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CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY BAUER COUNTY.SO I WILL CALL TO ORDER THE MEETING OF THE LIBRARY BOARD OF TRUSTEES BAUER COUNTY.
THIS IS OUR MEETING FOR WEDNESDAY, JUNE, SEPTEMBER 14TH.
OH, I WANNA SAY JUNE O SEPTEMBER 14TH.
AND WE'RE AT THE HILTON HEAD BRANCH LIBRARY.
AND, UH, WE WILL START WITH, WE'RE CALLED TO ORDER.
WE'LL START WITH THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE AND BERNIE'S GOING TO LEAD US.
IF WE ALL STAND, PLEASE STAND BEHIND ME.
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG LIKE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INVISIBLE WITH LIBERTY INJUSTICE FOR ALL.
THANK YOU, BERNIE AND WELCOME TO EVERYBODY.
SO I'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE THE BOARD MEMBERS THAT ARE HERE.
WE HAVE BERNIE COLE WHO JUST LET US IN THE PLEDGE.
HE'S REPRESENTS DISTRICT THREE.
WE HAVE LYNN MILLER, VICE CHAIR.
WE HAVE JANET PORTER REPRESENTING DISTRICT EIGHT.
WE HAVE BRENDA LATSON POWELL REPRESENTING DISTRICT ONE.
YOU'RE THE LEADER, UH, ROSALIE RICHMOND REPRESENTING DISTRICT SEVEN.
TRACY ROBINSON REPRESENTING DISTRICT FOUR SMILEY.
SHE'S ALWAYS IN A GOOD MOOD TOO.
TABERNAC I'M CHAIR AND I REPRESENT DISTRICT SIX.
WE HAVE TERRY THOMAS TO MY LEFT.
WE ALSO HAVE AMANDA, WHO IS OUR DIRECTOR FOR LIBRARIES.
WE HAVE JOSH, OUR DEPUTY DIRECTOR WHO IS HIDING IN THE CORNER.
DID WE DELEGATE YOU TO BE IN THE CORNER OR YOU JUST LIKE IT THERE? IT'S JUST, YOU JUST, I CAN TAKE MINUTES.
WE HAVE CHUCK ATKINSON WHO IS AN ASSISTANT COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR.
HE RUNS ALL OUR INTERFERENCE WITH THE COUNTY.
ALEX IS RUNNING THE COUNTY CHANNEL.
AND YOU HAVE A COUPLE OF GUESTS.
UM, JOINING ME TODAY ARE, UM, TRACY COX AND THERESA FURBISH THEY'RE IN OUR ADMINISTRATION TEAM.
TRACY IS OUR MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS, UM, COORDINATOR AND THERESA IS OUR PROGRAMS AND EVENTS LIBRARIAN.
I ALSO HAVE GREG CHRIS BELL, WHO IS THE YOUTH SERVICES SPECIALIST HERE AT THIS BRANCH.
AND YOU'LL HEAR A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT HIM IN MY REPORT.
UM, SO PUBLIC COMMENT, WE HAVE NO PUBLIC, SO I'M GONNA PASS OVER THAT ONE AND I'M GONNA ASK EVERYONE RECEIVE THE MINUTES IN THEIR PACKET.
SO I'M LOOKING FOR A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF THE JULY 13TH MEETING SECOND.
WE HAD ONE THAT CAME TO, WE HAD ONE EMAIL.
THEY DID NOT PROVIDE, UH, ME WITH THE PERMISSION TO SHARE IT PUBLICLY, BUT I WILL TELL YOU THAT WE RECEIVED A HIGHLY, UM, FAVORABLE COMPLIMENT, UH, TOWARDS THE HILTON HEAD STAFF.
SO ANYONE THAT WATCHES THIS PROGRAM AFTER THE FACT, OR IF YOU'RE WATCHING NOW AND YOU FEEL LIKE YOU'D LIKE TO CONTACT THE DIRECTOR OR THE TRUSTEES FEEL FREE TO SEND US AN EMAIL OR IT CAN SEND IT SNAIL MAIL THAT'S OKAY.
AND FEEL FREE IF YOU WANNA OFFER A SUGGESTION OR SAY KUDOS LIKE THEY DID FOR THE, UH, HILTON HAD STAFF.
UM, IN YOUR PACKET, I'M GONNA DRAW YOUR ATTENTION TO THE FOLDER THAT YOU RECEIVED.
UM, JUST TO HIGHLIGHT A COUPLE OF THINGS IN IT.
YOU HAVE MY MONTHLY DIRECTOR'S REPORT, AND I KNOW THAT YOU ALL DEVOURED THAT, UM, JUST AS YOU WOULD TO BESTSELLER NOVEL.
UM, BUT, UH, IN IT, WHAT THE REASON WHY I'M DRAWING YOUR ATTENTION IS RATHER THAN TAKE TIME IN THIS MEETING TODAY TO KIND OF RECOUNT ALL OF THE THINGS WE'VE DONE THIS CALENDAR YEAR, THIS REPORT KIND OF GIVES YOU AN UPDATE ON OUR PROGRESS WITH, UM, STORY WALKS BEING INSTALLED WITHIN THIS CALENDAR YEAR.
UM, BEAUFORT IS, UH, CLOSE TO BEING ONLINE WITH INSTALLING ONE AT THE NAVAL HERITAGE SKATE PARK AND WANTING TO ALSO SET UP AN ADDITIONAL ONE AT THE SPANISH MALLS TRAIL.
THAT'S MOVING FORWARD, OUR STRATEGIC PLAN, AS YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN FOCUSED ON GETTING THAT, UM, TO THE FINISH LINE AND WE'RE CLOSER THAN WE'VE BEEN BEFORE.
UM, AND WE ALSO HAVE PROVIDED MORE DIGITAL CONTENT TO ALL CARD HOLDERS WITH OVER 844,000
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EBOOKS AND AUDIOBOOKS IN HOOPLA AND NOT EVEN COUNTING THE TV SHOWS, MOVIES IN MUSIC THAT ARE ALSO IN THERE.UM, WE'VE ALSO ADDED NEW YORK TIMES AND WALL STREET JOURNAL DIGITAL ACCESS.
SO WE'VE AL WE'VE ACCOMPLISHED THAT IN THIS CALENDAR YEAR.
AND, UH, I JUST, THAT'S, THAT'S A TESTAMENT TO THE HARDWORKING STAFF THAT WE HAVE, UM, AND YOUR SUPPORT AND OUR PUBLIC SUPPORT IN PROVIDING THE FEEDBACK TO PURSUE THESE, THESE THINGS THAT THEY, THEY HAVE MENTIONED TO US THAT THEY WANT.
UM, SO I JUST BRIEFLY GO OVER THAT JUST TO LET YOU KNOW THAT WE ARE WORKING, WE ARE WORKING HARD AND WE'RE DIRECTLY RESPONDING TO WHAT PEOPLE ARE ASKING FOR.
I WILL ALSO DRAW YOUR ATTENTION TO THE ORG CHART, UH, OUR ORGANIZATIONAL CHART, JUST TO KIND OF SHOW YOU THAT WE HAVE MORE FILLED VACAN, UH, FILLED POSITIONS, UM, THAN WE HAVE PREVIOUSLY.
AND I HAVE THREE OF THE VACANCIES LISTED ON THIS THAT ARE IN PROCESS OF BEING FILLED.
SO THAT LEADS US TO ABOUT THREE MORE THAT WE ARE STILL ACTIVELY SEEKING APPLICANTS FOR.
BUT, UM, IN PREVIOUS MONTHS I'VE COME TO YOU WITH 10 VACANCIES AND 12 VACANCIES.
SO THIS IS, UH, JUST WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW WE'RE MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION IN TERMS OF OUR STAFFING AND PERSONNEL.
AND THEN ALSO IN YOUR PACKET, YOU HAVE, UM, A COUPLE OF OTHER ITEMS THAT I'M GOING TO NOW DRAW YOUR ATTENTION TO.
NOW, BEFORE I DO, I NEED TO INTRODUCE GREG.
SO GREG'S GOING TO, UH, WALK TO THE PODIUM.
AND WHILE HE DOES THAT, LET ME KIND OF LET YOU KNOW WHO GREG IS IN A NUTSHELL, IF, IF ANYBODY COULD, UH, ACCURATELY DESCRIBE GREG IN THREE TO FOUR SENTENCES, I'M GONNA GIVE YOU MY BEST SHOT.
GREG HAS BEEN WITH BEAUFORT COUNTY LIBRARY SINCE OCTOBER OF 2001.
UM, SO THAT MEANS HE'S, HE'S A, A 20 PLUS YEAR WITH US.
HE'S BEEN AT THE ELTON NET BRANCH LIBRARY FOR THE MAJORITY OF THAT.
AND HE IS THE CREATIVE BRAIN BEHIND ESCAPE ROOMS FOR KIDS AND TEENAGERS.
MY FAVORITE WAS THE WILLY WONKA ROOM THAT HE PUT TOGETHER JUST BECAUSE I HAVE A PERSONAL LOVE OF WILLY WONKA.
UM, BUT HE WAS ABLE TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO MAKE LICKABLE WALLPAPER, JUST LIKE THE MOVIE.
AND I THOUGHT THAT WAS FANTASTIC.
UM, BUT HE, HIS MAIN THING IS TRYING TO GET, UM, TRYING TO GET KIDS EXCITED ABOUT READING.
HE ALSO DOES, UM, LEGO ROBOTICS CLUB AND HE REALLY HAS A HEART FOR OUTREACH TO SCHOOLS IN NEIGHBORHOOD CENTERS, UM, ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING TO INSPIRE PEOPLE TO LOVE TO READ.
AND HE ALSO HAS A, A, A COLLECTION OF SPECIAL SHOES.
IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY, BEDROOM SHOES, BEDS, SLIPPERS, CHARACTER BASED CHARACTER SLIPPERS YEP.
THAT HE OFTEN USES IN HIS LIKE POWER STORY TIMES LIKE BEARS AND BUNNIES AND PENGUINS AND REINDEER.
AND HE ALSO HAS A THEATER BACKGROUND, ESPECIALLY IN READER'S THEATER.
UM, MORE LIKE RADIO PLAYS, THAT KIND OF THING.
UM, BUT THE REASON WHY I'VE ASKED HIM TO JOIN US TODAY IS BECAUSE I WANTED TO HAVE, YOU KNOW, THAT HE'S A, HE'S ACCOMPLISHED, UM, A SIGNIFICANT MILESTONE IN HIS PERSONAL EDUCATIONAL JOURNEY BY COMPLETING HIS BACHELOR'S DEGREE.
UM, JUST THIS PAST AUGUST AND HIS, YEAH, THANK YOU.
AND HE INTENDS TO, UM, PURSUE HIS MASTER'S IN LIBRARY SCIENCE.
SO HE IS, THIS IS GREG CHRIS BELL.
UM, THIS IS YOUR LIBRARY BOARD OF TRUSTEES.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR OFFICIAL.
GREG IS ALSO THE GO TO FOR, DID YOU MENTION HE, HE DOES ALL THE, UH, TECHNOLOGY TECHNOLOGY FOR SURE THING.
SO, AMANDA, WHERE DOES GREG SHOW UP ON HIS ORG CHART ON THE HILTON HEAD UNDER HILTON HEAD LIBRARIES.
I THOUGHT YOU SAID HE WAS BEAUTIFUL.
I FOUND YOU, UM, I HAVE TWO ITEMS THAT I NEED YOUR, UM, DISCUSSION AND APPROVAL FOR.
AND THEN I WILL INTRODUCE TRACY AND TERESA TO GIVE YOU A SUMMER READING UPDATE.
UM, BUT FIRST, UH, I NEED TO ASK FOR, UM, A RESCHEDULING OF OUR STAFF DEVELOPMENT DAY ORIGINALLY IN LAST NOVEMBER, WHEN YOU APPROVED OUR HOLIDAY CLOSINGS, YOU APPROVED OCTOBER THE FIFTH, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER THE FIFTH AS OUR STAFF DEVELOPMENT DAY.
AND ORDINARILY, THAT WOULD BE FINE, BUT THAT IS ALSO THE DAY, UH, FIRST DAY OF THE SOUTH CAROLINA LIBRARY ASSOCIATION, ANNUAL CONFERENCE, AND MYSELF AND JOSH ARE PRESENTERS THAT DAY.
SO WE CAN'T BE IN BOTH PLACES AT ONE TIME.
SO I'M ASKING IF YOU WOULD CONSIDER, UM, AMENDING THE HOLIDAY CLOSINGS TO RESCHEDULE STAFF DEVELOPMENT DAY FOR WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 19TH.
OH, DO YOU NEED A VOTE?
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GONNA MAKE A MOTION, MAKE A MOTION.SOMEBODY SECOND, BERNIE SECOND.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION ON THAT BEFORE I SAY SURE.
ANY DISCUSSION, IT LOOKS GOOD.
ALL RIGHT, THEN LET'S CALL FOR THE VOTE ALL IN FAVOR OF CHANGING THE DATES, SAY, AYE.
AND THE NEXT WOULD BE HOURS OF OPERATION.
SO IN YOUR PACKET YOU HAVE, UM, A, A PAPER THAT LISTS OUR PROPOSED HOURS OF OPERATION.
SO YOU CAN SEE BRANCH BY BRANCH MM-HMM
UM, EACH BRANCH HAD EACH BRANCH STAFF, UM, HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE INPUT.
SO THIS WASN'T JUST ME DRAFTING WHAT I WANTED THEM TO DO OR WHAT WE FELT THAT AS AN ADMINISTRATIVE TEAM, THEY HAD OPPORTUNITY TO, UM, COLLABORATE ON THIS.
SO THIS IS A JOINT EFFORT TO YOU BROUGHT BY BUFORT COUNTY LIBRARY, AS YOU CAN SEE, UM, BEAUFORT, BLUFFTON AND HILTON ED HAVE THE SAME HOURS, NINE TO SEVEN, MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY, NINE TO FIVE, FRIDAY AND SATURDAY.
HELENA HAS 10 TO SEVEN, 10 TO FIVE AND, AND LOCO IS KEEPING THEIR COVID HOURS, WHICH IS 10, SIX AND 10 TO FIVE.
UM, LOCO A WAS THE ONLY ONE DURING COVID REOPENING THAT ACTUALLY EXPANDED THEIR HOURS PRIOR.
SO THEY ACTUALLY PICKED UP AN ADDITIONAL HOURS DURING OUR COVID REOPENING.
SO THAT'S WHY WE'VE KEPT THEIR HOURS THE SAME.
UM, THE SUMMARY IS THAT PRIOR TO OUR COVID, UM, CLOSURES AND REOPENING THE BEAUFORT, BLUFFTON AND HILTON HEAD LIBRARIES OPERATED, UH, PROVIDED TH 55 HOURS OF PUBLIC OPERATING HOURS.
UM, THIS GIVES THEM 56 AT, WITH NO ADDITIONAL PERSONNEL, UM, ST.
HELENA IN THE STAYS AT THEIR HOUR, WEEKLY HOURS.
THEY HAD 50 HOURS BEFORE THEY HAVE 50 HOURS NOW, BUT THESE HOURS ARE CONSISTENT.
IF YOU RECALL THE ST HELENA HOURS BEFORE THEY WERE OPENING, UM, AT DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE DAY.
AND THEY HAD A EARLY CLOSING ONE DAY WHERE THEY WEREN'T OPEN POST THREE O'CLOCK OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
SO THIS GIVES THEM, UM, EVENING HOURS, CONSISTENT EVENING HOURS, MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY THAT THEY DIDN'T HAVE PRIOR.
AND LIKE I SAID, WITH LICO, THEY'RE PICKING UP AN ADDITIONAL FOUR HOURS.
UM, THEN THEY HAD PRIOR TO OUR C CLOSURES IN 2020, YOU NEED A MOTION FOR THIS? YES.
SOMEBODY MAKE A MOTION, PLEASE.
I HAVE A QUESTION WE'RE PUSHING IT TO A MONDAY, OCTOBER 31ST FOR HALLOWEEN OR WHAT? NO.
UM, REASON IS A GREAT QUESTION.
AND THE REASON IS SEVERAL FACTORS ARE INFLUENCING THAT NUMBER ONE.
UM, WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAD ADEQUATE TIME TO GET THE INFORMATION OUT.
ONCE YOU APPROVE TODAY, ASSUMING THAT YOU APPROVED TODAY, MM-HMM
SO WE, THE OPTICS OF THAT, BUT THE, THE PRI THE PRIMARY REASON IS THAT AT THIS POINT ALREADY MID-SEPTEMBER STAFF SCHEDULES AND PROGRAMS, PUBLIC PROGRAMS, AND MEETING ROOMS HAVE ALREADY BEEN RESERVED FOR OCTOBER.
SO THIS GIVES US OPPORTUNITY TO REALLY RESET AND MOVE FORWARD.
ANY OTHER DISCUSSION OR QUESTION FOR AMANDA? I THINK IT'S GREAT.
WE'RE GOING BACK TO 56 HOURS AT MOST OF THESE, 50 TO 5 56.
SO LET'S, UM, CALL THE QUESTION, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF CHANGING THE HOURS AS RECOMMENDED BY AMANDA, SAY, AYE, AYE.
ANYBODY OPPOSED? YOU'LL HAVE TO STAND OUTSIDE THE LIBRARY WHEN IT CLOSES, IF YOU OPPOSED.
AND SO WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, I'LL BRING UP, UM, TRACY AND THERE TO PROVIDE, ASK A QUESTION ON THIS BEFORE YOU DO THAT.
SO, UM, THE, JUST A COUPLE THINGS, BECAUSE THE PEOPLE THAT WATCH THIS WHILE WE'RE ALL SLEEPING AND THEY WATCH THIS, UM, I THINK THEY SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THIS ASSEMBLING BOOK DONATIONS.
UM, THANKS TO OUR FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY GROUPS.
UM, THEY REALLY, UH, HEATED THE CALL WHEN I SAW THAT, UM, THERE WAS A, THERE WAS ANNOUNCEMENT MADE TO LIBRARIES, NA NATIONWIDE TO SEND DONATED CHILDREN'S BOOKS TO THE DEVASTATED LIBRARIES IN KENTUCKY, UM, AS A RESULT OF RECENT, UM, NATURAL DISASTER THERE MM-HMM
[00:15:01]
I PUT OUT A CALL TO OUR FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY TO SEE IF THEY HAD CHILDREN'S BOOKS IN GOOD STANDING CONDITION.AND WE HAVE THERESA HOW MANY, SIX BOXES COUNTING THE ONE IN THE BACK OF MY CAR.
THAT THEY ARE QUITE LARGE, UM, LARGE AMAZON BOXES.
SO WE HAVE SIX, UM, A SHIPMENT OF SIX BOXES TO SEND TO KENTUCKY MIDDLE, YOU KNOW, MIDDLE AND ELEMENTARY SCHOOL LIBRARIES TO REBUILD THEIR COLLECTION.
AND COULD YOU COMMENT ON THE ARTISTS AND RESIDENCE? YES.
AMANDA, ON THE, UH, LIBRARY ORGANIZATION CHART SHOWING A COUPLE OF VACANCIES ON THE MOBILE SERVICES OUTREACH, HOW ARE WE DOING WITH THE TWO, UH, MOBILE LIBRARY, THE BOOKMOBILES? SO OUR, UM, OUR MOBILE LIBRARIES ARE OUR BOOK.
MOBILES, ARE WE EXPERTLY TRAINED? AND I SAY THAT WITH A SMILE, CUZ BECAUSE SHE DID THE VACANCY IS MY OLD POSITION
UM, THE STAFF THERE HAVE RISEN TO TAKE ON SOME RESPONSIBILITIES THERE THAT I WAS SHIP.
UM, SO THEY'VE ACQUIRED NEW SKILLS IN ORDER TO KEEP THAT GOING.
AND, UM, THEY ARE, THEY ARE DOING WELL.
ALTHOUGH THEY DO WANT US TO FIND SOMEONE TO, TO HELP THEIR DEPARTMENT IN TERMS OF, UM, SCHEDULING AND, AND JUST ASSISTING WITH STAFF TIME EVENTS AND FESTIVALS AND, AND THE ROBUST SERVICE THAT THEY DO.
BUT THEY WANNA MAKE SURE WE GET THE RIGHT PERSON.
DO WE STAFF EACH BOOKMOBILE WITH TWO PEOPLE EACH DAY? MM-HMM
SO WHEN THE TRUCK TRUCK BOOKMOBILE IS OUT THERE, IT'S GOT TWO PEOPLE ON BOARD BY PROCEDURE.
WE, NONE OF OUR BRANCH LIBRARIES OR OUR BOOKMOBILES, UM, OPERATE WITH TWO PEOPLE, HAVE TO BE IN THERE AT ALL TIME.
NO STAFF IS ALLOWED TO BE IN A BUILDING OR, BUT WE'RE BILLED BY THEMSELVES.
AND I'M SORRY TO TAKE FROM YOUR TIME, BUT COULD YOU SHARE WITH THE AUDIENCE, THE ARTIST AND RESIDENT? YEAH, ACTUALLY, IF IT'S OKAY WITH YOU, CAN WE TALK ABOUT THAT IN THE FOUNDATION COMMITTEE REPORT? BECAUSE THEY ARE THE ONES WHO ARE PROVIDING THE STIPEND FOR.
AND THE ONLY OTHER THING I NOTICED ON YOUR CHART, MM-HMM
SO THAT'S REALLY A GREAT THING.
AND HOOPLA IS STILL GOING VERY STRONG IN RISING EVERY MONTH.
I THINK THESE ARE IMPORTANT STATISTICS FOR US TO LOOK AT.
UM, SO AMANDA ASKED US TO GIVE YOU A BRIEF WRAP UP OF OUR SUMMER READING PROGRAM AND WE ARE GOING TO DO OUR BEST TO KEEP IT JUST THAT BRIEF.
UM, SO WE HAVE A VIDEO THAT WE PUT TOGETHER FOR YOU.
IT'S GONNA HAVE A LOT OF, OF, UM, THE INFORMATION ABOUT THE STATISTICS AT THE VERY END.
SO THAT'LL INCLUDE HOW MANY, UH, FINISHERS WE HAD, FOR EXAMPLE, NEW CARD SIGNUPS, ALL OF THAT.
WE ALSO WILL HAVE A FEATURE OF SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THE PROGRAMS AND DISPLAYS THAT WE HAVE AS WELL THROUGHOUT JUNE AND JULY.
UM, I WILL SAY, UH, THIS YEAR WE'VE GOT A LOT OF GREAT FEEDBACK, UM, ABOUT THE FACT THAT WE HAVE PAPER SURVEYS, UM, ADULTS LOVE THAT THEY COULD PARTICIPATE AS WELL.
AND I THINK YOU'LL SEE A LOT OF THAT, UM, FEATURED IN HERE.
SO IF WE DO VERY DRAMATIC, YEAH,
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THAT'S WANTED TO GIVE CREDIT TO THOMAS SHOTTER, WHO IS OUR MARKETING ASSISTANT.DID WE HAVE MORE PARTICIPANTS IN LAST YEAR? YES, ACTUALLY WE HAD ABOUT 200 MORE PARTICIPANTS.
WE JUST BARELY GOT TO, WELL, NOT TO SAY JUST BARELY, BUT 2000 ABOUT LAST YEAR AND THIS YEAR WAS ABOUT 2200.
AND WE ALSO HAD A BONUS ROUND FOR THE FIRST TIME.
SO WE HAD OVER CLOSE TO 900, UH, READERS, COMPLETE A BONUS ROUND, WHICH MEANS THEY COMPLETED THE INITIAL SUMMER READING PROGRAM, BUT THEN CONTINUED ON, UH, READING WOW.
TO, YOU KNOW, TO READ OF COURSE, BUT ALSO GAVE MORE OPPORTUNITIES TO WIN A GRAND PRIZE.
WERE YOU HAPPY WITH THE PARTICIPATION AT ST.
A LOT OF KIDS CAME MM-HMM
I'D SAY ACROSS THE BOARD, UM, THE RATIO OF PARTICIPANTS WAS, UH, FAIRLY, UM, ACCURATE TO THE POPULATION SERVED.
AND THIS WAS THE FIRST YEAR THAT WE DID, UH, THE PERFORMANCE, THE SOUTH CAROLINA AQUARIUM AT THE WATERFRONT PARK AND WE HAD OVER 300.
UH, CONTINUING YOUR PROGRAM FROM SUMMER.
UM, I KNOW A NUMBER OF TEACHERS CAUSE I'VE TAUGHT 14 YEARS.
UH, I HAVE ENCOURAGED A LOT OF TEACHERS TO HAVE, UH, UH, TRIPS TO THE LIBRARY DURING THE SCHOOL YEAR MM-HMM
IS THERE ANYTHING THAT GOES OUT TO THE SCHOOLS TO ENCOURAGE THAT? CAUSE I GO IN SOME OF THE SCHOOLS, RIGHT.
THERE'S ONLY FOUR WAYS TO LEARN.
AND UNFORTUNATELY THIS IS PROBABLY TRUE.
A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE FELL THROUGH THE CRACKS ON THE CUZ OF THE COVID NOT GOING INTO A SCHOOL CLASSROOM.
MM-HMM
AND YOU CAN'T WATCH A TV CUZ THEY, THEY DOZE OFF, THEY DON'T PAY ATTENTION.
I'VE GOT A PROGRAM THAT I PROBABLY COULD DISCUSS WITH YOU AT ONE TIME TO HELP CLOSE THE GAP, BUT IT TAKES MANPOWER AND SOME OF THAT MANPOWER CAN COME FROM OUTSIDE OF THE SCHOOL, UH, BECAUSE, AND THEN IT WOULD HAVE TO BE BECAUSE HERE'S SOME ONE EXAMPLE.
IF YOU TAKE A LOOK AT THE STAFF AT BUFORD HIGH SCHOOL, THEY HAVE 43 TEMPORARIES.
MOST OF THOSE TEMPORARIES OR SUBSTITUTES DON'T KNOW HOW TO TURN THE WATER ON.
I HAD ONE COME TO ME, YOU KNOW HOW TO TURN THIS WATER ON.
I GO OVER AND OVER TO A ROOM AND SHE'S TURNING ON THE GAS, YOU KNOW? SO THERE'S A PROGRAM THAT, THAT I COULD TALK WITH YOU GUYS THAT WE COULD GET TOGETHER.
AND I HAVE A NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT COULD VOLUNTEER PAST PROFESSIONALS PASSED.
WELL, THEN HE JUST PASSED AWAY PROFESSIONALLY.
HE WAS, UH, A SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOL.
I KNOW ANOTHER COUPLE SUPERINTENDENTS OF SCHOOLS, TEACHERS THAT SOME VOLUNTEER ALREADY AT ST.
FOR READING IN REGARDS TO THE SUMMER READING PROGRAM, WE PARTNER WITH THE BEAUFORT COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT MM-HMM
UM, AND EVERY SINGLE STAFF MEMBER.
UM, ALSO SOME OF OUR LIBRARIANS ARE ALL OF OUR CHILDREN'S STAFF.
THEY VISIT THE BEAUFORD COUNTY SCHOOLS AND SOME PRIVATE SCHOOLS TO ENCOURAGE READING AND THEY DO SCHOOL VISITS.
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UM, SO WE ACTIVELY, YOU KNOW, FOSTER THAT RELATIONSHIP WITH THE SCHOOLS TO ENCOURAGE THEM TO READ.I, I, I ALSO TEACH GOLF ON PGA CERTIFIED AND THERE'S A GIRL WHO'S A SOPHOMORE NOW.
AND SHE SAID, SHE ASKED ME, SHE SAID, CAN YOU TELL ME MY SHORT GAME? I SAID, NO, NO PROBLEM.
SHE SAYS, OH, BY THE WAY, I'M HAVING TROUBLE WITH GEOMETRY.
YOU KNOW? AND THIS GIRL HAS A PROMISE OF PROBABLY GETTING A SCHOLARSHIP.
BUT IF YOU DON'T HIT A CERTAIN, CERTAIN GRADE AVERAGE, NOBODY LOOKS AT YOU CAUSE THEY'RE NOT GONNA SPEND THE MONEY TO BRING YOU ON BOARD.
I WAS FACED WITH THAT MANY TIMES WHEN I COACHED FOOTBALL.
SO I'M SURE IF YOU WANTED TO TALK TO THEM, THEY'D BE OPEN TO SPENDING TIME WITH YOU.
I HAVE A QUESTION FROM THE VIDEO.
WHAT HAPPENED TO ALL THOSE BEAUTIFUL BALLOONS AT THE HILTON HEAD LIBRARY? THAT SCULPTURE.
OH, DID YOU LET THE KIDS POP 'EM I WAS ASKED ABOUT THAT YESTERDAY.
DID YOU? THEY LASTED SEVERAL WEEKS.
AND AS THEY STARTED TO FADE, THE KIDS STARTED POP 'EM.
I'VE HEARD IT'S ABOUT A THREE TO FOUR WEEK, MAYBE FOUR WEEKS.
SO THEY KIND OF START TO WEATHER THEREAFTER A WHILE.
THAT WAS QUITE EXCI EXCITING TO SEE.
THE VIDEO IS FRESH IN YOUR MINDS.
I JUST WANNA SAY THAT ONE OF THE THINGS I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S TO, IS IT TOM THAT DID THAT VIDEO, TOM? YEAH.
CAUSE I WAS SO IMPRESSED WITH THE VIDEO HE DID LAST YEAR TOO.
MM-HMM
SO WE INTEND TO DO SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, SHORT AND SWEET, BUT THAT COMMUNICATES OUR MESSAGE OF OUR STRATEGIC PLAN.
THAT'S A GREAT IDEA THROUGH A VIDEO, NOT JUST THROUGH A DOCUMENT, BUT THROUGH A VIDEO TOO.
YOU HAVE MORTGAGE GIVE TO GIVE TO US.
NO, IT'S ALWAYS A PLEASURE TO SEE THE TWO OF YOU.
ONE QUESTION, THE DONATION FOR KENTUCKY THAT'S OVER.
BUT IF I HAVEN'T SHIPPED YET, BUT THEY'RE PACKED, THEY'RE PACKED.
PUT THE LABEL HAVE TO TALK MATTER.
POST THERE'S A BOX IN YOUR WOULD LIKE TO WORK ON.
I BE, THEY COULD USE ANYTHING.
TWO ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS AND ONE MIDDLE.
THERE IS MUCH TO BRAG ABOUT WHEN YOU'RE A BOARD MEMBER AT, AT B COUNTY LIBRARY.
YES, BUT I THINK A LOT OF US BRAG A LOT ABOUT THE SUMMER READING PROGRAM.
SO YOU GUYS ARE TO BE COMMENDED.
WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT NEXT YEAR, UH, FOR NEXT YEAR, THE THEME IS ALTOGETHER NOW.
UM, WHICH IS ALL ABOUT KINDNESS, UNITY, UM, FRIENDSHIP, UM, WHICH IS PERFECT FOR BUFORD COUNTY.
CUZ AS YOU SAW, ONE OF THE STATS WAS WE HAD 238 PRIZES AND THAT WAS FROM THE GENEROUS DONATIONS OF OVER A HUNDRED BUSINESSES ALL THROUGHOUT OUR COUNTY.
SO I FEEL LIKE IT WAS MADE FOR US.
LOOKING FORWARD TO, I THINK TRACY SHOULD BE THE LEAD ON THAT ONE.
SINCE SHE'S IN THE KINDNESS AND SMILEY, WE WERE JUST TALKING ABOUT THAT.
I, YOU KNOW, I JUST WANNA REITERATE, WE ALL GET THIS, YOU KNOW, DIRECTOR'S UPDATE, BUT THE PUBLIC DOESN'T GET IT.
SO THAT'S WHY IT'S IMPORTANT TO HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THE THINGS THAT DO FOR THE PUBLIC.
UH, WE, THE FINANCIALS, JOE BOGAS IS OUR CHAIR.
SO LYNN MILLER IS GOING TO TAKE OVER FOR THE FINANCIALS.
WELL, THE GOOD NEWS IS HE WROTE IT DOWN IN SEVERAL PAGES, BUT
AND NOW, UH, JOE IS SO THOROUGH.
SO I, I'M GONNA KIND OF, UH, TELL YOU WHAT HE HAD TO SAY.
SO THIS OF COURSE WE WANTED YOU TO KNOW THIS IS THE FIRST REPORT OF FY 2023 AND IT REPRESENTS TWO MONTHS OF LIBRARY ACTIVITY.
AND AGAIN, WE ARE UNDERSPENT AND HAVE A HEALTHY IMPACT FEE BALANCE.
I KNOW YOU'VE HEARD THAT FROM HIM.
HE'S, HE'S VERY PROUD OF THAT.
UH, OUR HIGHER PERSONNEL AND OPERATING SPENDING ARE REFLECTIVE.
OUR HIGHER PERSONNEL AND OPERATING SPENDING ARE REFLECTIVE OF A LIBRARY SYSTEM MOVING TOWARDS MORE HOURS AND FULL OPERATIONS, A MORE NORMAL MODE THAN WHAT WE'VE SEEN IN RECENT YEARS.
UH, FIRST OF ALL, LOOK AT THESE SPECIAL FUNDS REPORT, WHICH IS THIS REPORT HERE.
UH, THE FIRST THING ON THAT IS STATE AID LOTTERY.
UH, THE FIRST INSTALLMENT OF STATE AID WAS FOR $105,332.
THAT WAS, UM, I'M SORRY, IS THAT RIGHT? YEAH.
FIRST AID INSTALLMENT OF A HUNDRED, 5,000 WAS RECEIVED WITH 8,793 SPENT LEAVING 96,000 5 39 AT THE CARRY FORWARD BALANCE.
ALL OF THIS INCOME IS EXCLUSIVELY
[00:30:01]
FOR LIBRARY MATERIALS AND IS REFLECTED IN THE COMBINED STATE AID AND LOTTERY LINES OF OUR MATERIALS REPORT.WE EXPECT TO RECEIVE $421,277 IN STATE AID.
THIS FISCAL YEAR, THAT IS AN INCREASE FROM THE STATE LEGISLATURE, RAISING THE PER CAPITA ALLOTMENT, WHICH IS IMPORTANT FROM $2 TO 2 25, UH, BASED ON THE 2020 CENSUS.
UH, SO I THINK THAT'S, UH, AN IMPORTANT THING TO NOTE.
THEN WE CAN TALK ABOUT IMPACT FEES, IMPACT FEES HAVE ALSO WRITTEN RISEN.
THEY HAVE, UH, WE'VE WE HAVE RISEN TO 5.9 MILLION.
THESE ARE, UH, FEES THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO USE FOR CONSTRUCTION OR UM, UH, IN, FOR OUTSIDE THE LIBRARY AND INSIDE THE LIBRARY.
UM, THIS GAIN IS A HUNDRED, IT'S $137,615 FOR OUR JULY REPORT.
UH, WE HAD RECEIPTS OF $72,000, UH, AND CHANGE, UH, 44% FROM BLUFFTON, 30% FOLLOWED BY ST.
HELENA AT 30% WITH HILTON HEAD AND VIEW BIRD CONTRIBUTING 10%.
THERE WERE NO EXPENDITURES DURING THIS REPORTED PERIOD.
STILL OFF ON THE HORIZON ARE ENCUMBERED OBLIGATIONS FOR PRITCHARD BILL FOR LAND DESIGN FEES AND POSSIBLE BLUFF AND PHASE TWO AND THE HILTON HEAD A, UH, A AND E STUDY.
AND THESE ARE NUMBERS SIMPLY TO KEEP IN MIND, AS WE LOOK AT OUR BALANCES, THE EN CONFERENCE IS TOTAL ABOUT 1.6 MILLION VERSUS OUR 5.9 MILLION BALANCE.
THE NEXT THING WE ARE TALKING ABOUT IS SPECIAL TRUST.
SINCE JULY, WE HAD A SMALL GAIN OF 1,513 WAS A LARGE DONATION TO THE BUQUET DISTRICT COLLECTION.
SO THAT'S THE SPECIAL FUNDS REPORT.
NOW HE TALKS ABOUT THE BUDGET UPDATE AND THIS IS THE BUDGET REPORT.
WE ARE TWO MONTHS ARE 70% THROUGH THE YEAR AND WE ARE 16.5% SPENT ON BUDGETS AND PERSONNEL AND OPERATING EXPENSES.
THIS IS AS EXPECTED AND AS WE RESUME NORMAL STAFFING AND OPERATING CONDITIONS, THERE'S NOTHING EXTRAORDINARY OR OUT OF LINE WITH THIS.
AND THEN MATERIALS EXPENDITURES REPORT FOR THE TWO MONTHS OF THIS FISCAL, UH, WE HAVE AN TOTAL EXPENDITURE $47,068, WHICH IS 95% FOR HOOPLA.
THIS IS TYPICAL FOR THE FIRST TWO MONTHS OF THE YEAR.
UH, THE MAJORITY OF OUR DOLLARS IN THIS PERIOD CAME FROM THE COUNTY 38,275 FOLLOWED BY STATE A 8,793.
AND THESE NUMBERS ARE CONSISTENT WITH EARLIER REPORTING ON SPECIAL FUNDS AND BUDGETING SPENDING, UH, LOOKING AT THE FULL FY, UH, FY ON THE MATERIAL SIDE, WE ARE EXPECTED STATE A OF 421,277 AND OUR CURRENT BUDGET OF 266,000 AND PROJECTIONS OF $6,000 FROM BAG FUND $60,000 FROM THE FRIENDS FUND.
NO, 60 TH THE BAG FUND WILL BE 60,000 AND FRIENDS WILL BE $747,000 A HANDSOME NUMBER.
DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? CAUSE JOSH IS HERE.
YOU KNOW, I'M GONNA MAKE A SUGGESTION FOR A FUTURE UNLESS ANYBODY DISAGREES.
I DON'T THINK WE NEED TO PRINT THESE.
WE GIVE THOSE ONLY TO THE FINANCE TEAM.
YEAH, I DON'T, OR WE CAN, THEY CAN SEE 'EM ONLINE.
SO FOR, UM, JUST FOR RECORD, UH, YOUR SUGGESTION IS THAT, UM, STAFF NO LONGER PROVIDE THE ACTUAL PRINTED BANK STATEMENT, CORRECT.
TO THE FINANCE TEAM, RIGHT? I MEAN, THERE'S NOTHING REALLY OF RELEVANCE THERE AND IT'S JUST WASTING PAPER, ESPECIALLY THIS, I HATE THESE LITTLE PRINT ONES.
SO I WOULD SUGGEST WE DON'T PRINT THOSE, NOT A PROBLEM.
UNLESS SOMEBODY DISAGREES, BUT WE HAVE THE ONE TOGETHER.
UM, I WILL WRAP UP, UM, IS CUSTOMARY IN OUR SEPTEMBER MEETING.
UM, AS WE GO INTO A NEW FISCAL YEAR THAT, UM, IN YOUR PRESENCE WE'RE REQUIRED TO SIGN IN THE CHAIR OF THE LIBRARY BOARD OF TRUSTEES
[00:35:01]
IS REQUIRED TO SIGN TWO DOCUMENTS.ONE IS THE, UM, MAINTENANCE OF EFFORT IN STATE AID AGREEMENT.
THIS IS, UM, TO VERIFY TO THE STATE LIBRARY, UM, THAT WE ARE IN COMPLIANCE AND ABLE TO RECEIVE THESE.
SO IT HAS TO BE SIGNED BY ME AND TAB IN, OR THE CHAIR IN YOUR PRESENCE, AS WELL AS, UM, A LETTER, UM, TO THE STATE LIBRARIAN EXPLAINING THAT WE ARE JUST UNDER OUR 15% REQUIREMENT MATCHING FUNDS, UM, FROM THE COUNTY, NOT DUE TO THE COUNTY'S FAULT AT ALL.
UM, THE PER CAPITA INCREASE WAS DONE AFTER OUR COUNTY BUDGET WAS APPROVED.
SO THE COUNTY DIDN'T HAVE A CHANCE TO INCREASE, UM, THEIR MATERIALS ALLOTMENT TO US AND OUR BUDGET, UM, TO MATCH WHAT THE STATE IS PROVIDING.
SO WE HAVE TO ASK FOR A WAIVER SO THAT WE CAN STILL RECEIVE THE STATE AID THROUGH THIS YEAR.
ANY DISCUSSION, YOUR FAVORITE
ANYBODY HAVE A QUESTION ON THAT OR SIGN? OTHERWISE WE'RE GONNA SIGN AWAY SIGN.
I DON'T REMEMBER DOING THIS IN THE PAST.
I'LL GO BACK AND LOOK FOR YOU.
YEAH, WE DO IT EVERY SEPTEMBER.
ANYTHING ELSE, AMANDA? THAT'S IT.
SO WE HEARD FROM THE FINANCE COMMITTEE, ABSENT JOE, AND WE'LL GO TO FOUNDATION LYNN MILLER, AND YOU'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT THE ARTIST AND RESIDENCE.
SO THE FOUNDATION, UM, THEY HAVE NOT MET, UH, THIS YEAR AT ALL.
SO, UM, I CAN'T GIVE YOU AN UPDATE ON WHAT'S GOING ON, EXCEPT THEY DID APPROVE THE ARTIST AND RESIDENCE AND WE PUT OUT AN APPLICATION IT'S BEST I COULD IN THE COMMUNITY, UH, TO GET THE WORD OUT THAT WE WERE LOOKING FOR PEOPLE TO DO WORKSHOPS FOR A MONTH OR SO.
AND, UM, WE GOT, UH, WE GOT A NICE RETURN FROM THAT.
WE GOT, WE HAD FIVE, FIVE PEOPLE.
UM, TWO WERE ONE WANTED TO TEACH.
UH, ONE IS AN AUTHOR THAT WRITES NOVELS AND SHE WANTED TO TEACH THAT SEGMENT OF, OF A NOVEL WRITING.
WE HAD ONE THAT WANTED TO START A, UH, A WRITER'S CLUB AND, UH, WORK TOGETHER ONCE, UH, EVERY WEEKEND FOR A MONTH OR SO.
AND, AND BRING YOUR WORK IN AND TALK ABOUT IT AND CRITIQUE IT.
UM, WE HAD TWO ARTISTS, WE HAD A REALLY INTERESTING ONE OUT AT LACO AND SHE WANTED TO DO, UH, WAL, UH, DO MURALS.
AND THEN WE HAD A PERFORMANCE ART PERSON AS WELL, AND, UH, AND, AND A COUPLE OF ARTISTS.
SO IT, IT WAS, IT WAS ALL OVER THE BOARD.
I MEAN, WE GOT SOME REALLY INTERESTING PEOPLE.
SO ON FRIDAY, WE'RE NEEDING TO SELECT WHO THAT'S GONNA BE, AND THEN WE WILL PUT THE PROCESS TOGETHER OF HOW THAT'S GOING TO OCCUR.
AND IT, IT SHOULD BE INTERESTING.
AND THEY WERE ALL REALLY GOOD CANDIDATES.
AND MOST OF 'EM HAD HAD EXPERIENCE TEACHING AT CRAFT, WHICH IS ALSO REALLY GOOD.
GREAT LYNN, I JUST HAVE ONE COMMENT, YOU KNOW, UM, AS FAR AS I KNOW, THIS IS A PILOT FIRM, PRESS US.
SO WHEN A PILOT PROGRAM, THE OBJECTIVE IS TO LEARN AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.
SO JUST MAKE SURE THAT WHATEVER THE COMMITTEE DOES, YOU BUILD INTO THE PROCESS, BOTH CLARITY ABOUT WHAT YOUR GOALS ARE, AND THEN A HIGHLY REFLECTIVE PERIOD AT THE END AS TO WHAT YOU'VE LEARNED.
AND IF YOU DID IT OVER AGAIN, WHAT WOULD YOU DO DIFFERENTLY? WHAT WOULD YOU DO DIFFERENTLY ABOUT THE APPLICATION PROCESS? WHAT WOULD YOU BE D DO DIFFERENTLY ABOUT CREATING EXPECTATIONS IN THE APPLICATION PROCESS? YOU KNOW, JUST ALL OF THOSE KIND OF QUESTIONS.
SO, UM, CUZ TO ME THE GOAL OF THIS IS NOT FOR IT TO BE PERFECT, BUT FOR US TO GET SMARTER.
ITS AND WE'RE, WE'RE ALSO HAVING, UM, WE'RE GONNA DO, WE'RE GONNA HAVE THEM, THEY, THE PEOPLE WHO PARTICIPATE, CRITIQUE EVERY SESSION SO THAT THEY GET, SO WE GET FEEDBACK.
THAT'S GREAT TIME SO THAT WE KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON.
BRENDA, CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THAT ONE? EVEN THOUGH THE MINUTES HAVE BEEN SENT TO ME, AMANDA ACTUALLY ATTENDED THAT MEETING.
I'VE NOTED THE TIME OF THE NEXT MEETING.
UM, UM, THEY, UH, THE FRIENDS OF BEAUFORT LIBRARY MET LAST THURSDAY, UH, AT THE BEAUFORT BRANCH LIBRARY AND THEIR MAIN OBJECTIVE IN THAT MEETING WAS TO APPROVE THEIR FISCAL YEAR BUDGET, UM, OF WHICH THEY DID.
UM, AND THEN ALSO GO OVER SOME PRELIMINARY DETAILS FOR THEIR ANNUAL, UM, BIG
[00:40:01]
BOOK SALE AT WATERFRONT PARK.AND THAT WILL BE, UM, ON THE FIRST WEEKEND OF NOVEMBER.
SO IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR A GREAT DEAL HEAD ON OVER TO THE WATERFRONT PARK THAT FRIDAY, SATURDAY, AND SUNDAY AND RAKE IN SOME GOODS USED, OKAY.
HOW ABOUT BLUFF AND FRIENDS? THE LIBRARY ROSALIE.
I WAS UNABLE TO ATTEND THIS LAST ONE, BUT AMANDA DID.
AND I WILL SAY THIS, UH, THIS GROUP SEEMS TO BE VERY ANXIOUS TO PRODUCE, YOU KNOW, TO RAISE MONEY, TO GET INVOLVED.
THEY HAVE SOMEBODY THAT GOES TO THE, UM, ON THURSDAYS AT THE BLUFFTON MARKET.
THEY HAVE PEOPLE THAT'LL GO THERE AND TALK TO, UH, PEOPLE TO TRY TO GET THEM TO JOIN FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY.
AND I BELIEVE THEY HAVE A NEW BROCHURE OUT.
THEY'RE WORKING ON THAT WORKING OUT.
OH, THEY'RE JUST STILL WORKING ON IT.
SO IT'LL BE MORE ATTRACTIVE TO PEOPLE TO SEE THAT.
AND, AND THAT'S WHAT I DO KNOW ABOUT THEM.
THEY'RE VERY, UM, ACTIVE AND THEY'RE VERY INTERESTED IN DOING THINGS AND RAISING MONEY AND GETTING MORE MEMBERS.
AND WHAT DID YOU FIND OUT? THE ONLY THING TO ADD TO THAT IN THEIR MOST RECENT MEETING, IT WAS LAST WEDNESDAY AT THE BLUFFTON BRANCH LIBRARY.
THEY MET FOR THREE HOURS TO, UM, DISCUSS, UM, NOT ONLY THEIR BUSINESS, BUT THEN ALSO THE REMAINDER OF THAT TIME.
THE BULK OF THAT TIME WAS IN A STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS.
UM, SO THEY'RE TAKING A QUEUE FROM THE LIBRARY AND TRYING TO STRATEGIZE THEIR PRIORITIES FOR THE NEXT THREE YEARS.
AS MANY OF THEM ARE NEW TO THEIR POSITIONS ON THE FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY BOARD.
SO THEY CONTINUE TO WORK ON ALL THINGS RELATED TO MEMBERSHIP AND ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE AND, AND REALLY ORGANIZING THEIR EFFORTS TO, TO REALLY SUPPORT THE LIBRARY.
HILTON HAD FRIENDS, LYNN, UH, THEY MET YESTERDAY AND UH, THEY COVERED A LOT OF TERRITORY, BUT FOR OUR INTEREST THEY HAVE, THEY'RE HAVING THEIR BIRTHDAY PARTY ON NO NOVEMBER 14TH AND AT TWO O'CLOCK DAVID, LAUDERDALE'S GOING TO SPEAK.
SO WE'RE HOPING TO GENERATE SOME INTEREST AND THEY SERVE CAKE BETWEEN ONE AND THREE AND THERE'S, THEY'VE, UH, HIRED THIS WOMAN HAS COME TO THEM AND SHE'S GOING TO BE DOING A SONGWRITER'S JOURNAL CONCERT, UH, OCTOBER 17TH.
AND I THINK IT'S A A MORNING THING.
SO THAT SHOULD BE INTERESTING TOO, ANOTHER PROGRAM THAT THEY'RE FUNDING.
AND AS I ALWAYS NOTED THESE MEETINGS, PARTICULARLY FOR THE PUBLIC, THE FOUNDATION AND FRIENDS OF THE DIFFERENT LIBRARIES ARE ALWAYS WELCOME CONTRIBUTIONS.
AND AS ROSALIE SAID, LOOKING FOR NEW MEMBERS, SO FEEL FREE, IF YOU WANNA CONTACT ONE OF THE FRIENDS OR THE FOUNDATION TO CONTRIBUTE.
I USUALLY GIVE THAT SPEECH IN DECEMBER.
SO EVERYBODY WHOS UP FOR THE END OF THE TAX YEAR, BUT I'LL DO IT NOW TOO.
POLICIES AND PROCEDURES RAZ IS THE CHAIR, LYNN MILLER, JANET PORTER AND TERRY THOMAS.
THERE HAS BEEN NOTHING, UH, INVOLVING POLICIES AND PROCEDURES.
YEAH, THERE WAS A DISCUSSION AS A RESULT OF THE STRATEGIC PLANNING COMMENTS THAT EVERYONE MADE, WHICH WERE TERRIFIC.
AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT.
WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT IN A MINUTE ABOUT MEETING ROOM POLICY AND REVISITING THE MEETING ROOM POLICY.
WE JUST REVIEWED THAT THIS CALENDAR YEAR THAT COMMITTEE DID AND MADE A RECOMMENDATION.
AND SO I WOULD, UM, I, I NOTICED THE, UM, THE COMMENTS IN THE EMAIL THREAD THAT WENT BACK AND THE SUGGESTIONS AND I I'D RESPECTFULLY LIKE SOME TIME TO CONSIDER HOW WE WOULD PROCEED WITH THAT BECAUSE WE DID JUST DO IT THIS YEAR.
WELL, WE DID JUST DO IT THIS YEAR.
I'M JUST, UM, I, I NEED TO DO SOME RESEARCH TO SEE HOW OTHER LIBRARIES ADDRESS THOSE TYPES OF THINGS AND ALSO, UM, TALK TO STAFF AND MY ADMINISTRATIVE TEAM TO SEE IF THOSE ARE PRACTICAL, HOW, HOW THAT WOULD WORK IN REAL TIME.
I THINK AS LONG AS WE GET THAT ON THE TO-DO LIST, ROSE ROSALIE ROSALY I DON'T THINK IT, IT DIDN'T SEEM LIKE IT WAS A CRISIS, BUT THERE, THERE WERE ACTIVE COMMENTS ABOUT THE MEETING ROOM POLICY AND I CAME AS A RESULT OF THE STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS.
AND WHAT DO YOU THINK THAT WE SHOULD DO GOING FORWARD? JUST, I THINK WE SHOULD PUT ON THE TO-DO LIST THAT SOMETIME IN THE NEXT SIX MONTHS, WE NEED TO CHECK ON THE COMMENTS FROM STAFF IN INPUT FROM AMANDA AND SEE IF THE MEETING ROOM POLICY SHOULD BE UPDATED, JUST PUT ON THE BACK BURNER FOR NOW.
PORTER'S THE CHAIR I SERVE BRENDA LATSON, POWELL, LYNN MILLER AND TRACY ROBINSON SERVE ON THAT COMMITTEE.
LITERALLY WE ALL DID AT OUR, UM, PLANNING COMMITTEE.
JANET, NOT, NOT EVERYBODY COULD ATTEND THE STRATEGIC PLANNING RETREAT.
SO I JUST WANNA REITERATE THAT, UH, FOR THOSE WHO WEREN'T THERE, THAT WE, UM, YOU KNOW, SPENT A LOT OF TIME LOOKING AT WE, EVERYONE
[00:45:01]
GOT IN ADVANCE, THE STAFF COMMENTS, EVERYONE GOT IN ADVANCE, THE COMMUNITY COMMENTS THAT WERE MADE, WHICH THERE WERE OVER A THOUSAND.EVERYONE GOT THE FEEDBACK FROM THE FOCUS GROUPS.
WE HEARD A REQUIREMENT FOCUS GROUPS, AND WE TOOK ALL THAT INTO CONSIDERATION AT OUR STRATEGIC PLANNING RETREAT A COUPLE WEEKS AGO.
AND I'M, AND, UM, AMANDA'S GONNA GIVE AN UPDATE, BUT WE'VE HAD LOTS OF INPUT.
UM, AND, AND EXHAUSTIVE COMMENTS SINCE, FOR EXAMPLE, FROM STAFF THAT WERE VERY CONSTRUCTIVE AND HELPFUL.
UM, AND SO AMANDA'S GONNA GIVE THE UPDATE SURE.
TO PIGGYBACK ON WHAT YOU SAID IN YOUR PACKET TODAY, FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE UNABLE TO ATTEND THE RETREAT.
UM, I'VE GOT THE HANDOUTS THAT THE STATE LIBRARY PROVIDED ABOUT, UM, THE TRUSTEE, THE ROLE OF TRUSTEE AND LIBRARY, DIRECTOR, AND FRIENDS, WHICH I FOUND HELPFUL.
AND IT MIGHT BE HELPFUL TO YOU AS WELL, AND WANNA MAKE SURE THAT IF YOU DIDN'T HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE AT THE RETREAT THAT YOU GOT THOSE HANDOUTS, IN ADDITION TO THE INFORMATION WE SENT OUT IN ADVANCE, UM, JUST REALLY KIND OF, UH, REALLY CLIFF NOTES VERSION OF HOW LIBRARY BOARD OF TRUSTEES OPERATE AND YOUR, YOUR ROLES IN TERMS OF GOVERNING HOW THE LIBRARY, UM, SERVES THE COMMUNITY.
BUT MOVING ON TO THAT, UM, STRATEGIC PLANNING, UM, WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW IS, UH, WE HAVE FOUR GOAL STATEMENTS TO BRING BEFORE YOUR ATTENTION.
AND SO I'VE PRINTED THOSE OUT FOR YOU.
THEY'RE IN YOUR PACKET, IT'S ON A HALF SHEET TO SAVE PAPER TAB.
UM, AND THESE HAVE BEEN CRAFTED.
UM, YOU'VE SEEN THEM IN ADVANCE.
WE TOOK INTO, UM, CONSIDERATION YOUR COMMENTS ON WAYS TO MAKE THEM MORE CLEAR.
AND SO WE HAVE THE FOLLOWING FOUR STATEMENTS.
I KNOW YOU CAN READ, BUT FOR THE PURPOSES OF A PUBLIC MEETING, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT I PROVIDE 'EM ON CAMERA AS WELL.
SO BASED ON THE FEEDBACK THAT WE RECEIVED FROM THE FOCUS GROUPS, COMMUNITY SURVEY AND THE STAFF SURVEY, THERE WERE FOUR PRIMARY AREAS THAT DESERVE ATTENTION.
NUMBER ONE, THINGS THAT DEAL WITH OUR FACILITIES, EVERYTHING FROM THE PHYSICAL MAINTENANCE OF HAVING AND OPERATING A BUILDING TO HOW IT FEELS IN THAT SPACE AND WHETHER STAFF ARE WELCOMING, WHETHER WE HAVE INFORMATION THAT IS, IS VALUABLE AND NEEDED.
UM, ALSO OUR COLLECTIONS, UM, BOTH DIGITAL, PHYSICAL AND, UH, ITEMS THAT WE MAY NOT HAVE IN PARTICULAR LANGUAGES OR, UM, PARTICULAR APPS OR THINGS LIKE THAT, THAT BUBBLED UP TO THE SURFACE.
ALSO, UM, THE IDEA OF SPACE ARE, UM, LIBRARIES AS A SPACE, SOME OF YOUR CONVERSATIONS ABOUT MEETING ROOMS AND, UM, PUBLIC PROGRAMS THAT OUR STAFF PROVIDE OR THAT OUTSIDE ORGANIZATIONS PROVIDE THAT THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS A PRIORITY.
AND THEN ONE OF THE THINGS THAT REALLY RESOUNDED WAS THE LIBRARY TELLING THEIR STORY.
SO COMMUNICATION, HOW DOES THE LIBRARY TELL THEIR STORY TO THE STAFF? HOW DO STAFF BECOME INFORMED AND STAY INFORMED IN ORDER TO INFORM THE PUBLIC? HOW DO FRIENDS FOUNDATION AND THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE STAY INFORMED ABOUT ALL THE THINGS THAT THEIR BEAUFORT COUNTY LIBRARY PROVIDES TO THEM? SO AS A RESULT HERE ARE THE FOUR OVERALL GOAL STATEMENTS TO KIND OF CAPTURE THOSE LARGE BROAD THEMES.
NUMBER ONE, PROVIDE LIBRARY VISITORS WITH A FRIENDLY, INFORMED, AND USER FOCUSED EXPERIENCE.
NUMBER TWO, OFFER BALANCED COLLECTIONS IN A VARIETY OF FORMATS.
NUMBER THREE, CREATE WELCOMING AND ACCESSIBLE LIBRARY SPACES AND NUMBER FOUR, DELIVER TIMELY RELEVANT COMMUNICATION, BOTH INTERNALLY AND EXTERNALLY, WHILE THOSE WORDS KIND OF MARINATE IN YOUR MINDS.
UM, THE NEXT STEP WOULD BE THEN TO CREATE TACTICAL STRATEGIES UNDERNEATH EACH OF THESE AS MEASURABLE, UM, ITEMS THAT WE COULD ACTUALLY IMPLEMENT TO ACCOMPLISH THESE LARGE GOALS, THEN ACCURATELY SUM THAT UP, OR WOULD YOU LIKE TO ELABORATE? YEAH.
AND SO THIS IS REALLY OUR CHARGE AS THE GOVERNING BOARD IS TO COME UP WITH THESE OVERARCHING STRATEGIC GOALS FOR THE NEXT COUPLE YEARS AND THE MANAGEMENT, THE LEADERSHIP AND THE STAFF ARE GONNA BE WORKING ON IN THE NEXT TWO MONTHS.
CAUSE WE WANNA HAVE A GOAL OF HAVING THIS DONE BY NOVEMBER, DECEMBER ARE GONNA BE WORKING FOR THE NEXT TWO MONTHS ON DEVELOPING STRATEGIES AND TACTICS, WHICH CLARIFI TIMING SEQUENCING, AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY, ALL OF THAT, THAT WILL ALL COME BACK IN A COMPREHENSIVE STRATEGIC PLAN TO THE BOARD AT THE NOVEMBER MEETING.
AM I CORRECT? THAT IS OUR GOAL.
THAT'S OUR GOAL IS TO HAVE THAT DONE FOR THE, FOR A STRATEGIC PLAN FOR NOVEMBER.
I JUST WANNA SAY AGAIN, I APPRECIATE ALL THE COMMENTS PEOPLE MADE ABOUT THE FIRST DRAFT.
WE DID SOME WORDSMITHING, UH, AROUND, UH, COMMENTS THAT PEOPLE MADE.
AND PEOPLE ALSO MADE A LOT OF COMMENTS, NOT ABOUT THE WORDING OF THE FOUR STRATEGIES OR WHETHER WE SHOULD HAVE THOSE FOUR STRATEGIES, BUT COMMENTED FOUR GOALS, EXCUSE ME, BUT COMMENTED A LOT ABOUT TACTICAL STUFF.
AND ALL OF THAT HAS BEEN COMBINED BY AMANDA TO GIVE TO THE LEADERSHIP AND TO THE STAFF TO FIT INTO THE STRATEGIC
[00:50:01]
PLAN.SO A LOT OF THE COMMENTS WERE NOT ABOUT THE OVERARCHING GOALS, BUT WE'RE ABOUT TACTICS AND WE'VE, WE'VE ARCHIVED ALL THAT.
AND, UH, WE'LL BE, AND WE'LL BE, THEY'LL BE THINKING ABOUT THAT AS THEY PREPARE THE NEXT, AS THEY GO THROUGH THE NEXT STEP OF THE STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS.
THE ONLY THING I WOULD REMIND US ALL IS WE TALKED ABOUT THIS WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT OUR ROLE AS TRUSTEES, OUR ROLE IS NOT TO GET INTO THE WEEDS OF HOW TO DO IT.
SO AS YOU THINK ABOUT IT, GO BACK TO THIS FROM THE STATE LIBRARY, OUR ROLE IS TO OVERSEE IT AND I USE THE WORD STAY OF THE WEEDS.
SO, BUT BECAUSE OTHERWISE WE GET INTO THINGS THAT REALLY ARE NOT WHERE WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE.
THEY, THE MOTTO WAS NOSE IN FINGERS OUT.
YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'VE EVER HEARD THAT TERM, BUT YOU KNOW, THEY TALK ABOUT THAT, THAT YOU SHOULD, YOU SHOULD BE PAYING ATTENTION, BUT NOT GET, NOT GET YOURSELF IN THE WHEEL AS, AS OUR TRUSTED LEADER SAYS YES.
AND ON MY OTHER BOARD, I'M ON IN THE HOA, IT'S ALWAYS STAY OUT OF THE WEEDS, STAY OUT OF THE WEEDS.
WHICH IS HARD TO DO, BUT WE HAVE TO DO THAT.
DO WE NEED TO HAVE AN OFFICIAL, I THINK WE SHOULD HAVE A MOTION TO ADOPT THOSE FOR, FOR THESE FOUR, UM, GOALS.
IN THE NEW STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS, WHICH IS 2 20, 23 THROUGH 20.
SECOND, SECOND, LYNN WILL SECOND.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION OR QUESTION ABOUT IT? I THINK THEY'RE GOOD.
I THINK THEY'LL FLUSH OUT WELL AND YOU WILL SEE THEM AGAIN IN THE OVERALL PART.
ALL IN FAVOR OF ADOPTING THOSE GOALS, RIGHT? AYE.
ANYBODY OPPOSED? YOU WILL HAVE TO WRITE NEW GOALS.
JAMES ROSALIE AND TRACY, WE HAVE NOT RECEIVED.
AND AS JOE SAYS, WE REMAIN UNCHALLENGED.
I WONDER IF WE WILL EVER BE CHALLENGED.
WELL, WE'VE BEEN CHALLENGED BEFORE.
WE'VE HAD ONE THIS CALENDAR YEAR.
I THINK ONE LAST YEAR BEFORE WE'VE BEEN CHALLENGED, WHICH IS THE PUBLIC'S RIGHT TO DO.
AND WE HAVE A WHOLE PROCESS FOR THAT.
IT'S IN OUR MANUAL AND IT'S ON OUR WEBSITE.
AND SO IF SOMEBODY WANTS TO CHALLENGE SOME MATERIALS, WE'RE GOOD TO GO.
LIBRARY FACILITIES, COMMITTEE.
THIS IS BERNIE COLES, THE CHAIR, JOE ROSALIE, RICHMOND, MYSELF AND CHUCK GETS PUT ON THIS ONE.
ALL RIGHT, BERNIE, IN TERMS OF, OF WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH FACILITIES, IF YOU LOOK AT AMANDA'S REPORT, MM-HMM,
UH, THIS IS LIBRARY DIRECTOR'S UPDATE DATED 9, 9, 20 22.
PAGE TWO IS A LIST OF SOME MINOR ITEMS PER LIBRARY THAT ARE BEING WORKED ON SUCH AS IN BUFORD, THE AIR CONDITIONING COMPRESSOR IN THE CHILDREN'S ROOM.
UH, IT'S NOW A FUNCTION, BUT, UH, THEY'RE IN THE PROCESS OF FIXING IT.
SO, UM, THAT'S SOMETHING YOU MIGHT WANT TO TAKE A LOOK AT, UH, IN TERMS OF OTHER FACILITIES, UH, ACTIVITIES RIGHT NOW, IT'S STILL IN AN ONGOING, UH, COUNTY GOVERNMENT OVERSIGHT REVIEW.
SO THERE'S PROBABLY NOTHING THAT I CAN REPORT.
WHY IS THERE NO UPDATE ON THE BLUFFTON? IT SAYS ARCHITECT ENGINEER FROM RENOVATION TO INVESTIGATE FROM FEBRUARY FOR AIR CONDITIONING.
WE CONTINUE TO PROVIDE FACILITIES REQUESTS ONCE THERE ARE ANOMALIES IN THE HILTON HEAD ONE, UM, THE AC UNIT WE'RE SITTING IN THE ROOM WHERE IT IS NOW RESOLVED AS OF THIS WEEK.
SO I DIDN'T HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO UPDATE THAT ONE.
UM, BUT THE BLUFF AND ONE POST RENOVATION, THERE'S SOME UNEVEN HEATING AND COOLING AND THERE HASN'T BEEN A REAL SOLUTION YET IN PLACE.
THAT'S NOT WHY I'VE GOT THE REPORT.
I, I JUST WANNA COMMENT ON, UM, THE STAFFING STONES.
I NOT TO BE, NOT TO HAVE MY FINGERS IN THE LEAVES, BUT YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE IN THE, IF YOU'RE HERE AT THE HILTON LIBRARY AND YOU GO OUT TO THE BACK DOOR TO THE GARDEN AREA, YOU CAN'T GET BACK IN THE BUILDING AND YOU HAVE TO WIND YOUR WAY AROUND THE BUILDING.
WE HAVE CLOSED IT AT ONE TIME, TRIED TO CLOSE ACCESS TO IT, BUT IT IS SOMETHING THAT I, YOU CAN'T GET BACK IN THE BUILDING.
SO THE ONLY WAY IS FOR, TO GO OVER THESE VERY UNEVEN.
AND I KEPT THINKING, I WAS SO GLAD TO SEE THAT ON THE LIST, CAUSE WE'RE GONNA HAVE SOMEBODY GET HURT OUT.
SHOULD WE TAPE IT OFF? THEY TRY FOR NO ACCESS, PUSH CONCRETE.
I, I DON'T WANT, I DON'T WANNA GET INTO WHAT THE SOLUTION SHOULD BE, BUT SOMEBODY
[00:55:01]
I'M GLAD AMANDA'S LOOKING AT WELL, CHUCK HEARS IT.AND IT'S, IT'S A, IT'S REALLY A HAZARD.
THOSE ARE OUR COMMITTEE REPORTS.
IS THERE ANY OLD BUSINESS THAT WE POSSIBLY MISSED PUTTING ON HERE THAT YOU WANT? CHUCK, YOU WANNA GIVE US SOMETHING? SURE.
YEAH, WE CAN, WE CAN DO IT IN OPEN SESSION.
I'D PREFER TO ACTUALLY WE LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU GO.
SO, UM, WE HAVE A VERY TIMELY OPPORTUNITY AND IT'S TIMELY BOTH WITH WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO STRATEGICALLY WITH THE LIBRARIES.
UM, AND IT IS TIMELY WITH, WE HAVE A VERY SHORT PERIOD OF TIME TO MAKE A DECISION ON IT.
UM, THERE IS A FACILITY IN THE TOWN OF PORT ROYAL THAT IS CURRENTLY VACANT.
THERE IS, THERE'S A LONG LIST OF COUNTY DEPARTMENTS AND FOLKS WHO ARE INTERESTED IN THE BUILDING, UH, PARKS AND REC.
WE SHUFFLED SOME STUFF AROUND IN THIS BUILDING.
UM, IN MY OPINION, UH, AMANDA AND JOSH, WE WALKED THROUGH THE BUILDING.
WE THINK IT WOULD MAKE AN EXCELLENT, UH, PLACE TO PUT ANOTHER LIBRARY IN THE TOWN OF PORT ROYAL.
IT'S ABOUT A 3000 SQUARE FOOT BUILDING.
IT WILL, UH, REQUIRE SOME RENOVATION, SOME, SOME UPDATES WHICH WILL BE PAID OUT OF IMPACT FEES.
UH, IT, WE WOULD BE INCREASING CAPACITY.
IT WOULD CHECK ALL THE BOXES FOR IMPACT FEES.
UH, DON'T HAVE A DETAILED ESTIMATE ON WHAT IT WOULD COST, BUT WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR IS BUY IN FROM THE BOARD THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD PURSUE OR ALTERNATIVELY TO SAY, NO, THIS IS NOT SOMETHING WE WANT TO DO.
AND THEN I TAKE OUR NAME OUT OF THE, OUT OF THE HAT FOR, UH, BEING IN THE RUNNING FOR, UH, OCCUPYING THIS BUILDING.
JOSH, DO YOU HAVE THE PICTURES THAT YOU COULD PUT UP? JUST THE INTERIOR? WE DO HAVE 689,000 AND CHANGE IN PORT ROYAL IMPACT FEES.
SO THAT'S FOR THE, UH, THE PORT ROYAL ISLAND.
YEAH, THE WHOLE THING, RIGHT? THE WHOLE THING.
THAT INCLUDES, UM, PORT ROYAL, PROPER BURTON THAT WHOLE AREA.
BUT WHAT ABOUT STAFFING THIS? SO THAT WOULD COME ALONG WITH IT.
THAT WOULD BE PART OF THE REQUEST.
IF WE WANT TO PURSUE THIS, THIS WILL BE A SIXTH LIBRARY THAT WILL, THAT WILL ENCOMPASS ME GOING BEFORE COUNTY COUNCIL, GETTING PERMISSION TO DO THE UPGRADES, TO HAVE THE BUILDING OBLIGATED FOR LIBRARY, TO DO THE MATERIALS, TO DO EVERYTHING MOVING FORWARD.
AND OBVIOUSLY IF THAT'S APPROVED, PART OF THAT WOULD BE STAFFING THE LIBRARY.
SO THAT WOULD BE INCLUDED IN NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET.
BY THE TIME WE GET THROUGH THE WHOLE PROJECT AND HAVE IT SET UP, WE'RE GONNA BE PUSHING INTO FISCAL YEAR 24.
DOES THAT IMPACT OUR PRITCHARD BILL AT ALL? BECAUSE WE'RE GONNA ASK FOR STAFFING.
UH, I KNOW WE'VE HAD DISCUSSIONS ABOUT, UM, BURTON AREA.
MM-HMM
IT WOULD NOT AFFECT THE BURTON WELLS.
AND THE REASON WHY IS DEPENDING ON THE SCOPE OF BURTON WELLS, IT'S FAR ENOUGH AWAY, THAT'S A TOTALLY SEPARATE CONVERSATION.
WE'RE PROBABLY LOOKING TWO, $250,000 ALL IN FOR THIS BUILDING.
MM-HMM
AGAIN, THIS IS VERY, THIS JUST, JUST CAME UP LAST WEEK YESTERDAY.
AND IT'S NOT GONNA LAST LONG BECAUSE IF, IF WE DON'T SAY, HEY, WE WOULD LIKE TO PURSUE THIS.
THERE ARE MANY OTHER FOLKS REAL ESTATE IN THE COUNTY'S, UH, COUNTY OWNED PROPERTY IS AT A PREMIUM.
SO ALL I'M NOT LOOKING FOR ANYONE TO SAY, YES, WE'RE WE'RE IN.
WE JUST WANT TO GO IN TO DO OUR RESEARCH, TO PUT OUR NAME IN THE HAT AND SAY, YEAH, IF WE CAN MAKE THIS HAPPEN, WE WOULD LIKE TO DO THIS.
JOSH, YOU WANT PERMISSION TODAY FROM US? MM-HMM
SO THIS WOULD BE STAFF CHECKING THE BOX GOING THE LIBRARY BOARD HAS SAID, IF WE CAN MAKE, MAKE THIS HAPPEN, IT IS SOMETHING THAT WE COLLECTIVELY WANT TO DO.
CAUSE I, CAUSE I DON'T WANNA APPROVE A NEW LIBRARY BRANCH WITH, LIKE YOU SAID, ZERO INFORMATION.
I UNDERSTAND WHAT WE TALKING ABOUT COMPARATIVELY WITH SQUARE FOOTAGE.
IS IT THE SIZE OF ACO? THE SIZES OF DON'T KNOW HOW BIG LACO IS, IS IT COMPARABLE? UM, I WOULD SAY IT'S A SLIGHTLY SMALLER, OKAY.
JOSH, THE VISUAL, UM, COMPARISON IN TERMS OF, UM, IT'S A, BASICALLY A ONE ROOM KIND OF SITUATION WITH AN ADDITIONAL KIND OF A SMALLER MEETING ROOM.
SO IF YOU WERE SITTING IN THE BLUFFTON LIBRARY
[01:00:01]
IN THE LARGE MEETING ROOM, TO ME, THAT WOULD BE THE, THE SENIOR MAIN SERVICE PIECE OF IT, PLUS AN ADDITIONAL, UM, STAFF AREA AND SMALL MEETING ROOM.AND WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO HAVE IN THAT LIBRARY? I MEAN, IS THAT WHAT THAT SMALL THE LIBRARY, WE HAVEN'T GONE THAT FAR.
THIS IS JUST A PRELIMINARY TONE IN THE WATER.
DO WE DOES OUR DATA SHOW THAT THAT'S AN AREA THAT NEEDS MORE SERVICE AND I DON'T KNOW ABOUT THE ACTUAL DATA.
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT AMANDA WOULD HAVE TO ADDRESS, BUT I KNOW FROM A PUBLIC INPUT STANDPOINT, THERE HAS BEEN, I WOULD SAY CONSIDERABLE INTEREST IN HAVING A LIBRARY IN THE PORT ROYAL AREA IS A BURNING CONVERSATION.
I GUESS I'M REMEMBERING ONE OF THE FOCUS GROUPS FROM WHEN WE DID A BACK YEAH.
THAT WE SAT IN, IN PORT OIL AND THERE WAS THIS WHOLE CITY COMBO CONVERSATION ABOUT THAT.
AND I GUESS I'M REALLY CUZ I ASKED TRACY JUST IN SIDEBAR, JUST, YOU KNOW, MM-HMM
AND THE TOWN OF PORT ROYAL WAS VERY CLEAR IN THEIR LEADERSHIP THAT THEY WANTED TO SEE A LIBRARY PRESENCE IF THEY WERE GOING TO, UM, AGREE TO PROVIDE IMPACT FEES AND SUPPORT OF GROWTH FOR COUNTY SERVICES.
AND IF LIBRARIES ARE A PIECE OF THAT, THEN THEY WANTED TO SEE A LARGE, A LARGER PRESENCE.
UM, BECAUSE THAT SOUNDS LIKE THAT.
AND I WISH, UM, MS. HOWARD WERE HERE, I KNOW SHE'S HAS A LOT MORE RIGHT CONVERSATIONS AND, AND CONTEXT ABOUT THE TOWN OF PORT ROYAL AND IN THEIR LIBRARY SERVICES.
BUT THAT'S, THAT'S THE SUMMARY OF WHAT HAS, HAS COME UP TO ME NOW IN TERMS OF WHAT OUR RECENT STRATEGIC PLAN DATA HAS UNCOVERED, WHAT THIS WOULD LIKELY, UM, ADDRESS IS, UM, VERY MUCH THE GROUND SWELL DISAPPOINTMENT WITH PARKING AT BEAUFORD.
SO IT WOULD PROVIDE ANOTHER SOMEWHAT QUASI LOCAL PLACE THAT DOESN'T HAVE PAID PARKING.
AMANDA, WHERE IS THIS LOCATION? THIS IS ON PARIS AVENUE.
AND I'LL ALSO POINT OUT THAT, UH, AS A RESULT OF THE MOST RECENT CENSUS, THE TOWN OF PORT ROYAL IS PER CAPITA, LARGER THAN THE CITY OF BUFORT.
IT IS PORT ROYAL IS SO THAT'S ANOTHER THING.
I MEAN THEY'RE CLOSE THEY'RE THEY'RE WITHIN A THOUSAND OF EACH OTHER, BUT IT IS LARGER IN PORT ROYALS GROW.
YOU HAVE THE PORT, THIS IS VERY IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO THE PORT ON PARIS AVENUE.
SO AGAIN, IT'S A BRAND NEW IDEA.
PICTURES ARE LARGER IN ORDER TO MOVE IT FORWARD ON MY SIDE.
CAN'T DO YOU KNOW, I HAVE TO, I HAVE TO GO TO COMMITTEE AND SAY, WE WOULD LIKE TO DEDICATE FUNDS TO DESIGN AND OBLIGATE THIS BUILDING TO A LIBRARY PROJECT.
BUT BEFORE I JUST RAN AHEAD WITH THAT, I WANTED TO, TO TALK TO YOU AND GET YOUR BUY IN ON IT.
UH, ACTUALLY WHAT'S THERE, YOU KNOW, ALL OF THAT KIND OF STUFF REALLY DOWN IN THE WEEDS UH, WE'RE, WE'RE NOT THERE YET.
IT'S MORE OF THE CONCEPT OF WE HAVE THIS BUILDING.
IT'S NOT GONNA BE AVAILABLE FOR LONG.
UM, IF, IF WE DECIDE NOT TO MOVE FORWARD WITH IT, YOU KNOW, SO IF YOU LOOK UP AT THE PICTURES ON PARIS ABTS IN PROXIMITY TO THE SCHOOL ALSO, YES, IT'S RIGHT BESIDE THE PORT ROYAL VET AND THE HOSPITAL WOULD, WOULD, YOU WOULD BE, IF, IF ASSUMING WE SAY YES, LET'S PUT OUR NAME IN THE HAT TODAY, WOULD YOU SEND US THE ADDRESS? SO WE COULD GO, SOME OF US ARE LIKE, WE WANNA LIKE PHYSICALLY SEE THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
SO I'D LIKE TO DRIVE BY THE ACTUAL BUILDING AND GO IN IT IF I CAN.
AND, UM, SO THAT I, I CAN CONCEPTUALIZE WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IN TERMS OF SPACE PARKING.
SO DOWNTOWN ON, THIS IS THE MAIN IN THOROUGHFARE.
UH, THIS IS PARIS AVENUE, WHICH IS THE MAIN, UH, ROAD GOING INTO PORT ROYAL.
THERE IS, UH, ON STREET PARKING ALL UP AND DOWN PARIS AVENUE.
AND THERE'S PARKING ON THE SIDE AND PARKING IN THE REAR OF THE BUILDING.
SO THAT'S THE FRONT DOOR YOU WOULD COME INTO? IT'S SORT OF A CATHEDRAL CEILING.
THAT'S THE, THE LARGE SPACE YOU'RE SAYING ABOUT 250,000 TO RENOVATE TOTAL.
JUST LOOK NOW THAT'S AGAIN, THIS IS A FOUR DAY OLD IDEAS JUST VACATED LAST WEEK, BUT IT'S THERE WE ONE HAUL TO JUST FROM ME LOOKING AT IT, IT NEEDS A NEW ROOF.
IT PROBABLY NEEDS, UH, UPDATED MECHANICAL.
THE BUILDING WAS BUILT IN THE MID NINETIES.
UH, WE HAVE SOME INTERIOR WALL SHUFFLING SOME SPACE THAT NEEDS TO BE ADJUSTED, REPAINT NEW FLOOR.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S A GUESS, BUT YES,
[01:05:01]
THE BATHROOMS ARE IN GOOD SHAPE.UM, THE OUTSIDE'S IN GOOD SHAPE.
SO THIS WOULD BE OFFICE BASED MEETING SPACE.
MM-HMM
THERE IS THIS KITCHEN AREA, WHICH WOULD BE AGAIN, IT'S, IT'S OPEN FOR DEBATE, BUT THIS WOULD PROBABLY BECOME A STAFF AREA.
THIS IS RIGHT ACROSS, UH, AN OPEN HALLWAY TO THESE BATHROOMS. SO THAT KITCHEN'S TO THE LEFT BATHROOMS ARE TO THE RIGHT.
I DON'T SEE WHY WE CAN'T SAY YES.
I JUST FEEL, AND I MAKE A MOTION THAT WE DO THAT.
I, I THINK WE'VE GOT NOTHING TO LOSE BY EXPLORING IT.
WHAT'S THAT? I JUST THINK IT'S MANDATORY.
WHAT, WHICH ONE WOULD THAT BE? NO, I'M SAYING I'M JUST GONNA WAIT UNTIL WE GET, UNTIL WE GET DONE.
SO THE, WHERE THAT ACTIVITY IS TAKING PLACE IS AT THE PORT ROYAL CENTER.
WE HAVE RENOVATED THAT, THAT FUNCTION IS THERE.
SO YEAH, THERE, THERE'S PLENTY OF ROOM THERE AT THAT BUILDING.
IT'S DEDICATED FOR THAT PURPOSE.
IT HAS, IT'S EASY IN, EASY OUT.
THIS BUILDING IN OUR OPINION WAS TOO MUCH FOR THAT ACTIVITY.
WE MOVED IT TO THE OTHER LOCATION.
NOW THIS ONE IS VACANT, BUT IT'S NOT GONNA BE VACANT LONG.
AND THAT THE OTHER ONE IS BY THE HOME BASEBALL FIELD.
BUT THAT'S THE ONE THAT IS CORRECT.
AND, AND HONESTY, YOU KNOW, JUST ON MY WALKS IN THE MORNING AND OUT AND ABOUT IN THE STORES AND STUFF, YOU KNOW WHY WE DON'T HAVE A LIBRARY IN PORT ROYAL? I, I GET THAT SOMETIMES.
SO I'M JUST PUTTING THAT OUT THERE.
COULD I MAKE A MOTION THAT WE SURE YOU CAN MAKE A MOTION? WHAT'S YOUR MOTION THAT WE APPROVE THE CONCEPT OF LOOKING AT THIS IN FURTHER DETAIL WITHOUT MAKING A FINAL OBLIGATION TO COMMIT TO IT.
SO THE MOTION WOULD BE TO ADVISE CHUCK TO PURSUE IT A LITTLE FURTHER, RIGHT? THAT'S WHAT YOU WANT.
CHUCK THAT'S PER SO WHAT I'M GOING TO DO BASED ON THAT IS GET WITH THE ADMINISTRATOR, PUT TOGETHER A PROPOSAL TO GO BEFORE A, UH, COUNTY COUNCIL COMMITTEE TO ASK FOR DESIGN MONEY, TO, YOU KNOW, DO THE UPGRADES TO THE BUILDING AND TO OBLIGATE THIS FOR, UM, LIBRARY.
CAN I HAVE A SECOND, SECOND? ALL RIGHT.
NOW LET'S OPEN DISCUSSION BECAUSE I HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION.
BEFORE OR CONCURRENT WITH THAT, WITH THAT IS SOMEHOW YOU HAVE TO GET COUNTY APPROVAL FOR STAFFING AND MATERIALS.
THAT'S WHAT I'M CONCERNED ABOUT.
DON'T SPEND MONEY TO FIX IT AND THEN FIND OUT THERE'S NO STAFF.
SO ALL ENCOMPASSING WHEN WE GET TO COMMITTEE WITH THAT, THANK YOU, ALEX.
UH, WHEN WE GET TO THAT POINT, THAT'S ALL PART OF THE CONVERSATION AT THAT POINT.
SO IF IT DOESN'T MAKE IT OUT OF COUNTY COUNCIL COMMITTEE TO OBLIGATE THE RESOURCES TO MAKE IT A SIX LIBRARY LOCATION WE'RE DONE WITH IT.
SO, BUT AT THIS POINT I DIDN'T WANNA MOVE FORWARD TO COUNTY COUNCIL COMMITTEE.
IF IT WAS SOMETHING THAT THE LIBRARY BOARD WAS GONNA SAY, IT'S JUST NOT WHAT WE WANT TO DO.
SO THAT'LL GO TO COUNTY COUNCIL FACILITIES COMMITTEE, UH, IT WILL EITHER GO TO FACILITIES OR NATURAL RESOURCES I WILL HAVE TO ASK.
AND THE REASON WHY IS BECAUSE THE LIAISON TO THIS BOARD, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, HOWARD HOWARD, IS THE CHAIR OF NATURAL RESOURCES.
SO IT WOULD SEEM TO ME THAT WOULD PROBABLY BE THE PLACE FOR IT TO GO, BUT I'LL HAVE TO ASK.
ANY OTHER DISCUSSION, LYNN? YOU HAD A CONCERN.
I, I FEEL LIKE IT'S TOO SMALL, BUT I DON'T KNOW.
IT JUST LOOKS TOO SMALL, BUT I, I, I THINK THE, I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE SEEN THE ACTUAL LOCATION WHERE IT'S AT.
HONESTLY, I THINK IT'S, IT'S AT KIND OF PERFECT.
THAT'S WHY I NEED TO GO SEE IT.
I KNOW WHERE IT'S AT AND I SEE YOU'RE RIGHT, EXACTLY.
SO YOU HAD ASKED, YOU HAD ASKED ME IF, IF I THOUGHT IT WAS TOO SMALL.
SO, UM, A COUPLE OF THINGS, LET ME FIRST START BY SAYING IT WOULD BE MY RECOMMENDATION ALONG WITH CHUCK'S IS THAT WE EXPLORE THE POSSIBILITY AND TO SEE FROM EXPERTS WHO, WHO LOOK AT DESIGN, WHO WE CAN TELL THEM THESE ARE THE, THESE ARE THE ESSENTIAL THINGS THAT PEOPLE EXPECT FROM THEIR LIBRARY.
WILL THIS SIZE WORK MM-HMM
[01:10:01]
IT, UM, I'D LIKE TO PURSUE IT, EVEN THOUGH WE WEREN'T PLANNING, PLANNING.IT, IT'S A, IT'S AN, I, IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY.
AND I WOULD LIKE US TO EXPLORE.
SO A LITTLE MORE FOOD FOR MINE.
ANOTHER REASON WHY IT'S KIND OF A, A GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY, IF YOU WILL, IS FINDING LAND IN THAT AREA.
AND THEN BUILDING A BUILDING LIKE THIS, OR A LITTLE BIT LARGER IS THREE TO $5 MILLION NOW.
SO THIS IS, THIS IS AN, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT GO FOR IT.
WELL, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IF, IF WE CAN MAKE THIS HAPPEN YEAH.
IT'S THE UPSIDE IS HUGE, IS HUGE.
SO WE CAN SERVE THE PUBLIC SO MUCH BETTER BY HAVING A PRINT FOOTPRINT THERE.
I THINK THAT'S OUR BOTTOM LINE.
IS IT OF SERVICE TO THAT COMMUNITY AND SOMETHING THEY WOULD VALUE.
I'M ON, THERE'S A LOT OF HOUSING GOING IN.
UM, THAT LO THAT SPECIFIC LOCATION I'VE SENT YOU ALL THE ADDRESS NOW.
SO YOU HAVE IT, UM, ON PARIS AVENUE, IT'S VERY, IT'S, CO-LOCATED WITH FESTIVALS THAT ARE HOSTED MM-HMM
AND IT, AND IT'S LIKE, YOU WALK OUT OF PORT ROYAL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, LESS THAN IT'S RIGHT THERE.
A LITTLE HALF A BLOCK YOU'RE RIGHT AT THE FRONT DOOR, YOU KNOW, AND I THINK ABOUT KIDS AND, YOU KNOW, AND THINGS LIKE THAT, HEY MOM, I GOTTA GO TO THE LIBRARY.
YOU'RE THERE, YOU KNOW, AND IT'S ONE STEP OF MANY NEXT STEPS.
THIS DOESN'T GUARANTEE THAT WE GET THE BUILDING.
I SAID, FROM THIS POINT WITH YOUR BUY-IN, AT LEAST WE'RE IN A POSITION TO ASK AND THEN IF IT MOVES FORWARD, GREAT.
IF, IF FOR SOME REASON IT DOESN'T, WE TRIED IT'S THERE AND WE TRIED.
SO I, I APPRECIATE YOU THINKING OF US.
SO WE HAVE A MOTION ON THE TABLE, ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION.
EVERYONE IN FAVOR OF CHUCK PURSUING THIS FURTHER, JUST PUT, THROW OUR HAT IN THE RING OR WHATEVER, SAY AYE.
UM, WE'RE STILL WORKING ON THE PLAT WITH THE COUNTY AND WE'RE STILL WORKING ON THAT ONE.
ANY OTHER BUSINESS TO COME FORWARD? ANYBODY A REMINDER, OUR NEXT MEETING IS NOVEMBER THE NINTH, WEDNESDAY, THE NINTH AT BLUFFTON LIBRARY.
AND IF THERE'S NO FURTHER BUSINESS, THEN I'LL TAKE A MOTION TO ADJOURN.
I, I, OTHERWISE YOU HAVE TO STAY.
SO YOU, IN NOVEMBER, I'M DENNIS ADAMS AND THIS IS THE BEAUFORT COUNTY MOMENT.
NO BEAUFORD, TONY AND YOUNGER THAN 60 IS LIKELY TO REMEMBER THE GOLD EAGLE TAVERN.
AND YET FOR OVER 30 YEARS, THE TAVERN WAS A PLACE FOR LOCALS TO BRUNCH AFTER CHURCH FROM A MENU OF LOW COUNTRY AND CONTINENTAL DISHES.
FROM TIME TO TIME IN THE YEARS, BETWEEN 1930 AND 1961, THEY COULD STEAL A GLANCE AT CLARK GABLE AND OTHER CELEBRITIES WHO HAD CHECKED IN TO ENJOY THE WORLD FAMOUS VIEW OF THE RIVER AND THE MARSHES FROM THE TERRACE, THE TAVERN'S TABBY FOUNDATIONS ON BAUER'S OLD POINT DATED BACK TO THE 17 HUNDREDS AND COULD BE SEEN EVEN TODAY, BUT DEVELOPER AND PHILANTHROPIST, KATE GLEASON ADDED THE FAMILIAR ROUND TOWER WHEN SHE OWNED THE PROPERTY IN THE 1920S, THE GOLD EAGLE NAME DATES BACK TO THE EARLIEST OWNER, HENRY WILLIAM DES.
SO DIRECTOR OF THE UNITED STATES MEANT WHO AUTHORIZED THE FIRST GOLD EAGLE DOLLARS IN THE 17 HUNDREDS.
THE BUILDING WAS DEMOLISHED IN
[01:15:01]
THE EARLY 1960S, BUT THE TAVERN DID ITS PART TO ESTABLISH BRET'S REPUTATION AMONG TRAVELERS, THE WORLD OVER I'M DENNIS ADAMS. AND THIS HAS BEEN YOUR BEAUFORT COUNTY MOMENT TO SEE MORE BEAUFORT COUNTY MOMENTS GO TO THE BEAUFORD COUNTY LIBRARY HOMEPAGE AND CLICK ON THE LOCAL HISTORY TAB.IS THAT THAT CORRECT? IS IT MY TURN? YES.
UM, THERE'S SO MANY PEOPLE HERE TODAY AND IT'S, UH, AS I'VE SAID TO SO MANY PEOPLE HERE TODAY, THERE'S SO MANY OF YOU WHO HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN THIS.
AND AS WE GO THROUGH TODAY, WE WANT TO TRY TO RECOGNIZE AS MANY OF YOU AS, AS WE CAN.
IF WE MISS ANYBODY, I WANNA APOLOGIZE IN ADVANCE BECAUSE I KNOW THAT THERE ARE LOTS OF PEOPLE THAT ARE, MAYBE WE'RE GONNA OVERLOOK, WHO DID HAD A LARGE PART IN THIS.
BUT ANYWAY, LET ME START OFF SAY GOOD AFTERNOON.
AND, UH, THANK YOU FOR COMING OUT, UH, TO THIS GRAND OPENING AND, UH, AND WELCOME TO THE LONG ANTICIPATED.
I THINK THAT'S REASONABLE LONG ANTICIPATED OPENING OF CRYSTAL LAKE PARK.
IT'S BEEN, UH, IN THE WORK SINCE WHAT, 2005, I THINK SO IT'S LONG ANTICIPATED.
I WANNA MAKE A FEW COMMENTS ABOUT THE HISTORY AND THE LONG VOIDS THAT MANY OF YOU HAVE MADE OR BEEN ON IN ORDER TO GET TO THIS POINT TODAY FOR THE GRAND OPENING OF THIS 25 ACRE PASSIVE PARK THAT BEAUFORT COUNTY HAS INVESTED ABOUT THREE AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS IN OF YOUR TAX DOLLARS.
UH, PUTTING THE, UH, THE PIECES OF THIS PARK TOGETHER TOOK, UH, OVER FIVE YEARS, UH, THE FIRST PARCEL WAS PURCHASED IN 2004, AND THAT WAS A FOUR AND A HALF ACRE PIECE, WHICH INCLUDED BUTLER MARINE.
I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY OF YOU REMEMBER BUTLER MARINE IT'S WHERE THAT, THAT CURRENT BUILDING IS, WAS PART OF, BUT BUTLER MARINE.
UH, BUT THAT WAS OUR, THAT WAS OUR FIRST TOE IN THE WATER, THAT FOUR AND A HALF ACRES.
UM, AND THEN THE SECOND PURCHASE WAS FROM THE OIL PURCHASE DONATION WAS FROM THE STEWART FOUNDATION.
I KNOW DICK STEWARTS HERE, THE, UH, STEWART FOUNDATION DONATED EIGHT OF THE 12 ACRES WE GOT FROM THEM AND INCLUDING THE ACTUAL LAKE ITSELF, WHICH WAS A HUGE BENEFIT TO US ALL.
UH, ANOTHER FIVE ACRES WAS PURCHASED IN, UH, 2005 FROM THE DU PRIEST FAMILY, UH, IN, UH, 2007, THE ROBINSON FAMILY, WE PURCHASED ANOTHER 1.2 ACRES.
AND FINALLY IN, UH, 2009, WE PURCHASED, UH, TWO AND A HALF ACRES FROM THE CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF CHARLESTON, WHICH GAVE US A COMPLETE 25 ACRES, WHICH IS WHAT WE HAVE HERE TODAY.
MEANWHILE, IN 2006, THE COUNTY COUNCIL AUTHORIZED, UH, FINANCIAL AND STAFF SUPPORT FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF CRYSTAL LAKE PROPERTY AS A PASSIVE PARK AND PROGRESS BEGAN IN EARNEST.
THAT WAS 2005 IN 2011, A CITIZENS COMMITTEE WAS FORMED IN COOPERATION WITH THE BEAUFORT COUNTY PLANNING DEPARTMENT TO FINALIZE PLANNING EFFORTS AND OBTAIN COMMUNITY INPUT AND FEEDBACK.
AND LET ME TAKE A MOMENT TO RECOGNIZE AT LEAST SOME OF THE FOLKS WHO WERE MEMBERS OF FRIENDS, OF, OF CRYSTAL LAKE PARK, WHO WORKED TIRELESSLY AND MANY, MANY THANK TIMES THANKLESS TO BRING US THIS BEAUTIFUL PARK THAT WE HAVE HERE TODAY.
I'M GONNA NAME AS MANY AS I CAN.
AND IF I'VE MISSED ANY, I APOLOGIZE.
UH, FRANK GIBSON, WHO WAS TREASURER, PEGGY ALLARD WAS PRESIDENT, UH, RICK KURTZ WAS INVOLVED, UH, CLARENCE WASHINGTON, UH, JOE ALLARD, MICHAEL BROCK, JIM HICKS.
UH, FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE YESTERDAY, WE BURIED HIS WIFE.
SO WE UNDERSTAND WHY HE IS NOT HERE WITH US TODAY, BUT HE WAS A HUGE PART OF THIS CREATION OF THIS PARK, MARGARET D PIERO, I THINK FOR THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, UH, LAURA LEE, UH, PAT HARVEY WITH THE, UH, WITH LIPA AND SOME OTHER LIPA MEMBERS AND SUPPORTERS, FATHER, ANDREW OF, UH, OF THE ST PETER'S CATHOLIC CHURCH.
AND OF COURSE THE, UH, THE BUILDERS, UH, BEAUFORT CONSTRUCTION, I BELIEVE LET, LET WEBB WAS A MANAGER AT THE TIME, UH, TO DO THE BUILDING UPGRADE.
AND, UH, STEVE PATTERSON OF PATTERSON CONSTRUCTION DID THE BOARDWALK AND ANDREW'S ENGINEERING WAS HEAVILY INVOLVED.
AND, UH, THE ARCHITECT, UH, WAS, UH, ROBERT MONTGOMERY,
[01:20:05]
THE, UH, THE FINAL PHASE OF CONSTRUCTION, UH, THE BOARDWALK AND TRAIL BEGAN IN 2018.AND OF COURSE THE RENOVATIONS TO THE, UH, TO THE BUTLER MARINE BUILDING WAS THE FIRST PHASE OF THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE BOARDWALK AND PIER.
ANOTHER GROUP THAT I WANNA RECOGNIZE TWO GROUPS ACTUALLY ARE THE MASTER GARDENERS AND MASTER NATURALISTS WHO VOLUNTEERED AND PLANTED THE, AND MAIN AND MAINTAIN THE POLLINATOR GARDEN.
SO LET ME JUST START BY ASKING HOW MANY NATURAL START WITH, UH, UH, MASTER GARDENERS, HOW MANY MASTER GARDENERS AND RAISE YOUR HAND QUITE A FEW.
AND I, I KNOW EVERYONE HERE APPRECIATES THE VALUE OF POLLINATORS.
I HAVE THE LARGEST GRAPEFRU ORCHARD IN BEAUFORT COUNTY.
SO I PARTICULARLY APPRECIATE THE, UH, POLLINATORS.
AND THEN WE HAVE THE MASTER NATURALIST.
HOW MANY NA NA MASTER NATURALISTS ARE HERE, IF YOU WOULD RAISE YOUR HAND, BE IDENTIFIED, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR ALL THE WORK YOU ALL HAVE DONE AND CONTINUE TO DO TO MAKE THIS PARK A BEAUTIFUL PLACE.
THE, UH, BEAUFORT COUNTY OPENED LAND TRUST AND THE BEAUFORT COUNTY SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION DISTRICT, UH, BEGAN OCCUPATION OF THAT BUILDING IN 2017.
AND THEY HAVE BEEN AND CONTINUE TO BE EXCELLENT STEWARDS OF THE BUILDING IN THE PARK.
THEY PROVIDE SECURITY, THEY PROVIDE ORIENTATION AND A LOT OF SERVICES FOR THE FOLKS WHO COME HERE TO SEE THE PARK.
ALSO WANT TO GIVE A BIG SHOUT OUT TO THE BEAUFORD COUNTY STAFF MEMBERS PAST AND PRESENT WHO WORKED TIRELESSLY ON THIS PROJECT.
AGAIN, I MAY NOT GET 'EM ALL IF I DON'T, IF I DON'T, I APOLOGIZE.
WHO'S STANDING RIGHT THERE, WHO WAS OUR DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT FOR MANY, MANY YEARS.
AND HE WAS A VISIONARY ON THIS PROJECT AND, UH, NO TELLING HOW MANY HOURS COUNTLESS HOURS, UH, AND SWEAT AND TEARS.
HE PUT INTO THIS, INTO THIS PROJECT.
AND ANTONIO, I WANNA THANK YOU.
UH, STEPHANIE NAJE, WHO YOU'VE SEEN.
THERE SHE IS, UH, WHO IS OUR DIRECTOR OF PASSIVE PARKS AND WHO IS VERY ACTIVELY INVOLVED AND WILL CONTINUE TO BE VERY ACTIVELY INVOLVED IN THIS PARK IN THE FUTURE AND OUR ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT.
WE HAD, UH, WEST CAMPBELL AND ROB MCEE.
I HAVEN'T, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT THERE HE IS RIGHT THERE.
THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU ALL DID.
AND OUR, OUR DIRECTOR OF PROPERTIES, MARK ROSE.
NOW I KNOW HE'S HERE AND, UH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
AND ERIC GREENWAY, OUR CURRENT, UH, DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT, WHO'S ALSO PUT A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF WORK INTO THIS, AND OF COURSE, UH, PATTERSON'S CONSTRUCTION.
I THINK I MIGHT HAVE MENTIONED THEM ALREADY.
UH, THE GREEN TECHNOLOGY THAT WAS USED, UH, TO, UH, RENOVATE THE OLD BUTLER MARINE BUILDING.
I DON'T KNOW IF, HOWEVER Y'ALL REMEMBER WHAT IT LOOKED LIKE, BUT IT NEEDED A LOT OF HELP.
AND, UH, WE USED GREEN, REALLY GREEN TECHNOLOGY, AND THAT WAS USED, AND IT WAS SO SUCCESSFUL THAT, UH, BEAUFORT COUNTY IS NOW RECEIVING REFUND CHECKS FROM DOMINION ENERGY.
GREEN ENERGY WORKS, GREEN, GREEN, OKAY.
GREEN TECHNOLOGY WORKS AND YES, THAT WILL BE USED TO OFFSET YOUR TAXES.
YOU'LL SEE THE SMALL REDUCTION IN YOUR TAX BILL.
UH, AND FINALLY, UH, I THINK EVERYBODY'S AWARE THE DIVERSITY OF WILDLIFE THAT WE HAVE HERE.
WE HAVE EGRETS HERONS, AND HIGA COR MORANS, MIGRATORY, AND RE AND, AND RESIDENT SONGBIRDS, ALLIGATOR AND DEER THAT WE KNOW OF, UH, AND WHO KNOWS WHO OR WHAT ELSE MAY MOVED IN OUT THERE.
SO WE'LL KIND OF KEEP YOU POSTED AS THAT DEVELOPS AND, UH, WHO MIGHT TAKE UP RESIDENTS IN THIS BEAUTIFUL LOCATION.
BUT AGAIN, I WANT TO THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE TODAY AND, UH, LET'S CUT THE RIBBON AND I KNOW I'M NOT GONNA CUT IT BY MYSELF.
SO ALL THE PEOPLE, ALL THE PEOPLE THAT WERE MENTIONED, INCLUDING THE NATURALISTS AND THE MASTER GARDENERS AND THE EN EVERYBODY JUST COME FORWARD FOR THIS PROCESS.
THERE'S ONLY ONE PAIR OF SCISSORS, BUT, UH, YOU CAN ALL JOIN IN FOR THE PICTURE TAKE.
WE'LL PROBABLY BE EVERYBODY THAT'S HERE PRETTY MUCH AGGY.
MASTER MIKE MASTER NATURALIST, MASTER NATURALIST.
THERE'S NO TIME FOR FALSE MODEST.
[01:27:21]
HI, MY NAME IS ART BAYER.I'M A VOLUNTEER MEMBER OF THE RURAL AND CRITICAL LANDS PRESERVATION BOARD.
BEFORE MOVING TO SOUTH CAROLINA, I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO VIEW RAPID GROWTH, NOT BEING ALWAYS OPTIMIZED WITH THE CONSERVATION OF NATURAL RESOURCES.
WHEN I MOVED HERE, I DECIDED I WANTED TO BE PART OF THE FUTURE PLANNING TO ENSURE THAT BALANCE THE RURAL AND CRITICAL LAND'S PRESERVATION BOARD HAS GIVEN ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE A VOICE ON THIS ISSUE FOR BEAUFORD COUNTY, NOWHERE IN THE UNITED STATES THAT I'VE EVER BEEN.
HAVE I SEEN SUCH A DEDICATED EFFORT TO CONSERVE RESOURCES.
ALL OF US NEED TO BE INVOLVED IN THE GOVERNING PROCESS.
AND IT'S IMPORTANT TO MY FAMILY.
I HOPE YOU ALL WILL CONSIDER TAKING THE OPPORTUNITY TO ALSO VOLUNTEER YOUR TALENTS AND YOUR TIME TO SEE A LISTING OF BEAUFORT COUNTY'S AGENCY'S BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, OR TO FILL OUT AN APPLICATION VISIT WWW DOT BEAUFORT COUNTY, SC.GOV/BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.