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CLOSED CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY BUFORT COUNTY.
I CALLED THE BOARD MEETING TO ORDER.
UH, THIS DAY ON DECEMBER 15TH AT 11:00 AM THE BOARD OF BOARDS REGISTRATION AND THE ELECTIONS OF BUFORT COUNTY.
PLEASE STAND FOR THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND TO THE REPUBLIC OVER WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
FIRST ON THE AGENDA IS, UH, PUBLIC COMMENTS.
DO WE HAVE ANYONE FOR PUBLIC COMMENTS? IF SO, PLEASE LIMIT YOUR COMMENTS TO FIVE MINUTES.
WE DON'T HAVE ANYONE FOR PUBLIC COMMENTS.
NEXT, WE WILL MOVE TO THE MINUTES FROM OUR PREVIOUS MEETING.
AND WE HAD, UM, ON NOVEMBER THE NINTH, WE HAD BOARD MEETING.
AND ALSO ON NOVEMBER THE NINTH, WE HAD OUR CANVAS HEARING.
UH, CAN I PLEASE GET A MOTION, UH, TO ACCEPT THE MINUTES? SO MOVED.
AND SECOND, I I HAVE ONE COMMENT, MINOR COMMENT ON THE, UH, COMMITTEE REPORT ON WHICH ONE COMMITTEE REPORT.
COMMITTEE REPORT OUT TO THAT YET.
THIS WAS IN THE MEETING, IN THE MINUTES.
I CAN SEE THAT THE MINUTES IS IN THE MINUTES.
UM, THE, THE STAFF PROVIDED AN IN OCTOBER YEAR TO DATE REPORT.
IT WASN'T A DRAFT BUDGET REPORT.
IT WAS AN OCTOBER YEAR TO DATE.
SO IT WAS A, WAS IT A DRAFT YEAR TO DATE? NO, NO, IT WAS JUST A YEAR TO DATE.
IT WAS ACTUAL REMOVE THE WORD DRAFT.
WELL, I'LL CHANGE IT TO STAFF.
PROVIDED A YEAR TO DATE OCTOBER.
I MOVE THAT WE ACCEPT THE MINUTES WITH THE CORRECTIONS.
SECOND THAT WE ACCEPT THE MINUTES WITH THE NECESSARY CORRECTION.
NONE MINUTES HAVE BEEN ACCEPTED.
NOW WE ARE DOWN TO ITEM NUMBER FOUR, COMMITTEE REPORTS.
UH, FIRST ON THE AGENDA IS, UH, FACILITIES COMMITTEE MR. HERBERT FORD.
WE HAVE NOTHING TO REPORT AT THIS TIME.
UH, NOTHING TO REPORT FOR THIS MONTH.
WE ARE TARGETING A FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETING THE WEEK OF JANUARY.
THE DATE HAS NOT BEEN CONFIRMED YET.
LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS COMMITTEE, MATTHEW SWEENEY, THE PROPOSED LANGUAGE THAT WE, UH, SENT TO THE LEGISLATIVE DELEGATION FOR THE BILL REGARDING 7 7 1 10, I THINK IT WAS, UH, A BILL HAS NOT BEEN PRE-FILED YET, BUT I'LL CONTINUE TO FOLLOW UP WITH THE DELEGATION TO TRY TO GET THAT BILL, UH, DRAFTED AND SUBMITTED.
UH, RE-PRESENTING COMMITTEE, BEVERLY, DO.
THE ENTING COMMITTEE MET ON DECEMBER 5TH, 2023 AT THE BEAUFORT COUNTY VOTER REGISTRATION AND ELECTIONS OFFICE ON JOHN GAULT ROAD.
THE MEETING WAS CALLED TO ORDER AT 11:00 AM PRESENT AT THE MEETING WERE THE FOLLOWING MEMBERS, HERBERT FORD, MATT SWEENEY, DONALD LUCAS, AND BEVERLY DOR CHAIR.
THE FOLLOWING STAFF MEMBERS ATTENDED MARIE SMALLS, DIRECTOR WINDER, ROBESON, DEPUTY DIRECTOR, AND VERNON KEMP, IT ELECTIONS SYSTEMS COORDINATOR.
THE MEETING PROCEEDED AS OUTLINED ON YOUR AGENDAS, SO I'M NOT GOING TO REVIEW THAT.
UM, THE PURPOSE OF THE MEETING WAS TWOFOLD TO REVIEW THE LOCATIONS OF PROPOSED NEW PRECINCTS AND MATCH THEM TO IDENTIFY POLLING PLACES WITHIN A SPECIFIC
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GEOGRAPHICAL VICINITY.THE STAFF WITH APPROPRIATE ASSISTANCE HAS TAKEN THE LEAD ON THIS ITEM OF CONCERN, AND SECONDLY, TO REVIEW AND ACQUAINT PRECINCT COMMITTEE MEMBERS WITH THE PROCESS UTILIZED FOR IDENTIFYING AND CONFIRMING NEW POLLING PLACES.
UM, IT WAS NOTED THAT THERE WERE THREE PRIMARY REASONS, UM, TO REDUCE THE SIZE OF THESE PRECINCTS.
THE FIRST ONE WAS TO MINIMIZE THE NUMBER OF VOTERS REPORTING TO AN ELECTION ON ELECTION DAY.
SECONDLY, TO REDUCE THE WAITING LINE AT THE POLLING PLACE, THUS MINIMIZING THE LENGTH OF TIME IT TAKES A VOTER TO VOTE ON ELECTION DAY.
AND THIRDLY, TO COMPLY MORE CLOSELY WITH LAW SEVEN DASH SEVEN DASH SEVEN 10, WHICH REQUIRES A REDUCTION IN THE SIZE OF PRECINCTS WITH MORE THAN 1500 REGISTERED VOTERS.
UM, PRIOR DISCUSSION BY THE RE PRECINCT AND COMMITTEE AND STAFF CENTERED AROUND EXAMINING PRECINCTS WITH OVER 1600 VOTERS AND IDENTIFYING POLLING PLACES AMENABLE TO ACCEPTING VOTERS IN THOSE SPECIFICALLY DEFINED AREAS.
AND AS YOU ALL KNOW, WE CURRENTLY HAVE 95 PRECINCTS AND 31 PROPOSED NEW PRE PRECINCTS, TOTALING 126 TOTAL.
UM, SPECIFIC ACTIONABLE ITEMS WERE DISCUSSED AND THE PRECINCT IN COMMITTEE MEMBERS AND STAFF COMPILED A LIST OF PROPOSED NEW PRECINCTS.
AND I'VE OUTLINED THOSE, UM, FOR YOU, UH, IN WRITING.
AND AS YOU CAN SEE, IF YOU NEED ME TO READ THIS FOR THE SAKE OF THE FACT THAT WE ARE, UH, BEING TELEVISED, I CAN DO THAT MADAM CHAIR, OR WE CAN JUST, UM, REVIEW THIS INFORMATION.
DO I NEED TO VERBALLY GO OVER THESE ITEMS? DOES EVERYBODY HAVE A COPY OF THAT? EVERYBODY HAS A COPY.
AND IT'S THE COMPILED LIST OF PROPOSED NEW PRECINCTS.
AND, UM, WE WENT OVER THE COMPILED LIST, THE HARD COPY, AND WE INDICATED SOME CONCERNS THAT WE HAD ABOUT DIVIDING SOME OF OUR LARGEST PRECINCTS AT THE PLANTATION HOUSE.
THE HILTON HAD FIVE, A HILTON HAD FOUR C, HILTON HAD FIVE C.
AND WE ALSO WANTED TO FOCUS ON RELIEVING THE OVERCROWDING AT THE PLANTATION HOUSE BY FINDING ADDITIONAL POLLING PLACES FOR HILTON HEAD FIVE A AND HILTON HEAD FOUR A.
AND WE WERE SUPPOSED TO CHECK WITH DOLPHIN HEAD AS A POSSIBILITY.
I KNOW MR. WEDGWORTH HAS REALLY BEEN BUSY OVER THERE IN THE HILTON HEAD AREA HELPING US TO IDENTIFY, UM, LOCATIONS.
AND WE WERE ALSO, UM, TRYING TO LOCATE ONE OR TWO POLLING PLACES WITH IN SEA PINES FOR HILTON HAD 14 AND HILTON HAD 15 B.
AND I THINK THE, PRETTY MUCH THE 19 OF THE NEW POLLING PLACES HAD PRETTY MUCH BEEN CONFIRMED.
SO WE ACTUALLY FOCUSED DURING THAT MEETING ON THE NINE POLLING PLACES THAT HAVE NOT BEEN CONFIRMED.
AND THESE ARE LISTED FOR YOUR PERUSAL.
AND I JUST WANTED TO INDICATE THAT C THE NEW HOPE CHRISTIAN CHURCH THAT WAS BEING PROPOSED HAS BEEN CONFIRMED FOR THE LOCATION OF BURTON THREE A.
UM, AND ALSO I CONFIRMED THE GRACE A ME CHURCH, UM, WHICH WILL HOUSE LATEST ALLEN ONE A.
I SPOKE WITH WENDELL EARLIER TODAY, AND THE LOCATION APPEARS TO BE ADEQUATE.
AND ALSO THE SEA ALLEN PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, UM, HAS CONFIRMED THAT IT IS WILLING TO HOUSE, UM, LADIES ALLEN ONE BE B.
UM, WE ARE WORKING ON, I THINK, TO THIS DATE, WENDELL, I THINK IT'S ONLY ABOUT THREE OF THOSE THAT WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO TWEAK AND, UM, CONFIRM, LOOK AT THE SPACE, MAKE SURE IT'S ADEQUATE, MAKE SURE THE ENTRANCE AND EXITS TWO, UM, WAYS TO GET IN AND GET OUT OR AVAILABLE AND, UM, THE SIZE IS APPROPRIATE FOR USE.
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BUT, UM, THIS PRETTY MUCH, UM, UM, CONCLUDES MOST OF WHAT WE DISCUSSED.UM, I DID MAKE A STATEMENT, MR. SWEENEY, YOUR, UM, STATEMENT WAS TAKEN FOR THE PURPOSES OF THE NOTES.
AND, UM, YOU SUGGESTED THAT WE LOOK AT THE PRESIDENTIAL PREFERENCE PRIMARY TO BE HELD ON FEBRUARY 3RD AND FEBRUARY 24TH IN TERMS OF LOCATIONS.
AND THAT TOPIC WAS DISCUSSED AT OUR PREVIOUS BOARD MEETING ON NOVEMBER 9TH.
IT WAS ALSO REFERENCED IN AN EMAIL THAT WAS RECEIVED ON NOVEMBER 15TH BY YOU.
AND THEN WE ALSO DISCUSSED, UM, THE PRESIDENTIAL PREFERENCE PRIMARIES AT THE WORKSHOP ON DECEMBER 6TH, 2023.
SO THERE IS NO ISSUE REGARDING THAT AT THIS POINT.
ARE THERE ANY COMMENTS? UH, I'VE LOOKED ELSEWHERE AT THE DIRECTOR'S REPORT AND SHE'S GOT SOME, UH, LOCATIONS THAT ARE NOT ON YOUR LIST.
IS THAT NECESSARY? THAT'S SUBSEQUENT TO MY, UH, MEETING.
AND SUBSEQUENT TO THAT TIME, AS YOU CAN SEE, WE DID CONFIRM SEVERAL POLLING PLACES, AND IT LOOKS LIKE THERE'S SOME TOTALLY NEW ONES THAT ARE NOT ON YOUR REPORT AT ALL.
RIGHT? BECAUSE THESE ARE, THIS IS WHAT WE DISCUSSED AT NOVEMBER 15TH OF NOVEMBER 15TH, AND THAT'S WHAT I'M REPORTING ON.
I I BELIEVE THIS ACCURATELY REFLECTS OUR DISCUSSION ON NOVEMBER 15TH.
UH, HOWEVER, THE, THE 19 NEW POLLING LOCATIONS, I BELIEVE WE'VE AGREED TO MAKE THOSE EFFECTIVE FOR THE JUNE 11TH, UM, PRIMARY ELECTION, NOT FOR THE PPPS, EXCEPT FOR SOME ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS.
THAT MIGHT BE CHANGED IN PPPS.
I'M, I'M JUST REPORTING ON WHAT WE DISCUSSED, UNDERSTAND AT THAT PARTICULAR TIME.
I UNDERSTAND NOW AS WE GO FORWARD, YOU KNOW, WE MAY CHANGE SOME OF THIS THAT WAS DISCUSSED, BUT I'M SURE THAT THAT WILL COME DURING OUR DISCUSSION ON THE NEW BUSINESS AT THIS MEETING.
JUST AS A POINT CLARIFICATION, THE MEETING WAS NOVEMBER 15TH, BUT ON THE FRONT PAGE WE HAD DECEMBER 15TH AT THE TOP, AND AT THE TOP OF THE NEXT PAGE, YOU HAVE DECEMBER 15TH.
THIS WAS THE DATE I WAS SUPPOSED TO PRESENT IT.
ANYONE ELSE? ANY QUESTIONS? GREAT REPORT.
UM, BEVERLY, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
SO I APOLOGIZE, I, I GOT THE RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THREE OF THE BOARD MEMBERS AND I THOUGHT I'D SENT THEM INTO THE STAFF TO BE RECOMPILED AND I CAN'T FIND WHERE I SENT TO THIS, SO I'LL GO AHEAD AND RESEND THOSE IN AND HAVE 'EM RECOMPILED, UH, THIS WEEKEND ONCE I FIND IT.
OKAY, WE'RE MOVING RIGHT ON ALONG HERE NOW.
NEW BUSINESS COUNTY ATTORNEY PRESENTATION.
I'M ONE OF THE COUNTY ATTORNEYS WITH
I'VE BEEN IN-HOUSE COUNSEL, UH, WITH
UM, I'VE BEEN ASKED, UH, TODAY TO TALK TO YOU GUYS A LITTLE BIT ABOUT EXECUTIVE SESSIONS.
SO WHAT I'M GOING TO DO IS GO OVER THE LAW OF SOUTH CAROLINA STATUTES WITH REGARD TO EXECUTIVE SESSIONS, UM, WHAT YOU CAN GO INTO IT, HOW YOU GO INTO IT, WHAT YOU CAN DISCUSS, WHAT YOU CAN'T DISCUSS, UM, AND THOSE KIND OF ISSUES.
THIS IS A PRESENTATION THAT I GAVE A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO TO, UM, NEW COUNCIL MEMBERS, UM, FOR COUNTY COUNCIL.
AND SO WHAT WE'LL DO IS JUST WALK THROUGH THIS.
SO THE VERY FIRST THING, UM, TO REALIZE IS THAT, UM, IN SOUTH CAROLINA, AS IN MOST STATES, PUBLIC MEETINGS ARE SUPPOSED TO BE JUST THAT PUBLIC.
THE PUBLIC IS SUPPOSED TO BE ABLE TO KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON, TO BE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE WHEREVER POSSIBLE.
AND THIS IS A STATEMENT FROM THE ATTORNEY GENERAL, UM, WHICH PRETTY MUCH STATES THAT EXACT FACT.
SOUTH CAROLINA HAS, UM, ADOPTED, UM, UH, FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT.
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UM, AND 30 DASH FOUR DASH 60 PROVIDES THAT VERY, VERY SIMPLY, EVERY MEETING OF ALL PUBLIC BODIES SHALL BE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC UNLESS CLOSED, PURSUANT TO THE NEXT STATUTORY SECTION.SO, NUMBER ONE, THEY NEED TO BE OPEN.
NOW, WITH REGARD TO SECTION 70, WHAT IT SAYS, AND I'VE JUST KIND OF PICKED AND CHOSEN FROM THE STATUTE, AND WE'LL GO THROUGH EACH OF THESE, BUT THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF THIS SECTION, IN MY OPINION, ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT PARTS IS IT SAYS THAT A PUBLIC BODY MAY HOLD A MEETING CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC FOR ONE OR MORE OF THESE REASONS, MAY HOLD A MEETING CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC.
IN OTHER WORDS, IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE.
SO THE BODY HAS TO DECIDE WHETHER OR NOT IT EVEN WANTS TO GO INTO AN EXECUTIVE SESSION.
AND THERE'S A PROCESS BY WHICH THAT HAPPENS.
UM, AND I'VE GOTTA KIND OF MOVE AROUND HERE SO I CAN SEE WHAT IS UP THERE, BECAUSE IT HAS BEEN A WHILE SINCE I'VE GONE THROUGH THIS.
SO THERE ARE, I THINK IT'S FIVE TOTAL EXCEPTIONS.
UM, ONE OR TWO OF THEM REALLY DON'T APPLY MUCH TO OUR BODIES.
THEY APPLY TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY AND SOME ORGANIZATIONS IN COLUMBIA.
BUT ONE REASON YOU CAN GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION IS TO DISCUSS EMPLOYMENT, APPOINTMENT COMPENSATION OR PROMOTION, OR DIS TEAM MOTION OR DISCIPLINE OR RELEASE OF AN EMPLOYEE REGULATED BY A BODY COUNTY COUNCIL.
DOES THAT, I DON'T IMAGINE THAT YOU GUYS WILL DO THAT VERY MUCH, BUT, UH, OR IF AT ALL, BUT FOR INSTANCE, COUNTY COUNCIL HAS ONE EMPLOYEE, AND THAT IS THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR.
IT ALSO HAS A CLERK TO COUNCIL, BUT COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR IS THEIR PRIMARY EMPLOYEE.
AND IF THEY WANT TO TALK ABOUT TERMS OF EMPLOYMENT, WHETHER TO EMPLOY, WHETHER TO DEMOTE, WHETHER TO FIRE AND ALL THAT KIND OF STUFF, THEY CAN MOVE TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION AND DISCUSS IT IF THEY WANT TO, BUT THEY DON'T HAVE TO.
SECOND REASON IS FOR TO DISCUSS CONTRACTS, TO GET LEGAL ADVICE AND TO DISCUSS THINGS THAT ARE USUALLY, UH, THAT ARE USUALLY CONSIDERED TO BE ATTORNEY-CLIENT PRIVILEGE.
SO FOR INSTANCE, UM, IF YOU GUYS HAVE AN ISSUE THAT COMES UP, UM, IT'S A MATTER OF LAW.
YOU WANT TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT WHAT YOUR OPTIONS ARE, UM, AND STRATEGIZE ON A WAY TO APPROACH IT, DISCUSS THE VARIOUS APPROACHES.
YOU CAN GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION TO DO THAT.
YOU CAN'T VOTE, YOU CAN'T COMMIT EACH OTHER TO A PARTICULAR COURSE OF ACTION IN EXECUTIVE SESSION, BUT YOU CAN TALK ABOUT IT.
NOW, THERE ARE TWO WAYS THAT BODIES GO INTO PUBLIC GO INTO, EXCUSE ME, EXECUTIVE SESSION.
ONE WAY IS TO LIST IT ON YOUR AGENDA.
SO FOR INSTANCE, SOMETIMES YOU'LL SEE A COUNTY COUNCIL AGENDA.
VERY OFTEN YOU'LL SEE A COUNTY COUNCIL AGENDA, WHICH AT THE END IT'LL SAY EXECUTIVE SESSION, UH, PURSUANT TO 30 DASH FOUR DASH 71 OF THESE, THESE ARE SUBSECTIONS OF 30 DASH FOUR DASH 70 TO RECEIVE LEGAL ADVICE, UH, ON A MATTER COVERED BY THE ATTORNEY-CLIENT PRIVILEGE.
AND IT MIGHT SAY IN PARENTHESES, A CASE THAT'S PENDING.
AND I WANT TO TALK TO COUNCILS OF COUNCIL MEMBERS ABOUT IT, OR GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION TO, UH, DISCUSS, UM, NEGOTIATIONS OF CONTRACTUAL, UH, OBLIGATIONS.
SO FOR INSTANCE, SUPPOSE WE ARE IN A DISPUTE WITH SOMEBODY AND WE WANT TO TALK ABOUT THAT.
OR SUPPOSE WE ARE LOOKING AT A CONTRACT THAT WE WANT TO GO INTO AND WHAT KIND OF TERMS TO NEGOTIATE THAT FREQUENTLY HAPPENS WITH REGARD TO PURCHASES OF LAND, ESPECIALLY RURAL CRITICAL PROPERTIES, TALKING ABOUT WHERE IT IS, WHAT KIND OF TERMS WE WANT TO GET, UH, DISCUSS HOW MUCH MONEY THEY WANT TO OFFER, WHAT THE OFFER IS, HOW MUCH WE'RE WILLING TO PAY IN TERMS OF TERMS OF CONDITIONS AND THOSE KINDS OF THINGS.
UM, ANOTHER IS TO DISCUSS, UM, UM, SECURITY PERSONNEL OR DEVICES.
YOU CERTAINLY DON'T WANT TO DISCUSS THAT IN PUBLIC, ESPECIALLY IF IT'S SECURITY AND IT'S RELATED TO SECURITY FOR THE ORGANIZATIONS INVESTIGATIVE PROCEEDINGS.
UM, AND, UM, THEN PROPOSED EXPANSION, UM, INDUSTRIES AND WHATNOT.
SO FOR INSTANCE, WE DON'T DO THAT VERY MUCH, BUT WE RIGHT NOW, BUT COUNCIL HAS DONE THAT A LOT, UM, KIND OF MORE ABOUT FIVE OR SIX YEARS AGO.
AND THAT IS TO DISCUSS, UM, UH, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
SO IF A CORPORATION WANTS TO RELOCATE HERE, WHAT TERMS AND CONDITIONS UNDER WHICH THE COUNCIL WOULD BE WILLING TO DO THAT.
I DON'T IMAGINE THAT THAT IS SOMETHING YOU GUYS ARE GONNA
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GET INTO.SO HOW DOES COUNCIL GO INTO AN EXECUTIVE SESSION? NUMBER ONE, YOU CAN, YOU CAN LIST IT ON YOUR, AND YOU SHOULD LIST IT ON YOUR AGENDA IF YOU KNOW YOU'RE GONNA DISCUSS IT.
SO, LIKE I SAID, FOR INSTANCE, IF WE KNOW IN ADVANCE THAT WE'RE GONNA DISCUSS A CONTRACT OR WE NEED COUNSEL NEEDS ADVICE ON A CERTAIN ISSUE, OR YOU GUYS DECIDE THAT YOU WANT TO GET LEGAL ADVICE ON AN ISSUE IN ADVANCE OF YOUR MEETING, YOU CAN LIST IT ON THE AGENDA AND IT'S POSTED.
ANOTHER WAY YOU CAN DO IT IS IF YOU'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF DISCUSSING SOMETHING, LIKE I HEARD MS. DORIS'S PRESENTATION.
IF YOU HEAR SOMETHING, UH, THAT SHE SAYS, AND YOU KNOW, YOU SAY, YOU KNOW WHAT? I WANT TO FIND OUT WHAT THE LAW IS ON THIS, THAT, OR THE OTHER THING, YOU, AND SUPPOSE I'M HERE FOR ONE REASON OR ANOTHER, YOU CAN MOVE TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION, RIGHT? THEN TO RECEIVE LEGAL ADVICE ABOUT THAT MATTER.
THEN YOU GO INTO, SOMEBODY HAS TO MAKE A MOTION.
IT HAS TO BE SPECIFIC EXACTLY WHAT THE PURPOSE OF THE EXECUTIVE SESSION IS.
I MOVE THAT WE GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION TO RECEIVE LEGAL ADVICE REGARDING THE ISSUE JUST RAISED BY MS. DOER HAS TO HAVE A SECOND, AND THEN YOU HAVE TO VOTE AND IT HAS TO BE A MAJORITY VOTE.
OKAY? THEN YOU CAN GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION.
WHILE YOU'RE IN EXECUTIVE SESSION, ALL YOU CAN TALK ABOUT IS EXACTLY THAT SUBJECT.
THE REASON YOU'RE IN EXECUTIVE SESSION.
YOU CAN'T SAY, OH, AND BY THE WAY, YOU KNOW WHAT, JOE, I MEANT TO TELL YOU ABOUT THIS.
WHAT DOES THE BODY THINK ABOUT IT? YOU CAN'T DO THAT.
YOU MUST LIMIT YOUR EXECUTIVE SESSION TO THAT VERY TOPIC.
ALL YOU CAN DO IN EXECUTIVE SESSION IS MOVE TO ADJOURN OR MOVE TO RECESS AND GO OUT OF EXECUTIVE SESSION.
YOU CAN'T SAY, HEY EVERYBODY, UM, LET'S, UH, HOW'S EVERYBODY FEELING ABOUT THIS? UH, RAISE YOUR HAND, RAISE YOUR FINGER.
YOU CAN CERTAINLY GET A SENSE OF THE BODY, YOU CAN GET A FEEL FOR WHERE YOU GUYS ARE ON AN ISSUE, BUT THERE CAN BE NO VOTING, NO COMMITTING OF EACH OTHER TO POSITION IN THE EXECUTIVE POSITION.
COUNSEL, UH, MOST FREQUENTLY AFTER DISCUSSING THE MATTER, COUNSEL DOES NOT USUALLY GET A MOTION.
HAVE A MOTION FROM SOMEBODY TO SAY, HEY, OKAY, I MOVE THAT WE GET OUT OF EXECUTIVE SESSION.
I SECOND IT, WE, BUT WE DON'T DO THAT.
IT'S JUST LIKE, OKAY, ARE WE FINISHED WITH THIS? YES, WE ARE.
SO IN THAT PARTICULAR INSTANCE, LIKE I JUST TALKED ABOUT, UH, WHEN YOU'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF DISCUSSING SOMETHING, YOU DECIDE YOU NEED TO GET LEGAL ADVICE OR YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT SOMETHING THAT YOU BELIEVE IS CONFIDENTIAL.
UM, YOU CAN MOVE TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION AND THEN YOU COME BACK OUT AND THEN YOU RESUME THE DISCUSSION ABOUT THAT PARTICULAR ITEM, PLEASE.
THIS IS A SLIDE ABOUT THE SPECIFIC PURPOSE.
THESE ARE THE PURPOSES THAT YOU CAN ARTICULATE, UM, WHEN YOU'RE GOING INTO, UH, EXECUTIVE SESSION TO TALK ABOUT A PARTICULAR INDIVIDUAL.
LIKE FOR INSTANCE, YOU KNOW, IF COUNCIL WANTS TO TALK ABOUT, UM, OUR COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR, TYPICALLY IT JUST REFERS TO A PERSON REGULATED BY COUNCIL.
WE DON'T NECESSARILY IDENTIFY, WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT TOM KENNEDY OR SOMEBODY LIKE THAT.
THIS IS JUST TO REITERATE WHAT ACTION CAN BE TAKEN.
UM, NO ACTION CAN BE TAKEN THAT COMMITS ANYBODY TO ANYTHING.
YOU CAN MOVE TO ADJOURN, YOU CAN MOVE TO RETURN TO PUBLIC SESSION.
BUT AS I INDICATED, WE DON'T TYPICALLY DO.
THE, AS I INDICATED, THE PURPOSE MUST BE LIMITED TO THE REASON THAT YOU WENT INTO, IT CANNOT EXCEED THE SCOPE OF THE TOPIC OF THE MOTION.
MEMBERS CAN'T COMMIT TO THE BODY TO ANY COURSE OF ACTION.
AND THE CONVERSATIONS ARE PRIVILEGED AND ARE NOT TO BE REPEATED, CIRCULATED, SHARED WITH PARTIES, NOT PRIVY TO THE EXECUTIVE SESSION.
UM, MUCH TO MY DISMAY, SOUTH CAROLINA DOES NOT, UM, ENSURE THE CONFIDENTIALITY OF MATTERS, UM, THAT ARE DISCUSSED IN EXECUTIVE SESSION.
THERE IS NO STATUTORY, UM, PUNITIVE MAJOR, UM, ACTION THAT CAN BE TAKEN AGAINST A PERSON WHO DECIDES AFTER EXECUTIVE SESSION THAT THEY'RE GONNA GO OUT INTO THE PUBLIC AND TALK ABOUT WHAT THEY JUST WERE TOLD, TOLD.
IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THERE SHOULD BE SOME KIND OF CONSEQUENCE, BUT THERE'S NOT, THERE'S NOTHING IN THE STATUTE IN FOIA.
THERE'S NOTHING, UM, IN THE ETHICS ACT.
UM, SO, UM, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE HAVE, UM, ACTUALLY RECEIVED, UM, IN THE PAST, PEOPLE HAVE RECEIVED DOCUMENTS THAT ARE
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STAMPED, YOU KNOW, CONFIDENTIAL ATTORNEY-CLIENT PRIVILEGE, AND THEY GET THEM IN EXECUTIVE SESSION FOR THE PURPOSES OF DISCUSSING AN EXECUTIVE SESSION.AND THEN THEY LEAVE AND THEY GO AND GIVE THAT DOCUMENT OUT.
NOTHING THAT CAN BE DONE ABOUT THAT UNFORTUNATELY.
UM, MUST IT BE RELATED TO AN AGENDA ITEM THAT'S, UM, TO BE INCLUDED ON THE AGENDA? UM, NO.
IT CAN REACH, LIKE WE WERE TALKING ABOUT, YOU CAN REACH AN ITEM, UM, AND YOU NEED TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION AND YOU, UM, AND YOU CAN, UM, THE ATTORNEY GENERAL HAS, HAS ASKED, UM, PUBLIC BODIES TO BE SURE TO LIST AGENDA ITEMS FOR EXECUTIVE SESSION.
IF BEFORE THE MEETING, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE A REASON TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION COUNCIL VOTE TO AMEND AN AGENDA TO INCLUDE AN EXECUTIVE SESSION ITEM, IT CAN, IT CAN, IF IT WANTS TO.
UM, HOWEVER, STATE LAW REQUIRES THAT IF YOU POST AN AGENDA, THIS IS FOIA LAW, UH, STATE LAW REQUIRES IF YOU POST AN AGENDA AND AFTER YOU'VE POSTED IT, OF COURSE IT HAS TO BE POSTED 20, AT LEAST 24 HOURS IN ADVANCE OF THE MEETING.
AND SUPPOSE YOU REALIZE THAT, OH MY GOSH, WE FORGOT TO PUT SOMETHING ON IT.
YOU CAN AMEND YOUR AGENDA ONCE YOUR MEETING STARTS AND YOU CAN, BUT YOU HAVE TO TAKE A VOTE.
THE VOTE HAS TO BE BY TWO THIRDS MAJORITY IN ORDER TO ADD AN ITEM TO AN AGENDA THAT IS NOT ON THE AGENDA, WHICH HAS BEEN NOTICED TO THE PUBLIC.
NOW, SUPPOSE YOU'VE GOT A SITUATION WHERE SOMETHING HAS COME UP AND YOU NEED TO ADD IT AND, UH, YOU WANT TO TAKE FINAL WHATEVER ACTION COUNSEL TAKES AS, OR YOU GUYS TAKE, AS OPPOSED TO JUST DISCUSSING.
IF YOU WANNA MAKE A DECISION AND THAT DECISION WILL BE BINDING, THEN YOU, YOU NEED TO HAVE THE TWO THIRDS VOTE IN ORDER TO ADD IT.
BUT THE BODY ALSO HAS TO FIND THAT THERE ARE EXIGENT CIRCUMSTANCES WHICH WARRANT TAKING A DECISION THAT WILL BE BINDING.
UM, AND THAT OF COURSE REQUIRES THE TWO THIRDS, THE TWO THIRDS VOTE.
SO YOU HAVE TO SAY WHAT IT IS AND YOU HAVE TO SAY WHAT THE EXIGENT CIRCUMSTANCE.
LIKE FOR INSTANCE, THERE'S AN ELECTION NEXT WEEK AND WE DON'T HAVE TIME IN ORDER.
WE DON'T HAVE TIME TO POST AN AGENDA AND HAVE ANOTHER MEETING.
I HAVE BROUGHT A COPY OF THE SECTION, THE CODE SECTION I JUST READ, UH, WENT OVER FOR YOU.
30 DASH FOUR DASH 70, AND I'LL DISTRIBUTE THAT TO YOU GUYS EACH.
DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? YEAH.
SO IF A BOARD MEMBER IS NOT ABLE TO ATTEND THE MEETING, IS THAT BOARD MEMBER STILL ALLOWED TO GET THE INFORMATION FROM THE EXECUTIVE SESSION? WE PER, THERE'S NO, NO STATUTORY LAW ON IT.
I PURPOSELY PREFER THAT IF THAT THE, THAT WHATEVER INFORMATION IS DISTRIBUTED AT THE MEETING STAY WITH THE FOLKS THAT ARE IN THAT MEETING.
YOU HAD SAID THAT THERE WASN'T ANY STATUTORY ACTIVITY THAT PROHIBITED SOMEBODY FROM DISCUSSING SOMETHING OUTSIDE OF EXECUTIVE SESSION.
NOTHING THAT I KNOW RIGHT NOW, IF YOU REVIEW A DOCUMENT IN EXECUTIVE SESSION THAT STAMP ATTORNEY-CLIENT PRIVILEGE, WOULDN'T THAT PENALTY CARRY OVER IF THEY DISCUSSED THAT DOCUMENT OUTSIDE OF EXECUTIVE SESSION? WHAT PENALTY? UH, DISCUSSING A, A DOCUMENT LABELED ATTORNEY-CLIENT PRIVILEGE, THERE'S NO CONSEQUENCE.
SO THERE'S NO PENALTY FOR EITHER PENALTY.
NO, I RESEARCHED IT A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO.
THERE'S NOTHING, YOU KNOW, BODIES, BODIES, AND I DISCUSSED THIS WITH THE ASSOCIATION OF COUNTIES, ACTUALLY BODIES BY CAN CSU THEIR MEMBERS FOR DOING THINGS LIKE THAT.
BUT THOSE KINDS OF RULES NEED TO BE IN YOUR RULES AND PROCEDURES.
AND SHORTLY AFTER IT ADOPTED THAT RULE, IT SOUGHT TO, UH, ENFORCE IT.
WELL, SOME MEMBER OF THEIR COUNSEL WAS ALLEGED TO HAVE, UM, DIVULGED TO SOME THIRD PARTY INFORMATION THAT THE BODY BELIEVED THAT
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PERSON LEARNED IN THE, UH, IN THE SESSION.SO THEY, THEY, THE LAST TIME I LOOKED AT IT WAS WHEN IT WAS ALL HAPPENING.
SO THEY STARTED THE PROCESS, BUT THE MEMBER THAT THEY SOUGHT TO CENSURE ASKED ALL KINDS OF QUESTIONS LIKE, WELL, WHAT DO WE HAVE? WHAT DO, WHAT ARE WE, WHAT, WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO? AND IT WASN'T IN THE RULES.
THE RULES JUST SAID THAT THEY COULD BE CEN, BUT IT DIDN'T DISCUSS WHAT THE PROCESS WAS, DIDN'T DISCUSS WHAT THE RIGHTS OF THE INDIVIDUAL WHO WAS, UH, SEEKING TO BE CENS WERE, DID THAT PERSON, WAS THAT PERSON ENTITLED TO HAVE A LAWYER? WAS THE CITY COUNCIL GONNA PAY FOR THE LAWYER? UM, WHAT WAS, YOU KNOW, THERE, WAS THERE GONNA BE EVIDENCE? WAS THERE GONNA BE TESTIMONY? WHO WAS GONNA BE THE ADJUDICATOR? ALL THOSE KINDS OF THINGS.
UM, AND THOSE ARE REAL, LEGITIMATE QUESTIONS, WAS GOOD DUE PROCESS KINDS OF QUESTIONS.
'CAUSE OUR, OUR COUNCILS DECIDED NOT TO GO DOWN THAT ROAD.
AND I DIDN'T FOLLOW WHAT HAPPENED WITH THE ISLA PALMS SITUATION.
IT PROBABLY WITHERED ON THE VINE, IS KIND OF MY GUESS.
BUT, UM, I DON'T KNOW FOR SURE.
AND WHEN I TALKED TO THE ASSOCIATION OF COUNTY SEVERAL YEARS AGO ABOUT THIS VERY ISSUE, WHAT CAN WE DO, UM, TO, TO ENSURE THAT INFORMATION THAT MEMBERS RECEIVE, UH, THAT IS CONFIDENTIAL, STAYS CONFIDENTIAL.
AND THEY TOLD ME THEY WEREN'T AWARE OF ANY COUNTY THAT HAD A RULE INCORPORATED IN THEIR RULES AND PROCEDURES THAT RESULTED IN A CONSEQUENCE FOR THE REASON WE'RE TALKED ABOUT IT.
I MEAN, IT'S GONNA BE A, IT WOULD BE A VERY DIFFICULT PROCESS TO GO THROUGH.
HOW DO YOU PROVE THAT THE PERSON IN FACT DISCLOSED IT? YOU KNOW, I MEAN, WHAT IS THAT WHOLE PROCESS? IT'S VERY DIFFICULT IF NO VOTE IS TAKEN DURING THE, UM, SESSION, HOW DO YOU, AND IT'S A SENSITIVE PERSONNEL ISSUE.
WELL, I MEAN, WE WENT THROUGH THAT THIS SUMMER.
UM, YOU KNOW, COUNCIL DECIDED FIRST TO SUSPEND OUR FORMER COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR, UM, GAVE, PUT HIM ON LEAVE WITHOUT LEAVE WITH PAY, AND THEN CAME BACK A COUPLE OF DAYS LATER AND TERMINATED HIM, UM, FOR CALLS.
SO IN EXECUTIVE SESSION WE WENT OVER THE ISSUES THAT, UH, WERE RELEVANT TO, UM, THE SUSPENSION, WHAT ARE THEY? UM, AND DISCUSS THEM, FLESH THEM OUT THOROUGHLY.
AND THEN THE MEMBERS OF COUNCIL DISCUSSED IT.
WELL, THIS IS HOW I FEEL ABOUT IT.
OH, I THINK THAT'S, I DON'T, I THINK YOU'RE JUMPING TO CONCLUSIONS.
I DON'T THINK THAT EVIDENCE IS GOOD ENOUGH.
YOU KNOW, ARE YOU SURE ABOUT THAT? ARE YOU SURE YOU WANT TO DO THAT? UM, AND SO, UM, YOU KNOW, THE QUESTION WAS, DOES COUNSEL WISH TO SUSPEND HIM, UM, SUSPEND HIM, UH, WITH PAY? SO AFTER THAT EVERYBODY WAS TALKING ABOUT IT.
I MEAN, THE CHAIRMAN SAT UP THERE AND SAID, IF ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANYTHING ELSE, THEY WANNA SAY NO.
ARE WE READY TO GO OUT? WE ARE.
SOMEBODY WILL NEED TO MAKE A MOTION.
OFTENTIMES THEY WILL DISCUSS, WELL, WHAT WILL THAT MOTION LOOK LIKE? BECAUSE YOU DON'T WANNA NECESSARILY BE OUT THERE ON THE DAAS TRYING TO CRAFT A MOTION.
UM, SO THE MOTION WOULD BE, WELL, YOU KNOW, I'M MOVED TO SUSPEND THEM.
WELL, YOU KNOW, I MOVE THAT WE DON'T SUSPEND THEM.
AND THEN WE GO OUT ONTO THE DAAS AND THE CHAIRMAN SAYS, ALL RIGHT, WE'RE OUT OF EXECUTIVE SESSION.
DOES ANYBODY WISH TO MAKE A MOTION? AND EITHER SOMEBODY DOES OR SOMEBODY DOESN'T.
SO, AND THIS IS, YOU KNOW, THIS IS KIND OF GOING INTO ROBERT'S RULES OF ORDER AND I DON'T REALLY WANT TO TALK A LOT ABOUT ROBERT'S RULES OF ORDER 'CAUSE I HAVEN'T PREPARED, UH, PRESENTATION FOR IT.
BUT WHAT YOU DO IS WHEN YOU COME OUT, YOU MAKE A MOTION AND IT HAS TO HAVE A SECOND AND IT HAS TO HAVE A MAJORITY.
AND AFTER THAT HAPPENS, WHAT YOU HAVE GOING ON RIGHT THEN IS SOME KIND OF AN ACTION.
IT IT IS A DEBATE ON THE MOTION.
AND YOU DON'T SAY, HEY BILL, YOU KNOW, HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THIS ISSUE? WHAT I THINK THAT'S SILLY AND ALL THAT KIND OF STUFF.
IT'S LIKE EVERYBODY GETS TO SPEAK AND TYPICALLY THE CHAIRPERSON WILL CALL.
AND UNDER ROBERTS YOU HAVE TO WAIT FOR THE CHAIR TO CALL YOUR NAME IN ORDER FOR YOU TO SPEAK UNDER ROBERTS.
THAT THE RULE IS, THE PREFERENCE IS THAT EVERYBODY ON THE BODY GETS TO SPEAK ONCE BEFORE ANYBODY GETS TO SPEAK TWICE.
UM, AND THE CHAIR IS IN CHARGE OF THE PROCEDURES AND ANYBODY WHO FEELS
[00:35:01]
AGGRIEVED BY THE CHAIR CAN MOVE TO OVERRIDE THE CHAIR.AND THERE'S A PROCESS FOR DOING ALL OF THAT.
BUT, BUT IF YOU GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION TO INFORM THE BODY OF A SENSITIVE TOPIC WHEN THEY COME OUT, THEY DON'T HAVE TO DISCUSS IT ANYMORE.
THAT KIND OF ITEM SHOULD BE ON YOUR AGENDA IF IT'S THE SECURITY ISSUE.
SO LET'S, LET'S SAY WE HAVE A SECURITY PROBLEM.
I MEAN, WE NEED TO KNOW ABOUT IT, BUT WE'RE NOT GOING TO VOTE ON ANYTHING.
WELL, WHEN DID YOU BECOME AWARE OF THE SECURITY ISSUE? WE WERE JUST INFORMED OF IT.
YOU KNOW, WE HAD AN ELECTION AND SOMETHING HAPPENED.
YOU KNOW, WE HAVE AN ELECTION AND IT TURNS OUT THERE IS A MAJOR SECURITY BREACH SOMEHOW.
AND YOU GET IN TOUCH WITH, UH, THE CHAIRMAN OR MS. SMALLS AND YOU SAY, I THINK WE NEED AN EMERGENCY MEETING 'CAUSE WE'VE GOT A, WE'VE GOT A SECURITY ISSUE.
SO WE, WE HAVE AN EMERGENCY MEETING, UH, WE DIDN'T NEED.
AND YOU LIST IT ON YOUR AGENDA.
BUT THE POINT IS, IT'S THAT OF EMERGENCY WOULD NOT HAVE TIME TO POST IT FOR 24 HOURS FOR RE FOIA.
SO HOW WOULD WE HANDLE THAT? I DON'T THINK, YOU DON'T NEED TO, YOU DON'T NEED TO POST EMERGENCY MEETINGS FOR 24.
PART OF THE PROBLEM MAY BE PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE.
PART OF IT'S NOT PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE.
WE'RE GOING TO EMERGENCY SESSION DISCUSS, LEMME TAKE THAT BACK.
I SAID, YOU DON'T THINK YOU NEED TO HAVE 24 HOURS FOR EMERGENCY MEETINGS.
YOU MIGHT NEED TO HAVE 24 HOURS.
IT'S BEEN A WHILE SINCE I LOOKED AT THAT.
BUT YOU BUT YOU POSTED GO AHEAD.
YOU POSTED, BUT CAN YOU HAVE A MEETING LESS THAN 24 HOURS? YEAH, I'M NOT SURE.
I'D HAVE TO LOOK AT THE STATUTE 'CAUSE IT'S ALL GOVERNED BY, RIGHT.
SO I'D HAVE TO LOOK, BUT OKAY, I JUST WANT TO KNOW.
I MEAN, I, WELL IF YOU'RE GONNA DISCUSS IT, IT NEEDS TO BE ON YOUR AGENDA.
IF YOU'VE GOT AN AGENDA ITEM AND YOU NEED TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION WHILE YOU'RE DISCUSSING IT, YOU CAN DO THAT.
BUT IF YOU'RE HOLDING A MEETING TO DISCUSS, TO GO TO DISCUSS AN EXECUTIVE SESSION, AN ITEM, YOU NEED TO LIST IT ON YOUR AGENDA.
AND MY POINT IS, IF WE NEED TO DISCUSS IT IN LESS THAN 24 HOURS, 'CAUSE YOU HAVE TO POST 20, I'D HAVE TO LOOK BACK AT THE STATUTE TO SEE IF EMERGENCY MEETINGS REQUIRE 24 HOURS.
I JUST DON'T RECALL OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD.
IT SEEMS THAT WHAT I'M HEARING YOU SAYING IN THIS PARTICULAR INSTANCE IS THAT YOU HAVE IT ON THE AGENDA, YOU OPEN THE MEETING, THEN YOU MAKE A MOTION TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION.
YOU GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION, YOU DISCUSS THE ITEM, THE ITEM IS DISCUSSED IN THE EXECUTIVE SESSION.
YOU MAKE A MOTION TO COME OUT OF EXECUTIVE SESSION AND YOU COME BACK INTO YOUR REGULAR MEETING AND SAID, WE HAVE DISCUSSED THE ITEM IN EXECUTIVE SESSION MEETING OVER AND NO ACTION WAS TAKEN, MEETING'S OVER.
YOU CAN'T TAKE AN ACTION IF YOU DON'T WANT TO TAKE ACTION ON THE ITEM.
IF YOU DON'T WANT TO TAKE ACTION, IF YOU WANT TO TAKE ACTION.
IF SO, IF YOU, SO IF YOU LOOK AT A COUNCIL'S AGENDA, WE HAVE EXECUTIVE SESSION AND THEN WE HAVE MATTERS ARISING OUT OF EXECUTIVE SESSION.
BECAUSE WE MAY HAVE MATTERS ARISING OUT OF EXECUTIVE SESSION.
SO IF YOU ANTICIPATE, MY RULE WITH THE CLERK TO COUNCIL IS IF WE HAVE EXECUTIVE SESSION, WE HAVE MATTERS ARISING OUT OF EXECUTIVE SESSION EVEN THOUGH WE ARE CON PRETTY CONFIDENT THAT WE WILL HAVE NOTHING COMING OUT OF EXECUTIVE SESSION.
AND THE REASON YOU DO THAT IS BECAUSE IF YOU DO NEED TO HAVE A MOTION COMING OUT OF EXECUTIVE SESSION, YOU WANT TO BE ABLE TO DO IT.
SO YOU CAN GO EITHER WAY IS WHAT YOU'RE SAYING? YES, THAT'S EXACTLY RIGHT.
SO I GOTTA CHECK ON THE EMERGENCY MEETING.
AND THE REASON I KNEW IS 'CAUSE YOU KNOW, WE HAD THAT WITH UH, HURRICANE MATTHEW, WE HAD EMERGENCY MEETINGS, UM, FOR DISASTER AND THAT KIND OF STUFF.
SO LET ME DOUBLE CHECK AND I'LL GET IN TOUCH WITH MARIE AND LET HER KNOW ABOUT THAT.
NOW WE ARE DOWN TO EARLY VOTING CENTER LOCATION, MAKING THAT PRESENTATION, MR. COPY.
SHOULD PLENTY IS THE STATUTE, I DON'T HAVE A COPY OF MY POWERPOINT, BUT I CAN PRINT IT UP FOR YOU AND GIVE IT TO YES MA'AM.
[00:40:01]
UM, HELLO EVERYONE RIGHT NOW I'M GONNA PAUSE TO DO A QUICK PRESENTATION, UH, TO MR. PELLEY.HE HAS TO LEAVE YOU HAVE AN APPOINTMENT.
THIS IS THE EARLY VOTING CENTER
OKAY, MR. PAL, CERTIFICATE OF APPRECIATION PRESENTED TO CRAIG ALLEN KELLY FOR YOUR DEDICATION AND SERVICE TO THE BOARD OF VOTER REGISTRATION AND ELECTIONS OF BUFORD COUNTY AND THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA FROM OCTOBER, 2018 THROUGH DECEMBER, 2013.
AWARDED THIS 15 15TH DATE OF DECEMBER, 2023.
ELENE MITCHELL, CHAIR MARIE, A SMALL CERA DIRECTOR.
MR. DON, YOU CAN BOTH, YOU JUST WANT BE FOR MY WIFE
UH, IF THIS TOPIC IS ABOUT EARLY VOTING ON HILTON HEAD ISLAND, WE CAN DISCUSS THAT.
NO, IT'S ABOUT EARLY VOTING CENTER LOCATION.
AND THAT COULD BE A PART OF IT AS WELL.
THE FULL VOCATION, I KNOW WE ALREADY TALKED ABOUT IT, BUT THAT WASN'T LIKE A BIG PUBLIC PUBLICIZED MEETING ABOUT THE FULL VOTING AND EARLY VOTING CENTER FOR THE PPPS AND THE PROPOSED, UM, EARLY VOTING CENTER ON HILTON HIT AS WELL.
SO AT THE, THE LAST MEETING, WHICH, UH, TOOK PLACE ON DECEMBER 6TH, THERE WAS DISCUSSION ABOUT, UH, EARLY VOTING CENTERS FOR THE PRESIDENTIAL PREFERENCE, PRIMARY ELECTIONS.
AND THE BOARD DISCUSSED WHETHER WE WOULD PROCEED WITH, UH, FOUR EARLY VOTING CENTERS AS WE DID IN THE NOVEMBER, 2023 ELECTION.
UH, THOSE VOTE EARLY VOTING CENTERS WERE, UH, HERE IN THE OFFICE IN BLUFFTON ON HILTON HEAD AND ST.
UM, AND THERE WAS A DISCUSSION ABOUT WHETHER WE'D GO DOWN TO JUST TWO EARLY VOTING CENTERS, ONE IN BLUFFTON AND ONE HERE IN THE OFFICE.
AND AFTER THE DISCUSSION, IT, A VOTE WAS TAKEN AND IT WAS AGREED THAT WE WOULD PROCEED WITH THE SAME FOUR EARLY VOTING CENTERS THAT WE HAD FOR THE NOVEMBER, 2022 ELECTION.
UH, FURTHER, UH, TO THAT ISSUE, THERE WERE SOME DISCUSSIONS ABOUT THE EARLY VOTING CENTER ON HILTON HEAD ISLAND.
AND, UH, HAVING WORKED AT THE EARLY VOTING CENTER ON HILTON HEAD AT 5 39 WILLIAM HILTON PARKWAY FOR THE 2020 EARLY IN-PERSON ABSENTEE VOTING, UH, THERE WERE CONSTANTLY LINES OUT THE DOOR WRAPPING AROUND THE BUILDING.
AND DURING THE 2022 GENERAL ELECTION, AT TIMES DURING THE EARLY VOTING PERIOD, THERE WERE ALSO LONG LINES THAT CAME OUT OF THE BUILDING.
AND FOR BOTH OF THOSE ELECTIONS, THE, THE LIMITING FACTOR WAS THE BMDS.
UH, FOR THE 2022 GENERAL ELECTION, FOR EXAMPLE, THERE WERE ABOUT 18 CONTESTS ON THE BALLOT AND TWO REFERENDUM QUESTIONS.
SO IT TOOK A LONG TIME FOR PEOPLE TO GO THROUGH THE BALLOTS AND THE ROOM SIZE AT THAT COUNTY BUILDING IS LIMITED.
SO WE LOOKED AT USING USCB, UH, DOWN BY THE SEA PINE CIRCLE AS A POSSIBLE EARLY VOTING LOCATION FOR HILTON HEAD.
UM, DAVID JOHNSON, WHO IS A-U-S-C-B EDUCATION FOUNDATION BOARD MEMBER, UM, WAS INVOLVED.
AND SENATOR TOM DAVIS ALSO GOT INVOLVED AND SPOKE WITH DR.
PANNU, THE CHANCELLOR OF USCB, AND THEY SECURED APPROVAL FOR, UH, BOARD OF VOTER REGISTRATION AND ELECTIONS TO USE USCB FOR THE JUNE 11TH STATEWIDE PRIMARIES AND THE NOVEMBER 5TH, 2024 GENERAL ELECTION.
[00:45:01]
UM, IF WE'D LIKE TO DO THAT.AND THE ROOM THEY'VE ALLOCATED FOR US IS A LARGE ROOM.
IT CAN ACCOMMODATE TWICE AS MANY BMDS.
I THINK WE WERE LIMITED TO SEVEN BMDS AT 5 39 WILLIAM HILTON AND THE USCB ROOM THAT THEY'VE, UH, SET ASIDE FOR US COULD EASILY HOLD TWICE AS MANY BMDS.
UM, SO WHAT'S THE IMPACT ON HILTON HEAD VOTERS? UM, AN ANALYSIS WAS DONE, AND I, I DON'T KNOW IF EVERYBODY GOT A COPY OF THIS, BUT IT, IT LOOKED AT THE 2022 GENERAL ELECTION AS A, AS A PROXY JUST TO UNDERSTAND WHERE VOTERS WERE COMING FROM FOR EARLY VOTING.
AND BASED ON A, A WEIGHTED AVERAGE ANALYSIS OF ALL OF THE REGISTERED VOTERS ON HILTON HEAD ISLAND, UNDERSTANDING THAT NOT ALL VOTERS WILL PARTICIPATE IN EARLY VOTING.
UM, THERE'S A NEGLIGIBLE DIFFERENCE.
UH, SO VOTERS WHO LIVE NORTH OF THE 5 39 EARLY VOTING CENTER, THE COUNTY BUILDING THAT'S BEEN USED HISTORICALLY, UH, THEIR TRAVEL TIME WOULD GO TO 12.3 MINUTES TO GET TO THE EARLY VOTING CENTER, UH, AT THE SOUTH END AND THE PEOPLE FROM THE SOUTH AND, UH, NO, SORRY, I DON'T HAVE THAT QUITE RIGHT.
LET ME JUST TALK ABOUT THE CHANGE.
UH, VOTERS NORTH OF THE CURRENT EARLY VOTING CENTER WILL HAVE AN ADDITIONAL 5.3 MINUTES OF TRAVEL TIME THAT'S A WEIGHTED AVERAGE TRAVEL TIME TO GET TO USCB AND VOTERS AT THE SOUTH END OF THE ISLAND WILL HAVE 5.8 MINUTES LESS WEIGHTED AVERAGE TRAVEL TIME.
SO THE NET RESULT IS A NEGLIGIBLE DIFFERENCE OVERALL FOR ISLAND VOTERS.
SO I PROPOSED THAT, UM, USCB USED FOR THE JUNE 11TH, 2024 STATEWIDE PRIMARY AND THE NOVEMBER 5TH, 2024 GENERAL ELECTION INSTEAD OF THE COUNTY OFFICE AT 5 39 WILLIAM PARKWAY MOTION.
DID YOU MAKE THE MOTION? CAN I GET A, SO GO AHEAD.
LET ME FORMALIZE THAT AS A MOTION.
SO I MAKE A MOTION THAT FOR EARLY VOTING, THE EARLY VOTING PERIOD FOR THE JUNE 11TH STATEWIDE PRIMARY IN 2024 AND THE NOVEMBER 5TH GENERAL ELECTION IN 2024, THAT THE HILTON HAD EARLY VOTING CENTER BE MOVED FROM 5 39 WILLIAM HILTON PARKWAY TO, UH, USCB CAMPUS AT THE SOUTH END OF THE ISLAND.
YOU SAID YOU HAD IT SECURED FOR THE PRIMARY AND THE NOVEMBER GENERAL ELECTION.
IS IT ALSO AVAILABLE IF THERE IS A RUNOFF IN JUNE? UH, I DIDN'T DISCUSS THAT WITH USCB.
UM, WE WILL FOLLOW UP WITH THE FACILITIES.
SO IT'S BEEN PROPERLY MOVED, HUH? WE HAVE THE CHECKLIST TO MAKE SURE WE, BUT THE, THE OUTLETS AND EVERYTHING ELSE IS AMENABLE.
I, I'VE BEEN IN THAT BUILDING SEVERAL TIMES AND IT'S, IT'LL BE ALL THE CHECKLIST.
SO PERHAPS THE MOTION SHOULD BE AMENDED TO SAY SUBJECT TO THE SURVEY BY YES.
THEY HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT THE, THE SPACE YES.
A DA ACCESSIBILITY AND, AND ALSO AND EVALUATE THAT FOR FUTURE USE.
I MEAN, JUST KIND OF OBSERVE HOW WELL IT WORKS FOR THESE TWO OCCASIONS FOR THE NOVEMBER 5TH AND THE PRESIDENTIAL PREFERENCE PRIMARILY? NO, NOT FOR PRESIDENTIAL PREFERENCE.
IT'S ONLY FOR THE STATEWIDE, UH, PRIMARY ELECTION IN JUNE.
AND THE NOVEMBER 5TH GENERAL ELECTION.
THE PPPS ON HILTON HEAD WILL STAY AT THE 5 39 HILTON PARKWAY ADDRESS.
ALRIGHT, SO WE HAVE A MOTION ON THE FLOOR.
IT'S BEEN MOVED PROPERLY A SECOND WITH THE AMENDED CHANGES.
THE 11TH, STATEWIDE PRIMARY NOVEMBER 5TH OF THE GENERAL, UM, ELECTION AND EVERYTHING APPROVES BY SECURITY AD, ET CETERA.
THE USC BUILDING WILL BE IN USE.
UH, THAT, THAT HANDLES SOUTH OF BROAD.
DO WE HAVE A, A SIMILAR CONCERN FOR NORTH OF BROAD? DO WE HAVE A NEED FOR, FOR NORTH OF BROAD? YOU MEAN LIKE, I WOULDN'T TRAVEL TIME.
I DIDN'T THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, IT WAS, I DIDN'T SEE ANY PROBLEMS UNLESS YOU SAW, SO OKAY.
NO, I'M JUST ASKING A QUESTION.
[00:50:01]
I THINK THAT CURRENT LOCATION AT THE LIBRARY RIGHT ONI, I HAVEN'T HEARD ANY COMMUNITY CONCERNS.
I'VE NEVER SEEN A LINE THERE AND I BOTH WORKED THERE AS A CLERK, I MEAN AS A MANAGER AND BOTH THERE.
YEAH, IT'S, IT'S A NICE, UM, FACILITY AND IT ACCOMMODATES, IT HAS ALL OF THE SPACE AVAILABILITY, HANDICAPPED ACCESSIBLE OUTLETS, UM, FRIENDLY STAFF.
SO I, I DON'T SEE ANY REASON WHY WE SHOULDN'T CONTINUE WITH IT.
WE ARE DOWN TO OUR DIRECTOR'S REPORT.
MS. REED, GET STARTED WITH HER LIST.
UM, WE'RE GOING GO THROUGH OUR REGULAR TOPICS.
WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT THE LEGISLATIVE UPDATES.
UM, SINCE WE MET LAST, UM, THE HILTON HEAD PUBLIC SERVICE DISTRICT BOARD OR COMMISSION HAS MET AND FINALIZED THEIR SINGLE MEMBER DISTRICT, UM, FOR THE PUBLIC SERVICE DISTRICT ON HILTON HEAD.
AND THEY'VE MET ON WEDNESDAY, THIS PAST THIS WEEK.
WE'VE ALREADY RECEIVED THE, UM, THE MAPS FOR THOSE DISTRICTS AND WE ARE WORKING ON INCORPORATING THEM INTO OUR STREET VISITING FOR THE TOWN OF HILTON HEAD PRECINCTS.
WE'VE HAD THE CITY OF BE FOR ELECTION.
THAT WAS ONE OF THE FIRST ELECTION WE HAD THAT WAS REALLY, REALLY SMOOTH
UM, VERY FEW, UM, CONCERNS CAME OUT OF THAT ELECTION.
OF COURSE, YOU ALL, UM, JUST CERTIFY THE RESULTS OF MR. KRAMER.
KROMER IS THE WINNER OF THAT ELECTION.
IT WAS CERTIFIED A FEW, UH, MAYBE LESS THAN AN HOUR AGO.
WE DID CONDUCT A HAND COUNT AUDIT.
UM, I'M NOT SURE IF THIS WAS REALLY REQUIRED BECAUSE IT'S NOT A STATEWIDE ELECTION, BUT AS A PRACTICE, WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO DO THAT.
SO THE PUBLIC WILL CONTINUE TO HAVE DOUBTS.
WE HAVE, UM, CONFIDENCE IN WHAT WE DO ON ELECTION DAY, EVEN THOUGH IT WAS REQUIRED BY THE STATE, IT'S REQUIRED BY ME THAT WE DO A HAND COUNT AUDIT.
AND WE DID HAVE AN AUDIENCE, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, HAVE THE, UM, WE HAD THE WINNER
SO WE HAD
SO KNOW THAT, UM, THE HAND COUNT AUDIT DOES SERVE A PURPOSE.
UM, WE ARE RIGHT NOW GEARING UP FOR THE PPPS AND WE ALSO ARE GEARING UP FOR THE BLUFFTON SPECIAL ELECTION.
AND THE MOST PEOPLE DON'T REALIZE THAT EVEN THOUGH THE PPPS ARE IN FEBRUARY FOR THE MILITARY, UM, AND OVERSEAS CITIZENS, THEY GET THEIR BALLOTS 45 DAYS AHEAD OF THE ELECTION.
SO WHEN, WHEN YOU GUYS HEAR ME TALK ABOUT WE HAVE DEADLINES, WE HAVE TO DO THIS BY A CERTAIN TIME, UM, A LOT OF THAT IS BECAUSE ELECTION AND, AND CREATING A BALLOT DOESN'T JUST HAPPEN.
IT, IT TAKES, UH, WEEKS TO DO.
SO A DEADLINE FOR THE PPPS, YOU'LL CALL THE VOTERS, IS GOING TO BE ON WEDNESDAY THE 20TH.
TODAY IS THE DEADLINE FOR US ENTERING ANY CHANGES TO OUR POLLING LOCATIONS AND ANY CHANGES TO, UM, UH, NOT JUST THE, THE POLLING LOCATION, BUT IT'S TWO THINGS.
POLLING LOCATION AND, AND ANY EARLY VOTING CENTER.
SO NONE OF THE EARLY VOTING CENTERS HAVE CHANGED, BUT, UH, AND NONE OF THE, WELL, A COUPLE OF THE THREE THINGS WILL BE CHANGING.
WE WILL BE MOVING, UH, TOE TWO AND RIVERBED TO THE
I THINK THAT'S IN MY REPORT SOMEWHERE.
AND WE WILL BE CHANGING OUT CHARLYN BROWN.
WE ARE GONNA BE MOVING OVER TO USCB BOUNDARY STREET.
SO, UM, THAT WILL BE EFFECTIVE FOR THE JANUARY, I MEAN FOR THE FEBRUARY PPT.
MARIE, JUST GENERAL QUESTION, HOW MANY, HOW MANY BALLOTS WILL BE DISTRIBUTED AS PART FROM THIS PROCESS OF YOUR, YEAH.
[00:55:03]
YOU TESTED OF THE INSERT OF REQUEST COMING UP? MM-HMM.YOU GOT ANY ELECTION COMING WORKERS, UM, BRIEFING, I THINK YOU MAY HAVE ALREADY RECEIVED THE SCHEDULE FOR THAT.
UM, PLEASE TRY TO GET YOUR LIST IN THE GENE BY THE REQUIRED TIME.
WE WILL HAVE FOUR WORKERS TRAINING IN THE MORNING.
WE HAVE 43 PEOPLE AS OF RIGHT NOW, REGISTERED FOR THOSE SESSIONS.
I'M NOT SURE WHERE ALL OF THEM ARE COMING FROM, BUT MOSTLY PROBABLY
SO WE, WE MAY HAVE A FEW BLUFFS IN THERE.
THE GOOD THING ABOUT, UM, THE, THE BLUFFED IN ELECTION, SUN CITY FOLKS WILL NOT BE WORKING.
SO WE CAN PROBABLY BORROW SOME OF, SOME CITY PEOPLE.
UM, IF YOU GUYS NEED SOME ASSISTANCE, JUST LET MS. ELLI KNOW.
HE'S, WE'LL HELP YOU GUYS, UH, INTRODUCE YOU ALL TO, UM, SOME OF HIS POLL MANAGERS WHO WILL BE AVAILABLE TO HELP OUT IN THE BLUFFING ELECTION FOR, UM, IN 2024.
WE WILL HAVE ALSO A NEW POLL WORKERS TRAINING ON MARCH THE 16TH.
SO THESE ARE ALL THE POLL, NEW POLL WORKERS TRAINING THAT WE HAVE PLANNED RIGHT NOW.
OF COURSE, WE, WE WILL BE A LITTLE BIT FLEXIBLE, BUT REALIZE THAT WE DON'T HAVE A WHOLE LOT OF TIME BETWEEN NOW AND JUNE TO TRAIN ADDITIONAL PEOPLE.
SO GET AS MANY PEOPLE IN AS YOU CAN.
WE ALSO WILL BE WORKING WITH THE STUDENTS AND THE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS.
UM, THE LETTERS HAVE ALREADY GONE OUT TO THE PRINCIPAL.
WE ARE LOOKING AT TRAINING FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS BETWEEN JANUARY 8TH AND 12TH AND JANUARY THE 19TH.
THERE WERE 13 SCHOOLS THAT WERE CONTACTED.
AND, UH, WE ARE ALL, SOMETIME TODAY WE WILL BE GETTING SOME NOTIFICATIONS FROM SOME OF THE SCHOOLS AND KNOW THAT THE THE POLL WORKERS, THAT THE STUDENT POLL WORKERS WILL BE DISTRIBUTED ACROSS THE COUNTY.
IF THEY LIVE IN THE BLUFFTON AREA.
THEY WILL BE WORKING IN THE BLUFFTON AREA AND HILTON HEAD.
UM, LIKEWISE, MARIE, THAT TRAINING JANUARY SOMETIME IN JANUARY 8TH TO 12TH, WILL THAT BE EQUIVALENT TO NEW POLL WORKER TRAINING? YES, SIR.
SO IF WE HAD SOME NEW POLL WORKERS INTERESTED IN WORKING, THE PPP CAN'T COME TO THE SCHOOL.
IF THAT WAS YOUR QUESTION, THAT WAS YOUR QUESTION.
THAT WAS JUST FOR THE STUDENTS.
MR. WHEN YOU SAID, UH, 13 SCHOOLS WERE CONTACTED, WHAT WAS THE RESPONSE RATE? I KNOW YOU WERE GONNA SAY THAT.
WE'RE TODAY, I'M, I CONTACTED 13 SCHOOLS TODAY.
I'M CONTACTED AND LOCK IN DATES FOR THEM TO HAVE TROUBLE.
SO I DON'T KNOW WHO'S GONNA TELL ME WHAT, WHEN I CALL THEM, CALL THEM AFTER THIS MEETING SO WE KNOW WHO THE SCHOOLS ARE.
BUT NONE OF 'EM HAVE GOTTEN BACK TO YOU YET? OH NO.
THEY, YOU'RE ASKING QUESTIONS AND STUFF.
WE GAVE 'EM UNTIL TODAY, GIVE US A POC AND TODAY I'M GOING TO GIVE THEM A SCHEDULE AND LET THEM KNOW.
I'LL TALK TO 'EM ON THE PHONE.
HEY, YOU WANNA SIGN FOR THIS? WHATEVER.
AND WE WON'T KNOW HOW MANY UNTIL WE GO OUT TO THE SCHOOL.
SO THEY DON'T SEND YOU A LIST.
HAD THESE ARE THE STUDENTS BACK IN.
I'LL JUST GIVE YOU A HEADS UP ON THE PROCESS.
BASICALLY WHAT WE DO, THE SCHOOLS AND THE PRINCIPALS HAVE THE LETTER.
SOME OF 'EM WE'VE WORKED BEFORE AND PERSON KNOWS THAT THEY'RE GONNA BE DOING IT.
AND WHAT THEY DO, THEY PUT IT OUT TO ALL THE KIDS WHO EVENTUALLY 16 TO 16 TO 18.
WE TELL 'EM 18 YEAR OLDS HAVE TO BE REGISTERED VOTERS.
SO THEY HAVE, WHAT HAPPENS IS WE SHOW UP, ALL THE KIDS WHO ARE INTERESTED WILL BE IN THAT ROOM.
THEY'LL, THEY'LL KNOW AT THAT POINT HOW MANY KIDS THEY'RE GONNA HAVE.
UH, WHEN WE GET THERE, WE HAVE THIS BE TWO TEAMS. ME AND JEAN ARE GONNA TAKE SOMEBODY WITH US.
I'M GOING OVER BECAUSE WE HAVE SO MANY SCHOOLS THAT, UM, WE WILL TRAIN THE CLASS WHILE THE OTHER PERSON IS PICKING UP THE PAPERWORK.
MAKE SURE THAT EVERYTHING'S SIGNED IF WE GONNA GET OVER THERE.
AND THAT'S WHEN WE KNOW AND THAT'S WHEN WE WILL TRY TO FARM THEM OUT TO DIFFERENT, WHERE WHERE WILL THE TRAINING TRAINING TAKEN FROM? EXCUSE ME.
UM, I DIDN'T THINK WE HAD 13 HIGH SCHOOLS IN BEAUFORT.
WHAT PRIVATE SCHOOLS ARE WE USING? BEFORD ACADEMY.
WHO HAD PREP HAD CHRISTIAN CROSS SCHOOLS, SEASON TWO, ST.
PAUL, JOHN PAUL'S TWO, JOHN PAUL.
THEY ALWAYS GIVES A GOOD GROUP OF KIDS.
THERE'S ONE ON BOROUGHS AVENUE.
IT'S SOMETHING TECHNICAL, SOMETHING.
I WAS JUST WONDERING WHETHER WE WERE USING USCB OR TECHNICAL COLLEGE.
[01:00:01]
THEM AND LET THEM KNOW ABOUT IT.WE WERE THIS FOR THE STUDENTS.
WE WERE FOCUSING ON THE SCHEDULE THAT WE HAD TO WORK WITH WITH THEM.
SO THE OTHER ONE, WE'VE PUT IT OUT TO HAVE COWORKERS AT SCHOOL, AT THE COLLEGE, BUT NOT AT THE, THE COLLEGES? NO, WE HAVE, WE HAVE NOT SET UP ANYTHING TO SPECIFICALLY GO TO THE COLLEGES BECAUSE RIGHT NOW WE'RE FOCUSING ON THE KIDS.
THE COLLEGES WE CAN GET BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO BE REGISTERED FOR, TO DO IT ANYWAY.
BUT I JUST, I THINK I WAS ASKING IF THE OUTREACH IS TO THE, UM, COLLEGE.
DO WE HAVE A MAXIMUM OF HOW MANY STUDENTS WE WILL ALLOW TO WORK? NO.
WHAT WE TRY TO DO, IF THEY ALL AGREE TO WORK, WE TRY TO PLACE THEM SOMEWHERE SO THAT THEY CAN GET THAT EXPERIENCE.
SO WE WORKERS BECOMES GOOD POLL WORKERS, RIGHT? YEAH, THEY COME.
SO HOW MANY, HOW MANY DO YOU THINK WE COULD ACCOMMODATE? YOU MEAN AT EACH? NO, JUST IN GENERAL.
WE, WE, WE TAKE AS MANY AS WE CAN GET.
I MEAN, LITERALLY WE TAKE AS MANY AS WE CAN GET.
I ACTUALLY HAVE TWO STUDENTS THAT ARE COMING TO MY TRAINING TOMORROW FROM BATTERY CREEK HIGH SCHOOL.
SO THEY'RE, THEY'RE INTERESTED IF YOU JUST DID, THESE SCHOOLS WILL GET THEIR WORD OUT.
ALL OF OUR STUDENTS WHO WORKED IN THE PAST, THEY ACTUALLY HAVE TO COME TO THE REGULAR MANDATORY, THEY'RE, YEAH, THEY'RE POLAR WORKERS.
WE HAVE ONE KID THAT, ONE HE CALLED US OR HE EMAILED US, SAID, HEY, I WANT TO WORK IN FEBRUARY.
SO HE'S COMING TO THE JANUARY BRIEFING AND LAST TIME I HAD TWO FORMER HIGH SCHOOL WORKERS WHO WORKED TOO BECAUSE OF SPORTS.
SO YEAH, KIDS ARE GREAT AND, AND GENE'S GOING REITERATE THIS IN THE MANDATORY MEETINGS, BUT YOU NEED TO TELL YOUR COWORKERS WHEN YOU SEE THEM TOO.
THE KIDS DO EVERYTHING THEY DO EXCEPT CLERICAL.
SO DON'T HAVE 'EM STUCK ON GREETING PEOPLE OR WHATEVER.
AND LET, LET THEM DO THE WORK JUST LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE.
'CAUSE THEY'RE VERY GOOD, VERY EFFICIENT, VERY COMPUTER SAVVY.
I, IF, IF YOU NEED OR WANT ME TO ASSIST IN ANY WAY IN THIS ENDEAVOR, I'M WILLING TO, TO HELP.
ALSO, WHAT, UM, WE'VE HAVE, UH, WHAT WE HAVE PLANNED, UM, WE HAVE SOME COMM COMMUNITY FORUMS PLANNED, UM, IN 2024.
UM, WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THE, UM, COUNTY, UM, PIO AND THEY JUST PUT OUT A, A BLAST FOR US.
UM, SO IF, IF YOU ARE ENROLLED IN THE COUNTY, UH, RECEIVING COUNTY CORRESPONDENCE, YOU SHOULD PROBABLY HAVE GOTTEN THAT ONE YESTERDAY.
I THINK IT WENT OUT YESTERDAY.
AND IT'S, I THINK IT'S REALLY NICE AND, AND WE ARE GOING TO BE UTILIZING, UM, THAT, UH, PROCESS A LITTLE BIT MORE BECAUSE I, I, I'M NOT SURE WHAT THE DISTRIBUTION OF IT IS OR HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE ENROLLED TO RECEIVE THE NEWSLETTER FROM THE COUNTY WHEN THEY PUT OUT THESE ANNOUNCEMENT, BUT I'M SURE, UM, IT WILL BE BENEFICIAL TO ALL OF US.
I CAN'T SEE, IS THERE ANY SOCIAL MEDIA PRESENCE IN ADDITION TO THE PIO? YES.
WE HAVE OUR OWN, UH, WEBSITE FACEBOOK PAGE.
I JUST GONNA SAY, I KNOW MEMBERS OF COUNTY COUNCIL, SOME OF 'EM HAVE THEIR PERSONAL OUTREACH WHERE THEY SEND OUT TO THEIR MAILING LIST AND 'CAUSE I GET THEM FROM ALICE HOWARD AS AN EXAMPLE, AND SOME OF THEM MEMBERS WITH DELEGATION, THE SAME THING.
SO THOSE MIGHT BE OTHER PEOPLE TO REACH OUT TO AND ASK THEM IF THEY HAVE A PERSONAL, YOU KNOW, MAILING LIST OF COMMUNITY NEWS.
WELL, I'M THINKING, AND IT MAY BE TWO DIFFERENT THINGS, BUT WHAT THE COUNTY COUNCIL USED MAY BE THE SAME THING THAT YOU ARE USING.
DO YOU KNOW NO, THIS WASN'T A MAIL LIST.
YOU, YOU SAID THE COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVEN'T MAIL.
I JUST KNOW THAT ALICE HOWARD SENDS OUT LIKE A NEWSLETTER OR TWO AND I'M NOT WELL, YEAH.
MORE LIKE, YOU KNOW, BUT THIS IS WHAT'S GOING ON.
YOU MIGHT WANNA KNOW ABOUT THIS EVENT.
UH, YOU KNOW, JUST A WHOLE LIST OF DIFFERENT THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON.
MEETINGS THAT, LIKE WITH ZONING THAT PEOPLE MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN JUST A WHOLE ARRANGEMENT.
AND I'M NOT, I'M NOT IN HER DISTRICT, BUT I GET IT.
YESTERDAY IS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT.
SO IT MAY BE A, I DON'T GET THE ONE FROM THE COUNTY, BUT I GET HERS.
SO, YOU KNOW, THERE MIGHT BE OTHER AVENUES THAT WAY.
I JUST WANT TO VOLUNTEER, UM, TO
[01:05:01]
SUBMIT MY NAME AND THE NAME OF GERALD DAWSON TO HELP COORDINATE A LOCATION OF THE DELL LOKO AREA, A COMMUNITY FORUM.I'M VERY PLEASED TO SEE THAT THEY'VE BEEN ADDED AND I THINK THAT THIS WOULD BE A VERY WELL ANTICIPATED, UM, FORUM FOR THE COMMUNITY OUT THERE.
UM, ALREADY WE'VE BEEN WORKING, BUT YEAH, I WAS JUST VOLUNTEERING, THAT'S ALL.
YEAH, WE JUST HAVEN'T GOTTEN CONFIRMATION YET.
REGARDING MARKETING THESE FORUMS, I THINK IT'S GREAT THAT YOU ARE WORKING WITH THE COUNTY TO DO THAT.
UH, BUT COULD WE BOARD MEMBERS GIVE SOME SUGGESTIONS TO YOU ABOUT OTHER ORGANIZATIONS LIKE THE ROTARY CLUBS? RIGHT.
BANS? I'M, WE'RE WORKING WITH THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS AND THE PARTIES ALREADY.
THEY GET ALL OF OUR CORRESPOND AND EVEN THE, THE LEGISLATIVE DELEGATION, THEY SEND OUT NEWSLETTERS.
THEY COULD INCLUDE THIS COUNTY COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO LIVE IN THESE AREAS.
AND THERE'S A VERY ACTIVE CHURCH, MOUNT CALVARY, MOUNT CARMEL BAPTIST CHURCH.
AND REVEREND MOORE WOULD BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO EVEN HOST IT.
HE HAS A VERY, UM, ACTIVE COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION IN HIS COMMUNITY THAT IS NUMBER ONE ON OUR LIST.
IF THIS OTHER LOCATION FALLS THROUGH
THAT'S ALL WE'RE TRYING TO DO.
SO IF WE HAVE ALL OF THESE SUGGESTED OTHER WAYS TO MARKET THE FORUM, SHOULD WE SEND THEM TO YOU, MARIE? YES, PLEASE.
I ACTUALLY SEND THEM TO JEAN, SEND THEM TO MARIE.
I, I'D LIKE TO, TO HELP WITH, UM, PUBLICIZING, UH, SOME OF THESE FORMS. IS IT ANY WAY POSSIBLE I COULD GET A COPY OF WHAT YOU'RE SENDING OUT AND I CAN PASS IT OUT THROUGH, THROUGH MY CONTACTS? GOOD IDEA.
AS SOON AS I GET THAT LAST LOCATION LOCKED ON AND I CREATE MY NEW FLYER FOR THIS YEAR, I'LL GET THAT TO YOU GUYS.
NOW I MAY HAVE MISSED A POINT WITH THIS NEXT TOPIC, SO YOU GUYS JUMP IN ANY TIME YOU WANT.
WHEN WE MET ON THE SIXTH OF, UM, DECEMBER TO DISCUSS, UM, THE ELECTION HOT WASH, WE, WE ENDED UP TALKING ABOUT A VARIETY OF ISSUES AND UM, ONE OF 'EM WAS THE POLL WORKER MANAGEMENT MANAGEMENT.
AND SO I'M ASSUMING, AND I MAY BE OFF KEY, THAT FROM THE EXTENSIVE WORK THAT WAS DONE BY, UH, ONE OF OUR BOARD MEMBERS AND THE SURVEYS THAT WERE TAKEN THAT YOU GUYS REALLY DON'T WANT TO CALL POLL MANAGERS
SO WE ARE TAKING IT UPON OURSELVES TO RELIEVE YOU OF THAT RESPONSIBILITY.
AND IF I'M WRONG, YOU GUYS CAN CORRECT ME RIGHT NOW, BUT EFFECTIVE IN MARCH, WE ARE RECOMMENDING THAT STAFF WILL TAKE OVER THE MANAGEMENT AND ASSIGNMENT OF FULL WORKERS FOR ALL ELECTIONS.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO CONTINUE TO CALL THE PEOPLE THAT WORK WITH ME.
WHAT WE WILL DO AS THE BOARD, AND I WOULD HOPE THAT MADAM UM, CHAIR WILL ADDRESS THIS AS A MOTION SO THAT WE WILL HAVE ON RECORD WHAT THE MAJORITY OF THE BOARD ARE.
AND, UM, WE WILL, LET'S HOLD ON THE FIRST ITEM AND THEN WE'LL GO TO THE, TO THE REST OF THE ITEM, BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO HAVE ANY CONFUSION AS TO WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR WHAT.
NOW, BE, BE AWARE THAT IF IT'S THE DAY BEFORE THE ELECTION, UM, THAT WOULD BE THE LAST TRAINING, THE DAY BEFORE THE ELECTION.
AND TYPICALLY, UH, WHAT WE HAVE DONE IN THE, IN THE LAST ELECTION, WE HAD A SESSION HERE AND A SESSION ON HILTON HEAD.
SO ANYONE WHO DID NOT OR WAS NOT ABLE TO ATTEND ONE OF THOSE SCHEDULED BRIEFINGS WOULD NEED TO ATTEND ONE OF THOSE TWO LOCATIONS.
AND WHAT THE REASON WHY I'M SAYING THAT IS YOU HAVE TO BE AWARE THAT IF STAFF IS GOING TO TRAIN, STAFF HAS TO BE AVAILABLE TO TRAIN.
AND, UM, THE DAY BEFORE THE ELECTION IS ALREADY PUSHING IT
[01:10:01]
PLACE PRIOR TO THE ELECTION.SO IF YOU HAVE POLL MANAGERS THAT ARE OUT THERE AND CANNOT MAKE ANY OF THE BRIEFING, UM, WE WILL KNOW THAT BECAUSE WE WILL BE DEALING WITH THAT AND YOU WON'T.
SO IF SOMEONE CANNOT MAKE A BRIEFING, WE WILL BE TAKING CARE OF THAT.
YOU WON'T HAVE TO BE CHASING SOMEBODY AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE TREATING ANYBODY.
ARE THESE RECOMMENDATIONS, I THINK THAT WHAT IS, THESE ARE RECOMMENDATIONS, RIGHT? SOMEONE HAS MAKE A MOTION.
IS THE MOTION BEING MADE? I'LL MAKE A MOTION.
I'LL MAKE A MOTION THAT STAFF WILL ACQUIRE THE MANAGEMENT AND ASSIGNMENT AND ASSOCIATED TRAINING OF ALL POLL WORKERS FOR ALL ELECTIONS.
AND I WOULD, IS THERE A SECOND? UH, I'D LIKE TO AMEND THAT MOTION.
I WOULD LIKE TO CHANGE THE EFFECTIVE DATE TO JANUARY ONE.
I, I THINK THAT WE, IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT, THE, THE BOARD MEMBERS ARE, ARE WORKING TO SUBMIT THEIR LISTS TO JEAN BY CHRISTMAS.
SO I THINK IT'S AN APPROPRIATE HANDOVER TO MAKE JANUARY 1ST THE EFFECTIVE DATA OF THIS CHANGE.
BUT THAT WILL NOT AFFECT THE PPP, THE POLL MANAGER FOR PPP.
NO, YOU HAVE ALREADY DONE YOUR POLL MANAGER.
RIGHT? WE'VE DONE OUR BEST WITH OUR POLL MANAGER LISTS.
SO, SO THE HANDOVER WOULD BE AT THE END OF THE YEAR.
SO STARTING JANUARY 1ST, THE STAFF WOULD TAKE RESPONSIBILITY AND I'M SURE THAT ALL THE BOARD MEMBERS WILL HELP, UH, AS MUCH AS THEY CAN AS NEEDED.
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? YEAH, WHAT DOES, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? THAT MEANS THAT THE, UH, ANY CHANGES TO THE ASSIGNMENTS, TO VOTING LOCATIONS WOULD BE DONE BY STAFF FOR THE PPPS.
ANY SHORTFALLS IN NUMBERS OF CLERKS OR POLL MANAGERS WOULD BE HANDLED BY STAFF AND SUPPORTED BY BOARD MEMBERS.
WE, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE, WE'RE STILL TRYING TO, YOU SAID SUPPORTED BY BOARD MEMBERS.
NOW WE HAVE FOUR EARLY VOTING SITES.
WE'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT YOU MEAN.
I, I WOULD LIKE JUST LIKE TO ADD A STATEMENT.
UM, AND THIS, THIS IS A GOOD, YOU KNOW, MOTION TO MAKE.
HOWEVER, I WOULD LIKE TO CONTINUE THE PERSONALIZED CONTACT THAT I HAVE WITH MY POLL WORKERS IF THAT'S ACCEPTABLE TO THE STAFF.
IT'S NOT TO STAFF, IT'S TO THE BOARD.
NO, I'M JUST SAYING NO, THAT'S THE MOTION.
THE MOTION IS THAT THE STAFF WILL TAKE CARE OF IT.
AND I'M JUST SAYING THAT I WOULD LIKE TO CONTINUE MY PERSONALIZED CONTACT AND IF THERE ARE ANY POLL MANAGERS OR POLL WORKERS SAID I CANNOT REACH, OR FOR ANY REASON CANNOT FULFILL MY ALLOTMENT, THEN OF COURSE THE STAFF WOULD, I DON'T THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT.
WE GOT TO GO WITH ONE THING IS WE DO IT AND IF WE NEED ASSISTANCE ON THE BOARD, THEN WE WILL COME TO THE BOARD.
BUT, YOU KNOW, IF THE STAFF IS GOING TO BE MAKING THE, IF WE ARE GONNA BE MANAGING IT, THEN WE BE MANAGING.
AND THEN WE WILL SEEK ASSISTANCE FROM, FROM BOARD MEMBERS IF NECESSARY.
AND MARIE AND STAFF, AS YOU MANAGE, YOU ALL WILL BE ASSIGNING THOSE WORKERS TO THE BOARD MEMBERS.
THE BOARD MEMBERS SHOULDN'T BE TRYING TO PICK AND CHOOSE WHO THEY GET ARE SAYING, WELL, WHY I DON'T HAVE, I DON'T LIKE THAT.
BUT THAT PEOPLE COULD BE THINKING THAT BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE THEIR HANDS IN IT.
SO I JUST WANTED TO GO ON RECORD THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE GOING TO MANAGE IT AND THAT'S WHAT THEY WILL DO.
THEY WILL BE MANAGING THE STAFFING AND THE TRAINING OF THE THREE WORKERS IS FINE.
SO PRIOR TO AN ELECTION, WE WOULD GET A LIST HERE ARE YOUR POLL WORKERS HERE, ARE YOUR CLERKS ASSIGNED TO THESE LOCATIONS? THAT'S RIGHT.
AND THEN YOU PROBABLY STILL NEED TO GET TO KNOW THEM TOO, YOU KNOW, GET TO KNOW THEM.
OKAY, SO NOW WE HAVE A MOTION ON THE FLOOR.
WE READY TO VOTE? UH, NO, IT WASN'T SECONDED.
[01:15:01]
WHY, WHY DON'T I REMAIN, WHY DON'T I RE ONE EFFECTIVE JANUARY ONE STAFF WILL ACQUIRE THE MANAGEMENT AND ASSIGNMENT AND ASSOCIATED TRAINING OF ALL POLL WORKERS FOR ALL ELECTIONS.NOW CAN WE GET A SECOND? SECOND? OKAY.
IS THIS PROPERLY, ARE WE UP FOR DISCUSSION NOW? YES.
CAN MARIE, CAN YOU GIVE ME A, A FEEL FOR HOW LABOR INTENSIVE THIS WILL BE FOR THE STAFF IF IT STARTS ON MAR ON JANUARY 1ST VERSUS MARSHALL FIRST? WELL, I, I'VE PRETTY MUCH DISCUSSED THIS WITH STAFF AND, UM, I THINK WE ARE UP TO THE TASK.
SO I, I CAN'T TELL YOU IN HOURS HOW MUCH TIME IT WILL TAKE, BUT WE WILL GET IT DONE AND IT'LL BE DONE EFFICIENTLY.
BUT YOU TO THE STAFF SUGGESTED MARSHA FIRST FOR A REASON.
WELL, WE, WE DIDN'T WANT TO DIP THAT INTO WHAT YOU HAVE ALREADY DONE FOR THE PPPS.
AND WE KNOW THE PPPS ARE IN FEBRUARY, BUT IF YOU SAY TO US THAT YOU WANT US TO TAKE IT OVER IN JANUARY, THEN WE WILL ASSIGN YOUR PPP PEOPLE WHERE WE WANT THEM TO GO.
I DON'T LIKE THAT YOU'RE GONNA HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO VOTE.
I KNOW THAT EVERYBODY'S GONNA HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO BECAUSE WE CAN'T
THAT'S WHAT YOU GUYS ARE GIVING US.
WHAT, WHAT I'M ASKING IS THAT WE'RE IN DECEMBER, UH, JANUARY 1ST IS TWO WEEKS AWAY, BASICALLY.
AND WHAT I'M ASKING IS FROM A, FROM A LABOR INTENSIVE PERSPECTIVE, ASSERTING, UM, WHAT THE STAFF IS INVOLVED WITH, HOW CRITICAL OR HOW DAMAGING THIS MAY BE ON THE STAFF IF IT STARTS JANUARY 1ST VERSUS MARCH THE FIRST.
I NEED TO KNOW THAT BEFORE I CAN MAKE AN INTELLIGENT VOTE.
IF, IF THERE'S ANY WAY POSSIBLE YOU CAN COUCH THAT FOR ME.
I THINK THAT WHAT
I, I'M NOT TRYING TO BE DIFFICULT AND WENDELL IS JEAN'S ASSISTANT WHEN IT COMES DOWN TO TRAINING AND I'M THE BACKUP FOR ALL OF 'EM, RIGHT.
BECAUSE I TRAINED ALL OF THEM.
SO WE WILL HAVE WHATEVER IT TAKES, IF YOU NOTICE WHEN WE SET UP THE PPP TRAINING, UM, WE, WE SET IT UP WHERE WE SPLIT UP SO THAT WE CAN HAVE MORE SESSIONS AVAILABLE FOR POLL MANAGERS TO ATTEND.
WE'RE GONNA BE DOING SESSIONS, UM, TWO SESSIONS AT THE SAME TIME.
BECAUSE WE'VE HEARD FROM YOU ALL THAT THERE IS NOT ENOUGH TRAINING SESSIONS TO ALLOW EVERYBODY AN OPPORTUNITY TO ATTEND.
WE ARE UP TO THE TASK AND IT'S GOING TO CAUSE US TO MAYBE READJUST OUR SCHEDULE A LITTLE BIT.
BUT WE WILL, WE WILL BE ABLE TO DO IT BECAUSE I THINK MOST OF YOU HAVE ALREADY SELECTED YOUR OLD MANAGERS FOR THE PPP.
SO ALL WE GOTTA DO IS, IS A SIGN JEAN.
UM, YOU'RE ASKING HOW LABOR INTENSIVE IT'LL BE BETWEEN NOW AND THE MANDATORY BRIEFINGS TO GET THAT COMPLETE? WAS THAT YOUR THE WHOLE, THE WHOLE, THE WHOLE COMPLETE PACKET.
WE TALKING ABOUT TWO WEEKS BETWEEN NOW AND THE 1ST OF JANUARY.
IF YOU'RE GOING TO, HOW, IF, IF WE AGREE TO, IF WE VOTE IN FAVOR OF THIS, OF THE PROPOSAL OF ONE JANUARY, I'M TRYING TO GET A FEEL FOR HOW INTENSIVE THAT IS GOING TO BE FOR THE STAFF.
SO TWO BOARD MEMBERS HAVE GIVEN ME THEIR COMPLETE LISTS.
HOW LABOR INTENSIVE THE NEXT TWO WEEKS ARE, IS DEPENDENT ON HOW FILLED THE REST OF THE LISTS ARE.
SO IF EVERYBODY HAS DONE THEIR LISTS AND THEY COULD JUST SEND THEM TO ME, THEN IT'S NOT VERY LABOR INTENSIVE.
I JUST HAVE TO FILL IN THE GAPS.
IF SOME BOARD MEMBERS HAVEN'T DONE ANYTHING, THAT OBVIOUSLY ADDS TO IT.
AND IF SOME BOARD MEMBERS HAVE PEOPLE AT EVERY PRECINCT, BUT MAYBE THERE'S ONLY ONE OR TWO WORKERS, AND THAT'S, THEN THAT CONTRIBUTES TO IT AS WELL.
SO THAT QUESTION, HOW LABOR INTENSIVE IT'LL BE FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS OR IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS, IS DEPENDENT ON HOW MANY POLL WORKERS THEY HAVE ALREADY CONTACTED AND ASSIGNED.
SO, SO WE STILL DON'T KNOW EXACTLY.
SO ALL OF THIS IS GOING TO FALL ON GENE TO, IF, IF IT'S, IF IT'S EFFECTIVE ONE JANUARY, THAT MEANS THAT EVERYTHING THAT HASN'T BEEN DONE WILL FALL ON GENE AND GENE ALONE TO GET IT DONE.
[01:20:02]
THAT'S WHY WE, HER STRATEGICALLY MADE IT MARCH, MARCH 1ST.I THINK WE ARE REALLY READY NOT BEING SENSITIVE TO WHAT THEY CAN AND CANNOT DO.
YOU GONNA STILL VOTE? COME ON GUYS.
LET'S, LET'S THAT ONE HELP EILEEN.
UH, I JUST SPOKE SORT OF OUT OF TURN TO HERBERT AND HE SAID HE'D FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE.
YOU SAID YOU'VE ALREADY RECEIVED TWO LISTS.
I KNOW YOU HAVEN'T RECEIVED MINE.
UM, AS RIGHT NOW, SHORT ONE CLERK THAT WOULD BE ASSIGNED WITH REBECCA LAWTON AND I'VE GOT SOMEBODY WHO'S PREYING ON IT.
I WOULD LIKE ONE MORE PERSON AT THE FIRE STATION BECAUSE THEY HAVE TWO PEOPLE WHO ARE ONLY WORKING ONE OF THE PPPS AND OCTOBER PROBABLY NEEDS ANOTHER PERSON.
THAT WOULD BE, IF IF MY PERSON WHO'S PRE ON IT WORKS, YOU'LL HAVE A FULL LIST FROM ME.
SO YOU'VE GOT TWO I MAKE THREE.
BOARD MEMBERS, HOW MANY OF YOU HAVE ALREADY STARTED YOUR LIST AND HOW FAR ARE YOU ON YOUR LIST? AND HAVE YOU SENT ANYTHING TO JANE YET? I HAVE NOT SENT SOMETHING.
I'M GONNA START TO THE RIGHT SO I CAN MAKE SURE I HEAR EVERYTHING.
I HAVE NOT SENT ANYTHING TO JEAN AND I JUST REPORTED THAT I'M SHORT ONE CLERK WITH GOOD POSSIBILITY AND I WOULD LIKE ONE MORE PERSON AT ONE POLLING PLACE.
UM, I HAVEN'T SENT ANYTHING TO JEAN, BUT I THINK, I THINK I'M IN PRETTY GOOD SHAPE.
I PROBABLY NEED THREE MORE PEOPLE SO I CAN SEND YOU THE LIST I GOT, WHICH IS PRETTY COMPLETE.
I HAVEN'T SENT ANYTHING TO JEAN.
I, I HAVE NOT SENT ANYTHING TO JEAN OKAY.
LATELY, BUT I AM, I DON'T, I AM MORE THAN TWO THIRDS COMPLETE.
AND I ALSO WANT TO POINT OUT THAT STARTING JANUARY 1ST, IF THIS RESPONSIBILITY IS THE STAFFS, IT'S AS PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITY.
I WILL BE SECONDARY RESPONSIBILITY AND CONTINUE TO SUPPORT TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL MY ASSIGNED PRECINCTS ARE STAFFED.
BUT IT'S, IT'S JANUARY 1ST WOULD BE THE HANDOVER OF PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITY.
BEVERLY, I'M VIRTUALLY FINISHED AND I WILL BE GETTING IT TO JEAN, GETTING MY FULL REPORT.
I HAVEN'T SENT ANYTHING TO JEAN.
UM, I'VE REACHED OUT TO ABOUT 60% OF MY CONTACT LIST.
I'VE ONLY GOTTEN ABOUT A 30% RESPONSE BACK ONE WAY OR THE OTHER TO VOICEMAILS UM, EMAILS.
UM, AND SO IT'S VERY MUCH A WORK IN PROGRESS.
UM, PARTICULARLY, UM, CONCERNED ABOUT BUCK WALTER REC CENTER WITH THE NUMBER OF PRECINCTS AND THE NUMBER OF PREVIOUS POLL CLERKS WHO WERE NO, NO LONGER AVAILABLE.
SO I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S, UH, THERE'S GONNA, THERE'S A GAP DEFINITELY THERE, BUT SOME OF THE OTHER ONES ARE IN BETTER SHAPE.
BUT, UH, A LITTLE CONCERNED ABOUT JUST EVEN JUST THE GENERAL RESPONSE RATE COMING BACK IS, I'D SAY 30% RATE WHAT I'VE CONTACTED SO FAR.
I SUBMITTED MY, MY LIST OF GENE'S PRETTY COMPLETE.
YES, LINDA? THE OTHER THING, UH, KEEP IN MIND IS THAT EVERY PRECINCT IS SUPPOSED TO A CLERK AND YOU PRECINCT TO DEAL WITH NOW PRESENTS AS WELL.
IT'S NOT WHAT YOU NORMALLY DO.
BUT CRAIG KELLY HAS ALSO SENT ME HIS COMPLETE LIST JUST SO YOU GUYS HAVE, AND I'VE SENT, UM, JEAN, MY LIST ON, I'M WAITING ON ABOUT 10 MORE PEOPLE AND I HOPE WE'LL HAVE THAT BY MONDAY OF NEXT WEEK.
IS WHAT'S THE DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION, JEAN? I ASKED FOR IT BY CHRISTMAS.
SO WILL ALL THE BOARD MEMBERS HAVE THAT LIST COMPLETED BY THE DEADLINE? YES.
I WILL SUBMIT WHAT I HAVE MAY STILL HAVE SOME VEGAS, I CAN GIVE IT TO YOU TODAY, BUT I'LL KEEP WORKING ON IT.
ALL WHO IN FAVOR OF JANUARY 1ST, 2024 FOR THE POLL WORKER MANAGEMENT TO BE, UH, DONE BY JEAN AND WINDOW, RAISE YOUR HANDS.
I DON'T WANT EYES, I WANT YOU TO RAISE YOUR HANDS SO WE CAN COUNT.
ALL IN FAVOR OF NOT DOING THAT ON JANUARY.
[01:25:01]
RAISE YOUR HAND.SO IT WILL START ON JANUARY 1ST.
AND AS MARIE SAID, AND JEAN SAID THEY WILL BE DOING THE WORK, WE AS BOARD MEMBERS, WE ARE GONNA NEED TO FULFILL OUR JOBS AND OUR RESPONSIBILITIES AND YOU'RE GONNA LET THEM DO WHAT THEY DO.
AND WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO DO WHAT WE NEED TO DO.
AND IT SHOULD BE OUTLINED, AND I CAN READ SOME OF IT FROM HERE, AND I KNOW YOU HAVE IT ALSO ON YOUR, ON YOUR HANDOUT.
THAT IS GONNA BE VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE DO JUST THAT.
SO WHEN THE WORK COMES TO THE CENTRAL HUB ON THE ELECTION NIGHT, WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF HICCUPS AND GAPS THAT THEY WILL HAVE TO BE FULFILLING BY CALLING THE CLERKS TO FIND OUT WHERE IS THEIR PAPERWORK.
IS THE PAPERWORK CORRECT? AS FAR AS THE RECONCILIATION SHEET, EVERY SHEET THAT COMES IN SHOULD BE CORRECT AND I WILL BE HERE ON THE ELECTION NIGHT.
I WILL ALSO BE AT MY CENTRAL DROP OFF LOCATION TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE IS DROPPING OFF.
AND THEN I'M GONNA COME AND CHECK TO SEE, TO MAKE SURE THAT THE SHEETS ARE CORRECT.
WELL, YOUR SHEETS WILL BE GOING TO YOUR DROP OFF SITE.
BUT I'M GONNA MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE DONE CORRECTLY BECAUSE WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO ALSO DO OUR PART TO MAKE A SMOOTH TRANSACTION, UM, WORK FOR EVERYONE.
BUT I THINK MS. ALI JUST COVERED THE LAST COUPLE OF BOOKS,
AND ONE THING THAT I THINK YOU ALL HAVE ALREADY GONE THROUGH A COUPLE OF CANVAS HEARINGS AND, UM, THE COMPLETENESS OF THAT PROVISIONAL BALLOT ENVELOPE IS, IS, IS, UM, VERY, VERY IMPORTANT.
AND IF YOU COULD JUST MONITOR ON THE ELECTION DAY WHEN YOU GO AROUND AND VISITING YOUR PRECINCTS, THAT YOU ENSURE THAT THESE FORMS, FIRST THING, THERE'S A CHECKLIST THAT THEY NEED TO COMPLETE IN THE MORNING AND A CHECKLIST THEY NEED TO COMPLETE IN THE AFTERNOON.
THERE'S A CHECKLIST, UM, FOR WHERE EVERYTHING SHOULD GO AT THE END OF THE EVENING.
SO THERE'S CHECKLISTS ALL OVER THE PLACE, BUT WHAT'S VERY, VERY IMPORTANT IF ALL THOSE PROVISIONAL BALLOT ENVELOPES NEED TO BE COMPLETED, UM, THAT RECONCILIATION SHEET, UM, NEED TO BE COMPLETED.
UM, WHAT ELSE? THAT, THOSE ARE THE TWO MAJOR THINGS.
AND THE REASON FOR THAT IS BECAUSE THESE ITEMS ARE SUBJECTED TO OUR AUDIT PROCESS AND THE STATE WILL, WE HAVE TO SEND THIS INFORMATION BACK TO THE STATE.
THE OTHER THING THAT I, I'M JUST GONNA THROW IT OUT HERE 'CAUSE I KNOW THIS HAPPENS, IS THE POLL LIST THAT YOU ALL, UM, GET AS A BACKUP FOR THE ELECTRONIC POLL BOOK.
PLEASE DO NOT USE THAT POLL LIST UNLESS YOU ARE USING IT.
UM, BECAUSE EMERGENCY, YEAH, IT'S EMERGENCY.
IF THE, UH, EEP EPP IS NOT WORKING, OTHER THAN THAT, YOU SHOULD NOT BE USING THAT POLL LIST BECAUSE THAT POLL LIST HAVE TO GO BACK TO THE STATE.
AND ANYTHING THAT YOU MARK ON THAT LIST, THEY ARE GOING TO TRY AND UPLOAD THAT INFORMATION INTO THEIR SYSTEM WHEN THAT INFORMATION IS ALREADY RECORDED WITH THE PPP.
SO IT'S DOUBLE WORK FOR THE POLL MANAGERS AND IT'S, UM, IT'S DOUBLE WORK FOR THE STATE, SO PLEASE DO NOT DO THAT.
UM, ALSO, UM, IF THERE IS SOMEONE THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDED TO THE P LIST THAT GOES AT THE BACK OF THE P LIST, BUT WE WILL WALK WHOEVER THE CLERK IS THROUGH THAT PROCESS IF NEEDED.
SO WE, I DON'T THINK WE NECESSARILY HAVE TO TAKE A VOTE ON THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE BOARD BECAUSE I KNOW YOU ALL HAVE GONE THROUGH THAT IN YOUR, UM, BEFORE, BUT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IS, UH, NECESSARY IN ORDER FOR US TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL THE NECESSARY PAPERWORK THAT WE ARE GOING TO BE AUDITED ON ARE COMPLETE.
WOULD YOU PLEASE JUST CLARIFY THE MEANING OF THE THIRD SUB BULLET? YEAH.
BOARD WILL ASSIST POLL WORKERS AS NEEDED WITH OPENING AND CLOSING PROCEDURES.
UM, THERE ARE SOME CLERKS THAT HAVE A, A LITTLE BIT OF PROBLEM CLOSING.
YOU KNOW, IN, IN MY, IN OUR TRAINING, IN OUR TRAINING, WE TALK ABOUT WORKING AS A TEAM.
IF YOU KNOW YOU HAVE A STRONG TEAM AT ONE POINT IN A, IN A WEAKER TEAM, MAYBE A BRAND NEW COURT, YOU WANNA MAKE SURE YOU ARE AT THAT LOCATION WITH THAT
[01:30:01]
BRAND NEW COURT TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE GETTING THAT PRECINCT UP AND RUNNING IN A TIMELY MANNER.WE HAVE A, WE HAVE TO REPORT, ESPECIALLY TO THE STATE ELECTION COMMISSION WHEN THERE'S A STATEWIDE ELECTION INVOLVED, WHEN HAVE TO REPORT TO THE STATE WHEN ALL OF OUR PRECINCTS ARE OPEN, BECAUSE THE LAW SAYS BY 7:00 AM ALL PRECINCTS SHOULD BE OPEN.
AND IN ORDER FOR US TO MEET THAT, THAT THAT DEADLINE, WE NEED YOU ALL WHO ARE OUT THERE IN THAT MORNING.
YOU CAN'T COME AT SEVEN O'CLOCK.
YOU NEED TO DO THAT SIX O'CLOCK WHEN YOUR CLERKS ARE THERE TO MAKE SURE THEY'RE OFF AND RUNNING.
AND IF THAT ONE IS GOOD, YOU GO TO THE NEXT ONE.
BUT IT'S IMPORTANT THAT YOU ARE IN THE FIELD CHECKING WITH THEM, MAKING SURE THAT THEY HAVE WHAT THEY NEED.
SOMEBODY MAY NOT HAVE A LONG ENOUGH EXTENSION CALL AND THEY CAN'T REACH THE OUTLET.
THESE ARE THE KIND OF THINGS THAT YOU ALL CAN HELP AT THE PRECINCT GET ON ELECTION MORNING BY NOTIFYING THE TECHNICIAN OR HELPING THE CLERK NOTIFY THE TECHNICIAN TO GET THEM WHATEVER THEY NEEDED.
SO A LOT OF TIMES YOU HAVE IT IN YOUR BAG TOO.
IF YOU'RE THERE AND THEY SAY, OH, WE RAN OUT OF THIS SIGN, THEN YOU MIGHT HAVE US EXTRA SIGN IN YOUR BAG.
THAT'S WHY Y'ALL HAVE YOUR BAGS.
Y'ALL PICK YOUR BAGS UP LIKE THE DAY BEFORE AS WELL AND HAVE 'EM OUT THERE WHEN YOU'RE OUT THERE IN THE MORNING.
SO, BUT THEY, BUT THAT MAKES SENSE.
AND IN THE EVENING, IF YOU SEE THEM STRUGGLING DURING THE DAY, BE THERE TOO TO HELP THEM CLOSE.
AND ONE THING THAT WE NOTICED THAT A LOT OF 'EM ARE NOT PICKING UP ON IS HOW TO CLOSE THE EPPS.
WE DON'T JUST PUT THE SHUT OFF BUTTON, THEY GET A PROCESS TO SHUT THAT THING DOWN.
BUT WE CAN TELL IF IT'S NOT CLOSED.
BUT, BUT WE WILL, WE WILL REITERATE ALL OF THIS DURING THE TRAINING FOR CLERKS AND BECAUSE YOU ALL WILL, WILL STILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR COMING TO THE TRAINING, RIGHT? MM-HMM.
BECAUSE YOU NEED TO KNOW WHAT'S BEING TRAINED, WHAT YOUR CLERKS AND FULL MANAGERS ARE BEING TRAINED.
AND YOU SAID YOU'RE TRAINING FOR THE CLERKS AND WE ARE NOT HAVING ANY SPECIFIC CLERK TRAINING BEFORE THE PPPS.
UM, WE WILL BE DOING, UM, WE DON'T WANT TO GO ON RECORD RIGHT NOW, BUT
THEY'RE LIKE HYBRID TRAININGS.
COULD YOU, AND I MEAN, I HATE TO THROW IDEAS OUT, UH, I THE REGULAR TRAININGS, UH, START, SAY IF YOU'RE A CLERK COME IN 15 MINUTES EARLIER, HALF AN HOUR EARLIER, STAY LATE AND YOU COULD JUST DO, YOU KNOW, THE THINGS THEY NEED.
ESPECIALLY I CAN, I A LOT OF, WE ALREADY HAVE A PLAN, WE'RE JUST NOT READY TO PUT IT OUT THERE YET BECAUSE I KNOW I'M GONNA HAVE AT LEAST ASSUME THE LADY WHO'S PRAYING TWO PEOPLE HAVE NEVER BEEN A CLERK BEFORE.
USUALLY, UM, AT A LARGE ELECTION, LIKE THE NOVEMBER 5TH ELECTION COMING UP, THERE'S AN ADDITIONAL CLERK TRAINING.
WILL IT, UH, PROVISIONS BE MADE TO DO ONE OF THOSE? UM, FOR THE LARGE ELECTION? UH, FOR THE LARGE ELECTION, THE STATE WILL, UM, LET US KNOW IF THERE WILL BE ADDITIONAL FUNDS FOR THAT.
UH, WE DON'T HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL FUNDS FOR THE PPP, BUT WE'LL BE ADDRESSING, UM, THE CLERKS.
YOU WILL BE DOING THE ADDITIONAL TRAINING FOR THE CLERKS AND WE, WE'LL GONNA INCORPORATE IT INTO THE REGULAR POLL MANAGERS TRAINING SO EVERYBODY WILL NOT HAVE TO SIT THROUGH IT.
I CAME TO ONE ONE YEAR WHERE WE HAD THE ACTUAL MACHINES AND WE WERE GIVEN HANDS-ON TYPES OF SIMULATION ACTIVITIES.
AND I THOUGHT THAT THAT WAS VERY HELPFUL WHERE WE HAD TO ACTUALLY DO THE RECONCILIATION SHEET, PRACTICE IT, AND ACTUALLY MANIPULATE THE MACHINES.
UM, I THOUGHT THAT THAT WAS SOMETHING WE SHOULD CONTINUE.
I ON, ON, UH, THE LAST ELECTION, I, I IDENTIFIED SOMEONE THAT I FEEL IS ABLE TO BE A CLERK AND I THINK SHE HAS CONSENTED TO POSSIBLY SERVE AS A CLERK IN TRAINING.
HOW COULD I ARRANGE FOR SOMETHING LIKE THAT SO THAT SHE CAN GET TO THAT POINT WHERE SHE'LL BE COMFORTABLE TO BE ASSIGNED AS A CLERK? DO I WORK WITH JEAN ON THAT OR YES.
SHE'S NOT IN YOUR HEAD BEHIND YOU HUH? GINA'S NOT EVEN YES.
WE'RE NOT HARD TO GET ALONG WITH.
[01:35:01]
WANT OUR, I'M TRYING TO BE HELPFUL.WE WANT FOLKS TO HAVE THE EXPOSURE THAT THEY NEED TO BE COMFORTABLE AND WE KNOW, WAIT, WE RECOGNIZE THAT THEY'RE NOT GONNA REMEMBER EVERYTHING.
THAT'S WHY WE FOSTER THE TEAM CONCEPT.
IF SOMEONE DON'T REMEMBER HOW TO DO THIS, IF YOU DON'T REMEMBER, MAYBE SOMEBODY IN YOUR GROUP OR ON YOUR TEAM DOES AND WORK TOGETHER TO ACCOMPLISH A TASK.
WE, WE DON'T WANT ANY ONE PERSON RESPONSIBLE FOR ANYTHING BY THEMSELVES.
SO THESE ARE SOME OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT WE ARE, THAT WE ARE RECOMMENDING SO FAR AS POLL MANAGERS.
UM, MANAGEMENT IS CONCERNED IS THAT RECRUITMENT WILL BE FOR ALL OF US TO DO.
UH, WE WILL QUARTERLY HAVE NEW POLL MANAGERS TRAINING, UM, IN THE NON-GENERAL ELECTION YEAR, WHICH ARE THE ODD YEARS.
WE WILL HAVE AT LEAST FOUR SCHEDULED POLL MANAGERS TRAINING IN THE GENERAL ELECTION YEAR.
AND THAT SCHEDULE, BOTH ALL OF THESE SCHEDULES WILL BE PRESENTED TO YOU AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR.
UM, SO THAT WE WILL LOOK AT WHAT'S GOING ON, SET UP A SCHEDULE AND PRESENT IT TO THE BOARD.
UM, I THINK I ALREADY SAID THAT.
NOW, EFFECTIVE NOVEMBER THE 24TH, WE 2024 IN THIS FISCAL BUDGET YEAR, WHICH WILL BE FISCAL BUDGET YEAR 25, WE WILL RECOMMEND TO OUR COUNTY BUDGET COMMITTEE THAT WE PAY A SUPPLEMENTAL PAY OF HUNDRED ALL ELECTIONS ALL OVER WORK.
NOW YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THAT WE CAN REQUEST IT, BUT IT DOESN'T NECESSARILY MEAN WE WILL GET IT.
DO, UM, MARIE, WHEN DOES THE BUDGET CYCLE START FOR THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR? IT'S LIKE JANUARY.
SO HOW CAN WE HELP LOBBYING THE RIGHT PEOPLE TO HELP THEM TO HELP YOU GET IT APPROVED? GET AN OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT LIKE WE THOUGHT WE WERE GOING TO THIS PAST TIME WE DIDN'T, BUT IF WE GET AN OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT, UM, YOU BEING THE CHAIR OF THE BOARD, OF OF THE BUDGET COMMITTEE, YOU MAY WANT TO BE THERE SURE.
UM, AND ANY, ANY BOARD MEMBER NOW THAT'S SOMETHING YOU FEEL STRONGLY ABOUT AND YOU EXPRESS THAT TO THE BUDGET COMMITTEE, MAYBE THEY WON'T FEEL SO FINGER HAPPY TO DELETE IT OUT OF THE BUDGET.
I THINK THIS IS, I HAVE MY HAND UP MR. FORD.
SO WE, I'D LIKE THE, THE NOVEMBER 24 RECOMMENDATION, HOWEVER, I'M MORE INCLINED TO GET INVOLVED IN THIS PROCESS MUCH EARLIER THAN THAT.
IT, IT WILL BE, IT STARTS IN JANUARY.
OUR ACTUAL SUBMISSION, I I I THINK THE ACTUAL SUBMISSION IS LATE MARCH, EARLY APRIL.
SO WE'RE SAYING FOR THAT ONE WE HAVE, THAT'S WHAT WE WENT DO NOW FOR THAT.
SO, SO YEAH, WE HAVE TO HAVE IT APPROVED BEFORE JUNE 30TH OF THIS YEAR TO GO INTO EFFECT IN JULY OF 20 25, 4.
THAT'S THE FISCAL YEAR WE, WE ON FISCAL YEAR, JULY TO JUNE.
SO IF THERE, IF THERE ARE FUNDS THAT ARE AVAILABLE FROM THE COUNCIL BUDGET IMMEDIATELY, I, I AM MORE INCLINED TO TRYING TO GET THIS DONE SOONER RATHER THAN LATER.
AS IN THE EARLY PART OF 24, BECAUSE ONE OF THE NUMBER ONE COMPLAINTS I GOT IN NOVEMBER WAS THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT THEY'RE BEING PAID.
EVERY SITE THAT I WENT TO, EVERYBODY WAS COMPLAINING THAT WE ARE NOT PAYING THEM ENOUGH.
SO I I I THINK ALL BOARD MEMBERS WOULD BE WILLING TO YES.
GO TO THEIR COUNCIL REPS TO SEE IF THERE'S ANY WAY POSSIBLE TO GET ADDITIONAL FUNDS EARLIER IN THE YEAR IF IT'S AVAILABLE.
UM, I KNOW I AM BECAUSE LIKE I SAID, THOSE, THOSE POLL WORKERS AND CLERKS BEAT ME OVER THE HEAD IN NOVEMBER ABOUT NOT BEING PAID ENOUGH.
AND I FELT SO YOU WANNA MAKE THAT SPECIFIC TO A PARTICULAR
[01:40:01]
ELECTION.WE HAVE THE PPPS AND, AND I KNOW IT'S NOT GONNA BE AVAILABLE FOR THE PPPS AND IF YOU THINK IT'S GONNA BE AVAILABLE, IF YOU CAN SOLICIT COUNSEL AND GET ADDITIONAL MONIES FOR THE JUNE PRIMARY IS THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE SAYING? YEAH, I THINK THAT'S, THAT WILL BE PROBABLY THE MOST, THAT WILL BE TREMENDOUS REALISTIC DATE.
I I THINK DEFINITELY NEXT, NEXT.
I, I THINK THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT AS A BOARD WE NEED TO DEVELOP A STRATEGIC PLAN TO APPROACH AND NOT JUST INDIVIDUALLY TO OUR PARTICULAR COUNTY COUNCIL MEMBERS.
AND I THINK A, UM, AND APPROVED WELL THOUGHT OUT PLAN WOULD GIVE US BETTER RESULTS THAN, YOU KNOW, OUR INDIVIDUAL EFFORT.
I THINK COLLECTIVELY, I THINK THIS CAN BE DONE.
UH, WHO'S NEXT? I THINK I WAS, AND I WAS KIND OF PIGGYBACKING SOME OF WHAT YOU WERE SAYING IS IF TO DEVELOP THAT STRATEGIC PLAN THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, IF WE COULD HAVE, UH, IMPORTANT DATES, YOU KNOW, WHEN MEETINGS ARE BEING HELD, UH, INFORMATION ON, UM, YOU KNOW, THE PEOPLE THAT WE NEED TO CONTACT, IF WE CAN GET THE INFORMATION FROM YOU TO MAKE IT, UH, APPROACH EFFECTIVE, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE I AGREE THE AD HOC MIGHT HELP, BUT IT'S, IT'LL BE MUCH MORE EFFECTIVE IF IT'S A TEAM EFFORT.
THAT'S VERY ORGANIZED LIKE INFORMATION AS SOON AS, AS SOON AS WE KNOW WE CAN GET IT TO YOU.
THE ISSUE, LIKE SHE SAID, THE ISSUE WAS LAST YEAR THEY DIDN'T TELL US ANYTHING AND WE FIGURED THAT WHATEVER WE SUBMITTED WAS GOING TO GO THROUGH BECAUSE WE DIDN'T HAVE TO HAVE A MEETING FOR US TO EXPLAIN WHY WE FELT WE NEEDED THIS OR NEEDED THAT.
AND WE'VE JUST UTTERLY SURPRISED WHEN IT CAME THROUGH.
SO AS SOON AS WE KNOW, WE DON'T, WE DON'T HEAR ANYTHING WE THINK WE SHOULD BE HEARING, WE'LL APPROACH THEM AND SAY, HEY, ARE WE SUPPOSED TO HAVE A MEETING TO DISCUSS IT? WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT Y'ALL KNOW.
WELL IT MAY EVEN BEFORE THAT, SOON AS YOU SUBMIT IT, WE TAKE LEADERSHIP, WE SHOULD TAKE LEADERSHIP GIVE WHEN SUBMISSION IS AND ALL THAT KIND OF STUFF.
AND THROUGH THE FINANCE COMMITTEE WITH MR. UM, ACKER, WE'LL HAVE ALL THAT INFORMATION, YOU KNOW, INTO THE BOARD.
BUT UNTIL WE KNOW, WE CAN'T SAY WE DON'T KNOW.
BUT THE MINUTE WE KNOW WE'LL HAVE IT TO YOU.
BUT MY MY POINT IS EVEN BEFORE, YOU KNOW, AS LONG AS YOU'VE SUBMITTED IT.
NO, WE CAN'T SUBMIT, WE CAN'T SUBMIT BEFORE WE KNOW THEN IS THE BUDGET PROCESS.
MATT, AND THEN AFTER AMANDA'S GONNA BE THE, OKAY.
SO I, I AGREE WITH HERBERT THAT WE SHOULD TRY TO GET THE SUPPLEMENTS PREPARED FOR THE JUNE PRIMARIES AT LEAST.
UM, AND I AGREE WITH BEVERLY, IT SHOULD BE A FORMAL APPROACH.
UH, I BELIEVE THIS WOULD BE A, A SPECIAL APPROPRIATION FROM COUNTY COUNCIL, WHICH WOULD REQUIRE THREE READINGS.
SO I THINK THAT WE NEED TO LOOK AT THE COUNTY COUNCIL, UH, MEETING SCHEDULE AND TRY TO PUT TOGETHER OUR FORMAL REQUEST SO THAT WE CAN GET IT INTO THE, FOR FIRST READING AT THE NEXT COUNCIL MEETING.
AND, AND ALSO SOMEWHAT RELATED TO THIS, UH, MARIE, FOR YOUR INFORMATION, WHEN WE WERE UP IN COLUMBIA YESTERDAY, UH, WE ASKED HOWIE KNAPP IF HE WOULD DO A SURVEY OF ALL OF THE COUNTIES TO FIND OUT WHAT THEY'RE PAYING COWORKERS.
HE SAID IT WAS DONE THREE OR FOUR YEARS AGO, BUT THAT HE WOULD DO IT AGAIN.
SO I THINK IF, IF WE FROM BOTH SIDES CAN PUSH, UH, HOW HE NAPPED TO DO THAT, THAT WOULD HELP GIVE, UM, MR. BACKER AND WENDELL THE AMMUNITION THEY NEED FOR NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET.
AS MATT WAS SAYING, I, I WAS GOING TO BRING THAT UP.
UM, THE NEXT, UH, COUNTY COUNCIL MEETING, UM, I DO KNOW YOU, IF YOU WANNA SPEAK, YOU NORMALLY HAVE TO SIGN A LITTLE SLIP, UH, IN ORDER TO, TO SPEAK.
THE FINANCE COUNCIL, THEY HAVE A COMMITTEE, UH, FINANCE COMMITTEE.
THE SAME ONE WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE OTHER DAY.
UH, I THINK IT HAS TO GO THROUGH COMMITTEE.
'CAUSE IT'S, IT'S NOT LIKE WE ARE COMPLAINING ABOUT ANYTHING.
SO IT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED AS SUCH.
SO THE FINANCE, OKAY, SO WHEN DO THEY HAVE THEIR MEETINGS? OR YOU CAN PROBABLY LET US COME.
AND THEN THAT WAY, UH, THE CHAIR AND WE WILL BE THERE ALONG WITH THEM TO SHOW THAT WE ARE IN SUPPORT OF THAT AND MAKE THAT RECOMMENDATION.
MADAM CHAIR, WHEN WE, WHEN WILL WE MEET TO DEVELOP A PLAN? WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE STRATEGIC PLAN.
WHO'S THE CHAIR? THERE'S YOUR CHAIR RIGHT THERE NEXT TO YOU, MR. BACKER.
[01:45:01]
PUT TOGETHER A MEETING TO MAKE THE SPECIAL APPROPRIATION REQUEST? WE CAN DO IT RIGHT IN EARLY JANUARY.ADD THAT TO THE AGENDA FOR JAN THE WEEK OF THE EIGHTH.
WELL, I JUST, WHEN I HEARD SAW WENDELL AND GENE'S, OR CERTAINLY WENDELL'S SCHEDULE OF THE, THE HIGH SCHOOLS THAT HE'S GONNA BE, YOU KNOW, TRAINING.
I WAS TRYING TO PROPOSE A, UH, FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETING THE WEEK OF THE EIGHTH.
UM, MAYBE WE DON'T NEED, WE AND MARIE, IF YOU COULD BE AVAILABLE FOR A FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETING, THE INTENT OF THAT MEETING REALLY WAS TO REVIEW THE FIRST SIX MONTHS OF THE FISCAL YEAR AND JUST FOR THE COMMITTEE, SINCE IT'D BE OUR FIRST MEETING TO GET A, JUST A GENERAL UNDERSTANDING OF THE REPORTS THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO YOU, UM, WHAT THE BUDGET CYCLE IN THAT PROCESS REALLY IS.
AND THEN WHO THE KEY CONTACTS WOULD BE LIKE THE FINANCE COMMITTEE CHAIR AT COUNTY, AT COUNTY COUNCIL.
AND WE COULD USE THAT MEETING TO DEVELOP.
UH, IF WE CAN GET THAT DATE ON THE CALENDAR, WE CAN USE, WE CAN USE THAT MEETING TO KIND OF PUT TOGETHER A, A STRATEGY FOR APPROACH APPROACHING.
SO ALTERNATELY, IF WE LOOK AT THE COUNTY COUNCIL CALENDAR AND, AND THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO GET THIS, UH, SPECIAL APPROPRIATION REQUEST IN SOONER, COULD WE ISOLATE THAT ISSUE FROM THE GENERAL BUDGET DISCUSSION? YEAH.
THIS IS NOT ABOUT THE, THIS IS SPECIAL APPROPRIATION, RIGHT? YEAH.
UM, MR. BACKER, THE, THE FIRST WEEK IN JANUARY, I DON'T KNOW WHEN, I THINK THE MONTH COMES IN ON A MONDAY.
SO WE HAVE THAT WEEK IF YOU, YOU WANT TO STOP WORKING ON THAT, ON THAT PROPOSAL ON YOUR COMMITTEE.
AND, AND MAY I SUGGEST TOO THAT ANYONE WHO HAVE A THOUGHT, WE REALLY NEED TO KEEP IT TO THE COMMITTEE AND LET THE COMMITTEE DO THE PRELIMINARY WORK.
UM, JUST SEND IT TO MR. BACKER.
SO, UH, YOU, YOU CAN GIVE US A CALL, MR. BACKGROUND FOR THE MEETING AND COME UP WITH A DATE IF YOU ARE AVAILABLE THE FIRST WEEK OF JANUARY.
SO YOU'RE PROPOSING THE WEEK OF JANUARY 1ST.
SO YEAH, THAT VERY FIRST, SECOND.
YEAH, CLOSE THE FIRST, THE THIRD, FOURTH OR FIFTH, JIM.
OKAY, MR. FORWARD, WE, WE'LL WORK ON THAT.
IF, IF WE, IF WE, WE HAVE CLOSE A LOOP ON THAT.
I WANNA MAKE ANOTHER SUGGESTION.
WELL, THE BOARD JUST MADE A DECISION TO TRANSFER, UM, WORK TO THE STAFF.
AND I KNOW THAT WE ARE ALREADY DOWN AT LEAST ONE PERSON.
AND I'M THINKING THAT WITH THE ADDITIONAL RESPONSIBILITY THAT WE ARE THRUSTING ON STAFF, THERE SHOULD BE SOME CONSIDERATION TO POSSIBLY, UM, LOOKING FOR ADDITIONAL STAFF TO DO, TO GET THE WORK DONE.
SO I'M PROPOSING THAT AT LEAST ONE ADDITIONAL PERSON BE ADDED IN TERMS OF YOUR MANPOWER AS WELL AS A SLOT.
DO YOU ALL FEEL THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WOULD ALEVE SOME OF THE, THE STRESS THAT IS BEING THRUST UPON THE STAFF? NOT AT THIS TIME.
I, I THINK THAT, UM, WE ARE JUST LOOKING AT THE CALENDAR FOR THE BOARD.
THERE'S A FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETING ON JANUARY THE 16TH.
AND I KNOW THEY HAVE TO HAVE WHATEVER THE PROPOSALS ARE PRIOR TO THAT AND PROBABLY BE ALMOST LIKE A WEEK, I GUESS ON THE LEFT SIDE.
BUT SO FAR AS TAX STAFF IS CONCERNED, ONCE WE FILL OUR BILL, UM, THAT WE ARE DOWN, WHAT WE HAVE TO ALSO REMEMBER THIS, THIS YEAR, 2024 IS REALLY A UNUSUAL YEAR.
WE HAVE NEVER BEEN, UM, PLAGUED WITH SO MANY ELECTIONS SINCE PROBABLY BACK IN THE 2015, UM, IN 2016.
AND THE REASON FOR THAT IS BECAUSE WE DIDN'T EXPECT TO HAVE THE PPP TWO PPPS BECAUSE USUALLY THE SEATING PRESIDENT OR WHATEVER PARTY THAT IS DOESN'T HAVE A PPP.
SO WE WERE ONLY PLANNING FOR ONE PPP, UNFORTUNATELY THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN.
UM, BUT NO, SO FAR AS STAFF IS CONCERNED, BUT WHEN WE GO THROUGH ALL OF THESE CHANGES IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS,
[01:50:01]
WE WILL ALLOW STAFF DECIDE WHETHER OR NOT WE THINK WE HAVE ADDITIONAL.RIGHT NOW I DON'T SEE IT, BUT JEAN MAY HAVE OTHER PLANS AND
TYPICALLY, WE, WE ARE NOT THIS STRETCH.
I SAID WE TWO SPECIAL ELECTIONS WITHIN, UM, TWO MONTHS IS UNHEARD OF FOR US.
OH, I THINK IT'S NO, THAT, THAT'S NOT WHAT I'M SAYING.
I'M SAYING THAT THIS TIME THAT WE ARE WE IN THE CRUNCH TIME RIGHT NOW, BUT IT'S NOT GONNA ALWAYS BE THAT WAY.
AND YOU GOTTA, WHEN YOU SAY HELP, HELP THEM WALK IN THE DOOR ON EVERYTHING.
SO THAT LEARNING CURVE IS GONNA BE JUST ANOTHER THING TO DO.
SO THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT WASN'T UNDER THE TABLE STATEMENT.
THAT WAS NOT MEANT TO BE ADDRESSED.
NO, WE'RE NOT IN EXECUTIVE SESSION
I KNOW WE RUNNING OUT TIME BECAUSE WE GETTING ALMOST TWO HOURS HERE.
SO, UM, IF YOU DON'T MIND, CAN WE MOVE ON? WE MOVE FORWARD.
WE HAVE MADE SOME GOOD STRIDES ON SECURITY POLLING LOCATIONS AND THESE ARE SOME OF THE LISTINGS THAT WE'VE HAD ALREADY.
BUT WE HAVE CONFIRMED MAY RIVER, UM, MY SCHOOL, WE HAVE CONFIRMED MAY RIVER BAPTIST CHURCH.
WE HAVE, I'M NOT SURE IF THAT'S ON THE NEXT PAGE.
THE NEIGHBOR OF BAPTIST CHURCH HAS BEEN CONFIRMED.
UH, WE'VE CONFIRMED USCB BOUNDARY STREET GYMNASIUM THAT USED TO BE THE OLD BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB.
SO THEY HAVE A BIG GYMNASIUM IN THERE.
AND SO WE ARE GONNA BE USING THAT.
WE'RE GONNA BE USING THAT IN FEBRUARY BECAUSE THE ISSUES WE HAVE WITH GREEN STREET GYM AND ALL OF THAT, WE JUST DECIDED YEAH, THEY'RE SCHEDULED.
THAT CHURCH HAS BEEN CONFIRMED AND THE CI ISLAND PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH HAS BEEN CONFIRMED.
HAM HAS BEEN CONFIRMED AS WELL.
UM, THE, THE CHALLENGE IS, UM, NOTIFY, WE WERE TOLD THAT WE HAVE TO NOTIFY, UM, OUR VOTERS WHEN WE CHANGE PRECINCT AND WHEN WE CHANGE POLLING LOCATION.
I KNOW WHEN WE CHANGE POLLING LOCATION 'CAUSE THEY ARE PHYSICALLY MOVING TO A DIFFERENT PLACE, WE HAVE TO NOTIFY THEM.
NOW THE QUESTION IS WHEN DO WE NOTIFY THEM IS THE, IS THE OTHER QUESTION.
BUT, UM, SO WE WILL BE SENDING OUT FOR SURE SOME VOTER REGISTRATION CARDS AND WE LOOKED AT OUR BUDGET SO FAR AS, UM, PRINTING AND MAILING POSTAGE PRINTING AND POSTAGE.
THE TOWN OF HILTON HEAD, NOT THE TOWN BUT PUBLIC SERVICE DISTRICT OF HILTON HEAD BY LAW, THEY HAVE TO NOTIFY EVERYBODY AS WELL.
SO WE KNOW ALL OF THE PRECINCTS ON HILLS NET EXCEPT FOR A FEW, UH, WILL HAVE TO BE NOTIFIED PLUS THE NEW ONES OF THEIR NEW PSB DISTRICTS.
SO WHEN WE SOLICIT FUNDS FOR FOUR WORKERS, WE MAY NEED TO SOLICIT ADDITIONAL FUNDS TO MAKE SURE EVERY VOTER IN BEFORD COUNTY GET A VOTER REGISTRATION CARD WITH ALL THE CHANGES.
BUT WE DO NEED TO CONFIRM THESE CASES BECAUSE IF WE DON'T HAVE 'EM CONFIRMED, UM, AND WE SEND OUT A, A VOTER REGISTRATION CARD AND TWO MONTHS LATER WE GET IT CONFIRMED, WE GOTTA SEND OUT ANOTHER ONE.
SO WE NEED TO GET ALL OUR POLLING LOCATIONS TO, TO US CONFIRM AND READY TO GO.
SO IF YOU ARE STILL LOOKING AT SOME LOCATIONS AND YOU'RE NOT SURE, UM, SEE IF YOU CAN PUT A LITTLE BIT OF PRESSURE ON THOSE FOLKS TO, TO SAY YAY OR NAY SO THAT WE CAN GET IT ALL DONE ONE TIME.
UH, JUST JUST A REMINDER OF THE SCARE CONFERENCE AND WHAT WE LEFT OUT OF HERE.
THE LIFESTYLE IS THAT OUR SCARE CONFERENCE IS A LEGISLATIVE CONFERENCE.
WE HAVE LEGISLATORS THERE FROM THE ACROSS THE STATE AT THAT CONFERENCE AND WE KIND OF LIKE SHARE WITH THEM WHAT OUR CONCERNS ARE, WHAT OUR GOALS ARE FOR THE ORGANIZATION AND FOR THE ELECTION OFFICIALS AND VOTERS IN OUR STATE.
SO WE THAT SOME OF US HAVE, UH, PERSONAL CONTACT WITH SOME OF OUR LEGISLATORS OVER THE YEARS.
WE'VE ONLY HAD, SINCE I'VE BEEN
[01:55:01]
GOING TO SC AND I'VE BEEN HERE FOR 18 YEARS, I'VE ONLY HAD ONE OF OUR LEGISLATOR TO ATTEND A SCALE CONFERENCE.NOW THIS YEAR'S A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT BECAUSE IT'S IN MARCH AND TYPICALLY WE HAVE IT IN FEBRUARY.
NOW WHETHER OR NOT THEY WILL BE IN THEIR BUDGET SESSIONS, WHICH WAS THE EXCUSE WHY THEY COULDN'T COME BEFORE.
'CAUSE THEY WERE INVOLVED MOSTLY IN THEIR, IN, IN THE STATE BUDGET SESSIONS, BUT WE'VE HAD LEGISLATORS TO COME AND MAYBE THEY WERE WITHIN THE VICINITY WHILE THEY WERE ABLE TO COME.
WE DID HAVE ONE SENATOR TO COME FROM OUR DELEGATION TWO, TWO YEARS AGO.
UM, AND THAT WAS MARGIE BRIGHT MATTHEWS BECAUSE HER DIRECTOR KIND OF LIKED, UM, THE LADY, UM, IN HAMPTON COUNTY PRETTY MUCH, UH, PUT HER ON BLAST
SO SHE FELT, SHE FELT, UM, OBLIGATED TO COME.
SO, BUT YOU GUYS, IF YOU, IF YOU KNOW YOUR LEGISLATORS TO THAT POINT, IF YOU COULD GET THEM TO COME, JUST LISTEN TO THE, DON'T JUST LISTEN TO WHAT BEFORD COUNTY IS SAYING.
LISTEN TO WHAT'S BEING SAID ACROSS THE STATE FROM ACROSS FROM OTHER COUNTIES AND, AND THE CHALLENGES THAT ARE, UM, BEING FACED BY, UH, VOTERS AND OUR OFFICES.
WHAT, CHRIS, WHEN DO YOU THINK YOU'LL HAVE AN, AN IDEA OF WHAT THE AGENDA IS GONNA LOOK LIKE? YEAH, I, I CALLED THE, THE PRESIDENT TO SEE IF SHE HAD A TENTATIVE AGENDA.
USUALLY WE TRY TO PUT UP A TENTATIVE AGENDA SO BOARD MEMBERS WILL KNOW, UM, WHAT THE SCHEDULES ARE.
BUT, UM, SHE, SHE DIDN'T ANSWER.
SO, UM, IF ONCE WE GET THE TENTATIVE AGENDA, WE'LL GET THAT OUT TO YOU AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
THE STATE TYPICALLY DOES HAVE CLASSES, SO, UM, IF NOTHING ELSE, YOU KNOW, THERE WILL BE A CLASS, UM, THAT IS USUALLY A NON WHAT THEY, IT'S USUALLY PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT.
YEAH, PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, WHICH YOU COULD ALSO USE.
WELL THEY SAID THAT THE, THIS WEEK THAT WE COULD, IF WE TOOK A CLASS THAT WOULD COUNT TOWARDS, TOWARDS THE TRAINING REQUIREMENT THAT WE HAVE.
THE LAST TIME I THINK THEY DID THREE.
SO THERE WILL BE CLASSES THERE.
SO JUST LOOK AT YOUR SCHEDULE 10, STICK THE PENCIL IT IN, AND AS SOON AS WE GET THE AGENDA WITH A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAILS, WE'LL SEND IT TO YOU.
AND IT IS A GOOD OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU JUST TO RELAX AND, AND GET TO KNOW REST.
THE PEOPLE ARE DOING THE SAME THINGS YOU'RE DOING GET, YOU REALLY GET TO NETWORK WITH OTHER COUNTIES AND UM, IT'S A REALLY GOOD ENVIRONMENT TO, UM, MINGLE WITH PEOPLE WHO ARE HEADED IN THE SAME DIRECTION AND HAVE THE SAME RESPONSIBILITIES AS YOU DO.
SO YOU CAN GET SOME ON HAND COMPARATIVE NOTES ABOUT THE OTHER COUNTIES AND THE LEGISLATIVE INFORMATION IS VERY, VERY INTERESTING AND USEFUL.
I, I FOUND THAT EACH CONFERENCE IS VERY USEFUL.
ANY QUESTIONS FOR MARIE? OKAY, MATT GOT ONE.
UM, ACTUALLY I HAVE A QUESTION FOR YOU MADAM CHAIR.
UH, BASED ON THE MOTION THAT PASSED TO, UH, SHIFT THE MANAGEMENT OF FULL MANAGERS TO STAFF INSTEAD OF BOARD MEMBERS, THE UH, BOARD OPERATIONS MANUAL INDIVIDUAL RESPONSIBILITIES SECTION NEEDS TO BE REVISED TO HAVE THAT BULLET REGARDING APPOINTING POLL MANAGERS THAT NEEDS TO BE MOVED TO THE DIRECTOR'S SECTION.
SO, UH, SINCE MR. PELLEY ISN'T HERE, COULD YOU ASK, UH, THE RULES COMMITTEE TO MAKE THAT CHANGE, PLEASE? MM-HMM.
EILEEN, CAN I GET A COPY, GIVE IT TO JEAN.
I'M ON THAT COMMITTEE AND I'M WILLING TO ACT AS, I GUESS YOU'D CALL IT ACTING CHAIR SINCE CRAIG, I'M GLAD YOU VOLUNTARY
NO, I MEAN, I MEAN I, I'M WILLING TO DO THAT AND UH, TRY TO, JEAN WILL GET A COPY FOR US, GET THE, GET IT UPDATED.
UM, IF YOU CAN GIVE ME WHATEVER CHANGES THAT YOU SEE BASED ON THE CHANGES WE'VE MADE TODAY, I'LL TRY TO GET THEM IN THERE.
I'LL GIVE 'EM TO, SHE'S GONNA MAKE A COPY.
KIM, LEMME JUST ASK ONE LITTLE QUESTION.
THE CO MANAGERS COMANAGER MANAGEMENT SPEAK, IS THAT WHAT YOU GUYS WERE TALKING ABOUT? OR WAS IT THAT WAS ON US.
WE SHOULD ACCOMPLISH, I IF YOU DON'T MIND WAITING.
[02:00:01]
SOME OF THE THINGS WE HEARD IN COLUMBIA, I HAVE A COUPLE QUESTIONS FOR MARIE AS WELL AS A COUPLE OF OTHER ISSUES THAT I WAS INTERESTED IN.SO, UM, HOW I TALKED ABOUT DRUG SKEW AND HOW HORRIBLE THEY ARE ACROSS THE STATE.
ARE WE UP TO DATE ON, I'M SORRY, HOW WE, AT OUR CONFERENCE THAT WE, YOU KNOW, THE TRAINING WE DO THE LAST COUPLE OF DAYS WE TALKED ABOUT THE QUEUE AND THAT THEY'RE HORRIBLE ACROSS THE STATE.
PEOPLE HAVEN'T ENTERED THE DATA.
ARE WE UP TO DATE ON THAT? ENTERING NEW PEOPLE FROM DMV.
DMV, THAT'S WHAT HE CALLED IT.
'CAUSE HE SAID ACROSS THE STATE IT'S A, IT'S A MESS.
SO WE'RE IN GOOD SHAPE CURVE ON THAT.
ALL ONLINE VOTER REGISTRATION.
WE HAVE ONE PERSON ASSIGNED TO ONLINE AND ONE PERSON ASSIGNED TO, AND THE MOTOR COMES IN ONCE A WEEK.
WELL, AS I SAID, HE, HE BASICALLY SAID BOARD MEMBER NEEDS TO GO BACK AND FIND OUT HOW COUNTY IS DOING BECAUSE MOST COUNTIES, SO WE'RE AHEAD OF THAT.
UH, THIS IS NOT BASED ON, UM, WELL LET ME DO THE ONE THAT'S BASED ON ELSE.
HE TALKED ABOUT A SECURITY SURVEY THAT THE SEC DID INJUNCTION WITH HOMELAND SECURITY AND HE SAID BASED ON THE QUESTION FROM THE AUDIENCE, THAT NOT ONLY ARE WE ALLOWED TO SEE IT, WE STRONGLY URGE THAT WE SEE IT AND UM, BE AWARE SO WE COULD BE AWARE OF THE SECURITY ISSUES THAT WERE BROUGHT UP IN THAT AUDIT.
AND OF COURSE WE JUST HAD OUR EXPERT ON UM, YOU KNOW, EXECUTIVE SESSION.
BUT OBVIOUSLY I THINK AS HE SAID, WE SHOULDN'T EVEN SHARE IT WITH THE DELEGATION.
THE ONLY PERSON HE SAID WE SHOULD SHARE WITH, AND CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, IS COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR AND, BUT THAT WE SHOULD SEE THAT AND WE DON'T HAVE IT.
THEY HAVE NOT SENT IT TO US YET.
DOES HE IMPLIED THAT ALL THE COUNTIES HAVE IT? OKAY.
WELL AS SOON AS IT COMES IN, THE SURVEY IS A PHYSICAL SURVEY.
THEY COME AROUND, HOMELAND SECURITY SLASH COMES AROUND AND THEY DO A WALKTHROUGH AND WHATEVER, AND THEN THEY SET, WRITE UP A REPORT.
THAT'S VERY INTERESTING BECAUSE HE SAID THAT WITHIN THE LAST YEAR THEY FINISHED EVERY COUNTY.
HE CAME, THEY CAME, THEY CAME.
WE JUST, THEY CAME, WE TALKED ACTUALLY.
AND ACTUALLY WHAT WE DID, ACTUALLY WHAT WE DID WITH THEM WAS WE TOLD 'EM SOME THINGS WE FELT THAT WE NEEDED TO HAVE AND THEY SAID WHAT WE WILL DO, WE WILL PUSH IT.
LIKE I AM NOT TELLING 'EM WHERE THEY ARE.
I'M JUST, HE SAID WE'LL PUSH IT SO THAT YOUR PEOPLE WILL DO IT FOR YOU.
MAKING IT, WE'LL SAY IT'S IMPORTANT THAT YOU GET THIS DONE.
WELL IS WHEN THAT TIME COMES, YOU KNOW, IF WE COULD SCHEDULE AN EXECUTIVE SESSION BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY THAT IS ONE OF THE APPROPRIATE TIMES.
I, I KNOW WHAT HE'S TALKING ABOUT.
WE'VE GOTTEN, THEY TRIED TO DO IT LIKE, UM, EVERY TUESDAY AND UM, BUT WE HAVE NOT GOTTEN THE ONE THAT THEY, THE LAST ONE.
SO THEY DID THE, THE, THEY DID THE EXAMINATION, BUT WE JUST HAVEN'T GOTTEN THE REPORT, THE REPORT THE RESULTS.
SO WHEN THAT COMES IN, YOU KNOW, WE COULD SCHEDULE BACK THE BOARD THAT YES.
AND MY LAST ONE IS NOT BASED ON THIS, BUT BASED ON SOME OF MY EXPERIENCE AS A THIRD, LAST JUNE WOULD WOULD HAPPEN WHEN WE DID DO DISTRICTING.
IS THERE A WAY, AND I THINK THIS WOULD BE A GREAT THING FOR YOUR PRECINCT COMMITTEE TO DO, UM, THAT WE CAN BASICALLY CONDUCT OUR OWN PERSONAL AUDIT, UH, SAMPLE, UM, SOME OF THE PIECES THAT HAVE BEEN CHANGED TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY WERE UPDATED CORRECTLY.
HOW YOU GONNA DO THAT? WHATCHA GONNA DO? HOW YOU GONNA DO THAT? OKAY.
WE HAVE PERSON'S NAME, EXCUSE ME, I NOT JUST NAME REALLY DRY AND I MEAN THIS IS JUST MY OFF THE WALL THINKING THAT COULD BE IMPROVED AND YOU JUST DO A PHOTO SEARCH LIKE SOMEBODY COMES IN TO VOTE.
I MEAN, I'M LETTING YOU KNOW OKAY.
PRECINCT AND WHAT WE ARE DOING, WHAT HAPPENED THE LAST TIME AND, AND YOU KNOW, I ALMOST KIND OF, TO BE HONEST WITH YOU, SICK AND TIRED OF THAT.
THAT WAS A, A MISTAKE THAT WAS NOT TOTALLY THIS OFFICE FAULT.
AND THAT INCLUDES THE PEOPLE NOT BEING INV.
WE HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH IT.
WHAT HAPPENED IN JUNE LAST YEAR WAS THAT A DISTRICT WAS NOT UPDATED ON THE STREET FILE AND THEN THAT WAS BECAUSE WE DIDN'T HAVE THAT INFORMATION TO UPDATE IT ON THE STREET FILE, BUT WE TOOK THE HEAT FOR THAT.
SO WHAT WE HAVE DONE IS RIGHT NOW WE GET THESE REPORTS COMING FROM
[02:05:01]
RFA THROUGH THE STATE ELECTION COMMISSION.THE REVENUE AND FISCAL AFFAIRS OFFICE, WHO'S RESPONSIBLE FOR MAPPING OR KEEPING THE, THE, THE MAPS OF EVERY COUNTY IN OUR STATE.
AND ON THAT MAP, THOSE MAPS SHOULD MATCH WITH OUR LOCAL MAPS.
SO WE GET INFORMATION FROM THEM THAT ARE INCORRECT, I BELIEVE.
AND, AND, AND, AND WE'VE GONE THROUGH TWO REPORTS FROM THEM THAT IT WAS LIKE, LISTEN, THIS IS NOT RIGHT.
AND SO WE COMPARE WITH WHAT WE HAVE LOCALLY WITH WHAT THEY HAVE.
AND THEN THE TWO OF OUR TWO GIS PEOPLE THEY TALKED TO MAKE THE, THE, THE FIX.
NOW WHEN WE DID THE REDISTRICTING, THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN BECAUSE WE DIDN'T KNOW IT WAS INCORRECT UNTIL WHAT HAPPENED HAPPENED.
AND THAT'S WHEN WE REALIZED THERE WERE A LOT OF THINGS THAT PROBABLY, UM, WE, WE WERE MORE AWARE OF THE FACT THAT WE NEED TO CHECK BEHIND THE PEOPLE WHO TELLING US WHAT TO DO.
SO, SO THERE IS A PROCEDURE IN PLACE TO CHECK BEHIND THE PEOPLE TO MAKE SURE PEOPLE HAVE BEEN PUT IN THE RIGHT PRECINCTS? YES.
BECAUSE I MEAN, ULTIMATELY WE'RE RESPONSIBLE.
IF, IF THEY'RE NOT, AND I WAS HOPING THAT WE COULD COME UP WITH THE WAY THAT PRIOR TO THE TIME PEOPLE ACTUALLY VOTED, WE COULD DO A RANDOM SAMPLE TO CHECK THAT, YOU KNOW, CORRECT PRECINCT.
WELL, THE CORRECT PRECINCT IS KIND OF COMPLICATED.
A PERSON IS PUT IN A PRECINCT BASED ON WHERE THEY LIVE.
THE ADDRESS PHYSICAL, A PHYSICAL ADDRESS, NOT THE MAILING ADDRESS, THE PHYSICAL ADDRESS.
THEY'RE PHYSICAL, THEY'RE DOMICILE.
THE STREET FILES ARE GENERATED, UM, BY THE GIS DEPARTMENT OR THE MAPPING DEPARTMENT OR HOWEVER YOU WANNA CALL IT.
WE IN TURN CREATE THOSE STREET FILES.
WE TAKE THOSE STREET FILES AND WE SET 'EM UP IN OUR RIMS SYSTEM, OUR VOTER REGISTRATION MANAGEMENT SYSTEM.
AND THEN THE STATE HAS A PROCESS CALLED REDISTRICTING THAT ONCE WE GET THOSE FILES SET UP, THEY WILL MOVE ALL THE VOTERS INTO THE CORRECT PRECINCT.
NOW, THERE WAS AN ISSUE THAT HAPPENED DURING THE LAST ELECTION WHERE ONE GUY WAS NOT IN THE RIGHT PRECINCT, OKAY? BUT HE WAS NOT IN THE RIGHT PRECINCT BECAUSE OF, OF WHAT WE DID.
IT WAS THE WAY THE LINES WERE DRAWN, WHICH WE CANNOT CHANGE.
WE CANNOT CHANGE PRECINCT LINES.
THIS GENTLE, WELL THIS FAMILY, UM, LIVED IN BE FAIR, BUT WHEN THEY, WHEN THE STATE DREW THE LINES AND THE COUNTY DREW THE LINE, THEY DREW THIS ONE PARTICULAR STREET IN BE FAIR, UM, OUT OF BE FAIR INTO ROSE HILL.
SO A VOTER SAID, HEY, I DIDN'T GET THE VOTE IN MY PRECINCT THAT I NORMALLY VOTE IN.
WELL NO YOU DIDN'T BECAUSE YOU LIVE IN WELL IN, IN, IN, IN ROSE HILL.
SO WE HAD TO GO BACK TO THE STATE AND SAY, Y'ALL GOTTA RECALL THE LINE.
AND YOU KNOW WHAT, HE'S NOT GONNA GET DONE UNTIL JANUARY BECAUSE IT HAS TO GO BACK TO THE LEGISLATORS FOR IT TO BE DONE.
SO IT, IT'S A LOT THAT'S INVOLVED IN THAT PROCESS THAN JUST LOOKING AT IT AND SAY, YOU, YOU, YOU CANNOT NECESSARILY LOOK AT IT AND SAY THIS PERSON IS IN THE RIGHT PRECINCT OR NOT IN THE RIGHT PRECINCT.
WELL, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE, BECAUSE THE ISSUE I DEALT WITH WAS DIFFERENT.
THE PEOPLE WERE NOT ACTUALLY UPLOADED INTO THE EPV REMEMBER THE 63 CALLS I MADE TO YOU THAT DAY? RIGHT.
AND I WANTED TO KNOW IF THERE'S A WAY PRIOR TO THE ELECTION THAT WE CAN TEST THAT PEOPLE HAVE BEEN PLACED IN THEIR, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU CAN COME UP WITH ONE.
WE CAN, CHRIS, YOU KNOW, A WAGE IS NOT LET'S THINK, LET'S LET US JUST THINK ABOUT IT.
OKAY? BECAUSE AGAIN, THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT THE STATE DID NOT DO.
BUT THIS ONE WOULD BE TIME SENSITIVE IN THE SENSE THAT WE'VE GOT PPPS COMING UP.
IT'S NOT SOMETHING IF WE'RE GONNA DO, WE CAN WAIT.
WE NEED THE, THE PROBLEMS WILL BE THERE IN FEBRUARY IF IT'S NOT.
WELL, LIKE I SAID, THAT WAS, AGAIN, A LOT OF THINGS WENT ON WITH THAT REDISTRICTING.
I I WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW THAT BECAUSE EVERYBODY'S LOOKING AT ME LIKE WE SCREWED UP.
I'M SORRY I'M
THE TRUTH IS PEOPLE BELIEVE A LOT BEFORE THE TRUTH.
I DON'T, YOU KNOW, THAT WE BEEN PREACHING, CHRIS, WE, WE TALK ABOUT THIS EVERY DAY.
'CAUSE WE ARE GOING THROUGH THIS PROCESS NOW.
UPDATING, UPDATING OUR STREET FILES, MOVING ALL THESE NEW PEOPLE INTO THE NEW PRECINCTS WHERE THEY NEED TO BE.
AND, AND WE HAVE A INTERNAL CHECK AND BALANCE SYSTEM THAT WE ARE USING TO EACH OF US CHECKING
[02:10:01]
BEHIND EACH OTHER.AND THIS WAS INVALUABLE TO HELP SPEAK TO THE PROPERTY MANAGERS, A PROSPECTIVE NEW POLLING PLACES SO THEY COULD UNDERSTAND WHAT COMMUNITY WOULD BE VOTING THERE.
SO I THANK YOU FOR PUTTING THIS TOGETHER AND I THINK IF ANY OTHER BOARD MEMBERS WANT AN EASY TO UNDERSTAND DIVISION OF, UH, PRECINCT SPLITS, MARIE COULD PROBABLY HELP TO GET THE GIS DEPARTMENT.
YEAH, WE DID ONE FOR THE HAVEN WHEN WE WERE TRYING TO GO TO THE HAVEN.
WE DON'T WANT TO PUT MORE ON THEM SINCE THEY GO THE OTHER ONE LIST AND THE CALL AND ALL THAT.
THOSE ARE GOOD QUESTIONS AND, AND GOOD CONCERNS.
AND I THANK YOU ALL FOR UNDERSTANDING THAT THERE HAVE A LOT INVOLVED WITH WHAT'S GOING ON RIGHT NOW AND WE ARE DOING THE BEST WE CAN TO MAKE SURE WE DON'T MAKE ANY MISTAKES BECAUSE WE DO NOT WANT TO REPEAT OF WHAT HAPPENED SINCE YOU WERE JUST TALKING ABOUT HOW A PRECINCT LINE COULD POSSIBLY BE MOVED OR HAS TO BE DONE BY THE LEGISLATURE.
I HEARD FROM A NUMBER OF PEOPLE AT PALMETTO BLUFF ABOUT THIS TI I GUESS TINY AREA CALLED I THINK HEADQUARTERS OR SOMETHING WHERE THERE'S MAYBE A HANDFUL OF PALMETTO BLUFF RESIDENTS LIVE THERE.
THEY HAVE TO VOTE SOMEWHERE ELSE.
AND FOR EVERYBODY ELSE IN PALMETTO BLUFF, IT TURNED OUT TO BE VERY CONVENIENT FOR THEM TO BE ABLE TO VOTE AT THERE.
DO YOU KNOW ONE OF THE VOTERS NAMES PALM? WHAT'S THE NAME OF THE AREA? I THINK IT'S CALLED HEADWATERS.
WE LOOKING FOR THAT BECAUSE THAT IT'S GONNA TAKE PEOPLE, IT'S NOT MANY PEOPLE LIVE.
NO, IT'S JUST A, A SMALL NUMBER OF PEOPLE.
IT'S, IT'S, IT'S POSSIBLY THE WISE OR HAMILTON, BECAUSE I KNOW THE AREA THAT, UH, HE'S REFERRING TO, THEY WERE NOT ANNEXED EITHER INTO UH, PALMETTO BLUFF WHEN PALMETTO BLUFF WAS FOR THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON.
SO IS THAT PART OF THAT COMMUNITY BLUFF? YEAH.
YEAH, BECAUSE THEY WERE OUTSIDE TOO, WANTING TO GO LIVE.
THEY WEREN'T EVEN IN THE TOWN OF TON WHEN PALM BLOCK ANNEXED INTO THE TOWN OF BLOCK.
THEY JUST DIDN'T WANT TO PULL THAT GHOST STRIP IN THAT YOU SAID WISE WISE? YEAH.
YOU DON'T KNOW FIRST NAME? YOU CAN'T REMEMBER? WELL, NO, I DON'T KNOW WHY IT'S FIRST ONE FIRST, BUT I CAN GET IT NOW 'CAUSE I KNOW, I KNOW THEM.
AND THE LINES THAT ARE DRAWN ARE DRAWN BY THE STATE AND ONCE IT'S BEEN DRAWN IT GOES UP TO THE CON THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS AS HISTORY.
SO ANY CHANGES HAVE TO GO BACK TO THE LEGISLATORS.
SO IF YOU KNOW OF ISSUES LIKE THAT, YOU NEED TO LET US KNOW SO WE CAN HAVE THEM LOOK INTO IT.
ANYBODY ELSE? CLOSING COMMENTS, ANNOUNCEMENTS, MOVING ON ALONG.
ANY ANNOUNCEMENTS? WELL, I HAVE ONE.
I WOULD LIKE TO WISH EVERYONE, UH, MERRY, MERRY CHRISTMAS.
UH, DAWN, YOU'RE GETTING YOUR EYES DONE RIGHT IN JANUARY.
THE PRE-OP IS NEXT WEEK AND THE PROCEDURE IS IN JANUARY.
UM, AND I WOULD JUST LIKE, AGAIN TO JUST SAY TO UH, BEVERLY ON THAT GREAT REPORT THAT YOU'VE GIVEN, UM, YOU'VE ALWAYS GAVE REPORTS, BUT UH, I GUESS BECAUSE WE ARE INTO THE END OF THE YEAR, YOU DECIDED THAT YOU WOULD JUST REALLY HIT IT OUT OF THE PARK.
AND I THINK EVERYONE ELSE, UH, FOR THEIR WORK AND DUE DILIGENCE THAT THEY'RE DOING SO THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO WORK AS A TEAM, UM, EVERYONE TO BE SAFE.
AND, UH, OUR NEXT BOARD MEETING IS SCHEDULED FOR JANUARY 24TH.
COUNTY COUNCIL CHAMBERS AT 2:00 PM AND, UH, THE FINANCE COMMITTEE, PLEASE DON'T FORGET TO, UH, SEND YOUR NOTES TO UH, MR. BACKER SO THAT WAY HE CAN HAVE HIS INFORMATION READY.
THANK YOU LIZ, FOR STEPPING IN SO WE CAN, UH, GET EVERYTHING UPDATED SO EVERY BOARD MEMBER CAN HAVE A MANUAL IN HIS OR HER POSSESSION.
WE NEED THAT DONE LIKE YESTERDAY, LAST WEEK.
UM, ANYTHING ELSE BEFORE I ASK FOR AN ADJOURNMENT? UH,
[02:15:01]
OUR HOLIDAY BREAK WILL BE DECEMBER 22ND, 22ND, FRIDAY, 25TH AND 26TH.IS THAT THE SAME AS CHRISTMAS BREAK?
THIS CHECK AND JAN AND JANUARY ONE.
SECOND THAT WE ADJOURN THIS MEETING.
EVERYBODY PLEASE BE SAFE AND THANKS FOR THE GREAT WORK THAT WE DON'T FORGET TO SEND YOU INFORMATION OFF, CRAIG.