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TODAY IS DAY TWO OF OUR WORKSHOP.
YOU ALL RISE FOR THE PLEDGE? YES, SIR.
I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INVISIBLE WITH LIBERTY, JUSTICE.
SARAH, WOULD YOU, UH, PLEASE CALL THE ROLE TO ENSURE THAT WE HAVE A QUO CONDUCT BUSINESS? WE NEED TO, YES, SIR.
HE'S HERE, BUT HE'S AWAY FROM THE COUNCIL.
TODAY IS DAY TWO OF OUR BUDGET WORKSHOP.
UM, I'M NOT GOING TO DO ANY OPENING STATEMENTS FOR DAY TWO, OTHER THAN THE SAY, DAY ONE WAS A VERY SUCCESSFUL OPENING DAY FROM US.
WE HAD A LOT OF RECENT PATIENTS, LEARNED A LOT OF THINGS, UH, CAME AWAY WITH A LOT OF TAKE TAKEAWAYS.
SO, UM, DAY TWO BEGINS, OUR COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR, MR. GREENWAY.
UM, WE HAD A SUCCESSFUL DAY YESTERDAY AND TODAY YOU ALL WILL HEAR, UM, THINGS ABOUT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, ATACS, UH, THE ARPA PROJECTS, REPRIORITIZATION.
WE ARE, UM, THE MONEY IS GETTING SMALL.
WE WANT TO GO BACK OVER THAT WITH YOU ALL ONE MORE TIME TO MAKE SURE THAT WHILE WE HAD ENOUGH TO DO, YOU ALL ARE IN AGREEMENT WITH OR IF YOU WANT US TO MAKE ANY ADJUSTMENTS, UH, TO THAT IN THE COMING YEAR.
AND THEN THE FINAL THING, UH, THIS AFTERNOON, WHICH WILL NOT TAKE A FULL TWO HOURS, I HOPE, UH, WILL BE REASSESSMENT AND THE LEGAL RESIDENCY ISSUE.
CAUSE WE'RE IN THE MIDST OF THAT RIGHT NOW.
UH, MS. SANDERS HAS BEEN GOING AROUND.
I THINK SHE'S HA UM, ATTENDED A FEW COMMUNITY MEETINGS FOR SOME OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS, HAVE SOME FEW MORE SCHEDULES.
SHE'S PRESENTED TO THE MUNICIPALITIES.
WE THOUGHT IT'D BE A GOOD OPPORTUNITY FOR HER TO PRESENT TO YOU ALL, UH, THIS AFTERNOON TO GO OVER THAT AS WELL.
CAUSE IT'S VERY LIKELY THAT YOU ALL START GETTING PHONE CALLS WHEN THOSE, UH, REASSESSMENT NOTICES GO OUT.
YOU NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT PROCESS.
SO, ANYWAY, LOOKING FORWARD TO IT.
UM, I WILL BE, UH, I DO HAVE A LUNCH APPOINTMENT TODAY, SO THIS AFTERNOON I'LL BE OUT FOR A LITTLE BIT.
UM, BUT, UM, I WILL, I'LL RETURN AS QUICKLY AS I CAN, UH, THIS AFTERNOON.
SO, UM, I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO, UH, HANK, UH, AND MY SONNEL, WHO IS NOW THE SPECIAL ASSISTANT TO THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR.
UH, MANY OF YOU KNOW THAT HANK CAME TO US FROM, UH, COTON,
HE'S BEEN A VERY, UH, SUCCESSFUL ADDITION TO OUR TEAM.
I'M PROUD TO WORK WITH HIM EVERY DAY.
UH, HE AND TOM ARE GONNA BE TAGGED TEAMING THESE NEXT TWO EVENTS, UH, NEXT TO TOPICS, UH, FOR YOU.
WE'RE GONNA TRY TO GO QUICKLY BUT NOT CRUSH THROUGH THINGS, BUT ALSO NOT BEATEN TO DEATH.
UM, I'M GONNA HAVE A PRESENTATION TO TAKE IT THROUGH SOME SLIDES.
I'M A LITTLE DISAPPOINTED THAT MY PARTNER IN CRIME COM IS NOT HERE, BUT I RE REALIZE NOW THERE'S A GOOD REASON I JUST TEXTED A MINUTE AGO, SAM, WHAT THE HECK UP WITH THAT? HAS COVID.
PLEASE DON'T BE, OH, THERE YOU GO.
UM, BUT WE'RE GONNA TAG TEAM THROUGH THIS.
AND, UH, AS PART OF THE WORKSHOP WITH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT SPECIFICALLY, WE WANTED TO TAKE YOU THROUGH KIND OF A DETAILED HISTORY.
CAUSE THIS HAS HAPPENED OVER MULTIPLE COUNCILS OVER A LONG PERIOD OF TIME.
AND A LOT OF TIMES WE GO IN MEETINGS AND HEAR BIG NUMBERS OR BIG QUESTIONS, BUT WANTED TO GIVE YOU A GOOD FOUNDATION FROM WHICH TO OPERATE.
ALSO, I'M GONNA TAKE YOU THROUGH, UH, DETAILED LOOK, KIND OF A WAY THAT YOU HAVEN'T SEEN IT BEFORE, OF HOW THE COUNTY'S, UH, INVESTMENT
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HAS BEEN USED INTO A LITTLE BIT MORE OF A GRANULAR LEVEL SO YOU CAN SEE WHAT'S GOING ON.UH, I THINK WE CAN ALL AGREE THAT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IS NOBLE AND VALUABLE ENDEAVOR.
HOWEVER, IT'S KIND OF A MYSTERY TO A LOT OF PEOPLE OF HOW IT HAPPENS AND WHAT GOES ON.
UH, ADDITIONALLY, WE CAN ALL AGREE THAT EVEN FOR, I'VE LOOKED HERE ABOUT 15 YEARS IN THE REGION, BUFORD COUNTY HAS HAD KIND OF FITS AND STARTS IN THE PAST WITH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
BUT WE'LL SHOW THE STORY TODAY WHERE IN ABOUT 2015 COUNTY COUNCIL TOOK THE BULL BY THE HORNS AND SAID, LET'S MAKE A PLAN.
AND WE'LL TAKE YOU THROUGH THAT, HOW IT'S, HOW THAT'S GOING ON.
LET'S START WITH THAT CREATION STORY OF THE CORPORATION.
UH, WE'LL TAKE YOU THROUGH THE, HOW IT'S EVOLVED OVER TIME, AND WE'LL FINISH WITH SOME IMPROVEMENTS THAT WE'VE MADE RECENTLY OVER THE PAST SEVERAL MONTHS.
HOW WE WORK TOGETHER AND HOW WE'LL PLAN TOGETHER GOING FORWARD AND BE MORE EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE FOR ALL.
AND FINALLY, WE'LL FINISH WITH, YOU KNOW, YOU GUYS TALKING ABOUT PRIORITIES AND GOALS AND WHERE, WHERE DO YOU WANT TO GO? AND, AND WE'LL BE ABLE TO ANSWER JOHN HERE.
UH, IT'S NOT REALLY TO GO THROUGH A PERFORMANCE.
CAUSE A LOT OF US WENT TO THE CONVERGE SUMMIT.
WE KNOW ABOUT THE THAT SIDE, WHICH IS A GOOD PRESENTATION AND A LOT OF GOOD THINGS.
I JUST WANNA SHOW YOU WHAT YOUR INVESTMENT IS SO THAT WHEN YOU GUYS RECEIVE REQUESTS OR HAVE QUESTIONS ON WHICH TO OPERATE.
SO WE SPOKE ABOUT THE FITS AND STARTS, AND I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO TOM BECAUSE I DIDN'T REALIZE HE DID HIS OWN PRESENTATION.
AND IN COVID THEN HE'S GONNA TAKE YOU THROUGH A LOT OF ACTIONS OF COUNSEL THAT LAID THE GROUNDWORK FOR WHERE WE ARE.
SO, TOM, I'M GONNA HAND IT OFF AND I'LL JUST KIND OF SKIP THROUGH IF YOU WANNA SCREEN SHARE.
AND I'M SORRY I CAN'T BE THERE.
I, UH, WENT TO A WEDDING EVENT OVER THE WEEKEND, WHICH TURNED INTO A SUPER SPREADER AND, UH, A LOT OF US ARE AT HOME.
UM, LET ME, UH, WHAT I HOPE TO DO TO DO, YOU CAN, AH, UM, IT, WHAT I WANNA DO IS TO SHARE MY SCREEN, UM, WITH, UH, YOU, AND TO SHOW YOU KIND OF OVER TIME HOW BEAUFORD COUNTY GOT, UM, TO, UH, TO THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION WHERE WE ARE.
UM, SARAH, IS THERE A WAY THAT YOU CAN, UM, STOP SHARING YOUR SCREEN CUZ IT WON'T LET ME SHARE MINE.
SO, BEAUFORT COUNTY'S, SO ALL OF THE, THE CURRENT, UM, ITERATION OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, UM, STARTED AROUND 2015 AFTER, UH, A ROCKY PERIOD OF TIME, UM, WHERE WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY ECONOMIC ELEMENT ENTITY FOR A WHILE.
WE HAD ONE BEFORE THAT THAT FAILED.
UM, IF YOU COULD, HEY, TOM, TOM, YOURS IS NOT, YOURS IS NOT SHOWING YOUR, IF YOURS IS NOT SHOWING, I'VE GOT ALL YOUR BULLET POINTS UP.
SLIDE, IF YOU WANT TO GO THROUGH STARTS TO THAT 2015 RESOLUTION ION YOU MUTED HIMSELF.
CAN YOU SEE MY SCREEN NOW? UH, YES.
UM, YOU CAN HEAR ME NOW TOO? YES.
LET'S, HE'S ENOUGH TO CALL IN.
WANT ME TO, WANT ME TO GO? I MEAN, SO BASICALLY WHAT HE'S GOING TO SAY,
I MENTIONED EARLIER, COUNTY COUNCIL SAID, LET'S ESTABLISH THE CORPORATION.
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STUDY AND, UH, HOW BEST TO ACCOMPLISH THIS.AND, UH, THE GOALS WERE TO PURCHASE, YOU KNOW, INFRASTRUCTURE, DEVELOPMENT IMPROVEMENTS, ET CETERA.
THEN LATER THAT YEAR, OH, SORRY, LATER THAT YEAR, THEY ACTUALLY OUGHT YOU, THEY, HOW MANY WAS, HOW MANY WERE HERE IN 2016? GERALD
SO YOU, UH, GERALD AUTHORIZED THE ADMINISTRATOR TO PREPARE THESE DOCUMENTS.
AND THIS IS WHERE WE'RE GOING THROUGH THE NUTS AND BOLTS, ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION, HOW DO WE SET UP A BOARD? ALL THE THINGS THAT WERE SPELLED OUT IN THE STUDY THAT WERE DONE BY COMPANY.
I THINK IT'S PRONOUNCED LAMO, SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
AND THEN AGAIN, THEN IN THE EARLIER, THE NEXT YEAR, YOU WERE DONE CUBIC SIGNED HIM, FILED HIM, WENT TO THE SECRETARY OF, SECRETARY OF STATE.
AND THEN JUST A FEW MONTHS LATER, IT WAS, IT WAS, HE STARTED, UM, THE ORDINANCE 20 16, 19.
I'M FAR LESS TECHNICAL, UH, THAN TOM.
SO MAYBE GONNA SAVE YOU A LOT OF TIME.
UH, BASICALLY YOU SET UP THAT IN, IN THOSE BYLAWS THAT THE BOARD WAS, WAS ESTABLISHED BY, YOU KNOW, APPOINTED BY THE COUNCIL.
DID YOU COME BACK IN YET LATER THAT YEAR? WE ALREADY STARTED TALKING ABOUT, UH, I, I DON'T KNOW WHO KNOWS THE HISTORY, BUT, UH, THERE WERE A LOT OF DISCUSSIONS OVER THE PAST OF WHAT AND IF THE COUNTY SHOULD BE IN A REGIONAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ALLIANCE.
I KNOW THERE WAS TALKS WITH SUMTER AND CHARLESTON AND, OH, THERE WERE JUST VERY DISPART DISCUSSIONS.
AND FINALLY I THINK COMMERCE WAS SAYING, YOU GUYS GOTTA JOIN AN ALLIANCE.
AND SO YOU, SO THE COUNCIL AUTHORIZED THE DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION TO NEGOTIATE THE SCOPE AND FEE FOR THAT SOUTHERN CAROLINA ALLIANCE MEMBERSHIP.
AND THEN LATER THAT YEAR WAS THE FIRST TIME THIS Y'ALL SIGNED A THREE YEAR CONTRACT WITH SOUTHERN CAROLINA ALLIANCE.
LATER IN THE PRESENTATION, WE'LL GET INTO HOW YOUR FUNDING BREAKS OUT.
CAUSE IT DOES FUND THAT SOUTHERN CAROLINA ALLIANCE, UH, MEMBERSHIP.
AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT WAYS THAT WE CAN BETTER WORK MORE CLOSELY WITH THEM AND LEVERAGE SOME OF THEIR STRENGTHS.
AS JOHN AND I HAVE STEPS EARLIER, THE NEXT YEAR, UH, IF TOM COMES IN, HE'LL KNOW MORE ABOUT THIS.
CAUSE AGAIN, I HAD MY ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY THIS PAST, UH, TUESDAY.
SO THIS IS FAR PRECEDING HERE,
UH, BUT WE, WE TALKED, THE BOARD CAME BACK FROM THE, AND TALKED ABOUT, LET'S AMEND THE BYLAWS.
UM, THEY WANTED TO ADD BENEFITS FOR THE STAFF TO INCLUDE COUNTY BENEFITS, BUT NOT AS COUNTY EMPLOYEE, BUT AS, AS A FUNDED ENTITY.
AND THEY APPOINTED SOMEBODY TO THAT SCA BOARD.
UM, I LIKE THE QUOTES THAT YOU PUT IN THERE.
I'M NOT SURE WHAT THAT MEANS TO ACKNOWLEDGE, BUT COUNCIL ACKNOWLEDGED THE AMENDED ARTICLES AND, AND BYLAWS.
AND IT WAS AFFECTED THAT SAME DAY.
THE BOARD THEN INCREASED THE SIZE BECAUSE AT THAT POINT THE BYLAWS SAID THAT THE BOARD OF THE EDC COULD CHANGE THE SIZE OF THE BOARD AND IT KIND OF GAVE A LITTLE BIT OF DIFFERENT CONTROL SO THAT THEY COULD FUNCTION, UH, MORE, A LITTLE BIT MORE NIMBLY, I GUESS, OR HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE CONTROL OF THEIR ORGANIZATION.
SO THAT, THAT TIME THEY CHANGED IT TO A BOARD OF 15.
BUT IT DID PRESERVE COUNCIL'S APPROVAL FOR FUTURE CHANGERS GOING, GOING FORWARD.
UH, THIS IS WHERE I STARTED AND I'LL WE'LL GO INTO IT IN THE SECOND PART OF THIS.
I WENT THROUGH EVERY INVOICE AND EXPENDITURE THAT COUNTY COUNCIL HAS GIVEN TO, EVEN BEFORE THE CORPORATION EXISTED TO THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT EFFORTS STARTING IN 2016.
BUT THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT SOME, UH, TRANSACTIONS OCCURRED.
COUNTY COUNCIL ALLOCATED OPERATIONAL MONEY, WHICH WAS THAT THREE 30 WASN'T ALL USED THAT YEAR, BUT 50,000 OF IT WAS ALSO A REIMBURSEMENT FOR SOME OF THE ESTABLISHMENT AND STUDIES THAT HELPED CREATE THE ORGANIZATION.
LATER THAT YEAR WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT THEY ACTUALLY ESTABLISHED A MILLAGE AMOUNT AS OPPOSED TO KIND OF THIS ARBITRARY, HOW ARE WE GONNA DO IT? THEY SAY THAT THAT WAY THEY COULD PLAN GOING FORWARD, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE A DESIGNATED MILLAGE AMOUNT IN YOUR BUDGET AND EARLIER THE FOLLOWING YEAR THAN WE STARTED MORE FU UH, MORE INCREASED FUNDING, UH, FOR THIS SITE DEVELOPMENT AND JOB RETENTION EFFORT.
SO WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT WHEN WE GET INTO THE NUMBERS.
SO THERE ARE TWO NUMBERS THAT WE NEED TO, THAT YOU'LL SEE.
ONE IS A BASE FUNDING, WHICH IS TO HAVE THE OPERATION EXIST.
THEY HAVE TO ENTERTAIN PEOPLE, THEY HAVE TO GO TO CONFERENCES, THEY HAVE TO GO AND RECRUIT
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BUSINESSES.AND THEN THERE'S A SEPARATE SITE AND JOBS, WHICH IS IS THE ONE WE'LL REALLY DIG INTO CUZ THAT'S WORK FOR CREATION OF NEW SITES, BETTERMENT OF SITES AND JOBS.
BUT, UH, THIS WAS THE BEGINNING.
THIS IS THE BEFOR COMMERCE PARK.
SO THIS IS WHERE WE ARE SEEING OF DEVELOPMENT TODAY.
THE MONEY FOR SITE DEVELOPMENT, WETLAND DELINEATION, AND THEN A LITTLE BIT MORE MONEY FOR THIS JOB RETENTION EFFORT.
THEY REVI REVISITED THE MILLAGE AMOUNT THAT YEAR.
AND THEN IN 2020 WE SIGNED ANOTHER FIVE YEAR EXTENSION WITH SOUTHERN CAROLINA ALLIANCE.
WE, WE WERE REQUESTED TO SIGN A FIVE YEAR AGREEMENT.
DID YOU DO? WE ARE IN A THREE YEAR AGREEMENT, BUT THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE WE ARE TODAY.
GOOD
AND THIS KIND OF SPARKED, I BELIEVE, SOME GOOD CHANGE BECAUSE, UM, I'VE WORKED FOR CITIES, I'VE WORKED FOR CITY AND NOW COUNTY AND REGIONAL GOVERNMENT.
AND I WILL TELL YOU THAT THERE ARE DIFFERENT LANGUAGES IN THESE ENTITIES.
AND I THINK THAT'S, I'M EXCITED ABOUT THIS JOB BECAUSE I THINK THAT WE CAN WORK TOGETHER TO COMMUNICATE BETTER.
AND ONE OF THE EFFORTS WE'LL TALK ABOUT TOWARDS THE END IS THIS LED TO ERICA POINT ME TO EITHER LIAISON WITH THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GROUP, HOW CAN WE WORK BETTER GOING, GOING FORWARD? AND THE RESULT WAS OF THIS ONE, WAS THAT WE DID FUND FUTURE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT EFFORTS FROM SOME OF THE PROCEEDS OF THE MYRTLE PARK PROJECT, BUT WE ALSO HAVE DISCUSSED IT BEING MORE OF A REVOLVING FUND AS OPPOSED TO JUST A ENDLESS SUPPLY.
SO NOW WE'LL DIG INTO THE NUMBERS.
THAT WAS THE FASTEST TIME PRESENTATION EVER HAD.
AND I WANNA SHOW YOU, AND, AND, AND THIS IS NOT, THIS IS TO SHOW THAT YOU ARE COMMITTED AND YOU HA THE COUNTY HAS BEEN COMMITTED.
I, I BELIEVE SHOULD CONTINUE TO BE COMMITTED FOR THESE EFFORTS AS WE GO FORWARD.
AND SO STARTING IN THAT 16 YEAR THAT ALL THOSE THAT WAS STARTING AT 15 TO 17, THOSE ARE THE MONIES THAT WERE SPENT TO CREATE THIS ORGANIZATION.
AND YOU'LL SEE IT RAMP UP, YOU'LL SEE SOME SPIKES, SOME 900 OR YOU SEE SOME OVER A MILLION.
BUT THE WAY THAT THE TITAN JOB OR THE EXTRA MONEY VERSUS IT ROLLS FORWARD.
SO YOU'LL SEE SOME HIGHER EXPENDITURES AND LOWER EXPENDITURES.
BUT I'LL GET INTO HOW THAT WORKS.
AS YOU SEE IT WENT THAT THE FIRST PARTIAL YEAR OF THE OPERATION ORGANIZATION WAS 17, 18.
AND THEN IT CONTINUED TO INCREASE, UH, THE 21, 20 20 20 21 LARGE NUMBER IS BECAUSE AGAIN, BACK TO THAT'S WHAT WE WANNA TELL THIS BETTER STORY.
600,000 OF THAT IS IN AN ESCROW TO HELP BACK UP AND BACKSTOP A DEVELOPMENT.
AND THAT HAD TO BE DONE BECAUSE BY MY UNDERSTANDING, JOHN, AND TELL ME, THAT HAD TO BE DONE JUST BECAUSE OF THE SINS OF THE PAST THAT WERE NOT PART OF COUNTY OPERATION OR EDC OPERATION.
SO NOBODY BELIEVED THAT THERE WOULD BE, UH, WILLINGNESS TO STAND BEHIND.
SO THAT I THINK THERE WAS KINDA A PUT UP OR SHUTUP, LET'S PUT IT IN ACCOUNT SO WE KNOW THAT IT'S THERE.
AND THEN, UH, IN THIS CURRENT YEAR WHERE AT THAT 9 88, THAT IS A FULL BASE FUNDING.
AND I'M NOT SURE IF THERE'LL BE ANY MORE SITE AND JOBS, BUT WE STILL HAVE ANOTHER SIX MONTHS.
BUT EVERYBODY TALKS ABOUT THIS BIG NUMBER.
THAT'S WHY WE WANNA BREAK IT DOWN.
CAUSE WHEN YOU SAY THAT, HEY MAN, THAT'S A LOT OF MONEY THAT WE PUT INTO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
BUT NOW WE'LL TALK ABOUT WHERE IT BREAKS OUT.
YOU CAN SEE THAT IT'S NOT JUST GOING TO SOME SLUDGE FUND.
RIGHT? SO THIS 1 52 IS CREATION.
THE BASE FUNDING IS ADDING UP OF THAT.
IT STARTED OUT AT 205,000 BECAUSE IT WAS A PARTIAL YEAR, THEN IT WAS THREE 30.
AND TODAY IT'S $375,000 A YEAR, WHICH IS FOR THE BASE FUNDING THAT COVERS JOHN AND CHARLIE AND OFFICE AND OPERATIONS AND TRAVEL, ET CETERA.
UH, WE ALSO, OUR SOUTHERN CAROLINA CONTRIBUTION IS $120,000 A YEAR.
BUT THAT'S A SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENT.
AND WE'VE DISCUSSED HOW TO BETTER LEVERAGE THAT, HOW TO BETTER PARTICIPATE AND NOT, THERE'S NO PUSH IN OUR POLLING BOAT.
THERE ARE DIFFERENT NEEDS THROUGHOUT THE REGION AND WE THINK WE CAN DO A BETTER JOB OF COMMUNICATING THOSE NEEDS AND REQUESTING SUPPORT IN CERTAIN AREAS.
UH, AN OPPRESSIVE NUMBER TO ME
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IS, UH, SO OF THAT 2.4 IS INTO THIS, WE CALL, THAT'S THE SITE AND JOBS FUND.THAT'S, THAT'S HAYES LANGUAGE.
I'VE HAD THE, UH, I THINK I HAVE A NEW DE DAKOTA RING CAUSE I CAN COMMUNICATE WITH HAYES REGULARLY.
NO, IT DOESN'T EVEN, IT WORKS.
UH, LAND ACQUISITION, THIS IS FOR HALF OF THE PARCEL THAT THE COUNTY BOUGHT TOGETHER WITH THE CITY UP IN THE BEAUFORT COMMERCE PARK.
UH, I THINK WE HAVE AT LEAST ONE ATTORNEY HERE.
UH, BUT THESE ARE NECESSARY THINGS WE HAVE TO HAVE.
UH, THIS IS NOT JUST FOR REAL ESTATE TRANSACTIONS.
THESE ARE DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENTS.
THESE ARE, UH, DISCUSSING HOW WE SET UP FEES AND IN LIEU OF TAXES AND ALL OF THESE SITUATIONS.
UH, AND APPRAISALS, WHICH ARE NECESSARY NOT JUST FOR US ACQUIRING PROPERTY, BUT SOMETIMES IT WOULD BE FOR ASSISTING A PROJECT IN HOW THEY ARE GONNA GO FORWARD TO ACQUIRE PROPERTY TO DO SOMETHING.
BUT THIS IS THE NUMBER I THINK IS IMPORTANT IS 630,000 OF THAT WENT INTO THE GROUND.
AND SO THAT IS AS A MAX TO OTHER COMMERCE FUNDS.
BUT THAT IS, UH, THE ENGINEERING PORTION IS PROBABLY ABOUT A HUNDRED THOUSAND OF THAT SIX 30.
BUT THE REST OF THAT'S IN THE GROUND, IN, IN THE PADS AND IMPROVEMENTS AND BUILDINGS AND 900,000.
BUT 900,000 OF THAT ARE SITTING IN ESCROW.
AND THEN THE LAST NUMBER IS, UH, WHAT GRANT'S GONE OUT TO BUSINESSES OR PARTNERS THAT THEN SERVE BUSINESSES.
SO I'LL SHOW YOU THAT LIST OF THOSE ENTITIES.
SO, AND GOING THROUGH ALL THESE INVOICES, IT'S INTERESTING TO LEARN THE HISTORY THROUGH INVOICES INSTEAD INSTEAD OF A CONVERSATION.
BUT YOU CAN SEE THE LIST OF COMPANIES FROM STONEWORKS RELOCATION TO L THREE HARRIS RETENTION CHAMBER OF COMMERCE WAS, UH, HELPING FUND JOB READINESS SYSTEMS AND PROGRAMS. UH, THE LANDING PAD, WHICH WERE ALL FAMILIAR WITH, BELLA FARMER'S CO-OP, UH, WAS A SMALL, SMALLER GRANT.
RX INDUSTRY'S MAGNUS DEVELOPMENT.
THAT WOULD INCLUDE, UM, SOME COVERING COSTS WELL BEFORE THEY LEASED IT.
THE CURRENT BUILDING THAT WOULD INCLUDE, UH, PAYING FOR PART OF A DEMING WALL WHO'VE SEPARATED THE SPACE.
UH, NORMAN IS THE USER IN THAT SPACE.
AND THEY RECEIVED A RELATIVELY SMALL AMOUNT OF MONEY, BUT IT WAS FOR THEIR JOB CREATION INCENTIVE.
SAME THING WITH, UH, RLB DISTILLERY.
AND MOST RECENTLY, UH, BLACK EQUITY, WHICH HAPPENED THIS YEAR WHERE WE'VE IMPROVED, AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, I BELIEVE IS AN UNCOMFORTABLE INTERACTION, I THINK HELPS SPARK A GOOD COLLABORATION.
AND SO SINCE, SINCE THEN, JOHN AND CHARLIE AND I SPEAK REGULARLY, UH, WE MEET, WE HAVE LUNCH, WE'VE DISCUSSED PROJECTS AHEAD OF TIME AND WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IT.
THE THINK IT WORKS BETTER THIS WAY AS OPPOSED TO THE COUNTY AND COUNCIL NOT KNOWING ANYTHING NECESSARILY ABOUT A PROJECT.
AND ALL OF A SUDDEN THERE'S A PROPOSAL OF, HEY, LET'S DO THIS.
I THINK WE CAN BETTER TELL THE STORY BOTH WAYS FROM COUNCIL TO THE CORPORATION AND THE CORPORATION, UH, TO COUNCIL.
WE HAVE BETTER AND REGULAR COMMUNICATIONS GOING FORWARD.
NOW, FOR YOU GUYS, IT'S BASICALLY A DISCUSSION OF, HEY, COULD YOU, COULD YOU, COULD YOU ELABORATE A LOT? I MEAN, A LITTLE BIT MORE ON NO, GO BACK TO THE OTHER SLIDE.
TELL, TELL ME ABOUT THE ROLE OF WELL, YOU HAVE TO ASK, UH OH, OKAY.
YEAH, I MEAN, YEAH, I, YOU JUST NEED TO KNOW THE, THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN YOU AND THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION AND COUNCIL.
SO, AND COUNCIL, WELL, I MEAN, IT'S LIAISON.
SO YOU, BETWEEN SOMEBODY, SO, OKAY.
IT'S, HANK IS THE LIAISON BETWEEN THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATION AND THE EDC.
CAUSE WE WERE HAVING, UH, SOME, UH, PRETTY CLEAR COMMUNICATION ISSUES, UH, BACK IN THE SUMMER.
SO I ASKED HIM TO STEP IN AND TRY TO, TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT COMMUNICATION AND THE DIRECTION OF THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATION WAS CLEAR TO THE EDC AND THAT, UH, EDC HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO COMMUNICATE THE DIRECTION THEY WANTED TO GO, UH, THROUGH HANK.
AND, UH, THAT'S BEEN A PRODUCTIVE DECISION AND A PRODUCTIVE RELATIONSHIP SO FAR.
WHAT WE NEED TO HEAR FROM YOU ALL TODAY IS MANY TIMES, AND AGAIN, WE'RE NOT SEEING, UM, ANYTHING AS NECESSARY OR NOT, BUT SOMETIMES WE HEAR COUNCIL MEMBERS SAY, WELL, YOU KNOW, WE'RE CONTRIBUTING A LOT OF MONEY.
WE SHOULD HAVE MORE REPRESENTATION ON THE EDC BOARD THAN JUST, YOU KNOW, THE SAME APPOINTING EVERYBODY ELSE.
SO IF YOU ALL WANT US TO DO THAT, UH, AND WORK WITH JOHN ON RESTRUCTURING SOME OF THESE THINGS, THEN WE JUST NEED YOUR FEEDBACK TODAY.
[00:25:01]
AND ALSO WITH THE SCA, WE'RE GONNA HAVE THE CONTRACT COMING UP FOR RENEWAL ON THAT.NOT SAYING WE NEED TO, YOU KNOW, I WOULD GO WORK MY RELATIONSHIP WITH, WITH DANNY BLACK AND THE SCA.
I THINK IT'S BENEFICIAL FOR US TO BE INVOLVED WITH THEM.
UH, SO WE'RE JUST LOOKING FOR YOUR PRIORITIES AND GOALS AS IT RELATES TO EDC.
CAUSE THERE'S BEEN A LOT TO TALK ABOUT THAT, UM, SINCE, UM, OVER THE LAST, SO JUST UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU LIKE.
LET ME, LET ME, UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I, LIKE, I DO LIKE ABOUT THE, UH, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION IS THAT, UM, IT PUT, UM, IT PLACES A BALANCE, UM, OF ENTITIES ON THE BOARD.
UH, THE COUNTY'S ON THERE, UM, ALL THE MUNICIPALITIES ON THERE.
AND IT IS ALMOST LIKE A, UH, EVEN EVEN THOUGH WE ARE FUNDING AND WE'RE PUTTING UP MOST OF THE MONEY MM-HMM.
I'M JUST WONDERING WHETHER PLACING A LIAISON FROM THE COUNTY OBSTRUCT THAT, UM, BALANCE AND STUFF.
THAT'S, THAT'S MY ONLY CONCERN RIGHT NOW.
YOU KNOW? CAUSE WE'RE THE ONE, WE'RE THE ONES THAT'S PROCESSING ALL THE, ALL THE PAYMENTS.
SO I, I AND I, IN ORDER TO DO THAT, I HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S BEING DONE PROPERLY AND THAT WE'RE, WE'RE FOLLOWING THAT PROCESS.
AND THAT'S, YOU KNOW, COMPLICATION OF THE ISSUE.
WE DON'T WANNA ADD MORE LAYERS.
I THINK IT BASICALLY IS, INSTEAD OF EVERY CONVERSATION, ANY BIG COUNTY, IT'S HARD FOR EVERYBODY TO HAVE TO TALK DIRECTLY TO THE ADMINISTRATOR.
CAUSE THERE'S SO MANY ENTITIES AND EMPLOYEES SIMPLY ESTABLISH AS THE CONTACT.
THAT'S ALL IT REALLY IS THAT WORK IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FOR YEARS HAVE COMMON LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION THAT, THAT WE CAN SHARE.
LET ME SEE IF I CAN, I WAS AT THE, AT THE, UH, FOUR HOUR BRIEFING ANNUAL PLANNING.
AND, UM, AS I UNDERSTAND IT, UH, HANKS THE LIAISON BUT NOT ON THE BOARD.
BUT THERE'S A SPOT ON THE BOARD FOR A MEMBER OF COUNCIL, RIGHT? THAT'S CORRECT.
AND JOHN UL TOLD ME QUITE FRANKLY, THAT WHEN THEY HAVE THEIR MEETINGS, ANYONE FROM COUNCIL IS INVITED TO ATTEND EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE NOT A MEMBER OF THE BOARD.
AND HE WOULD ENCOURAGE US TO DO SOMETHING.
UH, I ALSO LEARNED AT THE LAST MEETING THAT THE, UH, DUES THAT WE PAY ARE, ARE HIGHER THAN EVERYBODY ELSE'S.
HOWEVER, THERE WAS AN ADJUSTMENT PAID WITH THE MUNICIPALITIES THIS YEAR, AND I, I'M NOT SURE JOHN WAS VOTED ON TO INCREASE THE 25 TO 40,000.
SO EVERYBODY AGREED TO DO THAT, BUT THERE WAS NO INCREASE FOR THE AMOUNTS THAT WE CONTRIBUTE BECAUSE IT'S, IT'S A SIGNIFICANT STANDING LOAN.
UM, THE, THE MEETING WAS, UH, WELL RUN, UH, VERY WELL ORGANIZED.
UH, THE BOARD CHAIRMAN DID, UH, A GREAT JOB.
JOHN IS NOT THE BOARD CHAIRMAN.
IT WAS SOMEONE ELSE, LU BOARD CHAIRMAN, AND ALL OF THE PEOPLE WHO WERE THERE REPRESENTING THE MUNICIPALITIES ALL HAD A GREAT DEAL TO SAY ABOUT THE, UH, CORPORATION AND HOW IT RUNS.
SO I THINK YOU'RE RIGHT, THE TRANSPARENCY IS FAIRLY CLEAR AND I THINK WE CAN ALL PARTICIPATE AT AS OUR AVAILABILITY WOULD DICTATE AT THE MEETINGS THAT THE CORPORATION HOLDS.
AND I THINK HAVING HANK OVER THERE AS WELL IS, UH, A WELCOME ADDITION TO, UH, THE MEETINGS BECAUSE YOU'LL BE THERE AT ALL OF THEM.
AND THEN YOU'LL BE REPORTING DIRECTLY BACK TO THE EXECUTIVE STAFF OR TO THE ACCOUNT ADMINISTRATOR ON WHAT'S HAPPENED TO YOU.
I THINK THAT'S A GREAT, UH, SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENT TO HAVE OVER THERE.
UH, WE'RE NOT SURE YET, UH, WE'RE WHO'S GOING TO BE APPOINTED AS THE LIAISON TO THE, UH, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION.
BUT THAT'S A MATTER OF SOME DISCUSSION.
I EXPECT THAT WILL BE HAPPENING BEFORE THE END OF THE MONTH AND WHETHER UNLIKELY.
SO, UH, I THINK WHOEVER GETS THAT JOB WILL BE A FULL PARTICIPANT, UH, IN IT.
MY, MY ONLY CONCERN IS THAT WE WE'RE NOT PUTTING A NOVEL HERE OF BUREAUCRACY ABOVE THEM.
AND THAT'S WHY I RAISED THE QUESTION.
I DIDN'T THINK WE WERE, I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE NOT DOING THAT AT THIS TIME, MR. SO WE'RE NOT.
UM, I'M THE ONE THAT WOULD, LIKE I'VE WRITTEN, I THINK YOU RECEIVED MY EMAIL THAT I WOULD LIKE TO BE POINTED TO THE BOARD FOR MANY REASONS.
ONE IS I CAME FROM WASHINGTON DC I WORKED FOR AN INTERNATIONAL BANK AND I DEALT WITH A LOT OF HIGH END CORPORATE EXECUTIVES.
[00:30:01]
AND I HAVE ON MY LIST ALL THESE COMPANIES I LIKE TO BRING TO BU COUNTY.AND WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT JUST A FEW MILLION DOLLARS.
I'M TALKING ABOUT A LOT OF MONEY.
FINANCIAL SERVICES COMPANY COME IN TO BUFORD COUNTY IS GONNA BE, MAKE A HUGE IMPACT.
AND I THINK, UH, ANYWAY, I WOULD LIKE TO BE ON THE BOARD AT THE, I'M PUTTING THAT OUT THERE.
I DON'T WANNA GO ALL THE DETAILS NOW.
I THINK THAT, UM, YEAH, THE APPOINTMENT I THINK PROBABLY WOULD LEND TO YOU SOME DISCUSSION WITH THAT.
ADDITION FOR THE APPOINTMENT, I THINK YOU HAVE TO LEAD INTO THE NEXT KIND OF PORTION.
THAT'S COUNCIL, YOU KNOW, AS YOU'RE NOT THE BOARD OR ON THE BOARD, BUT BECAUSE YOU'RE INVOLVED, IT'S IMPORTANT FOR YOU TO THINK ABOUT.
WHAT DO YOU WANT THEM TO FOCUS ON? WHAT ARE SOME PRIORITIES? YOU JUST MENTIONED ONE, FINANCIAL SERVICES, HEADQUARTERS, TECH.
THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT THEY, I'VE SEEN TO DEMONSTRATED.
AND NOT ONLY YOU GET TO GO TO THE MEETING AND YOU'LL BE INVOLVED IN THE INTIMATE DISCUSSIONS.
SO, SO NOW IS THE TIME FOR US TO DISCUSS PRIORITIES AND GOALS.
UM, I WILL START BY SAYING, I'VE BEEN ON COUNTY COUNCIL FOR FOUR YEARS NOW, AND IN THE FOUR YEARS I'VE HEARD ABOUT TWO AREAS OF THE COUNTY FOR DEVELOPMENT, THE LICO SITE SITES AND YEMENI AS LOGICAL PLACES TO BRING INDUSTRY INTO THE COUNTY.
FOUR YEARS LATER, WE'RE STILL TALKING ABOUT THEM.
SO THE QUESTION IS, WHEN DO WE STOP TALKING AND WHEN DO WE START ACTION? WE CLEARLY WERE SHOWN YESTERDAY, GROWTH IS HAPPENING ALL OVER THIS COUNTY.
IT IS GOING TO CONTINUE TO GROW.
PEOPLE ARE GOING TO COME TO LIVE HERE.
WORK IS KEY ELEMENT OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
WHAT ARE THE KINDS OF WORKPLACES DO WE NEED FOR THE GROWING POPULATION? SO THAT'S THE FOCUS I THINK WE SHOULD DEAL WITH RIGHT NOW.
WHO WOULD LIKE TO START? WELL, I THINK SOME OTHER QUESTIONS.
YOU ALL KIND OF INDUSTRIES AND WE SEE THE PLACE IN THESE LOCATIONS AND THERE'S ALWAYS BEEN, I THINK JOHN TALKED ABOUT IT AT THE PLANNING SESSION AND THE TWO FOCUSES.
JOHN, WHAT WAS THE OTHER ONE? AEROSPACE.
I ACTUALLY HAVE A A A COPY OF OUR SCORECARD AND SO ON.
BUT, UH, OUR TARGETS ARE, AND, AND WE KIND OF HAVE DEVELOPED THEM WITH THE COMMUNITY OVER TIME.
UH, AEROSPACE, BACK OFFICE, OPERATIONS, BIO AND LIFE SCIENCES.
YOU, YOU HEARD AT CONVERGE, UH, SECRETARY LIGHTS, HE'S PUTTING MORE ATTENTION IN THAT AREA.
UH, WE DO HAVE ALPHAGEN IN THE COUNTY ALREADY.
UH, DEFENSE, CYBERSECURITY, UH, GREEN INDUSTRY, UH, HEADQUARTERS, HEALTHCARE, INSURANCE AND FINANCIAL SERVICES.
UH, LIGHT MANUFACTURING AND THEN SUPPLY CHAIN TO HOSPITALITY AND TOURISM.
I KNOW IT SEEMS LIKE A BIG NET, BUT THOSE ARE THE INDUSTRIES THAT TALK ABOUT AUTOMOTIVE AS WELL AS A, AS A GOAL.
UH, WITH, THAT'S, THAT'S A VERY BIG LIST.
I THINK MAYBE MORE NARROW ON SOME INDUSTRIES AT PRIORITIES.
AND THEN DO THE, UH, NECESSARY REACH OUT TO THE, UH, ORGANIZATIONS THAT MAY HAVE AN INTEREST IN MOVING HERE.
I READ, UH, IN THE PAPER TODAY THAT AN ORGANIZATION WENT INTO COLLET AND THEY WERE CONSIDERING 20 DIFFERENT LOCATIONS.
AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT THE CORPORATIONS ARE DOING THESE DAYS AND ALL OF THESE SOPHISTICATED INDUSTRIES IS THEY'RE SEARCHING FOR PLACES TO GO AND THEY'RE NOT FOCUSING ON ONE OR TWO PLACES, THEN MAYBE WE NEED TO FOCUS ON ONE OR TWO INDUSTRIES TO TRY AND MOVE SOME PEOPLE DOWN HERE WHO HAVE A DESIRE TO MOVE FROM WHEREVER THEY HAVE TO BE.
WHETHER IT'S THE RUST MILK OR THE SNOW SHOVEL PEL THAT THEY'RE IN AND MAYBE COME DOWN TO THIS AREA.
BUT, YOU KNOW, I, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THAT.
I, I KNOW YOU HAVE A FOCUS ON THAT, BUT MIGHT BE TIME JUST TO ISOLATE A COUPLE RATHER THAN A DOESN'T, BECAUSE IT SEEMS YOU, YOU AND CHARLIE ARE GONNA BE SPREAD PD FINN IF YOU HAVE ALL THESE PLACES TO GO.
THE, THE, TO YOUR POINT, UH, COUNCILMAN, THE LI THE LIST IS BROAD CUZ WE THINK THE COMMUNITIES HAS TO KNOW WHAT WE FIND ACCEPTABLE.
CAUSE WE DON'T WANT TO GET 90 YARDS DOWN THE FIELD WITH THE COMPANY AND IF NOT BE, UH, ACCEPTABLE TO THE COMMUNITY.
UH, BUT WITH THAT, WITH OUR BUDGET, I WOULD SAY IN THE LAST YEAR WE'VE, WE'VE FOCUSED A LOT OF ATTENTION ON CYBER SECURITY TECHNOLOGY, BACK OFFICE OPERATIONS AND AEROSPACE.
SO OUR, OUR BUDGETING IS TIGHT, BELIEVE IT OR NOT.
AND SO, UH, WE DON'T, WE DON'T
[00:35:01]
REALLY HIRE LEAD GENERATORS FOR ALL OF THESE AREAS.UH, BUT I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT, CONVERT, LETTING THE COMMUNITY KNOW WHAT'S ON OUR LIST.
THAT'S WHERE GREEN INDUSTRY CAME FROM.
AND UH, LIKE GLASSWORKS WAS A GOOD FIT WITHIN THAT BUCKET.
AND, AND WE WANT TO HELP YOU KNOWN US BECAUSE ONE OF THE THINGS WE TALK ABOUT IS LIVE, WORK AND PLAY.
WE HAVE A FINITE AMOUNT OF DIRT LEFT IN THIS COUNTY AND WE HAVE TO HAVE THAT DELICATE BALANCE.
EVERY ONE OF US REPRESENTS A DISTRICT IN THE COUNTY.
SO YOU CAN HEAR 11 DIFFERENT OPINIONS ABOUT WHAT I WANT IN MY AREA.
NOW, CAN WE ACCOMPLISH ALL OF THAT THIS YEAR? NO.
BUT CAN WE DO SOME SORT OF PLANNING TO SAY MM-HMM.
MR. CHAIRMAN, CAN I MENTION SOMETHING? YES, CORRECT.
SOMETHING THAT MR. OTO AND I HAD TALKED ABOUT WHILE BACK WAS IN DISTRICT 11, THERE'S VIRTUALLY NO LAND LEFT, YOU KNOW THAT, RIGHT? CORRECT.
UM, AND WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT WAS, UM, RETROFITTING BUILDINGS THAT HAD BEEN AROUND FOREVER.
SO IF IT IS SOMETHING BACK ROOM LOGISTICS OR MM-HMM.
AND IT'S THE MAYOR'S FOCUS AS WELL.
I THINK WE'LL BE IN SYNC ON THAT.
IF I, IF I COULD WIND IT BACK A HALF SECOND BEFORE THE NEXT QUESTION.
THE, UH, UH, MOVE BY, UH, THE ADMINISTRATOR TO HAVE, UH, HANK LIAISON WITH US IS WORKING OUT VERY WELL.
FOR INSTANCE, YOU KNOW, A FINANCE OR LEGAL HAVE A QUESTION AND, AND HANK'S ABLE TO, UH, GET ALL THOSE QUESTIONS TOGETHER, GET US ON THE PHONE, GET THE ANSWERS, AND, AND LIAISON BACK TO THE RESPECTIVE DEPARTMENT.
SO THAT'S WORKING OUT VERY WELL.
COUNCILMAN DAWSON? WELL, THAT, THAT'S WHAT I WAS GONNA SPEAK TO JILL.
JUST REFERENCE THAT WE'VE BEEN DEALING WITH LACO FOUR YEARS NOW.
SO FOR THE NEW PEOPLE ON COUNCIL, LET ME, LET ME EDUCATE YOU.
UH, THE SITE IS A, AN OLD EXISTING CHEMICAL SITE IN THE LICO, UH, COMMUNITY.
UM, SEVERAL, UM, UH, CHEMICAL, UH, INDUSTRIES HAVE GONE THROUGH THERE, UH, DATING WAY BACK TO THE EARLY SEVENTIES.
AND SO, UM, THE LAST, THE LAST SITE, UH, LAST INDUSTRY, UM, AND I FORGOT THE NAME OF THEM, BUT THEY ACTUALLY SHUT DOWN AND ABANDONED THE SITE.
UM, AND THE SITE IS ACTUALLY, UM, IT DOES HAVE SOME CONTAMINATION LEFT.
UH, THERE'S SOME GROUNDWATER INTRUSION.
UH, AS FAR AS CONTAMINATION IS CONCERNED, UM, FOR US TO DO ANYTHING WITH THIS SITE IS PROBABLY GONNA INVOLVE SOME, SOME BROWNFIELD, UH, EFFORTS TO HELP GET IT CLEANED UP.
BUT IT'S, IT'S, IT'S A VIABLE SITE FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OUT IN THE RURAL PART OF THE COUNTY.
NOW OVER THE YEARS, UH, BECAUSE IT'S ITS OWN INDUSTRY, UH, IT OPENS ITSELF AND IT LENDS ITSELF TO ANY AND EVERYTHING THAT WANTS TO COME INTO THE COMMUNITY AND TO AND INTO THE COUNTY.
UM, THE LAST, BEFORE THE PANDEMIC, UM, THREE OR FOUR YEARS PRIOR TO THAT, WE HAD THE, UM, THE, UH, THE FIGHT WITH THE, UM, JELLY BALL, JELLY BALL FOLKS.
UM, AND, UM, THEY, BECAUSE OF OWN INDUSTRIAL, UH, WE, THE COUNTY, UH, TRIED TO STOP THE EFFORTS OF OPERATING THERE, BUT UNSUCCESSFULLY NOW THEY OPERATED PARTLY ON SAINT ELNA AND THEY DID PART OF THE OPERATION THERE AT THE LICO SITE AS WELL AS WELL THERE SOME OPERATION OVER IN THE COINE COUNTY.
THE JELLY BALL OPERATION WAS, UM, DISASTROUS TO OUR WATERWAYS, UH, FISHERIES.
AND SO IT IS, IT SITES IT'S OPERATION LIKE THAT THAT WE DON'T WANT IN THE COUNTY, LET ALONE IN THE LA VEHICLE, UH, COMMUNITY.
AND SO IN OUR EFFORTS TO MOVE FORWARD WITH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, UH, JOHN AND CHARLIE HAS BEEN WORKING ON THIS SITE AND IT, AND IT IS A SLOW PROCESS, BUT, UM, THERE'S AN ADDITIONAL, UH, I DON'T KNOW THE ACRES, BUT THERE'S TWO PROPERTY OWNERS, UH, ADJACENT
[00:40:01]
ON THE SITE.UM, AND SO, UH, JOHN AND CHARLIE'S TRYING TO INCORPORATE THOSE TWO PROPERTY OWNERS INTO THE, UM, INTO THE, THE CHEMICAL SITE.
AND THEN LET'S LOOSE MAKE THAT, UH, INDUSTRIALS, UM, UH, INDUSTRIAL PARK.
AND SO IT IS A SLOW PROCESS AND I CAN UNDERSTAND THE FRUSTRATION, BUT THE BOTTOM LINE IS WE GOT TO KEEP MOVING FORWARD AND WORKING ON THIS BECAUSE IF NOT, WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO FIGHT FOLKS LIKE THE JELLY BALL, WHO, WHO SEE THAT AS A PRIMARY FAULT.
AND THAT'S JUST THE FIRST EPISODE WE HAD.
GOD KNOWS WHO OR WHAT'S GOING TO COME NEXT.
JUST, YOU KNOW, WITH THE CHEMICAL PROPERTY, THAT'S WHAT'S DELAYING IT.
CAUSE UH, WE'VE COMMISSIONED A PHASE ONE.
WE'VE DONE A WETLAND STUDY, WE'VE DONE THE APPRAISALS, WE'VE DONE A A LOT OF WORK, UH, OUT THERE WITH, UM, THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION ASSISTANCE.
UM, WE'RE NOW IN THE PROCESS TO GET THE PHASE TWO, UH,
CAUSE ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S GONNA, WE DO NOT WANNA BRING THAT FORWARD TO COUNCIL AND HAVE EVERYBODY STAND UP AND SAY, WELL, IT HAS THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATION AND THERE'LL BE ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS THAT'LL MARCH IN HERE AND STAND RIGHT HERE AND SAY, WHAT HAS THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATION DONE? EVERYTHING THEY CAN, THEY NEED TO DO IN ORDER TO PROVE TO Y'ALL THAT THIS PROBABLY CAN BE REDEVELOPED WITHOUT IT BEING AN ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUE.
AND THEN WHEN I COME BEFORE YOU, THE ANSWER TO THAT IS GONNA BE AN EMPHATIC YES.
WE'RE GONNA HAVE THE PROCESS LAID OUT.
WE'RE GONNA KNOW WHAT THE CONDITIONS ARE, WE'RE GONNA KNOW WHAT THE, UH, WHY THE ISSUE AND WHAT WE NEED TO DO WITH DHEC WITH REGARDS TO A VOLUNTARY CLEANUP, UH, ON THAT PROPERTY.
THESE THINGS HAPPEN ALL THROUGH THE STATE.
THEY CAN BECOME AN ASSET, IT CAN BE AN ASSET FOR THE COUNTY.
UH, AND WE'RE ON THE VERGE OF BRINGING THAT FORWARD TO YOU ALL FROM PURCHASE.
I'D LIKE TO ADD, I'VE READ THE PHASE ONE.
I DON'T KNOW IF COUNCILMAN DAWSON'S HAD A CHANCE TO OR NOT.
IT, IT'S A GREAT SITE, I THINK, IN MY OPINION, UM, TO, AS A BROWNFIELD TYPE.
AND THERE'S KLAN NEXT TO IT THAT'S NOT CONTAMINATED.
SO YEAH, WE, WE NEED TO MOVE ON THIS.
HE HAD LET SOME PRELIMINARY, UH, CLEANUP AFTER THE COMMUNITY, UH, GOT UP IN ARMS DICK, UH, BASICALLY BROUGHT, UM, UH, STATE, UM, UH, INTO, UH, HAULED OFF THE MATERIALS, UH, THAT WERE ABOVE GROUND.
AND SOME OF THE, SOME OF THE DEBRIS ARE STILL LEFT, UH, THE, WHERE THEY TORE DOWN THE BUILDINGS AND THAT'S, THAT'S GOT CONTAMINATION AS WELL AS SOME, UM, GROUND WELLS, UM, UH, SITE, UH, UH, CONTRIBUTE TO THE GROUNDWATER INTRUSION AS WELL.
SO, UM, THERE'S A LOT GOING ON OUT THERE.
AND SO WE JUST HAVE TO, UH, METHODICALLY WORK THROUGH THE PROCESS OF ACTUALLY GETTING IT CLEANED UP TO WHERE WE CAN, UH, MAKE IT A VIABLE, UH, SITE FORM.
SO NOW WE'RE TALKING ABOUT GOALS AND PRIORITIES AT THE SAME TIME, BECAUSE JUST WHAT YOU SAID, PRIORITY LIES, WE HAVE TO DO SOMETHING WITH THAT PROPERTY BECAUSE IT IS ALREADY ZONED INDUSTRIAL.
SO ANY INDUSTRY THAT LOOKS AT THAT SAYS, ALRIGHT, IT'S, I'M COMING.
AND IF WE DON'T WANT THAT, WE HAVE TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THAT.
GOAL WISE, WE HAVE TO SET SOME GOALS TO DO WHATEVER CLEANUP WE NEED TO DO TO MAKE IT A VIABLE PIECE OF PROPERTY THE WAY WE WANT IT.
SO THIS FITS PERFECTLY AND I'M GONNA THROW A LURE OUT THERE FOR THE ARPA PRESENTATION.
BUT YOU'LL SEE IN THE INFRASTRUCTURE BUCKET, WHICH IS BASICALLY ALL THAT'S REMAINING.
I, ONE OF THE CORE USES FOR AR FUNDS IS THE EXTENSION OF WATER AND SEWER, ESPECIALLY FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND SAFE WATER ISSUES.
AND, UH, IT FITS PERFECTLY PRIORITY WISE WITH THE MM-HMM.
IF IT IS FULLY BUILT OUT WITH INFRASTRUCTURE AND IN THE RIGHT HANDS, IT ATTRACTS A WHOLE DIFFERENT LEVEL OF PROJECT.
AND THAT IS HOW I THINK WE NEED TO APPROACH THIS WITH HAVING ALL THE ENVIRONMENTALS IN ORDER, HAVING ALL THE PROPER INFRASTRUCTURE IN PLACE.
CAUSE THEN YOU'RE GONNA GET THAT HIGHER QUALITY TARGET INDUSTRY THAT YOU REALLY WANT.
AND SO, I'M BACK IN CHECK BACKTRACKING FOR A SECOND TOO.
CAUSE WE TALKED ABOUT THE PRIORITIES AND THEY ARE BROAD, BUT ALSO BUFORD COUNTY IS VERY DIFFERENT FROM OUR OTHER SISTER AND BROTHER COUNTIES IN SOUTHERN CAROLINA ALLIANCE.
AND SO WE'VE SPOKEN A LOT ABOUT IN THIS NEGOTIATION, BUT IT'S NOT EVEN PART OF THE NEGOTIATION.
BUT HOW DO WE OPERATE WITH THEM MORE CLOSELY GOING FORWARD IS WE NEED TO RECEIVE A WHOLE DIFFERENT LIST OF LEADS THAN ANY OTHER COUNTY WOULD GET.
AND WE CAN ACHIEVE THAT THROUGH BOARD MEMBERSHIP, BUT ALSO THROUGH THE STAFF INTERACTION AND, AND, AND MINING OUT.
THEY GET A LOT OF LEADS, BUT THEY'RE SPECIFICALLY FOCUSED ON A DIFFERENT SET THAN WE MIGHT BE AT TIMES.
[00:45:01]
WE CAN DO BOTH.CAUSE THEY DO HAVE A BIG NET THAT THEY CAST OUT THERE.
UM, I, I THINK IT'S GREAT WHAT YOU'RE GOING AND ATTRACTING BUSINESSES HERE.
ARE THERE ANY PROGRAMS WITHIN THE, THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION THAT ARE ASSISTING ENTREPRENEURS LOCALLY TO HELP THEM GROW THEIR BUSINESS HERE IN, IN A LOT OF SPACE? UH, I WOULD SAY PRIMARILY THE DON RYAN CENTER FOR INNOVATION AND BLUFFTON AND THE U FOR DIGITAL CORRIDOR ARE FOCUSED ON THAT.
BLACK EQUITY IS A NEW ENTRANT INTO THAT AREA.
SO WE DON'T HAVE TO PROVIDE THAT OURSELVES.
WE HAVE GREAT PARTNERSHIPS WITH THOSE ORGANIZATIONS.
ACTUALLY, CHARLIE STONE KEEPS HIS OFFICE AT THE DIGITAL CORRIDOR AND I KEEP MINE AT THE DON RYAN CENTER.
UH, BUT JUST TO BUILD ON THAT, IT'S NOT ONLY ATTRACTING, UH, BUSINESS, UH, BUT WORKING WITH EXISTING INDUSTRY.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, JUST THIS, UH, PAST FRIDAY, UH, CHARLIE HAD A MEETING WITH A LARGE 30 MILLION POUND TOMATO FARMER IN THE AREA AND WAS ABLE TO SECURE THEM A, UH, AGRICULTURAL GRANT, A A SIX FIGURE AGRICULTURAL GRANT, UH, A BREWERY IN BLUFFTON.
HE WAS ABLE TO SECURE A, UH, AG GRANT CUZ THEY'RE USING AG PRODUCTS.
AND WE ALSO HAVE A, A PEANUT, A PEANUT SHELL PROCESSOR WHO'S MAKING PELLETS NOT A PEANUT SHELLS.
AND, UH, HE SHOULD ALSO BE GETTING AN AG.
SO THESE ARE PEOPLE ALREADY IN ENTREPRENEURS IN THE COUNTY WHERE THEY WORK THROUGH THE DON RYAN CENTER OR THE BUFORD DIGITAL CORRIDOR.
AND THEN WE TRY TO SYSTEM AS THEY GRADUATE AND GROW.
SO WE DON'T BELABOR THE POINT.
WE HAVE TO TALK ABOUT PRIORITIES AND GOALS.
EACH OF US IS IN A DISTRICT THAT HAS UNIQUE CHARACTERISTICS ABOUT THAT DISTRICT.
I, I I SAY TO YOU THAT WE NEED A BALANCED APPROACH.
YES, WE NEED SOME OF THESE LARGER COMPANIES TO COME IN, BUT THERE'S ONLY CERTAIN PIECES OF PROPERTY THAT WE HAVE THAT CAN HANDLE LARGE CORPORATIONS.
DO WE FOCUS ALSO ON RETAIL BACK OFFICE? YOU KNOW, WE'RE GONNA PUT A LOT ON HIS PLATE, OBVIOUSLY, BECAUSE WE'RE GROWING FASTER THAN HE CAN SUPPLY ALL THE PEOPLE.
AND WE DON'T WANT PEOPLE HAVING TO COME AN HOUR AND A HALF TO WORK.
SO THAT'S WHAT WE WANNA FOCUS ON.
UH, AS I SAID, THERE ARE TWO LARGE PIECES OF PROPERTY.
WE HAVE ONE LARGE PIECE OF PROPERTY OUTSIDE OF YSI.
IT'S THE ONLY ONE THAT HAS ACCESS TO 95 AND RAIL LINES.
THAT IS A UNIQUE PIECE OF PROPERTY THAT NEEDS TO BE DEVELOPED THE RIGHT WAY BECAUSE THAT IS AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPER BY ITSELF.
AND SO TO ME THAT'S A PRIORITY.
AND I, UH, I SUPPORT US AND JOHN, UH, NEGOTIATING WITH THE, UH, UH, LANDOWNER.
UH, TRYING TO MOVE THAT, UH, PROJECT FORM AS YOU STATED IS, IS RIGHT, RIGHT OUTSIDE OF THE, THE MC TOWER LIMITS ARE CLOSER.
OUR PROXIMITY TO THE RAILROAD, UH, JUST OFF OF 95.
SO ALL THE INFRASTRUCTURE, UM, AS FAR AS TRANSPORTATION, I, I WOULD PERSONALLY LIKE TO SEE, UH, AEROSPACE ENGINEERING OUT THERE.
I MEAN, YOU GOT GULFSTREAM DOWN IN SAVANNAH.
YOU GOT BOEING IN IN CHARLESTON, GOT MARINE CORPS AIR STATION HERE.
SUPPORT THE MISSION HERE, BUT ALSO EXPAND THAT REGIONALLY AND THAT, I THINK THAT'S A PERFECT SITE FOR US.
I'LL GO A LITTLE FURTHER IN, UM, WITH GULFSTREAM IN THE AIRLINES.
UM, THE AUTO INDUSTRY IS BASICALLY A BOOMING INDUSTRY, UH, IN CHARLESTON AS WELL AS COMING TO SAVANNAH I THINK RIGHT NOW.
SO, UM, YEAH, I THINK WE ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF IT.
AS YOU SAID, WITH NEW PLANT BEING BUILT IN GEORGIA FOR HYUNDAI, THEY NEED SUPPLIERS.
A LOT OF THE SUPPLIERS DON'T WANT TO BE THERE.
DOES THAT GIVE YOU SOME IDEA OF WHAT WE, THE COUNCIL THINK ARE PRIORITIES AND GOALS THAT WE WANT YOU TO DO THAT HELPS YOU? THAT'S GREAT.
I'M SURE
SO BOTH OF 'EM ARE WORKING THEIR WAY THROUGH THE SYSTEM AS, UH, AS THE ADMINISTRATOR ERIC SAID, UH, THAT VOLUNTEER, A VOLUNTEER CLEANUP CONTRACT KEEPS
[00:50:01]
THE RESPONSIBLE PARTIES IN PLACE ON THE LACO ONE.SO THAT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE FOLLOW UP PROCESS SO THAT YOU DON'T PUT THE TAXPAYERS IN A LIABILITY SITUATION.
UH, ON EMBASSY, UH, WE HAVE AN ANOTHER DRONE COMPANY, PASSENGER DRONE COMPANY OUT OF ISRAEL WE'RE SPEAKING TO.
THAT WOULD BE AN IDEAL, UH, NEXT GENERATION AEROSPACE COMPANY.
AND WE HAVE A, A MEETING, A FOLLOW UP MEETING WITH THEM ON MONDAY.
COMMERCE HAS, UH, APPOINTED A PROJECT MANAGER ON THAT ONE.
SOME 460 JOBS AVERAGING $89,000 A YEAR.
WE ARE ALSO TALKING TO AN ELECTRIC TRUCK MANUFACTURER OUT OF AUSTRIA.
UH, THAT IS, UH, WOULD LOOK AT THAT SITE AS WELL.
UH, WE THINK IT'S GREEN INDUSTRY TO THE POINT OF THE PENNY TAX.
I'M WORKING REALLY WELL WITH THE PLANNERS HERE AT THE COUNTY AND THE ADMINISTRATION IS, IS THAT THIS REALLY COULD BE A, UH, ENVIRONMENTALLY, UH, GREAT DEVELOPMENT, THE BE THE NATIONAL BEST PRACTICE AND WE'RE HAVING GREAT CONVERSATIONS WITH STAFF ON THAT.
BUT YOU, YOU REALLY CAN'T PICK WHO'S GONNA BUY WHAT WE HAVE.
BUT I THINK WE HAVE THE TO, UH, WHAT THE EXPRESSION THINKINGS EARLIER.
WE HAVE THE RIGHT LURES IN THE WATER TO ATTRACT INDUSTRY.
AND, AND IN PARTICULAR WHEN WE GET UP IN THE EMBASSY AND, AND IN LACO, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE WORK REALLY CLOSELY WITH OUR, WHAT I'LL CALL 'EM, ENVIRONMENTAL PARTNERS OR ENVIRONMENTAL ENTHUSIASTS SO THAT WHEN WE BRING A PROJECT FORWARD, WE DON'T HAVE RESISTANCE.
WE, WE, UH, MIGHT EXPECT SUPPORT.
IT'S ON TRACK AND IT'S WHAT WE'VE BEEN CHARGING AHEAD WITH THE ADMINISTRATION.
IS EVERYBODY SATISFIED WITH WHAT, YOU KNOW, KIND OF THE PRIORITIES ARE, UM, GOING FORWARD, BECAUSE THIS IS MOVING FAST, WE KNOW THAT PEOPLE WANT TO COME HERE.
WE KNOW THAT THERE ARE OTHER THINGS THAT CAN BE DONE ALONG THE WAY.
PAUL, YOU WANTED TO MAKE ANOTHER COMMENT, UM, REGARDING DAVID'S COMMENT ABOUT AEROSPACE.
NORTHROP GRUMMAN'S HEADQUARTERS IN FAIRFAX, VIRGINIA.
I HAVE THEM ON MY LIST TO CONTACT AS WELL.
BUT, UM, ALL THE PEOPLE I WANNA BRING IN HERE, THE FINANCIAL SERVICES COMPANY'S HEAD FUND MANAGER, WHATEVER YOU WANNA CALL THEM, THEY ALL HAVE GOLF STREAMS AND THEY ALL FLY THEIR GULF STREAMS DOWN HERE AND HAVE A MAINTENANCE.
AND THEY STAY OVER IN PALM BLUFF, THE MAJORITY OF THEM.
SO I WAS WONDERING IF, IF WE HAVE ON THE LIST, MAYBE TO BRING NORTH OR GRUMMAN DOWN HERE, THEY'RE HEADQUARTERS DOWN HERE.
PUT IT IN THE, IN THE NORTHERN BEAUFORT COUNTY.
I JUST THOUGHT ABOUT THAT CUZ CAUSE I ACTUALLY AM ON MY LIST TO CONTACT.
I WE DON'T HAVE NORTH, NORTH, NORTH GRUMMAN GRUMMAN SPECIFICALLY ON OUR LIST, BUT WE, WE HAVE IN PAST PARTICIPATED IN INTERNATIONAL AIR SHOWS WITH, UH, DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE.
UH, WE, WE ACTUALLY, WE MET SKYDRIVE, WHICH IS LOCATING IN, IN SOUTH CAROLINA AT THE PARIS AIR SHOW.
SO, UH, WE WORK REALLY CLOSELY WITH COMMERCE TO DEVELOP LEADS.
THE KEY IS, UH, TO THE CHAIRMAN'S POINT, IF WE GET THE SITE READY, FOR INSTANCE, THIS AUSTRIAN ELECTRIC TRUCK MANUFACTURER MM-HMM.
SO THAT WOULD GIVE US ANO ONE AFTER THEY PICKED THE SITE TO BE OPEN.
AND SO THAT WOULD GIVE US ENOUGH TIME TO GET THE INFRASTRUCTURE IN PLACE TO SUPPORT IT.
UH, BUT A LOT OF TIMES, AND, AND IT'S HANK'S EXPERIENCE AS WELL, I'M SURE SOMETIMES THE TIMELINES ARE, ARE MUCH TIGHTER THAN THAT.
AND A A YA EMBASSY OR LUDICO WON'T FIT THE BILL.
SO IT'S IMPORTANT WE'RE DOING THIS F WORK WE'RE DOING TODAY.
UM, ONE OTHER QUESTION, UM, IS OUR HILTON AIRPORT, IT WAS EXPANDED.
IS IT GONNA BE BIG ENOUGH TO PUT GULFSTREAM TWO THREE IN? DO YOU KNOW? I, I, I BELIEVE SO.
I WOULD ASK JOHN REK, BUT I, I BELIEVE SO MEANS I LANDED ON, SEEMED LARGER THAN THE GULF STREAM HEAD FLY IN AND THE, OUR COMPANY HERE.
YEAH, I KNOW THAT'S ONE OF, ONE OF HIS TARGETS IS SOMEBODY WHO WOULD SERVICE HIGH-END.
THERE'S ONLY, AGAIN, LIMITED LAND, THERE'S LIMITED LAND AROUND THAT AIRPORT.
AND SO WE TALK ABOUT THAT REGULARLY.
IS IT HIVES INVEST? IS IT SOMETHING THAT REALLY FITS WITH ALLEGED? NOW WE CONSIDER ALL OF THAT STUFF IN THE DISCUSSION PIECE.
NEXT TUESDAY, HANK AND I HAVE A MEETING WITH JOHN REBOLT AND THE FOLKS ON HILTON HAD ABOUT A PROSPECT COMPANY.
IF, IF, IF THAT'S ACCEPTABLE, WE'LL MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT.
IF NOT, WE MIGHT PUT THIS DEVELOPMENT SITE OUT FOR PROPOSALS, AEROSPACE PROPOSAL, SOME 14 ACRES, BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF LAND UP IN THERE WE GO.
[00:55:01]
THAT IT? AM I RIGHT ABOUT THAT? THAT'LL BE ABOUT 200 ACRES COMBINED.THEY ALSO FLY THE 50, BUT WE'RE WE'RE, UH, IDENTIFIED.
THEY ALSO FLY THEIR PRIVATE ADJACENT TO, INTO BEFOR COUNTY AIRPORT HERE BECAUSE THEY'RE MEMBERS OF SUCCESSION GOLF COURSE.
BUT THAT'S AN ISSUE THERE IS THE RUNWAY LENGTHS CAN'T HANDLE THE LARGER PLANES.
UH, FOR OBVIOUS RESTRICTION REASONS WITH THE MARSH NOW, THERE'S ONLY SO MUCH EXPANSION THAT CAN HAPPEN SMALL, BECAUSE I'VE SPOKEN TO SEVERAL OF THEM THAT FLY TO BALTIMORE WHERE I WAS BEFORE.
SO A LOT OF TIMES THESE, IT'S A DIFFERENT BALLPARK THAN I PLAY IN, BUT THEY, THEY, INSTEAD OF TAKING THEIR BIG PLANE TO TAKE TOO LITTLE PLANE.
SO THE, UH, I THINK WE NEED TO FINISH UP BEFORE WE'RE DONE HERE, UH, FOR YOU ALL TO DETERMINE, UH, AND THIS IS NOT A, UH, ADVERSARIAL ASK JOHN HAS, HAS SPOKEN ABOUT AS, UH, COUNCILMAN KELLEN SAID, DOES COUNCIL WANT TO EXPLORE, UH, BOARD REPRESENTATION ON THE BOARD? ARE WE HAPPY WITH THE WAY IT IS WHEN YOU GUYS ARE ALLOWED TO COME THERE? DO YOU WANNA LOOK AT CHANGES WITH THE EDC OR DO YOU ALSO AS WE NEGOTIATE THE CONTRACT WITH SSTA, WANT TO THINK ABOUT HOW TO, HOW THAT PLAYS OUT? UM, THE WAY THAT BYLAWS FOR EDC WORK RIGHT NOW IS THE CHAIRMAN ON HIS DESIGNEE THAT SERVED ON THE EDC BOARD.
AND ALL OF THAT'S UNDER CONSIDERATION, HANK, AT THE MOMENT, ONE OF THE THINGS YOU JUST SAID ARE IN A STEW HERE.
AND I'M HOPING THAT BEFORE THE END OF THE MONTH, WE'LL HAVE ANSWERS.
I JUST WANTED THROW OUT THERE SO WE MAKE SURE WE COVER ALL OUR BASES TODAY.
MR. CHAIRMAN, LET ME ASK A QUESTION.
WHEN YOU, YOU MENTIONED SCA, UM, TALK A LITTLE ABOUT THEIR ROLE.
UM, RIGHT NOW, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, I, I DON'T LOOK TOO MUCH TO THE SCA FOR ANYTHING.
I LOOK TO THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
WELL THEN THAT'S HOW PRETTY MUCH EVERY COUNTY, UM, EXCEPT FOR A COUPLE, RIGHT.
MOST COUNTIES HAVE THEIR OWN OPERATION, UH, WHETHER IT'S INTERNAL OR A DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, THAT IS THE FOCUS FOR MOST OF THEIR OPERATIONS ALL THE TIME.
THAT'S WHERE THEY'RE OUT MARKETING, THEY'RE GOING TO DIFFERENT INDUSTRY SHOWS.
THAT'S WHERE THEY'RE DOING THEIR OUTREACH.
THE REGIONAL ALLIANCE IS THE ONE THAT REALLY HAS THE MOST DIRECT COMMUNICATION WITH COMMERCE BECAUSE THEY ARE THE ONES THAT SET UP THIS SYSTEM OF REGIONAL ALLIANCES SO THAT THEY DON'T HAVE TO TALK TO 46 PEOPLE.
THEY STILL DO ON A, ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS FOR PROJECTS.
BUT THEY WANTED EVERYBODY TO PULL RESOURCES.
AND UH, THAT'S WHERE A LOT OF LEADS COME THROUGH COMMERCE.
BUT THAT'S ALSO, THEY, THEY HAVE, BECAUSE OF THE COURT RESOURCES, THE ABILITY TO MARKET DIFFERENTLY, WE, I THINK WHAT PEOPLE WOULD SEE HERE IS BECAUSE BEAUFORT COUNTY, I MEAN, I WAS PART OF THE, OF NEIGHBORING COUNTY WHEN THE NEGOTIATION WAS GOING ON.
AND I THINK BEAUFORT COUNTY IS DIFFERENT AND PARTS OF THE COUNTY AS WE'VE DISCUSSED TODAY, ARE DIFFERENT FROM EVEN WITHIN THE COUNTY.
I THINK WE CAN DO A BETTER JOB LONG TERM COMMUNICATING THOSE NEEDS AND DESIRES AND MOVING THE NEEDLE.
AND AGAIN, NOT IN AN ADVERSARIAL WAY OF, I KNOW YOU GUYS ARE FOCUSED ON THIS INDUSTRY AND THIS INDUSTRY, WE NEED YOU TO DO THIS FOR US.
BUT THEY'RE A HIGHER LEVEL THAT CAN BRING MORE LEADS.
THEY CAN ALSO, BECAUSE OF MULTI COUNTY INDUSTRIAL PARKS OR DISASSOCIATION, CAN BRING DIFFERENT LEVEL OF INCENTIVES TO OUR COUNTY THAT WE'RE IN A HIGHER TIER COUNTY WHICH DOESN'T RECEIVE CERTAIN LEVEL OF JOB CREATION, TAX CREDITS OR OTHER ASSISTANCE FROM THE STATE.
THAT ASSOCIATION CAN HELP US LEVERAGE DOLLARS THAT WAY TOO.
BUT IT TAKES CONSTANT, REGULAR, PRODUCTIVE INTERACTION AND PARTICIPATION THAT TO HAPPEN SOMETHING BE FOCUSED IF I'M, I'M THE FACT THAT WORKS FOR US.
WE'VE GOTTA HAVE AREAS THAT MAKE A MARKET FOR US.
WE DON'T HAVE, WE DON'T HAVE LAND, A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF LAND FOR THEM TO BE ABLE TO GO OUT AND, AND MARKET.
AND, AND TO HIS POINT, THAT'S WHAT I WAS MENTIONING EARLIER ABOUT PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT AND GETTING INFRASTRUCTURE TO SITES.
BECAUSE WHEN SCA THINK OF REALLY BIG LEAVES, YOU SAW THE ONE IN PELOTON, RIGHT? THAT'S ALMOST 800 MILLION IN BIG, BIG PROJECTS.
THERE WAS A DEVELOPMENT OF THAT PRODUCT FOR YEARS TO HAVE A MILLION GALLONS OF WATER AVAILABLE THERE TO HAVE THE ROADS AND INFRASTRUCTURE IN PLACE.
BECAUSE WHEN THESE COMPANIES CALL JOHN OR ANYBODY AT SCA, THERE ARE FEW THINGS AND PRICE IS REALLY NOT ONE OF 'EM.
IT BECOMES HOW, WHAT IS MY RISK HERE AND WHAT IS MY TIMELINE? AND SO WE HAVE TO HELP WITH THE RISK, WHICH IS WHAT'S THERE, WHAT'S IN THE GROUND? MEANING POLLUTION, VOLUNTARY CLEANUP, CONTRACTS, AND TIMELINE.
HOW QUICKLY CAN I OPEN MY DOORS? AND
[01:00:01]
THAT GETTING THEM TO THAT PART IS ROADS, PADS, WATER, AND ZERO AND HOUSING AND HOW WELL EXACTLY MM-HMM.O OVER THE COURSE OF THE FOUR YEARS I'VE BEEN ON HERE WORKING WITH SCA, THE BIG PROJECTS WERE IN COLL AND JASPER COUNTY, YOU KNOW, THE AGRICULTURE THAT WAS THERE THAT WAS HIGHLY TOUTED AND THEY SPENT THERE AND THE JASPER OCEAN PORT.
SO WE DON'T HAVE THAT SIZE LAND HERE IN NEWFORD COUNTY.
SO WE HAVE TO TAKE A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT FROM NOW.
I'VE HEARD THAT SOMEBODY USED THE WORD, UH, DOING WORK UNDERGROUND IS NOT SENSE, RIGHT? MM-HMM.
IT SOUNDS, THAT'S WHY I REMEMBER IN COTON AND JASPER, THEY WOULD SAY, MAN, THESE GUYS HAVE BEEN SPINNING THEIR WHEELS FOREVER.
THEY'RE DOING, WHAT ARE THEY DOING? BUT IT'S KIND OF LIKE WHEN YOU BUILD A BUILDING, GETTING TO THE GROUND LEVEL IS THE MAJORITY OF THE TIME AND EFFORT AND THEN THE VERTICAL PORTION HAPPEN.
UM, DO WE NEED TO TAKE A BREAK BEFORE WE MOVE INTO THE NEXT PART OR DO YOU WANT TO JUST KEEP RIGHT ON? WHAT IS THE NEXT PART? KEEP GOING.
NEXT PART IS WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT ATAC AND THEN TOURISM PRIORITIES.
WE'LL JUST KEEP RIGHT ON MOVING.
HOW MUCH, HOW MUCH TIME IS PA NEXT PORTION? WHO, WHO HAS THAT? WELL, YOU HEAR, HOW MUCH TIME WILL THAT BE? UH, I DON'T THINK IT'S GONNA BE THAT.
IT'S NOT GONNA BE AS LONG AS WHAT WE JUST DID.
AND WE'LL BE OKAY WITH THAT BREAK.
WHAT DO YOU THINK? EVERYBODY DOWN HERE? YEAH, I'M GOOD.
THERE'S A LOT OF DISCUSSION AROUND COUNTING UNITS, CITIES, AND TOWNS AND WHAT IS AT TAX, WHAT IS H TAX? AND AGAIN, THINGS HAVE HAPPENED OVER TIME THAT TOM HOPEFULLY DISC CONNECTED VIA THE INTERWEB AT THIS POINT.
UM, WHAT HE'S GONNA DO IS TAKE YOU, YOU THROUGH A HISTORY OF WHAT IS THE STATE LAW ON ATEX, THERE ARE THREE DIFFERENT THINGS AND THEY ARE DIFFERENT.
IT IS CLOSELY DEFINED THEN HOW IT'S COLLECTED, WHAT YOU CAN USE IT FOR, AND WHO GETS TO GIVE IT OUT.
TAX IS ON BOTH ACCOMMODATIONS.
TAX ARE ON HOTEL ROOMS OR ANY SHORT TERM RENTALS.
HOSPITALITY TAX IS ON RESTAURANTS.
WE ONLY COLLECT ON THOSE THAT ARE IN THE UNINCORPORATED COUNTY.
A LOCAL HOSPITALITY AND ACCOMMODATIONS TAX GIVES YOU ALL THE MOST FLEXIBILITY TO UTILIZE AND HE'LL GO THROUGH THAT.
AND, UH, I GUESS HISTORY AND LEGAL LESSON ON THOSE TWO.
LOGAN, I'M SORRY, I LOST YOU LAST TIME.
UH, I'M, I'M NOT GONNA TRY TO SCREEN SHARE THIS TIME CUZ I THINK THAT MAY BE WHERE THE PROBLEM IS.
UM, SO I WON'T, I WON'T DO THAT.
SO I WANNA START WITH, UM, THE STATE, EXCUSE ME, THE STATE AT TAX, UM, THE STATE, UH, CODE, UM, ALLOWS OR ACTUALLY COLLECTS, ALLOWS FOR THE COLLECTION OF 2% OF LOCAL ATAC BY THE STATE.
UM, AND THIS IS IN CODE SECTION 12 DASH 36 DASH TWO 60.
UM, THE STATE CODE THEN INDICATES TO MANDATES TO THE LOCAL GOVERNMENTS HOW THAT MONEY CAN BE SPENT.
UM, THE FIRST, THE FIRST $25,000 THAT THE COUNTIES RECEIVE GO TO THE GENERAL FUND.
IT CAN BE USED FOR ANY PURPOSE WHATSOEVER.
A 5% BALANCE OF, OF THE, OF THE AMOUNT THAT'S REMITTED BY THE STATE, UM, IS ALSO, UM, PUT OVER INTO THE GENERAL FUND FOR USE BY THE COUNTY, HOWEVER IT DEEMS FIT.
AND THEN 35% OF THE BALANCE HAS TO BE ALLOCATED TO A SPECIAL FUND.
AND IT HAS TO BE USED ONLY FOR ADVERTISING PROMOTION OF TOURISM.
AND, EXCUSE ME, THE STATE CODE REQUIRES LOCAL GOVERNMENTS TO SELECT THE LANGUAGES, SHALL SELECT ONE OR MORE ORGANIZATIONS SUCH AS A CHAMBER, A VISITOR AND CONVENTIONS BUREAU, OR A REGIONAL TOURISM COMMISSION, WHICH HAS AN EXISTING ONGOING TOURISM PROMOTION PROGRAM.
AND ONLY IF NO SUCH PROGRAM EXISTS CAN THE COUNTY ESTABLISH
[01:05:01]
ITS OWN.AND SOME COUNTIES HAVE ESTABLISHED THEIR OWN.
BUT THAT'S NOT AN OPTION, UH, IN MY OPINION FOR US BECAUSE BEAUFORT COUNTY HAS SUCH ORGANIZATIONS.
UM, THE STATE STATUTE ALSO SAYS THAT, AND, AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE, UM, WE ARE AS DILIGENT IN DOING AS MAYBE WE SHOULD.
BUT, UH, IT PROVIDES THAT BEFORE THE BEGINNING OF EACH FISCAL YEAR, WHICH OF COURSE IS JULY 1ST, AN ORGANIZATION WHICH RECEIVES THE FUNDS FROM THE ACCOMMODATION TAX SHALL SUBMIT FOR APPROVAL OF A BUDGET OF PLANNED EXPENSES.
AND IT ALSO SAYS THAT AT THE END OF EACH FISCAL YEAR, WHICH IS JUNE 30TH, UH, ORGANIZATIONS RECEIVING THESE FUNDS SHALL, SHALL RENDER AN ACCOUNTING, UM, OF THE EXPENDITURES TO THE COUNTY, UM, WHICH DISTRIBUTED THEM.
SO THERE'S THIS ACCOUNTABILITY THAT WE'VE HEARD A LOT, UM, ABOUT.
UM, THIS IS THE PROVISION OF THE CODE THAT, UM, ADDRESSES THAT.
UM, AND IN MY OPINION, THE COUNTY, UM, CAN BE AS AGGRESSIVE AS IT WANTS TO BE, UM, WITH REGARD TO THE BUDGET THAT IT EXPECTS TO RECEIVE FROM THESE ORGANIZATIONS THAT REQUEST FUNDS FROM OUR DMO AND AS AGGRESSIVE AS IT WANTS TO BE WITH REGARD TO AN ACCOUNTING OF THE EXPENDITURES.
NOW, I'M NOT AN ACCOUNTANT, I'M NOT A FINANCIAL GUY, SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT THOSE THINGS SHOULD LOOK LIKE, BUT OBVIOUSLY WE HAVE THE STAFF ON BOARD, UM, THAT CAN DO THAT.
UM, SO AFTER WE, UH, DISTRIBUTE THE FIRST 25,000 TO THE GENERAL FUND, AFTER WE DISTRIBUTE THE FIRST 5% TO THE REMAINING 5% TO THE GENERAL FUND, BOTH OF WHICH CAN BE USED FOR WHATEVER REASON WE WANT.
AND THEN WE DISTRIBUTE THE 35% OF THE BALANCE TO DMO.
AND WE, UH, AND I'LL TALK IN A SECOND WHEN I'LL TALK ABOUT OUR ORDINANCES, THEN THE REMAINING BALANCE, UM, MUST BE ALLOCATED TO A SPECIAL FUND.
STILL IT'S THE STATE, A TAX FUND.
UM, AND IT TOO MUST BE USED JUST FOR TOURISM RELATED EXPENDITURES.
NOW, THE CODE IS VERY SPECIFIC ABOUT WHAT TOURISM RELATED EXPENDITURES ARE.
AND SO I'M JUST GONNA ASK YOU TO BEAR WITH ME FOR A MINUTE WHILE I TAKE THEM OFF.
AND THE REASON THAT THIS IS IMPORTANT IS BECAUSE IN OUR TIME, EXCUSE ME, IN OUR TIME, UM, RECENTLY, WE HAVE USED THESE FUNDS, UM, AND OUR LOCAL FUNDS IN, UM, PERHAPS, UH, UH, UNORTHODOX WAYS.
BUT I THINK IN WAYS THAT, UM, THAT SATISFY, UM, THE, THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE STATE CODE.
UM, AND I'LL TALK TO YOU ABOUT EXACTLY WHAT ONE OF THOSE NOVEL APPROACHES WAS IN A MINUTE.
BUT TOURISM RELATED EXPENDITURES ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS.
AND THIS DEFINITION REALLY IS TRUE FOR THE THREE AREAS THAT HANK JUST TALKED ABOUT.
THE STATE AT TAX FUND, THE LOCAL AT TAX FUND, AND THE LOCAL, UM, HOSPITALITY TAX.
SO TOURISM RELATED EXPENDITURES INCLUDE ONE, ADVERTISING AND PROMOTION OF TOURISM AS TO DEVELOP AN INCREASED TOURISTS ATTENDANCE THROUGHOUT, UH, THROUGH THE GENERATION OF PUBLICITY.
THAT'S WHAT WE HEAR SO MUCH ABOUT WHEN WE HEAR, I THINK FROM THE BEAUFORT, UH, PORT ROYAL CONVENTIONS BUREAU AND FROM THE TOWN OF HILTON HEAD TOWN OF BLUFFTON CHAMBER, THEY TALK ABOUT THE MONEY THAT THEY SPEND, YOU KNOW, ON THIS ELECTRONIC DATA AND THESE MEDIA PLATFORMS AND ALL THAT KIND OF STUFF.
BUT IT ALSO APPLIES TO SEVERAL OTHER AREAS.
AND I, I'M GONNA TAKE THEM OFF.
PROMOTION OF THE ARTS AND CULTURAL EVENTS.
NUMBER THREE, CONSTRUCTION, MAINTENANCE AND OPERATION OF FACILITIES FOR CIVIC AND CULTURE ACTIVITIES, INCLUDING CONSTRUCTION AND MAINTENANCE OF ACCESS.
AND OTHER NEARBY WROTE UTILITIES AND UTILITIES, EXCUSE ME, FOR THE FACILITIES.
AND I'M SURE SOME OF YOU ARE DINGING.
HEY, THIS IS THE KIND OF STUFF THAT, UM, JARED WAS TALKING TO US ABOUT THE OTHER DAY.
WELL, IT IS, THAT'S EXACTLY RIGHT.
AND, AND, AND WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO USE THESE KINDS OF FUNDS FOR THESE KINDS OF PURPOSES.
SO ANYWAY, THAT'S NUMBER THREE.
NUMBER FOUR, THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM, LAW ENFORCEMENT, FIRE PROTECTION, SOLID WASTE COLLECTION, AND HEALTH FACILITIES WHEN REQUIRED TO SERVE TOURISTS AND TOURIST FACILITIES.
UM, UH, FIVE PUBLIC FACILITIES SUCH AS RESTROOMS, DRESSING ROOMS, PARKS, PARKING LOTS, ALL OF THIS.
I'M SURE YOU'RE DINGING AGAIN WITH THIS,
[01:10:01]
WHAT STEPHANIE WAS TALKING ABOUT.THIS IS WHAT, THIS IS WHAT, UM, UM, PARKS AND REC WAS TALKING ABOUT.
I MEAN, I REMEMBER YESTERDAY WAS TOURISM, THE, THE, THE PARKS AND REC CONSULTANTS, TOURISM OF RECREATION, TOURISM.
NUMBER SIX IS TOURIST SHUTTLE TRANSPORTATION.
NUMBER SEVEN IS CONTROL AND REPAIR OF WATERFRONT EROSION, INCLUDING BEACH RE NOURISHMENT.
I THINK, UH, I THINK THE TOWN OF HILTON HEAD USES A GOOD BIT OF THEIR MONEY FOR THAT PURPOSE.
UH, AND THEN FOR OPERATING VISITOR INFORMATION CENTERS.
SO THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT THIS, THIS MONEY, AND I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH IT IS, UM, THAT WE GET EVERY YEAR, UM, BUT THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT THIS MONEY CAN BE USED FOR.
UM, AND THIS IS ALL THROUGH THE STATE.
NOW, THESE FUNDS, UM, THESE STATE FUNDS NEED TO GO THROUGH A, UM, THEY NEED TO GO THROUGH THE, UM, UH, THE DMO THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT.
UM, AND SO LET'S TALK ABOUT NOW ABOUT OUR ORDINANCES.
SO OUR CODE OF ORDINANCES THAT DEALS WITH THE STATE ATAC IS, UH, 66 DASH 29 POWERS AND DUTIES, UM, OF, UM, UH, OF, OF THE, ACTUALLY THIS IS OF THE STATE, UM, BOARD THAT, UM, OF OUR STATE BOARD THAT MAKES RECOMMENDATIONS ABOUT HOW TO ALLOCATE THESE FUNDS OUT.
UM, AND, UM, AND LEMME SEE, WHERE'S THE OTHER SECTION? YES.
SO WE CAN ALSO USE, UNDER THE STATUTE, WE CAN ALSO USE, UM, THESE FUNDS.
UM, WHAT I'VE ALREADY TALKED ABOUT THAT.
SO YOU'RE ON, YOU'RE STILL ON STATE, CORRECT? YES.
SO I THINK THE STATE CLEAR WITH 25005% AND THEN 35% GOES TO THE DS.
AND 65% IS WHAT'S GIVEN OUT BY THE ACCOMMODATIONS BOARD, THE STATE ACCOMMODATIONS BOARD THAT BRINGS THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS TO YOU ALL FOR APPROVAL THAT'S HAPPENED HERE IN THE LAST MONTH.
SO NOW LET'S TALK ABOUT THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THAT AND THE LOCAL HOSPITALITY AND ACCOMMODATIONS.
WELL, SO THE LOCAL, UM, HOSPITALITY AND ACCOMMODATIONS IS AS FOLLOWS.
SO THE STATE LAW ALLOWS US TO, ALLOWS YOU GUYS TO ADOPT A 3% LOCAL ACCOMMODATIONS TAX.
AND BEAUFORT COUNTY DID THAT RIGHT AWAY.
UM, AND WE'VE HAD IT FOR YEARS.
AND IT ALSO ALLOWS US TO COLLECT, UM, 2%, UM, HOSPITALITY, UH, TAXES AND STATE LAW REQUIRES THAT THOSE FUNDS BE KEPT IN SEPARATE ACCOUNTS.
STATE LAW REQUIRES THAT THOSE FUNDS BE USED FOR THE SAME KIND OF PURPOSES FOR TOURISM RELATED, UM, PURPOSES.
UM, OUR LOCAL CODE PROVIDES THAT 8% OF THE FUNDS THAT ARE RECEIVED ARE TO BE SPENT ANNUALLY FOR OPERATING EXPENSES AND PROGRAMS. 350, UH, THOUSAND ANNUALLY IS TO BE, UH, ALLOCATED FOR ADVERTISING AND PROMOTIONAL PRO PROGRAMS. AND WE DO THAT THROUGH, UH, ALLOCATIONS TO THE BUFORT PORT, ROYAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.
WE GIVE THE HILTON HEAD ISLAND, UH, BLUFFTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE ONE 50, AND WE GIVE 50,000 TO THE BLACK CHAMBER.
THE 20% OF THE BALANCE IS TO BE USED TO, UH, ESTABLISH A RESERVE FUND FOR EMERGENCIES AND UNFORESEEN NEEDS.
UH, UH, 20% IS FOR BEACH RIVER ACCESS, UM, AND BOATING FACILITIES, THOSE KINDS OF THINGS.
AND FOR BEACH RE NOURISHMENT AND 60% OF EVERYTHING ELSE, UM, CAN BE LISTED, CAN BE USED FOR ALL OF THE PURPOSES THAT ARE LISTED IN THE STATE STATUTE, WHICH I TALKED ABOUT EARLIER.
WE DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE TO HAVE A BOARD THAT ALL THAT ACCEPTS APPLICATIONS, UM, REVIEWS APPLICATIONS, AND DIVIDES THIS MONEY UP.
UH, IN FACT, IN THE PAST, UM, WHAT BEAUFORT COUNTY USED TO DO, UH, IS IT USED TO KEEP THESE FUNDS IN THAT ACCOUNT THAT'S REQUIRED TO BE MAINTAINED.
AND IT WOULD ALLOW THAT ACCOUNT TO GROW.
UM, AND IT WOULD USE THOSE FUNDS FOR REALLY BIG PROJECTS FOR, LIKE, FOR INSTANCE, MANY OF THE PEOPLE ON COUNCIL REMEMBER, UM, WE GAVE A BUNCH OF MONEY TO PENN CENTER.
I WANNA SAY IT WAS 7 50, 700 50,000 OR MAYBE $800,000 TO REFURBISH BUILDINGS AND WHATNOT.
THAT WAS OUT OF ATAC, LOCAL ATAC H TAX.
[01:15:01]
U S C B, UM, MONEY TO ESTABLISH THE, UM, THE SOUTHERN COOKING CULINARY INSTITUTE.UM, THE THOUGHT BEING THAT THAT INSTITUTE WOULD ATTRACT TOURISM AND VISITORS, UH, AND THAT WAS, WAS A HUGE HAND RINGING MOMENT.
THAT'S WHAT I WAS REFERRING TO EARLIER.
UH, WE HAD A LOT OF QUESTIONS ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT THAT WOULD QUALIFY, BUT IN THE END, WE DECIDED THAT IT WOULD, AND WE ATTRIBUTED, UH, A GOOD BIT OF MONEY TO THAT.
UM, AND I THINK SEVERAL YEARS AGO, MAYBE IN 2018 OR SO, UM, COUNCIL GAVE MITCHELLVILLE, UM, A VERY, VERY, UM, LARGE SUM OF MONEY.
I THINK IT WAS HALF A MILLION DOLLARS, UM, FOR CREATING THEIR, UM, CENTER, UM, FOR A RECEPTION CENTER, UH, UH, DOWN IN MITCHELLVILLE, DOWN IN HILTON HEAD.
SO, UM, COUNCIL USED TO TAKE THESE FUNDS AND KEEP THEM ASIDE AND AWARD THEM IN VERY LARGE SUMS. A LOT OF THE SPANISH MOSS TRAIL MONEY CAME FROM THESE FUNDS.
AND THOSE ARE ALL THINGS THAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE TO US.
UH, MR. CHAIRMAN, I JUST WANTED, COULD YOU GO BACK YOUR CELL ON REWIND? GO BACK TO 3%, 2%? TELL ME THE DISTINCTIONS.
YEAH, SO THE STATE IS A 2%, UM, AT TAX.
IT COLLECTS IT ACROSS THE WHOLE STATE, AND IT REMITS THOSE FUNDS TO THE ENTITIES, UM, THAT ARE THE SOURCE OF THOSE REVENUES.
WELL, YOU, YOU SPOKE LATER ON, UH, SEEMED LIKE A LOCAL COLLECTION.
AND YOU MADE A DISTINCTION BETWEEN HOSPITALITY TAX AND AN ACCOMMODATIONS TAX, I THINK.
HOSPITALITY TAX WAS THAT JUST FOR RESTAURANTS? UM, HOSPITALITY TAXES FOR OUR CODE SAYS THAT THIS ATTACKS, IT'S A 2%.
THE STATE LAW ALLOWS IT, IT'S CODE SECTION SIX DASH ONE DASH SEVEN 20.
OUR BUILDINGS, UH, OUR BUSINESS LICENSES LICENSE FOLKS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR OVERSEEING THE COLLECTION OF BOTH THE LOCAL A TAX 3% AND THE LOCAL HOSPITALITY TAX 2%.
AND THIS TAX, UH, IS IMPOSED IN UNINCORPORATED AREAS OF THE COUNTY ON THE SALES OF PREPARED MEALS AND BEVERAGES SOLD IN ESTABLISHMENTS OR SALES OF PREPARED MEALS AND BEVERAGES SOLD, DID SO ESTABLISHED, ESTABLISHED ESTABLISHMENTS LICENSED FOR ON-PREMISES CONSUMPTION OF ALCOHOL, BEVERAGES, ALCOHOL BEVERAGES, BEER AND WINE.
THAT ALSO APPLIES TO ALL FOOD AND BEVERAGES PREPARED OR MODIFIED BY CONVENIENCE STORES OR GROCERY STORES IN THE UNINCORPORATED AREAS OF THE COUNTY.
IS IS THE 3% 2% EVER WERE POST AT THE SAME TIME? UH, I, I I, THE A THE AT TAX, 3% WOULD ACCOM, I WOULDN'T THINK SO.
IF YOU'RE IN A HOTEL, SPEND 3% ON THE ACCOMMODATIONS WHEN YOU INTO THE RESTAURANT, IT'S 2% ON THAT BILL.
UH, YEAH, THAT'S WHAT I WOULD, I WOULD SAY.
UM, TWO YEARS AGO, CITY OF BUFORT BOUGHT CAMERAS FOR DOWNTOWN WITH AX MONEY.
I DON'T KNOW IF IT WAS STATE OR LOCAL, BUT THAT'S PERFECTLY LEGAL, RIGHT? ABSOLUTELY.
THAT'S WHAT I'M GONNA TAKE YOU THROUGH NEXT IS WHAT ARE THE ACTUAL COLLECTIONS AND WHAT OTHERS OTHERS DO WITH THESE FUNDS AND HOW YOU CAN POTENTIALLY USE IT AND HOW YOU PLAN GOING FORWARD.
I HAVE ONE OTHER QUESTION FOR VIEWER, TOM.
UH, SO QUOTING WHAT YOU SAID ABOUT ANYONE RECEIVING THE FUNDS AFTER TO SUBMIT A BUDGET SHALL SUBMIT A BUDGET AND SHALL SUBMIT ACCOUNTING OF THE EXPENDITURES, DOES THAT IN YOUR, DOES THAT APPLY TO ALL THREE OR JUST THE STATE AT TAX? WELL, I THINK THAT WHEN YOU ARE GIVING OUT MONEY FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS, I THINK IT WOULD BE PRUDENT TO RECEIVE A REPORT ON HOW A USE OF FUNDS.
SO IN FACT, I MEANT TO END THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PORTION.
UH, I USED THIS AS A TEST CASE, AND ADMINISTRATION WANTED TO US TO BRING BACK FURTHER REPORTS OF OUTSIDE ENTITIES THAT WE FUND, THAT WE CAN THEN SHOW HOW THESE FUNDS WERE USED.
THERE WAS A GOOD EXERCISE TO GO THROUGH.
SO WE CAN USE IT FOR OTHER LARGE EXPENDITURES THAT YOU GIVE TO OTHERS.
BUT BACK TO A AND H TAX, JUST FOOD FOR THE H TAX, JUST HOTELS FOR THE ACCOMMODATIONS TAX.
AND I'LL GET INTO, BUT WHEN WE SEND IT OUT TO SOMEONE TO USE FOR ADVERTISING, I BELIEVE WE ASK FOR A SUBMISSION TO BE APPROVED, AND THEN WE FOLLOW UP WITH THE SUBMISSION TO ESTABLISH THAT THEY SPENT THE MONEY THE WAY THEY SAID THEY WOULD.
AND I BELIEVE THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING.
AM I WRONG ON THAT? SO OUR LOCAL ORDINANCE REQUIRES EXACTLY THAT.
UH, FOR THE, UM, THESE LOCAL, UH, AT TAXES, IT SAYS THAT ALL THREE CHAMBERS, THAT'S ALL THREE CHAMBERS THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT
[01:20:01]
A MINUTE AGO, SHALL SUBMIT FOR APPROVAL OF A BUDGET OF PLANNED EXPENDITURES.AND AT THE END OF EACH FISCAL YEAR, UM, THEY'LL DO AN ACCOUNTING.
SO IT'S, IT MIRRORS THE STATE.
I GET THAT THERE ARE A WILD ACCUSATIONS CIRCULATING THROUGHOUT THIS COUNTY AND ELSEWHERE THAT THAT'S NOT HAPPENING.
AND MY QUESTION IS, IS IT HAPPENING HERE CORRECTLY? YOU KNOW, IS THAT WHAT WE'RE DOING? SOME ARE BETTER THAN OTHERS.
SOME ARE JUST GETTING AUDITED FINANCIAL REPORTS.
SOME ACTUALLY GIVE US, UH, THE, THE BACKUP FOR THEIR EXPENDITURES, WHICH IS WHAT I WOULD PREFER SATISFACTORY TO US WHAT THEY'RE SUBMITTING AND THE REQUEST AND THEN THE FOLLOW UP TYPICALLY.
SO ALL OF THIS WILD ACCUSATION IS CIRCULATING, HASN'T REALLY APPLIED TO WHAT WE'RE DOING WITH THE MONEY THAT WE'RE DISTRIBUTING.
SO, AND EITHER IT IS OR IT ISN'T, I DON'T THINK.
AND THEN SOME FALL THROUGH THE CRACKS.
THIS IS ACCOUNTABILITY AND TRANSPARENCY ON OUR PART TWO.
SO, UH, ATX AND H TAX AT A LOCAL LEVEL AND AT THE STATE LEVEL IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE MOST, UH, CONTROVERSIAL THINGS THAT I DEAL WITH, UH, AS AN ADMINISTRATOR.
CAUSE IF YOU TELL THESE FOLKS THAT GOT THIS MONEY, NO, YOU HAVEN'T DONE THE ACCURATE REPORTING OR NO, YOU CAN'T HAVE THE MONEY, THEN IT TRICKLES THROUGH ADMINISTRATION TO YOU ALL.
AND THEN YOU ALL START CALLING ME AND SAYING, HEY, WHY CAN'T THEY HAVE THEIR MONEY? SO, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, THAT'S THE ESSENTIAL ANSWER TO THE QUESTION.
IF YOU GUYS WANT US TO GO BY THE BOOK, WE'RE HAPPY TO GO BY THE BOOK IN ALL CASES.
BUT YOU ALL NEED TO BE AWARE OF THE POTENTIAL CONSEQUENCE OF US DOING THAT FOR YOU ALL TO GET CALLS THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATION DOING TO US.
WHY ARE THEY MAKING US DO ALL THIS ACCOUNTING AND PROVE THAT WE'VE USED THIS MONEY FOR THE PURPOSE THAT WE USED FOR, WE'VE NEVER HAD TO DO THAT BEFORE.
THAT MIGHT BE THE LIKELY SCENARIO.
NOW, HEY, AS YOU CAN GO IN THE COUCH.
CAN I SAY ONE MORE THING ABOUT THAT? I, TRAVELING ALL AROUND FOR THIS CAMPAIGN TO DO THIS.
IT WAS A GUY THAT TALKED ABOUT THIS, ABOUT ACCOUNTABILITY AND YES, ALSO, I, I SAY IF WE, LIKE TAB SAYS IF WE DO IT ACROSS THE BOARD BY THE BOOK, WE'RE NOT GONNA GET SUED FOR IT.
WE, WE, WE CAN ANSWER THE QUESTION QUICKLY.
WE DO EVERYTHING BY THE BOOK OR WE COULD SHOW 'EM TO ME.
YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT'S JUST MAKES LOGICAL SENSE.
SO BACK TO WHAT LARRY SAID, I I DON'T KNOW.
I, I'M CONFUSED WHY WE'RE NOT DOING THAT ALREADY.
AND IF PEOPLE HAVE TO WAIT FOR THEIR MONEY BECAUSE WE HAVE TO DO IT THE RIGHT WAY, WELL, YOU KNOW, WE SHARPEN UP A LITTLE BIT AND DO WHAT WE HAVE TO DO.
BUT DAVID, MR. CHAIRMAN, UM, YEAH, I, I THINK I'D LIKE TO SEE INVOICES FROM EVERYBODY THAT'S GETTING PUBLIC MONEY.
I DON'T WANNA SEE EXACTLY HOW IT'S SPENT.
I THINK IT NEEDS TO BE AS TRANSPARENT AS POSSIBLE.
AND I KNOW THAT'S MORE WORK FOR Y'ALL AND I'M SORRY, BUT, AND IT'S MORE WORKING WITH THOSE, THOSE COMPANIES THAT ARE, THAT ARE USING THAT.
THERE ARE DEMOS THAT HAVE ABSOLUTELY TOLD US WITHOUT DOUBT THAT THEY WILL NOT REVEAL THEIR SECRETS OFF.
THAT THEY WILL ONLY GIVE US ORDER TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS.
DO THEY THINK IT'S PROPRIETARY? WELL, I THINK, I THINK THAT WE'VE GOT A CLEAR, A CLEAR PATH FORWARD FROM Y'ALL IS EVERYBODY, I MEAN, WE DON'T DISAGREE, BUT THE POINT OF, UM, LOCAL A TAX AND H TAX AND UNINCORPORATED, DOES THAT ALSO HOLD TWO OR FOUR MUNICIPALITIES? THE RULES ARE THE SAME.
BECAUSE WE'VE GIVEN YOU CLEAR DIRECTION OF WHAT WE WANT.
WE CAN'T SPEAK FOR A MUNICIPALITY.
THEY MAY DO THINGS ENTIRELY DIFFERENT AND EXACTLY RIGHT.
THAT WELL, SOANDSO IS, DOESN'T CARE.
AND YOU GET TO, AND YOU GET TO DO, YOU GET TO DETERMINE IN MY MIND, UM, THE DETAIL THAT YOU WANT.
JUST BECAUSE ONE POLITICAL SUBDIVISION DOESN'T REQUIRE MUCH DETAIL, DOESN'T PREJUDICE YOU IN REQUIRING YOURS, BUT YOU NEED TO, IT WOULD BE HELPFUL, I SUSPECT, TO, TO IDENTIFY EXACTLY WHAT THAT DETAIL IS.
AND TO DAVID'S POINT, YEAH, I'D LIKE TO SEE THE RECEIPTS.
WE WENT THROUGH THAT AND YEARS, AND AS HAYES INDICATED, ESPECIALLY THE TOWN OF HI, ESPECIALLY HILTON HEAD AND BLUFFTON CHAMBER, THEY SAID, OH, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO.
WE CAN'T PROVIDE THAT TO YOU, PROVIDE THAT TO YOU.
AND THEN ALL OF OUR COMPETITION KNOWS EXACTLY WHAT WE DO, HOW WE DO IT, HOW MUCH WE SPEND ON IT, AND ALL
[01:25:01]
THOSE KINDS OF THINGS.SO WE RAN INTO ALL OF THAT BUZZ SAW.
CAN I JUST, LET ME ASK A QUESTION, UM, ABOUT WHAT YOU SAID, UH, BEFORE ABOUT INVOICES WITH DAVID'S REFERENCE.
AND THEN YOU SAID THERE WAS ANOTHER THING, A UH, WAS IT AN ADJUSTED AUDIT OR FINANCIAL REPORT? IS THAT WHAT YOU SAID? I MEAN, THEY, THEY, THEY WILL GIVE US THEIR INTERNAL AUDIT.
SOME THEY HAVE AN AUDITED AN INDEPENDENT AUDIT FROM OUTSIDE AGENCIES.
THAT IF, IF, IF THEY'RE DOING THE AUDIT PROPERLY AND THEY HAVE A GRANT THAT THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO BE WITHIN THOSE TERMS OF THE GRANT, SPENDING IT PROPERLY, AND THEN THE AUDIT COMES FROM AN INDEPENDENT AUDITOR.
AND IS THAT SATISFACTORY FOR US IN REGARD TO THE RECORDS? OR DO WE HAVE TO HAVE LINE BY LINE INVOICE FOR, I MEAN, TO, TO, TO ME IT IS, BUT IT, IT DEPENDS ON WHAT LEVEL THAT WE WANT TO GO.
UM, YOU KNOW, SOME IT IS, SOME IT ISN'T.
WELL, WELL, I MEAN SOME, SOME AGENCIES DO NOT GET AUDITS.
BUT THEN THEY'LL HAVE TO COMPLY AWAY.
I CAN I JUST SAY ONE MORE THING BEFORE YOU ANSWER THIS.
I THINK IT'S GONNA ANSWER THE SAME JUST ONE STEP FURTHER THAN WHAT LARRY'S SAYING IS WE GET CRITICIZED.
THAT'S, I DON'T MIND GETTING CRITICIZED, BUT IF WE'RE GONNA GET AN ILLEGAL SITUATION, THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING.
HOW DO WE, ARE WE ABLE TO AVOID THAT BASED ON, AND BY THE WAY, THE CHAMBER I THINK DOES A PHENOMENAL JOB.
UM, THEY HAVE A SECRET TRUST, THAT'S GREAT.
BUT ARE WE PUTTING OURSELVES IN HARM'S WAY? THAT'S WHERE I WANT TO GO.
AND THAT'S BACK TO THE EXAMPLE THAT WE DID WITH THE EDC WHERE WE COULD, WE DON'T NEED TO KNOW WHAT VENDOR YOU SPENT IT WITH, BUT WE JUST NEED TO NOTE AT A FINANCIAL THAT SHOWS THAT YOU SPENT PRINTED ON THE ALLOWABLE PURPOSES.
I THINK WE CAN, THAT'S WHERE I THINK WE CAN BRING BACK A BETTER REPORT IN WORKING WITH THESE GROUPS AND SAY, WE HAVE TO DO THIS.
LET'S DO IT IN A WAY THAT YOU DON'T GIVE AWAY THE SECRETS SAUCE, BUT WE NEED TO KNOW THAT IT WENT THERE.
LET'S MAKE IT A MEANINGFUL RETURN ON THE MONEY.
THAT SOMETHING THERE RATHER THAN NOTHING THERE.
AT THIS POINT IN TIME, WE DON'T KNOW IF I GAVE GROUP A A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS IF THEY SPEND IT AND DID THEY SPEND IT? OR THEY SHOULD SHOW, THEY SHOW US THAT THEY, AND IF THERE'S MONEY LEFT OVER, IT'S NOT THAT, IT'S NOT THAT.
UM, THEY SHOW US EXPENDITURES, THEY SHOW US EXPENDITURES.
A LOT OF TIMES THEY'RE REQUESTING TO REIMBURSEMENT.
UM, MOST OF THE TIMES, I MEAN, WHAT Y'ALL, Y'ALL ARE DOING IS, I THINK YOU'RE CONFUSING THE AWARDS WITH THE AWARDS OF THE DMO WHERE WE'RE, YOU'RE, THE STATUTE TELLS US TO WRITE QUARTERLY CHECKS OF 150,000 UP $150,000 PER YEAR.
SO THAT, THAT, THAT'S WHAT WE DO.
THEN AT THE END OF THE YEAR, WE EITHER LOOK AT THE AUDITOR REPORT AND, AND THEIR BACKUP MATERIAL.
AND SAME WITH THE STATE ACCOMMODATIONS TAX.
THEY HAVE THE 15% AND THEY GET THERE TOO.
SO WE WE'RE LOOKING AT THAT BEFORE WE AWARD AGAIN.
SO I THINK THE NEXT SLIDES ARE GONNA REEL US OUT OF THE RABBIT HOLE AND ANSWER SOME QUESTIONS.
IS THAT STATUTE THIRD REQUIREMENT THAT A PERCENTAGE DISTRIBUTION REQUIRES SOME KIND OF INVOICE AT THE END TO PROVE THE EXPENDITURE REQUIRES, IT REQUIRES A BUDGET THAT TOM, DIDN'T HE SAY YOU HAVE TO PRESENT A BUDGET FOR YOUR REQUEST? YES, THE BUDGET, YES.
THERE'S TWO DIFFERENT THINGS WE'VE TALKED ABOUT AND BOTH REGULATED STATE THAT SAID WE HAVE TO DO, HERE'S FOR THE DMO AND HERE IS GIVEN OUT BY REQUEST.
AND THEN COUNCIL DECIDED THE $350,000 OF LOCAL A H TAX GOES TO THE DMO AND THE REST IS ALL BY REQUEST.
HERE'S WHAT THOSE NUMBERS ARE.
AND THIS WILL KIND OF GIVE US A PICTURE, GIVE YOU A PICTURE OF WHAT DO YOU REALLY THINK IS, UH, SUBSTANTIAL ENOUGH TO REPURPOSE IF YOU WANNA USE IT FOR OTHER OTHER REASONS.
SO ON THE LEFT IS STATE ACCOMMODATIONS TAX.
IT'S THE LOWEST OF THE THREE NUMBERS AND THE MOST RESTRICTIVE IN HOW YOU CAN USE IT.
SO YOU, BUT YOU CAN SEE THAT THERE HAVE BEEN SUBSTANTIAL GROWTH, THERE HAS BEEN SUBSTANTIAL GROWTH SEEN IN EACH ONE OF THESE CATEGORIES OVER THE LAST THREE YEARS.
UM, SO, BUT I'LL SHOW YOU IN THE FOLLOWING SLIDE, AS WE COMBINE THE LOCAL OF HOSPITALITY AND ACCOMMODATIONS, CUZ THOSE ARE UP TO YOU GUYS, BUT THEY SEE THE NUMBERS, THEY SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES, THE REQUIREMENTS ACCOUNTING WISE.
I WILL GET INTO REAL QUICK, WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT THE DMO, THERE'S A DIFFERENT ACCOUNTING REQUIRED FOR THAT BASE.
15% OR THE HUNDRED 50,000 THAT WE JUST GIVE TO THEM.
THAT IS JUST A BUDGET IN A REPORT.
THE OTHER EXPENDITURES ARE FOR MARKETING FOR THE OYSTER FESTIVAL, FOR EXAMPLE.
AND MOST, MOST OF THEM DO THAT IN A REIMBURSEMENT SITUATION.
SEE, SO THOSE ARE, THAT'S THE EASILY TRACKABLE, THE ACTUAL AWARDS AND REMITTANCE, THOSE ARE EASY.
WE HAVE TO WORK ON THE, THE BASE FRONT THAT WE GIVE TO THE DS THAT I'LL SHOW YOU HERE.
SO THIS IS THE TOTAL REVENUES AND
[01:30:01]
POINT OF THIS SLIDE.AND THE NEXT VIEW ARE LOCAL ACCOMMODATIONS AND HOSPITALITY ARE, I THINK WHERE THE COUNCIL'S FOCUS REALLY CAN AND SHOULD BE.
SO STATE A TAX, AGAIN, YOU SEE THE LOWER NUMBERS, 15% TO THE TWO, UH, IT BASICALLY LEAVES A REMAINDER OF ABOUT THAT MUCH A YEAR FOR THAT 60.
THAT STATE APEX BOARD TO GIVE OUT THERE IS AN ASTERISK THERE BECAUSE THAT'S A ROUND NUMBER BECAUSE OF ALL THE 5%, 25,000 YEAR OLD TAX NUMBER.
SO THE, AGAIN, THE WAY WE GET TO THOSE NUMBERS IS THAT'S JUST 15% OF THE REMAINDER.
IS THAT EVERYBODY THERE, IS THAT THE WHOLE, THOSE ARE THE ONLY TWO THAT GIVE BASE FUNDING OF STATE APEX.
YEAH, BUT IS THAT, IS THAT, IS THAT EVERYBODY ELIGIBLE WITHIN THE COUNTY? THOSE ARE THE ONLY TWO ENTITIES THAT ARE FUNDED BY THE BASE BMO LEANING DESIGNATING MARKETING ORGANIZATION.
EVEN THOUGH ALL THOSE WORDS ARE THERE, IT'S ONLY TWO ORGANIZATIONS? THOSE ARE TWO ORGANIZATIONS.
THE 65% MONEY IS THE ONE WHERE EVERYBODY MAKES APPLICATIONS FROM THEIR, TO MARKET THEIR EVENTS.
AND IT'S ABOUT THIS MUCH MONEY A YEAR THAT THEY HAVE TO GIVE OUT.
IT CARRIES OVER, IT'S NOT THAT CLEAN AND IT BUILDS AND, AND SHRINKS LOCAL A AND H EXTRACTS WHEN COMBINED, AS YOU CAN SEE, AS OPPOSED TO THE HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS, UH, MAYBE UP TO A MILLION IS 3.5 TO FIVE.
SO EVEN IF YOU CONTINUE TO GIVE THE BASE FUNDING OF THE MOS, WHICH WE WILL WORK ON THE REPORTING RETIREMENT, IT STILL LEAVES YOU A REMAINDER OF THESE NUMBERS TO BE DOLED OUT.
I KNOW THAT WE TALKED ABOUT 20% FOR REERS, 20% FOR THIS, BUT THOSE ARE DEFINED BY YOU.
GO BACK TO THAT PREVIOUS SLIDE.
COUNCIL NEEDS UNDERSTAND THAT BY OUR ORDINANCE, WE, WE ALLOCATE $6,000 TO, UH, THE BEEF BLACK CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, BUT THEY'RE NOT A DMO.
SO THE DISTRIBUTION TO D MOS IS ACTUALLY 300,000 PER YEAR WITH THE $50,000 ALLOCATION TO THE BLOCK CHAMBER.
THEY ARE NOT OFFICIAL, UH, UH, A STATUTE IF THEY DON'T, IF THEY DON'T SUBMIT THE, UH, ACCOUNTABILITY DOCUMENTS AT THE END, DO WE JUST CONTINUE TO FUND THAT EVERY YEAR? OR DO WE HOLD, WE HOLD THEM ACCOUNTABLE, RIGHT? NO ACCOUNTABLE.
DO WE HOLD THEM ACCOUNTABLE? WE HOLD THEM ACCOUNTABLE.
YES, WE WANT IT'S AN EXTRA, IT'S AN EXTRA BOND.
THEY HAVE TO, THERE ARE, THAT'S BEEN DONE IN A REIMBURSEMENT BASIS.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THIS, WE'VE GOTTEN THE, THE PROCESS HAS GOTTEN A LOT BETTER OVER THE YEARS.
I MEAN, WHEN I STARTED HERE, UH, I THINK I WAS THE FIRST ONE WITH THE AWARDS AND EVERYTHING IN THE REPORTING.
AND, AND IT IS, IT IS CONSTANTLY A WORKING PROCESS.
CAN WE GET MORE DOCUMENTS? YES.
BUT YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE TRYING TO DO, UH, THE BEST WE CAN WITH WHAT WE HAVE, BUT WE, WE ARE TRYING TO GET THE INFORMATION THAT Y'ALL WANT BECAUSE I QUITE, I MEAN WE, WE, WE WANNA MAKE SURE EVERYBODY'S COVERED.
SO FOR THIS, I SAY WE, IT'S, THIS REMAINDER GOES TO THE 20% THAT WE SPOKE ABOUT EARLIER AND THEN THE 60% IS GIVEN OUT BY A GROUP.
IT'S A, A LOCAL BOARD AND IT'S DONE THE SAME WAY.
IT'S ALMOST LIKE WE COULD TRY TO RECREATE THE STATE TAX SYSTEM FOR OUR LOCAL A AND H TAX FUNDS.
BUT I CAN TELL YOU, UH, JUST AS A PLANNING EXERCISE, WHAT A LOT OF OTHER ENTITIES DO, AND I KNOW YESTERDAY YOU HEARD A UNBELIEVABLY EXTENSIVE LIST OF C I P PROJECTS AND PARK SCHOOLS, ET CETERA.
UH, THE REASON THE RULES ARE THE WAY THAT THEY ARE, AND I THINK ABOUT THIS ALMOST LIKE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT WHERE THERE'S TWO DIFFERENT THINGS.
THERE'S MARKETING AND THEN THERE'S PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT AND THE FLEXIBILITY IN THE LOCAL HOSPITALITY AND ACCOMMODATIONS TAX IS TO ALLOW THE GOVERNING BODY TO USE THOSE FUNDS TO BUILD PRODUCT.
AND THERE WILL BE A POLITICAL DISCUSSION FOR YOU GUYS WITH ENTITIES BECAUSE THIS, THAT, THAT'S ALWAYS BEEN PERCEIVED AS FOR MY MARKETING.
BUT MY, OUR CONVERSATIONS INTERNALLY AND JUST OPERATIONAL DISCUSSION WOULD BE, IT'S NOT A TAKING OR A ZERO, IT IS A ZERO SUM GAME CUZ THERE'S ONLY SO MUCH MONEY.
BUT THERE HAS TO BE A TEAM THOUGHT PROCESS OF WE MAKE PRODUCT THAT CAN THEN BE MARKETED.
AND IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT TO KNOW THAT WE'VE TALKED IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, THE COUNTY IS THE LIONS SHARE FUNDING SOURCE WHEN IT'S ACCOMMODATIONS AND, AND HOSPITALITY TAX.
AND SO MAYBE IF WE NEED TO DO, WE JUST NEED TO THINK STRATEGICALLY ABOUT HOW WE USE THESE FUNDS BECAUSE NOT ONLY CAN YOU USE 'EM FOR PROJECTS ON A ONESIE TWOSIE BASIS, WHAT A LOT OF ENTITIES DO IS BUNDLE IT AND BOND IT AND DO BIGGER PROJECTS.
SO THERE ARE A LOT OF OPTIONS OUT THERE OF HOW WE CAN SHRINK THAT CIP P LIST, BUT NOT FOR THE PURPOSE OF SHRINKING, BUT TO GET THINGS DONE
[01:35:01]
AND HAVE MORE TOURIST RELATED FACILITIES THAT THEN WE CAN MARKET THE BETTER, UH, PLAY OPTION IN THE LIVE WORK PLAY MODEL.SO THESE DISTRIBUTIONS THAT TAKE PLACE, SO ALL BASED UPON COLLECTIONS IN UNINCORPORATED FUTURE COUNTY MUNICIPALITIES GET THEIR OWN DISTRIBUTION AND THEY DISTRIBUTE WHAT THEY WANT TO MAYBE THE SAME PEOPLE.
WHICH, WHICH DOESN'T MATTER, RIGHT? IT DOESN'T MATTER.
IT'S NOT A, IT'S NO COMPETITIVE THING.
BUT AT THE SAME TIME, I THINK, AND I'VE ALREADY SPOKEN TO A COUPLE OF THE MUNICIPALITIES ABOUT HOW DO WE WORK TOGETHER TO STRATEGICALLY AND GLOBALLY FOCUS OUR FUNDS SO THAT WE'RE UH, GETTING THE MOST BANG FOR THE BUCK IN THE, IN THE COUNTY.
MY POINT WAS THE MUNICIPALITIES COLLECT AND KEEP, WE COLLECTED KEEP UNINCORPORATED NOT MUNICIPALITIES.
AND SO THAT'S WHERE I COULD GO INTO A SUMMARY, WHICH IS THAT BEST STATE TAX IS THE SMALLER OF THE FUNDS TIGHTLY BOUND AND DEFINED.
OUR RECOMMENDATION WOULD BE BASICALLY BELIEVE AS IS.
BUT YOU CAN ESTABLISH PRIORITIES FOR THAT STATE, A TAX BOARD BECAUSE, AND IN THE END IT HAS TO COME TO YOU GUYS FOR APPROVAL.
AND MAYBE THERE DOES NEED TO BE SOME CAPITAL NEEDS IN THERE THAT'S UP FOR YOU ALL JUST KIND OF GOALS AND PRIORITIES WISE.
THE LOCAL A AND H TAX, I BELIEVE AGAIN, IS SUBSTANTIAL REVENUE.
IT GIVES YOU FLEXIBILITY AND I THINK YOU CAN CONSIDER THAT AS YOU MOVE FORWARD AS A COUNCIL IN YOUR USE PRIORITIES AND ORDINANCES.
THOSE, UH, THINGS THAT TOM WAS GREETING, UH, FROM HIS PRESENTATION, WE CAN GET COPIES OF THAT, RIGHT? YES.
SO I CAN EMAIL YOU OUT VERY, WE WE'VE GOT IT IN A BULLET LIST AND I'LL SEND IT TO EVERYBODY.
SO IF I UNDERSTOOD TOM AND YOU CORRECTLY, AND I THINK ALSO MR. GREENWAY SAID BEFORE WE COULD USE SOME OF THOSE FUNDS TO MAKE JARED A HAPPY PERSON WITH HIS LIST OR OUR C I P LIST AND IN AND PARKS AND REC BECAUSE THOSE ARE ALL TOURISM SPOTS, RIGHT? SO WE DON'T HAVE TO ALLOCATE A MILLION DOLLARS OUT TO ALL THESE OTHER GROUPS.
THAT'S WHERE IN MOST, MOST CITIES, TOWN AND COUNTIES DO NOT.
THEY USE IT FOR HARD COSTS PRODUCTS.
SO IF WE WERE TO DO THAT, OF COURSE THERE WOULD BE SOME BACKLASH ORIGINALLY.
BUT ISN'T THAT A GOOD INVESTMENT BACK INTO OUR COUNTY IN LIEU OF OTHER TAXATION? YEP.
AND THAT'S WHERE THE CONVERSATION HAS TO HAPPEN WITH THESE ENTITIES THAT ARE GONNA, THERE'S INEVITABLY GONNA FEEL LIKE WE'VE TAKEN SOMETHING MM-HMM.
AGAIN, A GLOBAL THOUGHT OF HOW WE FOCUS ALL OF OUR FUNDS.
UM, IF WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO FUND INDIVIDUAL ENTITIES, THEN I THINK IT MAKES A LOT OF SENSE FOR YOU ALL TO, WHEN WE'RE CONSIDERING ORDINANCES AND USE PRIORITIES AND THINGS LIKE THAT TO AT LEAST REQUIRE THESE ENTITIES AS A PART OF THEM SUBMITTING THEIR APPLICATION FOR FUNDING TO PRESENT A MARKETING PLAN THAT THEY HAVE DEVELOPED WITH THE DMO.
SO SOUTH OF THE BROAD IT WOULD BE BU IT WOULD BE HILTON.
BLUFFTON CHAMBER NORTH OF THE BROAD, IT WOULD BE THE BUFORD PORT ROYAL CVB, UH, TO TURN IN THAT MARKETING PLAN.
THAT WAY, WHENEVER WE'RE GIVING THIS MONEY OUT, WE'RE GONNA MAKE SURE THAT THE CVB ISN'T ADVERTISING IN A MAGAZINE.
THE BEAUFORD OYSTER ROAST ON PAGE FIVE OF THE MAGAZINE.
AND AN ENTITY THAT IS RECEIVING FUNDING IS ADVERTISING FOR THE SAME THING ON PAGE EIGHT AND THE SAME MAGAZINE.
SO IT, YOU KNOW, IT IT'S MORE EFFICIENT AND THEY'RE WILLING.
ROB, ROB WELLS, WE HAVE A GREAT WORKING RELATIONSHIP WITH AND DOES A PHENOMENAL JOB WITH CVB, UM, ON OUR BEHALF.
HE'S THE ONE THAT SEND OUT THE REPORTS, UH, ABOUT THE TOURISM NUMBERS, UM, IS SUPPORTIVE OF THAT APPROACH.
CAUSE ONE OF THE CRITICISMS OF TOURISM HERE IN, IN THE COUNTY IS THAT PEOPLE ARE ENCOURAGED TO COME HERE AND WHEN THEY COME HERE, THE EXPERIENCE THAT THEY'RE, THAT THEY'RE GETTING FROM SOME OF THESE AGENCIES THAT WE'RE FUNDING DOESN'T LIVE UP TO THEIR EXPECTATION.
SO IF THEY DON'T HAVE A GOOD EXPERIENCE, I THOSE PLACES, THEY'RE NOT GONNA COME BACK.
UM, CAN I JUST SHARE AN EXAMPLE THAT ROB BROUGHT TO OUR ATTENTION WHEN WE FIRST STARTED MEETING ABOUT PICKLEBALL? UM, IF, IF WE USE SOME OF THIS MONEY FOR PICKLEBALL, PEOPLE WILL COME TO TOURNAMENT LEVEL PLAY CUZ THERE'S NOT ANY PLACE TO DO THAT EXCEPT BEHIND GATED COMMUNITIES.
AND THAT WAS TO ME THE, THE A REASON, BUT WE COULD USE THIS MONEY FOR OUR OWN REP PROGRAM.
IF WE BUILD IT, IT'LL COME AND THEN WE CAN PROMOTE IT.
WE, WE CAN USE IT FOR RENT, WE CAN USE IT TO BUILD PARTIES.
ALL OF THE MONEY WE GIVE OUT, IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE USED FOR TOURIST RELATED DRAW NOT TO PAY SALARIES
[01:40:01]
OR BENEFITS FOR THE PEOPLE WHO WORK AT THESE CHAMBERS.AM I WRONG OR RIGHT ON THAT? IT IS THAT WAY.
CERTAIN, CERTAIN PORTION OF IT IS THE PERCENTAGE, THE ANNUAL PERCENTAGE YOU GIVE OUT, I THINK IS TO PAY THEM TO DO THE MARKETING.
AND THAT WOULD INCLUDE STAT THAT WOULD INCLUDE PAYING STAFF AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
DOES THAT COME IN WHEN THEY MAKE THE REQUEST? HOW MUCH OF THAT MONEY GOES TO CERTAIN PEOPLE THAT CALL AND ASK FOR MONEY? 98% OF THEIR, OF THE COLLECTION GOES FOR STAFF AND 2% GOES TO THE PEOPLE WHO NEED IT.
YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE, IF YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE DIRECT ALLOCATION TO THE DMO AND 50,000 TO THE NO, I'M JUST TALKING ABOUT THE OTHER PORTION THAT'S ACCOUNTABLE.
OH, THE OTHER PORTION THAT'S ACCOUNTABLE.
THEY THEY SHOULDN'T USE THAT MONEY FOR, FOR OUR STAFF.
ONE WOULD HOPE THEY USE THE REQUIRED AMOUNTS TO STAFFING.
WELL PUT AN EXAMPLE OF THE OYSTER FESTIVAL GAMES.
I MEAN THEY SAY THAT IT, IT IS THIS MUCH THEY SAY FOR MARKETING THEY HAVE TO SPEND AND SHOW THAT.
THE DMO THAT'S A LITTLE DIFFERENT.
WHEN I READ, YOU KNOW, THEY SENT US ALL THE APPLICATIONS MM-HMM.
OTHERS HAD, YOU KNOW, WEBSITE DESIGN, UH, FLYER DESIGN, HAVING SOMEBODY AT THE FESTIVAL, I'D HAVE TO GO BACK AND LOOK, BUT I BELIEVE SOME OF 'EM DID HAVE SALARY IN.
WELL THERE'S NO PRO ISSUE ON THAT.
NOT AS LONG AS THEY CAN TIE IT TO, TO INCREASED.
MR CHAIRMAN, CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES.
IF, IF I COULD, UH, THIS IS MARK AND, UM, JUST THAT, THAT, UH, AND I, I'M SURE YOU REMEMBER FOUR YEARS AGO WHENEVER YOU CAME ON AND YOU WERE ACTUALLY FINANCE CHAIR AT THAT TIME, THERE WERE VERY FEW RULES WHEN IT CAME TO WHAT WE DID THIS MONEY AND, AND IT WAS REALLY JUST IN A SLUSH FUND.
SO IN THE PAST THREE YEARS, WE HAVE ADDED, UM, MANY, MANY ROLES THE APPLICATION PROCESS FOR, FOR THE EXTRA MONEY.
UM, AND I, I AGREE, I THINK
UM, BUT AGAIN, SO IF EVERYONE'S THINKING THAT THAT IT'S BEEN THIS WAY FOREVER, IT HASN'T BEEN, UM, WE HAVE DONE A LOT TO MAKE THIS MORE TRANSPARENT AND FAIR BECAUSE THERE USED TO BE JUST A SLUSH FUND THAT, UH, WOULD COME TO THE COUNCIL FOR A REQUEST AND IT WOULD GO SAY, OH YEAH, LET'S FUND THAT AND GO GRAB MONEY OUT OF THERE.
UM, AND IT WAS DUE TO PUTTING ANY
SO I AM ALL FOR THE NEXT STEP.
AND ADMINISTRATION IS RECOMMENDING FOR US TO LOOK AT TO, TO AGAIN, MAKE THINGS MORE TRANSPARENT.
UM, BUT AGAIN, BE FAIR TO EVERYBODY AND MAKE SURE EVERYONE HAS A CHANCE AT, AT, UM, THE SAME, UH, MONEY THAT THAT'S OUT THERE.
SO THIS IS COMING UP AT THE NEXT FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETING.
BUT IT WAS A MILLION DOLLARS AND WE THREW IT BACK.
WE'RE WE'RE GONNA DISCUSS IT IN THE FINANCE COMMITTEE BASED ON THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WERE GIVEN TO US FROM THE STATE ACCOMMODATIONS BOARD ABOUT AWARDING FUNDING.
THAT'S THE 65% HANK TALKED ABOUT.
HANK, HANK, CAN YOU SHOW BACK THAT SLIDE JUST TO, BECAUSE THE SLIDE SHOWED, UH, VERIFIED WHAT WE HEARD AND THAT IS FOR THE 2022.
UH, DICK FARMER SAID, OH, HE HAD ALMOST A MILLION DOLLARS.
YOU SEE THOSE ARE THE, THAT'S WHAT, THAT'S THE MONEY THAT HE OUT HIS BOARD ALLOCATES EVEN WITHIN THE, THE, THE CURRENT SYSTEM.
WE, AT OUR LOCAL
IT'S JUST AN APPLICATION CHANGE TO DISCLOSE OTHER FUNDING SOURCES, MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE NOT THE ONLY FUNDING.
SO WE, WE CAN ADD ALSO THOSE THINGS ON THE FRONT END THAT'LL HELP US ON THE BACK END OF THE RECORDING.
THIS IS A GREAT DISCUSSION AND I THINK LONG OVERDUE AND AS MARK SAID, I KNOW THAT YOU'VE MADE GREAT PROGRESS FOR THE PAST FOUR YEARS TO ACCOUNTABILITY.
YOU ALL REALLY WANT TO BE AGGRESSIVE AND I'M NOT SAYING WE SHOULD BE AGGRESSIVE, BUT YOU ALL DO NOT HAVE TO HAVE TWO DMO.
YOU CAN DESIGNATE ONE OR YOU CAN STAND UP YOUR OWN, UH, ENTITY.
BUT IF YOU FEEL LIKE THAT WE'RE NOT GETTING THE ACCOUNTABILITY WE NEED, UH, AND THE MONEY THAT WE'RE GIVEN TO THE DMO S THEN IT MIGHT BE WORTHY OF YOU ALL DIRECTING ADMINISTRATION TO HAVE DISCUSSIONS WITH THE BMOS, UH, TO SEE IF WE CAN CHANGE THAT A LITTLE BIT OR TALK TO POTENTIAL THE BUFORD PORT, ROYAL
[01:45:01]
CVB ABOUT DOING THAT COUNTYWIDE AS THE COUNTY AGENTS AND YOU KNOW, AND NOT TO PILE ON AND NOT TO PILE ON.BUT YOU DON'T, IN MY OPINION, YOU DON'T HAVE TO GIVE ANY MONEY OF THE LOCAL, UH, TO THE CHAMBERS.
IF YOU FEEL LIKE YOU'VE ALREADY GIVEN ENOUGH TO THE DMO.
DO YOU REALLY WANT TO GIVE MORE MONEY TO THE CHAMBER? THOSE, THOSE TWO CHAMBERS? I THINK EVERYBODY OUT THERE IS DOING A VERY GOOD JOB.
WE KEEP GETTING NUMBER ONE, NUMBER ONE, WHATEVER THAT MEANS IN CONDE ASK FOR TRAVEL LEISURE.
AND WE KEEP GETTING THE DESIGNATION OF A WORLD CLASS RESORT AND YOU SHOULD GO THERE.
SO OBVIOUSLY THERE'S GOOD THINGS HAPPENING OUT THERE AND WE DON'T WANT TO BECOME UNREASONABLE.
BUT WE ALSO HAVE TO BE, UH, RESPONSIBLE RIGHT.
SO WE WANTED TO HAVE THIS DISCUSSION WITH YOU ALL TODAY SO YOU ALL COULD UNDERSTAND IT.
CAUSE THERE'S, UM, A LOT OF TALK AT THE THREE MINUTE SECTION AT COUNCIL MEETINGS ABOUT HOW WE HANDLE THIS STUFF.
IF WE HAVE THE ANSWERS THEN CLEAR POSITIONS ON IT, THEN, THEN WE'RE GOOD.
AND THAT'S WHY LEADS, YOU HAVE BEEN SHOWN STATISTICALLY THE STATE A TAX MONEY ISN'T THE PROBLEM.
NOT THAT I'M USING THE WORD PROBLEM IN QUOTES.
THE PROBLEM IS WHY DON'T WE SPEND ALL OF THAT MONEY? WE MAY WANT TO CHANGE HOW WE SPEND ALL OF THAT MONEY INSTEAD A PROBLEM.
SO HANG, ARE YOU THE LIAISON TO THE AAC AND HOSPITALITY TAX BOARD? WHATEVER ANGUS HAYES.
FIRSTED DOES A GOOD JOB WITH IT.
HE'S ALWAYS SEE ALL THIS WHITE HAIR.
HE'S ALWAYS GOT GREAT IDEAS ABOUT HOW TO USE THAT MONEY.
WELL I THINK HANK DID A FANTASTIC JOB PRESENTING TODAY.
ST TAKE IS S TOURISM IS JUST A BIG IT, IT'S ALL OF IT.
IT'S, IT'S THE PARKS, THE RECREATION AND THE BOAT LANDINGS AND EVERYTHING.
AND WE HAVE 5 MILLION A YEAR COMING IN HERE THAT HAS EXCLUSIVE USES FOR THESE THINGS.
AND I REALLY THINK THAT WE NEED TO TAP INTO IT, WHETHER IT'S A, A FISHING GEAR OR A BOAT LANDING OR A WALKING TRAIL OR A THIS OR THAT.
LIKE THE, AND I'M, I'M NOT GONNA PUT IT THIS WAY, REDIRECT.
REDIRECT IT BECAUSE WE NEED OUR, OUR RULES ARE LEAKING AND WE NEED TO PLUG THE HOLES IN OUR RULES BEFORE WE FIX OTHER PEOPLE'S RULES.
SO ARE WE EXPECTING A RECOMMENDATION FROM YOU ON HOW TO REDIRECT THOSE FUNDS? WE WILL GIVE YOU A RECOMMENDATION, BUT YOU NEED TO UNDERSTAND WHEN THAT RECOMMENDATION COMES, UH, OUT THIS ROOM WILL BE PACKED FROM EVERYBODY'S SAYING, DON'T TAKE OUR MONEY.
WE THINK YES, BUT YOU KNOW, JUST BECAUSE WE'VE ALWAYS DONE SOMETHING DOESN'T MEAN WE HAVE TO CONTINUE.
AND IF YOU HAVE A RECOMMENDATION OF HOW TO BETTER UTILIZE THOSE FUNDS, I THINK IT'S INCUMBENT ON US TO HEAR THAT AND TALK ABOUT IT.
I MEAN WE, WE, YOU KNOW, THE BEATS AND WATER ACCESS THING THING IS A BIG ISSUE.
WE'VE GOT A LOT OF BOAT LANDINGS THAT NEED TO BE REPAIRED.
YOU KNOW, THERE THIS MONEY CAN BE USED FOR THAT.
SO WHY WOULD WE, YOU KNOW, WHY WOULD WE NOT TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT WITH THE AMOUNT OF MONEY WE'VE GOTTEN? I'M, I'M SAYING THAT WE NEED TO STEAL, GET MONEY TO CORRECT TOURISM ENTITIES, BUT YOU KNOW, WE WILL, WE WILL DISCUSS THE PERCENTAGE I RESIDENT TO WORRY ABOUT IT.
IT'S JUST WE DON'T WANNA START A WAR WITH ANYBODY.
WELL, YOU HEARD, YOU HEARD JARED SAY YESTERDAY THAT YOU KNOW, SALES AND USE TAXES ARE GREAT FOR TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS AND CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS AND ALL THAT.
WELL THAT'S WHAT THIS IS, BOY.
AND HE SHOWED A SLIDE OF ONE PARTICULAR BUILDING THAT WOULD BE VERY ATTRACTIVE FOR TOURISM.
WE NOW HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO WONDERFUL THINGS COUNTY WISE, BRINGING IN OTHER ARTS, LEISURE, SPORTS, ENTERTAINMENT, ALL TOURISTS.
THAT'S I'M SERIOUSLY BRINGING SAVANNAH, YOU KNOW? YEAH.
AND SAVANNAH, THEY'D BRING BIG SHOWS THERE.
THEY BRING ATHLETIC EVENTS AND WE COULD TAKE OUR PIECE OF EFFORT.
WE STILL WILL HAVE OUR OWN AIRPORT AND EVERYTHING.
[01:50:01]
WEEK SAYING THAT ONCE OUR MEMBERSHIP TO THE CHAMBERS, THE COUNTY MEMBERSHIP TO THE CHAMBERS EXPIRE, WE WILL NOT BE RENEWING OUR MAIN MEMBERSHIP IN THE CHAMBERS.THERE IS NO REASON FOR THE COUNTY TO BE A MEMBER OF THE CHAMBER.
THERE IS NOTHING THE CHAMBER CAN DO TO BENEFIT US.
WE WILL STILL PARTICIPATE WITH THE CHAMBER TO SPONSOR THINGS.
WE WILL STILL PARTICIPATE WITH THE CHAMBER TO GIVE THEM FUNDING FOR ACTIVITIES AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
BUT WE DO NOT NEED TO BE A MEMBER OF THE CHAMBER IN ORDER TO PARTICIPATE IN THAT.
SO WE'RE NOT PAYING DUES ANYMORE.
WE'RE NOT PAYING DUES ANYMORE.
ARE NO MORE COCKTAIL PARTIES? YES SIR.
IT FAVOR, THAT'LL, THAT'LL TAKE THAT HYSTERIA AWAY DURING THE THREE MINUTE SECTION AS WELL.
SO WE'RE NO LONGER A MEMBER OF THE CHAN.
ARE WE DONE WITH THIS SECTION? WE ARE DONE WITH THIS SECTION.
UH, WE'RE YOU GUYS HAVE AN HOUR BREAK, UH, FOR LUNCH UNLESS THERE'S ANYTHING ELSE YOU ALL WANT TO TALK ABOUT? WELL, MR. CHAIR, I JUST WANT, WE HAVE SOME DIRECTION.
MARK IS IN HERE, BUT UM, WE HAVE THIS FINANCE COMMITTEE COMING UP.
AND WE HAVE THE STATE AEX GROUP COMING BACK BECAUSE WE HAVE THE MILLION DOLLARS AND I HEARD EVERYBODY TALK ABOUT, WE NEED TO RE-LOOK AT HOW TO ALLOCATE THAT TOO.
I THINK MARK'S ON THE, UH, ON ZOOM MARK ON, I THINK YOU PROBABLY CUT OFF.
AM I, CAN YOU HEAR ME? OH, YEAH'S FINE.
AND, AND WE'LL, WE'LL COVER THAT.
UM, THERE HAS BEEN SOME, UM, DISCUSSION FROM I THINK THE, UH, ATAC, THE STATE A TAX BOARD.
UM, THEY'VE COME BACK AND, AND ACTUALLY TAKEN AWAY THE EXTRA MONEY THAT WAS GOING TO GO TO, UM, THE UM, UH, THE, THE TWO, THE TWO ENTITIES THAT GOT EXTRA MONEY.
AND THEY'RE, I THINK AT THIS POINT AT HAYES, UH, UH, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, BUT THEIR RECOMMENDATION WAS TO WAIT AND SAVE THAT MONEY FOR NEXT YEAR'S ALLOCATION AND NOT GIVE OUT ANY MORE MONEY ADDITIONAL TO, UM, WHAT THEY HAVE ALREADY ALLOCATED.
UH, SO IT'LL BE OUR DECISION WHETHER WE TAKE THEIR RECOMMENDATION AND, AND PUSH THAT EXTRA MONEY TO NEXT YEAR OR WE DECIDE THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO GIVE THAT MONEY TO ANOTHER, UM, ENTITY THAT HAS PUT AN APPLICATION IN.
SO THAT WILL BE COVERED UNDER THE NEXT FINANCE COMMITTEE.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS I WAS, YOU GUYS JUST SPOKE ABOUT, YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT A COLISEUM, UM, ONE PIECE OF LAND AVAILABLE RIGHT NOW, I THINK IT'S CALLED WHITE HALL.
A WHITE HALL TRACK, UM, OVER ON BLUFFTON.
UM, I KNOW IT'S STILL AVAILABLE RIGHT NOW, BUT IF THAT IS A CONSIDERATION THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A COLISEUM, THAT WOULD BE A PRIME LOCATION FOR IT.
JUST THROWING THAT OUT THERE IF IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE ARE CONSIDERING IN THE FUTURE THAT ALSO TIES INTO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT BECAUSE THAT IS CERTAINLY, YOU PUT SOME ARENA THERE, YOU'RE GOING TO NEED HOTEL SPACE AROUND THAT.
YOU'RE GONNA NEED OTHER BUSINESSES AROUND THAT.
ENTREPRENEURS CAN COME ON THAT PROPERTY AS WELL.
AND THAT IS 2, 2 78 STRAIGHT FRONT ALONG THAT.
SO WE CAN SELL BACK EVERYTHING ALONG 2 78 TO ALMOST FUND OUR PURCHASE OF THE COLISEUM PROPERTY.
UM, DISCUSSION OFTEN ABOUT THE PURCHASE OF THAT PROPERTY ALREADY.
AND WE'LL BE BRINGING FORTH THE RECOMMENDATION SHORTLY FOR, UH, PARTS AND REC TYPE, UM, INFRASTRUCTURE.
NOW WE, WE HAVE ABOUT AN HOUR, UH, TO HAVE FURTHER DISCUSSION.
REMEMBER YESTERDAY WE ENDED WITH FIVE ITEMS TO GIVE DIRECTION TO COUNT FROM COUNCIL TO ADMINISTRATION ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE BUDGET.
ITEM NUMBER ONE WAS WHAT DO WE THINK SURPLUS SHOULD BE? THE RECOMMENDATION HAS BEEN MADE BY THEM THAT WE CAN REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF SURPLUS TO A MORE REASONABLE AMOUNT.
AND THAT RECOMMENDATION IS, IT SHOULD BE SIX MONTHS WORTH OF OPERATING COST.
OTHER COUNTIES HAVE LESS THAN THAT, BUT THEY'RE NOT IN THE SITUATION WE ARE IN.
THEY'RE NOT IN A SHORE AREA WHERE WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH WHETHER DIFFERENTLY THAN THEY NOW.
SO THAT'S A DISCUSSION WE CAN HAVE NOW COME TO SOME CONSENSUS TO GIVE THEM DIRECTION WHEN YOU'RE PUTTING THE BUDGET TOGETHER.
[01:55:01]
THAT'S THE FOCUS.YOU TALKING ABOUT, YOU TALKING ABOUT ENHANCING THE RESERVE FUND? IS THAT WHAT YOU MEAN FROM THE CIRCLE FUND BALANCE? THAT'S WHAT I MEAN, REDUCING THE BALANCE.
HAVE IT NO MORE THAN SIX MONTHS OPERATING SO THAT WE WOULD NEED FOR A NATURAL DISASTER.
YEAH, NO, I KNOW YOU MEAN, I'M JUST A LITTLE CONFUSED ON, ON THE, ON THE BUCKETS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
WHAT, WHAT'S THE, WHAT'S THE NUMBER? WE MEAN WE HAVE IN THE RESERVE PHONE NOW 60, DON'T WE SAY SEVEN 60, 70,000.
WE HAD LIKE SEVEN MONTHS FUND BALANCE.
I WAS LOOKING FOR A DOLLAR AMOUNT.
YEAH, YEAH, IT WAS 74 MILLION.
SO IT'S IT'S 74 MILLION BUT IT'S NOT ALL CASH.
SO YEAH, AND THAT'S AN UNASSIGNED FUND BALANCE.
SO RIGHT OUT OF THE GET WE, FOR THIS YEAR'S BUDGET, WE, WE TRANSFERRED 9 MILLION OF THAT INTO CAPITAL PROJECTS.
AND THEN WITH OTHER THINGS, OTHER THINGS THAT WE'VE DONE THIS YEAR, WE'VE TRANSFERRED ABOUT ANOTHER 11 MILLION, THAT'S ROUGHLY 20 MILLION.
SO WE'RE AT ABOUT 54 MILLION IN FUND BALANCE.
UM, AND, AND, AND THIS IS JUST OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, I WANNA SAY 30%, WHICH IS WHAT STATU WE'RE SUPPOSED TO DO, WHICH IS BY RESOLUTION IS ABOUT 35 MILLION.
SO IF YOU DOUBLE THAT, IF YOU DID 60, IF YOU DID 60% SIX MONTHS, THAT'D BE 60%.
I MEAN, IT'D BE ALMOST 70,000.
SO, UM, WE, WE NEED TO REALLY GET A, A FIRM NUMBER OF WHAT WE WANT AND WHERE WE NEED TO GO.
UH, OBVIOUSLY WE HAVE THE MUL AWAY THAT WE'RE GOING PURCHASE.
WE'VE HAD SOME BIG PURCHASES, UH, OVER ON, OVER ON DUFUS FOR THE FERRY AND WE HAVE SOME OTHER PURCHASES THAT MAY BE COMING UP.
SO WE WE'RE REALLY NEED, ALTHOUGH THE FUND BALANCE SOUNDS BIG, IT'S GETTING SHIPPED AWAY PRETTY QUICK.
SO THIS IS A, THIS IS A DISCUSSION THAT ABOUT THE 15 MILLION, MAYBE SOME OF IT MOVING BACK INTO THE FUND, TO THE FUND BALANCE.
WELL, I, I MEAN THERE NOW, RIGHT? SOMEWHERE ELSE.
IT IS, IT IS AT THE END OF THE YEAR.
SO WHEN HE SAID THAT THERE'S A 15 MILLION SURPLUS THAT ROLLS INTO YOUR FUND BALANCE AT THE END OF THE YEAR, SO THE DEDUCTION YOU'RE MAKING FROM 74 BRING YOU DOWN TO 54 AND YOU'RE SUGGESTING WE WANT BE AT 60 OR 60.
WELL, IT DEPENDS ON HOW MUCH SHALL WANT A CASH RESERVE FOR EMERGENCY.
YOU CAN MAKE THE DECISION TO FOLLOW THE, FOLLOW THE FUND BALANCE POLICY THAT WE ALREADY HAVE, UH, WHICH IS 30%.
30% OTHER THINGS THAT'LL GIVE US HOW MUCH WE GO 30.
WHAT'S THE NUMBER? 35, 5 MILLION.
I THINK THE ORDINANCE READS THAT IT'S 30% OF YOUR OPERATING BUDGET IS THE MAINTAINING IN FUND RESERVES.
SO THE OPERATING BUDGET IS AROUND HUNDRED 40 MILLION HUNDRED 45 MILLION.
I WAS, I WAS BASING IT OFF OF LAST YEAR'S.
OPERATING EXPENSES FROM THE 60 SWORN.
NOW, NOW ROUGHLY TAKING THE 20 MILLION OUT AND HUNDRED 15 MILLION IN, YOU'RE SAYING WE NEED 42 AND 45 FROM LEGAL, RIGHT? NO, NO, NO.
WHEN YOU SAID LEGAL, NOW YOU TALKING ABOUT US, OUR STATUTE RESOLUTION.
IT'S, I THINK IT'S 30%, 30, SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
I'D HAVE TO LOOK AT THE RESOLUTION.
I THINK IT'S 30% OF THE OPERATING EXPENSES.
HOW MUCH IS THE MINIMUM? 30 30% OPERATING BECAUSE YOU HAVE SMALL COUNTIES THAT HAVE SMALL BUDGETS, WHICH WOULD WAIT A RANGE OF DOLLARS.
COUNCILMAN, THIS IS, UH, THIS IS A SLIDE, MY, UH, FINANCE PRESENTATION FOR NEXT COMMITTEE MEETING.
I'M GETTING YOU GETTING WITH ANTICIPATION
SO COMING, I BELIEVE OUR CONSENSUS WOULD BE THAT WE WANT YOU TO TAKE A LOOK AT DOING OUR STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS UNDER OUR CODE OF ORDINANCE THAT WE WILL MAINTAIN AT LEAST A 30% AMOUNT.
CASH, IT'S NOT ENTIRELY CASHED.
IT'S, IT'S ALL OF OUR ASSETS THERE WITHIN, WITHIN THAT ARE LIQUID ASSETS.
WITHIN THAT IS THE FACT THAT WE CAN GO OUT FOR BONDING FOR EMERGENCY USAGE AS WELL.
[02:00:01]
AND SIMILARLY, WHEN COVID CAME ABOUT AND THE WORLD SHUT DOWN, THIS COUNTY HAD TO OPERATE AND WE HAD TO HAVE MONEY EVEN THOUGH REVENUES WEREN'T COMING IN.
ALL THE BUSINESSES THAT WE, YOU KNOW, GOT MONEY FROM SHUT DOWN.
THIS IS WHAT WE HAVE ATTORNEYS ON.
SO BRITTANY WAS ABLE TO PULL THE EXACT CODE SECTION, SECTION TWO DASH FOUR FOUR USAGE, GENERAL FUND BALANCES, MINIMUM MAINTAINED FUND BALANCE.
SO OVERALL, UM, WE SHOULD HAVE AT LEAST 30%.
BUT FURTHER DOWN IN THIS SAME SECTION, IT REQUIRES US TO, UM, MAINTAIN A FUND BALANCE OF UNRESTRICTED AND AVAILABLE CASH EQUAL TO A MINIMUM OF 25% GENERAL FUND.
SO IN OTHER WORDS, FUND BALANCE OVERALL, IT'S COMPRISED OF MANY THINGS, RIGHT? IT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN YOUR ASSETS AND YOUR LIABILITIES.
ALL OF THOSE THINGS TOGETHER HAVE TO AT LEAST BE 30%.
OF THAT BALANCE, AT LEAST 25% NEEDS TO BE IN THE AMOUNT OF CASH OR QUICKLY CONVERTIBLE TO CASH.
25% OF THE 30% REQUIREMENT, 25% OVERALL.
WAIT A MINUTE OF THE, OF OUR BUDGET OR OF THE 30% CLAIM OF THE ENTIRE FUND BALANCE, 25% CONTAIN MM-HMM.
I THINK THAT THIS PROVISION WAS ADDED SOME YEARS AGO AFTER STORMS CAME THROUGH.
SO THAT WE ARE LIQUID ENOUGH TO BE RESPONSIVE TO STORM EVENTS.
WE DO HAVE THE ABILITY TO PULL ON LINES OF CREDIT AND I, I THINK THAT WAS AUTHORIZED IN PREVIOUS YEARS AS WELL.
BUT THIS IS SO THAT, AS I SAID, WE ARE POSITIONED ENOUGH TO RESPOND TO EMERGENCY EVENTS TO STILL KEEP THE DAILY OPERATIONS OF THE COUNTY GOING TO MAKE, SO THE IDEA IS WE'RE GONNA FOLLOW OUR CODE AND IF OUR CODE SAID 30%, WE'LL DO THAT.
IF OUR CODE SAYS SOMETHING OF THE NATURE OF THE 25% HAS TO BE LIQUID OR CASH MM-HMM.
IF YOU ONLY NEED 30% AND YOU'RE SAYING YOU HAVE TO HAVE 25% OF YOUR OVERALL BUDGET AND YOU HAVE 150 MILLION BUDGET, THEN YOU NEED 37 PER, YOU NEED $37 MILLION IN CASH.
BUT IF YOU ONLY NEED 30% IN YOUR RESERVE, YOU'RE ASKING FOR MORE CASH THAN YOU HAVE IN THE RESERVE.
SO IS IT 25% OF 30 OR THE 25% OF OUR OPERATING BUDGET? I THINK YOU, YOU, YOU ACTUALLY TALKING ABOUT WHAT IS CONSIDERED CASH.
TWO CASH, FOUR CAUSE INVESTMENT WOULD BE CONSIDERED CASH.
BUT WITHOUT 25% OF WHAT? RIGHT.
I'M, I'M GONNA THINK THAT IT'S 25% OF OUR TOTAL OPERATING BUDGET, BECAUSE YOU COULD BE WITHOUT REVENUES FOR MONTHS.
AND WE SPEND MILLIONS OF A MONTH.
SO SAY WE SPEND 4 MILLION A MONTH, BUT WE'RE OUT FIVE MONTHS, 20 MILLION, MR. CHAIRMAN, THAT'S WHY THEY SAY MINIMUM OF 30%, THEN YOU CAN FIGURE OUT IF YOU, IT'S ALL GONNA BE IN CASH.
YOU CAN RAISE THAT 30% FOR WHATEVER.
MR. TERRY, AND SHE ALSO MENTIONED LINES OF CREDIT.
I ASKED THIS QUESTION THE OTHER DAY.
DO WE HAVE LINES OF CREDIT? YEAH, WE DO.
SO HOW MUCH DO WE HAVE THEN IN THE LINE OF CREDIT? I BELIEVE THAT IT'S 10, 10 MILLION.
I THINK WE ONLY HAVE ONE YEARS AGO.
REMEMBER I ASKED THAT QUESTION THE OTHER DAY.
AND RIGHT'S FOR HURRICANE RESPONSE.
IN THE INSTANCE THAT WE ARE NOT LIQUID ENOUGH TO RESPOND IF WE NEED TO CONFIRM THAT WE CAN.
THE 10, 10 MILLION IS LITERALLY TO, FOR EMERGENCY PURPOSES BECAUSE THIS BUILDING GETS DESTROYED.
WELL, IT'S GOT ALL OF OUR COMPUTERS, OUR RECORDS AND EVERYTHING LIKE THAT.
YOU NOW HAVE TO SET UP WHERE THEY'RE GOING TO WORK.
AND SO THAT'S WHAT THAT FUND WOULD BE USED FOR.
SO I, I THINK WE'VE GIVEN YOU SOME DIRECTION.
IF THERE NEEDS TO BE MORE CLARIFICATION ON THAT, WE WILL EVALUATE THE POLICY AND MAKE THE APPROPRIATE RECOMMENDATIONS TO YOU ALL
[02:05:01]
AS A PART OF THE BUDGET OKAY.AND LET YOU KNOW WHAT FUNDS WE HAVE AVAILABLE THEY UTILIZE FOR SOME OF THESE BIG TICKET ITEMS. OKAY.
ISSUE NUMBER TWO WAS COLA AND MERIT.
AND I'LL BE GOING TO DO THREE AND FOUR.
UM, I, I, I WOULD LOVE, I WANT TO CONTINUE THIS DISCUSSION.
I WAS WONDERING WHETHER WE WANT TO TAKE ANOTHER 10 MINUTE BREAK.
UM, WE, WE CAN GO TO LUNCH EARLY.
RADIATION, LET'S, THAT'D BE FINE.
OUR NEXT ITEM OF FOCUS IS COLA AND MERIT.
WE TALKED ABOUT IT YESTERDAY AS 3% COLA UP TO 3% MERIT PAY.
WE NEED TO SAY ADMINISTRATION.
IN THE SLIDES THAT WERE PRESENTED YESTERDAY, WE TALKED ABOUT, WE DID A COMP STUDY SEVERAL YEARS AGO.
IT'S TWO YEARS OUT OF DATE RIGHT NOW.
AND WE'RE GONNA DO ANOTHER ONE IN TWO YEARS WITH AN OUT OUTSIDE AGENCY TO BRING US UP TO WHERE WE SHOULD BE.
IS NOT THE END ALL IN BE ALL, BUT IT IS CERTAINLY A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE COMPENSATE OUR EMPLOYEES FAIRLY COMPETITIVELY SO THAT THEY CAN LIVE, WORK, AND PLAY HERE IN BEAUFORD COUNTY.
WE HAVE NUMEROUS WORKERS ALL OVER THE COUNTY THAT REPRESENT THE DIVERSITY WE HAVE HERE.
AND SO WE NEED THE INPUT FROM THE REST OF THE MEMBERS.
IS THAT WHAT YOU WANNA DO? I'M IN FAVOR OF THE COLA AND THE MERIT.
WITH THE CAVEAT WE TALKED ABOUT YESTERDAY THAT I AGREE MR. GLOVER CAN'T JUST BE, I'M YOUR FRIEND.
THERE HAS TO BE A SET EVALUATION AND CRITERIA, AND I THINK MR. GREENWAY SAID IT YESTERDAY, OR MAYBE CATHERINE, THAT EVERYBODY DOESN'T GET A FIVE.
YOU KNOW, YOU MAY THINK YOU'RE THE BEST EMPLOYEE IN THE WORLD, BUT IF YOU'RE ME, IF YOU'RE JUST DOING YOUR JOB, YOU'RE AT A THREE, YOU'RE MEETING YOUR EXPECTATIONS.
YOU GOTTA GO ABOVE AND BEYOND.
UM, MY QUESTION IS, WOULD WE THEN ALLOCATE 3% BUCKET, A TOTAL BUCKET FOR MERIT PAY DISTRIBUTION? SO WOULD IT GO OVER THAT 3%? NOT PER PERSON, BUT THE TOTAL BUCKET? NO.
EVERY TIME, EVERY TIME I GET UP TO GO TO THE MICROPHONE FINANCIAL QUESTION, I CAN SEE, I CAN SEE BURNING HOLES.
HE GET READY TO SAY SO BEHIND.
TYPICALLY WHAT HAPPENS IS, I BELIEVE, IS THAT WE WILL, IF WE HAVE 3%, WE WILL GET ALL THE REVIEWS IN, UH, ON THE MERIT, THEN WE WILL LOOK AT THE POT OF MONEY WE HAVE AND ADJUST THE REVIEWS TO MAKE SURE THAT THE MERIT INCREASES DO NOT GO OVER, UH, THAT 3% ALLOCATION.
ERIC, ERIC, TO FOLLOW UP ON THAT, IF, UM, HOW DO YOU MANAGE, UH, HOW DO YOU MONITOR, UM, THE 3% MERIT INCREASE IF BY CHANCE THERE'S QUOTE UNQUOTE ACCUSATION OF BIAS IN THE, IN THE PROCESS? WELL, UH, AS I EXPLAINED, THE REVIEW PROCESS THAT WE WILL USE, THAT WE HAVE USED HISTORICALLY, WE WILL, WE WILL USE, WILL GIVE THE EMPLOYEES AN OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE WRITTEN REBUTTAL TO ANY COMMENTS ON, UH, THAT THEY HAVE, THAT THEY FEEL IS NEGATIVE OR TO SUBMIT ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.
THEY FILL WARRANTS TO HIRE SCORE IN CERTAIN AREAS.
[02:10:01]
AND THAT WILL BE LOOKED AT BY THE DEPARTMENT HEAD.AND THE ACA BEFORE THAT WOULD COME THROUGH, UH, FOR THE FINAL ANALYSIS BY HR TO CALCULATE THAT, THAT, UM, MERIT INCREASE.
I, I HAVE A, I HAVE A CASE OF HEARTBURN OVER THE MERIT ISSUE.
THERE'S A SIMPLER WAY TO DO IT, I BELIEVE, AND I THINK IT'S A MATTER OF STRUCTURING THE JOB DESCRIPTIONS HERE ACCORDING TO A SALARY LEVEL WHERE PEOPLE, PEOPLE HAVE AN EXPECTATION OF PROVIDING SERVICE HERE.
IF THEY'RE STILL WORKING HERE, THEY'RE OBVIOUSLY MAKING THE CONTRIBUTION THAT WE THINK IS NECESSARY SINCE THIS IS AN AT WILL EMPLOYMENT ON BOARD.
SO I, I'M GONNA SUGGEST I THINK THAT THE MERIT THING IS FRAUGHT WITH DIFFICULTY, AND IT'S A LONG TERM SOLUTION.
AND I THINK THERE'S A SIMPLER WAY TO DO IT.
AND I THINK IF PEOPLE HAVE AN EXPECTATION OVER A 20 YEAR, UH, CAREER, THAT THEY WILL, EVEN IF THEY DON'T, EVEN IF THEY DON'T RECEIVE A PROMOTION, IF THEY KNOW THAT AFTER A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF TIME THEY'LL BE REWARDED FOR THEIR DILIGENT WORK, YOU COULD SET UP A, A, UH, A SALARY SYSTEM WHERE SALARIES ARE ESTABLISHED AT THE BEGINNING LEVEL, UH, WHERE THERE'S AN ENTRY LEVEL SALARY.
AND THEN AFTER A YEAR, THEY COULD GET A, UH, WHAT WE'LL CALL A WITHIN GRADE INCREASE.
AND AFTER ANOTHER YEAR, THEY WOULD GET ANOTHER ONE.
AND AFTER THE THIRD YEAR, THEY'D GET ANOTHER ONE.
THEN IT GOES TO A TWO YEAR PERIOD, SO THAT EVERY TWO YEARS FOR THE NEXT, UH, SIX YEARS, THEY WOULD GET ANOTHER INCREASE.
AND THEN AFTER THAT, IT WOULD BE EVERY THREE YEARS THEY WOULD GET ANOTHER INCREASE.
IF THEY NEVER LEFT THAT POSITION, THEY WOULD KNOW THAT IN 20 YEARS THEY'RE GONNA BE MAKING MORE THAN THEY DID WHEN THEY STARTED IT.
A LOT OF THE PROBLEMS WE HAVE HERE IS PEOPLE MAKE THE SAME SALARY OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN EVERY YEAR WITH NO EXPECTATION OF A RAISE.
THE SHORT TERM WAY TO DEAL WITH THIS, AND I COULDN'T THINK OF THE, OF THE LANGUAGE I WAS TRYING TO FIND YESTERDAY, IS TO USE AN INCENTIVE AWARDS COMMITTEE WHERE PEOPLE COULD BE REWARDED IMMEDIATELY FOR SOMETHING EXCEPTIONAL AND THEY'VE DONE, OR HARD WORK THEY'VE DONE ON A SPECIAL PROJECT.
AND THAT'S A, UH, SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD FOR, UH, SUSTAINED SUPERIOR PERFORMANCE REPORT.
NOW, WHITNEY AND I TALKED ABOUT THAT AND MAYBE SOME STATUTORY RESTRICTIONS WITHIN THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA THAT WON'T LET YOU DO THAT BECAUSE THERE'S SOME PROHIBITION AGAINST PROVIDING BONUSES TO PEOPLE.
BUT YOU HAVE TO COME UP WITH LANGUAGE THAT I THINK THAT WOULD WORK WITHIN THAT STATUTORY REQUIREMENT.
AND THEN YOU'VE GOT A WELLNESS, BUT SOMEONE COMES INTO A JOB, THEY WILL SEE WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO THEM AS THEY MOVE FORWARD.
NOW, IF THERE'S A COLA, THE WHOLE CHART CHANGES BECAUSE IF YOU GET A 3% COLA, EVERY ONE OF THOSE ONE YEAR, TWO YEAR AND THREE YEAR RAISES CHANGES.
OR IF THERE'S AN EXECUTIVE DECISION THROUGH A COMPENSATION STUDY TO GIVE EVERYONE A RAISE, COLD CHART CHANGES AGAIN.
SO WITHOUT A PROMOTION, JUST PROVIDING YEARS AND YEARS OF SERVICE, YOU CAN SEE YOURSELF MOVE THROUGH A POSITION WITH A HIGHER SALARY EVERY YEAR FOR THE FIRST THREE, EVERY TWO YEARS FOR THE NEXT SIX, AND THEN EVERY THREE YEARS FOR THE NEXT NINE, WHICH WILL EVENTUALLY GET YOU TO THE END OF THE END OF YOUR CAREER.
NOW, IF YOU GET PROMOTED, THEN YOU DROP, YOU GO UP WITH A RAISE, AND THEN ALL OF THOSE OTHER RAISES ARE HIGHER THAN THE JOB YOU WERE IN.
SO YOU COULD BE PROMOTED ONE OR TWO GRADES, YOU COULD CHANGE JOBS AND GET A PROMOTION.
AND YOUR SALARY IS LAID OUT FOR YOU THERE FOR THE NEXT 20 YEARS.
THAT'S WHAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT.
AND YOU CAN REWARD PEOPLE IN THERE.
YOU CAN ACTUALLY GIVE THEM WITHIN GRADE INCREASE IN ADDITION TO A SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD OR A SUSTAINED SUPERIOR PERFORMANCE, BUT SOME SUSTAINED SUPERIOR PERFORMANCE REPORT, YOU CAN ACTUALLY SKIP WAITING A YEAR AND GET THE NEXT GRADE INCREASE, SO TO SPEAK.
SO IF YOU FINISH THREE YEARS AND YOU'VE GOTTEN ALL THOSE RAISES AND YOU KNOW YOU'RE ONLY GONNA GET ONE IN TWO YEARS, WHICH YOU SHOULD TOTAL OF FIVE, YOU CAN, YOU CAN BEAT THAT TIME BY GETTING A SUSTAINED SUPERIOR PERFORMANCE AWARD FOR EXCELLENT WORK IN YOUR JOB.
AND YOU WOULD GET THAT WITHIN GRADE INCREASE AFTER THE FIRST YEAR RATHER THAN MEETING TWO.
IT'S A VERY SIMPLE WAY TO ADMINISTER THIS.
MERIT IS FRAUGHT WITH DIFFICULTIES WITH BIAS, UH, EXTRA CONSIDERATIONS, UH, UNSATISFACTORY, MINIMALLY SATISFACTORY, SATISFACTORY, EXCELLENT OR OUTSTANDING.
EVERYBODY WANTS TO BE OUTSTANDING.
AND WHEN YOU'RE GIVEN EVERYBODY A FIVE, WE'VE GOT A LOT OF HEARTACHE.
THIS OTHER WAY, I THINK MIGHT BE A MORE PALATABLE WAY TO PROCEED WITHOUT DEALING WITH ALL THE POLITICS OF MERIT.
WE, WE CAN EVALUATE THAT AS A PART OF THE
I'VE WORKED IN A STEP GUIDE SITUATION FOR 46 YEARS.
[02:15:01]
WELL, SHAME ON THE SUPERVISOR FOR ALLOWING THAT TO HAPPEN AT AN AT WILL EMPLOYMENT STAGE, BUT IT'S YEAH.
BUT THE OTHER THING YOU COULD LOOK INTO LONGEVITY PAGE, THE DISTRICTS ALL DID STEPS AND LONGEVITY.
BUT, BUT I DON'T THINK WE CAN DO THIS THIS YEAR.
DO WHAT? PUT A STEP AND GUIDE SYSTEM IN IT.
DON'T TAKE THE MARATHON EITHER.
YOU KNOW HOW COMPLIC YOU KNOW HOW COMPLICATED I I DO.
BUT, BUT THEN WHAT YOU WERE SAYING IS, WE ALREADY KNOW IN THIS AREA, OUR CPI IS 7%.
ARE WE WILLING TO GIVE A 7% RAISE TO GET EVERYBODY BASICALLY WHOLE? WE CHAIRMAN MR. CHAIRMAN.
I, MY COLLEAGUES BEING NEWS COLLECTED TO THIS POSITION, I COULD TELL YOU RIGHT NOW IN THE SEVEN WEEKS I'VE BEEN ON, I'VE HAD TO RELY ON THIS STAFF TO GET UP TO SPEED AND TRY TO STAY WITH YOU FOLKS.
AND I'M TELLING YOU, MY HATS OFF TO 'EM.
THEY'RE GREAT STAFF AND I SUPPORT GETTING THEM HOLD HOWEVER WE HAVE TO DO IT.
BUT, YOU KNOW, LET'S NOT DELAY IT BECAUSE THE NEXT YEAR, BY THE WAY, WOULD NEED A LOT MORE YOUR SUPPORT AND GUIDANCE.
BUT I, I REALLY MEAN THAT AS, SO THE EASIEST WAY TO GET 'EM HOLD IS GIVE A SIX OR 7% RATE.
BUT WE WERE LOOKING AT, SO THAT'S AN OPTION.
THE OTHER OPTION IS THE THREE RECOMMENDED BY HR WITH THE MERIT PAY.
I MEAN, THOSE OPTIONS, YOU KNOW, SO LOOK AT ERIC, BUT I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT YOU ALL DO.
I I'VE GOT THE CLEAR DIRECTION FROM YOU ALL.
WE WILL, WE WILL DO THE MERIT.
YOU WILL SEE WHAT IT WOULD TAKE TO DO THE STEP.
AND WE WILL HAVE A RECOMMENDATION ON EACH AS A PART OF THE BUDGET PROCESS.
THAT'S THE PURPOSE OF DOING THIS.
SO THAT YOU CAN ALL TELL US WHAT YOU WANT US TO FOCUS ON AS A PART OF THE BUDGET PROCESS.
AND WE PEOPLE, UH, TO WORK ON THAT.
THE REASON WHY WE'RE RECOMMENDING A MERIT, LAST YEAR WE DID A 5% COLA MM-HMM.
CAUSE WE'VE HOW PEOPLE IN OUR DIVISIONS THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO REWARD THAT ARE DOING AN EXCELLENT JOB.
AND NOW THIS WAY EVERYBODY GETS THE SAME.
SO THAT'S THE REASON WHY WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THIS WITH YOU ALL.
IT, I DON'T THINK ADMINISTRATION REALLY HAS A, HAS A PREFERENCE AT THIS POINT FOR MAKING YOU AWARE OF THE ISSUES.
IF YOU GUYS WANNA DO STRAIGHT COLA, YOU KNOW, AND THAT'S WHAT YOU DIRECT US TO DO.
IF YOU WANT US TO DO MERIT, WE'LL FIGURE OUT HOW TO DO THAT.
IF HE WANT US TO IMPLEMENT A STEP PROGRAM, WE'LL GET TO WORK AND FIGURE OUT HOW TO DO THAT.
WE'VE GOT MANY MONTHS BETWEEN WHAT WE DECIDE WE'RE GONNA DO AND THE END OF JUNE WHEN ALL OF THIS STUFF IS GONNA START HAPPENING.
YOU DO MERIT? NO, I'M, I'M CHANGE SUBJECT A LITTLE BIT, UH, MR. CHAIRMAN REAL QUICK.
UM, WOULD IT BE TOO CUMBERSOME TO LOOK INTO A HYBRID SYSTEM OF TAKING KIND OF THAT STEP PAY INCREASES FOR TIME IN AS WELL AS LOOKING AT SOME OF THE MERIT INCREASE? LIKE, WOULD THAT BE DOABLE OR WOULD THAT JUST BE TOO DIFFICULT? I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION, BUT I'LL BE GLAD TO ASK OUR HR DEPARTMENT AND WORK WITH OUR FINANCE FOLKS TO GET THAT ANSWER TO SEE WHAT ANSWER I THINK WE'RE ALREADY WORKING ON.
I THINK WE'VE ALREADY LOOKED AT WANNA PROGRAM MM-HMM.
UM, SO I JUST DON'T KNOW HOW FAR INTO THAT WE ARE, MR. CHAIRMAN.
YOU'RE GONNA DO MERIT AND I UNDERSTAND WHAT THE ELECTED OFFICIALS MAY HAVE SAID IF THEY WOULD LIKE THE OPTION TO RECOGNIZE PEOPLE WITH MERIT BUSINESS.
YOU HAVE TO RATE EVERYBODY IN THE MERIT PROGRAM.
YOU JUST DON'T RATE THE PEOPLE THAT YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING A GREAT JOB.
CUZ IN MERIT, YOU'VE GOT THOSE FIVE AREAS YOU HAVE TO COVER WITH EVERY EMPLOYEE ON AN ANNUAL BASIS.
RIGHT? I'M NOT, I'VE SEEN THAT HAPPEN.
I, I THINK THAT GOES BACK TO LARRY TO THE, UH,
BUT THAT'S, I I'M CONCERNED IF WE DEVELOP A SALARY SCHEDULE, UH, WHETHER IT'S A LAYERED OR, OR STEPS
[02:20:01]
OR WHATEVER, IS THE, ONE OF THE PROBLEMS WE HAD WITH THE STUDY IS THAT, UM, YOU HAD A SALARY FOR AN EMPLOYEE THAT HAS BEEN WITH US 20 YEARS AND, UH, I FORGOT WHAT THEY CALL IT.UM, WE WANNA MAKE SURE WE TAKE THAT IN CONSIDERATION AS WE MOVE FORWARD BECAUSE, UM, CAN YEAH.
AS WE MOVE FORWARD, SIR, BEEN THERE, DONE THAT MANY, MANY YEARS AGO, UH, I WAS PRESIDENT OF THE TEACHER'S UNION MM-HMM.
WE WERE GONNA GIVE A BRAND NEW TEACHER 18 FIVE.
I HAD PEOPLE THAT HAD BEEN WORKING SEVEN YEARS THAT WERE EARNING LESS AND I NOW HAD TO TELL THEM, I JUST HIRED PAULA, SHE'S GOING TO GET 18 FIVE YORK, I'M GONNA RAISE YOUR SALARY FROM 16 FOUR TO 18 FIVE.
BUT YOU HAVE SEVEN YEARS EXPERIENCE AND DID NOT GO OVER WELL.
AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT WE NEED TO TAKE IN CONSIDERATION AS WE MOVE FORWARD WITH OUR SALARY SCHEDULE.
BECAUSE, UM, WE, THERE'S SOMETHING THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S THERE FOR LONGEVITY, UM, HISTORICAL KNOWLEDGE AND, AND, AND HAVING SOMEBODY TO COME IN LIKE THAT WILL REALLY GET MORALE.
TIME TO DO THAT IS WHEN YOU DO THAT CLASSIFICATION AND COMPENSATION STUDY AND YOU ESTABLISH FEW SALARIES ALL ACROSS THE BOARD AND YOU PUT THAT, THAT, UM, GRADE STEP ISSUE IN, THEN EVERYBODY'S MOVING UP AND THEN THEY'RE MOVING ACROSS WHEN THEY'RE HERE.
AND LIKE I SAID, UM, THERE ARE WAYS TO REWARD PEOPLE WITHIN THAT FOR MERIT WITH SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENTS, UH, WITHIN GREAT INCREASES, UH, AHEAD OF SCHEDULE AND SUSTAINED SUPERIOR PERFORMANCE.
NOT A YEAR LATER WHEN MAYBE A CALL IS FLOORING AROUND, BUT RIGHT.
WHEN THEY'VE DONE THE GREAT THING THAT YOU'RE TRYING TO RECOGNIZE YES.
AND THE FEEDBACK TO THAT, IT'S SO POSITIVE BECAUSE THEY'RE RECOGNIZED IMMEDIATELY FOR THE CONTRIBUTION THEY'VE MADE.
AND SO ABOVE AND BEYOND WHAT EVERYBODY ELSE HAS DONE.
SO I WOULD JUST RECOMMEND THAT YOU CONSIDER IT.
LISTEN, I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU'RE EVER GONNA GET THIS BACK TO TIME FOR JULY.
AND I, UH, THE REASON WHY SHE'S IN THE ROLE AS MY DEPUTY IS SHE ALWAYS THINKS, UH, FAR AHEAD OF ME, UH, IS THAT, UH, SHE SAID THAT WHAT WE MAY COME BACK AND DO FOR YOU ALL IS A COLA FOR THE END OF FISCAL YEAR.
AND THEN GET THE STEP INCREASE.
WHATEVER WE'RE GONNA RECOMMEND WITH MERITOR STEP, GET THAT IN PLACE FOR US TO DO LATER IN THE YEAR IN THE FALL.
OR, YOU KNOW, AROUND, ARE YOU DOING A CLASSIFICATION COMPENSATION STUDY AGAIN WITH SOME RESULTS? WE'RE UPDATING, IT'S THE INTERNAL ROOM.
SO WE, WE WILL, SO JUST SAY WE WILL COME BACK WITH THE APPROPRIATE RECOMMENDATION OF THE PART OF THE BUDGET.
YOU ALL JUST NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT THE RECOMMENDATION MAY BE COLA IMMEDIATELY AT THE END OF FISCAL YEAR OR NEW FISCAL YEAR WITH A, SOME SORT OF STEP INCREASE ADDITIONALLY, UH, A FEW MONTHS LATER IN THE FALL.
OKAY, BOB, THAT SOUNDS REASONABLE TO US.
EVERYBODY OKAY WITH THAT? YES.
YOU GOT YOUR DIRECTION ON THAT.
ITEM NUMBER THREE CAN'T BE DONE RIGHT NOW BECAUSE WE HAVEN'T HEARD THE AFTERNOON SESSION, AND THAT'S MILLAGE.
ONCE WE KNOW ABOUT REASSESSMENT, UH, WE CAN THEN TACKLE THE MILLAGE.
UH, THE NEXT ONE IS DURING THE BUDGET, UH, SEASON, WE'RE GONNA SIT DOWN WITH OUR BOARD OF EDUCATION TO TALK ABOUT THE FACILITIES THAT WE USE AND THEY USE, AND THE COOPERATION THAT WE CAN HAVE SO THAT WE DON'T CHARGE.
THEY DON'T, THAT SHOULD BE A GROUNDED
AND, AND THE FINAL ONE IS WE SAW A LIST OF ENTITIES THAT ARE COMING BEFORE US ASKING FOR MONEY.
WE ARE GOING TO SEND THEM A LETTER TO SPECIFY WHEN THEY COME BEFORE US, WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR IN SPECIFICITY.
MUCH THE SAME AS WE HAVE IN OUR CODE OF ORDINANCES FOR THE USAGE OF A TAX AND H TAX MONEY.
SHOW US WHAT YOU ARE BUDGETING.
SHOW US THAT YOU HAVE EXPENDED THAT MONEY.
SHOW US WHAT YOU KNOW YOU'VE DONE ALONG THE WAY.
NOT FIGHT EVERYBODY ON THAT LIST OR ANY OF THE EXCEPTIONS IN THAT LIST OF ALL THOSE THINGS.
UM, I THINK IT WOULD APPLY TO EVERYBODY ON THAT LIST.
WE HAVE NO OBLIGATION TO FUND ANY OF THOSE, LIKE THE HOSPITAL THINGS AT A PARTICULAR NUMBER.
THE HOSPITAL HAD, THEY'RE, THEY'RE
[02:25:01]
DONE WITH, UM, MILL.SO THEY'LL, THEY'LL BE A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT.
BUT AGAIN, WE STILL WANT TO KNOW, OKAY, WE'RE GIVING YOU MONEY.
WHAT ARE YOU SPENDING? WHAT ARE YOU SPENDING IT ON? ABSOLUTELY.
IT'S NOT OKAY BY LAW, WE, OR YOU KNOW, YOU'RE PART OF THE MILLAGE, SO YOU, YOU JUST GET TO DO WHAT YOU WANT.
NO, THIS IS A DIFFERENT WAY WE'RE DOING THINGS.
ARE WE GOING TO UPSET SOME PEOPLE? MAYBE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A WHOLE BUNCH OF PEOPLE THAT I'M NOT GETTING CHRISTMAS CARDS FROM THIS YEAR, SO WE'LL JUST ADD TO THE LIST NUMBER.
YOU CAN ALWAYS BLAME IT ON THE NEW COUNCIL FIRST, RIGHT? THAT'S RIGHT.
UH, SO THAT WAS THE LIST OF THE FIVE THINGS THAT WE DID YESTERDAY.
TODAY WE SET SOME PRIORITIES AND GOALS FOR EDC.
WE ALL KNOW WHAT WE WANT TO DO THAT WAY.
WE'VE ALSO SET UP H AAX AND H TAX ABOUT THE CHANGES WE'RE GOING TO BE MAKING IN A TAX, A TAX IN H TAX AND HOW WE SPEND THAT MONEY.
SO, ANYTHING ELSE FOR YOU TO GO TO THE ORDER? NO.
THOSE ARE THE ONLY TWO TAKEAWAYS SO FAR.
EVERYBODY OKAY WITH WHAT WE'VE DONE SO FAR? YES, SIR.
WELL THEN WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO IS WE'RE GOING TO RECESS ON ONE O'CLOCK NOON.
WE ARE BACK FROM OUR RECESS FOR LUNCH.
UH, WE HAVE OUR FINAL TWO PRESENTATIONS THIS AFTERNOON.
OUR FIRST PRESENTATION, UH, HANK IS GOING TO BE BACK BEFORE US TALKING ABOUT OUR, OUR PROJECTS AND REPRIORITIZATION OF THEM.
YOU DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH ALREADY.
HANK HAVEN'T TALKED TO YOU IN A LONG TIME.
THERE ISN'T A PUT UP A LITTLE PRESENTATION.
TOM'S HERE IS NOT IN THIS PRESENTATION, SO IT'LL BE A SMOOTH OPERATION.
UH, SO COINCIDENTALLY JUST ABOUT A YEAR AGO IS WHENEVER COUNCIL ADOPTED THE FUND OR, UH, RECEIVED THE FUNDS AND ADOPTED SOME PLANS.
I'M GONNA TAKE YOU THROUGH SOME BASIC HURDLES THAT ARE NEW, ARE TAKING YOU THROUGH SOME BASIC, UH, GUIDELINES, RULES AND TIMELINES THAT APPLY WITH ARPA FUNDS.
WE'LL TALK ABOUT HOW THE COUNTY RECEIVED IT AND APPROVED THESE USES IN CERTAIN CATEGORIES.
I'VE ACTUALLY BROKEN UP A LITTLE FARTHER JUST SO YOU CAN UNDERSTAND MORE.
AND THEN WE'LL TALK ABOUT ONE YEAR LATER, WHERE DO WE STAND AS FAR AS EX UH, HAVING THESE FUNDS IN THE UTILIZATION PHASE AS OPPOSED TO JUST PLANNING MM-HMM.
AND THEN WE'LL CUT A LITTLE DEEPER AND SAY WHAT'S REALLY AVAILABLE? BECAUSE SOME THINGS THAT'LL SHOW ON THE SECOND SLIDE THAT ARE NOT USED YET ARE FULLY INTENDED TO BE USED, BUT IT MAY HAVE TO DO WITH A CAPITAL SITUATION THAT THAT TAKES TIME.
AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT AND THEN WE'LL FINISH UP WITH WHEN WE SEE WHAT IS TRULY AVAILABLE, WHAT ARE THE NEEDS AND THAT YOU GUYS CAN PRIORITY WISE, WHERE THOSE SHOULD SHOULD GO.
SO I DIDN'T INVENT THIS AND PULLED IT RIGHT OFF THE FEDERAL WEBSITE, BUT THE, THE USES OF ARPA FUNDS, THE FIRST ONE IS WHAT EVERYBODY LIKES TO DO BECAUSE IT'S TO REPLACE LOSS REVENUE.
IF UNITS, IT'S A GOVERNMENT LOST MONEY.
UH, THERE WAS A, YOU CAN USE A VERY COMPLICATED FORMULA TO CALCULATE A REALLY BIG NUMBER IF YOU LOST MONEY, BUT BUFORD COUNTY REALLY DIDN'T LOSE MONEY.
SO WE HAD TO USE A STANDARD DEDUCTION.
LIKE WHEN WE DO OUR TAXES, OUR STANDARD DEDUCTION IS 10 MILLION.
SO OF THE 37, 10 MILLION IS THE MAXIMUM THAT YOU CAN USE FOR ITEMS THAT DON'T FIT INTO THE OTHER CATEGORIES.
SO THEY PURPOSELY, IN THE FINAL RULE, BROADENED SOME OF THESE DEFINITIONS SO THAT THERE IS FLEXIBILITY.
SO NOT AS TIGHT AS COULD BE READ, BUT RESPOND TO FOREIGN AND PUBLIC HEALTH AND NEGATIVE ECONOMIC IMPACTS OF THE PANDEMIC.
SO THAT HAS TO DO WITH HEALTH CLINICS, HEALTH DEPARTMENTS, UH, BUSINESSES THAT WERE AFFECTED, INDIVIDUALS THAT WERE AFFECTED.
OUR NURSING PROGRAMS ARE TO RESPOND TO THIS.
UH, WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES OVERALL ARE TO RESPOND TO THESE, WHETHER IT'S ECONOMIC OR HEALTH RELATED ISSUES.
UH, ADDITIONALLY, SOME OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES AND PARKS CAN BE SEEN BECAUSE THERE ARE OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES FOR ALL OF THIS IS IN THE EVENT OF A FUTURE PANDEMIC OR, OR MEDICAL EMERGENCY.
HOW DO WE BETTER RESPOND? SO THE NEXT IS PREMIUM PAY FOR THOSE WORKERS THAT WORK THROUGH THIS.
[02:30:01]
DIDN'T MAKE IT END.MY PREVIOUS EMPLOYER WAS STINGY AND DIDN'T DO IT, BUT THAT'S FINE.
UH, AND THE LAST ONE IS INVEST IN WATER SEWER BROADBAND INFRASTRUCTURE.
I MENTIONED IT EARLIER WHEN WE TALK ABOUT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND NEEDS AROUND THE COUNTY.
AND, UH, I'LL GO TO NOW TO WHERE, AND THERE YOU CAN READ INTO THE FINE PRINT IF YOU WANT, BUT I DON'T THINK YOU NEED ME TO READ FOR YOU.
SO THE RULES AND THE TIMELINES, IT HAS TO BE OBLIGATED BY THE END OF NEXT CALENDAR YEAR.
WE ARE IN, NOT IN ANYWHERE CLOSE TO DANGER OF RUNNING INTO THAT DEADLINE OBLIGATED.
FOR EXAMPLE, IT WOULD BE TRANSFERRED TO AN ENTITY FOR USE.
ACTUALLY, THAT COUNTS AS SPENT AT THAT POINT.
LIKE OUR GOOD NEIGHBOR PROGRAMS WITH THE MUNICIPALITIES, UH, THE EXPENDITURE, DIRECT EXPENDITURE BY US HAS TO BE DONE BY THE END OF 2026.
AGAIN, I DON'T FEEL LIKE THERE'S ANY DANGER OF RUNNING INTO THAT DEADLINE.
AS I SHOW YOU HERE IN A FEW MINUTES, THE, THE LONGEST TERM PROJECTS THAT ARE GONNA TAKE TO EXPAND WOULD BE FOR SOME OF THESE HEALTH COMMUNITY CENTERS OR PARKS.
ALL RIGHT, SO HERE'S THE NUMBERS.
WE ARE AWARDED THIS ODD, NOT SO ROUND 37, 317, 30 7,317,000 FROM HUNDRED $46 WAS ADOPTED A YEAR AGO AND RECEIVED.
AND HERE ARE THE CATEGORIES THAT YOU, WE PUT THEM IN.
SO WORKFORCE ENHANCEMENT, PUBLIC HEALTH, RECREATION IMPROVEMENTS.
THE GOOD NEIGHBOR PROGRAM, FOR THOSE THAT DON'T KNOW THAT WAS, UM, MUNICIPALITIES REALLY RECEIVED A SMALLER ALLOCATION PROPORTIONATE THE COUNTIES.
AND SO THE COUNTY DECIDED TO GIVE THEM AN OPPORTUNITY TO SUB-GRANT TO SUPPLEMENT THEIR ARPA ELIGIBLE ACTIVITIES.
OH, INFRASTRUCTURE, THIS IS A BIG ONE, BUT IT CAN COVER WATER SEWER, IT CAN COVER SOME BROADBAND.
UH, INITIAL PROJECTIONS WERE FOR SOME ROADS, ET CETERA.
BUT IN THE FINAL RULE THAT WAS, THAT'S NOT AN ELIGIBLE EXPENSE.
SO IT NEEDS TO BE WATER, SEWER, BROADBAND, UM, EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT.
THAT IS THE STATION SYSTEM TO UNIFY ALL THE COUNTY FIRE DISTRICTS.
WE ARE IN THE FINAL WISH, PATRICK, HOPEFULLY THE FINAL AWARD PHASE, WHICH HAS BEEN KIND OF INTERESTING TO GO THROUGH AND WE'LL HAVE MUCH MORE TO REPORT ON THAT.
UH, ENTERPRISE AND CAPITAL ARE THINGS THAT CAN FIT INTO THAT, THAT STANDARD DEDUCTION.
IMPROVEMENTS AT PUBLIC WORKS OR PURCHASE OF EQUIPMENT.
JUST THE THINGS THAT GOVERNMENT NEEDS TO DO.
THEY DIDN'T HAVE FUNDS TO DO IN THE INITIAL PHASES WHEN WE RECEIVED THE FUNDS.
AIRPORT IMPROVEMENT, UH, AND THEN INITIATIVE ADMINISTRATION.
THERE'S A, UH, THAT ALSO PAID THE PREMIUM PAY FOR EMPLOYEES.
THAT IS, THAT HELPS US NOT GO TO JAIL.
IT'S GOOD TO HAVE A GOOD DEDICATED ACCOUNT.
UH, AND ALSO THE FUNDS, UH, GENERAL MENTAL HEALTH COORDINATOR FOR THE COUNTY.
JUST THINGS TO ADDRESS ISSUES THAT ARE ALLOWABLE.
IS THAT THE ALLOCATION? THAT IS THE TOTAL ALLOCATION YOU HAVE.
CAN YOU TELL US HOW MUCH WAS ALREADY ALLOCATED ALLOCATION? THAT'S THE NEXT SLIDE.
SO NEXT HERE IS WHAT HAS BEEN, WHAT IS WHAT REMAINS IS ON THE RIGHT SIDE.
AND SO I MADE A PRESENTATION NOVEMBER TO THE GROUP.
THIS WAS A, A DIFFERENT INDIVIDUALS.
THE NUMBERS ARE CLOSE TO THE SAME AS FAR AS WHERE WE STAND BECAUSE IF YOU LOOK ON THESE, UH, CATEGORIES, THE 3 MILLION IN PUBLIC HEALTH ARE FOR THESE HEALTH CENTERS.
AND WHAT WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT GOING FORWARD IS HOW DO WE DO THEM? AS I'LL SHOW ON THE LAST SLIDE WITH INFLATION AND INCREASE BUILDING COSTS, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO THINK CREATIVELY ABOUT HOW TO OUTFIT, RENOVATE OR BUILD ONTO EXISTING BUILDINGS AS OPPOSED TO STANDALONES BECAUSE THE DOLLARS JUST WILL NOT MAKE SENSE.
UM, THE $3 MILLION ARE FOR PARK IMPROVEMENTS OR AGAIN, TO HAVE OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES IN THE EVENT.
AND THIS WAS PART OF THE INITIAL, UH, PROGRAM.
THERE'S ONLY 500,000 LEFT IN THE GOOD NEIGHBOR.
THAT'S NOT WHAT THEY'RE SITTING ON IT.
WE'RE JUST WORKING TOGETHER ON A PROJECT THAT MAKES SENSE FOR BOTH OF US.
THEN THEY CAN USE IT TO CONTRIBUTE TO, UH, INFRASTRUCTURE.
THAT'S THE ONE BIG BUCKET LOT INFRASTRUCTURE
[02:35:01]
TAKES TIME.AND THAT'S WHAT WE'LL TALK ABOUT NEXT IS THAT IS WHAT CAN BE USED.
BUT THERE ARE MORE NEEDS THAN ONE WOULD THINK ON THE SURFACE.
UH, BACK TO EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT.
UH, THAT'S THE, I CAME OUTTA THAT, THAT ONE? MM-HMM.
SO WE HAD INITIALLY HAD A A, A BASE INFRASTRUCTURE AND A WATER SEWER THAT'S ALL LUMPED INTO THE INFRASTRUCTURE.
UH, INNOVATION THAT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE'LL TALK ON THE LA LAST SLIDE.
THAT, UH, PART OF THAT IS BROADBAND INFRASTRUCTURE.
AND PATRICK AND I HAVE BEEN DISCUSSING IT.
WE WORKED WITH ALL THE PROVIDERS ON MAKING THESE, BEFORE WE EXPENDED OUR FUNDS, WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THE PROVIDERS APPLIED FOR FEDERAL FUNDS THROUGH THE STATE.
UNFORTUNATELY, NONE OF THAT WAS AWARDED WITHIN BEAUFORT COUNTY.
HOWEVER, WE'VE KIND OF, WE'VE ALREADY STARTED PLANNING A FOLLOW UP GRANT PROCESS, BRIDGE THE GAP FOR THOSE THAT NEED INTERNET SPEEDS.
AND WE'LL TALK MORE ABOUT THAT.
I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO STAY ON THE TABLE, WHICH YOU'LL SEE IN THE FINAL SLIDE.
UH, BACK TO EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT.
THAT'S FOR THE STATION ALERTING SYSTEM THAT WE ARE, THAT'S SITTING THERE OBLIGATED TO PURCHASE THESE SYSTEMS. AND JUST SO YOU KNOW WHAT THAT IS, RIGHT NOW WE HAVE, WHAT IS IT, 13 FIRE DISTRICTS.
UH, YOU'LL BE SLEEPING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT AND THE IT WILL GO OFF BLARING CRAZY.
AND YOU MIGHT NOT EVEN BE NEEDED FOR THAT CALL.
THESE ARE SMART SYSTEMS THAT WILL THROUGH DISPATCH YOUT THROUGH OUR, YOU CAN CORRECT ME THE NAME.
IT WILL ONLY GO EXACTLY WHERE IT'S NEEDED AND TELL YOU EXACTLY WHAT'S GOING ON AND RAMP UP YOUR WAKE UP BASED ON THE URGENCY.
IT'S A, IT'S A HEALTH AND SAFETY FOR THEM.
IT'S BETTER FOR ALL THE CITIZENS AND FOR ALL THE DEPARTMENTS SO THAT THEY CAN HAVE BETTER UNIFIED COMMUNICATION THROUGH DISPATCH, ENTERPRISE AND CAPITAL.
THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT WE TALKED ABOUT THAT WERE REALLY TAKEN OFF OF THERE FIRST.
CUZ WE HAD EXISTING NEEDS, WHETHER IT'S AT PUBLIC WORKS GARAGE OR AIRPORT IMPROVEMENTS, ET CETERA.
AND THEN WHEN I PUT THE 75 AS THE REMAINING ON THE STAFFING IS BECAUSE WE DID NOT.
SO THAT'S WHERE THE 16 MILLION COMES FROM.
NOW, THIS STILL SOUNDS LIKE A LOT OF MONEY, BUT AS WE DISCUSSED, SO MANY OF THESE THINGS ARE REALLY HAPPENING.
SO WHAT IS THE REAL, WHAT'S REALLY LEFT? AND IT'S THIS INFRASTRUCTURE AMOUNT, AND I'LL JUST GO RIGHT TO THE NEXT ONE BECAUSE THE NEEDS ARE BIG BECAUSE WE HAD TO SET ASIDE, YOU KNOW, 700,000 FOR BROADBAND.
BUT WITH NO GRANT MONEY COMING, MAYBE THERE'S MORE NEEDED, MAYBE NOT.
WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THE ON THE BOTTOM COST OVERRUNS, ET CETERA.
ON SOME OF THESE HARD FACILITIES.
WE HAVE, UH, A NEED TO RELOCATE THE EKC DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, WHICH WE'RE SELLING FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING ITSELF IS A VERY, IT WASN'T IN THAT FIRST SLIDE, BUT IN FOLLOW UP, UH, ISSUANCES FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, THEY'RE ENCOURAGING FOR OUR PREFUND, WHICH IS WHY WE ALREADY HAVE WITH OUR FUNDS FUND, WE FUNDED THE TRUST FUND WITH THE FUNDS FROM ARPA.
BUT THERE ARE OTHER WAYS LONG TERM TO THINK ABOUT HOW DO WE BETTER FOSTER AND FACILITATE REAL IMPACTFUL, AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
AND THEN WATER AND SEWER FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, WE, IF IT'S AN ALLOWABLE AND ENCOURAGE USE, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT YOU'D WANNA LOOK AT TO HELP GET THESE SITES THAT WE MENTIONED CLOSER TO THE DEVELOPMENT PHASE SO THAT WHEN SOMEBODY COMES TO ASK US OR COMES TO ASK US ON, HEY, I KNEW THIS SITE AND THEY SAID, WELL, WE COULD GET WATER AND SEE HER THERE, BUT WE'RE KIND OF WORKING ON ENGINEERING PLANS.
AND THAT, THAT CONVERSATION'S OVER WHEN YOU HAVE THAT AT THAT POINT, CAUSE THEY NEED TO KNOW IS, IS IT THERE? WHAT'S THE CAPACITY? AND UH, WHEN CAN WE MOVE IN? SO THAT IS MY SHORTEST PRESENTATION, BUT IT'S REALLY ENOUGH FOR YOU GUYS TO HAVE DISCUSSION.
WHAT KIND OF, WHAT KIND OF THINGS DO YOU WANT TO DO WITHIN THESE CATEGORIES? CAN CAN YOU GO BACK TO THE LIST PLEASE? ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE IS THE 16 MILLION THAT'S LEFT, YOU SAID IT HAS TO BE OBLIGATED BY 24.
AND THE LONG LEAD TIME IS INFRASTRUCTURE BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, IT COULD TAKE OVER A YEAR TO BUILD WHATEVER YOU DO PLUS ALL OF THE PREP WORK.
SO WITH THAT IN MIND, I THINK THAT'S OUR FOCUS IS, UH, ARE THERE THINGS WITHIN OUR
[02:40:01]
OR DESIRE UTILIZING THAT MONEY? AND CAN ANY OF THAT MONEY BE SHIFTED? BECAUSE YOU SAID, EXCEPT FOR YOU GUYS, THERE ARE SOME THINGS, FOR INSTANCE, THE PUBLIC HEALTH, WE HAVE $3 MILLION.IF WE WANTED TO DO IT THE WAY WE ORIGINALLY TALKED ABOUT THREE INDIVIDUAL STATIONS AROUND, IT MIGHT BE OVER 3 MILLION.
BUT IF IT COULD BE ACCOMPLISHED WITHIN THIS TIME PERIOD, IT MAY BE WORTHWHILE DOING THAT.
SO THAT'S JUST THE DISCUSSION WE HAVE TO HAVE IS RIGHT.
HOW ARE WE GOING TO GET THE BEST PAYMENT FOR, BECAUSE TIME MARCHES ON AND THERE IS NO FORGIVENESS.
GIVE US A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME.
TO RELOCATE THE DEH CONFERENCES.
ANY IDEA WHERE, WHERE, WHAT RENOVATE ANOTHER BUILDING? WHAT'S THE POTENTIALLY WE HAVE, WE'RE IN FINALIZING SOME NUMBERS TO BRING TO YOU AT THE NEXT, UH, FINANCE.
THAT'S WHY WE HAVE TO GET SOME NUMBERS TO BRING TO YOU ALL.
AND WHAT'S THE ESTIMATE FOR THE BROADBAND? SINCE WE, ANY STATE MONEY THERE REALLY, I HAVE PATRICK SPEAK TO IT, BUT THERE ARE DIFFERING OPINIONS OF WHERE THE NEED MIGHT BE AND WHAT THE PROVIDERS SAY AND WHAT THE STATE INTERPRETS AS NEED.
AND THAT'S WHERE WE NEED TO, I THINK IN BUFORD COUNTY, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO HAVE MORE OF A CUSTOMIZED GRANTING SITUATION BECAUSE A LOT OF TIMES THERE MIGHT BE A REALLY GOOD LINE RUNNING DOWN THE STREET.
SO THE STREET'S CONCERNED YOU HAVE ACCESS, BUT YOU LIVE ON THE FIFTH PROPERTY DOWN A DRIVEWAY AND THEREFORE YOU CAN'T GET IT.
NOT, NOT ONLY THAT, BUT THE STATE HAS ANALYZED EVERY COUNTY AND, AND EVERY COMMUNITY AND EVERY COUNTY TO FIND OUT WHAT IS THE BROADBAND DESERT.
RIGHT? SO WE KNOW THERE ARE STILL DESERTS IN BUFORD COUNTY ON HILL HEAD ISLAND, ST.
HELEN, IN, UH, NORTHERN BUFORD COUNTY, OTHER AREAS THAT WE MAY HAVE TO TAKE IT UP BECAUSE THE PROVIDER, YOU KNOW, WHETHER IT'S SPECTRUM OR HARD GRAY OR ANYBODY ELSE, THEY CAN'T DO IT OR WON'T DO IT BECAUSE IT'S NOT FISCALLY TO THEIR ADVANTAGE TO PUT BROADBAND IN THERE.
AND, AND THE FINAL POINT IS, GREAT.
YOU CAN PUT BROADBAND THERE, YOU CAN GET IT TO THE HOUSE.
NOW WHAT DO YOU DO? RIGHT? BECAUSE IT'S SO GOD AWFUL AND EXPENSIVE WITH THE PACKAGES THAT YOU HAVE BUY IN ORDER TO MAKE IT WORK.
I GUESS MY QUESTION REALLY IS CAN WE DO IT IN THE TIME WE HAVE SOME OF THE BROADBAND THAT'S FACTOR WITH A GRANT OR SOMETHING? I DON'T, I THINK THE CHALLENGE IS JUST IDENTIFYING THE HOMES THAT WANT THE SERVICE AND THAT, UH, CAN'T GET IT FROM THE PROVIDER AS IS.
AND, UM, GETTING THE CONSTRUCTION COSTS TO GET IT OUT TO THEM.
UM, THAT'S WHERE THE CHALLENGE IS.
LET ME LET, LET ME SEE THIS IF I MIGHT.
UM, WHEN THESE FUNDS ARE FIRST ALLOCATED TO, UH, THE COUNTY AND JARED, UH, PROVIDED COUNSEL WITH A, UH, ITEM WISE LIST OF, UH, WHERE THE FUNDS WERE GOING TO BE ALLOCATED INITIALLY ON THAT LIST, IT HAD BROADBAND, BUT WE ONLY ALLOCATED $500,000, I THINK FOR BROADBAND.
HELEN AS WELL AS, AND THE NORTHERN PART OF, UH, THE COUNTY, WHICH IS, WHICH IS MY AREA.
AND I ARGUED AT THAT, THAT I DIDN'T THINK THAT WE WERE, WELL, I ASKED JARED, I SAID, UM, WHY IS ONLY $500,000 BEING ALLOCATED TO SAY TO MY AREA, THE RULE PART OF, OF THE COUNTY AND TO, UH,
AND THEN, UM, SO WE ONLY ALLOCATE THE 500,000.
NOW WE FIND OUT THAT THE STATE DIDN'T ALLOCATE ANYTHING.
AND SO IN THE INITIAL REALM OF EXPANDING SOME OF THESE FUNDS, OUR COMMUNITIES IN OUR DISTRICT, WE GOT 500,000.
NOW, NOW, AND NOW I WILL SAY TO ALL OF US THAT IN THE RURAL COMMUNITIES, UH, WHERE, UH, MANY OF OUR, UH, UH, UH, SCHOOL CHILDREN ARE HAVING, UH, NOT HAVING ACCESS TO, UH, WIFI, UM, THE LIBRARY WENT THROUGH THE PROCESS OF TRYING AND THAT DIDN'T WORK OUT SO WELL.
SO WE STILL HAVE, UH, A SEGMENT OF THEIR POPULATION IN CUB COUNTY THAT DOESN'T HAVE ACCESS TO WIFI.
SO I'M SAYING TO THE ADMINISTRATION, I'M SAYING TO THIS COUNCIL THAT WE NEED TO TAKE THE INITIATIVE TO ENSURE
[02:45:01]
THAT WE GET WIFI OUT INTO THE RURAL PARTS OF THIS COUNTY SO THAT WE PROVIDE ALL OF OUR CITIZENS EQUAL ACCESS TO BROADBAND.I DON'T THINK, I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANYTHING STOPPING US FROM REMOVING MONEY AROUND IN THOSE, IN THOSE BASKETS.
DO YOU? I MEAN, NO, I MEAN THAT PUTS INTO THE INFRASTRUCTURE BASKET, WHICH IS WHERE THE MONEY IS, RIGHT? OH, I KNOW WAS MM-HMM.
AND I THINK, UM, PIGGYBACKING WHAT GERALD JUST SAID, UM, BEFORE, UM, THIS COUNCIL MADE A, MADE BROADBAND ACCESS, UH, IN THE COMMUNITY, ALL BEFORD COUNTY AVAILABLE.
AND WE USED THAT AS AN INITIATIVE TO MOVE FORWARD.
UM, AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN MONEY KILLED AVAILABLE.
AND THAT'S WHY I UNDERSTOOD WHY YOU ONLY PUT A HALF A MILLION DOLLARS IN THAT BECAUSE YOU WERE IN BANKING ON FUNDING COMING FROM THE STATE.
HOWEVER, MONEY IS NOT COMING FROM THE STATE BECAUSE THE STATE HAS DECIDED THAT THEY WILL USE A GRANT PROCESS AND NOT ALLOCATE FOR THESE VARIOUS COUNTIES.
AND SO WE ARE PROBABLY NOT ON A LIST OF COUNTIES THAT HAVE WHETHER NEEDS AND ET CETERA, ET CETERA.
BUT WE HAVE POCKETS OF THE COUNTY.
AND, UM, I, I DON'T KNOW WHETHER ANOTHER GRANT WAITING ON GRANTS UNLESS, NO, I DON'T THINK WE WAIT ON A GRANT.
I THINK WE HAVE TO LINK A PLAN TO USE OUR FUNDING FOR THAT PURPOSE.
THAT'S WHAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT DOING IS MAYBE WE CREATE A GRANTING PROGRAM TO PEOPLE FOR HOW WE, THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE TO PIECE TOGETHER.
WHERE'S THE NEED? IT'S ONE TIME WHEN SOMEBODY SAYS, I DON'T HAVE INTERNET, BUT WE NEED TO FARM OUT THIS INFORMATION.
WHAT IS THE ISSUE? IS IT THE ACTS FAR FROM THE ROAD, CAN'T PAY FOR THE BILL? WHAT? THERE HAS TO BE SO MANY THINGS THAT COULD FIT INTO THAT.
AND, AND I WOULD LOVE FOR, FOR YOU TO COME BACK TO US, UM, FUNDING.
I MEAN, WHAT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE, YOU KNOW? OKAY.
UM, TO MAKE, OH, THE GOOD PART, JUST SO YOU KNOW, IF YOU MAKE IT A, IF YOU MAKE IT A PRIORITY AS A COUNCIL, THE WAY THAT THE ORDINANCE IS WRITTEN, MAKE IT A, CAN USE THESE FUNDS TO DESIGN A PROGRAM.
AND IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE THAT 500,000 NECESSARILY, RIGHT? MM-HMM.
WHEN WE IDENTIFIED THE TRUTH, I THINK THIS COUNTY NEEDED A PRIORITY WHEN THEY SAID THEY WANT TO MAKE I UNDERSTAND.
UM, UM, UM, UM, ACCESS, RIGHT? TO, SO, SO WE KNOW 500,000 ISN'T GOING TO BE ENOUGH BECAUSE THERE WAS GONNA BE 500,000 ON TOP OF THE 700,000 WE WERE GONNA GET FROM THE STATE, RIGHT? WE DON'T EVEN KNOW IF THAT'S GOING TO BE ENOUGH IN THIS DAY AND AGE, NUMBER ONE.
NUMBER TWO, WHO'S GOING TO PUT IN THOSE LINES? NUMBER THREE, WHICH PROVIDER IS IT GOING TO BE? BECAUSE THEY'RE TERRITORIAL BY THE WAY THE STATE HAS SET THEM UP.
SO WE NEED ALL OF THAT INFORMATION.
WHAT WE FOUND OUT THROUGH THE PROCESS IS THE ONLY WAY THAT IT'S GONNA BE ANYWHERE CLOSE TO AFFORDABLE FOR ANYBODY INCLUDING US, IS THE CLOSEST CURRENT PROVIDER THAT HAS TRUNK LINES.
IT'S GONNA HAVE TO BE THE ONE THAT WE WORK WITH.
SO IT'S GONNA HAVE TO BE MULTIPLE PROVIDERS BASED ON THE DIFFERENT AREAS OF THE COUNTY.
HELENA, A LOT OF IT'S COMCAST.
UM, THERE IS SOME BRIGHT SPEED OUT THERE NOW.
UH, LACO IS GONNA BE, UH, E R TC, UH, SOME HARD GRAY AND CABLE ONE AS WELL.
DIFFERENT PROVIDERS IN ALL DIFFERENT AREAS OF NEIGHBORHOOD.
WHO, SO SOMEONE CREATED THIS BUCKET LIST OF, OF AMOUNT AND WHAT AUTHORITY DOES SOMEONE NEED TO MOVE MONEY FROM INFRASTRUCTURE TO BROADBAND? INFRASTRUCTURE IS BROADBAND.
SO THEN WHO, WHO CAN ALLOCATE FUNDS FOR THAT? WHO MAKES THAT DECISION? OH, THIS, WE, RIGHT? YOU GUYS SET THOSE BUCKETS? YOU SET THESE CATEGORIES UP, RIGHT? WE, WE DID, YES.
OKAY, SO, SO WE HAVE TO TAKE ACTION.
IF YOU REALLY WANNA MOVE IT FROM A, YOU WANNA REALLY CHANGE IT FROM PUBLIC IN, IN THAT CATEGORY.
SO, SO WE CAN ALLOCATE BY ACTION TO THIS DELIBERATE BODY, THE NUMBER WE CAN BRING YOU BACK A PLAN AND YOU SAY, YEAH, OKAY, THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT WE SHOULD DO.
WE, I THINK WE'RE IN AGREEMENT THAT THAT'S WHAT WE SHOULD DO.
WE HAVE TWO CRITICAL AREAS THAT ARE SORELY UNDERSERVED, UH, BY BROADBAND.
UH, AND SO WE'RE GONNA NEED TO KNOW, YOU KNOW, AS IT WAS ELOQUENTLY SAID, WE HAVE A NUMBER OF PROVIDERS THAT CAN DO THIS.
IT'S GOING TO BE PICKING AND CHOOSING THE ONE FOR THE PARTICULAR AREA, FINDING OUT WHEN THEY CAN DO IT, AND THEN GREAT.
HOW DO WE KNOW IT'S GOING TO BE USED? BECAUSE THERE IS THAT OTHER ELEMENT YOU HAVE TO SIGN UP FOR SERVICES.
I DON'T THINK WE CAN WORRY ABOUT THAT PART OF IT.
[02:50:01]
KNOW, THAT WE CAN ONLY TAKE IT TO THE HOUSE, SO TO SPEAK.WHOA, THAT'S, WELL WE CAN'T, I MEAN, HOW, I DON'T KNOW.
WELL, WELL MAYBE THEY, BUT THAT'S INDIVIDUAL'S CONTRACT.
YEAH, I KNOW IT'S A MONTHLY BILL AND THEN IT'S EVEN EQUIPMENT PURCHASE.
I MEAN, THAT'S A CONSIDERATION.
COURSE WE NEED TO SEE HOW MUCH IT'S GONNA COST TO GET IT TO THE HOUSE.
MR. CHAIRMAN, UM, QUICK QUESTION.
ARE THE, UH, PRIVATE ENTITIES, ARE THEY, ARE THEY GONNA BE KICKING IN ANYTHING TO HELP RUN THESE LINES? OR IS THIS JUST ON US TO BEAR THE BURDEN TO, TO, I WANNA GET PRIVATE OUTTA THESE AREAS? SO WHEN I'VE HAD DISCUSSIONS WITH THE PROVIDERS, UM, YOU KNOW, THEY'VE INDICATED THAT THERE, THAT THEY HAVE SERVICE ALL THROUGHOUT BUFORT.
UM, BUT THERE ARE LITTLE POCKETS DOWN INS OF STREETS, UM, THAT MAY BE, THAT MAY NOT BE COST EFFECTIVE FOR THEM TO BUILD OUT TO, BUT THERE MAY BE A HOUSE OR TWO AT THE END OF THE STREET.
UM, AND SO THEY DON'T WANT TO BUILD OUT TO THAT HOUSE IF THAT PERSON IS NOT GONNA SIGN UP.
UH, THAT'S NOT COST EFFECTIVE FOR THEM TO BUILD OUT.
AND THAT'S WHERE WE COULD PROBABLY HELP BUILD OUT THERE.
BUT WE DON'T WANT, I DON'T KNOW IF WE WOULD NECESSARILY WANT TO DEVOTE FUNDS TO BUILDING OUT TO A HOUSE THAT, THAT THEY DON'T WANT.
WELL HERE'S, HERE'S THE REAL QUESTION.
IF SOMEONE ASK A SCHOOL BOARD, THANK YOU.
SCHOOL, EVERY CHILD GETS, GETS A LAPTOP WHEN THEY GO TO SCHOOL HERE.
IS THAT TRUE? SO EVERYBODY HAS A LAPTOP, BUT THEY MAY NOT HAVE INTERNET ACCESS BECAUSE THEY CAN'T AFFORD A MONTHLY PAYMENT? NO.
BUT WE ARE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA LOOK INTO THAT.
BUT THEY HAVE THE EQUIPMENT BUT THEY DON'T HAVE A PROVIDER.
THEY CAN PAY FOR THE MONTHLY FEE.
THAT'S ANOTHER THING WE HAVE TO FIGURE OUT.
SO, YOU KNOW, RUN THE LINE, PAY FOR THE LINE, BUT WE DON'T HAVE TO BUY THE EQUIPMENT CUZ THEY GET IT AT SCHOOL.
I WOULD LIKE TO ADD, UM, WE CANNOT EXPAND PUBLIC FUNDS ON PRIVATE PROPERTY.
UM, THERE HAS BEEN OTHER SERVICES THAT HAVE RECENTLY BEEN PART OF PROJECTS WHERE THOSE PROJECTS ARE NO LONGER BEING DISCUSSED BECAUSE THE UTILITIES, WE CANNOT CONNECT THEM DIRECTLY TO THE PROPERTY.
SO WE GET TO THE END OF THE STREET, WE CAN KEEP IT ON OUR RIGHT OF WAYS AND ON OUR EASEMENTS, BUT IF THERE IS A COST FROM THE UTILITY TO CONNECT FROM THAT STREET TO THAT HOUSE, WE CANNOT PAY FOR THAT.
SO OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, THE DESIRE OF COUNSEL IS TO EXPLORE EXACTLY WHAT WE CAN DO IN THIS REGARDS TO, TO PROVIDE SERVICE IN TWO KEY AREAS THAT ARE UNDERSERVED AT THIS POINT IN TIME, KNOWING ALL THE IMPEDIMENTS THAT WE MAY HAVE ALONG THE WAY.
BUT AGAIN, TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE BECAUSE IT TAKES TIME TO ORDER THAT EQUIPMENT, DIG IT, PUT IT IN, TRY EVERYBODY, THOSE KINDS OF THINGS.
HEY CHAIRMAN, CAN I JUST ADD, UH, CAUSE I THINK MISS KELLEN ACTUALLY, UH, TALKED ABOUT THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.
UM, BUT CAN WE WORK WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICT TO PARTNER WITH THEM? THEY MAY HAVE SOME FUNDS THOUGH AS WELL.
UH, FROM THERE YOU'LL SPEAK TO THEM ABOUT THIS CUZ HOWEVER WE CAN MAYBE COLLABORATIVELY PITCH, MAYBE THEY CAN, MAYBE THEY CAN HELP OUT WITH SOMETHING WITH ACCESS ON THE PAYMENT SIDE AND WE CAN DO WE'LL, WE'LL, WE'LL, WE'LL TALK ABOUT ALL OF THAT.
I WONDER IF, UH, BRITTANY, IF THE BOYS GIRLS CLUB SUDDENLY HAD MONEY, THEY HAVE NO DESCRIPTIONS ON PAYING THINGS ON PRIVATE PROPERTY BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT A GOVERNMENT AGENCY.
YOU SHOULDN'T SIT SAYING POISON GROSS CLUB CAN FUND THIS.
JUST DON'T SEE IN PUBLIC, LARRY.
ARE ARE WE LOOKING AT PARTNERING WITH OTHER ENTITIES SUCH AS VMH OR TCL? UM, TRYING TO STRETCH THOSE DOLLARS? WELL, THAT'S WHAT WE DID WITH, WITH THE, WITH THE WORKFORCE.
FUNDS IS, UH, THE, THE PROGRAMS THAT ARE ROLLING THE MOST AT THIS POINT ARE IN THE NURSE AND HEALTHCARE TRAINING WORLD.
AND THAT'S PUTTING MONEY TOGETHER BETWEEN BMH ESPECIALLY.
BUT THE MOST RECENT ONE IS THE JOINT TRAINING FACILITY WITH U S C B, UH, AND DIFFERENT MEMORIAL.
THAT'S GONNA REALLY, I, I THINK THAT'S WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO LOOK FOR IS, IS THINGS THAT ARE ALREADY IN THE WORKS THAT NEED FUNDING WHERE WE CAN STRETCH OUR MONEY AND MAKE THIS GO A LOT FARTHER AND HAVE A LARGER IMPACT.
AND THAT'S WHY WE DID, WE, WE, IT'S NOT AN EXCUSE BECAUSE WE ALL JUST IS WHAT IT IS, BUT WE, WE PUT A LOT OF EGGS IN THE BASKET BECAUSE THESE PROVIDERS, SOME COMCAST, THEY WERE VERY POSITIVE.
COMCAST, UH, HAR GRAY AND OTHER, EVEN IN P RTC IN THE NORTH, THEY ALL PUT IN REALLY EXTENSIVE APPLICATIONS TO TRY TO GET THIS INFRASTRUCTURE, THIS, UH, BROADBAND FUNDING.
AND EVERYBODY WAS KIND OF AGHAST AT THE END THAT THERE WAS NOTHING.
[02:55:01]
I, I THINK THIS PARTICULAR ONE, LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT SOMETHING LIKE THE RECREATION PROGRAMS. THERE'S $3 MILLION LEFT THERE.WE HEARD GREAT IONS AND PARKS AND WHAT WE WOULD LIKE TO DO IN THE FUTURE WITH OUR PARKS THAT WE NEED MONEY TO DO THAT.
WE'RE IN THE DESIGN PHASE FOR CERTAIN PARKS.
WHITE HOLE IS ONE OF THEM, OKEE IS ANOTHER ONE.
CAN ANY OF THOSE DOLLARS BE USED TO EXPAND THAT? THAT'S WHAT, IF THAT'S THE CASE, THEN LET'S BRING SOMETHING FORWARD FOR THAT AS WELL.
COULD, COULD I ADD, UH, IN THERE WHERE GLORIA PODS, RECREATION CENTER AND MR. CHAIRMAN, I'D LIKE TO SEE PINE VIEW? YEAH.
WELL, YOU KNOW, THERE WERE A WHOLE LIST OF, YOU'VE GOT A LIST, MULTIPLE OF THOSE, I'M SURE.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE WAITING FOR TO GET THE PARK MASTER PLAN BACK AND SEE HOW WE CAN CONTRIBUTE DIFFERENT FUNDS THAT EASILY WE COULD SPEND THAT 3 MILLION.
QUESTION AT THE, AT THE DEAL, THE DEAL CENTER WHERE WE HAVE THE, UM, THE BASEBALL FIELDS, UH, PARKS AND RECREATION UTILIZE THAT, BUT, UH, PARKING IS VERY, ACTUALLY VERY, I MEAN VERY LIMITED.
AND SO, UM, WE NEED TO LOOK AT, UM, EXPANDING THE PARKING LOT, UM, LOOKING AT SOME, UM, ACRES THAT ARE IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO SEE IF WE CAN EXPAND FOR THE PARKING AND BRING THE PARKING IN ON THE GROUNDS AND NOT OUT IN THE STREET.
SO WE EASILY CAN USE UP AS MUCH AS 2 MILLION IN INFRASTRUCTURE FOR BROADBAND.
WE CAN SPEND ALL $3 MILLION IN PUBLIC HEALTH AND RECREATION.
WE KNOW THE GOOD MA NEIGHBOR PROGRAM IS $500,000 WITH BLUFFTON, AND WE'RE GONNA SPEND THAT, THAT STILL LEAVES $6.3 MILLION IN INFRASTRUCTURE THAT WE CAN DO.
SO WE NEED TO GO BACK TO THE LIST OF THINGS TO SAY, OKAY, WHAT ARE SOME OF THE GREAT THINGS THAT WE WERE SHOWN YESTERDAY THAT WE CAN UTILIZE THESE FOR THAT PURPOSE? AND, AND ARE THEY RIGHT? WELL, THAT'S WHERE THE INFRASTRUCTURE, THAT'S WHY WE MENTIONED EARLIER WITH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, BECAUSE IT'S SO CLEARLY SPELLED OUT FOR WATER AND SEWER.
IT'S ODD IN THIS ENTITY BECAUSE PLACES WHERE I WORK BEFORE YOU OWN THE WATER SEWER UTILITY, WHERE THIS IS A, A PARTNERSHIP.
UH, SO, BUT THAT'S WHAT YOU CAN USE IT FOR.
INFRASTRUCTURE REMEMBER, IS WATER SEWER BROADBAND.
YOU CAN THEN FIT IT INTO OTHER CATEGORIES THAT WE SPOKE ABOUT EARLIER.
BUT I THINK WE JUST NEED TO BE CAREFUL AND, AND CALCULATED IN WHAT, NOT THESE BUCKETS BUT THE FEDERAL ALLOWABLE USES.
BUT IF IT'S, IF IT'S IN PARKS, MAYBE THAT IS IT.
WE, WE'LL JUST HAVE TO LOOK AT HOW, HOW DOES THE FUNDING FALL OUT? DO WE DO SOMETHING LATER WITH A AND H STACK? DO WE, HOW DO WE MM-HMM.
SO GOING BACK TO YOUR DEFINITIONS THAT FALL UNDER THERE, LET, LET'S SAY IT COULD BE AS MUCH AS 6 MILLION.
THAT'S A LOT OF MONEY, BUT THERE'S A WHOLE LIST OF THINGS THAT COULD EAT THAT MONEY UP PRETTY DARN QUICKLY.
RIGHT NOW, YOU KNOW, THERE'S AFFORDABLE HOUSING, WATER AND SEWER PROJECTS, AS YOU SAID.
UM, HEALTHCARE CENTERS, AS YOU SAID, CAN THAT MONEY GO IN THE REGIONAL HOUSING TRUST FUND? CAN ANY OF IT COULD BE DONATED? ONE, 1.2 MILLION ALREADY DID.
YEAH, 2 MILLION DID THE MEDICAL STUFF, BUT ANYTHING GO TO YOU FOR JASPER HEALTH OUT OF THAT MILLION? DID NOT.
THERE 3 MILLION THAT I KNOW OF.
THERE'S THREE, THERE'S 3 MILLION YOU FOR JASPER HEALTH.
UM, I, I WILL CALL HER RECRUIT
THAT'S WHY I REFER TO THIS AS THE COOKIE JAR
SO THE HEALTH CENTER IDEA, UM, THIS GOES BACK TO THE COMMUNITY CENTER AND THE SENIOR WELLNESS CENTERS THAT WE TALKED ABOUT.
UH, BEFORE WE GIVE THAT MONEY AWAY, UH, WE HAVE PLANS FOR IT.
HELENA, WE TALKED ABOUT ADDING ON TO THE LIBRARY SO THAT WE LOCO, UH, CO-LOCATE THE, UH, SENIOR WELLNESS CENTER THERE.
AND THEN WE'RE, UH, GONNA PRESENT MONDAY ABOUT AN OPTION FOR THE LOCO LIBRARY SITE, AND THAT'S THE FUNDING POOL FOR THAT PROJECT.
UM, SO THAT 3 MILLION IS SPOKEN FOR, AND YOU SAW THE NEEDS FOR PARKS AND REC WE'RE, WE'VE ALREADY, UH, KINDA INKED IN SOME, UH, OBLIGATIONS FOR THE RECREATION PART OF THAT.
SO JUST WANTED TO MENTION THAT BEFORE, UH, WE, WE GAVE ANY OF THAT MONEY AWAY, HE SPENDS MORE MONEY.
SO WE MAY BE ABLE TO UTILIZE SOME OF THE $6 MILLION THAT MAY BE LEFT
[03:00:01]
IN INFRASTRUCTURE THAT CAN BE MORE APPROPRIATELY USED IN THOSE OTHER AREAS AS WELL.I MEAN, JUST BECAUSE WE HAVE A BUCKET OF 6 MILLION DOESN'T MEAN WE HAVE TO SPEND ALL 6 MILLION OF THAT IN THAT PARTICULAR LINE.
YOU KNOW, GET THE BEST BANG FOR OUR BOND.
AND THAT'S WHY, THAT'S ONE OF THE, LISTEN, THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT YOU'VE ALL MENTIONED THAT ARE A PRIORITY.
AND SO I JUST SAY THAT WE JUST HAVE TO STRATEGICALLY AND WE'LL BRING IT BACK TO YOU TO FUNNEL THEM INTO THESE PRIORITIES.
HELEN SENIORS HAVE A A, A FACILITY NEXT TO THE CLINIC RIGHT NOW? YEAH.
I DON'T KNOW HOW THAT'S, I MEAN, BUT WHAT, WHAT HE'S, WHAT HE'S TALKING ABOUT NOW IS HE'S EXPANDING THE LIBRARY TO ACCOMMODATE THE SENIORS AND THEN THEY WILL MOVE OTHER BE FOR JASA COMPREHENSIVE HEALTH INTO THAT FACILITY.
UM, THAT'S WHAT HE'S, THAT'S WHAT I UNDERSTOOD ABSOLUT CHUCK TO BE SAYING.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, UM, THE SENIORS HAVE BEEN AT, UH, THAT'S BEFOR JASEL HEALTH, UM, AND THEY LIKE THE LOCATION BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, IF THEY NEED EMERGENCY FOR HEALTH REASON, THEY'RE RIGHT THERE.
UM, MOVING IT TO THE LIBRARY IS RIGHT.
I I, TO UNDERSTAND WHY WE WERE PLUS PLUS, UM, THE NEW DIRECTOR FOR COMP HEALTH, UM, WOULD LOVE THAT SPACE TO BE AVAILABLE TO HER SO SHE CAN BRING IN MORE STAFF, YOU KNOW, SO THAT WAS THE KIND OF CONVERSATION AND STUFF, BUT, HEY, CAN YOU GO BACK FOR THE FEDERAL DEFINITION ON THINGS? CHUCK WAS GOOD TELL.
SO THE LEROY BROWN CENTER IS TOTALLY SEPARATE FROM WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WITH THE SENIOR HEALTH.
IT WOULD BE BEAUFORT COUNTY AS PART OF OUR SENIOR PROGRAM, BECAUSE WE DO FEEDING, WE DO, UH, HEALTH EDUCATION.
WE ARE LEASING THAT SPACE, UH, AT LEROY BROWN.
NOW, WHAT WE WOULD DO IS MOVE THE OPERATION FROM THERE INTO THIS NEW BUILDING, EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE ON THE SAME SITE.
UH, IT WOULD NOT BE THE SAME PROGRAMMING AS WHAT COMP HEALTH GIVES.
I'LL, I'LL JUST, JUST, I WAS JUST TRYING TO SAVE US SOME MONEY TO WHERE WE COULD ALLOCATE TO A BROADBAND.
ALL THESE, THESE ARE THE ONLY, I MEAN, THERE, THERE IS, WELL, THERE'S ABOUT 150 PAGES OF FURTHER DEFINITION.
THESE ARE THE BIGGER BROAD DEFINITIONS.
UH, BUT EVERYTHING THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT FITS EXCEPT FOR THE, THE, THE BASE CAPITAL, THAT 10 MILLION.
SO YOU HAVE AN IDEA OF HOW QUICKLY, YOU KNOW WHERE WE'RE GONNA GO.
WE WANT YOU TO PUT TOGETHER A PLAN, BECAUSE A LOT OF THIS HAS GOT LONG LEAD TIME, AND IT WILL, WE MAY BE ABLE TO COMMIT THE MONEY, BUT, YOU KNOW, IF WE DON'T DO IT NOW AND COMMIT IT NOW, WE'RE NEVER GONNA GET IT BELT BY 2026.
AND THAT'S DROPPED THAT DATE AS FAR AS I KNOW.
UM, DALE, WE ARE GOING TO INTRODUCE THE NEXT TOPIC.
I WILL, OR OUR FINAL TOPIC OF THE DAY.
WE MIGHT GET OUTTA HERE A LITTLE EARLY TODAY.
I, I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO INTRODUCE OUR ACCOUNTING ASSESSOR, UH, TO YOU.
MANY OF YOU KNOW HERST, AND THEN WE MAY NOT.
MS. EBONY SANDERS HAS BEEN WITH THE, UH, COUNTY FOR, UH, QUITE A FEW YEARS.
I SHOULD HAVE ASKED YOU THAT QUESTION, BUT I DIDN'T, UH, THROUGH MANY ASSESSORS.
SHE TOOK THE REINS, WHAT, THREE, FOUR YEARS AGO, SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
AND THIS IS A BUSY TIME OF THE YEAR FOR, UH, FOR THIS DEPARTMENT.
YOU MAY HAVE GOTTEN SOME QUESTIONS FROM YOUR CONSTITUENTS ALREADY, UH, WHETHER IT BE LEGAL RESIDENTS OR THE, UH, THE REASSESSMENT THAT, UH, IS TAKING PLACE THIS YEAR.
SHE HAS BEEN BUSY GOING OUT INTO THE, UH, COMMUNITY.
MR. GLOVER'S HAD HER AT SOME, UH, UH, EVENTS, AND I THINK, UH, HE AND MS. HOWARD HAVE ONE COMING UP THAT, UH, SHE'S GOING TO TO BE A PART OF.
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, IF WE WANT, WANT, UH, HER TO COME OUT TO, UH, A, UH, A TOWN MEETING TYPE ATMOSPHERE WITH YOUR CONSTITUENTS, THEN PLEASE CALL HER OFFICE.
AND, UH, SHE'LL, SHE'LL CERTAINLY TRY TO MAKE THAT POSSIBLE.
UM, SO SHE'S BEEN SPEAKING TO OUR MUNICIPALITIES AND MOSTLY ABOUT REASSESSMENT, IF YOU MAY BE, MAY ASK SOME QUESTIONS THIS AFTERNOON ABOUT THAT PROCESS AS WELL AS, UH, AS THE LEGAL RESIDENCE PROCESS AND, UH, ALL THOSE THINGS THAT, THAT
[03:05:01]
MAKE THE TAX BASE FOR OUR COUNTY.SO, UM, MY PLEASURE TO INTRODUCE MISS EBONY SANDERS TO YOU.
THANK YOU FOR INVITING ME AND THANK YOU DEAR WILL, FOR ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK.
UM, THIS IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I ENJOY THE MOST, BUT I ALSO SOMETIMES GET VERY NERVOUS ABOUT WHAT I HAVE TO PRESENT.
UM, SO, UM, TO START US OFF, UM, I, THE ONES THAT DO NOT KNOW ME, UM, I AM A COUNTY ASSESSOR.
MY NAME IS, UM, I'VE HAD THE WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITY TO LEAD THE COUNTY ASSESSOR STARTING AN INTERIM IN 2019.
UM, AND THEN I BECAME THE ASSESSOR IN JUNE OF 2019.
I'VE LEARNED A LOT AND I'M STILL LEARNING, BUT WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO, WHAT IS COMING UP NEXT? UM, LOOKING FOR THE CLICK ORDER, SORRY.
WHAT WE HAVE THAT'S COMING UP VERY SOON THAT WE ARE ANTICIPATING, OR WE ARE, WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO, IS OUR QUADR REASSESSMENT.
AND THAT'S WHAT I'M GONNA TALK ABOUT TODAY AMONGST A FEW OTHER THINGS THAT WILL BE ON MINDS OF YOURSELVES, YOUR CONSTITUENTS, AND EVEN, UM, WITH THE COUNTY EMPLOYEES, CUZ THEY'RE TAXPAYERS AS WELL.
SO FOR THOSE WHO ARE WATCHING, UM, MAY SAY THINGS THAT MAY BE ELEMENTARY OR REDUNDANT OR MAY, YOU KNOW, I'M TRYING TO SPEAK TO THE LARGER AUDIENCE THAT IS WATCHING.
SO, TO GET US STARTED, SO IT DON'T BE LIKE, THERE'S QUITE A NUMBER OF SLIDES.
I TRIED TO CALL IT DOWN TO A FEW, AND I'LL SAY THIS, THAT, UM, I FELT LIKE I WAS DRINKING OUT OF A, A FIRE HYDRANT WHEN I WAS PUTTING THIS TOGETHER.
SO
IT, IT WAS THE SAME AS BLURRING TO ME GOING THROUGH IT.
SO LET ME JUST KIND OF GO OVER THE DUTIES OF THE ASSESSOR.
UM, THE DUTIES OF THE ASSESSOR IS OUTLINING THE SOUTH CODE OF LAW.
SO THIS IS, UM, OUR DUTIES AND WHAT OUR RESPONSIBILITIES ARE.
IT'S ACTUALLY IN TITLE 12 37 90 AND IT BREAKS DOWN.
I KIND OF GIVE YOU A KIND OF SUMMATION OF WHAT WE DO, BUT IT ACTUALLY BREAKS DOWN OUR RESPONSIBILITIES AND MY RESPONSIBILITY AS YOUR COUNTY ASSESSOR.
WE DO HAVE THE QUADRI REASSESSMENT THAT WE ARE ABOUT TO ENGAGE IN, BUT THERE ARE OTHER DUTIES THAT WE HAVE TO PERFORM THROUGHOUT THE CALENDAR YEAR.
EVEN IF WE HAD THAT PROGRAM GOING ON.
WE HAVE TO, UM, MAINTAIN OUR, UM, VALUATIONS.
WE HAVE TO, UM, PASS ALONG THOSE NUMBERS TO THE COUNTY AUDITOR SO THAT A TEXTBOOK CAN BE PRODUCED AND SO THAT THE TREASURER CAN ACTUALLY PRODUCE A TAX BILL AND COLLECT ON THAT TAX BILL.
WE HAD TO MAINTAIN OUR RECORDS OF DEED TRANSFERS AND SALE TRANSACTIONS.
SO WHEN A DEED IS RECORDED, THAT DEED, UM, COMES TO OUR DEPARTMENT.
WE TRANSFER INTO THE PROPER NAMES, WE MAKE ADJUSTMENTS TO PLATS.
UM, THERE'S A, A MANY THINGS THAT WE DO DURING A CALENDAR YEAR TO ENSURE THAT OUR TAX SPACE, UM, IS, UM, IS ACTUALLY REFLECTING WHAT WE HAVE ON THE GROUND.
SO, VALUATION OF YOUR PROPERTY IS WHAT WE'RE GONNA KIND OF TALK ABOUT TODAY.
AND I DO WANT TO SAY THAT MOBILE HOMES ARE INCLUDED WITH THE VALUATION OF VALUATION OF PROPERTIES.
UM, ALTHOUGH THEY HAVE A TITLE, I PUT THAT ON THE SLIDE BECAUSE SOME PEOPLE LOOK AT THEM AS PERSONAL PROPERTY UNDER THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAW, THEY'RE NOT, THEY'RE CONSIDERED REAL PROPERTIES.
SO WE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR VALUING THOSE AS WELL.
UM, SO THE PROCESS THAT WE HAVE TO GO THROUGH, WE'RE VALUING PROPERTIES.
WHAT, UNLIKE A FEE APPRAISER, OUR SUBJECT IS EVERY PARCEL IN BEAUFORT COUNTY.
WE DON'T HAVE A CHOICE TO PICK WHICH SUBJECT WE CAN CHOOSE TO VALUE.
WE DON'T HAVE A CHOICE TO SAY WE WANNA TURN DOWN AN ASSIGNMENT TO VALUE A PROPERTY.
OUR EVALUATE, ALL OF OUR PARCELS ARE OUR RESPONSIBILITY IN THE, AND WE HAVE TO VALUE EACH ONE OF THEM AND MAINTAIN VALUES IN THE RECORD.
SO LET'S TALK ABOUT THE QUADRAL REASSESSMENT.
THAT'S REALLY WHAT I WANT TO JUST HONE IN ON.
THIS IS A VERY, VERY IMPORTANT FOR US IMPORTANT EVENT FOR THE COUNTY.
THE QUADRAL REASSESSMENT OCCURRED.
I KNOW THAT WORD QUADRAL, LIKE S FOUR QUAD
BASICALLY WHAT THE JOURNEY REASSESSMENT SAYS IS STATUTES IN SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LINE.
WE'RE GONNA, I'M GONNA SHOW YOU THE CODE THAT IT'S REFLECTED IN AND WE, UM, DECIDE ON DETERMINE, LOOK AT THE, ANALYZE THE SALES, AND THEN WE ACTUALLY PRESENT THOSE SALES IN THE FIFTH YEAR.
SO OUR PRIOR CON QUAD REASSESSMENT WE IMPLEMENTED IN 2018.
SO NOW WE ARE DUE FOR A NEW QUADRON REASSESSMENT.
[03:10:01]
THE MARKET HAS BEEN VERY, VERY, VERY ACTIVE SINCE 2018.BUT THAT'S WHAT WE NEED TO FIND OUT WHERE, WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN OUT THERE.
SO IN OUR QUADRON REASSESSMENT, WHAT IS THE REASSESSMENT? WELL, THE REASSESSMENT, WE HAVE TO EQUALIZE THIS ON THE VALUATION.
THAT'S WHAT THE PROGRAM IS ABOUT.
SO IT'S NOT, ONE PROPERTY IS NOT GONNA GET OVERLOOKED BECAUSE IT'S A REQUIREMENT THAT WE REVALUE ALL THE PROPERTIES AND IT'S BASED ON FAIR MARKET VALUE AS OF AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
AND THAT IS SO, SO, SO IMPORTANT.
SO WHEN YOU SPEAK WITH YOUR CONSTITUENTS, WHEN THEY'RE COMING TO YOU ABOUT THEIR EVALUATIONS, AND THEY'RE SAYING WHERE IN THE THIS NUMBER, UNDERSTAND THE NUMBER IS BASED ON AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
NOW IT'S NOT BASED ON THE LAST SIX MONTHS.
IT'S NOT BASED ON, YOU KNOW, SIX MONTHS IN THE FUTURE.
OUR EFFECTIVE DATE IS DECEMBER 31ST, 2022.
SO WHATEVER THE MARKET DOES AF RIGHT NOW, IF THE MARKET DECIDE TO DO SOMETHING CONCURRENTLY, WE CANNOT REFLECT THAT FOR THE QUAD REASSESSMENT PROBLEM.
NOW, UM, THERE IS A PART PORTION OF WHAT OUR RESPONSIBILITY IS, IS TO REASSESS THE, UM, PROP THROUGHOUT THE, IN BETWEEN QUADR OR REASSESSMENTS.
WE HAVE MANY REASSESSMENTS, WHAT I CALL THEM THAT'S UNDER THE DIFFERENT CODE OF LAW.
BUT WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TODAY IS THE UNIVERSE OF ALL THE PROPERTIES IN BUFORD COUNTY THAT'S GOING BE REVALUED.
AND THEY'RE ALL GOING TO HAVE THE SAME EFFECTIVE DATE.
OH, AND I WILL SAY THIS, THAT THE DEFINITION I RECEIVED, WE, WE ARE ACTUALLY GOVERNED BY MULTIPLE AGENCIES, THE SOUTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF UM, REVENUE, THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION ASSESSMENT OFFICIALS.
UM, WE ARE, UM, REAL ON THE YOUTH P WE ARE ALSO REGULATED BY THE LICENSING BOARD.
SO ALL OF THESE AGENCIES WE HAVE TO COME TO COMPLIANCE WITH WHEN WE'RE DOING OUR VALUATIONS.
SO HERE'S THE, THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE THAT WE, WE ARE RELYING ON THAT TELLS US WHAT WE HAVE TO DO AND WHEN WE HAVE TO DO IT.
UM, IT TELLS US IN FIFTH YEAR.
SO HERE WE ARE METHOD FIFTH YEAR WE'RE GONNA BE SENDING OUT THESE NOTICES VERY SOON.
IT TELLS US ON THE END OF DECEMBER, THE FOURTH YEAR, WHICH IS 12 31 22, AND WE ARE TO NOTIFY THE PROPERTY OWNERS OF A CHANGE OF VALUE OF MORE THAN A THOUSAND DOLLARS.
NOW, I WILL SAY THIS, WE DO NOT JUST SEND THOSE INDIVIDUALS FOR A THOUSAND DOLLARS OR MORE OUT.
WE SEND A NOTICE NOTIFICATION OUT TO ALL OF OUR TAXPAYERS.
THE LAW SAYS THAT IF IT DOES NOT INCREASE MORE THAN A THOUSAND DOLLARS, WE DO NOT HAVE TO NOTIFY THEM.
HOWEVER, HISTORICALLY IN BEAUFORD COUNTY, WE'VE DONE THAT.
WE SENT THE NOTICE NOTIFICATIONS OUT TO ALL OF OUR TAXPAYERS, UM, DURING THE QUADRANT AREA ASSESSMENT.
CAUSE WE FEEL THEY ALL SHOULD KNOW WHAT THEIR CHANGES ARE GOING TO BE AND WHEN WILL THOSE NOTIFICATIONS GO OUT.
YES, I HAVE A SLIDE ON THE NOTIFICATION SCHEDULE.
THE LOSS I CALL THE LAW SAYS THAT IN THE REASSESSMENT YEAR ONLY, THEY GAVE US A HARD STOP DATE, OCTOBER 1ST.
SO WHILE WE'RE GONNA, WE HAVE A SCHEDULE, I, I'LL SHOW YOU MY SCHEDULE AND OUR PLAN TO KIND OF GET THEM OUT.
WHAT WE TRIED TO DO, WHAT I TRIED TO DO IS I TRY TO GET THEM TO OVERLAP THE TAX BILL SLIGHTLY, EVEN THOUGH THEY CANNOT APPEAL ON THEIR TAX BILL.
I WANNA GIVE THEM THE OPPORTUNITY.
A LOT OF PEOPLE WILL TAKE THAT NOTIFICATION AND THEY FILE IN FILE 13.
IT SAYS, THIS IS NOT A TAX BILL ON THE TOP.
CAUSE WE DON'T WANT PEOPLE SENDING CHECKS IN FOR THESE LARGE AMOUNTS AND WONDERING WHAT'S GOING ON OR HAVE A HEART ATTACK FROM THAT NUMBER.
SO I TRY TO GET IT TO OVERLAP THE TAX BILL SLIGHTLY SO THAT THEY DO PAY, TAXPAYERS DO PAY ATTENTION TO THEIR TAX.
AND AT THAT TIME, THAT'S WHEN A LOT OF TIMES THEY'LL COME IN AND ASK QUESTIONS, WELL, WHAT'S GOING ON HERE? AND THEN THEY'LL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO APPEAL.
AND WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT THAT BRIEFLY AS WELL.
SO WHILE WE REASSESS, OKAY, WE KNOW THAT IT'S MANDATED, WE CAN'T GET AROUND IT.
UM, THE ASSESSMENT IS A FREEZE OF EVALUATION DATE.
REMEMBER THAT WHEN WE SET EARLIER THAT THE EFFECTIVE DATE IS 12 31 20 22 THAT'S FROZEN.
THIS HAS AS FREEZES UNLESS THERE'S A CHANGE OF A MINI REASSESSMENT THAT OCCURRED LIKE AN ACCESSIBLE TRANSFER INTEREST OR SOMETHING OF A NEW CONSTRUCTION EVALUATOR EVALUATION MAY CHANGE
BUT TYPICALLY FROM REASSESSMENT CYCLE REASSESSMENT CYCLE EVALUATION IS ASSESSMENT IS IS FROZEN.
AND WHEN A TAXPAYER APPEALS BETWEEN REASSESSMENT CYCLES, THE WAY THE LAW'S WRITTEN, WE HAVE TO GO BACK TO 1231 OF THE, OF 2022 IN THIS CASE TO RE TO DETERMINE EVALUATION.
SO HYPOTHETICALLY SPEAKING, WE HOPE THIS DOESN'T HAPPEN.
UM, IF I'M NOT GOING, IT IS GOING ON.
UM, JUST SO THE MARKET CHANGES, DRAMATIC EITHER HOURS OR ALGORITHM AND
[03:15:01]
A TAXPAYER APPEALS IN TWO YEARS FROM NOW.WELL, WE HAVE TO EDUCATE OUR TAXPAYERS AND LET THEM KNOW THAT THE EFFECTIVE DATE IS 12 31 20 22, REGARDLESS OF WHAT'S GOING ON THERE.
WE HAVE TO GO BACK TO THAT ASSESSMENT DATE AND SEE WHAT, WHAT THE VALUE WAS BASED ON THAT EFFECTIVE DATE.
BUT IT FREEZES THOSE VALUATIONS UNTIL THE NEXT QUAD REASSESSMENT.
AND WE'RE GONNA MENTION, I'M GONNA TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT CAPPING AS WELL.
CAUSE YOU'RE PROBABLY INTERESTED IN ABOUT CAPPING AND HOW THAT AFFECTS EVERY, THE BROAD, UM, NUMBER OF PROPERTIES.
UM, WE, IT CURES UNI UN NON-UNIFORMITY BECAUSE KEEP IN MIND WE HAVE SITUATIONS WHERE WE HAVE ATS THAT OCCUR ACCESSIBLE TRANSFER INTEREST.
AND I DON'T DWELL ON A LOT IN THIS, THIS PRESENTATION FOR PURPOSES OF OUR DISCUSSION, BUT WE REASSESS IN BETWEEN QUADR INTEREST AND THAT HAS A DIFFERENT EFFECTIVE DATE.
BUT WHAT THE REASSESSMENT DOES, WHICH IS VERY UNIQUE, IS THAT IT FREEZES, IT CURES ANY IN NON-UNIFORM ATS CAUSES, UM, UN UNIFORMITIES.
AND IT HAS NUMBERS OF IT ALL OVER THE PLACE BECAUSE OF THE TRANSFERS THAT OCCURS IN BETWEEN QUADS.
SO THIS CURE IS THAT GET EVERYBODY BACK TO SQUARE ONE, THE SAME EFFECTIVE DATE.
UM, THE VALUATION DATE IS THE SAME ON ALL PROPERTIES, EVEN IF THEY'RE TRANSFERRED AT 22 OR IF THEY DID NOT TRANSFER IN 22, EVERYBODY HAS THE SAME VALUATION DATE FOR THIS WHEN THIS, WHEN THESE ASSESSMENT NOTICE GO OUT AND THEN FALL THE YEAR.
NOW, I PUT A NOTE HERE IN READ THAT THE ASSESSMENT IS, UM, ONLY BROKEN THE YEAR FOLLOWING A PROPERTY SALE OR NON-EXEMPT TRANSFER OR NEW CONSTRUCTION.
SO GOING BACK TO THE ATTI, I AN ACCESSIBLE TRANSFER OF INTEREST.
THE PROPERTY IS ACCESSIBLE WHEN IT TRANSFERS INTEREST.
WE HAVE A, A MISCONCEPTION IN OUR, IN THE COMMUNITY OR IN AT LARGE, EVEN AROUND THE STATE, THAT IS A POINT OF SALE.
THERE'S NOWHERE IN THE LAW IT SAYS POINT SALE.
IT SAYS ACCESSIBLE TRANSFER OF INTEREST, ATTI I.
AND WHEN THAT OCCURS, THAT'S WHEN THE ASSESSMENTS FOR FREEZE IS REMOVED AND THE PROPERTY IS IMMEDIATE OF YOUR ASSESSED BASED ON THE NEW EFFECTIVE DATE.
SO WHILE WE REASSESS, WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE ON THIS DISCUSSION.
WE KNOW DECEMBER 31ST, IT'S A VERY IMPORTANT, SO FOR OUR SCHEDULE DATE IS DECEMBER 31ST, 2022.
WE ARE GOING TO IMPLEMENT THIS YEAR IN 23.
THERE WERE SOME LAW CHANGES IN 88.
SO I KIND OF WANTED TO SHOW Y'ALL THE HISTORY OF IT, THAT THIS, THIS JUST OCCURRED.
IT'S BEEN GOING ON FOR QUITE A WHILE.
AND OUR NEXT ONE, THAT'S AFTER 23 WILL BE IN 28, BUT WE'LL HAVE ANOTHER ONE COMING UP AGAINST YOU.
SO NEXT QUESTION IS, WELL HOW DO Y'ALL COME UP WITH A PROPERTY REASSESSMENT? IT IS, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A MASS APPRAISAL PROCESS.
CAUSE REMEMBER THE ENTIRE COUNTY IS OUR SUBJECT CAN PICK AND CHOOSE WHICH ONES WE'RE GONNA VALUE.
AND WE LOOK AT THE, THE MARKET SALES TO DETERMINE THE VALUATIONS OF THE PROPERTIES.
NOW, EVEN IF A PROPERTY DIDN'T SELL, THE LAW SAYS WE HAVE TO REASSESS IT.
AND SO WE LOOK AT THESE SALES AND WE LOOK AND WE DO OUR ANALYSIS BASED ON STATISTICAL MEASURES TO COME UP WITH THE PROPERTY VALUES FOR THESE PROPERTIES.
NOW, YOU MAY ASK THE QUESTION, WELL, DO Y'ALL GO TO EVERY SINGLE PROPERTY IN BEAUFORT COUNTY? THERE'S 133,000 PARCELS.
THERE'S ONLY ABOUT NINE OF US.
SO THE LAW DOES NOT REQUIRE US TO GO AND PUT BOOTHS ON THE GROUND ON EVERY PARCEL.
OKAY? SO AGENCY, THERE'S REASONABLE MEASURES THAT WE CAN USE OTHER MEASURES TO DETERMINE VALUE.
WHEN WE LOOK AT MLS, WE USE DATA THAT WE RECEIVED FROM THE TRANSACT, THE SALE TRANSFER, THAT DE TRANSFER.
WE USE OUR WONDERFUL GIS DEPARTMENT WE USE.
SO AGAIN, THESE STANDARDS HERE, UM, THE AGENCIES THAT WE, THAT ARE, WE HAVE TO COME INTO COMPLIANCE WITH IT'S PSYCH CODE OF LAW.
AGAIN, DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE INTERNAL, THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATE SESSION OFFICIALS.
AND THESE INDUSTRY STANDARDS, WE ARE, WE ARE, WE HAVE TO LOOK AT WHAT'S GOING ON TO KEEP UP WITH THE APPRAISAL STANDARDS AND MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE IN COMPLIANCE WITH THOSE AS WELL.
UM, AGAIN, WE'RE TALKING MORE ABOUT MODELING.
WE MODEL, UM, WE USE COEFFICIENT, DISPERSIONS AND A DEVIATION.
WE USE THOSE DIFFERENT KINDS OF VARIANCES.
WE DO THOSE MODEL, WE USE THOSE TO DETERMINE OUR EVALUATION.
NOW, I WILL TELL YOU THIS, THAT WE WILL COME UP WITH EVALUATION
[03:20:01]
FOR OUR REASSESSMENT.AND I'M NOT SURE IF IT'S IN ONE OF MY SLIDES OR NOT, BUT I'LL MENTION IT IF IT IS, PLEASE EXCUSE ME.
WE HAVE, ONCE WE ARE FINISHED, WE WILL PRESENT OUR, OUR WORK, OUR FINAL PRODUCT TO OUR FINANCE DEPARTMENT, UM, SO THAT THEY CAN PROVIDE THAT TO A BUDGET CAN BE FORMED.
BUT IN THE, IN THE SAME TOKEN, WE HAVE TO PROVIDE AT THE QUADR REASSESSMENT OUR NUMBERS TO THE SAHAN DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE.
THE SA ISLAND DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE WILL LOOK AT OUR COUNTYWIDE NUMBERS AND DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT THEY'RE GONNA GIVE US A PASS OR A FAIL.
SO WHAT WE DO IS WE SEND BACK OUT TO THE DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE, IT WILL, AND THEY'LL LOOK AT OUR, UM, OUR, OUR NUMBERS, AND THEN I LOOK AT OUR, UM, STATISTICAL MEASURES AND THEY'LL DECIDE WHETHER OR NOT AS A COUNTY WILL, WILL PASS OR FAIL BASED WHEN NEVER MET THESE MEASURES.
ONCE WE GET THAT LETTER, WE'LL PROVIDE IT TO, UM, ADMINISTRATION AND SAY, WOO WOO, WE READY TO GO
AND THEN WE START GETTING READY TO START MAILING NOTICES AGAIN.
I WANNA REITERATE THAT WE HAVE OVER, UH, 1300 DIFFERENT MODELS.
SO A MODEL COULD BE A NEIGHBORHOOD, TYPICALLY THAT'S WHAT IT IS.
UM, YOU WOULDN'T MODEL A NEIGHBORHOOD LIKE SUN CITY, WHERE A PROPERTY IN OLD BUFORD.
NOW DOWNTOWN BUFORD, THERE'S TWO DIFFERENT NEIGHBORHOODS.
OKAY? SO WE HAVE DIFFERENT MODELS TO DETERMINE EVALUATIONS BASED ON THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS.
AND THOSE, OUR APPRAISERS IN OUR DEPARTMENT, THEY HAVE TO ANALYZE THE, THE, THE SALES WITHIN THOSE MODELS.
AND THEY CREATE THESE MODELS AND THEY LAUNCH THE MARKET.
AND HOW THE MARKET IS REACTIVE.
WE ARE NOT NECESSARILY PROACTIVE.
PLUS WE'RE THE, SO WE FOLLOW THOSE MARKET TRENDS AND WE ACTUALLY COME UP WITH OUR VALUES.
WELL, A HUNDRED AND RIGHT NOW WE AT 133,000 PARCELS WE ARE NOW WORKING.
AND THAT'S AS OF 22 BASED ON DATA FROM 21.
SO OUR 22 INFORMATION IS BEING ANALYZED BY OUR APPRAISERS, OUR MAPPING DEPARTMENT, BY OUR, WE ARE DOING THOSE, THOSE, UM, ANALYSIS RIGHT NOW.
SO IT'S GOING TO BE MORE THAN 133,000.
I SUSPECT IT SHOULD BE ABOUT ONE 30, ALMOST ONE 40, 140,000 PARCELS.
AND I'M GONNA BRIEFLY DISCUSS WHY THE, THE PARCEL NUMBERS ARE NOT INCREASING AS HIGH, BUT WE ARE HAVING QUITE A NUMBER OF TRANSFERS EVEN THOUGH WE ARE NOT CREATING NEW SUBDIVISIONS.
SO I DON'T SUSPECT IT'S GOING TO HIT ONE 40, BUT I COULD BE WRONG.
I HAVEN'T SEEN THE SPLITS YET AS OF YET.
I'M STILL WAITING FOR THEM TO FINISH THOSE.
BUT RIGHT AS WE STAND, THE TAX BILLS WENT OUT ROUGHLY 133.
A LITTLE MORE, A LITTLE LESS, BUT THAT'S THE BALLPARK.
SO THIS IS THE SCHEDULE, MR. MR. PASICK THAT YOU WANTED TO SEE.
THIS IS THE GOAL I SET FOR OUR OFFICE.
UM, I WANNA GET EVERYTHING OUT.
OKAY? MAY IS MY NO LATER THING.
I, YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHAT DROPPED DEAD.
BUT I TOLD MY STAFF MARCH 31ST IS WHEN I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT ADMINISTRATION, UM, HAS THE PRELIMINARY VALUATIONS.
WHEN I SAY PRELIMINARY, I MEAN THEY ARE ROUGH, THEY'RE REALLY ROUGH VALUES, BUT THEY HAVE TO HAVE SOMETHING SO THEY CAN HAVE THAT COMMUNICATION WITH YOU.
UM, AGAIN, UM, WE WANNA PROVIDE THOSE ROUGH NUMBERS TO OUR, UM, MUNICIPALITIES AND THOSE OTHER POLITICAL SUBDIVISIONS SO THAT THEY CAN DO WHAT THEY NEED TO DO, PREPARE THEIR BUDGET.
AGAIN, I'M PUSHING, I'M PUSHING MY STAFF FROM MARCH 31ST, BUT I WILL NOT, WILL NOT GO PAST MAY, MAY, MAY 1ST.
I ALREADY TOLD THEM THAT, UM, TO GET THIS INFORMATION OUT, WE'RE GONNA FINALIZE EVERYTHING.
WE WANNA SEND EVERYTHING TO DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE BY APRIL 3RD.
I, YOU KNOW, AND AT THE LATEST JUNE 23RD, BUT BY AUGUST WE'RE GOING TO HAVE THE ASSESSMENT NOTES IN THE MAIL.
AND, UM, BEGINNING OF AUGUST WE ARE GONNA START DOING THAT ASSESSMENT NOTICE PRODUCTION.
THAT MEANS WE WORK WITH THE VENDOR AND GETTING THE, THE, THE, YOU KNOW, INFORMATION, MAKING SURE EVERYTHING LOOKS RIGHT ON THE NOTIFICATIONS.
AND THEN IT SHOULD BE IN THE MAIL BY THE END OF AUGUST.
SO FALL WE'RE GONNA HAVE THIS INFORMATION OUT TO OUR TAXPAYERS MM-HMM.
AND KNOWING THAT DECEMBER 21ST, DECEMBER 31ST, 22 WAS THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THE ASSESSMENT.
WALK ME THROUGH, CUZ YOU SAY YOU USE A NEIGHBORHOOD, SO YOU'RE GONNA TAKE A LOOK AT THE SALES, THAT NEIGHBORHOOD THAT WERE EFFECTIVE BY 20 DECEMBER 31ST, 2022.
IS IT A WEEK BEFORE, A MONTH BEFORE, A YEAR BEFORE OR SOME COMBINATION THEREOF? GREAT QUESTION.
WELL, WHAT WE DO IS WE, UM, THE EFFECTIVE DATA, THE REPORT, SO LET'S SAY REPORT, BECAUSE IF WE WERE DOING AN APPRAISAL REPORT, FORMAL INDIVIDUAL APPRAISAL, WHICH WE HAVE TO DO AT TIME, THE EFFECTIVE DATA REPORT
[03:25:01]
IS DECEMBER 31ST, 2022.BUT IF WE HAVE TO PULL SALES, WE'LL, YOU KNOW, WE WANNA GET US TO DECEMBER.
THERE ARE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT HAVE NO ACTIVITY, RIGHT? AND WE STILL HAVE TO DETERMINE SO, OR VERY LIMITED ACTIVITY WITH REGARDS TO PROPERTIES THAT TRANSFER.
SO WE CAN GO BACK, WE CAN GO, I TELL MY APPRAISERS, YOU KNOW, GET AS CLOSE TO DECEMBER 31ST AS POSSIBLE WITH SALES THAT MAKE SENSE IN THE MARKET.
NOW I'VE DONE THIS IN THE PAST WITH, AND I'VE MADE ADJUSTMENTS TO SALES THAT HAVE OCCURRED IN THE FIRST QUARTER OF 23 BECAUSE THAT, IN MY OPINION AS AN APPRAISER WOULD BE BETTER INDICATION OF THE MARKET DECEMBER 31ST JANUARY THAN TO GO BACK TO JANUARY OF 22.
I USED THE SALE FOR DECEMBER 31ST, 22 IF I HAVE SOMETHING IN JANUARY OF 23.
SO I TOOK, WE'LL LOOK AT, WE'LL PEAK INTO 23 TO SEE HOW THE MARKET IS PERFORMING AND SEE IF WE ARE, IF OUR NUMBERS ARE MAKING SENSE WHEN WE, WE SET THAT VALUE FOR THAT NEIGHBORHOOD.
BUT YES, TO ANSWER YOUR CAUSE, WE CAN GO FURTHER BACK.
WE HAVE PRETTY, IT ALLOWS US TO GO BACK TO 2018.
WHY WOULD WE DO THAT? WE DON'T WANNA DO THAT.
CAUSE NOW YOU HAVE TO MAKE ADJUSTMENTS ON, MAKE ADJUSTMENTS FOR TIME ON OUR REPORTS.
BUT WE TRY TO GET AS CLOSE TO DECEMBER, SUN CITY AS AN EXAMPLE BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF TURNOVER IN SUN CITY WITH NEW HOUSES BEING SOLD AND TURNOVER OF EXISTING HOUSES.
AND THERE'S A MONTHLY REPORT THAT COMES OUT FROM MLS THAT WILL TELL YOU MM-HMM.
AND SO THAT WOULD BE AN ACCURATE STATEMENT THAT YOU WOULD DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
BECAUSE IN, IN THE CASE OF SUN CITY, WE LEFT, UM, PROPERTIES THAT TURN, WHEN I SAY FLIP MM-HMM.
THEY MAY, MAY NOT HAVE VERY LIMITED OR NOT AS RELIABLE SALES ALL TRANSACTION AND WE HAVE A, A SALE OVER HERE WITH A TIME WE CAN APPLY A TIME ADJUSTMENT.
SO WE LOVE IT WHEN THEY FLIP BECAUSE IT GIVES US LIST LOTS TO WORK WITH.
JUST SINCE THIS IS BY SOUTH CAROLINA LAW MM-HMM.
BUT I SHOULD, I PRESUME THAT EVERY COUNTY'S NOT ON OUR SCHEDULE.
SO JUST AS AN ASIDE, BECAUSE I AM SUNSET WHAT COUNTY, WHAT'S JASPER COUNTY APP? I DO NOT KNOW THEIR SCHEDULE.
SO THEY MIGHT NOT BE IN A REASSESSMENT YEAR.
WE GET A, WE GET UP AT OUR ANNUAL CONFERENCE WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE UNITED IN OCTOBER AND THEY GIVE US A LIST AND I THINK IT'S ON, IT MAY NOT BE ON THE DEPARTMENT OF REVENUES WEBSITE, BUT IT MIGHT BE ON THE CAROLINA ASSOCIATION ASSESSOR'S WEBSITE.
UM, WHERE IT GIVES YOU THE, THE, THE SCHEDULE FOR EVERY COUNTY, UM, AND HAVE UPSTAIRS.
CAUSE I GO TO THE CONFERENCE AND WE, I JUST KNOW WE CREATE HAVOC WHEN PART OF US IS JASPER COUNTY.
AND THEN CAN I, AND I CAN SPEAK ON THAT BRIEFLY ABOUT THAT.
A LOT OF TIMES WHEN WE HAVE A NEIGHBORING COUNTY, LIKE FOR EXAMPLE, JA, BECAUSE SUN CITY IS SPLIT, NOT NECESSARILY THE MAJORITY OF THE PROPERTIES OR SUN CITY IS IN BUFORT, BUT THERE IS SECTION, WE HAVE A STREET, SUN CITY LITERALLY A SPLIT.
AND WHAT WE, I'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH, UH, APPRAISERS OVER THERE AND THE UM, DEPUTY ASSESSOR WITH OUR LAST QUAD.
AND WHEN THEY WERE GOING THROUGH, THEY'LL CALL US UP AND SAY, HEY, WHAT LOOKS LIKE THIS IS WHAT WE ARE DOING.
AND SO WE HAD THOSE CONVERSATIONS TO SEE WHAT THE MARKERS PERFORMING WITH THE OTHER, UM, COUNTY.
AND, BUT THE PEER INTO JASPER TO USE THEIR SALES MAY NOT BE, WE DON'T HAVE TO MAKE ADJUSTMENTS TO ACCOMMODATE CUZ BEFOR, BEFOR EVEN DIFFERENT COUNTIES IS THE AMEN.
THERE'S THINGS THAT GO IN IS THE, IS THERE, IS THERE ANY EFFECT TO THE JURISDICTION THAT IS IN BASED ON MILLAGE? IS THAT ALL OF THAT AFFECTING THAT SALE? SO WE DO HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS WITH, UM, THE OTHER COUNTIES, IF THEY'RE A NEIGHBORING COUNTY WITH US, OF COURSE WE WOULDN'T HAVE A, OUR CITIZEN IN YAMA WOULD NOT BE A CONVERSATION THAT WE NECESSARILY WOULD HAVE WITH HAMPTON.
BECAUSE THEIR MARKET IS DIFFERENT.
BUT WE STILL HAVE TO COME UP WITH THOSE VALUES.
BECAUSE WE HAVE A NEIGHBORHOOD THAT SPLIT DUE FOR JASPER MM-HMM.
OKAY, SO HERE'S AN EXAMPLE OF OUR ASSESSMENT NOTICE.
THIS IS KIND OF WHAT IT WOULD LOOK LIKE.
I KNOW IT'S KIND OF SMALL PRINT AND WE'RE GONNA GET, I'LL, I GAVE IT TO MS. BROCK.
UM, SO YOU CAN KIND OF BLOW IT UP AND SEE.
AND, AND WHAT WE TRY TO DO IS, UM, ON OUR ASSESSMENT NOTICE WE EXPLAIN WHAT THE DIFFERENT BOXES ARE.
MAYBE NOT WITH DISAGREE UPON WITH THE ARROWS, BUT WE HAVE A SECTION ON THE NOTICE THAT KIND OF GOES, THERE'S A LOT OF INFORMATION ON THERE.
I MEAN, WHAT IS, WHAT IS THIS? AND SO WE DON'T WANT OUR TAXPAYERS TO BE CONFUSED.
AND WE ALSO ARE GONNA HAVE A CITIZEN GUIDE.
[03:30:01]
GUIDE.THE CURRENT ONE ON OUR WEBSITE IS FROM 2018.
WE'RE GONNA UPDATE IT TO THE NEW QUAD JUNIOR REASSESSMENT PERIOD.
BUT IT WILL EXPLAIN WHAT THOSE COLUMNS MEAN.
SO THAT'S THE OLD GUIDE, WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE AND LOOK AGAIN, THE 18, BUT THE INFORMATION IS STILL VERY RELEVANT.
SO CAPPING THIS IS A BIG TOPIC.
UM, AND SO LET'S GO RIGHT INTO THIS AS WELL.
SO CAPPING IS, UM, BY SECTION 12 37, 31 40.
IT TELLS US WHEN WE ARE TO APPRAISE AND WHEN WE ARE TO DETERMINE THE FAIR AMOUNT VALUE AND UNDER TAPPING, IF A PROP, THE BASIC TO EXPLAIN IT VERY SIMPLY, IF YOU HELD ONTO YOUR PROPERTY AND YOUR PROPERTY VALUE INCREASED AND QUAD QUAD REASSESSMENT, THE MOST YOU'RE GONNA BE TAXED ON IS A 15% INCREASE.
SO IF YOUR PROPERTY VALUE WAS A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS AND THE MARKET DECIDES THAT THE MARKET VALUE IS A MILLION DOLLARS, THE MOST YOU'RE GONNA TAKE TAXES FOR IS $115,000.
THAT'S THE, THAT'S THE SHORT VERSION OF THAT.
KEEP IN MIND THE TAX PAYERS CANNOT APPEAL THEIR CAP NUMBER BECAUSE THE CAP NUMBER THAT'S IN PLACE, THEY CAN ONLY APPEAL THEIR MARKETING NUMBER.
SO WHAT WE HAVE IS THAT THEY'LL SEE THE MARKET NUMBER.
THEY SAY, LET'S GO BACK TO THE MILLION 100,000 EXAMPLE.
THEY'LL SEE A MILLION DOLLARS.
AND, AND JUST LIKE, I MEAN IF I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT'S GOING ON, IT'S A LOT, I MIGHT LOSE IT TOO.
AND THEN THEY, THEY COME IN AND EXPLAIN IT TO THEM.
YEAH, WE HAVE YOUR PROPERTY VALUE SET AT A MILLION BASED ON MARKET INSURANCE SALES, BUT THEN YOU'RE ONLY PAYING TAXE ON 115,000.
AND TYPICALLY WHAT HAPPENS, LIKE, OH, OKAY.
AND THEY'LL, THEY, THEY USUALLY EITHER UNDERSTAND OR THEY JUST SAY, I UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, KIND GET AN EXPLANATION.
SO THEY WENT FROM A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS VALUE TO 115,000 EVEN THOUGH THE VALUE WENT UP NINE TIMES.
THAT'S THE WAY THE CAPTAIN LAW WORKED.
CAPTAIN LAW WAS PART OF ACT 3 88.
WE IN SOME CASES FOR JUST FOR A FUN FACT, SOME OF OUR PROPERTIES IN BEAUFORD COUNTY GONNA HAVE HELP WITH SOME FOUR CAPS ON IT.
SO WHAT WE HAVE IN NOW, ONE OF THE ISSUES THAT WE HAVE NOW, WHICH I HOPE WE GET OUT TO THE CONSTITUENTS, IS THAT THIS IS WHERE THE, THE, THE NON-UNIFORMITY IS COME IN WHERE YOU HAVE ONE PROPERTY OWNER CAUSE OF AN ATTI ACCESSIBLE TRANSFER ENTRY.
REMEMBER I SAID IT'S, IT'S IT'S ACCESSIBLE.
SO THEY DON'T HAVE A CAP, THEY DON'T QUALIFY FOR THE CAP BECAUSE OF THE SALE.
SO WHAT THEY'LL SAY IS, HEY, THEY'LL COME IN OUR OFFICE AND SAY MY TAXES ARE FIVE, THEIR TIMES ARE $500 AND MINUS 4,000.
AND WE HAVE TO EXPLAIN CAUSE YES, THEY GOT, THEY HAVE FOUR CAPS, THEY HAVE ONE CAP OR YOU DON'T HAVE A CAP ANYMORE.
CAP IS NO LONGER THERE, YOU'RE PAYING ON FOUR MARKET VALUE AND WE HAVE TO GO OVER THIS PART OF THE CODE THAT'S, THAT WAS PASSED THROUGH 3D.
SO IT'S FAIR TO SAY IF NONE OF THE, NONE OF THOSE THINGS HAPPEN MM-HMM.
THAT THEIR SENSE OF VALUE OR THE, I'M SORRY.
THE MARKET VALUE CAN'T GO UP MORE THAN 15%.
SO YOU HAVE THE EXCESS VALUE, AGAIN, THIS IS TAXABLE VALUE.
AND THAT NUMBER CAN'T GO UP MORE THAN 15%.
NOW THE TAXABLE VALUE MAY NOT ALWAYS BE LESS.
IT COULD BE EQUAL TO THE MARKET VALUE.
OH, I SAY THAT BECAUSE IF YOUR MARKET VALUE DO NOT EXCEED THE 15%, YOU MAY HAVE ANOTHER PERCENTAGE, YOU MAY HAVE 10%, IT'S NO MORE THAN 15%.
OR IF THE MARKET MARKET VALUE IS LESS THAN IT CAN GO STRAIGHT TO THE MARKET.
AND SEE, WE CAN SEE HAS A LOT OF INFORMATION EXPLAINED, BUT WE TRY TO DO THROUGH THAT.
GO TO A MARKET FAILURE THAT'S LOWER THAN THE NEW ASSESSMENT.
BUT GENERALLY SPEAKING THE MOST IT'S GOING TO BE A 15% HIGHER THAN WHAT YOU HAVE.
AND WHAT I CORRECT, AND I WILL SAY THIS, IN OUR LAST QUAD REASSESSMENT, WE'VE NOTICED THAT SINCE AFTER 88, THE NUMBER OF APPEALS HAS SHARPLY DECLINED AT EVERY REASSESSMENT.
WE'RE HOPING THAT WE'LL DO THAT THIS TIME.
HOWEVER, THERE'S SO MUCH BUYING AND SELLING AND TRANSFERRING BACK AND FORTH.
THE CAP ON A LOT OF PROPERTIES IS NO LONGER EXISTING.
THAT'S GOT NOTHING TO DO WITH SOMEONE OWN THE HOUSE FOUR YEARS AGO, WHATEVER.
BUT TO RELAY THAT INFORMATION SOMETIMES IS A DIFFICULT, WE DO IT CAUSE IT'S A DIFFICULT CONVERSATION.
WE HAVE TO HAVE
EVEN NOW WE HAVE A SITUATION WITH, UM, THAT I'VE EXPERIENCED LIKE JUST GOING TO THE BLUFFTON OFFICE MORE, UM, THAT WE HAVE PEOPLE ASK THE
[03:35:01]
REMORSE GOING ON NOWAND SO THEY'RE COMING IN AND SAY, OH NO, I'M COME FROM WHEREVER AND THEY'RE ONLY DO 10% AND THIS IS NOT FAIR, YOU KNOW, I PAY TOO MUCH FOR IT.
AND THEN THE NEIGHBOR NEXT DOOR PAID THE SIMILAR AND NEIGHBORHOOD NEXT DOOR TO THAT PAY SOMEWHERE.
AND YOU HAVE TO HAVE THOSE CONVERS THOSE HARD CONVERSATIONS.
BUT DID I ANSWER YOUR QUESTION? OKAY, SO AGAIN, WE'RE TALKING MORE ABOUT THE CAP AND UM, IT, IT'S, IT IS JUST A CAP ON THE, ON THE TAXABLE MAP AMOUNT.
AND THAT'S JUST ANOTHER PART OF THE SECTION THAT I WANTED TO KIND OF THROW IN THIS SLIDE.
SO YOU CAN HAVE THAT FOR FUTURE REFERENCE.
AGAIN, MORE INFORMATION ABOUT CAPPING, UM, CAUSE I THINK I PRETTY MUCH COVERED THAT PRETTY WELL.
SO ACCESSIBLE TRANSFER INTEREST.
THAT'S WHEN THE PROPERTY IS ACCESSIBLE WITH A TRANSFER INTEREST.
SO I'M NOT GONNA
TAXPAYERS CAN APPEAL THE DIFFERENCE IN A QUADRANT AREA ASSESSMENT THAN A, THAN A NON-AD AREA ASSESSMENT HERE IS THAT ONCE NOTIFICATION IS SENT OUT, EITHER EVEN IF NON NEW ASSESSMENT YEAR, WE SEND OUT NOTIFICATION TO YOU AN ASSESSMENT NOTICE HAVE TAXPAYER MAY HAVE 90 DAYS TO APPEAL.
THIS YEAR'S DIFFERENT BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE AN ENTIRE CALENDAR HERE.
SO NORMALLY IF A TAXPAYER DID NOT GET A NOTICE, THEY'LL HAVE FROM JANUARY 16TH TO JANUARY 15TH TO APPEAL.
BUT IF THEY GET A NOTICE, THEY HAVE 90 DAYS.
SO THAT'S WHY I TALKED, TALKED ABOUT A MINUTE AGO.
I OVERLAP IT BECAUSE I KNOW THAT PEOPLE TAKE THOSE AND SOMETIME AND THROW 'EM IN THE DRAWER, JUST DON'T KNOW WHAT THIS IS AND KEEP AND THEN DON'T REACT UNTIL THE TAX BILL
UM, YEAH, THE APPEAL PROCESS, THEY CAN APPEAL ON THE MARKET VALUE.
THEY CAN PEEL THE ASSESSMENT THAT'S ON THEIR NOSE.
WHEN THAT SAID ASSESSMENT, THE LEGAL RESIDENCY SPECIAL ASSESSMENT, THEY CAN PEEL THE SIZE.
THEY CAN PEEL, UM, PRETTY MUCH EVERYTHING THAT'S ON THE FACE OF THAT NOTICE EXCEPT THE CAP VALUE.
YOU CANNOT APPEAL THE CAP VALUE.
THEY HAVE TO DO IT IN WRITING.
NOW WE DO HAVE OUR APPEAL PROCESS ONLINE WHERE THEY CAN APPLY.
THEY'RE GONNA ACTUALLY APPEAL ONLINE AND DO IT THAT WAY.
THEY DON'T HAVE TO SEND IT UP.
TAKE, I MEAN THERE'S A COUPON ON THE BACK.
JUST WRITE IT OUT AND TEAR IT OFF AND SEND IT IN.
UM, BUT WE ALSO HAVE IT ONLINE SO THAT IT MAKING IT EASIER FOR THOSE WHO JUST WANT TO JUST DO IT DIGITALLY.
UM, WE ASK THAT THEY SUPPLY A SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS BECAUSE THE LAW IS VERY, VERY CLEAR THAT THE BURDEN OF IS ON THE TAXPAYER TO PROVE THAT OUR NUMBER IS INCORRECT.
THE LAW SPACE IS, CAN UPHELD THAT THE JUSTICE'S OFFICE NUMBER IS PRESUMED TO BE CORRECT UNTIL PROVEN OTHERWISE BY THE TAXPAYER.
SO WE TELL OUR TAXPAYERS TO PLEASE PROVIDE, SUBSTANTIATE YOUR APPEAL BY PROVIDING MARKET DATA, EVIDENCE, WHATEVER.
YOU HAVE TO SHOW WHY YOUR EVALUATION IS, UM, DISAGREE.
WE DO HAVE TAXPAYERS THAT SAYS IT'S TOO HIGH.
AND SO THEY'RE LIKE, WELL TELEHEALTH IS OUT HERE.
UM, AND SO, BUT WE TRY TO STRESS DECEMBER 31ST, 2022.
AND DO YOU USE THE DECEMBER 31ST AS THE DATE FOR EVERY QUADRANT THAT WE DO? THAT IS CORRECT.
SO IN 2028 IT'D BE DECEMBER 31ST, 2027.
SO ARE, DOES YOUR OFFICE HANDLE THE APPEALS AS WELL? OR IS THAT GOOD TO A SEPARATE BODY? NO, WE HAVE TO HANDLE THOSE AS WELL.
SO THE REST, WHAT TYPICALLY HAPPENS IS THE APPRAISER THAT, UM, IF IT'S A VALUE, LET'S TALK ABOUT VALUATION.
IF THE APPRAISER, UM, HANDLED THE, THE, THE EVALUATION OF THAT NEIGHBORHOOD OR THAT MODEL OR THE GROUP OF PROPERTIES, THAT APPEAL WILL GO BACK TO THAT APPRAISER TO THEO TO, TO REVIEW TO NEGATIVE ATTORNEY AND HAVE THAT DISCUSSION.
THE APPEAL PROCESS, THE ADMINISTRATIVE APPEAL PROCESS CAN GO ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE PSYCH ON SUPREME COURT.
SO IT STARTS WITH US TWO LEVELS APPEAL, PROTEST, YOU DISAGREE.
THE SECOND TIME YOU GO TO A PROTEST, IF YOU DISAGREE THERE, YOU CAN GO BEFORE A BOARD, WHICH IS A BOARD OF ASSESSMENT APPEALS, WHICH YOU ARE ALL DECIDE WHO'S GONNA BE ON THAT BOARD, I THINK.
UM, AND THEY CAN PRESENT AND WE PRESENT, AN DECISION IS MADE.
IF EITHER PARTY DISAGREE, YOU CAN GO TO ADMINISTRATIVE LAW COURT AND AT THAT POINT WAS CONSIDERED DE NOVO.
SO ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT BEFORE I GO? THE PEER PROCESS.
UM, YOU TALKED ABOUT YOU USE THE MARKERS ANALYSIS MODEL SO YOU DON'T LITERALLY GO TO EVERY HOUSE.
BUT HOW DO YOU, UM, SO PEOPLE ARE AFRAID YOU'RE GONNA BE WANDERING AROUND CHECKING EVERYBODY'S HOUSE.
THAT'S WHAT THEY THINK YOU DO.
SO WHAT DO YOU DO ABOUT HOUSES THAT HAVE ADDED ADDITIONS? MM-HMM.
BECAUSE YOU KNOW, NOW THEY'RE ALL FREAKING OUT.
HOW ARE THEY GONNA FIND IT? WHAT ABOUT THAT? THAT'S A GOOD, THAT'S A GOOD POINT.
[03:40:01]
WHERE WE GET, WE, WHERE WE RELY HEAVILY ON OUR BUILDING AND COAST DEPARTMENT AND THE BUILDING AND COAST DEPARTMENTS AND OTHER MUNICIPALITIES.SO WHEN THAT TAXPAYER GIVES TO COMMIT, SUBMIT, UH, TO MISS, UH, UM, APPLICATION FOR HOWEVER THEY APPLY FOR BUILDING, BUILDING PERMIT MM-HMM.
ONCE IT'S FINALED OR COED, WE'LL GO OUT AND FOLLOW, YOU KNOW, MAKE SURE IT'S ON THE RECORD THE FOLLOWING YEAR OF COMPLETION.
AND NOW THOSE PARTICULAR PROPERTIES WE DO SITE VISIT OUR BUILDING PERMITS, THAT'S WHERE OUR, OUR DATA AND OUR RECORD IS ACTUALLY WE, WE ROUTINELY SCRUBBING ON DATA BECAUSE IF SOMEONE PUTS IN A BUILDING PERMIT FOR SOMETHING, IT WILL NOT ADDITION NEW CONSTRUCTION.
WE'RE OUT ON THAT PROPERTY NOW WE'RE GONNA LOOK AT THAT WHOLE RECORD US.
BECAUSE WE MAY NOT BE OUT TO THAT SITE AGAIN UNTIL UNTIL ANOTHER TIME IN, IN THE FUTURE.
SO YES, WE USE THE BUILDING PERMIT.
THAT'S REGARDLESS OF THE RECI CORRECT.
NOW I WILL SAY THIS IS THAT WHEN THE TAXPAYERS PUT IN AN APPEAL WITH OUR OFFICE, NOW THAT APPEAL BECOMES MORE INDIVIDUALIZED.
WE'RE LOOKING AT THEIR PROPERTY AND WITH THE VALUE IS ON THEIR PROPERTY.
NOW WE'RE START DOING THAT INDIVIDUAL ANALYSIS.
CAUSE WE GOT PAST THE MASK, VALUE MASK MASS GROUP OF PROPERTIES.
RIGHT NOW WE'RE LOOKING AT THEIRS.
WE'RE NOT LOOKING AT COMPARATIVE ASSESSMENTS, WE'RE NOT LOOKING AT WHAT THE NEIGHBORS VALUING, WE'RE LOOKING AT THEIRS BASED ON THE MARKET.
WE MAY HAVE TO GO OUT ON THEIR PROPERTY AT THAT POINT TO DO SOME MEASUREMENTS.
SAY FOR EXAMPLE, MY SQUARE FOOTAGE IS WRONG OR THE ONLY WE'LL KNOW THAT IF WE GO OUT AND MEASURE IT.
SO MY APPRAISER, THE SIGN APPRAISER WILL GO OUT AND MEASURE THE PROPERTY.
SO LEGAL RESIDENCY SPECIAL ASSESSMENT RATIO, UM, THAT'S ANOTHER BIG ONE.
AND ON THIS ONE, A LOT OF TIMES, UM, OUR TAXPAYERS, THEY WANNA KNOW IF THERE'S A BREAK ON THE FOR FULL-TIME RESIDENT.
STATE LAW PROVIDES THAT THE 4% OF RATIO IS ALLOWED TO PRIMARY RESIDENCY.
UM, AND THEY ARE, IF THEY ARE, IF THEY ARE QUALIFIED FOR THE SPECIAL ASSESSMENT, THEN THEY ARE EXEMPT SCHOOL OPERATION BILLS.
AND I'M GONNA SHOW YOU WHAT THAT, WHAT THE, WHAT THAT CREDIT REALLY MEANS AND HOW MUCH ADVERTISE PAYER CAN ACTUALLY SAVE THE CODE THAT'S GOVERNING THAT IS 1243.
TWO 20 IS EXTENSIVE BUT IS IT'S, IT HAS EVERYTHING IN THERE.
YOU NEED TO KNOW FOR THE MOST PART ABOUT THE, FOR THE LEGAL RESIDENCY SPECIAL ASSESSMENT RATIO.
I KNOW IT'S KIND OF SMALL, BUT IF YOU CAN LOOK AT YOUR SCREENS, YOU'LL SEE WHERE A 4% PROPERTY IS ON IS ON MY LEFT.
I'M NOT SURE YOUR LEFT YOUR RIGHT, BUT YOU'LL SEE WHERE IT'S $2,000 FOR A 4% AND 7,000 FOR OR SIX NON-RESIDENT.
THE CAROLINA CODE 12 43 2 20 TELLS UM, US AS ASSESSORS, UM, HOW OF TAXPAYER CAN QUALIFY FOR THIS EXEMPTION.
I WILL SAY THIS, THAT THE ASSESSOR'S OFFICE IS THE GATEKEEPER FOR THE EXEMPTION.
AND ONE OF THE REASONS THE SCHOOL OPERATION BILLS IS, SO THEY DO NOT PAY ANY OF THE SCHOOL OPERATION MILL FOR THAT MONEY.
SO DOWN AT THE ASSESSMENT'S OFFICE, WE ARE THE GATEKEEPER TO ENSURE THAT INDIVIDUALS ARE QUALIFYING AND THEY'RE NOT RECEIVING IT AND THEY SHOULD NOT RECEIVE IT.
THE, SO IT'S AN EXEMPTION GOTTA APPLY FOR IT.
YOU, THE ELIGIBILITY HAS TO CONNECT.
THE BURDEN OF PROOF IS ON THE TAXPAYER AND, UM, THE, THE, THE EXEMPTION EXEMPTION INDIVIDUAL FROM THE SCHOOL OPERATION THOUGH.
SO WE KIND OF BREEZED THROUGH THAT.
AND THEY HAVE FROM JANUARY 16TH TO JANUARY 15TH.
SO RIGHT NOW THEY PUT APPLICATION IN, UM, THEY WERE, IT IS FOR JANUARY.
CAUSE THEY HAD, THEY HAVE UNTIL JANUARY 15TH OF NEXT YEAR FOR 23.
SO THEY'RE, THEY GOT SOME TIME.
WE PRAY AND HOPE THOSE THAT'S LISTENING.
IF YOU KNOW SOMEONE PLEASE HAVE MC CLIENT NOW HAVE TO QUALIFY.
THAT'S WHEN IT GETS REALLY BUSY.
HERE'S SOME ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS.
TYPICALLY THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT MOST OF OUR TAXPAYERS, THESE ARE THE CRITERIA THEY CAN FALL IN THAT WE NEED TO PROVIDE FROM.
THEY PROVIDE US, THERE IS A PORTION IN THE CODE OF 12 43, 2 20 THAT TELLS US THAT WE MAY ASSESS.
SO I CAN REQUIRE ADDITIONAL DOCUMENT DOCUMENTATION TO PROVE ELIGIBILITY FOR THE RESIDENTIAL OR PROVE, RE PROVE RESIDENCY.
OKAY? SO I'M INCLUDING THIS HERE AT THIS IN YOUR, IN YOUR FOLDERS THAT I GAVE YOU.
YOU'LL SEE WHERE THERE'S A HANDOUT THERE.
AND THIS WAS, UM, I THINK MR. GLOVER AND MR. PK, I SHOW WHO ELSE WAS THERE IN 2019,
[03:45:01]
SARON DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE MADE A VISIT TO US.AND YOU, AND YOU REMEMBER VERY, VERY, VERY INFORMATIVE.
SO WHAT I'VE DONE, AND WHEN YOU GET THE UM, POWERPOINT PRESENTATION, THE LINK SHOULD WORK.
I TRIED TESTED IT THIS MORNING, HOPE IT'S GONNA WORK.
UM, AND THE OTHER LINK IS FOR A HANDOUT.
BUT I, I PRINTED THE HANDOUT FOR YOU.
I WOULD SUGGEST IT IS KINDA LENGTHY.
THEY WOULD COME HERE AND GIVE US, YOU KNOW, GUIDANCE AND KIND OF FILL US IN.
IT IS SOMETHING I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO TAKE TIME TO WATCH.
AND IT WAS PRESENTED, THAT'S WHEN IT WAS PRESENTED IN 19.
I JUST KINDA PUT THE LAWS HERE CAUSE I KNOW YOU'RE GONNA GET THIS PRESENTATION SO YOU'LL KNOW WHERE WE ARE REFERRING TO AND WHAT STATUTES THAT WE ARE RELYING ON IN CODE LAW.
UM, BEFORE I CONCLUDE, UM, IN YOUR OFFICE, ON YOUR PACKET YOU'LL SEE UM, ANOTHER HANDOUT THAT I GAVE YOU.
AND UM, I KIND OF GOT THAT TOGETHER LAST NIGHT.
THIS MORNING CAUSE I THOUGHT YOU WOULD BE INTERESTED IN KNOWING.
UM, AND FOR AS FAR AS THE GROWTH, AS YOU CAN SEE, I PROVIDED THE LEGAL RESIDENCY TOTALS, UM, BASED ON YEAR AND THE NON-LEGAL RESIDENCY TOTALS.
IF YOU SCROLL, IF YOU LOOK ON 20 20, 20 20 22, WE STILL HAVE APPLICATIONS TO PUT IN FOR 22 CUZ THEY HAD TILL JANUARY 15TH OF 23 TO APPLY FOR 22.
BUT AS OF NOVEMBER, OUR COUNTY IS ALMOST SPLIT IN HALF WITH RESIDENTS AND NON-RESIDENTS ALMOST SPLIT IN HALF.
AND WE ARE SUSPECTING BECAUSE OF THE, I CALL IT THE REVERSE MIGRATION, THE SOUTH TO THE SOUTH, WE'RE EXPECTING THAT THAT DEMAND OR THAT REQUEST FOR THAT EXEMPTION TO INCREASE.
SO THESE ARE NUMBERS AS OF NOVEMBER.
AS YOU CAN SEE WE HAVE 42% OF OUR TAXPAYERS ARE RECEIVING THE LEGAL RESIDENCY.
AND THAT'S NOT COUNTING NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER APPLICATION.
I ALSO INCLUDED IN YOUR PACKAGE, YOU'LL SEE ON THOSE PAGES BY DISTRICT, I WANTED YOU TO SEE THAT WHERE ARE MOST OF OUR APP ARE PEOPLE THAT'S, YOU KNOW, GETTING, RECEIVING THE EXEMPTION AS WE ALL PROBABLY FIGURE OUT THAT IT'S BLUFFED.
AND YOU CAN ACTUALLY SEE THE NUMBERS OF OUR COUNTS THERE OF HOW MANY WE HAVE ON THE RECORD RECEIVING THE EXEMPTION FOR, I RECEIVED THE EXEMPTION FOR TAX SHARE 22 AND THEN THE TOTALS.
NOW ADDITIONALLY ON THAT PAGE, I THINK, I'M NOT SURE WHAT PAGE IT IS, PAGE ONE, TWO, A THREE.
I WANTED TO KINDA GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF WHAT IS BEING, I WOULDN'T SAY LOST, BUT WHAT EXEMPTION IS NOT, THEY'RE NOT PAYING INTO THE EXEMPTION AS A WHOLE.
AND THESE ARE ESTIMATES IN 2022, IF THE 6%, IF THE 4% LEGAL RESIDENCY PROPERTY OWNERS WERE AT 6% AND NOT RECEIVING ANY EXEMPTION, THEY WILL BE PAYING ABOUT 157,000, 2 48, 8 95 IN TAXES.
THAT WILL ACT, THAT'S A SCHOOL OPERATION THAT WILL GO TO OUR SCHOOL.
SO THAT MONEY IS NOT GOING TO OUR PART OF SCHOOL OPERATION AS CURRENTLY.
SO I WANTED TO SHOW YOU IF THOSE IN NOW WE'RE ALMOST HALF.
SO THAT NUMBER'S GOING TO GROW WITH REGARDS TO WHO'S PAYING INTO SCHOOL AND WHO'S NOT.
SO I WANNA KIND OF DEMONSTRATE THAT FOR YOU TO SEE THE IMPACT OF THAT.
WE WANT PEOPLE TO COME, BUT THIS IS WHAT DOES HAPPEN.
AND ALSO I WANTED TO SHARE THAT BEAUFORD COUNTY CURRENTLY IS WORTH, I HAVE IT HERE, UM, AS A 2022.
AGAIN, IT'S BASED ON, UM, INFORMATION THAT WE HAVE FOR TAX BILL.
AS FAR AS OUR MARKET VALUE, UM, OUR TOTAL MARKET VALUE FOR OUR PROPERTIES IS LIKE 48 BILLION.
$48 BILLION OR JUST 48 AND A HALF BILLION DOLLARS.
SO THE CENSUS OFFICE, WE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR MAINTAINING THAT 48 BILLION IN MARKET VALUE.
I SUSPECT THAT WITH THE INCREASES THAT WE ARE SEEING WE'RE LIKE FROM 21 TO 22 TAX YEAR WITH REGARDS TO MARKET VALUE, NOT REVENUES COLLECTED MARKET VALUE, THERE WAS A 6% INCREASE.
SO I'M EXPECTING THAT THAT 48 AND A HALF BILLION IS PROBABLY GONNA GO WELL TO 50 50, MAYBE 51, 50 2 BILLION IN MARKET VALUE FOR REAL PROPERTY.
I MEAN I THINK I'M SHOOTING LOW.
OKAY, THAT'S NOT TAXABLE, THAT'S MARKET.
BUT I THINK ON THE SLIDE I DO DEMONSTRATE WHAT THE YEARS ARE AND WHAT THE EFFECTIVE DATES OF THOSE VALUES.
I HOPE I WAS ABLE TO PINPOINT.
SO I HAVE, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? I HAVE A QUESTION.
YOU WERE, IF I WERE TO ASK SOMEONE, WHETHER IT BE YOU OR THE TREASURER'S OFFICE, CAN I GET AN IDEA OF HOW MUCH TAX IS COLLECTED OR
[03:50:01]
CHARGED BY ZIP CODE? YOU MAY WANNA TALK TO, UM, THE TREASURER.I'M SAYING THE OFFICE WE'RE STRICTLY VALUE LISTING.
WE DON'T GET INTO THE COLLECTING AMOUNT NOW WE PROBABLY FIGURE IT OUT.
NO, YOU SET THE TAX RATE SET FOR YOU.
THE NUMBER THE THE VALUE IS SET BY MM-HMM.
SO EBONY, IF I'M LOOKING AT THESE PRETTY CHARTS HERE IN 1860 2% WERE NOT LEGAL RESIDENTS AND YOU'RE SAYING BY 2022 IT'S NEARER TO 50%, 58%.
SO EVERY TIME THERE'S MORE LEGAL RESIDENTS, THE SCHOOL DISTRICT'S TAKING THE HIT THE SCHOOL OPERATIONS AND THEY'RE NOT PAYING THOSE INDIVIDUALS ARE CORRECT.
42% IS NOT PAYING TO THE SCHOOL OPERATIONS.
SO AS WE GET MORE AND MORE THAT OUR LEGAL RESIDENTS, THE SCHOOLS ARE, HAVE TO FIGURE THAT OUT.
AGAIN, I, YOU KNOW, I JUST KNOW THAT THEY'RE NOT PAYING THE SCHOOL OPERATIONS AND THAT NUMBER GETS YEAH.
UM, WHERE DO YOU SHOW COMMERCIAL PROPERTY? WOULD THAT BE NON-RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY? CORRECT.
AND SO THE OFFSET THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT IF WE CAN DO INCREASE COMMERCIAL PROPERTY AND COMMERCIAL INVESTMENT, THAT'S GONNA HELP THE SCHOOL DISTRICT A LOT AS WELL.
SO I THINK ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IS REALLY A KEY TO OFFSET THE LEGAL RESIDENTS, UM, PEOPLE WHO SHIFT.
SO I THINK WE HEADED IN THAT DIRECTION.
WE JUST GOTTA DO A BETTER JOB OF GETTING MORE COMMERCIAL BUSINESSES, ESPECIALLY A LOT OF INDUSTRIES AND STUFF THAT COULD REALLY PAY THE SCHOOL TAXES AND STUFF.
UM, YOU SAID THE, UM, CREDIT THAT TO BETTER EDUCATION PEOPLE EXCEPT THEIR BILLS.
I THINK THAT THE APPEALS GOING DOWN BECAUSE OF THE CAPPING LAW SINCE ACT 3 88 AND BEFORE ACT 3 88 1 IN THE YEAR.
WAS THAT GOING BACK IN TIME? IT WAS IN 2008.
I REMEMBER WE HAD, WE HAD ABOUT 15,000 APPEALS COUNCIL OPENED THE APPEAL PROCESS UP BECAUSE OF THE OUTCRY.
BECAUSE YOU GOTTA KEEP IN MIND THERE WAS A RE A RECESSION AND VALUES DROPPED AND COUNCIL DECIDED THAT THEY WANTED TO OPEN THE, AND WHAT HAPPENED WAS A LOT OF INDIVIDUALS THAT APPEAL, THEY APPEALED AGAIN 15,000 OF THE INITIAL.
AND IT TOOK US A MINUTE TO DIG OUT OF THAT.
BUT WITH THE LEGISLATION CHANGE, ACT 3 88, THEN EVERY YEAR WE, EVERYWHERE ANDREA, WE'VE SEEN A DECLINE IN A NUMBER OF APPEALS.
I AM WONDERING WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN THIS CYCLE.
CAUSE WE HAVE SO MANY INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE CAME HERE AND GOING TO BE AT FULL MARKET VALUE.
ALL THOSE 2022 SALES THAT OCCURRED, THOSE INDIVIDUALS ARE NOT GONNA BE CAPPED.
AND THOSE ARE INDIVIDUALS THAT'S GONNA SAY, WELL, HE'S OR SHE.
BUT UNDERSTAND WE HAD TO HAVE THOSE HARD CONVERSATIONS.
AND I MUST PUBLICLY COMMEND HER, HER SHE DID AN EXCELLENT JOB.
UM, SO, UM, THAT CONCLUDES EVERYTHING.
IF YOU ALL HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR US, UM, NOW WE CAN ASK THEM.
OR IF YOU THINK OF ANYTHING WELL THAT YOU WANT US TO GET FOR YOU.
WE GIVEN YOU INPUT NOW, GO FORTH AND CREATE A BUDGET.
UM, AND MR. CHAIRMAN, YOU AND I HAD A MEETING SCHEDULED AT THREE 30.
WE HAVE MOVED THAT BACK TO TWO 30.
SO THAT YOU CAN GO HOME SOONER.
THERE BEING NO FURTHER ACTION.
THIS MEETING IS NOW ADJOURNED.
HEY JOE, I'M GONNA SUGGEST YOUR WIFE BEINGS EBONY TO.