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CLOSED CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY BEAVER COUNTY.
SHE AIN'T ALL YOU ALL BEING HERE THIS MORNING.
UM, LET'S CALL THIS MEETING TO ORDER THE BUFORD LEGISLATIVE DELEGATION, UM, AS WE START THE MEETING AND LET ME POINT OUT THAT SENATOR CAMPSEN, UH, HAS GIVEN HIS PROXY TO REPRESENTATIVE ERICSSON, UH, SENATOR DAVIS HAS GIVEN HIS PROXY TO REPRESENTATIVE HER KURTZMAN AND SENATOR MATTHEWS HAS GIVEN HER PROXY TO MR. RIVERS.
UM, WITHOUT THE PROXIES, WE DO HAVE A QUORUM OF THE MEMBERS OF THE DELEGATION PRESENT, OBVIOUSLY WITH THE PROXIES SUBSTANTIAL, UM, OVER THE QUORUM REQUIREMENT.
UM, THE FIRST IS AN INVOCATION AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE RIVERS.
IF I COULD CALL ON YOU FOR AN INVOCATION POLICER AND THEN WE'LL MOVE INTO THE PLEDGE, YOU ALL WILL STAND.
HEAVENLY FATHER, WE THANK YOU FOR THIS MORNING.
WE THINK OF THIS OPPORTUNITY WE THINKING IN ADVANCE THAT WE'LL BE DOING EVERYTHING DECENT AND IN ORDER FOR THE CONSTITUENTS, THE PEOPLE THAT WE WORK FOR IN BUTTE COUNTY, ALL AS WELL AND WELL, INDEED IN JESUS NAME, WE PRAY AMEN.
I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OR THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
THANK YOU, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THE FIRST MATTER ON OUR AGENDA THIS MORNING IS A PRESENTATION FROM SOUTH CAROLINA BEACH ADVOCATES, NICOLE ELKO.
YEAH, ALRIGHT, THANKS FOR HAVING ME.
I'M THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE SOUTH CAROLINA BEACH ADVOCATES.
UM, WE ARE THE ONLY NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION IN THE STATE THAT WAS FORMED BY THE LOCAL ELECTED OFFICIALS OF THE BEACHFRONT COMMUNITIES TO REPRESENT, UM, WITH ONE VOICE IN COLUMBIA AND BEYOND.
AND, UM, OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS IS MADE UP OF THE MAYORS AND ADMINISTRATORS OF THE BEACH COMMUNITIES FROM NORTH MYRTLE BEACH DOWN HERE TO HILTON HEAD.
SO, UM, THE HANDOUT I HAVE BEFORE YOU TODAY REPRESENTS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT OUR ORGANIZATION WAS FORMED TO DO.
UM, MANY OF YOU HAVE RECEIVED INVITATIONS TO OUR ANNUAL MEETINGS, UM, WHICH WE, WE HOLD, YOU KNOW, IN VARIOUS SPEECH LOCATIONS AROUND THE STATE.
SO THE PURPOSE OF MY VISIT TODAY IS JUST TO SAY, HELLO, INTRODUCE OUR ORGANIZATION, UM, AND WELCOME YOU TO JOIN US AT THESE ANNUAL MEETINGS THAT WE HAVE.
WE HAD OUR LAST ONE ON KIAWAH IN, UM, JANUARY, FEBRUARY TIMEFRAME.
AND WHAT HAPPENS THERE IS ALL THE BEACHFRONT COMMUNITIES COMING.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE WILL CERTAINLY EXTEND THE INVITATION TO YOU ALL TO, TO COME AND SPEAK WITH US AND SHARE YOUR VIEW OF, UH, KIND OF THE OUTLOOK FOR BEACHES FOR, FOR THE UPCOMING YEAR.
UM, AND JUST WANTED TO, AGAIN, DRAW YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS BILL THAT SENATOR CAMPSEN HAS INTRODUCED.
AND IT IS, IT IS MOVING, UM, SENATE BILL 1 0 6 IN, THIS IS A DEDICATED STATE FUND FOR BEACH PRESERVATION.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS, UM, YOU KNOW, IN OUR STATE, THE BEACHES ARE EXTREMELY IMPORTANT FOR TOURISM.
UH, THERE'S SOME STATISTICS ON THE FRONT HERE THAT IN 2019, UH, BASICALLY $9 BILLION WAS BROUGHT IN, IN THE FIVE COASTAL COUNTIES ALONE.
AND, YOU KNOW, REALLY I'M PREACHING TO THE CHOIR HERE.
YOU ALL KNOW THAT THE BENEFITS OF TOURISM AND WHY PEOPLE ARE COMING HERE TO VISIT.
UM, SO IF YOU CAN KIND OF HELP US SPREAD THIS MESSAGE TO THE UPSTATE, TO YOUR PEERS IN THE UPSTATE, THAT WOULD BE FANTASTIC.
I'M A LITTLE STATISTICS ABOUT TOURISM.
IT BASICALLY TAKES IT AWAY FROM OCRM, WHICH, BECAUSE OF THE D HECK RESTRUCTURE IS A BIT OF, UM, CHAOTIC RIGHT NOW ANYWAY.
SO WE'RE MOVING IT TO PRT WHERE THAT'S, WHERE THE BEACH FUNDING HAS BEEN COMING THROUGH RECENTLY.
UM, AND THEN SECONDLY, IT, IT DOES SOMETHING WHICH IS REALLY IMPORTANT, WHICH IS DEDICATED 25% OF OUR ADMISSIONS TAXES INTO THIS FUND ANNUALLY.
SO THAT AMOUNTS TO ABOUT $8 MILLION A YEAR.
AND, YOU KNOW, THE ADMISSION, THE ADMISSIONS TAXES THAT TAX THAT YOU PAY WHEN YOU GO TO THE MOVIES OR GO GOLFING.
SO IT REALLY, WE THINK OF IT REALLY AS A USER FEE, RIGHT.
UM, WHEN TOURISTS ARE COMING INTO THE STATE AND PAYING THAT TAX, THEY'RE BASICALLY PUTTING MONEY INTO THE FUND THAT WILL THEN HELP TO MAINTAIN THE BEACHES OVER TIME.
UM, SO JUST ONE LAST THING TO, AGAIN, BRING HOME THE POINT HERE.
SO IT'S PUTTING AWAY A MILLION DOLLARS
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A YEAR, BUT THE COASTAL COUNTIES ARE GENERATING $9 BILLION A YEAR.SO IT'S A FANTASTIC RETURN ON INVESTMENT TO MAINTAIN THAT WHAT WE CALL CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE OF THE BEACHES FOR TOURISM.
AND THEN OF COURSE, FOR ALL THE OTHER BENEFITS THAT IT PROVIDES WITH STORM PROTECTION, UM, YOU KNOW, THE BUFFER FOR HURRICANES AS WELL AS, UH, THE ECOSYSTEM BENEFITS.
SO, UM, IN THE PAST WE HAD BASICALLY PUT MONEY, YOU KNOW, WE BASICALLY ALLOCATE MONEY AS NEEDED AND A LOT OF TIMES IT'S ON AN EMERGENCY BASIS.
SO, UM, GOVERNOR MCMASTER SET ASIDE ABOUT $48 MILLION IN ALL BETWEEN 17 AND 19 AND THAT KIND OF RENOURISHED ALL THE BEACHES.
UM, WE'RE GOING TO NEED ANOTHER ABOUT THAT AMOUNT AROUND $50 MILLION COMING UP HERE IN A FEW YEARS.
SO THE IDEA OF THIS IS TO PUT AWAY A LITTLE BIT EVERY YEAR, RATHER THAN HAVING TO PULL FROM THE GENERAL FUND, THAT MASSIVE AMOUNT OF MONEY, YOU KNOW, EVERY EIGHT OR 10 YEARS.
AND WITH THAT, I'LL CONCLUDE AND ASK IF YOU HAVE ANY YES, SIR.
WHAT NEW THING, NICOLE, THANKS FOR COMING UP HERE.
UM, SO, AND I'M SORRY, I SHOULD KNOW MORE ABOUT THIS SINCE BILL, BUT WHERE, WHERE IS THAT RIGHT NOW? SO, UM, I WAS HOPING HE WOULD BE HERE TO GIVE AN EXACT UPDATE, BUT IT HAS MOVED OUT OF SUBCOMMITTEE AND THEN OUT OF HIS FISHING GAME COMMITTEE.
SO IT'S READY TO GO ON TO THE NEXT STEP BE CROSSOVER THIS YEAR.
IS THAT RIGHT? IT'S PROBABLY NOT LOOKING AT THEM.
I THINK WE STILL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY WITH S TO THAT REORGANIZATION AT D HECK AND, UM, AND MENTAL HEALTH.
AND I THINK THIS WOULD BE GERMANE TO THAT BILL.
SO MAYBE WE CAN MOVE IT ALONG A LITTLE BIT FURTHER IN THAT, UM, AS AN AMENDMENT IN THAT AND SUBCOMMITTEE, THAT WOULD BE WONDERFUL.
AT LEAST WE COULD ACCOMPLISH THE MOVEMENT OF THE FUND IF NOT THE FUNDING, THE AVAILABLE DURING THAT HEARING TOO.
OTHER QUESTIONS, NICOLE, WHEN YOU SAY THAT THE NUMBER OF ABOUT 50 MILLION WILL BE NEEDED IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS, OTHER ESTIMATES AS TO WHAT THOSE NUMBERS ARE NOW.
SO THE PLOT THAT YOU HAVE IN THE BOTTOM LEFT-HAND CORNER OF THIS SHOWS, UM, UH, A ROUGH ESTIMATE AND WE ACTUALLY ARE WORKING WITH PRT RIGHT NOW AND TALKING WITH ALL THE COMMUNITIES ABOUT THEIR EXACT NEEDS.
SO WE'LL HAVE SOME MORE SPECIFIC NUMBERS, BUT IT'S ABOUT, IT WILL BE ABOUT 50 MILLION IN 28, 29, JUST STATE FUNDING NUMBER.
AND I WOULD ALSO POINT OUT ON THAT SIDE, YOU KNOW, IN TERMS OF LIKE TAKING THE MESSAGE TO THE UPSTATE PEERS, THE, THE, THE MAP OF SOUTH CAROLINA, THEIR SHOWS, UM, BEACHFRONT OWNERSHIP.
SO EVERYONE, YOU KNOW, EAT THE DARKER, THE BLUE, THE MORE PEOPLE THAT OWN SECOND HOMES ALONG THE SOUTH CAROLINA COAST.
SO, YOU KNOW, THE WHOLE STATE, REALLY THE BEACHES BELONG TO ALL OF US.
SO SOMEONE IN EVERY COUNTY IN THE STATE OWNS A BEACH, OWNS A BEACH HOUSE, A SECOND HOME.
AND SOMEONE IN EVERY STATE IN THE NATION OWNS A, UH, A BEACH HOUSE IN SOUTH CAROLINA.
SO THIS REALLY IS A STATE AND A NATIONAL ISSUE.
AND I APPRECIATE YOUR ATTENTION TO IT.
THIS IS GREAT WORK TOURISM OBVIOUSLY IS IF NOT THE ONE OF SOUTH CAROLINA'S MOST SIGNIFICANT, UM, UH, ACTIVITIES AND INDUSTRIES.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, FOR MANY YEARS WE STRUGGLED TO GET RECOGNITION ALONG THE COAST FOR HIGHWAY FUNDING, ESPECIALLY IN THIS PART OF THE STATE.
UM, AND THIS IS, IS, UM, IS AS SIGNIFICANT IN MANY RESPECTS AS HIGHWAY INFRASTRUCTURE.
SO YOU ARE PREACHING TO ACQUIRE HERE.
UM, BUT THANK YOU AND APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE.
UM, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, I SKIPPED OVER THE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES FOR OUR JUNE 18TH, 2021, UM, MEETING THAT WERE INCLUDED IN YOUR PACKET.
ARE THERE ANY, UM, QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FOR PASSAGE, MOTION FOR APPROVAL? UM, THE, UH, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, SAY AYE, ANY NOS EVERYBODY'S IN FAVOR, MS. MAXIE.
UM, THE NEXT WE HAVE OUR CHAIRMAN ACCOUNTING COUNCIL, MR. PASS SUMMIT, AND OUR COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR, MR. GREENWAY HERE TO VISIT WITH US ABOUT REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY, GENTLEMEN.
WE HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH THE SAVANNAH CHATHAM AREA TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE FOR SEVERAL MONTHS NOW ABOUT A FERRY SERVICE THAT WOULD BRING FERRIES FROM SAVANNAH TO VARIOUS AREAS IN BUFORD COUNTY.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE LEARNED IS THAT WE NEED A POINT PERSON ON OUR SIDE AND THAT WOULD BE PALMETTO BREEZE.
AND SO WE'RE HERE TO TALK ABOUT WHAT WE WOULD HAVE TO DO IN THE TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY LAW TO ENSURE THAT THEY COULD BE OUR POINT PERSON FOR THE TRANSPORTATION THAT WE NEED.
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SOME OF THE INFORMATION.IN ADDITION, WE'RE ALSO, AS YOU ALL ARE AWARE OF MANY OF YOU HAVE RECEIVED CALLS OVER THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS ABOUT OUR CURRENT FERRY SITUATION WITH OUR DEBUSKEY ISLAND RESIDENTS AND TOURISM TO THAT ISLAND IN ORDER FOR US TO SOLVE THAT PROBLEM, WE'RE TRYING TO ACHIEVE A LONG-TERM SOLUTION BECAUSE OVER THE PAST MANY YEARS, IT'S JUST BEEN A TEMPORARY CONTRACT WITH A PRIVATE CARRIER.
WE WOULD ALSO LIKE TO ENTER INTO A LONG-TERM ARRANGEMENT WITH PALMETTO BREEZE TO ACTUALLY, UH, TAKE OVER EVENTUALLY THE OPERATION OF PASSENGER FERRY SERVICES IN BUFORD COUNTY.
WHAT THAT WOULD DO IS IT WOULD ALLOW PALMETTO BREEZE TO ACCESS STATE AND FEDERAL GRANT MONEY FOR FERRY OPERATIONS.
SO, BUT THEIR TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY RIGHT NOW CAN'T DO THAT BECAUSE THE CURRENT STATE LAW ONLY LIMITS TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITIES TO SURFACE TRANSPORTATION FACILITIES.
SO WE WOULD NEED, AND I THINK I EMAILED THE, UM, UH, LANGUAGE, WHAT WE WOULD NEED, UH, FOR CODE SECTION 58 DASH 25 DASH 2010, TO BE REVISED TO SAY THAT PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION MEANS EVERY CONVEYANCE OF HUMAN PASSENGERS BY BUS VAN FERRY OR ANY OTHER SURFACE OR WATERBORNE VEHICLE.
SO IF YOU ALL COULD ENTERTAIN, UM, AT SOME POINT INTRODUCING THAT LEGISLATION ON BEHALF OF THE COUNTY, UH, THAT WOULD HELP US DEVELOP A MORE THOROUGH TERM SOLUTION, UH, TO DEALING WITH THE FERRY SITUATION HERE IN BUFORD COUNTY.
AND ALSO AS WE PARTNER WITH CHATHAM COUNTY TO PROVIDE, UH, MORE TOURIST OPPORTUNITIES TO, UH, USE THE FERRY SERVICE, UH, BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN BUFORD COUNTY AND SAVANNAH.
WE, WE ACTUALLY ALSO THINK THAT LONG TERM THAT THIS MIGHT BE AN ADDITIONAL TRANSPORTATION SOLUTION FOR SOME OF OUR MORE NORTHERN, UH, RESIDENTS WHO WORK IN THE SOUTHERN PART OF THE COUNTY, THAT IF WE COULD ACTUALLY HAVE A PASSIONATE FAIRY TO ALLOW THOSE FOLKS TO BE ABLE TO ACCESS THEIR PLACES OF EMPLOYMENT, UH, SOUTH, UM, UH, HILTON HEAD AND PLACES LIKE THAT, THAT THAT WOULD BE AN, A GREAT SOLUTION AS WELL, INSTEAD OF THEM HAVING TO RIDE BUSES OR TAKE, UH, THEIR OWN VEHICLES DOWN EVERY MORNING.
MANY OF THOSE RESIDENTS HAVE TO GET UP VERY, VERY EARLY IN THE MORNING IN ORDER TO, UH, TO GO TO WORK.
AND THEY'RE, UH, THEY'RE LATE AT NIGHT.
SO ANYWAY, THAT'S ALL I HAVE UNLESS YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.
THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN, MR. GREENWAY, DO YOU GUYS HAVE LANGUAGE YOU COULD LEAVE WITH US THAT WE COULD EVALUATE? YEAH.
AND MY SECOND QUESTION ON THAT FOLLOWUP ON THAT IS WITH THAT LANGUAGE, I MEAN, WOULD THAT BE WINSTON, WOULD THAT BE A LOCAL LEGISLATION? I KNOW IT'S DEALING WITH AUTHORITIES, YOU KNOW, OKAY.
I'M LOOKING AT THE EMAIL THAT YOU WILL WITH KIRK TAYLOR, OUR COUNTY ATTORNEY SENT, IF YOU ALL WILL, THE WHAT'D HE SUGGESTED IS INCLUDING LANGUAGE ABOUT FERRY OR OTHER SURFACE OR WATERBORNE VEHICLE, BUT HE LEFT THE LANGUAGE.
IT SAYS AS REQUIRED FOR INTRASTATE SERVICE.
I JUST HEARD YOU ALL SAY SOMETHING ABOUT FERRIES BETWEEN SAVANNAH AND GEORGIA.
SO IF YOU'LL ASK HIM TO ADDRESS, I, I'M NOT, I DON'T HAVE THE WHOLE STATUTE IN FRONT OF ME.
I'M GOING TO SUGGEST YOU ALL DO EMAIL, BUT WHEN I LOOKED AT THAT AND HEARD YOU SAY ACROSS STATE LINES, OBVIOUSLY THAT DOESN'T FIX THAT IN.
WE'LL, WE'LL, WE'LL PROVIDE A MORE THOROUGH, UM, A MORE THOROUGH RESPONSE.
YOU ALL, I WANTED TO MAKE SURE YOU ALL WERE AMENABLE TO, UH, LOOKING INTO THIS FOR US, AND THEN WE WILL GIVE YOU, WE'LL GIVE YOU THE LANGUAGE THAT'S NECESSARY TO CLEAN IT ALL UP.
SO TELL ME WHEN YOU SAY, MAKE THEM THE POINT PERSON JUST MAKE THEM THE ENTITY THAT'S RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS.
I MEAN, THE COUNTY COULD DO THIS TODAY, RIGHT? WELL, WE COULD NOT NECESSARILY UNDER THIS.
UM, BUT THEY WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO ACCESS ANY OF THE FEDERAL GRANT AND STATE GRANT MONEY THAT'S OUT THERE FOR, FOR FERRY OPERATIONS.
UM, BECAUSE OF THE FACT THAT THEY'RE NOT ABLE TO ACCESS THAT BECAUSE THE CURRENT LANGUAGE DOESN'T ALLOW THEIR AUTHORITY TO TAKE OVER THE FERRY SERVICE, BUT AS A, AS A REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY, IF WE CHANGE THOSE LANGUAGE, AND I UNDERSTAND THAT FREES THEM UP TO APPLY FOR GRANT MONEY AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL, THROUGH A FEDERAL HIGHWAY, OUR FEDERAL TRANSPORTATION DOLLARS TO ACTUALLY HAVE MONEY FOR THE FERRY.
CURRENTLY, WE'RE SPENDING ABOUT A HALF, A MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR OUT OF COUNTY COFFERS, OUR GENERAL FUND TO OPERATE THE FAIRY DUST TO THE FOSKEY ISLAND.
UH, AND WE DON'T HAVE A REALLY GOOD LONG-TERM SOLUTION FOR THAT.
WE'RE TRYING TO SECURE PERMANENT EMBARKATION POINTS ON BOTH THE FUSS GALLON AND THE COUNTY, AND WE'RE WORKING TOWARD THAT END.
AND ONCE WE GET THOSE TWO THINGS ESTABLISHED, THEN WE WILL BE ABLE TO SOLVE ONCE AND FOR ALL THE FERRY
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OPERATION ISSUE FOR DUSKY ALLEN AND, UH, MR. UH, REPRESENTATIVE.I DON'T THINK I HAVE TO TELL YOU, UM, YOU'VE PROBABLY DEALT WITH THAT WHEN YOU WERE ON BUFORD COUNTY COUNCIL AS WELL, A FEW TIMES.
SO, UH, IT'S A BIG NEED FOR US TO SOLVE.
UH, THE FUSSY ALLAN HAS GROWING.
UM, THEY HAD A A HUNDRED AND THEY HAD A A HUNDRED THOUSAND TOURISTS LAST YEAR.
THEY PROJECT THAT TO BE 120,000 THIS YEAR.
UH, SO IT'S A BIG NEED THAT WE NEED TO TRY TO SOLVE AND FIX, FIND A PERMANENT SOLUTION FOR.
UM, WHERE, UH, WHAT KIND OF VOLUME OF DOLLARS ARE YOU LOOKING AT RIGHT NOW? JUST, I'M NOT, I'M NOT SOMETHING I'M TRYING TO HOLD YOU TO, BUT WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING AT FOR SOME SORT OF FAIRY EMBARKATION, CIPHER TO FOSKEY ISLAND? YOU TALKING ABOUT FOR PURCHASING THE PROPERTIES? IT'LL BE, IT'LL BE, UH, PROBABLY AROUND 15 TO 20 MILLION.
BY THE TIME WE GET BOTH THINGS, SECURE IT ON BOTH SIDES.
AND WHAT ARE YOU THINKING? THE HALF A MILLION'S OUT THE WINDOW AND THAT'S GOING TO BE A MILLION OR TWO, UH, ON AN ANNUAL BASIS.
AND WHAT TIME LENGTH INTO THE FUTURE THAT YOU'RE, WHAT ARE YOU, WHEN ARE YOU LOOKING AT THOSE NUMBERS COMING UP? UH, THE, WELL, THE, THE PURCHASE OF THE EMBARKATION POINTS ARE IMMEDIATE.
UH, WE'RE TRYING TO DO THOSE NOW, UH, AND HOPEFULLY WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO BUY LAND THAT WILL ALLOW US TO GENERATE ADDITIONAL REVENUE, UH, FROM THOSE LAND, THOSE EMBARKATION POINTS TO HELP OFFSET THE COST OF THE FERRY OPERATION.
SO THE PURCHASE OF THE LAND IS WE'RE, WE'RE RESEARCHING THAT RIGHT NOW.
UH, GETTING IT ESTABLISHED WITH PALMATE OR BREEZE TO BE THE ACTUAL OPERATOR OF THE FERRY, UH, DOWN THE ROAD, UH, WOULD BE, UH, WOULD BE AFTER THIS LEGISLATION WOULD GET ADOPTED IN A COMPANY.
AND ONE LAST QUESTION, DID I, DID I MISS SOMETHING OR YOU LOOKING AT US TO TRY AND HELP YOU WITH THAT? I'M NOT LOOKING FOR YOU ALL TO HELP US WITH THE PURCHASE OF THE LAND.
SO JUST THE, JUST THE LANGUAGE AT THIS POINT, WE JUST NEED THE LANGUAGE OF MANDATE AT THIS POINT, FOR THE, TO INCLUDE WATERBORNE TRANSPORTATION, TO ALLOW TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY, TO TAKE OVER THAT, THAT SERVICE PALMATE OR REES'S BOARD IS ALREADY ESTABLISHED.
UH, SO IF THEY COULD JUST TAKE OVER THAT, THEN THAT'S GOING TO BE A LONG-TERM SOLUTION FOR US THAT, THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE IN OUR TOOLKIT.
I'M NOT SAYING THAT WE'VE DECIDED THAT WE'RE GOING TO DO THAT OR WHAT THE BEST THING IS, BUT, UM, I WANTED TO GO AHEAD AND TALK TO YOU ALL ABOUT US GETTING THIS STARTED, BECAUSE I THINK IT'S GOING TO BE GOOD FOR THE STATE.
UH LONG-TERM BECAUSE I THINK FERRY FERRY IS A VERY SERVICES.
UM, ALONG THE COAST, I THINK IT'S SOMETHING YOU ALL ARE GOING TO HEAR MORE AND MORE ABOUT AS A VIABLE OPTION.
UM, SO CHATHAM COUNTY CHATS OVER IN CHATHAM COUNTY, THEY, THEY OPERATE THE FERRY THAT GOES ACROSS, UH, THE SAVANNAH RIVER TO THE ISLAND, UH, NOW, AND THEY CAN DO THAT UNDERNEATH THEIR LEGISLATION.
SO I THINK IT JUST MAKES SENSE FOR US TO MODIFY THE LANGUAGE.
IT USED TO BE A FERRY SYSTEM OPERATED IN SANDY ISLAND.
IS THAT STILL EITHER OF Y'ALL HAVE ANY IDEA AND IS, YEAH, I DON'T KNOW THAT THAT'S A REGIONAL AUTHORITY OR NOT, BUT I'M CURIOUS.
I'M SURE THEY TRY TO GET GRANT MONEY AS WELL.
YEAH, I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW THE F I'M NOT THE WAY I UNDERSTAND IT IS NO, THERE IS NO A FERRY OPERATION STAYS SOUTH CAROLINA THAT IS ABLE TO ACCESS THOSE FEDERAL GRANT DOLLARS AND THAT FEDERAL FUNDING FOR FERRY OPERATION.
SO THAT MIGHT BE SOMETHING TO LOOK INTO.
CAUSE I THINK THE ONE AT SANDY ISLAND IS ACTUALLY A DLT FERRY SYSTEM.
THEY PROBABLY FIGURED OUT A WAY TO.
LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU ON THAT ISSUE.
THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME TODAY.
I'M THE CAPITAL PROJECTS COORDINATOR FOR BEAVER COUNTY.
I'M HERE REQUESTING A LETTER OF SUPPORT FOR BEAVER COUNTY'S APPLICATION TO THE RES GRANT, UH, FOR $25 MILLION FOR THE PROJECT OF US, 21 AS THE 8 0 2 CORRIDOR IMPROVEMENTS.
UH, THIS PROJECT IS A PART OF THE 2018 1 CENT SALES TAX REFERENDUM.
UM, FOR $30 MILLION ON LADY'S ISLAND TO BE EXPENDED FOR TRAFFIC IMPROVEMENTS.
ONE OF THE NINE PROJECTS IS THE OVERALL CORRIDOR.
SO WE'RE SEEKING ADDITIONAL FUNDS.
UH, THIS WILL BE OUR SECOND APPLICATION.
LAST TIME WE CAME HIGHLY RECOMMENDED TO THE SECRETARY.
UH, BUT UNFORTUNATELY WE'RE NOT SELECTED.
SO THIS TIME WE'RE HOPING THAT WE ARE SO WE'RE REAPPLYING THE DUE DATES APRIL 14TH.
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I'M SORRY.I JUST WANT TO GET MY FEET ON THE GROUND ON THIS.
THE 30 MILLION THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT IS WHAT WE AGREED TO, WHICH IS PART OF THE BRIDGE SYSTEM COMING OVER TO HILTON HEAD THAT WHOLE TAX YVETTE, RIGHT? YEAH.
SO THE 2018 SALES TAX REFERENDUM HAD THREE DIFFERENT PROJECTS.
ONE WAS LADY'S ISLAND IMPROVEMENTS.
THAT'S NINE SUB PROJECTS THAT WAS $30 MILLION AND THEN $10 MILLION WAS DEDICATED TO PATHWAYS AND SIDEWALKS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY.
WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT IS THE $30 MILLION.
THIS IS ONE OF THE PROJECTS IN THE $30 MILLION ALLOCATION.
UM, WE'RE LOOKING AT ABOUT $72 MILLION ALTOGETHER FOR ALL NINE OF THOSE PROJECTS.
SO WE ARE UNDERFUNDED AND THIS IS ONE OF THE FUNDING SOURCES THAT WE CAN APPLY TO, TO MEET THAT, THAT MATCH.
UM, AND WHAT ARE YOU ASKING US TODAY? A LETTER OF SUPPORT FOR BEAVER COUNTY TO APPLY TO THE RACE GRANT? YEAH.
DO WE NEED TO MAKE A MOTION FOR THAT OR? YEAH.
SO HOW MUCH IS THE GRANT YOU'RE APPLYING FOR? THE GRANT WILL BE 25 MILLION.
AND THE IT'S A RISE GRANT WITH POOP.
AND IS, I HEARD YOU SAY APRIL 14TH IS YOUR APPLICATION DEADLINE.
AND DO YOU KNOW THE AMOUNT OF MONEY IN THE GRANT CYCLE? NOT, I'M NOT SURE ABOUT THIS YEAR.
DO YOU KNOW IS AT LEAST 9.9 BILLION 9.9 BILLION? YES, SIR.
DOES THAT NUMBER SOUND RIGHT TO YOU? YES, SIR.
WE CAN GET REPRESENTED ERICKSON TO A HAND WALK, THIS PAM WALKER, SHE CAN'T WALK, WALK IT OVER AND DELIVER BY HAND.
UH THAT'S WHERE PART OF THE BUDGET.
I THINK THAT WOULD CARRY A LOT OF ADDITIONAL WEIGHT ON THERE TO DO THAT.
IF THE DELEGATION WOULD LIKE ME TO WELL, UM, UM, I'M HAPPY TO LOOK TO MY RIGHT FOR EMOTION, BUT SINCE THIS IS YOU, ALL'S PART OF THE COUNTY AND WHEN I CAN, I LOOKED HIM UP.
WELL, I WOULD MAKE A MOTION THAT WE WRITE A LETTER IN SUPPORT OF THE GRANT PROCESS.
ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? YEAH.
THANK YOU ALL IN OBESE HERE TODAY.
BETTER THAN IF I HAD CALLED YOU THE OTHER.
UM, SO, UH, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF APPROVAL, SAY AYE, INCLUDING THE PROXY HOLDERS FOR THOSE SENATORS THAT ARE NOT HERE.
ARE THERE ANY OPPOSED HEARING NONE.
WE APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE, VAN.
I THINK YOU'RE UP TOWN OF PORT ROYAL NAVY HERITAGE PARK FITNESS STATION INSTALLATION.
UH, I BELIEVE I'LL HAVE A COPY OF THE APPLICATION.
UM, I KNOW THAT THERE'S, UH, AN ALLOCATION FOR BEAVER COUNTY FOR PARKS AND RECREATIONAL, UH, FACILITIES, OR EXCUSE ME FOR A PROJECTS.
THIS WOULD ADD FITNESS CENTERS TO THE NAVAL HERITAGE PARK.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU FOLLOWED KIND OF WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING.
WE RELOCATED THE PINCKNEY PORTER CHAPEL THERE.
UH, WE HAVE A AGREEMENT WITH THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE, THE HOSTS FOR THE RECONSTRUCTION PARK.
SO WE'RE DOING CONSTANT IMPROVEMENTS.
ONE OF THE THINGS WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON SINCE 2016 IS ADDITION OF A SECTION OF SIDEWALK FROM REBO ROAD TO THE PARK THAT WE CONNECT IT TO THE BRIDGE.
AND NOW YOU'VE PROBABLY SEEN LOTS OF PEOPLE TO WALK OVER THAT BRIDGE.
SO THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO KIND OF ENHANCE THE, UH, FITNESS OPPORTUNITIES FOR PEOPLE IN PORT ROYAL THAT ALSO WALKED THE BRIDGE AS WELL.
AND SO THE PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION, I HAVE THE LIAISON, IF YOU WILL, FROM A TOWN COUNCIL HERE WITH ME, I'D REALIZE HE WAS COMING.
SO NOW I HAVE TO HAVE TO PULL THROUGH WITH THIS ANYWAY.
UM, SO THE PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION ENDORSED THE IDEA OF THE FITNESS ADDITION TO THE PARK, ASKED ME TO PURSUE ANY SORT OF GRANT FUNDING THAT I COULD FIND.
OBVIOUSLY THIS IS ONE THAT GETS ALLOCATED DURING AN ANNUAL BASIS.
SO HERE I AM MAKING THAT REQUEST.
OBVIOUSLY THE TOWN WILL PROVIDE THE MATCH, UH, FOR THAT THE BALANCE OF THAT PROJECT.
QUESTIONS JUST TO COMMENT THIS.
UM, MS. MAXINE, DO YOU KNOW WHAT THE CURRENT LEVEL OF FUNDING BUDDY? HOLD ON.
AND THAT'S IN THE PACKAGE THAT I HAD AT HOME OR THE PACKAGE THAT, CAUSE I COULDN'T, I DIDN'T SEE IT AT THE PRACTICE.
I JUST WANT TO SEE THAT 79, NOT 6 46, 29.
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OKAY.UM, AND THAT'S THE CYCLE THAT ENDS WHEN I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DID THAT LAST YEAR IN JUNE, WE DID, WE HAD A BALANCE OF 175,000 AND WE DID A HUNDRED AND TWENTY FIVE, SEVEN SIXTY TO BUFORD COUNTY FOR THE BLEEDING, THE STREET TENNIS COURTS.
WE DID CITY OF BUFORD, $50,000, UM, SOUTH SIDE PARK AMENITIES.
WE JUST TRY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ALLOCATE THESE FUNDS SORT OF EQUITABLY THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY.
WE JUST NEED TO BE MINDFUL OF THE FACT THAT THIS IS TWO YEARS RUNNING, UM, THAT WE'RE SPENDING ON ALLOCATING THIS MONEY NORTH OF THE BROAD.
WE JUST NEED TO BE, BE MINDFUL OF THAT GANG AS WE COME UP TO THE NEXT CYCLE OF FUNDING.
BUT THERE'LL BE AN ADDITIONAL MONIES AFTER THE BUDGET.
SO, UM, OTHER QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, DO I GET, CAN I GET A MOTION? THANK YOU, MR. RIVERS.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE, INCLUDING PROXIES ANY NAYS.
APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE, CAPTAIN THOMAS.
HOW ARE YOU TODAY? I'M WELL, GOOD MORNING.
UM, I'M ASKING FOR A 74,000 FOR OUR MARINE DIVISION TO STOCK, UM, STATE AND RECREATIONAL SHELLFISH BEDS, BUFORD COUNTY.
THE PRIORITIES NOW ARE TRUCKERS OUT ON ST.
HELENA BROAD RIVER, WHERE WE HAVE SOME RECREATIONAL BED THAT CAN FOLKS CAN GET TO WITHOUT HAVING TO GET, YOU KNOW, GET IN THE BOAT AND GET TO THEM.
THEY CAN WALK FROM THE LAND IN THERE.
UM, YOU KNOW, THEY JUST GET DEPLETED OVER YEARS OF USE AND THIS WOULD BOTHER SHELL STOCK WHERE WE PUT OUT THE, YOU KNOW, WE'LL GO AND PUT OUT THE, UM, OYSTER SHELL SO THAT THE LIBRARY CAN ATTACH TO IT.
AND THEY CAN GROW A LITTLE BIT TOUGH GETTING THE STUFF RIGHT NOW, BUT THEY DO HAVE, THEY DO HAVE A LINE ON GETTING IN IT'S ABOUT 4,000 PER LOAD, AND WE'RE LOOKING TO GET, YOU KNOW, CLOSE TO 20 LOADS AND, UM, YOU KNOW, YOU ALL APPROVED A PRETTY BIG PORTION OF IT LAST YEAR AS WELL.
AND THEY WERE ABLE TO GET SOME, GET MOST OF THAT OUT.
LIKE I SAID, THEY RAN OUT OF SHELL STOCK.
UM, SO THERE IS, THERE IS A LITTLE BIT OF MONEY STILL SITTING THERE, BUT THEY WOULD LIKE TO GO AHEAD AND TRY TO GET ON A LOT.
A LOT OF THESE BEDS THAT ARE IN THE COUNTY, BROAD RIVER AND TRUNK ARE DARK.
THE ONLY TWO THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT, WE'RE LOOKING AT, UM, ONE OVER HERE ON HILTON HEAD.
AND WHEN THEY'RE ALSO LOOKING AT SOME AND MORGAN RIVER AS WELL, ANY QUESTIONS, IT LOOKS LIKE LAST YEAR WE DID 132,500, BUT WAS THE SHELVES FOR THE PUBLIC SHELLFISHING REPLANTING ALSO MONOFILAMENT RECYCLING STATION WAS THAT I THINK THAT IS CORRECT.
I THOUGHT IT WAS 64, THE SHELL, AND THEN WE HAD A LAW ENFORCEMENT REQUEST AND THEN WE HAD THE MONOFILAMENT AS WELL.
CAUSE YOU DID A BOAT AS WELL LAST YEAR, I BELIEVE.
WELL THE LAW ENFORCEMENT REQUEST WAS FOR THE PIONEER BOAT.
THAT'S FROM A DIFFERENT SENSE FROM GAME AND FISH.
UM, AND THE WATER REC, UM, WAS 132.
UM, BUT IT COVERED A NUMBER OF THOSE THINGS.
UH, WE ALSO COMMENTED, OR AT LEAST HAD SOME BRIEF DISCUSSION LAST YEAR ABOUT RESTROOM FACILITIES AT BOAT LANDINGS.
IS THAT SOMETHING, IS THE COUNTY STILL TALKING ABOUT THAT RESTROOM FACILITIES, SOME OF THE COUNTY BOAT LANDINGS WHERE THERE ARE NONE.
UM, I KNOW I'M DEALING WITH ANOTHER ONE UP IN, UH, UP UP THE COAST.
I THINK IT'S ORIE COUNTY, GEORGETOWN COUNTY AREA, AND SOME OF THE LANDINGS THAT ARE COUNTY OWNED, YOU KNOW, THE CONTRACTS ARE MADE BETWEEN THE COUNTY AND WHOEVER THE LANDOWNER IS, OR LIKE, UH, YOU KNOW, GEORGE GRAND STRAND SEWER WATER.
SO I WOULD HAVE TO LOOK INTO THOSE CONTRACTS TO SEE IF THERE, YOU KNOW, IF THERE IS SOMETHING, BUT THAT IS CERTAINLY SOMETHING THAT I CAN ASK ABOUT AND TRY TO GET SOME FOOTING ON AND I CAN GET BACK TO YOU LATER TODAY.
AND, AND, UM, YEAH, WELL, I'M JUST CURIOUS.
I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY IT'S BEEN A LONG TIME SINCE I'VE BEEN ON COUNTY COUNCIL, BUT THE NEED THAT THE IDENTIFIED NEED FOR THERE BEING BATHROOM FACILITIES AT COUNTY BOAT LANDINGS IS, IS NOT NEW.
UM, AND THE COUNTY HAS LOOKED AT IT AT DIFFERENT TIMES AND TRIED TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO, HOW TO FUND IT.
UM, I JUST KNOW THAT SOME OF THESE REVENUES THAT ARE, UM, UH, WATER REC REVENUES PERHAPS COULD BE USED TO HELP, UM, ADDRESS SOME OF THOSE, UM, ISSUES.
SO I JUST HA I MEAN, I I'M LIKE A BROKEN RECORD.
I'M HAPPY TO START THAT CONVERSATION WITH, WITH THOSE GUYS AND I DID FIND OUT IT, SO IT IS A SCHOOL BUS THAT RUNS THE SANDY ISLAND.
I'M TRYING TO FIND OUT IF IT'S THERE.
SO WHEN I TALK TO THEM ABOUT THAT, I'M HAPPY TO START THAT DISCUSSION AND WE CAN BOTH GET BACK TO YOU AND LET YOU KNOW, BECAUSE I DO AGREE, YOU KNOW, MOST, EVERY LAND IN THE SESSION, OUR BIGGER ONES COULD, COULD DEFINITELY USE THAT, THAT ASSET.
[00:30:01]
QUESTIONS? THE GRANT REQUEST IS FOR 74,400.YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT 20 LOADS.
HOW MUCH VOLUME OF MATERIAL IS THAT? AND THESE ARE, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT OYSTERS.
IT WOULD COVER ABOUT SIX ACRES.
THAT'S IT, OF, OF ACTUAL SHELL BANK THAT WERE, THAT WERE RECYCLING.
THAT'S HOW THEY, THEY BLOW IT OUT.
AND, UM, I THINK IT'S LIKE 5.82, CAUSE THAT WAS ONE OF THE QUESTIONS.
OBVIOUSLY THIS IS A MARINE AND MARINE DIVISION REQUESTS, OR TRIED TO GET AS MUCH KNOWLEDGE ABOUT IT.
AND, YOU KNOW, OVER THE YEARS I'VE GAINED MORE, BUT YOU KNOW, YOU WOULD THINK 20 LOADS WOULD COVER ALL ABROAD RIVER AND ALL OF YOU FOR COUNTY, BUT IT'S REALLY ONLY ABOUT SIX ACRES OF ACTUAL BED, YOU KNOW, APPROVED BEDS THAT THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO DO WITH THE $74,000.
SO IS IT LIKE A, A LOAD IS A SINGLE TRUCKLOAD.
IT COMES IN DUMP TRUCKS AND THEY PUT IT ON A BARGE AND THEN THEY'LL TAKE THE BARGE OUT TO THE SITE, YOU KNOW, AND THEN THEY'LL BLOW IT OFF WITH LIKE A, A BIG WATER NOZZLE.
THEY BLOW THE SHELL UP ONTO THE BANK AND THEN THAT'S WHAT THE LOBBY ATTACHES TO.
AND THE, YOU KNOW, AND THERE'S ALSO EXISTING SHELL THERE THAT, THAT HELPS US BOND AND GET, YOU KNOW, BETTER HABITAT IS WARM, BUT IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT AS MANY ACRES AS I THOUGHT, BUT THE GOAL, I THINK INITIALLY THREE YEARS AGO WAS TO GET UP TO 20 ACRES OF, UH, BEDS, YOU KNOW, DONE.
SO IS THIS IT ALL WORKING WITH THE FOUNDATION ON HILTON HEAD? THAT'S TRYING TO DO THE SIMILAR TYPE WORK.
IS THERE ANY COORDINATION WITH, I'M NOT SURE ABOUT THAT.
DO YOU HAVE ANY, DO YOU HAVE ANY THOUGHTS ON THAT? YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.
I'LL BE HERE AFTER, SO WE CAN, WE CAN, MAYBE YOU GUYS COULD CONNECT AND I CAN DEFINITELY GET HER WITHOUT SHELLFISH, YOU KNOW, GET HER IN TOUCH WITH OUR SHELLFISH FOLKS AND ABSOLUTELY THAT'D BE, I MEAN, THAT'S RIGHT.
THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT THEY'RE DOING.
YOU KNOW, THEY'RE JUST TRYING TO DO IT IN THESE AREAS WHERE, WHERE THEY OPEN THE PICK.
AND ONE THING JUST, I KNOW YOUR HONOR, UM, ONE QUICK THING, WE DID CHANGE OUR SEASONS LAST YEAR THAT THE FOLKS OVER IN MRD, THEY SAW LIKE, THERE'S, OVER-HARVESTING GOING ON.
YOU KNOW, COMMERCIAL GUYS ARE COMING IN AND OVER HARVEST IN SOME OF THESE AREAS.
SO THEY REALLY LIMITED THE SEASONS.
WE BROKE OUR SEASON UP TRADITIONALLY, YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN HERE 21 YEARS AND IT'S BEEN A MID SEASON SPLIT.
WELL NOW WE'RE DOING LIKE THREE SPLITS SO THAT, SO THEY DON'T HAVE AS LONG TO PICK ON THE BEDS IN ORDER TO REGENERATE AND TRY TO LET THESE STATE BEDS AND RECREATIONAL BEDS REALLY RECOUP AND COME BACK.
I'VE GOT TO SAY IN A DIFFERENT NOTE, THE, UM, REPRESENTATIVE NEWTON AND I OBVIOUSLY LIVE CLOSE TO THE MAY, SO WE ARE GETTING GREAT COMMENTS FROM OUR FOLKS WHO, YOU KNOW, YOU RARELY GET GOOD COMMENTS, YOU GET MORE COMPLAINTS IN ANYTHING ELSE, BUT GOOD COMMENTS ON THE LAW ENFORCEMENT ON THE, UH, FROM DNR ZONE.
WAS IT WORKED DOWN HERE AND JUST THE PRESENCE I THINK.
AND IT, I MEAN, OTHER THAN THE HOOLIGANS FROM SAVANNAH OVER AT THE FOSKEY, I THINK IT'S A THAT'S RIGHT.
WELL, AND Y'ALL AS Y'ALL WELL KNOW, YOU KNOW, WE APPRECIATE ALL THE SUPPORT Y'ALL WERE GIVING US IN LAW ENFORCEMENT AND OUR WHOLE AGENCY, BUT I, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GETTING MORE FOLKS DOWN HERE.
SO MORE PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, MORE, MORE PEOPLE OUT THERE, IT MAKES A BIG DIFFERENCE.
THE CORDIALITY OF THE, OF YOUR OFFICERS TO THE, THE FOLKS THAT LOCAL FOLKS AND ALL IS REALLY NOTICING.
UM, YOU'RE GETTING A LOT MORE PEOPLE, WE'RE GETTING A LOT MORE USE OF THEM AND THAT'S A GOOD THING.
UM, IS OUR HARVESTING OF OUR FARM OYSTERS, HELPING THEM A LITTLE BIT WITH THAT.
THAT CERTAINLY TAKES THE PRESSURE OFF.
UM, AND YOU KNOW, EVEN SOME OF OUR MIRACLES FOR FOLKS WHO DO THAT, THEY'RE STILL HARVESTING ON THE SHELF, YOU KNOW, ON THESE STATE SHELLFISH GROUNDS AND, UM, AND SELLING, YOU KNOW, CLUSTERS OR WHATNOT.
HOWEVER, YOU KNOW, WHEN THEY WERE DOING X NUMBER OF BUSHELS FIVE YEARS AGO, NOW THEY'RE PROBABLY DOING A THIRD OF THAT, MAYBE A QUARTER OF THAT BECAUSE THEY'RE SELLING THE AMERICA CULTURE BUSINESS HAS TAKEN OFF SO WELL.
AND SO I THINK THAT PRESSURE IS A HUGE HELP AS WELL.
SO IT MAY GIVE, MAY GIVE THE MARINE FOLKS, YOU KNOW, UH, A JUMPSTART TO REALLY GET THESE BEDS BACK GOING SO THAT, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY ELSE CAN GET UP AND GET THEM CLEAN.
OUR WATER QUALITY IS GOOD AS WELL.
YES, MA'AM THE HEC STAYS ON TOP OF THAT.
AND, YOU KNOW, THEY LET US KNOW OF ANY CLOSURES.
I THINK THE ONLY CLOSURE WE HAD THIS PAST YEAR AT BATTERY CREEK, A SEWAGE SPILL, BUT EVERYTHING ELSE SEEMS PRETTY WELL, SO.
YES, MA'AM MS. CHAIRMAN, I'D MOVED TO ACCEPT THE $74,000 REQUEST.
ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF APPROVAL, SAY AYE, INCLUDING PROXIES ANY NOS ANONYMOUSLY APPROVED.
UM, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THE NEXT ITEM ON OUR AGENDA IS THE DISCUSSION OF THE PROCESS OF GOING THROUGH, UH, INTERVIEWS, UM, OR APPLICATIONS RELATIVE TO THE VETERANS AFFAIRS DIRECTOR POSITION.
UM, EACH OF YOU ALL SHOULD HAVE RECEIVED FROM, UH, MS. MAXIE, THE POSITION
[00:35:01]
WAS NOTICED IN THE, UH, IN THE PAPER APPLICATIONS HAVE BEEN SUBMITTED A NUMBER OF THOSE.I THINK MR. WEDO YOURS INCLUDED AMONG THOSE, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, IF NOT, UH, AND YOU DO WANT TO BE PART OF THAT PROCESS, PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT YOU DO SUBMIT THE APPROPRIATE PAPERWORK OR TALK TO MS. MAXIE ABOUT WHATEVER PAPERWORK YOU HAVE.
UM, OBVIOUSLY THE SENATE, UH, INTENDED TO BE HERE TODAY.
THEY HAVE GONE BACK INTO SESSION THOUGHT THEY WERE GOING TO BE ON RECESS THIS WEEK.
WE DID NOT INTEND TO HOLD, UM, INTERVIEWS, UM, THIS WEEK.
BUT IF YOU ALL WILL RECALL, THIS IS A POSITION THAT DOES REQUIRE SOME LEAD TIME TO GET UP, TO SPEED, TO LEARN, UM, AS TO WHAT HAS TO BE DONE, THAT MIGHT BE, UH, UH, UH, SOME EDUCATION, UM, AND WORKING ALONGSIDE, UH, MR. WELLER'S APPOINTMENT, UM, BASED ON MR. GRIMSLEY, HIS LETTER AND, UH, JANUARY 28TH OF THIS YEAR, UM, IS, UM, THAT, THAT, UH, APPOINTMENT WAS EXTENDED UNTIL A SUCCESSOR CHOSEN BY THE DELEGATION AS ASSUMED THE DUTIES OR JUNE 30, 23, UM, WHICHEVER OCCURS EARLIER.
SO IF YOU ALL WILL TAKE A LOOK AT THOSE APPLICATIONS THAT ARE INCLUDED, MAKE SURE YOU HAVE A COMPLETE PACKAGE OF THOSE FROM, UH, MS. MAXIE.
AND THEN, UM, WE WILL LOOK TO, UH, DEVELOP SOME SORT OF INTERVIEW SCHEDULE.
WE'VE NOT DONE THIS BEFORE THAT I'M AWARE OF AS A DELEGATION.
I KNOW WE HAVE IN JASPER COUNTY.
I DON'T THINK MR. WENDLER, WHEN YOU FIRST CAME ON, I THINK YOU MAY HAVE BEEN THE ONLY INTERVIEW INTERVIEW WE CONDUCTED, UM, AT THAT POINT IN TIME.
I'M NOT, I'M NOT CERTAINLY, BUT, UM, MS. ERICKSON REMINDED ME OF THAT, UM, EARLIER TODAY, BUT IF YOU ALL WILL TAKE A LOOK AT THE APPLICATIONS, UM, THE, UM, I, YOU KNOW, IT MAY BE THE APPROPRIATE THING IS TO IDENTIFY THE HANDFUL THAT EACH OF YOU ALL, UH, WOULD LIKE ONE OR MORE TO INTERVIEW.
AND THEN WE MIGHT COORDINATE, UM, WITH MS. ERICKSON AS SECRETARY OF THE DELEGATION OF, OF HELPING COORDINATE AND SCHEDULE WHEN WE WOULD LOOK TO HAVE THE INTERVIEWS.
ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT A GOOD UNDERSTAND WHERE WE ARE, MR. RIVERS? YOU GOOD? OKAY.
AND MS. MAXIE, IF YOU'LL MAKE SURE EVERYBODY HAS COPIES OF, I KNOW THEY WERE EMAILED, BUT THAT HAS COPIES OF ALL OF, ALL OF THEM, INCLUDING ANY, ANY PAPERWORK MR. WETZLER HAS AS WELL.
UM, BUFORD JASPER, HIGHER ED, UM, LOOKS LIKE WE HAVE, UM, I THINK WE HAVE MS. DOR RECENTLY RESIGNED AND MS. BANNER RECENTLY RESIGNED.
UM, IF YOU ALL LOOK AT THE INFORMATION THAT'S INCLUDED, WE DON'T HAVE ANY APPLICATIONS MS. MAXIE ARE FROM CORRECT AT THIS POINT, NOT WITHSTANDING THE FACT THAT THEY HAVE BEEN ADVERTISED, UM, FOR THESE POTENTIAL VACANCIES.
UM, SO THIS IS INCLUDED IN HERE AS MUCH, IF ANYTHING, I KNOW, UM, MR. PIERCE'S TERM EXPIRES IN JUNE, UM, MS. DOOR'S TERM IS SET TO EXPIRE IN JUNE DR.
THOSE ARE THE TWO RESIGNATIONS.
UM, HAS MR. PEARSON INDICATED WHETHER HE WANTS TO CONTINUE TO SERVE, OKAY.
ALL THE VACANCIES WERE HOWEVER, AN UPCOMING VACANCIES INCLUDED IN THE NEWSPAPER REQUEST.
I HATE TO VOTE ON IT IF HE DOESN'T WANT TO DO IT.
UM, BUT WILL YOU SEND HIM A LETTER AND ASK HIM FOR, FOR US TO ADVISE OF HIS INTEREST IN, UH, THEY ALSO, UM, MS. MAXIE, WE PROBABLY NEED TO REACH OUT TO, UH, DR.
PANNU, UM, AND, UM, ALSO, UM, PERHAPS THE CURRENT MEMBERS OF THE BUFORD JASPER HIGHER EDUCATION COMMISSION, MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE AWARE OF THE TWO RESIGNATIONS WITH COVID.
I, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW WHEN THE LAST TIME THEY'VE MET, BUT, UM, TO THAT THEY MAY KNOW OF SOMEONE WHO JUST HAS NOT SUBMITTED AN APPLICATION YET.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR THOUGHTS HE'S ON HERE? HE'S PERHAPS WE COULD REACH OUT TO HIM.
UM, ANY OTHER COMMENTS, QUESTIONS, THOUGHTS, THE COMMENT? I THINK, I THINK, UH, COMING UPON US TO MAYBE SET A MEETING UP WITH THE, UH, BEAVER CHAPTER WATER, UM, THE BOARD NOW,
[00:40:01]
AND I TALKED TO THEM BECAUSE I THINK CONSTITUENT COMMENTS ARE NOT GOOD ON THIS.SO, I MEAN, I'M SORRY, I'M SORRY.
I, THIS IS ON THE TOP OF MINE, SO I'LL GET TO THAT WHEN WE GET THE, OKAY.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR THOUGHTS OR COMMENTS ABOUT HIRING YOU FOR JASPER HIGHER? ED WE'LL WORK ON IT.
OBVIOUSLY, MR. CHAIRMAN AND MR. GREENWAY Y'ALL ARE HEARING AS WELL.
OBVIOUSLY WE'VE GOT, YOU KNOW, IF YOU ALL, UH, KNOW OF INDIVIDUALS I KNOW THROUGH YOU ALL PRETTY EXTENSIVE BOARD AND COMMISSION PROCESS, FOLKS THAT MAY BE INTERESTED IN SERVING ON THE BUFORD JASPER HIGHER EDUCATION COMMISSION, UM, IT WOULD BE, UH, OBVIOUSLY WE'RE LOOKING, WE'RE WEARING THE RECRUITING MODE.
NEXT, MR. GUZMAN, YOU MAY HAVE A COMMENT ON THIS, UM, BUFORD JASPER WATER AND SEWER AUTHORITY.
YEAH, I'M GOOD WITH THE, UH, I'M GOOD WITH THE RECOMMENDATION BY, UH, PORT ROYAL, BUT I THINK WE MAY, WE MAY NEED TO HAVE JUST A SIT DOWN WITH THE WATER AND SEWER AUTHORITY BOARD.
NOW, UH, WE HAVE MORE, WE'VE GOT MORE COMMENTS ABOUT THAT FROM MY CONSTITUENTS AND, UH, THAN ANYTHING ELSE COMBINED.
WE CAN CERTAINLY MR. MAXEY, IF YOU'LL MAKE A NOTE OF THAT FOR AN UPCOMING DELEGATION MEETING, BUFORD, JASPER A WATER AUTHORITY BOARD, BUT IF WE GET THE WHOLE BOARD TOGETHER OR WHATEVER, WE CAN ON THAT AND, UH, TALK WITH THEM AND BE KINDA NICE.
UH, HER COMPLAINTS AS WELL, MR. RIVERS PUT IT ON GREEN, I'M HAVING SOME CONCERNS SHARED WITH ME AS WELL FROM B FOR JASPER.
AND SO, SO I THINK THAT MEETING WOULD, COULD BE VERY PRODUCTIVE.
UM, OKAY, SO WE HAVE ONE APPOINTMENT THIS MORNING, DR.
DAVID STRANGE, UH, UH, MR. DAVID, STRANGE, EXCUSE ME, MR. STRANGE, WE'LL COMPLETE THE SIX YEAR TERM OF HIS PREDECESSOR, MS. BRANDY GRAY, WHICH BEGAN JULY 1ST, 2021 AND WILL EXPIRE JULY 1ST, 2027.
UM, IF APPOINTED, THAT'S THE ONLY APPLICATION, UM, THAT WE HAVE RECEIVED.
UM, AND THIS IS, UM, RECOMMENDATION FROM THE TOWN OF PORT ROYAL.
UM, AND, UH, THE RECOMMENDATION LETTER FROM THE MAYOR IS INCLUDED IN Y'ALL'S PACKAGE.
ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS, UM, MR. CHAIRMAN, I'M LOOKING AT THE, AT THE LIST OF BOARD MEMBERS AND, UM, SINGLETON ORIGINAL AND EXPIRE SEVEN ONE TO 21.
I SAID, JASPER DELEGATION ISSUE.
I KNOW I'M JUST BRINGING IT TO YOUR ATTENTION SINCE YOU ARE ON THE JASPER DELEGATION.
FORTUNATELY, I'M NOT CHAIRMAN OF THAT DELEGATION AND, AND THE, UH, ALSO JASPER COUNTY DELEGATION ON BOND, UM, WITH SEVERAL OF OUR OTHER MEMBERS OF THIS, UH, THIS BODY AND MS. ALTMAN AND BELL AND SCHULZ COMING UP IN JULY OF THIS YEAR.
SO WE HAVE SEVERAL POSITIONS ON THIS BOARD THAT NEED ATTENTION.
WELL, I CAN'T DO MUCH ABOUT THE JASPER, BUT I APPRECIATE YOUR, UH, I'LL MAKE SURE THAT THE BUFORD APPOINTMENTS ARE ON A TRACK TO BE CONSIDERED.
UM, AND, UH, WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT THOSE HAVE BEEN MS. MAXIE PROPERLY, UH, ADVERTISED IN THE PAPER FOR INTEREST, BOTH FOR REAPPOINTMENTS AS WELL AS APPOINTMENTS, UM, FOR EACH AND EVERY SEAT PRIOR TO JULY ONE.
SO, UM, MR. STRANGER'S APPOINTMENT, THANK YOU.
ANY QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, HEARING NONE.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF APPROVAL, PLEASE SAY AYE.
UM, THE NEXT IS THE BROAD CREEK PUBLIC SERVICE DISTRICT COMMISSION CONSIDERATION OF REAPPOINTMENT OF FOUR INDIVIDUALS, JAMES ROWE, UM, JOHN JOSEPH, DEAN LEIGHTON, AND THOMAS HOPKINS SMACKS YOU ALL.
THESE WERE ADVERTISED FOR BOTH CONSIDERATION, NOT ONLY FOR
[00:45:01]
REAPPOINTMENTS, BUT FOR ANYBODY TO APPLY THAT MIGHT HAVE AN INTEREST.UM, AND THESE ARE THE FOUR APPLICATIONS THAT YOU GOT WERE FOUR REAPPOINTMENTS OF THESE SEATS, IS THAT CORRECT? AND NONE FOR NEW APPOINTMENTS.
UM, MR. ROWE AND MR. JOSEPH WILL BE COMPLETING THEY'RE A THREE-YEAR TERM THAT BEGAN JULY OF 21 AND EXPIRED JULY OF 24.
IF REAPPOINTED, LEIGHTON, AND HOPKINS SERVING A THREE-YEAR TERM THAT BEGINS JULY 22 AND EXPIRES JULY OF 25.
IF REAPPOINTMENT, ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS, UM, OR COMMENTS AND MATERIAL BACKING UP THESE APPLICATIONS AND THE RECOMMENDATION, UM, ARE INCLUDED, UH, THE MATERIAL YOU'VE BEEN PROVIDED.
MS. BRADLEY IS THAT YOU'RE MAKING A MOTION THEN FOR EXPEDIENCY PURPOSES FOR ALL FOUR FOR THE CORRESPONDING TERMS THAT WE DISCUSSED.
MR. CHARISMA, YOU GOT THAT SECOND.
ANY QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, HEARING NONE.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF APPROVAL OF THE FOUR APPOINTMENTS FOR THE TERMS AS DESCRIBED, PLEASE SAY AYE, INCLUDING PROXIES.
AND HE KNOWS HEARING NONE UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED.
THE NEXT ARE THE SOUTH ISLAND PUBLIC SERVICE DISTRICT, UM, COMMISSION CONSIDERATION OF TWO REAPPOINTMENTS MS. LIGHTSEY AND MISS OVENS SLIGHT.
AND MS. EVANS WILL SERVE A THREE-YEAR TERM BEGINNING, JULY 1ST, 2022, EXPIRING JULY 1ST, 2025.
UM, IF RHEA APPOINTED SMACKS YOU, I DO NOTE THAT THERE ARE A HANDFUL ON HERE OF, UM, THAT APPEAR TO HAVE TERMS THAT EXPIRED IN, UM, UH, 21.
I DON'T KNOW, WITH THAT INFORMATION WE NEED TO GET FROM THE STATES, JOHN FAILING, JAMES RICHARDSON, BOTH OF THOSE APPEAR, AND THEN ALSO, UH, JIM VAUGHN'S SEAT AND APPEARS TO BE UP IN 22, 22.
RIGHT? SO THE TWO APPOINTMENTS WE'RE MAKING RIGHT NOW ARE 22 APPOINTMENTS, BUT IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE MR. VAUGHN IS IN THAT MIC.
THE TWO LADIES ARE IN SUBMITTED THEIR APPLICATIONS.
SO IF YOU WANT TO HOLD THEM, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, ABSOLUTELY NOT.
IT'S HARD ENOUGH GETTING THIS CROWD TOGETHER.
AND THAT HAD BEEN NOTICED IN THE PAPER AND THEY HAVE SUBMITTED, WHICH I WANT TO, BUT OBVIOUSLY THE ONE THAT, UM, THE AT-LARGE APPOINTMENT THAT WAS 7 1 21, MR. RICHARDSON, WE NEED TO REACH OUT TO HIM AND CONFIRM THAT.
I MEAN, THAT'S OBVIOUSLY ONE THAT WE NEED TO TEND TO AS WELL.
AND MR. PHELAN, THAT'S CORRECT.
WE'RE JUST WAITING FOR THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE AND MR. RICHARDSON'S AS WELL.
CAUSE I THOUGHT WE DEALT WITH THAT LAST YEAR.
WOULD YOU, IF YOU WOULD CHECK ON THAT FOR ME, I MEAN, THE RECORDS COMING OUT OF COLUMBIA ARE NOT ALWAYS AS CURRENT AS WE WOULD LIKE.
UM, BUT IF YOU WILL CHECK ON THOSE PLEASE MA'AM AND GET BACK TO US.
UM, ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS THIS, THE SOUTH ISLAND PUBLIC SERVICE DISTRICT, UH, MS. LIGHTSEY AND MS. OVENS.
YOU MAKE THE MOTION, MR. BRATTON.
WHEN YOU GOT THE SECOND, SORRY.
ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? I'M NOT SURE WHAT YOU HAVE.
UM, MR. RICHARDSON'S TERM IN JULY 1ST, 2024.
SO IT MAY JUST BE THAT, THAT, THAT CHART NEEDS TO BE UPDATED.
I WANTED TO SAY, I THOUGHT WE DEALT WITH THAT LAST YEAR.
AND HOW ABOUT MR. FAGAN? IS THAT THE SAME? OKAY, GOT IT.
SO MS. OWENS AND MS. LIGHTSEY THEN THE NEXT, UH, TIME OR 2020 THREES.
A PENDING MOTION IS APPROVAL OF MS. LIGHTSEY AND MS. OVENS, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF APPROVAL, PLEASE SAY AYE, INCLUDING PROXIES ANY NOS HEARING NONE UNANIMOUS.
NEXT TO THE FOSTER CARE REVIEW BOARD, UM, WE HAVE TO HOLD OVER CANDIDATES, CONTACT AND MACKIE AND CONSIDERATION OF UNEMPLOYMENT FOR MS. MELISSA MARTIN.
MS. MARTIN WILL BE COMPLETING A FOUR YEAR
[00:50:01]
TERM OF HER PREDECESSOR, UM, MS. CONTI, WHICH BEGAN DECEMBER 31ST, 2018, EXPIRING DECEMBER 31ST, 2022, IF APPOINTED AND MS. CONTE IS STILL SERVING, BUT WOULD LIKE AS INDICATED TO RETIRE, UM, HER POSITION.IT'S ALSO NOTEWORTHY THAT WE'VE GOT MS. GRAVES COMING UP IN JUNE OF THIS YEAR.
SO WE NEED TO MAKE SURE WE'VE ADVERTISED AND REACH OUT TO HER APPROPRIATELY AS WELL.
YOU ALL WILL SEE THAT W THIS IS A FIVE MEMBER BOARD PER JUDICIAL CIRCUIT, AND WE'VE GOT THREE REPRESENTATIVES FROM BUFORD AND TWO FOR JASPER.
UM, MS. MARTIN, UH, IS UP FOR APPOINTMENT FOR MS. CONTEST TERM ANY, AND THAT IS THE ONLY, UH, APPLICATION WE HAVE, CORRECT.
STILL SERVING AND I HAVE REQUESTED APPLICATIONS FROM BOTH OF THEM THAT I HAVE NOT RECEIVED ANY YET.
AND HE'S IN A HOLD OVER CAPACITY AS WELL.
MAYBE FOR PAST ME FOR APPROVAL.
MR. BROWN, MR. KURTZMAN, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF APPROVAL OF MS. MARTINS, UH, APPOINTMENT FEEL MS.
SO, UH, SAY HI, INCLUDING PROXIES ANY NOTES.
UM, THE NEXT ONE IS A LITTLE MORE COMPLICATED.
UM, AND THIS IS THE SALT WATER RECREATIONAL FISHERIES ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
UM, AND I SAY, THIS IS A LITTLE MORE COMPLICATED.
SENATOR CAMPSEN HAS BROUGHT FORWARD SOME INFORMATION, UM, ON THIS, IF YOU ALL WILL LOOK IN THE, UH, YOUR PACKET, YOU WILL SEE, UM, THAT THOMAS A. WEBSTER FROM BUFORD IS THE CURRENT CHAIR.
HE WAS ORIGINALLY APPOINTED IN 2006 WITH AN ORIGINAL EXPIRATION DATE OF JUNE 30TH, 2010.
SO OBVIOUSLY THIS IS A HOLD OVER TERMS ARE FOUR YEARS IN THE STATUTORY PROVISIONS FOR THIS COMMISSION ACTUALLY PROVIDE NO MORE THAN TWO CONSECUTIVE TERMS. THEORETICALLY, HIS TERM WOULD HAVE ENDED IN JUNE OF 2014, BUT HE'S THE CHAIRMAN AND DNR HAS IN THE PAST INDICATED HE IS VALUABLE TO THAT COMMITTEE AND WANTED TO STAY.
SO THE DELEGATION IS NOT SIMPLY PASSED OVER THIS, BUT HAS LEFT THIS, UM, IN PLACE AS THE LAW PROVIDES YOU CONTINUE TO SERVE, UM, UNTIL A SUCCESSOR IS, UH, APPOINTED.
UM, THERE IS ONE APPLICANT MR. JOHN WILCOX, UM, AND THAT IS THE, UM, INFORMATION THAT MR. TAMPSON I BELIEVE HAS, UM, BROUGHT FORWARD.
I WAS HOPING MR. CAMPSEN WOULD BE HERE TODAY AND WE COULD HAVE A CONVERSATION.
MR. WILCOX WOULD BE AN INVALUABLE MEMBER OF THE COMMITTEE, BUT I DO NOTE THAT MR. WEBSTER IS STILL THE CHAIRMAN OF THE COMMITTEE.
UM, AND I NOTE THAT ALL OF THOSE GENTLEMEN, UH, ARE, UH, IN AT LEAST A NUMBER OF THEM IN A HOLD OVER CAPACITY.
SO TELL ME WHAT YOU ALL'S THOUGHTS, WHAT YOU WANT TO DO.
WE CAN CERTAINLY, UM, MOVE FORWARD WITH THE APPOINTMENT TODAY, BUT THAT IS REPLACING MR. WEBSTER, WHO IS THE CURRENT CHAIR.
UM, SO YES, SIR, DURING THE DEBATE UNTIL THE NEXT MEETING ON THIS, JUST BECAUSE WE'D HAVE CHIP HERE.
THAT'S WHY I WAS HOPING TO LET HER DO THAT EXPLANATION.
UM, UH, THE, UH, THAT WAS MY COMMENT ABOUT THE SENATE NOT BEING HERE.
SO I APPRECIATE THAT MR. CHARISMA, WE'LL ADJOURN DEBATE ON THIS ONE, MS. MAXIE, IF YOU'LL SEND THIS TO CAMPUS, SENATOR CAMPSEN, I KNOW THAT WE'D LIKE TO VISIT WITH HIM ABOUT THAT.
AND THEN ALSO WE MAY NEED TO REACH OUT TO MR. WEBSTER AND OR DNR, UM, UH, ABOUT, CAUSE THIS IS NOT A BOARD THAT'S EXCLUSIVE TO OUR PART OF THE STATE.
AND, UM, IF HE'S CON CONTINUES TO SERVE AS CHAIR, BUT WE ARE APPRECIATIVE OF MR. WILCOX, UH, WILLINGNESS TO SERVE AND NEED TO TRY TO GET HIM ON THIS BOARD.
UM, WITH THAT, WE ARE THROUGH WITH OUR APPOINTMENTS.
AND MOVING TO THE PUBLIC COMMENT SESSION.
I DON'T KNOW IF FOLKS HAVE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK AND MS. MAXIE HAS, I DO KNOW THAT WE HAVE A NUMBER OF
[00:55:01]
OTHER ELECTED OFFICIALS THAT ARE HERE TODAY.OUR CHAIRMAN OF OUR SCHOOL BOARD IS HERE.
AND, UH, WHO ELSE, MR. RODMAN, I SEE YOU ON THE BACK ROW.
GOOD TO HAVE YOU AT, YOU WERE HIDING BACK THERE.
LAWSON, MS. HOWARD, THANK YOU ALL.
Y'ALL ARE STILL HIDING ON THE BACK ROW.
I DIDN'T SEE YOU BACK THERE, BUT THANKS FOR BEING HERE WITH US THIS MORNING.
UM, LET'S MAKE SURE YOU HAVE A LIST OF FOLKS THAT HAVE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK.
THE FIRST IS MITZ FELIX WITH THE BOARD OF VOTER REGISTRATION ON ELECTIONS.
AND I'M THE CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD OF VOTER REGISTRATION AND ELECTIONS.
UM, WHAT I'VE PASSED YOU TODAY? ONE IS A PAMPHLET ON ELECTION INTEGRITY PUT OUT BY THE SEC.
AND THE OTHER ONE IS A SAVE THE DATE FOR OUR LEGISLATIVE SESSION.
THAT'LL TAKE PLACE AT THE SCARE CONFERENCE IN FEBRUARY.
UM, THE REASON THAT I WANTED TO SPEAK WITH YOU ALL TODAY IS FOR SOME CONSIDERATIONS THAT OUR LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS COMMITTEE, ALONG WITH OUR ENTIRE BOARD, UM, HAVE THOUGHT PRUDEN THAT WE WANTED TO BRING TO YOUR ATTENTION WITH ME.
I BRING SOME OF MY FELLOW COMMISSIONERS, DR.
CAROLINE FERMIN, MR. RON CLIFFORD IS A LEAN MITCHELL MS. BEVERLY DOR AND OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR MARIE SMALLS.
UM, THE FIRST ONE IS IN REGARDS TO 49 19.
AND, UM, THE EARLY VOTING, ONE OF THE STIPULATIONS IN THAT IS THAT THE EARLY VOTING PRECINCT ARE, WILL BE OPEN MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY FOR ALL ELECTIONS, FOR PEOPLE TO BECOME IN, IN CAST THEIR VOTE.
UM, WE WERE HOPING THAT RIGHT NOW IT'S IN THE SENATE SUBCOMMITTEE, BUT WE'RE HOPING THAT IF IT MADE IT BACK TO YOU, THAT YOU WOULD CONSIDER CHANGING THAT TO JUST BE AN OPEN MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY FOR GENERAL ELECTIONS AND BE AN OPEN MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY FOR SPECIAL AND MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS.
AND THE REASON FOR THAT IS, FOR EXAMPLE, IN MAY WE HAVE A SPECIAL ELECTION IN HILTON HEAD, UM, THAT ONLY AFFECTS A FEW PRECINCTS, BUT WE WOULD HAVE TO HAVE EVEN OUR VOTER REGISTRATION OFFICE IN BUFORD OPEN ON SATURDAY, AND NO ONE'S GOING TO COME ALL THE WAY TO BUFORD TO CAST THEIR VOTE FOR THAT.
SO THAT WAS ONE OF THE OTHER, ONE OF THE STIPULATIONS THAT WE WANTED YOU TO CONSIDER.
THE OTHER ONE IS IN REGARDS TO HAVING THE, UM, EARLY VOTING PRECINCTS OPEN BASED ON SQUARE MILEAGE, WE'RE HOPING TO HAVE THAT VERBIAGE CONSIDER A CHANGE CONSIDERED TO JUST INCLUDE PER, UM, NUMBER OF REGISTERED VOTERS IN THAT AREA, UM, TO PREVENT US FROM BEING FORCED TO HAVE AN EARLY VOTING PRECINCT SAYING SHELDON WHERE THE NUMBER OF VOTERS IS SIGNIFICANTLY LESS THAN EVEN LADY'S ISLAND ST.
HELENA OR ADDING ANOTHER ONE TO THE BUFORD HILTON HEAD AREA.
AND FINALLY, UM, IN DOING IN THE, WITH THE NEW CENSUS RESULTS THAT HAVE COME OUT AND WITH US WORKING ON RE PRECINCT ING, THE CURRENT LAW AND TITLE SEVEN, ARTICLE THREE, SECTION SEVEN DASH SEVEN DASH SEVEN 10 STATES THAT ALL VOTING PRECINCTS MUST HAVE A NUMBER OF 1500 VOTERS OR LESS PER PRECINCT.
WELL WITH THE BOOM THAT WE'VE HAD IN POPULATION IN BUFORD COUNTY, THAT IS BECOMING MORE AND MORE DIFFICULT, PARTICULARLY ON THE ISLANDS AND IN, UM, HILTON HEAD AND BLUFFTON, WE WERE HOPING TO HAVE THAT NUMBER INCREASED WE'RE CURRENTLY WE'RE WORKING, AND WE UNDERSTAND THAT THAT WON'T BE IN THIS LEGISLATIVE CYCLE, BUT IN THE FUTURE, IF YOU WOULD CONSIDER INCREASING THAT NUMBER TO 1800 OR 2000 VOTERS PER PRECINCT, I THINK THAT'S MUCH MORE DOABLE FOR US.
UM, THAT CONCLUDES MY TALKING POINTS.
DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? GO AHEAD.
COULD YOU ELABORATE ON THE SQUARE MILEAGE AGAIN? UM, I'M NOT SURE OF THE EXACT VERBIAGE, BUT I KNOW THAT IN 49 19, IT STATES YOU WOULD HAVE UP TO SEVEN EARLY VOTING PRECINCTS BASED ON THE SQUARE MILEAGE.
SO, UM, SO MANY SQUARE MILES YOU'D HAVE TO HAVE ONE IN THAT PRICING.
AND SO MANY SQUARE MILES YOU'D HAVE TO HAVE AN EARLY VOTING PRECINCT, BUT, UM, FOR BUFORD COUNTY, AT LEAST MOST OF OUR POPULATION IS HILTON HEAD BLUFFTON, AND THAT'S WHERE IT'S BOOMING THE MOST.
AND THEN OBVIOUSLY THERE'S BEEN A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE ON LADY'S ISLAND ST.
SO WE DIDN'T, WE WANTED THE VERBIAGE TO MAYBE BE CHANGED SO THAT WE HAD THE DISCRETION TO PUT IT WHERE IT WOULD HAVE THE MOST IMPACT FOR OUR VOTERS.
[01:00:02]
AND, UM, JEAN, WHERE YOU ALL SEND US SOMETHING IN WRITING.SO ESSENTIALLY THREE POINTS YOU HAVE.
ONE IS THE, UM, UH, EARLY VOTING CENTERS IN THE HOURS.
AND REMEMBER, THIS IS STATEWIDE LEGISLATION FOR COUNTIES.
UM, THE SECOND IS THE SQUARE MILEAGE.
I THOUGHT THAT LANGUAGE FOR THE TWO FOR THE FORMULAS THAT DECIDED THAT EARLY VOTING CENTER WAS PERMISSIVE AND THAT THOSE WERE CAPS, NOT THAT THEY WERE SHOUTING.
SO Y'ALL MAY WANT TO GO BACK AND TAKE A LOOK AT THAT.
UM, BECAUSE, UM, AT LEAST MY RECALL WAS THAT THAT WAS MAY LANGUAGE.
UM, BUT THEY WERE LIMITS ON THE NUMBER THAT YOU COULD HAVE, BUT, YOU KNOW, UH, UM, UM, MAYBE, UH, UM, YOUR COUNTY AND THE IMPACT TO THE SMALLER ACCOUNTS IS WHAT'S A CONCERN.
I GET IT, BUT THIS, BUT THAT'S NOT A, IT'S NOT A CONCERN AS, AS YOU JUST SHARED ABOUT HAVING TO OPEN ONE IN SHELDON FOR YES.
OVERALL IN THE STATE, WE HAVE SMALLER COUNTIES ARE HAVING BASED ON THIS KNOWLEDGE OF, UM, LANDMASS, THEY ARE HAVING TO OPEN UP BY CHICAGO TO THE COUNTY FOR EARLY SITES WHEN THEY ONLY HAVE LIKE 40,000 REGISTERED VOTERS.
AND SO THAT IS BECOMING AN ISSUE FOR A SMALL ACCOUNT, TWO STAFF MEMBERS HAVING TO HIRE AND TRAIN PEOPLE TO RUN EARLY VOTING SITE.
AND IT COULD BE AN ISOLATED, UM, AREA WHERE THEY MAY ONLY HAVE 25 GRADERS STILL IN THE ROOM.
I STILL THOUGHT THAT LANGUAGE WAS PERMISSIVE THAT THEY DIDN'T HAVE TO OPEN THEM IN THOSE LOCATIONS, BUT THEY, THE, THE IDEA IS THAT YOU DON'T GET TO OPEN FOUR CENTERS IN ONE CONCENTRATED AREA OF THE COUNTY, THAT FLAVORS ONE LEVEL OF VOTER, UH, PERIOD.
AND, UM, I MEAN, AND SO THAT'S THE INTENTION OF THE LEGISLATION IS TO MAKE THIS THING FAIR, BUT I ALSO THOUGHT IT WAS PERMISSIVE LINE, BUT I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE, I MEAN, LOOK, WE W WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HEAR THE CONCERNS OF BUFORD WHILE I APPRECIATE THE CONCERNS IN CARLTON.
I'M NOT QUITE AS MOVED BY THEM AS I AM.
MR. NO, I GET THAT MR. RIVERS, AND I'M NOT CERTAINLY SLIDING, BUT I'M TRIPPING WHEN I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND POPULATION, WHAT HAPPENS IN COLLEGE AND DOESN'T DOESN'T NECESSARILY, UH, HAVE A DIRECT, UH,
SO SHE'S LOOKING OUT FOR EVERYBODY AND WE SHOULD THANK HER QUITE AN HONOR FOR OUR ELECTION COMMISSIONER TO, TO HOLD THAT STATEWIDE ELECTION COMMISSION DIRECTOR.
WILL YOU SEND US THE NOTE ABOUT, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY, UM, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE SENATE IS GOING TO DO WITH 4 9 1 9, BUT THAT WAS LUCAS'S BILL.
UM, TH THE SPEAKER'S BILL THAT THERE WERE, AND I WAS AMONG THE GROUP THAT WORKED ON THE AMENDMENTS THAT, UM, UH, BROUGHT THAT FORWARD, YOU KNOW, UNDER THIS SORT OF GUISE OF WE'RE GOING TO HAVE EARLY VOTING, BUT WE'RE GOING TO MAKE SURE WE PROMOTE THE INTEGRITY TO HAVE CHECK CREDENTIALS OF FOLKS THAT ARE, UH, VOTING EARLY IN AT THE SAME TIME.
YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THE CONCEPT WAS WE'RE GOING TO MAKE IT EASIER TO VOTE, BUT HARDER TO CHEAT.
AND I, YOU KNOW, UH, AND, AND I THINK THE BODY WAS AS COMMITTED ON A PARTISAN BASIS TO DO BOTH, UH, IF WE'RE GONNA MAKE IT EASIER TO VOTE, WE'RE GOING TO MAKE SURE WE'RE MAKING IT HARDER TO CHEAT, NOT ONE WITHOUT THE, ABOUT THE OTHER.
AND THAT WAS WELL, I THINK IT WAS, UH, UM, PRODUCTIVE LEGISLATION THAT MOVED FORWARD, CERTAINLY.
UM, BUT IT WAS PRODUCTIVE ON A, ON A BIPARTISAN BASIS.
SO I DIDN'T MEAN TO SAY WE NOT, WE DIDN'T, WE WEREN'T CONCERNED ABOUT THE SMALLER AREAS, BUT MY FOCUS IS THIS AREA.
I WOULD JUST INTERJECT THAT IN CASE THE FOLKS IN THE AUDIENCE ARE LISTENING TO KNOW THAT PIECE OF LEGISLATION PASSED THE HOUSE UNANIMOUSLY.
SO IT WAS, IT WAS A KEY PIECE OF, UM, ELECTION WORK THAT WAS REALLY, UM, ACROSS THE AISLE DONE TOGETHER AND VOTED ON TOGETHER AND PASSED TOGETHER.
AND WE'RE THINKING OUT OF THAT, SO THAT THE SENATE BETTER RETURN IT TO US.
I HOPE SO ANYWAY, BUT IF YOU WILL SEND US THOSE THREE POINTS SO THAT WE'VE GOT THOSE AND MOVING FORWARD, AND I THANK YOU AND APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE.
THANK YOU EVERYBODY GOOD? YES, SIR.
GWADAR FORMER CHAIRMAN OF OUR BUFORD SCHOOL BOARD.
AT LEAST I GOT THAT PART, RIGHT.
SO GOOD MORNING, I'M CHRISTINA GWAS SPEAKING TODAY AS AN INDIVIDUAL TRUSTEE OF THE BEAVER COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION.
AND I CURRENTLY SERVE AS THE CHAIR OF THE BOARDS LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE.
THE BOARD OF EDUCATION IS PURSUING FISCAL
[01:05:01]
AUTHORITY, AND I PREVIOUSLY ADDRESSED THIS TOPIC WITH THE DELEGATION AT THE LEGISLATIVE RECEPTION AT TABBY WALK IN JUNE, 2021.THE BUFORD DELEGATION CAN APPROVE AND INTRODUCE LEGISLATION FOR ADOPTION BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY, THAT WOULD GRANT AUTHORITY TO THE BUFORD COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT BOARD OF TRUSTEES TO ADOPT THE DISTRICT'S ANNUAL OPERATING BUDGET AND TO ESTABLISH THE PROPERTY TAX MILLAGE RATE FOR SCHOOL DISTRICT OPERATIONS WITHIN THE LIMITS OF STATE LAW, PROPOSED LEGISLATIVE LANGUAGE FOR CONSIDERATION HAS BEEN SHARED WITH THE BOARD'S LEGISLATIVE LOBBYISTS LYNN STOKES, MARIE, AND I WILL PROVIDE COPIES, UH, IN MOMENTARILY.
ALL FISCAL AUTHORITY IS LIMITED AND SUBJECT TO CAP UNDER ACT 3 88, BASED ON INFLATION AND GROWTH OF THE 80 PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN THE STATE.
ONE THIRD HAVE FISCAL AUTHORITY.
WHY IS BUFORD NOT ONE OF THEM? BUFORD COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT HAS A PROVEN TRACK RECORD OF FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY WITH ANNUAL AUDITS OF NO FINDINGS FOR OVER 20 CONSECUTIVE YEARS, A CLEAN FORENSIC AUDIT OF DEBT SERVICE.
IN 2020 AFTER THE BUFORD COUNTY AUDITOR MADE SOME VERY DAMNING PUBLIC STATEMENTS THAT WERE UNFOUNDED AND DISPROVEN.
AND TWO RECENT AUDITS OF THE P CARDS ARE CREDIT CARDS, WHICH ALSO HAD NO FINDINGS, GREENVILLE AND BUFORD SHARE THE HIGHEST BOND RATING FOR SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN THE STATE.
ONE GREENVILLE HAS FISCAL AUTHORITY.
WHY NOT CURRENTLY THE SCHOOL OPERATING MILITARY IS SET BY THE COUNTY YET THE SCHOOL BOND DEBT SERVICE MILLAGE RATE IS SET BY BUFORD COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT.
UNFORTUNATELY, THE SCHOOL DISTRICT HAS BEEN LEFT WITH SIGNIFICANT OPERATING REVENUE, SHORTFALLS TOTALING, 19.3 MILLION IN THE LAST THREE PROPERTY TAX REASSESSMENT YEARS.
THESE WERE TAX YEARS, 2009, 13 AND 18.
THIS REVENUE SHORTFALL HAS A NEGATIVE IMPACT ON THE DISTRICT'S ABILITY TO OFFER COMPETITIVE SALARIES NECESSARY TO RECRUIT AND RETAIN HIGH QUALITY STAFF.
THE BUFORD COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION IS AN ELECTED PUBLIC BODY AND SOLELY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE EDUCATIONAL OUTCOMES OF THE BUDGET.
WE ANSWER TO THE PUBLIC, THE VOTERS JUST AS YOU DO, AND JUSTICE COUNTY COUNCIL DOES THE PUBLIC SPOKE CLEARLY AND LOUDLY WHEN THEY OVERWHELMINGLY APPROVED THE LARGEST EVER BOND SCHOOL BOND REFERENDUM AND BUFORD COUNTY IN 2019, THE VAST MAJORITY ONE DECENT UPDATED SAFE SCHOOL FACILITIES AND TRUST THE BOARD TO DELIVER ON THAT PROMISE.
THE BOARD OF EDUCATION MEMBERSHIP IS ELECTED AND SUBJECT TO CHANGE.
EVERY FEW YEARS, PROCEDURES AND POLICIES ARE IN PLACE TO HELP ENSURE THAT CONTINUED OUTSTANDING TRACK RECORD OF FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY BY BUFORD COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT, WE HAVE EARNED THE REPUTATION OF FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY.
WE ASK YOUR SUPPORT AND I WILL PROVIDE YOU WITH THE LANGUAGE THANK YOU.
HAVE YOU ALL HAD CURIOSITY, HAS ANYBODY HOLDING PUBLIC HEARINGS ON THIS ISSUE? EITHER COUNTY COUNCIL OR THE SCHOOL BOARD GET, LET THE PUBLIC WEIGH IN? NO, NO PUBLIC HEARINGS.
I MEAN, MY ANSWER TO THAT WOULD BE THEY VOTE US TO REPRESENT THEM.
WE ALREADY REPRESENTED NO, I, I GET IT.
THIS IS AN ISSUE THAT GOES BACK TO WHEN I WAS ON COUNTY COUNCIL.
I MEAN, IT'S BEEN TALKING ABOUT, I TRIED TO LAY OUT TO YOU AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC, RIGHT? THIS IS OUR TRACK RECORD.
WHY DON'T WE HAVE IT? I BELIEVE WE HAVE EARNED IT.
I THINK WE'RE DESERVING OF IT.
AND THAT'S WHAT I'M STATING PUBLICLY.
HOW YOU PRONOUNCE THAT TRISHA FIDRYCH OH, I CAN'T READ THAT.
HOW ARE YOU TODAY? I'M WELL, THANK YOU.
I AM A MEMBER OF THE BUFORD COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT BOARD OF EDUCATION.
I REPRESENT DISTRICT FOUR AND I'M HERE ALSO SPEAKING AS AN INDIVIDUAL, BUT I WANTED TO SPEAK WITH YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT A CRISIS THAT THE NATION IS UNDERGOING A CRISIS THAT THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA IS UNDERGOING AND A CRISIS THAT BUFORD COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT IS UNDERGOING TEACHER SHORTAGE.
WE ARE IN DESPERATE NEED OF TEACHERS, HISTORIC SHORTAGE.
COVID OTHER REASONS PAY COST OF LIVING IN BUFORD COUNTY.
AND SO ON BEAVER COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT IS BEING VERY CREATIVE AND TRYING TO ATTRACT AND ENTICE PEOPLE TO COME TO THIS AREA, TO LIVE AND TO WORK AND TO TEACH IN THIS PROFESSION.
BUT MY PURPOSE TODAY TO SPEAK TO YOU AND THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY,
[01:10:02]
DIDN'T REALIZE UNTIL LISTENING TO YOU TODAY, THE MYRIAD TOPICS THAT YOU ALL DEAL WITH.UM, BUT I WANTED TO MAKE YOU AWARE OF THE DIFFERENT HIRING PRACTICES THAT ARE ELIGIBLE FOR CHARTER SCHOOLS COMPARE TO PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
CHARTER SCHOOLS ARE ALLOWED TO HAVE UP TO 25% OF THEIR STAFF HIRED AS NON-CERTIFIED TEACHERS, PUBLIC SCHOOLS ARE NOT.
SO LET ME GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE, CHAIRMAN NEWTON, LET'S SAY, AFTER YOU ARE FINISHED WITH THIS AMAZING JOB ON THIS DELEGATION, AND YOU SAY, I WOULD LOVE TO TEACH A CLASS IN HIGH SCHOOL OF CIVICS.
I WOULD SAY YOU'D BE WELL-QUALIFIED BEAVER COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT COULD NOT HIRE YOU TO DO SO UNLESS YOU ENROLLED IN ONE OF THEIR ALTERNATIVE CERTIFICATION PROGRAMS, WHICH ARE QUITE HONOROUS AND BELIEVE ME, YOU WOULDN'T WANT TO DO IT, BUT YOU WOULD HAVE SO MUCH TO OFFER THE STUDENTS AT BUFORD COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT WITH YOUR EXPERIENCE AND YOUR KNOWLEDGE CHARTER SCHOOLS COULD HIRE YOU.
YOU HAVE A COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT COULD NOT, LET'S SAY YOU WANTED TO TEACH A FINANCE CLASS, MR. HERDSMEN, UH, MR. RIVERS, LET'S SAY YOU WANTED TO COME BACK TO THE SCHOOL DISTRICT AND HELP TEACH YOU CAN'T DO IT UNLESS YOU JOIN UNDER LIKE TEACH FOR AMERICA PAYS PROGRAM OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
WE'RE JUST ASKING FOR YOU TO CONSIDER, BE AWARE OF IT.
WHEN DISCUSSIONS COME UP OF THE DIFFERENCES IN THE HIRING PRACTICES, IT PUTS THOSE SCHOOL, THE, THE PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT AT A DISADVANTAGE, WHEREAS CHARTER SCHOOLS CAN GO OUT AND HIRE ALL THIS AMAZING TALENT THAT EXISTS IN BUFORD COUNTY, RETIRED PEOPLE, THAT PHYSICS, WHICH IS DIFFICULT TO FIND.
ALL RIGHT? ANY OF THOSE AREAS, I'M JUST ASKING YOU THAT WHEN YOU SPEAK TO YOUR COLLEAGUES AND YOU'D BE JUST TO BE AWARE OF THE FACT THAT THIS EXISTS AND TO ALLOW US TO HAVE A LEVEL PLAYING FIELD WHERE WE COULD GO OUT AND HIRE VERY QUALIFIED PEOPLE TO TEACH IN OUR CLASSES, ALTHOUGH THEY MIGHT NOT HAVE THE TEACHING PEDAGOGY BEHIND THEM, THAT IS SOMETHING WE COULD DO.
THAT IS SOMETHING THE SCHOOL DISTRICT COULD PROVIDE SUPPORT FOR, BUT WE NEED TO GET THESE CONTENT RICH INDIVIDUALS INTO OUR CLASSROOMS. SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
THANK YOU FOR BEING, UH, THINK ABOUT THIS WHEN IT COMES UP IN CONVERSATIONS AND BEING AWARE OF THIS.
SO YOU CAN SUBSTITUTE TEACHER PART-TIME TEACHERS.
WELL, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE LOOKING AT, WE WANT FULL TIME, RIGHT? SO WE TRY OUR VERY BEST TO GET SUBSTITUTE TEACHERS THAT ARE CONTENT KNOWLEDGEABLE, BUT WE'RE HAVING, THERE'S A, THERE'S A DEARTH OF SUBSTITUTE TEACHERS AGAIN, BECAUSE OF COVID BECAUSE OF OTHER OPPORTUNITIES BECAUSE OF PE I WOULD GREATLY APPRECIATE WE WOULD I SPEAK AS AN INDIVIDUAL, BUT GREATLY APPRECIATE YOUR CONSIDERATION OF BRINGING THIS INFORMATION FORWARD AND MAKE AN, A CHANGE OF POSSIBLE.
THAT'S MY UNDERSTANDING TWENTY-FIVE PERCENT CHARTER SCHOOLS CAN, I CAN HIRE UP TO 25% OF THEIR STAFF NON-CERTIFIED WHEREAS PELVIS SCHOOLS CAN NOT NOW GRANTED, WELL, YOU CAN GO THROUGH THOSE PROGRAMS. SO LIKE THE PACE PROGRAM AND MS. ERICKSON, I'M SURE YOU KNOW, CAN SPEAK KNOWLEDGEABLY ABOUT THIS AS WELL.
IT'S LIKE A THREE-YEAR PROGRAM.
YOU HAVE TO GO THROUGH ALL TYPES OF HOOPS AND JUMP THROUGH ALL TYPES OF THINGS TO, TO, TO EVENTUALLY SAY THAT YOU'RE QUALIFIED TO TEACH IN THE CLASSROOM, EVEN THOUGH YOU MIGHT HAVE A HUGE AMOUNT OF CONTENT KNOWLEDGE, WE CAN'T CAPTURE YOU WITHOUT SAYING YOU MUST ALSO DO THIS.
UM, TRISH, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BRINGING THIS UP.
YOU KNOW, THAT, I MEAN, TEACHERS ARE OUR MOST IMPORTANT PIECE OF EDUCATION.
UM, THEY THEY'RE WHAT BRING AND IMPART THAT KNOWLEDGE.
THEY WORK WITH OUR CHILDREN, OUR FAMILIES, AND THERE YOU CANNOT CANNOT HAVE A GOOD EDUCATION SYSTEM WITHOUT THE TEACHERS IN THE CLASSROOM JUST CANNOT.
I'VE TRIED AT LEAST THREE TIMES TO BRING THAT 25% TO OUR PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM.
AND IT IS ROUTINELY SHOT DOWN BY THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND, AND THE STATE, UH, LOBBYING GROUPS THAT DON'T WANT TO SEE THAT HAPPEN.
I'M ALWAYS GIVEN THE EXCUSE THAT, OH, WE HAVE THESE PROGRAMS THAT YOU CAN GET INTO AND YOU CAN DO IT.
AND IF YOU ARE A PHD WITH AERONAUTICS EXPERIENCE, I'LL USE OUR MARINE CORPS AIR STATION AS, AS PROBABLY ONE OF OUR MOST RICH, UM, TARGET RICH ENVIRONMENTS FOR THOSE FOLKS WHO MIGHT WANT TO COME IN AND TEACH.
I DON'T KNOW, SAY PHYSICS WOULD BE A GREAT PLACE TO HAVE THEM.
[01:15:01]
IN THE WORLD WOULD WE MAKE SOMEONE WHO HAS SERVED OUR COUNTRY HAS PROBABLY CLASSIFIED CLEARANCES OF ALL KINDS OF THINGS AND CONTENT KNOWLEDGE.AS YOU MENTIONED, THEN GO TO THREE YEARS OF JUMPING THROUGH THE HOOPS TO HAVE, UM, EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY.
UM, I WILL CONTINUE TO TRY, I WOULD TELL YOU THAT WHEN YOUR SCHOOL BOARDS ASSOCIATIONS GET TOGETHER, IT WOULD BE SO HUGE FOR THE STATE.
IF THE SCHOOL BOARD ASSOCIATION WOULD SPEAK OUT ON THIS AS A STATEWIDE ENDEAVOR, IF YOU FOR COUNTY HAS THE MOVERS AND SHAKERS AND THINKS OUTSIDE THE BOX, GO FIND YOUR LIKE-MINDED, UM, COUNTERPARTS AND HELP US DO A STATEWIDE PUSH.
YOU'VE GOT LEGISLATORS WHO WOULD LIKE TO SEE IT, BUT WE GET SHUT DOWN BY THE STATUS QUO AND RIGHT NOW, AND I HAVEN'T, YOU MIGHT HAVE HIGHER NUMBERS THAN I DO AROUND A HUNDRED TEACHERS SHORT, STILL IN BEAUFORT COUNTY RIGHT NOW, I THINK CERTIFIED TEACHERS IS THAT ABOUT RIGHT? I THINK IT MIGHT BE MORE LIKE TWO 60.
I DON'T REMEMBER RIGHT OFF HAND, BUT OKAY.
AND I KNOW, I KNOW WE'RE HOVERING AT A THOUSAND OR BETTER STATEWIDE OR BETTER AT LIKE 14, 1500.
IT'S NO BETTER IN MY WORLD OF EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION OR OUR HEADSTART IS REPORTING THE SAME PROBLEMS. AND WE'VE GOT TO THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX TO BRING THESE FOLKS WHO AREN'T TRADITIONALLY CERTIFIED TEACHERS HAVING BEEN ON BOTH SIDES OF THAT COIN.
I CAN TELL YOU, GOOD TEACHERS ARE BORN NOT MADE, AND WE NEED TO EMBRACE THAT.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR TALKING ABOUT THAT SUBJECT AND BRINGING IT UP.
I'M JUST CURIOUS ABOUT THE IMPACT IT WOULD HAVE ON THE YOUNGER GRADES, SOMEONE WHO'S PROFESSIONAL CONTENT, BUT NOT PROFESSIONAL AND HOW TO DEAL WITH YOUNGER PEOPLE.
I'M JUST CURIOUS BECAUSE THE OLDER PERSON, OLDER STUDENTS COULD ADAPT AND ADJUST TO THAT TYPE OF TEACHING, BUT SOMEONE WHO HAS TO BE NURTURED AND TAUGHT DIFFERENT THINGS, WHAT DO YOU THINK, HOW WOULD THAT AFFECT IT'S 25% GOING TO PUBLIC SCHOOL? SO MR. RIVERS, I THINK THAT THE MAJORITY OF THE NEED WHERE WE WOULD FIND IN OUR COMMUNITY, THOSE EXPERTS WOULD BE FOR THE HIGHER LEVEL CLASSES.
SO IT'S IN THINGS LIKE, UM, MS. ERICKSON MENTIONED PHYSICS, CHEMISTRY, CALCULUS, TRIGONOMETRY, IT'S THOSE AREAS THAT WE FIND VERY DIFFICULT TO, TO FILL THE CLASSROOMS. ALL RIGHT.
SO I UNDERSTAND YOUR POINT AND BELIEVE ME AS A FORMER TEACHER, MYSELF, THAT TEACHING PEDAGOGY IS INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT.
LEARNING ABOUT ALL THOSE THAT, YOU KNOW, THE WAY TO TEACH AND THE RIGHT WAY TO TEACH AND SO ON.
BUT THAT TYPE OF STUFF, THAT TYPE OF INFORMATION CAN BE SUPPORTED TO THE, TO THE NEWCOMER, TO THE CLASSROOM.
IT'S THAT CONTENT, IT'S THAT WORLD X LIFE EXPERIENCE THAT SO MANY OF OUR CITIZENS HERE IN BUFORD COUNTY COULD BRING FORWARD TO OUR CLASSROOMS. SO I UNDERSTAND YOUR CONCERN, BUT I'M MOSTLY FOCUSING LIKE ON THE MIDDLE SCHOOL, HIGH SCHOOL TYPE OF SUBJECTS, LIKE ALGEBRA TWO TRIGONOMETRY CALCULUS, THOSE WOULD BE THE AREAS.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION.
AND AGAIN, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THIS MEETING TODAY.
THANK YOU ALL FOR WHAT YOU ALL DO AS WELL.
ANYBODY ELSE HERE THAT WOULD LIKE SOME TO ADDRESS US, MR. ROBIN, COME ON UP.
AND WHILE YOU'RE COMING TO ME, ASK YOU A QUESTION AS COUNTY COUNCIL, AS A BODY TAKING A POSITION ON THIS FISCAL AUTONOMY QUESTION.
WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IT IN EXECUTIVE SESSION.
I DON'T BELIEVE THERE'S ANY DISAGREEMENT WITH WHERE WE ARE, BUT I WILL ADDRESS IT.
THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN, CURIOUS.
I MEAN, IF THE, IF THE, IF THE BODY ITSELF HAS TAKEN UP A RESOLUTION BY THE WAY, AND WE MORE, AGAIN, WE CAN DO THAT IF YOU LIKE AT SOME POINT IN TIME CURIOUS.
UM, I GOT IT AFTER ANYWAY, THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN, FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK, UM, TH TH THE HISTORY OF THE, UH, FISCAL AUTONOMY, I THINK GOES BACK TO THE TIME THAT YOU AND I AND REPRESENTATIVE RIVERS WERE DEALING WITH THIS 18 YEARS AGO, HARD TO BELIEVE.
UM, AND, UH, IF MEMORY SERVES ME AND MR. PRESIDENT RECORDS REPRESENTED ME, HER CURSING, I'M SORRY.
YOU ASKED ME TO DELEGATION MEETING, UH, OR RIGHT THEREAFTER ABOUT THE CONCEPT OF PHYSICAL AUTONOMY.
AND I SAID, THIS HAS ALWAYS BEEN SOMETHING THAT THE SCHOOL DISTRICT HAS WANTED, UM, IN, AND YOU SAID NO WAY.
AND I SAID, BUT IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT, THERE MAY BE AN INTERMEDIATE POINT CALLED LIMITED AUTONOMY THAT MIGHT WORK.
AND IF MEMORY SERVES ME, HE SAID, OKAY, WELL, HOW MIGHT THAT WORK? AND MAYBE WE COULD CONSIDER SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
SO ANYWAY, ABOUT A THIRD OF THE DISTRICTS HAVE IT
[01:20:01]
FULL, BUT THIRD IT'S LIKE WE WERE THE TOTALLY UNDER THE CONTROL OF THE, UH, COUNTY COUNCIL IN ABOUT THIRD OR IN THE MIDDLE, WHICH HAS KIND OF LIMITED, UH, AUTONOMY.UM, LANGUAGE HAS BEEN DRAFTED AND DISCUSSED WITH VARIOUS PEOPLE, UH, THAT, THAT MIGHT SOLVE THE PROBLEM OF APPROACHING IT FROM A LIMITED STANDPOINT.
AND I THINK IT'S FAIR TO SAY FROM READING THE, WHAT YOU PRESENTED THE ONLY, AND THE ONE AND ONLY DIFFERENCE IS WHETHER THE MILLAGE RATE IS LEFT TO THE SCHOOL DISTRICT OR WHETHER THE MILLAGE RATE IS SET BY THE COUNTY COUNCIL.
I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANYTHING ELSE THAT'S IN THERE.
FOR EXAMPLE, BOTH VERSIONS WOULD ESSENTIALLY SAY THAT THE SCHOOL DISTRICT SHOULD HAVE THE VESTED IN SETTING ITS OWN BUDGET.
SO, UM, THREE POINTS IN THE READING, THE LANGUAGE VERY INTERESTING, AND YOU READ THE TITLE IN IT.
IT SAYS, UH, PART OF THIS IS TO REMOVE ARCHAIC LANGUAGE, PROVIDING THAT THE BUFORD COUNTY LEGISLATIVE DELEGATION IS THE BUDGET AUTHORITY FOR THE OPERATION OF SCHOOLS IN BUFORD COUNTY.
UH, MR. CHAIRMAN, I THINK IF WE HAD KNOWN THIS 18 YEARS AGO, YOU ALL COULD HAVE BEEN DOING THIS FOR THE LAST 18 YEARS.
SO OBVIOUSLY IT PROBABLY NEEDS TO GET, GET FIXED, BUT HERE ARE THE TWO OPERATIVE SENTENCES, A BUDGET AUTHORITY FOR THE OPERATION OF SCHOOLS AND BUFORD COUNTY IS HEREBY VESTED IN THE BUFORD COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION.
THE SECOND OPERATIVE LANGUAGES THAT THE BUFORD COUNTY COUNCIL AFTER CONSULTING WITH THE COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION AND CONSIDERING ITS BUDGET MILL VALUES RESERVES, AND OTHER FACTORS SHALL APPROVE AT ITS DISCRETION, A SCHOOL MILLAGE FOR THE NEXT YEAR.
SO I THINK THE ONLY DIFFERENCE AGAIN, BETWEEN WHAT YOU PRESENTED AND WHERE I THOUGHT WE WERE IN OUR DISCUSSIONS THAT WE WERE ACTUALLY HAVING WITH THE ADMINISTRATION AND WITH THE CHAIR OF THE SCHOOL BOARD IS WHETHER OR NOT YOU VEST, SETTING THE MILLAGE WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, OR YOU LEAVE THAT WITH THE COUNTY COUNCIL.
NOW, A COUPLE OF THINGS TO THINK ABOUT AS YOU DO THAT, I DO BELIEVE THAT TEACHERS IS REALLY THE KEY TO THIS WHOLE THING, AS YOU POINTED OUT.
UM, AND WHAT IS WHAT HAPPENS RIGHT NOW IS THAT THE SCHOOL DISTRICT GOES THROUGH ITS LONG PROCESS OF SETTING ITS BUDGET.
IT THEN COMES OVER TO COUNTY COUNCIL, AND WE TAKE THE BETTER PART OF TWO MONTHS.
CAUSE WE GO THROUGH COMMITTEE AND HAVE TO GO THROUGH THREE READINGS IN ORDER TO APPROVE BOTH THE BUDGET AND SETTING THE MILLAGE.
AND THEN TOWARD THE END OF JUNE, WITH THAT ALL APPROVED THE DISTRICTS THEN IN A POSITION TO GO OUT AND COMPLETE ITS HIRING.
BUT MANY OF THE DISTRICTS THAT THEY'RE AREAS THEY'RE TRYING TO HIRE FROM HAVE ALREADY GONE OUT AND HIRED THE TEACHERS.
AND IN FACT, THEY PROBABLY LOSE SOME BECAUSE THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY CAN DO FROM A PAY STANDPOINT WITH WHAT I, WHAT I'M SUGGESTING.
I THINK THE REVERSE HAPPENS IS THAT THE, THE STOOL DISTRICT CAN ZERO IN ON THE TEACHERS THAT THEY WANT AND GET STARTED EARLY.
THEY CAN COME TO COUNTY COUNCIL AND HAVE THAT DISCUSSION ABOUT THE MILLAGE.
IT MAY BE THAT WE CAN'T RESOLVE IT IMMEDIATELY, BUT I THINK MOST TIMES WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IS THEY'D SAY, OKAY, WE THINK WE CAN LIVE WITHIN THE MILLAGE THAT WE HAVE NOW.
AND IF THE DISTRICT, AS THE COUNTY AGREES, THEN WE CAN GO AHEAD AND FIRM THAT UP AND THEY'D BE FREE TO GO EARLIER THAN THEY ARE NOW, OR MIGHT BE ALONG THE LINES OF, LOOK, IT LOOKS LIKE WE'RE GOING TO NEED AN EXTRA TWO MILLS TO RAISE THE TEACHER SALARIES.
THEN, THEN, THEN THEY COULD BE TIDYING UP THE BUDGET.
AND THEN WE COULD COME BACK TO THE MILLAGE AT THE END.
NOW THE REAL KEY LANGUAGE HERE IS THE 3 88, NUMBER 3 88 IS A CAP.
AND WHAT THE DISTRICT, WHAT WAS BEING SUGGESTED BY SOME OF THE MEMBERS IS THAT THEY WOULD HAVE THE DISCRETION TO APPROVE UP TO THE CAP.
WELL, W WE'RE WE'RE ALL LIMITED BY THE CAP ANYWAY, SO THE CAP DOESN'T REALLY APPLY.
SO THE QUESTION IS, DO THEY HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO GO UP TO THE 3 88 CAP OR DOES THE COUNCIL HAVE THE ABILITY TO SET SOMETHING LOWER? AND I'VE CHALLENGED THE SCHOOL DISTRICT TO, TO ACTUALLY IDENTIFY ANY PLACE OVER THE LAST 18 YEARS WHERE COUNTY COUNCIL HAS RESTRICTED EDUCATION.
UM, MR. CHAIRMAN, YOU MAY REMEMBER 18 YEARS AGO, 17 YEARS AGO, WE WERE IN A SITUATION WHERE, BECAUSE OF THE TAX PAYING ABILITY, WE WERE GETTING STRANGLED BY THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT THE DISTRICT COULD WAS GETTING FROM THE STATE.
SO THE STATE MONEY WAS DECLINING
[01:25:01]
AND, AND WITHOUT A BIG ENOUGH.SO WE ACTUALLY PUT THROUGH ONE RARELY, VERY BIG INCREASE.
TWO OF THE THINGS THAT COUNCIL DID ALONG THE WAY, ONE WAS THEY PUSHED THE SCHOOL DISTRICT TO GET INTO COMPUTERS FASTER AND SAID, WE'RE HAPPY TO HAVE A MILLAGE INCREASE.
AND WE WERE THE ONES THAT PUSHED THEM TO ADDRESS THE, UM, TEACHER SALARY, WHICH IS THE SUPPLEMENT THAT'S IN PLACE NOW.
SO I THINK THE ONLY ISSUE IT'S ON THE TABLE, I THINK IT'S GOOD TO GET IT FIXED IF YOU WANT TO GIVE THEM FULL AUTHORITY.
THAT'S ONE THING, IF YOU WANT TO LEAVE THE SETTING OF THE MILLAGE WITH US, WE'RE HAPPY TO DO THAT, WHATEVER YOU WOULD LIKE.
I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANYTHING ELSE THAT'S IN DISAGREEMENT.
MR. CURTIS, I THINK IT WAS CHAIRMAN.
UM, LET'S DO THE, I'LL TAKE OWNERSHIP ON THAT COMMENT THAT I MADE ABOUT NO WAY.
WE GOTTA, YOU KNOW, WE GOT TO LIVE AND DIE BY WHAT WE DO, BUT THAT WAS, UH, UH, PREACT 3 88 AND ALSO AT THE ADVICE AND EXPLANATION OF THEN CURRENT SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS.
I MEAN, SINCE THEN, I'VE TALKED WITH CHRISTINA GIGABIT WHEN SHE WAS CHAIR AND, UM, UH, AND IF, YOU KNOW, IT OPENED UP TO THE POSSIBILITY ON, YOU KNOW, THE DISTINCT POSSIBILITY ON THAT.
SO, UM, I JUST WANT TO CLARIFY THAT.
AND, UM, UH, ALSO, HAS THERE EVER BEEN A LAW IN JUST RECENT HISTORY, A LACK OF CONGRUENCY BETWEEN THE COUNTY COUNCIL AND THE BOARD MEMBERS ON EDUCATION? I DON'T THINK SO IN A SENSE THAT WHAT WE'VE HAD IS TWO OR THREE TIMES WHEN WE GET INTO A SETTING, WHEN WE GO THROUGH A, UH, A RE REASSESSMENT IN THE COUNTY, SOMETIMES IT GETS A LITTLE BIT DIFFICULT TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THE MILLAGE VALUES ARE BECAUSE OF ALL THE MOVING PIECES.
BUT THE BETTER MEASURE, I THINK TO YOUR POINT IS WHAT HAS HAPPENED WITH THE RESERVES.
AND I THINK THE RESERVES HAVE GROWN VERY, VERY NICELY AT THE SCHOOL DISTRICT OVER TIME.
I THINK THEY'RE IN THE FIVE TO 10 MILLION BACK IN OUR DAY, AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY ARE NOW, BUT I'M GUESSING THEY'RE PROBABLY NORTH OF 30 MILLION.
SO, UH, THAT'S PROBABLY THE BEST MEASURE TO YOUR POINT OF WHETHER WE'VE EVER SHORTED THEM.
MR.
UM, I'M TRYING TO SAY IS, UH, THAT EVERYBODY SEEMS TO AGREE THAT THEY OUGHT TO HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO SET THEIR WHOLE BUDGET, WHATEVER THEY WANT TO DO IN THE BUDGET, THEY'RE ELECTED, THEY'RE CLOSER TO IT THAN ANYBODY ELSE THEY OUGHT TO SET THE BUDGET.
THE ONLY QUESTION IS AT THE END OF THE DAY, DO THEY GET TO SET THE MILLAGE OR SHOULD COUNTY COUNCIL SET THE MILLAGE CONSIDERING THE BUDGET AND OTHER FACTORS SUCH AS MILL VALUES.
I MEAN, SO IT'S BEEN ESTABLISHED THAT THE SCHOOL DISTRICT HAS BEEN VERY FRUGAL WITH THEIR MONEY OVER THE YEARS.
SO WHAT WOULD BE THE IMPEDIMENT TO HAVING TOTAL PHYSICAL AUTONOMY SYSTEM SINCE THEY HAVE SUCH A GOOD RECORD? UM, I THINK IT REALLY COMES BACK TO FRANKLY, WHERE YOU ALL WANT THAT TO LIE.
YOU KNOW, DO YOU WANT THAT WITH THE, UH, WITH THE BOARD OF EDUCATION, WHICH IS ELECTED OR DO YOU WANT IT WITH THE COUNTY COUNCIL WAS, WHICH IS ELECTED? NO, I UNDERSTAND THAT PART, BUT HERE IN YOUR ARGUMENT, YOU'RE SAYING, WHAT I HEARD YOU SAY IS THAT THE SCHOOL DISTRICT HAS DONE AN EXCELLENT JOB WITH THE FINANCES.
UM, SO IF THERE ARE GOOD AND THEY HAVE BEEN GOOD, THEY SHOULD CONTINUE TO BE GOOD.
SO YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THEM DOING WHAT THEY'VE ALWAYS BEEN DOING.
I THINK THEY'VE DONE A GOOD JOB.
I DON'T, I DON'T DISAGREE WITH THAT.
UH, WHEN I WAS THERE, I ACTUALLY WELCOMED HAVING SOMEBODY LOOK OVER MY SHOULDER AND AGREE WITH WHAT WE WERE SUGGESTING TO THE PUBLIC.
SO WHAT, WHAT WOULD IT BE? THE THREE STEPS WE COULD USE? I KNOW YOU SAID WITH, UM, THIRD, HALF PHYSICAL TIMEY, A THIRD OF THE COUNTIES TO DO, AND THE THIRD IS LIMITED.
SO WHAT WOULD BE YOUR SUGGESTION? UM, MY SUGGESTION WAS BELIEVING THAT FULL AUTONOMY WAS NOT SOMETHING THAT THE DELEGATION WAS INTERESTED IN IS THAT LIMITED ECONOMY WAS A GOOD COMPROMISE AND PERHAPS A GOOD FIRST STEP TO FULL AUTONOMY, YOU KNOW, WITH THE, AGAIN, THE ONLY DECISION, THE ONLY DIFFERENCE BEING WHO SETS THE SYSTEM MILITARY.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, UM, FOR MR. ROBIN, MS. ERICKSON? UH, I LOOKED IT UP.
I ACTUALLY HAVE THE FILE OF, OF RUNNING, UM, RESERVE ACCOUNTS, BUFORD COUNTIES, 48 MILLION AS OF LAST, LAST, UM, THE LAST CHECK, NOT TO NOT, NOT TO BE OUT DONE BY GREENVILLE, BUT IT'S GOT $298 MILLION IN YOUR SERVICE.
UM, I THINK IT'S CHRISTINA, IS IT 10% THAT YOU REQUIRED TO HAVE? I BELIEVE 15 TO 17%,
[01:30:04]
THREE YEARS AGO, WE HAVE AN EXCELLENT FINANCIAL ADVISOR WHO ADVISES, OBVIOUSLY THIS WHOLE WORD, HOW MUCH WE SHOULD HAVE IN RESERVE.AND WE'RE NOT ADVISED TO KEEP GOING HIGHER AND HIGHER.
WE USE A LOT OF THE RESERVES SUPPORTS TO DO OUR PROJECTS OVER THE SUMMERS FOR, UM, MAINTENANCE, PRIMARILY OUR 8% OF PROJECTS.
YOU CAN BORROW UP TO 8% OF THE TOTAL ASSESSED VALUES IN THE COUNTY.
SO, UM, WE ARE NOT TRYING TO BUILD THE ENORMOUS RESERVES.
I DIDN'T, I DIDN'T MEAN TO INSINUATE.
I WAS ASKING WHAT THE 10 PER THE STATE REQUIRES 10%.
I WOULD SAY THAT'S WHERE TO 17% IS WHAT WE'RE DOING AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE ADVISED TO DO, BECAUSE THAT GIVES US A GOOD CREDIT RATING FOR BORROWING.
AND NATALIE WARD ACTUALLY IS THE ONE WHO DOES, DOES DECIDE TO TAX MILLAGE RATE FOR THE SCHOOL BONDS FOR DEBT SERVICE.
SO WE ALREADY HAVE THE AUTHORITY FOR ONE VISIT.
WE MIGHT BE AUTHORITY FOR THE OPERATORS PAST.
I THINK THIS IS A BIGGER CONVERSATION FOR A SIT DOWN ROOM WHERE PEOPLE AREN'T WAITING ON US TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WE DECIDE, BUT I THINK IT'S REALLY GOOD THAT WE'RE HAVING THE CONVERSATION.
LET'S DO I APPRECIATE THE INFORMATION ON AND THE THOUGHTFULNESS ON MAKING SURE THAT THE DISTRICT HAS THE ABILITY TO MAKE DECISIONS ON THEIR LARGEST EXPENDITURE, WHICH IS TEACHER SALARIES, UM, BECAUSE THAT'S REALLY WHAT WE'VE GOT TO HONE DOWN AND MAKE SURE WE'RE DOING IS GIVING THEM THE ABILITY TO OFFER THOSE CONTRACTS AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE WITH THE IDEA OF PLANNING AND BRINGING IN THE BEST TEACHERS FOR OUR COUNTY.
SO I THINK THAT'S THE KEY TO IT ALL IS FIGURING HOW WE DO THAT.
SO I APPRECIATE THE INFORMATION AND LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH EVERYBODY, TO TRY TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN.
OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? THANK YOU, MR. ROY.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS ANYBODY ELSE WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS US? YES, SIR.
WHY YOU GOT OUR ATTENTION WHILE WE'RE HERE? UM, THIS IS JUST ONE FOR INFORMATION.
UM, AND IT HAS TO DO WITH THIS SECTION OF ROAD ALONG ONE 70, UM, ESSENTIALLY A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, UH, THE LOW COG DID STUDIES THAT LOOKED AT MEDIUM SHORT-TERM MEDIUM TERM AND LONG-TERM IMPROVEMENTS TO THAT SECTION.
AND, UH, ABOUT A YEAR AGO, NOT TOO MUCH WAS HAPPENING.
AND AS THE COUNTY GOT INTO IT, THEY ESSENTIALLY SAID, LOOK, WE GOT TO GO FIX THIS.
AND TODAY WHERE WE STAND IS, UM, THEY'RE FINISHING UP THE DESIGN FOR THAT FIRST PHASE OF ONE 70.
WE THINK THAT, UM, CARTERSVILLE WILL BE PART OF THAT.
AND, UH, DLT IS LOOKING AT A REPAVING PIECE THAT WOULD NORMALLY HAPPEN A YEAR LATER AND THAT WOULD GET FOLDED INTO IT.
AND, AND REALLY THE LEADERSHIP ON ALL OF THAT HAS BEEN JARED FELIX, YOU KNOW, HE'S OUR CHIEF ENGINEER AND GREG JORDAN, AND THEY'VE DONE SOME WONDERFUL JOBS, BUT THAT KIND OF LED TO A DISCUSSION ABOUT THE SO-CALLED TRIANGLE, WHICH WOULD BE ONE 70 ARGENT AND 2 78.
SO THEY'VE STARTED LOOKING AT THAT AS A, UH, AS A GROUP AND THEIR DISCUSSIONS WITH DDOT.
IT APPEARS THAT A LOGICAL PATH FORWARD MIGHT BE A DESIGN BUILD ON, UH, ON SOME OF THOSE SECTIONS.
UH, AND IN ORDER TO DO THAT, THERE'S PROBABLY ABOUT TWO, $3 MILLION WORTH OF PRE-ENGINEERING THAT WOULD NEED TO BE THERE IN PLACE BEFORE YOU COULD START TO BID SOMETHING THAT IS A DESIGN BUILD.
AND I THINK BETWEEN OURSELVES SOME LEFTOVER MONEY FROM THE 2006 REFERENDUM, ASSUMING JASPER COMES IN, I THINK WE COULD PROBABLY TAKE CARE OF THAT.
NOW, THE REASON FOR MENTIONING THIS TO YOU IS I THINK THIS IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR THE REGION AND IT CHECKS ALMOST ALL OF THE BOXES, YOU KNOW, FROM A REGIONAL STANDPOINT, IT'S PROBABLY THE MOST FAILING SECTION OF ROAD, MAYBE MORE SO THAN THE, THE, THE BRIDGES TO HILTON HEAD HAD SEVERAL FATALITIES IN THAT PARTICULAR AREA.
THE ACCESS MANAGEMENT PLANS ARE DONE ON TWO OF THE THREE LEGS OF IT.
IT REALLY FORCES YOU FOR, IN JASPER TO HAVE TO WORK TOGETHER ON THE PLANNING OF ONE 70.
AND AS YOU KNOW, THE ROAD IS THE DIVIDING LINE.
AND SO HAVING DIFFERENT DEVELOPMENT PLANS ON EACH SIDE MAKES IT KIND OF DIFFERENT.
IT, IT HELPS WITH THE WORKFORCE.
WE'VE GOT A LOT OF WORKFORCE THAT'S GETTING TIED UP.
IT'S NOT JUST ON THE BRIDGES, BUT IT'S, IT'S THERE.
AND IT'S ONE OF THOSE THAT IS KIND OF DIFFICULT TO PUT ON
[01:35:01]
A REFERENDUM BECAUSE IT SPANS TWO DIFFERENT, UH, TWO DIFFERENT COUNTIES.SO I ONLY MENTIONED IT BECAUSE I THINK IT IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR OUR REGION TO STEP UP AND GET THAT DONE.
AND WHO KNOWS MAYBE TWO OR THREE YEARS FROM NOW, THAT MIGHT BE OUR NEXT BEST OPPORTUNITY TO ASK FOR SOME SIP FUNDING.
SO JUST TO LET YOU KNOW THAT'S GOING ON AND, UH, AND, UH, KEEP IT IN MIND.
YOU MR. ROBIN, AND APPRECIATE YOUR, UM, SHARING THAT A COUPLE OF US, UH, I THINK IN DIFFERENT GROUPS HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO VISIT WITH, UM, THE CHAIRMAN AND, UH, THE ADMINISTRATOR, UH, AND JARED, UM, UH, IN COLUMBIA EARLIER THIS YEAR ABOUT THAT, UM, UH, ABOUT THAT TRIANGLE THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, AND I SHARE YOUR CONCERN.
I MEAN, IT'S, THERE'S A LITTLE BIT DEJA VU OF THINKING BACK TO THE LATE NINETIES AND TALKING ABOUT 2 78 BEING TWO LANES, UM, AND CONNECTING IT OUT TO, UM, ON 95, BUT IT, THAT IS AN INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT AREA.
AND I DO THINK IT'S GOING TO BECOME ONE OF THE MORE SIGNIFICANT TRAFFIC, UM, CONCERNS IN THE COUNTY.
ANYBODY ELSE GOT QUESTIONS, THOUGHTS, UM, WHILE WE'RE HERE, ALL GOOD.
ANYBODY ELSE HERE THAT WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU ALL FOR, FOR BEING HERE? UM, YOU KNOW, UH, ASSUMING THAT WE DON'T HAVE, UH, OTHER SCHEDULING CHALLENGES, WE'D LIKELY WE'LL DO THIS AGAIN EARLY IN THE, UM, SUMMER, UM, THE JUNE, JULY TIMEFRAME, BUT TRYING TO SCHEDULE ALL OF US BEING HERE IS A CHALLENGE.
UM, PLEASE KNOW, MS. MAXIE IS IN THE COUNTY BUILDING.
UM, SHE'S OUR LIAISON, UH, WITH YOU ALL AND WITH THE PUBLIC, UH, IF YOU NEED US, YOU'RE CERTAINLY WELCOME TO REACH OUT TO ANY OF US INDIVIDUALLY.
I SAY THAT BECAUSE MY COLLEAGUES ECHO THAT AND I'VE HEARD THEM INDIVIDUALLY SAY IT, I'M NOT COMMITTING THEM TO SOMETHING THEY DON'T COMMIT THEMSELVES TO, UM, TO REACH OUT TO US DIRECTLY, BUT ALSO TO REACH OUT TO MS. MAXIE TO GET TO US, UM, COLLECTIVELY.
SO YES, SIR, ONE THING I WANT TO CONGRATULATE MS. MAXIE ON SEVEN YEARS, WE HAVE A 10 YEAR CONTRACT HERE THAT HAVE HER.
ACTUALLY, I THINK YOU GET A PIN FROM BUFORD COUNTY AFTER YOU'VE BEEN HERE 10 YEARS AND THAT GREENWAY, IT'S NOT A FANCY WATCH, BUT IT IS A LITTLE BIT, YOU CAN LAYER SOME KIND OF, BUT, UH, IN ANY EVENT, THANK ALL OF YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE.
IT'S A PRIVILEGE FOR US TO GET TO, ALONG WITH YOU ALL SERVE THE CITIZENS OF, UH, THIS PART OF SOUTH CAROLINA, WE'RE ABOUT, HE HAS A WONDERFUL HERITAGE, UH, AND A HAPPY EASTER, AND, UH, Y'ALL TAKE CARE AND HAVE A GREAT DAY.
THE COUNTY CHANNEL IS ALSO AVAILABLE ON VIDEO, ON DEMAND, GO TO BUFORD COUNTY, SC.GOV, SCROLL DOWN TO PUBLIC MEETINGS, CLICK WATCH NOW, AND THEN CLICK THE VIDEO ON DEMAND BUTTON AND SELECT YOUR PROGRAM FROM MELISSA CALL TO ORDER IF YOU'D LIKE A DVD OF THIS PROGRAM, CLICK ON THE LINK ON THE RIGHT AND FILL OUT THE ORDER FORM.
AND THANK YOU FOR WATCHING THE COUNTY CHANNEL.
THIS IS THE BUFORD COUNTY MOMENT.
THE SUBJECT OF THIS MOMENT IS THE PHOSPHATE INDUSTRY LOST TO FOLKS TODAY, BUT THE ARTIFACTS, THE PHOSPHATE INDUSTRY ARE AROUND US.
IF WE LOOK FOR THEM, PHOSPHATES WERE KNOWN IN SOUTH CAROLINA BEFORE THE CIVIL WAR.
THEY WERE FIRST DISCOVERED UP AROUND SOMERVILLE AND NORTH OF CHARLESTON.
IT'S KNOWN AS MORAL AND BENEATH THE MORAL WAS THE PHOSPHATE ROCK GEOLOGISTS AND SCIENTISTS KNEW ABOUT IT.
PHOSPHATE WAS VERY IMPORTANT TO THE AGRICULTURAL OF THE SOUTH BECAUSE IT IS THE BASIS OF MOST FERTILIZER AND MANY OF THE COTTON LANDS OF THE OLD SOUTH, WHERE MUCH EXHAUSTED BY THE COTTON INDUSTRY BEFORE THE WAR.
SO AFTER THE CIVIL WAR, THE PHOSPHATE INDUSTRY WAS INTRODUCED FIRST IN CHARLESTON IN 1867, AND THEN LOOKING FOR BEDS OF HIGH CONTENT PHOSPHATE ROCK.
[01:40:01]
EXPLORES AND ENTREPRENEURS DISCOVERED BUFORD COUNTY.THE NEXT 30 YEARS, BUFORD COUNTY BECAME THE PRIMARY SOURCE OF PHOSPHATE IN THE UNITED STATES.
AND ONE OF THE RICHEST SOURCES OF PHOSPHATES KNOWN IN THE WORLD BETWEEN 1870 AND 1900.
THIS BECAME THE CENTER OF THE MINING.
PART OF THE PHOSPHATE INDUSTRY.
MANY OF THE FERTILIZER FACTORIES WERE IN CHARLESTON, BUT THE MINING AND THE PHOSPHATE WORKS AS THEY CALL THEM WHERE THEY BROKE THE ROCK DOWN INTO POWDER AND THE PURE PHOSPHATE AND SHIPPED IT OUT.
THOSE INDUSTRIAL CENTERS WERE MOSTLY IN BUFORD COUNTY AT THE HEIGHT OF THIS INDUSTRY IN THE 1880S, 3000 BUFORD TONES WERE EMPLOYED IN THE PHOSPHATE BUSINESS.
IN MANY CASES WAS A OF THUMB WHEN THE PHOSPHATE BUSINESS BEGAN IN THE 1870S, THAT THE RICHEST VEINS OF PHOSPHATE WERE UNDERWATER UNDER THE COOSAW RIVER UNDER THE BUFORD RIVER, UNDER BATTERY CREEK.
SO INITIALLY LOCAL SEA ISLANDERS WOULD DIVE DOWN FOR THE ROCK AND FILL UP BASKETS AND THEN GET PULLED UP IN A ROPE, NOT ONLY LIMITING THE DEPTH TO WHICH THEY COULD MINE AT, BUT LIMITING THEIR HEALTH AS WELL, GOING UP AND DOWN, BUT VERY QUICKLY IN THE 1870S ENGINEERS DISCOVERED THAT THEY COULD BUILD VERY LARGE UNDERWATER SKIING, POWER DREDGES ON FLOATING BARGES.
AND SO THEY BEGAN TO MECHANIZE THE INDUSTRY AND RATHER THAN EMPLOYING FEWER PEOPLE THAT ACTUALLY EMPLOYED MORE, MORE THAN HALF OF THE PHOSPHATE PRODUCED IN THE UNITED STATES AND 80% OF THE PHOSPHATE PRODUCED IN SOUTH CAROLINA CAME FROM BUFORD COUNTY.
THE PHOSPHATE INDUSTRY BETWEEN 1870 AND 1900 WAS THE LARGEST INDUSTRY IN THE HISTORY OF BUFORD COUNTY AND THE LARGEST MINING INDUSTRY IN THE HISTORY OF THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA.
AND PEOPLE HAVE PRETTY MUCH FORGOTTEN ABOUT IT, BUT IT WAS THE SOURCE OF GREAT PROSPERITY IN BUFORD COUNTY, BETWEEN 1870 AND 1890.
THE POPULATION OF BUFORD COUNTY GREW BAY STREET BECAME A FINANCIAL AND COMMERCIAL CENTER.
PHOSPHATE WORKS IN OTHER WORDS, FACTORIES WHERE THEY BURN THE PHOSPHATE ROCK AND BROKE IT DOWN INTO POWDER.
WE'RE LOCATED ON SPANISH POINT.
WE'RE LOCATED, UM, LUCY CREEK AND THE LARGEST WAS LOCATED FIRST ON COOSAW PLANTATION.
AND THEN OUT AT THE END OF CHISHOLM HIGHLAND ON SUMMERHOUSE POINT ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE COOSAW RIVER, SMALLER PHOSPHATE COMPANIES AND PHOSPHATE RIDGES, AND THE TUGBOATS AND THE SUPPORT SYSTEMS THAT HAD TO SUPPORT THIS INDUSTRY FOR 30 YEARS WERE AN ENORMOUS BOOM TO BUFORD COUNTY.
EVENTUALLY THE SMALLER PHOSPHATE COMPANIES WERE CONSOLIDATED INTO ONE VERY LARGE COMPANY CALLED THE COOSAW MINING COMPANY.
THE COOSAW MINING COMPANY BY 1892 WAS THE LARGEST PHOSPHATE MINING COMPANY IN THE UNITED STATES.
BUT IN THOSE SAME YEARS IN 1888, RICHARD VEINS AND PHOSPHATE WERE DISCOVERED DEAR TAMPA, FLORIDA.
AND DURING THE 1890S, THE PERCENTAGE OF PHOSPHATE EXTRACTED FROM BUFORD COUNTY DECLINED, AND THE PERCENTAGE OF PHOSPHATE DISCOVERED AND EXTRACTED FROM FLORIDA AND OTHER PLACES LIKE NEAR NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE WAS RICHER PHOSPHATE.
AND EVENTUALLY IT PUT THESE PHOSPHATE MINES OUT OF BUSINESS PHOSPHATE AND BUFORD COUNTY.
THE RIVER ROCK AS IT WAS CALLED IN THOSE DAYS WAS 60% PURE PHOSPHATE, WHICH IN 1870 WAS THE BEST IN THE COUNTRY.
BY 1888, THE FLORIDA ROCK WAS 80% PURE PHOSPHATE.
AND THE ECONOMICS OF THAT SIMPLY PUT THE RIVER COUNTY PHOSPHATE BUSINESS OUT OF BUSINESS.
COOSAW MINING COMPANY STOPPED MINING IN 1905.
THE VIRGINIA CAROLINA COMPANY TRIED TO CONSOLIDATE SOME OF THE OLD WORKS AND FINALLY WENT BANKRUPT IN 1914.
AND THAT WAS THE BITTER END OF THE PHOSPHATE BUSINESS CONSEQUENCES OF THE END OF THE PHOSPHATE BUSINESS WAS THE BEGINNING OF THE GREAT EXODUS OF THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN POPULATION OF THE SEA ISLANDS WITHOUT GOOD WAGE JOBS BEGAN TO MOVE NORTH AND BE POPULATED MUCH IN BUFORD COUNTY.
BUT THE OTHER EVENT WHICH HASTENED THE DEMISE OF THE PHOSPHATE INDUSTRY IN BEAVER COUNTY WAS OF COURSE, THE GREAT HURRICANE OF 1893, WHICH WAS ONE OF THE 10 LARGEST HURRICANES AND MOST DESTRUCTIVE HURRICANES EVER TO HIT THE UNITED STATES KILLED AS MANY AS 2000 PEOPLE ON THE SEA ISLANDS AND WRECKED THE PHOSPHATE FLEET.
SO THE INVESTORS IN PHOSPHATE FLEET MOVED THEIR CAPITAL TO FLORIDA, AND THE PHOSPHATE BUSINESS DECLINED B FOR COUNTY.
THIS HAS BEEN A BUFORD COUNTY MOMENT TO SEE MORE BE FOR COUNTY MOMENTS, GO TO THE BUFORD COUNTY LIBRARY HOMEPAGE AND CLICK ON THE LOCAL HISTORY TAB.
[01:45:02]
DR.GATES, TELL ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE TIMELINESS OF THE RECONSTRUCTION SERIES.
WHY NOW 12 YEARS OF BLACK FREEDOM FOLLOWED BY AN ALT-RIGHT ROLLBACK PRESIDENT IMMEDIATELY, UM, FOLLOWING ABRAHAM LINCOLN, WHO REFUSED TO RENOUNCE WHITE SUPREMACY, THE CONSERVATIVE SUPREME COURT THAT EFFECTIVELY UNDID THE POWER OF THE 14TH AND 15TH AMENDMENTS, WHAT'S IT SOUND LIKE CONTEMPORARY TIME, CONTEMPORARY TIMES.
SO IT WAS OBVIOUS THAT WE COULD TEACH OUR FELLOW CITIZENS IN AMERICA ABOUT THE PERILOUS MOMENT IN WHICH WE'RE LIVING BY ANALOGY, THROUGH TELLING THE STORY OF RECONSTRUCTION AND ITS ROLE BACK.
AND I FIRST STARTED THINKING ABOUT IT AFTER THE HORRIBLE MURDERS OF REVEREND CLEMENTA PINCKNEY AND THE OTHER INNOCENCE AT MOTHER EMANUEL CHURCH BECAUSE OF JUSTIFICATIONS THAT DYLAN ROOF, UH, SUMMONED FOR HIS ACTIONS, UM, WERE VERY REMINISCENT OF RACIST RHETORIC ABOUT BLACK PEOPLE IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE CIVIL WAR AND FOLLOWING RECONSTRUCTION.
IT'S ALMOST LIKE A HORROR MOVIE WHEN YOU THINK THAT THE VAMPIRES DID.
AND ALL OF A SUDDEN THEY COME UP OUT OF THE CASKET AND HE THINK, DAMN, I THOUGHT I'D PUT A STAKE IN YOUR HEART.
I THOUGHT THAT THE WORST AND MOST PERNICIOUS HEINOUS ASPECTS OF ANTI-BLACK WHITE SUPREMACY WERE LONG GONE.
AND THAT I WAS NAIVE ABOUT THAT.
AND WE'VE SEEN A RISE IN HATE SPEECH, ANTISEMITISM, ANTI-GAY ATTITUDES AND PEOPLE WHEN PEOPLE CAN BECOME FRIGHTENED PARTICULARLY ABOUT THEIR ECONOMIC FUTURE, THEY LOOK FOR SCAPEGOATS AND THE SCAPEGOATS TRADITIONALLY HAVE BEEN JEWISH PEOPLE, WOMEN GAY PEOPLE, AND OF COURSE IN THIS COUNTRY, PEOPLE OF COLOR.
SO IT'S A, A MORAL, UH, LESSON, UM, LET'S AND GO BACK TO WHAT HAPPENED WITH THE ROLL BACK TO RECONSTRUCTION.
RECONSTRUCTION IS SUCH AN IMPORTANT PART OF AMERICAN HISTORY, AND YET IT IS SO MISUNDERSTOOD.
WHY IS THAT? WHY IS IT THAT WE DON'T HAVE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THIS PERIOD AND WHAT IT ACTUALLY MEANT? WELL, W E W E DUBOIS WROTE A BOOK IN 1935 CALLED BLACK RECONSTRUCTION.
AND ONE CHAPTER IS CALLED THE PROPAGANDA OF HISTORY AND HE ANALYZES HOW WHITE HISTORIANS HAD WRITTEN ABOUT RECONSTRUCTION.
AND THAT WAS PART OF THE ROLLBACK TO CREATE A MYTH MYTHOLOGY, A BLACK INCOMPETENCE THAT BLACK MEN HAD BEEN ELECTED TO OFFICE, AND COULDN'T PROPERLY SERVE THAT BLACK VOTERS HAD BEEN MANIPULATED BY NORTHERN SCALLYWAGS AND CARPET BAGGERS THAT BASICALLY THEY WERE TOOLS AND PAWNS THAT THEY WERE DISHONEST OF ROBERT SMALLS.
IT WAS ONE OF THE GREATEST HEROES OF THE CIVIL WAR AND RECONSTRUCTION SERVED FIVE NON-CONSECUTIVE TERMS IN CONGRESS BECAUSE HE WAS CONSTANTLY BEING ACCUSED OF STEALING MONEY AND MISAPPROPRIATING FUNDS.
THEY WERE, UM, THERE WAS A MYTHOLOGY SANCTIONED BY THE DISCIPLINE OF HISTORY, LOCATED AT COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY CALLED THE DUNNING SCHOOL LED BY HISTORIAN PROFESSOR DUNNING.
AND THEY FOUND EVERY WAY TO REDUCE THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF BLACK PEOPLE.
AND THAT HAS ONLY BEEN UNDONE BY HISTORIAN SINCE DUBOIS PUBLIC'S BLACK RECONSTRUCTION, AND MOST NOTABLY UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF ANOTHER COLUMBIA PROFESSOR, PROFESSOR ERIC FONER WITH WHOM WE MADE A RECONSTRUCTION SERIES.
PLUS WE HAVE OVER 40 HISTORIANS DOING MODERN, UM, CUTTING EDGE SCHOLARSHIP ON RECONSTRUCTION THAT WHOM WE FEATURE IN THE SERIES.
SO IT'S VERY MUCH A COLLECTIVE, UM, SERIES AND IT'S VERY MUCH, UM, COUNTERPOINT TO THE RECEIVED INTERPRETATIONS OF RECONSTRUCTION FABRICATED BY THE DUNNING SCHOOL.
IT HAS A VERY SPECIAL MEANING.
WHY IS THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA? SO PIVOTAL TO AN UNDERSTANDING OF RECONSTRUCTION WAS GROUND ZERO FOR RECONSTRUCTION BECAUSE IT WAS A MAJORITY BLANK STATE.
THE, UM, THERE'S A FAMOUS 1872 LITHOGRAPH OF THE FIRST COLORED SENATOR AND THE MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
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IN THAT LITHOGRAPH WERE FROM SOUTH CAROLINA.WHEN RICHARD T GREENER GRADUATED FROM HARVARD, THE FIRST BLACK MAN TO GRADUATE FROM HARVARD AND THE CLASS OF 1870.
WHERE WAS THE LAND OF OPPORTUNITY? WAS IT IN NEW YORK? WAS IT IN BOSTON? WAS IT IN PHILADELPHIA? CHARLESTON CAME TO CHARLESTON AND WENT TO, UH, COLUMBIA AND SERVED ON THE FACULTY, UM, AND TOOK LAW CLASSES THERE.
THE, UM, A BLACK MAN FROM ENGLAND, FROM LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND, ROBERT BROWN ELLIOTT CAME TO, TO BOSTON IN 1867.
THE BRITISH NAVY COULD SMELL THE OPPORTUNITY HEADED STRAIGHT TO SOUTH CAROLINA AND WORKED FOR RICHARD HARVEY.
CAIN'S NEWSPAPER THEN WAS ELECTED TO CONGRESS, VERY ELOQUENT, MAN.
AND, UM, THIS WAS WHERE IT WAS AT, THIS IS WHERE IT WAS HAPPENING.
AND WHEN I INTERVIEWED REPRESENTATIVE CLIBURN HIS OFFICE IN THE, IN THE CONGRESS, WELL HE'S LONG BEEN A STUDENT OF RECONSTRUCTION.
I MEAN, IT'S LIKE A MUSEUM YOU GO IN THERE AND ALL THESE BROTHERS ARE ON THE WALL.
AND WE TALKED ABOUT THE FACT THAT SOUTH CAROLINA HAD A BLACK MAJORITY IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
YOU CAN'T IMAGINE THAT NOW SOUTH CAROLINA, EVEN IN THE 18TH CENTURY, IT WAS CALLED NEGRO COUNTRY.
UM, AND VERY SOON THAT WAS DISMANTLED.
SO IT'S NO SURPRISE THAT MANY OF THE MOST VICIOUS BATTLES OVER RACE OCCURRED HERE BECAUSE THERE WAS AN ATTEMPT TO CONTROL THIS BLACK MAJORITY.
I WENT TO CALHOUN COLLEGE AT YALE UNIVERSITY AND JOHN C. CALHOUN WAS AN INTELLECTUAL RACIST.
HE NOT ONLY WANTED SLAVERY TO CONTINUE, HE WANTED TO RESURRECT THE SLAVE TRADE.
HE WAS, HE WAS A ROUGH BROTHER.
WHAT DO YOU FEEL WERE THE MOST IMPORTANT AND MOST SIGNIFICANT, UH, ASPECTS OF RECONSTRUCTION? THE REAL POSITIVES, THE ESTABLISHMENT, THE ESTABLISHMENT OF BLACK SOCIAL INSTITUTIONS, UM, PARTICULARLY THE CHURCHES, FRATERNAL ORGANIZATIONS, SOCIAL ORGANIZATIONS, THE FACT THAT SO MANY OF THE SLAVES WANTED TO GET MARRIED AND LEGALIZE THEIR LOVE RELATIONSHIPS.
THE, UM, THE TAKING OUT OF ADS IN NEWSPAPERS TO REUNITE FAMILIES AND THE FACT THAT 80% OF THE ELIGIBLE BLACK MEN IN THE SOUTH HAVE REGISTERED TO VOTE IN WHAT I CALL THE FIRST FREEDOM SUMMER, THE SUMMER OF 1867 AND 500,000 OF THEM CAST THEIR VOTES IN THE GENERAL ELECTION OF 1868 FOR ULYSSES S GRANT.
AND PEOPLE FORM SCHOOLS HISTORICALLY BLACK.
WHAT WE NOW CALL HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES LIKE SHAW AND HOWARD, BUT ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS.
AND IN SOUTH CAROLINA, ALLEN AND BENEDICT AND CLAFLIN.
AND, YOU KNOW, JUST ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS THAT, THAT THE SLAVES HAD A HUNGER FOR LEARNING BECAUSE THEY KNEW THAT THE MOST VALUABLE THING THAT HAD BEEN KEPT FOR THEM WAS KNOWLEDGE OF READING AND WRITING.
AND THEY KNEW THAT WAS THE PATHWAY TO SUCCESS.
ISN'T IT INTERESTING THAT PUBLIC EDUCATION GREW OUT OF THIS PERIOD AND PARTICULARLY, UH, WAS SPEARHEADED HERE IN OUR STATE BY ROBERT SMALL, RIGHT THERE WEREN'T PUBLIC STATEWIDE PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEMS AND THE RECONSTRUCTION GOVERNMENTS, PARTICULARLY, UM, IN SOUTH CAROLINA IN PARTICULARLY AS DESIGNED BY ROBERT SMALLS, UM, ESTABLISHED STATEWIDE PUBLIC SCHOOL EDUCATIONAL SYSTEMS, WHICH HADN'T BEEN DONE BEFORE, WHICH IS A SHOCK TO PEOPLE.
AND THAT'S BECAUSE BLACK PEOPLE UNDERSTOOD THE VALUE OF EDUCATION.
IT'S ALSO INTERESTING THOUGH, THAT THINGS LIKE PUBLIC EDUCATION AND CERTAINLY, UH, ENFRANCHISEMENT AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, ALL THESE POSITIVE STATE GREW OUT OF THE RECONSTRUCTION PERIOD ARE STILL UNDER ASSAULT IN MODERN TIMES.
AND IT'S, WE HAVE TO, UM, ANY SOCIETY IS JUDGED BY THE QUALITY OF ITS PUBLIC EDUCATION.
AND WE, AS AMERICANS SHOULD BE EMBARRASSED AT HOW WE'VE ALLOWED OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS, WHICH ARE POPULATED BY BRILLIANT TEACHERS WHO SO MOTIVATED, BUT THEY'RE UNDERPAID AND UNDER-RESOURCED, AND, UM, WE SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF THAT.
YOU KNOW, PEOPLE HAVE, UM, A GENERAL IDEA THAT THE COLLAPSE OF RECONSTRUCTION WAS SOLELY IN THE HANDS OF THE CELL.
IT'S NOT, OH, THE COLLAPSE OF RECONSTRUCTION WAS A CONSPIRACY BETWEEN ECONOMIC INTERESTS AND POLITICAL INTERESTS IN THE NORTH.
AND IN THE SOUTH, THEY SAID 12 YEARS IS ENOUGH.
THERE WAS A PA ECONOMIC PANIC OF 1873, WHICH WAS CALLED THE FIRST GREAT DEPRESSION.
AND PEOPLE LOOKED AROUND AND SAID, WHY ARE WE SPENDING ALL THE MONEY ON THESE NEGROS IN THE SOUTH? LET THEM THRIVE.
AND THEY ACTED BARREL AS IF 200 YEARS OF SLAVERY COULD BE WIPED OUT WITH NO
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REPARATIONS WITH, WITH, WITH, UM, NO BENEFITS GIVEN NO 40 ACRES AND A MULE, NO HELP.UM, THAT EACH OF THESE PEOPLE WERE ON THEIR OWN.
NOT ONLY THAT NEW FORMS OF OPPRESSION WERE INSTITUTIONALIZED, THAT PNH SHARECROPPING THE RISE OF THE KLAN, THE RISE OF THE COOK TERRORISM.
AND SO VERY MUCH A RECONSTRUCTION IS ABOUT ISSUES THAT STILL ROYAL OUR SOCIETY TODAY, WHO HAS THE RIGHT TO BE A CITIZEN WHO HAS A RIGHT TO BE AN AMERICAN.
WHAT IS THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC DEMOCRACY? AND WHAT IS THE ROLE OF TERRORISM IN THE HEALTHY FUNCTIONING OF A DEMOCRACY? WHAT'S THE ROLE OF THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE IN THE FACE OF THE MANIFESTATIONS OF TERRORISM? HOW CAN WE HAVE THIS VERY BLATANT REMINDER FROM 150 YEARS AGO AND NOT BE MINDFUL OF ITS IMPACT TODAY? THAT'S WHY DYLAN MCGEE AND I MADE THE SERIES AND WITH PBS, WE'LL GET, AND I AM ON THE ROAD.
YOU KNOW, I FLEW DOWN TO BUFORD FROM HARVARD.
UH, I DID MY OFFICIAL DUTIES ON JUMPED ON JET BLUE AND CAME DOWN HERE BECAUSE I'M WANTING TO SOUTH CAROLINA SCREENING TO REMIND PEOPLE THAT THIS IS GROUND ZERO, THAT THEN IS NOW, AND I WANT TO DO ONE IN CHARLESTON, AND I WANT TO DO ONE AT THE PENN CENTER, UH, AS WELL.
IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT THE COUNTRY UNDERSTAND THAT WE MADE THIS SERIES ABOUT THE CURRENT RACIAL CLIMATE IN THE UNITED STATES, THOUGH IT'S THROUGH THE MIRROR AND THE ANALOGY OF RECONSTRUCTION AND IT'S ROLLED BACK CALLED REDEMPTION.
WHAT IS THE MEASURE OF SUCCESS FOR YOU FOR THIS SERIES? UM, FIRST OF ALL, I WANT RECONSTRUCTION MODULES.
I WANT RECONSTRUCTION MODULES TO BE CREATED IN THE CLASSROOM.
SO THAT RECONSTRUCTION IS AS CENTRAL TO A COURSE IN AMERICAN HISTORY AS A CIVIL WAR IS, OR WORLD WAR ONE AND WORLD WAR II RECONSTRUCTION WAS OUR FIRST EXPERIMENT WITH INTERRACIAL DEMOCRACY AND IT WAS CRUSHED.
AND THE ONLY WAY WE'RE GOING TO SURVIVE AS A SOCIETY IS IF WE FASHIONED FORUMS OF INTERRACIAL DEMOCRACY AND COLLABORATION THAT ALLOW A MULTIPLICITY OF VOICES, SEXUAL ORIENTATIONS, RELIGIOUS BELIEFS, ET CETERA, GENDER IDENTITIES, TO THRIVE AND LIVE IN HARMONY AND PEACE.
THAT'S MY GOAL IN CREATING THIS SERIES AND I HOPE PEOPLE WILL WATCH IT, THAT THEY HENRY LOUIS GATES, JR.
I CAN TALK TO YOU ALL DAY, ALWAYS IN PLEASURE.
ONE IN THREE ADULTS AS PRE-DIABETES, THAT MEANS IT COULD BE YOU, YOUR DOG WALKER, YOUR CAT JOGGER WITH EARLY DIAGNOSIS.
TAKE THE RISK TEST AT, DO I HAVE PRE-DIABETES DOT ORG?