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CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY BEAUFORT COUNTY.BERNIE, DON'T GET TOO COMFORTABLE.
WE'RE DOING A PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE NOW.
PLEASE STAND FOR THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE, ALL STATES OF AMERICA.
BIG, INVISIBLE LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
THERE'S NO ONE HERE FOR PUBLIC COMMENTS.
WE WILL NOW INTRODUCE THE BOARD MEMBERS.
TERRY, WOULD YOU LIKE TO START INTRODUCING YOURSELF? TERRY.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO TELL TERRY TO I IDENTIFY YOURSELF.
ROSALIE RICHMOND, DISTRICT SEVEN.
I HAVE TO GO GET THESE ADJUSTMENTS.
UM, ALICE HOWARD COUNTY COUNCIL.
MR. CHUCK ATKINSON, COUNTY ADMINISTRATION.
AND WE HAVE JOSH BREER AND WHO IS HERE.
AND ALSO WE HAVE, UM, TROY MATTHEWS WITH BROADCAST SERVICE IN LARA GRANT.
UM, AND YOU ALSO HAVE TRACY ROBINSON ON THE PHONE.
OH, AND TRACY ROBINSON IS ON THE PHONE.
UM, COULD I HAVE, UH, AN, AN APPROVAL FOR, CAN I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE? ONE MINUTE, JANET.
ARE YOU, UH, THIS IS FOR APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES.
ARE THERE ANY ADDITIONS OR CORRECTIONS? ALL RIGHT.
ALL IN FAVOR OF APPROVING THEM.
YOU NEED A, DO YOU REALLY WANNA MAKE YOUR SECOND? NO, SOMEBODY ELSE.
WE NEED A SECOND FOR THE MINUTES.
UH, IF YOU'RE, UH, SO IT, THAT'S APPROVED.
OH, FIRST OF ALL, I'M SORRY I'M A LITTLE DISCOMBOBULATED TODAY.
UM, I WOULD LIKE TO INTRODUCE OUR NEW MEMBER.
WE HAVE A NEW TRUSTEE, SHAUNA
SHE IS FROM THE NEW RIVER AREA, AND, UM, SHE HAS SOME LIBRARY.
SHE'S ACTUALLY NEW TO THE AREA.
SHE HAS SOME LIBRARY EXPERIENCE.
UM, SHE HAS EDITORIAL EXPERIENCE, ASSOCIATE BUFFALO BLESSER EXPERIENCE, AND I THINK SHE'S ON MASSACHUSETTS.
SO WOULD YOU LIKE TO SAY A COUPLE WORDS? UH, SURE.
I LIVE IN THE NEW RIVERSIDE AREA.
I'VE BEEN DOWN HERE, IT'S COMING UP ON SEVEN YEARS NOW.
ORIGINALLY FROM MASSACHUSETTS.
AND, UH, I CURRENTLY SERVE AS THE EDITOR OF A MONTHLY JEWELRY MAGAZINE, AS WELL AS THE ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER OF NATIONAL TRADE ASSOCIATION FOR JEWELRY MANUFACTURERS.
UM, I WORKED IN A COLLEGE LIBRARY WHEN I WAS IN COLLEGE, AND THEN THE FIRST YEAR OUT OF COLLEGE, I ACTUALLY WORKED, UM, THE EVENING.
I WAS THE EVENING CIRCULATION SUPERVISOR AT A LIBRARY FOR AN ALL WOMEN'S COLLEGE IN BOSTON.
SO I DO HAVE SOME LIBRARY EXPERIENCE.
I'M VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT READING.
WE NOW COME TO THE LIBRARY DIRECTOR'S REPORT.
OH, FIRST OF ALL, BRENDA POWELL FROM DISTRICT ONE HAS ARRIVED.
I BELIEVE THE TRAFFIC IS PRETTY MONUMENTAL, SO I APPRECIATE THESE.
UH, LIBRARY DIRECTOR'S REPORT, PLEASE.
IT'S A PLEASURE TO UPDATE YOU ON WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE EXCITING WORLD OF BUFORD COUNTY LIBRARY.
UM, IN YOUR FOLDER I WANNA DIRECT YOU TO A COUPLE OF THINGS.
UM, ON THE RIGHT SIDE, YOU'VE GOT YOUR AGENDA FOR TODAY, THE MINUTES THAT YOU JUST APPROVED, AND THEN MY MONTHLY DIRECTOR'S REPORT.
I ENCOURAGE YOU TO READ THOSE, UM, AS, AS YOU WILL.
I'M GONNA WALK THROUGH THE HIGHLIGHTS IN JUST A FEW MINUTES.
UM, BUT THAT GIVES YOU EVERYTHING FROM OUR STATS, UM, AND SOME NOTABLE EVENTS AND THINGS AND, AND ALL OF THOSE MEETINGS THAT I ATTEND,
I KNOW THAT IS WONDERFUL READING FOR YOU TO SEE ALL THOSE THINGS.
PLUS OUR ORGANIZATIONAL CHART, WHICH I'LL GO THROUGH IN A MINUTE.
BEHIND THAT WILL BE THE FINANCE DOCUMENTS AND REPORTS THAT JOE WILL
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GO OVER IN DETAIL.AND THAT'S WHAT'S ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE OF YOUR PACKET.
IN THE NEXT FEW MINUTES, I'M GOING TO, UM, REFER TO THE ITEMS IN THE LEFT SIDE OF YOUR PACKET.
YOU SHOULD SEE, UM, WHAT I AFFECTIONATELY CALL A KEY CARD HOTEL, KEY CARD SIZE BROCHURE.
I'M GONNA REFER TO THAT IN JUST A MINUTE.
PLUS THE, UM, THE RACK CARD THAT YOU SEE HERE, AND THEN OUR NATIONAL LIBRARY WEEK EVENT PROMO BOOKMARK CONTEST AS WELL.
SO, UM, I JUST WANNA DO A NEW, A KIND OF A NEW FORMAT IN PRESENTING MY REPORT TO YOU.
UM, AND I WANNA MAKE IT A LITTLE BIT MORE EXCITING TO MATCH THE LEVEL OF EXCITEMENT OF THE NEWS THAT I SHARE WITH YOU.
SO, UM, INSTEAD OF BRINGING MY GUITAR, I DIDN'T DO THAT
I FLESH OUT THIS NEW KIND OF FORMAT OF REPORTING TO YOU.
SO, UH, FIRST THINGS FIRST, HAVE YOU SEEN IN YOUR ORGANIZATIONAL CHART, UM, THAT WE HAVE FIVE VACANT POSITIONS? UM, NOT THE SAME FIVE THAT WE HAD LAST TIME I WAS BEFORE YOU.
WE FILLED SOME AND WE'VE ALSO RECEIVED MORE RESIGNATIONS.
MOST OF THOSE RESIGNATIONS ARE RELATED TO PEOPLE MOVING IN AND OUTTA THE AREA AND HAVE NOTH NOTHING TO DO WITH THEIR DISPLEASURE WITH THE LIBRARY SYSTEM.
UM, AS I MENTIONED, WE HAVE QUITE A NUMBER OF MAJOR PROJECTS OR INITIATIVES THAT WE ARE INVOLVED IN.
AND SO I WANT TO THROW YOUR ATTENTION TO THE SCREEN.
UM, FOR THE BIG ONE, UH, YOU'VE HEARD ME SAY SINCE DECEMBER, UH, THAT WE ARE MIGRATING FROM OUR SOFTWARE PLATFORM THAT WE'VE BEEN USING FOR THE PAST 10 OR MORE YEARS, CALLED EVERGREEN TO A NEW, UM, LIBRARY SYSTEM PLATFORM CALLED CERI DEX.
EVERGREEN IS A BRAND NAME THAT WE'VE BEEN USING.
CERI DEX IS ALSO A DIFFERENT BRAND NAME.
SO ALL OF THE LIBRARIES WITHIN THE SOUTH CAROLINA LENS CONSORTIUM, 20 LIBRARIES ACROSS THE STATE OF WHICH BEAUFORT COUNTY LIBRARY SYSTEM IS ONE.
WE ARE NOW IN THE IMPLEMENTATION PHASE.
SO WE ARE MIGRATING DATA AND LEARNING AND TRAINING.
SO IF YOU LOOK AT THE SCREEN, WE HAVE BEEN IN THE PLANNING PROCESS TO YOUR LEFT, AN IMPLEMENTATION TEAM HAS BEEN FORMED, AND WE ARE NOW GETTING STARTED WITH TRAINING AND LOADING POLICIES AND DATA AND ALL THE TECH BEHIND THE SCENES STUFF THAT HAP TO HAPPEN TO GET THIS PLATFORM READY FOR US TO USE BY JUNE 22ND.
TRACY, UH, JUNE 22ND IS QUITE AN AMBITIOUS DATE FOR 20, FOR 20 LIBRARIES TO BE MIGRATED COMPLETELY TO A NEW PLATFORM.
YOU GOTTA THINK ABOUT THE ITEMS YOU SEE ON THE SHELF IN THIS BUILDING.
WE'RE IN TODAY TIMES 20 LIBRARY SYSTEMS PLUS 20 LIBRARY SYSTEMS, UH, OF PRO PROFESSIONAL AND PARAPROFESSIONAL EMPLOYEES THAT HAVE TO LEARN HOW TO OPERATE A NEW SYSTEM.
IMAGINE IF WALMART ALL OF A SUDDEN CHANGE THEIR, THEIR SYSTEM, YOU KNOW? UM, SO 20 LIBRARIES ACROSS THE STATE OF WHICH WE ARE ONE, ARE ALL CHANGING OUR POINT OF SALE SYSTEM, SO TO SPEAK.
UM, SO IT DEFINITELY AFFECTS EVERYTHING WE DO.
UM, AND WE ARE IN THE BEGINNING PARTS OF TRAINING AND GETTING READY TO EMBRACE THIS NEW SYSTEM.
I'M EXCITED ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT IT PROVIDES TO US.
UM, I DON'T YET KNOW WHAT ALL OF THOSE BELLS AND WHISTLES MAY BE, BUT WE ARE EXCITED ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY TO EXPLORE THEM AS, AS THEY BECOME REALISTIC TO US.
CAN YOU MENTION ANY OF THEM FOR THE PUBLIC? JUST WE ARE, CAN YOU GIVE ONE EXAMPLE? SURE.
WE'RE HOPEFUL THAT THIS WILL INCLUDE AN, AN APP, A MOBILE APP, SO THAT PEOPLE WOULD BE ABLE TO DOWNLOAD AN APP ON THEIR SMARTPHONE OR THEIR TABLET AND BE ABLE TO USE THE LIBRARY'S CATALOG THROUGH, UM, THE APP.
AND SO BE ABLE TO ORDER A BOOK THROUGH THE APP.
THAT'S ONE HOPEFUL, BUT THAT'S A CONCRETE EXAMPLE PEOPLE CAN RELATE TO.
WILL THIS BE INTEGRATED WITH HOOPLA? SO THAT I DON'T YET KNOW, BUT IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THERE MAY BE SOME CONNECTION, BUT I DON'T YET KNOW.
THAT IS ALL OUR LIST QUESTIONS TO ASK.
YEAH, I HAVE SEVERAL QUESTIONS TO ASK AND, AND AM FAST APPROACHING THE POINT WHERE I MAY HAVE ANSWERS TO THOSE.
UM, I PERSONALLY, UM, AS A REPRESENTATIVE FOR BEAUFORT COUNTY LIBRARY HAVE POSITIONED MYSELF ON THE TRAINING TEAM OF SOUTH CAROLINA LENS SO THAT I HAVE ACCESS TO ALL OF THE TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES AND HAVE THAT INFORMATION TO SHARE WITH OUR STAFF FIRST AND FOREMOST, AND THEN ALSO BE ABLE TO HELP ADDITIONAL, UM, LIBRARY SYSTEMS IN OUR AREA IF THEY NEED AS ASSISTANCE.
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AND THEN I'M ALSO POSITIONING MYSELF ON THE TEAM OF SOUTH CAROLINA LENS DIRECTORS WHO GET TO TEST THE FINAL PRODUCT.SO, SO THAT I GET TO SEE IT BEFORE EVERYBODY ELSE SEES IT AND PROVIDE SOME INPUT AND SOME INSIGHT INTO IT THAT, HOW THAT INTERFACES WITH THE PUBLIC AND, AND HOW THAT ULTIMATELY IS RECEIVED.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ABOUT, UM, THE MIGRATION TO CERSI? JUNE 20 SECOND'S GONNA BE A BIG DAY FOR US, AS THAT WILL BE A WELL, HOW ABOUT, SO THAT DAY THAT IT OCCURS, HOW IS THAT, HOW IS THE PUBLIC AFFECTED THAT DAY? THE PUBLIC WILL BE AFFECTED IN ADVANCE OF THAT DAY AT SOME POINT, UH, AT SOME POINT OF THE PROCESS, VERY CLOSE TO THAT JUNE 22ND TIME, WE WILL HAVE TO ANNOUNCE A TIME WHERE NO ONE STAFF IN THE PUBLIC CAN UTILIZE THE CURRENT CATALOG THAT WE HAVE.
SO THERE'LL BE A BRIEF TIME, I DON'T KNOW HOW LONG YET.
UM, WE'LL TRY TO GIVE AS MUCH ADVANCED NOTICE AS POSSIBLE, BUT THERE'LL BE A MOMENT WHERE WE CAN NO LONGER ADD ITEMS TO EVERGREEN, WHICH IS OUR PRESENT SOFTWARE AND OR USERS OR NEW CARDS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, OR CHECK ANYTHING OUT ON THE OLD SYSTEM WHILE WE GET TO THE NEW ONE.
BUT IT SHOULD BE THREE TO FIVE DAYS LIKE THAT.
IT SHOULD BE MINIMAL, AND HOPEFULLY THEY CAN DO IT OVER A WEEKEND.
I DON'T, I DON'T YET KNOW THOSE SPECIFICS ON IT, HOW THAT'S GONNA WORK.
THE NEXT THING THAT I WANNA TALK ABOUT IS OUR STAFF DEVELOPMENT DAY.
IT'S CUSTOMARY FOR US TO HAVE TWO IN-SERVICE DAYS WHERE WE CLOSE OUR LIBRARIES TO THE PUBLIC AND GATHER AS A FULL STAFF, UM, TO GO OVER ELEMENTS THAT ARE PERTINENT AT THE TIME.
SO OBVIOUSLY, FIRST AND FOREMOST ON A LOT OF OUR STAFF IN, IN MY MIND, IS THIS MIGRATION TO CERSI.
SO OUR UPCOMING, UH, STAFF DEVELOPMENT DAY IS MARCH THE 28TH.
IT'S A TUESDAY, AND I'M GONNA HOST IT AT THE, THE ST.
WE'VE HOSTED IT HERE IN BLUFFTON THE PAST TWO TIMES.
SO I WANNA GIVE MY NORTH ABROAD EMPLOYEES A BREAK FROM THAT 2 78 TRAFFIC AND HOST IT ON THE NORTHERN PART OF THE COUNTY THIS TIME.
UM, AND OUR MAIN, UH, EMPHASIS THAT DAY IS TO, NUMBER ONE, GET SOME REALLY GOOD TANGIBLE, UH, TO YOUR WORD.
UM, JANET CONCRETE EXAMPLES OF WHAT WILL CDY NEXT LOOK LIKE, UM, AS WE START THIS TRAINING PROCESS.
I WANTED THEM TO GET A DEMO FROM THE SALES PEOPLE WHO, WHO ORCHESTRATED THOSE CONTRACTS.
AND THEN ALSO IN THE AFTERNOON.
UH, IT'S A GOOD TIME I FELT WITH, UM, THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON IN OUR SOCIETY, UM, TO COVER THESE FOUR TOPICS SEEM TO BE A LOT OF QUESTIONS THAT I GET, UM, HOW TO BE SAFE.
SO SAFETY TIPS FOR WORKING WHEN YOU'RE WORKING WITH THE PUBLIC.
UM, SO WE'VE ENLISTED THE HELP OF BURET COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE TO PROVIDE AN AFTERNOON BREAKOUT SESSION Q AND A FOR STAFF TO, TO GET SAFETY TIPS FOR THEMSELVES AND WORK IN WORKING WITH THE PUBLIC.
AND THEN ALSO, UM, WE HAVE A GOOD RELATIONSHIP WITH BUFORD COUNTY ALCOHOL AND DRUG.
SO THEY'RE GONNA DO, UM, NOT ONLY NARCAN TRAINING, BUT HOW TO IDENTIFY, UM, RESOURCES THAT MAY BE OF HELP TO A PERSON OR PERSONS ASSOCIATED WITH PEOPLE WITH SUBSTANCE ABUSE.
AND THEN, UH, FREEDOM TO READ IN CENSORSHIP IS A TOPIC THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE TALKING ABOUT IN LIBRARIES AND OUTSIDE OF LIBRARIES.
AND OUR STAFF HAVE, UH, EXPRESSED THE DESIRE TO WANT TO KNOW HOW TO ENGAGE IN THOSE CONVERSATIONS, UM, APPROPRIATELY.
SO HOW TO, HOW TO ANSWER SOMEONE WHEN THEY SAY, WHY DO YOU HAVE THIS BOOK? OR, I DON'T LIKE THIS BOOK, OR WILL YOU TAKE THIS BOOK OUT OF THE LIBRARY? OR ANY OF THOSE CONVERSATIONS, HOW TO, HOW TO APPROPRIATELY RESPOND.
AND THEN ALSO, UM, AS WE HAVE A LOT OF NEW STAFF, I WANTED TO PROVIDE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THEM TO GET QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS FROM OUR HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT ABOUT ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING RELATED TO, UM, PERSONNEL RESOURCES, UM, HEALTH INSURANCE, TIME OFF.
HOW DO, HOW DO WE DO ALL OF THOSE THINGS? WHAT BENEFITS AND RESOURCES ARE AVAILABLE TO COUNTY EMPLOYEES? MOST COUNTY EMPLOYEES GET AN AN ORIENTATION, UM, ON THEIR FIRST DAY.
UM, BUT THIS WOULD BE A GOOD OPPORTUNITY TO GET A REFRESHER FOR EMPLOYEES WHO HAVE BEEN WITH US FOR A LONG TIME.
AND THEN ALSO, IF ANY EMPLOYEES HAVE ANY QUESTIONS THAT THEY JUST DON'T ALWAYS HAVE AN OPOR A VEHICLE TO GET THAT ANSWERED QUICKLY.
AMANDA, COULD YOU TALK ABOUT WHO'S DOING YOUR FREEDOM TO RETRAINING, JOSH? OH, GOOD, GOOD, GOOD.
OUR DEPUTY DIRECTOR, JOSH GREER, UM, WORKS A LOT WITH COLLECTIONS AND IS INVOLVED PROFESSIONALLY IN SEVERAL VENUES THAT PROVIDE ACCESS TO BEST PRACTICES ON HOW TO ADDRESS, UM, CENSORSHIP CHALLENGES AND, AND TALKING POINTS RELATED TO THAT.
AND SO HE IS, UM, MY IN-HOUSE ION AUTO TO, TO LEAD THAT SESSION.
JOSH, I JUST WANTED TO GET YOU CREDIT ON TELEVISION.
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WE WILL HAVE, UM, A FALL STAFF DEVELOPMENT DAY, UM, IN OCTOBER.UM, BUT I WON'T START PLANNING THAT UNTIL WE GET CLOSER SO THAT THOSE TOPICS WILL BE PERTINENT TO WHATEVER WE NEED TO ADDRESS AT THAT TIME.
WE ALSO HAVE SEVERAL PUBLIC PROGRAMS GOING ON.
UM, WE'RE IN THIS ROOM TODAY BECAUSE A A R P IS PROVIDING TAX ASSISTANCE, FREE TAX ASSISTANCE TO, UM, THE PUBLIC IN OUR LARGE MEETING ROOM.
SO I APPRECIATE YOUR FLEXIBILITY WITH THAT.
UPCOMING, WE HAVE OUR NATIONAL LIBRARY WEEK, UM, EVENTS.
SO IN YOUR PACKET, I PROVIDED YOU HOT OFF THE PRESS.
THIS IS EVENTS HAPPENING AT ALL BRANCHES DURING NATIONAL LIBRARY WEEK.
UM, THIS IS THE FIRST YEAR IN RECENT HISTORY TO MY KNOWLEDGE THAT WE HAVE MADE A CON UH, AN EFFORT TO CELEBRATE NATIONAL LIBRARY WEEK AND HAVE EVENTS PLANNED AT EVERY BRANCH.
SO THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS FROM, UH, AFRICAN DRUMMING TO D DE LOS NINOS TO STORY TIMES ARTS AND CRAFTS, DIFFERENT TYPES OF LECTURES.
UM, IT'S A, IT'S A, IT'S A SMORGASBOARD, SO TO SPEAK OF, OF THINGS.
AND THE THEME IS, THERE'S MORE TO THE STORY.
IT'S, UH, IT'S A GREAT WEEK TO HIGHLIGHT, UM, OUR LIBRARIES AND TO JOIN, UM, THE NATIONAL CELEBRATION OF LIBRARIES DURING THE WEEK OF APRIL 22ND TO 29TH.
APRIL 25TH IS A TUESDAY OF THAT WEEK.
THAT'S NATIONAL LIBRARY WORKERS' DAY.
SO ANYTHING YOU WANNA DO TO SHOUT OUT TO YOUR FAVORITE LIBRARIANS THAT DAY, I'M SURE THEY WOULD APPRECIATE IT.
WE ALSO HAVE CURRENTLY RUNNING THROUGH THE END OF THIS MONTH, SO THROUGH MARCH 31ST, WE PUT OUT A CALL FOR OUR SUMMER READING BOOKMARK CONTEST ENTRIES.
SO ANYBODY, UM, IN THREE DIFFERENT AGE CATEGORIES CAN DESIGN THEIR BOOKMARK AND HAVE IT SUBMITTED.
THE, THE WINNERS WILL BE ANNOUNCED AFTER MARCH, UH, PROBABLY IN EARLY MAY, AND THEN WE WILL HAVE THOSE PROFESSIONALLY PRINTED AND DISTRIBUTE DURING OUR SUMMER READING.
THIS IS THIRD OR FOURTH YEAR THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING THIS, AND IT SEEMS TO GAIN, UH, MORE ATTRACTION, MORE ENTRIES EVERY YEAR THAT WE HOSTED.
SO I'M EXCITED TO SEE WHAT ART COMES OUR WAY.
REMEMBER HOW MANY, I DON'T REMEMBER OFFHAND, BUT I WANNA SAY IT WAS IN THE THOUSANDS.
I, I THINK WE HAD, UH, UH, THE WINNER LAST YEAR MIGHT HAVE BEEN IN THEIR NINETIES FOR THE AGE CATEGORY, FOR THE ADULT AGE CATEGORY.
AND THEN LAST, JANET, IF IT'S OKAY WITH YOU, UM, CAN I JUST GO AHEAD AND DO KIND OF A STRATEGIC UP STRATEGIC PLAN UPDATE IN THIS PORTION? SO I REALLY WANTED TO SHARE WITH YOU SOME, SOME PROGRESS WE'VE MADE.
ONCE I STARTED LOOKING AT THIS, UM, I WAS REALLY EXCITED TO SEE HOW MUCH WORK WE'VE ALREADY ACCOMPLISHED IN, UM, IN MOVING THE NEEDLE TOWARDS THE GOALS WE SET OUT IN OUR STRATEGIC PLAN.
IF YOU REMEMBER, THIS WAS ADOPTED IN YOUR LAST MEETING IN NOVEMBER.
SO ALL THIS WORK HAS HAPPENED SINCE DECEMBER, JANUARY 1ST.
SO WE HAVE FOUR GOALS, AND JUST TO REFRESH YOU, THE QUICK WAY TO TO REMEMBER THOSE IS USER EXPERIENCE, UM, COLLECTIONS, COMMUNICATION IN SPACE.
SO I'M GONNA GO THROUGH THEM BY THOSE FOUR, UM, PHRASES AND, AND TELL YOU KIND OF SOME OF THE THINGS WE'VE DONE JUST IN THREE MONTHS, NOT EVEN THREE MONTHS, UM, TO, TO MAKE PROGRESS ON OUR GOALS IN TERMS OF USER EXPERIENCE.
WE ADDED A NEW SEARCH BAR ON OUR WEBSITE.
IT'S IN THE UPPER RIGHT HAND CORNER.
IT ALLOWS YOU A MORE STREAMLINED SEARCH FOR EITHER PHYSICAL OR DIGITAL ITEMS. THAT'S A NEW FEATURE WE'VE ADDED TO OUR WEBSITE.
OBVIOUSLY YOU HEARD ME TALK ABOUT MIGRATING TO CERI DEX, WHICH IS, WHICH ACCOMPLISHES SOME OF THOSE THINGS WE HEARD PEOPLE SAY THEY WANTED, SUCH AS A MOBILE APP, A BETTER SEARCH EXPERIENCE TO, TO FIND AND LOCATE ITEMS THEY WANTED TO REQUEST.
I'VE JUST SUBMITTED AN IMPACT GRANT THAT WOULD, UM, IF AWARDED, PROVIDE OUR FIRST PICKUP LOCKER.
UM, SO YOU MAY BE FAMILIAR WITH AMAZON PICKUP LOCKERS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
WELL, THEY SELL THOSE TO LIBRARIES AS WELL.
SO IF I'M AWARDED, UH, THIS GRANT, I WOULD HAVE FUNDING TO PROVIDE OUR FIRST PICKUP LOCKER THAT WE COULD TRY OUT AND PILOT THAT.
UM, AND THEN ALSO IN TERMS OF USER EXPERIENCE, AS I JUST SAID, WE ARE, UH, WE ARE REINVIGORATING LIBRARY PROGRAMS BY, UH, IN ONE WAY BY HOSTING THESE NATIONAL LIBRARY WEEK EVENTS AND TRYING TO HIGHLIGHT THESE, UM, IMPORTANT THINGS THAT HAPPEN EVERY SO OFTEN IN THE LIFE OF NATIONAL PUBLIC LIBRARIES.
COULD YOU TALK ABOUT HOW THAT WAY, THE WAY THAT PICKUP LOCKER WILL WORK? I'M ONLY ASKING THIS CUZ JOE LOOKS SO BLACK
THE WAY THAT THE, THAT THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO
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WORK IS IN THE SAME WAY THAT YOU MIGHT PLACE AN ITEM ON HOLD AND PICK IT UP AT A BRANCH.YOU WOULD PLACE AN ITEM ON HOLD AND SELECT THAT PICKUP LOCKER LOCATION AS YOUR DESTINATION TO RETRIEVE THAT ITEM.
OUR STAFF WOULD WORK BEHIND THE SCENES TO MAKE SURE YOUR REQUESTED ITEM GOT TO THAT PICKUP LOCKER.
YOU WOULD SCAN YOUR LIBRARY CARD AT THE PICKUP LOCKER AND BE DIRECTED TO THE LOCKER WHERE YOUR ITEM IS.
YOU'D PICK YOUR ITEM UP, GO HOME.
WILL THIS LOCKER BE INSIDE OR OUTSIDE THE FACILITIES? I'M THINKING OF AFTER HOUR ACCESS.
WE'RE, WE'RE, THE, THE ONE THAT I'VE LOOKED AT IS OUTDOOR.
OUTDOOR WHAT? OUTDOOR WEATHER RESISTANT.
LARGE BENEFIT FOR PEOPLE CAN'T MAKE IT DURING OPERATING HOURS.
SO WITH USER EXPERIENCE, THOSE ARE, THOSE ARE THE TYPES OF THINGS WE'RE LOOKING AT.
REINVIGORATING LIBRARY PROGRAMS, MITIGATING ACCESS BARRIERS, UM, TO LIBRARIES.
SO THINGS OUTSIDE OF OPERATING HOURS OR, UM, ALSO WEBSITE IMPROVEMENTS AND ALSO APPS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO ONE LAYER TO THAT THAT I WANT TO GIVE YOU CREDIT FOR IS THE LOCKERS.
SOME OF THE LOCATIONS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT ARE, UM, IN AREAS OF THE COUNTY THAT ARE OPPOSITE WHERE THE COUNTY LIBRARIES ARE LOCATED.
SO THEY WOULDN'T NECESSARILY SIT OUT FRONT OF THE LIBRARIES.
DO YOU WANNA SHARE SOME OF THE LOCATION IBS? MY, MY FIRST LOCATION IS BURTON WELLS RECREATION CENTER.
SO THE IDEA IS TO HAVE THESE IN LOCATIONS WHERE PEOPLE COULD EITHER WALK TO IT AND DO A GOLF CART OR IT'S IN AN AREA THAT'S MORE CONVENIENTLY LOCATED.
WE HAVE PARKS AND REC FACILITIES ALL OVER THE COUNTY, AND WE'RE LOOKING AT WAYS TO PARTNER BETWEEN THE COUNTIES TO PROVIDE BETTER SERVICES ACROSS THE BOARD.
AND SHE DIDN'T MENTION IT, SO I JUST WANTED TO GIVE HER CREDIT.
AND CAN YOU ALSO, LET'S SAY YOU ARE ABLE TO WALK AND NOT DRIVE, SO YOU CAN WALK THERE AND PICK UP YOUR BOOK.
IS THERE A WAY TO RETURN YOUR BOOK ALSO? WE'RE HOPING THAT THE FUNDING ALLOWS ALSO FOR A, A SMALLER, UM, BOOK DROP.
WELL, WHAT WE CALL A BOOK DROP.
SO LIKE THOSE LITTLE METAL YES DEPOSITS.
THERE'S SOMETHING LIKE, LIKE THAT NEAR THE MAILBOXES IN THE BELFAIR SHOPPING CENTER.
AND IT'S HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE LIBRARY, RIGHT? IT'S JUST WHERE PEOPLE COULD BRING BOOKS AND YOU COULD COME AND TAKE OUT A BOOK AND IT'S LIKE A BOOK DROP RIGHT THERE.
I WANNA MOVE ON TO THE NEXT, UM, STRATEGIC GOAL THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON IN TERMS OF COLLECTIONS.
YOU MAY HAVE NOTICED RECENTLY IN THE HOOPLA APP, IF YOU'VE, UM, IF YOU'RE A HOOPLA USER AS I AM, YOU'LL NOTICE THAT WE ADDED A BOOK CLUB SECTION IN THERE WHICH LISTS ALL OF THE TITLES THAT OUR BOOK CLUBS ARE DISCUSSING SO THAT YOU CAN GO STRAIGHT TO THAT LIST AND GET THE DOWNLOADABLE VERSION OF THAT BOOK RIGHT THERE WITHOUT HAVING TO SEARCH ALL OF ROOF LOVE FOR WHATEVER BOOK CLUB IS IS, UM, GOING.
AND THEN ALSO, UM, JOSH, UH, HIS, HIS, UH, AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY IS COLLECTIONS.
AND SO HE'S BEEN MANAGING AND HOSTING A MONTHLY COLLECTION DEVELOPMENT MEETING SO THAT ALL OF THE SELECTORS AT EACH OF OUR BRANCH HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE RESOURCES, SHARE UPDATES ABOUT WHAT ITEMS ARE COMING OUT.
ULTIMATELY, OUR GOAL IS SO THAT WE'RE WELL INFORMED OF WHAT'S COMING OUT.
WE DON'T MISS ANY OF THOSE HOT BOOKS THAT EVERYBODY'S TALKING ABOUT OR THOSE BEST SELLERS AND THAT, AND ALSO THAT EACH BRANCH HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO ACQUIRE THOSE IF THEY FEEL THAT IT MATCHES THE INTEREST OF THEIR LIBRARY.
IN TERMS OF SPACES, I RECENTLY HAD THE PLEASURE OF MEETING WITH THE STATE LIBRARY CONSULTANT WHO IS IN CHARGE OF PROVIDING FACILITY HELP TO, UM, TO LIBRARIES.
WE TOURED ALMOST ALL OF OUR BRANCHES, BUT ALL THE ONES THAT HAVE, UM, PROJECTS IN THE NEAR FUTURE.
SO WE WENT OVER THE PORT ROYAL, UM, BUILDING.
WE LOOKED AT HERE IN BLUFFTON.
WE LOOKED AT, UM, HILTON HEAD.
UM, SO SHE WAS ABLE TO TO KIND OF SEE, UM, WHAT WE ARE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH IN, IN, IN, IN ORDER TO BETTER ASSIST US AND CONNECT US TO RESOURCES THAT MIGHT BE OF HELP AGAIN, WITH THAT SAME IMPACT.
GRANT, I'VE, UM, ASKED FOR FUNDING FOR OUTDOOR SEATING FOR THE BLUFFTON STORY WALK PARK, UM, NOT JUST ANY KIND OF OUTDOOR SEATING, BUT OUTDOOR SEATING THAT HAS SOLAR POWERED CHARGING PORTS IN IT SO THAT SOMEONE COULD BE SITTING IN, UM, OUR EXTERIOR CHARGE THEIR CELL PHONE AND USE OUR WIFI AT THE SAME TIME.
SO AGAIN, TRYING TO EXPAND LIBRARY RESOURCES BEYOND THE WALL AND BEYOND OPERATING HOURS.
AND I'M WORKING WITH THE FRIENDS OF HILTON HEAD LIBRARY TO ACCOMPLISH IMPROVEMENTS TO THEIR READING GARDEN.
AND THEN FINALLY, IN TERMS OF COMMUNICATION, WE HAVE REDESIGNED OUR WELCOME ABOARD MATERIALS, OUR MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS OFFICE GRACIOUSLY FIELDED, UM, MY HAIR-BRAINED IDEA.
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A HOTEL STATE AND SAID, YOU KNOW, THESE KEY CARD THINGS ARE GREAT.WOULDN'T THIS BE AWESOME IF WE COULD PUT A LIBRARY CARD IN THAT AND GIVE IT, GIVE THIS TO PEOPLE.
PREVIOUSLY WE HAD, UM, A BIGGER TRI-FOLD BROCHURE THAT I OFTEN SAW GET TOSSED OR I WOULD SEE THEM AT FESTIVALS WHEN I WAS AT THE BOOK MOBILE DISTRIBUTING NEW CARDS TO PEOPLE.
IT WOULD JUST, IT WAS JUST BIG AND BULKY, BUT THIS KIND OF FITS IN YOUR BACK POCKET OR IN YOUR WALLET.
AND WE'RE TRYING THIS OUT AS OUR NEW DESIGN TO ISSUE NEW CARD HOLDERS WITH A NEW LITTLE POCKET CARD HOLDER.
AND THEN WE'VE ALSO REDESIGNED OUR RACK CARD.
THE PREVIOUS ONE WE HAD LISTED, UM, HOOPLA AND CLOUD LIBRARY AND SOME OTHER ITEMS THAT HAD BEEN OUTDATED, EITHER CHANGED OR, UM, OUT OF DATE INFORMATION.
SO THIS IS MORE OF A TIMELESS, UM, RACK CARD THAT WE CAN USE.
THE BACK HAS A QR CODE THAT TAKES THEM DIRECTLY TO OUR WEBSITE WHERE THEY CAN FIND THE MOST UPTODATE INFORMATION.
ONE OF THE OTHER ACCOMPLISHMENTS, UM, THAT I'M VERY PROUD TO PRESENT TO YOU AND, AND MANY OF YOU HAVE ALREADY RECEIVED A FEW IN YOUR INBOX IS OUR NEW EMAIL, UM, MONTHLY NEWSLETTER CALLED THE CURRENT.
UM, PREVIOUS TO US HAVING, UH, A MARKETING PLATFORM THAT WE CALL PATRON POINT, WE WERE ONLY ABLE TO, UM, USE MAILCHIMP TO, UM, SEND AN EMAIL OUT TO PEOPLE WHO HAD SUBSCRIBED.
AND THAT WAS ABOUT FIVE TO 6,000 EMAIL ADDRESSES.
WE ARE NOW ABLE TO SEND THIS, THE CURRENT, THE MONTHLY E-NEWSLETTER TO JUST UNDER 60,000 CARD HOLDERS.
UM, AND WE HAVE A 40% OPEN AND READ RATE TO PUT THAT IN COMPARISON.
UM, 20 TO 25% IS CONSIDERED POSITIVE IN THE INDUSTRY STANDARD.
AND WE, WITH ONLY THREE OR FOUR E-NEWSLETTER HAVE HAVE MAINTAINED A 40% OR GREATER OPEN READ RATE.
I'M VERY PROUD OF OUR MARKETING TEAM FOR CREATING NOT ONLY JUST A VISUALLY APPEALING NEWSLETTER, BUT A CONTENT APPEALING NEWSLETTER TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO CLICK AND READ AND, AND WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT WHAT THEIR LIBRARY OFFERS.
AND FINALLY, UM, WE HAVE BEGUN INVENTORYING ALL OF OUR COMMUNITY CONTACTS.
SO WE KNOW PRIOR TO THIS THAT I KNOW 50 PEOPLE, SOMEBODY IN BLUFFTON MIGHT KNOW 10, BUT WE DON'T KNOW WHO KNOWS EACH OTHER AND WE DON'T KNOW ALSO WHO WE DON'T KNOW.
SO THE FIRST STEP IN MAKING SURE THAT OUR LIBRARIES ARE ACTIVE AND INFORMED, UH, IN OUR COMMUNITIES IS TO BEGIN THAT INVENTORY.
AND WE'VE STARTED TO WORK ON THAT.
AND THAT IS ALL THE STUFF WE'VE ACCOMPLISHED
I HOPE TO HAVE EVEN MORE TO SHARE WITH YOU, UM, IN OUR NEXT MEETING.
I KNOW THAT WAS A LITTLE BIT LENGTHY, BUT I JUST HAD TO SHARE WITH YOU ALL THE GOOD THINGS THAT OUR STAFF'S DOING.
I JUST WANNA SAY THIS IS REALLY A BEST PRACTICE IN GOVERNANCE FOR THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR.
NOT TO REPORT A BUNCH OF STUFF THEY'VE DONE, BUT TO FRAME EVERYTHING IN THE CONTEXT OF THE STRATEGIC PLAN.
CUZ WHEN YOU GO INTO ORGANIZATIONS, PEOPLE HAVE A STRATEGIC PLAN, THEN YOU LOOK AT THE MINUTES OF THEIR GOVERNING BOARD MEETINGS AND THERE'S NO CONNECTION, RIGHT? SO AMANDA BEING THE TRANSLATOR AND REPORTING THIS WAY OF THIS IS WHAT YOU AGREED TO IN THE STRATEGIC PLAN AND HERE'S ALL THE STUFF I'M DOING THAT SUPPORTS THAT IS, IS REALLY A BEST PRACTICE.
IT REALLY MEANS THAT WE'RE GONNA FOCUS EVERY BOARD MEETING ON THOSE FOUR GOALS, USER EXPERIENCE, COMMUNICATION, UM, SPACE AND COLLECTIONS.
SO YOU'LL YOU'LL HEAR THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS IS THE FORMAT THAT WE SHOULD USE FROM NOW ON, I THINK THAT AMANDA SHOULD USE FOR US.
IT'LL KEEP US EVERY TIME YOU'RE GONNA HEAR THOSE SPORTS STRATEGIC GOALS FOR STRATEGIC GOALS.
AND THEN WE WON'T BE WONDERING THE NEXT TIME WE DO A STRATEGIC PLAN, WELL, WHAT DID WE REALLY ACCOMPLISH?
I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT.
WELL, MADAM CHAIRMAN, THE CHAIRPERSON, MADAM CHAIRWOMAN, UM, THAT IS THE END OF MY REPORT.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS? THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
UH, SO NOW WE GO TO THE MONEY PART, FINANCE.
JOE, WOULD YOU LIKE TO TALK ABOUT FINANCE BEFORE YOU START, JOE? I'D JUST LIKE TO SAY TO THE AUDIENCE THAT'S PICKING US UP THAT JOE IS VERY ATTENTIVE, HE'S VERY TIGHT ON DETAIL.
I CAME IN THAT DOOR CARRYING A CURRENT YEAR TAX BOOKLET, WHICH I ALWAYS PICK UP AT ONE OF THE LIBRARIES, YOU KNOW, DURING THE, UH, THE SEASON FOR TAXES,
ALL I SAW WAS THE HIGH, THE TITLE OF 10 40 SENIOR, I'M A SENIOR AND
[00:30:01]
JOE SAYS, UH, I DIDN'T KNOW YOU COULD READ SPANISHSO I WENT BACK OUT, GOT THE ENGLISH VERSION.
BUT I SAY THAT TO LET THE PUBLIC KNOW A LITTLE MORE THAT WE DO HAVE ALL OF THESE TAX FORMS, THEY'RE ON A TABLE, USUALLY IN THE LOBBY OF, OF THE VARIOUS LIBRARIES.
AND, UH, NOWADAYS WHEN THE IRS IS SO STINGY, WE'RE GIVING YOU FORMS, IT'S YOU GOTTA GO FIND THEM SOMEWHERE, BUT WE SHOULD LET THE PUBLIC KNOW THAT THESE THINGS ARE AVAILABLE AND THIS BOOKLET IS INDISPENSABLE.
SO ANYWAY, JOE, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR ATTENTION.
I WOULD'VE HAD TO GO OUT AGAIN AND GET ANOTHER ONE.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO START YOUR RECORDING NOW? OKAY, THANK YOU.
WELL, I WAS GOING TO SAY THIS IS REALLY THE MOST EXCITING PART OF THE, UH, MEETING, BUT I HAVE TO GIVE DEFERENCE TO OUR LIBRARY DIRECTOR FOR READING.
THIS IS THE SECOND MOST EXCITING PART OF, OF THE MEETING.
UM, AND THEN THIS FOR EVERYONE'S, UM, INFORMATION, UH, AS USUAL, WE ARE UNDERSPENT TO BUDGET AND WE HAVE VERY HEALTHY IMPACT FEE BALANCE.
WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO, IF YOU WOULD, CAN LOOK THROUGH YOUR PACKETS HERE AND PULL OUT THE FINANCE DOCUMENTS, SO WE CAN GO THROUGH THEM JOINTLY AND TAKE A LOOK AT THEM TOGETHER.
AND, UM, WE'LL BEGIN AS WE NORMALLY DO WITH THE SPECIAL FUNDS PAGE, WHICH IS THIS ONE HERE.
SO WE CAN START AND I'LL START ON LEFTMOST COLUMN WHEN TAKE A LOOK AT OUR STATE AID LOTTERY ACCOUNT, AND DURING THIS SECOND PERIOD, ACTUALLY DURING THIS LAST TWO MONTH PERIOD SINCE OUR LAST COME TOGETHER, WE'VE, WE'VE RECEIVED A THIRD STATE AID INS INSTALLMENT OF 105,000.
WE'VE RECEIVED 315,000 YEARS TO DATE.
AND ON THAT NUMBER WE'VE SPENT ABOUT 99, YOU KNOW, ALMOST A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS.
UH, DURING THE LAST TWO MONTH PERIOD, WE'VE SPENT 22,000 OF THAT.
JUST PUTTING THIS AGAIN INTO PERSPECTIVE HERE, WE HAVE A CARRY FORWARD BALANCE OF 216,000.
AND THEN PLEASE BARREN MIND, THIS MONEY CAN ONLY BE USED FOR LIBRARY MATERIALS.
AND WE'LL COVER THIS AGAIN, WE'LL RETURN TO THIS SUBJECT AGAIN WHEN WE TAKE A LOOK AT OUR MATERIALS REPORT.
AND THEN MOVING ONE COLUMN OVER TO IMPACT FEES.
AND YOU'LL SEE DOWN AT THE BALANCE, WE, WE ARE NOW AT ONE POINT, UH, SORRY, 6.1 MILLION ROUNDED.
AND YOU'LL SEE THE SMILE ON MY FACE WHEN I REPORT THAT NUMBER.
YOU GO BACK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, SIX, SEVEN YEARS, WE WERE CONSIDERABLY LESS THAN THAT AROUND FOUR.
SO WE'VE MADE GREAT STRIDES TO IT.
AND AGAIN, THIS IS MONDAY THAT'S BEEN SET ASIDE FROM IMPACT FEES, REALLY FOR FUTURE CAPITAL DEVELOPMENT AND APPLICATIONS WITHIN, WITHIN THE LIBRARY SYSTEM.
UM, DURING THIS LAST TWO MONTH PERIOD HERE, WE'VE HAD NO EXPENDITURES.
MOST OF THE MONEY, 58% COMING OUT OF BLUFFTON AND 20% COMING OUT OF ST.
AND THEN THE REST OF IT ARE, THERE'S KIND OF ON A DOWNGRADE HERE.
UM, ALTHOUGH WE HAVE 6.1 MILLION IN OUR IMPACT FEES.
AGAIN, BEAR IN MIND IF WE DO HAVE SOME FUTURE EXPENDITURES, WHEN IN IN COUNTY LIBRARY TALK, WE HAVE ENCUMBRANCES THAT IS IDENTIFIED EXPENDITURES THAT WE HAVE TO MAKE FROM THIS, FROM THE SUM.
WE HAVE 1 MILLION SET ASIDE FOR PRI OR WHEREVER WE BUILD THIS PLACE, THIS FACILITY HERE, UH, LAND, UM, DESIGN PHASE OF 500,000 IN ADDITION TO THAT LEFTON PHASE TWO 45,000.
AND THEN HILTON HAD A AND E ARCHITECTURAL AND ENGINEERING STUDY ANOTHER 50,000.
AGAIN, JUST KEEP THIS IN MIND.
THESE NUMBERS COME TO ABOUT, YOU KNOW, 1.6 MILLION, WHICH STILL LEAVES US WITH A HEALTHY BALANCE HERE.
AND THEN MORE IMMEDIATE EXPENDITURE, WHICH WE'VE IDENTIFIED AND UPDATED TODAY, SOMEWHERE AROUND 660,000 FOR THE PENDING PORT OIL FACILITY HERE.
NOW THIS IS STILL A SOFT NUMBER, BUT BEAR IN MIND WE HAVE, THAT'S COMING OUT OF OUR, OUR OUR, UM, UH, BUFORD ACCOUNT AND WE HAVE A BALANCE OF 712,000.
SO WE CAN REALLY ACCOMMODATE THAT.
SO WHEN WE TAKE A LOOK AT THIS, WE'RE AT 6.1.
WE HAVE IDENTIFIED EXPENDITURES ABOUT 1.6 PLUS ANOTHER, PERHAPS 600,000 FOR, UM, YOU KNOW, 4.1.
SO WE'RE STILL AT A VERY HEALTHY BALANCE AND, AND IT LOOKS LIKE WE CAN MAINTAIN, YOU KNOW, OUR IDENTIFIED IN FUTURE CAPITAL EXPENDITURES.
NOW MOVING ONE COLUMN OVER HERE, SPECIAL TRUST, WHICH IS
[00:35:01]
AS MUCH SMALLER BY COMPARISON HERE.UH, DURING THIS LAST TWO MONTH PERIOD, WE RECEIVED $441,000 IN, IN AN IN ENDOWMENT INTEREST.
WE SPENT $50 FOR BCD BUFORD DISTRICT COLLECTION MATERIALS, AND WE GOT $2 IN BUFORD COUNTY.
UH, LIBRARY DONATIONS HERE BURN THAT CHANGE ABOUT 444,000 IN THAT ACCOUNT.
SO REALLY THAT COVERS AN OVERVIEW OF OUR SPECIAL FUNDS.
AND THEN I'D LIKE TO MOVE OVER TO OUR BUDGET, WHICH IS ALSO IN YOUR PACKET.
YOU HAVE NOW ZIPPING DOWN TO THE BALANCE HERE, WE ARE TWO THIRDS OR ABOUT 66% OF THE WAY THROUGH THE YEAR, AND WE'VE SPENT 62% OF, OF OUR, OF OUR ALLOCATION.
UM, AND THAT'S GONNA EQUALLY SPENT ON BOTH THE PERSONNEL AND THE OPERATING, UH, EXPENSE SIDE.
UM, NOW AGAIN, LOOKING NOW AT THE BOTTOM HERE, WE ARE UNDERSPENT ABOUT $189,000.
WE'VE GONE THROUGH THESE DOCUMENTS HERE IN MORE DETAIL DURING OUR FINANCE COMMITTEE, AND THERE IS REALLY NOTHING THAT REALLY JUMPS OUT HERE ONE WAY OR THE OTHER.
EVERYTHING IS PRETTY MUCH ON TARGET HERE.
UM, LIBRARY ADMINISTRATION DID, DID A RE-FORECAST AND WE'LL, WE'LL BE RETURNING SOME GOODLY NUMBER, PROBABLY A HUNDRED THOUSAND OR SO IN BACK TO THE COUNTY AT THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR FOR PERSONNEL, FOR PERSONNEL THAT FROM VACANCIES.
YEAH, JUST WANNA BE CLEAR THAT WE'RE NOT LEAVING MONEY ON THE TABLE FOR MATERIALS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
THIS DOESN'T GO TO, ISN'T IT FAIR TO SAY SO THAT THE PUBLIC WHO DOESN'T HAVE YOUR NUMBERS IN FRONT OF THEM, THAT 90% OF OUR BUDGET IS PERSONALITY.
AND THEN AS REPORTED EARLIER, WE HAVE VACANCIES AND THAT WE'RE LARGELY UNDER BUDGET CAUSE OF PERSONNEL, RIGHT? VACANCIES.
UM, AND, UM, AND NOT BECAUSE WE'RE NOT REALLY DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN TO FO FOSTER OUR COLLECTIONS, RIGHT? YEAH, YEAH.
AND REALLY THE, THE UNDERSTAND IS REALLY PRIMARILY, AS JEN POINTED OUT, DUE TO STAFF VACANCIES, WHICH OCCURRED EARLIER IN THE YEAR, YOUR HONOR.
AND AT THIS POINT, WE'RE CLOSING IN ON THAT NUMBER.
OKAY, SO THAT COVERS THIS DOCUMENT HERE.
AND NOW I'D LIKE TO GO TO OUR MATERIALS REPORT REPORT AND AT, AND AT THIS POINT, TWO-THIRDS THE WAY THROUGH THE YEAR, WE SPENT ABOUT 277,000.
71% OF THAT NUMBER IS REALLY A SUPER EXPENDITURE BY THEMSELVES.
AND THE OTHER RATE THAT POINTS OUT ABOUT 20%, 19, 20% IS, IS FOR BOOKS AND EVERYTHING ELSE IS, IS REALLY MY EXPENDITURES HERE.
AGAIN, SO FAR HERE TO DATE, ROUGHLY TWO THIRDS OF OUR, OF OUR MONEY FOR MATERIALS HAVE COME FROM COUNTY FUNDS AND ONE THIRD FROM STATE EIGHT.
UM, LAST YEAR WE WERE, WE HAD SPENT A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT 312,000 WHEN I'M ASSURED THAT IN THE LAST FOUR MONTHS OF THIS YEAR, MOST OF THE EXPENDITURES WILL BE COMING IN.
WE HAVE LEASE RENEWALS AND SUCH, WHICH ARE, WHICH ARE IN THE OFFERING.
UM, SO WE WILL HAVE MORE OF A HEALTHY DAY EXPENDITURE AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
AS WE LOOK TOWARDS THE END OF THE, THE YEAR, WHEN WE PUT ALL OF THIS TOGETHER IN SORT OF MY CRYSTAL BALL, WE SPENT 277,000.
WE STILL HAVE AN ADDITIONAL STATE AID INSTALLMENT COMING IN OF 105, AND WE HAVE A REMAINING COUNTY BUDGET OF ABOUT 88,000 AND PROJECTION'S ABOUT 6,000 FROM THE DEG FUND AND ANOTHER 60,000 FROM FRIENDS.
WE HAVE 216,000 IN OUR STATE AGE RESERVE.
SO THAT'S GONNA BOUNCE US UP TO AROUND 473.
WHEN WE ADDED TO WHERE WE ARE NOW, WE'RE LOOKING AT ABOUT $750,000 FOR EXPENDITURES FOR THE YEAR.
SOMEWHERE IN THAT NUMBER, SOMEWHERE IN THAT FACILITY.
SO, WELL, LIBRARY ADMINISTRATION HAS A LOT OF SIGNATURE AND CHECK WRITING TO DO IN THE LAST FOUR MONTHS OF THE YEAR.
SO THAT WRAPS UP OUR FINANCE DOCUMENT DISCUSSIONS.
AND AT THIS POINT, OTHER, ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ON THIS BEFORE WE MOVE ON TO THE FINAL SUBJECT? NO, I DON'T THINK SO.
AND, AND I ALSO WANNA REPORT THAT DURING OUR FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETING, UM, WE DID A QUICK OVERVIEW THAT ADMINISTRATION HAS PUT TOGETHER OF OUR FISCAL YEAR 24 BUDGET.
THIS IS STILL IN A FORMATIVE STAGE.
[00:40:01]
STILL VERY, VERY TEMPORARY, VERY PLIABLE SUBJECT TO CHANGE.UM, BUT WHAT WE, WHAT WE LOOKED AT AT A VERY HIGH LEVEL WAS REALLY A BUDGET ABOUT 5.1 MILLION, AND THAT REPRESENTS VERY SIGNIFICANTLY SIZE WILL EXPENDITURE FOR THE NEWPORT OIL FACILITY.
SO THERE'S STAFF INVOLVED THERE AND THERE'S ALSO STAFF ADDITIONS, UM, THAT ADMINISTRATION IS LOOKING, LOOKING TO ADD FOR NEXT YEAR.
UH, THIS DOCUMENT IS STILL UNDER DEVELOPMENT HERE.
WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO IS READ THIS, MENTION IT TO YOU HERE SO THAT YOU'RE AWARE THAT THIS IS MOVING FORWARD AND THAT FINANCE COMMITTEE IS DEEPLY INVOLVED IN THIS.
UM, AND THEN WE CAN DISCUSS THIS FURTHER AND GIVE EVERYONE A COPY OF THIS IN MAY WHEN WE MEET NEXT.
THIS BUDGET DOESN'T COME INTO PLAY UNTIL JANUARY 1ST, NEXT YEAR, WHICH IS THE, OF THE NEW FISCAL YEAR.
BUT I WANT TO ASSURE JULY, JULY, I THINK YOU SAID JANUARY, JULY, JULY NEXT YEAR.
UM, SO WE CAN REALLY GO OVER THIS MORE IN DETAIL IN MAY, BUT I WANTED TO AT LEAST LET THE BOARD KNOW THAT THIS IS ON THE DEVELOPMENT IS IS MOVING FORWARD AND WE'RE LOOKING AT SOME VERY HEALTHY NUMBERS FROM WHERE WE ARE.
THE NEXT, UH, ARE THE COMMITTEE REPORTS, THE FOUNDATION.
UM, I'VE BEEN WORKING AT THE FOUNDATION.
WE HAVE A FASHION JOB COMING UP NEXT TUESDAY.
WE HAVE 150 PEOPLE COMING AND WE HAVE OVER 40 SILENT AUCTION ITEMS. SO WE EXPECT, WE'RE HOPING IT'S VERY SUCCESSFUL AND WE'RE DOING IT BEL COUNTRY CLUB.
SO I WILL REPORT ON THAT IN MAY.
UH, THE LIBRARY REPORTS HAVE DID A 10TH, I THINK YOU WOULD LIKE TO.
UM, THE FRIENDS OF THE BEAUFORT LIBRARY HA ARE WRAPPING UP THEIR ANNUAL WINTER BOOK SANDWICHED IN SERIES.
YOU'VE HEARD US TALK ABOUT THAT BEFORE.
YOU MAY HAVE SEEN IT IN LOCAL NEWS.
UM, THERE'S ONE MORE OPPORTUNITY TO VIEW THAT IT'LL BE NEXT MONDAY, UM, AT THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA BEAUFORT CAMPUS.
THERE WILL BE DISCUSSING THE PERSONAL LIBRARIAN.
I KNOW THAT THAT MIGHT BE A FAVORITE OF SOME PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM.
UM, BUT THAT, UM, DISCUSSION, UM, TAKES PLACE AT NOON USC BEAUFORT NEXT MONDAY IS THE LAST, UM, PART OF THAT SERIES.
AND THEN, UM, THEY WILL MOVE ON TO PLANNING OTHER EVENTS.
UM, THEY WILL MEET TOMORROW FOR THEIR ANNUAL MONTHLY MEETING.
AND JUST SO YOU KNOW, I'VE HAD THAT ON HOLD FOR A LONG TIME.
ROSALIE, DO YOU HAVE A, A REPORT FOR THE BLUFFTON PLANS? UH, NO, NOT AT THIS TIME.
ACTUALLY, THEY'RE MEETING TOMORROW.
AND, UH, I, I JUST KNOW THEY ARE EXTREMELY ACTIVE.
THEY'VE COME UP WITH A NEW, UM, A LITTLE BROCHURE.
THEY'VE COME UP WITH A NEW LITTLE BROCHURE AND IT'S COLORFUL AND THEY'VE BEEN PUTTING THE BROCHURES OUT ALL OVER THE PLACE.
THEY'VE BEEN VERY ACTIVE IN TRYING TO GET MORE MEMBERS.
AND WHEN THEY, THEY HAD THEIR BOOK SALE HERE? YES.
THEY HAD A LOT OF BROCHURES OUT AND THEY SAID THE BOOK, THE BOOK SALE WAS VERY SUCCESSFUL.
THEY'RE VERY PLEASED WITH THE RESULTS OF THE BOOK SALE.
SO WE'D LIKE TO THANK ANYBODY WATCHING THAT MIGHT HAVE PARTICIPATED IN THAT.
I BOUGHT A FEW THINGS, BUT NOT BOOKS.
I BOUGHT THINGS THAT PEOPLE MADE TO SELL TO HELP TO RAISE MONEY.
THEY DID A COMBINATION BOOK SALE AND SILENT AUCTION.
I'M TELLING YOU, THEY ARE VERY, THEY'RE BEING VERY ACTIVE AND AGGRESSIVE AND TRYING TO RAISE MONEY IN HAVING, UM, DIFFERENT KINDS OF, UM, DO YOU CALL THAT TEACHERS SO THAT IF YOU BELONG TO THE FRIENDS AT THE LIBRARY, MAYBE ONCE A MONTH I'LL INVITE AN AUTHOR TO SPEAK AND THEY'LL INVITE ALL THEIR MEMBERS TO COME AND LISTEN TO THE AUTHOR.
AND THAT SEEMS TO BE VERY POPULAR.
UM, HILTON HEAD, UM, I DID NOT BRING A REPORT.
DO YOU KNOW HILTON HAD REPORT? SURE.
THE FRIENDS OF HILTON HEAD LIBRARY RECENTLY MET, UM, LAST, LAST, LAST MONTH TO GO OVER THEIR TYPICAL BUSINESS.
THERE WASN'T ANYTHING MAJOR TO REPORT.
UM, THEY ARE MEETING, UM, NEXT TUESDAY OR THE TUESDAY AFTER ON THE 21ST.
I'M, MY, MY DAYS ARE GETTING TOGETHER.
I KNOW IT'S THE 21ST, UM, THAT THEY WILL BE NEXT MEETING.
[00:45:01]
UM, QUITE ACTIVE.THEY'RE LOOKING AT WAYS TO SUPPORT THE LIBRARY AND AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, ONE OF THEM IS TO PURSUE EXPLORING IDEAS FOR HOW TO IMPROVE THE READING GARDEN IN THE SHORT TERM.
SO THEY'RE OPEN TO POSSIBLY ASSISTING WITH THAT.
OH, AND SOME OF THEM ARE PARTICIPATING WITH OUR BOOK MOBILE SOUTH THIS SUNDAY AT THE SOUTH END OF HILTON HEAD FOR THE HILTON HEAD SAINT PATRICK'S DAY PARADE.
SO YOU'LL SEE ME POSSIBLY TOBY, THE LIBRARY DOG.
BUT, UM, UH, YOU SH YOU AND JOSH YOU'LL SEE US WEARING GREEN AND, UM, WALKING AND, AND ENJOYING THE PARADE WITH OUR BOOK MOBILE.
YEAH, I I DID IT LAST YEAR AS WELL AND IT WAS GREAT.
THEY JUST, EVERYONE HAS A GREAT TIME WITH THAT.
UM, THE NEXT COMMITTEE IS POLICIES AND PROCEDURES.
UM, ROSALIE, DO WE HAVE ANYTHING TO SAY ABOUT THAT? NO, WE HAVE NOTHING.
I WILL DO A, A FOLLOW UP AND IN THE LAST MEETING, IF YOU'VE BEEN KEEPING TRACK OF THE MINUTES AND THAT SORT OF THING, I EXPRESSED THAT I WANTED TO SET UP A TIME TO MEET WITH THE POLICIES AND AND PROCEDURES COMMITTEE TO REVIEW THE COLLECTION DEVELOPMENT POLICY BECAUSE IT NEEDED TO BE REVIEWED TO MAKE SURE THAT IT IS UP TO DATE AND IT HAD NOT BEEN REVIEWED IN SOME TIME.
WE ACCOMPLISHED AS A STAFF INITIAL REVIEW OF, UM, OF OUR OWN THOUGHTS, BUT WE ALSO, UH, HAVE ALMOST COMPLETED A, AN ANALYSIS OF OTHER COLLECTION DEVELOPMENT POLICIES IN LIBRARIES ACROSS THE STATE AND IN THE COUNTRY TO SEE HOW OURS COMPARES AND IF THERE'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN LEARN FROM THOSE ALL OTHER POLICIES.
SO WE'RE JUST NOT AT THE POINT WHERE I'M READY TO PRESENT THAT TO YOU.
OTHER THINGS, MIGRATION AND OTHER THINGS KIND OF GOT IN THE WAY, BUT I DO INTEND TO, TO, TO DO THAT AND FOLLOW UP WITH THAT WITH YOU.
GERALD, DO WE HAVE ANY CHALLENGE MATERIALS? THE COMMITTEE REMAINS UNCHALLENGED.
UH, BERNIE, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO SAY FOR YES, WE, WE HAVE A REPORT IN OUR FI OUR BINDER, WHICH IS CONCISE, STARTS WITH THE PROPOSED LIBRARY IN PRITCHARD AND THE COUNTY COUNCIL JUST HAS NOT SCHEDULED A DISCUSSION DATE TO APPROVE OR DISPUTE DISAPPROVED THE LAND SWAP REQUEST.
NOW THE FORT ROYAL BRANCH LIBRARY ON MONDAY, FEBRUARY 23RD, THE COUNTY COUNCIL APPROVED A BUDGET AMENDMENT TO ALLOW EXPENDITURES, UH, MCMILLAN VA SMITH.
THEY'RE GONNA COME UP WITH THE ARCHITECTURE DESIGN AND THEN IN THE BURTON WELLS LIBRARY.
THE PROJECT IS CURRENTLY UNDER MANAGEMENT OF C I P MANAGEMENT STAFF WITH THE FIRST TASK BEING TO RESEARCH THE PROJECT'S FEASIBILITY AND POSSIBLE SITE LOCATION AND THE LOCO LIBRARY TITLE, THE COMMUNITY SERVICES AND LAND USE COMMITTEE OF COUNTY COUNCIL, APPROVED COUNTY STAFF TO UNDERTAKE DUE DILIGENCE AND DISCUSSIONS AND NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE BEAUFORD COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT BOARD IN ORDER TO TRANSFER THE TITLE OF THE LOBILE LIBRARY TO BEAUFORD COUNTY.
AND, UH, SO THESE ARE ALL PROJECTS WHICH ARE WAY OUT IN THE FINALIZATION OF THEIR, OF THEIR PLANNING PROCESS.
THE BLUFFTON BRANCH LIBRARY PHASE TWO IS ON HOLD PENDING THE PORT ROYAL DESIGN RENOVATION PROCESS.
WE'VE GOT A LOT OF STUFF IN THE COOKING IN THE POT, BUT IT'S NOT YET READY TO BE SERVED.
THAT'S AN ACCURATE ASSESSMENT.
LOT OF STUFF COOKING,
SO, UM, I ASKED CHUCK TO UM, KIND OF EXPOUND A LITTLE BIT ON, UM, WHAT'S GOING ON WITH LOCO AND ALSO PRITCHARD BILL AND, UH, IN FORT ROYAL, IF YOU WANNA SPEAK TO THOSE THINGS.
SO, PRITCHARD BILL, UH, AS YOU ALL KNOW, THERE ARE MANY LAYERS TO THAT.
UM, AND WHAT WE HAVE DONE, UH, THUS FAR IS GONE THROUGH THE CRITICAL LANDS BOARD.
UH, WE KNOW WHAT THEIR RECOMMENDATION WAS.
IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THAT IT'S ON YOUTUBE OR ON THE COUNTY CHANNEL, YOU CAN GO BACK AND WATCH IT.
UH, COMING OUT OF THAT, WHAT WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF DOING IS TAKING ALL OF THE INPUT, ASSESSING ALL OF THE COMMENTS, AND FIGURING OUT THE BEST PATH FORWARD.
AND AS I SAID BEFORE, THERE ARE MANY LAYERS TO THAT.
SO AS QUICKLY AS WE CAN, WE WILL GET THAT BACK BEFORE COUNCIL.
UH, STAFF FEELS THAT IT IS IMPORTANT TO BE ACCURATE AND TO HAVE THE RIGHT RECOMMENDATION RATHER THAN TO BE IN A HURRY TO JUST MAKE A RECOMMENDATION.
SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE WORKING THROUGH.
UM, IN ADDITION TO ALL OF THE OTHER 500 THINGS WE'RE DOING EVERY DAY.
PLEASE DON'T FEEL THAT WE'RE NOT, CUZ WE ARE.
AND THAT WILL COME BACK, UH, SOON.
[00:50:01]
THE LOCO.UM, THE NEXUS FOR THE LOCO LIBRARY, AS YOU KNOW, WE LEASE THAT FROM THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, HAVE BEEN FOR ABOUT 20 YEARS.
THE NEXUS FOR THAT CONVERSATION FOR THEM TO EITHER SELL OR GIVE THAT TO US IS THE, UH, ARPA MONEY.
THE COVID MONEY THAT WE GOT AS A COUNTY.
WE HAVE $3 MILLION, UM, SET ASIDE FOR HEALTH SERVICES IN PARTICULAR.
WE NEED, WE WOULD LIKE TO BUILD A SENIOR WELLNESS CENTER IN BOTH THE LICO AREA AND ON, SAY HELEN, IN LOOKING AT SITE LOCATIONS, WHAT WE COULD DO WITH A MILLION AND A HALF DOLLARS.
COMBINING SOME OF THAT, UH, WITH OTHER FUNDING SOURCES WE IDENTIFIED LICO WOULD BE A GREAT, THE LICO LIBRARY SITE WILL BE A GREAT SITE TO DO THAT.
UH, WE ARE OCCUPYING HALF OF IT.
THERE'S AN UNOCCUPIED, UH, SECOND HALF THAT NEEDS RENOVATION.
INSTEAD OF STARTING OVER, WE ENTERED IN THE CONVERSATION WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICT TO SAY, HEY, WOULD YOU BE WILLING TO, YOU KNOW, WORK OUT A DEAL WHERE WE GET THAT BUILDING ALLEVIATE YOUR LIABILITIES? CUZ IT'S OUR UNDERSTANDING THEY'RE NOT GONNA USE THAT AS A SCHOOL.
UM, THEY HAVE OTHER SITES IDENTIFIED.
SO THAT BUILDING, IT'S, IT'S GOT AGE, THERE'S ASBESTOS IN IT.
UH, IT'S A LIABILITY FROM THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.
AND HOW MANY SQUARE FEET ARE WE TALKING ABOUT THERE? UH, I THINK THE TOTALS ABOUT 6,000.
I THINK WE OCCUPY 2,525 TO THREE SOMETHING.
THE WHOLE BUILDING'S SIX, BUT IT WOULD BE FOUR ACRES PLUS THE BUILDING.
AND I THINK THE WHOLE BUILDING IS ABOUT 6,000.
I JUST TO GET TO GIVE SOME IDEA TO PEOPLE ABOUT HOW BIG WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THERE.
SO THE IDEA IS WE GET OWNERSHIP.
I'M NOT SURE WHAT THAT WE'RE STILL IN THE, UH, NEGOTIATING PHASE OF THAT, DOING OUR DUE DILIGENCE, UM, FIGURING OUT WHAT IT'S GONNA TAKE TO, TO GET THE BUILDING.
UH, ONCE WE HAVE THE BUILDING, THE IDEA IS TO RENOVATE THAT SECOND HALF AND TURN THAT INTO A SENIOR WELLNESS CENTER SLASH MEETING ROOM, WHICH WOULD BE ATTACHED TO THE LIBRARY.
THE LIBRARY COULD USE IT, IT WOULD BE KIND OF A COMMUNITY SPACE SPECIFICALLY.
IT WOULD BE, UH, TARGETED FOR SENIOR WELLNESS AS PART OF OUR SENIOR PROGRAM THAT HAS EXPLODED OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, UH, THROUGH OUR PARKS AND REC PROGRAM.
AND ALSO WE WOULD PROVIDE ROOM FOR TELEHEALTH, WHICH IS AN ACCEPTABLE USE OF THE AR ARPA MONEY, UH, IN PREPARATION FOR FUTURE NEED, FUTURE PENDINGS.
HOPE WE DON'T HAVE ONE, BUT HAVING THE CAPACITY THERE TO DO THAT.
SECONDARILY, UH, WE CAME UP WITH THE IDEA OF CO-LOCATING THE SECOND SENIOR WELLNESS CENTER WITH THE, UH, ST.
HELENA LIBRARY SERVICES ARE THERE, THE SEWER IS THERE, SOME PARKING IS ALREADY AVAILABLE.
AGAIN, WE COULD CO-LOCATED IT WOULD BE THE HIGHEST AND BEST USE THE COUNTY RESOURCES SO THAT, THAT'S SORT OF THE BACKSTORY AND WHERE THAT CAME FROM.
SO ULTIMATELY WE HOPE TO HAVE TWO FACILITIES CO-LOCATED WITH THOSE LIBRARIES FUNDED IN LARGE PART TO THE HARPER.
UM, AS BERNIE CORRECTLY POINTED OUT, WE JUST HAD A BUDGET AMENDMENT.
IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT BUDGET AMENDMENT IS, WE HAVE FUND BALANCE IN THE FORM OF IMPACT FEES.
IN ORDER TO SPEND THAT MONEY, YOU HAVE TO BRING IT INTO AN ACTIVE YEAR'S BUDGET OR INTO A 10 40 CAPITAL ACCOUNT BUDGET.
THAT'S WHAT THE AMENDMENT HAS DONE.
SO IT IS A NOD FROM COUNCIL TO SAY, OKAY, THE MONEY IS NOW OUT OF FUND BALANCE, EVEN THOUGH IT'S ALLOCATED TO LIBRARY SERVICES.
IT'S NOW OUT OF FUND BALANCE AND INTO AN ACTIVE BUDGET.
I THINK IT'S SECOND READING, WE'RE ABOUT TO GO TO THIRD SO THAT AS WE GET, UH, GO TO CONTRACT FOR THE CONSTRUCTION, THE MONEY IS AVAILABLE IN THIS FISCAL YEAR AND INTO NEXT FISCAL YEAR.
THE CIP P FOLKS WE'RE UNDER CONTRACT.
THEY'RE, THEY'RE ACTIVELY WORKING ON THAT.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE TIMELINE LOOKS LIKE.
UM, BUT HOPEFULLY SOONER THAN LATER WE WILL HAVE A SET OF PLANS, PUT IT OUT THE BID.
AS SOON AS WE GET A CONTRACTOR ON BOARD, THE FUNDING MECHANISM IS NOW IN PLACE TO SAY, GO, UH, COUNSEL WILL APPROVE THAT AND THEN WE CAN START CONSTRUCTION.
SO WITH THAT, DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? I'LL BE HAPPY TO ANSWER.
SO I DON'T, I DON'T WANNA PUT YOU ON THE SPOT, BUT I'M GONNA PUT YOU ON THE SPOT.
SO IF THINGS GO WELL, WHEN IS IT REALISTIC THAT PORT ROYAL, WHATEVER, I MEAN, ARE WE TALKING ANOTHER YEAR? NO, NO, NO, NO.
UM, SO THE RENOVATIONS, THE BUILDING IS IN REALLY GOOD SHAPE.
I KNOW I'VE BEEN, I'VE BEEN, AND THE RENOVATIONS ARE MINOR UPDATES, UM, SHIFTING AROUND SOME OFFICE SPACE.
I DON'T SEE THE CONSTRUCTION TAKING MORE THAN 60 TO 90 DAYS.
I'M HOPING WITHIN, YOU KNOW, 45 DAYS OF THEM ACTUALLY STARTING TO WORK ON THE PLAN.
THERE'S JUST NOT THAT MUCH NEEDED THERE.
UH, SO I'M HOPING THIS SUMMER, THE
[00:55:01]
BIGGER THING, UM, IS THAT WE'RE INVESTIGATING ALREADY PUTTING THE FEELERS OUT TO THE FURNITURE PEOPLE AND THE BOOK PEOPLE AND THE FURNITURE AND BOOK PEOPLE ARE STILL ADVISING US SIX MONTHS.RIGHT? AND SO IF THERE WILL BE, YOU SAID SIX MONTHS, AT LEAST SIX MONTHS TO GET THINGS READY.
SO THAT PIECE ASIDE, ALL OF THAT IS HAPPENING CONCURRENTLY.
IT, IT'S NOT LIKE ONE HASH TO HAPPEN.
AND YOU GET THAT, THAT'S WHAT ALL OF THESE PIECES ARE ALL HAPPENING CONCURRENTLY.
HOWEVER, I WILL SAY WITH THAT SIX MONTHS, EVEN IF THE LIBRARY, WE OPEN THE DOORS, UH, THE FUNDING FOR YOUR NEW STAFF STARTS JULY 1ST.
YOU STILL HAVE TO TRAIN THOSE STAFF.
RIGHT? SO EVEN IF IT OPENS IN JULY OR IS READY TO OPEN AND OCCUPY IN JULY RECENTLY, Y'ALL STILL HAVE TO TRAIN YOUR STAFF.
YOU HAVE TO A, YOU KNOW, BUILD THAT UP, RIGHT? IT'S GONNA TAKE A BIT.
SO I THINK THE BUILDING WILL BE READY IN THE SUMMER LOGISTICALLY WITH STAFFING AND ALL THAT STUFF.
I'M, THAT'S, THAT'S NOT REALLY MY, BUT WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO A RIBBON CUTTING IN THE FALL AT THE LATEST.
COULD I MAKE A COMMENT? UH, I'VE MADE MENTIONED IN THE PAST THAT I WORKED OUT AT THAT Y M C A IN PORT ROYAL WHEN, YOU KNOW, WEEKDAY AFTERNOONS SO FORTH.
AND I GET QUESTIONS PROBABLY EVERY OTHER DAY ABOUT, WELL WHAT, WHAT'S HAPPENING? YOU KNOW, YOU'RE ON, ON THE BOARD.
UH, ONE WILL, ONE WILL OUR LIBRARY OPEN, WE ALL WANT IT.
I GOT A BUNCH OF KIDS, YOU KNOW, WANT TO GO AND I SAY IT'S, IT'S A BUREAUCRATIC PROCESS.
IT TAKES TIME, BUT IT IS MOVING ALONG.
SO THANK YOU FOR THAT UPDATE ABOUT MAYBE AUGUST OR SO
YOU KNOW, ANY CONSTRUCTION PRO, YOU KNOW, WE, WE TALK ABOUT, WE GET APPROVAL AND THEN THE WORK BEGINS.
AND I CAN TELL YOU ON ANY C I P PROJECT, ANY CONSTRUCTION PROJECT, BY THE TIME YOU BREAK GROUND AND SEAT CONSTRUCTION, YOU'RE PROBABLY 60 OR 70% THERE AS IT RELATES TO TIME AND, AND ENERGY AND GETTING IT UP.
UM, SO THE WORK IS BEING DONE, IT'S ONGOING PROGRESS IS BEING MADE, YOU JUST CAN'T SEE IT ON SITE.
BUT ALL OF THE INCREMENTAL STEPS AND ALL OF THE FUNDING MECHANISMS AND ALL OF THE PLANNING AND DESIGN, ALL OF THE STAFFING, YOU KNOW, ALLOCATING THE STAFF IN THE BUDGET, UH, LOOKING AT, UH, THE FURNITURE, THE FIXTURES, THE BOOKS, ALL OF THAT FROM THE INSTANT THAT THE PROJECT WAS CONCEIVED, ALL OF THAT HAS BEEN ACTIVELY, UH, BEING PURSUED.
SO WE'RE MAKING PROGRESS, I PROMISE YOU.
UH, BUT YEAH, THAT'S, IT'S JUST A LOT THAT HAPPENS BEFORE YOU ACTUALLY SEE THE CONSTRUCTION ON SITE.
WELL, IT'S VERY EXCITED TO SEE THE BROS AND THE LIBRARIES ARE KEEPING UP WITH THE POPULATION GROWTH, WHICH I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT.
UM, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? I JUST ADD WHAT BERNIE SAID.
I GET ASKED EVERY TIME
THE LIBRARY'S GONNA BE, OH WAIT, YOU CAN GO TO THE OFFICE WHEN I GO TO OFFICE.
OH, THIS'LL BE A VERY HIGH DEVELOPMENT AND I KNOW AMANDA WILL DO A GREAT JOB CELEBRATING AND CREATING AN A COM APPROPRIATE COMMUNITY CELEBRATION AND RIBBON CUTTING.
AND, UM, I THINK IT'S, IT'S REALLY A, YOU KNOW, IT'S A, IT'S A BIG DEAL TO RIGHT FOR US TO CELEBRATE THIS IN THE FALL.
I ACTUALLY HAD SOMEBODY SAY TO ME, WELL, I THINK I CAN GET BETTER ANSWERS ON THE PROJECT FROM THE OVER THE, OVER AT THE, UH, POST OFFICE
AND YOU KNOW, GO AHEAD AND SEE WHAT YOU CAN FIND OUT AND LET ME KNOW WHAT IT IS.
UM, I IS THERE ANY OLD BUSINESS? I DON'T THINK SO.
IS THERE ANYTHING ANYBODY LIKE TO TALK ABOUT? I I THINK WE SHOULD, UM, GET AN UPDATE OR TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT FREEDOM TO READ AND ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON WITH STATE LEGISLATION IN THE AREA OF BOOK BANNING.
SO COULD YOU RIGHT NOW OR IN THE FUTURE, LIKE, WELL, JUST, JUST THE STATUS.
I MEAN, I THINK YOU GUYS ARE BEING ASKED ABOUT WHEN COURT ROYALS GONNA OPEN.
I'M, THAT'S WHAT I'M BEING ASKED ABOUT IS, UM, WHETHER WE'RE GONNA GET TO A PERIOD WHERE, UM, WE'RE GONNA HAVE MORE ACTIVISM AND, AND PEOPLE, AND PEOPLE ARE ASKING ME IN THE CONTEXT OF WHAT CAN THEY DO TO GET INVOLVED.
SO IN SUPPORTING THE FACT THAT LIBRARIES HAVE, UM, DIVERSE,
[01:00:01]
UM, COLLECTIONS THAT, UH, ARE EDUCATIONAL, THAT IS TRUE.THERE'S A LOT OF TALK, UM, THAT GOES AROUND.
A MATTER OF FACT, I HAVE SOMEONE WHO'S DOING A RESEARCH PROJECT ON THAT VERY THING WHO'S ASKED TO TALK TO ME ON FRIDAY OF THIS WEEK.
AND SO, UM, THERE'S A LOT OF TALK IN LIBRARIES AND AS I'VE MENTIONED AND OUTSIDE OF LIBRARIES IN AROUND TABLES AT COFFEE SHOPS AND AT SOCIAL GATHERINGS ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON.
I KNOW YOU'VE MENTIONED THAT WHEN PEOPLE HAVE SIGNED UP FOR THE FASHION SHOW, UM, THAT ONE OF THEIR, UH, MOTIVATING FACTORS FOR, UM, UH, COMING TO THE FASHION SHOW THIS YEAR WAS TO SHOW THEIR SUPPORT FINANCIALLY OF LIBRARIES BECAUSE THEY BELIEVE IN THE FREEDOM TO READ AND THEY WANTED TO STAND, UH, WITH LIBRARIES.
AND WE CERTAINLY APPRECIATE THAT.
I WOULD SAY ANECDOTALLY THAT I HEAR MORE ABOUT PEOPLE SUPPORTING LIBRARIES AND WANTING TO ENSURE AND GET FROM ME IN ASSURANCE THAT BEAUFORD COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY WILL CONTINUE TO CHAMPION THE FREEDOM TO READ AND EACH PERSON'S INDIVIDUAL CHOICE TO SELECT THAT ITEM FOR THEMSELVES OFF OF THE SHELF.
UM, AND SO WE DO, OUR COLLECTION DEVELOPMENT POLICY IS A PART OF THAT, AND THAT'S, THAT'S THE POLICY THAT, THAT GOVERNS WHAT WE BUY, WHY WE BUY, AND WHERE IT, WHERE IT LIVES IN THE LIBRARY.
UM, WE HAVEN'T SEEN AT OUR LIBRARIES, UM, THE LEVEL OF CHALLENGES THAT THE SCHOOL DISTRICT HAS.
SO, UM, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S AN INDICATION THAT IT WON'T COME OUR WAY OR IT WILL COME LATER, OR, OR, OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
WE STAND POSITIONED AT ANY TIME TO, UM, STAND WITH WHY WE BUY WHAT WE BUY AND THE PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS THAT WE UPHOLD, WHICH IS TO HAVE A BROAD AND DIVERSE COLLECTION.
SO YOUR QUESTION WAS, HOW DO WE ANSWER THE QUESTION OF, UM, WHAT DO PEOPLE THAT THERE WILL BE ITEMS IN THAT PEOPLE DON'T LIKE? WELL, MY QUESTION IS, UM, WHAT I'M ASKED IS WHAT CAN I DO? WHAT CAN YOU DO? I MEAN, AND I, AND I, AND I, I'M EMBARRASSED TO SAY I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT.
SO, YOU KNOW, I THINK, I THINK EXPLAIN TO THE PUBLIC IF YOU CARE ABOUT THIS ISSUE, WHAT THEY COULD DO, YOU KNOW, A WEBSITE THEY COULD GO TO TO GET MORE EDUCATED AMANDA OR, UH, AN ORGANIZATION THEY COULD JOIN.
I MEAN, WHAT COULD, WHAT CAN THE PUBLIC WHO ARE INTERESTED IN THIS TOPIC DO? UM, THE AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION IS ONE OF THE BEST WEBSITES THAT SOMEONE, UH, WHO HAS AN INTEREST IN LEARNING MORE ABOUT THE CHALLENGES ACROSS THE NATION AND LOCALLY.
UM, THEY ARE THE CLEARING HOUSE IN OUR COUNTRY FOR CHALLENGES.
UM, WHENEVER A LIBRARY, SCHOOL OR PUBLIC RECEIVES A CHALLENGE, LIBRARIANS ARE ENCOURAGED TO JUST REPORT THAT.
UM, JUST AS A MATTER OF FACT, THIS IS WHAT HAPPENED.
THIS WAS THE ITEM, THIS WAS THE REASON.
UM, AND THAT THAT HELPS US AS A NATION UNDERSTAND WHAT'S HAPPENING WHEN AND WHERE.
THEY ALSO DO A GOOD JOB OF TRACKING LEGISLATION ACROSS DIFFERENT STATES AND IN DIFFERENT TYPES OF BILLS THAT ARE INTRODUCED ON A STATE OR FEDERAL LEVEL, UM, THAT WOULD HAVE AN IMPACT ON EITHER SCHOOL OR PUBLIC LIBRARIES.
SO I HIGHLY RECOMMEND, UM, THE ALA'S WEBSITE FOR THAT.
IF IN CASE ANYBODY'S INTERESTED IN PURSUING MORE INFORMATION, AND THERE ARE SEVERAL LINKS ACROSS THAT PAGE TO DIRECT YOU TO THEIR FREEDOM TO RE TOOLKIT AND OTHER SOURCES ABOUT HOW TO TALK ABOUT BOOKS.
UM, I WOULD SAY A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT PEOPLE CAN DO RIGHT NOW.
NUMBER ONE, GET A LIBRARY CARD.
NUMBER ONE, GET A LIBRARY CARD.
UH, NUMBER TWO, UM, WHEN YOU ARE IN, WHEN YOU'RE APPROACHED AT THE GROCERY STORE OR WHEN YOU'RE TALKING, UM, TO SOMEONE ON THE GOLF COURSE OR IN THE TENNIS SCHOOL, OR IN THE LINE AT SCHOOL, AT THE PICKUP LINE AT SCHOOL, THE BEST THING TO DO IS ENGAGE IN A CONVERSATION ABOUT WHAT YOU VALUE AND HOW YOU VALUE YOUR CHOICE TO PICK WHAT YOU LIKE AND HOW YOU VALUE THE CHOICE THAT THEY CAN MAKE TO PICK WHAT THEY LIKE, AND THAT THE VALUE OF A PUBLIC LIBRARY IS IN PROVIDING TO A COMMUNITY A WIDE RANGE OF VIEWPOINTS AND AN OPPORTUNITY FOR AN INDIVIDUAL TO EXPLORE, UM, A VARIETY OF THINGS THAT MAY BE OF INTEREST TO THEM.
SO NUMBER ONE, GET A LIBRARY CARD.
NUMBER TWO, SUPPORT YOUR LIBRARIES.
JOIN A FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY GROUP, JOIN, SUPPORT THE FOUNDATION, THE PUBLIC LIBRARY FOUNDATION.
BECOME A, A LIBRARY BOARD MEMBER IF YOU WANT TO CHAMPION THE RIGHT FOR PE FOR PEOPLE TO MAINTAIN THAT FREEDOM TO READ, SEND A LETTER TO YOUR STATE AND FEDERAL REPRESENTATIVES, HOUSE SENATE.
THEY'RE ALL FACED WITH DIFFERENT TYPES OF BILLS ALL THE TIME, UM, THAT WILL AFFECT LIBRARIES OR SCHOOLS OR ANY OTHER TYPE OF TOPIC, UM, THAT COMES UP.
THERE ARE CURRENTLY TWO BILLS RIGHT NOW, UM, THAT ARE TRACKING THROUGH HOUSE AND SENATE STATEWIDE OF SOUTH CAROLINA
[01:05:01]
THAT DIRECTLY, UM, TALK ABOUT OBSCENITY, UH, LAW AND PERFORMANCE, UM, AND OTHER TYPES OF THINGS, UM, TO KEEP IT AT A HIGH LEVEL.UM, THE TARGET IS MORE, UM, DRAG QUEEN STORY HOURS.
UM, THAT'S HOW IT'S DISCUSSED IN THE NEWS.
UM, AND SO THAT WOULD BE LEGISLATION THAT I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO BE AWARE OF.
I BELIEVE I SENT IT OUT EARLIER, THIS, THIS MONTH OR, OR THIS WEEK TO YOU SO THAT YOU WERE AWARE.
UM, I NEVER PROVIDE A POLITICAL CHARGE TO YOU, UM, AND ASK YOU TO MAKE A POLITICAL STANCE EXCEPT ANYTHING THAT YOU CHOOSE TO DO.
BUT I'D JUST LIKE FOR YOU TO BE AWARE.
THANK, FIRST OF ALL, THAT'S A GREAT RESPONSE.
AND SECOND OF ALL, I THINK, UH, YOU DO A GREAT JOB OF JUST INFORMING US ABOUT, UH, THE, WHAT, WHAT'S COME DOWN THE PIKE ON BOTH SIDES.
UM, BUT I THINK WE, AS ADVOCATES FOR THE BEAUFORT COUNTY LIBRARY, NEED TO BE ABLE TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION OF WHAT CAN I DO? AND I THINK YOU GAVE A GREAT RESPONSE, SO THANK YOU.
THE CONCERNS THAT I'M HEARING ARE INVOLVING, INVOLVING VERY YOUNG CHILDREN AND CHOICES OF WHAT'S BEING CHOSEN TO BE PUT IN A SECTION FOR VERY YOUNG CHILDREN AND THE DRAG QUEEN, UH, STORY OUT.
THOSE ARE THE TWO THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN BROUGHT UP TO ME.
SO LIBRARIES, OUR STANCE IS VERY, IS VERY EASY TO EXPLAIN TO ANYBODY, IS THAT WE CHAMPION THE RIGHT OF PARENTS AND GUARDIANS TO EXPLORE THE LIBRARY TOGETHER AND SELECT THE ITEMS THAT THEY FEEL THEY'D LIKE TO, TO ENJOY.
BUT I STILL FEEL THAT A LIBRARIAN SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE ENOUGH WHEN CHOOSING CERTAIN BOOKS TO LOOK AT CERTAIN BOOKS AND SEE WHETHER IT'S APPROPRIATE FOR A THREE OR FOUR OR LIBRARY, OR WHETHER IT'S GONNA BE CONFUSING TO THEM OR, UM, OR WHAT TYPE OF BENEFIT IS IT GOING TO BE FOR THEM.
SO WE DO, WE, WE ALLOW OUR COLLECTION POL OUR COLLECTION DEVELOPMENT POLICY, AND THEN OUR INTERNAL SELECTION PROCEDURES TO GUIDE US ON HOW WE PRIORITIZE WHAT WE PURCHASE.
WE CERTAINLY DON'T HAVE FUNDING, AS JOE MENTIONED EARLIER, TO PURCHASE EVERYTHING THAT'S OUT THERE.
UM, AND SO WE HAVE TO PRIORITIZE BASED ON PROFESSIONAL REVIEWS, INDUSTRY SOURCES.
SO, UM, BOOK LIST PUBLISHERS WEEKLY, AND THE LIST GOES ON OF REPUTABLE PEER REVIEWED TYPES OF ACCEPTED STANDARDS FOR PUBLISHING INDUSTRY.
AND SO WE, WE TRY VERY HARD TO ACQUIRE ITEMS THAT, UM, WOULD BE OF INTEREST TO PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN RESIDE IN BEAUFORT COUNTY, AND THEN ALSO THAT HAVE RECEIVED THE STANDARD FROM THE PUBLISHING INDUSTRY.
KEVIN, DID YOU HAVE A QUESTION? GARY, DID YOU HAVE A QUESTION? YEAH.
UH, AS TO WHAT YOU CAN DO, AND I GET SOME OF THE SAME COMMENTS.
UM, THERE ARE 97 BOOKS, I THINK, THAT ARE CHALLENGED BY THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.
AND THE SCHOOL DISTRICT HAS PUT TOGETHER REVIEW COMMITTEES AS A NON-PARENT, BUT THEN, BUT CONCERNED COMMUNITY MEMBER, WE CAN VOLUNTEER TO BE PART OF THAT REVIEW COMMITTEE, AND THERE'S A FORM AND SIGN UP THAT'S AVAILABLE ONLINE.
UM, BUT YOU'RE RIGHT, THE, THE PRIMARY EMPHASIS SO FAR HAS BEEN ON SCHOOL LIBRARIES.
I THINK WE'RE A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THAN THE COUNTY LIBRARY SYSTEM IN THAT WE ARE PART OF A CONSORTIUM.
SO IF A BOOK WERE CHALLENGED AND REMOVED FROM OUR COUNTY SHELVES, IT MAY ALSO BE CONCURRENTLY AVAILABLE IN CALON COUNTY, DORCHESTER COUNTY, JEFF COUNTY, OR AVAILABLE ON HOOPLA.
SO IT BECOMES A LITTLE BIT MORE COMPLICATED IN OUR ENVIRONMENT HERE.
THIS IS, THIS IS AN AREA, AND I AGREE WITH YOU.
THIS IS AN AREA THAT'S VERY SENSITIVE.
WE GET A LOT OF QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS ABOUT IT, AND IT'S VERY TIMELY AND, AND TOPICAL.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS? SORRY? UH, WHAT, UH, AMANDA JUST SAID ABOUT THE PROCESS FOR REVIEWING NEW BOOKS IS VERY, UH, PROFESSIONAL.
IT'S TAKING, UH, THE ADVICE OF PEOPLE WHO ARE EXPERIENCED IN THIS.
AND I AM NOT IN, I'M GONNA SAY ALMOST NEVER IN FAVOR OF HIDING BOOKS, GETTING THEM OUT, UNLESS THEY ARE REALLY, REALLY OFF THE WALL IN TERMS OF CERTAIN I'VE SEEN MATERIALS OR WHATEVER.
UH, I THINK THAT THESE PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN HARASSING THE COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD, UH, ARE DOING A DISSERVICE.
AND, UH, BUT I'LL GIVE YOU THE OLD SAYING, STICKS AND STONES CAN BREAK YOUR BONES, BUT WORDS CAN NEVER HURT YOU.
[01:10:01]
THIS IS, THERE'S WIDESPREAD INTEREST HERE.AND JOSH, YOUR, I GUESS THE DESIGNATED IN-HOUSE EXPERT HERE,
UM, PERHAPS WE'LL THINK ABOUT THAT.
WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT THAT RIGHT NOW? I USUALLY, OH, I'M SORRY.
I USUALLY TRY TO KEEP MY MOUTH CLOSED AS YOU, BUT I HEARD WHEN YOU SAID 3, 4, 5 YEAR OLD, APPROPRIATE WELL, TO COME INTO ONE OF OUR LIBRARIES, A THREE, FOUR, OR FIVE YEAR OLD WOULD HAVE TO BE ACCOMPANIED, WOULD THEY NOT? YES.
SO WHY WOULD THAT LIABILITY BE ON A LIBRARIAN WHEN THE PARENT IS ACCOMPANYING THAT CHILD? I JUST THINK THAT, UH, I I, THAT I HAVE NO ANSWER FOR.
BECAUSE IF A CHILD SEES A BOOK AND IT LOOKS ATTRACTIVE TO THEM BECAUSE IT HAS ATTRACTIVE PICTURES, IT LOOKS FAMILIAR.
SEE, I'M THE EXPERT IN THE YOUNGER CHILD.
CAUSE I'M THE ONE THAT TAUGHT THREE, FOUR, AND FIVE YEAR OLDS.
I HAVE CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN, AND I, IF I TOOK THEM IN THE LIBRARY, THAT WOULD BE MY LIABILITY, I BELIEVE MM-HMM.
IT'S ALSO WHAT IS, UM, WHAT IS IN THIS SECTION VISUALLY OF CHOICE.
VISUALLY, I WOULD HAVE TO ACCOMPANY MY CHILD.
I, I THINK THERE'S A, THERE'S A LOT OF CONCERN HERE AND, AND WE WANNA STAY ON TOP OF IT, AND I THINK IT'S, IT'S GOOD THAT WE TALK ABOUT IT.
SO, UM, MAYBE, WE'LL, WE'LL ADDRESS IT AGAIN IN THE MAY MEETING, BUT I WANNA TELL THE PUBLIC THE BEST THING YOU CAN DO AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED, IS JOIN THE FRIENDS.
THEY GIVE YOU INFORMATION, YOU'RE ON TOP OF THINGS.
YOU GET, YOU GET, YOU GET INFORMATION ALL THE TIME, SO YOU KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE LIBRARIES.
AND I, I, THEY, LET'S KEEP THOSE FRIENDS UP BECAUSE THAT'S THE BEST WAY TO GET INFORMATION TO YOU.
UM, UH, OUR NEXT MEETING IS SCHEDULED FOR MAY 10TH AT 4:00 PM IT'S AT THE
UM, WE HAVE NO EXECUTIVE SESSION TODAY, SO CAN I HEAR, UM, UH, SO MOVED.
I WANT, I WANT TO BE ABLE TO SAY JUST PEOPLE I CONTRIBUTE.
THIS IS LARRY ROLAND AND THIS IS A BEAUFORT COUNTY MOMENT.
ONE OF THE, UH, MOST FASCINATING ARTIFACTS IN BEAUFORT COUNTY TO TOURISTS AND RESIDENTS ALIKE ARE THE RUINS OF THE OLD SHELDON CHURCH.
THE PROPER NAME IS THE PARISH CHURCH OF PRINCE WILLIAM PARISH, SOUTH CAROLINA.
PRINCE WILLIAM PARISH WAS FOUNDED IN 1745.
IN RESPONSE, IT WAS THE SECOND ANGLICAN PARISH IN THE BEAUFORT DISTRICT.
HELENA PARISH FOUNDED IN 1712, THE ORIGINAL PARISH, PRINCE WILLIAM PARISH IN 1745 WAS IN THE MIDST OF AN ECONOMIC BOOM BECAUSE RICE PLANTATION SURROUNDED THE SITE ON HOSPA NECK, WHERE THE CHURCH EVENTUALLY WAS BUILT, AND THOSE RICE PLANTERS WERE VERY WEALTHY.
IN 1745, THE COMMONS HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY ESTABLISHED PRINCE WILLIAM PARISH, AND IN 1751, THEY LAID THE CORNERSTONE FOR PRINCE WILLIAM PARISH CHURCH.
THE CHURCH WAS FINISHED BY 1755 AND WELL APPOINTED.
IT HAS THE DISTINCTION OF BEING THE FIRST OR OLDEST TEMPLE FORM GREEK REVIVAL BUILDING IN THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE.
SO THAT RUINED AT SHELDON, WHICH FASCINATES PEOPLE ABSOLUTELY SHOULD FASCINATE PEOPLE BECAUSE IT IS THE FIRST EXAMPLE
[01:15:01]
OF A TYPE OF ARCHITECTURE THAT BECAME ASSOCIATED WITH AMERICAN DEMOCRACY AND AMERICAN PUBLIC BUILDINGS.PRINCE WILLIAM PARISH CHURCH, OR THE OLD SHELDON RUINS, WAS BURNED BY BRITISH TORIES DURING THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION IN 1779, IT LEIN RUINS UNTIL 1826.
CHARLES FRAZIER, THE FAMOUS LOW COUNTRY ARTIST, PAINTED A PICTURE OF IT IN 1819 AFTER IT WAS RESTORED TO USE AND SERVICES.
IN 1826, HE CAME AND LOOKED AT IT AND HE SAID, MY GOD, THEY'VE TAKEN A BEAUTIFUL RUIN AND TURNED IT INTO AN UGLY CHURCH.
SO THE UNION ARMY AND THE EVENTS OF THE CIVIL WAR RESTORED IT TO A BEAUTIFUL RUIN.
WE THOUGHT FOR MANY YEARS THAT PRINCE WILLIAM PARISH CHURCH HAD BEEN BURNED BY SHERMAN'S FORCES IS A MARCH THROUGH THIS DISTRICT THAT TURNS OUT NOT TO BE TRUE.
THE CHURCH WAS INTACT AFTER THE CIVIL WAR AND WAS DISMANTLED BY LOCAL FOLKS WHO USED THE PARTS OF THE CHURCH TO BUILD THEIR HOMES AND BARNES.
AND SO THE WOOD BASICALLY WAS TAKEN OUT, THE ROOF FELL IN THE CHURCH, BECAME A RUIN, AND WAS IN DISUSE UNTIL MODERN TIMES IT HAS REMAINED.
AS CHARLES FRASER SAID, A BEAUTIFUL AND ENTICING RUIN.
THIS HAS BEEN A BEAUFORT COUNTY MOMENT.
TO SEE MORE BEAUFORT COUNTY MOMENTS, GO TO THE BEAUFORT COUNTY LIBRARY HOMEPAGE AND CLICK ON THE LOCAL HISTORY TAB.
IS THAT CORRECT? IS IT MY TURN? YES.
UM, THERE'S SO MANY PEOPLE HERE TODAY, AND IT'S, UH, AS I'VE SAID TO SO MANY PEOPLE HERE TODAY, THERE'S SO MANY OF YOU WHO HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN THIS.
AND AS WE GO THROUGH TODAY, WE WANT TO TRY TO RECOGNIZE AS MANY OF YOU AS, AS WE CAN.
I WANT TO APOLOGIZE IN ADVANCE BECAUSE I KNOW THAT THERE ARE LOTS OF PEOPLE THAT ARE, MAYBE WE'RE GONNA OVERLOOK WHO DID HAD A LARGE PART IN THIS.
BUT ANYWAY, LET ME START OFF, SAY GOOD AFTERNOON, AND, UH, THANK YOU FOR COMING OUT, UH, TO THIS GRAND OPENING.
AND, UH, AND WELCOME TO THE LONG ANTICIPATED.
I THINK THAT'S REASONABLE, LONG ANTICIPATED OPENING OF CRYSTAL LAKE PARK.
IT'S BEEN, UH, IN THE WORK SINCE, WHAT, 2005? I THINK.
I WANNA MAKE A FEW COMMENTS ABOUT THE HISTORY AND THE LONG VOIDS THAT MANY OF YOU HAVE MADE OR BEEN ON IN ORDER TO GET TO THIS POINT TODAY.
FOR THE GRAND OPENING OF THIS 25 ACRE PASSIVE PARK, THAT BEAUFORT COUNTY HAS INVESTED ABOUT THREE AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS IN OF YOUR TAX DOLLARS.
UH, PUTTING THE, UH, THE PIECES OF THIS PARK TOGETHER TOOK, UH, OVER FIVE YEARS.
UH, THE FIRST PARCEL WAS PURCHASED IN 2004, AND THAT WAS A FOUR AND A HALF ACRE PIECE, WHICH INCLUDED BUTLER MARINE.
I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY OF YOU REMEMBER BUTLER MARINE IS WHERE THAT THAT CURRENT BUILDING IS, WAS PART OF BUTLER MARINE.
UH, BUT THAT WAS OUR, THAT WAS OUR FIRST TOW IN THE WATER, THAT FOUR AND A HALF ACRES.
UM, AND THEN THE SECOND PURCHASE WAS FROM THE OIL PURCHASE DONATION WAS FROM THE STEWART FOUNDATION.
THE, UH, STEWART FOUNDATION DONATED EIGHT OF THE 12 ACRES WE GOT FROM THEM, INCLUDING THE ACTUAL LAKE ITSELF, WHICH WAS A HUGE BENEFIT TO US ALL.
UH, ANOTHER FIVE ACRES WAS PURCHASED IN, UH, 2005 FROM THE DRE FAMILY.
UH, IN, UH, 2007, THE ROBINSON FAMILY, WE PURCHASED ANOTHER 1.2 ACRES.
AND FINALLY, IN, UH, 2009, WE PURCHASED, UH, TWO AND A HALF ACRES FROM THE CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF CHARLESTON, WHICH GAVE US A COMPLETE 25 ACRES, WHICH IS WHAT WE HAVE HERE TODAY.
MEANWHILE, IN 2006, THE COUNTY COUNCIL AUTHORIZED, UH, FINANCIAL AND STAFF SUPPORT FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF CRYSTAL LAKE PROPERTY AS A PASSIVE PARK.
AND PROGRESS BEGAN IN EARNEST, THAT WAS 2005.
IN 2011, A CITIZEN'S COMMITTEE WAS FORMED IN COOPERATION WITH THE BEAUFORT COUNTY PLANNING DEPARTMENT TO FINALIZE PLANNING EFFORTS AND OBTAIN COMMUNITY INPUT AND FEEDBACK.
AND LET ME TAKE A MOMENT TO RECOGNIZE AT LEAST SOME OF THE FOLKS WHO WERE MEMBERS OF FRIENDS OF, OF CRYSTAL LAKE PARK WHO WORKED TIRELESSLY AND MANY, MANY THANK TIMES THANKLESS TO BRING US THIS BEAUTIFUL PARK THAT WE HAVE HERE TODAY.
[01:20:01]
I'M GONNA NAME AS MANY AS I CAN.AND IF I'VE MISSED ANY, I APOLOGIZE.
UH, FRANK GIBSON AND HIS TREASURER, PEGGY ALLARD WAS PRESIDENT.
UH, RICK KURTZ WAS INVOLVED, UH, CLARENCE WASHINGTON, UH, JOE ALLARD, MICHAEL BROCK, JIM HICKS, WHO'S NOT WITH US TODAY.
UH, FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE YESTERDAY, WE BURIED HIS WIFE.
SO WE UNDERSTAND WHY HE IS NOT HERE WITH US TODAY.
BUT HE WAS A HUGE PART OF THIS CREATION OF THIS PARK.
MARGARET D PIRO, I THINK, FOR THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.
UH, LAURA LEE, UH, PAT HARVEY WITH THE, UH, WITH LIPPA AND SOME OTHER LIPPER MEMBERS AND SUPPORTERS, FATHER ANDREW OF, UH, OF THE ST.
AND OF COURSE, THE, UH, THE BUILDERS, UH, BEAUFORT CONSTRUCTION, I BELIEVE LEH LEH WEBB WAS THE MANAGER AT THE TIME, UH, TO DO THE BUILDING UPGRADE.
AND, UH, STEVE PATTERSON OF PATTERSON CONSTRUCTION DID THE BOARDWALK.
AND ANDREWS ENGINEERING WAS HEAVILY INVOLVED.
AND, UH, THE ARCHITECT, UH, WAS, UH, ROBERT MONTGOMERY.
THE, UH, THE FINAL PHASE OF CONSTRUCTION, UH, THE BOARDWALK AND TRAIL BEGAN IN 2018.
AND OF COURSE, THE RENOVATIONS TO THE, UH, TO THE BUTLER MARINE BUILDING WAS THE FIRST PHASE OF THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE BOARDWALK AND PIER, AND THAT STARTED IN 2012.
ANOTHER GROUP THAT I WANNA RECOGNIZE, TWO GROUPS ACTUALLY, ARE THE MASTER GARDENERS AND MASTER NATURALISTS WHO VOLUNTEERED AND PLANTED THE AND MAIN AND MAINTAIN THE POLLINATOR GARDEN.
SO LET ME JUST START BY ASKING HOW MANY NATURAL, START WITH, UH, UH, MASTER GARDENERS, HOW MANY MASTER GARDENERS, AND RAISE YOUR HAND.
AND I, I KNOW EVERYONE HERE APPRECIATES THE VALUE OF POLLINATORS.
I HAVE THE LARGEST GRAPEFRUIT ORCHARD IN BEAUFORT COUNTY, SO I PARTICULARLY APPRECIATE THE, UH, POLLINATORS.
AND THEN WE HAVE THE MASTER NATURALISTS.
HOW MANY NA NAT, MASTER NATURALISTS ARE HERE? IF YOU WOULD, RAISE YOUR HAND, BE IDENTIFIED.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR ALL THE WORK YOU ALL HAVE DONE AND CONTINUE TO DO TO MAKE THIS PARK A BEAUTIFUL PLACE.
THE, UH, BEAUFORT COUNTY OPEN LAND TRUST AND THE BEAUFORT COUNTY SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION DISTRICT, UH, BEGAN OCCUPATION OF THAT BUILDING IN 2017.
AND THEY HAVE BEEN AND CONTINUE TO BE EXCELLENT STEWARDS OF THE BUILDING IN THE PARK.
THEY PROVIDE SECURITY, THEY PROVIDE ORIENTATION, AND A LOT OF SERVICES FOR THE FOLKS WHO COME HERE TO SEE THE PARK.
ALSO WANT TO GIVE A BIG SHOUT OUT TO THE BEAUFORT COUNTY STAFF MEMBERS PAST AND PRESENT, WHO WORKED TIRELESSLY ON THIS PROJECT.
AGAIN, I MAY NOT GET 'EM ALL IF I DON'T, IF I DON'T, I APOLOGIZE.
I WANNA START WITH TONY ELLO, WHO'S STANDING RIGHT THERE, WHO IS OUR DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT FOR MANY, MANY YEARS.
AND HE WAS A VISIONARY ON THIS PROJECT.
AND, UH, NO TELLING HOW MANY HOURS, COUNTLESS HOURS, UH, AND SWEAT AND TEARS HE PUT INTO THIS, INTO THIS PROJECT.
ANTONIO, I WANNA THANK YOU, UH, STEPHANIE NAJE, WHO YOU'VE SEEN, I KNOW SHE'S HERE, THERE SHE IS, UH, WHO IS OUR, UH, DIRECTOR OF PASO PARKS AND WHO IS VERY ACTIVELY INVOLVED AND WILL CONTINUE TO BE VERY ACTIVELY INVOLVED IN THIS PARK IN THE FUTURE.
AND OUR ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT.
WE HAD, UH, WE CAMPBELL AND ROB MCFEE.
I HAVEN'T, I DON'T KNOW IF THERE HE IS, RIGHT THERE.
THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU ALL DID.
AND OUR, OUR DIRECTOR OF PROPERTIES, MARK ROSENAU, I KNOW HE IS HERE.
AND ERIC GREENWAY, OUR CURRENT, UH, DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT, WHO'S ALSO PUT A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF WORK INTO THIS.
AND OF COURSE, UH, PATTERSON'S CONSTRUCTION.
I THINK I MIGHT HAVE MENTIONED THEM ALREADY.
UH, THE GREEN TECHNOLOGY THAT WAS USED, UH, TO, UH, RENOVATE THE OLD BUTLER MARINE BUILDING.
I DON'T KNOW IF, HOWEVER, Y'ALL REMEMBER WHAT IT LOOKED LIKE, BUT IT NEEDED A LOT OF HELP.
AND, UH, WE USED GREEN, REALLY GREEN TECHNOLOGY, AND THAT WAS USED AND IT WAS SO SUCCESSFUL THAT, UH, BERET COUNTY IS NOW RECEIVING REFUND CHECKS FROM DOMINION ENERGY.
GREEN ENERGY WORKERS, GREEN, GREEN TECHNOLOGY WORKS, AND YES, THAT WILL BE USED TO OFFSET YOUR TAXES, SO DON'T WORRY ABOUT THAT.
YEAH, YOU'LL SEE THE SMALL REDUCTION IN YOUR TAX BILL.
UH, AND FINALLY, UH, I THINK EVERYBODY'S AWARE THE DIVERSITY OF WILDLIFE THAT WE HAVE HERE, UH, WE DON'T KNOW IT ALL.
WE HAVE EGRETS, HERONS AND HINGS CORE MORANS MIGRATORY AND RESI RE AND, UH, AND RESIDENT SONGBIRDS, ALLIGATOR AND DEER, UH, THAT WE KNOW OF.
UH, AND WHO KNOWS WHO OR WHAT ELSE MAY MOVE IN OUT THERE.
SO WE'LL KIND OF KEEP YOU POSTED AS THAT DEVELOPS AND, UH, WHO MIGHT TAKE UP RESIDENTS IN THIS BEAUTIFUL LOCATION.
BUT AGAIN, I WANT TO THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE TODAY.
AND, UH, LET'S CUT THE RIBBON.
AND I KNOW I'M NOT GONNA CUT IT BY MYSELF.
SO ALL THE PEOPLE, ALL THE PEOPLE THAT WERE MENTIONED, INCLUDING THE NATURALISTS AND THE MASTER GARDENERS AND THE EN ENGINE, EVERYBODY JUST COME FORWARD FOR THIS PROCESS.
[01:25:01]
PAIR OF SCISSORS, BUT, UH, YOU CAN ALL JOIN IN FOR THE PICTURE TAKER.IT'LL PROBABLY BE EVERYBODY THAT'S HERE.
I KNOW YOU'RE NOT ALL HERE, ERIC.
THERE'S NO TIME FOR A FALSE MODESTY.