[00:00:03]
I DON'T THINK ANYONE CAN HEAR THAT.
UM, WE STARTED WHERE YOU'RE STARTING AT FOUR O'CLOCK TO DO EXECUTIVE SESSION FIRST.
SO WE HAVE BEGUN OUR MAY 10TH, 2022, THE TOWN COUNCIL MEETING.
UM, IF WE CAN START WITH PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE ALL ABOUT DEAR LORD.
THANK YOU FOR SUCH A BEAUTIFUL PLACE THAT WE ALL LIVE IN.
THANK YOU FOR THE HELP OF OUR RESIDENTS.
PLEASE BE WITH THOSE WHO ARE STILL THINKING PAIN FROM SICKNESS AND OTHER DISEASES.
THANK YOU FOR GIVING US THE ABILITY TO SIT AS A GROUP, TO DISCUSS WHAT'S IN THE BEST INTEREST OF OUR TOWN AND OUR RESIDENTS.
PLEASE BE WITH ALL OF US AND HELP US MAKE GOOD DECISIONS THAT REFLECT THE BETTER OF ALL THIS.
[IV. Adoption of the Agenda]
WE ARE GOING TO ADOPT THE AGENDA.IS THERE A MOTION TO ACCEPT THE AGENDA THERE? SECOND.
[V. Executive Session]
IN EXECUTIVE SESSION RIGHT NOW.IS THERE A MOTION TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION FOR THREE ITEMS? CONTRACTUAL MATTERS RELATING TO A PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP TO DEVELOP WORKFORCE HOUSING, TO COUNT ON PROPERTY THAT'S ACT 34 78 DISCUSSIONS RELATING TO NEGOTIATIONS AND CONTRACTUAL ARRANGEMENTS FOR PROPOSED LAND ACQUISITION OF WALTER PLACE.
34 78, 2 AND LEGAL ADVICE REGARDING THE INTER-GOVERNMENTAL AGREEMENT WITH DIFFERENT COUNTY FOR THE COLLECTION OF DEVELOPMENT IMPACT DAYS AND AT 34 78, 1 SECOND.
ANY DISCUSSION ALL IN FAVOR STATE BY SAYING AYE.
[VI. Action from Executive Session]
WELCOME EVERYONE.DOES THOSE FOR FORECASTS? NO ACTION WAS TAKEN IN EXECUTIVE SESSION, BUT WE DO HAVE ACTION FROM EXECUTIVE SESSION.
I FEEL LIKE I'M IN THE WRONG SEAT.
I DON'T REMEMBER ACTIVE SESSION, WHICH IS RELATING TO NEGOTIATION AND CONTRACTUAL ARRANGEMENTS FOR PROPOSAL AND BEAR WITH ME.
IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE A RESOLUTION? ARTHUR, I THINK THE PURCHASE AND CONVEYANCE THE THREE PARCELS OF REAL PROPERTY LOCATED IN BLOCKCHAIN CONSISTING OF APPROXIMATELY ONE ACRE OF REAL PROPERTY IDENTIFIED AS TAX NET.
NUMBER 6, 10 0 3 0 19 72, APPROXIMATELY 0.27 ACRES 40 IDENTIFIED BY TECH MOUNTAIN NUMBER 30 19 73 AND APPROXIMATELY 2.35 ACRES OF REAL PROPERTY.
IDENTIFYING NUMBERS ARE SIX, 10 OF 10 99 AND 2.35 ACRES OF GENERAL COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT, RIGHT FROM PEER FOR NATIONAL DBA, EPICOR HEALTHCARE TO THE COUNT OF BLOCK, THEN FOR THE PRICE OF 1.2 MILLION AND PROVIDE THINGS LIKE IMPORTATION OF CERTAIN DOCUMENTS FROM THEIR PETS AT THE MOTION.
[00:05:01]
AYE, AYE.AND FINALLY, ITEM NUMBER THREE, WHICH LINCOLN ADVICE REGARDING THE MINIMAL AGREEMENT? UM, THERE ARE SOME IMPACT FEES.
YOU NEED TO MAKE A MOTION ON THAT WE'RE CURRENTLY COLLECTING AND THAT WAS PARKED LIBRARY AND HIGHER.
AND YOUR EMOTION ARTHROPODS ACCOUNT MANAGER KIND OF ATTORNEY THE FORWARD
THOSE ARE BRAND NEW AND REFILLED ON HIM.
ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR OF SAYING AYE.
[VII. Adoption of the Minutes]
WE HAVE A REGULAR MEETING MINUTES OF APRIL 12TH, 2022.ARE THERE ANY CHANGES IN A MOTION TO ACCEPT ANY DISCUSSION ALL IN FAVOR STATE BY SAYING AYE.
AND THEN WE HAVE A SPECIAL MEETING AND WORKSHOP ON APRIL 19TH, 2022.
ANY CHANGES, IF NOT, IS THERE A MOTION TO ACCEPT THEIR SECOND DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR, SAY AYE, AYE.
[VIII. Presentations, Celebrations and Recognitions]
IN THE ROOM AND WELCOME ALL OF YOU.AND THAT IS IS THAT CORRECT? OKAY.
I DON'T EVEN KNOW THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS IN OUR CLUSTER FAMILY.
WE HAVE ABOUT 10 STUDENTS IN THE BOSTON CLUSTERED IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
AND WE STARTED THE SCHOOL DISTRICT STARTED I CHARACTER TRAINING MANY YEARS AGO.
SO WE MIGHT CELEBRATE AGAIN BECAUSE YOU ARE THE 13, 14,000 STUDENTS.
WHY CAN'T WE FIX IT? AND I HAVE HAD THE PLEASURE OF WILLINGHAM YEARS.
AND THIS YEAR HE HAD SHOWN SUCH GROWTH AND BOMBING AND HE HAS REALLY SHOWN THAT HE HAS MASTERED HIMSELF AND HE HAS BEEN IN TREMENDOUS.
WE'RE SO PROUD AND SO HAPPY TO CELEBRATE SUCH A JOY TO HAVE A NURSE SCHOOL.
YOU COULD TEACH SOME OF US THAT
SO WE HAVE NOT MANY PEOPLE GET, SO THAT'S A COLLECTOR.
WE'LL GET A PICTURE ALTOGETHER.
AND THEN WE CAN, OF COURSE I GOT IT.
[00:10:13]
RECOGNITION.UM, UM, WHEREVER YOU SEE THIS GUY, THERE'S A RACE ABOUT TO HAPPEN.
SO WE JUST WANTED TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE RECOGNITION.
THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO, WHO PARTICIPATED IN ASSIST SCHEDULING AS WELL? YES.
UM, WE RAISE MONEY FOR SCHOLARSHIPS, EVERYTHING WE RAISED GOT A STRAIGHT INTO THE SCHOLARSHIP POLE FOR OUR, ALL OF OUR BLUFFTON KIDS, NO MATTER WHERE THEY GO TO SCHOOL AND ALSO BLUFFTON STUDENTS WHO GO TO COLLEGE BECAUSE THERE ARE VERY FEW SCHOLARSHIPS OUT FOR COLLEGE MONTHS.
SO ROB, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALWAYS BEING SUCH A GOOD PARTNER.
YOU CAN HANG AND WE HAVE YOU A CERTIFICATE AND WE JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU PUBLICLY.
THERE'S ANOTHER RACIST SATURDAY SO WE STARTED THIS TRADITION A FEW MONTHS AGO WHEN WE NOTICED SO MANY OF OUR STUDENTS AND SOME OF OUR SPORTS TEAMS AND ATHLETIC TEAMS KEEP GOING TO HIGHER RANKS AND UM, CHRISTIAN ACADEMY.
THAT'S NOW IN THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON.
WE CELEBRATED THEIR FOOTBALL TEAM WINNING STATE.
SO AFTER THAT, WE PUT IT OUT TO BLUFFTON HIGH MAY RIVER HIGH, AND NOW CHRISTIAN ACADEMY, WHENEVER THERE'S A BIG ACHIEVEMENT, WE WANT Y'ALL TO COME IN AND JUST SPEND A MINUTE BEFORE YOU GET BACK TO STUDY AND, AND CELEBRATE YOU.
SO WE HAVE THE CHRISTIAN ACADEMY GIRLS, OUR CITY BASKETBALL TEAM, AND WE HAVE SOME REPRESENTATIVES Y'ALL COME FORWARD.
AND Y'ALL HAVE TO TELL ME WHICH ONE YOU ARE.
ARE YOU KINSEY? KINSEY, BUTCHER AND SCALLOPS.
AND WE HAVE HALEY AND WE HAVE DOROTHY, THANK, OH, THERE YOU ARE.
Y'ALL ARE MUCH HAPPIER THAN THE BOYS FOOTBALL.
AND I JUST THINK OF SOMETHING IN OUR WATER CAN, Y'ALL DO SO WELL.
I WANT TO READ THIS, UM, JUST TO GET THE WORD OUT TO THE PEOPLE IN THE AUDIENCE.
WHEREAS TODAY HILTON HEAD CHRISTIAN ACADEMY, VARSITY GIRLS BASKETBALL TEAM COMPLETED THEIR FIRST FULL SEASON ON THE SCHOOL'S NEW CAMPUS IN BLUFFTON WITH A RECORD OF 26 AND TWO WHILE EXHIBITING HUMBLE SPORTSMANSHIP AND THE RELENTLESS PURSUIT OF EXCELLENCE BOTH ON AND OFF THE FIELD GRASS.
THE TEAM OF 13 STUDENT ATHLETES LED BY HEAD COACH, KENNY CONROY, AND A NON TOM REGION COACH OF THE YEAR GENERATIONS, ALONG WITH THE FULL COACHING AND SUPPORT STAFF DEFEATED ORANGEBURG PREP, 45 TO 34 THROUGH AN INCREDIBLE DISPLAY OF ATHLETICISM ON FEBRUARY 27TH, 2022 TO EARN THE TEAM'S FOURTH CONSECUTIVE SOUTH CAROLINA INDEPENDENT SCHOOL ASSOCIATION REGION TO A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP.
WHEREAS 2022 TEAM LEADERS EARN THE FOLLOWING TOP SKIS ARE REGIONAL AND STATE HONORS ABBY PUDU Z PLAYER THE YEAR TAMIYA HUTCHINSON, ALL REGION AND ALL STATE SCHOLARS SMITH, ALL REGION AND ALL STATE AND DEVIN, DEVIN YARD, ALL REGION AND ALL STATE.
WHEREAS THE LADY EAGLES CONTINUE TO BUILD A LEGACY AND AN EXEMPT PLAYER CULTURE THAT EMBODIES REMARKABLE CHARACTER LEADERSHIP AND PERSEVERANCE RESULTING IN THE TEAM'S FIVE STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS IN SEVEN YEARS, INCLUDING FOUR IN A ROW WITH THE CURRENT REGION, WIND WINDSTREAM OF 75, THE VICTORIES SINCE 2016 AND NOTEWORTHY ACCOMPLISHMENTS THAT SINCE 2012, SUCH AS 255 WINS IN 305 GATES MAKING A POSITIVE IMPACT IN THE LIVES OF MANY AND BRINGING RECOGNITION AND HONOR TO OUR COMMUNITY.
AND WE GET TO CELEBRATE THIS AND THANK YOU ALL.
[00:15:01]
WHERE AM I GOING TO COME FORWARD? WE HAVE KYLIE NELSON, JILLIAN CAMPANELLA, AND ALYSSA ROSE.
NOVANT'S, THANK YOU FOR PUTTING THEM INTO THIS AS WELL.
SO THIS IS NATIONAL MENTAL HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE AWARENESS MOM.
WHEREAS DURING THE MONTH OF MAY, A NATIONAL HEALTH, OBSERVANT IS DEDICATED TO INCREASING PUBLIC AWARENESS OF AN ACTION AROUND POSITIVE MENTAL HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE USE PREVENTION, SUBSTANCE USE PREVENTION, WHEREAS RATES IN OPIOID ADDICTION AND REPORTS OF DEPRESSION, SUICIDAL FAULTS, AND THE TIPS AND SERIOUS MENTAL ILLNESSES HAVE INCREASED.
AND WE'RE AS INDIVIDUALS STRUGGLING WITH SOCIAL ISOLATION, FEAR, ANXIETY, AND UNCERTAINTY DURING COVID-19 ARE SUFFERING FROM, OR MAYBE AT RISK FOR MENTAL AND OUR SUBSTANCE ABUSE DISORDERS.
THIS NATIONAL MONTH OF AWARENESS CELEBRATES THE EFFORTS OF COMMUNITIES AND ORGANIZATIONS COMING TOGETHER TO RAISE AWARENESS ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF SUBSTANCE PREVENTION AND POSITIVE MENTAL HEALTH.
THEREFORE ALLIE SULCA MAYOR, THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON.
AND ON BEHALF OF ALL OF US, THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT ISSUE.
UM, DO YOU HEAR ABOUT SUPPORT THE EFFORTS OF THE LOW COUNTRY ALLIANCE FOR HEALTHY YOUTH COALITION AND RAISING AWARENESS ABOUT POSITIVE MENTAL HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE USE PREVENTION ISSUES AND PROCLAIM THEM UP THE MAY TO BE MENTAL HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE USE AWARENESS? OKAY.
IT'S FREE HAS GONE INTO EVERY SCHOOL IN THIS COUNTY.
AM I RIGHT? OR WE HAVE, WE MOVED INTO JASPER COUNTY, BUT WE ARE GOING THIS HELPFUL LED BY SEVERAL.
UM, AND I'LL SHUT UP FOR BRIDGET MADE IT VERY CLEAR.
MENTAL HEALTH IS VERY IMPORTANT EVEN IN OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT.
UM, SHE IS AN EDUCATOR AND, AND REALLY SAW IT WITH COVID.
SO FOR Y'ALL TO TEXAS, JUST AMAZING.
LET ME SEE THE TALKING SMALL BUSINESS WEEK.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE TO ACCEPT.
WHEREAS THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON RECOGNIZES AND VALUES THE DEDICATION AND ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND WHEREAS SMALL BUSINESSES ARE THE BACKBONE OF OUR ECONOMY THAT PREVENT JOBS AND GIVE BACK TO OUR COMMUNITY.
SMALL BUSINESSES KEEP OUR COMMUNITY.
THE STATE AND AMERICA'S ECONOMY IS GROWING STRONG COUNT OF BLUFFTON SUPPORT, ENJOINED FIFTH NATIONAL EFFORT TO HELP AMERICA SMALL BUSINESS DO WHAT THEY DO BEST CREATE JOBS AND ENSURE THAT OUR COMMUNITIES REMAIN VIBRANT.
AND WHEREAS IN THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON REMINDS INDIVIDUALS OF THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS COMMUNITY CELEBRATION AND ACKNOWLEDGE AND CELEBRATE THE ACHIEVEMENTS MADE BY SMALL BUSINESSES, BOTH LOCALLY AND NATIONALLY, THEREFORE ALLY FOR SARCOMERE THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON ALONG WITH TOWN.
UM, BUT FROM TOWN COUNCIL DO HEREBY PROCLAIM MAY 16TH THROUGH THE 20TH AS THE HILTON HEAD ISLAND, BLUFFTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, SMALL BUSINESS WEEK.
DO YOU HAVE UPDATE ON WHAT'S GOING ON TOP AMERICAN? UH, SO OUR SMALL BUSINESS WEEK BEGINS MAY 16TH, WHICH IS MONDAY.
WE HAVE A GREAT WEEK OF EVENTS PLANNED.
UH, SO YOU CAN JUST CHECK OUT OUR WEBSITE FOR THOSE AND REGISTER TO ATTEND HILTON HEAD BLUFFTON CHAMBER.ORG IS THE WEBSITE.
AND THEN, UM, JUST GET OUT AND SUPPORT OUR LOCAL SMALL BUSINESSES AND, UM, YOU KNOW, SHOPS LOCALLY.
[00:20:01]
SO READ THIS AND YOU CAN TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, WHEREAS HASHTAG READY PREPARATION.THAT'S AN IMPORTANT OPPORTUNITY FOR RESIDENTS OF THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON TO BE PREPARED FOR ANY TYPE OF EMERGENCY WHERE THEY LIVE, WORK AND PLAY.
WHEREAS TAKING STEPS TOWARD PERSONAL PREPAREDNESS AND ENSURING THAT THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON, SOUTH HOUSEHOLDS, WORKPLACES SCHOOLS, INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER LEARNING HOUSES OF WORSHIP AND COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS ARE PREPARED FOR DISASTER.
WHEREAS PARTICIPATING IN HASHTAG READY BLUFFTON, IT WILL INCREASE THE NUMBER OF CITIZENS WHO HAVE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF POTENTIAL DISASTERS THAT CAN HAPPEN IN OUR COMMUNITY.
WHEREAS THE GOAL OF THE HASHTAG READY BLUFFTON PREPPER PREPARE ON IS TO EDUCATE OUR CITIZENS SO THEY WILL KNOW WHAT TO DO TO REMAIN SAFE AND MITIGATE CHAT ON DAMAGE SHOULD A DISASTER OCCUR.
BRAD'S EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF EVERY CITIZEN OF THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON.
AND ALL CITIZENS ARE ENCOURAGED AN URGE TO MAKE PREPAREDNESS A PRIORITY AND WORK TOGETHER TO ENSURE THAT INDIVIDUALS, FAMILIES, AND COMMUNITIES ARE PREPARED FOR DISASTERS AND EMERGENCIES OF ANY TYPE.
THERE ARE FOUR ALLEYS THAT SARCOMERE BLOCKED IN ON BEHALF OF THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON AND BLOCKED IN TOWN COUNCIL FOR CLAIM MAY 14TH, 2022 IS HASHTAG READY.
BLUFFTON PREPARE UPON DAY IN THE TOWN OF WORLD.
YOU WANT TO TALK THE SATURDAY QUICKLY? SURE.
SO SATURDAY FROM 11:00 AM TO 2:00 PM, WE'RE GOING TO BE WELCOMING APPROXIMATELY 20 ORGANIZATIONS TO PROVIDE RESIDENTS WITH RESOURCES, TO HELP THEM BETTER PREPARE NOT JUST FOR HURRICANE SEASON, WHICH DOES START JUNE 1ST AND RUNS THROUGH NOVEMBER 30TH, BUT FOR ANY TYPE OF DISASTER THAT MIGHT POTENTIALLY AFFECT OUR AREA, THERE'LL BE RESOURCES, UH, FROM FEDERAL STATE AND LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS.
WE'LL HAVE 15 MINUTE WORKSHOPS TO EXPLAIN THINGS THAT YOU CAN DO.
ACTION ITEMS THAT YOU CAN DO TO BE BETTER PREPARED.
AND YOU MIGHT ALSO GET A FREE HOT DOG IF YOU COME ON OUT.
IT'S 11:00 AM ON SATURDAY, THIS COMING SATURDAY, THE 14TH FROM 11:00 AM TO 2:00 PM AND WE REALLY HOPE YOU'LL JOIN US.
ALSO CHECK OUT OUR SOCIAL MEDIA AT TOWN OF BLUFFTON, SOCIAL MEDIA AND THE BLUFFTON POLICE DEPARTMENT.
THERE ARE ACTION ITEMS ON THERE THROUGHOUT THE WEEK.
EVERY DAY IS A DIFFERENT THEME THAT WE WANT TO ENCOURAGE RESIDENTS AND VISITORS TO PARTICIPATE IN.
AND THAT'LL BE A REALLY GREAT DAY.
UM, IF YOU CAN COME OUT, UM, IT'S THAT 11 UPLOAD THAT REPORT.
WE HAVE OTHER ONES, NO, ONE'S HERE, BUT THEY'RE ALL VERY IMPORTANT NATIONAL PRESERVATION MONTH.
AND WE HAVE OUR HISTORIC, UM, HERITAGE SYMPOSIUM THAT WILL BE TAKING PLACE IN MAY.
AND THIS WILL BE FILED IN OUR ARCHIVES.
WE HAVE BUILDING SAFETY MONTH, WHICH AGAIN, VERY IMPORTANT.
AND, AND THIS IS BUILDING SAFETY MONTH.
UM, THEY, AND THEN, OH, WE HAVE AMY BREAD AND SOME DID SHE COME, OKAY.
AMY HAS A DAUGHTER WHO HAS A TUBEROUS SCLEROSIS, AND SHE HAS BEEN WORKING DILIGENTLY ON THIS FOUNDATION TO BRING AWARENESS TO THE STATE LEVEL.
AND WE JUST DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO HAVE A PROCLAMATION FOR HER.
UM, SO SHE CAN TAKE HER WORK HOME TO COLUMBIA.
UM, BUT IT'S, UH, IT'S, UH, IT'S COMMON AS LOU GEHRIG'S DISEASE.
AND WE HAVE A YOUNG LADY THAT LIVES IN HER TOWN THAT HAS IT, AND I'M SURE MANY, MANY MORE.
SO DO THINK THAT THAT FAMILY, UM, AND IT IS TUBEROUS SCLEROSIS COMPLEX GLOBAL AWARENESS DAY, AND THAT IS TAKING PLACE, UM, THIS MONTH AS WELL.
AND FINALLY KIDS TO PARKS, AS YOU KNOW, AND WHAT YOU HEARD IN ONE OF OUR MOTIONS FROM EXECUTIVE SESSION, WE'RE BUYING MORE PARKS AND BUYING THEM IN AREAS WHERE ALL A BLESSING CAN ENJOY SO THAT ONE'S GOING TO BE AT BUCK WALTER.
SO WE HAVE A KIDS TO PARK DAY A PROCLAMATION, AND IT IS MAY 21ST.
IT'S THE 12TH KIDS TO PARKS DAY AND IT'S ORGANIZED AND LAUNCHED BY NATIONAL PARK TRUST.
SO KEEP AN EYE OUT ON THAT ON SOCIAL MEDIA MORE WILL COME.
SO THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME GO THROUGH THOSE THINGS.
UM, NEXT WE HAVE DONE RYAN CENTER FOR INNOVATION UPDATE, MR. NELSON'S GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND COUNCIL TO BE IN FRONT OF YOU AGAIN, I WANTED TO GIVE YOU A BRIEF FIVE TO SEVEN MINUTE PRESENTATION.
CAUSE I KNOW YOU'VE GOT A BIG AGENDA.
I WANT TO LET YOU KNOW THAT ANYTHING YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT LATER ON, I'LL BE HAPPY TO TALK WITH YOU IN DEPTH.
JUST A LITTLE UPDATE SINCE, UM, STRATEGIC PLAN AT FIRST OF ALL, W
[00:25:01]
TALK ABOUT THE PROGRAM COMPANIES WE ARE WORKING WITH AND THE PROGRAM ELEMENTS.SO AS YOU MAY KNOW, AS YOU KNOW, WE HAVE, UM, THREE BASIC TYPES OF PROGRAMS. WE HAVE RESILIENCY, WHICH IS, WAS IMPLEMENTED WHEN COVID STARTED.
THIS IS THE FREE PROGRAM THAT WE OFFER TO ANY RESIDENTS, ANYONE THAT NEEDS A LITTLE BIT OF ASSISTANCE, IT'S A SMALL SHORT-TERM INTERACTION AND WE HAVE HELPED 61 COMPANIES UNDER THIS PROGRAM SINCE MARCH OF 2021.
COVID STARTUP, AS YOU KNOW IS THE MAIN PROGRAM.
DON RYAN OFFERS IS WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING SINCE 2012.
AND WE'VE HAD 11 COMPANIES THROUGH IN THE STARTUP PROGRAM SINCE FEBRUARY OF 2020, THE HIGHEST NUMBER WE'VE EVER HAD AT ANY ANY ONE TIME.
UH, SINCE DON RYAN STARTED BACK IN 2012 AND GROWTH IS A NEW PROGRAM.
AND THAT IS FOR COMPANIES THAT HAVE EITHER GRADUATED OUT OF DON RYAN, OR THEY HAVE NEVER WORKED WITH US BEFORE, BUT THESE ARE COMPANIES THAT ARE CASHFLOW POSITIVE THAT ARE TRYING TO GET ASSISTANCE, TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THE NEXT THING IS FOR THEM, WHETHER IT'S FROM BEING IN A LOCAL COMPANY TO BEGIN A REGIONAL OR A NATIONAL COMPANY, WHETHER THEY WANT TO LAUNCH A NEW PRODUCT OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT IS IT'S A WHOLE DIFFERENT CURRICULUM AND A WHOLE DIFFERENT DIVE INTO WHAT THEY'RE DOING.
SO THOSE ARE THE MAIN PROGRAMS WE OFFER.
AND WE'VE HAD FIVE COMPANIES IN THE GROWTH PROGRAM SINCE JULY OF 2020 AND GROWTH AGAIN IS VERY INTENSIVE.
SO FIVE COMPANIES IS A LOT AND AT THAT LEVEL, THE NEXT PILLAR IS MEMBERSHIP.
IF YOU MIGHT RECALL ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF AGO, WE HAD ABOUT A HUNDRED MEMBERS.
SO NOW WE'RE AT 1,023 AND MENTORS.
WE HAVE 68 MENTORS IN THE PROGRAM.
WE HAVE MORE MENTORS IN THE PROGRAM THAT SCORE HAS, WHICH IS QUITE AN IMPRESSIVE ACHIEVEMENT.
AS YOU KNOW, THERE WERE A LOT OF REALLY BRILLIANT PEOPLE DOWN HERE.
AND A LOT OF THEM I'M PLEASED TO SAY OUR MENTORS OF THE DON RYAN CENTER.
SO THAT PROGRAM IS DOING VERY, VERY WELL, UH, AT THE DON RYAN CENTER.
SO CHANGE IS THE ONLY CONSTANT AS YOU KNOW, WE WORK WITH COMPANIES AND SOME OF THOSE COMPANIES STAY WITH US A LONG TIME.
SOME DON'T THIS SLIDES OUT DATA SINCE I SENT IT TO KIM LAST WEEK, BUT WE'VE GRADUATED FOUR COMPANIES.
YOU CAN SEE THEIR FLEA BOW ON THE GO, THE WOODEN LOFT GREEN BUG, WHO WAS IN GROWTH AND LEGAL NOTIFICATION SERVICES.
WE JUST HELPED THEM GET A HUGE CONTRACT WITH A MAJOR SOFTWARE AS A SERVICE SUPPLIER NATIONWIDE, THEY'VE COMPLETED THE PROGRAM.
MOST OF THEM WERE IN THERE ABOUT A YEAR.
AND WE CURRENTLY, AS OF THAT SLIDE, WE HAVE 1, 2, 3, WE HAVE FIVE COMPANIES IN THE PROGRAM.
WE HAVE SOME MORE NOW, BUT AT THE TIME OF THAT SLIDE, THERE WERE FIVE CURRENTLY IN STARTUP OR GROWTH.
AND WE HAD TO LET ONE GO, JUST BECAUSE YOU GET AN, AN INCUBATOR DOESN'T MEAN YOU'RE GOING TO STAY IN AN INCUBATOR.
IT DOES NOT MEAN YOU'RE GOING TO BE SUCCESSFUL.
IT MEANS YOU'RE GOING TO FAIL OR SUCCEED FASTER.
AND SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO LET ONE GO BECAUSE IT'S JUST NOT WORKING.
SO WE HAD LIFTED A COMPANY THAT WAS OUT OF CALIFORNIA THAT WAS THINKING ABOUT RELOCATING HERE.
IT JUST DIDN'T WORK OUT FOR A NUMBER OF REASONS.
SO I DON'T WANT TO HIDE THINGS WHEN THINGS DON'T WORK, THAT ONE DIDN'T WORK AND IT HAPPENS SOMETIMES.
SO, UM, THERE ARE NO LONGER WITH US.
SO LET ME GIVE YOU A LITTLE STORY.
THIS IS AN OLD TOWN BLUFFTON COMPANY THEY'RE RIGHT DOWN WE'RE PEPPER'S PORT AND THE EURO BAKERY USED TO BE RUN BY NAME A GENTLEMAN BY THE NAME OF JAMES SOULS, WHO WAS INVOLVED IN THE GAVI.
HE WAS INVOLVED IN THE BLUFFTON ROOM AND HE HAS THIS LITTLE BURRITO RESTAURANT THAT SERVES BURRITOS.
AND HE WAS COMING UP WITH THIS IDEA OF A BURRITO VENDING MACHINE.
AND WHEN I SAY THAT, EVERYBODY GOES, THAT SOUNDS TERRIBLE BECAUSE IT DOES.
I SAY, WELL, I'M WORKING WITH THE BRITO VENDING.
SHE GOES, THAT SMELLS TERRIBLE.
SO HE WAS STRUGGLING WITH THIS AND BILL, HER KURTZMAN TOLD HIM HE SHOULD GO SEE THE DON RYAN CENTER.
AND SO WE'RE WORKING WITH HIM NOW, HE'S IN THE STARTUP PROGRAM.
WE'VE CHANGED IT FROM A BURRITO VENDING MACHINE TO A BURRITO COOLER.
YOU CAN ACTUALLY SEE A PICTURE OF IT THERE.
AND THIS IS THE ONE THAT'S RIGHT OUTSIDE ON HIS PORCH.
YOU SWIPE A CREDIT CARD THROUGH IT.
AND EVERY ITEM IN THAT COOLER HAS AN RFID TAG ON IT.
SO WHATEVER YOU TAKE AND PASSES THAT LASER, WHERE THAT DOOR OPENS CHARGES YOUR CREDIT CARD AUTOMATICALLY.
IF YOU'RE REALLY, REALLY HUNGRY, YOU PULL FIVE OF THEM OUT.
IT CHARGES YOU FOR ALL FIVE OF THEM.
SO WHAT WE'RE HELPING HIM DO IS FIGURE OUT HOW TO PUT THESE MACHINES ALL OVER THE PLACE.
WE'RE GOING TO START IN BLUFFTON AND BUFORD COUNTY WITH A NUMBER OF MACHINES.
AND HIS GOAL IS TO PUT THESE MACHINES ALL THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY BASED IN BOSTON, BUT ALL THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY AND SERVE THESE, UH, BURRITOS.
THEY ARE, THEY WILL WARM THEM UP OR YOU CAN KEEP THEM REFRIGERATOR
[00:30:01]
FOR SIX DAYS.THEY'RE NOT LIKE THE BURRITOS YOU THINK OF WHEN YOU GO TO PARKER'S OR SOMETHING ELSE, WHICH PUTS A BUNCH OF DO INSIDE OF THEM.
THEY'RE ACTUALLY, YOU CAN OPEN UP AND IT LOOKS LIKE A FRESH ROLL BURRITO AND THEY ARE VERY, VERY GOOD.
WE'RE GOING TO HAVE SOME FOR YOU TODAY.
AND I LEARNED THAT WE NO LONGER, NO LONGER EAT BEFORE COUNCIL ANYMORE.
BUT IF YOU'RE HUNGRY, WHEN YOU LEAVE COUNCIL AND GO RIGHT DOWN THE ROAD, SWIPE YOUR CREDIT CARD AND GET AN UNDERGROUND BURRITO FROM UNDERGROUND BRITA ON BLUFFTON.
SO WE'RE WORKING WITH THEM AND, UM, IT LOOKED LIKE THEY'RE GOING TO BE A FUN COMPANY TO WORK WITH.
SO I DON'T ALWAYS WANT TO TALK ABOUT NUMBERS.
I WANT TO TALK ABOUT STORIES AND THE COMPANIES WE'RE WORKING WITH.
SO THAT'S UNDERGROUND BURRITO.
SO WHEN I LAST SPOKE TO YOU AT STRATEGIC PLANNING, I TOLD YOU A COUPLE OF THINGS WE WERE GOING TO BE WORKING ON.
AND I WANTED TO GIVE YOU A BRIEF UPDATE AS TO THOSE ITEMS. ONE OF THOSE WAS PARTNERSHIPS.
SO WE KNEW HAVE A NEW PARTNERSHIP WITH AN ORGANIZATION CALLED BLACK WOODY.
AND THIS IS AN ORGANIZATION THAT WAS, UH, INVOLVED WITH, UH, BILLY WATERSON AND, UM, GWEN CHAMBERS, WHO WAS THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR.
WE FOUND OUT WHAT THEY WERE DOING, HOW THEY'RE HELPING ENTREPRENEURS AND IN A MUCH MORE FORMAL WAY, ALMOST LIKE, LIKE A CLASSROOM TYPE UNIVERSITY PROGRAM WHERE THEY COME NOW TO THE DON RYAN CENTER EVERY MONDAY AND WEDNESDAY FOR TWO HOURS AT A TIME IN THE EVENING.
AND THEY GO THROUGH THEIR, THEIR BLACKWOOD, A UNIVERSITY THERE AT THE DON RYAN CENTER, UH, GWEN AS WELL, KEEPS REGULAR OFFICE HOURS AT THE DON RYAN CENTER.
SHE'S USUALLY THERE ON WEDNESDAYS.
SO AS YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS WE WANTED TO DO, WHAT WE WANT TO DO IS BE KNOWN AS THE HUB, HENCE THE NAME OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT IN BLUFFTON AND BEAVER COUNTY, WHETHER IT'S A PARTNERSHIP WITH BLACK OT, A PARTNERSHIP WITH BUFORD ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION,
WHEN LOVES THE SPACE, THE STUDENTS LOVE THE SPACE.
THEY WERE MEETING IN A MUCH SMALLER OFFICE AND YOU BOW UP INTO THE HUB.
YOU KNOW, WHAT A BEAUTIFUL LOCATION THAT IS THAT MAYOR AND COUNCIL HAVE BUILT FOR US.
AND WE'RE REALLY EXCITED TO USE IT WITH THIS NEW PARTNERSHIP.
SO THIS IS GOING TO BE A GREAT PARTNERSHIP FOR BLACKWOOD.
AND WE ALSO SEE IT AS A, A FEEDER PROGRAM FOR DON RYAN.
ONCE THESE INDIVIDUALS GRADUATE THROUGH THE PROGRAM AND THEY WORK WITH THEIR BUSINESSES, THEY MAY BE READY TO GO TO THE STARTUP LEVEL, OR MAYBE LATER ON GO TO THE GROWTH PROGRAM OF DON RYAN CENTER.
SO THAT IS ONE OF THE PARTNERSHIPS THAT WE HAVE ALREADY AFFECTED SINCE I SPOKE TO YOU IN FEBRUARY ANOTHER ONE, WE HAVE SIGNED A NEW AGREEMENT WITH THE CITY OF HARDY BILL, UH, TO WORK WITH THEM FOR THE NEXT 15 MONTHS TO HELP THEIR BUSINESSES GROW AND THRIVE IN THEIR AREA AS WELL.
UM, WE DID THIS FOR THE FIRST YEAR, LAST YEAR, AS YOU KNOW, AND THAT NEW AGREEMENT HAS BEEN EXECUTED AS OF THIS WEEK.
UH, THE COUNCIL COUNTY COUNCIL, MAYOR, AND COUNCIL OVER THERE, VERY EXCITED ABOUT IT.
I SPOKE TO THEIR COUNCIL A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO AND WE HAVE A VERY GOOD ACTION AGENDA FOR THE THINGS WE'RE GOING TO DO WHEN, HOW WE'RE GOING TO MEASURE SUCCESS.
UH, WE WANT MENTORS, WE WANT STARTUP COMPANIES.
WE WANT GROWTH COMPANIES, BUT WE ALSO RECOGNIZE THAT HARDY BILL IS NOT BLUFFTON AND BLUFFTON IS NOT HARDY BILL.
SO WE HAVE TO SOMEHOW CHANGE OUR TACK A LITTLE BIT TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE RESIDENTS, THAT PARTY BILL.
SO TO THAT END, WE'RE GOING TO BE DOING SOME ALMOST BUSINESS ONE-ON-ONE COURSES TO TEACH BASIC BUSINESS IDEAS TO RESIDENTS AND PARTY BUILD THAT MAY NEED THOSE ITEMS TAUGHT TO THEM.
AND WE HAVE A FOREST KPIS TO MEASURE ALL OF THAT AS WELL, BUT THIS IS A REVENUE GENERATING PARTNERSHIP FOR DON RYAN AND THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON AND MAYOR WILLIAMS AND, AND THE TOWN MANAGER AND STAFF ARE ALL EXCITED ABOUT WORKING WITH THIS.
WE'RE GOING TO SEE SOME GOOD RESPONSES.
WE ALREADY HAVE OUR FIRST STARTUP, UH, CANDIDATE FROM PARTY BILL AND THE INK BARELY DRY ON THE AGREEMENT.
UH, THE ARPA-E GRANT UPDATE, THIS IS A GRANT THAT, UH, WE'RE IN THE FIRST PHASE OF NOW WE'RE THE ARPA MONEY THAT WAS, UH, GIVEN TO THE TOWN FOR SMALL BUSINESS PEOPLE, SMALL BUSINESSES THAT WERE AFFECTED BY COVID THAT GRANT CLOSED.
THE FIRST WAVE OF IT CLOSED LAST NIGHT AT MIDNIGHT.
AND SO WE'RE GOING THROUGH THOSE APPLICATIONS RIGHT NOW.
WE HAVE, UH, A GROUP OF MEMBER, BOARD MEMBERS AND MENTORS AND COUNT FINANCE STAFF THAT ARE GONNA SCORE THESE APPLICATIONS.
AND, UM, THEN WE'RE GOING TO BE DISTRIBUTING THESE, THESE MONIES BY THE END OF JUNE.
AND THEN THERE'LL BE A SECOND ROUND THAT BEGINS ON JULY 1ST.
I MUST HAND IT TO A COUNTER BLUFFTON FINANCE DEPARTMENT, ESPECIALLY CHRIS, NATALIE, AND FELICIA WHO HAVE DONE A GREAT JOB.
SO YOU COULD APPLY ON THE WEBSITE, THEY'RE DOING ALL THE HARD WORK AND KRISTEN LANG WHO'S MY
[00:35:01]
OPERATIONS MANAGER WHO IS NOT HERE RIGHT NOW IS GOING THROUGH ALL THESE APPLICATIONS.AND IT'S, THERE'S A LOT OF PAPERWORK TO GO THROUGH.
SO, BUT THAT IS PROCEEDING NICELY.
AND, UH, WE'LL DO IT AGAIN IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS STAFFING UPDATE, UH, ZACH GREEN IS OUR HEROES CANDIDATE WHO YOU'VE MAY HAVE MET BEFORE HIS ORIGINAL CONTRACT HAD EXPIRED.
SO WE'RE GOING AND HE'S IN A MONTH, A MONTH CONTRACT ACT AT THE END OF THIS FISCAL YEAR.
WE'RE ANTICIPATE KEEPING HIM ON ON A MONTH TO MONTH BASIS AS THE HEROES PROGRAM GROWS.
UH, AS I'VE NOW PROMOTED TO CEO OF THE DON RYAN CENTER, WHERE YOU'RE LOOKING FOR SOMEONE TO REPLACE ME AS THE VICE PRESIDENT OF INNOVATION, AND THAT'S THE FULL-TIME EMPLOYEE, A W2 EMPLOYEE FOR THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON.
IN ADDITION, WE HAVE BEEN LOOKING FOR AN INNOVATION MANAGER, KIND OF A VP OF INNOVATION LIGHT.
IF YOU WILL, AS A 10 99 EMPLOYEE, THAT'S FUNDED THROUGH THE ARPA FUNDS.
SO WE ARE ACTIVELY LOOKING FOR BOTH OF THESE POSITIONS RIGHT NOW, AND TAKE A LITTLE BIT OF TIME TO FIND THESE INDIVIDUALS AND ESPECIALLY THE VP OF INNOVATION, BECAUSE THIS IS A UNIQUE SKILLSET, BUT WE ARE WORKING ON THAT WITH ANNIE AND, UH, THE, UH, HR HERE AT, UH, IN BLUFFTON.
AND I, I KNOW IT'S NOT ALL ABOUT NUMBERS, BUT JUST A LITTLE ABOUT NUMBERS.
SO I WANTED TO GIVE YOU AN UPDATE ON THE KPIS OR THE KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS.
NOW THIS VERY COLORFUL SLIDE, ALL THIS IS TELLING YOU IS WE'RE GOING TO MEASURE FOUR TYPES OF INDICATORS.
AND SOME OF THESE WE MEASURE ALREADY, UM, YOU KNOW, HOW MANY STAFF WE HAVE, HOW MANY PROGRAMS WE HAVE, HOW MANY MEMBERS WE HAVE ON THE INPUT SIDE, BUT A LOT OF THESE ASTERISKED ITEMS THERE, YOU SEE HOW MUCH THE HUB'S USED, UH, HOW MANY PARTNERSHIPS WE HAVE, WHAT TYPE OF AWARENESS DO WE HAVE THE DON RYAN CENTER, UH, EVEN AT THE END OUTCOME THAT THREE YEAR SURVIVAL, THIS IS A KEY KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATOR.
HOW MANY OF THESE BUSINESSES THAT WE HELP? ARE THEY STILL IN BUSINESS AFTER THREE YEARS? THIS IS A KEY METRIC, WHAT YOU NEED TO START TRACKING.
SO, UH, WE'RE GONNA START TRACKING IT A LOT MORE THAN WE USED TO.
WE TRACKED GOOD NUMBERS ALREADY, BUT WE'RE GOING TO KEEP UP WITH EVEN MORE BECAUSE WE NEED TO PROVE OURSELVES THAT WE ARE DOING A GOOD JOB FOR THE TOWN AND BEING A GOOD STEWARD OF THE CITIZEN'S MONEY.
THAT'S ALWAYS IMPORTANT TO ME AND THE STAFF.
SO YOU'LL SEE MORE NUMBERS COMING OUT OF THE DON RYAN CENTER.
ANYTIME YOU WANT TO SIT DOWN WITH ME AND LOOK AT NUMBERS, I HAVE NUMBERS TO LOOK AT, UH, JUST BRIEFLY, THIS IS THE NUMBER OF, UH, WHAT WE CALL OPPORTUNITIES, LEADS OR OPPORTUNITIES OF COMPANIES OR INDIVIDUALS THAT WANT TO WORK THAT HAVE ASKED ABOUT A PROGRAM AT THE DON RYAN CENTER.
THE ORANGE IS THE CURRENT YEAR AND THE GRAY IS THE SAME A YEAR AGO.
SO YOU CAN SEE WE'RE RUNNING WELL AHEAD, PRETTY MUCH OF EVERY MONTH IN THE LAST 12 MONTHS.
AND THIS ONLY GOES THROUGH APRIL, BUT I CAN TELL YOU, MAY'S ALREADY AHEAD OF, OF MAY, OF LAST YEAR.
SO WE'RE KEEPING UP WITH THAT.
AND WE HAVE A LOT OF INTEREST.
WE, IN FACT, UH, BROUGHT IN A NEW HEROES COMPANY TODAY, MAYOR SACA WAS ON THAT A STARTUP PITCH TODAY.
WE HAVE, UH, AN F 30, A RETIRED MARINE COLONEL F 35 PILOT, AND ONE OF THE MOST IMPRESSIVE AIRCRAFT.
AND IN THE MILITARY THAT IS STARTING A COMPANY TO TEACH F 35 SKILLS TO OTHER MILITARIES AND THE U S MILITARY AS WELL.
SO HE HAS A WHOLE TRAINING CURRICULUM FOR THAT.
AND HE WAS BROUGHT INTO THE STARTUP PROGRAM TODAY.
SO FROM UNDERGROUND BURRITOS TO F 30 FIVES THAT CAN CLIMB AT 40,000 FEET, AND THEN WE'RE DOING ALL KINDS OF STUFF.
UH, AGAIN, SOME OF THIS MAY BE HARD TO READ, BUT THE POINT IS WE TRACK A LOT OF METRICS AND YOU CAN SEE ON THE LEFT SIDE, THE SEGMENT INTERESTS.
MOST OF THAT BIG PART OF THE PIE IS A GENERAL INTEREST IN PROGRAMS, AS OPPOSED TO HEROES IS PURPLE.
AND THE TEAL COLOR IS, UH, IS HARD TO BILL AND ON THE RIGHT SIDE, THE TYPE OF INTEREST IN THE PROGRAM AND BY FAR START-UP OUR CORE PROGRAM IS THE MOST, UH, INTERESTED PROGRAM.
PEOPLE HAVE INTEREST IN, UH, INQUIRIES BY CITY, AGAIN, A LOT OF DATA, BUT THE POINT I WANT TO MAKE HERE IN THIS SLIDE, YOU SEE BLUFFTON 65, ALMOST 66% OF THE PEOPLE THAT ASKED ABOUT SOMETHING FROM THE DON RYAN CENTER ARE FROM BLUFFTON.
AND THE NEXT IS FROM HILTON HEAD.
AND, UM, THE LAST, THIS VERY IMPRESSED, THIS SLIDE, WHICH IS VERY CONFUSING.
AND I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT TOO MUCH.
THIS IS JUST WHAT I WANT TO SHOW YOU HERE IN ILLUSTRATE IS THE DILIGENCE WE GO THROUGH.
AND THIS SOMEONE HAS TO GO THROUGH TO GET INTO THE STARTUP OR THE GROWTH PROGRAM.
UH, THERE WAS INITIAL CONTACT IN THAT STAGE, A FUNNEL WHERE SOMEONE CONTACTS US IN SOME MANNER, AND THEN THE NEXT STEP STAGE B, WE TALKED TO THEM ON THE PHONE, WE TRY TO QUALIFY OR THEY WRITE FOR RESILIENCY, OR THEY WRITE FOR STARTUP, OR THEY WRITE FOR GROWTH.
AND IF THEY ARE, THEY TURN INTO AN OPPORTUNITY AND THEN WE DEAL WITH THEM A LITTLE BIT DEEPER, A LITTLE MORE DILIGENCE.
[00:40:01]
THEY GET TO DILIGENCE STAGE D WHERE WE GO, HEY, LIKE THE COLONEL FROM THE MARINE CORPS, THIS PERSON, OR THIS INDIVIDUAL COMPANY HAS A GOOD IDEA FOR THEMSELVES AND A GOOD IDEA FOR OUR COMMUNITY THAT CAN HELP GROW JOBS.AND SO IT'S NOT JUST, YOU WANT TO GET IN, OH, OKAY.
IT'S A LOT MORE, UM, STRATEGIC THAN THAT NOW RESILIENCY, THAT FREE PROGRAM, WE HELP ANYBODY, BUT FOR STARTUP AND GROWTH, THEY GO THROUGH THIS FUNNEL.
SO THERE'S A LOT OF BEHIND THE SCENES STUFF THAT, THAT YOU MAY NOT HAVE SEEN THAT REALLY OPERATES WELL FOR US.
AND WE THINK WE'LL DO BLUFFED AND PROUD.
SO THAT IS A, A WHIRLWIND INTRO AND A WHIRLWIND RECAP OF WHAT'S GOING ON AT THE DON RYAN CENTER.
AND HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE IN NOW.
AND OF COURSE, ANYTIME YOU WANT TO SPEAK WITH ME, ANY QUESTIONS OF DAVID'S VIRGINIA? YEAH.
THANK YOU, DAVID, FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
IT'S GREAT TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THAT INFORMATION AND, AND SEE ALL THE GOOD THINGS YOU GUYS HAVE GOING ON.
I WOULD JUST LIKE TO, UM, OFFER A COMMENT.
I DIDN'T REALIZE YOU WERE GIVEN A PRESENTATION TODAY ALSO ON THE, UM, AARP UPDATE.
UM, SOMETHING THAT I MENTIONED TO CHRIS BRIEFLY WITH THE, UM, APPLICATION THAT YOU ALL HAD ON YOUR SITE FOR, UM, SMALL BUSINESSES.
I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SAY FOR THE SECOND ROUND, IT'S GOING TO GO OUT.
IF WE COULD LOOK AT IT IN TERMS OF TWEAKING IT, TO MAKE IT A LITTLE MORE USER-FRIENDLY FOR THE BUSINESSES THAT IT WAS, UM, THE FUNDS WERE TARGETED FOR THOSE TYPICALLY OF THE UNDERREPRESENTED OR UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES WHO DIDN'T TAP INTO SOME OF THE INITIAL FUNDS LIKE PPP AND SBA.
UM, IT WAS A LITTLE DIFFICULT TO NAVIGATE THROUGH THAT.
I DID ASSIST SOME, UM, BUSINESSES WHO WANTED TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IT.
UM, BUT IT WASN'T AS USER-FRIENDLY AS THE, UM, THE NONPROFIT ONE.
AND SO IF WE COULD GIVE SOME CONSIDERATION IN WORKING WITH THEM TO MAKE SURE IT'S NOT, UH, INTIMIDATING OR EVEN OVERWHELMING FOR THEM TO, UM, BE DETERRED FROM COMPLETING THAT APPLICATION.
CAUSE I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE ABLE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF, OF WHAT WE'RE OFFERING.
WE'RE JUST, I WAS TALKING TO KRISTEN, JULIA, SHE'S GOING THROUGH THESE APPLICATIONS, THEY'RE STACKS AND STACKS OF PAPER AND DOCUMENTS.
AND I THOUGHT AFTER THIS FIRST ROUND IS OVER.
WE'LL GET TOGETHER WITH FINANCE AND PARTIES AND FIGURE OUT HOW CAN WE MAKE THIS NEXT ROUND BETTER? CAUSE WE'VE NEVER DONE THIS BEFORE.
AND FOR THE NONPROFIT SIDE, I THINK THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION FOR THE WHOLE COUNTRY RUNNING THAT UNDER A BIG KIND OF GRANT ENABLEMENT PROGRAM, WE WERE JUST KIND OF DOING THIS A LITTLE BIT ON THE FLY AND FOR ZERO MONEY, TO BE HONEST.
UM, BUT WE CAN LEARN SOME THINGS ABOUT HOW TO DO BETTER.
SO I COMPLETELY AGREE THERE A BETTER WAYS WE CAN DO SOME OF THIS AND THOSE WILL BE EXECUTED BEFORE THE NEXT ROUND.
PERHAPS BRING IN SOMEBODY THAT MAYBE SOMEBODY AFTER IT'S OVER AND THEY CAN GIVE YOU THE COULDA WOULDA SHOWED US.
THERE WAS A LOT OF DOCUMENTATION THEY HAVE TO PROVIDE.
SO ANYTHING WE CAN DO TO MAKE THAT EASIER.
AND I HEARD YOU SAY EARLIER THAT ONLY THING YOU PROVIDED WAS THE PORTAL, SO THEY CAN GO THROUGH IT.
SO THAT QUESTION SHOULD BE POSED AT PRISON, ANY OTHER FINANCIAL STAFF MEMBERS, BECAUSE IF YOU NOTICE THAT IT WAS HARD AND WE DIDN'T DO ANYTHING TO ASSIST THOSE WHO MAY HAVE BEEN IN THE PROCESS, I THINK WE STILL FAIL TO BE, UM, THE AVENUE, UH, UM, FOR THE SEX, FOR THOSE INDIVIDUALS WHO WERE APPLYING.
SO IS THERE A WAY FOR US TO CONTACT SOME OF THOSE PEOPLE WHO MAY HAVE STRUGGLED WITH THE PROCESS? BECAUSE I'VE HEARD ALSO THAT IS, IS VERY COMPLICATED.
WE COUNSELED WHILE WE TRIED TO MAKE IT AS EASY AS POSSIBLE.
WE LOOKED AT WHAT A COMMUNITY FOUNDATION FOR THE LOW COUNTRY, BUT THEN WE LOOKED AT OTHER ARPA-E GRANT, UH, MUNICIPALITIES AND THEIRS WAS IN, IN OUR OPINION, MUCH MORE COMPLICATED BECAUSE YOU HAD TO CREATE AN ACCOUNT AND THEN A LOT OF INFORMATION ABOUT YOURSELF AND GET A USERNAME AND PASSWORD.
AND THEN YOU HAD TO COME BACK MULTIPLE TIMES TO UPLOAD DOCUMENTS.
AND WE THOUGHT, WELL, WHAT IF YOU CAN JUST UPLOAD ALL THE DOCUMENTS AT ONCE YOU COME IN AND YOU KNOW, WE TELL EVERYBODY IN ADVANCE, HERE'S THE STUFF YOU NEED.
AND WHEN YOU GET IT ALL READY, JUST COME BACK AND YOUR NAME, ADDRESS INFORMATION, UPLOAD ALL THOSE FILES AND BE DONE.
BUT THERE'S ALWAYS THE, HERE'S HOW WE WANT IT TO WORK.
SO THERE ARE WAYS WE CAN MAKE IT BETTER.
UH, AGAIN, UH, IF THE COUNCIL WANTS FRAZIER'S QUESTION, UM, WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AND FIGURING OUT HOW TO DO THAT.
AND WE HAD A LOT OF, UH, QUESTIONS YESTERDAY, OF COURSE, BECAUSE EVERYONE, SOME KIND OF LIKE TAXES, THEY WAIT TILL THE LAST MINUTE TO APPLY.
AND KRISTEN WAS ON THE PHONE A LOT YESTERDAY TALKING TO PEOPLE THAT HAD EITHER JUST HEARD ABOUT IT OR REALIZED, OH, IT'S TODAY.
AND THEY WERE SENDING ALL THIS DOCUMENTATION.
BUT TO YOUR POINT, THERE IS WE CAN TALK TO SOME OF THESE PEOPLE AND THAT HAVE
[00:45:01]
BUILT OUT IN THE APPLICATIONS AND PEOPLE THAT TRIED BECAUSE A COUPLE PEOPLE SAID, WE'LL JUST WAIT UNTIL THE NEXT TIME.CAUSE WE JUST FOUND OUT ABOUT IT TODAY AND WE DON'T HAVE TIME TO GET ALL THESE DOCUMENTS READY.
SO WE WILL BE TAKING A HARD LOOK ON WHAT WORKED AND WHAT DID NOT WORK TO MAKE IT WORK BETTER IN THE NEXT TIME IS YOUR, UH, CALL ME IF YOU'RE CONFUSED.
UM, WELL THERE'S NOT, BUT THEY DID.
I'M JUST SAYING, I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW WHAT PROBLEM, BUT IF PEOPLE CAME TO SOME OF OUR ACCOUNTS, SO MAYBE WE CAN INTRODUCE AND REALLY SIT WITH THEM BEFORE YOU GET INTO THE NEXT ONE.
AND LIKE, YOU KNOW, WHAT D IS THE UPLOADING? THE ISSUE IS THE, DO YOU NEED TO TALK TO SOMEBODY? I MEAN, WE CAN'T HELP THEM FILL OUT THEIR APPLICATION, BUT LET'S MAKE IT SIMPLE BECAUSE IT IS FOR THE SMALL BUSINESSES AND SOME HAVE ONE EMPLOYEE OR, YOU KNOW, STRUGGLING.
AND I DO THINK IT'S SIMPLE, BUT THAT'S ME LOOKING AT IT.
SO, UH, BUT WE DID HAVE ONE OR TWO INDIVIDUALS THAT CALLED US UP AND SAID, I JUST WANT YOU TO DO IT ALL FOR ME.
I SAID, WELL, WE CAN'T DO THAT.
AND SO WHILE I'M NOT COMPUTER LITERATE SO WELL, THAT IS WHEN WE GOT INTO THIS QUESTION.
IF, IF WE HELP A AND WE DON'T HELP PERSON B, IS THAT UNFAIR? HOW, W W THIS IS NEW GROUND FOR THE DON RICE TO DO THAT.
SO AGAIN, THAT'LL BE PART OF THIS KIND OF POST-MORTEM WE'LL DO AND FIGURE OUT, WELL, HOW CAN WE DO IT BETTER? BECAUSE WHAT WE WANT TO DO IS MAKE IT AS SEAMLESS AND AS EASY AS POSSIBLE THAT, UH, A COUPLE OF GOOD THINGS THAT HE COULD LOOK AT DOING BEFORE THE NEXT ROUND IS I'M DOING INFORMATIONAL SESSION FOR THOSE BUSINESSES THAT MISSED OUT THIS TIME, IT COME SIT DOWN WITH US AND WE CAN WALK THROUGH EVERYTHING WITH THEM.
UM, THE OTHER THING THAT WE CAN TALK ABOUT, AND I'M JUST THINKING OF THIS ON THE FLY, AND I'LL TALK WITH DAVE MORE ABOUT THIS LATER ABOUT POTENTIALLY, UM, PUTTING OUT TO OUR MENTORS TO SEE IF THEY COULD ASSIST.
YEAH, BUT I MEAN, YOU'VE HEARD COUNCILMAN HAMILTON AND FRAZIER SOMEBODY, MAYBE SOMEBODY GET WITH SOMEBODY AND FIGURE IT OUT BECAUSE WE CAN GO ALL NIGHT TALKING ABOUT THIS, BUT IF THEY'VE HEARD IT DIRECTLY, MAYBE Y'ALL SIT AND TALK.
I'VE NOT HEARD ANYTHING, BUT WE HAVE TWO OF US THAT HAVE.
SO I THINK THAT COULD BE HELPFUL.
I DEFINITELY WANT TO MAKE IT AS EASY AS POSSIBLE.
SO ANYTHING ELSE, ONE QUESTION, IS THERE A SAFE SAVE FUNCTION? YOU YOU'VE TALKING ABOUT ALL THESE DOCUMENTS AND NOTHING DRIVES PEOPLE CRAZY.
CAUSE I GO THROUGH IT ALL THE TIME WITH THINGS WHERE YOU ENTER, ENTER, ENTER, AND THEN YOU WALK AWAY FOR A MINUTE AND THEN IT'S NOT THERE.
AND CAN YOU SAVE WHAT YOU PUT IN THERE? NO.
IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO SAVE WHAT YOU PUT IN THERE, YOU, THEN YOU THEN HAVE TO CREATE AN ACCOUNT SO YOU CAN COME BACK TO IT LATER.
WELL, WE DIDN'T HAVE THE TIME OR THE, THE OVERHEAD TO BE ABLE TO DO ALL OR A LOT OF REASONS THAT WE COULDN'T DO THAT.
AND IT SEEMED TO MAKE MORE SENSE OF THE TELL EVERYBODY HERE'S ALL THE STUFF YOU NEED.
CAUSE THERE'S A LONG LIST OF DOCUMENTS.
WE HERE'S THE WAY YOU DO THIS IS GET ALL THESE DOCUMENTS, READY, GET THEM IN ONE PLACE AND THEN COME BACK AND PUT THEM ALL IN AT ONE TIME AND THEN PRESS SEND.
AND PROBABLY 80% OF THEM DID IT THAT WAY.
UM, BUT SOME PEOPLE HAD PROBLEMS WITH IT BECAUSE ANY SYSTEM HAS ISSUES, ESPECIALLY FOR PEOPLE THAT THAT MAY BE NOT AS COMFORTABLE AROUND COMPUTERS AS OTHERS.
SO THERE ARE CERTAINLY WAYS THAT WE CAN IMPROVE IT.
UH, CHRIS, WHY ARE WE USING THE DIRE REINER CENTER AT THIS TIME AND NOT, UM, THE, UM, COMMUNITY FOUNDING MANY FOUNDATION, STEVE, THESE ARE, UH, PRIVATE BUSINESSES.
UM, AND THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION, IT WOULD JEOPARDIZE THEIR 5 0 1 C3 STATUS THAT THEY RAN A PROGRAM LIKE THIS.
UM, SO WE EITHER HAD TO DO IT INTERNALLY WITH FINANCE OR WE BOTH WORK IT THROUGH AND WE DO NOT HAVE THE, UH, THE PORTAL THAT THEY SOFTWARE THEY USE IN COMMUNITY FOUNDATION.
WE DO NOT HAVE THAT HERE AT THE TIME.
WELL, YOU HAVE A MONTH PLUS GET PEOPLE WHO DIDN'T UNDERSTAND.
AND I THINK WE COULD SPEND AN HOUR AND FIGURE IT OUT.
I MEAN, WE'RE, HOPEFULLY WE'LL HAVE ONE.
IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT'S GOING TO COME BACK THAT YEAR AFTER YEAR, BUT I'M JUST GLAD WE HAVE SOME WAY OF GETTING IT OUT QUICKLY.
YOU CAN'T APPLY ANYMORE, BUT BECAUSE OF THE DEADLINE, BUT ALL THE INFORMATION STILL THERE, IT SAYS, YOU KNOW, READ THIS, GET READY, THE NEXT ONE'S COMING.
AND I THINK IF WE, IF WE DO A GOOD JOB OF TELLING PEOPLE, HERE'S, WHAT'S COMING, HERE'S WHAT YOU NEED.
AND WE CAN MAKE THE NEXT GO ROUND BETTER.
JUST ONE QUESTION, DAVE, IN REGARDS TO THE NUMBERS OF APPLICANTS, DID YOU HAVE A LOT, I'M NOT ASKING FOR HOW MANY, BUT ARE THERE NUMEROUS, I MEAN, A LOT MORE APPLICANTS THAN MONEY AVAILABLE, OR YOU DON'T KNOW THAT YET UNTIL YOU SEE THAT THERE'S ABOUT AS MANY, IF EVERYONE GOT THE MAXIMUM REWARD OR NOT REWARD THE, UH, I THINK W WE HAVE JUST THE RIGHT NUMBER OF APPLICANTS TO KIND OF DO THAT.
[00:50:01]
WHEN I TALKED TO KRISTEN TODAY, SHE WAS STILL GOING THROUGH A COUPLE OF THINGS TO SEE, BECAUSE SOME PEOPLE APPLY AND THEY HAVE TO ALSO BE IN THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON AND THEY HAVE TO HAVE A BLUFFTON BUSINESS LICENSE THAT WE HAVE THAT WE HAVE TO SCREEN THEM FOR THAT.AND WE DO THAT THROUGH TOWN HALL.
SO WE HAD TWO OR THREE THAT HAD SENT INFORMATION IN, AND WE DIDN'T KNOW YET IF THEY WERE, IF THEY WERE QUALIFIED AT THAT LEVEL.
SO, UM, BUT, UM, I THINK IT'S PRETTY CLOSE.
YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT A HUGE NUMBER, BUT WHEN YOU LOOK AT ALL THE DOCUMENTS THEY HAVE TO PROVIDE IS A LOT.
MAYBE IT WOULDN'T BE A GOOD IDEA IF WE POSTPONED THE BEGINNING OF THE SECOND PHASE UNTIL WE GET A PROGRAM OR AT LEAST SOME SOMEONE TO HELP SOME OF THESE PEOPLE THAT ARE HAVING PROBLEM.
YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? IF, IF, IF YOU THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO AREN'T COMPUTER SAVVY, RIGHT.
THAT WORK WITH THEIR HANDS OUTSIDE OF DOING OTHER THINGS AND, YOU KNOW, JUST NEVER LEARNED THAT I'M NOT THE GREATEST MYSELF.
AND THAT WAS ONE OF MY CONCERNS WHEN I LOOKED AT HOW OTHER MUNICIPALITIES WERE DOING AT EVEN THE CFLC, UM, IS THAT IT WAS SOMEWHAT ONEROUS TO DO THE WHOLE PROCESS, JUST TO SET YOURSELF UP AS A USER AND THEN LATER COME BACK AND SUBMIT ALL THAT STUFF.
AND THAT'S A LOT MORE HEAVY PROGRAMMING, A LOT MORE EXPENSIVE.
AND, UM, SO, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO LOOK AND SEE IF THAT'S THE BETTER WAY TO GO ANYWAY, BUT MAYBE WE NEED TO HAVE A WAY WHERE YOU DON'T HAVE TO HAVE A COMPUTER.
I HAVE A DAY, A WORK DAY, A YEAR.
UM, SO MAYBE EVERYONE WHO CAN TAKE A LOOK AT THAT WHAT'S NEEDED, LET'S GIVE HIM FEEDBACK.
I HATE TO PUSH IT OFF BECAUSE YOUR BUSINESSES PROBABLY NEEDED IT A YEAR AGO.
SO WE GOT TO FACTOR THAT IN HOW QUICKLY CAN WE GET THE MONEY OUT? UM, BUT IF Y'ALL WOULD JUST GIVE HIM FEEDBACK, THAT'S WHY HE'S HERE.
BUT, UM, ON YOUR, ON YOUR PITCH THAT YOU INVITED, YOU INVITED ALL OF US TO GO ON THERE.
I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU ALL TO DO THE NEXT ONE.
IT IS REALLY, YOU DON'T HAVE TO ASK QUESTIONS, BUT IT IS REALLY INTERESTING TO SEE THE IDEAS THAT ARE COMING FORWARD.
AND I ACTUALLY HAD A QUESTION ON THIS AIRLINE GOD, ANYTHING, BUT, UM, IT'S REALLY INTERESTING TO DO IT ON ZOOM.
SO PLEASE LOOK AT THE CALENDAR.
IT'S IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS, WE HAVE ONE, TWO WEEKS FROM TODAY, AND THEN WE HAVE ONE, TWO WEEKS FROM THIS THURSDAY.
SO WE HAVE TWO MORE, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? OKAY.
[IX. Public Comment]
COMMENT.WE HAVE A VERY STRICT RULE OF THREE MINUTES.
UM, PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME AND YOUR ADDRESS WHEN YOU COME BEFORE THE CLOCK STARTS.
AND, UM, I WILL KEEP OUR REMINDERS UP THERE.
IT'S BASICALLY, UH, TO BE RESPECTFUL AND ADDRESS US IN AREAS THAT REALLY ARE IN OUR JURISDICTION OF BEING ABLE TO ADDRESS.
WE DO NOT RESPOND BACK, BUT WE DO LISTEN.
AND THEN FOLLOWING, WE HAVE MARIN COUNCIL COMMENT AND WE CAN COMMENT AT THAT TIME IF NEEDED.
SO WE'RE GOING TO START WITH NEIL AND LORI RITTER AND AGAIN, NAME AND ADDRESS.
AND THEN WE'LL START YOUR THREE MINUTES.
UM, OKAY, WAIT TILL SHE GETS HIT THERE.
UM, THE OLD LAURIE RITTER, FIVE REGION AVENUE, WOODBRIDGE, UH, WESTBURY PARK, UH, WE OWN CORPSE WINE COMPANY IN BLUFFTON AND, UH, WE PURCHASED IT BACK IN 2018.
UM, WE RAN IT SIMILAR TO WHAT THE PREVIOUS OWNER WAS RUNNING THE SAME THING.
UH, WE WORKED HARD TO MAKE IT BETTER.
WE ADDED FREE MUSIC, MORE FREE MUSIC AND, UM, FOOD SALES THIS YEAR.
I'M MORE THAN DOUBLE THAN LAST YEAR.
UM, WE'VE BECOME THE NUMBER ONE MUSIC VENUE IN BLUFFING.
AND, UM, THAT'S ONE OF OUR GOALS AND WE SPEND ABOUT A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS ON MUSIC EVERY YEAR TO ARGUE LOCAL MUSICIANS AND EVEN MUSICIANS FAR AWAY.
WE OFFER THREE NIGHTS A WEEK MUSIC WITH ACOUSTIC MUSIC AND TWO WEEKS, TWO NIGHTS WITH A FULL BAND MUSIC.
UM, WE HAVE SHARED THE SAY THAT WE'RE NO LONGER GOING TO BE IN THE PROBLEM, NOT ANY LONGER, UM, AFTER JULY, WHY LANDLORDS HAVE REFUSED TO RENEW THE LEASE.
AND IT'S A SHAME REALLY IS THE REASON WE WERE GONE.
IT WAS BECAUSE, UM, WE WERE FOLLOWING THE PREVIOUS OWNERS LEAD, WHAT HE WAS DOING FOR 10 YEARS, 12 YEARS.
UM, AND, BUT SUDDENLY AFTER 10, 12 YEARS, WE HAVE COMPLAINTS ABOUT LOUD MUSIC AFTER 10 O'CLOCK INSIDE, NOT OUTSIDE.
AND, UH, WE HAVE TO CLOSE DOWN BECAUSE, UH, UH, OWNERS ABOVE US, IT'S A MIXED USE BUILDING OR COMPLAINING ABOUT NOISE THAT WE'VE HAD FOR A BUNCH OF MONEY TO MITIGATE THAT SOUND.
UM, WE, WE DID SOME TESTING WITH JEFF RIGS.
HE'S A SOUND ENGINEER AND HE WAS UPSTAIRS MONITORING
[00:55:01]
THE NOISE SURE.AS LOUD, BUT WE'VE ALSO HAVE THE, THE BLUEPRINTS.
AND, YOU KNOW, I ALWAYS ASSUME LIKE MOST OTHER TOWNS, WE FOLLOW THOSE BLUEPRINTS.
WE FOLLOW THE SPECIFICATIONS, YOU MAKE SURE EVERYTHING IS SAFE FOR OUR COMMUNITY, THAT INSTALLATION WASN'T DONE.
I MEAN, WE'D LOVE TO KNOW WHY IT WASN'T DONE, BUT IT DEFINITELY WASN'T.
AND WE FEEL LIKE WE BOUGHT A BUSINESS THAT WERE BEING PREPARED, BUT FROM RUNNING NOW FROM SOMETHING THAT WAS DONE 15 YEARS AGO, BUT FURTHERMORE WE'VE HAD BEEN ACCUSED OF HAVING GUNS, GANGS, AND KNIVES AT OUR PLACE AND EVEN PROSTITUTES.
IT'S AN INSANE, AND WE DO HAVE SECURITY NOW.
I MEAN, WE'VE GONE THE EXTRA MILE.
LIKE WE'RE PAYING 200 BUCKS A NIGHT FOR A SECURITY GUY ON FRIDAY AND SATURDAY.
ALL OUR GOALS ARE AS FORBID TO HAVE A GOOD TIME FOR EVERYBODY TO GET HOME THE SAFE.
AND WE'VE DONE AS MUCH AS YOU DRIVE PEOPLE HOME, IF THEY NEED TO GO HOME, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES IT'S BECAUSE THEY COME IN FROM OTHER PLACES.
SOMETIMES IT KIND OF GETS AWAY FROM THAT JUST AS SOMEBODY THAT'S ON A RIDE, WE'LL TAKE THEM HOME.
WE JUST DON'T AT THIS POINT, WE'RE, WE'RE JUST VERY UPSET AND YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST A SHAME.
I MEAN, FOREVER, YOU KNOW THAT YOU'RE, WE CAN WALK AWAY.
KATE CREECH CAKE THREE MINUTES.
I'M AT 70 BOUNDARY STREET AT THE HAYWARD HOUSE.
WELCOME CENTER AND MUSEUM, UH, MAYOR SILKA TOWN COUNCIL.
THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TO YOU PUBLICLY THIS EVENING.
I JUST WANTED TO SHED SOME LIGHT ON THE HAPPENINGS OF WHAT'S BEEN GOING ON AT THE HAYWARD HOUSE.
UM, RECENTLY I DID X, UH, I HAVE BEEN ACTING AS THE DIRECTOR OF EVENTS AND ADMINISTRATION, BUT I HAVE ACCEPTED THE ROLE OF INTERIM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR.
UM, THE REASON BEING JUST SO AS HISTORIC LEFT AND FOUNDATION, HAVE TIME TO COLLABORATE ON WHAT THE ROLE OF EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR MEANS FOR OUR FUTURE.
ALSO, WE HAVE TWO NEW BOARD MEMBERS, KATIE UPS AND PAUL THOMPSON, WHICH I'M SURE YOU'RE BOTH.
YOU'RE ALL FAMILIAR WITH, UM, WHILE THEY CAN NOT BE HERE THIS EVENING.
I MUST SAY WE ARE VERY EXCITED TO WELCOME THEM TO OUR BOARD AND THE FOUNDATION AND ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO ALL THAT THEY CAN BRING TO THE FOUNDATION.
BEFORE I SHARE OUR MOST RECENT RECON, I WANTED TO SPEAK BRIEFLY ON THE HARD WORK WE'VE BEEN DOING BEHIND THE SCENES COMMUNITY OUTREACH IS VERY IMPORTANT TO ME AND THE FOUNDATION LAST WEEK, OUR DOCENT JANE AND MYSELF VISITED HAMPTON HALL, WHICH IS A COMMUNITY, UM, OFF THE PARKWAY WHERE JANE PRESENTED ON THE HISTORY OF BLUFFTON.
THERE WERE APPROXIMATELY 150 PEOPLE IN ATTENDANCE.
75 PEOPLE SIGNED UP FOR OUR EMAIL LIST AND A HANDFUL OF ATTENDEES HAVE CONTACTED ME ABOUT BECOMING VOLUNTEERS AND HOSTING LUNCH AND LEARN SPEAKER SERIES WITHIN OTHER GROUPS.
THEY'RE MEMBERS OF SPEAKING OF OUR EMAIL LIST, WE ARE BRINGING BACK OUR MONTHLY NEWSLETTER THIS MONTH.
THE NEWSLETTER WILL HIGHLIGHT THE SAME STATE OF MIND.
PAUL IS HELPING WITH CREATING THE CONTENT.
THERE WILL BE A BLURB AT THE END OF THE MAIN NEWSLETTER, INFORMING EVERYONE TO STAY TUNED FOR THE JUNE NEWSLETTER FOR UPDATES ON OUR NEW MEMBERSHIP PROGRAM.
AND THEN I ALSO JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT THE TENTATIVE PLAN FOR THE JUNE NEWSLETTER IS TO USE, UM, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A DIGI, NO BLURB AT THE END TO SPEAK ON JUNE 4TH.
AND THIS JUNE 4TH WILL BE THE 150 BLUFFTON.
WE ALSO WANT TO TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY IN JUNE TO HONOR JUNETEENTH.
SO WE ARE ALREADY PREPARING AN ARTICLE TO SPEAK ABOUT GARVIN GARVEY AND THAT INCREDIBLE HISTORY WITH THAT, THE GOAL WOULD BE TO HONOR GARVIN GARVEY HIS STORY AS WELL AS DRAW ATTENTION TO THE HOUSE ITSELF FOR IT IS THE ONLY FRIEDMAN'S COTTAGE IN TOWN AND THE HISTORY IS INSPIRING AND WE WANT TO PROMOTE, PRESERVE AND UPLIFT THAT HISTORY.
WE ARE ALSO, UH, STARTING TO BRING BACK SCHOOL FIELD TRIPS, WHICH WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT, WHICH WILL INCLUDE A SHORT WALKING TOUR OF THE TOWN, THE HAYWARD HOUSE AND THE GARVIN GARVEY.
UM, AND THEN JUST THE ACTUAL RECON BETWEEN MARCH 1ST AND APRIL 30TH.
WE'VE SEEN NEARLY 3000 VISITORS FOR THE MONTH OF APRIL.
NEARLY HALF OF OUR RECON WAS FROM, UH, EVENT EVENTS, FARMER'S MARKETS AND WEDDINGS.
AND WE'RE STILL TRENDING AT 81 TO 82% OF NON-LOCALS FOR OUR TOURISM AFTER PUBLIC COMMENT, WE'LL MAKE THEM CATHERINE ROBINSON, KATHERINE ROBINSON, SIX TEVYE SHOW ROAD WATSON.
I WANTED TO JUST COME AND PAY A LOT OF COMPLIMENTS TONIGHT ABOUT MAY FEST AND A COUPLE OF OTHER THINGS.
BUT FIRST OF ALL, WITH MAY FEST, I'VE BEEN A VISITOR.
[01:00:01]
I'VE BEEN A VOLUNTEER.AND THIS YEAR FOR THE FIRST TIME I WAS A VENDOR AND I HAD AN ABSOLUTE BALL.
NOW I WAS EXHAUSTED AT THE END OF THE DAY, BUT I HAD AN ABSOLUTE BALL AND I WANT TO COMPLIMENT THE ROTARY AND ALL THE TOWN STAFF WHO WERE THERE, VOLUNTEERS AND ALL THE MANY OTHER VOLUNTEERS THAT I SAW BECAUSE THE ROTARY HAVE THAT NAILED DOWN.
IT IS A LITTLE WELL-OILED MACHINE.
I DIDN'T FEEL LIKE I EVER HAD ANY QUESTIONS OR IF I DID, THEY WERE RIGHT THERE TO HELP ME.
SO I JUST WANTED TO PAY A LOT OF COMPLIMENTS, YOU KNOW, TO THAT GROUP.
I ALSO WANTED TO SAY, UH, A PUBLIC, THANK YOU TO THE DON RYAN CENTER.
I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW THEY WERE ON THE AGENDA TONIGHT, BUT THEY HAVE HELPED ME A LOT.
I JUST PUBLISHED A CHILDREN'S BOOK AND I'VE GONE BY A COUPLE OF TIMES WITH SOME, OOH, WHAT DO I DO FOR THIS, THAT AND WHATEVER.
AND DAVID AND KRISTIN HAVE BOTH LIKE CALMED ME DOWN AND HELPED ME WITH SOME DIFFERENT THINGS THAT I WAS WRITING.
AND I WANT TO SAY CONGRATULATIONS TO THE, ALL THE GRADUATES, THE 2022 GRADUATES THIS YEAR.
I LOVE SEEING ALL THE SIGNS IN THE YARDS.
AND LASTLY, JUST A BIG, THANK YOU TO YOU ALL FOR SUPPORTING ALL THIS RECOGNITION WE SAW TONIGHT.
IT JUST MAKES ME LOVE BLUFFTON ALL THE MORE.
SO THAT'S ALL JUST WANTED TO SAY.
UM, SKIP HOAGLAND, SKIP HOAGLAND, WINDMILL HARBOR.
MS. SILKA HAS CELEBRATED THE $50 MILLION, A FRIVOLOUS LAWSUIT THAT YOU FILED.
YOUR AMBULANCE CHASING MURDOCH.
LAWYER WAS ABLE TO WIN PURELY ON YOUR CROCODILE.
TEARS, EMOTIONS, DRAMA, LEGAL THEATRICAL PLAY WITH NO EVIDENCE OR SUPPORTING LAW DEFAMED.
YOU, YOU WILL NEVER COLLECT IN MY OPINION, FACTS, SUPPORT THAT.
EVERYTHING I SAID ABOUT YOU, ORLANDO FINGER IS TRUE.
YOU DEFAMED YOURSELF BECAUSE PERSONALLY CORRUPTION DO NOT INTERRUPT ME.
IF HE'S GOING TO INTERRUPT ME, WE'RE GOING TO START ALL OVER.
YOU JUST STOOD UP AND INTERRUPT ME.
ALL RIGHT, I'M GOING TO START ALL OVER START.
NO, I'M GOING TO START ALL OVER.
YOU ARE NOT GOING TO DISRESPECT THIS COUNCIL.
YOU'RE NOT GOING TO DISRESPECT THE PUBLIC WITH WHAT YOU'RE NOT GOING TO DO.
SO JUST GIVE ME THE EXTRA TIME.
IN MY OPINION, FACTS, SUPPORT THAT EVERYTHING I'VE SAID ABOUT YOU, ORLANDO FINGER IS TRUE.
YOU DEFAME YOURSELF BECAUSE OF YOUR PERJURY.
YOUR CORRUPTION LIES IN CONFLICTS.
NOW THE BAR HAS BEEN SET AT 50 MILLION.
I FILED THE SAME $50 MILLION DAMAGE LAWSUIT AGAINST YOU AND FINGER FOR VIOLATING MY FREE SPEECH RIGHTS CAUGHT ON VIDEO EVIDENCE.
I BELIEVE YOUR LAWSUIT WAS BASELESS.
SPECIFICALLY FILED TO SILENCE MY VOICE AND OTHERS AND OBSCENELY, PROFIT YOU AND YOUR MURDOCH.
IT'S MY RIGHT TO CRITICIZE PUBLIC OFFICIALS.
AS I SEE FIT, YOU HAVE A LIKABLE CHEERLEADER PERSONALITY, BUT YOUR CORRUPT ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN YOUR WORDS.
I CONTEND YOU LIED AND COMMITTED PERJURY, WHICH IS A CRIME.
YOU ILLEGALLY DID A MEMBERSHIP DRIVE USING TOWN EMPLOYEES TO PROFIT YOUR CROOKED FRIEND, BILL MILES OF THE HILTON HEAD CHAMBER THAT HARMED YOUR OWN OFFICIAL, GREATER BLUFFTON CHAMBER.
YOU ILLEGALLY USE TAX MONEY TO JOIN THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON AS A HILTON HEAD CHAMBER MEMBER, QUID PRO QUO, NOT THE LEGALLY OPERATED GREATER BLUFFTON CHAMBER UNTIL I FORCED YOU AND FINGER TO DO SO.
YOU ARE ILLEGALLY ISSUING A TAX FUNDS TO THE HILTON HEAD CHAMBER TO BE ILLEGALLY USED WITH ZERO ACCOUNTING, VIOLATING ACT EIGHT TAX LAWS VERSUS HIRING YOUR OWN OFFICIAL BLUFFTON CHAMBER.
YOU WERE A FULL-TIME REAL ESTATE AGENT, A PART-TIME MAYOR USING YOUR INSIDER STATUS TO PROFIT YOUR REAL ESTATE BUSINESS.
COOKTOWN LAWYER FINGER USES HIS INSIDER POSITION FOR HIS REAL ESTATE AND DEVELOPER CLIENTS TO PROFIT.
YOU BOTH ARE IN SEVERE CONFLICT.
WE NEED OFFICIALS WOULD NO HORSES IN THE RACE WHO REPRESENT TAXPAYER'S BEST INTEREST, NOT THEIR OWN.
YOU HAVE A TOTAL DISREGARD FOR OVERDEVELOPMENT AND TRAFFIC BECAUSE OF THIS FINGER DEVELOPED A FRAUDULENT EIGHT TAX CONTRACT FOR THE ILLEGALLY OPERATED HILTON HEAD CHAMBER SCHEME WITH ORLANDO AND CROOKED TOWN OF HILTON HEAD LAWYER'S COLD TRAINING GRUBER TO HELP BILL MILES, HIGH TAX ACCOUNTING FINGER.
YOU ARE IN VIOLATION OF A TAX FOIL IN YOUR LAWSUIT AGAINST ME, JUDGES GOLDSMITH, AND MARTHA MURPHY, BOTH COMMITTED JUDICIAL MALFEASANCE, WHICH IS DANGEROUS.
THEY WILL BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE.
MS. SOCA, YOU FINGERING A LANDO ARE NOT FIT TO SERVE.
I DEMAND A FRIENDLY FORENSIC AUDIT ON YOU AND ALL KIND OF COUNTING RECORDS.
I CONTEND AS A FRAUD, SINCE THIS TAN HAS ALREADY BEEN CAUGHT AT THE ILLEGAL ACTS.
[01:05:01]
TO FINISH.SO I'M GOING TO FINISH STAY LONG.
I DID NOT CRY ONE TEAR AT THAT TRIAL BECAUSE HE HAS, I'M SORRY.
I'VE DONE A FINISHED MUST FISH.
ARE YOU GOING TO LET ME FINISH OR NOT? IT'S SO HARD AT ILLEGAL ACTS.
SO IT ONLY SHOWED THE ACCOUNTANT.
DO YOU DENY MY FACTS? LET'S TALK IT.
SOMEBODY ANSWER LISTENED TO HIM.
MR. STACY'S IN CHARGE OF THE COUNCIL CHAMBERS AND YOUR PUBLIC COMMENT, RESPECTFUL PUBLIC SPEECHES, PLEASE.
I AM SO TIRED OF THIS AND JUST BRING THE BAGS AND ARREST ME, MR. FINGER.
I SEE WHAT YOU HAVE TO SAY IT.
IT W IT WAS VERY APPROPRIATE THAT ABOUT 45 MINUTES AGO.
I THINK YOU TURNED IT OFF VERY APPROPRIATE.
YOU MAY HAVE SOME MENTAL HEALTH MONTHS, UM, AND THE FACT THAT YOU ALL COULD SIT UP THERE AS QUIETLY AS YOU DID, AND AS RESPECTFUL AS YOU DID SHOW THAT YOU HONORED THAT PRINCIPLE.
I DO APOLOGIZE FOR STANDING UP.
UM, MR. HOAGLAND HAS CALLED ALL OF US NAMES WITH NOTHING MORE THAN A $50 MILLION VERDICT AGAINST HIM NOW.
AND TO THE EXTENT THAT YOU CAN TO LET HIM KEEP TALKING, HE HAS A RIGHT TO TALK.
YOU DO NOT HAVE TO LISTEN AND NEITHER DO I.
AND I APOLOGIZE FOR, I JUST HAD A LITTLE THERAPY SESSION OF MY OWN, AND I NEED SOME MENTAL HELP.
THE JOB HE'S THAT YOUNG MAN TO TEACH, UH, RESTRAINT.
I SHOULDN'T, BUT IT FELT AWFUL.
[X. Communications from Mayor and Council]
ANYTHING FROM MARIN COUNCIL, I'M GOING TO START.CAN I START SO I CAN EMBARRASS, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, DAN, TO THREATEN YOU IN ANY WAY, CHAPMAN, WOULD YOU PLEASE STAND UP AND LET THE AUDIENCE SEE? YOU MAY 1ST TO MAY.
SEVENTH IS PROFESSIONAL MUNICIPAL CLERKS WEEK IN SOUTH CAROLINA, DEPOSITION OF A MUNICIPAL CLERK IS ONLY MUNICIPAL STAFF IS THE ONLY ROLE IN THIS REQUIRED BY STATE LAW, REGARDLESS OF HOW BIG YOUR TOWN IS.
ALL 271 CITIES AND TOWNS IN THE STATE ARE REQUIRED TO HAVE A MUNICIPAL CLERK.
KIM PLAYS THE MOST CRITICAL ROLES TO SUPPORT ALL OF US, COUNSEL, MYSELF AND STAFF.
IT'S WELL OVERDUE TO RECOGNIZE YOU.
I KNOW YOU DON'T LIKE IT, BUT YOU SO MUCH BEHIND THE SCENES.
YOU MAKE SURE OUR TOWN IS RUNNING EFFICIENTLY AND COUNSEL IS INFORMED ON EVERY PROTOCOL AND WE ARE AS TOUGH GROUP TO HANDLE.
YOU'VE GONE THROUGH PROBABLY MORE PEOPLE THAN ALL OF US TOGETHER HAVE, AND YOU HAVE SO MUCH RESPECT FROM US, KIM.
AND I DID TELL THE REST OF COUNCIL THIS, BECAUSE I WANTED THEM TO BE AS SURPRISED AS YOU, SO I AM TELLING YOU, THANK YOU.
AND I WILL LET THEM SAY THE HANG.
I ALREADY TEXTED HER LAST WEEK OR EARLIER IN THE WEEK.
I'M ALWAYS TELL YOU YOU, MY FAVORITE, YOU KNOW, YOU ONLY MY FAVORITE COULD YOU DO ALL MY WORK FOR ME? SERIOUSLY.
YOU, UH, YOU REALLY ARE PROFESSIONAL AND YOU TAKE IT TO ANOTHER LEVEL BECAUSE YOU, YOU REALLY TRY TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU GO ABOVE AND BEYOND.
I'VE TALKED TO YOU ON YOUR DAYS OFF.
I TALKED TO YOU WHEN YOU'RE AT HOME AND WHATEVER I NEED OR WHATEVER I THINK IS, UM, IS IMPORTANT.
I KNOW I CAN COME TO YOU AND GET IT.
YEAH, I'M JUST GOING TO SAY ALSO IN, BY THE WAY, FRED SHE'S ALWAYS TOLD ME I WAS HER FAVORITE.
NO, I, UM, I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S YOU AND STAFF, IT'S HARD TO KEEP US FOCUSED SOMETIMES BECAUSE THERE'S SO MUCH, SOME OF THESE PACKETS ARE 1100 PAGES LONG AND WE GO AFTER THIS MONTH AFTER MONTH, AND WE HAVE WORKSHOPS,
[01:10:02]
WE HAVE MEETINGS TO GO TO, WE HAVE OTHER AGENDAS THAT WE HAVE IN THE COMMUNITY.AND SOMETIMES WE NEED SOMEBODY TO KEEP THE HERD TOGETHER AND, UH, POINT US IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
AND YOU'VE ALWAYS BEEN STELLAR AT THAT.
YOU KNOW, AND YOU'RE PATIENT, YOU'RE PATIENT WITH US.
WE SOMETIMES WE OVERLOOK THINGS.
WE ASK YOU TO REPEAT THINGS AND YOU GO, YOU'VE ALREADY DONE IT.
BUT, UH, AGAIN, IT'S JUST CAUSE WE'RE, WE'VE GOT A LOT GOING ON LIKE YOU DO, BUT YOU'VE ALWAYS BEEN REALLY, UM, JUST SO PATIENT AND KIND AND CARING.
AND, UH, AND YOU HAVE THE FULL TRUST OF THIS ENTIRE COUNCIL WE TRUST YOU.
I ALSO DID ALL EVERYONE'S COMMENTS.
I REFER TO KIM, SHE KNOWS AS AN EDUCATOR OR PRINCIPAL KIM, BECAUSE SHE HAS A TASK OF TRYING TO CORRAL US AT TIMES.
AND SHE DOES SO, SO WELL WITH EVERYONE'S VARYING PERSONALITY.
SO VERY DESERVING FOR YOU TO BE ACKNOWLEDGED.
WE HAVE OTHER COMMENTS FROM ERIN COUNSEL.
ANYTHING ELSE AT THIS TIME? I JUST THINK CATHERINE SAID IT ALL A WHILE AGO.
ROTARY PUT ON A GREAT EVENT MAY FAST AGAIN.
I DON'T REMEMBER HOW MANY THIS MAKES NOW WHEN BABY GOOSEY, I STARTED IT.
AND, UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WILL SAY KUDOS TO ROTARY ABOUT, I REMEMBER WE HAD A GUEST AT OUR HOUSE ON SATURDAY AND THE QUESTION WAS, GOSH, WHO'S GOING TO CLEAN UP THE STREETS WHEN THIS IS OVER WITH.
AND MY WIFE LOOKED AT HER AND SAID, ROTARY, THEY PRETTY MUCH TAKE CARE OF THEIR STUFF.
YOU KNOW, IT DOESN'T MEAN THE TOWN DONE TO COME BY, COME BACK, BUT MO MOSTLY ROTARY TAKES CARE OF EVERYTHING AND THEY DO A GREAT JOB.
SO THANK YOU FOR THAT BLUFF AND ROTARY.
ANYTHING ELSE? UM, WE DO HEAR PUBLIC COMMENT.
UM, I JUST WANT TO KNOW WHEN YOU SPEAK AT PUBLIC COMMENT, WE DO LISTEN.
AND IF THERE'S ANYTHING WE NEED TO DO TO FOLLOW UP WITH, WE HAVE EMAIL ADDRESSES AND WE CAN EMAIL YOU, BUT THANK YOU KATE FOR DOING THAT QUICKLY BECAUSE WE DO HAVE TO STICK ON OUR THREE MINUTES.
[XI.1. Consideration of an Ordinance Approving the Town of Bluffton Fiscal Year 2023 Proposed Consolidated Budget - First Reading - Stephen Steese, Town Manager]
WE HAVE CONSIDERATION OF AN ORDINANCE APPROVING THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON FISCAL YEAR 2023.YOU POST CONSOLIDATE A BUDGET.
WELL, I THINK THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I'VE BEEN AT IT.
I KNOW I'LL TRY TO EXPEDITE MY PRESENTATION SINCE WE'VE HAD A HEALTHY AGENDA TONIGHT AND WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO WORK SESSIONS ON THIS MOVING FORWARD.
SO I'LL TRY TO GO THROUGH AND HIT THE HIGHLIGHTS.
UM, SO FIRST OF ALL, JUST GOING TO THANK EVERYBODY THAT'S INVOLVED IN THE BUDGET PROCESS.
AS YOU KNOW, THIS IS NOT A SIMPLE PROCESS AND THAT'S THE TOWN CONTINUES TO GROW AND BECOME MORE COMPLEX.
IT BECOMES A BIGGER, A BIGGER PART OF OUR, OUR JOBS.
UM, CHRIS NATALIE'S ENTIRE FINANCE STAFF, SENIOR STAFF FOR BEING INVOLVED COUNCIL FOR MEETING WITH US AND GIVING US INSIGHT FOR THROUGH STRATEGIC PLANNING INSTITUTE ABOUT TWOS, ALL OF THAT GOES INTO WHAT YOU ARE RECEIVED AND WHAT I'M PRESENTING TONIGHT.
SO THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR INVOLVEMENT.
SO TAKE YOU THROUGH THE BUDGET PROCESS.
TONIGHT MAY 10TH, WHERE AT THE FIRST READING OF THE BUDGET, UM, WE DO HAVE TWO WORKSHOPS SCHEDULED FOR MAY 24TH AND MAY 26.
WE WILL CONTINUE TO FOLLOW, LIKE WE'VE DONE IN THE PAST MAY 24TH WILL BE ALL, UM, FUNDS EXCEPT FOR CAPITAL.
AND THEN CAPITAL PROJECTS WILL BE ON THE 26TH.
WE'LL BE BACK IN JUNE FOR SECOND READING AND THE PUBLIC HEARING.
AND WE'LL BE ADVERTISING THAT OUT SHORTLY AFTER TONIGHT.
UM, SO I'M GOING TO GO THROUGH A LITTLE BIT OF THE ECONOMIC FACTORS THAT ARE AFFECTING THE BUDGET, OUR BUDGET GOALS, AND THEN THE PROPOSED BUDGET.
AND THEN WHEN IT GOES THROUGH THE REVIEW AND APPROVAL PROCESS, UH, I'M GOING TO TRY TO DO THAT QUICKLY.
SO AS WE KNOW, BLUFFTON IS STILL SITTING AT ABOUT 54 SQUARE MILES, BUT THROUGH THE 2020 CENSUS, WE KNOW WE'VE DOUBLED IN POPULATION SINCE 2010.
UM, WE'VE ALSO SEEN OUR, UM, POPULATION IT'S NOW AT 27,028,000.
WE'VE SEEN OUR PER CAPITA AND OUR MEDIAN INCOME GO UP AS WELL.
AND WE'VE ALSO SEEN AS WAS NOTED IN PAPERS RECENTLY OUR HOME VALUES CONTINUE TO INCREASE AND SO DOES OUR RENT.
SO THOSE THINGS THOUGH, WE'VE SEEN GROWTH, WE'VE SEEN, UM, OUR INCOME GO UP.
WE'VE SEEN SOME COSTS GO UP THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY AND THROUGHOUT THE TOWN AS WELL, BUT OUR BUDGET BUDGETARY WISE, IT'S REFLECTED WITH A STRONG BASE.
UM, AND WE'VE SEEN ECONOMIC GROWTH OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS WITH OUR BUDGET FROM THAT.
UM, SOME OF OUR ECONOMIC DRIVERS, UM, HEALTHCARE AND EDUCATION MAKE UP ABOUT 23% OF OUR WORKFORCE, UH, ACCOMMODATIONS, FOOD AND ENTERTAINMENT MAKE UP ABOUT 13.5 RETAILS ABOUT 12.8.
UH, I THINK THIS IS THE FIRST YEAR IN A WHILE WHERE CONSTRUCTION IS AS LOW AS IT GETS HIGHER UP IN THERE.
BUT AS WE'VE SEEN MORE, UM, COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT AND BUILT BUILDINGS COME IN,
[01:15:01]
UM, THE NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES IS PUSHING CONSTRUCTION FURTHER DOWN THE LIST.SO OVERALL WE ARE IN A GREAT, UM, CREDIT POSITION.
WE HAVE, UH, AA, ONE BOND THROUGH MOODY'S AND AA DIFFERENT STANDARDS IN PORES.
UM, WE HAVE GROWING TAX BASE, AS YOU ALL KNOW, THROUGH THE BUDGETS WE'VE ADOPTED THROUGH THE GROWTH.
WE'VE SEEN WE BUDGET TO BE MORE CONSERVATIVE WHEN IT COMES TO EXPECTING GROWTH AND THE FINANCIAL FINANCIAL GROWTH OF THE TOWN, BECAUSE WE WANT TO BE PREPARED.
THAT WAS AS FAST AS GROWTH HAPPENS, IT CAN STOP.
SO WE ARE PRUDENT AS WE, UH, BUDGET, AND WE LOOK AT HOW THE BUDGET IS GOING TO GROW YEAR TO YEAR, BUT WE DO HAVE A GOOD FINANCIAL POSITION BECAUSE OF THAT.
AND WE HAVE NOT HAD TO ISSUE A LOT OF DEBT AND WE'VE KEPT OUR PENSION BURDEN LOW.
SO SOME OF OUR STRATEGIC PRIORITIES, THESE ARE THINGS THAT HAVE COME OUT THROUGH STRATEGIC PLANNING.
THE LAST, UM, THAT WE JUST DID EARLIER THIS YEAR, GROWTH MANAGEMENT, WATERSHED RESILIENCE, AND THEN OUR PUSHING OUR CIP, GETTING OUR CAPITAL PROJECTS MOVING FORWARD.
THESE ARE JUST SOME HIGHLIGHTS.
THEY DID NOT INCLUDE ALL OF THEM.
YOU CAN'T INCLUDE EVERYTHING WE DO OVER TWO DAYS INTO ONE SLIDE, BUT THAT'S JUST SOME HIGHLIGHTS THAT WE LIKE TO REFLECT ON AS WE GO FORWARD IN THE BUDGET.
SO I'M GOING TO GO THROUGH THE FOUR MAJOR FUNDS STARTING THROUGH THE CONSOLIDATED FIRST, AND THEN I'LL GO THROUGH THE FUNDS INDIVIDUALLY.
UM, OVERALL WE'RE LOOKING, OUR BUDGET IS, UM, BEING PROPOSED FOR FISCAL YEAR 22, 23 TO BE A LITTLE OVER 59 MILLION.
AS YOU CAN SEE, THIS IS ABOUT 11% GROWTH OVER THE CURRENT FISCAL YEAR.
THE MAJORITY OF THAT, WELL, PRETTY MUCH ALL OF THAT IS MADE UP IN THE FACT THAT AS YOU'LL SEE FURTHER DOWN THE LINE, WE ARE PROPOSING A TIF BOND TO MOVE FORWARD THE COMPLETION OF THE BARN PROJECT AT A FASTER PACE AND TO PROVIDE FUNDING FOR THAT PROJECT.
UM, THE MAJORITY OF THOSE FUNDS WON'T BE EXPENDED WITHIN THIS NEXT FISCAL YEAR AND WE'LL CARRY FORWARD, BUT THAT'S A LITTLE SHORT OF $10 MILLION BOND THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE PROPOSING.
SO WHERE DOES THAT BUDGET COME FROM? 18.3% IS PROPERTY TAXES.
ABOUT 25% IS LICENSE AND PERMITS.
AND THEN YOU CAN SEE SOME OF THE SMALLER ONES DOWN THERE AND THEN TRANSFER ENDS FROM OTHER, UM, THROUGHOUT DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS OR DIFFERENT THINGS THROUGHOUT THE BUDGET.
SO HERE'S MORE OF AN AUTOMIZED BREAKDOWN JUST TO GET INTO THOSE INDIVIDUALLY.
AND SO YOU CAN KIND OF SEE YEAR OVER YEAR, AS YOU CAN SEE, PROPERTY TAXES ARE CONTINUING TO STAY HEALTHY.
THIS HAS TO DO WITH THE NEW DEVELOPMENT AND THE GROWTH IN LAND VALUES FROM THERE AND PICKED UP MY HOME SELLS AND RESETTING VALUES OF PROPERTY.
YOU'RE LOOKING AT IT INCREASING ABOUT LITTLE, LITTLE OVER 9%, UM, BETWEEN CURRENT FISCAL YEAR AND PROPOSED BUDGET LICENSE AND PERMIT, AGAIN, CONTINUES TO INCREASE.
WE'RE SEEING MORE BUSINESSES WITH MORE PEOPLE COMES MORE SALES.
SO WE'RE SEEING THAT NUMBER CONTINUE TO INCREASE, UH, GRANTS, UM, INTER-GOVERNMENTAL SERVICE FEES.
UM, THE, THE OTHER ONE YOU GET ON THE BOTTOM IS TRANSFER ENDS, AND THOSE ARE THINGS THAT COME FROM OTHER FUNDS LIKE A TAX HOSPITALITY AND, UM, OTHER PROGRAMS, OTHER FUNDS LIKE THAT.
NOW WE'LL GET TO THOSE INDIVIDUALLY AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
SO WHERE DID THE FUNDS GO? AS YOU CAN SEE IN OUR OVERALL BUDGET, ONLY 27.1% IS MADE UP OF PERSONNEL AND BENEFITS OVER 35, ABOUT 35% GOES TO CAPITAL OUTLAYS.
WE ALSO CONTRIBUTE TO OUR FUND BALANCE TO KEEP IT HEALTHY.
AND THEN 14.6% GO TO OPERATING EXPENSES THROUGHOUT THE TOWN.
AND THEN PRINCIPAL AND INTEREST MAKES UP THE SMALLEST PORTION, WHICH SHOWS OUR HEALTHY DEBT POSITION, BECAUSE WE'RE ONLY SPENDING ABOUT 3.6% OF OUR OVERALL BUDGET.
HERE'S A LITTLE BIT MORE OF A BREAKDOWN.
YOU CAN LOOK AT THAT AND SEE HOW THINGS ARE CHANGING YEAR TO YEAR.
UM, AND THIS WILL GIVE YOU, AS YOU CAN SEE, ONE OF THE BIGGEST, UH, DECREASES IS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS, UM, INCREASES IS GOING TO BE, UM, PERSONNEL AND OPERATING.
ONE OF THE BIGGEST REASONS FOR THE PERSONNEL WE'LL TOUCH ON GENERAL FUND IS WE'RE ALSO GOING TO TALK ABOUT IT AS THE NEXT ITEM.
IT'S A CLASS AND COMPENSATION STUDY TO BRING OUR WAGES UP TO MARKET BASED ON WHAT WE'VE SEEN WITH INFLATION AND INCREASING IN MARKET RATE FOR EMPLOYMENT.
SO WHAT DOES THE BUDGET DO? IT RECOGNIZES THE REVENUE GROWTH HAS BEEN DRIVEN BY POPULATION WITHIN THE TOWN.
IT PROPOSES TO MAINTAIN THE TAX MILLAGE RATE LEVEL AT 38.5%.
I THINK THIS'LL BE CONTINUATION FOR GOING ON, I THINK, CLOSE TO 10 YEARS, THAT IT WOULD NOT INCLUDE ANY INCREASE ON PROPERTY TAXES.
IT FOCUSES ON TOWN COUNCIL PRIORITIES.
WE TALKED ABOUT SOME OF THOSE, SOME OF THE OTHER ONES ARE AFFORDABLE HOUSING, COMMUNITY OUTREACH, HISTORIC PRESERVATION.
UM, IT DOES HAVE THE CLASS AND COMPENSATION INCLUDED INSIDE OF IT AND IT INVEST IN PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE.
ALSO CONTINUE SUPPORTIVE OF OUR STREET, STRATEGIC INTER-AGENCY PARTNERSHIPS.
[01:20:02]
SO IF I'M AT A BREEZE OR PUBLIC DEFENDER CONTRACT OR PROGRAMS THAT WE HAVE WITH US CB, UM, OUR CONTINUING PARTNERSHIP WITH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, UM, AND AGAIN, IT CONTINUES TO FUND ACCOMMODATIONS TAX REQUESTS.SO WE'LL GET INTO THE GENERAL FUND FIRST, WE'LL GET AN, UM, TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL ABOUT EACH ONE.
SO JUST FOR REMINDER OF THE GENERAL FUND ACCOUNTS FOR, AND REPORTS THE PRO AS THE PRIMARY OPERATING FUND FOR THE TOWN, THIS IS FOR PROPERTY TAXES, FEES, REVENUES, AND FEES, OTHER TAXES THAT ALL COMES INTO THIS ACCOUNT, AND THIS IS WHERE ALL SALARIES AND OPERATING EXPENSES FOR THE MOST PART COME OUT OF.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS WE WANT TO TALK ABOUT IS HOW OUR, UM, TOTAL VALUE OF PROPERTIES INCREASE.
AS YOU CAN SEE, IT WENT UP ABOUT $34,000, $34 MILLION BETWEEN FISCAL YEAR 22 AND 23 THAT EQUATES TO OUR MILL INCREASING BY ABOUT $34,000 AS WELL.
SO FOR EVERY MEAL THAT WE WOULD DECREASE OR INCREASE THE BUDGET THAT WOULD BE EQUIVALENT TO ABOUT 200, JUST SHORT OF $300,000 IN THE BUDGET.
AND YOU CAN SEE HOW OUR MILLAGE RATE IS SET RIGHT NOW, 36.8 MEALS GO TO OUR GENERAL FUND 1.7, GO TO OUR DEBT OBLIGATIONS THAT WE HAVE.
SO FOR THE GENERAL FUND, THIS IS WHERE MOST OF THE REVENUE, THIS IS HOW THE REVENUE BREAKDOWN IS PROPERTY TAXES WOULD ACCOUNT FOR ABOUT 31.4%.
THE LICENSE AND PERMIT STILL REMAINS OUR HIGHEST WITH THE GROWTH THAT WE HAVE WITHIN THE TOWN.
AND THEN YOU CAN SEE INTER-GOVERNMENTAL IS NEXT THAT'S TRANSFERS IN FROM OTHER OTHER FUNDS AND THEN A BREAKDOWN OF SOME OF THE, ALL THE SMALLER ONES AROUND THERE.
AND AGAIN, THIS IS A YEAR OVER YEAR, SO YOU CAN SEE LIKE, UM, GOING DOWN LICENSING PERMITS IS PROJECTED TO GO UP ABOUT $1.2 MILLION.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WOULD, UM, REMIND COUNCIL ABOUT IS WHEN WE WERE DOING THE FISCAL YEAR 22 BUDGET, WE WERE STILL UNSURE ABOUT, AS WE WERE HERE A YEAR AGO, WE WERE STILL UNSURE WHAT THINGS WERE GOING TO LOOK LIKE WITH COVID.
SO WE STILL, WE BUDGETED A LOT LOWER FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, UNKNOWING NOT KNOWING HOW LONG COVID WASN'T GOING TO GO, WHAT IMPACT IT WAS GOING TO HAVE ON THE HOUSING MARKET OR A, UH, OR COMMERCIAL MARKET.
WHAT WE SAW IS IT DIDN'T REALLY HAVE MUCH EFFECT ON THE RESIDENTIAL AND OUR PERMIT, A BIT, OUR, UM, PERMITS FOR CONSTRUCTION AND THE REVENUES WE SAW OFF OF BUSINESS LICENSES BOTH INCREASED DURING THAT TIME.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE CAPTURING A LOT OF THAT GROWTH THAT WE SAW, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, WE'RE STILL BEING, UM, CONSERVATIVE TO SAY THAT SHOULD THINGS SLOW DOWN.
WE'RE NOT CAPTURING ALL OF THAT GROWTH.
WE STILL REDUCE OUR ANTICIPATED REVENUES OFF OF, UM, LICENSE AND PERMITS LOWER.
IN CASE WE SEE A DECLINE IN THE HOUSING MARKET THAT THAT MAY COME FROM INCREASED INTEREST RATES, OR JUST A MARKET CORRECTION OR ANY OF THAT.
SO IF THE NUMBER OF HOUSING PERMITS DECREASES, WE HAVE ROOM THAT'S BELOW WHAT WE'RE ON PACE FOR RIGHT NOW.
SO WE, WE KEEP, WE KEEP THAT BUFFER IN THERE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DON'T GET MIDDLE OF THE YEAR AND HAVE TO MAJORLY AFFECT THE BUDGET.
SO WHERE DOES THE GENERAL FUND GO AGAIN? LIKE I SAID, THIS IS THE ONE FOR WHERE SALARIES AND BENEFITS COME OUT OF.
SO ABOUT 62% OF THE BUDGET IS MADE UP OF SALARIES AND BENEFITS.
32 PER CENT GOES TO OPERATING SMALL AMOUNT OF CAPITAL.
AND THEN WE DO TRANSFER TO SEE SOME OUT TO CIP FOR CAPITAL PROJECTS.
AND THIS IS A CHART SHOWING THAT GRAPH WITH YEAR OVER YEAR.
SO YOU CAN SEE THE INCREASES IN DECREASES OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS OVER THE LAST BUDGET.
SO SOME HIGHLIGHTS OF THE GENERAL FUND.
IT DOES INCLUDE THE CLASS AND COMPENSATION ADJUSTMENTS.
THIS IS FROM THE STUDY THAT WAS COMPLETED.
UM, I'LL TALK ABOUT THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE WHEN WE GET TO THE NEXT PRESENTATION, BECAUSE I WANT TO TALK ABOUT WHY WE'RE TRYING TO ADOPT THAT NOW VERSUS WAITING UNTIL THE BUDGET IS ADOPTED.
IT ALSO PROPOSES A 2% MERIT INCREASE THAT WOULD BE EFFECTIVE MID YEAR, UM, W AFTER WE DO EVALUATION OR, UM, YEAH.
EVALUATIONS IN JANUARY, UM, IT DOES CONTINUE THE PTO PAYOUT FOR UP TO 25 HOURS FOR EMPLOYEES.
UM, IT ALSO CAPTURES SOME INCREASES THAT WE'RE SEEING FROM THE STATE.
WE HAVE A 1% INCREASE FOR EMPLOYEE RETIREMENT.
UM, THIS IS A CONTINUATION WHERE THEY RAISED AT 6% OVER FIVE YEARS.
THINK WE'RE IN YEAR FOUR OUT OF FIVE.
SO I THINK WE'VE GOT ONE MORE YEAR NEXT YEAR THAT WE'LL HAVE TO CAPTURE THAT.
BUT WHAT WE'RE ALSO SAYING IS THEY DIDN'T RAISE INSURANCE RIGHTS THROUGH STATE INSURANCE LAST YEAR BECAUSE OF COVID THEY SHARE, THEY CAME BACK AND THEY ACTUALLY ASKED FOR, IT WAS LIKE 18.4%, BUT BOTH THE BUDGETS THAT ARE GOING THROUGH THE HOUSE AND SENATE THAT THEY'RE WORKING THROUGH RIGHT NOW IS
[01:25:01]
WORKING TO HELP REDUCE THAT COST DOWN.SO IT'S RIGHT NOW, IT'S LOOKING AT 14.1%.
SO THAT STILL MEANS THAT WE'VE GOT TO HAVE 14.1% INCREASE IN OUR INSURANCE, THAT WE'RE CARING FOR EMPLOYEES.
UM, ANOTHER THING I'LL POINT OUT IS THERE ARE NO NEW POSITIONS PROPOSED WITHIN THIS BUDGET.
SO I KNOW WE HAD A BIG YEAR FOR NEW POSITIONS IN THIS CURRENT BUDGET YEAR.
NEXT YEAR'S PROPOSES NO NEW POSITIONS.
THERE'S A WHOLE LOT OF THINGS THAT IT DOES DO.
UM, IT DOES START TO PUSH MORE INTO PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND STAFF CERTIFICATIONS NOW THAT WE'RE GETTING THROUGH COVID AND WE'RE SEEING THOSE OPPORTUNITIES OPENED BACK UP, ESPECIALLY IN POLICE AND OTHER, UM, OTHER DEPARTMENTS, THEY WEREN'T ABLE TO DO A LOT OF TRAINING DURING THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS WHERE IT WAS VIRTUAL.
AND SO NOW WE'RE STARTING TO SEE THOSE THINGS UP AND BACK UP.
SO WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO SEE OUR STAFF GET BACK OUT.
UM, YOU CAN READ THROUGH THERE AT HISTORIC PRESERVATION PROGRAMS, MENTAL HEALTH PROGRAMS, AND IT DOES SUPPORT DON RYAN CENTER.
AS YOU HEARD FROM, UH, DAVID TONIGHT TO CONTINUE THEIR, IT MAINTAINS CURRENT LEVELS FOR LOTSY FOR SRO IS CROSSING GUARDS AND OTHER GROUPS WITHIN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
UM, IT DOES INCLUDE FUNDING FOR OUR NEIGHBORHOOD PLANS.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT CAME UP THROUGH STRATEGIC PLANNING IS THAT THEY'RE OUT OF DATE.
WE'RE GETTING THE COMP PLAN DONE IN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS HERE.
ONCE THAT'S DONE, WE WANT TO GO REVISIT OUR NEIGHBORHOOD PLANS.
CAUSE WE HAD GO THROUGH SCHOLTZ, WE HAVE BUCK ON TIMMONSVILLE AND WE HAVE THE OLD TOWN MASTER PLAN.
SO WE WANT TO START REVISITING THOSE AND GET THEM UPDATED BASED ON HOW THE COMP PLAN HAS DONE.
AND WHAT'S BEEN DONE OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS.
SO IT DOES INCLUDE FUNDING FOR THAT.
UM, IT CONTINUES OUR AFFORDABLE HOUSING INITIATIVES THAT COUNCIL ADOPTED EARLIER, OR END OF LAST YEAR, AND OUR BEAUTIFICATION COMMITTEE WORK THAT YOU'VE SEEN OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS WHERE THEY'VE BEEN PLANTING PLANTS OR LAST MONTH THROUGHOUT THE TOWN, THAT'S THE GENERAL FUND.
AND WE'LL GO INTO THE STORMWATER FUND NOW, STOLEN MOTOR FUNDS, A LITTLE EASIER JUST BECAUSE IT IS STRICTLY TIED TO ONLY OPERATING, ONLY BEING PROVIDED TO STORMWATER ACTIVITIES THROUGHOUT THE TOWN.
THE REVENUES GENERATED WITH IT, ADDRESS STORM WATER, AND THEY SUSTAIN THE WATER QUALITY OF THE MAY RIVER AS WELL AS THE SURROUNDING RIVERS.
AND THEY ARE, THAT IS MOSTLY SUPPORTED BY STORMWATER UTILITY FEES AND THE PERMIT FEES.
UM, SO YOU CAN SEE WHAT OUR STORMWATER FEE IS NOW COMPARED TO THOSE AROUND US.
IT'S NOT PROPOSED TO INCREASE AS OPPOSED TO SAY THE SAME AS IT WAS FOR THE PREVIOUS, FOR, I DON'T KNOW, PREVIOUS YEARS AT $115 PER YEAR, YOU CAN SEE WE'RE KIND OF IN LINE WITH EVERYBODY AROUND US.
HEAD'S A LITTLE HIGHER, BUFORD'S A LITTLE HIGHER, BUT WE'RE A LITTLE HIGHER THAN B FOR COUNTY AND PORT ROLE.
SO I THINK WE'RE KIND OF RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THERE, THAT FEE GENERATES ABOUT 85% OF THE REVENUE.
THE REST OF THAT COMES FROM LICENSING PERMIT.
SO THOSE ARE WHERE THEY DO INSPECTIONS FOR NEW CONSTRUCTIONS, UM, AND DIFFERENT ITEMS LIKE THAT THROUGHOUT THE TOWN.
AS CONSTRUCTION CONTINUES TO GO ON, YOU CAN SEE A LITTLE BREAKDOWN HERE BEFORE THAT COMES FROM YEAR OVER YEAR.
SO YOU CAN SEE THE FEES ARE CONTINUING TO GO UP AS WE HAVE MORE HOUSING UNITS BEING BUILT, BUT THE LICENSE AND PERMIT SUSTAINING FLAT BECAUSE WE DON'T DO MUCH MORE BUILDING THE SAME NUMBER OF HOUSES PER YEAR.
SO THE INSPECTION STAYED ABOUT THE SAME.
WHERE DOES THAT MONEY GO? ABOUT 31% GOES INTO SALARY AND BENEFITS.
25 GOES INTO OPERATING A LITTLE OVER 12%, GOES OUT TO CIP PROJECTS AND THEN 12% GOES OUT TO DEBT SERVICE FOR THE BOND THAT STORMWATER TOOK, UM, A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO.
AND THEN A PORTION OF IT GOES OUT TO THE GENERAL FUND TO HELP COVER THE COST OF THE STAFF SALARY AND BENEFITS FOR THE STAFF THAT, UM, I'M SORRY THAT IT COVERS THE SALARY AND BENEFITS OF THE SUPERVISORS OF THAT DEPARTMENT.
LIKE A PORTION OF CAM'S POSITION, A COURT'S IN THE FINANCE PORTION OF MINE, BECAUSE WE DO SUPERVISE THOSE FUNDS.
HERE'S A BREAKDOWN OF THAT YEAR OVER YEAR.
SO YOU CAN TAKE A LOOK AND SEE A LITTLE MORE DETAILED AND THEN SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS, IT DOES SUPPORT THE MAY RIVER WATERSHED ACTION PLAN.
I KNOW A WAY PACK JUST DID A NEW ACTION PLAN WITH ABOUT 11 POINTS IN IT.
SO PART OF THAT'S WHAT THE CIP, UM, WITH THE TRANSFER OUT, THEY DO STILL SUPPORT.
SO OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH U S CB AND, UM, THE ONE THING I'LL POINT OUT, IT DOES HAVE SOME CAPITAL OUTLAY.
THERE IS ONE VEHICLE REPLACEMENT IN THERE.
AND THEN THE OTHER THING IS THE FOUR TURNKEY TELEMETRY STATIONS.
THESE ARE SO WE CAN DO LIVE REAL-TIME MONITORING ON THE MAY RIVER.
SO, UM, THEY'RE DONE BY, THEY SIT IN THE WATER AND THEY DO A LIVE RADIO ROUTING AND THEY'LL PROVIDE INFORMATION BACK TO US AS WE NEED IT.
SO THEY KEEP US TRYING TO GO OUT AND DO SOME SIMPLE, NEXT TIME WE'LL GET INTO CIP.
THIS IS WHERE WE DO ALL OF OUR PROJECTS.
SO THIS IS WHERE YOU'RE GOING TO SEE A LOT OF RED STARS ALONG ITEMS. SO WILL THAT RED MEANS THAT, LIKE I MENTIONED
[01:30:01]
EARLIER, WE'RE PROPOSING TO DO A TIF BOND THAT WOULD GO A HUNDRED PERCENT TOWARDS GETTING THE BARN PROJECT COMPLETED.AND THAT'S WHY THAT NUMBER IS HIGHLIGHT.
IT HAS THE RED ASHER BESIDE IT BECAUSE OF COUNCIL MOVES FORWARD WITH, WITH OUR RECOMMENDATION TO DO THE TIF BOND ISSUANCE, THEN TIF BOND WOULD MAKE UP ABOUT 37% OF OUR CIP BUDGET.
UM, 17% OF IT IS THE FUND BALANCE THAT WERE CARRIED FORWARD.
THOSE ARE FOR THINGS LIKE, UM, THE LAND ACQUISITION, THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROGRAM.
THOSE ARE FUNDS THAT BUILD UP AND CARRY OVER TIME, AS WELL AS SOME CARRYFORWARDS THAT WE HAVE FOR PROJECTS THAT WEREN'T COMPLETED.
UM, YOU CAN TAKE A LOOK AT THE REST OF THOSE.
THERE THERE'S OUR STORM WATER, BOND, HOSPITALITY TAX, OTHER THINGS LIKE THAT, THAT ARE IN THERE.
UM, AND THIS JUST GIVES YOU A BREAKDOWN SO YOU CAN SEE WHAT PERCENTAGE OF THE BUDGET THEY MAKE UP AND HOW IT TOTALS UP.
AND THEN THIS IS WHERE WE PROPOSE TO USE THOSE FUNDS.
SO YOU'LL NOTICE THAT THE FUND BALANCE ONE LOOKS A LITTLE HIGHER THAN IT SHOULD BE.
THAT'S BECAUSE IF WE DO THE BOND ISSUANCE, WE'RE ONLY ANTICIPATING SPENDING ABOUT $3 MILLION OR SO OF THAT BOND AND NEXT FOR A YEAR.
AND IF WE DON'T, WE JUST KIND OF BASED ON WHAT THEY HAVE IN THE BUDGET YET.
SO ABOUT 6 MILLION OF THAT WOULD CARRY FORWARD.
SO THAT MEANS THAT TIF, THAT DEBT WOULD, THE FUND BALANCE WOULD INCREASE BECAUSE WE WOULD HAVE THE FUNDS FROM THAT BOND THAT DIDN'T GET SPENT.
SO IT INCREASED OUR FUND BALANCE IN THERE.
AND THEN, THEN YOU CAN SEE THE OTHER PART PROJECTS IS AT 19%, THAT WOULD BE WHERE THE 3 MILLION WOULD GO TO SPEND FOR THE PROJECT THAT WE HAVE IN DESIGN AND GETTING READY TO MOVE FORWARD RIGHT NOW FOR PHASE ONE OUT THERE, 17% IS IN STORM WATER AND SEWER PROJECTS, 13% IN LAND ACQUISITION.
AND THEN 10.8 IS ROAD PROJECTS.
AND THAT INCLUDES STREETSCAPES SAFETY, WHERE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT DOING CROSSWALKS AND SAFETY, PEDESTRIAN SAFETY THROUGHOUT OLD TOWN, THAT WOULD BE UNDER ROAD PROJECTS.
AND THIS IS JUST A BREAKDOWN ON THAT.
HERE ARE JUST KIND OF SOME ACTIVE PROJECTS THAT WE HAVE THAT ARE GOING ON RIGHT NOW.
YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH ALL THESE, UH, LIKE I SAID, I'M ALL KIND OF JUST GET THROUGH THESE.
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ON THESE, WE CAN ALWAYS ADDRESS THOSE MOVING FORWARD.
AND THEN THESE ARE KIND OF NEW AND PENDING, UM, THAT ARE BEING PROPOSED IN THE BUDGET.
WE HAVE THE MAY RIVER ACTION PLAN.
THAT'S THE RESTORATION REMOVING IMPERVIOUS SERVICES THROUGHOUT THE TOWN.
UM, WE HAVE PRINTED PRITCHARD STREET DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENTS, AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE IN THERE TO BEGIN LOOKING AT WHAT THE RENOVATION AND USE OF THE SARAH RILEY HOOKS COTTAGE WOULD BE.
AND THEN AS YOU CAN SEE, HERE'S THE NEW RIVERSIDE PARK AND BARN AT ABOUT $4 MILLION, AGAIN, WITH ABOUT 3 MILLION OF THAT COMING FROM THE TIF BOND THAT'S PROPOSED.
THESE ARE THE PROJECTS WHERE THEY'RE LOCATED CIP PROJECTS THROUGHOUT THE TOWN.
UM, IT'S KIND OF HARD TO READ.
I'LL TELL YOU IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN THIS, YOU CAN ALWAYS GO TO OUR CIP MAP AND IT WILL GIVE YOU AN UPDATE ON EVERYTHING THAT'S GOING ON.
YOU CAN GO TO OUR TOWN WEBSITE AND SEE THAT.
SO I'M GONNA GO TO DEBT SERVICE NEXT, THIS'LL BE OUR LAST ONE.
AND THIS IS ACCOUNTS FOR WHERE WE DO, UM, THAT ISSUANCE AND THE ACCOUNTS FOR THE PRINCIPAL AND INTEREST ON OUR LONG-TERM DEBT OBLIGATIONS.
AS WE TALKED ABOUT EARLIER, WE STAY PRETTY GOOD ON HOW WE ON OUR DEBT RATIO COMPARED TO THE T UH, COMPARED TO WHAT WE CAN DO.
IT'S ABOUT 294 MILLION WHEN YOU DO OUR 8% OF ASSESSED VALUE.
UM, OUR LEGAL DEBT MARGIN IS ABOUT $15.6 MILLION OF WHICH WE'RE, WE'RE ONLY OBLIGATING ABOUT 33% OF THAT.
SO WE'RE ONLY, WE'RE ONLY ABOUT A THIRD OF THE LIMIT OF WHAT WE CAN GO TO RIGHT NOW.
SO WE'RE STILL STILL LOW AND WE'RE STILL NOT FULLY LEVERAGING.
AND I THINK IT SHOWS THAT WE'RE GOOD STEWARDS, THAT WE'RE NOT FULLY LEVERAGING OUR DEBT ANY MORE THAN WHAT WE'RE CURRENTLY PROPOSING.
UM, SO HERE'S OUR LIST OF OUR, UM, OUR DEBT.
YOU CAN SEE, WE HAVE OUR TWO GEO BONDS.
ONE WAS STORM STORMWATER FEES.
WHEN WE PROPERTY TAXES, WE HAVE OUR FORMER TIFF SPECIAL REVENUE BOND, AND IT ACTUALLY COMES UP IN 2026.
SO WHAT IS PROPOSED WITH THE NEW BOND IS WE WOULD HAVE SMALLER PAYMENTS FOR THE FIRST FIVE YEARS OR SO FOUR YEARS UNTIL 2026.
AND WHEN THE OTHER BOND EXPIRES, WE WOULD TAKE THEM OUT THAT WE WERE PAYING TOWARDS THAT BOND AND PUT IT TOGETHER SO WE COULD PAY IT OFF AT AS SOONER, RIGHT? WE ARE PROPOSING TO TIE THAT TO, UM, ONLY A 10 YEAR BOND ISSUANCE.
UM, CHRIS, I SAY FINANCE, CHRIS, AND I WANT TO DO THAT MOSTLY BECAUSE WHEN YOU LOOK AT OUR GROWTH MODELS, IT STARTS SHOWING THAT OUR GROWTH STARTS TAPERING OFF AFTER ABOUT 10 YEARS.
SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT DEBT EXPIRES ABOUT THE SAME TIME THAT WE START SEEING OUR GROWTH TAPERING OFF, BECAUSE THAT'D BE ABOUT THE TIME WE WANT OUR TIFF TO EXPIRE.
SO THOSE REVENUES CAN COME THE GENERAL FUND TO HELP PAY, TO OPERATE ALL THE STUFF THAT WE'VE BUILT WITH THE TIF
[01:35:01]
REVENUE.SO WE THAT'LL, THAT'D BE TIMED ABOUT THE SAME TIME THAT WE SHOULD SEE BUILDING BEGIN, THAT CURVE BEGIN TO FLATTEN.
SO HERE'S OUR, UM, OR A BOND REVENUES COME FROM 57% OF THAT GOES TO, THIS COMES FROM PROPERTY TAXES.
AS WE SHOWED EARLIER, WE HAVE A DEBT MILLAGE THAT HELPS PAY FOR THAT.
UM, WE ALSO HAVE STORM WATER LICENSING PERMITS, AND THEN WE TRANSFER IN, UM, PRIOR YOUR FUND BALANCE TO HELP COVER THAT AND BROKEN DOWN.
AND THEN THIS TELLS YOU WHERE IT GOES.
MOST OF IT TRANSFERS OUT TO OUR CIP FUND TO PAY.
AND THEN THERE'S OUR BONDS THAT WE PAY AGAIN, BROKEN OUT IN CHART FORM.
THERE'S THE PROPOSED SERIES, 2022 TIF BOND IN THERE AND WHAT THE ESTIMATED PAYMENT WOULD BE, SHOULD WE MOVE FORWARD? SO THIS IS OUR FUND BALANCE.
YOU CAN SEE THE ACTUAL FROM 2021 THAT WAS AUDITED, WHAT WE'RE ESTIMATING FOR THIS FISCAL YEAR, AND THEN WHAT WOULD BE PROPOSED, WHAT, WHAT WE'RE WOULD ESTIMATE FOR THE PROPOSED FISCAL 2023 BUDGET.
AND THIS IS HOW IT'S, UM, UH, UM, THE CONSOLIDATED BUDGET, HOW IT'S BROKEN UP AGAIN, AS YOU CAN SEE THE GENERAL FUND CIP, DEBT, SERVICE, AND STORMWATER WITH THE LARGEST OF OUR FUNDS RIGHT NOW, REMAINING AS THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT CIRCLE BACK AROUND REMINDER THAT WE HAVE TWO WORKSHOPS ON THIS, AS DETAILED AS THIS WAS, IT WILL BE EVEN MORE DETAILED AND WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT'D BE OUR TIME TO ADDRESS QUESTIONS, CONCERNS, CHANGES, UM, HERE, ANYTHING THAT COUNCIL MAY WANT TO CHANGE AS WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THE BUDGET, UM, WE'LL HAVE ONE ON THE 24TH AND A FOLLOW UP ON THE 26TH, AND THEN WE'LL BE BACK NEXT MONTH FOR OUR PUBLIC HEARING.
ANY QUESTIONS, IF NOT THE MOTION THAT WE HAVE WOULD BE TO RECOMMEND APPROVAL OF THE BUDGET FOR FIRST READING, I HAVE ONE AND I HEARD WHAT YOU JUST SAID AT THE VERY END.
UM, SHOULD WE HOLD OUR QUESTIONS UNTIL THE NEXT NIGHT WHEN I'M TRYING TO GET TO WAS, DO YOU WANT US TO WAIT TILL THE WORKSHOP OR I THINK THE WORKSHOP WOULD PROBABLY BE THE BEST PLACE TO ADDRESS IF WE'RE GOING TO, IF IT'S QUESTIONS THAT MAY AFFECT HOW WE CHANGE NUMBERS WITHIN THE BUDGET, REDUCE, YOU KNOW, OR AT, OR PROJECTS, I WOULD SAY THAT THAT FIRST WORKSHOP WOULD BE THE BEST TIME TO GO THROUGH THOSE.
AND LET'S GET INTO THE DETAILS AND FIGURE OUT HOW THAT'S GOING TO AFFECT THE BUDGET.
AND THEN WE CAN GO FROM THERE.
THIS IS REALLY MORE OF AN INTRODUCTION TO THE PUBLIC OF THE BUDGET AND TO COUNCIL.
AND THEN THE WORKSHOPS ARE TO FIX THOSE CONCERNS, THAT CANCER, I WILL MAKE THE OBSERVATION.
I, UM, I'VE HAD SOME GOOD CONVERSATIONS WITH STEVEN AND CHRIS THE LAST FEW DAYS AND, UH, PEOPLE THAT CAN PUT A BUDGET BOOK LIKE THIS TOGETHER AND KNOW WHERE ALL THE MOVING PARTS ARE CONTINUOUSLY AND HOW TO DO WHAT YOU DO IS ALMOST LIKE MAGIC.
I FIND IT MIND-BLOWING FOR ME PERSONALLY.
AND, UH, YOU GUYS DID A STELLAR JOB OF PUTTING ALL THIS TOGETHER AND KNOWING, KNOWING WHERE EVERYBODY'S LYING, YOU KNOW, SO THANK YOU FOR THE JOB YOU'VE DONE.
I WOULD, I GOT DRESSED AND NATALIE, BEFORE SHE LEFT AND THAT WHOLE DEPARTMENT, THEY, THEY MAKE IT LOOK EASY.
IT LOOKS SMOOTH, BUT THEY'RE UNDER THE WATER.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS RIGHT NOW? WE NEVER GOING TO DO THE MORE DETAILED QUESTIONS AT THE WORKSHOP.
WELL, THE WORKSHOP BE BROKEN DOWN IN THE PAST.
WE'VE DONE CIP ONE DAY AND THEN WE'VE DONE DEBT.
HAVE YOU BROKEN IT DOWN? WHICH ONE? JUST LIKE IT WAS LAST YEAR.
WE'LL DO THE FIRST DAY WILL BE ALL THE FUNDS EXCEPT FOR CIP.
SO IT'LL BE GENERAL FUND STORMWATER AND DEBT.
AND THEN THE LAST DAY, THE SECOND DAY WILL BE JUST CIP PROJECTS.
I HAVEN'T FILLED IN MOST OF THE QUESTIONS FOR Y'ALL MIGHT HAVE TO ASK MAYBE RELATED TO THE FIRST DAY WHEN WE GET INTO THE GENERAL FUND, BUT THERE'LL BE TIME TO DISCUSS EVERYTHING OUTWARDS.
THE PUBLIC CAN SEE, IT WILL BE TOMORROW.
WE WILL SEND OUT A PRESS RELEASE AND WE WILL BE PUTTING IT ON THE WEBSITE AND EVERYTHING.
UM, WELL, I THINK STAFF THAT PUT IT TOGETHER, BUT ALSO THE REST OF THE STAFF THAT HAD A PLAY IN BEING VERY RESPONSIBLE ON WHAT THEY NEEDED.
AND IT WAS, WE'RE STILL IN A WEIRD WORLD, BUT I REALLY APPRECIATE, UM, NOT SO MANY WISHLIST AND REALLY GETTING DOWN TO WHAT WE NEED.
AND I THINK WE NEED TO KEEP Y'ALL HAPPY.
AND I'M EXCITED ABOUT THIS NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA.
SO ANYTHING, IF NOT, IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE 2023 FISCAL YEAR PROPOSED CONSOLIDATED BUDGET ON FIRST READING YOUR SECOND, ANY DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR, STEP OF SAYING AYE.
[01:40:08]
WE HAVE ONE PUBLIC COMMENT.WE'RE NOT LIKE HILTON ITERATION OF A RESOLUTION TO ADOPT THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON 2022 CLASS AND COMPENSATION SESSION STUDY AND IMPLEMENTED UNDER RECOMMENDATIONS PROPOSED AS A RESULT OF A STUDY.
IS THERE A MOTION TO TAKE THE FIVE MINUTE RECESS? IS THERE A MOTION TO TAKE A FIVE MINUTE RECESS? YES.
ALL IN FAVOR OF TAKING A FIVE MINUTE RECESS.
I OPPOSE IT GETS TO THE BATHROOM OR INTO THAT.
[XI.2. Consideration of a Resolution to Adopt the Town of Bluffton 2022 Class and Compensation Study and Implementation of the Recommendations Proposed as a Result of a Study Performed by Evergreen Solutions – Stephen Steese, Town Manager]
WE ARE TALKING ABOUT WHAT MATTERS IS COUNCIL'S BACK IN SESSION, YOU ARE VERY IMPORTANT TO US AND I'M SO EXCITED WHAT'S GOING TO COME FROM TOMORROW AND I'M NOT SURE WHEN THE POLICE ARE MEETING, BUT THIS IS A REALLY EXCITING STUDY IN A PLAN THAT MRSO YOU ARE UP NO PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS SIDE OF ME, AND THIS IS NOT UNDER PUBLIC COMMENT ON THE AGENDA.
WE DON'T HAVE PUBLIC COMMENT, NOT, NOT, UNLESS IT IS REQUIRED AND NOT LISTED AS LISTED AS I FINAL IN PUBLIC HEARING ITEMS. UM, SO THIS IS CONSIDERATION FOR COUNCIL TO ADOPT ABOUT 20, 22 TOWN OF BLUFFTON CLASSIFICATION AND COMPENSATION STUDY THAT WAS COMPLETED AND IMPLEMENTED.
SO JUST AS A BACKGROUND, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HR WANTED TO DO AS PART OF A STRATEGIC PLAN AND COUNCIL VOTED TO APPROVE WAS THE UPDATED, OUR CLASSIFICATION AND COMPENSATION STUDY.
WE BE THE LAST TIME WE HAD DONE IT WAS WE COMPLETED, IT WAS 15, 16, SOMEWHERE IN THAT TIMEFRAME.
SO, AND WITH AS MUCH GROWTH AS WE HAVE HAD, NOT JUST HERE BUT AROUND US, IT WAS A GOOD TIME TO REVISIT AND MAKE SURE THAT OUR CLASSIFICATION AND COMPENSATION FOR OUR EMPLOYEES WAS WHERE IT NEEDED TO BE TO MATCH MARKET.
UM, SO THIS WAS COMPLETED TO DO THAT WITH OUR PEERS.
UM, SO THE GOAL WAS TO PERFORM THIS ON ALL POSITIONS WITHIN THE TOWN.
UM, WE ALSO WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR POSITIONS WERE CLASSIFIED PART OF THE TROUBLE AND TRYING TO COMPARE YOURSELF TO OTHERS IS NOT EVERYBODY HAS THE SAME JOB TITLE.
NOT EVERYBODY HAS THE SAME JOB DUTIES UNDER THE SAME JOB TITLE.
SO WHAT WE MIGHT CALL SOMEBODY, A CUSTOMER SERVICE REP, THEY MAY CALL THEM A ASSISTANT CLERK, OR THEY MAY CALL THEM A FINANCE PERSON.
SO TRYING TO MATCH THE JOB DUTIES AND THE TITLES TO ALL THE POSITIONS THROUGH OTHER, THROUGHOUT OTHER TOWNS AND OUR COMPETITORS.
IT WAS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THEY HAD TO DO.
SO IT NARROWED DOWN TO ABOUT 75 JOB TITLES AND 46 POSITIONS WITHIN THE TOWN TO GO THROUGH AND TRY TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE COMPARE TO EVERYBODY.
SO WE HELD THE KICKOFF MEETING TO DO THE PR TO START IT.
UM, AND THEN WE DID AN OUTREACH.
WE WANTED TO DETERMINE THE TOWN'S CURRENT COMPENSATION PHILOSOPHY, WHICH WAS HOW ARE WE HANDLING THINGS? DO WE HAVE PAY BANDS? DO WE HAVE PAY SCALES? DO WE HAVE PAY GRADES? HOW DO WE, HOW DO WE SET THESE THINGS UP? HOW DO WE DO, UH, RAISES HOW DO WE DO STUFF LIKE THAT? UM, AND THEN, SO THEY WENT THROUGH AND THEY DID THAT KICKOFF MEETING AND THEY REVIEWED THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT CAME THROUGH THAT FROM THAT THEY DID INTERNAL STAKEHOLDER MEETINGS.
SO EVERYBODY COMPLETED WHAT WAS CALLED, LIKE A JOB APTITUDE, UM, FORM.
AND THEY HAD TO GO THROUGH A JOB ANALYSIS TO EXCUSE ME.
AND THEY HAD TO GO THROUGH AND KIND OF IDENTIFY WHAT IT IS THEY DO DAY TO DAY AS PART OF THEIR JOB.
SO THEY COULD MAKE SURE WHEN THEY WERE GOING OUT TO COMPARE, WE WERE DOING THINGS PROPERLY.
SO THEY WENT OUT AND DID THAT MARKET ANALYSIS.
AND THEN THEY CAME BACK AND LOOKED AT WAY TO DEVELOP A COMPETITIVE PAY STRUCTURE BASED ON OUR, OUR COMPETITORS IN THE MARKETPLACE OUT THERE.
UM, THEY PROVIDED THIS INFORMATION TO US.
WE'VE GONE THROUGH AND LOOKED AT THIS.
UM, AS WE DID THAT AISLE, THERE WERE SOME CONCERNS THAT STUCK OUT TO US AND THINGS THAT WE HAD TO GO THROUGH AND CHANGE.
THERE WERE SOME JOB TITLES THAT HAD CHANGED SOME DUTIES THAT HAD CHANGED.
SO WE HAD TO GO THROUGH AND, AND GET THIS, GET SOME OF IT UPDATED.
PART OF THAT WAS THE STRUGGLE LONGER THAN WE ANTICIPATED.
WE HAD HOPED THAT WE WERE GOING TO BE ABLE TO DO THIS AT THE END OR THE END OF LAST YEAR.
FIRST OF THIS YEAR, I THINK WE WENT THROUGH THREE DIFFERENT PROJECT MANAGERS ON THIS FROM THEIR SIDE AND IT JUST WENT LONGER.
SO ONE THINGS I WANT TO SAY IS, I APOLOGIZE FOR TAKING AS LONG AS IT DID.
SO WE WERE HOPING TO HAVE THIS IN PLACE SOONER FOR EMPLOYEES.
UM, THESE ARE THE, THE 18 PEERS THAT RESPONDED TO US.
YOU CAN SEE THOSE ARE MOSTLY AROUND OUR AREA.
UM, BUT THEY DO GO UP TO ROCK HILL, SIMPSON BILLS, WEST COLUMBIA, OTHER AREAS THAT ARE SIMILAR TO US BASED ON BUDGET, EMPLOYEES AND SCOPE.
UM, THEY DID COMPARE US AGAINST US TO THE STATE, OUR, UH, BJ WSA.
I THINK THEY REACHED OUT TO SOME OTHER
[01:45:01]
NON-GOVERNMENT NON CITY AND TOWN ENTITIES AROUND THIS AREA, BUT THEY DIDN'T GET SOME RESPONSES BACK.SO, UM, WE CAN ONLY GO WITH, WHO'S WILLING TO GIVE US THE INFORMATION.
SO THAT MAKES IT A LITTLE MORE DIFFICULT AS WELL.
BUT, SO WHAT DID IT SHOW? IT SHOWED THAT THE TOWN LAGGED BEHIND THE MARKET, UM, AT MINIMUM IT WAS ABOUT SEVEN, 7% AND MID POINT.
SO THE MAXIMUM PAY BANDS WEREN'T BAD.
IT WAS REALLY OUR STARTING PAY, GETTING, GETTING OUR STARTING PAY AND KIND OF MID PAY MID-LEVEL UP TO MATCH THE MARKET WAS WHERE WE WERE, UM, APPARENTLY THE FURTHEST BEHIND.
UM, SO THERE WERE SOME POSITIONS THAT APPEARED TO HAVE COMPETITIVE HIRING RIGHTS.
THESE ARE ONES THAT WE SEEM TO BE PAYING WELL, UH, COMPARED TO THE MARKET.
THERE WERE OTHERS THAT WERE NON-COMPETITIVE.
UM, THESE WERE THOSE THAT ARE LISTED THERE.
AND THEN THERE WERE ONES THAT JUST HAVE NOTICED FOR RECRUITMENT RETENTION ISSUES.
THEY INCLUDE PEOPLE LIKE BUILDING INSPECTORS, POLICE, OFFICERS, PLANNERS, PUBLIC WORKS WORKERS.
THOSE ARE PEOPLE THAT IT'S TOUGH TO RECRUIT.
AND ONCE YOU GET THEM IN PAY, MAY YOU GOT TO MAKE SURE YOU'RE COMPETITIVE.
SO HOPEFULLY YOU CAN RETAIN THEM.
SO THEY DID COME BACK A FEW RECOMMENDATIONS.
THERE WAS A COUPLE TITLES THEY WANTED TO ADJUST.
THEY ALSO REVISE ALL THE JOB DESCRIPTIONS TO UPDATE THE, UPDATED, ALL THE JOB DESCRIPTIONS, TO MATCH EVERYTHING THAT WAS DONE IN THE CLASSIFICATION.
SO THERE'LL BE ACCURATE MOVING FORWARD.
THEY DID RECOMMEND TO REMOVE SEVEN PAY GRADES.
WE WERE AT 32, UM, 33, BUT WE HAD, UM, SIX OF THE SEVEN THAT WE'RE REMOVING, WEREN'T BEING USED.
UM, THAT SHOWS YOU HOW OUT OF DATE IT WAS THAT WE HAD CERTAIN PAY GRADES, ESPECIALLY ON THE BOTTOM OF OUR PAY RANGE THAT WEREN'T BEING USED.
SO THEY WERE ABLE TO REMOVE SOME OF THOSE PAY GRADES AND THEN THEY INK, BUT THEY MADE THE RANGE OF THE PAY GRADES WIDER.
THEY WENT FROM LIKE A 52% SPREAD TO A 60% SPREAD.
SO THE BANDS GOT A LITTLE WATER, BUT THERE WAS FEW OF THEM.
SO AS WE GO THROUGH, WHEN WE MEET WITH SOME OF THE, UM, EMPLOYEES, THEY MAY HAVE PAY GRADE, MAY HAVE DROPPED TWO PAY GRADES, BUT THEIR PAY WILL GO UP.
SO IT'S, IT, IT, IT BALANCES OUT THROUGHOUT THE THING.
IT'S JUST, WHEN YOU HAVE FIVE OR SIX PAY GRADES THAT YOU DON'T HAVE ANYBODY, AND IT'S NOT, ESPECIALLY NOW THAT WE'RE SEEING OUR PAY GETTING UP, YOU DON'T NEED PAY GRADES FOR SOMEBODY MAKING MINIMUM WAGE WITHIN THE TOWN.
SO, UM, SO THIS IS JUST WANT TO TALK ABOUT HOW WITHIN THOSE PAY GRADES, HOW THE EMPLOYEES ARE BROKEN DOWN.
SO YOU'LL SEE, UM, WITHIN THE 26 PAY GRADES WHERE EVERYBODY FALLS, YOU HAVE, AND, AND JUST SO YOU KNOW, THIS INCLUDES, UM, LIKE CAN PAY GRADE ONE.
THOSE ARE WHERE YOU'RE CROSSING.
GUARDS ARE LIKE SHE'LL CROSS AND GUARDS AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
UM, AND THEN YOU CAN SEE, WE GOT ABOUT OUR BIGGEST AREAS AROUND THAT SEVEN, UM, EIGHT TO ABOUT 16, 17.
THAT'S WHERE A LOT OF OUR EMPLOYEES FALLS IN THAT PAY RANGE.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS I ASKED AFTER WE GOT DONE IS ONCE THIS HAS DONE, WHAT IS OUR LOWEST HOURLY RATE, WE'LL BE PAYING A FULL-TIME EMPLOYEE.
AND AS YOU CAN SEE, IT'S JUST SHORT OF $17 AN HOUR.
SO, UM, AND EVEN AT THAT POINT, WE STILL WANT TO WORK TO TRY TO INCREASE THAT OVER TIME.
WE WANT TO GET THAT UP HIGHER.
UM, AS WE SAW, AND AS WE TALKED ABOUT EARLIER, WE'RE SEEING AMI, WE'RE SEEING, UM, IT'S INCREASING OUR RENT'S GOING UP.
WE'RE WORKING TO TRY TO CONTINUE TO GET THAT ENTRY LEVEL AS HIGH AS WE CAN WITHIN THE TOWN.
SO THAT WAS WHAT'S RECOMMENDED FOR THE SWORN FOR THE NON-SWORN FOR POLICE.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE HEARD IS THEY WANTED TO LOOK AT A STEP PLAN, WHICH IS MORE SIMILAR TO WHAT YOU SEE INSIDE OF LIKE A TEACHING PROFESSION, WHERE IT'S BASED ON YEARS, UH, RANK AND HOW LONG AND TENURE WITHIN THE ORGANIZATION.
SO TO DO THAT, WE HAD TO CREATE THE STEP PLANS THAT WOULD ALLOW INCREASES AS PEOPLE ARE HERE OVER LONG LONGEVITY, BUT ALSO INCREASES AS THEY MOVE UP WITHIN PROMOTION.
AND YOU'LL SEE, UM, LIKE FOR A POLICE OFFICER ONE, IT ALLOWS FOR FIVE STEPS, BUT THE REASON BEING IS MOST OFFICERS SHOULDN'T REALLY MAKE IT PAST STEP TWO OR THREE.
IT TAKES ABOUT 18 TO 24 MONTHS TO QUALIFY TO GO TO A POLICE OFFICER TOO.
THAT IS NOT A PROMOTIONAL PROCESS.
IT'S AN AUTOMATIC QUALIFIER THAT YOU APPLY FOR ONCE.
ONCE YOU STARTED HAVING TO APPLY FOR PROMOTIONS, WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THERE WAS LONGER TIME FOR PEOPLE TO REMAIN WITHIN POSITIONS.
I'M SUPPOSE TO GO FROM A POLICE OFFICER, TO, TO A POLICE CORPORAL AS A PROMOTIONAL PROCESS.
AND IT MAY TAKE TIME TO GET THE QUALIFICATIONS EXPERIENCE.
WE'LL WAIT FOR SOMEBODY TO LEAVE, TO BE ABLE TO PROMOTE UP SO WANTED TO PROVIDE, TO ALLOW TIME FOR PEOPLE
[01:50:01]
THEY WOULD NEED TO APPLY FOR.UM, SO THIS WOULD, UM, GET OUR STARTING PAY W UH, UP TO BE COMPETITIVE FOR OUR POLICE OFFICER ONES, BUT IT ALSO REWARD THOSE THAT MOVE UP WITHIN THE ORGANIZATION, WITHIN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT THROUGH PROMOTION, AND ALSO REWARD THOSE THAT STAY HERE WITH HIGHER PAY.
UM, RIGHT NOW WE HAVE PAY BANDS FOR OUR POLICE OFFICERS AND PRETTY MUCH EVERYBODY STARTS AT THE SAME PAY BAND.
AND THEN, UM, ONCE WE DO A RAISE, THEY ALL MADE THE SAME.
SO THEY ALL COMPRESS AND THEN THERE'S NOT REALLY AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THEM TO COME IN AND JUST GET AN INCREASED LIKE THAT SO THAT THIS PROVIDES THEM OPPORTUNITY TO, UM, TO MOVE UP WITHIN THE STEPS.
BUT ONE THING I WILL SAY, BECAUSE IT'S ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT I KNOW WE, WE ASKED THAT IT WITH THE CHIEF IT'S ARE THE STEPS AUTOMATIC GOING ACROSS FROM ONE TO SEVEN.
AND THE ANSWER TO THAT IS NO, THEY WOULD BE DEPENDENT ON WHAT'S AVAILABLE IN THE BUDGET EACH YEAR.
IF ALL EMPLOYEES DON'T GET A RACE, THE POLICE AREN'T GOING TO BE GUARANTEED ONE.
SO IT WOULD ALL BE DEPENDENT ON WHAT'S WITHIN THE BUDGET.
SO IF EMPLOYEES GOT A 2% COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENT, AND WE WOULD ADJUST THESE NUMBERS 2% FOR THE POLICE OFFICERS, IF WE DID A 2% MERIT RAISE, LIKE WE WERE PROPOSING FOR, FOR NEXT YEAR, OFFICERS WOULD NOT DO MERIT.
THEY WOULD SHIFT ONE POSITION WITHIN THE PAY GRADE.
SO IT'S ALL GOING TO BE DEPENDENT ON WHAT'S WITHIN THE BUDGET.
UM, SO, AND THE POLICE HAVE GONE THROUGH, AND THEY'VE REVIEWED THIS AND THIS RECOMMENDATION THAT THEY HAVE COME TO US FOR, UM, FOR IMPLEMENTATION, THINK IT WOULD BE BENEFICIAL.
UM, AND JUST, UH, GO TO THE MAYOR'S COMMENT.
UM, RIGHT BEFORE WE STARTED, I DO, UM, PLAN TO MEET WITH THEM.
IF COUNCIL APPROVES TONIGHT, TOMORROW TO GO THROUGH ALL OF THIS, ENTER QUESTIONS, GO THROUGH COMMENTS THEY HAVE, AND THEN THE CHIEF AND HR ARE GOING TO MEET WITH THEM INDIVIDUALLY.
WE'LL, WE'LL DO THAT FOR EVERY PERSON, MEET WITH EVERYBODY INDIVIDUALLY TO GO THROUGH HOW THEY'RE, HOW THEY'RE, HOW THEY'RE GOING TO BE PLACED WITHIN THIS OVERALL, THE, UM, WHOOPS ON WAY, UM, OVERALL, UM, EVERY EMPLOYEE AT A MINIMUM WE'RE RECEIVE A 3% INCREASE FROM THIS, AND IT'S CAPPED AT 10% AS AN INCREASE.
UM, EVERYBODY FELL BETWEEN ABOUT, WE HAD MAYBE A HANDFUL THAT WENT ABOVE THAT 10%, BUT WE ALSO HAD QUITE A FEW THAT WERE JUST BELOW 3%.
SO THERE WAS A GOOD, FINE LINE THAT AT 3% TO 10% YOU CAPTURED ABOUT 95% OF ALL.
SO DEPENDING ON WHAT THE MARKET RATE SAYS, AND THAT'S THE KEY TO THIS IS THIS ISN'T BASED ON FORMAT.
THIS IS BASED ON YOUR SERVICE.
NOW SAYS YOUR POSITION PAY SHOULD BE THIS WE'RE MATCHING THAT ANYTHING ELSE BASED ON PERFORMANCE, HERE'S A SERVICE AREA THAT IS ANY OTHER CHANGE THAT CAN TAKE TIME.
ANY OTHER TIME THROUGHOUT THE BUDGET.
THAT'S WHERE A DEPARTMENT HEAD HAS THE RIGHT TO COME IN AND SAY, HEY, WE NEED TO REWARD EVERYBODY.
BUT THIS IS SIMPLY SAYING, WE WENT OUT TO THE MARKET AND WE SAID, A PLANNER POSITION YOU Y'ALL HAVE IS PAYING THIS.
IF YOU WANT TO BE COMPETITIVE, YOU NEED TO BE PAYING THIS.
AND THAT'S WHAT THIS ADJUSTMENT CAPTURES.
IT DOESN'T CAPTURE ANYTHING TO DO WITH HERE'S A SERVICE OR PERFORMANCE.
SO THE FINANCIAL IMPACT FOR THIS FISCAL YEAR WOULD BE ABOUT A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS.
WE HAVE LAPSED SALARIES WITHIN THE BUDGET THAT WILL MAKE UP THAT THOSE FUNDS TO IMPLEMENT THAT FOR THE, UM, THE REASON WE'RE WANTING TO DO IT THIS FISCAL YEAR IS BECAUSE WE WERE RUNNING INTO INSTANCES WHERE WE'RE BUMPING UP AGAINST THE JOB MARKET, WHERE WE HAVE PEOPLE THAT ARE GETTING JOB OFFERS AND THEIR OFFER IS FOR LESS THAN WHAT THEY WOULD GO TO.
ONCE THIS STUDY IS IMPLEMENTED FOR SOME OF THEM.
SO WE'RE ALREADY SEEING WHERE WE NEED TO GET BACK, GET THIS IMPLEMENTED BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT TO LOSE GOOD PEOPLE.
THEY CALLS THE MARKET IS HIGHER THAN WHERE WE ARE.
SO WE WANT TO GO AHEAD AND GET IT IMPLEMENTED SO WE CAN MAKE SURE WE RETAIN THE PEOPLE WHO WE WANT TO KEEP AND MAKE SURE THAT WE REWARD THEM FOR, FOR BEING HERE AND NOT LOSE THEM AND HAVE TO FIND SOMEBODY TO REPLACE THEM.
KEEP THAT, KEEP THAT, UM, INTERNAL MEMORY HERE.
THAT WAS A LOT OF INFORMATION.
SO I CAN ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT COUNCIL MAY HAVE.
UM, YEAH, I GUESS THE SIMPLEST WAY FOR ME TO ASK THIS, THESE NUMBERS THAT YOU JUST SHOWED US, WHERE DOES THAT PUT US? YOU SAID IT PUTS US COMPETITIVE.
THAT PUT US IN THE MIDDLE OF AN AVERAGE OF, FROM HERE TO TIMBUKTU SOMEWHERE OR WHATEVER, OR, YOU KNOW, BASED ON THE ONE BASED ON OUR,
[01:55:01]
BASED ON THE MARKET, BASED ON THE PEOPLE THAT RESPONDED.SO THEY WENT OUT AND THEY SAID, YOU KNOW, OTHER, YOU KNOW, THE CITY OF BUFORD, SAVANNAH, OTHER TOWNS, UM, COUNTIES, BJ WSA, THEY'RE PAYING A SIMILAR POSITION.
THIS, YOU NEED TO BE THERE TO BE COMPETITIVE WITH THEM.
AND IS THAT TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT? THE FACT THAT IT PROBABLY COSTS 20% MORE TO LIVE IN OUR AREA ON THE COAST THEY DID IN SOME OF THESE OTHER PLACES THAT ARE INLAND.
I THINK THEY DIDN'T, I'M NOT MISTAKEN.
THEY INCLUDED A MARKET CALCULATION IN THERE WHERE BASED ON WHERE WE'RE AT, THAT THEY WOULD NEED TO BE AT MULTIPLE, YOU KNOW, THE MARKET, THE MARKETS, THIS, THAT BASED ON WHERE YOU LIVE, IT MIGHT BE A 7% INCREASE BASED ON COST OF LIVING.
I'M GLAD WE'RE DOING SOMETHING.
I'LL PROBABLY HAVE MORE COMMENTS AS WE GO.
I WAS ALMOST EXPECTED MORE AS WELL.
SO JUST TAKING PART IN THE LITTLE GUYS, ESPECIALLY, YEAH, THIS IS JUST THREE PAY PERIODS.
SO THE OVERALL FISCAL YEAR FOR NEXT YEAR IS CLOSE TO, I THINK IT'S ABOUT $800,000.
SO THIS JUST IS WHAT THE COST WOULD BE TO GET US FOR THE NEXT, FOR THE REST OF THIS FISCAL YEAR.
UM, SO YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT $700,000 IN SALARIES THAT WE'RE GETTING READY TO INCREASE THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE TOWN.
UM, SO, UM, MY QUESTION IS WITH THE INCREASING COMPENSATION, WELL, DOES THIS ALSO INCLUDE A LOCALITY SUPPLEMENT OR IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WILL BE TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION TOO? THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE SEPARATE.
WANTED TO DO THAT 16.7, EIGHT PER HOUR SALARY.
IS THAT A FULL-TIME OR PART-TIME POSITION? THAT IS THE LOWEST PAYING FULL-TIME POSITION THAT WE HAVE IS RIGHT AT 16 AND 16, 78.
THIS IS BOOMING AS OURS IS PRETTY LOW.
WHERE DO YOU SAY? OH YEAH, I THOUGHT YOU SAID 72.
AND I SAID, NO, NO, NO, NO MUCH.
IT STILL PUTS EVERYBODY IN THE POVERTY LEVEL.
IF YOU PUT TWO OF THEM TOGETHER AND ADD A COUPLE OF KIDS, THEY WOULD BE ABOUT 60%, BOTH TYPE POSITION.
AND NOW, LIKE I SAID, I'M NOT AGAINST, I'D LIKE TO SEE THAT GET HIGHER.
IF THAT'S SOMETHING WE WANT TO DISCUSS DURING BUDGET IS FIGURING OUT HOW TO BUMP THAT WHETHER IT'S $18 OR WHATEVER, WE WANT TO START OUR LOWEST, LOWEST WAGE AT, UM, THAT'S A DISCUSSION I THINK WE CAN HAVE DURING BUDGET, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE IF WE'D LIKE TO HAVE THAT AND THEY'RE DOWN THE ROAD AND IF YOU'LL HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, DAN, DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS THEN WE'LL START BACK OVER.
AND THIS IS ONE OF THOSE LITTLE PET PEEVES OF MINE.
YOU KNOW, THE MUNICIPAL ASSOCIATION HAS A PLACE WHERE CITIES ARE SUPPOSED TO GO PUT IN THEIR INFORMATION, ALL OF THESE JOB CLASSIFICATIONS AND HALF OF THEM DON'T RESPOND PROPERLY.
I HOPE WE DO GIVE THEM OUR INFORMATION ANNUALLY BECAUSE IT WOULD MAKE LIFE SO MUCH EASIER FOR US TO GET THIS INFORMATION AND COMPARE.
UM, I'M JUST KINDA QUICKLY, SO UP TO GRADE A, WE HAVE 13, 15, 18, 26, 30 TO ABOUT 40 EMPLOYEES PER QUARTER, OR A THIRD OF OUR STAFF REALLY? RIGHT.
ARE WE INCLUDING A LOT OF THE ONES THAT ARE IN THE LOWER GRADE THERE INCLUDE PART-TIME POSITIONS AS WELL.
SO LIKE GRADE ONE INCLUDES CROSSING GUARDS, GREAT TO INCLUDE YOUR CROSSING GUARD SUPERVISOR.
AND PART-TIME LIKE ADMIN PEOPLE THAT'S, THAT WOULD BE GOOD FOR US TO HAVE TO SEE MAYBE, UH, WHERE THAT IS, YOU KNOW, AND THEN, THEN MEASURE WHAT'S THE DIFFICULTY OF KEEPING ON THERE.
I MEAN, I, WE WERE AT BIKE TO SCHOOL WEEK AND I WAS JUST ASKING IF WE HAD ANOTHER CROSSING ROUTE, HOW HARD WOULD IT BE? AND IT DIDN'T SEEM LIKE IT WAS AN EASY TASK TO GET CROSSING GUARDS.
WELL, THE CROSSING GUARDS RIGHT NOW ARE FUNDED BY THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.
SO ANY INCREASE THAT WE WANT TO GIVE THEM WOULD COME THROUGH AGREEMENT WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICT AND WE'VE ASKED THEM FOR THAT, OR WE WOULD HAVE TO SUPPLEMENT IT.
AND THAT WOULD BE A DECISION WE WOULD HAVE TO MAKE, WHETHER WE WANT TO SUPPLEMENT CROSSING GUARDS THAT SO MUCH PER HOUR TO HELP.
[02:00:01]
I DON'T MEAN TO PICK ON CROSSING GUARDS, BUT YOU MENTIONED IT, BUT 40 OF OUR NON-SWORN ARE AT ALL THE WAY UP TO GRADE EIGHT, WHICH IS OUR SEVEN, WHICH IS EXACTLY WHAT, UM, FRED JUST SAID.SO YOU HAVE A MINIMUM OF 37 TO SIX ALL THE WAY TO 60.
UM, AND SO, YEAH, I WAS EXPECTING TO BE HIGHER ALL ACROSS THE BOARD AND I WORRY ABOUT EVERYBODY, BUT IF YOU'RE BREAKING IT DOWN, OUR SWORN OFFICERS ARE GUYS JUST STARTING OUT.
UM, WELL, THEY'LL GET A HUNDRED PERCENT, UM, WAVE OF THEIR IMPACT FEE.
THEY HARDLY MAKE WHAT THEY'D DONE.
THEY DON'T EVEN GET UP TO WHAT OUR LMI IS.
SO I WOULD LOVE TO SEE IT, YOU KNOW, AND IT'S FUNNY, WE'RE ASKING YOU TO ADD MONEY, BUT HOW DO WE START IT, BUT MAYBE HAVE A REALLY QUICK JUMP TO SOMETHING ELSE, YOU KNOW, ONCE AGAIN, IF IT'S TOO LATE FOR BUDGET YEAR, UM, THE OTHER THING IS, IS IT JUST THE AREAS YOU WROTE OR IS IT EVERY SINGLE EMPLOYEE IN THE DAY, EVERY SINGLE EMPLOYEE SO THAT ANYBODY THAT HAS SWORN WOULD BE YOUR POLICE OFFICERS THAT ARE SWORN IN, THEY WOULD FALL UNDER THE STEP PLAN.
EVERYBODY ELSE THAT IS NOT A SWORN POLICE OFFICER FALLS UNDERNEATH THE OTHER, DOES IT INCLUDE, UM, TOWN CLERK, TOWN MANAGER, AND DEPUTY DOES NOT INCLUDE ME.
MY COMPENSATION IS SET BY COUNSEL.
UM, BUT IT DOES INCLUDE EVERYBODY ELSE.
EVERY EMPLOYEE THERE'S A GRADE FOR A DEPUTY.
THAT'S WHERE THE TWO, ARE THERE 125? OH, I WOULD LOVE TO SEE WHAT WE DID THAT, THAT SHOULD BE IN THE STUDY THAT WAS INSIDE THE PACKET.
WAS IT SHOWED POTENTIAL PAY RANGE FOR YOU, WHICH IS SOMETHING THIS COUNCIL HAS ALWAYS ASKED FOR AND WANTED TO SEE, BECAUSE WE'VE DEALT WITH THOSE ISSUES IN THE PAST.
I WANT TO GO BACK FOR JUST A SECOND ON THE, UM, YOU AND I TOUCHED ON THIS, BUT I WANT IT FOR CLARITY.
SO IF I UNDERSTOOD YOU CORRECTLY, THE MINIMUM STARTING WAGE WAS 16.
BUT IF YOU LOOK AT EXHIBIT FIVE B AND HELP ME WITH THIS, UM, THE CROSS EXHIBIT FIVE B WOULD ACTUALLY BE THE, THE, THE PLAN ITSELF.
YOU DON'T HAVE THAT IN YOUR PACKET.
UM, SO THIS GOES BACK TO GRADE ONE, CROSSING THE GUARD, CUSTOMER SERVICE RECEPTIONIST, ART TIME.
PART-TIME AND THEN THE SECOND ONE IS WHAT THAT'S LIKE YOUR CROSSING GUARD SUPERVISOR, WHO DOES THEIR SCHEDULING PART-TIME UH, YES.
SO THEN WHEN YOU MOVED TO RE THREE, WHAT IS THAT? GREAT IT'S COMMUNITY SERVICE ASSISTANT PUBLIC WORKERS WORKS ONE.
YEAH, THAT, THAT IS GOING TO BE YOUR ENTRY LEVEL PUBLIC SERVICES POSITION.
FULL-TIME SO IF YOU TAKE THE 29,000 MINIMUM PROPOSED 4 89 AND YOU DIVIDE IT BY, AND I'M ASSUMING IT WORKED, WE COULD STEAL 2080 HOURS, LITTLE LESS THAN THAT BECAUSE WE DO 39 HOURS.
SO IF YOU TAKE THAT ONE FULL-TIME EMPLOYEE AT A GRADE THREE, THAT, THAT EQUATES TO 14, 17 AN HOUR AT THE MINIMUM.
MAYBE CHRIS CAN DO IT REAL QUICK.
38 DIVIDED BY 19 18, 16 HOUR, $16 AN HOUR IS 32.
PRETTY MUCH DIVIDED BY ABOUT TWO.
SO WE'RE SAYING IN ESSENCE, WE WOULDN'T START ANYBODY AT THE PROPOSED MINIMUM.
WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO, BUT WE WORK, BUT WE HAVEN'T BEEN DOING THAT.
SO MY, MY POINT AND I'M TRYING TO MAKE HERE IS BECAUSE EVEN WHEN YOU GO UP TO GREAT FORD, THE MINIMUM IS 1509.
AND SO WHY DO WE HAVE A PROPOSED MINIMUM AT THAT LEVEL? IF WE'RE NOT GOING TO ACTUALLY EVER UTILIZE IT, WE DON'T KNOW THAT WE'LL NEVER UTILIZE IT BECAUSE WE DON'T KNOW WHAT POSITIONS MAY BE APPROVED BY COUNCIL AND FUTURE BENEFITS.
YOU MAY COME BACK AND INCLUDE A PART-TIME POSITION THAT FALLS WITHIN THERE.
YOU MAY COME BACK AND FULL OF FULL-TIME POSITION.
THAT IS LIKE, I DON'T KNOW, A VERY LOW GRADE POSITION THAT THAT'S WHAT YOU WANT TO PAY HIM.
WE DON'T, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT MAY HAPPEN NEXT YEAR, THREE YEARS DOWN THE LINE.
SO THE BAND IS THAT THE PAY SCALE IS THERE TO CAPTURE ANYTHING THAT MAY COME ALONG.
SO SOMEWHERE BETWEEN THE PROPOSED MINIMUM AND THE PROPOSED MID MIDPOINT MIDPOINTS JOB VALUE ON THE MARKETPLACE, SOMEWHERE BETWEEN THERE IS WHERE WE'RE GOING TO START PEOPLE, BECAUSE THAT'S THE HIGHER WAY.
THAT'S WHERE WE'VE BEEN STARTING PEOPLE.
AND JUST, I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND THE LOGIC OF, I JUST SAID IT, A LOT OF, WE HAVE A MINIMUM THAT WE DON'T APPLY AND IT GIVES THEM THE ABILITY WITHIN THERE.
IF WE HAVE SOMEBODY THAT COMES IN WITH EXPERIENCE QUALIFICATIONS TO BUMP THEM HIGHER THAN THAT.
[02:05:01]
BUT RIGHT NOW OUR TWO NEWEST PEOPLE THAT ARE THE LOWEST PAY, THE LOWEST PAID ARE AT ABOUT 17, RIGHT BELOW $17 AN HOUR.AND THEIR FULL-TIME ANYTHING ELSE.
NOW I WOULD JUST LIKE TO, UM, SAY RECOMMENDATION, GOING BACK ON THE, UM, ON THAT LOCALITY SUPPLEMENT, IF YOU COULD CRAFT SOMETHING SIMILAR TO THAT, I THINK THAT WOULD, UM, TEPEES A LOT OF COUNSEL HERE.
I KNOW IN THE PAST AND DEALING WITH IT IN EDUCATION, IT WAS ALWAYS AN INCENTIVE FOR EMPLOYEES, YOU KNOW, WHO WERE VESTED IN THE AREA AND STAYED IN THERE TO, UM, YOU KNOW, RECEIVE THAT HOWEVER MANY TIMES A YEAR.
WE TYPICALLY GOT IT TWICE A YEAR, BUT IT WOULD BE IN, IN ADDITION TO YOUR, YOUR SALARY.
AND, UM, AND THAT WAS ACROSS THE BOARD FOR ALL EMPLOYEES.
I HAVE TO ASK BASED ON YOUR COMMENT, UM, CAUSE I DON'T KNOW THIS.
SO YOU SAID THAT THERE IS A MULTIPLIER.
SO WHEN THEY DID THE MARKET AND THEY DID TOMORROW, THEY WOULD SAY COST OF LIVING IN BLUFFTON MAY BE X HIGHER.
THAT MEANS YOU NEED TO BE X PERCENTAGE HIGHER.
SO IT ISN'T THAT MULTIPLIER TRYING TO ACHIEVE WHAT COUNCILMAN FRASIER JUST KIND OF ALLUDED TO, UM, NOT NECESSARILY WHAT IT WAS SHE'S TRYING TO ALLUDE TO IS YES, WE MAY PAY THAT.
BUT IF SOMEBODY WANTS TO LIVE INSIDE THE TOWN, IT MAY COST MORE THAN IT DOES TO LIVE OUTSIDE THE TOWN, RIGHT.
OR IT MAY COST MORE IF THEY WANT TO LIVE IN HARTVILLE, ORIGINAL LAND OR SOMEPLACE ELSE, IF WE WANT TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO LIVE INSIDE THE TOWN, THERE MAY BE THAT COSTS MAY BE HIGHER.
AND THEN TO ACT AS A BUFFER, IF YOU HAVE EMPLOYEES WHO ARE COMMUTING FROM RANKIN OR WHEREVER, YOU KNOW, IT'S, UH, THAT SUPPLEMENT HELPS THEM MAYBE A HELPING GAS OR MAYBE, UH, UH, HELP IN WHATEVER THEY'RE DOING.
BUT IT'S LIKE AN INCENTIVE TO SAY, HEY, WE VALUE.
IN ADDITION TO WHAT YOU'RE BEING PAID SALARY WISE, WE WERE VALUING, YOU KNOW, YOUR, YOUR PLACEMENT HERE AND COMING TO BLUFFTON.
AND IF YOU'RE LIVING IN BLUFFTON, IT BECOMES SOMETHING TO HELP ALSO WITH THEIR HOUSING OR WHATEVER OTHER EXPENSES THEY MIGHT HAVE.
WELL, I THINK WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IS EXACTLY WHAT WE'VE BEEN EXPERIENCING.
PEOPLE ARE NOT ABLE TO LIVE HERE AND WORK HERE FOR SO MANY LOWER WAGES.
SO THEY'RE MOVING TO HARTSVILLE OR RICHLAND OR SOMEWHERE, YOU KNOW, WHERE PROPERTY AND, UM, YOU KNOW, WHERE THE COST OF LIVING IS.
I KNOW IT'S COMING UP OVER THERE TOO, BUT IT'S WAY LESS THAN, THAN HERE.
SO WE'RE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE THAT WE GOT TO KEEP A GOOD PEOPLE.
AND SO ONE OF THE THINGS I JUST, I DIDN'T INCLUDE, I TRIED NOT TO OVERBURDEN WITH INFORMATION BECAUSE THE PRESENT, BECAUSE THE STUDY WAS IN THERE, BUT, UM, THE, WE ARE STILL DOING THE ARPA ONUS, RIGHT.
SO RIGHT NOW WE'RE KIND OF, EVERYBODY'S BEING SUPPLEMENTED WITH THE ARPA FUNDS THROUGHOUT THE TOWN.
SO THAT'S GOING TO COME UP IN JULY AND THAT'S, THIS WOULD W THIS IS IMPLEMENTED.
THERE'LL BE ABOUT THREE, FOUR PAY PERIODS IN THERE WHERE THEY WOULD BE VERY GOOD FOR OUR EMPLOYEES.
AND THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS I'LL TALK ABOUT TOMORROW AT THE ALL HANDS WITH SWORN AND NON-SWORN IS TO MAKE SURE THEY UNDERSTAND THAT THAT ARE FOR ONE IS GOING AWAY IN AUGUST.
I THINK YOU'RE LOOKING OUT FOR A GROUP OF PEOPLE WE WANT TO KEEP HERE AND WE WANT THEM TO LIVE IN BLUFFTON.
AND, UM, IF THERE'S SOME WAY TO BE CREATIVE ABOUT THAT, IF IT'S TOO LATE FOR THIS BUDGET, AT LEAST KNOW WHAT'S ON THE RADAR FOR SOME BUDGET, SOMETHING, I'M SURE WE'LL DO SOME MID-YEAR SOMETHING.
UM, I GO, I DON'T UNDERSTAND THIS.
THE POLICE OFFICER ONE, I THINK IT'S, I DON'T KNOW WHERE THEY RANK WITH WHEN WE'RE TRYING TO GET THEM IN AND MOLD THEM.
HOW DO WE KEEP THEM? AND YOU SAY, AFTER IS THAT 1, 2, 3, 4, AND FIVE YEARS, IS THAT WHAT THE STEP IS POTENTIALLY? SO BY A YEAR OR TWO, THEY SHOULD BE MAKING 47, BUT THEN THEY JUMP UP TO TWO AUTOMATICALLY.
SO THEY MAKE 52, RIGHT? SO AFTER ABOUT 18 MONTHS, ONCE THEY GET OFF PROBATION, THEY COMPLETE THEIR TRAINING.
IT TAKES BETWEEN ABOUT 18 AND 24 MONTHS.
THEY AUTOMATICALLY QUA QUALIFIED TO GO TO OFFICER TO THAT.
SO REMEMBER, POLICE OFFICER WANTED SOMEBODY WHO COMES IN WITH NO EXPERIENCE.
WE USUALLY HAVE TO SEND THEM TO THE ACADEMY.
AND OFFICER TWO IS SOMEBODY WHO COMES IN WITH EXPERIENCE.
SO SOMEBODY WHO COMES IN WITH EXPERIENCE LIKE FIVE YEARS WITH ANOTHER AGENCY, THEY'RE STARTING OUT AT THAT POLICE OFFICER TWO, AND YOU AT YEAR ONE OR YEAR ONE, AND TWO COULD STAY THERE A LONG TIME, BECAUSE WE ONLY HAVE LIMITED NUMBER OF CORPORAL SERGEANT.
AND THAT'S WHY THERE'S SEVEN BANDS FOR THEM, BECAUSE WE ALSO WANT TO ENCOURAGE THEM TO APPLY FOR PROMOTIONAL PROCESSES AS THEY COME AVAILABLE.
[02:10:02]
WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT EVEN, WE'RE ONLY LOOKING AT A THOUSAND DOLLARS A YEAR, IT'S ABOUT TWO 30, 2%.AND THEN, BUT THEY DON'T GET THE 2% THAT WE WOULD DO IN OUR BUDGET.
THEY GET ONE OR THE OTHER, THEY WOULDN'T GET, IT DEPENDS.
SO IF WE DO A COLA, WHICH IS A COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENT, IT WOULD INJUST ALL NUMBERS ABOUT WHATEVER WE DO A COLA.
SO IF COUNCIL DID A COLA, THAT'S A COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENT THAT WE WOULD ADJUST OUR PAY BANDS AND OUR PAY STEPS.
BY THAT PERCENTAGE, IF WE DO A MERIT PAY, THAT IS BASED ON PERFORMANCE, NOT EVERYBODY IS GUARANTEED TO GET THE FULL AMOUNT.
SO, BUT IF WE DO A MERIT PAY, THEY WOULD FOREGO THAT IN PLACE OF A STEP.
UH YOU'RE SO, UM, NOT TO BEAT THIS, BUT OFFICER TO 52,000, IF WE ADJUSTED IT 2%, IT WOULD GO UP 2% AND THEN THE NEXT YEAR THEY WOULD GET A 3% INCREASE.
NO, THEY WOULD GET YOUR LINE UNDERNEATH, CONFUSES ME 3% INCREASE, INCREASED CORPORAL.
AND, AND, AND THE OTHER THING ON THE 3% INCREASE THAT IS FROM THE FURTHER STEP TO THE LOWEST STEP.
SO IF YOU LOOK AT LIKE POLICE OFFICER ONE, IF YOU ARE THERE YEAR TWO AND YOU QUALIFY, YOU WOULD ACTUALLY GO UP BY ABOUT $4,500, WHICH WOULD BE ABOUT AN 8% INCREASE FOR THAT PROMOTION EIGHT OR 9%.
I JUST THINK THEY'RE AS IMPORTANT AS TWO SCHOOL TEACHERS, YOU KNOW? AND, AND I LOOK AT THE OTHER PAY GRADES, THEY'RE ALL PROFESSIONAL AND ARE, UH, ARE, ARE NON-SWORN IS SO PROFESSIONAL HUNA PAY GRADES ARE REALLY GOOD AFTER YOU GET TO ABOUT LEVEL 10.
AND, AND I DID SEE THE OTHER, BUT I JUST, I DON'T KNOW.
I THINK WE, I WISH WE COULD LOOK AT THAT A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT, YOU KNOW, JUST, I JUST, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT CHANGE IN NUMBERS A LITTLE BIT.
UM, BUT THAT'S JUST MY THOUGHT WHILE YOU'RE DIGGING INTO YOUR BUDGET AND YEAH.
WELL, LET ME ASK YOU THIS, STEVE.
UM, WE DID THIS, WE HAVEN'T DONE IT IN AWHILE.
WHAT ARE THE RECOMMENDATIONS? HOW OFTEN SHOULD WE DO THIS? YOU SHOULD CAUSE FIVE YEARS.
BUT I WILL TELL YOU THIS POLICE, THEY CHECK IN REAL TIME.
WHAT OTHER JURISDICTIONS ARE PAYING MY WRONG IN THAT? NO, AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT OTHER JURORS, AND I THINK YOU GOT TO STAY WITHIN AN HOUR OF THE NECESSITY AND MILD RANGE EASILY, OR, YOU KNOW, FIND OUT WHAT'S AROUND THE PAIR TO THOSE AROUND US.
I WOULD SAY THAT WE ARE THE COMPARABLE OR HIGHER.
WOULD YOU SAY? I THINK THERE'S A COUPLE THAT LIKE BUFORD COUNTY IS LOOKING AT DOING AN INCREASE IN JASPER.
WELL, WE DON'T WANT TO BE AVERAGE.
WE WANT TO BE ABOVE AVERAGE HIGH GRADES.
WELL, AGAIN, WE WOULD BE LOOKING AT THIS ON AN ANNUAL BASIS WITH COLA AT A MINIMUM EVERY YEAR, EVERY YEAR.
AND I JUST WOULD REMIND YOU, SALARIES ARE ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT ONCE WE INCREASE THEM, THEY ARE PERMANENT.
SO AS WE START TALKING ABOUT REVENUES FOR THE TOWN, IF YOU START SAYING, WE WANT TO SEE ALL OF THE PAY, CONTINUE TO GO UP EVEN MORE.
THAT'S A YEAR OVER YEAR EXPENDITURE THAT WE HAVE TO TAKE IN PERPETUITY, AS WELL AS THE INSURANCE, THE RETIREMENT AND EVERYTHING THAT GOES ALONG WITH IT, WHICH IS ABOUT USUALLY BETWEEN ABOUT 25 TO 30% OF EVERY DOLLAR WE PAY HAS TO GO TO THOSE THINGS.
SO THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE ALSO SHARING WITH ALL EMPLOYEES, AS PART OF THIS IS THEIR TOTAL COMPENSATION PACKAGE.
BECAUSE FOR EVERY DOLLAR THAT WE PAY, WE HAVE TO SEND ABOUT FOR AN OFFICER IT'S GOING TO BE UP TO ABOUT 25 CENTS TO STATE RETIREMENT FOR REGULAR EMPLOYEES.
IT'S GOING TO BE ABOUT 21 CENTS.
AND THE NEXT YEAR, ONCE ALL THE INCREASES ARE DONE.
SO AS WE HAVE SOME OBLIGATIONS THAT ARE JUST BESIDES THE DOLLAR THAT WE, THAT WE BUMP UP FOR EVERY DOLLAR WE BUMP UP, SOMEBODY'S PAY, WE HAVE TO HAVE ABOUT 30 CENTS SITTING OVER HERE TO BUMP UP OUR COSTS FOR BUMPING THAT DOLLAR UP.
AND THAT'S ONE OF THE BENEFITS THAT IS HARD TO ESPECIALLY YOUNGER PEOPLE IS RETIREMENT IS, YOU KNOW, AND INSURANCE AND INSURANCE AND THAT KIND OF STUFF.
SO LET'S JUST BE, UM, I LOST MY TRAIN OF THOUGHT.
LET'S RE YOU KNOW, AND I KNOW WE ALL DO, BUT FOR SOMEONE TO STAY HERE'S, TO ME, THERE'S A VALUE IN THAT AND PAY A LITTLE BIT MORE TO KEEP THEM HERE.
MY GOSH, JUST THINK ABOUT THE LITTLE, THE LESS YOU HAVE TO PUT IN TRAINING AND PUBLIC PURSE, YOU KNOW, JUST TO EVERYTHING HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE.
I JUST WANT US TO KEEP IN OUR MIND JUST WHAT WE WERE, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND THE AMI AND THE 60% AND 80% AND A HUNDRED PERCENT, WE, WE KNOW
[02:15:01]
THAT'S AN ISSUE WITH OUR, OUR RESIDENTS, YOU KNOW, OUR WORKFORCE AND EVERYBODY ELSE'S, WHETHER YOU WORK IN A RESTAURANT OR A POLICE OFFICER, WE KNOW WHAT THOSE NUMBERS ARE.SO WHAT I SAY, I DON'T KNOW WHY WE WOULD HAVE TWO EMPLOYEES.
LIKE I SAID, THROW A COUPLE OF KIDS IN THERE AND THEY WOULD BE AT THE SAME INCOME LEVEL, REALISTICALLY, AS THE ONES THAT WERE TRYING TO BUILD AFFORDABLE HOUSES FOR, AND THEY'RE OUR EMPLOYEES.
THE COUNCIL WOULD LIKE TO SEE WHAT IT WOULD LOOK LIKE FOR THE MINIMUM PAY TO MATCH AMI 60,700.
I'LL BE MORE THAN GLAD TO PULL THOSE NUMBERS TOGETHER.
WELL, THAT'S ONE PERSON, BUT IF YOU THROW A COUPLE OF, YEAH, YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING? I'M A, NOT THIS YEAR, BUT WHAT'S OUR GOAL.
WHAT IS OUR FIVE-YEAR GOAL? MY QUESTION WOULD BE, WOULD, WE'LL HAVE, WE'LL HAVE, WE'LL LOOK AT IT BECAUSE HOW THAT'S GOING TO AFFECT EVERYBODY ELSE THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE, BECAUSE IF YOU TAKE THE LOWEST PERSON AND MOVE THEM TO 60,700 AND THINGS THAT AFFECT EVERYBODY ELSE THROUGHOUT THE ORGANIZATION AS WELL, WE CAN LOOK INTO THAT.
JUST, I WOULD JUST SAY, BE PREPARED FOR QUITE A SHOCK WHEN YOU SEE WHAT THAT COST WOULD BE YEAR OVER YEAR TO IMPLEMENT THAT.
WELL, PAYROLL RIGHT NOW IS WHAT, 30 SOMETHING PERCENT OF OUR OVERALL BUDGET.
AND SO IS THAT RIGHT, CHRIS? YEAH.
SO THAT NUMBER, YOU KNOW, NUMBER WOULD ESCALATE QUICKLY BECAUSE AGAIN, FOR NOT EVERY DOLLAR WE GIVE, LIKE YOU JUST ILLUSTRATED, WE GOT TO COME UP WITH ANOTHER 30% YOU GO WITH IT.
SO THIS AND THAT, AND THAT'S THE STRUGGLE WE ARE TORN WITH AS WE DO THESE THINGS, BECAUSE AS MUCH AS WE WOULD LOVE TO SEE EVERY PERSON BE AS JUSTLY COMPENSATED OR AS WELL COMPENSATED AS WE CAN, WE ALSO HAVE A BUDGET THAT WE HAVE TO OPERATE WITHIN AND WE HAVE TO BALANCE THOSE TWO.
AND THERE'S, YOU KNOW, SOME MINOR PLAY IN THERE, LIKE WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT, WHETHER IT'S GETTING UP FROM 16 TO 18 OR SOMETHING, OR 19 THAT'S A MONTH AS THE MINIMUM, I THINK THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WOULD FIT WITHIN A BUDGET.
BUT IF WE START TALKING TO GETTING THE MINIMUM, PAY UP TO AMI, YOU'RE GOING TO BE LOOKING AT MAJOR EITHER.
WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO CUT A WHOLE BUNCH OF STUFF OUT LIKE PROGRAMS OR CIP, OR YOU'RE GOING TO BE LOOKING AT A MAJOR MILLAGE INCREASE TO BE ABLE TO OFFSET THAT COST.
EVEN WHEN YOU TAKE THE WORDS OUT OF MY MOUTH, I WAS GOING TO SAY, IT'S A GREAT TIME TO INTERJECT THERE, BUT I'LL BE MORE THAN GLAD TO PULL THE INFORMATION TOGETHER, RIGHT? AS A PROPONENT OF, YOU KNOW, CAUSE THAT IS, THAT'S GOING TO BE AN EXPECTATION WE HAVE TO TALK ABOUT OVER TIME.
IF WE'RE LOOKING AT BEING ABLE TO MANAGE AND KEEP UP WITH THE GROWTH AND THE INCREASE IN HOUSING AND NEED TO WANT TO RETAIN QUALITY PEOPLE.
UM, WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO GET BEYOND WHAT SOMEONE SAYS, A POLITICAL POSTURING OF BEING ABLE TO BRAG THAT WE DON'T INCREASE MILLAGE, BUT THEN WHAT ARE THE LONGTERM EFFECTS? YOU KNOW, THAT BRINGS TO US AS WE ARE GROWING AND WE WANT TO GROW AND ADD THINGS.
WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO LOOK AT EVERYTHING IN TOTALITY OF, UM, WHAT ARE GOING TO BE THE DOWNFALLS OF DOING IT AND POTENTIAL BENEFITS.
BECAUSE TO LARRY'S POINT, YOU KNOW, AS HOUSING IS GOING TO GO UP, WE ARE GOING TO BE NEEDING TO LOOK AT HOW OUR LOWERS LOWEST EMPLOYEES COMPENSATED AND BEING ABLE TO MANAGE WITH ALL OF THAT SUPPLEMENTAL THINGS.
YOU KNOW, LIKE YOU HAD ORIGINALLY SAID THAT, YOU KNOW, LET'S BE CREATIVE.
I CAN ONLY IMAGINE IT'D BE 60% OF OUR BUDGET, SOME CRAZY NUMBER, BUT, BUT I HAVE SO MANY KIDS THAT WOULDN'T FEEL SO ADAMANT ABOUT THIS, BUT NO, THE FIRST IT TAKES SO MUCH TO DO THE BARE NECESSITIES, THAT'S MORTGAGE INSURANCE FOOD.
YOU KNOW, YOU GOT TO HAVE TRANSPORTATION CHILDCARE, YOU KNOW, YOU GOTTA HAVE THAT MUCH TO EXIST.
NOW, EVERYTHING OVER THAT, YOU HAVE TO BE FRUITFUL AND SMART WITH AND YOU CAN'T ALWAYS JUST BUY EVERYTHING YOU WANT, BUT THERE'S A BOTTOM NUMBER THERE.
AND IT'S AMAZING TO ME WHAT THAT, HOW HIGH THAT BOTTOM NUMBER IS.
ARE WE FIXING THIS? ARE YOU COMING BACK? THIS WOULD BE TO IMPLEMENT WHAT'S HERE TONIGHT.
AND THEN WE CAN, IF YOU WANT TO MAKE ANY ADDITIONAL TWEAKS WE CAN DO.
SO DURING THE BUDGET PROCESS OR AT A LATER TIME, IT WAS A RESOLUTION.
IS IT WORTH, ARE YOU COMPETENT? I MEAN, THIS WAS A GOOD START.
I WOULD ASK FOR COUNSEL TO DO IT.
AND THEN IF, AGAIN, IF THERE'S TWEAKS CHANGES, THINGS THAT WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO DO, WE CAN ALWAYS ADJUST, PAY SCALES AT ANY TIME THROUGHOUT THE YEAR OR ANYTIME THROUGHOUT THE BUDGET PROBLEMS. I'M CURIOUS WHAT EVERYONE'S GOING TO SAY TO YOU FROM YOUR TWO MEETINGS AND OKAY, WELL, LET'S MOVE FORWARD AND WE QUESTIONED YOU TO DEATH.
SO IT'S A FAIR CONVERSATION TO HAVE.
IS THERE A MOTION TO, UH, PASS A RESOLUTION TO ADOPT THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON 2022
[02:20:01]
CLASS AND COMPENSATION STUDY AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS PROPOSED AS A RESULT OF A STUDY PERFORMED BY EVERGREEN SOLUTIONS.SECOND, ANY DISCUSSION ALL IN FAVOR, SAY BY SAYING I REALLY GREAT JOB, STEVEN.
UM, ITEM THREE IS THE ORDINANCE
[XI.3. Consideration of an Ordinance Amending the Town of Bluffton’s Code of Ordinances, Chapter 23 – Unified Development Ordinance, Article 2 – Administration, Sec. 2.2.3, Establishment, Boards and Commissions Member Terms – First Reading – Kevin Icard, Director of Growth Management]
AMENDING OUR CODE OF ORDINANCES CHAPTER 23, ARTICLE TWO, SECTION TWO TO THREE ESTABLISHMENT BOARDS AND COMMISSION MEMBERS TERMS IS THIS FIRST READING MR. ACRES, YOU ARE SOMEWHERE RIGHT HERE.TWO GUYS WHO WERE READY TO GO HOME.
UM, SO WE'RE HERE THIS EVENING FOR A FIRST READING, UH, FOR AN UPDATE TO THE, UH, THE UTO.
UH, CURRENTLY WE HAVE IT SET UP FOR, UH, BOARDS COMMISSIONS, UH, THAT A MEMBER CAN ONLY SERVE FOR TWO TERMS. UM, AND WE'VE BEEN HAVING ISSUES WITH GETTING INDIVIDUALS TO, WE HAVE GOOD, UH, INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE ON SOME OF THESE BOARDS.
AND AFTER TWO TERMS, THEY THEN HAVE TO AUTOMATICALLY COME OFF NO MATTER WHAT, UH, WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING IS THAT WE, UM, UH, REMOVE SOME OF THE LANGUAGE THAT HAD BEEN PREVIOUSLY PUT IN THERE TO BE MORE CONSISTENT WITH WHAT WE HAVE, UH, SET UP IN THE TOWN CODE, WHICH GIVES YOU TOWN COUNCIL, THE ABILITY TO EITHER CONTINUE TO ALLOW FOR, UH, INDIVIDUALS TO SERVE ON A BOARD OR TO REMOVE THEM, UM, IF, IF YOU SEE FIT.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT STAFF WOULD BRING IN FRONT OF YOU EACH TIME SOMEONE IS, UM, UP FOR THEIR REAPPOINTMENT.
UM, AFTER THAT, UM, THAT SECOND TERM, WE WOULD THEN MAKE SURE TO LET YOU KNOW THAT, HEY, WE HAVE AN INDIVIDUAL, UM, YOU KNOW, WE COULD SAY YES, NO, MAYBE.
AND THEN YOU HAD THAT ABILITY TO, UH, TO, UM, TO MOVE FORWARD WITHOUT AUTOMATICALLY HAVING THAT INDIVIDUAL COME OFF THE BOARD.
UM, SO THIS WENT THROUGH THE REVIEW CRITERIA.
I KNOW I'M GOING EXTREMELY FAST.
UM, BUT IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, JUST LET ME KNOW.
UH, THE REVIEW GROUP REVIEW CRITERIA IS LOCATED THERE.
UH, THIS DID GO IN FRONT OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION.
THEY VOTED TO APPROVE SIX TO ONE, AND THEN THE EVENING YOU HAVE THE ABILITY TO APPROVE THE AMENDMENTS APPROVED WITH CHANGES TO DENY THE AMENDMENTS AS SUBMITTED.
UH, WE ARE HERE FOR THE FIRST READING.
THIS WILL COME BACK IN FRONT OF YOU AT A SECOND AND FINAL READING AND ALSO A PUBLIC HEARING.
AND THEN I HAVE A PROPOSED MOTION.
I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
I NEED YOU TO GO BACK A COUPLE OF SCREENS RIGHT THERE.
ALSO MAY REMOVE ANY MEMBER FOR, CAUSE AFTER WRITTEN NOTICE, WHY IS A WRITTEN NOTICE NECESSARY? I'M GOING TO LOOK TO MR. FINGER.
UM, THERE WAS, I THOUGHT WHEN THAT WAS DONE THAT, UM, COMPLIANCE OR DUE PROCESS WOULD BE, UM, WOULDN'T REQUIRE WRITTEN NOTICE TO SOMEONE SO THEY KNOW THEY'RE ABOUT TO REMOVED.
UM, THAT'S ALL THAT IS TOTAL, BUT THAT'S THAT'S EXISTS.
SO THE ONLY THING THAT IS, UM, THAT IS HAPPENING IS WE'RE ACTUALLY JUST RE WHAT'S THE STRIKE THROUGH, UH, IS WHAT'S BEING REMOVED AND THE CURRENT CODE.
AND WE'VE JUST HIGHLIGHTED, UM, IN B THAT THAT'S THE INFORMATION THAT IT'S STILL, THAT IS STILL EXISTING.
WE NOTIFY THEM IN WRITING THAT WE ARE REMOVING THEM.
UM, OR WE'RE NOT GIVING THEM AN OPTION TO APPEAL.
NOTICE IS JUST TO SAY YOU'VE BEEN REMOVED.
IT'S BETTER TO WRITE IT THAN IT IS TO SAY IT TO THEIR FACE QUESTION, MAYOR, SOMETIME, ARE YOU FINISHED? UM, FOR CLARITY FOR ME.
SO THIS DISCUSSION HAS COME UP ONCE BEFORE, SO IF YOU'RE SERVING ON COMMITTEE X, BUT YOU'D LIKE TO BE ON COMMITTEE, WHY THERE WAS A LEG IN THERE THAT YOU HAD TO SIT OUT A YEAR? IS THAT STILL, THAT WOULD BE REMOVED AS WELL.
SO THEY CAN GO FROM PLANNING TO HBC OR THEY CAN STAY ON PLANNING FOR MORE THAN TWO TERMS, BOTH.
OF COURSE YOU HAVE THAT AUTHORITY TO MAKE THAT APPROVAL QUESTIONS ON THIS SIDE.
IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE AMENDMENT TO THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON CODE OF ORDINANCES, CHAPTER 23, UDO'S ARTICLE TWO ADMINISTRATION, SECTION TWO TO THREE ESTABLISHMENT BOARDS AND COMMISSION MEMBER TERMS. NUMBER OF TERMS, YOUR SECOND, ANY DISCUSSION ALL IN FAVOR, STEP OF SAYING AYE.
THAT'S UNANIMOUS ON NUMBER FOUR.
[XI.4. Consideration of an Amendment to the Code of Ordinances for the Town of Bluffton, South Carolina, Chapter 3, Boards, Committees and Commissions Terms, Appointments and Qualifications; Sec. 3-2.(b)6., Membership, Terms, to Change the Time Period for Considering Reappointments - First Reading – Kevin Icard, Director of Growth Management]
AGAIN? THIS IS CHAPTER.AMENDMENT TO THE CODE OF ORDINANCE.
IT SAYS CHAPTER THREE, BOARDS, COMMITTEES, COMMISSION TERMS, APPOINTMENTS, AND QUALIFICATIONS, SECTION 3.2 B6 MEMBERSHIP TERMS TO CHANGE THE TIME PERIODS FOR CONSIDERING REAPPOINTMENTS.
AND THIS IS FIRST READING AS WELL.
[02:25:01]
NOW THIS IS TO THE TOWN CODE OF ORDINANCES.THIS IS NOT THE UDL, BUT THE TOWN CODE OF ORDINANCES.
UM, SO WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT, AND THIS WAS PICKED UP BY THE TOWN ATTORNEY'S THAT, UH, CURRENTLY IT'S SET UP THAT, UH, THAT THE TOWN AND I'LL PUT IT TO THIS PAGE RIGHT HERE IS, UM, THAT YOU WOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO MAKE ANY CONSIDERATION OF REAPPOINTMENTS LESS THAN 60 DAYS PRIOR TO AN EXPIRATION.
WHAT THAT MEANS IS THAT IF, IF SOMEONE'S TERM IS ENDING AT THE END OF JUNE, YOU GUYS WOULD HAVE TO ACTUALLY MAKE A DECISION BEFORE THE BEGINNING OF MAY.
UH, WHAT WE'VE, WHAT WE'RE NOW DOING IS WE'RE JUST CHANGING THAT LESS TO MORE THAT GIVES YOU THAT FLEXIBILITY TO BE ABLE TO, UM, UM, TO, UM, WITHIN THAT 60 DAY WINDOW, BE ABLE TO, UH, APPOINT INDIVIDUALS.
UM, YOU KNOW, YOU COULD HAVE A SITUATION WHERE IT'S COME UP IN THE PAST WHERE SOMEONE, UM, WOULD APPLY, UH, WITHIN, YOU KNOW, A WEEK AND A HALF PRIOR TO THE MEETING.
AND YOU'RE LIKE, THAT'S A GREAT PERSON.
LET'S, LET'S GET THEM INTERVIEWED AND GET THE INFORMATION AND BRING IT TO YOU.
UM, CURRENTLY WE'RE NOT TECHNICALLY, WE'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO DO THAT.
UH, SO THIS GIVES US MORE FLEXIBILITY, UH, GIVES US THE ABILITY TO, UM, TO HAVE THOSE INDIVIDUALS AND BRING THEM IN FRONT OF YOU IN, IN A, IN A SHORTER TIMEFRAME.
AND, AND AGAIN, CHANGE ON THAT, BUT THAT'S THE ONLY CHANGE.
SO YOU HAVE THE, UM, UH, ANY QUESTIONS, UH, AND AGAIN, THIS WILL BE A FINAL, UH, FINAL RATING, UH, NEXT MONTH IN FRONT OF YOU.
IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE AMENDMENT TO THE CODE OF ORDINANCES FOR THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON CHAPTER THREE BOARDS, COMMITTEES AND COMMISSIONS TERMS, APPOINTMENTS AND QUALIFICATION, SECTION THREE, TO BE SIX MEMBERSHIP TERMS TO CHANGE THE TIME PERIOD FOR CONSIDERING REAPPOINTMENTS THERE A SECOND, SECOND, ANY DISCUSSION ALL IN FAVOR STATE BY SAYING AYE OPPOSED THAT'S UNANIMOUS.
[XI.5. Approval to Authorize a Task Authorization to J. Bragg Consulting, Inc. for Engineering Services for the Heyward Cove Drainage Basin Component of the Comprehensive Drainage Plan Improvement Project (Fiscal Impact: $140,628.50) – Kim Washok-Jones, Director of Projects and Watershed Resilience]
UH, APPROVAL TO AUTHORIZE THE TASK, OUR AUTHORIZATION TO J BRAG CONSULTING FOR ENGINEERING SERVICES FOR THE HAYWARD COAT DRAINAGE, BASIC COMPONENT OF THE CONFERENCE OF DRAINAGE PLAN IMPROVEMENT, UM, FISCAL IMPACT $140,628 AND 50 CENTS.AND TO GET THIS IN PUBLIC, TO LOOK AT CONTRACTS AND THANK YOU FOR GETTING THIS ON HERE.
YEAH, DEFINITELY APPRECIATE THAT.
AS YOU MENTIONED, MAYOR, THIS IS COMING FORWARD TO YOU FOR YOUR INFORMATION IN AN EFFORT TO BE MORE TRANSPARENT ON HOW FUNDS ARE BEING SPENT IN SUPPORT OF CAPITAL PROJECTS.
WHAT WE'RE ASKING YOU FOR THIS EVENING IS IN SUPPORT OF THE COMPREHENSIVE DRAINAGE PLAN PROJECT, WHICH IS AN, AN ASSET INVENTORY AND ASSESSMENT STUDY THROUGH THE PROJECT AREA OUTLINED IN THICK RED, IT ENCOMPASSES A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN THE HISTORIC DISTRICT REGION HAS SOME, UM, ANTIQUATED STORMWATER INFRASTRUCTURE THAT ISN'T NECESSARILY ALL THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON IS, BUT MAY IMPACT OUR DRAINAGE AND WATER QUALITY.
THIS WAS A STRATEGIC PLAN, UM, INITIATIVE BACK IN FISCAL YEAR 21, 22, THAT'S BEEN MOVING FORWARD.
WHAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE ARE SEVERAL DIFFERENT, UM, FIRMS ENGINEERING FIRMS UNDER MASTER SERVICES, AGREEMENTS EXISTING.
SO WHAT IS DONE IS A PHASE ONE HAYWARD COVE DRAINAGE BASIN STUDIES.
SO SPECIFICALLY OUT OF THAT RED'S PROJECT AREA, FOCUSING ON HAYWARD COVE AND EXPRESSION OF INTEREST WAS DISTRIBUTED TO THOSE EXISTING MSA CONTRACT HELD ENGINEERING FIRMS TO SEE WHAT THEY WOULD PROPOSE AS PART AS A SCOPE, A TIMELINE AND A PRICE.
SO SIMILAR TO US LETTING A BID OUT, EXCEPT FOR THEY'RE ALREADY UNDER CONTRACT, THIS IS JUST ASSESSING WHO WOULD GO ABOUT IT AND HOW WE CAN GET THAT DONE MOST ECONOMICALLY UNDER AN EXISTING MASTER SERVICES AGREEMENT OR THE EXPRESSION OF INTEREST RESPONSES WE RECEIVED.
THERE WERE THREE FROM GOODWYN MILLS, KAYWOOD, MCCORMICK TAYLOR, AND JAY BRAG CONSULTING OF THOSE AS STAFF REVIEWED THE PROPOSED SCHEDULES, SCOPES OF COSTS, THEIR RECOMMENDATION IS TO AWARD A TASK AUTHORIZATION UNDER THE EXISTING MASTER SERVICE AGREEMENT CONTRACT WITH J BRAG CONSULTING TO PERFORM THIS WORK IN THE, IN THE, UM, TERMS OF $140,628 AND 50 CENTS.
IF YOU APPROVE TO AUTHORIZE THE TOWN MANAGER TO SIGN THIS TASK AUTHORIZATION, NEXT STEPS IS IT WILL BE SIGNED.
AND WE WILL GO AHEAD AND START MOVING FORWARD TO DO A HYDRAULIC AND, UM, A HYDROLOGIC STUDY AND EVALUATION OF HAYWARD COVE SUB-BASIN OF THE OVERALL HISTORIC TREES, DISTRICT DRAINAGE, BASIN QUESTIONS, KIM.
SO, SO THEY'RE BASICALLY DO THE WHOLE COVE.
[02:30:01]
LET ME COME BACK TO THIS, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE PROJECT AREA, PARTICULARLY FOR, OH, LOOK, THE CHANGE THAT USED TO MAKE THINGS BIG.SO GLAD IT DOESN'T ASK ME TO, UH, SO FOR HIS HAYWARD OCCUR, COV COMES UP HERE.
WE DREW THE LINES, UM, AND COMING ALONG THE HISTORIC DISTRICT BOUNDARY THAT BASIN IS ACTUALLY HUGE AND GOES UP NEARLY TO REALLY, TO THE PARKWAY.
SO IT WILL MODEL THE ENTIRE BASE AND COMING DOWN THROUGH HAYWARD COVE AND ENSURE THAT WHAT SOME OF THESE CONVEYANCES MAY TAKE PARTNERSHIPS WITH THE COUNTY TO ENSURE THAT THEY'RE ADEQUATE TO NOT CAUSE FLOODING.
THIS ORIGINATED FROM, I THINK, 2016 MATTHEW WITH THE PINEWOOD SUBDIVISION AND THAT COUNTY DITCH BEHIND THERE THAT, THAT HAD NOT BEEN MAINTAINED IN A WHILE.
IT HAS SINCE BEEN MAINTAINED BY THE COUNTY, BUT STILL WE'VE SEEN SOME POTENTIAL PINCH POINTS AND DOING DITCH WATCH WALKS OUT THERE AND NEED TO HAVE THAT MODEL TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE PROTECTING FROM FLOODING THE DITCH BEHIND SHERWIN WILLIAMS USED TO BE BUCKLES, RUNS IN THROUGH THERE.
THAT'S WHAT I WAS JUST TRYING TO MAKE SURE WE, WE DON'T START ON THE, START THE, IN THE CODE AND DON'T TAKE INTO ACCOUNT.
WHAT'S COMING THERE FROM EVERYWHERE WHEN WE DO HAVE A RAINFALL, YOU KNOW, A 10 YEAR STORM DEFINITELY ARE THE OTHER QUESTIONS.
YEAH, YEAH, NO, YOU GET UNDER YOU ON TOP OF THIS, BUT I JUST NEED TO KNOW FOR ME, DO WE, DO WE TREAT THE, ANY OF THESE, UM, WATER SUPPLIES BEFORE YOU GET TO THE, TO THE, TO THE ACTUAL MAY RIVER CURRENTLY? NO, NO.
IF THEY'RE DRAINING, DRAINING STRAIGHT INTO THE COVE, THERE IS NO TREATMENT ALONG THE WAY.
THAT'S WHY THE PRITCHARD STREET DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENT PROJECT IS SEPARATE THIS TRULY FOR MODELING AND INVENTORY ASSET ASSESSMENT.
WHAT DO WE HAVE? WHAT'S IT? CONDITION IS A GOOD ENOUGH TO CONVEY A STORM WITHOUT FLOODING.
WE CAN ADD BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES ON TOP OF THAT TO IMPROVE WATER QUALITY.
WHAT IS OUT HERE FOR PERJURED STREET IS NOT ONLY CONVEYANCE MOVING THAT WATER CAUSE THERE'S STANDING WATER.
AFTER THE SEWER WENT IN THAT ALSO WE WILL BE PUTTING IN WATER QUALITY IMPROVEMENT, BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES ON PRITCHARD STREET.
IF YOU WILL, OF THIS, THAT ONE'S READY TO GO.
UM, AT THIS POINT WE WILL BE GENERATING FIVE-YEAR CIP PROJECTS, FUTURE PROJECTS COMING OUT OF THESE ASSESSMENTS.
THIS IS A STUDY WE'RE NOT GOING TO GET, WE'RE NOT GOING TO GET ANYTHING CONSTRUCTED OUT OF THIS.
DOES IT HELP IF THEY GIVE YOU ANY IDEA OF HOW LONG IT'S GOING TO TAKE TO COMPLETE THE STUDY? UH, YES THEY DID.
THIS SHOULD BE DONE WITHIN THE YEAR, STARTING IN JUNE.
AS SOON AS WE WE'VE GOT WITHIN BUDGET, IT'S READY TO GO.
AS SOON AS YOU AUTHORIZE THE TOWN MANAGER, IT'S GOOD TO GO.
UM, I GUESS YOUR UPDATE WILL COME THROUGH WAY PACK AND THEN WE CAN GET AN UPDATE FROM THEM.
ARE YOU, THIS IS ACTUALLY SEPARATE FROM WAY PACK BECAUSE THIS IS AGAIN DEALING WITH DRAINAGE AND NOT WATER QUALITY.
SO WE'LL GET IT UP, BUT YOU'LL GET AN UPDATE.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS NOT, IS THERE A MOTION TO AUTHORIZE THE TOWN MANAGER TO EXECUTE AN MSA CONTRACT? 2021 THERE'S 55 TASK AUTHORIZATION WORK IN THE AMOUNT OF $148,628 AND 50 CENTS WITH SPRAGG CONSULTING II TO PROVIDE ENGINEERING SERVICES ASSOCIATED WITH THE COMPREHENSIVE DRAINAGE PLAN IMPROVEMENTS PROJECT THERE A SECOND.
UM, IN THE FUTURE, UM, STEVEN, I LIKE TO SEE US, BUT THE MORE MONEY TO PUT IN SOME TYPE OF TREATMENT, EVEN IN THE DRAIN OR FROM WATER, ANY OTHER DISCUSSION, ALL IN FAVOR STATE BY SAYING AYE, AYE.
ANY OPPOSED? THAT'S UNANIMOUS.
I DIDN'T NOTICE JACKSON PUCKY, LOCAL GUY WHO WORKS FOR OUR CONGRESSMEN IS HERE.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE TONIGHT.
[XII. Consent Agenda Items]
AGENDA AND I JUST TALK TO THE WAY, WHICH IS AS IMPORTANT AS THE REST OF THIS MEETING, BUT WE'D BE HERE UNTIL 1130 AND WE DO NOT NEED TO GO OVER AT ALL.SO IS THERE ANYTHING ON THIS CONSENT AGENDA THAT YOU WOULD LIKE MORE DISCUSSION ON OR A SEPARATE PHOTO? IF NOTHING.
IS THERE A MOTION TO ACCEPT THE CONSENT AGENDA AS WRITTEN YOUR SECOND? ANY DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR STATE BY SAYING
[02:35:01]
AYE.