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CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY BUFORT COUNTY[I. Call to Order]
COURT ORDER.UM, TRACY, WOULD YOU LIKE TO, TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES, AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS? ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE.
I THINK WE OUGHT TO TAD, I THINK WE OUGHT TO CHARGE OUR P FOR FOOD.
SO MAYBE HE EXPERIENCE WHAT WE ARE EXPERIENCING.
COLE DISTRICT? TRACY ROBINSON, DISTRICT FOUR FOR
JANICE PORTER, DISTRICT A MILLER, MS. BOG, DISTRICT 11.
ROSALIE RICHMOND, DISTRICT SEVEN.
CHUCK ATKINSON COUNTY ADMINISTRATION.
AND I'M AT CABERNET COUNTY COUNCIL DISTRICT SIX.
UH, AND I HAVE SEVERAL GUESTS WITH US HERE TODAY.
SO LET ME START FIRST WITH, UM, OUR DEPUTY DIRECTOR, JOSH GREER.
I ALSO HAVE OUR PROGRAMS AND EVENTS LIBRARY AND THERESA ISH.
UH, THERESA, I ALSO HAVE A LOT OF, UM, SUPPORT TODAY FROM OUR BROADCAST AND INFORMATION SERVICES DEPARTMENT, OUR MEDIA SERVICES DEPARTMENT.
I HAVE, UM, ALEC BISHOP, KYLE ADAMS, TROY MATTHEWS, AND CRAIG
UH, WE ALSO HAVE ONLINE JOINING US AND IN WRITING A BRIEF PRESENTATION TO YOU IN, IN A FEW MINUTES.
QUEEN QUI, WHO IS PROBABLY VERY FAMILIAR TO YOU ALREADY, LIKE WOULD YOU LIKE TO, SHE'LL GO ON AND KNOW WHEN SHE'S READY.
[V. Approval of Minutes: A. July 12, 2023 Minutes (backup)]
UM, WERE THERE ANY, UM, THE MINUTES WERE DISTRIBUTED, IS THERE ANY CORRECTIONS TO THE MINUTES THAT WERE DISTRIBUTED AND THE MINUTES ARE APPROVED AS DISTRIBUTED? UM, ANY CORRESPONDENCE? NO.[VII. Library Director’s Report]
I DO THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.I HAVE A LOT OF WONDERFUL NEWS TO SHARE WITH YOU TODAY.
BUT I AM GONNA FIRST START WITH OUR GUEST, UH, QUEEN
UM, AND SHE'S APPROACHED US ABOUT WANTING TO, UH, PARTNER WITH THE LIBRARY ON A PROJECT THAT SHE'S WORKING ON.
UM, AND PART OF THAT PROJECT WOULD BE THAT THE ST.
HELENA LIBRARY WHERE WE ARE TODAY, WOULD BE THE RECIPIENT OF TWO SIGNS, WHICH YOU'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THOSE.
UM, AND THOSE WOULD BE FOR PERMANENT DISPLAY.
UM, SO I'M GOING, UH, TURN IT OVER TO QUEEN QUICK, WHO, UM, JOINING US VIRTUALLY, WE WILL TELL YOU A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THIS PROPOSAL.
WE CAN'T HEAR, HOLD ON ONE SECOND.
WE DON'T HAVE YOUR AUDIO YET, SO I'M GOING TO MAKE SURE WE CAN GET THAT.
HEY, ARE YOU STILL WITH US? STILL THERE.
I'M TELL TO DO GLAD YOU TO SEE HER IN THE LIBRARY, BUT I LEFT FROM THE CITY EVENING, THE THING LIKE THAT, BUT I'M IN NORTH ULA NOW, SO WE JUST GOT THROUGH THE DEBATE ABOUT BEAUFORT VERSUS BEFORD.
SO I GAVE YOU GREETINGS OF BEING BEAUFORT FROM BUFORD.
SO I'M VERY HAPPY TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY BEFORE I TO STEP INTO THE NEXT PART OF THE EVENT THAT I'M ATTENDING.
TO PRESENT THIS, I PRAY THAT A MAN HAS COPIES OF THREE BOARDS THAT I PRESENTED TO CANDY AT THE LIBRARY WHERE YOU A SEATED.
UH, AND IT PRESENTED PREVIOUSLY AS WE WERE WORKING ON WHAT WILL BE A HEALTH TRAIL THAT WILL START WHERE THE LIBRARY IS, BUT TAKING THE BACK ROAD, NOT THE PAVED ROAD THAT PEOPLE DRIVE DOWN, NOT THE SIDEWALK, THE DIRT ROAD THAT GOES AROUND THE BACK.
IT WOULD START FROM THE GULLAH
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GEECHEE ROOM INSIDE, WHICH IS WHERE THE GULLAH GEECHEE CULTURAL HERITAGE PIECE THAT YOU WOULD SEE WOULD BE MOUNTED AND THEN GO OUT THE BACK DOORS INTO WHAT I CALL THE MEDITATION AND READING GARDEN AND PERFORMING ART SPACE TO THE RAIN GARDEN AREA.AND THEN THE RAIN GARDEN BOARD THAT YOU WOULD SEE WOULD BE MOUNTED THERE.
AND THEN THE TRAIL WILL CONTINUE TO PASS THE LEROY BROWN SERVICE CENTER AND OVER TO PENN CENTER AND DOWN ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE KING COTTAGE AT THE SALT MARSH.
THERE'S ACTUALLY A SERIES OF SEVEN BOARDS THAT ARE PART OF THIS HELP TRAIL THAT WE WANT TO HELP PEOPLE LEARN ABOUT GOCHI CULTURE AND THE ENVIRONMENT WHILE THEY THEN GET THEIR BODIES MORE IN SHAPE, WE WANT TO GET THEIR MINDS MORE IN SHAPE AND WHAT GREATER PLACE TO BEGIN THAN AT OUR BEAUTIFUL AND AWARD-WINNING SAME TIME IN THE BRANCH LIBRARY.
SO THIS IS PART OF A BROADER PROJECT THAT I HAVE BEEN WORKING ON.
SO THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY PROVIDED MUSIC COUNTY WITH THE BUILDING BLOCK GRANT IN THE HEIGHT OF COVID WHEN, WHEN MOTHER EARTH SENT EVERYBODY TO THEIR ROOMS TO SIT DOWN, I WAS IN THE ROOM WORKING WITH THEM.
AND SO WE WORKED ON A SERIES OF THINGS TO HELP WITH ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY OF ST.
AND SO THIS HEALTH TRAIL IS JUST ONE COMPONENT OF THAT.
AND WE WOULD LOVE TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE THE US ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS COME IN AND ACTUALLY MOUNT THE OUTDOOR BOARD AT THE RAIN GARDEN.
AND THEN ALSO ASSIST IF NEEDED WITH THE MOUNTING OF THE GULLAH GEECHEE CULTURAL HERITAGE BOARD ON THE INSIDE OF THE GULLAH GEECHEE ROOM AT THE LIBRARY.
SO THAT THE LIBRARY IS A PART OF THIS TRAIL THAT CONNECTS THE ENTIRE PENN CENTER NATIONAL HISTORIC LANDMARK DISTRICT.
AND SO THAT'S IN A NUTSHELL, UM, WHAT YOU'VE COME TO ASK IS WHETHER OR NOT YOU WOULD HAVE THE PERMISSION FROM YOU AS A NO COURSE WHATSOEVER, UM, FOR THE US ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS TO BRING IN THE OUTDOOR SIGNAGE FOR THE RAIN GARDEN AND THEN ALSO PROVIDE YOU WITH THE SIGNAGE THAT WOULD BE PLACED IN THE GULLAH BEACH U.
AND I DO HAVE, UM, PHOTOS PREPARED.
I JUST CAN'T DO 'EM AT THE SAME TIME THAT WE'RE DOING ZOOM, SO I'LL BE SHOWING THOSE IN JUST A FEW MOMENTS TO THE FULL BOARD.
UM, THE ART COMMITTEE HAS ALREADY SEEN THEM, UM, ALREADY, SO, UM, WE'LL BE TALKING ABOUT THOSE AGAIN.
UM, DOES ANYBODY HAVE QUESTIONS WHILE YOU HAVE HER HERE? UM, FIRST OF ALL, I THINK IT'S A GREAT IDEA BECAUSE THAT'S ONE THING THAT THIS AREA NEEDS.
IT'S SOME KIND, SOMETHING TO BRING IT ALL TOGETHER.
UM, AND I WONDER HOW LONG IS THE TRAIL? WERE YOU ABLE, YOU SAID HOW LONG IS THE TRAIL? YES.
WAS THAT THE QUESTION? BECAUSE I CAN'T, YOUR MA'AM IS TERRIBLE ON MY ANGLE.
SO WE DID NOT MEASURE THE TRAIL BECAUSE THAT WASN'T, UM, WITHIN OUR PURVIEW ARE REALLY OUR CONCERN ABOUT HOW LONG THE TRAIL IS.
THE MORE CONCERN IS TO JUST GET PEOPLE OUTTA THEIR CARS AND STOP JUST DRIVING UP TO THE LIBRARY AND DUMPING OUT THEIR BOOKS AND, AND THEN JUMPING BACK IN THE CARS AND GOING ABOUT THEIR BUSINESS.
SO WE HAVE NOT MEASURED OFFICIALLY HOW LONG THE DISTANCE IS FROM THE LIBRARY DOWN TO THE KING COLLEGE JUST YET.
WILL YOU BE ABLE TO SEE THESE BEFORE SHE PUTS THEM UP AND GET APPROVED THEM AND MAKE SURE THAT THEY FIT INTO OUR PLAN? YES.
UH, THE QUESTION WAS YOU, I PROVIDED 'EM TO YOU.
SEE, THAT'S THE ONE, THAT'S WHY I ASKED.
DO YOU MEAN JUST THE ACTUAL PHYSICAL HARD ONES? BECAUSE I'M NOT THERE FOR YOU TO BE ABLE TO SEE THOSE SIDES OF WHAT THEY ARE.
IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE ASKING? YEAH, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE IT FITS INTO, INTO OUR WHOLE PERSPECTIVE THE LIBRARY.
'CAUSE ONE'S GONNA BE IN THE LIBRARY.
SO I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT IT'S IN THE GO.
IN THE GO GEE YOU ROOM, RIGHT? YES.
THE ONE IN THE GO, GEE, YOU ROOM IS NOT A MATTER OF ISSUE REALLY.
IF YOU NEEDED TO BE A CERTAIN SIZE, THEN I'LL JUST PAY FOR IT TO FIT THE SIZE ROOM.
THE ONES THAT GO OUTSIDE DON'T HAVE TO BE A STANDARD SIZE BECAUSE THE OUTDOOR MATERIALS THAT THEY HAVE TO BE ENCLOSED IN COME IN CERTAIN STANDARD SIZES AND ALL THE OTHER ONES ARE PRINTED ON THE SAME SPEC.
SO THEY HAVE TO MATCH THROUGHOUT THE TREADMILL THAT'S OUTSIDE.
IF THERE'S AN ISSUE FOR THE SIZE OF THE ONE INDOORS, WE'LL WE CAN DEAL WITH THAT.
AND TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, UM, AND TO PIGGYBACK ON WHAT QUET SAID, I'M CONFIDENT IF YOU, UM, ENDORSE THIS PROPOSAL THAT, THAT QUIN QUIT AND I CAN WORK TOGETHER TO MAKE SURE THAT IT MATCHES WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR.
UM, DO YOU HAVE AMANDA'S EASY TO WORK WITH? I
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I HEARD WHAT YOU SAID BECAUSE I'M NOT PART OF THE ARMY CORPS ENGINEERS, THEY HAVE NOT PROVIDED THOSE SPECIFIC DETAILS.
I CAN TELL YOU WHAT THEY ARE SIMILAR TO.
IF YOU HAVE BEEN ON THE OPEN LAND TRUST PROPERTY THAT IS IN THE FULLER AREA ON HIGHWAY 21.
SO IF YOU ARE LEAVING THE LIBRARY HEADING BACK TO BUFORD ON YOUR LEFT HAND SIDE OF HIGHWAY 21, AFTER YOU PASS THE POST OFFICE, IF YOU WERE TO TURN INTO THE OPEN LAND TRUST PROPERTY, YOU WILL SEE THE TYPE OF WAYSIDE SIGN THAT THIS IS.
THAT IS THE TABLE TYPE LEVEL ONE WITH THE LEGS, WITH THE 90 DEGREE KIND OF ANGLED LEGS AND A 45 DEGREE ANGLE FORWARD.
THAT'S THE KIND OF MOUNTING THAT IT IS.
SO I WOULD JUST SAY AS SOMEONE WHO'S STUDIED ENGINEERING THAT I DO BELIEVE THEY ARE GOING TO THEN PUT SOME CONCRETE IN TO ACTUALLY SHORE IT UP INTO THE GROUND SO IT'S NOT JUST MOVING AROUND, YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY WITH HURRICANES, CHILDREN OR ANY OF THAT.
UM, BUT THEY WILL MAKE SURE THAT'S COMPLIANT TO WHAT IS NECESSARY FOR SAFETY CODES AND ALL OF THAT.
SO I CAN GET THEM TO TELL YOU THOSE SPECS.
BUT THOSE ARE OTHER ENGINEERS, WHICH MEANS IT'LL SLOW DOWN WHEN WE PUT GEORGE IN.
AND WE ARE TRYING TO UNVEIL THESE IN OCTOBER FOR GULLAH GEECHEE CULTURAL HERITAGE AWARENESS MONTH BECAUSE WE ALREADY HAVE THE APPROVAL FOR THE MAJOR PART OF IT.
DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? I KNOW QUEEN QUE GRACIOUSLY GIVEN US TIME TODAY BEFORE HER NEXT APPOINTMENT.
AND I'M LOOKING RIGHT AT EVERYBODY GOING IN THE DOOR AND I KNOW THEY'RE GETTING READY TO COME IN,
THANK YOU FOR JOINING US FROM NORTH CAROLINA AND I'LL BE GETTING IN CONTACT WITH YOU SOON.
AND I THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION.
IF I WAS THERE, I WOULD DEFINITELY BE HOLDING UP A SIGN TO PLAYING MY VAN, A WHITE ROLL FOR YOU AND EVERYTHING.
UM, BUT I'M PLEASED THAT AMANDA'S GONNA SHOW YOU AT LEAST WHAT THEY LOOK LIKE DIGITALLY.
AND THEN I'LL SEND YOU ALL AN EMAIL WITH MORE DETAILS IF YOU NEED THAT.
SO THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION AND FOR THE WORK THAT YOU DO TO CONTINUE TO PROMOTE LITERACY IN ALL LIBRARIES IN BEFORD COUNTY.
UM, A CAN I HAVE SOMEONE SWITCH OVER? HE'S NOT ALLOWED TO SWITCH TO THE PRESENTATION.
UM, WHILE HE'S DOING THAT, I'LL GO AHEAD AND PROCEED WITH MY DIRECTOR'S REPORT FOR WHAT I DON'T NEED VISUALS FOR.
IN YOUR PACKET, YOU'VE SEEN OUR MONTHLY STATS AND YOU'VE ALSO SEEN OUR LATEST ORGANIZATIONAL CHART.
UM, I'M HAPPY TO REPORT THAT WE HAVE TWO VACANCIES PENDING.
WE HAVE TWO EMPLOYEES STARTING ON MONDAY, WHICH LEAVES US WITH ONLY TWO VACANCIES THAT WE'RE STILL ADVERTISING FOR AT THIS PRESENT MOMENT.
UM, SO, UH, I KNOW NORMALLY I GET SMILES AT THIS POINT OF THE UPDATE BECAUSE YOU'RE GLAD TO SEE THAT WE ARE, UM, WE ARE FULLY, ALMOST FULLY STAFFED AND THAT WE ARE NOT, UM, SHOWING AS MANY VACANCIES AS PREVIOUS YEARS.
WE HAVE NEVER SEEN I JOE, HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN ON THE BOARD? VERY LONG.
HAVE YOU SEEN THE CHART THAT LOOKED AS GOOD AS THIS? I MEAN, THIS IS THE BEST LOOKING CHART WE'VE EVER HAD IN THE TIME.
MOST OF US HAVE BEEN ON THE BOARD TAB CAB.
ARE YOU, DO YOU GET THE 10 YEAR OLD AWARD? NEVER SAW IT THIS COMPLETE.
WELL, WHILE IT'S FRESH IN YOUR MINDS, I WANT TO SHOW YOU THE, THE IMAGES THAT I HAVE BEEN GIVEN BY QUEEN QUIT ABOUT THE, UM, PROPOSED SIGNAGE.
THIS FIRST IS JUST A MAP OF THE, THE PROPOSED CAMPUS TRAIL.
SO THAT'S JUST THE EXTENT OF IT.
UM, AND, AND YOU CAN SEE THAT IT ALL CENTERS AROUND THE PENN CENTER CAMPUS.
THIS WOULD BE THE FIRST SIGN, THE THE HERITAGE SIGN.
SHE TALKED ABOUT GOING IN THE BASKET IN THE INTERIOR OF ST.
AND THIS IS THE RAIN GARDEN SIGN THAT YOU TALKED ABOUT.
THE DIGITAL PICTURE'S A LITTLE SKEWED.
IT IS, IT IS APPROPRIATELY ASYMMETRIC, BUT OR SYMMETRICAL.
UM, AND THAT WOULD BE THE ONE THAT GOES IN THE EXTERIOR BEHIND ME IN THE READING GARDEN.
I'VE INVITED, UM, THERESA FERISH, OUR PROGRAMS AND EVENTS LIBRARIAN TO GIVE YOU A RECAP OF SUMMER READING, BUT WE FIRST MADE A VIDEO, SO I'M GONNA ASK YOU TO TURN YOUR ATTENTION TO THE SCREEN SO THAT YOU CAN SEE THE FOOTAGE FROM WHAT WAS SUMMER OF 2023.
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ALL RIGHT.SO THAT WAS, I FEEL LIKE A REALLY GOOD SUMMARY OF OUR SUMMER READING PROGRAM.
UM, FROM, UH, MAGICIANS TO MUSICIANS.
UH, WE HAD A LOT OF AWESOME PROGRAMS THAT HAPPENED IN CONJUNCTION WITH OUR, UH, TRADITIONAL SUMMER READING PROGRAM AS WELL.
UM, AND THE THEME, UM, AS YOU PROBABLY NOTICED HERE AND THERE, UM, WAS ON THERE WITH THE LOGO FOR ALTOGETHER NOW.
SO IT WAS ALL ABOUT FRIENDSHIP, UNITY, KINDNESS.
SO IT FELT LIKE IT WAS REALLY PERFECT FOR BEAUFORD COUNTY THIS YEAR.
UM, WE HAD 1,044, UH, BEAUFORD COUNTY CARD CARDHOLDERS THAT FINISHED IN COMPLETION, THE SUMMER READING PROGRAM, WHICH WE'RE REALLY PROUD OF SEEING, UM, ALL THE PARTICIPATION WE HAVE THIS YEAR.
FROM WHAT YOU SAW IN THE VIDEO.
DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY, UM, QUESTIONS ABOUT THE PROGRAM? YES.
FIRST OF ALL, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE'RE ALL SO PROUD OF THE WORK THAT YOU DO.
YOU NEED TO KNOW THAT, AND I LOVE THE PICTURES THAT SHOW REALLY CROWDS ATTENDING THE EVENTS.
COULD YOU EXPLAIN A LITTLE BIT WHY YOU HAVE DATA UP THERE ABOUT THE FINISHERS, THE NUMBER WHO FINISHED AND THE THOUSAND WAS A BIG DECREASE FROM LAST YEAR AND THE YEAR BEFORE.
SO WHAT'S CONTRIBUTING TO THAT AND WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED AND WHAT WILL YOU DO DIFFERENTLY NEXT YEAR? SO PUT THAT IN PERSPECTIVE FOR US.
UM, YES, IT IS, UM, WHEN YOU SEE THE NUMBERS OF PAST YEARS, UM, YOU'LL SEE IN 2019, FOR EXAMPLE, WE HAD ALMOST 3,700 AND EVERY YEAR IT GOES DOWN
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A LITTLE BIT.UM, I THINK A LOT OF THAT INITIALLY IN THE PAST COUPLE YEARS, STARTING WITH 2021, OBVIOUSLY CONTRIBUTED A LITTLE BIT FROM C O I D.
HOWEVER, NOW THAT WE'RE FAR REMOVED FROM IT, YOU COULD SEE WITH OUR, UH, COMMUNITY PEOPLE WERE GOING ON VACATIONS AGAIN, THEY WERE VERY INVOLVED IN OTHER ASPECTS OF THE COMMUNITY.
HOWEVER, WE DID HAVE AN INCREASE OF 2000 ATTENDEES AT OUR PROGRAMS THIS SUMMER.
UM, SOME OF THE FEEDBACK WE GOT FOR THIS YEAR PARTICULARLY, UM, WAS THAT, UH, SOME OF THE, UM, PROMPTS THAT WE HAD ON THE GAME BOARD, THEY REALLY ENCOURAGED PEOPLE TO, UH, EXPLORE OUR DIGITAL RESOURCES.
AND SO FOR SOME IT SEEMED THAT WAS A BIT OF A BARRIER.
SO SOMETHING THAT WE TRY THAT WAS A LITTLE DIFFERENT THAN YEARS PAST.
UM, SO GOING FORWARD, WE OBVIOUSLY KNOW TO MAKE IT EVEN MORE FLEXIBLE, UM, THAN IT WAS THIS YEAR.
UM, HOWEVER, UH, EVEN WITH IN, UH, SHOWCASING THE DIGITAL RESOURCES IN THE GAME BOARD ITSELF, EVEN THOUGH THE AMOUNT OF PARTICIPANTS IS DOWN, I THINK THE OTHER NUMBERS THAT ARE REALLY IMPRESSIVE TO TALK ABOUT IS THE OTHER IMPACT OF THE SUMMER READING PROGRAM AND OUR DIGITAL RESOURCES WERE USED MORE THAN EVER THIS SUMMER COMPARED TO YEARS PAST.
UM, OUR, UH, UM, DOOR COUNT WAS WAY UP AS WELL AS, UM, THE, UH, AMOUNT OF PEOPLE WHO ARE USING, ESPECIALLY HOOPLA, NOT JUST OUR DIGITAL RESOURCES, BUT THAT AS WELL.
SO WE HAVE A SURVEY THAT WE PUT OUT AT THE END OF EVERY SUMMER READING, AND WE USE THAT TO KIND OF SHAPE WHAT WE DO IN THE FUTURE.
SO THIS YEAR, THE FEEDBACK THAT WE RECEIVED WAS, LIKE I SAID, SOME OF THE ACTIVITIES MIGHT'VE, UM, DETERRED FOLKS FROM PARTICIPATING, UM, DEPENDING ON THEIR NEEDS, THEIR INTERESTS, UM, AND SO ON.
AND SOME PEOPLE ENJOYED THE GAME ASPECT.
'CAUSE THIS YEAR IT WAS SIX IN A ROW, IT WAS AN ARRAY OF 36, UH, DIFFERENT ACTIVITIES.
HOWEVER, PEOPLE LOVE THE GAME FORMAT, BUT THEY LIKE THE FORWARD MOVEMENT OF A GAME, WHICH WAS REMINISCENT OF OUR 2019 AND 2021 YEARS.
SO WE'RE GONNA KIND OF, UH, TAKE SOME OF THAT INFORMATION WHEN WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO NEXT YEAR.
THE THEME NEXT YEAR IS ADVENTURE, SO IT REALLY FITS IN WITH US, KIND OF CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE KIND OF STYLE OF A GAME BOARD.
UM, ONE IS A POWERFUL STATEMENT, WHICH IS YOU MEASURE WHAT YOU VALUE, YOU VALUE WHAT YOU MEASURE.
SO IF WE VALUE FINISHERS, THEN THINKING ABOUT LEARNING WHAT YOU COULD DO TO GET MORE FINISHERS IS THE IMPORTANT POINT HERE.
UM, IF YOU DON'T REALLY VALUE FINISHERS AND YOU JUST VALUE PARTICIPANTS, THEN QUIT THAT, THEN QUIT MEASURING THAT, YOU KNOW? SO JUST THINK ABOUT THAT.
YOU MEASURE WHAT YOU VALUE, YOU VALUE WHAT YOU MEASURE.
I THINK YOU ALSO HAD A SUMMER LUNCH PROGRAM.
CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT AND HOW THIS YEAR COMPARED TO THE, UH, THE PAST? UM, SO THIS YEAR, AGAIN, UH, WE WORKED WITH THE U S D A, UM, UH, AND THEY HAD FREE LUNCHES AVAILABLE AT ALL OF THE BRANCHES.
UM, THIS IS, UH, SOMETHING THAT WE'VE DONE FOR MANY YEARS.
UM, AND PARTICIPATION, UH, WAS STILL VERY, VERY GOOD.
I DON'T HAVE THE SPECIFIC NUMBERS IN FRONT OF ME AT THIS VERY MOMENT, BUT ANECDOTALLY, I KNOW FROM, UH, VARIOUS BRANCH MANAGERS AND THOSE THAT WERE INVOLVED IN IT, THAT FOR SOME PEOPLE THAT WAS THE ONLY MEAL THAT THEY WOULD HAVE THAT WEEK.
SO THAT IN CONJUNCTION BY OFFERING IT THROUGH SUMMER READING, UM, WAS, UH, HAD SUCH A POSITIVE, UM, IMPACT ON, ON THAT PROGRAM.
WE'RE, WE'RE GRATEFUL TO BE, UM, INCLUDED AND THOUGHT OF, UM, WHEN THE SCHOOL DISTRICT KIND OF REACHES OUT ABOUT THAT EVERY YEAR.
DO, DO YOU STILL HAVE THAT GOOD RELATIONSHIP FOR SUMMER READING WITH THE SCHOOLS? WE DO, YES.
UM, ACTUALLY, UH, WE'RE, YEAH, MELISSA MURRAY, UM, THE DIRECTOR OF LITERACY WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, UM, SHE, EVERY YEAR WE'VE WORKED WITH HER AND SHE WORKS WITH THE SCHOOL TO, UM, MAKE SURE THAT THEY ORDER THE GAME BOARDS FOR ALL OF THE STUDENTS IN BEFORD COUNTY, AND SHE DISTRIBUTES THEM HERSELF, UH, TO THE DIFFERENT SCHOOLS.
AND THEN THE TEACHERS MAKE SURE THAT THE KIDS LEAVE, UM, BEFORE SUMMER BREAK WITH THOSE IN HAND.
USUALLY SOME OF THEM GET THEM WITH THEIR REPORT CARDS AND, UH, THINGS LIKE THAT AT THE VERY END OF THE SCHOOL YEAR.
UM, BUT WE ALSO HAVE A LOT OF OUR LIBRARIANS AND LIBRARY STAFF THAT GO TO THE SCHOOLS, UH, TOWARDS THE END OF THE YEAR, USUALLY AROUND APRIL AND MAY, UM, A LITTLE BEFORE THE TESTING SEASON KIND OF STARTS, UM, TO TALK UP SOME OF READING AND GET THEM
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REALLY HYPED UP FOR IT.YEAH, WE CAN'T WAIT FOR NEXT YEAR, AND I HOPE YOU ALL PARTICIPATE NEXT YEAR TOO, AND I LOVE THAT YOU ALREADY PICKED A THEME FOR NEXT YEAR,
SO THE THEME IS ACTUALLY, UH, WITH, UM, THE C S L P.
SO IT'S THE COLLABORATIVE SUMMER LEARNING, UH, PROGRAM.
IT'S A NATIONWIDE THING THAT THE SOUTH CAROLINA STATE LIBRARY PAYS INTO, UM, A MEMBERSHIP OF.
AND SO THEY CREATE WITH, UH, CHILDREN'S ARTISTS, UM, AND GRAPHIC DESIGN HOUSES, ALL THE ART THAT YOU, YOU TYPICALLY SEE THAT WE, UH, USE AND FEATURE, UM, AS WELL AS THE FONTS.
UM, IT MAKES IT SO IT'S ALL COHESIVE.
UM, AND IT'S ACTUALLY A LOT OF, UM, CHILDREN'S LIBRARIANS, TEEN LIBRARIANS, AND ADULT LIBRARIANS AND BRANCH MANAGERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY THAT ARE VOTING ON THESE THEMES AND THE, UM, UH, NOT JUST THE, THE OVERARCHING THEME, BUT ALSO THE SLOGANS AS WELL.
SO DOES THAT MEAN THAT ALL THE LIBRARIES ACROSS THE UNITED STATES WILL HAVE ADVENTURE AS THEIR THEME FOR SUMMER READING? IF THEY, UM, FOR 2024 CHOOSE TO PARTICIPATE IN IT AND THEY, UM, WORK WITH THEIR LOCAL, UM, ORGANIZATION? SO FOR US, IT'S THE STATE, UH, LIBRARY OF SOUTH CAROLINA.
SO FOR EXAMPLE, UH, GEORGIA, IF THEIR STATE LIBRARY PARTICIPATES IN IT, AND, UH, THEIR, UM, UH, LIBRARY INDEPENDENTLY, UH, WORKS WITH THEM, THEY CAN, UH, GET ACCESS TO ALL OF THE, THE ART AND EVERYTHING.
SO NOT EVERY SINGLE LIBRARY IN THE UNITED STATES USES IT, BUT A GOOD MAJORITY DO.
AND WE'RE REALLY GRATEFUL BECAUSE IT GIVES US SOMETHING, UH, A CONCRETE IDEA TO FOCUS ON.
AS CUSTOMARY, I'M GOING TO ROLL THROUGH, UM, THE FOUR, UH, GOALS AND FOCUSES OF OUR STRATEGIC PLAN AND GIVE YOU AN UPDATE ON THE WORK WE'VE ACCOMPLISHED SINCE YOUR LAST MEETING.
SO, UM, THE BIGGEST, ONE OF THE BIGGEST THINGS THAT HAS BEEN ON OUR PLATES HAS BEEN THE PARKING TOKEN PILOT PROGRAM, SAY THAT FIVE TIMES FAST
AND WE'VE BEEN, UM, BLESSED BY TAB AND CHUCK WHO KIND OF GOT ALL THE PLAYERS TOGETHER, UM, AND CAME UP WITH THIS THREE MONTH PILOT PROGRAM.
IT BEGAN, UM, IN JUNE AND LASTED THROUGH AUGUST.
UM, ACCORDING TO THE DATA THAT, UM, OUR STAFF HAVE PROVIDED TO ME OVER THAT THREE MONTH PERIOD, WE, UH, DISTRIBUTED 414 TOKENS, AND THOSE WERE TOKENS FOR ONE HOUR OF PARKING, UM, BASED ON WHETHER THE PERSON REGISTERED FOR A LIBRARY CARD, ATTENDED A LIBRARY PROGRAM, WHETHER THEY VOLUNTEERED AT THE LIBRARY, CONDUCTED RESEARCH IN THE BEAUFORT DISTRICT COLLECTION, OR IF THEY COMPLAINED ABOUT A PARKING TICKET.
AND YOU CAN SEE THAT WE DIDN'T NOTE THAT WE GAVE ONE OUT BECAUSE OF THE COMPLAINT, BUT ALL BECAUSE OF POSITIVE USE OF THE LIBRARY.
SO WE HAVE EVERY INDICATION TO PROVIDE THIS INFORMATION WITH BUFORT, WITH THE CITY OF BUFORT, AND HOPE TO CONTINUE THIS ONGOING.
WE'VE ALSO, UM, IN TERMS OF COLLECTIONS POINT NUMBER TWO IN OUR STRATEGIC PLAN, UM, OUR STAFF ARE WORKING ON SELECTING TITLES FOR WHAT WE CALL AN OPENING DAY COLLECTION FOR PORT ROYAL.
SO EVEN THOUGH WE DON'T HAVE AN, AN ANTICIPATED OPENING DATE, CONSTRUCTION HASN'T EVEN STARTED IN THE INTERIOR OF THE PORT ROYAL LIBRARY, WE'RE NOT LETTING ANY GRASS GROW UNDER OUR FEET.
AND, AND WE'RE ALREADY PRE-SELECTING TITLES THAT WE CAN ORDER AND HAVE ON HAND FOR THAT OPENING DAY.
I'M ALSO, UM, GONNA REMIND YOU THAT IN FEBRUARY OF THIS YEAR, I APPLIED FOR AN L S T A, UM, IMPACT GRANT THROUGH THE STATE LIBRARY.
AND WITH THAT GRANT I ASKED FOR PICKUP LOCKER, A PICKUP LOCKER SPECIFICALLY TO BE, UM, INSTALLED AND MADE AVAILABLE AT THE BURTON WELLS RECREATION CENTER.
AND I JUST WANNA REMIND YOU OF THAT HISTORY, BECAUSE I'M NOW GONNA TELL YOU AN UPDATE ON THAT.
EVEN THOUGH THIS STARTED IN FEBRUARY, I'VE HAD NO UPDATE UNTIL MOST RECENTLY WHERE I WAS GIVEN, UM, GO AHEAD TO HONE IN ON A FEW ELEMENTS OF THAT APPLICATION, MAKE IT A LITTLE BIT MORE ROBUST, AND HOPEFULLY RECEIVE AN APPROVAL IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS.
SO I HOPE TO BE ABLE TO ANNOUNCE IN YOUR NOVEMBER MEETING THAT WE ARE INCLUDED IN THE LIBRARIES IN SOUTH CAROLINA RECEIVING AN IMPACT GRANT.
AND I WANNA LET YOU LOOK AT WHAT THAT PICKUP LOCKER KIND OF LOOKS LIKE.
THIS IS AN EXTERIOR PICKUP LOCKER.
UM, IF WE GET THIS GRANT AWARD AND, AND ARE ABLE TO INSTALL OUR FIRST PICKUP LOCKER AT BURTON WELLS REC CENTER, IT WILL LOOK SIMILAR TO THAT.
WE'LL BE ABLE TO DESIGN THE COLORS AND THE WRAP OURSELVES.
UM, BUT YOU CAN SEE THAT IT HAS AN INTERFACE IN THE MIDDLE WHERE A, A CUSTOMER, A CARD HOLDER BRINGS THEIR CARD.
THEY WOULD HAVE ALREADY PRE REQUESTED SOME AN ITEM TO BE THERE.
OUR STAFF WOULD'VE ALREADY LOADED THAT ONCE THEY RECEIVED THE QUEST REQUEST.
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HOLDER GETS THE NOTIFICATION THAT YOUR ITEM IS READY AT THE BURTON WELLS PICKUP LOCKER, THEY'LL DRIVE TO BURTON WELLS PARK, UH, GO UP TO THE PICKUP LOCKER, SCAN THEIR LIBRARY CARD, AND VOILA, A LOCKER WILL OPEN THAT HAS THEIR ITEMS AND THEY'VE JUST CHECKED IT OUT.SO WE'RE HOPING THAT THIS IS GONNA BE THE FIRST OF PERHAPS ADDITIONAL PICKUP LOCKERS, BUT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IS VERY POPULAR, UM, IN LIBRARIES ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
EVEN MORE SO POST COVID, UM, WHERE IT EXPANDS LIBRARIES AND ACCESS TO LIBRARY SERVICES BEYOND THE WALLS AND OPERATING HOURS OF THE LOCAL LIBRARY.
AMANDA, WHAT BRANCH PERSONNEL ARE GOING TO DO THAT? SO RIGHT NOW, UM, OUR PLAN IS THAT OUR, UM, OUR COURIER WOULD TAKE THAT IN THERE ALONG WITH THEIR ROUTE EVERY DAY.
WE HAVEN'T YET DETERMINED IF IT WOULD REQUIRE, IF THE DEMAND WOULD REQUIRE THAT.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE REALLY, UM, LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING THE FUNDING, HOPEFULLY INSTALLING THEM AND SEEING WHAT THE RESPONSE WILL BE.
YES, JOE, THE PICKUP LOCKER ALSO HAVE A DROP OFF.
WE JUST ATTENDED A DEMONSTRATION WITH THE VENDOR ON TUESDAY OF THIS WEEK, AND THEY'VE RECENTLY UPGRADED THE ENTIRE LOCKER SYSTEM.
UM, PRIOR TO RIGHT NOW, YOU WOULD HAVE TO ALSO PAY FOR AN ADDITIONAL RETURN BIN, BUT NOW THEY'VE UPDATED THE TECHNOLOGY SO THAT IF THERE'S AN EMPTY LOCKER, SOMEBODY CAN RETURN ITEMS TO AN EMPTY LOCKER WITHOUT NEEDING THE ADDITIONAL RETURN BIN.
SO IF THERE'S AN EMPTY LOCKER AVAILABLE, SOMEBODY CAN ALSO RETURN.
NOW WOULD THIS BE AN ADDITIONAL OPTION ON SC LENS SO THAT THE PATRON AND PATRON RESERVES THE TITLE, IT SHOWS IT AS THE PICKUP LOCKER AT BURTON? WELL, YEAH.
SO JOE, WHEN YOU'RE AT HOME AND YOU'RE PUTTING YOUR BESTSELLER ON REQUEST, WHEN YOU SEE THE LIST OF LOCATIONS WHERE YOU COULD PICK IT UP, YEAH, YOU WOULD THEN SEE THAT.
SO IF YOU WANTED TO DRIVE FROM HILTON, HAD TO GO PICK IT UP JUST FOR THE FUN OF IT, WE WOULD BE HAPPY TO DO THAT FOR YOU.
UH, THE THIRD GOAL AND FOCUS THAT WE HAVE IN OUR STRATEGIC PLAN THAT YOU'RE WELL AWARE OF IS SPACE.
FORGIVE ME IF I MIGHT HAVE MISSED SOMETHING, BUT YOU MENTIONED THE GRANT THAT YOU'VE BEEN WORKING ON.
HAS THIS BEEN PRESENTED TO THE
'CAUSE UNTIL IN FEBRUARY IT WAS JUST A SHOT THEY RECEIVED IT, OR EVEN, I, I HAVEN'T YET.
UM, THIS HAS BEEN THE FIRST PUBLIC TALK OF IT.
ASIDE FROM LETTING YOU KNOW THAT I INTENDED TO APPLY, UM, I HATE TO RAISE EXPECTATIONS IF I DON'T, IF I'M NOT SURE IF WE'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO FULFILL 'EM.
SO I WOULD RATHER BE IN FRONT OF THE COMMUNITY CELEBRATING THE ANNOUNCEMENT THAN HAVE RAISED EXPECTATION AND COME BACK AND OFFER DISAPPOINTING NEWS THAT WE, WE WEREN'T SELECTED.
SO IN TERMS OF OUR SPACES, UM, WE CONTINUE TO WORK ON FORT ROYAL BRANCH LIBRARY.
UM, THE AWARD PROJECT, UH, WAS OUT BID IN AUGUST, THAT BID PERIOD CLOSED, AND NOW BEAUFORT COUNTY ENGINEERING IS WORKING TO GET, UM, THE NAME OF THE CONTRACTOR, UM, FOR COUNCIL FOR APPROVAL.
SO WE HOPE TO HAVE A NAMED CONTRACTOR BY THE END OF OCTOBER, HOPEFULLY.
UM, AND WORKING TOWARDS MORE INFORMATION ON WHAT THAT TIMELINE MIGHT LOOK LIKE, UM, AND HOW WE ALSO NEED TO PREPARE FOR THE INTERIOR WORK TO, TO GO ON IN THAT BUILDING.
UM, CONCURRENTLY, ASIDE FROM THE WORKING ON THE COLLECTION, JOSH AND I ARE WORKING THROUGH OUR PROCUREMENT OFFICE, UM, AT THE COUNTY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN TO HELP IDENTIFY A VENDOR FOR THE FURNITURE, THE SHELVING, UM, AND WORK THROUGH PROCUREMENT TO GO, UM, THROUGH THE PROCESS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HIRE BASED ON THE CURRENT RULES.
AND THEN IN COMMUNICATIONS, YOU SAW THERESA WEARING HER BRAND NEW POLO.
YOU'LL HEAR JOE TALK ABOUT THIS IN HIS BUDGET UPDATE.
BUT, UM, THANKS TO TO CHUCK ADVISING ME ON HOW I COULD GET A UNIFORM LINE ITEM IN OUR BUDGET.
UM, WE NOW ALL OF OUR STAFF ARE, ARE RECEIVING THESE BRAND NEW, UM, PROFESSIONAL LOOKING LIBRARY BRANDED POLOS, SO THAT WHEN THEY ARE OUT IN THE COMMUNITY PERFORMING OUTREACH VISITS AT SCHOOLS OR LOCAL FESTIVALS, THEY'RE READILY IDENTIFIED AS A BEAUFORT COUNTY LIBRARY EMPLOYEE AND THEY LOOK QUITE SHARP.
SO THAT'S KIND OF A, A, A FEATURE OF ONE OF THE CUTS OF THE LIBRARY, NEW POLO UNIFORM FOR OUTREACH.
AND I'D LIKE TO END MY REPORT TODAY BY JUST MAKING YOU AWARE OF A FEW UPCOMING EVENTS THAT YOU MAY BE INTERESTED IN KNOWING THIS SATURDAY, OUR BLUFFTON BRANCH LIBRARY WILL BE CELEBRATING THE START OF HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH BY HOSTING OUR CULTURES, OUR STORIES, UM, IT WILL BE AT 11:00 AM THEY'RE GONNA HAVE, UM, MUSIC, FOOD, UM, AND A LOT OF REPRESENTATION FROM ALL SORTS OF, UH, COMMUNITY RESIDENTS WHO ARE, UM, REPRESENTING
[00:35:01]
AND CELEBRATING THEIR SPECIFIC CULTURAL HERITAGE.THE SECOND THING I WANTED TO MAKE YOU AWARE OF IS, UM, A LOCAL AUTHOR EVENT AT, UH, THE HILTON HEAD BRANCH LIBRARY.
IT'S CALLED PARADISE MEMORIES.
UM, THE AUTHORS ARE NELL AND ORA SMITH, AND THAT WILL BE ON THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER THE 28TH AT 10:00 AM AT THE HILTON HEAD LIBRARY.
AND WE HAVE TWO ANNIVERSARIES COMING UP.
SO OUR BEAUFORT DISTRICT COLLECTION WILL BE CELEBRATING ITS ANNIVERSARY ON FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 29TH AT 1:00 PM I ENCOURAGE YOU TO COME AND LOOK.
I BELIEVE MS. CORDIAL, OUR LIBRARIAN IS GOING TO PERHAPS HAVE SOME ITEMS ON DISPLAY THAT DON'T ALWAYS LEAVE THE ARCHIVES FOR A MOMENT, JUST FOR PEOPLE TO KNOW THAT THEY DO EXIST.
UM, AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE, UM, ST.
HELENA'S 11TH ANNIVERSARY COMING UP ON SATURDAY, OCTOBER THE SEVENTH.
AND THAT, THAT CELEBRATION WILL BE HERE AT 11:00 AM SO JUST KINDA WANTED TO MAKE YOU AWARE OF THESE SPECIAL EVENTS HAPPENING.
OF COURSE, OUR FULL CALENDAR OF EVENTS IS ON OUR WEBSITE AND THERE'S A LOT LISTED THERE.
AND I ENCOURAGE YOU TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THESE FREE PUBLIC PROGRAMS THAT OUR LIBRARY STAFF PLAN AND HOST EVERY MONTH.
THAT IS THE END OF MY, UH, DIRECTOR'S REPORT.
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR ME, I'M HAPPY TO ENTERTAIN.
ANY UPDATE ON THE PRITCHARD V BRANCH? THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
UM, AND I THINK I'LL LET CHUCK ANSWER THAT.
I'LL BE HAPPY TO, UH, GOOD AFTERNOON TO EVERYONE.
SO WE ARE STILL ACTIVELY, UH, PURSUING A PLACE TO BUILD THAT LIBRARY.
UM, IT'S, THERE ARE CHALLENGES, BUT THERE ARE LEADS OUT THERE AND WE ARE WORKING, UH, AS HARD AS WE CAN TO IDENTIFY THAT.
AND, UH, I AM HOPEFUL THAT, UH, SOME OF THE LEADS THAT WE HAVE ARE GOING TO PAN OUT AND WITHIN THE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS, WE WILL HAVE SOME OPTIONS TO BRING FORWARD TO BOTH AND COUNTY COUNCIL.
SO, UM, IT IS, IT IS NOT A DEAD ISSUE.
WE HAVE NOT FORGOTTEN ABOUT IT.
WE ARE STILL DILIGENTLY PURSUING IT.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? DO YOU HAVE, WHO'S PURSUING IT? LIKE DO YOU HAVE A REALTOR PURSUING IT OR ARE YOU PURSUING IT? OR HOW IS IT BEING PURSUED
SO IT'S ON, ON, UM, MULTI-LEVEL.
UH, WE HAVE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT STAFF, WE HAVE PEOPLE WHO WORK, UM, IN OUR FACILITIES.
UH, YOU HAVE ME, WE HAVE SPECIAL PROJECTS MANAGER.
UH, WHEN YOU HAVE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS, UH, THEY ALL GO ON A PRIORITY LIST.
UH, IT IS CURRENTLY, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF IMPACT FEES, AS WE TALKED ABOUT BEFORE.
UH, WE, WE CLEARLY DON'T HAVE THE FUNDS RIGHT NOW TO BUILD A LIBRARY IN THAT AREA.
WHAT WE HAVE FUNDS FOR IS POTENTIALLY TO BUY THE LAND AND TO DO THE DESIGN.
THAT'S WHERE WE ARE WITH OUR IMPACT FEES.
SO IT IS CONSIDERED A PARTIALLY FUNDED PROJECT, BUT IT'S STILL A HIGH PRIORITY PROJECT.
SO WHAT I'M DOING IS ENGAGING DIFFERENT MEMBERS, UM, WHO HAVE INFORMATION OR ACTUALLY OWN PROPERTY.
UH, AS WE FIND THE PROPERTIES, WE LOOK FOR PROPERTIES THAT ARE FOR SALE.
WE LOOK FOR, UH, OTHER DEVELOPMENTS THAT POTENTIALLY HAVE, UH, UNCLAIMED PIECES OF PROPERTY.
AS PART OF THAT DEVELOPMENT, WE LOOK FOR OTHER PIECES OF PUBLIC PROPERTY THAT ARE OUT THERE.
UH, AS THOSE COME UP, WE ACTIVELY HAVE INCLUDED THAT LIBRARY SITE IN THAT SEARCH BECAUSE THIS IS NOT THE ONLY THING THAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR PROPERTY FOR.
RIGHT? UH, PUBLIC WORKS HAS A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT PROJECTS.
UM, OUR PASSIVE PARKS PROGRAM, WE'RE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR A RURAL CRITICAL, WE HAVE THE GREEN SPACE PROGRAM THAT'S ABOUT TO COME UP.
SO AS WE GO THROUGH THE PROCESS OF IDENTIFYING THOSE PROPERTIES, THIS IS ONE OF THE PROJECTS THAT'S AT THE TOP OF THE LIST THAT, HEY, AS WE'RE LOOKING FOR PROPERTIES, THIS IS INCLUDED IN THAT SEARCH.
AND I, I CAN'T GO, I CAN'T LIST ALL OF THE, THE POTENTIAL PROPERTIES THAT ARE OUT THERE OR WHO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT OR TALKING TO ABOUT THIS PROJECT, BUT THEY'RE THERE AND THEY'RE VERY ACTIVE.
SO, UM, I AM HOPEFUL THAT ONE OF THESE THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT WILL PAN OUT AND, UM, SOONER THAN LATER, IF YOU WILL, AND WE'LL HAVE SOMETHING TO BRING FORWARD SOON.
[VIII. Library Director’s Financial Report]
WOULD YOU LIKE TO GO INTO FINANCIAL REPORT? THANK YOU.IT'S ALWAYS DIFFICULT TO FOLLOW, UH, AMANDA, AND ESPECIALLY DIFFICULT TODAY WHEN YOU HAVE A VIDEO OF, UM, SOUNDS WITH BALLOONS AND MAGICIANS.
NONETHELESS, WHAT I'D LIKE TO START OUT WITH IS A BIT OF GOOD NEWS AND IN, IN YOUR PACKET AT THE VERY END OF THE FINANCIAL DOCUMENT SECTION ARE TWO PAGES, WHICH ARE IDENTIFIED AS AN OFFICIAL AND AN HONOR 30TH.
AND THOSE ARE OUR LAST TWO PAGES.
AND IF YOU DON'T FIND THEM, YOU CAN FOLLOW ME.
[00:40:02]
THE YEAR ENDING, THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING DOCUMENT THAT WE PRESENTED AT THE LAST MEETING, REALLY PRELIMINARY.AND AS YOU CAN EXPECT THERE, THERE ARE ADJUSTMENTS THAT ARE MADE BY BUFORD COUNTY AS THEY, AS THEY FINISH THE YEAR.
AND WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IN OUR LIBRARY PACKET IS REALLY A PRELIMINARY VERSION OF THEIR CLOSING.
AND THEN OBVIOUSLY IT TAKES TIME FOR DOCUMENTS AND INVOICES AND CHARGES TO PROPERLY HIT THE BOOKS AND TO CLOSE OUT.
SO WHAT WE HAVE THIS YEAR IS REALLY A RESTATEMENT OF WHERE, OF HOW WE ENDED FISCAL YEAR 23.
AND I WANT TO TELL EVERYONE THAT WE HAVE GOOD NEWS FOR THE LIBRARY ENDING FISCAL YEAR 23.
SO LEMME JUST TOUCH ON SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THE ADJUSTMENTS THAT WERE MADE.
AND THESE ARE ON THE, AND I'LL START WITH THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING 2023 SPECIAL FUNDS PAGE.
UM, WE DID HAVE A SLIGHT ADJUSTMENT ON STATE AID LOTTERY, AND THE FINAL ADJUSTMENT FINAL NUMBER WAS ABOUT 300, $300 LESS ON IMPACT FEES FOR THE NEW DISTRICTS.
AND AGAIN, THE GEOGRAPHY OF OUR SPECIAL FUNDS PAGE CHANGED A LITTLE BIT.
THESE ARE THE LOWER LEFT HAND CORNER HERE.
WE HAD A NICE UPWARD ADJUSTMENT OF $6,000.
BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY, ON OUR IMPACT FEE NUMBERS, WE HAD A SIGNIFICANT ADJUSTMENT OF ABOUT $330,000.
AND THIS WE CAN ATTRIBUTE BREATHING TO NUMBER ONE ACCRUED INTEREST.
THAT'S, THAT'S CREDITED BACK TO OUR ACCOUNT AND ALSO THE NORMAL CHANGING AND ADJUSTMENTS FOR, FOR THE YEAR END.
SO WE HAD A NICE SURPRISE THERE WE'RE UP $330,000, AND THAT'S GOOD NEWS FOR THE LIBRARY AS A WHOLE.
AND THE SPECIAL TRUST END OF THAT, IT WAS A $1,000 ADJUSTMENT THAT REALLY JUST REFLECTS THE CRUDE INTEREST.
NOW WHEN IT CAME TO OUR BUDGET EXPENDITURES, AND THAT'S ALSO ONE OF THE LAST PAGES IN YOUR PACKET THERE, THERE WAS AN $80,000 ADJUSTMENT.
AND THAT'S IN ADDITION TO, UM, PERSONNEL SERVICES.
AND IT REPRESENTS THE SPLITTING OF A PAY PERIOD BETWEEN THE TWO APPROPRIATE FISCAL YEARS.
SO THOSE ARE THE ADJUSTMENTS THAT WERE REALLY MADE ON THESE PAGES HERE.
THE MOST IMPORTANT TAKEAWAY FOR EVERYONE IS THAT WE'RE UP 330,000 IN OUR SPECIAL, IN OUR IMPACT TEAM.
SO THANK YOU TO THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT OF BEFORD COUNTY.
AND NOW WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO IS MOVE ON FROM THERE TO OUR NORMAL REVIEW OF THE FINANCIAL DOCUMENTS FOR THIS PARTICULAR PERIOD HERE.
AND, AND ON THIS SIDE HERE, UH, YOU KNOW, WE, WE ARE JUST A FEW MONTHS INTO THE YEAR, SO WE DON'T HAVE TOO MUCH TO REPORT ISSUES PARTICULAR TIME ON THE STATE AID LOTTERY SIDE, WE'VE RECEIVED OUR INITIAL, UM, INITIAL STATE AID GRANT OF 105,000.
WE WILL GET FOUR EQUAL GRANTS AGAIN THIS YEAR.
SO WE'RE LOOKING AT ABOUT 421,000 COMING IN ON STATE A LOTTERY FOR THIS PARTICULAR YEAR.
AND, AND THAT'S, AND THAT REPRESENTS, UH, 2020 5 CENTS PER CAPITA ON OUR BEFORD COUNTY, UH, CENSUS.
SO MOVING ON FROM THERE TO THE IMPACT BASED SIDE, FROM THAT UPWARD ADJUSTMENT OF 330,000 TO WHERE WE ARE TODAY, WE'VE, WE'VE SEEN ADDITIONAL $50,000 IN, IN IMPACT FEES.
UM, AGAIN, THIS REPRESENTS AGAIN, THE NEW STRUCTURE THAT, THAT WE HAVE GOING FORWARD.
ON THE BOTTOM LEFT HAND SIDE, WE HAVE THE NEW DISTRICTS AND THEN THE CENTER, WE HAVE THE OLD DISTRICTS.
SO MENTALLY AT THE END, WE HAVE TO ADD THOSE TWO TOGETHER.
AND THAT GIVES US A LITTLE BIT OVER $6.6 MILLION ON IMPACT FEES.
UM, THIS LOOKS GOOD, BUT AGAIN, REMEMBER THAT WE HAVE SOME IDENTIFIED EXPENDITURES GOING FORWARD FOR THE EVENTUAL NEW SITE TO LAND OUT IN, UH, CHARVILLE OR WHEREVER WE HAVE, WE HAVE HAVE TON PHASE TWO, WE HAVE HILTON HEAD A E STUDY, AND WE ALSO HAVE PORT WILD TO TAKE A LOOK AT.
UH, THOSE IDENTIFIED EXPENDITURES OR ENCUMBRANCES IN BEAUFORD COUNTY LANGUAGE COME TO ABOUT 2.3 MILLION.
SO WHEN WE TAKE A LOOK AT THAT NUMBER 2.3 VERSUS WHERE WE ARE NOW, WE REALLY HAVE A NICE SURPLUS OF $4 MILLION GOING FORWARD TO HANDLE FORWARD OBLIGATION WITH THE LIBRARY SYSTEM.
AND I THINK WE'RE ALL IN, I THINK WE'RE IN PRETTY GOOD SHAPE THERE.
[00:45:01]
LAST COLUMN HERE FOR SPECIAL TRUST, THERE REALLY WAS NO ACTIVITY TO REPORT.SO GOOD NEWS, 6.6 MILLION ON, ON IMPACT, PLEASE.
THE OTHER PIECE OF, OF GOOD NEWS ON OUR BUDGET UPDATE IS THAT AT THIS POINT WE'RE ABOUT 18% THROUGH THE YEAR 17%.
UM, BUT WE'RE UNDERSPENT WE'RE ABOUT 14% SPENT.
AGAIN, THIS REPRESENTS NORMAL, NORMAL ATTRITION, UH, NORMAL VACANCIES IN THE EARLY PART THE YEAR.
NOTHING EXTRAORDINARY TO REPORT HERE, THOUGH.
WE'VE GONE OVER THIS IN DETAIL IN THE FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETING.
I'VE JUST IDENTIFIED TWO THINGS THAT MAY POP OUT IN, AS YOU TAKE A LOOK AT THIS AND THIS, THIS REPRESENTS EXPENDITURES WHERE WE ARE TODAY VERSUS OUR PROGRESS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
THE FIRST ONE IS PROFESSIONAL SERVICES, AND THAT'S 76% SPENT.
AND THAT REPRESENTS CATALOGING DATABASE AND ALSO FEES THAT ARE PAID FOR THE INTERLIBRARY SERVICE SYSTEM, INTERLIBRARY LOAN SYSTEM.
THE OTHER ONE THAT POINTS OUT, AS AMANDA IDENTIFIED EARLIER, IS IN UNIFORM WHERE 90% SPENT.
AND THAT REPRESENTS A VERY NICE BLUE POLO SHIRTS THAT AMANDA GRAPHICALLY PUT UP THERE.
SO THAT COVERS THIS PAGE HERE.
AGAIN, GOOD NEWS, WE ARE UNDERSPENT.
AND LASTLY, ON THE MATERIAL SIDE, AGAIN, WE'RE EARLY PART OF THE YEAR, 83,000 SPENT ON MATERIALS.
THE MAJOR EXPENDITURE POINT, AGAIN, THE SOUP BLOCKS 72%.
AND WHEN YOU TAKE A LOOK AT IT, AMANDA IDENTIFIED AT THE SIGNIFICANT UPTICK IN
THIS IS PRETTY MUCH UNDERSTANDABLE THERE.
UM, THE SOURCES OF OUR FUNDING YEAR TO DATE, 16,000 FROM STATE AID AND THE BULK OF IT, 67,000 OUT OF 20 FUNDS.
AND THAT REALLY WRAPS UP WHERE WE ARE TODAY AT THE POINT, IF THERE ANY QUESTIONS ON THE FINANCIAL DOCUMENTS YOU'RE BEST TO ANSWER, I WOULD LIKE TO ADD A LITTLE CONTEXT IF IT'S OKAY.
AS FAR AS IMPACT FEES, PLEASE, PLEASE.
SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT, I'M GONNA CALL THESE BUCKETS, RIGHT? IMPACT FEE BUCKETS.
HILTON HAD, BLUFFTON, HEREFORD, ST.
UM, EACH ONE OF THOSE IS A UNIQUE AREA THAT WAS DEFINED UNDER THE 2006 STUDY TO HAVE PROJECTED NEED FACILITY NEEDS.
AND THE WAY THE 2006 STUDY AND ORDINANCE LAID IT OUT IS SQUARE FOOTAGE CAPACITY BASED ON, UH, POPULATION GROWTH.
WELL, THE NEW STUDY, THE ONE THAT WAS JUST PASSED, DOES EXACTLY THE SAME THING.
BUT INSTEAD OF BREAKING IT DOWN IN SMALLER DISTRICT, NOW YOU HAVE A NORTH AND A SOUTH.
SO THE FEES THAT WERE COLLECTED UNDER THE 2006 ORDINANCE, THEY HAVE TO BE SPENT IN THAT AREA UNTIL THOSE FEES ARE EXHAUSTED.
THE ONES THAT ARE NORTH AND SOUTH, AS WE COLLECT THOSE, THOSE, THOSE STUDIES WERE DONE REGIONALLY.
SO THOSE FUNDS CAN BE SPENT ANYWHERE NORTH, ANYWHERE SOUTH TO SUPPORT INCREASED SQUARE FOOTAGE AND CAPACITY OF THE LIBRARIES IN THOSE AREAS.
SO WHEN YOU SEE THERE'S A LOT OF BUCKETS ON THIS SIDE OF THE COLUMN AND ONLY TWO ON THIS SIDE OF THE COLUMN, I JUST WANTED TO POINT OUT THAT THEY CANNOT BE MIXED AND MINGLED, BUT THAT'S WHY THE SHIFT HAS TAKEN PLACE.
SO MOVING FORWARD, THE TWO COLUMNS, YOU WILL SEE THE ACCOUNT BALANCE GO UP AND IN ALL OF THE SMALLER BUCKETS OR REGIONS, YOU'LL SEE THOSE GO DOWN UNTIL THEY'RE EXHAUSTED AS WE SPEC.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? OKAY, AMANDA, IT'S, UM, CUSTOMARY AT THIS TIME OF THE START OF A FISCAL YEAR THAT WE DO TWO DOCUMENTS IN YOUR PRESENCE.
UM, THAT WE REVIEW THEM AND THEN ONE OF THEM IS SIGNED BY MYSELF AND THE BOARD CHAIR.
UM, THESE TWO DOCUMENTS, UH, ONE IS THE STATE AID AGREEMENT AND THE OTHER ONE IS THE MA F Y 24 MAINTENANCE OF EFFORT.
BOTH OF THOSE TWO THINGS ARE RELATED TO STATE AID, JUST AS, AS YOU JUST HEARD JOE SAY.
UM, THIS YEAR WE EXPECT TO RECEIVE 400 THOU $421,228 IN STATE AID.
BEAUFORT COUNTY LIBRARY CHOOSES TO PUT THOSE 100% TOWARDS MATERIALS.
SO ALL OF THE ITEMS THAT CIRCULATE, WHETHER THEY BE PHYSICAL OR DIGITAL, THIS GOES A HUNDRED PERCENT TO PUT READING MATERIALS, UM, IN THE HANDS OF CARDHOLDERS, UM, FOR US TO CERTIFY TO THE STATE LIBRARY THAT WE ARE IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE STATE AID ORDINANCES AND LAWS.
UM, AND SO THEY'LL GIVE US THE MONEY WE HAVE TO DO THESE TWO DOCUMENTS.
SO, UM, BEFORE YOU, YOU HAVE THE STATE AID AGREEMENT, IT LOOKS LIKE, UM, A, AN
[00:50:01]
EXCEL SPREADSHEET WITH SIGNATURE LINES AT THE BOTTOM.IT HAS THREE AREAS THAT WE HAVE TO, UH, CERTIFY AND PROVE TO THE STATE LIBRARY THAT WE ARE SPENDING THE APPROVED PERCENTAGES OF OUR BUDGET ON PERSONNEL MATERIALS AND OTHER OPERATING EXPENSES.
AND SO YOU CAN SEE THERE THAT WE ARE IN COMPLIANCE AND THAT, UM, THIS WILL BE THE FIRST YEAR THAT WE HAVE NOT REQUESTED FROM THE STATE LIBRARY A WAIVER.
IN PREVIOUS YEARS, BEAUFORT COUNTY HAS NOT MET THE PERCENTAGE TOWARDS MATERIALS, BUT THIS IS THE FIRST BUDGET YEAR BEFORE YOU IN WHICH WE ARE SPENDING, UM, AT THE APPROPRIATE LEVELS AT THE REQUIRE TO MEET THE REQUIREMENTS FOR STATE AID.
SO, UM, WE WILL DO THE CEREMONIAL SIGNING.
READY IF YOU WOULD PLEASE PRINT YOUR NAME AND SIGN.
UH, PER THE RULES OF STATE AID, THIS HAS TO BE SIGNED BY THE BOARD CHAIR IN A PRESENCE OF A QUORUM.
SO YOU ARE A QUORUM AND SHE IS SIGNING.
AND WITH THIS SIGNATURE, WE WILL BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THE REQUIRED DOCUMENTATION TO THE STATE LIBRARY AND RECEIVE OUR STATE AID FOR THIS YEAR.
THE OTHER IS A DOCUMENT THAT THE CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER OF BEAUFORT COUNTY SIGNS.
AND IT'S JUST TO VERIFY FROM OUR FINANCE DEPARTMENT THAT THESE NUMBERS ARE CORRECT, THAT WE DO HAVE A BUDGET OF, UM, 4.8 MILLION FOR, FOR FISCAL YEAR 24.
AND THAT WE DID EXPEND, UH, WHAT WE CLAIMED WE EXPENDED IN 2022.
SO WE WILL GET THAT SIGNED BY THE C F O AND SUBMIT BOTH DOCUMENTS TO THE STATE LIBRARY SO THAT WE RECEIVE JOE, OUR STATE AID FOR THE NEXT YEAR.
AND LET ME JUST ADD A COMMENT HERE.
I'VE BEEN ON THE BOARD QUITE SOME TIME.
I'VE HAD
AND REALLY THE CREDIT, I THINK GOES TO THE BOARD AND ESPECIALLY TO THE LIBRARY LEADERSHIP HERE, WHO I KNOW AS, AS WE'VE SPENT A LOT OF TIME AND EFFORT IN MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE BOOKS AND MATERIALS ON THE SHELF.
AND IT IS A COMMEMORATIVE MOMENT FOR THE LIBRARY SYSTEM AND YOU'VE WORKED HARD ON THIS AS ALLOWED TOO.
ONE FINAL PIECE OF THAT, JUST TO PIGGYBACK ON THOSE WONDERFUL WORDS, I'VE GOT A MEMBER OF COUNTY COUNCIL HERE AS WELL AS, UM, A MEMBER OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATION WHO'S IN THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES ADVOCATE FOR THE LIBRARY.
AND IT'S ALSO WITH THEIR WORK AND, UH, SUPPORT THAT WE HAVE THIS MOMENTOUS OCCASION.
AND, AND I THINK THAT THERE'S A CONIS TO THIS WHOLE THING TOO, IN THAT IN PRIOR YEARS, EVEN THOUGH WE DIDN'T MEET THRESHOLD, WE WERE PULLING DOLLARS OUT OF IMPACT FEES FOR MATERIALS.
AND IT WAS ONLY A COUPLE YEARS AGO THAT COUNTY COUNCIL SAID, DON'T DO THAT.
KEEP YOUR IMPACT FEES FOR LIBRARY CAPITAL PROJECTS.
WE'RE GONNA START FUNDING YOU.
AND I THINK THAT HAVING PASSED THE THRESHOLD AND NOT COMING OUT OF IMPACT FEES, BUT COMING OUT OF STATE AID AND COMING OUT OF COUNTY FUNDS IS REALLY A TREMENDOUS TESTIMONIAL TO THE SUPPORT THAT RECEIVING FROM THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATION.
[IX. Committee Reports]
UH, OKAY, NEXT IS POLICIES AND PROCEDURES.UM, WE HAVE REVIEWED AND PASSED, UM, UPDATES TO THE, UH, WHAT WAS IT CALLED BEFORE? UH, WELL WE NOW CALL IT THE REQUEST FOR RECONSIDERATION POLICY.
AND THERE WAS SOME QUESTION AS TO HOW LONG.
SO, SO WHEN THE CARDHOLDER IS NOTIFIED OF THE LIBRARY'S, UH, OF THE, OF THE DECISION OF THE COMMITTEE, UM, WHO IS LOOKING AT THE, UH, AT BOOKS THAT, THAT A GROUP IS A GROUP OR A PERSON IS CONCERNED ABOUT, UM, AND THEY DON'T LIKE THAT DECISION, THEY CAN GO BACK TO THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES AND ASK THEM TO REVIEW THE DECISION.
AND, AND OUR QUESTION WAS HOW LONG, HOW LONG SHOULD WE GIVE THE, THE, UH, TRUSTEES TO MAKE THAT DECISION? AND IT WENT BACK TO THE POLICY AND, UH, POLICY AND PROCEDURE COMMITTEE AND THEY DECIDED THAT IT WOULD BE 90 DAYS WOULD BE A GOOD, UH, UH, A GOOD AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THEM TO ACTUALLY REVIEW THE BOOK THOROUGHLY AND COME TO A DECISION BECAUSE IT HAD TO BE ME.
THAT VOTE HAD TO BE ON AT A BOARD MEETING.
AND BECAUSE WE ONLY MEET EVERY OTHER MONTH, THAT WAS A CONCERN.
SO THAT WOULD GIVE IT ENOUGH TIME, UH, TO REQUEST SOME MATERIAL.
SO ANYWAY, UM, UH, SO WE WOULD LIKE TO,
[00:55:01]
I DON'T, DO WE HAVE TO HAVE A MOTION FOR THAT? I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION THAT WE, UH, ADD TO THE REQUEST FOR RECONSIDER RECONSIDERATION POLICY THAT THE CARD HOLDER WILL BE NOTIFIED IN WRITING OF THE LIBRARY BOARD OF TRUSTEES DECISION WITHIN 90 DAYS OF RECEIVING THE APPEAL.AND THAT DECISION WILL BE FINAL.
CAN I HAVE A SECOND FOR THAT? SO, OKAY.
JUST WANNA MAKE CLEAR THAT IT SAYS 90 BUSINESS DAYS.
UM, OKAY, SO, UH, THE MOTION IS ON THE TABLE.
ARE THERE ANY, IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION ABOUT THIS? DID YOU GET A SECOND? YES, WE GOT A SECOND.
SO DID BRENDA, DO WE HAVE ANY DISCUSSION ABOUT THIS? OKAY.
OH, 90 BUSINESS DAYS IS A WHOLE LOT OF TIME VERSUS 90 DAYS.
THERE'S ONLY 20 BUSINESS DAYS IN A MONTH.
I DON'T THINK I'M TRYING THAT, I DON'T THINK THAT'LL FLY WITH SOMEBODY WHO WANTS TO CHALLENGE A MATERIAL THAT DIDN'T WITH THE SCHOOL BOARD, I CAN TELL YOU THAT 90 90 BUSINESS DAYS IS A LONG TIME.
I CAN TELL YOU THE REASON WHY BUSINESS DAYS WAS CHOSEN BY THE POLICY COMMITTEE WAS BECAUSE IT'S IN LINE WITH THE FIRST SENTENCE OF THE PARAGRAPH WHERE IT GIVES THE DIRECTOR 30 BUSINESS DAYS TO ASSEMBLE, UM, OR TO NOTIFY THE PERSON OF A REQUEST FOR RECONSIDERATION.
THE POLICY COMMITTEE HAD A DISCUSSION ABOUT 90 BUSINESS DAYS OR 90 DAYS.
UM, THEY DISCUSSED ABOUT THE LENGTH OF TIME IN BETWEEN BOARD OF TRUSTEES MEETINGS.
SO THEY WERE TRYING TO CALCULATE A, A FAIR ASSESSMENT OF HOW LONG IT WOULD TAKE FOR THEM IF THEY RECEIVED AN APPEAL TO GET, UM, COPIES OF THE ITEMS, READ IT, MAKE A DECISION, DISCUSS IT, DISCUSS IT, AND THEN BRING IT BEFORE A BOARD MEETING FOR A VOTE.
AND THIS WOULD BE UP TO 90 DAYS.
I MEAN, WE WOULD, WE WOULD TRY TO, IT'S JUST THAT'S 18 WEEKS.
YOU'RE TALKING OVER FOUR MONTHS.
I AGREE WITH ANN WITH AB IT'S WAY LONGER.
I, I I THOUGHT I HAD HEARD IT AS 90 DAYS AND THOUGHT THREE MONTHS.
THAT SEEMS REASONABLE, RIGHT? I THINK FOUR, FOUR AND A HALF MONTHS DOES NOT SEEM, I MEAN THE REASON WE'RE ADDING A TIMEFRAME TO BEGIN WITH IS BECAUSE THE POLICY ORIGINALLY LEFT IT OPEN AND THERE WASN'T ANY OBLIGATION.
AND I THINK THE QUESTION IS, WE AS A COMMITTEE, WE AS A BOARD SHOULD BE COMMITTED TO A TIMELY RESPONSE.
AND I THINK BECAUSE WE MEET EVERY OTHER MONTH, 90 DAYS SEEMS REASONABLE TO ACCOMPLISH THAT.
WHEREAS 90 BUSINESS DAYS, FOUR AND A HALF MONTHS DOES NOT SEEM, DOES NOT SEEM RESPONSIVE.
SO I'M GONNA CALL THE MOTION THAT'S ON THE TABLE AND IF IT, UH, FAILS, THEN WE'LL DO IT THE OTHER WAY.
SO, UM, YOU'RE GONNA CALL THE MOTION THAT IT'S 90 BUSINESS DAYS.
UM, HOW MANY ARE IN FAVOR OF THAT 90 BUSINESS DAYS? 90 BUSINESS DAYS? YEAH.
AND UM, WHO IS NOT IN FAVOR OF THAT? 1, 2, 3, 4.
SHAUNA, HOW ARE YOU VOTING? I WAS FOR THE 90 BUSINESS DAYS.
SO WE HAD 1, 2, 3, 4, AND 1, 2, 3, 4.
SO, UM, LET'S SEE, WHAT DO WE HAVE ONE? WHAT WERE YOU, JAN? PORT 90 BUSINESS DAYS.
WHO WAS IN FAVOR OF 90 BUSINESS DAYS? RAISE YOUR HAND.
AND SO, AND JANET, SO IT'S FOUR TO FOUR AND I THINK I HAVE TO MAKE THE DECISION.
YOU MUST HAVE THE RECOMMENDATION.
WELL THAT'S WHY YOU GET THE BIG BUCKS.
I'M GONNA SAY 90 BUSINESS DAYS.
'CAUSE WE, THAT'S ALWAYS SO I'M GONNA, IT'S GONNA PASS.
AND WE CHANGED THE CHALLENGE MATERIALS COMMITTEE NAME TO REQUEST FOR CONSIDERATION.
AND THE OTHER THING I WANNA SAY THAT WE, WE'VE BEEN THE UM, POLICY AND PROCEDURE COMMITTEE HAS BEEN GOING OVER SOME OF THE BYLAWS THAT HAVE NOT BEEN UPDATED FOR A LONG TIME.
AND WE, UM, UPDATED LANGUAGE AND TRIED TO TAKE THINGS OUT THAT WERE NO LONGER APPROPRIATE, THAT
[01:00:01]
KIND OF THING.AND AMANDA IS NOW RUNNING THAT BY LEGAL TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN DO WHAT WE WANNA DO.
SO WE'LL GET, I WILL GET BACK TO YOU ON THAT.
UM, JANET'S ON STRATEGIC PLANNING.
WHICH HIGHEND ENDORSE ALSO THAT WE NEED TO CHANGE THE NAME OF THE COMMITTEE? I THINK WE DID.
WE HAVE TO GET ALL THE PIECES TOGETHER AND THEN WE'LL, WE'LL PRINT IT ALL OUT SO WE CAN MAKE SURE WE'RE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE.
YEAH, WE CHANGED SEVERAL AREAS.
WE TOOK OUT SOME THINGS, RIGHT? YES.
UM, WE'RE GONNA PASS ON STRATEGIC PLANNING 'CAUSE JANET'S NOT HERE.
LIBRARY FACILITIES WE'VE TALKED ABOUT.
IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU WANNA TALK ABOUT WITH THAT, AMANDA OR LIBRARY FACILITIES? MR. BERNIE, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO SAY FOR LIBRARY FACILITIES? JUST BASICALLY WHAT IS IN THE NEWS IS THE PROPOSED, UH, BRANCH IS AT LEAST FINALLY CLOSED.
NOW THAT BID GOES TO THE COUNTY COMMITTEE.
SO IT'S GOING TO PUBLIC FACILITIES A WEEK FROM, UH, MONDAY.
AND BECAUSE OF THE DOLLAR AMOUNT, IT WILL THEN GO THE FOLLOWING WEEK TO COUNCIL AND, UM, COUNCIL IF THEY, WHEN THEY APPROPRIATE THE FUNDS, THEN THAT WILL AUTHORIZE THE FACILITIES AND C I P FOLKS TO ENTER INTO THE CONTRACT AND MOVE FORWARD.
UH, WHAT I PRINTED, OR WHAT I PRESENTED TO COUNTY COUNSEL, UH, MONDAY, WAS THAT IN MY OPINION, THERE'S GONNA BE A LITTLE TIME, UH, REQUIRED FOR THE CONTRACTOR TO STAND UP ONCE IT IS AWARDED AND IT'S ABOUT A 90 DAY PROJECT, UM, TURNAROUND TIME, IT COULD BE LESS, BUT IT'S, IT'S AN INTERIOR RENOVATION.
UM, SO THAT'S, THAT'S MY, THAT'S WHAT I ANTICIPATE.
WHAT ABOUT OILING MATERIALS? DOES THAT TAKE A LONG TIME TO GET MATERIALS WITH THAT? AS FAR AS THE CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS OR THE LIBRARY MATERIAL? BOTH.
SO, WELL, THE CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS, UM, I THINK THE CONSULTANT AND STAFF DID A REALLY GOOD JOB.
THEY IDENTIFIED, UM, THE, THE COLORS AND DIFFERENT THINGS THAT HAD AVAILABILITY.
I DON'T THINK ANYTHING WAS CHOSEN THAT HAS A REAL LONG LEAD TIME THAT I'M AWARE OF.
UM, SO I, I DON'T ANTICIPATE THERE BEING ANY LONG-TERM DELAYS FOR MATERIALS.
UM, THERE IS SOME, UH, INTERIOR CONSTRUCTION STUFF MOVING SOME THINGS AROUND, UH, WHATNOT.
IT'S GONNA TAKE A LITTLE TIME.
I WOULD ASSUME THAT THE CARPET INTERIOR FINISHES, ALL THE STUFF THAT THEY'RE GONNA HAVE TO ORDER WOULD BE WITHIN THAT AND COULD BE ORDERED CONCURRENTLY.
SO I DON'T HOPE I DON'T EAT MY WORDS LATER, BUT I DON'T SEE ANY REASON WHY THERE WOULD BE LONG-TERM DELAYS FOR ORDERING MATERIAL.
DO WE HAVE AN APPROXIMATE OR A TARGET DATE?
SO, I MEAN, NO, BUT WHAT I JUST OFFERED YOU WAS A, A TIMELINE OF WHEN WE THINK IT WOULD BE AVAILABLE.
BUT THEN YOU HAVE YOUR FF AND E YOU HAVE TO MOVE YOUR MATERIALS IN.
I KNOW THERE'S SOME STAFFING ISSUES.
I, AMANDA CAN SPEAK BETTER, UH, TO THAT, BUT EVEN WHEN IT'S DONE, AIR QUOTES READY FOR MOVE IN, YOU STILL HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF TIME.
SO I WOULD ASSUME THAT ONCE CONSTRUCTION IS DONE AND THE BUILDING IS HANDED OVER AT THAT TIME, YOU SHOULD HAVE A HANDLE ON, YOU KNOW, WHAT THE LEAD TIMES ARE FOR YOUR MATERIALS.
UM, ALL THE OTHER STUFF THAT, UH, IS ANCILLARY TO OPENING.
AND THEN AT THAT TIME, THAT'S WHEN YOU, YOU NAIL DOWN A DATE.
'CAUSE WHAT WE DON'T WANNA DO IS SET A DATE, CHANGE IT, AND THEN, THEN HAVE TO PUSH THAT DATE BACK AND THEN SET A DATE AND PUSH IT BACK.
SO WE, WE HAVE A QUARTER IN 2024, FIRST QUARTER, SECOND QUARTER.
MY HOPE WOULD BE FIRST QUARTER.
I MEAN, IF WE GET IT, UH, GOES TO COUNCIL, WE GET IT ISSUED.
YOU HAVE NOVEMBER, DECEMBER, PERHAPS JANUARY, HAVING CONSTRUCTION COMPLETED.
OBVIOUSLY WE HAVE HOLIDAYS IN THERE.
UM, THAT'S ASSUMING THAT THE CONTRACTOR CAN START, WHAT I'M GONNA SAY IS IMMEDIATELY, THIS IS A REAL HYPOTHETICAL TIMELINE, RIGHT.
IF, IF THEY'RE DONE, IF BIG, IF, IF THEY'RE DONE BY END OF JANUARY, THEN THE FIRST QUARTER YOU WOULD HAVE, YOU KNOW, SOME TIME THERE TO GET IT DONE FIRST QUARTER,
[01:05:03]
EARLY, THE SECOND QUARTER IF THINGS GET DELAYED.ANY NEWS ABOUT THE UM, BLUFFTON LIBRARY? THE SECTION THAT WAS NOT UPDATED IS THAT JUST BEING PUT ON HOLD UNTIL WE FINISH FORT ROYAL? SO I CAN ANSWER THAT.
UM, THE AMOUNT OF STAFF TIME, ENERGY, AND EFFORT IT TAKES TO DESIGN ONE PROJECT.
SO AS SOON AS WE CAN GET PAST THAT, I THINK WE'LL BE IN A BETTER POSITION TO GAUGE IF WE CAN PURSUE BLUFFTON.
UM, WE HOPE, I ALSO HOPE AT THAT TIME TO BE ABLE TO DETERMINE IF THERE'S A SITE FOR PRITCHARD BUILD, THEN WE'RE GONNA WANNA FIGURE OUT WHERE WE DEVOTE THAT AMOUNT OF STAFF TIME AND ENERGY AND, AND WHAT, HOW MANY PROJECTS CAN WE JUGGLE AT ONE TIME? SO, BLUFF, FINISHING UP BLUFFTON IS A DESIRE OF MINE.
UM, THERE'S SO MANY THINGS WHEN I WALK IN THAT I WANNA SEE, I WANNA SEE UPDATED.
SO IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE WANT TO DO, BUT WE WANNA BE ABLE TO DO IT WELL.
UM, AND DON'T WANT JUST, YOU KNOW, RIGHT.
JUST KIND OF WRITE IT OFF AND SAY THAT WE DID IT.
WE REALLY WANNA BE ABLE TO PUT OUR, OUR BEST EFFORTS FOR FORWARD FOR THE PROJECT.
YEAH, AND I'LL ADD TO THAT, THAT THERE ARE MANY LAYERS TO THESE PROJECTS.
UM, IT, IT INVOLVES PROCUREMENT, IT INVOLVES CONSULTANTS, THEN YOU HAVE TO DEVISE THE PLAN.
THEN THE PLAN HAS TO BE APPROVED, THEN THE FUNDING HAS TO BE APPROVED.
UM, YOU HAVE THE ACTUAL BID PROCESS.
IT IS A BURDENSOME PROCESS TO DO LARGER SCALE PROJECTS WITHIN COUNTY GOVERNMENT.
UM, THAT'S, IT'S BY DESIGN, BUT IT, IT CAN BE A LITTLE FRUSTRATING HOW LONG IT TAKES FOR THINGS TO MOVE FORWARD.
BUT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE BOUND BY PROCUREMENT LAWS.
WE, WE HAVE TO GO THROUGH ALL THE STEPS.
THERE'S REALLY NO WAY AROUND IT.
UM, AND THE MONEY HAS TO BE APPROPRIATED AND AVAILABLE AT THE SAME TIME.
I'M CURIOUS ABOUT ONE THING, MAN DID SUCH A GOOD JOB ON THE PART OF THE LIBRARY THAT WAS UPDATED, THAT IT WAS UNDER BUDGET.
DO WE GET THAT EXTRA MONEY TO USE SOMEWHERE? WELL, WE, IT'S UNSPENT FUND, SO IT'S STILL IN THE IMPACT FEE, UH, OKAY.
DISTRICT FOR THAT WHERE IT WAS COLLECTED.
SO IT'S, IT'S, IT'S MONEY THAT WAS APPROVED.
IT JUST HAPPENED TO BE THRIFTY AND CAME UNDER BUDGET.
YEAH, WE DID UNDER, IN THE END, IT'S A SLOW PROCESS DEALING WITHIN THE GOVERNMENT AGENCY AND COMMITTEES RULES, UH, FUNDING.
UH, BUT WE'RE MOVING ALONG NOTICEABLY ON THE PORT ROYAL PROJECT.
THEY'RE STILL LOOKING FOR A SITE.
WE'RE STILL WONDERING WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN IN, IN PORT ROYAL, I MEAN IN, IN BLUFFTON AS TO ANOTHER SITE THAT THEY WERE INTERESTED IN.
BUT THEY HAVEN'T MOVED ON IT YET.
AS LONG AS YOU UNDERSTAND HOW SLOW THE PROCESS CAN BE, PROCESS IS, AND THAT IS WHY IT'S VERY NICE TO HAVE CHUCK HERE.
SO I WILL OFFER, UM, NOT TO COMPLICATE THE ISSUE.
IF, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION, THERE IS SOME INFORMATION THAT I CAN PASS THAT IS PURSUANT TO THE NEGOTIATIONS ON A PIECE OF PROPERTY, UH, SPECIFIC.
IT'S VERY EARLY IN IT, BUT IF IT IS THE BOARD'S DESIRE TO HEAR THAT, UH, IT, IT'S MY INTENTION TO BRING THAT BACK.
UH, AT YOUR NEXT MEETING, I'LL HAVE MORE OF A FULL REPORT.
BUT IF YOU WANT TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION, UH, IT DOES NOT, EXECUTIVE SESSION DOESN'T HAVE TO BE ON THERE, UH, ON YOUR AGENDA SPECIFICALLY.
BUT IF YOU WANT TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION PURSUANT THAT SPECIFIC REASON, IT WON'T TAKE LONG.
AND I'M HAPPY TO DO THAT IF YOU, IF YOU WANT TO KNOW THAT INFORMATION NOW, BECAUSE IT IS SPECIFIC TO, UM, THE NEGOTIATIONS ABOUT A SPECIFIC PIECE OF PROPERTY.
IT'S NOT SET IN STONE, BUT I CAN GIVE YOU AN UPDATE, UH, THAT I, THAT I CAN'T OTHERWISE DO WITHOUT JEOPARDIZING.
UM, WELL, LET'S FINISH OUR AGENDA AND THEN WE'LL VOTE TO SEE IF WE WANNA GO TO AN EXECUTIVE SESSION.
DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING FOR STRATEGIC PLANNING? NOTHING.
THE, UH, WHAT'S NOT ON HERE, AND I APOLOGIZE, UM, I DIDN'T CATCH IT, IS THE, UH, THE ART COMMITTEE AND WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT QUEEN'S.
UM, UH, UM, REQUEST QUEEN'S REQUEST
HELENA LIBRARY, AND SHE TALKED ABOUT IT.
ONE SIGN IS, UH, ONE SIGN IS GOING TO BE IN HERE IN THE BASKET, UH, TO EXPLAIN, UH, ABOUT GULLAH GEECHEE, AND IT WOULD GIVE THE HERITAGE INFORMATION.
[01:10:01]
IN OUTSIDE IN THE RAIN GARDEN TO TALK ABOUT THE, THE GULLAH GEECHEE IN THE RAIN GARDEN.UM, SO THE, UM, ART COMMITTEE WOULD LIKE, THEY, BOTH OF, BOTH OF THE, ALL OF THE ART COMMITTEE APPROVED THAT.
UM, WE CAN GO AHEAD AND MOVE THAT, THIS REQUEST FROM QUEEN QU BE, UM, ACCEPTED.
SO, UM, CAN I HAVE A SECOND FOR THAT MOTION? I SECOND TRACY.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION ABOUT QUEEN QUITS? IT'S HARD TO SAY THAT I MADE THE MOTION AS HEAD OF THE COMMITTEE.
YOU THINK I CAN'T DO THAT? I, YEAH, YOU DID THAT BEFORE.
BEFORE SHE'S SUPPOSED TO MAKE THE MOTION.
UM, I'LL MAKE THE MOTION JUST SO WE DON'T HAVE THE, OKAY.
SO BRENDA WILL MAKE THE MOTION THAT WE ACCEPT QUEEN QUEZ REQUEST FOR TWO SIGNS TO BE PUT AT THE SAME HELENA LIBRARY.
AND IT WAS SECONDED BY BRENT, BY TRACY.
UH, IS THERE ANY MORE DISCUSSION ON THAT? DO WE HAVE ANY DISCUSSION ABOUT THAT? ARE WE COMFORTABLE? I WOULD LIKE THE MINUTES TO READ THAT WE, UM, ARE APPRECIATIVE OF QUEEN QUES, UM, EFFORTS TO, TO DEVELOP THIS TRAIL AND TO MAKE THE LIBRARY A PIVOTAL PART OF IT AND, UH, APPLAUD HER EFFORTS.
I THINK THAT'S A, A GOOD THING TO PUT IN THERE.
UM, SO I'M GONNA, UH, WE'RE GONNA VOTE ON IT NOW.
ALL IN FAVOR OF PASSING THE REQUEST AND, AND LETTING
AND OPPOSED, SO THAT STANDS APPROVED.
UM, THE, UH, FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY.
BRENDA, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO SAY FOR
THAT WAS A LONG TIME, BUT SINCE JUNE 10TH WHEN I ATTENDED A MEETING THAT PREVIOUS WEEK, I THINK THE ONLY THING THEY, THEY HAD A NEW MEMBER ORIENTATION IN JULY, SO I'LL HAVE TO ASK RANDY DO'S SOMETHING IN AUGUST BECAUSE THEY DID NOT, YEAH, THEY, NO, THEY DID NOT DO ANYTHING IN AUGUST, BUT THEY WILL MEET ON TOMORROW AFTERNOON FOR THEIR FIRST MEETING POST SUMMER.
AND HOW ABOUT BLUFFTON? ROSALIE? OH, I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS BLUFFTON LIBRARY IS HAVING A BOOK, LOVERS FAIR OF FRIENDS OF BL OF BLUFFTON LIBRARY SALE NEXT WEEKEND.
AND I BROUGHT IN THESE FLYERS.
I THINK THE FRIENDS OF THE BLUFFTON LIBRARY HAS BEEN VERY CREATIVE IN MAKING THIS FLYER.
I PUT IT OUT ALL OVER WHERE I LIVE AND IF ANYBODY ELSE WOULD LIKE TO DISPLAY, UH, IT'S FOR NEXT WEEKEND.
AND I THINK IT'S A VERY ATTRACTIVE, UH, FLYER.
DO THEY, DO THEY NEED DONATED FOR THE SALE? OH, YOU ALWAYS NEED BOOKS DONATED BECAUSE THE MORE BOOKS, THE MORE YOU CAN SELL.
SO CAN WE, IF I HAVE THREE BOXES OF BOOKS THAT I, THAT ARE HARDBACKS, PAPERBACK, I CAN BRING IT DEPENDS UPON HOW OLD THEY'RE RIGHT.
SEE, THEY USUALLY DON'T LIKE BOOKS THAT ARE OKAY.
I'VE BEEN LOOKING SOMEWHERE, SOMEWHERE TO GET RID.
I MEAN, THEY'RE NOT TEXTBOOKS, THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, POSSIBLY FICTION.
HERE WE GO AND JUST LET PEOPLE KNOW WE'RE, AND CAN WE JUST DELIVER THIS, WE JUST DELIVER THIS TO BLUFF THE BLUFF AND WHAT? WE JUST DELIVER THE BOOKS TO THE LIBRARY.
UM, THERE MUST BE, LET ME KNOW.
IS THAT ALL? UM, YEAH, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE KIND OF, UM, PROMOTING RIGHT NOW.
THEIR NEXT MEETING IS, UM, THURSDAY, THE SEPTEMBER 28TH.
UM, THE, UH, HILTON HEAD LIBRARY MEETS NEXT WEEK, UH, ANY OLD BUSINESS, UH, NEW BUSINESS.
[XI. New Business]
HAVE SOMETHING THAT, UM, THAT CAME OUT DURING THE FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETING.AND THAT IS THAT NOT ALL THE INFORMATION GETS TO THE FINANCE, TO THE FINANCIAL INFORMATION IS, IS COMPLETED BY THE TIME WE HAVE OUR MEETING.
SO THERE WAS A, A QUESTION AS TO WHETHER OR NOT WE WANTED TO
[01:15:01]
CHANGE THESE MEETINGS, UH, TO ANOTHER TIME, MAYBE THE THIRD WEEK, THE THIRD WEDNESDAY.SO I'D LIKE YOU TO THINK ABOUT THAT.
AND, UM, WHAT, WHAT NOT FOR THIS YEAR, IT WOULD BE FOR JANUARY.
AND AMANDA'S GONNA SEND OUT THE MEETING DATES.
BUT THINK ABOUT IF YOU HAVE, IF YOU'RE ABLE TO DO THAT OR IF YOU HAVE OTHER OBLIGATIONS ON THAT.
'CAUSE WE MEET ON THE SECOND WEDNESDAY.
SO I JUST WANTED TO, UM, LET YOU KNOW THAT
[XII. Announcements]
ANNOUNCEMENTS.OUR NEXT MEETING IS NOVEMBER 8TH AT 4:00 PM AT THE HILTON HEAD LIBRARY.
UM, NOW I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHO WOULD YOU LIKE TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION TO LISTEN TO WHAT CHUCK HAS TO SAY? OR DO WE WANNA WAIT UNTIL THE NOVEMBER MEETING? I HAVE A QUESTION, CHUCK, SINCE THIS IS PRELIMINARY, DOES IT HELP YOU AT ALL FOR US TO HEAR THIS OR NOT? 'CAUSE IF, IF WE'RE NOT HELPING YOU DO YOUR JOB, THEN I DON'T FEEL LIKE I NEED TO KNOW ANYTHING.
IT WOULD, IT WOULD ONLY BE FOR ME TO SHARE INFORMATION OF WHERE WE ARE IN NEGOTIATIONS.
BUT IT WILL NOT, IT WILL NOT HELP OR INCREASE THE TIMELINE FOR Y'ALL AT ALL.
AND I, I'M WILLING TO WAIT UNTIL NOVEMBER.
WITH THE THIRD WEDNESDAY, I FORGET THANKSGIVING IS WHAT? BEFORE.
IT WOULDN'T INTERFERE WITH THANKSGIVING.
BUT, UM, BUT SOME PEOPLE HAVE SCHEDULED THINGS, SO I WANT YOU TO THINK ABOUT THAT, WHETHER THAT'S A, AN IDEA OR NOT.
SO IN THE NOVEMBER, IN THE NOVEMBER BOARD MEETING WOULD BE THE NORMAL TIME THAT AMANDA WOULD BRING THE SCHEDULE FOR 2024.
RIGHT? SO THE QUESTION IS, DO WE HAVE A CONFLICT OR COULD WE MOVE IT FOR 2024? IT WON'T CHANGE.
I MAKE A MOTION THAT WE ADJOURN.
TRACY, BRENDA, ALL IN FAVOR? AYE.