[1. CALL TO ORDER]
[00:00:03]
I'D LIKE TO CALL THE FINANCE ADMINISTRATION AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE MEETING TO ORDER.
TODAY IS MONDAY, MARCH 18TH IF EVERYONE COULD RISE FOR THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH THE STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
PUBLIC NOTIFICATION OF THIS MEETING HAS BEEN PUBLISHED, POSTED, AND DISTRIBUTED IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE SOUTH CAROLINA FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT.
[4. APPROVAL OF AGENDA]
FOR THE APPROVAL OF OUR AGENDA TODAY, I'LL MOVE TO APPROVE THE AGENDA.IS THERE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND THAT.
AND THEN, UM, IS THERE ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? THIS WILL BE APPROVED WITHOUT OBJECTION.
IS THERE ANY OBJECTION? SO, NO OBJECTION.
WE HAVE APPROVED TODAY'S AGENDA AND I'D LIKE TO NOW OPEN IT UP FOR OUR CITIZENS' COMMENT PERIOD.
IS THERE ANYONE IN PERSON OR ANYONE THAT HAS CONTACTED YOU, SARAH, THAT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK TODAY FOR OUR CITIZENS' COMMENT? NO, SIR.
UM, LET'S MOVE ON THEN TO, UM, OUR AGENDA ITEMS. WE DO HAVE A LENGTHY AGENDA TODAY.
UM, SO I APPRECIATE EVERYONE'S PATIENCE, UM, AS WE GO THROUGH AND, AND AGAIN, YES.
BEFORE YOU DO THAT, I, UM, I MUST APOLOGIZE.
I DIDN'T SEE IT HERE UNLESS THERE'S A NEW AGENDA.
WHAT'S THAT? UM, THE, UM, YOU COULD ASK, COMPREHENSIVE HEALTH IS HERE TO MAKE A BUDGET PRESENTATION AS WELL.
SHE EMAILED THAT A COUPLE DROPPED OFF AND ONE MORE ADDED ON, RIGHT? YEAH.
THEY WERE GONNA WAIT UNTIL, SO THEY'RE HERE.
MEMORIAL DID THEIRS AT THE SAME TIME.
THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO GET NOTICE ABOUT THAT.
WHAT'S THE STORY? BECAUSE I CALLED THIS MORNING AND THEN I WAS TOLD THAT THEY WERE GOING BE ADDING, THEY WERE THE SHERIFF'S, THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT DOES NOT MAKE THE PRESENTATION AND BE HEALTH.
SO SHERIFF IS NOT GONNA MAKE THEIR PRESENTATION AND THE BEAUFORT, UH, JASPER COMPREHENSIVE HEALTH IS GONNA TAKE THEIR SPOT.
MY FINAL LIST HERE THAT I'VE GOT, UH, I THOUGHT THEY WERE GONNA DO IT IN CONJUNCTION.
I'LL LOOK AT THE ONE HERE IS SOON AS YEAH, IT IS NOT ON HERE, BUT YEAH, IT'S ON THIS ONE HERE.
SEE THE ONE THAT HAS YELLOW, SHE EDITED IN GOT YOU.
AS LONG AS THEY, THEY'RE GONNA PRESENT TODAY.
[Additional Item]
OUR AGENDA ITEMS AND NUMBER SIX ON, ON THE AGENDA RECORD APPROVAL.I'M LOOKING AT THE AGENDA AS PUBLISHED AND I DON'T SEE YOU FOR JASPER ON IT AND I SEE THE SHERIFF ON IT.
ARE Y'ALL, IF Y'ALL GONNA SUBSTITUTE 'EM, I THINK YOU NEED TO GO BACK AND, AND AMEND IT.
AMEND THE AGENDA AND APPROVE THE AMENDED AGENDA.
MR. CHAIRMAN, I, I'LL MAKE THAT MOTION THAT WE AMEND THE AGENDA TO SUBSTITUTE THE SHERIFF OFFICE, THE DEFORD JASPER ORDER.
WE ALSO HAVE TO REMOVE PUBLIC DEFENDER'S OFFICE FROM PRESENTATION.
SO MAKE YOUR MOTION AGAIN, MR. GLOVER, TO INCLUDE BOTH OF THOSE.
TAKE THE SHERIFF AND THE PUBLIC DEFENDER OUT.
YOU FOR JASPER HAMPTON COMPREHENSIVE BILL? YES.
AND I THINK WAS, I WAS SECONDED, BUT I DID WANNA MAKE A COMMENT.
SO, UM, IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? GO AHEAD.
AND I, I CERTAINLY IF, IF THEY WOULD LIKE TO PRESENT TODAY TOO, BUT I, MY UNDERSTANDING I'M LIAISON TO THE HOSPITAL.
THEY, UM, HAD ALSO, THEY DELAYED THEIR PRESENTATION THINKING THAT Y'ALL MIGHT WANT PRESENT IT THE SAME TIME.
BUT I THINK, UM, RUSSELL BAXLEY WAS GONNA CALL YOU DR.
DOR, BUT YOU HAVEN'T HEARD FROM HIM.
SHE REQUESTED TO GO POE TODAY.
WHY ARE WE MOVING THE PUBLIC DEFENDER? THEY CANNOT BE HERE TODAY.
ALRIGHT, ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR DISCUSSIONS? AGAIN, THIS, THIS LIST EVEN SINCE LAST WEEK HAS BEEN A, UH, MOVING TARGET TO GET EVERYONE HERE.
AND, AND AGAIN, WE APPRECIATE EVERYONE'S PATIENCE AND, AND BEING ABLE TO WORK WITH US WITH OUR SCHEDULE.
UM, AND AGAIN, UH, BEING HERE.
'CAUSE AGAIN, THIS COULD BE, UH, A FAIRLY LENGTH, LENGTHY IF WE GIVE EVERYONE THE 10 MINUTES TIME THAT, THAT WE'RE PLANNING ON DOING.
SO, UM, LET'S MOVE ON THEN TO OUR FIRST AGENDA.
SIR, COULD YOU TAKE A VOTE? OH, I'M SORRY.
WE'RE GONNA GET IN YOUR HURRY HERE.
[00:05:01]
UH, MOTION TO AMEND THE AGENDA AND IT HAS BEEN SECONDED.IS THERE ANY MORE DISCUSSION? SO YOU NO DISCUSSION.
IT WILL BE PASSED WITHOUT OBJECTION.
IS THERE ANY OBJECTION? AND WE DO NEED A, A MAJORITY VOTE TO DO THAT TO AMEND THE AGENDA.
AND I SEE EVERYONE HAS AGREED THERE'S NO OBJECTION.
SO THE AGENDA HAS BEEN AMENDED.
THAT THEN ALLOWS US NOW TO GO ON TO OUR, NO, NOW WE HAVE TO PASS A MOTION FOR THE AMENDED, THE AGENDA AS AMENDED.
SO, UM, CAN I HAVE A MOTION? I MAKE THAT MOTION.
IS THERE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND IT.
MS. TABER, THANK YOU FOR, UH, PASS OR FOR SECONDING.
THE, THE AMEND THE AGENDA AS AMENDED.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION REGARDING THAT? SEEING NO DISCUSSION, YOU'LL PASS WITHOUT OBJECTION.
AND SO NOW WE'VE GOT ALL THE HOUSE CLEANING ITEMS UP.
UM, WE NOW CAN MOVE ON TO OUR FIRST AGENDA ITEM.
DO I SEE ANY OBJECTIONS IN, IN THE ROOM? I DO NOT.
[6. RECOMMEND APPROVAL OF A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR TO ENTER INTO AN INTERGOVERNMENTAL AGREEMENT (IGA) WITH BEAUFORT JASPER WATER SEWER AUTHORITY, FOR THE CONSTRUCTION/INSTALLATION OF THE LOBECO/MORGAN ROAD WATERLINE PROJECTIGA WITH BJWSA FOR DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF A WATER LINE TO SERVE THE LOBECO COMMUNITY. WATER LINE TO BE INSTALLED ON MORGAN ROAD BETWEEN TRASK PARKWAY AND JOHN MEEK WAY ]
TO OUR FIRST AGENDA ITEM.RECOMMEND APPROVAL OF, OF A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR.
ENTER INTO AN INTER INTERGOVERNMENT AGREEMENT WITH BEFORD JASPER WATER SEWER AUTHORITY FOR THE CONSTRUCTION INSTALLATION OF THE LOKO MORGAN ROAD WATER LINE PROJECT.
HEY, HOW ARE Y'ALL DOING? I'M GOOD.
EVENING OR AFTERNOON? WHAT TIME IS IT AGAIN? I'M, I'M, I'M ME.
THIS IS ONE OF OUR, UH, ORIGINALLY DISCUSSED ARPA PROJECTS.
I'VE GOT PAUL VINCENT, WHO'S ENGINEER WITH YOU FOR JASPER WATER SEWER AUTHORITY WITH ME HERE.
UH, WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THEM FOR A LONG TIME.
I THINK THE DISCUSSION STARTED WAY BACK IN 2019, AND NOW WE'RE AT A POSITION TO UNDERTAKE THE RUNNING OF A WATER LINE FROM THE MAIN ROAD ON 21 DOWN MORGAN ROAD TO CONNECT BACKED UP TO KING'S, UH, KING'S NECK.
AND WHAT THAT DOES IS GIVES ACCESS TO CLEAN WATER TO A BUNCH OF RESIDENTS, WHICH PAUL CAN FILL ALL THE INFORMATION.
IT ALSO PROVIDES WATER LOOPING ON THE LINE THAT RUNS DOWN KANE'S NECK.
AND I'LL LEAVE ANY OTHER DETAILS.
UH, THE OVERALL PROJECT ESTIMATE IS $3,668,800.
AND THIS IS, UH, ALLOWABLE USE AS ONE OF OUR ORIGINAL WATER SEWER INFRASTRUCTURE ARPA PROJECTS.
ANYTHING YOU WANT TO ADD, PAUL? UH, NO.
THE ONE THING I MIGHT ADD IS THAT, UH, IT'S GONNA PROVIDE SOME FIRE PROTECTION THROUGHOUT THAT AREA WHERE NOW THERE IS ESSENTIALLY NO, NO REAL FIRE PROTECTION.
SO I THINK THAT'LL BE A REAL BENEFIT FOR THOSE THAT LIVE IN THAT AREA.
AND THERE, IS THERE ANY DOWNSIDE TO US APPROVE IT? I DON'T, UH, NO, NO.
UM, WILL THIS ALSO RUN DOWN NEAR THE OLD LOOK, UM, INDUSTRIAL SITE? SO IF YOU LOOK AT YOUR MAP ON THE, UM, ABOVE MY HEAD HERE, IT'S BEHIND IT.
YOU SEE THE MI JOHNNIES COMES DOWN THE MIDDLE.
THAT, UH, CURRENTLY EVERYBODY TO THE SOUTH AND EAST OF THAT ARE ON WELLS.
AND THIS WILL NOW GET CLEAN WATER.
SO IF THERE WAS TO BE AN, ANY SORT OF PROJECT ONE DAY ON THAT ROAD, ONE SIDE OR THE OTHER, IT COULD COME NOW FROM EITHER SIDE AND HAVE THE REQUIRED PRESSURE.
THAT'S WHAT I MEANT BY IT REALLY MEANS FIRE PROTECTION.
BUT WHAT I MEANT BY LOOP WATER LOOPING FOR REDUNDANCY AND PRESSURE.
THE, THE MORGAN ROAD DIVIDES THE, UM, THE, THE PECO SITE.
SO THE COMMUNITY IS ON SIDE AND THE ROAD'S IN THE MIDDLE AND THE, AND THE, UM, ALL CHEMICAL SITE IS ON THE OTHER SIDE.
SO IT'S A MUCH NEEDED PROJECT FOR THE COMMUNITY, UM, TO HAVE, UH, CLEAN DRINKING WATER.
YEAH, THAT'S, THAT'S PROBABLY CLOSE TO WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
YOU KNOW, WE'VE SEEN A, A REAL DEMAND FOR INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS HERE OVER THE LAST COUPLE YEARS AND, UH, COST OF GOODS AND SERVICES HAS GONE UP, BUT YOU'RE ALSO VERY AWARE THAT THE STATE'S HAD A LOT OF SKIP PROJECTS.
SO I ANTICIPATE ALL THESE SKIP PROJECTS COMING A BID HERE OVER THE NEXT 12 MONTHS OR SO.
AND CONTRACTOR CAPACITY, JUST BEING VERY, VERY THIN ACROSS THE BOARD FOR INFRASTRUCTURE.
UH, IT'S NOT YET DESIGNED, SO IT'LL TAKE US A PERIOD OF TIME TO GET AN ENGINEER ON BOARD AND THEN TO GET THE DESIGN PROCESS AND THE PERMITTING TAKEN CARE OF.
THAT IN AND OF ITSELF SHOULD BE JUST OVER A YEAR.
ONCE WE GET TO THE CONSTRUCTION PIECE OF IT, IT SHOULD GO RELATIVELY QUICKLY.
BUT AGAIN, THAT'S, WITH ALL THOSE CONSTRAINTS THAT I JUST DESCRIBED, WE'RE PROBABLY TWO YEARS FROM THIS POINT TO, TO BEING INCOMPLETE.
I JUST WANTED THE RESIDENTS THERE TO UNDERSTAND IT WON'T HAPPEN TOMORROW.
AND SO THAT'S WHY, THAT'S WHY WE HAD TO GET IT BEFORE YOU NOW SO THAT THEY CAN BEGIN THAT PROCESS BECAUSE THE FUNDS HAVE TO BE EXPENDED BY DECEMBER 31ST, 2026.
AND PAUL, WHAT'S YOUR LAST NAME? I'M SORRY, I DIDN'T CATCH IT.
I'M CHIEF OF ENGINEERING AT BEAUFORT.
MR. VINCENT, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
SO WE HAVE, UH, IS THERE A MOTION THEN TO MOVE THIS FORWARD? THIS WILL GO TO
[00:10:01]
COUNTY COUNCIL, UM, AS A RESOLUTION.AS HE MOVED IT, MOVE IT FORWARD SECOND IT.
ANY DISCUSSION ON THIS MATTER? SEEING NO DISCUSSION, WE WILL PASS THIS WITHOUT OBJECTION.
IS THERE ANY OBJECTION? SEEING NO OBJECTION.
I LIKE THE, THE HOPE BUFORD DESPERATE TEAM.
THANK THAT'S WHAT WE WANNA HEAR.
SO, UM, AND UH, HANK I THINK YOU'RE STAYING, LARRY HAS A QUESTION, BUT WE CAN HARDLY HEAR HIM.
WELL, UH, IS IT POSSIBLE TO HAVE THE CAMERA OPERATOR CREATE AN IMAGE OF THE PERSON WHO'S SPEAKING TO YOU, UH, SO THAT THE PEOPLE WHO ARE ONLINE CAN SEE THAT PERSON? UM, AM I GETTING ENOUGH VOLUME THERE TO YOU DELIVER? YES, YOU ARE NOW.
YOU WEREN'T BEFORE, BUT YOU ARE NOW.
YEAH, NOTHING, IT'S THE, THE, THE CAMERA STAYS ON YOU.
AND, UH, I'M TRYING TO ASK IF, IF THE CAMERA OPERATOR CAN GET THE IMAGE OF THE PERSON WHO'S SPEAKING SO WE CAN FOLLOW THAT IN ADDITION TO HEARING THEM SEEING THEM AS WELL.
WELL, LARRY, I AM THE BEST GUY IN THE BEST LOOKING GUY IN THE ROOM, SO I CAN SEE WHY THE CAMERA, THAT'S PROBABLY EXACTLY WHY THEY'RE NOT MOVING THE CAMERA.
ALRIGHT, WE WILL TRY TO WORK ON THAT.
BUT LET'S GO AHEAD AND, AND KEEP MOVING FORWARD THEN.
SO, UH, WE HAVE A, UH, IT'S, IT'S BEEN ACCEPTED WITHOUT OBJECTION AND THAT WILL GO TO A RESOLUTION WITH THE, WITH THE, THE NEXT COUNTY COUNCIL MEETING.
[7. RECOMMEND APPROVAL OF A RESOLUTION TO ACCEPT GRANT FUNDS IN SUPPORT OF PROJECT WARD]
SO LET'S MOVE ON THEN TO, UH, NUMBER SEVEN, OUR SECOND I AGENDA ITEM.AND THAT IS RECOMMEND APPROVAL OF A RE RESOLUTION TO ACCEPT GRANT FUNDS IN SUPPORT OF A PROJECT WARD.
UM, AND, UH, MR. MUNSON, YOU, YOU WANNA TALK ABOUT THAT AGAIN? YEAH, ON UP.
I'M NOT SURE IF YOU GUYS HAVE MET YET.
ALRIGHT, SO THIS IS, UH, JOHN'S NEW ENGINE.
HE USED TO GIVE CHARLIE CREDIT FOR EVERYTHING.
NOW SHE'S IN TO DO EVERYTHING.
MY NAME'S KELLY BRUTS AND I'M WITH THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION.
AND SO THIS IS AN EXCITING PROJECT THAT THEY SECURED A GRANT FOR THE, I CAN SAY THE NAMES RIGHT? YES.
FOR THE, THE GAY FISH COMPANY OUT ON ST.
HELENA TO RECEIVE HALF MILLION DOLLARS TO HELP SUPPORT THE RECONSTRUCTION AND EXPANSION OF THEIR DOCK AND PROCESSING FACILITIES.
UM, THE COUNTY, WHILE THERE'S NO FISCAL IMPACT, THERE IS SOME MONITORING AND WORK INVOLVED AND SO JOHN AND KELLY ARE GONNA HELP WITH MAKING SURE THAT WE COMPLY, GET THE PROPER REPORTS IN.
NO MONIES ARE EXPENDED UNTIL IT'S A REIMBURSEMENT SITUATION, SO THERE'S NO FRONTING OF CASH.
AND THEN LONG TERM WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY PERFORMED WHAT THEY SAID THEY WERE GOING TO DO.
ARE THERE ANY, UH, QUESTIONS, UH, FOR MS. BRUNSON? YEP, GO AHEAD MS. BROWN.
UM, WHAT'S THE NAME OF THE COMPANY OR CAN YOU NOT SELL FISH? YEAH, YEAH, IT'S CALLED GAY JC FISH.
THOUGHT YOU OUT RIGHT? HUH? I HADN'T, I HAVEN'T GOT OUT THERE YET.
ANY OTHER, THAT'S A GREAT, THAT'S A GREAT THING.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, MR. CHAIRMAN? I CAN RIGHT HERE.
I JUST GONNA PUT A MOTION ON FLOOR TO MOVE THIS FORWARD.
AND IS THERE ANY MORE DISCUSSION? SEEING NO DISCUSSION, IS THERE ANY OBJECTION? SEEING NO OBJECTION.
THIS WILL BE APPROVED AND MOVED FORWARD TO COUNTY COUNCIL.
[8. RECOMMEND APPROVAL OF A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE INTERIM COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR TO APPROVE AN AFFORDABLE HOUSING FEE SUBSIDY IN THE AMOUNT OF $11,765 REQUESTED BY LOWCOUNTRY HABITAT FOR HUMANITY FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF THREE AFFORDABLE RESIDENTIAL UNITS IN NORTHERN BEAUFORT COUNTY.]
UM, LET'S MOVE ON THEN TO, UM, NUMBER EIGHT.RECOMMEND APPROVAL OF A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZED AUTHORIZING THE INTERIM COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR TO APPROVE AN AFFORDABLE HOUSING FEE SUBSIDY IN THE AMOUNT OF $11,765 REQUESTED BY THE LOW COUNTRY HABITAT FOR HUMANITY FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF THREE AFFORDABLE HOUSING RESIDENTIAL UNITS.
I'M HERE FOR CHUCK, WHO IS, UM, OFF AT A CONFERENCE IN MYRTLE BEACH AND HE'S ASKED ME TO PINCH HIT THIS FOR YOU.
UM, UNDER OUR IMPACT FEE ORDINANCE, UM, THE COUNTY IS AUTHORIZED TO REIMBURSE OR SUBSIDIZE, UM, IMPACT FEES FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
WE'VE DONE IT SEVERAL TIMES IN THE PAST AND THAT'S WHAT THIS IS HERE.
SO THESE HOUSES, UM, BASED ON THE INFORMATION THAT CHUCK'S PROVIDED, THESE HOUSES ARE ALL FOR FOLKS WHOSE HOUSEHOLD INCOMES ARE AT OR BELOW 60% OF A MI.
AND SO UNDER OUR ORDINANCE, THEY QUALIFY FOR A HUNDRED PERCENT REIMBURSEMENT OR PAYMENT.
AND AGAIN, THAT, THAT IS ACTUALLY BY ORDINANCE.
UM, IF A HOUSE QUALIFIES, THEY COME TO US AND REQUEST THE FUNDS IF, UH, IF THE TENANTS OR THE HOMEOWNERS QUALIFY.
SO THE CHAIRMAN, I'LL SECOND MR. CHAIRMAN, WE HAVE A MOTION ON THE FLOOR AND THEN IT'S BEEN SECONDED.
IS THERE ANY ADDITIONAL DISCUSSION OR QUESTIONS? WILL THIS GO TO FULL COUNSEL OR DOES IT YES.
IT'LL HAVE TO GO TO FULL COUNSEL.
OH, TOM, YOU WANT ME TO ASK YOU? GO AHEAD TOM.
DO YOU, AND YOU MAY NOT KNOW, ARE THESE THREE HOMES ALL IN THE SAME LOCAL AREA? WELL, IT LOOKS TO ME, BASED ON THE MATERIAL THAT'S IN THE
[00:15:01]
BACKUP, IT LOOKS LIKE TWO OF THEM MAYBE RIGHT NEXT TO EACH OTHER.THEY'RE PARCEL NUMBERS ARE ONE DIGIT OFF.
SO I ASSUME THEY'RE NEXT TO EACH OTHER.
I DON'T KNOW ABOUT THE THIRD ONE.
WELL, WALNUT STREET, THERE'S, THERE ARE TWO PREVIOUSLY BUILT THAT'S IN MY DISTRICT.
THAT'S WHY I'M FAMILIAR WITH 'EM.
THIS IS THE THIRD HOME ON WALNUT STREET.
SO, UH, THE OTHER TWO ARE ALREADY OCCUPIED AND BUILT.
AND THE REASON WE HAVE TO HANDLE IT THIS WAY IS BECAUSE IMPACT FEES CAN'T BE WAIVED.
AND SO WHAT COUNTY COUNCIL HAS DECIDED YEARS AGO IS THAT IT WOULD PAY THESE IMPACT FEES IN ORDER TO FOSTER, PROMOTE AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
THIS IS ONE OF THE THINGS COUNCIL DID BEFORE IT.
STARTED PUTTING MONEY ASIDE, LIKE YOU'VE STARTED US OR STARTED DOING THIS IS ACTUALLY, UM, WE SET ASIDE, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS TOWARD THIS YEAR, SOMETIME AGO.
IN OUR ANNUAL BUDGET FOR JUST THIS PURPOSES.
WHY DON'T WE WAIVE THE FEE INSTEAD OF SUBSIDIZING? WE DON'T GET TO I GET IT.
UM, SEEING NO MORE DISCUSSION, UM, WE'LL PROVE THIS WITHOUT OBJECTION AS WELL.
IS THERE ANY OBJECTION AND THIS WILL MOVE ON TO COUNCIL FOR A ONE VOTE.
A RESOLUTION? IT'S A RESOLUTION.
UH, YOU GOTTA VOTE IN A SECOND.
[9. FISCAL YEAR 2025 BUDGET PRESENTATIONS FROM OUTSIDE AGENCIES AND 1) Treasurer's Office- Maria Walls 2) Sheriff's Department- Suszanne Cook and Chief Deputy Michael H. Hatfield 3) Public Defender's Office- Stephanie Smart-Giddings 4) Island Recreation Center- Frank Soule 5) LRTA/Palmetto Breeze- Mary Franzoni and Kristine Hepburn 6) Beaufort Regional Chamber of Commerce, Representing the Military Enhancement Committee- Megan Morris, Interim CEO 7) Small Business Development Center- Martin Goodman 8) Keep Beaufort County Beautiful Board- Chris Campbell]
AND THAT, UH, IS THE, UM, THE BUSINESS BEFORE THIS COMMITTEE, HOWEVER, WE DO HAVE SOME OF OUR FISCAL YEAR 2025 BUDGET PRESENTATIONS, UM, FROM OUTSIDE AGENCIES.AND, UM, FIRST UP ON OUR LIST IS OUR TREASURER, UM, MS. MARIA WAL.
MS. MARIA, THANK YOU FOR COMING TODAY.
ARE YOU PUTTING THAT UP, SARAH? OR I WILL WAIT.
AND COUNCILMAN MCALLEN, DID YOUR CAMERA ISSUE GET RECTIFIED? 'CAUSE I CAN'T TELL.
NO, THERE'S NOTHING THERE EXCEPT THE SMILING MARK LAWSON.
AND WE HAVE UH, WE HAVE NOTHING.
WE HAVE NO DATA AND WE HAVE NOTHING WITH THE OTHER SPEAKER.
IT'S, IT'S LOCKED IN ON HIM, SO.
ARE YOU SEEING THE SCREEN JUST NOW, LARRY? NO.
YOU DON'T SEE THE POWERPOINT? UH, I SEE THE POWERPOINT NOW, YES.
WHEN YOU SEE COUNCILMAN LAWSON, I HOPE HE SMILES THE ENTIRE TIME.
ALRIGHT, I AM JUST GONNA MAKE SURE.
SO SARAH, IT LOOKS LIKE, BECAUSE IT'S A A, SORRY.
UM, THANK YOU FOR THE TIME TO PRESENT TO YOU TODAY, OUR FISCAL YEAR 2025 BUDGET.
AND I HAVE A FEW BRIEF SLIDES AND THEN REALLY WANNA SPEND THE 10 MINUTES ALLOWING YOU TO ASK THE QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE.
BUT BEFORE I GET STARTED, UM, ATTACHED TO TODAY'S AGENDA PACKET, THERE WAS NOT A COPY OF THE LETTER I SENT TO COUNCIL OR ANY BUDGET DETAIL, TENTATIVE DETAILS I PROVIDED.
SO FOR ANY OF OUR TAXPAYERS WATCHING, YOU CAN VISIT BUFORT COUNTY TREASURER.COM, CLICK ON OUR NEWS SECTION, AND IT'S ALL RIGHT THERE FOR YOU TO DOWNLOAD, UM, AT YOUR LEISURE.
SO FIRST AND FOREMOST, I DID WANNA REMIND EVERYONE OF OUR VISION, MISSION, AND VALUES.
WHEN WE EVALUATE SUCCESSES AND WHERE WE MISS THE MARK IN THE TREASURER'S OFFICE, IT IS IN ALIGNMENT OR THE FULFILLMENT OF THESE VISION, MISSION, AND CORE VALUES.
SO THEY GOVERN EVERYTHING WE DO AND HOW WE CONDUCT THE SERVICES THAT WE OFFER.
NOT JUST LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, BUT BEAUFORT COUNTY'S TAXPAYERS.
SO SOME STATISTICS ON HOW THIS FISCAL YEAR HAS BEEN GOING.
WE HAVE SURPASSED, ONCE AGAIN $1.1 BILLION IN CASH MANAGEMENT AT ANY GIVEN TIME.
OUR ANNUAL AVERAGE IS AT APPROXIMATELY 900 MILLION.
WE ARE PROJECTED TO HAVE EARNED IN TOTAL $18.5 MILLION FOR THIS FISCAL YEAR.
WE BILLED $624 MILLION ACROSS OVER 400,000 ACCOUNTS.
SO THIS IS A SIZABLE INCREASE.
IT IS A $73 MILLION INCREASE IN BILL VOLUME.
OUR COLLECTION RATE FOR THIS RECENTLY CONCLUDED FISCAL YEAR IS 98.8%.
SO THAT'S A 12 MONTH COLLECTION PERIOD.
AND THE HIGHEST, ONE OF THE HIGHEST WE HAVE EVER HAD IN THE 14 YEARS I'VE BEEN IN THE TREASURER'S OFFICE.
OVER THE COURSE OF THE PAST 12 MONTHS, WE HAVE HAD 44,000 INITIAL CUSTOMER INTERACTIONS.
AND WHAT I MEAN BY THAT IS IF COUNCILWOMAN TABER CONTACT AT OUR OFFICE THE FIRST TIME IS COUNTED ANY FOLLOW UP OR BACK AND FORTH WE GO THROUGH TO SERVE HER IS NOT IN
[00:20:01]
THAT NUMBER.SO 44,000 INITIAL CUSTOMER INTERACTIONS ACROSS 12 MONTHS BECAUSE OF OUR OUTSTANDING CUSTOMER SERVICE PLATFORM, OUR CUSTOMERS CAN RATE OUR SERVICES AND I AM VERY PLEASED THAT 97.5% HAVE RATED US SATISFACTORY AND DOING AN OUTSTANDING JOB FOR OUR CONSTITUENTS.
SOME OF YOU MAY BE AWARE THAT WE DO, I DO A TAX GAME AT OUR LOCAL SCHOOLS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, HAVE BEEN DOING THAT FOR YEARS.
THIS PAST YEAR WE'RE ABLE TO ENGAGE WITH 295 STUDENTS, WHICH IS, IS SUPER FUN.
WE GIVE THEM CANDY AND THEN WE HAVE THEIR FRIENDS TAX IT AND TAKE IT BACK.
AND THEN LAST, BUT CERTAINLY NOT LEAST, AND PROBABLY ONE OF THE THINGS I'M MOST PROUD OF BECAUSE IT DOES NOT TREND WITH TYPICAL GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS, IS WE SUCCESSFULLY IMPLEMENTED 360 DEGREE PERFORMANCE EVALUATIONS.
WE HAVE THREE UNDER OUR BELT AND WE'LL BE APPROACHING OUR FOURTH IN A COUPLE MONTHS.
I LIKE TO SHOW YOU WHERE THE, THESE ARE TOTAL DOLLARS, NOT NECESSARILY JUST BEAUFORT COUNTY DOLLARS THAT THE TREASURER'S OFFICE IS MANAGING THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
THE RED YOU WILL SEE IS OUR BROKERAGE ACCOUNT.
UM, AND THAT'S NOT, THAT'S NOT TYING IN NOW, IS IT? THE RED IS ACTUALLY WELLS FARGO, SO PLEASE EXCUSE THAT, THAT DISCREPANCY.
THE YELLOW IS UBS AND THE GREEN IS THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT INVESTMENT POOL.
WE ARE MANAGING THE LIQUIDITY AND THE CASH FLOWS COMING IN AND OUT OF THE TREASURER'S OFFICE EVERY SINGLE DAY.
THEN WEEKLY, THEN MONTHLY, AND THEN WE DO CERTAIN QUARTERLY REPORTS.
WE HAVE EARNED AN OUTSTANDING AMOUNT OF MONEY.
OUR CURRENT HOLDINGS WILL YIELD OVER $32 MILLION BY THE TIME THEY MATURE.
AND THAT'S NOT WHAT WE WILL CONTINUE TO BE INVESTING OR THE REMAINDER OF THE YEAR.
SO AS MY LETTER TO YOU, UM, LAST WEEK DETAILED, OUR GENERAL FUND BUDGET REQUEST IS $2,522,563.
I'VE LISTED THE EXECUTION FUND TO, UM, MAKE SURE THAT PARTICULARLY OUR NEW COUNCIL MEMBERS WERE AWARE THAT THERE ARE TWO FUNDS THAT FUND THE OPERATIONS OF THE TREASURER'S OFFICE BECAUSE WE ARE THE DELINQUENT TAX COLLECTOR AS WELL AS THE TREASURER'S OFFICE.
THE EXECUTION FUND IS FUNDED OUTSIDE OF VALOREM TAXES.
BUT I DID WANT TO ALSO PROVIDE THAT NUMBER AS WELL FOR THE BENEFIT OF OUR CONSTITUENTS VIEWING TODAY.
SO GENERAL FUND REQUEST JUST OVER $2.5 MILLION.
WE ARE VERY EXCITED FOR 2025 AND, UM, I REQUEST OBVIOUSLY THAT COUNCIL APPROVE THIS BUDGET SO THAT WE CAN CONTINUE OPERATING IN THE TREASURER'S OFFICE.
SO QUESTIONS, LET'S OPEN THE FLOOR UP FOR ANY, ANY QUESTIONS FROM, UH, COMMITTEE MS. TAVERN, GO AHEAD.
MM-HMM,
IT'S GOING TO BE STATUTORILY IS MARCH 18TH.
THERE IS A PROVISION IN SOUTH CAROLINA STATE LAW THAT IF THE LAST DAY TO PAY ANY LAST DAY TO PAY, IT COULD BE A VEHICLE.
ANYTHING ELSE FALLS ON THE, UH, WEEKEND OR A HOLIDAY.
IT GETS PUSHED TO THE NEXT BUSINESS DATE.
SO, UM, AND MAY I ADD SOMETHING? YEAH, SURE.
MOST OF OUR CUSTOMERS, SO IF YOU'RE ASKING ME WHEN IS THE STATUTORY DELINQUENCY DATE? IT'S IN MARCH, BUT MOST CUSTOMERS ASSOCIATE BEING PENALIZED AS BEING DELINQUENT.
AND AS WE ALL KNOW, YOU'RE PENALIZED THREE TIMES BEFORE YOU ARE ACTUALLY LABELED DELINQUENT ACCORDING TO SOUTH CAROLINA STATE LAW.
THAT MIGHT BE A GOOD THING TO EXPLAIN TO ANY PUBLIC THAT WATCHES THAT.
SO THEY'RE DUE JANUARY 15TH AND THAT EXPLAINED FROM THERE? YES, MA'AM.
SO THERE ARE THREE PENALTY DATES BETWEEN JANUARY THE, THE DUE DATE ON JANUARY 15TH, 16TH, DEPENDING ON WHEN IT FALLS UNTIL MARCH THAT FINAL DATE, THE BEST PLACE FOR A CUSTOMER TO LOOK IS GOING TO BE AT THE BOTTOM LEFT-HAND CORNER OF THEIR ANNUAL TAX BILL.
'CAUSE OF COURSE, VEHICLES AND WATERCRAFT ARE HANDLED DIFFERENTLY.
THE BOTTOM LEFT-HAND CORNER OF THEIR TAX BILL ON THE COUPON IT LISTS EACH IMPORTANT DATE, THE PENALTY THAT WILL BE ASSIGNED, IF NOT PAID BY THAT DATE.
AND AGAIN, SOUTH CAROLINA LAW IS A LITTLE BIT BACKWARDS THAT YOU ARE PENALIZED, YOU ARE CHARGED A FINANCIAL PENALTY FOR BEING LATE, BUT YOU ARE NOT TECHNICALLY CONSIDERED DELINQUENT AND THEREFORE SUBJECT TO THE DELINQUENCY PROCESS UNTIL AFTER THAT MARCH 18 C.
AND AS I'VE TALKED TO YOU ABOUT, THAT'S WHERE PEOPLE GET WRAPPED UP.
THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND IF I'M NOT DELINQUENT TILL MARCH, WHY DO I HAVE TO PAY A PENALTY? YES.
AND GOES, YOU KNOW, SO THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT.
UM, THE QUESTION IS, WHAT IS THE COLLECTION RATE PRIOR TO THE DATE OF DELINQUENCY? SO PRIOR TO YESTERDAY, WHAT'S
[00:25:01]
OUR COLLECTION? SO WE ARE GRAB THAT NUMBER FOR YOU.WE ARE AT 94.9% AS OF LAST WEEK FOR THE BILLS THAT WE JUST MAILED IN NOVEMBER OF 2023.
SO THE MAJORITY, WELL OVER 70, 75% IN ANY GIVEN YEAR OF OUR CUSTOMERS THAT RECEIVE A BILL IN NOVEMBER ARE PAYING BEFORE THAT JANUARY 1ST DEADLINE.
THAT FIRST DEADLINE IN JANUARY.
AND I'M GONNA SAY THAT A PART OF THAT REASON IS THE MAJORITY OF PROPERTIES IN BEAUFORT COUNTY ARE MORTGAGED.
SO WE RECEIVE, UH, WE COULD RECEIVE WHAT, $180 MILLION CHECK IN ONE FAIL SWOOP AT THE END OF DECEMBER.
SO THE MAJORITY OF OUR CUSTOMERS ARE PAYING TIMELY.
AND, AND THEN BETWEEN THAT JANUARY AND APRIL 1ST DATE, WHEN WE SEND OUT THE DELINQUENT BILLS, IT'LL UPTICK A LITTLE BIT MORE, BUT WE REALLY DON'T SEE THAT COMPLETION UNTIL AFTER THE TAX SALE IN OCTOBER.
SO THAT BRINGS UP ANOTHER POINT THAT I FOUND OUT.
IF YOU DON'T PAY YOUR TAXES ON TIME MM-HMM.
IF YOUR MORTGAGE COMPANY PAYS ANYTHING OTHER THAN WHAT THEY EXPECTED TO WHEN THEY CALCULATED THEIR MORTGAGE, BECAUSE IT'S ACTUALLY, IT'S ACTUALLY MORE COMMON FOR THEM TO RECALCULATE YOUR ESCROW DUE TO A 4% BEING MISSING OR, OR THERE, WHICHEVER THE SCENARIO IS.
IF THEY PAY ANYTHING MORE THAN WHAT THEY THOUGHT THEY WOULD FOR YOU, YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.
THEY ARE GONNA GET THAT MONEY BACK FROM YOU, YOU IN ONE WAY OR ANOTHER.
AND THAT'S WHERE PEOPLE GET CAUGHT UP IN THE MIX.
AND THERE IS AN APPEAL PROCESS FOR PEOPLE LISTENING.
THEY MAY APPEAL, UH, IF THEIR TAX RATES THEY THINK IS INCORRECT TO THE BEAUFORT COUNTY ASSESSOR'S OFFICE
WE, UM, WE GET A LOT OF THOSE INQUIRIES, BUT ANY CHANGE TO YOUR TITLE? YOU FOR REAL PROPERTY, YOU WANNA MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE NOT, THAT YOU'RE REAPPLYING FOR ANY EXEMPTIONS YOU HAVE, BUT I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH LONGER I HAVE, BUT ARE THERE ANY BUDGET QUESTIONS? I I DO HAVE ONE ACTUALLY.
UH, UH, I SEE IN HERE BETWEEN THE EXECUTION FUND AND THE GENERAL FUND FOR ADVERTISING.
UH, I THINK I KNOW THE ANSWER TO IT, BUT CAN YOU EXPLAIN SURE.
THE DISCREPANCIES THERE? SO THERE'S A VERY LARGE DIFFERENCE BECAUSE THE ADVERTISING LINE ITEM IN THE GENERAL LEDGER IS GOING TO INCLUDE THINGS LIKE NOTICES IN THE NEWSPAPER FOR, IN THE INSTALLMENT PROGRAM.
BUT IT ALSO INCLUDES THE ADVERTISEMENT OF THE DELINQUENT TAX SALE WHERE WE'RE REQUIRED TO ADVERTISE.
THAT'S WHY THE EXECUTION IS SO MUCH HIGHER.
WE HAVE TO ADVERTISE IN THE PAPER OF THE MOST WIDELY CIRCULATION IN THE COUNTY.
EVERY PARCEL THAT WE ARE GOING TO AUCTION AT THE TAX SALE, AND WE NEED TO DO IT FOR THREE CONSECUTIVE WEEKS.
SO TYPICALLY FOR ANYONE WATCHING, THAT'S GOING TO BE ON SUNDAY, THE, OF EACH WEEK LEADING UP TO THE TAX SALE.
AND AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, BUYING FULL PAGES IN THE NEWSPAPER MULTIPLE WEEKS IN A ROW IS, IS QUITE COSTLY.
I I THOUGHT THAT'S WHAT IT WAS.
I JUST WANTED TO UNDERSTAND THAT.
I GOT ONE, ONE QUESTION FOR YOU.
UM, AND AGAIN, THIS IS NOT, I I, I GOT QUESTION 'CAUSE I'M GONNA ASK EVERY OTHER PERSON THAT COMES UP AFTER YOU.
BUT, UM, OBVIOUSLY BETWEEN YOUR BUDGET FROM LAST YEAR, 2324, THEN YOUR UPCOMING ONE, DO YOU HAVE ANY MONIES THAT ARE STILL IN RESERVE OR THAT ARE SURPLUS OR THEY'RE CARRYOVER FROM LAST YEAR'S BUDGET? NO.
ANY SURPLUS FOR THE TREASURER'S OFFICE GETS ROLLED INTO THE GENERAL FUND AND IS NO LONGER A PART OF THE TREASURER.
I MEAN, WE DON'T, IF WE SAVE MONEY FROM THE PRIOR YEAR, WE DON'T.
IT, IT'S NOT SAVED SOMEWHERE FOR US TO USE IN A FUTURE YEAR.
OUR, OUR FUNDING REQUEST IS BASED ON THE OPERATIONS THAT WE WOULD DESIRE TO HAVE THE TWO VARIABLES IN OUR, WELL, THREE REALLY, BUT THE TWO VARIABLES IN OUR BUDGET IS FIRST GONNA BE CREDIT CARD FEES.
I WOULD LOVE EVERY CUSTOMER LISTENING TO SIGN UP FOR MY BEAUFORT COUNTY AND GET AN E-BILL AND PAY ONLINE.
WELL, THE MORE THAT OCCURS, THE DOWN THE DOWNSIDE OF THAT IS THE MORE COSTLY THAT LINE ITEM GETS.
BUT WE ARE SAVING FAR MORE DOLLARS BY THAT OCCURRING IN POSTAGE AND PRINTING.
BUT I'M JUST SAYING THAT THAT'S A VARIABLE IN OUR BUDGET THAT, UM, WE'RE NOT ACTIVELY SPENDING THOSE FUNDS.
IT'S BASED ON THE BEHAVIOR AND DECISIONS OF OUR CONSTITUENTS, AND WE WANT THEM TO HAVE THAT CHOICE TO CHOOSE HOW THEY'RE MOST COMFORTABLE PAYING.
MR. PASSMAN, MARIA, YOU UH, SHOWED A SLIDE THERE WHERE YOU SAID THE AMOUNT OF TAXES THAT WERE BILLED WAS $624 MILLION.
CAN YOU GIVE US SOME IDEA WHAT MAKES UP THAT NUMBER? IT'S NOT ALL PROPERTY TAXES.
OH, NO, NO, NO, OF COURSE NOT.
UM, SO FIRST OF ALL, WE'RE THE
[00:30:01]
BEAUFORT COUNTY TREASURER'S OFFICE, NOT BEAUFORT COUNTY GOVERNMENT TREASURER'S OFFICE.SO THAT'S GOING TO BE EVERY DOLLAR WE BILL, BECAUSE I'M HERE FOR YOU, WITH YOU ABOUT OUR BUDGET, BUT WE HANDLE EVERYBODY'S REVENUE JUST FOR ANYONE WATCHING WANTED A CLARIFICATION.
SO WE, THAT IS ACROSS ALL PROPERTY TYPES.
IT SHOULDN'T BE, UH, SURPRISING TO LEARN THAT REAL PROPERTY IS THE BIG CHUNK OF THAT DOLLAR AMOUNT AND THAT IS ABOUT $528 MILLION.
SO IT'S A SIGNIFICANT PORTION OF OUR REVENUES.
NOW WHAT'S INTERESTING IS WE'VE HAD SOME INCREASED CHARGES IN, WE'VE SEEN INCREASES IN MANUFACTURER, WE'VE SEEN INCREASES IN VEHICLES.
THE MORE PEOPLE THAT ARE MOVING HERE, THE MORE CARS WE SEE.
ANOTHER FACTOR IS THE LEGAL RESIDENCE EXEMPTION.
THIS IS A BUILD AMOUNT AS A SNAPSHOT IN TIME.
THE MORE THAT THERE ARE APPEALS THAT MAY BE PROCESSED OR EXEMPTION APPLICATIONS THAT ARE PROCESSED, WE TYPICALLY SEE THAT DECLINE BECAUSE ON ANY GIVEN YEAR, ABOUT 9%, THERE'S ABOUT A 9% INCREASE IN THE QUANTITY OF LEGAL RESIDENCE ACCOUNTS IN THE SYSTEM BETWEEN THE BILLING DATE AND THE END OCTOBER THE FOLLOWING YEAR.
SO WITH 12, WITHIN 12 MONTHS, YOU'LL SEE ABOUT A 9% INCREASE BASED ON THE PAST TWO YEAR AVERAGE.
AND THAT WILL CERTAINLY LOWER THE BILL DOLLARS, BUT THE MAJORITY OF THAT AMOUNT IS GOING TO BE REAL PROPERTY, WHICH SHOULDN'T BE SURPRISING.
MR. CHAIRMAN, MAY I HAVE THE FLOOR? MIKE, GO AHEAD.
UH, MARIA, I HAVE TWO QUESTIONS.
IF THEY'RE NOT APPROPRIATE FOR YOU, BUT RATHER SHOULD GO TO THE ASSESSOR, YOU DON'T HAVE TO ANSWER THEM, JUST REFER ME TO THAT.
I'VE BEEN TRYING TO SOLVE TWO PROBLEMS HERE.
SOME PEOPLE HAVE A 4%, UM, TAX RATE AND THEN THEY'RE NOTIFIED THEY HAVE A 6% TAX RATE WITH AN INCREASE IN THE AMOUNT OF TAX THAT'S DUE.
AND THEN THEY GO INTO, UM, UM, A PERIOD OF TIME WHERE THEY'VE MISSED THE PAYMENT ENTIRELY, BUT AFTER THAT THEIR APPEAL HAS BEEN APPROVED AND THEIR TAX RATE WOULD DROP FROM THE 6% RATE OF, UH, $15,000 BACK TO THE 4% RATE OF FOUR OR UH, FOUR, UH, $5,000.
SO THEY GET THE MONEY BACK IF THEY'VE PAID IT.
IF THEY HAVEN'T PAID IT, THEN THEY, THEY'RE, THEY'RE TREATED IN A DIFFERENT MANNER AND THERE ARE PENALTIES, UM, IMPOSED UPON THEM FOR FAILURE TO PAY THE INCORRECT TAX AMOUNT OR THE 6% TAX AMOUNT, WHICH WAS DEEMED TO BE INCORRECT.
IS, IS THERE A WAY FOR THOSE FINES, IF THE, UM, IF THE, UH, PROPERTY OWNER, UM, EVENTUALLY IS GRANTED THE 4%, CAN THOSE FINES BE ELIMINATED? YOU DON'T HAVE TO ANSWER THAT YET.
THE SECOND QUESTION IS, IF SOMEONE CHANGES THEIR OWNERSHIP AND THEIR 4% OWNERS AND THEY PUT THE, UH, HOME INTO AN A REVOCABLE LIVING TRUST, DO THEY CHANGE FROM 4% TO 6% THERE AS WELL? AND DO THEY HAVE TO START THE WHOLE PROCESS OVER? SO THE, UH, MY DISCLAIMER IS THAT THE BUFORT COUNTY ASSESSOR'S OFFICE HANDLES 4% EXEMPTIONS AND APPLICATIONS.
AND, BUT IT'S, I'M STANDING HERE AND I'M GOING TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION BASED ON MY OPINION ON WHAT I KNOW TO BE TRUE.
AND YOU CAN DO WITH IT WHAT YOU WOULD LIKE FOR THE PAST TWO, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THIS YEAR, FOR THE PAST TWO YEARS, BEAUFORT COUNTY, AND I SAY BEAUFORT COUNTY, AS IN MYSELF AND THE ASSESSOR, THE AUDITOR, OUR PA PREVIOUS AUDITOR DID NOT ACTIVELY PARTICIPATE IN THE PROCESS.
BUT THE ASSESSOR AND MYSELF VOTED IN MASS TO WAIVE THE PENALTIES FOR ALL OUTSTANDING 4% APPLICATIONS EARLIER LAST YEAR.
I CONFIRMED THE CURRENT AUDITOR'S AGREEMENT WITH THAT CONTINUED PRACTICE AND THE INSERTS THAT MAYBE YOU NOTICED IN THE TAX BILLS THAT WERE SENT TO OUR CUSTOMERS SUBSEQUENT TO THAT MAILING.
AND NOT UNTIL VERY CLOSE TO THE PENALTY DATE, IT, I DON'T KNOW WHO IN ADMINISTRATION.
UM, BUT BOTH ADMINISTRATION AND THE AUDITOR CHANGED THEIR MINDS AND WERE ADVISED THAT BEAUFORT COUNTY SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN WAIVING PENALTIES.
I'M OF THE OPINION THAT WE, BEAUFORT COUNTY DOES NOT DO ENOUGH TO NOTIFY OUR TAXPAYERS THAT THEY ARE ABOUT TO GET, AND THEIR MORTGAGE COMPANY IS ABOUT TO GET AN OUTRAGEOUS TAX BILL THAT IT IS VERY LIKELY WILL BE REVERSED AND REVERTED BACK TO OR GIVEN A 4% I AM AND WILL ALWAYS BE IN TOTAL SUPPORT OF US REPEATING THE TWO YEARS OF PENALTY WAIVERS WE HAVE ALREADY DONE WITHOUT ISSUE.
AND MY OFFICE WAS HAPPY TO SHOULDER THE OPERATIONAL BURDEN OF THOSE COMMUNICATIONS.
[00:35:01]
OPINION AND YOUR POSITION.BUT I WILL TELL YOU THAT PEOPLE ARE BEING FINED RIGHT NOW.
EVEN IF THEY GET, EVEN THOUGH THEY GET A $10,000 REFUND.
THEY'RE STILL BEING FINED FOR FAILING TO PAY THAT INCORRECT AMOUNT.
I CANNOT DO, I HAVE IN WRITING FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE BECAUSE SOME OF OUR TAXPAYERS HAVE BEEN MISINFORMED.
I HAVE IN WRITING FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE THAT I DO NOT HAVE THE AUTHORITY, UH, SOLELY MARIA TO WAIVE THOSE PENALTIES.
I WILL TELL YOU THAT THE DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE ALSO DISAGREED WITH BEAUFORT COUNTY'S PRACTICES FOR THE PAST TWO YEARS THAT BENEFITED OUR TAXPAYERS.
I MEAN, SO WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO CHOOSE IF, IF YOU'RE DIS, IF YOU'RE IN DISAGREEMENT WITH BOTH, CHOOSE THE THING THAT'S IN THE BEST INTEREST OF OUR TAXPAYERS.
AND THE OTHER THING I WILL POINT OUT IS THAT YOU HAVE AN ORDINANCE IN PLACE.
WHILE IT IS VERY OLD, THAT REQUIRES THE ASSESSOR TO NOTIFY CONSTITUENTS WHO LOSE THEIR 4% OR WHO MAY BE ELIGIBLE.
I SUGGEST THAT YOU LOOK FOR THAT AND ASK SARAH, I CAN EMAIL IT TO YOU.
BUT IT IS SOMETHING THAT I HAVE BEEN ASKING FOR MANY YEARS THROUGH MANY ADMINISTRATORS THAT THE ASSESSOR'S OFFICE SEND A NOTIFICATION WHEN SOMEONE LOSES THEIR 4%, WHICH WILL OCCUR POTENTIALLY FOR A TRUST OR ANYTHING ELSE.
YOU WERE ASKING COUNCILMAN MCKELLEN BECAUSE ANY CHANGE TO YOUR TITLE COULD PROMPT A LOSS OF THAT 4%.
I, I AM A HUGE PROPONENT OF BEING TAXPAYER FRIENDLY SOMETIMES TO THE DETRIMENT OF MY PEER DEPARTMENTS.
BUT THAT IS WHO I AM HERE TO SERVE.
AND I'M SORRY, I DIDN'T MEAN TO GET SO DIRECT, BUT I'M NO, I, LISTEN, THIS REALLY BOTHERS ME AND I, AND AN ISSUE, UM, THAT'S QUITE FRESH.
I'LL DROP I'LL DROP THE SECOND QUESTION IN, IN, IN, IN CONSIDERATION OF TIME, BUT THIS IS SOMETHING WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO ADDRESS SEPARATELY AND NOT HERE TODAY.
BUT IT'S A BIGGER PROBLEM THAN I ANTICIPATED.
AND I WILL TAKE THIS ON MYSELF, UH, WITH, UH, OTHER MEMBERS OF COUNCIL AND THE EXECUTIVE STAFF TO SEE IF WE CAN REACH A RESOLUTION BECAUSE IT'S JUST TO ME, NOT FAIR AND EQUITABLE.
FORGET THE QUESTION ABOUT THE, UH, THE REAL ESTATE TRUST, THE, UH, REVOCABLE LIVING TRUST.
I'LL PURSUE THAT IN ANOTHER WAY.
I, I ANSWERED IT, BUT PERHAPS YOU HAD BEEN GETTING UP, BUT OH, SORRY.
ANY CHANGE TO YOUR TITLE? YOU HAVE THE POSSIBILITY OF LOSING YOUR LEGAL RESIDENCE EXEMPTION, EVEN IF IT'S THE SAME PERSON'S NAME IN THE REVOCABLE TRUST.
THAT WOULD BE A QUESTION FOR THE ASSESSOR.
BUT MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT ANY, ANY CHANGE TO THE TITLE WOULD, YOU'D BE AT RISK OF LOSING YOUR EXEMPTION IN FLORIDA, BY THE WAY.
THEY, THEY GIVE YOU AN EXEMPTION FOR THAT.
IF IT'S THE SAME NAME AND YOU PUT IT IN A TRUST, THERE'S NO CHANGE IN YOUR TAX STATUS.
I MEAN, IT'S EVEN WORSE IF YOU HAVE A SPOUSE THAT DIES AND YOU HAVE TO DEAL WITH NOT JUST YOUR DECEASED SPOUSE, BUT ALSO YOU LOSING YOUR BIGGEST TAX DISCOUNT.
AND I PERSONALLY ACTUALLY HAD THE, HAD THE EXEMPTION I REFINANCED AND THAT'S ALL I DID WAS REFINANCED.
YOU CAN LOSE IT FOR THAT AS WELL.
DIDN'T REALIZE UNTIL I HAD TO REAPPLY YES.
SO I KNOW WHAT PEOPLE ARE TALKING ABOUT.
THE MAJORITY OF THOSE CASES, UNFORTUNATELY, THOSE TAXPAYERS BELIEVE THAT BECAUSE WE MAILED THEM THEIR BILL, THAT WE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE LARGE DRASTIC CHANGE.
AND IN PARTICULAR, THEIR MORTGAGE COMPANY PAYING THAT VASTLY SIGNIFICANTLY, YOU KNOW, VERY HUGE, UM, TAX PAYMENT THAT THEY WEREN'T EXPECTING.
SO A LOT OF THESE PHONE CALLS ARE, ARE ACCOMPANIED WITH, I CAN'T AFFORD MY MORTGAGE PAYMENT IN ADDITION TO, I CAN'T, I SHOULDN'T BE PAYING AT 6%.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ABOUT MY BUDGET?
WELL, MS. WALLACE, THANK YOU FOR COMING TODAY.
AS USUAL, YOU THANK YOU FOR HAVING US BEING PREPARED AND WE APPRECIATE EVERYTHING THAT YOU DO AND WITH YOU IN YOUR OFFICE.
UM, SO AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR COMING.
COMING MS. WALLACE, SINCE YOU ASKED YES.
YOU HAVE THAT TOO AS A COMPARISON.
YOU GOT 2025 HERE? YES, I CAN A COMPARISON, IF THAT WASN'T PROVIDED TO YOU.
I ABSOLUTELY CAN GIVE YOU 2024.
I CAN TELL YOU THAT THE, MY REQUEST IS $157,000 INCREASE.
PLEASE, YES, THAT WOULD MAKE OUR BUDGET ABOUT 0.19% OF THE DOLLARS WE HANDLE FOR ALL OF YOU.
AND, UH, THANK YOU, UH, MS. WALLACE FOR, FOR COMING AND, AND OBVIOUSLY, UH, THE, UM, UM, TREASURER'S DE DEPARTMENT IS ACTUALLY VERY IMPORTANT.
THAT'S WHY WE LET YOU GO OVER A LITTLE BIT LONGER.
WE WILL TRY TO KEEP EVERYONE ELSE TO THE, THE, THE 10 MINUTES.
'CAUSE AGAIN, JUST FOR FOR TIME RESTRAINTS.
BUT AGAIN, UM, WE'RE NOT GONNA HOLD YOU TO EXACTLY 10 MINUTES, BUT AGAIN, WE'D LIKE TO TRY TO HAVE THAT.
AND I, SO THE NEXT TWO WE HAVE TAKEN OFF OUR LIST, WHO IS NUMBER TWO AND NUMBER THREE, THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT AND ALSO THE PUBLIC DEFENDER'S OFFICE.
[00:40:01]
THEN TO NUMBER FOUR, WHICH IS THE ISLAND RECREATION CENTER.WELCOME COMING HERE FOR MANY YEARS AND WE APPRECIATE YOU YOUR TIME TODAY.
UM, FRANK SOLE, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, HILTON HEAD ISLAND RECREATION ASSOCIATION.
UM, WANT, FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU ALL FOR THE LONG TIME PARTNERSHIP WE'VE HAD OVER HERE, UH, WITH THE COUNTY AND SUPPORT OF THE ISLAND RECREATION ASSOCIATION AND THE PROGRAMS THAT WE PROVIDE TO HILTON HEAD.
I'M HERE, UH, TODAY TO ASK FOR $200,000 IN THE COMING FISCAL YEAR IN SUPPORT OF OUR BUDGET.
OUR BUDGET'S ABOUT $3.6 MILLION OVERALL, AS YOU CAN SEE, UH, FROM WHAT I HAVE HERE, I'M A ONE SLIDE PERSON, SO I TRY TO KEEP UNDER 10 MINUTES.
SO, AND PLUS I CAN'T FIGURE THIS OUT.
SO, UM, SO AS YOU CAN SEE AT THE REC CENTER, UH, NOT ONLY DO WE PROVIDE SWIM LESSONS, BUT WE ALSO PROVIDE TRAINING FOR BOTH THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT AND FIRES DEPARTMENT.
AND, UH, AQUA, WE ALSO HAVE AQUA FITNESS AND, UH, WATER AEROBICS.
UH, WE USUALLY HAVE ABOUT A HUNDRED PEOPLE IN THE POOL.
THE DOME COMES DOWN TODAY, BUT WE USUALLY HAVE A HUNDRED PEOPLE IN THE POOL IN THE MORNING HOURS THERE BETWEEN AQUA FITNESS, SWIMMING LAPS, UH, JUST A LOT OF STUFF'S GOING ON.
AND THIS YEAR, TOO IS PART OF THE $200,000.
I'M ASKING FOR SUPPORT OF FEES FOR OUR, UH, CHILDREN'S PROGRAMS TOO, SO WE CAN MAINTAIN THOSE.
UH, LOW, AS YOU KNOW, THE ASSOCIATION IS, UH, PROVIDES OVER 63% OF, OF ITS OVERALL FUNDING SUPPORT.
AND A LOT OF THAT IS THROUGH PROGRAM FEES, FUNDRAISING AND OTHER THINGS THAT WE DO.
SO THE BOTTOM PHOTO IS, UH, REALLY OUR SUMMER CAMP PROGRAM, WHICH WE HAVE.
UM, AND KIDS GET TO USE THE POOL ON A DAILY BASIS.
PART OF THE ONE THING I, UH, DON'T WANNA LEAVE OUT TOO IS THAT WE ALSO PROVIDE SWIM LESSONS TO THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, TO ALL THE PE CLASSES.
AND THE KIDS ARE IN SECOND GRADE.
UH, WE'VE ALREADY DONE THE HILTON HEAD ELEMENTARY.
WE'LL MOVE ON TO THE CREATIVE ARTS THIS SPRING.
AND SO WE HAVE A COUPLE HUNDRED KIDS THAT ACTUALLY GET SWIM LESSONS IN THE SECOND GRADE THERE.
SOME OTHER THINGS THAT HAVE GONE ON TOO IS THAT, UM, UH, WE'VE RENEWED OUR MOU WITH THE TOWN OF HILTON HEAD FOR 10 YEARS.
SO WE CERTAINLY WILL BE AROUND PROVIDING RECREATION SERVICES TO THE COMMUNITY AT THAT TIME.
UM, WE ALSO HAD, LAST YEAR WE GREW IN PARTICIPANT VISITS.
YOU COME SEVEN TIMES A WEEK, UH, SEVEN TIMES THROUGHOUT THE WEEK, THEN YOU'RE COUNTED SEVEN.
WE HAD OVER 376,000 PEOPLE COME TO PROGRAMS THAT WE PROVIDED THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY.
WE ALSO HAVE, UM, TALK A LITTLE BIT, BUT WE ALSO HAVE THE PROGRAMS ARE WELL ATTENDED BY BLUFFTON FOLKS TOO.
UM, PEOPLE WHO ARE OUTSIDE OF THE TOWN OF HILTON HEAD, WE HAVE OVER A THOUSAND FAMILIES THAT COME AND PARTICIPATE THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
A LOT OF IT IN OUR ARE REALLY IN OUR SUMMER CAMP PROGRAMS. PEOPLE THAT WORKING IN BLUFFTON, COMING TO HILTON HEAD NEED A PLACE FOR CHILDCARE AND WE'RE ABLE TO PROVIDE THAT.
THEY ALSO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IS SWIM LESSONS AND JUST PARTICIPATE IN OTHER PROGRAMS THAT WE PROVIDE, SUCH AS SOCCER, UH, YOUTH BASKETBALL AND OTHER THINGS.
SO THAT'S, YOU KNOW, WE WE'RE REALLY, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, SAY WE'RE FROM HILTON HEAD OR HILTON HEAD ISLAND, BUT REALLY WE PROVIDE, UH, PROGRAMS FOR SOUTHERN BEAUFORT COUNTY AND PEOPLE THAT WANT TO COME AND PARTICIPATE.
ALSO IN OUR SENIOR PROGRAMS LATELY, WE'VE SEEN SOME FOLKS COME FROM THERE, MOSS CREEK AND FROM OTHER AREAS THAT COME AND PARTICIPATE IN OUR PROGRAMS. UM, LET'S KIND OF GO OVER THING ONE THING TOO.
UM, WE'VE, UH, NOW THE TOWN OF HILTON HEAD AND THE COUNTY'S WORKED OUT THE LAND SWAP FOR BARKER FIELD.
THAT ALSO PUTS, UH, SCHEDULING AND SOME OTHER OPPORTUNITIES FOR US.
BUT THAT ALSO ADDED SOME, UM, MORE, UH, EXPENSES AND OTHER THINGS THAT WE'RE GONNA SEE IN THE COMING FISCAL YEAR.
FISCAL YEAR, AND OPERATING THAT FACILITY.
I'M TRYING TO KEEP UNDERNEATH YOUR 10 MINUTES.
SO LET, LET ME MAKE A COMMENT BEFORE I OPEN UP FOR, FOR QUESTIONS IS THE FACT THAT, UM, THE ISLAND REC CENTER HAS BEEN DOING THIS FOR A VERY, VERY LONG TIME.
AND THEY'RE, THEY'VE BEEN, AT LEAST IN MY OPINION, EVEN BEFORE I BECAME A COUNCIL PERSON, KIND OF LIKE THE, THE COUNTY REPRESENTATIVE OFFERING THE REC SERVICES TO THE TOWN OF HILTON HEAD.
AND WE DON'T HAVE ANY BLUFFTON REC CENTERS.
WE DON'T, I MEAN, THAT, THAT AREN'T COUNTY OWNED, THAT ARE RUN, THAT ARE RUN BY THAT PARTICULAR TOWN.
AND THERE'S NOTHING THAT'S BEAUFORT COUNTY RUN.
SO THE REST OF THE COUNTY, THE COUNTY'S PAYING FOR THE RECREATION SERVICES ON HILTON HEAD, Y'ALL ARE PROVIDING THOSE SERVICES AND WE ARE HELPING TO THEN SUBSIDIZE THAT BECAUSE AGAIN, YOU'RE REPRESENTING YOURSELF AS WELL AS THE COUNTY WHEN IT COMES TO THE POOL AND THE, THE OTHER ACTIVITIES ARE GOING ON.
SO AGAIN, THAT'S MY TAKE ON ON, ON HOW THEY'VE DONE A GOOD, GREAT JOB OF SERVING THE PUBLIC, UM, THAT, THAT GO THERE.
SO LET ME OPEN UP TO ANY OTHER QUESTIONS THAT FROM OKAY.
UM, UNDERSTANDING THAT POINT ALSO.
BUT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE, BECAUSE OF THE 25%, UH, INCREASE, I'D LIKE TO SEE A BREAKDOWN OF WHAT THE MONEY WAS USED
[00:45:01]
FOR LAST YEAR FROM US AND WHAT THE INCREASE IS FOR BEFORE WE VOTE ON IT AT THE, UM, AT THE REGULAR COUNSELING.IF YOU COULD GIVE IT TO MS, UM, ALTOFF AND THEN SHE COULD GET IT TO US.
UM, A BREAKDOWN OF EXACTLY WHAT THIS, UM, INCREASE IS FOR THE INCREASE FOR THE, WHAT WE SPENT LAST YEAR.
SO HOW MANY YEARS WERE YOU RECEIVING ONE 50 OR WAS THAT JUST LAST YEAR? UH, WE'RE IN OUR SECOND YEAR OF THE ONE 50.
WHAT WAS IT BEFORE THAT? IT WAS, UH, WELL IT WAS $300,000 BEFORE THAT, THAT, SO IT WENT DOWN.
SO THIS YEAR YOU'RE ASKING FOR 200,000, WHICH IS A 34% INCREASE.
MS. HOWARD, THIS, THIS NUMBER'S WRONG, IT'S ONE THIRD OF WHAT THEY ALREADY HAVE.
SO WHAT, WHAT ARE YOU USING THAT FOR? CAN YOU JUST CAP IT? WELL, SOME OF IT, SOME OF IT, OBVIOUSLY WE'VE SEEN INCREASES IN, UH, THE COST OF OPERATIONS ACROSS THE BOARD, CHEMICALS FOR THE POOL AND OTHER THINGS.
BUT WE'VE ALSO STAFFING, UH, HIRING A LIFEGUARD IS VERY CHALLENGING.
UH, WE START LIFEGUARDS OUT AT $15 AN HOUR.
I CAN TELL YOU THREE YEARS AGO BEFORE COVID WE'RE STARTING 'EM OUT AT $13 AN HOUR OR LESS.
SO WE'VE SEEN, UH, AN INCREASE IN STAFFING COSTS RIGHT ACROSS THE BOARD.
AND SECONDLY, OUR CHALLENGES IS ALSO TO TRY TO KEEP OUR CAMP FEES AND OTHER THING FEES LOW FOR PARENTS.
UH, AS WE KNOW, EVERYTHING'S GONE UP, THE COST OF DOING BUSINESS IS GOING UP.
AND I'VE MENTIONED STAFFING NOT ONLY AT THE POOL, BUT WITHIN OUR ORGANIZATION HAS GONE UP SIGNIFICANTLY.
SO THAT'S WHERE A LOT OF THE PERCENTAGE IS GOING UP.
BUT GENERALLY THE COST OF DOING BUSINESS IS REALLY KIND OF SKYROCKETED, AS WE ALL KNOW IN HERE.
I MEAN, WE ALL GO TO THE FOOD STORE, SO.
ANY, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? LET ME ASK THE SAME QUESTION AND ASK MARIA.
SO WITH REGARD TO YOUR BUDGET EVERY YEAR, DO Y'ALL CARRY A SURPLUS? DO YOU CARRY A RESERVE OR, OR IS THERE WE DO CARRY, UM, SOME FUNDING THAT WE, WHAT WE CALL IS A, A SOMEWHAT OF RESERVE, BUT IT'S REALLY SET ASIDE FOR A STORM OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
UM, AND THAT'S WHAT WE, WE DO CARRY SOME OF THAT, BUT WE'VE NEVER ROLLED IT BACK INTO OUR BUDGET TO BALANCE OUR BUDGET.
WE'RE MORE CONCERNED ABOUT BEING OUT OF OPERATIONS IF THERE'S A STORM IN SIMILAR, WHAT WE EXPERIENCED IN MATTHEW.
AND I THINK THAT THE ONE THING I'VE ALWAYS BEEN IMPRESSED WITH IN THE PAST IS THE FACT THAT, UM, YOU ALL DO A LOT OF YOUR OWN FUNDRAISING, RAISE YOUR OWN MONEY.
AND I THINK THAT WHAT YOUR REQUEST TO US IN YEARS PAST HAS ONLY BEEN THREE OR FOUR OR FIVE OR 6% OF YOUR TOTAL BUDGET THAT YOU'RE ASKING US FOR.
IS EVERYTHING ELSE YOU RAISE ON YOUR OWN AND, AND BRING IN THROUGH DIFFERENT, UH, AVENUES? YES SIR.
IT'S 5% THIS YEAR, OVERALL BUDGET.
ALRIGHT, MR. CHAIRMAN, MR. CHAIRMAN, IF I MAY, YEAH, JUST A COMMENT, NO QUESTION.
UH, THIS IS A VALUABLE RESOURCE FOR THE PEOPLE, UH, ON HILTON HEAD AND FOR THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN THE SURROUNDING AREAS, PERHAPS IN THE UNINCORPORATED AREAS OF BEAUFORT COUNTY.
UM, THE MONEY THAT IS BEING SPENT HERE REALLY SUPPORTS THE AQUATIC PROGRAM.
UM, COSTS HAVE GONE UP FOR SALARIES, BENEFITS, AND CHEMICALS, WHICH, UH, FRANK DIDN'T MENTION.
UH, JUST FOR THE, UH, POOL, WHICH, WHICH SERVICES HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE ON A DAILY BASIS, UH, THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
UH, THE PROGRAMS ARE REMARKABLE.
UH, THE PEOPLE WHO, UH, USE THE, UH, PROGRAMS, TREASURE THEM AND THEY TRAVEL QUITE A DISTANCE TO COME TO THIS FACILITY.
UH, IF YOU'VE EVER BEEN THERE AND SEEN IT, AND I'M TALKING TO EVERYONE IN THE AUDIENCE, YOU WOULD WALK AWAY VISIBLY IMPRESSED WITH WHAT YOU HAVE, UH, WHAT YOU'VE SEEN.
SO I JUST WANNA MAKE A CLEAR STATEMENT THAT I AM IN FULL SUPPORT OF THIS REQUEST, A STRONG SUPPORTER OF THE ISLAND REC, UH, CENTER.
AND I'M NOT REALLY SURE, UM, OTHER THAN WHAT FRANK HAS ALREADY SUBMITTED, HE CAN SUBMIT ON TOP OF THAT TO ALLAY ANY FEARS THAT THIS INCREASE OF $50,000 IS, UH, IS NOT APPROPRIATE.
UH, I KNOW HE'LL GO BACK AND TRY AND PUT SOME THINGS TOGETHER, BUT I THINK ESSENTIALLY WHAT YOU HAVE TO REALIZE IS THIS IS PAYING THE COST OF THE ENTIRE AQUATIC PROGRAM, UH, FOR CHEMICALS, PERSONNEL, AND THE RUNNING OF THE POOL ON A YEAR ROUND BASIS BECAUSE THE POOL IS OPEN IN THE WINTER, THEY JUST PUT A ROOF ON IT AND IN THE SUMMER THEY TAKE IT OFF.
SO THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT'S SEASONAL.
THIS IS AN, THIS IS A YEAR ROUND EVENT.
UM, I'VE BEEN THERE RECENTLY, UM, AND, AND WAS VERY IMPRESSED WITH IT.
BUT, AND AGAIN, BUT AGAIN, THAT'S WHY I WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE DETAILS AND I, I, AGAIN, REQUEST THAT AND I DON'T THINK IT'D BE TOO MUCH ONEROUS TO DO THAT, MR. SO YOU JUST MAKE SURE THAT SARAH WOULD, UH, GET EVERYTHING INFORMATION THAT, THAT YOU'VE GOT OR TO OUR FINANCE DEPARTMENT OR RE WORK WITH BEFORE.
AND, UM, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR MR. SAUL? SEEING NONE, UH, THANK YOU MR. SAUL.
GOOD TO ATION BRIEF AND AGAIN, UH, LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU AGAIN, SO THANK YOU.
ALRIGHT, LET'S MOVE ON THEN, UM, TO, UH, NUMBER FIVE, WHICH IS THE, UM, LRTA, THE PALMETTO BREEZE.
[00:50:01]
GOT, UH, MS. FRANZO THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR.AND WHO ELSE DO YOU HAVE, HAVE WITH YOU TODAY? I HAVE MY, UH, FINANCE DIRECTOR, CHRISTINE HEPBURN.
CHRISTINE, THANK YOU FOR COMING AS WELL.
UM, AND UM, MARY, THE FLOOR IS YOURS, SO GO AHEAD AND, AND, UH, UH, TELL US WHAT, WHAT, UH, WELL THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR, UM, INVITING US TO PRESENT OUR BUDGET.
AND I WANNA BEGIN BY JUST GOING OVER FAIRLY BRIEFLY WHAT WE DO.
UM, SO OFTEN FOLKS, ONCE WE TELL, TELL THEM WHAT WE DO, THEY GO, OH, I'VE SEEN YOUR BUSES.
SO I JUST WANTED TO DO A QUICK EXPLANATION.
UM, WE HAVE A COMMUTER BUS SERVICE.
WE HAVE, UM, A DIAL A RIDE WHERE PEOPLE CAN CALL FOR RIDES.
AND UH, WE HAVE SOME, UH, IN BUFORD WE HAVE DEMAND RESPONSE, WHICH HAVE ROUTES BUT CAN DEVIATE TO GO TO THEIR HOUSE.
AND, UH, WE HAVE SERVICE ON IN BLUFFTON AND SERVICE IN HILTON HEAD.
THIS IS A MAP OF OUR ROUTES, MOSTLY OUR, UH, COMMUTER ROUTE SYSTEM.
AND AS YOU CAN SEE, WE COVER FIVE COUNTIES.
WE, UH, BRING A LOT OF PEOPLE TO WORK IN IT.
IT USED TO BE WHEN WE FIRST STARTED IN 1978 THAT WE BROUGHT PEOPLE TO WORK IN HILTON HEAD.
AND THAT'S CHANGED NOW THAT WE BRING THEM TO WORK IN BLUFFTON, ALONG ONE 70 IN HARDY.
UH, EVERYWHERE WE GO IT SEEMS PEOPLE ARE GETTING ON AND OFF BECAUSE WE'RE BUSIER AND BUSIER.
AND SO, UH, THE COMMUTER SERVICE IS QUITE VALUABLE FOR ALL OF THE BUSINESSES, UH, INSIDE, UH, NOT IN THE FARAWAY COUNTIES.
UM, WE ALSO DO THE EMERGENCY OPERATIONS, UH, AND WE DID A GREAT JOB IN MATTHEW.
I LEARNED A LOT GOING THROUGH THAT.
AND, UH, AS A RESULT, UH, WE NOW ALSO OFFER SOME SUPPORT TO JASPER COUNTY.
AND, AND AS YOU KNOW, OVER ON THE SOUTH OF THE BROAD, JASPER AND BUFORD ARE, YOU KNOW, CROSS THE STREET AND YOU'RE IN JASPER AND CROSS BACK AND YOU'RE IN BUFORD.
SO WE WEREN'T GONNA DRAW THAT LINE, BUT WE HAVE AN AGREEMENT NOW WITH JASPER THAT IF INDEED WE DO, UM, EVACUATION, WE GO TO JASPER WITH THE FOLKS THAT, THAT WE WILL GIVE THEM A COUNT OF HOW MANY CAME OUTTA JASPER COUNTY SO THAT THEY CAN REIMBURSE US FOR THAT.
UM, WHAT I WANNA SAY, BUT NOT EVERYBODY MAY KNOW, BUT DUE TO THE CENSUS IN 2020, UM, WE HAVE A SECOND URBANIZED AREA AND THAT IS THE CITY OF BEAUFORT AND THE TOWN OF PORT ROYAL.
AND, UH, WHAT THAT MEANS IS THAT WE ARE GOING TO GET ADDITIONAL FEDERAL FUNDS, UH, CLOSE TO A MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR FOR, UH, THE CITY OF BEAUFORT AND TOWN OF PORT ROYAL.
SO IN ANTICIPATING THAT COMING, WE, UH, THROUGH THE ELK COG HAVE, UH, PUT OUT AN RFP FOR A STUDY OF TRANSPORTATION NORTH OF THE BROAD.
WE, UH, ARE ABOUT TO AWARD THAT, UH, CONTRACT.
WE HAD EIGHT RESPONDENTS TO THE, TO THE STUDY AND WE'RE VERY HAPPY WITH WHO WE'RE CHOOSING.
AND THAT WORK WILL START IN APRIL.
IT'S A YEAR LONG PROJECT AND, UH, WE'RE, WE'LL HAVE A LOT OF STAKEHOLDERS, UH, EVERYBODY OVER NORTH OF THE BROAD THAT'S INTERESTED.
UM, WE WILL GET PEOPLE IN TO BE STAKEHOLDERS AND TO UNDERSTAND WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO AND, AND WHAT IT TAKES TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN.
AND JUST TRY TO DECIDE WHETHER THIS IS THE TIME OR I'LL JUST KEEP GOING.
ALRIGHT, HERE'S, UM, IF YOU NOTICE THAT TROLLEY, YOU CAN'T REALLY SEE IT, BUT IN THE BACK IT SAYS BEAUFORD BEAUFORD, UH, UH, TROLLEY AND AND I, PEOPLE IN BEAUFORT CITY, CITY OF BEAUFORT HAVE ASKED ME OVER AND OVER ABOUT A TROLLEY, A DOWNTOWN TROLLEY TRANSPORTATION BECAUSE THERE IS NO PARKING, VERY SIMILAR TO HILTON HEAD AND LOTS OF VISITORS AND GUESTS ON HILTON HILTON HEAD.
IT WOULD MAKE A HUGE DIFFERENCE IN THE TRAFFIC, THE PARKING, AND THE VISITORS EXPERIENCE.
WHAT WE'VE LEARNED IN HILTON HEAD IS THAT THE TROLLEYS ARE AHEAD.
PEOPLE REALLY ENJOY RIDING THEM.
AND, UH, WE'VE BASED ALL KINDS OF ACTIVITIES AROUND RIDING THE TROLLEY AND, UH, THEY'RE VERY POPULAR.
WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT, UM, AND IT DEPENDS ON, ON, UM, FUNDING REALLY, BUT THROUGH THE FEDERAL TRANSIT ADMINISTRATION, IF WE CAN SHOW WE HAVE LOCAL MATCH FOR ANY CAPITAL PROJECTS, THE LOCAL MATCH IS 20% ON THE DOLLAR.
SO I BELIEVE WHAT THE CITY OF BEAUFORD NEEDS IS A DOWNTOWN TRANSIT CENTER WHERE FOLKS CAN GO TO WAIT FOR A BUS OR GET INFORMATION.
UM, I, UH, MADE A JOKE ABOUT IT BEING MULTIMODAL 'CAUSE THE HORSES COULD COME UP, BUT ALSO SO COULD GREYHOUND, YOU KNOW, IT COULD BE A TRANSPORTATION CENTER FOR EVERYONE.
AND SO I THINK THAT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT COULD HAPPEN HERE.
AND THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT COULD HAPPEN AND THAT'S WHAT THE STUDY'S GONNA LAY OUT.
IT'S REALLY A, UH, YOU KNOW, HOW MUCH DOES, DOES
[00:55:01]
DO THE LOCAL PEOPLE WANNA PUT INTO THEIR TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM? HOW IMPORTANT IS IT? SO THIS IS THE RURAL, UH, SUMMARY FOR 2025.AND YOU CAN SEE THE FEDERAL GRANT COVERS A LOT OF IT.
THE STATE GIVES US MONEY, BUT THEY DON'T GIVE US A LOT OF MONEY AND THEN WE HAVE TO HAVE A MATCH.
WE DON'T REALLY HAVE, UH, A DEDICATED SOURCE OF FUNDING.
SALES TAX ARE ABOUT THE TWO WAYS YOU CAN GET FUNDING IN THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA.
SO THAT'S THE RURAL SIDE OF THE BUDGET.
AND THIS IS WHAT I WANNA SHOW, UM, WHAT HAPPENED ON THE URBAN SIDE OF THE BUDGET.
WE DIVIDED UP THE LOCAL MATCH BASED ON A PERCENTAGE OF, UM, POPULATION.
AND PRIOR TO THE 2020 CENSUS IS THE PIE GRAPH ON THE LEFT.
AND THE TOWN OF HILTON HEAD PAID MORE THAN HALF OF THE LOCAL MATCH ON THE URBAN SIDE.
AND YOU CAN SEE THE PERCENTAGES THERE.
WELL, 2020 COMES, POPULATIONS GOT UP 36,000.
AND I, I WOULD SAY ALMOST ENTIRELY IN BLUFFTON, 'CAUSE I LIVE IN BLUFFTON.
UM, BUT HILTON HEAD DID NOT GO UP AND UNINCORPORATED BUFORD IN THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON HAVE BLOWN UP.
IT CHANGES THE PERCENTAGE AND THAT HAD A LOT TO DO WITH OUR INCREASE IN OUR LOCAL MATCH ASK FOR LAST YEAR.
AND HERE'S THE URBAN SIDE OF THE BUDGET, AND AGAIN, YOU CAN SEE THE FEDERAL GRANTS PAY, UH, THE MAJORITY OF IT.
AND THE LOCAL MATCH COMES IN, YOU KNOW, 573,000.
SO THAT'S JUST A BREAKDOWN OF THE RURAL AREA BECAUSE A LOT OF TIMES WHEN I DO THESE PRESENTATIONS, PEOPLE WANT TO KNOW WHAT DO THE OTHER PEOPLE PAY? IT'S PAYING IN BEAUFORT COUNTY ACTUALLY.
I MEAN, BEAUFORT COUNTY TOWN OF HILTON HEAD DOESN'T HAVE ANY RURAL TRANSPORTATION.
THEY KICK IN 50,000 EVERY YEAR TO HELP BECAUSE PEOPLE COME FROM THE RURAL AREAS TO WORK IN HILTON HEAD.
UM, THIS IS, UH, A COMPARISON OF 24 TO 25.
AND YOU CAN SEE IT'S VERY SIMILAR IN, UH, IN UH, HOW MUCH WE NEED TO OPERATE.
AND, UH, SO WHAT HAPPENED LAST YEAR, I HAVE TO SAY, AND YOU CAN SEE THIS IS EVERY YEAR, THE RED IS BUFORT COUNTY.
WELL, LAST YEAR, UM, OUR POPULATION SPLIT CHANGED THE PERCENTAGE FOR BEAUFORT COUNTY, IN ADDITION TO THE FACT THAT THE GRANTS WENT UP, THE COST OF LIVING HAS GONE UP FOR EVERYONE.
SO THEY GAVE US ADDITIONAL GRANT FUNDS.
SO ON TWO SIDES WE NEEDED ADDITIONAL MONEY FROM BEAUFORT COUNTY.
THERE WAS TRANSITION OVER IN MANAGEMENT HERE IN BEAUFORT COUNTY.
AND, UH, WE WERE QUITE SURPRISED WHEN THE BUDGETS CAME OUT AND WE WERE GIVEN THE SAME AMOUNT AS THE YEAR BEFORE.
AS YOU CAN SEE ON THE GRAPH, THE MIDDLE ONE WAS NOT NEAR ENOUGH.
AND SO WHEN YOU SEE IN YOUR, OUR REQUEST FOR THIS YEAR, WE'RE ASKING FOR THE SHORTFALL OF 161,752,000 FROM LAST YEAR.
WE MET WITH THE BUDGET DIRECTOR AND THE INTERIM COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR SEVERAL TIMES TO DISCUSS THIS.
WHAT WE TYPICALLY DO WHEN THE MATCH IS PEOPLE CAN'T PAY THE MATCH IS THAT WE CUT BACK THE SERVICE.
THAT'S THE ONLY REALLY RESPONSIBLE THING TO DO.
YOU CAN'T DO THINGS THAT AREN'T BEING PAID FOR.
SO DURING THOSE MEETINGS, WE SAID, OKAY, WELL IF BUFORT COUNTY ISN'T GONNA PAY THIS, WE'RE GONNA CUT BACK THE SERVICE SO THAT WE'RE NOT OVERSPENDING.
WE'LL, WE'RE GONNA PAY, YOU KNOW, WE'RE JUST HAVE TO FIND THE MONEY.
AND HERE WE ARE IN MARCH AND, AND, AND I'M ASKING FOR THAT FOR THIS YEAR TO MAKE UP FOR WHAT WE'VE ALREADY SPENT BECAUSE WE DON'T WANNA CUT OUR SERVICE.
BUT THAT'S THE PRUDENT THING TO DO IF WE DON'T, UM, CAN'T FUND IT.
AND THAT'S, IT SHOWS IN THE, UH, BUDGET REQUEST THAT WE'RE REALLY ASKING FOR 555 8 57 FOR THIS YEAR.
AND, UH, BUT WE'RE ASKING FOR THE SHORTFALL.
ANY QUESTIONS? ANY QUESTIONS FOR, UH, MS. FRANZO? I HAVE ONE QUESTION.
UM, GOING BACK TO THE VERY BEGINNING, YOU SAID $1 MILLION, THAT WAS JUST FOR THE STUDY FOR THE NORTH OF THE BRO, YOU SAID YOU FROM FEDERAL MONEY, THE $1 MILLION? OH, NO, THAT'S, WE GET AN ANNUAL LAW.
OH, YOU MEAN FOR CITY OF BEAUFORT? TOWN OF BEAUFORT.
UM, WE'VE GOTTEN PRELIMINARY NUMBERS.
UM, THE APPORTIONMENT TABLE IS NOT OUT COMPLETELY BECAUSE THERE'S NO TRANSPORTATION BILL, BUT IT LOOKS LIKE, UH, WE'RE GONNA RECEIVE SOMEWHERE AROUND 900,000 TO START WITH.
AND THAT'S TO PROVIDE THE RIGHT, IT'S TO GO TO THE PROJECT.
UH, FOR CITY OF BEAUFORT AND TOWN OF PORT ROYAL.
WHAT HAPPENED WHEN, UM, HILTON HAD, BLUFFTON BECAME AN URBANIZED AREA? I CAME IN 2014 AND SEE WE'RE IN 2024 AFTER THE CENSUS THERE.
AND THEY BEGAN PUTTING GRANT MONEY IN GRANTS IN 20 14, 15, 16.
WE WEREN'T ABLE TO, WE WEREN'T A PROV, UM, A GRANTEE UNTIL 2017.
[01:00:01]
ALL OF THAT MONEY WAS STILL THERE.AND SO WE GOT THE MATCH AND WE BOUGHT BUSES, AND SO THAT MONEY'S NOT GOING ANYWHERE.
BUT IT COULD BE, IT WILL REQUIRE A MATCH.
AND IF WE WERE, BECAUSE PART OF FOR ROYAL IS ON LAYS ISLAND AND SO IS THE CITY OF BUFORT, IT COULD HAVE A ROUTE.
WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR IN THE STUDY, AND I'D LOVE IF YOU'D LIKE TO BE A STAKEHOLDER, WE'RE GONNA HAVE URBAN SERVICES AND RURAL SERVICES AND THEY WILL JOIN TOGETHER.
BUT PART OF THE, THE VISION IS TO HAVE A CIRCULATOR THAT GOES THROUGH THE DOWNTOWN, UM, BUFORT AND OVER TO LADIES ISLAND AND, AND MAKE THAT LOOK.
I ACTUALLY HAVE A COUPLE THINGS.
ONE, I'D, I'D LIKE TO BE PART OF THAT DISCUSSION.
UM, ONE AND THE, THE OTHER PART OF THE DISCUSSION IS HOW CAN WE GET YOU SOME TYPE OF PERMANENT FUNDING? 'CAUSE I, THAT WAS GONNA BE A QUESTION THAT I ASKED THAT YOU BROUGHT UP.
IS THERE DOESN'T SEEM TO BE ANY DEDICATED FUNDING FOR YOU? WELL, I AM VERY HOPEFUL THAT, UM, THE, UH, TRANSPORTATION TAX THAT'S, UH, COMING THROUGH IN THE FALL, I DO BELIEVE, UH, HAS FUNDING FOR, UH, PALMETTO BREEZE IN IT.
THAT WOULD BE THE LOCAL MATCH FUNDING.
WHILE I'M ALSO ASKING IF WE CAN GET CAPITAL MONEY PUT IN THERE.
AND I'M HOPEFUL THAT IT WILL BE FOR A TRANSIT CENTER AND FOR, WE PROBABLY NEED A, A MAINTENANCE AND FACILITY OVER HERE BECAUSE RIDING THE BUSES BACK AND FORTH, YOU'RE PAYING THE DRIVERS AND YOU'RE WEARING YOUR BUSES OUT.
SO YOU NEED TO HAVE 'EM PARKED HERE RIGHT NOW, OUR BEAUFORT DRIVERS PARK 'EM IN THEIR YARDS.
SOMEBODY COMES OUT, THE BUS WON'T START.
WE MISS A TRIP BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT AT A FACILITY WHERE SOMEBODY COULD HAND 'EM ANOTHER BUS.
SO IT'S WAY LESS THAN IDEAL, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE DO THE BEST WE CAN.
AND THE OTHER THING I WAS GONNA ASK YOU WITH THIS, UH, INCREASE FOR THE BUDGET REQUEST, WOULD YOU BE ABLE TO GO BACK AND, AND REDO SOME OF THE, UH, FEES ASSOCIATED WITH, WITH THE RIOTERS? UH, 'CAUSE I'VE HAD A LOT OF PEOPLE ACTUALLY REACH OUT TO ME SEEING IF THERE WAS A, A PASS THEY COULD GET OR SOMETHING TO KEEP THEIR COSTS DOWN.
MOST OF THE FOLKS THAT ARE CALLING ME ARE ON A FIXED INCOME.
AND PART OF THE STUDY, IT'S JUST THAT, UM, I TRIED TO TACKLE REVAMP IN BUFORT COUNTY AT ONE TIME AND IT'S JUST TOO BIG FOR ANY SINGLE PERSON TO DO.
UM, PART OF, WE CHARGE A LOT, I BELIEVE, AT $3 AND 75 CENTS FOR A ONE WAY TRIP.
BUT IT'S A BLANKET, LIKE YOU COULD BE GOING FROM UH, UH, WALMART DOWNTOWN AND IT'S 3 75, OR YOU COULD BE GOING FROM DALE TO LADIES ISLAND AND IT'S 3 75.
SO I, IT'S JUST BEEN TOUGH TO MAKE THOSE CHANGES.
AND, BUT IS IT, DO YOU THINK WITH THE NEW STUDY COMING OUT AND EVERYTHING WITH THIS BUDGET, DO YOU THINK THERE'S A, A CHANCE OF THAT? BUT, BUT THAT'S PART OF, PART OF WHAT THE FOCUS IS.
AND I'M GONNA TELL YOU, THE USER FEES JUST MAKE THE GRANTS LAST LONGER REALLY, BECAUSE WHEN WE PULL DOWN OUR OPERATING MONEY, WE HAVE TO TAKE THE FARES OUT.
SO IF WE HAVE, UM, A HUNDRED DOLLARS WE WANNA BE REIMBURSED FOR AND WE GOT $20 IN FARES, WE TAKE THE 20 OUT AND WE GET 50% OF THAT.
SO FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, WE GET $40, WE GET OUR $20 IN FARES IS 60, AND THEN WE NEED $40 LOCAL MATCH.
SO IT MAKES THE GRANTS LAST LONGER.
BUT IT REALLY DOESN'T ENRICH US LIKE PEOPLE MIGHT THINK IT DOES.
AND I DO BELIEVE THAT THE FARES ARE A BARRIER TO HAVE A VERY ROBUST SYSTEM.
BUT IT'S NOT JUST THAT IT'S HAVING TRANSPORTATION OVER HERE IN BEAUFORT THAT RUNS MORE THAN ONCE IN THE MORNING AND ONCE IN THE EVENING.
AND, AND I REALLY BELIEVE THAT, UM, THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT ARE STRUGGLING OVER HERE AND THE HIGHER THE COSTS FOR THE CAR CARS ARE INCREDIBLY OUTRAGEOUS IN PRICE, THE LESS PEOPLE ARE GONNA BE ABLE TO AFFORD A PERSONAL VEHICLE.
AND I, I THINK THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IS REALLY BENEFIT NORTH OF THE BROAD IN BEAUFORT COUNTY, IS TO HAVE A MORE ROBUST TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM.
AND I'LL ASK, I GOT TWO QUESTIONS.
UM, SO YOU SAID YOU, YOU WERE SHORTED 106 TO 1,752, SOMEWHERE AROUND THAT NUMBER.
SO WHEN THE ASK IS FOR THIS YEAR, THAT'S IN THERE.
BUT IT REALLY SHOULD HAVE BEEN IN LAST YEAR.
WHAT HAPPENED WAS THE MR. GREENWAY JUST SAID, JUST GIVE EVERYBODY THE SAME AS THE YEAR BEFORE WITHOUT REALLY LOOKING AT IT.
SO IF I ADDED IT INTO THE 3 37, YOUR ASK LAST YEAR WAS ROUGHLY 4 98, 8 49.
SO YOUR ASK THIS YEAR, LEAVING THAT OUT, IS 5 55 8 57, WHICH IS NOT NEARLY A 53% INCREASE.
I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE EVERYBODY, 'CAUSE I'M LOOKING AT THE FORM WE HAVE.
IT'S JUST, I HATE TO EVEN MIX THE YEARS, BUT I, I DIDN'T KNOW AT THIS POINT WHAT ELSE TO DO.
AND, AND OBVIOUSLY THE ONE QUESTION WAS ABOUT SURPLUS AND, AND, UM, UH, CARRY OVER THAT I'VE ASKED EVERYBODY ELSE, BUT YOU'VE ALREADY SAID YOU WERE AT A DEFICIT LAST YEAR.
I THINK THAT'S AN INTERESTING QUESTION BEING THAT WE GET OUR
[01:05:01]
MONEY ON A REIMBURSEMENT BASIS AND WE DON'T GET REIMBURSED A HUNDRED PERCENT.SO I'M NOT SURE WHERE THE SURPLUS WOULD EVEN COME FROM.
WELL THAT'S, CAN YOU ANSWER THAT QUESTION? AND SECONDLY, UM, I THINK I SAW WHERE YOU HAD $153,000 IN REVENUE.
SO DOES THAT MEAN IF WE TAKE THE 3 75 AND DIVIDE IT INTO THAT, THAT'LL TELL US HOW MANY PASSENGERS YOU HAD OR HOW MANY PASSENGERS,
UM, IT, IT'S NOT A HUGE, HUGE NUMBER, BUT WE CARRY, UM, LOOK, AFTER I SAID THAT I GO BLANK.
I, I BELIEVE WE'RE AT AROUND 200,000 A YEAR OF, OF, UH, INDIVIDUAL TRIPS THAT PEOPLE TAKE.
DOES THAT INCLUDE THE TROLLEY THAT RUNS? UM, YES MA'AM.
WE HAVE, UM, WE CARRIED 35,000 LAST YEAR FROM APRIL THROUGH LABOR DAY.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, THE FIRST YEAR THERE WAS NOBODY ON IT.
AND, UH, AND I REMEMBER IN FRONT OF COUNCIL THERE, AND, WELL, NO ONE'S RIDING.
'CAUSE EVERYTHING TAKES SOME TIME.
AND, UH, AND I WILL, UH, MAKE SURE THERE'S AN INVITATION TO EVERYONE ON COUNCIL TO, UH, UH, COME TO AT LEAST ONE STAKEHOLDER MEETING AND MORE.
IF YOU'RE INTERESTED, HAS YOUR RIDERSHIP INCREASED WITH YOUR NEW MOVE BY SUN CITY? A LITTLE BIT.
WE HAVE SOME DEDICATED RIDERS.
WE HAVE ONE GENTLEMAN, SUN CITY, THAT REALLY LIKES US.
WE HAVE PEOPLE THAT LIVE IN, UH, BEHIND THE WALMART THAT ARE RIDING US.
WE HAVE A-U-S-C-B STUDENT THAT GOES TO WORK EVERY DAY, I MEAN, GOES TO SCHOOL EVERY DAY.
SO IT IS SLOWLY BUILDING, BUT I, I THINK THE, RATHER THAN LOOKING AT IT AND SAYING, OH, WE'LL JUST CUT THAT OUT, I THINK WHAT WILL MAKE THAT GO IS A LINK TO HILTON HEAD.
AND SO IT'S, IT'S NOT LESS, IT'S MORE, BUT WHEN YOU'RE DOING IT A PIECE AT A TIME, IT'S HARD TO GET A NETWORK THAT PEOPLE FIND ATTRACTIVE.
USCB USES YOU FOR THEIR, UM, THEY DO THEIR DEDICATED MM-HMM.
IT'S, UH, WE HAVE A MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT WITH THEM, AND THIS IS MAYBE THE FOURTH OR FIFTH YEAR, AND THEY DO, UM, SUPPORT THE SYSTEM.
UH, SO IT'S A REALLY GOOD PARTNERSHIP.
AND THAT IS OUR BUST AT THE LIGHT BLUE BUS.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? IF NOT, WE WILL MOVE ON.
MS. FRANZO, THANK YOU FOR COMING.
WE APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE AS ALWAYS.
AND, UH, UM, UH, SHE'S THE CEO OF, UH, THE PALMETTO BREEZE.
AND, AND THANK YOU, UH, MS. HEPBURN FOR ALSO COMING TODAY.
ARE OFFICIALLY THE FIN FINANCE DIRECTOR.
WELL, AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR COMING.
UM, LET'S MOVE ON THEN, UM, TO OUR NEXT, UH, PRESENTATION.
AND THAT IS THE, UM, LET SEE HERE.
BEAUFORT REGIONAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, UH, REPRESENTING THE MILITARY ENHANCEMENT COMMITTEE.
UM, AND THIS IS, UM, UH, MS. MORRIS, MEGAN MORRIS.
IS THAT CORRECT? THAT'S CORRECT.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE, MS. MORRIS.
UM, I AM ACTUALLY HERE ON BEHALF OF NEIL PLACCE, WHO IS THE CHAIRMAN OF THE MEC, THE MILITARY ENHANCEMENT COMMITTEE.
UH, HE COULD NOT BE HERE TODAY DUE TO A PRIOR ENGAGEMENT.
IN FACT, I THINK HE HAD A COUPLE OTHER THINGS.
SO, UH, HE ASKED ME TO PRESENT TODAY, AND I WILL MAKE SURE THAT IF THERE ARE QUESTIONS THAT I'M NOT QUITE POISED TO ANSWER, I WILL NOTATE THEM, ASK HIM, UH, AND OUR CREW AND GET BACK TO YOU ON THOSE.
FIRST TO COUNCILWOMAN ALICE HOWARD.
UH, SHE DOES SERVE AS THE ME, UH, COUNCIL LIAISON.
SO, ALICE, THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED, UM, SUPPORT, WHICH MEANS YOU ARE STAYING IN THE KNOW, UH, THE MILITARY ENHANCEMENT COMMITTEE IS ACTUALLY JUST, UH, JUST SURPASSED A GREAT MILESTONE OF BEING, UH, 20 YEARS OLD.
IN THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS, WE'VE REALLY REGROUPED, UH, WE'VE REBRANDED, UH, REENGAGED THE STAKEHOLDERS AND THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS.
UM, AND WE'VE CHARGED FORWARD WITH A MUCH MORE PROACTIVE APPROACH TO HOW, UH, THAT WE CREATE, UH, THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE DO FOR OUR COMMUNITY TO SUPPORT THE MILITARY BASES HERE IN BEAUFORT.
UM, THE MISSION HAS STAYED THE SAME, UH, TO FACILITATE COMMUNITY AND GOVERNMENT SUPPORT, SUSTAIN AND ENHANCED QUALITY AND VALUE OF THE INSTALLATIONS THROUGHOUT BEAUFORT COUNTY, UH, AND TO HELP DOCUMENT, COMMUNICATE THE BASIS CONTRIBUTIONS NOT ONLY TO OUR LOCAL ECONOMY, BUT TO NATIONAL, UH, SECURITY.
UH, AS YOU MAY KNOW, BREX, WHICH IS BASE REALIGNMENT EN CLOSURE, ARE NOT USED TODAY.
UH, THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT IT IS POLITICALLY MOTIVATING TO DO, BUT THERE'S A LOT OF MOVEMENT IN THE FEDERAL SYSTEM, AND THERE ARE A LOT OF DIFFERENT KINDS OF THREATS TO OUR LOCAL BASES.
UH, THE STRUCTURE OF THE MEC, JUST A QUICK RECAP.
IT'S A PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP.
THE CHAMBER IS THE FISCAL AGENT OF THE MEC AND ALSO DOES A PRETTY HEAVY LIFT ON ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT, WHICH SAVES MONEY TO NOT HAVE TO HIRE SOMEONE, UH, IN ORDER TO HELP THE MEC FULFILL ITS CHARTER.
THERE ARE 11 VOTING MEMBERS, UH, ON THE MEC, AND TWO OF THEM ARE IN, UH, BEAUFORT COUNTY APPOINTEES.
SO YOU ALL APPROVE WHO IS ON, UH, THE MEC BOARD ON BEAUFORT COUNTY'S BEHALF, UH, WHICH IS THE LARGEST REPRESENTATION ON THE, ON THE COMMITTEE.
[01:10:01]
WARREN PARKER AND ED SAXON ARE CURRENTLY YOUR TWO COUNTY APPOINTEES.UM, WE HAVE ALSO, UH, A MILITARY STATE, UM, TASK FORCE, MILITARY BASED TASK FORCE REPRESENTATIVE, UH, WHICH IS VERY HELPFUL, AS I'LL SHOW YOU LATER.
IN HELPING US SECURE FUNDING AND IN, AND BRINGING IN FUNDING FOR OUR BASES, UH, IS A VERY IMPORTANT OBJECTIVE.
UH, WE DO RECEIVE THE FUNDING THROUGH THE CHAMBER AS THE FISCAL AGENT, KEEP IT AS A SEPARATE LINE ITEM ON OUR BUDGET, ALWAYS FOR BOTH REVENUES AND EXPENSES, AND RESERVE THE FUNDS FOR USES BY THE MEC ONLY IN THE PAST TWO YEARS, THE COUNTY HAS GIVEN A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS, AND THE CITY AND THE TOWN HERE NORTH OF BROAD HAVE CONTRIBUTED $15,000.
UH, REALLY OUR DRIVING REASONS FOR WHAT WE DO, AS YOU KNOW, WELL, UH, THE PARIS ISLAND RECRUIT, UH, DEPOT IS, IS IS WHERE IF WE MAKE MARINES AND ANYBODY WHO LIVES EAST OF THE MISSISSIPPI COMES TO PARIS ISLAND, IT IS THE SINGLE EASTERN RECRUITING DEPOT.
SO PARIS ISLAND IS VERY, VERY, HIS VERY, VERY IMPORTANT, AND IT HAS A GREAT HISTORY HERE, WHICH YOU SEE IN NUMBER TWO.
IT'S, IT'S THE CRADLE OF THE CORE.
SO, UH, 20,000 PLUS RECRUITS GRADUATE, GO THROUGH PARA SALAD AND GRADUATE EACH YEAR.
AND, UH, AS YOU KNOW TOO, THE F 35 PROGRAM AT MCAS BEAUFORT HAS BEEN BUILT UP.
BOTH OF THOSE BASES HAVE A HUGE, HUGE STAKE IN, IN NATIONAL SECURITY AND, UM, AND HAVE MADE HUGE INVESTMENTS, UH, FROM FEDERAL AND STATE LEVELS, UH, INTO THEIR PROGRESS OVER RECENT YEARS.
THE ECONOMIC IMPACT NUMBERS I'M ABOUT TO SHARE WITH YOU ARE THE LAST OFFICIAL NUMBERS THAT WERE REPORTED, UH, IN 2022.
UH, SO WE ARE WORKING ON SOME UPDATED NUMBERS NOW WITH FRIENDS AT THE STATE LEVEL AND WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.
WE DO KNOW THAT AT LEAST, IF NOT GREATER NOW, THERE IS A $2.5 BILLION ANNUAL IMPACT WITHIN OUR REGION, WHICH IS MORE THAN A QUARTER AND ALMOST A THIRD OF OUR TOTAL ECONOMY HERE.
SO TO PUT THAT INTO SCALE, THAT'S PRETTY IMPRESSIVE.
THERE ARE OVER 10,000 SERVICE MEMBER JOBS IN OUR AREA, AND WHEN YOU COUNT THEIR SPOUSES OR FAMILY MEMBERS ALSO, UH, PARTICIPATING IN OUR, OUR LOCAL LABOR FORCE, THAT'S ALMOST 20,000 JOBS.
AGAIN, WE'RE WORKING ON UPDATED NUMBERS THAT WE EXPECT ALL OF THOSE TO INCREASE.
BUT THESE ARE REALLY THE REASONS WHY WE AS A MEC DO WHAT WE DO AND WHY WE ARE GRATEFUL THAT OUR LOCAL MUNICIPALITIES SUPPORT, UH, THIS EFFORT.
UM, SOME GENERAL FUNCTIONS THAT WE DO ALL THE TIME, EVERY DAY, EVERY YEAR IS, UH, ONGOING DIALOGUE WITH LOCAL BASE LEADERS.
THEY HAVE VERY CLOSE RELATIONSHIPS WITH BASE COMMANDERS AND BASE STAFF.
UM, THE RELATIONSHIPS FORGED THERE ARE VERY IMPORTANT AND LINKAGE BETWEEN THE BASES AND THE COMMUNITY IS ONE OF THOSE INTANGIBLE, UH, NECESSITIES AND BASE COMMANDERS TELL US ALL THE TIME HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO HAVE A COLLABORATIVE COMMUNITY GROUP FOR THEM TO INTERACT WITH AND TO HELP SUPPORT THE ECOSYSTEM AND THE COMMUNITY IN WHICH THEY KNOW THEIR SERVICE MEMBERS NEED TO THRIVE.
UH, WE ATTEND ALL MILITARY CEREMONIES REPRESENT THE COMMUNITY AT A LOT OF OFFICIAL EVENTS.
UM, SO THESE ARE SOME GENERAL FUNCTIONS THAT ARE, THAT ARE IMPORTANT TO US.
WE ALSO TRACK AND ANALYZE POLICY, POLICY, EXCUSE ME, WHETHER IT'S THE FEDERAL LEVEL, LIKE, UH, MOST DECISIONS AND FUNDING COME FROM FOR OUR BASE OR THE STATE LEVEL, WHICH AGAIN, UH, DOES SUPPORT INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS, UM, OR EVEN THE LOCAL LEVEL.
UH, AN EXAMPLE OF THAT IS THE ADOPTION OF THE IGSA, WHICH YOU ALL DID THIS YEAR, WHICH WAS REALLY, REALLY IMPRESSIVE.
UM, THE NDAA THAT COMES OUT EVERY YEAR.
UH, THE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ITSELF WAS ALMOST A HUNDRED PAGES, UM, BUT IT ALSO CAN HAVE A BIG INFLUENCE ON OUR LOCAL AREA.
SO WE KEEP TRACK OF ALL THOSE THINGS.
UH, HAPPY TO SHARE THAT WITH YOU ALL IF YOU WANT SOME READING ONE NIGHT.
UH, THEN WE ALSO JUST CONTINUE TO COORDINATE, UH, FUNDING AND SUPPORT, UH, BETWEEN GOVERNMENTS, PARTNERS, UM, AND THE BASES.
WHEN I SAID WE ARE RE-ENGAGING OUR COMMITTEE AND DIVERSIFYING WHAT WE ARE DOING.
UM, I'M SAYING WE, AGAIN, SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF THE MILITARY ENHANCEMENT COMMUNITY MEMBERS, UH, THERE'S BEEN SOME REALLY UNIQUE OPPORTUNITIES, UH, PRESENTED TO US AND MADE BY US.
UM, OF COURSE, WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE THOSE IMPORTANT RELATIONSHIP AND LIAISON EFFORTS.
AND OF COURSE, WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO IDENTIFY AND ADVOCATE, UH, FOR INVESTMENTS IN AN INFRASTRUCTURE AND RESILIENCY.
UH, TWO EXAMPLES MOST RECENTLY THAT YOU'RE AWARE OF IS THE MULTI-USE PATHWAY BETWEEN LAUREL BAY AND THE AIR STATION, AND ALSO THE NEW OYSTER REEF AND BARRIER WORK THAT WAS DONE, UM, ON THE SHORES OF PARAS ISLAND, UH, TO HELP PROTECT IT.
UH, A COUPLE THINGS THAT ARE UNIQUE THIS YEAR THAT WE WANT TO, UM, PLAY AS, AS HEAVY A HAND IN AS WE CAN TO HELP FACILITATE IS WORKING WITH OUR BASE EDUCATION OFFICES AND TRANSITION TEAMS TO INCREASE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES
[01:15:01]
FOR OUR SERVICE MEMBERS.WE TOUT ALL THE TIME, UH, KELLY AND JOHN OVER AT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, US AT THE CHAMBER, HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO HAVE A BUILT IN WORK LABOR POOL AND WORKFORCE THROUGH THOSE MEMBER SERVICE MEMBERS WHO ARE, UH, TRANSITIONING.
WHETHER THEY'RE RETIRING OR FINISHING UP A TERM OF SERVICE, WE CAN DO BETTER TO HELP FIND THEM A PLACE TO WORK HERE IN BEAUFORT.
OUR BUSINESSES NEED US TO DO THAT.
IT WOULD BE A GREAT SERVICE TO THOSE SERVICE MEMBERS WHO LOVE, WHO ALREADY LIVE HERE AND LOVE LIVING HERE.
UH, SO THAT'S ONE THING WE WANNA WORK ON.
WE ARE IN THE VERY BEGINNING PHASES OF WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE, BUT WE'VE MADE SOME REALLY GREAT CONTACTS AT BOTH PARA ISLAND AND AND AT THE AIR STATION TO BEGIN WORKING ON THAT, OF COURSE, WE WANNA DO WHAT WE CAN TO PROMOTE AND SUPPORT IGSA OPPORTUNITIES.
AND, UH, WE'RE, WE'RE HOPEFULLY GOING TO BE PART OF, UH, A, A BIG ANNOUNCEMENT FOR A VA CLINICS, A STANDALONE VA CLINIC, UH, THIS YEAR IN BEAUFORT COUNTY, LIKELY IN NORTHERN BEAUFORT COUNTY.
AND THAT IS GONNA SERVE 25,000 VA BENEFICIARIES WHO LIVE IN OUR AREA.
AND ONE OF THE REASONS IT'S A GAME CHANGER, NOT JUST FOR THE SERVICES THAT WE'LL PROVIDE, BUT THAT LESSENS THE NEED FOR THE SERVICES CURRENTLY OFFERED AT THE NAVAL HOSPITAL.
WE'VE TOLD YOU FOR ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF NOW THAT THERE HAVE BEEN, UM, PLANS FOR INCREASED SERVICES BOTH THROUGH THE VA CLINIC THAT'S COMING AS WELL AS THE, UM, THE NEW CLINICS THAT THEY, THEY, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, THE MILITARY WOULD LIKE TO BUILD A BOARD, UM, THE MARINE CORPS AIR STATION AND OR PARA ISLAND THINK THAT'S EVOLVING A LITTLE BIT.
UM, WE NEED TO GET OUTTA THE WAY OF THAT, BUT SUPPORT WHAT THEY DECIDE AND MOVE FORWARD THAT LESSENS THE NEED FOR THE SERVICES THAT TAKE UP 120 ACRES, UH, THAT NOW SERVES AS THE NAVAL HOSPITAL.
SO, UH, THE MEC FORGED A DEFENSE COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP TASK FORCE, AND, UM, AND THEY ARE LOOKING VERY CAREFULLY AT THAT PROJECT AND ADVOCATING ON BEHALF OF IT.
WE'VE COMPLETED PHASE ONE AND ARE ENTERING PHASE TWO.
SO I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT I'M TRANSPARENT IN THAT WE ARE, ARE WORKING ON DEVELOPING BUDGETS AND NEEDS, AND WE'LL HAVE TO BE PROACTIVE WITH SOME OF THE THINGS WE'VE AGREED TO WORK ON THIS YEAR OR, OR WANT TO WORK ON THIS YEAR.
BUT WE ALSO ARE AWAITING SOME DECISIONS THAT ARE BEING MADE AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL.
UM, AND WE'RE, WE'RE PUSHING CAREFULLY, BUT, UH, THEIR TIMETABLE WILL THEN CREATE OUR TIMETABLE.
UM, SO EXPENSES FOR THESE UPCOMING PROJECTS IS NOT TOTALLY DETERMINED.
UM, AND WE ARE ACTUALLY DOING SOMETHING UNIQUE THIS YEAR.
IF YOU'VE SEEN IT BEFORE, THEN MAYBE I FILED IT BACK IN MY ARCHIVES SOMEHOW.
UM, WE ARE ASKING FOR LEVEL FUNDING, NOT AN INCREASE IN LEVEL FUNDING, BUT ACTUALLY WE WOULD ACCEPT A DECREASE IN THE FUNDING FROM THE COUNTY THIS YEAR IF OUR FEDERAL LEVEL IDEAS AREN'T COMING TO FRUITION AS SOON AS WE WOULD LIKE.
SO WHILE WE'RE ASKING FOR A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS, WHICH IS LEVEL FUNDING, WE ARE ASKING FOR 15% OF THAT GRANT AWARD WHEN YOU MAKE YOUR DECISIONS.
AND AN ALLOCATION OF 85% FOR US TO TAP INTO UPON APPROVAL OF NEXT BIG GAME CHANGER STEPS, UH, WITH THE NAVAL HOSPITAL PROJECT AND OTHERS.
UH, DO WANNA JUST HIT BRIEFLY ON THE NAVAL HOSPITAL PROJECT.
UH, AS I SAID, THE NEW VA CLINIC AND AMBUL AMBULATORY CARE CLINIC THAT WILL BE ON BASIS, THOSE THINGS HAVEN'T YET BEEN APPROPRIATED FOR, ALTHOUGH THEY ARE BEING PLANNED IN THE LONG TERM.
SO SHORT TERM, OUR PUSH IS TO COME UP WITH SOME REALLY, UM, THOUGHTFUL AND CREATIVE WAYS THAT THE SPACE CAN BE USED COLLABORATIVELY.
UH, THE MEC DID CHARTER THE TASK FORCE TO DO THAT FOR THE REASONS YOU SEE THERE.
AND JUST LIKE WITH THE MEC WHERE THERE IS A REPRESENTATIVE THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY, THE TASK, THE DEFENSE COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP TASK FORCE ALSO HAS A COUNTY REP, UM, AS AND OTHER REPS FROM AROUND THE REGION.
UH, THE BEAUFORT COUNTY REP FOR THE TASK FORCE IS HANK EMON.
THE THREE GOALS OF THAT, UH, THAT TASK FORCE, WHAT THEY'RE WORKING TOWARDS IS, UH, WHAT YOU SEE THERE, UH, EXECUTABLE AND FULLY SUPPORTED PLAN BY BOTH OUR LEVEL LOCAL GOVERNMENTS ARE BASE LEADERS, AND THEN THE FEDERAL LEVEL, DOD AND D-H-A-D-H-A ACTUALLY OWNS THE DIRT THAT THE NAVAL HOSPITAL IS ON.
UM, AND THE NAVAL HOSPITAL IS ACTUALLY THE OLDEST MEDICAL FACILITY IN ALL OF THE NATION, UH, THAT IS CURRENTLY STILL IN USE.
SO IT HAS DEFINITELY SERVED ITS PURPOSE WELL, UH, FOR 60 PLUS YEARS.
TWO THINGS I PUT DOWN AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS SLIDE IS, IS UNDERUTILIZED.
WE'VE DONE A LOT OF WORK IN THE PAST YEAR WITH THE FUNDS THAT YOU ALL HAVE GIVEN US AND GETTING TO SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS AND KEY CONNECTIONS THAT HAVE HELPED US UNDERSTAND THE ARRAY OF OPPORTUNITIES THERE ARE WITH A SITE THAT IS OWNED BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, WE ARE ANGLING TO
[01:20:01]
HAVE THE, UH, PROPERTY CLASSIFIED AS UNDERUTILIZED, WHICH OPENS UP A BEVY OF OPTIONS FOR US AS A LOCAL COMMUNITY.WE ARE IN CONTACT WITH THE BASE COMMANDERS CONSTANTLY ABOUT THIS PROJECT AS WELL, TO MAKE SURE THEY HAVE BUY-IN AND SUPPORT OF IT AND WHAT WE HOPE TO DO.
AND IN THE NEXT, UH, COUPLE OF WEEKS, UH, WE WILL BE PITCHING, UM, THIS IDEA OF AN ENHANCED USE LEASE IN PHASES TO THE DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY.
SO, EXCITING THINGS ARE ABOUT TO HAPPEN.
UM, JUST A QUICK COMPARISON HERE.
UH, THIS, THIS, UH, AIR FORCE BASE IN CHARLESTON WAS CLOSED, UH, BY BRAC IN THE EARLY NINETIES.
30 YEARS LATER, THEY ARE STILL WORKING TO DO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ON THIS SITE, THOUGH WHAT THEY'VE BEEN ABLE TO DO SO FAR HAS CREATED A LOT OF JOBS AND A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY AND, AND, AND GROWN THE TAX BASE.
WHAT WE WANNA DO IS BE PROACTIVE AND AS SOON AS THE OPPORTUNITY PRESENTS ITSELF, BE ABLE TO DO SOME OF THE THINGS, UH, THAT WE KNOW WILL BENEFIT OUR BASES AND OUR COMMUNITY.
I HAVEN'T USED MY NOTES AT ALL,
UM, AND THEN JUST TO WRAP UP, I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WHEN I SPOKE TO, UH, THE OPPORTUNITY OF, OF WORKING CLOSELY WITH, UH, RE-EMPLOY SERVICE MEMBERS IN OUR AREA, THIS IS WHY.
SO IF YOU'VE PAID ATTENTION TO SOME OF THE CHAMBER'S, UH, DATA, UH, RELEASES LATELY, YOU'VE SEEN THIS.
UM, WE ARE WELL ABOVE STATE AVERAGE IN THE AGE GROUPS FROM 15 TO 24 YEARS OF AGE.
AND THAT IS LARGELY CONTRIBUTED BY THOSE WHO ARE SERVING IN THE MILITARY.
YOU CAN SEE IN THAT TOP MAP, THERE'S THREE DISTINCT TAN AREAS WITHIN OUR REGION.
THE DARKER THE COLOR OF THAT HEAT MAP, THE OLDER, THE AVERAGE AGE OF THE RESIDENT.
SO NOT SURPRISINGLY, AIR STATION, LAUREL BAY AND PARIS ISLAND ARE THE THREE THAT ARE YOUNGEST AREAS IN OUR, UH, REGION NORTH OF BROAD.
WE ARE SEVERELY LAGGING FROM AGES 25 TO 54 IN NUMBER OF FOLKS IN THE WORKFORCE.
SO THIS IS A HUGE NEED FOR OUR COMMUNITY AND A HUGE OPPORTUNITY IF WE CAN BETTER LINK OUR SERVICE MEMBERS WHO ARE SEPARATING.
WE ALSO WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS TREND CHANGES BECAUSE RIGHT NOW, 2028 PROJECTIONS, FIVE YEARS FROM NOW SHOW IT ACTUALLY GETTING WORSE.
UM, AND THEN LAST, IF YOU, UH, WOULD LIKE TO JOIN US AT MILITARY APPRECIATION DAY, THIS IS SOMETHING WE DO ANNUALLY.
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT HELPS THE MEC UH, UH, GET SOME COMMUNITY AWARENESS AS WELL.
AND THEY, THEY ARE PART OF IT.
WE MAKE SURE THEIR BRAND IS PART OF IT.
UH, YOU'RE ALL INVITED AND ANYONE WHO'S LISTENING THAT HAS A MILITARY ID, UH, CURRENT OR RETIRED, UM, IS WELCOME TO COME AND ENJOY A REALLY FUN FREE EVENING AS WE THANK OUR SERVICE MEMBERS.
ANY QUESTIONS FOR MS. MORRIS? I HAVE A COUPLE QUESTIONS.
UM, ON THE VA CLINIC, IS THAT BEING FUNDED BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT? YES.
AND, UH, THE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT WITH SERVICE MEMBERS.
I KNOW, UM, SOUTHERN CAROLINA ALLIANCE IS BRINGING A LOT OF COMPANIES FROM, YOU KNOW, YOU ALREADY KNOW WHAT I'M GONNA SAY.
BRINGING IN COMPANIES FROM OVERSEAS AND WE REALLY NEED, I MEAN, WORKFORCE AND IF THEY, WE DON'T GET THE WORKFORCE MM-HMM.
WE'LL GO TO GEORGIA, NORTH CAROLINA OR SOMEWHERE ELSE.
SIMULTANEOUSLY THE CHAMBERS WORKING ON A NEW YOUNG PROFESSIONALS NETWORK PROGRAM.
UM, BUT THIS ONE WILL BE SPECIFIC TO, TO MEC EFFORTS, UM, AND WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT IT.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? I DO, UH, YES, GO AHEAD.
UM, I WANNA GO BACK TO THE, UM, NAVAL HOSPITAL.
AND YOU SAID WE OUGHT TO BE PROACTIVE IN THAT VENUE.
UM, TELL ME WHAT ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT YOU THINK NEEDS TO HAPPEN TO MAKE IT, UM, SMOOTHER TRANSITION INTO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FOR THIS COUNTY? UM, IS IS, I MEAN, IT IS IN THE CITY OR THE TOWN OF PORT ROYAL, RIGHT? TOWN OF PORT ROYAL, TECHNICALLY.
IS THAT SOMETHING THAT THE COUNTY NEEDS TO BE SERIOUSLY LOOKING AT GETTING, UM, PIECE OF THAT OR ALL OF IT, OR, WELL, THAT IS A LEVEL OF DETAIL WE HOPE TO GET TO IN THE COMING YEAR.
UM, WE DO, AS I MENTIONED, WE'VE DONE ENOUGH OF THE LEGWORK TO SCOPE IT OUT AND MAKE CONNECTIONS TO WHERE WE CAN COME TOGETHER AS A COMMUNITY AND SHARE A COMMUNITY PLAN WITH DOD WITH NAVY.
UM, AND WE ARE TOLD THAT THAT, UM, THAT THAT IS A VERY WELL RECEIVED WAY TO DO IT, THAT THAT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO SHOW COMMUNITY BUY-IN WHEN YOU'RE MAKING THESE LARGE LEVELS OF PRESENTATIONS.
SO, TO GO BACK TO YOUR QUESTION, BUT STILL ANSWER KIND OF GENERALLY, WE'D LIKE TO, UM, ENCOURAGE AND ADVOCATE FOR THE PROPERTY TO BE, UH, CLASSIFIED AS UNDERUTILIZED WHEN THEY'RE READY TO MAKE A CHANGE TO
[01:25:01]
THE STATUS OF THE PROPERTY, BECAUSE THAT OPENS UP DOORS LIKE DOING PHASED IN LEASES OF CERTAIN BUILDINGS OR AREAS THAT ARE ALREADY THERE.UM, SO WE ENVISION IT BEING A MULTI-PRONGED PROJECT IF WE CAN GET IT CLASSIFIED AS AN UNDERUTILIZED PROPERTY, UM, BY THE NAVY DHA AND IF, UM, THEY'RE OPEN TO ENHANCED CHOOSE LEASE.
AND THE LAST QUESTION, UM, HOW MANY UNITS, UH, RESIDENTIAL UNITS ARE ON THAT PROPERTY? DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA? UM, I DON'T WANNA MISQUOTE.
UM, THERE ARE, THERE IS ONE BARRACKS THAT HOUSES AROUND 30, UH, SERVICE MEMBERS, AND THERE'S A HOUSING COMPLEX THAT HAS 50 MAYBE, I THINK IT'S ONLY 50, 60% OCCUPIED.
YEAH, ABOUT 50, YEAH, ABOUT 50 HOUSES.
THAT'S A, A ROUNDABOUT FIGURE.
THAT WAS, UH, MS. MEGAN MORRIS, WHO IS THE INTERIM CCEO, UH, FOR THE BUFORT REGIONAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.
SO AGAIN, THANK YOU MS. MORRIS FOR COMING TODAY AND PRESENTING.
AND, UM, NEXT UP, UM, WE HAVE, UH, MR. MARTIN GOODMAN, UH, HE'S THE AREA MANAGER AND BUSINESS CONSULTANT FOR THE SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTER.
MR. GOODMAN, THANK YOU FOR COMING TODAY.
YOU WE CAN PASS THE YEAH, YOU GO, MARK.
WELL, GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYBODY.
AND, UH, I THINK THE THINGS ARE COMING AROUND.
UH, THE SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTER PROGRAM IS, UH, WE'RE FEDERAL, STATE, AND LOCALLY SUPPORTED.
UH, IT IS PART OF A NATIONAL NETWORK AND, UH, UH, WE, UH, VERY PLEASED TO BE HERE.
I HAVE BEEN WITH THE SBDC HERE FOR ABOUT 31 YEARS, AND, UH, IT IS A, A VERY, UH, ROBUST PROGRAM IN THE LOW COUNTRY.
THE SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTER PROGRAM, UH, PROVIDES ONE-ON-ONE BUSINESS CONSULTING TO, UH, INDIVIDUALS FROM STARTUP THROUGH EXISTING BUSINESS GROWING AND EXPANDING BUSINESSES.
UH, WE, UH, WE HELP WITH, UH, ENTREPRENEURS TO WORK THROUGH DECIDING IF BUSINESS IS, UH, IN THEIR, IS SOMETHING THAT THEY NEED TO BE DOING OR WANT TO BE DOING.
UH, WE CERTAINLY HELP THEM ONCE THEY MAKE THAT DECISION TO, UH, MAKE SURE THAT THEY FIND THE FUNDING THAT THEY NEED.
A LOT OF WHAT WE DO REVOLVES AROUND THE FUNDING FOR SMALL BUSINESSES.
WE ASSIST THOSE FOLKS, CREATE BUSINESS, UH, LOAN PACKAGES, APPLICATION PACKAGES.
WE DO BUSINESS PLANS, UH, WITH OUR CLIENTS.
WE HELP THEM WITH THE FINANCIAL PROJECTIONS.
A LOT OF OUR CLIENTS COME FROM REFERRALS FROM BANKS.
UH, OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS, UH, WE HAVE BEEN EXTREMELY BUSY, UH, LOOK WORKING WITH, UH, INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE BUYING EXISTING BUSINESSES WITH ACQUISITIONS.
UH, WE WERE GETTING A LOT OF REFERRALS FROM BANKS DURING THAT PERIOD.
HOWEVER, ONCE INTEREST RATES STARTED GOING UP, UH, BANKS STARTED SLOWING DOWN.
AND, UH, THAT HAS, UH, SLOWED DOWN MANY PROJECTS AS WE WORK WITH CLIENTS.
AND, AND ESPECIALLY ON THE FINANCIAL SIDE, WHICH IS A LOT OF WHAT I DO.
UH, THEY DETERMINE THAT THEY'RE NOT ABLE TO MAKE THE BUSINESS ACQUISITION CASH FLOW AND PAY THE DEBT WITH, UH, INTEREST RATES AND, UH, AS HIGH AS 10, 11%, UH, NOT THE NORM, BUT, UH, MUCH HIGHER THAN WHAT THEY WERE A COUPLE YEARS AGO.
SO, UH, YOU KNOW, WE, OUR BUSINESS OR, OR OUR ACTIVITY FLOWS WITH THE ECONOMY.
UH, WE ARE WORKING RIGHT NOW MORE WITH, WITH ENTREPRENEURS THAN THOSE TYPES OF LARGER BUSINESSES WITH ACQUISITIONS.
UH, BUT WE'RE BUSY THE SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTER PROGRAM IN, IN BEAUFORT COUNTY.
WE ARE, UH, A, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH USCB.
I'M LOCATED AT THE USCB CAMPUS HERE IN BEAUFORT.
UH, AND OUR CONSULTANT THAT COVERS THE SOUTHERN PART OF THE COUNTY IS PAC CAMERON.
PAT HAS BEEN WITH US FOR, UH, IN EXCESS OF 25 YEARS AS WELL.
UH, SHE, HER OFFICE IS AT THE HILTON HEAD CAMPUS OF USCB.
UH, SHE PRIMARILY TAKES CARE OF MOST OF THE SOUTHERN PART.
I TAKE CARE OF THE NORTHERN PART.
AND THEN WE KIND OF CATCH ALL THOSE, UH, IN THE, THE MIDDLE AND OTE AND, AND, AND IN THE SURROUNDING AREAS OF BEAUFORT COUNTY.
[01:30:01]
UH, YOU KNOW, THESE ARE OUR NUMBERS.THESE, WE ARE AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PARTNER, UH, WITH BEAUFORT COUNTY.
UH, WE CREATE ECONOMIC IMPACT WITH THE SMALL BUSINESSES.
UH, WE WORK CLOSELY WITH JOHN O'TOOLE AND CHARLIE AT THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION.
IN FACT, I GOT A REFERRAL TODAY, UH, THAT JOHN SENT A CLIENT TO SEE ME.
UH, WE'RE PRETTY MUCH UNDER THEIR THRESHOLD.
WE WORK WITH THE CLIENTS THAT'S UNDER THE THRESHOLD THAT THEY'RE LOOKING AT.
THEY'RE LOOKING AT THE LARGER BUSINESSES AND BRINGING THEM HERE.
UH, WHILE PART OF WHAT WE CAN DO IS WORK WITH THEM FOR THE SUPPLIER BASE, UH, AND HELP THEM WITH THE SMALL BUSINESSES THAT CAN SUPPORT THE LARGER BUSINESSES HERE ON THE COUNT IN THE COUNTY.
UH, IN THE NUMBERS, YOU'LL SEE THAT WE SERVED 183 CLIENTS.
THESE ARE CLIENTS WHO HAVE SIGNED UP WITH US.
THESE ARE NEW CLIENTS, UH, FOR 2020, UH, THREE.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A VAST GROUP OF CLIENTS THAT IS NOT IN THIS NUMBER, THAT ARE EXISTING CLIENTS THAT WE CONTINUE TO WORK WITH.
UH, THIS IS, THIS DOES NOT COUNT THE, THE MANY FOLKS THAT WE WORK WITH THAT CONTACT US THAT WANT TO KNOW, UH, HOW DO I GET A BUSINESS LICENSE WHERE I GO TO GET BUSINESS LICENSES, UH, JUST GENERAL INFORMATION QUESTIONS.
AND THEY, THEY GENERALLY NEVER GET TO A POINT OF ACTUALLY SIGNING UP AND, AND, UH, REGISTERING AS A CLIENT.
LAST YEAR, WE ASSISTED OUR CLIENTS WITH 14 BUSINESS STARTS.
UH, AND THIS IS A, UH, A GOOD NUMBER FOR 2023.
UH, WITH THAT, WE ASSISTED THEM IN CAPITAL IN FINDING FUNDING FOR $4.2 MILLION.
THAT NUMBER IS DOWN STRICTLY BECAUSE MOST OF THE ACTIVITY, UH, WAS IN THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR WHEN, UH, WE WERE, UH, WHEN LENDING WAS A LITTLE MORE AGGRESSIVE.
BUT SINCE IT STOPPED AND SLOWED DOWN, UH, WE'RE NOT GETTING THE NUMBERS OF, OF FOLKS NOW.
AND THE DEALS ARE GOING FROM MILLIONS OR MULTIMILLION DOLLAR DEALS DOWN TO 40, 50,000, UH, TO A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS DEALS.
SO WE, WE PUT THE SAME AMOUNT OF WORK AND EFFORT INTO A $50,000 LOAN PACKAGE AS WE DO A $2 MILLION LOAN PACKAGE.
UH, AND THEN THE JOBS, UH, ARE, ARE THERE, THOSE ARE JOBS THAT WERE CREATED.
WE ALSO COUNT THE JOBS THAT, UH, WERE, UH, WE CALL 'EM RETAINED JOBS.
AND THOSE ARE JOBS THAT ARE A RESULT OF SOME OF THE ACQUISITIONS.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE EXTREMELY HAPPY, UH, OF THE RESULTS.
WE THINK THAT HOPEFULLY THE ECONOMY WILL, WILL TURN.
UM, WE'VE ALL BEEN IN BUSINESS AND AROUND BUSINESS FOR YEARS AND, AND THE ECONOMY IS ALWAYS CYCLICAL.
IF IT GOES DOWN, IT'LL COME BACK UP.
IT GOES, UH, YOU KNOW, INTEREST RATES GO UP, THEY'LL COME BACK DOWN.
AND, UH, BUT INTEREST RATES RIGHT NOW, WHAT'S HOLDING UP, UH, A LOT OF THE LENDING.
AND THAT'S WHERE WE'VE COME INTO A LOT OF THAT.
UH, AND, UH, HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS, ANY, UH, QUESTIONS FOR MR. GOODMAN? WE'RE NOT ASKING FOR ANY INCREASE.
UH, WE'RE AT THE SAME LEVEL THAT I THINK WE'VE BEEN FOR BRI.
MAYBE THIS IS THE FOURTH YEAR.
UH, SO
SO THEY, OBVIOUSLY, WE, WE DO NOT PAY RENT BECAUSE WE'RE IN A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE UNIVERSITY AND THEY PROVIDE US SPACE AND OFFICE SPACE.
UH, OUR BUDGET CONSISTS PRIMARILY OF MINE AND PAT'S SALARIES.
UH, UH, SOME TRAVEL AND SOME, UH, CHAMBER DUES AND, UH, SUPPLIES.
WE'RE, WE'RE PRETTY LEAN, UH, IN THAT, UH, UH, MOST ALL OF OUR OFFICES, UH, AROUND THE STATE AND CERTAINLY HERE IN BEAUFORT COUNTY, UH, WE DON'T HAVE TO PAY RENT OR HAVE OCCUPATIONAL COSTS.
UH, THANKFULLY WITH OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH USCB, AND WE FEEL LIKE WE'RE AN OUTREACH FOR USCB INTO THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? NO, I JUST WANT TO THANK MR. GOODMAN FOR ALL THE WORK HE'S DONE, UH, OVER THE YEARS.
MR. GOODMAN, THANK YOU FOR COMING.
APPRECIATE VERY CONCISE, UH, REPORT LIKE YOU ALWAYS DO.
AND MR. GOODMAN IS THE AREA MANAGER OF BUSINESS, UM, CONSULTANT FOR THE SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTER.
AND MR. GOODMAN, THANK YOU FOR COMING TODAY.
UM, LET'S MOVE ON THEN TO, UH, NEXT, UH, UP IS,
[01:35:01]
UH, KEEP BUFORT COUNTY.AND THIS IS, UM, CHRIS CAMPBELL AND CHRIS, UH, IS THE CHAIRMAN OF THE, UH, KEEP BUFORT COUNTY BEAUTIFUL BOARD.
THANK ME ALLOWING TO MAKE A PRESENTATION.
I ALSO WOULD LIKE TO THANK THIS GENTLEMAN FOR ALL HIS YEARS WORK.
HE HELPED A LOT OF PEOPLE, UM, KEEP BEAUFORT COUNTY BEAUTIFUL.
HAS BEEN AN OFFICIAL BOARD FOR 20 YEARS.
WE'VE BEEN IN EXISTENCE FOR 35 YEARS.
UH, OUR LITTLE CHARTER SAYS THAT WE'RE ENTITLED TO A BUDGET.
UH, SEVERAL YEARS AGO, UH, LET ME BACK UP.
A YEAR AGO, A SENIOR COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR CAME TO ME AND SAID, LISTEN, WE WOULD LIKE FOR YOU TO LOOK AT SOME PROJECTS THAT MIGHT BE A LITTLE EASIER FOR YOU TO DO THAN IT IS FOR US BECAUSE OF WHO WE WERE.
I'M THE CHAIRMAN TO KEEP YOUR COUNTY BEAUTIFUL, BY THE WAY.
AND I SAID, SURE, THAT'S WHAT WE WANT TO DO.
SO WE WENT AROUND AND LOOKED AT SOME PAR PROJECTS AROUND THE COUNTY, AND ONE OF 'EM IN PARTICULAR, STARTING AT THE COMBEE RIVER, COMING INTO GARDENS CORNER, WE WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT AREAS WHERE THE VIEW IS PRETTY GOING OUT IN EACH WAY, WHICH IS NOT REALLY A LOT OF WORK.
IN FACT, THE DOT IS, UH, LIKE TO DO IT TOO.
BUT IT'S ALL PART OF A, UH, WHAT WE CALL A PILOT PROJECT THAT WE WOULD EVENTUALLY GO AROUND TO ALL THE CORNERS OF THE COUNTY AND DO, ONCE WE LEARNED HOW TO DO IT.
I MEAN, EVERYBODY ELSE LEARNED A LITTLE SOMETHING.
SO WE WERE ASKING FOR, UH, WE HAD THE, UH, GREENERY COME IN AND WE WERE GONNA START AT GARDENS CORNER WITH NEEDS SOME NEW PLANNING.
THE, THE, THE, THE BRIDGE OVER PARIS BRIDGE IS LACKING SOME, IT, IT NEEDS A LITTLE UPDATE AND IT'S A VERY IMPORTANT PART.
UH, NEW PLANNINGS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
WE WOULD LIKE TO ADD A, IT, IT SAYS TWO FLAGPOLES.
IT'S ONE FLAGPOLE IN THE CENTER OF THE CIRCLE THERE, WHICH WOULD BE KIND OF COOL.
IT'LL BE AN AMERICAN FLAG IN THIS STATE FLAG.
UH, THE LADIES ON MY BOARD AND MYSELF WOULD LIKE TO DO SOME, UH, WILDFIRE PLANNINGS AROUND THE COUNTY IN DIFFERENT PLACES.
WE'RE GONNA TRY IT, SEE HOW IT DOES, YOU KNOW, IF IT DOES, THEN WE'LL KEEP DOING IT.
YOU KNOW, I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANYTHING TO LOSE THERE.
UM, LITTLE, LITTLE AREAS, LIKE WHEN YOU GO ACROSS THE BROAD RIVER BRIDGE, THEY HAVE LITTLE PLANTERS THERE ON EACH END.
WE, WE LIKE TO MAKE SOME ENHANCEMENTS TO THINGS LIKE THAT.
AGAIN, NOBODY ON MY BOARD MAKES A SALARY.
UH, THERE'S NO, THERE'S NO, THERE'S NO MONEY.
SO ANYTHING THAT WE DO TO HELP BEAUFORT COUNTY WOULD BE A GOOD THING.
UH, TWO NEW SIGNS WE WANNA DO FOR ONE END OF THE, UH, HIGHWAY 17 ENTRANCE INTO THE COUNTY.
AND THE OTHER END OF THE SI, HI, HIGHWAY 17 ENTRANCE OF THE COUNTY AND DOWN IN POCO ALGO, COMBY AND POCA ALGO.
WE WANT TO DO THESE SMALL, UH, REPLICAS OF AN, THE OLD RICE TRUNKS THAT ARE DONE YEARS AND YEARS AGO.
THEY WERE BUILT BY THE LO ALL THE LOCAL EARLY DEVELOPERS IN THIS COUNTY.
WE WANT TO HAVE A LITTLE PLAQUE ON 'EM THAT SAYS, YOU KNOW, THIS IS WHAT THESE GUYS DID A LONG TIME AGO.
THEY WERE THE FIRST DEVELOPERS IN THIS COUNTY.
WE ALSO WANNA IMPLEMENT THE LITTER CONTROL IN, UH, ONE OF OUR MAIN FUNCTIONS IS LITTER.
ONE OF MY MAIN THINGS IN LIFE IS LITTER.
AND, UH, I HAVE A LITTLE SHELDON LITTER.
UH, WE GET A, WE GET A GRANT FROM, UM, THROUGH FRIENDS OF GARDENS CORNER.
WE GET A GRANT OF $10,000 EVERY YEAR FROM PALMETTO PRIDE THAT WE GO OUT AND I, I LEND 'EM MY TRUCK, AND THEY GO OUT AND THEY PICK UP LITTER IN SHELDON.
WE KIND OF KEEP A LOOK ON EVERYTHING AROUND THE NEIGHBORHOOD, SEE HOW IT'S LOOKING.
UH, FIRST YEAR WE PICKED UP, UH, 733 BAGS OF LITTER.
SECOND YEAR WE PICKED UP 823 BAGS OF LITTER.
THIS YEAR, WE'RE PROBABLY GONNA BE RIGHT AROUND THAT SAME NUMBER TOO.
DOES IT GO RIGHT BACK DOWN AGAIN? YEAH, SOMETIMES.
BUT I THINK PEOPLE ARE GETTING THE IDEA, WHICH IS GOOD, BUT ALSO WE WANNA IMPROVE.
LIKE FOR INSTANCE, IF THIS YEAR CHRISTMAS WAS COMING, YOU KNOW, THE GRASS IS DEAD, UH, UH, THE LITTER'S EVERYWHERE AND LOOKS TERRIBLE, WE WANT, WE WOULD BE ABLE TO BRING IN AN OUTSIDE CONTRACTOR, WHICH IS A LITTLE LESS CUMBERSOME THAN, UH, THE COUNTY HAS GREAT PEOPLE WORKING IN THIS DEPARTMENT.
THERE'S NO, YOU KNOW, THERE, THERE ARE, THERE ARE PEOPLE, BUT IT'S HARD TO GET PEOPLE TO, IT'S A, NOT, NOT A JOB.
A PERSON WANTS TO MAKE A CAREER IN PICKING UP A LITTER.
WE, THERE ARE GROUPS OUT THERE THAT DO IT ALL THE TIME.
UM, THERE ARE PEOPLE ON THE HIGHWAYS AND ALL THE WAY AROUND, AND WE HAVE CONTACTS TO FIND THESE GROUPS.
IN FACT, I KNOW OF ONE RIGHT NOW THAT WOULD BE EAGER TO HELP US.
SO IN, IN CERTAIN INSTANCES, LIKE, WELL, MY WIFE WOULD ALWAYS SAY WE SHOULD DO IT
[01:40:01]
ALL THE TIME, BUT IN CERTAIN INTERESTS WHEN IT'S BAD, WE COULD BRING IN THESE OUTSIDE CONTRACTORS AND WALK RIGHT UP HIGHWAY 17 AND RIGHT UP INTO HIGHWAY 21 AND RIGHT ON THROUGH THE COUNTY AT TIMES WHEN WE NEED TO DO IT.I MEAN, THE HERITAGE, THE AIR SHOW, CHRISTMAS, THANKSGIVING, IT, IT WOULD HELP 'EM.
AND IN AN INTERESTING THING THAT HAS JUST COME UP IS THE STATE LEGISLATURE WAS GIVING HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT A HUNDRED, THIS COUNTY 6 MILLION TO THE STATE.
AND, UH, ELIZABETH OUT AT DOT WAS ABLE TO GO OUT AND PICK UP LITTER EVERY TIME THEY MOVED, WHICH WAS GREAT.
WELL, THEY DIDN'T GET THAT FUNDING THIS YEAR.
SO IT'S KIND OF, YOU KNOW, ALL OF A SUDDEN YOU THINK THERE'S LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL AND THEN IT GETS DARK AGAIN.
SO WE WOULD USE THAT, THOSE FUNDS FOR THAT AS WELL.
UM, KEEP IN MIND, WE'VE NEVER HAD A BUDGET.
WE'RE, THIS IS OUR FIRST TIME, BUT I HAVE SOME REALLY INTELLIGENT PEOPLE ON MY BOARD AND, AND I THINK THAT WE WOULD DO A VERY GOOD JOB.
UM, A LITTLE ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS ADOPT A HIGHWAY PROGRAM.
THERE'S 206 GROUPS OF PEOPLE WHO GO OUT AND VOLUNTEER, PICK UP LITTER ALL THE TIME.
AND THEY COME IN AND WE SHOULD HAVE A NICE LITTLE GATHERING WITH THEM.
AND WE SHOULD HAVE, UH, IT'S A TRAINING SESSION.
WE TEACH 'EM HOW, MAKE SURE THEY'RE SAFE DOING THIS AND THAT, AND PROVIDE 'EM WITH ALL THIS, ALL THE MATERIALS THEY NEED.
UM, AND THAT REALLY JUST ABOUT COVERS IT.
I DON'T, I DON'T HAVE TO GO INTO TOO MUCH DETAIL.
UH, WE'RE GONNA TRY TO MAKE THE COUNTY A LITTLE BIT BETTER AND WE'RE THE RIGHT PEOPLE TO DO IT, I THINK.
AND THE O OTHER THAN THE COUNTY EMPLOYEES, THEY DO A GOOD JOB TOO.
ANY, UH, MR. GIBBON, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
IS THERE ANY, ANY, UH, I'M SORRY, MR. CAMPBELL, I APOLOGIZE.
SORRY, MR. CAMPBELL, UH, IS THERE, UM, ANY QUESTIONS FOR MR. CAMPBELL? UM, WHERE IS GARDEN'S CORNER IN JOE? FRASER'S CIRCLE? IS THAT JOE RAZER ON? YEAH.
UM, I KIND OF OVERLOOKED THAT.
JOE FERER CIRCLE IS OVER NEAR HABERSHAM, AND IT'S A, IT'S A CIRCLE, THE DOT PUT IN.
AND ALL WE'RE GONNA DO IS JUST TAKE ALL THE WEEDS OUT AND PUT IN, AND THE GREENERY'S GONNA HELP US DO THAT AND PUT IN JUST SOME LOW PLANTINGS AND JUST MAKE IT LOOK A MORE ATTRACTIVE.
AND THE SAME THING WITH THE GARDENS CORNER.
WE'RE GONNA, WE WANT PEOPLE, WHEN THEY COME INTO THIS COUNTY, REALIZE IT'S, WE, WE GOT IT TOGETHER ALL OVER.
NOT JUST GOING ON HILTON HIT THE WHOLE COUNTY.
BUT WHAT ABOUT IT'S EASY TO DO GARDENS CORNER? WHERE IS THAT? PARDON ME? GARDENS CORNER.
THAT'S HOW, UH, HIGHWAY 17 IN 21.
YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE GOING TO CHARLESTON.
YOU GO OUT THERE AND TAKE A RIDE.
AND I NOTICED IN MY DISTRICT BETWEEN BE FAIR AND ROSE HILL PLANTATIONS, THERE'S A SMALL SIGN THAT SAYS, KEEP BEAUFORT COUNTY BEAUTIFUL.
ARE YOU AWARE OF THAT? I'M NOT
YOU KNOW WHAT? I HAVE A FEELING WHO PUT IT THERE.
I HAVE A FEELING MAYBE THE PERSON THAT'S ON THE COMMITTEE OR DISTRICT EIGHT, MY DISTRICT EIGHT MIGHT HAVE DONE THAT.
MAYBE THEY DID THAT SOMETHING THERE AT ONE TIME AND THEN THEY NEVER CAME BACK TO IT.
YEAH, IT'S, IT'S STILL THERE, I SUPPOSE.
WELL, I'VE BEEN THE CHAIRMAN FOR FOUR YEARS AND, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, YEAH, IT WAS LIKE ONE OF THE POLITICAL, LIKE THE SIZE OF POLITICAL SCIENCES.
KEEP BEAUFORT COUNTY BEAUTIFUL.
AND WE ARE GONNA DO SOME WILD FLOWERS, UH, IN THE BLUFFTON AREA AGAIN.
UM, WE'RE GOING TO JUST DO, WE'RE NOT GONNA GO OUT THERE AND SPEND A WHOLE BUNCH OF MONEY AND WE'RE GONNA DO LITTLE SMALL AREAS.
UM, IT TAKES A LITTLE TIME TO GET THE BEDS READY AND THAT SORT OF THING, BUT YOU KNOW, AGAIN, WE'RE GLAD TO DO IT.
I WAS GONNA SAY, I LOVE THE WILDFLOWER IDEA.
WHEN YOU GO TO OTHER STATES, YOU SEE THE WILDFLOWERS.
AND I WOULD PUT MORE MONEY INTO THAT, BUT OKAY.
WELL, I THINK WE'VE GOT ENOUGH.
UM, WE ALSO HAVE A GRANT FROM PALMETTO PRIDE THAT'S GONNA GIVE US A LITTLE MONEY TOO.
SO BETWEEN THE TWO OF 'EM, AND AGAIN, I MAY BE BACK IN NEXT YEAR TO SEE YOU AGAIN.
WELL, THE WILDFLOWER REALLY ADDS TO THE HIGHWAY, THE LITTER CONTROL.
I'M WITH YOU A HUNDRED PERCENT.
NOW, I KNOW IN THE ADOPT A HIGHWAY PROGRAM, I LOVE THAT YOU TRAIN YOUR VOLUNTEERS.
I LOVE THAT YOU WANNA DO A LITTLE SOMETHING FOR 'EM.
I KNOW WHERE I LIVE, WE HAVE VOLUNTEERS THAT GO ONE 70, MR. PASSMAN, ONE OF 'EM, YOU KNOW, SUN CITY PEOPLE GO, GOD BLESS YOU.
BECAUSE PEOPLE JUST KEEP THROWING IT.
SO I THINK THAT'S A GREAT PROGRAM TOO.
BUT I'M UP FOR THE WILDFLOWERS.
UM, MS. BROWN IS, BUT I LIKE GOING TO YOUR MEETINGS 'CAUSE I ALWAYS GET EXCITED AND I USED TO BE ON THAT BOARD A LONG TIME AGO.
SO THE IMPLEMENT, THE ADDITIONAL LITTER CONTROL.
I JUST WONDER THIS PROBABLY A QUESTION FOR ADMINISTRATION, SINCE WE DO HAVE, HAVE A SOLID WASTE, UM, I WONDER IF THAT MONEY COULD COME OUT OF OUR SOLID WASTE MONEY INSTEAD OF, I MEAN, IT'S ALL, IT'S ALL THE SAME, EXCEPT IT'S NOT ALL THE SAME.
[01:45:01]
TO THINK ABOUT.WELL, AND I'VE, I'VE TALKED TO THEM ABOUT THIS AND THEY, AND THEY SAY, YEAH, GO.
YOU KNOW, SO WHAT UNDERST WHEREVER THE MONEY COMES FROM IS FINE WITH US.
WE'RE NOT GONNA GET ANY MONEY FROM DOT FOR THIS NEXT YEAR.
NOW, MAYBE THAT'S NOT ALL TOGETHER.
AND BY THE WAY, I'M, UH, BECAUSE OF ALL OF THIS, I'M ON THE BOARD OF PALMETTO PRIDE NOW.
SO THAT'S GOOD FOR BEAUFORD COUNTY.
UM, I JUST WONDER IF THAT'S ACCORDING TO SARAH ALLOWS THE DOT DID NOT FUND THE $6 MILLION THEY DID LAST YEAR FOR OKAY, WE GOT A HUNDRED.
AND SO WHETHER IT'S THIS YEAR OR NEXT YEAR, I DON'T KNOW HOW THEIR, UH, BUDGET ROLLS AROUND, BUT SOONER OR LATER THAT MONEY'S GONNA BE GONE.
AND WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO PICK UP THE SLACK.
I PICK UP ON LADIES ISLAND WITH ROTARY AND YOU COULD GO OUT THE NEXT DAY AND IT'S RIGHT BACK OUT THERE.
YOU KNOW, MY, MY THING IS I'VE LIVED IN BEAUFORT COUNTY MY WHOLE LIFE.
WELL, EVERYBODY, UH, WE'RE, WE'VE ALWAYS BEEN A FORTUNATE COUNTY HERE.
UH, WE SHOULDN'T HAVE ANY LITTER.
AND I COME IN THE REC ALL, ALL THAT Y'ALL DO WITH EDUCATION IN THE COUNTY WITH EDUCATIONAL LITTER 'CAUSE THAT IT'S KEEPING GOING, KEEPING GOING.
WE'RE GOT IT IS ROLLING RIGHT ALONG.
WE, WE, I I IF YOU WERE AT THE AIR SHOW, I WAS OUT THERE IN THE TENT.
CHRIS, I, I WANT TO PERSONALLY THANK YOU AND THE, UM, LITTLE GROUPS THAT YOU HAVE, UM, UH, THAT YOU ARE FOR THE JOB THAT YOU ALL ARE DOING.
UM, I OFTEN THINK THAT WE, THE CITIZENS DON'T REALIZE JUST HOW, UH, VALUABLE YOUR, UH, LABOR IS TO KEEPING, UH, BEAUTIFUL, BEAUTIFUL.
THE, FROM THE AIR STATION GOING NORTH TO, UH, GARDENS CORNER, HIGHWAY 21 TO INTERSECTION AND, UM, 17, THAT'S A, THAT'S A THOROUGHFARE WHERE FROM THE AIR STATION TO THE TRAFFIC LADDER AT GRAY HILL IS PROBLEMATIC.
I MEAN, YOU GUYS PICK UP THE, UH, TRASH.
WE GO TO THE WELL BRANCH BRIDGE AND, AND I, I HAVE TO CUT IT OFF THERE BECAUSE I JUST HAVE TO CUT IT OFF SOMEWHERE.
BUT I HAVE THE GUYS, I MEAN, I, I MADE UP IN LAST DECEMBER, I CALLED UP SOME OF MY FRIENDS IN, UH, COUNTY AND SAID, LISTEN, I'LL COME ALL, I'LL BRING MY GUYS ALL THE WAY INTO TOWN.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, I I, YOU KNOW, WE THANK YOU FOR SHOULD DONE IT YOU GUYS.
BUT WE'LL SEE IF THE COUNTY CAN HELP WITH THAT.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, ALL OF YOU.
I REALLY APPRECIATE WHAT YOU ALL DO, MR. CAMPBELL.
AND LET ME JUST SAY TO ANYONE THAT'S LISTENING THAT'S OUT THERE, I ALSO JUST LIKE MR. PASSMAN, I'VE GOT A TWO MILE STRETCH OF BLUFFTON PARKWAY.
WHAT? AND I TAKE CARE OF, AND I USUALLY ONE MORNING A MONTH I'M SPENT OUT THERE.
SO ANYONE THAT WANTS TO GET INVOLVED, THERE'S OTHER PLACES IN THE COUNTY THAT COULD BE, WE HAVE THREE COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT PICKED UP TRASH.
WE AFFORD NOW WHAT GERALD DAWSON DOES TOO, BUT HE TAKES CARE OF HIS OWN, HIS OWN ROAD OUT THERE.
SO I PROVIDE HIM WITH ALL THE STUFF, LOTS OF PLACES THAT NEED PEOPLE TO ADOPT THOSE AREAS.
AND SO THERE'S ANYONE ELSE OUT THERE THAT'S INTERESTED.
UH, MY POOR WIFE HAS TO GO WITH ME, SO, UM, OH.
BUT, UH, NO, AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING YOU DO.
APPRECIATE YOU DO A GREAT JOB.
IT'S, AND WE'RE LOOKING TO SEE IT'S TIME TO GIVE BACK.
YOU KNOW, I'M AT THE AGE WHEN IT'S TIME TO GIVE BACK AND WE'RE HERE FOR THAT.
AND I THINK THIS IS OUR FINAL PRESENTATION.
AND THIS IS, UM, BEAUFORT, JASPER HAMPTON COMP HEALTH, AND I THINK, UH, DR.
POY IS, UH, COMING AS SHE IS THE CEO MS. POEY, THANK YOU FOR COMING BACK BEFORE US AGAIN.
WELL, IT'S GOOD TO SEE EVERYBODY AGAIN.
WHO'D YOU BRING WITH YOU? ABSOLUTELY.
SO I BROUGHT A FEW BOARD MEMBERS, SO MR. JONATHAN BROWN AND YOU ALL KNOW MR. GLOVER.
AND THEN MY CHIEF OPERATIONS OFFICER, NASSIA ALLEN, WHO IS OPERATING.
SHE'S GOT SOMEBODY'S GOTTA KEEP IT GOING.
AND THEN, UH, OUR CFO LONNIE MCEE, WHO IS GOING TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION OR HELP ME ANSWER THAT QUESTION YOU'RE GONNA ASK, BUT I APPRECIATE BEING BEFORE YOU ALL AGAIN.
UM, I DID WANNA KIND OF START WITH THE END.
SO, UM, UH, WHAT WE ARE ASKING FOR IS, UH, A SLIGHT INCREASE OF A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS.
UH, WE WERE FUNDED AT 1,000,040 THOUSAND 651 LAST YEAR.
AND WE APPRECIATE, UH, THE BOARD, UM, OR THE COUNCIL INCREASING US AT THAT POINT, UM, TO HELP COVER SOME OF OUR UN INCREASED, UH, UNREIMBURSED COSTS, UH, FROM LAST FISCAL YEAR TO NOW.
AND THEN THE QUESTION THAT YOU'RE ASKING AS FAR AS THE SURPLUS, THERE IS NO SURPLUS.
WE, UM, HAVE A, UH, OPERATING BUDGET IS A ZERO OPERATING BUDGET.
UM, AND WE ARE MOSTLY A COST REIMBURSEMENT MODEL.
SO THERE ARE SOME GRANTS THAT WE GET, BUT WE SPEND THE MONEY AND THEN IF WE COLLECT PATIENT FEES, THEN WE GET REIMBURSED FOR THOSE THINGS.
SO I'M GONNA EXPLAIN WHY I AM ASKING FOR THIS.
I, UM, JUST SHOWING YOU OUR MISSION, THE MAIN THING IS COMPREHENSIVE, WHICH
[01:50:01]
YOU WILL SEE.I WILL GO THROUGH A LITTLE BIT, UH, FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT FAMILIAR WITH YOU FOR JASPER, I THINK MOST OF YOU ARE.
BUT WE ARE A FEDERALLY QUALIFIED COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER.
WE ARE A PRIVATE, NOT-FOR-PROFIT ORGANIZATION.
UM, AND SOME PEOPLE GET THAT CONFUSED.
AND WE'RE NOT A FEDERAL CLINIC, SO WE GET SOME FUNDING FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND EXCHANGE.
THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ASKED US TO HAVE CERTAIN PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS.
SO ONE IS THAT WE PROVIDE A SLIDING FEE SCALE BASED UPON INCOME, SO PEOPLE UP TO 200% OF POVERTY.
SO RIGHT NOW THAT IS ABOUT, UH, 31,000 FOR A FAMILY OF FOUR WOULD GET A SLIDING FEE SCALE FOR OUR FEES.
SO THEY WOULD HAVE A DECREASED AMOUNT THAT THEY WOULD PAY FOR A VISIT.
UM, WE ALSO ARE REQUIRED TO HAVE A BOARD THAT'S COMPOSED OF 51% PATIENTS.
SO THAT'S REALLY DIFFERENT FROM OTHER NONPROFIT BOARDS WHERE OUR PATIENTS ARE ON THEIR BOARD AND THEY ARE MY BOSS, RIGHT? AND SO THEY HIRE ME AND THEN I HIRE EVERYBODY ELSE.
UH, WE ALL ARE, ARE, UM, UH, NEED TO BE COMPREHENSIVE.
SO ALL THE SERVICES THAT YOU'LL SEE THAT WE PROVIDE, UH, ARE REQUIRED BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
SO WE HAVE 10 CENTER LOCATIONS, UH, 10 SCHOOL-BASED HEALTH CENTER LOCATIONS.
SO 10 OF OUR LOCATIONS, SIX OF OUR LOCATIONS ARE IN BEAUFORT COUNTY.
OUR SCHOOL-BASED HEALTH CENTER LOCATIONS, SIX ARE IN BEAUFORT COUNTY, AND I'LL SHOW YOU THOSE.
AND THEN WE HAVE THREE MOBILE UNITS AND ALL THE SERVICES IN BETWEEN FROM BIRTH UNTIL WE ALSO PROVIDE OBSTETRIC SERVICES.
STILL DELIVER BABIES IN THE HOSPITAL, HAVE DENTAL SERVICES, AND THEY HAVE FIVE IN-HOUSE PHARMACY LOCATIONS THAT ARE FOR OUR PATIENTS.
BUT WE SERVE ALL OF OUR SITES WITH OUR PHARMACY LOCATIONS.
AND THEN ALL THE OTHER SERVICES YOU SEE THERE, RADIOLOGY AND NUTRITION, BEHAVIORAL HEALTH, HIV, AND AIDS CARE.
AND THEN TELEHEALTH SERVICES, THESE ARE ALL OUR LOCATIONS.
SO OUR HEALTH CENTER LOCATIONS FROM SHELDON TO ST.
HELENA OUT TO CHELSEA ARE AN OKEE, WHICH SOMEONE HAD SAID EARLIER.
WE ARE IN THE BUFORT COUNTY SIDE ON OUR SIDE OF THE ROAD.
JASPER COUNTY'S ON THE OTHER SIDE.
UH, AND THEN PORT ROYAL MEDICAL CENTER.
ALL THOSE SCHOOL-BASED CENTERS.
AND THEN OUR, OUR MOBILE UNIT.
AND I WILL PUT A LITTLE FOOTNOTE IN THE RONALD MCDONALD MOBILE UNIT BECAUSE YOU ALL MAY YOU ALL KNOW ABOUT THAT ONE.
UH, THAT ONE IS A 20-YEAR-OLD MOBILE UNIT THAT IS IN A BIT OF DISREPAIR AT THIS POINT.
AND WE'VE BEEN, ME AND AUDRA, I DON'T THINK SHE'S HERE TODAY, ARE, ARE HAVING SOME DISCUSSIONS ABOUT THE FUTURE OF THAT MOBILE UNIT.
UH, WE DO HAVE AN ANNUAL BUDGET OF ABOUT $32 MILLION.
UM, 25% OF THAT IS FROM THE FEDERAL HRSA GRANT.
WE ARE EXPECTED TO RAISE 75%, UM, TO, UH, MAKE UP THE REST OF OUR BUDGET.
UH, IN 2023, WE ARE BACK UP TO, UH, ALMOST OUR 17,000 PATIENTS.
PRIOR TO COVID, WE HAD BEEN AT THAT 17,000 MARK COVID.
SO WE ARE BACK UP TO THAT WITH OUR 60,000 ANNUAL PATIENT VISITS AND A STAFF OF ABOUT 280 EMPLOYEES.
SO FOR BEAUFORT COUNTY, ABOUT 60% OF THE PATIENTS WE SERVE, ABOUT 10,000 PEOPLE ARE FROM BEAUFORT COUNTY, AND THE UNINSURED SPECIFICALLY FOR BEAUFORT COUNTY MAKE UP 26% OF THAT TOTAL.
IF WE LOOKED AT ALL OF OUR UNREIMBURSED CHARGES.
SO THIS IS WHAT WE CHARGE VERSUS WHAT IS WRITTEN OFF VERSUS WHAT IS PATIENTS ACTUALLY PAY AND INSURANCE WOULDN'T REIMBURSE.
SO THESE ARE FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE UNINSURED, IT'S ABOUT $2.7 MILLION.
SO IT COVERS ALL THE THINGS YOU LISTED THERE.
I AM GONNA, UM, HIGHLIGHT ONE THING.
ONE THING THAT PEOPLE DON'T KNOW IS THAT LABCORP, WE CONTRACT WITH LABCORP TO PROVIDE LABORATORY SERVICES FOR ALL OF OUR UNINSURED PATIENTS THAT ARE 200% OF POVERTY LIST.
SO WE PAY THAT BILL AND THEN WE GET REIMBURSED FROM THE PATIENTS FOR WHATEVER THEY CAN PAY.
SO A COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER IS REQUIRED TO SEE PATIENTS REGARDLESS OF THEIR ABILITY TO PAY.
AND SOME PEOPLE ARE ABLE TO PAY US A FEE AND SOME ARE NOT.
BUT THAT IS A PART OF OUR SERVICE, AND IT'S ABOUT A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS SUBSIDY THAT WE DO THERE THAT WE JUST PAY.
UM, THESE ARE OUR ENABLING SERVICES.
SO ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT HRSA REQUIRES IS THAT WE HAVE SOME ENABLING SERVICES, WHICH MEANS SUPPORT SERVICES.
SO THESE ARE ALL THE ONES THAT WE PROVIDE THAT ARE DIRECT PATIENT SERVICES THAT WE RECEIVE NO REIMBURSEMENT FOR OR DON'T HAVE A GRANT FOR.
UM, AND SO TRANSPORTATION IS A BIG THING.
I KNOW WE WERE TALKING ABOUT TRANSPORTATION EARLIER.
WE HAVE THREE FTES WITHIN TRANSPORTATION THERE, AND WE WILL GO PICK UP PATIENTS FROM THEIR HOMES.
AND THESE ARE BEAUFORT COUNTY SPECIFIC.
UM, PASOS IS SERVING SPANISH SPEAKING PATIENTS.
WE HAVE COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS, WHICH IS KIND OF A NEW, NEW BUT NOT NEW THING.
SO, UM, COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS WHO HELP PATIENTS WITH THEIR SOCIAL NEEDS.
SO DO SOCIAL ASSESSMENTS AND TRY TO BE THE LIAISON BETWEEN THE PROVIDER AND THE PATIENT.
UH, WE HAVE REMOTE PATIENT MONITORING, WHICH PROVIDES, UH, SERVICES IN THE PATIENT'S HOME.
AND WE HAVE A NURSE THAT DOES THAT.
[01:55:01]
OF OUR PATIENTS SPEAK SPANISH.SO WE ARE REQUIRED TO HAVE INTERPRETERS.
UH, WE HAVE PEER COUNSELORS AND ALSO SOME CARE COORDINATORS.
UM, THIS IS JUST ABOUT SOME OF THE VALUE THAT BEAUFORD JASPER PROVIDES.
SO WE PROVIDE ABOUT $10 MILLION, JUST WHERE WE HAVE THOSE CIRCLES, $10 MILLION SAVINGS TO MEDICAID.
AND A LOT OF THAT IS IN COST AVOIDANCE, RIGHT? SO IF WE TAKE CARE OF PATIENTS IN OUR OUTPATIENT OFFICE, THEY DON'T GO TO THE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT.
THEY ALSO DON'T END UP IN THE HOSPITAL.
AND SO WE'RE ABLE TO SEE SOME OF THOSE SAVINGS THROUGH THE SYSTEM.
SOME OF OUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS, I DID WANNA HIGHLIGHT ONE.
SO WE HAVE MEDICAL STUDENTS, RIGHT? SO AT STEEL UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF OSTEOPATHIC MEDICINE, WE GET EIGHT STUDENTS PER YEAR.
THEY HAD THEIR MATCH DAY THIS PAST FRIDAY, ALL EIGHT OF OURS.
THERE ARE 150 AROUND THE COUNTRY.
BUT WE ARE ONE OF THE COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTERS THAT HAVE THESE STUDENTS.
THEY MATCHED IN INTERNAL MEDICINE, OB, GYN, FAMILY MEDICINE, INTERNAL MEDICINE HAD A RADIOLOGIST OUT OF THE GROUP, WHICH IS NOT A BAD THING BECAUSE ACTUALLY THE TWO PEOPLE WHO COME BACK TO BEAUFORT COUNTY, ONE IS A RADIOLOGIST.
HE WORKS AT BEAUFORT MEMORIAL HOSPITAL.
AND THE OTHER, HIS FIANCE IS A DERMATOLOGIST.
AND YOU MAY SEE HER IF YOU GO TO A DERMATOLOGIST IN TOWN.
SO TRY TO GET THOSE FOLKS BACK.
BUT THESE ARE SOME OF OUR OTHER, UH, UH, ACCOMPLISHMENTS THERE.
THE MAIN ONE I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT IS JUST HOW WE PROVIDE CARE.
WE HAVE REQUIREMENTS, RIGHT? TO PROVIDE QUALITY CARE FOR PATIENTS.
AND DIABETES HAS BEEN ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT WE FOCUS ON.
AND WE HAVE IMPROVED OUR CARE FOR PEOPLE LIVING WITH DIABETES.
UM, WE GOT TO OUR GOAL OF HAVING 20% OR LESS WITH HEMOGLOBIN A ONE CS, THAT ARE KIND OF OUT OF RANGE.
WE'RE TRYING TO GET THAT WAY DOWN.
UH, THE NATIONAL AVERAGE, THE F WELL, THE FQHC AVERAGE IS 26 AND HYPERTENSION, WE'RE MEETING THE AVERAGE.
BUT I WANNA GET THAT TO 70% CONTROLLED.
I'D LOVE IT TO BE A HUNDRED PERCENT CONTROLLED.
UM, BUT WE'RE WORKING WITH PATIENTS THERE.
UM, AND THEN OTHER THINGS THAT WE WANNA WORK ON TO IMPROVE THE COMMUNITY.
UH, LAST YEAR WE PR WE PARTICIPATED IN THE DATA WALK, WHICH WAS LED BY DEC THAT SHOWED US ALL THE STATISTICS FOR OUR COUNTY AND ALSO FOR JASPER COUNTY.
AND THERE ARE, THERE WERE SOME JUST SHOCKING STATISTICS.
AND I, I TALKED ABOUT SOME OF THIS AT OUR, UH, AT THE MLK EVENT AND HILTON HEAD.
BUT THINGS THAT HAVE TO DO WITH, UH, HOW LONG PEOPLE LIVE IN BEAUFORT COUNTY AND JASPER COUNTY, THE DISPARITIES BASED UPON RACE, HOW LONG, UH, SOMEONE WHO'S WHITE LIVES VERSUS SOMEONE WHO'S BLACK VERSUS SOMEONE WHO'S HISPANIC OR LATINO.
AND THESE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE AS A COMMUNITY, UM, HAVE TO PAY ATTENTION TO AND ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR.
AND SO SOME OF WHAT MS. HOWARD WAS TALKING ABOUT WITH BEFORD MEMORIAL HOSPITAL, WE HAVE GOOD PARTNERSHIPS WITH BEFORD MEMORIAL AND ARE WORKING ON A FEW OTHER THINGS.
THAT MAY BE WHY WE'RE TRYING TO WAIT A LITTLE WHILE.
BUT I APPRECIATE YOU ALL ACCOMMODATING ME TO COME TODAY.
BUT THE OTHER PIECE THAT I JUST WANTED TO WORK ON IS THAT MATERNAL AND INFANT CHILD HEALTH, I COULD SEE US PUTTING MORE COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS IN THAT SPACE TO HELP SUPPORT THESE MOMS. THE RATES OF INFANT MORTALITY HAVE INCREASED FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MANY YEARS.
WE HAVE TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THAT.
RIGHT? SO MORE FOR JASPER IN HAMPTON COUNTY.
BUT WHERE DO THOSE PATIENTS DELIVER? THEY DELIVER HERE, MOSTLY HERE IN BEAUFORT COUNTY.
SO THAT IS WHERE A FUNDING REQUEST COMES IN.
UM, AN INCREASE OF ABOUT A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS.
AND I WILL, THERE THERE'S MORE SLIDES.
THESE ARE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FOR PEOPLE.
I WAS NOT GONNA GO THROUGH 42 SLIDES TODAY,
SO, ANY QUESTIONS? ANY, UH, ANY UH, QUESTIONS? DR.
I COULD WE GET THE OTHER SLIDES TOO.
SO ALL THE COUNCIL MEMBERS? YES, THEY'RE ACTUALLY, I IN BELIEVE THEY WERE IN THE PACKET YES.
SO I, I HAVE, UM, A COMMENT, WHICH I GAVE 'EM OUT.
EVERY TIME I HEAR YOUR PRESENTATION, I'M AMAZED THAT YOUR BUDGET IS $32 MILLION.
THAT JUST FLOORS ME EVERY TIME I THINK ABOUT IT, OF, OF WHAT POSSIBLY DO IN THAT $32 MILLION FOR EVERYBODY.
SO, UM, ONE OBSERVATION, OBVIOUSLY, WHEN YOU LOOK AT YOUR LIST OF LOCATIONS, I'M FROM THE BLUFFTON AREA.
AND I HAVE, WHEN I LOOK AT EVERYONE ELSE'S DEMOGRAPHICS, I PROBABLY HAVE MORE OF A DIVERSITY, UM, IN MINORITIES, IN, IN DISTRICT NINE.
AND PEOPLE DON'T REALIZE THAT THAN MOST OTHER FOLKS.
SO DEFINITELY, OBVIOUSLY THERE'S NO SOUTH OF ABROAD, UM, UH, CLINIC, NOT YET.
IS THAT, IS THAT SOMETHING YOU'RE LOOKING TO DO IN THE FUTURE OR IS THAT SOMETHING THAT, THAT YOU TALK ABOUT SHUTTLING PEOPLE, BUSING PEOPLE, OR HOW, HOW, HOW DO YOU SEE THAT HAPPENING? SO WE CURRENTLY SERVE BOTH BLUFFTON AND HILTON HEAD.
AND THAT TRANSPORTATION ACTUALLY GOES AND GETS PEOPLE AND BRINGS THEM TO OUR OKEE LOCATION.
IDEALLY, WE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE, UM, A SITE IN BLUFFTON OR HILTON HEAD.
SOME OF THE DIFFICULTY IS BECAUSE THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TELLS US WHAT IS AN UNDER, UM, MUA, WHAT IS A, A, AN UNDERSERVED AREA, BASICALLY.
[02:00:01]
WE CAN PUT A SITE NOW, WE COULD PUT A SITE AND WITH ASSISTANCE MAYBE, YOU KNOW, UM, WITHOUT FEDERAL FUNDING.UH, AND SO THAT'S SOMETHING WE'RE LOOKING AT BECAUSE WE DO RECOGNIZE, EVEN THOUGH IT SAYS THAT THERE'S NOT A SHORTAGE THERE, BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF DOCTORS IN BLUFFTON AND HILTON HEAD, WE KNOW THAT THERE'S PATIENTS THAT NEED SERVICE IN THOSE AREAS, RATHER THEY'RE UNINSURED OR THEY HAVE MEDICAID OR MEDICARE.
AND SO THAT DEFINITELY, THANK YOU FOR THAT QUESTION.
'CAUSE THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S ON OUR RADAR FOR, UH, OBVIOUSLY WE, WE SEE A LARGE POPULATION OF HOMELESS PEOPLE IN SAVANNAH BECAUSE THEY HAVE THE FACILITIES THERE AND THEY HAVE THE GROUPS AND THE ORGANIZATIONS.
BUT WE'RE SEEING MORE AND MORE OF THOSE FOLKS IN THE BUFORT COUNTY AREA.
HOW, HOW DO YOU HANDLE HOMELESS PEOPLE OR HOW, HOW DOES THAT WORK INTO WHAT YOU DO? YEAH, SO, YOU KNOW, IT IS ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT SOME HEALTH CENTERS HAVE A VERY LARGE HOMELESS POPULATION.
SAVANNAH SPECIFICALLY, UH, SERVE, UM, PEOPLE WHO ARE IN-HOUSE.
UM, I MEAN, WE SERVE, WE SERVE PEOPLE REGARDLESS, RIGHT? AND SO IF SOMEONE DOESN'T HAVE AN ADDRESS, IT'S OKAY.
UM, AND WE'RE HERE, YOU KNOW, I I, THE NUMBERS WILL SHOW THAT WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE, BUT WE KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE, RIGHT? AND PEOPLE MAY BE LIVING WITH OTHER RELATIVES OR THEY ARE MOVING FROM PLACE TO PLACE.
AND SO WE ARE, WE STAND READY TO SERVE, FOR SURE.
MS. POEY, I WANNA THANK YOU AND YOUR STAFF, UH, FOR THE SERVICES YOU PROVIDE FOR THE, UH, PEOPLE IN JASPER COUNTY AND BEAUFORT COUNTY WHO ARE ACTUALLY IN NEED OF YOUR HELP AND YOUR SERVICE.
I JUST, I WANT TO ECHO WHAT, UH, MR. DAWSON SAID.
UM, AND MY PLEASURE, UM, BEING PART OF YOUR ORGANIZATION.
THE A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS, IS THAT A ONE TIME THING FOR THIS YEAR REQUEST FOR THIS YEAR? IT'S AN INCREASE.
THAT'S NOT ALL THEY'RE ASKING FOR.
ALRIGHT, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? MM-HMM?
BROOKE, THANK YOU FOR MR. BROWN.
WE APPRECIATE Y'ALL BEING HERE MUCH YOU SO MUCH, MUCH.
AND GREAT PRESENTATION AS USUAL.
ALRIGHT, THAT CONCLUDES, UM, OUR PRESENTATIONS FOR TODAY.
I APPRECIATE EVERYONE'S PATIENCE.
I KNOW SOMETIMES IT, UH, UM, I THINK AT SOME POINT SOMEONE TURN TO HEAT UP, SO MAKE US GO QUICKER, BUT, UH, THAT'S ALL RIGHT.
[10. RECOMMEND APPROVAL TO THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE FOR APPOINTMENT TO THE BEAUFORT-JASPER WATER AND SEWER AUTHORITY FOR A SIX-YEAR TERM WITH THE EXPIRATION DATE OF MARCH 2030. TERM TO BE SERVED: 1ST - VOTE NEEDED: 10/11]
UH, LET'S MOVE ON THEN.UH, SO WE CAN, UH, GET THESE FOLKS HOME IN A REASONABLE TIME.
UM, AND, UH, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THAT I'VE DONE THIS, BUT RECOMMEND APPROVAL TO THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE FOR APPOINTMENT TO THE BEAUFORT, JASPER WATER AND SEWER AUTHORITY FOR A SIX YEAR TERM WITH THE EXPIRATION DATE OF MARCH, 2030, TERM TO BE SERVED, UM, IN ITS, UH, FIRST VOTE NEEDED.
UM, AND AGAIN, SO WE HAVE ONE OPENING, IS THAT CORRECT? YES.
AND DO YOU NEED 10 VOTES OR SIX FOR THE FIRST TIME APPOINTMENTS? SO WE HAVE, WE HAVE, WE HAVE FOUR, UM, UH, RESUMES AND FOUR RECOMMENDATIONS, BUT WE HAVE ONLY ONE OPENING, IS THAT CORRECT? SO WE HAVE TO THEN 10, I'M SORRY.
OH, I JUST READ THAT THE ONLY ONE SEAT IS VACANT.
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? THAT MEANS WE GOTTA PICK ONE OUT OF FOUR.
CHAIRMAN, UM, STATUTE ALLOWS COUNTY COUNSEL TO APPOINT THREE, TWO INDIVIDUALS ARE CURRENTLY SERVING.
YOU HAVE ONE VACANCY TO RECOMMEND TO THE LEGISLATIVE DELEGATION FOR THEM TO THEN RECOMMEND.
WHO ARE THE TWO THAT ARE CURRENTLY SERVING OUT THESE FOUR? NONE.
UH, THESE FOUR, THEY'RE ALL NEW.
THEY'RE ALL, THESE ARE ALL NEW.
YOU HAVE TO PICK FROM THESE FOUR.
WE HAVE TO PICK ONE PERSON FROM THESE FOUR FOLKS.
THE RESUMES THAT WE HAVE IN FRONT OF US, THE RESUMES WE DID AND YEAH, WE, WE DO.
AND, UM, ANY GUIDANCE FROM STAFF ON HOW WE, UH, DO THIS WITHOUT JUST OPENING THE FLOOR UP FOR A NOMINATION.
IS THAT, UM, I THINK THAT'S SOUNDS GOOD.
MR. COMPANY, IS THERE ANY ADVICE ON, UH, HOW WE DO THIS WITHOUT, UH, GETTING PEOPLE MAD AT EACH OTHER? STAFF DOESN'T HAVE A RECOMMENDATION.
DO YOU KNOW WHICH, UH, DO YOU KNOW WHICH DISTRICT THE, UH, NOMINEES ARE FROM? DO YOU KNOW WHICH DISTRICTS THEY'RE FROM? WE DO NOT HAVE THAT INFORMATION IN FRONT OF US AS EITHER.
YEAH, THEY HAVE THEIR ADDRESS, BUT WE'RE NOT SURE WHO'S ON BEFORD JASPER ALREADY.
WHERE, WHAT, WHERE THEY'RE LOCATED, WHO THEY'RE, WHAT AREA THEY REPRESENT.
WHERE IS THAT MR. G? YES, SIR.
[02:05:01]
AS AS THE LIAISON FOR BEFORD JASPER, UM, BOARD AUTHORITY.UM, THERE ARE FULL CANDIDATES, UH, FOR THAT POSITION AND AS OF RIGHT NOW, UM, THEY'RE ALL GOOD QUALIFIED PEOPLE.
UM, IF YOU LOOK AT THE RESUME, ET CETERA, THEY'RE ALL GOOD QUALIFIED PEOPLE.
UM, I, I PERSONALLY, UM, WOULD LIKE TO RECOMMEND NUMBER FOUR.
UM, AND I CAN TELL YOU THE REASONS BEHIND THAT.
UM, ONE IS THAT, UM, HE WAS A FORMER EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE BUFORT, JASPER COMPREHENSIVE HEALTH.
UM, AND HE BASICALLY KNOWS BUFORT AND JASPER, WELL, HE'S BEEN THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR THE COMPREHENSIVE HEALTH, THEREFORE ALMOST, UH, 30 SOMETHING YEARS, 40 SOMETHING YEARS.
UH, AND HE KNOWS A LOT OF THE PLAYERS, UH, IN THOSE VARIOUS COMMUNITIES AS WELL AS, UM, AS A RESOURCE PERSON.
HE HAS, UM, HE HAS KNOWLEDGE AND RESOURCE IN THE AREAS OF POLITICS, UM, PARTICULARLY ON THE FEDERAL LEVEL AS WELL AS THE STATE LEVEL.
UM, AND I WOULD RECOMMEND MR. GARDNER FOR THAT POSITION.
ALRIGHT, BEFORE WE GO AND SECOND IT.
LISTEN, IF THERE'S ANYBODY ELSE THAT HAS A RECOMMENDATION, LET'S HEAR FOR EVERYBODY.
I DON'T KNOW ANY OF THESE GENTLEMEN, BUT LOOKING AT THE RESUMES, THE PERFECT FIT TO ME IS THOMAS MIKE.
HE'S GOT 20 YEARS WITH B-J-W-S-A.
HE'S DONE LOTS OF WORK AT PARIS ISLAND MARINE RECRUIT PORT.
PORT ROYAL HAS DONE $20 MILLION UTILITY CONFLICTS.
IT SEEMS HE WOULD BE TOTALLY IN LINE.
NOW HE IS SOUTH OF THE BROAD, I COULD TELL, BUT I DON'T KNOW ANY OF THESE MEN.
I JUST LOOKED AT HIS RESUME AND HE SEEMS TO FIT.
I READ HIS RESUME AS WELL WHEN HE STARTED OUT AS A METER I SAW 30, 30 YEARS AGO OR 25 YEARS AGO.
ANYBODY ELSE HAVE A RECOMMENDATION? I KIND OF BETWEEN THE TWO AS WELL.
UM, I, I KNOW ROLAND, ROLAND GARDNER AND I, I THINK HE'S A GOOD MAN AND WOULD BE A GOOD FIT FOR THAT AREA.
BUT I, I DO AGREE WITH, UM, UH, MR. MIKE.
HIS RESUME WAS, WAS OUTSTANDING.
SO, MM-HMM,
ALRIGHT, IS THERE ANY, ANY OTHER, ANY OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS BEFORE THAT COMES UP? I WOULD LIKE TO SECOND THOMAS, MIKE, UM, WITH TAB 'CAUSE HE WAS WITH OKAY.
ALRIGHT, SO, UM, WELL IT, IT, WE, UM, TWO SEPARATE, YEAH, THERE'S TWO SEPARATE.
SO MR. GLOVER AND MS. HOWARD FOR MR. GARDNER AND, UM, MS. TABER NECK AND MS. BROWN FOR MR. MIKE.
SO I THINK THE OTHER WAY TO DO THIS WOULD BE TO ACTUALLY THEN HAVE A, HAVE A VOTE ON, ON, UM, THE FIRST NOMINEE, WHICH IS MR. GARDNER.
AND THEN IF HE GETS THE MAJORITY VOTE, THEN WE'LL GO WITH HIM.
AND THEN THE SECOND WAS, UM, UH, MR. MIKE.
AND OBVIOUSLY IF MR. GARDNER DOESN'T GET THE NOMINATION, THEN IT WOULD GO TO, UM, WE HAVE TO VOTE FOR MR. MIKE.
THE TWO THAT ARE ALREADY APPOINTED, WHERE DO THEY LIVE? IN THE COUNTY? THAT'S WHERE WE ASKED ONE ON
SO ONE IS HILTON HAD ONE STAR OF THE BROAD.
ANY, UH, ANY MORE DISCUSSION BEFORE WE UH, TAKE THE FIRST, UH, NOMINEE TO VOTE? SEEING NO MORE DISCUSSION? I GUESS WE NEED TO CALL THE ROLL.
COUNCIL MEMBER GLOVER, THIS IS FOR, THIS IS FOR MR. GARDNER.
HOW YOU, YOU GONNA DO IT THIS WAY? YEAH, THAT'S WHAT I HAVE TO DO IT THIS WAY.
COUNCIL MEMBER HOWARD? UH, YES.
COUNCIL MEMBER BARTHOLOMEW? YES.
MARK LAWSON? NO, THE MOTION FAILS.
ALRIGHT, NOW WE WILL TAKE UP THE SECOND, UM, RECOMMENDATION, UM, BY MS. TABER.
AND, UM, WE COULD START WITH A ROLL CALL ON THAT, PLEASE.
[02:10:01]
YES.COUNCIL MEMBER GLOVER? UH, NO.
[11. AGENCIES, BOARDS, AND COMMISSIONS APPOINTMENTS AND REAPPOINTMENTS]
UM, LET'S MOVE ON TO OUR FINAL.YEAH, I JUST LOCKED OUT BOARD AND COMMISSION BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS AND WE'LL GO BACK MY COMPUTER JUST SHUT DOWN ON ME.
ALRIGHT, SO LET'S, UM, FERT COUNTY AGENCY BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.
UM, WE WILL TAKE ALL THESE AT ONE TIME UNLESS SOMEONE WOULD LIKE TO OBJECT AND WANT THESE AS SEPARATE ITEMS. IS THERE ANYONE THAT WOULD LIKE TO SEPARATE THE VOTE ON THESE? UM, THESE, UH, FOUR BOARDS? NO.
SO, UM, I'D LIKE TO HAVE A MOTION THEN TO TAKE 'EM ALL AT ONE TIME.
UM, WE'LL TAKE 'EM ALL AT ONE TIME WITHOUT OBJECTION.
IS THERE ANY OBJECTION? I SEE NO OBJECTION.
SO WE'RE GONNA HAVE, UH, A VOTE THAT ALL THE FOLKS THAT ARE LISTED, UM, AND THAT WOULD BE MICHAEL MURPHY TO THE CONSTRUCTION ADJUSTMENTS AND APPEALS BOARD.
MARIA GIBBS TO THE ACCOMMODATIONS TAX 2% BOARD, UM, DENNIS NIELSEN TO THE ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS.
AND THEN, UH, FINAL ONE IS ROBERT MCPHEE AND THAT'S FOR BEAUFORT JASPER WATER AND SEWER AUTHORITY.
UM, AND UH, IS THERE ANY OBJECTION TO THOSE FOUR FOLKS? NO.
IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE THAT NEEDS TO COME BEFORE UH, THE COMMITTEE TODAY SEEING NOTHING? UH, WE ARE ADJOURNED.
SORRY, GET OUTTA THAT WAS RACING.
[EXECUTIVE SESSION]
I HAVE A MOTION THEN TO GO IN EXECUTIVE SESSION? I'LL MAKE THE MOTION.IS THERE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND THAT.
AND, UM, IS THERE ANY OBJECTION? SEEING NO OBJECTION, WE WILL BE GOING INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION AND UM, WE'LL SEE IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT COMES OUT OF THIS COMMITTEE.
UH, AFTER THAT WE COME BACK OUT.
BUT OBVIOUSLY WE APPRECIATE EVERYONE BEING HERE TODAY AND THE TIME SPENT, UH, WHILE WE'RE HERE.
MR. MR. CHAIRMAN? YES, YOU NEED A MOTION ON THE BASIS FOR GOING INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION, THE BASIS FOR GOING INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION PURSUANT TO SOUTH CAROLINA CODE SECTION 30 DASH FOUR DASH 70 A TWO DISCUSSION OF NEGOTIATIONS INCIDENT TO PROPOSED CONTRACTUAL ARRANGEMENTS AND PROPOSED SALE FOR PURCHASE OF DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS ON REAL PROPERTY.
SO AGAIN, LET'S GO BACK AND HAVE A A VOTE.
ANY OBJECTIONS? CROSS GOING TO EXECUTIVE SESSION FOR THAT? WE'RE TAKING A VOTE.
ANY OBJECTION? TAKING A VOTE TO MAKE SURE? NO OBJECTION.
ALRIGHT, SO THEN WE ARE GOING INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION.
IT'S BEEN A LONG SARAH LEMME KNOW WE'RE ON LINE.
WE'RE ON RISING OUT OF EXECUTIVE SESSION.
SEEING, NO, UM, THIS MEETING IS ADJOURNED.