[00:00:01]
CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY BEAUFORT COUNTY.[1. Call to Order]
TO ORDER.[2. FOIA Compliance]
FREEDOM, UH, IN COMPLIANCE WITH FREEDOM OF INFORMATION? YES, SIR.WILL YOU CALL THE ROLL PLEASE?
[3. Roll Call]
CERTAINLY.[4. Pledge to the Flag]
STATE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE, PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLY, THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND TO THE REPUBLIC, WHICH STANDS? ONE NATION, GOD, INVISIBLE LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.[5. Civility Pledge]
YOU HAVE THE STABILITY PLEDGE THAT'S UP THERE? OKAY.WHO JUST FOLLOW ALONG? I PLEDGE STABILITY.
STRONGER, STRONGER, AND MORE PROSPER COMMUNITY BY ADVOCATING FOR CIVIL ENGAGEMENT, FOR RESPECTING OTHERS AND VIEWPOINTS, FINDING SOLUTIONS FOR THE BETTERMENT.
[6. Appearance by Citizens]
RIGHT INTO APPEARANCE BY CITIZENS.I WOULD LIKE TO REMIND OUR CITIZENS AT SECTION TWO DASH FIVE DASH 70 OF THE TOWN'S CODE LIMITS EACH PERSON TO THREE MINUTES WHEN ADDRESSING TOWN, COUNSEL, AT THE END OF THE THREE MINUTES, YOU'RE ASKED TO CONCLUDE YOUR COMMENTS.
PLEASE MAINTAIN A DECORUM SUITABLE FOR THE MEETING AND REFRAIN FROM USING ANY PROFANE, ABUSIVE, OR OBSCENE LANGUAGE.
IF YOU HAVE ANY MATERIALS YOU'D LIKE TO GIVE COUNSEL, PLEASE GIVE THEM TO THE TOWN CLERK AFTER YOU ARE FINISHED SPEAKING.
DO WE HAVE ANY INDIVIDUALS SIGNED UP FOR TODAY? YES, SIR.
MR. KEN CAMPBELL IS THE FIRST.
UH, THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO BE HERE AND, UH, TALK TO MY THREE MINUTES.
I WILL TRY TO GET THE IMPORTANT POINTS, UH, THROUGH, UM, THE, MY MAIN PUR FIRST PURPOSE TO BE HERE IS TO THANK YOU ALL.
I THINK THE ACTION THAT YOU'VE TAKEN TO PURCHASE THE, UH, 7.5 OR 7.16 ACRES ON BRYANT ROAD IS A FANTASTIC MOVE.
UH, I THINK IT INDICATES THE SINCERITY AND THE, UH, UH, GOAL OF COUNCIL TO REALLY WORK ON AFFORDABLE WORKFORCE HOUSING.
SO ON BEHALF OF MYSELF AND OF SEVERAL ORGANIZATIONS THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY, INCLUDING THE, UH, HOME COALITION, LOW COUNTRY COMMUNITY PARTNERS, AND THE, UH, COASTAL COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, BROAD THANK YOU TO ALL OF YOU.
UH, LET ME TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE, UH, UH, COASTAL COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, UH, THAT HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED.
UH, 5 0 1
AND THE GOAL OF THAT CORPORATION, UH, IS TO, UH, ASSIST THE TOWN AND ITS RESIDENTS IN PROVIDING AFFORDABLE WORKFORCE HOUSING, MAINTAINING AND, UH, UH, PRESERVING EXISTING LONG-TERM RENTALS.
IN DOING THAT, UH, WE WILL INCLUDE COMPONENTS THAT WILL INCLUDE THE, UH, UH, EQUITY BUILDUP FROM PEOPLE THAT WILL BE IN UNITS THAT'LL BE, UH, UH, UH, ABOARD AND PROVIDED BY, UH, THE, UH, C D C I THINK A VERY IMPORTANT COMPONENT, ANOTHER VERY IMPORTANT COMPONENT THAT NEEDS TO BE KEPT IN MIND.
WE WILL NOT BE PROVIDING 10 OR 15% OF THE UNITS FOR AFFORDABLE WORKFORCE HOUSING.
IT'LL BE A HUNDRED PERCENT AS AMIS WILL RUN FROM 50% ALL THE WAY UP TO 150, AND THEY WILL NOT BE FOR SHORT TERM, UH, SHORT NUMBER OF YEARS.
AND THAT COULD BE FOR 10 YEARS.
99 YEAR COVENANTS WILL GO ON IN THESE UNITS.
SO THESE ARE THE LONG TERM GOOD OF THE COMMUNITY.
I THINK WE'RE THE ONLY ORGANIZATION THAT IS ORGANIZED SINCE YOU CHALLENGE BACK IN NOVEMBER TO CREATE SOMETHING THAT CAN REALLY IMPACT AFFORDABLE WORKFORCE HOUSING.
OUR GOALS ARE TO ASSIST THE CITY PARTNER WITH THE CITY, WITH THE COMMUNITY, BUSINESSES IN THE COMMUNITY, THE, UH, LOW COUNTRY FOUNDATION AND INDIVIDUALS TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN.
THE, UH, INITIAL PHASE THAT WILL BE ACQUIRING RENOVATING AS NECESSARY FROM EXISTING HOUSING INVENTORY.
UH, THE IMPACT IS NOW, IT'S NOT THREE YEARS FROM NOW.
I UNDERSTAND THAT IF I'M GOING TO START A PROJECT, IT'S GONNA BE THREE YEARS BEFORE I DELIVER.
WE'RE GONNA BE DELIVERING, WE'VE ALREADY DELIVERED ONE UNIT GONNA TAKE THE FIRST STEP UP THE MOUNTAIN THAT'S BEEN DONE, AND WE'RE GONNA DELIVER MORE UNITS ON A VERY STEADY BASIS.
UM, UH, WE TALKED, TALKED ABOUT THE PARTNERSHIP.
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PROGRAMMED OUR UNITS ARE TO HAVE 80% COME FROM.HOPEFULLY I CAN GET ANOTHER 20 SECONDS IN.
80% COME FROM THE PRIVATE PORTION OF THE ISLAND AND 20% COMING FROM THE TOWN.
SO I THINK IT MEETS MOST OF YOUR CRITERIA IF YOU WOULD CONSIDER THIS A FORMAL REQUEST FOR INCLUSION IN THIS CURRENT YEAR BUDGET.
ALL DUE RESPECT TO SUPPORT 12 UNITS AS WE WORK HARD TO, TO MAINTAIN OUR THREE MINUTES IN THE DECORUM, I HAVE TO ASK YOU STOP
AND, UH, AMAZING HOW QUICKLY THREE MINUTES GOES.
CAN YOU DROP YOUR PEN? NEXT, KIM LICHENS.
UM, I WANNA PUBLICLY TODAY THANK COUNCIL MEMBERS PATSY BRYSON AND STEVE ALFRED FOR SUPPORTING THE BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB BY VOLUNTEERING TO BE WIDE READ, UM, RIDE LEADERS.
THIS PAST WEEKEND AT OUR PETAL HILTON HEAD, WE WELCOMED A RECORD 725 RIDERS ON SUNDAY AND SATURDAY EVENING.
WE PARTNERED WITH THE QANTAS TO OFFER A GRILL UNTIL AT THE CLUB WHERE OVER 400 RIDERS CAME TO LOOK AT THE PROGRAMS THAT WE OFFER.
PEOPLE LEFT IN AWE OF THE FACILITY AND THE AMAZING SERVICES, BUT THEY WERE EQUALLY DISTURBED TO LEARN THAT WE HAVE MORE THAN A HUNDRED CHILDREN ON OUR WAIT LIST, WHO DESPERATELY NEED ACCESS TO THESE INTERVENTION PROGRAMS FOR HOMEWORK, STEM, AND EVEN JUST OUTDOOR PLAY.
RIGHT NOW FOR US, LIKE SO MANY OTHER BUSINESSES, THE PROBLEM IS DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE DIMINISHING STOCK OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING ON OUR ISLAND.
I AM BEYOND GRATEFUL TO YOU FOR ONE OF YOUR TOP PRIORITIES BEING WORKFORCE HOUSING.
AND I APPLAUD YOU FOR CONSIDERING PUTTING $3,350,000 IN THE 2024 BUDGET TO WORK TOWARDS YOUR HOUSING INITIATIVES.
I'M EXCITED ABOUT THE NORTH POINT PROJECT AND THE PARTNERSHIP, UM, THAT YOU HAVE THERE AND THE LAND PURCHASE OFF OF SPANISH WELLS ROAD.
THESE INITIATIVES ARE MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION, HOWEVER, THEY TAKE TIME, AND THE CHILDREN SITTING ON MY WAIT LIST RIGHT NOW DON'T HAVE TIME.
SO I AND MANY OTHER BUSINESSES NEED HOUSING SOLUTIONS THAT CAN PAY OFF NOT ONLY IN THE FUTURE LIKE YOUR PLANNING, BUT IMMEDIATELY THE COASTAL COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION IS REQUESTING THAT THE TOWN PROVIDE AN OPPORTUNITY TO WORK TOGETHER WITH THEM TO PRESERVE LOCAL WORKFORCE HOUSING BY PURCHASING INVENTORY AND DEEDS, RESTRICTING THESE UNITS ACCORDING TO AMIS, THE CC D C IS A LOCAL NONPROFIT DEDICATED TO BEING PART OF A HOUSE OF THE HOUSING CRISIS SOLUTION, AND IT HAS THE ABILITY TO IMMEDIATELY SAFEGUARD HILTON HEAD WORKFORCE HOUSING.
I'M ASKING YOU TO PLEASE CONSIDER WORKING WITH THIS NONPROFIT AS YOUR HOUSING STRATEGY.
IT MEETS SO MANY OF YOUR SUPPORTING GOALS, INCLUDING GROWTH MANAGEMENT.
NOW WHY IS THIS SO IMPORTANT? OUR EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTER RECENTLY RECEIVED THE NEWS THAT TWO OF THEIR CLASSROOMS WILL BE CLOSING THIS FALL.
THAT MEANS 40 TO 50 KINDERGARTNERS ARE NO LONGER LIVING ON HILTON HEAD ISLAND.
THESE FAMILIES ARE GONE AND MORE ARE GOING TO BE FORCED TO GO DOWN THAT PATH.
NO LONGER HAVING CHILDREN IN OUR COMMUNITY TO SERVE IS NOT THE SOLUTION THAT I AM LOOKING FOR TO SOLVE MY WAIT LIST PROBLEM.
AND I KNOW IT'S NOT THE SOLUTION THAT YOU WANT ME TO HAVE.
THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR WORKING WITH THE C D C TO MAKE AN IMPACT ON HOUSING NOW.
CERTAINLY MR. SKIP HOLAND, MR. HOLAND, SKIP HOLAND, WINDMILL HARBOR.
YOU'RE NOT IN FOUR AIR COMPLIANCE AND WE NEED A COUNCIL TRANSPARENCY PLEDGE AS WELL.
TOWN BUDGETS AND AUDITS ARE FRAUDULENT, NO ACCOUNTING ON MILLIONS OF OVERCHARGE HIDDEN LEGAL FEES BY DISHONEST CPA AND TOWN LAWYERS.
MILLIONS OF A TAX FUNDS HANDED TO THE CHAMBER PLUS MILLIONS OF HOSPITALITY FUNDS DISAPPEARED.
GREEN FITTING AUDITOR WAS HIRED BY VIOLATORS, ORLANDO GRUBER, WHO BOTH CAUGHT COMMITTING ILLEGAL ACTS WITH CPA TROYER AND TOW.
THEY CALL THIS A POSITIVE BUDGET AND INDEPENDENT AUDIT.
THIS COULD NOT BE FURTHER FROM THE TRUTH.
THIS IS NOT AN EXTERNAL INDEPENDENT FINANCIAL AUDIT.
IT'S AN, IT'S AN INTERNAL AUDIT HIRED BY TOWN INSIDERS AND PAID WITH TOWN TAX FUNDS TO HIDE AND CHEAT TAXPAYERS.
A BUDGET AUDIT ONLY SHOWS WHAT INSIDERS WANT US TO SEE.
ONLY A TRUE INDEPENDENT EXTERNAL FORENSIC AUDIT SHOWS THE REAL NUMBERS ON HOW AND WHERE TAX FUNDS ARE ILLEGALLY USED AND WASTED.
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ABOUT THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A FINANCIAL STATEMENT AUDIT PREPARED BY INSIDERS AND A DETAILED EXTERNAL AUDIT.THE GREEN FINNEY AUDIT WILL NOT ANALYZE EVERY TRANSACTION OR LOOK FOR FRAUD.
SPECIFICALLY I CALLED GREEN FINNEY AND THEY AGREE WITH MY ASSESSMENT WAS CORRECT.
A FORENSIC AUDIT, ON THE OTHER HAND, IS CONDUCTED BY FORENSIC AUDIT EXPERTS, SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED TO UNCOVER FRAUD, WASTE, ILLEGAL CRIMINAL USE, AND ILLEGAL AND IN ISSUE OF TAX FUNDS, WHICH WE ALREADY KNOW AND CAUGHT THESE TOWN EMPLOYEES, GRUBER, ORLANDO, AND COLTRANE DOING.
MR. ORLANDO, DO YOU AND TROYER AGREE TO FORENSIC AUDIT TODAY? IF NOT, WHY NOT? IF YOU HAVE NOTHING TO HIDE, THE FACT IS THE ENTIRE TOWN COUNCIL HAS SEEN NO ACCOUNTING TO IDENTIFY THE ILLEGAL AND WASTEFUL USE AND WILL ACCOMPLISH NOTHING WITH NO ACCOUNTING C CPA KNOWLEDGE.
LET ME HELP YOU WITH A STATISTIC.
NEVER IN THE HISTORY OF THE ENTIRE S A HAS A FORENSIC AUDIT BEEN CONDUCTED ON A TOWN GOVERNMENT, A CHAMBER, A SCHOOL DISTRICT WHERE WRONGDOING, WASTE AND FRAUD WAS NOT DISCOVERED IN PRISON WAS A RESULT.
MOST OF THE TIME THE AG AND FBI NEEDS TO ACT ON THIS TOWN FRAUD.
WE NOW, WE CAN, WE CAN END UP WITH A, AND NOW WE END UP WITH A PART-TIME MAYOR WHO HAS STATED THAT HE'S NOT FOR CHAMBER TRANSPARENCY PASSED LENNOX SCHEMED AHA TO TAX COUNTING FOR BILL MILES THE CHAMBER, INCLUDING HELP FROM LAWYERS, FINGER AND COLTRANE WHO DRAFTED THE FRAUDULENT DM O CONTRACT.
LAWYERS ARE ALSO ALLOWING THE CHAMBER TO USE TAX FUNDS FOR PRIVATE PURPOSES AND PROFIT.
IT'S ALSO ILLEGAL UNDER SOUTH CAROLINA LAW.
AND, AND THE REASON WE SUED THE TOWN FOR ISSUING $600,000 OF CUNS FOR THE DREDGING OF HARBOR TOWN.
WE MUST STOP THIS ILLEGAL TAX USE.
THAT'S NOT FOR THE PUBLIC GOOD REASON, USE AND BENEFIT.
AND I THINK WE'VE IDENTIFIED SOME OTHER PROJECTS THAT Y'ALL HAVE BEEN FUNDING.
SO YES, I'M LOOKING REAL FORWARD TO ANALYZING THIS BUDGET AND LOOKING AT THE FORENSIC AUDITS AND HAVING THE AUDITS DONE BY, UH, AUDIT THE AUDIT.
MS. GREELEY, I'M HERE TO MAKE LI LYNN GREELEY'S SPEECH AND I PROVIDE A POWER OF ATTORNEY.
AS YOU KNOW, WE DO NOT ACCEPT THAT.
AND IF YOU DO SPEAK, YOU'LL FACE THE FINE.
SO THERE'S TWO ARTICLES FROM THE ISLAND PACKET.
HILTON HAS THE ILLEGAL LEGAL FEES KEEP GOING UP.
SO HOW MUCH IS TOO MUCH? HILTON HAS OUTSIDE LEGAL FEES OUTPACE CHARLESTON MYRTLE BEACH AND YOU'RE PAYING FOR IT.
WE HAVE AN INVOICE FROM THE COLUMBIA BASE FROM MCNO MCNAIR LAW FIRM, WHICH WAS HIRED BY THE TOWN OF HILTON HEAD REGARDING TOWN MANAGER C RILEY'S EMPLOYMENT SITUATION.
ALSO THE CHAMBER OF BILL MILES LAW FIRM AS WELL.
FOR NOW, THERE ARE NO TRAINED OUTSIDE EYES LOOKING TO SEE WHETHER THE TOWN OF HILTON HEAD IS PROPERLY SPENDING HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF TAX DOLLARS ANNUALLY ON OUTSIDE LAW FIRMS, BUT BETTER OVERSIGHT IS NEEDED.
SAYS A FLORIDA LAW PROFESSOR AND A LONGTIME CHARLESTON LAWYER WHO'S IS, WHO HAS SUED OTHER LAWYERS FOR LEGAL MAL MALPRACTICE AND BENEFIT OF OTHER CLIENTS.
THIS IS COMING SINCE FISCAL 2013.
HILTON HEAD HAS PAID A COLLECTIVE 2.4 MILLION TO 11 LAW FIRMS, INCLUDING MORE THAN 2 MILLION TO THREE PRESENT OR FORMER FIRMS CONNECTED TO THE TOWN'S MAIN OUTSIDE ATTORNEY GREG ALFRED AND CURTIS COLTRANE, HIS FORMER LAW PARTNER.
ACCORDING TO TOWN RECORDS PROVIDED TO THE ISLAND PACKET IN BUFORD GAZETTE RECORDS SHOW THAT FOR ALL BUT ONE OF THE LAST FIVE FISCAL YEARS, THE TOWN INCREASED ITS ANNUAL SPENDING ON OUTSIDE LEGAL FIRMS FROM 331,000 TO MORE THAN 778,000 LAST FISCAL YEAR.
AT THE SAME TIME, THE TOWN WAS DRAINING ITS RESERVES TO RECOVER FROM ONE OF THE WORST HURRICANES IN DECADES WHEN COMPARED TO SOUTH CAROLINA'S, LARGEST CITY CHARLESTON AND TWO SIMILAR EAST SIZED CITIES.
MYRTLE BEACH AND SPARTANBURG HILTON HAD SP SPENT MORE ON OUTSIDE LEGAL FEES IN RECENT FISCAL YEARS.
THE FISCAL YEAR RUNS FROM JULY ONE TO JULY TO TO JUNE 30, AND THE TWO POINT BILLION MILLION TAB FOR HILTON HEAD TAXPAYERS DOESN'T INCLUDE THE ONE, THE 113,000 ANNUAL SALARY FOR THE TOWN IN-HOUSE STAFF LAWYER, I'M SHOCKED, SAID TOWN COUNCIL MEMBER MARK GRANT, WHO TOLD OF THE FINDINGS TO THE ISLAND PACKET AND THE BEAUFORD GAZETTE.
I THINK WE NEED TO LOOK AT THIS.
WE NEED TO BE PHYSICALLY RESPONSIBLE WITH OUR TAX MONEY.
YOU FOLKS ARE REPRESENTING TAXPAYERS.
YOU WORK FOR US, WE DON'T WORK FOR YOU.
YOU NEED TO BE BETTER WITH WHAT YOU'RE DOING.
SO WHERE IS THE MILLIONS IN LEGAL FEES? THE 7 MILLION OF EIGHT TAX FUNDS, THE 14 MILLION HOSPITALITY TAXES, 11 POINT MILLION USED BY THE CHAMBER DMO, 600,000 ISSUED TO SEA PINES.
17 OTHER PRIVATE PROJECTS FUNDED WITH TAX FUNDS.
WHERE'S THE MONEY YOU USE TO JOIN THE CHAMBERS MEMBERS? WE'RE ALL MEMBERS IF YOU USE TAX MONEY.
SO WE NEED TO MAKE BILL MILES SHOW US EVERYTHING UNDER THE NONPROFIT
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CORPORATION ACT LAWS.WELL, THERE'S SO MANY FEDERAL AND STATE LAWS BEING VIOLATED BY YOU FOLKS.
I DON'T HAVE TIME TO LIST THEM ALL.
YOU'VE GOT TO CLEAN UP YOUR ACT.
YOU'VE GOT TO LOOK AT THE LAW AND THE FACTS AND THE TRUTH.
THIS IS NOT ABOUT SKIP POLAND.
DON'T, DON'T, DON'T, DON'T VOTE ANYBODY ELSE TO SPEAK.
THAT CONCLUDES APPEARANCE BY SENATE.
WITH THAT, WITH THAT BEING SAID, WE WILL, WE WILL MOVE
[7.a. Review and Discussion of the Proposed Fiscal Year 2024 Consolidated Budget.]
INTO, UH, REVIEW AND DISCUSSION OF THE PROPOSED PHYSICAL YEAR 2024 CONSOLIDATED BUDGET.AND I WILL TURN IT OVER TO MR. MARK ORLANDO.
AFTERNOON, AFTERNOON, AFTERNOON,
UH, WELL WE WE'RE HERE AT A WORKSHOP AND IT'S, IT'S IN, YOU KNOW, FOLLOWING UP FROM THE, THE MEETING WE HAD AT FIRST READING.
UM, SO WHAT I HAVE TODAY IS FOR THE MOST PART, A VERY SIMILAR PRESENTATION WITH ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.
SO, UM, MAYOR, I'LL ASK YOU, WHAT WOULD YOU TOWN COUNCIL PREFER IF I WOULD GET THROUGH THE ENTIRE PRESENTATION AND GO BACK FOR QUESTIONS? UH, I, I WOULD, I WOULD THINK THAT SINCE IT'S AS DETAILED AS IT IS, IF WE WOULD, UM, STOP AND, AND ADDRESS THE QUESTIONS AS THEY COME AROUND.
BECAUSE IF THERE ARE QUESTIONS ALREADY HAVING THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK, UM, MAY ACTUALLY RAISE ANOTHER QUESTION FOR CLARIFICATION.
I THINK IT'S BEST IF WE HANDLE IT, UM, AS WE GO THROUGH.
YOU ALL AGREE WITH THAT? FAIR ENOUGH.
SO WHAT I'LL DO IS I'LL, I'LL GET THROUGH THIS PRESENTATION, UM, AND THERE'S OBVIOUSLY SOME SLIDES THAT I'M GONNA GO THROUGH A LOT QUICKER THAN OTHERS, JUST FOR TODAY'S SAKE, KNOWING THAT WE'VE ALREADY SEEN IT.
SO, UM, SO I, I WOULD SAY OVERALL OUR BUDGET AS PROPOSED TO YOU, THE 24 FY 24 CONSOLIDATED BUDGET FOCUSES ON THE TOWN COUNCIL STRATEGIC PLAN.
IN THE NEXT DAY OR SO, I WILL SEND YOU A DRAFT STRATEGIC PLAN.
UM, I INTEND TO HAVE THAT ON THE AGENDA FOR THE JUNE 6TH MEETING FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION, UH, KNOW THAT EVERY ELEMENT THAT HAS BEEN PRIORITIZED BY YOU COMING OUT OF THAT JANUARY WORKSHOP, STRATEGIC PLANNING-WISE, IS FUNDED IN THIS BUDGET.
SO THAT COULD BE STAFF TIME, UH, IT COULD BE, UH, CONSULTING DOLLARS, IT COULD BE PROJECT BASED AS WELL.
AND SO WHAT YOU SEE ON THE SCREEN UP HERE IS AT THE VERY LEAST, THOSE TOP 15 PRIORITIES ARE, ARE, ARE BUDGETED, UH, GROWTH MANAGEMENT STRATEGY, OUR WORKFORCE HOUSING FRAMEWORK, OUR, OUR CORRIDOR AND STREET ENHANCEMENTS, OUR WILLIAM HILTON GATEWAY, WILLIAM HILTON PARKWAY GATEWAY CORRIDOR, THE, THE, THE STARTUP OF THE GULLAH GEECHEE HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOODS COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORP, A SWAT ANALYSIS AND AN OUTCOME OF A PLAN, UH, AS, AS THE END RESULT, AN ISLAND RESILIENCE PLAN, A VERY ROBUST CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM THAT WILL DIVE FURTHER INTO ON THURSDAY, A LAND ACQUISITION MANUAL UPDATE, REALLY A POLICY-BASED UPDATE.
LITTLE COST EXCEPT STAFF TIME, YOUR TIME, UH, BUT KNOW THAT WE'RE ALSO STRATEGICALLY FOCUSING ON SOME ACQUISITIONS, UH, SWAT ANALYSIS OF OUR SOLID WASTE RECYCLING PROGRAM AND, AND THAT OF THE BEFOR COUNTY, THE OUR DMO, THE DESTINATION MARKETING ORGANIZATION, UH, A PLANNING AND MEASUREMENT OF PERFORMANCE, SHORT TERM RENTAL ASSESSMENT AND PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION, ASSESSING REVENUE SOURCES AND FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES.
WE HAD A LITTLE, LITTLE DISCUSSION ABOUT THAT.
KNOW THAT A LOT OF THAT WORK WILL BE FOR CONSIDERATION AND DISCUSSION.
ITEM 12 THROUGH COMMITTEE INTO TOWN COUNCIL.
AFTER THE BUDGET, COMPLETE THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE GULLAH GEECHEE TASK FORCE WORK PLAN, ASSIST WITH ST.
JAMES CHURCH MITIGATION AND RELOCATION, AND OF COURSE, CONTINUE TO IMPROVE OUR BEACH ENHANCEMENTS EVERY YEAR.
I AIM AND WE AIM AS A TEAM TO ESTABLISH A LEAN OPERATING BUDGET AND CONTINUE TO REFINE, ENHANCE OUR CUSTOMER SERVICE, INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS, EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT, UH, TO CONTINUE TO INVEST IN OUR COMMUNITY INFRASTRUCTURE SO THAT WE MAKE AN IMPACT AND IT'S PLACE-BASED AND THAT ALL OF OUR WORK, UM, THROUGH THE BUDGET IS A CATALYST TO IMPROVE OUR, OUR AWESOME, AMAZING ISLAND.
SO WE HAVE SIX FUNDS, UH, SORRY, STOP.
I JUST NEED TO ISSUE A PUBLIC.
THANK YOU FOR PUTTING THE STRATEGIES AND THE BUDGET CONNECTIONS UP FRONT.
I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US ALL TO RECOGNIZE THAT WE CAN'T DO THOSE WITHOUT THE MONEY BEHIND THEM.
SO THANK YOU FOR PUTTING THAT UP FRONT.
WE HAVE SIX FUNDS, THE FOUR FUNDS FROM YEARS PRIOR, GENERAL FUNDS, STORMWATER, UTILITY CAPITAL PROJECTS AND DEBT SERVICE.
AND OF COURSE, THE TWO NEW FUNDS THIS YEAR WITH OUR GULLAH
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GEECHEE HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOOD, C D AS WELL AS OUR HOUSING FUND.I'LL DRAW YOUR ATTENTION WITH THIS LITTLE TOOL.
I HAVE THE FY 24 PROPOSED BUDGET FOR $129,950,293.
UH, SEE THAT GENERAL FUND IS UP APPROXIMATELY 9.3% OR 9.3 MILLION.
DEBT SERVICE DOWN 1.9 CAP PROJECTS DOWN FIVE SIX.
STORMWATER UTILITY, ARGUABLY IS, IS FLAT UP 52,000.
THE NEW CDC FUND A 5.3 MILLION FUND, AND THE NEW HOUSING FUND, 3.35 MILLION.
THE OVERALL CHANGE OF BUDGET YEAR OVER YEAR, INCLUDING THOSE TWO NEW FUNDS, IS AN 8.7% INCREASE.
I SHARED WITH YOU AT FIRST READING THE, THE VARIOUS, UM, EXCUSE ME, I GOTTA PULL THOSE NOTES OUT.
THE VARIOUS SOURCES OF FUNDS THAT SHOW THOSE DIFFERENT REVENUES.
AND YOU CAN SEE, AGAIN, I'LL DRAW YOUR ATTENTION TO FY 24 PROPOSED BUDGET.
AND, AND THE WAY WE WE CAN LOOK AT THIS IS YEAR OVER YEAR WITH A PERCENT CHANGE, RIGHT? A A DOLLAR CHANGE AND A PERCENT CHANGE.
PROPERTY TAXES ARE UP IN REVENUE, 4.6%.
BUSINESS LICENSE REVENUE'S UP 17.2%, UH, LOCAL AT TAX UP, 47.2%.
OUR EMS REVENUE, 15.2 PERMITS AND FEES, 66.1.
AND OF COURSE, ALONG THE SIDE HERE, IT'S SHOWING YOU WHAT THOSE TRANCHES OF FUNDS, UM, ARE, ARE MADE UP OF.
AND SO AS AN EXAMPLE, THE PERMIT AND FEE REVENUE IS UP.
SHORT TERM RENTAL PERMIT FEES ARE IN, ARE IN, ARE IN THOSE, UH, IS ARE IS IN THAT ACCOUNT.
UM, OF COURSE INTEREST INCOME IS UP.
WE'VE TRANSFERRED IN $54,547,000.
AND THOSE TRANSFERS IN, AS I MENTIONED AT FIRST READING, UM, HOSPITALITY TAX, BEACH FEES, TIFF STATE, A TAX REAL ESTATE TRANSFERS FEE, STORM WATER FEE, ROAD USAGE, ELECTRIC FRANCHISE, UM, AND SOME CAPITAL.
OUR, OUR BUDGET WITHOUT, UM, THE TRANSFERS IN IS 73.8 WITH THE TRANSFERS IN IT'S 1 29 POINT MARK.
COULD I ASK YOU A QUESTION ABOUT BUSINESS LICENSE? YES.
17% GROWTH IS PRETTY SIGNIFICANT.
HOW MUCH OF THAT IS ASSOCIATED WITH THE, UH, NEW LICENSE REQUIREMENTS ON SHORT-TERM RENTALS? BASED UPON OUR ASSESSMENT, I BELIEVE VERY LITTLE AS WE ADOPTED AND WE CHANGED AS WE CHANGED THE, THE RATE STRUCTURE AND THE CO THE, THE CODIFICATION OF IT, WE WORKED, WE KNEW THERE WERE WINNERS AND LOSERS, RIGHT? SOME PAID MORE, SOME PAID LESS, BUT WITH A REVENUE NEUTRAL ANALYSIS, UM, WHAT WE'RE SHOWING IS IN OUR RECEIPTS THAT BUSINESSES, THERE'S MORE BUSINESSES AND THE ONES THAT ARE HERE ARE, ARE, ARE MAKING MORE, RIGHT? AS AN EXAMPLE, BOTH THE BUSINESS AND THE COMMUNITY.
CAN I FOLLOW UP ON THAT? YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.
I THINK WE'VE TOUCHED ON THAT A LITTLE BIT AT, AT F AND A AND, UM, I'D ASK US AS WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THE REPORTING OF THE, UM, PERFORMANCE OF THE BUDGET, UM, THAT WE UNPEEL THAT A BIT SO THAT WE HAVE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING AS TO WHERE THE GROWTH ACTUALLY IS WHEN IT COMES TO THE BUSINESS LICENSE.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE'D LIKE TO KNOW WHO'S DOING WELL AND MAY NOT BE DOING WELL.
UM, THAT WAS ONE AND ALSO THE, UH, THE GRANTS WERE SHOWING, UH, SUBSTANTIAL INCREASE THERE.
SOME OF THAT IS CUZ OF THE STATE MONEY THAT'S COME DOWN.
BUT, UH, I, I'VE ENJOYED THE CHART THAT IS IN THE BACKUP MATERIAL THAT SPEAKS TO THE, THE, THE GRANTS THAT HAVE BEEN APPLIED FOR AND AWARDED AND NOT AWARDED.
UM, I JUST ASK THAT WE TAKE THAT STEP FORWARD AS WE'RE MOVING FORWARD WITH REPORTING OUT ON THE BUDGET AS WELL, THAT THOSE, UH, THOSE REQUESTS OF GRANT OPPORTUNITIES ALSO TIE BACK TO OUR STRATEGIC PLAN SOMEHOW.
OKAY, SO WE WROTE GREG DOLLARS, WE CAN ADD A COLUMN TO THAT, NOT TO GET IN THE DETAILS.
I SEE JOSH TAKING TWO NOTES OVER THERE.
TRANSFERS IN, WE DON'T HAVE TO DIVE INTO THE DETAILS, BUT WE CAN SEE, UH, HOSPITALITY TAX, UH, REVENUE.
SO THIS IS A, A REVENUE ANALYSIS OF HOSPITALITY TAXES.
AND YOU, WE CAN SEE THAT 5 MILLION INTO GENERAL 1.9 INTO DEBT AND 2.3 INTO C I P.
AND SO FOR A TOTAL TRANSFER IN A 55, UM, 0.6 MILLION, UM, 11.3 TO GENERAL 11.9 TO DEBT, AND 28 20 9 MILLION TO C I P BUDGET EXPENDITURES, UH, IN THE SAME WAY I WAS LOOKING AT, UH,
[00:25:01]
WE WERE LOOKING AT REVENUES.WE'LL, WE'LL LOOK AT THOSE EXPENDITURES, PERSONNEL AND BENEFITS UP 17%, OPERATING UP 30% TRANSFERS.
WHICH LINE IS THAT OUT? THREE, 317%.
AND, AND YOU CAN SEE, YOU KNOW, THE REST ARE CAPITAL PROJECTS, DEBT SERVICE, LAND ACQUISITION HOUSING, AND STORM WATER FUNDS.
AND SO THAT'S JUST BIG PICTURE BUDGET, YOU KNOW, TOTAL REVENUES VERSUS TOTAL EXPENDITURES.
UH, WE HAVE INCREASED FUND BALANCES.
WE'VE MENTIONED THAT, YOU KNOW, OUR, OUR PROJECTIONS AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR REVENUES ARE, ARE ALWAYS LESS THAN ACTUALS, AND OUR SPENDING IS ALWAYS LESS THAN BUDGETED.
THAT HAS HELPED US INCREASE FUND BALANCE.
UM, WE ARE ALSO MORE INTENTIONALLY INCREASING FUND BALANCE AS ONE EXAMPLE THIS YEAR DIFFERENT THAN YEARS PAST BY PUTTING A MILLION DOLLARS PLACED DIRECTLY INTO A FUND BALANCE FOR, FOR LAND ACQUISITION.
ONE EXAMPLE, NO CHANGE IN PROPERTY TAX RATE.
UM, KNOWING THAT WE REDUCED MILLAGE LAST YEAR, UH, FOR DISCUSSION, OF COURSE, IN, IN THE WORKSHOP, TWO YEARS OF STRONG NON-PROPERTY TAX REV COLLECTION ARE NOW BEING REFLECTED IN THE BUDGET.
SO WE'VE BEEN HOLDING OFF, WE'VE BEEN HOLDING JOHN BACK A LITTLE BIT WITH, UH, WITH PROJECTING THOSE REVENUES, BUT IT'S TIME.
AND I, I SHOW THAT AT FIRST READING IT'S TIME THAT WE START REALIZING WHAT 22 ACTUALS ARE AND WHAT 23 TRENDS ARE LOOKING LIKE AND START BUDGETING FOR THAT, UH, ENHANCED REVENUE THROUGH GROSS GROWTH RELATED, RELATED APPLICATION FEES AND STATE ATAC FUNDING TO INCREASE OUR GENERAL AND CAPITAL FUNDS.
WE'RE ALWAYS TRYING TO REDUCE LINE ITEM EXPENDITURES, UH, THIS YEAR, LESS THAN LAST YEAR, THE YEAR PRIOR.
A LOT MORE THAN, A LOT MORE THAN THIS PAST YEAR.
BUT I THINK THAT OUR DEPARTMENT HEADS COMMITMENT TO BEING EFFECTIVE IN THEIR BUDGET PREPARATION, UM, IS, IS STARTING TO PAY DIVIDENDS.
THE, THE THINGS THAT I BELIEVE THAT WE DIDN'T KNOW WE COULD AFFORD FROM AN OPERATIONS STANDPOINT, BY CUTTING THE BUDGET, WE'RE STARTING TO SEE THAT WE CAN, IN, IN THOSE AREAS THAT, THAT WE'RE NOT THAT IMPORTANT OUTWARD.
THERE'S FUNDING IN THERE FOR SEWER CONNECTION, UH, AND HOME REPAIR PROGRAMS THROUGH OUR ARPA FUNDS.
UM, WE TALKED ABOUT THE TWO FUNDS AND WE'RE PROVIDING FOR HOUSING AND LAND ACQUISITION.
UM, AND, AND WE'RE NOT TAKING OUT OF SOME OF THOSE OTHER ACCOUNTS TO DO THAT.
WE'VE ASKED FOR AND, AND I'VE ASKED FOR A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF PEOPLE.
WE CAN SEE WHAT I'VE ASKED FOR.
I I WON'T REITERATE EVERY EVERYTHING, UM, ASSISTANT FINANCE DIRECTOR, UM, AS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IMPLEMENTING THE BUDGET, AS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT POTENTIAL BONDING AS WE'RE, WE'RE ACTUALLY JUST TALKING ABOUT BETTER FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT.
UM, MR. TROYERS ASKED ME FOR A POSITION FOR A COUPLE YEARS AND MOST YEARS WERE, NO, BUT THIS YEAR A FUNDING SOURCE OF PROPERTY TAX BUSINESS LICENSE UP AND SOME SHORT-TERM REVENUE, UH, REVENUES, UM, COMING IN KNOWING THAT PROGRAM IS LIVE AND WELL, I BROUGHT THAT POSITION FORWARD AT THIS TIME, DID IT WITH SOME OF THESE OTHER, UH, POSITIONS.
AND YOU CAN SEE THAT THE FUNDING SOURCES ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE COLUMN MOSTLY, YOU CAN SEE IF WE JUST SCROLL THROUGH, YOU'RE SEEING A LITTLE BIT OF PROPERTY TAX, BUT PROPERTY TAX IS NEVER BY ITSELF, RIGHT? IT'S NOT ME COMING IN HERE TELLING YOU I NEED TO USE PROPERTY TAXES AND WE NEED MORE PEOPLE.
I'M, I, I TRULY WOULD SAY I'M NOT THE TYPE OF MANAGER HERE FOR YOU TO DO THAT.
UM, WHAT, WHAT I REALIZED THOUGH IS THE, IS THE PUSH AND PULL ON A BEACH FACILITIES TECH, TWO OF 'EM ON 12 MILES OF BEACH KNOWING WHAT WE TRY TO ACCOMPLISH.
BUT THEN WE HAVE BEACH FEE, ATAC, SHORT TERM RENTAL BUSINESS LICENSE AND SOME PROPERTY TAX.
SO, SO I'VE USED A VARIOUS FUNDS TO FUND THOSE POSITIONS.
SOME PART-TIME FOLKS AS WELL, SUMMER STUDENTS, INCLUDING HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS, UH, BEACH AMBASSADORS.
AND, UH, WE HAVE A COMMITMENT TO PUT SOME OF THESE YOUNG FOLKS THAT ARE IN OUR COMMUNITY TO WORK HERE PART-TIME, NOT JUST AN INTERNSHIP BECAUSE THEY NEED SOME HOURS FROM UNIVERSITY, BUT I, I'D LIKE TO START TRYING TO GROW FIRE RESCUE FACILITIES, UM, TO HAVE WEEKEND JOBS AND SUMMER JOBS, NOT JUST A THREE MONTH INTERNSHIP IN BETWEEN COLLEGE COURSES.
SO THAT'S A LOT OF THOSE PART-TIMERS.
VILLAGE RATE, WE TALKED 23.10 THAT WILL OF COURSE CHANGE, UH, AS WE START DIVING INTO THE COUNTY REASSESSMENT.
[00:30:02]
IN FISCAL YEAR 22 AS WE ELIMINATED.AND YOU CAN SEE HERE, NATURAL DISASTER FUND WENT AWAY.
THE DEBT ON THAT, THE DEBT MILLAGE WENT AWAY, UM, A FISCAL YEAR AGO.
OUR MILL VALUE PROJECTED TODAY IS $985,000 UP FROM LAST YEAR.
THE EFFECT ON A BEAUFORT COUNTY PROPERTY TAX BILL, UH, AT A 500 VERSE $750,000 HOME VALUE.
YOU CAN SEE THE RED HIGHLIGHT ON THE PAGE.
AND I WOULD SAY THAT WE'RE DOING A LOT WITH A LITTLE BIT OF PROPERTY TAX.
UM, OUR MILLAGE PORTION ON THE TAX BILL AT LEAST, AND I, AND I SAY WE SHOULD, WE SHOULD BE PROUD OF THAT.
I THINK THAT WE'RE USING THE DOLLARS ON OUR PROPERTY TAX COLLECTIONS AS WELL AS THE TRANSFERS IN AND BEING, UH, CREATIVE IN HOW WE PUT THOSE DOLLARS TOGETHER.
AND, AND, AND WE SHOULD BE PROUD OF THAT.
REASSESSMENT IS CURRENTLY UNDERWAY.
WE SHARED THAT WITH YOU AT A RECENT WORKSHOP.
UH, JOHN, OUR FINANCE DIRECTOR, JOSH, OUR DEPUTY TELL MANAGER, AND A FEW OTHERS HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH THE COUNTY FINANCE DEPARTMENT, THE, THE ASSESSOR, THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT, AS WELL AS THE DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE UP IN SOUTH, YOU KNOW, UP IN COLUMBIA.
WE NEED TO CALCULATE THE EFFECTS OF THE REAPPRAISAL ON ALL PROPERTY VALUES, UM, AND THAT THE DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE WILL PROVIDE THAT GUIDANCE ON THE VALUES AND CALCULATIONS.
WE'RE JUST NOT THERE YET TO PLUG INTO THIS BUDGET, UNFORTUNATELY.
UM, THE FISCAL YEAR 24 BUDGET INCLUDES THE PROPERTY TAX COLLECTIONS BASED ON CURRENT VALUES, NOT ANY CHANGED VALUES THAT WILL COME.
WE ANTICIPATE COMING BACK TO YOU WITH A BUDGET ORDINANCE AMENDMENT IN JULY OR AUGUST-ISH TO INCORPORATE THE REASSESSMENT PROPERTY VALUATION.
SO KNOW THAT WE'RE WORKING CLOSELY ON THAT.
CAN YOU EXPLAIN A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW THAT WOULD WORK WHEN YOU COME FORWARD? IT WOULD BE AN AMENDMENT TO THE BUDGET ORDINANCE TO, OH, WRONG BUTTON TO SIMPLY ROLL THIS BACK IF THAT'S WHAT WE ARE TO DO, RIGHT? SO 23.1 AS A MILL RATE WOULD POTENTIALLY CHANGE, AND THAT'S FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION THROUGH AN ORDINANCE TWO READINGS.
AND SO THAT IS A COUNCIL DECISION WHEN THAT COMES FORWARD.
BAKED INTO APPROVING THE BUDGET.
NO, MA'AM, THAT IS A COUNCIL DECISION THAT THAT IS AN EFFORT, UM, TO MAKE REVENUE NEUTRAL SO THAT WHILE FOLKS PROPERTY ASSESSMENTS MAY GO UP, AS WE KNOW FROM THE MARKET IN THE LAST COUPLE YEARS HERE, UM, THEN THE MILLAGE RATE MIGHT COME DOWN TO MAKE THE PROPERTY TAX AMOUNT AS CLOSE TO THE SAME AS POSSIBLE.
IT'S MATHEMATICALLY, PROBABLY, PROBABLY IMPROBABLE.
HOW, HOW'S THAT JOHN? MATHEMATICALLY? PROBABLY, I IMPROBABLE
MY MATH FORCE SKILLS HAVE LONG, UH, ESCAPED ME, UM, TO MAKE IT EXACTLY, BUT THE IDEA IS TO MAKE THE IMPACT REVENUE NEUTRAL WITH REGARD TO PROPERTY TAXES, AND WE CAN'T YET KNOW IT UNTIL IT HAPPENS.
RIGHT? AND, AND, AND THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT, UM, ALGORITHMS THAT GO INTO IT FACING OFF TIMING WHEN IT WAS PURCHASED, WHO EXPERIENCES THOSE INCREASES, WHAT THE MAXIMUM INCREASE IS TO, TO THE PROPERTY TAXES.
THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT VARIABLES THAT GO INTO IT THAT'LL TAKE BETTER UNDERSTANDING AT THAT POINT IN TIME WHEN WE RECEIVE THAT INFORMATION.
I'LL GET MY MATH FOUR BOOK BACK OUT.
SO IS THERE A COMMITMENT BY THIS COUNCIL MAYOR, UM, THAT WHEN THAT'S BROUGHT FORWARD TO US, THAT WE WILL INDEED, UM, MAKE IT A REVENUE NEUTRAL POSITION AND NOT UTILIZE THOSE FUNDS FOR SOMETHING ELSE? I WOULD SAY THAT I'M ALL IN FAVOR FOR MAKING IT AS REVENUE NEUTRAL AS POSSIBLE AND NOT LOOKING TOWARDS THE WHATEVER PROPERTY INCREASE THAT WOULD COME AROUND LATER THIS YEAR AS AS ADDITIONAL REVENUE TO THE TOWN.
WE CAN'T MAKE A COMMITMENT BASED UPON FINANCES.
CAUSE WE DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DON'T HAVE CIRCUMSTANCES.
THE IDEA NOW IS MAINTAIN A LEVEL PROPERTY TAX.
ANY THOUGHTS ON THAT? I'M LOOKING FOR CONFIRMATION THAT, YOU KNOW, AS WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO JULY AND THOSE NUMBERS COME FORWARD, AND WE ARE IN THAT POSITION THAT THERE WON'T BE SOME OTHER, UM, EXPENSES THAT LOOK LIKE WE SHOULD UTILIZE THAT MONEY.
I I DON'T THINK THAT DURING ANY OF OUR CONVERSATIONS THAT WE'VE HAD REGARDING THE BUDGET HAS TALKED ABOUT ANY POTENTIAL ADDITIONAL REVENUE COMING FROM PROPERTY TAXES INCREASE.
SO, YOU KNOW, THE ONLY THING THAT I CAN CONFIRM RIGHT NOW IS THAT WHEN THAT DOES COME AROUND, IT WILL BE ON THE AGENDA FOR US TO DISCUSS AS A COUNCIL TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT WE'RE DOING THE RIGHT THING.
THAT'S ALEX, I'D, I'D I'D CAUTION US TO MAKING A COMMITMENT AT THIS POINT, UM, BECAUSE THE ASSESSMENT
[00:35:01]
WILL ACTUALLY PLAY A PART INTO THAT DECISION.UM, BUT, BUT THE CURRENT BUDGET, UH, TAKE FOR CONSIDERATION THE TOPIC THAT WE'LL BE DISCUSSING ON THURSDAY, WHICH IS THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS.
UM, THERE'S A LOT OF PROJECTS AHEAD OF US, AND IN ORDER TO ACCOMPLISH THOSE PROJECTS, WE'RE GOING TO NEED FUNDING.
UM, SO I'D CAUTION US AS FAR AS MAKING THE DECISION PREMATURELY ON, UM, THE, THE, THE, THE MILL, UH, PERCENTAGE.
I WASN'T, I DIDN'T KNOW IF SOMEONE ELSE WAS GONNA TALK.
GIMME ME A CHANCE TO FIND SOMETHING HERE.
SO WE'VE, WE'VE BEEN TRACKING THIS YOU'S NOT THE FIRST TIME YOU'VE SEEN IT, NOT THE FIRST TIME THE COMMUNITY'S SEEN IT.
WE SEE THAT WE WERE SOMEWHERE AROUND 6.1 MILLION IN 17 COLLECTION AND ABOUT 13.8 MILLION TODAY.
I WANTED TO BE VERY SPECIFIC ON WHERE THOSE DOLLARS ARE USED, WHETHER THAT'S A, A DMO USE, A CIP P DEBT GRANTS TOWN GENERAL FUND, AS WELL AS, UM, GRANTS TO THE COMMUNITY.
SO, UH, LITTLE DEEPER DIVE INTO THAT, YOU KNOW, HOW, HOW ARE WE USING, HOW ARE WE PUTTING THIS REVENUE GROWTH OF STATE A TAX TO USE IN OUR BUDGET, RIGHT? SO WE'VE PUT IN THIS YEAR'S BUDGET, SORRY, CAN WE GO BACK TO THAT CHART? YEAH.
I DO HAVE A COUPLE QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT CHART.
UH, THE FIRST THING, AND I, AND I KNOW MR. TROYER KNOW, KNOWS I ASKED THIS QUESTION, UM, AND THAT IS, THIS CHART IS BASED ON CALENDAR YEAR AND THE CURRENT BUDGET, IF SOMEONE LOOKS AT OUR CURRENT BUDGET ONLINE, IS BASED ON PHYSICAL YEAR.
SO WHEN I COMPARE THE TWO, UM, WITHOUT SEEING, THERE'S A, A NOTE ON WHAT WE WERE PROVIDED ABOUT CALENDAR YEAR REVENUES, BUT IT DIDN'T LINE UP WITH SOME OF THE OTHER INFORMATION.
SO IF SOMEONE OUT THERE IS TRYING TO COMPARE THE CURRENT YEAR BUDGET, IT'S BASED ON FISCAL YEAR, SO THE NUMBERS DON'T LINE UP.
BUT THESE ARE ACTUAL NUMBERS BASED ON CALENDAR YEAR.
SO I, I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE, WE NOTED THAT YES, I, THIS ONE HAPPENED TO BE DONE JUST TO, TO EMPHASIZE THE GRANTS, WHICH ARE ON A CALENDAR YEAR BASIS.
BUT YES, OUR, OUR BUDGET IS FISCAL YEAR BASIS, SO THANK YOU.
UM, AND THE OTHER THING, UM, THAT I WANT US TO TAKE A LOOK AT, AND THAT IS, UM, THE, THE DMO 30%, UM, THAT GREW IN 2018 AND 2019 WAS AROUND 2,000,001, 1.9 AND CHANGED 2.1 IN CHANGE, 2020.
WE KNOW THAT WAS THE YEAR THAT MOST HARD HIT BY THE PANDEMIC, ALTHOUGH RESIDUAL EFFECTS, UH, STILL LINGER, UH, BUT THEN IT GREW TO 3.4, ALMOST 3.5 MILLION, AND THEN 2022.
AND THEN THE CURRENT CALENDAR YEAR IS PROJECTED TO BE, UH, A LITTLE OVER 4.1 MILLION.
SO THERE WAS A SUBSTANTIAL GROWTH IN THE 30% TO DMO WHEN YOU COMPARING THE PRE PANDEMIC YEARS TO THE AFTER PANDEMIC YEARS.
AND I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO NOTE, UM, ABOUT HOW MUCH THAT 30% GREW DURING THAT TIME PERIOD WHEN WE HAVE OUR OTHER DISCUSSIONS.
UM, AND THEN IF YOU COMPARE THAT, UM, ALSO TO THE DMO SUPPLEMENTAL DURING THOSE YEARS, UM, AND THEN LOOKING AT THE GRANTS AND THEN THE TOWN FUNDING IN THOSE YEARS.
SO, UM, I KNOW WE HAVE SOME MORE DISCUSSIONS ABOUT, UM, A TAX FUNDING.
UM, AND THE OTHER THING, AND I'M JUST GOING TO GO THROUGH MY LIST ABOUT ATEX STATE A TAX QUESTIONS NOW, UM, IS, UH, THERE'S STILL PENDING LEGISLATION, UM, UH, SENATOR THOMAS'S BILL S 2 84, WHICH HAS BEEN AMENDED BY HOUSE COMMITTEE.
I DON'T KNOW WHERE THAT STANDS, IF THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT IT TODAY OR NOT.
BUT HOW MIGHT THAT IMPACT, UM, UH, THIS GOING FORWARD INTO THIS NEXT YEAR, UM, WHETHER IT'S FISCAL YEAR OR CALENDAR YEAR, UM, AND HOW MIGHT THAT IMPACT THE GRANTS THAT ARE AWARDED DURING THOSE YEARS? SO I, I KNOW THAT'S KIND OF A LOT TO THROW OUT, BUT I THINK WE NEED TO BE THINKING ABOUT THAT AS WE LOOK AT THESE NUMBERS AND FIGURE OUT WHAT, IF ANY IMPACT THERE'S GONNA BE FROM ANY LEGISLATION THAT MIGHT BE ADOPTED.
I, I THINK, UM, JUST FROM, FROM WHAT I'VE READ, I I THINK THAT ANSWER IS GOING TO COME OUT ONCE IT IS FINALIZED, AND THEN AS WE MEET AS A COUNCIL TO DETERMINE HOW AND IF OR WHEN OR WILL WE UTILIZE, UM, ANY OF THAT 2 84.
SO THERE'S A LOT OF QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW IT COULD BENEFIT US OR NOT AT ALL.
SO, UM, I DON'T THINK THAT CAN BE ANSWERED UNTIL SAID TIME AS IT'S BEEN APPROVED AND MOVE FORWARD.
AND APOLOGIZE FOR THROWING 'EM ALL OUT AT ONCE.
BUT I THINK AS WE LOOK AT THIS CHART, UM, IT WILL HELP US GOING FORWARD TO REMEMBER TO LOOK FOR THIS PAGE IN OUR CHART FOR WHERE THE NUMBERS ARE RIGHT NOW.
[00:40:01]
DARE SAY THAT THIS CHART WILL PROBABLY BE, BECOME ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT CHARTS THAT WE WILL SEE IN THE, IN THE COMING YEARS, BECAUSE IT WILL TELL US EXACTLY, WELL, FIRST IT'LL TELL US.UM, BUT JUST LIKE GOV OS WILL INDICATE AS TO HOW RENTALS ARE GOING, WHAT OUR REVENUES SHOULD BE, UM, I THINK WE'LL SEE THIS, BE THE DIRECTOR AS TO WHAT, HOW SHORT TERM RENTALS ARE ADDRESSED IN THE FUTURE.
DON'T FORGET THIS PAGE, BUT, BUT ON THAT TOPIC, IF I CAN JUST INTERJECT SOMETHING ON THAT TOPIC.
WELL, IT MIGHT BE HYPOTHETICAL RIGHT NOW.
I THINK IT IS A REALISTIC THOUGHT THAT WE NEED TO HOLD.
UM, IF S 2 48 WERE TO BE APPROVED AND ALLOW THOSE FUNDS TO BE UTILIZED FOR OTHER PURPOSES, IT NO DOUBT WILL IMPACT, UM, GRANTS AND SUPPLEMENTALS AND AFFILIATED AGENCIES.
AND IF THERE WAS A DESIRE TO MAINTAIN THOSE LEVELS, THAT MONEY'S GOTTA COME FROM SOMEWHERE.
AND SO IT WILL IMPACT OUR OVERALL BUDGET.
AND SO WHEN YOU START TO THINK ABOUT THOSE THINGS IN TERMS OF HOW MUCH WE PUT OUT AND HOW MUCH WE EXPECT TO DO WITH THE MONIES THAT COME IN, THE BURDEN SHOULD NOT TO BALANCE IT ALL OUT BE PUT ON THE TAXPAYERS.
AND SO WHILE I APPRECIATE UNBELIEVABLE AMOUNT THAT OUR TOWN MANAGER HAS MADE SURE THAT OUR PROPERTY TAXES ARE NOT, UM, UTILIZED TO FUND SO MUCH OF WHAT WE ENJOY HERE, UM, THE MORE WE DIP INTO THOSE FUNDS, AND THE MORE THERE ARE THOUGHTS THAT WE ARE GOING TO MAINTAIN, THE OPPORTUNITIES TO DISPERSE THROUGH GRANTS AND AFFILIATED AGENCIES, SUPPLEMENTALS, ET CETERA, THE MORE THE BURDEN WILL FALL ON PROPERTY TAXES.
AND THEREFORE, YOU KNOW, THERE CERTAINLY HAS TO BE A SERIOUS CONVERSATION ABOUT THAT, GIVEN THAT PROPERTY TAXES, UM, FOR THIS COMMUNITY HAVE BEEN HISTORICALLY, UM, UH, MANAGED TO APPRECIATE THAT OUR COMMUNITY IS, UM, LARGELY RETIRED AND ON SOMETHING THAT WE CALL FIXED INCOMES AND, UM, SHOULD NOT BEAR THE BURDEN IN THE LONG RUN.
SO I'M GOING TO FOREVER BE CONTINUING TO PUSH THAT ASPECT THAT AS WE'RE LOOKING AT ALL OF THESE FUNDS, UM, THAT WE PROTECT OUR PROPERTY, UH, TAX PAYMENTS AND OUR RESIDENTS AS THE FIRST CONSIDERATION OF ALL, I, IT IS HYPOTHETICAL AS TO WHAT HAPPENED WITH 2 84 AND, AND THAT IS A DISCUSSION THAT NEEDS TO BE HAD WITH COUNSEL AT SAID TIME SO THAT WE CAN KNOW WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT AND NOT DWELL ON, ON HYPOTHETICALS THAT, THAT HAVE NO BEARING AT THIS POINT.
BUT I THINK THE REASON IT BECOMES A POINT NOW IS THAT WHEN WE WERE JUST DISCUSSING, UM, HOW PROPERTY TAX REDUCTION THE, UH, MILLAGE RATE REDUCTION COULD HAPPEN OR SHOULD HAPPEN OR ANTICIPATED TO HAPPEN WHEN THE COUNTING, UM, STARTS TO, UH, HAS PUT THEIR BUDGET IN PLACE.
AND WE'RE LOOKING TO NEUTRALIZE THAT.
AND I'VE ASKED FOR A COMMITMENT THAT WE WILL INDEED DO THAT, THAT THAT SOURCE OF INCOME DOESN'T START BEING USED TO PLAY INTO THE HANDS OF WHERE THERE MIGHT BE SOME, UM, REPERCUSSIONS.
IF S 2 48 IS APPROVED, THAT COMMITMENT CAN ONLY COME AFTER WE HAVE THE FULL INFORMATION AS TO 2 84, AND WE MEET AS COUNSEL AND DISCUSS.
THAT'S, THAT'S WHEN THAT I UNDERSTOOD CAN'T THE THOUGHTS THAT HAVE TO BE, YOU KNOW, I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ALL ARE AWARE THAT, UM, WILL IMPACT OUR RESIDENTS.
AND IT'S, WELL, IT'S A HYPOTHETICAL.
UM, IT VERY WELL NEEDS TO BE INCLUDED IN THE DISCUSSION WITH REGARD TO THIS BUDGET OR, AND WHAT I'LL SAY TO TOWN COUNCIL, MAYOR IS, AND, AND COUNCIL, ONE THING THAT, THAT, THAT WE'VE DONE THAT, I WILL SAY THIS AND, AND WE CAN CONVERT THIS TO FISCAL YEAR, I UNDERSTAND WHY JOHN'S LOOKING AT A CALENDAR YEAR AND, AND, AND THE ANSWER IS THE GRANTS, RIGHT? THE GRANTS SPLIT UP IN HALF A YEAR HERE AND A HALF A YEAR THERE.
WHEN WE'RE TRYING TO SHOW THOSE TRENDS, WHAT I, WHAT I PLEDGE TO DO IS, IS LISTEN, I, I SEE JOSH TAKING NOTES, TYPING NOTES NEXT YEAR, OR AS WE LOOK AT BUDGET, WHEN WE LOOK AT BUDGET, WHATEVER THE STATE LAW IS, I WILL BRING THAT FORWARD, RIGHT? I ALWAYS LOOK AT REVENUES, I LOOK AT POTENTIAL SOURCES, I LOOK AT YOUR PRIORITIES AS A COLLECTIVE COUNCIL AND HOW THOSE FUNDS NEED CAN BE DISTRIBUTED, RIGHT? TO COMPOUND EACH OTHER TO ACCOMPLISH YOUR GOALS.
AND SO THAT, YOU KNOW, SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE, YOU KNOW, 26, 23 MONTHS WOULD NOT EVEN, YEAH, 20, 25 MONTHS, 26 MONTHS, I'VE PLEDGED THAT I WILL HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS WITH YOU AND SHOW YOU THAT, SO, SO THAT THAT WILL COME WHEN, WHEN.
BUT, BUT RIGHT NOW IN THE BUDGET, YOU'LL SEE THAT 3 MILLION IS GOING TO CAP PROJECTS.
WE'LL LOOK AT THAT 3 MILLION GOING TO OPERATIONS, UM, IN OUR GENERAL FUND.
[00:45:01]
UH, THIS IS HOW WE'RE USING IT.WE'LL, WE'LL DO PUBLIC COMMENT, UM, AFTER COUNCIL'S DONE.
YOU SEE THAT IN GENERAL FUND, RIGHT? AS IT'S $3 MILLION INTO, WHERE AM I? RIGHT THERE, $3.4 MILLION INTO GENERAL FUND FOR THINGS THAT ARE TOURISM RELATED AND AFFECTED.
YOU'LL SEE THAT GENERAL FUND USE OF STATE ATAC FUNDS ONLY PUBLIC SAFETY, WHICH IS FIRE, RESCUE, CODE ENFORCEMENT, POLICE BEACH.
WE ALSO USE IT FOR FACILITIES, ROADSIDE MAINTENANCE.
WE'VE TALKED, WE'VE, WE'VE MADE SOME SIGNIFICANT ENHANCEMENTS TO OUR CORRIDORS OR PATHWAYS OR PUBLIC PARKS AS WELL AS OUR OFFICE OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS.
SO EXAMPLE, UM, WHILE IT'S NOT EXACTLY INTO THE OFFICE OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS BUDGET, THE CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY TREE, CHRISTMAS TREE, THE, THE, THE LIGHTING CEREMONY THAT WE, WE PARTICIPATED IN CELEBRATED, UH, CELEBRATION PARK IS, IS A USE OF ATAC.
WE ALSO HAVE PUT IT INTO THE CAPITAL PROJECTS AND USING IT ONLY FOR PATHWAYS, RIGHT? NEW PATHWAYS, AS WELL AS MAINTENANCE AND ENHANCEMENTS.
YOU SEE, UH, YEAR OVER YEAR, I, I WAS ASKED TO PROVIDE THIS, YOU KNOW, KIND OF A, A, A DIFFERENT LOOK THAN THAT.
AND SO FISCAL YEAR 21, ACTUALS 22, ACTUAL 23 ESTIMATE, 24 ESTIMATE, SHOWING TRANSFERS TO CAP PROJECTS, TRANSFERS TO GENERAL FUND 30 TO D M O, SOME SUPPLEMENTAL GRANTS AND THE COMMUNITY NONPROFIT GRANT APPLICATIONS AND AWARDS.
SO, UM, YOU'LL, YOU'LL SEE THAT AT TAX IN OUR GENERAL FUND WAS CARRYING AT ABOUT 1.3 AND WENT TO 1.6, UH, LAST YEAR, 34 IN THIS YEAR, 30.5 LOCAL AT TAX.
WE ALSO BENEFIT FROM LOCAL ACCOMMODATIONS TAXES, AND THAT'S AN AMOUNT OF A LITTLE MORE THAN $7 MILLION.
YOU CAN SEE THE BULLET POINTS OF HOW THOSE DOLLARS ARE USED.
UM, PRETTY MUCH IDENTICAL TO STATE A TAX.
WE'VE ALSO LOOKED AT HOSPITALITY TAX IN THE SAME WAY.
AND SO THE, THE, THE HOSPITALITY TAX REVENUE, FIVE, EIGHT AND 2122, LOWER NUMBER, THE ESTIMATES FOR 2023 ARE SIGNIFICANT.
13.4, AND AGAIN, THESE ARE TRANSFERS IN, RIGHT? SO, AND THEN THIS YEAR, 9 93 EXPENDITURES BASED UPON THE PROJECTED, BASED UPON THE PROJECTED REVENUES.
AND YOU CAN SEE EXACTLY WHERE THOSE DOLLARS ARE USED.
THEY'RE, THEY'RE USED IN GENERAL FUND, UM, CAPITAL PROJECTS AND DEBT SERVICE.
AND IN GENERAL FUND, YOU SEE TOP LEFT CORNER, RBC, HERITAGE CLASSIC, IT USED TO FUND THAT, BUT WE, WE MOVED THAT TO THE AFFILIATED AGENCY ACCOUNT.
FIRE RESCUE OPS, FIRE RESCUE EQUIPMENT, OUR FIRETRUCK LEASE, THE LEASES, I SHOULD SAY, UM, EQUIPMENT, THE FIRE TRUCKS, PARKS, PATHWAYS, AND DEBT SERVICE.
AND SO THAT'S ONLY WHERE H TAX IS BEING USED RIGHT NOW.
WELL, UM, YEAH, UM, COULD YOU TAKE SOME TIME AND KIND OF EXPLAIN, AS YOU LOOK AT THE REVENUES OF THE HOSPITALITY TAX, YOU'LL SEE A, A SLIGHT INCREASE THERE, UM, FROM 21 TO 22 TO 23, BUT WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE LOCAL ATEX DOLLARS, YOU SEE A BIGGER INCREASE.
UM, AND YOU WOULD, YOU KNOW, YOUR MIND WOULD ASSOCIATE THE TWO AS, AS FAR AS WHERE THEY'RE COMING FROM, WHICH IS MOSTLY OUR VISITORS, UM, SHOULD SOMEWHAT BE THE SAME IN THE INCREASE.
CAN WE EXPLAIN THAT A BIT? YEAH, I, I'D LIKE TO TALK ABOUT THAT.
WE HAVE HELD BACK OUR ESTIMATES ON THE LOCAL ATAC IN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE, UH, POSITIVE TRENDS WOULD REALIZE.
AND, AND SO THIS YEAR WE ARE COMFORTABLE IN GOING AHEAD AND RAISING OUR ESTIMATES FOR THE LOCAL.
AND THEN IF, UH, MARK, WERE TO GO BACK TO THE, THIS, THAT ONE, UM, IF YOU LOOK AT THE DIFFERENCE, ESPECIALLY THE TRANSFER TO CAPITAL PROJECTS, OUR WHOLE CAPITAL PLAN IS, IS SLIGHTLY LESS THAN LAST YEAR AND ESPECIALLY IN, UH, THIS ONE AREA.
AND SO THE USE OF THE H TAX IN THE CAPITAL PLAN IS A LITTLE BIT LESS.
UM, AND, AND SO THE STATE, UM, THE H TAX IS MORE ABOUT HOW MUCH WE USE IN THE CAPITAL PLAN THAN WHAT OUR ESTIMATE OF THE TOTAL COLLECTIONS ARE.
AND SO THERE'S, IT'S NOT AS CLEAR AS IT COULD BE, BUT UM, THERE'S A REASON FOR THE DIFFERENCE, BUT NO
[00:50:01]
WE'RE ESTIMATING, UH, ABOUT 7,000 PERMITS BEFORE THE QUESTION IS ASKED.
I ASKED JOHN TROYER WHO SHARE, WHO APRIL AKINS DOING A GREAT JOB, SHE SHARED THAT THERE'S 6,000 CURRENT, UM, PERMITS.
I SAID, WELL, JOHN, ARE WE CLOSER TO SIX? HE SAID, WE'RE NOT AT PEAK SEASON YET.
IN A PEAK SEASON, FOLKS DO CONVERT THEIR UNITS INTO SHORT TERM RENTALS THAT DON'T CURRENTLY HAVE A PERMIT.
SO WE'RE STILL PROJECTING APPROXIMATELY ANOTHER THOUSAND PERMITS.
WE'LL SEE, WE, WE HAVE SOME, WE HAVE TO GET THROUGH A SEASON, WE HAVE TO MEASURE IT, WE HAVE TO INVESTIGATE IT.
UM, BUT WE'RE PROJECTING 7,000, UH, UNITS AT $250 A UNIT.
AND YOU CAN SEE THAT THE SHORT TERM RENTAL PERMIT FEE IS USED SPECIFICALLY AND ONLY FOR OUR, UH, THIRD PARTY ADMINISTRATION, PUBLIC SAFETY, WHICH IS OUR CODE ENFORCEMENT, MOSTLY A LOT OF OUR CODE ENFORCEMENT TEAM, FIRE INSPECTIONS, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, CUSTOMER SERVICE, UH, AND WE HAVE STAFF RAMPED UP, INCLUDING PART-TIMERS THAT ARE PRACTICALLY FULL-TIMERS, KEEPING UP WITH THE 6,000 PERMITS.
UM, IT FINANCE SUPPORT FACILITIES AND OPERATIONS.
AND SO THE BENEFIT HERE TOO IS FACILITIES AND OPERATIONS.
IF WE NEED TO MAKE SOME IMPROVEMENTS IN AREAS THAT, THAT, THAT REALLY SERVE, NOT, NOT, I DON'T WANNA LOOK AT IT AS AN AFFECTED BUY CUZ I'VE BEEN HEARING THAT, BUT SERVE A SHORT-TERM RENTAL UNIT, THEN THOSE, THAT'S WHERE THOSE DOLLARS, UM, ARE PLACED.
FIRST, FULL YEAR ESTIMATED COST, $1.75 MILLION.
I JUST JUST THOUGHT, JUST TRIGGERED THERE.
UM, WE HAVE TO DEFINITELY APPRECIATE THAT
UM, BUT I, I JUST, I JUST CHALLENGE US AS WE'RE THINKING ABOUT THIS.
WHAT IF THINGS TAKE A TURN AND NOT 1.75 THAT WE'RE BRINGING IN AND ALL OF THE ASSOCIATED EXPENDITURES FOR THE MOST PART ARE PROBABLY NOT GOING TO CHANGE.
SO WE HAVE MADE A COMMITMENT HERE, I THINK, FOR THE LONG HAUL AS FAR AS BEING IN THE BUSINESS AND HAVING TO SUPPORT IT.
AND THE PERMANENT FEES MAY NOT ALWAYS COVER IT AFTER WE GET INTO THIS A BIT.
TRULY, IT'S MY JOB TO SEE WHAT THOSE TRENDS LOOK LIKE.
UM, IT'S NOT AS EASY AS JUST SAYING, WELL, THE MONEY'S NOT COMING IN THE, THE FUNDS AREN'T COMING IN, LET'S SHUT DOWN FOUR PROJECTS, RIGHT? UM, BUT IT'S ALWAYS A BALANCE OF OPERATIONS IN PROJECTS.
IT'S, IT'S WHAT, IT'S WHAT WE FOCUS ON.
AND IF, IF YOU'D LIKE, WE CAN CONTINUE TO UPDATE FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE COMMITTEE SHORT TERM RENTAL, HOW ARE WE TRENDING WITH REVENUES? BECAUSE WE DO WATCH THAT.
IF WE'RE PROJECTING 1 1 75 AND WE ONLY HAVE 6,004 PERMITS AT PEAK SEASON, WE'RE, WE'RE DEFINITELY GOING TO RATCHET BACK AND, AND SOME OF THAT RATCHETING BACK HAS TO BE OUT OF THAT ACCOUNT.
WELL, WE'VE ALREADY GOT SOME 6,000 YEAH.
UH, WE KNOW THAT THERE ARE MORE TO COME IN, UM, AND SHORT OF ANOTHER PANDEMIC, IT'S HARD TO EXPECT OUR SHORT-TERM RENTAL MARKET TO SHRINK.
BUT IT WOULD ALSO, IF YOU GO BACK, I WOULD ALSO SAY THAT SOME OF THOSE, UM, SPENDING CATEGORIES, UM, I DON'T KNOW THE CONNECTION DIRECTLY TO A SHORT-TERM RENTAL.
UM, AND I WONDER IF SOME OF THE EXPENSES ON SOME OF THE OTHER EXPENDITURES AREN'T DIPPING IN HERE.
SO THAT IF ALEX WERE, UM, CORRECT AND WE HAVE A REDUCTION AND OR A FLUID NUMBER WITH THAT, UM, FUND OR THAT BUDGET ITEM, UH, ARE WE NOT PUTTING OURSELF IN JEOPARDY? AND I GUESS I RELATE IT BACK TO THE INCREASE OF, UH, 14 NEW STAFF MEMBERS AND HOW SOME OF THOSE ARE POSSIBLY ACTUALLY BEING FUNDED THROUGH THIS.
SO I WOULD CAUTION US AS WE'RE LOOKING AT THAT INCREASE IN, IN THE, UM, STAFF MEMBERS OR MARK, LET ME, LET ME ASK YOU THIS QUESTION.
MID-YEAR WE COME AROUND AND LOOK AT A MID-YEAR BUDGET MODIFICATION, UM, WHETHER IT'S A COMBINATION OF, YOU KNOW, THE THE NEW ASSESSMENT, UH, WHETHER IT'S LOOKING AT THIS AND, AND WE'RE AT 1.4 MILLION, DO WE LOOK AT MAKING CUTS TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT WE'RE NOT GOING OVER BUDGET?
[00:55:01]
YES.I THINK TAMMY'S POINT IS WELL TAKEN THAT AS AN SHORT TERM RENTAL OWNER, NO, I'M NOT.
FOR THE SHORT TERM RENTAL OWNER, AN EXPLANATION OF THE CONNECTIONS PROBABLY MAKES SENSE.
SO I, I THINK WE OUGHT TO BE PREPARED IN WRITING TO HAVE THAT CONNECTION MADE.
WHEN WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE THAT MIDYEAR BUDGET? I THINK, I THINK AS SOON AS THIS BUDGET IS PUBLIC, SHORT-TERM RENTAL OWNERS ARE GONNA, WHERE ARE THEIR DOLLARS? WHERE, HOW ARE THEIR DOLLARS BEING USED? YEAH, WHAT'S THE CONNECTION TO IT AND FINANCE, OR WHAT'S THE CONNECTION TO FIRE INSPECTION? OKAY, LOOK AT THAT.
ALRIGHT, GETTING INTO GENERAL FUND, OUR OPERATING ACCOUNT, AND YOU SEE THE PRIMARY SOURCES OF REVENUE HERE ARE ON THE LEFT COLUMN, PROPERTY TAX, LOCAL, A TAX BUSINESS LICENSE, AND, AND ALL THE WAY DOWN YOU SEE FRANCHISE FEES, PERMIT FEES, AS WELL AS THE TRANSFERS IN.
AND SO OUR GENERAL FUND BUDGET, OH, EXCUSE ME, $57.98 MILLION, THAT'S OUR OPERATING BUDGET.
UM, PROPERTY TAXES, UM, MAKE UP 16.9 MILLION.
LOCAL A TAX SEVEN BUSINESS LICENSE, A TOTAL OF 12.4 FRANCHISE FEES, A MILLION PERMIT FEES, THREE SEVEN.
AND SO SOME OF THE LARGER ACCOUNTS HERE, PUBLIC SAFETY, EMS, UH, BEACH PRESERVATION FEE, H TAX STATE, A TAX, UM, PRIOR YEAR FUNDS, AND THOSE PRIOR YEAR FUNDS WILL BE USED FOR THOSE PROJECTS.
AS AN EXAMPLE, DISTRICT PLANS, LMO UPDATES, THOSE FUNDS ARE, ARE PLEDGED SO TO SPEAK, AND WE'LL TRANSFER FORWARD FROM LAST YEAR SIMPLY BECAUSE WE'RE UNDER, WE WILL BE, WE EITHER ARE UNDER CONTRACT OR WILL BE UNDER CONTRACT, UM, FOR THAT WORK.
UM, IT, WHEN LOOKING AT THIS, UM, I, I KNOW THAT THE FINANCE ADMINISTRATIVE COMMITTEE RECEIVES REPORTS, UH, FROM OUR FINANCE OFFICER, UM, AND ALSO WE DO, UM, ON THE CURRENT BUDGET, BUT I THINK BEFORE, UM, SECOND READING AND THE PUBLIC HEARING, IT MIGHT BE GOOD TO GIVE THE PUBLIC INFORMATION ON WHERE WE STAND ON THIS YEAR'S BUDGET SO THAT THEY KNOW THAT WE'RE OKAY
SO I THINK IT'D BE GOOD FOR US TO SEE A STATUS REPORT ON THE CURRENT YEAR BUDGET BEFORE WE ADOPT THIS NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET.
I, I WILL ASK WHEN, REMIND ME THE DATE OF THE NEXT F AND A FINANCE ADMINISTRATIVE COMMITTEE MEETING TODAY.
I'M VERY COMFORTABLE WITH, UM, THESE AND, AND SO WE'LL, WE'LL FINISH FINE THIS YEAR.
AND SINCE THESE NUMBERS WERE ORIGINALLY PUT TOGETHER, THERE'S NO REASON TO, UM, CHANGE THOSE.
AND SO WE, WE FEEL VERY COMFORTABLE ABOUT IT ALL.
SO THAT'LL BE AS OF APRIL 30 WITH THOSE NUMBERS.
SO AS OF APRIL 30, SO THAT LEAVES WHAT MAY AND JUNE STILL FOR THE YEAR.
SO I HAVE A PRETTY GOOD PREDICTION IN 10 OUT OF 12 MONTHS, SO.
AND I'D JUST LIKE TO COMMENT, IF I MAY, MAYOR, TO GIVE A COMPLIMENT TO OUR TOWN MANAGER AND DIRECTOR OF FINANCE.
WE ABSOLUTELY HAVE BEEN HISTORICALLY IN GOOD POSITION, UH, WITH REGARD TO HOW THE TOWN IS, UM, SITUATED FINANCIALLY.
AND THAT CONSERVATIVE, UM, APPROACH, UM, SERVED US WELL BEFORE AND EXPECTED TO CONTINUE THAT.
SO IT CONTINUES TO PROVIDE COMFORT, UM, TO OUR RESIDENTS HERE.
THANK YOU FOR ALL THE WORK THAT YOU DO ON THAT.
SO AFTER TWO YEARS, RECORD HIGH REV COLLECTIONS AND, AND, AND I'VE TALKED ABOUT A LOT OF THIS, SO I'M GONNA SKIP THROUGH THESE SLIDES JUST FOR, FOR TIME'S SAKE SO WE CAN LOOK AT SOME OTHER FUNDS.
IT'S BRUISING THROUGH, THERE'S NOTHING IN HERE THAT I HAVEN'T MENTIONED ALREADY.
NEW RESIDENTIAL PLAN REVIEW FEE EQUAL TO 50% OF THE PERMIT FEE WAS AN AD, EXCUSE ME, THE REVENUE TRENDS FOR PROPERTY TAXES, LOCAL ATAC,
[01:00:01]
BUSINESS LICENSE, FRANCHISE FEES, PERMITS, AND MOST PERMIT, UH, FISCAL YEAR 24 FAR RIGHT IS INCLUSIVE OF THE SHORT TERM RENTAL PERMIT FEE.EMS, REVS INVESTMENT AND OTHER REVS THAT ARE INTERGOVERNMENTAL TRANSFERS TO GRANTS SPEECH SERVICES, MISCELLANEOUS.
SO I'VE PRESENTED TO YOU A BALANCED GENERAL FUND BUDGET, UM, REVENUES, MATCHING EXPENDITURES, DOING MY VERY BEST TO SHOW YOU THE REVENUE TRENDS, THE PROJECTED REVENUES THAT ARE CONSERVATIVE AND THE INTENDED EXPENDITURES, NOT JUST IN FISCAL YEAR 24, BUT OVER TIME.
I UNDERSTAND FROM YOU TODAY THAT WE WILL PRESENT TO FINANCE ADMINISTRATIVE COMMITTEE AN UPDATE ON THE BUDGET.
SANDIA WILL ADD THAT TO THE AGENDA.
UM, FOR F AND A, OUR GENERAL FUND RESERVE POLICY THAT WAS IMPROVED, IT WAS A PROPOSAL THAT JOHN SCHROER AND I TALKED ABOUT AND BROUGHT FORWARD.
UM, IN YEAR PAST THE LOWER LIMIT INCREASED AND YOU CAN SEE FROM 35 TO 45 IS A LOWER LIMIT POLICY AS WELL AS AN UPPER LIMIT FROM 40 TO 55%.
AND YOU CAN SEE THAT THE, THE ACTUAL GREEN LINE HAS BEEN ADJUSTED AND, AND, AND HAS MOVED IN IN BETWEEN THE, THE CEILING AND THE, THE UPPER AND LOWER LIMIT OF OUR FUND FUND BALANCE.
YOU KNOW, WHAT THAT REALLY MEANS IS THAT OUR FUND BALANCE AS IT INCREASED, WE'VE INCREASED OUR POLICY OF SAVINGS, OUR, OUR FUND BALANCE POLICY AND, AND DIDN'T JUST AUTOMATICALLY GO TO THE FUND BALANCE TO, TO USE IT.
WE'VE INCREASED THE EXPECTATION IN FUND BALANCE AND WRAPPED THE POLICY AROUND IT, WHAT THAT MEANS IN THE BOND RATING.
SIGNIFICANT, SIGNIFICANT, UM, FEEDBACK FROM ANY BOND RATING AGENCY.
THIS, THIS POLICY DECISION AS WELL AS OUR POLICY DECISION, UM, TO ONCE AND FOR ALL HAVE A A FUTURISTIC, YOU KNOW, ALL INCLUSIVE RESILIENCE PLAN WILL GO A LONG WAY WITH ANY BOND RATING AGENCY, RIGHT? AND THOSE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC OUT THERE IN NEVER NEVERLAND WHERE YOU, WHEREVER YOU ARE, IT'S NOT A FUND F U N BALANCE, IT'S A FUND AS IN A SAVINGS ACCOUNT.
YOU SEE SALARIES, BENEFITS, OPERATING PUBLIC SAFETY AFFILIATED AGENCIES WE'RE TRANSFERRING SOME GENERAL FUND OUT TO CAPITAL PROJECTS IN YEARS PAST, BUT WE AREN'T DOING THAT THIS YEAR.
WE'RE TRANSFERRING IT TO HOUSING.
WE'VE CREATED A NEW FUND AS WELL AS TRANSFERRING LAND TO LAND ACQUISITION AND ACCOUNT A MILLION DOLLARS.
SO YOU SEE A GENERAL FUND, TOTAL BUDGET PROPOSED $57,980,977 MARK.
I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO CLARIFY THAT HOUSING MEANS WORKFORCE HOUSING.
SO LET'S THINK ABOUT WHAT WE'RE CALLING THAT BECAUSE PEOPLE COULD GET CONFUSED IF THINK IT'S REFERRING TO SOMETHING BROADER IN HOUSING.
WITHOUT ANY OBJECTION, I WILL MAKE THE CHANGE AT SECOND AND FINAL READING TO SHOW A WORKFORCE HOUSING FUND.
IN, WELL JUST SINCE THE TOPIC IS BROUGHT UP, UM, IS IT THOUGH JUST FOR WORKFORCE HOUSING OR, OR SOME OF THESE, ARE THESE FUNDS A A HUNDRED PERCENT DIRECTED TOWARDS WORKFORCE HOUSING? THIS IS MY QUESTION.
THE REASON I ASK AS YOU LOOK BAFFLED, LIKE WHY WOULD YOU ASK THAT QUESTION? NO, I DIDN'T LOOK BAFFLED.
I, BUT, UM, I SUGGEST WE TALK A LITTLE DEEPER ABOUT THAT AS WE GET INTO THE HOUSING FUND.
WE TALKED ABOUT THOSE POSITIONS AND SO, YOU KNOW, ONE IS A MARKETING ENGAGEMENT DIRECTOR.
WE TALKED A A LOT ABOUT, UM, DMO, BUT THERE'S, THERE'S, THERE'S DIFFERENT MESSAGES TO GET OUT THERE.
UM, AND I THINK THAT POSITION WILL PULL TOGETHER OUR ABILITY TO COMMUNICATE EFFECTIVELY EXTERNALLY AS WELL AS INTERNALLY.
YOU SEE THAT, UH, ONE POSITION IN FINANCE, SEVERAL IN FIRE RESCUE, AND FOUR IN COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT.
MARK, WHERE DO THE CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS FALL UNDER IN THIS BUDGET? ADDED SOME, AND I WOULD'VE THOUGHT THEY WOULD'VE GONE FROM GENERAL FUND.
[01:05:01]
YES, SIR.THEY'RE, THEY'RE IN GENERAL FUND, THEY'RE FUNDED, UM, BY SHORT TERM RENTAL AND PERMIT FEES AND GENERAL FUND AS WELL AS SOME OTHERS.
WE DID NOT, I DID NOT BRING FORWARD ANY NEW CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS.
THOSE, THOSE SIX ARE IN PLACE.
BOB'S DONE A FABULOUS JOB, UM, RECRUITING AND HIRING THOSE SIX, AND FOR NOW, HE SAYS HE DOESN'T NEED ANYBODY ELSE.
THANK YOU FOR THAT CLARIFICATION.
HE NEEDS TO GET THROUGH A SEASON AND WE'LL ASK HIM AGAIN.
BUT I, I, I THINK THAT WE HIRED THE RIGHT FOLKS.
I KNOW WE HIRED THE RIGHT FOLKS IN THAT REGARD.
I WAS ALSO ASKED, UH, A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OFFICE OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS, SO SOURCES OF FUNDS VERSUS, UM, USES OF FUNDS.
SO THE FISCAL YEAR 24 BUDGET, $313,000.
THE SOURCES OF FUNDS FOR THAT ARE STATE A TAX LOCAL AT TAX AND BUSINESS LICENSING AFFILIATED AGENCY REQUESTS CAME IN FISCAL YEAR 24, UM, A PROPOSED F AND A, SO A REQUEST OF 2.8 MILLION AND A AND A PROPOSED OUT OF FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE COMMITTEE STRAIGHT INTO THE BUDGET OF 2.363 MILLION.
UH, SORRY, MAYOR AND MANAGER, WHILE WE'RE ON THAT SLIDE, CAN YOU GO BACK? YES, THANK YOU.
THE ONE, SO HABITAT FOR HUMANITY, UM, AND REQUESTED A GRANT OF 500,000 AND UNDERSTAND FROM THE FINANCE ADMINISTRATIVE COMMITTEE THAT IT WAS THOUGHT TO HAVE A DISCUSSION ABOUT THAT RELATED TO THE HOUSING FUND.
IS THAT, AM I FOLLOWING THE RIGHT PATH? OKAY.
SO WHEN WE GET TO THE HOUSING FUND, WILL WE TALK ABOUT IT AT THAT POINT, OR IS NOW THE TIME TO TALK ABOUT IT? UH, WE, WE CAN TALK ABOUT IT AT THAT POINT.
I, I WILL, I WILL SHARE WITH YOU, YES, I, I'VE MET WITH HABITAT, UM, WITH BRENDA.
WE, WE HAD A GOOD CONVERSATION.
I THINK THAT THE DETAILS, UM, ARE POST BUDGET.
FRANKLY, THOSE ARE POLICY DECISIONS ON HOW YOU USE THE FUNDS AND WHERE YOU USE THOSE FUNDS.
I KNOW THAT IT DID COME OUT OF F AND A IN MY UNDERSTANDING.
I WASN'T AT THE MEETING THAT DAY, BUT I LOOKED AT, YOU KNOW, NOTES AND WHATNOT.
STAFF SHARED WITH ME THAT IT, LET'S GET TOGETHER AND TALK WITH THEM AND SEE HOW WE CAN HELP AND SEE IF THERE IS A, A COLLECTIVE STRATEGY TO PUT IN PLACE.
SO THAT'S WHAT, UH, MS. DOOLEY AND I TALKED ABOUT.
I, BY NO MEANS GOT VERY FAR WITH IT.
MY HEAD'S BEEN IN THE BUDGET AND STRATEGIC PLAN BUSINESS FOR THE LAST 30 DAYS.
SO, UM, I, I DO THINK THAT IF YOU WANT ME TO PLEDGE THOSE FUNDS, THE WORK WE NEED TO DO AT POST BUDGET ON HOW TO USE THOSE HOUSING FUNDS IS, IS AN IMPORTANT, UH, TO DO.
AND WE'LL PUT A FOOTNOTE BY THAT.
AND, AND I'M NOT GONNA GO THROUGH ALL OF THESE.
THIS ISN'T THE FIRST TIME THEY'VE BEEN UP HERE, BUT ISLAND REC ARE AFFILIATED AGENCIES AND, AND THEY'RE IMPORTANT TO US AS DETERMINED BY F AND A TRANSFERRED FUNDS THROUGH, THROUGH THIS ISLAND REC, COASTAL DISCOVERY, MITCHELLVILLE, U S C B, UH, L R T A, SOLICITOR 14 CIRCUIT SOLICITOR, BUFORD COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION.
OUR HERITAGE, OUR RBC HERITAGE CLASSIC FOUNDATION, HABITAT FOR HUMANITY WAS NOT FUNDED.
SO OUT OF OUR GENERAL FUND, 2.6, 2.5 MILLS, OR 2.8 MILLION TOWARDS AFFILIATED AGENCIES IS THE US I'M SORRY, ALEX.
YOU, I WAS JUST MAKING SURE WE WERE READING THE RIGHT COLUMN.
SORRY, IS THAT TWO POINT, I'M SORRY.
AND I WAS JUST GOING TO ASK IF, UM, OF THE US CB EVENT MANAGEMENT AMBASSADOR'S LINE, IF THAT NUMBER IS REFLECTIVE OF THE CHANGE THAT WAS MADE WITH REGARD TO, IT'S NOT, SO THAT WOULD BE A LOWER TOTAL IN THE END BECAUSE THAT LINE ITEM SHOULD BE REDUCED.
MAY I ATTEMPT TO EXPLAIN? SO U S C B EVENT MANAGEMENT ARE U THE U S C B AMBASSADOR PROGRAM CAME IN AND, YOU KNOW, PRIOR YEAR ASKED FOR, UH, ONE 90 THIS YEAR, 2 38, THAT TWO 38,985, THAT WAS BASED UPON OUR TOWN CODE THAT PROVIDED TO THEM A CERTAIN CUT, CERTAIN PERCENTAGE OF, OF ATAC THAT, THAT, THAT NUMBER EQUATED.
AND SO AS WE SAW THAT OUR AT TAX REVS WENT UP, SO DID THE US C B AMBASSADOR AUTOMATIC ACCOUNT THIS YEAR, BECAUSE THE ORDINANCE IS WHAT IT IS.
AND F AND A WAS REVIEWING THE AFFILIATED AGENCIES.
[01:10:01]
REQUEST WAS $238,985.THEIR, THEIR ASK WAS, THE RECOMMENDATION OUT OF FINANCE ADMINISTRATIVE COMMITTEE WAS $238,985.
SO THAT WON'T GO DOWN IN THIS FISCAL YEAR 24 BUDGET.
BUT MY HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT IS TO BRING BACK THE FINANCE ADMINISTRATIVE COMMITTEE AS SOON AS WE CAN.
JOSH AND I HAVE ALREADY MET ON IT, TO PUT TOGETHER SOME SORT OF MOU SIMILAR TO OTHER AFFILIATED AGENCIES, AND BRING FORWARD TO YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION, FIRST THROUGH COMMITTEE, THEN THROUGH FULL COUNSEL.
UM, SOMEWHAT OF A TERM SHEET MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT WITH U S C B THAT ISN'T JUST AN AUTOMATIC, UH, AMOUNT, BUT IT IN FACT HAS SOME, SOME GOALS, OBJECTIVES, EXPECTATIONS AND MEASUREMENT ALONG WITH SOME ANNUAL FUNDING REQUESTS, JUST LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE.
SO THE WORK THAT F AND A HAS BEEN DOING ISN'T REFLECTED IN THIS COMING YEAR'S BUDGET, BUT IT WILL BE A RESULT FROM THE FOLLOWING.
UM, FOR THE MOST PART, UH, WE'VE GONE THROUGH THIS ALREADY.
UH, SOME THINGS THAT I DIDN'T SAY, I'LL, I'LL, I'LL HIGHLIGHT.
UM, WE ARE OVERHAULING OUR LAND MANAGEMENT ORDINANCE.
THAT IS A BIG LIFT THAT WILL COST SOME EXTERNAL DOLLARS.
WE ARE NOT EQUIPPED HERE TO WRITE CODE.
IT'S NOT WHAT WE DO EVERY DAY.
I DON'T ADVISE THAT FOLKS THAT WORK ON DAY-TO-DAY PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT REVIEW, UH, RELATED WORK AND WORK AS PROJECT MANAGERS WRITE CODE, WE HAVE OUTSOURCED THAT.
WE WILL ALSO HAVE, AT THE END OF THE DAY, AN ISLAND WIDE MASTER PLAN, A GROWTH FRAMEWORK MAP, UH, THE, THE CONDITIONS AND TRENDS SLASH CAPACITY STUDY.
UM, SEVERAL DISTRICT PLANS THAT, THAT ARE INTELLIGENT PLANNING TOOLS.
THEY'RE SUB AREA PLANS THAT SHOULD GUIDE THE LAND MANAGEMENT ORDINANCE AND GUIDE CAPITAL PROJECT INVESTMENT, AS WELL AS PROGRAMMING LONG TERM.
UM, WE WILL ALSO UPDATE, ACTUALLY ESTABLISH NOT UPDATE A FUTURE LAND USE MAP.
WE NEED ONE, UM, AS WELL AS SOME OTHER ELEMENTS.
WE HAVE INCREASED SOME PERMITTING AND PLAN REVIEW.
UH, I'M LOOKING AT PROCESS IMPROVEMENTS, BUT WE'VE ALSO ADDED SOME FEES TO, UH, PERMITTING AND PLAN REVIEW.
A LITTLE BIT OF IT IS THE APPROPRIATE GROWTH PAYING FOR SOME OF IT ITSELF.
UM, WE WILL CONTINUE TO MAKE PLAN REVIEW PROCESS IMPROVEMENTS.
HATS OFF TO MISSY, CHRIS, YATES, SEAN AND MICHAEL TREY, A WHOLE BUNCH OF OTHERS.
BUT MY EXPECTATIONS ON THAT ARE HIGH.
SO WE WILL INVEST IN OUR TIME AS WELL AS SOME SOFTWARE IMPROVEMENTS SOFTWARE WE ALREADY HAVE, BUT IMPROVEMENT IMPROVEMENTS TO IT.
WE'LL FUND THE TOWN'S 360 SLASH 40 YEAR CELEBRATION.
ALSO BRING FORWARD A MUSIC FESTIVAL.
UM, WE TALKED ABOUT THAT AT STRATEGIC PLAN.
UM, WE WILL PUT FLOCK SAFETY CAMERAS AND TRAIL CAMERAS UP, ALIGN 'EM WITH BEAUFORD COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE, UM, AND THEN CALIBRATED SALARY ADJUSTMENTS SO THAT WE REMAIN COMPETITIVE.
UM, I'VE BEEN WORKING ON THAT, UH, TRYING TO CATCH UP AND ALWAYS TRYING TO CATCH UP WITH SALARIES, UM, TO, TO RECRUIT AND RETAIN, UM, SINCE I'VE GOT HERE AND THEN ALSO BEFORE, BEFORE I ARRIVED.
A COUPLE THINGS ON THAT SLIDE.
UM, THE, THE PERMITTING, UH, PLAN REVIEW PROCESS, OF COURSE, WE ARE PROJECTING TO HAVE SOME INCREASE IN THE COLLECTION OF FEES BECAUSE WE ARE INTRODUCING SOME NEW FEES.
UM, I'M JUST BRINGING THIS UP FOR, UH, FOR THE WHEELS TO TURN AS WE MOVE FORWARD AND OUR HOUSING DISCUSSION.
UM, I THINK IT'S APPROPRIATE FOR US TO TALK ABOUT THE FEES MAY BE BEING ABATED FOR HOUSING, BECAUSE THAT COULD BE THE DIFFERENCE IN SOMEONE SAYING THAT THEY'RE GOING TO DO A PROJECT AND NOT RIGHT.
UH, NOT TO, TO, TO TRY TO NOT JUMP IN THOSE DETAILS AS WE BRING THE LAND MANAGEMENT ORDINANCE FORWARD.
THAT IS THE PLACE THAT WE HAVE THAT, I'D CALL IT ABATEMENT INCENTIVE SECTION ON, ON HOUSING AS ONE EXAMPLE, WORKFORCE HOUSING.
SO PART OF THAT IN TERMS OF, I KNOW WE'RE JUMPING AHEAD TO HOUSING, SO ACTUALLY, I'M GONNA HOLD MY QUESTION.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON THIS PAGE? OKAY.
WE'RE PRIORITIZING OUR MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS PLAN AT THE END OF THE YEAR.
WE WILL HAVE AN ANNUAL REPORT.
UM, WE'LL CONTINUE TO EXPAND CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY LIGHTING THROUGHOUT THE ISLAND.
UM, WE'LL CONTINUE WITH CRESCENDO LANTERN PARADE, EARTH DAY TREE AND MANURE LIGHTING.
UM, WE'RE INCREASED FUNDING FOR PARK MAINTENANCE, ROAD MAINTENANCE, LANDSCAPE MAINTENANCE CORRIDOR, AS AN EXAMPLE.
[01:15:01]
THERE'S FUNDS TO PLANT TREES IN UNDERSTORY AND CRITICAL AND IMPORTANT AREAS ON OUR ISLAND IN, IN, IN THIS, IN THIS BUDGET.UM, BOTH FROM A FACILITIES AND IMPROVEMENT STANDPOINT, AS WELL AS, AS WE BUILD OUR NEW CAPITAL PROJECTS, WE'LL FOCUS ON BEACH OPERATIONS.
WE'VE COME A LONG WAY IN A COUPLE YEARS, BUT I, I'VE SHARED THAT I BELIEVE WE HAVE A LONG WAY TO GO.
UM, AND THEN WE'RE OF COURSE TRANSFERRING INTENTIONALLY A MILLION DOLLARS TO A, A NEW LAND ACQUISITION FUND, UM, FOR US TO USE.
WHETHER WE BOND THAT RIGHT, A 25 YEAR BOND COULD RAISE SOME SIGNIFICANT FUND DOLLARS.
WE COULD COMPOUND THAT WITH THE COUNTY FUND, THE GREEN SPACE FUND.
UH, NEEDLESS TO SAY, OUR COMMITMENT TO RECRUITING AND RETAINING AMAZING EMPLOYEES, AMA AMAZING TEAMMATES, UM, WITH A GOOD BENEFITS PACKAGE.
I PUT IN THE BUDGET OF 4% PERFORMANCE BASED SALARY INCREASE, AN INCREASE IN TUITION REIMBURSEMENT, A NEW WELLNESS REIMBURSEMENT, AND THEN A CONTINUATION OF, OF WORK THAT THIS AWESOME, AMAZING ORGANIZATION HAS DONE BEFORE MY TIME.
BUT THEN ALSO BASED UPON SOME WORK THAT I'VE DONE SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE.
RIGHT? REMEMBER LAST YEAR WE INCREASED 401K 1%.
WE HAVE A VACATION BUY PACK OPTION, 25 HOURS OF VACATION, PTO BUYBACK.
SOUTH CAROLINA UNDER UNFUNDED MANDATES AND HEALTH INSURANCE RETIREMENT PREMIUMS. WE HAVE GIVEN, UH, 3 50, 300 $50 TO 550 INCREASE TO BEFOR COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICERS THAT, THAT LIVE ON THE ISLAND.
UM, WE HAVE DONE, I HAVE DONE WITH LISA STAUFFER, WHERE THERE'S LISA, A TOWN CLASS IN COMPENSATION STUDY, UH, A REGIONAL.
WE WORKED THE PHONES REGIONAL.
WE DID A BIG STUDY, AND WE'RE ALWAYS WORKING THE PHONES.
WE WANT OUR FIREFIGHTERS AS ONE EXAMPLE, TO BE THE HIGHEST PAID IN THE STATE ON ENTRY LEVEL SALARIES.
UM, THAT, THAT STUFF YOU'RE NOT SEEING IN THE 4%.
WE ADJUSTED, I ADJUSTED FIRE RESCUE COMPENSATION LAST YEAR.
WE WERE LOSING TOO MANY FOLKS.
THEY WOULD SHOW UP, THEY WOULD WORK, THEY'D REALIZE IT COSTS A LOT MORE TO WORK HERE AND LIVE HERE, OR AT LEAST TRAVEL TO WORK HERE THAN THEY FIRST ANTICIPATED.
WE HAD TO MAKE THAT ADJUSTMENT, THAT ADJUSTMENT'S MADE.
BUT WHAT IT'S DOING IS WE'RE CATCHING UP THIS YEAR, RIGHT? SO THIS WILL BE THE FULL YEAR THAT THAT'S IN THERE.
I'VE DONE SOME STUDIES IN THE REGION, UH, THANKS TO LISA.
MOST ORGANIZATIONS ARE GIVING THREE OR 2% COST OF LIVING ALLOWANCE AS WELL AS TWO OR 3% PERFORMANCE BASED.
SO IF YOU ADD UP EXAMPLE, OUR, OUR OTHER MUNICIPALITIES IN THE REGION, I BELIEVE THEY'RE AT 5% TOTAL.
BUT I KNOW THAT I'VE ADJUSTED SOME SALARIES.
WE RECRUITED SOME GOOD FOLKS, AND THE PROPOSAL IS, WE, WE, I DID HEAR SOME PUBLIC COMMENT ON 5%, AND I UNDERSTAND HOW HARD IT IS AND HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO RETAIN FOLKS.
EVERY TIME WE GO UP 1%, 1% ACROSS THE BOARD BASED ON, UPON THE EMPLOYEES WE HAVE HERE IS CLOSE TO $300,000.
SO MARK, I WANT TO, UH, COMMEND YOU FOR, UH, CONTINUING TO TAKE A VERY CLOSE LOOK AT THIS.
OKAY? UM, WE ARE A COMMUNITY THAT EXPECTS EXCELLENCE, AND YOU WILL NOT GET EXCELLENCE IF YOU'RE NOT TAKING CARE OF YOUR PEOPLE.
UH, I, THE, THE PUBLIC IS NOT LOOKING AT HERE, BUT I AM, UM, SHOWS THE BREAKDOWN OF THE NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES THAT ACTUALLY LIVE ON HILTON HEAD THAT WORK FOR THE TOWN OF HILTON HEAD.
AND I GOTTA TELL YOU THAT THE NUMBER IS NOT VERY HIGH.
OKAY? SO THE, THE EXTRA EFFORT AS FAR AS RETENTION IS DEFINITELY IMPORTANT, AND IT'S SHOWING UP AND US HAVING PEOPLE HERE TO DO THE WORK THAT WE EXPECT TO BE DONE.
UM, I'M NOT QUITE SURE HOW WE PUT A METRIC AROUND, UM, THE PERCENTAGE OF PEOPLE THAT ARE LIVING HERE, BUT THE CHART IS ABSOLUTELY IMPORTANT TO SUPPORT WHAT YOU'RE DOING.
I ALSO WANTED TO JUST JUMP IN ON, ON SOMETHING, THE BEAUFORT COUNTY, UM, ISLAND RESIDENT STIPEND INCREASE THAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED LAST YEAR.
THAT'S NOT AN ADDITIONAL INCREASE.
UM, THAT, AND I DO WANT TO COMMEND THE FACT THAT OUR TOWN STAFF, UM, IS SECOND TO NONE, AND THEY DO DO AN EXCEPTIONAL JOB AND CREATE THE WORLD CLASS
[01:20:01]
COMMUNITY THAT WE LIVE IN, AND WE CONTINUE TO STRIVE TO MAINTAIN.UM, AND I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO SAY THAT IN, IN MY HUMBLE OPINION, UH, THERE'S NO BETTER JOB THAN WORKING HERE IN HILTON HEAD ISLAND.
AND UNDER YOUR LEADERSHIP MARK MAYOR, I MIGHT, UM, AS YOU ALL KNOW, I, I VALUE WELLNESS AND I REALLY APPRECIATE THE NEW WELLNESS REIMBURSEMENT.
I THINK THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT.
AND, UM, I, I, I HOPE THAT WE'LL HAVE EMPLOYEES WHO'LL TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT.
IT'S CERTAINLY SOMETHING I SUPPORT AND ALSO MY FAMILIES, AS MANY FAMILIES DO HAVE VALUE EDUCATION.
SO I'M GLAD TO SEE THE TUITION REIMBURSEMENT AS WELL.
UM, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE LOTS OF DIFFERENT KIND OF BENEFITS, BUT, UM, I, I WANTED TO POINT OUT THOSE TWO IN PARTICULAR.
AND, AND THIS IS A LITTLE BIT MORE WHAT I SAID.
JANUARY 22 AT 3% SALARY INCREASE, LATE 22 FIRE RESCUE COMPENSATION ADJUSTMENTS, JULY 22, 3% MERIT.
AND, AND THE 4%, WHEN YOU ADD IT ALL UP, IT'S ABOUT $3 MILLION.
AND, AND KNOW, AND, AND IT, AND SO WHAT WE HAVE TO KEEP PAYING ATTENTION TO IS PROVIDING THE SERVICE THAT'S EXPECTED.
AND, YOU KNOW, FOR, FOR DISCUSSION AT A WORKSHOP, TWO PEOPLE ON THE BEACH, I LOOK AT IT PERHAPS FROM A DIFFERENT LENS LENS, TWO FOLKS ON THE BEACH FIVE HOURS A DAY, DEPENDING ON THE SEASON, HOT OR COLD.
BUT THEY'RE CHASING TRASH CANS.
THEY'RE HELPING, UH, E EMS, THEY'RE HELPING BEACH SHORE BEACH SERVICES.
THEY'RE HELPING AND TALKING WITH SHORE, UH, I SHOULD SAY, UM, TURTLE PATROL.
THEY'RE WORKING WITH, AS AN EXAMPLE, THE WESTON ON WEDDING PERMITS.
THEY'RE PUTTING DOWN BEACH MATS.
THEY'RE GOING TO HOME DEPOT TO BUY HAMMERS AND NAILS BECAUSE THEY CAN CHANGE OUT BOARDS ON BOARDWALKS, EASIER, QUICKER, CHEAPER.
UM, THEN THEY CAN BID THAT OUT AND CONTRACT IT OUT OVER THE NEXT THREE, FOUR MONTHS.
UM, AND YEAH, FOUR PERCENT'S IMPORTANT TO THEM, BUT SO IS ANOTHER PERSON.
AND SO THAT IS ONE THING AS ONE EXAMPLE.
I, I'M, I'M TRULY TRYING TO BALANCE IN, IN THIS, IN, IN THIS TIME.
MARK, YOUR BEACH AMBASSADORS, OUR BEACH AMBASSADORS, HAVE DONE AN OUTSTANDING JOB.
YOU CONTINUE TO HEAR THAT FROM PEOPLE.
IT'S SAVING PROBLEMS ON THE BEACH AND IT'S KEEPING PEOPLE HAPPY.
SO STORMWATER FINANCIAL RESOURCES FOR STORMWATER RELATED EXPENDITURES, STAFFING OPERATIONS, INVENTORY MODELING, MASTER PLANNING.
YOU SEE THE STORM WATER UTILITY FEES AS THE MAJOR SOURCE OF REVENUE, 5.1 MILLION.
THIS A $60,000 CHANGE FROM LAST YEAR, UH, USED A LITTLE BIT OF PRIOR YEAR FUNDS.
THAT'S PROJECT BASED THAT DOESN'T TRANSFER INTO TO, TO PEOPLE.
UM, INVESTMENT INCOME AND PLAN REVIEW FEES, YOU'LL SEE THAT PLAN REVIEW FEES WERE ZERO IN YEARS PRIOR.
THE NEW FEE SCHEDULE SUPPORTS ENFORCEMENT OF THAT UNFUNDED FEDERAL STATE WATER QUALITY REG, THE N P D E S PERMIT.
WE DO SPEND A LOT OF TIME, AND I DO APPRECIATE, UH, SEAN AND BRIAN AND JEFF METZINGER, UM, WHO, WHO PUT DOWN THEIR HOURS THAT IT TAKES TO REVIEW PLANS AND, AND ISSUE PERMITS AND PROVIDE INSPECTIONS.
UM, AND SO WE CALIBRATED IT TO COVER THEIR COSTS, NOT TO HAVE REVENUE EXCESS, RIGHT FROM A REVENUE NEUTRAL.
A STORMWATER RATE STUDY IS PLANNED FOR 24, UH, EXCEPT WE NEED THE RESILIENCE PLAN DONE BEFORE WE DO THAT, THERE'S NO SENSE TO STUDY A RATE STUDY WITHOUT THE RESILIENCE PLAN.
SO PERHAPS THE STORMWATER RATE STUDY MOVES FORWARD INTO 25.
THE RESILIENCE PLAN NEEDS TO BE FIRST TO THE TABLE.
TWO NEW FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES ARE PROPOSED, AND THE USE OF FUNDS IS STORMWATER UTILITY FEE.
NOT ANY OF THOSE OTHER FEES WE TALKED ABOUT, BUT A STORMWATER MAINTENANCE ADMINISTRATOR AND A STORM, ANOTHER STORMWATER INSPECTOR.
MAJORITY OF THE FUNDS ARE ROUTINE MAINTENANCE, CORRECTIVE MAINTENANCE, AND CAPITAL PROJECTS.
I WAS AT A SITE VISIT TODAY, TAKING A LOOK AT LOW WATER NEXT TO HIGH GROUND CAUSING ISSUES.
AND WE HAVE A STORMWATER STAFF THAT LITERALLY WERE THERE, READY TO GO BOOT BOOTS ON PAPERS IN HAND, READY TO SOLVE PROBLEMS. THIS, THIS, THIS PROGRAM, I WOULD SAY IS SECOND TO NONE.
UM, I KNOW THE TEAM IS WORKING HARD TO BRING FORWARD, YOU KNOW, SCOTT LIGGETT'S LEGACY, BUT THEY'RE ALSO STARTING TO BUILD THEIR, THEIR OWN REPUTATION AND THEIR OWN,
[01:25:01]
UM, DESIRE AS WELL, HELPING RESIDENTS.IT'S GONNA BECOME REALLY IMPORTANT AS WE ADOPT THAT RESILIENCE PLAN.
IT'S A MINDSET MORE THAN IT IS A PROJECT.
THERE'S A LEAN OPERATING BUDGET, CURRENT RATE STRUCTURE.
I'M TRYING TO BE WITH YOU VERY, VERY OPEN IN WHAT WE'RE WORKING ON.
I, I WOULDN'T ALWAYS SAY THAT WAS AN EASY THING TO DO.
STORMWATER FOLKS JUST GET OUT THERE AND FIX PROBLEMS. GETTING THAT PULLED BACK A BIT AND ORGANIZED SO THAT WE CAN MOVE FORWARD AND FUND THE, THE TRUE NEED.
YOU'LL SEE THAT OUR RATE AT A BUCK 50, $150 PER IS, IS THE HIGHEST.
UM, I, I DO KNOW THIS FIRSTHAND THAT $150 AS THE HIGHEST, WE ARE DOING SO MUCH MORE THAN OTHER MUNICIPALITIES WITH THOSE DOLLARS.
AND THAT'S A TOWN COUNCIL POLICY DECISION.
THOSE FUNDS ARE SUPPORTING IT FOR NOW.
WE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT COST COVERAGE.
I SHARED THIS WITH YOU AT FIRST READING, IF YOU WANT ME TO SLOW DOWN, I WILL.
UM, IT'S A LITTLE MORE DETAIL.
UH, ANNUAL CURRENT COST VERSUS INCREASE, UH, EXPECTATIONS AND SERVICE AS, AS WELL AS IN A ALIGNMENT OR CALIBRATION OF, OF NEXT YEAR'S COST.
AND, AND MOVING FORWARD, YOU SEE THE EXPENDITURES, UH, BY CATEGORY, SALARIES, BENEFITS, 24% OPERATING 49, UM, INVENTORY MODELING, POA SYSTEMS, SOME CORRECTIVE MAINTENANCE.
WHILE THOSE NUMBERS ARE GOING DOWN, THERE'S STILL HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN THOSE ACCOUNTS, UM, INCLUDING A MILLION DOLLARS IN ROUTINE MAINTENANCE AND SOME CONTINGENCY PUMP STATION MAINTENANCE.
UM, AND THEN OF COURSE, SOME TRANSFER OUT TO GENERAL FUND FOR SOME SALARIES THAT, AS AN EXAMPLE, PLANNING STAFF OR OTHER STAFF ARE, ARE WORKING ON STORM WATER RELATED ELEMENTS.
WE TRANSFER OUT 1 25 AND IN THE GENERAL FUND, AND THEN TRANSFER OUT TO C I P A LITTLE SHY OF $900,000.
SO FOR A TOTAL BUDGET OF 5.885, UM, NOT MUCH DIFFERENT FROM LAST YEAR.
0.9% DIFFERENTIAL, $52,521 CHANGE.
CAN, CAN YOU GO BACK TO THAT SLIDE ON EXPENDITURES? SO, UH, I REALLY APPRECIATE WHAT YOU'RE SAYING ABOUT, UH, THE RESILIENCY PLAN AND THE RATE STUDY.
AND I KNOW THE PUBLIC PLANNING COMMITTEE HAS ON ITS AGENDA ON THIS THURSDAY MORNING, UH, AN RFQ REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS FOR A CONSULTANT TO HELP US WITH THAT.
UM, IN THE STAFF REPORT, AS I RECALL, UM, THAT'S TO BE FUNDED, UM, PARTIALLY BY THIS BUDGET, UH, BUT ALSO BY A FEMA GRANT.
AND I, I WAS JUST WONDERING WHERE WITHIN THOSE EXPENDITURES BY CATEGORY WOULD THE FUNDING BE FOR THE RESILIENCY PLAN? I WANNA SAY IT WAS $250,000 WAS THE BUDGET, BUT, UH, FOR THE RESILIENCY PLAN.
BUT $5,000, JOHN, IS IT IN THERE? JUST WANNA MAKE SURE IT'S IN THERE SOMEWHERE.
I WANNA ASK FOR A PARTICULAR LINE ON 'EM AT THIS POINT, BUT I JUST WANTED TO MAKE THAT POINT THAT WE ARE DOING IT AND WE ARE FUNDING IT AND IT'S GONNA HAPPEN.
CAN YOU SAY A FEW MORE WORDS ABOUT WHAT A RESILIENCY PLAN IS? YES, BRIAN, RESILIENCE PLAN.
WE HAVEN'T HEARD YOU TALK AT TOWN COUNCIL SINCE YOU STARTED HERE.
BRIAN MCWE, UH, ASSISTANT COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR.
SO THE RESILIENCY PLAN WILL LOOK AT, UH, SEVERAL DIFFERENT THINGS.
UM, IS RESILIENCE IS THE ABILITY TO BOUNCE BACK FROM SOMETHING, RIGHT? UM, NOT NECESSARILY PREVENT SOMETHING.
SO WE'RE GONNA LOOK AT, UM, SOCIOECONOMICS, STORM WATER, SEA LEVEL RISE, CLIMATE ADAPTATION, UM, A HOST OF THINGS.
UM, SO WE'LL PRESENT THAT ON THURSDAY AT PPC.
DOES THAT HELP ANSWER THAT? GREAT JOB, I THINK.
AND, AND FOR MORE INFORMATION, LOOK AT THE STAFF REPORT FOR THURSDAY'S MEETING
DOES THAT HELP OUT? THANK YOU.
SO SOME OF OUR SERVICE DELIVERY, WATER QUALITY, UH, LMO COMPLIANCE, MS FOUR, PERMITTING, UH, INVENTORY AND MODELING, ROUTINE MAINTENANCE, JUST, YOU KNOW, DITCHES, CHANNELS, STREET SWEEPING POND MANAGEMENT, PUMP STATION MAINTENANCE, AND CORRECTIVE MAINTENANCE.
AND, AND, AND I'LL SHOW YOU IN A SECOND, PUBLIC SYSTEMS VERSUS PRIVATE SYSTEMS. THOSE PRIVATE SYSTEMS, THERE ARE AGREEMENTS IN PLACE.
AND SO YOU CAN SEE HERE THE EXTENT OF SERVICE, THE PUBLIC SYSTEM.
WE'RE MAINTAINING ONLY THE TOWN
[01:30:01]
RIGHT OF WAY TOWN EASEMENTS AND TOWN PROPERTY.WE ARE NOT MAINTAINING STATE RIGHT OF WAY.
BEAUFORT COUNTY RIGHT OF WAY AND UNKNOWN OWNERSHIP FROM PRIVATE PROPERTY WITHOUT AN EASEMENT, WITHOUT A RIGHT OF WAY.
THERE ARE 17 POA AGREEMENTS AND SIX CURRENT APPLICANTS.
THOSE, THOSE AGREEMENTS ARE ALL BROUGHT TO TOWN.
THERE'S A MODEL AGREEMENT IN PLACE.
JEFF, UH, BUCKALOO AND NINGER MORE.
JEFF NINGER IN THE LAST LONG WHILE HAS BEEN REALLY PUSHING TO GET THOSE AGREEMENTS IN PLACE.
THOSE FOLKS THAT NEED OUR HELP NEED TO HAVE AN AGREEMENT IN PLACE FOR US TO PUT EASEMENTS IN PLACE TO WORK, WORK ON THAT.
ON THE, ON, ON THOSE SOLUTIONS.
IN FY 24, THE CORRECTIVE MAINTENANCE PROJECT LIST.
THERE COULD BE 50, YOU KNOW, BY, I THINK TODAY, AFTER TODAY, THERE MIGHT BE 24 PROJECTS.
BRIAN, WE, WE'LL ADD A, A PROJECT POTENTIALLY.
BUT A LOT OF THIS WORK, WELL, ALL OF THIS WORK IS PAID WITH STORMWATER UTILITY FUNDS AND INTO OUR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM.
UH, NINE PUBLIC SYSTEMS, 14 POA SYSTEMS. AND THE, THE, THE DOLLARS, RIGHT? THE PROJECTS AND THE DOLLARS ARE ALIGNED ON, ON THE NEXT, ON THE NEXT SLIDES, UH, THE CORRECTIVE MAINTENANCE, OOPS, THE CORRECTIVE MAINTENANCE PROJECTS.
THERE'S, THERE'S 14 POA SYSTEMS AND YOU CAN DRAW DOWN THROUGH THERE.
SOME OF IT'S JUST PIPE CLEANING.
UM, OTHER IS REPAIRING SINK HOLES, UH, OTHERS IS INSPECTION WITH CAMERAS AND, AND REPAIRS.
MAY I JUMP IN? MAY I ASK A QUESTION? SO, UM, ON THE OTHER SLIDES YOU MENTIONED, THESE ARE THE, UM, AGREEMENTS THAT WE HAVE WITH THE POAS AND TOWN OWNED PROPERTIES, BUT NOT COUNTY, NOT STATE.
SO WHAT HAPPENS TO THOSE PROPERTIES THAT ARE, UH, HAVING DIFFICULTIES WHERE THE TROUBLE LIES ELSEWHERE? WE WORK WITH THOSE AGENCIES, RIGHT? WE WORK WITH THE STATE.
ONE ISSUE THAT WE ENCOUNTERED TODAY WAS, YOU KNOW, COUNTY ASSISTANCE AND AN EASEMENT THAT THE COUNTY OWNS AND OPERATES.
UM, WHERE WE WILL HAVE THE HARD, THE HARD WORK WILL BE THIS.
AS WE REALLY BUILD OUR RESILIENCE PLAN, I THINK THAT THERE'S GOT, THERE HAS TO BE A LAYER IN THE RESILIENCE PLAN.
YOU KNOW, WATER, WATER FLOWS, IT GOES FROM POINT A TO POINT B AND AREAS ARE FLOOD PRONE, RIGHT? SOME BECAUSE OF JUST MOTHER NATURE AND OTHERS BECAUSE THERE'S DITCHES BACKED UP.
BECAUSE THERE NEEDS TO BE AN ENGINEERED SOLUTION IN PLACE.
THAT RESILIENCE PLAN NEEDS TO IDENTIFY THAT.
SO AS WE START ADDING IT ALL UP, UM, WE HAVE TO TAKE A LOOK AT WHERE THE STATE SYSTEMS ARE, THE COUNTY SYSTEMS ARE, OUR SYSTEMS ARE, AND EVEN PRIVATE PROPERTY OUTSIDE OF A GATE, RIGHT? IT, IT'S NOT JUST EASY TO SAY, WELL, YOU'RE BEHIND A GATE THAT'S A PRIVATE SYSTEM BRING FORWARD.
SOME OF IT IS PERMANENT EASEMENTS ACROSS PROPERTIES TO SOLVE STORM WATER AND WATER FLOW ISSUES.
AND, AND WHEN WE'VE DONE A, A GREAT JOB HERE ON THE ISLAND OF DOING THAT IN THE PAST, UM, THE DIFFICULTY SOMETIMES IS THE STATE MIGHT MAINTAIN IT AND INSPECT AND MAINTAIN EVERY FIVE YEARS IN OUR, IN OUR EXPECTATIONS MIGHT BE A LOT MORE FREQUENT.
AND SO I THINK THROUGH THE WORK OF OUR RESILIENCE PLAN, GETTING THOSE PARTNERS AT THE TABLE IS GOING TO BE TASK NUMBER ONE.
WELL, THERE'S ONE INSTANCE THAT COMES TO MIND AND WHY I ASK THE QUESTION.
IT IS A COUNTY, UM, ISSUE, BUT OUR TOWN, UM, STAFF HAS WORKED REALLY CLOSELY, UM, IN TRYING TO SOLVE THAT PROBLEM.
AND, AND I WONDER LONG TERM IF THERE, UM, ISN'T A DIFFERENT SOLUTION WHEREBY THE TOWN, AND, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT LOOKING FOR MORE EXPENSES, BUT CERTAINLY WHERE THE TOWN, UM, OWNS MORE OF WHAT IS HERE WITHIN THE LIMITS OF HILTON HEAD ISLAND, OUR ROADS ARE SEWERS, ET CETERA, SO THAT WE CAN GET OUT WITHOUT HAVING TO, UH, NEGOTIATE WITH OTHER, UM, COUNTY AND STATE ENTITIES TO SOLVE A LOCAL PROBLEM.
AND I WANT TO THANK THE STAFF THAT'S BEEN WORKING CLOSELY TO SOLVE THESE PROBLEMS. F NUT SINGERS, BACK LEFT CORNER THERE BY EVERYBODY.
IF YOU HAVE A STORMWATER PROBLEM, CALL HIM.
UM, AND WHAT WE DO NEED TO DO IS THROUGH THE RESILIENCE PLAN EFFORTS, WE, WE WILL HAVE COMMUNITY MEETINGS AND, AND AS WELL AS YOU KNOW, OF STORMWATER ISSUES, BRING THEM TO MY ATTENTION AND WE ADD THEM TO OUR, TO OUR LIST AND, AND WORK TO PRIORITIZE THEM.
THE RESILIENCE PLAN, APPROXIMATELY $400,000 COST, UM, $75,000 FROM A GRANT.
[01:35:01]
I COULD HAVE JUST TURNED TO THIS SLIDE EARLIER.AND OF COURSE, WE'VE, AS I MENTIONED, WE'VE TRANSFERRED OUT $860,000 INTO CAPITAL PROJECTS.
AND YOU SEE GUMTREE ROAD IMPROVEMENTS, JARVIS CREEK, OUTFALL, CORDELA COURT IMPROVEMENTS, MOON SHELL ROAD DITCH, IT'S IN FOLLEY FIELD, WEXFORD PUMP STATION, UM, PUMP STATION SECURITY CAMERAS, AND THE LOTTON PUMP STATION JUST, UH, WANTED TO MAKE THIS STATEMENT, UM, MORE SO FOR COLLEAGUES THAT ARE PARTICIPATING IN RFQ.
UM, HIGH TIME FOR THE DIRECTION HERE.
AND I BEEN THE, THE, THE TOWN MANAGER AND STAFF FOR, FOR TAKING THIS ON.
IF YOU REALLY TAKE A LOOK AT THE AMOUNT OF THE STORM WATER THAT IS BEING SOMEWHAT MANAGED THROUGH AGREEMENTS OF POAS, UM, AND THOSE POAS, UM, I MEAN, IN MY MIND THEY'VE GOT CONSTANT MONITORING OF THE SITUATION, BUT OUTSIDE OF THE POAS, UM, AND OUTSIDE OF THE GATED COMMUNITIES, OTHERWISE, YOU DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE THAT MONITORING GOING ON.
OKAY? YOU CAN LOOK AT THE, LOOK, THE, THE SPENDING, UH, HISTORY.
SURE YOU CAN MAKE THE ARGUMENT THAT WE'VE BEEN EQUITABLE, UH, BUT UNDERSTANDING THE, THE SPOTS THAT ARE PRONE, THE SPOTS THAT HAVE BEEN NEGLECTED AND THAT SORT OF THING.
WE JUST HAVE NOT HAD THIS LEVEL OF DETAIL AS TO WHERE THE PROBLEMS ARE AND WHERE WE NEED TO MOVE FORWARD.
UH, WHICH IN THE END MAY PUSH US TO DOING SOMETHING DIFFERENT WITH THE RATE.
AND I THINK JUST AS WE GO THROUGH THE, THE QUALIFICATION PROCESS, UH, THAT POINT OF IT, I THINK IS SO INFLUENTIAL TO EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDING WHY IT'S SO IMPORTANT AND THEN SUPPORTING WHATEVER IT IS, IF IT'S THROUGH NEW EMPLOYEES, NEW PLAN, WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE, UM, WHY WE'RE GOING IN THAT DIRECTION.
UM, IT'S, IT'S, WE'RE ALL
AND, UM, AS MUCH AS WE TALK ABOUT MANAGING GROWTH, YOU DON'T ALWAYS HAVE THE PLEASURE OF MAN MANAGING MOTHER NATURE.
OKAY? UH, SO, UM, THIS, THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT.
IT'S NOT A HUGE PORTION OF OUR BUDGET, BUT IT'S A VERY CRITICAL PORTION OF OUR BUDGET.
AND CAN I JUST SAY, BECAUSE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ALL OF THIS, THOSE EYES, UM, AND THOSE PROPERTIES, UH, THOSE SITUATIONS THAT WE WERE JUST TALKING ABOUT WHERE THE TOWN DOESN'T HAVE OWNERSHIP, UH, I, I WOULD LIKE TO, I KNOW MARK, YOU AND I TALK ABOUT THIS CUZ I BRING IT UP A LOT.
UM, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO SAY TO THE COUNCIL, TO OUR MAYOR, UM, THAT IF WE CAN SPEND SOME TIME INVESTIGATING AND HAVING THE DISCUSSION ON WHAT IT DOES, UH, ENTAIL TO OWN WHAT'S INSIDE OF OUR TOWN LIMITS, SO THAT WE CAN ADDRESS EVERYONE'S NEEDS INSIDE, OUTSIDE THE GATE AND EVERY COMMUNITY.
THESE TWO NEW FTES, A FULL-TIME EMPLOYEE.
SO THESE, THESE, THESE TWO NEW TEAMMATES TO JEFF NICKS NINGER AND COMPANY, STORMWATER MAINTENANCE ADMINISTRATOR, STORMWATER INSPECTOR.
SO WE DO KNOW THAT WE'VE GOTTA GET BETTER AT IT.
WE'RE JUST NOT THROWING PEOPLE AT IT.
THE RESILIENCE PLAN WILL, WILL BE THAT BASIC SOLUTION AS WELL AS THE SUE SOLUTIONS FOR OUR FUTURE.
I PUT THIS IN THE SLIDE BECAUSE I WANTED TO START SEEING MYSELF, AND I WAS ASKED THIS A COUPLE DIFFERENT TIMES BY WARD.
I DIDN'T KNOW HOW ELSE TO BREAK THE ISLAND UP.
WE CAN BREAK IT UP DIFFERENT WAYS, BUT HOW WE'VE SPENT DOLLARS IN 18 ALL THE WAY TO 22 WITH A FIVE YEAR TOTAL.
I DO KNOW THAT AS WE LOOK AT STORMWATER EX UTILITY EXPENDITURES BY WARD, THE INTENT THERE IS TO START TAKING A LOOK AT SOME OF THESE MAJOR PROJECTS.
AND I KNOW THAT THAT, THAT BRIAN MCEE AND JEFF NINGER MANAGED BY WATERSHED AND SUB AREA WATERSHED.
AND I THINK THAT A WORKSHOP IS IN OUR FUTURE ON HOW WE'RE PRIORITIZING THESE PROJECTS AND REALLY TRYING TO UNDERSTAND IF THOSE 24 ON THE PAGE ARE THE RIGHT 24 OR ARE WE MISSING SOMETHING.
SO TRUST YOU ON THAT MARK, BUT I COULDN'T READ THAT CHART.
CAN, MAY WE GET A COPY OF THAT? YES.
AND WILL YOU MAKE SURE YOU SEND THIS AND JOHN SCHROER HAS IT,
[01:40:01]
OR KIM ACTUALLY KIM, WILL YOU MAKE SURE YOU SEND THIS CHART TO ALL OF TOWN COUNCIL? IT IT'S IN HERE.WELL, WE'LL GET THAT TO YOU, CINDY.
I THINK IT'D BE GOOD FOR PUBLIC PLANNING COMMITTEE TO SEE THAT AS PART OF RESILIENCY DISCUSSION.
IT WILL BE TH THIS IS SOME OF OUR EARLY WORK IN THAT REGARD.
SO DEBT SERVICE, UH, MOVING ALONG OUR DEBT SERVICE, 17.397, PROPERTY TAXES, UM, 31% OF THE DEBT SERVICE BUDGET, BEACH PRESERVATION FEES, 25%, UH, HOSPITALITY TIFF AND REAL ESTATE TRANSFER FEE 1122 AND NINE, 9.2% RESPECTIVELY.
THE IMPORTANT THING TO NOTICE THERE IS THAT OUR DEBT SERVICE EXPENDITURES ARE DOWN BY, BY $2 MILLION.
GOOD JOB JOHN AND, AND TOWN COUNCIL.
IN, IN THIS COMMUNITY, YOU'LL, YOU'LL SEE THAT PRINCIPAL PAID IN 22 AT 15 6, 23 AT 16 AND, AND THIS YEAR AT 12.9, UM, FOR A TOTAL OF 17.397 DOWN 10% FROM LAST YEAR.
WE'VE ALSO PUT IN THERE SOME FUNDING AS YOU ANTICIPATE AND CONSIDER NEW DEBT.
RIGHT? AND SO THIS IS SOMETHING THAT YOU HAVE TALKED ABOUT OUT LOUD AND GAVE ME SOME DIRECTION ON AS I'VE STARTED TO LOOK INTO AT STRATEGIC PLANNING.
AND I INTEND TO BRING FORWARD AT LEAST SOME OPTIONS FOR US, FOR YOU, FOR US, UM, AFTER THE BUDGET IS ADOPTED, WE PLACED 1.5 MILLION IN THERE.
UM, JUST FOR CONSIDERATION, UM, THERE WAS A SLIDE, UM, BACK WAYS WHERE THERE WAS A, UH, 1500, UH, 1500% LEAVE ITS DECREASE IN OUR INTEREST PAYMENTS OVERALL.
IS THAT CORRECT? I SHOULD ADD, JUST TAKE IT WAS A 1500% INCREASE.
INCREASE, BUT NOT IN INTEREST INCOME.
WHICH IS HIGHLY UNUSUAL BASED ON THE CURRENT CIRCUMSTANCES, BUT THAT'S THE WAY THE, THE
WE AL WE ALSO HAD, UM, A DECREASE IN OUR DEBT SERVICING, UH, COSTS.
CAN YOU REFRESH MY MEMORY? I KNOW I SHOULD HAVE ASKED WHEN.
YEAH, NO, THE LARGEST, LARGEST DECREASE IS THE DECREASE THAT WAS FUNDED BY THE FIVE MILLS FOR THE NATURAL DISASTER BONDS.
THOSE FIVE MILLS AREN'T THERE.
AND SO THOSE BOND PAYMENTS AREN'T THERE.
AND THERE WAS, UM, WE'VE ALSO REDUCED THE EXPENSE TO US OF SOME OF OUR OTHER DEBT BY RENEGOTIATION AND HAVING PAID OFF.
AND I KNOW IT'S IN HERE, UM, AND I PASSED BY IT, BUT I JUST WANTED TO POINT THAT OUT AND I'LL GO BACK AND REVIEW IT FOR THE NEXT WELL, I I THINK WE SHOULD TALK ABOUT THAT BECAUSE I'M, I DON'T WANT TO READ BETWEEN THE LINES.
I, I THINK YOU'RE, YOU'RE ASKING THE QUESTION OF WE'RE PAYING LESS DEBT.
SO CAN MILLAGE DEBT MILLAGE DECREASE? SO WE REDUCED MILLAGE.
I'M NOT PUTTING WORDS, BUT I I WANT TO CHAT ABOUT THIS BECAUSE NO, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IT.
SO I THINK YOU HAVE A HEADS UP, RIGHT? WE'VE REDUCED MILLAGE FIVE MILLS WHEN THE EMERGENCY PLANNING EMERGENCY FUND MILLAGE WAS REDUCED.
UM, IT, IT FEELS LONGER THAN A YEARISH AGO, BUT IT THAT THAT'S WHEN IT OCCURRED.
IT AFFECTED LAST YEAR, THIS CURRENT YEAR'S FISCAL BUDGET.
THERE'S NO ROOM TO REDUCE MILLAGE HERE BECAUSE THOSE ARE JUST PRINCIPLE AND INTEREST PAYMENTS PAID OVER TIME.
THAT, THAT IT, IT IS JUST A NATURAL RECURRING PAYMENT OF DEBT, RIGHT? SO IT'S NOT LIKE WE PAID 16 MILLION OF DEBT LAST YEAR, UM, PRINCIPLE AND, AND THIS YEAR ONLY 12.9 PROJECTED.
SO THERE'S SOME MILL, THERE'S SOME MILLAGE AVAILABLE.
JOHN, WE TALKED ABOUT THAT TODAY.
YOU WANT TO ADD TO THAT, RIGHT? BECAUSE WE TALKED A LOT ABOUT REVENUES AT FIVE, WELL, PROPERTY TAX REVENUES, BUT TOTAL REVENUES AT 17.3, RIGHT? AND, AND I THINK YOU CAN LOOK AT PROPERTY TAXES ONLY SUPPORT 31% OF OUR DEBT PAYMENTS.
AND SO 69% OF OUR DEBT PAYMENTS ARE, ARE FUNDED FOR SPECIFICALLY THE, UM, SPECIAL REVENUE BONDS.
AND SO THAT'S YOUR BEACH FEES, YOUR HOSPITALITY FEES, AND YOUR GIF BONDS.
UM, AND SO THOSE PAYMENTS WILL CONTINUE MM-HMM.
[01:45:01]
WE'RE USING THESE OTHER FUNDS TO TRANSFER IN AND PAY THAT DEBT.MIGHT BE ABLE, YEAH, THE SLIDE AVAILABLE THAT SHOWS, UH, THE VARIOUS, UH, FUNDS, THE GEO BONDS, THE REVENUE, SPECIAL OBLIGATION BONDS, YOU HAVE THAT SLIDE AVAILABLE.
UH, THERE IT IS JUST LIKE THAT.
AND INTERESTING THING ALSO TO SEE, HENCE THE SOURCE OF FUNDS FOR PAYMENT OF THE DEBT.
UM, BUT LOOK AT THE FINAL PAYMENT FY SEVERAL OF 'EM ARE IN 2024 AND 2025.
SO THAT'S GONNA BE VERY HELPFUL TO LOOK AT THE PLACEHOLDER.
THE 1.5 MILLION PLACEHOLDER IN CASE WE WANT TO LOOK AT DEBT SERVICE IS INCLUDED IN THE BUDGET FOR FY 24.
AND THE REFUNDING HAS BEEN WHEN WE COULD FIND LOWER INTEREST RATES.
SO WE CONTINUE TO LOOK FOR THAT OCCASION IF IT HAPPENS IN THE FUTURE.
BUT FUTURE IS A QR THIS IS ONLINE.
THIS, THIS IS JUST A, A, A GREAT SUMMARY OF FISCAL YEAR 24 INTEREST PRINCIPLE TOTAL PAYMENTS ON OUR VARIOUS SOURCES OF DEBT, RIGHT? SO TOTAL GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS, UH, PAYMENT THIS YEAR, 6.4 BALANCE AFTER THIS YEAR, 46 MILLION REVENUE, THE SPECIAL OBLIGATION BONDS, AND YOU CAN SEE WHAT THEY'RE, THEY'RE FOR H TAX U S C B BEACH PRESERVATION.
AND, AND YOU CAN SEE A GRAND TOTAL EXISTING THIS YEAR, I SHOULD SAY PRINCIPLE INTEREST 15.8 WITH A REMAINING AFTER THOSE PAYMENTS, 75.
AND THE SAME, THE SAME EXERCISE THERE WITH THE, THE STORM WATER SPECIAL OBLIGATION BONDS, UM, FOR VARIOUS PROJECTS.
AND WHILE YOU'RE MENTIONING THE STORM WATER, UM, BONDS WITH THE RATE, WITH THE RESILIENCY PLAN, THE RATE STUDY, AND LOOKING AT PAYING DOWN, UM, ONE OF THE STORM WATER BONDS BY 2026, THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT WITHOUT A SUBSTANTIAL RATE INCREASE, WE COULD BOND OUT THE FUNDS TO DO WHAT IS NEEDED BY THE RESILIENCY PLAN.
AND IN MY TIME HERE, I'VE, I'VE BEEN FOCUSED ON BRINGING TO TOWN COUNCIL AND, AND ULTIMATELY THE COMMUNITY SOLUTIONS ON WHERE WE'RE USING OUR FUNDS AND HOW WE'RE PRIORITIZING THE PROJECTS THROUGH OUR STRATEGIC PLAN.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, FOR ME, I'M LOOKING AT THIS KNOWING A LITTLE BIT IN OUR FUTURE THAT WHILE WE PAY THIS DEBT OFF AND AS WE PUT A RESILIENCE PLAN IN PLACE, AND WHILE WE HAVE AN ENGINEER OPINION OF PROBABLE COST ON SOME OF THOSE SOLUTIONS, THE IMMEDIATE AND FUTURE SOLUTIONS AS ONE EXAMPLE, STORMWATER, UM, THAT, THAT IS MY RESPONSIBILITY WITH, WITH JOHN TO TAKE A LOOK AT OUR VARIOUS REVENUE SOURCES AND ALIGN THEM WITH THOSE PRIORITIES, UH, FOR EXPENDITURES.
THAT WAS A LOT OF GREAT INFORMATION.
THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO EXPLAIN IT.
THAT PAGE IS IMPORTANT AND I DO APPRECIATE YOUR ANSWER.
I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANYTHING ON THERE I HAVEN'T SAID EXCEPT THAT THIS IS GONNA BE THE YEAR THAT WE ISSUE THE LEASE FOR THE FIRETRUCK.
UH, UH, WE WILL HAVE AN ENTIRE NEW FLEET OF TRUCKS.
UM, IN THE PAST THEY WERE IN THE SHOP MORE THAN THEY WEREN'T, AND THE SHOP IS NOT ON THE ISLAND, NOT EVEN JUST OFF THE ISLAND.
BE GEECHEE HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOODS COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION FUND, UH, A NONPROFIT DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION SET UP BY TOWN COUNCIL LAST YEAR.
UH, ACCOUNTS FOR THE COST ASSOCIATED WITH ALL ACTIONS OF THE CORPORATION.
I MENTIONED THAT YOU'VE PLACED THE BOARD, UM, THAT BOARD, AN INAUGURAL FIRST MEETING IS IN A, A WEEK OR SO.
FORGIVE ME FOR NOT KNOWING THE DATE, UH, IT'S COMING UP.
AND THEN THE PRIMARY SOURCES OF THE CDC ARE STATE AND COUNTY GRANTS.
WE ARE VERY, UH, APPRECIATIVE OF THE HARD AND GREAT WORK THAT SENATOR DAVIS AND HIS COLLEAGUES IN SOUTH CAROLINA AND COLUMBIA HELPED US WITH THE 5 MILLION SOUTH CAROLINA GRANT.
SO SENATOR DAVIS PROBABLY ISN'T LISTENING TO ME TALK RIGHT NOW, BUT A BIG THANK YOU TO HIM FOR THIS AS WELL AS TO MR. GREENWAY AT THE COUNTY, UM, FOR ANOTHER $343,000 THAT, THAT BEFOR COUNTY GRANT WAS FROM THE SAME AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN FUNDS THAT WE BENEFITED FROM.
WE BELIEVE WE RECEIVED FIVE, ONE OR 5.2 MILLION FOR THAT.
AND, AND THE COUNTY ALSO GAVE THEIR MUNICIPAL PARTNERS SOME FUNDS.
WE PLEDGED THAT TOWARDS OVERHEAD IN YEAR ONE AND BEYOND, AND
[01:50:01]
THEN LEAVING THAT SOUTH CAROLINA GRANT IN PLACE FOR THAT CORPORATION TO WORK CLOSELY TO START UNDERSTANDING WHERE TO, TO MAKE INVESTMENTS.THERE ARE NO DOLLARS OTHER THAN GRANTS, ONE FROM SOUTH CAROLINA, ONE FROM REALLY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
IT'S COVID STIMULUS DOLLARS PASSED THROUGH TO THE STATE, PASSED THROUGH THE COUNTY PASSED OVER TO THE TOWN FOR THAT.
THE ACCOUNTS UP HERE ARE PLACEHOLDERS.
AS WE ASKED FOR THOSE $5 MILLION, WE NEEDED TO SHOW TO A DEGREE WHAT THEY COULD BE USED FOR.
UM, I PUT THAT BUDGET TOGETHER, SUBMITTED TO THE STATE.
I KNOW THAT THAT CORPORATE, THE CORPORATION BOARD, A FUTURE EXEC DIRECTOR, MYSELF INCLUDED, UM, WILL, WILL REFINE THIS OVER TIME.
AS YOU MENTIONED, THOSE ARE PLACEHOLDERS, SO ALL THOSE PHONES MIGHT NOT BE SPENT, HOPEFULLY WILL NOT BE SPENT THAT QUICKLY, BUT MAYBE OVER SOME TIME.
HOPEFULLY FOR GOOD, GOOD RESULTS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, BUT WELL DONE.
AND, AND I'M NOT GOING TO, GOING TO GET OUT IN FRONT OF THE, THE, THE TOWN COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT ARE ON THE BOARD OR THE NEW BOARD.
THEY HAVEN'T EVEN BEEN IN PLACE YET, BUT I'M LOOKING FORWARD, VERY MUCH LOOKING FORWARD TO MEETING WITH THEM TO TALK ABOUT A FEW THINGS.
ONE, AN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, TWO, I'D SAY A YEAR, ONE TO THREE STRATEGIC PLAN, WHAT ARE THEIR GOALS AND OBJECTIVES AND, AND THREE, HOW TO ALIGN THE FUNDS THAT ARE IN PLACE TOWARDS THAT.
AND WE'RE JUST STARTING INTERVIEWS.
UM, I'D SAY WE'LL START THE, THE PHONE CALL INTERVIEWS OVER THE NEXT COUPLE WEEKS FOR THE EXEC DIRECTOR HOUSING FUND, UH, LAST FUND TO TALK ABOUT TODAY.
AND SO THE REVENUES FOR THIS HOUSING FUND ARE, ARE FROM A FEW DIFFERENT SOURCES.
ONE IS A TRANSFER FROM GENERAL FUND, $2 MILLION A TRANSFER FROM CAPITAL PROJECTS IN LAST YEAR, OR THIS CURRENT FISCAL YEAR'S ACCOUNT.
THERE WERE FUNDS IN THERE FOR NORTH POINT.
THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN FUNDS A MILLION DOLLARS AND THEN ALSO TRANSFER FROM CAPITAL PROJECTS IN THIS YEAR'S CAPITAL PROJECT ACCOUNT.
THOSE DOLLARS WERE REALLY MISCELLANEOUS DOLLARS FOR USE IN VARIOUS POLICY AREAS AND INCENTIVE AREAS THAT YOU STILL DID NOT REALLY DETERMINE, BUT THEY WERE PLACEHOLDERS, THEY WERE PLACEHOLDERS TO PUT LAST YEAR IN AN ACCOUNT SO THAT WE COULD GET ON WITH NORTH POINT PLACE THOSE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN DOLLARS IN THERE.
WE KNEW THAT WE HAD $350,000 IN FUND BALANCE.
WE PLEDGED IT INTO THE CAP PROGRAM.
AND THIS YEAR, BECAUSE WE ARE GROWING IT, LAST YEAR, NOVEMBER 1ST TOWN COUNCIL ADOPTED FINDING HOME A HOUSING PLAN THAT HAD SOME VERY SPECIFIC GOALS AND OBJECTIVES IN IT, UM, TO IMPLEMENT IT, UM, COSTS SOME DOLLARS.
NORTH POINT WILL COST SOME DOLLARS.
AND INSTEAD OF LEAVING SOME IN GENERAL FUND, OPERATING SOME IN CAPITAL THIS YEAR I BROUGHT FORWARD AN ACCOUNT, AN ACCOUNTING OF ALL FUNDS AND IN ALL FUNDS, UM, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF STAFF TIME.
RIGHT? SO MISSY'S TIME, MY TIME, ANY OF OUR TIME ISN'T IN THIS FUND, BUT YOU'LL SEE THAT BUDGET EXPENDITURES, A MILLION DOLLARS IS EARMARKED FOR NORTH POINT, WHICH WE INTEND TO RE WHICH WE INTEND TO AWARD THE R F P IN VERY EARLY JUNE.
I WOULD AWARD IT TODAY, BUT I HAVEN'T MET FINALLY WITH THE NORTH POINT HOUSING COMMITTEE AND I HAVEN'T MET WITH YOU TO FINALIZE THAT YET.
UM, YES, SIR, I HAVE A QUESTION REGARDING THE $350,000.
IS THAT THE SAME MONEY THAT SEVERAL YEARS AGO WAS FROM? YES, IT'S THE SAME.
TRYING TO LET HIM FINISH THIS QUESTION
YEAH, NO, IT'S A SECRET
UH, YEAH, THERE WAS A, A LAWSUIT SETTLEMENT AND AND TOWN COUNCIL SET THAT MONEY ASIDE.
WAS THAT THE ONE EXPEDIA, I MEAN, YEAH, EXPEDIA.
YEAH, IT WAS EXPEDIA LAWSUIT TOWN COUNCIL SET THAT ASIDE FOR FUTURE HOUSING INITIATIVES, CORRECT? MM-HMM.
[01:55:01]
COMMUNITY IN SUPPORTING HAVING A HOUSING FUND SET ASIDE SO WE CAN MEASURE AGAINST, UM, BUT I WOULD JUST ENCOURAGE US TO GET OUR CALCULATORS OUT AND TAKE A LOOK AT THIS AMOUNT OF MONEY AGAINST THE ENTIRE BUDGET AND HOW CRITICAL HOUSING IS TO OUR COMMUNITY AT THE MOMENT.AND IF I CAN JUST JUMP ON THAT, UM, AS WELL, OVER THE COURSE OF TIME, WE HAD A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT STEPS WITH REGARD TO HOUSING THAT, UM, WERE PART OF OUR PLAN.
AND ONE OF THEM WAS TO INCENTIVIZE AND TO ENCOURAGE PRIVATE INVESTMENT.
AND IT'S MY IMPRESSION THAT, UM, THAT FOCUS OF THE PRIVATE INVESTMENT IN AND OF ITSELF TO DO THE CONVERSIONS OF OUR DILAPIDATED, SOME OF THE REDEVELOPMENT PERHAPS THAT MAYOR YOU SPOKE ABOUT, UM, HAS FALLEN TO THE SIDE, UM, AND NOT BEEN PART OF THE PRIORITY, UM, WITH REGARD TO SOLVING THE, UM, ISSUES SURROUNDING EMPLOYMENT AND HOUSING ON THE ISLAND.
AND SO BEFORE, WHEN I SAID, I'LL HOLD MY QUESTION FOR HOUSING, I THINK ONE OF THEM WAS, UH, FEES INITIATIVES, UM, FOR HOUSING.
AND I'M HOPING THAT AS WE'RE LOOKING AT THOSE, WE CAN REIGNITE BECAUSE WE CAN REIGNITE THE PRIVATE CONVERSATION OF ENCOURAGING THOSE WHO ARE OUT THERE TO COME ONTO OUR ISLAND AND CREATE SOMETHING THAT DOES NOT INVOLVE THE PUBLIC SECTORS IN, UM, INVOLVEMENT TO THE EXTENT THAT NORTH POINT, UM, HAS BEEN.
SO I'D LIKE TO SEE THAT ASPECT BROUGHT BACK INTO THE CONVERSATION AND EMPHASIZED STRONGLY, UM, IN OUTREACH, DONE IN WHATEVER THAT TAKES, BECAUSE FOR MANY PEOPLE, THAT'S THE SOLUTION, UM, PREFERRED SOLUTION TO WORKFORCE HOUSING.
SO IF, IF I MIGHT MIGHT ADD TO THE CONVERSATION, UM, I, I THINK THAT, UH, WE HEARD ABOUT A PRIVATE ENDEAVOR TODAY THROUGH THE NEW NONPROFIT THAT MR. CAMPBELL MENTIONED.
UM, CERTAINLY IS A WAY FOR US TO LOOK AT AND TO APPLAUD, UM, AND TO LOOK FORWARD TO MORE OF THEIR WORK IN THE COMMUNITY.
UM, IN ADDITION, UH, THE COUNCIL JUST APPROVED AS THERE WAS A PRESS RELEASE, UH, THE PURCHASE OF THE PROPERTY ON BRYANT ROAD, LOOKING AT POSSIBLE PARTNERSHIPS THERE IN THE FUTURE.
UM, AND SO I THINK THERE ARE A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT PLACES THAT WE'RE LOOKING.
UM, AND, UM, THE MIDDLE LINE THERE, UH, WELL, I GUESS IT'S THE SECOND LINE DOWN HOUSING INITIATIVES TO BE IDENTIFIED GIVES US SOME FLEXIBILITY TO DISCUSS AS A COUNCIL HOW TO USE THOSE FUNDS IN MANY DIFFERENT WAYS, INCLUDING PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS.
SO THAT'S PART OF THE DISCUSSION AND THAT'S PART OF THE DISCUSSION THAT I MENTIONED BEFORE WHEN WE WERE LOOKING AT AFFILIATED AGENCIES, THE GENERAL FUND AND REQUEST BY HABITAT FOR $500,000, UM, TO ASSIST, UH, WITH THEIR PROPERTY ACQUISITION FOR THEIR MODEL.
SO THERE ARE A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT POSSIBILITIES TO LOOK AT WITH REGARD TO THOSE FUNDS.
WE HAVEN'T YET IDENTIFIED THEM, HENCE THE PHRASE TO BE IDENTIFIED.
SO I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO CONTINUE THE DISCUSSION AND TO KEEP THAT IN THE FOREFRONT OF WHAT WE DO WITH THIS HOUSING WORKFORCE, HOUSING FRONT.
UM, AND YOUR OTHER INITIATIVES IN OUR COMMITTEE.
I THINK TWO THINGS, THAT'S IT ON THAT, THAT I JUST WANNA COMMENT IS THAT, UM, MY PART OF MY POINT TO MY STATEMENT IS THAT I'D LIKE TO SEE A RE-ENERGIZED EFFORT ON THE PRIVATE SECTOR AND NOT A, UM, RELIANCE ON NECESSARILY PRIVATE, PUBLIC OR PUBLIC PERIOD.
UM, AND SO, AND ONE LAST POINT, UM, WAS THAT WITH THE PURCHASE OF THE PROPERTY ON BRYANT ROAD, I THINK THAT SOME MAY HAVE GOTTEN AHEAD OF THEMSELVES WITH REGARD TO THE PURPOSE OF THAT PROPERTY.
IT MAY VERY WELL BE ULTIMATELY DECIDED THAT IT IS BEST HOOTED FOR, UM, HABITAT OR OTHER WORKFORCE INITIATIVES, BUT THERE WAS NO DECISION OR STATE, UH, VOTE OR ANYTHING ELSE THAT CAME OUT OF EXECUTIVE SESSION DECLARING THAT.
AND I THINK THAT THAT IMPRESSION, UM, WAS TAKEN A LITTLE BIT, UM, MAYBE A STEP AHEAD OF ITSELF.
AND I, FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, WANT TO CLARIFY THAT.
I'M JUST READING FROM THE PRESS RELEASE.
DID DAVID HAVE A COMMENT? YEAH, I MIGHT CHARACTERIZE
[02:00:02]
PRIVATE SECTOR BEING STYMIED MORE, UH, IN TERMS OF THE REALITY, THE PRAGMATIC, UH, UH, GAP BETWEEN COST OF DOING BUSINESS ON THE SIDE AND DEVELOPING A PROJECT AND WHAT AFFORDABLE RENTS CAN AMORTIZE.SO I THINK THAT THAT TRULY WAS JUST, I MEAN, WE HAD ALAMO, UH, AMENDMENTS THAT WERE SUPPOSED TO INCENTIVIZE PRIVATE, UH, INVESTORS AND SO ON.
AND I THINK WE LEARNED THAT THAT SIMPLY WASN'T GOING TO WORK ON OUR, ON THIS ISLAND WITH HIGH COST OF LAND, HIGH COST OF CONSTRUCTION, LACK OF WORKERS, AND SO ON AND SO FORTH.
THE ROLE THERE IS A ROLE FOR THE PUBLIC SECTOR TO SOLVE THE HOUSING PROBLEM ON HILL NET ISLAND, ALEX? YEP.
BEFORE THE REST OF THE COUNCIL STAR CHIMING IN, WE SPEND THIS 3.3.
I'LL JUST, THAT WAS THE POINT I WAS TRYING TO MAKE, OKAY.
IS THAT IF WE'RE SERIOUS ABOUT SOLVING THE ISSUE, THIS IS SIMPLY A PLACEHOLDER FOR THE MOMENT, RIGHT? IT'S GONNA BE, UH, SERIES OF STRATEGIES THAT HAVE TO COME IN PLAY FOR US TO GET TO THE END RESULT.
AND THERE HAS TO BE AMOUNT OF A FUNDING TO GO WITH IT, TO, TO, TO MAKE IT, TO MAKE IT HAPPEN.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS ON THAT? SO, SO I WILL SAY THAT, UM, THIS IS MORE THAN IT HAS EVER BEEN DONE.
IN OUR COMMUNITY, IT IS IN ITS INFANCY.
IT'S IN ITS LEARNING STAGES, AND, AND I DON'T DISAGREE AT ALL.
I, I AGREE THAT THERE NEEDS TO BE A, A PUBLIC GROUP THAT ALSO COMES IN AND HELPS OUT WITH HOUSING OR PRIVATE GROUP, I'M SORRY.
UM, NOT JUST A PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP.
YOU KNOW, THERE IS ANOTHER ONE THAT'S BEING DISCUSSED RIGHT NOW THAT IS, UH, CONVERSION OF AN EXISTING BUILDING FROM, FROM EIGHT UNITS TO 10 UNITS, HOPEFULLY.
SO THAT'S GONNA BE COMING THROUGH COUNTS OR THROUGH TOWN STAFF, UH, PREVIOUS BANK.
SO THERE IS SOME OF THAT, BUT WE, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IT, BUT WE HAVEN'T PUSHED IT.
SO I, I AGREE THAT WE NEED TO BE A LITTLE BIT MORE, UM, ADVOCATE FOR THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE.
SO ANY OTHER DISCUSSION ON THIS BEFORE I, WE GO TO GENERAL, UH, COMMENTS? YES.
UM, SO AS, AS YOU KNOW, I'VE, UH, ONE OF MY COMMENTS HAS BEEN, YOU KNOW, OR CONTINUING COMMENTS IS WITH REGARD TO FINDING, UM, FUNDS IN OUR BUDGET THAT CAN BE USED TO RELIEVE OUR RESIDENTS AND PROPERTY TAX, UM, UH, IN PROPERTY TAXES, WE HAVE A SITUATION AND I PROMISE THAT I WOULD IDENTIFY AREAS, UM, WITHIN THE BUDGET AND I'LL CONTINUE TO DO SO.
MARK AND I HAVE HAD SOME CONVERSATIONS AND I APPRECIATE THOSE.
BUT ONE IN PARTICULAR THAT, UM, I I I'M GONNA TALK ABOUT JUST BRIEFLY IS WE CONTINUE TO SET ASIDE MONEY FOR, UM, AS WE HAVE IN 21, 22, 23 FOR THE SHERIFF'S, UM, DEPARTMENT.
AND WHILE WE'RE DOING THAT, OUR RESIDENTS WHO PAY THEIR TAX TO THE PROPERTY TAX BILLS KNOW THAT THEY ARE ALSO BEING CHARGED BY THE COUNTY OF FEE.
SO IN ESSENCE, WE'RE BEING CHARGED TWICE.
AND, UM, WHILE I UNDERSTAND THAT WE ARE STILL IN LITIGATION, AND THAT'S SOON HOPEFULLY TO BE RESOLVED AND THERE'LL BE AN OUTCOME ONE WAY OR THE OTHER, IF AT SOME POINT THE QUESTION HAS TO BE ASKED, HOW DOES THAT MONEY GET BACK TO THE RESIDENTS WHO HAVE PAID NOW TWICE FOR THE SAME SERVICES? AND IN, I WOULD LIKE TO SUGGEST HERE THAT, UM, UPON RESOLUTION, UM, AND FURTHER DISCUSSION, THAT WE CLEARLY IDENTIFY THAT THOSE MONIES BEING HELD ARE, UM, SENT BACK, WHETHER VIA REFUND IN A CHECK OR THROUGH MILLAGE, UH, REDUCTION.
UM, OVERALL, CERTAINLY FOR THIS COMING YEAR, SINCE IT'S STILL IN HERE, YOU COULD DO THAT AND WITH TWO MILLS, UM, AND WITH 2 MILLION THAT WOULD BE EQUIVALENT TO TWO MILLS ROUGHLY.
SO, UM, IT IS A POINT THAT REALLY DOES NEED TO BE BROUGHT UP.
AND I FEEL THAT BUDGET CONVERSATION IS THE PLACE TO BRING IT UP.
WE CANNOT CONTINUE TO DOUBLE TAX AND THE COUNTY SHOULD BE AWARE THAT THEY'RE PARTICIPATING IN THAT.
UM, AND SO, UM, THAT IS ON THE TABLE FOR US TO DISCUSS AND, UH, AND RESOLVE, UM, TO THE RESIDENT'S BENEFIT.
ONE THING THAT I WOULD SAY WITHOUT, THE ONE THING I WOULD SAY RIGHT NOW IS THAT WE'RE HYPOTHETICAL AS TO WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN WITH THE LAWSUIT.
SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT ABOUT TAKING THOSE MILLAGE OFF NOW BECAUSE IF WE LOSE THAT LAWSUIT, THEN THAT MONEY GOES.
[02:05:01]
SO AGAIN, IT'S, IT'S THE HYPOTHETICAL WHAT HAPPENS.AND I, AND I, AND I DON'T KNOW IF WE HAVE ENOUGH DIRECTIVE NOT ONLY FROM WITHIN, BUT ALSO FROM THE COUNTY AS TO HOW THAT REALLY WORKS.
IF THERE WAS TO BE A REFUND BACK TO THOSE OWNERS THAT PAID THAT, THAT TAX RATE AND WHAT THE COST OF THAT WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, THE COST TO ADMINISTER THAT FUND COULD EAT UP THE FUND
BUT I'M JUST SAYING THAT WE DON'T HAVE THAT INFORMATION, UM, TO REALLY BEGIN TO MAKE A DECISION ON THAT AND HOW TO, HOW TO MOVE FORWARD.
THAT'S WHY IT'S A CONVERSATION THAT I'D LIKE TO BEGIN BECAUSE, UM, IF IN FACT THAT LAWSUIT IS TO BE SOON RESOLVED, UM, THE MATTER OF HAVING PAID A FEE FOR THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS AND BEEN TAXED BY THE TOWN FOR THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS, UM, OR IN CONFLICT, YOU, YOU CANNOT DO THAT.
YOU, YOU JUST CANNOT DOUBLE TAX.
AND, UM, AND SO SOMEONE'S GONNA OWE SOMEBODY SOME MONEY ONE WAY OR THE OTHER.
AND THE CONVERSATION NEEDS TO BE BEING DISCUSSED NOW AND WITH BUDGET AND KNOWING THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT MONIES AND HOW THEY GET USED, UM, I WANT TO AT LEAST OPEN THAT CAN AND, UM, BEGIN THAT CONVERSATION.
STEVE, I AGREE THAT WE NEED TO HAVE A CONVERSATION.
THERE'S AN AWFUL LOT THAT'S UNKNOWN RIGHT NOW IN TERMS OF HOW THAT LAWSUIT WILL COME OUT AND, AND HOW, TO ME, THE PRINCIPLE QUESTION THAT, THAT WE NEED TO FOCUS ON IN TERMS OF THE COMMUNITY IS THE, IS THE SERVICE POLICE SERVICES TO THE ISLAND APPROPRIATE FOR THIS TOWN? AND HISTORICALLY THEY HAVE NOT BEEN.
AND THE QUESTION IS, CAN THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT PROVIDE THE LEVEL OF SERVICE THAT WE ARE ENTITLED TO, OR DO WE HAVE TO DO IT IN SOME OTHER FASHION SUCH AS, UH, THE TOWN BEGINNING TO GET INTO THE, UH, BUSINESS OF PROVIDING POLICE SERVICES? UH, ISN'T QUITE THE TIME TO DISCUSS THAT YET.
UH, LAWSUIT AND THE QUESTION OF HOW FUNDS ARE GONNA BE RESOLVED.
UH, BUT IT, IT IS QUITE LIKELY THAT WE MAY WANNA CONSIDER USING THE FUNDS THAT HAVE BEEN SET ASIDE TO BEGIN TO THINK ABOUT HAVING OUR OWN POLICE DEPARTMENT.
AND THEN JUST ONE OTHER ISSUE THAT TO PUT OUT THERE, OUR BUDGET, BECAUSE OUR C A P DOESN'T CURRENTLY, I BELIEVE, AND CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, THROUGH PARKS AND REC OR ANY OF, UM, ADDRESS THE DEVELOPMENT OF PICKLEBALL COURTS AND AT THE EXPECTATION OF OUR COMMUNITY.
AND AS YOU, WE ALL KNOW FROM OUR LAST MEETING, WHICH IS JUST THE LATEST OF DOZENS OF MEETINGS, UM, THAT WE HAVE LISTENED TO AS A PRIORITY, AN EMPHASIS, A DESIRE, AND THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT IT HOLDS FOR OUR COMMUNITY ONCE WE HAVE THAT IN PLACE.
AND I'D LIKE TO, UM, ASK FOR THE COUNCIL'S COMMITMENT TO CHANGING WHAT WE NEED TO WITHIN OUR, UM, UM, PROJECTS TO MAKE SURE THAT PICKLEBALL IS DONE IN THIS CALENDAR YEAR.
AND IT'S FUNDED WITH MONIES SOMEWHERE IN HERE.
SO AGAIN, ON THE TABLE AND, UM, WELL PICKLEBALL AS I'LL, I'LL, I'LL TACKLE THAT ONE.
THERE'S $250,000 IN THE OLD SCHOOLHOUSE ROAD PARK, THE A ADRIANA LANE LAND.
REMEMBER SOME, SOME TIME AGO, MR. GREENWAY AND I HAD A GREAT CONVERSATION AND WE TALKED ABOUT TRADING LAND, UM, NO COST.
IT WAS LAND UNDER THE CROSS ISLAND FOR THEIR POTENTIAL FERRY EMBARKATION.
IT WAS IN EXCHANGE FOR OLD SCHOOL, HOUSE ROAD AND BARKER FIELD.
WE OWN THE WATERSIDE AT BARKER, THE EXTENSION AS WE CALL IT.
WE, WE DO NOT MAINTAIN AND, AND CONTROL AND, AND AND WHATNOT.
THE OTHER SIDE OF THE STREET, UH, ON BARKER THAT'S HELD UP, THERE'S A D O T ENCROACHMENT PERMIT THAT'S NEEDED.
THERE'S PROBABLY EVERY WEEK OR SO I BUG JOSH AND ASK WHAT THE STATUS IS.
JOSH KEEPS TELLING ME PRETTY SOON, WHEN JOSH, SERIOUSLY, NO, BUT, BUT SINCERELY, WHEN WE'RE ACTUALLY TRYING TO IDENTIFY A CLOSING DATE FOR SOME TIME WITHIN THE NEXT 30 TO 45 DAYS, RIGHT? AND SO WHEN WE CLOSE, WE CAN TAKE OUR DOLLARS AND INVEST THEM ON OUR NEW PROPERTY.
AND THAT WOULD BE THE TENNIS SLASH PICKLEBALL COURTS AT OLD SCHOOL HOUSE.
THERE'S $250,000 ALLOCATED IN C I P FISCAL YEAR 24.
WE CAN DIVE INTO THOSE DETAILS THURSDAY.
SO THE FOLKS THAT ASKED THOSE DOLLARS ARE IN THERE.
UM, THERE'S ALSO SOME DOLLARS IN CHAPLAIN PARK.
[02:10:01]
FORWARD CHAPLAIN PARK IN MONTHS PAST LEADING UP TO THE LAST WORKSHOP, WE WERE ANTICIPATING PICKLEBALL A GOOD COMPLEX, A SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENT AT CHAPLIN PARK.WE HAD HAD SOME OTHER QUESTIONS THAT CAME UP AT WORKSHOP.
WE KNOW THAT WE OWE YOU SOME TIME WITH YOU AS SOON AS BUDGETS ADOPTED.
WE'LL COME BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD, THE, THE WORKSHOP TABLE TO TAKE A LOOK AT CHAPLAIN PARK AND, AND POTENTIALLY A, A ANOTHER SOLUTION FOR PICKLEBALL, TENNIS RACKETS AND SOME PARK IMPROVEMENTS THURSDAY.
WE CAN DIVE INTO THE SCOPE, A LITTLE BIT OF THE SCHEDULE AND SOME OF YOUR EXPECTATIONS, BECAUSE THURSDAY'S WORKSHOP IS ABOUT CAP PROJECTS AND WHERE YOU WANT THOSE DOLLARS PRIORITIZED THIS YEAR.
WE'LL, WE'LL SHARE WITH YOU OUR THOUGHTS.
WE'LL SHARE WITH YOU WHERE PLANNING COMMISSION PRIORITIZED, UH, BASED UPON SOUTH CAROLINA PLANNING, ENABLING LEGISLATION, AND WE'LL TALK TO YOU WHERE THOSE DOLLARS ARE ALLOCATED IN 24 AND BEYOND.
WE ALSO HAVE WORKSHOPS PLANNED FOR JUNE FOR CHAPLAIN IN THE OTHER PARTS TO ALSO DISCUSS IT AS WELL.
I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THOSE DOLLARS ARE REPRESENTED IN THIS PLACE.
I THINK YOU ASKED FOR GENERAL COMMENTS.
IT'S THE MOST DETAILED I'VE SEEN IN MY TERMS OF SERVICE, UH, HERE ON THE COUNCIL.
UM, I CAN'T RECITE IT ALL BACK, BUT I THINK I DO UNDERSTAND IT.
MOST IMPORTANTLY, THE CREATION OF THE TWO NEW FUNDS CLARIFIES THE USE AND APPLICATION OF FUNDS TO PROJECTS THAT COUNCIL HAS GIVEN A PRIORITY TO.
AND SO THAT IS ESPECIALLY HELPFUL AND THE GREATEST FOCUS OF THAT OBVIOUSLY GOES ON WORKFORCE HOUSING, AND WE'RE MAKING SIGNIFICANT GOALS, UH, SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS IN THAT REGARD.
SO THANK YOU FOR THAT DETAIL REPORT.
STEVE, UH, GOING BACK TO THE COMMENT ON PICKLEBALL, WHICH I'M ALL IN FAVOR OF AS A, AS A REGULAR PICKLEBALL PLAYER, ON A SOMEWHAT LIGHTER SIDE, THOSE WHO READ THE ISLAND PACK AND MAY HAVE NOTICED IN THE, IN PAGE 33 IN THE SECOND SESSION, LEASE ELECTRONICALLY IS A, UH, VERY FASCINATING ARTICLE ON, ON PICKLEBALL AND ALL THE THINGS THAT ARE WRONG WITH IT IS VERY FUNNY, AND I COMMITTED TO YOU FOR A LITTLE RELIEF FROM THIS SERIOUS BUSINESS.
UM, WE, WE HEARD FROM, UH, FROM MR. CAMPBELL ON THE C C D C IS WHAT I WROTE DOWN.
I CAN'T REMEMBER WHAT THAT STANDS FOR, BUT
UM, MY, MY MEMORY TELLS ME THAT WE ALSO APPROVE THE HOLIDAY CALENDAR ALONG WITH THE BUDGET.
UM, I'M ASSUMING THAT WILL BE THE SAME PROCESS THIS YEAR.
UM, AND I, I COULDN'T FIND IT IN HERE UNLESS THERE'S ANYHOW OVERLOOKED IT.
BUT, UM, THE DRAFT ORDINANCE MAYBE.
YEAH, GET NERVOUS FOR A SECOND.
THAT SHOULD BE IN THE DRAFT ORDINANCE IN YOUR STAFF.
LOOK, UM, THE, UH, THE, THE SALARY COMPARISON FOR, UH, THE TOWN COUNCIL WHERE WE ARE, UH, PROPOSING, UM, MOVEMENT THERE.
THE, THE, THE COMPARISON OF THE TOWN COUNCIL ON HILTON HEAD IS BASED ON FISCAL YEAR 2021, AND I'M JUST WONDERING IF IT MAKES MORE SENSE FOR US TO UPDATE THAT.
SO THAT'S MORE CURRENT BECAUSE YOU GOT MEMBERS ON THAT LISTING THAT HAVE NOT BEEN ON COUNCIL FOR A LONG TIME.
SO THAT COMPARISON, IF WE CAN CLEAN THAT A LITTLE BIT, I THINK THAT'LL HELP.
WHICH PAGE ARE YOU ON ON PAGE 54 ON THE BUDGET BOOK? YES.
TOWN COUNCIL SALARY COMPARISON.
YEAH, THE UPPER PORTION TALKS ABOUT OTHER MUNICIPALITIES.
THE BOTTOM PORTION LIST OUT THE ACTIVITY FOR HILTON HEAD COUNCIL MEMBERS.
BUT IT'S BASED ON FISCAL 2021.
I THINK WE CAN GO TO 22 OR 23 AND GET, WE'RE HAPPY TO UPDATE.
UM, AND UH, THE ONLY OTHER THING THAT I'VE, I HAVE IS, UH, THE, UH, AS MENTIONED BEFORE, WE WILL BE TAKING A LOOK AT, UM, WHERE WE ARE CURRENTLY WITH, UH, YOU KNOW, SOMETIME BETWEEN THEN AND THE ACTUAL CLOSING OF FISCAL 23.
UH, BUT THE POTENTIAL OF AN OVERAGE THERE I THINK IS SOMETHING THAT WE ALSO NEED TO BE THINKING ABOUT.
AND, AND, AND WE WILL, AS WE BRING THAT FINANCE ADMINISTRATIVE COMMITTEE UPDATE TO YOU SOON, WE'RE GONNA PR WE'RE GOING TO PROJECT
[02:15:01]
RIGHT THE CURRENT UP, UP TO END OF MONTH, BUT THEN PROJECT THE NEXT TWO MONTHS, WE, WE ARE PROJECTING AND TRENDING FOR, UM, UNDERSPENDING, OUR, OUR BUDGET AND OUR REVENUES ALSO.RIGHT? AS I, AS I, AS I SAID A COUPLE TIMES NOW, OUR REVENUES ARE, ARE COMING IN MORE THAN PROJECTED AND OUR SPENDING IS COMING IN LESS THAN, THAN THAN BUDGET.
AND WE'LL, WE'LL PUT TOGETHER A, AN ANALYSIS OF THAT AND PROJECT THE LAST 60 DAYS AS WELL FOR YOU.
I BELIEVE THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE ASKING FOR.
I'M ALSO LOOKING FOR ACTION ONCE WE CLOSE OUT THE FISCAL VERSUS ACTION NOW, BECAUSE IT COULD BE AMENDMENT OF THE BUDGET THAT WE ARE ADOPTING.
DAVID, YEAH, I, I, I'M ALWAYS, UH, IMPRESSED THAT HOW SEVEN PEOPLE CAN LOOK AT THE SAME INFORMATION AND COME UP WITH DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES ON IT.
MINE HAS TO DO WITH WHAT I CONSIDER TO BE A VERY SIGNIFICANT EXCELLENCE THAT WE ARE MAKING IN THIS BUDGET.
IF YOU THINK ABOUT THE WORK THAT HAS BEEN DONE ON OUR ROAD EDGES, IN OUR TRAFFIC CIRCLES AND THE PALM TREES THAT HAVE BEEN PLANTED AT THE CROSS ISLAND EXPRESSWAY AND DOWN PALMETTO BAY ROAD, YOU GET THE SENSE THAT ALL THAT DEFERRED MAINTENANCE THAT HAS BEEN ACCUMULATING OVER THE PAST SEVERAL DECADES IS NOW CHANGING.
SECONDLY, I THINK THAT THE BUDGET SHOWS THAT WE ARE SERIOUS ABOUT INVESTING IN THOSE CORE VALUES OF THIS COMMUNITY COMMITMENT TO THE ENVIRONMENT, ARTS, HISTORY, CULTURE AND SO ON.
AND YOU LOOK AT WHAT WE'RE DOING AT THE MITCHELLVILLE, WHAT WE'RE DOING AT THE COASTAL DISCOVERY MUSEUM, AND SO ON THE REC CENTER.
THOSE ARE, THOSE ARE THINGS THAT I THINK COMMUNICATE TO BOTH OUR COM RESIDENTS AND ALSO OUR VISITORS.
WE ARE, WE'RE REJUVENATING THIS COMMUNITY IN A WAY THAT SENDS A VERY STRONG MESSAGE OF OPTIMISM, AGAIN, TO OUR RESIDENTS AND TO OUR VISITORS.
AND I THINK THAT'S INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT, UH, MESSAGE FOR US, FOR THIS COMMUNITY, FOR THIS COUNCIL, FOR THE STAFF TO GET OUT.
AND THEN LASTLY, IT'S A COMMITMENT TO EXCELLENCE IN THAT WE ARE INVESTING IN OUR PARKS, IN OUR BEACHES AND THINGS THAT MAYBE DON'T DISTINGUISH US IN TERMS OF CORE VALUES WITH OTHER COMMUNITIES, BUT WE'RE GOING TO DO IT BETTER.
WE ARE GOING TO BE KNOWN FOR OUR PARKS, WE'RE GONNA BE KNOWN TO FOR OUR FUTURE EXPERIENCES.
SO IN THOSE THREE LEVELS, THE, THE, THE CLEANING UP, THE INVESTING IN CORE VALUES AND JUST INVESTING IN EXCELLENCE, I THINK REALLY SPEAKS TO ME IN THIS BUDGET.
UM, AND THAT'S MY MESSAGE, MAYOR.
SO, SO I WOULD ACTUALLY ADD OUR PLAN TO THAT IN THE 1700 TO 2000 VOICES THAT WERE PUT INTO THAT.
UM, WE'RE, WE'RE, WHAT WE'RE SEEING TODAY IS A DIRECT RESULT OF THAT.
AND THE EXCELLENT THAT'S COMING AROUND THAT WE'RE TRYING TO GET TO, UM, AND WITH THE EXTRA STAFF THAT YOU'RE BRINGING IN, IS TO HANDLE THE SERVICES THAT ARE ALREADY IN EXISTENCE.
NOT TO CREATE ADDITIONAL OVERSIGHT, BUT TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO WORKS WELL AND IT PROVIDES THE SERVICE BACK.
I THINK WE CAN ALL TALK ABOUT THE BUILDING PERMITS THAT TOOK THREE MONTHS TO BE ISSUED, FOUR MONTHS TO BE ISSUED IN THE PAST NOW WAS MUCH QUICKER THAN THAT.
SO, UM, IT, IT, AS WE TALK ABOUT EXCELLENCE, IT TAKES A STAFF TO DO THAT.
UM, AND I LOOK AT THE BUDGET COMPARED FROM LAST YEAR TO THIS YEAR, THERE REALLY IS NO INCREASE, UM, REAL INCREASE BECAUSE YOU'VE GOT 5.3 MILLION, WHICH ARE GRANTS.
UM, YOU'VE GOT ANOTHER 1,000,003, WHICH IS COMING IN FROM A PREVIOUS TIME.
UM, WE ARE ADDING STAFF, BUT WE'RE NOT INCREASING, YOU KNOW, THE BUDGET TO COVER THAT.
SO I, I, I JUST, I SEE US GOING IN A GREAT DIRECTION AND I AGREE WITH A LOT OF THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN SAID HERE TODAY.
SO IF THEY'RE, YES, BETSY, THANKS FOR THAT SUMMARY AND I'M GLAD THE SUMMARY SHEET IS BACK UP AGAIN AS A FORECAST FOR THURSDAY.
UM, I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO A DISCUSSION ABOUT THE CAPITAL, UH, BUDGET.
BUT, UH, PARTICULARLY WITH NOTE, THE CAPITAL CAPITAL PROJECTS FUND, THERE IS A REDUCTION FOR THE FISCAL YEAR, BUT I KNOW WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT, AGAIN, IT'S A MULTI-YEAR.
UH, WE HAVEN'T SET ASIDE THAT MONEY, IT'S JUST WE'RE PUTTING IT OUT OVER SEVERAL YEARS.
SO I WANT US TO PAY ATTENTION TO THAT.
UM, AND IN ADDITION, IN THE HIGHLIGHTS FOR THE, UH, CAPITAL FUND THAT I, UH, THAT WERE PROVIDED TO US IS ONE THAT WE WERE PARTICULARLY INTERESTED IN, UM, AT OUR JANUARY WORKSHOP.
AND THAT IS SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS ALONG THE WHIM HILTON PARKWAY CORRIDOR.
AND, AND I HIGHLIGHTED THAT THAT IS, UH, PRIORITIZED IN THE CAPITAL BUDGET.
[02:20:01]
TO REALLY PINPOINT HOW THAT WILL BE DONE, BECAUSE A LOT OF US ARE CONCERNED ABOUT, UH, SAFETY ALONG THAT CORRIDOR AND EVERYWHERE ELSE ON THE ISLAND.I'M CERTAINLY SUPPORTIVE OF THIS BUDGET, UM, AND I REALLY APPRECIATE, AS MAYOR SAID, UM, THE INCREASES FROM OUTSIDE SOURCES AND WE'RE DOING MORE WITH WHAT WE HAVE.
SO WITH THAT, IF THERE ARE NO OTHER COMMENTS, I WILL OPEN IT UP TO THE PUBLIC, PUBLIC COMMENTS.
I THINK I'M GONNA GO SOMEPLACE TO BE EXAMINED AFTER THIS MEETING, CUZ I AM FREAKING EXCITED.
I MEAN, HONESTLY, UH, I'VE NEVER BEEN THROUGH A BUDGET MEETING AT THE TOWN.
UH, CONGRATULATIONS TO THE TOWN MANAGER AND STAFF.
IT WAS EXCELLENT,
UH, BUT, BUT WHAT REALLY HAS ME EXCITED, REALLY HAS ME EXCITED IS THAT BACK IN NOVEMBER, COUNCIL WAS UNANIMOUS IN PASSING A MILLION DOLLARS TO GO INTO THE POT, PASSING A PLAN COUNCIL, AS I READ IT, UNANIMOUS TODAY, HOUSING IS IMPORTANT.
IT HAS TO BE, HAS TO BE PUBLIC AND PRIVATE.
UH, I RESPECT IT HAS TO BE PRIVATE AND I RESPECT THAT IT MUST BE PUBLIC.
AND, UH, I WILL, I'M GONNA BE SO HAPPY TO GO BACK AND REPORT TO THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT I'M A PART OF THAT, HEY, I'M DOWN.
YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY'S EXCITED.
THE LOOK AT HER ACTION, ACTION IS HAPPENING.
THIS COUNSELOR IS VERY SERIOUS ABOUT IT AND IT'S, IT'S WONDERFUL.
AND I WILL SAY WHAT? C C D C, COASTAL COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION 5 0 1
UH, THE PICTURE WE'VE PUT TOGETHER BASED UPON INPUT THAT WE'VE HAD THROUGH THE TOWN AND AND ITS PLANS IS ABOUT A 20% PORTION COMING FROM THE PUBLIC, UH, FROM, FROM THE TOWN.
SO PRIVATE HAS TO BE THERE AND HAS TO BE THERE IN A BIG WAY.
ANY OTHER PUBLIC COMMENTS? YES, MR. HOLAND, YOUR HONOR'S SERVICE IS APPRECIATED.
A LEGAL CHAMBER IN TOWN AND A TAX FUNDED DMO IS GREATLY APPRECIATED.
WHERE IS ALL THE INVOICES AND MATCHING RECEIPTS FOR THE FOLLOWING? MILLIONS IN ILLEGAL FEES, TAXES, INCLUDING ALL THOSE THAT WERE CRIMINALLY USED BY LAWYER GREG ALFRED, TO FUND LAWSUITS AGAINST THE CITIZEN.
7 MILLION IN EIGHT TAX FEES UNACCOUNTED FOR ILLEGALLY USED BY BILL MILES IN THE CHAMBER.
14 MILLION IN HOSPITALITY TAXES DISAPPEARED AND UNACCOUNTED FOR 11.5 MILLION USED BY THE CHAMBER AND THE DMO ILLEGALLY, NO ACCOUNTING, NO AUDITS.
A FRAUDULENT CHAMBER CONTRACT DRAFTED BY LAWYERS, GREG ALFRED, CURTIS COLTRANE, AND TERRY FINGER AND BLUFFED 600,000 OF TAX FUNDS ISSUED TO C PONDS FOR DREDGING OF HARBORTOWN THAT WAS ILLEGAL AND IN VIOLATION OF SOUTH CAROLINA CONSTITUTIONAL LAWS.
YOU CAN'T USE PUBLIC FUNDS FOR PRIVATE PURPOSE AND YOU CAN'T USE 'EM FOR PROFIT.
LIKE THE CRIMINALLY OPERATED CHAMBER IS NOW DOING HURRICANE AND SUPPLEMENTAL FUNDING IN THE MILLIONS HANDED TO BILL MILES IN THE CHAMBER WITH ZERO ACCOUNTING, ALL BECAUSE OF THIS ILLEGAL FUNDING TO BILL MILES, WHO SAID THE TAX USE IS ITS SECRET SAUCE.
NOBODY'S ON THIS COUNCIL'S BUSINESS, INCLUDING ALL THE TAXPAYERS.
WE NEED TO SEE ALL THIS ACCOUNTING MORE THAN EVER.
PLEASE NOTE, BECAUSE THE BUDGET IS ILLEGAL, ALLOWING FUNDING TO THE CHAMBER AND OTHER ILLEGAL NONPROFITS LIKE THE LOW COUNTRY GOLF OWNERS ASSOCIATION, ALSO TIED TO THE CHAMBER IN BILL MILES AND 1 MILLION TAKEN TO CANADA.
MARK ORLANDO'S HOME COUNTRY, THIS COUNCIL AND CHAMBER ALSO IS CAUSING THE VIOLATIONS OF, OF MANY STATE AND FEDERAL LAWS.
THIS CAUSED BY ALL THIS ILLEGAL FUNDING.
HOW MUCH ILLEGAL FUNDING HAS BEEN HANDED TO BILL MILES FOR THE TOWN TO JOIN THE, THE CHAMBER AS A TOWN MEMBER? WHAT MADE THIS LEGAL, WHO IS A MEMBER, JUST THE TOWN COUNCIL TO GO TO THE CHAMBER BALL AND QUID PRO QUO? IS IT NOT A FACT THAT ALL TAXPAYERS ARE CHAMBER MEMBERS SINCE TAX FUNDS WERE USED? I THINK IT'S MANDATORY.
WE HAVE AN OUTSIDE FORENSIC AUDIT AND A FULL FOYER COMPLIANCE.
OR YOU ASK THE FBI TO HELP YOU TO FOLLOW THE MONEY BECAUSE THEY'RE TRAINED IN ACCOUNTING.
ORLANDO'S CPA, TROYER TOWN LAWYERS AND CHAMBER BILL MILES MUST BE INVESTIGATED.
OUR TOWN IS IN A REAL LEGAL AND TRANSPARENCY CRISIS.
I'M SO SORRY TO REPORT THAT, BUT YOU NEED TO COME
[02:25:01]
TO THAT REALITY.I'M STANDING UP HERE TELLING YOU THE TRUTH AND THE FACTS AND THE LAWS, AND YOU'RE IGNORING THEM FOR POLITICAL REASONS.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT REASON, BUT I, AT SOME POINT, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO LIVE BY YOUR FIDUCIARY RESPONSIBILITY.
YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO COME TO THIS REALITY.
ANY OTHER PUBLIC COMMENT? YES, SHUT DID, ALTERED.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR WONDERFUL PRESENTATION.
SINCE I ONLY HAVE THREE MINUTES, SO I'M JUST GONNA ASK QUESTIONS SINCE THEY'RE WAITING FOR YOUR ANSWERS.
I HOPE ALL THIS QUESTIONS WILL BE RAISED BY TOWN COUNCIL MEMBERS IN THE FUTURE.
THE FIRST ONE IS IN TERMS OF TOTAL BUDGET.
I AGREE WITH MAYOR, IT'S NOT A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE OVER 2023, HOWEVER, IT IS CLOSE TO 70% OVER 2021 AND, UH, 30% OVER 2022.
SO MY QUESTION IS, HOW MUCH IS THE, BECAUSE OF THE SUGAR HIGH AFTER THE RESCUE PACKAGE AND HOW MUCH, UH, IN THE BUDGET YOU, YOUR BUDGET, IS THE GROWTH OF SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS? SO THAT'S QUESTION NUMBER ONE.
QUESTION NUMBER TWO IS, IN TERMS OF ATAC USES AND SOURCES, I WOULD HOPE THAT YOU WOULD PUBLISH THAT, UM, ON THE, UM, UH, WEBSITE SO WE CAN GET A BETTER LOOK AT THE, IN TERMS OF THE USE AND SOURCES.
BUT I HAVE A QUESTION RELATED TO THAT SLIDE.
THAT'S WHY I RAISED MY HAND BECAUSE MY UNDERSTANDING THE STATUTORY REQUIREMENT FOR STATE, UM, A TAX MONEY IS 2%.
AND THEN YOU INDICATING ON YOUR SLIDE, IT'S A STATE, UM, A TAX A 3%.
SO I HAVE THAT'S, UH, PROBABLY A TYPO, BUT I JUST WANNA CLARIFY THAT 2% STATE, 1% AND 1% LOCAL.
BUT YOUR, YOUR SUBTITLE SAYS STATE A TAX MONEY.
SO THAT'S WHY, THAT'S WHAT I WANNA CLARIFY AND ALSO WANNA CLARIFY MATH IN TERMS OF LOCAL IS 1%, SO THAT'S AROUND 7 MILLION.
BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, TOTAL IS, UH, 13%.
I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND THE MATH.
I ASSUME THAT YOU ONLY CAPTURE 65% OF THE 2% OF THE STATE A TAX.
THAT'S WHY YOU GOT 13 MILLION.
UM, THAT'S QUESTION NUMBER TWO.
AND THEN QUESTION NUMBER THREE IS THAT BASED ON THE USES AND SOURCES OF H AND A TAXES, SEEMS LIKE IN YEARS YOU RUN A, UM, SURPLUS AND YEARS YOU RUN A DEFICIT.
SO I'M JUST CURIOUS, UM, HOW DO YOU FIND THOSE, UH, DEFICIT IN CERTAIN YEARS WHEN THE ATAC IS NOT OF, UH, NOT AVAILABLE TO, TO COVER ALL THE EXPENDITURES? AND THEN, UM, THE THIRD QUESTION I HAVE, AND THIS IS REALLY TO COUNCIL MEMBERS, I THINK THOSE ARE THE REAL QUESTIONS YOU SHOULD, YOU SHOULD DRILL INTO AS THE RESIDENTS.
I, I, I, UM, WAS JUST REFLECTING ON COUNCILMAN, UM, AMES COMMENT ABOUT EXCELLENCE.
I'VE BEEN HERE FOR SEVEN YEARS.
UM, THE TOWN IS DEFINITELY DIFFERENT, ESPECIALLY RELATING TO TRAFFIC.
THAT'S NOT SOMETHING I LOOK FOR AS, UH, SOMETHING THAT'S EXCELLENT CUZ THAT'S NOT A LIFESTYLE THAT WE, UM, WE SIGN UP FOR.
SO, AND THEN IN TERMS OF THE, UM, UH, WORKFORCE HOUSING, WE REALLY, REALLY NEED TO ADDRESS THE QUESTION, WHAT IS THE NEED IN 2018? THE TOWN COUNCIL HAS A PAPER SAYING THAT IT'S, WE NEED 5,000 OR ALMOST 6,000 UNITS.
SO MY QUESTION IS, WHAT ARE THE AVAIL AVAILABLE LAND? IS THAT 125 ACRES? HOW MANY UNITS CAN BE CONVERTED TO, UM, RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS FROM THE COM COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS? AND WHAT IS THE LABOR PARTICIPATION RATES IN ON HILTON HEAD ISLAND? AND WHAT IS A COMPETITIVE WAGE, UH, BETWEEN HILTON HEAD AND BLUFFTON AND SAVANNAH AND JASPER? AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, YOU ACTUALLY OFFERED A GREAT EXAMPLE OF HOW TO SOLVE THE HOUSING AND RETAIN, UH, EMPLOYMENT, WHICH IS YOU USE BENEFITS TO RETAIN YOUR GOOD EMPLOYEES.
SO IF THE TAXPAYER CAN, OR THE TOWN COUNCIL TOWN GOVERNMENT CAN USE THAT, WHY WE DON'T APPLY THE SAME MODEL TO THE PRIVATE SECTOR.
UH, IF, IF YOU WOULD GET THOSE QUESTIONS TO US IN WRITING, I, I WOULD MORE THAN HAPPY ACTUALLY, I WROTE A FOUR PAGE PAPER.
I HAVE ALL THE STATISTICS I WOULD LOVE TO SHARE WITH YOU ALL.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? THE COMMENTS, SEEING NO OTHER COMMENTS?
[8. Adjournment]
SEEING NO OTHER COMMENTS? MR. ORLANDO, GREAT JOB.