[00:00:49]
UM, OUR AGENDA FOR TODAY HAS BEEN APPROVED.
[5. APPROVAL OF MINUTES- August 21, 2023 and August 28, 2023]
LET'S MOVE ON TO NUMBER FIVE ON OUR AGENDA, WHICH IS APPROVAL OF MINUTES FROM AUGUST 21ST AND AUGUST 28TH, 2023.AND IF I COULD HAVE A, UH, MOTION FOR BOTH OF THOSE, PLEASE.
AND THEN, UM, UH, SECOND WAS MS. WARD.
UM, IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? SEEING NO DISCUSSION? WE'LL APPROVE MINUTES OF AUGUST 21ST AND AUGUST 28TH WITH NO OBJECTION, SEEING NO OBJECTION, THAT HAS BEEN APPROVED.
UH, NEXT WE'D LIKE TO OPEN UP TO OUR CITIZEN'S COMMENT.
UH, 15, UH, MINUTE PERIOD, TOTAL OF 15 MINUTES, THREE MINUTES PER SPEAKER AND 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 BUFORD COUNTY'S RULES AND PROCEDURES.
GIVING OF A SPEAKER'S TIME TO ANOTHER IS NOT ALLOWED.
IS THERE ANYONE TODAY THAT, UH, WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK DURING OUR CITIZENS COMMENT? NO, SIR.
NO ONE IN THE AUDIENCE AND NO ONE ONLINE.
LET'S, UH, LET'S MOVE ON THEN.
[7. UPDATE FROM ASSISTANT COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR DALE BUTTS]
AND NEXT UP WE HAVE OUR UPDATE FROM ASSISTANT COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR, MR. DALE BUTTS.MR. BUTTS, THANK YOU FOR COMING TODAY.
UH, I WANNA CHANGE IT UP A LITTLE BIT SIMILAR TO WHAT WE DID AT LAST WEEK'S COMMITTEE MEETING AND LET YOU HEAR FROM A DEPARTMENT HEAD TODAY.
SO, I'VE ASKED OUR REGISTRAR, MS. PATSY GREEN, TO COME AND GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF AN UPDATE ON THE REGISTER OF DEEDS OFFICE.
YOU DON'T GET TO HEAR FROM THAT DEPARTMENT, MAYBE AS OFTEN AS, UH, SOME OF THE OTHERS.
SO WANTED TO KEEP THEM IN THE LOOP AND KEEP YOU ABREAST OF WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE, UH, REGISTER OF DE.
SO I'LL TURN IT OVER TO MS. GREEN.
MS. GREEN, THANK YOU FOR COMING TODAY.
UM, IF YOU'VE BEEN UPSTAIRS IN THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS, YOU'VE NOTICED SOME CHANGES GOING ON IN THE REGISTER DEEDS ROOM.
WE HAVE, UM, OF COURSE GOTTEN REMODELED.
WE GOT REMODELED THE WHOLE, UH, REGISTER'S OFFICE BACK IN THE PUBLIC DEEDED ROOM.
WE GOT, GOT RID OF THE OLD THREE M READER PRINTERS THAT WERE BIG AND BULKY.
WE GOT RID OF ALL THE COMPUTERS THAT DIDN'T WORK.
WE BASICALLY HAVE A BIG ROOM UP THERE NOW.
WE PURCHASED THREE SCAN PRO MACHINES, WHICH USED THE MICROFILM, MICROFISH, APERTURE CARDS, 16 AND 35 MILLIMETER FILMS. SO WE CAN DO EVERYTHING WE DID WITH ALL THOSE OTHER MACHINES WITH JUST THOSE THREE.
UM, BY REMOVING ALL THAT STUFF OUT, LIKE I SAID, WE'VE OPENED UP THE ROOM, SO EXPANSION CAN TAKE PLACE IF ANOTHER DEPARTMENT MIGHT NEED SOME ROOM.
UH, SOME OF THE PROJECTS THAT WE'RE WORKING ON, UM, WE ARE STILL COMPARING THE OLD DATA POINT SYSTEM, WHICH IS A PERIOD THAT RUNS FROM 1983 TO 1988 THAT WAS NEVER FULLY CONVERTED TO THE NEW VISION SYSTEM.
UM, WE ARE FINDING A LOT OF ERRORS IN THAT CONVERSION.
SO WHAT WE'VE DONE IS ACTUALLY PRINTED OUT THE DATA POINT, UM, INDEX, AND WE'RE COMPARING IT ITEM TO ITEM ALL THE WAY DOWN FOR THE FIVE YEAR PERIOD.
SO RIGHT NOW WE'RE ONLY THROUGH THE FIRST YEAR.
UH, SO WE'RE, ANYWAY, WE'RE WORKING ON THAT.
UH, ALL THE DOING BUSINESS AS, UH, TRADE NAMES THAT WERE FILED PRIOR TO 2001, THEY'VE ALL BEEN ON PUT ONLINE NOW.
SO YOU CAN GO IN THERE AND SEARCH WHOEVER'S DOING BUSINESS AS A CERTAIN NAME.
UH, EVENTUALLY ALL THE DD TWO 14 MILITARY DISCHARGES.
I'VE SPOKEN TO CAROLINE FURMAN, WHO IS THE NEW VA DIRECTOR.
ONCE SHE GETS A SYSTEM THAT IS UP AND RUNNING THAT SHE CAN NOT ONLY RECORD, BUT SEARCH THE NAMES, WE WILL BE TURNING THAT OVER TO HER.
EVERYTHING IN MY OFFICE IS PUBLIC RECORD.
THOSE ARE NOT SO AT MY DISCRETION, THEY CAN BE SENT TO THE VA AND WE'RE GONNA DO THAT.
[00:05:01]
WITH THE ASSESSOR'S OFFICE AND THE BUILDING CODES DEPARTMENT, WE'VE CREATED A MOBILE HOME RETIREMENT TITLE CERTIFICATE PACKET THAT IS AVAILABLE ONLINE IN ALL THOSE DEPARTMENTS.SO IF SOMEBODY WANTS TO GO IN AND TIT THE MOBILE HOME AND ATTACH IT TO THE, TO THE PROPERTY, THERE'S A PACKET.
IT LEADS THEM STEP BY STEP WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE.
UM, ALSO, UM, WITH THE, UM, UNLICENSED BUILDERS, UM, AFFIDAVIT WHERE SOMEBODY GOES IN AND WANTS TO DO SOME WORK ON THEIR OWN HOME AND THEY'RE NOT A CERTIFIED BUILDER, WE'VE COME IN UNIFORM, UM, FORM FOR THAT TO GO ONLINE.
AND YOU CAN, YOU CAN UTILIZE THE SAME FORM THROUGHOUT ALL THE ENTITIES.
COUNTY OF BEAUFORT, CITY OF BEAUFORT, TOWN OF PORT ROYAL, TOWN OF HILTON HEAD, AND THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON.
SO WE'RE ALL USING THE SAME FORM NOW.
UM, WE NOW HAVE A LARGE FORMAT PRINTER IN OUR OFFICE.
SO IF SOMEBODY COMES IN AND WANT, THEY WANT A PLAT THAT'S FULL SIZE 24 BY 36, THEY CAN GET THAT.
UM, THE FRAUD ALERT IS AVAILABLE FOR PROPERTY OWNERS WHO WOULD LIKE NOTIFICATIONS, SHOULD FRAUDULENT DOCUMENTS BE FILED ON THEIR PROPERTY.
THIS IS A, UM, A SYSTEM THAT WAS SET UP WHEN DALE WAS THE REGISTRAR.
AND BELIEVE ME, IT HAS TAKEN OFF WITH ALL THESE COMMERCIALS FOR PROPERTY ALERT THROUGH TITLE LOCK OR WHATEVER PEOPLE ARE CALLING ALL THE TIME, ESPECIALLY THE SUN CITY PEOPLE AND THE RETIREES AROUND THE COMMUNITY.
SO THEY CALL, BUT IT'S VERY GOOD THING TO HAVE.
UM, A LOT OF THE OTHER COUNTIES ARE CALLING TO ASK HOW WE DO IT AND WHAT WE DO.
UM, THE NUMBER OF THE DOCUMENT TYPES THAT ARE FILED IN THE REGISTER DEEDS OFFICE.
WE HAVE GONE FROM 165 DOWN TO 73.
THAT'S DIFFERENT TYPES THAT YOU WOULD BRING IN AND ALL SORTS OF MISCELLANEOUS DOCUMENTS.
I'VE NARROWED IT DOWN TO MAKE THE SEARCH FOR DOCUMENTS EASIER.
UM, ALSO FOR THE FIRST TIME WE'RE GOING TO BE HOSTING THE STATEWIDE REGISTER OF DEEDS WINTER CONFERENCE.
UH, IT'S GONNA BE IN BLUFFTON ON FEBRUARY 2ND.
I'VE GOTTEN TWO SPONSORS ON THAT.
WE GOT THE MICKELSON LAW FIRM, WHO'S GONNA BE OUR MAJOR SPONSOR.
AND THEN THE CAROLINA ABSTRACT SERVICES WILL BE OUR MINOR SPONSOR.
SO THAT'S, I'M, I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THAT.
THE FIRST TIME IN ALL THESE YEARS WE'VE HOSTED ANYTHING.
UM, THE MAJORITY OF OUR WORK NOW IS COMING BY ERE RECORDINGS.
90% OF IT'S E RECORDINGS, ONLY 10% IS A COMBINATION OF THE MAIL.
SINCE JANUARY, WE HAVE FILED 48,350 DOCUMENTS.
UM, THAT'S AN AVERAGE IS ABOUT 225 A DAY FOR A STAFF OF SIX PEOPLE.
THE COUNTY REVENUE, SINCE JANUARY IS OVER FIVE AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS.
THE CONSIDERATION, WHICH WAS SOLD ON THE PROPERTY, THE AMOUNT OF MONEY PAID FOR A HOME WAS OVER $4 BILLION.
SO OF COURSE, WE'RE, WE'RE STAYING STEADY ON OUR WORK, ALTHOUGH THE NUMBER OF DOCUMENTS ARE KIND OF MAINTAINING THE AMOUNT ON EACH HOUSE IS GOING UP.
SO THE MONEY'S STILL COMING IN.
AND OTHER THAN THAT, THAT IS ALL I HAVE.
ANY QUESTIONS? ANY QUESTIONS FOR MS. GREEN? GO AHEAD.
UM, I PUSHED IN SUN CITY ABOUT THE FRAUD ALERT, SO I'M NOT SURPRISED PEOPLE ARE DOING IT.
SO I THINK IT'S A GREAT THING.
AND WE WENT OVER THERE, UM, AND DID A DEMONSTRATION OF THAT.
THE ASSESSOR WENT OVER AND DID HER CORRECT THING IN IT.
CAN YOU EXPLAIN A LITTLE IN DETAIL HOW THE FRAUD ALERT ALERT WORKS ON PROPERTIES? YEAH.
WELL, IF YOU GO TO THE WEBSITE, UH, FOR THE REGISTER DEEDS, THE FIRST THING YOU'RE GONNA SEE IS GONNA POP UP.
AND YOU'LL JUST GO IN THERE AND YOU'LL SIGN UP BY YOUR NAME OR YOUR TAX MAP NUMBER.
SO IF A DEED COMES THROUGH THAT USES YOUR NAME, AND PEOPLE HAVE TO REALIZE, LIKE, MY HUSBAND'S NAME'S ROBERT GREEN.
THERE'S A LOT OF ROBERT GREENS IN BEAUFORT COUNTY.
SO IF SOMETHING COMES THROUGH WITH A ROBERT GREEN ON IT, HE'S GONNA GET AN EMAIL SENT TO HIM THAT SAYS, CONTACT YOUR LOCAL REGISTER'S OFFICE.
SOMETHING HAS BEEN FILED IN YOUR NAME.
SO THEY CALL AND I'LL GO IN THERE AND YOU CAN NARROW IT DOWN THE PROPERTY DESCRIPTION AND ALL THAT KINDA STUFF.
NOTHING HAS BEEN FILED, UH, WITH YOUR PROPERTY.
OR YES, ONLY THING WE DO IS ALERT THEM.
IT'S BASICALLY SOMETHING'S BEEN FILED, YOU NEED TO GO GET AN ATTORNEY.
AND THAT'S THROUGH OUR SOFTWARE COMPANY.
[00:10:01]
YOU.DOES IT DO IT JUST THROUGH EMAIL OR DO YOU SEND A DIRECT LETTER? NO, JUST THROUGH EMAIL FOR THE ALERT.
IF YOU HAD A LANDOWNER OR PROPERTY OWNER WITHOUT EMAIL ACCESS, UM, WHAT HAPPENS THEN? AS FAR AS THE ALERT? WELL, THAT'S HOW THEY SIGN UP.
SO I DON'T, THEY DON'T WALK IN THE OFFICE AND SIGN UP.
YOU HAVE DO ONLINE? YEAH, THEY HAVE TO DO IT ONLINE.
SO, SO IF THEY GO AND SIGN UP, THEY WOULDN'T NEED AN EMAIL ADDRESS OF SOMEONE, FAMILY MEMBER OR SOMEBODY THAT, THAT WOULD HAVE TO SIGN IN.
I THINK WE PROBABLY NEED TO CONSIDER THOSE WHO DO NOT HAVE ELECTRONIC ACCESS.
I HAVE TO TALK TO THE, UH, SOFTWARE COMPANY AND SEE HOW WE CAN SET THAT UP, BECAUSE APPRECIATE THAT.
THEY'RE THE ONES WHO WOULD HAVE TO NOTIFY SOMEBODY IF A DEEDED COMES IN.
AND HAVE YOU HAD ANY IN INSTANCES THAT YOU CAN THINK ABOUT THAT'S HAPPENED WHERE NO, NOW WE, WE DO HAVE A, WHAT DID I SAY? IT'S NOT REALLY A PREVENTION, IT'S UM, IF SOMEONE BROUGHT A QUICK CLAIM DEEDED TO THE COUNTER AND TRIED TO FILE IT.
AND THIS IS ONLY ON QUICK CLAIM DEEDS NOT PREPARED BY AN ATTORNEY.
THEY COME IN, WHAT WE DO, AND OF COURSE I'M ON PUBLIC THING NOW, SO IT'S NOT GONNA BE PRIVATE.
AND BASICALLY THE CARD SAYS, DID YOU TRANSFER THIS PROPERTY TO A NEW PERSON OR DID YOU NOT? BASICALLY IT'S A CHECK ONE BOX OR THE OTHER.
I GOTTA JUST STICK IT IN THE MAIL.
IF WE DON'T GET IT BACK WITHIN 30 DAYS, THE DEED GOES AHEAD AND GETS PROCESSED.
IF WITHIN 30 DAYS IT COMES BACK AND IT SAYS, NO, I DID NOT TRANSFER THAT PROPERTY, EVERYTHING HALTS RIGHT NOW, WE WILL CONTACT THEM AND SAY, LISTEN, YOU NEED TO GET AN ATTORNEY.
SOMEBODY'S FILED A DEEDED FRAUDULENTLY ON YOUR PROPERTY.
I HAVEN'T HAD ANYBODY CAME BACK IN AND SAID, NO, WE DIDN'T DO IT.
MR. CHAIRMAN, LEMME ASK ONE, GO ALEX, GO AHEAD.
COULD YOU EXPLAIN, UM, FOR THE MOBILE HOME TITLE, WHAT YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT? I'M NOT, WELL THAT'S LIKE SOMEBODY HAS A MOBILE HOME AND THEY OWN A PIECE OF LAND AND FOR TAX PURPOSES AND ALSO FOR MAYBE TO TAKE OUT A MORTGAGE, THEY HAVE TO PUT THE MOBILE HOME ATTACHED TO THE PROPERTY AS IF IT WAS A HOUSE.
SO IT'S CALLED DELY, A MOBILE HOME.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
UP UNTIL THIS POINT, THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF CONFUSION ON THE, THE, WHAT THEY NEEDED TO DO.
FIRST, SECOND, THIRD, ONE FORM WAS BEING USED BY ONE PERSON, ANOTHER FORM BY ANOTHER PERSON.
IT'S GOT THE INSTRUCTIONS, THE FIRST PAGE.
MR. CHAIRMAN, JUST ONE QUICK QUESTION.
UM, HOW DOES, HOW DOES AN ADDRESS GET CHANGED IN THE SYSTEM? WELL, THEY WOULD HAVE TO COME IN AND CHANGE IT, BUT THAT'S NOT THROUGH MY OFFICE.
THAT'S THROUGH THE ASSESSOR'S OFFICE, I BELIEVE.
IF THEY WANT THEIR TAXES MAILED SOMEPLACE ELSE, IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE SAYING? DOESN'T REALLY MATTER.
JUST HOW DO YOU CHANGE AN ADDRESS TO A PROPERTY? YEAH.
UM, WELL, EVERYTHING HAS A TAX MAP NUMBER ASSOCIATED WITH IT.
THAT'S THE, THAT'S THE NAME OF THAT PIECE OF PROPERTY IS THAT TAX MAP NUMBER.
IT'S THE ADDRESS THAT COULD CHANGE THROUGH MAYBE RELOCATING 9 1 1 OR WHATEVER THEY DO.
OR IF YOU JUST WANT YOUR, YOUR TAXES MAILED TO A DIFFERENT PLACE BESIDES WHAT'S ON YOUR DEEDED, THEN YOU WOULD HAVE TO COME IN.
AND THAT'S NOT WITH MY DEPARTMENT, BUT I'M, I THINK IT'S WITH THE ASSESSORS MR. SHE'S, DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? YES MA'AM.
BECAUSE IT DOESN'T IN, I MEAN, I'M IN THE WRONG DEPARTMENT, THAT'S ALL.
JUST FOR CLARIFICATION, THAT THE QUICK CLAIM M D PROCESS, YOU SEND THE CARD TO THE PROPERTY OWNER AND THEY'VE GOT 30 DAYS TO GET IT BACK TO YOU.
IT'S THE ONLY WAY THAT WE COULD EVEN TRY TO PUT A, A STOP ON, ON ANYTHING THAT COULD POSSIBLY HAPPEN.
I'M SURE THERE'S GONNA BE A WAY PEOPLE GET AROUND IT, BUT THAT'S THE BEST THING WE CAN COME UP WITH.
ANYTHING ELSE FOR MS. GREEN? THANK YOU.
WHAT CAN WE DO FOR YOU, IF YOU WOULD GRANT ME JUST A MINUTE BEFORE DENISE STARTS TALKING.
[00:15:01]
'CAUSE THEY WON'T TALK ABOUT THEMSELVES SO MUCH.UH, I I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, UH, THE COUNCIL OR YOUR COMMITTEE UNDERSTANDS THAT, UH, MS. DENISE RIGHT NOW IS FILLING TWO ROLES FOR BEAUFORT COUNTY.
SHE'S THE, UH, ACTING, ACTING INTERIM DEPUTY COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR, AS WELL AS THE C F O.
THEIR DEPARTMENT IS, UH, DOING A LOT OF WORK RIGHT NOW.
UH, MR. BUTT SAYS, WELL, UH, BACK HERE, HE WOULDN'T TELL YOU THIS EITHER, BUT HE'S SPENDING A COUPLE OF DAYS A WEEK IN THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT, AND DENISE HAS BEEN GOING BACK AND FORTH FROM THIS OFFICE AND AN OFFICE IN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
SO HER TEAM IS REALLY DOING A GOOD JOB AUDIT.
THIS IS A AUDIT MONTH COMING UP FOR THEM.
SO THEY'RE ALL REALLY BUSY AND I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY HEARD IT FROM ME.
THANKS SO MUCH FOR WHAT YOU DO.
UM, THEY'RE REALLY IMPORTANT TO BEAUFORT COUNTY AND THEY'VE GOT A A LOT OF CHORE UP AHEAD OF THEM TO GET IT ALL DONE.
AND, UH, AGAIN, WE APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE AS WELL, AND WE, WE KNOW, UH, IT'S IMPORTANT FOR YOU TO BE HERE.
AND I WANNA THANK YOU PERSONALLY FOR STICKING WITH US THROUGH THIS DIFFICULT AND TIME THAT WE'VE GOT, ESPECIALLY IN OUR FINANCE DEPARTMENT.
SO AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE AND, AND, AND BEING PART OF WHAT WE'RE DOING AND WHAT WE'RE, UH, MOVING FORWARD AND, AND, AND AGAIN, TRANSPARENCY AND CLEANING THINGS UP AND GETTING THINGS TAKEN CARE OF.
AND AGAIN, THE, UH, THE FLOOR IS YOURS.
UM, AND I THINK WE'RE HAVING A, UH,
[8. DISCUSSION AND PRESENTATION OF YEAR TO DATE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE ENTERPRISE FUNDS FOR FY 2023 - Denise Christmas, Interim Deputy County Administrator]
A DISCUSSION AND PRESENTATION OF YEAR TO DATE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE ENTERPRISE FUND FISCAL YEAR 2023.AND THANK YOU, JOHN, FOR THOSE KIND WORDS TOO.
AND, UM, SO I ALSO HAVE CHRISTINE WEBB AND BRYCE AND CAMPBELL IN THE ROOM WITH ME.
UM, IN CASE YOU GUYS HAVE QUESTIONS ON ANOTHER TOPIC, THE ETAX TOPIC, UM, WHICH IS COMING UP NEXT.
SO, UH, WE, WE WILL START WITH THE ENTERPRISE FINANCIALS.
I THINK YOU ALL MAY HAVE GOTTEN THE POWERPOINT.
SO FOR FISCAL YEAR ENDED 23, WE'LL START WITH THE SOLID WASTE AND RECYCLING FUND.
I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH DETAIL YOU GUYS WANT, UM, FOR THIS, BUT I REALLY JUST LIKE LOOKING AT THE BOTTOM LINE, THE SUMMARY, WHICH IS SLIDE FIVE, UH, THE SOLID WASTE SUMMARY WHERE IT SHOWS YOUR REVENUE THAT WAS COLLECTED FOR THE YEAR AND THE EXPENSES THAT WERE PAID OUT.
AND THE NET INCOME FOR THAT FUND IS $1.6 MILLION, $1,644,417 AND 18 CENTS.
SO, UH, THAT IS GREAT THAT WE HAD A NET INCOME LAST YEAR AND WE ARE ANTICIPATING ANOTHER NET INCOME.
THIS FISCAL YEAR IS TRENDING THAT WAY.
DO YOU WANT ME TO GO OVER THE DETAILS OF ALL OF THIS OR DO YOU WANT ME TO JUST GO OVER THE SUMMARY? IF YOU WANNA GO OVER THE, ASK YOU TO SPEAK TO SALARY, UH, PARTICULAR, UH, SALARY, UH, IN THE BUDGET.
AS IT RELATES TO, UM, OVERAGE.
WHAT, UM, IF YOU CAN JUST GO THROUGH THE SUMMARY AND THEN WE'LL COME BACK AND ASK QUESTIONS.
SO THAT'S SOLID WASTE, UH, AND RECYCLING.
OUR NEXT ENTERPRISE FUND IS THE STORMWATER UTILITY.
SO THE STORMWATER UTILITY FUND HAD REVENUE LAST FISCAL YEAR AND THE AMOUNT OF 7,662,598 OF THEIR BUDGETED $8.4 MILLION REVENUE, THEIR EXPENSES WERE $4,922,015 OF AN $8.3 MILLION BUDGET.
THEY ONLY SPENT 59% OF THEIR BUDGET.
THEIR SUMMARY IS, UH, REVENUE OVER EXPENSES WITH A NET INCOME OF $2,740,583, WHICH I THINK IS PRETTY STRONG.
AND AGAIN, IT LOOKS LIKE WE WILL ANTICIPATE ANOTHER NET INCOME THIS YEAR IS THE WAY IT'S TRENDING.
AND I'LL BE HAPPY TO PROVIDE QUARTERLY FINANCIALS AT OUR NEXT MEETING TO UPDATE YOU GUYS ON ALL OF THESE ENTERPRISE FUNDS.
UM, MOVING ALONG TO THE BEAUFORT EXECUTIVE AIRPORT, THEY HAVE REVENUE IN THE AMOUNT OF $1,251,514 AND 62 CENTS.
AND THEIR EXPENSES WERE 1,118,997 FOR A NET INCOME OF 130 2005 17.
NOW, THIS NET INCOME IS, IT MAY CHANGE, UH, WHEN THE AUDIT, THE AUDITORS ARE STARTING OUR AUDIT NOW, BUT THERE MAY BE JOURNAL ENTRIES, THERE MAY BE ADJUSTMENTS WHICH MIGHT AFFECT ALL OF THESE NUMBERS, ALL OF THESE NET INCOME NUMBERS.
BUT I DON'T ANTICIPATE THEM CHANGING
[00:20:01]
MUCH.LET'S HOPE THEY ALL STAY IN THE BLACK QUESTION HERE.
A QUESTION, I'M LOOKING AT THE BUFORT EXECUTIVE AIRPORT SUMMARY.
SO IN MY WORLD, A NEGATIVE ON THE NET INCOME WOULD BE A DEFICIT.
WHY IS IT A NEGATIVE IN YOUR WORLD? IT'S A CREDIT.
SO IN OUR SYSTEM, IN THE MUNI SOFTWARE SYSTEM, ALL REVENUES GO IN AS NEGATIVES AS CREDITS AND EXPENSES, AS DEBITS, WHICH ARE POSITIVE NUMBERS IN MUNI.
IS THERE LIKE A LOGIC TO THAT
IT JUST SAID TO THE REAL PERSON, THAT LOOKS LIKE A NEGATIVE, THAT'S A DEFICIT, BUT, OKAY.
AND SO IF IT WERE A LOSS, I WILL, I WILL PUT LOSS THERE, BUT IN THE FUTURE, IF YOU WANT ME TO CHANGE IT TO A POSITIVE NUMBER, I CERTAINLY CAN DO THAT.
NO, IF IT'S A DEFICIT, YOU COULD MAKE IT RED.
I DON'T WANNA MESS WITH YOUR LIFE.
SO THE HILTON HEAD AIRPORT LAST FISCAL YEAR HAD REVENUE IN THE AMOUNT OF 12 MILLION 6 62, 753 WITH EXPENSES IN THE AMOUNT OF 10 MILLION 7 29 37 FOR A NET INCOME OF 1,941,815.
THIS IS PRETTY STRONG FOR THEM, AS YOU GUYS KNOW IN THE PAST, UH MM-HMM.
SO WHAT WE'VE DONE, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY OWE THE GENERAL FUND MONEY.
AND SO AFTER CHRISTINE HERE DID THE ENTRY FOR THE YEAR ENDING JUNE 30TH, 2023, IT'S, THEIR DEBT TO THE COUNTY HAS DECREASED FROM 5.5 MILLION ISH TO THREE POINT, WHAT IS IT? 3.2, MAYBE THREE, 3.4, 3.4 MILLION.
SO WE ARE ANTICIPATING NEXT, IN THE NEXT TWO YEARS, HOPEFULLY
NOW THE DEBT TO THE COUNTY RIGHT NOW IS ONLY SHOWING UP IN THEIR GRANTS FUND.
SO LAST YEAR THE HILTON HEAD AIRPORT ON OUR BOOKS OWED MONEY TO THE GENERAL FUND AND THEIR OPERATING FUND, THEIR P F C FUND HAD A OPPOSITE BALANCE, BUT CHRISTINE CORRECTED THAT.
IT'S A LONG STORY, BUT, UM, SHE CORRECTED THAT ENTRY.
AND THEN THE GRANTS FUND HAD A BALANCE.
SO THIS YEAR, THE ONLY FUND THAT THAT HAS A BALANCE IS THE GRANTS FUND, AND THAT'S WHERE THE $3.4 MILLION IS.
SO THEIR OPERATING FUND NO LONGER SHOWS THAT THEY OWE THE COUNTY ANY MONEY, WHICH LOOKS GOOD IN THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS.
AND THE, YOU KNOW, THE GRANTS THAT'S, SO IT'S THE, IT'S THE COUNTY.
IT'S THE COUNTY, UH, SUPPORTING THEIR GRANT MATCH FOR ALL OF THEIR PROJECTS THAT ARE, THAT ARE UNDERWAY.
AND THAT'S, AND THAT'S ALL OF OUR ENTERPRISE FUNDS.
AND THEY ALL HAVE NET INCOMES FOR 2023.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS? ANY QUESTIONS MR. GLOVER, YOU WANTED TO ASK A QUESTION ABOUT? YES.
UM, YEAH, I, I APPRECIATE YOUR, UH, REPORT, UM, ESPECIALLY WITH THE AIRPORTS.
UM, AND IT WAS REALLY GOOD TO SEE THE EXECUTIVE AIRPORT, UH, IN THE, UM, POSITIVE AREA.
'CAUSE WE'VE, THEY'VE BEEN SORT OF IN THE NEGATIVE FOR SEVERAL YEARS.
AND I, I TRUST THAT JOHN WILL CONTINUE TO, UM, DO WHAT HE, WHAT HE CAN TO IMPROVE THOSE REVENUE AT THE EXECUTIVE AIRPORT.
BUT WHEN YOU COME DOWN TO THE STORM WATER AND SOLID WASTE, UH, YOU, YOU TALK ABOUT A POSITIVE NUMBER YOU HAVE IN THE, UH, UM, AND THE BOTTOM LINE.
UM, MY, MY QUESTION IS, IS THAT BECAUSE WE HAVE STAFF POSITIONS, UM, THAT HAVE NOT BEEN FUNDED OVER THE YEARS, AND IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO CORRECT IN OUR BUDGET GOING FORWARD TO MAKE THAT ADJUSTMENT? OR WE CONTINUE TO KEEP THOSE SALARY IN THOSE POSITIONS UNTIL THEY ARE BASICALLY HIRED? SO I KNOW IT'S BEEN SEVERAL YEARS WHERE WE HAD A LOT OF STAFF THAT HAVE NOT BEEN POSITIONED, THAT HAVE NOT BEEN FILLED.
[00:25:01]
SO WE REPEAT, ARE WE REPEATING THAT CONTINUOUSLY? AND WE ENDED UP WITH A LOT OF SURPLUS IN OUR ENTERPRISE BUDGET.THE, THE BULK OF THE SURPLUS DOES APPEAR TO BE IN SALARIES AND FRINGES.
UM, BUT THIS FISCAL YEAR AND FISCAL YEAR 24, WE DID NOT BUDGET THOSE SURPLUSES.
SO I'LL BE CURIOUS TO SEE WHAT OUR FINANCIAL STATEMENTS LOOK LIKE WHEN WE END THIS FISCAL YEAR.
UH, AND IT SHOULD CORRECT ITSELF.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE SHOULD SEE A CORRECTION OF THAT, UM, COME YEAR, END THIS YEAR, YOU KNOW, THIS FISCAL YEAR.
BUT IT DOES APPEAR THAT THERE ARE POSITIONS THAT ARE NOT, UM, FILLED.
RIGHT? WELL, THEY WEREN'T FILLED IN FISCAL YEAR 23 THAT YES, IT RESULTED IN THAT SURPLUS.
SO THEY, THEY, THEY, THEY WOULD'VE HAD OVER TIME AN ACCUMULATED FUND BALANCE THAT WE CAN THEN APPLY THAT FUND BALANCE TO THEIR BUDGET.
AND, UH, WE ACTUALLY DID THAT THIS YEAR WHEN I SAT WITH NEIL, UH, FOR THE STORM WATER BUDGET.
SO HE NEEDED SOME CAPITAL EQUIPMENT FOR THAT FUND.
SO I TOLD HIM, I ADVISED HIM THAT YES, HE COULD BUDGET FOR SOME OF THAT FUND BALANCE IF HE NEEDED SOME CAPITAL EQUIPMENT.
SO THAT IS WHAT HE DID IN THIS FISCAL YEAR.
AND THAT WOULD PREVENT US FROM BONDING FUNDS OUT, YOU KNOW, OR USING THE GENERAL FUND MONEY TO SUPPORT THESE ENTERPRISE FUNDS, WHICH, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T WANNA GET IN THE HABIT HABIT OF DOING.
BUT I SEE MR. JUDGE
SO INSIDE PUBLIC WORKS IN TOTAL, WE'RE DOWN 35, UM, POSITIONS, UM, THAT ARE UNFILLED THAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE TO FILL.
A LOT OF THOSE ARE, UH, UM, ATTENDANCE AT THE CONVENIENCE CENTERS.
THOSE ARE MOSTLY PART-TIME POSITIONS.
WE ONLY HAVE A FEW FULL-TIME POSITIONS THAT ARE MOSTLY THE FOREMANS THERE IN SOLID WASTES.
AND WHAT WE HAVE BEEN WORKING IS, UM, WHILE WE'RE WORKING TO FILL THOSE POSITIONS, OFFERING OTHER, UM, PEOPLE INSIDE OF PUBLIC WORKS OVERTIME OPPORTUNITIES, FOLKS WHO WOULD LIKE TO WORK MORE AND EARN MORE, UM, TO FILL IN SOME OF THOSE HOLES WHILE WE BACKFILL THOSE POSITIONS.
SO WE'RE WORKING THROUGH THAT, UM, TO, BUT IT'S A CONSTANT, UM, REVOLVING DOOR WITH THOSE POSITIONS.
AND PART OF IT IS PAY, WHICH WE WERE WORKING THROUGH THAT TOO.
UM, SO, BUT LIKE DENISE SAID, UM, EVEN THOUGH WE'RE WORKING TO FILL THOSE POSITIONS, IF IT COMES WITH A SURPLUS, IT DOES HELP LATER FOR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS THAT WE HAVE TO MAKE AND REPAIR AND, AND REPLACE EQUIPMENT INSIDE THE ENTERPRISE FUND.
SO I HAVE A FOLLOW UP QUESTION.
LAST STORMWATER MEETING STORMWATER, HE SAID THERE WERE 20 VACANCIES IN STORMWATER.
I ASSUMED THEY WERE FULL-TIME.
AND THEN AT THE MEETING, KEEP BE BEAUTIFUL MEETING LAST THURSDAY, UM, ONE OF THE STAFF PEOPLE SAID THERE WERE 46 VACANCIES IN PUBLIC WORK.
SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S THE REAL NUMBER? I MEAN, I KNOW IT VARIES, BUT THAT IS, THAT IS A LOT.
IT'S, IT'S IN THAT 35 TO 40 RANGE.
AND HOW, HOW MANY ARE FULL-TIME AND HOW MANY I I DON'T HAVE THAT NUMBER.
I CAN GET SOME MORE INFORMATION TO YOU.
UH, SO OUR, OUR BIGGEST VACANCIES ARE IN, UH, ATTENDANCE AND SOLID WASTE, AND THEN OPERATORS, UM, A LOT OF WHICH ARE IN STORMWATER.
I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO KNOW HOW MANY ARE VACANT IN STORMWATER.
SO, UM, WITH, UH, WITH THE ISSUING OF THE DECAL SYSTEM, HAS THAT HAD ANY DECREASE OR THAT JUST HELD OUR, OUR COST CONSTANT? OR IS THERE SOME SAVINGS THAT WE'VE HAD? THERE HAS BEEN SOME SAVINGS.
IT'S MORE HOLDING OUR COST CONSTANT, UM, IS WHAT WE'VE GOT OUT OF THAT.
SO WHEN WE INITIALLY SPUN OUT THE ENTERPRISE FUND FOR SOLID WASTE, WHAT WE DIDN'T DO WAS CAPITALIZE THAT FUND.
SO WE DIDN'T OVER, UM, OVERPRODUCE MILLAGE OR OVERPRODUCE REVENUE IN ORDER TO HAVE A CAPITAL REPLACEMENT.
SO WE'RE BASICALLY COVERING COSTS.
UM, OVER THE LAST FOUR OR FIVE YEARS PRIOR TO SPINNING OUT THE ENTERPRISE FUND FOR SOLID WASTE, WE HAD INCREASED COSTS.
AND WHAT WE SAW THE, THE DECAL SYSTEM DO IS KIND OF CURB THAT COST AND, AND PLATEAU IT A LITTLE BIT.
SO AS THE COUNTY GROWS, UM, AND AS MORE RESIDENTS, UM, PRODUCE TRASH, THOSE NUMBERS WILL CONTINUE TO CLIMB.
BUT AT LEAST THE DECAL SYSTEM'S, THE USERS THAT WERE USING OUR CONVENIENCE SYSTEM IMPROPERLY OUT OF, OUT OF THE CONVENIENCE CENTERS.
UM, QUESTION, MR. CHAIRMAN QUESTION? YEP.
HEY, JARED, WHEN THE, UM, DECALS WERE PUT INTO PLACE, I UNDERSTOOD THAT THE COST OF RUNNING THE HILTON HEAD, UH, SOLID WASTE
[00:30:01]
DROPPED BY ABOUT HALF.IS THAT NOT, UH, THE CASE ANYMORE? UM, I, I DON'T KNOW SPECIFICALLY TO THAT CENTER.
THERE WAS, UM, BLUFFTON AND, AND HILTON HEAD DID SEE A LOT OF THE SAVINGS.
UM, I DON'T KNOW SPECIFIC HOW MUCH THAT IS RELATIVE TO WHEN WE INITIATED, BUT I CAN, I CAN GET THAT INFORMATION.
BUT IT'S SAFE TO SAY NOW THAT, UH, THAT DOESN'T MATTER ANYMORE BECAUSE COSTS HAVE STARTED TO CLIMB BACK UP.
THE SAVINGS THAT WE INCURRED AT THE TIME OF IMPLEMENTATION WILL EVENTUALLY, UM, DECREASED BECAUSE THE AMOUNT OF TRASH FROM A GROWING POPULATION WILL OVERCOME THE TRASH THAT WE RE REMOVED OUT OF THE SYSTEM FROM THE CONTRACTORS AND THE OUT OF TOWNERS DUMPING ILLEGALLY.
DENISE ON THE, UH, EXECUTIVE AIRPORT AND HILTON HEAD, IT LOOKS LIKE THERE'S A SURPLUS OF ABOUT 3 MILLION.
DOES THAT SOUND ABOUT RIGHT? LOOKING AT THOSE TWO TOTALS, YES.
UH, SURPLUS AT HILTON HEAD IS ONE? NO, BOTH COMBINED.
SO WHAT DO WE DO WITH THAT MONEY AT SURPLUS? THAT
YEAH, IT DOES GO BACK INTO THE AIRPORT AND, AND YOU KNOW, IT'S THE RESERVE ACCOUNT IN CASE OF EMERGENCIES OR IN CASE THEY HAVE A BAD YEAR, YOU KNOW? RIGHT.
HOPEFULLY THEY WON'T HAVE A LOSS.
AND WHAT IT DOES IS IT, IT LOOKS VERY GOOD AND HEALTHY ON OUR FINANCIAL STATEMENTS SHOULD THE AIRPORTS HAVE TO BOND FUNDS, YOU KNOW, ISSUE REVENUE BONDS AND THE FUTURE FOR, YOU KNOW, FOR EXPANSION AND WHATNOT.
UH, IT WOULD CERTAINLY, BY HAVING HEALTHY, UH, FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND HAVING A SURPLUS AND RESERVES WOULD HELP OUR, OUR BOND RATING OF COURSE, NUMBER ONE, AND WOULD HELP OUR INTEREST WHEN WE GO TO ISSUE THOSE BONDS.
AND YORK, MAYBE YOU CAN HELP ME OUT WITH THIS.
I WAS UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT THE EXECUTIVE AIRPORT WAS IN DIRE NEED OF ADDITIONAL HANGING HANGAR SPACE.
IS THAT THE, DOES THAT SOUND RIGHT? YOUR, UH, THEY, THEY STILL DO.
AND THAT
I THINK HE'S WORKING ON THAT AND I THINK IT'S REALLY CENTERED AROUND, UM, EACH, EACH, EACH ENTITY STANDING ON ITS OWN.
SO IT REALLY MEANS THAT COUNTY MAY HAVE TO PROBABLY, UH, HELP WITH THAT EFFORT, NOT NECESSARILY HILTON HEAD, BUT, UM MM-HMM.
BUT IF HILTON HEAD WANTS TO HELP WITH THAT INVESTMENT, HE'LL TAKE IT.
I CAN'T SPEAK TO, I CAN'T SPEAK TO THAT.
ALL I WAS WONDERING IS IF THERE WERE ANY IMPROVEMENTS, UH, CONTEMPLATED FOR THE EXECUTIVE AIRPORT OUT THERE.
THERE IS A, THERE IS A HANGAR PROJECT, UM, UNDERWAY THAT IS UNDER DESIGN CURRENTLY.
UM, AND THERE'S A THREE PART SERIES TO THAT.
UM, TWO DIFFERENT TYPES OF TEE HANGERS AND THEN A BOX HANGER.
AND SO THAT WOULD BE A OPPORTUNITY FOR INVESTMENT, BUT WE HAVE LIMITED RESERVES IN THE BEAUFORT EXECUTIVE.
AND CURRENTLY, AS MR. GLOVER SAID, THOSE TWO ENTERPRISE FUNDS ARE INDEPENDENT OF ONE ANOTHER.
SO THEY'RE WORKING SEPARATELY.
UM, IT COULD BE SOMETHING THAT WE LOOK AT TO MERGE THOSE ENTERPRISE FUNDS.
WE'VE DISCUSSED THAT, BUT WE HAVEN'T, WE HAVEN'T DONE THAT.
UM, THAT WAY WE COULD USE FUNDS BETWEEN THE TWO AIRPORTS ALSO THAT, THAT SURPLUS INSIDE OF HILTON HEAD AIRPORT, WE STILL HAVE A, UH, NET DEBIT OR A, UM, DEFICIT INSIDE THE, THE GRANT FUNDS THAT WE'RE CONTINUING TO PAY OFF THE INTENT ON GROWING THE CAPITAL RESERVE.
IN ADDITION TO WHAT DENISE SAID AS FAR AS MAKING OUR BALANCE SHEET LOOK GOOD, AND OUR, OUR, UM, SHEETS, IF WE EVER DO A REVENUE BOND, IS THAT A LOT OF THE GRANTS ARE REIMBURSABLE.
SO WE HAVE TO PUT THE FUNDS UP FIRST AND THEN SEEK REIMBURSEMENT.
SO THAT SURPLUS WILL HELP BE OUR CASH RESERVES FOR A CASHFLOW POLICY.
ANY MORE QUESTIONS? AND, AND, UH, THANK YOU MR. JARED LIK FOR COMING UP.
OUR ASSISTANT COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR OF PUBLIC WORKS AND DENISE, DO YOU HAVE MORE FOR US, OR IS THAT, UM, OKAY.
SO GOING BACK TO THE VACANCIES.
SO I DID FIND THE VACANCIES FOR STORM WATER AND SOLID WASTE THAT WE BUDGETED FOR, FOR THIS FISCAL YEAR.
SO THE SOLID WASTE FUND HAD EIGHT VACANCIES, SIX PART-TIME, AND TWO FULL-TIME, AND THEN SOLID.
AND THEN STORMWATER HAD 14 VACANCIES ALL FULL-TIME TO THE TUNE OF $498,659 FOR STORM WATER AND 186,659 FOR SOLID WASTE.
SO THOSE THAT DID CONTRIBUTE, LIKE MR. GLOVER SAID TO THE SURPLUS IN THOSE FUNDS LAST
[00:35:01]
YEAR.SO I JUST WANTED TO THROW THOSE NUMBERS OUT TO YOU, UM, VACANCIES AND I DON'T KNOW HOW ACCURATE THOSE ARE TODAY.
I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY OF THOSE HAVE BEEN FILLED OR IF THEY, OR IF THE NUMBER HAS GROWN, BUT THAT'S CERTAINLY SOMETHING WE CAN GET FROM THE HR, UM, DEPARTMENT FOR YOU GUYS.
AND THEN WE DID HAVE RECEIVABLES BOOKED IN THE AMOUNT FOR THE HILTON HEAD AIRPORT, UM, FOR FISCAL YEAR 23 AND THE AMOUNT OF 372,000 427 73.
THOSE ARE FUNDS THAT WE'RE EXPECTING TO RECEIVE THIS FISCAL YEAR.
ANY, UH, MORE QUESTIONS FOR MS. CHRISTMAS? DENISE, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
AND AGAIN, UM, YOUR POSITION AS INTERIM DEPUTY COUNTY, UH, ADMINISTRATOR, UM, AND ALSO INTERIM C F O.
SO, UH, AGAIN, WE APPRECIATE ALL YOU DO.
AND I'LL STAY ON FOR, UM, FOR ANOTHER COUPLE TOPICS.
[9. DISCUSSION OF STATE AND LOCAL ACCOMMODATIONS TAX FUNDS - Tom Keaveny, County Attorney]
LET'S MOVE ON TO OUR FIRST AGENDA ITEM.AND THAT IS, UH, NUMBER NINE, DISCUSSION OF STATE AND LOCAL ACCOMMODATION TAX FUNDS.
AND, UM, MR. THOMAS, KEVIN, ARE YOU COMING FORWARD FOR US? YES, SIR.
SO I'M GOING TO KICK THIS OFF AND THEN WE'LL PROBABLY GET INTO A DISCUSSION ABOUT HOW COUNCIL WANTS TO PROCEED, IF AT ALL, WITH REGARD TO USING THESE FUNDS.
UM, SO LAST WEEK COUNCILMAN TABER ASKED ABOUT, UM, THE NEW ACT THAT WENT INTO EFFECT THIS YEAR THAT ALLOWED, UM, LOCAL GOVERNMENTS TO USE STATE AND LOCAL AT TAX FUNDS FOR WORKFORCE HOUSING.
SO ACT F ACT 57 AMENDED THE AMENDED EXISTING STATE AND LOCAL, UM, STATE STATUTES WITH REGARD TO A TAX TO ALLOW REVENUES TO BE USED FOR WORKFORCE HOUSING, BOTH THE, UH, STATE AT TAX AND THE LOCAL AT TAX DEFINES WORKFORCE HOUSING AS THE SAME WAY AS USING THE SAME DEFINITION.
AND IT IS, I'M GOING TO TELL YOU WHAT IT IS.
IT IS RESIDENTIAL HOUSING THAT IS FOR RENT OR SALE THAT IS REASONABLY AND APPROPRIATELY PRICED FOR RENT OR SALE TO A PERSON WHOSE INCOME FALLS WITHIN 30% AND 120% OF THE MEDIAN INCOME FOR LO FOR THE LOCAL AREA.
AND OF COURSE, THAT'S ADJUSTED BASED ON HOUSING, UH, FAMILY SIZE, AND THAT THAT ALL IS A FUNCTION OF HUD NUMBERS THAT ARE, UM, PUBLISHED EACH YEAR.
UM, THIS PROGRAM, IF COUNCIL DECIDES THAT IT WANTS TO USE, UH, FUNDS FOR WORKFORCE HOUSING, UH, PROGRAM MUST INCLUDE PROGRAMS TO PROMOTE HOME OWNERSHIP.
AND THE STATUTE, THE ACT, UM, DOES NOT DEFINE EXACTLY WHAT HOME OWNERSHIP IS OR WHAT PROGRAMS THAT ARE DESIGNED TO PROMOTE HOME OWNERSHIP LOOK LIKE, BUT THAT'S A REQUIREMENT.
UM, THE RULES FOR USING STATE AT TAX AND LOCAL AT TAX ARE DIFFERENT.
UM, IF COUNCIL DECIDES IT WANTS TO USE, UH, AT TAX ACCOMMODATIONS TAX FOR WORKFORCE HOUSING, IT'S PROBABLY GONNA WANT TO DO IT THROUGH THE LOCAL AT TAX, UM, FUNDS AS OPPOSED TO THE STATE AT TAX FUNDS.
AND I'LL TELL YOU WHY IN A MINUTE.
UM, IN ADDITION, UM, THE USE OF THESE FUNDS UNDER ACT 57 EXPIRES ON DECEMBER 31ST, 2030.
SO THIS PROGRAM IS ONLY GONNA BE AROUND FOR ABOUT SEVEN YEARS.
SO FIRST, WITH REGARD TO WHETHER OR NOT THERE ARE ANY LIMITATIONS ON THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT CAN BE USED, THE AMOUNT OF REVENUE THAT CAN BE USED UNDER THE STATE A TAX, THERE IS NO LIMITATION ON THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT CAN BE USED OR THE PERCENTAGE OF MONEY THAT CAN BE USED.
HOWEVER, IF YOU GO WITH, IF YOU TRY TO USE STATE AT TAX, UH, FUNDS, YOU HAVE TO DO AN, UH, HOUSING IMPACT ANALYSIS, WHICH IS INCREDIBLY DETAILED.
AND I THINK I, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE WHOLE INTENTION WAS OF DRAFTING THIS LEGISLATION, BUT LOOKING AT WHAT THE STATE IS GOING TO REQUIRE OF LOCAL GOVERNMENTS AND CITIES AND COUNTIES BOTH CAN DO THIS.
UM, IT LOOKS TO ME LIKE THE STATE REALLY WANTED TO DISCOURAGE FOLKS, UM, FROM USING STATE A TAX FUNDS FOR WORKFORCE HOUSING.
UM, BECAUSE THIS IMPACT ANALYSIS THAT HAS TO BE DONE IS ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLY DETAILED AND BURDENSOME.
IF YOU COULD TURN TO PAGE 45 OF THE BACKUP MATERIAL, IT'LL SHOW YOU WHAT THIS STUDY LOOKS LIKE.
IT'S ACTUALLY PAGE STARTS ON PAGE 45 AND IT GOES ON TO PAGE 46.
AND I DON'T WANNA READ IT FOR YOU, BUT I WANT YOU TO AT LEAST HAVE A CHANCE TO LOOK AT IT IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY DONE SO.
UM, BUT THIS, THIS HOUSING STUDY HAS TO TALK ABOUT HOUSING
[00:40:01]
COSTS.IT HAS TO ADDRESS DENSITY LOCATIONS, SETBACKS, SIZE, HEIGHT DEVELOPMENTS, LOT PARCEL LAND DIVISIONS AND SUBDIVISIONS.
UM, YOU HAVE TO LOOK IN INTO ALL KINDS OF THINGS LIKE, UH, THE REASONABLE ESTIMATES OF THE EFFECT OF THE ORDINANCE ON HOUSING COSTS EXPRESSED IN DOLLAR AMOUNTS HAVE TO PROVIDE A SUMMARY OF, OR A WORKSHEET DEMONSTRATING THE COMPUTATIONS THAT ARE USED TO, UM, REACH THESE NUMBERS.
SO IT STARTS DOWN THERE AT THE BOTTOM AND IT GOES ON TO THE TOP OF THE NEXT PAGE.
AND IT IS JUST REALLY, TO ME, IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S DESIGNED TO PREVENT LOCAL GOVERNMENTS FROM UTILIZING STATE AT TAX FUNDS FOR WORKFORCE HOUSING.
ON THE OTHER HAND, USE OF LOCAL, UM, AT TAX FUNDS, UH, IS MUCH EASIER TO DO.
HOWEVER, THERE'S A LIMITATION OF IT ON IT, AND THAT'S ONLY, THAT'S 15% OF THE ANNUAL APPROPRIATION.
UM, SO YOU CANNOT ACCEPT, THE STATUTE SAYS THAT, UH, LOCAL GOVERNMENTS CANNOT EXPEND OR DEDICATE MORE THAN 15% OF THEIR ANNUAL LOCAL AT TAX RES REVENUE, UH, FOR THIS PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
SO, UM, IF COUNCIL WANTS TO DO, UH, USE STATE A TAX FUNDS, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO ADOPT AN ORDINANCE.
YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO DO THE STUDY, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO, TO SUBMIT, UM, THE STUDY TO D O R.
UM, THE COUNTY HAS TO SUBMIT IT TO D O R, GOTTA SUBMIT IT TO TURK, THE TOURISM EXPENDITURE REVIEW COMMITTEE.
IT'S A VERY, VERY BURDENSOME PROCESS.
ON THE OTHER HAND, IF YOU WANT TO USE LOCAL AT TAX REVENUE, YOU'RE LIMITED TO 15%.
UM, BUT YOU'RE NOT GONNA HAVE TO AMEND THE ORDINANCE THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE.
I INCLUDED A COPY OF OUR CURRENT ORDINANCE, UH, IN THE BACKUP MATERIAL.
IT'S WAY, WAY, WAY BACK TOWARD THE BACK.
UM, AND, UM, THE WAY IT'S DRAFTED, THE WAY OUR ORDINANCE IS CURRENTLY DRAFTED, WE BELIEVE COUNSEL CAN USE THESE FUNDS, COULD APPROPRIATE FUNDS FOR THAT PURPOSE.
SO THAT'S KIND OF WHERE WE ARE WITH REGARD TO THE LAW.
HOW MUCH REVENUE WE RECEIVE IN TERMS OF STATE AT TAX AND LOCAL AT TAX.
UM, I CAN TURN THAT OVER TO DENISE.
I CAN TELL YOU THAT TO TELL YOU THIS, A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, I THINK COUNCILMAN HOWARD WAS ON COUNCIL WHEN THIS HAPPENED.
UM, COUNCIL CHANGED OUR LOCAL ORDINANCE FROM, UM, FROM ONE WHERE WE JUST, WHERE COUNCIL JUST HELD ITS LOCAL AT TAX FUNDS KIND OF IN A BANK ACCOUNT AND ALLOCATED THEM.
UM, WHEN PROJECTS CAME ALONG THAT COUNCIL THOUGHT WERE FUND WORTHY.
LIKE FOR INSTANCE, AT ONE POINT WE FUNDED A PROJECT AT PENN CENTER FOR, I THINK ABOUT, IT'S A RENOVATION PROJECT OF SEVERAL BUILDINGS.
I THINK IT WAS ABOUT EIGHT, $850,000.
UM, THERE WAS AN APPROPRIATION OF CONSIDERABLE SUMS OF MONEY TO MITCHELLVILLE PROJECTS.
I CAN'T REMEMBER WHAT THOSE WERE, BUT THEY WERE REALLY SIGNIFICANT NUMBERS.
BUT COUNCIL MOVED AWAY FROM THAT AND MOVED INTO AN APPLICATION PROCESS, UM, FOR DISTRIBUTION OF LOCAL AT TAX FUNDS.
KIND OF LIKE WHAT WE DO FOR THE STATE AT TAX BOARD, THAT IS FOLKS WOULD MAKE APPLICATIONS, SUBMIT APPLICATIONS, UM, A UH, COMMITTEE I THINK OF STAFF WOULD GO THROUGH OR DOES GO THROUGH THOSE APPLICATIONS AND THEN BRINGS IT FORWARD TO YOU GUYS.
YOU GUYS USUALLY GET IT, I THINK IN JANUARY, MAYBE FEBRUARY, YOU GET THE STATE A TAX, UH, RECOMMENDATIONS AND YOU GET THE LOCAL ONES.
SO ANYWAY, THAT'S CURRENTLY WHAT WE DO.
AND OF COURSE, IF COUNCIL WANTS TO USE, UH, FUNDS TO, UH, FOR WORKFORCE HOUSING, AN APPLICATION CAN BE SUBMITTED JUST THE WAY THE STATUTE, UM, JUST THE WAY OUR ORDINANCE IS RIGHT NOW.
YOU SAY THAT THIS, UM, ORDINANCE PROMOTES HOME OWNERSHIP.
DOES THAT MEAN THAT YOU CANNOT OFFER WORKFORCE HOUSING AVAILABLE FOR RENT? NO, IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT, I MEAN, WORKFORCE HOUSING IS DEFINED AS I INDICATED IN, IN THE ACT AS, UM, HOUSING THAT'S FOR RENT OR FOR SALE.
SO I'M NOT SURE EXACTLY WHERE THAT GOES WITH REGARD TO RENT.
I SUPPOSE THAT IT MEANS THAT YOU CAN DO, YOU CAN FUND, UM, UH, RENTAL PROPERTIES THROUGH WORKFORCE HOUSING.
I JUST THOUGHT THAT WAS CONTRAINDICATED BY THEIR INSISTENCE THAT IT PROMOTE HOME OWNERSHIP.
BUT THE DEFINITION, AS I INDICATED, SAYS RESIDENTIAL HOUSING FOR RENT OR SALE.
NOT SURE EXACTLY WHERE THAT LEADS US,
I'D JUST LIKE TO MAKE A COMMENT.
THE, THE POLITICS BEHIND THE STATE ACCOMMODATION TAX WAS TO, THIS WAS PUT IN AS A REQUIREMENT TO HAVE TO DO THE STUDY AND THE SURVEY MM-HMM.
[00:45:01]
I MEAN, IT'S WAY BEYOND, UM, INTERNAL STAFF, WOULD IT, IT WOULD TAKE A LOT OF WORK AND EFFORT, BUT, UM, ONE THING THE BEAUFORT JASPER HOUSING TRUST FUND TALKED ABOUT WAS DOING IF, IF WE WANTED TO USE THE STATE FUNDS, UM, DOING, UM, A CONTRACT FOR BOTH, BOTH AREAS AND ALL THE MEMBERS OF THE HOUSING TRUST FUND.BUT, UM, IS IT WORTH IT FOR THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT IT MIGHT COST TO DO THE STUDY AND THE SURVEY THAT, THAT WOULD HAVE TO BE CONSIDERED, I THINK CAREFULLY BY EVERYBODY.
UM, BUT WITH THE FLEXIBILITY OF THE LOCAL ACCOMMODATION TAX MONEY, THE 15%, WE DON'T HAVE TO DO THIS STUDY.
RIGHT? ACCORDING TO WHAT YOU SAID, UM, UM, MY OPINION IS THAT THAT'S WHAT WE SHOULD DO FIRST.
UM, IF WE DECIDE TO USE SOME OF THAT MONEY FOR WORKFORCE HOUSING.
WELL, TO YOUR POINT, UM, WHEN I READ THROUGH THE STATUTE, UM, THAT TALKED ABOUT THE KIND OF DETAILED WORK THAT NEED NEEDS TO BE DONE, IT OCCURRED TO ME THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO HIRE COUNSEL, WOULD HAVE TO HIRE SOMEBODY, UM, LIKE TISCHLER B WHO DID OUR WORK ON OUR IMPACT FEES AND, AND LIKE THE STUDY THAT WE HAD A FEW YEARS AGO.
BUT THEY FOUND OUT WE CAN'T USE THAT STUDY 'CAUSE IT'S NOT TOO OLD.
SO IF YOU, IF WE DID A STUDY THROUGH THE REGIONAL TRUST FUND MM-HMM.
YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO GET THE STUDY DONE, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO SUBMIT, UM, THE STUDY AND UH, AND ALL OF THIS STUFF TO THE, UM, DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE IN BETWEEN.
I THINK IT'S, I THINK IT'S BEFORE THE SECOND READING OF THE ORDINANCE.
I MEAN, IT'S REALLY PRETTY TEDIOUS, BUT I WOULD THINK IT'S, THE STUDY'S PROBABLY GONNA TAKE YOU SIX MONTHS, NINE MONTHS, MAYBE A YEAR.
AND THEN YOU'RE DOWN TO, WHAT, SIX YEARS OF THE PROGRAM.
WE'D PROBABLY BE THE ONLY COUNTY TO DO IT.
BUT, UM, FOR THE LOCAL AT TAX, I THINK THAT'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US.
AND ALSO WHEN I WAS READING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, I CAME ON MM-HMM.
YOU CAN DO ROADS, YOU CAN DO, WE DO A LOT OF IT PROMOTIONAL FOR, AND I GET IT MARKETING AND WE GIVE IT TO ALL THESE FESTIVALS, BUT WE ARE IN NEED OF ROAD STREETS THAT LEAD ACCESS TO TOURISM DESTINATIONS WE'RE IN NEED.
UH, I REMEMBER MR. FRA DID A, A PRESENTATION.
WE COULD HAVE A COLISEUM THAT'S A POSSIBLE USE OF AEX.
WE SAW A PROJECT A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS OVER 10 YEARS.
SO I'M JUST WONDERING IF MORE OF THIS NEEDS TO BE BROUGHT HOME INSTEAD OF PUSHED OUT.
WELL, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE TOTAL REVENUE IS ON AN ANNUAL BASIS FOR, UH, ACCOMMODATIONS TAX.
THE, IT'S TWO POINT FINGERPRINT, $2.5 MILLION FOR LOCAL, LOCAL, LOCAL.
LAST YEAR THE STATE WAS, WE GAVE OUT 1 MILLION I I SEE HERE ON THE STATE TAX.
I CAN LOOK AND SEE WHAT THE STATE, UM, REVENUE IS.
SO 15% OF THAT, I THINK I CALCULATED IT ONE TIME, IT'S AROUND $388,000.
I'D HAVE TO RECALCULATE AGAIN, BUT HUNDRED THREE 8,000, I MEAN, IT'S KIND OF A DROP IN THE BUCKET.
BUT MY GOAL TO TALKING ABOUT ATAC TODAY WAS TO ACTUALLY DETERMINE, UH, COUNCIL SHOULD DETERMINE WHAT DIRECTION WE'D LIKE TO GO IF WE'D LIKE TO INCLUDE THOSE FUNDS IN THINGS THAT PROMOTE TOURISM IN THE COUNTY.
YOU KNOW, INSTEAD OF GIVING IT ALL AWAY PER SE.
I KNOW THAT MIGHT NOT BE POPULAR WITH SOME OF THESE GROUPS, BUT WE HAVE NEEDS IN THE COUNTY.
WELL, I THINK, UH, THIS YEAR, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, BUT I THINK, UM, I THINK, UM, WE, WE HAD AN, UH, I THINK BEAUFORT COUNTY ACTUALLY APPLIED FOR SOME FUNDS FOR THE STATE.
THEY WERE, WE GAVE THEM NOTHING.
617 WAS WHAT THEY ASKED FOR AND WE DIDN'T GIVE THEM ANY.
SOMETHING ABOUT, IF I REMEMBER, IT WASN'T A DEVELOPED PARK YET OR SOMETHING IF SOMEONE COULD REMIND ME, BUT THAT'S MY THOUGHT IF I MIGHT MS. CHAIRMAN.
UM, THANKS FOR THE PRESENTATION, TOM.
AND WHAT I GATHER FROM YOUR PRESENTATION IS THAT, UH, THE STATE, UM, APPLICATION FOR THE STATE FUNDS IS, UH, BURDENSOME AND EXPENSIVE, BUT BY THE SAME TOKEN, THE UH, LOCAL AT TAX, UH, FUNDS
[00:50:01]
TO ME IS, UM, I SEE IT AS A TWO-EDGED SWORD, WHEREAS, UH, 15% IS REQUIRED FOR, UH, WORKFORCE HOUSING.IS THAT CORRECT? NOW THE MAXIMUM THAT YOU CAN DEVOTE TO IT IS 15% OF THE TWO SOMETHING MILLION.
BUT, BUT THAT'S, THAT'S GOING TO REDUCE THE AMOUNT THEN THAT'S, THAT'S LEFT AVAILABLE FOR THE OTHER APPLICANTS.
PARTICIPATE IN THE, IN THE LOCAL AT TAX.
AND SO IT'S A, IT'S A, IT'S A TWO, THERE'S NO DOUBT.
ALRIGHT, SO, UH, WHAT DO WE NEED TO DO WITH THIS? WHAT'S, UH, IT WAS JUST I INFORMATION WAS JUST BRINGING IT FORWARD SO THAT YOU GUYS KNOW IT WHEN YOU GO THROUGH, WHEN YOU GET THROUGH, GO THROUGH YOUR BUDGET PROCESS.
AND WHEN YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT ACTUALLY, UM, I THINK THE APPLICATION PERIOD FOR LOCAL AT TAX HAS OPENED.
DENISE IS THE DEADLINE, THE END OF THE YEAR.
I'M GONNA GET THE TWO EXPERTS.
I IN THE REALLY, REALLY, WE WEREN'T PREPARED FOR THIS, BUT
THE LOCAL IS OPEN AND IT'S DUE DECEMBER 31ST.
FIRST IT'S OPEN ALL YEAR ROUND, BUT ON THE WEBSITE, IT, WE ONLY ACCEPT APPLICATIONS WITHIN THE LAST QUARTER.
BUT WE JUST POSTED OUR STATE AT TAX, WHICH IS DUE NOVEMBER 7TH.
SO WE JUST, UH, SENT THE NOTICE FOR THE STATE, BUT NOT THE LOCAL YET.
THERE'S NO WAY THAT, THERE'S NO WAY THAT WE'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO APPROPRIATE ANY STATE AT TAX FUNDS DURING THIS YEAR.
IT WOULD JUST BE THE LOCAL AT THIS POINT, YOU KNOW.
NOVEMBER 30TH IS WHEN WHAT'S DUE.
THE STATE AT TAX? NO, JUST AT TAX.
UH, YES, MR. KELLEN, GO AHEAD.
UM, YOU KNOW, FOR THE PAST FIVE YEARS, AS I POINTED OUT A COUPLE OF TIMES BEFORE, WORKFORCE HOUSING HAS BEEN A PRIOR, PROBABLY THE TOP THREE PRIORITIES OF THIS COUNCIL.
UM, AND THERE SEEMS TO BE SOME PROGRESS GOING FORWARD, BUT WHEN WE HEARD THAT PRESENTATION BY ALAN WOLF ABOUT WHAT THEY WERE TRYING TO DO TO REHAB, NOT BUILD, BUT REHAB, UM, PROPERTIES FOR WORKFORCE HOUSING, AND WE LEARNED THAT PRIVATE CITIZENS HAD COME UP WITH A FEW MILLION DOLLARS AND THE TOWN OF HILTON HAD COME UP WITH 600,000.
THIS AMOUNT FROM THE AT LOCAL AT TAX SEEMS RATHER TRIVIAL IF WE'RE CAPPED AT ABOUT $380,000.
SO THAT'S NOT REALLY A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF MONEY WHEN YOU CONSIDER THAT SOME PRIVATE CITIZENS HAVE CONTRIBUTED 3 MILLION.
SO I'M WONDERING WHAT WE CAN DO, UH, AS A GOVERNMENT TO ASSIST IN THIS PROJECT FROM THIS COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION THAT SEEM TO HAVE A VERY GOOD PLAN FOR DEVELOPMENT OF WORKFORCE HOUSING IN THE UN UNINCORPORATED AREAS OF BEAUFORT COUNTY.
BUT THEY PLAINLY NEED SOME ASSISTANCE.
AND I'M WONDERING IF WE CAN'T REALLY GO TO AT TAX MONEY BECAUSE THE AMOUNT, AS, AS GERALD POINTED OUT, IF WE TAKE THAT MONEY THAT REDUCES OUR ABILITY TO, TO ALLOW OTHER PEOPLE TO HAVE WHAT WE'VE NORMALLY FUNDED.
SO WHERE DO WE GO? WHAT'S THE ANSWER HERE? IF WE'RE GOING TO, TO ACT ON OUR PRIORITY FOR THE PAST FIVE YEARS, UM, BECAUSE I'M SURE THAT NOBODY IN THIS ROOM CAN TELL ME THE NAMES OF THREE PEOPLE WHO ARE LIVING IN BEAUFORT COUNTY SPONSORED WORKFORCE HOUSING.
SO I'M WONDERING WHEN WE'RE GOING TO FULLY ENGAGE ON THIS AND WHERE CAN WE GO TO GET SOME FUNDING FOR THESE WORTHWHILE PROJECTS.
SO WHAT I WOULD ASK IS THAT SOMEBODY START THINKING ABOUT THIS ON THE EXECUTIVE STAFF AND COME UP WITH SOME ALTERNATIVES AS TO WHERE WE CAN POSSIBLY PROVIDE SOME MONEY TO BACK UP THE POSITION WE'VE TAKEN OF THIS BEING SUCH A HIGH PRIORITY.
UM, WELL, I DON'T THINK THAT'S THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT, BUT, UH,
IT WAS JUST, IT JUST CREATED A BIG AMOUNT OF SILENCE IN THE ROOM IS WHAT IT DID.
MR. CHAIRMAN, I'D JUST LIKE TO COMMENT.
I DON'T DISAGREE WITH COUNCILMAN, UM, LARRY EITHER.
UH, I'VE BEEN PUT, WE'VE ALL BEEN PUSHING THIS FOR MANY YEARS, BUT WE'VE DONE A FEW THINGS WITH SOME ARPA MONEY.
WE BOUGHT THE PROPERTY THAT T C L SOLD FOR THAT PURPOSE.
IT'S, IT'S, YOU KNOW, WE'RE MAKING BITES AT IT, BUT I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD, UM, DISREGARD THIS OPPORTUNITY.
IF WE DECIDE TO THIS 15%, WE MIGHT COULD DO, LIKE WE'VE DONE IN SOME OTHER YEARS, USE IT FOR PAYING THE HOOKUPS TO BEAUFORT JASPER SEWER AUTHORITY FOR, UM, AFFORDABLE HOUSING, THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO IT'S JUST, IT'S JUST A PIECE OF A BIGGER PUZZLE THAT WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO WORK ON.
AND PERHAPS THE GROUP FROM HILTON HAD, UM, WORKING
[00:55:01]
WITH OUR BEAUFORT, JASPER HOUSING TRUST FUND GROUP, WE CAN FIGURE OUT HOW WE CAN HELP 'EM WITH OTHER WAYS, INCLUDING THIS MONEY.IT IS JUST A TINY BIT IN THE BIG PICTURE, BUT IT'S A START.
SO AT AT 15%, I MEAN, LARRY, YOU CALCULATED 300, I THINK 85,000 IS WHAT YOU SAID.
UM, AND IF WE DO USE THAT, WE AS A GROUP SAY, OKAY, LET'S, UM, OPEN UP OUR ATEX UM, COMMITTEES TO LOOKING AT THE TESTS, DON'T HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE SAME, UH, PROCESS, UM, OF, OF BEING EVALUATED, UM, UH, FOR THE MONEY.
BUT IF WE MADE THAT MONEY AVAILABLE, IT WOULD THEN BE A, A CHARACTERISTIC THAT THEY COULD MM-HMM.
UM, BUT KEEP IN MIND AS WELL, AND, AND AGAIN, IT'S THE, IT'S THE, UM, THE GOOD AND THE BAD IS THE FACT THAT AS SOON AS WE TAKE THAT MONEY AND PUT IT TOWARDS AFFORDABLE HOUSING, IT THEN TAKES IT FROM OTHER ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE APPLYING AND ASKING FOR MONEY AS WELL SO THAT THERE'S LESS MONEY FOR OTHER PLACES THAT HAVE BEEN GOING OUT THERE.
AND I DON'T THINK FOR A MINUTE THAT ONE PLACE IS GONNA GET THE WHOLE 3 85, THERE'LL BE SO MANY PEOPLE KNOCKING ON THE DOOR, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO DO WHAT THEY DO WITH THE COMMUNITY, UM, FUNDS THAT WE'RE GETTING READY TO APPROVE, UM, WITH, YOU KNOW, 40 ORGANIZATIONS COME IN AND ASK FOR MONEY AND MAYBE 30 OF THEM GET IT, YOU KNOW, SO.
WELL, AND, AND MISS CHRISTMAS, I SEE YOUR, YOUR STAFF THERE.
UM, IF THEY WANNA KIND OF GIVE US SOME ADVICE ON, ON WHAT WE WOULD, WHAT WE WOULD DO AS A COUNCIL OR OUR NEXT STEP IF WE DID WANNA MAKE MONEY AVAILABLE TO, UM, AFFORDABLE HOUSING, UM, RECIPIENTS.
I JUST WANNA MAKE A POINT THAT THE ATEX YEAR AWARDED FOR 2022.
THE LAST ONE, 2022 TO 23, UM, THE LETTERS WERE ISSUED APRIL 14TH AND ONLY MAYBE FOUR HAVE, UM, REQUESTED REIMBURSEMENT.
SO OUT OF THE 17, SO THERE'S STILL REMAINING, UM, FUNDS LEFT FOR THOSE, AND A FEW FROM 2021 AND 22 STILL REMAINING.
YOU MEAN A A CLAIM? THEY'RE NOT REQUESTING THE, THE REIMBURSEMENTS, WHEN YOU SAY REIMBURSEMENT, YOU MEAN THEY HAVE TO SPEND THE MONEY FIRST OR JUST SEND INVOICES? YEAH, WE, WELL, YEAH, WE NO LONGER, UM, AND THAT HAPPENED ABOUT FIVE YEARS AGO.
WE NO LONGER JUST AWARD THE MONEY.
THEY HAVE TO COME WITH INVOICES AND, AND WITH, WITH VALID INVOICES, UM, WE WILL THEN REIMBURSE THE MONEY AND THAT, THAT KEEPS PEOPLE FROM BRINGING DUPLICATE INVOICES OR, OR THINGS OR, OR JUST PUTTING IN A, A, A, UM, A REQUEST AND WE'RE NOT SURE WHERE THE MONEY'S GOING.
SO AGAIN, THAT'S, THAT WAS DONE IN OUR PART TO, TO, UH, HAVE MORE TRANSPARENCY OF EXACTLY WHERE THE FUNDS ARE GOING AND THEN WHAT THE FUNDS ARE BEING SPENT ON.
UM, SO, SO WE APPROVE AN AMOUNT AND THEN THEY PROVIDE AN INVOICE FOR THAT.
WE, THEY JUST DON'T TAKE A CHANCE.
AND THEN THEY SEND IT AND THEN WE GIVE THEM, OKAY, I GOT IT.
BUT THAT HAS BEEN AN ISSUE ALSO.
IT'S BEEN VERY DIFFICULT AND TIME CONSUMING, UM, WHERE THEY DON'T SUBMIT THE PROPER DOCUMENTATION AND THEN WE HAVE TO GO BACK AND FORTH.
UM, SO THAT PART IS, HAS BEEN AN ISSUE WITH THE OUTSIDE ORGANIZATIONS.
HOW MUCH MONEY'S STILL IN THE POT IN 21 AND 22, DO YOU KNOW? YES, I DO.
AND I, I'D PROBABLY SUGGEST THAT, UM, IF YOU CAN PULL IT UP, LET US KNOW.
BUT HAVE YOU COME BACK TO OUR NEXT FINANCE MEETING AND KIND OF JUST GO THROUGH WHO'S OUT THERE, WHO HAS NOT USED THEIR MONEY, AND WHAT MONIES ARE STILL EXISTING FROM NOT ONLY LAST YEAR, BUT THE PREVIOUS YEARS.
I KNOW THAT THERE IS, UH, MONIES THAT, THAT DO CARRY OVER, THAT HAVE BEEN AWARDED AND WAITING FOR SOMEONE TO SPEND THE MONEY.
AND SOMETIMES THEY, THEY, THEY ASK FOR THE AWARD AND IT DOES TAKE THEM A YEAR TO GO THROUGH A PERMITTING PROCESS OR TO DO WHATEVER THEY NEED TO DO TO, TO QUALIFY FOR THE MONEY AND SPEND THE MONEY.
IS THERE A DEADLINE THEY HAVE TO REQUESTED BY? THEY DO A, A YEAR FOR REGULAR, BUT THEN TWO YEARS FOR CONSTRUCTION.
SO YOU, IF YOU WOULDN'T MIND PUTTING SOMETHING TOGETHER AND COME BACK TO US COMMITTEE MEETING.
UM, WE CAN THEN LOOK AT THOSE AND, AND HAVE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING FOR ESPECIALLY SOME OF THE NEW FOLKS, UM, ON COUNCIL THAT HAVE NOT DONE THIS WITH THE AT TAX BEFORE.
AND, AND ALSO SOME OF US OLDER FOLKS THAT, UM, WHEN I SAY OLDER, MEANING LONGER ON COUNCIL, UM, THAT, UH, THEN CAN REFRESH WHAT WE'RE DOING AND THE CHANGES WE'VE MADE AND, AND LOOK AT WHAT WE'VE DONE IN THE PAST, WHAT WE'VE DONE IN THE PAST.
MR. YOU KNOW, MARK, WE'RE GONNA INVITE, UH, THAT YOUNG MAN BACK TO THE FULL COUNCIL TO MAKE THAT PRESENTATION AT SOME POINT.
UM, UH, HOPEFULLY NOT TOO SOON BECAUSE IT WOULD BE GREAT IF HE JUST WASN'T TALKING INTO EMPTY SPACE AND IT WAS SOME KIND OF A IDEA THAT WE COULD PROVIDE ON WHAT THE POSSIBILITIES WOULD BE.
MAYBE NOT TO HIM, BUT TO EACH OTHER ON WHETHER OR NOT HE'S COMING HERE AND JUST WASTING HIS TIME.
OR IF THERE'S REALLY SOMETHING WE CAN DO TO REACH INTO A REVENUE STREAM TO HELP THAT GROUP DO SOMETHING IN THE UNINCORPORATED AREAS OF THE COUNTY.
I GET THE FEELING THERE'S A LOT OF TALK TAKING
[01:00:01]
PLACE, BUT THAT NOBODY'S REALLY INTERESTED IN DIGGING DOWN TO SEE, I HOPE I'M WRONG TO SEE WHAT THE POSSIBILITIES MIGHT BE.AND I DON'T KNOW IF PEOPLE ARE JUST WAITING FOR, UH, AN INSTRUCTION TO DO THAT, OR IF, IF WE HAVEN'T BEEN STRONG ENOUGH IN SPEAKING ABOUT THIS.
I'M, I'M NOT POSITIVE, BUT I DON'T GET THE FEELINGS, A LOT OF MOTION BEING UNDERTAKEN HERE AS TO WHAT THE POSSIBILITIES ARE, WHERE THAT MONEY MIGHT BE THAT WE COULD PROVIDE SOME ASSISTANCE TO THE PEOPLE THAT ARE TRYING TO DO SOME GOOD IN OUR UNINCORPORATED AREAS OF THE COUNTY.
I HOPE I'M WRONG, BUT THAT'S THE FEELING I GET.
WELL, I THINK THAT YOUR RECOMMENDATION OF HAVING COME FORWARD FOR A, UM, PRESENTATION IS, IS A GOOD IDEA.
STAFF WILL, UM, COME BACK TO THE NEXT FINANCE COMMITTEE WITH AN AT TAX USE SUMMARY FOR YOU.
AND, UH, WE HAVE BEEN WORKING ON SOME AFFORDABLE HOUSING OPTIONS THAT WE CAN COME BACK AND DISCUSS AS WELL.
AND WE'LL HAVE A FULL BRIEF FOR YOU.
COULD THE ADMINISTRATION DO THE OPPOSITE? UH, I PREFER TO HEAR THE PRESENTATION ON AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROPOSAL AND OPTIONS AND THEN LOOK AT ALL THE MEANS OF FUNDING, WHICH WOULD BE AAX AND OTHER AREAS OF, UH, GETTING FUNDING.
I THINK THOSE ARE TWO DIFFERENT SUBJECTS.
ONE IS THE ATAC AND HEARING WHAT'S OUT THERE AND THEN WELL, AAX IS A TOOL, UH, OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS A, A GOAL THAT THIS COUNCIL IS MADE A HIGH PRIORITY AND, UM, YOU KNOW, YEAH.
AND THERE ARE MANY TOOLS OUT THERE, BUT AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND WHAT METHOD OR WHERE WE ARE GOING WITH AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
I PREFER TO SEE THE BIGGER PICTURE.
WE WILL PUT THAT ON OUR AGENDA FOR NEXT, UH, FINANCE MEETING.
COULD WE WAIT TO HAVE HIM COME BACK UNTIL AFTER THAT MEETING, MARK, OR HAVE HIM COME BACK? THERE'S ONLY, THERE'S ONE MEETING NEXT WEEK AND THEN THERE'S ONE IN NOVEMBER AND ONE IN DECEMBER.
I'D LIKE TO HAVE HIM COME BACK BEFORE HE THINKS WE'VE LOST INTEREST, BUT I'M NOT SURE WHAT THE, UH, WHAT THE BEST SCHEDULING WOULD BE.
COULD I MAKE A SUGGESTION? ALSO, THEY PRESENTED TO, SO LOCO THE BUFORT JASPER HOUSING TRUST FUND BE INCLUDED IN THAT.
AND ANYTHING THAT WE TALK ABOUT BECAUSE THEY HAVE BEEN WORKING HARD.
UM, BUT I, I THINK WE'RE ALL DISCOURAGED THAT THE, THE FUNDING IS NOT THERE FOR THINGS WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE DONE, BUT THEY HAVE A BIG OVERALL, OVERALL VIEW, WHEREAS THE PERSON THAT PRESENTED TO MY COMMITTEE, UM, IS DOING SOME GREAT WORK AND I THINK THEY NEED TO WORK TOGETHER.
UM, AND I HOPE THAT THE GROUP ON HILTON HEAD WILL APPLY FOR ATEX MONEY TOO.
SO, I MEAN, LARRY, IF THERE'S A A, A PLACE THAT WOULD, YOU COULD BRING IT FORWARD QUICKER.
I'M NOT SURE IF YOU COULD DO, UH, AN EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETING BEFORE ONE OF OUR OTHER, UH, UH, MEETINGS, UM, ON THE SAME TIME THAT YOU COULD HAVE THEM COME AND PRESENT IF YOU'RE NOT, IF YOU DON'T WANNA WAIT UNTIL THE NEXT FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETING.
WELL, NO, I, UM, WELL, YOU MEAN WAIT UNTIL YOU HAVE THE FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETING AND THEN SCHEDULE 'EM AT A COUNCIL MEETING AFTER THAT ONE? UH, YES.
OR IF YOU JUST WANNA TAKE 'EM RIGHT TO A COUNCIL MEETING, THERE'S NO REASON WHY.
I, I THINK I'LL WORK, I'LL WORK WITH WHOEVER SCHEDULES THOSE THINGS AND SEE IF WE CAN GET IT ON AN AGENDA.
UM, I GUESS IT'S NOVEMBER 13TH IS THE NEXT ONE.
WHEN IS DECEMBER? DECEMBER 11TH? ANYBODY IN THE ROOM KNOW WHEN DECEMBER IS THE 11TH IS WHAT WAS JUST, UH, COMMENTED.
WELL, I, I WOULD SAY THE, THE 13TH OF NOVEMBER OR THE 11TH OF DECEMBER.
I'D LIKE TO GET IT DONE BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR.
MARIE, ARE YOU AGREEABLE, LARRY, TO INCLUDE THE BEAUFORT JASPER HOUSING TRUST FUND? 'CAUSE THEY'RE, THEY'RE AN UMBRELLA THAT WE SHOULD OH YEAH, WE SHOULD.
WELL, ARE THEY, ARE THEY, WELL, ALAN WOLF IS COMING SEEKING FUNDING.
THE, THE REGIONAL, THE TRUST FUND HAS FUNDING, RIGHT? NOT ENOUGH.
SO WE, WE HAVE OUR, OUR, UH, MARCHING ORDERS FOR, UH, THE NEXT MEETING AND WE'LL WORK ON THE DETAILS OF THAT BETWEEN NOW AND THEN AND GET WITH MR. MCKELLEN AND, AND FIGURE OUT WHAT THAT IS.
SO, UM, ALRIGHT, SO LET, LET'S MOVE ON THEN.
UM, WE'VE GOT A COUPLE ITEMS HERE TO COVER AND THAT WOULD BE, UH, NUMBER 10, RECOMMEND APPROVAL OF
[10. RECOMMEND APPROVAL OF AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND BEAUFORT COUNTY’S FISCAL YEAR 2024 BUDGET ORDINANCE (ORDINANCE NO. 2023/22) TO PROVIDE ROLLOVER APPROPRIATIONS IN THE County Council Agenda – Beaufort County, SC AMOUNT OF $3,432,768 FROM THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT FUND (ACCOUNT NO. 1040) FOR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS APPROVED BUT NOT COMPLETED IN FISCAL YEAR 2023]
AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND BEAUFORT COUNTY'S FISCAL YEAR 2024 FOR A BUDGET ORDINANCE.UM, AND, UH, ORDINANCE 20 23 22 TO PROVIDE ROLLER APPROPRIATIONS THE AMOUNT OF $3,432,768 FROM THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT FUND.
UM, AND I THINK THAT, UM, UH, WE HAVE MISS, UH, CHRISTMAS HERE UP AGAIN FOR US ON THIS.
HEY, SO THIS YEAR, CHAIRMAN, CAN WE GO AHEAD AND GET A MOTION AND A SECOND OH, I'M SORRY.
AND THEN HAVE YOUR DISCUSSION.
I'LL MAKE THE MOTION, MAKE THE MOTION SECOND.
UH, ANY DISCUSSION? ALRIGHT, NO DISCUSSION.
WE'RE GOING AHEAD INTO THE PRESENTATION FROM MS.
[01:05:01]
CHRISTMAS.SO YOU ALL SHOULD HAVE FOUND IN YOUR PACKETS WHERE THERE WAS A SPREADSHEET OF ALL OF THE PURCHASE ORDERS FROM THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT FUND THAT WERE CREATED LAST FISCAL YEAR, FISCAL YEAR 23.
THOSE ARE FOR PROJECTS OR CAPITAL ITEMS THAT WERE NOT PURCHASED OR COMPLETED BEFORE JUNE 30TH, 2023 THAT WE'RE REQUESTING THOSE POS STAY OPEN AND ROLL TO FISCAL YEAR 2024.
AND THAT THE BUDGET ROLLS WITH IT CARRIES FORWARD WITH THOSE, UM, OPEN NCE AMOUNTS.
AND WE HAVE THAT UP ON THE SCREEN.
WE ALSO HAVE THAT IN OUR, UH, BACKUP DOCUMENTATION.
DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS OR ANY PARTICULAR PROJECT OR GOOD QUESTION.
UM, MS. CHRISTMAS, WE HAVE ONE FOR, IT'S 2 0 2 1 0 0 7 4 ON THE FIRST PAGE NEAR THE BOTTOM.
ANDREW'S ENGINEERING NEGATIVE 9,000.
ARE THEY GIVING US MONEY BACK? YES.
SO YES, THAT WAS ACTUALLY A CREDIT INVOICE THAT WE RECEIVED FROM THAT COMPANY.
SO IT CREDITED THAT PO SO THERE ACTUALLY WON'T BE ANY MONEY GOING FORWARD, BUT I WANTED TO INCLUDE THAT BECAUSE THAT IS PART OF THE BOTTOM LINE NUMBER OF 3 MILLION 432 7 67 73.
UM, SO IT DID REDUCE THE NUMBER, THE BOTTOM LINE NUMBER BY THAT AMOUNT, 9,656.
THAT'S WHY I WANTED TO KEEP THAT IN THERE.
BUT THAT WA THERE WAS A CREDIT INVOICE FROM THAT COMPANY.
AND OBVIOUSLY BY LOOKING AT THE LIST, WE SEE THINGS LIKE NORTHWESTERN EMERGENCY VEHICLES, WE'RE GUESSING THAT'S AN AMBULANCE.
SO I GUESS IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS ON THIS, I WOULD, UH, SAY THAT YOU, UM, REACH OUT TO MS. CHRISTMAS DIRECTLY AND, AND IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ON ANY OF THOSE PARTICULAR ITEMS. UM, SO, UH, ANY, ANY OTHER DISCUSSION ON THAT MS. CHRISTMAS FOR US? NO, NO OTHER DISCUSSION.
IF YOU GUYS NEED ANY BREAKDOWN OR, UM, EXPLANATION ON ANY OF THOSE, I'LL BE GLAD TO FIND THAT FOR YOU AND GET IT, GET THE INFORMATION TO YOU.
ANY, ANY QUESTIONS, UM, HERE FOR US OR ANY QUESTIONS FROM COUNSEL? AND THIS IS TO, UM, UH, UH, EITHER APPROVE OR DENY THIS, UM, TO, AS A BUDGET AMENDMENT.
UM, AND THEN THIS WOULD GO TO THE, UH, COUNTY COUNCIL FOR THREE READINGS.
SO WE DO HAVE THREE READINGS AFTER THIS AS WELL.
SO, UM, ANY MORE DISCUSSION? IF THERE'S NO MORE DISCUSSION, UM, I'LL, IS THERE ANY OBJECTION TO US MOVING THIS TO COUNTY COUNCIL? NO, NO OBJECTION.
ALRIGHT, LET'S THEN MOVE ON TO OUR NEXT ITEM.
[11. RECOMMEND APPROVAL OF AN ORDINANCE ADOPTING AMENDMENTS TO THE BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONAL LICENSES ORDINANCE CHAPTER 18, ARTICLE III, SECTION 18-67 (A) (B), APPENDIX A&B]
AND THIS IS AN ORDINANCE ADOPTING AMENDMENTS TO THE BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONALS LICENSE.ORDINANCE CHAPTER 18, ARTICLE THREE, SECTION 18 DASH 67.
UM, AND MR. CHUCK ATKINSON, WHO IS OUR ASSISTANT COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR OF DEVELOPMENT AND RECREATION.
THANK YOU FOR COMING UP TODAY.
UH, SARAH, IF YOU COULD PULL UP APPENDIX B.
IT'S ON, UH, I THINK PAGE 80 OR RIGHT AROUND PAGE 80 OF THE BACKUP.
SO THIS IS A SCHEDULED GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYBODY.
UH, THIS IS A SCHEDULED HOUSEKEEPING ITEM.
THIS IS AN AMENDMENT TO OUR BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONAL LICENSE ORDINANCE CHAPTER 18, ARTICLE THREE IN SECTION 18 DASH 67 A AND B.
AND SECTION A REFERS TO APPENDIX A AND SECTION B REFERS TO APPENDIX B.
WHAT THESE TWO, UH, SECTIONS DO IS THEY OFFER BOTH THE CLASS CODES THAT WE USE IN DETERMINING THE BUSINESS LICENSE FEE.
THAT'S APPENDIX B THAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT ON THE SCREEN.
AND I'M GONNA COVER THAT HERE IN JUST A SECOND.
AND THEN APPENDIX A COVERS THE ACTUAL DOLLAR AMOUNT, UH, PER THE FIRST 2000 AND THEN SUBSEQUENT THOUSAND.
UM, IN APPENDIX A, THERE'S A COUPLE LITTLE TEXT AMENDMENTS, BUT IN PARTICULAR WHAT WE WANNA TALK ABOUT IS APPENDIX B.
SO WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT HERE ON THE RIGHT COLUMN IS THE CLASS THAT IS THE RATE CLASS.
UH, WE BASE OUR FEES ON GROSS RECEIPTS AND BASED ON THE TYPE OF BUSINESS, THERE'S A MULTIPLIER IN APPENDIX A THAT DETERMINES THAT.
SO THE WAY THE CLASS IS ASSIGNED IS UNDER THE NSS CODE, WHICH IS ON THE LEFT.
NS STANDS FOR, UH, NORTH AMERICAN INDUSTRY CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM.
THIS IS USED BY ALL FEDERAL STATISTIC STATISTICAL AGENCIES AND CLASSIFYING BUSINESS ESTABLISHMENTS.
THIS IS UPDATED, UH, IT'S REQUIRED TO BE UPDATED, UH, VIA THE, UH, BY THE SOUTH CAROLINA BUSINESS LICENSE TAX STANDARD ACT, WHICH IS ACT 1 76.
THAT WENT INTO EFFECT IN 2022.
[01:10:01]
UH, ON EVERY ODD YEAR.SO IT WENT INTO EFFECT LAST YEAR.
WE HAVE AN ODD YEAR THIS YEAR, SO WE HAVE TO UPDATE THIS, UH, SCHEDULE.
THIS SCHEDULE IS PROVIDED IN THE FEDERAL TAX CODE AND WHAT WE'RE DOING IS TAKING THE OLD APPENDIX B OUT AND REPLACING IT IN ITS ENTIRETY WITH THIS NEW APPENDIX B.
THE NEXT CODES ON THE LEFT, WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT, ALL NEXT CODES ARE A SIX DIGIT NUMBER.
THERE ARE MILLIONS OF 'EM, I BELIEVE.
AND WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT ARE THE, UH, MAJOR BUCKETS THAT THESE THINGS FALL INTO.
THESE ARE THE FIRST TWO DIGITS ON THE LEFT SIDE, UH, FOR EACH ONE OF THESE PLACEHOLDERS.
AND I'LL STOP THERE AND SEE IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, BUT THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING.
UM, AND WE'RE UPDATING THIS SCHEDULE B AND A FEW OTHER SMALL, UH, TEXT UPDATES THROUGHOUT THE ORDINANCE, WHICH YOU CAN SEE IN THE BACKUP.
ANY QUESTIONS FOR MR. ATKINSON? SEEING NO QUESTIONS, I NEED SOMEONE TO MAKE A MOTION FOR US TO, UM, APPROVE THIS.
AND THEN A SECOND, UH, TO MOVE THIS TO COUNTY COUNCIL FOR THREE READINGS.
IS THERE A MOTION? I'LL MAKE A MOTION.
IS THERE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND IT.
UM, ANY MORE DISCUSSION? I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THANK YOU.
I HAD A QUESTION ABOUT SHORT-TERM RENTALS THAT, UM, MR. AXON ANSWERED FOR ME EARLIER TODAY AND CLEARED THAT UP FOR ME.
'CAUSE THEY ARE REQUIRED TO HAVE
CHUCK, WITH THE, WITH THE UPDATE OF THE, UM, CLASSES AND, UH, FEES, ARE THERE ANY CHANGES OR INCREASE OF THE COST OF BUSINESS LICENSE WITH THE, WITH THE, WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE VERSUS WHAT, WHAT EXISTED LAST YEAR? SO, THAT IS A GREAT QUESTION.
THEY'RE UPDATING THE GENERAL CLASSIFICATION.
SO UNLESS YOUR BUSINESS SHIFTS CLASSES, IT WON'T CHANGE YOUR FEE BECAUSE WE'RE NOT CHANGING THE FEE SCHEDULE THAT'S IN APPENDIX A.
THERE MAY BE SOME BUSINESSES THAT SLIDE FROM ONE CLASSIFICATION TO THE OTHER, BUT IT'S OUR VIEW THAT THAT'S GONNA BE A WASH.
SO FROM THE STANDPOINT OF THIS REFLECTING INTO CHANGES IN REVENUE, IT SHOULD EVEN OUT RIGHT? IF, IF THERE ARE CHANGES, THE PLUS AND MINUSES SHOULD PRETTY MUCH EVEN OUT.
BUT THIS IS NOT AN INDICATOR OF WHAT THE REVENUE WILL BE BECAUSE THAT'S REALLY BASED ON THE NUMBER AND TYPE OF BUSINESSES THAT APPLY FOR LICENSES IN ANY ONE YEAR.
ANY MORE QUESTIONS? SEEING NO QUESTION, WE WILL CALL THE QUESTION TO, UH, TO VOTE.
UM, AND IS THERE ANY OBJECTION? SO NO OBJECTION.
THIS WILL BE MOVED ON TO COUNTY COUNCIL FOR FIRST READING, SO THANK YOU.
UM, AND, UH, OUR NUMBER, UM, 1212
[12. RECOMMEND APPROVAL OF AN ORDINANCE RATIFYING THE SALARIES FOR VARIOUS ELECTED OFFICIALS AND TO AMEND SECTION 2-347 OF THE BEAUFORT COUNTY CODE OF LAWS ESTABLISHING THE SALARIES FOR VARIOUS ELECTED AND APPOINTED OFFICIALS]
AND, UH, THIS IS AN ORDINANCE RATIFYING THE SALARIES FOR VARIOUS ELECTED OFFICIALS AND TO AMEND SECTIONS TWO DASH 3 4 7 OF THE BUFORT COUNTY CODE OF LAWS ESTABLISHING THE SALARIES FOR VARIOUS ELECTED AND APPOINTED OFFICIALS.AND I KNOW THAT WE'VE KIND OF GONE ROUND AND ROUND, UM, WITH THIS.
UH, AND, AND BASICALLY WHAT HAS HAPPENED IS THAT WE HAD THE CORONER AND THE, UM, ASSESSOR WHO HAD, WHO HAD BEEN IN OFFICE A LONGER PERIOD OF TIME.
AND WHENEVER THE NEW ELECTED OFFICIALS TOOK OVER, WE FOUND OUT THAT WE HAD THE SALARIES WERE IN OUR ORDINANCE WAS, WAS TOO LOW.
SO THAT'S KIND OF WHERE THIS WHOLE THING CAME FROM.
WAS THAT A, A, A GOOD SUMMARY, TO BE CLEAR, WAS THE AUDITOR THESIS AUDITOR, YOU'RE RIGHT, YOU'RE CORRECT.
SO, YES, IN SUMMARY, IN AUGUST 12TH, 2019, IT CAME TO THE FINANCE COMMITTEE WHEREBY THE FINANCE COMMITTEE WANTED TO HAVE THE ORDINANCE AMENDED, WHICH ESTABLISHES THE BASE RATE SALARIES FOR THE, UH, VARIOUS ELECTED OFFICIALS.
SO I HAVE TO BE CLEAR, THAT IS WHAT THIS ORDINANCE DOES.
IT DOES NOT STIPULATE WHAT BACK PAY IS BEING PAID OUT TO THE AUDITOR OR THE CORONER, ALTHOUGH CATHERINE IS GOING TO DISCUSS THAT FOR YOU.
WHAT YOU ARE VOTING ON IS TO AMEND THE CURRENT ORDINANCE TO CHANGE THE BASE SALARY SO THAT ALL THE ELECTED OFFICIALS CAN RECEIVE THAT POWER, THAT, UH, SALARY.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS ON THE AMENDMENT TO THE ORDINANCE? ARE YOU SAYING THAT THE CURRENT SALARY IS WHAT WE ARE BASICALLY MAKING CHANGES RIGHT NOW TO, TO, UM, REFLECT WHAT IS CURRENTLY BEING DONE? I THINK THE ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION IS NO
THE BASE SALARY, WHICH WAS, UM, IMPLEMENTED AS OF JULY 1ST, 2019, THAT IS A BASE SALARY RATE.
CATHERINE IS HERE AND SHE CAN EXPLAIN TO YOU, UM, THE BREAKDOWN MOVING FORWARD.
SO THE, THE BASE SALARY ESTABLISHES WHAT AN ELECTED OFFICIAL IS RECEIVING AS OF JULY 1ST, 2019 AS A NEWLY ELECTED OFFICIAL.
[01:15:01]
MOVING FORWARD PAST JULY 1ST, 2019, THAT SALARY GETS AMENDED GOING FORWARD BASED ON CERTAIN ELEMENTS.IT COULD BE A REELECTION, IT COULD BE A COLA.
AND THAT'S WHAT CATHERINE HAS AVAILABLE TO SHOW YOU AS IT REFLECTS ON THE CORONER AND THE AUDITOR.
BUT AGAIN, THE VOTE FOR THE ORDINANCE IS ONLY TO ESTABLISH A BASE SALARY SO THAT ALL THE ELECTED OFFICIALS FROM JULY 1ST, 2019 MOVING FORWARD ARE ACCURATE.
LET, LET ME MAKE SURE I'M GONNA LOOK AT THE AUDITOR RIGHT NOW.
UH, 59,915, I ASSUME IS THE BASE SALARY ON RECORD FOR THE AUDITOR, BUT I'M ASSUMING THAT THE AUDITOR WAS BEING PAID 88,000 AS BASE SALARY AT SOME POINT IN TIME.
WE MADE THAT ADJUSTMENT, BUT WE NEVER MADE IT ON PAPER.
IS THAT WHAT I'M HEARING? SO THE AUDITOR AT THE TIME DID RECEIVE AN INCREASE TO 88,000.
HOWEVER, WE'VE HAD A NEWLY ELECTED AUDITOR COME IN AND SWORN IN JULY ONE OF THIS YEAR.
AND HE IS RECEIVING WHAT IS CURRENTLY PUBLISHED IN THE 2015 ORDINANCE, WHICH IS THAT BASE PAY OF 59,000 PLUS ANY APPLICABLE COLAS AND OR ADJUSTMENTS THAT OCCURRED AFTER THAT.
SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE HERE TO DISCUSS TODAY IS A TWOFOLD PIECE.
FIRST, WE NEED TO GO AHEAD AND AMEND THAT ORDINANCE BACK TO THE 2019 TO UPDATE ENTRY RATES.
THEN WE ALSO NEED TO TALK ABOUT, WHICH IS WHAT I'LL SHARE WITH YOU ALL TODAY, WHAT THOSE NUMBERS LOOK LIKE TODAY, SO WE CAN MAKE SURE WE CAN RETRO THOSE TWO POSITIONS CORRECTLY.
DOES THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION? I'M SORRY.
WERE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON THE ORDINANCE ITSELF? OKAY.
SO, UM, I HAVE SHARED WITH YOU ALL A DOCUMENT OVER THE WEEKEND.
I HOPE YOU'VE HAD SOME TIME TO REVIEW IT, BUT I'M HERE FOR ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE.
UM, SARAH'S UH, BEEN ABLE TO SHARE IT FOR ME.
CAN WE MAKE IT A LITTLE LARGER? I'M GONNA WALK THIS BACK.
I'M ACTUALLY LOOKING AT THE SECOND TAB OF THE WORKBOARD WORKBOOK THAT I SHARED WITH YOU.
UM, I THINK IT'S VERY, VERY IMPORTANT, IMPORTANT TO NOTE A COUPLE AREAS IN HERE BEFORE WE START TRYING TO CALCULATE THE INDIVIDUAL SALARY.
SO LET'S JUST FIRST TAKE A LOOK AT THE ENTRY SALARIES AND APPLY ANY COLAS IN OUR ADJUSTMENTS THAT WE'VE HAD SINCE THEN.
SO IN COLUMN C THAT GOES BACK TO F Y 20.
THOSE WERE THE 2019 RECOMMENDED RATES JUST FOR THE AUDITOR AND CORNER.
'CAUSE THOSE ARE THE TWO WE'RE GONNA FOCUS ON THE MOST RIGHT NOW.
THE AUDITORS AT 88,000 IN THE CORNERS.
WE DID NOT HAVE ANY COLAS IN FY 21 AND FY 22.
THE STATE APPLIED AN ADJUSTMENT TO THE AUDITOR OF 2.5%, WHICH BROUGHT THAT UP TO 90,200 AND F Y 22.
THE COUNTY APPLIED A 5% COLA, WHICH BROUGHT OUR AUDITOR TO 94 7 10, AND OUR ENTRIES SALARY FOR THE CORONER TO 96,600 AND F Y 23.
THE STATE PRESENTED A 3% STATE COLA.
ALSO IN FY 23, THE COUNTY GAVE A COLA, IT WAS MUCH LATER WITHIN THE FISCAL YEAR.
AND I DID MAKE AN ERROR BY GIVING THOSE ELECTED OFFICIALS A DOUBLE COLA FOR THESE SEATED ELECTED OFFICIALS AT THE TIME.
SO WE DID NOT TAKE THEIR PAY BACK.
BUT WHEN WE ARE CALCULATING WHAT THE ENTRY LEVEL SHOULD BE, I'M NOT TRYING TO MAKE THAT SAME MISTAKE TWICE, WHICH IS WHY IT WAS NOT CALCULATED A SECOND TIME.
SO AS YOU GUYS WERE TRYING TO RUN THE NUMBERS, I THINK THAT WAS A VERY KEY PIECE THAT WAS BEING OVERLOOKED.
AND F Y 24, THE STATE GAVE ANOTHER 5% COLA EFFECTIVE JULY 1ST, 2023.
AND THEN YOU ADD IN YOUR STATE SUPPLEMENT AND THAT BRINGS YOU WHAT THE STARTING SALARIES BE.
SARAH, IF YOU CAN EXPAND I N J.
UM, THIS IS A FREE MICROSOFT VERSION.
SO I, I CAN, UM, DOWN BACK TO WHERE IT WAS.
THERE YOU CAN YOU GUYS SEE THAT? OKAY? YEAH.
UM, THAT BRINGS YOU TO WHAT THE ENTRY LEVEL IS TODAY.
OUR CURRENT SEATED CORONER AND AUDITOR, THE AUDITOR WAS ELECTED JULY OF ONE OF 2023.
THE CORONER WAS ELECTED IN JANUARY OF 2021.
NEITHER ONE OF THEM HAVE RECEIVED A REELECTION BONUS.
UH, MR. MCKELLAN THESE NUMBERS.
SO I WANNA JUST MAKE SURE WE'RE VERY CLEAR.
NO REELECTION NUMBERS ARE CALCULATED IN WHAT YOU SEE HERE.
UM, AND AS I MENTIONED, THE CORONER AND THE AUDITOR DO NOT HAVE ANY REELECTION BONUSES DUE TO THEIR TENURE.
SO THEY TECHNICALLY ARE WHERE THE STARTING RATE IS TODAY AS WELL.
ANY QUESTIONS ON HOW WE WALK THAT BACK AND CALCULATED WHAT TODAY'S ENTRY LEVELS ARE? SO GOING FORWARD, THEY EITHER GET THE STATE COLA OR THE COUNTY.
THEY SHOULD ONLY GET, WELL IF WE ISSUE TWO IN THE SAME YEAR, MEANING THE STATE AND THE COUNTY, THEY SHOULD ONLY GET THE GREATER OF THE TWO.
[01:20:01]
USUALLY ISSUES BEFORE THE COUNTY.UM, USUALLY THE COUNTY ISSUES JULY ONE, BUT THE LAST TWO YEARS WE HAVE BEEN DOING IT EARLY JUST BECAUSE OF INFLATION AND TRYING TO, YOU KNOW, BE MINDFUL OF OUR WORKFORCE AND TRY TO GET THEM SOME MONEY SOONER RATHER THAN LATER.
BUT TYPICALLY IT'S JULY ONE AND I THINK WE'VE ALL COME TO AN AGREEMENT UNDERSTANDING THAT WE WILL GO BACK TO JUST STICKING WITH JULY ONE SO WE CAN KNOW WHAT THE STATE'S DOING AT THE SAME TIME THAT WE'RE DOING OUR COLAS.
UM, WHY IS THE STATE SUPPLEMENT DIFFERENT FROM THE AUDITOR IN THE CORON? DO YOU KNOW? ON F Y 22? IS THAT NO, OVER, OH, I'M SORRY.
OH, THE STATE SUPPLEMENT THAT IS SET BY THE STATE.
UM, BRITTANY, YOUR TOM, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AS TO WHERE THEY COME UP WITH THE NUMBERS, BUT YES MA'AM.
HEY CATHERINE, WITH REGARD TO THE PAYMENT TO THESE TWO OFFICIALS OF A STATE COLA, WHERE IS THE LANGUAGE THAT AUTHORIZES THAT? IS THAT A STATE STATUTE OR COUNTY ORDINANCE WITH REGARDS TO THE STATE CALL? IT'S IN THE COUNTY ORDINANCE.
IT'S NOT IN THE STATE ORDINANCE.
WE'VE DECIDED DO ALL THE COUNTY OFFICIALS, ALL THE ELECTED OFFICIALS GET THAT 5% STATE CALL ACCORDING TO A COUNTY ORDINANCE? YES.
WHEN THE STATE ISSUES A COLA, ALL ALL ELECTED OFFICIALS GET THE STATE COLA BASED ON THE COUNTY ORDINANCE.
SO SARAH, WOULD YOU FLIP BACK OVER TO THE FIRST TAB CALLED THE SALARY SUMMARY? THIS IS GONNA PROVIDE SOME MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE CURRENT ELECTED OFFICIALS SALARIES, IF I MAY EQUAL MY SHEET UP AS WELL.
THIS FIRST SECTION IS CURRENT DATA AS OF 9 29, YOU WILL FIND EACH POSITION LISTED THE INCUMBENT, THEIR CURRENT COUNTY ANNUAL SALARY, THE ANNUAL STATE SUPPLEMENT WITH A CURRENT TOTAL SALARY AND COLUMN E.
WE HAVE CONFIRMED THAT THE TREASURER CLERK OF COURT AND SHERIFF ARE ALL AS THEY SHOULD BE WITH ANY APPLICABLE INCREASES THAT WE HAVE RECEIVED.
AGAIN, IT IS THE AUDITOR IN THE CORNER THAT WE NEED TO CORRECT.
THE SECOND BLOCK ON THIS WORKSHEET IS WHAT THE AMENDED SALARY SHOULD BE.
THE AUDITOR'S COUNTY ANNUAL SALARY SHOULD BE 1 0 2 4 28 AND 86 CENTS PLUS, OF COURSE, THE STATE SU SUPPLEMENT THE GRAND TOTAL OF 1 25 80 AND 86 CENTS.
AND CORONER OT SHOULD BE AT 1 0 4 4 72 WITH A STATE SUPPLEMENT OF 15,000 BRINGING THE GRAND TOTAL TO 1 19 472.
THE THIRD BLOCK IS JUST SHOWING YOU THE DIFFERENCE OF WHERE THEY SHOULD, SHOULD BE AND WHERE THEY ARE.
THE FOURTH SECTION IS AS OF TODAY OR AS OF 9 29 RATHER.
THAT IS THE CURRENT RETRO THAT WE OWE THESE TWO INDIVIDUALS.
I ALSO AM KEEPING MY FINGERS CROSSED AND HOPING THIS CAN GO FORWARD TO COUNSEL AND GO THROUGH THREE READINGS, WHICH I PROJECTED OUT TO BE 1211 TO BE THE THIRD READING OF THIS, JUST SO YOU HAVE AN IDEA.
'CAUSE AS LONG AS THIS IS GOING THROUGH READINGS, THE HIGHER THAT RETRO WILL BE.
SO AS OF 1211, THE PROJECTED RETRO WILL INCREASE TO THE AUDITOR OF $10,484 IN CORONER OF $44,231.
THE LAST TWO TABS ON THAT BREAKDOWN, UM, YOU GUYS CAN, CAN LOOK AT, THAT'S JUST A BREAKDOWN OF SHOWING HOW I CAME UP WITH THE RETRO TO GO BACK TO EACH PAY BRACKET THEY WERE IN AND THE AMOUNT OF HOURS THEY WORKED WITHIN THAT PAY BRACKET TO DETERMINE THEIR RETRO ALL.
ANY, UH, ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS? UH, HEY MARK, I JUST WA I JUST HAVE A REQUEST, UH, CATHERINE, UH, TOMORROW OR THE NEXT DAY, COULD YOU, UH, JUST SEND ME THE, UM, ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE STATE HOLDERS SO I CAN LOOK AT IT? THANKS.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? SO THEY'LL GET RETRO PAY AFTER THE THIRD READING, CORRECT.
AND THEY'LL GET A WHOPPER TAX? THE CORONER? I, UH, YES.
AND I, I DID SPEAK WITH THE CORONER, OF COURSE.
I WANT HIM TO HAVE A HEADS UP ON THIS.
UM, SO HE IS AWARE AND HE HAS THOSE FIGURES.
HAVE WE, UH, GOT A MOTION YET ON THIS? NO.
I HAVE A MOTION THEN TO MOVE THIS TO COUNCIL.
THANK YOU MR. I'LL FIRMLY SECOND IT.
UM, IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION BEFORE WE VOTE? JUST JUST ONE MORE? YES, SIR.
UM, MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND THE COLA.
[01:25:01]
UM, YOU SAID THAT, UM, AN ELECTED OFFICIAL WILL RECEIVE ONE OR THE OTHER, BUT NOT BOTH WITH THE STATE ISSUE OR THE COUNTY ISSUE.AND WHEN THAT COLA IS PRESENTED, UH, ON THE COUNTY SIDE, I KNOW IT'S ON THE TOTAL SALARY, IS THE STATE ON BASED ON THE TOTAL SALARY AS WELL? SO THE COAL IS FOR THE STATE IS JUST, WE JUST APPLY IT TO THE COUNTY SALARY.
WE GIVE, WE DON'T ADJUST THEIR STATE STIPEND.
SO IT DOESN'T MAKE ANY ADJUSTMENT.
THAT STATE STIPEND IS FLAT AND THAT'S WHAT IT IS NO MATTER WHAT COLAS WE RECEIVE.
UM, I JUST HAVE ONE FINAL QUESTION, MARK.
WHEN THE STATE, UH, SAYS THAT THERE'S A COLA, UH, AND THE STATE ISSUES IT, THE STATE DOESN'T PROVIDE US ANY MONEY TO PAY THAT COLA THAT COMES OUTTA COUNTY FUNDING.
THAT'S A GOOD, I IS DENISE STILL ONLINE WITH US? OH, OF COURSE.
UM, WE, DENISE AND I DID HAVE THAT CONVERSATION AND AS FAR AS WE CAN TELL, THEY DO NOT PROVIDE ADDITIONAL FUNDING WHEN THEY WE'RE REQUIRED TO.
THAT'S WHAT I WAS UNDER THE UNDERSTANDING TO THE COUNTY PORTION OF THAT.
I'M SORRY, I CAN'T HEAR ANYTHING ANYONE'S SAYING.
WE WILL GET THAT CLARIFIED, LARRY.
BUT, UM, THE UNDERSTANDING OF PEOPLE IN THE ROOM IS THAT THE STATE DOES NOT PROVIDE THAT FUNDING AND IT, BUT IT'S REQUIRED BY BUFORT COUNTY.
THEY ORDER THE, THEY ORDER THE COLA AND THEN WE SAY THAT IT APPLIES TO THE COUNTY OFFICIALS AND THEN WE PAY THAT MONEY.
THAT'S, THAT'S OUR UNDERSTANDING.
BUT WE ARE GOING TO, UH, GET A, GET A DEFINITE ANSWER ON THAT BECAUSE THE 5% COLA USUALLY JUST GOES TO, TO STATE OFFICIALS.
THEY'RE GONNA SEND ME A COPY OF THAT ORDINANCE.
FOR THE CORONER WHO, I DON'T KNOW HIM, BUT IF I WERE HIM, I WOULD SAY, COULD YOU GIVE ME HALF OF MY BACK PAY? DECEMBER 31ST AND HALF OF IT JANUARY 5TH.
SO IT'S SPREAD OVER TWO I R S YEARS.
WELL, I DO TAXES, SO THAT'S WHY I'M SAYING IF I WERE HIM, I'D ASK YOU TO DO THAT.
I DON'T KNOW THE LEGALITY, BUT WHAT DOES I R SS CARE? IT'S JUST BACK PAY
I'M, I, I DON'T KNOW ABOUT THE FINANCE WORLD AND HOW THAT WORKS, UM, BUT IT'S, I CAN CERTAINLY ASK DENISE OR WE CAN EVEN SPEAK WITH THE CORONER AND SEE IF THAT'S EVEN A DESIRE.
IF I WERE MR. OTT, I WOULD BE APPRECIATIVE OF THAT.
WE HAD, I, I HAD SUGGESTED THAT, UM, WE BE IN TOUCH WITH MR. OTT SO THAT HE CAN BE IN TOUCH WITH HIS CPA SO THEY CAN FIGURE OUT BEST HOW BEST TO DO THIS IN A WAY THAT'S EQUITABLE TO HIM.
I WOULDN'T WANT IT ALL IN ONE.
ALRIGHT, SO, UM, IS THERE ANY OBJECTION TO US MOVING THIS FORWARD TO COUNCIL? SEEING NO OBJECTION.
THIS HAS BEEN MOVED TO COUNCIL.
BRITTANY, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
[13. RECOMMEND APPROVAL OF A RESOLUTION TO APPROVE RECOMMENDATIONS TO AWARRD FY24 COMMUNITY SERVICES GRANT PROGRAM FUNDS IN THE AMOUNT OF $398,000 TO COMMUNITY SERVICES ORGANIZATIONS]
13, RECOMMEND APPROVAL OF RESOLUTION TO APPROVE RECOMMENDATIONS TO AWARD FISCAL YEAR 24 COMMUNITY SERVICES GRANT PROGRAM FUNDS IN THE AMOUNT OF $398,000 TO THE COMMUNITY SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS.UM, AND THERE'S NO, UH, FISCAL IMPACT, UM, WITH THAT.
GOOD AFTERNOON, MR. CHAIRMAN AND COMMITTEE MEERS.
FRED LIDER, THE DIRECTOR OF THE HUMAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT, IS HERE TO PROVIDE THE PRESENTATION FOR THE RECOMMENDATION FOR THE F Y 22 COMMUNITY SERVICES GRANT PROGRAM.
WE APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE TODAY.
SO, UH, A LITTLE BIT OF WHO WE ARE.
AND SO I WANT TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF THE PROCESS THAT WE'VE PUT IN PLACE AND HOW WE'VE COME TO THIS POINT.
SO CONSOLE CREATED THIS PROCESS, UH, YEARS AGO, 10, 12 YEARS AGO, LEVERAGING THE DEPARTMENT'S EXPERTISE TO SUPPORT COLLECTIVE IMPACT AND EQUITABILITY EQUITABLY DISTRIBUTE NON-PROFIT SUPPORT FOR BUFORT COUNTY RESIDENTS.
OUR PURPOSE IS TO PROMOTE AND SUSTAIN ACTIVITIES THAT IMPROVE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR ALL OF OUR RESIDENTS.
A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY HOW WE GOT TO THIS POINT.
SO, UH, AS I SAID, BACK IN 2010 AND PRIOR TO 2010, ALL OF THE FUNDS THAT WERE BEING AWARDED TO THE NONPROFITS IN OUR COMMUNITY WERE DONE ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS.
UM, THERE WERE ABOUT 10 NONPROFITS THAT EVERY YEAR WOULD COME IN FRONT OF COUNCIL AND SAY, HEY, CAN I HAVE SOME MONEY? AND COUNCIL WOULD GIVE THEM THE FUNDS THAT THEY WANTED.
THERE WAS NO COMING BACK AFTERWARDS AND SAYING, WHAT DID YOU DO WITH THE MONEY WE GAVE YOU LAST YEAR? THEY JUST CAME BACK AGAIN THE FOLLOWING YEAR AND SAID, CAN I HAVE THE SAME, UM, COUNCIL MEMBERS WERE BEING, UH, SOLICITED AT ALL DIFFERENT KINDS OF LOCATIONS, AS YOU CAN IMAGINE.
AND THE FIRST REACTION THAT WE HAD
[01:30:01]
AS WE FORMED THE ALLIANCE WAS, THERE'S ABOUT 500 NONPROFITS IN OUR COMMUNITY.HOW COME ONLY 10 GET TO EVEN COME TO ASK? SO COUNCIL, AT THAT POINT WE'RE TOOK TALKING ABOUT 2011, UH, ASKED US TO BEGIN DEVELOPING A PROCESS THAT WOULD LOOK AT HOW WE COULD FAIRLY AND EQUITABLY DISTRIBUTE FUNDS ACROSS, THROUGH AN APPLICATION PROCESS.
AND THAT BROUGHT US TO WHERE WE ARE TODAY.
WE STARTED IN, IN NOVEMBER OF 13 TO ACTUALLY HAVE THE CURRENT COMPETITIVE GRANTS PROCESS IN PLACE THAT WE USE.
NOW, THE, IN CASE YOU'RE WONDERING ABOUT THE AMOUNT OF FUNDS THAT WERE ALLOCATED DURING ALL THOSE TIMES, THERE USED TO BE A LOT OF OTHER ENTITIES THAT WERE FUNDED THROUGH THIS.
SO PALMETTO BREEZE, UH, SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION DISTRICT, UH, OVER THE YEARS COUNCIL REMOVED THOSE FROM THE POOL AND THAT'S WHAT CAUSED OUR ALLOCATION TO BE REDUCED.
SO, TO TALK, OOPS, A LITTLE BIT ABOUT ELIGIBILITY.
UH, YOU HAVE TO BE A NONPROFIT, OBVIOUSLY.
UH, YOU HAVE TO SERVE BEAUFORT COUNTY RESIDENTS.
YOU HAVE TO BE A MEMBER OF EITHER TOGETHER FOR BEAUFORT COUNTY COALITION OR THE ALLIANCE.
AGAIN, THE EFFORT THERE IS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ALL HAVING COLLECTIVE IMPACT, TRYING TO GET FOLKS OUT OF THE SILOS WHERE THEY HAVE OPERATED IN THE PAST AND START WORKING TOGETHER.
AND YOU HAVE TO BE A REGISTERED PARTNER OF THE, UH, OF THE ALLIANCE IN ORDER TO BE ELIGIBLE.
SOME OF THE AREAS THAT WE FOCUS ON, OUR BASIC NEEDS, HEALTH AND WELLNESS, EDUCATION AND EMPOWERMENT, FAMILY SERVICES, VICTIM ADVOCACY AND MORE, WE HAVE A INDEPENDENT REVIEW PANEL THAT WE PUT TOGETHER EVERY YEAR.
THERE ARE NO COUNTY STAFF WHO SERVE IN THIS CAPACITY.
UH, IT'S ALL DONE BY COMMUNITY REPRESENTATIVES AND STAKEHOLDERS.
UH, WE CHANGE THE, THE, UH, PANEL ANNUALLY AND WE KEEP THEM ANONYMOUS BOTH FROM THE REST OF US.
I, MYSELF AND BEN ARE THE ONLY TWO PEOPLE, PEOPLE WHO KNOW WHO'S ON THAT PANEL.
THEY DON'T EVEN KNOW THE OTHER PEOPLE ON THE PANEL.
SO THAT THERE'S NO WAY THAT ANYBODY CAN A LOBBY THEM OR THAT PANELISTS COULD GET TOGETHER AND BE IN CAHOOTS AND PUT FORWARD A, A STRONGER, UH, EVALUATION ON ONE, UH, APPLICATION OVER ANOTHER SO THEY DON'T FIND OUT WHO'S THERE UNTIL THE DAY WE ALL BRING THEM IN A ROOM TOGETHER TO ACTUALLY GO OVER THEIR SCORES AND COME UP WITH A, A DECISION ON WHAT THE RECOMMENDATION WOULD BE TO MOVE THE PROCESS FORWARD.
IT'S ALL, UH, DONE BASED ON MERIT, UH, AND SO THAT WE DON'T COMPARE FROM ONE YEAR TO THE NEXT.
YOU DON'T ALWAYS NECESSARILY HAVE THE SAME GROUPS APPLYING EVERY YEAR.
UH, AND WE'VE BASED OUR MODEL ON, ON, UH, NATIONAL, UM, MODELS THAT ARE USING THE SAME KIND OF PROCESS.
UH, OUR CURRENT PANEL HAS REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE THREE COMMUNITY FOUNDATIONS, UH, A RETIRED EDUCATOR AND A GULLAH PRESERVATIONIST SERVED ON THIS YEAR'S PANEL.
WE RECEIVED A TOTAL OF 30 APPLICATIONS THAT WAS COMPARED TO ABOUT 39 LAST YEAR.
UH, AND WE ANTICIPATED THAT LAST YEAR, REMEMBER WE WERE STILL DEALING WITH COVID AND SO THERE WAS THIS OVERWHELMING AMOUNT OF NEED THAT WAS OUT THERE.
UH, THE TOTALS REQUESTED WAS 671,000 AND WE HAVE 398 TO WORK WITH.
SO OBVIOUSLY THE PANEL HAD SOME TOUGH CHOICES TO MAKE IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO WHITTLE THAT DOWN TO GET FOLKS WHAT THEY NEEDED.
HERE'S AN OVERVIEW OF HOW THE PROCESS LOOKS, AND I APOLOGIZE THAT IT'S A KIND OF A COMPLEX SLIDE, BUT IN ORDER TO GET THE INFORMATION THAT YOU WOULD NEED, IT WAS REALLY HARD TO, TO GET IT TO SHOW ON ONE SLIDE.
BUT ESSENTIALLY WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT IS THAT YOU START BY APPLYING AS A, AS AN APPLICATION TO, UH, THE ALLIANCE.
YOU THEN SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION IN JULY.
WE PULL THE PANEL TOGETHER, WE GO THROUGH ALL THE APPLICATIONS AND REMOVE ANYBODY WHO DIDN'T MEET THE BA BASIC REQUIREMENTS, EITHER THE NOT A 5 0 1 C THREE, UH, HADN'T PARTICIPATED IN THE ALLIANCE OR TOGETHER FOR BEAUFORT EFFORTS AND SO FORTH.
THEN THOSE ARE THEN BROUGHT TO GO BEFORE THE PANEL.
UH, THE PANEL GOES THROUGH A A FAIRLY DETAILED, UH, SCORING MATRIX.
WE, WE GO OVER EXACTLY HOW WE WANT THEM TO SCORE EACH OF THE APPLICATIONS BASED ON THINGS LIKE THE STRENGTH OF THEIR FINANCES, HOW, UH, WELL THEY'RE COLLABORATING WITH OTHER ORGANIZATIONS IN THE COMMUNITY AND WHAT THE IMPACT IS GONNA BE THE BOTTOM LINE.
UH, WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE GONNA BE IN THE COMMUNITY IF THEY DO WHAT THEY DO.
SO THIS GIVES US, UH, PROCESS OF CHECK-IN, UM, THAT CONTINUES THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
WE CONTINUALLY ARE CHECKING IN AND EVALUATING.
THEY DO A MIDTERM REPORT AND AN END REPORT.
IF THEY DON'T SUBMIT A MIDTERM REPORT, THEY DON'T GET THEIR SECOND HALF OF THEIR ALLOCATION.
THAT'S A REQUIREMENT IN ORDER TO GET THE SECOND HALF OF YOUR FUNDING.
AND THEN IF YOU DON'T SUBMIT A FINAL REPORT BY THE DEADLINE, YOU ARE INELIGIBLE FOR APPLYING FOR THE FOLLOWING YEAR.
SO IT'S A WAY OF BEING ABLE TO HOLD FEET TO THE FIRE TO SAY, YOU TOLD US YOU WERE GONNA DO THIS, YOU NEED TO BE ABLE TO TELL US WHAT YOU DID.
[01:35:05]
THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR AND THE RECIPIENT THEN SIGN THE AGREEMENT IN ORDER FOR THE AGENCY TO RECEIVE THE FUNDS.SO THERE'S NO QUESTION THAT THE AGENCY THAT'S RECEIVING IT KNOWS EXACTLY WHAT'S BEING ASKED OF THEM IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO RECEIVE THOSE FUNDS.
THIS IS THE BEGINNING OF THE LIST.
I'M JUST KIND OF, KIND OF GO THROUGH THESE AND FEEL FREE TO STOP ME OR ASK ANY QUESTIONS AS I DO.
UM, BUT YOU CAN BASICALLY SEE THAT THE RECOMMENDATIONS ARE FOR, UH, ABOUT 30 DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE REQUESTED FUNDS.
SOMETIMES COUNCIL MEMBERS WILL SAY, WHY DID SO AND SO GET SUCH A SMALL ALLOCATION? OFTEN IT'S BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT THEY ASKED FOR.
UM, THE REVIEW PANEL'S NOT GONNA GIVE 'EM MORE THAN THEY ASKED FOR.
SO, UH, I MEAN, IF ANYTHING, WE'RE ALWAYS KIND OF CUT TRYING TO CUT BACK TO BE ABLE TO GET IT DOWN TO THE NUMBER WE NEED IT TO BE.
SO THAT'S BASICALLY WHERE THAT COMES FROM.
UM, AND AGAIN, IF ANYONE HAS ANY QUESTIONS ON ANY OF THE ITEMS THAT ARE HERE, FEEL FREE TO STOP ME AND I CAN GO BACK OVER THAT.
AND I THINK THERE'S ONE MORE AFTER THIS.
MR. CHAIRMAN, I DO HAVE A QUESTION.
UM, I I DON'T NEED TO DEVOUR ANY, ANY APPLICANT, BUT, UM, THERE, THERE'S A GROUP THAT'S OUT THERE THAT ARE HELPING, UM, UH, LANDOWNERS YEP.
AND I, I THOUGHT THAT THEY MAY HAVE MADE AN APPLICATION THROUGH, UM, I DON'T THINK THEY GOT FUNDING, BUT WE HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH THEM AND WE'VE PARTNERED THEM WITH SEVERAL OTHER ORGANIZATIONS.
WE NOW HAVE A NORTHERN BEAUFORD COUNTY OFFICE FOR THEM TO OPERATE OUT OF.
SO THEY'RE NOW BOTH IN HILTON HEAD AND NORTHERN BEAUFORD COUNTY AND THEY'RE PARTNERING WITH THE HERITAGE LIBRARY FOUNDATION LIBRARY AS WELL AS THE, UH, HEIRS PROPERTY NONPROFIT OUT OF CHARLESTON.
SO THE THREE OF THEM ARE ALL WORKING TOGETHER TO TRY TO MAKE A STRONGER IMPACT ON THAT POPULATION AS THEY WORK TOGETHER.
SO THE ANSWER WAS THEY DID NOT APPLY THIS YEAR.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THE, UM, UH, PARTICULARLY THE HERITAGE FOUNDATION, UH, WANTED, UH, WAS NEEDED WAS, UM, SOME FUNDS TO HELP PAY FOR SOME OF THE FEES THAT THEY ARE, THEY HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, INVOLVED WITH LANDOWNERS AND STUFF.
THAT SOMETHING THAT THEY, THAT, UM, COULD BE VERY, UM, UM, FUNDED AND STUFF, BUT THEY DIDN'T APPLY.
SO THERE'S NOTHING YOU CAN DO IF THEY DON'T APPLY.
YOU HAVE TO ASK
SO THERE'S PROBABLY THREE OR FOUR THAT DIDN'T QUALIFY.
SO IF YOU CAN JUST TELL US, UH, IF SOMEONE HAS A NONPROFIT AND THEY WANNA SEE IF THEY QUALIFY FOR OTHER THINGS, WHERE WOULD THEY GO? HOW WOULD THEY GET AN APPLICATION AND WHAT'S THE PROCESS FOR THEM TO DO? UM, THE, THE LACK OF QUALIFICATION WASN'T, IT WAS A MATTER OF THE APPLICATION WAS DISQUALIFIED.
SO, UM, IF, IF THEY'RE A, A MEMBER OF THE ALLIANCE AND JUST SO EVERYBODY'S CLEAR, THERE'S NO MONEY INVOLVED HERE, YOU PARTICIPATE, THAT MAKES YOU A MEMBER.
SO IT'S, IT'S ABOUT MAKING SURE THAT PEOPLE ARE AT THE TABLE TOGETHER, LISTENING TO EACH OTHER, TALKING TO EACH OTHER ABOUT WHAT THEY'RE DOING SO THEY CAN BUILD A COLLECTIVE IMPACT.
IT'S NOT ABOUT PAYING DUES OR HOLDING, PUTTING MONEY INTO A POT THAT IT'S NOTHING TO DO WITH THAT.
SO ANY NONPROFIT CAN GO TO THE COUNTY WEBPAGE, SUBMIT AN APPLICATION, AND YOU'LL BE A PART OF THE ALLIANCE AT THAT POINT.
YOU CAN BEGIN ATTENDING MEETINGS FOR SOME OF OUR SMALLER NONPROFITS WHERE YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT LIKE ONE OR TWO PEOPLE, WE DON'T MAKE THEM COME TO EVERY MEETING.
UM, IT'S THE KIND OF THING WHERE IF THEY DID, THEY'D HAVE TO SHUT DOWN THE OFFICE BECAUSE THERE'S ONLY TWO PEOPLE AND YOU CAN'T OPERATE.
SO, UM, THERE'S LOTS OF DIFFERENT WAYS THAT NONPROFITS CAN PARTICIPATE WITH NOT NECESSARILY ATTENDING ALL THE MEETINGS.
WE HAVE NONPROFITS WHO HOST MEETINGS SO THAT IT'S EASIER FOR THEM TO HAVE A CONTRIBUTION WITHOUT ACTUALLY SENDING SOMEBODY TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE COUNTY.
DID THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION? YES, IT DID.
COULDN'T A MEET, UM, THROUGH ZOOM? YEAH, WE DO A LOT OF ZOOM MEETINGS.
THAT WAS ONE OF THE BEST THINGS THE PANDEMIC DID WAS TEACH US HOW MUCH MORE WE CAN DO ELECTRONICALLY IT.
MR. CHAIRMAN, I'VE SEEN THE AMOUNT REQUESTED IN THE AMOUNT DISTRIBUTED.
IF YOU HAD HAD SIX, THIS IS A QUESTION FOR MR. ADA.
IF YOU'D HAD $671,000 IN THE BUDGET, YOU COULD HAVE SPENT IT.
SO I THINK IN NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET WE NEED TO CONSIDER THAT THE NEED OUT THERE.
THOSE NINE THAT DIDN'T APPLY THIS YEAR, ARE THEY, UH, I'M SORRY, YOU SAID NINE ORGANIZATIONS.
YOU HAD 39, UH, TWO YEARS, 39 LAST YEAR AND 30 THIS YEAR.
DID THE ONES THAT DROPPED OUT, DO YOU THINK THEY,
[01:40:01]
ANY PARTICULAR REASON THAT THEY DIDN'T APPLY? WE WOULDN'T KNOW.COUNCILMAN HOWARD? I THINK THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT'S BEING DISTRIBUTED HAS BEEN THE SAME FOR SEVERAL YEARS, HASN'T IT BEEN? OH GOSH, PROBABLY SINCE 14.
SO IT HASN'T BEEN INCREASED BUDGET, JUST A REGULAR BUDGET.
IT COMES FROM OUR GENERAL BUDGET.
I, I, YOU KNOW, I KNOW ALL OF US HAVE BEEN APPROACHED BY DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS.
WHAT ARE YOU DOING FOR THE HOMELESS? RIGHT.
I WOULD SAY, YOU KNOW, 50% OF THESE ORGANIZATIONS ARE HELPING THE HOMELESS.
AND UM, THAT'S THE WAY, ONE OF THE WAYS WE CAN SERVE THE HOMELESS IS THROUGH THESE DIFFERENT ABSOLUTELY.
ALRIGHT, SO, UH, TODAY WHAT ARE WE DOING TODAY? THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE APPROVE.
THIS GOES TO COUNCIL RECOMMENDATION.
RECOMMENDATION TO APPROVE A RESOLUTION.
UM, ANY MORE DISCUSSION? YEAH, I, I'D JUST LIKE TO SAY TO MR.
CHAIRMAN, I A SECOND? YES, MAY DAVID, MR. TRUMAN, I, UM, I WANT TO ECHO WHAT MR. DAWSON SAID AND I WOULD ASK MR. LINE IF HE WOULD, UM, GIVE US AN IDEA OF HOW MUCH WE SHOULD ACTUALLY INCREASE THAT AMOUNT AT FOLLOWING MS. HOW, RATHER THAN THROW A NUMBER OUT, I'D LIKE TO GET BACK TO YOU ON THAT.
WELL, YEAH, WE'LL,
DO YOU WANTED US TO LOOK OVER THE YEARS OF WHAT, HOW MUCH WAS ASKED FOR AND TAKE AN AVERAGE OF THAT NUMBER? WE COULD DO THAT.
GET THAT TO AUDRA AND, AND WE'LL BE ABLE TO THEN, UH, MOVE FORWARD FROM THERE.
UM, AND ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR MR. LADA? THANK YOU FOR COMING.
WE APPRECIATE YOUR TIME TODAY.
UM, DID WE VOTE ON IT? WE DID A MOTION.
MOTION AND NOW IT'S, UM, IS THERE ANY OBJECTION? NO, NO OBJECTION.
WE'LL MOVE THIS ACTUALLY, IT'S A RESOLUTION THAT WE'VE, OKAY.
AND THEN LET'S MOVE ON TO NUMBER 14.
[14. AGENCIES, BOARDS, AND COMMISSIONS APPOINTMENTS & REAPPOINTMENTS - (Board of Assessment Appeals, Planning Commission, & Disabilities and Special Needs)]
IS, UH, AGENCIES, BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, UH, APPOINTMENTS AND REAPPOINTMENTS.AND WE DO HAVE, UH, THREE BOARD MEMBERS.
I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND READ THEM AND THEN I'LL ASK IF ANYONE WANTS TO PULL THESE OFF, UM, AND DO THEM SEPARATELY.
IF NOT, WE WILL THEN, UM, DO THEM, UM, UH, ALL AT ONE TIME.
UM, RECOMMEND APPROVAL OF THE APPOINTMENT OF ROBERT MCCADE TO THE BOARD OF ASSESSMENT APPEALS FOR A FOUR YEAR TERM WITH THE EXPIRATION DATE OF OCTOBER, 2027.
THE PLANNING COMMISSION RECOMMEND APPROVAL OF THE APPOINTMENT OF PEAK COOK DISTRICT SIX TO FILL THE SOUTHERN BEFORD COUNTY OPENING ON THE PLANNING COMMISSION FOR A PARTIAL TERM APPOINTMENT WITH EXPIRATION DATE OF FEBRUARY, 2024.
AND THEN NUMBER THREE IS DISABILITIES AND SPECIAL NEEDS BOARD RECOMMEND APPROVAL OF THE APPOINTMENT OF FREDERICA WILLIAMSON TO THE DISABILITIES AND SPECIAL NEEDS BOARD FOR A FOUR YEAR TERM WITH THE EXPIRATION DATE OF OCTOBER, 2027.
IS THERE ANYONE THAT'D LIKE TO VOTE ON THOSE SEPARATELY OR CAN WE VOTE THOSE SEEING NO ONE VOTE THEM EXCEPT, SO I'D LIKE SOMEONE TO MAKE A MOTION FOR US TO APPROVE ALL THREE OF THESE AT THE SAME TIME.
MOVE AND IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND.
IS ANY MORE DISCUSSION? YEAH, ACTUALLY I, I KNOW WE HAD ASKED AT ONE POINT FOR THE APPLICATIONS TO BE, UH, PROVIDED OR, OR THE BACKGROUND FOR THESE INDIVIDUALS.
UH, IS THAT, IS THERE A WAY THAT WE CAN GET THAT INFORMATION? YEAH, WE'LL HAVE TO REDACT SOME STUFF.
YEAH, WE CAN START SENDING THIS OUT.
UM, THE FIRST, THE SECOND INDIVIDUAL WAS ACTUALLY RECOMMENDED BY ED HOWARD AND PLANNING COMMISSION.
UH, SO WE HAD A FIRST AND A SECOND IS SEEING NO MORE DISCUSSION.
WE WILL THEN MOVE THIS TO COUNTY COUNCIL FOR APPROVAL.
UH, ANYTHING ELSE TO COME BEFORE OUR COMMITTEE TODAY? SEEING NONE.
I APPRECIATE WOMAN'S PATIENCE.
WE DO WORK THROUGH THINGS SLOWLY AND I THINK THAT'S THE BEST WAY.
BUT, UH, WE THANK YOU FOR COMING OUT TODAY AND WE'RE DONE BEFORE FIVE.