[00:00:10]
THIS IS THE GULLAH GEECHEE LANDON CULTURAL PRESERVATION TASK FORCE MEETING ON MAY THE FIRST, 2023.
UM, ARE WE IN COMPLIANCE WITH FOIA? YES, SIR.
WOULD YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLL? CERTAINLY.
MR. CAMPBELL AND MS. GREEN ARE EXCUSED, BUT WE HAVE A QUORUM.
AT THIS TIME I'D LIKE TO ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO, UH, APPROVE THE AGENDA THAT'S SET BEFORE I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE AGENDA.
THE HENCE HAS MADE THE MOTION.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND UNANIMOUS OPPOS, WE HAVE THE MINUTES FROM OUR APRIL 3RD MEETING, UM, AND I'D LIKE TO ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO APPROVE THOSE MINUTES FROM OUR APRIL 3RD MEETING.
JUST OF THE LOWCOUNTRY GUA FOUNDATION PROVIDED.
THANK YOU FOR THAT CORRECTION.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR CORRECTIONS ON THIS MINUTES FROM APRIL 3RD? OKAY.
I'D LIKE TO ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES FROM APRIL 3RD WITH THAT, UH, REVISION.
OH, THAT WE ACCEPT THE MINUTES, UH, WITH THE NECESSARY CORRECTION.
MR. SIMMONS HAS MADE THE MOTION.
MS. WRIGHT HAS MADE THE SECOND.
UH, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR RAISE RIGHT HANDS.
LET ME JUST BACK UP A LITTLE BIT AND GREET MY PUBLIC.
THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE AS WELL.
UM, THERE'S ANOTHER FINE SELLOUT CROWD FOR THIS GULLAH GEE TASK FORCE MEETING.
I THINK I'M GONNA START BRINGING MY PIANO AND MICROPHONE TO THESE MEETINGS.
SEE IF WE GET SOME MORE FOLKS OUT HERE TO, UH, TAKE INTEREST IN IT.
BUT, UH, I DO APPRECIATE YOU TAKING YOUR TIME AND TO MY COLLEAGUES AS WELL ON THE DIAS, UH, FOR THE, THIS WORK THAT WE DO.
A LOT OF PEOPLE MAY NOT FIND VERY EXCITING, BUT IT IS CERTAINLY VERY IMPORTANT TO OUR COMMUNITY.
SO, UH, THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE IN OUR PUBLIC AND OUR VALUED PARTNERS, THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO BE HERE AND CERTAINLY WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE WORK THAT THE STAFF DOES.
OKAY, THE NEXT ITEM WE HAVE ON THE AGENDA IS APPEARANCE BY CITIZENS.
WE HAVE ANY APPEARANCE BY CITIZENS? NO, SIR.
THE NEXT ITEM ON OUR AGENDA IS THE STAFF REPORT.
FIRST ITEM IS, UH, DISTRICT PLANNING UPDATE FAVORITE PLAN B, MISSY LUK.
UH, MISSY LUK, ASSISTANT COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR.
WE DON'T HAVE A DISTRICT PLANNING UPDATE FOR TODAY'S MEETING.
UM, THERE WAS AN UPDATE, UM, LAST MONTH TO THE PUBLIC PLANNING COMMITTEE.
WE INTEND TO GIVE THAT HIGH LEVEL UPDATE AT NEXT MONTH'S, UM, GO TASK FORCE MEETING FOR YOU.
AND, AND THAT LAST THING THAT WE HAD TALKED ABOUT WAS THE, THE DEFINITIONS THAT THEY HAD MADE, BUT THE, UH, O AND THE, AND TO COMPOUND HIM.
SO, BUT THAT WAS REALLY WHAT WAS ON THAT LAST AGENDA FOR THE PUBLIC PLANNING COMMITTEE.
UM, NO, I'M TALKING ABOUT THE DISTRICT PLANNING PROJECT, NOT THE L O AMENDMENTS PROJECT.
UM, AND WE INTEND TO ALSO HAVE THE L O AMENDMENTS PROJECT UPDATE BEFORE THE GOLA TASK FORCE AS WELL.
CAN YOU TURN YOUR MICROPHONE OFF FOR US, PLEASE? THIS IS THE MID ISLAND DISTRICT PLANNING UPDATE.
IT'S THE, UM, TOWN WIDE DISTRICT'S PLANNING PROJECT.
NEXT IS OUR HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOOD PERMITTING AND DESIGN STUDIO REPORT.
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GOOD AFTERNOON, EVERYONE.IT'S GREAT TO BE, UM, BACK IN THE DOIGE TASK FORCE, UM, PLACE OF BUSINESS TODAY.
SO WE HAVE A VERY SHORT, UM, HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOODS PERMITTING AND DESIGN STUDIO REPORT.
UM, WE MENTIONED HAVING A CASE STUDY, UM, FOR THIS MEETING, HOWEVER, WE HAVE A PACKED AGENDA, UM, AND WE ALSO HAVE A PACKED AGENDA FOR NEXT MONTH, TOO.
SO I WILL PLAN TO GIVE CASE STUDIES, UM, A COUPLE OF CASE STUDIES, SOME REALLY GOOD ONES THAT WE'VE HAD RECENTLY, AND SOME THAT WE'VE ACTUALLY BEEN ABLE TO COMPLETE WITHIN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME.
UM, SO I'LL BE ABLE TO GIVE, UH, UM, IN DEPTH, IN DEPTH, UM, CASE STUDY, UM, PROBABLY IN, IN A LATER SUMMER MEETING.
UM, SO JUST WANTED TO, TO MAKE NOTE OF THAT.
UM, SO FOR THIS REPORT THOUGH, I WOULD SAY THAT, UM, SURPRISINGLY WE HAVE HAD ZERO NEW REQUESTS.
HOWEVER, WE HAVE COMPLETED FIVE, UM, OF THE ONGOING ACTIVE PROJECTS THAT WE HAD ROLLING.
SO WE'RE VERY HAPPY TO BE, UM, GIVING PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, UH, RESOLVING THEIR ISSUES AND RESOLVING THEIR REQUESTS AND INQUIRIES.
UM, SOME OF THOSE, UM, THAT WERE WERE COMPLETED WERE FAMILY SUBDIVISION COMP, CONCEPT PLAN, UM, FAMILY COMPOUND, UM, APPLICATIONS FOR MOBILE HOME PLACEMENT, UM, GUIDANCE, PROVIDING GUIDANCE TO FOLKS PRIOR TO SUBMITTING, UM, THEIR MINOR SUBDIVISION APPLICATIONS.
UM, AND THEN SOME COMMERCIAL AND RESIDENTIAL INQUIRIES ON, UH, BEFORE DEVELOPING LAND AND TALKING ABOUT ACCESS ISSUES AND, AND DENSITY ACCORDING TO, UM, THE LOT SIZE AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO WE'VE BEEN, UM, COVERING A HOST OF THINGS AND, UM, HELPING TO CLEAR THINGS UP FOR FOLKS, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO SHARING SOME MORE DETAILS ON THAT LATER THIS SUMMER.
UM, UH, ONE OTHER THING THAT I WANNA SAY IS THAT, UM, IN ADDITION TO THE HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOODS PERMITTING AND DESIGN STUDIO, THE FORMAL PL PLACE FOR HAVING THOSE MEETINGS AND HELPING PEOPLE WITH THEIR LAND DEVELOPMENT INQUIRIES, UM, WE'RE ALSO HANDLING A NUMBER OF CUSTOMER SERVICE REQUESTS, PHONE CALLS, PEOPLE DROPPING IN TO TOWN HALL ON A REGULAR BASIS.
AND SO JUST WANNA BRING THAT TO YOUR ATTENTION THAT, UM, A LOT OF MY TIME IS ALSO, UM, UTILIZED, HELPING PEOPLE, UM, WHO ARE CALLING ABOUT, UM, APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS BEFORE SUBMISSION TO MAKE SURE THAT THEIR APPLICATIONS GO THROUGH SMOOTHLY.
UM, OR FOLKS WHO HAVE A QUESTION, UM, OF COURSE, WE GET A NUMBER OF CUSTOMER SERVICE CALLS ABOUT THE HOME SAFETY REPAIR PROGRAM AND SEWER CONNECT OF WHICH I, UM, WILL ROUTE THEM TO TTA, WHO YOU ALL HAVE HEARD FROM THE LAST, UM, LAST MONTH, AND WE'LL HEAR FROM AGAIN TODAY.
UM, WHO COVERS BOTH OF THOSE PROGRAMS? SO THERE'S A BALANCING ACT, UM, AND WE'RE WE'RE ABLE TO HELP PEOPLE IN MULTIPLE WAYS BESIDES JUST HAVING THE DESIGN STUDIO, IF THAT MIGHT NOT BE THE BEST, UM, ROUTE FOR THEM.
SO AGAIN, I WILL HAVE SOME MORE DECENT INFORMATION, UM, IN THE COMING MONTHS.
AND THAT CONCLUDES THE DESIGN STUDIO REPORT FOR THIS MONTH.
ANY QUESTIONS? YES, MR. SANDERS? ALL RIGHT, MS. PERIO? NOT SURE.
I, I WAS ASKED BY, UH, A PARTICULAR APPLICANT, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S IN ORDER TO CALL A NAME OR NOT, BUT A PARTICULAR APPLICANT ASKED ABOUT, UH, GETTING AN APPROVAL, UH, ON THEIR APPLICATION AND THEN, UM, SEEM TO HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO GET STAMP PLANS, UM, SUBSEQUENT TO THE APPROVAL.
UM, I THINK IT'S STILL A LITTLE BIT IN, UH, ABSOLUTELY.
SO, UM, YEAH, I GUESS MAYBE I COULD GET WITH YOU AFTERWARD, BUT I WAS ASKED TO BRING THAT TO YOUR, TO YOUR ATTENTION WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE PERMITTING PROCESS.
SO THERE WAS A, UM, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S A GLITCH OR HANG UP, UH, STILL SOME UNFINISHED BUSINESS WITH ONE OF THOSE THAT WHICH WAS APPROVED AND, UH, DID NOT GET THE, THE PLATS STAMPED.
SO WE CAN DEFINITELY TALK ABOUT THAT.
IF YOU WANNA SEND ME AN EMAIL, I CAN LOOK INTO THEIR APPLICATION.
UM, ONE OTHER THING THAT I SHOULD MENTION ABOUT THE DESIGN STUDIOS IS THAT SOME FOLKS ALSO ARE HAVING, THEY'RE, THEY'RE DOING THEIR APPLICATIONS DOING, UM, YOU KNOW, THEIR, WITH THEIR PROJECTS AND MAY NOT HAVE GONE THROUGH THE DESIGN STUDIO PROCESS.
AND SO WE'RE TRYING TO, UM, MAKE SOME PROCESS IMPROVEMENTS AROUND THAT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE CATCHING FOLKS, EVEN IF THEY'RE NOT AWARE THAT WE OFFER THE DESIGN STUDIO, UM, MAKING SURE THAT THEY COME, THAT, THAT WE CAN CATCH THEM ON THE INTERNAL PROCESS AND, AND MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN, YOU KNOW, HAVE THAT, UM, DESIGNATED TIME TO GO THROUGH THINGS WITH THEM, TO, TO CLEAR UP THINGS ALONG THE WAY, UM, SO THAT THERE ISN'T ANY CONFUSION.
BUT OF COURSE, UM, WE STILL HAVE, YOU KNOW, A NUMBER OF, OF, UM, INQUIRIES AND REQUESTS THAT ARE OPEN.
AND SO, UM, WE'LL, WE'LL MAKE SURE TO, UM, BE IN COMMUNICATION WITH FOLKS TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE GETTING WHAT THEY NEED AND MOVING THROUGH THE PROCESS.
OTHER QUESTIONS FIRST? I KNOW THAT I HAVE SOMEONE THAT I'VE BEEN WORKING WITH, THEY'VE KIND OF BEEN IN A HOLDING PATTERN AS WELL, AND THIS MAY BE A GOOD TIME TO MENTION ABOUT THE, UH, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION COMING ONLINE.
SO WE'RE KINDA WAITING TO SEE, AND, UH, WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO ACCESS SOME, SOME OTHER RESOURCES AS WELL, BUT SURE.
[00:10:01]
YOU.UM, NEXT IS THE HOME SAFETY AND REPAIR PROGRAM UPDATE.
I BELIEVE THAT IS NICK PRACTICING THAT NAME.
AFTERNOON, UH, NICK TAY BARTOS.
UM, SO SINCE THE LAST TIME WE MET, WE HAVE ONLY HAD ONE NEW APPLICATION COME IN FOR THE PROGRAM.
UH, WE ARE STILL AT 76 APPROVED APPLICATIONS, HAS BEEN A VERY LONG PROCESS, BUT I AM HAPPY TO SAY THAT WE ARE MAKING SOME PROGRESS.
AND SINCE OUR LAST UPDATE, WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO AWARD A CONTRACT OF A BUNDLE OF HOMES TO REPAIR, UM, TO COHEN CONSTRUCTION.
AND WITH THAT, WE ACTUALLY HAVE TWO BUNDLES NOW UNDER CONTRACT OF HOMES TO REPAIR.
UM, RIGHT NOW WE DON'T HAVE, UM, ANY UPDATES ON THE REPAIRS, BUT WHEN WE HAVE AN UPDATE, UM, WHEN THE UPDATE IS AVAILABLE, I'LL BE BACK WITH THAT
SO WHEN WAS, UH, THE, THE HOMES WERE AWARDED TO REPRESENTATIVE TO MR. COHEN.
HOW LONG AGO WAS THAT? UM, THAT WAS, UM, WITH THE LAST WEEK.
I'M REALLY GLAD TO HEAR THAT YOU'RE ABLE TO MEET AND MOVE FORWARD WITH AWARDING HIM.
UH, OTHER QUESTIONS FOR NICK TAY? OKAY.
UM, I ALSO HAVE BEEN CONTACTED ONCE AGAIN BY, UM, UH, A CONTRACTOR THAT SAID THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY WERE SORT OF IN WAITING AND THAT HAD TURNED INTO ALL THE INFORMATION AND THEY WERE SORT OF IN A HOLDING PROCESS AND IT WAS GETTING INTO WORK YEAH.
UM, AGAINST HIS MOVING FORWARD.
SO, BUT IT'S GOOD TO HEAR THAT, UH, THAT YOU HAVE AWARDED, UM, SOME CONTRACTS THAT, DO WE HAVE ANY TIMEFRAME IF THEY'VE BEEN AWARDED TO GO AHEAD ON THOSE OR, UM, WE DON'T HAVE A SPECIFIC TIMEFRAME RIGHT NOW.
WE ARE STILL WAITING ON CONTRACTORS TO OBTAIN REQUIRED DOCUMENTS BEFORE THEY CAN, UM, START THE REPAIRS.
SO THE WARD DOESN'T MEAN, UH, GO AHEAD.
IT MEANS THAT HE'S BEEN AWARDED, HE'S AWARDED.
HE JUST NOW HAS TO GET TO THE PROCESS OF, UM, AGAIN, OBTAINING JUST NEEDED PERMITS BEFORE HE OKAY.
UM, CAN YOU JUST REFRESH ME WITH, UH, THE PROCESS WITH THE, UH, FUNDING? LIKE, IT'S NOT GONNA RUN OUT.
IS THERE A TIME LIMIT ON IT OR JUST TO, YOU KNOW, IN, IN TERMS OF BEING THAT WE'RE HAVING, NOT ISSUES, BUT HAVING TO WAIT THROUGH THE PROCESS FOR PEOPLE TO GET AWARDED, YOU KNOW, FOR ANY KIND OF ASSISTANCE.
IS THERE A TIME LIMIT WITH THE FUNDING? WOULD I TOUCH UP ON THAT BETTER THAN I CAN? THE HOME SAFETY AND REPAIR PROGRAM, UH, WAS CREATED USING ARPA DOLLARS AND $400,000 WAS ALLOCATED FOR THE HOME SAFETY AND REPAIR PROGRAM IN THE PROPOSED BUDGET.
UM, TOWN COUNCIL WILL BE CONSIDERING A REQUEST, UM, TO CONTINUE THE PROGRAM, UM, BUT THAT HAS YET TO BE REVIEWED AND APPROVED.
OH, SO THERE IS AN END DATE TO IT IF IT DOESN'T GET APPROVED? YES, POSSIBLY.
MY UNDERSTANDING THOUGH, THAT THAT WOULD ROLL OVER INTO THE NEXT, THERE MORE FUNDS THAT WOULD BE AVAILABLE, LIKE FOR THE NEXT YEAR OR SO.
IT WAS, UH, APPROVED AS A TWO YEAR PROGRAM AND, UH, THE FIRST YEAR OF FUNDING ROLLED INTO THE SECOND, UM, FURTHER FUNDING ALLOCATIONS WOULD HAVE TO BE, UH, APPROVED.
UM, HOW MANY CONTRACTORS DO WE HAVE NOW SIGNED UP FOR THAT PROGRAM? DO WE KNOW? WE HAVE ABOUT 12 LAST TIME THAT I CHECKED.
UM, I HAVE SENT OUT APPLICATIONS TO, UM, OTHER CONTRACTORS, BUT AS OF RIGHT NOW, THAT'S ALL WE HAVE.
AND THEN, UM, I DO CONTACT THEM.
I SEND OUT EMAILS AND I CALL WITH AGAIN, BUNDLES AS WELL, UM, WHICH IS WHAT MR. COHEN, I SENT HIM EMAIL, I CALLED HIM AND HE WAS ABLE TO GO OUT, GET THOSE ESTIMATES BACK TO ME.
UM, I HAVE BEEN DOING THAT WITH ALL OF THE CONTRACTORS ON OUR LIST.
IT'S JUST WHO'S GETTING BACK TO ME WITH ESTIMATES.
UM, HOW MANY OF THOSE CONTRACTORS ARE, ARE MINORITIES? DO YOU KNOW? DO YOU HAVE 'EM IN THAT CLASSIFICATION? UM, WE DO NOT HAVE THEM IN A SPECIFIC CLASSIFICATION, BUT OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, I KNOW THAT WE HAVE AT LEAST THREE STILL ACCEPTING.
YES, WE ARE ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO, AND I'M IN CONTACT AND I'VE BEEN SENDING OUT AS WELL, UM, TO CONTRACTORS THAT ON OUR NOT, ARE NOT ON OUR LIST.
[00:15:05]
YES.SO HAS MOST OF THE CONTRACTORS BEEN ABLE TO MEET THE REQUIREMENTS TO START OVER? UH, THEY'RE STILL PROCEDURAL ISSUES WITH THEM.
SO THE CONTRACTORS HAVE BEEN APPROVED ALREADY TO BE ON THE LIST.
AGAIN, I HAVE SENT OUT WORK FOR THEM TO GO LOOK AT.
UM, THE ONLY ESTIMATES THAT I HAVE RECEIVED HAVE BEEN FROM, UM, COHEN CONSTRUCTION AS OF NOW.
SO IT SOUNDS LIKE HE'S LIKELY TO GET SOME WORK.
UH, IT'S JUST THE REST OF THE CONTRACTORS THAT I'VE REACHED OUT HAVE JUST NOT GOTTEN BACK TO ME WITH ANY ESTIMATES THAT WE WOULD NEED IN ORDER TO APPROVE AN AWARD CONTRACT TO.
SO IT'S NOT, SO IT'S NOT THAT YOU NEED ORDER ONE CONTRACT TO GET ESTIMATES.
YOU CAN GO WITH THE ONE WHO, WHO GIVES YOU THE WORK.
I MEAN, WHO GIVES YOU, WE DO NEED THREE.
UM, BUT AGAIN, WITH THIS BUNDLE, IT HAS BEEN SENT OUT MULTIPLE TIMES.
AND THROUGHOUT THOSE, UM, MULTIPLE OCCASIONS, MR. COHEN HAS BEEN THE ONLY ONE TO ACTUALLY SUBMIT.
SO WE MET, UM, WITH THE TEAM AND MR. COHEN, AND WE ALL AGREED THAT SINCE HE HAS BEEN THE ONLY ONE, TWO, AND IT HAS GONE OUT FOR BIDDING MULTIPLE TIMES, THAT WE WERE COMFORTABLE WITH AWARDING HIM THE CONTRACT.
NO QUESTIONS FOR NICK TAY, AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR WORK.
I HAVE THIS SEWER ONE NEXT TO YOU.
OH, YOU HAVE THE THE NEXT ONE TOO? YES, I DO.
SEWER CONNECTION PROGRAM UPDATE.
UH, THAT ONE'S A LITTLE SHORTER.
UM, SINCE OUR LAST TIME WE HAVE NOT RECEIVED, THE TOWN HAS NOT RECEIVED ANY NEW APPLICATIONS.
UM, WE ARE STILL AT 25 APPROVED APPLICATIONS, AND TODAY YOU WILL ACTUALLY BE ABLE TO HEAR FROM PSD AND DEPOT ON THEIR INVOLVEMENT IN THE PROGRAM.
SO YOU WILL BE ABLE TO HEAR A LITTLE MORE ABOUT THE SEWER CONNECTION PROGRAM LATER.
TAY MENTIONED WE, WE'LL HAVE A PRESENTATION FROM, UM, FROM PUBLIC SERVICE PSD.
WE HAVE, UH, GENERAL STAFF UPDATES.
I BELIEVE THAT WILL BE, UH, MS. CHRISTIAN PERRY.
UM, YEAH, SO WE WANTED TO INCORPORATE A GENERAL STAFF UPDATES, UM, SECTION.
THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT WE GET TO WORK ON AND THAT WE GET TO DO THAT ARE ALSO ADVANCING, UM, THE GOALS OF TASK FORCE AND OF THE, UM, GULLAH GEECHEE, UM, PRESERVATION PROJECT REPORT AS WELL.
SO WE WANTED AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE ABLE TO SHARE SOME OF THOSE THINGS AS WELL, IF THEY'RE NOT CONNECTED TO A PIECE OF PUBLIC POLICY OR A PARTICULAR PROGRAM.
UM, AND ALSO JUST TO KEEP THE TASK FORCE INFORMED ON THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON, UM, WITH, UH, THE LIAISON ROLE, UM, THAT I'M ALSO IN, UM, IN OTHER THINGS AS WELL.
SO BEAR WITH ME AS I HAVE A FEW, UM, GENERAL UPDATES.
UM, MANAGEMENT WANTED ME TO SHARE ABOUT A CONFERENCE THAT I ATTENDED RECENTLY THAT, UH, MYSELF AND OUR, UM, DESIGNER, OUR, UM, LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT, UM, STAFF MEMBER ATTENDED.
WE WENT TO THE, UM, GULLAH SUSTAINABILITY CONFERENCE HOSTED ON ST.
UM, THAT HAPPENED MARCH 31ST AND APRIL 1ST, UM, THAT WAS HOSTED BY THE GULLAH GEECHEE SEA ISLAND COALITION.
UM, AND HAD A NUMBER OF PEOPLE THERE TALKING ABOUT, UM, SUSTAINABILITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL, UM, CLIMATE RESILIENCY FOR SEA ISLANDS.
UM, THERE WERE MEMBERS, THERE WERE, UM, REPRESENTATIVES THERE FROM ACROSS THE GUAG, GEECHEE, HERITAGE CORRIDOR, NORTH CAROLINA, SOUTH CAROLINA, GEORGIA, AND FLORIDA.
UM, SO IT WAS GREAT TO BE ABLE TO, UM, COORDINATE AND COMMUNICATE AND BUILD RELATIONSHIPS ALONG THE CORRIDOR, UM, THAT COULD POTENTIALLY HELP WITH THINGS GOING ON ON HILTON HEAD.
UM, THE CONFERENCE WAS TWO DAYS.
BOTH DAYS WERE HELD AT THE HISTORIC GULLAH CHURCH, BRICK BAPTIST CHURCH ON ST.
UM, DAY ONE, WE DID LOTS OF INTRODUCTIONS GETTING, UM, ACCLIMATED WITH EACH OTHER AND WERE ABLE TO TOUR HISTORIC LANDMARKS, UM, ON ST.
SO WE WENT TO THE PENN CENTER, UM, RECONSTRUCTION ERA, NATIONAL HISTORIC PARK, AND, UM, THEIR, THEIR NEW INTERNATIONALLY, UM, RENOWNED LIBRARY THAT THE GULLAH COMMUNITY WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN GETTING, UM, CONSTRUCTED.
IF YOU HAVE NOT BEEN TO THE LIBRARY ON ST.
HELENA, UM, BUFORD COUNTY LIBRARY, IT'S BEAUTIFUL.
AND IT HAS, UM, GULLAH ARCHI GULLAH, UM, CULTURE, UM, INFUSED IN THE ARCHITECTURE AND IN THE, THE LAYOUT ON THE INSIDE.
AND IT WAS WONDERFUL TO BE ABLE TO SEE, SEE THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, HISTORY AND CULTURE IN A MORE MODERN SPACE AND HOW THAT WAS ABLE TO BE ACHIEVED.
UM, WE ALSO GOT TO TOUR A TRADITIONAL GULLAH FAMILY COMPOUND AND UNDERSTAND WHAT THE INTENT AND, YOU KNOW, WHAT THE, UH, IMPLEMENTATION, IMPLEMENTATION IT'S BEEN HAPPENING FOR
[00:20:01]
SEE WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE AND TO HELP TO INFORM SOME OF THE POLICIES AND PROGRAMS THAT WE'RE WORKING ON HERE ON HILTON HEAD.UM, AND THE, THE, THE, THE CONFERENCE WAS MORE OF A FREE FLOWING.
THEY WANTED IT TO BE MORE LIKE THE WATER.
UM, AND SO THERE WEREN'T, YOU KNOW, PARTICULAR TIMES AND, UM, AND EVERYTHING, AND THINGS KIND OF JUST FLOWED TOGETHER FOR A, UM, YOU KNOW, JUST A WONDERFUL, UM, MIX OF, UM, INFORMATION SHARING.
AND SO I WANTED Y'ALL TO BE AWARE THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE ATTENDED THAT AND THE HOST, UM, QUEEN QU AND THE GULLAH GEECHEE COALITION, AND, UM, WE'RE ALL HAPPY THAT TO HAVE SOMEONE FROM HILTON HEAD REPRESENTING AND, AND BEING A PART OF, UM, THE, THE HOR THE ENTIRE, UM, CORRIDOR, UM, CONVERSATIONS.
UM, WE DID HOST THE WILLS CLINIC AND LUANA WILL SHARE, UM, A, A MORE UP TO DATE, UM, UH, REPORT IN LATER THIS YEAR, UH, PROBABLY THIS SUMMER.
BUT WE HAD, UM, 23 WILLS WERE DRAFTED FOR FOLKS AT THE, UM, APRIL 15TH, UH, WILL'S CLINIC THAT WE OFFERED FOR FREE THAT LAJUANA PUT ON, UM, WITH THE GULLAH FOUNDATION, UM, LOW COUNTRY GULLAH FOUNDATION IN THE CENTER FOR AIR'S PROPERTY.
UM, SO THAT WAS A, A BIG SUCCESS, AND WE THANK LUANA FOR, UM, FOR PUTTING THAT ON FOR THE COMMUNITY.
UM, WANTED TO SHARE THAT WE HAVE SOME, UM, PRO, PRO PROGRAM, UM, PROGRESS BEING MADE ON THE CU CULTURAL, THE GULLAH HISTORY AND CULTURAL, UM, EDUCATION PROGRAM.
UM, SO WE'RE COORDINATING INTERNALLY ON THAT, UM, IN MAKING, UM, GETTING OUR OUTLINE AND EVERYTHING READY, UM, FOR, TO PUT, PUT TOGETHER A VIDEO.
AND THAT WILL BE BECOMING, COMING BEFORE YOU, UM, FOR SOME FEEDBACK AND REVIEW, UM, LATER THIS SUMMER AS WELL.
AND I JUST WANTED TO MAKE A, A NOTE THAT THE NEXT COUPLE MEETINGS WE HAVE, UM, A NUMBER OF, UH, DISCUSSION TOPICS, SO THEY MIGHT BE A LITTLE BIT LONGER, UM, BUT HOPEFULLY WE'LL BE SHARING SOME, UM, CRITICAL INFORMATION THAT WILL HELP ADVANCE OUR WORK.
UM, SO YOU, WE, YOU'LL SEE THAT WE HAVE OUR PRESENTATION TODAY, UM, AS WELL AS A COUPLE OF OTHER PRESENTATIONS COMING UP AND THEN IN THE NEXT COUPLE MONTHS.
SO JUST WANTED TO, YOU KNOW, GET YOUR, UM, EYE OUT FOR THAT, MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE ATTENDANCE, UM, NOT ONLY FROM THE TASKFORCE MEMBERS, BUT ALSO FROM THE PUBLIC TO HEAR ABOUT, UM, HERITAGE LIBRARIES' WORK, UM, AND SOME OF, AND OF SOME OF THE THINGS THAT LUANA IS WORKING ON WITH LOW COUNTRY GULLAH FOUNDATION, UM, AND, UH, ALSO SOME UPDATES AND, UM, FEEDBACK COMING UP WITH, UM, DISTRICT PLANNING AND, UM, L L REWRITES AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO KEEP YOUR EYES OPEN FOR THAT AND, UM, BE ATTENTIVE TO THAT.
AND THAT'S ALL FOR THE GENERAL STAFF UPDATES.
UM, WERE THERE ANY QUESTIONS? QUESTIONS? UH, MS. WRIGHT? HI.
UM, SO WHAT W WITH THE CONFERENCE THAT YOU ATTENDED LAST WEEK, SO WHAT IS THE ONE COMMON THREAD THAT YOU SAW THROUGHOUT THE QUARTER IN TERMS OF FAMILIES, UM, UM, AND, YOU KNOW, OTHER RELATED ISSUES THAT WE MAY BE SEEING HERE IN OUR AREA? SURE.
ONE THING THAT I TOOK AWAY FROM THE CONFERENCE, UM, ESPECIALLY BEING NEW TO THE AREA, NEW TO BEING IMMERSED IN THE GULLAH GEECHEE CULTURE FULL-TIME, UM, IS THAT OF COURSE EVERYONE ACROSS THE CORNER IS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT AND HAS DIFFERENT ISSUES.
UM, AND SO WE WILL HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE ARE REACHING OUT AND TALKING TO OTHER AREAS, UM, THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT SIMILARITIES.
SO THERE WERE PEOPLE THERE FROM AMELIA ISLAND IN FLORIDA WHO HAVE A VERY SIMILAR, UM, KIND OF MAKEUP AND HAVE DEALT WITH SIMILAR ISSUES THAT WE HAVE AT HILTON HEAD BEING, UM, A RESORT, UM, COMMUNITY AND, AND BRINGING IN THOSE SORTS OF THINGS.
SO THINKING ABOUT THAT, UM, NOT, NOT EVERY SEA ISLAND IS EXPERIENCING THE SAME ISSUES AND THE SAME LEVEL OF GROWTH AND THOSE SORTS OF THINGS.
UM, AND THEN THERE ARE SOME FOLKS WHO ARE, UM, REALLY INTENT ON AND KEEPING THE VALUES AS THEY WERE, YOU KNOW, DECADES AND GENERATIONS AGO, WHEREAS I THINK SOME FOLKS ARE OKAY WITH, UM, PROGRESSING MORE.
UM, SO THAT WAS, THOSE ARE A FEW THINGS THAT I TOOK AWAY FROM THAT.
UM, AND, AND NAMELY IN PARTICULAR, BEING ABLE TO, UM, OBSERVE AND, AND KIND OF TOUR THE FAMILY COMPOUND.
THE, THE, UM, ORIGINAL INTENT IS STILL THERE, WHERE THE COMPOUND IS SET UP IN A CIRCLE.
UM, THERE ARE, THERE'S AGRICULTURE IN THE MIDDLE FOR, FOR THE FAMILIES TO BE ABLE TO, UM, YOU KNOW, WORK ON TOGETHER, HAVE A COMMON MEETING SPACE, YOU KNOW, IN THEIR FAMILY COMPOUND.
AND THE HOUSES ARE SET UP, UM, IN SUCH A PARTICULAR WAY, AND THEY'VE WORKED WITH, UM, THE GOVERNMENT THERE TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY CAN DO THAT.
IT MAY NOT BE, YOU KNOW, HOUSES TODAY ARE NOT TRADITIONALLY SET UP IN A CIRCLE, RIGHT, WITH A COMMON MEETING AREA IN THE MIDDLE.
BUT BECAUSE THAT WAS THE INTENT OF THEIR FAMILY COMPOUND AND THE VALUES THAT THEY WERE TRYING TO, TO MAINTAIN AND CONTINUE, THEY WERE ABLE TO DO THAT.
SO THOSE WERE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT I TOOK AWAY.
AND, AND ANOTHER THING IS THAT THERE'S A LOT OF ENVIRONMENTAL WORK GOING ON ALONG THE CORRIDOR THAT, UM, I'M NOT SURE THAT I'VE WAS AWARE OF.
UM, SO LEARNING THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, GULLAH FOLKS ARE AT THE FOREFRONT OF LOOKING AT GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE, UM, UM, OPPORTUNITIES FOR CLIMATE RESILIENCY, UM, YOU KNOW, WORKING WITH SCIENTISTS ON THE GROUND TO STUDY, YOU KNOW, OYSTER SHELLS AND, UM, RISING SEA LEVELS AND THOSE SORTS OF THINGS.
SO IT WAS, I WASN'T AWARE THAT, THAT THOSE TYPES OF PROJECTS AND THE TYPE OF, UM, FUNDING AND, AND GRANTS THAT ARE AVAILABLE
[00:25:01]
ALSO TO BE DOING THAT SUSTAINABILITY WORK WITH, UM, GUE PEOPLE ACROSS THE QUARTER.SO WHEN IS THE FOLLOW UP ON THAT? UM, MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE, UH, WE'RE THINKING ABOUT THESE THINGS AND ASKING THOSE QUESTIONS.
SO AGAIN, WITH THE INTENT OF THESE PROGRAMS, MY QUESTION TO FOLKS, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE'RE, UM, WHEN I'M WORKING WITH THEM IN DESIGN STUDIOS OR AS WE'RE LOOKING AT PROCESS IMPROVEMENTS FOR THE PROGRAMS THAT WE'VE ALREADY PUT INTO PLACE BASED ON THE REPORT, UM, MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE FOLLOWING THROUGH ON THE INTENT OR THAT WE'VE, WE A ASKING THAT QUESTION, UM, TO THE COMMUNITY TO MAKE SURE THAT WHAT WE'RE WORKING ON IS ACTUALLY, UM, MEETING THE NEED.
YES, MR. HINTZ, UH, THANKS FOR THE UPDATES.
UM, ON YOUR MEMO, YOU, YOU MENTIONED ABOUT PREPARING THE EDUCATION PROGRAM, VIDEO PROGRAM, JUST GOING TO BE A VIDEO, OR IS THE VIDEO AUGMENTING THE PROGRAM? SO THE VIDEO IS GOING TO BE KIND OF THE CLOSING, UM, ITEM FOR THE, FOR THE PROGRAM.
UM, WE'LL HAVE A, SOME REQUIRED IN-PERSON ACTIVITIES FOR THOSE WHO ARE GOING THROUGH THE PROGRAM, AND THEN IT WILL CULMINATE WITH THE VIDEO, AND WE'RE STILL WORKING OUT THE DETAILS OF THAT AND HOW WE'LL IMPLEMENT THAT.
UM, BUT WE ARE WORKING WITHIN THE COMMUNITY TO MAKE SURE THAT, THAT IT'S COMPLETELY, UM, THE INFORMATION IS CLEAR AND APPROPRIATE, UM, ACCURATE, AND THAT WE HAVE REPRESENTATION, UM, FROM THE COMMUNITY ON THAT VIDEO.
AND THEN WE'LL ALSO BE WORKING ON, YOU KNOW, INCORPORATING, UM, THE TOWN STAFF'S POSITION AND, UM, YOU KNOW, THE PURPOSE AND CONNECTION BETWEEN THOSE THINGS.
SO I'LL HAVE A DETAILED FOR YOU.
UM, JUST WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW THAT WE ARE MAKING PROGRESS, BUT WE'LL HAVE SOME, AN OPPORTUNITY TO GET SOME FEEDBACK AND SHARE WITH YOU WHAT WE'RE LOOKING TO IMPLEMENT, UM, HERE SHORTLY.
OH, IT'S MY HOPE THAT, UM, YOU SAID IN, IN A PARAGRAPH HERE THAT, UH, PART OF WHAT YOU WANT TO DO WITH A CULTURAL PRESERVATION PROJECT, UH, REPORT IS, IS PROVIDE A VISION FOR WHAT SUCCESSFUL I IMPLEMENTATION OF THE REPORT'S GONNA LOOK LIKE.
AND MAYBE THAT COULD BE A PART OF, OF PROJECT AS WELL, BUT WHAT IS IT, WHAT WOULD WE LIKE TO IDEALLY SEE WE'RE ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH ALL OF THIS? I THINK THAT'S A GREAT POINT, AND THEN THAT WE'RE GOING TO GET TO THAT AFTER THE, THE, UM, PRESENTATION BY DEEP WELL AND PSD, AND I'D BE HAPPY TO HEAR, YOU KNOW, MORE OF THE FEEDBACK AND, UM, ITEMS ON HOW WE ARE CONTINUING TO IMPLEMENT THE REPORT.
BUT WE'LL DEFINITELY NOTE THAT.
AND THEN, UH, LAST IS JUST A COMMENT.
UH, YOU INDICATED THAT, UM, DOING A COLLABORATIVE PARTNERSHIP APPROACH BOTH INTERNALLY AND EXTERNALLY WITH COMMUNITY PARTNERS TO HELP ACCOMPLISH THE, UH, PRESERVATION PROJECT REPORT.
I THINK, UM, YOU KNOW, WORKING WITH LOW COUNTRY GULLAH FOUNDATION'S BEEN TERRIFIC, SO THAT I THINK, YOU KNOW, THE TOWN IS, IS TASKED WITH DOING A LOT, BUT WE HAVE A LOT OF RESOURCES WITHIN THE COMMUNITY THAT, UH, MANY WOULD, WOULD HAVE THE EXPERTISE AND WOULD LOVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO HELP, UH, PROMOTE THIS LIST.
SO, SO HOPEFULLY WE'RE CONTINUING TO REACH OUT, UH, TO OTHER ORGANIZATIONS AND INDIVIDUALS.
OTHER QUESTIONS FOR KASH MAY ICO, MR. HESS'S, UH, COMMENTS, UH, ABOUT, UH, COLLABORATIONS AND CERTAINLY WITH, UH, HERITAGE LIBRARY WHO'S ALREADY ESTABLISHED A PROGRAM AND, UH, THERE MAY BE SOME OTHER RESOURCES THAT WE CAN SUPPORT STAFF.
IT'S WORTH MENTIONING THAT, UH, WHEN WE WERE GOING THROUGH DEVELOPING THESE RECOMMENDATIONS, THERE WAS A LOT OF DISCUSSION ABOUT EVEN THE POSSIBILITY OF HAVING, LIKE, UH, CONSULTANTS COME IN AND WORK ON A PHASE, TO MY UNDERSTANDING THAT A LOT OF THAT WE HAVE DECIDED THAT STAFF IS ABLE TO HANDLE IT, SO DON'T WANT TO OVERBURDEN THE STAFF, BUT I'M GLAD WE'RE HANDLING A LOT OF THOSE THINGS IN-HOUSE, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, WE STILL HAVE THE ABILITY TO REACH OUT TO SOME, SOME OUTSIDE RESOURCES FOR SUPPORT.
AND IF YOU, IF I COULD JUST, UM, GIVE A BRIEF INTRODUCTION FOR THE NEXT ITEM, PLEASE.
THE DEEP WELL AND PSD REPORT, UM, PRESENTATION.
SO, UH, YOU HAVE AN ITEM IN YOUR PACKET THAT EX, UM, EXPLAINS THE OVERVIEW, UM, OF WHY WE'RE HAVING THEM COME OUT TODAY AND, AND, AND WHAT WE'RE HOPING TO HEAR FROM THEM.
UM, BUT JUST TO LET YOU KNOW, THIS WAS IN DIRECT RESPONSE TO SOME OF THE QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAVE HAD OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS.
UM, AND SO WE ARE HOPING, UM, THAT, THAT THIS HELPS TO GET US ALL ON THE SAME PAGE AND, AND, UM, PROVIDE SOME UPDATED INFORMATION, UM, AND SOME PROGRESS REPORTS ON, ON WHAT THEY'RE WORKING ON AS FAR AS THE SEWER CONNECT, UM, CONSUMER CONNECTION GOES,
[00:30:01]
UM, IN THE COMMUNITY.SO I JUST WANTED TO GIVE A BRIEF INTRODUCTION BEFORE WE INVITE THEM UP AND THANK YOU.
UH, UNDER OUR DISCUSSION ITEMS, WE DO HAVE, UH, DEEP WELL PROJECTS SAFE AND, UH, I BELIEVE THESE ITEMS WILL BE PRESENTED BY, UM, UH, PROJECT SAFE AND, UH, THE PSE PUBLIC SERVICE DISTRICT WATER CONNECTIONS UPDATE.
UM, YOU'D LIKE TO WELCOME SANDY GILLIS DEEP WELL, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND PETE ARTY, GENERAL MANAGER FOR HILTON HEAD.
PS I'M NOT SURE IF YOU GUYS ARE DOING THIS ONE AT A TIME, YOU'RE DOING IT TOGETHER OR POWERPOINT I WOULD BE GREAT.
UM, WHILE WE ARE WAITING FOR THEM TO GET THAT SET UP, UM, I WOULDN'T MIND IF I PRETTY MUCH KNOW VIEW PETE, I'M NOT SURE IF I KNOW MS. GILL AS WELL.
MAYBE YOU CAN GIVE US A FORMAL INTRODUCTION OF WHO YOU ARE AND WHAT YOU DO YOUR I'M PETEY, I'M THE GENERAL MANAGER OF HILTON HEAD, PSC PUBLIC SERVICE DISTRICT.
I'M THE CURRENT EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AT THE DEEP WELL PROJECT.
I'VE BEEN ON STAFF THERE FOR THE LAST FIVE YEARS.
UM, FIVE YEARS BEFORE THAT I SERVED ON THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS THERE.
SO I'VE GOT ABOUT A DECADE OF AFFILIATION WITH THE NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION AND REALLY OUR INVOLVEMENT WITH THE PROJECT THAT WE'RE DISCUSSING TODAY IS REALLY THE POINT PERSON IN WORKING WITH CLIENTS TO HELP THEM WITH THE APPLICATION PHASE.
UM, PETE'S TEAM DOES A GREAT JOB WITH THE ACTUAL CONSTRUCTION.
WE DON'T HAVE ANY MOTOR GRADERS OR BACKHOES, BUT THE KEY, UM, IS CONNECTING PEOPLE TO THE SERVICES.
AND I DID WANNA MENTION NIKKI CHARLES IS ALSO WITH US TODAY.
SHE IS WITH THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF THE LOW COUNTRY WHO BACK 25 YEARS AGO RAISED THE MONEY THAT IS NOW GOING OUT THROUGH THE PROJECT SAFE COFFER.
SO THE PROJECT SAFE SEWER ACCESS FOR EVERYONE REALLY IS A LOVELY, UM, WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT COLLABORATIONS OF PRIVATE PUBLIC PARTNERSHIPS.
BUT WE, WE WOULDN'T BE HERE TO TALK ABOUT RESULTS AND HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE CONNECTED IF THE FOLKS AT COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF THE LOW COUNTRY HAD NOT BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL IN RAISING THREE AND A HALF TO $4 MILLION, THAT'S 3 MILLION.
SO, SO WE'RE REALLY GLAD TO HAVE NIKKI WITH US AS WELL TODAY.
AND IF THERE ARE SPECIFIC QUESTIONS ABOUT THE APPROVAL PROCESS FOR THAT, ALL OF THAT HAPPENS REALLY AT THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF THE LOW COUNTRY.
ONCE WE HELP PEOPLE WITH THE APPLICATIONS AND MAKE SURE THE APPLICATIONS ARE CORRECT AND THOROUGH, WE THEN TRACK THEM EITHER TO PROJECT SAFE AT COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF THE LOW COUNTRY OR HERE AT THE TOWN OF HILTON HEAD THROUGH THE TOWNS PROGRAM.
UM, MOST OF US, I THINK, ARE FAMILIAR WITH THE WELL AND THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF THE LOW COUNTRY, SO, UH, VERY SIGNIFICANT AND, UH, IMPORTANT PARTNERS.
AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTRIBUTION AND SUPPORT.
UM, UH, I WAS VERY FORTUNATE TO BE AT THE CELEBRATION FOR DEEP WELL, ABOUT TWO OR THREE WEEKS AGO, ACTUALLY.
WELL, I THINK WE KIND OF DID A COMBO, UM, PRESENTATION TO STREAMLINE IT FOR YOU, BUT THE FIRST FEW SLIDES REALLY RELATE TO PSD, SO I'M GONNA LET PETE TAKE IT FROM HERE AND I'LL BE BACK IN THE JIFFY.
HEY, UM, YOU KNOW, JUST YOUR TITLE SLIDE HERE I THINK IS A GOOD EXAMPLE OF WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE.
YOU GOT A LOT OF PARTNERS INVOLVED IN THIS.
IT REALLY, SOME OF, YOU KNOW, THIS PROJECT'S SAFE AND, AND THE PSD UM, TOWN, YOU KNOW, IT WON A NATIONAL AWARD FROM HUD A FEW YEARS BACK AS A GREAT NATIONAL EXAMPLE, PRIVATE PHILANTHROPIC EFFORT.
AND I THINK WHAT YOU'RE NOW WITH THIS NEW PROGRAM WITH THE TOWN, YOU'RE CARRYING IT EVEN FURTHER.
AND I THINK YOU'VE GOT A REALLY GREAT EXAMPLE OF, OF A GREAT, LIKE WATER EQUITY PROGRAM.
IT REALLY IS LIKE A NATIONAL EXAMPLE.
[00:35:01]
OH, WHAT'S GOING ON? UM, JUST REAL QUICK, THE PSD, YOU KNOW, THIS IS SANITARY SEWER, NOT STORM WATER, RIGHT? SANITARY SEWER.SO THE WASTE WATER THAT'S GENERATED INSIDE OUR HOMES AND BUSINESSES, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE.
UM, HILTON HEAD PSD OVER 150 MILES OF GRAVITY SEWER LINE THAT WE'RE MAINTAINING MORE THAN 70 MILES OF SEWER FORCE MAIN 150 PLUS SEWER LIFT STATIONS.
WE DON'T REALLY HAVE MUCH TO, UH, ADVANTAGE OF TOPOGRAPHY TO MOVE WASTEWATER AROUND, SO WE HAVE TO PUMP IT EVERYWHERE.
UM, SO IT'S A VERY, IT'S A VERY INTENSIVE PROGRAM IN TERMS OF HAVING SEWER LIFT STATIONS AT THE, UM, WE'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT LOW PRESSURE SEWER.
WE HAVE HUNDREDS OF 'EM IN SERVICE NOW, AND THAT IS OUR, THAT'S REALLY LIKE OUR NEWEST FORM OF THE, THE STANDARD AREA SEWER SYSTEM, PUBLIC SEWER SYSTEM.
IT'S A GREAT TECHNIQUE FOR SERVING AREAS THAT ARE ALL WHERE THE ABOVE GROUND ENVIRONMENT IS ALREADY BUILT.
AND YOU'RE SORT OF RETROFITTING AN URBAN AREA WITH THE URBAN, UM, BIG PICTURE WITH HILTON NET PSD SEWER IN GENERAL, WE ARE MORE THAN 95% CONNECTED TO SEWER.
SO MORE THAN 95% OF OUR WATER CUSTOMERS ARE ALSO OUR SEWER CUSTOMERS.
THAT IS WELL ABOVE THE NATIONAL AVERAGE OF ABOUT 80%.
IF YOU GO OUT ON THE MAINLAND AND LOOK AT BUFORD, JASPER WATER AND SEWER, YOU KNOW, SERVING BOTH BURET AND JASPER COUNTIES, THEY'RE, THEY'RE ABOUT 60% CONNECTED TO SEWER.
SO IT'S AN AREA OF, OF HIGH CONNECTIVITY TO SEWER.
AND THESE PHOTOGRAPHS ARE SHOWN YOU, THIS IS OUR CHAPLAIN PARK, UM, REGIONAL SEWER LIFT STATION.
UH, THE OTHER ONE IS THE, UM, MID SPANISH WELLS SEWER LIFT STATION.
IT WAS BUILT, UM, UH, WITH, UH, STATE CLEAN WATER, UM, RESERVE FUNDS AND ALL TERRAIN SEWER.
E ONE IS THE, IS THE ACTUAL BRAND NAMED THE PRODUCT THAT WE USE FOR LOW PRESSURE SEWER? CORRECT.
SO WHEN I'M TALKING ABOUT THESE TWO TYPES OF SEWER, THAT TOP PHOTO, THAT'S A, THAT'S A LOW PRESSURE SEWER UNIT.
AND THEN THE TRADITIONAL TYPE OF SEWER IS GRAVITY SEWER.
YOU WANT TO TRY TO NOT USE POWER AND ELECTRICITY WHEN YOU'RE MOVING WASTEWATER AROUND.
SO YOU TRY TO HAVE GRAVITY, SEWER WHERE YOU CAN, UM, BUT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, A BUILT SYSTEM.
AND SO SOMETIMES YOU JUST DON'T HAVE THE ABILITY TO, TO SERVE EVERYTHING IN GRAVITY.
YOU'VE GOTTA, YOU'VE GOTTA MAKE YOUR OWN CONNECTION.
THAT'S WHERE LOW PRESSURE SEWER HAS COME IN.
WHAT IT, WHAT IT IS IS A GRINDER UNIT, LIKE A, LIKE A LARGE SCALE GARBAGE DISPOSAL AND CARRIED ON THE PROPERTY.
UH, THE PROPERTY IS CONVERTED FROM THE SEPTIC.
IF IT'S A CONVERSION PROJECT, THE PROPERTY'S CONVERTED FROM THE SEPTIC SYSTEM INTO THE GRA INTO THE LOW PRESSURE SEWER UNIT.
UM, IT'S GOT AN ALARM PANEL ON IT.
IT IS THE PSDS RESPONSIBILITY INTO PERPETUITY.
THE OWNER DOES NOT MAINTAIN THESE AT ALL.
THE UTILITY DOES, UM, ANY ISSUE WITH THE PALS, ET CETERA, THEY, THEY CALL THE UTILITY.
WE CONSIDER IT TO JUST BE THE PUBLIC.
THAT'S A LITTLE DIFFERENT THAN A GRAVITY SEWER CONNECTION.
THAT GRAVITY PIPE WHEN IT'S ON THE PRIVATE PROPERTY.
THAT'S THE PRIVATE PROPERTY OWNER'S RESPONSIBILITY FROM THE HOUSE TO THE BOTTOM.
MARKETING RELATED TO SEWER CONNECTIONS IN GENERAL, UH, THE PSD HAS PUT TOGETHER A WEBPAGE THAT IS LIKE A TO Z INFORMATION ABOUT CONNECTING THE SEWER.
WE CALL THE OVERALL PROGRAM CONNECT NOW.
AND THAT IS OUR, THAT'S OUR WEBPAGE OFF OF OUR PSD.COM WEBSITE.
UM, WE'RE SET IN TARGETED DIRECT MAIL POSTCARDS.
WE'VE BEEN DOING THAT PRETTY MUCH QUARTERLY WHERE WE'RE JUST GETTING OUT WATER CONNECTIONS, UH, YOU KNOW, CUSTOMERS OF WATER CONNECTION, NOT A SEWER CONNECTION.
AND THEY'RE GETTING A POSTCARD FROM US SAYING YOU CAN CONNECT, UM, BILL INSERTS.
SO WE DO A BILL INSERT NEWSLETTER.
UM, WE DO THOSE AT LEAST FOUR TIMES A YEAR.
YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT 12,000 PLUS MAILINGS WHEN WE DO THAT.
EVERY BILL, EVERY PSD BILL STATEMENT CONTAINS THE CONNECT NOW, UH, QR CODE AND THE INFORMATION IS, SO THAT'S 12,000, UH, STATEMENTS A MONTH AGO.
PSD DOES A LOT OF SOCIAL MEDIA AND WE MAKE CONNECT NOW BIG PART OF LIKE OUR FACEBOOK.
SO PROJECT SAFE, UH, LIKE SAMUEL WAS MENTIONING, IT GOES BACK TO YEAR 1999.
IT WAS HOW THEY, HOW THE, UH, COMMUNITY RAISED A LOCAL MATCH FOR A COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT PROGRAM ON, UH, SEE WHAT PROGRAM ON MUDDY CREEK ROAD PROJECT SAFE TO RAISE THE LOCAL.
IT HAS, WE'VE REALLY LOST COUNT.
IT'S RESULTED IN MORE THAN A THOUSAND CONNECTIONS, INCEPTION.
AND, AND LIKE NIKKI WAS TELLING YOU ABOUT PROJECT SAFE COUPLED A TREMENDOUS CAPITAL CAMPAIGN ABOUT, YOU KNOW, IN 20 TOWN GOVERNMENT PUT ABOUT 9 MILLION TOWARD GRAVITY SEWER TOWARDS SEWER MAINTENANCE, FIRE UNSERVED AREAS GOING INTO AREAS WHERE THE CONNECTIONS WERE GONNA BE
[00:40:01]
PROBLEMATIC FOR SOME OF THE, SOME OF THE PROPERTY OWNERS COSTWISE.SO SAFE AND, AND SOUND FUNDED PROGRAM, UM, AS I'M SURE SAMUEL DISCUSSED WITH IT, YOU, YOU CREATED SOMETHING THAT REALLY KIND OF FILLS IN SOME OF THE GAPS THAT WERE THERE FROM, FROM SAFE.
AND SO FAR TO DATE, WE'VE ACTUALLY MADE 16 CONNECTIONS.
I THINK WE'VE GOT A COUPLE, UM, ESTIMATES IN THE PIPELINE AND, UH, LIKE NICK TASTE.
SO REGARDLESS OF IF YOU ARE GRANT QUALIFIED OR NOT, JUST IF YOU'RE AN INDIVIDUAL CUSTOMER, ALL OF OUR CUSTOMERS ARE ELIGIBLE FOR THE PSDS LONG TERM LOW INTEREST FINANCING.
THEY'LL, UM, THE CONNECTION WILL BE PERFORMED, THE COST OCCURRED.
THIS INCLUDES THE IMPACT FEES, SEWER IMPACT FEE, ALL NEW CONNECTIONS.
SO GOES ON THE TAX BILL OVER 20 YEARS.
UM, WE LET IT TRAVEL WITH THE LAND, SO AN OWNER DOESN'T HAVE TO FINISH OUT THE, UH, ASSESSMENT IF THEY'RE SELLING.
UM, IT, THIS, THIS OPPORTUNITY CAN BE USED IN FUNCTION WITH ANY GRANT.
IF YOU DON'T GET SOMETHING COVERED BY THE GRANT, YOU COME BACK AND YOU CAN USE THE, YOU KNOW, THE LONG TERM LOAN.
UH, AND THEN WE ALSO DO ONE HERE SAYING AS CASH STAND.
UM, WELL BEFORE PETE LEAVES ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT, UH, YEAH, I WAS GONNA ASK TOO, DO YOU GUYS HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR PETE? UM, MR. HINTZ.
JUST IN THE BIG PICTURE, UM, SD SERVES MAYBE THE, THE NORTHERN THIRD OF THE ISLAND OR SO WE SERVE FROM, WE SERVE UNINCORPORATED BEAUFORD COUNTY, JENKINS ISLAND WITH MILL HARBOR.
THAT'S WHERE WE BEGIN, RIGHT? START RIGHT WHEN YOU COME ONTO ONTO JENKINS ISLAND FROM THE BRIDGES.
AND THEN OUR SERVICE AREA STOPS RIGHT AFTER, UH, HILTON HEAD RESORT STOPS AT SHELTER COVE.
YOUR AREA, YOUR SERVICE AREA, IS IT THAT A HUNDRED PERCENT SERVE WITH THE, THE BIG, UH, SEWER LINES NOW SO EVERYBODY THAT LIVES IN YOUR MARKET CAN CONNECT TO IT.
AND DO WE KNOW HOW MANY 95 PERCENT'S GREAT, BUT WE NEED IT A HUNDRED.
DO WE KNOW WHAT THAT IT BOUNCES AROUND? IT BOUNCES AROUND TOM BECAUSE IT'S NOT A STATIC THING.
THEY COME BACK ACTIVE A PARCEL THAT HAD ONE HOUSE ON IT, TWO OR THREE HOUSES, PROBABLY NEVER BE A HUNDRED PERCENT, BUT WE HAVE TO MEASURE.
SO, BUT SO 5% OF YOUR CUSTOMERS ARE STILL ON SEPTIC, HOW YOU'D SAY THAT? OKAY.
THAT INCLUDES, UM, LIKE THE MAJORITY OF THAT PART OF THAT IS CONTAINED IN ONCE.
SO IF WE, IF WE GOT THAT DONE, WE WILL, WE WE LAY UP THERE.
THAT WAS CERTAINLY PART OF THE QUESTIONS THAT I HAVE.
UM, ARE YOU AT LIBERTY TO SAY WHICH SUBDIVISION THAT IS? YES.
YEAH, THAT'S A WHOLE OTHER MEETING ABOUT THAT.
BUT, UH, I THINK WE JUST GOT YOUR CUSTOMER A COUPLE OTHER PIECES OF OTHER SUBDIVISIONS.
WELL, AS EAST, IT'S NOT ON PSE WATER OR SEWER, IT'S ITS OWN COMMUNITY WATER SYSTEM.
IF IT'S OWN WEB SUBJECT, DO WE KNOW WHY AT THIS POINT? I MEAN IT JUST, THEY'RE COMFORTABLE OR THEY DON'T WANT TO OR THEY DON'T HAVE TO OR WE'RE GOOD.
YEAH, I THINK, I THINK THESE KIND OF PROJECTS, IT, THE DRIVER A LOT OF TIMES IS, ARE YOU HAVING A PROBLEM? NOT FLUSH TOILETS, NOT DO THE LAUNDRY AFTER IT RAINS, SUBJECT DRAIN, KILL PATRICK.
SO IN PLACE OF, IN FOLKS WHO HAVE NOT CONNECTED YET, THEY'RE JUST NOT, WHICH IS A PART OF THE, ONE OF THE PROMOTIONS THAT YOU SAID, YOU KNOW, DON'T WAIT TILL IT BREAKS TO, TO CONNECT, RIGHT? YEAH.
THAT IS THAT, THAT'S, THAT IS, THAT'S WHY WE, THAT'S WHY WE ENCOURAGE THIS.
I MEAN, YOU KNOW, AS WE'RE ALL SEEN WITH EVERYTHING, RIGHT? COSTS DON'T GO DOWN.
THEY'RE, THEY'RE ONLY GONNA GO UP, YOU KNOW, SO THAT'S PART OF IT TOO IS IF YOU HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY NOW, IF ALL
[00:45:01]
THESE GREAT PROGRAMS IN PLACE NOW, YOU KNOW, COME, COME TO US AND CONNECT A BAIL YOURSELF FOR THESE PROGRAMS. AND SO THESE FOLKS ARE AWARE OF THE PROGRAM AND THEY JUST KIND OF CHOOSE NOT TO CONNECT AT THIS POINT.IT'S NOT THAT THEY DON'T KNOW OR NO, THEY, YEAH, THEY, LIKE, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT SUBDIVISION WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THESE POSTCARDS.
I'M SAYING THEY, THEY RECEIVED THEM AT THEIR HOUSE, THE COST, SO THEY DON'T QUALIFY FOR THE ASSISTANCE FROM THAT'S RIGHT.
AS WELL AS YOU HAVE A SITUATION WHERE IT'S A, IT'S A PRIVATE SUBDIVISION AND THE SEWER EASEMENT DOESN'T EXIST FOR THE UTILITY.
SO YOU HAVE A SITUATION WHERE, WELL, WILL THE SUBDIVISION GO THROUGH WHAT IT HAS TO GO THROUGH TO CREATE AN EASEMENT AND PROVIDE IT TO THE UTILITY THAT HASN'T OCCURRED? THE, THE, THE OPPOSITE THEN WOULD BE, OR YOU KNOW, THE SOLU OTHER SOLUTION WOULD BE, WILL THE UTILITY GO USE ITS EMINENT DOMAIN, CONDEMN ITS RIGHT OF WAY? AND THAT'S A LITTLE, THAT'S A LITTLE DIFFERENT SITUATION.
BUT THAT OCCURS, RIGHT? THAT'S HOW WE DID SO MUCH OF THE TOWN FUNDED WORK.
WE HAD TO, THE PS HAD TO CONDEMN RIGHTS AWAY TO, TO PERFORM EVEN THE INSTALLATION OF THE, UH,
UM, SO, UM, ONE OF THE QUESTIONS YOU ANSWERED I THINK ALREADY, UH, AND THAT'S ONE OF MY, AS FAR AS RESISTANCE FROM ANY, IS, IS THERE OTHER, ARE THERE OTHER AREAS OTHER THAN LIKE SPANISH WELLS WHERE YOU FIND ANY S I THINK WE'VE, YOU SAID, WAS IT 80% THAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW WE'RE 95%.
I, I GUESS TO ANSWER A LITTLE BIT, LAVONNE, THE PSD DOES LOOK ANNUALLY AT WHAT WE JUST GENERALLY TERM LANDLOCK PROPERTIES.
AND IF THERE'S SITUATIONS LIKE THAT AND THE SEWER MAIN ISN'T TO THAT BACK PARCEL YET, THE UTILITY IS LOOKING AT THOSE AND SAYING, OKAY, THAT'S, THAT'S ON US.
LET'S TREAT THAT LIKE A COLLECTOR MAIN BECAUSE IT'S KIND, IT CAN BE PROHIBITED FOR THAT OWNER TO GO TO THE NEIGHBOR AND SAY, I NEED THE EASEMENT.
YOU KNOW, SO THE UTILITY GOES THROUGH THAT ON, ON BEHALF OF THAT OWNER.
AND THAT WE'RE, THOSE ARE, THAT'S, WE'RE ALMOST DOWN TO LIKE THE, WHAT CONSIDERATION DO WE HAVE FOR, AS YOU PROBABLY JUST MENTIONED, UH, IF THERE'S A NEW DEVELOPMENT FOR THE SMALLER OR A NEW CONSTRUCTION OR YOU KNOW, I KNOW WE WE'RE TALKING MAYBE 95 5 OF WHAT EXISTS NOW, WHAT ARE WE THINKING ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS? YEAH, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, NEW, YOU KNOW, THE PHILOSOPHY LIKE ALL UTILITIES IN NORTH AMERICA, NEW GROWTH PAYS ITS OWN WAY ONTO THE SYSTEM IS HOW THAT'S TYPICALLY DONE.
YOU KNOW, IF, IF WE'RE DEVELOPING A SUBDIVISION, WE AS THE DEVELOPERS PAY FOR THAT WATER SEWER, YOU KNOW, ELECTRICAL IN INFRASTRUCTURE AND THEN DOESN'T, YOU KNOW, WITH NEW, WHAT OCCURS WITH YOUR TOWN FUNDED PROGRAM OR, OR CAN OCCUR WITH SAFE, YOU CAN BE PLACING A NEW UNIT ON A PARCEL AND BE ELIGIBLE FOR THESE PROGRAMS. SO THAT IS OCCURRING.
WE'VE HAD TO COUP FOR EXAMPLE TOO, LIKE WE WERE, THE FOUNDATION WORKED REALLY QUICKLY WITH US AND WE COUPLED THE OTHER CHARITABLE FUND NOT DISCUSSED HERE IS CALLED THE WATER FUND.
PSD CUSTOMERS FUNDED THROUGH THEIR BILL ROUNDUP PROGRAM THAT PAYS FOR INCOME QUALIFIED WATER CONNECTION.
WELL WE COUPLED THAT WITH THE, WHEN THE TOWN STARTED THIS PROGRAM, WE REALIZED THERE'S GONNA BE SOME SITUATIONS WHERE THERE WASN'T A WATER CONNECTION YET.
MAYBE CAUSE IT'S FACING A NEW UNIT, IT'S GONNA BE ELIGIBLE UNDER THE TOWN PROGRAM, BUT IT'S, IT'S NEW WATER METER HAS NO WATER CONNECTION, BUT IT'S GONNA BE IN INCOME QUALIFIED.
SO WORKING WITH THE FOUNDATION, THEY ACTUALLY OPENED UP THE PARAMETERS, IF YOU WILL, THE WATER FUND.
AND NOW THAT FUND CAN WORK WITH BOTH SAFE AND THE TOWN FUNDED PROGRAM THAT THAT'S KIND OF COMING INTO PLAY A NEW PLACEMENT, NEW UNIT ON IT.
I'M SORRY MS. WRIGHT HAS A QUESTION.
UM, SO I, I THINK I HEARD THAT THERE IS A COST, AND THAT MAY BE ONE OF THE JUROR FOUR PEOPLE IN CONNECTING.
AND I ALSO HEARD YOU SAID THAT UH, PSD DOES A FINANCING AND THE PERCENTAGE OF THAT OVER, YOU SAID 20 YEARS AND IT COULD BE DEEDED TO SOMEBODY AT THE PROPERTY SOLD.
SO WHAT IS THAT PERCENTAGE LIKE? AND UH, IS THAT BASED UPON, UH, BIDS COMING IN FOR CONNECTIONS WHEN THE COST FOR THE COST BEING OVER WHAT MAYBE SOMEONE COULD PAY OR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING THE INTEREST RATE YOU'RE PAYING? SO THE INTEREST RATE COMING FROM PSD, THE INTEREST RATE IS, IS THE UTILITIES COST OF, OF THE MONEY PASSED ON TO THE CUSTOMER.
SO WE HAD TO DO ONE RECENTLY AND IT WAS LIKE 4%.
WE'VE HAD SOME THAT MAYBE WERE AS
[00:50:01]
LOW AS, YOU KNOW, 2%, BUT THE UTILITY CAN ACCESS THE MONEY FOR, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT, WHAT OUR COST OF MONEY IS.WE DO THESE, WE DO OUR FINANCING PROGRAM IN A THREE YEAR RUN.
SO WE'VE ACTUALLY, THE CONNECTIONS HAVE ALREADY OCCURRED.
THE CUSTOMERS ARE ALREADY ON THE SYSTEM AND THEN WE'RE GOING BACK OBTAINING, YOU KNOW, BORROWING TO REIMBURSE THE COST OF THE CONNECTIONS AT, AT THAT TIME THE ASSESSMENT IS PLACED WITH WHATEVER YOU CAN FUND, YOU KNOW, THE AVERAGE COST OF THESE CONNECTIONS UNDER THIS TOWN PROGRAM, JOYCE, THE AVERAGE COST HAS SPENT AROUND $8,000.
AND THAT'S WITH THE, THAT'S WITH THIS THE IMPACT FEE.
UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE DO A LOW PRESSURE CONNECTION, THAT'S A MORE EXPENSIVE PROGRAM THAT CAN BE LIKE 14, $15,000.
UM, AND YOU KNOW, KIND OF THE, THE CATCH OR THE FLIP SIDE WITH IT IS THAT'S, THAT, THAT'S THAT EXPENSE, BUT THE UTILITY IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT SYSTEM.
WHEREAS GRAVITY, YOU KNOW, WE'RE AVERAGING LESS, WE'RE AVERAGING LIKE 6,000 ON A GRAVITY CONNECTION.
BUT ONCE THAT'S DONE, THAT PIPE, THAT'S ALWAYS ON THE OWNER'S RESPONSIBILITY THERE.
AND, AND YOU FIND THAT FOR THOSE WHO CANNOT AFFORD TO PAY THIS AND MAY HAVE TO FINANCE THIS, IS IT BECAUSE THEY JUST DON'T NEED THEIR QUALIFICATIONS FOR GRANTS OR ANY OTHER, IS IT, BECAUSE I REMEMBER WITH THE TOWN PROGRAM, YOU, YOU, YOU'VE NOT ONLY OPENED IT UP FOR RENTERS, BUT YOU'VE CREATED, YOU'VE CREATED A GREATER INCOME ELIGIBILITY UNDER IT THAT, CUZ THAT HAS HISTORICALLY SOMETHING'S BEEN A LITTLE BIT OF A DIFFICULT THING WITH SAFE IS, YOU KNOW.
THAT, THAT WAS GONNA BE MY NEXT QUESTION.
BUT THE FINANCING'S IMPORTANT, YOU KNOW, AN INDIVIDUAL CUSTOMER CONNECTING, YOU NEVER ACTUALLY OWE THE UTILITY ANYTHING UPFRONT TO GET CONNECTED.
YOU ALL, EVEN IF I'M NOT, I'M NOT ELIGIBLE FOR ANYTHING.
I, I, I CAN ALWAYS AVAIL MYSELF FOR THAT FINANCING.
AND WE ARE SENSITIVE ABOUT OUR WEALTHY FRIENDS TOO, SO THANK YOU FOR THAT.
SO ONTO HOW DO PEOPLE GET CONNECTED AND HOW CAN THEY ACCESS IT? UM, DEEP WELL PROJECT HAS BEEN DOING THE PROJECT SAFE APPLICATION SINCE JULY OF 2019.
I THINK PRIOR TO THAT IT, EVERYTHING WAS HAPPENING AT P S D, BUT BECAUSE DEEP WELL ALREADY HAD A LOT OF RELATIONSHIPS WITH A LOT OF THESE PEOPLE, IT WAS A LITTLE BIT MORE COMFORTABLE SITUATION.
IT ALSO LET THE CONTRACTOR DO THE CONTRACTOR PIECE AND IT LET A SOCIAL SERVICE ORGANIZATION DO THE SOCIAL SERVICE PART OF THE PIECE.
SO IT WAS A, IT WAS KIND OF A GOOD DIVISION OF LABOR AS FAR AS IMPLEMENTING THIS PROGRAM.
UM, WE DO ACCEPT, UH, WE HAVE THE APPLICATIONS AVAILABLE, BOTH HARD COPIES, WHICH IS WHAT A LOT OF PEOPLE WANNA DO.
THEY CAN PICK THOSE UP MONDAY TO FRIDAY, NINE TO FIVE AT OUR OFFICE.
WE ALSO HAVE THEM AVAILABLE FOR FOLKS IF THEY ARE NOT HERE ON HILTON HEAD, THEY CAN DOWNLOAD IT RIGHT FROM OUR WEBSITE.
AND THIS TOWN OF HILTON HEAD SEWER APPLICATION, I'M 99.9% SURE CAN ALSO BE YES, DOWNLOADED FROM THE, THE HILTON HEAD ISLAND, UM, WEBSITE.
SO THE APPLICATION ITSELF IS VERY ACCESSIBLE, UM, FOR ANYONE WHO NEEDS IT.
UM, A FEW TIPS AS FAR AS FILLING 'EM OUT.
FIRST OF ALL WITH PROJECT SAFE, UM, IT'S ABOUT A SIX PAGE APPLICATION, WHICH LOOKS A LITTLE BIT INTIMIDATING, BUT IT'S VERY STRAIGHTFORWARD.
UM, JUST KIND OF FILL OUT THE APPLICATION.
TWO OF THE PAGES DO HAVE TO BE NOTARIZED.
SO WE, WE, WE ALERT PEOPLE DON'T SIGN THOSE PAGES UNTIL YOU'RE IN FRONT OF THE NOTARY.
WE DO HAVE A NOTARY REPUBLIC WHO'S ONE OF THE STAFF MEMBERS AT DEEP WELL.
SO IF SOMEONE DOESN'T KNOW SOMEONE WHO'S A NOTARY, WE CAN DO ALL OF THAT FOR THEM WHEN THEY DROP THEIR APPLICATION OFF.
UM, THERE ARE A LOT OF DOCUMENTS THAT YOU NEED TO SUPPLY.
SO WE MAKE SURE THAT THE PEOPLE REALLY OWN THE PROPERTY.
THERE'S INCOME VERIFICATION TO MAKE SURE THEIR INCOME QUALIFICATION HAPPENS ANYTIME PEOPLE HAVE THOSE DOCUMENTS BUT MAYBE DON'T HAVE EASY ACCESS TO A PHOTOCOPIER, THEY CAN ALSO BRING THOSE, THEIR OFFICIAL HARD COPIES TO US.
WE MAKE THE COPIES THAT GO WITH THE APPLICATION, WE CAN GIVE THEM THEIR ORIGINAL, THAT WAY THEY'RE NEVER NOT IN POSSESSION OF THOSE ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS.
THAT HAS BEEN A VERY POPULAR SERVICE AS WELL THAT WE'RE HAPPY TO DO.
AGAIN, THE PROJECT SAFE APPLICATION, YOU DO HAVE TO PROVIDE A NUMBER OF DOCUMENTS AS BACKUP, BUT THE APPLICATION ITSELF IS VERY SIMPLE AND STRAIGHTFORWARD.
UM, TOWN OF HILTON HAD SEWER APPLICATION BECAUSE, UM, THE VAST MAJORITY ALL BUT ONE OF THE APPLICATIONS
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THAT HAVE COME THROUGH SO FAR HAVE BEEN A COLLABORATIVE APPLICATION BETWEEN THE PERSON WHO OWNS THE PROPERTY AND THE PERSON WHO IS RENTING AND LIVING ON THAT PROPERTY.SO THEY'RE NOT A FAMILIAL RELATIONSHIP THERE.
IMPORTANT TO KNOW THAT FOR PROJECT SAFE, LET'S SAY GRANDMOTHER OWNS THE PROPERTY AND SHE'S GOT CHILDREN LIVING ON THE PROPERTY AND GRANDCHILDREN LIVING ON THE PROPERTY.
AS LONG AS THAT FAMILIAL RELATIONSHIP HEIRS PROPERTY IS THERE, ALL OF THOSE FAMILY MEMBERS WOULD QUALIFY FOR A PROJECT SAFE APPLICATION ASSUMING ALL OF THE INCOME FITS.
SO THAT'S GENERALLY, IF IT'S YOUR FAMILY'S LAND PROJECT SAFE IS THE APPLICATION THAT'S GOING TO BE THE RIGHT BET FOR YOU.
UM, AGAIN, UNLESS YOU HAVE AN INCOME ISSUE WHERE YOUR INCOME IS A LITTLE BIT TOO HIGH AND THAT'S WHEN THE TOWN SEWER APPLICATION COULD COME IN.
I'D JUST LIKE TO ECHO WHAT PETE SAID WHEN THE TOWN CREATED THIS, UM, THIS ALTERNATE GRANT PROGRAM.
THEY REALLY DID A BEAUTIFUL JOB OF LOOKING AT WHERE THE DONUT HOLES WERE OR WHERE PLACES WHERE PEOPLE MIGHT NOT QUALIFY TO THE PROJECT SAFE PROGRAM AND TRIED TO BUILD AWAY AN ACCESS POINT FOR THEM.
AND OVERWHELMINGLY, SO FAR WHAT WE HAVE SEEN SINCE THIS PROGRAM STARTED LAST SUMMER IS TENANTS WHO ARE LIVING ON THE PROPERTY WHO ARE ALMOST ALWAYS INCOME QUALIFYING, BUT THEY DON'T OWN THE LAND.
SO THE COMBINATION OF THE RENTER APPLYING BASED ON THEIR INCOME IN THEIR HOUSEHOLD ALLOW AND THEN THE PROPERTY OWNER SIGNING OFF, YES, YOU CAN COME ONTO MY PROPERTY TO, TO DO THE INFRASTRUCTURE WORK HAS BEEN A REALLY GREAT ONE, TWO COMBO.
UM, WITH, UH, AGAIN, REMEMBERING IT'S THE RENTER, IT'S RE WE HAVE TO KNOW FOR INCOME, UM, ELIGIBILITY, HOW MANY PEOPLE AND WHAT AGES LIVE IN THAT HOME.
THAT'S BEEN A, UH, THE BIGGEST KIND OF THING THAT WE HAVE TO GATHER.
AS FAR AS THE TOWN'S APPLICATION, ANYONE WHO IS 18 YEARS OLD OR OLDER HAVE TO SHOW THEIR INCOME OR WE HAVE A ZERO INCOME FORM IF THEY, FOR EXAMPLE, ARE A FULL-TIME STUDENT AND HAVE NO SOURCE OF INCOME OR THEY'RE A STAY-AT-HOME MOM AND THEY DON'T HAVE A TRADITIONAL INCOME.
SO LOTS OF WAYS THAT THOSE KIND OF SPECIAL SITUATIONS CAN BE, UM, FOLDED INTO THE PROGRAM.
IF YOU DO HAVE A HIGH INCOME AND YOU'RE TOO HIGH TO QUALIFY FOR PROJECT SAFE, THE TOWNS PROGRAM DOES GO HIGHER.
SO WE HAVE HAD, I KNOW ONE APPLICANT WHO MADE A LITTLE BIT TOO MUCH MONEY TO BE APPROVED THROUGH PROJECT SAFE.
THEY TURNED AROUND, APPLIED THROUGH THE TOWN PROGRAM AND THEY WERE THEN APPROVED.
SO AGAIN, IT WORKED EXACTLY HOW WE HOPED IT WOULD FOR THOSE DONUT HOLE FOLKS.
UM, YOU JUST HAVE TO SHOW THAT YOU APPLIED TO PROJECT SAFE AND WERE DECLINED.
WE DON'T MAKE PEOPLE, IF IT'S A RENTER TENANT SITUATION THAT WE KNOW RIGHT OUT THE GATE IS NOT ELIGIBLE FOR PROJECT SAFE, THEY DON'T HAVE TO APPLY TO ONE AND THEN COME TO THE OTHER.
WE SEND THEM STRAIGHT TO THE TOWN PROGRAM.
AGAIN, TRYING TO STREAMLINE IT AND MAKE IT AS EFFICIENT AS POSSIBLE FOR THE CONSUMER.
UM, AGAIN, THE TOWN'S, THE TOWN'S APPLICATION IS A COMBINATION.
THERE'S PARTS THAT THE PROPERTY OWNER HAS TO FILL OUT AND HAVE NOTARIZED.
THERE'S PARTS THAT THE RENTER TENANT HAS, HAS TO FILL OUT.
BUT IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THE INCOME CERTIFICATION HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE PROPERTY OWNER'S INCOME.
IT'S EVERYTHING ABOUT WHO'S LIVING IN THE HOUSE TO BE CONNECTED.
SO IN THIS CASE, THE TENANT, UM, ALL THE APPLICATIONS, ONCE THEY'RE FILLED OUT THE, THEY COME BACK TO US AT DEEP WELL, WE REVIEW THEM REALLY CAREFULLY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVEN'T MISSED ANYTHING AND UM, WE'RE, BEFORE WE SEND IT TO TOWN HALL, WE MAKE SURE IT'S ORGANIZED AND EVERYTHING'S THERE.
BEFORE WE SEND IT COMMUNITY FOUNDATION, WE TRY TO MAKE SURE WE'VE GOT EVERYTHING COVERED AND THEN WE TAKE IT ON FROM THERE.
YOU KNOW, ONCE THE COMPLETED APPLICATION COMES BACK TO DEEP, WELL WE LOG IT IN, WE CHECK IT, WE MAKE SURE IT'S GOOD TO GO.
AND THEN ON THE NEXT BUSINESS DAY WE HAND DELIVER IT EITHER TO COMMUNITY FOUNDATION, IF IT'S A PROJECT SAFE OR HERE TO TOWN HALL.
IF IT'S FOR THE TOWN SEWER PROGRAM, AGAIN, JUST TRYING TO MOVE, SOMETIMES THIS IS TIED TO A BIGGER CONSTRUCTION THING, BUT UNTIL THE SEWER IS THERE, OTHER THINGS CAN'T HAPPEN.
SO WE TRY TO BE VERY MINDFUL OF THAT.
UM, PROJECT SAFE HAS A TWO TO FOUR WEEK REVIEW TIME.
I'VE SEEN IT HAPPEN EVEN FASTER THAN THAT.
SO IT IS SOMETHING THAT PEOPLE NEED TO PLAN FOR, SUBMIT IT, AND THEN THERE'S GONNA BE A LITTLE BIT OF A WAIT TIME.
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DOES IS ONCE THEY HAVE RENDERED THEIR DECISION, THE APPLICANT IS NOTIFIED BY MAIL AT THE MAILING ADDRESS THEY SUBMITTED, BUT PSD NUMBER ONE IS ALSO IMMEDIATELY NOTIFIED SO THEY KNOW, WHOA, THIS CONNECTION IS GONNA BE FULLY FUNDED BY PROJECT SAFE.UM, SO YOU'RE READY TO GO WHEN THAT, WHEN THAT APPLICANT'S READY TO HAVE THE CONSTRUCTION WORK DONE.
I AM A LITTLE FUZZIER, I WILL CONFESS ON THE TURN TIME FOR THE TOWN OF SEWER, BUT ONCE IT'S HERE, I THINK IT GENERALLY IS IN ABOUT THAT SAME TWO TO FOUR WEEK RANGE.
IS, DOES THAT SEEM ACCURATE? OKAY, VERY GOOD.
UM, AND THEN IT'S JUST A MATTER OF ONCE THE APPLICANT KNOWS PROJECT SAFE IS GONNA FULLY FUND IT OR 50% FUND IT OR 85% FUND IT, THAT'S BASICALLY THE THREE OPTIONS.
50, 85 OR A HUNDRED PERCENT, THEN THEY CAN PLAN AND MOVE FORWARD FROM THERE.
UM, AGAIN, THE RESULTS TO DATE FOR US, THESE ARE NOT CUMULATIVE RESULTS, BUT DEEP WELL STARTED HANDLING THE PROJECT SAFE APPLICATION PHASE IN JULY OF 2019 86.
TOTAL APPLICATIONS HAVE BEEN SUBMITTED.
ONLY SEVEN OUT OF 86 WERE DECLINED.
ALL DUE TO THE INCOME WAS A LITTLE BIT TOO HIGH.
SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT MATH IS, BUT SEVEN OUT OF 86 IS A PRETTY DARN GOOD HIT RATE.
AND AGAIN, IN THOSE CASES, ALL OF THEM, THEY WERE ONLY DECLINED BECAUSE THE INCOME WAS A LITTLE BIT TOO HIGH FROM THE PROJECT SAFE BAR WITH THE TOWN'S BAR BEING A LITTLE HIGHER, THAT LEFT ROOM FOR SOME OTHER FOLKS TO COME IN THERE.
WE JUST STARTED, UM, HANDLING THE APPLICATIONS ON BEHALF OF THE TOWN IN JULY OF 20 22, 24 APPLICATIONS HAVE COME THROUGH OUR DOOR SO FAR.
THERE WERE TWO, UM, THAT WHEN THE INCOME CHECK WAS DONE, WHICH IS ACTUALLY HANDLED BY LOW COUNTRY COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS THAT, UM, NOT BY THE FOLKS AT DEEP WELL, WE ARE JUST GET THE INFORMATION TOGETHER AND MAKE SURE IT'S COMPLETE.
UM, THERE WERE ONLY TWO THAT COULD NOT ADVANCE TO TOWN HALL BECAUSE THEY WERE NOT INCOME QUALIFYING.
AND WE'VE GOT FOUR SITTING AT OUR OFFICE RIGHT NOW WHERE WE'RE JUST WAITING FOR SOME MISSING DOCUMENTS AND AS SOON AS THOSE DOCUMENTS COME IN FROM THE APPLICANT, THEY CAN MOVE ON ALONG TOO.
UM, SO IT'S BEEN, IT'S KEPT US BUSY.
UM, ANY QUESTIONS? THAT'S MY CONTACT INFO, MY EMAIL, PHONE NUMBER AND NAME.
AGAIN, THE APPLICATIONS CAN BE PICKED UP HARD.
WELL, MONDAY TO FRIDAY, NINE TO FIVE.
ANY OF OUR VOLUNTEERS THERE, UM, WE HAVE LOTS OF THEM.
WE ACTUALLY HAVE THEM HERE ON THE BACK.
UM, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR WHOEVER HELPED PROVIDE THAT.
WE'VE GOT BOTH APPLICATIONS HERE, BOTH THE TOWN APPLICATION AND THE PROJECT SAFE.
SO IF ANYONE HERE WOULD LIKE TO GRAB SOME TO HAVE TO TAKE TO YOUR NEXT MEETING OR WHERE THEY MAY BE USEFUL, PLEASE HELP YOURSELF.
OTHERWISE I'LL TAKE 'EM BACK TO DEEP.
WELL, AND WE'LL HAVE 'EM READY TO GO THERE.
UM, ANY QUESTIONS? YEAH, THANK YOU SO MUCH, SANDY.
ANY QUESTIONS? I, I, I HAVE ONE LITTLE QUESTION.
YOU, YOU HAD MENTIONED THAT YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES THERE, WELL THE ONES THAT ARE ON HOLD FOR MISSING DOCUMENTS, UH, CAN YOU TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT TYPE OF DOCUMENTS ARE REQUIRED AND THEN IF YOU KNOW WHAT, UH, MISSING DOCUMENTS OR IF THAT'S AN ISSUE OR NOT? MOST USUALLY WHAT WE'RE WAITING ON IS THE INCOME DOCUMENTS.
UM, PROJECT SAFE PREFERS THE LAST TWO YEARS TAX RETURNS FOR THEIR INFORMATION.
IF A LOT OF OUR ELDERLY PEOPLE THAT ARE ONLY ON SOCIAL SECURITY DON'T EVEN FILE TAXES, AND IN THOSE CASES WE JUST SAY THAT THEY HAVEN'T, THIS IS THEIR SOCIAL SECURITY INCOME AND THEY HAVE NOT FILED TAXES.
SO PROJECT SAFE IS, THAT'S, THAT'S PRETTY STRAIGHTFORWARD THERE.
UM, WITH THE TOWN APPLICATION, AGAIN, BECAUSE WE NEED TO HAVE EITHER A ZERO INCOME FORM SIGNED SAYING THIS PERSON HAS NO INCOME COMING IN, OR WE NEED A PAYROLL STUB, WE NEED A COPY OF THEIR SOCIAL SECURITY LETTER, WHATEVER DOCUMENTATION THEY CHOOSE, THERE'S ACTUALLY A LONG LIST.
THERE'S SIX OR SEVEN DIFFERENT WAYS THAT PEOPLE CAN CHOOSE TO DOCUMENT THEIR INCOME AND IT'S THEIR CHOICE.
BUT THAT IS GENERALLY WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR.
IT IS IMPORTANT THAT WE GET A COPY OF THAT PROPERTY TAX BILL TO MAKE SURE THAT THE ADDRESS ON THE BILL SYNCS UP WITH THE ADDRESS THAT THEY'RE SEEKING, THAT THAT'S THE SEWER HOOKUP.
BUT THOSE ARE GENERALLY THE ONLY DOCUMENTS THAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR.
THERE'VE BEEN A NUMBER OF TIMES IF PEOPLE WERE JUST COULDN'T PUT THEIR HANDS ON THEIR TAX PROPERTY TAX BILL, WE JUST HELP THEM GO ONLINE AND PULL IT DOWN FROM THE BEAUFORT COUNTY WEBSITE, CUZ THAT'S PRETTY ACCESSIBLE THERE.
IT GETS A LITTLE FUNKY IF IT'S HEIR'S PROPERTY AND THE APPLICANT MAYBE THE GRANDDAUGHTER, BUT
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AS LONG AS SHE PROVIDES A NOTE THAT EXPLAINS THE PROPERTY TAX BILL SAYS IT'S IN MRS. JONES NAME AND MRS. JONES IS MY GRANDMOTHER.AS LONG AS WE HAVE SOME KIND OF DOCUMENTATION TO FIT THE PUZZLE PIECES TOGETHER, THEN THAT'S SUFFICIENT FOR IT TO MOVE FORWARD.
AND THE, UM, THE INCOME IS, UH, WHAT, WHAT DETERMINES HOW MUCH ASSISTANCE THEY WILL GET? RIGHT.
UM, SO FOR THE TOWN'S APPLICATION, REFRESH MY MEMORY, IT'S, IT'S RIGHT ON THE APPLICATION.
IS IT A EIGHT, A HUNDRED PERCENT OF THE MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME? THANK YOU.
NICK DAY AND PROJECT SAFE IS 80% OF THE MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME.
SO THAT 20% TIER, A LOT OF PEOPLE FALL INTO THAT.
THEY MAY MAKE A LITTLE BIT TOO MUCH TO BE AT 80% OF THE MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME, BUT WITH THE TOWNS GOING ALL THE WAY UP TO A HUNDRED PERCENT COVERS A LOT MORE PEOPLE.
AND AGAIN, THAT'S ALL DRIVEN BY THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE IN THE HOUSEHOLD.
THE MORE PEOPLE IN THE HOME, THE HIGHER THE INCOME CAN BE AND STILL BE QUALIFYING.
ALWAYS TELL PEOPLE, BE SURE TO COUNT THE BABY
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR SANDY GILL OR EVEN PETE BERNARDY AT THIS POINT? I HAVE, UM, I I HEARD YOU MENTION, UH, THE PROPERTY TAX BILL, SO YOU HAVEN'T HAD ANY ISSUES WITH THE PROPERTY TAX BILL AND THE OWNERS OF THE PROPERTY CREATED AN ISSUE FOR YOU.
SO WE'VE JUST HAD PEOPLE WRITE US A LETTER TO EXPLAIN THAT WHOEVER'S NAME IS ON THE PROPERTY TAX BILL.
THE WAY I EXPLAIN IT IS IF THE, IF THE NAME, IF YOUR NAME DOESN'T MATCH WHO'S ON THE PROPERTY TAX BILL, EXPLAIN TO US HOW YOU'RE RELATED.
AND AS LONG AS THEY CAN PUT THAT DOWN ON A PIECE OF PAPER, IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE TYPED UP, DOESN'T HAVE TO BE FORMAL.
WE JUST NEED TO EX THE, THE EXPLANATION AND THEN IT GOES FROM COMMUNITY FOUNDATION FROM THERE.
AGAIN, THEY JUST NEED TO UNDERSTAND WHAT'S THE FAMILY RELATIONSHIP THERE AND THEN IT CAN MOVE FORWARD.
I MEAN THAT'S FAIR ENOUGH BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, OFTENTIMES THE TAX BILL DOESN'T NECESSARILY, UM, REFLECT, REFLECT WHO THE, THE, UH, THE ACTUAL OWNER OF THE PROPERTY IS AS, AS LONG AS THEY CAN EXPLAIN HOW THE RELATIONSHIP WORKS AND THAT THEY HAVE, THE BIG THING ISN'T THEY HAVE PERMISSION TO PLACE A HOME THERE.
YOU KNOW, THAT'S THE OTHER PIECE.
THAT'S, THAT'S WHY WHEN YOU ASKED PETE THE QUESTION EARLIER ABOUT HOW MANY AREN'T CONNECTED, IT TRULY IS A MOVING TARGET BECAUSE RIGHT NOW THERE MAY BE ONE HOME ON THAT PLOT OF LAND, BUT, BUT NOW A SON'S COMING TO MOVE THERE, A GRANDDAUGHTER'S COMING TO MOVE THERE AND SUDDENLY NOW THERE'S THREE HOMES THERE.
SO WE WENT FROM EVERYBODY WAS FULLY CONNECTED TO NOW THERE'S TWO THAT AREN'T.
SO, UM, IT DEFINITELY IS A MOVING TARGET.
THANK YOU SANDY AND, AND PETE.
UH, GOOD INFORMATION, GOOD WORK IN OUR COMMUNITY FOR SURE.
UM, THE NEXT ITEM I HAVE IS THE GULLAH GEECHEE WORK PLAN QUARTERLY UPDATE.
THIS IS A DRAFT REPORT COMING FROM CHRIS.
UM, YOU KNOW, CAN I PAUSE JUST ONE QUICK SECOND HERE.
I SOMETIMES WILL ALLOW, I DON'T KNOW IF ANYBODY IN OUR PUBLIC HAD ANY QUESTIONS FOR LAST TWO PRESENTATIONS.
UM, I HAVE NOT HAD ANY FOOD, SO IF I AM
SO, UM, YOU HAVE AN ITEM IN YOUR PACKET HERE.
IT'S THE DRAFT OF THE QUARTERLY UPDATE TO TOWN COUNCIL, UH, FOR THE GULLAH GEECHEE CULTURAL PRESERVATION REPORT OR THE GULLAH GEECHEE WORK PLAN.
UM, WHICH IS A, A GOOD CHUNK OF WHERE I GET MY DAY-TO-DAY TASKS FROM.
UM, AS YOU KNOW, WE GIVE THIS QUARTERLY UPDATE AND UM, WE ARE DUE FOR THIS QUARTER.
UM, SO WE WANTED TO BRING THIS BEFORE YOU.
AS YOU CAN SEE, IT IS A DRAFT.
UM, WE ARE PLANNING TO GO BEFORE COUNSEL ON MAY 16TH, UM, AT THE REGULAR MEETING.
AND WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, YOU WERE AWARE OF THE UPDATE THAT WE WERE GIVING AND HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE ANY, UM, FEEDBACK OR REVISIONS OR ADDITIONS, UM, TO WHAT WE HAVE HERE, UM, BEFORE WE MOVE FORWARD.
SO I'M NOT GOING TO READ THE, THE WHOLE, UM, THE WHOLE PAPER AS IT'S IN THE PACKET, BUT, UM, IF WANTED TO OPEN
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UP THE OPPORTUNITY TO, TO DIALOGUE ABOUT THIS, UM, AND TO HEAR ANY FEEDBACK, UM, MR. HENS, I KNOW THAT YOU GAVE SOME, UM, BRIEF, UM, FEEDBACK OVER A, A COUPLE OF THE ITEMS ON HERE AND, AND I'VE NOTED THOSE.UM, AND THIS IS JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE, YOU KNOW, CONTINUOUSLY HAVING OPEN COMMUNICATION AND DIRECT AND CLEAR COMMUNICATION THAT WE'RE IN AGREEMENT WITH, WITH THE, UH, BETWEEN STAFF WORK PLAN AND, AND ALSO THE TASK FORCE.
I KNOW WE HAD A CONVERSATION ABOUT A WEEK OR SO AGO AND, UH, GETTING TOGETHER ON THE, ON THE QUARTERLY UPDATE WORK PLAN.
UM, I'M FAMILIAR WITH, WITH THE TOPICS CERTAINLY THAT WE HAVE IN THE ONGOING WORK THAT WE HAVE.
WE CONTINUE TO MENTION THAT, YOU KNOW, EVEN THOUGH WE HAVE A PRIORITY WORK PLAN, THAT WE ARE STILL LOOKING AT ALL OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS WHEREVER POSSIBLE, ALL OF THE LOW HANGING FRUIT POSSIBLE, POSSIBLE.
ENOUGH QUESTIONS FOR HAN? GOOD, RIGHT? YOU, YOU OKAY? MM-HMM.
SO ON THE EDUCATION PROGRAM, IS THAT BASICALLY JUST FOR THE TOWN? IT IS FOR THE RECOMMENDATION.
CP SEVEN FROM THE REPORT IS SAYS THAT IT IS FOR THE TOWN OFFICIALS, UM, I'M SORRY, STA TOWN EMPLOYEES, UM, AND ELECTED APPOINTED OFFICIALS.
UM, THERE MIGHT BE SOME LANGUAGE ABOUT IT BEING, YOU KNOW, SOME, THERE'S SOME LANGUAGE IN THE REPORT ALSO IN SOME OF THE OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS ABOUT EDUCATING OTHER FOLKS IN THE COMMUNITY.
SO THIS, BUT THIS PARTICULAR, UM, PROGRAM IS BEING GEARED TOWARDS, UM, EMPLOYEES AND UM, OFFICIALS.
OH, I GUESS MY QUESTION TOO, UH, SECOND QUESTION TO THAT COULD BE, IS IT POSSIBLE THAT WE CAN EXTEND THIS OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY? IF ANYONE MAY BE INTERESTED, YOU HAD A NEW RESTAURANT OWNER OR A NEW HOTEL THAT'S COMING IN AND YOU KNOW, JUST FOR EMPLOYEES OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, IS IT POSSIBLE THAT WE CAN PROBABLY SOURCE THAT OUT NOT RIGHT NOW, BUT LATER SO THAT IT COULD BE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING, NOT JUST WITHIN THE TOWN? I THINK THERE'S, THERE'S ALSO THE COMMUNITY.
I THINK THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION AND THERE'S POTENTIAL FOR THAT RIGHT NOW.
THIS IS, YOU KNOW, THE PRIORITY IS MAKING SURE THAT STAFF AND OFFICIALS ARE GETTING THIS INFORMATION AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.
YOU KNOW, GETTING THIS PROGRAM OFF THE GROUND AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.
UM, AND THEN ALSO PART OF WHAT IS ALSO IN THIS DRAFT REPORT HERE IS, IS THE COORDINATED COMMUNITY COLLABORATION.
UM, AND MAKING SURE THAT WE CAN DO THAT.
BECAUSE I KNOW THAT, FOR EXAMPLE, MITCHELLVILLE HAS A VERY ROBUST, YOU KNOW, INFORMATION THAT'S AVAILABLE, YOU KNOW, ON HISTORY OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, POINTING PEOPLE TOWARDS THE CULTURAL RESOURCES THAT ALREADY EXIST, GU, UM, MUSEUM AND, AND THE HERITAGE TOURS.
AND SO THERE ARE SOME, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE PROMOTING THOSE, UM, AND, AND YOU KNOW, PUSHING BUSINESS TOWARDS THOSE, UM, ENTITIES AS WELL.
SO THERE'S DEFINITELY SOME ROOM FOR, YOU KNOW, SOME COLLABORATION ON, ON HOW WE GO ABOUT DOING THAT.
I THINK THAT WOULD BE DEFINITELY ADVICE TO DO THAT.
I CAN HELP YOU WITH THAT A LITTLE BIT.
I THINK, UM, I'LL BE, WE'RE DRAFTING THIS OR COMING UP WITH THE IDEA OF A EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM.
UM, INITIALLY THERE WAS SOME DISCUSSION ABOUT OFFERING IT OUT TO THE SCHOOLS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
I THINK IN THIS PARTICULAR SITUATION, THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT, UH, IT WAS KIND OF SOFTLY MANDATED FOR STAFF AND HOPEFULLY TOWN COUNCIL AS WELL SOME, BUT WE'RE HOPING TO BE ABLE TO SHARE AS TO YOUR POINT, TO SHARE THOSE RESOURCES AND MAKE 'EM AVAILABLE TO, UH, WHOSOEVER WILL.
WELL I THINK THE IMPORTANCE BEHIND THAT TOO IS BECAUSE SURELY THE TOWN DOESN'T HAVE THAT KIND OF TURNOVER THAT ARE NEEDED LIKE EVERY QUARTER, YOU KNOW, A GOOD POINT.
SO YOU KNOW, JUST TO BE ABLE TO KIND OF SHARE THAT WITH OTHERS, I THINK NOT JUST TO HAVE IT SET ON THE SHELF ONCE YOU COMPLETE IT.
SO JUST, UM, SO YOU'RE AWARE THAT THIS WILL BE GOING INTO THE TOWN COUNCIL PACKET FOR THE MAY 16TH MEETING.
UM, YOU KNOW, UH, HEARING THE COUPLE OF SUGGESTIONS THAT, UM, MR. HENS MENTIONED AND JUST SOME, SOME OTHER, UM, EDITORIAL COMMENTS THAT I HAD MYSELF, THIS WILL BE WHAT GOES FOR.
SO JUST SO YOU'RE, UH, AWARE AND I WILL ALSO BE ASKED TO MAKE A CHAIRMAN'S REPORT.
AT THAT SAME MEETING, I WOULD SAY TO MY COLLEAGUES, IF THERE'S ANY INPUT, INPUT YOU WANT TO GIVE ME AS WELL THEN HAPPY TO DO THAT.
UH, I FIND MYSELF AT THE END OF, UH, OF OUR AGENDA.
AND AGAIN, I WANT TO THANK ALL OF YOU WHO CAME OUT FOR OUR PUBLIC AND CERTAINLY OUR
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STAFF FOR THE FINE WORK THAT THEY'RE DOING AND ALL OF OUR PARTNERS IN THE COMMUNITY AND CERTAINLY MY COLLEAGUES HERE ON THE, IF THERE ARE NO OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS, I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO ADJOURN.HAVE A GREAT AFTERNOON OR TWO.