[00:00:09]
I'D LIKE TO CALL TO ORDER TODAY'S FINANCE ADMINISTRATIVE COMMITTEE MEETING.
ARE WE IN COMPLIANCE WITH FOR THERE? YES, SIR, WE ARE.
YOU CURRENTLY CALL THE ROLL, PLEASE? ABSOLUTELY.
NEXT WE HAVE THE APPROVAL OF, UH, MINUTES FROM JANUARY 17TH.
IF YOU WOULD CALL THE ROLL, PLEASE.
UH, BASICALLY HAVE APPEARANCE BY CITIZENS.
ARE THERE ANY CITIZENS THAT HAVE SIGNED UP TO COME BEFORE US TODAY? YES, SIR.
ALEX, LET'S KEEP THIS SIMPLE AND CIVIL.
TODAY YOU ARE NOT IN COMPLIANCE WITH, UH, WITH FOIA.
TO SAY YOU ARE IS SIMPLY NOT TRUE.
DO YOU DENY THIS? AGAIN, YOU HAVE NO FINANCIAL OR AUDIT BACKGROUND AND NO CLUE WHY YOU WERE CHAIR OF FINANCE OTHER THAN THE BEST WAY TO HIDE FINANCE.
ARE YOU GONNA FORCE THIS CHAMBER AND CARRY CORBIT THE LOW COUNTRY GOLF OWNER ASSOCIATION TIED TO BILL MILES TAX SCAM TO KEEP REFUSING ALL A TAX ACCOUNTING AND ACCESS TO ALL THEIR RECORDS UNDER FOIA AND THE SOUTH CAROLINA NONPROFIT CORPORATION ACT LAWS? ALEX, YOU AND ALL COUNCIL ARE CHAMBER MEMBERS, THEREFORE, YOU ARE TAXPAYER'S PROXY, AND ALSO YOU ARE ACQUIT, UH, COMMITTING QUID PO QUO.
DO YOU DENY THIS? YOU MUST PROVIDE ALL THIS ACCOUNTING TO ME AND THE LAWYERS.
SUPREME COURT ALSO SAID YOU HAVE TO DO THAT.
ALAN PERRY SAID HE SAW 80% OF ALL THE CHAMBER ACCOUNTING.
IS THIS TRUE OR IS THIS A LIE? BILL MILES AND CARRIE CORBETT REFUSE TO PROVIDE ALL THIS AND COMPLY.
THE TOWN MUST FILE A LAWSUIT AGAINST THE CHAMBER TO GET THIS INFORMATION.
THE SUPREME COURT IS GONNA FORCE YOU TO DO THAT.
IF YOU DON'T, YOU ARE IN VIOLATION OF MY TAX FOIA.
AND AGAIN, THE SUPREME COURT RULING WHO SAID, YOU MUST PROVIDE THE CHAMBER TAX USE ACCOUNTING TO ME AND TO YOU AND TO EVERYBODY IN HERE.
ARE YOU GOING TO CONTINUE TO VIOLATE ME AND THE SUPREME COURT? ASK, ANSWER YES OR NO.
ALEX AND MR. ALFRED, MR. STANFORD, DO YOU ALL KNOW THIS NEW INFORMATION BILL MILES CONTROLS IN THE CHAMBER.
ALL THESE FOLLOWING LEGALLY OPERATED WEBSITES DEVELOPED IN CANADA, OUR TAX MONEY IS TAKEN TO CANADA, NOT LOCALLY, NOT RESPECTING OUR BUSINESSES LOCALLY, NOT EVEN RESPECTING OUR COUNTRY.
THIS IS INSANITY TO, AND THEN HE TAKES OUR, THESE WEBSITES TO SELL ADVERTISING THAT HE CONTROLS AND OWNS, NOT THE TAXPAYERS WHO FUNDED THESE WEBSITES.
AND SO HERE IT IS, HILTON HEAD ISLAND.ORG, HILTON HEAD GOLF ISLAND.COM.
THEY ALL ARE ILLEGAL CRIMINAL VIOLATES THE IRS 5 0 1 DASH C SIX TAX CODES.
IT'S UNFAIR COMPETITION TO LOCAL MEDIA DRAIN DRAINING LOCAL AD POOLS.
I HOPE DUFFY STONE DOES SOMETHING ABOUT THIS.
I THINK, I THINK THIS NEEDS TO COME RIGHT TO WHERE, WHERE TO YOUR, TO YOUR OFFICE, MR. STONE.
I THINK IT'S ABOUT TIME YOU SPEAK UP TOO.
WE'LL MOVE ALONG TO OUR NEW BUSINESS.
FIRST ITEM IS GOING TO BE THE DISCUSSION ON OUR AFFILIATED AGENCY FUNDING REQUEST APPLICATIONS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2024.
UH, WE HAVE RECEIVED THE APPLICATIONS FROM ALL OF THE AGENCIES, HAVE SOME TIME TO REVIEW THEM.
WE'VE ASKED THAT EACH OF THE APPLICANTS SPEND, UM, WITHIN FIVE MINUTES OF MAKING A PRESENTATION.
I WOULD ALSO OFFER THAT YOU LEAVE ENOUGH TIME WITHIN THAT FIVE MINUTES FOR US TO HAVE SOME DIALOGUE AND QUESTIONS FROM THE DIAS.
UH, SO FIRST UP, WE'LL HAVE, UH, VILLE PRESERVATION PROJECT.
[00:05:03]
THANK YOU.MY NAME IS LOLA CAMPBELL AND I AM THE CURRENT BOARD CHAIR OF HISTORIC MITCHELLVILLE FREEDOM PARK.
I AM STANDING IN FOR OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AMMAD WARD TODAY AS HE IS AWAY AT A CONFERENCE.
SO WE'LL JUST START WITH, UM, WHERE MITCHELLVILLE HAS BEGUN AND WITH SOME FACTS, 160 YEARS OF HISTORY AND 10 YEARS OF PUBLIC INVESTMENT.
I'D LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT HOW MITCHELLVILLE ACTUALLY ALIGNS WITH THE COUNCIL'S VALUES.
WE ARE A CULTURE BASED VISITOR ATTRACTION, AND THAT ALIGNS WITH YOUR STRATEGIC PLAN.
WE ARE A LIVING EXAMPLE OF OUR PLAN'S CORE VALUES OF INCLUSIVENESS AND ECONOMIC DIVERSITY.
AND WE'RE TELLING THE STORY OF OUR ISLANDS DEEP AND UNIQUE HISTORIC ROOTS AND PEOPLE.
SO LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT THE NUMBERS BY THE NUMBERS IN OUR PARK.
OUR QR CODE SCANS HAVE SHOWN THAT 36 STATES AND 12 COUNTRIES HAVE BEEN REACHED.
UM, AND SOME OF THOSE HAVE BEEN, UM, STATES THAT IN THE PAST WE HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO REACH.
UM, SO WE'RE HAPPY ABOUT THAT.
LAST YEAR FOR JUNETEENTH, OUR CELEBRATION BROUGHT 1,346 VISITORS.
AND OUR HOLIDAY NIGHTS AND LIGHTS HAS BECOME A STAPLE WITH, UM, OUR TOWN AND OUR COMMUNITY.
AND THAT BROUGHT 2,800 VISITORS.
I, I'M ALSO VERY PROUD TO SHARE MITCHELLVILLE AND THE MEDIA.
THE NEW YORK TIMES RECENTLY NAMED US AS ONE OF THE EIGHT PLACES ACROSS THE US THAT ILLUMINATES BLACK HISTORY.
NEWSWEEK AND USA TODAY HAVE HAD US IN THERE AS A GREAT MULTICULTURAL DESTINATION.
AND THEN TRAVEL AND LEISURE DID AN AWESOME ARTICLE IN THEIR FEBRUARY ISSUE, UH, CALLED IS OF FREEDOM, WHICH HIGH HIGHLIGHTED MITCHELLVILLE AND THE GULLAH CULTURE OVER HILTON HEAD.
IN GENERAL, I'M ALSO PROUD TO REPORT THAT WE'VE RECEIVED APPROXIMATELY 6.3 MILLION IN FUNDS FROM INDIVIDUAL DONORS, GOVERNMENTS, AND FOUNDATIONS.
OUR GOAL OF RAISING 22 MILLION DURING OUR PRIVATE FUNDRAISING CAPITAL CAMPAIGN STATE FUNDING HAS GIVEN US 1.2 MILLION, WHICH WILL GO TO INFRASTRUCTURE GHOSTED STRUCTURES AND OUR CHURCH REFLECTION AREA AND WAYFINDING.
WE ARE VERY HAPPY TO HAVE RECEIVED 2.5 MILLION RECENTLY FROM THE MELLON FOUNDATION.
IT'S A, THIS GRANT HAS BEEN SECURED TO SUPPORT THE IMPLEMENTATION, IMPLEMENTATION OF SITE COMPONENTS CONSISTING OF THE FREEDOM PLAZA CLASSROOM AND LAB BUILDING OUR INTERPRETIVE TRAIL AND NECESSARY INFRASTRUCTURE FOR OUR FUTURE INTERPRETIVE CENTER.
WE ALSO HAVE RECEIVED $50,000 FROM RBC HERITAGE CLASSIC FOUNDATION TO SUPPORT THE RETURN OF OUR MAGIC YOUTH LEADERSHIP PROGRAM FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS.
FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO DON'T KNOW WHAT MAGIC STANDS FOR, IT'S MODELING OUR ANCESTORS TO GENERATE INFLUENCE AND CHANGE.
THIS IS A GREAT PROGRAM THAT'S GIVING GREATLY BACK TO OUR COMMUNITY.
SO THE BOTTOM LINE HERE, WE ARE A NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED HISTORIC DESTINATION, AND WE REQUIRE WORLD CLASS OPERATIONS.
UM, AS YOU MAY KNOW, IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO GET FUNDING FOR OPERATIONAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES.
AND THIS IS WHAT WE'RE, OUR APPLICATION IS FOR TODAY.
UM, OUR REQUEST IS NOT SUPPORTED BY ANY OTHER GRANT OR FUNDING, AND TOWN COUNCIL DOES HAVE A HISTORY OF SUPPORTING ADMINISTRATIVE REQUESTS.
SO WE WOULD REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR SUPPORT WITH THIS AFFILIATED AGENCY GRANT.
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR DISCUSSION, WE'RE WELCOME AT THIS TIME.
UM, MR. ALFRED, UH, THIS IS IN ADDITION TO A TAX MONEY THAT YOU ALSO RECEIVED.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
WE'RE ALL VERY PROUD OF WHAT MITCHELLVILLE PROJECT IS DOING.
IT'S A GREAT DRAW TO OUR COMMUNITY.
I'M WONDERING OF THE ALMOST 5,000 PEOPLE THAT YOU DESCRIBED THAT HAD GONE THROUGH THERE AND BEEN COUNTED, DO YOU TALK TO THEM ABOUT NOT ONLY WHERE
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THEY'RE FROM, BUT WHY THEY'RE THERE? UH, WE MAINLY, WELL IN OUR DATA THAT WE COLLECT FROM THEM, WE GET WHERE THEY'RE FROM.BUT JUST STANDING IN THE PARK AND OF COURSE BEING AT PROGRAMMING, UM, EVEN WHEN I GO TO THE PARK MYSELF AND JUST SEE PEOPLE OUT THERE, I DO ASK, YOU KNOW, HOW THEY FOUND THE PARK AND WHY THEY'RE THERE.
AND MOST ARE THERE BECAUSE THEY'VE SEEN IT, UM, ADVERTISED SOMEWHERE OR SOMEONE ON THE ISLAND TOLD THEM ABOUT IT, OR THEY'RE STAYING AT THE WEST END
UM, AND THEY'RE, OR THEY'RE LOOKING FOR A PLACE TO, UM, TO, TO HAVE A MORE NATURE SPECIFIC EXPERIENCE, UM, OUTSIDE OF BEACH.
SO, UH, YOU KNOW, THEN FRIENDS AND FAMILY ALSO INVITE A LOT OF MEMBERS FROM OTHER STATES TO OUR GULLAH CELEBRATION MONTH IN FEBRUARY.
SO WE SEE A LOT OF PEOPLE COMING FROM DIFFERENT PLACES DURING THAT TIME.
THIS IS A GREAT CULTURAL TOURISM ACTIVITY HERE, AND I CERTAINLY SUPPORT IT.
I SUPPORT THE ORGANIZATION AND THE REQUEST.
UM, WE APPRECIATE, UH, THE, UH, OPPORTUNITY AND THE PRESENTATION AND WE WILL BE IN TOUCH.
NEXT WE WILL HAVE, UH, YOU ALREADY STANDING.
UM, SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR ALLOWING ME TO DO THIS PRESENTATION.
THE COASTAL DISCOVERY MUSEUM HAS BEEN SUPPORTED BY THE TOWN, UH, SINCE WE OPENED IT HONEY HORN AS AN AN AFFILIATED AGENCY.
UM, WE'VE DONE THAT THROUGH A MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING, AND IT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT ALLOWS COASTAL DISCOVERY MUSEUM, OUR BUILDINGS AND OUR PROPERTY TO BE PROPERTY TO CONTINUE TO BE OPEN, FREE OF CHARGE, UM, TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC.
SO THERE'S NO BARRIER TO ACCESS.
AND WE REACH 130,000 PEOPLE A YEAR.
OUR TOURIST NUMBER IS 92%, AND I FUND MOST OF OUR OPERATIONS, UM, WITH A REQUEST FOR ATAC FUNDS.
BUT WE ALSO DO A LOT OF EDUCATION OF LOCAL RESIDENTS EVERY YEAR.
WE HAVE ABOUT 10,000, UM, PROGRAMS FOR SCHOOL KIDS, INDIVIDUALS SERVED, UM, AND A LOT OF STUDENTS COME FROM MULTIPLE TIMES TO THE MUSEUM FOR THOSE SCHOOL PROGRAMS. AND SO OUR REQUEST IS FOR SUPPORTING THAT PART OF OUR OPERATIONS, UM, BECAUSE WE FEEL IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT.
IT CONTRIBUTES TO THE WHOLE, UH, EDUCATIONAL, UM, EXPERIENCE ON THE ISLAND FOR RESIDENTS.
AND, UM, IT ALLOWS US TO NOT ONLY SERVE INDIVIDUAL STUDENTS, BUT ALSO IN THE SUMMER TO DO TEACHER TRAINING, UM, AND MANY OTHER THINGS ON OUR PROPERTY.
UM, AND SO I WILL, UH, REQUEST US FOR 102,000 THIS YEAR.
UM, AND I WILL OPEN IT UP TO QUESTIONS FROM THE COMMITTEE.
UM, WE'LL START WITH YOU, MR. STANFORD.
THE MUSEUM IS DOING A GREAT JOB.
IT'S AN INVALUABLE, UH, OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THE GROWTH OF THE MUSEUM, AND I SUPPORT YOUR APPLICATION.
I'D LIKE YOU TO DO MY PRESENTATION NEXT YEAR.
JUST ONE QUESTION, JUST OUT OF PERSONAL INTEREST.
WHAT AGE GROUPS THE CHILDREN DO YOU, UH, NORMALLY HAVE VISITING? UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S QUITE A RANGE, BUT I WOULD SAY OUR BIGGEST AREA SERVED IS, UM, ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, PROBABLY FOURTH, FIFTH GRADERS.
WE GET A LOT OF, BECAUSE THEY'RE STUDYING HISTORY AND ENVIRONMENT, BUT WE HAVE DONE A LOT OF OUTREACH TO TRY AND GET MIDDLE SCHOOL AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS INVOLVED.
AND ONE OF THE PROJECTS THAT WE'RE WORKING ON UPCOMING IS ARCHEOLOGY BASED.
AND WE HOPE THAT THAT CAN ATTRACT, UM, OLDER SCHOOL STUDENTS, UM, AS PART OF THAT PROJECT.
AND I FULLY SUPPORT THE DIRECTION OF THE LOCAL EDUCATION.
MS. ALFRED, COULD YOU, UH, DISCUSS A LITTLE BIT, UH, THE NEED FOR THE SUBSTANTIAL INCREASE IN THE REQUEST THIS YEAR VERSUS LAST YEAR? YEAH.
UM, PART OF THAT REQUEST IS WE, UM, SORT OF REEVALUATED SALARIES, UH, IN AN EFFORT TO RETAIN, UM, QUALIFIED EMPLOYEES.
AND SO THE COST FOR US TO HIRE, UH, TO CONTINUE TO EMPLOY INDIVIDUALS, UM, RESULTED IN AN INCREASED PERCENTAGE, UM, WITHIN THE, UM, WITHIN THE REQUEST.
UM, AS A, AS AN AFFILIATED AGENCY, I DO NOT EXPECT THAT
[00:15:01]
PERCENTAGE INCREASED TO CONTINUE ONGOING.IT WAS A COST OF LIVING, UM, ADJUSTMENT TO SALARIES AT THE MUSEUM.
FIRSTLY, THE ENTIRE INCREASE RELATES TO, UH, EMPLOYEE COMPENSATION, THEN? YES.
UM, I, I WON'T, UH, SAY OUT LOUD THAT WE, UH, EMBARKING UPON, UH, UH, NEW FORMAT HERE WHEN IT COMES TO AFFILIATE AGENCIES.
LAST YEAR WAS OUR FIRST YEAR LAUNCHING.
UM, SO I KNOW EVERYONE IS TRYING TO GET ADJUSTED.
THERE'S A LITTLE ASTERISK NEXT TO YOUR NAME.
CAUSE YOU MISSED THE DEADLINE.
BUT, UH, WE'D APPRECIATE IN THE FUTURE THAT WE ARE AHEAD OF TIME AS FAR AS BRINGING THE APPLICATIONS TO US.
UM, I, I WILL, I WILL GUARANTEE YOU THAT THAT WILL NOT HAPPEN AGAIN.
AND I WOULD ALSO THANK CAYA FOR REACHING OUT TO MAKE SURE I WAS OKAY.
NEXT UP WE'LL HAVE HILTON, ED, ISLAND RECREATION ASSOCIATION.
I WANT WITH THE ONE SLIDE PRESENTATION, CUZ I ALWAYS MESS UP WITH THE FLICKER SALE.
SO THOSE ARE SOME PHOTOS OF OUR, UH, ACTIVITIES THAT WE HAVE AT THE REC CENTER.
MY NAME IS FRANK SOLE, THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE HILTON HEAD ISLAND RECREATION ASSOCIATION.
UM, THIS YEAR, UH, OUR REQUEST TO THE TOWN IS FOR AN INCREASE OF 24,460 $62.
UM, OUR OVERALL, UH, BUDGET THAT WE HAVE PLANNED FOR F Y 24 IS, UH, 3.3 MILLION.
UH, THE ASSOCIATION WILL, UH, BE FUNDING THE REMAINDER AND THAT'S A 6.5, UH, INCREASE TO OUR BUDGET OVERALL, UM, COMING UP, THE REASON FOR THE, UM, EXPANSION IS FAIRLY SIMPLE TO SEE.
IF YOU LOOK EM UP IN THE, UH, LEFT-HAND CORNER, UH, OUR ADAPTIVE RECREATION PROGRAM IS EXPLODED AND WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THAT FROM WORKING WITH, UH, POCKETS FULL OF SUNSHINE TO OUR OWN PROGRAMS. THIS WEEKEND WE HAVE COMING UP, WE HAVE AN ADAPTIVE RECREATION, UH, FISHING OUT, UM, SAILING AND ROWING CENTER.
AND THAT'S JUST ONE OF THE MANY THINGS THAT WE'VE BEEN OFFERING AND EXPANDING ON AND BELOW.
ON THE LOWER RIGHT, AS YOU SEE THE YOUNG MAN FISHING, HE'S IN OUR AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAM.
WE HAVE AN OUTDOOR RECREATION PROGRAM, AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAM, AND THAT'S A COUPLE DAYS A WEEK.
BUT WE'VE BEEN TAKING, UH, TAKING THE PROGRAM OUT OF THE, THE SAILING AND ROWING CENTER.
AND THOSE ARE TWO PROGRAMMING AREAS.
NOT TO SAY ABOUT THINGS ARE NOT GOING VERY WELL.
YOU, SOCCER AND OTHER SPORTS HAVE SEEMED TO BE COMING BACK.
WE'RE BACK AFTER COVID AND JUST KIND OF LOOKING AT NUMBERS.
TWO YEARS AGO WE COUNT OUR NUMBERS AS PARTICIPANT VISITS.
WE HAD 190,000 PARTICIPANT VISITS LAST YEAR.
SO NOT ONLY ARE WE AHEAD OF WHERE WE WERE WHEN BEFORE COVID, BUT WE'VE GROWN AFTER THAT AND WE KNEW THAT WAS GONNA HAPPEN WITH THE OPENING OF THE FACILITY TOO AND THE FITNESS COMPONENT THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO OFFER.
SO THE ADDITIONAL $24,000 THAT WE'RE ASKING FOR FROM THE TOWN THIS YEAR IS REALLY KIND OF TIED INTO PROGRAM EXPANSION, UM, SALARIES, AS REX MENTIONED, TRYING TO MAIN, UH, KEEP OUR EMPLOYEES THERE.
AND THEN JUST THE COST OF GENERAL AND GENERAL DOING BUSINESS.
UH, QUESTIONS FOR THINGS FRANK.
NEEDLESS TO SAY THE REC CENTER IS INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT TO OUR YOUNG FAMILIES ON THE ISLAND AND I SUPPORT IT BECAUSE OF THAT.
BUT I ALSO THINK YOU'RE DOING A FANTASTIC JOB FOR THE ENTIRE POPULATION.
HAVE YOUR, HAS YOUR STAFF INCREASED AS WELL? I ASSUME IT IS ASKED TO HAVE.
AND SO THAT'S GONNA BE PART OF THE REASON FOR THE INCREASED ALLOCATION THAT YOU'RE ASKING FOR.
AND WE SHOULD EXPECT POSSIBLY A SIMILAR INCREASE MOVING FORWARD, ASSUMING THE PROGRAMS CONTINUE TO GROW AND YOU NEED MORE STAFF.
YEAH, I'M ALREADY ANTICIPATING THAT WE'LL NEED AN ASSISTANT FOR THE OUTDOOR REC PROGRAM JUST CUZ OF THE GROWTH THAT WE'VE HAD IN THE FIRST SIX MONTHS OF IT AND BEING ABLE TO EXPAND UPON THAT.
UM, AND I FAILED TO MENTION IS WE LOOK AT THE SENIORS THERE, BUT OUR SENIOR PROGRAM NUMBERS ARE STARTING TO COME BACK TOO AS PEOPLE COME TO THE CENTER.
SO ANTICIPATE THAT STAFFING THAT MAY HAVE GOTTEN BACK TAKEN BACK BY A COVID IS NOW GONNA BE EVALUATED
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AND, AND BROUGHT BACK.OKAY, NEXT WE'LL HAVE THE U S C B EVENT MANAGEMENT AND HOSPITALITY TRAINING.
I'M CARRIE AVETTE AND I AM THE DIRECTOR OF THE U S C B CENTER FOR EVENT MANAGEMENT AND HOSPITALITY TRAINING.
SO LET ME ME JUST SHARE WITH YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR PROGRAMS AND I'LL MOVE QUICKLY.
SO OUR FOCUS AT THE CENTER, WE EDUCATE HOSPITALITY PROFESSIONALS, WE HELP WITH VOLUNTEER MANAGEMENT AND WE HELP WITH EVENT INCUBATION.
WE, UM, DO THE ISLAND AMBASSADOR PROGRAM AND OUR ISLAND AMBASSADOR PROGRAM CURRENTLY HAS THREE SEMINARS, ISLAND KNOWLEDGE, ISLAND CULTURE, AND ISLAND ECOLOGY.
WE HIT A HUGE MILESTONE THIS YEAR AND WE CERTIFIED OVER 3000.
SO WE HIT THE MILESTONE OF 3000 CERTIFIED ISLAND AMBASSADORS.
UM, SO WE ARE VERY PROUD OF THAT, UM, REACHING THAT MILESTONE AND WE CONTINUE TO GROW.
SO DURING THE FISCAL YEAR, UM, 2022, WE HAD 67 SEMINARS.
WE EDUCATED, UM, 331 ISLAND AMBASSADORS THAT WERE CERTIFIED AND WE HAD 1,155 EDUCATIONAL HOURS AND OVER 90% OF OUR EVALUATIONS WERE POSITIVE.
SO FAR THIS YEAR, UH, WE ARE AT 37 COMPLETED SEMINARS.
WE'RE AT 362 CERTIFIED ISLAND AMBASSADORS.
SO WE'VE ALREADY MET OUR GOAL AND EXCEEDED OUR GOAL, UH, IN OUR FUNDING REQUEST FOR THIS YEAR.
AND AGAIN, OVER 90% POSITIVE EVALUATIONS.
WE'RE ON TRACK THIS YEAR TO POSSIBLY HAVE THE, UM, MOST CERTIFIED ISLAND AMBASSADORS IN THE FISCAL YEAR YET.
SO WE'RE HOPING TO DATE SINCE WE STARTED THE PROGRAM.
UM, AGAIN, WE'RE CURRENTLY AT 3,173 ISLAND AMBASSADORS.
NOW IT'S A LITTLE LOW CUZ WE STILL HAVE SOME EVALUATIONS BEING PROCESSED, SO WE'RE PROBABLY CLOSER TO ABOUT 3,300.
WE ALSO DO A QUALITY MANAGEMENT INITIATIVE, AND THIS IS OUR SECRET SHOPPER PROGRAM.
SO WE GO OUT WITH, UM, HOSPITALITY, UM, PARTNERS, AND WE HELP THEM DEFINE WHAT A, A VALUABLE EXPERIENCE IS, WHAT IS A QUALITY EXPERIENCE HERE ON HILTON HEAD ISLAND.
AND ONCE WE DETERMINE WHAT THOSE STANDARDS ARE, THEN WE GO OUT AND SEE IF THEY'RE MEETING THE STANDARDS.
AND SO WE WORK WITH OUR STUDENTS AND WE WORK WITH OUR FACULTY.
SO IT'S A WIN-WIN FOR OUR STUDENTS AND FOR THE PARTNERS.
OUR STUDENTS GET VALUABLE LEARNING EXPERIENCE AND OUR PARTNERS GET VALUABLE FEEDBACK TO ENSURE THAT EVERYONE THAT VISITS THEIR ESTABLISHMENT HAS AN AMAZING EXPERIENCE.
SO LAST YEAR WE HAD 45 REPORTS AND 16 PRESENTATIONS.
AND TO DATE THIS YEAR WE'RE AT 24 REPORTS AND FOUR PRESENTATIONS.
AND AGAIN, WE'RE ON TRACK TO, UH, REACH OUR GOALS FOR THIS YEAR'S FUNDING REQUEST.
AND OF COURSE WE HAVE VOLUNTEER MANAGEMENT AND THIS IS WHERE ALL OF OUR STUDENTS GET TO HEAD OUT AND THEY GET TO, UM, VOLUNTEER AT OUR LOCAL FESTIVALS.
WE HAD STUDENTS OUT AT, UM, WING FEST ON SATURDAY.
I HAVE SEVERAL STUDENTS HEADING OUT TO HELP WITH WINE FEST THIS SATURDAY.
AND OF COURSE, NUMEROUS STUDENTS WILL BE OUT AT THE HERITAGE.
SO WE HAD 75 HOURS IN LAST FISCAL YEAR, AND WE'RE AT 54 SO FAR THIS YEAR.
WE VALUE THOSE@INDEPENDENTSECTOR.ORG AND PROVIDE FEEDBACK IN REGARDS TO WHAT THE VALUE OF THOSE ARE.
SO TO DATE, WE HAVE, UM, VALUED OUR SERVICE LEARNING HOURS AT OVER $293,000 AND WE'VE HELPED RAISE OVER 1.6 MILLION FOR LOCAL CHARITIES WORKING AT THE EVENTS.
WE ALSO HELPED INCUBATE SOME NEW EVENTS.
WE WORKED AT, UH, THE REC CENTER ON BURGERS, BACON AND BARBECUE.
WE DID SANDBOX AT THE STABLES, UH, WITH THE SANDBOX, AND OF COURSE WE'RE EXCITED.
WE WERE PART OF 3 50 30 WHEN THE TOWN CELEBRATED AND WE'RE EXCITED TO BE A PART OF THE NEW CELEBRATION COMING UP FOR THE 40TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE TOWNS IN CORPORATION.
AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST IS FINNEGAN SHARING SHACK.
AND SO FINNEGAN SHARING SHACK IS, UM, ONE OF OUR STUDENTS IDEAS THAT SHE WORKED SO HARD TO GET IT IMPLEMENTED AND THIS IS BEACH RECYCLING.
AND SO, UM, BETHANY MCDONALD HAD THIS VISION THAT SHE BROUGHT TO FRUITION, AND SO SHE IS OUT AND SHE IS.
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COME TO TOWN AND THEY GO WHEN THEY BUY ALL OF THEIR EQUIPMENT AND THEN THEY CAN'T GET IT ON THE AIRPLANE, THEN THEY CAN DROP IT OFF AT FINNEGAN SHARING SHACK.WE CLEAN IT UP AND THEN WE RECYCLE IT.
AND ANYONE THAT'S COMING TO THE ISLAND, UH, WE HAND IT OUT FOR FREE AND WE EVEN GET REPEAT CUSTOMERS.
AND SO SOMETIMES THEY PICK UP THEIR BOOGIE BOARD FOR THE WEEK AND THEN THEY GO USE IT.
WE BRING IT BACK, WE CLEAN IT UP, AND WE GIVE IT OUT AGAIN.
UM, SO WE HAVE, UH, SO FAR IN THE, I GUESS YEAR AND A HALF TOTAL THAT WE HAVE BEEN, UM, OPEN.
WE HAVE RECYCLED 2,963 ITEMS, SO CLOSE TO THE 3000 MARK MUST BE OUR NUMBER FOR THE YEAR 3000.
SO THIS YEAR, ONCE AGAIN, WE HAD CLEMSON COME IN.
SO IN 2017 AND 18, THE TOWN REQUESTED THAT WE HAVE AN EVALUATION DONE OF OUR PROGRAMS. AND SO WE SENT OUT A REQUEST FOR, UH, PROPOSALS AND WE ENDED UP USING CLEMSON UNIVERSITY.
I KNOW IT'S HARD TO SAY CLEMSON UNIVERSITY DID THE EVALUATION FOR U S C B.
UM, AND SO WE WENT BACK AGAIN THIS YEAR, UH, BECAUSE WE FELT IT WAS TIME TO, ONCE AGAIN, HAVE OUR PROGRAMS EVALUATED.
AND SO THESE WERE SOME OF THE FINDINGS THEY FOUND OF OUR ISLAND AMBASSADOR PROGRAM.
UM, OTHER INFORMATION THAT THEY FOUND, JUST RETENTION OF THE INFORMATION THAT WE TEACH IN OUR PROGRAM.
SO WE HAD INDIVIDUALS RESPOND TO THEIR SURVEY THAT TOOK THE PROGRAM IN 2015 AND STILL RETAINED THE INFORMATION FROM AS FAR BACK AS THE 2015 CLASSES.
UM, SO THEY ALSO GAVE US SOME RECOMMENDATIONS FOR IMPROVING OUR PROGRAM.
AND THEY'RE ALL GREAT RECOMMENDATIONS TO, UH, CHANGING IT UP A LITTLE BIT FROM, UM, ISLAND KNOWLEDGE, ISLAND CULTURE AND ISLAND ECOLOGY TO ISLAND HISTORY, ISLAND TOURISM AND ISLAND ECOLOGY, AND TRYING TO REFOCUS IT BASED ON THE INFORMATION RETENTION THAT THEY FOUND.
AND SO WE'LL BE WORKING ON THAT TO MAKE IMPROVEMENTS TO OUR PROGRAM.
UH, SO IT'S GREAT INFORMATION THAT WE RECEIVED.
UM, WE ARE FUNDED THROUGH TOWN CODE AND WE HAVE BEEN HONORED TO RECEIVE THIS FUNDING SO THAT WE CAN GIVE BACK TO THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY AND ENSURE THAT ALL GUESTS HAVE AN AMAZING EXPERIENCE HERE ON HILTON HEAD ISLAND.
AND THIS IS OUR BUDGET CALCULATION FOR THIS YEAR.
SO, UM, AND I WILL PULL IT UP AND SEE IF Y'ALL HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.
THE QUESTIONS, DO YOU CHARGE FOR ANY OF THE SERVICES OR PROGRAMS THAT YOU PROVIDE? WE DO NOT.
BUT YOUR, YOUR SOLE FUNDING IS FROM THE TOWN AND AT TAX? YES, IT IS.
AND CAN YOU DISCUSS A LITTLE BIT THE NEED FOR THE INCREASE OVER 20% FROM LAST YEAR? SO WE ARE, WE RECEIVED 5% OF THE LOCAL AT TAX.
AND SO IS THE AT TAX CONTINUES TO INCREASE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE STATUTE? SO DOES OUR FUNDING, YOUR HONOR, YOU'RE, I'M ASKING ABOUT THE NEED TO MAKE ADDITIONAL EXPENDITURES THIS YEAR, NOT THE REVENUES.
SO WE, OUR PROGRAMS HAVE GROWN CON, UH, AS YOU SAW, WE REACHED OVER 3000 ISLAND AMBASSADORS AND WE CONTINUE TO TEACH MORE AND MORE CLASSES.
WE CONTINUE TO GO OUT WITH MORE AND MORE OF OUR QUALITY MANAGEMENT INITIATIVE.
UM, WE'RE BACK IN AGAIN WITH FINNEGAN SHARING SHACK, AND WE'RE HOPING TO, UM, CONTINUE TO GROW THAT PROGRAM.
SO THE NEED IS CONTINUING TO GROW OUR PROGRAMS. THANK YOU, MR. STANFORD.
I'M VERY PROUD OF THE AMBASSADOR PROGRAM.
I THINK YOU'RE DOING AN OUTSTANDING JOB TAKING VOLUNTEERS AND HELPING OUR TOURISTS, OBVIOUSLY OUR MAJOR INDUSTRY HERE.
SO THIS IS, THIS IS OUTSTANDING.
I I ASSUME OCCASIONALLY YOU GET A NEGATIVE REPORT FROM A VISITOR HERE.
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU GET A NEGATIVE REPORT ON A PARTICULAR SERVICE OR A RESTAURANT? UM, SO WE SHARE THAT WITH THE RESTAURANT.
SO AGAIN, IF IT'S WHEN I, SO I'LL, I'LL DO TWO THINGS.
SO IF WE GET A NEGATIVE EVALUATION IN OUR ISLAND AMBASSADOR PROGRAM, EVERY CLASS WE TEACH IS EVALUATED.
WE, I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT THE AMBASSADOR, I'M TALKING ABOUT THE SERVICE.
THE QUALITY OF SERVICE OR THE QUALITY OF THE FOOD THAT'S BEING SERVED.
EVERY NOW AND AGAIN, WE DO GET A NEGATIVE REPORT.
SO THAT'S SHARED WITH OUR PARTNER.
SO, UH, IF WE'RE WORKING WITH PALMETTO DUN OR WE'RE WORKING WITH THE SURGE GROUP, THEY GET THAT INFORMATION AND SO WE GET VERY DETAILED INFORMATION.
WE WILL KNOW WHO THE, UM, SERVER WAS, WE WILL KNOW THE DATE, WE WILL KNOW WHAT MEAL WAS BEING SERVED, AND WE'LL BE ABLE TO, UH, SPECIFICALLY IDENTIFY WHAT WAS THE CONCERN SO THEY CAN GO BACK AND HAVE A DETAILED CONVERSATION ABOUT WHAT OCCURRED AND MAKE SURE THAT IT DOESN'T HAPPEN AGAIN.
[00:30:01]
AFTER THAT? UM, ONLY WITH US GOING BACK IN AGAIN WITH THE FOLLOW UP VISIT WITH THE QUALITY MANAGEMENT PROGRAM.UM, WHEN STUDENTS GO OUT TO ONE OF OUR EVENTS AND POLL PEOPLE, ARE THEY BEING PAID AT THAT TIME? SO WE DO NOT HAVE, THE FESTIVAL RESEARCH IS NOT INCLUDED IN, UH, CENTER.
SO SERVICE LEARNING HOURS ARE OR ARE NOT A PART OF WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
NO SERVICE LEARNING HOURS ARE JUST OUR STUDENTS GOING OUT AND VOLUNTEERING.
UM, WORKING WITH WATER, THEY MAY BE SETTING UP, TEARING DOWN.
SO I THINK ON THE STUDENT SIDE, I'M VERY ENTHUSIASTIC, BUT I'VE BEEN WATCHING THIS PROGRAM NOW FOR THE YEARS THAT I'VE BEEN ON COUNCIL, AND IT ALWAYS LEADS ME A LITTLE BIT UNSURE AS TO THE REAL VALUE OF WHAT WE ARE DOING AND WHAT WE'RE INVESTING IN.
SO I'M GONNA LOOK AT THE CLEMSON FINDINGS WITH MORE DETAIL, BECAUSE I AM A LITTLE UNCOMFORTABLE THAT WE ARE INVESTING IN THIS PROGRAM, AND I'M NOT SURE WE'RE REALLY GETTING BACK THE INFORMATION THAT COUNCIL NEEDS TO BE ABLE TO FEEL CONFIDENT THAT IT'S, THAT WE'RE GETTING OUR BENEFIT.
A QUESTION RELATED TO THAT MM-HMM.
SO, UM, WE DO A LOT WITH THE BICYCLE, UM, BIKE WALK AMBASSADORS.
WE DO, UM, THE SEARCH GROUP AND WITH RESTAURANTS AND ALL DIFFERENT LEVELS, MANAGERS AS WELL AS SERVERS.
WE DO, UM, A LOT WITH THE MARRIOTT VACATION, AND WE DO INTERNATIONAL AND WE DO FRONT DESK RECREATION, UH, LOSS PREVENTION, HOUSEKEEPING, ANYONE THAT WOULD EVER WOULD EVEN BE A TOUCHPOINT WITH, UM, ANY OF OUR GUESTS.
UH, WE HAVE DONE SOME WITH, UM, SPA AND INDIVIDUALS EMPLOYED IN THE SPA, SO WE, WE HIT EVERY AREA.
THE REASON I HOSPITALITY, THE QUESTION IS IF I'M A, UM, A CHEF MM-HMM.
SO I WONDER HOW YOU SELECT THE PEOPLE WHO ARE GOING TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PROGRAM.
AND SO WE DON'T SELECT, WE WORK WITH OUR PARTNERS AND OUR PARTNERS MAKE THAT SELECTION FOR US.
AND SO THE PARTNERS DETERMINE WHO, WHO WILL BE COMING TO, UM, ATTEND THE COURSE.
AND IN MOST INSTANCES, UM, THE INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE ATTENDING OUR COURSE ARE, UM, BEING PAID TO ATTEND THE COURSE.
SO IT'S AN INVESTMENT BY OUR PARTNERS.
UH, I'M A LITTLE UNCOMFORTABLE WITH THE, UH, THE COMMITMENT ON THE PART OF THE TOWN TO INVEST 5% IN THIS PROGRAM ON A, ON A YEAR TO YEAR BASIS WITHOUT HAVING BETTER METRICS.
AND SO I THINK COUNCIL NEEDS TO REFLECT ON THAT COMMITMENT AS A, UM, OR THE CARD BLANCHE.
SO I, I'M JUST GIVING YOU THAT AS A PERSONAL OPINION.
AND WE'RE OPEN TO ANY CONVERSATIONS OR FURTHER CONVERSATIONS THAT YOU'D LIKE TO HAVE.
AND I'LL BE HAPPY TO, UM, SEND YOU A COPY OF THE CLEMSON REPORT.
I'LL SEND IT TO EVERY, I'LL SEND TO ALL OF YOU, UM, BECAUSE THEY HAVE SOME GREAT, I, AND I THINK THEY'LL HAVE WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR IN REGARDS TO THE METRICS OF THE VALUE OF THE PROGRAM.
UM, WE, WE, UM, FIND OURSELVES IN A SITUATION HERE ON HILTON HEAD WHERE WE ARE, UH, IN SOME CASES DESPERATE FOR A QUALIFIED WORKFORCE.
SO I CAN APPRECIATE THE PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN, UH, SOME OF THE BUSINESSES ON HILTON HEAD AND THE PROGRAM.
I'M, I'M CURIOUS TO KNOW, IS THERE OPPORTUNITY TO INFILTRATE INTO OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM THE LOCAL HIGH SCHOOLS, BECAUSE SO MANY OF OUR STUDENTS WANT TO REMAIN ON HILTON HEAD MM-HMM.
[00:35:01]
PROGRAM AT THE HIGH SCHOOL.AND SO, UM, IN FACT, THAT'S WHERE WE HIT OUR 3000 NUMBER, WAS AT THE HI HILTON HEAD HIGH SCHOOL.
AND SO WE ARE INCORPORATING THAT, UM, INTO THE PROGRAM.
AND THE OTHER HIGH SCHOOLS ON HILTON NET, ANY CONNECTIONS THERE? WE, WE HAVE NOT MADE ANY CONNECTIONS WITH ANY OF THE OTHER HIGH SCHOOLS, BUT I'M GLAD YOU SAID THAT, CUZ WE'LL REACH OUT.
UM, MR. MR. TROY, I WOULD ASK THAT YOU, UH, WORK WITH, UH, WITH, WITH, UH, U S C B HERE, UM, TO SEE IF WE CAN PULL TOGETHER THE QUESTIONS THAT HAVE BEEN ASKED BY COUNCILMAN AMES.
AND I WOULD ALSO INCLUDE A LOOK BACK, UH, FROM THE INCEPTION OF THE PROGRAM AND THEIR BUDGET AS TO HOW IT HAS FLUCTUATED IN THE COMPARISON TO THE, UH, CURRENT CODE OF THE 5%, UH, ALLOTMENT.
UM, AS I CAN APPRECIATE, UH, PAST COUNCILS, HAVING THE VISION TO HAVE THIS PROGRAM IN PLACE IS DEFINITELY, UH, A NEED IN OUR COMMUNITY.
UH, BUT I THINK IT'S, UH, IT, IT, IT IS UPON US NOW TO, TO TAKE ANOTHER LOOK, UH, TO MAKE SURE WE ARE IN LINES.
UM, SO IF WE COULD PERFORM THAT EXERCISE AND WE WILL DISCUSS FURTHER AT OUR NEXT MEETING BEFORE MOVING THIS FORWARD.
NEXT, WE'LL HAVE PAMELA BREEZE.
AND I'M MARY LOU FRANZ, THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE LOW COUNTRY REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY.
AND IT'S MY PLEASURE TO COME BEFORE YOU AGAIN, UM, THIS YEAR TO TALK ABOUT OUR REQUEST AND OUR SERVICES.
FIVE MINUTES GOES BY QUICK, UM, TO SHOW SOME OF WHAT WE DO, THE COMMUTER BUSES ON THE BOTTOM RIGHT.
UM, ONE OF OUR TROLLEY RIDERS, UM, WE, UH, WE DO HAVE A PLAN FOR THE AIRPORT SERVICE.
WE DID A CONSULTANT STUDY, AND WE'LL BE PRESENTING THAT TO THE, UM, PUBLIC PLANNING COMMITTEE APRIL THE 13TH.
UH, THIS IS A, A MAP OF OUR COMMUTER ROUTES AND, UH, WELL REALLY ALL OF OUR ROUTE SERVICES.
AND YOU CAN SEE WE BRING PEOPLE IN FROM ALL OF THE OUTLYING COUNTIES, UH, TO JOBS, UH, MORE IN THE URBANIZED AREA.
UM, THE OTHER THING I WOULD LIKE TO POINT OUT, TWO THINGS THAT I'M VERY PROUD OF, AND ONE IS WE HAVE A STATE, UH, TRANSIT CONFERENCE IN RODEO WHERE THE DRIVERS COMPETE ON AN OBSTACLE COURSE, BUT MAINTENANCE ALSO COMPETES WITH THE OTHER TRANSIT AGENCIES IN THE STATE ON A MAINTENANCE COMPETITION.
AND WE, OUR GOAL HAS ALWAYS BEEN TO WIN.
UH, WE'VE GOT UP TO SECOND AND, BUT WE'VE NEVER WON IT.
AND I WANT YOU TO KNOW, THIS YEAR WE WON THE MAINTENANCE RODEO AND WE'RE REALLY PROUD OF THAT.
WE ONLY HAVE A, LIKE A FOUR GUYS IN THE SHOP AND THEY, THEY BEAT ALL THE BIG GUYS.
SO WE'RE VERY, UH, PROUD OF THAT.
AND THIS IS THE TROLLEY SEASON FOR LAST YEAR.
UH, WE RAN FROM THE SATURDAY BEFORE THE HERITAGE TILL THE DAY AFTER LABOR DAY.
AND, UH, WE HAD 43,000 PASSENGERS, WHICH IS A REALLY GREAT NUMBER.
I HAVE TO SAY IN 21, I THINK THE ISLAND WAS VERY OVERWHELMED AND WE HAD IN THE 50,000.
BUT THAT IS REALLY THE ANOMALY BECAUSE WE KIND OF WENT BACK TO THE REGULAR, UH, AMOUNT OF, UH, TOURISTS.
AND SO 43,000, MY MARKETING GUY, UM, HAS SOME FORMULA THAT SAYS THAT REPLACED 14,000 VEHICLE TRIPS.
AND, UM, WE ALSO WANNA A MARKETING AWARD THROUGH THE AMERICAN PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION ASSOCIATION.
WE WON A FIRST PLACE AWARD FOR, UM, OUR TROLLEY ROCKS CAMPAIGN LAST YEAR, UH, NEAR LABOR DAY.
AND WE'LL BE DOING THAT CAMPAIGN CAMPAIGN AGAIN.
AND SO AGAIN, THOSE AWARDS ARE NOT EASY TO GET, SO IT WAS REALLY GOOD.
UM, WE'RE GONNA START THIS YEAR, APRIL 1ST, THE SATURDAY BEFORE THE HERITAGE IS APRIL THE EIGHTH, WHICH IS RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF EASTER WEEKEND.
SO IT'S JUST EASIER FOR EVERYBODY INVOLVED.
WE'RE STARTING THIS, UH, THE SATURDAY OF APRIL 1ST.
WE DID ADD A STOP BY REQUEST TO, UM, LUCKY BEACH, WHICH I, WHICH ALSO WILL SERVE THE ADVENTURE GOLF ON FOLLEY FIELD ROAD.
THE OLD CARRABAS, THEY ASKED IF WE COULD STOP THERE, WE'RE GOING RIGHT BY, AND WE EVALUATED IT AND IT'S A SAFE PLACE TO STOP.
UM, WE ALSO CUT BACK THE TIME ON FRIDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHT TILL 11:00 PM AND WE DID THAT, UM, BECAUSE WE DID AN EVALUATION.
THE DRIVERS KEPT TELLING US, NO ONE'S HIDING FROM 11 TO 12.
WELL NOW SURELY PEOPLE ARE RIDING, YOU KNOW, THEY CAN GO OUT AND HAVE A DRINK AND RIDE THE BUS BACK.
WELL, IT TURNS OUT THOSE PEOPLE
[00:40:01]
AREN'T READY TO GO HOME BEFORE MIDNIGHT,AND, UM, THERE REALLY WASN'T A LOT OF PEOPLE RIDING.
WE'RE GONNA USE THOSE EXTRA FEW HOURS ON ALL OF OUR, UM, FIREWORKS TUESDAYS TO GO AHEAD AND HAVE ALL THE BUSES COME BACK.
SO IF ANYBODY DIDN'T GET ON THE TROLLEY, WE'LL LET THEM KNOW THERE'LL BE ANOTHER BUS 30 MINUTES OR SO AND COME BACK AND GET 'EM.
SO WE'RE GONNA REALLOCATE THOSE HOURS.
UM, WE ACTUALLY SEND ALL OUR DRIVERS THROUGH THE ISLAND AMBASSADOR PROGRAM AND, UM, THEY CAN'T SAY ENOUGH ABOUT HOW MUCH THEY LEARN.
WE HAVE NEW DRIVERS EVERY YEAR, IT SEEMS. AND, UH, IT, IT REALLY GIVES 'EM SOMETHING TO TALK TO THE TOURISTS ABOUT.
AND THEY DO TELL 'EM ALL ABOUT THINGS ON THE ISLAND AND, AND THEY LOVE IT.
WE'RE GETTING READY TO DO IT NEXT WEEK, AND THEY'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT IT.
WE HAVE THE VIDEO MONITORS UP AND, UH, WE DO HAVE 'EM CLOSE CAPTION, BUT WE, UM, SO THAT THEY'RE NOT DISRUPTIVE TO PEOPLE THAT MAYBE DON'T WANT TO HEAR THAT.
AND WE, UH, PROMOTE ALL OF THE CULTURAL ITEMS, UH, ON HILTON HEAD, ALL OF THE FESTIVALS.
AND WE, WE, UH, ARE PART OF THE PARADES.
UM, WE'LL, WE COME AND HELP OUT ANYTIME WE'RE ASKED IF, UH, THE TOWN ASKS US TO TAKE AROUND, UM, COUNCIL MEMBERS OR, OR ANY KIND OF A TOUR, WE, WE COME AND DO IT WITHOUT CHARGE BECAUSE YOU'RE OUR PARTNER.
WE DO CHARGE FOR THE SHUTTLES, FOR THE WING FEST AND THOSE KIND OF THINGS JUST SO THAT WE, UM, DO RECAP THE COST OF IT.
SO I DON'T THINK THAT, UH, TALKING ABOUT THE ISLAND AIRPORT SERVICE, I'VE LEARNED A LOT MORE ABOUT AIR AIRLINES AND AIRPORTS AND WHAT'S GOING ON HERE.
AND JUST FROM WHAT I'VE HEARD, I DON'T KNOW THAT I'M THE EXPERT ON IT, BUT IT SEEMS THAT ALL THE PEOPLE WE HAD IN THE AIRPORT IN 2021 WAS BECAUSE WE HAD A LOT OF REGIONAL JETS FLYING IN.
AND THAT THE AIRLINES WITH THEIR PILOT SHORTAGE HAVE POOLED THOSE PILOTS TO THE BIGGER PLANES.
AND THAT THIS IS MY UNDERSTANDING AND THAT THE DEMAND IS NOT GONNA BE HERE THIS YEAR.
AND, UM, I MAY NOT BE EXACTLY RIGHT, BUT THAT'S WHAT I'VE GATHERED.
UM, SO THIS SUMMER MAY OR MAY NOT BE THE SUMMER TO KICK OFF.
UM, UH, UH, SEASONAL AIRPORT SERVICE.
WE DO URBAN BUDGET SEPARATE FROM THE, UM, UH, RURAL BUDGET.
AND, UH, SO ON THE URBAN SIDE, HERE'S A LIST OF, UM, THIS IS PRETTY DETAILED OF ALL THE CATEGORIES WE, UH, ARE BUDGETED IN AND THE PERCENTAGE THAT THE FED FEDERAL GOVERNMENT PAYS AND THE LOCAL MATCH PAYS THE OTHER SIDE OF IT.
SO AS YOU CAN SEE, THE, THE PERCENTAGE, I'M GONNA TELL YOU IT ALL CHANGED BECAUSE OF THE CENSUS DATA.
AND, UH, THE TOWN OF HILTON HEAD DID PRETTY WELL WITH THE PERCENTAGES, WHEREAS, UM, BOTH BLUFFTON AND THE UNINCORPORATED BUFORD IN THE URBAN AREA GREW.
SO, SO THAT'S HELPFUL FOR HILTON HEAD.
THE THING I WANNA POINT OUT IS ALL OF OUR COSTS HAVE GONE UP.
UH, THE COSTS OF FUEL, PARTICULARLY ALL THE PARTS, PRETTY MUCH EVERYTHING WE BUY COSTS MORE AND WE HAVE TO WAIT FOR IT.
AND SO OUR REQUEST IS BASICALLY THE SAME SERVICE, BUT, UM, ADDITIONAL FUNDS.
AND THIS IS OUR, OUR, UM, OUR RURAL SERVICE.
AND IT'S ALMOST A 3 MILLION BUDGET.
AND YOU CAN SEE THE BREAKDOWN OF THE, UH, FUNDS.
WE DO ASK HILTON HEAD TO HELP US OUT WITH $50,000 BECAUSE, UM, THE OUTLYING COUNTIES, WE ASK THEM TO PAY THEIR SHARE AND THEY STRUGGLE WITH THAT, AND A LOT OF TIMES DON'T PAY THE WHOLE SHARE.
AND SO, BEING THAT THEY'RE BRINGING ALL THE JOBS TO THE URBANIZED AREA AND TO HILTON HEAD, UM, WE'VE HAVE APPRECIATED THE RE THE, UH, CONTRIBUTION THE TOWN HAS GIVEN IN THE PAST.
ANY QUESTIONS? THANK YOU, MR. STANFORD.
MARY LOU, I'M ALWAYS IMPRESSED WITH YOUR PRESENTATIONS.
UH, YOU'VE GOT YOUR ARMS AROUND THIS PROJECT.
UM, I'M INTERESTED IN HOW YOU SEE, UH, THE TROLLEY SERVICE GROWING IN THE NEAR FUTURE.
YOU KNOW, THE, I THINK THE BIGGEST THING WE NEED, AND I'VE BEEN IN CONVERSATION WITH, UM, SOME FOLKS OVER A DEDICATED, UH, FUNDING SOURCE.
AND I BELIEVE THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE ON, IF THE NEXT TRANSPORTATION TAX ACTUALLY PASSES, A PORTION OF THAT IS GOING TO COME OVER TO THE TRANSIT.
AND I THINK THAT AT THAT POINT IS WHEN WE CAN GROW BECAUSE IT'S A HEAVY LIFT WITHOUT GRANT FUNDING, AND WE ONLY GET SO MUCH TO BUY BUSES AND TO HIRE MORE DRIVERS AND TO DO ALL THE BUY MORE FUEL AND TO DO EVERYTHING IT TAKES TO GROW.
BUT I DO SEE THE AIR, WE'LL DO THE PRESENTATION OF THE AIRPORT, UH, SHUTTLE, BUT I LOOK AT THAT AND IT GOES TO, UM, YOU KNOW, 25 DIFFERENT DESTINATIONS ON THE ISLAND.
AND AS WE DID THIS, UM, EXERCISE AND IT'S ALL MAPPED OUT.
[00:45:01]
THAT PEOPLE WORK AND THEY GO AND THEY COME AND GO FROM THAT WE'RE NOT SERVING.AND SO I CAN SEE A SIMILAR PROCESS WHERE WE HAVE, I, LIKE THE CONSULTANTS CAME IN, THEY REALLY HAD STAKEHOLDERS, THEY TOOK SURVEYS, THEY CAME UP WITH A LOT THAT I WOULDN'T HAVE COME UP WITH ON MY OWN.
SO TO PULL THE ENTIRE ISLAND, FIGURE OUT WHAT MAKES THE MOST SENSE, AND THEN TRY TO BE EQUITABLE THROUGHOUT THE ISLAND AS FAR AS WHAT THE TRANSPORTATION IS.
BUT I SEE US NEEDING DEDICATED FUNDING TO REALLY GET IT KICKED OFF.
UH, I THINK THE $50,000 CONTRIBUTION FROM THE TOWN IS WORTH EVERY PENNY FOR PROVIDING, UH, THE DAILY WORKERS TO COME DOWN HERE AND PROVIDE SERVICES TO US.
UH, I THINK I CAN POSTPONE MOST OF MY QUESTIONS TILL YOU COME BEFORE THE PUBLIC PLANNING COMMITTEE OKAY.
BUT JUST OUT OF CURIOSITY, TO PIGGYBACK ON WHAT MR. STAN JUST ASKED, MADE, UH, COMMENT, HOW MANY EMPLOYEES ARE YOU TRANSPORTING TO THE ISLAND EVERY DAY? YOU KNOW, YOU HAD ASKED ME THAT ONE TIME BEFORE AND WE COUNT THEM BY TRIPS AND IT'S ALL BROKEN UP.
AND I WENT OUT ONE DAY AND, AND DIDN'T LET ANYBODY OFF THE BUSES AND I COUNTED THEM AND WE, WE GOTTA COUNT FROM EVERYBODY.
AND I WAS PLEASED TO HEAR THAT YOUR, UH, DRIVERS ARE BEING EDUCATED BY THE AMBASSADOR PROGRAM.
I THINK THAT'S AN IDEAL PLACE FOR THAT TO HAPPEN.
YOUR DRIVERS ARE ALWAYS VERY HOSPITABLE AND POLITE AND, UH, ENTERTAINING IN MANY CASES.
MS. ALFRED, COULD YOU PLEASE CLARIFY FOR ME THE, UH, AMOUNT OF YOUR REQUEST, UH, WHICH I GATHER IS IN TWO PARTS.
ONE FOR THE RURAL AND ONE FOR THE REST? CORRECT.
UM, AND, AND HOW WE, UM, ASK FOR LOCAL MATCHES.
YOU CAN SEE ON THOSE CHARTS, UM, THE PART THAT THE GRANTS PAY FOR.
WE SPEND THE MONEY AND THEN WE GET REIMBURSED, BUT WE DON'T GET REIMBURSED AT A HUNDRED PERCENT.
AND SO WHAT'S REALLY HAPPENED WITH THIS YEAR'S REQUEST ON THE URBAN SIDE IS WE, THE MATH CHANGED WITH THE PERCENTAGES, BUT REALLY FAVORS HILTON HEAD, UH, OVER THE OTHERS.
THEY GAVE US MORE GRANT MONEY ACROSS THE COUNTRY BECAUSE EVERYBODY'S COSTS HAVE GONE UP.
AND SO WHEN THE COSTS GO UP, THE MATCH GOES UP.
AND WE REALLY HAVEN'T CHANGED A LOT FROM LAST YEAR TO THIS YEAR, BUT THE COSTS HAVE GONE UP.
AND, AND HOW MUCH IS YOUR REGULAR PORTION GOING UP? I THINK THE ENTIRE REQUEST HAS GONE UP APPROXIMATELY 50,000.
AND THAT'S IN ADDITION TO THE RURAL PART? THAT'S THE ENTIRE THING.
WELL, WE ASKED FOR 50 LAST TIME.
IT, SO IT'S 50,000 ADDITIONAL ON THE URBAN SIDE AND IN ANOTHER 50 FOR THE RIVERSIDE, RIGHT? THAT'S CORRECT.
THERE'S A HUNDRED THOUSAND DEGREES.
WELL, WE ASK FOR THE 50 FOR THE RURAL SIDE EVERY YEAR.
WE LOOK FORWARD TO, UH, FURTHER DISCUSSIONS AS YOU COME TO SEE COUNCILMAN NAMES.
UM, AND AS YOU DID, IF YOU COULD PLEASE SHARE THAT EQUATION OR FORMULA THAT YOU'RE USING, UH, TO DETERMINE THE CONGESTION RELIEF.
I'M VERY INTERESTED IN HOW YOU COME UP WITH THAT.
I WILL, I WILL, UH, FIND OUT FOR YOU.
NEXT WE WILL HAVE OUR 14TH CIRCUIT SOLICITOR.
I'M THE 14TH CIRCUIT SOLICITOR OFFICE.
JEFF KIDD IS OUR CHIEF OF STAFF.
HE ACTUALLY CREATED THE PRESENTATION THAT, THAT YOU HAVE OR THE PAPERWORK THAT YOU HAVE.
AND, UH, I BROUGHT HIM ON TO ANSWER ANY OF THE DIFFICULT QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE FOR ME.
UH, BUT LET ME GIVE YOU, LET ME, FIRST OF ALL, WE'RE NOT ASKING FOR ANY ADDITIONAL FUNDING THEN WHAT THE, THE TOWN HAS GIVEN US IN THE PAST.
BUT I WANTED TO COME AND DO TWO THINGS.
ONE IS PERSONALLY THANK YOU FOR THE SUPPORT YOU'VE GIVEN ME, BUT SECOND, ALSO KINDA GIVE YOU AN OVERVIEW OF WHAT IT IS THAT YOU'RE, THAT YOU'RE FUNDING.
A AND I THINK THE BEST WAY FOR ME TO EXPLAIN THAT IS, UM, SOMETHING THAT I GOT FROM A FRIEND OF MINE, UH, A FEW YEARS AGO.
AMY WAS THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY IN MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE, AND SHE WAS TELLING ME ABOUT A LETTER THAT SHE HAD GOTTEN FROM A PRISONER.
NOW, IF YOU'VE BEEN A DISTRICT ATTORNEY FOR ANY LENGTH OF TIME, YOU'VE GOTTEN LETTERS FROM PRISONERS.
UH, GENERALLY SPEAKING, THEY'RE NOT VERY NICE, BUT WE'VE GOTTEN LOTS OF LETTERS FROM HIM.
UH, THIS ONE WAS DIFFERENT THOUGH BECAUSE THIS GUY HAD SPENT SEVERAL YEARS IN THE TENNESSEE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS AND HE SENT HER A LETTER RIGHT, RIGHT AFTER SHE'D BEEN ELECTED AND SAID, YOU KNOW, CONGRATULATIONS FOR YOUR ELECTION.
BUT LET ME TELL YOU WHAT I SEE FROM MY END OF IT.
HE SAID, I'VE BEEN IN THE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS FOR SEVERAL YEARS, AND THE PEOPLE THAT I DEAL WITH AND SEE ON A REGULAR BASIS FALL UNDER TWO CATEGORIES.
THOSE THAT STRUGGLE WITH ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIOR AND THOSE THAT EMBRACE IT.
AND THE TRICK THAT YOU HAVE AS A DISTRICT ATTORNEY IS FIGURING OUT WHICH IS WHICH AND HOW YOU DEAL WITH THEM DIFFERENTLY.
[00:50:02]
IT WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT I'D EVER HEARD SOMEBODY REALLY SUMMARIZE VERY WELL THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN OUR MULTIDISCIPLINARY COURT AND OUR DRUG COURT PROGRAMS AND OUR DIVERSION PROGRAMS AND OUR CAREER CRIMINAL PROSECUTION UNIT.AND THOSE ARE THE TWO THINGS THAT THIS TOWN HAS FUNDED OVER THE YEARS.
AND, AND THEY'RE BOTH PROGRAMS THAT, THAT WE HAVE A GREAT AMOUNT OF PRIDE IN.
THE FIRST CONCEPT IS FOR THE PEOPLE THAT WE DEAL WITH THAT ARE STRUGGLING.
THEY MAY INCLUDE PEOPLE WHO ARE DRUG ADDICTS, ALCO, THEY MAY HAVE ALCOHOL ISSUES IF THEY, IF WE'RE DEALING WITH JUVENILES, SOMETIMES WE'RE DEALING WITH PEOPLE WHO HAVE PARENTAL ISSUES OR PEER PRESSURE ISSUES.
UM, THE REASON WE CALL IT A MULTIDISCIPLINARY COURT INSTEAD OF A DRUG COURT OR A VETERAN'S COURT IS BECAUSE WE WANT, WE HAVE THE SAME TEAM THAT DOES ALL OF THAT.
AND GENERALLY SPEAKING, WE TAKE THE DEFENDANT AND WE FIRST TRY TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THE PROBLEM IS, WHAT THE ISSUE IS, INSTEAD OF PIGEONHOLING THEM IN, YOU MUST HAVE A DRUG ISSUE OR YOU MUST HAVE AN ALCOHOL ISSUE.
SO IT'S CALLED A MULTIDISCIPLINARY COURT.
MOST PEOPLE KNOW OF 'EM AS DRUG COURTS.
SOME OF 'EM KNOW 'EM AS VETERANS COURTS.
UH, WE HAVE VETERANS OBVIOUSLY IN THIS COMMUNITY, SOME THAT HAVE GONE OFF TO SERVE OUR COUNTRY AND TO PROTECT OUR FREEDOMS THAT COME BACK WITH MENTAL ISSUES AND ADDICTION ISSUES THAT THEY DIDN'T LEAVE WITH.
AND SO WHAT OUR DRUG COURT PROGRAM SEEKS TO DO IS HOLD THOSE PEOPLE ACCOUNTABLE FOR THEIR CRIMES, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, GIVE THEM THE TREATMENT THAT THEY NEED TO LEAD SUCCESSFUL PROGRAMS AND, AND TO LEAVE OUR PROGRAM KICKING WHATEVER THEIR ISSUE WAS, WHETHER IT WAS A DRUG OR AN ALCOHOL ADDICTION OR WHAT HAVE YOU, AND, AND GO BACK INTO BUSINESS LEAD PRODUCTIVE LIVES.
UM, THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE'VE BEEN PARTICULARLY PROUD OF THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING FOR, FOR, FOR QUITE A WHILE.
AND YOUR FUNDING IS ESSENTIAL TO KEEP THAT GOING.
THE SECOND END OF THAT, THOUGH, HOWEVER, IS THE OTHER GROUP OF PEOPLE THAT WE DEAL WITH, AND THESE ARE THE PEOPLE THAT EMBRACE CRIMINAL ACTIVITY.
AND, AND THESE PEOPLE ARE WHAT WE REFER TO AS OUR CAREER CRIMINAL, CRI, CAREER CRIMINALS.
WE HAVE A CAREER CRIMINAL UNIT THAT WE HAVE HAD SINCE 2009 THAT IS FOCUSED EXCLUSIVELY ON THOSE PEOPLE.
THESE ARE PEOPLE THAT IF THEY GET ARRESTED, THEY GO TO PRISON, THEY GO TO JAIL, THEY GO TO PRISON, DOESN'T MATTER WHERE THEY GO, ONCE THEY GET OUT, THEY'RE GOING TO COMMIT ANOTHER CRIME.
AND THESE ARE PEOPLE THAT YOU HAVE TO TREAT ENTIRELY DIFFERENTLY THAN YOU TREAT THAT GROUP THAT EM, THAT, THAT STRUGGLES WITH ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIOR.
OUR CAREER CRIMINAL TEAM HAS BEEN ROLLING FOR ABOUT SINCE 2009.
IT HAS BEEN A, UH, I THINK A VERY SUCCESSFUL PROGRAM.
UM, WHEN WE FIRST STARTED IT, I TOLD THE PROSECUTORS WE HAD TO CREATE A SORT OF A UNIQUE SITUATION IN THAT WE HAD TO GET EXPERIENCED PROSECUTORS THAT WERE WILLING TO AND ABLE TO TRY CASES.
THOSE ARE NOT CASES THAT ARE PLEA NEGOTIATED.
THEY, THOSE ARE CASES IN WHICH YOU PREPARE THE CASE AND YOU TRY IT.
THEY STARTED THIS PROGRAM 2009, AND AS OF, UH, I BELIEVE YESTERDAY WHEN I ASKED JEFF THIS QUESTION AGAIN, UH, AT THIS POINT WE'RE UP TO 471 CAREER CRIMINALS THAT HAVE BEEN PROSECUTED THROUGH THIS PROGRAM OUT OF 477.
THAT'S ABOUT A 92% CONVICTION RATE, WHICH IS SOMETHING WE'RE PARTICULARLY PROUD OF.
BUT AGAIN, IT'S BECAUSE THE PROSECUTORS ON THIS TEAM HAVE TIME TO PREPARE AND THEY PREPARE THESE CASES FOR TRIAL.
BOTH OF THESE PROGRAMS, I THINK, ARE ESSENTIAL IN KEEPING THE COMMUNITY SAFE.
I THINK BOTH OF THESE PROGRAMS ACTUALLY DO TWO ENTIRELY DIFFERENT THINGS, BUT I THINK WITHOUT ONE OR THE OTHER, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S NOT REALLY WHAT WE DEAL WITH ON A REGULAR BASIS.
SO AGAIN, I, I'M NOT ASKING FOR ANY ADDITIONAL FUNDING.
I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THE SUPPORT YOU'VE GIVEN UP, BUT I ALSO, I ALSO UNDERSTAND MAYBE A COUPLE OF YOU WILL COME BY AND, AND VISIT THE OFFICE SOON.
I ENJOY SHOWING, UH, SHOWING YOU WHAT, WHAT WE DO AND HOW WE DO IT.
AND IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS, I'LL BE GLAD TO ANSWER THOSE NOW OR I'LL ANSWER 'EM WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU GET TO THE OFFICE OR I'LL MAKE JEFF ANSWER 'EM EITHER WAY.
APPRECIATE, UM, AND THANK YOU MR. KITT FOR THE, UH, WELL DOCUMENTED, UM, APPLICATION.
I, I FEEL THAT THIS IS AN AREA THAT, UH, I'M ILL-EQUIPPED TO REALLY, JUDGE, I HAVE TO GO ON YOUR WORD ABOUT THE BENEFITS OF THE, OF THE PROGRAM.
ONE QUESTION I WOULD HAVE, I THINK I PROBABLY KNOW THE ANSWER TO THIS QUESTION, IS IT SEEMS AS THOUGH HILTON HEAD IS CONTRIBUTING, UM, DISPROPORTIONATELY TO OTHER MUNICIPALITIES IN THE AREA.
UH, IS THAT BECAUSE HILTON HEAD HAS MORE CRIMINALS OR IS THAT BECAUSE HILTON HEAD IS RECOGNIZED AS HAVING SOME ADDITIONAL MONEY THAT OTHERS DON'T HAVE? IT'S BEEN A, YOU KNOW, THE THING ABOUT IT IS, I, I I WILL TELL YOU THIS, THE INTERESTING THING ABOUT THE PROSECUTOR PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE IS IT'S ALWAYS SOMEBODY ELSE'S RESPONSIBILITY TO FUND IT.
UH, IF I'M IN THE STATE LEGISLATURE, WHICH I AM, UH, REGULARLY TALKING ABOUT FUNDING FOR PROSECUTORS, THEY'RE LIKE, WHY AREN'T THE COUNTY FUNDING IT? WHEN WE TALK TO THE COUNTY, THEY'RE LIKE, WHY AREN'T THE STATE FUNDING IT? AND SO THE VARIOUS MU MUNICIPALITIES, EVERYBODY I GO
[00:55:01]
TO HAVE YET TO HAVE ANYBODY SAY, WE'VE GOT PLENTY OF MONEY.HOW MUCH DO YOU NEED? AND, YOU KNOW, LET US, LET US COVER IT.
IT'S BEEN SOMETHING THAT'S DEVELOPED OVER THE YEARS.
UH, WE GET FUNDING FROM BLUFFTON.
WE, IN, IN MANY CASES, WE'VE ACTUALLY TAKEN THIS MULTIDISCIPLINARY COURT CONCEPT AND EXPANDED IT INTO COLL AND JASPER AND AND HAMPTON COUNTIES BY USE OF FEDERAL GRANT MONEY BECAUSE WE HAVE TO FIGURE OUT A WAY TO COBBLE TOGETHER ENOUGH MONEY TO COVER IT.
UM, IT'S THE ANSWER, THE SHORT ANSWER IS, IT'S NEITHER ONE.
YOU HAVE A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF CRIME, OBVIOUSLY ON HILTON HEAD.
YOU HAVE A SUBSTANTIAL NUMBER OF CRIMINALS THAT, THAT, UH, ARE EITHER COMMITTING CRIME IN HILTON HEAD BECAUSE THEY'RE FROM HERE OR BECAUSE THEY COME HERE.
YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S THE THING ABOUT BEING THE, THE CIRCUIT SOLICITOR AND SEEING IT FROM THE PERSPECTIVE I SEE IT, UH, WE DO NOT, DESPITE THE FACT THAT IT'S HILTON HEAD ISLAND, WE DON'T LIVE ON AN ISLAND.
I DON'T KNOW OF A SINGLE GROUP OF PEOPLE THAT ARE COMMITTING, ESPECIALLY THE CAREER CRIMINALS THAT STAY IN ONE JURISDICTION.
THEY DON'T THE SAME PEOPLE THAT ARE CAUSING HAVOC HERE CAUSE IT IN AND IN RIDGELAND, THE SAME PEOPLE THAT CALLS IT IN RIDGELAND CALLS IT IN COLLISON.
AND SO IT, IT'S VERY DIFFICULT FOR ME TO SIT THERE AND SAY, ALL RIGHT, WELL YOU GUYS NEED TO PAY THIS BECAUSE THIS IS WHAT YOU'RE, IT DOESN'T WORK THAT WAY IN MY CO IN MY, IN MY LIFE, IN, IN THE WHAT WE SEE.
UM, AND THAT'S REALLY THE, THE BEST WAY I CAN DESCRIBE IT.
I, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT THE PROGRAM DOES AND WHY IT DOES IT.
UM, I WILL TELL YOU THAT NONE OF YOUR MONEY IS WASTED.
THE, THE DRUG COURT PROGRAM AND THE MULTIDISCIPLINARY PROGRAM HAS NEVER, UH, BEEN A PROGRAM THAT HAS MADE MONEY.
UH, BUT I THINK IF YOU HAVE SOMEBODY THAT YOU SEE, AND I, I WOULD INVITE YOU TO COME TO ONE OF THE GRADUATIONS WHEN YOU SEE SOMEBODY THAT'S KICKED A HEROIN HABIT OR AN OPIOID HABIT AND THEY TURN AROUND AND THEY ALL OF A SUDDEN BECOME A FATHER AND THEY ALL OF A SUDDEN BECOME SOMEBODY THAT WORKS IN THE COMMUNITY AND LIVES IN THE COMMUNITY AND, AND, AND, AND BECOMES A PART OF THE COMMUNITY.
I DUNNO HOW YOU PUT A PRICE TAG ON THAT.
UH, BUT I'VE SEEN IT APPRECIATE THE ANSWER.
I ALSO WANTED TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR PARTNERSHIP WITH HOPEFUL HORIZONS.
AND LET, LEMME ME TELL YOU FROM WHAT, AND, AND AGAIN, I HOPE SOME OF YOU COME TO THE OFFICE CUZ WHAT I'D LIKE TO SHOW YOU IS OUR VICTIM SERVICES CENTER.
WE GAVE HOPEFUL HORIZONS OFFICE SPACE IN OUR BUILDING BECAUSE ESPECIALLY IN THE AREA OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, WE HAVE A NUMBER OF VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE THAT WILL COME TO US.
THEY WILL NOT NECESSARILY WANT TO PROSECUTE THE CASE, BUT THEY NEED THOSE SERVICES.
AND THEY ARE NOW MEETING WITH US WHEN WE MEET WITH THE VICTIM ON DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, SARAH, WITH HOPE HORIZONS IS IN THERE WITH US.
AND, AND LITERALLY BEING ABLE TO, TO HAND THAT VICTIM, THOSE SERVICES IS, AND THAT'S JUST FOR DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.
THAT DOESN'T INCLUDE THE SEXUAL ASSAULTS AND THE FORENSIC INTERVIEWS AS WELL.
SO THEY ARE A TREMENDOUS PARTNER.
UM, AND QUITE FRANKLY, AS IS LOW COUNTRY LEGAL, UH, LEGAL ASSISTANCE, THEY'RE IN THE BUILDING AS WELL.
MR. ALFRED IS A FORMULA OR GUIDELINE OF ANY KIND BY HOW MUCH EACH OF THE VARIOUS COMMUNITIES, UH, BUFORD AND SO FORTH THAT HILTON HAD CONTRIBUTE? NO, SIR.
HOW IS THAT FIGURE DETERMINED AS TO WHICH JURISDICTIONS PAY HOW MUCH? THERE IS NO, THERE IS NO FORMULA ON THAT.
IT IS, IS THE QUESTION OF HOW MUCH WE CAN COBBLE TOGETHER TO GET THE JOB DONE THAT WE HAVE TO GET DONE.
UH, YOU MENTIONED EARLIER, UH, THAT PEOPLE ASK WHY ISN'T THE COUNTY PROVIDING MONEY? WHY ISN'T THE STATE PROVIDING MONEY OUTSIDE OF SOUTH CAROLINA? ARE YOU FAMILIAR WITH, WITH, UH, OTHER STATES AND I AM AND, UH, IS MOSTLY FUNDING IN THOSE CASES PROVIDED BY THE STATE OF THE COUNTY? I'VE BEEN, I'VE SERVED ON THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE NATIONAL DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFF ASSOCIATION FOR, AT THIS POINT, I THINK 10, 15 YEARS.
I'VE ACTUALLY BEEN THE PAST PRESIDENT OF THE NATIONAL DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S ASSOCIATION.
AND I WILL TELL YOU THAT EVERY JURISDICTION IS TOTALLY DIFFERENT.
UM, NORTH CAROLINA, FOR INSTANCE, THE DISTRICT ATTORNEYS THERE ARE TOTALLY FUNDED BY THE STATE EXCEPT IN MECKLENBURG COUNTY IN WHICH CHARLOTTE ACTUALLY CONTRIBUTES ADDITIONAL MONEY BECAUSE THEY RECOGNIZE THAT THIS, THAT THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE THERE DOESN'T HAVE ENOUGH MONEY TO, TO PRODUCE THE PROSECUTORS THEY NEED TO HAVE.
UM, SO IT, IT SEEMS THAT EVERY STATE IS DIFFERENT.
EVERY, YOU KNOW, WHETHER OR NOT THE EQUATION IS ON CASELOAD VERSUS POPULATION THAT SEEMS TO TO BE DIFFERENT.
THERE IS NOT ANYTHING PARTICULARLY CONSISTENT ABOUT ANY OF THAT.
BUT I WILL TELL YOU THIS, UM, I HAVE MET WITH THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE IN SOUTH CAROLINA AND WE'VE ACTUALLY, WE'RE ACTUALLY PUSHING THE CONCEPT THAT WHAT HAS HAPPENED IN SOUTH CAROLINA IS THAT THE STATE GENERALLY HAS LEFT ALL THE FUNDING TO THE COUNTIES THAT MAY BE OKAY IN A COUNTY LIKE BEAUFORD COUNTY.
BUT OUT OF SIX TO OUT OF, UH, 46 COUNTIES IN SOUTH CAROLINA, I WOULD GUESS THAT ABOUT 35 OF THEM ARE ACTUALLY OVER THE POVERTY LINE.
THAT THEY ARE HAVE HIGHER POVERTY THAN THE AVERAGE.
SO WHAT'S HAPPENED IS THE RESPONSIBILITY HAS BEEN LEFT TO THE COUNTIES, IN THE COUNTIES IN SOME CASES, IN MANY, MANY CASES SIMPLY
[01:00:01]
CAN'T AFFORD IT.SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO ADDRESS AT THE STATE LEVEL AS WELL.
BUT, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, TO, TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, THERE IS ABSOLUTELY, AS FAR AS I CAN TELL, NO UNIFORMITY WHATSOEVER IN, IN ANY OF THE FUNDING GOING OUT THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE COUNTRY.
I'VE HEARD YOU EXPLAIN THE CAREER CRIMINAL PROGRAM BEFORE AND I'M VERY IMPRESSED WITH THAT.
BUT I HAVE ANOTHER CONCERN, WHICH IS NOT UNIQUE TO ME, AND THAT IS JUVENILES COMMITTING CRIMES.
IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THAT IS EVER GROWING.
I UNDERSTAND THAT IT'S NOT NECESSARILY PREVENTION, BUT I'M WONDERING WHAT YOUR IDEAS ARE ABOUT HOW WE CAN MEET JUVENILES COMMITTING CRIMES.
YOU KNOW, IT'S INTERESTING, AND I WAS ACTUALLY CAME IN HERE TODAY AND I WAS TALKING TO SOMEBODY AND THEY SAID, WHAT'S GOING ON? AND I SAID, WELL, HONESTLY, IT SEEMS LIKE EVERY CASE THAT I'M WORKING ON, AND I'VE GOT FOUR OF 'EM THAT ARE GETTING READY FOR TRIAL IN THE NEXT SEVERAL MONTHS, INVOLVE A CHILD OF SOME SORT AND, AND EITHER A CHILD, WHICH I WOULD CONSIDER ANYONE UNDER THE AGE OF 18.
UM, OF COURSE AT MY AGE, A LOT OF OTHER PEOPLE SEEM TO BE CHILDREN THESE DAYS, BUT, UM, PEOPLE EITHER COMMITTING THE CRIMES OR BEING VICTIMS OF THE CRIMES, OR IN MOST CASES, BOTH.
UH, JOHN DUNCAN WAS 17 YEARS OLD, AND HE SHOT AND KILLED ANOTHER 17 YEAR OLD, AND THEY, THEY WERE IN A FIGHT OVER MARIJUANA.
UH, NEITHER ONE OF 'EM HAD SUBSTANTIAL CRIMINAL HISTORY, SO WE HAD NOT DEALT WITH THEM BEFORE, BUT THEY, YOU KNOW, JOHN, HE CERTAINLY MADE UP FOR IT.
UM, WE'VE GOT A SHOOTING CASE RIGHT NOW THAT I CAN'T TELL YOU MUCH ABOUT BECAUSE I HAVEN'T TRIED IT YET, UH, INVOLVING SETS OF JUVENILES, ALL OF WHICH WERE UNDER THE AGE OF 18, ALL OF WHICH WERE OPERATING AND USING SEMI-AUTOMATIC, UH, WEAPONS AND LITERALLY JUST DOING DRIVE-BY SHOOTINGS.
THEY DIDN'T HAVE PRIOR CRIMINAL HISTORIES.
ALL OF A SUDDEN THEY, THEY JUMPED ONTO THE SCENE BY CARRYING, UH, ASSAULT RIFLES.
UM, PART OF WHAT THIS MONEY GOES TO IS NOT JUST THE PROSECUTION OF THOSE PEOPLE, BUT ALSO THE JUVENILE, MULTIDISCIPLINARY COURT, THE JUVENILE PROGRAMS THAT WERE TRYING TO DO SOMETHING.
WHAT'S INTERESTING IS WHEN WE FIRST STARTED, THERE WASN'T A, WHEN WE, WE TOOK OVER THE DRUG COURT, THERE WASN'T ANYTHING FOR JUVENILES.
UM, AND, AND IT SEEMED TO ME THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE SPENDING THIS MONEY TO DEAL WITH 30 YEAR OLDS.
HOW ABOUT SPEND SOME TO DEAL WITH 13 YEAR OLDS SO THEY DON'T BECOME THE 30 YEAR OLDS.
WE STARTED PUTTING THAT PROGRAM IN, UM, AND, UM, IN JUVENILE COURT BEFORE WE DID THAT, I WENT AND VISITED THE DRUG COURT, UH, THE HEAD OF THE DRUG COURT IN CHARLESTON, WHO DID JUVENILE.
AND I ASKED HER, I SAID, JUDGE, TELL ME IS DOES IT WORK? AND SHE SAID, NO, IT DOESN'T WORK.
I SAID, WHY NOT? SHE GOES, BECAUSE WE PIGEONHOLE THESE KIDS.
SHE SAID, DON'T, WHATEVER YOU DO, DON'T PIGEONHOLE 'EM.
THE REASON WE CALL IT A MULTIDISCIPLINARY COURT IS BECAUSE THE FIRST STEP IN DEALING WITH THE JUVENILES IS LET'S ASSESS WHAT THEIR PROBLEM IS.
LET'S ASSESS WHAT THE ISSUE IS.
AND SO I THINK WE'VE GOT TO DO A BETTER JOB FIRST OF RECOGNIZING WHEN WE DO HAVE ACCESS TO 'EM IN JUVENILE COURT, WHAT'S THE REAL ISSUE GOING ON? AND IT'S NOT ALWAYS DRUG ADDICTION.
IT MAY BE A CHOICE THAT THEY'RE USING DRUGS INSTEAD OF PERFOR, YOU KNOW, WORKING WITH OTHER, YOU KNOW, BEING IN A PLAY OR PLAYING ON A SPORTS TEAM COULD BE A NUMBER OF THOSE ISSUES.
BUT I THINK WE'VE GOTTA DO A BETTER JOB FROM A JUVENILE STANDPOINT OF ASSESSING THAT EARLY AND, AND TRYING TO GET THEM INTO PROGRAMS, INTO ASSISTANCE THAT, THAT GETS THEM OUT OF THAT, OUT OF THAT CYCLE BEFORE THEY GET TO BE THE CAREER CRIMINAL THAT I'M DEALING WITH AT, AT AGE 30.
UH, MS. STONE, I'M, I'M GONNA FOLLOW UP ON, UH, COUNCILMAN STANFORD'S QUESTION, AND I'M NOT LOOKING FOR A RESPONSE HERE TODAY.
CAUSE YOU DON'T BECOME A DRUG ADDICT.
AND IT'S PROBABLY A BAD ANALOGY, BUT AS I THINK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE MOVEMENT THAT WE'VE MADE IN HEALTHCARE WITH A HUGE FOCUS ON PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE.
UM, AND I CAN APPRECIATE THAT ONCE WE HAVE A JUVENILE IN THE SYSTEM, WE START TO TOUCH AND AGREE AS TO HOW TO DEAL WITH IT MM-HMM.
I KNOW IT'S A TOUGH ONE, BUT I JUST WANT YOU TO MARINATE ON THAT ONE A BIT.
IT IS, IT IS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT.
AND I'LL TELL YOU SOMETHING THAT SOMEBODY TOLD ME, AGAIN, ANOTHER DISTRICT ATTORNEY FROM ANOTHER STATE, HE SAID, YOU KNOW, IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT, WE ARE THE DEFAULT SYSTEM.
AND I WAS LIKE, I, I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU MEAN.
HE SAID, WE'RE THE DEFAULT SYSTEM WHEN
[01:05:01]
ALL THE OTHER SYSTEMS FAIL, THEY COME TO US.SO EVERY PROBLEM THAT IS OUT THERE IN ANOTHER SYSTEM, THAT DOESN'T WORK.
I WOULD LOVE TO BE ABLE TO CUT THAT OFF AT AN MUCH EARLIER STAGE.
SO WE DON'T EVER DEAL WITH IT.
I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW A 17 YEAR OLD THAT HAS NEVER BEEN IN TROUBLE BEFORE IS SHOOTING UP ANOTHER 17 YEAR OLD'S HOUSE WITH A SEMI-AUTOMATIC FIREARM.
AND I DON'T KNOW THAT ANY OF US DO.
HOW DO WE GET TO THAT EARLIER, AT AN EARLIER STAGE? THAT'S A CHALLENGE THAT I THINK ALL OF US HAVE, ANYBODY INVOLVED IN ANY OF THE SYSTEMS. SURE.
AND, AND I WOULD AGREE WITH YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN, THAT THAT IS, THAT SHOULD BE A PRIORITY.
WELL, I, I LOOK FORWARD TO APPEALING THAT A BIT MORE WHEN WE COME VISIT YOUR FACILITY.
THANK Y'ALL VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
NEXT, WE'LL HAVE OUR BEFOR COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION.
THANKS FOR ALLOWING ME TO BE BEFORE YOU TODAY.
I KNOW OUR APPLICATION HAS AN ASTERISK.
UH, I FAILED TO FILE IT ON TIME, AND I HOPE THE GOOD WORK OF OUR AGENCY IST TARNISHED BY MY FAILURE.
UH, WITH THAT SAID, UM, OVER THE, UH, LAST FIVE, SIX YEARS, UH, UH, HILTON HEAD HAS CONTRIBUTED SOME, UH, $125,000 15,000, UH, THE FIRST FEW YEARS.
I, I WAS IN THIS POSITION, UH, LAST YEAR, LAST FEW YEARS, 25.
AND THIS YEAR WE'RE LOOKING FOR AN INCREASE TO 40,000.
UH, JUST TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF WHAT WE'RE LOOKING TO DO.
ONE IS OVER THAT SAME PERIOD OF TIME THAT THE MUNICIPALITIES HAD CONTRIBUTED, 500,000 BEAUFORT COUNTY HAS, UH, CONTRIBUTED $5 MILLION TO THIS EFFORT.
UH, THE RESULTS OF OUR EFFORTS, UH, HAVE BEEN, UH, 320 MILLION INVESTED ACROSS THE COUNTY.
UH, 1,450 JOBS AVERAGING 47,000, UH, $48,000, AND SOME 15 MILLION COMING INTO BEAUFORD COUNTY COMPANIES, UH, TO EXPAND AND GROW A LOT OF THAT FROM, UH, THE COMMERCE DEPARTMENT ON HILTON HEAD.
UH, THOSE INVESTMENTS ADD UP TO 47 MILLION, UH, 244 JOBS AVERAGING $53,000 A YEAR, AND SOME 2.6 MILLION COMING BACK IN INCENTIVES.
UH, JUST TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA, IN THE NEAR TERM, WE HAVE SOME $29 MILLION OF, UH, OF PROJECTS, UH, BY THE NAME OF BONES CLOUD AND COMA, UH, UH, POTENTIALLY IN THE WINGS FOR HILTON HEAD.
UH, AGAIN, 29 MILLION 107 JOBS, UH, OVER $50,000 A YEAR.
SO OUR, OUR PASSION IS ONE, CREATING TAX BASE.
UH, THE OTHER IS TRANSFORMING PEOPLE'S LIVES.
UH, UH, I THINK OPPORTUNITY, UH, IS A GREAT WAY TO TRANSFORM PEOPLE'S LIVES.
IF YOU JUST HEARD FROM THE, UH, UH, LEGAL COMMUNITY, I, I WILL ADD THAT, UM, UH, EARLY NEXT WEEK, UH, WE HAVE 85 INTERNATIONAL VISITORS THAT ARE GONNA BE STAYING AT THE WEST END.
UH, THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, UH, BILL MILES AND HIS STAFF IS GONNA MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S A, UH, A GREETING IN THOSE ROOMS. UH, ONE WELCOME, WELCOME, WELCOMING THEM TO OUR AREA AND PITCHING FUTURE INVESTMENTS.
THEY'RE HERE FOR A, UH, UH, A RAIL CONFERENCE.
BUT, UH, ALL INTERNATIONAL INVESTORS, I SHOULD ADD THAT IN ADDITION OF THE, UH, 29 MILLION, WE HAVE A, A HOTELIER, UH, UH, THAT'S LOOKING AT MAKING A 60 MILLION, UH, INVESTMENT ON, ON THE ISLAND.
UH, THAT LEAD WAS GIVEN TO US SOME FOUR YEARS AGO BY, UH, BILL MILES AND THE UH, UH, CHAMBER STAFF.
AND, UH, THEY'RE IN A DUE DILIGENCE STAGE.
UH, I'M TRYING TO HONOR THE FIVE MINUTES RIGHT NOW.
UH, I SHOULD, UH, ADD THAT, UH, I KEEP IN MIND YOU'VE GIVEN THIS ORGANIZATION 120, $125,000 OVER THE, UH, PAST SIX YEARS.
UH, JUST TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA, L THREE HARRIS, WHEN WE COMPETED, UH, WITH ORLANDO AND PITTSBURGH TO KEEP THEM ON MARSHLAND ROAD, UH, USING COUNTY FUNDS, WE GAVE THEM A GRANT OF A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS.
UH, THE BANK PROJECT, UH, WHICH IS LOOKED AS MANUFACTURING BY THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA, SOME $75,000 TO THAT PROJECT.
AND AG HAS, UH, AND THE COUNTY TOOK ACTION ON IT YESTERDAY, SOME $50,000 COMING IN FROM AG, THE STATE AG DEPARTMENT, BECAUSE THEY'RE USES SOUTH CAROLINA PRODUCTS TO MAKE THEIR BREW, UH, RX INDUSTRIES ANOTHER 25,000.
AND, UH, UH, WE HAVE ALSO, UH, FUNDED BLACK EQUITY.
[01:10:01]
THE REASON I GO THROUGH ALL OF THIS IS THAT, UM, I WANT YOU TO VIEW ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AS AN INVESTMENT THAT HAS HAD A BONAFIDE RATE OF RETURN.AND AGAIN, WE'RE TRYING TO DEMONSTRATE TO THE COUNTY THAT THE COMMUNITIES ARE INTERESTED.
THAT'S THE REASON FOR THE ADDITIONAL FUNDS, THAT THOSE FUNDS WILL PROBABLY RELIEVE A LOT OF PRESSURE ON MY YOUNG COLLEAGUE, CHARLIE STONE, WHO, UH, UH, DOES A GREAT DEAL OF ALL OF THE WORK.
UH, TO BE HONEST, UH, HE DOES A LOT.
WE'RE LOOKING TO ADD A MARKETING AND A, UH, UH, INVESTOR RELATIONS POSITION WITHIN THE ORGANIZATION.
WE'VE DONE ALL THIS WITH TWO PEOPLE, AND, UH, UH, WE HAD MOMENTUM GOING INTO COVID RIGHT NOW.
I BELIEVE THAT MOMENTUM IS HERE AGAIN, WE HAVE SOME HUNDRED AND 50 MILLION OF NEAR TERM PROJECTS, UH, UH, IN THE QUEUE RIGHT NOW, MEANING THAT MOST OF THOSE, I BELIEVE WILL BE, UH, UH, ANNOUNCED, UH, NO LATER THAN SEPTEMBER OF THIS YEAR.
MR. STANFORD, I THINK $125,000 INVESTED BY THE TOWN GENERATING 47 MILLION WORTH OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT HERE.
AND THESE GOOD PAYING JOBS IS MONEY WELL SPENT.
I, I HESITATE TO SAY ANYTHING CUZ WE'RE TALKING RELATIVELY SMALL DOLLARS, BUT THIS IS A 60% INCREASE, AND I PRESUME YOU'RE NOT INCREASING OTHER MUNICIPALITIES OR COUNTY, UM, CONTRIBUTIONS BY 60%.
WHY ARE YOU PICKING HILTON ED THIS YEAR? I AM NOT PICKING HILTON ED.
SO YOU ASSUMED WRONG, UH, THIS GOES ACROSS ALL FOUR MUNICIPALITIES, 60% INCREASE.
OKAY, MS. ALBERT, HOW, HOW DO WE DETERMINE THE BENEFIT TO HILTON HEAD IN PARTICULAR? UH, YOU USE A LOT OF FIGURES, BUT I, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THOSE DOLLARS MEAN IF YOU QUOTE 290,000 OR WHATEVER FIGURE FOR SOMETHING ELSE.
UH, HOW DOES IT SHOW UP IN HILTON HEAD, FOR INSTANCE? LET'S JUST TAKE THE BANK BUILDING.
UH, IT'S GONNA BE CALLED THE BANK.
IT'S, UH, SIDE HUSTLE IS GONNA MOVE FROM ARROW ROAD AND EXPAND ON BANK OF AMERICA ON COPATH.
IT'S A $15 MILLION INVESTMENT.
15 MILLION THAT YOU ARE ADDING TO THE PROJECT OR CONTRIBUTING TO IT? NO, NO.
WE ARE, WE'RE ONLY, WE'VE ONLY ASSIST WATERSON BRANDS AT THEIR, UH, BLUFFTON LOCATION WITH THEIR EXPANSION HERE ON HILTON HEAD.
UH, AND WITH, UH, AN EXPANSION THAT'LL GO ON IN BLUFFTON, UH, IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS.
SO IT'S, IT'S ONLY ASSISTING THEM THROUGH THE PROCESS AND THEN IDENTIFYING, UH, STATEWIDE INCENTIVES, UH, THAT HELP THEM MOVE FORWARD WITH THE DEALS ON, ON HILTON HEAD.
UH, WHAT WE CAN ALSO DO, AND WE DO, UH, IS, UH, USING A, UH, HILTON HEAD RESIDENT, DON K CLIPPER SMITH, WHO LIVES IN HILTON HEAD PLANTATION.
SO WHEN WE LOOK AT, UH, WHAT, UH, THE, UH, BANK PROJECT OR THE SIDE HUSTLE EXPANSION IS GONNA MEAN TO HILTON HEAD, WE, WE HAVE AN ECONOMIST GO THROUGH.
AND THE RIPPLE EFFECTS OF THAT PROJECT, UH, IN THE NEXT THREE YEARS WILL BE $46 MILLION.
SO IT'S SORT A 15 MILLION INVESTMENT.
AND ECONOMISTS LOOK AT IT AS A, A STONE BEING THROWN IN UPON AND WHAT THE RIPPLE EFFECT IS IN THE ECONOMY.
THAT ONE PROJECT HAS A RIPPLE EFFECT OF 46 MILLION.
AND I DIDN'T MEAN TO THROW AROUND NUMBERS, BUT I WANTED TO USE, UH, MY FIVE MINUTES, UH, AS EFFICIENTLY AS POSSIBLE.
UH, YOU'RE INVOLVEMENT WITH THE OLD BANK OF AMERICA BUILDING, UH, IS ESSENTIALLY TIME AND STAFF WORK? YES.
UH, WE, I, I OUTLINED THAT AS WELL, UH, USING, UH, CA COUNTY JOB FUND, UH, FUNDS WERE GIVEN THAT PROJECT $75,000 IN INCENTIVES TO EXPAND.
UM, MS. OTU, UH, I JUST ASKED THAT YOU, UM, JUST TO GO A LITTLE DEEPER ON, UH, COUNCILMAN ALFRED'S QUESTIONS.
UM, IF YOU COULD WORK WITH MR. TROY AND THE PROJECTS THAT ARE ACTUALLY ON HILTON HEAD, IF WE COULD, UM, JUST GIVE THE PERFORMANCE OF THAT RIPPLE EFFECT, AS YOU HAVE DESCRIBED IT, OVER A PERIOD OF TIME.
THE 46 MILLION, I THINK, FOR THE BANK PROJECT.
SO WE'LL HAVE THAT INFORMATION AS FAR AS A METRIC.
AND JUST TO MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND, UH, YOU'D LIKE THE DETAILS ON EACH PROJECT AND THEN RUN THEM THROUGH THE ECONOMIC MODEL, THE ONES THAT ARE ON HILTON HEAD? YES, SIR.
[01:15:01]
YOU.AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST, WE HAVE HILTON HEAD HABITAT FOR HUMANITY.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR GIVING US THIS OPPORTUNITY THIS AFTERNOON.
I AM BRIAN DOOLEY AND I'M THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR HILTON HEAD REGIONAL HABITAT FOR HUMANITY.
AND I THOUGHT I WOULD START OUT BY INTRODUCING YOU TO SOME OF THE KIDS WHO ARE LIVING OVER AT THE GLEN, WHERE WE LAST PARTNERED WITH THE TOWN, UM, TO BUILD, IN THIS CASE, 32 OF THOSE 35 HOMES AND WHERE THEY WILL LIVE AND GROW AND THRIVE.
AT THE SIMPLISTIC LOOK AT THE BASICS OF THE HABITAT PROGRAM, IT'S REALLY FOUR MAIN COMPONENTS THAT MAKE UP HOW OUR HOME OWNERSHIP PROGRAM WORKS.
AND WE ARE BLESSED TO HAVE A STRONG SUPPORT ON HILTON HEAD IN THE AREAS OF VOLUNTEERS AND DONORS WHO SUPPORT OUR PROGRAM AND WHO ARE ASKING ME ALL THE TIME, WHEN ARE YOU GONNA BE BUILDING ON THE ISLAND AGAIN? UM, WE ALSO HAVE FAMILIES WHO ARE VERY INTERESTED IN BEING HERE AND LIVING AND WORKING ON THE ISLAND.
UM, AS YOU CAN SEE, WE SELECTED FIVE IN OUR LAST GO ROUND, AND THOSE FIVE WON'T BE ON HILTON HEAD BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE LAND AT THIS TIME ON HILTON HEAD.
SO THAT'S THE PIECE THAT WE'RE MISSING RIGHT NOW.
WE HAVE LAND RIDGELAND, HARDY VILLA AND ESTEL, AND THAT'S WHERE WE'LL BE GOING NEXT.
SO WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE CHALLENGES WITH WORKFORCE HERE ON THE ISLAND, AND PARTLY LARGE PART THAT'S DUE TO HOUSING, THAT THERE JUST ISN'T THE HOUSING THERE FOR, UM, THE FAMILIES THAT WE ARE SERVING.
AND SO WE FEEL LIKE WE HAVE A SOLUTION TO THAT, THAT, UM, WE CAN BUILD BOTH SINGLE AND MULTI-FAMILY UNITS FOR THOSE FAMILIES.
WE CAN DO IT WITH THAT SUPPORT THAT I MENTIONED EARLIER WITH THE DONORS AND VOLUNTEERS THAT WE HAVE, UM, THAT ARE READY TO HELP.
AND ON AN ACRE OF LAND, WE COULD PROBABLY DO EIGHT TO 10 HOUSES IF WE DID THE MULTI-FAMILY, WHICH WE HAVEN'T DONE BEFORE.
SO I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THAT NUMBER WOULD BE, BUT OBVIOUSLY WOULD BE MORE.
UM, THE TOWN HAS DONE A STUDY THAT SHOWS THAT 40% OF THE ISLAND'S HOUSEHOLD ARE COST BURDEN, WHICH MEANS THEY'RE PAYING MORE THAN 30% OF THEIR HOUSEHOLD INCOME.
AND IF YOU LOOK AT THE LOWER INCOME FAMILIES, THAT NUMBER GOES HIGHER.
WE SET UP THE MORTGAGES THAT WE DO WITH OUR HOMEOWNERS SO THAT THEY'RE NOT PAYING MORE THAN 30% OF THEIR HOUSING, THEIR INCOME FOR HOUSING, WHICH INCLUDES THEIR PRINCIPLE THAT THEY REPAY BACK TO HABITAT AND, UM, THEIR ESCROW FOR TAXES AND INSURANCE.
AND ALTHOUGH WE'VE MOST OF THE TIME LOOKED AT LARGER LOTS, WE CAN ALSO LOOK AT SMALLER, SOME OF THOSE INFILL LOTS THAT MIGHT BE AVAILABLE, UM, THAT AREN'T AS DESIRABLE TO THE TRADITIONAL FOR-PROFIT DEVELOPERS.
AND LASTLY, THE TOWN HAS ESTABLISHED THEIR FRAMEWORK.
WE WOULD LIKE TO HELP YOU GET THAT MOVING, MOVE THE NEEDLE ON THAT AND, AND ACTUALLY GET SOME THINGS DONE.
OUR ASK IS, IS A BIG ASK, BUT I FEEL LIKE IT'S A LOW RISK ASK JUST BECAUSE ONCE WE HAVE LAND, WE TAKE ON THE REST OF THE RESPONSIBILITY, WE DO THE FUNDRAISING, UM, TO BUILD THOSE HOUSES.
WE HAVE THE VOLUNTEERS TO BUILD THOSE HOUSES AND, UM, GET THEM GOING AS QUICKLY AS WE CAN.
AND IT ALLOWS THOSE FAMILIES TO BE HERE, TO LIVE HERE, TO WORK HERE, TO GROW HERE.
OUR ASK, UM, IS A, A BIG ASK, BUT IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT IN TERMS OF WHAT THE IMPACT WOULD BE, THIS IS A LONG-TERM SOLUTION FOR THE FAMILIES THAT WE'RE SERVING.
IT IMPACTS THEM GENERATIONALLY AND FOR THE TOWN.
IT PROVIDES A LONG-TERM SOLUTION, UM, TO OUR NEEDS.
QUESTIONS, UH, THIS, THIS NEW REQUEST FOR 500,000, IS THAT ANTICIPATED TO BE AN ANNUAL REQUEST IN THE FUTURE? I THINK WE CAN TAKE THAT 500,000 AND MAKE A SUCCESSFUL PROJECT OUT OF IT THAT WE WOULD WANT IT TO BE A LONG-TERM SITUATION, YES.
AND WOULD IT BE FAIR TO ASSUME THAT YOU WOULD NOT REQUEST A DRAW DOWN UNTIL YOU ACTUALLY HAD PROPERTY TO PURCHASE
LIKE RIGHT NOW, IT WOULD BE HARD FOR US TO GO OUT AND SHOP KNOWING HOW FAST THE MARKET TURNS OVER WHEN SOMETHING COMES UP, IT SELLS VERY QUICKLY.
SO WE CAN'T GO OUT AND LOOK REALLY UNTIL WE HAVE THE MONEY IN HAND AND CAN MAKE AN OFFER QUICKLY.
HAVE, HAVE YOU DONE ANY PRELIMINARY LOOKING THAT WOULD SUGGEST WHETHER THERE ARE PARTIALS THAT YOU WOULD BE INTERESTED IN ACQUIRING? WE HAVE DONE SOME LOOKING, BUT AGAIN, ONCE THEY COME ON THE MARKET AND IT BECOMES PUBLIC,
[01:20:01]
THEY SELL VERY QUICKLY, SO.UM, I THINK ALL OF US UP HERE SUPPORT HABITAT, THAT'S, THAT'S CERTAINLY NOT THE ISSUE.
IS THIS 500,000 FOR LAND IN THE FUTURE? THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.
IT WOULD BE FOR PURCHASING LAND.
SO THE THE CHOICE WOULD BE, UM, THE TOWN BY A PIECE OF PROPERTY THAT WOULD SERVE THE SAME PURPOSE? YES.
UM, OUT OF CURIOSITY AGAIN, UM, IF, IF YOU HAD TWO ACRES OF GROUND THAT WAS AVAILABLE TO HABITAT AND YOU HAD, I'LL PICK A NUMBER 20 HOUSES, HOW LONG WOULD IT TAKE YOU TO FILL OUT THAT NEIGHBORHOOD? WELL, AS YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO, FIRST, IT DEPENDS ON THE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT HAS TO BE DONE.
THE INFRASTRUCTURE'S IN LOTS LITTLE GROWN.
YOU'RE READY FOR CONSTRUCTION.
HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE YOU TO BUILD OUT? SO IT'S A, IT'S A FUNDRAISING ISSUE, BUT WE ARE AHEAD RIGHT NOW IN FUNDRAISING AND WE GENERALLY ARE AHEAD IN FUNDRAISING, SO WE KEEP UP VERY WELL.
UM, I, I THINK A COUPLE OF YEARS WE COULD DO THAT 10 A YEAR.
WE'RE, RIGHT NOW WE DO ABOUT SIX TO EIGHT A YEAR.
AND, AND HOW CLOSE ARE YOU TO UNDERSTANDING THE HIGHER DENSITY WORK PRO, UH, PRODUCT AND IN TERMS OF YOUR NORMAL WORK, UH, PROGRAMS AND VOLUNTEERS? WE HAVE BEEN, UM, TALKING WITH OTHER AFFILIATES THAT ARE DOING IT.
WE HAVE A SET OF PLANS FROM ANOTHER AFFILIATE, UM, THAT WE ARE LOOKING AT.
UM, I, I THINK WE BE UP AND READY TO GO WITH THAT VERY QUICKLY WITH THEIR SUPPORT.
AND, AND WE'VE ALSO TALKED WITH A LOCAL FOR-PROFIT DEVELOPER WHO COULD HELP WITH THAT.
THE ONLY OTHER THING I WOULD SAY IS THAT LAST YEAR'S COUNCIL MADE A COMMITMENT TO PUT A MILLION DOLLARS IN THE BUDGET FOR WORKFORCE HOUSING.
I'M PRESUMING THAT'S A MULTI-YEAR COMMITMENT.
SO 500,000 IS A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF MONEY IN RELATIONSHIP TO A, UH, TOWN-WIDE PROGRAM.
AND THAT'S A NUMBER WE CAME UP WITH JUST LOOKING AT WHAT THE MARKET WAS AT THE TIME THAT WE WERE FILLING OUT THE APPLICATION AND, AND WHAT WE THOUGHT WE WOULD HAVE TO DO.
BUT I THINK, I THINK IT'S FAIR TO SAY THAT IT, IT IS COMPLETELY OPEN TO CONVERSATIONS WITH THIS COUNCIL TO DEAL WITH YOUR ISSUES AND FIND SOLUTIONS.
I HAVE WORKED ON HABITAT HOUSES.
UH, IT'S A, IT IS A GOOD FEELING AND IT'S WONDERFUL WHEN YOU SEE THOSE FAMILIES PARTICIPATING AND THEN MOVING IN.
SO THERE'S NO DOUBT, BUT THAT WE SUPPORT HABITAT.
THE CONCERN WE HAVE IS JUST WRITING A CHECK FOR HALF A MILLION DOLLARS.
THERE HAS TO BE CONTROLS ON THAT, BUT IT OCCURS TO ME THAT WE ARE WORKING VERY DILIGENTLY ON A PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP MODEL TO PROVIDE WORKFORCE HOUSING.
THOSE WOULD BE RENTAL UNITS AS STANDS RIGHT NOW.
BUT I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANY REASON IF WE FOUND A SUFFICIENT PIECE OF PROPERTY WHERE WE COULD DO MIXED, UH, FULL-TIME OWNERSHIP AS WELL AS RENTALS.
AND SO I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THESE IDEAS BLENDED INTO THE PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP MODEL, UM, SO THAT IT'S NOT THAT WE DON'T TRUST, BUT WE HAVE TO BE VERY DILIGENT AND, AND, AND CAREFUL WITH EXPENDITURE OF PUBLIC FUNDS.
AND SO I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE MORE DISCUSSIONS WITH YOU ABOUT EXACTLY THAT ALONG WITH SOME EXPERTISE, UH, FROM OUR STAFF ABOUT HOW BEST TO IMPLEMENT THAT.
THANK YOU, UM, FOR THE PRESENTATION, UM, THE ONLY REQUEST BASED ON THE COMMENTS FROM, UH, MY COLLEAGUES IS, UH, I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU HAVE IDENTIFIED SOME POTENTIALLY SMALLER, UM, LOTS AND THEY MAY NOT BE AVAILABLE ANYMORE.
I UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT JUST THAT HISTORY OF, UH, YOUR, YOUR FACT FINDING AND WHATNOT, IF YOU COULD SHARE THAT WITH MR. TROY SO HE CAN THEN SHARE IT WITH US, THAT'D BE GREAT.
UH, THAT CONCLUDES, UH, THE PRESENTATIONS.
I WILL OPEN IT UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENT, BUT BEFORE I DO SO, WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY IS UNDERSTANDING THAT WE WILL NOT BE TAKING ACTION ON THIS TODAY.
UM, WE ARE, UM, A MEETING BEHIND BECAUSE WE CANCELED OUR LAST MONTH'S MEETING.
UH, SO WE'LL HAVE DISCUSSION AROUND, UH, THE INFORMATION THAT MR. TROY WILL BE BRINGING, UH, BACK TO US AND, UH, MAKE DECISIONS AT
[01:25:01]
OUR NEXT F AND A MEETING.UH, ALL A TAX FUNDS, ALL RECIPIENTS MUST BE ACCOUNTED FOR FULL ACCOUNTING.
ALEX, THE MARKETING PLAN SUBMITTED BY BILL MILES AND, AND MS. UH, PERISE IS A LINE, IT'S A FRAUD.
IT'S SIMPLY AN ATTEMPT TO TR TRY AND TRICK A KNOWLEDGEABLE COUNCIL TO CONTINUE THIS TOWN TO KEEP FUNDING MILLIONS FOR THE PRIVATE CHAMBER OF LEGAL OPERATIONS IN TAX.
CAM ALEX, NO ONE HAS SEEN WHERE MILLIONS HAVE JUST DISAPPEARED HANDED TO BILL MILES WITH ZERO OVERSIGHT OR ACCOUNTING.
WHY ARE YOU NOT COMPLYING? I ASSUME PERRY IS THE ONLY ONE CLAIMING TO SEE THE ACCOUNTING LIKE PAST LYING COUNCIL MEMBERS.
HARKINS, MCCANNON, LENNOX, WHO DID THE SAME.
THE MARKETING PLAN HAS ZERO PROVEN PERFORMANCE METRICS.
ALEX, HOW DO YOU KNOW THIS CHAMBER IS NEEDED AND RESPONSIBLE FOR 2.5 MILLION TOURISTS? THE FACT IS YOU DON'T, NOR DOES ANYONE ELSE.
THE FACT IS, WITH WITH NO ILLEGAL CHAMBER, C B B A TAX FUNDED DMO TOURISM WOULD REMAIN THE SAME AND 70% VISITORS REPEATS FOR THE LAST 20 YEARS.
FACT IS THE CHAMBER MARKETING PLAN IS A FRAUD.
THE CHAMBER OF THE YEAR OF THE FRAUD.
HOW DO YOU GET THE RECOGNITION IF IT'S A CRIMINAL ENTERPRISE? THE FACT IS TECHNOLOGY, SOCIAL MEDIA, FACEBOOK, LOCAL SEARCH, LOCAL RESIDENTS AND GUESTS, SECOND HOMEOWNERS, WORD OF MOUTH AND INDEPENDENT MARKETING EFFORTS OF ALL LOCAL BUSINESSES PROVIDE TOURISM, UH, THAT WE, UH, UH, AND MORE THAN WE NEED.
WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU BOOKED A HOTEL OR A RESTAURANT WITH THE CHAMBER? HOW ABOUT NEVER.
ALEX, I ASK YOU IN THIS COUNCIL TO STOP THE CHAMBER TAX SCAM AND ROBBERY OF MILLIONS OF OUR TAX MONS, OR PROVE I'M WRONG.
CAN YOU TELL ME WHY YOU VOTED RECENTLY TO GIVE BILL MILES 350,000 MORE TAX FUNDS WHEN HE REFUSES TO SHOW WHAT HE DID WITH THESE MILLIONS ALREADY ISSUED TO HIM? IS THIS THE WAY THIS COUNCIL OPERATES THEIR PERSONAL FINANCES? WHAT A MESS.
WE'RE IN ALFRED AIMS BROWN STANFORD.
WHY DID YOU DO THAT? WHY DID YOU VOTE FOR 350,000 TO BILL MILES? YOU KNOW, I WANT TO THANK, UH, DUFFY STONE FOR BEING HERE TODAY.
I'M GLAD HE'S LISTENING TO THIS AND I HOPE THAT HE WILL ACT BECAUSE THIS IS THE LARGEST NONPROFIT TAX SCAM IN THE HISTORY OF SOUTH CAROLINA.
IT'S NOT JUST THE HILTON HEAD CHAMBER, IT'S THE MYRTLE BEACH CHAMBER.
IT'S THE CHARLESTON CBB, IT'S A BEAUFORD CHAMBER C BBB.
IT'S EVERY ONE OF 'EM THAT ARE A TAX FUNDED.
THEY'RE NOT SHOWING US WHERE THE MILLIONS OF MILLIONS AND TENS OF MILLIONS HAVE DISAPPEARED.
IT'S YOUR FIDUCIARY RESPONSIBILITY.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO LIKE ME, I DON'T WANT YOU JUST RESPECT ME.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO LIGHT MY PRESENTATION, YOU DON'T HAVE TO LIGHT THE WAY I SPEAK, BUT YOU MUST ACT MY MESSAGE IS CLEAR AND YOU'RE NOT DOING YOUR JOB.
AND I'M SO GLAD MR. STONE IS HERE TO TAKE THIS UP TO HIM AND THE ATTORNEY GENERAL ALLEN WILSON, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
ANY OTHER PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS AGENDA ITEM? SEE YOU ON NOTHING.
UM, BEFORE YOU GO, MR. I I WAS GOING TO ASK, UM, IF THERE'S NO OBJECTION, UM, I'D ASK IF THE COMMITTEE WOULD, UH, AMEND THE AGENDA MOVING FORWARD SO THAT WE CAN HEAR FROM THE DMO NEXT.
UH, THE, THE OTHER AGENDA ITEMS WILL BE STAFF RELATED, SO I'D LIKE TO TO MOVE THEM AHEAD.
MS. AMS, YOU GOT SOMETHING? MR. GRUBER, A QUESTION FOR YOU.
IS THERE SOMETHING EITHER IN THE MUNICIPAL CODE OR ROBERT'S RULES OF ORDER THAT SAYS THE PUBLIC COMMENTS ARE GERMANE TO THE PREVIOUSLY DISCUSSED ITEM ON THE AGENDA? THERE IS NOTHING CURRENTLY WITHIN THE TOWN'S CODE THAT SPEAKS TO THAT MATTER, PARTICULARLY AS IT APPLIES TO COMMITTEE MEETINGS.
UM, WE DO TALK ABOUT TIME LIMITS AND DECORUM RULES WITH REGARDS TO PUBLIC COMMENT.
I'M NOT AWARE OF SOMETHING REGARDING IT BEING GERMANE TO THE ITEM AT HAND.
MOVING FORWARD, WE'LL, UH, ASK THAT THE, THE CHAMBER COME FORTH.
CAN I ASK A QUESTION ON THE PRECEDING MATTER? OH, SURE.
I CAN COMMENT ON THE PRECEDING MATTER, WHICH RELATING, UH, ACTUALLY I CAN MAKE IT LATER.
UM, WE WILL BE, UH, TAKING ON A PRESENTATION FROM, UH, UH, DMO.
WE WILL BE, UH, MAKINGS, UH, UH, ANOTHER ATTEMPT THAT MORE DISCUSSION AT A LATER MEETING.
UM, BUT I, I JUST WANT TO TAKE A MOMENT AND GIVE THE, UH, GIVE THE COUNCIL MEMBERS HERE
[01:30:01]
A CHANCE TO, TO MAKE SOME OPENING STATEMENTS AS FAR AS OUR DISCUSSION IS CONCERNED.WE HAVE ENJOYED THIS RELATIONSHIP WITH THE CHAMBER OVER THE YEARS AND, UM, DEFINITELY, UM, UNDERSTAND THE HARD WORK THAT IS GOING INTO HOW WE MARKET HILTON HEAD.
AND I VIEW THESE DISCUSSIONS AS JUST SIMPLY SHARPENING OUR TOOLS.
AND, UH, DEF DEFINITELY CONVERSATIONS THAT THAT NEED TO BE HAD.
UM, AND WHEN IT COMES TO, UH, THE BUDGETARY, WHICH WE CAN'T GET ANYTHING DONE WITHOUT MONEY, WE UNDERSTAND THAT.
UM, BUT I THINK THIS COMMITTEE IS, HAS BEEN CHARGED FROM THE FULL COUNCIL TO START TO, UH, HIT THE RESET BUTTON AS TO WHAT THE ACTUAL AMOUNT OF COST ARE RELATED TO HOW WE MARKET.
SO I JUST WANTED TO PLANT THAT SEED BEFORE WE MOVE FORWARD AND GIVE MY COLLEAGUES AN OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE ANY COMMENTS ALONG WITH THAT.
I TOO APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT THE CHAMBER HAS PUT INTO PROMOTING OUR TOURISM INDUSTRY.
UH, BUT I CAN SAY, AND I'VE SAID THIS BEFORE, THAT I'M TROUBLED BY THE MARKETING PLAN BEING PRESENTED TO THE TOWN WITHOUT ASKING THE, THE TOWN IN ADVANCE WHAT IT WANTS AND WHAT IT EXPECTS.
I SEE GREAT GROWTH AND CULTURAL TOURISM, HEALTH RELATED TOURISM AND OTHER AREAS WHICH ARE FAIRLY NEW IN CONCEPT.
AND WE NEED TO BE PROMOTING THOSE.
I KNOW THAT YOU'RE NOT LOOKING TO PROMOTE TOURISM DURING THE SUMMERTIME.
I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT THE SHOULDER SEASONS, AND THAT'S, THAT'S HEALTHY AND I WANNA SEE THAT CONTINUE.
BUT I DO THINK THAT YOU NEED TO COME TO, UH, THE TOWN MANAGER AND OTHERS SEEKING WHAT INPUT THEY HAVE, WHAT GOALS THEY HAVE, AND BECAUSE THE TOWN MANAGER'S THE CEO OF THIS OPERATION, UH, AND SO IT IS IMPORTANT TO DO THAT.
SO I AM CAUTIOUS ABOUT RECEIVING SOMETHING FROM YOU WITHOUT YOU ASKING WHAT WE WANT.
UH, AS I HAVE PREVIOUSLY STATED, I THINK THE CHAMBER DOES AN OUTSTANDING JOB, UH, AND IS A VERY, UH, GOOD ORGANIZATION DOING A LOT OF VERY GOOD WORK.
AND MY CONCERN HAS GENERALLY BEEN, UH, THEY'RE DOING TOO GOOD AT THEIR JOB.
UM, BUT LET ME ASK YOU A, A PROCEDURAL QUESTION THAT I THINK, UH, WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR HOW THE TOWN AND THE COUNCIL IN PARTICULAR APPROACHES YOUR REQUESTS.
UH, RIGHT NOW, YOU COME IN AT, UH, ONE TIME FOR THE BASIC 30% A TAX FUND AND AT A DIFFERENT POINT OF TIME IN THE YEAR FOR SUPPLEMENTAL FUNDS, UH, PERSONALLY AND PERHAPS FOR OTHER MEMBERS OF COUNCIL.
UH, I THINK WE COULD UNDERSTAND IT AND DEAL WITH IT BETTER IF WE DIDN'T HAVE TWO DIFFERENT REQUESTS COMING IN.
SO I WOULD BE INTERESTED TO KNOW WHAT TYPE OF STEPS YOU THINK MIGHT BE TAKEN SO THAT WE ONLY ARE REVIEWING ONE OVERALL BUDGET AT ONE PARTICULAR TIME OF THE YEAR.
IT'S NOT SOMETHING I HAVE TO ANSWER TODAY.
I'M GONNA WAIT FOR THE PRESENTATION.
AND IF YOU WILL, UM, THIS IS FOR LATER.
IT WAS ALSO SENT TO YOU, UM, A COUPLE WEEKS BACK, BUT IT IS THE ATTACHMENT THAT WE BRING TO THE LETTER.
SO AGAIN, MY NAME IS ARIANA BERNICE, AND I AM HERE, UM, TO REPRESENT THE HILTON ISLAND BLUFFTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.
I OVERSEE THE DESTINATION MARKETING ORGANIZATION, UM, FOR THE CHAMBER, UM, AND ON BEHALF OF THE ORGANIZATION, UM, I WILL HOPEFULLY BE ABLE TO PRESENT THIS TO YOU AND ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE.
THIS ONE I HAVE MADE PRONOUNCE ALSO THE PRONOUNCE THAT YOU HAVE ARE THE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY.
UM, COUNCILMAN BROWN, WHEN WE ORIGINALLY SPOKE SEVERAL WEEKS BACK, YOU HAD ASKED FOR, UM, KIND OF PRELIMINARY EFFORTS OF WHERE WE WERE WITH OUR MARKETING PLAN.
WE FELT THAT WAS BEST ARTICULATED AND EXECUTED, UM, WITHIN THE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY OF OUR, UM, MARKETING PLAN.
SO THAT IS WHAT WAS ALSO SENT TO YOU, BUT WE'VE ALSO PRINTED IT, AND WE ALSO HAVE THOSE FOR OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS AS WELL AS THE MAYOR, UM, UH, TODAY TO LEAVE BEHIND.
UM, BUT THOSE WERE SENT TO THE TOWN.
SO AS THE DESTINATION MARKETING ORGANIZATION OR THE DMO FOR THE TOWN OF HILTON HEAD ISLAND, UM, WE ARE CHARGED WITH DRIVING AWARENESS AND CONNECTING VISITORS TO THIS BEAUTIFUL DESTINATION, BUT ALSO OUR COMMUNITY AND OUR COMMUNITY BUSINESSES.
I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND AND TO TALK ABOUT AT LENGTH THAT THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE HAS BEEN
[01:35:01]
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE TOWN FOR AS LONG AS I'VE BEEN HERE AND WELL BEFORE THAT.AND I THINK THAT COMES THROUGH WHEN WE ARE APPROACHING OUR PLANNING WHEN IT COMES TO TOURISM, WHEN IT COMES TO OUR INITIATIVES AS AN ORGANIZATION.
AND I THINK THIS SLIDE DOES A GREAT JOB OF ARTICULATING THAT IN TERMS OF OUR APPROACH.
SO WHEN WE THINK ABOUT TOURISM, WE UNDERSTAND THAT THROUGH THE LENS OF THE DESTINATION OR OUR COMMUNITY FIRST.
SO RESIDENTS, COMMUNITY AND BUSINESSES.
WHEN WE LOOK AT THE TOWN, THE TOWN OF HILTON AND ISLAND, WE HAVE MANY PIECES IN PLACE TO HELP ENSURE, UM, THAT WE'RE CHECKING IN WITH ONE ANOTHER, THAT WE UNDERSTAND THE PRIORITIES.
SO THAT COMES THROUGH ON THE CONTRACT, THE STRATEGIC PLAN THAT YOU HAVE IN PLACE AS THE TOWN AND YOUR COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
COUNCILMAN STANFORD, WHEN YOU HAD MENTIONED THAT WE NEED TO TAKE THE TIME TO ASK AND UNDERSTAND WHAT THE PRIORITIES OF THE TOWN ARE.
I FEEL THAT OUR ORGANIZATION DOES A GREAT JOB OF UNDERSTANDING.
WE ARE ALWAYS OPEN TO DOING A DEEPER DIVE TO LEARNING MORE, BUT WE HAVE BEEN IN LOCKSTEP WITH YOU THROUGH OUR PLAN, THROUGH OUR INITIATIVES THAT LED UP TO THAT EFFORT TO BUILDING OUT OUR DESTINATION MANAGEMENT PLAN.
THIS IS 10 YEAR VISION FOR, UM, TOURISM.
AND EVERY WORKSHOP THAT YOU HAVE BEEN, UM, IN, WE HAVE EITHER BEEN WATCHING OR PHYSICALLY IN THE BUILDING.
SO WE ARE LISTENING, WE ARE TUNED IN, AND WE ARE PRIORITIZING THE THINGS THAT YOU ARE BEING SET FORTH FOR OUR, UM, EFFORTS REGARDING TOURISM.
SO I THINK YOU WILL SEE THAT COME THROUGH NOT ONLY IN THIS CURRENT PLAN, IN THE PREVIOUS PLANS, AS WE'VE WORKED TOGETHER TO ESTABLISH THOSE PRIORITIES.
AND AS THEY'VE CHANGED, WE'VE TRIED TO EBB AND FLOW BY KEEPING THOUGH, UH, AN UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT ARE DRIVERS OF TOURISM OVERARCHING, BUT ALSO WEAVING IN THE OPPORTUNITY TO EXPLORE NEW OPPORTUNITIES, UM, AND AS THINGS EMERGE WITHIN THE COMMUNITY, BRING THOSE FORWARD AS WELL.
SO WE WILL CONTINUE TO DO THAT IN THIS PLAN.
AND WE'VE LISTENED VERY CLOSELY TO THE WORKSHOPS THAT YOU'VE RECENTLY HAD AND THE PRIORITIES THAT HAVE CHANGED AND BEEN SET FORTH.
WE HAVE ALSO TAKEN IN THOSE INTO ACCOUNT WITHIN THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE ITSELF.
WE HAVE ESTABLISHED AND LOOKED AND WORKED VERY HARD, UM, AT PUTTING FORTH A COMMUNITY CORNERSTONE PLAN.
IF YOU RECALL BACK IN PROBABLY TWO OR THREE PLANS AGO, WE STARTED REALLY PUTTING PEN TO PAPER REGARDING THIS COMMUNITY CORNERSTONE PLAN, HAVING A CORNERSTONE, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? AND YOU'LL SEE THAT, UM, THAT TERMINOLOGY COME THROUGH THROUGHOUT OUR CONVERSATIONS REGARDING OUR EFFORTS OF TOURISM AND, UH, DESTINATIONS INTERNATIONAL.
OUR GOVERNING, UM, BODY FOR TOURISM, UM, HAS REALLY SET FORTH THOSE, THOSE EFFORTS IN, IN ESTABLISHING THE PRIORITY OF HAVING THAT CORNERSTONE PLAN.
REALLY IN THE SIMPLEST FORM, IT IS ENSURING THAT YOU HAVE THE NUMBER ONE PRIORITY OF YOUR COMMUNITY, FIRST AND FOREMOST, REGARDING TOURISM.
ARE YOU ALIGNED? ARE YOU TAKING INTO CONSIDERATION THEIR PRIORITIES? ARE YOU BEING RESPONSIBLE WITH TOURISM? UM, AND THAT'S WHAT THIS PLAN SETS FORTH.
IN ADDITION, WE HAVE OUR MARKETING PLAN, WHICH THE CORNERSTONE PLAN IS WOVEN INTO.
WE HAVE OUR INTERNAL STRATEGIC PLAN, AND WE HAVE OUR 10 YEAR, UM, MANAGEMENT PLAN OR VISION FOR, UM, TOURISM.
AGAIN, WE HAD JUST KIND OF WORKED THROUGH THIS, BUT THAT, UH, VISUAL OF THE COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH.
SO WE PUT THE COMMUNITY CORNERSTONE PLAN, UM, OUT TO YOUR RIGHT, MY LEFT ON PURPOSE BECAUSE IT DOES TAKE THAT SENSE OF PRIORITY.
AND WORKING THROUGH, AND AGAIN, WE DID NOT DO THAT IN THE VACUUM.
WE DID THAT BY LISTENING AGAIN TO THE PRIORITIES OF, UM, OUR BUSINESSES, OUR RESIDENTS, OUR COMMUNITY, LOOKING AT TRENDS WHEN IT COMES TO TRAVEL AND TOURISM AND BRINGING COMMUNITY FIRST, WE WORKED VERY CLOSELY WITH THE STAFF HERE IN THESE CHAMBER, UM, HERE AT THE STAFF AT THE TOWN.
AND SO WE BROUGHT THOSE FORWARD.
WE, WE'VE WEAVED THOSE INTO A PLAN THAT AND WILL BE PUT FORTH INTO THE ACTUAL MARKETING PLAN THAT'S PROPOSED THAT COMPLEMENT THE MANAGEMENT PLAN, THE INTERNAL STRATEGIC PLAN, AND OUR MARKETING PLAN.
SO AGAIN, I CAN'T REALLY EMPHASIZE ENOUGH THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS COMMUNITY CORNERSTONE PLAN AND HOW IT REALLY COMPLEMENTS ALL THAT IS BEING WORKED ON AND DONE AS PRIORITIES AND INITIATIVES THAT ARE BEING SET FORTH BY THE TOWN AND THE COMMUNITY ITSELF.
IN ADDITION TO, UM, THE GOVERNANCE THAT WE'VE SPOKEN TO A BIT EARLIER IN THE SLIDES, I WANTED YOU TO SEE THE COMPREHENSIVE, UM, WHEEL, IF YOU WILL, OF, OF CHECKPOINTS AND EFFORTS THAT ARE PUT FORTH, UM, FOR CHECKS AND BALANCES.
SO AS THE DMO DESTINATION MARKETING ORGANIZATION, WE, UM, HAVE OUR CHAMBER OF COMMERCE BOARD OF DIRECTORS.
WE ALSO HAVE A MARKETING COUNCIL.
THAT MARKETING COUNCIL IS, UM, HAS PEOPLE REPRESENTING OUR CROSS SECTION OF TOURISMS AND BUSINESSES HERE ON THE ISLAND.
AND WE MEET ON A REGULAR BASIS, AND THEY ARE THE ONES THAT HELP, UM, ENSURE THAT WE'RE PUTTING FORWARD A COMPREHENSIVE, UM, PLAN THAT MEETS ALL THOSE EFFORTS THAT WE SPOKE TO ON THE SLIDE PREVIOUSLY.
WE DO ANNUAL INDEPENDENT AUDITS.
WE ALSO HAVE GOVERNMENT, UM, REVIEW
[01:40:01]
AT THE STATE LEVEL WITH S C P R T, WITH TURK ALSO HERE LOCALLY WITH TOWN COUNCIL AND OUR ATAC COMMITTEE.WE ARE ACCREDITED, UM, BY DESTINATIONS INTERNATIONAL.
AND THERE WERE LESS THAN 200 ORGANIZATIONS, UM, THAT HAVE THAT ACCREDITATION.
AND IT IS A RIGOROUS PROCESS AS WE ALL HAVE GONE THROUGH THAT ACCREDITATION PROCESS YOURSELF.
YOU UNDERSTAND THE, THE DETAIL THAT GOES INTO THAT, BUT AS WE WORK TO TOGETHER AND WE EDUCATE ONE ANOTHER ON ALL THOSE PRIORITIES, I THOUGHT IT WAS IMPORTANT THAT WE TALKED ABOUT THE FUNDING FLOW.
HOW ARE WE FUNDED AS A DMO? MAJORITY OF THAT COMES THROUGH THE ACCOMMODATION TAX DOLLARS.
HOPEFULLY THIS HELPS, UM, FOR OTHERS AS WELL.
THE SMITH FAMILY TRAVELS TO HILTON HEAD ISLAND ON VACATION.
THEIR HOMER VILLA OR HOTEL THAT THEY STAY IN INCLUDES AN 11 11% TAX.
AS THAT TAX IS PULLED THROUGH, UM, FOR THEIR STAY, 5% GOES UP TO THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA.
THE FIVE, ANOTHER 5% COMES BACK DOWN, UM, AND 1% IS COLLECTED FROM, UH, THE COUNTY.
THAT 11%, THAT 1% IS THAT NEW GREEN SPACE SALES TAX, 3%, WHICH IS BROKEN OUT TO BEACH TREE NOURISHMENT IN TOWN PUBLIC SAFETY.
AND THEN THE 2%, THE 2% IS WHERE, UM, THE DMO ALLOCATION OF 30% COMES FROM.
BUT FIRST, BEFORE THAT HAPPENS, 25,000 OF THAT GOES TO THE TOWN OF HILTON HEAD.
WITH THAT NEW TOTAL, ANOTHER 5% IS GIVEN TO THE TOWN OF HILTON HEAD ISLAND.
AGAIN, 70% OF THAT REMAINDER IS GIVEN TO THE TOWN OF HILTON HEAD ISLAND FOR TOWN TOURISM APPROVED INITIATIVES AND SUPPLEMENTAL GRANT OPPORTUNITIES.
THEN AT THAT REMAINDER, WE HAVE 30% THAT COMES TO THE DMO FOR MARKETING APPROVED INITIATIVES IN OUT MARKETING EFFORTS.
AND SO THAT IS THE PROCESS IN WHICH FUNDING IS COLLECTED AND IN WHICH IT FLOWS.
WE HAVE WORKED CLOSELY TOGETHER ON WHO WE ARE TARGETING IN THE OUT MARKETS, BOTH DOMESTICALLY AND INTERNATIONALLY.
WE'RE GOING AFTER THE AFFLUENT TRAVELER.
THAT HAS BEEN SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE FOCUSED ON AT LENGTH AND ENSURE THAT WE ARE CASTING A NET, BUT CASTING THAT NET VERY BROAD.
UM, AND HOW ARE WE CATCHING THAT 150,000 TO 250,000 HOUSEHOLD INCOME? WE'RE DOING THAT THROUGH TARGETED MARKETING, THROUGH MESSAGES, UM, THAT SERVE THOSE, UM, AFFLUENT TRAVELERS THAT ENTICE THEM TO COME VISIT OUR DESTINATION DURING NEED TIMEFRAMES.
WE UNDERSTAND THAT 55% OF THEM ARE, HAVE AN UNDERGRADUATE DEGREE OR HIGHER.
THEY HAVE A PROPENSITY TO TRAVEL, AND THEY LOVE TO DO THAT THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
AND THEY'RE STAYING AT LENGTH SEVEN NIGHTS.
THEY'RE SKIING A BIT MORE MAIL.
UH, BUT THAT IS JUST A QUICK ANOMALY, BUT WE STILL HAVE FAITH IN THE FACT THAT OUR FEMALE IS THE DECISION MAKER.
UM, AND WE'RE WORKING VERY CLOSELY WITH, UM, OUR ECONOMIC IMPACT, UM, EFFORTS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE KEEPING A CLOSE EYE ON THIS, UM, EFFORT.
BUT AGAIN, WE'RE FOCUSED ON THE FAMILY TRAVELER, UM, OUR REGIONAL MARKETS, AFFLUENT TRAVELER, AND THE MILLENNIAL TRAVELERS.
WE'VE, WE'VE LOOKED AT THIS WHEEL MANY DIFFERENT TIMES, AND THIS WHEEL REALLY TOUCHES ON THE FACT THAT WHO WE ARE AS CONSUMERS HAS REALLY CHANGED OVER THE COURSE OF TIME AS A CONSUMER.
AND I'M SAYING TAKE OURSELVES OUT OF THE SEATS THAT WE'RE CURRENTLY IN, BUT JUST WHAT ARE WE DOING WHEN WE'RE SITTING AT HOME, WHEN WE'RE DIGESTING, UM, INFORMATION FROM, UM, STREAMING DEVICES OR TVS, WE USUALLY HAVE MULTIPLE PIECES ON.
AND SO WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT THAT, WE AS THE MARKETERS, WE HAVE TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE REACHING YOU ON ALL THOSE DIFFERENT TOUCH POINTS AND THAT OUR, OUR ATTENTION SPAN IS CONSUMERS IS MUCH SHORTER.
AND WITH THAT, IT'S OKAY, DO I HAVE THREE SECONDS TO DO THIS? TWO SECONDS TO DO THIS, THREE SECONDS OVER HERE.
AND SO WE'RE REALLY WORKING WITH AN ALWAYS ON APPROACH TRYING TO ENSURE THAT WHEN WE HAVE THOSE THREE SECONDS, THAT WE ARE GETTING THE MOST VALUABLE INFORMATION TO THEM WHEN THEY'RE MAKING THAT DECISION.
UM, WHEN IT COMES TO TRAVEL AND COMING TO HILTON HEAD ISLAND.
SO HERE IS JUST THAT WHEEL WHEEL THAT REALLY ARTICULATES EVERYTHING THAT WE'RE DOING.
THIS IS A NEWER SLIDE THAT WE HAVEN'T, UM, PUBLICLY SHOWN BEFORE, BUT IT'S ONE THAT HAS BEEN AT, UM, UM, IN THE WORKS FOR QUITE SOME TIME.
AND IT COMES THROUGH A LOT OF CONVERSATIONS, A LOT OF LISTENING, AND A LOT OF, UM, UNDERSTANDING OF HOW WE WANNA APPROACH TOURISM MOVING FORWARD.
WE THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT AS WELL AS OUR MARKETING COUNCIL, UM, REALLY LAYERED IN THEIR OPINIONS IN, IN, IN THEIR PRIORITIES IN TERMS OF HOW WE SHOULD APPROACH, UM, TRAVEL AND TOURISM GOING FORWARD.
AND WE'RE USING VERY SPECIFIC LANGUAGE HERE BECAUSE WE FEEL THAT THAT'S A VERY IMPORTANT PIECE TO US MOVING FORWARD TOGETHER IN PARTNERSHIP.
SO RATHER THAN TALK ABOUT SPECIFIC ATTRIBUTES IN THE BEGINNING, WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT OUR DESTINATION VALUES, ECOTOURISM, HISTORY, ARTS AND CULTURE AND WELLNESS ARE ONES THAT WE'VE TOUCHED UPON, BUT PROBABLY HAVEN'T BEEN GIVEN THE PRIORITIES THAT, UM, THEY DESERVE IN, IN TERMS OF OUR BACK AND FORTH CONVERSATION WHEN WE'RE,
[01:45:01]
WHEN I'M AT THE PODIUM.BUT I HOPE THAT THIS ARTICULATES, UM, AND VISUALLY SHARES THAT WE HAVE BEEN LISTENING.
BUT I WILL ALSO SAY THESE HAVE THI THESE ARE THING, THESE ARE, UM, ELEMENTS OR VALUES THAT WE HAVE AND WILL CONTINUE TO PUT INTO OUR MARKETING MATERIALS.
BUT WHAT WE ARE GOING TO DO GOING FORWARD IS MAKE SURE THAT YOU ARE SEEING THOSE ON A REGULAR BASIS THROUGH OUR UPDATES AND OUR COMMUNICATION EFFORTS.
UM, AND WE HAVE SPOKEN AT, AT LENGTH, AND I'LL BE RESPECTFUL OF TIME, BUT OUR EFFORTS WITHIN ECOTOURISM, HOW DO WE BUILD UPON THOSE? HOW DO WE TAKE THE RICH HISTORY AND CULTURE THAT WE HAVE HERE AND BRING THOSE STORIES FORWARD AND COMMUNICATE TO, TO YOU THE, THE THINGS THAT WE'RE PUTTING IN PLACE, SO ON AND SO FORTH AS ATTRIBUTES.
WE WILL CONTINUE TO TALK ABOUT RECREATION, CULINARY, BIKING, RETAIL MEETINGS AND GROUPS, WEDDINGS, GOLF AND TENNIS AND ALL.
EVERYONE'S NEW FAVORITE PICKLEBALL, DOES EVERYBODY TRY PICKLEBALL? IT'S ADDICTED.
SO WE'RE VERY EXCITED ABOUT THOSE ATTRIBUTES, BUT AGAIN, THEY WILL BE SUPPORTED THROUGH OUR DESTINATION DNA, WHICH ARE VALUES THAT YOU SEE THERE, THE TIMELINE THAT'S IN PLACE.
UM, WE HAVE A FEW NEW ELEMENTS IN, UM, IN THAT LIST THERE THAT WERE NOT THERE IN YEARS PRIOR.
AND COUNCILMAN BROWN, YOU SPOKE TO SOME OF THOSE AND WE'RE SO EXCITED TO BE ABLE TO WORK WITH YOU AT LENGTH AND, UM, AT DEPTH AND IN TERMS OF THESE PRESENTATIONS AND THESE CONVERSATIONS.
SO THESE ARE THE NEW TIMELINES.
WE WILL END UP PUTTING THAT FINAL PLAN, UM, IN FRONT OF YOU DIGITALLY, UM, FOR UNTIL FINAL APPROVAL, UM, ON JUNE 30TH.
BUT LET'S GET TO THE REALLY WORKING PIECES OF WHAT THE MARKETING PLAN AFTER THE VALUES AND OUR CORE ATTRIBUTES, WHAT WE WILL REALLY TALK ABOUT AND MOVE FORWARD WITHIN THE PLAN.
THE OVERARCHING GOAL, AND AGAIN, WORKING CLOSELY WITH OUR MARKETING COUNCIL AND OUR, UM, TOWN STAFF AND HEARING ALL THE PIECES OF FEEDBACK THAT WE ARE GETTING, THAT WE WANNA ENSURE THAT THE OVERARCHING GOAL FOR DESTINATION MARKETING IS TO ENSURE AND DRIVE QUALIFIED VISITATION TO THE DESTINATION.
THE NEW NUMBER ONE, DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENTED COMMUNITY CORNERSTONE PLAN IS THE NEWEST PIECE TO THIS YEAR'S PLAN.
THE FOUR, THE FIVE REMAINING UNDERNEATH ARE THE ONES THAT YOU SAW LAST YEAR, BUT THEY ARE MULTI-YEAR EFFORTS THAT WE FEEL THAT WE CONTINUE TO GROW ON AND GET DEEPER AND MORE, UM, AND DEVELOP MORE FOR YOU.
AND SO I WILL FOCUS ON NUMBER ONE AS WE MOVE FORWARD, BUT PLEASE UNDERSTAND THAT'S THE NEWEST ONE, THE FIVE UNDERNEATH IT, NUMBER TWO THROUGH SIX, THE ONES THAT WERE PRESENTED IN LAST YEAR'S PLAN, AND AGAIN, COLLECTIVELY AGREED UPON, UM, WITH OUR, NOT ONLY OUR MARKETING COUNCIL, BUT THE TOWN AS IT WAS APPROVED.
SO DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENTED COMMUNITY CORNERSTONE PLAN.
THIS IS THE NEWEST ITERATION OF THAT, AND WE'RE VERY EXCITED TO BRING THIS FORWARD.
THERE HAS BEEN A LOT OF HARD WORK DONE BY THE TOWN OURSELVES IN BRINGING THIS COMMUNITY CORNERSTONE PLAN TO LIFE.
UM, UNDERNEATH IT ITSELF, YOU WILL HAVE FIVE STRATEGIES.
THE PIECE THAT I JUST DROPPED OFF TO YOU EARLIER DOES OUTLINE THAT.
AND SO I WILL LET YOU GO THROUGH THAT AT LENGTH, AND I'M HOPEFUL TO HAVE DEEPER CONVERSATIONS ON EACH ONE OF THESE.
BUT AS YOU TALK THROUGH, BUILDING AND IMPLEMENTING THE CORNERSTONE PLAN WILL HAVE FOSTER EFFECTIVE AND INCLUSIVE COMMUNITY COLLABORATION AT ATTRACT EXTRAORDINARY TALENT, DIVERSIFY THE VISITOR AND LOCAL EXPERIENCE YEAR ROUND, MODERNIZE ISLAND CAPITAL INVESTMENT AND VENUE CAPABILITIES FOR THE FUTURE, AND IMPROVE MOBILITY AND CONNECTIVITY TO SUPPORT LOCAL BUSINESSES.
EACH ONE OF THESE STRATEGIES HAS TACTICS OWNERS.
THERE'S MULTIPLE OWNERS WITHIN EACH TACTIC, AND THERE'S YEARS IN WHICH THOSE WILL BE COMPLETED OR PROJECTED COMPLETION.
AND SO WITH THAT, THAT WAS WHAT YOU'LL FIND THAT DETAIL WITHIN YOUR PLAN.
WE'RE EXCITED TO HOLD HANDS AND MOVE FORWARD WITH THOSE STRATEGIES THAT ARE SPECIFIC TO THE CORNERSTONE PLAN ALONGSIDE ALL OF OUR OUT MARKETING, WHICH ARE REMAINDER TWO THROUGH FIVE THAT WE SAW ON THE PREVIOUS SCREEN.
SO IT IS COMPREHENSIVE, BUT PLEASE NOTE THE MOST IMPORTANT PIECE OF OUR CONVERSATION TODAY IS THAT COMMUNITY IS FIRST.
WE LISTENED AND WE'VE LISTENED CLOSELY AND UNDERSTAND THAT THE PRIORITIES ARE RESPONSIBLE TOURISM, RESIDENTS AND COMMUNITY FIRST, AND THAT WE WILL DO THAT GOING FORWARD IN PARTNERSHIP.
WE'VE ALSO PUT FORWARD THE PROPOSED BUDGET AND WORKING VERY CLOSELY WITH MR. TROYER HERE IN, UH, THE TOWN AS WELL AS, UM, RAY DEAL HERE, UM, IN PARTNERSHIP TO GET TO THIS PROJECTED NUMBER BASED ON, UM, YOU KNOW, INFORMATION WE RECEIVED FROM THE TOWN AND THEIR PROJECTIONS AND OUR PROJECTION HERE.
I'M GONNA HOLD THE QUESTIONS, UM, OR COMMENTS, UH, FROM THE DIAS OPEN THE FLOOR ONTO THE PUBLIC.
ANYONE WANNA MAKE, UH, COMMENTS ON
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THIS PARTICULAR PARTICULAR ITEM? NO.UM, WE HAVE MADE SOME, UH, OPENING COMMENTS.
WE'VE RE RECEIVED SOME VERY GOOD INFORMATION AND, UH, WE LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING THE CONVERSATION, SO THANK YOU.
UM, IN THE SAKE OF TIME HERE, UH, I'M GONNA ASK STAFF THAT WE COME FORWARD, UH, WITH THE IMPACT FEE, UH, PIECE.
MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE, UM, JUST TO KIND OF BRING EVERYBODY BACK UP TO SPEED ON THIS ITEM.
THIS IS A MATTER THAT HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN THROUGH THE COMMITTEE LAST YEAR, UH, HAD BEEN PENDING BEFORE TOWN COUNCIL.
THERE WERE SEVERAL NOVEL QUESTIONS THAT WERE RAISED REGARDING THE PROGRAM, HOW IT WOULD BE CARRIED OUT, AND ULTIMATELY, UM, THE REQUEST WAS MADE BY COUNCIL TO SEND THIS MATTER BACK TO THE COMMITTEE FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.
UH, AS A, UH, KIND OF A BACKGROUND INFORMATION, UH, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THE TOWN IS OPERATING UNDER A CURRENT IMPACT FEE AGREEMENT WITH BEAUFORT COUNTY, WHEREIN WE COLLECT TRAFFIC PARKS AND RECREATION AND, UM, LIBRARY IMPACT FEES.
AND, UH, THE COUNTY'S ORDINANCE AND THE STUDY THAT'S THE SUPPORTING BASIS FOR THAT ORDINANCE IS NOW ALMOST 16 YEARS OLD, WHICH PURSUANT TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF STATE LAW IS, IS LIKELY TOO LONG IN ORDER TO REMAIN VALID.
AND SO THE COUNTY, SEVERAL YEARS AGO BEGAN THE PROCESS OF UPDATING, UH, THEIR UNDERLYING STUDY AND JUST RECENTLY ADOPTED THEIR NEW IMPACT FEE ORDINANCE.
UH, IN ORDER FOR THE TOWN TO PARTICIPATE UNDER THAT ORDINANCE, WE WOULD HAVE TO ENTER INTO AN INTERGOVERNMENTAL AGREEMENT WITH BUFORD COUNTY.
AND SO THAT IS WHAT IS BEFORE YOU, UH, TODAY IS CONSIDERATION OF ENTERING INTO THAT INTERGOVERNMENTAL AGREEMENT.
BASED UPON THE PREVIOUS CONVERSATIONS WITH THE COMMITTEE AND COUNCIL STAFF IS RECOMMENDING THAT WE DO NOT PURSUE A PARKS AND RECREATION IMPACT FEE AT THIS TIME.
IF WE ARE SUCCESSFUL IN ACQUIRING THE LAND SWAP THAT HAS ALREADY BEEN APPROVED BY COUNCIL.
ESSENTIALLY, THE TOWN WILL WIND UP OWNING ALL OF THE PARKS AND RECREATION PARCELS THAT ARE LOCATED ON FULTON HEAD.
AND ONCE THAT'S DONE, THE TOWN COUNCIL CAN, UH, PURSUE THEIR OWN, UH, IMPACT FEE ORDINANCE FOR PARKS AND RECREATION, IF THEY SO CHOOSE.
THAT LEAVES US WITH THE LIBRARY IMPACT FEES AND THE TRAFFIC IMPACT FEES.
UH, AGAIN, THE LIBRARY AND IMPACT FEES ARE PRETTY STRAIGHTFORWARD.
THEY'RE ONLY APPLICABLE TO THE LIBRARY HERE ON HILTON HEAD.
SO THE MONIES THAT ARE COLLECTED HERE REMAIN HERE, AND THEY GO TOWARDS THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLANS THAT HAVE BEEN PROPOSED, UH, AND ADOPTED BY THE LIBRARY IN TERMS OF THE TRAFFIC IMPACT FEE.
AND THAT'S WHERE I WANNA SPEND JUST A COUPLE OF MINUTES BECAUSE THOSE WERE REALLY WHERE THE QUESTIONS, I THINK CENTERED, UH, IN TERMS OF WHEN THIS MATTER CAME FORWARD BEFORE THE FIRST QUESTION CENTERED AROUND HOW THE IMPACT FEES WILL BE COLLECTED, UH, WITH THE COUNTY ESSENTIALLY HAVING THE PROGRAM AND THE TOWN AGREEING TO PARTICIPATE, WE WERE INITIALLY LOOKING AT HAVING A SITUATION WHERE EITHER THROUGH A PORTAL OR SOME OTHER KIND OF USE OF TECHNOLOGY, HAVING THE ABILITY FOR CITIZENS TO BASICALLY, UM, GO ONLINE TO BE ABLE TO APPLY AND PAY FOR THEIR PERMITS, THAT ULTIMATELY, UH, HAS PROVEN TO NOT BE POSSIBLE.
AND SO IN ORDER TO ENSURE THE HILTON HEAD RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES DO NOT NEED TO GO TO MULTIPLE LOCATIONS IN ORDER TO GET PERMITS AND PAY FOR THEIR FEES, THE TOWN IS PRO PROPOSING TO RETAIN CONTROL OF ADMINISTERING AND COLLECTING THE IMPACT FEES ON THE COUNTY'S BEHALF.
THAT WAY INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE NEEDING TO GET PERMITS WOULD JUST COME HERE TO THE TOWN AS THEY DO TODAY, AND CONTINUE TO GET ALL OF THOSE SERVICES IN ONE LOCATION AND NOT HAVE TO GO TO MULTIPLE AREAS.
THE ONLY DOWNSIDE, AND I I DON'T KNOW THAT I WOULD CHARACTERIZE IT NECESSARILY AS A DOWNSIDE, THE ONLY THING TO NOTE IS THAT CURRENTLY THE TOWN DOES RECEIVE AN ADMINISTRATIVE FEE, WHICH IS 5% OF THE REVENUE THAT'S COLLECTED, UM, TO OFFSET THE COST OF PROVIDING THAT BASED UPON THE COUNTY'S INTERPRETATION OF LANGUAGE, WHICH IS IN THE IMPACT FEE STATUTES.
THEY DO NOT BELIEVE THAT THAT IS POSSIBLE.
AND SO THEY'VE ELIMINATED THAT, ELIMINATED THAT ABILITY FOR ANY OF THEIR AGREEMENTS GOING FORWARD WITH ANY OF THE OTHER MUNICIPALITIES.
UM, SO AGAIN, WE'LL RETAIN IT, BUT WE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO, UH, RETAIN THE 5% ADMINISTRATIVE FEE THAT WE CURRENTLY DO RETAIN OUT OF WHAT IS COLLECTED.
UH, THE NEXT QUESTION DEALT WITH IMPLEMENTING THE PROJECTS AND HOW THEY
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WOULD BE PRIORITIZED.UM, IN MEETING WITH THE COUNTY AND THE OTHER MUNICIPALITIES, UH, IT WAS KIND OF DETERMINED THAT TRYING TO IDENTIFY A RANKED LIST OF 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 OF PROJECT GIVEN THE MULTIPLE JURISDICTIONS THAT ARE INVOLVED WOULD LIKELY BE DIFFICULT.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, THE IMPACT FEE STATUTES REQUIRE THAT THE FUNDS THAT ARE COLLECTED BE ALLOCATED OR ENCUMBERED WITHIN A THREE YEAR TIMEFRAME ON A FIRST IN, FIRST OUT BASIS FROM WHEN THEY'RE COLLECTED.
BECAUSE THERE IS A TIME, UH, CONSTRAINT THAT IS ON THESE FUNDS, THE COUNTY WANTS TO BE ABLE TO DO A PRIORITIZATION WHERE THEY LOOK AT PROJECTS THAT ARE BASED UPON THE, THE SHOVEL READINESS OF THE PROJECTS THEMSELVES.
SO THEREFORE, THOSE PROJECTS THAT HAVE HAD ENGINEERING AND DESIGN WORK COMPLETED ARE AT A TIER ONE AND ARE ELIGIBLE FOR FUNDING, WHEREAS PROJECTS THAT ARE ONLY IN SOME LEVEL OF ENGINEERING, ENGINEERING OR DESIGN WORK WOULD BE ELIGIBLE FOR FUNDING IN TIER TWO.
AND THEN THOSE PROJECTS IN TIER THREE WOULD NOT BE ELIGIBLE FOR FUNDING.
UH, I THINK WHAT'S AT THE HEART OF THIS QUESTION IS ALSO UNDERSTANDING WHAT TOWN COUNCIL'S ROLE WOULD BE IN THAT PROCESS.
AND AS STAFF SEES IT, THERE'S TWO WAYS IN WHICH TOWN COUNCIL WOULD BE INVOLVED.
FIRST IS, IN ORDER TO HAVE A PROJECT APPEAR ON THE LIST OF ELIGIBLE PROJECTS, IT HAS TO COME FROM AN ADOPTED C I P LIST.
SO TOWN COUNCIL THROUGH ITS ADOPTION AND CONTROL OF ITS CIP P LIST CONTROLS, WHICH PROJECTS ARE ELIGIBLE FOR INCLUSION ON THERE.
ADDITIONALLY, TOWN COUNCIL ALSO CONTROLS WHICH PROJECTS WE WOULD SEEK FOR FUNDING INCLUDED WITHIN THE BACKUP MATERIALS FOR TODAY IS A MOST RECENT EXAMPLE WHERE WE'VE SOUGHT A LITTLE OVER 3 MILLION IN TRAFFIC IMPACT FEE FUNDING FROM BEAUFORT COUNTY AS PART OF THE ADAPTIVE TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT SYSTEM.
AND SO, AGAIN, THROUGH BOTH OF THOSE, COUNCIL WOULD BE INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS, BUT NOT TO THE EXTENT THAT WE WOULD BE ABLE TO RANK INDIVIDUAL PROJECTS ONE THROUGH HOWEVER MANY THERE ARE.
AND THEN LASTLY, THERE WAS A QUESTION ABOUT THE IMPACT OF IMPACT FEES ON WORKFORCE AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
BASED UPON THE LANGUAGE WITHIN THE IMPACT FEE ACT, IT ALREADY PROVIDES FOR A WAIVER OF, UM, IMPACT FEES FOR QUALIFIED AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECTS.
BASED UPON THE LANGUAGE OF THE STATUTE.
IN ORDER TO QUALIFY THE PROJECT HAS TO BE AT OR BELOW 80% OF THE AREA MEDIAN INCOME.
UH, BEAUFORT COUNTY GOES A LITTLE BIT FURTHER BEYOND THAT, THEY ACTUALLY PROVIDE A DIRECT SUBSIDY OF THOSE IMPACT FEES, UH, IF IT IS A QUALIFYING PROJECT, AND THEN THEY DIFFERENTIATE THE PERCENTAGE OF THAT SUBSIDY BASED UPON HOW MUCH, UH, OF THE PROJECT IS EITHER 60% TO 80% OF A AMI OR 60% AND UNDER AMI.
AND SO THAT INFORMATION IS IN THERE BECAUSE REGARDLESS OF WHETHER OR NOT, UM, IT QUALIFIES, IMPACT FEES DO HAVE TO BE PAID FROM SOME PLACE.
THEY CANNOT BE WAIVED OUTRIGHT.
IT'S JUST THEY'RE ALLOWED TO BE PAID FROM SOMETHING OTHER THAN THE SOURCE IF IT'S A QUALIFIED, AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECT.
AND SO THE COUNTY DOES THAT, ASSUMING THAT THERE ARE BUDGETED FUNDS AVAILABLE FOR ANY OF THOSE PROJECTS THAT QUALIFY.
SO WITH THAT, I KNOW THE TIME IS, UH, GROWING LATE.
I WILL BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE ABOUT WHAT IS BEING PRESENTED BEFORE YOU TODAY.
IS IT YOUR INTENTION TO VOTE ON THIS AT THIS MEETING? ABSOLUTELY.
AND I WOULD MAKE THE MOTION THAT THIS, UH, FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE COMMITTEE, UH, APPROVE AND PASS ON TO TOWN COUNCIL'S STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION SECOND.
ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS OR DISCUSSION FROM COUNSEL HERE? UM, ANY PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS PARTICULAR ITEM? AND WOULD YOU CURRENTLY CALL THE ROLL? CERTAINLY.
WE HAVE TWO, UH, RAVING ITEMS. DOESN'T LOOK LIKE THE TIME IS GOING TO ALLOW US TO DO SO, BEING THAT WE HAVE TO, UH, GET OUT OF THE MAYOR'S WAY TO TAKE THIS DIAS.
UH, SO I'D ASK THAT YOU POLL THE, UH, COMMITTEE, UH, FOR, UH, AN ADDITIONAL MEETING SO WE CAN COVER THESE, UH, THESE TWO ITEMS. UM, IF THAT IS OKAY WITH THE COMMITTEE, I'D ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO TABLE THE REMAINING ITEMS. SO MOVE SECOND.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN OF THE PUBLIC.