU'RE TAKING A LOT OF, YOU KNOW, WE'RE DOWN RABBIT HOLES IN EACH ONE OF THESE THINGS.
UM, THERE'S, I COUNT 30 OF THEM.
SO, UM, WHAT, HOW'S THE, THE, THE DECISION PROCESS GOING TO HAPPEN OR HOW DOES THIS COME BACK TO US THAT WE CAN HELP SOME MAKE THIS DIRECTION LATER ON? JUST SO WE'RE NOT.
YEAH, IF YOU, ONCE YOU ALL CONFIRM THAT YOU LIKED THE PLAN TODAY, THEN WE WILL GO OUT AND ACTUALLY, UH, IMPLEMENT THE LEGAL DOCUMENTS AND BRING IT BACK IN THE FORM SO THAT YOU ALL WILL VOTE ON IT THROUGH COMMITTEE, UH, THROUGH THE APPROPRIATE COMMITTEE AND COUNCIL STRUCTURE, EACH OF THESE ITEMS WILL COME BACK AND THEY'RE INAPPROPRIATE WITH ALL THE DETAILS THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
I MEAN, ONE OF THE THINGS WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO FIGURE OUT WHEN YOU PUT TOGETHER THE PLAN IS IF THIS IS A VERY POPULAR PLAN, THAT VERY WELL COULD BE THAT THEY COULD CONSUME $500,000 IN A HEARTBEAT, AND THEN WE'RE NOT GOING TO GET THE OTHER HALF FOR TWO YEARS.
SO WE MAY HAVE TO FRONT THAT MONEY FOR A PERIOD OF AS MUCH AS TWO YEARS.
SO THESE ARE THE THINGS GONNA HAVE TO BE WORKED INTO THE DETAILS.
SO I THINK GO AHEAD FOR NUMBER THREE, I DO NEED TO GO BACK TO COUNCILMAN CUTTING COMMENT, BECAUSE HE SAID LIVE AND WORK IN BEAVER COUNTY.
AND WE HAD TALKED ABOUT THE TEACHERS NOT BEING REQUIRED TO LIVE IN BEAVER COUNTY.
SO I WANT TO MAKE SURE I HAVE CLARITY FROM Y'ALL WALKING AWAY.
IS THAT EVERYTHING THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT MOVING FORWARD IS LIVE AND WORK IN BEAVER COUNTY? IS THAT, IS THAT WHAT I'M HEARING? WELL, I THINK MOST OF THE JASPER COUNTY TEACHERS LIVE IN SAVANNAH.
SO I, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW, WE OUGHT TO BE CAREFUL ABOUT THAT WITH, SO I, IF I, IF I MIGHT MR. CHAIRMAN TO CLARIFY MY REMARKS, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE RELOCATION TO PURCHASE A HOUSE.
UM, SO I, I THINK THAT IF WE, WE ENTICE SOMEBODY FROM BERKELEY COUNTY TO COME DOWN, TO TEACH IN A BUFORD COUNTY SCHOOL, IF THEY LIVE IN JASPER COUNTY, THAT'S OKAY WITH ME, BUT I DON'T WANT TO GIVE THEM HOUSE, UH, HELP FINDING A HOUSE UNLESS THAT HOUSE IS IN BEAVER COUNTY.
AND AS FAR AS LOAN PAYOFF, UM, YOU KNOW, FOR STUDENT LOANS, I THOUGHT THAT THE LAST MEASURE THAT WE TALKED ABOUT WAS JUST REGARDING STUDENT LOAN PAYOFFS.
AND IF THEY'RE WORKING IN YOUR COUNTY SCHOOL, I KIND OF DON'T REALLY CARE WHERE THEY'RE LIVING.
I I'D LIKE THEM TO LIVE CLOSE.
I'D LIKE TO FIGHT THEM TO BUY IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD.
YOU KNOW, I MEAN, WE NEED MORE TEACHERS.
DOES THAT CLARIFY IT FOR YOU? ABSOLUTELY.
MINE'S JUST THE RELOCATION PORTION.
UM, I DIDN'T SEE THAT ON THE TEACHER PORTION.
THAT'S WHAT I BRING IT OUT FOR IT.
IF THE PEOPLE THAT WANT TO COME HERE AND WORK ON OUR EMS AND LIVE IN ANOTHER COUNTY, THAT'S FINE.
I JUST DON'T SEE HOW WE PAY FOR THE RELOCATION PROCESS FOR THEM IN ANOTHER COUNTY WOULD BE MY ONLY SUGGESTION.
[01:05:01]
ALL RIGHT.NEXT TO LIVE IN THIS COUNTY, RIGHT? WELL, YOU'RE DOING AS MANY MOVING EXPENSES.
SO THIS ONE I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT.
SO THIS IS THE CREATION OF A NURSING PILOT PROGRAM THROUGH OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT.
THIS IS A $700,000 ASK AND THE CHALLENGE IS THE FOLLOWING BE FOR COUNTY NEEDS MORE CNAS.
THEY ALSO NEED MORE REGISTERED NURSES AND BSNS ESPECIALLY GIVEN OUR AGING POPULATION.
AND OUR GOAL IS TO GRADUATE 500 CNAS FROM BUFORD COUNTY SCHOOLS OVER THE NEXT 10 YEARS.
SO THIS IS THE OPPORTUNITY BUFORD COUNTY IN PARTNERSHIP WITH BUFORD MEMORIAL HOSPITAL TECHNICAL COLLEGE, JULIO COUNTRY, AND THE BUFORD COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT CALLED PARTNER TO OFFER A CNA DESIGNATED TRACK AS AN ACADEMY IN SCHOOLS, BOTH NORTH OF THE BROAD AND SOUTH OF ABROAD BUFORD COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT IS WILLING TO HIRE AN ACADEMY COORDINATOR BEFORE MEMORIAL HOSPITAL WILL SUPPLY QUALIFIED STAFF AS INSTRUCTORS TO TCL CNA PROGRAM.
AND THIS IS A MODEL THAT THEY'VE USED WITH TCL IN THE PAST.
SOME OF THE REASONS WHY WE'RE HAVING SUCH A NURSING SHORTAGE IN OUR AREA IS BECAUSE THE QUALIFIED INSTRUCTORS ARE GOING OUT AND THEY'RE NURSING AND THEY'RE MAKING A LOT MORE MONEY DOING IT.
BEAUTIFUL MEMORIAL IS ACTUALLY WILLING TO STEP UP AND HEY, THEY'RE NURSES TO TEACH THE CNA CNA ACADEMY FOR OUR SCHOOLS ACADEMY, STUDENTS WOULD HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK AT BUFORD MEMORIAL HOSPITAL OR OTHER HEALTHCARE FACILITIES.
IF THEY MEET THE AGE AND THE SKILL REQUIREMENTS THE STUDENTS WOULD HAVE ACCESS TO BEFORE MEMORIAL HOSPITAL FOR CLINICALS UPON PROJECT COMPLETION, STUDENTS WOULD BE ABLE TO HAVE A PATH TO AN RN OR A BSN THROUGH TECHNICAL COLLEGE OF THE LOW COUNTRY OR USC.
UM, CONTINUING EDUCATION COULD BE PAID FOR BY EMPLOYERS THAT'S HAPPENING NOW.
AND THIS PROGRAM WILL BE MANAGED BY THE BEAVER COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT.
SUSTAINABILITY SUSTAINABILITY COULD BE FOUND THROUGH LOCAL NURSING, NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS, JARED AND I WERE FORTUNATE TO MEET WITH ONE.
AND THEN OF COURSE, THIS ALSO FITS THE ECONOMY CHAPTER OF THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
I WOULD JUST ASK WHAT HAPPENS TO LPMS. THEY DON'T CREATE LPMS ANYMORE.
SO WE ARE CREATING LPS AND WE ARE CREATING THEM IN THE SCHOOLS, BUT THE CNA ACCREDITATION IS REALLY WHAT THE HOSPITALS ARE AFTER THEY NEED CNS NURSES, AIDES, AND LPMS, THEY NEED THEM TO, BUT THEY REALLY NEED CNAS, RIGHT? IT SOUNDS LIKE A WINNER.
NO, NO COMMENTS REGARDING AND JUST SURPRISE HER 700,000 IS FOR, SO THE $700,000 WOULD BE YOU USED TO CREATE THE PROGRAM AND MAKE SURE THAT THE BUFORD COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT IS SET UP, MAKE SURE THAT BUFORD MEMORIAL HOSPITAL IS PAYING THEIR INSTRUCTORS FAIR WAGE.
UM, YOU KNOW, ALL BUT JUST THE WHOLE, BUT AGAIN, THE SUSTAINABILITY AND THIS COMES FROM US GETTING APPROVAL HERE TODAY AND GOING TO THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, IT'S ALMOST LIKE AN INITIATION AND GETTING THEM STARTED TAKING OVER FROM THERE AS WELL.
THIS IS WHAT I'M REALLY PASSIONATE ABOUT.
AND BUFORD COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT IS WILLING TO DO ONE NORTH OF THE BROAD ENDS OFF OF THE BROAD, WHICH I WAS ALSO PASSIONATE ABOUT.
THIS CHAIRMAN, IF I COULD ADD MY 2 CENTS.
UM, I WOULD, I WOULD ASK THAT WE SEND THIS TO COUNTY COUNCIL WITH ALL SPEED.
REALLY? THIS IS THIS OF ALL THE THINGS THAT I'VE SEEN.
THIS IS THE ONE THAT REALLY KIND OF LIGHTS MY FIRE.
I THINK THIS IS AGAIN LIKE, LIKE YORK JUST SAID, SEED MONEY FOR SOMETHING THAT WILL GO ON AND SUSTAINED THROUGH COVID RELATED.
AND I, AND I DO WANT TO JUST TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE PROGRAM.
THEY WOULD PROBABLY START IN THEIR JUNIOR YEAR OF HIGH SCHOOL AND THEN FINISH THEIR ACCREDITATION AND THEIRS.
SO WE WOULD BE STARTING THAT A LITTLE BIT EARLY.
IT WOULDN'T JUST BE SENIOR YEAR AGO.
GET YOUR CNA CREDITS ANYTHING YOU CAN DO.
UM, THIS IS ONE I THINK THAT WE CAN ALL BUY INTO FOR $1.2 MILLION.
UM, THE OBJECTIVES FOR THE HOUSING TRUST ARE LAID OUT RIGHT THERE.
AND AGAIN, I DID NOTE AT THE BOTTOM, THE HOUSING ELEMENT OF THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN CALLS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE REGIONAL AFFORDING HOUSING TRUST THAT WEEKEND, UM, EXPLANATORY.
THIS IS ALSO ONE YOU COULD ACCELERATE, I THINK,
[01:10:01]
YES.THIS NEXT ONE, WE'RE LOOKING FOR A SECULAR LIVE RECRUITER HERE AT THE COUNTY.
THIS WOULD BE SOMEBODY THAT WOULD BE HIRED AND HAVE A SUSTAINABLE RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR COUNTY.
UM, AND THIS IS TOO HIGH, IDENTIFY, HIRE, AND RETAIN TOP TALENT.
UM, THEY WOULD BE ASSISTING IN IDENTIFYING PASSIVE CANDIDATES.
THEY WOULD BE ASSISTING IN LOCATING SPECIALIZED CANDIDATES THAT FIT THE NEEDS OF GOVERNMENT.
UM, AND THEY WOULD UNDERSTAND THE MARKET NEEDS.
I HAVE A QUESTION, UM, W UH, $200,000, UM, THAT'S WAY BEYOND THE MARKETS FOR, UM, FOR, FOR ONE PARTICULAR CANDIDATE AND, YOU KNOW, FOR ONE PARTICULAR JOB OPENING, HOW MANY JOB OPENINGS DO YOU INTEND AND WHY DO WE NEED TO HIRE EXECUTIVE RECRUITERS OR EXECUTIVE PEOPLE ALL THAT OFTEN? YOU KNOW, IN OTHER WORDS, MY QUESTION IS WHY IS THERE A HIGH TURNOVER IN OUR EXECUTIVE LEVEL SO MUCH SO THAT WE FUND A RECRUITER THAT PROBABLY WOULD HIRE 10 OF THEM? WE COULD, WE COULD FIND 10 EXECUTIVES USING A RECRUITER FOR $200,000, MAYBE MORE.
SO, SO THE PURPOSE OF THIS IS TO HAVE THIS, THESE DOLLARS IN A FUND.
SO WHEN THERE'S A NEED TO ATTRACT TOP TALENT, WE COULD WORK WITH SOMEBODY IN THE EXECUTIVE RECRUITING ATMOSPHERE THAT KNOWS THE COUNTY AND HAS A LONG LASTING RELATIONSHIP WITH THE COUNTY.
SO YOU'RE THINKING OF THIS AS A MULTI-YEAR KIND OF ENGAGEMENT.
I CAN'T REMEMBER FOR THE WELLNESS A FOUR YEAR COMMITMENT, AND IT WOULD JUST BE A POT OF MONEY THAT ALLOWS US TO IN CRITICAL NEEDS AREAS.
LIKE RIGHT NOW, WE HAVE, WE HAVE ALL OF THESE GRANTS OUT THERE TO HIRE PEOPLE, UH, IN OUR DRUG AND ALCOHOL, UH, DIVISION OUR DEPARTMENT.
UH, WE MAY NOT BE, UH, EMPLOYING THE CORRECT RESOURCES TO REACH FOLKS THAT, UH, ACROSS, UH, UH, THE REGION THAT WORK IN THOSE AREAS, UH, STEVE DONALDSON AND HIS TEAM AND OUR HR DEPARTMENT ARE DOING A GREAT JOB.
WE JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE AS EFFECTIVE IN THAT MARKETING STRATEGY, AS WE CAN BE TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE UNDERSTAND BUFORD COUNTY UNDERSTAND THE ADVANTAGES, UH, OF BEAVER COUNTY AND MANY TIMES, UH, HAVING SOMEONE TO CALL PEOPLE UP AND TALK TO THEM DIRECTLY ABOUT THAT OUR STAFF DOESN'T HAVE TIME TO DO THAT WITH A RECRUITER, CAN CERTAINLY REACH OUT TO FOLKS TO SAY, HEY, UH, BUFORD COUNTY HAS THIS POSITION.
THESE ARE THE GOOD THINGS ABOUT IT, THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO THAT, THAT'S THE PURPOSE OF THAT.
AND YOU KNOW, IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT DRUG AND ALCOHOL SPECIFICALLY, I THINK THE ONE THING WE CAN DO TO LURE CANDIDATES TO BEAVER COUNTY IS TO KEEP STEVE DONALDSON ON THE TELEPHONE.
AND HE WOULD BE THE BEST ADVERTISEMENT FOR COMING TO WORK THERE BECAUSE HE'S SUCH A PASSIONATE, A COMMITTED KIND OF PERSON, SO, AND PERFECTLY RIGHT FOR THE JOB.
LAST COMMENTS ON KENNAN EXECUTIVE RECRUITER.
OH, I'M SORRY, CHRIS, GO AHEAD.
SO THIS IS ONE OF THOSE THINGS TO ME THAT DOESN'T FEEL AS HIGH IN BLACK AS SOME OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT WE'VE, THAT WE'VE HEARD OF.
UM, YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE CNA PROGRAM AND THAT'S GOING TO HAVE A MULTIPLE MULTIPLIER EFFECT, WELL, BEYOND A SEMINAR, A THOUSAND HOURS, WE INVEST, I'M NOT SURE THAT I FEEL THE SAME WAY ABOUT THIS.
AND THE OTHER THING ABOUT THIS TOO, THIS FEELS LIKE SOMETHING THAT WE COULD POTENTIALLY BUDGET FOR AS OPPOSED TO USING DOLLARS THAT HAVE VERY SPECIFIC, UM, USE CASES AROUND THEM.
IT FEELS LIKE WE COULD ACCOMPLISH THIS, JUST BE OUR REGULAR BUDGET PROCESS.
IF THIS IS A NEED, THAT'S JUST MY 2 CENTS.
SO THE NEXT ONE IS, AGAIN, SOMETHING THAT WE PRESENTED TO YOU BEFORE.
THIS IS THE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT STATION ALERTING, UM, AND THIS IS THE FULLY INTEGRATED STATION STATION ALERTING SYSTEM THAT WOULD MAKE SURE THAT CALLS ARE BEING ROUTED TO THE RIGHT FIRE STATIONS.
AT THE RIGHT TIMES, IT WOULD REDUCE STRESS ON THE FIRST RESPONDERS.
UM, AND AGAIN, IT KEEPS US COMPLIANT WITH RECOMMENDED GUIDELINES.
SO THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I ENCOURAGE YOU TO MOVE FORWARD ON.
SO DOES COUNCIL FULLY UNDERSTAND WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH THAT RIGHT NOW? THE WAY THE SYSTEM IS SET UP IS THE PHONE CALL GOES OUT TO AN EMS STATION OR FIRE STATION, THEN THAT WILL WORK, GOES TO ALL THE STATIONS IN THAT DISTRICT.
SO IF IT'S THREE O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING, THE ALERT WAKES UP ALL OF THE STATIONS
[01:15:01]
IN THAT DISTRICT AND PEOPLE HAVE TO GET UP AND LISTEN TO SEE IF THEY NEED TO GO OUT OR NOT.AND SO THIS WOULD ALLOW ONLY THE STATION THAT NEEDS TO RESPOND TO GET THE SPECIFIC STATION.
IT WASN'T THIS PRESENTED TO US.
UM, UH, UM, I'M NOT SURE IT MIGHT'VE BEEN A CHIEF CLIENT MIGHT HAVE PRESENTED IT OR HIS VIA, BUT WE DECIDED TO WAIT UNTIL WE DID THE, UH, PRESENTATION TO GET TO FUND IT.
DON'T THEY HAVE A PERSON AWAKEN ON DUTY ALL THE TIME.
ANYWAY, SO MOVING FORWARD, WE ARE TALKING ON THIS FRONT ABOUT SUPPORTING LOCAL MUNICIPALITIES THROUGH THE GOOD NEIGHBOR FUND.
AND THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT WE CAME UP WITH WHEN WE HAD THE TASK FORCE MEETINGS THAT WE HAD A LOT OF NEEDS IN THE COMMUNITY, UM, AND A LOT OF NEEDS FROM OUR LOCAL MUNICIPALITIES.
AND SO WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING TODAY IS THAT $500,000 WOULD BE ALLOCATED TO SIX DIFFERENT MUNICIPALITIES DIVIDED EVENLY AMONG EVERYBODY FOR A TOTAL COST OF $3 MILLION.
MUNICIPALITIES WOULD APPLY FOR THE FUNDS AT COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF THE LOW COUNTRY, UNDER THE GUIDELINES AND TIMELINES OF OUR BEDS.
SO THEY WOULD HAVE TO MEET ALL OF THE GUIDELINES AND TIMELINES THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IN TERMS OF 2024, THE ALLOCATION AND THE SPEND BEING IN 2026, THIS WOULD BE A ONE-TIME DISTRIBUTION OF 500,000.
ONCE THEY, UM, REQUIREMENTS ARE MET, UH, MUNICIPALITIES WOULD BE ABLE TO APPLY, UM, EITHER FOR ONE PROJECT OR FOR MULTIPLE PROJECTS UP TO THEM.
AND AGAIN, IT WOULD BE ADMINISTRATED ADMINISTERED BY COMMUNITY FOUNDATION AT THE LOW COUNTRY.
THEY'VE AGREED TO THIS COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF THE COUNTRY HOUSE.
I JUST WANT TO KNOW HOW ARE YOU SAYING THAT GMC NEEDS WELL, COMPARED TO BLUFFTON NEEDS? SO WE WERE, WE WERE TRYING TO BE EQUAL AND THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, THERE'S A LOT OF TALK ABOUT EQUITY.
AND SO WE WANTED TO JUST DIVIDE IT EVENLY BETWEEN EVERYBODY AND WHATEVER PROJECT THEY WANTED TO COME MORE WITH.
YOU CAN'T BE IT ON POPULATION, OR I'M JUST, I JUST, I JUST CAN'T.
I MEAN, WE, WE COULD SEE, I WOULD SAY I WOULD LOVE, YEAH, WE, WE COULDN'T BASE IT ON POPULATION AND THOSE PARTICULAR CASE, YOU KNOW, ME AND THE FONZ, AND WE CAN, WE CAN TRY TO TIGHTEN DOWN ON THIS A LITTLE BIT, BECAUSE IT WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION AFTER OPERA WAS OUT THAT, UH, THOSE, UM, AND I'M GOING TO GET THIS BACKWARDS POTENTIALLY, BUT I'M MORE, IT HAS SOMETHING TO DO.
THE DISTRIBUTION THAT EACH JURISDICTION GOT ON ARPA FUNDS HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH THEM BEING AN ENTITLEMENT OR A NON ENTITLEMENT, UH, COMMUNITY.
AND IF THEY'RE ONE, THEY GOT LESS FAR FROM MONEY THAN IF THERE WERE ANOTHER.
SO WE CAN GO BACK AND REFINE THAT AND LOOK AT THAT TYPE OF SITUATION AND TRIED TO DO IT PROPORTIONALLY BASED ON THAT.
BUT ACROSS THE BOARD, WE WANTED TO BE EQUAL ACROSS THE BOARD TO ALL THE MUNICIPALITIES, BECAUSE IN MY MIND, A SMALLER MUNICIPALITY MIGHT HAVE MORE NEEDS.
THEY MIGHT'VE GOTTEN LESS ARPA MONEY, UH, THAN THE LARGER JURISDICTIONS WERE MORE POPULATION TO DO LESS WITH IT.
SO THAT'S WHEN WE SET IT AT, AT, AT, UH, $500,000 A PIECE.
LET ME MAKE A COMMENT ON THAT.
THE, THE SMALLER ONES DO HAVE GREATER NEEDS.
THEY HAVE GREATER NEEDS AND THEY HAVE LESS ABILITY TO RAISE REVENUE.
AND IF WE RESETTLED THIS DECK, THE AMOUNT OF THE DIFFERENCE, THE DELTA, THAT'S GOING TO GO TO A HILTON HEAD SAY, OR A BLUFFTON, OR, UH, IT'S NOT GOING TO BE THAT SIGNIFICANT.
IT'S GOING TO BE IT'S MEANS A LOT TO THE LITTLE GUY.
IT'S NOT GONNA MEAN THAT MUCH TO THE BIG GUY, SO, OKAY.
IT MAY LEND ITSELF TO A PER CAPITA WITH A MINIMUM MATT WOODS ADDRESS EVERYBODY'S CONCERNS.
TAKE MY GUIDANCE FROM YOU RIGHT NOW.
LEAVE IT THE WAY IT IS, THE WAY IT IS.
ANYBODY ELSE? I DON'T WANT LOGAN, LOGAN.
JUST SORTA, SINCE WE'RE JUST BRAINSTORMING IDEAS HERE AND PING PONG AND OFF ONE, ANOTHER ONE THINGS CHRIS BROUGHT UP EARLIER IS MAYBE THE FUNDS COULD BE USED FOR SOMETHING ELSE WHEN HE WAS TALKING ABOUT THEIR APPROVEMENT PROCESS.
IS THIS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO MAYBE LOOK AT SOME TYPE OF STIPEND OR BONUS FOR OUR FIRE? THE SAME WAY WE DID WITH EMS BEFOREHAND? CAUSE WE CAME ABOUT A YEAR, A LITTLE LESS THAN A YEAR AGO TO DO SOMETHING FOR EMS. IS THIS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO DO SOMETHING FOR THE MUNICIPALITIES, BUT THE FIRE DISTRICT? I DON'T KNOW.
JUST SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT.
IF THERE'S A WAY WE CAN ALLOCATE SOME OF THOSE FUNDS, JUST LIKE WE DID FOR OUR SIDE OF THE COUNTY LEVEL, THIS WOULD GIVE THEM THE MONEY
[01:20:01]
AND THEY USE THE MONEY UNDER OUR GUIDELINES FOR WHATEVER THEY WOULD WANT.SO IF THEY DID TO DO WHAT YOU ARE ASKING FOR, THEY WOULD HAVE THE FUNDS TO, THEY GET PROPOSED PROGRAMS AND WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO USE THE FUNDING FOR.
AND IF I WANT TO USE IT FOR RECRUITMENT OR RETENTION OF THE FIREFIGHTERS, THEN WE COULD, WE COULD EVALUATE THEM TO MAKE THE AWARD BASED ON THAT.
BUT AT THE TOP OF YOUR HEAD, IT LOOKS LIKE THEY PROBABLY COULD.
ANYBODY ELSE BEFORE WE MOVE FOR HEATHER MOVES ON AND THEN AGAIN, I WANT TO GO TO BULLET NUMBER THREE, YOU KNOW, MUNICIPALITIES COULD APPLY FOR ONE PROJECT OR THEY COULD APPLY FOR MULTIPLE PROJECTS.
SO IF THEY WANTED TO USE 250,000 AS CHAIRMAN PASS THAT JUST SEND TO RECRUIT FOR OUR RESCUE, THEN THEY CAN DO THAT.
SO NEXT WE GET INTO THE RECREATION ELEMENT OF YOUR SPREADSHEETS.
AND SO WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT FOR RECREATION AT THE ST HELENA COMMUNITY IS A 1.25 MILLION.
AND THIS IS TO BALANCE UNIQUE WAY OF LIFE THAT ONLY EXISTS ON ST.
HELENA AND CREATING A SPACE WHERE CHILDREN CAN COME TOGETHER TO PLAY WHILE PRESERVING AND PROMOTING CULTURE.
UM, THE FUNDING WOULD SUPPORT DESIGN PLANNING, AND POTENTIALLY SOME CONSTRUCTION OF A RIGHT SMALL SIZE, SMALL SPLASH PAD AREA AND PLAY SPACE.
AND OF COURSE THE CULTURE CHAPTER OF THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN RECOMMENDS REVIEWING RECREATION PROGRAMS IN ST.
HELENA AND ENSURING THAT PROGRAMS ARE ADDRESSING COMMUNITY NEEDS.
AND THEY'RE THERE TO EXPAND THE PROGRAMMING.
I HAVE ONE, I HAVE ONE ADDITIONAL THING.
I KEEP JUMPING UP HERE WITH HEATHER.
WE'RE TRYING TO TAG TEAM, BUT I DO UNDERSTAND THAT THERE MAY BE SOME, UM, QUESTIONS ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT THIS IS GOING TO PLAY OUT THE WAY WE THOUGHT IT WOULD, UH, FOR THE COMMUNITY OF ST HOW LONG, UH, UH, ALLAN AND, AND THAT AREA OF THE COUNTY, IF THE, UH, IF THAT AREA OF THE COUNTY DID NOT WANT US TO DO THIS COURSE, WE COULD, WE COULD REALLOCATE SOME OF THIS MONEY TO SOMETHING ELSE OR DO A COUPLE OF OTHER PROJECTS THAT QUALIFY INSTEAD OF DOING THIS.
SO, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER GLOVER, I THINK YOU AND I HAD A DISCUSSION ABOUT THIS THE OTHER DAY.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAVE ANYTHING ELSE YOU WOULD LIKE TO ADD OR NOT.
I, UM, I WOULD JUST COMMENT THAT, UM, PLEA AREA IS, IS IN A SPLASH PAD.
MAYBE NOT, BUT THE MONEY SHOULD STAY THERE.
I DON'T WANT THE MONEY TO GO IN ELSEWHERE OTHER THAN, AND UTILIZING AND REVITALIZING THE THREE SPACES THAT ARE THERE CURRENTLY AND SEEING HOW THAT CAN BE REFRESHED.
I WAS ON THE SOUTH SIDE PARK COMMITTEE, AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT PUBLIC WANTED WAS A SPLASH PAD.
AND, UH, THE COMMITTEE DECIDED DUE TO COSTS OF MAINTENANCE.
IF IT WAS TAKEN OUT THAT WAS CITY OF BUFORD AND THEY WORKED UP SOME COSTS THAT THEY COULD PROBABLY GIVE YOU FOR MAINTAINING A SPLASH PAN.
IT WAS, I WAS ASTOUNDED IT'S IT'S REAL EXPENSIVE.
ANY OTHER HANDS UP THERE? YEAH, I HAD ONE COMMENT, YOU KNOW, WE USED TO HAVE A WATER SLIDES OUT ON ST.
HELENA ISLAND AND WE STILL OWN THAT PROPERTY.
I THINK THAT IF WE'RE GOING TO DO IT, THAT MIGHT SAVE US A LITTLE BIT OF MONEY.
ANYBODY ELSE? ALRIGHT, HEATHER.
AND AGAIN, WE'RE STILL IN THE RECREATION ELEMENT.
SO WITH NEW RIVERSIDE PARK, SO THIS WAS A CONCEPTUAL MASTER PLAN THAT HAS BEEN APPROVED BY BOTH BUFORD COUNTY AND TANA BLUFFTON.
UM, AND THIS IS CREATING SPACES FOR PEOPLE IN BEAVER COUNTY TO PLAY.
UM, I LOVE THE NEW RIVERSIDE PARK.
I JUST THINK IT'S A REALLY GREAT ADDITION TO OUR COUNTY.
UM, AND THE REQUEST IS 1 MILLION TO GET THIS PHASE ONE GOING, UM, THEY'VE BEEN STUCK IN KIND OF SOME FUNDING ISSUES THERE.
UM, AND THE FUNDING WOULD GORGEOUS GO TOWARDS PHASE ONE OF THE CONCEPTUAL MASTER PLAN, WHICH IS LISTED ON YOUR WEBSITE.
AND IT INCLUDES BULLETS LIKE PARK ENTRANCE AND VEHICULAR ACCESS, PARKING, LOTS TRAIL HEADS, AND RESTROOMS, UM, AGAIN, UH, HIKING TRAILS, UM, AND, UM, WALKING TRAILS.
AND AGAIN, THIS, THIS, THIS PART CAN BE REALLY, REALLY SPECIAL FOR BUFORD CATCHY.
AND IT'S GOING TO BE OFFERING KAYAKING AND PRIMITIVE, CAMPING AND HIKING AND BIKING TRAILS, WATER USE, AND MORE.
SO THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THIS INFUSION OF MONEY.
I DON'T THERE'S NO, NO COUNCIL IN THE LIBERAL OVER THERE.
DO THEY W THAT'S GOING TO BE A BLANK SPOT WHEN WE HEAR OKAY.
I CAN'T SEE THE FOLKS THAT ARE ONLINE RIGHT NOW.
[01:25:01]
BURTON WELLS, WATER PARK AND CAMPGROUND.THIS IS A $1 MILLION ASK AND IT'S A REVENUE GENERATING LARGE SCALE RECREATIONAL SPACE.
THIS WOULD HAVE REVENUE GENERATING FACILITIES, SIMILAR TO GREENVILLE AND CHARLESTON COUNTIES.
THIS WOULD ADDRESS MULTIPLE ELEMENTS OF RECREATION FOUND IN THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, INCLUDING DEVELOPING A STRATEGY TO ADDRESS ADDRESS PARK NEEDS BY SPENDING ON EXISTING FUNDING OPTIONS AND SEEKING NEW SOURCES OF FUNDING AND PURSUE FACILITIES AND ACTIVE PARKS THAT GENERATE REVENUE FOR YOU TO USE AS FEES.
SO THE DREAM FOR THIS BURTON WELLS WATER PARK AND CAMPGROUND WOULD BE A FULL-SCALE WATERPARK.
UM, AGAIN, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WHAT YOU WOULD SEE UP IN CHARLESTON OR GREENVILLE, UM, AND IT WOULD ALSO INCLUDE A CAMERA COMMENTS, QUESTIONS.
I CAN'T SEE YOU ONLINE, ANYBODY ONLINE WITH A HAND UP PAUL GERALD, GO AHEAD.
WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE CAMPING ASPECT OF THIS, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE SMALL RVS, UH, OR ARE YOU TALKING IN A FULL-SCALE, UH, CAMPING? WHAT ARE WE TALKING ABOUT? WHAT'S LISTED IN THE MASTER PLANNING DOCUMENT IS PRIMITIVE, CAMPING, BUT AGAIN, I THINK THAT THAT WOULD BE UP TO THE COMMUNITY AND THE COUNTY TO SEE WHAT GENERATES REVENUE, BUT THIS WOULD BE A REVENUE GENERATING REGIONAL LARGE-SCALE PARK.
DOES ANYBODY KNOW HOW BIG THAT PARK IS? IT'S PRETTY BIG.
THERE'S A LOT OF UNUSED SPACE OUT THERE.
IS THERE NOT A LOT OF UNUSED SPACE? OKAY.
IF YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT THIS.
YEAH, NO, SHE HAS TO DO MUCH MORE CHECK.
THERE'S ALL KINDS OF POTENTIAL OUT THERE.
IS THERE NOT, OH, THERE'S A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF POTENTIAL.
UM, SO THE MASTER PLAN, THIS IS JUST A VERY SMALL PART OF WHAT'S PART OF THAT MASTURBATION.
UH, THE IDEA IS TO START PUTTING INFRASTRUCTURE IN THAT HAS ALREADY BEEN MENTIONED, STARTS GENERATING REVENUE.
UH, BURTON WELLS 20 YEARS AGO WAS SORT OF OUT OF TOWN.
NOW, IF YOU LOOK AT ALL THE HOUSES, HABERSHAM, ALL OF THESE PLACES THAT ARE BEING BUILT AROUND, UH, BURTON WELLS, IT'S SORT OF IN THE MIDDLE OF EVERYTHING.
UH, SO IT WAS DRAW SOUTH OF ABROAD, THE TOURISM, SOUTH ABROAD, NORTH OF ABROAD.
UM, AND IT, IT WOULD BE RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE GROWTH AREA, BUT IT'S HUNDREDS OF ACRES AND, UH, THERE'S, THERE'S A POTENTIAL MARINE CORPS DONATE THAT TO US.
I DON'T THINK IT WAS THE MARINE CORPS.
IT WAS THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT PART OF THE WELL SYSTEM.
WE HAVE ANOTHER PIECE OF PROPERTY OVER ON NEAR PORT ROYAL.
SO ALL OF THOSE CAME ABOUT THE SAME TIME IN THE 1960S YESTERDAY.
THEY CLOSED, I THINK, UH, BEFORE WE GO TOO MUCH FURTHER ON THIS, WE NEED TO EVALUATE THE MARINE CORPS, AIR STATIONS, UM, COMMENTS, WHAT THEY W WHAT THEY WOULD SAY ABOUT IT, BECAUSE, UM, THIS IS CLEARLY IN THE FLIGHT.
MOST OF IT'S WITHIN THE FLIGHT PATHS AND, UM, AND THE COOS.
AND SO WE'RE, YOU KNOW, KIND OF LIMITED IN WHAT WE WANT TO EXPOSE PEOPLE TO, UH, EVEN IF EVEN BEFORE THAT BRIAN, WE WOULD CERTAINLY HAVE TO, UH, UH, UH, HAVE SOME COMMUNITY DISCUSSIONS AS TO WHETHER THE COMMUNITY IS, UH, RESIDENCE OF SET WELL WITH THE COMMUNITY OR NOT.
THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I'M HEARING SOME OF THIS.
AND SO CERTAINLY IT'S GOING TO, IT'S GOING TO REQUIRE SOME COMMUNITY INPUT.
I THINK IT'S ALREADY IN OUR MASTER PLAN.
SO, UM, CLEARLY WE WANT TO GET THAT OUT AND HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH EVERYBODY LEAVING THE AIR STATION.
ANYBODY ELSE ON THE BURTON WELLS, WATER PARK AND CAMP GROUND.
OKAY, HEATHER, UM, THIS ONE IS THE RECONSTRUCTION ERA, NATIONAL HISTORIC PARKS NETWORK OF SIGNAGE PROGRAM.
THAT'S A MOUTHFUL, IT'S $350,000.
AND WHAT THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE IS DOING IS THEY'RE PUTTING UP SIGNAGE ALONG THE .
THIS WOULD HAVE SIGNAGE BOTH WITH THE ERA SITES, AS WELL AS THE NETWORK OF SITES, UM, WHICH INCLUDES, YOU KNOW, A NUMBER OF, UM, OF DIFFERENT SITES ALL ACROSS THE COUNTY HILTON HEAD, ALL THE WAY TO BUFORT.
AND SO THE ASK HERE IS $350,000.
WELL, THE QUESTION IS THAT ENOUGH MONEY.
SO THIS PROJECT WAS SCOPED ACTUALLY THROUGH THE LINDSEY, THROUGH THE APPROPRIATIONS PROCESS THAT WE PUT IN WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO SENATOR GRAHAM, AND IT WAS NOT ACCEPTED, BUT WE HAD IT SCOPED ANYBODY ELSE JUST WONDERING, IS THIS NUMBER, THEN IT'S THREE 50.
IS THAT NET OF A POTENTIAL GRANT, OR IF WE GET A GRANT THAT NUMBERS, SO THE ASK FROM BILLY WAS $350,000 TO PUT THE SIGNAGE INTO THE NETWORK IN THE COUNTY.
OH, IT'S STILL A QUESTION IF WE, IF THEY GET GRANTED, I MAY NOT NEED AS MUCH.
[01:30:02]
OKAY.UM, SO WHEN I WAS AT HERE A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO, I TALKED ABOUT BROADBAND AT 500,000 STARLING BETA TEST AT 200,000 AND ELECTRIC VEHICLE COUNTY AND COMMUNITY READINESS.
WHAT I'M ASKING TODAY IS FOR THAT TO BE JUST LEFT AS A PLACEHOLDER, I DO NOT HAVE A PROJECT PLAN FOR THIS RIGHT NOW.
THERE ARE WAY TOO MANY VARIABLES HAPPENING AT THE STATE HOUSE WITH THE NEW INFRASTRUCTURE BILL AND THEN POTENTIALLY WITH THE BELT BACK THERE.
SO I JUST WANT TO PUT A PAUSE ON THIS.
UM, I KNOW THAT THERE'S THINGS THAT WE WANT IN TERMS OF ELECTRIC VEHICLE, COMMUNITY READINESS, IT'S IN YOUR COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
I SEE IT, BUT AS OF RIGHT NOW, WE JUST NEED TO STICK A PIN IN THIS UNTIL PROBABLY LATE JANUARY, 2022, PROBABLY WITH QUESTIONS.
ARE YOU SCRATCHING YOUR HEAD OR DO YOU HAVE YOUR HAND UP BIG? CONGRATULATIONS.
I TOLD HIM, I SAID, OKAY, GREAT.
SO NOW WE GO INTO THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, UM, TWO YEARS OF THE PLAN, AND WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT FOR THE EDC IS TO, UM, FUND $500,000 TO THE EDC TO SUPPORT THE SITE SOUTH COAST CYBER BUILDING.
THIS IS ACTUALLY BUILDING THE PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE FOR SOUTH COAST CYBER, AND IT'S US SUPPORTING THAT AT HALF A MILLION DOLLARS.
MR. CHAIRMAN, I STRONGLY ENDORSED THIS.
THIS GROUP HAS GOTTEN GRANTS FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE AND THEY ARE READY, READY TO IMPLEMENT THE PLAN QUESTIONS.
THE NEXT ONE IS SOMETHING THAT I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT AS WELL.
THIS IS WORKING WITH THE BEAVER COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION TO FUND $250,000 FOR THE GOAL OF FARMERS COOPERATIVE.
UM, I DON'T KNOW IF Y'ALL HAVE, I'M HOPING THAT YOU DID THAT.
YOU KNOW, THE BEAVER COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION WON A NATIONAL AWARD FOR THEIR WORK WITH A GOAL OF FARMERS COOPERATIVE.
AND THE GOAL OF FARMERS COOPERATIVE HAS, UM, PUT $750,000, UM, THROUGH GRANTS, FEDERAL STATE, AND ALL SORTS OF OTHER MONIES THAT THEY'RE FINDING.
AND THIS WOULD BE $250,000 OF OUR ARTIFACTS TO SHORE UP THIS AGRICULTURAL ASSETS AND BE FOR COUNTY COMMENTS QUESTIONS.
IT'S A VERY SMALL ASK, BUT BEAVER COUNTY EDC HAS IDENTIFIED A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT PROPERTIES THAT THEY MIGHT WANT TO LOOK AT IN TERMS OF LAND PARTICIPANTS.
UM, AND THIS IS ALL AREAS THAT ARE IDENTIFIED UNDER THE BROOKINGS INSTITUTE, UNDERSTANDING OF HOW TO USE ARPA DOLLARS TO, UM, STIMULATE GROWTH IN UNDERSERVED NEIGHBORHOODS.
SO THIS IS A $50,000 ASK COMMENTS, QUESTIONS ONLINE.
I CAN'T SEE YOU SPEAK OUT IF YOU HAVE YOUR HAND UP.
SO WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IS, UM, COMMUNITY BUILDINGS AND GARDENER'S CORNER ON ST.
HELENA AND ALSO ON AT A MILLION DOLLARS A PIECE.
AND THE CHALLENGE IS THE LACK OF NEIGHBORHOOD COMMUNITY MEETING SPACES, WHERE VARIOUS PARTNERS, SUCH AS HOSPITALS, RECREATION, WHOEVER IT IS, UM, CAN REACH THE NEEDS OF THE RESIDENTS OR, UM, OR INTERACT WITH THE RESIDENTS.
AND SO THIS COULD BE AN UPGRADE TO EXISTING BUILDINGS, OR IT COULD ACTUALLY BE A NEW BUILDING BUILT.
UM, AND SO THAT'S THE ASK FOR A MILLION DOLLARS FOR EACH OF THOSE COMMUNITIES FOR BUILDINGS, QUESTIONS, COMMENTS.
VERY LIKELY THAT THIS WOULD BE A NEW BUILD ON THE FIRST SCAM, POSSIBLY RETROFITS OR EXPANSIONS TO EXISTING BUILDINGS ON ST.
HELEN AND GARDENS CORNER AREA, BUT, UH, WITHOUT A WORKOUT, SOME OWNERSHIP ISSUES WITH THAT.
SO SHE, IF SHE DO, AND AGAIN, WE'RE LOOKING AT THESE AS FLEXIBLE SPACE PLACES WHERE PEOPLE CAN GO AND GET THEIR FLU SHOT, UM, PLACES WHERE PEOPLE CAN DO PASSIVE RECREATION, UM, THAT SORT OF THING.
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT.
UM, THIS WOULD BE A MENTAL HEALTH TELE-HEALTH PROGRAM THAT WE WOULD FIND WITH IN PARTNERSHIP WITH B FROM MEMORIAL HOSPITAL TO PROVIDE TELEHEALTH MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES FOR OUR DETENTION CENTER INMATES.
UM, WE DO NOT HAVE A CONSISTENT SOURCE OF MENTAL HEALTH TREATMENT FOR DETENTION CENTER INMATES.
AND WE WOULD BE ABLE TO WORK WITH B FOR COUNTY, OR I'M SORRY, WITH BUFORD MEMORIAL HOSPITAL TO RECRUIT A HOSPITAL PSYCHIATRIST THAT CAN TREAT AND MATES VIA TELE-HEALTH FOR A PREDETERMINED PERIOD OF TIME.
AGAIN, THAT WOULD ALL BE WORKED OUT IN THE MOU.
AND THEN THAT WOULD ALSO BE ABLE TO ALLOW OUR AREA RESIDENTS TO ACCESS A PSYCHIATRIST
[01:35:01]
THROUGH THE BUFORD MEMORIAL NETWORK OF PROVIDERS.AND YOU PUT THAT COMMENT IN THERE ABOUT POTENTIAL FUNDING FOR BUFORD COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT IS AVAILABLE TO SERVE STUDENT POPULATIONS, LET US KNOW THAT THAT'S ALREADY TAKEN CARE OF.
YEAH, SO THEY ARE, THEY HAVE THE SAME ISSUE THAT WE HAVE IN THE DETENTION CENTER AND GETTING MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES TO THEIR STUDENTS.
THEY HAVE A POT OF MONEY THAT THEY HAVE SET ASIDE.
AND SO THEY'RE LOOKING AT PARTNERSHIP WITH US ON THIS, IF THIS IS SOMETHING THAT THE COUNTY WANTS TO DO.
THANK YOU, MS. CHAIRMAN, UH, JUST REAL QUICK, IF THIS IS SUCCESSFUL, I WOULD LIKE IF THERE'S A WAY WE CAN NOT GET THIS INTO OUR BUDGET TO CONTINUE SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
AS FAR AS EXTENSION CENTER AND MORE PEOPLE OUT THERE, I THINK IT'S A BIGGER NEED THAN PEOPLE REALIZE, UM, NOT TO GET INTO ALL OF THE PANDEMIC STOP.
WE ALL HAVE OUR AGREEMENTS DISAGREEMENTS, BUT TO ME, ONE OF THE BIGGEST THINGS IS THE MENTAL HEALTH ASPECT OF PEOPLE THAT WENT THROUGH, UM, THIS PANDEMIC, UM, ALCOHOL ABUSE IS ON THE RISE.
DOMESTIC ABUSE IS ON THE RISE SUICIDE RATE IS ON THE RISE.
AND I THINK THAT'S THE BIGGEST ISSUE WE NEED TO TACKLE RIGHT NOW.
OUR COUNTY IS ADDRESSING THOSE ISSUES AS FAR AS RESIDENTS.
SO, UM, I SEE IT AS BEING SUCCESSFUL.
UM, I WANT TO SEE IT THE WAY THAT WE CAN CONTINUE FUNDING THIS PROJECT, IF IT IS SUCCESSFUL THE WAY IT LOOKS LIKE IT WILL BE AS WELL.
I'M JUST THINKING, UM, AND MENTAL HEALTH IS SOMETHING THAT WE DO NEED TO ADDRESS.
UM, SO I'VE BEEN LOOKING TO PEOPLE LIKE THE HOSPITAL, UM, BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, WHAT RES WHAT QUESTION COMES TO MIND REAL QUICKLY AS, UM, WHEREAS MENTAL HEALTH AND SOMETHING LIKE THIS HERE, UM, AND IS ONE PSYCHIATRIST SUFFICIENT, UM, BUT A MILLION DOLLARS IS A MILLION DOLLARS, SO YOU CAN PROBABLY INITIATE SOMETHING, BUT IT HAS TO BE AN ONGOING PROBLEM.
I MEAN, THE ISSUE HERE, BECAUSE IT'S NOT GOING TO WIN, UM, YOU KNOW, WORKING WITH THE DETENTION CENTER, WORKING WITH THE HOSPITALS.
UM, SO A PSYCHIATRIST, ONE OF THE WAY, BECAUSE THE MENTAL HEALTH IS, UH, IN THIS PROCESS, JUST, JUST, I JUST, YOU KNOW, THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT JUST COME UP AND I AM, YOU KNOW, I WILL HAVE, I DON'T KNOW.
SO I'M JUST WONDERING, WE GOT RESOURCES, YOU KNOW, INSTEAD OF DUPLICATING, UH, OR COMPETING WITH, YOU KNOW, HOW DO WE ACTUALLY UTILIZE ALL OUR RESOURCES AS ONE, BECAUSE WE DEALING WITH ONE COMMUNITY.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT COMES TO MIND.
SO THAT'S WHY I SUPPORTED YOU JUST WANTING TO KNOW HOW WE UTILIZE ALL THAT RESOURCES OUT THERE AND HAVE US OLDEST FIT TOGETHER.
AND MY LOVER, I'D LIKE TO TURN IT OVER TO A FELLOW WHO CAN ANSWER THE SPECIFIC QUESTIONS ABOUT PISTOL MENTAL HEALTH, CAUSE THERE'S INTERVENTIONS.
SO I APPRECIATE YOUR QUESTION BECAUSE I THINK ONE OF THE IMPORTANT THINGS WHEN WE'RE DEALING WITH THE ATTENTION CENTER IS OUR ISSUE WITH MENTAL HEALTH.
UM, I DON'T THINK THAT ENOUGH RESOURCES GETS PUT INTO MENTAL HEALTH AT THE DETENTION CENTER, UM, BECAUSE WE CONSTANTLY ARE DEALING WITH PEOPLE THAT HAVE MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES ON A CONSTANT BASIS.
AND THE PROBLEM IS, IS THAT THEY ARE IN A VICIOUS CYCLE OF GOING THROUGH A LOT OF DIFFERENT AGENCIES.
ONE OF THEM BEING COASTAL ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH, THE OTHER BEING THE HOSPITAL EMS AND THE US AND LAW ENFORCEMENT.
SO EACH ONE OF THOSE AGENCIES ARE ALL INTERCONNECTED.
WE ALL KNOW THESE PEOPLE VERY WELL THAT MAKE IT THROUGH OUR SYSTEM, BUT I DON'T THINK ARE GETTING THE COMPREHENSIVE HELP THAT THEY TRULY NEED.
AND TO GET THE PROGRAM OFF LIKE THIS, I THINK IT'S GOING TO TAKE OUR PARTNERS LIKE BEAUTIFUL MEMORIAL, WHO RUNS TO EAST WHERE A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT GO TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM AT EPITOPES LEFT US GO TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM.
NEXT, THEY END UP AT TWO EAS, WHICH IS THEIR MINIMUM LEVEL KIND OF LIKE MENTAL HEALTH UNIT.
AND THEN ONCE THEY GET RELEASED FROM THERE, THEY GO BACK OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY THEY END UP AT IN LAW ENFORCEMENT AND THEY ENDED UP BACK WITH US AGAIN.
SO IT ENDS UP INTO A VICIOUS CYCLE.
WE ARE WORKING WITH COASTAL ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH, UM, AS YOU WELL KNOW, WE'VE HAD A CONTRACT WITH THEM FOR A WELL OVER 20 YEARS.
AND UNFORTUNATELY, BECAUSE OF THEIR OWN RESOURCES, THEY HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO FILL THAT CONTRACT.
[01:40:01]
ARE JUST RECENTLY IN THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS HAVE JUST OPENED UP OUR, UM, COMMUNICATIONS AGAIN WITH COASTAL TO TRY TO BRING THEM BACK INTO, UH, THE DETENTION CENTER AND BRING THEM BACK INTO THE REALM BECAUSE LOTS OF THEIR PATIENTS ARE ONES THAT END UP WITH US.AND A LOT OF THE NEW PATIENTS END UP WITH FEWER MEMORIAL TO EASE.
SO IT'S GOING TO BE A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT.
AND THEN, UM, YOU KNOW, AND IT'S STILL OPEN WITH COASTAL.
I MEAN, WE, WE HAVE NEVER SHUT OUR DOOR.
SO IS THE COLLABORATIVE WITH ALL OF THESE PARTNERS YOU JUST MENTIONED AND WHAT THE HOSPITALS WILL BE TAKING THE LEAD IN THIS.
CAUSE I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, JUST LIKE YOU SEE MANY OTHER PLACES, LIKE YOU CAN GO TO PUBLIX NOW AND YOU GET TELE-HEALTH MEDICINE INSIDE THE PHARMACY, RIGHT THERE, THESE ARE SORT OF THE SAME ISSUES WHERE YOUR RESOURCES ARE LIMITED.
I MEAN, EVERYBODY'S HAVING STAFFING ISSUES.
AND THE BETTER WAY OF DEALING WITH THESE STAFFING ISSUES IS IF WE DO HAVE A PSYCHIATRIST AND WE'RE ABLE TO GET TO THEM A DIFFERENT WAY, RATHER THAN HAVING TO TAKE SOMEBODY TO THEM OR HAVE THEM COME ALL THE WAY TO US, WHICH TAKES A LOT OF TIME OUT OF THEIR DAY, WE CAN DO IT AS TELEHEALTH.
THEN I THINK IT SAVES A LOT OF TIME AND EFFORT AND WE CAN GET A LOT MORE PEOPLE TO THOSE SERVICES QUICKER THAN TRYING TO WAIT AROUND TO GET AN APPOINTMENT THREE WEEKS FROM NOW.
AND I THINK THAT'S WHY WHEN YOU START LOOKING AT TELEMEDICINE, UM, UH, BROADBAND BECOMES A CRITICAL PART OF THAT BECAUSE YOU GOT RURAL AREA THAT YOU CAN'T EVEN GET ACCESS TO THE INTERNET.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, UTILIZING AND SERVICING THOSE AREAS, YOU KNOW, IT'S A COMPLETE PACKAGE DEAL GOING FORWARD, BUT, UM, UM, LONG AS THERE'S A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT AND ALL THE PLAYERS, AT LEAST AT THE TABLE, WHETHER THEY WANT TO PARTICIPATE OR NOT THE, AT THE TABLE, BECAUSE I AGREE THAT THESE CLIENTS, UH, TOUCHING EVERY LAST ONE OF THOSE AGENCIES.
YORK NAILED IT EXACTLY FOR ME.
THANKS YOUR SORRY TO ANYBODY ELSE ON THE MENTAL TELE-HEALTH.
SO WITH THIS NEXT SLIDE, WHAT I HAVE DONE IS JUST LUMPED EVERYTHING UNDER OUR GENERAL INFRASTRUCTURE TOGETHER.
SO WE'RE LOOKING AT PLANNING FOR A REGIONAL FERRY SERVICE THAT WE'LL TALK ABOUT IN THE NEXT SLIDE, $8 MILLION FOR JUST GENERAL INFRASTRUCTURE, $3 MILLION FOR WATER AND SEWER, AND THEN $400,000 FOR A COUNTY IT DATA CENTER.
LET'S TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE REGIONAL FERRY PLANNING.
THIS IS $500,000 AND THE OPPORTUNITY IS TO IDENTIFY OPPORTUNITIES AND INCENTIVES FOR IMPROVING AND EXPANDING MARINE ACCESS AND TRANSPORT SERVICES.
FOR EXAMPLE, FERRY SERVICE TO THE RESIDENTS OF BEAVER COUNTY AND THE $500,000 WOULD YOU BE USED FOR THE STUDY AND PLANNING OF A COUNTY WIDE FERRY SERVICE? HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS ON THIS BOARD HERE? JUST PLANNING.
UM, THESE ARE OUR FUND INVESTMENTS.
AND AGAIN, THIS IS WHAT I SHOWED YOU ALL LAST NIGHT.
WE'RE LOOKING AT, UM, AIRPORT INVESTMENT AT 2 MILLION SOLID WASTE AND RECYCLING INVESTMENT AT 2 MILLION.
UM, AT COUNTY GARAGE CAPITAL FUNDS, WE WOULD BE SERVICING OUR CARS AND OUR VEHICLES AT 1 MILLION AND THEN A GENERAL FUND FOR DEBUSKEY ISLAND IMPROVEMENTS AT $300,000.
AND AGAIN, JUST LIKE WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THE COMMUNITY AT FIRST SIGHT, THE COMMUNITY CHOOSE WHAT THEY WANT TO DO WITH THE A HUNDRED THOUSAND ANY QUESTIONS ON THESE? OKAY, EXCELLENT.
AND THEN LAST IS STAFFING AND CONSULTANTS.
AGAIN, THIS IS WHAT WAS SHOWN TO YOU ALL LAST MONTH.
SO YOU'RE LOOKING AT $125,000 FOR OUR BUCK CONSULTING, OUR, UH, PROJECT MANAGEMENT, WHICH AGAIN IS TO HAVE SOMEBODY MANAGE THESE PROJECTS AND MAKE SURE THAT EVERYTHING IS GOING SMOOTHLY.
LOOK FOR THE NEXT OPPORTUNITY.
LOOK FOR WAYS TO LEVERAGE FUNDS ALONGSIDE THE CONSULTANT.
UM, FOR THE NEXT FOUR YEARS, THAT'S 520,000 AND THEN FISCAL MANAGEMENT IS IN YOUR, UM, THIS IS A HALF OF A PERSON TO BE IN YOUR ACCOUNTING OFFICE TO BE MAKING SURE THAT THE REPORTING IS DONE CORRECTLY.
[01:45:01]
UH, ONE COMMENT FROM ME, YES.FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS, AS WE'VE DEVELOPED OUR BUDGETS, THREE WORDS HAVE COME OUT, LIVE, WORK, AND PLAY, AND THESE ARE THE FUNDS DIRECTLY DEAL WITH WHERE PEOPLE LIVE, WORK AND PLAY COMMEND YOU FOR THAT.
JUST MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND THAT PROCESS GOING FORWARD.
I UNDERSTAND THESE, THESE WILL COME BACK TO US IN SOME FORM IN DETAIL FOR US TO APPROVE, UM, GIVEN THE MAGNITUDE OF THE DOLLARS.
UM, AND GIVEN THAT WE'RE SPENDING MONEY, IT SOUNDED LIKE APPROPRIATION.
SO ARE WE LOOKING AT SOME KIND OF, UH, AN APPROPRIATION ORDINANCE THAT WILL HAVE THREE READINGS AND PUBLIC INPUT? I WOULD THINK SO.
AND LASTLY, I WOULD SAY, UM, SOME OF THESE STRIKE ME AS ONES WHERE WE WOULD BE MAKING A GRANT MORE OR LESS TO THE SCHOOL SYSTEM.
THEY CAN REPORT BACK TO US, THE HOSPITAL, EVERYTHING ELSE, UH, SOME OF THE OTHER ONES, UH, I HOPE WE DON'T CREATE PARALLEL ORGANIZATIONS AND THAT WE ACTUALLY DO IT WITHIN THE ORGANIZATIONS, FOR EXAMPLE, UM, WHAT JARED'S OUR ORGANIZATION.
SO, SO WE TEND TO TAKE THESE BACK TO YOU GUYS, I THINK, AND WE HAVEN'T TAUGHT, BUT JUST THINKING OUT LOUD HERE FROM TODAY'S MEETING, UH, THIS SEEMS LIKE THERE'S SOME THAT ARE RIGHT AWAY, EASY LET'S MOVE FORWARD.
AND THEN THERE'S OTHERS THAT ARE LISTLESS, UM, DO SOME EDITS FROM TODAY'S COMMENTS AND COME BACK AND RETOOL AND BRING THEM BACK.
SO, UM, WE'LL TAKE A LOOK AT IT INTERNALLY WITH STAFF TO SEE IF THIS, SOME OF THEM ARE RIGHT HOT AND WE CAN TAKE THEM ONTO COUNCIL RIGHT AWAY, UH, EVEN POTENTIALLY NEXT WEEK AND IN DECEMBER.
UM, AND THEN OTHER ONES, WHETHER WE BRING THEM IN JANUARY OR THEREAFTER, UM, AND THEN WHETHER WE BREAK IT INTO ORDINANCE OR ONE ORDINANCE OR, OR WHATEVER, WE'LL WORK THAT OUT AS FAR AS STAFF.
SO OUR TIMELINES TO GET STARTED ON THESE, UH, WE DO HAVE TO APPROPRIATE THEM ALL BY 2024, WHICH I HAVE NO FEAR OF THAT.
AND THEN FULLY EXPAND BY 2026.
SO EVEN WHEN WE HAVE THESE GRANT OPPORTUNITIES, ONCE WE SAY WE HAVE A PARTNERS SAY COMMUNITY FOUNDATION, A LITTLE COUNTRY, OR WHOEVER THAT MAY BE, ONCE WE EXPAND THAT FROM OUR COUNSELORS, OUR EXPENDITURE.
UM, EVEN IF IT TAKES TWO YEARS, FOUR YEARS, THEY SPEND IT.
UM, ALSO, UM, OH MAN, WHERE WAS I GOING? WE TALKED A LOT.
SO YOU GUYS, YOU GUYS, I APPRECIATE Y'ALL ALL THE PRIVACY I'VE DONE SITTING IN THOSE CHAIRS.
Y'ALL ARE WE, UH, WE COULD BE USED TODAY.
SO THANK YOU FOR LISTENING TO THIS AND FOR EXACTLY BEFORE YOU LEAVE.
AND BEFORE I HAD TO GO BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD AND REWRITES, A LOT OF THINGS I DON'T THINK ARE NECESSARY TO REWRITE.
UM, I WANT YOU TO CIRCLE BACK TO THE GOOD WORK YOU DID ON RETENTION AND RECRUITMENT.
ERIC ARE BUFORD COUNTY EMPLOYEES REQUIRED TO LIVE IN BUFORD COUNTY.
SO THEN LIVING WHERE YOU WORK IS REALLY NOT ANYTHING WE CAN FORCE ANYONE TO DO THAT HAS GONE AWAY RIGHT AFTER PREHISTORIC TIMES.
SO TELLING PEOPLE THAT THEY MUST LIVE, WHERE THEY WORK IS OVER DECADES AGO AND NO ONE'S DOING THAT ANYMORE.
SO I DON'T THINK WE CAN IMPOSE THAT ON ANYBODY.
I DON'T WANT YOU TO GO BACK AND CREATE A UNIVERSE WHERE YOU TELL PEOPLE YOU HAVE TO LIVE HERE WITH RELOCATION EXPENSES, $2,500.
WE'LL RENT YOU A U HAUL TRAILER THAT YOU CAN FILL UP AND DRIVE DOWN HERE.
NO ONE'S DOING CLOSING COSTS ON, ON HOUSES.
IT'S REALLY HELPING PEOPLE COME HERE WITH A LIMITATION ON THE AMOUNT WE'RE GOING TO GIVE THEM.
SO THESE RELOCATION FEES ARE NOT GOING TO HELP PEOPLE RENT AN APARTMENT.
IT'S NOT GOING TO HELP THEM BUY A HOUSE.
IT'S SIMPLY GOING TO ALLOW THEM PERHAPS TO MOVE THEIR FURNITURE HERE FROM ANOTHER PLACE WHERE THEY WON'T HAVE TO PAY THAT THEMSELVES.
SO WE MADE A LOT OF NOISE ABOUT ALL THIS, BUT I, I DON'T WANT YOU TO GO BACK AND THINK YOU HAVE TO HAVE IT DO OVER BECAUSE YOU WERE RIGHT ON THE THINGS YOU WERE SAYING.
SO I HOPE THAT THAT COMMENT WILL HELP GUIDE YOU SOMEWHAT WITH, TO NOT SPEND A LOT OF TIME DOING SOMETHING THAT YOU DID CORRECTLY THE FIRST TIME.
YOU COULD RESPOND IF YOU WANT MY BOW YOU'LL CHANGE IT, BUT IT'S JUST ONE BOAT.
OH, WELL, TWO THINGS, UH, I THINK ON THAT PARTICULAR ISSUE IS YOU SEE MOST OF THESE ISSUES DON'T RELATE TO WHERE PEOPLE LIVE.
I, I TEND TO THINK THOUGH, IN THE CASE OF THE SCHOOL TO SCHOOL TEACHERS IN THE FIRST RESPONDERS, IF WE'RE ACTUALLY PAYING THEM MONEY, THAT THERE IS AN ARGUMENT THAT THEY OUGHT TO LIVE IN BUFORD COUNTY, BECAUSE THE REASON WE HAVE A PROBLEM IS BECAUSE OF OUR HIGH COST OF LIVING.
SO IF WE'RE SOLVING THAT PROBLEM, WHY SHOULDN'T THEY LIVE HERE? UM, BUT THE MORE IMPORTANT QUESTION TO ME AT THIS POINT, THERE'S WE DON'T GET THE OTHER HALF OF THE
[01:50:01]
FUNDS FOR TWO YEARS.WELL, IT'S ACTUALLY, SO WE GOT THE FIRST HALF IN MAY.
WE GET A SECOND HALF NEXT MAY.
SO I'M SITTING IN THE BANK READY TASTES.
WE CAN LOOK AT THE WHOLE 37 MILLION IN MONTHS.
AND I NOTICED THERE WAS AN OPTION TOO THERE.
I ASSUME WE'RE GOING TO FOCUS ON OPTION ONE.
BY THE TIME, BY THE TIME WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THESE PRIZES, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A HARD TIME.
IT'S BEEN AN $18 MILLION IN SIX MONTHS.
WELL, I DO LIKE THE IDEA OF BRINGING THEM FORWARD PIECEMEAL.
I, AS YOU HAVE THEM IN SOME LOGICAL GROUPINGS, LIKE IF YOU'VE GOT THREE FOR THE SCREEN, PUT THEM TOGETHER.
I THINK THAT'S ESSENTIAL FOR YOU TO TAKE THE LOOK, LOOK AT ONES THAT WE CAN DO RIGHT AWAY.
AND FOR MY TAKE ON THIS, ONE OF THE ESSENTIAL ONES WAS THE LAST ONE YOU TALKED ABOUT AND THAT'S THE THIRD PARTY VENDORS, THE ART CONSULTING THE MANAGERS, BECAUSE THAT'S CRITICAL FOR THEM TO BE ABLE TO BE ON BOARD AS WE BEGIN TO PUT THE MONEY TOGETHER SO THAT WE, WE FILL OUT THE RIGHT PAPERWORK.
WE MET, MEET THE TIMELINES AND THEY CAN HELP US WITH SOME OF THE OTHER.
AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR ALL THE TIME.
THANK YOU, HEATHER, FOR ALL YOUR WORK.
I KNOW YOU WORKED VERY HARD ON THIS A LOT.
AND YOU GAVE US GOOD DIRECTION AND GUIDANCE AND LEADERSHIP.
[9. CONSIDERATION OF AN ORDINANCE REDISTRICTING THE COUNTY COUNCIL OF BEAUFORT COUNTY]
NUMBER NINE ALREADY FOR ADAM NUMBER NINE.UH, JUST A COUPLE OF THINGS BEFORE I TURN IT OVER TO DAN ONE.
WE'RE RIGHT AT FOUR O'CLOCK, WE'VE GOT TO DO THIS AGENDA AND WE'VE GOT TO DO NATURAL RESOURCES.
AND THEN WE HAVE A PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING STARTING IN HERE AT SIX.
SO JUST KEEP THAT IN MIND AS YOU GO THROUGH THE REST OF THE, YOUR RESPECT OF THIS THERE, MR. AND MRS. CHAIRMAN CHAIRPERSON.
SO ANYWAY, YOU ALL HAVE REVIEWED ALTERNATIVE ONE AND TWO.
UM, I THINK DAN MORGAN HAS ADDRESSED THE COMMENTS, UH, HAS AN ALTERNATIVE THREE THAT HE HAS PRESENTED TO THE, AND WE PUT OUT TO THE COMMUNITY TOWARD THE END OF LAST WEEK.
I'M GONNA LET DAN COME OUT, COME UP NOW AND TALK YOU THROUGH ALL OF THAT, UH, WHERE WE ARE, WHERE WE NEED TO GO.
UH, WE DO NEED YOU ALL TO DO EVERYTHING IN YOUR POWER TO MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TO FULL COUNCIL TODAY, UH, IN SOME FORM SO THAT WE CAN GIVE THIS FIRST READING ON DECEMBER 13TH.
THAT'S NOT MY THAT'S THE TIMELINE THAT WE'RE UNDERNEATH BY THE STATE BECAUSE WE HAD TO BE FINISHED IN FEBRUARY IN ORDER TO GET THINGS DONE, UH, FOR PRECINCT SRI DRAWING AND GET THINGS OUT THROUGH THE VILLAGE, THROUGH THE VOTER'S REGISTRATION ALSO, UH, FOR THE FOLLOWING PERIOD IN MARCH.
SO, UH, DAN, I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO UNM AND LET YOU COME UP AND DO WHAT YOU'VE DONE.
SO VERY WELL THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS, AS MR. GREEN WASTE HAS MENTIONED, WE HAVE WORKED THE LAST WEEK FROM THOSE PUBLIC MEETINGS WE HAD FROM THE COMMENTS OR FEEDBACK THAT WE RECEIVED AND CAME UP WITH TWO MAPS AND ALTERNATIVE MATH THREE A AND THREE B.
I'M GOING TO DISCUSS THOSE WITH YOU RIGHT NOW.
SO THE FIRST SLIDE IS I TURNED IN MATH, THREE ALTERNATIVE MATH, THREE, A THREE, A AND THREE B HAVE TWO MINIMAL ADJUSTMENTS THAT I'LL SHARE WITH YOU THAT ARE THE SAME ON BOTH.
ONE OF THEM IS IN THE OTT BURTON AREA OR IN THE BURTON AREA.
AND THE SECOND IS IN THE OTT AREA.
AS WE GET CLOSER, I'LL TALK ABOUT THOSE SPECIFICALLY THREE B AND THREE.
ALSO THE SIGNIFICANT CHANGES, WHETHER THEY'RE ON HILTON, HEAD ON, ON THE ISLAND ITSELF, WHERE WE ADDRESS THE GULLAH GEECHEE COMMUNITIES, UH, IN THAT AREA.
SO HERE IS THE GOALIE GEECHEE COMPARISON.
YOU HAD IT PERFECT RIGHT ON THE SCREEN, PLEASE.
AND YOU KNOW THAT WASN'T PUBLICLY AVAILABLE.
DAN, WHY, WHY DON'T I HAVE A COPY OF THIS? IT WAS DISCUSSING IT'S COMING OUT.
I BELIEVE IT RIGHT AFTER THIS MEETING.
AS SOON AS WE'RE DONE, YOU'LL SEE THOSE MAPS AVAILABLE.
SO THE MAPS WERE GIVEN THE 2, 3 83 B WERE GIVEN TO, UH, MR. MIGUEL AND MR. UH, RODMAN TO TALK TO THE, THE GULLAH GEECHEE COMMUNITY AT THAT TIME.
AND SO THIS AREA THAT WE, WE TALKED ABOUT WITH THREE ALTERNATE, THREE, A THREE, A HAS 12 OF THE GOLGI, TWO COMMUNITIES, ALL IN DISTRICT 10, ONE IS IN DISTRICT 11.
[01:55:01]
COMING UP.AND THEN ONE OF THEM IS IN A DISTRICT 11, THAT'S A CHAPLAIN COMMUNITY.
AND THEN ONE OF THEM IS SHARED BETWEEN THE TWO DISTRICTS, WHICH IS A SPANISH WELLS COMMUNITY THAT IS ALTERNATIVE THREE, A ALTERNATIVE THREE B UH, THE REQUEST CAME TO TRYING TO KEEP THESE DISTRICTS KIND OF EQUALIZED IF YOU CAN, IN THE COMMUNITIES, UH, IN THE GOLD GIGI COMMUNITY.
SO WE, WE DID THAT AS WE RESEARCHED AND TRIED TO PUT THAT DATA TOGETHER THAT PROVIDED US WITH IN DISTRICT 10, NINE OF THE COMMUNITIES TO FULLY IN DISTRICT 11 AND THEN THREE SHARED AMONG THE TWO DISTRICTS TOGETHER.
THAT IS THE MAJOR SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE IN ALTERNATIVE THREE, A AND ALTERNATIVE THREE B IN THE OT AREA.
WE ADDRESSED THE CONCERNS REGARDING SIMMONS ORVILLE ROAD AND, UM, AND BUCK ISLAND ROAD IN THAT AREA.
UH, IT MOVED FROM A DISTRICT NINE TO EIGHT.
WE WERE ABLE TO REVIEW THE DATA ON DOWN THE MAP, PLEASE.
WE SHARE WELL FOR ALL OF US TO SEE THAT'S NUMBER FOUR.
SHOULD WE SLIDE FOR THIS ONE? RIGHT.
THE OTHER VIA THAT, THAT AREA.
SO THIS IS THE, THE OTT AREAS YOU CAN SEE DOWN IN OAK DE BLUFFTON AREA THAT IS LOOKING AT THE BUCKEYE AND SIMMONS VILLE AREA THAT MOVES BACK INTO DISTRICT NINE AND ALSO THE OLD MILLER ROAD AREA IN STONY CREEK AREA.
THERE'S TWO BLOCKS THERE THAT WERE MOVED, THAT ARE CURRENTLY IN A, UH, IN DISTRICT NINE.
AND THEY ARE MOVED BACK INTO DISTRICT NINE.
YOU CAN SEE THE OAK OR, I MEAN, EXCUSE ME, THE BURDEN AREA CHANGES THERE.
UH, IT WAS A REQUEST FOR A COUPLE OF SMALL, UH, BLOCKS IN THE DISTRICT.
ONE UP IN THE RUG RACK ROAD, MORRELL DRIVE AREA.
THOSE WERE MOVED INTO DISTRICT ONE AND DISTRICT FIVE, IT MOVES JUST ONE BLOCK ONTO BAYNARD ROAD IS WHERE IT IS IN MR. VICE.
SO IT'S JUST A MARSH AREA RIGHT THERE.
THOSE WERE THE MOST UP ON THAT.
YES, THAT WOULD MEAN THERE WE GO.
GOING FROM DISTRICT FIVE TO ONE WAS THE RUG RACK MORALE DRIVE AREA.
AND THE, THE SMALLER ONE THERE JUST SOUTH OF HIGHWAY ONE 70 IS A BAYNARD PARK.
IT GOES RIGHT TO MAYNARD ROAD.
YEAH, JUST NORTH OF THE MAYNARD ROAD.
SO THOSE ARE THE CHANGES THAT WE YOU'VE MADE TO ALTERNATIVE TO MATT TO COME UP WITH ALTERNATIVE THREE EIGHT AND ALTERNATIVE THREE B THE DEVIATIONS IN ALTERNATIVE THREE A IS 1.97.
SO IT KEEPS US WELL UNDER THE 5% DEVIATION, IT WAS REQUESTED BY COUNCIL AND ALTERNATIVE THREE BEAT WHAT'S THAT, I'M SORRY.
1.9, SEVEN AND FOUR ALTERNATIVE THREE B.
IT GOES UP TO 3.46 DEVIATION WITH THAT, THAT MAP WHERE THAT I CAN TAKE ANY QUESTIONS OR A DISCUSSION.
UH, I THINK HE DID A VERY NICE JOB ON THIS AND IT WAS HARD WORK AND IT WAS IN A VERY CONDENSED PERIOD OF TIME.
SO MY THANKS TO YOU AND TO IAN THROUGH THE WEEKEND, ESSENTIALLY, AND, UH, AND PRODUCING US.
IT WAS NOT ONLY IAN AND MYSELF, THERE WAS A, THE OTHER MAPPING TEAM DIDN'T HAVE THE NAMES, GET THEM IN THERE.
MARY REED WAS, OUR REED WAS OUR PRODUCTION GUY WHO GOT THE BOARDS TOGETHER FOR US.
BUSHER ALSO MET WITH US WITH MAKING SURE THAT WE MET AS WE MET WITH YOU AND THE COUNCIL MEMBERS.
LOGAN HAD A COMMENT NEXT TO, YEAH, JUST, JUST ONE QUICK QUESTION TO MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND.
FIRST THING LIKE YOU AND I TALKED THE OTHER DAY, I THINK YOU GUYS DID A FANTASTIC JOB ON THIS.
IF WE COULD GO BACK TO THE OTHER SLIDE THAT SHOWED ALL OF BEAVER COUNTY WITH THE CHANGES CIRCLED REAL QUICK, THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL.
THANK YOU RIGHT OVER THERE BY DISTRICT SEVEN AND NINE.
THE QUESTION IS, IS THAT ADDING OR SUBTRACTING IT FROM SEVEN AND PUTTING IT IN NINE? OKAY.
I'M LOOKING PARTICULARLY AT THE LARGER CIRCLE, UM, JONESVILLE AND BUCK ISLAND.
THE OTHER ONE RIGHT HERE, RIGHT THERE.
SO THAT ONE IS TAKING BLOCKS FROM DISTRICT EIGHT AND PUTTING THEM INTO DISTRICT NINE.
IT ACTUALLY, IT HAS DONE TO AT SEVEN, YOU REMOVED IT FROM CORRECT, BUT IT ORIGINALLY WASN'T SEVEN.
THEN IT GOT MOVED TO EIGHT AND NOW WE'RE MOVING IT TO NINE.
CORRECT? USUALLY IT'S IN SEVEN.
AND AS WE CREATED THE MATCH BASED ON THE 2020 CENSUS DATA, WE MOVED THAT TO, INTO DISTRICT EIGHT.
AND NOW IT'S, I UNDERSTAND, I WAS JUST TRYING TO PIECE THAT TOGETHER.
YOU'RE WELCOME ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS BECAUSE WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO ADD SOME HORSES, HANDS UP, CHRIS
[02:00:01]
AND SHAWN'S HANDOFFS.I WANTED TO ECHO WHAT LARRY SAID AND YOU GUYS HAVE A REALLY, REALLY HARD JOB.
UM, JUST SOME REALLY GREAT WORK HERE.
OBVIOUSLY I'D LIKE TO DIG INTO THE MAP, SO I MAY HAVE SOME MORE QUESTIONS, BUT, UM, AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO ANSWER THIS RIGHT NOW BECAUSE I KNOW WANNA PUT YOU ON THE SPOT, BUT I'D BE CURIOUS HOW MANY, UM, SCHOOL, THIS SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS ARE IN THE SAME DISTRICTS AS PREVIOUS? UM, ONE OF THE REASONS WHY I ASKED IS BECAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE THE SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER FROM DISTRICT EIGHT UNDER THIS REVISION WILL STILL BE IN, IN DISTRICT EIGHT.
AND THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS WE TALKED ABOUT IS MAKING SURE THAT THERE'S CONTINUITY BETWEEN ALL THE ELECTED OFFICIALS.
SO THAT WILL BE A QUESTION THAT YOU DON'T HAVE TO ANSWER IT NOW.
WE CAN GET, WE CAN PROVIDE THAT DATA AND YOU ARE CORRECT.
A DISTRICT EIGHT SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS STAYS IN DISTRICT EIGHT WITH THIS ALTERNATIVE THREE.
HEY, HEY DAN, THIS IS GERALD, SIR.
AND YOUR STAFF OR THE ASSISTANCE YOU GAVE AND MAKING THE TWO CHANGES UP INTO SHAKE ONE I'M I'M I'M PLEASED.
ANYBODY ELSE GOING TO NEED A MOTION? UM, DO YOU HAVE GOING TO MAKE THE MOTION THAT WE ADOPT? UM, SCENARIO THREE A AND SEND THAT TO COUNTY COUNCIL FOR APPROVAL.
IS THAT THE, I THOUGHT THEY PREFERRED THREE D LARRY.
NO, THEY CHANGED IT THE THREE, EIGHT THIS MORNING.
WHATEVER THEY WANT IS FINE WITH ME.
WELL, IF SOMEBODY IS ON TOP OF IT.
WE HAVE A MOTION TO ADOPT THE RECOMMENDATION OF STAFF, INCLUDING OPTION THREE, A SECOND DISCUSSION.
AND THE MOTION IS TO MOVE IT TO COUNTY COUNCIL HEARING NONE WITHOUT EXCEPTION, WE WILL ADOPT THE RESOLUTION OR THE MOTION TO MOVE IT TO COUNTY COUNCIL.
FOR FIRST READING, THE FIRST READING AND PUBLIC HEARING, WE WILL HAVE THREE READINGS OF THE ORDINANCE.
[10. A RESOLUTION TO ADOPT THE BEAUFORT COUNTY FLOOD MITIGATION ASSISTANCE POLICY]
[11. A RESOLUTION SUPPORTING FEDERAL FLOOD MITIGATION ASSISTANCE REIMBURSABLE GRANT PROGRAMS]
10 AND 11.CAN WE DO THOSE TOGETHER? YES, SIR.
SO I'M GOING TO GO PAMELA COBB WITH DISASTER RECOVERY.
I'M GOING TO GO A LITTLE OUT OF ORDER.
SO IT MAKES A LITTLE BIT MORE SENSE.
BOTH OF THESE ITEMS ARE I'M REQUESTING A RESOLUTION TO BE PASSED.
UH, THE FIRST ONE, A RESOLUTION SUPPORTING FEDERAL FLOOD MITIGATION ASSISTANCE, REIMBURSEMENT THROUGH BRANCH PROGRAMS. YOU FOR COUNTY RECOGNIZES THE NEED TO ASSIST BEAVER COUNTY RESIDENTS WITH THE OPPORTUNITY FOR MITIGATION PROGRAMS THROUGH FEDERAL AND STATE PROGRAMS THAT WILL ASSIST A MITIGATION, MITIGATING REPETITIVE LOSS PROPERTIES AND UNINCORPORATED BUFORD COUNTY.
UH, THE MITIGATION GRANT PROGRAMS ARE PROVIDED TO AUTHORIZED APPLICANTS TO ASSIST IN THE ELEVATION OF A RESIDENCE LOCATED IN THE JURISDICTION OF UNINCORPORATED BEAVER COUNTY TO REDUCE OR ELIMINATE THE RISK OF REPETITIVE FLOOD DAMAGE TO BUILDINGS AND STRUCTURES UNDER THE NATIONAL FLOOD GATE FOR COUNTY DESIRES TO PROMOTE CITIZENS PARTICIPATION BY CREATING A FLOOD MITIGATION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM AND PERMITTING GRANT FUNDS TO BE REIMBURSED THROUGH THIS PROGRAM.
UH, THE FUNDING SOURCE FOR THIS PROGRAM WILL NEED TO COME FROM THE GENERAL FUND.
UH, THIS PROGRAM REQUIRES A $750,000 TO BE AVAILABLE IN ORDER TO INITIALLY COVER THE COSTS FOR CITIZENS PROJECTS WHEREBY THE COST OF THE PROJECT WILL BE ULTIMATELY REIMBURSED BY THE STATE OR A FEDERAL OR STATE ENTITY, ANY QUESTIONS.
AND WE USED THE LANGUAGE IN 11 AND 10 TO MAKE THE, UH, THE RESOLUTION, THE MOTION FOR RESOLUTION, OR DO WE NEED DETAILED LANGUAGE BEYOND THAT? SO ONE, SO THE LANGUAGE IN 10 ACTUALLY GOES THROUGH THE ASSISTANCE POLICY, THE FLOOD MITIGATION ASSISTANCE POLICY, UH, THE 1, 4 11, UH, GIVES APPROVAL FOR EACH ONE OF THE HOMEOWNERS THAT WE ARE GOING TO APPROVE A GRANT PROGRAM.
SOUNDS LIKE WE NEED SOME ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE FOR 11 NUMBER 10, SO WE CAN TAKE, MAKE, WE CAN MAKE A MOTION THAT SAYS A RESOLUTION, A RESOLUTION TO ADOPT THE BUFORD COUNTY FLOOD MITIGATION ASSISTANCE POLICY.
UM, THE LANGUAGE IS IN HERE WHEN IT TALKS ABOUT FEE SIMPLE ON THE SHIP, UM, AS RELATES TO HIS PROPERTY AND MOBILE HOMES.
NO, IT MAY REFER TO CHECK ATKINSON IF HE'S STILL THERE.
ESSENTIALLY WHAT THESE PROGRAMS ARE HELPING,
[02:05:01]
UH, CITIZENS BE ABLE TO HAVE A COST SHARE WHERE THE, THE COUNTY IS THE APPLICANT, AND WE'RE BUILDING THEM UP TO, UH, FLOOD ELEVATION BASE, FLOOD, ELEVATION, AND ABOVE SO THAT THEY REDUCE THE RISK OF CONTINUING TO HAVE TO DO A FLOOD INSURANCE CLAIMS, WHICH ULTIMATELY WILL REDUCE THE FLOOD INSURANCE, UH, INSURANCE COSTS.RIGHT? SO IT WOULD BE FOR ANY RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY THAT IS CURRENTLY NOT COMPLIANT.
THEY CAN APPLY FOR THIS PROGRAM.
FEMA WILL GIVE THEM MONEY TO BRING IT INTO COMPLIANCE AND ELEVATE IT SO THAT THEY NO LONGER HAVE REPETITIVE LOSSES IS THE, COUNTY'S NOT PAYING THE MONEY TO THE COUNTY AS A PASSWORD.
SO WHAT, WHAT HAPPENS THE WE, HOW DO I EXPLAIN THIS? THE APPLICANT APPLIES.
WE ARE THEIR PARTNER IN THE APPLICATION IN VERY LOOSE TERMS. THE STATE DEPENDS ON THE COUNTY TO ADMINISTER THEIR PROGRAM AND FAMOUS PROGRAM.
SO THEY WILL BUILD THE PROPERTY THAT WILL HAVE ALL OF THEIR RECEIPTS.
THEY SUBMIT IT TO THE COUNTY, WE SUBMIT IT TO THE STATE FOR APPROVAL.
THEN ONCE IT'S APPROVED, THEN WE PAY THE APPLICANT AND THEN WE GET REIMBURSED FROM THE STATE.
AND IT WOULD APPLY TO ANY RESIDENTIAL.
IF IT'S A MOBILE HOME, IT'S A MOBILE HOME.
IF IT'S A HOUSE, IT'S A HOUSE IT'S, BUT THAT'S SORT OF THE ROUND ROBIN OF THE WHOLE THING, ANY RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY, IF IT MEETS ALL THE CRITERIA CAN APPLY FOR THE GRANT.
SO ANYONE WHO HAS THE ABILITY BUILD OR HAS THE RIGHT TO BUILD ALL YOUR PROPERTY.
NOW WE WOULD HAVE TO HAVE A SIDEBAR CONVERSATION ABOUT WHAT THAT MEANS, RIGHT? IF THEY ARE LISTED ON THE DEED, IF THEY ARE THROUGH PROBATE, GIVEN THE RIGHT TO BUILD ON HEIRS PROPERTY.
SO, SO I, YOU KNOW, YOU WOULD HAVE TO HAVE A LEGAL RIGHT TO BUILD ON IT IN ORDER TO, UM, RIGHT.
THE BUILDING PART IS, IS YOU GOT TO HAVE THAT, THE REFINANCING IT, UH, THE BANKS TYPE.
UH, I'M DEALING WITH FOLKS WHO, UH, L NEED TO ELEVATE THEIR PROPERTY, THEIR MOBILE HOME ON THEIR PROPERTY OWN THE MOBILE HOME, OR THEY FINANCING THE MOBILE.
BUT THE PROPERTY ITSELF, THE PHYSICAL, THE REAL ESTATE IS NOT THEIRS, BUT THE MOBILE HOME IS THERE, ARE THEY ELIGIBLE FOR THIS ASSISTANCE? THAT'S ALL.
SO THAT'S WHY I SAID, WE'D PROBABLY HAVE TO GET INTO THE WEEDS BECAUSE IF THEY HAVE THE MOBILE ON THERE AND THEY OWN THE MOBILE HOME, THEN THEY WOULD HAVE HAD A RIGHT TO PUT IT THERE.
SO THAT WOULD BE DETERMINED BY WHETHER THEY ARE A DISTANT FAMILY MEMBER WHO DOES NOT HAVE IT, OR THEY ARE LEASING.
IT LONG-TERM IF THEY'RE A LEASER OF THE PROPERTY, PROBABLY NOT.
BUT IF THEY HAVE OWNERSHIP OF THAT HEIRS PROPERTY, THEN I WOULD SAY YES, BUT THERE ARE A HUNDRED CAVEATS WHERE THERE'S PROPERTY.
AND AGAIN, IT'S A FEDERAL PROGRAM.
IT'S A STATE DNR AND FEMA GRANT PROGRAMS. SO THE COUNTY WOULDN'T HAVE CONTROL OVER THAT.
ANYWAY, THEY'RE ACTUALLY APPLYING TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT THROUGH A STATE DNR AND BEAVER COUNTY, BUT I CAN RESEARCH IT IF YOU HAVE THESE DUDES GOOD.
BECAUSE IT ALSO SAYS IN HERE THAT, UM, AS LONG AS THE ADMINISTRATOR WHO'S ADMINISTERING IT, APPROVES IT AND STUFF, UM, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN GO ALONG WITH THE ADMINISTRATIVE STUFF, RIGHT? WE'LL TALK ABOUT IT JUST REGARDING THE $750,000.
UM, I DON'T HAVE ANYONE ELSE WITH THEM FROM FINANCE STAFF HERE.
SO WHITNEY AND, AND ERIC, HOW, HOW WOULD WE HANDLE THAT? THAT'S SOMETHING THAT OBVIOUSLY TO HAVE THAT MONEY SET ASIDE AND READILY AVAILABLE IN THE GENERAL FUNDER, OR WHAT DO WE NEED TO DO ONCE WE APPROVE THIS, I WOULD RECOMMEND RESERVING THE PORTION OF FUND BALANCE FOR THIS PURPOSE.
AND YOU CAN DO THAT BASED ON, UM, EITHER SURPLUS FROM OUR PRIOR YEAR, OR WE COULD DO A BUDGET AMENDMENT IN THE CURRENT YEAR, BUT YOU WOULD WANT TO BUDGETARILY EITHER BUDGET FOR IT A YEAR, OR EITHER RESERVE A PORTION OF YOUR FUND BALANCE MOVING FORWARD FOR THIS PURPOSE SO THAT YOU ALWAYS HAVE FUNDING TO DRAW ONE IN THIS SITUATION BECAUSE WE HAVE TO FRONT THE CASH.
WE HAVE A RESOLUTION TO ADOPT THE VEHICLE COUNTY FLOOD MITIGATION ASSISTANCE POLICY.
WE HAVE THE SECOND WE'RE IN DISCUSSION.
ANY FURTHER COMMENTS, HEARING NONE, CALL THE QUESTION TO KIND OF DO THIS WITHOUT EXCEPTION, ANY EXCEPTIONS THAT RESOLUTION WILL BE APPROVED WITHOUT EXCEPTION ON 10 11.
DO WE NEED SPECIFIC LANGUAGE HERE? I THINK WE DO.
OR CAN WE JUST SIMPLY SAY A RESOLUTION SUPPORTING FEDERAL FLOOD MITIGATION ASSISTANCE, REIMBURSABLE GRANT PROGRAMS? UH, YOU CAN, YOU CAN, UM, YEAH, THERE IS A RESOLUTION YOU CAN MAKE.
ALL YOU'RE DOING TODAY IS MAKING A RECOMMENDATION.
SO USING THAT LANGUAGE, SHOULD I HAVE, COULD I HAVE A MOTION PLEASE FOR THAT RESOLUTION?
[02:10:01]
ONE SECOND.UH, WITHOUT EXCEPTION, LITTLE CREW ITEM, NUMBER 11.
ARE THERE ANY EXCEPTIONS HEARING NINE 11 IS APPROVED WITHOUT EXCEPTION,
[12. DISCUSSION REGARDING THE ELEMENTS OF THE RULES AND PROCEDURES HANDBOOK]
UH, DISCUSSING REGARDING RULES AND PROCEDURES.UH, YOU YOU'VE JUST RECEIVED AN UPDATE ON THAT.
UH, THERE'VE BEEN, UH, SOME OPPORTUNITIES ALREADY TO CATCH SOME THINGS ARE WRONG IN O'BRIEN PICKED UP ON SOMETHING THAT I HAD MISSED, WHICH WAS, UH, TAKES A SIMPLE MAJORITY TO OVERRULE THE CHAIR ON A CHALLENGE, THINGS LIKE THAT THAT'S BEEN CORRECTED.
OTHER THINGS HAVE BEEN CORRECTED, TAKE A LOOK AT IT AT YOUR LEISURE.
YOU HAVE PLENTY OF TIME TO LOOK IT OVER.
DON'T HAVE TO LOOK IT OVER RIGHT NOW, OBVIOUSLY.
AND AS WE'VE MADE TO BRING FORWARD, IF YOU SAY ANYTHING THAT TROUBLES, YOU JUST BRING IT FORWARD.
[13. REQUEST TO PURCHASE CAT MODEL 120 MOTORGRADER]
AUDIBLE 13, UH, REQUEST FOR PURCHASE OF CAT MOTOR GRADER, WHO'S GOING TO MAKE THAT.SO THIS IS A REQUEST PURCHASE, A MOTOR GRADER.
THIS CAME UP, IT WASN'T IN THE BUDGET, BUT IT CAME UP AS AN ADDED ITEM.
WE HAVE FIVE MOTOR GRADERS RIGHT NOW.
I'M WANTING TO FIRST SKI ONE IN BLUFFTON IN THREE NORTH OF THE BROAD.
THIS WOULD BE AN ADDED MOTOR GRADER TO HELP US INCREASE OUR FREQUENCY OF BLEEDING IN THE ROAD, SPECIFICALLY IN THE NORTH OF THE ABROAD.
UM, THIS WOULD HELP US RIGHT NOW.
WE'RE KIND OF ON A NINE TO 12 MONTH SCHEDULE.
UH, WE NINE TO 12 WEEKS, THIS WOULD HELP US GET DOWN TO HOPEFULLY A SIX OR EIGHT WEEK SCHEDULE.
UM, SO THIS WOULD BE A RESOLUTION TO AWARD, UH, FOR A PURCHASE, A MOTOR GRADER UP TO $195,000 WITH CAT THEIR OWN STATE CONTRACT.
AND WE'VE GOT PROPOSAL INCLUDED IN YOUR PACKET AND WOULDN'T BE PAID OUT OF ARPA FUNDS OUT OF OUR INFRASTRUCTURE.
SO WE NEED A MOTION TO AUTHORIZE UP TO $195,000 FOR A MOTOR GRADER TO BE PAID OUT OF ARPA FUNDS MOTION.
WITHOUT EXCEPTION, WE'LL APPROVE THAT.
ARE THERE ANY EXCEPTIONS AS APPROVED? YEAH, ONE DAY WE WANT TO PAY THEM SO WE DON'T NEED THE MOTOR GRADERS, BUT LET ME RESPOND.
YOU AND I HAD THAT DISCUSSION.
UH, SO I TAUGHT NEIL NAIL ME WHILE I READ IT A LITTLE BIT.
HE SAID, IF WE BOUGHT THE ONE MOTOR GRADER, HE COULD USE THAT TO DIVIDE UP AND TAKE CARE OF BOTH THE YORK DISTRICT ISSUES AND THE COUNCIL MEMBER DAWSON'S ISSUES.
WE'RE GETTING A LOT OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE LENGTH OF TIME THAT IT TAKES US TO ROTATE PAY GRADING ROADS.
SO THIS ADDITIONAL MOTOR GRADER WILL ALLOW US TO CLOSE THAT GAP.
[14. APPOINTMENT OF CAROLYN M. BANNER, PH.D. TO THE BEAUFORT MEMORIAL HOSPITAL BOARD OF TRUSTEES WITH AN EXPIRATION DATE OF 2025.]
[15. APPOINTMENT OF ANGELA D. SIMMONS, PH.D. TO THE BEAUFORT MEMORIAL HOSPITAL BOARD OF TRUSTEES FOR APARTIAL 1ST TERM WITH AN EXPIRATION DATE OF 2023]
ITEMS 14 AND 15 ARE APPOINTMENTS TO THE BUFORD MEMORIAL HOSPITAL BOARD OF TRUSTEES.THERE ARE TWO FOR TWO SEPARATE SLOTS.
UH, THIS PROCESS IS GOING TO BE CHANGED AT SOME POINT, BUT IT HASN'T BEEN CHANGED YET.
SO I'LL ASK FOR A MOTION TO, FOR, TO APPROVE CAROLYN BANNER PHD AND ANGELA D. SIMMONS PHD TO THE BUFORD MORAL HOSPITAL BOARD CHAIRMAN.
THE SECOND I THINK JOE GERALD.
CAN I GET, CAN I HAVE A QUESTION? YEP.
WHAT'S THE STATUS OF THE LAWSUIT WHERE BUFORD MEMORIAL IS SUING US FOR, FOR A PLACEMENT OF A, UM, A BOARD MEMBER.
UH, THE LAWSUIT HAS BEEN DISMISSED AND WE'RE STILL WORKING WITH B FOR MEMORIAL ON REVAMPING, THE ORDINANCE THAT YOU ALL HAD, UM, UH, REVIEWED SOME TIME AGO.
UH, WE'RE WAITING ON LEGAL COUNSEL TO, UH, WORK WITH THEIR LEGAL COUNSEL TO RESOLVE THE AMENDMENT DIFFERENCES AND TO BRING A PROPOSAL BACK YOU ALL.
AND WE'RE PRESSING FOR THAT TO BE DONE IN JANUARY.
WE WERE HOPEFUL THAT IT WOULD HAVE BEEN DONE IN NOVEMBER, DECEMBER, BUT DUE TO A TRIAL OF THE BMH ATTORNEYS.
UH, THEY WERE NOT ABLE TO WORK WITH US ON THAT AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.
WHEN WOULD WE BE VOTING ON THIS, MR. CHAIRMAN, WHEN WOULD WE BE VOTING ON WHAT BRIAN APPOINTMENTS THIS AT COUNCIL, THIS AT COUNCIL? BECAUSE QUITE FRANKLY, RIGHT NOW, I'M NOT INCLINED UNTIL WE ADD SOME MOVEMENT TOWARDS THE AMENDMENT OF OUR ORDINANCE THAT WE'RE, THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
I DON'T FEEL REALLY ANY PARTICULAR RUSH TO GET THIS DONE.
THE ISSUE IS, UH, THAT WE DON'T, WE HAVEN'T APPROVED THE NEW ORDINANCE FOR REASONS THAT IT JUST BEEN EXPLAINED BY THE ADMINISTRATOR AND, UH, THERE THEIR VACANCIES ON THE BOARD.
SO I GUESS THE QUESTION REALLY IS, UH, AND OF COURSE THE BOARD WOULD LIKE TO, THE TRUSTEES WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A FULL BOARD.
UH, DO WE, DO WE MOVE THESE FORWARD OR DO WE WAIT UNTIL WE GET A NEW SYSTEM IN PLACE THAT MAY HAPPEN IN JANUARY? IT MAY NOT.
AND, UM, I THINK THE RESOLUTION IS SOMETHING AT SOME POINT IN TIME WAS GOING TO GET RESOLVED, BUT, UM, I
[02:15:01]
WOULD LOVE FOR AT LEAST ONE OF THESE APPLICANTS TO MOVE FORWARD.I THINK SHE WOULD DO A GOOD JOB REPRESENTING COMMUNITY ON THE HOSPITAL BOARD.
SO LIKE WHICH ONE DO YOU LIKE THAT? DON'T, DON'T ANSWER THAT.
I SAY, GO AHEAD AND TAKE YOUR VOTE.
MR. CHAIRMAN, WE HAVE A MOTION A SECOND TO MOVE FORWARD.
UH, CAROLYN BANNER PHD AND ANGELA SIMMONS PHD.
UM, I'LL CALL THE QUESTION ALL IN FAVOR.
WELL, MELBOURNE WOULD WANT ME TO DO IT THE OTHER WAY.
I WOULD SUGGEST YOU COULD DO IT WITHOUT, UH, WITHOUT OBJECTION, SIR.
CAROLYN BANNER AND ANGELA SIMMONS FORWARD TO BEAVER MEMORIAL HOSPITAL BOARD.
ARE THERE ANY EXCEPTIONS AIRING, NONE OR APPOINTMENTS ARE APPROVED? UH, PAUL, ONE QUESTION FOR ME.
WHAT'S THE LAWSUIT DISMISSED OR WITHDRAWN? BECAUSE I WAS THINKING IT WAS WITHDRAWN, BUT I MAY NOT REMEMBER THAT CORRECTLY.
TOM, KEVIN AND I WAS TOLD IT WAS DISMISSED, BUT I DON'T KNOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN DISMISSED AND WITHDRAWN.
THEY SOUND SIMILAR TO ME, BUT GO AHEAD, TOM.
THE PLAINTIFFS WITH, UH, IT WAS WITHDRAWN SLASH DISMISSED.
I MEAN, I HAVEN'T GONE BACK TO SEE IF IT WAS PENT ORDER OR IF IT WAS 40 JADE, IT IS NO LONGER PENDING.
THE ONLY THING LEFT IS A, AN EXECUTIVE SESSION AND I DON'T KNOW THAT WE HAVE TIME TO DO THE EXECUTIVE SESSION.
IS THAT TIME SENSITIVE? UH, I CAN QUICKLY TELL YOU, IN A NUTSHELL, WHAT'S HAPPENING, MANY OF YOU ALL HAVE RECEIVED A LETTER FROM MR. REED, DELANEY, UH, ON A PROPOSAL FOR HIM TO RELOCATE PROSPECT ROAD.
WE DO NOT AS A STAFF SUPPORT ANY PROPOSAL TO ALLOW THE, UM, TALKING ABOUT RELOCATION, PROSPECT ROAD OR THE ABANDONMENT OF OUR RIGHT TO THAT ROAD BY THE COUNTY.
SO UNLESS YOU ALL TELL US OTHERWISE, WE'RE GOING TO PROCEED ON WITH MR. CHRIS MURPHY GOING THROUGH THE PROCESS OF CONDEMNING THE RIGHT AWAY COMMENTS.
IF I COULD, ERIC, LET ME JUST REMIND COUNSEL THAT IN FEBRUARY OF 2020, IF THE PASTOR ADOPTED A RESOLUTION, ASKED THE COUNTY TO TAKE WHATEVER STABLISH FROSTBITE CORRODE AS PUBLIC THOROUGHFARE, THAT IS WHAT WE'RE DOING AND HAVE BEEN DOING FOR THE LAST 18 MONTHS.
UM, THOSE LAWSUITS ARE RECENTLY FILED AGAINST PROPERTY OWNERS, OWNERS WHO OWN PROPERTY ALONG PERHAPS BY DOING COUNCIL TO THOSE PEOPLE.
DO YOU GUYS GOT SOME LETTERS ABOUT ALL THAT RECENTLY? ALL WE WANTED TO DO WAS TO GIVE YOU AN OPPORTUNITY WAS TO BRING YOU UP TO DATE ON WHAT WE'RE DOING, WHICH IS THAT WE ARE MOVING FORWARD.
AND TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAVE ABOUT IT, BECAUSE IT'S PENDING LITIGATION BELIEVE BEST.
THEY DIDN'T DO AN EXECUTIVE SESSION.
UM, AT THE NEXT EXECUTIVE COUNCIL MEETING, IF YOU'D LIKE TO DO IT AT ALL, WELL, I SUPPORT STAFF, BUT I'M ONLY ONE OF 11.
DO WE HAVE ONE ADDITIONAL EXECUTIVE SESSION ITEM THAT CAN WAIT UNTIL JANUARY? AND THAT IS THE DISCUSSION OF FISCAL AUTONOMY FOR THE SCHOOL, THE DISTRICT.
YEAH, DUDE JUST POINTED THAT OUT.
AND I QUESTIONED WHY THAT HAS TO BE AN EXECUTIVE SESSION QUESTION.
WHY THAT HAS TO BE AN EXECUTIVE SESSION OF ILLEGAL.
THERE ARE SEVERAL LEGAL OPTIONS TO YOU.
ALL THAT WE FELT THAT YOU ALL MAY NOT WANT TO, UH, HAVE ON THE RECORD IN OPEN SESSION.
YOU CAN, YOU CAN DO IT LEGALLY IN EXECUTIVE SESSION, BUT IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO DO AN EXECUTIVE SESSION, THEN THAT'S UP TO THE BODY AS A WHOLE AS TO WHETHER OR NOT YOU DO IT IN EXECUTIVE SESSION OPENS.
I BE FAVOR OF DOING AN OPEN SESSION.
WELL AT ANY BIT, IT'S GOING TO BE IN JANUARY.
UM, I NEED TO KNOW HOW MUCH BREAK TIME WE NEED.