[1. CALL TO ORDER ]
[00:00:05]
I HAD LIKE TO CALL THE SPECIAL, UH, FINANCE ADMINISTRATION, ECONOMIC, UH, AND DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE TO ORDER.
TODAY IS MONDAY, AUGUST 28TH AT ONE 30 IF EVERYONE COULD, UH, RISE FOR THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND THROUGH THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH SUSTAINS ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL PUBLIC NOTIFICATION OF THIS MEETING HAS BEEN PUBLISHED, POSTED, AND DISTRIBUTED IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE SOUTH CAROLINA FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT.
CAN I ASK FOR SOMEONE TO APPROVE THE AGENDA? WELL, I'D LIKE TO AMEND THE AGENDA.
DO WE HAVE TO CALL THE ROLE FIRST OR NO? UM, THE COMMITTEE MEANS WE USUALLY DO NOT, BUT GO AHEAD MS. MS. THAT'S FINE.
DO YOU WANNA CALL THE ROLL? GO AHEAD SARAH.
JUST TO, JUST TO COVER HER BUTT.
[4. APPROVAL OF AGENDA ]
IT.SO I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO AMEND THE AGENDA AND, UH, IT WOULD BE TO REMOVE THE EXECUTIVE SESSION BECAUSE WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT THAT IN OPEN SESSION.
AND WE'RE GOING TO ADD TWO MOTIONS.
ONE TO SELECT A LAW FIRM AND ONE TO APPROPRIATE MONEY.
ALRIGHT, IS THERE ANY MORE DISCUSSION? ALRIGHT, SEEING NO DISCUSSION, IS THERE ANY OBJECTION TO MAKING THAT CHANGE TO THE AGENDA? SEEING NO OBJECTION.
ALRIGHT, SO, UH, AGENDA HAS BEEN APPROVED.
UM, LET'S MOVE ON THEN TO, UH, NOW WE HAVE TO APPROVE THE AGENDA AS AMENDED.
OKAY, WELL THEN NEXT WE'LL APPROVE THE AGENDA AS AMENDED.
IS THERE A MOTION FOR THAT? I'LL MAKE THAT MOTION.
IS THERE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND THAT.
ALRIGHT, ANY, ANY MORE DISCUSSION ON THAT? I'M SORRY.
SEEING NO DISCUSSION, UH, IS THERE ANY OBJECTION? SEEING NO OBJECTION, UH, THAT HAS BEEN APPROVED.
LET POINT OUT TO, MR. CUNNINGHAM HAS JUST JOINED US.
SO, UH, THE AGENDA IS APPROVED.
[5. CITIZEN COMMENT PERIOD]
MOVE ON THEN TO NUMBER FIVE, UM, WHICH IS THE CITIZEN'S COMMENT PERIOD OF THREE MINUTES.ANYONE WHO WISHES TO SPEAK DURING THE CITIZEN COMMENT PERIOD PORTION OF THIS MEETING WILL LIMIT THEIR COMMENTS AND SPEAK TO NO LONGER THAN THREE MINUTES.
SPEAKERS WILL ADDRESS COUNSEL IN A RESPECTFUL MANNER, APPROPRIATE TO THE DECORUM OF THE MEETING, REFRAINING FROM THE USE OF PROFANE, ABUSIVE, OR OBSCENE LANGUAGE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE BUFORT COUNTY RULES AND PROCEDURES.
GIVING OF A SPEAKER'S TIME TO ANOTHER IS NOT ALLOWED.
AND, UM, IS THERE ANYONE HERE THAT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK? THANK MR. HOAGLAND.
YOU'RE, YOU'RE, YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES AS CITIZENS' COMMENT, THEN WELCOME.
ADD TO THAT WHAT YOU JUST SAID, PROFANITY AND ALL THAT.
ADD TRUTHFUL AND HONEST TO THAT IF YOU DON'T MIND.
NOW I'VE GOT SOME DOCUMENTS BEFORE.
PLEASE DON'T START THE CLOCK YET.
I JUST WANT, I'M NOT STARTING IT.
IF YOU DON'T MIND, IF YOU COULD START BACK, I'M TRYING TO ADD THESE THREE AND THESE THREE DOCUMENTS TO YOU, BUT I CAN DO IT AFTER.
SO IF YOU COULD START THAT CLOCK BACK, I'D APPRECIATE IT.
SO WE ARE, WE ARE, UH, HEARING AND READING ABOUT GREENWAY, BUT THERE'S A LOT.
WE'RE NOT AND, AND I'M HERE, HERE TO HELP YOU.
FACT IS HE IS SHADY AND NOT ALONE.
FIRST THING MUST HAPPEN IS THIS COUNCIL MUST ALSO STOP ACTIONS AND VOTES THAT LEAVE AN OPEN DOOR FOR GREENWAY, THE CHAMBERS, THE CPAS, THE LAWYERS, AND EVEN JUDGES IN THIS ENTIRE COUNTY RULING AGAINST THE RULE OF LAW WITH KANGAROO COURTS AND PREDETERMINED OUTCOMES FOR THEIR LOCAL OFFICIALS AND LAWYER FRIENDS.
MANY CONVINCED THE, THE COURTS IN THE COUNTY IS ACTING MORE LIKE A CRIMINAL ENTERPRISE THAN A FUNCTIONAL GOVERNMENT.
UH, LAUDERDALE AND THE PACKET, SLOPPY GOVERNMENT IS AN, IS AN UNDERSTATEMENT.
REGARDLESS WHAT YOU BELIEVE FACTS ARE DISTURBING, OUR ENTIRE POLITICAL SYSTEM GIVES A FULL POWER TO COUNTY AND TOWN EMPLOYEES AND LAWYERS THAT TOTALLY CONTROL THE PART-TIME LEADERS AND MAYORS AND COUNCILS.
THE EMPLOYEES BASICALLY DO AS THEY WISH, AND PART-TIME COUNSELS COUNCILS HAVE OTHER FULL-TIME JOBS.
THEY HAVE NO, THEY HAVE NO REALLY NO CLUE OR CONTROL ON WHAT'S GOING ON.
AND I UNDERSTAND THAT IT'D BE, I'D BE IN THE SAME SITUATION.
TAXPAYERS ARE LEFT IN THE DARK WITH MILLIONS OF DISAPPEARED IN THIN AIR.
WE HAVE LITTLE TRANSPARENCY, ACCOUNTABILITY, AND WE'RE ALL HANDED FRAUDULENT, INTERNALLY PREPARED BUDGETS AND FINANCIAL AUDITS BY GREENWAY AND OTHER TOWN MANAGERS THAT ONLY SHOW THE NUMBERS THEY WANT US TO SEE TODAY.
I'M HERE TO ASK ON BEHALF OF EVERY TAXPAYER.
OUR COUNCILS IN BEAUFORT, HILTON, HEAD AND BLUFFTON TAKE BACK CONTROL OF OUR FINANCES.
IT'S SO EASY TO CONDUCT FORENSIC AUDITS THAT COST US A PIDDLY AMOUNT TO STOP ALL THE ILLEGAL USE OF AN AN ISSUE OF TAX FUNDS BY ORLANDO CPAS, GREENVILLE,
[00:05:01]
GREENVILLE, GREENWAY GRUBER, ET CETERA.AUDITS WILL END A LARGE PERCENTAGE OF CRIMES IN BEAUFORT COUNTY.
THIS IS THE ONLY TOOL THAT YOU HAVE AVAILABLE TO YOU UNDER OUR CURRENT POLITICAL SYSTEM TO CONTROL THE FULL POWER COUNTY, TOWN MANAGERS, LAWYERS, ET CETERA.
WE HAVE NO WHO HAVE NO C P A ABILITY, NOBODY UP THERE IS A, UH, FORENSIC AUDITOR, C P A, UH, UH, UH, TRAIN.
SO WE MUST STOP THIS SLOPPY GOVERNMENT AGAIN.
EVEN PAYER MAYOR PERRY RECENTLY AND SULCA BOTH GOT CAUGHT ILLEGALLY USING TAX MONEY.
AND MAYOR PERRY LIED AND COMMITTED FINANCIAL FRAUD SAYING HE SAW THE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS FROM BILL MILES AND HE NEVER SAW IT.
YOU CAN'T BE ANYBODY IN A PUBLIC POSITION IF YOU LIE.
THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S CAUSE FOR TERMINATION, FOR LOSING YOUR POSITION AND BEING INVESTIGATED.
SO I, UM, ALL LOOK, THE BOTTOM LINE IS IT'S TIME TO FORENSIC AUDIT OFFICE BY OFFICE, ONE BY ONE, ONE TREE AT A TIME.
NOT THE ENTIRE FOREST, JUST ONE AT A TIME.
WE FIND SOMETHING, WE GO DEEPER, WE GO DEEPER UNTIL WE CLEAN IT UP.
AND WE DO IT WITH A FORENSIC AUDIT, UH, UH, C P A EVEN BETTER.
THERE'S A LOT OF F B I AGENTS THAT HAVE RETIRED FROM THE F B I, WHO ALSO NOW ARE CPAS AND WORK FOR AUDIT FIRMS. YOU CAN FIND 'EM IN GEORGIA, SOUTH CAROLINA.
BUT WE CAN'T HAVE A, A LAWYER, A LOCAL SOUTH CAROLINA LAWYER LEADING THIS.
THANK YOU FOR KEEPING THAT CLOSE TO THREE MINUTES.
[Additional Item ]
UH, MOVE ON THEN TO OUR, UH, AGENDA.UM, AND, UM, LET'S GO TO OUR AMENDED AGENDA.
AND THE FIRST, UM, MR. CHAIRMAN.
YES, I, I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION THAT WE, UH, THAT WE HIRE LAW FIRM B TO PERFORM THE REVIEWS, AUDIT AND OTHER WORK THAT COUNTY COUNCIL AUTHORIZED THE FINANCE COMMITTEE TO OVERSEE DURING ITS MEETING OF JULY 24TH, 2023, AS WELL AS ANY OTHER ADDITIONAL WORK.
THE FINANCE COMMITTEE AUTHORIZES THE FIRM TO PERFORM AND THAT WE FORWARD THIS DECISION TO THE COUNTY COUNCIL FOR RATIFICATION, UH, DURING TONIGHT'S SPECIAL CALL MEETING.
ALRIGHT, IS THERE SECOND TO THAT? I WOULD LIKE TO SECOND THAT.
ALRIGHT, SO THAT'S BEEN SECONDED.
SO LET'S OPEN THAT UP FOR DISCUSSION.
AND I KNOW WE HAD, UH, IN OUR, UH, PREVIOUS MEETING THAT WE DID HAVE PEOPLE WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK.
IF, IF WE WANT TO GO AROUND THE ROOM AGAIN, WE CAN DO THAT OR IF WE JUST WANNA MOVE FORWARD.
IT'S OPEN FOR DISCUSSION RIGHT NOW FOR ANYBODY THAT WOULD LIKE TO DISCUSS ANYTHING.
I'D LIKE TO MAKE A COMMENT THAT I MADE IN THE LAST MEETING AND THAT IS THAT THE FIRMS WILL HIRE OUTSIDE CPAS TO DO FORENSIC AUDITS.
SO IT'S NOT A LAWYER DOING IT, IT'S GOING TO BE FORENSIC AUDITORS, CPAS.
ANYBODY ELSE THAT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK MS. HOWARD? I'D LIKE TO ALSO, UH, IT WAS MADE CLEAR TO US THAT THEY, THE FIRM WOULD LET US KNOW AS SOON AS THEY KNOW THERE ARE THINGS THAT NEED TO BE REVEALED OR SHARED WITH THE PUBLIC AND THAT WE WILL BE DOING THAT ON MATTERS, WHICH ARE, WHICH CAN BE SUCH AS PROCUREMENT MATTERS.
LET'S, LET'S GO AHEAD AND DO ROUND THEN, MAKE EVERYONE, LET EVERYONE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK.
UM, UH, MR. DAWSON, ANYTHING LIKE YOU'D LIKE TO ADD TO THAT? YEAH, I WOULD ONLY SAY THAT, UH, OUT OF THE TWO FIRMS THAT WE INTERVIEWED, I THINK CHAIRMAN, UM, UH, THE FIRM B IS THE BEST, UH, SUITED TO, UH, DO THE WORK THAT WE, THAT WE ARE ASKING TO DO AND, AND THEN PROVIDE US WITH THE, WITH THEIR FINDINGS THAT WE MIGHT, UH, ACTUALLY TRY TO WRITE THIS SHIP.
SO I'M, I'M SUPPORTIVE OF, UH, FIRM B.
MR. REETS, UH, THANK YOU CHAIRMAN.
UM, I, ALL THE QUESTIONS HAVE BEEN ANSWERED FOR ME AND I ALSO AGREE WITH, UM, FIRM B.
UM, I HAVE NO, UM, REAL PROBLEM WITH THE SELECTION AT THIS TIME.
UM, I JUST WANNA REITERATE WHAT, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER TAVER SAID WE, UM, ABOUT THE CPAS AND THE AUDIT.
MR. BAR BARTH, YOU, UM, REALLY DON'T HAVE A LOT TO SAY ABOUT IT.
UM, BUT I THINK B IS GONNA BE THE BEST OPTION FOR US, UH, GIVEN THE FACT THAT THEY HAVE THE CAPABILITY KIND OF IN-HOUSE TO DO A LOT OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE ASKING TO DO.
UH, I DO LIKE THAT WE'RE GONNA BE HAVING A, AN OUTSIDE FORENSIC AUDIT COMPLETED OF OUR ACCOUNT.
SO I DO THINK THAT'S GONNA BE VERY IMPORTANT, UH, IN GETTING THINGS GOING BACK IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
MR. CUNNINGHAM? ANYTHING? I'M GOOD, MR. CHAIRMAN.
[00:10:01]
YES.UH, FIRM B HAS ABSOLUTELY NO TIES TO THE COUNTY AND THE TEAM THAT WILL BE HERE IS INDEPENDENT.
THEY HAVE NO RELATIVES, NO ANYONE WHO WORKS FOR THE COUNTY.
AND, UH, I AS WELL, UM, UM, AGREE WITH FIRM B.
BOTH FIRMS, UH, I THINK WOULD'VE DONE A GREAT JOB, UH, BOTH FIRMS, UH, VERY WELL KNOWN AND, AND, UM, UH, INTEGRITY THAT, THAT FOLLOWS THEM.
UM, I THINK THAT FIRM B HAD A, A, UH, A FEE STRUCTURE THAT WE COULD FOLLOW MORE EASILY.
UM, I THINK THAT THEY HAD THE CAPABILITY OF PERFORMING MORE THAN ONE TASK AT THE SAME TIME, AND THEY HAVE EXPERIENCE IN DOING THAT ALL AT THE SAME TIME.
UM, AND THEY ALSO WERE, WERE VERY GOOD ABOUT LETTING US KNOW THAT THEY THINK THAT IT COULD BE EVEN SHORTER IF THEY GO IN THERE AND THEY, THEY FIND THINGS WILL TAKE LONGER.
IF THEY DON'T FIND THINGS, THEY'LL BE BACK, COME BACK AND TELL US.
SO THE MILESTONES THAT, THAT THEY'LL GIVE TO US HOPEFULLY WILL NOT LEAD US INTO A SIX MONTH PROCESS, BUT MORE OF A ONE TO TWO TO THREE MONTH PROCESS THAT THEN IF WE NEED TO GO FURTHER AFTER THAT, WE CAN.
SO THAT GAVE US THE OPPORTUNITY.
SO, UM, SEEING NO MORE DISCUSSION, UM, CAN I HAVE THE NAME OF THOSE FORMS? I, I, I DON'T HAPPEN.
WELL, IT HASN'T BEEN RELEASED YET.
AND THAT WILL BE, THAT WILL BE DONE.
UH, WE'RE GONNA PASS THIS ON TO COUNTY COUNCIL AND IF IT PASSES COUNTY COUNCIL LATER ON TODAY, THEN THAT'S WHEN THOSE FIRMS WILL, WILL BE RELEASED AT THAT TIME.
SO RIGHT NOW THERE'S STILL FIRM A AND B UNTIL WE, WE PUSH IT TO, TO COUNTY COUNCIL.
THAT'S THE NEXT THING THAT'S HAPPENED IS OUR VOTE TODAY IS OUR RECOMMENDATION TO COUNTY COUNCIL, UM, TO MAKE A DECISION AS, AS A FULL COUNCIL AT COUNTY COUNCIL TO APPROVE, UM, UH, FIRM A OR FIRM B.
SO AT THIS TIME, UH, I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANY REASON FOR US TO CALL ROLL.
UM, IS THERE ANY OBJECTION TO, UH, THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE TO PUSH THIS TO COUNTY COUNCIL WITH THE RECOMMENDATION OF FIRM B AND SEEING NO OBJECTION ONLINE OR HERE IN PERSON, UM, THAT HAS OUR RECOMMENDATION AND THAT WE MOVE TO, UM, UH, COUNTY COUNCIL, WHICH THE NEXT SESSION IS THIS AFTERNOON.
ALRIGHT, THEN LET'S MOVE ON TO THE SECOND MOTION THAT WAS MENTIONED.
MR. CHAIRMAN, I'D LIKE TO MOVE THAT WE ADOPT BY TITLE ONLY IN ORDINANCE TO AMEND THE FISCAL YEAR 24 BUDGET ORDINANCE, WHICH WAS 2023 SLASH 22 TO APPROPRIATE $350,000 TO COUNTY COUNCIL'S BUDGET TO COVER ANY ANTICIPATED COSTS OF A FIRM TO PERFORM THE REVIEWS AND AUDIT THAT WE AUTHORIZED ON JULY 25TH, 2023.
AND ANY ADDITIONAL WORK, THE FINANCE COMMITTEE AUTHORIZES THE LAW FIRM TO PERFORM.
ALRIGHT, IS THERE A SECOND TO THAT? I'LL SECOND THE MOTION.
ALRIGHT, MOTION'S BEEN SECOND NOW OPEN FOR DISCUSSION.
ANY DISCUSSION FROM ANYBODY? AND, AND LEMME JUST THEN LET ME JUST SAY THAT, THAT AS THAT 300, YOU WANNA GO MS. BROWN, THE 350,000 YOU SAID? YEAH, I PUT 300 THAT FROM 50,000.
WE DON'T KNOW THE ACTUAL AMOUNT RIGHT, BUT WE HAVE TO BUDGET.
WHERE IS THAT THREE 50 COMING FROM? GENERAL FUND.
AND, AND, AND THAT'S, UH, UM, SOMETHING AS MS. TAVERN JUST STARTED TO SAY, LEMME JUST CLARIFY THAT, THAT THIS IS NOT A BLANK CHECK FOR $350,000 THAT WE'RE GIVING THIS, THIS FIRM TO GO DO IT.
WE WILL START THE PROCESS AND IT'LL BE A MONTHLY BILLING, UH, EVERYTHING WE UNDERSTAND.
SO AGAIN, WE WILL BE IN COMPLETE CONTROL OVER HOW MUCH IS SPENT AND WHERE THE MONEY'S GOING IS NOT GONNA BE A SURPRISE AT THE END OF THREE, FOUR MONTHS OF, OF WHAT OUR MONTHLY BILLINGS ARE.
AND AT ANY POINT WE FEEL IT'S NECESSARY TO, TO STOP AND, AND, AND NOT GO FURTHER WITH THAT AMOUNT OF MONEY.
WE GET TO THE POINT WHERE WE NEED TO DIG DEEPER AND WE ARE GONNA SPEND MORE THAN THAT.
THERE WILL BE THE DISCUSSION THEN OF, OF US THAT WE NEED TO, TO DO THOSE TYPE OF THINGS.
SO AGAIN, UM, NONE OF US GONNA BE A SURPRISE.
IT'S NOT LIKE IT, IT, IT'S JUST GONNA HAPPEN NOW.
IT'S GONNA BE A MONTHLY BILLING BASED UPON ACTUAL WORK PERFORMED, ACTUAL HOURS USED.
UM, AND, AND, AND ALSO THE FORENSIC AUDITS THAT GO WITH IT WILL COME WITH PRICE TAGS.
THAT, THAT WE WILL THEN BE ABLE TO OKAY.
UM, BEFORE EACH OF THOSE ITEMS ARE, ARE, ARE DONE.
SO, UM, IS THERE ANY OB OBJECTION TO THE MOTION THAT'S ON THE FLOOR? SEEING NO OBJECTION.
UM, THAT ALSO WILL BE MOVED TO COUNTY COUNCIL, UH, FOR OUR MEETING THIS AFTERNOON.
CAN I HAVE A COMMENT? UH, NO SIR.
WE'RE DONE WITH THE, WE'RE DONE WITH THE, OKAY.
UM, SO AT, AT THIS POINT, UM, IS THERE ANY OTHER MATTERS ARISING OUT OF OUR SESSION? ALRIGHT, SEEING NONE, UM, WE ARE ADJOURNED.