[00:00:03]
CLOSED CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY BEEFER COUNTY.
I FIRST OF ALL, WELCOME, UH, DENIED I'M ERIC GREENLAND, THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR.
UM, MY BACKGROUND IS NOT IN COUNTY ADMINISTRATION.
UH, I HAVE A STRONG BACKGROUND IN PLANNING.
UM, I CAME HERE IN 2018 TO BE THE PLANNING DIRECTOR AND OCTOBER, 2020.
I WAS ASKED TO BE ACTING COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR WHILE THEY LOOKED FOR AN INTERIM.
UH, THEY LOOKED FOR AN INTERIM, CAME BACK TO ME ABOUT A MONTH AND A HALF LATER AND SAID, HEY, WE'D LIKE FOR YOU TO CONSIDER BEING AN INTERIM WHILE WE LOOK FOR A PERMANENT, UH, COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR AND DO A SEARCH FOR THEM.
SO I DID THAT, UH, AS INTERIM AND THEN IN MAY OF 2021, UM, EARLY JUNE, 2021, UH, THE COUNCIL WAS GRACIOUS ENOUGH TO APPOINT ME, UH, AS THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR.
SO I WANT TO WELCOME YOU ALL TONIGHT.
I WANT YOU TO UNDERSTAND THAT WE ARE BROADCASTING THIS MEETING ON THE COUNTY CHANNEL, UH, THIS EVENING FOR THOSE THAT COULD NOT MAKE IT TONIGHT.
UH, SO, UH, THIS WILL BE ON TV.
SO YOUR COMMENTS AND YOUR QUESTIONS WILL BE AIRED, UH, THROUGH THE COUNTY CHANNEL IT'S BEING BROADCAST.
UM, THE PROCESS TONIGHT WILL BE, I'M GONNA DO A BRIEF PRESENTATION TO TRY TO CLEAR UP SOME OF THE INFORMATION THAT YOU ALL MIGHT HAVE HEARD ABOUT OR READ ABOUT OR BEEN TOLD ABOUT WHY WE PURCHASED THIS OR WHY WE ARE PURCHASING THIS PROPERTY AND WHAT OUR, UM, FUTURE PLANS ARE FOR DECIDING HOW TO REUSE THE PROPERTY OR REDEVELOP THE PROPERTY OR RESELL THE PROPERTY.
AND WHAT HAVE YOU AT THE END OF THAT, I'LL BE GLAD TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
AND, UH, JUST ASK IF YOU'RE GOING TO MAKE A COMMENT THAT YOU KEEP THAT BRIEF AND USE THAT ONLY AS A MEANS TO SET UP A QUESTION.
UH, IF YOU COULD DO THAT FOR ME.
SO HAVING SAID THAT IS THIS ONE CLEAR? UM, SO THE, UM, BACKGROUND AND CONTEXT HERE IS THAT, UH, THE TCO INITIATED CONTACT WITH COUNTY ADMINISTRATION BACK IN DECEMBER OF 2021, TCL WAS NO LONGER INTERESTED IN BEING A LANDLORD OF STUDENT HOUSING.
SO THEY DESIRED TO EXPEDITE THE SELL OF PROPERTIES TO PROVIDE CASH FLOW FOR THEM, FOR OTHER PROJECTS THAT THEY HAD.
AND WHENEVER YOU'RE DEALING WITH PUBLICLY OWNED PROPERTY AT STATE LEVEL, THERE'S A PROCESS THAT HAS TO BE FOLLOWED IN ORDER FOR STATE ENTITIES TO GET APPROVAL FROM THE STATE.
THE TCL ALREADY HAD APPROVAL FOR THE PRICES THAT THEY OFFERED THE PROPERTIES FOR US.
SO WE COULD EXPEDITE THE SELL OF THE PROPERTY QUICKLY, UH, THROUGH THAT PROCESS.
UM, THE HOUSING AUTHORITY HAD SOME INTEREST, UH, INITIALLY AND THAT'S, BUT HAD NO FUNDING IN DOING THIS IN PURCHASING THESE, UH, SO AT, AT THE, THIS PARTICULAR POINT IN TIME, THE HOUSING AUTHORITY IS NOT, UM, ON THE TABLE FOR THE COUNTY'S PURCHASE OF THE PROPERTY.
AT THIS POINT, UM, TCL, AFTER DOING THIS WITH THE HOUSING AUTHORITY, THEY THEN CAME TO US AND ASK US IF WE WERE INTERESTED IN PURCHASING THE PROPERTY AS A GOVERNMENT EMPTY, WE COULD EXPEDITE THE PURCHASE.
AND I ASKED OUR DEPUTY COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR MITCH RAICHLEN TO WORK WITH TCL, TO LOOK AT THE PROPERTIES, TO PUT TOGETHER A PROPOSAL, TO TAKE THE COUNCIL FOR US TO PURCHASE THESE FIVE PROPERTIES FOR TWO PURPOSES.
AND I'LL GO THROUGH THAT AND, UM, MORE DETAIL HERE IN A MOMENT.
UM, SO JUST LIKE ANYONE ELSE THAT YOU ALL ARE AWARE, THE, UM, HOUSING PRICES HAVE SURGED BY NEARLY 20% OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS AND BEEF COUNTY HOUSING INVENTORY SHORT, YOU ALL HAVE HEARD IF YOU'VE BEEN TO ANY PUBLIC MEETINGS ARE LISTENED TO THE NEWS ABOUT ANYTHING REGARDING WHAT IT'S LIKE TO RECRUIT PEOPLE TO BE FOR COUNTY, PARTICULARLY TEACHERS AND PUBLIC SECTOR EMPLOYEES.
WE'VE HAD PLENTY OF PEOPLE THAT WE'VE TRIED TO HIRE IN THE COUNTY THAT HAVE BEEN WILLING TO COME HERE, BUT THEN THEY LOOK TO SEE WHAT THE COST OF HOUSING IS, OR EVEN IF THEY CAN FIND HOUSING.
AND THERE'S A SHORTAGE OF THAT SAME THING'S HAPPENING WITH THE B SCHOOL DISTRICT.
MANY OF YOU WERE AT THE HEARING THE OTHER NIGHT ON THE BUDGET AT BURTON WELLS, AND YOU HEARD THE SCHOOL DISTRICT SAY WE'RE HAVING TROUBLE GETTING TEACHERS TO COME HERE, BUT BECAUSE OF THE FACT THAT THEY CANNOT FIND HOUSING, AND MANY OF THOSE TEACHERS THAT ARE COMING HERE ARE HAVING TO ROOMMATE WITH OTHER TEACHERS IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO AFFORD TO LIVE HERE IN THE COMMUNITY, UH, WHERE THEY TEACH.
SO AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS SOMETHING THAT I'VE BEEN WORKING ON, UH, SINCE 2019, ALMOST THE TIME THAT I ARRIVED, UH, AND BUFORD COUNTY IS SOMETHING THAT'S BEEN GOING ON
[00:05:01]
FOR MUCH LONGER THAN THAT.I DIDN'T START THE, UM, UH, RESOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM.
I DO FEEL THAT I'VE PLAYED AN EFFECTIVE ROLE WITH OTHER COMMUNITY PARTNERS, UH, AND OTHER PEOPLE THAT ARE INTERESTED IN AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND BRINGING ABOUT SOME THINGS.
WHEN WE RECEIVED ARPA FUNDING, WE DECIDED THAT WE WERE GOING TO, TO USE ARPA FUNDING, SOMETHING THAT YOU MAY HAVE HEARD ABOUT, OR YOU WILL HEAR ABOUT THE NEAR FUTURE.
SOMETHING CALLED A REGIONAL HOUSING TRUST FUND AND OTHER, UM, VIABLE MEANS OR AGENCIES TO WORK ON THE AFFORDABLE WORKFORCE HOUSING ISSUE.
AND I'M GONNA TALK TO YOU ALL A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT AFFORDABLE WORKFORCE HOUSING ACTUALLY MEANS HERE IN A MOMENT.
SO WE SIGNED A LETTER OF INTENT TO PURCHASE THE TCL PROPERTIES WITH A TCL, THE COUNCIL APPROPRIATED FUNDS FOR THE PURCHASE, DO AN ORDINANCE OR CAUSE A REQUIREMENT.
IF YOU'RE GOING TO PURCHASE PROPERTY, YOU HAVE TO HAVE AN ORDINANCE IN ORDER TO APPROPRIATE THE FUNDS TO PURCHASE THE PROPERTY.
AND THEN ONCE THEY APPROPRIATED THE FUNDING, WE DID A RESOLUTION AND THE PUBLIC HEARING TO COMPLETE THE TRANSACTION, TO COMPLETE THE APPROVAL PROCESS FOR US TO BE AUTHORIZED TO PURCHASE THE PROPERTY.
AND THAT'S WHERE WE ARE CURRENTLY IN THAT PROCESS.
NOW, LET ME SAY SOMETHING ABOUT THAT PROCESS A LITTLE BIT.
UM, WE DID DEAL ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE FORTUNATE THINGS OR UNFORTUNATE THINGS ABOUT BUFORD COUNTY IS THAT THERE'S A LOT OF MEETINGS, UH, AND P FOR COUNTY, WE'RE DOING AN AGENDA EVERY WEEK.
SO THERE IS TIMES WHEN MISTAKES GET MADE AND THINGS AREN'T, DON'T GO THROUGH THE PROCESS IN THE MOST EFFECTIVE OR EFFICIENT WAY POSSIBLE.
AND THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED WITH US DOING THE PUBLIC HEARING AFTER THE RESOLUTION HAD OCCURRED AND HAD ALREADY BEEN VOTED ON BY COUNCIL BECAUSE DOING A PUBLIC HEARING FOR THE PURCHASE OF PROPERTY AS A REQUIREMENT OF OUR LOCAL ORDINANCES.
SO THAT IS ONE THING THAT IS COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR.
UH, I AM IN CHARGE OF MAKING SURE THAT THE FOLKS THAT DO THE PROCESS FOLLOW THE PROCESS APPROPRIATELY.
FOLLOW THE PROCESS APPROPRIATELY FROM A LEGAL STANDPOINT, BUT WE DIDN'T FOLLOW IT IN THE NORMAL COURSE OF THE WAY WE TYPICALLY DO BUSINESS BECAUSE WE TYPICALLY HOLD A PUBLIC HEARING BEFORE WE ACTUALLY FIT THE ACTIONS TO DO THE PURCHASE THAT DID NOT HAPPEN IN THIS CASE.
THAT'S ON MY SHOULDERS, THAT'S ON MY BAT.
THAT WAS OUR MISTAKE AT THE STAFF LEVEL.
AND, UM, WE, UH, WE MADE, UH, WE, WE MADE A BOOBOO, UH, FOR ALL INTENTS AND PURPOSES.
SO WHAT HAS BEEN DONE TO REACH THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING GOAL IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE, UH, WITH THE PURCHASE OF THESE FIVE PROPERTIES, I WANT IT TO BE CLEAR THAT THE COUNTY AND THE COUNTY COUNCIL AND ANYONE INVOLVED ON THE COUNTY STAFF SIDE, WE DO NOT WANT TO DO ANYTHING TO THESE BOB PROPERTIES THAT DOES NOT MEET THE DESIRES AND THE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY THAT YOU ALL RESIDE IN.
SO AS A RESULT OF THAT, BASED ON SOME FEEDBACK FROM COUNCIL MEMBER, HOWARD, REPRESENTATIVE ERICSSON, AND SOME EMAILS THAT I'VE RECEIVED FROM KATHERINE LYONS, I'M NOT SURE IF SHE'S HERE TONIGHT.
IT'S GOOD TO PUT A FACE WITH YOUR NAME.
UM, WE ARE BASICALLY GOING TO A POINT OR ASKED YOU ALL AS A NEIGHBORHOOD TO A POINT A COMMUNITY COMMITTEE TO WORK WITH THE CITY OF
THERE IS NO PLAN FOR THE FIVE PROPERTIES.
HAVE WE HAD MEETINGS WITH PEOPLE ABOUT THE PURCHASE OF THE PROPERTY AND WHAT THE POTENTIAL WOULD BE? YES, THAT'S JUST A NORMAL COURSE OF DOING DUE DILIGENCE.
WHENEVER YOU'RE GOING THROUGH A PROCESS FOR DOING THINGS, BUT WE DON'T HAVE ANY CONCRETE PLANS.
WE'RE NOT LOCKED INTO ANYTHING.
WE'RE NOT DOING ANYTHING THAT WOULD BE THAT WHERE WE WOULD TRY TO UPSET THE COMMUNITY OR DIMINISH THE PROPERTY VALUES OF THE COMMUNITY, OR BRING IN TRAFFIC THAT YOU ALL ARE NOT COMFORTABLE WITH.
SO THE COUNTY COME AND COMMUNITY COMMITTEE WILL COLLABORATE ON A RECOMMENDATION TO THE COUNTY COUNCIL ON A PLAN FOR THE PROPERTIES, INCLUDING POTENTIAL RESTRICTIONS ON FUTURE USE.
SO THAT IN MY MIND WAS, UH, WAS THE, ONE OF THE BENEFITS OF THE COUNTY PURCHASING ALL FIVE PROPERTIES IS BECAUSE WE HAVE THE ABILITY INSTEAD OF EACH INDIVIDUAL, LOT BEING SOLD TO INDIVIDUAL PROPERTY OWNERS OR ALL FIVE BEING SOLD TO A DEVELOPER.
WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO WORK WITH YOU ALL TO PLACE DEED RESTRICTIONS OR COVENANTS ON THE PROPERTIES TO SAY, THIS IS WHAT THE COMMUNITY WANTS.
[00:10:01]
THESE PROPERTIES TO BE USED FOR IN THE FUTURE.THIS IS WHAT WE'RE GOING TO BE DOING WITH THE PROPERTY.
SO THE COMMUNITY COMMUNITY WITH WORKING WITH THE COUNTY AND THE CITY, UH, FOLKS ON THAT COMMITTEE, WE'LL BE LOOKING AT A PLAN FOR THE PROPERTY, MAKING A RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL, AND ALSO WHAT TYPE OF RESTRICTIONS WOULD NEED TO GO ALONG TO MAKE THAT PLAN VIABLE FOR THE FUTURE USE OF THESE FIVE PROPERTIES.
SO THE TYPES OF HOUSING LAYOUT GREENSPACE FUTURE RESTRICTED, IT WAS ON THE PROPERTY THAT WOULD HAVE TO BE DETERMINED BY THE COMMITTEE AND MAKING A RECOMMENDATION TO THE COUNCIL.
SO LET'S TALK ABOUT THE COMMITTEE AND A LITTLE BIT, WE'RE RECOMMENDING THAT A MINIMUM OF THREE OR MAXIMUM FIVE PEOPLE BEYOND THE COMMUNITY COMMITTEE.
IF THAT NEEDS TO BE SEVEN PEOPLE FROM THE COMMUNITY, THAT'S FINE.
WE'RE NOT LOCKED INTO THESE NUMBERS.
WE WOULD ASK THAT WE ONLY APPOINT ONE MEMBER PER HOUSEHOLD IN ORDER TO VARY THE COMMUNITY REPRESENTATION, UH, THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY, UH, AND ALLOW, UH, PEOPLE FROM DIFFERENT HOUSEHOLDS TO PARTICIPATE.
AND THE CITY OF BUFORD WE'RE GOING TO, I REQUEST THAT THEY APPOINT ONE STAFF MEMBER, NOT ELECTED POSITION TO PARTICIPATE WITH THE COUNTY AND THE COMMUNITY COMMITTEE, UH, WHAT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE FOR THESE PROPERTIES.
SO WHICH PROPERTIES ARE BEING PURCHASED.
YOU ALL PROBABLY ALREADY KNOW THIS.
UH, YOU ALL CERTAINLY KNOW WHERE IT IS.
IF YOU'RE STANDING IN REBOOT ROAD AND YOU LOOK AT THE TCL CAMPUS, IT'S THE PROPERTIES THAT ARE IN A, ALMOST A STRAIGHT LINE DOWN THE RIGHT SIDE PROPERTY LINE OF TCO.
THIS IS A MORE BLOW UP OF THAT.
UH, TWO OF THE PROPERTIES FRONT REBO ROAD, UM, ONE OF THE PROPERTIES, UH, TWO OF THE PROPERTIES FRONT RENTAL STREET, 1, 1 11 FRONT RENTALS AND ELLIOT, AND ONE 14, UH, FRONTS ELLIOTT.
THESE ARE THE, AND THE VALUE OF EACH PROPERTY.
I'M NOT GONNA READ ALL OF THAT TO YOU.
YOU CAN SEE THE ADDRESS, YOU CAN SEE THE VALUE, YOU CAN SEE THE APPRAISAL AMOUNT, THE APPRAISALS WORK FROM 2020.
SO THEY'RE ABOUT TWO YEARS OLD.
AND AGAIN, ONE, BUT BACK TO THAT PROCESS, IF WE DIDN'T PURCHASE THE PROPERTY AS A PUBLIC ENTITY, UM, OR WAITED TO HAVE IT APPRAISED, THEN WE COULDN'T HAVE EXPEDITED THE PURCHASE OF THE PROPERTY WITH TCL, UH, IN ORDER TO HAVE IT REAPPRAISE.
SO WE MAY HAVE GOTTEN THE PROPERTIES AT A VERY, YOU KNOW, AT A BELOW MARKET RATE AS THEY STAND RIGHT NOW, WE'LL HAVE TO DETERMINE THAT AS WE GO THROUGH THE PROCESS.
SO EIGHT 70 REBO ROAD, 1 0 9 RENTAL STREET, 8 74 REBAR ROAD, AND THEN ONE 11 ELEGANT STREET.
SO BASICALLY IT ENDED UP BEING $1.2 MILLION FOR THE PURCHASE OF THE HOUSES AND THE 2.198 ACRES.
AND I'M GOING TO WALK THROUGH THE ZONING, THE CITY'S ZONING HERE IN A FEW MOMENTS AS WELL, SO THAT YOU ALL WILL KNOW WHAT THE REDEVELOPMENT POTENTIAL OF THESE PROPERTIES WOULD BE.
SO LET'S TALK ABOUT WHAT AFFORDABLE HOUSING REALLY MEANS, UM, FOR, FOR THE COUNTY.
THERE'S TWO DIFFERENT THINGS THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WHEN YOU'RE DEALING WITH AFFORDABLE HOUSING, YOU HAVE GOVERNMENT SUBSIDIZED HOUSING, WHICH IS COMMONLY REFERRED TO AS SECTION EIGHT FAR RAMP TYPE HOUSING.
AND THEN YOU HAVE AFFORDABLE WORKFORCE HOUSING, WHICH IS WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT RIGHT HERE, WHICH IS GENERALLY BASED ON A PERCENTAGE OF THE ANNUAL MEDIAN INCOME.
THE ANNUAL MEETING INCOME AND BUFORD COUNTY ARE THESE NUMBERS RIGHT HERE.
THESE NUMBERS WERE JUST UPDATED IN MAY.
SO FOR A FAMILY OF FOUR ON AVERAGE FAMILIES WITH FOUR PEOPLE IN IT MAKE 86,000 700, 780 $6,700 PER YEAR FAMILY TO MAKES AROUND 70, UM, TEACHERS STARTING OUT.
NOW THAT THEY'VE ADJUSTED THAT A LITTLE BIT, YOU KNOW, THEY DON'T MAKE ONE PERSON DOES NOT MAKE $60,000 AS A TEACHER.
UH, BUFORD IS THINKING THEY'RE FORTUNATE TO BE ABLE TO RAISE THE SALARY TO $45,000 FOR THE TEACHERS TO PUT THEM AT THE TOP OF THE FRANKS.
SO THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS A RENTAL RATE OR A PURCHASE RATE THAT EQUATES TO ABOUT TWO AND A HALF PERCENT OF THE AMI PER MONTH.
SO WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? AN AFFORDABLE MONTHLY PAYMENT UNDERNEATH THOSE NUMBERS AND THE PERCENTAGES.
IF YOU'RE AT 60% OF ANNUAL MEDIAN INCOME, SOMEONE THAT'S MAKING 60% OF A, YOU KNOW, MEDIAN INCOME
[00:15:01]
WOULD BE ELIGIBLE TO PAY OR EITHER A MORTGAGE OR RENT OF 1040 $1 A MONTH.IF IT'S 80% FOR A FAMILY OF TWO, THAT WOULD BE 1,388 A MONTH.
IF IT'S A FAMILY OF FOUR 60%, IT'S 13, 50 PER MONTH.
IF IT'S A FAMILY AFFORD 80% AS $1,744 A MONTH, THAT SOMEONE WOULD TAKE THEIR INCOME AND HAVE TO APPLY TO THEIR HOUSING NEEDS IN ORDER FOR THAT TO BE AFFORDABLE.
AND YOU CAN TAKE THESE MONTHLY PAYMENT AMOUNTS AND ACQUAINT THAT, AND, YOU KNOW, BACK IN TO WHAT THE HOUSING BY YOU WOULD BE, BUT A HOUSING VALUE OF 1300 OR 1700 OR $1,700 A MONTH FOR A MONTHLY PAYMENT IS A PRETTY HIGH PRICED HOME.
UH, FOR COUNTY, IT WOULD PROBABLY BE TWO 50 OR ABOVE.
SO, UM, THE ZONING SPECIFICS PROPERTY IS CURRENTLY ZONED, T3, SUBURBAN, AND THE CITY OF BUFORD.
UM, EVERYTHING HAS TO BE SINGLE FAMILY, RESIDENTIAL AND CHARACTER.
IT HAS LESS DEVELOPMENT POTENTIAL THAN OTHER TRANSIT BASED DISTRICTS.
THE CITY OF BUFORD, BUFORD COUNTY, TOWN OF PORT ROYAL.
MOST OF THE JURISDICTIONS HERE IN BUFORD COUNTY, YOU, IT WAS A ZONING CODE CALLED A FORM BASED CODE.
SO IT'S MORE ABOUT HOW THINGS LOOK AND YOU USE THINGS INSTEAD OF USING ZONING DISTRICTS.
YOU DO HAVE ZONING DISTRICTS IN THAT FORM-BASED CODE, BUT IT'S BASED ON A TRANSACT ZONE, WHICH BASICALLY WORKS ON URBAN CORE.
MOVING OUT INTO THE MORE OF THE LOWEST, THE LOWEST USE CLASSIFICATION OF WHAT'S CALLED T1 NATURAL PRUSER.
SO T3 IS SUBURBAN DENSITY TYPE LOCATION.
SO MINIMUM LOT SIZE IN A AND A T3 DISTRICT IS NOT THOUSAND SQUARE FEET PER LOT.
SO A DEVELOPER PURCHASED A PROPERTIES, 2.198 ACRES.
YOU MULTIPLY THAT BY 43, 5 60, WHICH IS AN ACRE DIVIDE THAT BY 9,000 SOMEONE COULD HAVE PUT 10,010 HOMES ON THE PROPERTIES THAT ARE BEING PURCHASED IN A REDEVELOPMENT TANGENT.
I'M NOT SAYING YOU FOR COUNTIES DOING THAT, THAT WE'RE CONSIDERING THAT, BUT IF IT, IF IT, A PRIVATE DEVELOPER HAD PURCHASED IT FOR MARKET RATE HOUSING, THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN WHAT THEY COULD DO UNDER CURRENT CD CDS OWNING DO YOU PLAY IS ROW HOUSES AND MULTI-FAMILY DWELLINGS ARE NOT ALLOWED.
SO MULTIFAMILY ROW HOUSES, DO YOU, PLEXES ARE NOT ALLOWED UNLESS THE PROPERTY WERE TO BE REZONED BY THE CITY.
AND THERE'S A COMMON THING IN THE, UM, THE COMMON LAW IN THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA PLANNING AND ZONING THEM ENABLING LEGISLATION CALLED SPOT ZONING, AND IT PROHIBITS A COUNTY OR A CITY OR A JURISDICTION FROM REZONING, A PIECE OF PROPERTY OR A SMALL AREA OF PROPERTY.
THAT'S SO OUT OF CHARACTER WITH THE SURROUNDING AREA OF THE PROPERTY THAT IT'S ILLEGAL, IT'S CALLED SPOT ZONING.
YOU CAN NOT DO THAT IN THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA.
UH, SO THE LIKELIHOOD THAT WE COULD RESOLVE THE PROPERTY ANYWAY, WITHOUT, YOU KNOW, COMMUNITY SUPPORT FOR ANYTHING HIGH DENSITY RELATED TO RENTAL MULTI-FAMILY HOUSING IS REMOTE AND MY MIND FROM A PLANNING PROFESSIONAL PERSPECTIVE.
SO THE BEAUTY OF BEING A PLANNING, PROFESSIONAL AND COUNTY ADMINISTRATORS, SOMETIMES I HAVE TO TAKE ON MY COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR HAT AND PUT ON MY PROFESSIONAL PLANNING HAT.
SO THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT IN REALITY IS THAT TO RESOLVE THOSE FIVE PARCELS ARE SO SMALL, AND IT'S SUCH A SMALL AREA, A SMALL SEGMENT OF THE AREA THAT IT COULD CONSTITUTE SPOT ZONING AND THE CITY OF BUFORD.
I'M NOT SPEAKING FOR THEM, BUT I'M JUST TELLING YOU THAT WOULD BE ONE THING.
IF I WERE CONSIDERING A REZONING APPLICATION AS A PROFESSIONAL PLANNER IN THE COUNTY, THAT I WOULD HAVE TO LOOK AT TO SEE IF WE COULD PASS THE TEST OF THE SPOT ZONING ISSUE.
UM, AGAIN, A NON-RESIDENTIAL USES CHARGES.
SCHOOLS ARE PERMITTED AS CONDITIONAL USES AND COMMUNITY SERVICES SUCH AS SENIOR YOUTH CENTERS ARE PERMITTED BY A SPECIAL EXCEPTION.
CONDITIONAL USE MEANS THAT YOU CAN DO IT IN THAT DISTRICT.
AS LONG AS YOU MEET THE CONDITIONS THAT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH THAT USE IN THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CODE, A SPECIAL EXCEPTION MEANS THAT YOU HAVE TO HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING IN ORDER TO DO IT.
AND THE TYPICALLY THE ZONING BOARD HAS TO DETERMINE THAT THAT USE IS APPROPRIATE ON THAT PROPERTY, IN THAT LOCATION.
SO DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT DETAIL? I'M NOT TO THE REAL QUESTIONS YET.
SO IF YOU'RE GETTING QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT
[00:20:01]
SLIDE, PLEASE LET ME KNOW.YES MA'AM UM, SO YOU WERE MAKING REFERENCE TO THE FIVE PROPERTIES.
IS THERE ALSO A SIXTH PROPERTY THAT WAS PART OF THE SALE THAT INCLUDED THE PARKING LOT AND THE OLD CHURCH BUILDING THAT ARE ADJACENT TO THOSE PROPERTIES NICER.
IT'S JUST THE FIVE RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES RIGHT THERE.
JUST TO CLARIFICATION, UM, WHEN YOU SAID, AND I KNOW YOU'RE NOT GOING TO DO THIS, UM, BUT WHEN YOU SAID THAT DUE TO THE LOT SIZE AND THE CURRENT ZONING, YOU SAID THEY COULD PUT 10 HOUSES ON A SINGLE LINE, AND THAT WOULD, THAT WOULD BE WITHIN THE CODE OF THIS ZONING THAT I'LL USE.
I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT REPEATING BACK, WHAT I WAS SAYING IS TOTAL IS 2.19 ACRES.
THEY COULD RECONFIGURE THE ACREAGE, REMOVE THE HOUSES, RE SUBDIVIDE THE PROPERTY IN THE 9,000 SQUARE FOOT LOTS.
AND THAT WOULD EQUATE JUST DOING A SIMPLE MATH SITUATION THAT WOULD EQUATE TO A DENSITY OF 10 HOUSES ON THE SAME AREA OF LAND.
I GUESS MY QUESTION IS WHAT I WANT TO MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
SO MY QUESTION WAS THEY WOULD STILL HAVE TO REQUEST A VARIANCE IN ORDER TO PUT ALL OF THOSE HOUSES ON THERE, EVEN THOUGH IT WAS KNOWN THAT WAY.
AND THEY WOULD JUST HAVE TO MEET THE CITY COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CODE AND LAND DEVELOPMENT REGULATIONS ON THE SUBDIVISION OF THE PROPERTY.
THE MEASUREMENTS AT THE WATTS.
DO I OWN MEASUREMENTS OF THE LOTS, NOT, NOT HERE TONIGHT, BUT I'LL BE GLAD TO GET THOSE AND SEND THEM TO YOU ALL SO THAT YOU ALL KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING, BUT UNDER STATE LAW, SOMEONE CAN RECONFIGURE PROPERTIES TO CREATE THE SAME NUMBER OF LOTS, OR BASICALLY WHERE YOU COMBINE THEM.
ALL OF THEM RECEPTIVE BIBLE TO MEET THE, THE LOT REQUIREMENTS.
SO THE LAW WE HAVE ON EACH ONE OF THOSE LOTS OF 75 FEET, 9,000 SQUARE FOOT.
SO THEY COULD RECONFIGURE THOSE LOTS IN SOME OF THE WAY AND KEEP THE FIVE AND NOT HAVE TO DO MUCH OTHER THAN GET AN EXEMPT PLAT, OR THEY COULD ACTUALLY COMBINE EVERYTHING RE SUBDIVIDED INTO NOT A THOUSAND SQUARE FOOT, LOTS AND MEET THE LOT WITH REQUIREMENT.
AND HERE IN TWO, THESE FIVE LOT, THE CHURCH PURCHASED ALSO WE NOT BUYING A CHURCH.
WE'RE ONLY BUYING FIVE RESIDENTIAL LOTS.
SO WHAT ARE YOUR ACTUAL QUESTIONS NOW? I'M JUST ANSWERING THE QUESTIONS ABOUT THE ZONING CLARIFY, BECAUSE I THINK A NUMBER OF US HAVE BEEN UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT TCL PROPERTY, THE PARKING LOT, UH, THE CHURCH, UH, AND WAS, WAS A PART OF A PLAN OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
SO IS THERE ANYTHING ATTACHED TO THAT IN RELATION TO THIS, OR JUST THOSE FIVE KNOTS THAT THE TRIANGLES THAT YOU JUST REFERENCED YEAH.
THAT WE'RE NOT AWARE OF ANY PLANS THAT TCL MIGHT HAVE FOR ANY ADDITIONAL PROPERTIES THAT THEY OWN.
WE'RE NOT PURCHASING ANY ADDITIONAL LANDS OTHER THAN THESE FIVE, UH, LOTS WITH THESE HOUSES ON THEM.
SO TCL OWNS THOSE TWO LAWNS ON ELLIOT.
I D YOU TALKING ABOUT WHICH TWO LOTS ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? MA'AM LET ME, LET ME MAKE SURE BEFORE I ANSWER THAT QUESTION, BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO GIVE YOU ARMY THAT'S REALLY THESE, THEY ONLY WANT 11 AND THEY OWN ONE 14 AND WE'RE PURCHASING THOSE.
WE'RE PURCHASING EVERYTHING WITH THE YELLOW TRIANGLES.
THOSE, UM, SAY FOR INSTANCE, G UM, THE APARTMENTS TOWNHOMES THAT ARE OWNED BY B FOR HOUSING AUTHORITY ON THE CORNER OF REVOLT AND NORTH STREET, WHERE THOSE DIFF WOULD THOSE ZONES DIFFERENTLY TO ACCOMMODATE THOSE APARTMENTS OR BHI? BECAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE IT WOULD BE THE SAME, THE SAME SQUARE FOOTAGE.
I, THERE'S PROBABLY DIFFERENT ZONING DOWN WHERE THOSE APARTMENTS ARE, BECAUSE THIS LAND HERE IS NOT ZONED FOR APARTMENTS.
IT'S ZONED FOR WHAT I'VE TOLD YOU RIGHT THERE.
AND IT'S A SINGLE FAMILY, RESIDENTIAL ZONING CLASSIFICATION.
SO WE, FOR OUR PARTNERS TO GET BUILT ON ANY ONE OF THESE PROPERTIES OR DO PLAYS OR ANYTHING, THE COUNTY WOULD HAVE TO GO THROUGH A REZONING WITH THE CITY OF UTERINE, AND WE DON'T HAVE ANY PLANS TO DO THAT.
WELL, NOW I DON'T KNOW IF YOU GO, MIGHT ASK ME A QUESTION ABOUT ZONING OR WHAT I MEAN.
WELL, IF IT'S A, IS A COMMENT ABOUT THE ZONING.
HOW ARE YOU GOING TO, IT'S JUST REALLY ABOUT AFFORDABLE HOUSE.
[00:25:01]
YOU GOT, YOU GOT, YOU'RE SPENDING $600,000 AN ACRE, HUH? COME BY.AND YOU SPENT, BUT SOME KIND OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING, AND WE KNOW THAT YOU CAN'T GET MULTI-FAMILY ON THIS THING.
HOW'D YOU WANT TO MAKE IT AFFORDABLE? WHAT IS THIS REALLY ABOUT? EVEN WHEN I'M IN THIS BUSINESS, THERE'S NO WAY YOU'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO MAKE THIS THING AFFORDABLE.
YOU'RE SPENDING $600,000 AN ACRE.
SO WHAT REALLY, WHAT, WHAT, WHAT WAS
UM, SO WHAT TYPE OF THINGS ARE CONSTRAINED? AND I'M NOT SAYING THIS IS WHAT WE'RE PLANNING AND BUILT.
I'M JUST GIVING YOU EXAMPLES OF WHAT COULD BE BUILT HERE.
THESE ARE PICTURES OF A PROJECT IN BLUFFTON THAT SHOWS AFFORDABLE WORKFORCE HOUSING, UH, THAT HAS BEEN BUILT IN THIS COUNTY IN ANOTHER AREA.
AGAIN, I'M NOT SAYING WE'RE GOING TO BUILD THIS HERE, BUT, UM,
SO THIS IS CALLED THE WHARF STREET REDEVELOPMENT AND WELCOME.
UM, THERE'S SOME DEBATE ON WHETHER OR NOT THIS IS, THIS IS, UH, BEEN SUCCESSFUL OR NOT.
UM, I THINK IT HAS BEEN, UH, FOR THE MOST PART AND LEMON IN ORDER FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING TO WORK IN BUFORD COUNTY IS GOING TO TAKE TWO THINGS.
IT'S GOING TO TAKE A LOT OF DIFFERENT, UM, TOOLS TO MAKE IT HAPPEN.
NOT EVERY PROJECT IS GOING TO BE ABLE TO UTILIZE THE SAME TOOLS.
NOT EVERY PROJECT IS GOING TO NEED THE SAME TYPE OF ASSISTANCE.
WE'LL CAUSE YOU'VE LAND COSTS THAT ARE ASTRONOMICAL ON BUFORD COUNTY.
YOU'VE GOT DEVELOPMENT, IMPACT FEES ARE ASTRONOMICAL ON BUFORD COUNTY.
YOU'VE GOT WATER AND SEWER IMPACT FEES THAT PROHIBIT, UH, R M PAYER BASED ON WHAT WE'VE BEEN TOLD, UH, THE ABILITY TO DO AFFORDABLE WORKFORCE HOUSING.
AND ALSO YOU HAVE DESIGN ISSUES WITH THE DWELLINGS THAT ALSO DRIVE UP THE COST OF DOING PROJECTS.
SO NOT ONLY ARE YOU GOING TO NEED A LOT OF TOOLS IN A TOOL BAG, AND THAT'S WHAT WE THINK THE REGIONAL HOUSING TRUST FUND IS GOING TO BE ABLE TO BRING.
AND A LOT OF THOSE TOOLS TO THE TABLE FOR US TO UTILIZE THAT.
BUT ALSO IT'S GOING TO TAKE A PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP.
PUBLIC MONEY IS GOING TO HAVE TO BE INVESTED IN ORDER TO MAKE THIS WORK FOR DEFENSE.
AND IN ORDER TO DO WORKFORCE HOUSING AND OUR FUTURE ECONOMY AND OUR FUTURE QUALITY OF LIFE DEPENDS ON GOVERNMENT ENTITIES, PUBLIC ENTITIES, AND REGIONAL HOUSING TRUST ON BEING ON SUCCESSFUL AND TRYING TO ASSIST WITH BRINGING AFFORDABLE WORKFORCE HOUSING INTO BUFORD COUNTY, UH, AND MAKING THESE PROJECTS WORK.
SO, UM, I THINK SO, LET ME RECAP REAL QUICK.
THERE IS A WORD FOR SHORTAGE OF YOU FOR COUNTY.
UH, THE DIRT IS A WORKFORCE SHORTAGE IN I'LL COME TO YOU JUST, AGAIN, THERE'S A WORKFORCE SHORTAGE.
AND WITH COUNTY EMPLOYEES, THERE'S WORKFORCE SHORTAGE AND TEACHERS, EVERY, EVERY ASPECT OF THE COUNTY ECONOMY IS HAVING DIFFICULTY FINDING PEOPLE, UH, WHO, UH, WHO ARE ABLE TO WORK HERE.
MANY OF OUR EMPLOYEES THAT WORK IN OUR DETENTION CENTER OVER HERE, THEY COME HERE, THEY WORK 12 HOUR SHIFT.
MANY OF THEM HAVE TO WORK A DOUBLE SHIFT AND A HALF OR SOME CASES WORKING DOLLAR SHIP.
THEN THEY HAVE TO DRIVE OVER AN HOUR HOME TO GET A FEW HOURS TO DRIVE AN HOUR BACK TO COME BACK TO WORK THAT HAD MADE FOR A VERY PLEASANT WORK EXPERIENCE FOR FOLKS.
AND IT'S SOMETHING AS COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR THAT I'M CONCERNED ABOUT IS SOMETHING THAT WE ALL SHOULD BE CONCERNED ABOUT BECAUSE THE FOLKS THAT WE'RE TALKING, TALKING ABOUT ASSISTING HERE ARE FOCUSED THAT WE ALLOW TO DO SOME PRETTY SIGNIFICANT THINGS TO US.
WE ALLOW THEM TO TEACH OUR KIDS.
WE ALLOW THEM TO PUT AN IV IN US IN A HOSPITAL.
WE ALLOW THEM TO GIVE US MEDICATION AT A HOSPITAL.
GOD FORBID, IF YOU'RE IN AND AN ACCIDENT, OR YOU HAVE A HEART ATTACK, YOU ALLOW THEM TO GRAB YOU TO THE HOSPITAL AT THE FASTEST RATE THAT THEY CAN GET THERE.
IF YOU HAVE SOMETHING HAPPENED ON YOUR PROPERTY, A CRIME, YOU'RE GOING TO NEED SOMEONE TO COME AND TAKE A POLICE REPORT AND GIVE YOU ASSISTANCE.
UH, IN THAT STAM, WHEN YOU GO EAT AT A RESTAURANT, PEOPLE ARE BRINGING YOU FOOD ON PLATES THAT HAVE BEEN WASHED AND COOKED BY PEOPLE.
SO YOU'RE OKAY WITH FOLKS DOING IT.
MANY PEOPLE ARE OKAY WITH THAT OCCURRING, BUT WHEN IT COMES TO US HAVING THAT, THAT HOUSING TYPE IN OUR COMMUNITIES AND OUR NEIGHBORHOODS,
[00:30:01]
SOME FOLKS QUESTION WHETHER OR NOT THAT SHOULD HAPPEN IN THEIR PARTICULAR NEIGHBORHOOD.AND I'M NOT SAYING ANYBODY IN THIS ROOM IS DOING THAT, BUT THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'VE COME.
WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT GOVERNMENT SUBSIDIZED HOUSING HERE.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A WORK WORKFORCE HOUSING FOR PEOPLE THAT PROVIDE A CENTRAL SERVICES IN OUR COMMUNITY THAT IS NECESSARY IN ORDER FOR OUR COMMUNITY TO WORK EFFECTIVELY.
AND SO THAT THE HIGH QUALITY OF LIFE THAT WE ALL ENJOY HERE CAN CONTINUE INTO THE FUTURE.
UM, I'M NOT SURE THAT I WANT A NURSE GIVING ME MEDICATION OZ, BUT ALIVE.
SHE'S PULLED ALONG SHIFT AND HAD TO DRIVE OVER AN HOUR TO GET TO WORK BECAUSE SHE COULDN'T LIVE IN THE COMMUNITY WHERE SHE WORKS.
WE HEAR ABOUT IT ALL THE TIME.
TEACHERS WORK LONG HOURS, NOT ONLY DO THEY WORK LONG HOURS, THE SCHOOL IN DIFFICULT SITUATIONS WHEN THEY GET HOME, THEY WORK LONG HOURS.
I HAVE A MASTER'S DEGREE IN EDUCATION.
SO I KNEW THAT THAT'S THE CASE THAT THEY HAVE TO DO THAT A COUPLE OF THAT TYPE OF WORKLOAD WITH THE FACT THAT THEY MIGHT HAVE TO DRIVE A LONG DISTANCE IN ORDER TO GET HOME TO A PLACE THAT THEY CAN AFFORD.
IT DOESN'T MAKE FOR A QUALITY OF LIFE.
AND AS A COMMUNITY, WE CAN DO BETTER BECAUSE WE HAVE RESOURCES TO DO BETTER AND WE SHOULD DO BETTER.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE HOPING TO DO WITH YOU ALL AND WORK WITH YOU ALL IN ORDER TO MAKE THIS AN OPPORTUNITY IN SOME WAY, SHAPE OR FORM, WE MAY DECIDE AS A COMMUNITY GROUP, WORKING WITH YOU, ALL THAT, WE JUST RESELL THE PROPERTIES AND WE REINVEST ANY MONEY THAT'S MADE INTO WORKFORCE HOUSING.
THAT'S GOING TO BE OKAY WITH, WITH THE COUNTY.
AND WITH ME, FOR ME TO RECOMMEND DATE RECTUM RECOMMEND THAT TO THE COUNTY COUNTS.
WE'RE NOT LOCKED INTO ANY ONE SOLUTION BECAUSE IN ORDER FOR WORKFORCE HOUSING TO WORK EFFECTIVELY AND EFFICIENTLY, WE CAN'T BE LOCKED INTO ANY ONE PLAN OR ANY ONE SOLUTION WE HAVE TO EVALUATE WHAT'S BEST IN EVERY GIVEN SITUATION AND FIGURE OUT WHAT'S GOING TO WORK IN THAT SITUATION.
AND THAT'S MY PLEDGE TO YOU AS A COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR.
THAT'S THE PLEASURE OF THE COUNTY COUNCIL WHO ASKED ME TO BE HERE TONIGHT TO DO THIS WITH YOU ALL.
SO I'M GOING TO QUIT RAMBLING NOW, REPEATING MYSELF.
AND I'M GOING TO TAKE QUESTIONS, MAYOR, UM, AFFORDABLE.
UM, THE SLIDE RIGHT HERE, UM, BASICALLY IT RANGES BETWEEN 60% AND 80% OF THE ANNUAL MEDIAN INCOME FOR THE, THE COUNTY.
AND THESE ARE OUR, THESE ARE OUR ANNUAL MEDIAN INCOME NUMBERS RIGHT THERE FOR, FROM MAY OF THIS YEAR.
UM, I REALLY WISH WARREN STREET WAS NOT PUT THEIR PAPER DOWN AN EXTRA SAY ON FOURTH STREET, NOT ONLY DOES IT RIGHT, BUT ALLEGATIONS AND SELF-DEALING, YOU'RE GONNA READ DIRECTLY FROM THE ARTICLE THAT WAS NOT, MY AD SPENT 1.3, $9,471,000.
ALSO, THIS WAS SIX HOUSES THAT WILL CRAMP ON HAPPENING AND THEY'RE RESTRICTED.
AND SO PEOPLE WHO WON THE RIGHT TO PURCHASE THESE HOMES AT VERY LOW PRICES, ONE WAS ONLY 32,000 TOPS GET RID OF, UM, THE, UH, ODDITIES WERE CLIPPED LATER.
THESE LOTTERY WINNERS OF THE HOUSES WILL DOCKET IN TENS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS.
THAT WAS REALLY MONEY THAT BELONGED TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.
SO MY QUESTION TO YOU IS GOING TO BE PRO WALL STREET.
I JUST DON'T THINK IT'S TRULY ANALOGOUS TO WHAT HOPEFULLY COUNTY'S TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH HERE.
AND AGAIN, AS I STATED EARLIER, UH, YOU KNOW, IN ORDER TO MAKE WORKFORCE HOUSING WORK, PROFIT MAY NOT ALWAYS BE IN THE PICTURE IN THE END ANALYSIS.
UM, AND WITH REGARDS TO THE RESELLER PROPERTIES, IF THAT COULD HAVE OCCURRED, THEN THERE IS A PROPERTIES ARE RESOLD OVER A PERIOD OF TIME.
THERE IS PROBABLY GOING TO BE SOME PROFIT FOR THE PEOPLE THAT PURCHASE THOSE PROPERTIES, BUT THERE SHOULD BE A DEED RESTRICTION THAT SAYS IF SOMEBODY RESELLS THOSE PROPERTIES, THAT THEY HAVE TO BE SOLD TO SOMEONE THAT FALLS WITHIN THIS 60 TO 80% INCOME BRACKET OF THE AMI.
IF YOU'RE DOING WORKFORCE HOUSING APPROPRIATELY AND YOU'RE MANAGING IT APPROPRIATELY, AND YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE THAT SUSTAINABLE AND PERPETUATED, THEN YOU HAVE TO HAVE THAT DEED RESTRICTION ON THERE THAT LAST 20 TO 25 YEARS,
[00:35:01]
WE CAN MAKE IT 30 YEARS.THAT'S WHAT WE GOT TO WORK ON IN ORDER TO SAY, IF SOMEBODY BUYS THIS PROPERTY AND THEY RESELL IT, THEN THEY HAVE TO RESELL IT TO SOMEONE THAT FALLS IN THAT BRACKET.
YEAH, IT WOULD BE TO SAY THAT I'M NOT AGAINST AFFORDABLE HOUSING, I'M NOT AGAINST WITH.
AND I WISH I HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK IN FRONT OF COUNTY COUNCIL BEFORE THIS IS A BAD, THIS IS A BAD DEAL.
$600,000 FOR TWO EIGHT, VISIT MINE.
THERE'S NO WAY IF I WAS DOING THIS YEAR WITH DOING THIS, THERE'S NO WAY WE COULD MAKE MONEY YET.
THE BEST OF THE COUNTY GIVE YOU, BECAUSE I THINK YOU'LL AFTER YOUR PHONE, JUST GIVE ME A, YOU, YOU GOING TO, I'M ALREADY FAST FORWARD AS YOU'RE GOING TO FIND OUT HE'S NOT GOING TO WORK.
10 BUCKS BOUGHT IT BY ONE, $1.2 MILLION.
THAT'S A WASTE OF PUBLIC FUNDS.
IT'S AN ABUSE OF PUBLIC FUNDS.
AND IF YOU'RE REALLY SERIOUS ABOUT AFFORDABLE HOPPING, TAKE THE $1.2 MILLION AND GO AND FIND A PIECE OF DIRT WHERE IT HAS THE APPROPRIATE ZONING, THE WAY AND BUILDING A WORKFORCE HOUSE.
AGAIN, THERE'S A LOT OF THAT OUT THERE.
I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT, HOW THIS HAPPENED.
UH, MOST OF YOU IN HERE KNOW ME BY NOW, MY ADJUST WEDDING, I'M RUNNING REPRESENT DISTRICT FOUR ON COUNTY COUNCIL.
MY COMMENT IS THIS ON APRIL 18TH, YOU ALL HAD COUNCIL MEMBERS BROUGHT UP THAT WE HADN'T HAD A PUBLIC HEARING OR THE BOTH GROUP.
COUNCIL MEMBER WAS BRIAN WHO ELLIE, MY QUESTION IS THIS, WHAT BENEFIT WAS IT TO RUSH THROUGH THE PROCESS, PURCHASE THIS PROPERTY WITHOUT ANY INPUT FROM THE COMMUNITY AND THE NEIGHBORS THAT WOULD BE AFFECTED.
SO LET ME, LET ME ELABORATE ON THAT A LITTLE BIT.
AS I STATED EARLIER, UM, THE PUBLIC HEARING ISSUE, UH, BAD INFORMATION WAS GIVEN AS AN ANSWER TO THAT AT THE APRIL MEETING, UH, WHEN THE ISSUE OF THE PUBLIC HEARING WAS, UH, RAISED BY THE COUNCIL MEMBER BY ONE OF THE STAFF MEMBERS.
UM, AGAIN, WHEN I'M IN A COUNCIL MEETING, I'M SITTING THERE, I'M THINKING ABOUT WHAT'S COMING UP ON THE AGENDA AND PROCESSING INFORMATION.
SO I DON'T ALWAYS PAY ATTENTION TO ALL THE ANSWERS THAT ARE GIVEN BY STAFF.
SO TO SOME BAD INFORMATION WAS GIVEN IN THAT PARTICULAR CASE.
I DON'T THINK THAT IT WOULD HAVE MATTERED AT THAT POINT.
HAD WE HAD THE PUBLIC HEARING BECAUSE THE KNOWLEDGE OF THIS COMING OUT AND US PURCHASING THIS DIDN'T HAPPEN UNTIL AFTER THE VOTE TO PURCHASE THE PROPERTY HAD BEEN FINALIZED.
AND BETWEEN THAT POINT AND THE TIME THAT WE DID THE PUBLIC HEARING.
SO, UM, THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN NO WAY OF ANYONE HAD WE DONE THE PUBLIC HEARING EARLIER IN THE PROCESS.
I DON'T KNOW THAT ANYBODY IN THE COMMUNITY WOULD HAVE EVEN KNOWN THAT 95% OF THE TIME WHEN WE PURCHASED PROPERTY IN THE COUNTY, WE KNEW IT, UH, QUITE OFTEN, UH, FOUR OR FIVE TIMES A YEAR, DEPENDING ON WHAT WHAT'S GOING ON IN THAT YEAR, WE HAVE PUBLIC HEARINGS ON THE PURCHASE OF PROPERTY.
SO IT'S NOT ABNORMAL FOR PEOPLE TO NOT SHOW UP AT THE PUBLIC HEARING OR NOT FIND OUT ABOUT IT UNTIL AFTER THE FACT.
SO DID YOU HAVE A QUESTION MA'AM, I'LL COME TO YOU IN A SEC, SIR.
ONE IS DO, UM, IS THERE STILL AN AGENDA REVIEW? I STILL AN AGENDA REVIEW THAT YOU ALL DO.
WE DO AN AGENDA REVIEW EVERY WEEK, AN AGENDA REVIEW ALSO FOR THE UPCOMING COUNCIL MEETING.
AND THE SECOND QUESTION IS THE ORIGINAL, UM, UM, FOR THE YOU'VE HEARD HOUSING AUTHORITY APARTMENTS, UM, WE GO AND, UM, RUSS STREET, THEY ORIGINALLY WERE DESIGNED FOR WORKFORCE HOUSING.
SO MY QUESTION IS HOW MANY PEOPLE RESIDING IN THOSE APARTMENTS ARE THOSE? I CAN'T ANSWER THAT QUESTION.
I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT ANY PROJECTS WITH THE HOUSING AUTHORITY OUTSIDE OF, OUTSIDE OF WHAT I'M DOING.
I'M PREPARED TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS ABOUT THESE FIVE PROPERTIES IN THE PROCESS TONIGHT.
I CAN'T REALLY GIVE YOU ANY INFORMATION ABOUT ANY OTHER PROJECTS OR WHAT'S HAPPENING FROM A PERCENTAGE STANDPOINT FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN THOSE PROJECTS, BECAUSE WE WOULD NOT, WE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN THOSE AT THE COUNTY LEVEL.
IT'S NOT SOMETHING WE'RE INVOLVED IN.
WE DON'T, WE DON'T HAVE A RELATIONSHIP ON THE DATA TO THEY MANAGEMENT OPERATIONS, UH, THE DIFFERENT HOUSING AUTHORITY.
UM, BUT THERE, AGAIN, GOING BACK TO MY EARLIER COMMENT.
WELL, I'LL TAKE YOUR WORD THAT YES, YES, SIR.
I JUST, MATT HANKS, UM, 20 YEAR NAVY RETIRED COMBAT, SO I'M NOT OPPOSED TO THIS.
AND I SPOKE TO THE LAST PICTURE.
I I'VE LOOKED AT THINGS THAT IF WE COULD
[00:40:01]
FIGURE OUT ANY RESTRICTED, SHARED EQUITY COMBINATION TO WHERE SINCE THE GOVERNMENT PURCHASED THE LAND, THE GOVERNMENT NOW PAYS FOR THE HOUSE FOR THE WORKFORCE TO MOVE IN.AND THEN WHEN THEY SELL IT, WE MAKE A PROFIT.
AND THEN THAT HALF OF THAT GOES BACK INTO THE HOUSE WHEN WE CAN RESELL IT AT THE VALUE THAT IT PURCHASED.
MY CONCERN IS, IS WHEN YOU SPEAK TO THIS GENTLEMAN, SPEAKING OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING, AND I KNOW I'M NOT A TERM, SORRY, GUYS.
WHEN I SERVED MY FIRST 10 YEARS IN THE NAVY, I HAD TO SHARE A THREE BEDROOM APARTMENT WITH FIVE PEOPLE BECAUSE I COULDN'T AFFORD TO PURCHASE A HOME FOR 10 YEARS.
RIGHT? SO I THINK AS UNIQUE AND DIFFERENT FROM, AND I WANT THIS TO BE CONSTRUCTIVE, I REALLY DO.
UM, I THINK THERE'S A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LOWER BEAVER COUNTY AND NORTH NORTH OF THE ROBINS OFF THE ROAD AND NORTH OF THE BROAD HAS THREE MILITARY BASIS.
SO YOUR AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS DICTATED BY THE BH RATES SET BY THE GOVERNMENT AND A SINGLE E ONE.
YOU CAN'T AFFORD A $1,400 APARTMENT OR EVEN THAT'S BH.
SO WHAT REALLY IS THE DRIVING FACTOR? BECAUSE IF WE BUILD A WORKFORCE HOUSING, WHICH YOU CAN SET THE RATES, SO THAT CAN'T SLIDE IN THE SECTION EIGHT, I UNDERSTAND THE AMI AND ALL THE RESEARCH ON IT.
UM, THE REALITY IS, IS WE'RE BUILDING HOUSES FOR MILITARY, CAUSE THEY'RE GOING TO FILL IN AND WE CAN'T DISTURB IT.
THAT'S THE ONE THING THAT THE DRINK THING THAT EVERYBODY NEEDS TO UNDERSTAND IS YOU CAN SAY WORKFORCE HOUSING, BUT YOU CANNOT DISCRIMINATE BASED ON WHETHER YOU WORK AT THE HOSPITAL, WHETHER YOU'RE A FIREMAN POLICEMAN, WHETHER YOU WORK AT ARBY'S, YOU CAN'T DISCRIMINATE SHOW, THE MILITARY WILL IMMEDIATELY QUALIFY AND THEY'RE THERE, THEY'RE THERE.
SO THAT'S, MY COMMENT IS THE BIG PERSPECTIVE.
AND THAT'S WHY EVERYBODY'S UPSET IS YOU CAN'T, IT'S NOT A BIG ONE BUNDLE THING.
AND IT SEEMS LIKE IT WAS A ONE ONE-OFF THING.
I DON'T, I DON'T THINK, YOU KNOW, BASED ON MY EXPERIENCE WITH THIS AND MY KNOWLEDGE OF WHAT'S HAPPENED IN OTHER AREAS OF CITY OF BUFORD.
UM, I DON'T KNOW THAT THAT'S AN A HUNDRED PERCENT ACCURATE STATEMENT.
I THINK THE CITY OF BUFORD WITH THE HOUSING AUTHORITY DID A PROJECT HERE IN BUFORD EIGHT UNITS.
I THINK THOSE, AND WITH THE BUFORD SCHOOL DISTRICT, THOSE UNITS, OR SPECIFICALLY EARMARK FOR TEACHER HOUSING.
YES, I CAN'T, I'M NOT AN ATTORNEY.
I CAN'T TELL YOU THAT FOR A HUNDRED PERCENT SURE, BUT I THINK THERE IS A WAY TO DO THAT.
I GUESS MY QUESTION IS, IS THAT YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT IT'S EITHER 60 OR 80% WHEN YOU'RE A PRODUCT.
WHAT DETERMINES IF IT'S 60 OR THE WELL WE'VE, WE'RE STILL WORKING ON WHAT WE'RE GOING TO USE AS THE COMMUNITY STANDARD RIGHT NOW WE'RE USING RIGHT NOW, WE'RE USING 80, BUT 80 IS STILL A PRETTY HIGH MONTHLY PAYMENT FOR A FAMILY OF FOUR AND A FAMILY OF TWO.
SO WE MADE BACK THAT DOWN TO 60%.
WE'RE STILL WORKING ON WHAT BUFORD COUNTIES, COMMUNITY STANDARDS GOING TO BE FOR WORKFORCE HOUSING.
I WOULD ADVOCATE FOR A 60% OF AMI IN ORDER TO DETERMINE.
SO WHEN WE WORKED THROUGH AND FINISH UP, SETTING UP REGIONAL HOUSING TRUST FUND WITH THE MULTIPLE JURISDICTIONS, OR OTHER THAN THAT, WHAT IS THERE ANY MOTT'S AWAY? YES MA'AM.
SO WHAT ABOUT, UM, AXES? ARE THEY GOING TO BE PAYING LESS TAXES THAN I'M PAYING, LIVING IN THE SAME NEIGHBORS OF DESIGNERS? MY TAXES BY THIS PROPERTY, THE TAXES WILL BE BASED ON THE VALUE OF THE HOMES.
SO IF THE HOME VALUES ARE COMMENSURATE WITH YOUR HOME VALUE, THEN THEY'LL BE PAYING THE SAME TAXES.
BUT IF THERE'S 10 OF THEM ON ONE LOT, WELL, IT WON'T BE 10 ON ONE LOT, RIGHT? THERE MIGHT BE 10 ON THE TWO EIGHT, THAT COULD HAVE BEEN 10.
AND I'M NOT SAYING WE'RE, WE'RE PLANNING TO DO 10.
YOU KNOW, AGAIN, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO.
WE'RE GOING TO WORK WITH THE COMMUNITY, THROUGH A COMMITTEE TO FIGURE OUT WHAT'S GOING TO BE MEET THE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY.
AND WHAT'S GOING TO BE COMFORTABLE FOR YOU ALL.
THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY HERE FOR US TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF, OF THE US TO DO SOME WORKFORCE HOUSING.
THERE IS CLOSE TO BMH, CLOSE TCL.
UM, IT'S CLOSE TO THE URBAN CORE OF THE CITY OF BUFORD.
ALL OF THOSE THINGS TICK ALL OFF, ALL THE BOXES, BUYING THE FIVE PROPERTIES THAT TCL IS NOT GONNA SOLVE THE WORKFORCE HOUSING PROBLEM FOR BUFORD COUNTY.
I'LL TELL YOU THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO DO A LOT MORE AND A LOT MORE OTHER PLACES AND WITH LOT BIGGER PROJECTS, BUT EVERY LITTLE BIT WILL HELP.
AND YOU TALKED TO PHARMACISTS AND NURSES AND TEACHERS TO FIND OUT IF THAT'S EVEN AN AREA THEY WOULD LIKE TO LIVE IN.
I AM AN EDUCATOR AND TO HAVE THE 28TH YEARS, RIGHT.
WHEN I FIRST STARTED TEACHING, I TAUGHT HERE AND FEVER AND I LIVED ON BAY STREET.
EVEN THOUGH I WAS A FIRST-YEAR TEACHER, I COULD AFFORD THAT RENT.
I WASN'T FROM THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.
[00:45:01]
YEAH.THEY, THEY, THIS WOULD BE GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR TEACHERS TO LIVE IN.
I MEAN, BUT YEAH, BASED ON WHAT WE'RE HERE FROM THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, FROM THE HOSPITAL, FROM EVERYTHING, IT WOULD MAKE A GREAT WORKFORCE HOUSING THAT'S FAMILY, NURSING DAYS.
THEY DON'T STAY, BUT 90 DAYS AND THEN THEY MOVED SOMEWHERE ELSE.
IT WOULDN'T, IT WOULDN'T BE FOR TRAVELING NURSES.
IT WOULD BE FOR, IT WOULD BE FOR PEOPLE THAT ARE PERMANENT HERE IN OUR COMMUNITY.
YOU MENTIONED ARTICLE FOLLOWUP QUESTIONNAIRE THAT YOU MENTIONED YOU HAD ANY IDEA OF WHAT FUND, BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF ARTICLE MONEY ROLLING AROUND NOWADAYS.
SO WHAT ARE THE MONEY ARE YOU PLANNING ON USING FOR THIS PARTICULAR PROJECT? IF YOU HAVE NOT YET.
SECONDLY, YOU MENTIONED THE COMMITTEE, HOW WOULD YOU ENVISION THAT SELECTING PEOPLE TO SERVE ON THAT COMMITTEE? THERE'S MORE THAN 700 TO SENIOR DEBT, RIGHT? YEAH.
I, THAT, I THINK YOU ALL, AS A COMMUNITY, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO GET TOGETHER AND HAVE A COMMUNITY MEETING ON YOUR, ON YOUR OWN AND DECIDE WHO YOU ALL WANT TO SELECT TO SERVE ON THAT COMMITTEE.
THE JOB OF THOSE FOLKS ON THE COMMITTEE WOULD BE TO COME BACK AND COMMUNICATE WITH THE REST OF YOU ALL AS TO, UM, PROGRESS ON THE PLAN AND GIVE YOU PERIODIC UPDATES.
SO WHAT ABOUT DARPA MONEY? YEAH, THERE'S THERE'S UM, TWO THINGS.
ONE WE'RE USING OUR MONEY TO, WE, WE GOT $37 MILLION IN ARPA FUNDING.
THERE'S SOME TIGHT REGULATIONS ON ARPA.
SO THERE'S A LOSS OF REVENUE THING FROM COVID THAT YOU CAN USE THAT IF YOU CAN PROVE A LOSS OF REVENUE, OUR LOSS REVENUE WAS AROUND $10 MILLION DURING COVID.
SO THAT MONEY, IF YOU CAN DO A LOSS REVENUE, THE RESTRICTIONS ON THE ARPA MANI ARE ESSENTIALLY NEAL.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO MUCH REPORTING.
YOU CAN ESSENTIALLY USE THAT MONEY FOR ANYTHING YOU WANT TO.
SO THAT'S THE ARPA-E FUNDS THAT'S COMING FROM THAT A MILLION AND SOMETHING DOLLARS IS OUR PLEDGE TO THE REGIONAL HOUSING TRUST FUND TO START THAT FOR THE FIRST, UH, YEAR OF FUNDING.
AND THEN IN YEAR TWO AND BEYOND IS BASED ON A POPULATION PROPORTIONAL SHARE OUR CONTRIBUTION.
I THINK IN YEAR TWO IS ABOUT $500,000 IN YEARS, TWO AND THREE, UH, TO THE REGIONAL HOUSING TRUST ONE, BUT THIS MONEY WILL COME FROM THAT LOSS OF REVENUE, POT OF FUNDING, UH, FOR THE, UM, FOR THE ARPA MONEY.
AM I RIGHT ABOUT THAT AND TRUST? IT'S NOT REALLY NO, IT'S GOING TO A LOT OF THINGS.
AND THEN WE HAVE A LONG PRESENTATION AND A BIG BOOK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT ALL WE'RE USING THAT MONEY FOR.
BUT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE WORKING WITH BMH TO PROVIDE, UH, SOME NURSING PROGRAMMING THERE TO BE MORE ATTRACTIVE FOR NURSING.
UH, WE DID SOME PREMIUM PAY FOR PUBLIC SAFETY EMPLOYEES, UH, HERE IN THE COUNTY AND USED BUDGET SURPLUS TO GIVE PAID TO ALL EMPLOYEES, UH, FOR THEIR WORK DURING COVID.
UH, AGAIN, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT JUST A HOUSING ISSUE, YOU'RE IN THE COUNTY.
IT'S ALSO THE COST OF LIVING HERE IN THE COUNTY BEYOND JUST HOUSING.
SO WE HAVE TO PAY A HIGHER WAGE TO BE MORE ATTRACTIVE, TO ATTRACT PEOPLE INTO BUFORD COUNTY BECAUSE OF ALL OF THOSE FACTORS.
SO WE'RE TRYING TO USE THE MONEY IN ORDER TO PUT US IN A BETTER POSITION TO BE ATTRACTIVE FOR EMPLOYEES.
THE COUNTY GENERALLY, AND HAVING TO FIND PROPERTIES WITHOUT HAVING THAT SPECIFIC USE FOR, UH, SOMETIMES WE, SOMETIMES WE BUY PROPERTIES THAT WE A RESTRAINT FROM ANY FUTURE USE.
SO YEAH, I MEAN, IT SHOULDN'T BE INTENDED TO BE IF YOU'RE OUT WHAT YOU WANT TO USE TO LOOK FOR PROPERTY SATISFY THAT NEED, INSTEAD OF THIS IS WHAT DIFFERENTIATES YOU BUY THAT PROPERTY, SOMETHING RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET.
AND I WANT TO GET TO SELL MY PROPERTY, THE COUNTY, OBVIOUSLY NOT A GREAT DEAL, BUT YOU'RE JUST BUYING PROPERTY WITH NO INTENDED USE FOR IT.
YOU'VE ALREADY SAID, IF YOU CAN JUST TURN AROUND AND FLIP IT, IF THE, WELL, I DIDN'T, I DIDN'T SAY FLIP IT.
I WAS ASKED, WHAT I SAID IS THAT WE MAY DECIDE AS A GROUP TO JUST RESALE THE PROPERTIES IN THE CURRENT CONDITION WITH THE HOUSE ON THEM, HIM AND DEIDRE STRAIGHT, THE FUTURE USE OF THOSE PROPERTIES.
WE DECIDED TO PURCHASE THE PROPERTY.
YES, THE COUNTY COUNCIL DECIDED TO AUTHORIZE ME TO PURCHASE THAT PROPERTY.
UH, WE WERE APPROACHED BY TCL ABOUT THEM TRYING TO DIVEST THEIR OWNERSHIP IN THOSE PROPERTIES.
AND THEY NEEDED SOMEONE TO BE ABLE TO ACT QUICKLY WITH THEM AND TO BE A GOOD COMMUNITY PARTNER WITH TCL.
UH, WE APPROACHED THE COUNTY COUNCIL ABOUT GOING AHEAD AND PURCHASING THE FIVE PROPERTIES AS A POTENTIAL TO USE AS A WORKFORCE AND WORKFORCE HOUSING, UH, INVESTMENT.
[00:50:01]
AGREE A MAJORITY ACCOUNTING COUNCIL AGREED WITH THAT.AND THAT'S WHEN WE PURCHASED DO WHAT WELL AGAIN, YOU KNOW, I, YOU KNOW, THE PUBLIC, UM, I THINK I'M A JAR IF YOU, SO THERE'S TWO, TWO PIECES OF THAT PUZZLE IF YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT YOUR COMMUNITY, UH, AND, AND, AND OF ITSELF, YEAH.
YOU PROBABLY WOULD NOT HAVE WANTED US TO PURCHASE FIVE PROPERTIES FOR WORKFORCE HOUSING, THE PUBLIC IN GENERAL AND BEAVER COUNTY, THAT MIGHT'VE BEEN A DIFFERENT STORY.
YOU KNOW, THERE'S 200,000 PEOPLE IN THE COUNTY, UH, THAT, AND A LOT OF THEM UNDERSTAND AND A LOT OF FOLKS SPEND A LOT OF TIME DEALING WITH WORKFORCE HOUSING ISSUES.
SO YOUR COMMUNITY MAY NOT HAVE BEEN IN FAVOR OF IT, UH, AT THE TIME, I'M NOT SAYING THAT IT WOULD HAVE CHANGED THE OUTCOME OF THE PURCHASE OF THE FIVE PROPERTIES.
UH, HAVE WE GONE THROUGH THE PUBLIC HEARING, UM, PRIOR TO THE VOTE TO PURCHASE, WE SHOULD HAVE GONE THROUGH THE PUBLIC HEARING.
WE DID NOT, UH, GO THROUGH THAT PROCESS.
THAT WAS A MISTAKE THAT WILL NOT HAPPEN AGAIN.
UH, SO NOW WE HAVE TO WORK WITH YOU ALL TO FIGURE OUT WHAT IS THE BEST FUTURE USE OF THE PROPERTY.
AND THAT'S MY COMMITMENT TO YOU IS THAT THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO.
WE WILL GET OUR MONEY BACK OUT OF THIS PROPERTY AND WE WILL MOST LIKELY GET MORE MONEY BACK OUT OF THIS PROPERTY THAN WE PUT INTO IT.
I'M NOT OPPOSED TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
I'M JUST YOU, IF YOU'RE TRYING TO GET THE MOST BANG FOR THE BUCKS AT THE BRAND OR THE PROPERTIES IS SATISFIED AND LOOK FOR PROPERTY THAT DOES THAT, DON'T FIND A PROPERTY AND THEN FIGURE OUT WHAT TO PUT ON THE PRODUCT.
I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING AND YEAH, UH, THAT'S ONE, UH, THAT WOULD BE A, UH, AN EFFECTIVE APPROACH TO DOING IT.
THIS WAS A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY THAT WAS PRESENTED TO US, AND WE FELT LIKE WE COULD WORK WITH TCL TO BENEFIT THEM AND ALSO POTENTIALLY BENEFIT THE COUNTY AND THE FUTURE OF, FOR WORKFORCE HOUSING.
WAS IT AN IDEAL SITUATION? NO, UH, IT WAS, UH, UH, YOU'RE RIGHT.
THERE COULD HAVE BEEN A BETTER WAY TO DO THINGS, BUT THIS WAS A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY AND WE DECIDED TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IT.
MA'AM YOU MENTIONED THERE WERE STATE CONSTRAINTS THAT REQUIRED TCL TO, UM, SELL TO Y WHAT ARE THE STATEMENTS, RIGHT.
UM, SO YEAH, SO TOM STATE PROPERTY GETS SOLD.
IT HAS TO BE APPROVED BY, I SAY, EIGHT TENANCIES THE SALE OF THE PROPERTY.
UH, WE JUST WENT THROUGH THIS WITH THE SELL OF THE DFC ON HOME, OVER IN PORT WATER.
UM, WE HAD, AND WAIT ON THE STATE TO APPROVE THAT SALE.
THEN WE HAD THE STATE HAD TO CLOSE ON THE PROPERTY, GET THE MONEY, AND THEN BASICALLY SEND THAT BACK INTO THE COUNTY DSN DEPARTMENT, A LONG COMPLICATED PROCESS, THE CELL STATE, UH, INSTITUTION PROPERTY, AND THIS THEIR CASES FROM YOU HAD ALREADY BEEN APPRAISED FOR, AGAIN, AS I STATED, THOSE APPRAISALS WERE FROM 2020, UH, TCO HAD ALREADY SECURED THE APPROVAL AND THE STATE TO BE ABLE TO SELL THE PROPERTY TO A PUBLIC ENTITY OR TO A HOUSING AUTHORITY.
WE WERE THE PUBLIC ENTITY AND WHEN THE HOUSING AUTHORITY COULDN'T PURCHASE IT, TCL REACHED OUT TO US AND SAID, HEY, WE'VE GOT THIS SITUATION.
CAN WE PARTNER AND WORK TOGETHER ON THE SELL OF THESE FIVE PROPERTIES? AND THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED.
AND NOW THAT YOU OWN IT, YOU READ THE COUNTY OWNS IT.
NOW THEY CAN SELL IT TO WHOEVER THEY WANT OR PUT IT BACK ON THE MARKET FOR THE COUNTY COUNCIL AND ELECT TO SELL IT.
OR THEY WANT TO DO THE RIGHT PROCESS IN ORDER FOR COUNTY TO SELL PROPERTY, WHICH ONLY REQUIRES YES.
THANKS FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE HERE TONIGHT.
UM, TALK ABOUT THIS, YOU KNOW, LET'S, LET'S ASSUME THAT, THAT EVERYTHING GOES AS PLANNED.
WE, THE COUNCIL GETS TOGETHER AND WE JUST HAVE THIS REALLY A GOOD PLAN AND THINGS WORK OUT JUST LIKE WE ALL WOULD HOPE THAT IT MIGHT.
UH, WHAT I WANT TO DO IS FAST FORWARD TO YEAR NUMBER TWO, YOU'RE NUMBER FIVE AND YOU'RE NUMBER 10.
UM, AND I'M INTERESTED IN THE TRANSITION, UH, AND MAYBE IT'S THE BUFORD HOUSING AUTHORITY AND HOW THEY OPERATE.
UM, BUT WHAT, HOW DOES, HOW IS IT, IS IT ACTUALLY SOLD TO PRIVATE INDIVIDUALS AND THEN, AND THEN, UH, AND THEN IT'S A PRIVATE INDIVIDUAL HOME AND THEY CAN DO WITH IT, WHAT THE WILL, IS THERE ANY GOVERNMENT CONTINUED MANAGEMENT OF THIS? UM, I'M JUST INTERESTED IN THAT KIND OF CHAIN OF COMMAND, THE HANDOFFS, UH, AND WHO OWNS WHAT AND HOW THAT WORKS WELL.
SO, UM, SO THAT'S, UH, THAT'S, UH,
[00:55:01]
COMPLEX QUESTION.THE REAL SHORT ANSWER IS WE DON'T KNOW YET BECAUSE WE DON'T KNOW WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO WITH THE PROPERTY.
I WILL TELL YOU, THERE WAS A LOT OF DISCUSSION WITH COUNCIL AND THIS COUNCIL MEMBER OUT HERE, MR. CUNNINGHAM, UH, BASICALLY SAID, HEY, IF WE'RE GOING TO INVEST THIS KIND OF MONEY IN THIS PROPERTY, WE SHOULD OWN THE FUTURE USE OF THE PROPERTY AND THE FUTURE REUSE OF THE PROPERTY.
WE SHOULD SET THIS UP SO THAT PEOPLE THAT ARE INVOLVED IN THIS WORKFORCE HOUSING PROJECT CAN ACTUALLY BUY SOMETHING TO INVEST IN, TO GROW EQUITY OVER TIME, AND TO HAVE SOMETHING THAT STAIR ON POSSESSION INSTEAD OF PAYING RENT.
I THINK THAT'S AN EXCELLENT IDEA.
THAT'S AN EXCELLENT SUGGESTION.
I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF SUPPORT ON COUNTY COUNCIL FOR THAT APPROACH.
SO THAT'S, WHEN, IF YOU'RE GOING TO SELL IT IN FEE TO SOMEONE, MEANING THEY OWN IT AND THEY MAKE A MONTHLY PAYMENT AND ALL OF THAT, THAT'S WHEN THE DEED RESTRICTIONS WOULD COME IN ON MAINTAINING THE PROPERTY AND THE RESALE OF THE PROPERTY.
JUST SAY THAT IF THEY HOLD THE PROPERTY FOR FIVE YEARS AND THEN WANT TO RESELL IT, THEY HAVE TO RESELL IT TO SOMEONE MAKING 60% OF THE ANNUAL MEETING INCOME, WHATEVER THAT HAPPENS TO BE AT THAT POINT IN TIME, THEY MAY MAKE MONEY ON THE SELL OF THE PROPERTY BECAUSE THE PROPERTY WOULD GO UP AND YOU, AND, AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
BUT THEY WOULD HAVE TO KEEP IT AS AN AFFORDABLE WORKFORCE HOUSING UNIT ON THE RESALE AND SELL IT TO SOMEONE UNDER THE SAME TERMS AND CONDITIONS THEY WERE ABLE TO BUY.
AND THE DEED RESTRICTIONS WOULD APPLY TO THE PROPERTY AND AN ATTORNEY THAT WOULD DO A CLOSING ON THAT WITHOUT TO DO A TITLE SEARCH.
AND IF THAT'S NOT THE CASE, THEN THERE COULD BE LEGAL RAMIFICATIONS THAT COULD UNDO THE SALE OF THAT PROPERTY, BECAUSE IT DIDN'T HAPPEN IN A LEGAL MANNER.
AND NO CLOSING ATTORNEY THAT UNDERSTANDS REAL ESTATE LAW WOULD DO THAT.
ANYBODY ELSE GOT ANY QUESTIONS, UH, AND ROOMS GOING BACK TO THE SAME MODE? IS SHE GOING TO BRING YOUR MIND? HOLD ON ONE SECOND.
WHY IS THIS THE PILOT? IS THIS THE PILOT PROJECT FOR A AFFORDABLE HOUSING OR A WORKFORCE HOUSING OR BUFORD COUNTY? SO YOU'VE DONE THIS BEFORE.
OH, THIS IS THE PILOT PRODUCT.
WHEN YOU SAY PILOT PROJECT, THAT MEANS THAT, YOU KNOW WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO DO WITH IT.
IT'S LIKE A PILOT TV SHOW, RIGHT? THERE'S GOING TO BE MORE OF THE SAME TV SHOWS THAT THE PILOT IS SUCCESSFUL, RIGHT? THIS MAY BE THE ONLY ONE OF THESE WE DO.
IT WAS A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY THAT THE COUNTY DECIDED TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IT AND WORKING AND PARTNERING WITH TCL.
SO I'M NOT GOING TO SAY IT'S A PILOT PROJECT.
IT WAS A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY THAT WE'VE GOT TO WORK THROUGH AS A GROUP TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO.
ONE OF MY CONCERN IS HOW DO WE NOT TURN INTO THE WAR STREET PROJECT IF IT WAS SO WRONG? AND YET THAT SEEMS LIKE THAT WHAT THEIR ULTIMATE GOAL WAS IS WHAT OUR ULTIMATE GOAL IS.
WELL, YOU SAID DEED RESTRICTIONS, AND YOU SAID COVENANTS.
I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW YOU AS A GOVERNMENT ENTITY CAN SET THEM UP AND SAY, IT'S ONLY FOR THE WORKFORCE AND NOT EITHER REVERT BACK TO LOW-INCOME HOUSING.
IF THE WORKFORCE SAYS, WHEN I'M OFF THAT, I MEAN, SOMEONE IN THE GOVERNMENT PROGRAM WOULD ONLY BE APPLICABLE FOR IT AT THAT POINT, BECAUSE YOU'RE LOOKING AT MORTGAGES, YOU'RE LOOKING AT FINANCING.
AND IF THESE PEOPLE CAN AFFORD THE PROPERTY, TAXES, UTILITIES, ALL THE THINGS THAT GO INTO THAT HOME AND THE GOVERNMENT OWNS IT, THEN YOU CAN'T ALL OF A SUDDEN OPEN IT UP TO THE FREE MARKET.
YOU'VE GOT TO SAY, WELL, WE'RE SORRY.
WE D WE WILL HAVE TO, BECAUSE IT IS A GOVERNMENT SPONSORED PROGRAM.
IT THEN REVERTS BACK EITHER TO LOW-INCOME HOMES OR THEY'RE ALLOWED TO SELL IT.
LIKE SHE SAID, MAKE A PROFIT AND RUN.
BUT THEN HOW DO YOU KEEP IT FROM REVERTING BACK TO I COULDN'T PURCHASE IT IF I'M NOT IN A CERTAIN, NOR SHOULD I BE ABLE TO, IF IT'S SET UP OR A CERTAIN INCOME LEVEL AND BELOW, AND IF WE HAVEN'T DONE THE DEMOGRAPHICS AND SPOKEN TO THE WORKFORCE TO SAY, AND SHE SAID, ARE YOU INTERESTED? THEN WE'RE NOT.
WE'RE JUST BUILDING STUFF AND SAYING, Y'ALL BETTER COME.
WE ALREADY KNOW BASED ON WHAT SHOW US, WHEN ARE YOU SHOWING? YOU'RE SAYING THAT WHERE THESE PEOPLE, WHERE IS THIS, BUT COME TO HERE AND WORK, TAKE JOBS HERE.
AND THEN THEY TRY TO FIND HOUSING AND THEY SAY, HEY, I WOULD LOVE TO COME THERE AND WORK, BUT THERE'S NO HOUSING THAT I CAN AFFORD.
AND I UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT I WOULD FEEL A LOT BETTER TO SEE IT ON WRITING.
WE SPOKE TO PEOPLE, BUT YOU'RE JUST LIKE, AND I'M NOT TRYING TO ARGUE WITH YOU.
I'M JUST TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GET ONE SHOT TO MAKE THIS WORK FOR THE WORKFORCE HOUSING.
[01:00:01]
I'M ASKING FOR YOU TO DO AN HONEST RESEARCH THAT YOU TALK TO PEOPLE AND SAY, DOUBLE INCOME, NO KIDS, DOUBLE INCOME WITH KIDS.WHAT IS YOUR DEMOGRAPHIC? WHAT DO THEY WANT? BECAUSE WE HEARD AT THE LAST MEETING, NEW TEACHERS SAYING WE DON'T WANT DORMS. SO WHAT DOES THAT, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? I MEAN, I WANT MORE INFORMATION TO BE ABLE FOR ANYONE THAT SETS ON A BOARD TO MAKE SURE WE'RE GIVING SOMETHING THAT THE WORKFORCE WANTS, THAT THEY WOULD WANT TO PUT THEIR, MY HARD EARNED MONEY ON AND US NOT TELL THEM WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO GET.
AND THAT'S WHAT I'M CONCERNED ABOUT IS THAT YOU'RE GOING TO BUILD SOMETHING THAT, AND YOU AND I WILL HAVE TO AGREE TO DISAGREE ON THAT.
THAT'S NOT A CONCERN THAT WE NEED TO RESEARCH BECAUSE WE ALREADY KNOW THAT IF WE DO WORKFORCE HOUSING AND THE CORPS, THE TOWN OF PORT ROYAL DID IT MANY YEARS AGO AND THOSE HOMES ARE STILL THERE.
THEY'RE PROBABLY THROUGH THEIR RESTRICTION RIGHT NOW, BUT THOSE HOMES ARE STILL THERE.
THEY'RE GREAT HOMES AND ALL OF THAT.
SO YOU'RE ALSO SELLING OR PRICES.
PORT ROYAL HAS JUMPED UP IN PRICING.
AND THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING FOR THE SAME THING, TO HEAR THAT WE DO YOUR DEED RESTRICTION, BUT IN FIVE YEARS, 10 YEARS, LIKE LOU SAID, WE STILL WANT THESE, THESE INTERIM FOR PEOPLE AS OUR NEIGHBORS, WE ALL LIVE IN THE HOMES THAT WE LIVE IN AND PURCHASE THE HOMES THAT WE LIVE IN WITH THE EXPECTATION THAT IF WE LIVE THERE IN THAT COMMUNITY AND TAKE CARE OF THAT PROPERTY AND INVEST IN THAT HOME, THAT IS GOING TO INCREASE IN VALUE OVER TIME.
RIGHT? AND WE JUST SAID THAT WE'RE GOING TO TRY TO KEEP THEM FROM INVESTING TOO MUCH, WHICH, YOU KNOW, COME ON, IT'S AN INVESTMENT.
AND EVERYONE WANTS TO, I MEAN, MY HOME, WHICH I LOVE TO DEATH, I DO HOPE IT GOES UP IN PRICING.
AND THAT JUST KIND OF THE WAY THAT I, AS A WORKFORCE PERSON MADE MY WAY.
AND I HAVE CONCERNS THAT IF YOU SAY YOUR HOME IS HERE AND IT CAN ONLY INCREASE SO MUCH, WHO FUNDS IT, HOW DO WE KEEP THEM? AND AGAIN, YOU GO BACK TO, ARE THEY GOING TO BE INTERESTED IN THAT? AND I UNDERSTAND YOU SAY, TRUST ME, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE THEM, BUT I WOULD FEEL A LOT BETTER TO SEE IT.
SEE SOME DEMOGRAPHIC SURVEY DONE THAT YOU ACTUALLY SPOKE TO.
I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT DEMOGRAPHIC SURVEY WOULD PROVE TO YOU.
I CAN'T GO OUT TO TELL, TO TELL PEOPLE, OH, WE'VE GOT THESE FIVE LOTS IN THIS COMMUNITY.
IF WE PUT WORKFORCE HOUSING THERE, ARE YOU INTERESTED IN BUYING THAT WORKFORCE? I'M NOT EVEN SAYING THAT.
I'M SAYING, TELL ME WHAT YOUR DEMOGRAPHIC IS.
IT, IS IT A FIRST TIME? IS IT A SINGLE PERSON IS A DOUBLE INCOME, NO FAMILY.
IS IT A FAMILY OF FOUR? AND WHAT IS THAT FAMILY OF FOUR, THREE CHILDREN IN ONE PERSON, OR THOSE ARE THAT TELLS US THEIR INCOME LEVEL AND TELLS US WHERE THEY ARE IN THE COMMUNITY WITH THEIR INTERESTS ARE, YOU'RE NOT GOING TO TELL ME WITH MY HEART AND MORE MONEY HERE IT IS.
SO WE WANT TO BUILD SOMETHING FOR THEM.
THEY WON'T WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
NOW WE HAVE SOMETHING ONLINE CALLED THE BOEING HOUSING NEEDS ASSESSMENT THAT WE DID.
THE, WE DID THAT WE DID BACK IN 2018, UH, THAT LAYS OUT ALL OF THAT HOUSING NEED LAYS OUT.
THE HOUSING SHORTAGE, LAYS OUT THE DEMOGRAPHICS OF WHAT WE HAVE TO HAVE AND WHAT PERCENTAGE THAT WE NEED TO HELP WITH IN ORDER TO BRING ABOUT WORKFORCE AFFORDABLE HOUSING THAT, THAT BOEING HOUSING NEEDS ASSESSMENT IS ON THE PLANNING AND ZONING WEBSITE ON THE COUNTY WEBSITE.
SO WE'RE GOING TO TAKE THE MICROPHONE FROM HIM.
ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? ROBERT? YOU GOT A QUESTION.
WE'RE, WE'RE DONE WITH THE COMMENTS.
I'M GOING TO TAKE IN QUESTIONS FROM THE COMMUNITY.
SO AT THIS COMMITTEE SIZE THAT WHATEVER THEY DO, YOU DECIDE YOU'RE GOING TO SELL THE PROPERTY.
AND WHAT HAPPENS IS THEY GO INTO, UH, A, UH, HOUSING TRUST OR HOUSING FUND.
WHAT HAPPENS TO THE MONIES THAT YOU SPENT? $1.2 MILLION THAT COMMITTEE WILL THIS COMMITTEE THE SIZE THAT THEY, OKAY.
WE JUST WANT TO SELL THESE FIVE HOUSES OR UNITS AS IS RIGHT.
THEN WHAT HAPPENS TO THOSE PROCEEDS AS THEY GROW INTO A HOUSING, THAT'LL BE A PART OF THE RECOMMENDATION FROM THE COMMITTEE TO THE COUNTY COUNCIL TO MAKE THAT RECOMMENDATION.
CAN I MAKE THE ANSWER TO THAT TONIGHT? ALL RIGHT.
CAN I MAKE A COMMENT TO THE, TO THE, UH, YOU'VE MADE A LOT OF COMMENTS.
I DID THIS FOR THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE IN THIS COMMUNITY SO THAT THEY COULD HAVE SOME SATISFACTION ABOUT WHAT THEY NEED TO HEAR FROM OKAY.
FROM THE COUNTY ON WHAT? WHERE CAN I JUST MAKE ONE COMMENT TO THE PEOPLE THAT CAN MAKE A BRIEF COMMENT? YES, MA'AM LISTEN.
YOU GUYS WOULD NEVER SEE ME AGAIN.
[01:05:01]
OKAY.I DON'T HAVE A DOG IN THIS FIGHT.
I HAVE INTEREST IN AFFORDABLE HOUSING OR WORKFORCE HOUSING BECAUSE I LIVE IN THIS COUNTY.
ALL RIGHT, THIS IS A BAD DEAL.
THIS IS A, UH, IT'S REALLY, THIS IS A, THIS IS A BAD PIECE OF PROPERTY FOR THIS.
AND THIS IS A WASTE OF CONNIE'S MONEY.
I WOULD HOPE THAT YOU GUYS WERE FORMED YOUR COMMITTEE.
AND I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT YOU SELL THESE PROPERTIES AS IS, YOU KNOW, THIS APPRAISAL WAS 22 YEARS OLD, SELL THESE PROPERTIES AS IS GET THE PUBLIC'S MONEY'S BACK, HAVE MS. AND RECOMMEND TO MR. GREENWAY AND CONNIE COUNSEL, THAT IF THEY'RE REALLY SERIOUS ABOUT AFFORDABLE HOUSING, RENTAL HOUSING IS FIND ANOTHER PIECE OF PROPERTY WHERE A $1.2 MILLION OR MORE MONEY AT THAT POINT.
AND THE PROCESS AND I'M, AND I'M LITERALLY MOVING FORWARD BECAUSE WHAT HAS DONE IS DONE OR HERE IT'S IN MY OPINION, BLINDINGLY STUPID, BUT WE'RE HERE.
SO I JUST WANT YOU, I KNOW YOU CAN'T DO THIS, BUT I'M HOPING YOU WILL.
I THINK MR. CUNNINGHAM WOULD AGREE.
CAN YOU TELL US TODAY THAT WE ARE NOT GOING TO BE DEVELOPING RENTAL UNITS? WE DO NOT WANT THESE PROPERTIES.
WE WILL NOT BE RENTING ANYTHING IN OUR COMMUNITY.
WE HAVE THE SHERIFF DEPARTMENT AND THE, THE SECTION EIGHT ON THE OTHER SIDE, I'M NOT SAYING SECTION EIGHT, BUT I JUST DON'T WANT RENTAL PROPERTIES.
AND MR. CUNNINGHAM, YOU SAID IT AT THE MEETING ON THE 23RD ANALYSIS, SHAKING HER HEAD.
BECAUSE THE REASON WE'RE UPSET IS YOU HAVE ENTITIES OUTSIDE ARE RUMORS ARE COMING FROM USER HOUSING AUTHORITY WITH LITTLE EMAILS AND PRINT THEM OUT ON MAILBOXES.
SO IT'S COMING FROM WITHIN OUR CITY, THESE RUMORS.
SO OUR CONCERNS ARE COMING FROM OUR CITY LEADERS THAT ARE BASICALLY SAYING WE'RE BUILDING THESE UNITS DEAL WITH IT.
SO I WOULD LIKE ASSURANCES FROM YOU AND FROM OUR COUNTY COUNCIL TO SAY THAT WE WILL NOT AT ANY POINT IN TIME CONSIDER RENTAL UNITS.
THE ONLY ASSURANCE I'M WILLING TO GIVE YOU TONIGHT, I THINK IS WHAT I STARTED OUT WITH THE MEETING TO SAY IS THAT I WILL WORK WITH THE CITY APPOINTEE AND COUNT APPROPRIATE COUNTY STAFF.
AND WITH THE COMMUNITY COMMITTEE THAT YOU ALL ON, THE NUMBER THAT YOU ALL THINK IS APPROPRIATE FIVE OR SEVEN, WHATEVER YOU WANT TO HAVE TO COME UP WITH A PLAN THAT WE CAN MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TO COUNTY COUNCIL.
AND IT'S VERY LIKELY THAT THAT CINEMA IS GOING TO BE A PART OF THE RECOMMENDATION THAT WHATEVER WE DO WITH THESE PROPERTIES SHOULD BE FOR FEE SIMPLE PURCHASE BY PEOPLE IN WORKFORCE HOUSING.
BUT I CAN'T STAND HERE TONIGHT AND TELL YOU THAT A HUNDRED, I CAN SAY A HUNDRED PERCENT EMPHATICALLY THAT IT WILL NOT BE FOR RENTAL.
BUT IF THAT'S THE DESIRE OF YOUR COMMUNITY, THEN I'M WILLING TO CONSIDER THAT AND TAKE THAT PROPOSAL TO COUNTY COUNCIL.
AND I'M WILLING TO PUT THAT DEED RESTRICTION ON THERE AND SAY ANYBODY THAT LIVES IN THESE HOMES, IF SOMEBODY PURCHASES ANY WORKFORCE HOUSING, ANYBODY THAT GOES THERE HAS TO BE WORKING TOWARD PURCHASING THE PROPERTY.
AND THE PROPERTIES COULD NOT BE RENTED OUT AT A LATER DATE BY PEOPLE THAT PURCHASED THEM.
AND JUST ANSWER YOUR QUESTION CLEAR MULTIPLE TIMES IN OUR MEETINGS, I TALKED WITH ALICE AND WHAT, WHAT YOU GUYS ARE DOING HERE IS WHAT WE DO ALL THE TIME ON ISSUES.
AND IT'S DISGUSTING DIFFERENT POINT OF VIEWS.
UM, I THINK IT'S JUST CHASING A DOG SALE EVERY SINGLE TIME TO BUILD ANOTHER APARTMENT COMPLEX AND LASTS FOR FIVE YEARS.
AND THEN WE DO IT ALL OVER AGAIN.
UM, SO YOU'LL NEVER SEE ME VOTE YES, FOR THE RENTAL PROPERTIES, WHETHER IT'S THIS OR ANY OTHER PROPERTY BUYS TO BE PERSONALLY, CAN'T SPEAK TO THE OTHER 10.
UM, BUT THAT BEING SAID ALSO IT IS A BIG NEED.
UM, LAST TIME I TALKED TO BEAVER COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT.
NOW THEY'RE UP TO SEVEN TEACHERS HAVE THEIR CLIENTS, THEIR CONTRACTS, UM, THAT HAVE DECLINED THEIR CONTRACTS THAT THEY ALREADY ACCEPTED BECAUSE THEY CAN'T GET HOUSING AND YOU'RE RIGHT.
THEY DON'T WANT DORMS, THEY'RE ADULTS.
THEY WANT TO INVEST IN THEMSELVES.
AND THAT WAS MY WHOLE LOGIC BEHIND THIS PROJECT OR ANY OTHER PROJECT, WHETHER IT'S BLUFFTON, HILTON, HEAD, OTHER PARTS OF BUFORD.
UM, MY IDEA WHEN I FIRST STARTED THINKING ABOUT THINGS LIKE THIS, WHEN I RAN WAS THERE IS A NEED FOR THIS.
WHEN I WENT TO GO BUY MY FIRST HOME, I HAD TO, I WAS TEACHING, MAKING UNDER 40,000 A YEAR.
SO I CAN TELL YOU RIGHT NOW, YOU DO NOT QUALIFY FOR A MORTGAGE IN BEAVER COUNTY, OR THAT I HAD TO HAVE A SECOND JOB FULL-TIME JOB TO QUALIFY FOR A MORTGAGE UNDER 200,000 WITH NO DEBT ATTACHED TO MY NAME STILL.
UM, AND THAT WAS JUST FOUR YEARS AGO.
UM, SO I, I, BUT I CAN TELL YOU THAT THAT'S WHERE I'M AT WITH IT.
IT'S ALL ABOUT THE PUBLIC OPINION
[01:10:01]
DEBATE.TALK ABOUT WHAT'S THE BEST THING FOR THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY AND WHERE DO WE GO FROM THERE? UM, BUT I CAN TELL YOU, I, THE ONE THING I SAID LAST MEETING AND I WOULD STICK TO NOW IS I WOULD RATHER THIS BE IN OUR HANDS.
AND THEN ON THE OPEN MARKET WITH SOMEBODY YOU CANNOT DISCUSS WITH, CANNOT TALK WITH AND THEY COULD DO WHATEVER THEY WANT AND NOT CARE WHATSOEVER WHAT YOU GUYS THINK, BECAUSE I'VE HAD THAT HAPPEN IN BLUFFTON.
AND ONE TIME THE BUILDER WAS WILLING TO TALK.
AND THE OTHER TIME THE BUILDER SAID, SORRY, YOU HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH MY PROPERTY.
SO, UM, THERE, THERE WAS A MISTAKE MAY IN THE, IN THE SERIES OF EVENTS, AS FAR AS THE PUBLIC HEARING IN THE FUTURE, THAT WILL BE CHANGED AND NO MATTER WHERE PUBLIC, UM, WHEN WE BUY MONEY WITH PUBLIC MONEY, WHEN WE BUY PROPERTY, I HAVE BEEN ASSURED BY THE ADMINISTRATION THAT THIS WILL NOT HAPPEN AGAIN.
THAT'S WHY I ASKED TONIGHT THAT WE HAVE THIS COMMUNITY MEETING SO THAT WE CAN GET INPUT.
IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN GOTTEN FROM YOU CERNER, BUT WE'RE GOING TO GET IT.
AND WE'RE GOING TO LISTEN TO IT.
AND I PLEDGE TO YOU THE, UM, I'LL SUMMARIZE EXACTLY WHAT HE SAID.
I SEE THIS AS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR PEOPLE TO BUILD EQUITY, UM, YOUNG PEOPLE, PEOPLE WHO CAN'T AFFORD TO BUY A HOUSE.
SHE LIVED WITH US FOR SIX MONTHS.
WE ALMOST KILLED EACH OTHER BEFORE SHE MOVED OUT ON HER OWN.
I DON'T THINK TEACHERS SHOULD HAVE TO SHARE AN APARTMENT.
THEY GET THEIR MASTER'S DEGREE, UH, WHEN THEY'RE ABLE TO BUY THAT'S GOOD.
UM, AND I'M GLAD WHEN THEY CAN.
AND THIS WAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO LOOK AT THAT, BUT THE PROCESS, YES, WE SHOULD HAVE INVOLVED THE COMMUNITY SOONER ON OTHER PROPERTIES THAT WE BUY SUCH AS RURAL AND CRITICAL LANDS.
THIS WILL CHANGE IN THE FUTURE WHEN WE HAVE A COMMUNITY ADJACENT TO PROPERTY THAT WE'RE LOOKING TO BUY.
ANY FINAL QUESTIONS? MAIN QUESTION, ACTUALLY, HANG ON MINE.
JUST CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, BUT I CAN ALSO CHANGE.
SO IN THE VALUE OF THE PROPERTY GOES UP IN THE MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME VIEWPOINT GOES UP.
SO THAT PERCENTAGE IS CONSTANTLY CHANGING.
SO THE MORE SUCCESSFUL OUR COUNTY IS INCOME CONTINUES TO INCREASE OUR VALUE, THE HOUSE, BE WORRIED ABOUT THE VALUE SELLING GLOW, THE REST OF THE MARKET VALUE ROUND DOESN'T HAPPEN.
THE REST OF THE COMMUNITIES BEING SUCCESSFUL, THAT INCOME SHOULD BE FOLLOWING WITH IT.
THEORETICALLY, IT THINGS HAPPEN.
IT'S NOT A FOOLPROOF PLAN, BUT WITH THAT SAID, IT'S A SLIDE.
SO TO GIVE YOU TO GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE, WHAT DO YOU JUST SAID? YOU SEE THAT $86,700 MARK THERE A YEAR AGO IN MAY WHEN THE NUMBERS CAME OUT, THAT NUMBER WAS 76,000.
SO IT'S CHANGED $10,000 IN ONE YEAR.
IT JUMPED THAT MUCH AND ONE YEAR AND B FOR COUNTY.
MA'AM YOU HAD A QUESTION, DEEP RESTRICTIONS PUT ON, YOU KNOW, I FEEL LIKE IF WE GET SOMETHING LIKE THAT, LIKE YOUR, YOUR ANSWER, THERE WERE NO DEED RESTRICTIONS PUT ON THE PROPERTY FOR ME.
NUMBER ONE, THAT WAS A PROBLEM.
THERE ARE A LOT OF THINGS THAT WE'LL DISCUSS AT THE TOWN LEVEL WHILE THESE ARE GOING TO HAPPEN.
IF YOU DIDN'T HAVE A HOUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY, THE PROJECT FINANCIALLY FAILED BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T GET ENOUGH PEOPLE.
WE MADE ENOUGH MONEY TO PURCHASE THE PRACTICE WITH ARTISANS, AND THAT'S WHY THEY WERE PART OF SOME LONG HOMES.
UM, SO, UM, I WANTED JUST TO SAY ALSO THAT AS SOMEONE WHO'S CERTIFIED, UH, FIVE YARDS BEFORE MY ENGINEERS WAS THE INSTRUCTIONAL CONSULTANT, I PERSONALLY THINK THERE ARE BETTER WAYS TO DO AFFORDABLE HOUSING WORKFORCE HOUSING AND THE SOUTH
NO, I DON'T DISAGREE WITH THAT.
THERE ARE, THERE ARE PROBABLY BETTER WAYS.
SO THAT THERE'S MORE SO THAT THERE'S MORE UNITS, UH, THAT COULD BE ACHIEVABLE AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
I JUST THINK THAT EXECUTING HOUSING OKAY.
DEALING HOUSING WITHOUT HAVING THE EXPERTISE IN IT, HOW MANY THINK THAT'S WHERE THEY MET? YEAH.
THAT'S WHY WE'RE TRYING TO GET OUT OF THAT.
AND IS THAT THE REGIONAL HOUSING TRUST FUND, BUT WE DON'T HAVE, WE DON'T HAVE THAT SET UP YET AND WE DIDN'T FEEL LIKE WE COULD MISS THIS OPPORTUNITY FOR THESE FIVE LOTS.
YOU'RE PROBABLY NOT GOING TO GET US ALL TOGETHER AGAIN VERY QUICKLY.
SO MY ASK IS EVERYBODY WANTS TO VOLUNTEER TO SERVE ON THE COMMITTEE.
[01:15:04]
SO YOU GOT FOUR OKAY.JUST MAKING SURE THAT YOU'VE GIVEN US RITUAL, RICHLAND YOUR NAME BEFORE YOU LEAVE.
UM, OUR SHOW, YOUR SHOW ARE WHERE YOU ARE ON THE CHECK-IN LIST OUT THERE SO THAT WE CAN HAVE WITH AN EMAIL SO WE CAN GET STARTED ON MEETING.
SO, OKAY, SO YOU FIVE TALL, MISS RACHEL, AND, UH, WE'LL GET THE SIGN UP SHEET AND WE'LL MARK YOUR NAME AND WE'LL GET A MEETING SET UP AND I'LL WORK WITH, UH, THE, UH, TOWN MANAGER SHOULD HAVE INTRODUCED, UM, UH, THE TOWN MANAGER, MR. PROCOP HERE, UH, FROM THE CITY OF BUFORD.
UH, WE'RE HAPPY TO HAVE, UH, MR. PHILLIPS, UH, FROM TOWN OF PORT ROYAL WITH US.
HE'S COUNCILMAN FOR TOWN, PORT ROYAL.
UH, MR. BARTHOLOMEW HERE IS RUNNING FOR COUNTY COUNCIL AS WELL.
UH, AND MR. JOSH, SCARLATTI I THANK YOU FOR HELPING ME PRONOUNCE YOUR LAST NAME.
UH, HE'S RUNNING FOR COUNTY COUNCIL AS WELL, AND MARILYN IN THE BACK THERE RUNNING FOR COUNTY COUNCIL.
AND THEN OF COURSE, A COUNCIL MEMBER, ALICE HOWARD AND COUNCIL MEMBER, LOGAN CUNNINGHAM AND COUNCIL MEMBER, CHRIS
AND WE ALSO HAVE A REPRESENTATIVE FROM TCL HERE AS WELL.
IF Y'ALL, IF Y'ALL NEED TO ASK ME INDIVIDUAL QUESTIONS, I'LL BE UP HERE FOR A FEW MORE MINUTES.
SO PLEASE, IF YOU'RE GOING TO SERVE ON THE COMMITTEE, YOU TALKED TO MISS RACHEL AND THEN SHOW HER WHAT, WHERE YOU ARE ON THE SIGNUP SHEET, PLEASE.
YEAH, UM, SARAH ROCKS CLERK TO COUNSEL FOR BEAVER COUNTY COUNCIL, DID YOU KNOW, BUFORD COUNTY HAS 29 ACTIVE HOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.
THESE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS SERVE A VITAL ROLE IN BUFORD COUNTY AND ALLOW CITIZENS LIKE YOU TO GET INVOLVED WITH LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND ADVISE YOUR COUNCIL MEMBERS ON A WIDE RANGE OF ISSUES.
MEMBERS SERVE IN A VARIETY OF CAPACITIES FROM ADVISING COUNCIL REGARDING THE SELLING AND PURCHASING OF LAND, HEARING APPEALS, ALLOCATING TAX MONIES, ADVOCATING FOR SPECIFIC ORGANIZATIONS, WORKING ON STORM WATER RELATED ISSUES, ZONING ISSUES, DESIGN REVIEW, HISTORICAL PRESERVATION, YOU NAME IT.
VISIT WWW DOT BUFORD COUNTY, SC.GOV/COUNCIL/BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS TODAY TO SEE A LIST OF OUR ACTIVE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS AND FILL OUT AN APPLICATION SIGN UP TODAY.
SO YOU CAN HAVE A HAND IN MAKING OUR COMMUNITY EVEN GREATER THAN IT ALREADY IS.
THERE'S JUST OVER 2 MILLION OYSTERS IN HERE.
SO ACTUALLY A STARTER MARICULTURE AND OH SEVEN.
THEY LOVE THE BUFORD SINGLE OYSTER.
THE MOTHER NATURE ONLY GIVES YOU A FEW OF THEM, BUT WE KNEW WE HAD TO ACTUALLY START GROWING THEM TO MEET DEMAND.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING EVER SINCE.
WE'RE ACTUALLY FROM MARYLAND, VIRGINIA AREA, CHESAPEAKE BAY, AS A MESS AROUND WITH OYSTERS ALL THE TIME.
IT'S JUST SOMETHING THAT YOU DO ALL SEVEN, PROBABLY 40, 50,000 OYSTERS.
UM, THIS YEAR WE SHOULD BE UP AROUND QUARTER MILLION, GET A LITTLE SHOW AND TELL HERE, WE'RE PULLING THESE BIGGER ONES OUT AND THEY'LL GO INTO A BIGGER MESH BAG IN ABOUT SIX MONTHS, USUALLY THREE INCHES, AND THEN A ROLL BAR IN TROUGH OR BUFORD.
ALRIGHT, LET ME HAND YOU THESE BACK, MAN.
YOU DON'T WANT TO DROP THAT THE FINAL PRODUCT FOR THREE AND JOISTER WHICH WE'RE ABOUT TO GO GET HERE IN A LITTLE BIT.
WE GOT ACCOLADES ALL DAY LONG.
IF THE PEOPLE IN BUFORD LOVE THEM, CAUSE YOU FOR PEOPLE KNOW WHAT WASTERS AND THEY SAY, THEY'RE GOOD.
UH, FRANK BRUNEI FROM THE NEW YORK TIME HAD OYSTERS OUT OF THE ORDINARY, WHICH WAS A FINE RESTAURANT.
JAMES BEARD AWARD-WINNING CHEF.
THEY HAD EIGHT OYSTERS ON THE MENU.
THEN HE CALLED CHEF LOD OVER AND UH, POINTED TO OUR WASHER AND SAID, THIS WAS THE BEST SOURCE FOR I'VE EVER EATEN.
[01:20:01]
AND HE WENT AND ATE THREE DOZEN OR MORE, AND THEN WENT ON TWITTER, 300,000 FOLLOWERS AND SAID, CONNIE, THESE OYSTERS ARE THEY'RE REALLY, REALLY GOOD.A LOT OF PHONE CALLS CAME FROM OUT OF STATE AND WE'RE JUST NOT SET UP TO SHIP OUT OF STATE YET WE'RE WORKING ON IT.
WE GOT TO SATISFY THE NEEDS OF SOUTH CAROLINA.
FIRST WE'LL DROP THE TAX AND THE WATER WILL PASS THROUGH THIS SHIFT, BUT THE RV IS GOING TO BE AROUND 70 A MICRON.
SO THERE'LL BE CAPTURED ON THE SHIFT.
IT LOOKS LIKE COFFEE GROUNDS IN HERE.
THAT'S CAPTURED HERE, PUT THEM IN THESE CUPS WITH FILTERED SEAWATER.
THEN WE'LL TAKE A SAMPLE OF THAT AND PUT IT UNDER THE MICROSCOPE, THE SIZE AND HOW MANY WE HAVE DETERMINES HOW MUCH FOOD THEY GET BACK IN THE TANK.
WHEN WE RELOAD THE TANKS WITH FILTERED WATER, UH, SEVEN DAYS A WEEK FOR AT LEAST 21 TO 25 DAY CYCLE.
IT'S LIKE HAVING A LOT OF LITTLE PUPPIES.
I LEARNED PRETTY QUICKLY THAT I HAD TO LEARN HOW TO DO THIS BECAUSE WE RAN OUT OF OYSTERS IN THE WILD.
IT TAKES TOO LONG FOR OUR MARKET DEMANDS.
SO I WENT TO UP HATCHERIES AROUND THE EAST COAST, LEARNING FROM THEM, HOW THEY DO IT.
AND EACH HATCHERY HAS ITS OWN LITTLE WAYS OF DOING IT.
WHAT WORKS IN A HATCHERY SAY IN NORTH CAROLINA MAY NOT WORK IN A HASH FOR A YEAR.
WHAT WE DO HERE MAY NOT WORK SOMEPLACE ELSE.
SO YOU HAVE TO FIND YOUR OWN LITTLE NICHE.
THE PURPOSE OF THE SINGLE GRAIN IS A SINGLE OYSTER.
UH, IF THE, IF THE GRAIN OF, IF THE CRUSHED SHELL IS TOO BIG, WE'LL GET MULTIPLE SETS ON IT.
THEN WE'LL GET A CLUSTERED OYSTER.
WELL, WE GET THOSE IN THE WILD ALREADY.
SO WE'RE NOT TRYING TO GROW A CLUSTERED OYSTER.
ONCE THEY SET, THEY CAN ONLY DO IT ONE TIME.
SO THEY, THEY SUBMITTED THEMSELVES TO THAT PIECE OF A CRUSHED SHELL.
AND THEN THEY START GROWING THEIR OWN SHELL.
WE DO A LOT OF RESORTS WITH DNR, UH, D HECK, UH, FDA, UH, OVER IN CONSTANT COMMUNICATION WITH THE OTHER HATCHERIES, UH, WEATHER CHANGES THINGS.
WE JUST HAD A COLD SNAP THE OTHER DAY, UH, IT'S SLOWED DOWN OUR GROWTH OR OYSTERS, ONE OF THE NEXT, OR WE STILL RFA WENT AN EXTRA FIVE DAYS BECAUSE OF THE DROP IN TEMPERATURE.
THIS IS A REFRACTIVE METER AND I'M MEASURING THE SALINITY IN THE WATER.
AQUACULTURE IS FROM OUR DEFINITION IS POUND MINTS ON LAND SHRIMP FARMS, CATFISH FARMS, THAT'S AGRICULTURE.
THIS IS MARICULTURE, WHICH IS IMPOUNDMENTS AT SEA, WHICH IS WHAT WE'RE DOING.
THAT'S THE DIFFERENCE? THERE'S ABOUT, THERE'S ABOUT 1800 OYSTERS IN HERE.
WE'VE GOT WATER COMING IN FROM ST.
AND SO THAT'S WHERE YOU GET THAT NICE BRINY, BRIGHT FLAVOR.
THE TASTE OF THAT, THE OCEAN TASTED SEE, THAT'S WHAT WE WANT.
THESE ARE GOING TO BE PROCESSED TONIGHT TOMORROW MORNING.
AND BY MID MORNING, THEY'LL BE ON THEIR WAY TO CHARLESTON.
THEY TYPICALLY CALL THIS THE SINGLE LADY.
YOU WANT TO SEE THAT NICE CHINA, WHITE KIND OF BODY.
AND YOU WANT TO SEE THAT LIQUOR IN THERE, AND YOU JUST WANT TO, SOMEBODY CUT THE BOTTOM OF THAT MUSCLE AND THIS OYSTER IS READY TO BE EATEN.
I LOVE HIM RAW COOKED, STEAMED ANY WHICH WAY I CAN GET THEM.
UH, SOMETIMES I PUT A LITTLE BIT OF LEMON ON THEM OR A MINION NET, A LITTLE BIT OF HOT SAUCE, AND I JUMP AROUND, BUT I'LL TAKE HIM ANY WHICH WAY I CAN GET THEM.
[01:25:02]
BUFORD COUNTY IS REALLY UNIQUE AND IT'S WATER.WELL, THEY CALL OUR RIVERS RIVERS, BUT THEY'RE NOT REALLY RIVERS.
THEY'RE ACTUALLY TITLED EXTRA AREAS THAT HAVE FLOW IN AND FLOW OUT FROM THE OCEAN.
THEY'RE NOT FROM WAY UP IN COLUMBIA PASSING BY ALL KINDS OF RIVERS AND TOWNS AND WATER TREATMENT PLANTS.
THEY UNDERSTAND THE UNIQUENESS OF OUR WATER QUALITY, AND THEY PUT A LOT OF EFFORT INTO ENSURING THAT OUR WATER STAYS CLEAN.
CLEAN WATER IS EXTREMELY VALUABLE AND DIRTY.
OUR CONNECTION WITH THE WATER BODY WITH THE MARSH IS, IS DEFINES WHO WE ARE.
AND, UH, AND THEY'RE REALLY, UH, REALLY GOOD AT PROTECTING OVER MY SHOULDER AS SOME PERFECT FOX GIRL HABITAT.
WE'VE SEEN A COUPLE OF RUNNING AROUND, YOU KNOW, FOX SQUIRRELS ARE NOT YOUR TYPICAL SQUIRREL.
WE HAVE TWO TYPES OF SQUIRRELS AROUND HERE.
WE HAVE THE JUST NORMAL GRAY SQUIRREL AND THAT CYRUS CAROLYN ANSYS.
AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE THE FOX GROW, WHICH IS A COUSIN IN A CYRUS NIGER.
SO A MUCH BIGGER SCORE, UH, YOUR STANDARD GRAY SQUIRRELS THREE-QUARTERS OF A POUND TO A POUND, A FOX SQUIRREL IS TWO POUNDS.
SOMETIMES, SOMETIMES EVEN BIGGER THAN THAT.
AND THEY LOOK VERY, VERY DIFFERENT.
THE TYPICAL FOX SQUIRREL IS GRAY WITH VARYING AMOUNTS OF BLACK ON IT, BUT THEY CAN BE GOLD SOMETIMES A LOT OF TIMES THEY'RE JET BLACK.
AND SO THEY'RE A MELANIA STICK, A FOX SQUIRRELS.
AND DEPENDING ON WHERE YOU ARE IN CERTAIN AREAS, THEY SEEM TO ALL BE KIND OF GRAY AND IN BLACK WITH A LITTLE BIT OF BLACK ON THEM IN OTHER AREAS.
AND THE MAJORITY OF THEM ARE JET BLACK.
SO THEY LOOK A LOT OF DIFFERENT WAYS, BUT THEY'RE MUCH BIGGER.
SOMETIMES THEY LOOK MORE LIKE A MERE CAT OR SOMETHING.
AND I'LL TELL YOU THE REASON THEY'RE HERE IS BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF PECAN TREES HERE AND THEY LOVE PECANS.
NOW THOUGH, GET A LOT OF OTHER THINGS AS WELL.
THEY'LL USE A LOT OF PINE CONES AND SOMETIMES THEY'LL EVEN EAT BIRD EGGS AND, YOU KNOW, IN SMALL ANIMALS.
AND ONE OF THE REALLY COOL THINGS ABOUT FOX SQUIRRELS IS THEY BURY THINGS AND GRAY SQUIRRELS DO THE SAME THING.
AND WHEN THEY BURY ACORNS, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THEY'RE DOING IS PLANTING TREES, BECAUSE I DON'T REMEMBER WHERE ALL THOSE ACORNS ARE.
THEY HAVE THE ABILITY TO SMELL THEM OUT OF THE GROUND, BUT SOMETIMES THEY FORGET ABOUT THEM OR CAN'T FIND THEM.
AND WHEN THEY DO THAT, OF COURSE, THE ACORNS TURN INTO OAK TREES, FIVE SQUIRRELS ARE CAVITY NESTERS.
AND THE OTHER REASON THEY'RE HERE IS BECAUSE OF THE TREES.
THEY LIKE THESE TREES AND LIVE OAKS AND PECAN TREES BECAUSE THERE ARE HOLES IN THEM WHERE THEY CAN GO IN, BUILD A SORT OF A LEAF NEST AND THEN HAVE THEIR BABIES.
JOIN ME FOR COASTAL KINGDOM ON THE COUNTY CHANNEL.
DID YOU KNOW, DRAGGING CHAINS BEEN SPARKED A WILDFIRE ONLY YOU CAN PREVENT WILDFIRES