Feb 15, 2022 Town of Bluftton Strategic Planning Workshop

SO, UH, CHIEF AND I WERE TALKING ABOUT THAT YESTERDAY.

SO, UM, JUST KIND OF UPDATING THAT JUST A LITTLE BIT UNDER THE COMMUNITY QUALITY OF LIFE, VERY SMALL CHANGE, BUT IT WAS IMPACTFUL FOR THE STAFF TO MAKE THE RECOMMENDATION TO YOU.

SO THAT WAS THE FIRST, UH, SET OF CHANGES THAT CAME OUT OF THE SURVEYS.

WE STARTED THE CONVERSATION ABOUT ADDING AN ENTIRE COMPONENT OF RESILIENCY.

AND THEN WE SAID, WELL, THAT'S REALLY ABOUT THE MAY RIVER.

AND WE ALMOST WERE GOING TO COMPLETELY CHANGE THIS WHOLE COMPONENT AND THEN GOT OUR CENSUS CAME BACK TO US.

AND WE SAID, NO, YOU KNOW WHAT? WE JUST NEED TO JUST ADD A NEW GUIDING PRINCIPLE BECAUSE THE, THE FOCUS AREA OF THE MAY RIVER AND THE SURROUNDING WATERSHEDS ARE REMAIN EXTREMELY IMPORTANT.

SO WE DON'T WANT TO MAKE THE CHANGE THERE.

SO WE LEFT THAT IN PLACE AND ADDED THE NEW GUIDING PRINCIPLE, WHICH WAS SUPPORTING ACTIVE PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT FOR RESILIENCE OF NATURAL RESOURCES AND OUR RESPONSE TO WEATHER EVENTS, FUTURE DISASTERS, AND CHANGING ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS.

THIS IS A PRODUCT OF THE STATES CHANGE ON THE RESILIENCY THAT AN ACT, LET ME, SHOULD I SAY IT RIGHT? IT IS IT'S THE SOUTH CAROLINA DISASTER RELIEF AND RESILIENCE ACT SIGNED IN 2020.

SO IN RESPONSE TO THAT AND ALL OF THE OTHER ONGOING, UH, CHALLENGES THAT CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE, OR ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS ARE HAVING ON, UH, THE MAY RIVER AND THE WATERSHEDS STAFF FELT IT WAS IMPORTANT TO ADD THE RESILIENCY PIECE HERE.

UM, NOT THAT IT'S ONLY FOE.

SO HERE WAS THE, HERE WAS THE DISCUSSION THAT WE HAD.

AND I'M GOING TO POINT BACK AT THE CHIEF AGAIN, WHAT ABOUT EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT? JUST BECAUSE IT'S UNDER MAY OF RIVER DOESN'T MEAN THAT IT DOESN'T INCLUDE THE, THE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PIECE AS YOU RECOVER FROM THE HURRICANES, ET CETERA, THAT YOU'VE BEEN PLAGUED WITH THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT YUP, YUP.

ALL, ANY, UH, THE LONG VERSION OF THAT IS NATURAL OR MANMADE DISASTERS.

SO TO KEEP THIS FROM BEING A MILE LONG, WE JUST KIND OF SHRUNK IT IN THAT, IN THAT LINE.

UM, BUT THAT IS WHERE WE CAN BRING FORWARD THE, UH, THE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PIECE AS WELL AS THESE

[00:35:01]

CLIMATE ISSUES.

SO, UM, THAT WAS THE SECOND RECOMMENDATION THAT CAME OUT OF THE SURVEYS THAT, UH, YOU AND THE STAFF DID.

DOES THAT SOUND OKAY TO JUST GENERICALLY? YEAH, I DIDN'T TURN TO SOME GREEN.

I WAS TAUGHT, BUT I BET YOU, HE DID.

HE WAS BUSTED ME.

SO I KNOW, I KNOW.

SO THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE WATCHING FROM HOME.

UM, SO ANYWAY, THAT THAT'S A, THAT WAS KIND OF WHAT WE CAME OUT OF.

PART OF WHAT CAME OUT OF THE WORKSHOP YESTERDAY, UH, WERE, WERE THESE CHANGES, UM, AND JUST REAL QUICK, THE STRAIN, THE SUSTAINABLE STRATEGIC PLAN, UM, AGAIN, WE'VE, AND WE'VE KIND OF ADDRESSED THESE ALREADY.

WE TALK ABOUT RESOURCES, WHICH IS THAT BALANCE OF STAFF AND MONEY, THE IDENTIFYING PROJECTS, WHICH YOU RELY ON STAFF TO DO, WHO THEN BRING YOU, THEY, THE FINAL IS WHAT DO YOU THINK LIST PRIORITIZING? THOSE PROJECTS IS REALLY IMPORTANT.

AND, UH, WE'LL SPEND, WE ASKED YOUR SURVEY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE TOOL TO USE FOR PRIORITIZATION.

UM, STEVEN WILL WALK YOU THROUGH THAT LATER, UH, IN THE BUDGETING PROCESS, WOULD YOU START REALLY TALKING ABOUT CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS AND, AND THINGS MOVING FORWARD, AND THEN FINALLY ALL OF THAT THEN CREATES THE WORK PLAN FOR THESE FINE FOLKS TO GO AND EXECUTE IT.

UM, AS THE YEAR GOES ON, UH, IT'S KIND OF PUTTING THIS, THIS ALL INTO A NUTSHELL.

AND WITH THAT, THAT ENDS MY PORTION.

I SPOKE A LOT YESTERDAY.

I GET TO SPEAK LITTLE TODAY.

UM, ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT WHERE WE'VE BEEN, HOW DOES THE PLAN WORK? ANY QUESTIONS AROUND THE TABLE? I'D ALSO LIKE TO THROW IT OUT TO THE AUDIENCE TOO, IF NOTHING AROUND HERE, EVERYONE GOOD AROUND HERE, MR. WOOD, THE, UM, WE'VE HAD SOME DISCUSSIONS, YOU KNOW, I WAS LOOKING AT THE, THE POINT ABOUT THE MAY RIVER AND THE RIVERS AND THE WATER QUALITY AND, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, RESPONDING TO NATURAL DISASTERS AND SUCH FORTH.

THERE'S BEEN SOME DISCUSSION ABOUT EMBRACING OR MAYBE GROWING OUR ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT.

IN OTHER WORDS, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T HAVE A GREEN PLAN OR GREEN STRATEGY PER SE.

THANK YOU FOR REMINDING ME OF THAT.

THAT'S WHY WE CHANGED GUIDING PRINCIPLE FIVE.

SO WE TALKED ABOUT, UM, PERHAPS, UH, I'M GOING TO SAY FIVE YEARS AGO, THE WORD WAS SUSTAINABLE.

SUSTAINABILITY.

THAT WAS THE GREEN.

THAT WAS THE GREEN DISCUSSION.

IT WAS ALREADY IN THE PLAN.

WAS THE, UH, POLICIES, PROGRAMS, GATHERING PLACES AND EVENTS THAT PROMOTE HEALTHY LIFESTYLES FOR THE DIVERSE COMMUNITY.

NO, I'M SORRY.

IT'S ALSO IN, IT'S ALSO IN, IN HERE, WE IDENTIFIED THAT, UH, IT'S ALREADY IN THE PLAN AND WE DIDN'T, BUT WE DIDN'T CALL IT OUT BY GIVING IT ANY, ANY SPECIFIC TITLE BECAUSE THE TITLE HAS CHANGED OVER THE YEARS.

UM, BUT THE UNDERSTANDING IS, IF YOU LOOK AT, UM, OUR COMMUNITY CAN COME TO THE MIDDLE OF THE PARAGRAPH, OUR COMMUNITY CAN COME TOGETHER TO CELEBRATE AND PRESERVE ITS CULTURE AND HISTORY ON HAVING THE QUALITY LIFE, SUSTAINABLE RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE COMMUNITY.

UM, R UH, THAT WAS THE, UH, THAT WAS ABOUT RELATIONSHIPS AND MOVING FORWARD.

AND NOW I AM QUESTIONING MYSELF.

SO THAT'S SUPPOSED TO BE, THAT'S GOT ANY PRINCIPLE FOUR, NOT FIVE GUIDING PRINCIPLE, FIVE SAYS, UM, FOSTER PLACE-BASED INITIATIVES AND TOWN CODES THAT SUPPORT A CLEAN WELL-MAINTAINED SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITY WHILE PROMOTING OUR NATURAL RESOURCES, INCLUDING THE MAY RIVER.

I THINK THAT'S WHERE WE IDENTIFIED THAT THE SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITY AND SUPPORTING THE, UM, CLEAN AND WELL-MAINTAINED SEND THEM COMMUNITY THAT'S WHERE THAT FELL UNDER.

SO I THINK WE JUST GOT OUR NUMBERS MIXED UP ON THAT GUIDING PRINCIPLE.

INCORPORATED IN FOSTERING PLACE-BASED INITIATIVES AND COMMUNITY POLICIES AND PROGRAMS. SO, ESPECIALLY AS WE'RE KEEPING IN MIND, A COMMUNITY POLICY AND PROGRAM FOR GREEN SPACE AND COORDINATION WITH THE COUNTY, IT REALLY IS INCORPORATED IN GUIDING PRINCIPLE FIVE.

UM, SEE, THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU LAY OFF YOUR STAFF, ESPECIALLY YOUR WIFE.

IF SHE HAD BEEN HERE, I WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN IN THIS KIND OF TROUBLE.

UM, NO, WE DID.

UH, WE DID SPEND SOME TIME TALKING ABOUT THAT BECAUSE A CUSTOMER WOULD, WE, WE DIDN'T WANT TO LET THAT GO BY AND WE SPENT TIME DISCUSSING THAT WHILE MIKE IS GOING THROUGH IT, I'M GOING TO GO THROUGH MY NOTES REAL QUICK, AND WE CAN TALK ABOUT THAT, BUT CLEARLY, AND I WOULD TURN TO THE REST OF THE STAFF.

ARE YOU, IS THERE ANY QUESTION IN YOUR MIND ABOUT, ABOUT THAT? I HAVE THINGS TO SAY, GO AHEAD.

ANYWAY, REGARDING COUNCILMAN WOULD REGARDING THAT THERE IS COORDINATION WITH THE COUNTY AND IT IS

[00:40:01]

SO WHILE IT'S NOT CALLED OUT AS A SPECIFIC PROJECT OR A GUIDING PRINCIPLE, IT'S INCLUDED IN THAT, WHERE IS ALL THIS INCLUSION MATERIAL? IS IT, ARE THERE LITTLE SUB NOTES THAT SHOW THAT EVEN THOUGH WE ALL THINK IT, I MEAN, I'M JUST SAYING DOWN THE ROAD.

MA'AM YES.

MA'AM AS WE MOVE FORWARD AND, AND HEATHER GOES THROUGH THE ACTION AGENDA ITEM, NOT ONLY GIVING YOU AN UPDATE OF WHAT HAS BEEN COMPLETED, BUT ALSO NEW RECOMMENDATIONS FROM STAFF AND YOUR BOARDS, COMMITTEES, COMMISSIONS, THAT WILL BE INCLUDED IN THERE SPECIFICALLY, I'LL SPEAK ON BEHALF OF WAY PACK THE MAY RIVER WATERSHED ACTION PLAN ADVISORY COMMITTEE HAD A SERIES OF RECOMMENDATIONS FOR COUNCIL'S CONSIDERATION.

AND WHILE THOSE ARE ALL LUMPED TOGETHER AS A NEW INITIATIVE UNDER THE ACTION AGENDA THAT YOU'LL SEE LATER SPECIFICALLY, BECAUSE I WAS THERE LAST THURSDAY, AS THEY MADE THAT RECOMMENDATION, COORDINATING WITH THE COUNTY ON THE GREENPRINT WAS ONE OF THOSE.

SO THAT, THAT IS GETTING DOWN TO SORT OF THE BRASS TACKS AND THE NUTS AND BOLTS OF IT ALL.

YOU'LL SEE THAT AT A HIGHER LEVEL WITHIN THE ACTION AGENDA AND A LITTLE BIT, DO YOU WANT TO GO ON ABOUT WHAT A GUIDING PRINCIPLE IS VERSUS? YEAH, BUT I, I THINK I KNOW WE'RE COUNSELING, I'M JUST TRYING TO BE SURE TO THE MAYOR'S POINT.

I MEAN, AGAIN, THERE'S DISCUSSION ABOUT EXPANDING, YOU KNOW, SOME CITIES HAVE G THREE PROGRAMS AND IT CAN BE, YOU KNOW, THE AUTOMOBILE INDUSTRY SHIFTING IT CAN BE BUILDINGS.

IT CAN BE ALL KINDS OF DIFFERENT AVENUES.

YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS THAT PLAY INTO IT, SUSTAINABILITY, UH, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER IT MAY BE.

IT'S A BROAD SPECTRUM.

AND SO WE'VE NEVER REALLY SAT DOWN AS A COUNCIL AND SAID, MS. STAFF, YOU KNOW, THESE ARE THINGS THAT WE SHOULD BE WORKING TOWARD.

SO I UNDERSTAND THE GUIDING PRINCIPLE IS A BROAD SPECTRUM, BUT SOMEWHERE ALONG THE WAY, AGAIN, I THINK THE MAYOR HIT IT ON THE HEAD.

LET'S WE NEED TO, AT SOME POINT TO START IDENTIFYING WHERE WE'RE GOING, BRING A LITTLE SPECIFICITY TO IT, I THINK IS WHERE YOU'RE, WHERE YOU'RE HEADED.

UM, AND IF, IF YOU RECALL, WHEN WE ADDED, UH, THE, UH, AFFORDABLE HOUSING A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, IT TOOK US A COUPLE OF, UH, BREAK IN BETWEEN BREAKS TO FINALLY GET THE WORDING DONE.

AND BY THE END OF THE DAY WE HAD IT.

UM, SO I WOULD ASK FOR THAT SAME GRACE TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT WHILE MIKE IS GIVING YOU THE SURVEY RESULTS, ET CETERA, WE'LL WORK ON BRINGING THAT SPECIFICITY.

SO THE ENTIRE GROUP THEN CAN GET TO IT.

UM, I THOUGHT WE HAD CALLED IT OUT AND THAT'S WHY I'VE GOT A DOUBLE CHECK MY NOTES.

UM, BUT AGAIN, I'M GOING TO BLAME IT ON MY, MY INCOMPETENCE AND NOT THE LACK OF WE'LL GET HERE NOW IT'S BEING RECORDED.

SO I, YOU KNOW, I CAN'T, UH, I CAN'T CLAIM THAT.

I NEVER SAID IT.

UM, BUT, UH, IN ANY EVENT, UH, WE'LL GET THAT THROUGH.

SO BY THE END OF THE DAY, TODAY, YOU'LL HAVE SOME ASSURANCE OF HOW THAT FIELDS TO THAT LEVEL OF SPECIFICITY THAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR, BECAUSE I HEAR EXACTLY WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.

UM, I THOUGHT WE CAPTURED IT, BUT CLEARLY I DIDN'T.

SO THAT'S WHY THIS IS A WORKSHOP.

ANY OTHER THOUGHTS AROUND THE TABLE? THANK YOU.

WE HAVE A FEW NEW PEOPLE IN, AND I'LL ALWAYS CALL THEM OUT.

AS I SEE, UM, MR. MONTOYA, WOULD YOU, UM, INTRODUCE YOURSELF AND MR. MILES, I THINK YOU CAME IN, I THINK THAT'S WHO CAME IN LAST, ANY QUESTIONS FROM OUR, OUR VALUED RESIDENTS AND FRIENDS ON THIS, HOW IT WORKS, ANYTHING.

I MEAN, THAT'S, WE COULD, WE DON'T HAVE A PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS BECAUSE WE ARE FOCUSED ON WORKING THROUGH IT.

BUT IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS AT THE RIGHT TIME, IF YOU KIND OF LET ME KNOW, WE'LL WE'LL BREAK AND GET YOUR QUESTIONS.

SO, SO BEFORE I TURN THIS OVER TO MIKE MAYER, WHEN YOU KICK THIS OFF, YOU HAD ASKED ABOUT THAT WAS THE THING.

UM, AS I SAID, WE WERE GOING TO SHOW, UH, EVERYBODY WHAT THE TIMING OF TODAY WAS GOING TO BE, UH, THAT IS NOT THE INTENT, BECAUSE IF WE MISS THE TIME, WHICH I'VE ALREADY DONE, YOU'LL BE THROWING DAGGERS AT ME, BUT WE HAVE THE PLAN TO BE DONE EARLY TODAY.

THAT'S ALL I'M GOING TO SAY ABOUT TIMING, UM, AS WELL, WE'LL MOVE, WE'LL MOVE FORWARD ON THAT.

UM, AND WITH THAT, I'M GOING TO TURN THIS BACK OVER TO MIKE, SO I CAN WORK ON THOSE OTHER THINGS TO COME BACK.

UM, BUT YOU GOTTA GIVE US A SECOND TO DO THE, AND IT SEES COMING IN.

WE HAVE KIND OF A BREAKDOWN OF TIMING FOR TODAY TO KEEP EVERYONE ON TRACK.

SO WE WILL HAVE A BREAK AFTER, AFTER MIKE, A LITTLE BREAK, I THINK RIGHT.

BETWEEN, BETWEEN THAT LUNCH, ABOUT 10 30 ISH.

[00:45:09]

WELL, IT WORKS.

AH, GOOD MORNING, MAYOR COUNSEL, WE'RE PREPPED AND APPRECIATE IT.

APPRECIATE BEING HERE.

SO WHAT I'M GOING TO DO IS REVIEW YOUR, YOUR SURVEY RESULTS AND I'LL PAUSE AT EACH SECTION, UH, MAYOR TO ASK, IS THERE ANY QUESTIONS FROM THE COUNCIL AT THE END OF THE REVIEW OF THE SURVEY RESULTS, UH, FOR THE COUNCIL, UH, I WILL THEN TURN IT OVER TO HEATHER TO GIVE YOU A REVIEW OF, HERE ARE SOME, SOME NEW PROJECTS THAT HAVE BEEN, THE STAFF WOULD LIKE TO CONSIDER ADDING A STRATEGIC PLAN.

NOW, ONE OF THE THINGS I WANT TO KIND OF SET THE STAGE FOR YOU OR SET THE TABLE IS, AND THIS WAS KIND OF SURPRISING TO US YESTERDAY.

THERE WERE OVER 96 STRATEGIC INITIATIVES THAT, THAT YOUR STAFF, YOUR STAFF HAS BEEN BEEN WORKING ON.

THAT'S PROBABLY GOING TO BE ADJUSTED TO WHEN, WHEN WE GET, WHEN IT'S THE, THE NEW PLAN IS APPROVED, IT'LL BE PROBABLY SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 70.

SO WHEN YOU SEE THE LIST LATER THIS MORNING, THAT'S KIND OF ADDING TO THE 70, YOU ALREADY, YOU'RE ALREADY DOING.

AND IT'S, IT'S JUST LIKE, WHAT BILL SAID IS KIND OF INTERESTING.

YOU GUYS ARE ON, LIKE, I CONSIDER 4.0 STRATEGIC PLANNING.

YOU KNOW, A LOT OF ORGANIZATIONS, UM, ARE JUST, THEY DON'T EVEN HAVE A PLANNER OR WHEN BILL AND I COME IN, THEY'RE STARTING A PLAN.

BUT ONE OF THE THINGS I SAY TO MY GRADUATE STUDENTS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA AS FUTURE CITY MANAGERS OR COUNTY MANAGERS, IS HOW CAN YOU MANAGE AN ORGANIZATION WITH ALL OF EVERYTHING IS GOING ON.

EVERYTHING IS COMING AT YOU, NOT ONLY FROM A COUNCIL, FROM A STANDPOINT OF THE COMMUNITY AND RESIDENTS, BUT FROM STAFF FROM OPERATING DAY TO DAY, WITHOUT A STRATEGIC PLAN.

BECAUSE IF YOU, IF YOU DON'T, YOU DON'T GET AHEAD OF THE CURVE.

AND THIS IS ALL ABOUT GETTING AHEAD OF THE CURVE.

THE COUNCIL HAD A GREAT RESPONSE ON THE SURVEY WE HAD.

WE HAD, UH, WE HAD SOME, UM, THAT WE HAD TO REVISE THE SURVEY CAUSE SOME QUESTIONS, UM, UM, SOME QUESTIONS DID NOT COME THROUGH OR ANSWERS TO THE QUESTIONS, BUT ABOUT A HUNDRED PERCENT.

SO LET'S TALK ABOUT WAIT REAL QUICK ON THIS, SOMEBODY, AND I DON'T KNOW, Y'ALL HAD THE SAME HAIRCUT I LOOKED OVER AND I SAW A FORMER COUNCIL MEMBER, AND I THOUGHT IT WAS DEREK, BUT, BUT YOU'RE RIGHT THERE.

OLIVER, WOULD YOU INTRODUCE YOURSELF? OH, GOOD, GOOD.

NOT EVERY COUNCIL MEMBERS WHEN IT WAS MAYBE, UH, ONE, ONE COMMENT, BUT THAT IS SOMETHING THAT AT LEAST WITH THE BOARD, YOUR STAFF IS DEFINITELY LINED UP.

UH, YEAH, APPRECIATE THAT MAYOR.

SO, SO WE, UM, THE, YOU HAVE A VISION AND YOU HAVE A MISSION.

VISION IS VERY SIMPLE.

WHERE, WHERE DOES, WHERE DO WE WANT TO END UP? WHERE DO WE WANT TO GO? OUR GOAL FOR THE COMMUNITY OR THE MISSION IS HOW DO WE, HOW DO WE GET THERE? YOU HAD ABOUT A HUNDRED PERCENT AGREEMENT WITH BARON COUNCIL THAT, THAT, THAT THOSE LOOKED GOOD.

AND THAT, THAT WAS A GOOD THING.

ONE DAY WE WANTED TO CHECK THOSE.

UM, THEN WE STARTED LOOKING AT SOME OF THE, THE TOWN, UH, THE FOCUS AREAS AND THIS, THIS, UH, FOCUS AREA, UM, CURRENT FOCUS AREA AND TEACH PLAN CONSISTENT WITH THE TOWN PRIORITIES.

AND THIS IS WHERE HISTORIC PRESERVATION CAME UP.

AND THAT'S WHY WE, THERE WAS AN ADJUSTMENT MADE.

AND THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT BILL TALKED ABOUT, HOPE I'M NOT IN YOUR WAY, WOULD THAT WITH THE FOLKS THERE, UNLIKE BILL, BILL HAS WONDERFUL VISION.

UM, I HAD MY VISION WHEN I WAS IN, UM, I'VE WORN GLASSES.

SINCE KINDERGARTEN, I WAS RAISED, I WAS A MILITARY BRAT.

SO, YOU KNOW, YOU WENT TO MILITARY DOCTORS.

DOCTOR TOLD ME ONCE WHEN I WAS IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, MIKE, WITHOUT YOUR GLASSES, YOU WOULD NOT SEE A TRAIN UNTIL IT WAS ABOUT 10 FEET IN FRONT OF YOU, UM, ON A TRACK THAT WAS NOT GOOD.

SO THAT'S WHY I HAVE TO STAND IN CLOSER TO THE SCREEN, THEN BUILT UP SO MANY CASES.

THE STORY, IT CAME PRETTY CLEAR FROM THE COUNCIL'S RESOLVES THAT HISTORIC PRESERVATION NEEDED TO BE HIGHLIGHTED AS PART OF OUR, AS PART OF THE FOCUS AREAS.

AND SO WE TOOK THAT TO STAFF, TOOK THAT INTO CONSIDERATION, AND THAT'S WHY WE, UH, YOU KNOW, WE MADE AN ADJUSTMENT IN THE FOCUS TO PUSH THAT UP IN TERMS OF, UM, AN IMPORTANCE OF THE FOCUS FOCUS AREA.

UH, WE ASKED ABOUT HOW, HOW WAS THE PLAN PERFORMING FOR YOU? HOW WAS IT WORKING FOR YOU? HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT IT? AND GENERALLY IT WAS, YOU KNOW, IT WAS PRETTY GOOD.

IT WAS ONE EXCELLENT TWO, UM, TWO GOOD, UH, ONE AVERAGE, BUT THE BIG THING WAS, AND THIS IS WHAT I WANTED TO, I, I KEPT SCRATCHING MY HEAD ON THIS ONE.

UM, STAFF BOARD AND COMMISSIONS ARE NOT IN LINE WITH, WITH THE COUNCILS, WITH THE COUNCIL'S VISION.

AND NOW I CAN TELL YOU THAT, THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT WAS

[00:50:01]

I MEAN, WHEN YOUR, YOUR, YOUR GUYS ARE FLYING, LIKE, UH, LIKE GEESE, YOU KNOW, EASTER BEAUTIFUL COOPERATIVE FLYERS, YOU'RE FLYING LIKE GEESE.

NOW, YOUR BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, THAT IS NOT, IF THERE ISSUES THERE, THAT'S NOT UNUSUAL FOR MOST COMMUNITIES, EVEN IF YOU'VE HAD A PLAN FOR A DECADE IS DRILLING THAT DOWN, THAT CONSTANT DRILLING DOWN, UH, THE COUNCILS, YOU KNOW, YOUR VISION, YOUR CORE, YOUR, YOUR MISSION FOR THE ORGANIZATION.

SO THEY REALLY UNDERSTAND A LOT OF COMMUNITIES.

THERE'S A BREAKDOWN.

IF I'M MAKING SENSE BETWEEN, YOU KNOW, THE COUNCIL AND THE BOARD ARE OPERATING, UH, UH, COUNCIL AND THAT STAFF ARE OPERATING AT A REALLY GOOD LEVEL OF THAT STRATEGIC PLAN, BUT TO GET THAT DOWN TO YOUR, YOUR COMMISSION AND BOARD LEVEL CAN BEAT BE HARD.

SO I JUST PAUSE THERE AND ASK, IS THERE, IS THERE ANY COMMENTS FROM THE COUNCIL ON THIS ONE THAT, THAT MIGHT ENLIGHTEN THIS STATEMENT? IF NOT, WE CAN MOVE ON.

MA'AM YES.

MA'AM.

MA'AM MAYBE, YOU KNOW, W I'VE NOTICED, YOU KNOW, RECENTLY IT'S NOT STAFF AT ALL, BUT BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS OR CITIZENS, THEY HAVE BUSINESSES THERE IN THE COMMUNITY SOMETIMES MAY HAVE MORE OF AN EMOTIONAL OR A CONCERN OVER TAKING A STANCE AS STRONG AS MAYBE STAFF WON'T SOME TOO, BECAUSE YOU PUT THEM BACK IN YOUR BUSINESS, YOU KNOW, THEY START THINKING, WHAT DO I DO ON A COMMITTEE VERSUS MY LIFE, WHICH PAYS THE BILLS, WHEREAS WE'RE ELECTED.

AND WE REALLY DO HAVE MORE OF A, UH, NOT A MANDATE, BUT OKAY.

WE'RE NOT ALWAYS GOING TO VOTE THE WAY YOU WANT, BUT YOU ALSO CANNOT LET US, SO MAYBE THAT'S IT.

YEAH, I DIDN'T WRITE THAT.

SO I DON'T KNOW, BUT, UM, ONE, THERE'VE BEEN A COUPLE OF RECENT THAT I W WOULD BE WATCHING AND YOU COULD SEE IT WAS, YOU KNOW, ONE MEMBER OR SO MIGHT'VE HAD AN EMOTIONAL, UM, RESPONSE, NOT JUST THE FACTS MA'AM AND NOT LISTENING TO STAFF'S RECOMMENDATIONS, BUT IT'S NOT UNUSUAL.

I MEAN, IT HAPPENS.

YEP.

, I'VE SEEN, UM, THANK, THANK YOU FOR RECOGNIZING THAT I USED TO HOLD THAT TITLE, BUT, BUT THAT'S OH, THAT'S BEEN CHANGED.

OH, OH, OH, IT'S CHANGED.

IT'S LIT UP.

EXCUSE ME.

WELL, I LOOKED ON, HEY, YOU KNOW, THIS, THIS IS THE PROBLEM WITH TECHNOLOGY.

I LOOKED ONLINE LAST NIGHT AND THEN I SAW THIS, UH, WOW.

WAIT.

WELL, I'LL STEP IN THAT ONE.

GET OUT OF IT.

OUT OF IT NOW.

I'VE SEEN TIMES WHEN WE, WE, WE, WE HAVE, UM, DIFFERENT THAN IN POLICY OR PROCEDURES.

AND SO WE HAVE TO WORK ON, UM, TRYING TO GET AN UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT COUNCIL IS DRIVING FIRST.

UM, I DON'T, I DON'T THINK, UM, THE BOYS AND STAFF NEEDS TO DRIVE THE TRAIN ALL THE TIME COUNSELORS TO BE DRIVING THE TRAIN.

AND AT THAT POINT, THEY'RE FOLLOWING SOME OF PRINCIPLES OR GUIDELINES THAT WE'VE BEEN ELECTED TO, TO, TO, TO PRESENT.

AND ESPECIALLY WHEN WE SEE, UM, PROJECTS THAT COME BEFORE US, THAT ONE OF THE BORDER COMMISSION SAYS DENIED.

AND, AND THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT BY RIGHT.

THEY CAN DO THAT.

SO WE NEED WORKSHOPS, OR WE NEED SOME TYPE OF, UM, COLLABORATION SO THAT WE CAN UNDERSTAND, EVERYBODY CAN UNDERSTAND HOW THE GOVERNMENT TRULY WORKS AND HOW EACH OF US, UM, ARE SUPPOSED TO BE IN LINE OR HAVE THE SAME FOCUS.

BUT THE COUNCIL SHOULDN'T SAY GUYS, COUNCIL HONORABLE COUNCILS ADOPTED THOSE, THOSE FOCUS AREAS AND GUIDING PRINCIPLES THAT DIRECTS THE STAFF.

AND, AND, AND, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER, THAT'S A GREAT POINT.

AND THAT'S WHERE BILL, WHEN WE TALKED, WHEN BILL WAS TALKING ABOUT THE FOCUS AREA AND GUIDING PRINCIPLES, I THINK A BREAK, AND IT'S NOT JUST HERE.

IT'S IN, UH, WORKED WITH THE COMMUNITY IN SOUTH DAKOTA THAT HAD THE SAME ISSUE AND THEY'VE HAD A STRATEGIC PLAN FOREVER, UH, THAT, AND THEY HAD THAT BREAKDOWN WOULD THEIR, THEIR BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS LINING HIM UP.

BUT, YOU KNOW, ONE THING IS, IS, ARE THE BOARD AND COMMISSION MEMBERS AWARE OF THE COUNCILS, YOU KNOW, YOUR STRATEGIC FOCUS AREA AND YOUR GUIDING PRINCIPLES, MAKING SURE THAT THEY'RE, THEY'RE AWARE OF THOSE.

AND THEN THE COOL THING ABOUT THE GUIDING PRINCIPLES IS BILL SAID, THEY'RE FOREVER.

BUT ALSO THERE ARE TESTS.

IF THERE'S A PROJECT THAT COMES BEFORE YOU, THE QUESTION BECOMES, HOW DOES THAT MEAN A GUIDING PRINCIPLE? HOW DOES IT NEED A, IS IT PART OF YOUR, IS IT PART OF YOUR FOCUS AREA? SO IT'S, IT'S KIND OF A TEST.

YOU GUYS HAVE ADOPTED THAT,

[00:55:01]

THEN ON THE OPERATIONAL LEVEL TO COME TO YOU AND SAY, HOW DO WE IMPLEMENT THOSE, THOSE, THAT'S THEIR JOB TO COME UP, TO WORK WITH YOU, YOU TWO ON PROJECTS THAT ARE IMPLEMENTED.

SO IT'S A COLLABORATIVE BUILDING PROCESS WITHOUT THAT, WHAT HAPPENS IS LIKE I TELL MY STUDENTS IN THE MPA PROGRAM, IF YOU DON'T HAVE A PLAN WHERE YOU, YOU HAVE ADOPTED AND SAID, HERE IS WHAT WE WANT TO ACHIEVE AS AN OUTCOME.

THAT'S ALL YOUR FOCUS AREAS ARE.

AND YOUR GUIDING PRINCIPLES IMPLEMENTING THAT, HOW IT'S GOING TO BE DONE WAS BETWEEN THE STAFF WOULD USE SUGGESTION, SUGGESTING PROJECTS TO, IF YOU DON'T HAVE THAT, THEN WHAT HAPPENS IS HOW OFTEN DOES YOUR COUNCIL MEET EVERY MONTH, EVERY TWO WEEKS, THEN YOU HAVE A NEW SET OF PRIORITIES EVERY TWO WEEKS.

I MEAN, IT'S ESSENTIALLY, THERE IS NO GUIDES TO WHERE YOU'RE GOING.

YOU'RE JUST, JUST AS BILL SHOWED ON THAT CHART, YOU'RE AT LEVEL THREE, YOU GUYS ARE LEVEL FOUR.

SO, SO, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER, I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT, AND THIS MAY BE YOUR NEXT STEP TO DRILL THAT DOWN TO YOUR BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.

SO THEY UNDERSTAND SO THAT THEY THEY'RE IN LINE STAFF AND YOU WERE ALREADY IN LINE.

IT'S JUST A MATTER OF GETTING THEM IN LINE.

SO IF THAT HELPS OTHERS ON THAT.

YES, MA'AM, I'M JUST GOING TO SPEAK BECAUSE I'M ON THE PLANNING COMMISSION, I'M ON A BOARD, I'VE BEEN ON BOARDS BEFORE.

I'M ON THE BUILDING SIDE AND MY WORK LIFE AND DEVELOPMENT AND ARCHITECTURE, AND I'M ON THE HISTORIC BLUFFTON FOUNDATION.

SO I'VE KIND OF BEEN INVOLVED IN A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS.

AND THE THING WITH THE BOARDS THAT I SEE IS THAT I THINK THERE'S A LACK OF EDUCATION AS FAR AS, UM, THEM UNDERSTANDING WHAT THEIR PURPOSE IS AND WHAT THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO BE LOOKING OUT FOR AND HOW, UM, THEY NEED TO INTERACT WITH THE STAFF.

AND I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S THAT WE, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU ELECT OR, UM, RECOMMEND SOMEONE THAT YOU HAVE SOME SORT OF, UM, SIT DOWN.

I DON'T WANT TO, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE WORD IS, BUT SO THAT EVERYONE CAN BE ON THE SAME PAGE AND UNDERSTAND WHAT THEIR ROLE IS, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT OVER THE YEARS, LIKE RICHARDSON AND TERRY HAVE HAD TO SIT WITH US OFFLINE BEFORE JUST TO EXPLAIN TO US THE LAW AND WHAT WE'RE THERE TO DO.

AND I DON'T THINK THAT SOME OF THEM UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENCE.

SO THAT'S JUST FROM MY SIDE OF THE TABLE.

THANK YOU AT THAT MOMENT AT A MEETING TO DO THAT EDUCATION.

SO LOOKING TO TERRY OR RICHARDSON FOR GUIDANCE OR TO REITERATE BECAUSE THE PUBLIC DOESN'T UNDERSTAND THAT EITHER RIGHT, THAT WE'RE THERE TO DO A CERTAIN JOB AND THAT THERE IS WE HAVE TO SEPARATE, AND IT'S REALLY HARD TO SEPARATE.

AND FOR BASS SPECIFICALLY, BECAUSE I DO THAT IS HOW I MAKE MY LIVING AS WELL.

IT'S, IT'S A HARD THING TO JUGGLE, BUT YOU STILL HAVE TO FOLLOW THE RULES.

AND, AND AGAIN, THANK YOU.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

UM, IF GUYS, THIS HAPPENS EVERYWHERE, YOU KNOW, AND, AND IT, AND IT'S GREAT THAT THE COMMENT CAME UP BECAUSE I THINK IT'S SOMETHING YOU CAN DO THIS WELL.

AND I WAS GOING TO ADD, ONCE WE GET TO THE ACTION AGENDA ITEMS THAT WE'LL ADD, OR EITHER REVISE AS THIS DISCUSSION GOES ON, I HAVE SOME IDEAS AND I'VE BEEN JOTTING DOWN NOTES, AND SOME OF THE IDEAS INCLUDE INVITING TOWN COUNCIL OR ONE OR TWO MEMBERS TO THE ORIENTATION FOR NEW BOARDS, COMMISSION, NEW BOARDS, COMMISSIONS, AND COMMITTEE MEMBERS, UM, OR INCORPORATE TO A REGULAR UPDATE OR PRESENTATION TO TOWN COUNCIL, UM, OR DISCUSSION WHETHER IT'S AT A WORKSHOP SETTING, UH, JUST TO INCORPORATE THAT SOME MORE.

AND THEN ALSO A LITTLE SIDEBAR THING TO MAKE SURE THAT PROJECTS AND APPLICATIONS MEET THE GUIDING PRINCIPLES AND SOMETHING TO INCORPORATE IN OUR STAFF REPORTS AND REVIEWS.

SO AS YOU ALL ARE TALKING, I'M WRITING NOTES.

AND I KNOW I ALREADY HAD SOME, UH, ADDITIONS RECOMMENDED FOR THE ACTION AGENDA.

THIS HAS GENERATED SOME MORE DISCUSSION THAT I'M JOTTING DOWN AND I'LL TALK ABOUT IT.

THANK YOU SO MUCH OTHERS.

MA'AM MIRROR.

LET'S STOP ME IF IT'S GOING TO BE ADDRESS, BUT DON'T ALL BOARDS, COMMITTEES AND COMMISSIONS HAVE TO GO THROUGH HOW MANY KIND OF EDUCATIONAL WORKSHOPS EACH YEAR ISN'T THAT ADDRESSED THEN? OR THAT'S NOT.

I FEEL LIKE SOME OF THOSE WORKSHOPS THAT WE HAVE TO ATTEND REALLY ARE FOCUSED ON WHAT OUR SPECIFIC BOARD NEEDS TO BE FOCUSED.

THAT'S WHERE YOU CAN, BUT IT'S NOT SPECIFIC TO OUR AREA EITHER.

TO BE ACCEPTED BY THE STATE.

AND IF YOU DON'T GET IT, THEN HOW DOES EVERYONE ELSE? IT'S THE THING OF, WE HAVE TO CHECK OFF, BUT IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT'S ENGAGING ENOUGH FOR OUR COMMUNITY.

SO IF WE COULD SOMEHOW REFOCUS THAT WELL, AND THAT LEADS TO ANOTHER ACTION HAD DONE THE ITEM THAT WE COULD INCLUDE, BUT IT'S GETTING QUITE LARGE NOW WHERE WE CAN PROPOSE A CUSTOM CONTINUING EDUCATION TRAINING

[01:00:01]

SO THAT IS, THAT WOULD BE I'M A LITTLE BIT, IT TAKES SOME MORE TIME, BUT IT COULD BE SOMETHING IF YOU SO CHOOSE TO ADD IT, THAT WE COULD LOOK AND REALLY CUSTOMIZE IT, UM, AND PROPOSE THAT TO STATE AND THAT'S, BUT THAT'S JUST MOSTLY GOING TO FOCUS ON PLANNING COMMISSION AND HISTORIC PRESERVATION AND BORDERS, ZONING APPEALS, THOSE THREE STATUTORY.

UM, BRUCE TIMBER, HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION CHAIR.

ONE OF THE THINGS I SEE, AND IT WOULD BE INTERESTING IS IF WE HAD SOMEONE FROM THE BOARD THAT ACTUALLY ATTENDED SOME OF THE HPC MEETINGS, YOU KNOW, TYPICALLY WE DON'T HAVE, UH, FOLKS THAT, THAT, YOU KNOW, CAUSE IN PREVIOUS AREAS, IT SEEMED LIKE IN SOME OF THESE COMMISSIONS, WE HAD A LIAISON BETWEEN THAT.

UH, THEY WEREN'T VOTING MEMBERS.

THEY WEREN'T ANYTHING, BUT THEY WERE ABLE TO ATTEND MEETINGS AND THEY KNEW WHAT WAS GOING ON.

THE OTHER THING THAT I THINK IS, IS IMPORTANT IS WHEN WE BRING ON A NEW BOARD MEMBER, YES, WE DO GO THROUGH THAT TRAINING, BUT IT'S MORE OR LESS POLITICAL NEWNESS OF WHAT YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO DO, BUT WHAT ARE WE ACTUALLY ASSIGNED TO DO RESPECT, SIGN IT, FOLLOW THE UTO, UH, WERE ASSIGNED TO FILE THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN PASSED BY PREVIOUS COMMISSIONS TO FOLLOW IT.

UH, IT'S INTERESTING BECAUSE SOME OF THE BOARD MEMBERS SOMETIMES TRY TO PUT IN THEIR OPINIONS OR THEIR FEELING OF THE COLOR AND THEN THINGS, THINGS THAT WE DON'T HAVE ANY CONTROL OF.

AND THOSE AREN'T WHAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO DO.

WE'RE SUPPOSED TO FOLLOW THE RULES AND IF WE DON'T FOLLOW THE RULES, AND ONE OF MY BIG, BIG WORDS IS, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T WANT TO SET A NEW PRECEDENT.

SO BY SETTING A NEW PRECEDENT MEANS THAT WE'RE NOT FOLLOWING THE RULES BECAUSE THAT BECOMES AN EMOTIONAL ISSUE.

AND SO WHEN WE'RE TRYING TO DO WHAT WE'RE DOING AT THAT BOARD IS FOLLOW THE RULES.

DON'T BECOME PRECEDENT, SETTERS, DON'T BECOME EMOTIONAL AND JUST DO WHAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO DO.

SO IT'S THE RULES THAT ARE NEEDING IF THE RULES NEED TO BE CHANGED, WE'LL FOLLOW THOSE RULES.

YOU KNOW, THAT IS IMPORTANT AND COST OF LIVING OR YOUNGER ADULTS, AFFORDABLE HOUSING, YOU KNOW, MAJOR, MAJOR, MAJOR ISSUE.

WELL, THIS IS, THIS IS GOOD.

I MEAN, ONE OF THE THINGS HEATHER, HEATHER'S TAKEN SOME NOTES ON THIS, WE'LL ADD IT IN AND IT'S SOMETHING YOU HAVE TO FOCUS ON.

YOU KNOW, IT'S OBVIOUSLY WE'RE NOT GOING TO NOT GOING TO SOLVE EVERYTHING TODAY, BUT IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'LL PUT ON, PUT ON OUR RADAR RADAR SCREEN.

SO, UM, FIRST THE FIRST FOCUS AREA WE LOOKED AT WAS YOUR, YOUR QUALITY OF LIFE.

WELL, I'M GONNA HAVE TO REALLY MOVE HERE BECAUSE QUALITY OF LIFE, UH, UH, FOCUS AREA.

AND, UH, YOU TALKED ABOUT THE, THE SURVEY, THERE WAS A COMMENT REGARDING YOUR COMMUNITY SURVEY, WHAT THEY, THEY FELT WERE, WERE IMPORTANT, YOUR, YOUR GROWTH, YOUR ROADS, YOUR TRANSPORTATION, AFFORDABLE HOUSING, UH, QUALITY OF LIFE.

I THINK WE SHOULD CONTINUE TO ENHANCE THE TRANSIT SYSTEM.

SO THERE WAS A, THERE WAS A COMMENT REGARDING TRANSIT SYSTEM, UH, THE SEWER COMMENT AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION, WHICH HAS COME UP, UH, THAT I KNOW BILL IS WORKING ON A SLOW DEVELOPMENT, COMPLETING SEWER PROJECTS AND ENFORCING A REGULATORY, UM, UH, ORDINANCES.

AND SO THOSE, THOSE WERE THE THINGS THAT WERE SORT OF PACKED INTO FROM, FROM YOUR, THAT YOU SAW AS, AS CHALLENGES AND POTENTIAL, UH, THINGS THAT YOU SHOULD FOCUS ON AS COMMUNITY.

INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH, A LOT OF THESE ITEMS, IN FACT, MOST OF THESE ITEMS ARE COVERED.

SOME OF THEM ARE COVERED AND MOST OF THEM ARE COVERED IN YOUR CURRENT PROJECTS.

YOU KNOW, THOSE, THAT LIST OF ABOUT 96 THAT WE SAW YESTERDAY, WHICH WAS KIND OF A, AN EPIPHANY FOR BOTH BILL AND I'S SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF PROJECTS.

BUT THE KEY TODAY IS JUST LIKE WE HAD THE DISCUSSION ON BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS IS IF THERE'S ANYTHING ELSE THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDED, WE NEED TO, WE NEED TO BRING THAT UP.

ANYTHING THAT WE MISSED, THAT THE COUNCIL FEELS THAT THE STAFF SHOULD BE, UH, SHOULD BE TASKED TO DO.

WE NEED TO KNOW THAT TODAY.

SO THAT IS ANY, ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE SURVEY RESULTS THERE, UH, YOUR NEXT AREA.

AND WE'RE GOING TO TAKE A BREAK AT 10 30, PROBABLY BEFORE 10 30.

I WANT TO MENTION THAT, UH, MARIN COUNCIL, UM, AND THEN WE'LL, WE'LL CONTINUE AFTER THAT.

YOUR NEXT AREA WAS ECONOMIC GROWTH THEN, UH, ISSUES WITH THE, WITH THE TOWN.

AND WE, UH, IT'S INTERESTING, YOU MENTIONED THE, THESE CONNECTOR ROADS, UH, THAT, THAT, THAT IS A, THAT'S A BIG ISSUE FOR THE COMMUNITY.

AND, AND I KNOW HOW YOUR, THE COMMUNITIES DEVELOPED WITH THESE BE SEPARATE NEIGHBORHOODS AND CONNECTING.

AND I REMEMBER, UM, FOR SEVEN YEARS, I WAS A CITY MANAGER IN SEDONA, ARIZONA THAT DEVELOPED THE SAME WAY YOU HAD.

WE HAD THESE, THESE DIFFERENT NEIGHBORHOODS THAT WE NEEDED TO SOMEHOW CONNECT AND TO BE ABLE TO HAVE FOLKS BE ABLE TO GO FROM ONE POINT TO ANOTHER, WITHOUT HAVING TO GET ON THE, UM, THE MAJOR ROADWAY, WHICH WAS, WAS 89, 80, SO TOTALLY UNDERSTAND CONNECTORS, UH, ECONOMIC GROWTH AND CHALLENGES, UM, ENSURE PROCESSES AND CUMBERSOME AND DAUNTING.

UH, FOR DEVELOPERS, WE WANT TO ASSURE DEVELOPERS, ENTREPRENEURS LOOKING FOR BUSINESS THAT WERE OPEN AND THAT WE ARE FLEXIBLE.

SO,

[01:05:01]

UH, THOSE WERE THINGS THAT YOU IDENTIFIED, ANY QUESTIONS ON THAT COUNCIL? ANY, ANY COMMENTS? UH, YEAH, , IT HAS TO BE AN ISSUE ABOUT THAT AGE GROUP THAT WE SAID, WE, UH, THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE THAT LIVE THERE, BECAUSE THAT'S THE AGE GROUP THAT SHOULD BE LOOKING FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING, BUT I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW WE GET TO THAT.

WELL, INSTEAD OF IT SAYS, THAT'S WHO WE ARE AS WHO WE ARE.

YEAH, GREAT, GREAT POINT, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER.

BUT THE OTHER THING IS JUST LIKE, JUST LIKE IN OUR COMMUNITY.

AND I CAN TELL YOU, THIS IS, UH, I LIVE IN A SUBDIVISION, BUT I CAN TELL YOU ABSOLUTELY.

AND IT'S AN HOA.

WE HAVE, UH, A HOMEOWNER ASSOCIATION MANAGER.

WE HAVE HAD A GEOMETRIC INCREASE IN REYNOLDS.

I MEAN, FROM THE TIME I MOVED IN, IN 2001, AND THESE ARE, YOU KNOW, IT'S, I MEAN, IT'S NOT LIKE IT'S A NICE NEIGHBORHOOD MUSIC AND PE FOLKS ARE READY.

MY SON EVEN RENTS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.

HE'S, HE'S A 30 MARK IS YEAH.

38.

SO A LOT OF IT IS THESE FOLKS ARE, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE, YOU'RE A LOT OF IT'S BASED ON OUR, WE HAVE AN EXCELLENT SCHOOL DISTRICT AND A LOT OF IT'S BASED ON FOLKS, YOU KNOW, UH, HIM AND HIS SIGNIFICANT OTHER WORK.

AND THEY'RE ABLE, I MEAN, THEY PAY MORE FOR THEIR RENT THAN I AM PAYING.

YOU KNOW, MY WIFE AND I ARE PAYING FOR A MORTGAGE, BUT IT'S NOT JUST THEM.

THERE'S ALL THESE OTHER MILLENNIALS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD MOVING IN.

WHY ARE THEY THERE? WELL, FIRST OF ALL, THEY HAVE WAY TOO MUCH COLLEGE DEBT DEBT.

I MEAN, THEY, YOU KNOW, WHEN I, I, LARRY AND I WERE TALKING, I HAD, I HAD ZERO MONEY.

I HAD TO WORK MY WAY THROUGH COLLEGE.

I HAD NO, YOU KNOW, YEAH.

JUST LEAVING IT THAT.

SO I, IT DIDN'T TAKE ME LONG TO PAY OFF ANY DEBT I HAD.

THESE GUYS ARE COMING OUT WITH SIX-FIGURE DEBT AND THEY CAN'T GET LOANS.

THEY CAN'T SAVE MONEY.

SO THEY'RE RENTING.

AND THAT'S WHAT, CAUSE I WAS SURPRISED AT THE DEMOGRAPHIC YESTERDAY, BY THE WAY, STEVEN AND, UH, CHRIS AND HEATHER WERE, YOU KNOW, I WAS LIKE, I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT, WE HAVE ISSUES IN OUR COMMUNITY WITH, WITH AGING AND OUR NEIGHBORHOOD WITH AGING, YOU KNOW, ME AND OTHERS, AGING POPULATION.

I SAID, WHAT ARE YOU GUYS DOING WITH AGENT? AND THEN I THINK IT WAS STEVEN SAID, HEY, WE'RE 37.

OUR AVERAGE IS 37.

SO, BUT THE THING IS, THEY'RE STILL RENTING.

I MEAN, IN THAT I CAN GUARANTEE YOU, IF YOU LOOK STATISTICALLY AT YOUR RENTAL INCREASE AND IT, NOW IT'S BECOMING A BUSINESS BECAUSE THERE'S LARGE CORPORATIONS COMING IN, YOU'VE HAD A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN, IN RENTAL PROPERTIES.

IT HAS IT'S HAPPENING EVERYWHERE UNLESS YOU GUYS ARE UNUSUAL.

WE HAVE A WHOLE NEW DEVELOPMENT IS ACTUALLY JUST RENTAL HOMES.

AND THAT'S HAPPENING IN TO MY QUESTION, COUNCILMAN HAMILTON, WHERE YOU SAYING THAT YOU THINK BECAUSE OUR AVERAGE AGE IS 37, THAT THE, UH, LAST BULLET THERE IS, IS OFF THAT WE'RE ADDRESSING IT.

I WOULD AGREE WITH, I DIDN'T MAKE THAT STATEMENT WITH THE SECOND ONE, BUT THE THIRD ONE, I THINK IT'S TRUE IN A SENSE OF WHEN I TALKED TO THOSE IN THAT AGE RANGE, WHICH REPRESENTS ME, I'M 38, A POTTER AVERAGE AGE GROUP.

A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE CONFUSED.

YOU KNOW, LIKE I SAID, ON WHAT AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS, THEY THINK IT'S ADDRESSING THOSE WHO ARE HOURLY WORKERS IN THAT, THAT 20 TO MAYBE 50% OF AMI.

SO WHEN THEY HEAR AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECTS, THEY'RE THINKING THAT IT'S GOING TO BE EITHER RENT THAT MIGHT BE ANYWHERE FROM 11 TO 1500 OR HOMES THAT ARE GOING TO BE BELOW $150,000 THAT THEY COULD AFFORD.

AND THAT'S NOT, THAT'S NOT WHAT IT IS.

SO AS WE SEE OUR, UM, UH, AVERAGE, UM, MEDIAN CONTINUE TO INCREASE, THEY'RE CONTINUING TO BLOCK THE BOX OUT BECAUSE THE MAJORITY OF THEM ARE EITHER COMMUTING FROM OTHER PLACES.

A LOT OF PEOPLE, MY AGE, WHO HAVE COLLEGE DEGREES ARE FULL-TIME WORKERS ARE LIVING WITH PARENTS.

THEY'RE LIVING WITH OTHER RELATIVES BECAUSE THEY CANNOT AFFORD TO LIVE HERE.

IT IS EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE.

YOU KNOW WHAT, THE AVERAGE RENT BEING $1,800 A MONTH.

AND THE AVERAGE HOME STARTING AT $260,000, UM, OR MORE THAN THAT.

SO IF THEY ARE, YOU KNOW, WORKING IN OUR SERVICE INDUSTRY, WHICH IS OUR, OUR, OUR BIG JOB SECTOR, OR EVEN TEACHERS LAW ENFORCEMENT, AND THEY'RE SINGLE, THEY CAN'T AFFORD ANYTHING THAT WE'RE OFFERING RIGHT NOW, SADLY, CURRENTLY FOR,

[01:10:01]

UM, FOR HOUSING.

SO WHOEVER WROTE THAT, I THINK IT, IT IS TRUE TO, TO WHERE WE ARE AND SOMETHING THAT HAS TO BE ADDRESSED WELL, THE COUNCIL MEMBERS.

AND I THINK, UM, WHEN, WHEN WE GET TO THE HEATHER GETS TO THE PROJECT, UM, THANK YOU BOTH.

WHEN WE GET TO THE PROJECTS, THERE IS A, THE STAFF IS GOING TO TAKE AN INITIATIVE ON GLOBAL HOUSING THAT I THINK, UH, YOU KNOW, YOU, WE CAN DISCUSS AT THAT TIME.

SO THAT WAS YOUR, THAT WAS THE, THAT WAS THE AREA OF THE NEXT WAS YOUR FINANCIAL.

AND, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT GONNA READ THROUGH ALL THESE, BUT IT'S, IT'S, IT'S PRETTY CLEAR THAT, UM, THE, THE FORECASTING, YOUR, YOU KNOW, RIGHT NOW YOUR COMMUNITY IS, IS GROWING LEAPS AND WAVES.

YOU KNOW, THERE'S A GROWTH AND GROWTH IS I LOOKED AT IT.

I WAS, I WAS TELLING STEVE AND I, I USED TO BE A BUDGET DIRECTOR IN A COMMUNITY.

AND SO I ALSO DID SOME FINANCE.

SO I LIKE IT.

AND I WAS LOOKING AT YOUR BUDGET, YOU KNOW, YOU'VE GOT LIKE, YOU'VE GOT, I THINK CALL HOMIE THESE NUMBERS.

YOU'VE GOT 12 MILLION IN PROPERTY TAX AND NIGHT, 19 MILLION, AND IN YOUR FEES AND PERMITS.

AND A LOT OF THAT IS DRIVEN BY BUILDING.

AND AT SOME POINT THAT BUILDING, YOU KNOW, YOU'VE GOT A WAVE THAT BUILDINGS HERE NOW, AND IT'S GOING TO GO THERE.

SO HOW DO YOU DO IT? AND ONE THING I CAN SAY IS THAT BOTH CHRIS AND STEVEN TALKED TO HIM YESTERDAY, YOU GUYS ARE REALLY AHEAD OF THAT CURVE AND YOU'RE ANTICIPATING THAT.

BUT THAT, THAT IS WHAT THAT FIRST, YOU KNOW, A NUMBER OF THESE BULLETS AND ALSO THE EMPHASIS ON LOOKING AT HOW DO SMALL BUSINESSES CONTRIBUTE TO THAT.

I MEAN, A LOT OF, A LOT OF FOLKS WANT TO CAPTURE, YOU KNOW, CAPTURE THE BIG, LIKE, YOU KNOW, LET'S GET A, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, WHAT'S THE GUY TESLA, YOU KNOW, LET'S, UH, LET'S LET LET, LET'S GET A PLANT HERE TO BUILD THESE ELECTRIC, YOU KNOW, CATCH LET'S CAPTURE A BIG MANUFACTURING PLANT WHERE IN FACT, YOUR SMALL BUSINESSES GENERATE A LOT OF YOUR, A LOT OF YOUR INCOME, YOU KNOW, AND THE FACT THAT SUPPORTING THEM IS REALLY, REALLY, REALLY IMPORTANT.

NOT ONLY WOULD THE BIG ONE.

SO THERE I, WHEN THE NEW, UH, DON RYAN CENTER, I KNOW THAT THERE'S GOING TO BE A DISCUSSION LATER ON, ON THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT'S GOT TO BE KEPT IN MIND.

SO ANY, ANYTHING ABOUT FINANCIAL CHALLENGES? I CAN TELL YOU, I WAS REALLY PLEASED, UM, IN TALKING TO STEVE, STEVEN AND CHRIS, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE COMMUNITIES, WE HAVE A MAJOR COMMUNITY IN ARIZONA THAT, THAT, UM, THAT'S DONE A LOT OF WHAT I CALL FORWARD THINKING.

IT'S CHANDLER, ARIZONA.

THEY'VE GOT, UH, A LOT OF HIGH TECH THERE AND THEY STARTED 15, 20 YEARS AGO, DEVELOPING PLANS ON HOW THEY'RE BUILDING, HOW BUILD OUT WE HAVE TO BE, WHERE DO WE WANT, WHERE ARE WE GOING TO END OUT PHYSICALLY IN TERMS OF OUR PHYSICAL BUILDING AND HOW DO WE FINANCE, MAKE SURE THAT WHEN WE GET THERE AND WE'RE BUILT OUT THAT WE CAN HAVE THE REVENUES TO SUPPORT OUR OPERATION.

THERE'S NOT MANY COMMUNITIES THAT DO THAT.

THESE GUYS ARE ALREADY THINKING ABOUT THAT.

SO I JUST WANT TO, I WANT TO, CAUSE YESTERDAY I THOUGHT, OH, I'LL GIVE STEVEN, CHRIS AN IDEA THAT MAYBE THEY HAVEN'T AND YOU GUYS ARE ALREADY THERE.

SO I WANT TO, I JUST DO WANT TO COMPLIMENT THEM ON THAT BECAUSE A LOT OF COMMUNITIES, YOU KNOW, THEY DO THESE FINANCIAL PROJECTIONS AND IT'S JUST ALL BASED UPON, WELL, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A TREND HERE.

YOU KNOW, REVENUE WILL GO DOWN BECAUSE BUILDING PERMITS, BUT IT'S NOT TIED TO YOUR, WHERE ARE YOU GOING TO END UP AS A COMMUNITY IN 10 OR 15 YEARS GROWTH WISE.

SO YOUR GUYS ARE ALREADY DOING THAT.

AND I WANT TO COMPLIMENT ANY QUESTIONS ON THAT.

YEAR MARK AND WHERE THOSE BUILDING PERMANENTS WILL TAIL OFF AND WHERE IT PUTS US FINANCIALLY AND HOW OUR REVENUE MAKEUP SHIFTS AT THAT POINT, WHERE IT'S MUCH MORE RELIANT ON THE EXISTING PROPERTY TAXES, LESS RELIANT ON BUILDING PERMITS.

WHAT ARE THE, I DON'T KNOW THAT.

YEAH, WELL, WE'RE GOING TO BE THE FINANCIAL, WELL, THE, THE BIG, THE ONE RIGHT NOW, THINGS ARE GOOD.

THE FINANCIAL CHALLENGES, SOME OF YOUR REVENUE IS THAT IT'S CALLED ELASTIC AND INELASTIC YOUR, YOUR, YOUR PROPERTY TAXES.

LIKE THAT IS SOMEWHAT INELASTIC BECAUSE IT'S, IT'S, IT'S, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO COLLECT.

ELASTIC REVENUE IS ALL OF YOUR, YOUR BUILDING PERMITS, ANYTHING THAT IS BASED UPON.

AND SO THIS IS NOT A COMMUNITY THAT'S UNUSUAL.

AND I, YOU KNOW, I'LL TURN THIS OVER TO CHRIS.

IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT UNUSUAL FROM A LOT OF COMMUNITIES THAT LIKE TOTALLY RELY ON SALES TAX.

THAT'S GOING TO VARY OVER TIME.

UM, YOUR GUYS' IS YOUR, YOUR, YOUR PERMITS AND BUILDING PERMITS ARE GOING TO VARY OVER TIME.

RIGHT NOW, THEY'RE, THEY'RE FINE.

BUT IF YOU LOOK BACK 10 YEARS, IF I'M MAKING SENSE 10 YEARS AGO, THEY WEREN'T AT THE LEVEL THAT THEY'RE AT NOW, AND THEY'RE NOT THE PERCENTAGE INCREASE EVERY YEAR.

WASN'T AT THE LEVEL THAT IT'S AT, BUT THAT'S NOT GOING TO BE SUSTAINED.

AND IF YOU DON'T WATCH THAT, IF YOU DON'T WATCH THAT VARIABLE REVENUE, THAT'S HOW A LOT OF CITIES GET CAUGHT.

THESE GUYS ARE, ARE, ARE, ARE WATCHING THAT AND I WANT TO ACCOMPLISH, SO CHRIS DID I DO OKAY.

THERE WAS I, NO, YOU, YOU HIT IT RIGHT ON THE BUTTON.

UM, AND THIS IS A CONVERSATION WE HAD LAST YEAR AT TWO BY TWOS.

UH, ONE OF THOSE PROJECTIONS TALKS ABOUT ELASTIC AND INELASTIC REVENUES.

AND WE'LL REVISIT THAT AGAIN, THIS YEAR AT TWO BY TWOS, UH, LOOKING OUT TO THAT 10, 15, 20

[01:15:01]

AND WE'LL HAVE THAT SHIFT FROM RESIDENTIAL TO COMMERCIAL PERMITS AS WELL.

THAT HAPPENS IN THAT TIMEFRAME AS WELL.

AND WHEN WENT ALL OVER THAT LAST YEAR DURING TWO BY TWOS, AND I'LL DO THAT AGAIN THIS YEAR WITH YOU WITH AN UPDATE, THE SOLE WAY I WOULD SAY IS YOU GO FROM GROWTH MODE TO MAINTENANCE MODE, AND THEN IT BECOMES, YOU DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE TO HAVE AS MANY BUILDING INSPECTORS, AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO HAVE AS MUCH PLANNING BECAUSE YOU'RE BUILT OUT.

SO NOW YOU GO INTO MAINTENANCE MODE AND MAINTAINING WHAT YOU'VE BUILT AND, AND JUST KEEPING THAT IN MIND, WHERE AS WE'RE BUILDING NEW FACILITIES AND WE BUILD NEW PARKS.

SO THAT MAINTENANCE COST IS ALWAYS GOING TO BE THERE, EVEN THOUGH THE PERMIT REVENUE MAY NOT ALWAYS BE THERE.

SO WE JUST TRY TO KEEP THOSE THINGS IN MIND.

AND YOU'LL HEAR US TALK ABOUT ONE TIME FUNDS VERSUS PUTTING THINGS IN LONGTERM YEAR OVER YEAR COST.

SO WE DON'T HANDICAP OURSELVES IN 10 YEARS AND HAVE TO START LOOKING AT TAXES AND STUFF LIKE THAT.

SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE PLANNING.

AND I UNDERSTAND THAT I CAN APPRECIATE THAT RIGHT NOW.

IT'S STILL LOOK LIKE, ARE THERE SIMPLE QUESTION? ARE THERE FINANCIAL CHALLENGES? SO, SO THERE'S NOT FINANCIAL CHALLENGES CURRENTLY.

IT'S, IT'S THE UNEXPECTED.

SO AT WHAT POINT DO WE SEE THAT SIGNIFICANT DROP OFF IN BUILDING PERMITS? UM, THIS HAPPENED IN SIX MONTHS, 12 MONTHS, 18 MONTHS, UM, DOES THIS SUSTAIN AND, UH, PREDICTING THAT IS A LITTLE DIFFICULT.

YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT NATIONAL TRENDS AS WELL AS LOCAL TRENDS.

UM, BUT WE ARE ALWAYS CONSERVATIVE ON WHAT WE EXPECT IN BUILDING PERMANENT REVENUES, EXTREMELY CONSERVATIVE.

SO, SO FAR WE'VE HAD ENDED LAST YEAR AND ONE THIS YEAR WITH BUDGET SURPLUSES BECAUSE OF THAT, BECAUSE THERE WERE PROJECTIONS, UM, I WANTED TO AVOID, UH, LOOSENING THAT, UH, THAT PROJECTION AND EXPECTING THE TREND TO CONTINUE AS MIKE JUST MENTIONED, BECAUSE THEN THAT'LL PUT US IN A SPOT IN THE FUTURE.

YES, MA'AM.

WELL, ONE THOUGHT BEING HERE TOO LONG, BUT PAST, UM, WE SAY, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES 10 YEAR PROJECTIONS, FIVE-YEAR PROJECTIONS OF THAT WORST CASE SCENARIO.

IF WE SEE THINK LAST YEAR, WAS IT SORRY WAS AN ANOMALY A LITTLE BIT, BUT WE ALSO KNOW HOW MANY MORE HOUSES COULD POSSIBLY BE BUILT AND DO KIND OF A WORST CASE SCENARIO OVER FIVE YEARS.

YOU KNOW, WHEN DO WE STOP HAVING PROJECTS? YOU KNOW, WHERE IS THAT? CAUSE IT'S GONNA, AND THEN IF THERE'S A RECESSION OR WHO KNOWS, BECAUSE THAT'LL AFFECT REVENUE, IT'LL AFFECT WORK EMPLOYEES THAT WE'VE BEEN THROUGH IT.

SO WE KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT.

SO PERSONALLY, I'D LIKE TO SEE THAT WORST CASE SCENARIO AND I WAS GOING TO BRING IT UP.

WOULDN'T OUR TWO BY TWOS AS WELL.

WHERE DO WE START SEEING THAT? WHERE IS THAT TIPPING POINT AND DOES COMMERCIAL THEN JUMP UP? IS THERE A TIMEFRAME BETWEEN RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL JUST TO FAULT? YEAH, JUST MAKING AN OBSERVATION.

THAT'S MORE IN LINE WITH STEVEN WAS SAYING THAT, YOU KNOW, GROWTH PAYS FOR ALL THE LUXURIES IN THE BEGINNING OF A GROWING COMMUNITY.

AND WHEN THE COMMUNITY HAS GROWN UP, THEN THE COMMUNITY HAS TO PAY FOR THE GROWTH AND THAT'S THE WAY IT WORKS.

THAT'S WHAT YOU SEE, WHETHER IT'S WATER QUALITY OR, YOU KNOW, YOUR SON THERE'S UNKNOWNS THAT WE'RE NOT ABLE TO FORECAST RIGHT THIS MINUTE.

YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOUR ROADWAY SYSTEMS ARE GOING TO NEED.

YOUR TRANSPORTATION NEEDS.

YOU KNOW, WE THINK WE SEE ALL OF THAT TODAY THAT WHEN YOU'RE GROWN UP, YEAH.

THOSE THINGS ARE COMPOUNDED AND THEY EXPAND.

AND THOSE ARE, THOSE ARE COSTS PROJECTIONS THAT WE DON'T KNOW TODAY THAT THE CITIZENS OF THE FUTURE WILL HAVE TO BE DEALING WITH.

AND TO YOUR POINT, COUNSELOR WOULD, UM, THAT WAS PART OF THE CONVERSATION WHEN WE WERE LOOKING AT THE FUND BALANCE POLICIES WAS, AS WE LOOKED AT THAT, THAT GROWTH DROP-OFF AND WE SAW THE EXPIRATION OF THE TIF RIGHT NOW, THE TIPS SUPPORTS OUR CIP.

MOSTLY THAT'S WHERE MOST OF THE MONEY FOR OUR CFP COMES FROM AS A TIP.

AND SO WHEN THE TICK, UH, INSPIRES THOSE DOLLARS WILL COME INTO OUR GENERAL FUND AND WILL THAT BE ENOUGH TO SUPPORT THE DROP-OFF IN, UM, UH, THE BUILDING PERMITS.

SO NOW YOU HAVE THE ACTUAL PROPERTY TAX REVENUE FROM THE TIF SUPPORTING GENERAL FUND, BUT THEN YOU LOSE YOUR, YOUR SUPPORT FOR YOUR RENEWALS OF YOUR ASSETS.

AND SO THAT'S HOW WE HAD THAT CONVERSATION ON THE NEW ASSET RESERVE FUND AND BEEFING THAT UP, WHICH YOU'VE ALL ADOPTED LAST YEAR AS PART OF THE BUDGET, WHICH IS VERY FORWARD-THINKING.

UM, SO THOSE ARE FISCAL CHALLENGES, UH, COUNCIL, UM, THAT'S WHEN WE LOOKED AT WAS THE MAY RIVER.

AND, UM, YOU KNOW, I KNOW THAT THE, THE IMPORTANCE OF THAT NOT ONLY FOR THE COUNCIL AND THE COMMUNITY STAFF IN TERMS OF,

[01:20:01]

AND THESE WERE SOME OF THE WATER QUALITY IS ALWAYS BEEN UNDER STRESS.

UM, PROJECT NEEDS A HOLISTIC NEEDS TO BE A HOLISTIC LOOK AT THE, AT THE RIVER AND WHAT WE'RE DOING, UH, WITH THE RHYTHM, WITH THE RIVER, UH, THE IMPACT ON 'EM.

UM, AND THERE WAS ALSO THE MENTION OF, YOU KNOW, DOING SOME THINGS IN TERMS OF, UH, UM, STORMWATER RUNOFF, RECYCLING INCENTIVE PROGRAMS FOR, YOU KNOW, BUSINESSES AND, AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE.

THERE WAS ALSO THE SEPTIC ISSUE THAT'S AND THE, UM, LIKE AGAIN, THE WHOLE ISSUE WOULD BE WITH THE SANITARY SANITARY SEWER.

AND I KNOW NOT HERE, BUT LATER THERE WAS ALSO, UH, LOOKING AT THIS, NOT ONLY FROM THE STANDPOINT OF, UH, BLUFFTON, BUT ALSO REGIONALLY THAT THIS IS AN ISSUE THAT NEEDS TO KNOW NEEDS TO BE LOOKED AT ANY COMMENTS ABOUT THIS COUNCIL COMMENT.

YES, YES.

COUNCIL MEMBER, UM, COMMENT, THE RESPONSE ABOUT THE HOLISTIC APPROACH.

IT TIES INTO, UM, WHAT COUNCILMAN WOOD WAS MENTIONING EARLIER.

I THINK, AS WE ARE TALKING ABOUT FUTURE PLANS, IT'S SOMETHING THAT HAS TO BE TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION, UM, IN TERMS OF HOW WE ADDRESS IT.

BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, JUST LOOKING AT, UH, A SINGULAR FOCUS IS KIND OF LIKE THAT ANALOGY IS WE'RE FOCUSING ON THE SHRUB, BUT THERE'S A FORCE OF TREES, UM, THAT WE'RE MISSING THERE.

AND SO AS WE CONTINUE TO SEE EVEN, UM, WE'RE MOVING AWAY FROM THE RELIANCE ON SEPTIC ISSUES, WE'RE STILL HAVING, UM, SEWER BREAKS AND WATER LEAKS AND OTHER THINGS THAT ARE SPILLING IN.

SO THAT'S, UH, YOU KNOW, JUST ONE ISOLATED RESOLUTION, BUT THERE'S SO MANY OTHER THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO, TO FOCUS ON TO REDUCE OUR, UM, IMPRINT THERE WITH THE, WITH THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT AND, AND NOT PUTTING THOSE THINGS IN PLACE.

UM, WE'LL, I THINK DEGRADED EVEN, EVEN MORE, UM, THAN WHAT WE'VE SEEN HERE RECENTLY.

SO, SO THAT IS, YOU KNOW, AND THE STAFF, UM, UNDERSTANDS OBVIOUSLY COMEDIAN UNDERSTANDS IMPORTANT TO THAT, THEN IT HAS TO BE A MORE, MORE HOLISTIC.

SO THAT WAS THE MAY RIVER.

UM, AND AGAIN, WE'RE ABOUT, WE'RE ABOUT 10 MINUTES.

OH, YES, SIR.

BACK.

OH, HOW DO I, OH, I FIGURED IT OUT.

UM, WELL, I AGREE WITH BRIDGET SAID TO A CERTAIN EXTENT, THE, THE THING ABOUT THE SEPTIC ISSUES AND ALL THIS ISN'T SOMETHING THAT WE JUST LEARNED ABOUT THIS YEAR, LAST YEAR, THE YEAR BEFORE, OR FIVE YEARS AGO, WE HAVE SPENT THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS, HUNDREDS, AND THOUSANDS OF HOURS OF STAFF, TIME TO DOCUMENT WHILE WE HAVE WHAT OUR SITUATION IS.

IT'S KNOWN.

WE HAVE THE SCIENCE TO BACK IT UP, NEEDS TO BE TAKEN OFF THE LIST.

YOU KNOW, THAT'S, THAT'S WHY SOME OF THOSE COMMENTS THAT I MADE THAT NEEDS TO BE PUT ON THE FOREFRONT ANSWER AND GET IT DONE.

WE HAVE THE FUNDING, WE ALL BEEN TALKING ABOUT IT 20 YEARS.

UM, IT IS HAPPENING AS WE SIT HERE TODAY AGAIN, AND IT NEEDS TO BE PUT UP.

CAN I JUST, CAUSE I LOVE THAT ARE WE HAVE WHO WE HAVE IN THE AUDIENCE, ANY QUESTIONS OR THOUGHTS ON OUR SURVEYS FROM ANYONE? AND AGAIN, IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION KIND OF GET MY ATTENTION, ANYTHING.

SO, UM, SO MAY RIVER, THE NEXT AREA WE LOOKED AT WAS THE TOWN ORGANIZATION AND, UH, YOU'RE RIGHT IN, THERE WAS OBVIOUSLY STAFF RETENTION AND THAT'S ON EVERYONE'S MIND TODAY WITH THE ECONOMY WE'RE IN.

UM, AND YOU ALSO MENTIONED THAT THAT, THAT THERE'S GOING TO BE, THERE'S A SURVEY THAT'S BEING DONE.

SO, UM, THOSE WERE THE THINGS THAT, THAT CAME OUT OF THAT SURVEY.

THE TOWN HAS IMPLEMENTED EMPLOYEE SURVEY.

SO I SEE NODDING OF HEADS THERE.

ANY COMMENTS ON THAT ONE? UM, THE NEXT ONE WHERE WE'RE EMPATHS STRUCTURE, UH, CHALLENGES, UH, THERE'S NEED TO ESTABLISH AGAIN, CONNECT IT'S CAME UP, UH, WORKING WITH T NOW THIS ONE WAS INTERESTING WORKING WITH UTILITY PARTNERS, UH, BECAUSE YOUR, YOUR WATER UTILITY, UH, THERE WAS SOME CONCERN WITH WATER PRESSURE AND, UH, WHETHER OR NOT, YOU KNOW, THAT IS SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, WE WANT TO BE SURE.

AND ALSO, UH, HOW DO WE DEAL WITH THE, UM, UH, MAINTAINING OUR DITCHES, YOU KNOW, DURING THE HEAVY RAIN AND THEN AGAIN, SEWER FOR OUR RESIDENTS.

SO THE NEW ITEM THAT KIND OF STUCK OUT TO, I KNOW WHEN, WHEN BILL AND I LOOKED AT THIS, WAS THIS WHOLE ISSUE OF REGARDING YOUR, YOUR WATER UTILITIES WATER IS, UH, IS IT, OH YEAH.

WELL, IT SAYS RIGHT HERE, IT GOES, UH, INFRASTRUCTURE CHALLENGES TO WORK IN OUR UTILITY PARTNER.

SO YOU MUST HAVE THAT THE UTILITY THERE'S A SEPARATE UTILITY

[01:25:01]

THAT RUNS A WATER.

YOU WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S WATER PRESSURE, ET CETERA, ARE COMPROMISED WITH THE OVERBURDEN AS THE BUILDING GOES AND BUILDINGS GOING ON THAT THERE'S CAPACITY TO SERVE THAT.

SO THAT I JUST, I JUST WANT TO MAKE, OKAY.

OH, THAT WAS YOUR, I MEAN, WE HAD AN ISSUE.

WE HAD THIS CONVERSATION AT COUNSELED BEFORE WHAT THE PROJECT THAT'S GOING TO COME UP ON, UH, ON 46 WITH A B FOR GAS.

WE'RE WANTING TO ADD IN MORE, UH, PIPES AND OTHER THINGS, BECAUSE POTENTIALLY THAT, THAT IS AN ISSUE, YOU KNOW, YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE TO, AS WE'RE GROWING, WE HAVE TO GO BACK AND ADDRESS CERTAIN CONCERNS.

CAUSE OUR POPULATION ISN'T WHAT IT WAS BEFORE.

AND SO YOU DON'T WANT TO, UM, HAVE INFERIOR SYSTEMS AND NOT ADDRESS THAT WITH THE, WITH THE POPULATION.

SO I THINK IT'S, IT'S ALL ABOUT HORSE SIGHT, YOU KNOW, ARE WE LOOKING AHEAD? ARE WE ADDRESSING THOSE THINGS? OH, , THAT'S WHAT WE'RE EXPERIENCING NOW WITHOUT, OH, I'M SORRY.

YOU HAVE THE NIMBY SITUATION WHERE, UH, WE'RE GOING TO INSTALL THAT ELEVATED TANK.

AND OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, RESIDENTS AT THIS POINT, THEY LIKE TO BE INCLUDED IN THE PROCESS AND THAT'S WHERE WE ARE.

BUT THERE ARE GOING TO BE INSTANCES WHERE WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO COME BACK AND INSTALL UPGRADES TO THE SYSTEM.

AND SO WE WILL CERTAINLY KEEP COUNCIL ABREAST OF EACH OF THOSE SITUATIONS AND TRY TO BRING THE COMMUNITY ALONG WHEN WE DO.

AND I'M GLAD THAT MICHAEL MENTIONED THAT CAUSE HE'S OUR DESIGNATED PERSON FOR THE UTILITY AND JOE IS ALWAYS AT EVERYTHING I'M AT.

SO IT'S SO NICE TO KNOW HE'S HERE.

BUT I THINK ANOTHER CHALLENGE IS THAT CONSTANT COMMUNICATION, BECAUSE WE ALSO HAVE TO COOPERATE AND WORK AND COMPLIMENT THE COUNTY, RIGHT.

BECAUSE WHERE THESE PIPES ARE GOING, DOES IT JUST RUN THROUGH THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON? SO IT, IT'S KIND OF BOTH OF US LETTING THE UTILITY COMPANY KNOW THE GROWTH, WHERE IS IT? WE DO IT WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICT ALL THE TIME.

SO MAYBE WE NEED TO HAVE THAT EXTRA STEP OF US GETTING TOGETHER COUNTY AND TOWN AND PARTY AND MAYOR WILLIAMS, BECAUSE THAT RUNS KIND OF THROUGH HARTVILLE TOO, AT SOME POINT.

SO YEAH, NO, THAT MAKES SENSE.

I MEAN, THERE'S, YOU KNOW, UM, A LOT OF CITIES WILL CONTROL THEIR WATER, BUT I KNOW INSTEAD OF WE HAD A, WE HAD A PRIVATE WATER COMPANY AND WE OBVIOUSLY MAKE SURE THAT WE STAYED ON THE SAME WAVELENGTH WITH THEM CONSIDERING THAT THE BUILDING THERE.

SO THAT WAS THE INFRASTRUCTURE CHALLENGES.

THE NEXT THING WAS OBVIOUSLY THE, THE, UM, AFFORDABLE HOUSING WE'LL END ON THIS ONE AND THEN TAKE A BREAK, UH, 15 MINUTES.

AND IT'S, IT'S INTERESTING.

I'LL, I'LL SAY IF WE CAN GET, WE'LL GET STARTED RIGHT AT 15 MINUTES AFTERWARDS, I'LL, I'LL KIND OF GIVE YOU, BUT THE CHALLENGES THERE ARE FINDING BUILDERS, DEVELOPERS PARTNER WITH IN THE TOWN.

AND THAT IS, YOU KNOW, YOU'VE GOT A LOT OF YOUR PRIDE.

IT WAS A SURPRISE TO US.

I MEAN, AT LEAST A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, WE FOUND OUT A LOT OF YOUR, YOUR LAND IS, ARE UNDER DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENTS BY PRIVATE DEVELOPERS.

AND SO HOW DO YOU GET THOSE GUYS ENGAGED TO, UM, TO WORK ON AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND NOT ONLY LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY OWNERSHIP, BUT ALSO THIS, THIS WHOLE ISSUE WITH, WITH, WITH RENTAL, UH, COST OF LIVING RISING COSTS OF REAL ESTATE, UH, NOT IN MY BACKYARD AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE, ADDRESSING HOUSING PROVIDES ACCESS TO QUALITY HOUSING FOR HOURLY WORKERS.

UM, YOU KNOW, AND THIS, WE CAN ADDRESS THIS CHALLENGE BY WORKING WITH REGIONAL AND NATIONAL PARTNERS TO CREATE A MATCHING TRUST FUND ENDOWMENT.

SO, SO REALLY LOOKING AT THIS A LITTLE BIT MORE HOLISTICALLY, LIKE I'VE MENTIONED TO YOU, UM, THE STAFF WILL HAVE, AFTER WE GET DONE WITH GOING THROUGH YOUR SURVEY RESULTS, THE STAFF WILL GIVE YOU A LIST OF, UH, OF ITEMS THAT THEY'LL BE RECOMMENDING.

ONE OF WHICH IS TO START ADDRESSING THIS WHOLE MORE, UM, HOLISTIC AND STRATEGIC APPROACH TO, TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING.

ANY, ANY COMMENTS ON THIS SLIDE BEFORE WE TAKE A BREAK? OKAY.

SO, UM, WHAT I'M GOING TO DO AT, UH, EXACTLY 10 45 MIRROR, UM, I'M GOING TO BE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GONNA START OUT, I'M GOING TO START OUT.

THAT'S WHAT I TELL MY STUDENTS, YOU KNOW, WE STARTED TAKING A BREAK AND THEN WE'RE STARTING.

WE'RE GOING TO START CLASS ONE LAST COMMENT.

ACROSS THE NATION HAS TO DEAL WITH.

I'VE ONLY BEEN ON COUNCIL SIX YEARS.

I FIND THAT TO BE THE MOST CHALLENGING, COMPLICATED SITUATION THAT THIS COUNCIL OR ANYBODY

[01:30:01]

YOU CAN BUILD WATERLINES, YOU CAN BUILD SUBDIVISIONS, YOU CAN BUILD ROADS, BUT GETTING HOUSING IS BY FAR THE MOST CHALLENGING OBSTACLE.

THAT'S ALL I CAN SAY.

AND NO ONE, NO ONE HAS FIGURED OUT, YOU KNOW, THE MAGIC BULLET.

SO, BUT YES, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE, LATER ON THE STAFF WILL BE MAKING RECOMMENDATIONS.

WELL, WE'VE DONE IT, YOU KNOW, WITH, WITH, UM, GRANTS AND THE LIGHT, BUT WHAT YOU HAVE TO DEAL WITH IS THE PUSHBACK FROM PEOPLE WHO THINK WE'RE SUBSIDIZING IT AND A BIT AND YOU JUST HAVE TO.

SO IF YOU BELIEVE IN AFFORDABLE HOUSING, THERE'S GOING TO BE SOME SUBSIDY FROM A GOVERNMENT TO EITHER HAVE A SECOND QUIET MORTGAGE OR TO HELP THOSE RESIDENTS GET INTO THOSE HOUSES, WHETHER IT'S RENTAL OR OWNERSHIP.

YES MA'AM.

SO 15 MINUTES GUYS, AND THEN I'M GONNA WRITE IT.

10 45.

HE'S TALKING WHETHER YOU'RE IN YOUR SEAT OR NOT, LET'S GET MOVING.

SO, SO WELCOME BACK FROM THE BREAK.

WELCOME.

WELCOME BACK FROM THE BREAK.

I, UH, I WAS TELLING, I WAS TELLING, I WAS TELLING, UH, IF I CAN USE YOUR FIRST NAME.

SO I WAS TELLING FRED AND BRIDGET A BREAK THAT, UH, THAT I LIKED YOUR COOKIES.

WHOEVER MAKES THAT OATMEAL RAISIN COOKIES HERE.

I LIKE THEM, BUT I FOUND OUT FRED LIKES THEM TOO.

OH, NO, LARRY DOES TOO.

SO I JUST SAID, I HOPE THERE'S SOME FOR LUNCH BECAUSE I HAVE THIS IMAGE OF EATING, UH, EATING A NICE, UH, A NICE OATMEAL RAISE.

AND THERE'S THAT? THERE'S A GREAT BOOK.

I DON'T KNOW IF YOU GUYS REMEMBER, UM, EVERYTHING I, UM, EVERYTHING I KNEW, I KNOW I LEARNED IN KINDERGARTEN BY GETTING A GUY NAMED FULL GYM AND HE TALKS ABOUT THAT.

UM, ONE OF THE LESSONS FROM BEING YOUNG IS THAT WARM COOKIES AND COLD MILK ARE REALLY, REALLY GOOD FOR YOU.

SO THE ONLY FLAT MICROWAVE POP THAT THING IN AND HAVE SOME MILK AND WE'D GO, OKAY, BACK TO BUSINESS.

UH, WHAT CHALLENGES ARE FACING TOWN OF BLUFFTON DAY NOT ADDRESSED? AND THESE WERE THE COMMON HERE WITH SCHOOL AND GROWTH AND THE, THE IMPLICATIONS FOR THAT, FOR THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, A WILD TOWN DOES A GOOD JOB COMMUNICATING WITH VARIOUS MEDIA.

UM, THERE'S, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY YOU CAN, YOU CAN ALWAYS DO, UH, DO MORE TO EDUCATE.

AND I KNOW THAT, THAT WE TALKED, THE STAFF TALKED ABOUT THAT YESTERDAY.

SO THESE WERE THE TWO THINGS THAT THEY CAME OUT OF.

UM, YOU KNOW, OTHER CHALLENGES OUTSIDE OF THE, OUTSIDE OF THE, UH, THE FOCUS AREAS.

SO WE'RE, WE'RE DONE WITH THE FOLKS HERE, BUT OTHER ADDITIONAL, ANY COMMENTS ABOUT THESE COUNCIL MEMBERS? I MEAN, I KNOW WE'LL, THEY'D TRASH IT, BUT IT'S NOT JUST SCHOOLS, IT'S INFRASTRUCTURE, THE INFRASTRUCTURE OTHER.

O THAT BEING SAID, UH, MARIN COUNCIL, I'M GONNA, UH, BILL HAS DONE SOME MAGIC WORK, UH, TO, UH, TO TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE, THE CHANGES THAT ARE BEING RECOMMENDED AS PART OF YOUR OKAY.

SO THAT'S ONE WAS WHAT ARE WHAT'S MISSING? LIKE, UH, COMPONENTS OF YOUR CURRENT STRATEGIC PLAN YOU FEEL ARE MISSING, NO COMMENTS PROVIDED HERE.

YOU GUYS FELT THAT THAT WERE RIGHT ON THERE.

AGAIN, WHAT POLICIES THERE'S THIS GREEN FOCUSED INFRASTRUCTURE WAS DEFINITELY A, UM, ONE OF THE COMMENTS AND, AND ORDINANCE ENFORCEMENT, UM, IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, ADDITIONAL POLICIES TO LOOK AT.

AND I KNOW THAT THERE'S GOING TO BE, UM, BILL'S GOING TO GET UP HERE IN A FEW MINUTES AND TALK ABOUT, UH, SOME OF THAT ADDITION IN TERMS OF THE, THE, UM, THE FOLKS THERE IN GUIDING PRINCIPLES.

AND THEN, UM, THE RECOMMENDATIONS DAY TO DAY FOR THE MANAGER, UH, YOU KNOW, CONTINUE TO IMPROVE, UH, COMMUNICATION, UH, AND EACH DEPARTMENT SHOULD HAVE COVID GUIDELINES.

SO IT SOUNDS LIKE THINGS ARE PRETTY WELL IN TERMS OF, OF THAT MOVING FORWARD COUNCIL.

AND THEN THIS WAS JUST A FINAL SERIES OF QUESTIONS.

UM, WE ASKED ABOUT, UM, YOU KNOW, THE COUNCIL ON A SERIOUS QUESTION ABOUT CREATING PRIORITIES FOR CAPITAL AND, UH, YOUR GUYS HAD PRETTY MUCH A HUNDRED PERCENT AGREEMENT ON, ON THOSE.

UM, TALKED ABOUT FLEXIBILITY.

WE'RE GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT THAT LATER THIS AFTERNOON, BUT I DID WANT TO EMPHASIZE THIS AND THE IMPORTANCE OF OUR ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES CAN'T BE IGNORED.

AND SO, UM, ONE OF THE GREAT THINGS ABOUT THIS AND I GIVE THE STAFF CREDIT IS, IS THAT THEY WANTED TO GET YOUR FEEDBACK ON THESE ON, ON HEALTH AND SAFETY, FISCAL IMPACT, COMMUNITY BENEFIT, RISK ANALYSIS, QUALITY OF LIFE, UH, RELATIONS TO OTHER PROJECTS.

SUSTAINABILITY IS STIMULATING THE LOCAL ECONOMY AND CONSISTENT CONSISTENCY WITH OUR STRATEGIC PLANNING, GUIDING PRINCIPLES.

YOU GUYS SAID YOU WERE ALL IN AGREEMENT.

AND, UH, LATER THIS AFTERNOON AFTER LUNCH, WE'LL HAVE A, UM, WE WILL, UH, HAVE A STAFF DISCUSSION REGARDING, REGARDING, UH, THE CAPITAL

[01:35:01]

AND I GET TO DRIVE, UH, IN FRONT OF EVERYBODY.

SO OKAY.

SO, UH, I APPEARED VERY CONFUSED EARLIER AND I WAS, CAUSE I KNEW WE HAD DONE THIS WORK YESTERDAY.

I HAD JUST DID NOT PUT IT ON THE SLIDE.

UM, SO I GREATLY APOLOGIZE FOR THAT.

AND AT THIS POINT I THINK I HAVE TO PUBLICLY ACKNOWLEDGE THAT I AM NO LONGER ALLOWED TO MAKE FUN OF MIKE BEING OLDER THAN ME BECAUSE I CLEARLY HAD THAT ALL SCREWED UP.

UH, AND ONE OF THE THINGS I MENTIONED YESTERDAY, FOR THOSE THAT THINK OF OLD, OLD, STRATEGIC PLANNING WAYS THAT USED TO BE, THEY USED TO BE LABELED OUT AS GOALS, GOAL ONE, YOU KNOW, AND THEORETICALLY YOU WILL ATTAIN A GOAL.

SO, UH, AND I WAS ONLY SHOWING THE, THE COUPLE OF COMPONENTS.

SO I JUST WANT TO WALK THROUGH THIS, UH, QUICKLY.

UH, THIS IS THE COMMUNITY QUALITY OF LIFE.

THAT IS THE FOCUS AREA IS THIS SECTION RIGHT HERE, WHICH IS A LITTLE BIT OF EVERYTHING THAT WE, THAT WE, THAT WE HAD WE'VE ALREADY TALKED ABOUT, UH, ABOUT THE NEW GUIDING PRINCIPLE ONE, WHICH IS PRESERVING AND ENHANCING THE HISTORIC AND CULTURAL IDENTITY.

SO WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THAT, THE OLD GUIDING PRINCIPLE FIVE, WE COMBINED, AND THAT'S WHERE YOU SAW FOSTER AND SUPPORT, UH, PLACE-BASED INITIATIVES AND EVALUATE COMMUNITY POLICIES, PROGRAMS, ET CETERA, THAT WAS OLD GUIDING PRINCIPLE FIVE.

AND IT ENDED THERE YESTERDAY.

WE ADDED GUIDING PRINCIPLES SIX, WHICH IS WHAT YOU SEE HIGHLIGHTED HERE, UH, BEFORE, WHICH IS FOSTER TOWN POLICIES AND PRACTICES THAT ENCOURAGE ENVIRONMENTALLY CONSCIOUS INITIATIVES POLICIES.

AND, AND THAT SHOULD SAY TOWN CODES.

I WAS GOING FAST, UH, THAT SUPPORT A CLEAN WELL-MAINTAINED SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITY THAT PROTECTS OUR NATURAL RESOURCES, INCLUDING THE MAY RIVER.

SO THIS IS THE, EVERYTHING THE MAY RIVER IS VERY IMPORTANT TO THE COMMUNITY, BUT IT IS NOT THE ONLY THING THAT NEEDS TO BE SUSTAINED ENVIRONMENTALLY WITHIN THE COMMUNITY.

SO, UH, WE DON'T WANT TO CUT IT OUT OF THIS ONE BECAUSE IT IS A NATURAL RESOURCE, BUT EVERYTHING ABOVE THIS IS EVERYTHING ELSE THAT YOU THINK OF WHEN IT COMES TO, UH, THE GENERIC GREEN INITIATIVE.

THAT'S KIND OF WHERE THAT IS.

I CHECKED IN WITH COUNCIL MEMBER WOULD, UH, THIS MEETS HIS, UH, EXPECTATIONS.

I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANT TO SPEAK TO THAT AT ALL, BUT, UM, I GUESS I WOULD LOOK TO THE REST OF THE COUNCIL, UM, IS THIS MEET YOUR INTENTION GOING FORWARD? I SEE BRIDGETTE READING IT.

SO I'M SORRY.

COUNCIL MEMBER FRAZIER READING IT.

YOU GOOD? OKAY.

I WAS JUST CURIOUS.

I KNOW WE MENTIONED THE MAY RIVER A LOT, BUT WHAT ABOUT ALL THE OTHER WATER SURROUNDING, UH, BLUFFED IN AREN'T WE, I MEAN, SHOULDN'T, WE INCLUDE ALL WATERWAYS OR SOME OTHER THINGS.

SO WE HAVE IT, WE HAVE AN ENTIRE FOCUS AREA DEDICATED TO THE MAY RIVER AND SURROUNDING WATERSHEDS AND ENTIRE FOCUS AREA.

THAT PARTICULAR GUIDING PRINCIPLE IS, IS BASED STRICTLY ON QUALITY OF LIFE TO THAT.

UH, THERE'S GOTTA BE, SOMEONE'S GOTTA HELP ME WITH A BETTER PHRASE CAUSE I HATE GOING GREEN THINGS, BUT IT'S ALL OF THE THINGS SUSTAINABLE, UH, EVERYTHING SUSTAINABILITY, I GUESS THAT'S ADDITIVE TO ALSO MENTIONED THAT IN NUMBER SIX, THE NUMBER SIX IS REALLY DEDICATED TO JUST THOSE WATERWAYS.

UM, NOT THAT, NOT THAT IF WE DON'T MAINTAIN THE MAY RIVER, IT'S NOT, THERE'S NOT A CONNECTION TO THE QUALITY OF LIFE BECAUSE ALL OF THOSE THINGS ARE INTERCONNECTED.

BUT, UM, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE MAY RIVER AND THE SURROUNDING WATERSHEDS, THESE ARE THE PRINCIPLES THAT WE WILL ALWAYS DO IN SUPPORT OF THAT IN THE QUALITY OF LIFE ISSUE.

WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, UH, ALL THINGS SUSTAINABLE, NOT THAT THESE TWO THINGS DON'T TOUCH, BUT WE JUST DON'T BECOME REPETITIVE.

[01:40:01]

AND THAT MEANS YOUR, YOUR GOALS ARE CONSTANTLY CHANGING IN THE STRATEGIC FOCUS AS IT WORKS AND APPLIES TO MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT.

THESE ARE THE THINGS YOU WILL ALWAYS FOCUS ON.

AND THESE ARE THE PRINCIPLES WHICH YOU WILL ALWAYS LIVE BY IS KIND OF THAT, THAT CONCEPT BECAUSE LOCAL GOVERNMENT GOES ON FOR MUCH LONGER PERIOD OF TIME.

SO I DON'T WANT TO SPLIT THE HAIRS, BUT THAT'S KIND OF HOW, HOW WE, WE GO WITH THAT.

SO, TOM, COUNCIL'S GOOD WITH THAT STAFF.

IT'S A SLIGHT ALTERATION TO WHAT WE DID YESTERDAY.

I CAN TELL YOU THE MANAGER'S OKAY WITH IT.

SO ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANY OBJECTIONS? AND NOT THAT I HAVE AN OBJECTION, BUT AN ACKNOWLEDGEMENT THAT WE HAVE OUR VICE CHAIR OF OUR MAY RIVER WATERSHED ACTION PLAN ADVISORY COMMITTEE HERE, MR. STAN ROGERS AS WELL.

IF I TURN ON THE GRID, IF YOU WOULD INTRODUCE YOURSELF.

ALRIGHT, STAN ROGERS.

I'M THE VICE CHAIR OF THE WATERSHED ACTION PLAN COMMITTEE.

THANKS DAN.

AND DID I MISS ANYBODY? ANYBODY ELSE KNEW? I CAN'T SEE EVER.

GREAT.

WELCOME.

THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE YOUR NEXT.

SO THAT'S IT.

UH, WE'RE GOING TO DO ONE MORE TRANSITION, UM, OVER TO HEATHER AND MIKE, WE'LL GO FROM THERE.

FOR THE SAKE OF TIME, I'M NOT GOING TO GO THROUGH THE 94 ITEMS IN OUR STRATEGIC PLAN ACTION AGENDA ITEM, BUT THEY ARE ALL THERE.

THERE'S A PRINTOUT OF THE, UM, THE CHART.

I THINK IT'S ON TAB SIX, I BELIEVE.

TAB SIX.

AND THE FIRST COUPLE OF PAGES JUST KIND OF SEE THAT THE LEVEL OF DETAIL THAT I CAN PULL OUT, UM, AIR TABLE, IF YOU REMEMBER IS PRETTY ROBUST AND ALL THE DIFFERENT WAYS THAT I CAN PRESENT THE DATA, BUT THE CHARTS BEHIND IT IS REALLY THAT'S OUR TO DO LIST.

AND IT OUTLINES ALL, ALL SORTS OF DIFFERENT, UM, ACTION AGENDA ITEMS THAT STEM FROM THOSE GUIDING PRINCIPLES.

UH, SEVERAL OF THOSE, I ACTUALLY NAP MORE THAN SEVERAL WHEN I COUNTED IT.

IT'S ABOUT 36 OF THOSE ARE ACTUALLY OPERATIONAL, UM, AGENDA ITEMS. SO THEY WERE IN THE STRATEGIC PLAN BECAUSE THEY INITIALLY TO START INCLUDED, ESTABLISHING THOSE STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES.

AND IT'S KIND OF THE FIRST TIME WE STARTED TO DO IT.

AND NOW IT'S BECOME PART OF OUR DAILY WORK, UM, WHAT WE'RE EXPECTED TO DO AND OUR EXPECTATIONS, FOR EXAMPLE, IMPROVE THE DEVELOPMENT REVIEW PROCESS.

WELL, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD BE DOING ALL THE TIME.

UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT A, IT'S NEVER COMPLETE.

SO IT'S ONGOING THE AFFORDABLE WORKFORCE HOUSING PROGRAM.

JUST THOSE GENERAL THINGS THAT YOU INITIALLY SAW IN THAT STRATEGIC ACTION PLAN.

UM, BUT AGAIN HAVE BEEN, HAVE BECOME EXPECTATIONS.

SO THAT'S WHAT YOU SHOULD BE DOING.

UM, SO WHAT YOU MUST BE DOING, IT'S, WHAT'S EXPECTED OF YOU.

SO YOU MAY SEE AN ADJUSTMENT OF THOSE IN FUTURE PLANS, MOVING FORWARD, IF THAT'S ACCEPTABLE, YOU'LL ALSO SEE THERE'S, UM, THE CLASSIFICATION OF PROJECTS THAT INCLUDES ALL OF OUR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS, SO THAT WE'LL ADJUST.

AND AGAIN, THOSE STATUSES ARE ON THAT AGENDA ITEM AND THEN POLICIES.

THOSE ARE THE SPECIFIC THINGS IT'S COMPLETE.

A LOT OF THE UDL AMENDMENTS THAT, UM, WE MOVED FORWARD WITH HAVING COMPLETE.

A LOT OF THEM ARE STILL ONGOING IN AND IN THE PROCESS.

AND THEN AS WE TALKED AND WENT THROUGH THE SURVEYS, WE HAD STAFF IDENTIFIED, UM, THANKS FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION.

AND THEN I'VE ALSO TAKEN NOTES AND ADDED IN ABOUT FOUR MORE FROM THIS MORNING THAT WANTED YOUR INPUT.

ONCE ALL OF THIS HAS BEEN, UM, FINALIZED AND, YOU KNOW, I DON'T WANT TO GO THROUGH THE WORDSMITHING OF GETTING IT IN STRATEGIC IN THE AIR TABLE TODAY RIGHT NOW.

CAUSE THAT WOULD BE A LITTLE BIT CLUMSY FOR ME.

JUST PULL IT OUT IN AN EXCEL SPREADSHEET.

SO THIS IS JUST OUR NOTES AND THOUGHTS JUST FOR DISCUSSION MOVING FORWARD.

IF THIS IS SOMETHING THAT COUNCIL WANTS US TO WORK FORWARD, WORK ON AND WE'LL GO AHEAD AND INCORPORATE IT.

AND THEN OBVIOUSLY YOU'LL SEE IT IN THE NEXT COUPLE MONTHS WHEN YOU APPROVED THE STRATEGIC PLAN.

UM, PAST ITEMS LIKE THIS, WE ALSO HAD A COLUMN THAT SAID COMPLETED ONGOING.

I WOULD BE SO FRUSTRATED IF I WAS YOU LOOKING AT THIS BECAUSE NONE OF THIS SAYS THAT.

SO W AND IT'S, AND THAT'S WHERE THERE'S THAT, UM, PROGRAM IS SO ROBUST.

IT IS IN THOSE DETAILED SHEETS.

UM, IT'S NOT IN YOUR PACKET, BUT I DO HAVE, THERE'S SO MUCH THAT WE HAVE CAPTURED.

SO I HAVE THAT TOO, AND WE'LL, I'LL HAVE ALL OF THAT PRINTED FOR YOU.

UM, AND I CAN INCLUDE IT IN THE NEXT CONSENT AGENDA.

I CAN SEND IT AFTER THIS.

UM, IF THIS WORKSHOP, AND THEN ALSO WHEN WE DO PROPOSE IT TO YOU TO APPROVE THE ACTUAL STRATEGIC PLAN.

SO THIS IS SHOWING WHAT YOU'VE BEEN WORKING ON, WHAT WE'RE DOING.

THAT WE'LL SEE, EVEN IF YOU PUT A COMPLETED AT THE BOTTOM, CORRECT.

THERE'LL BE A PLACE SOMEWHERE

[01:45:01]

COMPLETE COMPILING TO ME, NOT BECAUSE I COULDN'T READ AND I DON'T KNOW, I GUESS ONGOING OR COMPLETED WOULD HAVE BEEN NICE TO SEE.

OH, APOLOGIZE FOR THAT.

THAT'S FOR THE REFORESTATION PLAN.

THAT ACTUALLY IS THAT STILL ONGOING.

WE HAVE NOT COMPLETED THAT.

SO PLANNING COMMISSION AT THEIR LAST MEETING, THEY DID NOT TAKE ACTION.

THEY WANTED SOME MORE INFORMATION ON THE TREE AMENDMENTS TO THE UTO, WHICH ALL OF THIS IS ENCOMPASSING.

SO THAT IS, UM, PROJECTED TO COME BEFORE PLANNING COMMISSION AT THE END OF THIS MONTH, AND THEN TO TOWN COUNCIL IN MARCH, SO THAT ONE'S NOT DONE YET.

WHAT DID THEY APPROVE? THEY DID NOT APPROVE ANYTHING AT THIS TIME.

THEY DID NOT TAKE ACTION.

THAT'S RECOMMENDED.

SO THAT AGENDA ITEM, IF YOU LOOK AT THAT STRATEGIC PLAN ITEM, IT INCLUDES ALL SORTS OF DIFFERENT.

LET ME PULL UP HERE.

WELL, THAT IS CLEARLY A TYPO APOLOGIZE FOR THAT.

I PUT IN YOUR THOUGHTS AND IF WE READ THIS STUFF, I KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING.

GOOD ONES.

WE PROBABLY DID PRESUMPTIONS.

THAT IS A TYPE OF, YES, IT WAS TABLE.

IT WAS TABLE .

WE READ OUR PACKET, TAKES ALL EYES WATCHING AMANDA.

AND SHE'S LIKE, I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.

I WASN'T AT THE LAST MEETING WE'RE UPDATING, AND THEN WE ASSUMED THAT'S WHAT WE GOT.

TO HOW WE ADDRESS THE HISTORIC DISTRICT IN THE ROAD NETWORKS? SO THAT'S ONE THOUGHT.

I'M SURE THERE MAY BE OTHERS IN HERE, BUT WE WILL CONTINUE TO DESCRIBE IT.

AND THIS TOO IS OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, IT'S KIND OF A STATIC THING WHEN WE PRINTED IT, WE CONTINUALLY UPDATE AIR TABLE AND TRY TO GET THOSE UPDATES AND PROGRESS REPORTS IN THERE.

BUT I APOLOGIZE FOR THAT.

SO GOOD CATCH.

YOU WANT TO, IS IT OKAY TO START GOING THROUGH THE PROPOSED ONES OR DO YOU HAVE ANY MORE QUESTIONS? OKAY.

SO UNDER QUALITY OF LIFE, UM, TELL US WHERE YOU ARE ON THE, SO THIS IS NOT IN YOUR PACKET.

SO THIS IS NOT IN YOUR PACKET.

THIS, THESE ARE THE ADDITIONS, WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING TO ADD TO THAT WORK PLAN, THE ACTION AGENDA ITEM.

SO THAT TABLE THAT YOU SAW THERE, WHERE IT HAD THE STATUSES, IF THIS IS WHAT YOU'D LIKE US TO WORK ON IN THE NEXT TWO YEARS, UM, WHAT BASICALLY OUR WORK PROGRAM WILL ADD TO IT.

UM, SOME OF THEM WILL INCLUDE MAYBE JUST SOME REFINING OF, UM, EXISTING ACTION ITEMS, YOU KNOW, AS FAR AS TWEAKING AND ADJUSTING, BUT THESE ARE NEW ONES.

SO AS WE'VE EVOLVED AND THERE'S BEEN SOME CHANGES IN BASED ON THE DISCUSSION AND THE SURVEY RESULTS THOUGHT THESE WERE THINGS THAT MADE TO CONSIDER FOR DISCUSSION.

SO CERTAINLY LOOK TO YOU FOR THAT.

AND THESE CAME OUT OF OUR MEETING YESTERDAY WITH THE PART OF THE SENIOR STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS FOR NOW, THESE ARE ALL PUT IN PLACE THEN YESTERDAY AFTER, RIGHT? IT'S ALMOST LIKE THOSE LITTLE, YOU KNOW, TALKING POINTS, YOU KNOW, THAT GAME YOU PLAY WHERE YOU TEND TO PULL OUT A CARD AND SAY, HERE, LET'S START TALKING ABOUT THIS, BUT JUST FOR OUR SUGGESTIONS, UM, IN THE EXISTING ACTION AGENDA ITEM, THERE IS A ITEM THAT ADDRESSES ACCESSIBILITY MORE RELATED TO ADA ACCESS IN THE HISTORIC DISTRICTS.

SO WE'VE DONE THAT THAT'S BEEN COMPLETED AS FAR AS THE STUDY WHERE WE'VE IDENTIFIED WHERE THE CROSSWALKS TO MEET ADA, UM, ON IT'S GOING TO BE A MULTI-YEAR PROCESS TO ACTUALLY GET THOSE INSTALLED FOLLOWING UP ON THAT.

IT SEEMS THAT MAYBE THERE WAS MORE THAT COULD BE DONE OR COULD BE REVIEWED WITH THAT.

UM, SPECIFICALLY THAT FIRST LINE.

SO MORE OF A, JUST AN OVERALL PEDESTRIAN ACCESS AND SAFETY ANALYSIS, NOW THAT THE TOWNS, UM, ACQUIRED MORE ROADS AND WHETHER IT BE THE GHOST ROADS ACQUISITION, OR JUST IN GENERAL IN THE HISTORIC DISTRICT, SHOULD WE KIND OF HAVE A HOLISTIC APPROACH? I LOOK TO KIM, UM, IF SHE'D LIKE TO CHIME IN AT ALL, BUT BASICALLY DOES IT INCLUDE LIGHTING? DOES IT INCLUDE, UM, ONE WAY STREETS? DOES IT INCLUDE, UM, ADDITIONAL ROAD ACQUISITION, WHATEVER IT MAY BE, BUT KIND OF A HOLISTIC APPROACH

[01:50:01]

I, I THINK IT SHOULD GO BEYOND THAT.

I THINK EVEN YOU GET TOWARD BUCK ISLAND AND PARKERS, AND, UM, I THINK THE LIGHTING, YOU KNOW, SOME KIND OF ANNOUNCEMENT OF SOME SORT WITHOUT FLASHING LIGHTS SAYING, PEOPLE ARE WALKING ACROSS, YOU KNOW, THE STATE MANDATED CROSSWALKS WE NEED CAUSE IT'S DARK AT NIGHT.

AND JUST, THAT'S JUST MY FAULT.

SO WHERE PEOPLE WALK IN FROM BUCK ISLAND CROSSING OVER TO GO TO PARKER'S OR TO GET ON THE SIDEWALK THEN TO CROSSOVER AGAIN, BUT THAT'S NOT ANY QUESTIONS OR OKAY.

UH, THE NEXT ONE, AND THAT WOULD INCLUDE THE PARKWAYS AND EVERYTHING.

I MEAN, TO THE MAYOR'S POINT, I HOLISTIC APPROACH IN THE AREA WHERE PEDESTRIANS ARE WALKING, RIGHT.

WE CAN ADD THAT.

AND OBVIOUSLY THERE MAY BE DIFFERENT, UM, THINGS THAT SPIN OFF OF THAT BECAUSE WE HAVE THIS, WE WOULD HAVE COORDINATION WITH THE STATE OR OTHER POSSIBLE ROAD OWNERS OWNERSHIP VERSUS THE TOWN.

SO WE CAN CERTAINLY INCLUDE THAT IN THE APPROACH.

YES, OUR DISCUSSION WAS FOCUSING ON THE ROADS WE CONTROL VERSUS ROADS.

WE DON'T CONTROL IF WE WANT TO DO IT TOWN-WIDE THEN THAT'S GOING TO BE A LOT OF THE FAR LARGER PROJECT AND SPUR A LOT MORE.

I MEAN, AT THAT POINT IN TIME, YOU'RE ALMOST DOING AN ENTIRE TOWN BIKE PAD STUDY AND MASTER PLAN TO IMPROVE, TO INCLUDE THE ENTIRE TOWN FOR ACCESS CONTROL.

DO WE NEED EXTRA IMPROVEMENTS? DO WE NEED LIGHTING? DO WE NEED CROSSINGS? AND THAT BECOMES WHAT WE WERE FOCUSING ON AS OUR CONTROL.

DO YOU WANT TO EXPAND THAT WE'RE MORE THAN WELCOME MORE THAN GLAD TO CHANGE THAT, TO MATCH COUNSELING, MORE, MORE OF JUST MAKING SURE LATS AND THE COUNTIES AND YOU KNOW, OUR NEIGHBORING TOWNS KNOW WHAT WE'RE DOING.

I DON'T THINK WE TAKE ON ROADS.

YOU KNOW, THERE ARE ISSUES BETWEEN BELFAIR AND SIMMONS VILLE.

WELL, WE'LL BE JUST FOCUSING ON THIS.

MY OTHER THOUGHT ON THAT WAS BLUFFTON ROADS.

UM, HEATHER AND STEVEN, BECAUSE THAT WAS, UH, AN ACTION ITEM IN THE PAST.

AND IT'S JUST KIND OF FALLEN WHERE WE WERE GOING TO DO CROSSWALK FROM PROMENADE TO WHAT IS NOW NECTAR THAT AREA.

UM, DID WE THINK TO THE LIGHTING, WERE THERE ISSUES, CAN WE JUST KIND OF KEEP IT ON THE RADAR? AND THAT'S WHY I WANTED TO GO A LITTLE BIT OUT OF THE HISTORIC DISTRICT IN OUR TOWN LIMITS.

AND MAYBE WHAT DAN SAYS IS MORE OF A COMMUNICATION TO THE HOLISTIC APPROACH OUTSIDE.

I, AND WE CAN MAKE THAT A LONG RANGE ITEM.

I MEAN, YOU KNOW, YOU FOCUSED ON WHAT YOU HAVE UP HERE RIGHT NOW, BUT WE MAY BE LOOKING OUT 10 YEARS, YOU KNOW, TO TRY TO PARTNER WITH OTHER ORGANIZATIONS TO YOUR POINT, STEVEN, AND, YOU KNOW, TAKE, TAKE THE AREA OVER THERE NEXT TO BELFAIR WHERE YOU CROSS OVER TO 78.

IT'S PROBABLY NOT A MORE DANGEROUS PLACE ANYWHERE AROUND TO TRY TO GET ACROSS THERE.

AND, UH, IT'S, IT'S A STATE ROAD, BUT IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT WE SHOULDN'T BE PUSHING THEM TO COME TO THE TABLE TO TRY TO RECTIFY THAT.

I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THOUGH, THAT WE DON'T MAKE SOMETHING, MAKE THE SCOPE OF A, OF A PROJECT SO BIG THAT IT TAKES 10 YEARS OR 20 YEARS TO BE ABLE TO GET OUR IN AND GET ANYTHING ACCOMPLISHED.

I THINK, YOU KNOW, UM, LIKE SHE'S, YOU KNOW, MAYBE OUTSIDE THE HISTORIC DISTRICT, BUT DON'T GO TOO FAR SO THAT IT'S GOING TO JUST TAKE SO LONG AND YOU KNOW, LET'S STAY WITHIN OUR MEANS.

SO, AND WE CAN PROBABLY TWEAK THAT TO TALK ABOUT AND LOOK AND COORDINATE WITH PARTNERS ON TRACK HOME ISSUES THROUGHOUT THE TOWN THAT MAY COME UP, LIKE WE'LL FOCUS ON OURS.

AND THEN WE'LL, IF YOU HAD, LIKE, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT BEV BELFAIR IN 2 78, WE CAN REACH OUT, YOU KNOW, MAKE IT BROADER TO INCLUDE ANY CONCERNS YOU RECEIVED FROM CITIZENS OR, OR AREAS THAT BECOME ISSUES.

AND IT REALLY GOES TO THIS NEW COMMITTEE FOR THIS POSSIBLE PENNY FROM THE COUNTY, YOU KNOW, THOSE ARE ALL TRANSPORTATION WALKING IS JUST AS IMPORTANT AS DRIVING SOMETIMES.

SO, YOU KNOW, THAT COULD BE COMMUNICATED TO THE COUNTY LEVEL.

GO THROUGH THE REVIEW PROCESS, BUT KIND OF BUNDLE THOSE IN A PACKAGE.

SO IT SOUNDS LIKE THAT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU'D LIKE US TO JUST MAYBE TWEAK THE LANGUAGE IN THERE, BUT YEAH, THE NEXT ONE I KNOW WE'VE TALKED ABOUT MENTIONED, I'D LIKE TO PROPOSE A, MORE OF AN ANNUAL REVIEW OR UPDATE WITH UDL AMENDMENTS, AND THIS WOULD INCLUDE THOSE LITTLE THINGS THAT MAY NOT NEED A PRI MAY NOT NEED TO GO TO THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF PRIORITY TO

[01:55:01]

SOME OF THEM COULD BE SIMPLE, JUST EDITS WHERE WE SEE TWO THINGS DON'T ALIGN.

WE NEED TO CORRECT THAT.

OBVIOUSLY THINGS WILL COME UP AND WE WILL MAKE, YOU KNOW, IF THERE'S AN ISSUE WHERE IT'S A BIG CHUNK, SO TO SPEAK LIKE, UM, YOU KNOW, TREE REGULATIONS OR STORMWATER, THEN OBVIOUSLY THAT CAN COME BEFORE YOU AT ANOTHER TIME.

BUT JUST TO KIND OF HAVE AN ANNUAL UPDATE, ALMOST LIKE THE BUDGET, HERE'S OUR UDL REVIEW.

AND HERE'S WHAT IS PROPOSED TO BE CHANGED TO JUST WHEN DO YOU DO THE UTO REVIEW? DO YOU, IS THERE SOMEBODY THAT JUST CONSTANTLY LOOKS, OR DO YOU WAIT, ARE YOU REACTIVE OR PROACTIVE? WE ARE PROACTIVE.

WE ACTUALLY, WE HAVE A HARD, OLD, HARD COPY UTO THAT AS WE SEE THINGS THAT NEED TO BE CLARIFIED OR CHANGED, STAFF WRITES IT IN THERE, OR A PLANNING COMMISSION HAS A THOUGHT OR HBC.

SO WE ACTUALLY HAVE A WORKING DOCUMENT, SO TO SPEAK WHERE WE KEEP THOSE NOTES AND BRING THOSE FORWARD.

AND THEN AS THINGS COME UP, UM, WHAT WE SEE, YOU KNOW, IS MAYBE NOT WORKING EXACTLY RIGHT OR ALIGNING WITH TOWN COUNCILS GOALS, WE PROPOSE THOSE CHANGES.

SO, AND JUST LIKE ANYTHING AS WE MAKE UDL CHANGES, WE MAY HAVE TO TWEAK IT ONCE WE ACTUALLY APPLY IT.

SO PROPOSING JUST AN ANNUAL REVIEW OF THAT PROBABLY SOMETIME LATE SPRING, EARLY SUMMER, JUST DEPENDING ON AGENDAS.

UM, THE NEXT ONE, THIS ONE I JUST ADDED THIS MORNING.

THIS IS IMPROVE THE DEVELOPMENT REVIEW PROCESS TO REVIEW PROJECTS, TO THE STRATEGIC PLAN, INCLUDING THE GUIDING PRINCIPLES.

SO JUST, UM, PROBABLY A SIMPLE THING THAT WE CAN INCORPORATE INTO OUR REVIEW CHECKLIST AND OUR STAFF REPORTS, BUT, AND THEN THIS WOULD BECOME ONGOING.

SO THIS IS ONE OF THOSE EXAMPLES OF, I THINK IT'S STRATEGIC NOW, BUT AS WE CONTINUE TO DO THIS, IT'S JUST KIND OF RAISING THOSE EXPECTATIONS.

UH, THE, THE LAST ONE HERE UNDER QUALITY OF LIFE IS WHEN I ALSO ADDED THIS MORNING, AS WE TALKED ABOUT HISTORIC PRESERVATION AND DOVE INTO THE SURVEY RESULTS A LITTLE BIT DEEPER IS RECOMMEND, UM, HISTORIC RESOURCES THAT ARE ELIGIBLE FOR INDIVIDUAL LISTING.

AS YOU KNOW, ONE OF OUR OUTSTANDING ITEMS THAT WE STILL HAVE TO DO IS TO ALIGN THE NATIONAL REGISTER AND THE LOCAL REGISTER DISTRICTS A LITTLE BIT MORE CLOSELY, BUT EITHER EXPAND THAT OR ADD ANOTHER AGENDA ITEM.

AND IN THIS ONE, I WAS SPECIFICALLY THINKING ONE THAT WE HAVE OWNERSHIP INTEREST IN IS THE GARVIN GARVEY HOUSE.

SO ACTUALLY SUBMITTING THAT FOR NATIONAL REGISTER NOMINATION FOR INDIVIDUAL LISTINGS.

SO GOOD.

WHARF STREET, YOU KNOW, WE REALLY DIDN'T KNOW WHAT THE NEED WAS UNTIL WE HAD SIX HOUSES THAT WE WANTED TO SELL OUR, WE DO.

I DO NEED TO GO UP.

UM, IF ANYONE HAS, DOES ANYONE HAVE ANYTHING ELSE IN THEIR COMMUNITY OF LIFE THAT YOU'D LIKE US TO CONSIDER? OKAY.

GOING BACK UP, I DIDN'T HAVE MY, UH, DOCUMENTS SCROLLED UP TO THE TOP AFFORDABLE AND WORKFORCE HOUSING.

THERE IS, UM, THREE OTHER AGENDA ITEMS ALREADY LISTED.

ONE IS THAT AFFORDABLE HOUSING, UM, WORK, THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING COMMITTEE, A WORK PLAN.

SO THAT'S THE BUDGET.

UM, WHAT WE DO EVERY MONTH WITH THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING COMMITTEE, THAT'S ONE OF THE ITEMS, THE HOUSING PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP IS ANOTHER ONE, WHICH IS, WHICH IS ONGOING AND WE'RE CONTINUING TO MOVE THAT FORWARD.

AND ANOTHER ONE THAT WE CONSIDERED, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO CLEARLY AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS A NEED IT'S IN ALL OF THE SURVEYS, BUT WHAT MORE CAN WE ACTUALLY DO? WHAT, WHAT OTHER TOOLS CAN WE USE? WE ALSO HAVE THE HOUSING TRUST.

THAT'S ONE OF THE OTHER ITEMS IN THAT, UM, ACTION AGENDA THAT'S ALREADY BEEN IDENTIFIED AND IS ONGOING, BUT ONE OF THE THOUGHTS OR SUGGESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION IS DO WE NEED TO TAKE A DEEPER DIVE? THE BEAVER COUNTY HOUSING NEEDS STUDY SPECIFIC TO BLUFFTON.

SO MAYBE WHAT TYPES OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING PRODUCTS ARE NEEDED OR REQUIRED AS RENTAL OWNERSHIP? IS IT A MIX? DOES IT INCLUDE A, IS THERE A CERTAIN SIZE OF UNIT WE'RE LOOKING FOR? I DON'T KNOW, BUT THAT'S JUST A SUGGESTION.

DO WE NEED TO TAKE A DEEPER DIVE? I WOULD SAY YES.

THAT'S WHERE I HADN'T FOUND ANYTHING ON THE SHALLOW END OF THE POLE.

PART OF THE DISCUSSION IS THIS.

WHEN WE WENT AND MET WITH CHARLESTON, THEY ACTUALLY HAVE DONE THIS AND THEY HAVE A NEED THAT THEY SAY, WE KNOW WE NEED X NUMBER OF UNITS.

WE'RE SHORT THIS MANY AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNITS.

WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT IS YET.

WE DON'T KNOW WHETHER IT'S, WE'RE SHORT THIS MUCH HOME OWNERSHIP.

WE'RE SHORT THIS MUCH RENTAL, WE'RE SHORT THIS MUCH AT THIS LEVEL, THIS LEVEL.

SO REALLY HAVING SOMEBODY HELP US KNOW HOW MUCH WE NEED SO WE CAN PLAN TO MEET THOSE DIFFERENT AREAS.

PLUS THEY MAY HAVE SOME INFORMATION TO SHARE WITH US ON HOW WE CAN ADDRESS THOSE AREAS TO MAKE SURE WHAT WE'RE LOOKING TO DO AS PART OF OUR PROJECTS MATCH WITH WHAT IS OUT THERE, WE'RE NOT MISSING SOMETHING.

SO THAT WAS KIND OF WHERE WE WANTED TO BRING WITH IT, WHERE THAT DISCUSSION CAME FROM AND FOLLOW UP TO THAT.

AND JUST KIND OF HIT ME.

I GO BACK TO THE

[02:00:01]

IS THERE A WAY TO PUT IT OUT THERE THAT, I MEAN, IT'D BE NICE TO GET OUR PROJECT STARTED AND WE HAD THE ONES THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON, BUT DON'T YOU FIND THAT NEED, ONCE YOU SEE THERE'S SOMETHING OUT THERE TO RENT OR SELL, AND COULD WE START GETTING A FEEL OF THE BLOCK? YOU KNOW, THE CLIMATE OF WHO'S ALREADY HERE, THAT'S LIVING WITH THEIR PARENTS OR HAVING TO MOVE AWAY TO SEE WHERE THAT POOL OF PEOPLE IS.

THEN WE'D KINDA KNOW WHAT THE NEED IS.

I WOULD THINK THAT WOULD BE PART OF THE STUDY THAT WE WOULD WANT SOMEBODY TO COME AND HELP US WITH.

CAUSE I DON'T KNOW HOW WE GO OUT AND FIND THOSE THAT ARE LIVING WITH THEIR PARENTS WITHOUT JUST ASKING, TRYING TO FILL TO MY WORDS.

WELL, IT'S GONE THROUGH THAT.

I DON'T LIKE, UM, I DON'T LIKE WHERE WE ARE TODAY SAYING WE NEED TO STUDY.

THAT'S JUST TO ME, THAT'S KICKING THE CAN DOWN THE ROAD.

WE ALREADY KNOW WHAT WE NEED.

WE NEED, WE NEED TO BUILD THEM.

WE NEED TO ENCOURAGE STUDYING TO ME IS TAKING TWO STEPS BACKWARDS.

AND I, UM, I DON'T THINK THAT'S, I DON'T THINK WE HAD THAT PLACE WHERE WE GOT TO STUDY ANYMORE.

EVERYWHERE YOU GO IN THIS, IN THIS, IN THE COUNTRY IS SAYING WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH AFFORDABLE HOUSING.

SO LET US BUILD THE THINGS THAT JUST GO AHEAD AND BUILD THEM.

I MEAN, THAT'S, LET'S STOP FILIBUSTER.

WE'VE GOT TO GET IT DONE.

I SAY, TALK ABOUT THE FIELD OF DREAMS, RIGHT? EXACTLY.

WELL, AND THAT'S WHERE I WAS GOING TO LET, IT'LL BE THESE TWO RIGHT HERE.

I GUESS WE KNOW THE FOCUS OF LET'S SPEND OUR MONEY AND GET THESE PROJECTS BUILT.

BUT THEN YOU COLLECT BECAUSE WHAT WE'RE BUILDING IS NOT GOING TO CURE AFFORDABLE HOUSING NEEDS.

WE KNOW THAT WHAT IS IT UNDER A HUNDRED UNITS, BUT FROM THERE, WHEN THEY'RE BEING BUILT, LET'S GET THAT POOL OF PEOPLE WHO I THINK WE'LL SEE PROBABLY 400 APPLICANTS.

SO NOW WE HAVE A POOL THAT WE'VE GOT TO GET THAT MESSAGE OUT AND GET THINGS GROWING.

AND I KNOW THERE ARE HURDLES ON BOTH SIDES TO S TO GET THAT POOL STARTED.

MAYBE THAT'S THE DEEPER DIVE ONCE IT STARTS.

SO I THINK, I THINK THIS ACTION ITEM IS RECOGNIZING THAT AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS GOING TO BE AN ONGOING ISSUE.

SO IT'S HOW DO WE MANAGE IT ONGOING? WE ALSO HAVE, OBVIOUSLY WE HAVE THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECT THAT IS ONGOING WE'RE IN, IN THOSE TALKS TO FINALIZE THE CONTRACT.

BUT, UM, THIS IS RECOGNIZING THAT THIS WILL BE AN ONGOING ISSUE INTO THE FUTURE.

AND HOW DO WE MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE PREPARED FOR THAT AS AN ONGOING ITEM ANNUALLY, RATHER THAN FINDING WHERE WE WERE THIS FIRST GO ROUND, WHERE WE WEREN'T PREPARED FOR IT.

WELL, I THINK ONE MAJOR STEP, AND WE'VE, WE'VE, WE'VE ALL TALKED ABOUT THIS IN THE PAST AND WE PUT MONEY IN THE, UH, YOU KNOW, IF WE'RE LAND PURCHASES AND I'M AT THE CAMP THAT WE SHOULD BE BUYING LAND.

I'VE ALWAYS BEEN AT THE CAMP.

WE SHOULD BE BUYING LAND, YOU KNOW, W WHERE WE CAN IT'S REASONABLE AS BEST AS REASONABLE, UM, FOR WHATEVER THE NEEDS, IT COULD BE HOUSING, IT COULD BE PUBLIC SERVICES, WHATEVER IT COULD BE, BUT IF IT DIDN'T WORK OUT, WE COULD SELL IT LIKE WE'VE DONE BEFORE, BUT YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE GOING TO EVER EXPAND THE HOUSING PROGRAM TO FRED'S POINT, YOU GOT TO START SOMEWHERE AND SOME OF THAT WILL BE LAND ACQUISITION.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO, WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE LAND ACQUISITION ATTITUDE, ONE OF THE EXISTING AGENDA, OR EXCUSE ME, ACTUALLY AGENDA ITEMS? OR IS THERE ANY, OR JUST REMOVE THIS FROM MY LIST COMPLETELY? WELL, WE ALREADY HAVE LAND ACQUISITION.

WE JUST NEED TO INCREASE OUR BUDGET TO SUPPORT.

I THOUGHT IN OUR LAST BUDGET HERE, WE, WE, WE HAVE MONEY WE HAVEN'T SPENT.

CORRECT.

SO WE'RE TRYING TO FIND LAND.

WE'RE LOOKING AT SEVERAL PIECES OF LAND RIGHT NOW.

SO I THOUGHT WE WERE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE OF THAT.

IF SOMETHING COMES UP, THAT MAKES SENSE.

THEN WE, UM, ALMOST LIKE THE SEAT, WE HAVE MONEY FOR LAND ACQUISITION, BUT EVERY, EVERY, EVERY MONTH THE REAL ESTATE MARKET CHANGES.

SO YOU GOT TO KEEP, KEEP UP WITH THE, UH, WITH THE DEMAND.

I WOULD JUST SAY TO THEIR POINT, WE JUST HAD TO BE MORE AGGRESSIVE THAN WHAT WE HAVE.

AND THAT, THAT LIVES WITH US.

I MEAN, Y'ALL HAVE IDENTIFY IT AND BRING IT TO US AND LET US HAVE THE CONVERSATION, MAYBE TYPE THOSE IN HERE, BUT I JUST WANT TO GET THAT ONE.

HAVE A QUESTION? I'M NOT SURE WHERE WE ARE ON IT.

ANYTHING ELSE ON AFFORDABLE HOUSING? I'M DO I

[02:05:01]

I KNOW THAT STEVEN, I BELIEVE CHRIS AND I, WE TALKED ABOUT IT ADDRESSED THE BEFORE TOO.

UM, IS THE PROPOSAL OF LIKE DOING THAT FEE IN LIEU OF WHEN DEVELOPERS ARE DOING THEIR PROJECTS? I KNOW CURRENTLY TO ASK HAS BEEN, TO HAVE THEM INCLUDE THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING, UM, WITHIN THAT PARTICULAR PROJECT.

BUT, UM, I REMEMBER SUGGESTING LIKE, IS IT POSSIBLE THAT TO TAKE THAT FEE AND LUA AND BE ABLE TO USE IT FOR OUR PARTICULAR FOCUSES, WHETHER IT'S THE LAND ACQUISITION FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECTS OR TO BUILD IT ON, ON A PROPERTY THAT WE HAVE.

IS THAT SOMETHING THAT, THAT WAS LOOKED AT ANYMORE? I KNOW YOU WERE SAYING THAT WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT NUMBER COULD BE OR HOW TO GO ABOUT DEFINING, SORRY.

I KEEP FORGETTING MY MIND OR HOW TO GO ABOUT FINDING WHAT IT IS.

I THINK THAT THAT'S A POSSIBLE SOLUTION.

CAN I, CAN I TAKE A STAB AT THAT POLICE? UM, BRIDGET, WE HAVEN'T, WE HAVEN'T DETERMINED WHAT THAT FEE IS YET.

THE FEE IN LIEU OF IS WE HAVEN'T DETERMINED WHAT, UH, WHAT THE CAUSE OF UNITS THAT MIGHT BE IN A DENSITY BANK OR WHAT HAVE YOU, YOU HAVEN'T, YOU HAVEN'T COME TO THAT, TO THOSE, UH, UNDERSTANDING YET.

UM, SO WE'VE BEEN ENCOURAGING, UH, STAFF TO FORCE THE DEVELOPERS TO BUILD IT, INSTEAD OF SAYING FEE IN LIEU OF THAT 20% IS WHAT WE SHOULD, UM, ENCOURAGE THAT THEY BUILD IT.

I WOULD DEFINITELY LIKE FOR US, I HEAR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, COUNCILMAN I, BUT I WOULD LIKE FOR US TO CONSIDER THAT AT LEAST BECAUSE THE REALITY IS EVERYONE'S NOT GOING TO BE A HOMEOWNER.

AND I DON'T THINK THAT WE SHOULD CONTINUE TO BOX PEOPLE WHO ARE IN NEED OF HOUSING OUT OF THAT CONVERSATION.

IT MIGHT BE RENTAL ULTIMATELY THAT THEY ARE GOING TO GET, I THINK JUST BEING ABLE TO PROVIDE THAT ACCESS AS ANOTHER OPTION IN THE CONVERSATION OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING, UM, COULD BE ANOTHER APPROACH, AS WE'RE SAYING, LIKE WE'RE, WE'VE BEEN REACHING ON THE SHALLOW END HERE.

I THINK IT'S TIME TO, TO BRING IN OTHER SUGGESTIONS, NOT TO STOP WHAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE GOING ON, BUT AT LEAST TO GET ANOTHER IDEA ON THE TABLE TO BE ABLE TO ADDRESS WHERE WE ARE, BECAUSE IT'S NOT GETTING ANY BETTER.

IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WOULD GO THROUGH AFFORDABLE HOUSING COMMITTEE TO MAKE A RECOMMENDATION? YEAH.

SO IF WE DID MOVE FORWARD WITH SOMETHING LIKE THAT, WE WOULD DO, UM, RESEARCH, WHICH WE HAVE SOME, BUT UPDATE OUR RESEARCH, GO THROUGH WHAT THE OPTIONS ARE, HOW TO, HOW TO BUY THAT IN THE STUDIO, WHAT THE PROCESS WOULD BE, WHAT THE FEE WOULD BE WORK WITH THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING COMMITTEE TO GET A RECOMMENDATION.

AND THEN IT WOULD GO THROUGH THE PROCESS, PORTABLE HOUSING COMMITTEE, PLANNING, COMMISSION, TOWN COUNCIL FOR, AND IT'S JUST TOOLS.

SO BY THE TIME IT CAME TO COUNCIL COUNCIL COULD, IT COULD DECIDE, WELL, WE DON'T WANT YOU TO PAY A FAMILY.

WE'D RATHER YOU BUILD THE 20% KIND OF THING.

SO, I MEAN, IT JUST ADDS TOOLS TO THE TOOLBOX IS WHAT I HEAR.

SO DO YOU WANT ME TO LEAVE THAT AS SOMETHING FOR STAFF TO CONSIDER AND BRING FORWARD WE'LL WORK ON IT AND IT DOESN'T, IT DOESN'T MEAN IT'S ADOPTED AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT ALL THOSE CONDITIONS WILL BE OR WHAT THOSE TEXTS CHECK BOXES.

WELL, OKAY.

I MEAN, YOU GET TO VET IT AND GET SOME ON YOUR GYM.

I DO LIKE MORE TOOLS IN THE BOX, BUT, UH, WE'LL, WE'LL, I GUESS WE LOOK AT IT, BUT I THINK AT THIS POINT WE DON'T NEED TO COMPLICATE ANYTHING MORE, BUT IT'S BETTER TO MAKE SURE WE VETTED AND, AND, UM, AND UNDERSTAND THAT CLARITY, UH, MORE CLEARLY.

OR WE'RE NOT GOING ANY FARTHER.

UM, THE WAY I FEEL ABOUT IT IS GETTING THE MONEY BEFORE THE CONSTRUCTION STARTS IS A GOOD TOOL TO HAVE IN THE BOX, SIMPLY BECAUSE AS WE ALREADY KNOW, THEY'RE GOING TO WAIT TO BUILD THOSE UNITS UNTIL LAST, YOU KNOW, SO YOU COULD STILL BE WAITING ANOTHER FIVE YEARS OR WHATEVER, FOR PHASE FIVE OF A DEVELOPMENT, WE'VE WATCHED THEM DO IT.

THEY'RE GOING TO DO IT.

THEY'RE SMART, THEY'RE HIRED GUNS.

WE'LL TELL THEM WHAT, HOW THEY COULD COME OUT OF IT THE BEST.

AND THAT'S THE WAY THEY'RE GOING TO PLAY THE CARDS.

IF WE DO HAVE IT SET UP.

SO SAY, OKAY, YOU'VE GOT TO BUILD THEM WITHIN A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF TIME, OR YOU HAVE TO PAY THIS MONEY BEFORE YOU GET YOUR NEXT PHASE OR YOUR, YOU KNOW, SOME KIND OF TIMELINE.

SO THAT THERE'S A CLOSING DAY FOR THEM THAT SAYS, OKAY, WE'VE GOT TO PAY UP NOW

[02:10:01]

UM, I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S THE BIGGEST ADVANTAGE OF IT.

YOU CAN KIND OF PUT THEIR FEET TO THE FIRE A LITTLE BIT MORE SO THAN WAITING ON THEM TO BUILD THEIR 10% OR 20%, UH, IN THE UDL ON THESE, THIS PERCENTAGE LIKE WE HAVE NOW, IS THAT ALSO A REQUIREMENT FOR A 20 OR 30 YEAR DEED RESTRICTION? SO IT'S OUR, OKAY.

ANY THOUGHTS FROM OUR WONDERFUL GUESTS? OKAY.

JUST SAY INABILITY, UM, WHAT WE HAVE, WHAT WE'VE HAD IN HERE AFTER THE DISCUSSIONS.

AND SOME THINGS THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IS ONE, UM, PARTNER WITH COMMUNITY FOUNDATIONS.

SO WHAT'S THE PROCESS TO ACCEPT THOSE DONATIONS.

HOW DOES THAT FUNCTION? HOW DOES THAT WORK? UM, LIKE WHAT, WHAT EACH ONE OF THOSE POOLS MIGHT NEED TO LOOK LIKE? THOSE AGREEMENTS MAY NEED TO LOOK LIKE HOW MANY WE WANT TO HAVE OR WHETHER IT'S JUST ONE BIG COUNT ONE AND STUFF LIKE THAT.

SO JUST CONTINUING THAT CONVERSATION THAT WE'VE HAD PREVIOUSLY, HAVE WE TALKED TO THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION ABOUT THEIR SUGGESTIONS, IF THAT'S WHERE WE'RE HOLDING IT, MAYBE THAT'S A GOOD FIRST STEP.

WELL, WE WANTED TO SEE IF IT WAS A PRIORITY FOR COUNCIL BEFORE WE CONTINUE TO DO THAT, BUT WE HAVE HAD SOME GOOD WE'VE HAD SOME.

AND WHEN I USE THE WORD COMMUNITY FOUNDATION, I DIDN'T NECESSARILY MEAN COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF THE LOW COUNTRY, JUST COMMUNITY, BECAUSE THERE MAY BE A POTENTIAL TO PARTNERSHIP WITH HIS LIKE HISTORIC BLUFFTON FOUNDATION FOR, UM, HISTORIC PRESERVATION, LIKE WHAT WE FORWARDED, UM, FROM THAT COMMITTEE.

SO THERE'S OTHER COMMUNITY FOUNDATIONS OUT THERE, AND THERE MAY BE OTHER PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES BESIDES JUST THROUGH THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION, LOW COUNTRY.

SO IS THIS THE SAME THING THOUGH WITH THE TAX DEDUCTION AND STUFF LIKE THAT, WHERE IT HAS TO GO THROUGH A 5 0 1 C3 FOR PEOPLE TO CLAIM THE TAX DEDUCTION? YES, SIR.

TIME? I MEAN, I JUST THINK IT'S A LOT OF QUESTIONS, BUT I LIKE THE IDEA WHEN THE MAYOR AND I MET WITH THEM, I BELIEVE ONE OF THEIR PRIORITIES IS AFOREMENTIONED WAS AFFORDABLE HOUSING.

SO THEY'RE NOT GOING TO COME IN AND JUST WRITE A CHECK TO THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON THAT NEEDS TO GO TO THE NONPROFIT AND THEN THE NONPROFIT CAN GIVE IT TO A BLOCK TO THE, AND UM, PART OF THAT DISCUSSION IS GOING TO BE WHO MAKES IT COMMITTEE, WHAT THE COMMITTEE LOOKS LIKE, THE REVIEW AND ALL THAT KIND OF STUFF.

SO WE JUST WANTED TO HAVE THIS IN THERE AS SOMETHING TO LOOK AT OVER THE NEXT FEW MONTHS AND YEARS AND START, YOU KNOW, IT MAY CHANGE.

WE MAY START WITH ONE OR TWO, IT MAY GROW.

IT MAY JUST BE THOSE ONE OR TWO, BUT WE WOULDN'T HAVE IT IN HERE TO START THIS, UM, ESPECIALLY WITH, UM, THE POLICE BENEVOLENCE, BECAUSE WE'VE HAD SEVERAL OPPORTUNITIES TO GET FUNDS FOR THE POLICE THAT WANTED TO GO THROUGH.

UM, AND THAT WE'VE HAD DISCUSSION ON THAT.

AND HOW WAS ORIGINALLY LOOKED AT VERSUS WHAT WE MAY LOOK AT GOING FORWARD.

UM, AND WHAT THINGS HAD COME UP WITH THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION.

WE WANTED TO GO AHEAD AND GET THAT ON THERE AND HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS.

SO, SO JUST ONE MORE QUESTION AND I'LL SHUT UP.

UM, SO TODAY, IF SOMEBODY WANTS TO WRITE A CHECK TO THE TOWN FOR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT OR ANYTHING ELSE FOR A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS, WE CAN ACCEPT THE MONEY, BUT WE BUY, THEY CANNOT GET A TAX A THING.

SO I WOULD IMAGINE ANYBODY WITH THAT KIND OF MONEY IS PROBABLY GOING TO WANT TO BE ABLE TO GET THAT.

SO I THINK THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE PUT SOMETHING IN PLACE.

SO IF THE OPPORTUNITY COMES UP THAT WE COULD TAKE ADVANTAGE OF TH THE OTHER PART OF THAT IS SETTING THE EXPECTATIONS TO MAKE SURE WHAT WE WANT TO ACCEPT THOSE FUNDS FOR AND WHAT THEY GET USED FOR, BECAUSE NOT EVERY DONATION WE WANT TO ACCEPT.

WE MAY SAY, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S GOING TO GO TOWARDS ONE OF THESE THREE OR FOUR GUIDING PRINCIPLES.

AND IF IT DOESN'T MATCH THAT, THEN WE DON'T WANT THE FUNDS.

SO THAT'S PART OF THE CONVERSATION AS WELL IS NOT JUST CREATING THEM SO THAT PEOPLE CAN DONATE, BUT CREATING WHAT WE WANT TO RE WHAT WE ACTUALLY WANT TO ACCEPT AND WHAT WE WANT IT TO GO TOWARDS.

SO THAT'S ANOTHER PART.

SO THOSE ARE SOME THINGS WE WANT TO WORK OUT.

WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE, AGAIN, WE WERE ON THE SAME PAGE BEFORE WE CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT AND FACE THAT AND SET THOSE UP.

WELL, I PERSONALLY, WE'VE ON ANOTHER, IN ANOTHER WORLD OF MINE HAVE DEALT WITH THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF THE LOW COUNTRY.

AND THERE ARE SOME INTER DONATIONS IN TRUST DONATIONS, I GUESS, UM, THAT REQUIRED IT TO BE, UH, A NONPROFIT.

SO YOU'RE GONNA SEE FOUNDATIONS WITHIN THAT FOUNDATION THAT WANT TO TRANSFER SOME OF THEIR MONEY ONTO THINGS THAT ARE IN THEIR PERMISSION.

AND I, I LIKE IT.

I THINK YOU CAN HAVE TWO, FOUR OR FIVE IS NOT GOING TO MATTER.

IT'S JUST YOUR COMMITTEE SET UP, GETTING THE COUNCIL ON, YOU KNOW, AND WHAT THE BUDGET AND WHAT ARE THE BUDGETED ITEMS. COULD THEY SPEND THE DONATION OVER THREE YEARS OR OVER ONE YEAR? OR IS, ARE THERE

[02:15:01]

SO THAT MAY BE ANOTHER POTENTIAL PLACE THAT CAN HELP SUPPORT SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE LOOKING.

SO THAT, THAT'S JUST THAT BIGGER DISCUSSION THAT WE WANTED TO HAVE THAT IN THERE, JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT COUNCIL UNDERSTOOD WHAT'S SUPPORTIVE OF THAT.

AND THAT WE WOULD BRING THAT BACK AGAIN AT LATER DATES WITH THE DIFFERENT PROGRAMS AND GUIDELINES AND WHAT THE BOARDS AND ALL THAT WOULD LOOK LIKE.

YOU HAVE A LIST, STEVEN OF PROJECTS THAT SOMEONE COULD DONATE.

THAT'S WHAT WE WOULD WANT TO CREATE FOCUS A FOR HISTORIC PRESERVATION.

IT MAY BE A LIST OF PROJECTS.

LIKE WE WANT TO ACCEPT FUNDS OR SQUIRE POPE, BUT WE WANT TO SET FUNDS FOR SARAH RALEIGH HOOKS, RIGHT.

BUT FOR, UM, THE POLICEMAN EVELENCE, IT MAY BE IF YOU WANT TO DONATE FOR EQUIPMENT THAT SUPPORTS OUR POLICE OFFICERS, LIKE WE HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE WANT TO DONATE K9 VEST, OR, UM, THEY MAY WANT TO DONATE, UM, JUST MONEY TO, TO, FOR THE POLICE TO HAVE A COOKOUT OR STUFF LIKE THAT.

WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT WE IDENTIFY WHAT WE'RE WILLING TO ACCEPT FUNDS FOR SO THAT WHEN PEOPLE COME AND WANT TO DONATE, WE KNOW WHAT IT'S GOING TOWARDS, AND IT MEETS THE PRIORITIES WE WANT TO SET AND NOT JUST OPEN IT UP FOR SOMEBODY TO TRY TO YOU SERVE COUNCILS, UM, BUDGETARY AUTHORITY BY SAYING, WE WANT TO DONATE TO THIS BECAUSE COUNCIL CUTTING DOWN THE BUDGET, RIGHT? SO THERE'S SOME THINGS LIKE THAT WE CAN PUT IN PLACE TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE THOSE PRIORITIES IN PLACE, BUT IT WOULDN'T HAVE TO BE SOMETHING ON YOUR LIST.

IF SOMEONE CAME UP WITH A GREAT IDEA, WHETHER IT'S BUILDING A DOG PARK OR A PET CEMETERY OR WHATEVER IT MAY BE, YOU CAN, YOU COULD OPEN THE LIST AND ADD THAT TO THE LIST.

WE CAN BRING IT TO COUNCIL AND SAYING, HEY, WE HAVE SOMEBODY WHO WANTS TO DO THIS.

YOU'RE ALL GOOD WITH THAT.

AND YOU CAN SAY, YES, I'VE GOT YOU.

SO THAT'S WHAT WE WANT TO SET UP REALLY FOCUSED ON IS THE, THE POLICIES AND THE GUIDELINES AND THE FLOW OF ALL THAT AND BRING THEM BACK.

THE NEXT ONE IS ONE THAT'S IN THE CURRENT, UM, ACTION AGENDA ITEM.

AND THE, JUST WANT TO KNOW IF IT SHOULD BE RECONSIDERED.

IS IT SOMETHING THAT YOU WANT STAFF TO CONTINUE TO WORK ON? WE HAVE NOT, THIS IS NOT COMPLETE.

WE HAVE NOT WORKED ON THIS OTHER THAN AMENDING THE ANNEXATION POLICY BY ADDING THAT INITIAL STEP, BUT AN ANNEXATION INCENTIVES AND COMMUNICATIONS PLAN.

UM, THE SPECIFIC LANGUAGE IN THERE WAS EXPLORE OPTIONS FOR INCENTIVIZING THE ANNEXATION OF AREAS WITHIN THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON GROWTH FRAMEWORK MAP THAT ARE PERMISSIBLE UNDER SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS.

IS THAT SOMETHING THAT YOU'D LIKE TO KEEP, WE CAN KEEP THAT IN THE ACTION AGENDA ITEM, DOES IT NEED TO BE A REVISED OR, UM, RECONSIDERED IN ANY WAY, OR IS THAT SOMETHING THAT YOU EXPECT A TOWN STAFF TO CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD AND IMPLEMENT? LET ME MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND THE QUESTION.

SO AREAS WITHIN THE TOWN GROWTH FRAMEWORK MAPS, SO WE'RE NOT CHANGING OUR FOOTPRINT, RIGHT.

NOT THE GROWTH FRAMEWORK.

AND THIS WAS, IF I RECALL, UM, THE CONVERSATIONS WERE TO PUT OUT A LOT OF EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS.

WHY, WHY ANNEX? WHAT DOES IT CHANGE? WHAT WHAT'S ALLOWED TO BE ANNEXED ARE CONSIDERED FOR ANNEXATION KIND OF A DEDICATED, UM, WEB PAGE FOCUS, INFORMATIONAL MATERIALS ON THAT.

UM, AGAIN, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT STAFF HAS NOT STARTED TO DATE.

UM, HOWEVER, WE CERTAINLY CAN, BUT JUST WANTED TO KNOW, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE WE HA WE HAVE HAD SEVERAL ANNEXATIONS THAT HAVE COME THROUGH THE PROCESS.

WE'VE ACTUALLY, UM, ANNEX PROPERTY WITH ST.

GREGORY, THE GREAT PARCEL, UM, TOWN OF BLUFFTON PARCEL.

SO BASED ON THOSE APPLICATIONS, THE ONES THAT MOVE FORWARD, THE ONES THAT MAY NOT HAVE IS THIS SOMETHING YOU'D STILL LIKE STAFF TO FOCUS ON? AND IF SO, ANY COMMENTS ON WHAT YOU'D LIKE TO SEE, I COULD CHIME IN REAL QUICK, I'VE NOTICED THE LACK OF EDUCATION ARE MAYBE THEY ARE SMARTER THAN, THAN THE AVERAGE BEAR USING OUR ANNEXATION MAP, AS A REASON AS TO WHY DID WE DENY ANNEXATION? AND I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S ENOUGH EDUCATION TO ANYONE UPFRONT, YOU KNOW, AND WE HAD A DISCUSSION LAST WEEK ABOUT IT, HOW ROOFTOPS RESIDENTIAL ROOFTOPS DO NOT PAY FOR ANNEXATION SWAB AND BUCK COLUMNS, SIMMONS FILL WAS ANNEX.

WE INCLUDED THE COMMERCIAL.

SO IT WOULD BALANCE IT.

AND I DON'T KNOW THAT MAYBE THEY DO.

I DON'T KNOW THAT THEY'RE AWARE OF THAT AND OUR LINES ARE, SO THAT GOT EXPANDED SEVERAL COUNCILS AGO.

OUR LINE GOES ALMOST TO THE FOOT OF THE BRIDGE.

ARE WE STILL DO WE, AS A COUNCIL, WANT TO DEAL WITH THAT IS THE LAW OR THE BOUNDARIES, NOT THE GROWTH FRAMEWORK MAP, BUT ARE THE ANNEXATION LINES ACCURATE? I DON'T,

[02:20:01]

CAUSE WE'VE DENIED SEVERAL WITHIN THOSE BOUNDARIES.

AND MAINLY BECAUSE THERE WERE JUST ADDED ROOFTOPS WITH NOTHING ELSE TO HELP ALL THAT BOUNDARY WAS DONE BEFORE.

I KIND OF LIKED BEING ABLE TO SAY, NO, WE, WE, AT A LATER DATE, WE MAY CONSIDER SOME OF THESE PROPERTIES, BUT AS WE TRY TO SLUG RUG, NOW LET OUR SCHOOLS CATCH UP AND GET OUR INFRASTRUCTURE IN PLACE.

I MEAN, IF WE ANNEX AMENDED THEM, WE GOT TO GIVE THEM ANY BOOK OF SOMETHING.

UM, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? THEY'RE JUST GOING TO BUILD HOMES.

WELL, WE WANT TO HAVE THE CONVERSATION BECAUSE THIS IS GEARED TOWARDS MORE INCENTIVIZING PEOPLE TO WANT TO ANNEX.

AND WHAT WE'VE KIND OF SEEN FROM COUNCIL OVER THE LAST LITTLE BIT HAS NOT NECESSARILY BEEN TO ENCOURAGE ANNEXATION.

UM, SO WE WANTED TO JUST REVISIT.

AND IF WE WANT TO, IF THE CONVERSATION NEEDS TO SPEND MORE ON WHAT OUR GRADES GROWTH FRAMEWORK LOOKS LIKE, IF WE NEED TO REVISIT THAT WITH, AFTER THE COMP PLAN IS ADOPTED, I THINK THAT WE CAN MAYBE TRANSITION THIS INTO MORE OF DISCUSS FUTURE ANNEXATION AND GROWTH MAT AS, AS PART OF THE COMPLETION OF THE COMP PLAN.

BUT WE JUST KIND OF WANTED TO SEE, BECAUSE THIS ALMOST SAYS WE'RE GOING TO INCENTIVIZE PEOPLE TO ANNEX INTO THE TOWN, WHICH SEEMS TO BE KIND OF OPPOSITE OF WHAT THE DIRECTION FROM COUNCIL SEEMS TO BE.

THAT'S WHY WE WANTED TO REVISIT IT AND SEE, I PERSONALLY DON'T WANT TO INCENTIVIZE ANYMORE IN POSITION.

I DON'T, I'M HAPPY TO DELETE THIS ITEM AND FOCUS ON THEIR TIME.

SO YOU GOT THREE THOUGHTS, ANY DAN, WHAT IS MY THOUGHT? I WAS GOING TO SAY I, AND I'VE ALWAYS BEEN, I GUESS, THE EDGE ON THIS DISCUSSION, BUT, UH, FOR EXAMPLE, HYPOTHETICALLY AND EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENED LIKE SANDY POINTS, YOU KNOW, TO ME, THEY SHOULD BE PART OF THE TOWN.

IT SHOULDN'T BE JUST BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE ANY COMMERCIAL OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.

IT'S THE BIGGEST DOUGHNUT HOLE WE HAVE.

I DON'T SEE HOW WE CAN MAKE IT HAPPEN, BUT I DON'T, I WOULD NOT EVER WANT TO HAVE IT IN STONE WHERE WE COULDN'T CONSIDER SOMETHING LIKE THAT AT SOME POINT.

SO I, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE ANSWER IS.

THIS IS MORE FOCUSED ON STAFF'S EFFORTS TO PROMOTE INCENTIVIZE PREPARE THE EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS WHERE AS PART OF THIS, WE WEREN'T PROPOSING ANY CHANGES TO OUR ANNEXATION MANUAL OR ANNEXATION BOUNDARIES OR ANYTHING ELSE.

SO THE RULES AND THE REGULATIONS STILL STAY IN PLACE.

THIS WAS MORE OF A, UM, EDUCATIONAL PUSH, UH, YOU KNOW, INFORMATION, FOCUS FROM TOWN STAFF ON ANNEXATION AND MAYBE WHY YOU SHOULD SHOULDN'T CONSIDER.

AND SO, AND THAT'S THE BIGGEST THING TO TAKE FROM THIS IS YOU'RE DIRECTING US ON HOW TO SPEND OUR TIME AND ALL OF THEIR TIME IS IF YOU FEEL THAT ANNEX RE ENCOURAGING PEOPLE TO ANNEX IS NOT WHERE WE SHOULD BE SPENDING OUR TIME.

THEN THAT'S WHERE WE'RE BRINGING THIS DISCUSSION, BECAUSE WE DON'T FEEL LIKE YOU'RE WANTING US TO GO OUT AND TRY TO SPEND OUR TIME ON THAT.

SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THIS REFLECTS Y'ALL'S DIRECTION FOR, AND, AND IN WHEN THIS MAP WAS DRAWN PRETTY YOU AND SADLY, I WAS HERE LISTENING TO IT.

THERE WAS A COUNCIL MEMBER THAT REALLY PUSHED TO HAVE THE CAUSE WE TALKED ABOUT WHAT CAN THE TOWN DO VERSUS, YOU KNOW, MAKING.

AND I THINK YOU GOT TO CLEAR FOR BRIDGET, NOT SAYING THING, BUT I KNOW SHE WILL.

I WANT TO, I GUESS THIS IS THE CHEERIO CHEERIO.

WE LEGALLY BOUND IN ANY WAY WHERE WE HAVE THIS ANNEXATION FUTURE ANNEXATION BOUNDARY MAP.

IS THAT THE PROPER NAME? IT'S OUR GROWTH BOUNDARY.

WE CAN GO TO THEM AND SAY, HEY, IT MAKES SENSE FOR YOU TO DO THAT.

SO THIS IS OUT THERE FOR PEOPLE.

SO THAT BASICALLY TELLS THEM THEY CAN COME TO US AND ASK TO ANNEX INTO THE TOWN.

ARE WE LEGALLY REQUIRED TO SAY YES FOR ANY REASON, IF THAT PROPERTY IS IN THEM? OKAY.

SO WE CAN BASICALLY SAY, WE'RE NOT READY TO NOW COME BACK IN FIVE, 10 YEARS.

WE'LL LOOK AT IT AGAIN.

AND I THINK THAT WITH THE ANNEXATIONS THAT WE'VE HAD OVER THE LAST 18 MONTHS, OR SO YOU ALL HAVE DEALT WITH THEM, UM, ON A PER PETITION BASIS, YOU'VE SAID YES TO SOME NOTICE SOME RIGHT IT'S WORKING.

SO I DON'T THINK WE NEED TO CHANGE ANYTHING.

WE'RE DEALING WITH THE ANNEXATION PROCESS RIGHT NOW.

AND WE CAN HOLD THIS FOR A FUTURE DATE.

YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A LIST OF PROJECTS IN THE AIR TABLE FOR THINGS TO CONSIDER A FUTURE DATE OR LATER.

SO MAYBE AFTER THE CONFERENCE OF PLAN, WHENEVER THE, TODAY, IF I'M UNDERSTANDING WHAT YOU'RE ASKING, I THOUGHT IT WAS STATE LAW SAID, YOU COULDN'T ASK YOU COULDN'T SOLICIT ANNEXATION ANYWAY.

CORRECT.

WE CAN, WE CAN GIVE PEOPLE IT SAY LIKE SANDY POINT, IF THEY CAME TO US AND SAID, WHY SHOULD WE ANNEX? WE CAN CREATE MATERIALS TO SAY, HERE'S YOUR BENEFIT OF ANNEXATION IF YOU SO CHOOSE, LET'S JUST INFORMATION.

[02:25:01]

WHAT CAN WE DO TO HELP THAT WE CAN'T JUST GO TO THEM AND SAY, CONGRATULATIONS, WELCOME TO THE TOWN OF WELKIN.

RIGHT? THANK YOU.

ALRIGHT.

I KNOW WE HAVE A LOT MORE, UNLESS I HEAR OTHERWISE I'LL HOLD THIS FOR A FUTURE DATE AND MOVE ON THROUGH SOME INFRASTRUCTURE.

I WON'T FOCUS ON.

I THINK WE ALREADY TALKED ABOUT THE OLD TOWN ACCESS SAFETY PLAN.

UM, SO I HAVE THAT INCORPORATED IN THE, ANOTHER ITEM, PUBLIC WORKS EXPANSION.

SO, UM, AS WE CONTINUE TO GROW, UM, MORE PARKS, MORE CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS, MORE, UM, JUST MORE, WE MAY NEED TO FIND, UM, FIND OTHER WAYS TO MANAGE THAT.

SO WHETHER IT'S EXPANSION, WHETHER IT'S MULTIPLE LOCATIONS OR NEW LOCATION, BUT JUST THAT, UM, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE THINK IS, IS APPEARING TO BE A NEED.

I THINK WE'RE KIND OF RUNNING OUT OF SPACE.

AND SO DEREK AND HIS GROUP ARE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO ACCOMMODATE THAT.

AND THEY'RE, AND THEY'RE LANDLOCKED BETWEEN THE PROPERTY HERE.

AND THAT LAND IS ACTUALLY LIMITED BY OUR DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT, WHAT IT CAN BE USED FOR.

SO THAT, THERE'S A, UM, IF THAT WE JUST WANT TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION AND LOOK AT WHERE DERRICK MAY GROW TO BASED ON FACILITIES AND WHETHER, AGAIN, WHETHER WE NEED TO BUILD A MAINTENANCE SHED SOMEPLACE ELSE, WHERE HE HAS TO, OR WHETHER WE WANT TO JUST CONSOLIDATE INTO A LARGER PROBLEM, STORAGE, DECORATIONS, THE PROBLEM, THE STORAGE AREA, AND EXPAND WHAT THE PROBLEM IS, STORAGE AND GROWTH.

UM, BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY WHEN WE TAKE ON MORE PARTS, WE NEED MORE EMPLOYEES, MORE TRUCKS, MORE TRAILERS.

SO WE'RE DEFINITELY GOING TO NEED A BIGGER SPACE.

IT'S NOT ON OUR PLAN.

A LARGE AMOUNT OF STAFF ALSO.

SO I MEAN, IT COULD BE A PLACE WHERE A SPOT WHERE WE COULD GO THERE FOR SOME OF THE STAFF.

CAUSE I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY THAT PART'S LOOKS LIKE RIGHT NOW IS PROBABLY GONNA ANTICIPATE TWO TO THREE PEOPLE.

FULL-TIME RIGHT.

AND THAT'S WHY I WAS, WE'RE TALKING THIS BEING A TWO YEAR PLAN IS REALLY OVER THE NEXT YEAR TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THAT SPACE NEEDS TO LOOK LIKE IF WE HAVE LAND ALREADY OR IF WE NEED TO FIND LAND AND THEN START LOOKING AT, IF WE WANT TO MOVE WHAT THAT FUTURE LOOKS LIKE, WHETHER IT'S A NEW FACILITY, ONE BIG ONE TO WHATEVER IS BEST, YOU KNOW? SO WE'RE LOOKING FIVE YEARS OUT THAT WE NEED TO START PLANNING FOR THAT NOW AND FIGURING OUT WHAT IT'S.

WE GOT A BUNCH MORE HERE.

THE OTHER, OH, OKAY.

IT MAY SEEM LIKE GETTING INTO THE WEEDS, BUT WE'VE HISTORICALLY WHEN IT'S A NEW ELEMENT TO AN ALREADY APPROVED MASTER PLAN AND PART OR FACILITY, UH, INCLUDING THAT FOR DISCUSSION, UH, SPLASH PADS, UH, SPECIFICALLY AT OSCAR FRAZIER PARK, UM, THERE'S OPPORTUNITY TO INCORPORATE THAT IN A FUTURE PROJECT.

UM, SO THAT'S HERE AND MYSELF START TO GO THROUGH A LITTLE BIT FASTER AND LESS.

ANYONE SAYS, NOPE, WE'RE MOVE IT.

IT'S LIKE A WATER FEATURE THAT, YOU KNOW, MAYBE IT'S TYPICALLY HAS LIKE FELTON'S JUMPING OFF KIDS RUN THROUGH IT'S LIKE GROUND LEVEL WATERPARK.

NOT A QUARTER GOES UP, NOT, NOT A POOL FOR D HECK FOLKS THERE LOOK INSIDE AND THERE'S NO STANDING WATER.

UM, PRITCHARD STREET DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENTS.

NO POOL.

THE RIBBON CUTTING FOR HER HEEL MILL.

THE NEXT PROJECT, HIGHLY HOOKS TO SARAH, SARAH RILEY HUCK'S PROPERTY.

ACTUALLY THE NEXT TWO YEARS WOULD LIKE TO ACTUALLY MOVE FORWARD WITH A MASTER PLAN FOR THAT.

SO WHAT, YOU KNOW, JUST SIMILAR TO WHAT WE DID WITH SQUARE POPE HOUSE, JUST THAT INITIAL PLANNING STEPS WITH THE MASTER PLAN, DO SOME SURVEY WORK, UM, DETERMINE WHAT'S THE BEST, MOST APPROPRIATE USE FOR THAT PROPERTY.

SO FORMALIZE THAT SO WE CAN MOVE FORWARD AS WE CONTINUE TO MAKE PROGRESS ON THE OTHERS.

THAT'S JUST TO ADDRESS THE ONGOING DRAINAGE, UM, PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH PRITCHARD STREET, JUST TO EXPAND THAT, UM, I SEE KIM NODDING HER HEAD IF SHE HAS ANYTHING GOT EVEN QUESTIONS ABOUT, WE'D LIKE TO ADD THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT RICHARD STREET NORTH OF TOWN HALL OR PRITCHARD STREET DIRT ROAD, BECAUSE I THINK WE CALL IT DIDN'T WE KIND OF CALLS OUR DRAINAGE ISSUES WHEN WE'VE PAID IT ALL THE WAY TO THE, THERE WAS, THERE WAS SOME, A SHEET FLOW ACROSS PRITCHARD STREET, BUT WE'RE TALKING ADJACENT TO TOWN HALL.

SO BETWEEN BRUIN AND BRIDGE, THAT SECTION THAT IS OURS.

THERE'S THERE'S

[02:30:01]

THERE'S A DRAINAGE ISSUE AFTER WE DID.

SO WE'RE GOING TO COME BACK IN AND THAT'LL HELP ALONG WITH OUR RESILIENCY PIECE FOR FLOODING AS WELL.

THIS ONE, I WILL, UM, INTRO IT AND THEN TURN THAT OVER TO CAM.

SO THE WAY PAC, UM, CAME UP WITH SOME RECOMMENDATIONS THAT, UM, ARE IN A, UH, MEMO, A MEMO THAT'S BEEN DISTRIBUTED, I THINK BEFORE AT YOUR PACKETS.

SO THERE IS A LIST OF THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS.

WE CAN DISCUSS THOSE IF YOU WANT US TO GO AHEAD AND INCLUDE THOSE AND THE PLAN MOVING FORWARD.

UM, AND LIKE I SAID, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO KIM TO OUTLINE EACH OF THOSE.

I DIDN'T WANT TO BE PRESUMPTUOUS AND ADD THOSE TO THIS LIST BECAUSE WE HAVEN'T YET DISCUSSED.

WE CAN MOVE FORWARD IN A COUPLE OF WAYS, BUT JUST FOR YOUR INFORMATION WAY PACK MET LAST WEEK, WHICH IS WHY THIS INFORMATION WASN'T IN YOUR PACKET.

THEY MET LAST THURSDAY AFTER YOUR PACKETS HAD BEEN COMPLETED.

SO THANK YOU FOR TAKING A LOOK AT THAT.

WHAT YOU HAVE IS SOME INFORMATION IN GENERAL THAT WAS INCLUDED, UH, THAT IS THE MEMO FROM WADE PACK RECOMMENDATIONS, LOOKING AT THE LAST STRATEGIC PLAN ITEMS THAT HAD BEEN COMPLETED ITEMS THAT REALLY WE FOCUSED ON HAD NOT BEEN COMPLETED AND THEIR RELEVANCY MOVING FORWARD.

AND ADDITIONALLY, LOOKING AT THE NEWLY ADOPTED MAY RIVER WATERSHED ACTION PLAN UPDATE THAT WAS ADOPTED LAST YEAR.

AND WHAT RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THAT MADE THE MOST SENSE COMING FROM THOSE TWO DOCUMENTS, THERE ARE 11 INDIVIDUAL RECOMMENDATIONS THAT THE COMMITTEE MADE FOR COUNCIL'S CONSIDERATION FOR INCLUSION IN THE STRATEGIC PLAN.

WE CAN, THIS IS A FREESTANDING.

IT'S NOT IN YOUR PACKET.

OH, DID SOMEBODY PUT IT IN? I DID NOT.

I'M SORRY.

I DID NOT PUT IT IN YOURS.

DO YOU HAVE COPIES? I'VE ALREADY HANDED THEM OUT.

THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION ITEMS THAT WERE IN THE STRATEGIC PLAN LAST YEAR.

THANK YOU, MS. LINDA.

I APPRECIATE IT ALL.

GOOD.

I COULD WALK WHILE Y'ALL, WHILE WE'RE RESOLVING ALL THE PACKET INFORMATION, BECAUSE IT'S A LOT OF AGENDA BECAUSE IT'S A LOT OF ACTION ITEMS. WHAT WE PROPOSE TO DO IS JUST SIMPLY HAVE LIKE A WAY PAT, YOU KNOW, IMPLEMENT WAVE HALF RECOMMENDATIONS AND REVISIT THAT.

SO COME BACK THROUGH WORKSHOPS, FUTURE COUNCIL MEETINGS.

SO YES, THE IDEA RIGHT NOW IS THAT YOU TAKE ALL OF THESE, PUT THEM INTO THE STRATEGIC ACTION PLAN, AGENDA ITEMS. AND THEN AS WE WORK THROUGH THESE INDIVIDUAL ITEMS, COUNCIL WILL WEIGH IN ON WHETHER TO MOVE FORWARD WITH IMPLEMENTATION.

RECOGNIZING THAT 11 OF THESE POINT BY POINT DISCUSSIONS COULD TAKE US QUITE SOME TIME.

YEAH, NO.

WHAT WE'RE SAYING IS WE NEVER HAVE ANYTHING THAT YOU WOULD AGREE TO WITHOUT READING.

UM, WHAT WE WOULD LIKE TO DO IS INCORPORATE IT AS ONE BIG ACTION PLAN THAT SAYS THAT STAFF WILL REVIEW THE RECOMMENDATIONS FROM WAY PACK AND BRING THEM TO COUNCIL FOR CONSIDERATION AND LET YOU ALL DISCUSS.

AND LIKE SHE SAID, MAYBE WE WORKSHOP OR MAYBE WE BRING THEM BACK, BUT INSTEAD OF JUST LISTING 11 DIFFERENT ITEMS, THAT WAY PACK RECOMMENDS IS IT'S MORE OF A HOLISTIC APPROACH TO REVIEWING THEM AND LETTING WEIGH PACK WORK WITH, UM, KIM AND HER STAFF AND WATERSHED TO BRING BACK THOSE IN THE FUTURE, SINCE OUR RECOMMENDATIONS FROM WAY BACK.

I'M OKAY WITH THAT, I GUESS IN MY HEAD, I'M SEEING ALL THESE NEW THINGS ADDED AND YOU'RE GOING TO END TELLING US TO PICK OUR TOP FIVE AT THE END OF THE DAY I'M GETTING, SO THESE ARE, THOSE ARE POLICY THAT A LOT OF THOSE ARE POLICY ITEMS. SO THEY AREN'T GOING TO BE LIKE CAPITAL PROJECTS.

A LOT OF THEM ARE POLICY ITEMS AND ADDRESSING MAYBE CHANGES IN UVO AND DEVELOPMENTS AND STUFF LIKE REGIONAL AGREEMENTS.

SO, YEAH, SO THESE ARE JUST, AGAIN, IN-HOUSE STUFF THAT WE WOULD REALLY COORDINATE AND BRING BACK TO COUNCIL MOORE'S UDA POLICY UDO'S POLICY AND STUFF LIKE THAT.

AND AT THAT POINT IN TIME, IT COMES AS A RECOMMENDATION FROM WAY BACK TO COUNCIL.

AND THEN COUNCIL HAS A DECISION WHETHER THEY WANT TO ADOPT IT OR NOT, BUT THEY HAVE THIS LONG LIST OF RECOMMENDATIONS THEY'VE PUT TOGETHER.

SINCE WE WERE COMING INTO STRATEGIC PLANNING.

WHAT WE JUST WANTED TO REFLECT WAS THAT STAFF WOULD ACTUALLY SPEND TIME REVIEWING THOSE AND PREPARING AND SUPPORTING THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS OR SUPPORTING THEM SO THEY CAN BRING THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS TO COUNCIL.

SO WHEN WOULD YOU BRING IT? THAT'S GOING TO BE OVER THE NEXT TWO YEARS.

AGAIN, THIS IS A TWO-YEAR PLAN.

SO WE'RE GOING TO WORK ON THOSE JUST LIKE WE DID ALL

[02:35:01]

WE JUST ADOPTED THOSE AT THE END OF LAST YEAR.

THAT WAS A PART OF THE PROCESS.

SO THIS IS, WE'RE LOOKING AT THIS OVER THE NEXT TWO YEARS, GOT CONFUSED.

SO THIS IS WHAT YOU HANDED OUT TODAY, RIGHT? AND WITH THE GRAPHICS IN IT, AND IT'S A TWO-YEAR PROGRAM AND WHAT YOU JUST SAID, RIGHT? OUR, OUR STRATEGIC PLAN IS FOR TWO YEARS.

SO ANY ACTION ITEM THAT WE ADD TO OUR, THAT WE INCLUDE IN OUR STRATEGIC PLAN IS SOMETHING WE'RE GOING TO WORK OVER WORK AT FOR THE NEXT TWO THAT WE'RE GOING TO TRY TO ACCOMPLISH IN THE NEXT TWO YEARS.

I WANT TO BE ACCOMPLISHING THESE THINGS WITHIN THE NEXT TWO YEARS WITHOUT COUNSEL.

NO.

WELL, WHAT WE'RE SAYING IS WE WANTED TO, RIGHT, THIS IS JUST AN ACTION ITEM SAYING THAT WE'RE GOING TO TAKE THESE 11 RECOMMENDATIONS.

THAT COUNCIL IS GOOD WITH THAT, AND VET THEM AND BRING THEM TO COUNCIL TO DECIDE WHETHER THEY WANT TO ADOPT OR SUPPORT OR ANY OF THAT.

WHEN WOULD, WHEN WOULD THAT TAKE PLACE? WHATEVER THE, IT DEPENDS ON EACH ITEM.

I MEAN, WE'RE NOT GOING TO BRING ALL 11 AT ONE TIME.

SO, SO WAY PACK MATES, WAY PACK MAY SAY, HEY, WE REALLY WANT TO, I THINK ONE OF THE FIRST ITEMS IS TO BE INVOLVED IN THE REVIEW PROCESS FOR PROJECTS THAT MIGHT BE THEIR TOP PRIORITY.

AND THEY MAY COME TO Y'ALL AND SAY, HEY, WE WANT A BIGGER ROLE.

DOES THAT MAY COME AND SAY TWO MONTHS? AND THEN Y'ALL HAVE THE OPTION TO THAT ITEM.

NUMBER 11 MAY NOT HAPPEN FOR 20 MONTHS, BUT WE'LL SUPPORT WAY PACK AND PROVIDE AND HELPING THEM VET THESE SO THAT THEY CAN BRING THAT RECOMMENDATION TO THE COUNCIL.

IF COUNCIL WANTS THAT AS PART OF THE STRATEGIC PLAN, WAIT BACK ALSO, I'M SORRY.

I'D HAVE TO MISS THURSDAYS.

I'M THINKING THEY WOULDN'T BE EASY ENOUGH FOR WAY PACK HIM FUTURE, YOU KNOW, AT OUR NEXT MEETING OR WHATEVER, TO LOOK AT ALL OF THESE AND PRIORITIZE THEM, KNOWING THAT ONLY ONE OR TWO PROBABLY GOING TO GET DONE WITHIN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS, TAKE THE MOST IMPORTANT ONES AND SAY IS, YOU KNOW, IF YOU, CAN YOU WORK ON THIS FIRST? I MEAN, WOULD THAT BE A PROBLEM STEVEN? OR, I MEAN, THAT WOULDN'T BE A PROBLEM AT ALL.

NO, I DON'T THINK SO.

AND, AND WAY PACK IS A COUNCIL APPOINTED BOARD, RIGHT? SO, UM, WHAT THEY'VE DONE IS I'VE SAID THAT THEY WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WHAT WE'VE DONE IS WE'VE SAID THEY'VE COME WITH A BUNCH OF RECOMMENDATIONS FOR WATERSHED MANAGEMENT IS WE WANT TO MAKE SURE, AS WE LOOKED AT OUR GUIDING PRINCIPLES WITH THE MAY RIVER AND WATERSHED PROTECTION, BEING ONE OF THEM, THAT IF THEY HAVE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE HAVE IN HERE, AS ONE OF OUR ACTION ITEMS IS TO WORK WITH THEM ON THEIR PROPOSALS AND BRING THOSE BACK.

NOTHING THAT THEY WOULD DO WOULD BE IMPLEMENTED WITHOUT COUNCIL REVIEW AND APPROVAL.

SO MAYBE TO HELP WITH DAN'S QUESTION, UM, INTERNALLY WHAT HAPPENS FROM TODAY, THESE ITEMS GET SENT TO KIM TO GET ON SOME KIND OF AN AGENDA PIPELINE LIST, WHICH WE'VE PRETTY MUCH GONE THROUGH ALL THE ONES PRIOR TO STEVEN BEING HERE.

AND THEN WHAT IS IMPORTANT? WHERE, WHERE DID WE SEE IT? DO WE PUT THEM ALL, KIND OF PUSH IT OUT OVER THE YEAR OR TWO YEARS, THE MOST IMPORTANT ITEMS TO ADDRESS LIKE YOUR TREE BUFFER QUESTION FROM A YEAR AGO MADE ITS WAY THROUGH PLANNING COMMISSION.

AND NOW WE'RE ABOUT TO SEE THAT AS WELL.

SO THAT'S, THAT'S WHERE YOU'RE GOING TO SEE IT ON THE AGENDA, RIGHT? YOU'RE RIGHT ON THAT SQUEAKY WHEEL GETS THE GREASE.

OF NEW BOARD MEMBERS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

SO MOVE, MOVING ON.

THIS IS THIS TO BE RELATIVELY QUICK TO WRAP THIS UP IS MAYBE REWATCH AN ACTION PLAN.

ONE OF THE ITEMS IS TO DEVELOP LONG RANGE PLANS.

UM, AS YOU CAN SEE THERE, UH, JUST GET THAT IN THE ACTION AGENDA ITEM.

UM, THERE'S NO COMMENTS, MATT.

I'LL MOVE ON TO THE LAST THREE THAT I ADDED WAS FROM THIS MORNING BASED ON THE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS AND COMMITTEES AND ALIGNING, MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE ALIGNED WITH THE TOWN'S MISSION AND VISION.

AND SO JUST THE IDEA IS WERE TO DEVELOP A TOWN OF BLUFFTON SPECIFIC TRAINING PROGRAM TO MEET THE PLANNING REQUIREMENTS THAT THE STATE SET IN PLACE.

SO YOU CAN EITHER DO THEIR STANDARD SIX HOURS AND THEN PICK THREE HOURS WORTH OF RANDOM VIDEOS THAT ARE 20 PLUS YEARS OLD OR 20 ISH YEARS OLD, OR YOU CAN PROPOSE TO HAVE AN APPROVED PROGRAM, UM, BY THE STATE.

SO, UH, OTHER, UH, CAREERS, LOCAL PLACES I'VE WORKED, WE'VE DONE THIS.

IT IS A PROCESS TO GO FOR, YOU KNOW, THEY WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S VERY SPECIFIC AND MEETS THEIR REQUIREMENTS.

SO THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE CAN PREPARE AND PROPOSE TO THE STATE.

THAT'S VERY, LIKE I SAID, TON OF BLUFFTON SPECIFIC TRAINING FOR BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, UM, CAN MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT.

A REGULAR UPDATE OR SOMEHOW WORKSHOP WITH TOWN COUNCIL INCLUDE YOU IN EITHER IN THE ORIENTATION

[02:40:01]

SO THOSE ARE THREE THAT I WAS JUST, UM, TRYING TO WRITE DOWN SOME NOTES BASED ON SOME OF THE CONVERSATION FROM THIS MORNING.

SO DO A SUPPLEMENTARY, LIKE YOU'RE ALREADY MEETING AND YOU'RE DOING THE STATE BY LAW WINTER.

IF THEY DON'T ACCEPT OUR PROPOSALS, CAN WE NOT ADD 20 MINUTES ON THE END OF THE STUFF WITH THAT NOBODY'S GOING TO LISTEN TO ANYWAY, OF COURSE, TO THE MEAT OF IT? YES, OF COURSE I WOULD.

UM, I MEAN, IT WOULD BE GREAT IF THE STATE WOULD ACCEPT IT AND TYPICALLY THEY HAVE WHERE WE PRESENTED IT BEFORE THEY JUST NEED TO MAKE SURE YES, OUR, IS IT, UM, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE CLASSES THAT WE TAUGHT AS PART OF THE ONE HOUR THAT MET THE ONE HOUR REQUIREMENT WAS CURRENT TOPICS, CURRENT DEVELOPMENT PLAN.

SO THEN, THEN IT'S JUST, YOU KNOW, IT KIND OF KILLS, YOU KNOW, IT CHECKS TWO BOXES, THEY'VE MET THEIR STATE REQUIREMENT AND THEY'VE ALSO GOT SOME ACTUAL APPLICABLE, MEANINGFUL TRAINING.

BUT IF THEY DO NOT, THEY DO NOT APPROVE IT.

THEN WE CAN STILL CERTAINLY DO IT.

IT DOES NOT PREVENT US FROM DOING NOW.

IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE THAT YOU'D LIKE US TO INCLUDE THAT WE DIDN'T INCLUDE? UM, I LIKE THAT I CAN WORDSMITH IT LATER AND GO THROUGH THE ANYBODY IF, OR IF THAT'S SOMETHING YOU WANTED TO, I DON'T MEAN TO TAKE IT AWAY FROM BILL, BUT IF THERE'S ANYTHING ELSE THAT YOU REALLY WANT US TO WORK ON IN THE NEXT TWO YEARS NEXT YEAR IS THE AUDIENCE FEEL WE'RE ON TARGET WITH ISSUES THAT MAYBE YOU DIDN'T KNOW WE HAD? DO YOU, ARE THERE ANY SUGGESTIONS? WE ALSO HAVE JOHN O'TOOLE.

SO THAT THEY CAN MAINTAIN, AND THEIR FAMILIES CAN CONTINUE TO LIVE ON THESE PROPERTIES.

MR. BROWN, WHITE WOMEN AT ME, JOHN O'TOOLE.

NOPE.

YOU STAY UP BECAUSE YOU'RE GOING TO SAY SOMETHING.

WELL, YOU INTRODUCE YOURSELF, YOU CAN LINK TO THE SHOW, JOHN OH 12 DEVELOPMENT CORPORATIONS AND MR. VAN, YOU'D HAD A QUESTION OR STATEMENT.

THANK YOU, SIR.

YES, I HAVE BEEN, UM, AND, UH, ONE BOARD WITH A LOT OF THINGS, BUT, UH, UH, BUT I HAVE A CONCERN AND, UH, THAT'S, UH, GENERATIONAL PROPERTIES THAT IT WITHIN THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON AND, UM, TOWN, BEAUTIFUL TOWN HAS GROWN TREMENDOUSLY AND PROVIDED US ACCESS TO A LOT OF THINGS THAT WE PROBABLY NEVER HAD BEFORE, EXCEPT FOR GROWTH.

THERE'S ALSO A PLACE THOSE WHO HAVE OWN PROPERTIES AS FOR FARMERS, STEVE, LARRY, YOU KNOW, WHO'VE BEEN HERE, UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN, AND WE ARE SITTING IN THE MIDST OF ALL THIS GOING ON, BUT YET, YOU KNOW, UM, OUR PROPERTIES WEREN'T BEING TAXED RAPPORT, BUT WE OWN PROPERTY IN OUR PROPERTIES.

WEREN'T BEING TAXED AT THE RATE THAT THEY ATTACKS.

NOW, THE PACE IS PLACED AN UNDUE BURDEN.

I'M GOING TO SAY WHEN THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN SITTING HERE JUST ENJOYING LIFE, WE HAVEN'T MAYBE KEPT PACE WITH THE GROWTH.

AND NOW IT'S COME TO THE PLACE WHERE EVEN TO USE OUR PROPERTY, THE COSTS HAVE BECOME PROHIBITED.

AND, UH, AND I UNDERSTAND THAT EVERYTHING HAS TO BE PAID FOR, AND WE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE USE OF ALL OF THAT, BUT YET, YOU KNOW, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, IT'S COME TO THE PLACE NOW WHERE IF WE CAN'T AFFORD YET TO LIVE, WHAT DO WE DO, OR WE CAN'T AFFORD TO PUT A HOUSE ON, YOU KNOW, I WAS AMAZED AT THE COST BEFORE YOU EVEN PUT A SHOVEL IN THE GROUND.

IT IMPACTS US.

AND, UH, AND I, I FEEL IT AND, YOU KNOW, I I'VE BEEN FORTUNATE.

I'VE BEEN FORTUNATE, YOU KNOW? UM, AND, BUT, UH, THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, WHO STRUGGLED WITH THIS AND THAT.

AND I ASKED THAT THE COUNCIL WOULD, UH, WOULD CONSIDER THESE PEOPLE WHO OWN PROPERTIES OVER GENERATIONS

[02:45:02]

THANK YOU, SIR.

IS THAT A SUBJECT IN, IN TODAY'S PLAN? IS IT SOMETHING WE CAN DISCUSS KIND OF TOWARD BENDER AND COUNCIL DISCUSSION AND IT LOOKS LIKE MAYBE A LITTLE MORE EDUCATION ON IT AND WHERE DOES THE TOWN FALL FOR THINGS LIKE THAT? THANK YOU, MR. BROWN.

UM, YES.

UM, YEAH, YOU HAVE TO SHARE AND SHARE AN OWN LIKE THE TOPIC.

CAUSE WE'RE THE TOPIC IS, WELL, THE TOPIC WAS, IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE THAT WE CAN CONSIDER THAT THE TOWN IS CAPABLE OF DOING? UM, AND I ALWAYS GO OUT TO THE RESIDENTS.

DO YOU, DO YOU FEEL LIKE WE'RE ON TRACK? WELL, I CAME IN LATE, BUT I DO KNOW THAT AS FAR AS FOR ROAD AND THANK YOU, I'LL STAY ON TOPIC.

UM, THE LIGHTING SITUATION ON OUR ROADS, ESPECIALLY BUCK ISLAND ROAD, WE NEED TO INCLUDE THAT.

I DON'T KNOW IF YOU GUYS HAVE THAT IN THERE, BUT THE LIGHTING ON BUCK ISLAND AND SIMMONS BUREAU, ESPECIALLY FOR BUCK ISLAND ROAD AROUND, UM, UM, THE EAGLES FEEL IN THAT AREA RIGHT THERE.

AND THERE ARE POCKETS THAT, THAT HAVE POLES, BUT NO LIGHTING.

AND I KNOW IT'S EXPENSIVE.

SO THE SAME WAY, THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON, WHEN YOU COME ON THAT ROAD AND YOU SEE HOW BEAUTIFUL IS THE LIT UP, WE WANT THE SAME THING.

WE SHOULD HAVE THE SAME THING.

AND ALSO, UH, FOR GREEN SPACE FOR PARK AND RECREATIONAL AREA, OUR ROADS ARE MISSING THAT WE DON'T HAVE THAT.

WE DON'T, WE, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T, WE SHOULDN'T HAVE TO BE COMING IN SOME OTHER AREA FOR RECREATION, OR WE SHOULD HAVE, UH, AREA WHERE WE CAN HAVE LITTLE COOKOUT, LITTLE PODS, YOU KNOW, WHERE PEOPLE CAN HAVE THEM TO HAVE A FAMILY COOKOUT.

AND ALSO THE OYSTER FACTORY SHOULD, UM, FACTOR IN THAT AS WELL.

YOU SHOULD HAVE LITTLE SPACES WHERE PEOPLE CAN DO LITTLE GENERAL COOKOUTS FOR FAMILIES AND SEATING AREA.

SO, SO THAT'S IT RIGHT NOW.

AND I CAN EMAIL YOU ALL WITH THE REST BECAUSE I WANT TO STAY ON TASK.

YOU KNOW, I CAN GET OFF TASK VERY EASILY.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALLOWING ME TO SAY SOMETHING SHARON, WHILE YOU'RE THERE THAT YOU SLIPPED IN NAME, JUST INTRODUCE YOURSELF.

LET'S SEE.

I THINK WE GOT HI EVERYONE.

MY NAME IS SHARON BROWN.

I'M THE COMMUNITY ACTIVIST FOR ALL THE ENTIRE BLUFFTON.

WE ARE SUCH A DIVERSE CULTURAL LITTLE TOWN, RIGHT.

SO I REPRESENT EVERYBODY, NOT JUST AFRICAN-AMERICANS.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

UM, MIKE NICO, DURING LUNCH, IF, IF SHARON'S HERE TO GO OVER PARTS OF THE PLAN WE'VE TALKED ABOUT AND YEP, GREAT.

WE DID HAVE SAFETY IN THERE AND I, IT, OKAY.

SORRY.

WE WERE, WE DID ADD THE SAFETY IN THERE AND THEN, UH, FOR SHARON'S BENEFIT WHILE SHE'S HERE, COUNSEL DID HAVE DISCUSSION ABOUT, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT DOING IT IN OLD TOWN AND THEY ENDED UP TALKING ABOUT EXPANDING IT OUT TO INCLUDE BUCK ISLAND.

TIMMONSVILLE GO THROUGH SCHULTZ AND OTHER INTERSECTIONS, THAT SAFETY LIGHTING AND ALL THAT WAS THAT.

WHAT IS ONE THAT WE'RE ADDING TO THE PLAN AS WELL? OKAY.

WELL, IS IT MY TURN? 'CAUSE I WAS GOING TO SAY BASICALLY, UH, DESPITE MY BEST EFFORT WE WERE ON TIME, BUT NOW WE'RE SLIGHTLY DELAYED.

UM, NO, WITHOUT A DOUBT, UH, PUBLIC COMMENT IS ALWAYS IMPORTANT.

UM, WE ARE READY TO DO THE WORKING LUNCH BREAK.

SO THE QUESTION CAME UP YESTERDAY.

OH, WE'RE TAKING A LUNCH BREAK.

DOES THAT MEAN I CAN LEAVE? NO.

THAT MEANS YOU COULD GET YOUR FOOD AND SIT BACK DOWN.

UM, WE'LL TAKE THAT OBVIOUSLY TAKES A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME FOR A TRANSITION.

AND THEN WE ARE GOING TO HEAR FROM THE BUFORD COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, UH, CORPORATION, UH, JUST AN UPDATE ON WHAT IS HAPPENING IN THE AREA.

AND THEN THIS AFTERNOON, WE ARE, UH, NEARING THE FINISH LINE.

UM, WE WILL HEAR FROM KIM AND MIKE TALKING ABOUT CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS, WHICH KIND OF ROUND OUT THIS, THIS DISCUSSION GOING FORWARD.

AND THEN, UH, WE'LL END THE DAY WITH, UH, UH, PRESENT TENSE OR BRIEF DISCUSSION ON THE SURVEY RESULTS REGARDING DON RYAN.

AND THEN WE'LL HAVE A PRESENTATION FROM DAVID ON THE DON RYAN CENTER.

SO WITH THAT, LET ME JUMP IN THE LUNCH.

UM, WE HAVE PLENTY, BUT WE'RE GOING TO LET THE TABLE GO THROUGH FIRST.

THEN THE RESERVED SPACES FOR OUR INVITED GUESTS AND MELINDA DOES FEEL LIKE WE HAVE EXTRA.

SO AFTER THAT, ANYONE ELSE HERE PLEASE FEEL FREE, BUT IF YOU COULD LET THIS FRUIT GET STARTED SO WE CAN START TALKING FOLLOWED BY ROW ONE AND TWO, AND THEN EVERYONE ELSE, OKAY.

WE WON'T STOP HERE.

YOU'D LEAD.

YOU LEAD THE CURTAIN.

AND, UH, WHAT WE DID IS WE HAD A DEVELOPER DEVELOP A PROFORMA AND JUST KIND OF UNDERSCORE, UH, THE, UH, CONDITIONS TO BUILD, UH, HOUSING, UH, AND, UH, IT, IT CAN ELIMINATE SOME OF THE DISCUSSION ON WORKFORCE HOUSING.

LET'S GET LUNCH.

[02:50:11]

EXACTLY PLAN.

I LIKE THE YOGI BEAR ONE, IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHERE YOU'RE GOING, ANY ROAD WILL GET YOU THERE.

WELL, THE CONTRAST IS THINKING ABOUT WHERE YOU WANT TO GO AND BEING INTENTIONAL.

IT'S KIND OF NEAT TO BE IN THIS ROOM BECAUSE FOUR AND A HALF YEARS AGO, I STOOD IN THIS ROOM AND I FUMBLED OVER MY WORDS, UH, UH, DURING THE INTERVIEW PROCESS.

AND, AND HERE I AM STILL.

AND, UH, YOU'LL BE LIKE, , YOU'RE SPEAKING.

DIDN'T GET ANY BETTER.

UH, I WILL, I WOULD LIKE TO SAY JUST AS A, UH, OF A POINT OF PRIVILEGE, MIKE CHAIRMAN IS HERE.

UH, ASHLEY FEASTER HAS PROVIDED US, UH, I TOLD HER THERE WOULD BE NO BUMPS, NO RIPPLES.

THE WATER WOULD BE SMOOTH.

AND, UH, SHE'S ACTUALLY GOTTEN US THROUGH A LOT OF BUMPS AND RIPPLES AND, UH, CHANGING WEATHER AS WE NAVIGATE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN BUFORD COUNTY.

UH, YOUR MAYOR IS ON OUR BOARD, VERY APPRECIATIVE OF HER, UH, LEADERSHIP, UH, JOE MINT TOO.

UH, AND, UH, I DON'T THINK I'M FORGETTING ANY OTHER BOARD MEMBERS, BUT JOHN FLEMING WITH THE SOUTHERN CAROLINA ALLIANCE, UH, IS ALSO, UH, EX-OFFICIO ON OUR BOARD AND, AND, AND A REALLY GREAT PARTNER WHO WE, UH, UH, OVER FOUR YEARS HAVE FIGURED OUT VERY WELL, HOW TO DANCE TOGETHER AND WORK TOGETHER ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, AS WE THINK ABOUT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.

AND, UH, UH, ALWAYS SAYS, I GO THROUGH A PRESENTATION LIKE THIS.

UM, I, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SAY, WE PUT OUT THERE PRETTY TRANSPARENTLY WHAT WE'RE WORKING ON AND REALLY WELCOMED CRITICAL FEEDBACK.

UH, AS I, AS I BEGIN, I, I SHOULD THANK STEVEN AND HIS STAFF, UH, CHRIS AND HEATHER AND KEVIN, UH, BY THE WAY, KEVIN, I COULDN'T PICK UP MY PORK THIS WEEKEND, BUT SOMEBODY ELSE, UH, GAVE ME A THUMBS UP ON THAT.

THEY LOVED IT.

UM, BUT, UM, UH, PART OF OUR, OUR BRAND IN BUFORD COUNTY IS JUST TO COMMUNICATE WITH PEOPLE VERY CLEARLY.

AND WITH THE STAFF YOU HAVE, UH, HERE IN BLUFFTON, IT'S A, IT'S A VERY GOOD WORKING RELATIONSHIP.

WE CAN GET ANSWERS PRETTY QUICKLY.

UH, WE WERE STOOD UP TO DIVERSIFY THE ECONOMY, OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, HOSPITALITY AND TOURISM, $1.5 BILLION INDUSTRY, UH, TO OUR REGION DEFENSE AND CONTRACTING IS $2.2 BILLION.

AND SO WE'RE TRYING TO DIVERSIFY THAT AS I SEE SOME OF OUR ENVIRONMENTAL FRIENDS IN THE AUDIENCE, UH, WE PUT THIS LAST, UH, BID ON THEIR, UH, CARRIED OUT WHILE BEING RESPECTFUL OF THE ENVIRONMENT.

THE ENVIRONMENT'S CRITICAL, UH, TO OUR BLUE CHIP INDUSTRIES, UH, IN ORDER TO DO WHAT WE'VE GOTTEN DONE.

AND WE'VE GOTTEN SOME PRETTY GOOD THINGS DONE FOR BLUFFTON.

I'LL GIVE YOU A QUICK ASSESSMENT OF THAT, UH, IN JUST A BIT, BUT WE HAVE SO MANY PARTNERS, WHETHER IT'S, UH, UH, BUFORD JASPER OR THE SCHOOL SYSTEM, THE DON RYAN CENTER, UH, AND I, I WILL TAKE A LITTLE MOMENT OF PRIVILEGE TO, UH, RAVE ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING AT THE DON RYAN CENTER, BUT WE HAVE SO MANY PARTNERS THAT, UH, COME TO BAT AND, UH, AT THE DON RYAN CENTER.

AND I'M SURE DAVID'S GOING TO TOUCH ON THIS AS WELL IS IF YOU'VE GOT A PARTNER WHO'S DOING IT WELL, YOU DON'T HAVE TO REPLICATE IT.

AND WE HAVE SO MANY GOOD PARTNERS, UH, THAT WE GET TO WORK WITH.

OUR BOARD IS VERY GOOD ON MANY LEVELS IN TERMS OF CHALLENGING OUR APPROACH TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND IN ALL, AND OFTENTIMES RESOLVING A PROBLEM FOR A COMPANY.

AND SO WE HAVE A, I WOULD SAY A VERY STRONG BOARD AND REPRESENTATIVE OF, UH, OF, OF THE MUNICIPALITIES AND SOME OF THE STRONGEST MINDS IN THE COUNTY.

SO WE'RE VERY BLESSED IN THAT REGARD.

UH, I APOLOGIZE IF YOU'VE SEEN THIS BEFORE, BUT I, I BELIEVE LIFE IS A BALANCE WHEEL COMMUNITY IS A BALANCE WHEEL.

AND FOR US, WHILE WE'VE BEEN HIRED TO DO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ENVIRONMENT IS RIGHT THERE AT THE TOP OF, UH, WHAT WE HAVE TO HONOR HERE, EDUCATION BEING NEXT, BECAUSE, UH, IF WE'RE TALKING TO SITE SELECTORS OR, UH, WE HAVE A IRISH COMPANY THAT'S LOOKING TO POTENTIALLY BRING 350 JOBS TO BLUFFTON, THEY'RE GONNA WANT TO KNOW NOT JUST WHAT THE, THE FOUR YEAR PROGRAM CAN DELIVER, NOT JUST WHAT THE TWO YEAR PROGRAM CAN DELIVER, BUT THAT PIPELINE TALENT ALL THE WAY DOWN INTO THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, UH, WORKFORCE, UH, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.

OBVIOUSLY I'M HERE TO SPEAK ABOUT THAT, BUT WORKFORCE HOUSING AND SKILLED DEVELOPMENT, AND A LOT OF OUR PARTNERS FILL THAT.

I WILL TELL YOU THAT FOR THE TOWN OF HILTON HEAD, WE RECENTLY DID A PROFORMER THOUGH ON WORKFORCE HOUSING.

AND, UH, BECAUSE THERE'VE BEEN SO MANY LOOKS AT WHAT IT TAKES TO BUILD HOUSING IN OUR REGION, HARDY VILLE, OR, OR BUFORD OR BLUFFTON OR PORT ROYAL, SO ON.

[02:55:01]

WE DO HAVE TO BE CONCERNED.

I, I THINK I HEARD OVER IN THIS CORNER AS I WAS PICKING UP MY NOTES FROM TOMMY STATION SAYING, BOY, I'M GLAD I'M IN HERE NOW.

I'D HATE TO BE MOVING IN NOW.

AND, UH, UH, WE'RE GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT THREE DIFFERENT EMPLOYERS, UH, IN THE NEXT TWO WEEKS.

OUR BOARD'S GOING TO BE TAKING THESE UP, BUT WE'VE GOT, UH, THREE EMPLOYERS LOOKING TO INVEST, UH, UH, $35 MILLION, AND THEY'RE GOING TO NEED EMPLOYEES TO RUN THOSE COMPANIES AND TRANSPORTATION.

OBVIOUSLY, OUR APPROACH TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IS, UH, MARKETING, UH, NETWORKING.

THE, UH, IRISH LEAD CAME FROM A SITE SELECTION, UH, CONTACT I HAVE IN DUBLIN, UH, PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT, UH, WORKFORCE, UH, BRANDING AND STAFF DOES A LOT IN BLUFFTON TO CREATE THE BRAND THAT WE PROMOTE.

AND, UH, YOU'LL SEE, EVEN WITH THE, UH, UH, DIGITAL ADVERTISING WE'RE DOING, I BUCK WALTER IT'S IT'S WITH THE FEEDBACK WE GET FROM STAFF AND THEN TEAMWORK IN TERMS OF OUR, UH, HOW WE APPROACH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.

I'M SURE YOUR CONSULTANTS CAN TELL YOU THAT MANY AREAS, UH, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IS, IS BASED ON A LOT OF ACTIVITIES.

I SPOKE TO, UH, THE ROTARY CLUB IN HILTON HEAD TODAY, AND, UH, WE PUT OUR SCORECARD UP THERE.

AND OBVIOUSLY YOU LOOK AT, UH, WE SET A GOAL OF $60 MILLION A YEAR, A YEAR TO, UH, SINCE INCEPTION WHERE WE'RE CREEPING UP ON $200 MILLION OF INVESTMENT IN THE COUNTY, IN THESE DIVERSE INDUSTRIES.

BUT RIGHT NOW WE'RE SITTING AT 10.48 MILLION.

WE HAD A LOT OF MOMENTUM GOING INTO COVID.

I'M NOT MAKING EXCUSES OF LOOKING AT OUR PIPELINE.

I THINK BY JULY, WE'LL HIT THAT $60 MILLION, BUT IT'S GOING TO TAKE A LOT OF HARD WORK, UM, IN TERMS OF RETAIN JOBS THAT'S, UH, SHOWING UP AS RED.

SO WE SHOW PEOPLE WHAT'S GOOD AND WHAT'S BAD.

UH, IN TERMS OF RATE, RETAIN JOBS, WE SET A GOAL CAUSE WE WANNA, WE WANT TO TAKE CARE OF INCUMBENT COMPANIES, AS WELL AS NEW COMPANIES WE'RE ATTRACTING.

UH, BUT TO DATE, WE CAN'T, WE CAN'T MEASURE THAT, UH, OUR PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT SHOW IN SERA WHERE WE'VE GOT A PAD.

SO THAT NUMBER WILL BE 33% OF GOAL, BUT STILL YELLOW.

WELL, WE HAD LIKE, UH, UH, CHARLIE STONE AND MYSELF ARE THE IMPACTS THAT THE JOBS WE CREATE CAN HAVE ON LIVES.

AND I DON'T KNOW IF MANY OF YOU WENT TO OUR CONVERT SUMMIT, BUT WE HAD 390 PEOPLE REGISTER.

I WOULD IMAGINE IT WAS FREE.

SO WE HAD JUST UNDER 300, UH, OCCUR, UH, I MEAN A 10 AND PROBABLY ANOTHER 95 WATCH ON FACEBOOK.

SO THERE'S A LOT OF INTEREST IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN THE COUNTY.

AND IF YOU HEARD THIS SPEAKER, FORMER CEO, A PRESIDENT OF, UH, BMW CAROLINA SPEAK, UH, HE BELIEVES THAT THE DIVERSE ECONOMY CAN WORK IN SOUTH CAROLINA.

PEOPLE CAN MAKE GOOD RETURNS AND WE CAN PAY PEOPLE GOOD WAGES.

SO I THOUGHT THAT WAS A GOOD MESSAGE COMING FROM SOMEBODY WHO, UH, DID HAD MOST OF HIS CAREER IN GERMANY THIS YEAR WERE AVERAGE IN SIX, JUST OVER $60,000 OF, UM, UH, OF, UH, INCOME ON, ON AVERAGE, ACROSS THESE JOBS SINCE INCEPTION, WE'RE JUST UNDER 50,000, BUT, UH, THAT'S THAT'S TO ME WHERE THE RUBBER HITS THE ROAD, WHERE WHETHER YOU'RE IN PUBLIC SAFETY OR IN PARKS OR, UH, TAX COLLECTION, UH, PEOPLE HAVING A WAY OF SUPPORTING THEIR FAMILIES, UH, AND HAVING DIGNITY, UH, MATTERS.

WE HAD CLEMSON, UH, AND JOHN, COULD I BOTHER YOU NOT RIGHT AWAY, BUT CAN YOU GIVE ME A BEVERAGE OR SOMETHING? YEAH, I THOUGHT, OH, I'M GOOD.

OH, I GOT, IT'S LIKE JESUS AT A WEDDING.

ALL OF A SUDDEN EVERYTHING YOU HOPE FOR APPEARED.

IT'S THAT WAS THE RE WHAT'S IT.

I'M GLAD I TOOK YOUR I'M GLAD I TOOK BARRETT BARRY LARRY'S BOTTLE CAUSE IT IS FILLED WITH VODKA.

ABOUT IT, BUT I WATCHED THE OLYMPICS AND SOMETIMES I DON'T KNOW HOW THEY SCORE OR WHO WON.

SO I'M A LITTLE SILLY APOLOGIZE FOR THAT.

UM, BUT WE HAVE CLEMSON, UH, LOOK AT THE NUMBERS AND THEY DISSECT EACH PROJECT WE WORKED ON.

SO WE'RE NOT, WE'RE NOT HITTING THE HOSPITALITY AND TOURISM NUMBERS YET, BUT WE'RE CHIPPING AWAY AND MAKING SOME PROGRESS.

SO THE PROJECTS THAT WE'VE PUT IN THE PIPELINE OVER THE NEXT, BETWEEN NOW AND 2025 ARE GOING TO HAVE AN IMPACT OF $3.3 BILLION.

AND THIS IS WHERE EVEN LAST NIGHT, I, I USUALLY TALK

[03:00:01]

UH, SO I LIKE THE SCORECARDS WE KEEP CAUSE THEY TELL YOU, UH, UH, WHAT WE'RE ACTUALLY GETTING DONE AND HOW WE'RE MOVING THE DIAL.

UH, I CODE THE ART LEADS, UH, WHERE THEY COME FROM AND BLUE AND GREEN, GREEN ARE ONES THAT WE MAY PAY FOR A SOUTHERN CAROLINA ALLIANCE IN DIFFERENT THINGS.

GENERATE LEADS FOR US 25 TO THE, TO THE NUMBER 25% OF OUR LEADS COME FROM AWAY.

AND 75 COME FROM SOMEBODY WHO'S ALREADY IN YOUR COMMUNITY.

I GOT, I GOT A CALL.

WE GOT, WE GOT A FEW CALLS.

UH, BLUFFTON RESIDENT, UH, UH, IS INVOLVED WITH THE SOUTH AMERICAN SOUTH AFRICAN COMPANY.

THEY HAVE OPERATIONS IN FLORIDA AND WANT TO MOVE THEM TO BUFORD COUNTY.

SO THAT'S TYPICALLY 75% OF OUR LEADS COME FROM SOMEBODY WHO IS YOUR NEIGHBOR.

AND EVERY TIME I SPEAK, I ENCOURAGE EACH.

AND EVERY ONE OF YOU SOMEBODY'S GROUSE ON ABOUT SOMETHING.

SOMEBODY NEEDS A ROOM TO EXPAND WHATEVER THE CASE MIGHT BE.

THEY'RE STRUGGLING WITH WORKFORCE, SEND THEM OUR WAY BECAUSE WE'VE GOT TO TAKE CARE OF THEM.

75% OF THOSE PEOPLE BRING US THE BUSINESS.

UH, 98%, AGAIN, CODED BLUE AND GREEN 98% OF OUR LEADS COME FROM SOMEBODY WHO'S ALREADY IN OUR COMMUNITY.

SO AGAIN, UH, I THINK THAT LOW COUNTRY WELCOME, UH, REALLY PAYS DIVIDENDS, UH, OUR, OUR TARGETS, UH, YOU KNOW, AS YOU'RE THINKING STRATEGICALLY.

UH, AND I, I SPOKE TO THE MAYOR QUICKLY BEFORE THE DON RYAN BOARD MEMBER, UH, UH, BOARD MEETING ON, UH, THURSDAY OF LAST WEEK.

UH, YOU KNOW, THESE ARE OUR TARGETS.

I'M WORKING ON ONE RIGHT NOW THAT CAME IN, UH, THROUGH, UH, UH, UH, UH, MY NETWORK.

IT'S A IRISH COMPANY IN THE HEALTH CARE TELEMEDICINE AREA.

THEY WANT TO BRING 350 JOBS TO THE AREA.

BLUFFTON IS WELL-SUITED FOR THAT NIGHT.

I THINK I, I ALWAYS THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO HAVE.

AND WHILE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IRISH, THE IRISH BELIEVERS, LIKE YOU SEE THE HEDGES, YOU THROW YOUR HAT OVER IT.

NOW YOU'VE GOT TO GET THERE.

SO, UH, UH, TOWARDS THAT END, I, I THINK BLUFFTON, IF I WAS TO SET A GOAL, I WOULD SAY IN FIVE YEARS, WE SHOULD HAVE FIVE HEADQUARTERS BACK OFFICE OPERATIONS IN BLUFFTON, OUR CHALLENGES TO FIND OUT WHERE TO PUT THOSE COMPANIES.

UH, BUT I'M SURE IF, IF, IF WE GET, IF WE GET FOCUSED ON IT, LIKE YOU USUALLY DO, WE CAN GET IT DONE.

BUT THESE ARE THE TYPES OF INDUSTRIES THAT WE THINK ARE IN HARMONY, UH, WITH THE, WITH THE ENVIRONMENT HERE, IN TERMS OF, UH, PROJECTS, UH, UH, SINCE WE'VE BEEN DOING THIS, THIS IS UP TO $43 MILLION, UH, UH, 217 NEW AND RETAINED JOBS, UH, BURT CHURCH.

I WILL SAY THIS, THAT, UH, BECAUSE BLUFFTON TREATED THEM VERY WELL.

WE'RE GOING TO PROBABLY SEE, UH, ANOTHER, UH, $14 MILLION INVESTMENT, UH, THAT WILL BE ON PAR WITH, UH, BURNT CHURCH DISTILLERY.

SO, UH, GOOD WORK GOES A LONG WAY.

WHAT ARE SOME BRANDS HAS ITS HEADQUARTERS HERE? UH, UH, THE BLUFFTON CENTER MEDICAL CENTER BEING BUILT OUT SLIGHTLY OUTSIDE YOUR BORDERS, BUT, UH, MYRTLE PARK, WE'RE SEEING $10 MILLION GO IN THERE.

THAT'LL CREATE 60,000 SQUARE FEET.

A GOOD PORTION OF THAT IS BEING BUILT, SPECKLED SPECULATIVELY, UH, LOW COUNTRY, FRESH MARKET.

I'LL TOUCH ON THAT A LITTLE LATER, BUT, UH, $5.8 MILLION, 44 JOBS AND, UH, UH, 10,000 SQUARE FEET, LOT NINE BREWERY, A LITTLE TRUCKING COMPANY.

AND, UH, A GOLF CART COMPANY ARE ONES THAT WE HELP WITH ASHLEY FEASTER.

AND I HAD THE PLEASURE OF GOING TO THE INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL'S ANNUAL MEETING.

AND I, I SAID THIS AT THE CONVERT SUMMIT.

I'LL SAY IT TODAY.

I DON'T PUT THIS UP HERE TO PAT THE BUFORD ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION ON THE BACK, UH, BECAUSE, UH, IF, IF YOU'VE EVER MET THE RALPH'S WHO DID THIS PROJECT, THEY WERE CONSIDERING DOING THE PROJECT HERE IN BLUFFTON OR DOING IT IN SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO.

AND SO THEY, AGAIN, THEY INVESTED, UH, I'LL GET IT RIGHT.

UH, FIVE, $5.8 MILLION CREATED 44 JOBS.

THE AVERAGE JOB PAYS 41,000.

IT HAS FULLY PAID HEALTH INSURANCE.

AND, UH, PUT, THEY PUT ASIDE 5% FOR EACH EMPLOYEE TOWARDS RETIREMENT.

WELL, WE, THE REASON CHARLIE AND I DID IT TWOFOLD, UH, APPLIED FOR THE RECOGNITION AND WE DID WIN THE GOLD MEDAL, UH, OR GOLD AWARD FOR I'M THINKING OLYMPICS, BUT GOLD AWARD FOR EQUITY AND INCLUSION.

BUT THEN ULTIMATELY WE WERE JUDGED THE BEST ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROJECT IN, IN THE WORLD.

AND WHY, AND WHY DID THEY DO IT IN BLUFFTON? BECAUSE THE STAFF WAS EASY TO WORK WITH? UH, ABSOLUTELY.

THEY HAD ASKED SANTA FE FOR SOME INFORMATION.

THEY ASKED

[03:05:01]

THE BEAVER COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION FOR INFORMATION.

THEY WANT RIDE THEIR HELP, UH, THE GULLAH COMMUNITY AND UNDERSERVED POPULATION IN BUFORD COUNTY OR NATIVE AMERICANS IN THE SANTA FE AREA.

SANTA FE NEVER GOT BACK TO THEM.

SO HALF OF OUR BATTLE IS JUST BEING RESPONSIVE, UH, TO BLEEDS.

BUT THE REAL REASON WE APPLIED FOR THIS RECOGNITION WAS, IS WE THINK THERE'S MORE, EFFLUENTS BURIED IN THESE HILLS, THAT THERE ARE MORE PEOPLE OF MEANS WHO WOULD LIKE TO DO THINGS FOR PEOPLE.

WHO'VE NEVER GOTTEN A SHARE OF, UH, OF, UH, OF THE PIECE OF THE PIE THAT WE'RE ALL PROMISED PART OF THE AMERICAN DREAM, YOU KNOW, TOWARDS THAT END.

UH, TOMORROW WE HAVE A MEETING AT THE DON RYAN CENTER WITH GWEN, UH, WITH, UH, BLACK WITTY, UH, THE DON RYAN STAFF AND MYSELF.

AND, UH, THIS IS THIS AWARD, ISN'T THE END ALL.

UH, BUT HOPEFULLY IT'LL BE WHAT CATALYZES, WHAT STIMULATES OTHER PEOPLE OF AFFLUENCE TO KIND OF TAKE SOME OF THAT EXCESS AND INVEST, UH, TO HELP OTHER PEOPLE OUT IN THE COMMUNITY.

UH, OBVIOUSLY A LOT NINE BREWERY BREWER GROWING, UH, IS DOING WELL HERE AND THEY ARE LOOKING TO EXPAND AS WELL.

UH, PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS.

THIS IS JUST A, A LITTLE PROJECT THAT WE DID THIS, THIS ONE HERE IS A PAD THAT'S BEING BUILT INTO BUFORD COMMERCE PARK FOR A NEW JERSEY COMPANY.

AND, UH, THEY'RE GOING TO BE MAKING SMALL PIECES FOR, UH, AUTOMOTIVE CLASS PIECES FOR ELECTRONICS.

I'M GOING TO RUN DIRECTION, UH, BURT SHIRTS, DISTILLERY, AGAIN, TAKING CARE OF ONE CUSTOMER.

UH, IF YOU LOOK AT THE NORDSTROM'S MODEL, IF YOU WILL, YOU TAKE CARE OF A CUSTOMER, THEY BECOME A REPEAT CUSTOMER, AND THERE'S MORE GOOD THINGS TO COME FROM THE WATER.

SINCE IN BLUFFTON, UH, WE POUND AWAY, UH, CONSISTENTLY THESE ARE, YOU KNOW, OUR PILLARS, EXHILARATING ENVIRONMENT, SKILLED WORKFORCE.

WE GENERALLY USE THE MARINE CORPS AS OUR TARGET, BUT WHEN WE WORK WITH COMPANIES, WE ALSO SAY, YOU KNOW, THAT THERE ARE 2100 EXITING MARINES, BUT WITH HOW HOSPITABLE BUFORD COUNTY CAN BE WITH A COMPANY COMING IN, UH, WE ALSO ASK THAT THEY HIRE PEOPLE WHO ARE LOCAL HERE AND HAVE BEEN HERE FOR GENERATIONS.

AND, UH, IT WAS INTERESTING.

I SPOKE TO A GROUP ON ST.

HELENA AND I GOT A LOT OF PUSHBACK ON WHO'S GETTING THESE JOBS, AND NOW WE'RE GOING TO START TO PUT IN OUR INCENTIVES, UH, SOME LANGUAGE THAT SAYS THAT THEY NEED TO, THERE WOULD BE A KICKER IF THEY CAN DEMONSTRATE THAT THE PEOPLE, UH, PORTION OF THE PEOPLE THEY WERE HIRED, UH, HAVE BEEN IN OUR COMMUNITY FOR A LONG TIME.

SO, UH, I, I, I SENSE IT, I FEEL IT, AND I, I, I CAN EMPHASIZE, EMPHASIZE WITH IT THAT PEOPLE DO NOT WANT TO, UH, UH, THINK THAT, OH, WE'RE GROWING AND EVERYONE'S COMING FROM AWAY AND THEY'RE WALKING RIGHT BY ME.

SO, UH THAT'S AND I, UH, LAST THING IS UNPARALLELED SUPPORT AND, UH, WELL, YOU KNOW, I, I GET TO STAND UP HERE, UH, CHARLIE STONE, WHO WAS AN INTERN FOR US, AND THEN HE'S NOW BEEN WITH US FOR FOUR YEARS.

HE PROVIDES UNPARALLELED SUPPORT.

UH, IF YOU SEND HIM AN EMAIL IT'S, IT'S USUALLY RETURNED WITHIN HOURS.

UH, AND PEOPLE FROM CALIFORNIA, PEOPLE FROM NEW JERSEY, THE PEOPLE WE HELP END UP BECOMING THE PEOPLE WE INTRODUCE TO THE NEXT PROSPECT.

AND, UH, CHARLIE DESERVES A LOT OF CREDIT FOR DOING THAT DANGEROUS.

UH, THE DON RYAN CENTER, UH, YOU KNOW, YOU ALL KNOW ABOUT IT, BUT I WILL SAY THIS, AND I'VE SAID IT TO, UH, UH, BERLE DAVIS, WHO IS THE CHAIR OF THE DON RYAN CENTER.

I'VE SAID IT TO THE MAYOR OFFLINE THAT THERE IS A BUZZ IN THE HUB AND, UH, UH, YOU SHOULD BE PROUD OF IT.

AND, UH, I, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT, UH, AS I MENTIONED, GWEN, FROM BLACKWOOD, HE'S GOING, GONNA BE THERE TOMORROW.

SHE'S GOING TO CONSIDER THAT A LANDING PAD FOR HERSELF.

UM, WE ALSO HAVE TONY POLLIN WHO PROVIDES A LOT OF, UH, SERVICES THROUGH THE, THE LOW COUNTRY COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENT.

SO THERE'S A LOT OF ACTIVITY THERE NOW.

AND, UH, IT'S AN EXCITING PLACE FOR US TO KEEP AN OFFICE AND WE JUST GET TO SEE A BIT OF IT.

THE HEROES PROGRAM IS OBVIOUSLY GOING REAL WELL, SOMETHING WE'RE DOING IN BUFORD, THE CITY OF BUFORD, AND WE'RE DOING IT IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE SOUTHERN CAROLINA ALLIANCE.

SO IS CREATING A LANDING PAD.

AND AS I'M DEALING WITH THIS IRISH FIRM, I'D LIKE, AND, AND DEALING WITH DAVID AS WELL.

YOU KNOW, WE'D LIKE TO CONSIDER THE, UM, DON RYAN CENTER AS A LANDING PAD FOR PROSPECTS.

AND IF THERE'S SOME COST TO THAT, THAT BUFORD COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION WOULD PICK THAT UP.

BUT WE KNOW THAT THE SOUTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE AND AS SOUTHERN CAROLINA ALLIANCE IS ALREADY, UM, UH, UH, SELLING THAT TO PROSPECTS AROUND THE WORLD, THEY KNOW THAT

[03:10:01]

THEY HAVE ONE COMPANY OUT OF INDIA, THEY'RE LOOKING TO PUT IN THERE, BUT THE DON RYAN CENTER WILL BE PART OF THAT STORY IN PARTICULAR, UM, THE IRISH, UH, PROSPECT WE'RE DEALING WITH RIGHT NOW, UH, THEY WOULD, THEY WERE LOOKING 350 JOBS.

IF THEY'RE LOOKING AT LOCATING AND BUCK WALTER, IT WOULD MAKE SO MUCH MORE SENSE FOR THEM TO HAVE THEIR LANDING PAD AT THE DON RYAN CENTER, THEN AT THE DIGITAL CORRIDOR OVER IN BUFORD.

UH, YOU KNOW, UH, I KNOW YOU GUYS WOULD LIKE RESULTS ON THE, UH, ON THE, UH, PAD THERE AT BUCK WALTER.

AND WE'RE IN CONVERSATION WITH STAFF HERE, BUT WE'RE DOING A DIGITAL CAMPAIGN RIGHT NOW, UH, BASED ON THE DEAL THAT WAS ON THE TABLE.

AND SO PEOPLE WHO ARE CLICKING ON SE BIZ AND LOOKING FOR SITES, THIS IS A DIGITAL AD THAT WE HAVE, UH, APPEARING.

SO SOMETIMES I KNOW PEOPLE THINK THAT LIKE AMAZON HAS PUT A CHIP IN YOUR EYEBROW AND THEY KNOW WHAT YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT.

CAUSE WHEN YOU GO BACK TO THE COMPUTER, WHAT YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT SHOWS UP, THAT'S THE NATURE OF THAT DIGITAL AD FOR PEOPLE ARE LOOKING FOR SITES, UH, WORKING WITH THE SOUTHERN CAROLINA ALLIANCE, WE, UH, GO TO A LOT OF CONSULTING FORUMS. PEOPLE ADVISE COMPANIES ON WHERE TO BE, AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO POUND AWAY AT THAT.

UH, BILL MILES WAS SAYING, BOY, I BET YOU'RE GLAD YOUR EVENT IS OVER, UH, CONVERGE BECAUSE W WE'RE NOT CHAMBER PEOPLE AND CHARLIE AND I, UH, HAVE TO WORK REALLY HARD TO PULL OFF ONE EVENT.

AND SO, UH, WHAT'S GOOD ABOUT HAVING THAT EVENT IN THE REAR VIEW MIRROR IS IN THE, IN THE NEXT, UH, THREE WEEKS, I'LL BE MAKING A PASS THROUGH NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY SPECIFICALLY.

AND I, I RECALL CONVERSATIONS LARRY, UH, WHERE YOU WERE LIKE, I WANT TO SEE A GOOGLE.

I WANT TO SEE, I WANT TO SEE SOMETHING NEW TO THE AREA HERE.

AND, UH, WITH THOSE PASSES, WE'RE WORKING WITH THE LEAD GENERATOR, UH, AND THEY'RE GOING TO GENERATE, UH, SEVEN TO 10 LEADS WHERE WE CAN VISIT WITH COMPANIES THAT WANT TO HAVE AN EXPANDED FOOTPRINT IN THE SOUTHEAST.

SO, UH, THAT'LL BE OCCURRING IF I HAVE MY WEEKS, RIGHT.

FEBRUARY 28TH, THAT GOES INTO THE FIRST FEW DAYS OF MARCH ANOTHER, UH, PASS, WE'RE GOING TO MAKE IS, UH, UH, THROUGH, UH, BOSTON AND WASHINGTON DC.

WE HAVE ANOTHER SITE SELECTOR THROUGH A DEFENSE DEPARTMENT GRANT TO TRY TO ATTRACT, UH, CYBER SECURITIES.

NOW, WHILE THAT GRANT WAS FOCUSED AT A BUFORD CITY OF BUFORD, IT'S A BUFORD COUNTY INITIATIVE AND, AND BLUFFTON COULD EXPECT TO BE THE BENEFICIARY OF THAT AS WELL.

UH, DURING, UH, DURING, UH, COVID A LOT OF PEOPLE, WE HAD A LOT OF EXCITEMENT, UH, THROUGH THE SOUTHERN CAROLINA IONS.

WE MADE A PASS THROUGH NEW YORK AND CANADA.

UH, WE MADE SEVERAL PASSES THROUGH THE, UH, NORTHEAST BASED ON THE SUCCESS WE HAD GOING INTO 2020.

AND ALL OF THAT GOT KINDA THE BRAKES GOT HIT, AND PEOPLE HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO COME DOWN HERE AND KICK THE TIRE.

SO WHAT'S WHAT THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE DID, WAS THEY CREATED GRANTS WHERE WE COULD DO DRONE, UH, DO DRONE, UH, VIRTUAL VISITS.

AND SO THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF ONE THAT WAS DONE FOR BUCK WALTER.

AND, UH, THEY HAVE ANOTHER ROUND.

WE'RE DOING TWO MORE SHORTLY DATA-DRIVEN DECISIONS.

I'LL TELL YOU, UH, JUST ABOUT LOT NINE LOT NINE.

UH, WE CAN USE ISRAELI DATA TO FIND OUT HOW MUCH BEER PEOPLE DRINK AT HOME, HOW MUCH BEER THEY DRINK WHEN THEY'RE OUT, UH, HOW MUCH BEER THEY DRINK, OR LIQUOR OR WINE.

AND SO WHEN, IF YOU HAVE A SUCCESSFUL BREWERY IN ONE LOCATION, AND YOU SAY, THIS IS OUR DEMOGRAPHICS, THIS IS, THIS IS WHAT THE CONSUMER IS DOING IN OUR AREA.

UH, UH, WE'RE ABLE TO PULL SOME OF THAT DATA AS, AS THEY OR ANYONE ELSE LOOKS AT, UH, OTHER SITES.

SO, UH, DATA-DRIVEN DECISION.

I JUST HAD A CALL AT 10 30 THIS MORNING WITH A GROUP CALLED PLACER AI USING CELL PHONE DATA.

UH, THEY CAN, THEY CAN DO A LOT IN TERMS OF FINDING OUT WHERE, UH, THEY CALL IT A VOID STUDY, BUT WHERE SOMEBODY IS LEAVING YOUR MARKET TO SAY, GO TO SAVANNAH, UH, TO, UH, UH, SHOP.

AND THAT CAN HELP.

AS EVERYONE'S ALWAYS TALKING IN BLUFFTON, I HEAR A LOT OF IT.

WE NEED A COSTCO, WE NEED A TRADER JOE'S.

UH, WE CAN ACTUALLY PROVIDE THE DATA, UH, TO FIGURE OUT WHETHER YOU, UH, HAVE THE DEMOGRAPHICS THAT PURCHASING POWER, THE PURCHASING PROFILE TO APPEAL TO SOME OF YOUR TARGET COMPANIES OR RETAILERS.

THIS IS A, UH, A STORY I HAVE.

AND, AND, AND THE, AGAIN, THIS IRISH PROSPECT WE HAVE, IT'S CALLED THE PROJECTS NAMED CALLED RAPID COLTRANE, BUT, UH, RAPID COLTRANE WOULD EXPECT A HIGHER, UH, IN THE AREA BY AUGUST, IF WE'RE SELECTED AS A SITE.

AND WHAT HELPS BLUFFTON WITH THE FAST

[03:15:01]

MOVING COMPANY IS, IS THAT WE HAVE THE REAL ESTATE FOR THEM TO GO INTO, BUT THIS IS JUST AN EXAMPLE.

LOT CREW SAY, UH, DECIDED TO CLOSE.

IT'S A RETURN SITE IN BUFORD.

THEY, THEY NOTIFIED THE LANDLORD MIDDLE OF JANUARY.

THEY WEREN'T GOING TO RENEW.

THEY WERE DONE BY THE END OF JANUARY, BY FEBRUARY 8TH, AT 49,850 SQUARE FOOT BUILDING WAS LEASED TO A, UH, UH, CALIFORNIA COMPANY.

AND BY FEBRUARY 17TH, THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE HAD A, UH, UH, INCENTIVE AGREEMENT IN FRONT OF THEM TO BE SIGNED.

SO KEEP IN MIND, YOU LOOK AT THE VIRTUAL, UH, VISITS TO SITES THAT I SHOWED YOU, AND YOU HEAR ABOUT, UH, THE INCENTIVES THAT, UH, COMMERCE HELPS US WITH, UH, COMMERCE, VERY HELPFUL TO BUFORD COUNTY.

AND, UH, I'D LIKE TO UNDERSCORE THAT AND PAD SITE, UH, COMMERCE, UH, PROVIDED A, UH, $200,000 IN GRANT FUNDS.

SO IS WE'RE LOOKING AT, UH, COULD BE WILLOW RUN OTHER PLACES.

THERE ARE WAYS THAT WE CAN DO SOME THINGS PERSPECTIVELY THAT CAN, UH, SWEETEN THE DEAL IN TERMS OF COMING TO BLUFFTON.

THIS SPEC BUILDING IS 64,000 SQUARE FEET, UH, LARGELY GEARED TOWARDS INDUSTRY IN BUFORD.

UH, BUT, UH, INVESTORS WERE RELUCTANT TO DO IT.

AND NOW WE'RE ABOUT TO GET A CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY ON IT.

AND, UH, THERE'S A FLURRY OF ACTIVITIES.

WE'RE KIND OF HOPEFUL IT'LL BE SOLD OR LEASED BEFORE WE GET THE CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY.

YOU KNOW, UH, WE, WE HAVE THE PLEASURE.

AS I MENTIONED EARLIER OF WORKING AT THE DON RYAN CENTER AT THE HUB, WE HAVE SO MANY WORKFORCE PARTNERS THAT I THINK IS IMPORTANT TO AN UNDERSCORE HERE BECAUSE INVARIABLY AS COUNCIL MEMBER STAFF, PEOPLE YOU'LL RUN IT TO SOMEBODY WHO'S FRUSTRATED, UH, WITH, UH, FINDING TALENT.

THERE ARE SO MANY GREAT PROGRAMS. UH, THE APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM, TONY PAULIN WITH THE LOW COUNTRY COUNCIL AND GOVERNMENT IS A, UH, INCUMBENT WORKER TRAINING.

THERE'S JUST SO MANY THINGS THAT WE WANT TO ENCOURAGE.

UH, PEOPLE WERE PAYING TAXES, NOT TO WALK BY THESE PROGRAMS. ONE OTHER ONE THAT WE DO, UH, FOR PROSPECTIVE EMPLOYERS EVERY MONTH, CHARLIE HAS EMPLOYERS GOING TO THE MARINE CORPS AIR BASE AND MEETING WITH MARINES RIGHT NOW THAT'S BEING DONE VIRTUALLY.

BUT IF SOMEBODY HAS JOBS ARE LOOKING FOR A MANAGER, GENERAL MANAGER, WHATEVER THE CASE MIGHT BE, UH, WE CAN GET THEM IN THE QUEUE MONTHLY, UH, IN ANY COMMUNITY, UH, UH, TO TALK TO THEM ABOUT HIRING AND, AND THEY'RE GOOD PEOPLE, GOOD PEOPLE TO HAVE IN OUR COMMUNITY.

THIS IS A, UH, JUST A, AN EXAMPLE OF THE PROFORMA.

UH, IF, IF YOUR WORKFORCE, UH, HOUSING GROUP WOULD LIKE TO SEE THIS, UH, IT KIND OF SPELLS OUT, UH, THE RATES OF RETURN.

AND, UH, WHAT I DID, I DID SHOW THIS TO MAYOR MCCANN OVER IN HILTON, HEAD AT BREAKFAST LAST WEEK.

AND, UH, HE WAS, HE WAS REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THE HOUSING MIX, LIKE, UH, TOMMY, I'M GOING TO TRY TO USE THIS LASER THING AND PEOPLE KNOW HOW MUCH SUGAR OR COFFEE I DRINK.

OOH BOY.

YEAH, I'M TERRIBLE.

BUT, UH, UH, YOU CAN SEE THAT, UH, 20%, UH, I JUST WANTED TO USE IT BY THAT, UM, 20% WOULD GO TO PEOPLE, 50% OF THE AMI IN THIS MODEL, UH, 55 TO, UH, PEOPLE, 80% OF AMI.

SO, UH, UH, IT'S AN INTERESTING MODEL AND THERE ARE SOME PARAMETERS THAT I'D BE HAPPY TO WALK A GROUP THROUGH IF THEY WERE INTERESTED AND, UH, YOU KNOW, THE CALL TO ACTION.

UH, ALL OF US, WHEN YOU LOOK AT OUR IT'S 75% OF OUR LEADS COME FROM SOMEBODY ALREADY THE COMMUNITY.

AND TODAY, TODAY I HAD A CALL FROM A GENTLEMAN MOSS CREEK, WHO IS A STOCKHOLDER IN A UK AEROSPACE COMPANY.

AND HE'S GOING TO HAVE US MEET WITH, UH, THAT COMPANY ON MARCH 11TH AT THE DON RYAN CENTER, 4:00 PM.

DON'T STALK US, BUT THAT'S WHEN WE'LL BE THERE.

AND, UH, UH, SO OUR LEADS, 75% OF OUR LEADS COME FROM SOMEBODY WHO'S ALREADY HERE, 98% COME FROM SOMEBODY WHO'S ALREADY GOT A TASTE OF A BUFORD COUNTY, NO DEL BLUFFTON.

AND SO IF SOMEBODY HAS A PROBLEM, AN OPPORTUNITY OR A CHALLENGE, GIVE US A CALL AND, UH, I'D BE HAPPY TO TAKE QUESTIONS OR HOWEVER YOU'D LIKE TO PROCEED.

I THINK I EXCEEDED EXPECTATIONS.

YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO MOVE TO THE NEXT THING BY 1:00 PM.

I DIDN'T MEAN I'LL LOOK AT MY WATCH.

LIKE, YEAH.

AND .

[03:20:03]

AND WHEN YOU'RE MAYOR, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THOSE LARGE TRACKS, THERE, THERE MIGHT BE THINGS WE CAN DO.

EVEN WITH THE, UM, COUNTIES, TAXING POLICY, PHILO'S SSR, SEAS, MCI, PS, WHATEVER THE CASE MIGHT BE THAT MIGHT CHANGE THE CONVERSATION FROM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE JUST GOING TO BUILD A LARGE TRACK HOUSING, UH, TO, UH, MIXED USE THINGS THAT CAN CREATE, UH, UH, ECONOMIC DRIVERS WITHIN THE DEVELOPMENT.

AND IF WE CAN HELP OUT, AND I APPRECIATE YOU REFERRING THAT GROUP TO US.

TURN THAT MIC ON.

UM, AND I DON'T KNOW WHERE, WHERE THIS FALLS.

SO WE HAD A RESIDENT TALK ABOUT LARGE TRACKS OF LAND THAT WERE GENERATIONALLY OWNED.

THEN THEY JUST SIT BACK AND WATCH THINGS WE'LL GO AROUND THEM.

IS THAT MAYBE WHEN ACTUALLY YOU MEET WITH GWYN, TALK ABOUT MAYBE SOME OF THEIR PLANS THEY HAVE ON, IF PEOPLE ARE READY TO SELL, MAYBE THERE'S A GROUP OUT THERE THAT CAN BUY IT TO KEEP IT IN THE GENERATIONAL, LIKE THE, THAT COMMUNITY.

AND I DON'T, YOU DON'T NEED TO TALK ABOUT IT NOW, BUT MAYBE IT'S A TOPIC.

I THINK BRIDGET, AND YOU COULD PROBABLY DISCUSS IT A LITTLE BIT BETTER TOO.

WE HAD THAT CONVERSATION WITH THE FOLKS ON ST.

HELENA LAKE AFTER I WAS HERE ABOUT 45 DAYS.

AND, YOU KNOW, I SAID, THERE ARE TWO THINGS YOU CAN DO SELL YOUR PROPERTY.

AND THEY GOT APOPLECTIC.

THAT'S NOT WHAT THEY WANTED.

I, AND I SAID, WELL, HERE'S THE OTHER THING.

I'LL BRING SOMETHING FORWARD.

AND IF I HAVE YOUR EARLY ADOPTERS BE INTERESTED IN IT, AND THAT'S, THAT'S WHERE WE KIND OF PUT THEM TOGETHER WITH THE ROVS WHERE NOW THEY'RE FORMING MORE OF THEIR FIELDS OR WHATEVER THE CASE MIGHT BE.

SO I, IT'S SOMETHING I'VE KIND OF WOKEN UP TO QUITE HONESTLY, HOW IMPORTANT THAT ANCESTRAL LAND IS TO FAMILIES.

AND, UH, UH, WE'LL TRY TO WORK WITH THEM.

IT'S GOING TO TAKE A CREATIVE SOLUTION AND A LOT OF CONVERSATIONS.

AND I THINK, AND THEN NOT TO DO IT HERE, BECAUSE I DO THINK BRIDGET'S GOT MORE OF A, UH, INSIGHT INTO IT, BUT REGARDING TAXES AND NOT FORCING PEOPLE OUT OF THEIR PROPERTY, THAT THEY'VE LIVED ON NO MATTER WHO THEY ARE, THEY'VE LIVED ON IT FOR A HUNDRED YEARS.

YOU KNOW, JUST THOUGHTS.

IT MAY BE, YOU CAN TAKE IT AT A HIGHER LEVEL THAN A TOWN, COULD JUST A THOUGHT, YOU DON'T HAVE TO RECEIVE IT BECAUSE THEY YOU'RE GOING TO GET MAD AT ME.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? I KNOW, I KNOW, BUT HE WAS THERE.

HILTON HEAD, HE SAID, WELL, WHAT'S SURPRISED YOU SO FAR IN FOUR YEARS.

MR. HAMILTON, THEY'RE GOING TO ASK YOU TO TURN WELL, WOW.

WHILE WE MAKE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND OPPORTUNITIES, ONE OF THE MAJOR TOOLS AND IN THE COUNTY, AS WELL AS IN A TOWN.

WHAT ABOUT THE CHALLENGES OF HAVING TOO LARGE OF A INDUSTRY THAT NOT ONLY THAT OUR CHAPTER TASTING SYSTEM WON'T SUPPORT, BUT THE, IT ALSO CREATE THE FACT THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE CONGESTIONS.

UM, WE ALREADY TROUBLE WITH TOO MANY RESIDENTS.

SO WHAT, UH, HOW, HOW CAN WE BALANCE THAT? SO WE DON'T, WE DON'T BECOME SOMEWHERE ELSE, USA VERY, VERY FAST.

UM, IT'S A, IT'S A GREAT QUESTION.

I HAD A ART PROFESSOR IN COLLEGE WHO SAID, IF YOU'RE NOT GROWING, YOU'RE DYING WITH THAT SAID, WE HAVE, UH, CHRIS FISHER COMES IN FROM CHARLESTON AND HE GOES, THIS AREA REMINDS ME OF WHAT I LOVED ABOUT CHARLESTON 30 YEARS AGO.

SO YOU'RE FLATTERED, HE'S INVESTING $15 MILLION IN YOUR COMMUNITY, BUT THE FLIP SIDE IS, AND THIS IS WHERE THE STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS IS REALLY IMPORTANT IS, IS THAT, AND, AND, AND WE TRY TO HAVE THIS CONVERSATION REGULARLY WITH, UH, POLICY PEOPLE, BUT OUR ENVIRONMENTAL FRIENDS IS, IS TO SAY THAT WHAT WE HAVE TO BE REALLY CAREFUL OF IS IS THAT THE THINGS WE BRING IN ARE SCALABLE, IT COULD FIT 50 AREA AND DON'T, DON'T, UH, SURPASS THE INFRASTRUCTURE'S ABILITY TO SERVE.

AND SO THAT'S, THAT'S THE BALANCING ACT.

AS YOU GROW, YOU DO WANT TO GROW.

I, I DO THINK YOU WANT TO GROW, BUT YOU WANT TO DO IT IN A WAY, UH, THAT FITS, I THINK, PREVIOUS ECONOMIC DEVELOPERS IN BUFORD COUNTY FAIL, UH, BECAUSE I THINK THEY WERE LOOKING FOR THE NEXT VOLVO PLANT, THE NEXT BMW, UH, EH, THAT'S NOT GOOD.

OR BOEING BMW, MERCEDES, WHICHEVER ONE IT IS, IT'S NOT GOING TO BE THE RIGHT FIT.

AND, AND TOM LENNOX ASKED ME LAST WEEK, HE SAID, IN

[03:25:01]

AND WHAT SURPRISES ME IS, CAUSE GROWTH CAN BE PAINFUL.

AND IT PERSONALLY, AND, AND FOR A COMMUNITY AND TO DATE, WE HAVEN'T HAD A, UH, NOT MY BACKYARD OR AN ENVIRONMENTAL OPPOSITION TO WHAT WE PRESENTED.

AND I THINK THAT'S BECAUSE WE ARE REALLY MINDFUL OF WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, THAT THE THINGS, WHAT WE HAVE TO BRING IN AND, AND EACH YEAR THAT'LL GET COMPLETE A COMPOUNDING LEE, MORE DIFFICULT, BUT WE ARE REALLY MINDFUL OF THE, AND IF YOU SEE THE POST I USE TO ATTRACT PEOPLE HERE, IT'S USUALLY MY SATURDAY BIKE RIDE AND, AND, UH, WHAT PEOPLE GET TO SEE HERE.

UM, BUT WE HAVE TO BE REALLY CAREFUL AND INTENTIONAL TO MAKE SURE THAT WHAT WE'RE DOING, UH, DOESN'T, UH, RADICALLY CHANGE.

WHAT, WHAT I THINK WE ALL LOVE ABOUT THE AREA, EVEN THOUGH WHAT WE ALL LOVE MAY BE A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT, I THINK, SCALE AND NOT OUTBUILDING, NOT, NOT, UH, EXCEEDING THE INFRASTRUCTURE IS IMPORTANT AS WELL AS, UH, GENERATING REVENUE TO HELP SUPPORT THE TOWN SO THAT OUR YOUNGER PEOPLE AND THE HOMEOWNERS DON'T HAVE TO FOOT THE WHOLE BELL WHEN TAXES GO UP AND BILLING STOPS.

I INDUSTRY THAT PER THAT, THAT HELPS SUPPORT THE TOWN IN WHICH THEY OPERATE IS IMPORTANT.

ALL OF THAT BALANCE, I THINK, TO BOTH YOUR POINTS, IT'S, IT'S A BALANCING ACT.

HAS ANY FLOWER CHANGING ANYBODY COME IN THAT HAS IT SET UP TO INTRODUCE THEMSELVES ANYBODY? WE GOTTA SWITCH? HOW DO WE GET OUT OF THIS? THIS MELINDA HAS A COPY OF THIS.

WHAT TAB DOES THIS GO UNDER? OKAY.

SO KIM'S, KIM'S HANDED OUT IF YOU WANT TO KEEP IT IN YOUR BOND, OR IT SHOULD GO UNDER TAB FOUR, IF YOU WANT TO KEEP IT IN YOUR BINDER.

YEAH, NO, THIS IS BAD FOR THE CAPITOL.

SO, UM, YES, MARIN COUNCIL MEMBERS WERE WHERE YOU ARE RIGHT ON SCHEDULE AND WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO.

NOW, WE, THIS MORNING, WE TALKED ABOUT THE FOCUS AREAS AND WELL, START OUT WITH A FOCUS AREA, GOT IN PRINCIPALS, GOT THE PROJECTS.

AND, AND NOW WE'RE, WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT THE CAPITOL, UM, UH, MOVING AHEAD WITH, WITH, UH, A PLAN FOR CAPITAL PROJECTS, UH, KIM'S GONNA, KIM'S GOING TO REVIEW THAT.

AND THE I'M NOT JUST TALKING ABOUT CAPITAL, BUT ONE OF THE THINGS I, THERE IS, I DON'T WANT TO TAKE THE THUNDER FROM HER.

UM, IT SOUNDS LIKE THOR, THUNDER.

22 IS THAT NINE PROJECTS HAVE BEEN COMPLETED OR SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLETED WITHIN THE LAST TWO FISCAL YEARS.

YOU KNOW, COMING DOWN.

BUT I, I DO WANT TO SAY THAT THE STAFF'S COME UP WITH A REALLY PRETTY INNOVATIVE WAY TO, TO HANDLE YOUR CAPITAL PROJECTS GOING FORWARD.

VERY IMPRESSED WITH IT YESTERDAY.

AND THE OTHER THING IS EARLIER, I INTRODUCED TO YOU YOUR PRIORITY AREAS FOR YOUR CAPITAL PROJECTS AND DETERMINING WHAT ONES ARE PRIORITY.

YOU KNOW, THE WAY TO, TO SAY THESE ARE OUR CAPITAL PRIORITIES, IT SEEMS LIKE YOU'RE OKAY WITH THOSE.

AND SO WHAT I'M GOING TO DO NOW, UH, KIM IT'S, UH, TURNING IT OVER TO YOU TO GIVE IT FOR, THANK YOU.

I APPRECIATE THAT.

SO COUNCIL AND MEMBERS OF SENIOR STAFF AND YOUR PACKETS UNDER TAB FOUR IS A DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE CAPITAL PROGRAMS AND THEIR STATUS.

HOWEVER, TO HELP DRIVE OUR CONVERSATION TODAY, WE THOUGHT IT WOULD BE EASIER TO PULL OUT THAT INFORMATION AND PROVIDE YOU WITH SOME HIGHLIGHTS, SOME CURRENT STATUS AND UPCOMING PROJECT AREAS THAT WOULD BE OF INTEREST SPECIFICALLY HIGHLIGHTING WHAT CHALLENGES STAFF HAS BEEN FACING OVER THE LAST FISCAL YEAR AND OUR PROPOSED SOLUTIONS MOVING FORWARD.

SO BEING IN MY POSITION FOR ABOUT FOUR MONTHS NOW, AND IN LEARNING MORE ABOUT THE CAPITAL PROGRAM AND DIVISION AND WHAT THEY HAVE GOING FROM THE LAST TWO, TWO FISCAL YEARS IN OUR LAST STRATEGIC PLAN AND WORKING TOGETHER WITH STAFF, WHAT WE'VE IDENTIFIED SOME COMPLETED HIGHLIGHTS FROM 21 TO

[03:30:01]

THIS HAS BEEN WITH THREE FULL-TIME PROJECT MANAGERS, A DIVISION MANAGER WHO WEARS A PART-TIME PROJECT MANAGER HOUSE, AS WELL AS HAE BEING THE ADMINISTRATOR OF THAT PROGRAM AND AN ADMINISTRATIVE POSITION, AND ALSO A PART TIME OR NOT PART-TIME I'M SORRY, ASSISTANT PROJECT MANAGER.

SO JUST BRINGING FORWARD THAT YOU HAVE THREE FULL-TIME PROJECT MANAGERS THAT ARE WORKING ON THESE PROJECTS CURRENTLY, AND A STAFFING POSITION WITHIN THAT TWO TIME, TWO YEAR TIMEFRAME IN TO THE SUBSTANTIAL COMPLETION, THERE HAVE BEEN PROJECT MILESTONES THAT HAVE BEEN COMPLETED FROM A COMPREHENSIVE PLANNING OR MASTER PLANNING PERSPECTIVE.

AND IN THAT AREA, WE HAVE EIGHT THAT ARE LISTED.

AND AGAIN, THESE WILL BE INCLUDED IN THE PACKET FOR EVERYBODY TO SEE FOR THE PUBLIC.

UM, AND I DON'T WANT TO READ THROUGH ALL OF THESE BECAUSE I REALLY WANT TO WORK ON, ON THE LAST PIECE OF PRIORITIZATION.

AND THEN WE HAVE 15 PROJECTS THAT ARE PLANNED TO BE EITHER INITIATED THIS SPRING OR SUMMER.

AND THIS IS AGAIN, COMING FROM THE LAST TWO YEARS, MOVING FORWARD.

THAT'S A LOT, THAT'S AN AWFUL LOT, AGAIN, KEEPING THAT STAFFING RATIO IN MIND.

SO WHAT CHALLENGES HAVE WE FACED BECAUSE WE KNOW THERE ARE STILL A LOT OUT THERE THAT HAS BEEN ON THE CIP LIST FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS.

AND WHAT CHALLENGES HAS STAFF BEEN FACING AS WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO IMPLEMENT AND CONSTRUCT THOSE PROJECTS ON THE LAST PAGE, UM, AND WORKING WITH PAT AS THE DIVISION MANAGER FOR THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS PROGRAM, THESE ARE SOME OF THE CHALLENGES ARE CONSISTENTLY BEING FACED BY STAFF AND PROPOSED RESOLUTIONS BECAUSE CLEARLY WE CANNOT KEEP DOING THE SAME THING WE'RE DOING AND EXPECT A DIFFERENT RESULT, WHICH IS COMPLETION OR INITIATION OF THESE PROJECTS.

THE OTHER THING IS THAT WE NEED TO REALIZE, CLEARLY WE'RE NOT IN THE SAME ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND CAPITAL DEVELOPMENT AND CONSTRUCTION ERA THAT WE WERE PRIOR.

NOW THAT WE'VE, WE'RE POST COVID, EVERYBODY'S FIGHTING WITH LABOR SHORTAGES.

NOW THAT WE HAVE ARPA STIMULUS FUNDS COMING OUT, THAT COMPETITION FOR CONTRACTORS IS ONLY GOING TO GET MORE STIFF, UM, IS ONLY GOING TO GET MORE STIFF.

SO I WE'RE TRYING TO BE RESPONSIVE AND THINKING, HOW CAN WE BEGIN TO DO THINGS DIFFERENTLY? ONE OF THOSE ISSUES THAT WE CONTINUE TO RUN INTO IS EASEMENT ACQUISITION DELAYS, AND WE'VE HAD GREAT COMMUNICATION AND ASSISTANCE FROM, FROM COUNCIL ON SOME OF THESE ONE-ON-ONES, BUT OVERALL THERE ARE DELAYS.

AND PART OF THIS IS BECAUSE WE'VE HAD TWO PART-TIME STAFFERS WHO HAVE RETIRED, THAT WERE NOT REPLACED IN THE STAFF THAT WERE REALLY DEDICATED TO HELPING IN THE EASEMENT ACQUISITION PROCESS.

YOU WILL SEE AS WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THE BUDGET PROCESS, NOT TO SORT OF JUMP SHIP AND MOVE FORWARD, BUT YOU WILL SEE AS WE TALK THROUGH THE BUDGET PROCESS, THAT WE ARE PROPOSING AN ADDITIONAL STAFF MEMBER TO HELP EASE THAT BURDEN ON THE INDIVIDUAL PROJECT MANAGERS FOR NEXT YEAR FOR FUNDING.

UM, ALSO IN ADDITION TO HIRING AN EASEMENT EASEMENT ACQUISITION SPECIALIST IS HOW CAN WE STREAMLINE OUR CURRENT ATTORNEY PROCESS, UM, AND THE BACK AND FORTH WITH, WITH TRYING TO GET THE LEGAL DOCUMENTS IN PLACE.

ONCE WE DO GET THE VERBAL AGREEMENT TO GET THE DOCUMENTS FILED.

SO WE'RE WORKING, AND I KNOW THERE'S SOME PLANS ON THAT AS WELL, THAT I THINK WILL TIE INTO ANOTHER MAJOR CHALLENGE THAT WE'RE FACING IS ENGINEERING, SURVEYING AND PERMITTING DELAYS IN GENERAL.

THIS IS COMING FROM THE CONSULTANTS ALL WAY THROUGH THE REGULATORY FRAMEWORKS.

WE'RE SEEING IT BOTH IN THE DEVELOPMENT REVIEW SIDE, AS WELL AS WE'RE PART OF THAT DEVELOPMENT REVIEW SIDE IS EVERY PUBLIC PROJECT GOES THROUGH THE PERMITTING CYCLE.

IT'S NOT NECESSARILY LOCAL, BUT WE ARE NEEDING STATE SOMETIMES FEDERAL PERMITS, DEPENDING UPON WHAT TYPE OF ACTIVITY WE'RE DOING.

THEY ARE FACING THE SAME LABOR SHORTAGES WE ARE AS WELL.

AND, UM, THE ONE RESOLUTION THAT WE CAN DO AT LEAST FROM THE CONSULTANT SIDE, WE CAN'T DO MUCH ON THE PERMITTING SIDE, EXCEPT FOR BUILD THAT INTO OUR TIMEFRAMES, WHICH OF COURSE MEANS A LONGER PROJECT LIFESPAN.

BUT, UM, ON OUR SIDE IS FOR IF WE'RE HAVING CONTRACTORS CONSULTANTS THAT WE'RE HAVING A HARD TIME GETTING A RESPONSE FROM IS WE HAVE THE MECHANISMS AND THE PROCUREMENT POLICIES ON PLACE TO GO AHEAD AND SECURE MORE MASTER SERVICE AGREEMENTS.

WE'VE, WE'VE GOT A NUMBER UNDER CONTRACT ALREADY, IF THAT'S NOT SUFFICIENT AND WE'RE FINDING IT'S NOT SUFFICIENT, WE'RE JUST GOING TO MOVE FORWARD AND GET MORE OF THOSE SO THAT WE HAVE A DEEPER LABOR POOL, IF YOU WILL, OR TALENT POOL TO TAP INTO FOR THAT PIECE OF IT, ANOTHER ISSUE.

AND THIS IS ONE THAT'S LARGER THAN ALL OF US, BUT IT'S CONSTRUCTION SUPPLY AND DELIVERY THE WHOLE SUPPLY CHAIN.

AND THAT IS ONE THAT, UM, WE'RE NOT GOING TO SOLVE NECESSARILY INTERNALLY, BUT IF WE CAN HAVE ECONOMIES OF SCALE AND KNOW THAT, OBVIOUSLY IT'S, IT'S MORE COORDINATION AND THINKING OF THESE PROJECTS HOLISTICALLY, INSTEAD OF INDIVIDUALISTICALLY,

[03:35:01]

IF WE NEED A BUNCH OF CONCRETE PIPE ON, ON SITE FOR ONE SECTION OF ROAD, AND THEN WE KNOW, OR PIPING FOR SIDEWALK UNDERNEATH SEWER, OR I'M SORRY FOR DRAINAGE AT THE SAME TIME.

AND WE KNOW WE'VE GOT ANOTHER ONE SIX MONTHS AHEAD OF TIME, CAN WE WORK WITH PUBLIC SERVICES FOR AN AREA AS THE LAY DOWN YARD AND POPPING THAT ONE ON DEREK COLD? UM, BUT LET'S THINK ABOUT THAT.

IF WE HAVE THE SUPPLY CHAIN ISSUES, INSTEAD OF THINKING INDIVIDUAL PROJECTS, LET'S THINK OF THEM HOLISTICALLY.

AND THAT REALLY BRINGS ME TO THE LAST ONE, WHICH IS LIMITED CONTRACTOR RESPONSE TO OUR INVITATIONS FOR BIDS, OUR REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS.

WE'VE HAD FOUR DIFFERENT INSTANCES OF PUTTING BIDS OUT WHERE WE'VE HAD ZERO RESPONSES.

AND THIS GOES BACK INTO, THIS IS A DIFFERENT CLIMATE AND ENVIRONMENT THAT WE'RE WORKING IN TODAY THAN WE HAVE OVER THE LAST YEARS.

AND THE WAY WE'RE USED TO DOING BUSINESS, WE ARE NOT COMPETITIVE WITH RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT.

THAT'S OCCURRING OUT IN SAY CYPRESS RIDGE, WHICH IS ABSOLUTELY BOOMING.

AND WE CANNOT SAY WE HAVE A, A $500,000 SIDEWALK PROJECT.

WE WOULD LIKE YOU TO BID ON.

AND WE WOULD LIKE YOU TO START BECAUSE WE HAVE GRANT FUNDS TIED TO IT AUGUST 1ST, WHEN SOMEBODY HAS THEIR SITE OR THEIR HAS THEIR CREW OFFSITE AND MOBILIZED WHERE THEY'RE POURING CONCRETE SLABS ELSEWHERE ON A RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT COUNTS, OR OUR TOWN MANAGER HAS BROUGHT FORWARD SOME INNOVATIVE IDEAS THAT HE'S USED IN EASILY.

AND IT'S A DIFFERENT WAY OF US THINKING OF DOING BUSINESS, WHICH IS AN IDC OR A LARGE SCALE INDEFINITE DELIVERY CONTRACT.

AND THE IDEA BEHIND THIS IS, IS TWOFOLD.

PART OF THAT IS THAT ECONOMY OF SCALE.

LET'S A LUMP SUM OF OUR PROJECTS THAT ARE SIMILAR IN NATURE TOGETHER AND BID THEM OUT OVER THE SPAN OF THREE YEARS.

AND WHAT THAT MEANS IS IF WE HAVE FOUR PHASES OF SIDEWALKS FOR GREAT EXAMPLE, FOUR PHASES REMAINING OF HISTORIC DISTRICT SEWER ING, WE'RE BIDDING THEM TO GRANTS AND AVAILABLE FUNDS.

LET'S LUMP ALL OF THOSE TOGETHER, LET THAT CONTRACT OUT RIGHT THAT BID OUT.

SO WE CAN AWARD SEVERAL CONTRACTORS, POTENTIAL OPPORTUNITIES TO WORK ON THAT.

AND THEN THEY, WE, THEY CAN SAY OVER THE NEXT THREE YEARS, PERHAPS YOU HAVE THE ABILITY FOR A $12 MILLION CONTRACT INSTEAD OF A $1 MILLION CONTRACT OVER THE SPAN OF ONE AND A HALF YEARS.

AGAIN, TRYING TO LOOK AT THAT ECONOMY OF SCALE, HOW CAN WE MAKE OUR SMALLER PROJECTS MORE ATTRACTIVE AND COMPETITIVE WITH A LARGER DEVELOPMENT? WE'RE ALSO COMPETING AGAINST THE SCHOOL DISTRICT AND ALL OF THEIR LARGE SCALE, THEIR LARGE SCALE CONTRACTS.

HOW CAN WE GET INTO THAT GAME? AND SO TODAY WHAT WE WANT TO DO IS INTRODUCE THIS CONCEPT OF IT WOULD STILL COME THROUGH FOR COUNCILS PRIORITIZATION ON CONTRACTS AND APPROVAL ON CONTRACTS, BUT THEY WOULD LOOK A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THAN YOU'VE SEEN IN THE PAST WHERE IT'S BEEN EACH ONE OVER A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS COMING TO YOU AS ONE INDIVIDUAL CONTRACT, WHAT WE WOULD DO AND WHAT WE PROPOSE AND WHAT WE LOOK FOR YOUR INPUT ON SPECIFICALLY TODAY IS USING A FRAMEWORK THAT WAS IN THE SURVEY ON HOW DO WE PRIORITIZE OUR CAPITAL PROJECTS.

AND THERE WERE THOSE ISSUES.

I WROTE THEM DOWN WHAT SEVEN EIGHT OF THEM, EIGHT OF THEM, HEALTH AND SAFETY, FISCAL IMPACT, UH, THE COMMUNITY BENEFIT, RISK ANALYSIS, QUALITY OF LIFE, RELATIONSHIP WITH OTHER PROJECTS, LOCAL ECONOMY, AND ITS IMPACT CONSISTENCY WITH OUR STRATEGIC FOCUS AREAS AND THOSE GUIDING PRINCIPLES.

WHAT WE ARE ASKING TODAY IS FOR STAFF TO COPE BACK, TAKE A LOOK AT THE PROJECTS THAT WE HAVE ON THE FIVE-YEAR CAPITAL PLAN, START TO BUCKET SIMILAR PROJECTS TOGETHER AND COME BACK TO YOU WITH A, UM, THIS INDEFINITE DELIVERY CONTRACT APPROACH FOR YOU TO HELP US PRIORITIZE PROJECTS FOR LETTING OUT BIDS OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL YEARS.

UM, AND THAT WHAT WE WOULD PROPOSE IS IN THE APRIL TIMEFRAME, BECAUSE THEN THAT WOULD FOLLOW IN THE BUDGETING PROCESS, PLANNING, COMMISSIONS REVIEW AND PRIORITIZATION IN MARCH.

SO AGAIN, LET ME HIGHLIGHT, LOOKING AT TRYING TO DO BUSINESS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENTLY SO THAT WE CAN MOVE THINGS FORWARD USING THE CRITERIA THAT YOU LOOKED AT IN THE SURVEY FOR PRIORITIZING CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM PROJECTS, THOSE EIGHT CRITERION STAFF COMING BACK TO YOU USING OUR FIVE-YEAR CAPITAL PLAN CURRENTLY WITH LUMPING SIMILAR PROJECTS TOGETHER AND ATTEMPTING TO APPLY THOSE CRITERION FOR A PRIORITIZATION AND A WORKSHOP WITH COUNCIL TO GET YOUR INPUT

[03:40:01]

AND APPROVAL ON.

ARE WE ON THE RIGHT TRACK? GOOD STOPPING PLACE FOR QUESTIONS? CAUSE I'M SEEING A LOT OF LOOKS IT WAS A YES.

IS THAT BETTER? THANK YOU.

UH, I, IT WAS A VOICE FROM GOD COMING DOWN TO ME.

TURN YOUR MIC ON MOSES.

NO, JUST KIDDING.

SO WHAT'S THE, UH, YEAH, I WAS REAL IMPRESSED, BUT BOTH BILL AND I WERE THAT CONCEPT AND, AND UH, VERY, UM, HATS OFF TO THE STAFF.

SO, UM, COUNCIL, EXPLAIN THAT TO ME.

BETTER.

EXPLAIN HOW THAT, THAT IS DEFINITELY CONTRACT DELIVERY, CONTRACT IDC.

SO IN WORDS THAT I WOULD UNDERSTAND.

FOR BRIDGE STREET, IS THIS GOING TO BE DONE AT THE SAME TIME THAT THE SEWER LINES, BUT NOW, I MEAN, I WOULD, I WOULD THINK THAT IF YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE A DITCH AND THE ROAD TORE UP THE TREE, WANT TO GO AHEAD AND HAVE, YOU KNOW, SIDEWALKS AND ALL THAT DONE AT THE SAME TIME THAT WE BID THAT PART OF IT OUT YET FOR BRIDGE STREET NOW.

SO, UM, LET'S SEE, UH, ECONOMY OF SCALE IS WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR.

SO IF WE, RIGHT NOW, WE HAVE GONE WITH THE SAME PROCESS FOR YEARS WHERE WE WANT A PROJECT TO START JULY 1ST.

WELL, WE GO BACK AND WE SAY, OKAY, WE'RE GOING TO PUT IT OUT TO BID MARCH 1ST.

WE'RE GOING TO OPEN BIDS APRIL 1ST.

WE'RE GOING TO DO A PRE-CONSTRUCTION AND WE'RE GOING TO TELL OUR CONTRACTORS, WE NEED YOU TO START THIS PROJECT JULY ONE.

WELL, WHAT THEY DO IS THEY COME TO US AND THEY SAY, I'M BOOKED OUT FOR NINE MONTHS.

I CAN'T START A PROJECT IN 45 DAYS, OR IF I AM GOING TO DO IT, IT'S GOING TO COST YOU TWICE AS MUCH BECAUSE I'M GOING TO HAVE TO EITHER PULL OFF ANOTHER JOB OR HIRE ANOTHER CONTRACTOR.

SO WHAT THIS APPROACH WOULD ALLOW US IS TWO MAJOR THINGS.

ONE, IT WOULD ALLOW US TO GO FOR ECONOMY OF SCALE.

WE CAN SAY, LIKE SHE SAID, WE HAVE FOUR SEWER PROJECTS THAT WE KNOW WE'RE GOING TO BUDGET FOR THE THEY'RE BUDGETED IN OUR CIP FOR THE NEXT TWO OR THREE YEARS.

LET'S GO AHEAD AND LUMP THEM TOGETHER.

LET'S PUT THEM OUT.

AND LET'S SAY, IF YOU WANT TO SUBMIT THESE, THERE MAY BE A CONTRACTOR THAT HAS A TIME PERIOD FROM NINE MONTHS FROM NOW TO 12 MONTHS FROM NOW THAT CAN KNOCK OFF ALL OF THEM OUT, BUT BECAUSE WE'RE APPROACHING THEM WHERE WE WANT TO DO THEM INDIVIDUALLY.

AND WE HAVE, WE SET THE TIMEFRAME FOR WHEN THEY'RE GOING TO BE THERE.

WE'RE STRUGGLING TO FIND CONTRACTORS THAT CAN WORK WITHIN OUR, OUR LIMITATIONS THAT WE'RE PUTTING ON THEM.

SO THIS ALLOWS US MORE FLEXIBILITY TO SAY, WE KNOW FOR THE NEXT TWO OR THREE YEARS, WHAT OUR CAPITAL PROJECTS WILL LOOK LIKE.

LET'S OUT WAYS TO BE MORE FLEXIBLE AND WORKING WITHIN THE MARKET THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE IN THE BUDGETS THAT WE'VE SET ASIDE TO TRY TO ACCOMPLISH WHAT WE CAN WHEN OUR CONTRACTORS ARE AVAILABLE AND TRY TO MAKE SURE WE'RE ATTRACTING MORE CONTRACTORS.

BECAUSE AGAIN, IF WE'RE DOING A SIDEWALK PROJECT THAT COSTS $150,000, GETTING A CONTRACTOR TO PULL OFF OF SOMETHING THAT THEY MIGHT BE MAKING $500,000 FOR AND HAVE TO MEET FEDERAL GUIDELINES AND REPORTING AND ALL THAT, IT'S TOUGH.

BUT IF THEY KNOW THAT THEY HAVE THE ABILITY THAT THAT A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLAR PROJECT MAY ACTUALLY END UP BEING FOUR PROJECTS, THAT TOTAL $800,000, THEY MAY BE MORE WILLING TO BID ON IT, KNOWING THAT THEY GET AN OPPORTUNITY TO GET ACCESS TO A LARGER POTENTIAL PROJECT LIST.

DOES THAT EXPLAIN MORE TO DO AND THEY CAN DISAGREE, BUT OUR PROBLEM RIGHT NOW IS WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO DICTATE THE SCHEDULE FOR OUR DEVELOPERS.

AND THAT'S, THAT'S THE TOUGH PART IS THEY CAN'T LET ME TRY TO DICTATE WHEN THEY HAVE TO START.

WHY DON'T WE PUT IT OUT THERE AND ASK THEM AGAIN, WHEN CAN YOU DO THESE 2, 3, 1, OR WHATEVER YOU PUT IT OUT THERE AND SEE WHOSE SCHEDULE IS WHOSE SCHEDULE WORKS OUT THE BEST.

I MEAN, WHY DO WE HAVE TO SAY, IT'S GOT TO START AT A CERTAIN CAUSE IT NEVER DOES.

THAT'S WHAT WE'VE, I HATE TO GIVE THE GOVERNMENT ANSWER, BUT THAT'S HOW WE TREATED ALL OF OUR CAPITAL PROJECTS FOR YEARS AND THAT'S WORKED WELL.

BUT NOW WHAT WE'RE FINDING IS EXACTLY THAT WE'RE SAYING, WE WANT YOU TO START WITHIN 60 DAYS OR 90 DAYS.

AND THEY'RE SAYING I'M NINE MONTHS TO A YEAR OUT.

AND SO THIS GIVES US THE ABILITY TO SAY, OKAY, IF ONE MAY BE SIX MONTHS OUT, ONE MAY BE NINE MONTHS OUT.

THIS ONE MAY COST MORE.

THIS ONE MAY BE CHEAPER.

IT GIVES US THE OPTION TO LOOK AT WHAT IS OUT THERE AND SAY, WHICH FITS BETTER IN OUR SCHEDULE, WHICH FITS BETTER IN OUR BUDGET.

IT JUST GIVES THEM SOME FLIGHT GIVES STAFF FLEXIBILITY TO BE ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH THESE PROJECTS WHEN WE CAN.

BUT IF WE KEEP JUST GOING OUT TO BID OVER AND OVER AND WE'RE REBUILDING THESE THINGS, WE'RE WASTING 2, 3, 4 MONTHS AT A TIME AND GETTING NO BIDS.

SO THIS ALLOWS US TO KIND OF REEVALUATE THAT AND HAVE SOME FLEXIBILITY AND BE ABLE TO ACTUALLY ACCOMPLISH THINGS WHEN WE CAN VERSUS JUST GOING THROUGH THE SAME STEPS OVER AND OVER AND OVER.

JUST, UH, JUST GOT A COUPLE OF, WELL, I UNDERSTAND WHERE YOU'RE COMING FROM THERE.

THE STREETSCAPE

[03:45:01]

YEAH, BUT I MEAN, THAT'S, THAT'S PHASE ONE, RIGHT? I MEAN, PHASE TWO OF THE SEWER, THAT'S DIFFERENT.

UH, SO WE HAVE PHASE ONE OF BRIDGE STREET STREETSCAPE THAT CURRENTLY HAS A GRANT ASSOCIATED WITH IT.

IT'S THROUGH IT'S GOING THROUGH THE PERMITTING PROCESSING RIGHT NOW, BUT THAT IS FROM BURT CHURCH TO CALHOUN AND THEN HISTORIC DISTRICTS.

YES MA'AM.

DID I SAY OUR CHURCH TO COUNTY? THAT'S THE ONE WITH THE GRANT ATTACHED.

AND THEN ANOTHER GRANT, AND THOSE ARE BOTH THREE 19 GRANT SUPPORTED PROJECTS.

THE SECOND ONE IS PHASE TWO OF HISTORIC DISTRICTS HEARING AND THAT'S ON THE GHOST ROAD PORTION OF BRIDGE STREET.

SO WEST OF THOMAS HAYWARD.

SO THEY'RE NOT THE SAME LOCATION AND WE'RE NOT DOING A STREETSCAPE PROJECT AS ON WHAT'S CURRENTLY THE GHOST ROAD.

I MEAN, WE'VE ACQUIRED THE EASEMENT ACQUISITION.

IT IS NOW OUR ROAD.

I SHOULDN'T CALL IT A GHOSTWROTE ANY LONGER, BUT THE DIRT PORTION OF BRIDGES.

SO WHAT'S WHAT SECTION KIM IS THE WATER STREET AREA.

AND THEN ALSO, UM, COLE COP RIGHT THERE BESIDE THE WORCESTER FACTORY, I THINK THREE AND FIVE.

AND WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING BECAUSE OF THE GRANT IS STILL LETTING PHASE TWO, WHICH IS BRIDGE STREET ALONE, BECAUSE WE'RE UNDER AGAIN, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT TIMEFRAMES AND WHY DO WE DO THINGS THE WAY WE DO THEM? WE'RE ALREADY GOING TO HAVE TO ASK FOR A GRANT EXTENSION BECAUSE WE GOT NO BIDS ON THAT FIRST LETTING OF BRIDGE STREET SEWER IN OUR CURRENT IDEA THEN IS TO PACKAGE UP 3, 4, 5, AND SIX FOR SEWER IN AND PUT THEM ALL TOGETHER.

INSTEAD OF WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING IS WORKING TO THE FISCAL YEAR BUDGET INSTEAD OF WORKING OUR PROJECTS.

IF THAT MAKES SENSE, WE'VE BEEN TELLING YOU WHEN WE'RE GOING TO DO SOMETHING BASED UPON WHEN IT'S BEEN APPROVED AND WHEN IT'S BEEN FUNDED, INSTEAD OF THINKING, OKAY, IN GENERAL, ARE WE WORKING FORECASTING RIGHT.

AND FEEL REALLY GOOD ABOUT OUR FIVE YEARS.

AND SO WITHIN THAT INDEFINITE DELIVERY CONTRACT, WE GIVE THEM THREE YEARS WITHIN THREE YEARS, WE WANT THESE FOUR PHASES COMPLETED.

WOW.

UM, WELL, WELL THERE ARE GRANT OR GRANT THAT MONEY IS TO BE SPENT ON LATERALS, NOT THE ACTUAL SEWER LINE, CORRECT? YES, SIR.

THE LATERALS COME AFTER THE LATERALS, CAN'T BE DONE TILL THE SEWER LINE.

SO, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN, THEN WE'RE LOOKING AT ANOTHER YEAR OR, I MEAN, BECAUSE THOSE LATERALS GOING TO BE BID OUT INDIVIDUALLY, I WOULD IMAGINE, RIGHT? NO, WE WERE ABLE TO DO PRITCHARD STREET TOGETHER.

WE WERE ABLE TO DO PR SO THAT, I MEAN, BUT THE IDEA WOULD OBVIOUSLY BE TO PACKAGE THOSE TOGETHER.

SO THAT LOOKS LIKE A LOT AND EVERY GROW STRODE EVERY RIGHT AWAY AND ALL THAT HAS GOT TO BE CLEARED UP BEFORE WE CAN DO THAT.

ANYWAY.

AND THAT'S, HE WAS THE BIG ISSUE.

NOW WE SPENT TWO YEARS SECURING THE MONEY.

THE MONEY IS THERE.

WE'VE ALREADY VOTED ON THAT WORK FOR LIKE SAY TWO YEARS TO GET THAT DONE.

UM, AND, AND NOW IT'S FINDING THE PEOPLE TO ACTUALLY DO IT AND THAT'S BECOME THE HEADACHE WE HAVE RIGHT NOW IS FINDING CONTRACTORS.

LIKE SHE SAID, WE PUT IT OUT FOR BID AND GOT ZERO BIDS, ONE LITTLE PIECE.

WE STILL HAVE LOTS OF OTHER WORK TO DO TO GET THE RIGHT OF WAYS FOR PHASES TWO AND THREE.

THEY'RE WORKING ON THAT TOO.

AND THAT HAS BEEN THE SISYPHEAN EFFORT, UH, PUSHING THE BOULDER UPHILL, GETTING THOSE EASEMENTS ARE VERY DIFFICULT.

AND WE THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR YOUR INDIVIDUAL HELP ON THAT.

THAT'S CONCURRENTLY HAPPENING.

UH, BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO GET THAT TAKEN TO LARRY'S POINT.

YOU HAVE TO BUILD A, KNOCK THAT OUT BEFORE YOU CAN GO BUILD THE PROJECT.

SO YOU'RE TRYING TO SATISFY THAT REQUIREMENT BY HIRING SOMEBODY THAT'S DEDICATED TO THE PROCESS, OR YOU COULD EVEN HIRE A RIGHT AWAY ACQUISITION COMPANY THEY'RE OUT THERE ALSO.

UM, SO WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, AND THIS IS PRIMARILY FOR JUST SEWERS, ALL YOU'RE DISCUSSING RIGHT.

THIS MINUTE, WHATEVER, THAT'S A SPECIFIC EXAMPLE.

I MEAN, BUT IT, THOSE CHALLENGES ARE THROUGH THE CAPITAL PROGRAM, EASEMENT ACQUISITION, GETTING CONTRACTS RESPONSE.

SO YOU GOT TO PACKAGE ALL THIS TOGETHER TO MAKE IT A BIGGER PIECE OF AN ATTRACTIVE PIE.

HOPEFULLY, HOPEFULLY INSTEAD OF A $500,000 PROGRAM, YOU'RE SAYING HERE'S A 1.5, $2 MILLION PROGRAM BROKEN INTO SECTIONS.

AND THEN YOU'LL BOND BASED ON EACH PARTICULAR SECTION, NOT THE OVERALL MASTER CONTRACT.

NO,

[03:50:01]

NOT BONDING.

IT DEPENDS.

IT DEPENDS ON THE PROJECT.

UM, AND, AND THAT'S THE THING IS WE DON'T NECESSARILY WANT TO, THIS IS WHERE KIM'S TALKING ABOUT COMING BACK AT LIKE WORKSHOP IN APRIL AND WORKING THROUGH THIS BECAUSE WE HAVEN'T PUT ALL THIS PLAN TOGETHER BECAUSE WE WANTED TO SEE IF IT WAS SOMETHING COUNCIL EVEN WANTED TO CONSIDER, BECAUSE WE CAN KEEP GOING THE PATH THAT WE'VE GONE.

BUT WE'RE, IF, IF WE KEEP PUTTING THEM OUT IN THE BID AND WE KEEP GETTING NO BIDDERS, THEN WE'RE JUST GOING TO BE KICKING THE CAN DOWN THE ROAD IN SIX MONTHS, WE'RE GOING TO BE HAVING THE SAME CONVERSATION AGAIN.

SO WE'RE WANTING TO SAY, LOOK, WE HAVE A PROBES THAT WE FEEL THAT WOULD BE BENEFICIAL TO CONSIDER.

IT'S GOING TO TAKE TAKING SOME PROJECTS AND PUTTING THEM TOGETHER.

IT MAY SAY WE'RE GOING TO ACCOMPLISH SOME OF THESE PROJECTS SOONER, RATHER THAN FOR EXAMPLE, PARKS ARE NEW.

RIVERSIDE PARK IS A FIVE TO SEVEN-YEAR PROCESS.

DO WE WANT THAT TO BE A FIVE TO SEVEN-YEAR PROCESS? OR DO WE WANT TO LOOK AT TAKING THAT AND LUMPING ALL OF OUR PARK IMPROVEMENTS TOGETHER? BECAUSE WHAT IS ALSO OVERWHELMING THEM AS YOU HAVE SO MANY CAPITAL PROJECTS AND THEY'RE STRETCHED FOR THE NEXT FIVE TO SEVEN YEARS, AND WE'RE NOT REALLY EVER COMPLETING ANYTHING AND TAKING IT OFF THE BOOKS, WE'RE, WE'RE DOING LIKE OYSTER FACTORY.

WE GOT ONE PHASE THIS YEAR.

WE GOT ONE PHASE IN THREE YEARS.

WE GOT, YOU KNOW, SO WE'RE TAKING THESE PROJECTS AND WE'RE STRETCHING THEM SO THAT WE CAN GIVE PRUDENCE TO ALL 40 OF THEM IS LET'S.

MAYBE WE TAKE SOME OF THESE THINGS, WE'D LUMP THEM TOGETHER.

AND WE KNOCK OUT SOME OF THESE IN THE NEXT TWO YEARS.

SO WE CAN COME BACK AND SAY, WE'RE DOWN FROM 39 TO 25, BECAUSE WE KNOW WE'RE ONLY GOING TO ADD MORE PROJECTS ON BECAUSE COUNCIL WANTS TO SEE MORE THINGS DONE FOR THE COMMUNITY AND YOU'RE GETTING THEM FROM US AS WELL.

THAT'S WHY WE HIRED YOU AND YOU BRING EXPERTISE FROM WHERE IT'S BEEN DONE ELSEWHERE.

AND I LOVE THE CREATIVE, MY MIKE SONG.

I LOVE THAT.

WHERE YOU GONNA THROW SOMETHING AT ME, TURN YOUR MIC OFF.

UM, SO I LOVE IT.

SO I THINK WHAT YOU'RE ASKING US, DO WE LIKE THE IDEA WE'RE NOT GETTING IN THE WEEDS AS TO WHERE THE PROJECTS ARE AND WHAT YOU'RE BULKING TOGETHER? NOT TODAY.

I LIKE PERSONALLY LIKE THE IDEA, IT GOES TO HIM SAYING, LET'S MOVE FORWARD AND GET THESE THINGS DONE BECAUSE IT'S GOING TO CUT OUT 18 WORKSHOPS TO REMIND US OF THE SAME THING WE LOOKED AT FIVE YEARS AGO.

UM, IT'S GOING TO CUT OUT A LOT OF WORK.

MY QUESTIONS JUST OVERALL.

UM, ARE WE DOING, AND YOU CAN ANSWER IT LATER OR NOT, BUT JUST MY QUESTIONS ARE WE PUTTING OUT TO BID DIFFERENTLY THAN WE DID SEVERAL YEARS AGO? BECAUSE PRE COVID WE WEREN'T EVEN GETTING BIDS.

SO WHAT, WHAT IS GOING ON WITH THAT? DO WE NOT MEET WITH, WE KNOW THE GROUP OF EIGHT THAT'LL ALWAYS BID, ARE WE MEETING THEM FACE TO FACE TO SAY, WHAT'S UP? WHAT CAN WE DO BETTER? NUMBER THREE, CAN WE NOT GO IN WITH BUFORD JASPER'S CAP PLAN, BUFORD COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICTS, CAP PROJECTS, BUFORD COUNTY, AND TRY TO FIT IN WITH THEM, UM, GETTING OUR WORK DONE WHEN THEY'RE DOING THEIR WORK.

SO THOSE ARE MY QUESTIONS ON THIS.

YOU DON'T HAVE TO ANSWER IT.

NOW WE CAN DO IT IN THE APRIL WORKSHOP, BUT THOSE ARE MY THOUGHTS.

THE FIRST ONE I CAN SEND A COUPLE OF THEM.

AS MUCH AS COUNCIL DOES, AS MUCH AS THE PUBLIC'S WILLING TO SEE THEM DONE.

TH THE PROCESS IS THE SAME.

WE'RE FOLLOWING OUR PROCUREMENT PROCESS, BUT WHEN WE DON'T GET A BID, THE PROJECT MANAGERS ARE ALWAYS REACHING OUT TO THOSE CONTRACTORS WHO TYPICALLY DO BID AND ASK THEM WHY THEY DID NOT BID.

AND WHAT WE ARE HEARING IS WE'RE BUSY.

I DON'T HAVE STAFF.

UM, MATERIALS ARE EXPENSIVE.

CAN'T HIT THAT PRICE POINT.

SOME OF THE BIDS WE'VE HAD IN HAVE BEEN ALMOST DOUBLE WHAT WE ESTIMATED THEY SHOULD BE AGAIN, THAT'S THE SUPPLY CHAIN ISSUE.

SO WE ARE FOLLOWING UP AS TO WHY NOT.

UM, AND WORKING WITH BJ WSA.

YES, WE COORDINATE AND COMMUNICATE OBVIOUSLY ON OUR SEWER PROJECTS, BUT, UM, THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS, NOT NECESSARILY HAVE WE PURSUED THAT AVENUE PREVIOUSLY, BUT THAT COULD BE A GREAT WAY TO SEE IF WE CAN PARTNER ON.

AND I KNOW DEREK'S HAD SOME INITIAL CONVERSATIONS AND THEY SEEM OPEN TO LONG AS WE DON'T CONFLICT WITH THE SUMMER.

THEY SEEM OPEN TO ALLOWING SOME COORDINATION THERE AS WELL.

SO EXACTLY, AND I'LL, I'LL SUM IT UP WITH THIS.

AND OF COURSE I'LL ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS AND WE CAN CONTINUE DISCUSSION.

BUT WHAT WE HEAR FROM COUNCIL IS WE WANT TO GET THINGS DONE.

AND WHAT WE'RE FINDING IS BY DOING THE SAME PROCESS WE'VE BEEN DOING, WE'RE NOT GETTING THINGS DONE.

SO WE'RE WANTING TO, WE'RE WANTING TO RE RETOOL OUR APPROACH SO THAT WE CAN GET THESE PROJECTS DONE AND GET THEM MOVING FORWARD, BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT TO SIT HERE.

IT'S AS FRUSTRATING TO US AS IT IS TO YOU FOR US TO OPEN A BID AND HAVE NO BIDS ON IT.

BECAUSE WHAT THAT MEANS IS WE'RE HAVING TO START THAT PROJECT JUST GOT DELAYED BY 60 DAYS.

AND WE WANT TO GET THESE PROJECTS DONE

[03:55:01]

SO WHAT WE'RE WANTING TO DO IS RETOOL HOW WE APPROACH THESE AND TRY TO SEE IF WE CAN'T GET AS MANY PROJECTS AS WE CAN MOVING FORWARD SO WE CAN GET THEM DONE AND MOVE AND GET THEM OFF THE BOOKS SO THAT WE CAN CONSIDER NEW THINGS FOR THE PUBLIC.

BECAUSE WE KNOW THERE'S GOING TO BE FUTURE PROJECTS THAT ARE COMING, BUT RIGHT NOW, THE SEEM TO BE DRAGGING AND WE KEEP STRETCHING THEM OUT AND WE KEEP MAKING THEM MORE AND MORE PHASES BECAUSE WE KEEP GETTING MORE AND MORE PROJECTS, WHICH MEANS THAT TO PRIORITIZE EVERYTHING, EACH OF THEM ARE GETTING STRUNG OUT LONGER.

SO WE'RE WANTING TO TRY TO GET AS MANY OF THEM AS WE CAN DONE AND AS TIMELY A MANNER AS WE CAN.

AND THAT'S WHAT WE WANTED TO BRING THIS APPROACH TO YOU ALL, TO SAY, HEY, LET'S TRY SOMETHING NEW.

LET'S SEE IF IT WORKS.

AND AS ANYTHING, IF IT DOESN'T WORK, WE CAN ALWAYS COME BACK.

WE CAN CHANGE A MINT, BUT IF WE KEEP GOING THE SAME ROUTE, WE'RE GOING, WE'RE JUST FEEL LIKE WE'RE BEATING OUR HEADS AGAINST THE WALL.

AND WE WANT TO TAKE SOMETHING DIFFERENT.

WHAT THAT, WHAT YOU PRESENTED STEVEN? I WOULD DEFINITELY SAY LIKE THAT LINE OF THINKING.

I'M DEFINITELY FOR, CAUSE IF IT'S IN THE VEIN OF, AS YOU STATED TO BE ABLE TO GET MORE DONE IN A MORE TIME EFFECTIVE MANNER, IT ALSO SEEMS LIKE IT WOULD BE A GREAT CONSIDERATION TO STAFF AND WHAT THEY'RE ALREADY TASKED WITH TO BE ABLE TO UNBURDEN SOME OF THAT ON THEM, OPPOSED TO CONTINUE TO PILE THINGS UP, UM, AND KNOW THAT WE'RE GONNA TO HAVE OTHER PROJECTS COME UP, EVEN THOSE PLANNED AND UNPLANNED.

SO, UM, I'M DEFINITELY FOR THAT, THAT, UM, THAT MONITORED.

YEAH, JUST WHEN YOU SAY YOU'VE DONE THIS BEFORE, UM, ONLY THING THAT COMES TO MIND, JUST ONE QUESTION, AND YOU MAY BE ABLE TO ANSWER IT REALLY QUICKLY WHEN YOU BUNDLE, YOU KNOW, FOUR OR FIVE PROJECTS TOGETHER, YOU KNOW, AND MAKE IT A $2 MILLION PROJECT INSTEAD OF A HALF, A MILLION DOLLAR PROJECT.

DO YOU STILL HAVE THE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE OUT THERE BIG ENOUGH TO TAKE ON THAT BIG PROJECT OR DOES IT HURT BY ELIMINATING THE SMALL GUY THAT COULD DO THE 500 OR $1 MILLION PROJECT, BUT COULDN'T DO THE, YOU KNOW, THE WHOLE THING ARE THOSE PEOPLE THAT AREN'T GOING TO BE ABLE TO BID ON THE WORK.

AND THAT'S GREAT.

FOR EXAMPLE, WHEN WE DID IT EASILY, WE DID IT ON PARK RENOVATIONS.

WE HAD A WHOLE BUNCH OF PARK RENOVATIONS WE WERE DOING WITH REDOING PICNIC SHELTERS, REDOING PARKING, LOTS, REDOING, DOING A BUNCH OF STUFF.

WHAT WE FOUND IS BECAUSE WE WERE ABLE TO TAKE SOMETHING AND ALLOW IT TO WORK WITHIN SCHEDULES THAT THEY HAD.

WE WERE ABLE TO GET THE SMALL CONTRACTORS, AS WELL AS THE BIG CONTRACTORS.

NOW, SOMEBODY WHO COULD ONLY DO A SMALL JOB BASED ON, THEY ONLY HAD ONE, TWO PERSON STAFF.

IT IT'S TOUGH FOR THEM, BUT IF THEY'VE GOT A QUALIFIED STAFF, PART OF THIS IS SAYING, HEY, WE MIGHT HAVE FOUR PHASES.

IT MIGHT TAKE FOUR MONTHS, BUT WE CAN STILL WORK WITH ANYBODY SO LONG AS THEIR OWN, AS LONG AS THEY'RE PART OF IT.

AND I KNOW YOU HAD YOUR HAND UP AND THAT'S KIND OF THE DIRECTION THAT I WAS GOING TO, YOU KNOW, PART OF PQME IS THAT WE TRY TO GIVE CONTRACT TO THE LOCAL CONTRACTORS.

SO LIKE, WE'LL BE HITTING NOW, WE'RE GOING TO CHANGE THAT PART OF IT BECAUSE WHAT COULD CONTACT ME.

AND I MAY NOT BE ELIGIBLE, QUALIFIED TO DO THAT LOT OF SCALE OF WORK.

BUT MY OTHER CONCERN IS THAT YOU SOUND LIKE YOU'RE GETTING PRESSURED FROM COUNCIL TO GET THINGS DONE.

WELL, WE HEAR, WE WANT PROJECTS DONE.

SO THAT'S NOT NET AS A COLLECTIVE COUNCIL.

SO YOU GOT TO CHECK THAT BOX TOO.

NOW THAT'S NOT A COLLECTIVE COUNCIL WAS SAYING, WHY ISN'T IT DONE, COUNCILMAN? I WILL ADD ON THAT.

WHAT WE SEE IN OUR MASTER SERVICE AGREEMENTS ARE LOTS OF TEAMS THAT RESPOND.

AND TYPICALLY WHEN WE'VE BEEN LETTING THESE CONTRACTS ONE AT A TIME, MOST OF THE CONTRACTORS WHO HAVE RESPONDED ARE LOCAL AND WOULD BE ABLE TO HANDLE THOSE, UH, LUMPING THEM TOGETHER OVER TIME.

BUT PERHAPS THIS WAY WOULD HAVE A TEAM OF CONTRACTORS COME TOGETHER.

TYPICALLY WE'LL HAVE LIKE THREE OR FOUR CONSULTANTS COME TOGETHER AND RESPOND TO A MASTER SERVICE AGREEMENT BID.

SO I, I THINK WE ALLOW STILL, AND IN SCORING FOR OUR CONTRACTS, WE DO HAVE THAT ITEM FOR LOCAL BUSINESS AND, AND GIVING THAT PREFERENTIAL POINTS TO THAT.

I ASPECT THAT THIS WOULD BE NO DIFFERENT THAT THEY COULD JOIN IN AND OTHER ONES.

AND IN FACT, IT'S, IT'S A GOOD POINT THAT I THINK AS WE, AS WE LET THE BIDS OUT, WE CAN SURELY EMPHASIZE THAT AND MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE COMMUNICATING FOR THE SMALLER ONES THAT YOU MIGHT WANT TO JOIN UP WITH LARGER ONES.

AND THEN I'M GOING TO SAY FOR THINGS, FOR INSTANCE, LIKE AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROGRAM, OR NOT AFFORDED A NEIGHBORHOOD ASSISTANCE PROGRAM FOR YOUR SMALL, SMALL PLUMBERS FOR YOUR ELECTRICIANS, THINGS LIKE THAT, THEY'RE NOT RESPONDING

[04:00:01]

TO CAPITAL BIDS ANYWAY.

SO THEY'RE, THEY'RE KIND OF APPLES AND ORANGES.

THEY'RE NOT IN THAT GAME OF, UH, PUTTING IN SIDEWALKS, SEWERS, AND DITCHES AND PIPES AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

ANYHOW.

SO I, I DON'T, I DON'T FEEL WE'LL SEE THE SQUEEZE, BUT I THINK WE CAN DEFINITELY MAKE SURE WE COMMUNICATE IN THE BID THAT WE'RE NOT DISCOURAGING OR ELIMINATING, BUT CONSIDER PARTNERING WITH A LARGER FIRM.

IF YOU'RE INTERESTED ON GETTING IN, ON THESE LARGER SCALE PROJECTS AND, AND, AND THE UP, IF COUNCIL'S OPINION IS YOU'RE HAPPY WITH THE RIGHT, THE RIGHT THAT THESE PROJECTS ARE GOING, WE DON'T HAVE TO DO THIS.

WE'LL KEEP GOING THE SAME WAY WE'RE GOING.

NO, NO, NO.

IF COUNCIL FEELS THAT THE PROJECTS ARE MOVING AT THE RIGHT PACE, I'M GOOD.

CAUSE WE'RE ALL TOGETHER.

JOHN WANT TO SEE THEM.

THAT WE CAN CONCENTRATE OR ALL OF EVERYONE CAN CONCENTRATE ON THE NEXT GROUP.

I WANT TO SEE HIM AND I WANT TO SEE THE PART OF THE PROBLEM HAS BEEN, OR IF YOU NOTICE OUR BUDGET EVERY YEAR, THE THINGS THAT WE AREN'T GETTING DONE, THE CIP PROJECTS ARE CARRYING OVER INTO NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET, 10, 11, $15 MILLION.

AND SO WE DO NEED TO GET A GRIP ON THIS.

I'VE ALWAYS HAD HEARTBURN EVERY TIME I SEE MAJOR PROJECTS SHIFT OF THAT MAGNITUDE BECAUSE WE WEREN'T ABLE TO GET IT DONE.

THE SECOND PART OF THIS IS, I MEAN, I'M IN FAVOR OF WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.

I'VE DONE IT PROFESSIONALLY.

THE DOWNSIDE SOMETIMES WHEN, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE DON'T HAVE TO DO IT, WE DON'T DO IT, BUT I'VE ALSO SEEN IT SOMETIMES WHEN YOU HAVE A JOB FOR SMALL LOCAL CONTRACTORS, THAT THE JOB'S NOT BIG ENOUGH.

SO WHAT THEY DO, THEY GET A BETTER JOB OFFER SOMEWHERE ELSE AND THEY'LL LEAVE, THEY'LL PULL OFF THE SITE AND THEY'LL GO.

SO I UNDERSTAND ALL OF THAT.

SO I'M ALL IN FAVOR OF WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, BRING IT BACK.

YOU'RE GOING TO DO A WORKSHOP ON IT, WHAT YOU SAID NEXT SUBJECT.

WELL, UH, ONE OF THING THAT WE DID WANT TO TALK ABOUT AS PART OF THIS IS SOME THINGS THAT YOU MAY SEE COMING UP IN THE BUDGET TO HELP WITH THIS PROCESS.

AND I'M GOING TO LET CHRIS TALK ABOUT KIND OF TOUCHED BASE ON THIS MORNING, UM, WHERE WE WERE TALKING ABOUT LOOKING LONG-TERM AND GROWTH BUILD OUT IN OUR TIF DISTRICT, BECAUSE THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY THERE THAT CAN LOOK AND WE CAN LOOK TO HELP WITH SOME OF THESE PROJECTS AND COMPLETION.

UH, YEAH, WE'LL TALK MORE ABOUT THIS AS WE GO THROUGH THE BUDGET PROCESS, BUT YET, UM, AND WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS FOR A COUPLE YEARS NOW IS THE IDEA OF, UH, EXTENDING THE TIF, ISSUING A TIF BOND AND, UH, COMPLETING SOME OF THESE PROJECTS THAT ARE ON OUR LIST, UH, QUICKER.

UM, MOST NOTABLY IS THE, UH, NEW RIVERSIDE FARM PARK.

UM, BUT THEY'RE ALL OUR PROJECTS WITHIN THE PARKS, UM, PLAN THAT WOULD FIT WITHIN THAT TIF AS WELL.

SO INITIALLY WE HAD TALKED ABOUT A $10 MILLION BOND.

UM, THERE IS CAPACITY TO DO MORE THAN THAT TO INCORPORATE SOME OTHER PROJECTS.

UM, THOSE NUMBERS WILL BE REVIEWED WITH YOU AS PART OF THAT BUDGET PROCESS.

UM, BUT JUST TO GET A SENSE OF YOUR, WHERE YOUR HEADS ARE AT ON THE IDEA OF EXTENDING AND TIFFANY ISSUING IT TO BOND HAS BEEN FAVORABLE IN THE PAST, BUT JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE NOTHING HAS CHANGED THERE.

AND THAT YOU'RE GENERALLY, UH, UH, AGREE WITH THAT APPROACH TO GET SOME OF THESE PROJECTS DONE AND, YOU KNOW, TWO YEARS RATHER THAN SIX YEARS, AND THE GOAL WOULD BE, IT WOULD BE LIKE A TEN-YEAR EXTENSION SO THAT IT WOULD FINISH UP AROUND 2034 GIVE OR TAKE.

SO THAT ABOUT THE TIME THAT WE SEE OUR CONSTRUCTION START HOPE BASED ON OUR GROWTH PROJECTIONS, YOU START SEEING THAT LEVEL AND THE TIFS, THE REVENUES, LIKE WE TALKED ABOUT THIS MORNING, MAYBE THE TIF BOND ENDS, AND THAT'S WHERE IT COMES IN TO THE GENERAL FUND TO START MAINTAINING THAT WE WOULD SEE THAT LOVE, THAT SLOPE START OCCURRING.

THAT WOULD TIME WITH THE EX THE EXPIRATION OF THE TIF DISTRICT IN THIS BOND PAYMENT.

SO WE KIND OF HAVE A PERIOD HERE WHERE WE CAN LOOK AT IT, AND THAT'S WHY WE WANTED TO KIND OF JUST BRIDGE THAT CONFERENCE, START THAT CONVERSATION AND GIVE YOU A HEADS UP AS PART OF THE BIGGER DISCUSSION FOR CAPITAL PROJECTS MOVING FORWARD.

AND JUST TRYING TO GET SOME, AND THE IDEA IS IF WE'RE GOING TO DO IT, YOU KNOW, THIS, THIS YEAR IS TO DO IT AT THE TIME THEY DO IT FOR WAY TOO LONG.

THEN WE GET TO A POSITION WHERE THERE'S GOING TO BE THAT FEW YEAR OVERLAP, WHERE WE'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT REVENUES CAUSE THE, THE DROP-OFF PERMITS WILL OCCUR AND WE WON'T HAVE THAT, UH, TIP, UH, REVENUE EXPIRING.

UH, IT WOULD COME BACK INTO THE GENERAL FUND TO SUPPORT THAT GAP.

SO, UH, IF WE'RE GOING TO DO IT, THIS IS A YEAR TO ACTUALLY DO IT.

UM, THAT'S YOUR FORTE, AS FAR AS FIGURING OUT WHEN, WHEN THE HAUL THEM AND WHEN TO FOLD THEM, WHEN IT COMES TO SHOE THAT AND STUFF, I'M NOT SAYING, JUST DO ALL YOU WANT TO DO, BUT I KNOW THERE ARE CERTAIN OPPORTUNITIES THAT DON'T LAST FOREVER AND, AND ALL THAT.

UM, THE ONLY THING I COULD SAY, NOT TRYING TO SHOOT DOWN THAT IDEA AT ALL THIS, FROM WHAT I'M HEARING TODAY IS EVERYBODY'S OVERWORKED ALREADY.

SO WHAT GOOD IS THE MONEY GOING TO DO US IF WE CAN'T, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, ARE WE, ARE WE, WE TRYING TO GET SOME PROJECTS KNOCKED OUT OF THE WAY, YOU KNOW, SWEPT BEHIND US PRETTY MUCH SO

[04:05:01]

UM, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, THAT'S MY ONLY THING.

IF THERE'S SOME FINANCIAL ADVANTAGE IN IT TO NOT TRUST YOUR OPINION ON THERE IS DEFINITELY, ALWAYS GOING TO BE THAT RISK, GIVEN THE STRUGGLE FOR SOME DAYS.

BUT I WILL SAY FOR THE LARGE PROJECT, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE RIVERSIDE BARN PARK ONE $11 MILLION PROJECT.

AT LEAST AT PROBABLY MORE GIVEN THE COST INCREASES.

UM, I KNOW THERE HAVE BEEN CONTRACTORS THAT HAVE REACHED OUT SPECIFICALLY ASKING, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE'RE GOING TO MOVE FORWARD ON THIS BECAUSE THEY'RE INTERESTED IN DOING IT.

SO THE LARGER PROJECTS LIKE THAT, I THINK THERE IS INTEREST FROM TELL THEM THEY GOT TO DO THE OTHER SEWER PROJECTS BACK.

THAT'S THE WHOLE PERSON, IS THIS THE LEAK, ALL THESE THAT'S FINE.

THAT'S BUSINESS, YOU KNOW, THROW IT OUT THERE.

WE'RE GOING TO BE DOING THIS LUCRATIVE ONE BEFORE NOW.

NO BID ON THE SEWER.

NOPE.

AND WHAT THAT IS IS THE LONGER WE JUST HOLD THESE TO LS LESS.

WE HIT SOMETHING THAT WE DID LIKE IN THE LATE 2009 10, WHERE THE ECONOMY, WE HAVE THAT RESET, LIKE THAT PRICES AREN'T GOING TO GET ANY CHEAPER, THE LONGER WE PUT SOME OF THESE PHASES OFF.

SO AGAIN, IT HOPEFULLY WILL ALLOW US TO GET MORE DONE FOR LESS MONEY THAN IF WE WERE TO DO IT OVER FIVE, SEVEN YEARS.

SO ON THE BUDGET, ONE MORE THING DESK.

WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU SAID WE'RE NOT COMPETITIVE WITH THE REAL WORLD, BASICALLY THE, THE OUTSIDE CONTRACT.

UM, WHEN WE DID, WHEN WE FIGURED OUT A BUDGET FOR THE SEWER PROJECTS, I WAS TWO AND A HALF, THREE YEARS AGO.

PRELIMINARY ENGINEERING COSTS.

I KNOW EVERYTHING IS DOUBLED.

SO I MEAN, YOU PUT THE VALUE OF THE, OF THE WORK ON THERE, ON THE BID WHEN IT GOES OUT TO THESE CONTRACTORS.

I MEAN, WHAT WE HAVE BUDGETED FOR YES, YES.

DO YOU NOT THINK MAYBE THAT HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH NOBODY BIDDING ON IT BECAUSE THE COST OF PIPE AND MATERIALS, FUEL, EVERYTHING IS GONE UP JUST LIKE HAMBURGERS AND CHICKEN LANE, EASY, EASY TO SEE THAT CONSTRUCTION COSTS.

THAT MAY BE THE PROBLEM WITH US NOT GETTING A BID.

AND, AND, AND, AND THAT GOES INTO WHAT KIM SAID, WE'RE, WE'RE GOING OFF OF WHAT'S IN THE BUDGET.

AND SO WE'RE HELD TO THAT.

SO THAT'S WHERE THIS GIVES US SOME FLEXIBILITY TO PLAY WITHIN THAT AND COME BACK TO COUNCIL AND SAY, WE ORIGINALLY ANTICIPATED PHASE ONE THROUGH THREE WAS GOING TO COST 500,000.

THE BIDS ARE COMING AT 700,000, BUT WE CAN GET IT DONE.

NOW, IS THAT A PRIORITY FOR COUNCIL? WELL, LET'S MOVE FORWARD AND GET IT DONE.

INSTEAD OF SAYING WE HAVE $500,000 BUDGET, WE GOT TO WAIT UNTIL NEXT YEAR AND AMEND OUR BUDGET OR ADD MORE MONEY.

THAT'S WHERE WE, THAT'S WHERE WE CAN TAKE THAT.

THAT'S WHERE THIS GIVES US FLEXIBILITY TO WORK WITHIN THAT.

AND HOPEFULLY, YEAH, YOU NEED TO CALL AN EMERGENCY MEETING AND GET US IN THERE BECAUSE WE'RE ALL WELL AWARE OF THE COST.

I MEAN, COST OF EVERYTHING I PLAN TO AT LEAST GIVE IT A SHOT.

RIGHT? YEAH, EXACTLY.

AND I, AND I THINK THE MANAGER DID IT REALLY WELL IS, IS THERE'S GOING TO BE A WORKSHOP ON THIS IT'S, YOU KNOW, AND IT'S, IT'S SMART FOR THE STAFF TO DO THIS IS WHAT DO YOU THINK? IS IT SOMETHING YOU WERE WORTH LOOKING AT BEFORE THEY START SPENDING TIME AND COME BACK? AND WHAT WE'RE HEARING FROM THE COUNCIL IS, HEY, LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT IT.

SO THAT'S WHERE YOU HEARD TODAY.

AND I THINK, I THINK IT'S A GREAT, GREAT APPROACH.

UM, ALL OF US TO SAY THAT I DON'T KNOW THAT WE HEARD FROM EVERYBODY.

IS EVERYBODY OKAY WITH THE GENERAL FAULT, BRINGING THEM TO A WORKSHOP JUST TO LOOK AT IT? JUST SO WHAT'S, WHAT'S, WHAT'S IMPORTANT TO ME IS THAT WE STILL GET, YEAH, THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO DO.

THEY'RE GOING TO, THEY'RE GOING TO BRING IT BACK, BUT IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S A WISE MOVE.

I MEAN, IT, YOU DON'T, YEAH.

HE WANTS TO KNOW FROM A STANDPOINT OF, YOU KNOW, BEFORE THE STAFF STARTS WORKING, THAT YOU AT LEAST WANT TO LOOK AT IT.

I THINK, AND, AND TO GO ALONG WITH WHAT COUNCILMAN HAMILTON SAID, EVERYTHING THAT WE WOULD DO WOULD STILL COME THROUGH COUNCIL, YOU WOULD STILL HAVE THE CHANCE TO REVIEW AND MAKE SURE EVERYTHING'S APPROVED.

WHETHER IT'S ANY AWARD OR ANY CHANGE OR ANY OF THAT, IT WOULD ALWAYS COME BACK TO YOU GUYS FOR THAT EVERY STEP OF THE WAY, EVERY STEP.

I JUST THOUGHT THAT WHEN THE MAYOR PRO TEM WAS A NO TO HOLD AND FOLD, I JUST STARTED HERE A KENNY ROGERS, YOU KNOW, COMING, COMING, COMING BACK TO ME.

I LIKE THE GAMBLER TOO, IN A CASE, UH, BACK TO BUSINESS HERE.

UM, YEAH, MIKE YOU'RE RAMBLING BACK THE BUSINESS.

DOES IT CHRIS LOOK LIKE A PROFESSIONAL CARD PLAYER? OOH, OOH.

TAKE A LITTLE BIT AFTER THAT IS THAT, UM, DON RYAN CENTER AND WE SURVEYED YOU ON DINE ROW, DON RYAN, SARAH TO TWO AREAS THAT WE SURVEYED ON THE FIRST AREA WAS JUST THE PRIORITIES.

LET'S SO, SO GREAT.

WE'RE WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO, UH, COUNSEL IS, UM, DO A SHIFT HERE AND WE'LL HAVE A BREAK AT TWO 30, CAUSE THIS'LL PROBABLY

[04:10:01]

THEY HAVE SPECIFIC PRIORITIES, ENTREPRENEURSHIP, BUSINESS ATTRACTION, REAL ESTATE, INFRASTRUCTURE, WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, MARKET, EDUCATION OUTREACH.

WE SURVEYED YOU ON THOSE TO SAY, ARE, ARE THOSE OKAY? YEAH, PRETTY MUCH THE COUNCIL SAID THOSE PRIORITIES LOOK GOOD.

SO THAT WAS A BIG CHECKOFF.

THAT, THAT, THAT WAS GOOD.

THE SECOND THING WE LOOKED AT, BECAUSE YOU'RE GOING TO BE RECRUITING FOR A NEW, AND THAT'S GOING TO BE A DISCUSSION.

UM, AND IN A FEW MINUTES AFTER DAVID PRESENTS, YOU'RE GOING TO BE LOOKING FOR A NEW DIRECTOR.

SO THE QUESTION BECAME, WHAT SKILLSET DO YOU WANT IN THAT DIRECTOR? COMMUNITY RELATIONS IS REALLY, REALLY IMPORTANT.

THAT WAS RATED VERY HIGHLY.

UM, THIS WAS GREAT.

AGAIN, BACK TO SMALL BUSINESS EXPERIENCE, STARTING A SMALL BUSINESS.

SO YOU WANT SOMEONE, IF, IF, IF THERE'S NO DOUBT IN MY MIND, IT'S KIND OF LIKE, UH, YOU KNOW, YOU READ THE TEA LEAVES, YOUR GUYS HAVE A REAL FOCUS, WHICH IS IMPORTANT.

I WISH MORE SMALL COMMUNITIES MIDSIZE, EVEN LARGER COMMUNITIES FOCUSED ON THE BUSINESS.

THAT'S THERE RIGHT NOW.

THOSE ARE THE PEOPLE THAT ARE DRIVING YOUR ECONOMY.

YOU GOT, AND THIS IS THE CRAZY THING ABOUT OUR ECONOMY.

YOU KNOW, YOU ONLY THING YOU HEAR ABOUT, SORRY, I JUST HAVE A DEVIATION OR AMAZON.

UH, YOU HEAR ABOUT WALMART, WHICH ARE THE LARGEST EMPLOYERS IN THE WORLD, BUT 60% OF ALL OF THE MONEY IN THIS ECONOMY COMES FROM WHERE SMALL BUSINESS.

SO NO NEED TO GOOD.

YOU GUYS ARE.

WOW.

YOU ALREADY KNOW THAT.

THAT'S GREAT.

SO EXPERIENCE WITH BUSINESS.

SO YOU WANT TO EXPERIENCE WITH BUSINESS, YOU WANT BUSINESS FINANCING, UM, SO THAT THEY KNOW THAT AND, AND SOME FUNDRAISING.

SO WE TOOK THAT DOWN AND THAT IS GOING TO BE A DISCUSSION LATER.

I'LL PUT THIS BACK UP.

WHEN YOU START TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, GIVING SOME DISCUSSION REGARDING RECRUITING NEXT DIRECTOR, AT THIS POINT, I'M GOING TO SHIFT IT.

UH, DAVID, IF YOU'RE READY, UH, I'M GOING TO SHIFT IT TO YOU.

IS THERE ANYTHING I HAVE TO DO OR YOU'RE HANDLING IT? OKAY, GREAT.

I JUST, SO DAVID, AND I'LL GIVE YOU THE CLICKER HERE, DAVID, YOU NEED, I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU THIS TOO.

COOL.

MIAMI VICE.

ACTUALLY, I JUST, I SPILLED MUSTARD ON MY LEGS AND I JUST WANTED TO COVER IT UP WITH MY CHECK.

ONE, TWO.

HE GOT ME.

LET'S MAKE SURE THIS WORKS.

THEY'RE JUST ONE QUESTION WERE A NUMBER OF QUESTIONS.

WELL, THANK YOU, MAYOR AND COUNCIL FOR, UH, UH, FOR THE, YOUR ATTENTION TODAY AND LEARNING A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE DON RYAN CENTER.

I WANT TO SAY HELLO TO BURL DAVIS, MY, UH, CHAIR, UH, BRUCE TIMBER, ONE OF MY MENTORS, AND I REALLY CANNOT TELL MAYOR AND COUNCIL HOW MUCH I APPRECIATE THE LEADERSHIP FROM CHRIS AND ALL THE HELP FROM NATALIE ON THE FINANCE SIDE, JUST TREMENDOUS.

AND KRISTEN LAYING BACK THERE, MY OPERATIONS MANAGER, DEBRA EDMONDSON, AND OTHER BOARD MEMBER FOR SHAKE THAT.

SO THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE.

SO WHAT I WANT TO DO IS TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE PAST, THE CURRENT AND THE FUTURE OF THE DON RYAN CENTER AND WHAT I'VE DONE.

I'VE PULLED THIS RIGHT OUT OF THE, THE MISSION AND VISION STATEMENT OF THE, OF THE DON RYAN CENTER.

I'M NOT GOING TO READ IT TO YOU.

I HATE IT.

WHEN PEOPLE READ SLIDES TO ME, I CAN READ.

UM, BUT BASICALLY WE ACCELERATE INNOVATION, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, AND WE WANT A VIBRANT BUSINESS CLIMATE IN THE BLUFFTON AREA.

THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE.

SO HOW DO WE DO THIS? WE DO THIS WITH A NUMBER OF PROGRAM ELEMENTS, ALL BASED OUT OF OUR BEAUTIFUL LOCATION AT THE HUB.

AND I SHOULD SAY, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME SINCE THE DON RYAN CENTER STARTED THAT WE HAVEN'T REALLY BEEN BEHIND A LOT DOOR AND EPICOR OR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT OR A CONSTRUCTION TRAILER, WHICH IS NOT NECESSARILY CONDUCIVE TO PEOPLE, JUST WALK IN AND SEE WHAT YOU'RE DOING.

SO WE'RE SEEING A LOT OF GREAT WALK-IN TRAFFIC FOR BEING UP AT BUCK WALKER, ESPECIALLY NOW THAT THE TCL CULINARY INSTITUTE IS OPEN.

AND THEY'VE GOT THAT LITTLE CAFE THERE.

WE'VE GOT SOME SIGNAGE OUT THERE FOR THE DON RYAN CENTER.

THAT'S GOING TO BE A GREAT PLACE FOR US.

KRISTIN IS CONSTANTLY TALKING TO PEOPLE THAT COME IN AND THEY DON'T ALL JUST WANT TO USE THE BATHROOM.

SOMETIMES THEY WANT TO KNOW WHAT WE'RE DOING.

SO WE DO THREE BASIC THINGS THAT THE DON RYAN CENTER, THE MAIN THING IS THE PROGRAMS. AND WE HAVE THREE PROGRAMS STARTING AT THE BOTTOM.

THE NEW ONE IS RESILIENCY, WHICH WE STARTED DURING COVID WHEN THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON WANTED TO DO THE RESILIENCY PROGRAM TO DEAL WITH COVID AND RESILIENCY IS A FREE PROGRAM.

ANYBODY THAT HAS ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT BUSINESS WAR OF STARTING THE BUSINESS, OR HOW TO CONTROL CON CONTINUING A BUSINESS?

[04:15:01]

THAT'S SOMETHING WE DO.

WHEN WE TALK TO THEM, WE WORK WITH THEM.

WHEN THE MENTORS, WE SOMETIMES HAVE A MENTOR RELATIONSHIP FOR, YOU KNOW, MAYBE IT'S ONE INTERACTION, MAYBE IT'S NUMBER OF INTERACTIONS TO GET THINGS GOING TO GIVE THEM THAT FREE ADVICE THEY NEED.

THIS CAME OUT OF COVID WHEN MAYOR AND COUNCIL SAID, WE NEED TO HELP EVERYBODY, NOT JUST THE COMPANIES THAT ARE IN THE PROGRAMS THAT DON RYAN DOES.

SO THAT'S RESILIENCE.

SO WE'VE HELPED BETWEEN THE COVID.

AND EVEN BEFORE COVID, WHEN WE WERE DOING THIS UNDER NO NAME, WE'VE HELPED OVER 200 COMPANIES AND INDIVIDUALS THAT JUST HAD QUESTIONS.

NOW, STARTUP IS THE NEXT PROGRAM.

THIS IS A PAID PROGRAM.

THIS IS WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING SINCE 2012, WE JUST NEVER BRANDED IT.

IT WAS JUST INCUBATION, BUT THAT STARTUP AND THAT IS GENERALLY A 12 MONTH PROGRAM FOR SMALL BUSINESSES.

FOR PEOPLE THAT ARE THINKING ABOUT STARTING A BUSINESS, OR MAYBE THEY STARTED ONE, BUT THEY'RE TRYING TO GET A LITTLE TRACTION.

THAT'S WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING DAY IN, DAY OUT.

YOU WERE DOING THAT BEFORE I GOT HERE AND WE'RE STILL DOING IT.

SO THAT STARTUP, AND THEN LAST WELL IN 2020, IT'S AMAZING HOW QUICKLY THE YEARS GO.

I WAS GOING TO SAY LAST YEAR IN 2020, WHEN I CAME BACK, WE STARTED THE GROWTH PROGRAM, WHICH IS ANOTHER PAID PROGRAM.

AND THAT IS FOR COMPANIES THAT HAVE GONE BEYOND THE STARTUP PHASE.

THEY'RE MAKING MONEY, BUT NOW THEY'RE GOING, WHAT NEXT? WHERE DO I GO? I'VE GOTTEN TO THIS POINT, HOW DO I GO TO THE NEXT LEVEL? HOW DO I GO FROM $500,000 IN SALES TO A MILLION DOLLARS IN SALES? HOW DO I GO FROM BEING A REGIONAL COMPANY TO A NATIONAL COMPANY? SO THOSE ARE THE PROGRAMS WE DO DAY IN AND DAY OUT.

THE NEXT PILLAR IS MEMBERSHIP.

AND THOSE ARE THE MEMBERS THAT ARE PART OF THE DON RYAN CENTER.

THEY'RE ENGAGED IN WHAT WE'RE DOING AND WANT TO LEARN ABOUT WHO WE ARE AND WHAT WE DO.

THEY WANT TO BE IN THAT BUSINESS ECOSYSTEM THAT IS OUT HERE IN THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON AND BUFORD COUNTY.

AND THE THIRD PORTION IS MENTORSHIP.

AND THESE ARE INDIVIDUALS AS YOU, AS WE ALL KNOW, THERE ARE A LOT OF BRILLIANT, BRILLIANTLY TALENT PEOPLE THAT HAVE MOVED DOWN HERE.

AND AFTER ABOUT THREE WEEKS AGO, TIRED OF PLAYING GOLF, PLAYING TENNIS, I'M TIRED OF FISHING.

WHAT ELSE CAN I DO? I MISS THAT VIBE OF BUSINESS? WELL, THEY CALL ME AND WE ENGAGE THEM ON A MENTOR RELATIONSHIP, JUST LIKE BRUCE AND DEBRA.

SO THOSE ARE THE THINGS WE DO THERE.

THOSE ARE THE CORE THINGS WE DO.

NOW, LET ME TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT SOME OF THE COMPANIES.

AND I KNOW A LOT OF TIMES THERE'S BEEN A FOCUS ON NUMBERS AND NUMBERS ARE IMPORTANT, BUT NUMBERS REFLECT PEOPLE AND I'M BIG ON STORIES.

SO LET ME SHOW, LET ME TAKE A FEW MOMENTS AND TALK ABOUT SOME OF THESE COMPANIES.

LET ME POINT OUT.

THIS IS ABOUT 60% OF THE COMPANIES WE'VE WORKED WITH.

WHEN I CAME HERE IN 2013 AND I HAD A SLIDE LIKE THIS, I HAD TO MAKE THE IMAGES BIGGER, PUT, FILL OUT THE SCREEN.

NOW I HAVE TO LEAVE MOST OF THEM OFF AND I HAVE TO SHRINK THEM.

BUT LET ME TALK ABOUT JUST A COUPLE OF THEM.

CUTS, LET YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT WE'RE DOING.

LET'S TAKE, UM, THE WOODEN LOFT TOP RIGHT CORNER.

THIS IS A HEROES COMPANY.

HEROES IS OUR INITIATIVE TO WORK WITH FIRST RESPONDERS AND MILITARY MEGAN'S ALA AS A 24 YEAR OLD RETIRED MARINE LOVED THE LOW COUNTRY.

AFTER BEING AT PARRIS ISLAND, SHE IS A QUALIFIED MARKSMAN, SHARPSHOOTER INSTRUCTOR, WHATEVER THE TERM IS WANTING TO GET OUT OF THE MARINES AND START HER OWN BUSINESS.

WANTED TO STAY IN THIS AREA.

SHE KNOWS EVERYTHING ABOUT BEING A MARINE.

SHE COULD TAKE ME OUT AT 300 YARDS, BUT SHE HAD NO IDEA HOW TO RUN A BUSINESS.

SO SHE CAME TO US AND GOES, I'M TRYING TO DO THIS.

HOW DO I START A BUSINESS? HOW DO I START THIS LITTLE SIGN SHOP? I'VE GOT A PLACE IN OLD TOWN, BLUFFTON ON CHURCH STREET.

HOW DO I DO THIS? HOW DO I HIRE PEOPLE? SO WE'VE HELPED HER.

SHE'S FEATURED IN THIS MONTH'S ISSUE OF LOCAL BASE MAGAZINE IS THE MAIN STORY, A FLEA BOW ON THE GO.

ANOTHER OLD TOWN COMPANY, COLUMBIA NEWKIRK HAS THIS COMPANY THAT JUST FLEE BOW STANDS FOR A PHLEBOTOMY WHERE YOU BASICALLY DRAW BLOOD AND DO TESTS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

AND SHE GOES AROUND AND SHE HAS CONTRACTORS AND EMPLOYEES THAT GO AROUND THE STATE TO LEARN HOW TO DRAW BLOOD, TO DO THESE TESTS, WHETHER IT'S COVID OR WHATEVER YOU NEED.

AND SHE GOES, I'M GROWING SO FAST.

I CAN'T KEEP UP WITH IT, BUT I DON'T.

I'M TOO BUSY WORKING MY BUSINESS TO GROW MY BUSINESS.

HOW DO I FIGURE THAT OUT? AND WE'VE HELPED HER WITH THAT AS WELL.

OLD TOWN, BLUFFTON AT ANOTHER OLD TOWN.

WHEN THERE A UNDERGROUND BURRITO, IF YOU'VE BEEN DOWN IN THE OLD TOWN WHERE PEPPER SPORTS USED TO BE, RIGHT NEXT DOOR TO THAT, UH, THEY'RE ABOUT TO, THEY'RE SUBMITTING TO BE IN THE STARTUP PROGRAM.

ALL TYPES OF COMPANIES, THEY DO ALL TYPES OF THINGS, CROSS FLIGHT SKY.

SO SOLUTION OTHER OLD TOWN AND THE PROMINENT UTILITY COSTS.

THIS IS JERRY GESTURES.

FOURTH COMPANY.

YOU REMEMBER JERRY GESTURE

[04:20:01]

FROM GESTURE COM MONRONEY LABELS.COM.

HOW MANY PEOPLE KNOW WHAT A MONRONEY LABEL IS? NOBODY.

EVERYBODY KNOWS WHAT A WINDOW STICKER IS ON THEIR CAR.

MONRONEY LABELS.

THAT'S THE OFFICIAL NAME IS THE MONRONEY LABEL FOR SENATOR MONRONEY, WHO IN THE FIFTIES SAID, HEY, I THINK WE SHOULD HAVE A OFFICIAL DOCUMENT THAT SAYS, THIS IS WHAT'S ON A CAR AND HOW MUCH IT COSTS.

MONRONEY LABELS WAS THE CLASSIC EXAMPLE OF A COMPANY THAT WAS LOSING $10,000 A MONTH.

BACK IN 2013, CAME TO THE DON RYAN CENTER AND SAYS, WE THINK WE'VE GOT SOMETHING HERE.

WE WANT TO TAKE AN AUTOMOTIVE VIN NUMBER, THIS 17 DIGIT NUMBER ON A CAR, AND BE ABLE TO TELL FROM THAT EVERYTHING THAT'S IN THAT CAR AND SELL THAT DATA THAT GOES RIGHT BACK TO THE, ONE OF THE THINGS WE WANTED TO DO AS THE DON RYAN CENTER WITH BACK OFFICE.

IT INFRASTRUCTURE WE'RE RIGHT NOW MONRONEY LABELS IS VERY CASHFLOW POSITIVE.

THEY'RE IN THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON AND ALL THE WINDOWS STICKERS THAT CARVANA CAR GURUS, PROGRESSIVE INSURANCE, ALL THOSE WINDOWS STICKERS ON THOSE CARS ARE RUN BY THIS LITTLE BLUFFTON COMPANY AND AMAZING GROUP OF COMPANIES WE WORK WITH.

AND JUST BECAUSE EVERYBODY ALWAYS WONDERS FREEDOM, TOILET SEAT.

EVERYBODY ALWAYS WANTS THAT ONE.

WELL, HERE'S THE EXAMPLE.

NOT EVERY BUSINESS WORKS.

A BUSINESS INCUBATOR DOES NOT GUARANTEE YOU'RE GOING TO SUCCEED.

IT'S GOING TO GUARANTEE YOU SUCCEED OR FAIL FASTER.

THAT ALL WORK.

MOST OF THESE, THAT WORK, BUT FREEDOM, TOILET SEAT DIDN'T WORK.

IT WASN'T AN IDEA OF A GENTLEMAN THAT HAD A WIFE THAT HAD A HARD TIME.

WALKING HAD A HARD TIME SITTING ON THE TOILET.

SO WE HAD THIS LITTLE DEVICE THAT YOU WOULD KIND OF PROP UP THE SEAT AND SHE COULD KIND OF, I'M GOING TO SOMEWHAT DEMONSTRATE SOMEWHAT.

I'LL SHOW YOU A LITTLE BIT.

I'LL GIVE YOU THE PROFILE VIEW.

SO YOU BACK UP TO THE SEAT.

THIS IS NOT A FULL DEMONSTRATION.

NO PAPER NEEDED.

LARRY.

UM, SO YOU BACK UP THE SEATS KIND OF RAISE AND JUST SIT DOWN AND IT LOWERS YOU DOWN.

SO YOU CAN LOWER DOWN.

YOU DON'T HAVE TO PUT ALL THIS PRESS OF STRESS ON YOUR KNEES.

AND THEN WHEN YOU'RE READY TO GET UP, YOU PRESS A LITTLE BUTTON AND IT SLOWLY, SLOWLY RAISES YOU UP.

SO YOU CAN WALK AWAY A GREAT IDEA.

AND I DID THIS NECESSARY AND I DID MY FATHER WHO HAS PARKINSON'S COULD USE GREAT IDEA, BUT IT DIDN'T WORK BECAUSE EVERYBODY THAT WANTED, IT SAID, WELL, MEDICARE PAYS FOR THIS, RIGHT? WELL, NO.

AND TO GO THROUGH THAT WHOLE PROCESS, THE ENTREPRENEURS WHO LIVE IN SUN CITY, HE SAID, WAIT, WE JUST CAN'T DO IT.

WE CAN'T AFFORD THE TIME TO DO THAT.

SO, BUT EVERYBODY ALWAYS WONDERS ABOUT THE FREEDOM TOILET SEATS.

SO THAT'S WHAT THAT IS.

BUT A LOT OF COMPANIES WE'VE WORKED WITH, SO THERE ARE STORIES BEHIND ALL OF THESE COMPANIES, BUT THERE ARE ALSO NUMBERS.

AND SO EVERY YEAR WE CONTACT THE COMPANIES THAT ARE IN THE DON RYAN CENTER, OR HAVE GRADUATED FROM THE DON RYAN CENTER.

AND WE ASKED THEM QUESTIONS LIKE, WHAT WERE YOUR SALES LAST YEAR? WHAT WERE YOUR PAYROLL NUMBERS? HOW MANY JOBS HAVE BEEN CREATED? NOW, THIS DATA IS ABOUT 18 MONTHS OLD, BUT YOU CAN SEE SOME OF THE NUMBERS, 50 COMPANIES IN THE INCUBATION PROGRAM.

THIS NUMBER IS THE RESILIENCY NUMBER.

IT'S REALLY OVER 200 NOW, BUT YOU ASK THEM 39.9 MILLION IN ANNUAL SALES FROM THESE COMPANIES WE WORK WITH.

THESE ARE ALL SMALL BUSINESSES AND AT LEAST 60% OF THEM ARE IN BLUFFTON FIRST-CLASS INNOVATION CENTER AT THE HUB, MULTIPLE BUSINESS PROGRAMS, AND A LOT OF PARTNERSHIPS THAT WE'RE GOING TO WANT TO CONTINUE TO GROW.

SO I CAN GIVE YOU NUMBERS.

I CAN GIVE YOU STORIES BECAUSE THEY ALL RELATE.

AND IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE UNDERSTAND ALL THAT TOGETHER.

SO NOW I WANT TO GO BACK A LITTLE BIT AND LOOK AT THE STRATEGIC PLAN OBJECTIVES FROM 2018 TO 2023.

AND IF YOU LOOKED AT THE STRATEGIC PLAN, EXCUSE ME, HEATHER, I PULLED THIS RIGHT OUT OF ONE OF THE TOP PAGES.

AND YOU SEEN THESE FIVE CORE PILLARS FOR ENTREPRENEURS AND MARKETING BRE REAL ESTATE WORKFORCE.

THAT WAS WHAT WE DECIDED IN 2018 THAT THE DON RYAN CENTER SHOULD BE DOING.

BUT IT'S ALSO LOOKED BACK AT THE CONTEXT.

THAT PLAN WAS BASED ON CURRENT ASSUMPTIONS.

IF YOU REMEMBER, AND A LOT OF YOU WERE HERE AND I HAD JUST ANNOUNCED MY RESIGNATION IN NOVEMBER AND I LEFT RIGHT BEFORE STRATEGIC PLANNING.

SO I MOUNTED MY RESIGNATION AND LEFT ABOUT SIX MONTHS IN ADVANCE.

AND I GOT HIRED AWAY BY ONE OF OUR GRADUATES.

BUT THAT PLAN WAS BASED ON ASSUMPTIONS WITH THE CURRENT STAFF WE HAD, I WAS LEAVING TRENT WILLIAMSON, WHO WE HIRED FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT WAS GOING TO FOCUS ON THAT JOHN O'TOOLE AND THE BUFORD COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION HAD, HAD NOT COME ON THE SCENE YET.

WE WERE KIND OF, AS THE MAYOR SAYS, WE WERE DATING HIM, BUT WE HADN'T

[04:25:01]

GOTTEN MARRIED YET.

A NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED CHAPTER.

HILTON HEAD ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION HAD JUST FOLDED.

SO WE THOUGHT IT'S BLUFFTON, WELL, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO DO IT.

WE MERGED THE BDC, BOTH THE NEC EMOC BLUFFTON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION AND THE DRC TOGETHER.

WE HIRED TRENT.

AND SO THAT PLAN WAS BASED ON THAT SKILLSET.

IT WAS BASED ON WE'RE GOING TO DO IT ALL OURSELVES.

AND THEN STAFF CHANGED AND EVERYTHING HAPPENED AND TRENT LEFT.

AND THEN YOU BROUGHT IN MIKE, AND THEN YOU BROUGHT OUT BEFORE TRENT, YOU BROUGHT IN CHARLES, I BELIEVE IT WAS.

AND THEN YOU BROUGHT IN MIKE.

AND THEN I CAME IN IN FEBRUARY OF 2020, AND WE WERE ABOUT TO OPEN THE HUB IN MARCH OF 2020, FINALLY, AFTER ALL THESE YEARS, AFTER BEING IN A CONSTRUCTION TRAILER, HEY, WE'RE GOING TO OPEN AN APRIL, 2020.

WHAT HAPPENS IN MARCH COVID.

SO W WE'RE STILL BEHIND A LOCKED DOOR, BUT I DON'T WANT TO GET OFF ON THAT TANGENT, BUT THERE ARE A LOT OF THINGS THAT HAVE HAPPENED BETWEEN 2018 AND 2022.

SO YOU GOT TO KEEP THAT IN MIND WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE CORE PILLAR.

SO WHAT I'VE DONE NOW IS THAT TAKING THOSE CORE PILLARS DOWN THE LEFT, AND HERE'S HOW WE'VE WORKED ON.

HERE'S HOW WE'VE DONE, SORT OF ENTREPRENEUR-ISM, WE'VE DONE MOST OF THESE GOALS.

WE'VE ACCOMPLISHED MOST OF THESE GOALS.

SO THEY'RE ONGOING MARKETING OUTREACH AND EDUCATION.

MOST OF THOSE GOALS AND THAT ACTION ITEM AGENDA HAVE BEEN COMPLETED OR ARE ONGOING THESE THREE DOWN BELOW B R E REAL ESTATE WORKFORCE.

WE NEVER REALLY DID THEM.

I'LL BE HONEST.

WE HAVEN'T REALLY DONE THEM WELL BECAUSE THE STAFF CHANGED.

THERE ARE OTHER PEOPLE DOING IT BETTER THAN WE COULD DO THAT WE COULD PARTNER WITH.

SO THAT'S HOW WE'VE DONE ON THOSE FIVE CORE PILLARS.

AND I'M HAPPY TO TALK WITH ANY OF YOU AFTERWARDS, AND WE CAN GO THROUGH THEM IN MORE DETAIL IF YOU WANT, BUT JUST TO GIVE YOU AN OVERVIEW, WE'VE DONE A REALLY WELL WITH ENTREPRENEUR-ISM A MARKETING OUTREACH, BUT NOT THE OTHER ONES, BUT WHAT HAVE WE DONE INSTEAD? OR LAST YEAR, OVER THE LAST 12 MONTHS, WE HAD 14 COMPANIES IN OUR PROGRAM AT ONE TIME.

WE'D NEVER HAD MORE THAN NINE.

AND THAT WAS BACK IN 2014, WE WON TWO GRANTS.

WE STARTED THE MENTOR PROGRAM.

WE HAVE 63 MENTORS.

WE HAVE MORE MENTORS THAN SCORE HAS DOWN ON THE ISLAND.

WE STARTED THIS THING CALLED THE FAB SHORT FOR FABRICATION, A LITTLE ROOM BACK AT THE DON RYAN CENTER, WHERE WE HAVE 3D PRINTERS AND OTHER MAKER MACHINES, WHERE COMPANIES CAN MAKE FAST PROTOTYPES TO SEE WHAT WORKS AND WHAT DOESN'T.

WE STARTED THE HEROES PROGRAM WITH ONE OF OUR GRANTS.

WE'RE TALKING TO THOSE 22001ST RESPONDERS AND RETIRING MILITARY THAT ARE IN BUFORD COUNTY.

WE'VE GONE FROM LESS THAN A HUNDRED MEMBERS TO MORE THAN A THOUSAND.

WE DID A PARTNERSHIP WITH HARDY VILLAGE TO BRING WHAT WE'VE LEARNED TO HARTSVILLE.

WE HAD A BRAND NEW WEBSITE.

WE STARTED THE DOWN THE RESILIENCY PROGRAM, AND WE DID VARIOUS THINGS BASED ON WHAT THE TOWN NEEDED BASED ON COVID LOOKING AT DOING MICRO LOANS AND OTHER THINGS LIKE THAT.

SO WE'VE DONE A LOT OF STUFF THAT WASN'T TECHNICALLY SOMEWHERE BURIED, MAYBE IN ONE OF OUR GOALS, BUT IT WASN'T SPECIFICALLY THERE BECAUSE THE PLAN WAS DONE AT A DIFFERENT TIME.

SO WE'VE MET OR EXCEEDED OUR ENTREPRENEURS AND GOALS, OUR MARKETING EDUCATION GOALS, AND SOME OF THE ALIGNMENT, ALIGNMENT, ALIGNMENT, AND PARTNERSHIP.

BUT WE REALLY NEVER DID MUCH ON THE BRE AND THE REAL ESTATE GOALS INFRASTRUCTURE.

SO MY QUESTION IS, WELL, SHOULD THOSE STILL BE THE FIVE THINGS WE DO? I MEAN, AS DON RYAN CENTER, AS STAFF, AS KRISTEN AND ME AND ZACH, SHOULD THOSE BE THE THINGS WE DO? OR SHOULD WE, I'M SORRY, I'M LOOKING AT MY BACK TO YOU ALL THE TIME, BUT, UM, OR SHOULD WE FOCUS ON THE THINGS WE'RE GOOD AT AND PARTNER WITH PEOPLE THAT ARE GOOD AT OTHER THINGS? I THINK THAT'S WHAT WE SHOULD DO.

SO I THINK WE CAN ENHANCE OUR PHYSICAL AND OUR VIRTUAL OFFERINGS TO BRING IN ADDITIONAL REVENUE.

WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? WELL, WE HAVE A BEAUTIFUL SPACE AT THE DON RYAN CENTER THAT IS OPEN FOR THE MOST PART.

WE HAVEN'T REALLY OPENED IT UP TO THE PUBLIC YET, BUT WE'RE VERY CLOSE TO DOING THAT.

IT'S OPEN FOR STAFF.

IT'S OPEN FOR PROGRAM COMPANIES, BUT WE CAN USE THAT AS A, SOME COWORKING.

WE CAN USE THAT AS LEASED OFFICE SPACE, POOR CERTAIN PARTNERSHIPS, AND NOT LIKE EVERY DAY IS TONY, PAULA FROM EL COG GOING TO BE THERE, BUT EVERY THREE WEEKS OR EVERY WHATEVER TIME HE'S GOING TO BE THERE.

AND HE MAY, THEY COULD PAY FOR THAT PRIVILEGE TO BE THERE.

UM, WE CAN CREATE THESE NEW PARTNERSHIPS AND GROW THE EXISTING ONES AND REALLY BECOME A HUB.

THERE'S A REASON WE NAMED IT, THE HUB.

WE WANT IT TO BE THE HUB OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN THE LOW COUNTRY.

AND WE CAN BE MORE THAN INCUBATION AND GROWTH.

[04:30:01]

I REALLY WANT TO BECOME AN INCUBATOR OF ALMOST A BUSINESS STRIP MALL OF ALL THE SERVICES YOU NEED.

SO SOMEONE MAY SAY, I NEED SOME BUSINESS ADVICE, WHERE SHOULD I GO? AND THE PERSON MAY GO, I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT YOU NEED, BUT GO DOWN TO THAT PLACE.

THE DON RYAN CENTER BY THE PARK, AND THEY CAN GET YOU FIGURED OUT WHETHER IT'S WITH US DIRECTLY OR WITH ONE OF OUR PARTNERSHIPS AND SOME OF THESE PARTNERSHIPS KIND OF DIS YOU KNOW, BRING IN ADDITIONAL REVENUE.

SO WHAT WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO HERE NOW IS TURNING REALLY WHAT IS AN INCUBATION PROGRAM INTO THE INNOVATION CENTER, BUT WE DON'T HAVE TO DO ALL OF IT.

WE DON'T HAVE TO PAY FOR ALL OF IT.

SO WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? WELL, ENTREPRENEUR-ISM WHAT THE ARPA FUNDS THAT WE THINK WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO HAVE ACCESS TO.

WE COULD HIRE ANOTHER PERSON TO DO THE INNOVATION ADDITION TO ME.

WE COULD RUN 20 TO 24 COMPANIES CONCURRENTLY THROUGH THE PROGRAMS. I MEAN, THINK ABOUT THAT.

WE'RE GOOD AT ENTREPRENEURISM.

THOSE OF YOU THAT HAVE BEEN HERE SINCE 2012, DO 20 TO 24 COMPANIES AT THE SAME TIME, THAT'S A REVENUE STREAM.

WE CAN DEVELOP A LEARNING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM.

NOW THAT EVERYBODY'S USED TO ZOOM AND DOING THINGS REMOTELY, WE CAN DO VIRTUAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND SELL THOSE COURSES AND SELL THAT TO PEOPLE THAT ARE IN BLUFFTON, IN BUFORD COUNTY AND HAMPTON COUNTY IN THE REGION OR BEYOND, WE CAN CONTINUE TO GROW THE FAB AND THE USAGE, THE USAGE WE HAVE THERE.

WE CAN EVEN USE THOSE MACHINES AS A SERVICE BUREAU AND LET PEOPLE RENT TIME ON THOSE MACHINES.

ON THE ENTREPRENEURISM SIDE.

NOW PARTNERSHIPS, WE CAN PARTNER WITH MORE ORGANIZATIONS MORE THAN JUST JOHN, MORE THAN JUST TONY.

WE'VE ALREADY TALKED TO SOUTH CAROLINA SBA UP IN COLUMBIA ABOUT DOING, UH, MORE WORKING MORE WITH VETERANS.

THEY NEED, THEY NEED A PHYSICAL FOOTPRINT, SOMEWHERE IN THE STATE TO WORK WITH VETERANS ORGANIZATIONS.

AND THEY'RE LIKE US.

THERE'S A NEW ORGANIZATION CALLED E FOR ALL ENTREPRENEURSHIP FOR ALL THIS OUT OF THE NORTHEAST THAT WANTS TO COME DOWN HERE IN SOMEWHERE IN THE LOW COUNTRY REGION.

AND THEY'RE ALL ABOUT INCLUSIVE ENTREPRENEURSHIP.

PEOPLE THAT HAVE NOT BEEN AFFORDED THE ABILITY TO DO ENTREPRENEURSHIP, AND THEY DON'T WANT A PHYSICAL FOOTPRINT.

THEY CAN'T AFFORD TO DO THAT, BUT THEY WOULD LIKE TO PARTNER WITH US, POSSIBLY RENT SOME SPACE AND USE OUR FOOTPRINT FOR WHEN THEY'RE MEETING WITH THEIR ORGANIZATIONS.

I KNOW COUNCIL ONE FRAZIER IS WORKING WITH SOME ENTREPRENEURISM OPPORTUNITIES.

WE WOULD LOVE TO BE INVOLVED WITH THAT.

ANYTHING I DON'T CARE WHO YOU ARE, WHERE YOU'RE FROM, WHAT YOU'RE DOING, AS LONG AS YOU HAVE A NEAT IDEA THAT CAN GROW, THAT CAN HELP BLUFF AND BELOW COUNTRY, WE CAN PUT ALL OF OUR RESOURCES TO BEAR, WHETHER IT'S MENTORS, PHYSICAL FOOTPRINT, WHATEVER.

SO I SEE PARTNERSHIPS AS THE SMART WAY TO GROW.

WE ARE NOT GOOD AT WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT.

WE ARE NOT GOOD AT BRE, BUT WE HAVE PARTNERS THAT CAN DO THAT FOR US.

AND IF YOU PUT ALL THIS TOGETHER, YOU REALLY GET THE HUB OF INNOVATION, WHETHER IT'S PARTNERS OR THE FAB OR MEMBERS OR PROGRAMS OR HEROES, EVERYTHING COMES OUT OF THAT WONDERFUL OFFICE BUILDING THAT YOU LET US BUILD ARE BUILT FOR US, THAT WE FINALLY OPENED AFTER THREE YEARS OF THINKING, IT'S GOING TO OPEN ANY TIME NOW.

AND WE HAVE THIS GREAT RESOURCE THAT WE REALLY NEED TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF, AND THAT'S THE DIRECTION I THINK WE NEED TO GO.

THAT'S THE DIRECTION THE BOARD THINKS WE NEED TO GO.

AND WE JUST WANTED TO PUT THAT UP THERE AND PUT IT UP FOR DISCUSSION AS FAR AS SHOULD WE SOMEWHAT REFOCUSED WHO WE ARE AND HOW WE DO WHAT WE DO.

THAT'S MONEY THAT COULD GO TOWARD OTHER MARY, LET ME BE CLEAR.

WITH THAT QUESTIONS, NO QUESTIONS.

I DID HAVE A COMMENT WITH YOUR QUESTION ON, SHOULD YOUR PILLARS BE MODIFIED? I THINK BASED ON EVERYONE'S FEEDBACK AND JUST LISTENING TO WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, THE FOCUS ON THE REAL ESTATE AND INFRASTRUCTURE, I DON'T NECESSARILY SEE THAT THAT'S, UM, A PRIORITY, BUT I, I DEFINITELY SEE THE OTHER THING THAT YOU ALL ARE DOING AND THINK LIKE, UH, CONTINUING TO EMPHASIS, ESPECIALLY ON A SMALL BUSINESSES WHO ARE HERE THAT COULD BENEFIT FROM THE SUPPORT.

LIKE I KNOW SEVERAL OF THE ONES THAT YOU MENTIONED, UM, ARE EXAMPLES OF, OF WHY CONTINUING AND EVEN EXPANDING THAT APPROACH TO, UM, BE MORE VISIBLE TO THEM AND LETTING THEM KNOW LIKE WHAT'S BEING OFFERED, UM, WOULD BE GREAT BECAUSE THEY ARE AT THE CORE OF THE REVENUE THAT WE RECEIVE.

UM, I AGREE.

LET'S LET DON RYAN DO SMALL AND LOCAL REGIONAL LOCAL BUSINESS, AND LET'S LET JOHN DO THE BIG THINGS WE CAN BE INVOLVED.

AS YOU SAW FROM JOHN SLIDE, WE WERE INVOLVED IN, WE GAVE HIM 14 LEADS AND SIX OF THEM TURNED INTO SOMETHING.

SO WE WORK REALLY WELL TOGETHER.

WE'RE NOT AN ISLAND, BUT WE ARE A HUB OF ALL THESE ACTIVITIES, BUT DO WE NEED A DIRECTOR THAT IF WE LOOSEN UP AND GET RID OF SOME OF OUR FILLERS

[04:35:01]

YOU'RE ASKING ME THE INTERIM DIRECTOR, IF WE NEED A DIFFERENT DIRECTOR, OKAY.

YOU, WE BASICALLY PAY MONEY TO THE EDC FOR JOHN TO DO THAT.

SO YOU'RE KIND OF SPLITTING, I GUESS, MY SISTER, NOT YOU.

SO WE'RE SPLITTING, UM, YOU KNOW, RESOURCES AND TO DO WHAT, WHAT DOES THE DIRECTOR DO FOR US IF WE REMOVE AND KIND OF SHUFFLE THINGS AROUND.

SO WE HAVEN'T DONE THOSE OTHER THINGS BEFORE WITH THE DIRECTOR.

AND THAT'S BEEN BECAUSE WE, THEY REALLY HAVEN'T HAD THE SKILLSET OR THE TIME TO DO THAT BECAUSE THE DIRECTOR IS FOCUSED ON LOOKING LONG-TERM AND FIGURING OUT EXACTLY WHERE DRC NEEDS TO GO, WHAT PROGRAMS WE NEED TO HAVE IN PLACE, WHAT PARTNERSHIPS NEED TO BE THERE, WHERE W HOW IT'S KINDA BEEN SET UP IN THE PAST IS DAVID.

AND I'M SORRY, I'M FORGETTING THE GENTLEMAN'S NAME OVER HERO'S PROGRAM.

ZACK ZACK HAS FOCUSED ON THE INDIVIDUAL BUSINESSES DAY TO DAY, AND WORKING WITH ALL OF THE PEOPLE WHO ARE PART OF THE PROGRAM, THE DIRECTOR IS REALLY TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THOSE PARTNERSHIPS IN THE FUTURE LOOK LIKE AND HOW THEY CAN EXPAND AND GROW AND SERVE THAT ROLE.

UM, YOU WANT TO PIGGYBACK ON THAT SINCE I KNOW YOU'VE GOT SOME IDEAS.

IT WAS JUST THAT, THAT, UM, THE DIRECTION ON, ON THE ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE OF DRC AND RECRUITMENT FOR A NEW LEADER REALLY DEPENDS ON THE DIRECTION THAT COUNCIL AND THE RCI BOARD DECIDES FOR THOSE NATIONS THAT WILL DRIVE WHAT SKILLSETS ARE NEEDED.

UM, OBVIOUSLY FINDING SOMEONE THAT IS AN EXPERT IN ALL FIVE OF THOSE SKILLSETS IS GOING TO BE NEXT TO IMPOSSIBLE.

BUT IF YOU SAY THE PRIORITY IS, UM, YOU KNOW, IF THE PRIORITY IS YOU WANT DON RYAN SENATOR TO FOCUS ON GOING AFTER BIG BUSINESSES AROUND THE COUNTRY, AND YOU NEED TO FIND A SKILLSET THAT IS AN EXPERT IN THAT, IN WHAT WE'RE SAYING IS WE HAVE A PARTNERSHIP THAT HANDLES THAT FOR US, AND WE'RE VERY CLOSE WITH THEM.

UM, WITH THE RECOMMENDATION, I BELIEVE THAT DAVID'S PUTTING OUT THERE.

AND THAT I AGREE WITH IS THAT WE FOCUSED ON THE THINGS THAT WE DO REALLY WELL, WHICH IS ENTREPRENEURIAL-ISM AND SUPPORTING THE SMALL BUSINESSES AND ENTREPRENEURS WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY.

UM, AND THEN OBVIOUSLY THAT WILL DRIVE HOW WE STRUCTURED THE RCI.

AND MAYBE WE DON'T NEED TO HIRE, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, SUPERSTAR, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR.

IT'S NOT QUESTIONED.

SO THE OTHER THING, AND I'LL JUST SPEAK FROM A COUNCIL PERSPECTIVE, DAVID AND I KIND OF WENT BACK AND TALKED TO BRIDGET.

SO WE'RE IMPLEMENTING EVERY MONTH UNDER BEAR, HELPFUL.

EACH OF US WERE ON A COMMITTEE TO PROVIDE FEEDBACK FROM THAT COMMITTEE.

I THINK WE'RE MISSING ALL OF IT.

WE'RE MISSING LOW.

WHAT WE'RE GETTING LOW CALL.

CAUSE DAN WAS THE ONLY ONE THAT REALLY CHIMED IN AFFORDABLE HOUSING.

I DON'T GO TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING.

I COUNT ON FRED TO DO IT.

LARRY'S ARE RIGHT NOW, OUR DON RYAN CENTER.

HE NEEDS IT PERMISSION TO BRING THE COUNCIL TO GIVE US MORE MEAT, NOT JUST FACTS.

MA'AM, YOU KNOW, NOT JUST WHAT'S ON YOUR CONSENT AGENDA.

SO I'M JUST THROWING IT OUT THERE.

YOU SEE NONE, NO ONE COMES THAT'S HERE CAUSE THEY KNOW I'M THERE IN THE LYRICS IN THERE.

SO HOW CAN YOU HELP LARRY AT THAT POINT IN COUNCIL, GIVE A 32ND UPDATE ON SOMETHING EACH MONTH WE HAD DONE A BAD JOB OF TELLING YOU WHAT WE DO.

AND SOMETIMES WE JUST HAVE NO REASON TO, WE DON'T WANT, ONCE A YEAR, WE HAVE, UM, HEYWARD HOUSE HAS COME IN ONCE A YEAR.

I MEAN, WE NEED TO HEAR FROM HIM MORE, EVERYTHING, EVERYTHING CHANGES, I GUESS, LARRY AND I CAN TALK OFFLINE THE BEST WAY TO GET INFORMATION TO HIM AND HE CAN FIGURE OUT WHAT THE DISSEMINATE THE BEST WAY TO DO THAT.

YOUR BATTERY, I'M GOING TO PUT THIS OVER HERE SO YOU CAN PUSH IT.

BUT I, YOU KNOW, I WOULD LOVE TO COME IN AND TALK TO COUNTS.

I MEAN, I, THAT SLIDE THAT HAD ALL THOSE, I CAN TELL YOU A STORY ABOUT EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THOSE COMPANIES.

AND WHEN I GO OUT AND TALK, PEOPLE LOVE THOSE STORIES BECAUSE IT'S LIKE, OH, THERE'S PEOPLE LIKE ME CAN DO THAT.

AND THAT IS FANTASTIC.

I WOULD LIKE TO DO THAT.

YOU KNOW, I KNOW SOMEONE ELSE THAT COULD DO THAT.

SO, BUT JUST GETTING THE MESSAGE ACROSS TO COUNCIL, LET YOU KNOW WHAT WE'RE REALLY DOING.

YOU WERE AT ONE OF THE WORKING SESSIONS WE HAVE WITH THE COMPANY WHERE WE FILLED UP THAT HUGE WHITEBOARD WE HAVE.

AND IT'S SO EXCITING.

IT'S SO INTERESTING.

I WOULD LOVE COUNCIL TO COME AND JUST, I KNOW YOU'RE ALL BUSY AND THIS IS YOUR SIDE HUSTLE, NOT YOUR MAIN THING, BUT I WOULD LOVE FOR YOU TO COME IN AND WATCH ONE OF THE WORK SESSIONS WE DO AND ROLL IT.

OH, I THINK EVEN AFTER YOU KNOW US ALREADY, YOU GO, OH, THAT'S WHAT THEY DO.

THAT'S IMPRESSIVE.

I'VE NEVER BEEN THE ONE.

THOSE ARE MY FAULTS.

MR. HAMILTON, YOU GO BACK TO THE PREVIOUS SLIDE, THE PREVIOUS SLIDE THERE.

I DID IT.

UM, DO YOU HAVE ANY PROJECTION OF WHAT THOSE REVENUE WOULD LOOK LIKE IN THE FIRST YEAR? I DON'T YET.

YOU HAVE THE FIRST TWO BULLETS AS REVENUE SCREENS.

[04:40:02]

I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY IF YOU LOOKED AT, IF WE COULD DOUBLE OUR, UM, NUMBER OF COMPANIES THAT WOULD, YOU KNOW, THAT WOULD DOUBLE THAT REVENUE.

I HAVE NOT SERVED.

I'VE NOT DONE THAT YET.

THESE ARE JUST POTENTIAL WAYS TO EARN ADDITIONAL MONEY.

THE LMS, THE LEARNING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM, WE ARE LOOKING AT THOSE RIGHT NOW IS THAT WE HAVE TO PURCHASE FROM SOFTWARE TO MAKE THAT WORK AND WE HAVE TO MARKET IT AND WE'D HAVE TO FIGURE THAT OUT.

SO THIS, THIS IS JUST VERY EARLY IN THE EYE DEGENERATION, STATEVILLE.

WE'VE NEVER BECAUSE WE'VE NEVER THOUGHT ABOUT HOW COULD WE MAKE MONEY AT THE DON RYAN CENTER OTHER THAN OFFERING PROGRAMMING.

SO NOW WE'RE JUST GOING, WELL, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN DO IT THIS WAY, THIS WAY, THIS WAY, THIS WAY, AT LEAST.

BUT UNTIL WE GET DIRECTION FROM COUNCIL IS WE'D LIKE YOU TO FOCUS ON THESE THINGS.

WE HAVEN'T PUT MUCH EFFORT IN IT YET, BUT WE CAN.

UM, I WAS ALWAYS UNDER THE PERSON THAT THAT'S THE DIRECTION WE WERE GOING TO THE DON RYAN CENTER WHERE EVENTUALLY ALL DAY, UM, BE SELF-SUSTAINING.

SO, I MEAN, IS THAT NOT THE GOAL? WELL, THE GOAL IS WHATEVER COUNCIL TELLS US THE GOAL IS SIR, BUT, AND I KNOW THAT IS A STICKING POINT FOR YOU CAUSE WE'VE, WE'VE KNOWN EACH OTHER FOR YEARS AND I KNOW THAT IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S IMPORTANT TO YOU.

UM, WHATEVER COUNCIL DECIDES, AND I WILL ADD THAT, UM, IT IS A DESIRE OF MINE TO BE REDUCED.

THE AMOUNT OF RELIANCE RCI HAS ON, UH, THE TOWN GENERAL FUND, UM, WILL EVER BECOME SELF SUSTAINING.

I THINK THAT'S A LOFTY GOAL THAT I'M NOT SURE IS IN OUR FORESEEABLE FUTURE, I WILL SAY.

AND DAVID AND I HAD A CONVERSATION VERY EARLY ON ABOUT PROTECTING IDEAS AND CONTINUING TO GO AFTER IDEAS THAT IMPROVE OUR ABILITY TO SCALE.

UM, AND THE LMS, THE LEARNING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM IDEA IS OF THOSE IDEAS.

UM, IT'LL, IT'LL FURTHER OUR REACH TO BRING IN REVENUE OUTSIDE OF BLUFFTON, INTO BLUFFTON, HELPS SUPPORT THE OPERATIONS OF THE RCI.

UM, BUT IF YOU WERE TO SAY, COULD WE, COULD WE SUPPORT ER, SIZE OPERATIONS JUST ON THE CURRENT, UM, UH, DEMAND FROM JUST BLUFFTON BUSINESSES? I DON'T THINK WE'RE GONNA GET THERE.

SO WE HAVE TO FIND WAYS TO SCALE THE LEARNING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM IS ONE OF THEM.

THE PARTNERSHIPS IS AN IDEA ORIGINALLY.

I THINK THE VISION WAS TO BE SOLELY KIND OF A CO-WORK SPACE, BUT DAVID'S IDEA OF, UH, BRINGING IN PARTNERSHIPS, UM, TO, UH, USE A LEASED SPACE WITHIN THE HUB IS EXACTLY ON POINT.

UM, THAT WAS A NEW, A NEW APPROACH THAT DAVID PUT FORTH THAT I AGREE WITH.

I THINK STEVEN AGREES WITH AS WELL.

UM, SO THESE ARE ALL REVENUE STREAM IDEAS THAT WILL HELP US REDUCE THE RELIANCE ON TOWN REP REVENUES, WHETHER WE GET TO A SELF-FUNDED SITUATION IN THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE.

I DON'T THINK WE'LL GET THERE JUST YET.

THAT'S PROBABLY A GREAT ANSWER, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE WITHOUT A PROJECTION OF WHAT THE REVENUE WOULD BE, UM, BUT WE ALREADY SEE THAT ADDING MORE PROGRAMS OR ADDING MORE STAFF IS GOING TO COST US MORE AS WELL.

UM, W ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WAS ALWAYS TOLD ME IS THAT, YEAH, YOU GOTTA SPEND MONEY TO MAKE MONEY.

UM, THERE'S ALWAYS GOING TO BE A CAPITAL INVESTMENT IN ORDER TO GET TO THAT INFLECTION POINT WHERE YOU'RE BRINGING IN REVENUE TO SUPPORT IT.

UM, SO, SO THERE'S A, A CERTAIN LEVEL OF INVESTMENT.

UM, BUT AS, AS YOU SEE, EVERY YEAR WHEN WE COME FORWARD TO THE COUNCIL WITH BUDGET, UH, WE KEEP, WE TRY AND KEEP WITHIN THAT, THAT LEVEL THAT WE WERE AT PREVIOUS YEAR, IF NOT LESS.

SO, UM, WE'LL DO OUR BEST TO BRING THAT TO YOU AGAIN THIS YEAR, I WILL LET YOU KNOW, SIR, THAT EVERY TIME I LOOK AT BUDGET, I THINK OF COUNCILMAN FRED HAMILTON, EVERY SINGLE TIME.

AND ONE THING THAT REALLY ISN'T FAIR, THAT OFFSETS A LOT OF IT IS THE ASSET WE HAVE.

AND IT WAS BECAUSE OF PRINT.

I KNOW IT'S NOT GREEN.

HE TURNED, HE TURNS IT OFF, DON'T TURN IT OFF.

SO THE ONE THING WE DON'T REALLY SHOW US THE ASSET THAT SHOULD GO TOWARD THE DON RYAN CENTER.

AND IT WAS GOING TO NOT BE AN ASSET, BUT HE PUSHED THE ENVELOPE.

MAYBE YOU ARE PRE OR POST YOU TO OWN IT.

SO THAT'S BASIS HOURS.

AND I THINK THAT DOES SHOW AS A POSITIVE TOWARD WHAT WE SPEND.

UM, TH THAT'S JUST MY THOUGHT.

I JUST, I'VE KIND OF GONE FROM HOPEFUL OF SELF-SUSTAINABILITY TO, HOW DO WE MAKE THE LIVES OF OUR RESIDENTS BETTER? AND THAT'S HOUSING JOBS, ALL KINDS OF WAYS.

AND DOES GOVERNMENT HAVE SOME STAKE IN ANY OF THAT? AND IT WON'T GET DONE IF GOVERNMENT, THE GOVERNMENT SPEND 1% OF THEIR BUDGET ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND ON HOUSING.

OWN THING, BUT THERE'S, AND IT'S SO EASY NOW IN A WAY TO RUN YOUR OWN BUSINESS.

OTHER THINGS, ALL THESE THINGS THAT GOVERNMENT HAS TO DO AND WHAT THE WAY BUSINESS IS CHANGING NOW.

AND JUST LIKE THE 2008 CRISIS COVID SAYS HAS SHOWN PEOPLE, OH, I CAN DO MY OWN THING.

I SHOULD DO MY

[04:45:01]

BUT BECAUSE THERE'S SO MANY INTERNET BASED ITEMS OR PEOPLE THAT CAN DO SIDE HUSTLES AND SIDE GIGS, THEY HELP YOU DO THINGS, BUT IT'S ALSO CONFUSING.

LIKE, WELL, HOW DO I START? YOU KNOW, WHERE SHOULD I START? AND WE CAN BE A GUIDEPOST FOR THOSE PEOPLE AS WELL, A LONG TIME AGO, CLEMSON.

AND, UM, WE HAD TWO COMPANIES GOING KIND OF THE SAME THING.

WE MERGED THEM.

THE DON RYAN CENTER CAME OUT.

I THINK THAT, UM, THE FIVE OF YOU AND YOUR PREDECESSORS SHOULD BE PROUD OF WHAT YOU'VE ACCOMPLISHED HERE.

THIS WAS A REALLY NOVEL CONCEPT WHEN WE STARTED IT MANY, MANY YEARS AGO AND SEEING THE DATA THAT DAVID HAS PRESENTED TODAY, UM, MAKES ME FEEL LIKE, UM, MAYBE IT WASN'T SUCH A HAREBRAINED IDEA ANY AFTER ALL, I THINK IT'S DONE GOOD FOR THE TOWN.

I THINK WE'LL CONTINUE TO DO GOOD FOR THE TOWN, UM, WITH JOHN'S EXPERTISE AND THE THINGS THAT HE'S TRYING TO SEND OUR WAY.

I THINK THIS IS A GOOD THING.

AND COUNCILMAN HAMILTON, YOU'RE RIGHT.

THE GOAL ORIGINALLY AND STILL IS TO MAKE A SELF-SUFFICIENT.

IF I HEAR CHRIS SAYING, IT'S A GREAT GOAL, BUT IT'S GOING TO TAKE A WHILE TO GET THERE.

BUT THIS IS A REMARKABLE, UM, FOR A LITTLE SMALL TOWN TO HAVE THE IMPACT IT HAS ON SO MANY PEOPLE IN SO MANY BUSINESSES I THINK IS, UM, IS COMMENDABLE.

AND I WILL POINT OUT ONE MORE THING THAT I DIDN'T EVEN REALIZE.

KRISTIN LAYING MY WONDERFUL OPERATIONS MANAGER.

RAISE YOUR HAND UP.

KRISTEN, KRISTEN LANG IS THE ONLY DON RYAN CENTER EMPLOYEE THAT HAS EVER WORKED AT A BUSINESS INCUBATOR BEFORE THEY GOT TO THE DON RYAN CENTER.

GOT TO THINK ABOUT IT.

SHE WORKED AT AN INCUBATOR UP IN NEW HAMPSHIRE, RIGHT? AND FOR SOME REASON, THE WEATHER WASN'T AS NICE AS SHE MOVED DOWN HERE, BUT SHE SHOWED ME SOMETHING THE OTHER DAY, JUST KIND OF OFFHANDEDLY THAT I NEVER, NEVER THOUGHT ABOUT.

CAUSE I WAS ALWAYS PRIVATE SECTOR RUNNING STARTUPS UNTIL I HAD THIS JOB.

SHE GOES, WE'RE UNLIKE ANY INCUBATOR I'VE EVER KNOWN OR WORKED AT OR BEEN INVOLVED WITH.

SO WHAT DO YOU MEAN? SHE GOES, WE SPEND SO MUCH TIME WITH THESE PEOPLE.

MOST OF THE INCUBATORS THAT I'M AWARE OF, IT'S SPACE, WHERE THEY CAN COME IN AND WORK.

AND IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION YOU CAN ASK, BUT WE HAVE PROGRAMS. WE HAVE MEETINGS EVERY TWO WEEKS.

WE HAVE MENTORS THAT WORK TOGETHER.

AND UP UNTIL THAT 0.2 MONTHS AGO, WHEN SHE SAID THAT I HAD NEVER CONSIDERED THAT WE REALLY ARE EVEN IN THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA, VERY UNIQUE AS THE BUSINESS INCUBATOR.

AND I THINK THAT AGAIN, POINTS TO THE FORESIGHT, MAYOR AND COUNCIL HAVE HAD TO DO THIS A LONG TIME AGO.

AND WHEN CLEMSON SAID, YEAH, WE'RE GOING TO DO SOMETHING ELSE, WE DECIDED TO CONTINUE IT.

SO WE SAY 50,000 A YEAR, WE'RE SAVING MONEY EVERY YEAR, CUTTING THINGS OUT, ALL THOSE NUMBERS, A MY HAMMOCK, PICK IT ON THE MAP.

YOU REMEMBER WHAT THE MAYOR SAID? UH, I WANT, I WANNA BE CLEAR.

I SUPPORT THE DAI RYAN CENTER AND I ALWAYS HAVE WITH, BUT I'VE ALWAYS WANTED THE ACCOUNTABILITY THAT WE SAID THAT WE WERE GOING TO HAVE.

AND THAT WAS THE GOAL TO BE SELF-SUFFICIENT BECAUSE WE W W WE STARTED OUT AS A PILOT PROGRAM, AND MOST PEOPLE DON'T EVEN UNDERSTAND WHERE THAT CAME FROM OR HOW IT CAME.

AND MY SUPPORT IS, LIKE SHE SAID EARLIER ON, I FOUGHT THAT WE WOULDN'T HAVE A MORTGAGE.

YOU KNOW, THAT WAS, THAT WAS A BIG DEAL.

UM, SO WE HAVE A BUILDING THAT WE CAN JUST WALK INTO, PAY THE LIGHT BILL AND GO HOME.

BUT SO IT, IT, WE, WE ARE SAVING MONEY THAT WAY.

UM, BUT WE STILL HAVE TO BE TRUE TO THE FACT THAT I THINK MOST OF OUR RESIDENTS OR CITIZENS THINKS THAT ONE DAY IT WOULDN'T BE A TAX BURDEN ON THE TOWN.

YOU KNOW, I'VE ALWAYS HAD HEARTBURN TO THE DON RYAN CENTER.

I DON'T HIDE THAT.

FOR THAT INFORMATION FROM YOUR PREDECESSORS AND OTHERS.

I THINK MOST PEOPLE KNOW THAT.

UM, BUT I ONLY HAVE HEARTBURN BECAUSE OF THE WAY THAT IT WAS PACKAGED, YOU KNOW, COUNCIL, I DON'T THINK.

AND I'M PART OF IT NEVER GAVE CLEAR, CONCISE GUIDANCE AS TO WHAT THE EXPECTATIONS WERE AND WHERE WE WERE GOING.

AND, YOU KNOW, I REMEMBER WHEN YOU WERE OUT THERE BEATING YOUR HEAD AGAINST THE WALL.

IN THE EARLY DAYS, I USED TO MARVEL AT THE FACT, HOW DOES HE DO WHAT HE DOES BY HIMSELF? IT WAS INSANE.

BUT I DO WANT TO SAY YOU CAUGHT MY ATTENTION AT THE LEADERSHIP CLASS THAT WE WERE AT AND YOU GAVE A PRESENTATION.

AND I CAME UP AFTERWARDS AND I WAS BLOWN AWAY BECAUSE THAT'S THE FIRST TIME THAT I'VE EVER FELT LIKE ANYBODY HAS REALLY TRULY CAPTURED AND EXPLAIN WHAT WAS GOING ON AT THE DON RYAN CENTER.

WE WERE ASKING

[04:50:01]

AND WE NEVER REALLY GOT IT.

I MEAN, IT WAS JUST ONE SHEET, FEW NUMBERS ON IT, TERRIBLE.

BUT, BUT ANYWAY, UM, I GUESS ONE THING THAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IS HOW DO WE MEASURE SUCCESS? AND JOHN, I'M GOING TO BE STILL HERE.

HE LEFT.

BUT ANYWAY, JOHN HAS A VERY SPECIFIC WAY OF MEASURING WHAT HE GAUGES SUCCESS.

AND I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE DON RYAN CENTER AND STAFF COME TO SOMETHING ON A BENCHMARK LEVEL.

WHAT DO WE KNOW IS A GOOD YEAR? WE KNOW IS A BAD YEAR.

WE DON'T KNOW.

WE'VE NEVER KNOWN AS A COUNCIL.

WE'VE NEVER KNOWN.

SO THERE SHOULD BE SOME STANDARD BENCHMARK THERE BY THE DON RYAN CENTER AND STAFF TO PRESENT THE COUNCIL TO SAY, WE WOULD CONSIDER THIS A SUCCESS AND MAYBE THIS NOT SO MUCH A GOAL.

ACROSS THE SPECTRUM FOR THEM, FROM BANKING TO FANTASTIC STORIES THAT WE DON'T EVER REALLY HEAR.

AND, AND, AND LET ME, LET ME BE CLEAR DUE TO THE NATURE OF YOUR BUSINESS EVERY YEAR IS NOT GOING TO BE A LINEAR LINE.

YOU KNOW, I MEAN, IT MAY BE LIKE THIS.

IT MAY BE UP A LITTLE BIT AND IT MAY BE DOWN.

THEN IT MAY GO UP A LOT.

YOU KNOW, THESE ARE THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO WATCH GOING FORWARD.

THE OTHER THING IS THE, WHEN I SEE THE NUMBERS, 39.9 ANNUAL SALES AND 9.2 IN ANNUAL PAYROLL, THE ONLY THING I'VE EVER QUESTIONED ABOUT NUMBERS IS WHEN WE TAKE THOSE NUMBERS, WE SHOULD GO BACK.

AT SOME POINT, HE REVISIT THEM NUMBERS AND SAY, OKAY, HOW MANY OF THESE COMPANIES ARE STILL HERE? HOW MANY LEFT? WE PROJECTED 9.2 MILLION IN ANNUAL, UH, PAYROLL, BUT MAYBE A COMPLEX COMPANY OR TWO DROPPED OFF.

AND THAT NUMBER ACTUALLY WENT BACK DOWN TO SEVEN OR 8 MILLION.

WE'VE NEVER SEEN THAT.

I'VE ASKED FOR THAT FOR SIX YEARS.

I'VE NEVER MET NOT YOU DAVID, BUT PEOPLE BEFORE, UM, THE REAL ESTATE AND MY PERSPECTIVE YOU'RE RIGHT.

WE DON'T BELONG IN THAT GAME.

I MEAN, THERE'S SOME GOOD REASONS FOR THAT.

I MEAN, WE GOT STRETCHED TO THE END AND WE WERE DOING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COURT, WHICH IS MORE WHAT THEY WERE TRYING TO DO.

WE MERGED THE TWO AND WE DON'T HAVE LAND ANYMORE TO DO ANYTHING WITH EXCEPT A LITTLE BIT OF PEACE OUT THERE AT THE BUCK WALKER PARK.

AND THIS COUNCIL HAS NOT EVER SAID THAT WE WANT TO GO FURTHER WITH THAT.

AND SO THERE'S NO NEED TO REVISIT THAT AND PUT DON RYAN CENTER IN THAT ARENA.

SO I THINK THAT'S EASILY ONE THAT COULD BE TAKEN OFF THE PLATE.

ANYTHING LIKE THAT.

UM, YOUR PARTNERSHIP IDEAS ARE GREAT.

THE, UM, TO ME, AND I'M PROBABLY THE LEAST KNOWLEDGEABLE SITTING UP HERE ON DON RYAN CENTER, BUT YOU WERE ALWAYS AN INCUBATOR AND INNOVATION, AND THAT'S THE TWO CORES THAT YOU PUT UP THERE EARLIER.

THAT'S WHAT I'VE ALWAYS SEEN IS WHO YOU ARE, THE DON RYAN CENTER.

SO I THINK THAT'S WHERE ALL OF OUR FOCUS SHOULD BE.

UH, AND THEN THE REST OF IT WILL TAKE CARE OF ITSELF BECAUSE INCUBATION AND INNOVATION WILL TAKE CARE OF NEW COMPANIES AND THE COMPANIES THAT ARE ALREADY HERE.

AND, UM, LAST BUT NOT LEAST, I USED TO THINK, AND I'M NOT, I'M NOT SAYING IT'S NOT A RIGHT PATH TO PURSUE.

I THINK IT'S GOING TO BE TOUGH TO BE, UH, IF WE'RE THINKING YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE PROGRAMS TO RAISE FEES, TO PAY THE PAYROLL, THAT'D BE A TOUGH, THAT'D BE A TARGET.

I, I NEVER SAW THAT.

I MEAN, WE WERE TRYING TO GET Y'ALL TO DO GOLF TOURNAMENTS AND STUFF.

I WAS LIKE, NO, THAT'S NOT, THANK YOU.

DON'T BELONG THERE.

BUT, UH, I MEAN, I, I REMEMBER TELLING THE MAYOR THAT RIGHT AFTER WE WENT DOWN, YOU KNOW, IT WAS GOING TO DO THAT.

BUT ANYWAY, UM, AGAIN, WHEN YOU DO YOUR BENCHMARKS ANNUALLY AND YOU'RE SHOWING US THAT YOU'VE HELPED COMPANIES SUCCEED AND GENERATED JOBS, THAT'S OUR REVENUE, THAT'S OUR REVENUE, THAT'S YOUR REVENUE THAT YOU'RE SHOWING US THE BENCHMARKS BY.

AND YOU'VE GIVEN A REALLY GREAT EXAMPLE TODAY OF STORIES.

AND YOU TOLD ME THE OTHER DAY, FOR EXAMPLE, THE END DOWN IN OLD TOWN, UH, YOU KNOW, I KNOW THE COUPLE THAT I WAS IN, I THINK WE ALL DO, AND THEY WERE STRUGGLING.

THEY WERE PUT IN A BAD SITUATION.

I THINK YOU WERE TELLING ME THOUGH, YOU SHOWED THEM HOW TO GO IN AND DO WHAT WITH THEM MORE, JUST HOW TO RECONFIGURE THEIR MORTGAGES, HOW TO REAPPLY.

WE EVEN PICK, EVEN BEFORE THEY PITCHED THE NEW MORTGAGE TO THE BANK, WE HAD THEM DO THE PREP WORK AND PITCHED FOR US FIRST CAUSE VINCE, HIS FIRST PRESENTATION WAS AWFUL.

NOBODY WOULD HAVE GIVEN HIM MONEY, BUT THE SECOND ONE HE REALLY DID WAS MUCH BETTER.

SO WE, WE WORKED, UH, AT, UH, ALL ALONG THE SPECTRUM FOR THE OLD TOWN BLUFFTON IN, FROM HOW TO ANSWER THE PHONE AND TALK AND GIVE THEM A, UH, A FIVE-STAR EXPERIENCE TO HOOKING THEM UP WITH MONTAGE, PALMETTO BLUFF AS TO BE THE SATELLITE VERSION OF PALMETTO BLUFF IN OLD TOWN.

SO WHEN THEIR GUESTS COME OVER, THEY CAN HAVE A BASE STATION AT OLD TOWN BLUFFING IN.

SO WE DID ALL TYPES OF THINGS

[04:55:01]

AND IT'S, EYE-OPENING WHEN I GOT AROUND YOU AT THAT LEADERSHIP CLASS AND HER, HER THINGS LIKE THIS.

SO ANYWAY, I I'VE LAID OUT MY, MY VIEWS.

UM, I'M JUST ONE TO FIVE.

I WOULD LIKE TO REVISIT NUMBERS ANNUALLY.

I THINK YOU SHOULD HAVE BENCHMARKS TO TELL US WHAT IS ACHIEVABLE, WHAT YOU'RE DOING.

I MEAN, EVERYBODY ELSE HAS BENCHMARKS, RIGHT? UM, AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST, UM, I WOULD LIKE TO BE INVITED TO ONE OF YOUR WORK SESSIONS.

I THINK THAT WOULD BE INTERESTING AND EDUCATIONAL AND, UH, YOU KNOW, I WANT TO SEE YOU SUCCEED.

AND, UH, SO, WELL, I WOULD LOVE TO GIVE YOU ALL A STANDING INVITE TO EVERY WELL, FIRST OF ALL, WE HAVE TWO THINGS.

NOW I KNOW WE'RE OUT OF TIME, BUT WE HAVE THESE PITCH EVENTS WHERE LIKE UNDERGROUND BRITA NEXT WEEK IS GOING TO PITCH TO GET INTO THE STARTUP PROGRAM.

I WILL INVITE ALL OF YOU TO IT.

IF YOU WANT TO SEE IT, VIRTUAL IT'S HAPPENS AT EIGHT 30 NEXT TUESDAY MORNING.

IT'S 30 MINUTES.

AND, UH, BUT I CAN ALSO INVITE YOU TO THESE PROGRAM COMPANIES.

WE MEET EVERY OTHER WEEK, SAME DAY, SAME TIME OF RAW PHYSICAL AGAIN, WHERE THE ZOOM IS GOING AWAY.

AND IT'S JUST FUN TO BE IN THERE AND BE IN THOSE CONVERSATIONS.

SO I'LL, I'LL FIGURE OUT THE BEST WAY TO MAKE YOU AWARE OF THAT.

DAVE, JUST ONE, UM, JUST OUT OF CURIOSITY, IF YOU COULD, AND I GUESS YOU, YOU WOULD BE THE ONE THAT COMES UP WITH SOMETHING ANYWAY, UM, THOSE PARTNERSHIPS, COULD YOU PUT UP A MONTHLY OR AN ANNUAL DOLLAR VALUE TO, UM, I THINK SO.

I'LL HAVE TO LOOK AT HOW LIKE, ELK THAT TONY IS GOING TO BE IN THE FACILITY AND, AND, UH, WHAT THAT WOULD BE WORTH, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE CHARGE FOR RENT, IF YOU WILL.

SAME THING FOR .

SO THESE, THIS IS ALL KIND OF IN THE, YOU KNOW, JOHN'S THERE NOW AND TONY JUST STARTED COMING.

UM, BUT WE'RE GONNA MAKE JOHN START PAYING, RIGHT? OH YEAH.

OH, THE LASERS COFFEE, UNLESS YOU TOLD ME THEY WERE, WAS IT S WOULD YOU TELL ME THAT WAS IN THERE? WAS IT SBA? I THOUGHT YOU SAID SOMEBODY ELSE.

WE DO IT PRETTY DARN GOOD.

AND JUST A FINAL TAKEAWAY, DAVID, I THINK THAT LISTENING TO EVERYONE'S CONCERNS, UM, GOING FORWARD, I THINK IT WOULD BE IMPORTANT TO HAVE, UM, SOME LIKE TANGIBLE COMMUNICATIONS IN TERMS OF ALL OF THE, UM, SUCCESS STORIES AND JUST DIFFERENT PROGRAMS YOU HAVE.

UM, AND YOU STARTED TO SAY IT WAS REALLY TO CUT YOU OFF, BUT YOU WERE SAYING THAT, UM, THAT YOUR MESSAGING, OR JUST SHARING THOSE STORIES, YOU ALL, HAVEN'T REALLY DONE A GOOD JOB, UM, WITH THAT.

AND I THINK IT'S, IT'S SO IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT, IT DOES VALIDATE, YOU KNOW, THE, THE NEED FOR THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING, BUT WITHOUT HEARING IT IS JUST, YOU KNOW, KIND OF LIKE, EVERYONE'S ALWAYS SAID LIKE, WELL, WE KNOW THE DON RYAN CENTER EXISTS, WE ALWAYS HEAR ABOUT IT, BUT WHAT W YOU KNOW, WHAT DID IT DO? WHAT'S THE BENEFIT? LIKE, WHAT'S THE PURPOSE OF IT.

AND THEN BEING ABLE TO TIE IT TO SOME OF THE TANGIBLE THINGS YOU MENTIONED, UM, KIND OF PAINTS THAT PICTURE FOR EVERYONE.

SO SOMEHOW, LIKE THAT COULD BE, UM, UM, BE MORE, BE DONE IN A MORE VISIBLE FASHION, UM, AND MORE OFTEN WOULD BE GREAT.

YEAH, WE CAN DEFINITELY DO THAT.

UH, WE HAVE SOME GREAT STORIES, UM, AND WE'LL FIGURE OUT THE BEST WAY TO DISSEMINATE INFORMATION TO ACCOUNT.

SO TO FOLLOW UP WITH THAT, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAD STARTED, THE CON I HAD STARTED THE CONVERSATION WITH MIKE BEFORE THAT RELATIONSHIPS, UH, PARTED WAYS WAS ABOUT TELLING THE STORY OF WHAT WE DO AND NOT BY DOING, NOT DOING IT BY JUST THE NUMBERS.

AND I THINK THAT'S A THEME THAT WE'VE HEARD TODAY IS WE REALLY DO GREAT THINGS.

WE DO GREAT PROJECTS, WE HAVE GREAT PROGRAMS. WE NEED TO BE MORE ADVOCATES OF OUR STORY AND MORE ADVOCATES OF WHAT WE DO AS AN ORGANIZATION, NOT JUST OUTSIDE, BUT TO EACH OTHER.

SO I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING POINTING AT DEBBIE THAT'S.

ONE OF THE REASONS I WANTED THAT TO BE A SEPARATE DEPARTMENT THEN THAN WHAT IT WAS BEFORE IS I WANT THEM TO DO MORE OUTREACH AND COMMUNITY PROMOTION THAN WE'VE DONE IN THE PAST.

SO PEOPLE KNOW WHAT WE'RE DOING, WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE COMMUNITY.

AND I THINK DAVID COMING TO Y'ALL, YOU KNOW, I TALKED TO MIKE PREVIOUSLY ABOUT COMING EVERY OTHER MONTH AND JUST TELLING A STORY AND GETTING OUT OF THE NUMBERS.

SO I THINK WE CAN FIGURE SOMETHING OUT TO MAKE SURE THAT Y'ALL ARE AWARE OF WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THE STORIES OF THE PEOPLE WE'RE WORKING WITH AND NOT JUST SEEING NUMBERS ON A PAPER AND NOT KNOWING WHAT THEY REPRESENT.

SO I THINK WE CAN DEFINITELY BE BETTER AT THAT.

OVERALL LET'S SELL THE WORD CELEBRATE AND SOMEWHERE OVER THERE DURING BREAK, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT ADDING THAT WORD IN ON OUR GUIDING PRINCIPLES AND WE DON'T CELEBRATE ENOUGH.

WE DON'T BRAG ABOUT WHAT WE DO IN ANY WAY.

FROM POLICE PLANNING TO WHAT WE DO HPC TO PUBLIC WORKS TO DON RYAN.

WE HAD A BRAG ABOUT WHAT WE'RE DOING BECAUSE

[05:00:01]

UM, WHO DECIDES, OR WHO GIVES, ARE YOU LISTENING TO US OR LOOKING FOR US FOR NEXT STEPS ON HIRING A DIRECTOR OR ARE YOU TAKING ALL THIS UNDER KIND OF YOU'RE LISTENING AND THEN YOU'RE GOING TO DECIDE IF WE WANT THESE OTHER PILLARS TO BE MOVED OVER TO.

SO IT WAS TWOFOLD AND THAT'S WHY WE KIND OF DID THE SURVEY QUESTION WAS ONE WE WANTED TO FOCUS ON WHAT YOU HEARD DAVID GO THROUGH IS WE HAD THE FIVE PILLARS AND 98 ARE THESE TRUE REPRESENTATIONS OF WHERE WE ARE TODAY.

AND I THINK WHAT WE'VE HEARD FROM COUNCIL IS THEY'RE NOT, WE'RE REALLY GOOD AT TWO OR THREE.

WE'RE REALLY GOOD AT TWO OF THEM.

THE THIRD ONE WE'RE KIND OF, OKAY, YOU KNOW, WE CAN BE BETTER, BUT REALLY A COUPLE OF THEM PROBABLY NEED TO BE REMOVED FROM US DOING THEM.

BUT CHANGING THAT TO PARTNERING WITH PEOPLE WHO DO THOSE THINGS, AND THAT'S WHERE THE HUB IDEA OF WHAT DAVID'S TALKING ABOUT IS LET'S FOCUS ON WHAT WE'RE REALLY GOOD AT, WHICH IS ABOUT TWO, TWO AND A HALF OF THE PILLARS AND PARTNER WITH EVERYBODY ELSE.

THAT'S REALLY GOOD AT THE OTHER TWO, TWO AND A HALF PILLARS.

THE OTHER PART OF THAT IS WE WANTED TO KNOW AS WE MOVE FORWARD AND LOOK FOR AN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, WHAT THE PRIORITIES, WHAT WE HEARD COUNCIL DISCUSSION ABOUT THE PILLARS AND WHAT WE NEED TO FOCUS ON AND WHAT POTENTIAL SKILL SETS COUNCIL WAS LOOKING FOR.

AND THAT'S WHY WE ASKED THE SURVEY ABOUT WHAT SKILL SETS YOU SAW AS IMPORTANT.

AND IT WAS THINGS LIKE THOSE THAT HAVE STARTED A SMALL BUSINESS.

THOSE THAT I FORGET, THERE WERE TWO, THERE WERE A COUPLE THAT, UM, WERE PRIORITIES UP ON THERE.

UM, WE'D HAVE TO PULL IT BACK UP, BUT WE WANTED THAT, THAT OTHER ONE WAS COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND PARTNERSHIP BECAUSE IF THAT'S THE DIRECTION THAT COUNCIL WANTS TO GO, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WHAT WE TRY TO SET THEM UP TO BE SUCCESSFUL AT IS WHAT YOU WANT THEM TO BE SUCCESSFUL AT.

AND THAT WE'RE ON THE SAME PAGE MOVING FORWARD.

SO WE DON'T COME BACK HERE TWO YEARS FROM NOW AND I'LL SAY, WELL, WE REALLY WANTED THEM TO DO THIS.

AND YOU FOCUSED ON THIS.

WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR OUTCOMES AND OUTREACHES ARE OUTCOMES AND, AND, UM, GOALS FOR THE ORGANIZATION ARE THE SAME.

BUT I STILL, I HEARD CHRIS'S ANSWER.

ARE WE LEANING TOWARD ANOTHER EMPLOYEE WITH BENEFITS OR DO WE FEEL IN THIS SCENARIO AND BASED, I GUESS, ON THE BOARDS DISCUSSION TO, FOR INPUT THAT WE NEED TO GO TO A, YOU KNOW, HIGH PAID EMPLOYEE? MAYBE? I DON'T KNOW.

A TEENAGER, WE, WE WEREN'T REALLY SURE WHAT WE WERE, OR WE THOUGHT WE KNEW WHAT WE WANTED AND WHAT WE WERE, BUT IT'S TAKEN TIME AND IT'S BEEN AN EVOLUTION PROCESS TO GET US TO WHERE WE ARE TODAY.

I THINK, I THINK BASED ON THE CONVERSATION TODAY, I'M NOT SURE IF IT'S A, UM, UH, A NEW HIGH PAID EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, BUT MAYBE IT'S SOMEONE THAT, UH, SUPPORTS, UH, YOU KNOW, A SUPPORT PERSON THAT DOES MORE MARKETING OR TAKES ON MORE, UM, CLIENTS.

UM, WE WILL ALSO HAVE THE PIECE OF IT THAT WE JUST APPROVED IN THE BUDGET AMENDMENT TO DO, UH, THE SMALL BUSINESS, UM, INITIATIVE TO TAKE ON BUSINESSES, UM, AT A LOWER COST OR FREE COST OR THOSE MICRO BUSINESSES AS PART OF THE HARPER PROGRAM.

SO, UM, MAYBE WE SHOULD SHIFT, UH, WE GLEANED SOME SAVINGS, BUT ALSO, UH, SHIFTED OUR FOCUS TO THESE CORE ITEMS. YEAH, SORRY.

UM, SO IF WE CHANGE THE STRUCTURE, SO TO SPEAK THE BOARD THAT WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, WE HAVE SOME PROFESSIONALS SAID ALL KINDS OF DIFFERENT THINGS.

SO LIKE OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH, WITH JOHN OR WHOEVER, AS FAR AS THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PART OF IT, WILL THE BOARD STILL HAVE A SAY OR A VOICE ON THAT PART OF IT? YOU KNOW, YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT I'M SAYING? I MEAN, I WOULD SAY WHERE'S THE BOYD'S BOARD'S OPINION GOING TO GO ON THE OTHER THINGS.

SO WHAT I'LL SAY IS THIS IS THEY HAD A MEETING SPECIFICALLY WITH THE BOARD LAST LAST WEEK, THURSDAY TO GO THROUGH THIS EXACT SAME THING AND MAKE SURE THAT BOROUGH AND EVERYBODY ELSE IN THAT BOARD HAD THE SAME AND BOROUGHS HERE.

IF YOU WANT HIM TO SPEAK ON THAT, TO MAKE SURE THEY SHARE THE SAME VALUES AND PLAN FOR THE FUTURE AND SUPPORTED DAVID AND MAKING THIS PRESENTATION TO Y'ALL TODAY, ABOUT THE DIRECTION THAT THEY .

PLEASE DON'T LET ME PUT WORDS IN YOUR MOUTH, IF YOU, IF YOU WANT TO SAY ANYTHING ON TOP OF THAT, BUT THEY DID VET THIS BEFORE DAVID CAME IN.

LARRY, CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, SIR.

IT IS.

UM, I THINK DAVID'S DONE AN EXCELLENT JOB TALKING ABOUT WHERE WE HAVE COME FROM WHERE WE THINK WE ARE HEADED AND WHAT HE'S RECOMMENDING TO Y'ALL TODAY.

YOU KNOW, I THINK OF THE DON RYAN CENTER, UH, WHEN WE MERGED, YOU KNOW, WE WE'VE BEEN

[05:05:01]

AND, UH, THOSE THAT THINK THAT WE KNEW WHAT WE WANTED TO BE.

I THINK WE JUST THOUGHT WE KNEW WHAT WE WANTED TO BE, BUT THROUGH THIS PROCESS OVER THE LAST TWO TO THREE YEARS, UM, I THINK WE, WE WE'VE CALMLY COME TOGETHER AND FIGURED OUT THAT THIS IS WHO WE ARE AND, UH, BUT WE NEED A TOWN COUNCIL BUY-IN TO WHAT WE THINK WE ARE AND THE DIRECTION THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO GO AS A BOARD.

AND SO REALLY, AND TRULY, THAT'S WHAT I THINK STAFF HAS HERE TODAY.

AND AS YOU POINT OUT, LARRY, UM, THERE ARE STILL SOME REQUIREMENTS.

THIS IS A NONPROFIT CORPORATION, EVEN THOUGH IT'S GOVERNED AND OWNED BY THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON, THERE ARE STILL SOME OR RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE BOARD AND SOME THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO DO AND AGREE UPON.

UM, YOU KNOW, JUST BECAUSE THAT WE ARE THE GOVERNING BODY, EVEN THOUGH WE'RE OWNED BY YOU AND APPOINTED BY YOU IN, IN EACH BOARD MEMBER, BUT WE ARE DEFINITELY IN AGREEMENT THAT THIS IS THE DIRECTION THAT I THINK WE SHOULD GO WITH THE DON RYAN CENTER AS WE MOVE FORWARD.

AND I'M SURE IT WILL EVOLVE AGAIN OVER TIME.

AND, UH, BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHERE WE ARE.

AND SOME OF THE THINGS TOO TO THINK ABOUT FAR IS, UM, WHEN Y'ALL WERE TALKING ABOUT JUSTIFICATION IN THAT TYPE THING.

AND I THINK THAT THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO DO A BETTER JOB IN BENCHMARKING AND THAT TYPE THING, BUT THERE ARE A LOT OF INTANGIBLE BENEFITS THAT COME BACK TO THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON.

AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE PLAN ON DOING IS GETTING CLEMSON OR USC, WHICHEVER ONE, TO DO A STUDY AND FIND OUT WHAT SOME OF THOSE OTHER BENEFITS ARE.

AND, AND, AND AGAIN, I KNOW HOW THESE STUDIES GO, BUT, UM, BUT I THINK THAT THAT WOULD BE ENLIGHTENING TO ALL OF US, THE TAX BENEFITS AND THOSE TYPE THINGS THAT ARE NOT INCLUDED HERE.

AND, BUT I DO WANT TO, EVEN AS WE RECOMMEND WHAT'S GOING ON TODAY, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, THIS IS JUST A PART OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON.

AND I KNOW THAT JOHN IS A BIG PART OF THAT, BUT, BUT THINK ABOUT, UM, BLUFFTON IN THE ECONOMY THAT YOU HAVE, I STILL WOULD NOT GIVE UP ON DIVERSITY, TRYING TO DIVERSIFY THEIR ECONOMY, THINK ABOUT FROM PALMETTO'S PERSPECTIVE AND HOW MUCH MONEY THAT HAS COME TO THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON OVER THE LAST 10 YEARS IN RDA FUNDS, OVER $2 MILLION HAS COME TO THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON TO HELP AND PROMOTE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.

AND YOU WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO DO THAT OR RECEIVE THOSE FUNDS UNLESS YOU HAD SOMETHING TO DEVELOP AND SOMETHING TO, FOR FOLKS TO COME IN AND BUILD ON.

AND IT WOULD HAS TO BE PROPERTY THAT IS OWNED BY THE TOWN.

THINK ABOUT PARTNERSHIPS WITH THE COUNTY OR MOLLY COUNTY, INDUSTRIAL PARKS WITH HARTVILLE, JASPER COUNTY, ALL THOSE THINGS.

I, I DO BELIEVE THAT YOU SHOULD NOT GIVE UP ON, EVEN THOUGH I THINK WE MOVING TO DON RYAN CENTER AND THE DIRECTION OF FOCUS OF INNOVATION AND ENTREPRENEUR AS ANYTHING ELSE.