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I'M GONNA CALL THIS MEETING TO ORDER.
UM, WE'RE GONNA START WITH THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS.
NATION NATION UNDER GOD WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
PUBLIC NOTIFICATION OF THIS MEETING HAS BEEN PUBLISHED, POSTED, AND DISTRIBUTED IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE SOUTH CAROLINA FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT.
UM, I NEED AN, A MOTION TO APPROVE THE AGENDA.
I NEED MOTION FOR THE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES OF OCTOBER 26TH, 2023.
DO I HAVE A SECOND? I HAVE A SECOND.
ANY CORRECTIONS CHANGES? AMEN.
YEAH, JUST ONE, JUST I GUESS A SCR NUMBER EIGHT.
ALRIGHT, WITH THAT CORRECTION.
MAY I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES? IT'S, WE GOT THAT.
SO, ALL IN FAVOR OF APPROVING THE MINUTES? SAY AYE.
UM, TODAY'S MEETING IS, UM, GONNA BE FOCUSED ON WHAT I'M CALLING KIND OF A STRATEGY PLANNING EFFORT.
UM, WE HAD THREE MEETINGS, TWO OF WHICH I ATTENDED, WHERE JARED HAS, UH, AND STAFF AND OTHERS HAVE GONE THROUGH A LOT OF THE BASIC DATA THAT WE HAVE TO THINK ABOUT A LOT OF THE IDEAS THAT ARE OUT THERE, A LOT OF THE THINGS THAT ARE, ARE IMPORTANT AND THE OPPORTUNITIES, UH, THAT WE THINK WE MIGHT HAVE.
SO, UH, IT'S NOW, UH, JARED HAS TOLD ME HE'S NOT GONNA OPEN HIS MOUTH AGAIN, EXCEPT IF THERE IS A QUESTION TO A, TO BE ANSWERED, BUT SO IS ON US.
UM, I SAT DOWN AND WROTE DOWN, UH, THESE KIND OF QUESTIONS, UM, THAT I THINK I, I'D LIKE TO KIND OF WORK OUR WAY THROUGH.
I THINK THE MOST IMPORTANT ONES EARLY ON ARE, UH, QUESTION REALLY NUMBER THREE.
UH, AND THERE ARE TWO QUESTIONS.
UH, WE HAVE THREE PARTICULAR SALES TAXES OUT THERE WE CAN WORK WITH.
UH, AND, UH, WHICH ONE DO WE START WITH? WHICH ONE SHOULD WE START WITH? LET'S ASSUME IT'S ALL EQUAL.
UH, I WILL SAY THAT IF THE SCHOOL BOARD REFERENDUM DOES NOT PASS, THAT MAY AFFECT DISCUSSIONS AS WE GO FORWARD.
WE MAY DECIDE THAT THAT'S IMPORTANT ENOUGH THAT WE NEED TO PUSH THAT HARD, BUT LET'S ASSUME IT'S GONNA PASS.
SO WE'LL JUST TALK ABOUT WHAT THOSE OPTIONS OUGHT TO BE.
AND THE SECOND QUESTION IS, YOU KNOW, HOW DO WE DECIDE THE LENGTH OF THE ASK AND THE AMOUNT OF THE ASK FOR EACH OF THE QUESTIONS? UM, THE OTHER QUESTIONS DOWN THERE ARE, I THINK ARE PRETTY OBVIOUS, UM, UH, AND SOME OF THEM, UH, PARTICULARLY NUMBER FIVE, IN TERMS OF THE ENACTMENT OF PROPOSED LEGISLATIVE CHANGES, UH, TO SOME OF THESE STATUTES.
UM, AND, UH, THERE ARE ISSUES, UH, RELATIVE, I THINK WE OUGHT TO TALK THROUGH THE ISSUE OF USING THE LOST FORMULA FOR ALLOCATION.
AND THERE, TO ME, THERE'S SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT.
AND, UM, AND THE ISSUE OF SHARING REVENUES THAT WE PULL IN FROM BEAUFORT COUNTY SALES TAXES WITH FOLKS FROM OTHER COUNTIES.
THAT, THAT'S A QUESTION I THINK WE'VE GOTTA TALK ABOUT.
BUT I'D LIKE TO FOCUS TODAY REALLY ON THE, ON THE, ON QUESTION NUMBER THREE.
SO FIRST, UM, ARE WE OKAY, HAVE WE GOT EVERYTHING WE NEED? UH, IS THERE MORE INFORMATION THAT WE NEED FROM THE STAFF, UH, IN PREPARATION FOR THIS? DO WE, DO WE UNDERSTAND, UH, OUR ROLE, UH, ET CETERA? AND I GUESS THE FIRST QUESTION, I MEAN, MY QUESTION IS FROM JARED'S PERSPECTIVE, WHERE DO OUR RESPONSIBILITIES END WHEN WE PRODUCE A, LIKE WE DID LAST TIME, A MEMO TO COUNSEL OR A WRITTEN RECOMMENDATION TO COUNSEL THAT CAN BE PRESENTED TO THEM.
UH, IS THAT IT FOR US? OR IN YOUR MIND, ARE WE, WILL WE ASSUME OR CONTINUE BEING RESPONSIBLE FOR OTHER THINGS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS? SO I THINK THAT WOULD DEPEND ON COUNSEL, BUT MY OPINION WOULD BE THAT, THAT YOU HAVE MET THE ASSIGNMENT AND THE TASK, UM, THEN DEPENDING ON WHAT YOU RECOMMEND, UM,
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A GOOD, FOR INSTANCE, MAYBE THE PROGRAM PROJECTS, HOW DO WE GO ABOUT DEVELOPING THE CRITERIA FOR THAT? I COULD SEE THAT AS AN ADDITIONAL ASSIGNMENT, UM, WHETHER IT'S THIS COMMITTEE, WHETHER IT'S A SEPARATE COMMITTEE.UM, BUT I THINK THE TASK AT HAND, I THINK THE PRESENTATION TO COUNSEL WITH THE RECOMMENDATIONS WOULD BE THE CONCLUSION OF THIS AS IT IS TODAY.
AND THEN, UM, AND THEN AS, AS THIS MOVES FORWARD, AND IF COUNSEL DECIDES TO TAKE YOUR RECOMMENDATION, UM, YOU ARE ALL INFORMED CITIZENS AT THAT POINT, AND Y'ALL CAN, Y'ALL ARE ARMED WITH A LOT OF GREAT INFORMATION THAT YOU ARE MORE THAN WILLING TO SHARE.
UM, BUT AS A FORMAL GROUP, I WOULD SAY THE PRESENTATION, THE COUNCIL.
DOES THAT SEEM REASONABLE TO EVERYBODY? YES, SIR.
UH, THEN I'VE GOT A QUESTION, JUST A PHILOSOPHICAL QUESTION, I GUESS, IS THAT AFTER THE WORK WE DID, UH, LAST YEAR OR YEAR BEFORE LAST, WHENEVER WE DID IT, WE PRESENTED THAT TO COUNCIL AT THAT POINT.
AND, UM, COUNSEL, I DON'T KNOW IF THEY REJECTED IT, BUT I KNOW THEY TOOK AN AL OR THEY DID A, THEY DID AN AL AN ALTERNATIVE.
RIGHT? THEY UNANIMOUSLY PASSED IT ON FIRST READING.
WHICH WAS SURPRISING, I THINK, TO PEOPLE.
I MEAN, THERE WERE PEOPLE WHO THOUGHT THAT THERE WERE, THERE WERE MEMBERS OF COUNCIL WHO WERE NOT ABOUT TO SUPPORT THIS, RIGHT? BUT I THINK, I THINK THE, THE ARGUMENT WE MADE WAS STRONG ENOUGH, UM, THAT THEY DECIDED TO GO AHEAD AND PASS IT ON FIRST READING.
AND SO I THOUGHT, HEY, WE'RE ROLLING.
AND THEN ALONG COMES OUR BELOVED SENATOR AND THE RAILS SIDELINE.
SO ARE WE SAYING, ARE WE UNDERSTANDING THAT, UH, WE HAVE THIS, HAVE THE SUPPORTIVE COUNCIL AT THIS POINT, SINCE THEY CAME UP WITH THE RESOLUTION TO ESTABLISH THE COMMITTEE, AND PHILOSOPHICALLY THEY'RE IN SUPPORT OF WHAT, WHAT'S BEING, WHAT, WHAT'S BEING CONSIDERED AS FAR AS IMPROVING TRANS, THE TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM IN OUR, IN OUR REGIONAL, IN OUR COUNTY? WELL, SO I CAN ANSWER IT THIS WAY.
UM, WHEN THEY ENDED UP TAKING GREEN SPACE TRANSPORTATION WAS THE OTHER ALTERNATIVE.
AND BASICALLY WHAT THEY TOLD STAFF IS, NO, FOR NOW, BUT NOT FOREVER, UM, HERE'S SOME INVESTMENT FUNDS TO GET STARTED ON THE PROJECTS THAT YOU'VE DEVELOPED WITH THE COMMITTEE AND GET STARTED ON THESE.
AND WE'D LIKE TO COME BACK IN 24 AND LOOK AT THIS.
SO AT THE BEGINNING OF 23 AT OUR STRATEGIC RETREAT, SALES TAX WAS BROUGHT UP AS A TOPIC OF WHICH, UM, THE, EVERYTHING THAT I'VE SHARED WITH YOU GUYS WAS SHARED AT THAT POINT.
SO, UM, THE, THE INTEREST FOR RHODES, I BELIEVE IS STILL THERE AT THE COUNCIL LEVEL.
THE OTHER IDEAS, UM, I I THINK THAT WOULD BE A QUESTION THAT THEY'D HAVE TO WRESTLE WITH THEMSELVES, BUT, UM, I THINK THEY'RE INTERESTED IN GETTING A RECOMMENDATION OF SORTS FROM THIS COMMITTEE SO THEY CAN REACT TO IT.
AND
I, I THINK THERE'S AN APPETITE, AS I MENTIONED TOO BEFORE, UM, WE DIDN'T HEAR IT FROM ALL THE MUNICIPALITIES UNTIL, UM, UNTIL IT GOT SWAPPED WITH GREEN SPACE.
NOW I THINK EVERYBODY'S IN FAVOR OF GREEN SPACE, BUT THEY REALLY WANTED THE ROADS ONCE THE ROADS GOT REMOVED.
SO, UM, I, I THINK THE MUNICIPALITIES STILL SHARE THAT SAME FEELING.
UM, BUT THAT'S, I GUESS, WELL IF I COULD, IF I COULD ADD TO THAT AS BLUFFTON APPOINTEE, UM, I COMMUNICATE REGULARLY WITH, UM, THE TOWN MANAGER AND THE MAYOR ON WHAT WE'VE MET ABOUT AND WHERE WE'RE HEADED, AND GET INPUT FROM THEM ON HOW THEY WANT ME TO BEST REPRESENT THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON INTERESTS AS WELL AS THE COUNTY AS A WHOLE.
AND, UH, THERE WAS, THERE WAS EXTREME DISAPPOINTMENT WHEN IT WAS STOPPED.
AND I MEAN, I, I HAVE A MEETING WITH, UH, THE TOWN MANAGER NEXT WEDNESDAY TO GO OVER PROGRESS TO THIS POINT.
SO THEY'RE, AND I, AND I HOPE THE OTHER TOWNS ARE ACTIVELY EVOLVED LIKE THAT AS WELL.
YEAH, I CAN SPEAK FOR BEAUFORT AND PORT ROYAL, AND THEY'RE BOTH KIND OF PREOCCUPIED RIGHT NOW WITH, UM, MAYORAL ISSUES.
BUT, UM, THEY ARE VERY, VERY INTERESTED IN WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE.
AND THAT MAY BE, UM, A POINT I THINK YOU GET TO LATER, DEAN, BUT, UM, WE'VE GOT MUNICIPAL REPRESENTATIVES,
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BUT WE'VE ALSO GOT UNINCORPORATED REPRESENTATIVES.SO JUST AS YOU'RE TALKING TO YOUR GROUP, THE UNINCORPORATED REPRESENTATIVES ARE MORE THAN WELCOME TO DO THE SAME THING.
I MEAN, WE HAVE ONE COUNTY, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER THAT'S BEEN VIVIDLY, UH, WATCHING AS MUCH AS YOU CAN TO THE POINT WHERE WE WEREN'T MAKING A GOOD REPRODUCTION ONLINE.
SO, UM, ANYHOW, BUT I DON'T KNOW THAT THE OTHERS ARE, ARE LISTENING TO THESE DISCUSSIONS.
UM, MY NEXT QUESTION IS, UH, ARE WE ALL REAL CLEAR ON SALES TAXES, PARTICULARLY WHAT'S NOT WOULD NOT BE TAXED? I AM NOT.
SO, JARED, WHAT, WHAT'S, WHAT IS NOT SUBJECT TO SALES TAX HERE? OOH, I'VE GOT, I'VE GOT THIS.
I PRINTED OUT AND THEN FORGOT TO GIVE EVERYBODY I'LL, UM, I WENT OVER IT BRIEFLY, BUT BASICALLY THE, UM, FOODS LIKE, UH, NON PREPARED FOODS IN THE GROCERY STORE, UM, MEDICINE, UTILITIES, HOUSING, GAS, THOSE ARE THE BIGS.
WHEN YOU SAY HOUSING, YOU MEAN RENTS? RENTS, YES.
SORRY, RENTS AND GAS IS NOT TAXED.
GAS IS GAS IS NOT TAXED AS SALES TAX.
IT'S TAXED, THAT'S GAS TAX, WHICH IS, THERE'S A STATE AND A FEDERAL GAS TAX SEPARATE FROM A LOCAL OPTION.
SO CLOTHING, COMPUTERS, FURNITURE, RESTAURANTS, ALL RESTAURANTS, YES.
AND I HAVE THIS, I CAN MAKE COPIES AND PROVIDE OR EMAIL.
ALRIGHT, WELL THAT'S IMPORTANT.
UM, AND NONPROFITS, UH, A LOT OF THE WORK THAT NONPROFITS DO, IF IT'S ANY TEXT GOODS, ARE I EXEMPTED AS WELL? SO YOU MEAN LIKE IF YOU GO TO, UM,
BUT LIKE IF THEY'RE DOING, FOR INSTANCE, UH, MEALS PROVIDED BY ELDERLY OR DISABLED PERSONS AT HOME BY A NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION.
UM, AND WATER AND UTILITIES, PUBLIC UTILITIES.
SO IT, THERE'S NOT A REAL ONE SOURCE WHERE ALL THIS INFORMATION, SO THIS DOCUMENT GOES ALL THROUGH THE DIFFERENT STATUTES AND TELLS WHERE EXEMPTIONS ARE HERE AND SOME HERE AND SOME HERE NOW.
UM, SO THE FUNDAMENTALS THAT WE START WITH, I THINK, UH, WE'VE GOT THREE TYPES OF TAXES.
WE'VE GOT THE TRANSPORTATION TAX, WE'VE GOT THE CAPITAL PROJECTS TAX, AND WE'VE GOT THE EDUCATION TAX.
THOSE ARE THE THREE WE FOCUSED ON.
UM, AND THAT WHICH FOR WHICH JARED HAS PROVIDED US LOTS OF INFORMATION.
UM, I GUESS THE QUESTION TO ME IS WHAT YOU START WITH IS, IS IS IT MAY COME DOWN TO, UH, WHAT DO WE NEED MOST? WHAT'S THE, WHAT'S THE GREATEST NEED IN THE COUNTY? AND THAT'S PROBABLY DEBATABLE FROM EVERY PERSPECTIVE.
SOME TOWN MAY SAY, WE'VE GOTTA HAVE, WE DON'T, WE WANT THIS.
AND THE COUNTY SAYS, NO, WE GOTTA HAVE ROADS, WE'VE GOTTA GET 2 78 FIXTURE, WE'VE GOTTA GET THIS DONE.
SOME OF THE ALL SAYS, NO, NO, NO, WE NEED TO DO THIS OVER HERE, OR THAT OVER THERE.
BUT, BUT I THINK FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE, WE NEED, WE NEED TO KIND OF TALK THROUGH THAT A LITTLE BIT SO WE UNDERSTAND, UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT THE IMPLICATIONS ARE OF WHATEVER DECISION WE MAKE.
UM, WE STARTED, WE, WE DID TRANSPORTATION INITIALLY.
UM, AND, UM, IT'S ALL RIGHT THERE IN OUR, IN OUR PACKET, UH, OF OUR ONE PENNY FOR 25 YEARS WITH 5% GROWTH, UH, GIVES US $3.25 BILLION.
AND, UH, THE PROJECTS THAT ARE, THAT ARE SHOWN, UH, ARE REALLY A RESTATEMENT OF THE PROJECTS THAT WE DID LAST YEAR IN 22, UM, REORGANIZED A LITTLE BIT.
NUMBERS HAVE BEEN, I THINK, KICKED UP A LITTLE BIT, JARED, BASED UPON YOUR PERSPECTIVE ON COSTS HAVE INCREASED.
UM, SO THOSE ARE, THOSE ARE PRETTY CLEAR.
AND, AND THE ARGUMENTS THAT WE MADE AND TALKED ABOUT STILL APPLY THAT.
ESSENTIALLY WE, WE, WE ARE GONNA HAVE, WE RAISE THIS MUCH MONEY, WE'LL
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HAVE MONEY FOR A PRETTY LONG PERIOD OF TIME COLLECTING IF WE DO THIS OVER 25 YEARS WITH 5% GROWTH, IF WE DO IT FOR 10 YEARS, UH, OR IF WE DO IT FOR 15 YEARS, WHATEVER IT IS, WE'LL BE HAVING CASH FLOWING INTO HERE FOR A LOT.AND BASICALLY THE TWO, THE TWO WE WOULD BOND AND USE THOSE TAXES, I ASSUME, TO, UH, RAISE IMMEDIATE CASH TO GO FOR IMMEDIATE PROJECTS.
AND THEN OVER TIME, WE WOULD BE HAVING MORE MONEY COMING IN, WHICH WOULD BE GOING INTO THE POTS AND INTO THE POOLS FOR PROJECTS WHICH ARE NOT SPECIFICALLY DEFINED, UH, IN THE BIG PROJECT LIST, BUT WHICH ARE CONSIDERED CRITICAL AND ARE LISTED IN OUR PROJECT PROGRAMS. SO IT, IT, IT'S FAIRLY CLEAR TO ME HOW THAT'S GONNA WORK.
I MEAN, THAT'S A, THAT'S A FAIRLY STRAIGHTFORWARD EFFORT AND FOR PEOPLE THAT ARE INTO TRANSPORTATION, IT'S EASY TO UNDERSTAND AND EASY TO EXPLAIN.
I THINK WE DID, WE, WE WERE ABLE TO DO IT LAST YEAR, UM, A CAPITAL PENNY, A LITTLE MORE COMPLICATED.
UM, BUT THE NICE THING ABOUT THE CAPITAL PENNY IS THAT IF WE DO IT THE WAY WE'VE LAID THIS OUT, WHICH JAR HAS LAID THIS OUT USING THE, UM, THE LOCAL OPTION, SALES TAX ALLOCATIONS, MUNICIPALITIES, ALL THE GOVERNMENTS CAN LOOK AT THAT PROJECT PROPOSAL AND SAY, OOH, THERE'S SOMETHING SERIOUS IN THERE FOR ME.
AND I CAN FIGURE OUT, I SURE I CAN SPEND, BLUFFTON CAN SAY THERE'S $53 MILLION IN THERE FOR BLUFFTON.
AND BLUFFTON CAN SAY, WE GOT ALL THE PLACES TO SPEND THAT WE KNOW WE CAN'T.
AND THE COUNTY ITSELF, YOU KNOW, $287 MILLION.
SO THAT MAY BE AN EASIER SELL, AT LEAST AT THE MUNICIPAL LEVELS FOR THESE TYPES OF PROJECTS.
WHAT'S THE TERM OF YEARS ON THAT? UM, WELL THE ONE THAT HE'S PROPOSED IS, UM, IS ONE PENNY FOR EIGHT YEARS WITH 5% GROWTH RATE.
AND THAT'S THE MAX WE CAN DO THAT WITH RIGHT NOW.
SO THAT RAISES, YOU KNOW, THAT COMES UP.
THE OTHER QUESTION THAT I HAD IN THE LIST IS IF, IF WE WANT TO DO IT FOR LONGER THAN EIGHT YEARS, IF WE THINK IF WE'RE GONNA DO THIS, WE'RE GONNA DO IT FOR 25 YEARS, DO WE WAIT UNTIL LEGISLATURE CONSIDERS AND PASSES AN AMENDMENT TO THAT STATUTE, WHICH ENABLES US TO GO A LOT LONGER THAN EIGHT YEARS WITH THAT, WITH THAT TAX.
SO WE, WE, WE, IF WE GO NOW, ARE WE CLOSE TO THAT AMENDMENT AT THIS POINT? UH, I'M SURE TAKE THAT WAS TOM, WAS IT GONNA BE INTRODUCED? IT WON'T BE INTRODUCED THIS YEAR.
CAN'T, THIS IS THE SECOND YEAR.
WOULD TO GO AND PASS AWAY UNTIL JANUARY 25 RIGHT.
WOULD BE HIS FIRST OPPORTUNITY FOR INTRODUCTION.
AND WAS IS HE GOING FOR 25 YEARS? UM, NO.
SO THIS WASN'T KIND OF NEWS TO ME.
UM, CHAIRMAN PA WAS THE ONE THAT INFORMED ME THAT AT THE ASSOCIATION OF COUNTIES, SOME DE SOME LEGISLATOR, I'M NOT SURE WHAT PART OF THE STATE WAS INTRODUCING THE IDEA OF, OF, UM, MAKING 'EM LIKE 12 OR 15 YEARS ON ALL OF THEM.
SO MARKING THAT DOWN FROM 25 YEARS TO 12 TO 15 AND MAKING THEM ALL THE SAME.
YES, I WOULD PROPOSE A LEGISLATION TO MAKE 'EM ALL AT 25.
BUT, UM, YOU'RE A TAX AND SPENDER, SO THAT'S RIGHT.
UM, AND, AND THERE'S PLUS HE DOESN'T WANNA SEE US.
WELL, SO THERE'S, THERE'S A LONG RANGE PLAN.
THERE'S THIS THING CALLED HOME RULE AND SOME PEOPLE, UH, WHERE HOME RULE IS BASICALLY, UM, LOCAL POWER VERSUS STATE POWER.
AND PEOPLE HAVE A DIFFERENCE OF OPINION ON HOW THAT SHOULD BE ADMINISTERED.
AND YOUR THOUGHT IS, GIVE US THE LOCAL CONTROL, GIVE US THE 25 YEARS, LET US DO WITH WHAT MONEY HAVE TO DO
I THINK, I THINK THAT WOULD MAKE A LOT OF SENSE.
BUT THE MAIN POINT IS, BUT I'M NOT A, IT'S EIGHT YEARS NOW, DO WE WAIT TILL FOR IT TO BE 12 OR 15 YEARS? RIGHT.
AND THAT AMENDMENT'S NOT GONNA COME FORWARD UNTIL SOMETIME IN 25.
CONSIDERED AS WELL AS THE, CONSIDERED THE DEFINITION CHANGE THAT I PROPOSED WITH THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING THAT IS CURRENTLY NOT AN APPLICABLE USE.
UM, AND IT HA I HAVE IT AS A DRAFT.
IT'S NOT IN ANYBODY'S HANDS AND IT WOULD NOT BE INTRODUCED AT LEAST UNTIL 2025 AT THE EARLIEST.
SO IF WE PROPOSE TO START WITH THAT TO VOTE IT, PUT IT ON THE BALLOT FOR A VOTE IN 24, WE WOULD BE LIMITED TO EIGHT YEARS.
IT WOULD BE LIMITED TO EIGHT YEARS.
AND THAT WOULD NOT BE AN OPPORTUNITY, THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING AS IT'S NOT ALLOWED IN CURRENT STATUTE.
IF, IF I COULD SAY THOUGH, I DON'T,
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MY OPINION, ONE OF SIX, UM, I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD DELAY CONSIDERATION OF ANY OF THESE TAXES BASED ON WHAT WE HOPE THE STATE WILL DO IN CHANGING TERMS. IF WE FEEL THAT IT MAKES SENSE, EVEN THOUGH WE WISH WE COULD DO IT FOR 15 INSTEAD OF EIGHT.I, I DON'T, I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD COUNT ON STATE LEGISLATURE CHANGING IT TO 15 AND DELAY IT.
WELL, EIGHT'S A FLOOR, WE KNOW WE GOT EIGHT.
SO THE WORST THING THAT CAN HAPPEN IS COLUMBIA DOES NOTHING AND WE'RE STILL AT EIGHT.
SO I THINK, I THINK THERE IS MERIT, UH, IN WAITING TO SEE, AND WE'LL KNOW EARLY ON IN THE GENERAL SESSION WHETHER THERE'S SUPPORT FOR THIS YES.
UM, I THINK ALL THREE OF THEM EDUCATION MAY NOT.
NO, I THINK JUST CAPITAL, CAPITAL AND TRANSPORTATION HAVE TO BE, YOU KNOW, LET ME GET BACK TO YOU.
THERE'S SOME OF THEM THAT ARE ONLY ALLOWED IN EVEN YEARS AND SOME OF 'EM CAN GO ANY YEAR.
UM, AND I DON'T WANNA TELL Y'ALL WRONG, BUT I'LL, I'LL DIG INTO THAT.
ALL, ALL I'M SAYING, AND I, I PARTICULARLY ON THIS CAPITAL ONE, I THINK WE SHOULD REALLY ENTERTAIN NOT STACKING THESE TO THE TAXPAYER AT ONE TIME OR TO THE COUNTY RESIDENTS AT ONE TIME FOR OTHER REASONS.
I JUST DON'T KNOW THAT WE SHOULD DELAY ON A HOPE THAT SOMETHING WILL HAPPEN.
IF WE CAN GET IT WITHIN A CERTAIN TIMEFRAME, THEN BY ALL MEANS WE'LL HAVE THE INFO THAT GIVES US 650 MILLION BASED UPON THE PROJECTION WE HAVE RIGHT NOW.
AND THAT'S AT EIGHT YEARS A PENNY.
AND, UH, JARED, THE GREEN PENNY GOES OFF NOT DECEMBER 31ST, DECEMBER 31ST, 2024 OR SOONER IF IT'S COLLECTED PRIOR TO THAT AMOUNT.
AND AT THIS RATE WITH OUR INITIAL NUMBERS, IT IS COLLECTING HIGHER THAN ANTICIPATED.
SO THAT'S A, THAT'S A KEY QUESTION TO ME IS HOW THOSE, HOW THAT WORKS.
AND THEN THE EDUCATION ONE, UM, IT'S NOT ALWAYS WELL NO WAIT FROM TODAY.
WE WILL KNOW, UM, THAT ONE IS NOT UP.
BUT IF IT DOES PASS, THAT'S THE OPERATING ONE AS OPPOSED TO THIS IS THE CAPITAL ONE.
WHAT THEY'RE LOOKING AT IS, IS AN IS CAPITAL MONEY.
AND THIS ONE WOULD BE OPERATING THIS, NO, THIS ONE WOULD BE CAPITAL TWO OPERATING IS SECOND HOME AND INVESTMENT HOME.
WE DON'T PRIMARILY DON'T PAY IT.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S WHY THIS WOULD BE CAPITAL ONLY OPERATING IS CALLED A SCHOOL DISTRICT SALES TAX.
UM, AND THEN THIS ONE'S CALLED EDUCATION CAPITAL.
SO IT'S ONLY FOR ASSET CAPITAL ASSETS AND THEY'RE ALREADY DOING IT.
THEY'RE DOING IT RIGHT NOW IF DOING VOTERS PASS 439 MILLION A WEEK FROM TODAY, THEY WON'T TURN AROUND AND PASS ANOTHER.
BUT WHAT THEY'RE DOING THAT, THAT'S SEPARATE AND SALES TAX, WHAT THEY'RE ABOUT TO VOTE ON NEXT WEEK IS PROPERTY TAX.
BUT AN AVERAGE JOE BLOW, BUT THANK YOU.
AN AVERAGE VOTER IS GONNA GO GO, I JUST VOTED FOR THIS.
WHY AM I VOTING FOR ANOTHER? YOU'RE RIGHT.
I HAVE A RELATED QUESTION TO THAT THOUGH.
IF, JUST CURIOUS, IF THE VOTERS APPROVE THIS 400 AND CHANGE MILLION AND CAN THIS TAX PAY OFF THAT 400 AND CHANGE AS PART OF IT? YES.
SO YOU TURN AROUND AND TELL THE VOTERS YOUR PROPERTY TAX IS GONNA GO DOWN.
YOU COULD, AND THAT'S PAID OFF THEORETICALLY.
IF IT VOTED YES THIS YEAR ON THEIR PROPERTY TAX GEO BOND NEXT WEEK THEN, AND I, I THINK EDUCATION CAN BE ON UM, ODD AND EVEN YEARS.
AND THEN YOU COULD COME IN 23 THEORETICALLY, EXCUSE ME, FOUR, FIVE, YOU'RE IN 23 NOW.
YOU COULD JUST COME IN 24 OR 25 AND OFFER THAT AND IT WOULD REDUCE WHAT THEY JUST PAID IF THEY CHOSE TO.
AND TOURISTS WOULD PAY 40 PLUS PERCENT OF THOSE DOLLARS.
AND TO BE DEVIL'S ADVOCATES, SO WOULD THE POOR PEOPLE THAT DON'T OWN HOMES.
THE, THE OTHER QUESTION IS THOUGH THAT THEY COULD TAKE THESE, TAKE THIS PENNY AND USE FOR OTHER THINGS.
THEY DON'T HAVE, THEY DON'T HAVE TO
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PAY THE DEBT OFF.THEY DON'T HAVE PAY THE DEBT OFF.
COULD THE WORDING OF THE REFERENDUM BE SUCH THAT IT WOULD PAY THAT OFF? THAT'S WHAT I WAS ASKING.
THEY COULD, YOU COULD WORD THE QUESTION, UM, APPROPRIATELY THAT IT DOES STATE THAT SPECIFICALLY.
IF YOU JUST LIKE WE'RE LISTING PROJECTS ON ANY OF THOSE, YOU COULD SAY THE FRAME OF EXISTING DEBT OF SAID AMOUNT OF DEBT, HOWEVER YOU WANT IT TO WORD THAT.
I THINK THAT COULD BE LISTED AS A SPECIFIC PROJECT ELEMENT.
SO YEAH, IT DOES DEPEND ON WHAT HAPPENS WITH THE VOTERS.
RIGHT? SO IF THEY SAY NO TO IT, THE, THE THEN DO WE REALLY CONSIDER DOING IT AGAIN? WELL, IF THEY SAY NO TO, TO THE PROPERTY TAX, THEN THE QUESTION COMES IF YOU VOTE FOR THE, AND WITH RESPECT TO WHAT YOU SAID, IF YOU VOTE FOR THE SALES TAX, IT'S GONNA GO AWAY.
WE DO, WE'LL DO THE SAME THING WITH THAT.
AND UM, I MEAN FOR 15 YEARS WITH FIVE PERCENT'S 1.5 BILLION BUCKS, WHICH MEANS YOU PAY OFF ANY OTHER EXISTING DEBT YOU'VE GOT HOW MUCH? UH, IT'S, WELL, ACCORDING 1.5 BILLION.
AND UM, AND AGAIN, THE TOURISTS WILL PAY 40, 40, 40, 50%.
SO FROM THE PERSPECTIVE, YOU KNOW, IT'S A SIGNIFICANT, A SIGNIFICANT BENEFIT TO THE TAXPAYERS IN DEFORD COUNTY.
BUT TO INDICATE, I MEAN, IF YOU DON'T HAVE A HOME, YOU'RE, YOU'RE STILL GONNA BE SPENDING TAXES.
THAT'S, THAT'S A CONSIDERATION WE HAVE TO DO.
BUT ON THE FLIP SIDE, FOR THOSE OF US RESIDENTS THAT DO HAVE HOMES, IT'S GOING GONNA SIGNIFICANTLY CHIP AWAY AT, AT, I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT OUR SCHOOL DEBT, UM, MILLAGE IS RIGHT NOW.
I DON'T HAVE IT IN FRONT OF ME.
THE EXAMPLE Y'ALL HAD LAST WEEK OF HOW IT REDUCED IT MM-HMM.
YORK COUNTY WENT FROM 25 MILS TO 10 MILLS, KEPT IT AT 10 MILS FOR 15 YEARS.
AND THEN WHEN ASKED WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF THEY DIDN'T RENEW THE PENNY, THEY DID THE CALCULATIONS AND SAID TO GENERATE ENOUGH MONEY FOR OUR PLAN EXPENSE, IT WOULD GO FROM 10 MILLS TO 55 MILLS.
WELL, DIFFERENCE IN THE TWO APPROACHES IS THAT WHAT THEY'RE DOING NEXT WEEK, THE PROPERTY OWNERS BEAR A HUNDRED PERCENT OF THE BURDEN, UH, VERSUS SPREADING THAT BURDEN, UH, A LOT WIDER.
ONE, ONE OTHER CONSIDERATION FOR THAT JUST OCCURRED AS YOU WERE SAYING THAT IS, UH, WE'VE HEARD FOR YEARS PEOPLE THAT HAVE SECOND HOMES, INVESTMENT HOMES IN THIS COUNTY ARE, ARE BEING TAXED TO DEATH.
I MEAN, WE KNOW THE 6% RATE IS REALLY DOUBLE WHAT THE 4% RATE IS.
IF THIS HAPPENS, AS OPPOSED TO WHAT WE'RE VOTING ON NEXT TUESDAY, THAT WILL ACTUALLY BE RELIEF TO SECOND HOME AND INVESTMENT PEOPLE AS WELL.
AND THAT'LL, THAT'LL HELP THAT INDUSTRY.
I DON'T KNOW IF WE NEED TO CONSIDER IT OR NOT, BUT IT'S JUST ANOTHER NEXT WEEK TOO IS NOT JUST SECOND HOMES, BUT PERSONAL PROPERTY.
SO YOU MAY NOT, YOU MAY BE A RENTER, BUT YOU OWN TWO VEHICLES.
ALRIGHT, SO WE'VE GOT THOSE THREE OPTIONS.
TRANSPORTATION TAX THAT WE ARE ALL VERY FAMILIAR WITH.
AND, UM, THE CAPITAL PENNY, WHICH HAS SIGNIFICANT ADVANTAGES, UH, FOR THE MUNICIPAL SPECIFIC ADVANTAGES TO THE MUNICIPALITIES.
IF WE DO IT, WE'VE SUGGESTED, AND THEN, AND WE DIDN'T EVEN TALK ABOUT THE NOTION OF MONIES INTO USCB MONIES INTO TCL, UM, BOTH OF WHICH WOULD BENEFICIARY, THAT'S EDUCATION OR TAX, RIGHT? OH, THAT TAX.
UM, ARE YOU THAT'S THE EDUCATION ONE, NOT THE CAPITAL PROJECT.
UM, AND I GUESS THERE'S A QUESTION THERE.
IF, IF WE WERE TO DO THE CAPITAL PENNY COULD ABOUT TO ASK, COULD THOSE DOLLARS, SOME OF THOSE DOLLARS GO TO TCL OR USCB OR THE SCHOOL DISTRICT? OR THE SCHOOL DISTRICT? UM, SO HERE'S THE USES.
UM, I'M GONNA READ THE BUILDING TYPE USES, BUT NOT THE HIGHWAYS, ROADS OR WATER SEWER COURTHOUSE ADMINISTRATION, BUILDING CIVIC BUILDINGS, HOSPITALS, EMERGENCY
[00:30:01]
MEDICAL POLICE, FIRE JAILS, CORRECTIONAL DETENTION LIBRARIES, COLISEUMS EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES UNDER THE DIRECTION OF AN AREA COMMISSION OR TECHNICAL EDUCATION.UM, SO IT SOUNDS LIKE I WOULD THINK COLLEGE ONLY, IT SOUNDS LIKE, UH, I'M NOT SURE WHAT THAT SPECIFICALLY MEANS, BUT THAT'S HOW, READ THE LAST ONE AGAIN.
UM, THE, THE LAST PHRASE, UH, IS EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES UNDER THE DIRECTION OF AN AREA COMMISSION FOR TECHNICAL EDUCATION.
AND THEN CULTURAL RECREATION, HISTORICAL, UM, JOINTLY OPERATED PROJECTS OF THE COUNTY.
A MUNICIPALITY, SPECIAL PURPOSE DISTRICT AND SCHOOL DISTRICT OR ANY COMBINATION OF THOSE ENTITIES FOR THE PROJECTS DELINEATED IN A THROUGH G UH, G.
SO YOU CAN DO A PROJECT, UM, IT SAYS SCHOOL DISTRICT.
I GUESS IF A SCHOOL DISTRICT HAS A RECREATIONAL FACILITY, I WOULD PRESUME IT'D BE CLOSE.
TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, COULD YOU JUST STRAIGHT UP DO ATCL BUILDING? POSSIBLY AUSC? I DON'T KNOW, IN A SCHOOL DISTRICT, NEW SCHOOL? I'M NOT SURE.
BUT YOU COULD DO A TECHNICAL WING ON A TECHNICAL SOUNDS, TECHNICAL SOUNDS PRETTY SLAMMED DOWN.
UM, THE OTHERS, IT'S A CONVOCATION PART OF OUR CULTURAL OR RECREATIONAL.
SO THOSE WOULD BE FINE LINES THAT WE'D HAVE TO SEEK LEGAL COUNSEL.
AND THEN YOU LOOK AT ALL THE SCHOOLS, REMEMBER WE TALKED ABOUT HOW THEY ALL HAVE POOLS, YOU KNOW? MM-HMM.
AND IT COULD BE A PORTION OF A SAID PROJECT, NOT THE WHOLE PROJECT IF YOU SPLIT IT UP LIKE THAT.
SO NOW THE OTHER, THE OTHER, THE OTHER, THE OTHER ALTERNATIVE, ONE ALTERNATIVE IS WE SAY, OKAY, LET'S DO CAPITAL.
LET'S DO A TRANSPORTATION AT HALF A PENNY AND DO A CAPITAL A HALF A PENNY, UH, AND, UM, EDUCATION HALF PENNY.
WE, WE, WE, WE WOULD, WE WOULD HAVE A MA WE WE'RE SUBJECT TO A, A MAXIMUM OF THREE PENNIES.
THAT'S WHAT'S THAT WE CAN'T, MAXIMUM OF THREE PENNIES.
WE CAN'T DO MORE THREE SINGLE PENN MAXIMUM.
AND SO YOU CAN'T, YOU CAN'T DO TRANSPORTATION FOR A PENNY AND A HALF.
YOU CAN ONLY DO TRANSPORTATION UP TO A PENNY UP.
BUT YOU COULD DO CAPITAL AND MAKE IT ALL TRANSPORTATION FOR A PENNY.
SO YOU COULD TECHNICALLY GET 2 CENTS.
YOU CAN DO WHAT NOW? I DIDN'T HEAR YOU.
TO CAPITAL ONE, YOU CAN USE FOR TRANSPORTATION.
SO YOU CAN DO CAPITAL AND MAKE IT ALL TRANSPORTATION FOR A PENNY AND TRANSPORTATION FOR A PENNY.
SO YOU COULD TECHNICALLY GET TWO PENNIES OF TRANSPORTATION.
I THINK IT'S A WORKAROUND, BUT YEAH, IF SOMEBODY, IF YOU REALLY WANTED TO DO IT, I THINK YOU COULD MAKE THAT ARGUMENT.
BUT IF, IF I COULD, MY, MY CHALLENGE I'VE BEEN WRESTLING WITH ON THIS IS I, I JUST VISUALIZE IF WE, AND I DON'T KNOW IF WE'RE GOING DOWN THIS ROAD OR NOT, BUT IF WE HAVE THREE REFERENDA ON THE SAME BALLOT FOR A PENNY, A HALF A PENNY, A QUARTER PENNY EACH, DOESN'T MATTER WHAT THE AMOUNT IS.
MY FEAR IS WE'RE GONNA HAVE SOME OF THE VOTERS THAT ARE GONNA COME IN AND SAY, OH, I WANT THE ROADS, BUT I DON'T BELIEVE IN EDUCATION AND CAPITAL.
THEN YOU'RE GONNA HAVE OTHERS THAT ARE GONNA SAY, I WANT CAPITAL.
I DON'T BELIEVE IN EDUCATION AND ROADS.
AND YOU ARE GONNA HAVE THE THIRD GROUP THAT DOES THAT, AND YOU'RE GONNA SEE ALL THREE OF 'EM FAIL BECAUSE NONE OF THEM GOT ENOUGH VOTES TO PASS.
SO YOU'RE ENTIT AND LEANING TOWARDS GOING ALL IN ON ONE AND PRAYING THAT WE GET IT.
WELL, YOU, MY, THE THING I'M STRUGGLING WITH IS STAGGERING 'EM.
IF WE'RE GONNA DO MULTIPLE ONES, I THINK, I THINK THESE ARE ALL VERY VALID TAXES.
I JUST DON'T KNOW IF BRINGING ALL THREE MAY, MAYBE IT IS BRING TWO, BUT BRINGING ALL THREE AT ONE TIME IS, IS A GOOD IDEA.
DO WE HAVE ANY HISTORICAL DATA AS FAR AS WHAT HE'S TALKING ABOUT EVER BEING A HINDRANCE? NOT THAT I'M AWARE OF THAT.
WE'VE PUT THREE, I DON'T KNOW ONE TIME OR I'M NOT SURE IF WE PUT MULTIPLE, WE'VE HAD MULTIPLE REFERENDUM QUESTIONS, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S SPECIFICALLY TO TAX.
FOR INSTANCE, IN 21, WE HAD A CAPITAL PROJECT, NO, EXCUSE ME, A LOST LOCAL OPTION, SALES TAX AND A CHANGE OF GOVERNMENT.
SO THE CHANGE OF GOVERNMENT, IT WAS BASICALLY, UM, TO TAKE THE TREASURER AND AUDITOR INSTEAD OF ELECTED POSITIONS.
[00:35:01]
THEY WERE UNDERNEATH THE ADMINISTRATION.AND THE LOCAL OPTION, SALES TAX FAIL.
BUT IT WASN'T TWO PENNIES AT ONE TIME.
DIDN'T THEY HAVE, WE HAD A SCHOOL BOND AND A TRANSPORTATION ONE YEAR.
AND TRANSPORTATION WENT, I THOUGHT TRANSPORTATION WAS IN 18.
SO I HAD LIST THANKS, THANKS FOR THAT.
I HAD A HISTORICAL, UM, BREAKDOWN BEFORE OF, SO WE TALKED ABOUT IN 96 WE DID TRANSPORTATION AND FAIL.
98, IT PASSED 2004 WE DID SOMETHING, I THINK CAPITAL AND IT FAILED.
WE'VE DONE CAPITAL A COUPLE TIMES AND IT'S FAILED.
UM, AND 2006 WE DID TRANSPORTATION AND IT PASSED, I DON'T KNOW IF ANYTHING WAS DONE UNTIL 2014, SOMETHING FAILED.
2019 WAS THE SCHOOL DISTRICT 2021 LOCAL OPTION SALES TAX FAILED.
BUT, AND THE SCHOOL DISTRICT ONE FAILED SCHOOL DISTRICT PASSED IN 19.
350 MILLION, I'M NOT SURE PRIOR TO THAT ONE.
WHAT OTHER SCHOOL DISTRICT BONDS THEY'VE HAD.
IT'S ABOUT A 50 50, BY MY MEMORY, IT'S ABOUT A 50 50 PASS RATE ON SCHOOL BOND REFERENDUMS. AND IN 19, THAT WAS THE FIRST HALF OF WHAT HE NEEDED.
THEY CREATED A $700 MILLION FACILITIES MASTER PLAN.
THAT WOULD BE ONE THING I WOULD OFFER, HOWEVER THE COMMITTEE GOES, IS, UM, IF YOU DECIDE ON A LONG-TERM APPROACH, THAT THAT'S PART OF THE EDUCATION, THAT THIS IS THE UMBRELLA OR THE DIRECTION, AND THIS IS HOW WE'RE WANT TO BRING IT OUT.
SO GO, IF, IF THE PLAN EVER COMES BACK, WELL, THREE IS HARD TO DO IN ONE YEAR, LET'S DO 1, 2, 3, OR WHATEVER THAT LOOKS LIKE.
MAKE THAT KNOWN UPFRONT RATHER THAN, OH, I'M, WE GOT ANOTHER ONE TO VOTE ON SECOND YEAR, ANOTHER ONE TO VOTE ON A THIRD YEAR.
BUT IF YOU TELL 'EM, WE'RE GONNA COME TO YOU THIS YEAR, WE'RE GONNA COME TO YOU NEXT YEAR AND WE'RE GONNA COME TO YOU NEXT YEAR SO WE CAN GET THIS FULL EVOLUTION, THAT WOULD, I THINK THAT WOULD BE MORE PALATABLE.
UH, NOT TO SAY YOU DO IT THAT WAY, BUT IF YOU DECIDE TO DO MORE THAN ONE TAX, TELL EVERYBODY WHAT YOUR INTENT IS.
TRANSPARENCY AND EDUCATION, CARE ABOUT IT ALL THE WAY THROUGH.
AND WHAT YOUR, AND NOT ONLY WHAT YOUR INTENT TO PUT ON A BALLOT AS A REFERENDUM, BUT WHAT YOUR INTENT IS FOR THE FULL EVOLUTION.
LIKE WE INTEND TO MAKE IT 15 YEARS.
WE'RE GONNA DO THESE TYPES OF PROJECTS AND WE'RE GONNA DO IT BY IMPLEMENTING A, B, C IN SOME FORM OR FASHION.
SO WHAT IS THE MOST CRITICAL FOR US AT THIS POINT IS WHERE I'M LOOKING TO, TO GO, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE DID AT THE, IN, IN, IN 2022 WAS PROBABLY THE MOST CRITICAL IS WHAT WAS PRESENTED AS OUR BASIC NEEDS.
AND WE SORT OF DELAYED THOSE, DELAYED THAT EFFORT PRIMARILY BECAUSE OF THE GREEN SPACE REFERENDUM.
THIS WAS ALWAYS CRITICAL TO OUR SUCCESSES OR TO THE QUALITY OF LIFE IN OUR AREA.
AND I, I, I DON'T THINK WE WANT TO WORK THE WATER JUST BECAUSE WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY.
I'M, I'M JUST BASICALLY SAYING, LET'S PUSH THIS.
TRANSPORTATION, LET'S PUSH THE TRANSPORTATION OUT THERE BECAUSE WE'VE ALREADY DONE THE WORK ON IT.
WE THINK WE'VE GOT PEOPLE, PEOPLE WERE LOOKING FOR SOME CHANGES AND PEOPLE WERE EXPECTING FOR IT TO COME FORWARD.
BUT WE GOT BUMPED BECAUSE THE GREEN SPACE WAS A SOFTER CANDIDATE TO, TO EAT OR TO SUCK ON.
AND, UM, I THINK, I THINK, I REALLY THINK THE TRANSPORTATION COMPONENT IS WHAT WE REALLY NEED TO FOCUS OUR ENERGY ON.
THE PEOPLE THAT I'VE SPOKEN WITH ON THE ISLAND TO INCLUDE THE ISLAND LEADERSHIP, UH, WHEN ASKED ABOUT THREE, THEY SAY ABSOLUTELY NOT ASKED ABOUT TWO.
IT ALL DEPENDS UPON HOW WE PRESENT IT AND HOW WE MARKET IT.
AND THE, THE THE OTHER POINT, UM, JARED HAS SAID THAT THEY'VE ALREADY STARTED SOME WORK ON SOME PROJECTS THAT, UM,
[00:40:01]
WE HAD ON THE LIST BEFORE.AND, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT CAN BE, UM, I GUESS ADDED TO WHAT WE ARE DOING NOW, I SHOULD SAY.
WHAT WE ARE TRYING TO DO NOW, WE ADDED TO THAT, LISTEN, SAY WE NEED TO GET THIS FINISHED, FOLKS.
WE REALLY NEED TO GET THESE THINGS FINISHED INSTEAD OF US TRYING TO, UH, BE SANTA CLAUS THIS YEAR.
OH, JARED, IN A SPACE OF A YEAR OR A YEAR AND A HALF, YOU FOUND 60 MILLION MORE FOR THIS TAX WHEN YOU TAKE THE GREEN SPACE OUTTA 22 TAX.
IN THE 22 PROPOSAL, IN MEMO WRITTEN BY DEAN, IT, UH, HAD 16 MILLION IN FOR GREEN SPACE.
SO THAT'S FOUND MONEY IN THIS NEW TAX.
WELL, IT'S STILL IN THERE IN THIS NEW ONE.
I, I THINK THE DIFFERENCE, THE DIFFERENCE IS, UM, I WAS ABLE TO GET THE DATA FROM THE STATE.
UM, I DIDN'T HAVE THAT DATA AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS.
AND I FEEL VERY STRONGLY AND CONFIDENT THAT WE WERE UNDERSHOOTING WITH THE 10 YEAR, $700 MILLION OF WHAT THAT WOULD PRODUCE.
SO IF WE PRODUCE THE SAME 10 YEAR RECOMMENDATION, IT'S A $950 MILLION.
AND SO YOU'VE PRODUCED $250 MILLION THAT OTHERWISE WOULD NOT HAVE MADE IT LAST YEAR.
AND THE THE OTHER POINT TOO, IF WE CAN CONVINCE THE PUBLIC OR CONVINCE, NOT WE, BECAUSE WE ARE JUST PROPOSING, BUT IF WE CAN GET THIS IN PLACE FOR 25 YEARS, THEN WE DON'T, WE SHOULDN'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT DOING ANYTHING WITH TRANSPORTATION FOR ANOTHER 25 YEARS BECAUSE WE'VE GOT THE, THE RESOURCES TO, TO ACCOMPLISH THAT.
THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S JUST A LONG RANGE THINKING THAT WE'LL SUPERSEDE ALL OF, I I, I'M NOT GOING TO SPEAK FOR YOU, I'M NOT GOING TO SPEAK FOR ROUGH, BUT, UM, SUPERSEDE THE REST OF US AS FAR AS BEING HERE.
WE WOULDN'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT IT.
I MEAN, JUST, I'M, BUT THAT'S, THAT'S I THINK FOLKS, I THINK THAT'S THE LONG RANGE PLAN AND, AND, AND THE MOST, I GUESS THE MOST RESPECTED ONE THAT I THINK THE PUBLIC WOULD RESPECT AT THIS POINT.
WELL, DOES, I MEAN, JUST A QUICK FEEL FOR THE ROOM.
DOES EVERYBODY ELSE AGREE WITH THAT? I, I'M, I AGREE WITH TRANSPORTATION AS BEING THE TOP OF THE THREE.
I THINK THE ISSUE WITH TRANSPORTATION IS WHAT TERM, UH, DOES 25 YEARS, UH, CAUSE ENOUGH CONCERN WITH A VOTER, UH, TO NIXON IT VERSUS 15 YEARS? WOULD SOMEBODY SAY, I CAN LIVE WITH IT FOR 15, BUT 25 IS TOO LONG ON THAT FRONT? I, I DON'T KNOW.
UM, THERE'S TWO PARTS THAT, THAT MAY CAUSE, UH, CONCERN.
IS THE NUMBER OR THE YEARS, WHAT'S MORE SCARIER TO THE VOTER? I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER, BUT, UM, SO 25 YEARS WOULD PRODUCE 3.25 AND 15 WOULD BE 1.5 AND 10 IS 950.
IS ONE OF THOSE ELEMENTS MORE SCARIER THAN THE OTHER? I, I WOULDN'T THINK SO, BECAUSE AS LONG AS YOU GOT PRODUCTION GOING DOWN MM-HMM,
SOME OF OUR THINGS HAVE, HAVE ALREADY BEEN MOVING FORWARD.
AND DEFINITELY EVERY TIME YOU GO OUT DOWN THE ROAD, TRANSPORTATION IS WORSE.
EVERY TIME YOU GO OUT THERE, EVERY TIME I GO OUT THERE, TRANSPORTATION IS WORSE.
I, I HAVE A THOUGHT FOR YOU ALL TO CONSIDER.
UM, IN 2017, I BELIEVE THE STATE PASSED A 12 CENT GAS TAX HIKE.
UM, AND IT WAS PHASED IN OVER SIX YEARS.
SO 2 CENTS A YEAR, 2023 AT THE END OF 20 FISCAL YEAR 2023, UM, THAT WAS FULLY PHASED IN.
SO THERE'S 12 MORE CENTS EVERY TIME YOU PAY IN THE GAS.
SO I'M NOT THE RIGHT PERSON TO ASK.
BUT FROM DRIVING AROUND THE AREA AND THE STATE, HAVE Y'ALL ONE NOTICED A DIFFERENCE IN WHAT YOU PAY AT A GAS TANK AND TWO, NOTICED A DIFFERENCE ON THE AMOUNT OF CONSTRUCTION OR PAVING OR ANYTHING ROAD WISE IN THE LAST SIX YEARS
[00:45:01]
IN THE UPSTATE, I NOTICED THEY'RE PAVING THE ROLLS, ROADS AND GOLD, UH, DOWN HERE, NOT SO MUCH.I MEAN, I HAVEN'T BEEN SEEING CONSTRUCTION.
I HAVEN'T REALLY RECOGNIZED IT TOO MUCH ON THE, UM, AS FAR AS GAS GOES.
BUT I'VE DEFINITELY BEEN SEEING THE ROAD CONSTRUCTION IN DIFFERENT PLACES.
AND I DEFINITELY KNOW THAT SOUTH CAROLINA HAD THE WORST ROADS LIKE ANYWHERE ELSE I'VE BEEN.
I CAN TELL WHEN I HIT SOUTH CAROLINA, IF I'M COME FROM UP NORTH, AS SOON AS I HIT NINE FIVE, I CAN BE HALFWAY ASLEEP.
BUT WHEN I HIT SOUTH CAROLINA, COMPARED TO NORTH CAROLINA, EVERYWHERE IN, UP HERE, DOWN 95, ALL OF A SUDDEN, WELL, IN THE LAST 10 YEARS, AND THERE WAS AGAIN, I WAS AT DOT CONFERENCE.
SO THEY, THERE WAS A SLIDE UP THERE THAT SECRETARY HALL PRESENTED FROM IN 2013.
THEY HAD ONE AND A HALF BILLION DOLLARS WORTH OF THE CONSTRUCTION WORK THAT THEY WERE PUTTING OUT YEARLY ON THE ROADS.
UM, THEY'RE ABOUT TO OPEN THE BIDS IN THE NEXT COUPLE DAYS BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR FOR THE INTERCHANGE AT 26 AND 9 95.
AND THAT 300 OR $400 MILLION PROJECT, $600 MILLION PROJECT, HOW MUCH THAT IS, THAT WILL BUMP THEM THAT THEY HAVE $5 BILLION OF WORK ON THE STREETS.
AND THAT'S AT THE DIRECT FROM THAT 12 CENT HIKE.
UM, SO THEY'RE MAKING A LOT OF STRIDES.
THEY'VE GOT A LOT OF DETAILS THAT SHOW IT.
UM, SO TO, TO THE LONG TERM, THAT 12 CENT MADE A TREMENDOUS DIFFERENCE IN THE, FROM ONE AND A HALF TO $5 BILLION WORTH OF WORK VALUE THAT THEY'RE PUTTING OUT ON A YEARLY BASIS.
AND THE SAME WOULD BE ANY TYPE OF FUNDING, WHETHER IT'S, UM, HALF CENT, 1 CENT, WHETHER IT'S FOUR YEARS OR 25 YEARS.
IT JUST TAKES A LITTLE WHILE TO SEE IT.
AND LET ME, I MEAN, 'CAUSE A NUMBER OF US IN HERE HAVE BEEN HERE DECADES.
I, UM,
I THINK ABOUT, UM, AND NOW WE DO HAVE A LOT OF NEW RESIDENTS IN A CERTAIN TOWN THAT I HAVE TO LIVE IN THAT HAVEN'T BEEN HERE LONG ENOUGH, LONG ENOUGH TO KNOW THIS.
BUT MY THOUGHT PROCESS AS A RESIDENT OUTSIDE OF THIS WHOLE THING WALKING INTO REED 25 YEARS, 3.25 BILLION, WHICH THOSE NUMBERS SOUND HUGE.
MY THOUGHT PROCESS WHEN I SEE THAT IS, THANK GOD I DON'T HAVE TO VOTE FOR THIS THING EVERY FOUR YEARS.
BECAUSE WHAT HAPPENS IS WE'VE BEEN GOING UP TO 7%.
WE GET THROUGH FOUR YEARS, IT DROPS TO 6% FOR SIX OR 12 MONTHS AND THEN WE BUMP IT BACK TO 7%.
I DON'T KNOW IF THE MAJORITY WILL THINK THAT WAY, BUT YEAH.
THE POINT I MAKE IS, AND, AND I THINK THIS IS TRUE FOR VIRTUALLY EVERYBODY, ONCE THAT PENNY IS IN THE B YES.
NOBODY KNOWS IF NOBODY PAYS ANY ATTENTION TO IT.
IT JUST, IT'S PART OF IT, PART OF WHAT YOU'RE DOING.
NOBODY SAYS, MY GOD, YOU KNOW, JUST HAS TO GET IT.
YOU KNOW? UM, BUT SO LET'S, I HAVE A, I HAVE A COUPLE COMMENTS PLEASE.
AND THAT WOULD BE, YES, I DO KNOW THERE'S THE PRICE, THE GAS PUMP BECAUSE I'M VERY PRICE CONSCIOUS.
UM, NO, I DO NOT FEEL THAT ANY IMPROVEMENT HAS HAPPENED AS A RESULT OF THAT.
AT LEAST NOT IN THE LOW COUNTRY.
AND I'M ANGRY ABOUT IT AND I'M EMBARRASSED ABOUT IT.
AND WHEN PEOPLE COME HERE, THEY COMMENT ON HOW AWFUL THE ROADS ARE AND THEY COMMENT ON HOW CHEAP OUR GAS IS.
AND I'D RATHER SEE OUR GASBY A DOLLAR MORE A GALLON AND GET SOME ROADS THAT AREN'T GONNA KILL PEOPLE.
SO I'M A VERY FINANCIALLY FRUGAL HUMAN BEING, BUT I WOULD VOTE FOR FREE PENNIES.
'CAUSE IT NEEDS TO GET BETTER HERE.
I COULDN'T PUSH BACK THE HURRICANES.
I CAN'T PUSH BACK THE PEOPLE MOVING HERE.
I'VE TRIED TO RAISE THAT WHALE BRANCH BRIDGE AFTER I GOT HERE AND IT, I HAVE YET BEEN ABLE TO DO IT.
SO, UM, WE HAVE TO DO SOMETHING.
HOWEVER, WHEN YOU GO AND LOOK AT THESE, UH, REFERENDUMS THAT HAVE FAILED, IT'S DIRECT RESULT OF NOT TRUSTING THE PEOPLE WHO ARE MAKING THE DECISIONS.
AND THAT'S WHERE THE BROKENNESS HAPPENS.
WHEN MR. MOSS WAS OUR SUPERINTENDENT, HE WAS PLAGUED WITH LOTS OF, UH, DIFFICULTIES WITH ETHICS.
AND IT SHOWED IN THE RESULTS IN THE, IN THE, UH, REFERENDUMS. SAME WITH THE COUNTY COUNCIL.
WE'VE JUST HAD OUR COUNTY MANAGER FIRE.
I MEAN IT'S, IT'S A, IT'S A CRISIS.
WE'RE IN A CRISIS OF CONSCIOUS IN THIS COMMUNITY, OF TRUSTING OUR, OUR OUR PEOPLE.
I THINK WE NEED ALL THREE PENNIES.
I THINK WE SHOULD DO ALL THREE PENNIES.
THEY'RE NOT GONNA PASS BECAUSE OF WHAT I'M SPEAKING OF.
[00:50:01]
WHY THEY'RE NOT GONNA PASS.UM, I THINK WE NEED THE $3.25 BILLION.
I THINK THAT IF WE DID THE $3.25 BILLION, I'D SAY THANK GOD THEY'RE GONNA FINALLY DO SOMETHING ABOUT THESE GOD FORSAKEN ROSE.
I WOULD SAY, YES, PLEASE GOD, LET ME GET AROUND HERE AND NOT DIE BECAUSE THESE ROADS ARE SO ATROCIOUS.
BUT THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER IS, 25 YEARS IS GONNA SCARE, IN MY OPINION, EVERYONE OFF.
YOU KNOW, THAT LOST, NO ONE'S EVER GONNA PICK, NO ONE IN BUFORT COUNTY IS EVER GOING TO PASS A LOST EVER, EVER.
WE'RE TOO CONSERVATIVE AND WE DON'T TRUST OUR, THE PEOPLE THAT RUN OUR COUNTY, NO ONE'S GONNA SAY, YEAH, YEAH, TAX ME FOREVER.
AND DON'T EVER LET IT STOP UNTIL WE TELL IT TO STOP.
THAT'S THAT YOU CAN TAKE THAT OFF THE BOOKS.
'CAUSE THAT WILL NEVER PASS IN THIS COMMUNITY EVER 25 YEARS SOUNDS A LOT LIKE THAT.
WHAT AM I GONNA GIVE 25 YEARS TO THESE CLOWNS WHO ARE RUNNING THIS PLACE? THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING.
I MEAN, I'M TALKING TO PEOPLE.
SO I THINK THE BEST YOU CAN DO IS A PENNY.
I THINK THE BEST YOU CAN DO IS ABOUT 10 YEARS BECAUSE THAT KEEPS IT AWAY FROM THE B WORD BILLION.
IT GETS YOU TO MILLION AND HOPEFULLY IN 10 YEARS YOU ACTUALLY GET THINGS ACCOMPLISHED THAT PEOPLE CAN SEE.
THAT'S WHY WE'RE HEARING THINGS LIKE WHAT HAPPENED? WE ALREADY VOTED WHY ALL WE GOT WAS A RIGHT TURN LANE AT WALGREEN.
THAT'S THE, SO I'M JUST SHARING WITH YOU WHAT THE PEOPLE THAT ARE TALKING TO ME ARE.
THEY'RE NOT GONNA GO FOR, I WOULD, I WOULD VOTE YES FOR ALL THREE OF THESE.
EVEN BEING AS FRUGAL AS I AM, EVEN BEING AS CAUTIOUS AS I AM WITH MONEY.
I WOULD VOTE FOR ALL THREE OF 'EM.
'CAUSE WE NEED THEM BECAUSE WE NEED THEM IN THIS COMMUNITY.
BUT I DON'T THINK YOU'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO CONVINCE OTHER PEOPLE THAT THAT MONEY WILL BE USED WISELY.
SO I THINK 10 YEARS TRANSPORTATION, ONE PENNY AND GIVE THIS COUNTY THE OPPORTUNITY TO PROVE TO THE CONSTITUENTS, THIS IS WHAT WE DID WITH YOUR MONEY.
I THINK THAT'S WHAT'S GONNA DO IT.
SO THAT'S KIND OF WHERE I'M COMING DOWN.
I IN MY DREAM, I MEAN, I DREAM ABOUT THIS.
I WENT HOME AND DREAMED ABOUT THIS IN MY DREAMS. I WANT THE THREE PENNIES.
I WANT THE THREE QUESTIONS ON THE I DO, I I, I THINK ABOUT GOING INTO THE BALLOT, YOU KNOW, AND, AND, AND SAYING YES TO ALL THREE, BUT I'M WITH YOU.
THEY'RE GONNA GO, EH, FORGET THESE CLOWNS.
I'M NOT SAYING NO TO ALL OF 'EM.
YOU KNOW? 'CAUSE THAT'S HUMAN NATURE.
SO I THINK THAT, UM, THAT'S MY 2 CENTS ON MY 1 CENT ON WHERE I THINK WE ARE.
I WISH WE WERE AT THREE PENNIES.
AND I DO LIKE THE IDEA THAT JARED SUGGESTED IF WE RECOMMEND ONE YEAR, ONE PENNY, AND IF WE RECOMMEND 10 YEARS AND WE CAN DO WHATEVER, I'LL GO WITH THE CONSENSUS.
UM, I DO THINK WE SHOULD FOLLOW IT UP WITH, OKAY, ONCE SO MANY YEARS PASSES AND SOME THINGS GET DONE, THEN OUR RECOMMENDATION IS TO THEN START BUILDING ON THAT CONFIDENCE.
THAT'S THAT, WHAT IS IT YORK, YOU TOLD ME THAT'S THEY HAVE CONFIDENCE UP THERE.
AND BY THE WAY, THE ROADS ARE BEAUTIFUL.
WE COME DOWN HERE, YOU HIT 95, 26, YOU'RE TAKING YOUR LIFE IN YOUR HANDS.
UM, BUT BUILDING THAT CONFIDENCE.
I WOULD SAY TO THE, TO THE ELECTORATE, WE'RE GONNA DO THIS IN A COUPLE YEARS.
LET'S WORK TOGETHER TO DO WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE FOR THIS COMMUNITY.
SO I DON'T THINK IT'S JUST THE ONE PENNY 10 YEARS AND WALK AWAY.
I THINK IT'S THE ONE PENNY 10 YEARS.
AND HOW ABOUT THEN IN THREE YEARS WE DO THIS, OR IN EIGHT YEARS WE DO THIS, OR IN FIVE YEARS WE DO FOLLOW UP WITH THIS.
THAT WOULD BE HOW I WOULD RECOMMEND TO THE, TO THE COUNCIL.
SO I THINK WE'RE IN AGREEMENT THAT TRANSPORTATION IS THE, THE TRANSPORTATION PENNY IS THE ROUTE WE OUGHT TO PURSUE.
SO WE HAVE THE, UM, THE PROPOSAL JARED MADE GIVES US 3.25 BILLION FOR 25 YEARS.
I THINK WE SHOULD STILL, I KNOW WE'RE ABOUT TO FOCUS IN ON THIS, BUT I THINK WE SHOULD STILL HAVE A CONVERSATION AT SOME POINT ABOUT SHOULD WE RECOMMEND A CAPITAL, SHOULD WE RECOMMEND AN EDUCATIONAL IN YEAR OR TWO OR AT THIS, YOU KNOW YEAH.
LIKE OKAY, THIS YEAR THIS, BUT IN THE NEXT COUPLE, I THINK MAYBE IT'S BOOM, BOOM, BOOM, WE SHOULD, OR IT'S BOOM, TWO YEARS, THREE YEARS, OR IT'S THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT I'M THINKING.
I I WOULD SUGGEST THAT YOU MAKE A DETAILED RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL AND THEY CAN CHOOSE TO PICK OR DO WHATEVER THEY WANT TO WITH THE DETAILS.
BUT IF YOU GIVE THEM FUZZY MATH RIGHT, THEN THEY'VE GOTTA GO AND FIGURE IT OUT THEMSELVES LATER.
[00:55:01]
GIVE THEM AS MUCH DETAIL AS YOU AS A GROUP CAN PROVIDE.ALRIGHT, WELL HERE'S, HERE'S MY SUGGESTION.
UH, I HEAR EXACTLY WHAT YOU'RE SAYING AND, AND UH, THAT, THAT WHAT YOU TOLD ME, WHAT YOU TOLD US JUST A FEW MINUTES AGO WAS AT 10 YEARS, WE'RE LOOKING AT ABOUT 950 50.
THAT'S BASED UPON, THAT'S BASED UPON WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW.
IS IS THAT ASSUMING A 5% GROWTH RATE OVER THAT PERIOD OF TIME? YES.
AND WHAT I'D REALLY LIKE TO DO IS, UM, NOT GIVE YOU THE EXACT NUMBER RIGHT THE SECOND BECAUSE WE HAVE A QUESTION INTO DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE.
UM, SO NOW WE'RE COLLECTING GREEN SPACE AND HAVE BEEN SINCE MAY 1ST.
UM, JUNE DOESN'T REALLY COUNT, BUT NOW, UM, JULY, AUGUST, SEPTEMBER WE HAVE THE FIRST QUARTER OF FULL COLLECTIONS.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE THAT AND COMPARE THAT TO THE PREVIOUS COLLECTIONS AND THE FUTURE PROJECTIONS AND MAKE SURE IT ALIGNS TO GIVE YOU THE GROWTH RATE AND THE NUMBER.
AND I'LL HAVE THAT IN A WEEK OR TWO.
SO IT MAY MAY BE AB WORD, IT JUST DEPENDS.
BUT I'LL, I'LL HAVE A REFINED, I'LL HAVE A REFINED NUMBER SHORTLY.
I DON'T THINK WE NEED TO BE AS SCARED OF THAT.
I HEAR WHAT, WHAT YOU'RE, I SAY I HEAR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
I'M NOT THAT WORRIED ABOUT IT EITHER.
I, I'M NOT, I I I THINK THE YEARS ARE ALSO GOING TO YEAH.
AND THEN I THINK GIVING THE CHANCE OF PEOPLE SEEING HERE'S WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO, HERE'S THE 10 YEARS.
IT'S NICE TO HAVE BUCKETS, BUT THE BUCKETS COMES TRUST.
DO WE HAVE THE TRUST TO SOMEONE TO GIVE US BUCKETS? IT'S A BRIDGE.
IF SOMETHING MAJOR WAS HAPPENING DIFFERENT ALREADY STARTED DIFFERENT.
AND, AND BY THE TIME WE GET TO THE, BY THE TIME WE GET TO THE POLES A YEAR FROM NOW.
IT COULD BE A LOT MORE OF MACHINES OUT THERE, WHICH IS GREAT.
ROLLING AROUND ON, CAN WE RENT A BUNCH TO PUT IT OUT?
WE LIKE THE LIGHT ON HILTON HEAD THOUGH.
THE, THE, WHAT'S THE FIRST ONE? MILL HARBOR, WINDMILL HARBOR RIGHT AWAY.
SOME PEOPLE LIKE, SOME PEOPLE DON'T.
WELL, LET'S, LET'S, LET'S, LET, LET ME SUGGEST GO AHEAD DAN.
LET, LET ME SUGGEST THAT WE, WE KIND OF SAY TO OURSELVES, OKAY, TO THIS POINT RIGHT NOW WE'RE STARTING WITH TRANSPORTATION.
THAT'S, THAT'S WHERE WE'RE GONNA FOCUS.
WHAT, WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO? JUST, SO LET'S TALK ABOUT, LET'S, LET'S, LET'S KIND OF LEAVE THAT THERE RIGHT NOW FOR THE MOMENT UNTIL WE GET A LITTLE BIT BETTER DATA.
AND THEN WHAT WE'LL HAVE TO DO IS WE'LL HAVE TO, IF IF WE SAY, OKAY, LET'S JUST ASSUME IT'S 950 MILLION, THEN WE NEED TO GO BACK DOWN INTO THIS LIST AND START PAIRING IT.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S FOR ANOTHER MEETING.
UM, SO WHAT I'M GONNA SUGGEST IS, UM, LET'S TALK ABOUT REAL QUICKLY.
IT'S, IT'S SIX 30 AND JARED'S BEEN ON THE ROAD ALL DAY.
I'VE BEEN ON THE ROAD ALL DAY.
UM, FRANKLY I COULD USE A DRINK.
SO WE'RE GONNA THIS'S THIS MEETING.
LET, LET'S, LET'S JUST TOUCH A LITTLE BIT ON THE, ON THE ISSUE, SINCE WE'RE NOT GONNA APPROACH THE CAPITAL PENNY.
WE'RE GONNA LEAVE THE ISSUE OF THE CAPITAL PENNY ASIDE.
UM, BUT ON THIS ONE, ON THE, ON THE, LET, LET ME CHECK AND SEE 'CAUSE WE DID HAVE JARED, I THINK ON THE, ON THIS ONE WAS THE, THE PROPOSAL TO UM, IF THEY HAVE A TRANSPORTATION PROGRAMS, OUR BROTHER SISTER COUNTIES, UM, WOULD RECEIVE A SHARE THESE DOLLARS.
AND I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT IN SOME DETAIL.
UM, DO YOU MIND IF I ASK A QUICK QUESTION? I THINK WE CAN ANSWER IT PRETTY QUICKLY.
ARE WE TALKING TO PENNY? IS ANYONE HERE THINKING ABOUT A QUARTER? PENNY? HALF PENNY? IS ANYONE MESSING WITH A PENNY? I'M NOT.
ARE WE ALL TALKING A PENNY? I THINK WE'RE TALKING ALL TALKING TO PENNY RIGHT NOW.
OKAY, THAT'S, I JUST WANNA GET THAT OUTTA THE WAY.
WE'RE NOT TALKING HALF SIR QUARTERS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
I WAS SUPPOSED TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION.
UM, I UNDERSTAND WHAT IS PROPOSED HERE.
I UNDERSTAND THE RATIONALE BEHIND IT.
HOW WOULD IT BE EXPLAINED ON THE BALLOT? HOW WOULD, HOW WOULD WE
[01:00:01]
DESCRIBE ON THE BALLOT? WOULD WE SAY, DESCRIBE IT ON THE BALLOT? THAT'S THE FIRST QUESTION.AND IF WE DO, HOW WOULD WE EXPLAIN AND RATIONALIZE TO OUR VOTERS THAT, LET'S JUST SAY WE GOING PAPER ROAD IN ALLENDALE.
16.67% OF THE MONEY THAT YOU ALL ARE GONNA PUT IN THE POT IS GONNA GO OUT TO ALLENDALE HAMPTON, JASPER COLLEGE.
IT WOULD LOOK SOMETHING LIKE THIS, RECOGNIZING THAT WE'RE INTERDEPENDENTLY CONNECTED.
IT IS PRUDENT TO HELP OUR NEIGHBORS, OUR NEIGHBORING COUNTIES SO THAT WE MIGHT ALL BENEFIT FROM GOOD TRANSPORTATION THROUGHOUT THE REGION.
THAT'S WHERE THE WORKERS COME.
BASICALLY WE TRAVEL THOSE WAYS.
SO WE WANT THOSE ROADWAYS GOOD TOO.
RIGHT? HOW GOOD IS IT THAT THE ROADS IN BEAUFORT ARE GREAT AND THEN I GO DOWN ARGENT BOULEVARD AND I DIE? 'CAUSE THERE'S NO, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW WHAT THE PESSIMIST IS GONNA SAY, RIGHT? THE PESSIMIST IS GONNA SAY THAT IS THE STATE'S JOB.
IT'S THE STATE'S, IT'S THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT'S JOB.
I'M JUST SAYING THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GONNA RUN AGAINST.
WELL, I'M LOOKING AT, BUT THE IDEA HOW WE DOING IT, I'M ALL FOR IT.
THE IDEA OF BUFORT BEING A DONOR COUNTY IS NOT NEW.
IT'S BEEN A DONOR COUNTY STATEWIDE FOR A LONG TIME.
SO WE SEND MORE TO COLUMBIA THAN WE GET BACK.
SO THAT WHOLE CONCEPT IS WELL ESTABLISHED ALREADY.
THAT'S THE WAY THE WORLD, THAT'S THE WAY DEMOCRACY WORKS.
WE ARE IN DONOR COUNTY AND SO WE, WE COLLECT MORE THAN WE GET BACK.
AND THEN THEY DO GIVE A PLUS UP FOR DONOR COUNTIES.
THEY HAVE A SPECIAL POT, UM, THAT THEY DIVIDE BACK.
NOW IT DOESN'T COVER THE AMOUNT THAT YOU PUT IN, BUT IT DOES PLUS YOU UP A LITTLE BIT MORE.
SO, AND WHAT, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN ACRONYM? CTC.
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN? COUNTY TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE.
SO OUT OF THE GAS TAX THAT YOU PAY, 3.30 CENTS GOES BACK TO DISTRIBUTE AMONGST THE 46 COUNTIES.
AND SO THE LOCAL, EACH COUNTY HAS A LOCAL COMMITTEE WHERE THEY DISTRIBUTE THE FUNDS.
BEAUFORT COUNTY GETS ABOUT TWO AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS.
UH, I DON'T KNOW THE NUMBER THAT WE SEND, BUT OUT OF THE FORMULA THAT THEY CREATED, WE GET TWO AND A HALF MILLION BACK PLUS ABOUT $500,000 FOR BEING A DONOR COUNTY.
SO WE GET ABOUT $3 MILLION A YEAR AND WE PROBABLY SIGNED ABOUT SIX.
I KNOW YOU DON'T KNOW THE EXACT NUMBER.
AND OTHER COUNTIES, I MEAN CHARLESTON PROBABLY GETS A MILLION AND A HALF IN DONOR FUNDS BACK SO, WHICH STILL PROBABLY DOESN'T MATCH UP TO WHAT THEY SEND BACK TO COLUMBIA.
IS CHARLESTON DOING THE SAME THING WITH BERKELEY AND DORCHESTER? WRONG NUMBERS AS FAR, NOT THAT I'M AWARE OF.
IS ANYONE OR COUNTY DOESN'T MIND DOING IT.
NOT THE ONLY PEOPLE THAT WOULD BE DOING IT IS THE ONES THAT ARE BEING DONE AUTOMATICALLY IN THE LOCAL OPTION.
SALES TAX'S THAT I'M AWARE OF.
AND AGAIN, THAT IS A ONLY IF YOU'RE A DONOR COUNTY, IF YOU'RE A ALLENDALE AND YOU DO A LOCAL OPTION SALES TAX, YOU DON'T HAVE THAT.
FIRST OF ALL, THE LEGALITY OF THIS, IT IS LEGAL.
YOU CAN SPEND SALES TAX MONEY OUTSIDE OF THE COUNTY.
SO, UM, I THINK THE ONLY WAY WE WOULD EVER CONSIDER DOING IT, DON'T YOU AGREE, IS IF THEY HAD THEIR EQUIVALENT PENNY SALES TAX PASS BECAUSE I'M NOT HELPING SOMEBODY WHO WILL NOT HELP THEMSELVES.
I MEAN, WE WOULDN'T CONSIDER GIVING TO A COUNTY THAT WASN'T PAYING FORWARD SOME WELL, I PHILOSOPHICALLY THEY DON'T HAVE IT.
IT THEY DON'T HAVE THE CAPACITY OR IT WOULDN'T EVEN BENEFIT THEM.
WELL, I MEAN, NO, THEY, THEY MIGHT NOT COLLECT MUCH.
BUT THEY SHOULD BE WILLING TO TRY.
I MEAN, IN OTHER WORDS, I STRUGGLE TO GIVE TO SOMEBODY WHO'S SITTING ON THE COUCH NOT GOING TO WORK.
IF I'M, IF I'M ON THE COUCH AND I'M DISABLED, THEN OKAY, BUT NOT ALL OF ALLEN DALE'S DISABLED.
NOT ALL OF HAMPTON'S DISABLED.
I'M SAYING, BUT THE COUNTY HAS THE LARGEST OF DISABLED COUNTY AS FAR AS THIS OPPORTUNITY IS CONCERNED.
UH, WE HAVE, WE ARE BASICALLY GROWING BECAUSE OF THOSE COUNTIES.
THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S, WELL HERE'S WHAT HERE, HERE'S WHO'S GOT WHAT JASPER HAS LOCAL OPTION AND, UM, SCHOOL DISTRICT.
CAL COLTON HAS LOCAL OPTION AND A CAPITAL PENNY.
UH, THOSE, AND THEN, AND THEN WE INCLUDED WHAT INCLUDED ALSO
[01:05:01]
BAMBERG.BARNWELL HAS LOCAL OPTION AND CAPITAL.
PENNY AND BAMBERG HAS LOCAL OPTION AND CAPITAL.
SO, SO WHAT ABOUT COTON? COTON HAS LOCAL OPTION CAPITAL.
I'M THINKING ABOUT THE 14TH DISTRICT.
YOU, YOU WOULD GO FURTHER THAN THE 14TH OF THE FIVE COUNTIES.
I WOULD STAY IN THE 14TH DISTRICT.
THE COUNTIES THAT ARE WHAT IS PROPOSED OR THE COUNTIES THAT ARE IN THE SOUTHERN CAROLINA ALLIANCE, ECONOMIC ALLIANCE ALLIANCE, WHICH IS SEVEN COUNTIES.
US AND THEN JASPER HAMPTON, ALLENDALE, BARNWELL, BAMBERG, AND COLTON BARNWELL AND BAMBERG ARE JUST ADDED TO THE 14TH CIRCUIT IN.
DOES THAT ROBIN HOOD CLAUSE LOSE US BOATS? I CAN'T ANSWER THAT.
I THINK IT'LL LOSE US MORE THAN IT'LL GET US.
I I THINK TO YOUR QUESTION EARLIER, WHAT DO YOU WRITE? I DON'T THINK YOU WRITE OUT THE DESCRIPTION THAT YOU SAID.
I THINK YOU WOULD, IF IT DOES MAKE IT TO THE LIST, YOU WRITE SIMPLE DONOR AND THEN YOU EXPLAIN AN EDUCATION MATERIALS, HOW THAT DONOR WOULD WORK.
BUT THAT DOESN'T ANSWER YOUR QUESTION.
SO IF IT DOESN'T, IT DOESN'T JEOPARDIZE THE QUESTION.
AS FAR AS IF IT JEOPARDIZES THE QUESTION, I DON'T THINK WE SUPPORT IT IF IT'S NEUTRAL.
WELL, IF, IF SOMETHING DEAN SAID A LITTLE WHILE AGO, IT'S WHERE OUR WORKERS COME FROM.
IT'S WHERE, I MEAN, BACK WHEN IT WAS LR TA MM-HMM.
A GOOD NUMBER OF PEOPLE RIDE THOSE BUSES FOR TWO HOURS TO COME WORK IN BLUFFTON.
NOW THEY USED TO WORK IN HILTON HEAD, BUT THEY DON'T HAVE TO GO AS FAR NOW.
SO WE ON HILTON HEAD, WE'RE, WE ARE NOT GONNA VOTE FOR IT.
BUT NO, IF IT'S, IF, IF IT WERE TO HAVE A CHANCE TO HAVE MORE VOTERS FOR IT THAN AGAINST IT, IT WOULD HAVE TO BE FRAMED IN MY MIND IN THAT WAY, THE PEOPLE THAT ARE COMING TO BE A PART OF OUR COMMUNITY'S WORKFORCE.
I'VE HEARD JOE PASSMAN SAY MANY TIMES, AND I THINK IT HAS TRACTION THAT, UH, FROM A PUBLIC SAFETY STANDPOINT, UH, EVACUATION ROUTES MAY START IN BEAUFORT COUNTY, BUT THEY ALL END UP THREE THEMSELVES.
BUT TOM, TO YOUR POINT, UM, YOU WEREN'T PART OF LAST YEAR'S COMMITTEE, BUT LAST YEAR'S COMMITTEES TALKED ABOUT A SIMILAR SUBJECT, UM, BUT A DIFFERENT SPECIFIC PROJECT, WHICH WAS GREENBELTS AND GREENBELTS WAS DISCUSSED.
IS THAT A POSITIVE OR A NEGATIVE? UM, ADDITION TO THE QUESTION, BECAUSE IT'S NOT A REQUIREMENT THAT YOU LISTED AS A PROJECT, BUT IT IS AN ALLOWABLE EXPENSE UNDER TRANSPORTATION.
THE BUFORD COUNTY GREEN SPACE SALES TAX ALLOWS THE PROCEEDS TO BE USED OUTSIDE OF BUFORT COUNTY, RIGHT? ISN'T THAT YES, THAT'S CORRECT.
DO YOU KNOW IF THERE HAVE BEEN ANY PURCHASES OUTSIDE OF, I DON'T THINK THEY'VE MADE ANY S HAVEN'T MADE ANY PURCHASES YET.
THERE IS A PROPOSAL THAT IS GONNA GO BEFORE 'EM TO CONTRIBUTE TO, TO THE PURCHASE.
AND IF I HAD A MAP, I'D POINT IT TO IT, POINT YOU TO IT.
BUT AT THE TOP OF PORT ROLL SOUND, THERE'S A HUGE PARCEL WHICH IS, UM, ESSENTIALLY BEING PURCHASED BY, UH, THE ASIA CONSERVANCY, UH, TRUST REPUBLIC LANDS AND SOME OTHERS JUST BASICALLY TO PUT INTO, INTO GREEN SPACE.
AND, UM, I KNOW THAT PROPOSAL IS GONNA BE PUT IN FRONT OF THE GREEN SPACE PEOPLE.
UM, THERE'S, AND THERE ARE TWO OR THREE OTHERS THAT THE, THE, THE, THE NOTION IS EFFECTIVELY IN A SENSE, YOU CAN MAKE A TRANSPORTATION ARGUMENT WITH A LOT OF THIS BECAUSE, UH, 4 72 COMING DOWN FROM RIDGELAND, UH, IS A NIGHTMARE.
AND HUGE AMOUNT OF OUR FOLKS COME DOWN FROM RIDGELAND NOW, AND THERE IS ALL THIS UNDEVELOPED LAND ALONG 4 72, BETWEEN 4 72 AND THE PORT ROLL SOUND.
UH, AND THERE ARE DEVELOPERS STANDING THERE READY TO BUILD.
AND ONLY THING I CAN TELL YOU IS IF YOU PUT HOUSES ON THAT PROPERTY, THOSE FOLKS ARE NOT GOING TO RIDGELAND FOR GROCERIES.
YOU KNOW, THEY'RE, THEY'RE COMING TO BLUFF.
SO THE TRA THE TRAFFIC ISSUES ARE ENORMOUS.
AND THAT, THAT TO ME IS ONE OF THE PRINCIPLE RATIONALES FOR USING THOSE DOLLARS TO TAKE LANDS IN THESE, IN THOSE QUARTERS AND PUT 'EM UNDER CONSERVATION EASEMENT AND, AND KEEP THEM FROM BEING DEVELOPED INTENSELY DEVELOPED.
BUT THAT'S, AND WE'RE WORKING ON TRAFFIC CALMING IN BLUFF, AND I DON'T KNOW IF Y'ALL
[01:10:01]
HAVE HEARD WHAT COUNCIL JUST PASSED.WE, WE'VE BEEN WORKING A WHILE ON THIS.
THEY JUST PASSED ECONOMIC INCENTIVES FOR CERTAIN BUSINESSES BEING BUILT ON THE WEST SIDE OF BLUFFTON.
'CAUSE WHAT WE HAVE IS WE HAVE PEOPLE THAT LIVE IN NEW RIVERSIDE AREA NOW THERE, THEY JUST GOT THEIR FIRST GROCERY STORE, BUT THEY STILL HAVE TO DRIVE ALL THE WAY TO HARDY OR ALL THE WAY ACROSS BLUFFTON TO GET TO A DOCTOR.
AND SO, UM, DIFFERENT THING, BUT SAME ISSUE.
WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE IT SO THAT THEY'RE SHORTER TRIPS SO THAT THERE'S LESS TERRAIN ON THE ROADS.
AND I MEAN, IF IT'S EITHER GOTTA BE A BIGGER ROAD OR UNDER CONSERVATION UP THERE.
WELL, SO, SO I WOULD SAY IN, IN MY EXPERIENCE, AND FORGIVE ME IF IT'S NOT YOUR EXPERIENCE, BUT IN MY PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE, I FIND THAT THE, THE MINORITY OF PEOPLE ARE CHARITABLE.
THE MAJORITY ARE NOT CHARITABLE.
SO I DO NOT FIND THAT DONOR IS GOING TO BE A POSITIVE.
I FIND THAT IT MIGHT EVEN BE A NEGATIVE.
HOWEVER, WE'RE ALL DRIVEN BY SELF-INTEREST AND SELF-INTEREST IS I WANT SOMEONE TO COME AND DO MY DRY CLEANING.
I, I WANT SOMEBODY TO COME AND STOCK THE SHELVES OF OUR GROCERY.
I WANT SOMEBODY TO, I DON'T KNOW, THEY USED TO PUMP GAS, BUT, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER, WHATEVER THE SERVICE IS THAT I WANT, I WANT THAT DONE.
SO IF YOU PHRASE THIS, NOT IN FACT HOW I'M GOING TO TRANSPORT MYSELF, BUT RATHER HOW PEOPLE WHO ARE GOING TO SERVE OUR INTERESTS ARE GOING TO BE GET HERE.
MAYBE THAT WOULD BE, I'M SORRY TO BE SO NEGATIVE ABOUT HUMAN CHARACTER, BUT I BELIEVE IT'S TRUE.
THIS IS, BUT I ALSO, THIS IS WHY THIS IS RIGHT.
QUESTIONS ON THE TABLE WE'VE GOT.
BUT I ALSO THINK, RIGHT, LAST TIME WE HAD TO EVACUATE AND I GOT TO ALLENDALE, MAYBE I HAD TO TAKE A DETOUR.
SO THAT'S, I MEAN THAT'S, YOU KNOW, THAT STILL AFFECTED US.
YOU SEE WHAT I'M SAYING? IT'S, IT'S RIGHT THERE.
AND IT'S STILL SOMETHING THAT, THAT DRIVES CLOSE TO HOME.
AND IF YOU EVEN PUT THAT IN THAT EMERGENCY OR TRANSPORTATION, BECAUSE PLENTY OF TIMES ACCIDENTS ON NINE FIVE, I JUMP OFF AND I GET ON 4 7 2 AND I'M STUCK.
'CAUSE EVERYBODY KNOWS THAT ROUTE TOO.
SO, I MEAN, SO THESE THINGS STILL CAN BE PUT OUT THERE THAT TOUCHES.
I DON'T THINK IT'S FARFETCHED THAT THESE THINGS TOUCH US.
AND MY, I GUESS I HAVE A QUESTION TOO.
UM, WE'RE DONORS, RIGHT? DO WE HAVE A SAY SO WHEN THIS MONEY GOES TO OTHER COUNTIES AS TO HOW IT'S USED? MM-HMM.
UM, WELL, SO THAT'S ALL INPUT.
NO, THAT'S ALL UP FOR OH, THERE'S ALWAYS A STRING.
I MEAN, SO ALWAYS A STRING ATTACHED.
SO THIS IS, UM, THE MONEY HAS TO BE USED FOR WHAT THE STATUTE SAYS, PERIOD.
THEN HOW YOU GO ABOUT ADMINISTERING THAT, THAT CAN BE DISCUSSED.
I'M JUST SAYING I WOULD OFFER THAT, UM, IT'S A GRANTOR GRANTEE RELATIONSHIP THAT THE COUNTY HAS.
BEAUFORT COUNTY WOULD ALLOW YOU TO USE IT FOR ANY OF THE USES.
UM, BUT WOULD VERIFY THAT YOU'RE, BECAUSE THE COUNTY, BEAUFORT COUNTY IS THE ONE COLLECTING IT THAT WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE IF IT'S USED ILLEGALLY.
CAROL, THERE'S THAT CAROL POINTS IS A GOOD POINT.
AND I WAS THINKING THE SAME THING, BUT I, BUT, BUT I BELIEVE IN, IN, IN THE OVERALL PICTURE OF THE, I MEAN THE OVERALL EFFECTIVENESS OF WHAT WE ARE TRYING TO DO, NOT ONLY BUT KIND OF, BUT REGIONALLY.
AND, UM, I, I I, YOUR POINT IS FORTH MAJORITY IS SAYING NO TO, TO, THAT CONCEPT IS, IS COULD BE A, COULD BE A KILLER.
I THINK THE WORD DONOR IS THE WORD, BUT REALLY THAT'S SELF-SERVING TO BE OUT THERE.
THAT'S STILL SELF-SERVING TO MAKE THOSE ROLES BETTER IS STILL SELF-SERVING TO ANYBODY WHO GOES YEAH.
BUT, BUT, BUT THE VOTERS WHO ARE GONNA VOTE ON THE REFERENDUM, REFERENDUM ARE NOT PEOPLE THAT USE THAT VOTE EVERY DAY LIKE YOU DO.
OR LIKE SOME OF US DO ON A DAILY BASIS.
THE VOTERS THAT'S GOING TO HAVE THE BIGGEST IMPACT ON THE OUTCOME OF THE, OF THE REFERENDUM OF, OF
I'M NOT GONNA GIVE MONEY TO BE FOR THE, THEY JUST GONNA USE NINE FIVE.
BECAUSE THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND THE SCENARIO.
AND I, I'M AFRAID OF THAT'S GOOD CONCEPT.
AND PERSONALLY, YES, BUT I DON'T THINK THE PUBLIC, I DON'T THINK THE, THE VOTING PROBLEM.
ONE THING I THINK TO CONSIDER ON YOUR POINT, WHICH IS A VERY GOOD POINT, IS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE VOTERS.
MORE THAN LIKELY THERE WILL BE GROUPS THAT SUPPORT THIS CONCEPT.
[01:15:01]
THE THE ONE, NOT THE, UM, DONOR FUND, BUT THE WHOLE PENNY.AND THERE WILL BE GROUPS THAT MORE THAN LIKELY TAKE A POSITION AGAINST IT.
SO TO YOUR POINT, THE VOTER'S GOING TO HEAR UP FROM DIFFERENT INPUTS BEFORE THEY GO TO THE POLLS.
AND THEY'RE GOING TO HEAR, SOMEBODY'S GONNA LATCH ONTO PART.
THEY LIKE, LIKE PEOPLE MIGHT LATCH ONTO THE GREEN BELT IN A POSITIVE MANNER AND PEOPLE MIGHT LATCH ONTO A SPECIFIC WORD OR A PROJECT OR, SO THAT I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, THEY CAN LATCH ON NEGATIVELY AS WELL AS POSITIVELY.
WELL, AND AND IF, AND I BELIEVE THAT IF WE SAID DONOR GIVING BENEFITING OTHERS, THAT'S GONNA BE NEGATIVE BECAUSE MOST PEOPLE DON'T WANNA DO THAT.
MOST PEOPLE HAVE SELF-INTEREST.
BUT IF WE, IF WE WORD THAT EXACT SAME THING AS WORKFORCE ASSISTANCE AND EVACUATION ASSISTANCE, NOW THAT'S GONNA HELP ME.
NOW I DON'T HAVE TO TRAVEL THOSE ROADS TO CARE THAT WHEN I'M AT THE FANCY DINING ROOM AT THE CYPRESS ON HILTON HEAD, LIKE MY PARENTS USED TO BE, AND I SIT DOWN TO A BEAUTIFUL MEAL EVERY SINGLE DAY.
SOMEONE'S COOKING IT, SOMEONE'S SERVING IT, SOMEONE'S CLEANING UP.
I DON'T KNOW WHERE THEY'RE COMING FROM OR HOW THEY'RE GETTING THERE, BUT I KNOW THAT I WANT THAT SERVICE.
IF I'M AT BRAYS ISLAND OR IF I'M AT SPRING ISLAND, I WANT THAT SERVICE.
I MIGHT NOT TRAVEL THESE ROADS, BUT I WANT THAT WORKFORCE TO BE THERE.
AND THEN WHEN IN AND OF COURSE EVACUATIONS, I MEAN, MY GOSH, ANY OF US WHO'VE LIVED HERE IN THE PAST, WHAT HANDFUL OF YEARS, WE ALL GOT TO EXPERIENCE THAT INTENSELY FOR LIKE THREE YEARS IN A ROW.
FOR THOSE OF US WHO REMEMBER THAT THAT'S A HAIRY, CRAZY TIME.
I DON'T WANNA HAVE AN EVA, I DON'T WANNA DETOUR IN ALLENDALE AROUND THE TRAIN TRACKS AND DOWN THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND THEN BACK.
YOU'RE GONNA SHOW ME, YOU ON BELLA AN EVACUATION ROAD THAT'S GONNA GO ONE WAY.
BUT THAT'S THE, THAT'S THE MENTALITY THAT, THAT TOM AND I ALWAYS HEAR.
YOU KNOW, AND THE OTHER THING, MY, MY POINT IS THAT FIRST OF ALL, A LOT, LOT OF FOLKS DON'T WANNA PAY THE PENNY.
AND WE DON'T, WE WANT TO GIVE THEM AS LEASE OR AS LEASE AS MUCH TO COMPLAIN ABOUT THE PENNY.
THEY USE WA Y'ALL KNOW ABOUT WA MM-HMM.
EVERY TIME SOMETHING'S WRONG ON THAT ROAD, YOU'RE TAKE INTO A DETOUR.
HOPEFULLY WHEN YOU GET TO THAT DETOUR, YOU TRYING TO GET TO THAT DETOUR.
'CAUSE YOU KNOW WHAT'S IN FRONT OF YOU IS BAD, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, YOU WANT TO GET OVER HERE AND BE ABLE TO TRAVEL.
BUT, BUT, BUT I KNOW YOU CAN'T DO IT BECAUSE EVERYONE, I'M, I'M SAYING IF YOU TALKING ABOUT THAT ROAD, THEY'RE GONNA LEAN INTO THAT ROAD AND, AND I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE THAT TOUCHES THAT SIDE ROAD AND I DON'T TOUCH IT DAILY, BUT I TOUCH IT ENOUGH TO KNOW, AND I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE BECAUSE PLENTY OF TIMES I GO DOWN NINE FIVE AND THERE'S AN ACCIDENT.
I STOP, I USED TO WORK IN SAVANNAH.
I STOPPED USING NINE FIVE SIMPLY BECAUSE WHEN I GET UP TO THE EXIT EIGHT, THERE'S AN ACCIDENT.
SO I TAKE THE TOWER AND COME ACROSS, AND THIS IS FOR YEARS, AND I DID THAT OVER 10 YEARS.
HERE COMES THE, HAVE THAT ABILITY, BUT SAY 70% OF THE PEOPLE, AND IF MAMA'S ON THAT ROAD, I DON'T WANT HER TO TAKE THE ROAD.
YOU WOULDN'T WANT HER TO TAKE IT.
BUT SHE IS NOT GONNA, SHE WILL TAKE IT TOO.
SHE'S, SHE'S, SHE'S NOT, SHE'S OLDER THAN YOU.
SHE'S, SHE'S STILL DRIVING, BUT SHE'S NOT GONNA COMPLAIN.
SHE'S GONNA COMPLAIN ABOUT TALKING TO YOU.
SHE'S GONNA COMPLAIN ABOUT, AND SHE'S NOT GONNA WANT GET ON THE ROAD TO WHERE SHE'S GOTTA FIGHT.
BUT THE TRAFFIC, THE ROAD AND THE DEER, AND ON TOP OF THAT, THE FARMER BROWN'S COWS.
I'M JUST SAYING GRANT GRAND, YOU WANNA BE ABLE TO, I GRANT, I GRANT YOU, YOU, YOU, YOU RIGHT ON TARGET, I GRANT YOU, BUT I'M NOT GONNA PAY A, AN EXTRA PENNY.
NOT KNOWING THAT THAT IS NOT GONNA BE THERE.
UM, WELL I THINK THE POINT IS, I THINK THE POINT IS WELL TAKEN THOUGH THAT EVEN THOUGH WE CAN MAYBE PUT IT INTO SOME WORDS THAT ARE MORE PALATABLE.
ANYTHING THAT YOU SAY MAY DETRACT THE PENNY WOULD BE A PROBLEM.
AND I THINK THAT'S A GOOD POINT.
BUT YOU CAN CHANGE THE VERBIAGE TO MAKE IT WORK.
MAYBE THAT'S THE CASE OR VERBIAGE THAT'S THE CASE.
THAT'S, THAT'S GONNA BE OUR CHALLENGE.
BECAUSE TO THE EXTENT WE GET DOWN TO THE POINT WE'RE PUTTING THIS THING DOWN ON PAPER, WE'RE THE ONES THAT ARE GONNA HAVE TO, I THINK BE THE DRAFTERS OF AT LEAST THE ESSENCE DRAFTERS OF THAT QUESTION.
THE LAWYERS WILL TAKE IT FROM US AND DO WHAT THE HELL THEY WANNA DO, BUT WE'LL BE ABLE, WE'LL BE IN A POSITION TO SAY, THIS IS HOW WE THINK THIS OUGHT TO READ, THIS IS WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO AND THEREFORE WE WANNA SAY IT THIS WAY.
AND, BUT WHAT I'M GONNA DO IS SUGGEST THAT IT'S JUST ABOUT SEVEN O'CLOCK.
UM, I THINK WE'VE, WE'VE TALKED A LOT TODAY.
[01:20:01]
MADE SOME DECISIONS, UH, AND WE'VE KIND OF GET OURSELVES TO THE POINT NOW WHERE I THINK JARED'S GONNA DO SOME WORK IN TERMS OF GIVING US SOME NUMBERS, ADDITIONAL REVISED NUMBERS TO WORK WITH.AND THE NEXT MEETING WE'LL START TAKING THIS, UH, PROPOSED TRANSPORTATION PENNY LIST AND START TAKING IT APART AND PUTTING IT BACK TOGETHER AGAIN.
COUNCILWOMAN, DO YOU WANNA OFFER ANYTHING? SAY ANYTHING HERE? THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
ANYTHING YOU WANNA OFFER? WELL, FRANKLY I'D GO FOR THE THREE PENNIES, BUT I AGREE.
I DON'T KNOW THAT PEOPLE WOULD PASS IT, BUT IT'S ALL IN HOW WE SELL IT.
WE KNOW ROADS, WE KNOW TRANSPORTATION'S GONNA BE NUMBER ONE, BUT I ALSO KNOW WE HAVE CAPITAL PROJECTS LIST LONGER THAN THIS TABLE FIVE TIMES OVER, ESPECIALLY PARKS AND REC.
A HUNDRED MILLION OVER 10 YEARS.
I REMEMBER THE CONSULTANT AND THEN THERE'S ALWAYS EDUCATION.
IF THIS REFERENDUM GOES DOWN, WE HAVE ANOTHER, ANOTHER PROBLEM.
OH, THAT CHANGES OUR CONVERSATION.
THAT MIGHT CHANGE OUR CONVERSATION.
BUT IN SUN CITY IT IS A NO GO.
BECAUSE YOU KNOW WHAT YOU SAID ABOUT THEY EQUATE THE SCHOOL DISTRICT WITH THE COUNTY.
AND SO THEY'RE SAYING RIGHT NOW THE COUNTY CAN'T GET THEIR ACT TOGETHER.
WHY WOULD I GIVE THE SCHOOL MONEY? OH, SO YOU HAVE TO BE CAREFUL OF HOW PEOPLE THINK OF THIS.
WELL, I MEAN, YOU JUST SAID RECREATION, RIGHT? THE FIRST THING I THINK OF IS AN $800 MILLION PLAY SET.
THAT'S THE VERY, THE MINUTE YOU SAID RECREATION, I'M LIKE, WOW, WE JUST HAD A MAJOR SCANDAL.
LIKE, AND IT'S NOT, WE WILL ALL 800,000.
CAN I RAISE ONE FINAL SUBJECT? I THINK A MILLION, PLEASE.
I KNOW TRON DOES NOT WANT TO HEAR THIS, BUT WE HAD A DISCUSSION IN THAT FIRST MEETING ABOUT POSSIBLY HAVING A COUPLE OF MEETINGS DOWN IN THE BLUFFTON AREA OR THE HILTON HEAD AREA.
DO WE THINK WE CAN EXPLORE DOING THAT? MY WIFE IS CALLING.
I GOT CAN CARPO WITH ANYONE FROM SAID CONSIDERED.
IT'S JUST GOTTA BE A PLACE WHERE WE CAN BROADCAST AND CAN SET UP AND OFTEN COUNCIL CHAMBERS FLUTED LIBRARY IS HAVING TO BE FAIR, PLAUSIBLE ON STAFF.
IT TAKES ME FIVE MINUTES TO GET HERE AND I STILL COME.
CAROL, WHAT YOUR FEELING ON THIS SIERRA? NOT SIERRA.
THAT MEANS YOU, SIERRA TELL HOW YOU REALLY FEEL THE MAJORITY WHOEVER WHO ALL SAYS YES, I SEE.
I YOU GOT TWO FROM HILTON HEAD AND I SAY YES, WE'RE LETTING YOUR VOTE.
I'M NOT ON THE COMMITTEE, SO, SO YOU KNOW, WE GOTTA GO.
DON'T MAKE ME MOVE TO DO ALL THE MEETINGS DOWN THERE.
I MEAN, YOU'RE COMING FROM HILTON HEAD, RIGHT? EVERY DAY, EVERY TIME.
IT MAKES NO SENSE TO GO TO HILTON HEAD.
I MEAN, I'M JUST SAYING, YOU'RE COMING FROM HILTON HEAD, CORRECT? YES.
YOU'RE GONNA COME FROM SUN CITY.
YOU'RE COMING FROM HILTON HEAD.
I'M JUST, JUST ASKING FOR TWO ROGER.
WHY DON'T WE, I THINK IT'S FAIR FOR US TO KIND OF WORK WITH THESE GUYS OVER HERE.
YOU WORK HALFWAY BETWEEN HERE AND THERE.
WE GOT, WE GOT WE GOT THE ZOOM TOO.
I WANT HIM DOWN AND IS NOT THE SAME.
I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA FORMALIZE THIS A LITTLE BIT.
IF, HOW MANY PEOPLE WOULD BE SUPPORTIVE OF SCHEDULING A MEETING IN BLUFFTON FOR NEXT WEEK? NEXT WEEK.
LET'S GET HIM TO THE FIRST ONE.
THAT'S A TERRIBLE ONE FOR ME BECAUSE I COUNCIL MEETING REAL WELL ALL.
WELL WE, WE CAN MAKE IT TWO WEEKS.
I DON'T MEAN TO PUT A STICK IN THE SPOKES.
I JUST HAVE TO BE IN A CHURCH COUNCIL MEETING AT NIGHT.
THAT MIGHT HELP ME BECAUSE I'VE GOT, SO THE 16TH, 16TH, THAT MIGHT HELP ME BECAUSE I'VE GOT MEETING AND THAT BE FINE.
SO LET'S, LET'S, THAT'D BE FINE.
LET'S GO AHEAD JARED AND SEE WHAT WE CAN FIND AND DO.
MEETING DOWN THE LIBRARY IS ALWAYS GOOD AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED.
I'M MEETING WITH THE TOWN MANAGER NEXT WEDNESDAY.
I CAN TALK TO HIM ABOUT COUNCIL CHAMBERS IF IT'S OPEN.
COUNCIL CHAMBERS WILL BE FINE.
THEN WE CAN ALL SIT UP ON THAT 16TH.
IS THAT OKAY? THE 16TH NEXT WEEK WE'LL BE HERE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ACCOMMODATING ME.
[01:25:01]
ALRIGHT.SO THE 16TH WILL BE SOUTH OF THE BROAD.
STILL GIVING THE BAD EYE OVER THERE.
UNLESS THERE'S SOMETHING ELSE THAT IS SIGNIFICANT THAT NEEDS TO BE TALKED ABOUT THIS EVENING.
UH, AND IF EVERYBODY'S IN AGREEMENT, I'D LIKE A MOTION TO ADJOURN.