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CLOSED CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY BUFORT COUNTY.
THIS MEETING HAS BEEN RESCHEDULED FROM OUR MARCH 13TH MEETING AT WHICH IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE AT ST.
HELENA, BUT WE DO NOT HAVE A QUORUM, SO THIS HAS BEEN RESCHEDULED.
UM, COULD WE HAVE THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE? PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND TO REPUBLIC FOR WHICH STANDS? ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY.
UM, SO NOW IS THE INTRODUCTION OF THE BOARD, JANET? YES.
I'M REPRESENT DISTRICT EIGHT, AND I'M THE VICE CHAIR OF THE BOARD.
I REPRESENT DISTRICT NINE, JOE BOGUS, REPRESENTING DISTRICT 11.
UM, BERNIE COLE, DISTRICT THREE, CHAIR THOMAS, DISTRICT TWO, HONOR, BRANDON LATSON POWELL, DISTRICT ONE.
I'M CHUCK ATKINSON OF BEAUFORT COUNTY ADMINISTRATION.
I'M NOT ON THE LIBRARY BOARD, BUT I'M ALICE HOWARD.
I'M, UM, SUB SUBBING FOR TAB TABER TODAY.
MY NAME IS AMANDA DICKMAN AND I AM THE CURRENT LIBRARY DIRECTOR, AND WE ALSO HAVE ESTABLISHED, UH, ESTEEMED COLLEAGUES FROM BROADCAST SERVICES HERE WITH US TODAY.
SO I WANNA GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO ALEC BISHOP BEHIND, UM, BEHIND THE SCREENS, CRAIG ESCO AND JEAN BALDRY.
WE WILL NOW HAVE PUBLIC COMMENT.
WOULD ANYONE LIKE TO SPEAK? AND YOUR NAME IS? DARREL OWENS.
AND YOU ARE ON THE COUN ON THE COUNCIL.
I'M ON PORT ROYAL TOWN COUNCIL.
THANK YOU FOR AFFORDING ME THIS OPPORTUNITY.
UH, I, AS I STATED, I AM DARREL OWENS.
I'M A RESIDENT OF PORT OIL, AND I SERVE ON THE COUNCIL.
UH, NOT ONLY DO I SERVE ON COUNCIL, UM, UM, I'M ALSO THE GODSON OF, UM, SAMUEL E. MURRAY.
AND IT WAS KNOWING THAT THE LIBRARY, THAT THE NEW LIBRARY WAS BEING PROPOSED FOR THE TOWN OF PORT ROYAL.
AND I JUST WENT TO SEVERAL MEMBERS.
AND, UH, WE WERE TOSSING AROUND WITH, UH, AN IDEA OF SOMETHING THAT WE COULD DO IN HIS HONOR OR MEMORY, HAVING WORKED WITH HIM, UM, IN MY EARLY DAYS OF HIGH SCHOOL OUTTA HIGH SCHOOL, WORKING WITH HIM AT DAVIS ELEMENTARY, WHERE HE SERVED AS AN, AN EDUCATOR, AS AN ADMINISTRATOR.
UH, HE'S BEEN IN EDUCATION FOR OVER 30 YEARS, SO I THOUGHT IT WAS FITTING, YOU KNOW, FOR A LIBRARY TO BE NAMED IN HIS HONOR.
BUT NOT ONLY BECAUSE OF THAT, BECAUSE OF HIS, HIS 40 PLUS YEARS OF CIVIC SERVICE IN THE TOWN OF PORT WALL, BEING THAT THE LIBRARY IS BEING HOUSED IN PORT WALL, I THOUGHT THOSE TWO MESHED AND MARRIED.
AND SO I THOUGHT THAT WOULD'VE BEEN A GOOD IDEA AND MEMORIAL TO HIM.
AND SO I'M SPEAKING IN SUPPORT OF NAMING THE LIBRARY AFTER SAMUEL E. MURRAY.
UH, HE WAS A LONG, LIFELONG, AS I SAID, EDUCATOR IN BEAUFORT COUNTY, WHOM HE WAS WELL RESPECTED.
I STILL SERVE IN THE SCHOOL SYSTEM, AND THERE'S A DAY THAT I GO TO THE SCHOOL WHEN PEOPLE ARE REMINISCING, TALKING ABOUT, I REMEMBER WHEN MR. MURRAY WAS HERE.
THERE'S, AND IT'S GOOD THOUGHTS ABOUT HIM.
AND WITH HIS EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND, UM, NOT ONLY IN BEAUFORT COUNTY, BUT ACROSS THE STATE, ATTENDING DIFFERENT CONFERENCES AND SO FORTH, THEY'RE SAYING, OH, I REMEMBER THE MAYOR SAM MURRAY.
SO HE'S RESPECTED ACROSS THE STATE.
PORT ROYAL IS A CLOSE KNIT COMMUNITY WHERE NEIGHBORS, NO NEIGHBORS, RESPECT NEIGHBORS.
AND SAM MURRAY WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN THE BUILDING OF THE FOUNDING ON THE FOUNDATION OF PORT ROYAL.
HE WAS WELL RESPECTED BY HIS CONSTITUENTS AND THE TOWN AS A WHOLE, WHICH WAS DEMONSTRATED BY A NUMBER OF YEARS THAT HE SERVED IN THE COMMUNITY AS A CIVIC LEADER AND ALSO RESPECTED.
ITS PORT ROYAL IN THE EDUCATION ARENA, WHERE HE SERVED AS AN ADMINISTRATOR, SCHOOL PRINCIPAL FOR MANY, FOR MORE MORE THAN 30 PLUS YEARS.
SO WHATEVER DECISION THAT YOU MAKE, WE DO RESPECT.
BUT FOR BEAUFORT BEAUFORT IS KNOWN FOR, IS THINKING OUTSIDE OF THE BOX AND BEING INNOVATIVE AND NOT AFRAID TO, OF BEING THE LEADER.
WE ARE NOT SEEING THIS AS A RISK NAMING THE LIBRARY AFTER HIM, BUT AN HONOR IN HIS, FOR HIS CONTRIBUTION, PARTICULARLY IN EDUCATION WHERE THE PEOPLE GO TO THE LIBRARY TO GAIN KNOWLEDGE AND, AND TO, AND TO BE EDUCATED.
AND ALSO THE LIBRARY IS HOUSED IN PORT WALL, WHICH WILL BE AN HONOR IN HIS MEMORY AND HIS LEGACY THAT'S BUILT UPON THE FOUNDATION OF PORT WALL FOR
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BEING WHERE IT IS TODAY.IN CONSIDERATION OF THAT IDEA, LIKE THE MODEL OF PORT ROYAL SAYS, WE'RE COOL, WE'RE COASTAL, AND FAR FROM ORDINARY.
SO NAMING THE LIBRARY IN THE HONOR OF SAM E MURRAY WOULD BE COOL.
COASTAL IN A COASTAL AREA, AND DEFINITELY UNORDINARY.
MY NAME IS MARY BETH GRAY HAYWARD.
I'M NOTHING BUT JOY TO THE TOWN OF FOR ROYAL TO HONOR THIS GENTLE, THIS NEW LIBRARY IN OUR TOWN.
AND THANK YOU FOR WHAT? HELLO.
I AM ALSO A RESIDENT OF PORT ROYAL SINCE 2018.
AND I'D JUST LIKE, I'M A VETERAN, COMBAT VETERAN.
I'D LIKE TO READ SOMETHING HERE, WHICH MEANT A LOT TO ME.
SIR MURRAY WAS A NEIGHBOR OF MINE FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS, UM, AND GOT TO KNOW HIM AND SO DID MY PARENTS.
AND HE WAS THE HIGHEST AWARD IN SOUTH CAROLINA, ESTABLISHED BY GOVERNOR JOHN C. WEST IN 1971.
THE ORDER OF THE PALMETTO IS THE STATE SOUTH CAROLINA'S HIGHEST CIVILIAN HONOR IS PRESENTED IN RECOGNITION OF A LIFETIME OF EXTRA EXTRAORDINARY ACHIEVEMENT, SERVICE, AND CONTRIBUTIONS ON A NATIONAL OR STATEWIDE SCALE.
ORDER OF PALMETTO IS STATE'S HIGHEST CIVILIAN HONOR AWARDED TO CITIZENS OF SOUTH CAROLINA FOR EXTRAORDINARY, EXTRAORDINARY LIFETIME SERVICE AND ACHIEVEMENTS OR
THE ORDER OF ORDER OF PALMETTO IS A ONCE IN A LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT.
YOU ALL KNOW MR. MURRAY WAS A RECIPIENT? HE DOES.
HE SOUNDS LIKE HE WAS A FANTASTIC GENTLEMAN.
UH, ANYONE ELSE? ANYONE ELSE LIKE TO SPEAK? WELL, I THINK A LOT HAS BEEN SAID ABOUT HIM AND HE, HE SOUNDS LIKE A WONDERFUL PERSON.
UM, UH, OUR, WE HAVE SOME OTHER ISSUES BESIDES THE GENTLEMAN.
UM, AND WE'LL DISCUSS THAT AT THE END OF THE MEETING WHEN WE BRING THIS MOTION FORWARD TO NAME THE LIBRARY.
AND THE MEANWHILE, WE'RE GONNA DO OUR REGULAR MEETING, WHICH SHOULDN'T TAKE TOO LONG, SO THANK YOU.
IF, IF ANYONE WANTS TO LEAVE, IF NOT, OKAY, FINE.
UM, MAY I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES FROM JANUARY 2ND? OKAY.
IS THERE ANY CORRESPONDENCE? NO, NO, NO CORRESPONDENCE.
UM, WE NOW WILL HAVE THE LIBRARY DIRECTORS REPORT.
WELL, I LOVE AN AUDIENCE, SO THANK YOU ALL FOR, UM, FOR JOINING.
AND I THINK, UH, YOU'LL ENJOY.
ELISA, IF I HAVEN'T HAD THE PLEASURE OF MEETING YOU PERSONALLY, I KNOW, UM, COUNCIL MEMBERS, I HAVE SPOKEN IN ALL OF YOU TODAY.
UM, AS DR. PORTER WOULD SAY, UM, MY DIRECTOR'S REPORT IS ALIGNED, UM, AND PRESENTED WITH, WITH OUR STRATEGIC PLAN GOALS IN MIND.
SO YOU'LL HEAR ME, UM, TALK ABOUT SOME UPDATES THAT WE'VE ACCOMPLISHED IN THE PAST TWO MONTHS.
UM, HERE'S A FEW PHOTOS FROM RECENT HIGHLIGHTS.
YOU'RE GONNA SEE THINGS, UM, HAPPENING IN OUR LIBRARIES FROM, UM, CRAFT THINGS IN THE WINTER TIME.
UM, IN ADDITION TO READING BOOKS AND STORY TIMES.
UH, WE'VE HAD OUR ARTIST IN RESIDENCE, UM, AND YOU CAN SEE BOTH KIDS AND ADULTS, UM, PARTICIPATING IN THAT.
WE ALSO AT OUR BLUFFTON EXHIBIT ART EXHIBIT FROM LOCAL SOUTH CAROLINA ARTISTS.
AND, UM, ALSO AT OUR BLUFFTON LIBRARY.
WE HAD A NATIONAL STITCH IN PUBLIC DAY, WHICH WAS WELL ATTENDED.
SO LOTS OF THINGS THAT HAPPEN IN A LIBRARY BEYOND THE BOOKS, BUT WE ARE ABOUT BOOKS.
SO, UM, OUR STRATEGIC, ONE OF OUR STRATEGIC PLAN GOALS ABOUT OUR COLLECTIONS, UM,
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INVOLVES EXPANDING AND BROADENING THOSE.AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DON'T TALK A LOT ABOUT IN OUR BEAUFORT LIBRARY AND ON THE SECOND FLOOR, YES, THERE IS A SECOND FLOOR
THERE'S A VERY SPECIAL COLLECTION CALLED THE BEAUFORT DISTRICT COLLECTION.
AND WHAT IT IS, IT'S AN ARCHIVE, UM, THAT IS THE ONE OF THE FEW PLACES IN BEAUFORT COUNTY THAT KEEPS, UH, RECORDS OF THINGS FROM THE, OUR STAFF THERE THIS PAST, UM, MARCH, WORK ONLINE, THEIR NINTH, SO EIGHTH NINTH, UM, DIGITAL COLLECTION.
AND THEY DO THAT THROUGH THE LOW COUNTRY DIGITAL LIBRARY THEY UPLOADED.
UM, THIS PAST MONTH WAS THE SUSAN ML WALES TRAVEL JOURNAL.
UM, AND SHE VISITED ALL ACROSS SEVERAL LOCATIONS, BUT SHE HAD A CONNECTION TO BEAUFORT COUNTY.
AND SO WE, ALL THE COLLECTIONS THERE, BUT OUR NEWEST AND NINTH, UM, DIGITAL ONLY, WE TALK A LOT ABOUT DIGITAL.
SO EBOOKS, AUDIOBOOKS, AND WE PROVIDE THOSE TO CARD HOLDERS THROUGH THE HOOPLA APP IF YOU'RE NOT HOUSING.
AND
UM, AND SO WE'RE VERY COST TO US OR NO ADDITIONAL COST TO US.
AND ALSO AT COST OF YOUR INDIVIDUAL BORROWS EVERY MONTH AT THE END OF THE MONTH, SO THE WEEK WE'RE CURRENTLY IN RIGHT NOW, YOU GET ACCESS TO BONUS BORROW.
SO IF YOU'VE USED ALL YOUR SELECTIONS THIS MONTH, YOU'RE IN LUCK BECAUSE THIS WEEK THERE ARE BONUS BORROWERS THAT YOU GET TO ABOUT THIS.
SO, UM, THIS VENDOR IS VERY CONSCIENTIOUS OF LIBRARY USER.
OUR SECOND STRATEGIC PLAN GOAL IS COMMUNICATION.
AND I ACTUALLY COPIED AND PASTED THE GOAL DIRECTLY FROM THE STRATEGIC PLAN.
AND OUR GOAL WITH OUR EMAIL MARKETING WAS TO EXCEED 20% OPEN RATE GOVERNMENT INDUSTRY HOVERS BETWEEN 25 AND 29%.
AND I WANTED TO PROVIDE A VISUAL FOR YOU.
SINCE JULY OF LAST YEAR WHEN WE'VE BEEN TRACKING THIS, WE ARE AT 40 TO 50% OPEN RATE.
SO WE'RE DOUBLING OUR OPEN READ RATE THAN THE INDUSTRY STATE THOSE TO OUR MARKETING STAFF AND THEIR, UM, DATE AND DESIGN AND DISTRIBUTE INFORMATION THAT PEOPLE RELATED TO THAT.
UM, AM I CORRECT IN ASSUMING THEN THAT YOUR EMAIL SERVER REPORTS BACK TO THE LIBRARY HERE WHEN AN EMAIL IS OPENED OR NOT? AND THAT'S HOW YOU COLLECT THESE STATISTICS? THAT'S CORRECT.
SO EVERY TIME YOU GET, UM, WE, THIS IS A, A CONTINUATION OF OUR DESIRE TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, DIGITAL COMMUNICATION GETS TO EVERY FORM.
OUR IT DEPARTMENT THAT GETS A MONTHLY NEW INTO THE INBOXES OF EVERY CARD HOLDER.
SO IF YOU'RE IN THE AUDIENCE TODAY AND YOU SEE SOMETHING COME FROM BEAUFORT COUNTY LIBRARY, PLEASE CLICK ON IT.
'CAUSE YOU'RE HELPING ME MEET OUR GOAL.
I HOPE YOU READ IT, BUT EVEN JUST CLICKING ON IT AND NOT PUTTING IT IN THE TRASH BIN WOULD BE HELPFUL.
PLUS, IF YOU WANT, THERE'S GONNA BE SOMETHING YOU WANNA KNOW ABOUT.
ALSO, IN COMMUNICATION, WE WERE, UM, ASKED TO DELIVER TIMELY, RELEVANT COMMUNICATION INTERNALLY AND EXTERNALLY.
A LOT OF FROM OUR, WANTED TO SEE US ON INSTAGRAM.
WE LAUNCHED LAST MARCH, AND I DID NOT, UH, THIS MARCH THE FIRST PART OF THE, THE MONTH, I HAVEN'T UPDATED MY SCREENSHOT, BUT WE ARE AT BUFORT COUNTY LIBRARY, AND AS OF TODAY, WE HAVE 78 FOLLOWERS.
SO THERE'S ABOUT 12, 20 PEOPLE IN THE ROOM WE'RE GONNA HIT.
SO PLEASE, LIKE, AND FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM FOR REELS.
OUR THIRD STRATEGIC PLAN GOAL IS USER EXPERIENCE.
HOW DO PEOPLE FEEL WHEN THEY ENCOUNTER A LIBRARY OR HOW, HOW DOES IT FEEL IN THE SPACE? HOW DOES IT FEEL BY THE, THE INTERACTIONS THEY HAVE AND THE THINGS THAT THEY GET TO DO IN THE LIBRARY IN TERMS OF WHAT PEOPLE GET TO DO IN THE LIBRARY, WE DECIDED WE WANTED TO REINVIGORATE LIBRARY EVENTS AND MAKE THEM REFLECT COMMUNITY INTEREST.
PART OF THAT, WE HAVE THREE VERY BIG AND VERY COMMUNITY DRIVEN COMING UP THAT I WANNA MAKE YOU AWARE OF.
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YOU SAW OUR PICTURE IN THE, IN THE FIRST, IN TOTAL, 125 PEOPLE PARTICIPATED IN HER WORKSHOPS, OFFERED FIVE SEPARATE WORKSHOPS AND ALSO STUDIO HOURS WHERE SHE VERY TALENTED CRAFT IN REAL TIME.
SHE EMAILED LAST WEEK ON HER FATHER'S BIRTHDAY.
UH, SO THE SUBJECT OF THE PIECE WAS FATHER CASTING ANNETTE IN INTO THE SEA.
WE WILL COMMITTEE HAS FINALIZED OUR SELECTION AND WE WILL BE MAKING THAT ANNOUNCEMENT PUBLIC VERY SOON.
ALSO, UH, PARTICIPATE AT VARIOUS
HIS RESIDENCY MIGHT COINCIDE WITH COMING UP IN APRIL IS NATIONAL LIBRARY WEEK.
THAT IS WHERE LIBRARIES ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY HIGHLIGHT ALL THE GOOD THINGS THAT LIBRARIES DO AND PROVIDE IN THEIR COMMUNITY DIFFERENT.
WE'RE JOINING THE PACK AND WE WILL HAVE 13 SPECIAL EVENTS DURING THAT ONE WEEK CELEBRATION.
SO I HOPE YOU'LL GET AND FIND A PROGRAM, UH, OR AN EVENT THAT INTERESTS YOU.
ALSO, WE'RE MARCHING VERY CLOSE TO THE BEGINNING OF SUMMER READING 2024.
OUR VENTURE BEGINS AT YOUR LIBRARY AND WE'RE ALREADY LOOKING AT SPECIAL PERFORMERS SPECIAL, ALL AGES, UM, TO PARTICIPATE AND KEEP READING ALL SUMMER, WORKING ON THAT PAINTING AND TALKING TO A LIBRARY VISITOR.
OUR FOURTH, UH, GOAL IN OUR STRATEGIC PLAN IS SPACE.
AND SO, UM, WE DO HAVE PROJECTS, PROCESS THAT NEW AND EXISTING OPPORTUNITIES FOR GROWTH AND EXPANSION.
FIRST AND FOREMOST, RUNS TONIGHT IS PORT ROYAL LIBRARY AT 1408 PARIS AVENUE, UH, IN, IN DOWNTOWN
I'VE PLAYED MUSIC ON SEVERAL TIMES, SO I'M REALLY HAPPY TO, TO COME BACK ON SOMETIME.
UH, WE ALSO, UM, JUST, UH, RECEIVED COUNCIL, UM,
YOU CAN SEE THAT WE'VE, UH, HAD SOME SHELVING, SOME PAINTS ON THE WALL IN THIS SHOT.
AND WE'RE GETTING CLOSER AND CLOSER TO THIS AREA HERE.
UM, THIS IS A SMALL MEETING ROOM, CONFERENCE ROOM, RIGHT TO MARCH.
YOU SEE PAINT AND LIGHTING ADDED INTO THE, AND THEN THIS WILL BE AN ACCENT WALL IN THE MULTI SPACE ROOM THAT WE HAVE.
IT'LL PROBABLY ACCOMMODATE 20 TO 25 PEOPLE.
ONE OF THE THINGS I'M VERY HAPPY ABOUT IS CURB APPEAL, AND WE HAD THE BUILDING PRESSURE WASHED AND IT REALLY, REALLY KINDA PEAKS OUT FROM, FROM THE TREES.
WE ALSO WILL BE HAVING SOME LANDSCAPING, UM, DONE TO, WE'LL RETRIP THE PIPE, UH, THE PAVEMENT AND DO A LOT.
YOU'LL SIT MY DIRECTOR'S REPORT, I THINK AFTER WE FAILED TO THIS POINT OF NOTE TO THE BOARD MEMBERS IN THIS ROOM, TOMORROW IS THE LAST DAY FOR DEPUTY DIRECTOR JOSH GREER.
UM, BUT WE HAVE A PLAN IN PLACE TO,
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I'LL TELL YOU, I, I'M NOT SURE IF HE WANTS THAT PUBLICLY.UNLESS YOU HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR ME, I WILL.
UM, I, I'D LIKE, I'D LIKE THE MINUTES.
I'D LIKE THE MINUTES TO READ THAT.
THE BOARD EXPRESSES APPRECIATION FOR EVERYTHING JOSH HAS DONE AND WISHES HIM WELL AGREE.
OUR FINANCE REPORT, OUR FINANCE, OUR TREASURER IS, UM, JOE BOGAS.
AND FOR THE, FOR THE BENEFIT OF OUR VISITORS HERE, EVERYTHING IS PROJECTED UP ON THE SCREEN, AND IF YOU SQUINT, YOU CAN READ THE NUMBERS
UM, AT THIS POINT IN TIME, WE'RE TWO THIRDS OF THE WAY EIGHT MONTHS THROUGH OUR FISCAL YEAR.
SO WE HAVE A PRETTY GOOD IDEA OF WHERE WE, WHERE WE ARE AND WHERE WE'RE GOING HERE.
UM, AND WE'LL GO THROUGH THESE IN, IN THE NORMAL PROGRESS THAT WE HAVE, STARTING WITH OUR SPECIAL FUNDS PAGE.
AND STARTING UP AT THE UPPER LEFT HAND CORNER THERE, YOU'LL SEE THAT WE HAVE RECEIVED OUR THIRD INSTALLMENT OF $105,000.
UM, SO FAR THIS, THE YEAR, THIS FISCAL YEAR, WE'VE BROUGHT IN 315.
SO WE HAVE 190,000, HOW IT'S A HUNDRED NINETY, OH NINETY $1,000 MOVING FORWARD, WHICH WILL CARRY FORWARD.
AGAIN, JUST AS A REMINDER AND FOR EVERYONE BACK THERE, THE, THIS IS STATE AID AND THIS MONEY IS EARMARKED FOR LIBRARY MATERIALS ONLY.
AND, BUT WE'RE RETURNING TO SOME OF THESE NUMBERS WHEN WE, WHEN WE LOOK AT OUR MATERIALS REPORT AT, AT THE VERY END THERE.
UM, MOVING OVER ONE COLUMN, WE HAVE IMPACT FEES AND OUR IMPACT FEE BALANCE AT THIS POINT IN TIME IS $7 MILLION.
THIS IS A RECORD FOR BEAUFORT COUNTY LIBRARY SYSTEM.
NOW, OUR LI IMPACT FEES ARE REALLY REPORTED IN, IN TWO DIFFERENT SECTIONS.
HERE IN THE CENTER COLUMN, WE HAVE THE OLD FORMAT, WHICH IS DIVIDED UP INTO THE FIVE DIFFERENT DIS, SORRY, SIX DIFFERENT DISTRICTS.
AND IN THE LOWER LEFT HAND CORNER, WE HAVE THE IMPACT FEES REPORTED IN THE CURRENT REPORTING FORMAT, WHICH IS SIMPLY NORTH OF BROAD SOUTH OF ABROAD.
EVERYONE'S GONNA HAVE TO BE COMFORTABLE WITH THIS BECAUSE THIS WILL CARRY ON FOR A VERY, VERY LONG TIME UNTIL WE SPEND ALL OF OUR OLD MONIES, WHICH IS REALLY WHERE MOST OF OUR DOLLARS ARE, ARE, ARE CAPTURED IN ANY WAY.
UM, DURING THIS LAST PERIOD, WE'VE RECEIVED IN RECEIPTS ABOUT 256,000, AND WE HAD ONE EXPENDITURE, ALMOST 180,000.
AND THAT WENT TOWARDS THE REFURBISHMENT DEVELOPMENT OF THE PORT ROYAL BRANCH HERE.
WELL, WE CAN CONGRATULATE OURSELVES ON HAVING $7 MILLION IN THE KITTY, SO TO SPEAK.
A GOOD PORTION OF THIS, OF THESE DOLLARS ARE ENCUMBERED.
THAT IS EXPENDITURES HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED AND EARMARKED AGAINST THEM.
SO AS A MAN SAID, YOU KNOW, WE'RE LOOKING AT THE, UM, MAY RIVER BRANCH, WHICH PREVIOUSLY WE CALLED THE PRICHARD BRANCH.
NOW WE HAVE AN ADDRESS FOR IT.
WE'VE IDENTIFIED $2 MILLION EXPENDITURE FOR LAND FOR THAT.
ANOTHER HALF MILLION DOLLARS FOR DESIGN FEES FOR THAT FACILITY HERE.
STILL OFF ON THE HORIZON, UH, PROJECT THAT WE KEEP IDENTIFYING AND MOVING FORWARD, WE HAVE BLUFF IN PHASE TWO, WHICH WAS ABOUT A HUNDRED, ABOUT 45,000.
AND ALSO HILTON HAD ARCHITECTURAL ENGINEERING STUDY OF ABOUT FIF ABOUT 50,000.
NOW WE HAVE TO JUST KEEP THIS IN MIND BECAUSE THESE ARE EXPENDITURES THAT WE'VE IDENTIFIED AGAINST OUR CURRENT IMPACT FEE BALANCE HERE, AND THOSE COME TO ABOUT TWO, 2.6 MILLION.
WE ALSO HAVE REALLY IDENTIFIED ANOTHER HALF MILLION DOLLARS FOR THE PORT OIL BRANCH.
SO WHEN WE BRING THAT TOGETHER, WE'RE LOOKING AT IDENTIFIED EXPENDITURE, ABOUT 3.1 MILLION, WHICH LEAVES US A NICE BALANCE OF 3.9 MILLION GOING FORWARD FOR ADDITIONAL PROJECTS AS THE COUNTY AND, AND, AND BEAUFORT COUNTY, UH, IDENTIFIES THAT.
SO WHEN WE LOOK AT WHERE WE ARE, WE'RE AT A VERY COMFORTABLE STATE AS FAR AS OUR IMPACT FEE BALANCES IS CONCERNED HERE.
AND THEN OFF TO THE FAR RIGHT, WE HAVE SPECIAL TRUSTS.
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ABOUT THE BUFORT COUNTY DISTRICT A FEW MINUTES AGO.AND IN THAT AREA, THE ONLY CHANGE FROM OUR LAST REPORT WAS ABOUT $2,600 IN ENDOWMENT INTEREST THAT WE ADDED THERE.
SO LET'S MOVE OVER THEN TO OUR NEXT PAGE, WHICH IS OUR BUDGET ITSELF.
AS I SAID, WE'RE TWO THIRDS OF THE WAY THROUGH THE YEAR.
WE HAVE NICELY SPENT AN AGGREGATE OF 68% OF OUR, OF OUR BUDGET SO FAR, A LITTLE LESS ON, ON SALARIES AND WAGES, A LITTLE BIT MORE ON OPERATING EXPENSES.
AND WE'VE GONE THROUGH THIS IN, IN OUR PRIOR FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETING.
THERE'S NOTHING REALLY EXTRAORDINARY THAT JUMPS OUT HERE.
A COUPLE EXPENDITURES THAT YOU TAKE A LOOK AT THAT WE'VE IDENTIFIED BEFORE WERE 90% SPENT ON UNIFORMS, WHICH WAS AN UPFRONT EXPENDITURE FOR THE, FOR THE T-SHIRTS AND VESTS THAT THE STAFF IS WEARING.
UM, WE ALSO HAD SUBSCRIPTION EXPENSES, UM, I THINK THAT WAS UNDER DUES AND SUBSCRIPTIONS THERE.
AND THOSE, AND THOSE GO TOWARDS THE SUBSCRIPTION FOR THE LIBRARY, UM, SOFTWARE SYSTEM THERE.
WE HAVE YEAR TO DATE UNSPENT EXPENSES OF 33,000.
UM, AND WE'LL SEE HOW THAT ENDS AND SEE HOW THAT CARRIED FORWARD TOWARDS THE END OF THE YEAR.
BUT AGAIN, ON THE LIBRARY SIDE, LIBRARY BUDGET, WE'RE IN PRETTY GOOD SHAPE THERE.
JOE, YOU LOST ME ON THE 33,000 COMMENT.
YOU LOST ME ON THE $33,000 COMMENT.
THE 33,000 IS THE UNSPENT, THAT'S THE BOTTOM FAR RIGHT HAND COLUMN THERE.
SO YEAR TO DATE, WE HAVE UNTRAINED PLANS OF 33.
AND THEN OVER LASTLY, IT'S MY FAVORITE REPORT, WHICH IS WHERE WE ARE ON LIBRARY MATERIALS.
UM, YEAR TO DATE, TWO THIRDS OF THE WAY THROUGH THE YEAR, OUR LIBRARY STAFF HAS SPENT $507,000 ON LIBRARY MATERIALS IN TOTAL.
GOING BACK TO WHAT AMANDA IDENTIFIED THERE AS HOOPLA AND, UM, BONUS BOOKS THERE.
SURPRISINGLY, 60% OF OUR EXPENDITURES YEAR TO DATE ARE ON HOOPLA, WHICH IS REALLY SURPRISING.
AND I THINK IT IS REPRESENTATIVE OF SORT OF A MIGRATION FROM OLD MEDIA TO NEW MEDIA.
IT'S ALSO A REPRESENTATION THAT SOME LIBRARY MATERIALS, HARD COPY MATERIALS, EXPENDITURES HAVEN'T AS YET HIT THE BOOKS.
AND IN THE LAST FOUR MONTHS OF THIS YEAR, WE'LL SEE COSTS COME IN FOR, UH, LEASE BOOKS AND, AND THE LIKE.
SO THAT BALANCE WILL SHIFT A LITTLE BIT.
BUT SO FAR THROUGH THE YEAR, 60% HAS BEEN SPENT ON HOOPLA.
AND THAT, AGAIN, WHEN WE TAKE A LOOK AT WHERE WE WERE IN YEARS PAST, THAT'S A FANTASTIC, YOU KNOW, UPSWING THERE.
UM, WHEN, WHEN WE TAKE A LOOK AT HOW THINGS ARE SPENT, 60% ON HOOPLA, 30% ON BOOKS, AND A LITTLE BIT MORE ON AUDIO VISUAL MATERIALS AND, AND DATABASES THERE.
MOST OF THE MONEY YEAR TO DATE HAS COME FROM COUNTY FUNDS, 75%, ANOTHER 25% FROM STATE AID.
BUT WHEN I PUT ON MY CRYSTAL BALL AND I SAY, WHERE ARE WE GOING TO END THIS YEAR? BECAUSE THIS IS MY FAVORITE REPORTER, WHERE ARE WE GONNA END THIS YEAR? SO WE, WE TAKE A LOOK AT WHERE WE ARE, WE'RE GONNA GET ANOTHER $105,000 FROM, FROM THE STATE, FROM MATERIALS THERE.
UM, WE HAVE $60,000 LEFT TO SPEND ON, ON OUR COUNTY BUDGET HERE.
WE'RE LOOKING AT PROJECTIONS COMING IN FROM THE, UH, BAG FUND AND ALSO FROM FENCE HERE.
AND OUR UNSPENT $190,000, UM, STATE RESERVES.
AND WE PUT IT TOGETHER, WHAT WE'VE SPENT YEAR TO DATE, WE'RE LOOKING AT A VERY, VERY HANDSOME NUMBER, ABOUT 930,000.
NOW WHEN WE TAKE A LOOK AT WHERE WE WERE LAST YEAR, LAST YEAR WAS A RECORD YEAR.
NOW, I DON'T THINK AMANDA AND JOSH ARE GONNA SPEND THAT AMOUNT.
I'D LIKE TO SEE IT, BUT THEY'RE NOT GONNA SPEND THAT AMOUNT.
UM, BUT THAT REPRESENTS A SIGNIFICANT JUMP FROM WHERE WE WERE.
BUT WHEN WE TAKE A LOOK AT WHERE WE WERE 760,000 LAST YEAR, AND WE ADD IN PROJECTED EXPENDITURES BECAUSE WE HAVE TO FILL PORT ROYAL LIBRARY, THAT'S ABOUT ANOTHER $115,000.
SO WE'RE EASILY OVER, OVER 850 MOVING INTO THE $900,000 RANGE THERE.
SO WHEN WE TAKE A LOOK AT WHERE WE ARE ON LIBRARY MATERIALS, IT'S VERY OPTIMISTIC AND VERY HAPPY NUMBER.
OKAY, SO THAT WRAPS UP THE FINANCE REPORT.
IS THERE ANY QUESTIONS? WE'LL DO THE BEST THAT WE CAN TO ANSWER THEM.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT REPORT.
AND, UM, YOU CAN SEE PORT ROYAL IS
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VERY IMPORTANT TO US.AND ONE LAST THING, AMENDMENT TO THE, UM, TO THE FINANCE REPORT.
UH, IT'S BEEN MY PLEASURE TO WORK WITH JOSH GREER OVER THE LAST COUPLE YEARS.
HE'S BEEN A TREMENDOUS, UH, ASSET AND, AND, AND HELP IN PUTTING TOGETHER OUR FINANCIAL REPORT.
SO I DO WANNA ESPECIALLY RECOGNIZE HIM AND HIS CONTRIBUTION OVER THE PAST YEARS AND WISH SOME SUCCESS IN THE FUTURE.
UM, UH, POLICIES AND PROCEDURES COMMITTEE, UM, TRACY COULDN'T BE HERE TODAY.
IS THERE ANYTHING NEW FOR POLICIES AND PROCEDURES, JANINE? NO.
JANET? NO, I I WANNA MENTION THIS.
UM, I'M GONNA MENTION THIS UNDER STRATEGIC PLANNING, AND THIS IS FOR YOUR EDUCATION ALSO.
AND FOR, JUST TO REMIND THE BOARD, UM, ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS WE DO IS SELECT AND COACH AND, UH, EVALUATE AND, AND PRAISE, UM, THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, THE LIBRARY DIRECTOR, AND, UM, HOW DO WE DO THAT? WELL, EVERY YEAR WE DO A PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL OF HER, AND WE DO IT BASED ON THE STRATEGIC PLAN.
WHEN, UM, AMANDA, MATT DID HER PRESENTATION, YOU COULD SEE SHE DID IT RIGHT UNDER THE FOUR GOALS, USER EXPERIENCE, COLLECTION, SPACE, AND COMMUNICATIONS.
THOSE ARE THE FOUR GOALS WE ASSOCIATED.
SO WE, WE, SHE REPORTS TO US BASED ON WHAT SHE'S ACCOMPLISHED IN THOSE GOALS, AND THEN WE EVALUATE HOW SHE'S DONE BASED ON THOSE GOALS.
AND THE WAY THAT WORKS IS IT STARTS WITH AMANDA PREPARING A SELF-EVALUATION, WHICH SHE'LL BE DOING IN THE MONTH OF APRIL, UM, IN THE NEXT COUPLE WEEKS.
AND THEN YOU WILL, ALL THE BOARD MEMBERS WILL RECEIVE TWO DOCUMENTS.
THEY'LL RECEIVE AMANDA'S SELF-APPRAISAL, THREE DOCUMENTS.
THEY'LL RECEIVE A COPY OF HER JOB DESCRIPTION, AND YOU'LL GET THE NEW EVALUATION FORM.
WE'VE HAD AN EVALUATION FORM THAT'S BEEN IN PLACE FOR MANY YEARS AND WE REVISED IT.
YOU MIGHT RECALL THAT WE APPROVED AND REVISED IT AND APPROVED IT THROUGH THE POLICY COMMITTEE.
AND WHY DID WE REVISE IT? IT WAS VERY TACTICAL, YOU KNOW, IT WAS VERY MUCH FOCUSED ON WAS SHE DOTTING THE T'S AND CROSSING THE I, CROSSING THE T'S AND DOTTING THE I AND IT WASN'T STRATEGIC AND HER JOB AS A STRATEGIC JOB TO THINK WELL INTO THE FUTURE OF THE LIBRARIES.
SO WE, A COMMITTEE OF US LOOKED AT THE EVALUATION FORM, AMANDA INCLUDED.
AND WE'VE ELEVATED IT TO REALLY BE AN EXECUTIVE EVALUATION FORM AND NOT A ENTRY LEVEL, YOU KNOW, KIND OF JOB DESCRIPTION.
SO YOU'LL GET THOSE THREE DOCUMENTS AND YOU'LL GET AN EMAIL WITH THOSE DOCUMENTS ASKING YOU TO SET UP A 30 MINUTE PHONE CALL WITH ME.
AND SO, UH, WHAT I WANT YOU TO DO IS REVIEW THOSE DOCUMENTS AND THEN BE PREPARED AND I TAKE NOTES DURING THAT CONVERSATION.
AND THEN ALL THOSE NOTES GET COMBINED INTO A WRITTEN PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL THAT YOU ALL SEE A DRAFT OF.
AND THEN ONCE WE APPROVE AN EXECUTIVE SESSION, 'CAUSE THAT IS ONE THING WE DO IN EXECUTIVE SESSION, AND THEN AFTER YOU APPROVE THE PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL, THEN AMANDA AND I MEET AND HAVE A GOOD DISCUSSION.
WE HAD A GREAT DISCUSSION LAST YEAR, DIDN'T WE? UM, AND THAT OF THAT, THAT DISCUSSION THAT I HAVE WITH AMANDA IS STRUCTURED UNDER THREE THINGS.
AMANDA, HOW DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING, AMANDA, THIS IS HOW WE THINK YOU'RE DOING.
AND AMANDA, HOW ARE WE DOING AS A BOARD? HOW CAN WE HELP YOU BE BETTER, UH, IN YOUR JOB? WHAT CAN WE DO TO HELP THOSE? THAT'S THE STRUCTURE.
SO THAT, UH, HAS TO HAPPEN BY MAY.
SO, UM, I'D LIKE THE CONVERSATIONS TO HAPPEN IN APRIL AND WE'LL GET THAT TO YOU AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
SO IF THERE'S ANY QUE ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT? I JUST WANTED TO REMIND YOU, YOU'RE GONNA BE GETTING THAT EMAIL AND I APPRECIATE A QUICK RESPONSE AND WE'LL TRY TO GET THAT TOGETHER AND PULL TOGETHER SO THAT WE CAN DO A TIMELY PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL FOR AMANDA.
WE ALSO SOUGHT FEEDBACK LAST YEAR, UM, FROM CHUCK, UH, ATKINSON AND COUNTY OFFICIALS ON FEEDBACK FROM HER PERFORMANCE TOO.
AND WE'LL DO THAT AGAIN THIS YEAR AND WE'LL HAVE THAT REPORT IN MAY.
THAT'S WHAT AT THE MAY MEETING THE EVALUATION WAS DONE.
ONE OF THE REASONS WE CHANGED THE SCHEDULE ON HER PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL IS WE WANTED IT TO GET THROUGH THE END OF THE YEAR.
SO WE HAD A FULL YEAR TO EVALUATE FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
UM, JOE, REQUEST FOR RE RECONSIDERATION COMMITTEE.
NOTHING HAS COME UP TO US, SO WE ARE STILL CONSIDERED
UM, BERNIE, THE LIBRARY FACILITIES COMMITTEE, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING ADDITIONAL TO ADD TO THAT? NO, I THINK THAT,
[00:35:01]
UH, COMING ALONG PRETTY GOOD TALKING ABOUT THE PORT ROYAL LIBRARY, UM, UM, THE LIAISONS, UM, BUFORT FRIENDS, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO REPORT? BRENDA? REFER TO AMANDA, YOU WERE IN ATTENDANCE AT THE MARCH 14TH WHILE I WAS HAVING DENTAL SURGERY.UM, THE FRIENDS OF BUFORT LIBRARY, UM, MET ON THURSDAY, MARCH 14TH.
HELENA LIBRARY AS TAXES, FREE TAX PREPARATION WAS BEING DONE IN THIS, IN THIS ROOM AT THAT TIME.
UM, THEY MET TO DISCUSS THEIR, THEIR TYPICAL BUSINESS.
ONE THING THAT I'D LIKE TO BRAG ON THEM A LITTLE BIT AND AND GIVE THEM PRAISE FOR IS THEY, UM, AGREED, UM, TO FUND THE PURCHASE OF OUTDOOR SEATING AND A BIKE RACK FOR THE PORT ROYAL LIBRARY.
SO THEY WILL NEXT MEET, UM, THE SECOND THURSDAY IN APRIL, UM, TO CONTINUE MO MAKING PLANS FOR THE, UM, THEIR SECOND STORY WALK, WHICH WILL BE AT THE NAVAL HERITAGE SKATE PARK AND, UM, OTHER BUSINESS.
UM, BLUFFTON FRIENDS, ROSALIE, DO YOU HAVE A REPORT? UH, THE FRIENDS OF THE BLUFFTON LIBRARY? YES.
UM, WE NOW HAVE 301, UH, FRIENDS OF THE BLUFFTON LIBRARY.
UM, ONE WAY THEY SUGGESTED GETTING MORE FRIENDS IN WAS PUTTING A PACKET TOGETHER FOR EACH OF THE COMMUNITIES IN THE BLUFFTON AREA AND HAVE THAT PUT IN THE WELCOMING PACKET FROM THE, THE COMMUNITY.
UH, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT HAS GONE THROUGH, BUT THAT WAS A SUGGESTION.
UM, THEY CHANGE THEIR MEETING DAY NOW TO THURSDAY, EVERY OTHER MONTH.
UM, AND LET'S SEE, UM, WE BROUGHT IN MORE MONEY IN 2023 THAN THE PREVIOUS YEAR BY $3,000, AND WE SPENT MORE MONEY IN PROGRAMMING.
THEY ALSO SUGGESTED A DONATION BOX IN THE LIBRARY, AND THEY SUGGESTED STARTING AN INVESTMENT CLUB.
I DON'T KNOW IF ANY OF THAT IS GOING THROUGH.
UH, THEY ALSO SUGGESTED A CHILDREN'S BOOKSHOP WHERE BOOKS ARE FREE FOR CHILDREN TO TAKE ONE BOOK PER CHILD.
OUR NEXT MEETING IS APRIL 4TH.
UH, THE FRIENDS OF THE HILTON HEAD LIBRARY MET, UM, THEY HAVE COMMITTED $2,500 TO SUMMER READING.
AND, UM, THEY HAVE, THEY HAVE A TIRELESS VOLUNTEER, ELLIE MAROLA AND SHE ORGAN, WE HAVE A, UH, USED BOOKSTORE THERE, WHICH HAS PRODUCED A LOT OF FUNDS OVER THE YEARS FOR THE, FOR THE, UH, HILTON HEAD LIBRARY.
AND, UM, THE ORGANIZER, ELLIE MAROLA WAS NOMINATED, AND I DON'T KNOW IF SHE RECEIVED, I I THINK SHE WAS NOMINATED.
I DON'T KNOW THAT THEY'VE DECIDED YET TO, FOR AN AWARD FROM THE FRIENDS OF THE SOUTH CAROLINA LIBRARY ASSOCIATION.
SO, UM, THEY MADE MENTION OF THAT.
AND THEN GREG CRI CHRIS BE CHRIS BE IS A LIBRARIAN IN THE CHILDREN'S DEPARTMENT.
AND HE IS PHENOMENAL WITH THESE KIDS.
AND HE HAS PUT TOGETHER A LEGO PROGRAM AND IT IS ONGOING AND IS, HE'S VERY WELL ATTENDED.
AND I THINK, I THINK IT'S WEEKLY.
THEY, HE, HE, THE KIDS LOVE IT.
AND SO, UH, HE WAS AWARDED ANOTHER A HUNDRED DOLLARS TO, UH, TO DO SOMETHING FOR HIS LEGO PROGRAM.
SO, UH, THAT WAS WHAT THE HILTON HEAD FRIENDS ARE DOING.
UH, THE OTHER, UH, THE OTHER LIAISON IS THE PUBLIC LIBRARY FOUNDATION, AND THEY MET AND THEY RECEIVED A REPORT ON THE, UM, ARTIST IN RESIDENT.
THEY FUND THE ARTIST IN RESIDENT PROGRAM.
THEY FUND IT TWICE, TWICE A YEAR.
AND SO THEY TALKED ABOUT THAT AND THERE WAS SOME OTHER THINGS THAT AREN'T RELEVANT.
SO THAT WAS THE PUBLIC LIBRARY FOUNDATION.
SO IS THERE ANY OLD BUSINESS? ANY NEW BUSINESS? ALL RIGHT.
WE HAVE RECEIVED, UM, A REQUEST FOR A RESOLUTION TO NAME THE PORT ROYAL LIBRARY.
SO I WOULD LIKE A MOTION TO, I WOULD LIKE A MOTION, WHAT DO I WANNA SAY? TO TALK A MOTION FOR, TO MAKE A, A MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION TO NAME THE PORT ROYAL LIBRARY FACILITY IN HONOR OF THE FORMER TOWN OF PORT ROYAL, OF THE
[00:40:01]
FORMER TOWN MAYOR OF PORT ROYAL SAMUEL E. MURRAY.AND HOW THIS PROCESS WILL WORK WAS, I WILL INTRODUCE THE MOTION.
I WILL, SOMEONE HERE WILL INTRODUCE THE MOTION, APPROVE OF THE MOTION, THEN WE WILL DO A DISCUSSION ABOUT IT, AND THEN WE'LL VOTE ON IT.
UM, AND IT COULD BE THAT THERE'S ANOTHER MOTION AFTER THAT, BUT THIS IS, THIS IS HOW THE PROCESS IS GOING TO WORK.
SO, UM, MAY I HAVE A MOTION TO, TO UH, OKAY.
BRENDA, A MOTION THAT WE DO ENTER INTO THE DISCUSSION TO APPROVE THE RESOLUTION, TO NAME, TO NAME THE LIBRARY AFTER SAM MURRAY.
I MUST SAY SAMUEL MURRAY WAS A AND A SECOND.
WELL, I, I'M GONNA ADD A NOTE TO THAT.
SAMUEL MURRAY WAS A TEACHER AT THE OLD DALE SCHOOL WHEN I ATTENDED ELEMENTARY.
HE WAS ALSO A PRINCIPAL WHEN I WAS PTO CHAIRPERSON THERE.
AND MANY TIMES HIS ADVICE GUIDED ME IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
AND SO I'VE, I KNEW SAM MURRAY FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME, AND I WOULD SAY HE'S A PERSON THAT WE SHOULD BE PROUD OF PUTTING HIS NAME ON A LIBRARY.
I HAVE A SECOND TO THE MOTION.
SO I'LL POINT OF ORDER IF I COULD.
SO THE LIBRARY BOARD IS GOING TO MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TO COUNSEL.
SO EVEN THOUGH THE MOTION IS TO APPROVE THE RESOLUTION, THAT IS ACTUALLY COUNCIL'S AUTHORITY.
SO WE MAY WANT TO AMEND TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ALL UNDERSTAND THAT WE ARE MAKING A RECOMME, UH, APPROVING THE RESOLUTION.
COULD YOU, ARE YOU GONNA GIVE US SOME HISTORY ON WHAT THE POLICIES HAVE BEEN ABOUT? I'LL WALK THROUGH THE WHOLE PROCESS WHEN YOU'RE READY FOR ME TO DO THAT.
WELL, MAYBE WE SHOULD START WITH THAT.
I'LL BE HAPPY TO, YOU HAVE TO, YOU NEED TO, YOU HAVE A MOTION, SO THEN YOU CAN, I'LL DISCUSS THE MOTION.
UM, SO BRENDA, THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS.
DOES ANYONE ELSE HAVE ANYTH ANY COMMENTS ON THIS? UM, I DEALT WITH, UH, SAM MURRAY WHEN I WAS IN EDUCATION FOR OVER 17 YEARS.
AND, UH, I FOUND HIM, UH, VERY TO WORK WITH AND, UH, VERY HELPFUL ON EVERYTHING THAT I TALKED ABOUT.
AND HE MADE, SO I'M A BIG SUPPORTER.
UH, I LIKE TO OVERRULE CHUCK AND, UH, HAVE IT DONE.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS? BERNIE? UH, I KNEW
AND THE REASON I'M FOR THAT, FOR STATIONARY SITUATION IN, WE'RE SETTING A PRECEDENT FOR THE LIBRARY, BUT WE'RE NOT SETTING A PRECEDENT FOR THE COUNTY.
THAT'S WHAT I'D LIKE CHUCK TO EXPLAIN.
YOU MEAN BY THAT? WHAT GOT BY, BY, BY THE, THE COUNTY HAS NAMED OTHER BUILDINGS IN HONOR OF DISTINGUISHED CITIZENS.
SO, DO YOU WANT ME TO WALK THROUGH THIS NOW? YES, YES.
SO WHAT I'LL DO IS WALK YOU THROUGH THE PROCESS OF HOW, UM, ADMINISTRATIVELY WE WILL PROCESS THIS PARTICULAR REQUEST.
WE RECEIVED A RESOLUTION FROM, UH, THE TOWN OF PORT ROYAL COUNCIL, UM, ENCOURAGING, RECOMMENDING, AND REQUESTING TO OUR COUNCIL TO NAME THE LIBRARY AFTER SAM MURRAY.
UM, AS COUNTY COUNCIL HAS THE ULTIMATE AUTHORITY OVER NAMING ALL COUNTY FACILITIES TO INCLUDE LIBRARIES, UH, WHAT WE WILL DO IS TAKE YOUR RECOMMENDATION TODAY ON APRIL 8TH.
IT WILL GO BEFORE THE COMMUNITY SERVICES AND LAND USE COMMITTEE, AND THEN IT WILL BE FORWARD, UH, THEY WILL MAKE A SECOND RECOMMENDATION, UM, TO COUNCIL.
[00:45:01]
WILL GO TO COUNTY COUNCIL, UH, IN THE FORM OF A FINAL RESOLUTION, WHICH IS IN YOUR PACKET, UM, ON APRIL THE 22ND.AS FAR AS PRECEDENT, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF COUNTY FACILITIES THAT ARE NAMED IN HONOR, I'M NOT GONNA SAY NAMED AFTER SOMEBODY.
THEY'RE NAMED IN HONOR OR IN MEMORY OF SOMEONE.
THERE ARE TWO EXAMPLES I'LL BRING UP THE MOST.
WELL, IT'S NOT THE MOST RECENT.
WE NAMED A PARK, UH, RECENTLY AS PART OF A PARTNERSHIP WITH, UH, THE CITY OF BEAUFORT.
SO WE ACTUALLY DO PARTNER ON THESE THINGS WITH, UM, INTERGOVERNMENTAL AGREEMENTS.
UH, BUT THE MOST RECENT PARKS AND REC FACILITY IS THE ALVIN SETTLES POOL.
SO THAT IS ONE FACILITY WITHIN THE LAST YEAR THAT COUNTY COUNCIL HAS, UH, RECOMMENDED IT.
A SECOND ONE IS SORT OF NEAR AND DEAR TO MY HEART, AND THAT'S THE WESLEY FELIX PARK, UH, WHICH IS A LARGE PARK ON, UH, ST.
AND I CAN PERSONALLY ATTEST THAT NAMING A FACILITY AFTER SOMEONE IS NOT JUST AN ADMINISTRATIVE EXERCISE.
AND WHAT I MEAN, ESPECIALLY FELIX WAS ACTUALLY MY TEACHER, UM, BACK IN GRADE SCHOOL.
HE WAS ACTUALLY A BAND TEACHER OF MINE FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS.
AND AS MY KIDS GREW UP, UH, I WAS BORN AND RAISED IN BEAUFORT.
UM, AND I ACTUALLY STILL KNOW HIS SON TO THIS DAY, WHICH IS KIND OF CRAZY.
HE'S A PROFESSIONAL MUSICIAN, UM, WONDERFUL FAMILY.
BUT IT WAS NEAT THAT MY KIDS, AS THEY GREW UP AND PLAYED LITTLE LEAGUE BALL AND BASEBALL, I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE WITH THEM WHEN THEY PLAYED AT WESLEY FELIX, THE HISTORY OF THE MAN THAT THE PLACE WAS ACTUALLY, NOW THEY KNOW WHO WESLEY FELIX IS.
UH, THEY'VE ACTUALLY MET HIS SON AND, AND KNOW ABOUT HIS LEGACY AND WHAT AN IMPACT, A VERY POSITIVE IMPACT IT HAD ON ME.
SO I CAN TELL YOU THAT IT IS MORE THAN JUST AN ADMINISTRATIVE EXERCISE.
SO AS FAR AS PRECEDENT, AGAIN, WE HAVE A NUMBER OF FACILITIES THAT ARE NAMED IN HONOR OF FOLKS.
UM, THIS WILL GO TO COUNTY COUNCIL.
AND WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR TODAY IS AN UP OR DOWN VOTE ON A RECOMMENDATION FROM THIS BODY.
HISTORICALLY, HAS THE LIBRARY BEEN PRESENTED IN THE PAST WITH AN A RECOMMENDATION TO NAME A AND WHAT WAS THE RESULT OF, I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY THE, THERE HASN'T BEEN ONE.
SO HAS THIS BEEN A QUESTION FOR THE LIBRARY BOARD IN THE PAST? IT HAS NOT.
WE NEVER HAD, WE'VE NEVER HAD THIS REQUEST BEFORE.
AND MY CONCERN IS WE DON'T HAVE, WE DON'T HAVE THE CRITERIA FOR SOMETHING LIKE THIS, WHICH IT, THIS IS A WONDERFUL MAN.
I, I MEAN, I WOULD, I WOULD SAY YES IN A MINUTE, EXCEPT I'M AFRAID THAT AS IF WE OPEN MORE, MORE LIBRARIES, MORE FACILITIES, PEOPLE ARE GONNA FLOOD US WITH REQUESTS TO NAME IT AFTER PEOPLE.
AND, AND I THINK, I THINK WE'RE, I THINK WE NEED TO SET SOME CRITERIA FOR THIS AS WELL.
BUT, BUT THIS IS A REQUEST FROM THE COUNTY, SO I'M NOT SURE THAT WHERE IT WOULD FALL IN.
SO WE WOULD HAVE TO LOOK AT POLICIES AND PROCEDURES AND SEE IF WE SHOULD, IF WE DECIDE TO GO AHEAD WITH THIS, THAT I THINK WE, FOR THE FUTURE, WE NEED TO SET UP SOME POLICIES AND PROCEDURES.
MY OTHER QUESTIONS HOLD, LEMME ASK, LIBRARY DOESN'T HAVE A POLICY AND PROCEDURE, THAT'S MY QUESTION, BUT THIS, THE COUNTY, THE COUNTY HAS A CRITERIA OR A PROCESS FOR THE COUNTY DOES, AND IT BASICALLY DEFAULTS TO THE DISCRETION OF COUNSEL BASED ON THE MERITS OF THE APPLICANT OR THE PERSON WHO THE REQUEST IS BEING NAMED AFTER.
BUT ULTIMATELY, COUNTY COUNCIL, THEIR FINAL VOTE IS WHAT IS NEEDED TO NAME THE LIBRARY.
BUT THEY DON'T, DO THEY HAVE CRITERIA THAT THEY HAS TO BE, DOES IT HAS TO BE A RESIDENT OF BEAUFORT COUNTY AND GOOD STANDING? I MEAN, DO THEY HAVE SOME CRITERIA THAT THEY'VE LISTED? I DON'T THINK IT IS, UM, SPELLED OUT EXACTLY THAT WAY.
I THINK THERE IS, THERE'S MENTION ABOUT THE CHARACTER OF THE INDIVIDUAL, THE, THE GENERAL, THEY'RE WORTHY OF SUCH AN HONOR.
UM, BUT OUTSIDE OF THAT, I DON'T THINK THERE'S A PRESCRIPTIVE LIST OF, UM, PREREQUISITES.
SO IS THERE, IS THERE ANY OTHER BUILDING NAMED AFTER THIS GENTLEMAN? NO.
UM, WELL, I DID GET A PHONE CALL FROM SOMEONE AND THEY WERE, UH, KIND OF UNHAPPY BECAUSE THERE'S OTHER PEOPLE THAT THEY THOUGHT SHOULD ALSO HAVE THIS KIND OF HONOR.
SO THAT WAS, THAT WAS ANOTHER CONSIDERATION.
BUT I THINK WE, WE JUST HAVE TO LOOK AT WHAT THIS MAN HAS DONE.
UM, UH, OH, THE OTHER THING I WANTED TO ASK IS, OH, I WANTED TO, NO, IS THERE ANOTHER WAY OF HONORING, UH, DO YOU PICTURE THE NAME GOING UP ON THE BUILDING OR, UH, IN A LOT OF LIBRARIES AND BUILDINGS, WE HAVE A PLAQUE, UM, WHICH HONORS THAT PERSON BECAUSE A LOT OF THE, A LOT OF THE, UM,
[00:50:01]
MATERIALS AND THINGS HAVE ALREADY BEEN ORDERED, AND THEY DON'T SAY MURRAY ON THEM, THEY SAY PORT ROYAL LIBRARY.SO I'M NOT EXACTLY SURE HOW TO ADJUST ALL OF THIS.
IF, IF IT'S A PEDESTAL SIGN, IT WILL BE A PEDESTAL SIGN OUT FRONT.
AS FAR AS I KNOW, UH, THAT APPLICATION THROUGH THE TOWN OF PORT ROYAL IS ON HOLD UNTIL WE PROCESS THROUGH THIS AND WE HAVE PLENTY OF TIME TO ORDER THE SIGN.
IS PRIMED READY TO GO? IT'S JUST THE, THE VERBIAGE ON THE SIGN IS WHAT WE'RE WAITING.
I'D BE, I'D BE CURIOUS AS TO WHAT THE NAMING IS.
IS IT, IS IT THE LI YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THE PORT ROYAL LIBRARY IN HONOR, UH, IN MEMORY OF, OR I THINK THAT'S, UM, SOMEWHAT OPEN TO DEBATE.
HOWEVER, HISTORICALLY, UH, WESLEY FELIX PARK, ALVIN SETTLES POOL, AND WE HAVE OTHERS THAT HAVE THE NAME AND THEN THE DESCRIPTION.
SO THIS WOULD BE THE SAMUEL I FOLLOWING THAT SUIT.
I THINK IT OUGHT TO BE THE SAMUEL E. MURRAY LIBRARY AT PORT ROYAL.
SOMETHING TO DESIGNATE AT PORT ROYAL TO GO ALONG WITH, TO GO ALONG DESCRIPTORS.
ALL OF OUR LIBRARIES ARE, ARE GEOGRAPHIC MM-HMM.
SO I'M NOT OPPOSED TO NAMING IT IN HIS HONOR, BUT I THINK THE PORT ROYAL NAME NEEDS TO BE THERE, WHATEVER THE CONSENSUS IS OF THIS BODY.
AND WHATEVER YOU WANT ME TO CARRY FORWARD TO COMMITTING COUNSEL, I'M HAPPY TO.
ARE THERE ANY MORE DISCUSSION? UM, JUST, YEAH, ON ONE LAST NOTE, I I, I WOULD SUGGEST MOVING FORWARD THAT IT MAY BE IN THE BOARD'S BEST INTEREST TO GO BACK TO OUR POLICIES AND PROCEDURES AND DEVELOP OUR, THE BOARD'S OWN CRITERIA BASED ON THE BOARD'S GOALS AND OBJECTIVES.
UM, SO THAT FOR FUTURE, IT, IT SOUNDS LIKE WE MIGHT BE A LITTLE BIT MORE COMFORTABLE.
UM, THIS IS CERTAINLY A WELL-DESERVING PERSON.
UM, I DON'T, I DON'T THINK ANYBODY HAS THAT QUESTION AT ALL.
BUT MOVING FORWARD FOR THE FUTURE AND FOR FUTURE BOARDS, UM, IT MAY, IT MAY BENEFIT THE BOARD TO HAVE THAT CRITERIA IN PLACE TO HELP MAKE OUR DECISION MAKING PROCESS A LITTLE BIT EASIER.
I CAN ENVISION START RENAMING THE LIBRARY.
YOU KNOW, SOMEBODY COMES FORWARD AND WANTS HILTON HEAD LIBRARY TO NAME SOMETHING AND WE NAME OUR LIBRARIES OVER INDIVIDUALS.
IT'S GONNA TOTALLY CONFUSE THE PUBLIC, FRANK BROWN, WHY, YOU KNOW, WHO'S AMELIA SMITH? THAT'S THE BLUFFTON LIBRARY NOW.
SO I, I THINK KEEPING THE GEOGRAPHIC DESIGNATION IN THE NAME IS IMPORTANT FOR ONE OF OUR GOALS IS COMMUNICATION AND YOU GOTTA COMMUNICATE WHERE THINGS ARE, YOU KNOW? AGREE.
BEFORE YOU VOTE, I JUST WANNA, WHILE CHUCK'S IN THE ROOM AND, UM, ALL THAT, UM, LIKE SHE MENTIONED, THE ITEMS ARE ALREADY STAMPED WITH PORT ROYAL AS THE, THE MONIKER.
UM, THE CATALOG LOCATION, WHEN YOU GO TO PUT SOMETHING ON HOLD HAS BEEN DETERMINED BY THE COMPANY THAT, THAT RUNS THAT SOFTWARE AS PORT ROYAL.
I'M NOT SURE IF WE HAVE THE OPTION TO CHANGE ANY OF THAT.
I JUST WANTED TO KNOW IF YOU DECIDE TO DO THE, THE NAMING OF THE EXTERIOR SIGN IS THE DESIRE OF THIS BOARD THAT WE RE STAMP AND REDO ALL OF THAT ON THE, ON THE BACK END.
I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR IT TO BE VISIBLE TO THE PUBLIC, BUT I THINK THOSE THINGS THAT ARE BEHIND THE SCENES, ESPECIALLY IF THE PORT, I MEAN, YOU DON'T NEED TO MAKE THE NAME THAT LONG.
SO I THINK THOSE THINGS ARE BEHIND THE SCENES FOR PEOPLE.
I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR THE SIGNAGE AND EVERYTHING.
AND REC I WOULD AGREE OF LIBRARY RESOURCES TO GO BACK AND ALTER THAT BECAUSE ULTIMATELY IT'S STILL GOING TO BE THE PORT ROYAL LIBRARY, BUT WITH SOME ADDITIONAL VERBIAGE ON THERE TO HONOR, UM, MR. MURRAY, JUST SO I'M CLEAR, I'M KIND OF TAKING NOTES HERE.
IT WOULD BE FORT ROYAL LIBRARY IN HONOR OF SAMUEL E. MURRAY.
IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE E MURRAY? OH, NOT IN THE LIBRARY.
ROYAL SAMUEL E. MURRAY AT LI, UM, LIBRARY AT FORT ROYAL.
WHAT YOU HAPPY WITH THAT? DID YOU HAVE A QUESTION? NO, I JUST WANTED TO, MY NAME IS SAMUEL WILSON, COUNTY MANAGER.
SO WE'RE VOTING ON OKAY, LYNN.
I JUST WANTED TO SAY IT'S NOT UNCOMMON ALSO IF YOU JUST GO ACROSS THE RIVER TO RIDGELAND, THE LIBRARY IN RIDGELAND IS CALLED THE FRANK FROM FREDERICK PR PLAT LIBRARY.
[00:55:01]
NOT UNCOMMON ACROSS THE STATE OR THIS COUNTRY.I KNOW IT'S NOTUNCOMMON, IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT WE'VE, WE'VE EVER DONE BEFORE.
AND, AND THAT'S WHY WE'RE ALL, UM, PROCESSING, PROCESSING THIS.
I MEAN, IT SOUNDS LIKE A WONDERFUL MAN, BUT I KNOW THAT THERE'S OTHER PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN TERRIFIC IN FORT ROYAL TOO.
AND, AND, AND SO THAT KIND OF GIVES ME PAUSE.
THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK THE SECOND TIME.
THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THE TOWN OF FORT ROYAL THAT HAVE DONE A LOT OF GREAT THINGS.
DEMAR FORD WALKED IN THE TOWN OF FORT ROYAL AND, AND WAS A MAYOR FOR MANY YEARS.
JUST LIKE MR. MURRAY COMMUNITY, OTHER COMMUNITIES IN BEAUFORT COUNTY.
AND UNDERSTANDING, I THINK THE OTHER THING HAVING HAD A LOT OF EXPERIENCE NAMING THINGS IN HOSPITAL IS TO CLARIFY, UM, THE, WHEN, WHETHER THIS IS IN SOME TYPE OF PERPETUITY OR IF THIS IS SPECIFIC TO THIS BRANCH FOR WHILE IT'S AT THIS ADDRESS.
IN OTHER WORDS, ARE YOU NAMING THIS BUILDING AT THIS ADDRESS FOR THE DURATION? SO LET'S SAY THE PORT ROYAL LIBRARY IS WILDLY SUCCESSFUL AND FIVE YEARS FROM NOW WE IMAGINE BUILDING A BIG NEW LIBRARY IS THE NAME.
I MEAN, I, I, I AND, AND I, AND I JUST THINK YOU NEED TO CLARIFY THAT AT THE BEGINNING BECAUSE YOU HAVE A LOT OF PROBLEMS WITH DONORS WHEN YOU MOVE THE NICHE THAT THEY'RE NAMED FOR OR WHATEVER.
SO AS I UNDERSTAND THE ORDINANCE, IT IS COUNCIL'S DISCRETION PER BUILDING.
SO, AND, AND THEY COULD CHANGE IT IN THE FUTURE IF THEY WANTED TO.
SO COUNCIL IS, FUTURE COUNCILS ARE NEVER BOUND TO THE CURRENT COUNCIL'S ACTIONS.
SO IS IT IN PERPETUITY? NO, IT'S NOT LIKE A DEED RESTRICTION OR SOME KIND OF AN EASEMENT.
IT'S THE NAMING OF A BUILDING.
BUT IF THE BUILDING WERE, YOU KNOW, IF THAT PARTICULAR LIBRARY BRANCH WERE TO MOVE OR, OR SOME OTHER, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING WERE TO HAPPEN OR IT WOULD COME BACK BEFORE COUNSEL, THEY WOULD HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO, I'M GONNA SAY RENAME OR CHANGE THE NAME OR CHANGE THE LOCATION.
IT'S ION SCENARIO IS THAT SOMEONE SAYS, I'LL GIVE $3 MILLION TO GET A DECENT, YOU KNOW, I MEAN A BIGGER LIBRARY THAT'S TWICE THE SIZE AND HAS GREATER CAPABILITY.
AND PORT ROYAL GETS EXCITED ABOUT IT, BUT I WANT IT NAMED IN MY HONOR, YOU KNOW, AND THEN WHAT DO YOU DO? THAT WOULD BE A TOTALLY SEPARATE DISCUSSION TAKEN ON ITS MERITS, AND IT WOULD BE UP TO COUNCIL BY THAT NEW COUNCIL.
I JUST WANNA, I JUST WANNA, I THINK YOU NEED TO CLARIFY THAT UP FRONT FOR PEOPLE.
SO THAT, THAT IT'S, THAT'S THE EXPECTATION.
ANOTHER SUGGESTION FOR THE NAME WOULD BE THE SAMUEL E. MURRAY SLASH PORT ROYAL LIBRARY.
THIS WAY YOU HAVE THE LOCATION AND THE MAN WRITE TOGETHER WITHOUT TOO MANY WORDS.
DOES SAMUEL E. MURRAY SLASH PORT ROYAL OKAY.
OH, DID YOU HEAR A COMMENT? YEAH, JUST, JUST AN OBSERVATION HERE.
UM, IN THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS, THE ONLY LIBRARY FACILITY THAT HAVE OPENED UP WAS REALLY, UM, OH GOD.
THE ONE THAT, NOT THE LADY HELENA.
AND, AND THERE WAS NO SAY, AND THAT WAS BEFORE MY TIME.
I DON'T BELIEVE THERE WAS ANY COMMUNITY CALL TO RENAME THAT OTHER THAN BY ITS GEOGRAPHIC REFERENCE.
IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE, THERE IS GREAT AND SUBSTANTIAL COMMUNITY INTEREST IN NAMING IT.
NOW WHAT WE ARE DOING IS REALLY PASSING ALONG THE LIBRARY SENTIMENT, THE LIBRARY RECOMMENDATION, THE LIBRARY CONCURRENCE WITH COMMUNITY INTEREST.
ULTIMATELY, THIS IS A COUNTY DECISION 'CAUSE THIS IS A COUNTY BUILDING.
SO THE NAMING AND THE PRECEDENTS WILL ALL FALL BACK ON COUNTY COUNCIL RATHER THAN THE LIBRARY.
WE ARE SIMPLY RECEIVING AND RATIFYING EXISTING COMMUNITY EXISTENCE OF COMMUNITY INTEREST, WHICH WASN'T PRESENT WHEN WE OPENED OTHER FACILITIES.
AND I DON'T THINK IT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE TO RENAME OTHER EXISTING FACILITIES THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE.
BUT, YOU KNOW, WE DO HAVE ONE COMING UP ON MAY RIVER ROAD.
NOW IF THERE IS COMMUNITY OUTCRY TO RENAME THAT SOMETHING OTHER THAN MAY RIVER, THEN THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I THINK WE SHOULD
[01:00:01]
ADDRESS AT THAT PARTICULAR MOMENT.BUT I THINK WE HAVE A UNIQUE SITUATION THAT'S DIFFERENT FROM WHAT WE HAD IN THE PAST, AND WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH THAT.
SO, SO WE ARE VOTING ON A RECOMMENDATION TO NAME A RECOMMENDATION TO COUNTY COUNCIL.
IF I'M READING THIS RIGHT, UM, TO NAME THE PORT ROYAL LIBRARY FACILITY IN HONOR OF THE FORMER MAYOR, PORT ROYAL MAYOR SAMUEL E. MURRAY.
SO I'M GONNA TAKE A, TAKE A VOTE NOW.
RAISE YOUR HAND IF, IF IT'S A YES.
SO WE ARE GOING TO RECOMMEND THAT.
I WANNA THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING.
I'M, I'M, I'M QUITE EXCITED TO SEE THE INTEREST AND THE LEVEL OF COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT THAT FORT ROYAL BRINGS TO US.
SO I HOPE, I HOPE THAT YOU WELCOME THE LIBRARY AND PARTICIPATE IN AND SUPPORT IT AS MUCH AS WE'RE HOPING.
I JUST WANNA SAY WE'VE HEARD FOR YEARS HOW MUCH YOU WANTED A LIBRARY, AND I KNOW YOU AND I, WE'VE HEARD THIS FOR YEARS AND WE KNOW, WE KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, WE KNEW THAT THERE WAS CLAMORING, BUT, UM, AND WE WERE EXCITED WHEN WE FINALLY THOUGHT, WELL, WHERE ELSE GONNA GET A BRANCH? UM, UM, BUT YOUR ATTENDANCE TODAY, YOU KNOW, VERIFIES THE KIND OF COMMUNITY YOU ARE AND THE FACT THAT YOU'RE SO INTERESTED IN LIBRARY SERVICES AND WE LOVE LIBRARIES AND WANT THEM SUPPORTED.
OUR NEXT MEETING IS SCHEDULED FROM MAY THE EIGHTH.
I THINK THERE'S NO MORE BUSINESS, RIGHT? I THINK THAT'S ALL.
UM, MAY 8TH AT THE HILTON HEAD BRANCH.
OH, CAN I ADD, I NEED A, UM, A MOTION TO ADJOURN JANINE AND BERNIE.
WE RECENTLY PURCHASED, UM, 10 NEW LUCAS'S AND, UM, WE'VE GOT ONE OF 'EM SET UP HERE BEHIND US, AND WE JUST WANTED TO GIVE A LITTLE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS PURCHASE OF EQUIPMENT WE'VE MADE.
THE LUCAS IS ACTUALLY A MECHANICAL DEVICE, AND WHAT IT DOES IS IT PROVIDES COMPRESSIONS DURING CPR.
ANYTIME YOU'RE PROVIDING MANUAL COMPRESSIONS DURING CPR, IT, UM, ONLY TAKES ABOUT TWO MINUTES BEFORE THE RESCUER BEGINS TO BECOME FATIGUED.
AND THE AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION RECOMMENDS A RATE OF A HUNDRED WITH A DEPTH OF TWO INCHES IN THE ADULT ARREST PATIENT.
AND YOU'RE JUST NOT ABLE TO CONTINUE THAT RATE VERY LONG BECAUSE OF IT, YOU KNOW, NOT BEING LIKE THE HUMAN BEING AND TIRING IT CAN CONTINUE TO PROVIDE THOSE COMPRESSIONS AT THE RATE AND DEPTH THAT YOU NEED.
IT CAN CONTINUE WHETHER YOU'RE BRINGING A PATIENT DOWN A SET OF STAIRS, WHETHER YOU'RE COMING DOWN A NARROW HALLWAY.
A A LOT OF TIMES WE HAVE DIFFICULTY WHEN WE LOAD THE PATIENT OUT OF THE HOUSE AND BRING 'EM TO THE EMS UNIT.
AND YOU WOULD HAVE TO STOP COMPRESSIONS FOR SOME REASON.
WITH THE LUCAS, ONCE YOU APPLY IT, THERE'S NO REASON TO STOP UNLESS OF COURSE YOU HAVE RETURN OF, YOU KNOW, SPONTANEOUS CIRCULATION.
ANYTIME THAT THE HANDS COME OFF THE CHEST DURING CPR, FOR EVERY 10 SECONDS THAT YOU'RE NOT DOING COMPRESSIONS, YOU HAVE A 50% DROP IN THE CHANCE OF RETURN OF SPONTANEOUS CIRCULATION.
THE SUCTION CUP ACTUALLY SERVES SEVERAL DIFFERENT PURPOSES.
ITS SEATS ON THE CHEST WHERE YOU WANT THE COMPRESSIONS TO BE DELIVERED, AND IT ALSO PULLS THE CHEST BACK UP.
AND WHAT THIS DOES IS IT ALLOWS FOR FULL RECOIL, AND WITH THAT FULL RECOIL, YOU GET THE COMPLETE FILLING OF THE HEART SO THAT YOU'RE ABLE TO MAINTAIN THAT CYCLE OF FILLING AND RELEASE WITH THE HEART.
INITIALLY, WITH THE TWO THAT WE HAD, WHAT HAPPENED WAS WHEN A UNIT HAD A CARDIAC ARREST, A SUPERVISOR WOULD RESPOND IN A QRV AND THEY WOULD, YOU KNOW, ARRIVE ON THE SCENE AND THEN THE LUCAS WOULD BE APPLIED OR THE UNIT WOULD BE TRANSPORTING THE PATIENT.
THEY WOULD MEET UP WITH THE SUPERVISOR
[01:05:01]
AND THEN THEY WOULD, YOU KNOW, PUT THE LUCAS ON AT THAT TIME.WELL, OBVIOUSLY THAT'S A DELAY.
DURING THAT TIMEFRAME, CPR WAS BEING PERFORMED, BUT, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY NOT AS WELL AS IF DE LUCAS WAS BEING USED.
OUR DIRECTOR, DONNA OWENBY, SHE WORKED, UM, TIRELESSLY.
SHE UNDERSTOOD THAT THERE WERE, WOULD BE A REAL ASSET FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
SHE WENT AND SPOKE WITH A LOT OF PEOPLE.
SHE WORKED VERY HARD DURING BUDGET TIME TO MAKE SURE THAT WE COULD GET THIS EQUIPMENT THAT WE NEEDED.
THE CITIZENS OF BUFORD COUNTY HAVE ALWAYS BEEN VERY SUPPORTIVE OF EMS AND EMS PERSONNEL IS VERY DEDICATED, YOU KNOW, TO OUR CITIZENS AND OUR COMMUNITY.
AND WE WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE TAXPAYERS AND OUR CITIZENS FOR SUPPORTING US.
AND THAT'S WHAT'S HAPPENING IN BEAUFORT COUNTY.
THE AVERAGE TEXT TAKES YOUR EYES OFF THE ROAD FOR NEARLY FIVE SECONDS AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS.
THAT'S ENOUGH TIME TO TRAVEL THE LENGTH OF A FOOTBALL FIELD.
STOP THE TEXTS, STOP THE WRECKS.
PORT FREMONT CLOSES OUT A 350 YEAR LEGACY OF COASTAL FORTIFICATIONS IN PORT ROYAL SOUND, BEGINNING IN THE MID 16TH CENTURY.
IT ALSO REPRESENTS THE CLOSING CHAPTER OF AMERICA'S COASTAL DEFENSE SYSTEM BEFORE THE DAWN OF AIR POWER.
FORT FREMONT IS AN EXAMPLE OF THE MOST ADVANCED MILITARY TECHNOLOGY OF ITS TIME.
IT WOULD PARALLEL THE B 17 AND AIRCRAFT CARRIER OF WORLD WAR II, THE F 35 OF TODAY.
FORT FREMONT WAS AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE BEAUFORT CULTURE, VERY SIMILAR TO PARIS ISLAND AND THE MARINE CORPS AIR BASE.
TODAY IN 1525, THE SPANIARDS NAMED THIS SOUND AND THIS HARBOR, SANTA ELENA, THEY CALLED THE NAVIGATIONAL POINT, LA PUNTE DE SANTA ELENA, THE POINT OF SANTA ELENA.
AND WHAT THE SPANISH EXPLORERS DISCOVERED IS THAT PORT ROYAL SOUND IS A UNIQUE PIECE OF GEOGRAPHY.
IT'S THE DEEPEST NATURAL HARBOR SOUTH OF THE CHESAPEAKE BAY, POSSIBLY SOUTH OF NEW YORK, THE CHANNEL INTO PORT ROYAL SOUND.
THIS I FIND A REMARKABLE GEOLOGICAL FACT.
THE CHANNEL HA UH, HAS NOT CHANGED FOR 500 YEARS.
THERE'S NO INLET ON THE SOUTHERN COAST THAT HASN'T SHIFTED ENTIRELY IN 500 YEARS EXCEPT PORT ROYAL SOUND.
THERE'S SOMETHING GEOLOGICALLY DIFFERENT, OR ONE MIGHT SAY MAGICAL ABOUT PORT ROYALS OUT.
SO SPANISH SAILORS BEING THE BEST IN THE WORLD IN THEIR TIME, FOUND THIS PLACE VERY EARLY, KNEW THAT FOR THE SPANISH EXPLORATIONS OF THE AMERICAN SOUTHEAST, THIS WOULD BE THE ENTRATA, THE ENTRANCE.
AND SO THEY BUILT A CITY ACROSS THE RIVER, UH, ACROSS THE SOUND FROM WHERE WE ARE ON PARIS ISLAND THAT BECAME THE FIRST CAPITAL OF FLORIDA.
AND THEY EXPLORED THE BACK COUNTRY FROM THIS LOCATION FOR, UH, MORE THAN A CENTURY WITH THE OBJECT OF BUILDING A HIGHWAY FROM THIS MAGNIFICENT HARBOR TO MEXICO CITY.
SO THE SOUND WAS KNOWN TO THE SPANIARDS, IT WAS KNOWN TO THE FRENCH WHO ACTUALLY GOT HERE FIRST AND FOLLOWED AND CREATED THE FIRST PROTESTANT COLONY IN THE NEW WORLD ON PARIS ISLAND OVER MY SHOULDER.
UM, AND THAT COLONY WAS A FAILURE.
IT WAS PART OF SPANISH, FLORIDA WHEN THE ENGLISH ARRIVED 150 YEARS LATER.
AND THIS WAS BECAME, AS A CONSEQUENCE, A BATTLEGROUND IN THE 18TH CENTURY BETWEEN SPANISH INTERESTS IN FLORIDA AND ST.
AUGUSTINE AND THE ENGLISH COLONY IN CAROLINA AND IN CHARLESTON AND BACK AND FORTH.
THESE WARS WENT, MANY OF THEM NAVAL WARS, MANY OF THEM EMPLOYING AS ALL THE SAILORS KNEW BY THEN THE MAGIC OF PORT ROYAL SOUND.
WHEN THE CIVIL WAR CAME, CONFEDERATES DEFENDED THE, UH, HARBOR, BUT IT WAS BASICALLY INDEFENSIBLE AGAINST, UH, LARGE NAVAL FORCES.
SO THE US NAVY MADE IT THEIR PRINCIPLE TARGET DURING THE BE BEGINNING OF THE CIVIL WAR AND SENT THE LARGEST FLOTILLA OF SHIPS, UM, ASSEMBLED BY THE UNITED STATES NAVY IN THE 19TH CENTURY INTO PORT ROYAL SOUND.
ON NOVEMBER, NOVEMBER 7TH, 1861.
IN A FOUR HOUR CANON AID, WHICH WOULD'VE BEEN DEAFENING FROM WHERE WE'RE SITTING, WAS HEARD FROM MILES FROM SAVANNAH, NEARLY TO CHARLESTON.
IT WAS CALLED THE DAY OF THE BIG GUN SHOOT.
DURING THE CIVIL WAR, THIS HARBOR THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT WAS FILLED WITH SHIPS.
THERE WOULD BE HUNDREDS OF SHIPS IN THIS HARBOR.
THERE WAS A THOUSAND FOOT, UH, DOCK WITH A RAILROAD ON TOP OFF OF HILTON HEAD.
[01:10:01]
THE MILITARY INSTALLATION WAS MAMMOTH.THERE WERE 13,000 US SOLDIERS ON HILTON HEAD, WHICH WE'RE LOOKING AT THE LARGEST POPULATION ON HILTON HEAD UNTIL 1974.
SO THIS WAS A MAJOR US GOVERNMENT INSTALLATION IN THE HEART OF THE SOUTH.
IT WAS THE HEADQUARTERS OF THE US ARMY DEPARTMENT OF THE SOUTH, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, IT WAS THE HEADQUARTERS OF THE UNITED STATES NAVY, SOUTH ATLANTIC BLOCKADING SQUADRON.
SO THE BIGGEST SHIPS IN THE NAVY WERE HERE.
AND, UM, SO IT, IT BECAME, AND, AND THAT'S REALLY WHERE THE STORY OF FREIGHT.
FORT FREMONT STARTS WITH THAT HUGE CIVIL WAR MILITARY, UH, OPERATIONS AND INSTALLATIONS, UM, ON HILTON HEAD, ON ST.
HELENA ISLAND, ON PARIS ISLAND, AND IN, BUT AFTER THE CIVIL WAR, WE'RE GONNA SEE A MASSIVE CHANGE IN TECHNOLOGY THAT'S GONNA REVOLUTIONIZE THE MILITARY.
DURING THE CIVIL WAR, WE HAD IRONCLAD SHIPS, WE HAD RIFLE CANNONS, BUT THEY WERE ALL MADE OUT OF IRON, AND THEY WERE NOT TERRIBLY EFFECTIVE.
BUT ITS TECHNOLOGY IS GONNA CHANGE.
AFTER THE CIVIL WAR, WE'RE GONNA SEE STEEL PRODUCED, AND STEEL IS MUCH HARDER.
SO NOW WE HAVE A NEW MATERIAL TO MAKE ARMOR OUT OF FOR SHIPS.
SO WE CAN HAVE THESE ARMORED SHIPS MADE WITH STEEL AND A MUCH MORE RESISTANCE TO A SHOT.
BECAUSE I HAVE STEEL, I CAN MAKE, UH, STRONGER BARRELS FOR MY GUNS.
UH, I CAN RIFLE AND MACHINE THESE MUCH BETTER.
AND THE RIFLING IS THE SPIRALS THAT ARE CUT IN THE BARREL THAT ALLOWS IT TO SHOOT FURTHER WITH MORE ACCURACY.
AND WE CAN ALSO NOW HAVE BREACH LOADING GUNS THAT CAN LOCK FROM BEHIND.
SO I CAN LOAD MY GUN FROM BEHIND.
I DON'T HAVE TO GO OUT THE OLD BLACK POWDER MUZZLE LOADING CANNON I HAD BEFORE.
NOW I CAN FIRE MUCH MORE RAPIDLY.
IF I COMPARE THE GUN OF, UH, 1890 TO THE GUNS OF 1860, UH, FOR THE SAME CALIBER, THE SAME DIAMETER GUN, UH, THE 1890 GUN WILL BE ABLE TO FIRE PROJECTILE AS FOUR TIMES HEAVIER, CAN SHOOT IT THREE TIMES FURTHER, CAN PUT IT IN WITH GREATER PRECISION, AND CAN PUT IT THROUGH MUCH MORE ARMOR THAN ANYTHING.
WE HAD IN 1860S WORLD DIFFERENCE.
A MILITARY HISTORIAN, ER LEWIS, WOULD SAY THAT THE CHANGE BETWEEN THE CIVIL WAR IN 1890 AND ARTILLERY TECHNOLOGY WAS THE GREATEST THAT WE'D BE SEEN SINCE INVENTION OF ARTILLERY IN THE 14TH CENTURY, TO THE INTRODUCTION OF THE NUCLEAR PROJECTILE IN THE 1950S.
SO THERE'S BEEN A HUGE CHANGE IN GUN TECHNOLOGY AT THE SAME TIME.
IT'S NOT JUST THE STEEL, BUT ALSO THE POWDER THAT FIRES THESE GUNS IS DIFFERENT.
WE'RE HAVING NEW CHEMICAL MAKEUP AND SORT OF LIKE CORDITE IS INVENTED NOW, AND IT'S STILL A WIDELY USED MILITARY EXPLOSIVE.
SMOKELESS POWDER IS INVENTED DURING THIS PERIOD OF TIME, AND IT'S NOT JUST CHEMICAL COMPOSITION, BUT IT'S THE DETAILS OF HOW YOU MAKE THE GRAIN, HOW FAST THEY BURN.
SO MUCH LIKE THE SKILL OF FIRING A SOLID ROCKET, UM, SOLID FUEL, UM, ROCKET.
IT'S THAT SAME KIND OF TECHNOLOGY THAT'S BEEN DEVELOPED IN THESE, UH, GUN POWDER, IN THIS NEW POWDER.
SO OUR WEAPONS OF THIS DAY ARE, ARE MUCH, MUCH GREATER.
UM, THEY WOULD BE THE GREAT KILLING MACHINES IN WORLD WAR I.
MOST OF THE CASUALTIES ON THE BATTLEFIELDS WORLD WAR I WOULD COME FROM ARTILLERY.
SO THE WORLD HAS SEEN A HUGE CHANGE IN ARTILLERY, AND THAT'S TIED INTO CHANGES AND SHIPS.
WE NOW HAVE STEEL ARMORED SHIPS.
THEY'RE ALL, UH, STEAM POWERED.
THEY ARE NOW EQUIPPED WITH THESE FINE LONG RANGE GUNS, AND THEY NOW BECOME THE DOMINANT THREAT OF THE LATE 19TH, EARLY 20TH CENTURY.
THE FRENCH AND ENGLISH WOULD BOMBARD CITIES LIKE CAIRO AND REDUCE THEM TO RUBBLE BECAUSE THEY WERE UNABLE TO DEFEND THEM.
SO THIS IS HOW THE WORLD WAS SEEING THE THREAT FROM THIS NEW TECHNOLOGY.
BIG BATTLESHIPS ARE THE THREAT OF THE ERA, AND NEW GUNS AND FORTIFICATIONS ON, UH, THE GROUND ARE WHAT YOU HAVE TO HAVE TO DEFEND AGAINST THEM.
ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT FIRST THINGS THAT HAPPENED AFTER THE CIVIL WAR IS THEY BUILT A RAILROAD TO PORT ROYAL SOUND, WHICH DIDN'T EXIST.
IT WAS THE FIRST CONNECTION OF THE SEA ISLANDS TO THE MAINLAND.
AND THE ADVANTAGE OF THAT RAILROAD IS IT BROUGHT COLD TO PORT ROYAL SOUND.
SO WHEN THE COAL WAS DELIVERED, THE NAVY FOLLOWED IN 1872, ROBERT SMALLS WAS IN THE SOUTH CAROLINA LEGISLATURE, AND HE PUSHED THROUGH A RESOLUTION TO THE SECRETARY OF WAR CALLING FOR THEM TO PUT A NAVY STATION ON PARIS ISLAND.
AND EVENTUALLY HE WOULD GO ON TO CONGRESS WHERE HE WOULD CONTINUE HIS SUPPORT FOR A NAVY STATION HERE IN THE BEAUFORT FORT OIL AREA.
THEY EVENTUALLY OPENED A NAVY STATION HERE AND A COALING STATION THEY CREATED IN THE 1890S ON PARIS ISLAND, THE LARGEST DRY DOCK IN THE UNITED STATES.
THIS IS THE PERIOD WHEN THE US NAVY WAS SWITCHING FROM SAIL TO STEAM.
ALL THE NAVIES OF THE WORLD NEED COALING STATION.
THIS WAS THE PRINCIPLE COALING STATION BECAUSE OF THE RAILROAD FOR THE CARIBBEAN AND SOUTH AMERICAN
[01:15:01]
US FLEETS, THIS WOULD BE THE BIGGEST DRY DOCK SOUTH OF NORFOLK.IN FACT, IT IS THE ONLY DRY DOCK SOUTH OF NORFOLK, VIRGINIA, THAT'S CAPABLE OF TAKING THESE NEW MODERN BATTLESHIPS AND THESE NEW MODERN ARMORED CRUISERS.
SO THIS BECOMES, AT THIS POINT, A STRATEGIC NAVY BASIN, THAT IT PROVIDES COAL AND IT PROVIDES, UH, TOP LINE SUPPORT TO THE SHIPS, AND THEY CAN REPAIR THE HULLS OF EVEN THE BIGGEST SHIPS IN THE US NAVY.
FOLLOWING THE CIVIL WAR, NATIONAL STRATEGY AND EMPHASIS IN THE UNITED STATES SHIFTED FROM TO RECOVERY FROM WAR, AND ALL OF OUR COASTAL FORTIFICATIONS WENT INTO NEGLECT.
THE MILITARY WAS BUSY TAMING THE WEST, AND COASTAL DEFENSES, UH, BECAME SOMETHING THAT WAS NO LONGER IMPORTANT.
AND THE REST OF THE WORLD, TECHNOLOGY IS MOVING FORWARD, AND THEY'RE DEVELOPING THESE BATTLESHIPS.
THEY'RE DEVELOPING NEW, UH, HIGH QUALITY ARTILLERY, AND THIS IS GOING ON, UM, WORLDWIDE.
AND IN 1885, PRESIDENT GROVER CLEVELAND APPOINTED ENDICOTT BOARD, THIS WAS SEC HEADED BY SECRETARY WAR ENDICOTT, WILLIAM ENDICOTT.
AND THE BOARD WOULD MEET AND ISSUE A REPORT IN 1886.
AND THEY SAID THE CONDITIONS OF OUR COASTAL DEFENSES WERE JUST UNBEARABLE.
IT CANNOT BE ALLOWED TO STAY LIKE THAT.
AND THEY MADE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FORTIFICATION AND IMPROVEMENTS.
IDENTIFIED 29 PLACES THAT NEEDED FORTIFICATIONS, AND 11 OF WHICH WERE CRITICAL.
AND THAT LIST OF 29, SAVANNAH AND CHARLESTON ARE ON THE LIST, BUT BEAUFORT IS NOT ON THE LIST.
IT'LL TAKE INTERNATIONAL EVENTS TO BRING BEAUFORT INTO THE PLAY OF, OF MODERN FORT TECHNOLOGY.
SO THE USS MAINE WAS HERE ON PATROL AND IN THE HARBOR, AND WHILE THEY WERE IN THE HARBOR, SEVERAL TIMES, THEY ENTERTAINED THE LOCAL POPULATION.
SO THE MERCHANTS AND THE SOCIAL LEADERS AND THE POLITICAL LEADERS OF BEAUFORT WERE INVITED TO COME HAVE LUNCH WITH THE CAPTAIN OF THE SHIP, CAPTAIN SBE.
AND THE OFFICERS GOT TO KNOW THE PEOPLE.
THE PEOPLE GET, GOT TO KNOW THE OFFICERS.
THE CREW, WHICH WAS LARGE, WOULD GO ASHORE ON PAYDAY AND MAKE FRIENDS WITH EVERYBODY IN TOWN.
SO IT WAS A VERY SOCIAL, UM, ARRANGEMENT BETWEEN THE TOWNS, PORT ROYAL AND BEAUFORD AND THE SHIP.
SO THE MAIN LEFT HERE, IT WENT AND REPROVISION, IT REFUELED IN KEY WEST, AND THEN WENT THE 90 MILES ACROSS TO HAVANA INTO THE HARBOR AND BLEW UP THIS INFLAMED.
THE ALREADY, UH, HOT PASSIONS BOTH IN CUBA AND HERE IN THE UNITED STATES.
AT THAT POINT, SOMEBODY IN THE WAR DEPARTMENT REALIZED THAT WE HAD THIS BIG DRY DOCK, THE ONLY DRY DOCK IN THE SOUTH THAT COULD HAVE TAKE ON AND REPAIR THESE BIG CAPITAL SHIPS THAT WERE IN OUR NAVY.
WE WERE GOING TO START OPERATIONS AGAINST A POWER IN THE CARIBBEAN.
AND THIS FORT WAS TOTALLY UNDEFENDED, AND THAT'S WHAT PUT FORT FREMONT ON THE MAP.
WE HAD TO HAVE A FORT HERE TO DEFEND THE COALING STATION, AND ESPECIALLY THIS BIG DRY DOCK, AS WELL AS THIS FINE HARBOR THAT'S HERE.
AND OF COURSE, THAT EVENT, WHICH KILLED 300 OR MORE SAILORS ON THE SHIP, UM, WAS VERY MUCH FOLLOWED BY THE LOCAL NEWS MEDIA AND VERY MUCH LAMENTED BY THE MANY FRIENDS THAT THE CREW HAD MADE HERE.
THE DESTRUCTION OF THE USS MAINE WAS A PERSONAL MATTER TO BEAUFORT AND TO PORT ROYAL SOUND.
UM, AND OF COURSE, IT WAS THE SPANISH AMERICAN WAR AND THE ATTEMPT TO DEFEND THIS HARBOR AGAIN, WHICH LED TO THE, THE CREATION OF FORT FREMONT.
THE UNITED STATES DECLARED WAR ON SPAIN IN, IN APRIL, 1898.
AND BY EARLY MAY, WE HAD TEMPORARY BATTERIES IN PLACE HERE, SUBMARINE MINES WERE IN PLACE, AND IN THE SUMMER, THEY WOULD ACTUALLY PLACE THE MINES ACROSS THE BEAUFORT RIVER.
THE TEMPORARY BATTERIES WERE A TEMPORARY EXPEDIENT.
THEY WERE LOCATED TO MY LEFT ABOUT A THOUSAND YARDS.
THEY IMMEDIATELY BEGAN CONSTRUCTION OF WHAT WOULD BECOME FORT FREMONT.
THE LARGE BATTERIES WOULD HOUSE THE LARGE GUNS BATTERY FOR NANCE.
THE RAPID FIRE GUNS, THE SMALLER BATTERY, WAS COMPLETED BY JUNE OF 1898.
IN 1898, EVERYBODY IN TOWN WENT TO WAR.
UM, THEY HAD A NAVAL MILITIA UNIT, SOUTH CAROLINA NAVAL MILITIA UNIT, AND THEY WERE ABSORBED BY THE NAVY.
UH, MANY OF THEM RAN TUGBOATS FROM HERE TO NEW YORK TO KEY WEST, WHICH WAS THE PRINCIPAL SUPPORT BASE, TAMPA AND KEY WEST FOR THE US ARMY OPERATIONS IN CUBA.
PEACE WAS DECLARED BY THE END OF 1898, AND THE, UH, REMAINDER OF FORT FREMONT WOULD NOT BE FINISHED UNTIL EARLY 1899, AND THE FIRST SOLDIERS WOULD ARRIVE FROM A REGULAR ARMY AT THAT POINT IN MARCH, 1899.
WELL, FORT FREMONT WAS NAMED FOR, UH, MAJOR GENERAL JOHN
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FREMONT.UH, HE WAS ACTUALLY A LOCAL BOY, SO TO SPEAK.
UH, HE WAS BORN AND GREW UP IN, UH, SAVANNAH, GEORGIA, JUST, UH, SOUTH OF US.
AND, UH, WENT TO, UH, COLLEGE IN THE COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON, UH, UP JUST NORTH OF US IN CHARLESTON.
HE SERVED IN THE ARMY AND, UH, PRIMARILY INITIALLY AS A EXPLORER, AS ARMY FORTS WERE GENERALLY NAMED FOR ARMY OFFICERS, AND HE WAS CONNECTED LOCALLY.
THIS IS MORE THAN LIKELY WHY THE FORT WAS NAMED FOR HIM.
THE FORT WAS CONSTRUCTED ON A SITE, UH, DIRECTLY ACROSS THE RIVER FROM, UH, THE PARIS ISLAND, UH, UH, NAVAL STATION.
AND THE SITE SELECTED WAS 170 ACRES, WHICH INCLUDED THE TWO, UH, ARTILLERY, UH, BATTERIES.
UH, FORT UH, F FREMONT, OF COURSE HAD BATTERY FOREIGNNESS AND BATTERY JESSUP.
UH, BUT THEN ADJACENT TO THE BATTERY SITE WAS AN ADMINISTRATIVE QUADRANGLE, A VERY TYPICAL MILITARY TYPE, UH, ADMINISTRATIVE SQUARE.
UH, WE ARE SITTING IN THE NUMBER THREE GUN POSITION OF A THREE GUN BATTERY BATTERY JESSUP, WHICH HAD THREE 10 INCH DISAPPEARING CARRIAGE, LARGE CALIBER GUNS BREACH LOADING GUNS.
THEIR PURPOSE WAS TO, UH, ENGAGE THE WARSHIPS THAT MIGHT, UH, BE ENTERING THE HARBOR, UH, AND FORT ROYAL SOUND.
WE'RE HERE NOW AT THE SECOND BATTERY, UH, THAT WAS PART OF FORT FREMONT.
THIS IS BATTERY FOR NANCE, UH, WAS NAMED FOR, UH, ARMY OFFICER, UH, THAT WAS ACTUALLY KILLED DURING THE SPANISH AMERICAN WAR.
UH, DURING THE BATTLE OF SAN JUAN HILL, UH, BATTERY FOR MOUNTED TWO, UH, BRITISH MADE 4.72 INCH ARMSTRONG QUICKFIRE GUNS.
UH, THEY WERE CALLED QUICKFIRE BECAUSE THEY LOADED, UH, WERE LOADED WITH A COMPLETE CARTRIDGE, AND IT, UH, IN TIME OF ACTION, THEY COULD FIRE FOUR TO SIX ROUNDS PER MINUTE.
THE PURPOSE OF BATTERY FOR NANCE WAS TO DEFEND THE MINE FIELD, WHICH WAS THE OTHER COMPONENT OF THE ENDICOTT COAST ARTILLERY OR OR COAST DEFENSE SYSTEM.
UH, A MINEFIELD, UH, WITH CONTROLLED MINES.
CONTROLLED MEANING THAT THEY WERE CONNECTED ELECTRICALLY TO SHORE AND COULD BE FIRED ON COMMAND FROM SHORE.
THAT, UH, CONTROL STATION WOULD'VE BEEN, UH, PROBABLY SHARED WITH THE PLOTTING ROOM.
AND IN ORDER TO PROTECT THE MINEFIELD, OBVIOUSLY AN ENEMY WOULD WANT TO INTERFERE WITH THAT.
MIGHT SEND VESSELS, UH, SMALL SHIPS IN HERE AT NIGHT TO TRY TO INTERFERE.
AND THIS BATTERY WOULD TAKE THOSE VESSELS UNDER FIRE IF THERE WAS SOME, UH, THERE WAS SUSPECTED THAT, UH, UH, THEY WERE DOING SOMETHING TO INTERFERE WITH THE MINES, SUCH AS, UH, PULLING UP THE CABLES AND CUTTING THOSE.
THE INGO ERA ERA OF FORT WAS A FORMIDABLE TECHNOLOGY.
IT REPRESENTED STATE-OF-THE-ART TECHNOLOGY, DEFENSE TECHNOLOGY OF ITS TIME AGAINST THE STATE-OF-THE-ART THREAT, WHICH WOULD BE THE BATTLESHIP.
THE LIFE FOR THE SOLDIERS AT FORT FREMONT WAS DISCIPLINED AND REGIMENTED.
THEY EVEN HAD MEALTIMES WHERE SPECIFIED LENGTHS OF TIME, 15 MINUTES FOR LUNCH, 15 MINUTES AT BREAKFAST, 20 MINUTES AT SUPPER.
THEY HAD TO PRACTICE THEIR SKILLS.
THEY WERE TRAINING AND DOING MAINTENANCE CONSTANTLY, IF YOU CAN IMAGINE WITH THESE BIG GUNS.
THEY HAD TO HAVE SKILLS IN, IN PRACTICE, THE SKILLS IN ARTILLERY MINE LAYING SIGNALING, WHICH INVOLVED IN OUR CASE AT FORT FREMONT, THE USE OF THE FIRE CONTROL TOWER, WHICH WAS A PRETTY SOPHISTICATED AND, UM, ADVANCED SIGNALING TECHNIQUE.
THEN THEY ALSO HAD TO, UM, PRACTICE THE TYPICAL MILITARY SKILLS, MARCHING AND, UH, DRILLING SMALL ARMS, FIRE, FIRST AID, AND SO FORTH.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, THEY ALSO, UM, HAD PARTICIPATED IN ATHLETICS.
THEY HAD PHYSICAL TRAINING, PT, AND THEY ALSO HAD SPORTS TEAMS. SO THIS WAS TO KEEP THEM PHYSICALLY FIT SO THAT THEY COULD CONTINUE THEIR, THEIR DUTIES, BECAUSE THEY WERE, IT WAS PRETTY RIGOROUS AT FORT FREMONT.
WHEN EVENTUALLY THE DECISION WAS MADE TO MOVE A DRY DOCK AND
[01:25:01]
THE COALING STATION AND THE NAVY STATION UP TO CHARLESTON, THEN THIS FORT NO LONGER BECAME SIGNIFICANT.THERE WAS NOTHING LEFT HERE THAT WAS TO BE PROTECTED.
AND AT THAT POINT, 1911, THE LAST TROOPS WERE TRANSFERRED OUT, AND FORT WAS CLOSED IN 1901, THE MAYOR OF CHARLESTON AND THE UNITED STATES SENATOR PITCHFORK, BEN TILLMAN FROM SOUTH CAROLINA, WANTED THIS TO MOVE FROM BEAUFORT COUNTY TO CHARLESTON COUNTY 'CAUSE THERE ARE MORE VOTES IN CHARLESTON COUNTY.
AND THE MAYOR WANTED THE US CORPS OF ENGINEERS THAN IN THE NAVY TO DREDGE THE HARBOR IN CHARLESTON.
'CAUSE BATTLESHIPS IN THOSE DAYS REQUIRED 26 FEET OF WATER.
CHARLESTON'S NATURAL HARBOR IS 15 FEET OF WATER.
PORT ROYAL IS 30 FEET OF WATER.
IN ORDER FOR CHARLESTON TO SUSTAIN ITS PORT, ITS COMMERCIAL PORT, IT HAD TO DREDGE THE HARBOR.
WELL, IF THEY COULD GET THE NAVY UP THERE, THEY GET THE CORPS OF ENGINEERS TO DRUDGE THE HARBOR.
AND THE, UH, THE PLAY FOR PITCHFORK, BEN TILLMAN, THE US SENATOR IN 1900, WAS THAT HE'D GET A WHOLE LOT MORE VOTES FROM VOTES FROM THE LARGEST CITY IN SOUTH CAROLINA.
SO IT WAS A POLITICAL, COMMERCIAL OPERATION, AND THEY MOVED THE NATION AND IT WAS DONE, BOOM, LIKE THAT.
THE FORT DID ITS JOB, THE DETERRENT FOR ANYBODY THAT WISHED TO ATTACK THESE.
IN FACT, THE WHOLE INDICO SYSTEM, ALTHOUGH NEVER CHALLENGED IN, UH, THIS ERA HERE IN THE UNITED STATES, PROVIDED SOME 300 MAJOR GUNS, COASTAL GUNS, TO PRO, UH, PROTECT MAJOR AREAS, AND LEFT THE UNITED STATES AT THE BEGINNING OF THE 20TH CENTURY WITH AS WELL DEFENDED, UH, COASTLINE AS ANY PLACE IN, IN THE WORLD.
BUT I, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SAY THAT IT'S A MAGNIFICENT ARTIFACT OF AN ERA, AND IT'S AN ERA THAT HAS BEEN NEGLECTED, UH, THE TURN OF THE 20TH CENTURY, UM, THE NAVAL STATION ACROSS THE RIVER HERE.
AND, UM, SO IT'S A, IT'S A PIECE OF HISTORY THAT'S DISAPPEARING AND THE FRIENDS OF FORT FREMONT AND BEAUFORT COUNTY HAVE PRESERVED IT BEFORE THE USE OF THE PUBLIC.
AND, UH, AS A MEMORIAL TO THAT MOMENT IN HISTORY, FORT FREMONT CLOSES A 350 YEAR STORY OF HOMELAND SECURITY ADDRESSING EUROPEAN IMPERIALISM IN THE 19TH CENTURY.
IT'S A TALE OF HOW GEOGRAPHY, TECHNOLOGY, AND NATIONAL SECURITY CREATES A TRANSITION FOR AMERICA TO BECOME A GLOBAL POWER.
IT'S ALSO A WONDERFUL SNAPSHOT OF AMERICA.
IN THE BEGINNING OF THE 20TH CENTURY, THE FRIENDS OF FORT FREMONT AND BEAUFORT COUNTY HAVE A VALUED PARTNERSHIP WORKING IN TANDEM TO PRESERVE THE FORT'S INTEGRITY AND PROMOTE THE HISTORICAL, NATURAL AND CULTURAL ASPECTS OF THE FORT.
MOST IMPORTANT, WE'RE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR CREATIVE WAYS TO ENHANCE THE VISITOR EXPERIENCE.