[CALL TO ORDER]
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FIRST WE GET STARTED DOWN HERE ON OUR TIMES. GOOGLE PUBLISHED THE PLACE OF ALLEGIANCE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG PROBABLY UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO WHICH IT STANDS ONE NATION UNDER GOD INDIVISIBLE WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
[2. FOIA – PUBLIC NOTIFICATION OF THIS MEETING HAS BEEN PUBLISHED, POSTED, AND DISTRIBUTED IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE SOUTH CAROLINA FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT.]
THANK YOU CAN ALWAYS MAKE A POINT OF OCCASION I CAN'T BE POSTED YES I HAVE APPROVAL[3. APPROVAL OF MINUTES – NOVEMBER 17, 2023]
OF THE MINUTES GOING BACK TO THE ONLY CORRECTION I NOTED WAS THIS DEBATE AT THE TOP REFERENCE AUGUST 22 I REALLY DID BACK IN NOVEMBER 17 SCREENING WITHOUT OBJECTION TO THE MINUTES ANY OBJECTIONS SUBJECT MATTER TRUTH CITIZEN COMMENTS ANYBODY ON THE PANEL THAT WISHES TO MAKE THAT COMMENT OKAY. IS THERE ANY BUSINESS YOU'D LIKE TO ADD TO THE AGENDA THAT I THINK IT'S POINT ANSWER ALL RIGHT.MORE NUMEROUS HERE AT THE MEETING I DON'T THAT YOU KNOW YOU KNOW EVERYBODY IN GENERAL THOUGHT EVERYBODY WHAT'S YOUR NAME WHY DON'T WE JUST GO AROUND I JUST GO AROUND INTRODUCE OURSELVES BY OUR DAVID BARTHOLOMEW AND I'M ON DISTRICT TWO WITH COUNSEL BEN WILLIS COUNTERPART ROLE SCOTT MARSHALL CITY ALSO OUR PRIMARY THING IS YOUR COVER DISTRICT THREE CONGRATULATIONS AS YOU AND SAYS I DON'T KNOW WE GO ROUND THE BACK YES WE DO THAT IN PURPOSE YOU HAVE A COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION WHEN WE START ON THIS SITE AND WE'LL GO ROUND TO THAT SITE BY GREEN PLANNER TO CITY BEFORE IT OCCURRED.
YEAH SO TAYLOR LAB PLANNING MANAGER FOR JUST FOR WATER AND SEWER I'M DANA WITH A GROUP OF JACKSONVILLE HOUSING TRUST CHRISTIAN DEPARTMENTS COUNTY VOLUNTEER PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR OF PLANNING AND SERVING NO ACROSS TOWN FOR OIL PLANNING MARIANNE KRIEGER AT THE AIR STATION ALL RIGHT THANK YOU AND WELCOME ON CONGRATULATIONS. WELCOME.
[5. PROGRAM AND ADMINISTRATIVE ORGANIZATION UPDATES – DANA TOTMAN, INTERIM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, BEAUFORT-JASPER HOUSING TRUST FUND]
APPRECIATE IT. THANK OUR OUR SPEAKER FOR THIS MORNING ON THE TOPIC OF PROGRAM ADMINISTRATIVE ORGANIZATION ORGANIZATIONAL UPDATES FOR THANK YOU FOR JASPER HOUSEKEEPING TRUST FUND CREDIT A TOP EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR DANA IF YOU LIKE TAKE THE PODIUM WE'LL JUST WAIT JUST YES AND THIS IS JESSE WHITE. I KNOW YOU KNOW JESSE EVERYBODY KNOWS THAT HE IS NOT A QUIET PERSON ACTUALLY AND READY READY SIR.WE'RE ALL SET UP THE MORNING EVERYBODY. THANKS FOR HAVING ME.
I'M GOING TO TALK SEVERAL THINGS HERE. I'M GOING TO ABOUT HOUSING IN BEAUFORT COUNTY GENERAL. I'M GOING TO TALK ABOUT HOW OUR ORGANIZATION, THE BEAUFORT JASPER HOUSING TRUST IS IS ADDRESSING IT THIS. I'M GOING TO TALK ABOUT HOW OUR ORGANIZATION FUNCTIONS AND I'M ALSO GOING TO TALK ABOUT WHAT I THINK THE JASPER HOUSING TRUST WILL NEED TO DO IN THE FUTURE. AND SO I'LL I'M GOING TO GO THROUGH A SERIES OF SLIDES HERE THAT MOSTLY TALK ABOUT THE HOUSING SITUATION SO THAT WE'RE ALL KIND OF COMING AT THIS WITH SIMILAR DATA AND IN OUR HEADS. SO I'LL JUST START HERE THE MISSION FOR OUR ORGANIZATION IS TO CREATE AND PRESERVE AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND BUILD JUST SOUNDS PRETTY SIMPLE MISSION STATEMENT ALL WELL WORDS LIKE AFFORDABLE HOUSING SOMETIMES HAVE DIFFERENT INTERPRETATIONS OF PEOPLE'S HEADS AND I'LL GET INTO THAT IN A MINUTE I WANTED TO START WITH JUST SORT OF A LOOK AT THE HOUSING COMPLEXION HERE IN GILFORD AND JASPER COUNTIES PROBABLY NO SURPRISE TO YOU ABOUT THREE QUARTERS 74% OF OCCUPIED HOMES ONE QUARTER ARE RENTER OCCUPIED. I HAVE ALL OF THIS INFORMATION AND A HANDOUT THAT I CAN GIVE TO YOU AFTERWARDS IF THAT'S SO THEN I WANTED TO LOOK A LITTLE BIT BECAUSE WHEN WE'RE TALKING HOMES AND AFFORDABLE AND IT DOESN'T TAKE TOO LONG TO REALIZE YOU'RE TO FIGURE OUT
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WHAT INCOMES AND SO THE MEDIAN INCOME THIS WAS FROM A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO WAS $68,000 FOR THESE TWO COUNTIES BUT IT'S INTERESTING TO NOTE PROBABLY NOT SURPRISING BUT GOING TO LOOK AT THIS FROM TIME TO TIME THAT THE INCOME OF OWNER OCCUPIED HOUSING IS CONSIDERABLY THAN THAT OF RENTAL HOUSING SO HOMEOWNERS ABOUT 79,000 RENTERS ARE ABOUT $47,000. SO IT'S VERY INTERESTING POPULATIONS HERE.SO COMING BACK TO THAT TERM HOUSING THERE ARE MANY DIFFERENT DEFINITIONS THERE.
I THINK THE COMMON ONE AND THE MOST BROAD AND CONSISTENT ONE IS IT'S THE IDEA THAT OCCUPANTS PAY NO MORE THAN 30% OF THEIR INCOME TOWARD HOUSING. THIS IS WHAT BANKS USE IN MORTGAGE COMPANIES WHEN. THEY UNDERWRITE PEOPLE'S ABILITY TO TAKE ON MORTGAGES WHAT HUD USES FOR MANY OF THEIR PROGRAMS AND SO I THINK WIDELY AGREED UPON THAT WE REALLY DON'T WANT OUR POPULATION SPENDING MORE THAN 40% OF THEIR INCOME FOR HOUSING.
SO THEY HAVE ENOUGH LEFT OVER THE OTHER 70% IS NEEDED FOR HEALTH, CLOTHES, FOOD ETC. SO THAT'S WE'RE SHOOTING FOR SO HOW ARE WE DOING? WELL HERE, AMONG THOSE HOMEOWNERS REMEMBER WITH THE THE HIGHER INCOME ABOUT 25% ARE PAYING THAN 30%.
SO ONE OUT OF FOUR OF THE HOMEOWNERS WHO ALREADY HAVE THEIR HOME BUT EITHER THEIR MORTGAGE OR THEIR OR THEIR HEAT OR THEIR UTILITIES, THE COMBINATION OF THOSE PUTS THEM OVER THAT 30% BENCHMARK. SO ABOUT A QUARTER ARE PAYING MORE THAN 30% AND 11% 7% OF THE TOTAL NEARLY HALF THE GROUP ARE PAYING MORE THAN HALF THEIR INCOME ON TOWARD HOUSING.
SO LET'S LOOK AT THE RENTERS THAT'S THE BIGGER PROBLEM 48% WHO ARE PAYING MORE THAN 30% IN THESE TWO COUNTIES OF THE HOUSEHOLDS, 48% ARE SPENDING MORE THAN 30% OF THEIR INCOME TOWARD HOUSING AND ARE SPENDING MORE THAN HALF THEIR INCOME ON HOUSING.
SO HALF ARE SPENDING MORE THAN WHAT 48% ARE SPENDING MORE THAN 30% AND HALF OF THOSE OVER EVEN 50% DON'T MAKE SENSE. SO THAT'S CLEARLY NEITHER ONE OF THESE ARE REALLY SITUATIONS THAT PEOPLE SUSTAINABILITY OF THAT SITUATION. IT'S NOT GOING LET'S DIG A LITTLE DEEPER. THIS IS AMONG THE HOMEOWNERS WHO ARE THOSE FOLKS THAT ARE PAYING MORE THAN 30% IF THAT'S WHAT WE WANT TO HELP US FIGURE OUT A LITTLE BIT MORE.
THEY ARE NOT SURPRISINGLY THOSE WITH THE LOWEST THOSE IN THE 0 TO 60% INCOME CATEGORY MORE FREQUENTLY FOUR OF THE TOTAL THOSE ARE THE ONES THAT HAVE THE AFFORDABILITY.
SO THE POOR YOU ARE THE MORE LIKELY TO HAVE A HOUSING CHALLENGE AS YOU GO UP 60 TO 80%. A FEW HAVE AFFORDABILITY PROBLEM 80 TO 100% IF YOU HAVE A PROBLEM AND THE 100% IS LOOKS LIKE A BIGGER NUMBER BUT ON A PERCENTAGE THAT'S A VERY SMALL PERCENTAGE THAT'S PROBABLY 40,000 PEOPLE THAT OWN OWN HOME THAT ARE OVER 100% OF MEDIAN INCOMES. ALL OF THEM SMALL PERCENTAGE OF NOT.
LET'S GO TO THE RENTAL SITUATION. THIS IS WHERE IT REALLY STARTS TO SKEW THAT AGAIN THOSE WITH THE LOWEST INCOMES HAVE THE AFFORDABILITY PROBLEM THOSE SIX 80% OF THE AREA NOT SO MUCH 80 TO 100% OF THE LESS AND OVER 100% NOT MANY PEOPLE HAVE AN AFFORDABILITY PROBLEM. I JUST WANT TO PAUSE THERE FOR A SECOND AND WE MAY DISCUSS THIS LATER. A LOT OF PEOPLE WILL SAY YES BUT I LIKE MY APARTMENT OR YES BUT I WANT TO LIVE SOMEPLACE ELSE. I WANT THREE BEDROOMS. I DON'T WANT TWO BEDROOMS. I WANT A PLACE CLOSER TO MY HOME AND THE DATA IS REALLY
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SORT OF THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WANTS AND NEEDS AND SO OFTENTIMES I THINK AS POLICYMAKERS WE HEAR A LOT ABOUT THE WANTS THE ANECDOTAL INFORMATION THAT CLEARLY WE ALL WANT. PROBABLY EVERYBODY IN THIS ROOM WANTS SOMETHING DIFFERENT ABOUT THEIR HOME. WE WISH IT WAS NICER YOU KNOW, AN EXTRA BATHROOM, AN EXTRA BEDROOM. BUT WHEN IT COMES DOWN TO AFFORDABILITY, THE PEOPLE THAT ARE PAYING TOO MUCH THAT'S PROBABLY WE CAN MAYBE ALL AGREE IS A NEED THAT THEY CANNOT AFFORD THEIR HOMES, NO QUESTION. SO JUST THE AFFORDABILITY OF PAYING MORE THAN THE 30% AFFECTS RENTERS MORE THAN OH PERHAPS.IS THAT BECAUSE THE LANDLORDS ARE NOT AS CONCERNED ABOUT MAKING SURE THAT THE RENTERS CAN PAY THAN THE BANK IS CONCERNED ABOUT MAKING SURE THEY CAN GET THROUGH.
IT COULD BE IN SOME CASES IN GENERAL I THINK IT'S SIMPLY A MATTER OF ECONOMICS WHAT OWNERS OF APARTMENTS NEED TO CHARGE TO BE ABLE TO MAKE PAYMENTS AND HOW MUCH THEY'VE INVESTED IN IT THE AMOUNT THE PRICE THEY TO CHARGE IS SIMPLY MORE THAN THE POPULATION CAN AFFORD AND I WOULD TAKE ALL SEND A CASE OF A BANK. A BANK IS GOING TO BE VERY RELUCTANT TO LOAN MONEY TO A PERSON IF THEY OVER THAT 30 PRECEPTS BECAUSE OF THE ABSOLUTE PAY AND I GUESS MY QUESTION IS THE CASE OF RENTERS IS THAT LANDLORD LESS CONCERNED ABOUT THAT BECAUSE HE HAS ITS PLACE REGARDLESS AND IF YOU CAN I GUESS KEEP THE RENTERS OUT OF AND MAYBE THEY'RE LESS STRINGENT ABOUT THAT REQUIREMENT I DON'T WANT TO GET TOO FAR INTO THE WEEDS BUT THE LANDLORD WHEN HE GOT THAT COMMERCIAL LOAN TO DEVELOP APARTMENT BUILDING PRESENTED THE BANK WITH SOME AND HE PROBABLY PRESENTED NUMBERS SAID I'M GOING TO GET 1600 1800 DOLLARS A MONTH FOR MY APARTMENT BECAUSE CAN AND HE PROBABLY DEMONSTRATED THERE'S A MARKET FOR PEOPLE TO COME AND RENT SO THE BANK GAVE THAT LANDLORD THAT DEVELOPER THE MONEY WITH ASSUMPTION THAT HE WAS GOING TO RENT TO PEOPLE AT 16 HE COULD AFFORD 16 1800 DOLLARS. THOSE ARE ALL PEOPLE OVER 100% THAT DON'T HAVE YEAH. SO IF HE GOES AND SAYS NO NO NO I WANT TO SERVE PEOPLE AT 60% OF THE BANK WOULD SAY WELL YOU'RE NOT GOING HAVE ENOUGH MONEY TO PAY THE THAT SO THAT'S KIND OF A QUICK SNAPSHOT OF THE CHALLENGE YOU KNOW IT'S A BIG NUMBER IT'S AGAIN 48% OF RENTERS, 25% OF HOMEOWNERS HAVE A PROBLEM. SO WE DIDN'T GET HERE OVERNIGHT. CLEARLY WE'RE NOT GOING TO SOLVE IT OVERNIGHT.
SO I WANT TO SWITCH FROM THERE TO TALK LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW OUR ORGANIZATION IS ADDRESSING . WE HAVE RECEIVED $2.1 MILLION FROM THE EIGHT PARTICIPATING UNITS OF GOVERNMENT, THE GOVERNMENT COUNTIES AND THE SIX SPENDING MUNICIPALITIES AND WE RECEIVED A $3 MILLION ALLOCATION FROM THE STATE. SO OUR ORGANIZATION HAS ABOUT $5 MILLION. WE'RE USING THIS DATA AND I APPLAUD TOGETHER AND SAID LET'S FOCUS ON THREE THINGS ONE LET'S FOCUS ON CREATING HELPING CREATE AFFORDABLE HOUSING TOO.
LET'S DO SOMETHING TO HELP PEOPLE EITHER FIRST HOMES AND THREE TO PROVIDE SOME HELP TO PEOPLE WHO ARE LIVING IN THEIR HOMES NEED HOME REPAIR AND SO WE'RE DEVELOPING THREE PROGRAMS TO DO JUST THAT LATER TODAY AND MORE LIKELY MONDAY WE WILL SEND OUT AN RFP TO DEVELOPERS PUBLIC INTEREST GROUPS THAT CAN COME TO US APPLY FOR MONIES TO CREATE AFFORDABLE RENTAL HOUSING. IT MAY BE THE FIRST WAY AROUND MAY BE THE LAST WAY AROUND.
IT MAY BE A SMALL DEVELOPMENT. IT MAY BE, YOU KNOW, BEING DEVELOPED DEVELOPMENT BUT WE'RE MAKING $1.3 BILLION AVAILABLE MONDAY AND HOPE AND WE PLAN TO DO THAT AGAIN IN AUGUST AND AGAIN IN FEBRUARY. SO WE'LL DO THESE THREE ROUNDS OF FUNDING FOR RENTAL HOUSING AND IT WILL BE A COMPETITION THAT WE HAVE A SERIES OF CRITERIA THAT WILL ALLOW US AND AGAIN I'LL SHARE THIS AND A HANDOUT THAT WILL ALLOW US OUR BOARD TO SCALE THAT THE BEST
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PROJECTS AND THE CRITERIA THEY USE THINGS LIKE WHICH ONES THAT ARE SORT OF THE LOWEST IN COMMON WHICH ONE'S GOING TO HAVE THE LONGEST AFFORDABILITY WHICH ONES CAN PAY US BACK AT A HIGHER RATE THAN ANOTHER ONE. AND SO IT'S THINGS LIKE THAT THAT WE A WHOLE SERIES OF CRITERIA SO THAT ALL THE APPLICANTS WILL COMPETE AGAINST ONE ANOTHER AND USING THAT CRITERIA WE WILL PICK PROBABLY FOUR OR FIVE PROJECTS TO FUND. WE'LL DO IT AGAIN IN AUGUST AND THEN WE'LL DO IT AGAIN. SOME OF A QUEST LAND ACQUISITION SLASH DEVELOPMENT CAN YOU GIVE AN EXAMPLE? I'M SURE YEAH. OKAY.IF I GO THROUGH THE OTHER TWO AND THEN THAT THAT ONE'S A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT.
SO SECOND THING IS WE'LL SEND OUT RFP. THIS ONE ISN'T FINALIZED IS IT APPROVED ON THE HOUSING THREE DAYS AGO THE HOME OWNERSHIP PROGRAM WE SEND OUT OUT AND LOOK FOR APPLICANTS SO WE HAVE A SERIES OF CRITERIA AND AGAIN HOPE THAT AS A RESULT WE CAN SERVE TO HELP 60 PEOPLE BUY THEIR FIRST HOME AND OUT OF THE WHOLE THAT RFP THAT DEVELOPERS AND, NONPROFITS AND OTHERS CAN APPLY TO DO IT. SAME WITH A HOME REPAIR PROGRAM NOW THE LAND ACQUISITION PROGRAM IS WHAT WE WANT TO DO WORKING WITH UNITS OF GOVERNMENT OR SCHOOLS OR LIBRARY THE HOUSING AUTHORITY THAT'S A PLAN WE WOULD LIKE TO FACILITATE AND ORCHESTRATE A DEVELOPMENT OF THAT LAND WITH A SPECIFIC PROVISION THAT WOULD BE DONE FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING . YOU ALL HAVE BEEN FOLLOWING WHAT'S GOING ON AT THE JAIL WHERE THIS HAPPENS. SO THAT'S AN EXAMPLE OF LAND THAT WAS MADE AVAILABLE AND THAT'S GOING TO BE AN AFFORDABILITY COMPONENT AND SO THAT'S WHAT WE AS AN ORGANIZATION WANT DO AND WE THINK IF WE CAN DO TWO OR THREE OF THOSE WORKING WITH THE HOUSING AUTHORITY, WORKING WITH YOU RIGHT UNITS OF GOVERNMENT WILL HAVE THE ABILITY TO AGAIN TO THESE ARE IS AND PICK AN ORGANIZATION THAT CAN CREATE AFFORDABLE HOUSING DOES THAT HELP? THAT'S WHAT I WAS IT WAS FINE.
JUST GOT TO MAKE SURE. YES. OKAY.
SO ALL OF THOSE THINGS COMBINED WE HOPE THE NEXT 18 MONTHS. DANA, BEFORE YOU GO ON I GO TO GO TO THIS I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF IS PROPERTY HOMES IS THERE ANY CONSIDERATION IN YOUR PROGRAM? YES. OKAY.
YES, THAT'S ENOUGH RIGHT THERE IT IS. WE MET WITH DAVID HOUSE.
I THOUGHT THAT RIGHT. SO I THINK IS INVOLVED IN THE EFFORT AND SO IT WOULD BE AND WAS LIKE BACK AND HOPEFULLY WE'LL COME FORWARD AND APPLY FOR MONEYS FOR REPAIRS THE LIKE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU JUST CURIOUS HOW DID YOU ARRIVE AT THE NUMBERS FOR YOUR PLAN WHICH CATEGORY YOU'RE SOMEWHAT SEEM QUITE ODD LIKE 489 SO YEAH WELL THE RENTAL HOUSING SAME TO BE THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE AND THEN IT ALSO IS THE AREA WHERE THERE'S MOST OFTEN OTHER MONEYS AVAILABLE FOR WHICH THE STAFF ARE EITHER AT THE BEGINNING OR THE HOMEOWNERSHIP IT JUST ISN'T AS MANY HOMEOWNERSHIP PROGRAMS OUT THERE TO BE HONEST IT'S IT'S YOU KNOW THE STATE AS A FIRST TIME HOMEBUYER PROGRAM THERE'S SOMETHING DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE, CLOSING COST ASSISTANCE PROGRAM THOSE ARE THE ONES THAT WE WANT TO SEE COME FORWARD BUT THEY'RE JUST ISN'T AS MANY OTHER PROGRAMS SORT OF REPLICATE OR BUILD ON AND SO IT WAS REALLY HOW DID WE DO THIS WITH SORT OF YOU KNOW, THE BOARD CAME OUT AND RENTAL WAS NUMBER ONE, HOMEOWNERSHIP WAS TWO AND THREE.
SO WE'RE DOING THIS ALL IN ROUNDS AND EVEN AFTER WE DO THE FIRST ROUND YOU REALIZE HOW THERE'S NOBODY INTERESTED IN DOING RENTAL HOUSING COMES OUT OF THE RIGHT SHIFT THIS WHOLE IT'S A BIT OF A LEARNING EXPERIENCE AS KIND OF BASED UPON MY EXPERIENCE I'LL GET TO THAT IN A MINUTES OF HOW PUBLIC FUNDS NORMALLY GET DISBURSED AMONG THESE PROGRAMS. THAT'S NOT, YOU KNOW, THE BEST ANSWER IN THE WORLD. THERE ISN'T ANYTHING ABSOLUTELY
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. BUT THAT'S WHAT THE BOARD AND WE SORT OF CAME TOGETHER THOUGHT THE PROGRAM MIX WOULD BE BASTIONS KEEPING IN MIND THAT ALL OF THIS IS A DROP IN THE BUCKET AND SO THE QUESTION IS WE TWO DROPS WHICH IS PUTTING ONE IN THIS OR THREE IN THAT IT IS KIND OF A HARD DECISION BECAUSE WE KNOW THE NEED IS QUITE OF I THINK I'LL JUST STOP ON A LITTLE BIT AND TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR OUR ORGANIZATION IN WHAT YOU ALL KNOW A YEAR AGO YOU CREATED THE BUREAU JASPER HOUSING TRUST AND THERE WERE NINE PEOPLE APPOINTED TO BE THE BOARD THE COUNTY CONTRACTED WITH IT WAS CALLED COMMUNITY IN GREENVILLE TO PROVIDE SOUND ADMINISTER OF SUPPORT THAT INTERGOVERNMENTAL AGREEMENT THAT EVERYBODY SIGNED ON TO QUANTUM PLAYED IT AND MENTIONED AND ENCOURAGED THE GROUP THE BOARD TO ESTABLISH BYLAWS BE CRYSTAL BECOMING A501C3 AND GRADUALLY MOVE TOWARD YOUR INDEPENDENCE AND SO IN MAY THE GROW DID BECOME A5A1C3 DID BECOME AN INDEPENDENT ENTITY AND THAT PROBABLY HAPPENED QUICKER THAN MAYBE CONTEMPLATED DURING THE EARLY DAYS OF THE STUDIES THAT WERE GOING ON AGO. BUT IT WAS CONSISTENT WITH WHAT'S HAPPENED IN OTHER AREAS SO THE BOARD HAS PROCEEDED ALONG AND THEN IN NOVEMBER WERE ASKED YOU KNOW SAID THINK WHAT WE'RE READY TO GO ON OUR OWN. I THINK MOST WOULD AGREE THAT COMMUNITY WORKS HOUSING TRUST SITUATION WASN'T WORKING PARTICULARLY EFFECTIVELY FOR ANYBODY.COMMUNITY WORKS OR THE BOARD OR ARGUABLY THE MUNICIPALITIES. IT WAS JUST A GOOD IDEA BUT IN PRACTICE WASN'T WORKING TO ANYBODY'S REAL SATISFACTION. SO THE BOARD ASKED IF I WOULD BE THIS INTERIM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR SO CALLED FOR MY AND WE'RE AWARE THAT I COME FROM IF I RETIRED IN 2022 IN SEPTEMBER FROM AN ORGANIZATION IN A MEETING CALLED AVESTA HOUSING AND OVER THE YEAR HAD BUILT THIS ORGANIZATION UP DEVELOPING HOUSING RUNNING CENTERS DOING ADVOCACY WORK POLICY IN MAINE AND NEW HAMPSHIRE AND INVOLVED SOME FORM OF HOUSING THAT WORKS ACROSS THE COUNTRY HAVE DEVELOPED A PASSION FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND LEARNED A FEW THINGS ALONG THE WAY OUR ORGANIZATION GRADUALLY GREW AND WHEN I LEFT WE HAD $300 MILLION IN ASSETS AND 3200 AFFORDABLE HOMES AND WE'D WON A FEW AWARDS AND I WAS ABLE TO TRAVEL THE COUNTRY TO SORT OF SEE WHAT WORKS IN ALASKA WHAT WORKS IN CALIFORNIA AND WHAT WORKS AND WYOMING. AND THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT PLACES I JUST LOVE DOING WHAT I WAS DOING SO BECAME TIME BECAUSE OF MY AGE AND INCREASINGLY CHALLENGED TO PUT UP WITH MAINE WINTERS THAT THAT MY WIFE AND I EXPLORED THE COUNTRY AND DECIDED IT WAS THE PLACE WE WANTED TO SO WE HAD A HOUSE BUILT LIKE MANY OTHERS OUT ON LADY'S ISLAND AND ARRIVED HERE LAST YEAR WITH MY BACKGROUND I THE LOCAL PAPER ONE WHO DOWN HERE ON A VISIT READ ABOUT HOUSING TRUST THING BECAUSE I MADE A FEW PHONE CALLS STARTING WITH A COUPLE OF BOARD MEMBERS AND PROCEEDING ON TO COMMUNITY WORKS AND SAYING ANYTHING I CAN DO TO HELP AND SO BOTH COMMUNITY WORKS AND THE BOARD MEMBERS SAID YOU PROBABLY HAVE EXPERIENCE TO KNOW A BIT MORE ABOUT AFFORDABLE HOUSING THAN ANYBODY INVOLVED HERE.
COME HELP OUT. SO I HAD A VERY TINY FOR OUR LAST CONTRACT COMMUNITY WORKS START WITH WHEN THEY WERE GETTING READY TO CONCLUDE THEIR INVOLVEMENT THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR THERE ASKED HOW ABOUT IF I SUGGEST YOU BECOME THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR TO THE
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BOARD? MEANWHILE THE BOARD HAD COME TO ME AND SAID HOW YOU COME TO THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR? I TOLD ONE I'M A RETIRED B I'M DOING A LITTLE OF WORK ELSEWHERE BACK IN MAINE BUT CALIFORNIA I CAN DO IT HALF TIME AND ALL THE TELL BECAUSE I STILL HAVE A COTTAGE IN MAINE THAT WANT TO GO TO IN THE SUMMER.SO WE STRUCK A DEAL. SINCE NOVEMBER SIX I'VE BEEN WORKING OF 20 HOURS A WEEK.
IT'S GOT 20 BUT I'M GETTING PAID FOR 20 SO SO BE IT. SO THAT'S HOW HOW I GOT HERE AND I'M THRILLED TO BE JUMPING IN TO PROVISIONS THAT I SHARED WITH THE BOARD WAS SAID I'M NOT GREAT ADMINISTRATIVELY AND TECHNOLOGICALLY WITHOUT ANY ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT HERE AND TO I'D LIKE A PLACE TO GET OUT OF MY HOUSE TO COME AND SIT DOWN SO OUR NOW BOARD CHAIR STUART DONATED SOME SPACE ON NEW CASTLE STREET SO THAT'S WHERE WE'RE SETTING UP OUR OFFICE. WE HIRED TEMPORARY UP TO 24 HOURS A WEEK AND A WOMAN NAMED JENNIFER TUCKWELL TO PROVIDE ILLUSTRATIVE SUPPORT. AND SO THE TWO OF US HAVE BEEN GOING AWAY BASED ON THE BEGINNING OF NOVEMBER AND OUR SENSE OF DECEMBER.
SO WHAT HAVE WE BEEN DOING? WELL, SIGNING PROGRAMS AND AND THINGS LIKE THIS IS DEFINITELY THE MOST EXCITING AND MOST REWARDING. THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE.
HOWEVER, WE'VE GOT TO SET UP A WHOLE NEW ORGANIZATION SO FOR US WE NEEDED OFFICE SPACE, WE NEEDED RUNNING WATER, WE NEEDED ELECTRICITY AND NOW WE NEED A COPIER AND YOU KNOW WE NEED A BANKING SERVICE, AN ACCOUNTING SERVICE, LEGAL SERVICE. WE DID IT SERVICE.
YOU KNOW WE NEED TO SET UP EVERYTHING LIKE A NEW BUSINESS I'D LIKE TO SAY IT CAME TOGETHER LIKE THAT BUT IT'S TAKEN TWO MONTHS TO GET AN EMAIL ADDRESS.
IMAGINE IN THIS WORLD OF TECHNOLOGY SO A BIG CHUNK OF OUR TIME IS BEEN THIS ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF WHICH MANY DON'T UNTIL THIS EVENT LIKE I'VE BEEN HAS LIKE OH MY GOD SO THAT'S BEEN A CHUNK OF THE WORK . A SECOND CHUNK OF THE WORK HAS BEEN TO GO AROUND AND MEET WITH AS MANY MUNICIPALITIES. I'VE HEARD SOME OF YOUR COUNCIL ALL OF THE PEOPLE THAT HAVEN'T BEEN TO THE COUNTY MEETINGS MEETINGS BECAUSE I UNDERSTAND THE FRAGILE NATURE OF THE INTERGOVERNMENTAL AGREEMENT, HOW HARD IT TO GET YOU KNOW, ALL THESE UNITS OF GOVERNMENT JUST LIKE NAME ON A DOCUMENT. I UNDERSTAND.
I MEAN THAT'S THAT WAS HARD WORK GETTING THERE AND I WANT TO GO AND MEET WITH ALL OF YOU AND SAY LET'S KEEP THIS TOGETHER BECAUSE DON'T AS HARD AS IT WAS TO GET THERE I'LL BE PRETTY EASY FOR IT TO FALL. AND SO AS WELL I WANT TO GET TO KNOW THE AND GET AN IDEA OF WHAT EVERYBODY THINKS HOUSING SHOULD BE IN THEIR AREA SO THAT'S SORT OF BEEN SECOND AREA THE THEN THE THIRD AREA IS OUR BOARD IS JUST EIGHT PEOPLE BEHIND A VACANCY FROM HELP THAT SO WE DON'T HAVE MUCH FOR COMMITTEE CAPACITY IS OKAY WAS HOW A DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE AND PERSONNEL COMMITTEE AND A PROGRAM COMMITTEE IN THE FINANCE COMMITTEE AND ALL THESE COMMITTEE ON IT IT'S THE SAME PEOPLE ON EVERY COMMITTEE WE ONLY GOT EIGHT SO YOU KNOW NOW WE ARE WORKING ON THOSE BYLAWS AND MODIFIED THEM WE WANT TO HAVE MORE THAN EIGHT BOARD MEMBERS AND SO LOOKING TO STRENGTHEN THE BOARD BECAUSE I WOULD ARGUE A STRENGTH OF AN ORGANIZATION IS ONLY AS GOOD AS THE STRENGTH OF ITS BOARD AND NO OFFENSE TO THE EIGHT OF THEM BUT THERE ONLY EIGHT AND WE DON'T HAVE AMONG US A BANKER WE DON'T HAVE A MULTIPLE OF AMONG THE FOUR COMMERCIAL DEVELOPER A LOT OF GOOD PEOPLE MUNICIPALITIES ARE REPRESENTED REALLY WELL BUT WE THINK IT SHOULD BE ROOTED OUT AND THEY THINK IT SHOULD BE WELL HOUSEHOLD WORKING ON THAT NUMBER. SO THE LAST THING THAT I'LL MENTION TO YOU THAT WE'RE WORKING ON IS AFTER EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR SEARCH.
SO IT'S OUR PLAN THAT FULL TIME EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR START BY MAY ONE I'M HERE JUST TEMPORARILY AND THAT TRY TO LEAVE THE PLACE IN A BETTER SITUATION WHEN I GOT THERE AND SO IT'S A FULL ON SEARCH WILL BE GOING IN THE VARIOUS PERIODICALS TODAY MONEY AND WE GOT OUR EMAIL ADDRESS YESTERDAY SO THAT'S WHY NOW THINGS ARE KNOWN ATROPHY BECAUSE WE ONLY RESPOND IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION PLEASE SOMEHOW PUTTING MY NAME ON NUMBER JUST DIDN'T FEEL RIGHT SO WE WANT TO
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DIFFERENT EMAIL ADDRESS SO THE EXECUTIVE SEARCH THERE'S A FOUR MEMBER COMMITTEE CHAIRED BY DAVID STRONG PARTY BILL DRAFT SO WE SEARCH AND IT'S OUR HOPE THAT SOMEBODY WILL BE ON BOARD BY MAY FOR THEIR WHOLE SUMMING UP BY MAY 1ST I HOPE IT MIGHT BE A LITTLE BIT EARLIER SORRY BUT THAT'S WHERE WE ARE AS AN ORGANIZATION NOW GOING INTO THE FUTURE I THINK AN ORGANIZATION LIKE THIS REALLY CAN WORK WITH DEVELOPERS, WORK WITH THE COMMUNITY, WORK WITH LAND AND MOST IMPORTANTLY I THINK WHAT TO FIGURE OUT THE HOUSING TRUST NEEDS AND THEY WILL NEED ALL OF YOUR SUPPORT THIS ADVOCATE FOR THIS AREA JUST THE WAY AFFORDABLE HOUSING WORKS IT'S LONG BEEN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT THAT'S THE PRIMARY DRIVER WHETHER IT'S TAX POLICY OR FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTIONS AND HOW APPROPRIATIONS FUNNELED THROUGH CAROLINA HOUSING OR STATE GOVERNMENT AND THIS AREA I THINK NEEDS TO HAVE A STRONG VOICE TO MAKE SURE THAT WHEN THEY'RE MAKING DECISIONS HAVE SOUTH CAROLINA HOUSING UNDER THIS PROGRAM THAT PROGRAMS OR OF THIS GROUP FOR THAT GROUP OF PEOPLE THIS AREA OR THAT AREA THAT THIS GROUP AS WELL REPRESENTED TO GET A BIG SHARE THOSE MONIES AND I THINK THAT'S ARGUABLY THE MOST IMPORTANT PIECE OF THIS ORGANIZATION GOING FORWARD SO I'LL STOP THERE HAPPY TO ANSWER QUESTIONS AGAIN I'VE GOT TO HAND OUT GET HERE IN JUST A SEC. I HAD A QUESTION I UNDERSTAND TOWN HILTON HEAD OF SUPPORT RECRUITED FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING DIRECTOR THEY HAD A HARD TIME FINDING SOMEONE WHO WOULD COME FOR OF AN AFFORDABLE AMOUNT DO YOU THINK IF THIS GROUP HIRES IN YOUR SEARCH THAT THE MUNICIPALITIES AND THE OTHER GOVERNMENTS WON'T HAVE TO HAVE THEIR OWN AND WE CAN WORK TOGETHER? I MEAN I UNDERSTAND MAYBE WHY HILTON HAD ONE OF THEIR OWN BUT I KNOW AS A TAXPAYER I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SEE US HAVE ONE.YEAH, YEAH. FOR THE AREA PARTICULARLY NORTHERN COUNTY WITHOUT MIXING EVERYONE HAVING TO HAVE THEIR OWN. OH YES.
SO RIGHT AND IT SORT OF DEMONSTRATES WELL FRAGILITY OF THOSE UNITS OF GOVERNMENT.
HOW CAN WE TRUST THAT WE ONLY NEED OUR OWN AND BLAH BLAH BLAH THIS IS IS BACK WAY EARLIER IN MY CAREER I HELPED FACILITATE THE MERGER OF THREE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE'S INTO TWO ONE BECAUSE OF FIVE TAKES IT'S JUST MORE EFFICIENT AND BE MORE POWERFUL.
WE NO LONGER GOT THEM ALL TOGETHER AND THERE WAS A BUSINESS DISTRICT OVER HERE.
WE THOUGHT WE HAD THEM ALL UNDER THE TENT BEFORE THESE LITTLE ORGANIZATIONS WERE OUT CREATING THEIR THING AND WE'LL KIND OF BACK TO IT SO I WOULD LIKE TO THINK THAT THE TOWNS AND CITIES AND CAN FUNNEL THEIR EFFORTS THROUGH THE BUREAUCRATS FOR TRUST.
I THINK THAT'S WHY WE'RE CREATING ABSOLUTELY RIGHT SO COUNCILOR BUT I YOU KNOW, I THINK EACH OF THEM AND I DON'T WANT TO SAY THAT IT'S NOT NECESSARILY A BAD IF THE RESOURCES ARE THERE AND THEY CAN AFFORD TO CONTRIBUTE TO OUR ORGANIZATION AND THEY'VE GOT SOMEBODY ON THE GROUND WORKING IN THEIR TOWN THAT WE CAN ALL COME TOGETHER WORKING HAVING THOSE RELATIONSHIPS WORK IT CAN ALL BE GOOD BUT IS IT THE MOST EFFICIENT AND IT DOESN'T SET US UP TO HELP WHO'S RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT SIT DOWN WITH US. THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT WILL PLAY OUT SO I'LL TELL THAT'S NOT A GOOD ANSWER BUT I KNOW I THINK YOU FLAGGED AN IMPORTANT ISSUE I WANT TO CLEAN UP MY PREVIOUS I'LL HOLD TO INCLUDE IS OF MOBILE UNITS TO WRITE OF MOBILE YES OKAY OKAY THANK YOU THERE I WAS INVOLVED IN THE DESIGN OF A COUPLE OF HOME REPAIR PROGRAMS AND THIS IS A CONVERSATION I'VE HAD A COUPLE OF TIMES AS ALWAYS THIS QUESTION OF SOME HOMES TOO FAR BEYOND REPAIR SHOULD YOU HAVE TO AND IT'S HARD AS IT IS BECAUSE SOMEBODY IS LIVING THERE YOU HAVE TO SAY NO, I CAN'T DO OTHER OF THE OTHER HARD PART AROUND THE HOME REPAIR PROGRAM IS IF YOU'RE CALLED IN TO PUT ON A NEW ROOF AND LET'S SAY A HANDICAPPED RAMP AND THAT'S GOOD AND THAT'S ENOUGH MONEY ALL WE HAVE FOR US TO GET IN THERE AND DISCOVER WELL THE HEATING TO THE COOLING SYSTEM AND THE ELECTRICAL
[00:35:05]
SYSTEMS ALSO NEED REPAIR. HOW MUCH OF THE HOUSE DO YOU REPAIR? AND SO THE FIRST ONE IS IS IT IS IT IS IT MAKES TO MAKE REPAIRS AND THEN THE SECOND ONE IS WHICH REPAIRS DO YOU MAKE WITHIN A HOUSE AND THEN THEN THERE BECOME SOME OTHER COMPLEXITIES AND THIS SORT OF INTO THE INTRICACIES OF THE PROGRAM DESIGN HOW DO YOU WHAT HAPPENS WHEN A HOUSE GETS SOLD WHO GETS TO KEEP THAT APPRECIATION AND THINGS LIKE THAT BUT? SURE IT'S THOSE ARE VERY HARD PROGRAMMATIC DECISIONS AT SOME TIME YOU DON'T HAVE TO DRAW A LINE SOMEWHERE. YEAH AND THERE'S ALWAYS PEOPLE ABOVE AND BELOW THE LINE AND IT'S IT'S IT'S HARD AS PART OF THIS WORK IS THAT DIRECTION ROLE FOR ADVOCACY HOW DO YOU SEE WHAT DO YOU SEE AS THAT MECHANISM TO GET TO THE STATE THROUGH THE DELEGATION? IS IT SOMEBODY ON YOUR BOARD THAT DOES IDEAS OR SOMEBODY WITHIN THE MUNICIPALITIES OR THE COUNTY HOW YOU SEE THAT HAPPENING EFFECTIVELY EFFECTIVELY I NEED TO KNOW HERE THE ANSWER ANSWER THAT WILL SAY THAT I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW SOUTH CAROLINA OPERATES, WHAT THE ROLE OF THE EMPLOYED FOR US AS A STAFF CERTAINLY SANDRA DAVIS AND THE COMMITTEE THAT HE CHAIRS IS WELL-POSITIONED TO HAVE A KEY VOICE IN HOUSING SO THOSE ARE THE PEOPLE I THINK THAT NEED TO BE INFLUENCED IF YOU WILL.I DON'T KNOW I HAVEN'T QUITE FIGURED THERE ARE A NUMBER OF GROUPS GOING NEXT WEEK TO THE COMMUNITY OF THE LOWCOUNTRY WHICH IS TRYING TO PULL TOGETHER A COALITION I'M INVOLVED IN AND WE'RE TRYING TO GET UNITED IN OUR EFFORTS SO IT WOULD BE MY EXPERIENCE IN BACK AND IN MAINE AND THE LAST THING I EVER WANT TO SAY IS I'M FROM AWAY AND I'M HERE TO TELL YOU WHAT TO DO BECAUSE YOU ALL KNOW NO BETTER AND BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE'VE SAID TO PEOPLE IN BEING WHEN PEOPLE FROM AWAY CAME IN AND SAID WE'RE GOING TO TELL YOU TO DO IT.
I DON'T THINK SO AND SO THAT'S WHY I REALLY THINK IT'S TIME WILL TELL HOW A COALITION CAN GATHER STRENGTH TO INFLUENCE KEY DECISION MAKERS IN COLUMBIA AND THAT I JUST HAVEN'T BEEN HERE LONG ENOUGH TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO PULL TOGETHER BUT YOU'RE THE FORMATIVE STAGES AND A LOT OF WORK TO BE DONE AT THE PARTICULARLY INTERESTED IN IT ARE YOU DEVELOPING A SET OF STANDARDS OR A MECHANISM FOR NONCOMPLIANCE PARTICULARLY IN A HOUSING RENTAL MARKET? AS I MENTIONED, IT'S A COMMON COMPLAINT YOU KNOW THAT MY RENT IS LOW FOR TWO YEARS AND YEAH I'M KICKED UP OUT THERE WILL BE AGREEMENTS FOLLOWING ANY OF THE MONEY WE MAKE THAT RECIPIENTS AGREE TO MAINTAIN THE AFFORDABILITY AS A REPORT TO US FOR 30 6075 YEARS WHATEVER THAT LENGTH OF TIME IS AT THE SAME TIME IN MANY CASES ON ALL THREE OF THE AREAS RENTAL OWNERSHIP AND HOME REPAIR IN MANY CASES MIGHT BE PUTTING OUR MONEY IN ADDITION TO MAYBE THE COUNTY PUTTING IN MONEY OR THE STATE PUTTING IN MONEY OR SOMEBODY ELSE PUTTING IN MONEY THAT HAS SIMILAR AFFORDABILITY RESTRICTIONS AND IF FOR INSTANCE SOUTH CAROLINA PUTS A LAYER OF MONEY INTO A RENTAL HOUSING DEVELOPMENT AND THEY'VE GOT ALL THE SAME RESTRICTIONS AND THEY'VE GOT AUDITS AND MONITORS GOING OUT, WE WILL DUPLICATE WE CAN JUST ASK SEND US COPIES OF IT. SO TO THE DEGREE WITH WHICH WE CAN RELY ON OTHERS THAT ARE ALREADY MONITORING AND AUDITING IN WILL BUT THE DEGREE TO WHICH THERE ISN'T ANYBODY WE WILL HAVE SYSTEM THAT WILL REQUIRE THE HONEST AND THE MONITORING TO GO ON AND LET ME ASK YOU ANOTHER QUESTION IS THERE IN YOUR MIND A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AFFORDABILITY AND WORKFORCE HOUSING THE WORDS ARE DIFFERENT ONCE AND I THINK THERE'S A BIG DIFFERENCE IN BEING TENT AND
[00:40:21]
THE INTERPRETATION OF THOSE TWO WORDS I THINK JUST AS A BANKER IS LOOKING TO MAKE SURE THAT A MORTGAGE AFFORDABLE FOR THE BORROWER AFFORDABLE IS NOT A MISCONSTRUED OR DIFFICULT WORK SOMEHOW IN THIS AFFORDABLE HOUSING WORLD HERE IS THERE'S BEEN WORDS THAT WERE TROUBLED AND IT SEEMS TO ME TO BE OVERSIMPLIFYING WELL WE DIDN'T LIKE THAT WE DIDN'T LIKE SUBSIDIZE SO WE HAD A LOW INCOME LIKE LOW INCOMES WE WENT TO AFFORDABLE WE DON'T LIKE THE AFFORDABLE WORKFORCE YOU KNOW THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT NEED AFFORDABLE HOUSING MANY ARE RETIREES HUGE NUMBER OF RETIREES AND SO THE ONE WORKFORCE WAS MAYBE BECAUSE I AM ONE YOU KNOW A LITTLE SENSITIVE THAT OKAY, YOU'RE 85 YEARS OLD AND YOU CAN'T AFFORD TO STAY IN HOME BUT WE'RE NOT GOING TO HELP YOU BECAUSE WE'RE FOCUSED ON WORKFORCE.SO I'M A LITTLE YOU KNOW, BE TACT SO I UNDERSTAND WHY IT'S THERE WHETHER IT WAS YOU KNOW DEALING WITH PUBLIC OR NIMBYISM OR WHATEVER I UNDERSTAND THESE WERE CUT THERE BUT YOU KNOW, THERE'S YOU KNOW, THE WORD ATTAINABLE HOUSING IS IS A KIND OF A SAFE WORD.
WE KEEP TRYING TO GET TO A SAFE WORD THAT ISN'T OFFENSIVE TO SOMEBODY.
IT'S KIND OF SIMPLE AT THE END YOU YOU KNOW ENOUGH MONEY TO PAY FOR YOUR HOUSING.
I DON'T CHOOSE YOUR WORK BUT I DON'T NEED A YOU KNOW I'M NOT IF THAT ANSWERS YOUR QUESTION.
YEAH THE LAST QUESTION THAT'S MY TAKE I GET THE LAST QUESTION AND HOPEFULLY I TO USE AND I WOULD ASK THE QUESTION OF LAND PROGRAM YOU HAVE ARE YOU IN POSITION TO BUY THE LAND OR YOU'RE LOOKING FOR LAND TO BE PURCHASED SOMEWHERE ELSE AND YOU WORK WITH YOU KNOW WE COULD YOU COULD BUY WE WE COULD GET THERE I'M NOT SURE OUR ORGANIZATION HAS THE CAPACITY YET TO DO THAT BUT I THINK LAND BANKING BECAUSE SO MUCH OF THE LAND AROUND HERE BEING DEVELOPED WITH NON AFFORDABLE HOMES THAT INCREASE LENGTH IT'S NOT A WHOLE LOT OF LAND LEFT AND THE DEGREE WITH WHICH OUR ORGANIZATION COULD YOU KNOW SECURE THE LAND TO PRESENT IT FROM UNAFFORDABLE TO DEVELOPMENT I THINK IS GOOD IS A GOOD STRATEGY BUT WE JUST DON'T QUITE HAVE THE HORSEPOWER TO SAY OKAY THOSE THREE ACRES WOULD MAKE A GREAT AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT. LET'S YOU KNOW WE'RE GOING TO COMPETE AND WRITE OUT A CHECK FOR FIVE $600,000. YOU KNOW, THAT'S A BIG THAT WE'RE NOT THERE YET BUT I THINK WE SHOULD GET THERE YEAH AND THE OTHER ONE IS YOU KNOW WOULD YOU BE WORKING ORGANIZATIONS LIKE HABITAT? YES. OKAY.
YOU KNOW, THANK YOU YEAH WE CLEARLY THERE'S THERE'S JUST A LITTLE PART TIME FOR US SO YOU KNOW, I TAKE THE PERSON THE DEGREE WITH WHICH THESE ESTABLISHED ORGANIZATIONS ARE FUNCTIONING AND HAVE AN INFRASTRUCTURE TO GET OUT AND DO THINGS WE WANT TO EXPAND WHAT THEY'RE DOING RATHER THAN DUPLICATING WHAT THEY'RE OTHER QUESTIONS.
IF I BELONG TO ALL MY THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION I'LL JUST SAY WE WE GET CONTACT FROM HABITAT FROM TIME TO TIME WITH LOOKING AT YOU KNOW, TRYING TO FIND THE BARGAIN OF LAND THAT SOMETIMES ARE BARGAINED FOR A REASON. THEY'RE THEY HAVE KINDS OF ISSUES.
BUT I THINK THAT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THEY'RE FACING. BUT I THINK THAT KIND OF PARTNERSHIP WITH SOMEBODY WHO'S ALREADY PROVIDING HOUSING, YOU KNOW, LIKE THROUGH WE BUY THE LAND YOU GO SO YEAH MUSK HAS I THINK CHECKED IN FAMILY WANTS SEXUAL WOULDN'T IT BE GREAT TO GET SOME HOUSES ON TOP OF HIM? SO THAT SEEMS LIKE A SITUATION THAT WE COULD HELP HABITAT LLC GET TOGETHER TO DO JUST THAT THE BETTER.
SO SOME OF THIS MUCH OF THIS WORK IS MATCHMAKING YEARS TO GET THE RIGHT DEVELOPER WITH THE RIGHT LAND OR THE RIGHT PLOT PIECE AND THE IMPORTANT THING IS TO JUST BE DOING THIS
[00:45:05]
WITH AN AFFORDABLE HOUSING PLANS ON WE DON'T CON THAT'S REALLY WHAT WE'RE TRYING TRYING TO DO SO DO YOU FOUR DID A GREAT JOB YEAH WE THEY ACCESS SOME HOUSING AUTHORITY AND HABITAT I YOU KNOW TWO SEPARATE BASE TWO SEPARATE LEASES LIFE EXPERIENCE ONE OF THEM THEY CERTAINLY OVER TIME NEEDED SIX OR EIGHT OF THESE WAS DEVELOPING OLD SCHOOLS HOUSING AND THEY'RE BRINGING IN THE SCHOOLS CONSOLIDATE THE BUILDINGS NO LONGER THERE AND THE REASON LOTS AND BUILDINGS ARE GOOD FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS IT SHOULD REALLY PLAY A PART IN THEIR USUALLY CONVENIENT TO DOWNTOWN WHERE BUSSES AND EVERYTHING WHEN THEY'RE NOT DOWN SOME DIRT ROAD SOMEWHERE THEY CAN BE LOCATED THEY HAVE PARKING AND IN MANY CASES THE SCHOOLS THEMSELVES IF ONE CLASSROOM WAS ABOUT THE RIGHT SIZE OF AN APARTMENT PLACE SO IT WAS A WALL AND THEY HAVE SO THE BUILDINGS SO OLD SCHOOLS ARE A GREAT PLACE TO LOOK AT MY EXPERIENCE THE DOWNSIDE IN MY EXPERIENCE OF SINKING AN OLD SCHOOL INTO AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS EVERYBODY WENT TO SCHOOL THERE. EVERYBODY VOTED THERE AND EVERYBODY HAS AN IDEA AS TO WHAT IT SHOULD BE CALLED. SO SOME WILL SAY A COMMUNITY CENTER, SOME OF THE SAME SCHOOLS, THE MUNICIPAL BUILDING, SOME WILL SAY LET'S MAKE IT INTO A PLAYGROUND, SOME WILL SAY AFFORDABLE HOUSING. SO YOU GOT ALL THESE DIFFERENT OPINIONS THAT ARE I HAVE GREAT NARRATIVE SINCE EVERYBODY WENT THERE AND PAID TAXES AND VOTED THEM INTO DESIGN. SO IT'S A DELICATE IN MAKING HONEST WORK BUT BEING PATIENT WHICH IS SORT OF WHAT WE DID LIKE OKAY WHO I WASN'T GOING TO WORK AT THE PLAYGROUND GET MY YOU KIND OF WAY AND FINALLY TO BE HONEST WASHINGTON AFFORDABLE HOUSING A TOTAL RESTORING US SORT OF LAST IDEA STILL THAT ONE THING I WANT TO SHARE AS WELL I READ THIS ARTICLE IN THE PAPER THIS MORNING GOING BACK TO THOSE IT WAS A LEAD STORY APPARENTLY THE WASHINGTON POST YESTERDAY TALKED ABOUT COST BURDEN REPRESENT OWNERS AND THOSE PERCENTAGES I SHOWED YOU 48% OF RENTERS AND 24% OF HOMEOWNERS. THE STORY SAID THERE'S SOME NEW DATA OUT HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL THAT SHOWS IT'S SEVERAL PERCENTAGE POINTS WORSE NOW WITH THE UPDATED DATA THAN THE DATA I HAVE THERE. SO AND IT WAS WORSE FOR ALL INCOME GROUPS IT WAS FITTING IT WAS ALMOST A MIRROR THAT THAT COLLATERALIZED DEBT I BASICALLY WHAT HARVARD WAS SAYING THIS WAS PROBABLY NOW UP TO HERE AND PROBABLY GROUP IS HIGHER THIS GROUP IS HIGHER THIS GROUP IS HIGHER AND THIS GROUP IS HIGHER SO POINT BEING WE DIDN'T GET HERE OVERNIGHT BUT WE'RE NOT GOING IN THAT DIRECTION. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? I I GUESS I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME THIS SHARE WITH YOU THAT OUR ORGANIZATIONS THERE ARE A CHANCE FOR HOUSING TRUST WHICH IS FIXED TO ONE DAY SUFFICE AS MATT DAVIS IN THE ARTICLE THE SECRETARY IS DIXIE BUDDY FROM OIL AND THE TREASURER IS MICHELLE KASTEN FROM HOSPITALITY SHE'S STILL PROBLEM FOR OFFICERS AND THERE ARE FOUR OTHER MEMBERS INCLUDING WENDY'S OUR OUTGOING CHAIR SOMEBODY HERE MATT GARNES AN ASSET MANAGER BIGGIE SMALLS[00:50:02]
WHO WORKS FOR THE TOM BOSSERT AND AS ONE PERSON WHO I THINK OH COURTNEY HANSON WALKED IN AND RUNS HIMSELF. SO THOSE ARE THE BULLET POINTS THAT ALL THESE GAMES TURN OUT TO PROVIDE SOME TRACTION TO ME WHAT I HAVE HERE FOR AND I'LL JUST MY KNEES UP HERE ABOUT THAT WORKS WELL I'VE GOT A COPY OF THIS POWERPOINT I'VE GOT THE PROGRAM AREA DESCRIPTION AND THEN I'VE GOT THE DATA PIECES THAT GO ALONG THAT SUPPORT THOSE CHARTS WE CAN SEND THOSE OUT WE CAN SEND THOSE OUT IF. YOU'RE INTERESTED? OKAY THEN I'LL WORK WITH LIBBY TO VERY HAPPY TO ANSWER THAT I THINK SO THANK YOU VERY VERY MUCH AND THE TOPIC OF THE DAY AND I'M GLAD THAT YOU'RE PAYING ATTENTION TO IT SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU.[6. REPORT BACK FROM SOLOCO ON GROWTH BOUNDARIES – COUNCIL MEMBER ALICE HOWARD]
ALL RIGHT. LET ME JUST MOVE ON TO IS THERE ANY UPDATE, ALICE, THAT YOU'D LIKE TO GIVE US I SUPPOSE GOVERNMENT AND YOU STUDY OH OH OH I MEAN FOR THE SOCIAL LOGO.YEAH. SO I'VE BEEN MEETING REGULARLY .
YES. SO WE'RE DEVELOPING A IT'S BASICALLY A MAP OF ENTITLEMENT DEVELOPMENT AND SO THIS IS A JOINT EFFORT WITH ALL THE MUNICIPALITIES INCLUDING JASPER COUNTY HARTVILLE AND CURRENTLY WHERE YOU KNOW WE HAVE A WORKING MAP FOR INCORPORATING BLUFFTON DATA HARTVILLE DATA THE JASPER DATA AND OUR GAS DEPARTMENT SHOULD SOMETHING WITHIN A COUPLE OF WEEKS WE'RE GOING TO SHARE THAT WITH THE OTHER PLANNERS, MAKE SURE THEY'RE COMFORTABLE WITH THE NUMBERS AND EVERYTHING AND THEN ONCE WE HAVE THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO SHARE THAT WITH THE COMMUNITY AND I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF INTEREST WE GETTING REQUESTS FROM SENATOR DAVIS, YOU KNOW, AND I THINK IT'S RELATED TO THE GREEN SPACE PROGRAM, YOU KNOW, TO KNOW WHAT ALL DEVELOPMENT BEEN ENTAILED, WHAT IS OUR CAPACITY FOR FUTURE GROWTH WITH ALL THAT WE'VE ENTITLED IN THEN WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FOR WHERE WE WANT TO TARGET PRESERVATION OR WHETHER OTHER AREAS FOR FUTURE GROWTH? SO WE'RE MOVING IN THAT DIRECTION AND THEN WE'RE IN THE SECOND ROUND OF SPEAKING OF GREEN SPACE ROUND OF APPLICATIONS. SO PROJECTS THAT WENT TO COUNCIL TO BE APPROVED FOR DUE DILIGENCE THOSE ARE IN PROGRESS FOR BRYAN YES FOR FIRST READING OUT THE FIRST AND THEN I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY WHEN THERE'S A CUT OFF INTO THE SWAMP FOR THE SECOND ROUND GOSH I SHOULD KNOW THAT I KNOW THAT THEY'RE MEETING NEXT WEDNESDAY IN KNOW WE HAVE A CUT OFF I BELIEVE IT'S THE END OF THIS MONTH IS IS THE CUTOFF FOR APPLICATIONS SO WE KNOW THAT THERE ARE SOME SOME ADDITIONAL ONES COMING FOR THE NEXT ROUND RIGHT. THANK YOU.
THANK YOU. PERHAPS OUR FUTURE MEETING WE COULD READ OUT WHERE YOU'RE AT KNOW IF YOU CONTRIBUTE TO THE PUBLIC. YEAH, WELL, THANK YOU.
THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. WELL, OUR OUR HOURS OF PARTIES
[7. LIST OF FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]
JUST ABOUT I WANT TO GO TO A LIST OF FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. THIS IS YOUR MEETING AND I PRINCIPALITIES AND THERE'S A BURNING TOPIC THAT YOU WANT TO ADD TO THE TO THE LIST OF FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS ALL ROUND UP THE SPEAKERS ARE HAVING A WEEKLY HEY ANYTHING LIKE OFFER ACTUALLY NOT SEEM ABOUT HAVE ANY INTEREST IN GETTING THE FORMAT OF RAISED HERE AND TALKING EXPANDING ACCESS AND ABSOLUTE PASSES THINGS FOR PRICES YEAH YEAH ABSOLUTELY OR WE'RE ABOUT TO START A TRAFFIC STUDY SO IF WE WANT PERMISSION NOW IS A GOOD TIME TO TALK PRIMARILY TO TO THE STUDY SO YEAH WE REALLY ARE NEED TO THE PROPOSAL WOULD YOU JUST YEAH JUST LIKE A CALL DOWN THE ROAD DOWN ROAD IT MIGHT NOT EVEN HURT TO HAVE THE UPDATE NOW SO THAT GOT EVERYBODY INFORMED TRUE STUDY STARTS EVERYONE OF THE PRODUCTS I'VE I'VE BEEN HEARING FROM SEVERAL FOLKS THEY JUST CAN'T AFFORD IT SO WE NEED TO SEEN THIS BEFORE I DON'T THINK I SAY TO YOU ALSO IF YOU WANT TO USE SOMETHING PASS LIKE YOU SAID NOW OR DO YOU WANT TO WAIT TILL WAS JUST THROWN OUT OF THE OFFICE LIKE ANY ANY OF THE TOPICS I KNOW WE[00:55:03]
HAVE SOMETHING THERE'S SOME CARRYOVER ITEMS WE NEED TO CHANGE THERE'S NOW THE WORD REIMAGINED NO LONGER IT'S JUST REBUILT ROAD IMPROVEMENTS THAT WE NEED TO KILL THE REFERENCE WE GOT THAT TAKEN OUT AND I DON'T THINK HAS COME BACK IN SO THAT IS WILL NOT BE IN THE DESCRIPTION SO JUST SO WE'VE GOT ROAD IMPROVEMENTS THE SALES TAX PROPOSAL THERE'S WHICH I CAN HEAR ABOUT NEXT MONTH SO BURNING TOPIC OR INFORMATION ON ON YOU KNOW I ASK FOR THE STORE TO LOOK OUT FOR US YES. AND HE'S PROBABLY GOING TO BE REQUESTING SOME DOLLAR FUNDING PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT SO I DON'T KNOW IS THE POINT IN TIME THAT WOULD BE GOOD INTEREST FOR BEFORE THE MONEY IS STILL YEAH HE CAME IN AS YOU KNOW CAME AND SPOKE WITH US AND ALSO JUST RECENTLY COMPLETED A CONVERGE CONFERENCE A LOT OF A LOT OF INFORMATION A LOT OF DATA WHICH TO THE AREA AND THE NUMBERS TO BACK IT UP SO I MEAN AN UPDATE PERHAPS KNOW YOU'RE SAYING YOU KNOW THIS COUPLE MONTHS OR POSSIBLY THAT HE'S IN THE PROCESS OF TRYING TO REPLACE CHARLIE AND CHARLIE CHARLIE'S TAKEN A JOB BEFORE CASPER YEAH YOU'RE LUCKY THEY ANNOUNCED IN THE MORNING THAT HE WILL BE US AND THE DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS TASK.HOW? THAT'S GREAT. THAT'S GOOD.
AND THEN AND CHARLIE NEEDS TO COME IN IN HIS NEW ROLE AND TALK AGAIN AND GIVE HIM A FEW WEEKS. WE ALSO HAVE GOT MANY SHARES AND IT'S JUST LIKE YOU KNOW SIX TO TAKE MY HAT OFF SOME OF THE COMMENTS IN THE CHAT WITH COUNCILOR TODD I HATE TO SAY ABOUT CONTAMINATION WITH YOU FOR JASPER WATER AND WHAT STEPS ARE BEING TAKEN AND WHAT WE CAN DO THAT THAT MIGHT BE A GOOD ONE TO TALK ABOUT AS WELL. I'VE BEEN PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT SO I WOULD BE HAPPY TO DIRECT YOU TO OUR NEW CHIEF OF COMMUNICATIONS JEFF LARUE.
SO I'M HAPPY TO HAVE TOUCH WITH US HERE YEAH WE GOT WE GOT A LOT OF CONCERN ON THAT I UNDERSTAND SHE WAS ASKED ANSWER YEAH OKAY. YEAH AND SHE WAS THERE YEAH YEAH SHE WAS THERE SHE HEARD YOU HAVE NO ROLE IN DECLARATION HOTEL A PRESS CONFERENCE AT HIS TITLE AGAIN WAS CHIEF OF COMMUNICATIONS OF COMMUNICATIONS AND CONSULTING WITH US AS A AS A COMMUNICATION OFFICER FOR A LITTLE WHILE AND THEY BROUGHT ALONG WE ANNOUNCED BRINGING HIM UP BOARD YESTERDAY TALKING OKAY WHICH ONE FOR NEXT MONTH FIRST OF ALL Y'ALL THEY WANTED TO SWAP THE 100 ENGINEERING IS THERE ANYTHING TO UPDATE ABOUT OPERATIONS SO PUBLIC SAFETY AND THIS WOULD BE FUN TO TALK TO JOHN ROBERTSON ABOUT THAT TO SEE IF HE CAN PUT A LINE ITEM. BUT WE HAVE A DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS ACROSS THE COUNTY AND WE HAVE ONE MEDICAL EMERGENCY RESPONSE SERVICE AND ALL THOSE ARE ALL GREAT FIVE PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS THINK THEY'RE DOING A GREAT JOB DELIVERING SERVICES THAT MAY BE A BETTER SERVICE DELIVERY MODEL AND I THINK THAT WE OWE IT TO OUR TAXPAYERS TO AT LEAST EXPLORE THAT. AND SO IN MY MIND IT MIGHT BE AN APPROPRIATE ITEM IN THE COUNTY'S FISCAL YEAR 25 BUDGET TO FUND A STUDY JUST TO SEE ARE WE ARE WE REALLY DELIVERING SERVICES IN THE BEST POSSIBLE MEASURE? I TOTALLY AGREE WITH SCOTT.
YEAH IT'S BEEN YEAH SO THAT'S THE ONLY UPDATE I HAVE. THEY'RE OUT TO SPEAK WITH JOHN AND SEE IF HE'LL GET THAT IN THE BUDGET AND SO THAT PROBABLY WOULDN'T BE A NO THAT WOULDN'T BE A FEBRUARY THING. SO THE OTHER ITEM I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S ON YOUR LIST THAT I HAVE THE LIST IN FRONT OF ME BUT I THINK WE NEED TO ALL COLLECTIVELY TACKLE OUR UNHOUSED POPULATION AND THAT'S THAT'S AN ISSUE THAT I THINK CITY WERE SO LOCAL THIS FISCAL YEAR AS WELL AND I THINK WE GET ALL OF OUR LOCAL GOVERNMENT BODIES INVOLVED AND TOGETHER ON THE SAME PAGE WE CAN GET A LOT MORE TRACTION TOWARD AT LEAST MITIGATING THE PROBLEM.
I MAY NOT BE ABLE TO SOLVE IT BUT AT LEAST BE ABLE TO MITIGATE PROBLEM A LITTLE BIT.
SO I THINK THAT'S A TOPIC FOR PROBABLY END UP DISCUSSING HERE AT SOME POINT THEY JUST THEY JUST DON'T WANT TO SEE IT WAS THE ANYONE CAN COME TALK TO US THEY COULD FIND LIKE MAYBE FOR A LOT OF THEM TALK THAT'S TRUE THEY MIGHT TO GIVE US AN IDEA HE DOES SUCH A GOOD JOB OF EXPLAINING THE ROOT CAUSES RIGHT AND SONG YEAH BECAUSE WE ALL GET CALLS FROM CONSTITUENTS ABOUT WHY AREN'T CHITLINS HOT? AND THE PROBLEM IS GETTING NOT ONLY MORE BUT MORE COMPLEX TO
[01:00:05]
SOLVE AND IT COSTS IF THE COST JUST SNOWBALLS FROM EMS TO THE HOSPITAL TO THE DETENTION CENTER TO LIKE BACK ON THE STREET, IT WOULD BE NICE TO GET A RESULT UPDATES BUT I CAN GIVE YOU A NUMBER. OKAY DO WHAT I JUST MY THAT I THINK THAT AND PLUS THE CAUSES WHAT KIND OF YOU KNOW YOU KNOW Y'ALL NO SOLUTION SO YEAH BUT WHAT ARE REAL SOLUTIONS I WONDER I MIGHT BE APPEALING TO YOU JUST TO HAVE AN ADDRESS FIRST AND JUST INTRODUCE US TO THE SCOPE OF THE AND THE DIFFERENT SAMPLES. SO I JUST IT'S JUST ONE POINT IN TIME I THINK THERE'S A SO THAT'S DONE AND I ACTUALLY IT IN 12 PERIOD OF MY TAKE IN ALL AREAS SO I HAVE THE RESPONSE BACK FROM THAT. OKAY.YES SHY OF THE SCHEDULE I'D LIKE TO DISCUSS THIS ISSUE WITH US NEXT MONTH THE NEXT MEETING
[8. SELECTION OF NEXT MEETING AGENDA ITEM(S)]
DATE IS FEBRUARY 23RD WE HAVE OUR SCHEDULED OUT THE YEAR MORE FRIDAY OF THE MONTH OF THE 23RD IS ANY OTHER ANY OTHER COMMENTS QUESTIONS YOU JUST MAKE ONE COMMENT COUNSELOR'S MEETING I HAVING A REFERENDUM FOR ONE SINCE WE INFRASTRUCTURE AND WE'LL HAVE A FIRST READING COMING UP SEEM TO BE SECOND READINGS SO THE FIRST IS THERE'S SOME SECOND READINGS COMING UP SO PUBLIC COMMENTS ON THAT AND I WOULD JUST CAUTION YOU ALL TO SAY TO YOU THAT THERE THERE IS THE NATURE OF MUNICIPALITIES AND OTHER ENTITIES HAVING THEIR OWN SET OF FUNDING AND LIBERTY FOR THAT ENTITY TO EXPRESS WHAT THEY DESIRE FOR THEIR I THINK IS PARAMOUNT AND LOVE FOR MAKING THIS MUNICIPALITY COME ON EXPRESSED AND DOING PUBLIC HEARING. JUST LEAVE IT LIKE THAT. IT WAS A PRIVATIZATION OF THE ONE SET SALES TAX REFERENDUM THAT'S A LOCAL LOCAL TO STATE AND AND THEY'VE SET UP SCHEDULE INTRODUCTORY SESSION EDUCATION TO HAVE A VISIONING WHAT IT'S GOING TO ENTAIL AND $1.65 BILLION YEAH I JUST A LITTLE CAUTION ON THAT WE HAVE TO WATCH THE LINE OF ADVOCACY VERSUS EDUCATION ON THAT TAXPAYER YEAH YES YES THAT WAS NEVER THAT AND I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT ADVOCACY AND ELECTED OFFICIALS CAN'T SAY HOW THEY'RE GOING TO VOTE ON JUST WELL IT WOULD IT BE OF INTEREST AT SOME POINT TO HAVE HARPER COUNTY COUNCIL PRESENT PETITION OR GOING FORWARD THAT IT'S PART OF THIS I THINK THEY'RE GOING TO BE GROUPS THAT ARE I THINK THERE WILL BE SOME CHAMBER I MEAN THAT'S HAPPENED IN THE PAST BUT EDUCATION JUDGES YEAH IT'S A TIGHT LINE YOU HAVE TO TALK. ALL RIGHT.WELL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I THE MEETING IS ADJOURNED I SUPPOSE.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS? THANK YOU
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.