[00:00:11]
I'M GONNA GO THROUGH A LITTLE MORE IN DETAIL.
AND, UM, FROM THE FIRST READING THAT WE HAD FOR THE BUDGET A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO, UM, AND ALSO HAVE SOME NOTES IN HERE.
ONCE WE GET INTO SOME ITEMS RELATED TO PERSONNEL TO CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION THAT WE HAD FROM LAST WEEK OR TWO WEEKS AGO, FROM THE FIRST READING, UM, TO BRING TO APPROACH THAT.
AND ONCE WE GET INTO THAT, I'LL, I HAVE SOME SLIDES IN THERE AND WE CAN PREFACE THAT CONVERSATION AND WE CAN HAVE IT, UM, A LITTLE MORE IN DETAIL AND CONTINUE WHERE WE WERE.
UM, SO AGAIN, I'M GOING TO GO THROUGH, LIKE I DID LAST TIME, THE ECONOMIC FACTORS, THE BUDGET GOALS, PROPOSED BUDGET, AND THEN WE'LL GO THROUGH THE REVIEW AND APPROVAL PROCESS.
SO WE'RE THE FIRST TOWN COUNCIL BUDGET WORKSHOP.
WE HAVE ANOTHER ONE SCHEDULED FOR THURSDAY, WHICH WILL FOCUS ON CIP AND ANYTHING THAT MAY BE LINGERING FROM THE MEETING THAT COMES UP TONIGHT.
AND THEN SECOND READING WILL BE AT THE JUNE MEETING.
AND THAT WILL ALSO BE WHEN WE HAVE OUR PUBLIC HEARING AND THE BUDGET BEGINS JULY ONE.
UM, WENT THROUGH THIS, GO A LITTLE FAST HERE AT THE BEGINNING.
A LOT OF THIS IS BACKGROUND THAT I WENT THROUGH LAST TIME.
THEN WE'RE GOING TO GET INTO OUR FUNDS AFTER WE DO CONSOLIDATED BUDGET.
SO WITHIN THE CONSOLIDATED BUDGET, YOU CAN SEE FOR PROPOSED FISCAL YEAR 2023, UM, OR PRO'S BUDGET IS A LITTLE OVER 60 MILLION, JUST SHORT OF 60.5 MILLION WITH ABOUT 25 MILLION OF THAT BEING IN THE GENERAL FUND.
AND ABOUT 28 MILLION BEING IN THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS FUND CHANGE FROM TWO WEEKS AGO, IT IS A CHANGE.
THE CHANGE IN THERE IS GOING TO BE THE $1.2 MILLION THAT WAS RECOMMENDED TO USE FROM THE MIC P OR THE PURCHASE OF THE PROPERTY, THE PURCHASE OF THE PROPERTY, A BUCK WALTER WAS NOT IN HERE BECAUSE UNTIL COUNCIL APPROVED THAT AT LAST MEETING, IT, WE WEREN'T ABLE TO HAVE THAT IN THE BUDGET FOR FIRST READING BECAUSE COUNCIL LITERALLY PROVED IT AT THE MEETING FOR THE FIRST, THE BUDGET FOR THE FIRST MEETING.
WE'RE GOING TO GET YOU THE CHANGES BETWEEN FIRST READING AND SECOND READING, BUT THAT IS, UM, I THINK THE ONLY CHANGE AND THE REVENUES AND EXPENDITURES FROM THE FIRST READING RIGHT NOW IS BECAUSE COUNCIL APPROVED THE, UM, TO MOVE FORWARD.
SO WE BUDGETED THE POTENTIAL PURCHASE AT THE BUCK WALTER PARK.
UM, ISN'T IT ALSO, WHEN WE COULD HAVE AMENDED BUDGET ESTIMATES, SHE WAS NOT THAT PURCHASE WAS COMPLETED.
UM, WE COULD HAVE DONE IT AS A BUDGET ONCE MID YEAR, BUT ONCE WE ALREADY COUNCIL AND APPROVED IT, WE WENT AHEAD AND PUT IT IN THE BUDGET.
SO IT HAS A PLACEHOLDER TO PREVENT A BUDGET AMENDMENT.
SO WE MIGHT AS WELL ANSWER THESE RIGHT HERE BEFORE WE GET TOO FAR.
SO WE'RE GOING TO USE THE MTIP MONEY.
AM I HERE IN MY DISTRICT DISTRICT? SORRY.
SO IS THIS GOING TO THE MONEY THAT WE HAD ALREADY IN THE BUDGET FOR LAND PURCHASES, WHICH IS IN CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS INSTEAD OF USING THAT WE WERE GOING TO USE THESE FUNDS.
SO THAT'LL STAY THE SAME AS WE DISCUSSED HER AS CORRECT.
SO, UM, AS YOU CAN SEE, THE GENERAL FUND MAKES UP ABOUT 41% OF THE BUDGET.
THE BIGGEST PORTION IS THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS.
THAT'S WHERE, UM, ABOUT, ABOUT 28 MILLION OF THE BUDGET WILL BE, UH, PUT FORWARD FOR FISCAL YEAR 23.
AS WE TALKED ABOUT LAST TIME, THIS DOES RECOGNIZE GROWTH DRIVEN BY POPULATION GROWTH.
UM, IT IS PROPOSED TO KEEP THE PROPERTY TAX MILLAGE THE SAME AT 38.5 MILS.
IT DOES FOCUS ON COUNCIL PRIORITIES THAT HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED AS PART OF THE STRATEGIC PLAN.
UM, IT DOES HAVE THE CLASS AND COMPENSATION THAT COUNCIL APPROVED AT THE LAST MEETING IN INSIDE THE BUDGET FOR THE WHOLE YEAR.
UM, IT ALSO CONTINUES TO INVEST IN PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE.
UM, YOU CAN SEE WE'VE PUBLIC SEWER STREET, SCAPES PARKS, SO ON.
SO WE LOOK AT OUR MILLAGE TO BEGIN TO FIGURE TO HELP AS WE START GETTING INTO OUR GENERAL FUND REVENUES.
UM, YOU CAN SEE THAT THE VALUE OF OUR MEAL UM, THE ESTIMATED VALUE OF A MILL.
SO FOR THIS PAST CURRENT FISCAL YEAR,
[00:05:01]
IT WAS ABOUT $260,000.IT'S ANTICIPATED TO GO UP TO ABOUT $294,000 BASED ON GROWTH AND, UM, HOME SALES, BRINGING PROPERTY VALUES UP.
YOU CAN SEE THE BREAKDOWN OF OUR MILLAGE THERE WITH 36.8 AND GENERAL FUND.
AND 1.7 GOING INTO GENERAL, UM, UH, INTO OUR GEO DEBT.
SO FOR A TOTAL OF 38.5, AGAIN, THE BUDGET PROPOSES KEEPING THAT THE SAME.
UM, IT DOES KEEP OUR STRATEGIC INTER-AGENCY PARTNERSHIPS IN PLACE.
WE PUT THE DOLLAR AMOUNT INSIDE THE SO YOU COULD SEE WHAT THOSE CONTRIBUTE, WHAT THOSE CONTRIBUTIONS ARE.
UM, YOU CAN SEE OUR PALMETTO BREEZE, THE PUBLIC DEFENDER'S OFFICE, AND THAT NUMBER, UM, DID GO UP FOR FISCAL YEAR 23.
AND THEY ARE ACTUALLY ASKING FOR MORE FOR FISCAL YEAR 23, WE'RE MEETING WITH THEM, I THINK NEXT WEEK TO DEBATE THAT WITH THEM.
BUT, UM, YOU CAN SEE PUBLIC PARKING AGREEMENTS, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, AND SO ON SO FIRST WHEN WE'RE GETTING TO THE GENERAL FUND, WHICH AS, YOU KNOW, ACCOUNTS FOR THE MOST OF THE IT'S OUR PRIMARY OPERATING FUND FOR THE TOWN, AND THIS IS WHERE MOST OF OUR TAXES LICENSE PERMITS, AND OUR DAY TO DAY OPERATIONAL FEES, UH, REVENUES GO INTO TO HELP OPERATE THE TOWN.
UH, THE MAJORITY OF THOSE FOR OUR BUDGET, OR JUST SHORTER, THE MAJORITY COMES FROM LICENSE AND PERMITS.
UM, PROPERTY TAXES MAKE UP ABOUT A THIRD, AND THEN YOU CAN SEE THE BREAKDOWN OF THE REST WHERE SOME SERVICE REVENUES AND SO ON AND SO FORTH.
AND YOU CAN ALSO SEE AT THE VERY TOP, THE PRIOR YEAR FUND BALANCE FOR ARPA-E IS MAKING UP ABOUT 3.5.
THAT'S CARING FOR THE OPERA FUNDS THAT HAVE NOT BEEN EXPENDED, UH, ARE ANTICIPATED TO BE EXTENDED BY THE END OF JUNE, THAT WILL CARRY FORWARD FOR NEXT FISCAL YEAR.
HERE IT IS BROKEN DOWN NUMERICALLY INTO DOLLAR VALUES VERSUS THE PIE CHART.
AGAIN, THEY MAKE UP ABOUT 31.4% OF OUR BUDGET, AND THEY ARE ANTICIPATED TO INCREASE BY A LITTLE OVER $800,000 THIS YEAR.
SO YOU CAN KIND OF GO THROUGH AND SEE THAT BETWEEN LICENSED PERMITS TAXES, WE ARE ANTICIPATING INCREASES FROM GROWTH AND INCREASE IN PROPERTY VALUE ACROSS PRETTY MUCH ACROSS THE BOARD.
FOR THOSE, I WILL SAY ON BUILDING PERMITS, UM, AND PERMIT FEES OR BUILDING PERMITS, WE DO ESTIMATE CONSERVATIVELY ON THOSE.
WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE SEEN SIGNIFICANT GROWTH OVER THE LAST OR PERMITS OVER THE LAST YEAR, BUT, UM, WE DO LOOK AT THOSE MONTHLY AND HAVE SEEN A LITTLE BIT OF A DECREASE OVER THE LAST TWO OR THREE MONTHS.
AND IN DOING SO CONVERSATION, CHRIS AND FINANCE STAFF AND I'VE HAD IS, UM, MAKING SURE THAT WE BUILD IN THAT IF THINGS CONTINUE TO STAY SLOW, OR IF WE SEE INTEREST RATES GO UP OR ANYTHING HAPPENED WITH THE ECONOMY AND THAT, AND PERMITS BEGIN TO DECLINE THAT WE DON'T END UP IN A SITUATION WHERE WE HAVE TO COME BACK AND ASK FOR MAJOR CUTS OR LOOK AT WAYS TO ADJUST FOR THE BUDGET.
SO IF PERMITS DO BEGIN TO DECLINE OR STAY LOW, IT DOESN'T HAVE AS MUCH IMPACT FINANCIALLY ON THE TOWN AS IT DOES.
AND THAT IS ONE OF THE REASONS WHY WHEN WE SAW THE INCREASE THIS PAST YEAR, THAT WE'VE SEEN THE PAST YEAR AND A HALF REALLY, AND BUILDING PERMITS, WE'VE HAD ADDITIONAL REVENUES AT THE END OF THE YEARS BECAUSE THEY'VE EXCEEDED OUR EXPECTATIONS AND OUR CONSERVATIVE ESTIMATES.
SO I MADE A NOTE OF THAT YOU ESTIMATE 4% ANNUAL FOR THE, UH, PROPERTY TAX INCREASE IN 1% FOR LICENSE AND PERMITS.
BUT, UH, AND WE TOUCHED ON THIS, THE FEES OR THE PERMITS HAVE BEEN GOING DOWN SLOWLY.
I THINK IT WAS WHAT IT LOOKED LIKE OVER THE LAST PART OF WHAT CHRIS, THREE, FOUR MONTHS WE'VE SEEN THEM KIND OF SLOWING DOWN A LITTLE BIT.
SO W WHEN WOULD YOU NEED ENOUGH DATA TO PROJECT? WELL, WE KIND OF PROJECT I'LL LET CHRIS TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT, BUT HE KIND OF, THEY KIND OF PROJECT THAT MONTH TO MONTH, AND REALLY, AS WE GOT INTO THE BUDGET, WE'VE BEEN LOOKING AT THAT DATA TO HELP US BETTER PROJECT FOR NEXT YEAR'S REVENUE.
DO YOU WANT TO ADD ANYTHING ON THAT TRIP? YEAH, I MEAN, I'LL JUST ADD MY, TAKE ON IT, OUR PROFESSIONAL TAKE EYES.
SO I THINK WHAT YOU'RE SEEING RIGHT NOW IS KIND OF A REACTION TO THAT.
A LOT OF TURMOIL MARKETS AND THE RATES GOING UP FROM THE FED.
UM, SO YOU'RE SEEING KIND OF OTHERS TAKING A PAUSE AND LOOKING AT EVERYTHING.
[00:10:01]
THAT, I THINK OBVIOUSLY I DON'T THINK WE'RE GOING TO SEE THE AMOUNT OF GROWTH THAT YOU'VE SEEN OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS.UM, I DON'T THINK YOU'RE GOING TO SEE A HUGE DROP OFF.
THERE'S A, STILL A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF DEMAND ON, UH, TRANSFERS WHEN PEOPLE WERE BUYING EXISTING PROPERTIES AND TYPICALLY BUILDERS USE THAT AS A METRICS TO GAUGE, UH, WHETHER THERE'S DEMAND FROM GOOGLE.
SO I THINK, I THINK WE'RE STILL OKAY RIGHT NOW, IF YOU SEE SOME OF THOSE METRICS SHIFTING MORE THAN THE OTHER THING I WOULD SAY ALONG WITH THAT IS WE ARE STARTING TO SEE SOME MORE ADDITIONAL PHASES FROM DEVELOPMENTS COME IN.
I THINK WE HAD AUSTIN PHASE THREE, WE'VE GOT MIDPOINT COMING IN.
SO THERE'S OTHER PHASES THAT ARE COMING IN TO GET THROUGH THE APPROVAL PROCESS THAT ARE READY TO START CONSTRUCTION.
SO WE FEEL LIKE THERE'S STILL PLANS COMING THROUGH AND DEVELOPERS COMING THROUGH WANTING TO BUILD.
SO WE HAVEN'T SEEN THAT MUCH AS CHRIS HAD TO GIVE US A HUGE HESITATION, BUT IT'S ENOUGH THAT WE ARE PAYING ATTENTION TO THE TREND.
GOOD TREND TO HAVE THE LESSON BUILDING FORMAT, MAYBE NOT ON THIS PAGE, BUT OKAY, GOOD.
CAUSE THIS, THIS PAGE DETERMINES WHAT WE GET TO DO ON THE, THROUGHOUT THE REST OF THE BUDGET.
SO, UM, AS YOU CAN SEE YOUR HOSPITALITY TAX, WE'VE SEEN THAT INCREASE WITH, UH, ESPECIALLY AS MORE PEOPLE HAVE BEGUN TO TRAVEL.
AGAIN, I WON'T SAY POST COVID, BUT I'LL SAY AS WE'VE SEEN PEOPLE ADJUST FOR COVID AND SEE MORE PEOPLE GETTING BACK OUT AGAIN.
UM, SO WE ANTICIPATE THAT CONTINUING AS WELL AS OUR ACCOMMODATIONS TAX BASED ON THAT.
AND WE'RE JUST WITH THE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE WE HAVE IN TOWN HOT WITH THE HOSPITALITY TAX, WE'RE SEEING MORE PEOPLE GO OUT TO EAT IS DRIVING THAT UP.
UM, AND WE'RE ALSO USING THAT TO HELP PAY FOR SOME OF THESE NEW EVENTS.
THE TOWN IS GOING TO BE PUTTING ON AS WE TALK ABOUT THE FUTURE.
NO, THIS IS JUST, UM, KIND OF A DRILL DOWN ON SOME OF THE REVENUE SUMMER OR GROUPING SOME OF THE REVENUES TOGETHER AND GIVING SOME TRENDS OVER THE LAST FOUR YEARS PLUS PROPOSED FOR FISCAL YEAR 23.
SO, AND AS TO THE POINT, YOU CAN SEE, UM, WE'RE PROPOSING MORE ON WITH WHERE WE WERE ON BUILDING PERMITS BACK IN 1920, WHEN WE WERE STILL IN 19, WHO WE'RE STILL SEEING QUITE A BIT OF GROWTH, BUT NOT NEARLY AS MUCH AS WE HAVE THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS.
SO WHERE DOES THAT GO IN THE GENERAL FUND ABOUT 61 AND A HALF PERCENT GOES TO SALARIES AND BENEFITS FOR OUR EMPLOYEES.
ABOUT 32.4 GOES INTO OPERATIONS OUR DAY TO DAY THAT WE PERFORM.
AND THEN ABOUT 1.6 GOES INTO CAPITAL OUTLAY WITH ABOUT THREE, ALMOST 4% GOING INTO THE CIP FOR PROJECTS.
AND THIS JUST GIVES YOU THAT BREAKDOWN NUMERICALLY.
SO YOU CAN SEE THE DOLLAR VALUES ASSOCIATED WITH IT.
THE ONE THING I WILL POINT OUT AS YOU CAN SEE ON THE PERCENT OF BUDGET, SALARIES AND BENEFITS, WHERE IT WAS LAST YEAR AT 55.4, IT'S UP TO ABOUT 62% THIS YEAR.
THAT'S, UM, REFLECTING THE CALL, THE CLASS IN COMP, WHICH IS ABOUT 700 AND IT'S ABOUT $750,000 FOR THE 770 FOR THE WHOLE, UM, FISCAL YEAR, AS WE TALKED ABOUT, ARE YOU TALKED ABOUT HOW THIS INCLUDES THE CLASS IN COMP ADJUSTMENTS? IT ALSO INCLUDES A 2% MERIT INCREASE THAT'S EFFECTIVE MID YEAR IN JANUARY.
IT CONTINUES THE PTO BUYOUT FOR UP TO 25 HOURS FOR EMPLOYEES CARRYING A BALANCE.
UM, IT RECOGNIZES OUR INCREASE FOR, UM, OUR PORTION OF RETIREMENT, WHICH IS STILL GOT ANOTHER PERCENT OR TWO TO INCREASE BY.
IT ALSO RECOGNIZES INCREASED BY 14.1% FOR OUR PORTION OF HEALTH INSURANCE TO THE STATE HEALTH PLAN.
AND IT ALSO DOES NOT HAVE ANY NEW POSITIONS PROPOSED.
UM, I'LL TALK ABOUT THAT 14.1% AND A LITTLE BIT, CAUSE WE'RE STILL WAITING TO FINALIZE THAT NUMBER BECAUSE THE STATE STILL HAS NOT ADOPTED THEIR BUDGET.
COUPLE OTHER HIGHLIGHTS SUPPORTS PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, UM, SUPPORTS OUR PD, RECRUITMENT RETENTION, UM, MENTAL HEALTH, UM, HISTORIC PRESERVATION PROGRAMS THAT THAT COUNCIL PUT INTO PLACE THIS CURRENT FISCAL YEAR, UH, DON RYAN CENTER, WHICH INCLUDES OUR, UM, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PARTNERSHIP, OUR NEW PARTNERSHIP OR CONTINUED PARTNERSHIP WE HAVE WITH HARTSVILLE AND OTHER PROGRAMS. ALSO, IT CONTINUES AS YOU CAN SEE OUR LOTSY 43, OUR SRO IS CROSSING GUARDS, UM,
[00:15:01]
INCLUDES FUNDING FOR UPDATING OUR NEIGHBORHOOD PLANS.ONCE COUNCIL ADOPTS THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
OUR FIRST GOAL, OUR, FOR OUR GOAL IS TO UPDATE THE, UM, BUCK ON SIMMONS VILLE NEIGHBORHOOD MASTER PLAN.
SO IT INCLUDES THAT IT ALSO CONTAINED A YEAR TWO OF OUR VEHICLE LEASE PROGRAM FOR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
WELL, IT WAS AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND OUR BEAUTIFICATION COMMITTEES.
SO THIS GIVES YOU THE BREAKDOWN OF EMPLOYEES.
SEE, THERE WERE SOME TRANSFERS WHEN, UH, THE NEW, WHEN I REORGANIZED WITH PEOPLE, MOVING FROM FINANCE, CHRIS AND MOVING THE FINANCE, HOW THEY'RE MOVING FROM GROWTH MANAGEMENT TO FINANCE OR FINANCE TO EXECUTIVE AND SO ON.
AND, UM, AND THEN YOU CAN SEE SOME OTHERS AS THEY'VE MOVED.
UM, YOU CAN SEE THE FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES AND GET INTO, UM, PERSONNEL EXPENDITURE BY DEPARTMENT.
SO THIS GIVES YOU AN IDEA OF WHAT THE SALARY OR THE EXPENDITURE BY DEPARTMENT IS.
AND WE'RE GOING TO GO THROUGH THESE INDIVIDUALLY HERE IN JUST A MINUTE, BUT BEFORE WE DO THAT, I WANTED TO HAVE SOME, I WANTED TO DO THE FOLLOW-UP.
UM, WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT STAFFING, I APOLOGIZE.
I PUT THAT SLIDE ONE FAR, ONE FURTHER THAN I WANTED TO.
I WANTED TO HAVE IT RIGHT AFTER WE TALKED ABOUT THE EMPLOYEE STAFFING.
UM, DO A LITTLE UP FROM THE DISCUSSION THAT WAS HAD DURING THE LAST COUNCIL MEETING.
UM, COUNCIL DID VOTE TO IMPLEMENT THE PROPOSED CLASS IN COMP.
UM, I DID MEET WITH ALL EMPLOYEES AT ALL, HANDS IN HERE FOR ALL NON-SWORN AND ONE AT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, THE FOLLOWING MORNING, UM, EVERYTHING HAS GONE WELL AND BEEN WELL RECEIVED.
UM, EVERYBODY'S BEEN APPRECIATIVE.
SO I TAKE THAT IT WAS BEEN A POSITIVE, UM, IMPLEMENTATION.
UM, BUT DURING THE MEETING WE HEARD FROM COUNCIL AND DESIRE TO LOOK AT SOME WAYS TO ADDRESS THE COST OF LIVING HERE IN BLUFFTON.
UM, THERE WAS TALK ABOUT LOOKING AT INCREASING MINIMUM PAY LEVELS, A LOCALITY INCENTIVE, OR BONUS, UM, LOOKING AT A PERCENT INCREASE RELATED TO ERIC, TO THE AREA AND COST OF LIVING, UM, SCALED IMPLEMENTATION FOR THINGS LIKE OUR MERIT INCREASES.
AND THEN AS I'M GOING TO GO THROUGH, WE, WE DID LOOK INTO THOSE.
I'M GONNA GO THROUGH THOSE OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF SLIDES, BUT AS WE GET THROUGH THEM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'D LIKE TO KIND OF GEAR THE CONVERSATION AROUND IS AS WE MOVE FORWARD, WHAT COUNSEL'S DESIRED OUTCOME IS WHAT, HOW THAT LOOKS RELATED TO OUR EMPLOYEES AND WHAT IS THE TIMEFRAME THAT WE WANT TO ACCOMPLISH.
THAT IS EVERYTHING IMMEDIATELY.
IS IT OVER THE NEXT YEAR? IS IT OVER THE NEXT TWO YEARS, NEXT FIVE YEARS? WHAT, HOW DO WE WANT TO IMP IMPLEMENT THAT AND HOW WILL IT IMPACT OUR CURRENT AND FUTURE BUDGETS? UM, THE OTHER THING IS THERE'S OTHER WAYS THAT WE CAN LOOK AT TO REDUCE COSTS FOR OUR EMPLOYEES.
IS IT GOING TO A FOUR DAY WORKWEEK? SO PEOPLE ONLY HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT COMMUTING IN FOUR VERSUS FIVE DAYS.
IS IT LOOKING AT THINGS LIKE PROVIDING CHILDCARE ON SITE OR THE TOWN DOING CHILDCARE? WE'RE ALREADY LOOKING AT LIKE A NURSE PRACTITIONER PROGRAM FOR THIS CURRENT COMING BUDGET FOR OUR EMPLOYEES TO HAVE AN NURSE PRACTITIONER, TO BE ABLE TO SEE AND NOT HAVE TO GO TO A MEDICAL OFFICE DURING THE DAY.
SO THERE'S SOME THINGS THAT WE HAVE IN HERE THAT WE CAN, THAT ARE OUTSIDE JUST, JUST COMPENSATION THAT CAN HELP REDUCE THE COST TO OUR EMPLOYEES FOR HAVING TO WORK HERE.
HAVE WE ASKED OUR EMPLOYEES ANY OF THIS TO GET NEAR FEEDBACK? IT'S ALWAYS GOOD TO HAVE OBJECTIVE, YOU KNOW, JUST OTHER PEOPLE.
THE OTHER THING CAN IN, MAYBE ON THAT SECOND COLUMN, YOU COME BACK TO US WITH IT.
IF YOU GET THE FEELING WE WANT TO RISE ALL SHIPS AND, AND BE AS COMPETITIVE, BE WHERE NO ONE CAN COMPETE AGAINST US.
YOU KNOW, WE JUST, WHAT WOULD YOU SEE IT, WOULD IT BE A TWO YEAR PROGRAM? WOULD IT BE A THREE-YEAR BECAUSE YOU'RE RIGHT WITH SALARIES, WERE WE GOTTA BE CREATIVE IN THIS TO HELP THEM IT'S MERIT OR SALARY? AND WHAT IS THE TIMEFRAME? SO I WOULD BE INTERESTED IN YOUR THOUGHTS.
WELL, WE'RE GOING TO GO THROUGH SOME OF THE THINGS Y'ALL ASK US TO LOOK INTO, AND THEN WE CAN HAVE SOME OF THAT DISCUSSION.
UM, I'VE ALREADY, LIKE I SAID, I HAD SOME DISCUSSION WITH SOME OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS ALREADY.
THEY, THEY, UM, HAVE, WE WE'VE HAD THAT AND I WILL TELL YOU THAT TOM W TIME-WISE IS PROBABLY NOT GOING TO BE SOMETHING WE'RE GOING TO SOLVE TONIGHT OR TOMORROW.
BUT I THINK IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE, DEPENDING ON WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT, WE CAN SET A TIMEFRAME UP TO GET THAT IN PLACE.
AND I DON'T WANT COUNCIL TO FEEL LIKE IT'S SOMETHING THAT I BELIEVE THAT YOU NEED TO FEEL LIKE YOU HAVE TO SOLVE TONIGHT OR THURSDAY, BECAUSE THIS ISN'T AN ISSUE THAT'S JUST GOING TO GO AWAY OVERNIGHT.
[00:20:01]
COMPENSATION IS SOMETHING THAT WE CAN ADJUST AT ANY POINT IN TIME THROUGHOUT THE BUDGET.AS, AS, UH, COUNCILMAN HAMILTON TALKED ABOUT WITH LIKE POST AMENDMENTS, THIS IS SOMETHING WE CAN DO AT ANY POINT IN TIME WITHOUT HAVING TO WORRY ABOUT IT BEING SOLVED TONIGHT.
I JUST WANTED TO KIND OF SET SOME PARAMETERS AS WE GO INTO THE DISCUSSION, BUT REALLY WANTED TO GET Y'ALL MAKE SURE WE GET TO A POINT WHERE COUNCIL WAS AT A POINT WHERE THEY HAVE SOME CONSENSUS ON WHAT THEY'RE WANTING.
IS IT ALL SHIPS RISING? IS ASSAM SHIPS RISING? IS IT LOOKING AT HOW WE CAN REDUCE COSTS FOR OUR EMPLOYEES? IS IT, YOU KNOW, WHERE WHERE'S IT COMING FROM SO THAT WE CAN THEN GO BACK AND PUT SOME PLANS IN PLACE TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN AND MEET WHAT COUNCIL'S GOALS ARE AND MAKE SURE THEY'RE WORKING.
SO, BUT WE'RE ALWAYS GLAD TO PUT SOME RECOMMENDATIONS AND STUFF TOGETHER FOR COUNCIL, BUT WE WOULD JUST WANT TO GET AN IDEA ON WHAT YOUR VISION WAS ON.
WHETHER IT'S, LIKE I SAID, IS IT REDUCING OUR COST FOR OUR EMPLOYEES TO WORK HERE? OR IS IT JUST GIVING EVERYBODY MORE COMPENSATION IS REWARDING.
THOSE THAT MAY NEED IT MORE THAN OTHERS.
WHAT WHERE'S THAT COMING FROM? I THOUGHT THE MINIMUM PAIN.
IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO ADDRESS.
I THINK WE WERE SOMETHING LIKE 17, OUR TWO LOWEST OR ABOUT, UM, JUST SHORT OF SEVEN, RIGHT? AT $17 AN HOUR PERSONALLY.
WHAT WAS THE RESPONSE FROM THE SCHOOL DISTRICT ON OUR CROSSING GUARDS? CAUSE I WAS OUT THERE.
THEY DIDN'T SEEM LIKE A HEARD ANYTHING THAT Y'ALL HEARD ANYTHING, ACTUAL JOB DESCRIPTION.
THEY HAVEN'T MENTIONED THE NAME CHANGE TO 15 AN HOUR.
SO WE'LL HAVE LOWER THAN 17, 15.
WELL, THEY'RE NOT FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES.
OUR LOWEST FULL-TIME EMPLOYEE IS THE ONE THAT'S RIGHT AT 17.
SO WE HAVE, UM, WELL THEY JUST GOT THEIR BUDGET PASSED ON FIRST READING.
DO WE KNOW IF IT WAS IN HERE TO INCREASE THE CROSSING GUARD? I WATCHED PART OF IT.
I THINK THERE WAS A CREASE KINDA LIKE WE'RE DOING, YOU KNOW WHAT, THE 2% AND WE'LL DIG INTO IT.
WE SURELY CAN FIND VAGUELY REMEMBER, BUT THERE WAS DISCUSSION ABOUT THAT.
AND I THINK PART TIME SPEAKING ABOUT THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, I CAME FOR THIS ALL HANDS MEETING, JUST AS STEPHEN AND STAFF.
AND WHEN I LEFT CROSSING GUARDS WERE CONFUSED.
THEY'RE LIKE, I DON'T FEEL WE WERE HERE FOR ALL HANDS MEETING, BUT I DON'T KNOW WHERE HE TALKED ABOUT US.
AND STEVEN HAD TO EXPLAIN TO THEM THAT THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, WE, THE SCHOOL DISTRICT PAYS THE CROSSING NORTH.
BUT THEN WHY WERE THEY HERE AT AN ALL HANDS MEETING? AND THEY JUST DID ANYTHING WAS ADDRESS THE SCHOOL, DID THE CROSSING GUARDS ARE SIMILAR TO SRS WHERE WE TAKE CARE OF THEM, BUT THE SCHOOL DISTRICT REIMBURSES US AT IT RATE FOR WHAT THEY WORK.
AND, AND THE CHIEF HAS ASKED FOR AN INCREASE FOR THEM, WHICH AS YOU'RE, AS YOU'RE STATING, YOU KNOW, WE WE'RE, WE'RE LOOKING AT INCREASE FOR EVERYBODY, BUT THE SCHOOL DISTRICT REIMBURSES US AT A CERTAIN RATE.
SO WHAT WE'VE ASKED THE SCHOOL DISTRICT FOR IS CAN WE GET AN INCREASE ON THAT RATE BASED ON THE FACT THAT WE NEED TO BUMP OUR SRO OR, UM, CROSSING GUARDS UP.
AND THAT'S THE ANSWER WE HAVEN'T HEARD FROM YET, BUT WE'LL, WE'LL, WE'LL DIG AND SEE WHAT THEY PASSED AT FIRST READING, NOT TO BEAT THIS HORSE, BUT WE, THEY TELL US WHAT THEY'LL PAY.
WE COULD PAY ANYTHING WE COULD SUB WE CAN ADD TO COMPLIMENT IT ABOVE THAT.
SO WE COULD GET THEM UP A LITTLE BIT HIGHER THROUGH OUR BUDGET.
WELL, THEY ARE CONSIDERED OUR EMPLOYEES.
THEY'RE CONSIDERED OUR PART-TIME EMPLOYEES, OUR TERMS, THE KEY WORD, NO BENEFITS, HOURLY RATE, RIGHT.
THEY WORK FOUR HOURS A DAY OR SO.
LUCKILY IT'S USUALLY TWO HOURS IN THE MORNING AND TWO HOURS IN THE AFTERNOON JUST TO MAKE SURE THE KIDS CROSS.
AND THEY'RE VERY IMPORTANT AND THEY'RE BAD, PROBABLY A BETTER RAPPORT WITH KIDS THAN OTHERS.
IT'S THE CROSSING GUARD, THE ONLY POSITION THAT PAYS MINIMUM WAGES, BUT WE DON'T HAVE ANYBODY THAT MAKES MINIMUM WAGE ALL THE TIME WITH, UM, WE HAVE SEVERAL PART-TIME EMPLOYEES.
WE HAVE ONE UP IN CUSTOMER SERVICE.
WE HAVE MELINDA AND EXECUTIVE OFFICE.
WE HAVE, UM, CAMILLE AND THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND THEY'RE AT HOURLY RATES.
AND THEY'RE AT, I THINK THEY'RE ALL PRETTY MUCH AT THE SAME HOURLY RATE, WHICH IS GOING TO BE BELOW NOW, WHICH IS GOING TO BE BELOW THE S THE, THE FULL, THE, THE FULL-TIME PERSON.
THAT'S WHAT OUR LOWEST PAID FULL-TIME EMPLOYEE MAX.
SO THE PART-TIME, HOW MUCH ARE THEY MAKING? OH, SOMEWHERE AROUND $15 AN HOUR.
BUT OUR FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES THAT WE HAVE ON THERE FOR THEIR 39
[00:25:01]
HOURS PLUS BENEFITS, OUR LOWEST ONE HOURLY RATE IS ABOUT 16, 16, 70 EIGHTS, BUT YOU'RE SAYING FULL-TIME WHOLE TIME.BUT THE MINIMUM THAT CAME OUT IN THE, IN THE, UH, SALARY ADJUSTMENT SHOWED LIKE 1738 OR SOMETHING.
DIDN'T AND IT'S THE MINIMUM 16, 60 16, 78.
I THINK THAT'S THE ONLY OTHER THING I WOULD SAY TOO, IS, UH, WE DO WANT TO HELP EVERYBODY, BUT I THINK WE HAVE TO KEEP IN MIND WHAT A PART-TIME JOB SIGNIFIES, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF JOBS IN INDUSTRY, WHETHER IT WAS A STARTER JOB FOR A HIGH SCHOOL KID, OR MAYBE SOMEBODY THAT'S RETIRED JUST WANTS A LITTLE EXTRA INCOME.
UM, YOU KNOW, YOU'D HAVE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT A PART-TIME JOB REALLY MEANS, WHATEVER, WHAT, WHATEVER WE HAVE THEM DOING, I GUESS, IS WHAT I'M TRYING TO GET AT.
WELL, AT THE SAME TIME, TOO, YOU HAVE TO A COUPLE OF DOLLARS, A COUPLE OF DOLLARS AN HOUR FOR A PART-TIME PERSON.
THAT'S NOT GETTING ANY BENEFITS.
IT WAS A VERY SMALL AMOUNT OF MONEY TO THE TOWN, BUT IT COULD BE A LARGE AMOUNT OF MONEY TO HELP THEM WITH THEIR GROCERY BILL OR WHATEVER IT IS THEY'RE TRYING TO MAKE ME MAKE WORK.
SO PART-TIME EMPLOYEE IS SOMEBODY WHO MIGHT WANT TO BE A FULL-TIME EMPLOYEE.
SO YOU WANT TO GIVE THEM ENOUGH SENATORS TO STAY UNTIL THEY CAN REACH THAT POINT.
UM, SO GOING THROUGH JUST TO GIVE YOU SOME BASE ON WHERE WE ARE AFTER THE CLASS AND COMPENSATION STUDY WAS AN APPROVED OUR AVERAGE SALARY BEFORE THE STUDY WAS ABOUT 62 AND A HALF THOUSAND DOLLARS PER YEAR AFTER IT WAS IMPLEMENTED, WE'RE UP TO JUST ABOUT $67 A YEAR OR FOR $67,000 A YEAR, WHO I WISH, UM, OUR MEDIAN SALARY, WHICH MEANS THAT IT'S HALF OUR EMPLOYEES MAKE MORE OF OUR EMPLOYEES MAKE LESS WAS 56,000 BEFORE THE STUDY.
IT'S NOW 60,000 6 68, WHICH IS RIGHT AT THE AREA AMI, WHICH MEANS, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE AREA AND MEDIAN INCOME, THAT MEANS HALF OF THE PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY MAKE LESS HALF THE PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY MAKE MORE THAT'S OUR MEDIAN INCOME, OUR, OUR PAY BASED ON THIS CLASS AND COMPS PUTS US WHERE OUR MEDIAN EMPLOYEE MATCHES THE AREA MEETING INCOME, WHICH MEANS WE HAVE SOME BELOW HALF BELOW AND HALF ABOVE.
OUR AVERAGE INCREASE IN AN EMPLOYEE RECEIVED WAS ABOUT $4,400 A YEAR WITH ABOUT A SEVEN POINT 10% INCREASE BEING THE AVERAGE ACROSS ALL OF OUR EMPLOYEES.
SO OUR AVERAGE HOURLY RATE BEFORE THE STUDY WAS $30 AN HOUR AFTER IT'S ABOUT 33 WITH OUR AVERAGE TENURE BEING JUST SHORT OF FIVE YEARS.
SO THAT'S WHERE WE ARE AFTER THE CLASS FE CLASSIFICATION AND COMPENSATION STUDY WAS, UM, IMPLEMENTED.
WHERE DOES THAT PUT US IN BRACKETS? SO WE DID TRY, WE TRIED TO TELL THEM ABOUT $10,000 BRACKETS, AS YOU CAN SEE, IF YOU LOOK AT, SAY THE 56,000 BELOW 56,000, BEFORE THIS, WE HAD 49, 64, 68 EMPLOYEES MAKING BELOW $56,000 A YEAR.
THAT NUMBER IS REDUCED DOWN TO 54 NOW.
SO WE HAVE 14 THAT HAVE MOVED ABOVE THAT, BUT YOU CAN SEE, YOU KNOW, WHERE WE HAD 16 AND THE 66 TO 76 RANGE BEFORE WE NOW HAVE 24.
SO YOU S YOU SEE SOME MOVEMENT UP, UM, JUST TO SUPPORT THAT, LIKE YOU SAID, AND MOST OF THIS IS SWORN OFF THE ETHNICITY.
THIS IS OFFICERS ARE OFFICERS.
AND IF THEY'RE POLICE, ONE IS NOT VERY LONG BEFORE THEY GO TO POLICE TOO, AND THEN THEY BUMP DRAMAS TO THAT, RIGHT? SO WE'RE GOING TO CONSTANTLY HAVE SOME IN THAT RANGE FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME.
AND THEN THEY'RE BUMPING TO THE 56 INCH OR JUST UNDER IT GETTING CLOSE TO IT RIGHT AT 55.
SO WE LOOKED AT WHAT OUR COST OF LIVING BASED ON LIVING IN BUFORD COUNTY AS COMPARED TO THE REST OF THE COUNTRY, THE FEDERAL FORGET, WHICH I DON'T SEE THE NOTE HERE.
DO YOU REMEMBER WHICH THE PART IT'S LIKE THE FEDERAL IT'S THE COUNCIL OF ECONOMIC? YEAH, IT WAS ONE OF THE, SO WE WENT TO THE FEDERAL GROUND.
HOW DO YOU, HOW DO THEY LOOK AT OUR COST OF LIVING? SO THEY SAID WE'RE ABOUT 6.2% HIGHER THAN THE NATIONAL INDEX.
SO WE SAID, OKAY, IF WE WANTED TO ADJUST ALL OF OUR EMPLOYEES, 6.2% TO SAY OUR COST OF LIVING 6.2% HIGHER THAN THE NATIONAL INDEX, WHAT WOULD THAT ACCOUNT TO? WELL FOR A FULL YEAR, IT'D BE ABOUT AN ADDITIONAL $814,000.
UM, BASED OVER INCREASING OVER THE 20 PROPOSED 23 BUDGET, BE ABOUT AN ADDITIONAL 685,000.
WE WOULD HAVE TO INCLUDE IN THE BUDGET IF WE DID IT MID-YEAR YOU WOULD SEE YOUR COST OVER ON THE RIGHT.
SO THAT'S ONE, ONE THING WE WENT AND LOOKED AT BASED ON THE CONVERSATION WE
[00:30:01]
HAD IS, OKAY.IT COSTS MORE TO LIVE IN BLUFFTON.
WHAT, WHAT IT WOULD LOOK LIKE TO ADJUST OUR PAY FOR OUR EMPLOYEES TO REPRESENT THAT COST.
SO IF WE WANTED ALL SHIPS TO RISE, TO MATCH THAT AT 6.2%, IT WOULD BE ABOUT AN ADDITIONAL $700,000 IN THE PROPOSED FISCAL YEAR 23 BUDGET QUESTION.
SO WHEN YOU'RE SAYING ALL SHIPS WOULD RISE, BUT YOU'RE SAYING IN BLUFFTON, SO WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? DOES THAT MEAN ALL EMPLOYEES, ALL EMPLOYEES, ALL EMPLOYEES, REGARDLESS OF WHERE YOU LIVE.
AND I'VE GOT US, WE'LL SHOW YOU WHERE OUR EMPLOYEES LIVE HERE IN JUST A MINUTE, BUT ABOUT A HUNDRED OF OUR EMPLOYEES LIVE IN THE 2 99 AND OUR 9 1 0 AND THE 9, 9 0 9 AREA CODE.
SO, UM, BUT YEAH, THAT'D BE FOR ALL BLUFFTON EMPLOYEES, WE THEN SAID, OKAY, IF WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR LOWEST PAID PERSON WAS MAKING THE AREA MEETING INCOME, AND THEN WE FIXED OUR PAY BANDS, MOVING UP TO MATCH THAT, WHAT WOULD THAT COST? WOULD IT BE A LITTLE OVER 9 MILLION OR ABOUT 31 MILS? SO WE WOULD ALMOST DOUBLE OUR MILLAGE TO IMPLEMENT THAT.
THAT WOULD BE, UM, MAKING OUR LOWEST PAID EMPLOYEE EQUAL TO THE AREA MEETING INCOME.
BUT THAT WOULD ALSO KIND OF, I HEAR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING AND I SEE WHAT IT IS, BUT THAT'S GOING BY THE SAME FORMULA THAT YOU'RE USING NOW, BECAUSE YOU'VE GOT, YOU KNOW, THAT'S RAISING THE ONES THAT ARE ALREADY COMFORTABLE UP, THAT'S RAISING ANOTHER STEP, ANOTHER STEP.
SO EVERYBODY'S ALREADY WHERE THEY ARE BASED ON THEIR YEARS, BASED ON THEIR QUALIFICATIONS, EXPERIENCE, THE JOB, THE SUPERVISOR DUTIES, EVERYTHING THAT IS INVOLVED IN WHY THEY'RE MAKING, WHAT THEY'RE MAKING.
NOW IT INVOLVES INCREASING THEM OR SIMILAR PERCENTAGE TO MATCH WHAT THEIR CLASS, WHAT THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES JOB DUTIES.
WHERE DOES THAT FORMULA COME FROM? STEVEN WHO WHO'S, WHO SAYS, SO OUR PAY BANS BY NOW, BUT OUR SEX TO PAY BANDS, WE DO.
SO Y'ALL, Y'ALL MAKE THE PAYMENT.
AND THEN THE PAY BANDS WERE JUST ADJUSTED BASED ON WHAT WAS PRESENTED IN THE CLASSIFICATION, CLASSIFICATION AND COMPENSATION.
SO THE PAY BANDS ARE 60% WIDE, BUT THEN THERE'S LIKE 5% BETWEEN EACH PAY BAND.
SO AS YOU MOVE UP, PAY BANDS, IT INCREASES LIKE 5%, BUT THERE'S A RANGE WITHIN EACH PAY PAN.
SO WE SAID, IF YOU'RE CURRENTLY, YOU KNOW, AND PAY BAND FOUR AND WE BUMP UP, SO THE LOWEST PAID PERSON IS GOING TO MAKE THE AREA IN AMI, THEN THE PERCENTAGES WOULD, WOULD STACK UP THE EQUAL TO THAT.
SO THAT THE SEPARATION BETWEEN THE LOWEST PAID AND THE MID MID PAID NOW IS A SIMILAR PERCENTAGE THAT IT IS NOW WOULD BE IN THE FUTURE.
BECAUSE THE REASON THAT EXISTS NOW IS BECAUSE OF THEIR JOB DUTIES OR HERE'S A SERVICE OR THE DEGREE THAT'S REQUIRED, THE QUALIFICATIONS THAT ARE REQUIRED, THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THEY SUPERVISE SO ON AND SO FORTH THAT THEY'RE BEING COMPENSATED FOR THAT NOW.
AND THAT'S, I KNOW YOU HAVE, YOU HAVE TO HAVE SOMETHING TO, I'M NOT, I'M JUST TRYING TO THOSE GAPS, COULDN'T BE NARROWED.
THAT IT PROBABLY WOULDN'T DROP THAT BY MORE THAN A MILLION OR $2 IF WE NARROWED THE GAPS DOWN, BECAUSE IF WE GO BACK TO WHERE OUR EMPLOYEES FALL AND THE PAY BAND, YOU CAN SEE IF WE BUMPED PEOPLE WHO WERE BELOW THAT YOU SEE, YOU CAN SEE YOU'VE GOT 54 OR 52 55 EMPLOYEES BELOW $56,000.
SO WE'VE GOT 55 EMPLOYEES THAT NEED TO GO UP.
SO EVEN IF YOU JUST, YOU KNOW, SO THAT, THAT, THAT DOMINO'S DOWN WELL, LIKE THE, FROM THE, UM, I GUESS WE'LL LOOK AT, AFTER THE WE'RE, WE'RE DOING THE UNPLANNED, THE NEW THING ANYWAYS.
SO WE'LL JUST LOOK AT THAT COLUMN.
SO WE HAVE 41 THAT ARE MAKING LESS THAN 56.
THEY WERE MAKING BETWEEN 46 AND 56.
SO THEY'RE MAKING BETWEEN THAT AND THEY COULD BE MAKING $55,589.
BUT JUST TRYING TO GET THAT, THAT'S THE WHY, YOU KNOW, $10,000 A YEAR, YOU KNOW, LARRY ON THAT, ON THAT STUDY WE HAD, THAT WAS ATTACHED TO OUR ITEM.
I THINK YOU KINDA GOT TO LOOK AND SEE, AND I KNOW YOU DID, BUT HONESTLY, THERE ARE A LOT OF CATEGORIES THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, I THINK IF WE DON'T RATE, WE, THERE SHOULD LOOK AT ALL OF THEM OR LOOK AT SOME KIND OF MERIT CAUSE TO BRING JUST A SEGMENT UP WHO'S TO SAY THAT SOMEONE MAKING 66 DOESN'T HAVE FOUR CHILDREN.
I MEAN, WE'RE STARTING TO GET INTO THEIR PERSONAL, THEY COULD BE STRUGGLING JUST AS MUCH AS, UH, SOMEBODY IN THAT RANGE.
[00:35:01]
I ASKED HIM, I'M JUST TRYING TO THROW A LIFE JACKET TO THE ONES IN THE WATER, NOT THE ONES THAT ARE STILL IN THE BOAT, THE ONES THAT ARE REALLY STRUGGLING TO BE ABLE TO LIVE HERE AND STILL CUT GRASS OR WHATEVER THEIR JOB MAY BE.BUT YOU, BUT YOU REALLY DON'T KNOW IF IT, IF OTHERS ARE STRUGGLING.
OH, I MEAN, SOME COULD BE THE HIGHEST PAY RATE COULD BE STRUGGLING.
I JUST WANT TO KIND OF HOLISTICALLY TO SEE.
I'M JUST TRYING TO JUST WISH THERE WAS SOMETHING
WELL, I WAS JUST STILL GOING THROUGH A COUPLE OF OTHER THAT COUNCIL ASKS US TO LOOK AT, BUT I CAN ALWAYS PAUSE AND DISCUSS ANYTHING.
I WANT TO HELP THOSE THAT'S ON THE BOTTOM.
UM, ANYBODY CAN STRUGGLE, UH, STEVEN, YOU THE HIGHEST PAID AND YOU CAN STRUGGLE IF YOU DON'T MANAGE PROPERLY.
I HAVE A QUESTION TO YOU IN BOTH THE AUGUST.
YOU KNOW, THE PLAN IS PRESENTED THE STUDY SPACED ON A REGIONAL APPROACH.
I MEAN, YOU KNOW, THEY'VE LOOKED AT EVERYBODY WITHIN A REGION, RIGHT? I MEAN, THAT'S WHAT THEY'VE DONE.
AND YOU KNOW, TO ME, THAT'S A BUILDING BLOCK CAUSE WHERE YOU WORK FROM BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, I USED TO, WHEN I WAS IN PRIVATE BUSINESS FOR A WHILE, I USED TO SAY A DISHWASHER GETS PAID, THIS AND A WAITER GETS PAID.
THIS AND A MANAGER GETS PAID THIS JUST SAME WAY.
AND IT'S A, IT'S A PLACE TO START.
AND I THINK WHAT THEY'RE TRYING TO DO IS FIGURE OUT HOW TO TWEAK THAT BASED ON ALL THE COMMENTS THAT WE'VE HAD.
UM, IS THAT A FAIR ASSESSMENT? BECAUSE WE THROW THAT OUT THE WINDOW.
WE DON'T HAVE ANY GUIDE GUIDELINES.
THAT'S THE STARTING BLOCK, DAN, BUT IT DOESN'T SPEAK TO BLUFFTON.
IT SPEAK TO WHAT OTHER PEOPLE, WHERE THE OTHERS ARE DOING.
LUFTON HAS THE ABILITY TO DO ABOVE AND BEYOND WHAT SOME OF THOSE OTHER COMMUNITIES ARE DOING.
OR SOME OF THOSE ARE DO ADDICTION DURING BECAUSE WE HAVE THE FINANCIAL MEANS TO DO THAT.
SO I WANT TO BE, I WANT TO LOVE THEM TO REPRESENT ITSELF WHEN, WHEN OPPORTUNITY PRESENTED ITSELF, SAME THING WITH AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
I MEAN, YOU CAN MEASURE ALL YOU WANT, BUT NOBODY'S GOING TO DO IT OFTEN WILL.
BUT AGAIN, IT'S A STANDARD IT'S NATIONAL, EVERYBODY USES IT, YOU KNOW? UM, SO ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS WE LOOKED AT WAS LOCALITY INCENTIVE, AND THIS IS WHAT, UH, BRIDGET BROUGHT UP.
SO WE LOOKED AND SAID, WHERE DO OUR EMPLOYEES CURRENTLY LIVE? SO WE HAVE 145 CURRENT EMPLOYEES, 99 OF THEM LIVE IN BLUFFTON, WHICH WE IDENTIFIED AS 2 9, 9 1 0 1 2 9, 909, UH, 14 OF THEM.
AND BUFORT, AND THEN YOU CAN SEE, WE HAVE EIGHT AND HILTON HEAD SIX IN RIDGELAND AND THEN A FEW SCATTERED ALL OVER THE WILDLANDS IN THE AREA.
SO, UM, SO WE LOOKED AND SAID, OKAY, IF WE WANT TO DO A LOCALITY INCENTIVE, CAUSE WE UNDERSTAND THAT IT'S MORE EXPENSIVE TO LIVE IN BLUFFTON THAN IT IS SAY TO LIVE IN HARTVILLE OR LIVE IN POOLER.
SO WE'VE, WE WANT MORE PEOPLE TO LIVE HERE, THEN HOW DO, HOW CAN WE OFFSET THAT? SO IF WE DID $200 A MONTH PER MONTH AS A LOCATION, INCENTIVE, ESTIMATED, UH, WE, YOU KNOW, WE GOT NINE ON IN BLUFFTON.
SO LET'S SAY A HUNDRED EMPLOYEES WITH OUR PORTION THAT COMES UP TO ABOUT $258,000 A YEAR TO DO A $200 A MONTH INCENTIVE.
SO IT'S ABOUT $130,000 PER A HUNDRED THAT WE WOULD DO, UH, PER PER MONTH.
UM, AND THEN, BUT THEN WE HAVE THE CONVERSATION THAT I'VE HAD WITH COUPLE OF YOU IS PEOPLE WHO ARE ALREADY LIVING HERE.
ARE THEY OUR TARGET DEMOGRAPHIC FOR THE ONES THAT NEED HELP IF SOMEBODY LIVED AND WORKED IN BLUFFTON FOR EIGHT YEARS AND THEY'VE LIVED IN THE SAME HOME, ARE THEY THE ONES THAT NEED HELP WITH THEIR HOME COST? OR IS IT THOSE THAT ARE IN RENTAL WHERE THEIR RENT MAY FLUCTUATE MORE SO THAN HOMEOWNERS MAY? IS IT GETTING PEOPLE HERE TO FIND SOMEPLACE TO LIVE? IS IT MORE OF A RELOCATION? IS IT MORE OF A HOMEOWNER'S ASSISTANCE? IS IT A COMBINATION THEY'RE UP? SO, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE JUST WANTED TO BRING THE, YOU KNOW, SO THERE'S THINGS TO CONSIDER AS WE CONTINUE TO TALK ABOUT THAT.
AND I DON'T WANT YOU TO THINK THAT ANYTHING WE'RE PRESENTING, WE'RE NOT SUPPORTIVE OF.
WE'RE JUST, THESE ARE JUST WHAT Y'ALL WE HAD DISCUSSED.
SO WE'LL JUST WANTED TO BRING THESE UP AND HAVE MORE DISCUSSION.
SO YOU CAN SEE THE IMPACTS AS WE START TALKING, AS WE MOVE THROUGH THE BUDGET, WHERE IF COUNCIL SAY WANTED TO IMPLEMENT THIS AT $300 A MONTH, THAT'S A $400,000 IMPACT ON THE BUDGET, WHICH IS A LITTLE OVER A MILL, WHICH SHOULD BE ABOUT 1.1 MEALS THAT WE, THAT WOULD IMPACT THE BUDGET.
BUT IT ALSO, YOU CAN HAVE 45 OTHERS COME ON.
SO YOU REALLY GOT TO BASE IT ON THE POTENTIAL.
[00:40:01]
IT COULD BE 130.AND ARE YOU HELPING WHAT THESE TWO ARE ASKING ABOUT? THE BOTTOM OF THE TREE? IS ARE THOSE HERE? ARE THEY NEVER GOING TO LEAVE? BUT THIS WAS ALSO SOMETHING THAT WAS BROUGHT UP MY COUNCIL MEMBER THAT WE WANTED TO LOOK INTO AND TREAT EQUALLY JUST AS EVERY OTHER CONCERN THAT COUNCIL ABOUT EACH MEMBER.
UM, AND THIS IS JUST OFF THE CUFF HERE, UM, WHERE PEOPLE WHO GO TO THE GOVERNMENT FOR HELP, YOU KNOW, THE AMOUNT OF CHILDREN THAT THEY HAVE IN THEIR HOUSE, WHETHER THEY'RE, THEY'RE LOOKING FOR, YOU KNOW, FOOD STAMPS OR EBT OR WHATEVER YOU CALL IT OR ACTUAL, UM, DISABILITY OR WHATEVER, THE, THE MORE, THE, THE LARGER THE FAMILY OR THE DEPENDENCE THAT AN EMPLOYEE OR AN APPLICANT, I WOULD SAY, NOT AN EMPLOYEE COMES WITH THE MORE THEY'RE THERE'S FORMULAS THAT THEY GET A LITTLE BIT MORE HELP.
YOU KNOW, IF THEY'VE GOT TWO KIDS IN SCHOOL OR AT HOME DEPENDENCE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
AND MAYBE, MAYBE WE COULD LOOK AT SOMETHING LIKE THAT, YOU KNOW, AND HELP THE ONES, BECAUSE I'M JUST TELLING YOU, I'VE GOT KIDS ON MY OWN.
AND IF YOU'RE TRYING TO RAISE TWO OR THREE KIDS, YOU BETTER BE MAKING A HECK OF A LOT MORE THAN THOSE PEOPLE OVER HERE, THOSE 40 OR 50 PEOPLE, WE GOT MAKING $40,000 A YEAR OR 45, WHATEVER.
CAUSE IT'S JUST, IT'S JUST NOT ENOUGH, YOU KNOW, AND THAT'S, I'M NOT SAYING WE CAN FIX IT.
UM, I CAN'T, I DON'T HAVE ENOUGH MONEY TO FIX IT.
WELL, IT GOES BACK TO THE HOUSING ISSUE AS MUCH AS IT DOES ANYTHING.
I MEAN, OUR HOUSING COSTS ARE HIGH.
THE AVERAGE HOME IS 300 AND SOMETHING 350, $60,000 AND RENT RENTS ARE HIGH.
SO I MEAN, THAT'S, WHAT'S EATING UP EVERYBODY'S INCOME, BUT OUR PROPERTY TAXES AND THE MONEY THAT THE TOWN IS COLLECTING IS GOING UP EVERY YEAR TO SURE.
YOU KNOW, AS FAR AS BEING THE BOSS, SO TO SPEAK, UM, THE LAST, THE LAST THING IN THERE, AND I DIDN'T PUT A SLIDE WITH IT BECAUSE IT DIDN'T REALLY, I DIDN'T HAVE ANYTHING TO PUT IN.
IT IS MORE OF A SCALED IMPLEMENTATION.
AND THIS GOES ALONG TO SIMILAR.
WHAT I THINK TWO OF YOU HAVE BEEN DISCUSSING, AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT DAN AND I TALKED ABOUT AS WELL, WHICH IS MORE OF A SCALED IMPLEMENTATION ON THINGS LIKE MERIT INCREASES AND THIS WHERE THIS IS WHERE WE CAN LOOK AT THE MONEY THAT WE BUDGET FOR PROPOSED INCREASES, ESPECIALLY FOR LIKE MERIT AND SAY MAYBE FOR THE BOTTOM FIVE PAY BANDS THAT IS A 8% INCREASE THAT THEY CAN GET VERSUS OUR TOP PAY BANDS CAN ONLY GET 2% AND IT BECOMES MORE OF A SCALED APPROACH WHERE YOU SAY, OKAY, WE'VE GOT 200,000 SET ASIDE FOR MERIT PAY THIS YEAR.
LET'S FIGURE OUT HOW WE CAN USE THAT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE LOWER PAY BANDS THAT WE HAVE RECEIVED A HIGHER PERCENTAGE OR ELIGIBLE FOR A HIGHER PERCENTAGE THAN SAY OUR TOP PAY BANDS ARE BECAUSE 2% ON OUR TOP PAY BANDS MAY BE EQUIVALENT TO THE SAME AMOUNT OF MONEY AS 10% OR 8% FOR OUR LOWEST PAY BANDS.
AND LOOK AT SOME THINGS LIKE THAT.
UM, DAN HAD AN EXAMPLE FROM WHEN HE WAS AT, UM, PALMATE ELECTRIC, WHERE IT WAS MORE ABOUT MOVING PEOPLE WITHIN YOUR PAY BANDS FASTER.
THIS WOULD HELP KIND OF DO THAT, BUT IT WOULD ALSO BE TARGETED MORE, NOT JUST FOR ALL PAYMENTS, MOVING YOU TO THE MID FASTER, IT'D BE MORE FOR YOUR LOWER PAY BANDS, MOVING YOU WITHIN YOUR BAND FASTER BASED ON.
AND IT WOULD ALSO GIVE, IT WOULD BE TIED TO MAYOR.
SO IT WOULDN'T NECESSARILY BE FOR EVERYBODY, BUT THOSE THAT ARE PERFORMING WELL AND MOVING HIGHER THAN THOSE THAT AREN'T.
SO THERE'S SOME OTHER PROGRAMS. THERE'S SOME THINGS LIKE THAT THAT WE CAN DO.
I MEAN, I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING WE COULD DEFINITELY LOOK INTO MORE.
SO THE MERIT IS DOESN'T IS SINCE IT DIDN'T TACK ON BENEFITS AND EVERYTHING LIKE THAT.
AND EVERY DOLLAR THAT WE INCREASE ANYBODY'S PAY, IT INCREASES RETIREMENT FICA.
IT'S ABOUT A 30% THAT WE HAVE TO EAT ON TOP OF THAT FOR EVERY DOLLAR THAT WE PAY SOMEBODY X, AS OPPOSED TO A STIPEND STIPEND, WE WOULD STILL, WE WOULD HAVE IT'S SEVEN POINT.
THEY JUST SENT IT TO ME 7.6, 5% THAT WE HAVE IN IT.
CAUSE IT'S NOT ELIGIBLE FOR DOESN'T COVER RETIREMENT.
OUR RETIREMENT IS OUR BIGGEST COST BECAUSE RETIREMENT IS SITTING AT LIKE 20, 20% FOR NON-POLICE AND 24% FOR POLICE.
SO FOR EVERY DOLLAR WE GIVE, WE'VE GOT TO FIND ANOTHER QUARTER TO GO TO RETIREMENT.
AND THAT'S WHAT OUR BIGGEST COST IS ON THE BENEFIT SIDE, NOT ON THE, THE SIDE THAT THE EMPLOYEES DON'T GET TO TAKE HOME.
THAT'S OUR BIGGEST COST, BUT VERSUS A BONUS OR A WHAT DOESN'T GET YOU.
SO, UH, UH, A STIPEND LIKE WHERE WE TALKED ABOUT WITH THE RELOCATION STIPEND, THEY WOULD, WE WOULD ONLY BE RESPONSIBLE FOR, UM, ABOUT SEVEN, 7.65%,
[00:45:02]
WHICH IS OUR FICA SOCIAL SECURITY, THAT KIND OF, THOSE KIND OF ITEMS. IT WOULDN'T TRIGGER RETIREMENT, BUT IF WE PUT ANYTHING IN PAY, IT TRIGGERS RETIREMENT, WHICH IS AN ADDITIONAL PERCENTAGE ON THERE.AND IT'S ALSO REMEMBER ANYTHING THAT WE DO IN SALARIES.
IT IS COMPOUNDING YEAR OVER YEAR, AS IT MOVES FORWARD WITH THROUGH RAISES OR COST OF LIVING OR ANYTHING THAT WE DO IT COMPOUNDS YEAR OVER YEAR WITHIN THE BUDGETS.
LARRY, THE ONLY THING I WOULD SAY IS, UH, EXAMPLE, I MEAN, WE'VE ALREADY SEEN THE STUDY, SO YOU HAVE A MINIMUM, YOU HAVE A MID, YOU HAVE A MAX MAY HAVE JUST CONSIDERED MARKET.
IN OTHER WORDS, THAT'S, THAT'S A GOOD STARTING POINT FOR A MARKET JOB.
SOMEBODY WALKING IN WITH A LITTLE BIT OF EXPERIENCE THE CONCEPT, AS HE JUST SAID HIS NOSE AT THE BOTTOM, YOU WANT TO MOVE THEM FASTER TO GET TO THE MIDDLE WHERE THE MARKET VALUE IS AND THE PEOPLE ALREADY BEYOND THE MARKET VALUE.
SO FOR EXAMPLE, IF YOU WERE ALREADY MAKING 90% OF YOUR PAY RANGE, YOU'RE WAY BEYOND THE MIDDLE.
SO YOU'RE GOING TO GET A MUCH SMALLER INCREMENT, EVEN WITH A GOOD EVALUATION TO SLOW YOU DOWN A LITTLE BIT, BECAUSE OTHERWISE YOU'RE GOING TO KEEP RUNNING RIGHT OUT THERE, THE END OF IT SOMEWHERE.
BUT THE PEOPLE AT THE BOTTOM GET THERE QUICKER, THEY, THEY GET BY FAR THE LARGEST PERCENTAGE INCREASES.
AND THEN WHAT HAPPENS IS EVERY YEAR, THOSE, THOSE POSITIONS, THE MID, UH, THE MINIMUM, THE MINUTE, THE MAX SHIFT BASED ON COST OF LIVING AND EVERYTHING, YOU COULD ROLL THAT RIGHT INTO THOSE POSITIONS.
SO IT WOULD ALL SHIFT ANNUALLY.
SO IT WOULD GO UP ANNUALLY, IF THAT MAKES SENSE.
WHAT, WHAT WOULD REALLY BE INTERESTED TO SEE IS LIKE WHERE WE HAVE THOSE 41 PEOPLE BETWEEN THOSE AT 40, UM, 50, AGAIN, 41 BETWEEN 46 AND 56.
RIGHT? THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT TO BE INTERESTED TO KNOW HOW MANY OF THOSE 40 ONES WERE LESS THAN 50.
YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING? IT IS THIS SPLIT.
LIKE THEY WILL BE 20 ON EACH SIDE OF THAT SPECTRUM.
YOU KNOW WHAT, I'M S 20 IN THE CLOSER TO 46.
SO THERE WERE LIKE 20, READ IT ON HERE, BUT WE TELL WE DID 10,000 INCREMENTS, BUT 10,000, UM, BAND THAT YOU HAVE THERE.
YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? IF, IF 90% OF THEM RAN THE LOWER PART OF THAT BAND, WE MIGHT GET TO HELP THEM GET INTO THE MIDDLE OF THE BAND A LITTLE QUICKER, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? AND, AND MAKE A BIG LIFE CHANGE FOR THEM.
BUT THAT'S, I DON'T, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN'T REALLY TELL WHEN IT'S THAT MANY PEOPLE IN A $10,000 RANGE, WELL, WE HELP EIGHT IN THAT RANGE, BUT THEY MUST'VE BEEN AT THE HIGHER CAUSE THEY JUMPED IN, WELL, I DON'T KNOW WHERE THEY, BECAUSE WHEN WE LOST ONE AT THE NEXT ONE, BUT THEY MUST'VE REALLY JUMPED CAUSE THEY, THEY LOST ONE, BUT THEN WE GAINED 8 66 TO 75.
SO I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHERE, WHERE THE, OH YEAH.
I DON'T KNOW WHERE THE EIGHT WENT.
THEY PROBABLY STAGGERED UP BECAUSE SOME THAT WERE IN THAT 20 THAT'S IN THE 21 PROBABLY MOVED UP TO THE NEXT ONE WHERE CAUSE SEE THAT 1 66 OR 76 WENT FROM 16 TO 24 INCREASE BY EIGHT AND THEN THE NEXT ONE INCREASED BY TWO.
AND THEN WHAT YOU SAW AS SOME FELL OUT, WENT FROM THE 95, 85 TO 95 UP TO THE NEXT RANGE, WHICH WAS FOR AND FOR WIND UP.
SO IS IT JUST MY THOUGHT, IF IT WAS SAY OVER THE NEXT THREE YEARS OR TWO YEARS OR WHATEVER, HOW DO WE GET A THIRD CHART AND SEE THAT THREE WENT TO TWO AND 11 WENT TO NINE AND 41 WENT TO 30 AND 21, YOU KNOW, THAT DOES INCREASE IT, BUT WITH YOUR MERIT IDEA, BUT YOU'RE ALSO IN PRETTY STABLE WITH STILL THE 2%, WHICH IS NICE WITH THE OTHERS.
AND IT ALL KIND OF EQUALS OUT AND YOU'RE NOT DOING A WHOLE 136 EMPLOYEES.
WE'RE GOT MORE EMPLOYEES AND, AND, AND, AND I'M GOING TO SAY THIS BECAUSE MY JOB IS I HAVE TO BALANCE Y'ALL AND I HAVE TO BALANCE 140 OR HOWEVER MANY EMPLOYEES WE HAVE IS THOSE THAT ARE GOING TO BE LOOKING AT IT TOO.
WHEN SOMEBODY ELSE MAY BE LOOKING AT EIGHT, THEY'RE GOING TO ASK QUESTIONS ON WHY THEY'RE NOT AS VALUED AS THE OTHER ONES ARE.
SO THOSE ARE THINGS THAT JUST, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, I WOULD LIKE TO PRESENT YOU WITH ALL THE INFORMATION I CAN AS YOU MOVE FORWARD, YOU KNOW, BUT THOSE ARE THINGS THAT WE CAN DEAL WITH AS WE MOVE FORWARD, AS WE TALK ABOUT STUFF LIKE THAT.
BUT THAT'S JUST, THOSE ARE QUESTIONS THAT WILL COME UP.
SO THOSE, THOSE THAT WE HAVE IN THE UPPER ESCHALON OF THE PAY SCALE, THOSE ARE PRETTY,
[00:50:01]
PRETTY DECENT SALARIES.ALSO A 46 AND BELOW IS STRUGGLING.
I DON'T CARE WHAT, WHAT THE JOB IS.
I DON'T CARE WHAT DEPARTMENT IT IS.
THAT'S, THAT'S AN AREA THAT, THAT WHEN THAT THAT'S STRUGGLING.
UM, SO YOU'RE BALANCING THAT CAUSE I KNOW THAT'S IMPORTANT.
AND I NOTICED, UM, A GOOD MANAGER, SUPPOSEDLY SUPPOSED TO BE ABLE TO HANDLE THAT.
BUT, BUT I'M PROUD OF THE FACT THAT WE CAN PAY SOME OF OUR SALARIES ABOVE $66,000 UP TO 150, $6,000.
THAT'S, THAT'S MAKING PROGRESS, MAKING PROGRESS.
WELL, AND I'M GOING TO SAY THIS, YOU GOT TO REMEMBER, YOU'RE NOT A SMALL TOWN.
WELL, WE'RE THE 13TH LARGEST TOWN IN SOUTH CAROLINA OR 14TH, WHATEVER IT IS.
WELL, WE GOT TO STAY COMPETITIVE AND THAT'S YOU COMPENSATION STUDIES AND LET'S MAKE SURE WE ARE.
AND I'M NOT SAYING THAT AT FLIP IT OR ANYTHING.
I'M JUST SAYING, YOU KNOW, CAUSE WHEN YOU LOOK ACROSS SOUTH CAROLINA AS A TOWN OF PERSON, 30,000 PEOPLE, WE'RE ONE OF WE'RE IN THE TOP 20 FOR WHERE I THINK WE WERE 14 OR 15 WHENEVER I LOOKED AT IT.
AND, BUT ONCE WHEN I SPEAK TO SMALL TOWN IS IT'S NOT JUST ALWAYS NUMBERS BECAUSE WE WE'VE, WE HAVE THE ABILITY AS, UM, FINANCIAL MEANS.
WE WILL, OUR BUDGET IS HEALTHY.
THAT'S A GOOD THING FOR TOWNS TO SIZE, BUT IT'S ALSO A COMMUNITY THAT HAS A LOT OF EXPENSE THAT ABOVE AND BEYOND SOME OF THOSE OTHER PLACES THAT YOU MIGHT WANT TO COMPARE US TO.
IT'S JUST A THOUGHT, I KNOW WE'VE GOT TWO OTHERS TO GO THROUGH, BUT IN YOUR THOUGHTS THAT COULD BE RESOLVED IN THE NEXT YEAR OR TWO OR WHATEVER, NOT TONIGHT.
UM, I WOULD THINK THAT ANYONE IN THAT, AND AGAIN, HE SAYS 46, BUT YOU GO ALL THE WAY TO 56.
I'LL TELL YOU, CHRIS LOOKED IT UP.
WE HAVE 32 FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES THAT MAKE BELOW $50,000 A YEAR 32 OF THE 32 OF OUR 136 EMPLOYEES MAKE BELOW $50,000 A YEAR.
SO 18 OUT OF THOSE 40 ONES ARE MAKING BELOW $55,000 A YEAR.
YES, I WAS IN THE 50 TO 80,000.
AND I KNOW WHEN YOU HAVE SEEN KIDS WHEN THEY GET OUT OF COLLEGE AND THEIR FIRST JOB, UM, TODAY, I MEAN 10 YEARS AGO, IT WAS 48 TODAY.
IT'S PROBABLY CLOSER TO 60, 50 OR 60.
I'M JUST THROWING OUT A NUMBER.
BUT I WOULD THINK IF I WAS WORKING FOR THE TOWN AND I WAS IN THE ONE 16 TO 1 25 RANGE AND I LOOK AT THAT CHART AND GO, DO YOU MEAN THAT SOME OF MY FRIENDS, BECAUSE WE'RE ALL FRIENDS OR MAKE HIM THAT MUCH BELOW SOMEWHERE THAT BOTTOM BRACKET, I WOULD THINK ALL OF US WOULD CELEBRATE TO TRY TO GET EVERYONE TO FEEL HAPPY ABOUT THEIR JOB.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF ANYONE FEELS HAPPY.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT PEOPLE ARE MISERABLE AT THAT LEVEL.
I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW THEIR NAMES TO SAY.
I MEAN, I WOULD KNOW HIM IF HE GAVE ME A NAME, BUT WE CAN'T TALK ABOUT THEM.
AND ALSO ARE THEY COMPETITIVE? AND ARE THEY GOING ELSEWHERE BECAUSE THEY ARE GETTING MORE.
AND I DON'T KNOW THAT WITHOUT PULLING UP THAT STUDY TO LOOK AND SEE, THAT'S JUST KINDA MY FAULT.
AND MY, I DON'T THINK THAT I WOULD HOPE NOBODY QUESTIONS, HOW MUCH WE CARE ABOUT THEM WHEN WE ARE ALL SHOULD BE CARING ABOUT PEOPLE WHO ARE MAKING THE KIND OF REALLY SLIPPED POVERTY LEVEL.
I MEAN, I WOULD THINK I WOULD, I WOULD, I SURE WANT TO HELP.
BUT 50002% IS A THOUSAND DOLLARS, RIGHT? I'M $52,000 SALARY.
IF YOU WENT TO THE BOTTOM, SAY FIVE PAY BANDS AND MAYBE IT BECOMES 6% FOR THE DAYCARE FOR A MONTH.
WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO WORK? SO I THINK IN THE SHORT TERM, THERE'S SOME, THERE'S A COUPLE THINGS WE CAN LOOK AT AS WE MOVE INTO THE BUDGET YEAR FOR THIS YEAR.
THE ONE IS TO LOOK AT WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT WITH THE, UM, AND I GO BACK TO MY CHART SO I CAN HELP REMIND MYSELF, UM, IS LIKE THE SCALE OF IMPLEMENTATION IS TO LOOK AT THAT GOING IN FOR NEXT YEAR RELATED TO THE MERIT PAY AND LOOK AT HOW THAT WE CAN USE THAT TO HELP.
UM, SOME OF THAT IS WE CAN LOOK AT OUR LOWEST HOURLY RATE AND LOCATE AND INCREASING THAT.
[00:55:01]
NET BETWEEN THIS FISCAL YEAR, NEXT FISCAL YEAR SET A TARGET TO GET THAT UP TO I'D LIKE, YOU KNOW, I'D LIKE THE, OUR LOWEST HOURLY RATE WOULD BE SOMEWHERE.I THINK WE CAN GET THAT UP $20 BETWEEN THE NEXT COUPLE OF BUDGET YEARS.
MAYBE WE CAN GET HALF, GET A DOLLAR TO THIS YEAR AND A DOLLAR OR TWO NEXT YEAR AND GET THAT MINIMUM ENTRY LEVEL THAT WE WOULD BRING ANYBODY IN AT $20 AN HOUR, WHICH WOULD BE 40,000 PLUS A YEAR, RIGHT AT 40,000 A YEAR.
UM, AND THEN WE CAN CONTINUE TO HAVE FURTHER DISCUSSIONS AND SEE HOW THE BUDGET LOOKS AND MAKE.
IF WE WANT TO DO BIGGER BIKES, THEN WE CAN LOOK AT STUFF YEAR.
WE CAN LOOK AT STUFF AS WE MOVE INTO THE BUDGET FOR NEXT YEAR.
IF WE EVER WANT TO, IF WE WANT TO REVISIT LIKE THE, THE LOCATION INCENTIVE, WE, WE HAVE COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH THAT, THAT WE CAN LOOK AT IMPLEMENTING.
SO I THINK THERE'S SOME THINGS THAT WE CAN CONTINUE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT, BUT IMMEDIATELY I THINK THERE'S A FOR MOVING INTO THE BUDGET YEAR FOR NEXT YEAR.
I THINK THERE'S TWO THINGS THAT WE CAN DO PRETTY QUICK.
I'D ALSO SOMEWHERE ALONG THE LINE, START LOOKING INTO, UM, EMPLOYEES WITH, ESPECIALLY IN THE LOWER HALF WITH, UM, SMALL CHILDREN OR CHILDREN THAT I WOULD SAY, I WOULD SAY THE COST FOR DAYCARE IS THE SAME FOR EVERYBODY.
IT CAN BE A LIMITING FACTOR THROUGHOUT.
I MEAN, NOT JUST FOR THE LOWEST PERSON, BUT IF YOU MAKE AN 80 OR $90,000 A YEAR, THEN YOU CAN AFFORD DAYCARE, BUT YOU HAVE TO REMEMBER, AND IT'S LIKE, WE TALKED ABOUT TODAY, YOU CAN'T BASE ONE PERSON AND WHAT THEY MAKE HERE ON THEIR FAMILY AND HOW THEY'RE DOING, BECAUSE YOU MIGHT HAVE SOMEBODY AT $80,000 A YEAR, WHO'S A SINGLE INCOME PERSON WITH TWO KIDS AND HAS THEIR MOM WITH DEMENTIA THAT THEY'RE TAKING CARE OF.
AND THEY'RE HAVING TO PUT TWO KIDS IN DAYCARE AND DEAL WITH THEIR MOM AND DEMENTIA AND A NURSE WHO'S IN WORSE SITUATION THAN SOMEBODY WHO'S MAKING $40,000 A YEAR.
AND THEIR WIFE MAKES $110,000 A YEAR AND THEY DON'T HAVE ANY KIDS.
SO I MEAN, AS MUCH AS I LOVE EVERY EMPLOYEE THERE, EACH N ONE IS A UNIQUE CIRCUMSTANCE THAT WE CAN'T PIGEONHOLE.
JUST SAY, BECAUSE YOU'RE MAKING THIS DOLLAR AMOUNT, WE MAKE THIS ASSUMPTION ABOUT YOU.
THAT'S A GOOD, THAT'S A GOOD, UM, POINT BECAUSE ALL I WANT TO SEE IS WE IS THAT WE PAY SOMEONE A DECENT, NORMAL WAY SALARY THAT I WANT TO SEE TO BE PAID THEM WELL DECENT, BUT HOW THEY MANAGE YOU CAN'T, YOU CAN'T HELP THEM.
I MEAN, IT'S TOO, IT'S TOO COMPLICATED.
AND THAT'S WHERE I RAISED THE SORRY, CHRIS, BUT THAT'S HOW I RAISED THE, THE CONCERNS, THE THINGS IN THERE ABOUT IS THERE A WAY WE CAN REDUCE THEIR COSTS TO WORK? IS IT, DO WE LOOK AT ALLOWING FOR OUR FOUR DAY, FOUR DAY WORKWEEK WHERE WE SAY HALF THE DEPARTMENT WORKS FOUR DAYS, HALF WORKS FOUR DAYS AND REDUCE IF YOU'RE COMMUTING IN FROM EFFORT OR YOU'RE COMMUTING IN FROM SOMEPLACE ELSE.
AND IT REDUCES YOUR COST OF GAS, YOUR TIME ONE LAST DAY FOR DAYCARE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S SOME THINGS THAT WE CAN LOOK AT TO REDUCE A COST FOR SOMEBODY TO WORK HERE AND STUFF LIKE THAT AS WELL.
BUT I THINK YOU'RE ONTO SOMETHING WITH THIS LAST ONE IS HOW DO WE, HOW DO WE RAISE OUR ENTRY LEVEL? MAYBE THAT'S HOW YOU GOT TO LOOK AT IT.
HOW DO YOU RAISE THE ENTRY LEVEL UP TO CERTAIN PAY BANDS? BECAUSE I THINK WE ALL WANT THAT ENTRY LEVEL TO STAY HERE, NOT TO GET TRAINED AND LEAVE, GO SOMEWHERE ELSE TO MAKE 10,000 MORE WHEN IN OUR PLAN IT WILL GET THERE.
SO I THINK IT'S A LITTLE BIT OF A CARROT.
LIKE WE BELIEVE IN YOU FIRST JOB WORK HARD.
UM, AND THEN CONSIDER THE LIVING HERE THING.
I LOVE THAT INCENTIVIZE PEOPLE TO LIVE IN OUR ZIP CODES.
AND JUST SO, YOU KNOW, WE DO OFFER OTHER INCENTIVES THAT AREN'T REFLECTED IN HERE.
FOR EXAMPLE, LIKE IN PUBLIC WORKS, IF YOU GO AND GET A CERTIFICATION FOR PESTICIDES, WE GIVE YOU AN INCREASE WHILE YOU CARRY THAT CERTIFICATION.
IF YOU GO AND DO OTHER THINGS LIKE THAT, THERE, THERE ARE CERTAIN, YOU KNOW, THINGS THAT WE CAN HELP COMPENSATE RELATED TO PEOPLE WHO, WHO MAKE THEMSELVES MORE VALUABLE BY DOING THOSE THINGS.
SO THERE'S OTHER THINGS WITHIN THAT WE DO THAT AREN'T REFLECTED JUST IN OUR PAY BANS.
SO, UM, BUT I THINK MOVING FORWARD, LIKE I SAID, I THINK THERE'S TWO THINGS WE CAN DO QUICKLY, WHICH IS BETWEEN THIS BUDGET YEAR, NEXT BUDGET YEAR, LOOK, TO GET IT SO THAT OUR MINIMUM PAY IS, YOU KNOW, OUR HIGHEST HOUR, OUR LOWEST HOURLY RATE FOR A FULL-TIME EMPLOYEE WAS JUST SHORTER, $17.
MAYBE WE SAY, OKAY, BETWEEN THIS YEAR AND NEXT YEAR, WE WANT TO GET THAT UP TO 1850.
AND THEN IN THE NEXT BUDGET YEAR DO 20, OH THIS YEAR, COUPLE OF YEARS.
SO WE SAID, LET'S SAY WE TAKE HALF OF IT THIS YEAR AND THEN HALF OF IT.
AND NEXT BUDGET YEAR, THAT WAS SLIDE.
WOULDN'T IT STEVEN, BECAUSE AGAIN WITH THE, I MEAN, IT'S A GOOD THING.
I MEAN, IF YOUR GOAL IS 20, BUT THEN YOU HIT THE 20, THEN EVERY SINGLE YEAR, THOSE WAGE SALARY CATEGORY SLIDE BASED ON COST OF LIVING.
SO THE 20 TO 20, WHEN YOU HIT, IT COULD BE 21 OR 22 THE FOLLOWING YEAR.
WELL, THAT WOULD GIVE US TIME TO SEE WHAT I'M SAYING THE NEXT YEAR.
WE MAY HAVE A COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENT, WHICH ADJUSTS DO WITH 3%,
[01:00:01]
WHICH MAY GET US ALREADY HALFWAY TO WHERE WE NEED TO BE FOR THE NEXT BUDGET YEAR.BUT IF WE WERE TO GO IN AND SAY, OKAY, WHO'S MAKING LESS THAN NINE, YOU KNOW, 1850 AN HOUR RIGHT NOW, INSIDE OF THE TOWN, IT MAY BE SEVEN PEOPLE.
AND WE CAN THAT COST TO GET THOSE PEOPLE UP MAY NOT BE AS IMPACTFUL ON THE BUDGET AS SOME OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT, BUT IT'S SOMETHING WE CAN DO SOONER RATHER THAN LATER, THAT WILL HAVE AN IMPACT AS WELL.
IT'S WHEN WE START LOOKING AT THE MAYOR AND JANUARY IS LOOKING AT MAYBE A TIERED PROGRAM AND SEEING WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.
AND HOPEFULLY BETWEEN THAT AND THOSE TWO THINGS WE WILL, LIKE YOU SAID, WE'LL TAKE SOME OF THOSE THAT NEED, YOU KNOW, THAT ARE OUR LOWEST AND IN THE, UH, IN OUR PAY AND GET THEM UP A LITTLE BIT.
I THINK IT'S AN, I, I WAS WORKING FOR THE TOWN AND I WENT TO YOUR ALL HANDS MEETING.
I WASN'T AT YOUR POLICE MEETINGS, THEIR REACTION.
IT, I THINK JUST THAT ALONE IS GOING TO SHOW THEM THEY HADN'T BEEN PAID YET.
WELL, I GUESS SAY ABOUT HAVING A CHECK, UM, TO SEE SOMETHING IMMEDIATE.
I THINK IT SHOWS THAT WE'RE ON TO SOMETHING.
SO IF THEY CAN JUST HOLD ON ONE YEAR AND TWO YEARS TO SEE WHERE WE'RE GOING, UM, I THINK IT'S A GREAT INCENTIVE TO STAY IN.
AND, AND THEY STILL HAVE, WE ALL STILL HAVE THREE MORE PAY PERIODS WITH ARPA.
RIGHT? SO WE'VE GOT FIVE MORE PAY PERIODS WITH THE ARPA AND OUR, OUR PAY INCREASE.
SO, WHICH HAS BEEN VERY HELPFUL FOR EMPLOYEES.
AND THAT IS PROBABLY WHAT WAS GOING TO TAKE THE LONGEST TONIGHT US, BUT IT'S A CONVERSATION THAT WE WANTED TO CONTINUE.
AND I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WHEN WE AT LEAST LEAVE OUT OF HERE, WE LEAVE OUT ON AN UNDERSTANDING OF WHERE WE CAN GO.
AT LEAST A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT WE CAN HAVE THAT WE CAN DO SHORT TERM, AND THEN WE CAN CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION.
LIKE I SAID, IT DOESN'T HAVE TO END TONIGHT JUST BECAUSE WE TALKED ABOUT IT TONIGHT.
AND WE HAD A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT MAY BE BENEFICIAL.
DOES IT MEAN THAT THE CONVERSATION HAS TO BE DONE? UM, THIS IS SOMETHING WE CAN CONTINUE.
WE CAN LOOK AT IT THROUGHOUT THE YEAR AND SO ON.
AND, UM, DO YOU MAKE THAT CHANGE FOR YOUR THOUGHTS IN THIS BUDGET THAT WE VOTE ON IN JUNE? UM, WE'LL GO IN AND SEE WHAT THE, SEE, WHAT THE IMPACT WILL LOOK LIKE TO DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
CHRIS, YOU WERE GOING TO SAY SOMETHING AND I'VE STOPPED YOU.
DO YOU REMEMBER WHAT IT WAS? UM, OH, I WAS JUST GONNA MENTION THAT WHEN, UM, WHEN YOU'RE COMPARING OUR MEDIAN SALARIES AND SALARY FIGURES TO AMI, BE CAREFUL THAT FIRST TWO DIFFERENT METRICS.
SO AMI IS BASED ON HOUSEHOLD INCOME AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SINGLE INDIVIDUAL INCOME AND TALK ABOUT OUR EMPLOYEES.
SO WE SAY OUR MEDIAN INCOME FOR OUR EMPLOYEES IS SICK RIGHT AT THE AREA MEETING INCOME.
UM, DON'T FORGET THE AIR MEDIUM COMES VISIT HOUSEHOLDS.
SO IT ASSUMES IF THERE'S TWO INCOME EARNERS IN THE HOUSEHOLD OR NOT.
WELL, THAT'S WHAT I'D MENTIONED BEFORE, JUST AS A, OFF THE TOP SAMPLE, IF WE GOT A 50,000 THROW TO $50,000 EMPLOYEES THAT ARE MARRIED, WORKING FOR THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON AND THROW TWO KIDS IN THERE AND THEY'LL BE RIGHT DOWN THERE OR THEY'LL BE BELOW, OR, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE YOU HAD THE CHILDREN MAKE MORE OR NEED TO MAKE MORE, YOU KNOW, THAT, ALL RIGHT.
SO WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO NOW IS IF YOU'LL TURN TO TAB FIVE AND YOUR BUDGET BOOKS, WE'RE GOING TO GO DEPARTMENT BY DEPARTMENT.
AND I JUST WANTED, IT'S EASIER AS WE GO THROUGH, BECAUSE IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ON WHY A NUMBER MAY BE GOING UP OR DECREASING, UH, CHRIS AND STAFF HAVE EVERYTHING OUTLINED IN THERE, AND WHILE YOU'RE SEEING CHANGES BETWEEN THE BUDGET.
SO I FIND IT EASIER TO GO THROUGH THAT WAY.
THAT WAY IT KEEPS YOU FROM HAVING TO LOOK AT THESE LITTLE NOTES DOWN HERE TO TRY TO ANSWER THIS.
SO, SO THE FIRST ONE'S UP AS Y'ALL, UM, AS YOU CAN SEE, UM, IT'S A LITTLE BIT INCREASE OVER LAST YEAR, 2.4%, NOTHING MAJOR.
AND THEN WE HAD THE EXECUTIVE OFFICE.
MOST OF THAT IS MOVING PEOPLE INTO THE DEPARTMENT.
AND, UM, SO THAT IS, UM, CHRIS, HEATHER, FELICIA BREE, STEVE MOVED INTO THE DEPARTMENT AND BROUGHT THOSE SALARIES AND COSTS WITH THEM.
YOU CAN SAY THAT WAS ABOUT A $286,000 IMPACT ON THIS BUDGET, WHICH ATE UP THE MAJORITY OF THAT.
AND THEN WHAT PAGE ARE WE SUPPOSED TO BE ON? YOU SHOULD BE IN TAB 5 81.
[01:05:01]
THE NEXT ONE IS A NEW DEPARTMENT, WHICH IS COMMUNITY COMMUNICATIONS AND COMMUNITY OUTREACH.THIS IS WHERE WE MOVED DEBBIE OUT OF THE EXECUTIVE OFFICE AND PUT HER LINDY AND TIAA.
AND THERE IS MINE, NOT IN THE SAME ORDER LAYER.
YOU JUST SAID, THERE'S A LOT OF INFORMATION IN BETWEEN WHAT YOU'RE SHOWING AND THE NEXT FLAWED, JUST LET ME KNOW IF I NEED TO SLOW DOWN, YOU KEEP GOING.
UM, SO THE NEXT ONE, LIKE I SAID, IT WAS COMMUNITY COMMUNICATIONS, COMMUNITY OUTREACH.
THIS IS WHERE WE MOVED DEBBIE AND LINDY, AND THEN WE'VE HIRED TIA, WHICH REPLACED LINDSEY.
SO THIS IS ALL OF OUR, OUR PIO, OUR COMMUNICATIONS.
THIS IS WHERE ALL OF OUR NEW TOWN EVENTS AND EVERYTHING ARE COMING OUT OF.
SO THIS IS WHAT YOU'RE SEEING THERE AND A GOOD, UM, WHAT YOU'RE SEEING FOR OPERATING THIS, THE INCREASE IS THE MONEY THAT IS COMING IN FOR THEM TO PUT ON THE FIREWORKS, THE MOVIE NIGHTS, THE, THE BOUNCY HOUSE EVENTS AND OTHER EVENTS THAT WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT AS WE MOVE INTO NEXT YEAR AS WELL.
SO THAT WILL, THAT'S WHERE THAT INCREASES FROM BECAUSE A LOT OF THAT CAME OUT OF, UH, DEREK'S BUDGET AND WHERE WE HAVE SOME STUFF IN THERE, BUT ALSO NEW THINGS AS WE WERE PUTTING ON NEW EVENTS.
UM, NEXT ONE IS THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
UM, SO YOU CAN LOOK AT THIS ONE, A LOT OF THE INCREASES FOR THIS ONE WAS RELATED TO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CLASS IN COMP STUDY, WHERE THE SALARIES FROM THE POLICE DEPARTMENT WERE, UM, INCREASED WITH THE CLASS IN COMP.
AND THEN THE OPERATING IS ALSO GOING UP BECAUSE WE'RE GOING INTO THE SECOND YEAR OF THE VEHICLE LEASE PROGRAM.
THIS IS THE TWO BIG ONES, RIGHT? I D I NEED YOU TO GO BACK FOR A MINUTE.
I WANT TO ANSWER BACK TO COMMUNICATION AND OUTREACH DEPARTMENTS, HOW MUCH MONEY IS GOING INTO THOSE EVENTS THAT YOU JUST MENTIONED? I THINK WE BUDGETED 120, 130, 1030, 1000 FOR JUST THIS FISCAL YEAR.
THAT'D BE JULY THROUGH JUNE OF NEXT FOR 22 THROUGH 23.
AND THEN, LIKE I SAID, SOME OF THAT IS COMING OUT OF DEREK'S BUDGET INTO THERE AS WELL, BECAUSE THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT THEY'LL HANDLE, LIKE FOR THE TREE LIGHTING WITH LIKE SANTA CLAUS AND STUFF WILL COME OUT OF THIS BUDGET NOW VERSUS WHERE IT WAS COMING OUT OF DEREK'S BEFORE.
THAT'S A LITTLE BIT OF A COMBINATION OF BOTH, BUT THANK YOU, PLEASE.
WE JUST TALKED ABOUT THAT ONE.
IS IT, DO I NEED TO KEEP SAYING GOOD JOB SCROLL DOWN IN HERE? CAUSE I WAS TRYING TO REMEMBER YEAH.
COMPUTER AND HARDWARE REPLACEMENT, WHICH IS A 20,000 DISASTER RECOVERY SOFTWARE, 29.
THERE'S THIS LICENSE WITH TYLER.
THE BIG COST IN THERE IS OUR NEW WE'RE LOOKING AT REPLACING OUR PHONE SYSTEM.
AND, UM, TOMMY ACTUALLY SENT OUT A SURVEY TODAY.
CAUSE WE WERE LOOKING AT, TRYING TO HAVE, IS A MODERN PHONE SYSTEM WORK IS I DON'T USE MY DESK PHONE.
I FORWARD IT DIRECTLY TO MY CELL PHONE.
SO YOU NEED, HOW MANY DESK PHONES DO YOU NEED VERSUS JUST BEING ABLE TO HAVE A SALE.
SO WE'RE LOOKING, HE'S DOING SOME SURVEYS ON THAT.
SO WE CAN LOOK AT IMPLEMENTING AND WE DO THAT WHEN WE BUILT TOWN HALL OR NO, SORRY.
HE STILL HAD, UM, SO SHE STILL HAD LIKE LANDLORDS PHYSICAL PHONE SYSTEM.
SO YEAH, THE PHYSICAL PHONE SYSTEM SECURITY IS YOUR SOFTWARE.
THIS IS ALL A LOT OF IT'S SOFTWARE, 100, 100 PUBLIC SERVICES DEPARTMENT.
SO AGAIN, THIS IS A NEW DEPARTMENT WHERE I REORGANIZED, I TOOK DEREK'S DEPARTMENT OUT OF ENGINEERING AND MOVE THEM INTO THEIR STANDALONE APARTMENT WITH THE ANTICIPATION THAT AS WE BUILD MORE PARKS AND WE CONTINUE TO GROW THAT THAT DEPARTMENT IS GOING TO CONTINUE TO GROW AS WELL.
SO PUT THEM ON IN THEIR OWN DEPARTMENT.
UM, SO YOU CAN SEE THAT ONE, THAT ONE THERE'S IS MINIMUM INCREASE FOR THE MOST PART.
I THINK IT'S RELATED TO THE CLASS AND COMPENSATION STUDY FOR THAT DOLLAR AMOUNT.
THERE'S THIS FOR PUBLIC SERVICES, PUBLIC WORKS, PUBLIC SERVICE, SAME THING.
AND I NOTICED DEREK IS COMING TO MORE OF THE TOWN COUNCIL
[01:10:01]
MEETING.IS THAT, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT YOU REQUIRED HIM TO DO? THEY ARE COMING TO THE TOWN COUNCILMAN AS A SENIOR STAFF MEMBER.
SO HE LIVED ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WORLD, HEY, HEY, COME ON GUYS STAFF, IF IT WASN'T HERE.
AND HE COMES IN EVERY DAY, I TELL HIM, WE TELL HIM, WE NEED TO FIND HIM A DOCK SOMEWHERE ON THAT SIDE OF THE RIVER.
SO HE CAN JUST COME IN AND GO BY BOAT INSTEAD BECAUSE HELEN AT HOME AND NOT JUST, DON'T SAY HELENA, HE LIVES IN THE DEEP DOWN.
I'M ACTUALLY SURPRISED BY THIS.
YOU KNOW WHAT? THERE ARE NEW ARCS AND THE WORK AND ALL THAT INCREASE.
THE WORKLOAD INCREASED THAT IT WASN'T, WELL, IT WASN'T, THERE'S NOT MUCH INCREASED TO THE WORKLOAD RIGHT NOW, BUT AS WE BRING ON NEW RIVERSIDE, AS WE LOOK TO ACQUIRE, UM, PARK, AS WE LOOK AT THE LINEAR TRAIL, UM, IN THE FUTURE OR ADDITIONAL PARK SPACE, ALONG THE LINEAR TRAIL, STUFF LIKE THAT, YOU'LL SEE THIS DEPARTMENT GAIN MORE EMPLOYEES OVER THE YEARS.
UM, WE ALSO MOVED A BIG CHUNK OUT OF HERE TO COMMUNICATIONS FOR CIVIC EVENTS.
SOME OF THAT, AND LINDA MAYBE MOVED OUT OF THIS DEPARTMENT AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
SO, SO THIS IS YOUR FIRST FULL YEAR BUDGET REFLECTING THE CHANGES THAT I MADE DURING THE RESTRUCTURE.
SO THAT'S WHY YOU'RE SAYING THE NEW DEPARTMENTS WITH PUBLIC SERVICES AND COMMUNITY COMMUNICATIONS AND OUTREACH.
THAT'S WHY YOU SEE HIS FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES GOING DOWN BY ONE, BECAUSE THAT WAS LINDY MOVING OUT OF THAT DEPARTMENT.
AND THEN THIS IS THEIR COMMITTEE BEAUTIFICATION COMMITTEE.
WHEN YOU SEE THE REQUEST THEY HAVE IN THERE FOR DOING GENERAL THREE PLANNING AND SOME SPECIAL WORK.
AND I WILL SAY, I'M GLAD TO SEE THEM BACK MEETING AGAIN.
AND I, YOU SAW WHAT THEY DID OVER AT GARVIN GARVEY HOUSE, BEING ABLE TO DO THE PLANNINGS OVER THERE.
SO I THINK IT'S GOOD TO SEE THEM BACK OUT AND DOING MORE.
UM, YOU GOT FINANCE AND ADMIN 1 0 4.
UM, AGAIN, THIS ONE IS DECREASING MOSTLY BECAUSE OF CHRIS AND FELICIA COMING OUT OF THAT DEPARTMENT INTO EXECUTIVE.
UH, CHRIS COMING OUT AS, UH, ASSISTANT TOWN MANAGER, FELICIA MOVING INTO A ROLE, BEING MORE OF, WE CALL IT COMPLIANCE AND CONTRACT COMPLIANCE AND CONTRACTS, UM, WHERE SHE'LL BE DOING SOME INTERNAL WORK, WORKING TO DO SOME INTERNAL LEGAL STUFF FOR US, LIKE REGISTERING, FALLING RIGHT AWAY AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
AND WORKING DIRECTLY WITH, UM, IN RICHARDSON AND TERRY WE'VE MET WITH THEM.
THEY'RE A HUNDRED PERCENT ON BOARD.
THEY'VE BEEN WORKING WITH HER.
SO HOPEFULLY SHE'LL DO SOME OF OUR FOUR YEAR REQUESTS AND TAKE THAT AND FREE THEM UP TO FOCUS ON OUR BIGGER ITEMS THAT WE NEED THEM TO BE FOCUSING ON.
THEY'RE EXCITED ABOUT THAT AND HOPEFULLY IT WILL HELP US GET SOME OF THESE THINGS MOVING FORWARD FASTER.
NATALIE, I DIDN'T JUST REALIZE THAT YOU CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER CONGRATULATIONS OR UH, NEXT IS HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT.
UM, YOU CAN SEE THIS ONE HAS JUST A SLIGHT DECREASE JUST WITH THE PERSONNEL CHANGE OVER THE LAST YEAR WITH WE HAD IN LAST YEAR'S BUDGET WHEN KATHERINE WAS STILL HERE, WE ACTUALLY STAGGERED CANNY, CATHERINE AND ANNIE, ABOUT TWO MONTHS OVER EACH OTHER.
SO WE ACTUALLY DOUBLE, WE HAD TWO DIRECTORS FOR ABOUT TWO MONTHS.
SO THAT'S TAKEN OUT FOR THIS YEAR.
SO THAT REDUCED A LOT OF THAT EXPENSE, UH, MUNICIPAL COURT.
THIS ONE'S GOT SLIGHT INCREASE INTO IT.
A GOOD PORTION OF THAT IS THE CONTRACT WITH PUBLIC DEFENDER'S OFFICE GROWTH MANAGEMENT.
AGAIN, THIS ONE'S GOT A DECREASE IN FLUSHING AND SALARIES AND BENEFITS MOSTLY FOR HEATHER COMING OUT OF THAT DEPARTMENT AND MOVING INTO, UM, AND BREE, THANK YOU, MOVING INTO EXECUTIVE.
AND YOU CAN SEE THAT DECREASE IN THE FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES FROM 21 AND A HALF TO 19 AND A HALF.
UM, THEY ALSO HAVE A LARGE OPERATING DECREASE BECAUSE ONCE THE COMP PLAN GETS IN, UM, AND Y'ALL ADOPT IT, WE WON'T HAVE THAT EXPENSE NEXT BUDGET YEAR.
UM, HERE'S THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND HERE, JUST BECAUSE SURE.
UM, AND THE BUDGET, IT MAY NOT BE IN YOUR ACTUAL BOOK.
WE JUST PUT THIS IN HERE JUST IN CASE THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS.
UM, SO IT SHOWS THE FISCAL YEAR 22,
[01:15:01]
UM, WAS AT 150.IT'S STILL PROPOSED FOR 150 FOR FISCAL YEAR 23 TO CONTINUE THAT FORWARD FOR I'M SORRY, 190 TOTAL.
I WAS JUST LOOKING AT THE TOP LINE.
SO 190 AGAIN FOR NEXT FISCAL YEAR.
AND THEN WE HAVE PROJECTS AND WATERSHED RESILIENCY, WHICH IS THE OLD ENGINEERING NON-US, UH, DERRICK MINUS PUBLIC SERVICES.
UM, SO YOU CAN SEE IT'S NOT MUCH OF A CHANGE FOR THEM AND THEIR OVERALL BUDGET.
IT'S ABOUT 10%, BUT A LOT OF THAT ISN'T OPERATING.
AND, UM, A LOT OF THE MOST PORTION OF MOST OF THAT IS WE'VE INCLUDED TO CON TO DO A CONTRACT POSITION, TO HELP US GET EASEMENTS AND MOVE FORWARD THE GHOST ROADS AND TRY TO GET EASEMENTS FOR WRITEAWAYS AND ALL THESE PROJECTS INTO OUR PROJECTS SO THAT WE HAVE SOMEBODY THAT'S FOCUSED SPECIFICALLY ON THAT.
AND SO WE BUDGETED MONEY IN THERE AT, FOR A CONTRACT POSITION TO MOVE THAT, MOVE THAT FORWARD.
I DON'T KNOW IF OUR PAGES LIKE YOUR PAGE, UNLESS I'M WRONG.
SO IN THE BUDGET BOOK, IT REFLECTS POST PROJECTS, PRESENTATIONS, YOU SEPARATED PROJECTS BECAUSE STORM WATER WE'LL GET TO THE MANAGER.
SO WE WERE, I KNOW WE TALKED ABOUT THIS, UM, CONTRACTING SOME OF THIS OUT SO THAT WE CAN GET SOME STUFF DONE, RIGHT.
ARE WE WAITING ON THIS BUDGET TO DO THAT? OR ARE WE ALREADY STARTED THAT WE'RE WORKING TO ADVERTISE IT OUT NOW ADVERTISE LAST WEEK OR SOMETHING, SOMETHING ON INSTAGRAM WENT OUT ABOUT THIS.
WE'RE WORKING, WE'RE WORKING TO GET IT ADVERTISED OUT AS SOON AS WE CAN.
SO THAT AS SOON AS THE FISCAL YEAR'S DONE, WE CAN.
BUT OUR HOPE IS THAT WE'LL HELP GET A LOT OF THESE GHOST ROAD THINGS DONE BECAUSE WE'VE GOT OUR PROJECT MANAGERS MANAGING SEVEN, EIGHT PROJECTS AND TRYING TO DO GHOST ROADS.
THIS PERSON CAN FOCUS SPECIFICALLY JUST ON THAT, WHICH IS REALLY WHAT BENNY WAS DOING BEFORE HE LEFT.
THAT WILL, UM, TIE IN WITH YOU UTILITY EASEMENT ACQUISITION TO IT RELATED TO THE GROUND VALID RAIL, THE WHOLE HISTORIC THAT'S RIGHT.
THERE'LL BE IN THE HISTORIC DISTRICT TALKING TO EVERYBODY, GETTING EASEMENTS AND TRYING TO GET THE GHOST ROADS DONE SO WE CAN MOVE BECAUSE WHEN WE GET TO CAPITOL ON THURSDAY, YOU'LL SEE, WE'RE TRYING TO PUSH THE SEWER PROJECTS.
I SAID, WHEN I SAID EASEMENT ACQUISITION, I MET FOR UTILITIES.
IF I DIDN'T, WASN'T CLEAR ON THAT ELECTRIC, UM, I'M NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO BE HERE THURSDAY.
UM, WE CAN TALK REAL QUICK AFTERWARDS.
WE JUST TALKED ABOUT IT TODAY.
UM, NEXT IS THE TOWN-WIDE EXPENSES.
THIS ONE'S DOWN JUST A LITTLE BIT FROM LAST YEAR.
I'LL LET YOU LOOK AT THE SPREADSHEET IN THERE.
IT ALL RUNS TOGETHER AND I CAN'T REMEMBER EXACTLY WHAT THE NUMBERS ARE.
SO THE BIGGEST PIECE IS WE HAD THE ARPA, UH, RETENTION INCENTIVE IN HERE, WHICH IS
AND THEN THE, UM, WE HAD THE TRANSFER THAT WE MAKE, UM, DURING ONE OF THE BUDGET MINUTES TO CFP FOR LAND ACQUISITION, UM, THAT LARGE TRANSFER IS NOT IN THE PROPOSAL.
SO IT, THOSE TWO THINGS MAKE UP THAT LARGE DIFFERENCE.
I HAVE TO LIKE SCROLL DOWN TO GET TO THAT.
THIS IS AS A REMINDER, THIS IS WHERE WE PAY FOR THINGS THAT ARE TOWN-WIDE RESIDENTIAL GARBAGE COLLECTION, POWER BILLS.
THIS IS WHERE A LOT OF OUR PARTNERSHIPS COME OUT LIKE THE URBAN BREE, UH, PALMETTO BREEZE, UM, AND STUFF LIKE THAT ARE LEGAL EXPENSES.
SEE, IT'S GOT A SLIGHT INCREASE.
MOST OF THAT IS RELATED TO THE OPERA FUNDING THAT WAS SET ASIDE FOR THEM TO DO A PART-TIME CONTRACTS TO HELP WITH BUSINESS, SMALL BUSINESS PEOPLE RECOVER FROM ARCO.
AND THEN WE'RE MOVING ABOUT A MILLION DOLLARS INTO CIP, WHICH INCLUDES LAND ACQUISITION, THE DOCUMENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM, WHICH IS WHAT TOMMY'S WORKING TO IMPLEMENT RIGHT NOW, CLOSE THE NETWORK IMPROVEMENTS.
AND THEN THE REMAINING FOR THE ARPA FUNDS.
I THINK THAT'S ALL FOR FUNDS IS MOSTLY FOR THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING TRUST.
SHOULD THAT EVERYTHING MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT? I SENT Y'ALL AN UPDATE ABOUT THAT TODAY.
SO I WAS LOOKING AND TRYING TO FIND IT.
I THOUGHT I SAW IT, BUT THEN I COULDN'T COME BACK TO, UM,
[01:20:01]
TOTAL LAND ACQUISITION IN THIS, IN THIS PROPOSED BUDGET IS WHAT NUMBER IS 3, 5, 3, 5.I WAS JUST DOUBLE-CHECKING WHAT THREE AND A HALF.
SO HERE IS THAT ON A CHART SHOWING YOU PERCENTAGE OF OVERALL BUDGET, AS YOU CAN SEE, THE POLICE MAKE UP ABOUT A THIRD OF THE BUDGET GROWTH.
AND THEN TOWN-WIDE, WHICH IS, LIKE I SAID, THAT'S THINGS THAT AFFECT THE ENTIRE TOWN, TRASH COLLECTION, POWER BILLS, STUFF LIKE THAT.
AND PLATFORM, IN CASE YOU'D LIKE TO EAT PIE VERSUS LOOKING AT A CHART, UM, A COUPLE OF RANDOM THINGS AS WE FINISH UP THE GENERAL FUND, JUST THAT'S HANGING OUT STILL THE STATE.
I WANTED TO ALWAYS LIKE TO TALK ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE STATE LEGISLATURE, BECAUSE SOME OF THAT STUFF DOES AFFECT US.
SO THE STATE LEGISLATURE ADJOURN, SANI DIE ON MAY 12TH, WHICH MEANS THAT THEY ADJOURNED.
THAT'S JUST THE LATIN TERM FOR IT.
IT MEANS WITH NO OTHER BUSINESS, EXCEPT FOR THEY LEFT THEMSELVES WITH OTHER, OTHER BUSINESS BECAUSE THEY HAVE NOT ADOPTED A FISCAL YEAR, 22, 23 BUDGET YET.
AND THEY ALSO LEFT THEMSELVES ITEMS, UM, THAT WERE IN CONFERENCE COMMITTEE THAT THEY COULD COME BACK AND DISCUSS A COUPLE OF THINGS I DID ADOPT.
ONE IS A LAW ENFORCEMENT WHERE THEY CALL THEIR BETTERMENT BILL.
UM, SHOULDN'T REALLY HAVE ANY IMPACT ON US.
SO WITH US BEING, CALIA CERTIFIED A LOT OF THE MINIMUM THINGS THEY WERE PUTTING IN PLACE TO DO WITH HAVING BACKGROUND CHECKS, FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE APPLYING TO BE POLICE OFFICER THINGS RELATED TO THEIR CERTIFICATION, WE GO FAR AND ABOVE THAT ALREADY.
UM, SOME OF IT DID OUTLINE SOME REPORTING THAT HAS TO BE DONE TO THE STATE.
SO WE'LL HAVE TO COMPLY WITH THAT.
BUT A LOT OF IT, SOME OF IT HAD TO DO WITH A SEE, SOMETHING, REPORT SOMETHING.
SO IF YOU SEE SOMEBODY IN PENDING ON SOMEBODY'S CIVIL RIGHTS OR PHYSICAL RIGHTS, YOU HAVE A DUTY AS AN OFFICER TO REPORT.
THAT WAS PART OF THAT IN THERE.
SO EVEN IF THEY DON'T INTERCEDE, THEY HAVE TO REPORT IT.
SO THAT WAS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT CAME OUT OF THERE THAT WE'LL WORK TO MAKE SURE WHICH I'M PRETTY SURE WE'RE ALREADY DOING ALL THAT.
UM, THEY DID WITH THEIR ARPA BILL, THEY PASSED THAT IT WENT TO THE GOVERNOR, THEY SAID 900 MILLION TO A WATER AND SEWER ACCOUNT THROUGH.
I DIDN'T PUT IT ON HERE, BUT IT'S A RURAL INFRASTRUCTURE AUTHORITY.
SO THAT'S SOME OF THOSE THINGS THAT WE'LL CONTINUE TO WORK.
UM, WE'VE TALKED TO LIKE, BJW ABOUT SOME OF OUR SHOW PROJECTS BECAUSE WE CAN'T NECESSARILY GO ON A PLATFORM BECAUSE WE DON'T OWN THE UTILITIES, BUT WE'RE WORKING WITH THEM ON STUFF THAT HEY CAN, WHEN YOU GO INTO, OOPS, SORRY FOR SOME OF THESE FUNDS TO HELP ACCOMPLISH SOME OF THE GOALS THAT YOU HAVE OUT THERE ALSO SET A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS FOR THE OFFICE OF RESILIENCE, WHICH WILL MAKE HIM HAPPY, WHICH IS THINGS LIKE STORMWATER, WHERE WE CAN GO AFTER AND LOOK AT THINGS THAT WE CAN DO RELATED TO BEING MORE RESILIENT WITH STORM WATER SYSTEMS PLANNING, AND SOME OF THE THINGS THAT YOU SAW, JUST WHERE WE AWARDED TO LOOK AT SOME OF THE WATERSHED STUFF THERE, HOPEFULLY THERE'LL BE SOME FUNDS AND GRANTS WE CAN GO AFTER FOR THAT.
UM, THINGS THAT LEFT IN CONFERENCE.
LIKE I SAID, THEIR BUDGET, COUPLE OF BIG ITEMS THAT WERE WELL, REALLY JUST ONE IS THE INSURANCE RATES.
ONE OF THE BUDGETS SETS IT AT 14.1% INCREASE ONE SETS AT 18.1% INCREASE.
SO DEPENDING ON WHAT COMES OUT OF THE STATE LEGISLATOR, WE MAY HAVE TO LOOK AT THE BUDGET TO FIGURE WHAT, HOW THAT MAY IMPACT US, UM, BURNS VERSUS, UH, UM, GREENVILLE COUNTY.
THIS IS THE SUPREME COURT DECISION THAT GOT RID OF THE ROAD IMPACT FEE.
UH, JUST PUT THIS ON HERE BECAUSE THEY SAVED THAT FOR CONFERENCE COMMITTEE TO DISCUSS, SHOULD THEY END UP, UH, PASSING A BILL THAT WOULD, UM, ADDRESS THE SUPREME COURT DECISIONS? IT WOULD OPEN THE OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO BE ABLE TO IMPLEMENT THE ROAD FEE LIKE WE DID IN THE PAST, WHICH HAD BEEN AN ADDITIONAL REVENUE SOURCE THAT MAY ADDRESS SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE COMING IN CIP, OR THEY MAY COME DOWN THE LINE LIKE FIXING ROADWAY, STREETSCAPE, STUFF LIKE THAT.
I JUST PUT THIS ON HERE AS AN FYI, BECAUSE IF THEY PASS IT, IT MEANS THAT THERE HAS TO BE A PROGRAM SET UP FOR THEM TO COLLECT THINGS LIKE OLD TVS WHERE THEY CAN'T GO RIGHT NOW.
SO THEY'RE WORKING ON WAYS TO ADDRESS THAT.
AND WE GET A CHOICE WHETHER WE WANT TO PARTNER IN OR NOT, UH, THE OPIOID SETTLEMENT, WE ARE A PARTNER WITH THE NATIONAL OPIOID SETTLEMENT, BUT THE STATE IS HAVING TO REVIEW IT AND MAKE SOME, AND MAKE APPROVALS OF IT AND SET AN OVERALL STATE BOARD.
SO WE'RE WAITING TO SEE IF THEY APPROVE THAT OR NOT.
SO WE'LL GO TO STORM WATER FUND AND THIS ONE WOULD BE A LOT QUICKER.
UM, I BELIEVE THAT WE ALL KNOW WHAT THE STORM WATER FUND EXISTS FOR OR EXTREME RECALL YOUR RESILIENCY.
UM, THIS IS WHERE OUR FEE IS COMPARED TO THOSE AROUND US TENABLE AT 115 PER YEAR, AS YOU CAN SEE, WE'RE SITTING IN BETWEEN BUFORT AND HILTON HEAD AND RIDING BETWEEN THEM AND BUFORD COUNTY AND PORT ROLES.
SO WE'RE NOT, NOT THE HIGHEST, BUT WE'RE KIND OF RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE.
[01:25:03]
UM, THERE IS ONE CHANGE PROPOSED TO THE MASTER FEE SCHEDULE FOR THE, FOR THE TOWN AND IT DOES COME AND STORM WATER.AND THAT IS THEM ADDING IN A, UM, RE-INSPECTION RESULTING FROM NOTICE OF VIOLATION FEE.
AND THIS IS THE SAME COST AS A NORMAL RE-INSPECTION FEE.
SO IN OTHER WORDS, IF WE HAVE A NOTICE OF VIOLATION, WE HAVE TO COME OUT AND REINSPECT TO ENSURE THAT IT'S COMPLIANT.
WE'RE GOING TO CHARGE THE SAME FEE AS WE WOULD TO COME OUT AND DO A NORMAL INSPECTION, BUT IT SAYS 100 FOR AN INSPECTION, 200 FOR A REMOVAL STOP WORK ORDER.
UM, IS THAT THE 100 PER INSPECTION, 200 AND ROOFTOP REPORT THAT'S FOR RESIDENTIAL ESTIMATE OR THAT'S NOT EVEN A SUBDIVISION.
AND THEN THE CATEGORY THAT MATCHES WHAT KNOW IF YOU, IF YOU CAN TURN LIKE, YEAH, IT'S THIS ONE HERE AND THIS ONE HERE, THOSE MATCH, YOU CAN'T SEE THAT ON THAT THING.
UM, SO THE WATER WHERE THE EXPENDITURES GO, IT DOES SUPPORT THE MAY RIVER WATERSHED ACTION PLAN OR
UM, AGAIN, WE PUT THE DOLLAR AMOUNTS IN HERE, SO YOU CAN SEE HOW THAT GOES.
UM, NOT JUST SEE THE PROGRAMS THAT WE'RE SUPPORTING.
UM, BIG ONE IS IT GOES TO SUPPORT OUR GEO BOND PAYMENT THAT WE, UM, THAT WE HAVE.
AND THEN IT ALSO INCLUDES A CAPITAL CAP, A COUPLE OF CAPITAL OUTLAYS, ONE OF WHICH IS A VEHICLE REPLACEMENT.
THE OTHER IS WHAT ARE CALLED TELEMETRY STATIONS TO GO ON THE MAY RIVER SO THEY CAN DO LIVE WATER SAMPLING.
THIS ISN'T THAT LONG, IT'S NOT IN THE NAME RIVER BRITAIN.
THE DRAINAGE IS LEADING TO THE MAY RIVER TO HELP CALIBRATE A WATER QUALITY MODEL THAT WILL IMPACT THE RIVER.
BUT YES, IT IS LIKE DATA COLLECTION.
AND THESE WOULD BE OUR FIRST ONES.
I HOPE TO EXPAND ON THESE SO WE CAN REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF PHYSICAL SAMPLING WE HAVE TO DO AGAIN AND PLATFORM.
THIS TELLS YOU, IT SHOWS YOU WHERE THE BREAKDOWN OF OUR COST AND STORMWATER GOES BIGGEST BEING SALARY AND BENEFITS FOR OUR PEOPLE OPERATING, BEING ABOUT 25% OF THAT.
AND THEN A GOOD PORTION GOING OUT FOR DEBT AND CIP PROJECTS.
WHAT'D WE SAY, CAPITAL OUTLAY.
I KNOW I ASKED THIS LAST TIME, WHAT DOES CAPITAL OUTLAY IT'S THE CAPITAL OUTLAY IS ANYTHING OVER $5,000 THAT WE HAVE TO, UM, APPRECIATE.
AND THAT WOULD BE A CAPITAL PURCHASE.
THE TWO THAT ARE IN HERE ARE A VEHICLE REPLACEMENT IN THE TELEMETRY STATIONS.
THEY'RE THE VERY ON THE VERY BOTTOM OF THE SLIDE.
SO CHART FORM OF THE PIE WAS I PUT THE NUMBERS WITH IT.
YOU CAN SEE SALARY AND BENEFITS OPERATING AND THEN CAPITAL OUTLAY.
AND AS YOU CAN SEE, THE VAST MAJORITY OF THE FUNDS GO TO TRANSFER OUT TO, UM, THAT SERVICE CIP AND CONTRIBUTE FUND BALANCE UP FOR PROJECTS.
SO GO TO THE DEBT SERVICE FUND, AND THIS IS WHERE WE ACCOUNT FOR OUR LONG-TERM DEBT.
THESE ARE OUR CURRENT LONG-TERM DEBT WITH THE ONE IN RED, THE PROPOSED FOR THE PROPOSED NEW DEBT THAT WE'RE LOOKING TO, UH, ISSUE.
WE HAVE TWO GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS, ONE TIED TO STORM WATER RIGHT NOW, ONE TO PROPERTY TAX.
WE ALSO CURRENTLY HAVE A TIF BOND AND WE'RE PROPOSING TO ISSUE A NEW TIF BOND FOR 9.8 MILLION 9.85 MILLION.
THAT WOULD GO TO DO THE, UM, NEW RIVERSIDE BARN TO THAT PROJECT.
AND HOPEFULLY TAKE IT DOWN FROM A 48 MONTH CYCLE TO ABOUT A 20 MONTH CYCLE.
SO WE HAD A MEETING ON THAT YESTERDAY.
SO WE'RE LOOKING TO TRY TO, UM, BRING THAT DOWN TO GET IT COMPLETED AT A FAR FASTER SCHEDULE NOW THAT WE WOULD HAVE THE FUNDING AVAILABILITY TO DO SO.
THE OTHER POINT I WOULD SAY IS THAT ONCE WE TALK ABOUT CIP ON THURSDAY, WE DID NOT HAVE ANY FUNDING BEYOND 22, 23 FOR NEW RIVERSIDE BARN PROJECT.
SO THIS WOULD PROVIDE THE FUNDING TO COMPLETE THAT PROJECT.
WELL, THAT, UM, I THINK YOU SAID BEFORE THE THIRD BOND DOWN FROM THE TOP THAT WHEN IT WOULD BE PAID OFF IN 2026, CORRECT? YEAH.
THEN THAT MAKES IT WORK BECAUSE IN THE SAME TIME THAT ONE'S COMING DOWN, THE OTHERS ARE COMING DOWN AND AROUND 20, 27, YOU COULD GO OFF AND PAY IT CLOSE TO PAYING OFF ANOTHER ONE, I THINK.
SO THE WAY THAT ONE IS SET UP IS WE WOULD HAVE ONE PAYMENT UP UNTIL 20, 26.
[01:30:01]
CURRENT TIP BOND GETS PAID OFF, WE'LL PUT THAT MONEY TO THIS ONE AND ALLOW US TO BORROW MORE AND PAY IT OFF FASTER.SO IT WOULD BE A 10 YEAR BOND AND WE WOULD BE EXTENDING OUR TIF DISTRICT FROM 2026 TO 2032.
AND THEN, SO THIS BOND WOULD EXPIRE WITH OUR EXPIRATION OF ARCTIC DISTRICT.
AND THEN THE GOAL WOULD BE AT THAT POINT IN TIME, WE WOULD REEVALUATE.
I DON'T SEE THAT WE WOULD PROBABLY EXTEND OUR TIF DISTRICT ANY FURTHER THAN THAT, BUT THAT WOULD BE PROBABLY ABOUT WHAT WE'RE EXPECTING WHEN WE LOOK AT OUR GROWTH AND OUR KIND OF OUR CURVE ON BUILDING THAT 2032, THAT TIMEFRAME IS WHEN WE ANTICIPATE TO SEE GROWTH BEGIN TO LEVEL.
HOW MANY YEARS DID WE DO THE STORMWATER BOND? IS IT 20 YEARS? ANY YEARS SAID EXPIRE IN 2040.
SO THAT'S THIS $50,000 INTEREST ON THE PROPOSED.
THAT'S JUST YOUR PROJECTION OF HALF A YEAR'S R FOUR ON THE BOTTOM IN RED VERSUS FULL HERE.
UH, SO PRINCIPLE WOULD BE THREE 50 AND THE INTEREST.
SO IT'D BE A $400,000 TOTAL PAYMENT, WELL, 50,000 BEING AN INTEREST.
WHY WOULD, WHY WOULD INTEREST ON 9 MILLION, 850 BE 50,000 AND ON OUR STORM WATER UTILITY THING, IT'S SHOWING INTEREST IN 46, REPOS TIP BOND IS A 10-YEAR BOND RATHER THAN A 20 YEAR BOND.
WE WANT, WE WANT TO DRAW A LINE WITH THE EXPIRATION OF THAT'S A DISTRIBUTOR.
SO IF YOU DO A BOND OVER 20 YEARS WITH THE SAME INTEREST RATE, YOUR INTEREST IS THAT BUMP YOUR INTEREST HIGHER AND THAT MONEY WE'RE PAYING THAT MUCH INTEREST ON TODAY, GET SOME SEWER DONE.
UM, AGAIN, UM, OUR PROPOSAL IS TO DO FIRST READING FOR THE TIF BOND IN JULY, AND AS OUTLINED, WE WOULD DO AN EXTENSION.
UM, WE WOULD HAVE THESE RUNNING CONCURRENTLY.
THE FIRST IS COUNCIL WOULD EXTEND OUR TIF TO RUN THROUGH 2032 AND THEN TAKE THE FINANCING AGAINST THE TIP DISTRICTS EXPIRED 32 SO THAT THEY MATCH.
UM, AND THIS IS WHAT THE PROPOSED BONDING WOULD LOOK LIKE WITH PAYING IT DOWN OVER TIME.
AS YOU CAN SEE, THE PAYMENT WOULD START OUT AT, UM, WHICH ONE IS, YEAH, YOU'D SEE.
THE ONE ON THE, THE ONE ON THE LEFT IS OUR 2014 BOND.
THE ONE ON THE RIGHT IS OUR 2022 BOND AS THE 2014 BOND EXPIRES.
YOU CAN SEE THAT WE TAKE THOSE FUNDS AND PUT IT INTO THE OTHER ONES SO WE CAN PAY IT OFF FASTER 20, 27 AND BE BY STAYING BELOW THE $10 MILLION.
IT ALLOWS US TO STANK BANK QUALIFIED AND BE ABLE TO GET THE BEST INTEREST RATE THAT WE CAN.
SO GOING, CONTINUING WITH THE DEBT SERVICE, 57.2 OF WHAT WE USE OUT OF THAT AS J COMES FROM OUR PROPERTY TAXES, UM, 30%, UM, FOR NEXT YEAR IS PRIOR YEAR FUND BALANCE TRANSFER IN, AND THEN YOU SEE STORMWATER AND THEN LICENSE AND PERMITS.
YOU CAN SEE PROPERTY TAXES WOULD MAKE UP ABOUT 3 MILLION.
MY AND PERMITS WOULD BE ABOUT 360,000 WITH PRIOR YEAR TRANSFER ESTIMATED RIGHT NOW TO BE ABOUT ONE AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS.
I'M GOING TO NOTICE IT WAS LABELED AS HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE TICKETS FINES OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
UM, IT'S DOWN SIGNIFICANTLY AND THEY KEPT SAYING THE COVID, BUT COVID CLEAN.
IT WAS A MAJOR DROP FINE YOU'RE BACK IN THE GENERAL BUDGET MUST BE UNDER PLACE.
YEAH, BECAUSE COURT BONDS SETS IN GENERAL FUND AND THAT LAST YEAR WOULD HAVE BEEN A BIG COVID HIT THIS YEAR.
WE'RE JUST RECOVERING FROM IT NOT NEXT YEAR, BUT THAT'S MY POINT.
WELL, IT DOESN'T AFFECT TRAFFIC STOPS.
IT AFFECTS COURT CASES WHERE THE, WHERE ARE WE GOING TO EXTRA CUTS FOR HOW FOR 18 MONTHS YOU WEREN'T ALLOWED TO HAVE COURT.
SO THAT'S WHY YOU'RE OVER YEAR.
THAT'S ONE OF THE CHANGES FROM LAST YEAR TO THIS YEAR IS WE WERE ABLE TO HAVE COURT.
SO YOU SHOULD SEE THOSE NUMBERS BACK.
WELL, THERE WERE LESS, LESS STOPS TO COVER, RIGHT? PROBABLY LESS PEOPLE OUT.
WELL, NOT HIGH SCHOOL, NO NOTHING.
SO HERE'S THE PROPOSED DEBT CYRUS EXPENDITURES, THE BIG ONE FOR CIP TRANSFER OUT.
THAT'S GOING TO BE FOR THE TIF BOND.
SECOND POINT IS YOU CAN SEE GOOD PORTION OF WHAT'S PROPOSED FOR THE ACTUAL PROJECTS, BUT A GOOD PORTION OF IT'S GOING TO GET TRANSFERRED
[01:35:01]
OUT AND GO INTO THE, UM, CIP FUND BALANCE UNTIL WE CAN EXPEND THOSE FUNDS REFERENCED AGAIN, A NUMBERS, THERE ARE PROPOSED PAYMENTS.AND THEN AGAIN, JUST TO WRAP UP, THIS IS THE LONG-TERM PRINCIPLE AND INTEREST PAYMENTS THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE EACH YEAR.
UM, SO THE ONES THAT ARE GOING TO CIP, THIS IS AN OUTLINE OF THE PROJECTS THEY'RE GOING TO.
SO WHEN WE WENT BACK HERE AND YOU HAD THE TRANSFER OUT TO CIP FUNDS, THESE ARE THE PROJECTS THEY WOULD GO FOR STREETSCAPES.
UM, FIRST ROADS BOUNDARY STREET STREETSCAPE, UM, SPOKE WALTER SO ON AND SO FORTH.
SO FUN BALANCE, AS YOU CAN SEE, WE ARE ANTICIPATED TO END THE SCHOOL YEAR 22 WITH ABOUT 44, 4 44 0.8 MILLION IN FUND BALANCE.
FISCAL YEAR 23 IS PROJECTED TO DECREASE THAT.
UM, AND THEN I JUST WANT TO REMIND YOU OF OUR FUND BALANCE POLICY.
THIS WAS UPDATED LAST YEAR, WHICH IS WE HAVE EMERGENCY RESERVE FUND, WHICH IS 15% OF ALL BUDGET EXPENDITURES.
WE DO THE UNASSIGNED RESERVE FUND, WHICH HAS 35% OF ALL BUDGETED GENERAL FUND EXPENDITURES.
AND THEN OUR CAPITAL ASSET RESERVE FUND, WHICH IS WHERE WE DEPOSIT 50% OF THE ANNUAL DEPRECIATION EXPENSE UP TO THE MAXIMUM OF THE MOST RECENT FIVE YEARS OF DEPRECIATION.
SO THIS KEEPS OUR CAPITAL ASSETS WITH, SO WE CAN, UM, THIS EXCEEDS LEVELS OF FUND BALANCE RESERVES.
AND I THINK WE ALL, AS YOU ALL SAID, BEFORE WE ARE IN A HEALTHY POSITION, UM, I WILL SAY CHRIS, UM, NATALIE, THEIR CRAFT, THEY DO A GREAT JOB IN MAINTAINING EVERYTHING AND ENSURING THAT WE STAY IN A GOOD FINANCIAL POSITION AND THAT WE, UM, END UP IN A SITUATION WHERE WE CAN HAVE THE CONVERSATIONS THAT WE HAD EARLIER TONIGHT ON HOW WE CAN BE BETTER.
SO CAN I JUST ASK A QUICK QUESTION? CAN YOU GO BACK ONE RIGHT HERE? OKAY.
SO I'M LOOKING AT THIS 15% OF ALL BUDGETED EXPENDITURES, WHICH MEANS THIS BUDGET AMOUNT THAT YOU'RE PROPOSING TODAY, CORRECT? 60,000, I MEAN 60 MILLION OR, UH, THAT YES, SIR.
SO 15% OF THAT IS RESERVED AND THEN 35% OF THE GENERAL FUND BUDGET, WHICH WAS 27, 24, 8 55.
SO 13 MILLION THERE, AND THEN 15% OF THE 60.
I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND THAT LAST ITEM THAT YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT, THE APPRECIATION IN THE RESERVE.
THAT WAS PART OF THE CHANGE WE DID LAST YEAR.
AND THE IDEA THERE BEFORE WE HAD A, UH, BASICALLY THE PEOPLE IN PLACE PLACEMENT DESSERT WILL BE EXPANDED TO ENCOMPASS ALL CAPITAL ASSETS.
UM, SO WE TAKE THE AUDITED DEPRECIATION EXPENSE FROM THE PREVIOUS YEAR AND WE CAN CONTRIBUTE UP TO 50% OF THAT, INTO THAT, OF THAT RESERVE ANNUALLY UP TO THE MAXIMUM OF FIVE YEARS WORTH OF DEPRECIATION.
SO I DIDN'T SEE ANY NUMBERS FOR THAT SATURDAY THAT WE JUST HAD A BIG, BIG NUMBER.
SO IT WAS 637,000 CONTRIBUTION.
SO THAT WOULD BE 50% OF WHATEVER, WHATEVER THAT'S 50% OF THE TOTAL DEPRECIATION.
SO THAT MEANS THAT OF ALL THE ASSETS THAT WE HAVE WHEN WE DEPRECIATED THEM LAST YEAR, THAT IT WOULD HAVE BEEN, IF THAT WAS 15%, THEN IT WAS 1.2, $1.3 MILLION.
SO WE SAID, WE'RE GOING TO PUT HALF OF THAT IN THIS FUND, BECAUSE WE KNOW, JUST SAY, FOR EXAMPLE, LIKE PUBLIC WORKS WOULD APPRECIATE IN THEIR FACILITY.
WE KNOW WE'RE GOING TO NEED TO LOOK AT, DO WE EXPAND IT? DO WE DO MORE UNTIL WE'VE GOT FUNDS THAT CAN HELP COVER EXPENSES FOR RELATED TO ALL CAPITAL AND NOT JUST VEHICLES YOU? AND, UM, DO WE MAKE THAT PART OF OUR FUNNEL? WE CAN, WE CAN GET YOU THOSE NUMBERS JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY, IF IT'S SOMEWHERE ON PAPER, WHAT THAT NUMBER IS, IT HAS TO BE SOME HERE, BUT IT ENDS UP BEING, I, I SAID I WAS ON 1 55 AND I THOUGHT I WAS ON THE RIGHT PAGE, BUT IT'S NOT.
[01:40:01]
I JUST DIDN'T REALLY SEE, IT MENTIONED UNTIL TONIGHT ABOUT THAT PART.SO THE LAST TIME IT WAS PROBABLY MENTIONED WAS THIS TIME, LAST YEAR, WHEN CHRIS WAS GOING THROUGH THE BUDGET, I PROVIDE A LOT MORE DETAIL.
AS SHIRTS WERE CHANGING THE POLICY, MAKING INVESTMENT, YOU KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING.
LIKE I WAS STATING, I THINK, YOU KNOW THAT BETWEEN CHRIS, HIS, HIS PHILOSOPHY, HIS DAD'S PHILOSOPHY, MINE AND HIS TOGETHER, THAT WE'RE GOING TO GIVE YOU A BUDGET THAT KEEPS US IN A HEALTHY POSITION, WORKS TO ACCOMPLISH THE GOALS THAT COUNCIL HAS.
BUT LIKE I SAID, I THINK THERE'S SOME THINGS, LIKE I SAID, IT'S A POSITIVE THING THAT WE'RE ABLE TO HAVE THE CONVERSATION WE DID EARLIER TONIGHT TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE CAN BE BETTER IN CERTAIN AREAS AND HAVE THE ABILITY TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT AND NOT FIGURE OUT, NOT LOOK AT HOW NEGATIVE IT MAY BE FOR US TO BE ABLE TO DO SOMETHING.
AND IT'S A POSITIVE TO SAY WHERE WE'RE AT.
SO TO WRAP UP FOR TONIGHT, THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS OR CONVERSATIONS WE NEED TO HAVE.
UM, WE'RE AT BUDGET WORKSHOP, NUMBER ONE, BUDGET WORKSHOP.
NUMBER TWO IS THURSDAY WHO WE WOULD GO THROUGH CIP.
I DON'T ANTICIPATE IT TAKING AS LONG AS WE DID TONIGHT WITH THE CONVERSATION THAT WE HAVE, BUT WE'LL HAVE, UM, KIM HERE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE ON ANY OF THE CIP AS WE GO THROUGH IT.
SO I CAN ANSWER ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE HAD THROUGH THE PRESENTATION OR ANYTHING ELSE THAT YOU WANT TO DISCUSS.
YOU'RE AFTER A YEAR HERE AND YOU'RE TAKING THIS ON, THIS IS SO EASY FOR ME TO, I'M NOT BONNIE AND I DID HORRIBLE IN MATH, BUT YOU CAN UNDERSTAND IT.
AND I KNOW YOU'VE SAID THAT IN THE PAST THAT I WENT BACK TO THE MID TWO THOUSANDS AND I COULDN'T HAVE TOLD YOU WHAT THAT SAID, AND IT WAS A LOT OF TRUST, BUT WE HAVE TRUST, BUT I UNDERSTAND IT.
AND NATALIE, YOU LEARNED WELL, AND THANK YOUR STAFF.
SHE DID AN AMAZING JOB SINCE MAKING RETIREMENT AND IT'S PUTTING A LOT OF WORK AND, UM, YOU CAN SEE THE OUTCOME IN WITH THE PRESENTATION AS WELL AS THE MOST IMPORTANT, SO GO TO THE STATE.
AND I WANT TO, I WANT TO THANK THEM BECAUSE THEY DID A LOT OF THINGS LAST MINUTE, BECAUSE I WASN'T HERE LAST WEEK OF BEING SICK.
SO WE WERE ABLE TO, WE HAD A LOT OF THINGS WE WORKED THROUGH TODAY AND YESTERDAY TO BE PREPARED FOR TONIGHT AND THURSDAY.
SO THEY, THEY STEPPED UP AND THEY REALLY CAME THROUGH AT THE LAST MINUTE.
IT'S A LOT EASIER TO READ THAN IT WAS BEFORE.
YOU KNOW, I'M GETTING A LITTLE BIT BETTER AT WHAT I'M LOOKING AT TOO, BUT IT'S, UM, SIMPLER.
AND I REALLY APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT YOU'RE, YOU GUYS ARE SITTING RIGHT THERE, NO MATTER WHAT KIND OF CRAZY QUESTION I ASK, THEN WITHIN A FEW SECONDS, YOU'VE GOT AN ANSWER FOR ME, WHETHER I LIKE IT OR NOT, BUT AT LEAST YOU CAN EXPLAIN ON THE SPOT WHENEVER ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS.
SO YOU GO HOME NOW, AS SOON AS YOU WOULD TURN, THANK YOU, STEVEN.
UM, A MOTION TO ADJOURN THURSDAY,