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CLOSED CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY BUFORT COUNTY NEIGHBORHOODS COMMITTEE DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION.
[1. Call to Order]
I NEED A MOTION TO ADOPT THE AGENDA.[2. Adoption of the Agenda]
THE AGENDA AS SUBMITTED.ANY OPPOSED? THEN WE'RE ON NUMBER THREE, APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES.
[3. Approval of the Minutes]
SETS OF MINUTES THAT ARE ATTACHED FROM THE 13TH OF NOVEMBER AND THE 20TH OF NOVEMBER.I'LL GIVE YOU A MINUTE TO MOVE.
READ THEM OVER OR LOOK THEM OVER, AND THEN I'LL NEED A MOTION TO ADOPT.
I'LL MAKE THE MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF NOVEMBER 13TH, 2023.
AND THE REGULAR MEETING MINUTES OF NOVEMBER 30TH, 2023.
MAY I HAVE A SECOND? SECOND? ANY OPPOSED? WE HAVE A, UM, TIME FOR APPEARANCE BY CITIZENS.
[4. Appearance by Citizens]
ANYONE LIKE TO SPEAK? BEING NONE.[5. Unfinished Business]
BUSINESS.[a. Review, Consideration and Approval of the Fiscal Year 2024-2026 Gullah Geechee Historic Neighborhoods Community Development Corporation Strategic Plan]
CAN YOU TAKE US THROUGH THE INFORMATION? ABSOLUTELY.UM, FIRST OFF, LET ME SAY THANK YOU TO OUR, UM, GUEST, UH, CITIZENS THAT, UM, HAVE, UM, CHOSEN TO BE WITH US THIS MORNING.
UM, OUR AGENDA ITEM FOR TODAY ON THE UNFINISHED BUSINESS IS, UH, THE REVIEW CONSIDERATION APPROVAL OF OUR FISCAL YEAR 2024 THROUGH 26, UH, STRATEGIC PLAN.
UM, AS YOU'LL SEE, UM, WE HAVE MADE THE REVISIONS THAT, UH, WERE SUGGESTED BY THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS AT OUR PREVIOUS MEETING.
UM, I HAVE ALSO SPENT SOME TIME MAKING SURE, UH, DURING THAT PROCESS THAT OUR STRATEGIC PLAN ALIGNS WITH OUR PURPOSES AND MISSION AS, AS OUTLINED IN OUR ORGANIZING DOCUMENTS, AS WELL AS THE ALIGNMENT WITH THE TOWN'S 2023 TO 2025 STRATEGIC PLAN.
AND, UM, OUR, OUR STRATEGIC PLAN ALIGNS WITH BOTH OUR ORGANIZING DOCUMENTS AS WELL AS THE TOWN STRATEGIC PLAN.
SO, UM, I WOULD LIKE TO OPEN UP THE FLOOR FOR COMMENTS FROM OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS.
UM, IF YOU HAVE ANY PARTICULAR COMMENTS OR ANY, ANY FINAL, UM, CHANGES OR AMENDMENTS THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE, PLEASE, UM, LET ME KNOW AT THIS TIME.
IF YOU GIVE US JUST ONE MINUTE ABSOLUTELY.
AGAIN, TERRY, I AM ASSUMING YOU HAVE A COPY OF THIS.
WELL, I, I'LL, I'LL SAY THAT, UH, I WORKED WITH MR. BOXLEY ON A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT OCCASIONS REGARDING SOME SPECIFICS IN THIS, UH, STRATEGIC PLAN.
I SEE THAT THOSE COMMENTS ARE INCLUDED, AND I APPRECIATE THAT.
UM, SO I'M READY TO SUPPORT IT AS WELL.
I'VE LOOKED AT THIS AND IN THE MEETINGS THAT WE'VE HAD, YOU'VE MADE THOSE REVISIONS, SO I'M READY TO SUPPORT.
YEAH, I MEAN, I READ THROUGH 'EM AS WELL.
I MEAN, I DON'T HAVE ANY THANK YOU, MR. WYATT.
I THINK THE, THE WORKSHOPS THAT WE HAD SERVED AS WELL, A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT WITH US AND THE CITIZENS.
UH, SO I, I MOVED TO, UH, THANK YOU MR. JOHNSON.
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I LIKE THAT IT'S SO THIN.UM, MR. BOXLEY, WE, WE, UH, APPLAUD YOUR EFFORTS WITH, UH, WITH LISTENING AND LEARNING, YOU KNOW, SORT OF UNDERSTANDING, UH, THE, AS YOU DESCRIBED IT, THE STRENGTHS, THE WEAKNESSES, THE OPPORTUNITIES AND THE THREATS, AND INCORPORATING SOME STRATEGIES AND GOALS, UM, THAT WE CAN ACCOMPLISH IN A, UH, HOPEFULLY FAIRLY SHORT PERIOD OF TIME.
UH, SO, UH, I TOO, UH, AM IN SUPPORT OF THIS.
AND, UM, I JUST CONTINUE TO ENCOURAGE YOU AND THE REST OF THE BOARD AND THE COMMUNITY TO THAT DEGREE.
UM, THAT IF YOU, IF YOU TAKE NOTE OF ONE OF OUR FIRST OBJECTIVES HERE, WHICH IS TO DEAL WITH, UH, THE CORRIDOR SITUATION IN THE STONY PROPERTY ALMOST THAT IMPACTED, UM, THAT THERE IS INDEED WORK BEING DONE THERE.
UH, THERE IS INDEED CONVERSATIONS THAT ARE BEING HAD.
AND, UM, IT'S GOING TO TAKE A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT TO ASSURE THAT, UM, THE CORRIDOR, UM, IS ADDRESSED IN A, IN A PROPER MANNER.
UM, AND UNDERSTANDING IT'S NOT JUST A TOWN THAT'S GOING TO BE THE ULTIMATE, UM, DECISION MAKER, UM, THE ULTIMATE, UM, ENTITY THAT'S GOING TO SORT OF SUPPORT THE MITIGATION ACTION, THAT THAT MAY OR MAY NOT HAPPEN.
UM, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO CONTINUE TO REALIZE THAT WE HAVE TO HAVE POSITIVE CONVERSATIONS WITH OUR STAKEHOLDERS ALONG THE WAY THAT'S TOWN, COUNTY, AND STATE.
AND AT SOME POINT, FEDERAL, RIGHT? I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO REALIZE AS A BOARD AS FAR AS HOW WE GOING TO PULL EVERYBODY TOGETHER SO THAT THAT PUZZLE MAKES SENSE.
I CAN MAKE A MOTION IF YOU, IT'S YOUR PLEASURE.
I WOULD LIKE TO CHAIR, I MOVE THAT THE, UM, BOARD OF THE GULLAH GEECHEE HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOODS COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, APPROVE THE STRATEGIC PLAN AS PRESENTED BY THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR.
ANY QUESTION? FROM THE PUBLIC? NO.
ANY OPPOSED? THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT.
I, I, I HAVE A REQUEST, UM, BECAUSE ALEX BROUGHT IT UP AS, UH, AN IMMEDIATE PRIORITY.
BOXLEY, CAN YOU GIVE US AN UPDATE ON THE CONVERSATIONS AROUND, UH, STONY? UH, THERE WERE COMMENTS MADE YESTERDAY AT THE TOWN COUNCIL MEETING THAT INTIMATED THAT, UH, NOBODY WAS IN CONTACT WITH THEM OUTSIDE OF A SMALL GROUP OF, UH, CITIZENS WHO MET A MONTH OR SO AGO.
SO I, INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH, I WAS TUNED IN AND WATCHING WHEN THAT COMMENT WAS MADE.
AND, AND FRANKLY, I, I DON'T THINK THAT, UM, THAT THAT WAS A ACCURATE DEPICTION OF WHAT HAS BEEN GOING ON.
SO, UM, TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, THE MEETINGS CONTINUE TO OCCUR.
I MET AS RECENTLY AS MONDAY WITH ONE OF THE PROPERTY OWNERS IN THE STONY COMMUNITY THAT, UM, THAT IS DIRECTLY IMPACTED OR THAT WOULD BE DIRECTLY IMPACTED BY HIGHWAY EXPANSION.
UM, AND WE ARE CURRENTLY, AS A MATTER OF FACT, LATER ON TODAY, GOING TO, UM, WORK THROUGH THE DETAILS AND LOGISTICS OF A COMMUNITY BASED MEETING THAT WILL OCCUR AT THE PUBLIC LIBRARY.
WE'LL FIRM UP THE DATE, BUT, UM, A PUBLIC MEETING AT THE LIBRARY, UM, FOR THE RESIDENTS AT LARGE OF THE STONY COMMUNITY SO THAT WE CAN BEGIN TO, TO, UH, GATHER SOME FEEDBACK.
AND AGAIN, I, I'D LIKE TO GO BACK TO THE COMMENT MADE BY THE INDIVIDUAL AND ADDRESS THAT TOO.
UM, BECAUSE THIS PROJECT HAS BEEN CONSIDERED TALKED ABOUT, UM, AND, UM, YOU KNOW, UP FOR DEBATE, IF YOU WILL, FOR APPROXIMATELY SIX YEARS.
SO, UM, I THINK THAT, UH, WE HAVE TO CONSIDER THE AMOUNT OF TIME THAT THIS HAS BEEN, UM, IN THE PUBLIC REALM AND THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT HAVE EXISTED TO ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY AS WELL.
SO, UM, WE AS AN ORGANIZATION ARE ONLY, UM, A LITTLE OVER A YEAR OLD WHEN IT COMES TO THE SPECIFICS OF OUR INCORPORATION.
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TO PLACE THE ONUS ON THE GULLAH GEECHEE HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOODS COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION AS THE SOLE ENTITY RESPONSIBLE FOR ENGAGING THE COMMUNITY WHEN THIS HAS BEEN A CONVERSATION THAT HAS BEEN OCCURRING FOR ABOUT SIX YEARS.SO I DO WANNA STATE THAT FOR THE RECORD.
UH, NUMBER TWO, WE ARE ACTIVELY, AND I MEAN, ACTIVELY ENGAGING MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY THAT LIVE IN THE CORRIDOR, AS WELL AS LOOKING AT BROADER OPPORTUNITIES TO GET, UH, TO, UH, GARNER FEEDBACK FROM THE RESIDENTS OF THE STONY COMMUNITY.
SO, UM, THESE THINGS WILL BE ONGOING.
I KNOW THAT, UM, THAT WE HAVE SOME DEADLINES COMING UP.
UM, AND, AND MY GOAL IS TO MAKE SURE AND GATHER THAT FEEDBACK AND ORGANIZE IT, UH, IN A MEANS BY WHICH, UH, WE CAN, UM, HAVE A LEGITIMATE UNDERSTANDING OF THE THE MEANS BY WHICH THE COMMUNITY WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE, UM, THE STONY AREA, UH, DEVELOPED, UH, AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
NOW, ONE THING THAT I CAN SAY THAT IS A REOCCURRING THEME REGARDING THE STONY COMMUNITY IS THAT, UM, PRIOR TO THE BRIDGE BEING BUILT TO THE ORIGINAL BRIDGE IN THE 1950S, IS THAT STONY WAS A, A MAJOR ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL HUB OF THE GULLAH COMMUNITY.
AND THE ELDERS IN THE COMMUNITY THAT I'VE SPOKEN WITH HAVE EXPRESSED A DESIRE FOR, FOR THIS AREA TO RETURN TO, UH, AN ECONOMIC ENGINE THAT, THAT IT ONCE WAS.
AND SO, WHATEVER WE CAN DO, UM, AS A COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, WHETHER THAT IS SUPPORTING BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, WHICH IS OUTLINED IN OUR STRATEGIC PLAN, UH, SUPPORTING BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, SUPPORTING, UM, REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT FOR THE PROPERTY OWNERS IN THE AREA, UM, I THINK THAT THESE ARE THINGS THAT WILL GO A LONG WAY, UM, IN ACHIEVING THE GOALS THAT HAVE BEEN THUS FAR IDENTIFIED IN OUR MEETINGS, UH, WITH PROPERTY OWNERS AND, UH, WITH MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE.
UM, A QUESTION THAT COMES TO MY MIND IS THAT IN YOUR STONY NEIGHBORHOOD, UH, ENSURE THE STABILIZATION PRESERVATION OF GULLAH GEECHEE NEIGHBORHOODS CULTURAL SITES AND HISTORY.
THERE ARE, UM, ONE THROUGH EIGHT ITEMS INCLUDED IN THAT.
UM, ARE WE DEVELOPING AT THIS TIME A LIST OF THINGS, UH, IDEAS, UH, COUNCILS THAT WILL BE PRESENTED TO THE TOWN COUNCIL? AND IF SO, HAVE THESE BEEN VETTED BY THE CITIZENS WITHIN STONE? NO, WE HAVE NOT, UH, DEVELOPED AN EXHAUSTIVE LIST AS OF YET.
UM, AND THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE WILL BEGIN THE PROCESS OF IN OUR FIRST, UH, PUBLIC COMMUNITY MEETING THAT WE AS, AS A, UM, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION HOST.
AND SO, UM, I'M, I HAVE NOT, UM, I DO NOT HAVE, UH, FEEDBACK FROM THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE.
SO, UM, WE DO NOT HAVE THAT FEEDBACK JUST YET.
ARE YOU PLANNING ON HAVING THAT IN TIME FOR WHAT'S YOUR TIMELINE? ABSOLUTELY.
MY TIMELINE, AND THANK YOU FOR THAT QUESTION, MADAM CHAIR.
MY TIMELINE FOR THE FIRST, UH, COMMUNITY MEETING IS WITHIN THE NEXT TWO WEEKS.
WE HAD A TENTATIVE DATE OF THE 29TH.
HOWEVER, WHAT WE ARE WORKING TO DO NOW IS, UM, TO SOLIDIFY THE SUPPORT, UH, OR NOT NECESSARILY THE SUPPORT, BUT THE, UM, UH, GETTING THE WORD OUT, SHOULD I SAY.
SO WE'RE WORKING THROUGH OUR MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT ABOUT GETTING THE WORD OUT.
AND IF WE DON'T HOST IT NEXT WEEK, IT, WE WILL HOST IT THE FOLLOWING WEEK.
SO THE FIRST WEEK OF MARCH, ONE OF THE ISSUES MR. BOXLEY IN COMMUNICATING TO THE GULLAH COMMUNITY AT LARGE IS, WAS AT THE LAST COMMUNITY MEETING THAT WE HAVE TO USE VARIOUS FORMATS TO COMMUNICATE.
'CAUSE ONE SIMPLY DOES NOT WORK.
SO AS YOU'RE COMMUNICATING OUT TO THE NEIGHBORHOODS, ARE YOU DOING IT IN A VARIETY OF WAYS? YES.
WE WILL HAVE PAPER, UH, HAND FLYERS, BASICALLY FLYERS, TEXT MESSAGES, AS WELL AS EMAIL COMMUNICATION FOR THE MEETING.
I MEAN, SINCE IT'S, I GUESS, LIKE NO ONE IS FORMALLY OWNING THE COMMUNICATION.
I MEAN, IS THE COUNTY INVITED? IS FA INVITED, IS COUNCIL INVITED? LIKE, HOW DO WE GET PAST, LIKE, YOU KNOW, ALL THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE TO MAKE THIS DECISION, THEY ARE COMING TO HERE, RIGHT? THAT WAY IT'S NOT, IT DOESN'T ALL FALL ON YOU TO BE SPOKEPERSON FOR ALL THOSE RESIDENTS, RIGHT?
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LIKE AT SOME POINT, OTHER FOLKS HAVE TO START COMING TO THE TABLE.SO IF A LARGE COMMUNITY MEETING COME TO THE TABLE, BUT WHEN DO THEY COME TO THE TABLE? EVEN TO THE TABLE, TO THE RESIDENCE TABLE, RIGHT? LIKE, WHAT'S THE, I GUESS THAT'S PART OF THE CONUNDRUM, LIKE NO ONE'S OWNING IT.
I, I, THAT'S WHAT IT SOUNDS LIKE.
I I DEFINITELY HEAR WHERE YOU'RE GOING.
UM, AND, UM, BUT THAT I DON'T HAVE A, A DIRECT ANSWER.
UM, ALL I KNOW WHAT, WHAT WE CAN DO IS, IS SUPPORT THE COMMUNITIES, UM, THE INFORMATION THAT IS DISSEMINATED TO THE COMMUNITY AS WE RECEIVE IT.
UM, SO THAT, UM, AND, AND COUNCILMAN BROWN MENTIONED A MOMENT AGO THAT, THAT THERE ARE MULTIPLE PARTIES, AS YOU HAVE JUST IDENTIFIED, THAT THAT WILL HAVE TO COME TO THE TABLE.
UM, I THINK THAT WE ARE IN A GOOD POSITION BASED ON SOME OF THE PREVIOUS MEETINGS THAT WE'VE HAD WITH THE, WITH THE COUNTY AS WELL AS, UM, THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION.
HOWEVER, THERE IS A NEED, THERE IS A DEFINITE NEED FOR EVERYBODY TO BE IN THE ROOM AT THE SAME TIME.
HAVE, HAVE YOU GIVEN ANY THOUGHT TO, UM, SECURING OR REACHING OUT TO GET MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY WHO HAVE A VESTED INTEREST TO HELP YOU CHAMPION AND, AND DRIVE PEOPLE TO THESE MEETINGS? SO AS OPPOSED TO BEING OUTSIDE IN AND BE INSIDE OUT TO JOIN IN WITH YOU, GIVE THEM A SENSE OF OWNERSHIP AND, UH, UM, INVOLVEMENT IN IT.
HAS THERE BEEN ANY CONSIDERATION OR IS THAT CURRENTLY BEING DONE? THAT'S, THAT'S, UH, DEFINITELY A CONSIDERATION.
AND I, I WELCOME THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK WITH YOU OFFLINE ABOUT SOME OF THAT, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT THERE ARE THINGS THAT, THAT YOU AND I CAN WORK ON TO SUPPORT THAT.
I JUST WANT TO, UH, OFFER SOME THOUGHTS HERE, UM, AROUND, UM, YOU SORT OF THIS COMMUNITY BASED MEETING, WHICH I THINK IS IMPORTANT.
WE HAVE TO HAVE THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, WE SORT OF HAVE, UH, AT A VERY HIGH LEVEL RIGHT NOW, UM, AREAS OF CONCERN THAT WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT FOLKS KNOW THAT THEY'VE BEEN HEARD, RIGHT? UM, BUT ALSO WANNA JUST OFFER UP THAT, UH, THIS IS A VERY COMPLICATED PROCESS, RIGHT? UM, BECAUSE A MEETING WITH THOMAS, HAVING IN A LIVING ROOM WITH A FAMILY THAT IS DIRECTLY IMPACTED, IS GOING TO BE A DIFFERENT CONVERSATION THAN A MEETING WHEN A WHOLE LOT OF PEOPLE ARE SHOWING UP AND GET OFFERED UP OTHER TYPE OF OPINIONS.
OKAY? SO I JUST WANT US TO BE VERY CLEAR THAT THE, THE COMPLEXITY OF THIS, UM, BECAUSE YOU COULD, YOU COULD, YOU COULD VERY WELL SHOW UP TO A PUBLIC MEETING AND SOMEONE WHO IS NOT BEING DIRECTLY IMPACTED HAS A VERY POWERFUL VOICE AS TO WHAT THEY THINK SHOULD HAPPEN THAT MAY OVERRIDE SOME SOMEONE WHO IS ACTUALLY IMPACTED.
SO I JUST WANT US TO SORT OF BALANCE THAT, UM, ALONG THE WAY.
AND, UH, WE'VE ALREADY IDENTIFIED, YOU KNOW, WHO THE FAMILIES ARE.
UM, SO WE HAVE THAT LIST, BUT JUST SORT OF UNDERSTANDING THAT AS WE'RE MOVING FORWARD, I THINK IS IMPORTANT AS WELL FOLLOW UP ON THAT.
HOW MANY RESIDENTS OF STONY WOULD, WOULD BE INVITED AND WOULD COME TO A MEETING LIKE THAT IF IT WERE EXCLUSIVELY FOR STONY TO GO OVER A LIST OF THINGS THAT ARE BEING CONTEMPLATED FOR THE BENEFIT OF STONY RESIDENTS IN A QUOTE UNQUOTE MITIGATION OFFERING.
UM, LEMME RESPOND BEFORE YOU GO, MS. BOXLEY.
SO, UM, MR. BLEY, MADAM CHAIR, MYSELF, UH, PARTICIPATING, UH, MEETING WITH THE COUNTY, OKAY, THE FIRST TIME THE COUNTY HAD ENGAGED WITH THE PROPERTY OWNERS THAT, UH, UH, IMPACTED.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, FROM MY COUNT, EVERY FAMILY WAS REPRESENTED AT THAT MEETING.
OKAY? SO, UM, TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, MR. AMES, I THINK IS HOW WE TARGET AND WHAT THE DISCUSSION'S GONNA BE ABOUT AS TO WHAT TYPE OF PARTICIPATION YOU'RE GOING TO GET.
I, I, I'M FOLLOWING UP ON YOUR ORIGINAL POINT, AND THAT IS, THERE ARE PROBABLY TWO CONVERSATIONS.
AND SO, UM, TO, TO FOLLOW UP WITH THE RESPONSE, UM, THERE ARE ABSOLUTELY, IF, IF NOT TWO, FOR CONVERSATIONS, RIGHT? SO WE'VE HAD THE CONVERSATION WITH THOSE THAT ARE DIRECTLY IMPACTED, IE PROPERTY OWNERS WITHIN THE CORRIDOR, THE, THE, THE AREA OF STUDY, SECOND MEETING COMMUNITY AT LARGE.
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I HAVE NO WAY OF IDENTIFYING HOW MANY OR, OR NO WAY OF, OF, OF PREDICTING WHO ALL MIGHT SHOW UP.UM, HOPEFULLY IT WOULD BE, UM, A GOOD TURNOUT, BUT HAVE NO WAY OF PREDICTING, UM, YOU KNOW, THIRD MEETING COMMUNITY, STATE REPRESENTATIVES AS WELL AS COUNTY REPRESENTATIVES, RIGHT? SO THAT TO MR. WHITE'S POINT, EVERYBODY CAN BE IN THE ROOM AND WE CAN START TO, UM, HAVE A CONVERSATION AROUND WHAT APPROPRIATE MITIGATION MIGHT BE.
SO, UM, AND THEN THE, THE POTENTIAL FOURTH MEETING WOULD PROBABLY INVOLVE MEMBERS OF, OF COUNCIL THAT REPRESENT PEOPLE FROM THE STONY COMMUNITY, IE COUNCIL OF BROWN AND, AND SOME OTHER CITY, UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT, UH, OR TOWN COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT, UH, HAVE VESTED INTEREST AS WELL AS MEMBERS FROM THE COUNTY AND, AND STATE AND THE COMMUNITY.
SO, UM, I THINK THAT THIS, YOU KNOW, THIS IS DEFINITELY SOMETHING THAT IS, IS VERY, VERY, UM, HIGH PRIORITY.
UM, AND, AND I DO SEE ROOM FOR A LOT OF COMMUNICATION THAT NEEDS TO TAKE PLACE SO THAT FOLKS DO HAVE A UNDERSTANDING OF, OF WHAT'S GOING ON.
ADAM, CHAIR, I, I WOULD ASK THAT IF IT'S, UM, YOUR PLEASURE AND THE PLEASURE OF THE BOARD THAT WE CHARGE MR. BOXLEY WITH CREATING A CRITICAL PATH FROM TODAY TO END RESULT OF US BEING BEFORE COUNCIL WITH SORT OF A POSITION STATEMENT OF A MITIGATION PLAN, I THINK THAT'S APPROPRIATE.
AND IS THAT A MOTION NEEDED TO BE ABSOLUTELY
SO CAN WE CHARGE MR. BOXLEY? ABSOLUTELY.
UM, JUST SO THAT MEETING WITH, BETWEEN YOU GUYS, THE, THE IMPACTED FAMILIES IN THE STATE, WAS IT MORE LIKE A, OR SORRY, THE COUNTY, WAS IT A LISTENING SESSION ON THEIR END? OR LIKE, JUST WHAT WAS THE, AT A HIGH LEVEL, THE TONE KIND OF OUTCOME OF THAT? I THINK, AND THEN YOU CAN COMMENT, COUNSELOR, I THINK IT WAS A LISTENING SESSION.
I THINK IT WAS, FOR LACK OF A VERY BETTER TERM, UH, UH, REHASHING OF THE PAST AND TALKING ABOUT WHAT HAS HAPPENED BEFORE THEN.
I THINK THE COUNTY, UH, I WAS REALLY, REALLY QUITE IMPRESSED WITH THE COUNTY BECAUSE THEY ARE READY TO MOVE, GIVEN WHAT WE WANT TO DO, NOT WHAT THEY'RE FORCING US TO DO.
I THINK THAT'S A MAJOR CHANGE IN WHAT HAS TAKEN PLACE IN THE PAST.
SO I THINK IT WAS A VERY PRODUCTIVE MEETING.
UM, WE HAVE A STRATEGY AND A PLAN TO MOVE FORWARD.
AND IF THERE ARE ROADBLOCKS, HOW TO MITIGATE THOSE ROADBLOCKS.
THE, THE, THE OVERALL, UH, MEETING WAS, WAS POSITIVE.
UH, MR. WHITE, YOU KNOW, AND I WAS, UH, PLEASED THAT, UM, SUCH A MEETING FINALLY TOOK PLACE.
UM, BUT, BUT ALSO WANT TO, UM, SORT OF REITERATE THAT, UM, WE ARE DEALING WITH A VERY EMOTIONAL SITUATION, OKAY? SO IN A LOT OF CASES WHERE CONVERSATIONS THAT MAYBE MR. OXLEY HAD HAD WITH INDIVIDUALS, UH, WHERE HE HAD GOTTEN TO A POINT, OKAY, LET'S JUST SAY POINT C, RIGHT? UM, THIS MEETING WE REVERTED BACK TO POINT A.
AND JUST TO BE EXPECTED, RIGHT? YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT GENERATIONAL ATTACHMENT
SO AT THE END OF IT, I FELT AS IF WE WALKED AWAY BEING AT THAT POINT THAT MR. SUBOXONE HAD GOTTEN THE FAMILY, WHICH IS POINT C, AND NOW HOW DID WE GET TO D, E, AND F, RIGHT? UM, SO TO THAT EXTENT, I THINK IT WAS A POSITIVE, BUT I'LL, I'LL ALSO JUST JUST SAY THAT, UM, THE COUNTY DID HAVE THE, HAVE THE EARS WIDE OPEN.
UM, AND I THINK THEY ALSO WALKED AWAY WITH A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE OF WHAT WAS HAPPENING IN, IN, IN THE STONY COMMUNITY.
UM, SO I, I WAS PLEASED FOR THAT.
UM, AND I, I CAN'T SAY THIS ENOUGH, JUST BECAUSE THOSE FAMILIES THAT ARE DIRECTLY IMPACTED MAY BE BLOOD RELATED, MAY LOOK ALIKE AND TALK ALIKE DOES NOT MEAN THAT THEY ALL THINK ALIKE AND WANT THE SAME THING.
UM, AND THAT'S JUST VERY IMPORTANT FOR US TO CONTINUE TO REALIZE THAT.
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I MEAN, HAS, HAS COUNCIL, I MEAN, HAVE YOU GUYS HAD ANY, I MEAN, I KNOW YOUR DECISION IS SORT OF, YOU KNOW, LOOMING.HAVE YOU GUYS HAD ANY CONVERSATIONS ABOUT IT? OR IS EVERYONE TRACKING IT? YOU SAY IN TOWN COUNCIL? NO.
HOW DO WE MAKE SURE LIKE THEY ARE EVERYONE? I MEAN, YOU GUYS ARE AWARE, I'VE SEEN PATSY AT MEETINGS, BUT HOW DO WE MAKE SURE THAT YOU GUYS THEREFORE ARE TRACKING WITH THE INFORMATION? I THINK THAT'S PART OF THE CRITICAL PATH THAT WE ARE CHARGING MR. BOXY WITH, IS THAT THAT NEEDS TO BE A CHECK-IN UPDATE OR SORT TO TOWN COUNCIL ALONG THE WAY.
IS IT, IS IT, IS IT, I MEAN, ARE THESE MEETINGS, I MEAN, ARE THEY OPEN INVITATION FOR MEMBERS OF COUNCIL TO COME, OR IS IT, I MEAN, I KNOW THAT ALEX, YOU REPRESENTS THE AREA, SO YOU'RE PROBABLY IN 99.9%, BUT, YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M JUST CURIOUS OF LIKE, THE INTEREST OF COUNCILMAN BECKER IS HERE TODAY.
I DIDN'T, I DIDN'T SEE OVER THERE.
UM, I'D LIKE TO MAKE A COMMENT, UM, ON THE CRITICAL PATH, UM, EDWARD, TO ARTICULATE THIS, IT SEEMS TO ME THAT OUR CLIENT, WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT STONY, ARE THE RESIDENTS OF STONY, UH, AND THAT WE SERVE OUR ULTIMATE GOAL BY RESPECTING THEM AND THEIR OPINIONS, UM, THAT WE OUGHT TO BE RELATIVELY SURE WHERE THEIR HEADS ARE.
WE'VE BEEN ASKING QUESTIONS OF THEM OVER THE LAST SIX YEARS.
UM, ARE WE AT A POINT WHERE WE THINK WE HAVE HEARD THEM CLEARLY ENOUGH THAT WE OUGHT TO BE PUTTING IN FRONT OF THEM IDEAS THAT WE CAN HEAR FROM THEM? MAKE SENSE? UM, IF WE GET TO THE POINT WHERE THE CDC C CDCS, UM, PLATE OF IDEAS ARE ADOPTED OR APPROVED BY THE STONY RESIDENTS, THEN I THINK IT'S WISE TO GO TO THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY AND SAY, THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN DEVELOPED WITH THE BROADER, WITH THE STONY COMMUNITY.
AND MY OTHER THOUGHT IS THAT THE MEETING WHERE WE ARE TALKING ABOUT, UH, ANY KIND OF SPECIFIC PROPOSAL, THE COUNTY OUGHT REPRESENTATIVE OUGHT TO BE THERE SO THAT THE COUNTY IS ON THE GROUND FLOOR LISTENING AT THE SAME TIME TO THESE CONVERSATIONS.
NOW, I WOULD ASK MR. BOXLEY, AM I SKIPPING SOME STEPS THERE OR WHAT'S, WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THAT? SO YOU MENTIONED THAT THESE CONVERSATIONS HAVE BEEN HAPPENING OVER SIX YEARS.
WHO'S BEEN HAVING THE CONVERSATIONS? BECAUSE EARLIER YOU MENTIONED THAT, UM, THERE ARE INDIVIDUALS WHO SAY THAT THERE HAVE BEEN NO CONVERSATIONS HAPPENING.
SO, UM, I'M KIND OF, UM, AT A, AT A SPACE WHERE I'M STARTING FROM GROUND ZERO, RIGHT? UM, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE COMMUNITY'S INPUT, UM, NO, I DON'T THINK THAT WE'RE, UM, I DON'T THINK THAT YOU ARE SKIPPING ANY STEPS, BUT IF THERE HAVE BEEN SOME CONVERSATIONS THAT I'M NOT AWARE OF, I LOVE TO SEE THE NOTES, YOU KNOW, SO THAT I DON'T HAVE TO GO OUT AND RECREATE THE WILL TO A CERTAIN DEGREE.
UM, BUT I THINK THAT IT IS DEFINITELY IMPORTANT THAT ONCE WE GET TO A PLACE OF, UM, OF UNDERSTANDING EXACTLY WHERE THE COMMUNITY STANDS, I THINK THAT THERE, THAT WOULD BE A GOOD POINT IN TIME TO ENGAGE THE COUNTY AND THE STATE.
WELL, I'M NOT IN DISAGREEMENT WITH WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, BUT I, I'M DEFINITELY AT A, I'M NOT UNDERSTANDING WHERE THE OTHER, UM, INPUT IS LOCATED, WHERE THAT'S HOUSED OR, OR WHO, WHO, UH, WHO HAS THOSE DOCUMENTS OR NOTES? LET, LET ME CLARIFY MY STATEMENT.
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UM, THEY HAVE BEEN ASKED QUESTIONS OVER THE LAST SIX YEARS, AND IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, MR. BOXY, IN OUR MEETING, THEY REFER TO THAT, THAT PEOPLE COME KEEP COMING BACK AND ASKING THEM QUESTIONS OR SAYING THINGS TO THEM.AND I THINK IN MY MIND, IT'S A GOOD POSITION TO START AT GROUND ZERO BECAUSE A LOT OF THAT IS NOT WRITTEN DOWN ANYWHERE.
A LOT OF IT IS, I'M IN A FAMILY AND THEY'RE THREE FAMILY MEMBERS, AND EACH ONE OF US HAVE A DIFFERENT IDEA ABOUT WHAT WE WANT TO DO, AND WE CAN'T COME TO AGREEMENT.
SO I THINK YOU COMING IN AS A, AS THROUGH THE C, DC IS GOING TO HELP THEM PUT TOGETHER, THIS IS WHAT MY EXPECTATION IS.
AND IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, THAT'S WHAT'S OCCURRING RIGHT NOW WITH YOU.
WHAT WHAT WE'RE FACING IS SIX YEARS OF SOUNDS LIKE DISAPPOINTMENT, DISTRUST, UM, ON, ON BOTH SIDES MORE, MAYBE MORE ON ONE THAN THE OTHER.
UM, IT'S A HEAVY LIFT TO UNDO THE DAMAGE THAT HAS BEEN DONE IN THOSE SIX YEARS.
SO WE'VE GOTTA FIND A WAY, UM, TO GET THE THINKING HEADS TO GET, 'CAUSE THERE'S A TRUST ISSUE HERE, HERE.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF YOU, WHETHER YOU'RE GONNA AMEND THAT, FIX THAT, OR WHATEVER YOU WANT TO DO TO GET THAT RIGHT AGAIN.
UM, BECAUSE FOR SIX YEARS THEY HAVE NOT BEEN HEARD, THEY HAVE NOT SEEN ANYTHING THAT'S, YOU KNOW, LIKE THAT EVEN RESEMBLES PROGRESS FROM THEIR VIEWPOINT SO THAT THERE'S A LOT OF WORK TO BE DONE.
THAT'S WHY I SAY IT'S IMPERATIVE.
IT'S IMPERATIVE THAT YOU GET AS MUCH PARTICIPATION FROM THOSE WHO HAVE A VESTED INTEREST, HOWEVER, DIFFERING THEIR OPINIONS MAY BE AS, AS ALEX HAS SUGGESTED.
BECAUSE WHEN YOU GET THE POWERS TO BE TO COME TO THESE MEETINGS AND WE DON'T SEE THE FACES OF THOSE WHO LIVE THERE, HOWEVER DIFFERING THEIR OPINIONS ARE, THEN THE TAKEAWAY IS, OKAY, WHERE IS, WHAT ARE WE DOING AND WHY ARE WE HERE? I THOUGHT THAT WAS A PROBLEM AND I ONLY SEE TWO PEOPLE HERE.
UH, AND SO WE ARE GONNA HAVE TO, HOWEVER DIFFERING THEIR OPINIONS ARE, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO BE CERTAIN THAT THEY'RE IN THE ROOM WHEN THESE COMMUNITY MEETINGS ARE HELD, HELD.
UM, AND THERE'S GONNA HAVE TO BE A LOT OF MENDING AND, AND HEALING OF PROMISES MADE, PROMISES NOT KEPT, OR, BECAUSE PERCEPTION IS, IN SOME CASES A LOT OF PEOPLE'S REALITY, RIGHT? YES.
UM, AND YOU CAN'T TELL, YOU CAN'T GO TO PEOPLE AND TELL 'EM THAT THEY'RE CONFUSED 'CAUSE THEY WALK AWAY WITH THE PERCEPTION AND NOBODY'S EVER ADDRESSED IT OR, YOU KNOW, TO CHANGE IT.
SO THERE'S WORK TO BE DONE, RAISE VERY VALID POINTS, MR. JOHNSON.
AND THAT, AND I, AND I'LL, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S MORE THAN SIX YEARS.
60 YEARS OF REPAIR, REPARATIONS.
UM, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN PUT WHATEVER TYPE OF, UH, ADVERB ON IT YOU WOULD LIKE TO, BUT THIS GOES BACK FURTHER THAN PROBABLY MOST OF US SITTING AT THIS TABLE, RIGHT? UM, AND SO IT DOES HAVE TO BE HANDLED DELICATELY.
AND I WOULD ARGUE BACK THAT IT'S NOT JUST MY CHARGE.
NO, IT IS THIS ENTIRE BOARD'S CHARGE.
SO I'M GOING TO BE LEANING INTO YOU ALL TO ACCOMPLISH THIS AS WELL.
SO, UM, SO THAT WE'RE, UM, WE'RE, WE'RE ABLE TO MOVE THE NEEDLE BECAUSE AGAIN, THERE ARE SOME THAT WILL NOT, UH, FORGIVE AND WE STILL HAVE TO INCORPORATE, UM, UM, THEIR OPINIONS AND, AND THE THINGS THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE INTO OUR FINAL PRODUCT SO THAT MOVING FORWARD, THEY FEEL LIKE THEIR VOICES ARE HEARD AS WELL.
SO, UH, WITH THAT, I'LL, I'LL BE QUIET.
AND, UH, SO, SO I MEAN, IT SOUNDS LIKE THERE IS A RESPONSIBILITY THAT WE ARE CARRYING YES, ABSOLUTELY.
LIKE, REGARDLESS OF ANY OF THE OTHER BODIES THAT NEED TO BE AT THE TABLE, IF THERE'S GONNA BE ANY TRUST, IT HAS TO, HAS TO BE ESTABLISHED HERE.
AND WE HAVE TO REPRESENT, BE THERE WITH FOLKS WHEN THEY'RE IN MEETINGS OR WHEN THEY'RE NOT THERE.
REPRESENT THEIR, THEIR INTEREST.
WE GET AS MANY OUT AS WE AS WILL COME OUT, YOU KNOW, AS A PROPERTY OWNER WITH A PRIVATE RIGHT.
YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY DON'T HAVE TO COME OUT.
SO WE HAVE TO ASSUME THAT THERE WILL BE SOME THAT WON'T.
AND WE'LL TRY TO GET THOSE THAT COME AND THOSE THAT COME, HOPEFULLY THEY WILL SPEAK.
YOU KNOW, THERE'S SOME FOLKS THAT DON'T FEEL COMFORTABLE SPEAKING IN PUBLIC MEETINGS, RIGHT? SO THAT'S WHY YOU COULD HAVE THE, THEY TELL YOU C
[00:35:01]
I, I MEAN, IT JUST FEELS LIKE WE ARE THAT BODY IN THIS PROCESS, I THINK.AND THAT'S WHY IT'S VERY, IT'S VERY IMPORTANT WHO SITS ON THIS BOARD.
IT HAS TO BE ABOUT THE COMMUNITY.
AND THE COMMUNITY HAS TO BELIEVE WE'RE ABOUT THE COMMUNITY, OR KNOW WE'RE ABOUT THE COMMUNITY AND TRUST US IF THEY DON'T TRUST THE TOWN.
SO I THINK THAT, UM, HOW WE CONDUCT OURSELVES AND HOW WE WALK OUR WALK AND WHAT WE SAY HAS TO BE REFLECTIVE ON THE COMMUNITY ISSUES AND NOT OURS.
MR. WHITE, ANY OTHER COMMENTS? DO, DOES THE BODY IN THE AUDIENCE HAVE ANY COMMENTS, DO YOU THINK WE'VE SAID THUS FAR? YES, SIR.
DANIEL ANTHONY, UH, PRESIDENT JONESVILLE PRESERVATION SOCIETY.
I WASN'T REALLY PLANNING ON SPEAKING TODAY, UM, BUT THIS, THIS CONVERSATION PIECE ABOUT COMMUNICATION WITH EVERYBODY IN STONY.
I HAVE ALWAYS FELT VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT PRESERVING HISTORICAL GULLAH LANDS AND THE PROTECTION OF SINGLE FAMILY NEIGHBORHOODS.
I, I'VE, I'VE DONE THAT EVER SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE ON THE ISLAND.
UM, I, I THINK I AGREE WITH EVERYBODY HERE.
I THINK ANYTIME THERE'S ANYTHING THAT TO BE DONE, WHETHER IT BE AN ORDINANCE AMENDMENT OR A PROJECT, THE PEOPLE DIRECTLY AFFECTED BY THAT SHOULD BE THE VERY PRIORITY.
UM, SINCE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT STONY, I LIVE ON JONESVILLE ROAD, I'M, I WILL BE INDIRECTLY AFFECTED.
AND I BELIEVE THAT THE, THAT THE INDIVIDUALS ON STONY SHOULD BE THEIR PRIORITY.
SO, MR. BOXLEY, UM, I, I THINK I MENTIONED THIS TO YOU BEFORE.
THE JPS HAS AN ALREADY ESTABLISHED WEBSITE, OKAY? AND WE REACH THOUSANDS OF HILTON HEAD ISLANDERS.
BUT WHAT I'M OFFERING TO YOU IS MAKE UP A STATEMENT AND ALLOW ME TO PUT IT ON JPS TO GET THE OUTREACH OUT THERE, BECAUSE THAT GOES TO ALL THE PEOPLE LOOKING AT IT, AND THEY START TALKING ON NEXT DOOR AND SO ON AND SO FORTH.
THAT COMMUNICATION COULD BE THERE.
IT COULD, IT COULD, I THINK IT COULD ONLY BENEFIT YOU TO EVERYBODY.
AND WHEN YOU HAVE THOSE MEETINGS, WE COULD POST THAT AND SAY, THIS MEETING IS FOR THE STONY RESIDENTS.
THIS MEETING IS FOR ISLANDERS.
SO I, I, AND I'M OFFERING THAT BECAUSE I FEEL REALLY, REALLY PASSIONATE ABOUT THIS.
YOU KNOW, I MEAN, I LOVE THIS ISLAND AND I, I JUST THINK THAT WHAT'S HAPPENING IN STONY IS OVER THE YEARS, HAS BEEN WRONG TO THOSE INDIVIDUALS LIVING THERE.
I THINK Y'ALL OUGHT TO PUT THEM AS PRIORITY NUMBER ONE.
FIND OUT WHAT THEY WANT, FIND OUT HOW YOU CAN COMPROMISE, HOW YOU CAN PROCEED WITH YOUR AGENDA WITHOUT TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THEM.
SO GIVE ME A CALL, LEMME KNOW.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS? TERRY? TERRY? TERRY? YES.
COMMENT? ANY COMMENTS? I'M JUST SITTING HERE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT IF THERE ARE ANY, ANY OTHER WAYS TO DEAL WITH AN ISSUE THAT IS, THAT IS, THAT HAS BEEN THIS, THIS, THIS UNSETTLED FOR SO LONG.
I THINK WE ARE SAYING THE RIGHT THINGS.
IT'S JUST A MATTER OF MAKING SURE EVERYBODY GETS A CHANCE TO EXPRESS THEIR VIEWS.
AND ALSO UNDERSTANDING THAT NOT EVERYONE CAN GET WHAT HE OR SHE DESIRES WHEN IT'S, WHEN YOU'RE DEALING WITH AN ISSUE LIKE THIS.
WHETHER IT'S A LONGSTANDING ISSUE LIKE THIS OR A NEW ONE.
BUT I THINK THAT OPEN CONVERSATION AND AN ACKNOWLEDGEMENT THAT MAY OR MAY NOT BE IDEAL AND FAIR IS IMPORTANT.
AND MR. BOXY, I THINK YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY THE RIGHT PERSON TO BE DOING THAT.
AND ANY COMMUNICATION THAT CAN BE MADE IS GOOD.
THE PROBLEM WITH MULTIPLE COMMUNICATIONS
[00:40:01]
MAY BE THAT YOU START GETTING SOCIAL MEDIA FLYING BACK AND FORTH WITH ALL SORTS OF MISPERCEPTIONS AND SO FORTH.I DON'T KNOW HOW TO DEAL WITH THAT.
SO I'D JUST BE CAUTIOUS ON THAT.
I'M NOT SAYING DON'T DO IT, I'M JUST SAYING GET READY, UH, WITH A NEED TO PROVIDE REAL CLARITY AND HAVE SOME MECHANISM THAT IS THE OFFICIAL THOMAS BOXLEY, UH, POINT OF VIEW OR STATUS OF THE, OF THE SITUATION THAT PEOPLE CAN LOOK TO AS THE, AS THE ACCURATE DEPICTION OF WHERE THINGS STAND RAMBLING A BIT.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT COMMENT.
SORRY, MR. I JUST WANNA, MR. JOHNSON, I JUST WANNA TAG ON SOMETHING HE JUST SAID.
AND I THINK ONE THING WE NEED AS THE BOARD TO COMMUNICATE, I'M NOT SAYING THAT WE HAVEN'T, BUT IF WE HAVE, WE NEED TO PRESS IT.
UM, AND COMPROMISE IN, IN NEGOTIATIONS, NOBODY IS GOING TO GET EVERYTHING THAT THEY WANT.
AND BECAUSE IF, IF YOU'VE GOT FIVE THINGS ON A NEW LIST AND YOU DON'T GET ALL FIVE, DOES NOT MEAN YOU LOSE.
THAT'S JUST THE NATURE OF COMPROMISE.
IT'S JUST THE NATURE OF NEGOTIATIONS.
AND, AND THAT HAS TO BE PRESSED, THAT HAD THE PEOPLE, THAT NEEDS TO BE AN AWARENESS.
SO IF, IF WE'RE, AND I'M CERTAIN THAT WE ARE, UM, PRESENTING THAT, UM, UH, TO, TO THE PEOPLE WHEN WE TALK TO THEM, BUT WE NEED TO STRESS THAT MOVING FORWARD BECAUSE THIS IS NOT A WINNER TAKE ALL THING.
WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT COMPROMISE AND NEGOTIATIONS.
CAN I SPEAK TO THAT FOR ONE MINUTE? AT THE LAST PUBLIC MEETING, UH, PASTOR JOHNSON, I CAME AWAY WITH THE VERY THOUGHT THAT PEOPLE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT EVERYTHING THEY WANT, THEY WILL NOT GET.
BUT IF THEY GET MOST OF IT, YEAH.
AND MY OTHER THOUGHT WAS, AND I WAS GONNA MAKE THIS IN MY COMMENTS, WE, WE CAN LEARN FROM THE PAST, BUT WE CANNOT FIX EVERYTHING THAT PEOPLE HAS HAVE FELT AND DONE TO THEM.
THAT'S WE'RE MOVING FORWARD WITH INFORMATION FROM THE PAST, AND WE CANNOT BE STUCK IN THE PAST BECAUSE THAT WILL IMPEDE US FROM MOVING FORWARD.
THOSE ARE MY THOUGHTS, MR. WHITE.
I KNEW YOU WANTED TO
I'M LISTENING TO THE CONVERSATION.
I'M HERE BY CHANCE 'CAUSE I'M OFF TODAY.
UM, WHEN YOU'RE TALKING TO NATIVE ISLANDERS, YOU HAVE TO SPEAK THEIR LANGUAGE.
NUMBER TWO, YOU HAVE TO ADDRESS IT SO THAT THEY UNDERSTAND WHERE THEY ARE.
YOU GO TO, WHEN WE GO TO THE MEETINGS, WE HAVE THE 70 AND 80 YEAR OLDS AT THE MEETING.
BUT WHERE ARE THE GRANDCHILDREN TO UNDERSTAND IT? THOSE THAT PAID THE TAXES ARE NOW GONE.
SO WHO'S, WHO'S SUSTAINING THE PROPERTIES THAT WE STILL HAVE? HAVE WE HAD A FINANCIAL TRAINING FOR THOSE 20 OR 30 YEAR OLDS SO THAT THEY CAN UNDERSTAND THE VALUE OF WHAT THEY HAVE? ARE WE TEACHING THAT TO OUR COMMUNITY? ARE WE STANDING THEM? ARE WE, ARE WE USING, UH, THE LEARNING STYLE, WHETHER THEY'RE GRAPHIC LEARNERS, VISUAL LEARNERS, KINESTHETIC LEARNERS? ARE WE PRESENTING IT SO THAT ALL PEOPLE IN THE ROOM WILL UNDERSTAND WHAT'S BEING TRANSFERRED? NOW SAYING ALL OF THAT, I APPRECIATE WHAT YOU'RE DOING, BUT I'M LOOKING AT YOUR PANEL.
TWO OF YOU ARE BEYA, THE REST OF YOU ARE COME.
THEY'RE NOT GONNA TALK TO THE
OUR CHURCH USED TO BE THE CORRIDOR OF WHERE EVERYONE MEETS AND WHERE EVERYONE MEETS THE, UH, GETS THE INFORMATION.
BECAUSE EVEN IN YOUR CHURCHES, OUR CHURCHES WE'RE STILL MISSING TWO GENERATIONS WITHIN THE CHURCH.
UM, I KNOW THE PERCEPTION OF THE CHURCH HAVE CHANGED.
THE FAMILY PERCEPTION HAS CHANGED.
MOM, DAD'S NOT IN THE HOUSEHOLD.
GRANDMOTHER'S RUNNING THE HOUSEHOLD.
WHAT'S YOUR ANSWER? YOU DON'T HAVE AN ANSWER OF HOW TO, AS THE CONNECTION IS DISCONNECT, DISCONNECTED THE GAP.
IS THERE, THE, THE QUESTION YOU'RE ASKING, HOW WE CAN CLOSE THE GAP THROUGH THE GENERATIONS
[00:45:01]
WITHIN THE AREAS THAT WE DO HAVE THE CONNECTION, EVEN THE SMALL CONNECTION THAT WE HAVE.THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR COMMENTS.
UM,
UM, I, I, I, I'LL JUST, UM, I'LL JUST TAKE A MOMENT TO SORT OF, UH, TOUCH ON A FEW THINGS.
UM, YOU MAKE A GREAT POINT AS FAR AS THAT GAP.
I THINK, UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT CAME TO MY MIND AS SHE WAS SPEAKING IS THAT THIS STRATEGIC PLAN THAT WE HAVE JUST PUT IN FRONT OF THIS BOARD NEEDS TO BE SHARED WITH CONCERNED CITIZENS LIKE MS. TERRY GRANT BECAUSE, UM, I DON'T HAVE THE WHOLE THING MEMORIZED, BUT I KNOW WE DO SPEAK TO THE ENGAGEMENT OF THE YOUTH BECAUSE WE UNDERSTAND THAT THAT IS THE FUTURE OF THIS CULTURE STAYING RELEVANT.
BUT THE 30-YEAR-OLD ABSOLUTELY.
THAT, THAT'S WHERE WE'RE GOING.
UM, SO LET'S MAKE SURE THAT WE GET A COPY TO EVERYBODY.
I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE SPECIFICALLY THREE AND FOUR.
UM, IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE CONTINUE TO, TO HAVE THESE CONVERSATIONS.
AND, UM, I THINK I SAID THIS BEFORE, UM, AT SOME POINT, UM, WE'VE GOT TO REALIZE THAT WE NEED SOMEBODY THAT'S JUST GONNA GO OUT AND TALK UNDER THE TREE SO PEOPLE KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON.
UM, UNFORTUNATELY, I'M NOT SURE THAT WE CAN CHARGE MR. BOXY WITH THAT RIGHT NOW 'CAUSE HE'S GOT SO MUCH ON HIS PLATE.
BUT IT'S IMPORTANT, UH, INSTRUMENT THAT WE NEED TO HAVE IN THE FUTURE MOVING FORWARD.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, UH, FOR YOUR COMMENTS.
AND, UM, TO, TO TOUCH ON WHAT YOU JUST RAISED AS WELL AS, UH, DR. GRANT, WHAT, WHAT YOU RAISED.
WE DO HAVE ELEMENTS OF SOME OF THE THINGS THAT YOU RAISED, UM, IN YOUR COMMENTS.
UM, IN OUR STRATEGIC PLAN, WE WERE WAITING ON THIS RATIFICATION BY OUR BOARD BEFORE WE HAD BROAD DISTRIBUTION TO THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE.
UH, AND IF YOU RECALL, THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE PARTICIPATED, SOME OF WHOM ARE IN THE ROOM TODAY, UH, PARTICIPATED IN THE CRAFTING OF THIS PLAN.
SO WE ENGAGED, UM, WE ENGAGED THE COMMUNITY IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE PLAN.
AND WE WILL GET THIS OUT NOW THAT OUR BOARD HAS, UM, HAD A CHANCE TO APPROVE THE, UM, THE AMENDMENTS.
UM, AND YOU'D BE SURPRISED THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT ARE, THAT ARE ANXIOUS TO GET THEIR HANDS ON IT.
I'VE HAD TO, UH, MISS, MISS IRVIN AND I HAVE HAD TO, UH, TELL SOME FOLKS THAT THEY CAN'T HAVE AN EARLY COPY BECAUSE THE FOLKS THAT HELPED TO CRAFT IT HAVE NOT EVEN SEEN IT YET.
SO, SO YEAH, THERE WE WILL DEFINITELY GET COPIES DISTRIBUTED TO THE COMMUNITY.
SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS.
I MEAN, THAT, THAT MEETING IN HERE, WE HAD, YOU KNOW, 60, 70, 80 PEOPLE, WE HAD BOARDS UP WHERE WE WERE WRITING, GETTING COMMENTS AND FEEDBACK AND I MEAN, ALL THE THINGS YOU POINT OUT IS THE REASON THAT I'M UP HERE, RIGHT? IT'S MAN ASSET MANAGEMENT IS FINANCIAL LITERACY.
IT'S, YOU KNOW, OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUNG PEOPLE, BE EDUCATED, HAVE JOBS.
UM, IT'S PRESERVING OUR CULTURE AND HERITAGE.
UM, IT'S WHY WE MOVE BACK, WHY WE WANT TO RAISE OUR KIDS HERE SO THEY KNOW THEIR HERITAGE.
SO I'M, I'M, I'M, I'M, I'M, I'M WITH YOU.
UM, AND I BELIEVE THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GONNA GET DONE HERE.
KEEP TALKING ABOUT COMMUNICATION AND THE MULTI-FACETS OF THEM AND SO ON AND SO FORTH.
SO I GUESS MY QUESTION WOULD BE HOW DO WE INTEND TO CIRCULATE THIS TO THE BROADER COMMUNITY? WELL, AGAIN, WE HAVE MULTI, UH, YOU KNOW, MULTIPLE MEANS BY WHICH THIS CAN BE DISTRIBUTED.
WE CAN, UH, DEFINITELY PROVIDE ELECTRONIC COPIES.
WE CAN PROVIDE HARD COPIES AT SOME POINT.
UH, WE WILL ALSO BE, UM, AGAIN, WE, WE ARE WORKING ON A COMMUNITY BASED MEETING.
UM, YOU KNOW, NOW THAT WE HAVE THE SUPPORT OF THIS PARTICULAR PLAN, UM, WE WILL BEGIN THAT PROCESS OF COMMUNICATING THE, THE, THE GOALS AND THE OBJECTIVES TO THE COMMUNITY.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WAS FORTHCOMING.
IT WAS DEPENDENT UPON US, UM, HAVING THIS OPPORTUNITY TODAY TO, UH, MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE.
THAT THAT WASN'T A QUESTION MEANT TO PUT YOU ON THE SPOT, BUT MORE THE CA THE,
[00:50:01]
UH, COUNCIL, THE BOARD, UM, YOU KNOW, ARE WE CLEAR ON HOW WE BEST COMMUNICATE TO THE COMMUNITY? AND IT'S, I THINK PEOPLE WHO ARE IN THE COMMUNITY WHO HAVE THE PROBABLY THE MOST GERMANE, RELEVANT IDEAS.I MAKE A SUGGESTION, MADAM CHAIR.
UM, I THINK AT, UM, OUR NEXT MEETING, WE SHOULD HAVE AN AGENDA ITEM AROUND COMMUNICATION STRATEGY.
UM, THE TOWN HAS, UH, EXPERTISE IN THAT AREA.
I THINK WE SHOULD BE CARVING OFF A PORTION OF OUR BUDGET TO DEAL WITH COMMUNICATIONS.
AND I THINK WE NEED TO HAVE A ROBUST CONVERSATION AROUND WHAT THOSE COMMUNICATION VEHICLES ARE SO THAT WE ARE HITTING EVERY SEGMENT OF THE COMMUNITY.
AND I THINK WE SHOULD ALSO INCLUDE THE FAITH-BASED COMMUNITY HERE.
WE HAVE PASTOR JOHNSON HERE WHO HAS ACCESS, UM, TO THE MINISTERIAL ALLIANCE IN THE COMMUNITY.
TO YOUR POINT, DR. GRANT, BE THE WAY, BE A WAY TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE ARE GETTING IT THROUGH THE CHURCHES.
I, I WAS AT MOUNT CALVARY ON SUNDAY AND THEY MENTIONED IT IN THEIR ANNOUNCEMENTS THAT WE HAD A MEETING, THEY AT 10.
I DON'T, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THE ROOM ON CALVARY THAT, YOU KNOW, TO YOUR POINT, UH, MR. WHITE, WE, WE ARE ACTIVELY PURSUING THOSE COMMUNICATION VEHICLES.
SO BE ASSURED THAT WE ARE WORKING, WE ARE WORKING, AND THE FRUITS OF THIS LABOR WILL CONTINUE TO, WE'LL CONTINUE TO SEE THE FRUITS OF THIS LABOR.
IS IT, ARE WE, ARE WE CONSIDERED WE'RE, ARE WE INDEPENDENT OF THE TOWN? MEANING, I GUESS I KNEW WE'LL TALK ABOUT IT, BUT LIKE, SINCE SOCIAL MEDIA IS A THING, UM, ARE WE ABLE TO HAVE OUR OWN PRESENCE IN THAT WAY? OR DOES IT, ARE WE LIKE TOWN OF HILTON HEAD AND IT'S SORT OF UNDER THAT UMBRELLA? UM, UP TO THIS PARTICULAR POINT WE HAVE BEEN UTILIZING TOWN RESOURCES.
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN DEFINITELY EXPLORE.
UM, THERE'S CONVERSATIONS THAT MS. IRVING AND I HAVE HAD ABOUT ALSO LOOKING AT THE POSSIBILITY OF DEVELOPING A, A WEBSITE THAT'S, THAT'S KIND OF INDEPENDENT.
UH, BUT THESE ARE CONVERSATIONS THAT WE JUST HAVE TO CONTINUE TO HAVE AND, UH, AND WE'LL, WE'LL GET TO THE, GET TO A VIABLE SOLUTION VERY SOON.
WHAT OTHER COMMENTS DO WE HAVE ABOUT AUDIENCE? I HAVE, I, I MEAN, I, OH, SORRY.
I HAVE A QUESTION JUST FOR THOMAS.
LIKE HOW, LIKE HOW, HOW'S YOUR, SO HE GAVE YOU THE LIST OF 10, I THINK EVERYBODY GAVE YOU 10 TO 15 PEOPLE.
UM, HAVE YOU BEEN, YOU KNOW, HIGH LEVEL HAVING CONVERSATIONS WITH, YOU KNOW, FOLKS LOCALLY, FOLKS IN THE REGION? UM, AND IF SO, HOW? HOW YES.
UM, UH, IN BETWEEN OTHER TASKS? YES.
I, AND I'M PROBABLY ABOUT, OH, HALFWAY THROUGH THAT LIST.
UM, AND EVERYBODY HAS BEEN, BEEN, UM, PRETTY RECEPTIVE.
UM, VERY, VERY INTERESTED TO SEE THE DIRECTION THAT WE'RE HEADED.
SO I, I, I THINK THAT THOSE CONVERSATIONS ARE GOING QUITE WELL.
GOT ABOUT HALF OF THE LIST TO GO THOUGH.
WHAT OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS MADAM CHAIR? I HAVE ONE COMMENT.
I'VE LISTENED, UH, CAREFULLY TO THE COMMENTS ABOUT, UH, CREDIBILITY WITH FOLKS WHO'VE GOT DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS.
AS A, AS AN OLD COME HERE, I'VE GOT NO EXPECTATION THAT ANYTHING I WOULD SAY OR COMMIT TO DO WILL HAVE THE CREDIBILITY OF SOMEONE WHO'S GOT A SHARED BACKGROUND WITH THOSE WHO ARE AFFECTED BY THIS.
AND I THINK WE NEED TO REALIZE THAT WE OUGHT TO ADDRESS THAT VERY, VERY, UH, CAREFULLY AND FULLY.
I'M NOT SURE WE HAVE THAT PART COVERED YET, ESPECIALLY WITH THE YOUNGER GENERATION.
UH, UH, IT IS HUMAN NATURE TO, TO BOND AND, AND RESPECT PEOPLE WHO'VE GOT A SHARED BACKGROUND AND THAT WE'RE MISSING THAT COMPONENT HERE.
I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT TO DEAL WITH.
WHAT WE CAN BRING IS DEALING WITH PEOPLE.
WHAT I CAN BRING IS DEALING WITH PEOPLE WHO WILL GET A SHARED BACKGROUND WITH ME.
AND ONE OF THE ELEMENTS OF THIS WHOLE PROGRAM IS TO GET ENTIRE ISLAND SUPPORT FOR WHAT'S GOING ON.
I CAN BE MORE EFFECTIVE THERE THAN I CAN BE IN PERSUADING A 22-YEAR-OLD, UH, FIFTH GENERATION, UH, UH, GOONG, GEECHEE, UH, UH, RESIDENT.
THAT MY, MY MOTIVES AND IDEAS ARE,
[00:55:01]
ARE GENUINE.AND I THINK WE NEED TO MAKE SURE WE'RE FOCUSED ON THAT, ON THAT.
UM, MR. BRUBAKER, I, I SLIPPED A NOTE TO, UH, MY FRIEND HERE, UH, COUNCILMAN BROWN AND SAID, SHOULD I SPEAK TO THE
AND, UM, I'VE BEEN ON AN ISLAND A WHILE.
UM, AND I CAN ONLY SAY, AND I'M AGREEING WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, WHEN YOU APPROACH PEOPLE, THEY HAVE TO TRUST YOU AND THEY HAVE TO KNOW YOUR HEART.
AND I DON'T CARE IF YOU'RE A BINYA OR A COMMUNA.
PEOPLE KNOW IF YOU'RE REAL OR NOT.
SO I THINK WE HAVE TO APPROACH IT VERY SENSITIVELY.
UM, I THINK THAT WE HAVE TO SEND THE RIGHT AMBASSADORS OUT TO SPEAK TO PEOPLE WHEN NECESSARY.
BUT I ALSO THINK THAT, UM, TRUST IS A PROCESS.
UM, AND SO I THINK AS TIME GOES ON, IT CANNOT BE, BE DONE QUICKLY.
UM, IT CANNOT, IT HAS TO BE DONE SENSITIVELY.
AND I HAVE TO SAY, AS A COMMUN, I KNOW THAT I HAVE SOME TRUST OF SOME OF THE NATIVE ISLANDERS.
AND I WILL NEVER, BECAUSE I AM NOT
UH, BUT THAT TOOK A LOT OF WORK.
AND I HAVE TO SAY, 13 YEARS AGO, I'D NEVER HEARD THE TERM COME YA.
UH, AND I WAS LIKE, WHAT IS THAT? AND THAT'S LIKE, AND THAT'S YOU SO
UM, BUT I, BUT IT'S TAKE IT TAKES A WHILE.
[6. Chairman's Report]
WHAT OTHER COMMENTS DO WE HAVE? I HAD SOME COMMENTS THAT I WANTED TO MAKE AS PART OF THE CHAIRMAN'S REPORT.A LOT OF THEM HAVE ALREADY BEEN MADE.
UM, AND I'M HAPPY THEY'VE ALREADY BEEN MADE.
FIRST I'D LIKE TO COMMEND, UM, BOTH MS. IRVIN AND, UH, MR. BOXLEY ON THEIR WORK.
THEY HAVE MR. BOXLEY, I KNOW BECAUSE WE MEET WEEKLY, HAS BEEN WORKING DILIGENTLY IN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK, UM, TO PUSH THIS COMMITTEE ALONG, BUT ALSO TO BUILD RELATIONSHIP IN THE NATIVE ISLAND COMMUNITY, PARTICULARLY THOSE PEOPLE IN THE AFFECTED STONY AREAS.
AND SO I WANT TO JUST GO ON RECORD TO COMMEND, UM, BOTH OF THEM FOR THEIR WORK THERE.
I ALSO WANT TO SAY TO THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE, THE PEOPLE IN THE ROOM AS COUNCILMAN BROWN.
SO SUCCINCTLY PUT, IT'S GONNA TAKE ALL OF US WORKING TOGETHER.
THIS IS NOT JUST MR. BOXLEYS JOB.
THIS IS THE JOB OF EVERY PERSON ON THIS, UH, COUNCIL.
BUT IT IS ALSO THE JOB OF THE PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY.
AND I WANTED TO JUST SAY TO THE COMMUNITY, DON'T JUDGE US ON EVERYTHING THAT'S HAPPENED TO YOU IN THE PAST.
GIVE US AN OPPORTUNITY TO SHOW WHAT WE CAN DO.
AND THAT HAS TO DO WITH TRUST, BUT IT ALSO HAS TO DO WITH YOU BE WILLING TO COME ALONGSIDE WITH US AND WORK WITH US.
AND I'M GOING TO LEAVE THE COMMENTS ABOUT NEGOTIATION TO THE NEXT PUBLIC MEETING.
[7. Adjournment]
ADJOURN.