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CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY BAUER COUNTY.GENTLEMEN, IF WE CAN CALL THE MEETING TO ORDER.
IF YOU ALL WOULD JOIN ME, PLEASE, MR. RIVERS, IF YOU WOULD GIVE US AN INVITATION, THEN WE'LL HAVE THE PLEDGE TO BELIEVE.
HEAVENLY FATHER, THANK YOU FOR THIS DAY.
THANK FOR WHAT WE'LL BE DISCUSSING TODAY.
ALWAYS REMIND US OF WHO WE ARE WORKING FOR AND WHY WE ARE DOING WHAT WE DO.
AND THE NAME AND NATURE OF JESUS OF CHRIST.
A PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR THANK YOU.
THE FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS, UH, ON OUR AGENDA TODAY IS THE APPROVAL OF OUR MEETING MINUTES FROM APRIL THE 11TH.
ANY SECOND? SECOND, MR. DAVIS.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE.
AND I NOTE THAT, UH, SENATOR DAVIS HAS SENATOR SAMPSON'S PROXY WHO COULD NOT BE HERE TODAY, AND I HAVE REPRESENTATIVE HER PERKS, UM, PROXY WHO COULD NOT BE HERE TODAY.
SHE HAS WRITTEN COPIES OF THOSE.
AND YOU HAVE MR. WILLIAMS? YES.
REPRESENTATIVE WILLIAMS. OKAY.
UM, THE, THE NEXT ORDER OF BUSINESS ON OUR AGENDA.
YOU KNOW, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, AS YOU RECALL, UM, EARLIER THIS YEAR, THERE WERE SOME, UM, ISSUES WITH REGARD TO THE BEAUFORT COUNTY PRIMARIES AND REDISTRICTING, UM, AND THE, UH, COUNTY COMPLETING THAT PROCESS.
UM, YOU ALL, AS YOU KNOW, WE, WE HAD A CON HAD CONVERSATIONS AT THAT TIME ABOUT WHAT THE DELEGATION'S ROLE IS, UM, AND THAT BEING, UM, LIMITED TO THE APPOINTMENT OF THE ELECTION BOARD.
BUT THAT AT OUR NEXT MEETING, WE WOULD ASK THE STATE FOLKS, MR. NAT, UM, AS WELL AS MAURICE MALLS TO COME IN AND HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH US SO THAT WE UNDERSTOOD WHAT HAPPENED, UM, AND, UH, WHAT, IF ANYTHING, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE DOES NOT HAPPEN AGAIN.
SO WITH THAT, MR. NAP AND MS. MALLS, ARE YOU HERE AS WELL? YES, MA'AM.
THEY GOOD, GOOD TO SEE YOU THIS MORNING.
WE APPRECIATE YOU BEING DOWN HERE.
UH, THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME, MR. CHAIRMAN AND MEMBERS OF THE DELEGATION, I THINK YOU ALL HAVE A COPY OF THE REPORT IN FRONT OF YOU.
UH, IT IS, AS YOU CAN SEE, PRETTY THICK, BUT THE ACTUAL REPORT ITSELF IS ONLY APPROXIMATELY 11 AND A HALF PAGES.
SO, TO EXPLAIN WHAT OCCURRED IN BEAUFORT COUNTY DURING THE PRIMARIES, WE HAD TO RE LOOK AT THE ENTIRE REDISTRICTING PROCESS STARTING AT THE BEGINNING.
SO THIS REPORT IS AN EFFORT TO EXPLAIN HOW THE REDISTRICTING PROCESS UNFOLDED HERE IN BEAUFORT.
UM, HOW CERTAIN ACTIONS OR INACTIONS LED TO THE ISSUES THAT WE ALL SAW HAPPEN? UM, LIKE I SAID, THE REPORT ITSELF IS O ONLY OVER A LITTLE, UH, A LITTLE OVER 11 PAGES, BUT THE SUMMARY ON PAGE IS 10 AND 11.
SO THAT'S THE ABRIDGE VERSION.
UM, AS YOU CAN SEE, THE MAJORITY OF THE REPORT IS APPENDICES.
AND I ADDED THESE DOCUMENTS, UH, NOT JUST TO PROVE THE REPORT'S FINDINGS, BUT TO SHOW THIS WAS A MULTIFACETED JOURNEY.
IT WAS COMPLEX, IT WAS LONG, UM, FROM THE BEGINNING OF REDISTRICTING TO THE DAY BAUER COUNTY CERTIFIED THE ELECTION.
SO FOLLOWING THE SUMMARY, THE REPORT OUTLINES A FEW STEPS THE STATE ELECTION COMMISSION IS TAKING TO ENSURE THESE ISSUES DO NOT REPEAT THEMSELVES.
SO I'M, I'M HERE TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE.
UM, EVERYBODY, I'M, I'M HERE AT YOUR DISCRETION, MR. CHAIR.
SENATOR, JUST A QUICK QUESTION.
UM, I APOLOGIZE IF WE WERE ALL LOOKING AROUND, WE DON'T ACTUALLY HAVE THE REPORT IN FRONT OF US.
UM, IS IT POSSIBLE TO MAYBE GET THE REPORT COPIED AND THEN HAVE HIM COME UP AT A LATER TIME IN THE, TO GIVE US A CHANCE TO REVIEW IT? WELL, I'M ASKING MS. ERICKSON, I THINK'S ASKING MS. MAXEY RIGHT NOW, AS MENTIONED THE REPORT, I MEAN, THAT WAS A, THE, THE REPORT WAS EMAILED TO THE DELEGATION OFFICE.
UM, IT'S OVER 200 PAGES, BUT THOSE ARE JUST THE APPENDIX.
THE, THE REPORT ITSELF IS ONLY ABOUT 10 PAGES.
UM, AND BEFORE I LEFT MY OFFICE THIS MORNING, I ACTUALLY WAS ABLE TO GET, UH, MY ASSISTANT TO FIND IT AND PRINT IT FOR ME ONLINE.
MS. MAXEY, I THINK IS GONNA TRY TO GET SOMEBODY DOWN THE HALL RIGHT NOW TO PRINT IT AND, AND GET COPIES OF IT, GIVEN THE FACT THAT IT'S ONLY 10 PAGES.
HOW ABOUT WALK THROUGH THE REPORT AND THEN WE'LL EACH HAVE THE 10 PAGE REPORT, NOT NECESSARILY THE APPEND TWO HUNDREDS.
SO LET ME SEPARATE THAT REAL QUICK.
UM, SO THE FIRST SIX PAGES EXPLAIN THE REDISTRICTING TIMELINE.
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GIMME 30 SECONDS WHILE THEY, I MEAN IT, THAT'S FINE.UM, AND I THINK THAT WE HAVE, MA'AM.
I MEAN, I'M HERE AND TELL JUROR STUFF.
UM, YEAH, WHY DON'T WE DO THAT, MS. NA, I'LL TELL YOU WHY WE'RE MAKING COPIES.
IN ORDER TO BE EFFICIENT, WE'RE GONNA MOVE ON TO THE NEXT ITEM ON OUR AGENDA AND THEN WE'LL COME BACK TO YOU.
UM, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THE NEXT ITEM IS ARE THE, UH, PART, UM, DEVELOPMENT FUND REQUESTS.
ONE FROM THE TOWN OF YY, ONE FROM THE CITY OF BEAUFORT.
IS THERE ANYBODY HERE FROM, UM, THE TOWN OF YY? WELL, MR. SENATOR DAVIS, I KNOW THAT YOU HAD, UH, EXPRESSED SOME INTEREST IN THIS.
I RECALL THAT, UM, UH, PAUL SUMMERVILLE FROM COUNTY COUNCIL HAD, UH, SENT SOME LETTERS OF SUPPORT AROUND ABOUT THIS, UM, EARLIER, IT'S IN THE PACKET.
UM, THE PROJECT NAME IS THE MARINE CORE TRIBUTE PARK, AND IT'S THE CREATION OF A PARK WITH SWING SETS, BENCHES, GAZEBO WATER FEATURE, GRILLING AREA FOR A PICNIC FACILITY, AN ENCLOSED AREA FOR THE PROPOSED DOG PARK.
UM, AND THE REQUEST IS FOR, UM, 25,000 UM, DOLLARS.
THIS CHAIR, I'LL MAKE A MOTION APPROVED JUST SO WE CAN GET TO A DISCUSSION, PLEASE.
YOU KNOW, IF I RECALL THE SUPPORT THAT WENT AROUND FOR THIS PROJECT WAS, UM, YOU KNOW, ESSENTIALLY, UH, HAD ALL THE SUPPORT OF THE MEMBERS OF THE DELEGATION, UM, AT THE TIME, BUT WE JUST HAD THE NEEDED, THE FORMALITY OF THE MEETING.
SO, UM, IN YOUR PACKET IS THE INFORMATION SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THE PROJECT? UH, I'VE GOT THE ENDORSEMENT FORM TO PATCH OUT AND THEN PASS OUT.
AND THEN ALSO, UM, OUR PART FUND BALANCES ARE, UM, UH, INCLUDED.
WE HAVE AVAILABLE FOR ALLOCATION.
UM, IT LOOKS LIKE 108,000, UM, DOLLARS AND EIGHT.
YOU SEE THE REPORT SAID NO, NO, 108.
AND WE'VE GOT THE TWO REQUESTS TODAY ARE 25 AND FOR EIGHT, THAT'S 105.
MS. CHAIRMAN KIRK, MS. CHAIRMAN, BEFORE WHEN WE HAD SHARED THIS INFORMATION ONLINE, IT WAS, UH, A VERY GOOD REPORTED, WAS LACKING SOME OF THE FINANCIAL BUDGET NUMBERS, AND THAT WAS THE ONLY HOLDUP THAT I HAD FROM IT.
IT'S NOW GOT THAT BUDGET FULLY LISTED IN THE ENTIRE APPLICATION.
AND I APPRECIATE, UM,
SO I HAVE NO FURTHER QUESTIONS SINCE THE BUDGET OF THE OVERALL PROJECT HAS BEEN SPELLED OUT AND LISTED AND THEIR TIMETABLE IS, IS LISTED AS WELL.
SO, UM, THE QUESTION THAT I HAVE IS BEEN ANSWERED.
I THINK THAT THERE WAS QUESTION OF TIMING AS WELL, THAT, THAT OBVIOUSLY WE NEEDED TO PROCESS THIS OUT OF MEETING MM-HMM.
AND, UM, SO ON BEHALF OF MR. HURMAN AND, UH, WE WE'RE BOTH WILLING TO, UH, SUPPORT THE ENDORSEMENT, UM, THERE'S NO FURTHER QUESTION.
THE, UH, ENDORSEMENT FORM IS BEING CIRCULATED THE NEXT MR. CANS INVEST.
UM, THE NEXT IS THE, UM, CITY OF BEAUFORT.
THIS IS, UH, TO REMOVE EXISTING BASKETBALL COURT, RELOCATE TO A NEW LOCATION, THE PARK, AND CREATE A NEW OPEN PLAY FIELD.
HOW ARE YOU? HOW ARE YOU? WELCOME.
WELL, FIRST OF ALL, I WANNA THANK THE DELEGATION BECAUSE WASHINGTON STREET PARK, AS YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN BUILDING ON SINCE 2017.
IT'S ONE OF THE OLDEST PARKS IN THE CITY, AND IT WAS THE FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN PARK IN THE CITY.
WE'VE HAVE A, DID A, A FACILITY 2017, 18, YOUR MIC ON.
WASHINGTON STREET PARK IS ONE OF THE OLDEST PARKS IN THE CITY.
FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN PARK BUILT
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IN THE CITY.AND THE DELEGATION HAS HELPED US WITH FUNDING OF VARIOUS FACES THAT WE'VE HAD WITH THIS PARK.
WE BUILT THE BATHROOM THERE IN 2017, 18.
WE PUT A PLATE, UH, CHILDREN'S PLATE EQUIPMENT IN, AND WHAT THIS IS, IS THE NEXT PHASE, WHICH IS PUT REMOVING THE BASKETBALL COURT.
AND OF COURSE, AS YOU KNOW, WITHIN THE CITY, THERE'S ALWAYS INFRASTRUCTURE UNDERNEATH, SO IT COSTS MORE BECAUSE OF INFRASTRUCTURE, WATER, SEWER, ET CETERA, WHICH IS THERE TO MAKE SURE IT'S DONE RIGHT.
SO WE'RE ASKING FOR 80,000, THE PROJECT'S GONNA, IS ESTIMATED COME IN AROUND A HUNDRED THOUSAND, SO IT'LL BE 20,000 OF CITY MATCH FUNDS CHAIR.
SO I THINK, UM, I BELIEVE I READ A WONDERFUL STORY ABOUT THIS IN, IN THE PAPER A FEW WEEKS AGO.
IS THAT RIGHT? THAT ALLEN AND BOB JENKINS AND, AND THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT HOW IT WAS, UH, UH, I GUESS BACK EARLIER IN THE 19 HUNDREDS WAS, WAS A, WAS A PLACE FOR, UM, YOU KNOW, AFRICAN AMERICANS PRIMARILY TO, TO, YOU KNOW, THAT WAS THEIR SPACE AND THEIR THEIR PART.
IS THAT CORRECT? IT WAS A GREAT STORY THAT, THAT IS CORRECT, BUT, AND NOT ONLY THAT, ONE OF THE SWINGS WAS THE ORIGINAL ONE THAT'S THERE AND WE'VE RETROFITTED IT.
SO, AND IT, THEY'VE ASKED IT TO BE KEPT IN THE SAME LOCATION BECAUSE TODAY I'LL SAY GRANDPARENTS MY AGE ARE HAPPY TO SEE THAT THEIR CHILDREN, THAT THEY PLAYED ON IT AND, AND IT'S USED AND IT, IT'S BECOMING A BEAUTIFUL, WELL USED PARK FOR THE NORTHWEST QUADRANT AND THE DOWNTOWN AREA.
UM, SO THE BASKETBALL COURTS KNOW WE'RE GOING TO, WHERE THEY GONNA BE RELOCATED TO THAT IS IN THE MASTER PLAN, SIR, I HONESTLY COULDN'T TELL YOU.
IT'S GONNA BE IN THE AREA WHERE, WHERE ON THE ORIGINAL MASTER PLANET WAS LAID OUT WITH THE COMMUNITY WHERE THEY WANTED A TABLET LOCATED.
I'M NOT SURE WHICH STREET THAT'S GONNA BE ON.
WHEN DO YOU KNOW WHAT? IT'S ON THE EAST SIDE AND IT'S ON THE MASTER PLAN.
IF YOU PULL UP THE MASTER PLAN, IT'S TO THE, IT'S ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE PARK.
UM, AND IT'S GONNA BE A HALF BASKETBALL COURT ALONG WITH THE, UM, MULTI-USE QUARTERS.
AND THE REASON WHY I ASKED THE QUESTION IS, UH, NOT BECAUSE I WAS GONNA PLAY BALL
UM, BUT YOU KNOW, IN THE CITY OF BEAU FORT THERE, IT'S NOT A LOT OF THINGS FOR THE YOUNG PEOPLE TO DO.
AND YOU KNOW, THE GREEN CREEK DREAM IS JIM IS GONE, THE BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB IS GONE.
SO IT SEEMS LIKE WE WANT TO TRY TO FIND SOME SOMETHING TO GIVE THEM SOMETHING TO DO.
WELL, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING THERE.
AND ALSO WITH THE COOPERATION OF THE COUNTY WHEN WE DO, WHICH IS NOTHING TO DO WITH TODAY, THE SOUTH SIDE PARK, WE'RE GONNA BE PUTTING IN A FULL COURT BASKETBALL COURT, UH, IN BOTH BETWEEN THE COUNTY AND THE CITY PROPERTY IN THE, IN THAT AREA.
SO THAT THERE ARE MORE THINGS FOR THE YOUNG PEOPLE TO DO.
THE, THE PHOTOGRAPH IN YOUR PACKET, TASHA, BEFORE IS THE T THERE YOU GO.
AND EVEN IF YOU WERE TO LEAVE IT THERE, IT'S IN SUCH DISREPAIR.
IT'S ALMOST DANGEROUS FOR THE, FOR THE CHILDREN TO PLAY ON.
THEY'RE TRIPPING HAZARDS, BROKEN CONCRETE.
AND THIS PART DOES GET A LOT OF USE.
I LOVE SEEING THE CHILDREN AND FAMILIES DOWN THERE.
YOU PUT GREAT PICNIC TABLES IN THAT AREA AND IT SERVES NORTHWEST QUADRANT.
BUT WE FIND PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER THE AREA COMING BECAUSE IT'S REALLY NICE LOCATION, EASY PARKING.
SO I REALLY APPRECIATE ALL THE WORK TOWARD THAT THE COLLABORATION HAS DONE ON GETTING THIS PART REJUVENATED AND THE RIGHT KIND OF OF STUFF.
THE MASTER PLAN, MR. RIVERS, I THINK WE'RE GONNA LIKE HAVING THAT, THAT COURT BE BIGGER AND ON A CORNER AREA.
UM, PROBABLY A LITTLE BIT MORE VISIBLE FOR EVERYBODY IN THE MASTER PLAN.
IT'S VERY NICE TO LOOK AT WHEN I GO TO THE BARBERSHOP.
SINGLES IS BARBERSHOP, SO I SEE A LOT OF ACTIVITY THERE.
WELL I THINK THE OTHER THING THAT PARK GETS USED, I WON'T SAY EVERY FRIDAY, BUT MANY FRIDAYS FOR THE COMMUNITY TO HAVE DIFFERENT DINNERS, COOKS OUT, COOKOUTS, ET CETERA.
I WOULD MOVE FOR PASSAGE, MR. CHAIRMAN.
I THINK THERE'S ALREADY, ALREADY.
THEN MOTION TO JUST SEE IF THERE'S ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION.
UM, NEXT ARE THE COUNTY, UH, WATER WRECK AND GAME AND FISH FUND REQUEST.
IS, UH, ADAM OR ANDREW HERE FROM ANDREW'S? HERE.
NEVER SEEN HIM BEFORE IN MY LIFE.
EVERYBODY ELSE IS OUT OF TOWN.
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BEFORE YOU THE, UH, REQUEST FROM DNR, UH, WATER WRECK AND GAME OF FISH FUNDS.UH, THE FIRST ONE IS A 19 PIONEER, A COMPLETE PACKAGE, AND THAT IS A REPLACEMENT BOAT FOR A BOAT THAT WAS DESTROYED IN AN ACCIDENT.
SECOND ITEM IS A OYSTER SHELL, PUBLIC SHELLFISH GROUNDS REPLANTING.
SO I THINK WE DO THAT ABOUT EVERY YEAR WHERE WE REPLANT THE OYSTER BEDS.
AND THEN A MONOFILAMENT RECYCLING STATION.
THESE ARE LIKE THE TUBES YOU SEE THAT ARE PUT UP AT THE DIFFERENT LANDINGS AND DOCKS.
AND THEN THE LAST IS THE ATV HONDA FOUR TRACKS TRAILER IS AN ENTIRE PACKAGE.
THIS WAS APPROVED LAST YEAR, BUT DUE TO SUPPLY AND DEMANDING WITH THE VENDOR, THEY, UH, UPPED THE PRICE.
SO WE'RE ASKING THAT THIS YEAR WE COVERED THE REST OF THAT PRICE.
SO IT WAS ALREADY APPROVED LAST YEAR AND THE MAJORITY OF THE MONEY COMES OUT FROM THAT.
BUT THE ADDITIONAL MONEY WE'RE ASKING THIS YEAR TO BE INCLUDED TO FINISH SO WE CAN BUY THAT ATV PACKAGE FOR BAUER COUNTY.
DO YOU KNOW WHAT THAT NUMBER IS? I, I MEAN INFORMATION THAT WE GOT, WAS IT WHAT WE APPROVED LAST YEAR? I'M LOOKING AT THE ENDORSEMENT FORM WAS $8,009.
I WANT TO SAY FINGERS MAN, PRICE INCREASED.
IT SAYS TO APPROXIMATELY 10, ADAM WILL HAVE THE EXACT NUMBERS.
SEE, IT SAYS EXACTLY THAT IN MY EMAIL AS WELL.
I WANNA SAY IT WAS LIKE $1,200 DIFFERENCE.
YES, I, BUT I DON'T HAVE THAT EXACT IN MY, THAT'S JUST WHAT'S POPPING OUT IN MY HEAD RIGHT NOW.
WHY DON'T WE, Y'ALL WANNA SAY NOT TO EXCEED 11,000.
I MEAN, LEAST WE'VE GOT NUMBERS THAT GET YOU ENOUGH MONEY.
ONE FOR THE DISCOVERY VESSEL EDUCATION TRIPS, $5,000, UH, A NEW OUTBOARD, UM, SUZUKI ONE 40 OUTBOARD MOTOR, $9,318 AND 26 CENTS.
UM, THE TWO, UH, PROJECT REQUESTS OF 14 3 18 26, UM, THAT'S OUT OF THE, UH, FISH AND GAME REQUEST BALANCE IN OUR FISH AND GAME FUND IS 55,000 2 59 10 BALANCE.
AND THE WATER WRECK FUND IS 91,000.
AND, UM, THE, UH, UH, ADDITIONAL AMOUNT, 3000 GOOD MOTION.
AND, AND ALSO THE EXTRA $3,000 FROM TO 11, IS THAT CORRECT? I THINK THAT'S IN PROBABLY JUST PUTTING IN THAT 17,000 3, 18 26 TAKES CARE.
YEAH, THERE'S A BREAKDOWN IN THE, THIS IS THE, THE NEW APPROVAL FORM PLUS LAST YEAR'S APPROVAL FORM.
WHERE ANY DISCUSSION, HEARING DONE? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? DID WE VOTE? NO, WE HAVEN'T BACK FOR ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, SAY AYE.
APPRECIATE YOU BEING, SEE YOU.
UM, NEXT YOU WANNA GET BACK TO THE ELECTION? UH, YEAH, WELL ACTUALLY WE WILL GO BACK TO MR. NAAPP.
EVERYBODY SHOULD HAVE A COPY OF THE, UH, WITHOUT THE APPENDIX, BUT AT LEAST THE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY OR THE SUMMARY OF THE REPORT.
MR. NAAPP, I THINK WHAT IS PROBABLY HELPFUL IS WHAT WE JUST NEED TO UNDERSTAND WHAT HAPPENED, WHAT HAPPENED, HOW DIDN'T REDISTRICT THEN GET COMPLETED? UM, WELL, HOW, HOW DO YOU KNOW, WHAT DO WE NEED TO DO TO MAKE SURE THAT IT DOESN'T HAPPEN AGAIN? UM, AND, UM, YOU KNOW, THIS WASN'T THE FIRST ELECTION THAT I KNOW I RECEIVED, AND I'M SURE OTHER MEMBERS OF THE DELEGATION RECEIVED.
YOU ALL BEGIN TO PUT OUT THE ELECTION NIGHT REPORTING INFORMATION.
I, I THINK YOUR REPORT IS IMPORTANT TO EXPLAIN WHY BUFORD COUNTY, WHY WHAT HAPPENED HERE DID NOT ALLOW THAT TO HAPPEN.
BUT THIS IS NOT THE, THE FIRST ELECTION IN RECENT HISTORY THAT, UM, BUFORD COUNTY INFORMATION SEEMS TO NOT BE ON STATE INFORMATION AS QUICKLY AS THE REST OF THE STATE INFORMATION.
UM, AND, UH, A NUMBER OF FOLKS I KNOW REACH
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OUT TO ME AS A MEMBER OF THE DELEGATION AS WELL AS OTHERS ON THE DELEGATION COMPLAINING.WHILE WE DON'T HAVE A DIRECT ROLE IN IT, OBVIOUSLY WE DO APPOINT THE BOARD.
SO, UM, WITH THAT, WHAT WE LOOK FORWARD TO HERE.
UM, SO TO KIND OF DO A HIGH LEVEL WALKTHROUGH OF THE REPORT, PAGES ONE THROUGH SIX EXPLAIN THE REDISTRICTING TIMELINE OF BEAVER COUNTY IS ALL ABOUT REDISTRICTING.
MIDDLE OF PAGE SIX IS WHERE THE S E C WAS ALERTED TO THE ISSUES THAT WE'RE ALL HERE TO TALK ABOUT ON, IN, ON JUNE 8TH.
UM, AND WHAT HAPPENED DURING EARLY VOTING.
PAGE SEVEN IS THE SCOPE OF THE OVERALL PROBLEM.
SO BASICALLY, LET'S GO TO PAGE SEVEN.
UM, APPROXIMATELY 70 VOTERS HAVE BEEN GIVEN A BALLOT WITH THE WRONG COUNTY COUNCIL SEAT ON THE BALLOT.
AND THAT WAS ACROSS 15 PRECINCTS.
I'M NOT GONNA READ 'EM OUT LOUD.
I BELIEVE THAT'S BASICALLY THE SOUTHERN TIP OF HILTON HEAD AND THE EASTERN PART OF BLUFFTON 2038 VOTERS IN THOSE 15 PRECINCTS WERE NOT REDISTRICTED BY BEAVER COUNTY.
AND THEN THAT'S JUST IN THOSE 15 PRECINCTS.
AND THEN OVERALL IN THE WHOLE COUNTY, 32 HUN 3,237 VOTERS IN TOTAL WERE NOT REDISTRICTED AT THE COUNTY COUNCIL LEVEL.
IT'S IMPORTANT TO FOCUS THAT THIS ISSUE IS A COUNTY COUNCIL RACE ISSUE.
UM, WHEN YOU SAY WE'RE NOT REDISTRICTED, MEANING THEY WERE LEFT IN THEIR PRIOR COUNTY COUNCIL DISTRICT.
THE RECORD SHOWED THEM STILL BEING IN A, THE PREVIOUS COUNTY COUNCIL DISTRICT.
SO GOING ON TO PAGE EIGHT, UH, THAT WE TALK ABOUT WHAT THE STATE DID, UM, WE WORKED WITH THE BEEF COUNTY OFFICE AND, UH, DIRECTOR SMALLS TO REMEDIATE THE ISSUE ON THE SPOT.
UM, SO WE HAVE AN EARLY VOTING ISSUE, WHICH IS WHERE THIS ALL ABSOLUTELY, YES.
UM, LET'S GO BACK TO PAGE SEVEN.
UM, I'VE READ THIS, UM, SENTENCE, UM, UNDER, UM, THAT'S DELINEATED NEWS NUMBER TWO, 2038 VOTERS, AS YOU SAID, IN THOSE 15 PRECINCTS WERE NOT REDISTRICTING BY BEAUFORT COUNTY OFFICE.
HOWEVER, THE S E C FOUND THAT 3,237 VOTERS IN TOTAL WERE NOT REDISTRICTED AT THE COUNTY COUNCIL LEVEL THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE COUNTY.
GIVE ME AN EXPLANATION OF WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE IN, IN WHAT CAUSED THAT, UM, 1200, UM, VOTE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN 2032.
WHAT'S, WHAT'S THAT BASICALLY SAYING IN THE, THE 2000 NUMBER IS JUST THOSE, THE, JUST ALL THE VOTERS IN THOSE 15 PRECINCTS, THE 32, 37 NUMBER IS ALL OUT, INCLUDING THAT 2000 NUMBER AND THEN THE ADDITIONAL 1200, UM, OUTSIDE OF THOSE 15 PRECINCTS.
SO SPREAD ACROSS THE COUNTY, THE ENTIRE COUNTY.
LIKE AND WHAT CAUSED THAT? OKAY, I'M SORRY.
AND IT'S, IT WAS, IT IS AS DIFFICULT AS THIS IS, IT'S, IT WAS EVEN HARDER TO TRY AND WRITE IT.
UM, SO 70 VOTERS GOT THE WRONG COUNTY COUNCIL DISTRICT WHEN THEY WENT TO GO VOTE IN EARLY VOTING.
BUT 2000, BUT 2000 WERE AFFECTED IN THOSE 15 PRECINCTS.
BUT THE TOTAL NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT GOT THE WAR DID NOT GET REDISTRICTED AT THE COUNTY COUNCIL LEVEL.
MEANING THEY WERE STUCK IN THEIR OLD DISTRICT WAS OVER 3,200 PEOPLE.
AND WERE THOSE AND WERE THOSE RACISTS? UM, GENERALLY I WASN'T AT THE LAST MEETING I HAD TO SEND A PROXY.
WERE THOSE, UM, HEAVILY CONTESTED RACISTS? SO I DON'T HAVE THOSE, I DON'T HAVE THOSE NUMBERS.
I CAN TELL YOU NOT ALL COUNTY ACCOUNT DISTRICT COUNTY, COUNTY COUNTY COUNCIL DISTRICTS HAD RACES AT ALL IN THE PRIMARIES.
THEY WERE NOT CONTESTED, WHICH IS WHY YOU, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE LOOKING AT HOW MANY PEOPLE ACTUALLY GOT THE WRONG BALLOT, IT WAS THE REPUBLICAN VOTERS IN THOSE 15 PRECINCTS.
CAUSE THAT WAS A REPUBLICAN PRIMARY THAT WERE IMPACTED.
SO THE THIRD 200 NUMBER, A LOT OF THOSE 3,200 PEOPLE DIDN'T EVEN HAVE A PRIMARY IN WHICH TO VOTE IN JUNE BECAUSE THERE, YOU KNOW, EITHER THAT SEAT WAS NOT UP OR THERE WAS NO CONTESTED PRIMARY.
THAT'S ABOUT, YEAH, IT'S, YEAH, I THINK THERE'S SOME THINGS IN THE SUMMARY HERE THAT THE PUBLIC NEEDS TO HEAR.
AND I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND READ IT OUT LOUD CUZ IT RAISES CONCERNS IN MY MIND ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING.
UM, AS WAS MENTIONED, REDISTRICTING IS AN INFREQUENT COMPLEX AND TIME-SENSITIVE PROCESS.
HOWEVER, AS THIS REPORT SHOWS IN THE VARIOUS APPENDIX'S ILLUSTRATE, BEAUFORD
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COUNTY WAS NOT ON A COMPRESSED TIMELINE TO COMPLETE THE COUNTY COUNCIL DING PROCESS.UNLIKE MANY OTHER COUNTIES, ALSO, UNLIKE MANY OTHER COUNTIES, BUFORT COUNTY HAS AN EXPERIENCED DIRECTOR AND STAFF WHO HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN PASTING CYCLES.
BUFORT COUNTY IS ALSO A LARGE COUNTY WITH ADEQUATE LOCAL RESOURCES, I E ADEQUATE STAFFING AND THE VOTER REGISTRATION ELECTION OFFICE STIMULUS SUFFICIENT FUNDING TO ACCOMPLISHMENTS MISSION IN A COUNTY GIS OFFICE THAT PROVIDED ASSISTANCE, ALL OF WHICH MANY OTHER COUNTIES DID NOT POSSESS.
IN FACT, IN A MARCH NINE EMAIL, THE COUNTY DIRECTOR STATED THAT THE COUNTY GIS OFFICE HAD UPDATED COUNTY COUNCIL FILES INDICATING THE GIS DEPARTMENT WAS PROVIDING ASSISTANCE.
THE BOTTOM LINE IS OTHER COUNTIES WITH LESS RESOURCES AND LESS EXPERIENCE SUCCESSFULLY REDISTRICT AT THEIR COUNTY COUNCIL DISTRICTS.
NO PROBLEMS. I MEAN, IT GOES ON IN THAT VEIN.
AND SO I GUESS IT BEGS THE QUESTION WHY A WEALTHY COUNTY LIKE BEAUFORD COUNTY WITH AN EXPERIENCED STAFF, UM, THESE PROBLEMS STILL ERUPT.
AND, AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT WE NEED TO GET THE BOTTOM UP HERE.
LET'S FINISH MR. NAP AND THEN WE'LL, WE'LL, I THINK SENATOR DAVIS'S QUESTION WILL BE, UM, DIRECTOR WITH YOU.
BUT LET ME, IF YOU WILL JUST WALK THROUGH THE REST OF, I MEAN, BECAUSE AGAIN SURE.
WHAT WE'VE GOTTEN TO THIS POINT IS WE UNDERSTAND THERE WAS A REDISTRICTING PROBLEM.
YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT THE MAGNITUDE OF THE PROBLEM WAS, BOTH ON THE NUMBER OF BALLOTS THAT HAD BEEN GIVEN OUT, UM, AND THE TOTAL NUMBER THAT YOU ALL HAVE IDENTIFIED.
THEN WHAT AS IT, IN TERMS OF THE ELECTION ITSELF, THEN WHAT, THEN WHAT? CAUSE THAT WAS WHAT, THERE WERE LOTS OF LINGERING QUESTIONS SURE.
SO, AND, AND JUST TO KIND OF OF FINISH OUT THE REDISTRICTING ISSUE, CUZ THIS IS WHAT I NEED TO MAKE THIS POINT.
THE, THE BEAUFORD COUNTY OFFICE IDENTIFIED THESE VOTERS TO BE REDISTRICTED.
WHAT REALLY HAPPENED, CUZ THIS IS WHAT THE REDISTRICTING PROCESS IS, IS THAT COUNTIES IDENTIFY THESE VOTERS NEED TO BE MOVED TO THIS PRECINCT.
THEY LET THE SCC KNOW AND WE MOVE THEM.
THAT'S THE PROCESS THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN.
THE SCC WAS NEVER TOLD, HEY, MAKE THESE VOTERS.
SO, UM, GOING BACK TO THE BALLOT ISSUE, UM, TO FIX THIS ISSUE, WE HAD TO CREATE A NEW ELECTION DATABASE.
NOW AN ELECTION DATABASE AND CONTAINS EVERY BALLOT FOR EVERY VOTER IN THE STATE.
EACH ONE OF YOU MAY HAVE VERY SIMILAR BALLOTS, BUT YOU ALL HAVE WHAT'S CALLED A BALLOT STYLE.
YOU HAVE DIFFERENT KIND COUNCIL PEOPLE, MAYBE STATE SENATE, ET CETERA.
SO WE HAD TO CREATE A NEW DATABASE THAT INVOLVED EVERYBODY.
UM, AND THAT, THAT'S WHY ELECTION DAY WENT WELL.
UM, EVERYBODY HAD THE CORRECT BALLOTS.
EVERYBODY HAD BEEN REDISTRICTED BY US.
UM, I CANNOT SPEAK TO THE OVERALL, UH, DELAYS IN REPORTING, BUT I CAN SPEAK TO ELECTION NIGHT ON, ON THAT PARTICULAR ELECTION, OUR ELECTION NIGHT REPORTING TOOL AS ON PAGE EIGHT, THE MIDDLE PARAGRAPH PRETTY MUCH SPELLS OUT EACH COUNTY HAS A SINGLE DATABASE.
AND THAT'S THE WAY THE E R TOOL WORKS.
BASICALLY IF YOU HAVE A WORD DOCUMENT, YOU HAVE PEOPLE WORKING ON IT.
EVERYONE'S WORKING ON THE SAME WORD DOCUMENT, WHICH IS WHY YOU HAVE ON ELECTION NIGHT.
RICHLAND COUNTY WILL HAVE PARTIAL RESULTS.
THEY'RE UPLOADING RESULTS FROM THAT SAME DATABASE.
IT'S THE SAME DATABASE AS BEING OVERWRITTEN WITH NEW AND UPDATED RESULTS.
HERE WE HAD A SITUATION WHERE BAUER COUNTY HAD TWO DATABASES.
SO BAUER COUNTY STAFF WORKED THE, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S OFF TO MANUALLY ENTER RESULTS FROM THE OLD DATABASE INTO THE NEW DATABASE.
AND I I ALSO WANT TO KIND OF DO A SEGUE HERE, WHAT WE TALK ABOUT, CUZ THERE'S A LOT OF TALK ABOUT HAND COUNTING RESULTS.
THIS IS AN ILLUSTRATION OF WHAT THAT WOULD LOOK LIKE.
AND THIS WAS JUST FOR 15 PRECINCTS.
MARIE'S DEPUTY WORKED INCREDIBLY HARD TO MANUALLY ENTER ALL THOSE RESULTS INTO THE NEW DATABASE.
SO IT COULD BE REPORTED ON ELECTION NIGHT OR ON, ON THE ELECTION NIGHT TOOL.
THAT'S WHY IT TOOK FOREVER FOR, UM, THE RESULTS COME OUT.
BEAUFORT DID RE DID RELEASE WHAT RESULTS THEY HAD.
AND YOU'LL SEE AT THE TOP OF PAGE 9 38 OF ITS, OF ITS 98 PRECINCTS AFTER BEAUFORT COUNTY, UM, DID, DID THEIR JOB.
THE STATE HAD TO BASICALLY AUDIT THE RESULTS TO ENSURE, CUZ THERE WAS A LOT, AND WE ALL REMEMBER IT, THERE WAS A LOT OF TALK IN CONSPIRACY THEORIES, AND MAYBE NOT CONSPIRACY, BUT JUST THEORIES ABOUT WHAT THEY WERE HANGING OUT THERE QUESTIONING THE VALIDITY OF THE ELECTION AT EVERY LEVEL.
NOT JUST COUNTY COUNCIL, BUT CONGRESSIONAL, ET CETERA.
SO WE AUDITED THIS ELECTION USING THE OLD DATABASE, THE NEW DATABASE, THE RESULTS TAPES FROM ALL THE PRECINCTS TO ENSURE THE MATH ADDED UP.
[00:30:01]
IT DID.SO IT, IT WAS NOT SUPER QUICK, BUT WE WERE METHODICAL.
WE WORKED WITH THE BEAVER COUNTY OFFICE AND HER PEOPLE.
UM, AND THEN WE CERTIFIED THE ELECTION.
ANY QUESTIONS? I I SHOULD ADD, UM, AFTER THE SUMMER AND PAGE 11, CAUSE I KNOW Y'ALL ARE GONNA ASK ABOUT THIS, WHAT DO WE DO MOVING FORWARD? SO REDISTRICTING, UM, THE STATE HAS NEVER, AND THE STATE ELECTION COMMISSION HAS NEVER HELD OR HAD A ROLE IN REDISTRICTING AT THE LESS THAN STATE LEVEL AREA.
WE, WE WORRY ABOUT STATE HOUSE, STATE SENATE, CONGRESS, THE COUNTIES ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR EVERYTHING COUNTYWIDE AND LESS THAN.
UM, AND THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE BEEN AROUND A WHILE, NO, BOBBY BOWERS WAS THE BACKBONE OF REDISTRICTING FOREVER AND THE STATE HE PASSED AWAY, THERE WAS NOT A LOT OF SUPPORT FROM AGENCIES THAT HAD IN THE PAST SUPPORTED COUNTIES IN THE NCC.
AND WE HAD TO RELY ON BOBBY BOWERS, PROTEGE WILL ROBERTS, WHO I THINK HE'S NOW AT LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.
BUT, UM, BASICALLY MY AGENCY NEEDS A GIS PERSON WHO WILL HELP WITH REDISTRICTING, UM, NOT JUST THE SENATE IN 2024, BUT VOTERS ARE CONSTANTLY MOVING IN THIS STATE AND THROUGHOUT THE STATE.
AND WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE ARE IN THE PHYSICAL BOUNDARIES THEY NEED TO BE IN.
SO THAT'S ONE THING THAT'LL HELP MY AGENCY.
AND SECOND OF ALL, I'M NOT GONNA SAY IF WHEN THERE'S ANOTHER DUAL DATABASE SITUATION, UM, I'VE ACQUIRED, I AM ACQUIRING A TOOL THAT WILL JUST MERGE THE TWO DATABASES TOGETHER, UM, TO ENSURE THAT WE DON'T HAVE A TWO OR THREE DAY DELAY PUBLISHING RESULTS IF THAT HAPPENS AGAIN.
UM, THE PROBLEM IS, UH, THAT COUNSEL, UH, OR DID NOT NOTIFY OR, UH, GET THE INFORMATION TO WHERE IT SHOULD HAVE GOTTEN TO, BUT THEY'RE THE ONES WHO WERE PART OF THE REDISTRICT PROCESS, RIGHT? SURE.
THE, THE BEFOR COUNTY OFFICE DID NOT NOTIFY THE SCC.
THESE PEOPLE NEEDED TO BE MOVED.
THIS THE COUNTY OFFICE WITH YOU, THE, THE BEAUFORD COUNTY OFFICE OF VOTER REGISTRATION AND ELECTIONS DIDN'T, IN FACT, THEY CERTIFIED A FEW TIMES THAT EVERYTHING LOOKS GOOD AND IT WASN'T.
AND WE CAN'T, THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF COUNTY COUNCIL DISTRICTS IN THIS STATE AND IT'S NOT OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO ENSURE, AND THAT'S WHY, THAT'S WHY I SAID WE'RE A STATE AGENCY WHERE WE WORRY ABOUT STATE LEVEL OFFICES.
UM, IN THE, IN, IN SUMMATION ON PAGE 11 OF THAT MIDWAY THROUGH, UM, YOU SAY, AS HAS BEEN SHOWN, BUFORD COUNTY RECEIVED MULTIPLE ERROR LIST.
SO ARROWS OR KICKOUT LIST IS BASICALLY OTHER CHECKS.
LIKE I SAID, WILL ROBERTS, WHO IS THEN AT STATE, AT THE SOUTH CAROLINA STATE SENATE, UM, HELPING THEM WITH REDISTRICTING.
THEY IN THE SOUTH COUNTY REVENUE FISCAL AFFAIRS OFFICE, THEY DID A CHECK.
UM, AND NOT JUST FOR COUNTY COUNCIL, BUT FOR EVERY REDISTRICTING PLAN TO ENSURE VOTERS WERE RE REDISTRICTED CORRECTLY.
WHEN A COUNTY SAYS S E C MOVE THESE VOTERS, IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT THE OFFICE IS FOR.
THE DISTRICT MOVE THESE VOTERS, AFTER THAT MOVE IS DONE, ANOTHER CHECK IS DONE TO ENSURE THAT THE VOTERS WERE MOVED, THE CORRECT VOTERS WERE MOVED, AND THERE WERE NO ERRORS AFTER THAT MOVE OCCURRED.
OFTENTIMES THERE WILL BE ERRORS AFTER THAT MOVE HAS OCCURRED.
AND SO YOU'LL HAVE PEOPLE LIVING RIGHT ON THE BOUNDARIES THAT SHOULD OR SHOULD NOT BE IN WHATEVER DISTRICT THEY WERE REDISTRICTED TO.
AND THAT IS WHAT CREATES A KICKOUT OR AN ERROR LIST.
HEY, YOU NEED TO LOOK AT THESE PEOPLE.
ENSURE AT THE STREET LEVEL THEY ARE IN THE DISTRICT THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO BE IN.
SO THAT HAPPENED HERE AND YOU GUYS A FEW TIMES NOTIFIED BUER COUNTY, WELL, THE STATE SENATE NOTIFIED BUER COUNTY COUNTY, UM, BUT THERE'S NO RECORD OF BUER COUNTY THEN REQUESTING THAT YOU MOVE THE VOTERS.
IS THERE, YOU, YOU, YOU NOTED THAT, UM, THE STAFF AT THE ELECTION OFFICE WORKED REALLY HARD ON GETTING THE TWO DATABASES IT DID.
WAS THAT STARTED AFTER THE PRIMARY AND WORKED UP TILL THE ELECTION DAY? OR DID THAT, WAS THAT SOMETHING THAT HAD TO BE DONE AT THE ELECTION DAY? THAT HAD TO BE DONE AFTER POLLS CLOSED.
BECAUSE THEY, THEY WERE INPUTTING ELECTION RESULTS INTO THE DAY FROM ALL TO IT.
NOT HAVE BEEN DONE AHEAD OF TIME.
SO LITERALLY THEY HAD TO DO ALL OF THAT WORK ON THAT PARTICULAR NIGHT.
SO, AND THAT'S, THAT'S WHY WHEN WE SAY IF,
[00:35:01]
IF Y'ALL WANT HAND COUNTING OF ELECTION RESULTS, YOU'RE GONNA BE WAITING MONTHS FOR ELECTION RESULTS.UM, THINK ABOUT IF THIS WERE A CONGRESSIONAL RIGHTS, WHAT THIS WOULD'VE BEEN LIKE ACROSS FOUR OR FIVE COUNTIES.
I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY THAT YOU HAVE TWO WEEKS NO.
TO BE ABLE TO PUT THESE PEOPLE IN, MERGE THE DATABASES.
THEY HAD THAT ONE NIGHT TO THEY WELL, THEY HAD, YEAH, THEY HAD ONE OR TWO DAYS TOTAL.
I KNOW HER VERNON, HER DEPUTY, WORKED THE ENTIRE TIME.
UM, WHICH WAS ANOTHER REASON WE ALTERED BECAUSE VERNON WAS EXHAUSTED.
UM, AND WE WERE TOO, BUT NOT AS MUCH AS THEM.
SO LEADING IT ANOTHER SET OF EYES, HE DOESN'T NEGATE THE, THE WHAT HAPPENED IN THE BEGINNING, BUT THEY WERE WORKING AS QUICKLY AS THEY COULD.
THE QUESTION, MR. RIVER, I'M JUST CURIOUS AS FAR AS, UM, SIMILAR ERRORS ARE GOING TO HAPPEN, RIGHT? SO I'M JUST CURIOUS PERCENTAGE WISE, ACROSS THE STATE, CUZ THIS MAY NOT BE A MONO ANOMALY.
I MEAN, UH, BECAUSE WHENEVER YOU'RE GONNA HAVE MULTIPLE THINGS, THEY ARE GONNA BE A MISTAKE.
SO I DON'T WANNA FOCUS ON MISTAKE IN ONE PLACE AND AMPLIFY IT AS STORY.
IT DOESN'T HAPPEN MORE REGULAR.
WE DID NOT, I'M NOT GONNA SIT HERE AND SAY THAT NO OTHER COUNTY, UH, I WILL SAY THAT NO OTHER COUNTY HAD THESE ISSUES IN THE PRIMARY, UM, REDISTRICTING HAD JUST OCCURRED.
AND I KNOW I, THEY DID THAT THE OFFICE HAD AMPLE TIME AT THE COUNTY COUNCIL LEVEL.
THERE WAS A LOT GOING ON IN AL ADD ONTO IT.
THE EARLY VOTING BILL JUST PASSED.
SO I'M NOT HERE TO GIVE EXCUSES WHAT HAPPENED, HAPPENED.
I THINK WE CAN, WE CAN MOVE ON FROM IT.
I THINK THERE'S, BUT UM, THERE WERE NO OTHER ISSUES IN THE PRIMARIES THAT WE SAW.
BUT AGAIN, STATEWIDE, STATEWIDE, UM, NOW IT IS ENTIRELY POSSIBLE THAT THERE WERE SOME PEOPLE, WELL, I DON'T WANNA SAY THAT.
UM, I JUST CAN'T GUARANTEE THAT NO OTHER COUNTY HAD ISSUES.
IT'S POSSIBLE THAT VOTERS WENT TO THE POLLS NOT KNOWING WHO TO VOTE, LIKE WHO WAS GONNA BE ON THEIR BALLOT AND VOTED.
BUT WE DID NOT HAVE ANY, I MEAN, THE IMPETUS FOR THIS WAS YOU HAD A COUNTY COUNCIL CANDIDATE WHO WENT TO GO VOTE FOR HIMSELF AND DIDN'T FIND HIMSELF, AND HE WAS MAD AS HELL.
UM, BUT YOU KNOW, THERE WERE DIFFERENT CHECKS THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN, THAT SHOULD HAVE CAUGHT THAT WELL IN ADVANCE.
SO BASICALLY AN ERROR OCCURRED AT BOTH THE STATE AND THE COUNTY WORKED THEIR BUTTS OFF TO FIX IT.
YOU'RE SAYING BASED ON EVERYTHING THAT WAS GOING ON, IT WAS EXACERBATED BY ALL THE THINGS THAT AT STATE LEVEL DISTRICTING AND ALL THOSE THINGS CONTRIBUTED TO, UM, WHATEVER WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
A LOT OF THINGS CONTRIBUTED TO THIS.
THANK YOU SENATOR AND MS. PAM.
I WANT TO PREFACE THIS BY SAYING THAT, UM, I WOULD GET IT THAT, UM, WE WERE GETTING, I WAS ON THE SENATE REDISTRICTING COMMITTEE AND ONE OF THE PROBLEMS WE HAD, IT WAS A HURRY UP AND RUSH YES.
HONOR PROCESS, UM, WITH ALL OF OUR PUBLIC HEARINGS AND WHATNOT, BECAUSE WITH THE PANDEMIC AND EVERYTHING THAT WENT ON, WE ALL ACROSS THE STATE, ACROSS THE US UM, RECEIVED, UM, THE CENSUS NUMBERS ABOUT NINE MONTHS LATER.
UM, IN LOOKING AT THIS, I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT THE PROCESS WITHOUT STUDYING THIS, ALONG WITH YOUR, YOUR OPINION, WHEN DID BUFORD COUNTY COUNCIL SUBMIT OR COMPLETELY SUBMIT IT ON PAGE THREE? UH, BUFORD COUNTY COUNCIL PASSED THEIR PLAN ON JANUARY 24TH, 2022.
AND WHEN DID IT SUBMIT IT IS WHO THEN SUBMITS THAT PLAN, I GUESS TO THE SENATE OR TO THE DELEGATION? NO, SO THE, FOR APPROVAL, SO IT GOES SOMEWHERE ELSE? NO, I MEAN, THE, THE COUNTY COUNCIL SETS THEIR OWN MAPS.
SO THE MAPS ARE SET BY COUNTY COUNCIL AS THEY WERE IN JANUARY 24TH.
IT'S THEN LEFT TO THE, UM, ELECTION OFFICE AND THE COUNTY GIS TO LITERALLY MAP IT, MOVE VOTERS, DETERMINE WHERE WHICH VOTERS NEED TO BE REDISTRICTED, AND THEN AS IF YOU COULD KIND OF DIVE DEEP, DIVE DEEP, THEY IDENTIFY THOSE VOTERS.
THEY TELL THE SEC MOVE THE VOTERS, THEY'RE MOVED.
AND THEN THOSE VOTERS, JUST TO BREAK IT DOWN A LITTLE BIT MM-HMM.
AND THEN IT'S THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THEIR WORKERS TO SEND OUT NOTICE TO THE VOTERS THAT, HEY, UM, MARGIE, YOU'RE GONNA BE IN THIS DISTRICT AS OPPOSED TO THIS DISTRICT IN THE NEXT UPCOMING ELECTION.
[00:40:01]
THAT OFFICE THEN SENDS THAT, UH, THAT INFORMATION MAYBE SIMULTANEOUSLY OR SOON THEREAFTER TO, TO YOUR OFFICE SO THAT YOU CAN PUT IT INTO A SYSTEM THAT THAT'S A YEAH.SO AS AN ELEMENTARY VERSION OF IT IS, UH, IT'S, AS YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S EXTREMELY MORE COMPLEX THAN THAT.
UM, AND, AND, AND COUNTIES ACTUALLY.
WELL, SO YEAH, ONE ARM OF THE, ONE ARM OF THE COUNTY OFFICE WOULD SEND OUT NEW VOTER REGISTRATION CARDS ONCE ALL REGISTERING WAS DONE.
UM, BUT IT IS A TEDIOUS PROCESS BY THE COUNTY AND THE, THE COUNTY OFFICE IN THE, IN THE COUNTY GIS OFFICE TO IDENTIFY DOWN TO THE STREET LEVEL.
JANE DOE AND JOHN DOE ARE MOVING TO THIS DISTRICT AND SUCH AND SO FORTH.
SO, UM, ONCE THOSE MOVES ARE IDENTIFIED, THEY FILL OUT A FORM WITH US AND SAY, S C MOVE THESE VOTERS IN THESE DISTRICTS, AND THEN WE PUSH THE BUTTON, THEY'RE MOVED, A CHECK IS DONE SOMETIMES A FEW TIMES TO MAKE SURE EVERYTHING'S RIGHT.
I SEE IN YOUR SUMMARY WHERE THERE'S, UM, A LOT OF REFERENCE TO, UM, THE AMOUNT OF STAFF, UM, THAT BUFORD COUNTY HAS AND THE MY MEMBERS, UM, ABOUT, UM, UH, INCREASE IN POPULATION IN BUFORD COUNTY, I THINK WAS REFERENCED.
UM, WHO MADE THE, UH, GENERAL REFERENCE, UM, IN THE SUMMARY AND THE MOVING FORWARD, WHO'S RESPONSIBLE FOR MAKING THOSE CONCLUSORY STATEMENTS REGARDING COMPARING BUFORD COUNTY AND WHAT WENT ON HERE REGARDING, UM, THE PROCESS THAT HAPPENED? THAT WOULD BE ME AT THE SCC.
JUST KNOWING WHAT, WHAT OTHER COUNTIES WENT THROUGH, HOW OTHER COUNTY ELECTIONS WENT.
DID YOU, PRIOR TO, UH, MAKING THOSE SUMMATIONS ABOUT, UM, WHAT SHOULD AND SHOULD NOT HAVE DONE, DID YOU COME AND, UM, MAKE AN INDEPENDENT A, UM, HAVE AN IN EVENT INDEPENDENT REVIEW WITH THE ELECTIONS OFFICE HERE TO SEE WHETHER OR NOT THEY, IN FACT, EVEN THOUGH THEY HAD STAFF AVAILABLE, WHETHER OR NOT STAFF WAS ACTUALLY HERE OR WHETHER OR NOT THEY HAD ANY OTHER ISSUES THAT MIGHT HAVE AFFECTED THEIR ABILITY TO CARRY OUT THE PROCESS THE WAY YOU SAW? I, I DID NOT.
I JUST KNOW THEIR TOTAL STAFF NUMBERS IN COMPARISON AT A HIGH LEVEL TO OTHER COUNTY OFFICES.
UM, AND THAT'S WHY I MADE THE STATEMENT THEY HAVE, IN MY OPINION, AS UNINFORMED AS IT MAY BE ENOUGH FTS TO, TO DO THE JOB.
THE LARGEST OFFICE IN THE STATE IS, UH, RICHLAND, I BELIEVE, WITH ABOUT 19 OR 20 PEOPLE.
AND THAT'S THE SECOND LARGEST, SECOND LARGEST COUNTY IN THE STATE.
UM, I CAN'T SPEAK TO, UH, DIRECTOR SMALL'S NEEDS, UM, JUST LIKE NO OTHER STATE AGENCY HEAD CAN TELL ME WHAT I NEED UNLESS THEY'RE ME.
UH, BUT JUST FROM MY OUTSIDE OBSERVATION, KNOWING WHAT OTHER COUNTIES ARE WORKING WITH AND HOW THEY PERFORM, THAT'S WHERE THOSE STATEMENTS ARE COMING FROM.
DID YOU TALK DIRECTLY WITH DIRECTOR SMALLS DURING THE SITUATION? YES.
AND DID SHE EVER EXPRESS ANY CONCERNS ABOUT STAFFING OR, OR GIVE ANY REASON WHY THIS OCCURRED? NO.
I, I ASSUMED IF THERE WERE REASONS AS TO WHY EVENTS OCCURRED, THEY WOULD'VE BEEN DIVULGED TO ME, VOLUNTEERED TO ME.
AND THAT'S NOT TO SAY THAT HER EXISTING STAFF WASN'T EXPERIENCING OR FRANKLY GOING THROUGH HELL AT THE TIME AND WASN'T EXHAUSTED.
SO I KNOW THEY WERE, I'D SAY THAT'S NOT TO SAY HER EXISTING STAFF WERE NOT EXHAUSTED, WHICH I KNOW THEY WERE.
UM, SHE DID TELL US THAT, THAT THESE PEOPLE WERE WORKING ON THESE THINGS, THEY'RE TIRED, THEY'RE EXHAUSTED THAT WE'VE BEEN HERE SINCE, YOU KNOW, YESTERDAY.
SON TO, TO ME, THE QUESTION ISN'T WHETHER THEY WERE WORKING HARD TO CORRECT THINGS.
I DON'T KNOW WHY THIS THING AROSE IN THE FIRST PLACE.
UM, AND, AND TO ME, I DON'T KNOW ABOUT THE REST OF THE MEMBERS OF THE DELEGATION HERE, BUT THIS REPORT IS FAIRLY DAMNING IN, IN REGARD TO HAVING THE RESOURCES, UH, BEING ALERTED TO THE ERRORS AND NOT CORRECTING THOSE ERRORS.
I MEAN, PEOPLE WERE DISENFRANCHISED
UM, SO YOU AROUND DOING THE LAST RE RE PROCESS AS WELL? NO, NO.
THIS IS MY THIRD YEAR IN THE OFFICE.
SO, AND I GUESS WHAT I'M TRYING TO ASCERTAIN IS THAT, UH, DO TRACK RECORD MEANS ANYTHING IN THE LEVEL OF PERFORMANCE? ABSOLUTELY.
SO THE TRACK RECORD OF THIS OFFICE HAS BEEN ONE OF HIGH
[00:45:01]
QUALITY BEFORE WE DIS PERFORM OVERALL PERFORMANCE? YES, I WOULD SAY SO.SO, SO MOST TIMES WHEN YOU GRADE PEOPLE, IT'S NOT ON A ONE TIME SHOT, IT'S BASED ON THE, UH, COLLECTION AND THE TOTALITY OF THEIR WORK.
THIS IS A, AS, AS THE TITLE OF THIS REPORT SAYS THIS IS NOT A REPORT ON THE ENTIRE OFFICE, IT'S PEOPLE OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
THIS IS A LOOK AT A SPECIFIC PROCESS THAT WAS OR WAS NOT DONE IN HOW IT AFFECTED IN ONE ELECTION.
SO, SO MY THING THEN IS, IS WOULD BE SEEN WHAT, UM, UNFAIR THAT'S THE RIGHT WORD, UM, TO BE PUNITIVE ABOUT ONE INCIDENT THAT'S TOTALLY OUT, MOSTLY OUT OF CONTROL BASED ON EVERYTHING THAT WAS GOING ON.
UM, AS OPPOSED TO SEEING IT AS A LEARNING OPPORTUNITY FOR, UM, FOR THE FUTURE IN THIS ENVIRONMENT WHERE PUNIT IS SOMETHING THAT PEOPLE LOOK FOR.
UM, HOPEFULLY THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN HERE.
I DON'T WANNA BE PUNITIVE, BUT THERE OUGHT TO BE CONSEQUENCES.
I MEAN, AND, AND THIS ORDER CONSEQUENCES IS HOW YOU LEARN.
SO HOPEFULLY, GENTLEMAN, BEAR WITH ME ONE MINUTE, SHANNON.
UM, I BELIEVE THE CORNER ORDER SHOULD BE THAT THE REPRESENTATIVE WAS ASKING A QUESTION OF, UM, THE PRESENTER.
AND I JUST WANT WATER THAT HE SHOULD BE PERMITTED TO DO THAT.
AND MR. DAVIS HAS ANY RESPONSES.
HE SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO DO THAT TOO.
I THOUGHT I HAD BEEN RECOGNIZED.
THANK YOU, SENATOR, FOR REPRESENTATIVE REPRESE.
NO, I WAS JUST SAYING THAT CONSEQUENCES ARE GOOD, BUT WE GOTTA GO WITH WHAT, UH, HAVE BEEN SHOWN TO WORK.
THE PEOPLE DON'T QUIT BAD OVERNIGHT.
YOU KNOW, GUYS, LET, LET ME REMIND YOU OF, OF OF WHAT, WHAT I SAID WHEN I STARTED OUT, AND THERE'S AN ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OPINION, UH, THAT MAKES IT CLEAR.
OUR ROLE WITH REGARD TO THESE ISSUES ARE VERY LIMITED, RIGHT? I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY WE PASS THE LAWS, UM, UH, OR AMONG THE GROUP THAT PASSES THE LAWS, BUT I MEAN, OUR ROLE AS A DELEGATION IS LIMITED TO THE APPOINTMENTS ON THE BOARD.
UM, AND THIS WAS AN ISSUE THAT EXPLODED IN THE BACKDROP OF, UM, QUESTIONS FROM THE LAST NATIONAL ELECTION AND HOW IMPORTANT IT WAS TO GET IT RIGHT.
AND WE DIDN'T GET IT RIGHT HERE FOR WHATEVER REASON.
AND PART OF WHAT WE ARE DOING TODAY IS TO TRY TO UNDERSTAND WHY, TO MAKE SURE THAT IF THERE ARE ISSUES IDENTIFIED, THAT THERE ARE STAFF SHORTAGES THAT, UM, THE COUNTY COUNCIL IS AWARE OF THAT, THAT WE ARE AWARE OF, THAT THE ROLE THAT THE, THE, UH, OUR APPOINTEES HAVE ON THE, ON THE BOARD, WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO MAKE SURE THAT SOMETHING LIKE THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN AGAIN.
UM, AND TO ENSURE THE CITIZENS IN THIS PART OF SOUTH CAROLINA THAT THIS ELECTION WAS FAIR, IT WAS APPROPRIATE, THESE ERRORS WERE DEALT WITH IN A TIMELY MANNER.
THE ELECTION WAS AUDITED, THE RESULTS ARE PROPER, UM, THAT CAME OUT.
BUT THAT THERE ARE CONSEQUENCES NATURALLY FROM PROBLEMS. AND WE ARE PART OF THE IDENTIFYING THAT AND, AND LOOKING AT WHAT THAT IS.
SO, I I JUST WANT TO PUT THAT CONTEXT OUT THERE FOR, FOR ALL OF US TO KEEP IN MIND.
NOW WHAT MR. NEWTON JUST SAID EXCEPT FOR THE LAST BIT, UM, IS THAT, IS THAT, NO, NO, NO.
I MEAN, LAST I, IS THAT WHAT HAPPENED? I MEAN, UH, THE WAY HE CHARACTERIZED IT, IT, IT WAS IDENTIFIED AND THESE PROBLEMS HAPPEN, HAS BEEN CORRECTED AND IT'S NOT THE, UH, THE PROBLEMS MANIFESTED THEMSELVES.
THEY WERE ADDRESSED AND THEY WERE REMEDIATED.
AND IF HAVE IN MY REPORT WHAT WE CAN DO IN THE FUTURE TO ENSURE IT DOESN'T HAPPEN AGAIN.
AND I, I SAY THAT AS THE HEAD OF THE STATE ELECTION COMMISSION, I DON'T KNOW IF EVERY PROBLEM IN THAT OFFICE HAS BEEN FIXED, IF WHAT PROBLEMS EXISTS AS A CAVEAT.
BUT FROM MY PERSPECTIVE AS THE AGENCY HEAD, THE ISSUE AT HAND WAS DEALT WITH, YOU'D BE PLEASED.
IS IT THAT THERE'S JUST SO MUCH DATA THAT IS IMPOSSIBLE.
I MEAN, WHEN YOU TALKED A COUPLE TIMES TODAY ABOUT BEING DOWN AT THE STREET LEVEL.
AND THAT MAKES ME TAKE A DEEP BREATH.
THINKING THAT YOU HAVE TO BE DOWN AT THE STREET, YOU'RE RUNNING THE COUNTY AND HOW MANY SMALL, SO MANY VOTERS DO WE HAVE IN ACCOUNT? OH, ABOUT 135,000.
SO YEAH, ANOTHER LOCATION OF 135,000 PEOPLE IS SO, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, 3,200 PEOPLE TO 135,000 IS ABOUT 3%.
THAT'S A PRETTY SIZEABLE CHUNK ALL IN ALL HALL.
UM, AND I GUESS YOU'LL TALK ABOUT MAYBE HOW, WHAT SAFEGUARDS WE HAVE FROM THIS HAPPEN AGAIN.
[00:50:01]
SO LET ME JUST, I'LL STOP RIGHT THERE.THE LAST THING THAT I WOULD ASK IS FROM THE STATE'S PERSPECTIVE, ARE OUR RECORDS CORRECT NOW AND BEAUFORD COUNTY IN TERMS OF REDISTRICTING TO, TO THE EXTENT THAT YOU ALL HAVE DONE YOUR CHECK THAT WILL ROBERTS HAS BEEN INVOLVED WITH DOING, UH, ALL THAT? I MEAN, TO MY KNOWLEDGE, EVERYTHING IS CHECKED OUT FOR CONGRESS AND THE STATE HOUSE AND WE'RE GONNA GET ROLLING ON THE STATE SENATE END 2024.
OTHER QUESTIONS? THEY NOT
MS. MALLS, THANK YOU FOR, FOR BEING HERE.
UM, THANK YOU ALL FOR ALLOWING YOU FOR COUNTY AN OPPORTUNITY TO, TO SPEAK IN FRONT OF YOU TODAY.
UM, FIRST OF ALL, UM, I WANNA THANK, UM, MR. NAP FOR COMING DOWN AND, AND TRYING TO EXPLAIN WHAT WAS A VERY DIFFICULT NIGHT FOR US AT THE BEFORD COUNTY VOTER REGISTRATION OFFICE.
AND AS YOU KNOW, IN THE PAST, UM, AND, AND, AND HOWARD CAN ATTEST FOR THIS AS WELL, BEAUFORD COUNTY HAD PRETTY MUCH AN EXEMPLARY RECORD.
UM, AND WHEN THE ERROR OCCURRED AND IT CAME TO OUR ATTENTION, WE IMMEDIATELY CONTACTED THE STATE ELECTION COMMISSION TO ASSIST US WITH RESOLVING THE ISSUES.
AND IF YOU NOTICE IN YOUR REPORT, THERE WERE 70 EMPLOYEES, I'M SORRY, 70 VOTERS WHO MAY NOT HAVE GOTTEN THE CORRECT BALLOT.
SO THE ISSUE WORKER, YOU KNOW, WAS CORRECTED IMMEDIATELY ONCE IT WAS BROUGHT TO OUR ATTENTION.
NOW, SO FAR AS REDIC REDISTRICTING IS CONCERNED, UM, YES, WE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR MAKING SURE THAT EVERY VOTER HAS THE CORRECT DISTRICT, UM, ON THE COUNTY LEVEL.
BUT OUR, UM, GIS DEPARTMENT PROVIDED US THE DATA AND, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE ONE OF THE BEST GIS IN THE WHOLE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA, AND THEY PROVIDED US THE STREET DATA.
WE ATTEMPTED TO, UM, INPUT ALL OF THAT DATA, WHICH WE DID.
AND WHEN WE GOT THE KICK OUT REPORT, WHICH IS HE REFERENCED AS THE ERROR REPORT IS, UM, WAS ON THE, ON MAY 26TH, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, WE THOUGHT WE WERE DONE WITH REDISTRICTING.
WE THOUGHT THAT ALL OF OUR STREETS WERE UPDATED AND THE NUMBER OF ERRORS THAT WERE KICKED OUT, IT SOUNDS LIKE IT WAS 3000 PEOPLE.
THEY WERE THREE THOUSANDS ADDRESSES.
OKAY? SOME OF THESE ARE APARTMENT BUILDINGS, AND SO IT DOESN'T, IT MAY SEEM TO BE ASTRONOMICAL, BUT IT WASN'T THAT BAD.
ONE IS TOO MANY AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED.
SO YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT IT ON A ADDRESS BY ADDRESS BASIS.
AND SO WE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR MAKING SURE EVERY VOTER IS ACCORDING TO THE ADDRESS IS IN THE CORRECT DISTRICT.
AND THEN WHEN YOU HAVE APARTMENT COMPLEXES WITH THE SAME NUMBER, JUST MAYBE A DIFFERENT APARTMENT, IT'S GOING TO APPEAR MORE THAN IT REALLY IS.
WHAT WE DID WAS, UM, UM, THERE'S ENOUGH, UM, BLAME TO GO AROUND ON OUR LEVEL STATE LEVEL AS WELL.
UM, BUT IT'S MY RESPONSIBILITY TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS INFORMATION IS CORRECT.
AND, UM, SO I MUST SAY, AND I, AND I APOLOGIZE THAT IT WAS MY, BECAUSE I AM THE DIRECTOR, ALL RIGHT? AND I'M NOT BLAMING STAFF BECAUSE STAFF DID THE BEST THAT THEY CAN AND, BUT THE BEST THAT THEY COULD.
AND SO WE AS A, AS A STAFF ALONG WITH THE STATE ELECTION COMMISSION, CAME UP WITH A PLAN TO MITIGATE THE, THE, THE, THE DAMAGES THAT WERE DONE AND CORRECT THEM.
I DON'T WANNA SAY WE FIXED THEM, BUT WE TRY TO CORRECT THEM.
AND I THINK WE, IN THE END, WE REPORTED, UM, THE CORRECT RESULTS EVEN THOUGH WE SPENT NO NUMEROUS HOURS THERE.
AND, AND THAT'S OKAY CUZ WE, WE REALIZED ALONG WITH MY BOARD CHAIR WHO'S SITTING RIGHT BEHIND ME, UM, REALIZED THAT WE HAD TO GET IT DONE AND RERUNNING EVERY SINGLE BALLOT THAT WAS CAST IN BEAUFORD COUNTY IS WHAT WE DID WHEN WE CERTIFIED OUR ELECTION ON THAT FRIDAY.
WE CERTIFIED, WE, THE BOARD CERTIFIED THE CORRECT RESULTS.
ALL RIGHT? AND SO I THINK, UM, WE CAN CONTINUE TO BLAME FOLKS ABOUT THIS AND COME AND, AND BLAME FOLKS ABOUT THAT, BUT WE DID WHAT WE NEEDED TO DO.
IT WAS AN UNFORTUNATE, UM, INCIDENT.
AND AGAIN, I CAN'T DO ANYTHING ELSE.
[00:55:01]
WHEN WE CONTACTED OUR GIS DEPARTMENT ABOUT THE DISCREPANCY IN WHAT WAS COMING BACK ON THE REPORT AND WHAT, UM, WE, WHAT THEY INITIALLY GAVE US, UM, THEY FOUND THAT THERE WAS A DIFFERENCE IN THE DATA THAT WAS UP AT THE REVENUE AND FISCAL AFFAIRS OFFICE VERSUS WHAT THEY HAD.SO WHAT, WHAT GIS DID, WHICH WAS, UH, I COMMEND THEM BECAUSE THEY WERE SO, UM, ACCOMMODATING TO US, IS THEY WENT LINE BY LINE ON THAT REPORT AND TOLD US WHAT THE DIFFERENCES WERE AND WHAT IT WAS BEFORE AND WHAT IT SHOULD BE.
AND SOME OF THEM DIDN'T CHANGE BECAUSE LIKE MR. NAP SAID IT WAS RIGHT ON THE LINE.
SO EVEN THOUGH IT MAY HAVE SHOWED UP AS AN ERA, IT WAS NOT AN ERA AT ALL.
SO, YOU KNOW, IT, IT'S ONE OF THOSE THINGS IN ORDER FOR YOU TO DO IT, YOU HAVE TO ACTUALLY PHYSICALLY AUDIT STREET BY STREET, BY STREET HOUSE NUMBER, BY HOUSE NUMBER BY HOUSE NUMBER TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERY VOTER IS IN THE CORRECT, UM, DISTRICT.
AND, AND I THINK I FEEL COMFORTABLE NOW THAT THAT HAS TAKEN PLACE.
BEAVER COUNTY SHOULD NOT BE WORRIED ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT THEIR VOTERS AND WHETHER OR NOT THEY'RE IN THE CORRECT DISTRICT.
AND AGAIN, WE, BEAVER COUNTY SUBMITTED THEIR, UM, REDISTRICT AND DATA, I THINK, THINK BACK IN JANUARY, WE DIDN'T START THE REDISTRICT IN PROCESS UNTIL APRIL AND, AND WE HAD EARLY VOTING BEGINNING IN MAY.
AND THEN ALL THE CHANGES THAT CAME TO US ON THE 13TH, WHICH KINDA LIKE EXACERBATED THE SITUATION.
AGAIN, I'M NOT MAKING EXCUSES FOR ANYTHING THAT HAPPENED, BUT IT WAS A LOT GOING ON WITHIN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME.
UM, SO FAR AS YOUR CONCERNS ABOUT ELECTION RESULTS COMING IN LATE, UM, I KNOW THAT, UM, IN THE PAST, BEFORE WE WENT TO THE NEW VOTING EQUIPMENT THAT WE WERE WORKING WITH A PIECE OF EQUIPMENT THAT WE OWED 'EM OUR RESULTS IN FROM, UM, THE OUTSKIRTS OF THE COUNTY TO OUR OFFICE.
AND WE STOPPED THAT MANY YEARS AGO BECAUSE OF SECURITY REASONS.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T DO THAT ANYMORE.
ALL OF OUR RESULTS ARE DRIVEN IN FROM HILTON HEAD, UM, AND BLUFFTON TO THE BEAUFORD OFFICE, WHICH TAKES TIME.
AND NOT ONLY DOES IT TAKES TIME, UM, WE HAVE TO VERIFY THE INFORMATION ONE, ONCE IT GETS TO US BEFORE WE REPORT IT, I KNOW IT'S NOT VERY TIMELY, BUT BY THE TIME THE RESULTS COME FROM THE PRECINCT TO THE DROP OFF SITE AND THOSE INF YOU KNOW, THE IN INFORMATION, WHETHER OR NOT EVERYBODY'S GOT THE, UM, THUMB DRIVE WITH THE INFORMATION, THE PAPER BALLOTS THAT THEY NEED, IF, UM, ONCE THAT'S VERIFIED, THEN IT'S COMING TO THE BEAUFORD OFFICE AND WE AND UPLOAD THE RESULTS.
AND I KNOW IT, IT'S BEEN, IT'S LIKE, YOU KNOW, WE CAN'T REPORT IT IF IT'S NOT HERE.
AND I KNOW EVERYBODY WANTS THEIR RESULTS IMMEDIATELY, BUT WE PREFER TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, WE WOULD PREFER THAT OUR RESULTS ARE CORRECT AND NOT TIMELY, YOU KNOW, FACE VERSUS TIMELY.
SO, UM, IT'S, IT'S STILL GOING TO BE LATE.
IT'S STILL GOING TO BE LATE BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO COME FROM HILTON HEAD AND IT'S GOING, IT'S AN HOUR DRIVE, AT LEAST AN HOUR DRIVE FROM HILTON HEAD AND BY THE POLL, BY THE TIME THE POLL IS CLOSED AND RESULTS ARE VERIFIED AT THE PRECINCT AND WE MAKING SURE THAT THEY BRING EVERYTHING BACK THAT WE NEED ON ELECTION NIGHT TO MAKE TO, TO, TO REPORT, UM, IT COULD BE TWO HOURS, TWO AND A HALF HOURS LATER.
SO THAT'S THE REASON WHY THE RESULTS ARE COMING IN LATER THAN YOU GUYS USED TO SEEING YOUNG, BECAUSE WE DO NOT TRANSFER ANYTHING BY MODEM ANYMORE IF EVERYTHING IS BEING PHYSICALLY DONE.
SO, UM, MS. MAS, HAVE YOU SEEN A COPY OF THIS REPORT THAT THE STATE OF YES, I SAW IT THIS MORNING.
IT SAYS IN INFORMATION, THE STATE ELECTRIC COMMISSION REVIEWED THE REDISTRICTING DATA FROM BEAUFORD COUNTY AND FOUND THAT BEAUFORD COUNTY UNDERSTOOD VOTERS NEEDED TO BE REDISTRICTED AT THE COUNTY COUNCIL LEVEL, BUT NEVER REDISTRICTED THEM, NOR ASKED THE STATE ELECTRIC COMMISSION TO MANUALLY REDISTRICT ANY VOTERS.
AS HAS BEEN SHOWN, BUFORT COUNTY RECEIVED MULTIPLE ERROR LISTS, BUT THERE IS NO RECORD OF BUFORD COUNTY REQUESTING THE STATE ELECTION COMMISSION TO MOVE THE VOTERS.
DO YOU DISPUTE THAT? DID YOU RECEIVE MULTIPLE ERROR LISTS AND NOT REQUEST THE MOVING OF THOSE VOTERS? RIGHT.
WHAT HAPPENED WHEN WE GOT THAT REPORT, WE WERE ON A CALL WITH THE STATE ELECTION COMMISSION, UM, MR. LEACH, BRIAN LEACH, AND WE WERE UNDER THE ASSUMPTION THAT EVERYTHING WAS GOING TO BE UPDATED, UM, ON THAT FRIDAY NIGHT WHEN THEY RAN THEIR REPORT.
IT WAS MY UNDERSTANDING, RIGHT.
OBVIOUSLY THAT WAS NOT THE CASE.
SO WHEN I CONTACTED BRIAN HO, WHAT HAPPENED TO, UM, UPDATE? OH, THAT
[01:00:01]
CHANGED AFTER WE WENT INTO THE, UM, EARLY VOTING OPTION.AND SO IT WAS UPDATED THE WEEK BEFORE, NOT THE FRIDAY THAT WE WERE TOLD THAT IT WAS GONNA GET UPDATED AGAIN, IT WAS A MISCOMMUNICATION.
WE VERBALLY SPOKE WITH THE STATE ELECTION COMMISSION ABOUT THE ERRORS THAT WE HAD AND THAT IT WAS CORRECTED.
SO IT WAS CORRECTED, IT WAS NOT CORRECTED ON THE STATE LEVEL.
SO I DO DISPUTE THE FACT THAT YOU SAID THAT IT WAS NOT CORRECTED.
WE DID, THAT'S THE REPORT WE GOT FROM OUR G I'M SAYING CORRECT.
THAT'S THE REPORT WE GOT FROM OUR GIS DEPARTMENT THAT WENT LINE BY LINE AND WE WENT INTO THE SYSTEM AND UPDATED ALL THAT INFORMATION AND IT JUST NEVER GOT UPDATED ON THE STATE LEVEL.
SO SUSTAINED LE PERMISSIONS ERROR, UM, LIKE I SAID, THERE'S ENOUGH BLAME TO GO AROUND.
IT WAS A MIS I'M GONNA SAY IT'S A MISCOMMUNICATION BECAUSE I DIDN'T PUT IT IN WRITING.
I SPOKE TO THE, UM, BRIAN LEACH WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR RUNNING THE REDISTRICTING REPORT AND ALL OTHER CHANGES, ADDRESS CHANGES AND EVERYTHING ELSE THAT WAS TAKING PLACE.
ARE THERE QUESTIONS? UM, THIS CALLS, LET ME ASK YOU A QUESTION.
AND I MENTIONED ABOUT THE DELAY AND I APPRECIATE, YOU KNOW, I REMEMBER AT THE TIME WHEN THE COUNTY FIRST WENT TO THE NEW MACHINES AND THE MODEM AND GETTING INFORMATION AND OBVIOUSLY QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS ABOUT MODEMS AND PLUGGED INTO THE, UH, INTERNET.
WELL, GEOGRAPHICALLY, WE ARE NOT THE BIGGEST COUNTY IN THE STATE.
HILTON HEAD, YOU GOT THE WATER.
IT'S ABOUT, YOU KNOW, FOR 13 YEARS WHILE I CAME AND SAT IN THIS SEAT, I DROVE FROM THE SOUTH END OF HILTON HEAD.
SO I UNDERSTAND THAT CHALLENGE, BUT I ALSO KNOW THE GEOGRAPHY OF THE REST OF THE STATE.
WE SEEM TO LAG IN GETTING OUR RESULT.
WHAT I DON'T UNDERSTAND IS HOW THE OTHER COUNTIES THAT ARE EQUALLY AS BIG AS WE ARE, THAT HAVE POLLING PLACES IN AS, UH, AS REMOTE LOCATIONS AS WE DO.
AGAIN, THAT'S A QUESTION I CANNOT ANSWER.
I ON, I CAN ONLY TELL YOU WHAT THE PROCESS IS HERE.
UM, WHAT I I, WHAT THEY DO, FROM MY UNDERSTANDING IS EVERY POLL MANAGER, EVEN THE ONES, SAY CHARLESTON COUNTY BEING ONE OF THE BIG BIGGEST COUNTIES, THEY DRIVE THEIR RESULTS IN DIRECTLY TO THE ELECTION CENTRAL OFFICE.
AND WE DO NOT REQUIRE THAT OF OUR POLL WORKERS.
A LOT OF OUR POLL WORKERS DO NEED NOT EVEN DRIVE AT NIGHT.
SO IF I ASK SOMEONE THAT LIVED ON C PINES, 85 YEAR OLD POLL WORKER TO DRIVE TO BEAVER COUNTY, UM, AT EIGHT OR NINE O'CLOCK AT NIGHT TO BRING THEIR RESULTS, THEN THEY GONNA HAVE TO DRIVE BACK.
THEY ARE NOT GOING TO DO THAT.
SO HOW DO YOU GET 'EM NEXT? THEY GO TO THE FOLKS ON HILTON HEAD, GO TO THE HILTON HEAD LIBRARY, THEY DROP OFF THEIR RESULTS THERE.
WE VERIFY THERE AT HILTON HEAD LIBRARY THAT THEY HAVE BROUGHT US THE ZERO TAPE, THE RESULTS TAPE THE THUMB DRIVE, THE BALLOTS CARDS AND EVERYTHING ELSE.
AND THEN WE TAKE THOSE RESULTS AND DRIVE THEM TO BEAUFORD.
WE HAVE ABOUT 27 LOCATIONS ON HILTON HEAD, AND I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY IN BLUFFTON, BUT THEY HAVE A LOT IN BLUFF AS WELL.
AND THEY CO THE FOLKS IN BLUFFTON AND SUN CITY, THEY MOVE THEIR RESULTS OVER TO THE, UM, BLUFFTON OFFICE, WHICH WE HAVE A SATELLITE OFFICE IN BLUFFTON, AND IT GETS VERIFIED THERE.
AND THEN THEY DRIVE THOSE RESULTS OVER HERE.
AND THE REASON WHY I'M SAYING THAT BECAUSE ALMOST EVERY ELECTION WE HAVE SOMEONE, UM, ONE OF THOSE POLL MANAGERS WHO MAY FORGET SOMETHING.
AND IF THEY COME TO BEAUFORD AND WE DISCOVER THAT THEY FORGET SOMETHING, NOW THEY'RE GONNA HAVE TO DRIVE ALL THE WAY BACK TO BLUFFTON AND OR HILTON HEAD TO GET WHATEVER THEY MAY HAVE LEFT AND COME BACK TO BEEF, WHICH WILL DELAYED THE RESULTS EVEN LONGER.
SO, UM, THE PROCESS THAT WE HAVE HAVE IN PLACE IS WE CALL THEM DROP OFF SITES.
AND SO IT KIND OF MINIMIZE THE FOLKS HAVING TO DRIVE SUCH A LONG DISTANCE AND IF THEY FORGET SOMETHING, HAVING TO GO ALL THE WAY BACK.
SO WE, I DON'T, EVERYBODY ON HILTON HEAD DRIVES THEIR STUFF TO THE LIBRARY.
WE WAIT UNTIL WE GOT EVERYBODY'S IN THE LIBRARY, THEN WE DRIVE IT TO BLUFFTON AND WE WAIT THERE? NO, NO, NO.
OH, SO THE BLUFFTON AND THEN THE BLUFFTON.
DOES IT, DOES THAT, DOES THE REST OF THE STATE DO IT THAT WELL? NO, I WISH CHARLES DID.
I WISH THAT, AND I KNOW THERE ARE A COUPLE OF MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, YOU ALL WOULD LOOK CUZ ONE OF THE BIGGEST COMPLAINTS THAT I KNOW I GET LOGISTICS, IS WHY DOES BEAUFORT COUNTY SEEM TO BE THE SLOWEST REPORTING COUNTY OF ANYBODY IN THE STATE? AND IT'S NOT.
[01:05:01]
PAST ELECTION, OBVIOUSLY, WE HAD THE PROBLEMS AND THE DOUBLE, THE TABULATION THAT HAD TO BE DONE.IT'S EVER SINCE THE MODEM QUIT BEING USED, IT'S EVERY ELECTION.
AND I, I KNOW THAT OUT OF 46 COUNTIES THAT SOMEBODY'S FIGURED OUT HOW TO DO IT WITHOUT THE CONCERN OF SOMEBODY MIGHT HAVE TO DRIVE LATE AT NIGHT AND DRIVE HOME.
UM, BUT I JUST THINK WE OWE THE TAXPAYERS AND VOTERS, UM, MORE ACCURATE INFORMATION THAN ONE THAT IS AT MIDNIGHT OR OR 2:00 AM.
UM, AND I THINK WE OUGHT TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO DO THAT.
I THINK MY MIC MIGHT HAVE BEEN TURNED OFF ON PURPOSE BY SOMEONE, BUT I'LL SPEAK UP A LITTLE BIT LOUDER.
UM, UM, SENATOR SSON IS NOT HERE, BUT I THINK I COULD PROBABLY SPEAK FOR, UM, MYSELF ON THIS ISSUE BEING ONE OF THE ONES ON THIS BOARD, UH, ON THIS DELEGATION.
I REPRESENT CHARLESTON COUNTY.
UM, MY RESULTS COME IN LAST EVERY TIME IN CHARLESTON COUNTY.
I WISH THAT THEY WOULD IMPLEMENT A PROCESS THAT BUER HAS WHERE, UM, BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO COME FROM THE ISLANDS, THEY HAVE TO COME FROM EDO ISLAND AND GO ALL THE WAY TO NORTH CHARLESTON.
AND THAT HAS ALWAYS BEEN A PROBLEM, ESPECIALLY WHEN THE BRIDGE, WE HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE BRIDGE, UM, THE JO THE MAIN, UH, ROAD BRIDGE GOING DOWN AND OTHER ISSUES.
SO WHEN I HAVE GOTTEN MY, I'M JUST A BABY, UM, SENATOR
BEFORD COUNTY RESULTS HAVE COME IN EVEN QUICKER THAN CO.
SO MY EXPERIENCE, BECAUSE CARLTON COMPLAINS THAT THEY HAVE TO WAIT FOR EDO BEACH AND THEY WILL HAVE THE FOLKS FROM THE EDO BEACH COMING IN INDIVIDUALLY AND NOT IN A COLLECTION SITE.
CHARLESTON DOESN'T HAVE THE COLLECTION SITE.
THEY PROBABLY NEED TO IMPLEMENT THAT BECAUSE I KNOW TO YOU ALL, IT MIGHT SEEM THAT WE'RE COMING IN LAST, BUT I THINK MR. NA, EVEN, EVEN THOUGH HE IS ONLY BEEN THERE THREE YEARS, UM, RICHLAND COUNTY IS NOTORIOUS FOR BEING THE LAST OKAY.
UM, AND THEY'RE RIGHT NEXT DOOR AND THEY'RE RIGHT DOWN THE STREET FROM THE ELECTION COMMISSION.
SO I JUST WANNA SAY THAT I UNDERSTAND THERE'S BEEN A PROBLEM THIS LAST TERM, BUT IN MY EXPERIENCE, RICH, UM, BEAUFORT COUNTY HAS GOT ME RESULTS.
AND I AS A CANDIDATE CAN CALL AND GET THOSE RESULTS AND GET THEM REAL TIME.
WHEREAS EVEN ACROSS THE STREET FROM MY OFFICE, IT'S HARD FOR ME TO GET THE, UM, RESULTS FROM EDO BEACH.
SO I'M NOT NECESSARILY FEELING WHAT YOU'RE FEELING.
AND I'M ALWAYS KNOW THAT I HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL TWO OR THREE O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING TO GET MY CHARLESTON RESULTS.
JUST, AND I WISH CAMPON WAS HERE SO HE COULD EX UH, EXPLAIN WHAT HE NEEDS.
OTHER QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, MS. MOS? UP? LET ME JUST ONE LAST THING, AND THIS IS JUST A SUGGESTION AND FOR THE, THE BOARD AS WELL, WHEN YOU ALL REALIZED THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THESE 70, BUFORT COUNTY SHOULD HAVE DONE A BETTER JOB, IN MY HUMBLE OPINION, LETTING PEOPLE KNOW THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM.
UM, AS CHAIRMAN OF THE DELEGATION, MR. NAP CALLED ME TO TELL ME THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM AFTER I READ IN THE NEWSPAPER AND ALL OF US DID IN COLUMBIA ABOUT THE, THE, THE, THE PROBLEMS. AND I MEAN, EACH OF OUR RESPECTIVE DEVICES, WHETHER IT BE PHONES, EMAILS, EXPLODED WITH PEOPLE IN BEAUFORT COUNTY COMPLAINING ABOUT, UM, IMPROPER BALLOTS BEING GIVEN OUT.
WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY GOOD INFORMATION TO SHARE WITH ANYBODY, BUT FRANKLY, WE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT HAD HAPPENED.
UM, AND WERE TRYING TO BEGIN TO SORT IT OUT.
AND, AND, AND MR. NAP, UM, CALLED ME TO MAKE SURE THAT, THAT I WAS AWARE AND PURELY AS A CONDUIT.
AND THEN I SENT OUT A MEMO THAT WENT, UM, TO ALL MEMBERS OF THE, OF THE DELEGATION ABOUT THE CONSTITUENT CONCERNS AND JUST THAT WE WOULD HAVE THIS FOLLOW UP SESSION.
SO I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU ALL TO COMMUNICATE, WHETHER IT'S WITH MS. MAXI, WHETHER IT'S THE, UH, COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR, PEOPLE NEED TO KNOW WHEN THERE'S A PROBLEM.
SO WE GET IN FRONT OF THIS FOR THE INTEGRITY OF THE ENTIRE VOTING PROCESS.
UM, NOT SO THAT ON THE BACKSIDE WE ARE ALL, YOU KNOW, WHO'S HIDING THE BALL AND, AND WHY ARE PEOPLE NOT BEING FORTHCOMING? SO APPRECIATE QUESTION.
WAS THE PROBLEM REALIZED WHEN THERE, WHEN THE EARLY VOTING STARTED? OR WAS IT REALIZED ON ELECTION DAY EARLY VOTING WHEN MR. COBER WENT TO VOTE? HE WENT IN EARLY VOTE.
YEAH, I MEAN, THERE'S SOME OTHER QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW HE WAS ABLE TO RUN, SIGN UP TO RUN IN THAT OFFICE WHEN HE HADN'T BEEN REDISTRICTING TO THAT OFFICE.
BUT THERE'S ILLUSION TO THAT IN THIS REPORT NONETHELESS.
UM, I'M NOT SURE THAT THAT IS CONSEQUENCE.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? YES, MS. MALLS.
[01:10:03]
OKAY.NEXT, UM, MS. ERICKSON BRIEF UPDATE ON, UH, THE POSITION WE ANNOUNCED, UH, RESUMES APPLICATION FOR THE VA DIRECTOR POSITION.
WE HAVE, UH, RECEIVED 25, SO 24 COMPLETED APPLICATIONS.
THE APPLICATION PROCESS IS CLOSED.
UM, THE DELEGATION WILL RECEIVE A, UM, ZOOMED MEETING NOTICE FROM ME IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS FOR APPROVAL TO SET UP, UM, ONLINE ZOOM INTERVIEWS WITH THE CANDIDATES THAT MEET THE REQUIREMENTS, UM, THAT WILL FILL THE POSITION WITH THE HIGHEST QUALITY.
AND AS YOU ALL KNOW, MS. ERICKSON OFFERED TO VET ALL OF THE APPLICATIONS WITH THE COMMITTEE MADE UP OF ANYBODY ON THE DELEGATION THAT WANTED TO SERVE ON IT AND MAKE A RECOMMENDATION BACK TO THE DELEGATION.
THAT DOES NOT PRECLUDE THE DE ALLEGATIONS CONSIDERATION OF ANY AND ALL OF THE APPLICANTS, UM, WHO HAVE BEEN SUBMITTED.
EACH OF YOU ALL SHOULD HAVE BEEN PROVIDED THE FULL PACKAGE OF APPLICATIONS FROM MS. MAXEY.
IF YOU DIDN'T GET 'EM, UM, PLEASE, UH, SEE MS. MAXI, GET ANOTHER COPY OF THEM.
SO AT AN UPCOMING MEETING, WE, WE, YOU KNOW, LOOKING, UM, AT THAT, UM, NEXT WE MOVE TO THE, UH, BOARDS AND COMMISSION, UM, APPOINTMENTS.
LET ME FIRST BY START BY SAYING THAT, UH, OF THE LIST THAT ARE HERE, THE SECOND BULLET POINT, WHICH IS THE BEAUFORT JASPER WATER AND SEWER AUTHORITY REPRESENTATIVE, HER KK REACHED OUT TO ME BEFORE HE LEFT, UH, THE COUNTRY AND ASKED THAT WE PLEASE CARRY THAT, UM, OVER, UH, THOSE APPOINTMENTS UNTIL HE IS HERE THE NEXT TIME.
WHAT'S, UH, BEFORE WHAT IS BEFORE US IS A TOWN REAPPOINTMENT AND A COUPLE OF COUNTY COUNCIL REAPPOINTMENTS.
HE INDICATED THAT HE HAD HAD SOME COMMUNICATIONS, UM, WITH SOME COUNTY FOLKS, AND I JUST ASKED THAT WE PLEASE, UM, CARRY THAT OVER.
THE SECOND ONE WITH REGARD TO THE TCL COMMISSION.
UM, THE, I'M GONNA SUGGEST THAT THAT ONE BE CARRIED OVER SIMPLY BECAUSE OF THE TIMING.
YOU KNOW, AS YOU ALL KNOW, WE MADE THE DECISION THAT WE WOULD START FULLY ANNOUNCING, UM, NOT JUST VACANT POSITIONS, BUT, UH, POSITIONS THAT WOULD BE OPEN FOR EITHER APPOINTMENT OR REAPPOINTMENT.
UM, THERE WAS A, A, THAT PARTICULAR BOARD WAS ONLY FIRST INCLUDED IN THE ADVERTISEMENT THAT WENT OUT LAST WEEK.
SO WHILE WE HAVE GOTTEN THE REQUEST FOR THE TWO FOLKS THAT ARE THERE NOW TO BE REAPPOINTED AND WE HAVE RECEIVED ONE OTHER, UM, I I THINK THAT THAT PROBABLY WANTS BEING, UM, CARRIED OVER JUST IN THE SPIRIT OF, WE AGREED THAT WE WERE GONNA MAKE SURE WE HAD PROPER NOTICE AND THAT ONE HAD NOT PREVIOUSLY BEEN NOTICED.
THE TWO THAT ARE UP FOR, UH, APPOINTMENT OR REAPPOINTMENT OR NEW APPOINTMENTS, UM, THOSE, THEY'RE IN A HOLDOVER STATUS SINCE THE SUMMER.
SO THAT'S NOT ONE THAT'S BEEN LINGERING, UM, LONG.
UM, ACCORDINGLY, THE FIRST ONE THAT WE HAVE TO ADDRESS IS THE BEAU ADDRESS FOR HIGHER EDUCATION, UM, COMMISSION.
UM, THERE ARE TWO VACANT POSITIONS, UM, VINITA DOR AND CAROLYN BANNER AND ONE EXPIRED TERM DR.
UM, WE HAVE ONE APPLICATION, UM, FOR MS. DOS, UH, FORMER SEAT, AND THAT WOULD BE EMERY WAYNE RUSHTON.
AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE ONE FOR REAPPOINTMENT, WHICH WOULD BE DR.
SO WE HAVE NOT RECEIVED, UH, O ONLY THOSE TWO FOR THREE POTENTIAL SPOTS.
UM, THIS WAS PROPERLY ADVERTISED IN THE PAPER PRIOR TO, UH, OUR, UH, ACTUALLY MEETING IN APRIL.
UM, SO WE, IT IT HAS BEEN SUFFICIENTLY NOTICED.
UM, AND WE HAVE BEFORE US TODAY.
UM, THOSE TWO, UM, APPLICANTS.
I WOULD MOVE THAT WE ACCEPTED TO SECOND.
AND THAT IS ACCEPTING, UH, MR. EMERY WAYNE RUSHTON FOR MS. DOS, UH, THE SEAT THAT FORMALLY HELD BY HER.
HE WILL BE COMPLETING A FOUR YEAR TURN THAT BEGAN JUNE 30TH, 2022, AND DR.
PIERCE A FOUR YEAR TERM REAPPOINTMENT, UH, THE TERM THAT BEGAN JUNE 30TH, 2022.
ARE THOSE IN FAVOR? I, AYE, AYE.
AND DO YOU HAVE MS. MAX, DO YOU HAVE APPOINTMENTS, SHEETS? I HAVE, SIR.
WHAT'S IN THIS FOLDER? I'M GONNA GIVE THOSE TO MS. ERICSSON.
LET US OUT, THE ONES WITH A TAG AND CIRCULATE 'EM AS WE, UH, COME TO THEM.
[01:15:01]
NEXT, UNLESS THERE'S AN OBJECTION, WE'RE GONNA CARRY OVER BJ WSA, UM, WATER AND SEWER.WE WOULD BE SOUTH ISLAND PUBLIC SERVICE DISTRICT.
UM, WE HAVE AN EXPIRED TERM, UM, AND AN INDIVIDUAL SEEKING REAPPOINTMENT TO THAT TERM.
WE ALSO HAVE A VACANT PHYSICIAN, UM, GA QUICK.
UM, AND WE HAVE TWO APPLICATIONS FOR APPOINTMENT TO THAT.
A DOCTOR ELAINE, UH, AND, UH, MR. DAVID MARTIN, THE APPLICATIONS, UM, THAT YOU ALL HAVE COPIES OF THEM AND THEY'RE IN YOUR, UM, PACKET AS WELL.
UM, IS THERE A MOTION MOVE TO ACCEPT? OKAY, MS. MS. ERICKSON, IS THAT MOVED TO? WE GOT THREE FOR TWO.
WE GOTTA HAVE SOME, UM, BUSY SIGNING TOO.
THE, UH, BUT SENATOR DAVIS, I WOULD MOVE FAVORABLE APPOINTMENT OF MR. DAVID MARTIN.
UH, INDEPENDENTLY, JUST IN CONSIDERATION THAT, THAT, I GUESS I'LL COUPLE OF THAT WITH THE UN ON, UM, WITH MR. VAUGHN ALSO FOR RE APPOINTMENT.
UM, IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND, SECOND.
AGAIN, AND THOSE WOULD BE, UM, UH, DR.
DAVID, UH, MR. DAVID MARTIN AND MR. JAMES VAUGHN.
UM, AND, UM, THE, UH, MR. VAUGHN IS A THREE YEAR TERM, UH, THAT BEGAN JULY 1ST, 2022.
UM, THE FILLING OUT OF MS. QUICK'S TERM AND CINDY CORRECT ME, BUT, UH, IT'S THE TERM EXPIRES JULY 1ST, 2023.
SO IT'S ONLY A ONE YEAR PARTIAL TERM APPOINTMENT UNTIL THAT TIME, CORRECT? CORRECT.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF APPROVAL, SAY AYE.
ANY OPPOSED? OKAY, MR. CHAIRMAN, WHICH ONE WAS THE SHORT APPOINTMENT? UM, MR. MARTIN.
MR. FILL THAT SO HE'LL COME UP SOONER RIGHT LATER.
THE NEXT IS THE FOSTER CARE REVIEW BOARD.
TWO EXPIRED TERMS. UM, WE HAVE, UM, THIS WAS PROPERLY ADVERTISED, UH, WEEK ONE OF THE, UH, TWO EXPIRED TERMS IS OUR, UM, RECOMMENDATION.
ONE IS FROM BEAUFORT COUNTY COUNCIL.
THE TWO EXPIRED TERMS ARE CINDY GRAVES.
THAT IS OUR, UM, UH, APPOINTMENT.
MS. GRAVES HAS ASKED TO, AND THE APPLICATION IS INCLUDED, BE REAPPOINTED.
UM, AND IT WOULD BE A FOUR YEAR TERM, BEGINNING JUNE, UM, 30, 20 22.
JIMMY MACKEY IS A BEAUFORT COUNTY COUNCIL APPOINTMENT.
WE HAVE NOT YET RECEIVED WORD FROM THE COUNTY, UM, AS TO COUNCIL'S RECOMMENDATION FOR THAT REAPPOINTMENT.
SO WHAT'S BEFORE US TODAY IS, UM, MS. GRAVES, I MOVE FOR REAPPOINTMENT.
IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND, MS. ERICKSON? SECOND.
ANY DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE.
SHARON, PLEASE NOT MISS RECUSING MYSELF ON NO.
AND IS THAT REFUSAL BOOK FOR YOU AND FOR SENATOR S OKAY.
MS. ERICKSON HAS THE SUBMISSION FORMS AND WE'LL NOTE AT LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, WE'RE DOWN TO LAST, WHICH IS OUR PUBLIC COMMENT SESSION.
UM, I SEE WE GOT A NUMBER OF JUDICIAL CANDIDATES THAT ARE HERE.
MS. MAX, I DON'T KNOW WHETHER YOU HAVE A SIGN UP SHEET OR WHETHER WE JUST WANT TO INVITE BOOKS.
COME ON UP, SPEND A FEW MINUTES SAYING HELLO SINCE THEY DROVE HERE FROM THE HINTER LANDS.
THAT GOOD AT READING? I'LL GET YOU TO READ WHAT IT SAYS FOR ME IN A HANDWRITING.
THE FIRST WE GOT ON HERE IS, UH, CASEY.
CASEY, YOU'RE NOT A JUDICIAL CANDIDATE, BUT YOU'RE HERE.
MAYBE YOU'RE A JUDICIAL CANDIDATE.
IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE IT, BUT HOW ARE YOU? GOOD MORNING.
UH, I WAS ON THE COUNTY COUNCIL MEETING THE OTHER DAY.
I WAS INVITED TO COME AND, UH, TALKED TO YOU JUST BRIEFLY.
UM, I'M THE NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR WITH NAMI LOW COUNTRY, THE NATIONAL LIGHTS ON MENTAL ILLNESS.
I'M HERE TODAY TO INFORM YOU THAT WE ARE FORMING A COALITION WITH PARTNER AGENCIES, JUST, UH, DEPARTMENT OF MENTAL HEALTH.
I'VE SPOKEN WITH PHILLIP FOOT AND,
[01:20:01]
UM, OUR PROGRAMS WORK IN THE COMMUNITY.AND IN THE YEAR THAT I'VE BEEN IN MY POSITION, I'M NEW TO NAMI, UH, NOT NEW TO NLO COUNTRY, BUT NEW TO THE POSITION.
SARAH RETIRED AT 80 YEARS OLD.
CAN YOU IMAGINE THAT? UM, BUT I'M HERE TO LET YOU KNOW THAT I'VE RECOGNIZED SOME GAPS IN THE COMMUNITY AND WITH MY PARTNER AGENCIES.
WE WOULD LIKE TO PUT TOGETHER THE COALITION AND, AND PRESENT TO YOU AT THE NEXT MEETING SOME FINDINGS THAT I THINK THAT WE COULD OFFER SOME SOLUTIONS TO FILL THE GAPS TO OFFSET THE WEIGHT AND THE, THE BURDEN THAT LAW ENFORCEMENT ARE HAVING TO MANAGE WITH MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES.
UM, SOME OF THE GAPS THAT WE'RE SEEING WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF MENTAL HEALTH, UM, AND SOME OF THE, THE GAPS THAT JUST PEOPLE ARE HAVING DIFFICULTY, LOW INCOME PEOPLE, PARTICULARLY HAVING ACCESS TO, UH, TO CARE.
THERE ARE 200,000 PEOPLE IN, UH, OR ALMOST 200,000 PEOPLE IN BEAUFORD COUNTY.
NLO COUNTRY SERVES FIVE COUNTIES.
SO DOES THE DEPARTMENT OF MENTAL HEALTH ONE IN FIVE SUFFER WITH MENTAL ILLNESS? SO IF WE JUST COUNT BEAU COUNTY ALONE, THAT'S ABOUT 40,000 PEOPLE.
IF WE IMAGINE THAT MAYBE HALF OF THOSE PEOPLE HAVE ACCESS TO CARE AND ARE FUNCTIONING WELL, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
THEN LET'S IMAGINE THAT WE HAVE, UM, MAYBE HALF OF THAT, THAT ARE MAYBE DEALING WITH, UM, SELF MEDICATION AND THAT'S INCREASING THEN THE INCIDENCE OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE OR THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING THERE.
WE CAN GET THOSE NUMBERS AND THOSE METRICS FOR YOU.
AND I'D LIKE TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BRING THOSE NUMBERS AND TO WORK WITH THE PARTNER AGENCIES THAT I'VE MENTIONED AT A MEETING TO WHERE WE CAN OFFER SOME SOLUTIONS TO FILL THE GAPS.
THERE ARE SOME GAPS IN THE COMMUNITY THAT IF WE COULD BE PROACTIVE WITH YOU WOULD CERTAINLY LIGHTEN THE LOAD AND HELP MORE PEOPLE GET THE ACCESS TO CARE THAT THEY NEED.
IMPORTANT ORGANIZATION, IMPORTANT, UH, ACTIVITIES.
UM, AND I KNOW I SPEAK ON BEHALF OF THE, THE DELEGATION.
WE'RE GRATEFUL FOR ALL OF YOU ALL'S HARD WORK AND WOULD LOVE TO WORK WITH YOU ALL IN ANY WAY THAT WE POSSIBLY CAN.
THANK YOU FOR THAT OPPORTUNITY.
I LOOK FORWARD TO MEETING WITH YOU AGAIN.
DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? OTHER QUESTIONS? COMMENT.
I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE GREEN OR RED.
UH, WE JUST HAD, UH, WORLD MENTAL HEALTH DAY THIS WEEK AND, UM, I HOPE YOU DON'T MIND.
I TAGGED YOU ON ALL MY SOCIAL MEDIA BECAUSE NAMI DOES SUCH AN INCREDIBLE JOB AND THE NAMI THE LOW COUNTRY IS JUST SUPERIOR.
AND I THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR TAKING ON THAT WORK AND MULTIPLE COUNTIES.
SO, UM, LET EVERYBODY KNOW YOUR RESOURCES AND THAT YOU GUYS REALLY, UM, STEP UP ABOVE AND BEYOND.
WE'RE A GRASSROOTS COMMUNITY AND WE ARE THE ONLY FREE MENTAL HEALTH SERVICE IN, IN SERVING THOSE FIVE COUNTIES.
SO WE APPRECIATE YOUR SUPPORT.
PLEASE GET THE NAME OUT THERE.
YOU'D BE SURPRISED TO KNOW HOW MANY PEOPLE DON'T KNOW THAT WE EXIST.
SIR, SIR, JUST A QUICK QUESTION.
UM, YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT THE GAPS.
HAVE YOU BEEN WORKING WITH OUR, UM, NEW, UM, DRUG COURT, MENTAL HEALTH COURT? THAT 14TH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT HAS UM, IMPLEMENTED? I'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THE MENTAL HEALTH ADVOCATE FOR BEAUFORD COUNTY AND ONE OF THE PROBLEMS, NO, I DON'T KNOW ABOUT THAT, MA'AM.
AND ONE OF THE PROBLEMS THAT I'M RECOGNIZING IN, IN MY TIME HERE IS HOW FRAGMENTED AGENCIES ARE.
AND I OFTEN SAY THAT WE ALL KNOW THAT WHO LIVES IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, BUT WE'VE NEVER BEEN IN EACH OTHER'S HOUSES.
SO IT'S TIME THAT WE GET MORE FAMILIAR WITH THE PROGRAMS AND THE RESOURCES AVAILABLE SO THAT WE ALL ARE FLUENT IN THOSE RESOURCES AND WE KNOW HOW TO HELP LIKE SOME OF IT SO THAT I CAN TRANSFER TO I SEE THE DRUGS AND THE MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES.
UM, I THINK THEY ARE IN THE SAME HOUSEHOLD.
YES, I DO WORK WITH BEAUFORT ALCOHOL AND ADDICTION AND WITH GA SYRUP OVER THERE.
SO WE'RE BUILDING THE COALITION.
THERE'S A STRONG NEED FOR A MENTAL HEALTH COALITION THAT'S ACTIVE IN THE COMMUNITY AND THAT CAN ADDRESS THOSE NEEDS COLLABORATIVELY.
SO LOOK FORWARD TO DOING THAT.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
YOU CAN STAND UP WHEREVER YOU WANT.
AND I'M FROM GREENVILLE AND I'M RUNNING FOR CIRCUIT COURT AT LARGE SEAT NUMBER THREE AND I'M GRATEFUL FOR Y'ALL'S TIME.
I'VE ALWAYS BEEN, BEEN TOLD TO BE BROKE.
THANK YOU ALL FOR HAVING ME HERE.
UM, I'M FROM ORANGEBURG, SOUTH CAROLINA.
I'VE BEEN PRACTICUM LAW FOR 20 YEARS AND I'M ALSO RUNNING FOR THE CIRCUIT COURT AT LARGE SEAT THREE POSITION,
[01:25:01]
WHICH IS CURRENTLY BEING HELD BY THE HONORABLE CLIFTON NEWMAN.OKAY, MISS FELIX, GENE? FELIX, ANYTHING? NOPE, NOTHING.
I APPRECIATE YOUR, UH, WORK ON BEHALF OF THE COUNTY ANTHONY GOLDMAN.
I APPRECIATE THIS OPPORTUNITY.
UH, MY NAME IS ANTHONY GOLDMAN.
I LIVE IN COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA.
I'M A JUDICIAL CANDIDATE FOR SEAT FIVE AT THE SOUTH CAROLINA ADMINISTRATIVE LAW COURT.
I'VE WORKED AT THE COURT FOR 15 YEARS.
I WAS JUDGE JOHN MCLEODS, LAW CLERK.
HE'S FROM WILLIAMSBORO AND I'VE WORKED FOR THE HONORABLE MILTON G KEMPSON FOR THE PAST FIVE YEARS.
AND I CAN SAY THAT I'VE TRULY ENJOYED WORKING FOR THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA FOR THE PAST 15 YEARS.
AND I WOULD EMBRACE AN OPPORTUNITY TO CONTINUE DOING SUCH WONDERFUL WORK FOR THE STATE.
IT'S REALLY A GREAT AGENCY TO WORK FOR.
AND I'VE HAD A PRIOR CAREER IN BANKING AND FINANCE.
I HAVE A GRADUATE DEGREE IN ECONOMICS AND IT GIVES ME PERSPECTIVE ON THE QUALITY OF WORK THAT THAT AGENCY DOES AND WHAT IT DOES FOR THE, UH, BUSINESSES AND INDIVIDUALS, UH, THE RESIDENTS OF THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA.
AND, UH, THANK YOU AGAIN FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY.
UM, MARGIE PIRO? YES, YOU CALLED ME
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME.
I AM A CANDIDATE FOR THE FAMILY COURT FOR THE FIRST JUDICIAL CIRCUIT, SEAT NUMBER THREE, WHICH ENCOMPASSES A DORCHESTER COUNTY IN ORANGEBURG COUNTY.
I AM A NATIVE OF COTON COUNTY, UH, GRADUATED FROM BALTIMORE HIGH SCHOOL.
CONTINUE MY EDUCATION AT CLEMSON WITH A DEGREE IN EDUCATION.
UH, ALSO HAVE A MASTER'S FROM GO TIRES.
ALSO HAVE A MASTER'S FROM COLUMBIA COLLEGE.
AND OF COURSE MY JDS FROM THE CHARLESTON SCHOOL OF LAW.
PRIOR TO ATTENDING LAW SCHOOL AS A SINGLE PARENT, I TAUGHT SCHOOL IN THE GREENVILLE COUNTY FOR 12 YEARS.
UM, SO I THINK THAT GIVES ME AN INTERESTING PERSPECTIVE AS IT RELATES TO JUVENILES AND CERTAINLY AS IT RELATES TO OUR CHILDREN IN CUSTODY MATTERS, IN HELPING THEM GET TO THE NEXT LEVEL IN LIFE.
UM, I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO MEET WITH YOU ALL AT THE APPROPRIATE TIME TO DISCUSS MY QUALIFICATIONS AND MY DESIRE TO RETURN TO PUBLIC SERVICE.
ELAINE HAT, DID I GET THAT RIGHT? YES.
I WAS HERE, UM, FOR THE SOUTH ISLAND PUBLIC SERVICE DISTRICT.
I APPLIED FOR A POSITION THERE.
WELL, THANK YOU FOR OFFER TO SERVE JUST BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH SPOTS TO FILL EVERYBODY THAT APPLIES.
PLEASE, UM, CONTINUE TO WATCH THE INFORMATION, UM, THAT WE HAVE.
AND, UM, AND WE APPRECIATE YOUR WILLINGNESS TO, TO WANNA SERVE THE CITIZENS OF BUFORD COUNTY.
UM, TAB TABER YOU WANNA RUN FOR A JUDGE SHIP
SO I WANNA THANK THE DELEGATION FOR INVESTIGATING.
I APPRECIATE THAT IT'S FIXED AND EVERY VOTE MUST COUNT AND THAT'S WHERE WE NEED TO GO, SO THANK YOU.
NOW THE NEXT ONE, I, THE HANDWRITING IS AWFUL.
UM, AND NO, I KNOW WHO IT IS BECAUSE I RECOGNIZE THE HANDWRITING FROM MY HOWEVER LONG I WAS HERE ON, ON COUNTY COUNCIL.
I MEAN, NOBODY COULD MAKE THAT OUT.
I MEAN, IF I'D HAD YOU, JOE HOFFA OR SOMEBODY LOOK RIGHT THERE, BUT I REMEMBER I SAW THAT SIGNATURE FOR 13 YEARS WHILE I SAID, SAID, MARTY MC, FLY.
I, I HAVE TO APOLOGIZE TO THE DELEGATION.
I AT A CREATURE OF HABIT SIGN THAT FORM COMING INTO THIS MEETING.
I APOLOGIZE
AND I DO HOPE THAT, UH, MR. BELL AND I WILL BE ABLE TO HAVE SOME TIME AFTER THIS MEETING WITH SOME OF Y'ALL, IF Y'ALL HAVE TIME TO TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE BEEF GAS WAR SHORE AUTHORITY STUFF, JUST, UH, TO BRING YOU UP TO DATE.
BEST PRETTY GOOD TO SEE YOU, JOE.
I APOLOGIZE FOR THE HANDWRITING, SIR.
RIVER I'S GONNA MAKE IT START
UH, YOU'RE DOING A WONDERFUL JOB, YOU GUYS.
UM, SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO TELL WHAT DISTRICT YOU'RE IN.
YOU HAVE TO TELL WHAT DISTRICT YOU'RE IN AND RE BE ABLE TO READ HANDWRITING
MY NAME IS JOE MAX SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF BEFOR TRAILBLAZERS, UH,
[01:30:01]
WHICH WE ADVOCATE FOR MOUNTAIN BIKING TRAILS, ALSO KNOWN AS MULTI-USE TRAILS.UM, MR. UH, MICHAEL RIVERS JUST COMMENTED EARLIER AT THIS MEETING ABOUT NOT A WHOLE LOT TO DO FOR YOUNG PEOPLE OR SOMETHING TO THAT EFFECT.
UH, I COULD CERTAINLY RELATE TO THAT GROWING UP IN BEAUFORD.
WE JUST GOT A LITTLE TWEAKING TO DO.
UM, MOUNTAIN BIKING IS THE FASTEST GROWING SPORT IN HIGH SCHOOL.
UM, THERE ARE 11 TEAMS IN SOUTH CAROLINA.
UH, THE, THE COMMUNITY IN A WAY HAS HAD THEIR TOWN CHEATED AND STOLEN WHEN IT COMES TO PARKS AND RECREATION.
UM, THERE'S, THERE IS A PIECE OF LAND IN PRIVATE HANDS THAT WOULD HAVE A HEFTY PRICE TAG IF IT WERE SOLD.
THE LAND IS LOCATED A LITTLE WEST OF BEAUFORT.
UM, A TRAIL SYSTEM, MULTI-USE COULD POTENTIALLY FIT ON THE LAND.
UM, CYNTHIA WAS KIND ENOUGH TO GIVE A LETTER TO MR. UM NEWTON THAT SHOWS A MAP OF THIS LAND.
UM, ESPECIALLY 18 AND UP THE AGES.
THEY DON'T OWN BOATS, ESPECIALLY THE YOUNGER YOU GO, THEY DON'T OWN BOATS.
UM, ONCE THE COUNTY SCREWS US, FOR LACK OF A BETTER WORD, THEY SEEM LIKE THEY WILL DO IT.
YOU KNOW, THERE'S MANY DIFFERENT ISSUES, BUT IT SEEMED LIKE THEY WILL DO IT 17 TIME, THE 27TH, THE 37TH TIME.
WE HOPE YOU UNDERSTAND THESE ISSUES.
UH, BUFORD COUNTY DEPENDS WHO YOU ASK.
UH, THEY HAVE A GREAT REPUTATION OR THEY HAVE A HORRIBLE REPUTATION.
AND THE PARKS AND REC, I WON'T COMMENT ON THAT PART.
I, I'VE TRIED TO KEEP THIS AS CLEAN AND UPBEAT AS POSSIBLE.
UM, EVERYONE DESERVES A GREAT PARK.
UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S GREAT LEADERSHIP IN THE CITY OF YOUTH FOR NOW.
THERE'S PLENTY OF INDIVIDUALS RUNNING AROUND THIS COUNTY.
THERE'S ALWAYS, ALWAYS GONNA BE THAT OPPOSITION.
THAT'S, AND WHEN, AND IF IT'S AN INDIVIDUAL AND THEY'RE SITTING ON ONE OF THESE BOARDS, LIKE YOU ALL, I KNOW, THERE'S NO ONE UP HERE THAT'S ANTI PARK.
SO, UM, BUT SOME OF THESE PEOPLE SIT IN, SIT IN POWERFUL POSITIONS, EVEN THOUGH YOU MIGHT BE HIGHER THAN THEM.
SO WE CAN'T MAKE A HORSE DRINK WATER.
BUT, UM, I'M JUST BRINGING US TO YOUR ATTENTION.
UM, SENATOR, YOU GOT A COPY OF THAT MAP.
I'LL GET MAX IF YOU JUST MAKE SURE EVERYBODY ON THE DELEGATION GETS A COPY OF THAT.
WELL, AND MS. MAX SUBMITTED IT AND DESCRIBED IT THAT WAY.
I, I'M WHERE'S IT? NORTH ARROW.
UH, EMANUEL FERGUSON, IT'S A MAP.
HELLO, MY NAME'S MANUAL FERGUSON.
I'M A, UH, NATIVE OF CHARLESTON, UH, PRACTICE LAW.
I'M A CANDIDATE FOR THE AT LARGE SEAT THREE.
HOW MANY ARE IN THAT RACE? UH, HOW MANY? NINE.
I'M A FORMER PROSECUTOR AND I CURRENTLY SERVE AS A MUNICIPAL COURT JUDGE IN CHARLESTON.
UH, SO BEFORE I WAS AN ATTORNEY, I WAS A TEACHER, UH, AN EDUCATOR, UH, MILITARY MAG, THE PUBLIC SCHOOL IN CHARLESTON, IN NORTH CHARLESTON.
BEFORE THAT, I WORKED AT A BANK, UH, AND I TRIED TO GET MY FINANCIAL ADVISORS, UH, CERTIFICATION.
BUT, UH, I GOT INTO LAW SCHOOL.
BUT BEFORE THAT, MY MAMA CARRIED ME TO CHURCH
SO, UH, I'VE GOT COMMON GROUND WITH EVERYONE.
UH, I REALLY LOOK FORWARD TO THE OPPORTUNITY TO, UH, FURTHER INTRODUCE MYSELF ON THE TIME IS APPROPRIATE.
AND WHEN I GET THAT ONE ON ONE TIME WITH YOU, PLEASE REMIND ME TO TELL YOU THE STORY ABOUT WHEN I WAS A FEDERAL PROSECUTOR AND, UH, WE WERE ABLE TO SECURE A CON SECURE A CONVICTION, UH, OF A BANK ROBBER USING A PAIR OF BLUE UNDERWEAR.
NOW YOU PEAK MY CAN YOU JUST GIVE US THE READER'S DIGEST VERSION? SAVE YOURSELF SOME TROUBLE.
YOU HAVE TO MEET WITH ME TO GET THAT.
CARRIE JUDICIAL FROM THE CITY OF BEAUFORD.
UM, LINDA ROPER, ROPER CITY OF BEAUFORD.
I'VE, THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE SIGNED UP IN THE CITY AND COUNTY AS A, THEY DON'T NEED TO SPEAK, THEY JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW THEY WERE HERE.
COUNCILWOMAN HOWARD, YOU'RE ON HERE.
YOU WANT TO COME? SO, I MEAN, THANK YOU ALICE.
UM, I GOT A NOTE THAT JUDGE TRIP ANDERSON COULDN'T BE HERE TODAY,
[01:35:01]
UH, DUE TO COURT, BUT SENDS HIS WISHES.AND THEN APPARENTLY MS. MAXEY, THERE'S ANOTHER JUDICIAL CANDIDATE.
COME ON AND SAY HELLO TO US
CASE ANYBODY DOESN'T KNOW WHO YOU ARE.
I'M STEPHANIE MCDONALD FROM CHARLESTON.
I AM IN THE SAME RACE THAT JUDGE ANDERSON IS.
I HAD COURT LAST WEEK AND NEXT WEEK, SO I WAS ABLE TO COME.
I ALSO, UH, DON'T EVER MISS AN OPPORTUNITY TO COME TO BEAUFORT.
I AM FROM CHARLESTON, BUT I GREW UP IN THE SUMMERS HERE WITH MY PAND DARVAS FAMILY.
IT LANDS IN MY MYRICK COUSINS AT F AND MY BAKER AUNTS AND UNCLES AT ESTOL BEACH.
SO ONE OF THE SADDEST THINGS ABOUT LEAVING THE CIRCUIT COURT, UH, WHERE I SERVED FOR THREE YEARS TO GO TO THE COURT OF APPEALS WHERE I'VE BEEN FOR EIGHT, WAS THAT IT DIDN'T GET TO HOLD COURT IN BEAUFORT WITH JERRY ANYMORE, CUZ I SECOND TO CHARLESTON AND BERKELEY, WHICH IS WHERE MY OFFICE IS.
UH, I WAS IN BEAUFORT THE MOST.
UH, THERE ARE FOUR OF US IN THE RACE FOR THE UPCOMING VACANCY ON THE SOUTH CAROLINA SUPREME COURT.
THAT IS JUSTICE HERNS VACANCY.
UH, SHE IS THE ONLY COASTAL REPRESENTATION WE CURRENTLY HAVE.
THE ONLY FEMALE WE CURRENTLY HAVE.
UH, AND THE LOW COUNTRY HAS NOT HAD REPRESENTATION ON THE SOUTH CAROLINA SUPREME COURT IN ALMOST 50 YEARS, SINCE 1975 WHEN JUDGE BUSSY FROM CHARLESTON WAS THERE.
UM, SO THAT IS WHY, UH, FRIENDS HAVE ENCOURAGED ME TO RUN.
I LOOK FORWARD TO ANSWERING ANY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE.
I'M AVAILABLE TO MEET WITH YOU WHENEVER I'M NOT IN COURT.
UH, I DID SERVE AS A LAWYER FOR 17 YEARS, DID A LOT OF LITIGATION, SOME WITH SENATOR BRIGHT MATTHEWS, UH, IN, UH, CHARLESTON WITH AN ALL FEMALE FIRM.
OUR PRACTICE, MY PRACTICE WAS ABOUT 50% TRIAL WORK IN FEDERAL AND STATE COURT AND ABOUT 50 CENT PERCENT APPELLATE WORK IN FEDERAL AND STATE COURT.
I LOVE THE JOB I CURRENTLY HAVE, BUT, UM, I THINK IT'S TIME FOR CHARLESTON BEAUFORD IN THE LOW COUNTRY TO HAVE SOMEBODY ON THE COURT.
BEFORE I SAY WHAT I'VE GOT TO SAY, JUST A QUICK, WHERE IS ESTEL BEACH BLUFF BLUFFTON? I'VE NEVER HEARD OF IT.
IT'S NOT REALLY SURE YOU'RE, SHE WAS TRYING TO SAY THAT THERE'S A BEACH IN ESTEL, SOUTH CAROLINA THAT WAS, WELL THE PEOPLE FROM ESTOL CALL IT ESTELL BEACH, BUT IT'S MOSTLY BAKERS AND HARPERS AND NOW I KNOW WHERE THAT IS.
IT'S NOT A REAL BEACH IN ESTELL.
NOW, WELL AND SOME PEOPLE'S, THE FEDERAL PRISONERS.
UM, I HOPE YOU COULD BRING IT HOME FOR THE LOCATION.
WELL, I'M GONNA WORK AS HARD AS I CAN, SO IT'LL DEPEND ON WHAT THE TWO BODIES, THE HOUSE AND THE SENATE DECIDE IS APPROPRIATE.
UM, BUT IT'S NOT GONNA BE CUZ I DIDN'T WORK HARD ENOUGH.
ANY OTHER JUDICIAL CANDIDATES THAT ARE HERE? ANYBODY ELSE HERE THAT WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS US QUICKLY BEFORE WE ADJOURN? I'VE GOT TWO NOTES, UM, MS. MALLS, MS. B, UM, FOR, FOR YOU ALL.
UM, THESE ARE ISSUES THAT THE CHAIRMAN ACCOUNTING COUNCIL HAS SHARED WITH ME.
UM, FOR, FOR YOU ALL TO, TO, UM, CONSIDER AND IF YOU WILL GET BACK TO US WITH THE RESPONSE.
THE FIRST IS THE REQUEST FOR A NEW POLLING PLACE IN RIVER BEND, UH, AND RIVER BEND LODGE THAT WOULD SERVE ALL OF SUN CITY DISTRICT FIVE, UM, RESIDENTS WHO NOW HAVE TO LEAVE SUN CITY TO BUCK.
APPARENTLY THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF SUN CITY OPPOS APPROVE THE NEW POLLING PLACE.
UM, I THINK THE INFORMATION MAY HAVE BEEN SENT TO VOTER REGISTRATION.
UH, APPARENTLY THERE'S 1200 PEOPLE THAT NOW HAVE TO LEAVE SUN CITY TO VOTE.
I I JUST, I'M NOT LOOKING FOR AN ANSWER TODAY, BUT RELAYING THAT INFORMATION.
THE NEXT IS A CONCERN ABOUT, UM, SOME FOLKS IN, UM, BE FAIR THAT THEY ARE ONE OF TWO HOUSES IN BELFAIR THAT HAVE TO LEAVE BE FAR, UH, DESPITE THE FACT THAT THERE'S A POLLING, UM, LOCATION WITHIN A THOUSAND YARDS OF THEIR HOUSE AND THEY HAVE TO LEAVE AND DRIVE TO ROSE HILL.
UM, AND I WOULD AND, UM, AND, AND REQUIRE THEM TO THEN TRAVEL TO BLUFFTON MIDDLE SCHOOL, UM, UH, TO BE ABLE TO VOTE IN THAT ROSE HILL PRECINCT.
SO I JUST PASSED BOTH OF THESE ON.
I'VE NOT HAD A CHANCE TO, UH, MAKE ANY INQUIRIES ABOUT 'EM OR UNDERSTAND THOSE.
YOU ALL MAY ALREADY HAVE THAT INFORMATION, BUT IF YOU WOULD, UM, SHARE THE, UH, INFORMATION BACK WITH WITH MS. MAXEY.
IS THAT GENERALLY THE WAY IT'S DONE, THAT COUNTY COUNCIL SENDS THE MESSAGE THROUGH US AND THEN IT GOES TO THE COUNTY OFFICE? OR DOES COUNTY COUNCIL SINCE THEIR COUNTY COUNCIL SEND IT TO THE COUNTY ELECTIONS COMMISSION? IT SEEMS LIKE WE'RE GOING UP AND THEN DOWN.
THEY SHOULD BE ABLE TO SEND A SPECIFIC LETTER DIRECTLY TO THEIR COUNTY OFFICE.
OUR JOB IS ONLY TO, LIKE YOU SAID EARLIER, ONLY TO APPOINT THE MID RESULT.
THAT'S, WELL, WE HAVE SOME APPROVAL AUTHORITY
[01:40:01]
WITH REGARD TO POLLING PLACES AND THAT SORT OF STUFF, BUT I THINK HE JUST SHARED WITH ME THIS INFORMATION THAT HAD BEEN SHARED.I ASKED IF I COULD, BUT NOW THAT I'VE BEEN TAGGED WITH IT ON BEHALF OF ALL OF US, I'M TRYING TO GET SOME ANSWERS SO THAT IT DOESN'T TAG SOMEBODY ELSE.
AND Y'ALL COME BACK TO SAY, HEY NEWTON, WHY DIDN'T YOU ASK THE QUESTION? YES, THANK YOU.
SO, UM, THAT, THAT, THAT'S WHAT I'M, I'M TRYING TO DO THIS.
AON I WOULD JUST LIKE TO KNOW MR. CHAIRMAN, THAT OUR OCTOBER FOR JERRY ROSE IS IN THE HOUSE.
AND WE SAW MS. HOWARD EARLIER WHO IS, IS HERE GENERALLY SITTING UP HERE ON THIS DS AND I'M BACK THERE.
ANY, ANY OTHER ELECTED FOLKS IN THE ROOM, WELL THANK ALL OF YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE.
YOU FOLKS FROM OUT OF TOWN, STAY THROUGH LUNCH, SPEND A LITTLE MONEY AND BEAUFORT BEFORE YOU GO.
JUST LET ME JUST ASK ME, I'LL TELL YOU.
NO SHAME TO THIS IS LARRY ROLAND.
THIS IS A BEAUFORT COUNTY MOMENT.
THE SUBJECT OF THIS MOMENT IS THE PHOSPHATE INDUSTRY LOST TO FOLKS TODAY, BUT THE ARTIFACTS, THE PHOSPHATE INDUSTRY ARE AROUND US.
PHOSPHATES WERE KNOWN IN SOUTH CAROLINA BEFORE THE CIVIL WAR.
THEY WERE FIRST DISCOVERED UP AROUND SUMMERVILLE AND NORTH OF CHARLESTON.
AND BENEATH THE MARL WAS THE PHOSPHATE ROCK.
GEOLOGISTS AND SCIENTISTS KNEW ABOUT IT.
PHOSPHATE WAS VERY IMPORTANT TO THE AGRICULTURAL OF THE SOUTH BECAUSE IT IS THE BASIS OF MOST FERTILIZER.
AND MANY OF THE COTTON LANDS OF THE OLD SOUTH WERE MUCH EXHAUSTED BY THE COTTON INDUSTRY BEFORE THE WAR.
SO AFTER THE CIVIL WAR, THE PHOSPHATE INDUSTRY WAS INTRODUCED FIRST IN CHARLESTON IN 1867, AND THEN LOOKING FOR BEDS OF HIGH CONTENT PHOSPHATE ROCK.
THESE PHOSPHATE EXPLORERS AND ENTREPRENEURS DISCOVERED BEAUFORT COUNTY.
BEAUFORT COUNTY BECAME THE PRIMARY SOURCE OF PHOSPHATE IN THE UNITED STATES AND ONE OF THE RICHEST SOURCES OF PHOSPHATES KNOWN IN THE WORLD.
BETWEEN 1870 AND 1900, THIS BECAME THE CENTER OF THE MINING PART OF THE PHOSPHATE INDUSTRY.
MANY OF THIS FERTILIZER FACTORIES WERE IN CHARLESTON, BUT THE MINING AND THE PHOSPHATE WORKS, AS THEY CALL THEM, WHERE THEY BROKE THE ROCK DOWN INTO POWDER AND THE PURE PHOSPHATE AND SHIPPED IT OUT.
THOSE INDUSTRIAL CENTERS WERE MOSTLY IN BEAUFORT COUNTY AT THE HEIGHT OF THIS INDUSTRY.
IN THE 1880S, 3000 BAUER TOWNIANS WERE EMPLOYED IN THE PHOSPHATE BUSINESS.
$5 A DAY IN MANY CASES WAS A RULE OF THUMB WHEN THE PHOSPHATE BUSINESS BEGAN IN THE 1870S, THAT THE RICHEST VEINS OF PHOSPHATE WERE UNDERWATER UNDER THE CSAW RIVER, UNDER THE BEAUFORT RIVER BATTERY CREEK.
SO INITIALLY, LOCAL SEA ISLANDERS WOULD DIVE DOWN FOR THE ROCK AND FILL UP BASKETS AND THEN GET PULLED UP IN A ROPE, NOT ONLY LIMITING THE DEPTH TO WHICH THEY COULD MINE AT, BUT LIMITING THEIR HEALTH AS WELL, GOING UP AND DOWN.
BUT VERY QUICKLY IN THE 1870S, ENGINEERS DISCOVERED THAT THEY COULD BUILD VERY LARGE UNDERWATER STEAMING POWER D DREDGES ON FLOATING BARGES.
AND SO THEY BEGAN TO MECHANIZE THE INDUSTRY.
AND RATHER THAN EMPLOYING FEWER PEOPLE THAT ACTUALLY EMPLOYED MORE, MORE THAN HALF OF THE PHOSPHATE PRODUCED IN THE UNITED STATES, IN 80% OF THE PHOSPHATE PRODUCED IN SOUTH CAROLINA CAME FROM BEAUFORD COUNTY.
THE PHOSPHATE INDUSTRY BETWEEN 1870 AND 1900 WAS THE LARGEST INDUSTRY IN THE HISTORY OF BEAUFORD COUNTY AND THE LARGEST MINING INDUSTRY IN THE HISTORY OF THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA.
AND PEOPLE HAVE PRETTY MUCH FORGOTTEN ABOUT IT, BUT IT WAS THE SOURCE OF GREAT PROSPERITY IN BUFORD COUNTY.
BETWEEN 1870 AND 1890, THE POPULATION OF BEAUFORD COUNTY GREW.
BAY STREET BECAME A FINANCIAL AND COMMERCIAL CENTER.
[01:45:01]
WORDS, FACTORIES WHERE THEY BURNED THE PHOSPHATE ROCK AND BROKE IT DOWN INTO POWDER.WERE LOCATED ON SPANISH POINT, WERE LOCATED ON LUCY CREEK, AND THE LARGEST WAS LOCATED FIRST ON CSAW PLANTATION AND THEN OUT AT THE END OF CHISHOLM HIGHLAND ON SUMMER HOUSE POINT, ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE CSAW RIVER, SMALLER PHOSPHATE COMPANIES AND PHOSPHATE RIDGES AND THE TUGBOATS AND THE SUPPORT SYSTEMS THAT HAD TO, UH, SUPPORT THIS INDUSTRY FOR 30 YEARS WERE IN ENORMOUS BOON TO BEAUFORD COUNTY.
EVENTUALLY, THE SMALLER PHOSPHATE COMPANIES WERE CONSOLIDATED INTO ONE VERY LARGE COMPANY CALLED THE KUSA MINING COMPANY.
THE KUSA MINING COMPANY, BY 1892, WAS THE LARGEST PHOSPHATE MINING COMPANY IN THE UNITED STATES.
BUT IN THOSE SAME YEARS, IN 1888, RICHARD VEINS OF PHOSPHATE WERE DISCOVERED NEAR TAMPA, FLORIDA.
AND DURING THE 1890S, THE PERCENTAGE OF PHOSPHATE EXTRACTED FROM BEAUFORT COUNTY DECLINED.
AND THE PERCENTAGE OF PHOSPHATE DISCOVERED AND EXTRACTED FROM FLORIDA AND OTHER PLACES LIKE NEAR NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE, WAS RICHER PHOSPHATE.
AND EVENTUALLY IT PUT THESE PHOSPHATE MINES OUT OF BUSINESS PHOSPHATE IN BEAUFORD COUNTY.
THE RIVER ROCK, AS IT WAS CALLED IN THOSE DAYS, WAS 60% PURE PHOSPHATE, WHICH IN 1870 WAS THE BEST IN THE COUNTRY.
BY 1888, THE FLORIDA ROCK WAS 80% PURE PHOSPHATE.
AND THE ECONOMICS OF THAT SIMPLY PUT THE BEAUFORT COUNTY PHOSPHATE BUSINESS OUT OF BUSINESS.
THE KUSA MINING COMPANY STOPPED MINING IN 1905.
THE VIRGINIA CAROLINA COMPANY TRIED TO CONSOLIDATE SOME OF THE OLD WORKS AND FINALLY WENT BANKRUPT IN 1914.
AND THAT WAS THE BITTER END OF THE PHOSPHATE BUSINESS.
CONSEQUENCE OF THE END OF THE PHOSPHATE BUSINESS WAS THE BEGINNING OF THE GREAT EXODUS OF THE AFRICAN AMERICAN POPULATION OF THE SEA ISLANDS, WHO WITHOUT GOOD WAGE JOBS, BEGAN TO MOVE NORTH AND DEPOPULATED MUCH OF BUFORD COUNTY.
THE OTHER EVENT WHICH PAYED THE DEMISE OF THE PHOSPHATE INDUSTRY IN BUFORD COUNTY WAS OF COURSE THE GREAT HURRICANE OF 1893, WHICH WAS ONE OF THE 10 LARGEST HURRICANES IN MOST DESTRUCTIVE HURRICANES EVER TO HIT.
THE UNITED STATES KILLED AS MANY AS 2000 PEOPLE ON THE SEA ISLANDS AND WRECKED THE PHOSPHATE FLEET.
SO THE INVESTORS IN THE PHOSPHATE FLEET MOVED THEIR CAPITAL TO FLORIDA AND THE PHOSPHATE BUSINESS DECLINED IN BEAUFORD COUNTY.
THIS HAS BEEN A BEAUFORD COUNTY MOMENT.
TO SEE MORE BEAUFORD COUNTY MOMENTS GO TO THE BEAUFORD COUNTY LIBRARY HOMEPAGE AND CLICK ON THE LOCAL HISTORY TAB.
HERE'S WHAT'S HAPPENING IN BEAUFORD COUNTY.
THE LARGEST SHIPS IN THE WORLD COULD SAIL INTO PORT ROYAL SOUND, AND THAT'S WHAT JOHN BOUGHT THE FRENCH EXPLORER SAID, SHED ALL THE SHIPS OF FRANCE, MAY ALL THE SHIPS OF THE WORLD COULD SAFELY RIDE IN ITS BOUNDS.
IT'S VERY DEEP AND VERY UNUSUAL.
AND IF YOU'RE A SAILOR AND YOU GO UP AND DOWN THE COAST ON THE INLAND PASSAGE, YOU COME INTO PORT ROYAL SOUND, YOU KNOW IT'S DIFFERENT.
IT'S 60 FEET DEEP IN THE MIDDLE OF PORT ROYAL SOUND, 30 FEET DEEP OVER THE BAR.
AND THE INTERESTING THING TO ME IS THAT THE SHAPE OF THE ENTRANCE HAS NOT CHANGED.
FOR 500 YEARS, MILLIONS OF SHELLS LEFT BY NATIVE INHABITANTS OVER THOUSANDS OF YEARS ATTEST TO THE BOUNTY OF ITS WATERS.
CLOVIS POINTS, WHICH ARE MORE THAN 10,000 YEARS OLD, HAVE BEEN UNEARTHED ON ITS SHORES.
INEVITABLY, THE NATURAL RICHES OF THE SEA ISLAND SURROUNDING PORT ROYAL SOUND ATTRACTED THE GREAT EMPIRES OF THE 17TH AND 18TH CENTURIES.
FIRST SPAIN ARRIVED IN 1521, THEN FRANCE CAME ASHORE IN 1562.
FINALLY, THE BRITISH CLAIMED THEM AS CAROLINA.
IN 1663, THE LAND OF CHARLES, AFTER BARELY SURVIVING A DEADLY CLASH WITH THE NATIVE AMERICANS, THE SETTLERS DEMANDED PROTECTION FROM THE COLONIAL GOVERNMENT.
THEIR LOG FORD IN BEAUFORD TOWN HAD BEEN BURNED.
AND IT WAS IN THAT EARLY PERIOD AND THIS EARLY 1720S THAT THE PEOPLE OF BEAUFORT SAID, WE NEED A FORT TO PROTECT US.
SO THEY BUILT THIS TO PROTECT THE INLAND PASSAGE BEFORE IT GOT TO BEAUFORT, WHICH IS THE REASON FOR THE LOCATION OF WHAT EVENTUALLY BECAME FORT FREDERICK OR FORT PRINCE FREDERICK.
THE NEW FORD BEGAN TO TAKE SHAPE IN 1726 AFTER THE FAMOUS SETTLER COLONEL JOHN BARNWELL, BETTER KNOWN AS TUSCARORA JACK RETURNED
[01:50:01]
FROM ENGLAND WITH THE INDEPENDENT COMPANY AFOOT A REGIMENT OF BRITISH REGULARS.FOR THE NEXT SEVEN YEARS, FORT PRINCE FREDERICK, A SMALL STRUCTURE MEASURING JUST 125 FEET BY 75 FEET EXISTED AS A TYPICAL FRONTIER STYLE LOG AND EARTH.
AND FORT ARTILLERY STOOD AT THE READY TO SLOW ANY APPROACH BY THE SPANISH FLEET.
AS SOON AS THE FIRST WARNINGS FROM THE WATCH CANNONS AT THE MOUTH OF THE SOUND WERE FIRED, THE MILITIA WOULD BE DISPATCHED.
THE SETTLERS OF THE ISLANDS ENVISIONED SOMETHING STURDIER, A STRUCTURE THAT COULD OFFER THEM REAL PROTECTION IN TIMES OF TROUBLE.
BUT THE PEOPLE KEPT PETITIONING THE COMMONS HOUSE ASSEMBLY, THE COLONIAL GOVERNMENT FOR MORE MONEY TO FINISH THE FORT AND BILL IT MORE STOUTLY.
IN 1773, THE FRENCH HUGUENOT SETTLER AND CONTRACTOR, JOHN DABBER, WAS HIRED TO DEVISE A MORE SUBSTANTIAL STRUCTURE.
AND HE SAID, I'LL BUILD THE FORT OF OYSTER SHELL IN LINE, WHICH IS WHAT WE SEE THERE TODAY.
AND HE BUILT THE FORT, AND AS IT WAS DESCRIBED IN 1733, WAS FIVE FEET THICK AND FIVE FEET HIGH.
THE FORT WAS NAMED FOR THE ELDEST SON OF KING GEORGE THE SECOND OF ENGLAND.
SO FORT PRINCE FREDERICK, WHICH IS HIS FORMAL NAME, WAS BUILT IN 1726, COMPLETED IN 1733, PROBABLY ABANDONED BY 1740.
AND FOR THE FIRST SEVEN YEARS OF ITS EXISTENCE, 1726 TO 1733, IT WAS THE SOUTHERN FRONTIER OF ENGLISH NORTH AMERICA.
AND ALTHOUGH THE BRITISH OCCUPIED PORT ROYAL FOR A TIME DURING THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION, THE GREATEST BATTLE WAGED BY FORT PRINCE FREDERICK OVER THE NEXT CENTURY AND A HALF WAS WON WITH THE WEEDS AND THE WEATHER.
A PLANTER BY THE NAME OF JOHN JOINER SMITH CAME INTO POSSESSION OF THE LAND EARLY IN THE 18 HUNDREDS, TURNING THE EXPANSE ABOVE THE OLD FORD INTO FIELDS OF COTTON TENDED BY THE ENSLAVED.
BUT ALL THAT CHANGED IN NOVEMBER OF 1861 WHEN UNION FORCES OVERCAME THE CONFEDERATE TERRITORY.
WHEN THE PORT BATTLE OF PORT ROYAL SOUND HAPPENED IN THE FALL OF 1861 AND THE PLANTERS FROM THE BEAUT REGION S SKIDDED, AS THEY CALL IT, UM, THEY LEFT BEHIND BETWEEN EIGHT AND 10,000 SLAVES.
IT'S THE PEOPLE WERE SO JUBILANT, UH, WHEN THEY, WHEN THEY HEARD THE CANNONS GO OFF, BECAUSE THERE WERE ABOUT 55 SHIPS COMING INTO THAT AREA THAT THEY CALL IT BIG GUN SHOOT DATE.
AND WHEN THEY, WHEN THEY HEARD THE BIG GUN SHOOT, THEY, THEY SAID, FREEDOM IS HERE.
THE YANKEES ARE HERE, SO WE ARE FREE.
BUT THAT AREA ON THOSE BLUFFS ABOVE FORT FREDERICK IS, UH, WHERE THERE'LL BE CAMPS AGAIN THROUGHOUT THE WAR, AND THERE'LL BE EVERYTHING FROM ARTILLERY TO INFANTRY IN CAMPED BOTH WHITE AND BLACK TROOPS THROUGHOUT AREA.
THEY WILL BUILD, APPEAR OVER TOP OF THE WALLS OF FORT FREDERICK OUT INTO THE BEAUFORT RIVER.
OVER THE TOP OF OLD FORT FREDERICK STEPPED THE FIRST BLACK REGIMEN MUSTARD IN AS THE FIRST SOUTH CAROLINA OF AFRICAN DESCENT.
IT'S GONNA BE IN THE SUMMER OF 1862.
EVERYTHING SORT OF BEGINS TO CHANGE AND PERMISSION IS GIVEN TO BEGIN RAISING BLACK REGIMENTS.
AT THAT TIME, PRESIDENT ABRAHAM LINCOLN SENT A MILITARY GOVERNOR TO PORT ROYAL GENERAL RUFA.
SAXTON HAS GIVEN PERMISSION TO BEGIN RAISING UPWARDS OF 5,000 BLACK TROOPS IN ONES.
FIRST THINGS HE DOES IS HE BORDERS THEM TO ASSEMBLE AT THE SMITH PLANTATION, AND THAT WILL BECOME THEIR CAMP, AND EVENTUALLY IT WILL BE NAMED CAMP SAXTON IN HIS HONOR, DOZENS OF MISSIONARIES, TEACHERS AND PHYSICIANS FROM THE NORTHEAST PART OF THE US ARRIVE IN SOUTH CAROLINA TO BEGIN A PROJECT THAT WILL COME TO BE KNOWN AS THE PORT ROYAL EXPERIMENT.
THEY ARE JOINED BY THE FAMED HARRIET TUBMAN, WHO BROUGHT MANY PEOPLE TO FREEDOM WITH THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD.
SHE NURSED THE CIVIL WAR INJURED WHILE SHE SHOWED THE NEWLY FREED PEOPLE HOW TO WILLINGLY WORK IN A WAGE BASED SYSTEM RATHER THAN BEING FORCED TO LABOR UNDER THE THREAT OF THE LASH.
MISS LAURA TOWN ESTABLISHED THE PENN SCHOOL ON ST.
HELENA ISLAND, JUST A FERRY RIDE ACROSS THE SOUND FROM FORT FREDERICK, AN INSTITUTION THAT IS STILL IN OPERATION TODAY.
LINCOLN WATCHED THE EXPERIMENT WITH GREAT INTEREST, AND DURING THE SUMMER OF 1862, ANNOUNCED THE PRELIMINARY EMANCIPATION PROCLAMATION.
IMMEDIATELY PLANS WERE MADE FOR AN ELABORATE CELEBRATION AT CAMP SEXTON FOR JANUARY 1ST, 1863.
THE DAY THE PROCLAMATION WAS TO BE SIGNED.
AND IT, IT WAS VERY ELABORATE.
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THEY WERE ROASTING 10 OXEN AND, UH, PREPARING TABLES FOR FOUR, 5,000 PEOPLE TO COME DOWN TO IT.OF COURSE, WHEN IT WAS READ AND AFTER IT WAS READ, SOMEONE SPONTANEOUSLY POPPED OUT WITH THE SONG, MY COUNTRY TEARS.
THE AND JUBILATION TOOK PLACE.
BUT THE EMANCIPATION PROCLAMATION WAS A HIGH POINT IN THEIR LIVES.
AT THAT TIME WHEN THE EMANCIPATION PROCLAMATION WAS READ, THEY USED THAT FORT AS THE BASE FOR THEIR DOCK, YOU KNOW, AND THE DOCK WAS BUILT OVER THE TOP AND FORT AND BOATS CAME IN.
AND, BUT THERE IT WAS, I MEAN, IN GROUND ED, GROUND ZERO OF THAT EVENT.
AND, UH, THAT EVENT IS A SIGNIFICANT EVENT AS EVER OCCURRED IN 500 YEARS OF HISTORY.
THIS COUNTY CERTAINLY, AND ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT EVENTS IN THE STATE'S HISTORY, A DEVASTATING HURRICANE SHOOK THE SEA ISLANDS IN 1893, CAUSING MASSIVE DAMAGE.
MORE THAN 2000 PEOPLE DIED, YET THE STURDINESS OF THE FIVE FOOT TALL AND FIVE FOOT WIDE WALLS SAVE THE FORT FROM ANNIHILATION.
TODAY, IT STILL STANDS AS THE OLDEST TABBY STRUCTURE IN SOUTH CAROLINA IN THE WINTER OF 2015.
ARCHEOLOGISTS WORK TO EXCAVATE THE REMAINS OF FORT FREDERICK IN PREPARATION FOR THE DAY WHEN IT WILL BE ACCESSIBLE TO THE PUBLIC BY LAND.
FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MANY YEARS, OLD FORT FREDERICK IS ALSO BEING GIVEN A NEW LAYER OF TABBY IN PREPARATION FOR ITS FUTURE.
AS THE ONE REMAINING AMBASSADOR TO WITNESS A PIVOTAL HISTORICAL EVENT, THE FORT'S MOST IMPORTANT JOB, AS IT TURNED OUT, WAS TO SERVE AS THE ACTUAL BRIDGE FROM THE WATERS OF PORT ROYAL SOUND, SUPPORTING PEOPLE AS THEY STEP TOWARD THEIR CELEBRATION OF FREEDOM.
AND THAT'S WHAT'S HAPPENING IN BEAUFORD COUNTY.