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CLOSED CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY BUFORT COUNTY CALL TO ORDER
[1. CALL TO ORDER]
THIS SPECIAL CALL MEETING OF THE FINANCE ADMINISTRATION ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE.UM, AND WE DO HAVE A QUORUM, SO, WELL, SARAH, WOULD YOU TAKE THE ROLE, PLEASE? YES, MA'AM.
COUNCIL MEMBER BARTHOLOMEW HERE.
COMMITTEE CHAIR LAWSON MARK LAWSON.
AND I AM GOING TO, UH, ALLOW TAB MS. KAEPERNICK TO, UH, RUN THE MEETING SINCE I'M ONLINE.
UM, LET'S STAND FOR THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE, PLEASE.
I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND IT, THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVIDUAL WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
PUBLIC NOTIFICATION OF THIS MEETING HAS BEEN PUBLISHED, POSTED, AND DISTRIBUTED AND COMPLIANCE WITH SOUTH CAROLINA FREEDOM OF FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT.
CAN I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE
[4. APPROVAL OF AGENDA]
THE AGENDA, PLEASE? I'LL SECOND.I MOVED BY MR. BAROLO, SECONDED BY MR. DAWSON.
AND WE HAVE MINUTES ATTACHED, SO I PRESUME EVERYONE READ THEM.
CAN I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES? NO, MA'AM.
OH, WE HAVE MINUTES FROM THE OTHER MEETING IN HERE.
CITIZEN COMMENTS? WE HAVE ANY COMMENTS? ANYONE WANNA SPEAK, SIR? NO, MA'AM.
ASSISTANT COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR REPORT.
UH, I THINK YOU'RE, ARE YOU READING ON THE RIGHT ONE, MS. TAB? I'M READING THIS ONE RIGHT HERE.
YOU SHOULD HAVE A, A NEW, AN A PACKET AT YOUR DESK, NOT ONE FROM THE DRAFT.
AMANDA, I HAVE SO MANY PAPERS ON HERE.
YEAH, YOU CHANGED IT, SO WE WILL THROW THOSE AWAY.
[6. BEAUFORT COUNTY COMPENSATION & CLASSIFICATION STUDY (FISCAL IMPACT: NA until project is complete and Budget Ordinance is approved) - Katherine Mead, HR Director]
SIX.UM, BEAUFORT COUNTY COMPENSATION AND CLASSIFICATION STUDY.
OH, WE'RE ANXIOUSLY AWAITING THIS.
THANK YOU ALL FOR HAVING ME TODAY.
WHAT IS THIS? I GOT A, UM, SHORT PRESENTATION I'LL SHARE WITH YOU.
I DO BELIEVE IT'S IN YOUR PACKETS AS WELL.
UM, TODAY WE'RE GONNA GO OVER KIND OF WHERE WE ARE WITH THE ONGOING CLASS AND COMP STUDY THAT THE HR DEPARTMENT IS CONDUCTING IN CONJUNCTION WITH, UM, AN EXTERNAL CONSULTANT.
UM, QUICK AGENDA, WE'LL JUST DO A QUICK INTRODUCTION OF THE COMPANY THAT WE ARE CONS, UH, USING AS OUR CONSULTANT, TALK ABOUT THE PROJECT SCOPE, UH, THE STEPS OF THE PROJECT.
AND I ALSO WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT WHICH TARGET AREAS THAT WE USED WHEN WE DID OUR EXTERNAL SALARY SURVEY.
AND THEN OPEN UP THE FLOOR FOR ANY QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS THAT YOU MAY HAVE.
SO MOST OF YOU'RE AWARE, UM, EVERY FOUR YEARS BY WAY OF COUNTY ORDINANCE, WE DO CONSULT OR PARTNER WITH AN EXTERNAL CONSULTANT TO COMPLETE A COMPREHENSIVE CLASSIFICATION AND COMPENSATION STUDY.
UM, WE WENT THROUGH THE RFP PROCESS EARLIER THIS YEAR AND SELECTED MANAGEMENT ADVISORY GROUP INTERNATIONAL, ALSO KNOWN AS MAG.
UM, THEY HAVE A PROVEN TRACK RECORD AND PROVIDING IN-DEPTH COMPENSATION, UM, STUDIES AND HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT.
THEY'VE BEEN DOING THIS FOR 25 YEARS AND HAVE SERVED MORE THAN 40 STATES.
UM, THEY HAVE WORKED WITH LOCAL GOVERNMENT, STATE GOVERNMENT, SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND MANY OTHERS.
AND THEY, THEY HAVE ALSO COMPLETED EVERY 600 SIMILAR STUDIES TO WHAT WE'VE ASKED THEM TO WORK WITH US ON, INCLUDING SOME, UH, COUNTIES AND MUNICIPALITIES IN THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA.
SO THE PROJECT SCOPE THAT WE HAVE THEM FOR IS TO REVIEW ALL OF OUR JOB TITLES ACROSS 41 DEPARTMENTS.
IT'S APPROXIMATELY 825 FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES AND 110 PART-TIME POSITION OR EMPLOYEES.
WE HAVE ROUGHLY 360 POSITIONS, JOB TITLES THAT THEY ARE REVIEWING.
UM, SO THEY'RE LOOKING OVER OUR COMPENSATION PLAN.
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HAVE WORKED WITH THEM TO DESCRIBE SOME CHALLENGES WE'VE HAD WITH RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION ACROSS THE COUNTY.UM, BROUGHT UP SOME DEPARTMENTS THAT YOU ALL ARE AWARE, AWARE OF WITH DETENTION CENTER AND EMS, UM, AND THEN SOME OTHERS WITH THE, THE UNDER, UM, CHUCK'S GROUP, I THINK AND PATRICK'S GROUP AS WELL.
SO WE'VE, WE'VE MADE SURE THAT THEY ARE AWARE OF SOME ISSUES THAT WE DO HAVE.
UH, THEY WILL BE DEVELOPING AND CONDUCTING A COMPREHENSIVE COMPENSATION SURVEY AND THEN PROVIDE US A NEW SALARY, UM, WAGE REPORT.
THEY WILL ALSO PROVIDE IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES AND CALCULATING THE COST OF THOSE IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES FOR US.
AND I DO HAVE A PRELIMINARY NUMBER THAT I WILL SHARE WITH YOU TODAY.
UM, THEY'RE GONNA MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR BEST PRACTICES.
WE ALREADY GOT A PRELIMINARY REPORT FROM THEM THAT INCLUDED SOME POLICIES THAT I EVENTUALLY WOULD LIKE TO PUT FORTH FOR APPROVAL.
UM, IT REALLY NAILS DOWN HOW DO WE MOVE PEOPLE UP WITHIN THE SCALE, HOW DO WE MANAGE THIS PLAN THAT, THAT WE HOPEFULLY ARE GONNA BE ABLE TO APPROVE, UM, GIVEN US POLICIES ABOUT, UH, SUPPLEMENTING INDIVIDUALS THAT GET CERTIFICATIONS, MAYBE FURTHER EDUCATION TRANSFER.
UM, ALSO ADDRESSING EVEN TEMPORARY INTERIM STATUSES TO HAVE SOME CONCRETE NUMBERS IN A SCALE.
SO WE'RE CONSISTENT ACROSS THE BOARD IN HOW WE ARE COMPENSATING OUR EMPLOYEES AND OUR WORKFORCE WHEN THEY DO MAKE THESE CERTAIN MOVES THROUGHOUT THEIR CAREER WITH THE COUNTY.
AND THEN OF COURSE, PROVIDING RECOMMENDATIONS ON, AS I MENTIONED, KEEPING UP WITH THE STUDY AND THE INTEGRITY OF THE STUDY.
THE CLASSIFICATION SCOPE OF WORK, AGAIN, THEY'RE JUST REVIEWING ALL OF OUR CURRENT JOB TITLES.
UM, WE ARE GONNA HOST INDIVIDUAL DEPARTMENT HEAD MEETINGS WITH MAG CONSULTANTS SO THEY CAN EXPRESS ANY CONCERNS THAT THEY HAVE IN THEIR DEPARTMENTS.
SO IT'S UNIQUE, UM, VERSUS WHAT WE EXPERIENCE COUNTYWIDE.
THEY WILL ALSO PROVIDE UPDATED JOB DESCRIPTIONS FOR US.
AND THEN THEY WILL ALSO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE COMPLIANT WITH THE FAIR LABOR STANDARD ACTS, ENSURING THAT THESE POSITIONS ARE CLASSIFIED CORRECTLY TO BE NON-EXEMPT OR EXEMPT.
IN OTHER WORDS, HOURLY OR SALARY.
THIS IS A LITTLE SMALLER, I'M SORRY, BUT SOME STEPS TO SUCCESS.
UM, STEP ONE, WE HAVE COMPLETED, THIS WAS US MEETING WITH MAG, ALONG WITH JOHN ROBINSON, THE INTERIM COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR.
WE PROVIDED THEM ALL THE DATA THAT THEY NEEDED WITH OUR CURRENT PAY SCALES, OUR CURRENT JOB DESCRIPTIONS, AND ALL OF OUR CURRENT EMPLOYEE DATA.
UM, STEP TWO HAS BEEN COMPLETED.
THEY CAME ONSITE AND HOSTED SEVERAL MEETINGS FOR A WEEK AND INVITED ALL COUNTY EMPLOYEES THAT ARE IN OUR CURRENT COMPENSATION AND CLASSIFICATION PLAN TO ATTEND THESE MEETINGS SO THE EMPLOYEES CAN HEAR, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS A COMP AND GLASS STUDY AND HOW DO THEY CONDUCT THESE AND ALSO INTRODUCE THEM TO WHAT THEY CALL A JOB PROFILE QUESTIONNAIRE.
IT WAS A PRETTY LENGTHY SURVEY FOR THE EMPLOYEES TO TELL THE CONSULTANT IN THEIR OWN WORDS, WHAT IS IT THAT THEY DO DAY IN AND DAY OUT.
THERE WAS ALSO AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE SUPERVISORS TO REVIEW THAT BEHIND THE EMPLOYEES.
THE SUPERVISORS COULD NOT OVERWRITE ANYTHING THAT THE EMPLOYEE PUT IN THERE BECAUSE THEY WANT TO HEAR THE, THE FULL SCOPE FROM THE EMPLOYEE WITHOUT ANY INTERFERENCE FROM ANYONE ELSE.
BUT THESE SUPERVISORS WERE ALLOWED TO MAKE ADDITIONAL COMMENTS.
UM, AT THAT POINT, STEP THREE, THEY REVIEWED EVERYTHING AND STARTED DOING THE, EXCUSE ME, STEP FOUR.
THEY REVIEWED EVERYTHING AND STARTED DOING THEIR SALARY SURVEY, SURVEY WITH THE EXTERNAL MARKET THAT WE IDENTIFIED TO BE COMPETITORS OF OURS.
AND I'LL TELL YOU, THEY WERE ALL TIER ONE COUNTIES AND SOME OF OUR NEIGHBORING LOCAL MUNICIPALITIES, HOLIDAYS, STEP FIVE, THIS IS THE PRELIMINARY REPORT THAT WE GOT LAST FRIDAY.
SO IT'S ABOUT A 272 PAGE REPORT THAT MY STAFF IS WORKING TIRELESSLY TO VET AND GO THROUGH, MAKE SURE NOTHING'S STANDING OUT OF CONCERN WITH US.
UM, WE WILL RETURN ANY INFORMATION BACK TO THEM.
THEY WILL RERUN THAT REPORT AGAIN.
AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE SCHEDULED ON THE WEEK OF MAY 13TH THROUGH THE 17TH FOR THEM TO MEET INDIVIDUALLY WITH DEPARTMENT HEADS AS I MENTIONED EARLIER.
SO THEN THEY WILL RETURN THAT PRELIMINARY REPORT BACK TO US.
AND ONCE WE HAVE ALL GONE THROUGH IT AND WORKED WITH, UM, FINANCE AND YOU ALL, WE WILL HAVE A FINAL PRESENTATION FROM MAG THEMSELVES TO COME PRESENT.
THE LAST INFORMATION I TOLD YOU AT THAT I WOULD SHARE IS THESE ARE THE FOLKS THAT WE USED FOR OUR TARGET AREAS.
WE USED OUR SURROUNDING NEIGHBORS AND THEN WE USED TIER ONE COUNTIES.
SO THE MAGIC NUMBER THAT I HAVE RIGHT NOW, YES, IT'S A, IT'S A THREE-PRONGED APPROACH.
UM, THEY ARE RECOMMENDING A 4% COLA ACROSS THE BOARD.
THEY ARE RECOMMENDING OBVIOUSLY, TO BRING
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ANY EMPLOYEES UP TO THE MINIMUM LEVEL THAT MAY BE BELOW THE NEW PAY GRADE THAT THEY HAVE ASSIGNED.AND THEN THE THIRD APPROACH IS TO ACCOMMODATE FOR ANY INTERNAL EQUITY ISSUES THAT WE HAVE.
UM, SO WITH ALL THREE OF THOSE APPROACHES BEING DONE AT ONE TIME, IT'S GONNA BE APPROXIMATELY ANYWHERE BETWEEN 6.5 AND 7.5 MILLION.
SAY THAT AGAIN? 6.5 TO 7.5 MILLION.
WE, WE CAN CHOOSE TO BRING THAT MAYBE TO A TWO AND A HALF OR A 3%.
AND THAT SHAVES OFF A LITTLE BIT THERE.
THE, THE ONE PRONG WE CAN'T MESS WITH IS BRINGING EVERYONE UP TO THE MINIMUM.
IF WE ARE AGREE WITH THE NEW PAY SCALES, WE HAVE TO GET EVERYONE AT LEAST TO MINIMUM.
UM, BUT WE CAN BE FLEXIBLE WITH THE COLA AND WE CAN BE FLEXIBLE WITH THE INTERNAL EQUITY ADJUSTMENTS.
UM, WE HAD 1100 WHEN WE RAN THESE NUMBERS.
OF COURSE WE'VE HAD NEW FOLKS COME ON.
WE HAVE PEOPLE TRANSITION OUT.
SO WE'RE LOOKING AT APPROXIMATELY 1,109 POSITIONS THAT WERE SURVEYED.
631 OF THOSE WOULD NEED TO BE BROUGHT UP TO MINIMUM AND 446 WOULD NEED TO HAVE AN ADJUSTMENT FOR INTERNAL EQUITY.
COULD YOU REPEAT THOSE NUMBERS AGAIN? SURE.
MM-HMM,
SO WE GOT APPROXIMATELY 1,109 POSITIONS THAT WERE SURVEYED.
OUT OF THOSE 631 WOULD NEED TO BE BROUGHT UP TO THE NEW MINIMUM OF THE NEW PAY GRADES THAT ARE ASSIGNED.
AND 446 WOULD NEED TO BE ADJUSTED FOR INTERNAL EQUITY.
I WILL LET YOU KNOW THAT THE CONSULTANT TOLD US FRIDAY THAT IN TERMS OF OUR EXTERNAL EQUITY, WE'RE PRETTY, WE'RE PRETTY GOOD.
WE'RE, WE ARE PRETTY CLOSE TO THE MARK.
I THINK IT WAS LIKE MAYBE LESS THAN 1%.
UM, WHERE WE WERE STRUGGLING THE MOST IN THE COUNTY IS INTERNAL EQUITY, MAKING SURE THAT IT'S NO COMPRESSION BUILDING UP AND PEOPLE ARE WHERE THEY ARE OR WHERE THEY SHOULD BE WITHIN THE SCALE.
COULD I, MR. CHAIRMAN? MR. CHAIRMAN? YES.
AN EXAMPLE OF THAT WOULD BE IF SOMEONE HAD BEEN IN AN OFFICE FOR 10 YEARS AND THEN THE NEW PERSON WAS MAKING MORE MONEY THAN CORRECT.
THAN THE ONE THAT HAD BEEN THERE FOR 10.
SO YOU SAID, SO THERE'S THREE STEPS.
SO YOU SAID WE COULD DO THEM NOT ALL AT ONCE.
SO I, WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO GO BACK AND ASK MAG TO DO IS GIVE US A TWO OR THREE OPTIONS FOR IMPLEMENTATION JUST TO BRING THE NUMBERS DOWN, BUT STILL MAYBE TRY TO HIT ALL THREE, JUST NOT AT THE FULL RATE AND MAYBE LOOK AT A TWO YEAR IMPLEMENTATION.
SO IF I WERE TO, SO DO YOU HAVE NUMBERS FOR EACH OF THESE THREE STEPS INDIVIDUALLY? I DO.
THAT WOULD BE GREAT TO ADJUST US TO THE MINIMUM.
AND THEN TO ADJUST TO OUR INTERNAL EQUITY IS 2.7.
AND SO YOU'LL BE COMING BACK WITH TO US WITH RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THIS COMPANY AND HOW TO IMPLEMENT THIS MAYBE OVER TWO YEAR PERIOD OF TIME.
ANYONE ELSE HAVE A QUESTION FOR MS, MS ME? ONE OTHER QUESTION.
UM, WHICH ELECTED OFFICES WERE PART OF THE, UM, ANALYSIS? ALL ELECTED OFFICE WERE INCLUDED IN THE ANALYSIS WITH THE EXCEPTION OF PUBLIC DEFENDER, SHERIFF, AND MAGISTRATE.
THAT WAS GREAT MR. TO START? YES, GO AHEAD.
UH, CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, GO AHEAD.
CAN YOU? I'M GLAD ALICE ASKED THE QUESTION.
UM, SO YOU, YOU'RE TELLING ME THAT THE SOLICITOR AND THE PUBLIC DEFENDER AND WHO ELSE WERE NOT INCLUDED? SHERIFF AND MAGISTRATE, RIGHT? NOT THE SOLICITOR.
UH, WE DO NOT RUN THEIR PAYROLL.
UM, I DO REMEMBER THE PUBLIC DEFENDANT OFFICE, UH, REQUESTED ME IN OUR COMP PLAN.
UH, IS THAT NOT, DID WE TALK TO HIM OR WHAT'S THE STATUS ON THAT? SO THERE ARE ONGOING DISCUSSIONS WITH THE PUBLIC DEFENDER'S OFFICE, UM, UP TO YESTERDAY EVEN ON THAT.
AND I WOULD PROBABLY LEAN ON BRITTANY TO MAYBE DESCRIBE SOME FINDINGS THAT SHE HAS
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FOUND WITH THAT AND WHAT OUR STEPS FORWARD ARE TO GET THEM INCLUDED INTO THE COMP AND CLASS STUDY BECAUSE THEY DO NOT WANT TO BE INCLUDED.OR IS BECAUSE WE ARE SAYING THEY THEY'RE NOT ELIGIBLE TO BE INCLUDED.
WHAT'S THE STATUS? WHAT'S THE
THEY HAD EXPRESSED INTEREST TO BE A PART OF THE CLASS AND COMP STUDY, I BELIEVE TWO YEARS AGO.
UM, BUT THEN SOME COMMUNICATIONS CAME UP WITH A TEAM WITH INCLUDED LEGAL, MYSELF, FINANCE, ADMINISTRATION, AND PUBLIC DEFENDER, WHERE BASED ON STATE CODE IT SOUNDED AS THOUGH THAT THEY COULD NOT PARTICIPATE AND HAD TO BE IN A STATE MERIT SYSTEM.
BUT JUST AS RECENTLY AS MONDAY OR TUESDAY OF THIS WEEK, WE FOUND OUT THAT THE STATE MERIT SYSTEM HAD DISSOLVED IN THE MID NINETIES.
AND SO THAT'S WHY WE WERE TRYING TO GET EVERYTHING STRAIGHTENED OUT SO WE COULD PUT THEM IN OUR CLASS AND COMP.
SO I WOULD, I WOULD SAY WHEN I COME BACK WITH THE NEXT UPDATE, WE WILL MOST LIKELY HAVE THEM INCLUDED IN THE CLASS.
AND COMP MS. WARD, CHIME IN THAT, MR. GLOVER, ANYTHING ELSE? OKAY, MR. LAWSON.
[7. RECOMMEND APPROVAL TO COUNCIL OF A RESOLUTION TO COMMIT FUNDS TO BE PROVIDED FROM BEAUFORT COUNTY TO THE TECHNICAL COLLEGE OF THE LOWCOUNTRY FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE ARTHUR E. BROWN REGIONAL WORKFORCE TRAINING CENTER. (FISCAL IMPACT: $7.5 Million over a 3 year period) - Mary Lee Carns, Vice President for Advancement and Workforce Development]
SEVEN, A RESOLUTION TO COMMIT FUNDS TO BE PROVIDED FROM BUFORD COUNTY TO THE TECHNICAL COLLEGE OF THE LOW COUNTRY FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE ARTHUR E. BROWN REGIONAL WORKFORCE TRAINING CENTER.AGAIN, YOU LIKE OUR PRESENTERS.
YOU'RE LIKE FAMILY COMING BACK.
WE, UH, WE'RE COMFORTABLE HERE.
IN FACT, WE'RE, WE'RE NOT, WE DON'T HAVE A PRESENTATION.
I THINK YOU ALL SAW OUR PRESENTATION, UH, WICKER.
SO I GO, WHAT WE HOPE TO DO TODAY IS JUST GIVE YOU A QUICK RECAP OF WHAT THE REQUEST IS AND THEN, UH, FIELD ANY QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE, UH, REMAINING.
VERY LEAST NCE MY VICE PRESIDENT FOR ADVANCEMENT'S GONNA DO THE TALKING.
UM, JUST TO QUICKLY RECAP, UM, THE ARTHUR E. BROWN REGIONAL WORKFORCE TRAINING CENTER, 50,000 SQUARE FEET AND EMPOWERING 850 ADDITIONAL STUDENTS.
UM, ENABLING US TO EXPAND OUR PROGRAMS, SUPPLY CHAIN LOGISTICS, ROBOTICS, COMPOSITE MATERIALS, ADVANCED MANUFACTURING, UM, PUTTING EVERY YEAR ABOUT 120 GRADUATES IN THOSE PROGRAMS INTO OUR LOCAL WORKFORCE.
TOTAL PROJECT COST IS $26 MILLION.
TOTAL CONSTRUCTION COST IS ESTIMATED AT $20 MILLION.
WE HAVE $10 MILLION OF THE STATE.
UM, THE COLLEGE IS PUTTING FORTH TWO AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS OF OUR OWN RESOURCES.
AND WE'RE ASKING BEAUFORT COUNTY TO SUPPORT THE WORKFORCE CENTER AT SEVEN AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS.
MAKING THAT A MULTI-YEAR COMMITMENT.
UM, IT DOES NOT HAVE TO BE, WE'RE NOT ASKING FOR ONE LUMP, SEVEN AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS, BUT IT COULD BE A MULTI MULTI-YEAR COMMITMENT.
UM, WHAT DID YOU SAY THE ECONOMIC IMPACT IS GOING TO BE ON THAT ONCE IT'S ESTABLISHED? WAS IT 4.4 MILLION? IT'S, IT'S FOUR 4 MILLION ANNUALLY.
WE ESTIMATE THE COLLEGE'S ECONOMIC IMPACT TO BE AT 150 MILLION ANNUALLY AFTER THE CULINARY SCHOOL.
WHAT THE, UM, WHAT THE REGIONAL WORKFORCE TRAINING CENTER WOULD BE AT ANOTHER 4 MILLION ANNUALLY AFTER, AFTER THAT.
AND THE MORE IT GROWS, THE MORE THAT IMPACT.
ANY OTHER QUESTION? UM, I'D JUST LIKE TO MAKE A COMMENT.
UM, I ATTEND THEIR BOARD MEETINGS, UM, AS OFTEN AS I'M INVITED, WHICH IS OFTEN
UM, I'M VERY SUPPORTIVE OF THIS.
I UNDERSTAND THERE'S A, THERE MAY BE AN AMENDMENT TO OUR PACKET THAT, UM, COUNCILMAN BAREL HE'S GONNA PROPOSE.
BUT, UM, THE TIME IS RIGHT AND WE NEED THIS TO CONTINUE TO BE, UM, THE REGIONAL, UH, INFLUENCE FOR OUR, OUR STUDENTS.
AND I NEVER PASS A CHANCE TO, UM, TOUT THE PROGRAM THAT THEY HAVE FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS ALSO TO ATTEND THE TECHNICAL COLLEGE WHILE THEY ARE COMPLETING THEIR HIGH SCHOOL DEGREE, WHICH IS A GREAT PROGRAM.
UH, AND THE MANY THINGS THAT WE NEED DONE IN OUR COUNTY AND THE SURROUNDING COUNTIES.
ANY OTHER COMMENT OR QUESTION AT THIS POINT? I DO WANT TO ASK MRS. CHRISTMAS, THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION TO DISCUSS THAT.
AND I PRESUME EVERYONE'S AWARE
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OF IT.AND, AND THAT WILL COME A LITTLE LATER WHEN MR.
WITH THE PRESENTATION THAT HE'LL EXPLAIN WHATEVER WITH THE BOND.
AND YOU KNOW WHAT THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION IS? SHE'S MET WITH YOU MS. CHRIS.
YEAH, MS. CHRISTMAS EXPLAINED IT.
SO JUST FOR THE PUBLIC, UM, THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION WOULD BE TO FUND THE REQUEST AT 6 MILLION AND INCLUDE AMOUNT IN BOND ISSUANCE IN THE FALL OF 2024 AND DIRECT TCL SURPLUS REVENUE OVER THEIR CURRENT YEARS BUDGETED REVENUE TO BE USED FOR THE ANNUAL BOND PAYMENT, WHICH WILL BEGIN FALL OF 2025.
THUS NO FISCAL IMPACT ON TAXPAYERS.
NOW WA WAS THAT 6 MILLION A TYPO IN THE PACKET? 'CAUSE THE RESOLUTION DOES SAY 7.5.
THAT, AND SO THAT WAS THE QUESTION.
THE ORDINANCE WE'RE NOT SURE WHERE IT CAME FROM.
YOU WANNA JUMP ON THAT ONE? YES, MA'AM.
THE RESOLUTION, IT IS RECOMMENDED TO APPROVE THE RESOLUTION AT SEVEN POINT A HALF MILLION DOLLARS.
AND THE REASON WHY IS THERE ARE OTHER FUNDS THAT COME IN THROUGHOUT THE YEARS, UM, WITH, AND WE'LL GET INTO IT WITH THE MILLAGE, WITH THE MILL.
WHEN WE PRESENT THE MILLAGE PRESENTATION.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE HAD REASSESSMENT YEAR LAST YEAR.
THAT'S RESULTED IN, YOU KNOW, A BIG QUESTION MARK AS TO, OH, HOW MUCH IS THIS REALLY GONNA BRING IN, IN, IN TAX AND PROPERTY TAX REVENUE? AND ACTUALLY WE'VE BEEN, WE'VE WE'RE HITTING SURPLUSES RIGHT NOW.
SO, UM, WITH THAT BEING SAID, THEIR MILLAGE THAT'S ATTACHED TO THEIR FUND WILL ACCUMULATE ENOUGH MONEY TO BRIDGE THAT GAP OF $1.5 MILLION OVER A THREE YEAR PERIOD.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S WHERE THE EXCESS IS COMING FROM.
SO I WOULD RECOMMEND PASSING OR APPROVING THE RESOLUTION FOR THE COMMITMENT FOR 7.5 OVER A THREE YEAR PERIOD.
BUT THEN THE BOND ISSUANCE SHOULD COVER 6 MILLION.
SO WE HAVE A MOTION ON THE FLOOR AND DISCUSS.
YEAH, I, I DO HAVE A MOTION TO AMEND, UH, THE RESOLUTION I, I SEE IN HERE IN THE, UH, NUMBER TWO WHERE IT SAYS CALENDAR YEAR 2027.
UH, I'D LIKE TO AMEND THAT TO READ FISCAL YEAR 2027 RATHER THAN CALENDAR YEAR.
ANY QUESTION OR DISCUSSION ON THAT QUESTION FROM YOU GUYS ON THAT ONE? YOU'RE GOOD WITH IT? WE'RE GOOD.
SO THE MOTION ON THE FLOOR IS TO, UM, CHANGE THE RESOLUTION.
IT IS THE INTENT OF BEAUFORT COUNTY COUNCIL.
WE'LL MEET 7.5 MILLION FINANCIAL COMMITMENT BY THE END OF CALENDAR YEAR.
IT SHOULD SAY END OF FISCAL YEAR 2027.
CAN I HAVE A VOTE ON THIS? IS THERE ANY OBJECTION? WELL, THIS IS A VOTE ON THE AMENDMENT RIGHT? ON THE AMENDMENT? YES.
YOU HAVE TO GO BY THE HIERARCHY.
VOTE ON THE AMENDMENT TO CHANGE IT TO FISCAL YEAR.
AND NOW BACK TO THE ORIGINAL MOTION.
WE JUST TOOK A CLASS ON MOTIONS, EVERYBODY.
SO I JUST WANT YOU TO, THAT'S WHY HE'S LOOKING AT ME.
SO NOW THE ORIGINAL MOTION AND IT'S ALREADY BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED AND DISCUSS.
SO ANY OBJECTION TO THE ORIGINAL MOTION AS AMENDED? NOPE.
CAN I ASK YOU'S THE FIRST AND SECOND? I'M SORRY.
I JUST HAVE ON THE FIRST MOTION.
I'M NOT SURE THERE WAS A, I DON'T THINK THERE WAS.
SO MOVED AND, AND SO SECONDED.
THAT'S WHAT I JUST WAITING FOR YOU.
SO THIS WILL MOVE FORWARD TO COUNCIL AS A RECOMMENDATION.
MOVE FORWARD TO COUNCIL AS A RECOMMENDATION COUNCIL, ADOPT THE RESOLUTION FOR MAY 13TH.
[8. FISCAL YEAR 2025 BUDGET PRESENTATIONS FROM FIRE DISTRICTS AND UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA BEAUFORT (FISCAL IMPACT: NA until Budget Ordinance is approved) (Part 1 of 2)]
EIGHT.SO THIS WILL BE FISCAL YEAR 2025 BUDGET PRESENTATIONS.
FROM OUR FIRE DISTRICTS AND THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA.
BUFORT VALERIE, UH, YOU'RE GOING TO FACILITATE THIS OR, AND OUR FIRE DISTRICTS HAVE GREAT NEWS TODAY, SO THEY'RE GONNA BE REAL EASY.
THEN THEY'RE GONNA GO HAVE LUNCH OR DINNER, WHATEVER IT IS.
CHIEF BULLER, ALWAYS WELCOME TO SPEAK.
UH, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME TODAY.
UM, EVERYBODY SHOULD HAVE A COPY OF OUR, UH, BUDGET PROPOSAL.
UM, THIS BUDGET PROPOSAL WENT THROUGH OUR FIRE BOARD, UH, APPROVAL PROCESS.
WE HAD A WORKSHOP ON MARCH 19TH, UM, WHERE THE BOARD WAS SHOWN THE BUDGET.
AND ON APRIL 23RD, THEY HAD A MOTION TO APPROVE AND ADOPT AND SIGNED A RESOLUTION AND SUBMITTED IT TO ALL THE COUNTY COUNCIL.
UM, THIS RESOLUTION INCLUDES NO TAX INCREASE FOR THE CITIZENS OF BLUFFTON.
[00:25:01]
FLAT RATE OF 26 FOR THE DISTRICT.UM, WE DID MOVE A LITTLE BIT OF DEBT MILLAGE UP TO OUR OPERATIONS, UM, TO INCLUDE A 10.74% INCREASE IN OUR VALUE FOR THE MILL VALUE.
UM, WE'RE LOOKING AT A TOTAL 12.92% INCREASE IN OUR REVENUES.
UM, AND WE'RE LOOKING TO INCREASE OUR BUDGET TO 13.95% OF THE ORIGINAL FY 24 BUDGET.
UM, THIS WILL HELP FUND OUR NEW FIRE STATION, UM, THAT'S SOON TO BE CONSTRUCTED AND SOME PERSONNEL STAFFING ISSUES THAT GO ALONG WITH THAT.
UM, WE ALSO WENT THROUGH A COMP STUDY.
WE'RE LOOKING TO MAKE SOME CHANGES TO OUR PERSONNEL SALARY.
THAT'S GOOD NEWS FOR THE TAXPAYERS.
SO, UM, BLUFFTON CONTINUES TO GROW LEAPS AND BROWNS AND WE'RE TRYING TO STAY UP AS FAST AS WE CAN.
IS THAT POSSIBLE REALLY TO STAY UP WITH IT
VERY, WE'RE WE'RE, WE'RE GETTING INNOVATIVE STUFF.
ANYBODY HAVE A QUESTION FOR CHIEF? ER IS NOT THAT.
I JUST WANT A COMMENT THAT YOU'VE DONE AN INCREDIBLE JOB AND THANK YOU FOR COMING HERE YEAR AFTER YEAR, NOT ASKING FOR MORE MONEY.
YOU'RE LIVING WITHIN OUR MEANS.
I WISH ALL OF US COULD DO THAT.
ALRIGHT, BURTON FIRE DISTRICT CHIEF HARRY ROUNDTREE.
HE'S GONNA COME UP WITH A SMILE TOO.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME.
I WANTED TO, UH, QUICKLY SAY THANKS TO THE, THE HARDWORKING GROUP AT FINANCE FOR HELPING US GET, UM, OUR ESTIMATED MILL VALUE THIS YEAR.
UH, WE ALSO, UH, I'LL TRY TO KEEP IT AS BRIEF AS I CAN.
WE DROPPED 4.7 MILLS LAST YEAR.
UH, WE WENT FROM 77.7 DOWN TO, UH, WE LEVIED THIS YEAR, 69.1 FOR OPS AND 3.9 FOR DEBT FOR A TOTAL OF 73.
UH, THE ESTIMATED MILL VALUE FOR US THIS YEAR IS 1 0 1 0 9 8.
AND BASED ON THAT VALUE, WE ARE CONFIDENT THAT WE CAN OPERATE NEXT FISCAL LEVYING THE SAME MILLAGE AS LAST YEAR AND OFFER A BUDGET WITH NO TAX INCREASE.
WE HAVE A FEW SMALL ITEMS I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT, UH, COUNSEL IS AWARE OF.
WE DO PLAN ON HAVING A 5% COLA THIS YEAR AND WE DO PLAN ON ADDING ONE FIREFIGHTER PER SHIFT, UH, WHICH GIVE US A TOTAL OF 18 PER DAY PER SHIFT, UH, IN OUR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS.
A COUPLE MORE THINGS JUST TO MENTION.
UM, WE DO HAVE A FEW ITEMS ON OUR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS LIST.
UH, 12 SETS OF PROTECTIVE CLOTHING, WHICH WE INTEND TO USE PRIOR CONTRACT FUNDS TO PAY FOR.
WE ALSO INTEND ON UTILIZING FUNDS FROM OUR DEBT SERVICE FUND AND FROM OUR IMPACT FEES TO MAKE DOWN PAYMENTS ON THE TWO FIRE TRUCKS THAT WE HAVE ON ORDER THESE DOWN PAYMENTS MADE THROUGHOUT THE PRODUCTION PERIOD ALLOWS US TO FINANCE A LOWER FINAL AMOUNT WHEN THE TRUCKS ARE READY FOR PICKUP.
ONE TRUCK IS DUE MAY OF 2026 AND THE OTHER IS MAY OF 2028.
WE DO NOT HAVE ANY CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT EXPENDITURES REQUIRING TAXATION THIS YEAR.
AND I WOULD LOVE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE AT THIS TIME.
CHIEF, WHAT'S THE COST OF A FIRE FIRETRUCK THESE DAYS? I, I SOMEWHAT ANTICIPATED THAT QUESTION.
UH, WE, IT DEPENDS ON THE COMPONENTS, UHHUH AND OBVIOUSLY THE, THE VENDORS SOMETIMES.
BUT, UM, ESSENTIALLY THEY RUN BETWEEN FOR PUMPERS, UH, BETWEEN 800,000 AND A MILLION.
UM, IS IT DELAY BECAUSE THEY'RE HARD TO GET MANUFACTURED? IT IS INSANE RIGHT NOW AND IT'S ACTUALLY BEEN SINCE COVID, THE 2026 TRUCK WE CONTRACTED IN DECEMBER OF 22 AND IT WAS A 36 MONTH PRODUCTION PERIOD.
THE LAST TRUCK, THE COMMISSION, UH, CONTRACTED JUST LAST MONTH.
IT'S ON A FOUR YEAR PRODUCTION PERIOD.
IT DOESN'T TAKE ANY LONGER TO BUILD A FIRE TRUCK.
IT STILL TAKES ABOUT SIX OR EIGHT MONTHS FOR THEM TO ACTUALLY BUILD IT.
BUT YOU HAVE TO KIND OF GET IN LINE.
I'M GONNA BE REPLACING THE 2026 TRUCK IS ACTUALLY REPLACING A 2012 PUMPER, WHICH WILL HAVE 14 YEARS OF FRONTLINE SERVICE.
AND THE 2028 TRUCK IS GONNA BE REPLACING A 2015, WHICH WILL HAVE 13 YEARS OF FRONTLINE SERVICE.
BOTH OF THOSE APPARATUS WILL MOVE TO RESERVE AND THEN MY MUCH OLDER RESERVES WILL BE PUT OUT THE PASTURE BASICALLY.
SO DID WE GET A 2022 PRICE ON THAT PUMPER? THAT'S NOT COMING UNTIL 26.
I'M AFRAID THAT THEY, I'M AFRAID THAT THEY, IN FACT, THE CONTRACTS, UM, THAT WE HAVE WITH OUR CURRENT VENDOR IS WILLING TO ACCEPT A POTENTIAL 5% INCREASE.
TO WITH MY COMMISSION AND, AND ADJUST PRICES.
BUT, AND THEN EACH VENDOR IS DIFFERENT IN THAT BUT SHEET, YES.
THE, UM, THE COLA INCREASE AND THE UNIFORMS AND THE DOWN PAYMENT ON THE, UM, ON THE TRUCKS.
[00:30:01]
WITHIN THE, UH, PROPOSED BUDGET? NO.NO CALL TO INCREASE? NO, UH, NO.
IT, WE'RE USING THE SAME MILLAGE AS LAST YEAR.
AND BASED ON THE ESTIMATED MILL VALUE THAT WE GOT FROM FINANCE, WHICH WAS, LIKE I SAID, A TON OF HARD WORK, THEY DID AMAZING FOR US.
WE WERE ABLE TO LIVE WITHIN THOSE MEANS.
SO WE, WE DO NOT ANTICIPATE OR WILL NOT HAVE A TAX INCREASE THIS BUDGET CYCLE.
WELL I, I WANNA THANK YOU AND YOUR, UH, STAFF, ALL THE EMPLOYEES AT THE BURTON FIRE, UH, DISTRICT FOR THE SERVICE YOU PROVIDE FOR THE CITIZENS OF THE DISTRICT.
AND, UM, DOING IT ALL AT, AT A COST OF, YOU KNOW, INCREASE TO THE TAXPAYERS.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? THANK YOU.
I KNOW EVERY ANYONE WHO WATCHES THIS, UM, MEETING WILL SAY THAT'S GREAT.
NO INCREASE
DUSKY ISLAND FIRE DISTRICT CHIEF SHANE RETO.
LOVE THE NAME RETO SAID IT PERFECTLY.
I'D LIKE TO ALSO SAY THANK YOU TO DENISE AND OUR AND OUR TEAM FOR OUR, THEIR HARD WORK.
UM, THE S UNIQUE ANIMAL LIKE YOU GUYS KNOW.
AND SO A COST OF EVERYTHING IS INFLATED OVER THERE.
HOWEVER, UM, WITH OUR GOOD MILL VALUE THIS YEAR, UM, WE ARE GONNA MOVE OUR OPERATIONS BUDGET WOULD BE ABLE TO DROP THAT.
AND WE JUST REPLACED THROUGH DEMOS AND WAS ABLE TO TAKE IMMEDIATE DELIVERY OF THESE TRUCKS AND FOR A PAYMENT THAT STARTS NEXT YEAR.
SO I REPLACED THREE TRUCKS THAT WAS OVER 25 YEARS OLD WITH TWO, UM, WHICH SERVES OUR PURPOSE ON DUSKY.
SO SAYING THAT WE DROPPED OUR OPERATION BUDGET TO 58 MILS FROM 61.2 AND WE'RE ASKING FOR, UM, A DEBT MILL OF 4.2 MILS TO PAY FOR THE PAYMENTS OF THESE TRUCKS.
UM, IT'S OVERALL A ONE MIL INCREASE OF OVERALL TAX FOR OUR TAXPAYERS.
BUT UNDERSTAND THAT IT'S FOR A $500,000 HOME.
IT'S A $20 ADDITION TO THEIR TAX BILL NEXT YEAR.
OUR COMMISSION UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED IT AND THEY THOUGHT IT WAS A, A GREAT TIME TO GET OUR TRUCKS 'CAUSE THEY WERE OVER 25 AND 30 YEARS OLD.
AND, UM, IT'S THE FIRST NEW TRUCKS WE'VE HAD IN A VERY LONG TIME.
AND, UM, I THANK THE THANK THE COMMISSION PERSONALLY AND CHAIRMAN BRENNAN, UM, FOR SUPPORTING OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT AND OUR VISION FOR GROWTH.
AND ALSO WE DID A PACE STUDY AS WELL.
'CAUSE WE HAVE TO, WE, WE REQUIRE THE SAME CLASSES AND EVERYTHING AND, UM, WE HAD TO GET A PACE TO GET SCALE ADJUSTMENT AND WE'RE ABLE TO DO THAT EVEN DROP IN OUR OPERATIONS KNOWLEDGE.
SO, ANY QUESTIONS FOR ME? I AM STUNNED.
YOU HAVE A PUMPER THAT LASTED 25 YEARS.
WE CAN'T HAVE A CAR THAT LASTS 25 YEARS.
WELL, IT'S HARD AND THAT'S THE PROBLEM.
THAT'S WHY WE COULD DROP OUR OPERATIONAL BUDGET.
'CAUSE UM, PARTS ARE ONLY HELD FOR SO MANY YEARS.
AND NFPA RECOMMENDS A LIFESPAN ON THESE TRUCKS.
SO 25 YEARS, THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO GET RID OF THEM.
UM, BUT THE PARTS WERE GETTING HARD TO COME BY.
AND WE GOT LUCKY AND FOUND TWO DEMOS THAT ONLY HAD 80, 80 SOME MILES ON EACH OF THEM.
AND, AND IT FIT OUR PURPOSE PERFECTLY.
AND YOU TOOK 'EM OVER TO THE ISLAND BY BARGE? YEP.
YOU TOOK HIM ON BACK AND I SWAM WITH HIM.
SO, ANY QUESTIONS? ANY QUESTIONS? THANK YOU MR. LAWSON.
HENA FIRE DISTRICT CHIEF BRUCE KLEIN.
MADAM CHAIR, MEMBERS OF COUNCIL.
I'M PROUD TO, TO STAND IN FRONT OF YOU TODAY AND SAY THAT WE HAVE NO TAX INCREASE.
UH, AGAIN, THANK YOU TO FINANCE.
UM, OUR MILL VALUE HAS INCREASED CONSIDERABLY.
AND I I SEE THAT FOR THE NEXT COUPLE YEARS.
SO I'M HOPING THAT WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO BE ABLE TO INCREASE SERVICES, UM, AND NOT INCREASE TAXES.
SO OUR MILL RATE LAST YEAR WAS TOTAL OF 42.7.
IT IS 42.7 THIS YEAR IN MY BUDGET.
YOU'LL SEE THAT WE'VE ADJUSTED A DEBT 2.2 FROM DEBT UP INTO OPERATIONS.
UH, AND THAT STILL INCREASED OUR, OUR DEBT PAYMENT BY $7,505.
UH, WE ARE SEEING AN INCREASE IN REVENUE BY $560,000.
UH, WE WILL BE ADJUSTING SALARIES.
WE'LL BE GIVEN SOME INCENTIVES FOR EMT, UH, INTERMEDIATE PARAMEDIC.
AND, UH, WE'VE INCREASED OUR OPERATIONS BY $105,500 TO KEEP UP WITH ALL THE INCREASES THAT WE SEE.
[00:35:01]
WE BUY FUEL, WE PAY ELECTRICITY, WE PAY FOR WATER.SO AGAIN, UH, THE FIRE DISTRICT AND COMMISSION IS VERY PLEASED TO PRESENT YOU A BUDGET WITH NO TAX INCREASE.
AND HOW OLD ARE YOUR PUMPERS? OH, SOME OF 'EM ARE VERY OLD.
WE, UH,
UM, AND UH, AND THEY'RE COMING WHEN? HUH? SOMEDAY.
THEY, THEY'RE, THEY'RE, UH, WHEN WE SIGNED THE CONTRACT, IT WAS SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 24 AND 27 MONTHS.
UH, I THINK TODAY, TODAY, IF YOU WERE TO SIGN A CONTRACT, YOU'RE LOOKING AT 40 MONTHS FOR DELIVERY.
WHAT SOME VENDORS DO IS THEY PUT AN ESCALATOR INTO THE CONTRACT.
AND, UH, AS PRICES OF STEEL AND DIFFERENT COMMODITIES INCREASE, UM, THEY PAY IT.
SO INSTEAD OF COMING TO US AT THE END WHEN WE'RE READY TO PICK UP THE TRUCKS AND SAY, HEY, YOU OWE US AN ADDITIONAL $300,000, THERE'S AN ESCALATOR, BUT IF YOU DON'T USE THE ESCALATOR, THAT'S REFUNDED BACK TO YOU.
WE WOULD JUST ROLL THAT RIGHT INTO A PAYMENT AND, AND CONTINUE ON.
CHIEF LAN, UH, I DO HAVE A QUESTION FOR YOU.
UH, CAN YOU EXPAND ON THOSE INCENTIVES THAT YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT FOR THE, SO, UH, WE'RE, WE'RE ONE OF THE LAST DEPARTMENTS TO, UH, REQUIRE EMT.
UH, WE HAVE 22 EMTS, UH, OR ET INTERMEDIATES AND PARAMEDIC.
UH, WE PLAN ON IMPLEMENTING THAT OVER A THREE YEAR PERIOD.
WE HAVE PUT ADDITIONAL MONEY INTO OP, UH, TO OVERTIME THIS YEAR TO START HAVING, UH, AT LEAST ONE EMT CLASS IN-HOUSE PER YEAR TO GET ALL OUR STAFF TO A MINIMUM OF EMT.
SO WE'VE, UH, THE INCENTIVE WILL BE FOR THE CURRENT GUYS AND GALS THAT ARE EMTS AND THOSE THAT GET THE TRAINING IN THIS, THIS NEXT FISCAL YEAR, THEY'LL RECEIVE THE INCENTIVE PRO RATA SHARE, UH, WHEN THEY GET THE CERTIFICATION.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? I HAD ONE QUICK ONE.
DO YOU STILL HAVE THE INTERGOVERNMENTAL AGREEMENT WITH THE BUFORD PORT ROYAL FIRE FOR SUPPORT ON LAKE ISLAND? YES.
AND IF YOU SEE IN MY BUDGET, WE PLEDGE $350,000 THAT CONTRACT FEE.
WELL, YOU GUYS ARE JUST LIGHT TODAY.
SO NOW WE HAVE SHELDON FIRE DISTRICT CHIEF BUDDY JONES.
CAN I CALL YOU BUDDY? GOOD AFTERNOON COUNSEL.
SHELDON FIRE DISTRICT WILL NOT RAISE ANY MILLAGE EITHER THIS YEAR.
UH, WE HAVE A 105,909 INCREASE IN OUR BUDGET, WHICH IS ABOUT 5.5%, BUT WE'LL BE ABLE TO DO IT WITH OUR NEW MILLAGE.
UM, THE BIGGEST THING WE'RE GONNA DO IS WE'RE DOING LIKE A 6%, 6.33%, UM, SALARY ADJUSTMENT BECAUSE WE ARE PROBABLY ONE OF THE LOWEST PAID FIRE DISTRICTS IN THE COUNTY.
SO WE'RE TRYING TO GET THAT UP.
BESIDES THAT, WE'RE NOT DOING ANYTHING NEW, NO NEW DEBT OR ANYTHING.
SO IF YOU GOT ANY QUESTIONS, I'LL ASK YOU, YOU KNOW, HOW OLD ARE YOUR PUMPERS? OH, I GOT SOME.
WELL, MY OLDEST ONE'S A 99 99.
SHE THOUGHT IT WAS 99 YEARS OLD.
WE JUST BOUGHT A NEW ONE LAST YEAR.
ANY QUESTIONS, CHIEF? UM, AGAIN, THANK YOU ALSO FOR PUTTING FORTH A BUDGET WHERE YOU'RE GOING TO CONTINUE PROVIDING THE LEVEL OF SERVICE FOR THE CITIZENS OF, UH, SHELDON TOWNSHIP, UH, AT THE, AT THE RATE THAT YOU HAVE BEEN, UM, AT NO COST, NO, NO MILL INCREASE.
SO ON BEHALF OF THE CITIZENS OF SHELDON, UH, TOWNSHIP, I COMMEND YOU AND YOUR, UH, UH, EMPLOYEES FOR THANK YOU SERVICES THAT YOU DO PROVIDE.
SARAH, DO YOU HAVE THE THING FOR THE FIRE DEPARTMENT? LIGHT THE NIGHT B PUT IT ON THERE.
I JUST WANNA REMIND EVERYBODY, YOU GUYS HAVE MAY 1ST TO THE FIFTH AND I WANT TO THANK FINANCE FOR ALL THE WORK THEY DID WITH ALL OF YOU.
YOU ENJOYED WELL, THEY LOOK LIKE A GREAT BUNCH OF GUYS, SO I GUESS THEY WOULD BE FUN.
WE HAD THEM ALL TOGETHER AT ONE TIME AND SPENT ABOUT FOUR HOURS.
OH, YOU DID? FOUR HOURS CONSECUTIVE HOURS TOGETHER.
JUST TO REMIND EVERYBODY, THIS IS TO LIGHT UP ALL 50 STATES TO SHOW THAT WE REMEMBER FALLEN FIREFIGHTERS MAY 1ST THROUGH THE FIFTH.
SO THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR SERVICE AND FOR ANYONE THAT WE'VE LOST IN THE PAST.
AND NOW YOU'RE WELCOME TO STAY FOR THE WHOLE MEETING.
PANU, YOU ARE UP CHANCELLOR FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA.
[00:40:01]
TO SEE YOU TOO.THANK YOU SO MUCH MADAM CHAIR.
COUNCIL MEMBERS, UM, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT BEFORE YOU BEFORE I JUMP.
AND, UM, I'D LOVE TO INTRODUCE A FEW OF MY COLLEAGUES WHO ARE HERE WITH ME.
UM, PATRICK IS OUR C-F-O-C-B-O AND, UM, C-I-O-C-E-O
AND WE HAVE PINKY, UH, WHO IS OUR ASSISTANT VICE CHANCELLOR FOR OUR FINANCES AND, AND, UM, AND PERSONNEL OPERATIONS.
AND WE HAVE THE NEWLY MINTED DOCTOR, DR.
DICK STEWART, WHO SERVES AS VICE CHAIR FOR THE USCB EDUCATION FOUNDATION.
AND, UM, AND, AND I'LL EXPLAIN A LITTLE BIT TOO WHY WE MAY CALL ON ANY OF 'EM TO ANSWER QUESTIONS OR TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL COMMENTS UNDER THE ADVICE OF DENISE.
UM, WE, WE ARE CONSTRAINED IN TIME.
SO, UM, THE FIRST WE, WE'LL JUMP TO SLIDE NINE, BUT WE'VE PROVIDED EACH INTERVIEW OF COPIES OF THE FIRST SLIDES BECAUSE THEY REALLY HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF USCB AND, UH, A LITTLE BIT OF THE HISTORY.
AND IT GIVES, IT SAVES US A LITTLE TIME.
IF WE HAVE TIME AT THE END, WE WOULD LOVE TO DELVE MORE INTO IT SO THAT IT GIVES YOU AN APPRECIATION FOR WHAT YOU ALL HAVE INVESTED IN AND CONTINUE TO.
BEFORE I JUMP TO SLIDE NINE, I WANT TO GIVE A LITTLE PERSPECTIVE.
WE ARE GETTING READY AT USCB TO CELEBRATE THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF USCB, BECOMING A FOUR YEAR DEGREE GRANTING INSTITUTION THAT HAPPENS IN 2004.
AND WHAT'S OF GREAT SIGNIFICANCE TO US WITH THAT REGARD IS THAT THE BLUFFTON CAMPUS WAS LARGELY BUILT BECAUSE OF THE TIFF THAT THIS BODY APPROVED AND WAS ABLE TO FACILITATE.
SO OTHERWISE WE WOULD NOT REALLY HAVE USCB AS WE KNOW IT TODAY.
AND FOR THAT WE NOT ONLY APPRECIATIVE, WE, WE REALLY THINK THAT, UM, THERE IS A MODEL FOR US FOR FUTURE GROWTH AS, AS WE EXPLORE, UH, THE BRIGHT FUTURE AHEAD OF US.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, YOU SHOULD ALSO KNOW THAT THAT TIFF WAS PAID FOR IN NINE YEARS INSTEAD OF THE 30 YEARS THAT THAT IT WAS PROJECTED TO BE DONE IN.
AND AGAIN, A, A GREAT STORY OF SUCCESS AND INVESTMENT ON YOUR PART.
SO TO KEEP TO DENISE'S ADVICE, LET'S JUMP TO SLIDE NINE AND RIGHT TO THE BOTTOM LINE OF WHAT IT IS THAT WE'RE REQUESTING.
SINCE I'M FOLLOWING ALL THE DISTINGUISHED GENTLEMEN THAT YOU SAW HERE, I DO NOT WANT TO DEPART FROM THE PATTERN THAT THEY HAVE SET.
SO YOU WILL SEE AS OUR FIRST REQUEST, WE ARE ASKING FOR THE SAME, THE SAME, THE SAME.
I WANNA EMPHASIZE THE WORD THE SAME, UM, 1.1 MIL THAT WE HAVE RECEIVED FROM PREVIOUS BUDGET ORDINANCES AND WE ABSOLUTELY GRATEFUL AND WE THANK YOU FOR THAT.
IN A SECOND SLIDE, YOU'LL SEE THAT WE WILL SHOW YOU HOW IMPORTANT THAT MALE IS.
NOT ONLY IN THAT OUR OVERALL GENERAL AND EDUCATION, EDUCATION AND GENERAL EXPENDITURE.
THIS APPROPRIATION CONTRIBUTES SOMEWHERE AROUND FIVE TO 6% OF THAT.
SO WE, IT'S ANOTHER WAY OF PUTTING THAT IS IF WE DIDN'T HAVE IT, WE WOULD HAVE A CUT OF ABOUT 6% IN OVERALL JUST OPERATION.
THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT, UH, WE, WE CAN SUSTAIN WHATSOEVER.
BUT THAT, THAT, THAT SECOND SLIDE ALSO GIVES YOU AROUND DOWN NOT ONLY OF THE FLOW OF THE FUNDS, BUT HOW IT COVERS ALL THE DIFFERENT AREAS.
I SHOULD ALSO MENTION TO YOU THAT IN 2017, THE PERCENTAGE THAT THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS THAT WE HAVE AT USCB FROM BEAUFORT COUNTY WAS AT 653 OR THEREABOUT.
[00:45:01]
ARE, WE ARE SERVING OUR LOCAL STUDENTS AND INCREASINGLY WELL AND WE ARE DOING THAT, UH, IN PART WITH THE FUNDING AND THE APPROPRIATION THAT WE RECEIVE FROM THE COUNTY.SO, UH, YOU CAN SEE, UH, ALL OF THAT.
A SECOND REQUEST IS TO CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION THAT WE STARTED WAY BACK IN 2019.
I FIRST CAME TO THIS BODY TO PROPOSE A JOINT VENTURE WITH REGARD TO THE CONVOCATION CENTER AND THE CONVOCATION WAS A MULTIPURPOSE FACILITY THAT WOULD NOT ONLY, UM, DEAL WITH AREAS SUCH AS ATHLETICS AND COMMENCEMENTS AND OVER LARGE EVENTS THAT WE DO AT THE UNIVERSITY, BUT WOULD ALSO PROVIDE THE COUNTY AS A PARTNER OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO BE ABLE TO HAVE LARGER EVENTS FOR WHICH WE DON'T CURRENTLY HAVE THE FACILITY HERE IN, IN THIS AREA.
IN ADDITION TO, OF COURSE, THINGS AND THE BIG EVENTS LIKE EMERGENCY RESPONSE CENTER OF WHICH USCB OPERATES AT OR WHEN WE HAD MASS VACCINATIONS, WE JUST DID NOT HAVE ALL OF THE FACILITIES THAT WE COULD HAVE FOR THOSE THINGS.
SO THERE WERE EMERGENCIES, THERE WERE TOURISM, THERE WAS UTILIZATION OF THAT.
IT'S JUST A MULTIPURPOSE FACILITY THAT WAS ENVISIONED.
AND OUR PROPOSAL OF A 50 50 VENTURE, 50% FROM THE STATE AND THE OTHER FROM THE COUNTY WAS THE BASIS FOR WHICH WE STARTED PUSHING FOR FUNDING YEAR AFTER YEAR.
UH, WITH REGARD TO THE STATE AS A MATTER OF FACT.
THEN, UH, CHAIRMAN, UM, STU AND UM, SENATOR DAVIS AND MATT, IN ORDER TO FIRM UP THAT COMMITMENT AND PUSH FORWARD THAT AGENDA LAST YEAR, PASS FORWARD HERE, WE, UM, REQUESTED SOME FUNDING FOR THE DESIGN MONEY.
AND AGAIN, WITH A 50 50 PROPOSITION, YOU, YOU ALL APPROVED 300,000 AND WE WOULD PUT THE 300,000 IN IN ORDER TO POSITION, UH, US TO, TO GET STARTED WITH THE DESIGN FOR THAT, FOR THAT PARTICULAR PARTICULAR FACILITY.
AND YOU HAD FUNDED THE ORIGINAL STUDY THAT THAT PROVIDED INFORMATION, UM, REGARDING THE ECONOMIC IMPACT IN A REGION, ET CETERA, WHICH WE HAD DONE.
THE LITTLE BIT UNFORTUNATE SITUATION IS THAT THE ORIGINAL STUDY HAD US AT A FACILITY DEEMED TO BE AROUND $48 MILLION AND TIME HAS PASSED AND YOU KNOW WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO THE COST OF CONSTRUCTION.
AND THAT WAS REASSESSED AND THE LATEST ASSESSMENT WILL PUT IT AT 72 MILLION STATE HAS PROVIDED FOR US UP UNTIL NOW 26 THAT WE HAVE ACCUMULATED OVER A PERIOD OF TIME AND WE HOPING THIS YEAR TO GET ANOTHER 11.5 MILLION IF WHAT THE HOUSE AND THE SENATE HAVE THUS APPROVED SO FAR COMES THROUGH, UM, TO PASS THROUGH.
SO THAT WILL GIVE US ABOUT, FROM THE STATE PERSPECTIVE, SOMETHING CLOSE TO $38 MILLION THAT WOULD GO HERE.
SO IN ADDITION TO ASKING FOR THE 300 FOR THE DESIGN SO WE CAN GET GOING WITH IT, WE WOULD LIKE TO CONTINUE THE DISCUSSION FOR ESTABLISHING THE COUNTY'S PORTION OF THE FUNDING FOR THIS.
AND I KNOW IN MANY CONVERSATIONS THAT WE'VE HAD, THE ISSUE OF THE MECHANISM FOR FUNDING HAS COME UP AND I KNOW THERE'S SOME IDEAS THAT HAVE BEEN FLOATED OF WHICH ONE OF 'EM I THINK THEY CAN INVITE YOU TO AT SOME POINT.
JUST GIVE ME A COUPLE MINUTES TO BE ABLE TO YEAH.
BUT WE'VE COME AT THAT POINT WHERE WE DO NEED TO, UM, SET THAT SO THAT WE CAN GET THINGS IN MOTION AND WE CAN CLOSE THE LOOP WITH OUR LEGISLATIVE REPRESENTATIVE.
AND SO WE WOULD BE ASKING FOR THE CAPITAL FUNDING.
UM, WITH REGARD TO THAT, THE NEXT SLIDE JUST SHOWS YOU SOME RENDERING THAT WE HAVE OF THE CONVOCATION CENTER.
THESE ARE NOT REALLY THE DESIGN WORK, THEY'RE JUST KIND OF CONCEPTUAL RENDERING, UH, THAT ARE THERE.
I HAVE A FEW MORE OF, UM, UH, COPIES HERE THAT, THAT WOULD HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN WHAT YOU SEE IN THAT PICTURE HERE.
[00:50:01]
PASS THAT AROUND SO YOU CAN SEE, UM, WHAT THOSE RENDERING ARE.I ALSO WANT AT THIS POINT TO MAKE YOU AWARE OF SOME OF THE CHALLENGES THAT WE ARE, UH, GOING TO BE TACKLING IN IN THE YEARS AHEAD.
UM, WE, WE KNOW THAT THAT THE, THE ENERGY UTILIZATION OF THE FACILITY IS ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL AND OUR ABILITY TO ADDRESS THAT FOR ALL OF OUR FACILITIES AND PARTICULARLY THE AGING ONE, IS GOING TO BE A CRITICAL, UM, FUTURE PROJECT.
WE HAVE THE NEED OF BRINGING SOME OF OUR ATHLETIC FIELDS THAT ARE CURRENTLY RIGHT NOW OFF CAMPUS, UM, ON CAMPUS, PARTICULARLY TALKING ABOUT BASEBALL AND UM, AND SOFTBALL AND TRACK AND FIELD.
AND THAT'S ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL.
WE HAVE A NEED FOR HOUSING IN, IN, UM, IN HILTON HEAD CAMPUS.
AND I'M JUST LISTING A FEW OF THE THINGS AND YOU CAN SEE MORE DETAILS ON THAT AND MANY OF THOSE WE GOING TO OTHER PLACES, BUT THERE IS POTENTIALLY, ESPECIALLY WITH THE FIELD OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO REALLY BUNDLE WHAT WE ARE DOING WITH THE CONVOCATION CENTER AND UH, WE CAN HAVE MORE CONVERSATION ON THAT.
SO, UM, IN A NUTSHELL THAT'S KIND OF THE, THE REQUEST THAT WE'RE PUTTING BEFORE YOU AND SOME OF THE PROJECTS THAT WE HAVE IN THE FUTURE.
BUT LET ME ASK DICK TO PLEASE COME AND JOIN ME AND SHARE SOME THOUGHTS ON, UM, THANK YOU.
I'M GONNA PASS OUT A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT I'LL REFER TO IF YOU DON'T MIND.
AND ON YOUR TABLE YOU WILL EACH HAVE A PHOTO OF THIS PEN THAT'S ON MY LAPEL.
THE UH, REASON I PUT PHOTOS THERE IS THIS, THE ONLY PEN OUT OF 300, YOU PASSED THOSE OUT OF 300 THAT WE HAVE LEFT.
AND THESE PENS WERE CREATED IN 2000 BY THE CITIZENS COMMUNITY FOR COMMITTEE FOR A FOUR YEAR UNIVERSITY.
AND IF YOU LOOK AT THAT PEN, YOU WILL SEE IN THE WHITE SECTION OF THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA, A NUMBER OF DOTS.
THOSE ARE THE FOUR YEAR COLLEGES THAT WERE IN EXISTENCE AT THAT TIME IN THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA.
DO YOU HAVE IT? DID YOU GIVE THEM THE SAME THING YOU GAVE US? YES, BUT I'M REFERRING NOW TO THE THING I GAVE YOU EARLIER.
THIS ONE, THE BLUE PEN, RIGHT? YEP.
THIS IMAGE HERE, WHICH YOU SHOULD HAVE, MR. PASSMAN, YOU PROBABLY DON'T.
I I HAVE THAT, I JUST DON'T HAVE ONE.
DO YOU HAVE ANOTHER ONE OF THESE PHOTOS? THERE'S AN EXTRA ONE OVER THERE.
MAY I TAKE ONE AND PASS MR. PASS? CAN I BOTH? THANK YOU.
AND SO WHAT HAPPENED IS THE PEOPLE HERE WERE VERY FRUSTRATED IN ONE TO FOUR YEAR UNIVERSITY.
WE FORMED THIS COMMITTEE, THE 300 PEOPLE SIGNED UP ALMOST OVERNIGHT.
AND AS A RESULT OF THAT WE HAD A FORUM AND THE COMMUNITY DECIDED THAT IN ORDER TO PROTECT OUR MILITARY BASES AND FAMILIES THAT WORKED THERE IN ORDER TO PROVIDE THE CULTURAL ATTRACTION THAT WE NEEDED TO HAVE PHYSICIANS AND SURGEONS AND OTHER PEOPLE IN OUR HEALTHCARE SYSTEM IN ORDER TO PROVIDE THE TRAINING FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE GONNA MANAGE THINGS HERE.
WHETHER IT BE NURSING DEPARTMENTS, NURSES THEMSELVES, TO HAVE TEACHERS WHO KNEW WHAT THEY WERE DOING.
WE NEEDED TO HAVE A FOUR YEAR UNIVERSITY.
SO OUT OF THAT WE HAD A SERIES OF FORUMS AND THOSE FORUMS AND CONSISTED OVER A NUMBER OF PANELS, ALL OF WHICH CONCLUDED IT WAS VERY IMPORTANT.
AND ONE OF THE PEOPLE THAT PARTICIPATED IN THOSE PANELS WAS YOUR OWN YORK GLOVER.
HE WAS REPRESENTATIVE CLEMSON AT THE TIME, BUT SAID WE NEEDED A FOUR YEAR UNIVERSITY.
SO AS A RESULT OF THAT, THERE WAS A GREAT GROUNDSWELL OF SUPPORT AND YOUR COUNTY COUNCIL PREDECESSORS CREATED A TIF DISTRICT.
AND OUT OF THAT TIF DISTRICT, WE HAD A $25 MILLION FINANCING FOR USCB.
WE TRAVELED AROUND THE STATE AND WENT TO COLUMBIA, GREENVILLE, FLORENCE DIDN'T HAVE TO GO TO CHARLESTON 'CAUSE THEY WERE IN COLUMBIA THE SAME DAY WE WERE TO GET APPROVAL FROM THE VARIOUS PARTIES TO BE.
AND WHAT THEY SAID, AND THIS IS IMPORTANT, IS THAT THEY HAVE ALWAYS WANTED TO HAVE A UNIVERSITY DOWN HERE, BUT THEY HAD LIMITED RESOURCES.
BUT BECAUSE THE BEAUFORT COUNTY COUNCIL AND THE BEAUFORT COUNTY CITIZENS HAD STEPPED UP WITH THAT $25 MILLION CONTRIBUTION, THIS WOULD BE A FOUR YEAR UNIVERSITY THAT HAPPENED BEFORE, WE'VE ALREADY HAD PROGRAMS APPROVED THAT HAPPENED BEFORE.
HE HAD MANY OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE, UH, THINGS IN PLACE INCLUDING, UH, CAMPUS IN BLUFFTON.
SO 20 YEARS AGO THIS YEAR, USCB BEGAN OFFERING FOUR YEAR DEGREES AT THIS CAMPUS.
AND IF YOU WERE THERE LAST FRIDAY AT THE GRADUATION, YOU WOULD'VE SEEN YOUNG PEOPLE IN FIELDS SUCH AS NURSING, PSYCHOLOGY, EVERYTHING YOU MIGHT IMAGINE CYBERSECURITY,
[00:55:01]
THINGS THAT ARE VERY IMPORTANT FOR THE QUALITY OF LIFE HERE AND FOR THE FUTURE OF OUR FAMILIES HERE.AND I WILL TELL YOU THAT DURING THOSE FORUMS, MUCH OF THAT NOT MUCH, BUT A LOT WAS FOCUSED ON THE FACT THAT MANY OF OUR YOUNG PEOPLE IN OUR FAMILIES HERE ARE NOT SENDING THEIR CHILDREN TO AWAY FROM SCHOOL.
FAST FORWARD 20 YEARS, USCB HAS EXCEEDED EVERYTHING WE EXPECTED THEY WOULD DO DURING THAT PERIOD OF TIME, INCLUDING THE AMOUNT OF ENROLLMENT, INCLUDING FUNDING FROM OTHER SOURCES TO DO THINGS MUCH LIKE HOUSING AND SOME OF THE ATHLETIC CAPACITY OF DOWN THERE HOUSING HERE IN BEAUFORT, BUILDING ON HILTON HEAD.
THAT'S REALLY A GREAT BUILDING.
LOTS OF POSITIVE THINGS ARE HAPPENING DURING THAT PERIOD OF TIME.
I CAN SAY THIS BECAUSE I'M A RETIRED GUY, THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA COLUMBIA HAVE BEEN BUSY, BUT THEIR MONEY IN COLUMBIA HASN'T SENT ANY HERE.
AND THAT'S OKAY 'CAUSE THEY'VE GOT THAT ISSUE TO DEAL WITH THE STATE LEGISLATIVE DELEGATION.
OUR GROUP HAS BEEN VERY NICE AND BEEN VERY HELPFUL.
SO WHAT YOU SEE HERE IN FRONT OF YOU, THIS IMAGE IS AN AERIAL IMAGE OF THE CAMPUS OF USCB.
THIS WHITE BUILDING YOU SEE HERE, SHOWN ON THIS IS THE LOCATION FOR THE CONVOCATION CENTER, WHICH I CALL SANJA ARENA BECAUSE I'M A BUSINESS GUY AND DR.
PANU IS AN ACADEMIC AND HIGHLY EDUCATED PROFESSIONAL.
AND I LIKE THE ARENA BECAUSE I HAVE THIS FEELING THAT WHEN WE HAVE THE TAB TABER NECK, UH, KARAOKE AND UH, REVIEW DOWN THERE, WE'RE GONNA SELL OUT ALL THE TICKETS AT AT LEAST ONCE.
AND SO THIS FACILITY, WHEN APPROVED, WILL BE THE LARGEST FACILITY BETWEEN SAVANNAH AND CHARLESTON, WILL GIVE US AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO CULTURAL ITEMS, OPPORTUNITY TO DO ATHLETIC THINGS.
USCB HAS NOW STEPPED UP TO A HIGHER LEVEL IN THE NCAA.
AND IF YOU HAVEN'T BEEN TO ONE OF THEIR BASKETBALL GAMES, I ENCOURAGE YOU TO DO THAT.
MY WIFE IS AN ATHLETE AND QUITE COMPETITIVE AND SHE FINDS THE VERY ENERGETIC AND HIGH QUALITY OF ATHLETES SPECIFICALLY BECAUSE THIS IS THE FIRST YEAR.
SO BEHIND THIS YOU'LL SEE A COUPLE OF PAGES OF QUICK NOTES AND I PROMISE NOT TO TAKE LONG SO YOU DON'T GET, DON'T HAVE TO GET THE HOOK OUT ON 'EM YET ABOUT SAY LONG.
SO POINTS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER AS YOU LOOK AT THIS PLEASE.
IS USC CURRENTLY SERVES OVER 2000 STUDENTS.
THERE'S A FTE AND THEN THERE'S STUDENT.
USCB IS PREPARING TO CELEBRATE 20 YEARS AS A FOUR YEAR DEGREE GRANTING INSTITUTION AS YOU HEARD.
AND USCB HAS EXCEEDED EXPECTATIONS AND IT'S TIME NOW TO PLAN FOR THE NEXT 20 YEARS.
USCB BECAME A FOUR YEAR DEGREE GRANTING INSTITUTION.
WHEN BEAUFORT COUNTY USED BONDS TO BUILD THE BLUFFTON CAMPUS BONDS WERE SCHEDULED TO REPAY FROM INCREASED REAL ESTATE TAXES OVER 30 YEARS.
THEY REPAID OVER NINE YEARS, 21 YEARS AHEAD OF PLAN.
UFC NEEDS AN ARENA AND ATHLETIC FIELDS TO SERVE ITS MISSION AND ITS COMMUNITY.
USC BE RECEIVED NO FUNDING FROM USC COLUMBIA, OUR LEGISLATIVE DELEGATION DOING MAGNIFICENT WORK, BUT WE NEED MORE.
SO THE COST FOR CONSTRUCTIONS ARE GOING UP EVERY DAY.
SO IF WE CAN FIND A WAY TO FUND THAT NOW AND AVOID THAT ADDITIONAL COST IN THE FUTURE, THAT WILL BE A GOOD THING.
IF WE'RE GOING TO HAVE THE UNIVERSITY WE NEED AND THAT THE CITIZENS EXPECT, WE'RE GONNA NEED TO FUND IT LOCALLY JUST AS WE FUNDED THE FIRST EXPANSION 20 YEARS AGO.
SO THE PROPOSAL THAT I'M PRESENTING TO YOU TODAY AS REPRESENTATIVE THE USCB EDUCATION FOUNDATION AND THE HEAD OF THE CAPITALS COMMITTEE IN THAT GROUP IS TO ESTABLISH A WORKING GROUP TO FORMALIZE PLANS FOR AN MCIP.
HAPPY TO GO THROUGH WHAT THAT MEANS IF YOU'D LIKE TO BE SPONSORED BY BOTH BEAUFORT AND JASPER COUNTY.
THIS MCIP IS ESTIMATED TO BE IN THE RANGE OF $70,000,085 MILLION TOTAL AS YOU HEARD DR.
PENU TALKING ABOUT A MINUTE AGO.
THAT DEPENDS ON WHAT WE GET IT DONE AND WHEN WE MOVE FORWARD.
NOTE THE 2000 BOND THAT PAID OFF IN NINE YEARS WAS FOR 35 MILLION.
IT'S REASONABLE TO ASSUME THAT THINGS HAVE DOUBLED IN PRICE IN THE LAST 20 SOME ODD YEARS.
SO THE RESULT, THIS WOULD BE THE LARGEST VENUE, 4,500 SEATS BETWEEN CHARLESTON AND SAVANNAH.
MOST BASKETBALL, VOLLEYBALL, WRESTLING, CONCERTS, CULTURAL, CORPORATE AND CIVIC EVENTS, AS WELL AS GRADUATIONS, ASSEMBLIES AND OTHER USCB EVENTS.
THE ATHLETIC FIELDS WILL HOST BASEBALL, SOFTBALL, SOCCER, AND TRACK.
AND FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO MAY HAVE BEEN AROUND WHEN I WAS IN HIGH SCHOOL, THE BEAUFORT RELAYS USED TO BE ONE OF THE PREMIER TRACK EVENTS IN THE STATE OF GEORGIA.
AND A FORMER COUNCILMAN OF MINE, HERBERT GLAZE, HAS BEEN COACHING WOMEN'S ATTACK TRACK AT BEAVER HIGH SCHOOL FOR OVER 50 YEARS WITHOUT ANY HINT OF ANY APPROPRIATENESS AND MANY GREAT VICTORIES.
AND UH, WHAT WE ARE, UH, WILL DO AS WELL IS BRING PEOPLE IN THAT WILL GENERATE, UH, BUSINESS FOR HOTELS, RESTAURANTS AT TAX, H TAX PROPERTY TAXES, BUSINESS LICENSE FEES, AND BUILDING PERMIT FEES.
MR. JOHN O'TOOLE, WHO'S BACK HERE IN THE BACK AND HIS GROUP ARE PROVIDING AN ECONOMIC IMPACT ANALYSIS.
WE'RE WORKING THROUGH THAT WITH THE PEOPLE HE'S BROUGHT ON BOARD TO HELP US.
THE CVB IS DOING ECONOMIC IMPACT ON WHAT
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THIS WOULD MEAN FOR THE HOTELS IN THAT AREA AS WELL AS THE, UH, RESTAURANTS.SO THE NEXT STEPS WE'RE ASKING YOU FOR, WE'RE NOT HERE ASKING YOU FOR MONEY, WE'RE ASKING YOU TO HELP US PLAN IS TO FORM A WORKING GROUP TO PURSUE FUNDING, OBTAIN SUPPORT FROM BEAUFORT COUNTY, JASPER COUNTY, THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON, TOWN OF HARVILLE, BEAUFORD COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT, AND JASPER COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT, AND FINALIZED COST DISTRICTS.
THIS IS WHAT EXACTLY WHAT WE DID IN 2000 THAT LED TO THE FIRST CAMPUS, OUR CONSULTANT DETERMINING THE OPPOSITE OPTIMUM SIZE OF THE MCIP AREA, HOW MUCH IN BEAUFORT, HOW MUCH IN JASPER, WHICH AREAS AND SO FORTH.
AND THEY'RE PEOPLE THAT DO THAT AND THEY'LL COME OUT WITH A EASILY UNDERSTANDABLE MAP AND HIRE A BOND CONSULTANT TO PREPARE THE BOND STRUCTURE.
THEN WE'LL NEED FORMAL APPROVAL FROM THE COUNTY COUNCIL HERE AND FORMAL APPROVAL FROM THE JASPER COUNTY COUNCIL.
AND THEN THE MCIP AREA IN TERMS WILL BE FINALIZED.
ISSUE THE BONDS BEGIN CONSTRUCTION AND CELEBRATE COMPLETION AND A WORD TO BUILD ON A THEME THAT SEEMS VERY POPULAR HERE.
AND AS A PROPERTY OWNER AND TAXPAYER, IT'S CERTAINLY PROPER POPULAR WITH ME.
NONE OF THIS REQUIRES A TAX INCREASE.
SO THIS WILL BE PAID BACK NOW.
THEIR TAXES, THE INCREMENTAL TAXES ARE GENERATED.
AND I CAN TELL YOU THAT THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE WHO WILL VALUE LIVING NEAR A UNIVERSITY BECAUSE OF THE CULTURAL RICHNESS.
AND BECAUSE PEOPLE IN OUR TIME KNOW THAT CONTINUING EDUCATION IS AN IMPORTANT PART OF QUALITY LIFE.
SO WE HOPE YOU WILL CONSIDER THIS AND WORK WITH US AS CITIZENS AND THE EDUCATION FOUNDATION TO SUPPORT OUR LOCAL UNIVERSITY SO THAT WE CAN HAVE HERE WHAT MANY OF YOU EXPECT TO HAVE AND WHAT MANY OF YOU USE FROM, UH, MOVED HERE FROM OTHER PLACES ARE ACCUSTOMED TO HAVING.
AND I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTION.
ANY QUESTIONS FOR MR. STEWART? YES, GO AHEAD.
MR. PASTOR, THE WORKING GROUP, HOW MANY WILL BE PART OF THAT? AND WHAT NUMBER WOULD YOU WANT TO PARTICIPATE FROM COUNTY COUNCIL? I WOULD NOT BE, UH, I WOULD NOT PRESUME TO SUGGEST COUNTY COUNCIL WHAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO DO, BUT I CAN TELL YOU THAT IN 2000 WHAT WE HAD, IT'LL HAD THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR AND WE HAD THE FINANCE DIRECTOR FROM THE COUNTY AND AN INFORMAL RELATIONSHIP WITH THE CHAIRMAN OF THE COUNTY COUNCIL.
WE WOULD EXPECT SAME THING FROM JASPER IN THIS CASE.
ANYONE ELSE? I, A LITTLE BIT OFF TOPIC, BUT, UH, WOULD THAT GROUP ALSO FOCUS ON GROWING THE CAMPUS UP HERE IN NORTHERN BEAUFORT COUNTY? THAT'S A DECISION THAT GROUP WOULD MAKE AND COME BACK TO USCB.
BUT TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, MARINE UH, MARITIME WORK IS AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE USCB FOCUS.
WE DO KNOW THAT THE, UM, COASTAL CAROLINA UNIVERSITY IN CONWAY HAS ABOUT 900 STUDENTS IN MARINE BIOLOGY AND MARINE SCIENCE PROGRAMS, AND THEY'RE 35 MILES FROM THE OCEAN.
THIS CAMPUS HERE AT THE HISTORIC CAMPUS IS ON THE PORT ROYAL SOUND IN THE BEAUFORT RIVER.
THERE'S ABSOLUTELY NO REASON WE SHOULDN'T BE A PREMIER PLACE FOR PEOPLE TO COME AND STUDY THE SALT MARSH AND THE IMPORTANCE IT HAS IN SEQUESTERING CAR CARBON.
AND THEY SHOULD COME FROM AROUND THE WORLD.
I WILL BE ADVOCATING FOR THAT, BUT I'M JUST ONE LONELY VOICE AND APPARENTLY YOU AND I HAVE THAT IN COMMON.
ANYTHING ELSE? I, I'D JUST LIKE TO, UM, MAKE A COMMENT THAT I WOULD REALLY ALSO LIKE TO SEE THAT PROGRAM REVITALIZED IN, IN, NOT, MAYBE THAT'S THE WRONG WORD.
I REMEMBER WHEN THERE WAS A PROGRAM THAT WAS MORE ACTIVE THAN NOW, BUT IT CERTAINLY, WE DON'T WANT, UM, SOMEONE FROM ANOTHER STATE TO TAKE OVER.
THAT PROGRAM IS, WAS THREATENED LAST YEAR.
BEFORE I HAND THAT BACK TO DR.
PNU, WHICH IS THE RIGHT THING.
YOU ALL ALUMNI OF THAT SCHOOL
SO LET, LET ME JUST TELL YOU THAT I COULDN'T AGREE MORE, BUT WE ARE GONNA NEED SOME PARTICIPATION SUPPORT LOCALLY BECAUSE GROWING 3% A YEAR DOESN'T CAPTURE THE OPPORTUNITY THAT IS PROVIDED TO THIS COMMUNITY.
BUT THAT, THAT AT PRITCHARDS ISLAND IS, IS SO IMPORTANT TO OUR AREA.
UH, JUST TO, TO THAT EFFECT, UM, SINCE LAST YEAR WHEN WE WERE ABLE TO GET SOME RECURRING FUNDING, WE HAVE REVITALIZED, UM, THE UTILIZATION OF THE PRITT ISLAND AND BIOLOGY.
MARINE BIOLOGY IS ONE OF OUR FASTEST GROWING PROGRAM ON CAMPUS.
AND, AND I WOULDN'T WANT ANOTHER UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA TO COME IN AND SWOOP THAT UP, SO THAT'S CORRECT.
WE NEED TO KEEP IT IN SOUTH CAROLINA.
SO WE, WE WENT THROUGH THE FIRST PHASE OF THAT, WHICH WAS TO GET RECURRING FUNDING FOR THAT.
AND THE SECOND PHASE WE GOING TO NEED A LARGE VESSEL, AND WE WERE ASKING ABOUT, UM, SEVEN A TOTAL FOR ONE TIME KIND OF THINGS AROUND SEVEN, 700,000.
UM, WE DID NOT RECEIVE THAT, BUT WE ARE CONTINUING THAT WORK.
IT'S GONNA BE REALLY CRITICAL, NOT ONLY FOR THE WORK THAT'S GOING ON IN TERMS OF STUDENTS' ENGAGEMENT, BUT ALSO PUBLIC EDUCATION FOR BAY ISLANDS AND THE ROLE THEY PLAY.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? COMMENTS? ALL RIGHT.
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THANK YOU SO MUCH DR.NOW WHAT? DR. STEWART? DR. STEWART.
[9. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PRODUCT FUNDING REQUEST (FISCAL IMPACT: Based on current value of a mil this funding is estimated to be approximately $8.1M for a three year period. Should the County have the ability to transfer this mil from another fund, temporarily and for a period up to three years, the funding of this request would not increase taxes but will reappropriate existing funds. Additional funding is expected from the SC Department of Commerce to support this initiative)]
I BELIEVE NEXT, WE WERE SUPPOSED TO HAVE THE SOLICITOR'S OFFICE, BUT HE IS RUNNING LATE.SO IF WE CAN GO AHEAD AND MOVE TO THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PRESENTATION.
WE CAN GO TO MR. O'TOOLE BEAUFORT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
UH, DO YOU NEED TO READ ANYTHING OR I JUST JUMPED RIGHT IN? WELL, THERE IS A PROJECT NARRATIVE.
SO BEAUFORT COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPS, B-C-E-D-C IS CHARGED WITH DEVELOPING A MORE DIVERSE ECONOMY FOR BEAUFORT COUNTY, DEVELOPING TAX BASE AND QUALITY JOBS FOR RESIDENTS.
THEY WILL CONTINUE TO PURSUE PROJECTS THAT ARE IN SYNC WITH THE SCALE AND ENVIRONMENTAL EXPECTATIONS OF THE COMMUNITY.
WITH THE ONGOING SUCCESS AT THE BEAUFORT COMMERCE PARK, IT'S IMPERATIVE, WE LOOK TO SITES THAT WOULD BE SUITABLE IN THE FUTURE.
B-C-E-D-C IS CURRENTLY, UH, IS ASKING THE COUNCIL TO INCREASE THE FUNDING OF THE SITE AND JOBS ACCOUNT BY ONE MILL ABOVE THE CURRENT 0.3 MILLS FOR THREE OR FOUR YEARS TO ALLOW FOR THE PURCHASE AND BUILD OUT OF INFRASTRUCTURE OF DEVELOPMENT SITES.
THE FUNDS WOULD RESIDE WITH THE COUNTY AND WILL REQUIRE COUNCIL APPROVAL FOR SPECIFIC ACQUISITIONS AND INFRASTRUCTURE BUILD OUT.
AS THE OPPORTUNITIES ARISE, PROCEEDS REALIZED FROM THE SALES WILL REPLENISH THIS FUND, UM, FISCAL IMPACT BASED ON CURRENT VALUE OF A MILL.
AND I KNOW YOU'VE BEEN WORKING WITH, UH, FINANCE DEPARTMENT, THIS FUNDING'S ESTIMATED TO BE APPROXIMATELY $8.1 MILLION FOR A THREE YEAR PERIOD.
SHOULD THE COUNTY HAVE THE ABILITY TO TRANSFER THIS MILL FROM ANOTHER FUND TEMPORARILY OR FOR A PERIOD UP TO THREE YEARS? THE FUNDING OF THIS REQUEST WOULD NOT INCREASE TAXES.
THERE'S THE MAGIC WORD, BUT WILL REAPPROPRIATE EXISTING FUNDS.
I WILL THANK DENISE CHRISTMAS FOR, UH, UH, WORKING SO WELL WITH US RECENTLY FROM WORKING WITH HANK EDMONDSON AND, UH, ROB MERCHANT ON RECENT PROJECTS.
I WOULD LIKE TO RECOGNIZE MY LONG SERVING BOARD CHAIRMAN, UH, ASHLEY FESTER IS WITH US TODAY, AND OUR, OUR BOARD TREASURER, UH, GREG SHELTON IS WITH US TODAY.
UH, JOE PASSMAN AND PAULA BROWN ATTENDED A LOT OF OUR MEETINGS AND, UH, I THINK THEY'RE WELL VERSED ON WHAT OUR FOCUS IS.
UH, I'LL RATTLE THROUGH THIS, DENISE, HOW QUICK I, I I SEE YOU'RE READY TO GIVE PEOPLE THE HOOK, BUT I'LL, I'LL, I'LL GO PRETTY QUICKLY.
I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THOUGH, UM, THE, UH, TCL AND USCB, THEIR ABILITY TO MOVE QUICKLY, AND, AND DR. STEWART UH, MENTIONED THAT, UH, HE'S JUST A QUIET VOICE, BUT I THINK THAT QUIET VOICE WAS SOMEWHERE AT THE ORIGINS OF CYBERSECURITY IN BEAUFORT COUNTY.
AND, UH, WE'VE HAD, UH, WARREN PARKER RUNNING THAT INITIATIVE.
RICK BANAL IS MOVING ON A, UH, NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION GRANT.
SO THERE'S A LOT OF GOOD WORK THERE, BUT WORD SPREADS.
THE, THE PRODUCT, UH, THE PRODUCTION OF TALENT, UH, THAT PIPELINE OF TALENT IS SPREADING.
AND ON MAY 16TH, I HAVE A FIRM IN FROM SWEDEN, UH, THAT WOULD LIKE TO, UH, CONSIDER SETTING UP OPERATIONS IN BUFORT.
IT'S, IT'S NOT IN THE BAG, BUT THE FACT THAT, UH, FOLKS IN CHARLESTON AND FOLKS IN COLUMBIA THINK OF BUFORT WHEN IT COMES TO CYBERSECURITY IS VERY GOOD.
SO WE HAVE A LOT OF PARTNERS, UH, THAT MAKE IT WORK.
WE WERE STOOD UP, AND I'LL TRY TO GO THROUGH THIS QUICKLY, BUT I THINK THE CONTEXT OF WHAT WE'RE LOOKING TO DO MATTERS, UH, AND KIND OF WHAT OUR BOARD'S PHILOSOPHY IS MATTERS.
UM, UH, UH, WE'RE REALLY FOCUSED ON GRAND LISC GROWTH, UM, BENEFICIAL JOBS FOR OUR, OUR NEIGHBORS AND RESIDENTS, AND DIVERSIFYING BUFORD'S ECONOMY.
WHEN WE THINK OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, AND, AND YOU ALL KNOW THIS, WE THINK THERE ARE SIX IMPORTANT FOLKS THAT ALL HAVE TO BE BUILT OUT.
AND, AND PROBABLY THE FIRST TWO I MENTIONED ARE MORE IMPORTANT THAN MAYBE THE OTHERS.
BUT ENVIRONMENT AND EDUCATION, ONE AND TWO, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, HOUSING AND TRANSPORTATION ARE THE OTHER IMPORTANT SPOKES.
AS I, UH, JUST CAME BACK FROM ATLANTA THIS MORNING, UH, UH, THERE'S A LOT OF PRESSURE BECAUSE WE ARE SO DESIRABLE, HOUSING, COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT, UH, EVEN THE OPEN SPACE PENNY IS GONNA REDUCE THE, THE, UH, UH, LAND THAT PEOPLE COULD MAKE A LIVING ON IN THE FUTURE.
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TO THINK IN TERMS OF BALANCE AND THEN ALSO MAINTAINING FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS, A PLACE, UH, FOR A DIGNIFIED WAY TO PROVIDE FOR YOUR FAMILY.NOW, IN THESE, UH, FIRST SIX AND A HALF YEARS, WE'VE DONE, UH, $383 MILLION WORTH OF INVESTMENTS, 1700 JOBS THAT ARE AVERAGE, OR THAT WILL PAY OVER $90 MILLION A YEAR IN COMPENSATION.
AND, UH, UH, UH, ON AVERAGE 50,000.
NOW THAT NUMBER JUST BUMPED UP BECAUSE WE HAVE A COMPANY, UH, THAT'S LOOKING TO CLOSE ON A PIECE OF PROPERTY UP IN GARDENS CORNER THAT'LL ADD, UH, 42 JOBS, AVERAGING $125,000.
NOW, I, I WANT TO ADD THIS, AND, UH, LET ME JUST SAY THAT WHEN WE WORK WITH COMMERCE AND ALL OF ALL OF THE GOOD ALLIES THAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE TO US IN THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA, WE'VE ALSO BEEN ABLE TO DELIVER $20 MILLION IN A, IN INCENTIVES TAXPAYER MONEY, COMING BACK TO PROJECTS IN BEAUFORT COUNTY.
NOW, WHEN I TALK ABOUT ALL THIS, I DON'T WANT YOU TO THINK THAT IT'S JOHN O'TOOLE AND KELLY BRUNSON, ASHLEY FEASTER, GREG SHELDON DOING ALL OF THIS.
BUT, UM, UH, BUT GREG DOES A GREAT JOB FOR US, AND I SHOULDN'T GET MIXED UP, BUT ON EACH PROJECT WE DO A DIFFERENT LEVEL OF WORK.
IN SOME CASES, IT MIGHT BE JUST MAKING AN INTRODUCTION, UH, TO THE WATER AND THE, UH, SEWER COMPANY, OR TO THE, UM, UH, TO THE, UH, UH, POWER COMPANIES OR WHATEVER THE CASE MIGHT BE.
LAST WEEK, WE CONVENED A MEETING WITH THE PLANNERS OF CITY OF BEAUFORT AND BEAUFORT COUNTY WITH A POTENTIAL INVESTOR.
SO, BUT I WANNA MAKE SURE WHEN I GIVE YOU NUMBERS, Y I'M NOT STANDING HERE, UH, PROFESSING THAT I MADE THE SUN COME UP ON THESE PROJECTS.
WE JUST DO WHAT ECONOMIC DEVELOPERS DO.
NOW, AS WE THINK OF THE BEAUFORT COMMERCE PARK, UH, WE HAVE A DEVELOPER, UH, THAT WAS APPROVED BY, UH, CITY OF BEAUFORT AND BY OUR BOARD LAST WEEK TO BUILD THE SECOND SPEC BUILDING OUT THERE.
THAT'LL BE 72,000 SQUARE FEET.
JUST, UH, DURING THE DELAY, AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS MEETING, TOOK A CALL FROM A GENTLEMAN AND HIS FIRM'S GONNA INVEST $35 MILLION OUT IN THE COMMERCE PARK.
AND WE'RE ALSO WORKING WITH, UM, A CERAMICS COMPANY, AN INDUSTRIAL CERAMICS COMPANY.
AND NOW KEEP THIS IN MIND AS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT BUYING PROPERTY THAT THE CITY OF BEAUFORT BOUGHT THE BEAUFORT COMMERCE PARK FOR 11,000, UH, AN ACRE.
UH, THE LAST DEAL WE CLOSED, WE SOLD EACH ACRE AT 40,000.
SO YOU'LL SEE SOME MONEY GOES INTO INFRASTRUCTURE, BUT ON THE SALE OF IT, THE MONEY, UH, IN THIS CASE REPLENISHES WHAT THE CITY OF BEAUFORT HAD PAID, UH, FOR THE LAND.
UH, OUR, OUR RECOMMENDATION, OUR THOUGHT IS WHEN YOU THINK OF THE PREVIOUS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATION THAT THEY HAD IN BEAUFORT WHEN THEY CEASED TO EXIST, SOME THREE BANKS WERE LEFT HOLDING IN THE BAG TO MORE THAN $300,000.
SO IF WE'RE GONNA ACT ON BEHALF OF THE COUNTY, UH, SIMILAR TO WHAT, UH, THE CONVERSATION YOU HAD WITH TCL, WE'D LIKE A, A, A LONG-TERM COMMITMENT.
'CAUSE WE WOULD PROBABLY BOND AND THEN, OR, OR, OR BORROW OR DO, UH, LAND LEASES.
UH, AND WE'D NEED, UH, LAND LEASE FOR PURCHASE.
UH, AND WE'D NEED TO KNOW THAT WE'RE ABLE TO PERFORM, UH, UH, STAFF.
AND OUR BOARD DOESN'T WANT TO BE INVOLVED IN A DEAL WHERE WE DON'T COME THROUGH ON PROMISES WE MAKE TO LENDERS.
SO THAT'S WHY WE'RE LOOKING FOR THREE OR FOUR YEARS.
AND AGAIN, DENISE HAS BEEN VERY HELPFUL ON THAT FRONT.
WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT, AND I CAN TELL YOU, UH, AND I'LL, I'LL RATTLE OFF SOME NUMBERS.
WE PROBABLY ALREADY HAVE A COMMITMENT FROM COMMERCE ON SOME OF THIS, UH, JUST SHY OF A MILLION DOLLARS, UH, WORKING WITH SCA AND USING, UH, BUFORD PROVISO MONEY, WE THINK WE COULD PROBABLY GET ANOTHER 540,000 TO AUGMENT THE DOLLARS YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.
UH, WE HAVE BEEN IN CONVERSATIONS WITH THE LEGISLATURE ON ONE OF THESE PROJECTS WHERE BY THE END OF, UH, JUNE, WE MAY HAVE $3 MILLION LINED UP TO AUGMENT WHAT, UH, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT OTHER, OTHER SOURCES.
UH, IN ATLANTA, I SPOKE TO CX CSX RAIL ABOUT, UH, THE POTENTIAL OF RAIL EXPANSION TO ONE OF THESE SITES IN EE NOT ON HILTON HEAD, NOT IN PORT ROYAL, BUT, UH, UH, OUT AT YEE.
AND THERE WOULD BE, UH, UTILITY TAX CREDITS AND EDA GRANTS.
AND KEEP IN MIND THAT WHEN WE SELL THESE PROPERTIES, THE MONEY WOULD COME BACK TO THE FUND HELD BY THE COUNTY.
THE FUNDS WOULD BE HELD BY THE COUNTY, AND ANY PURCHASES WE, WE MAKE WOULD BE IN THE NAME OF THE COUNTY AND, UH, UH, BE APPROVED BY THIS COUNCIL.
SO WE'RE NOT ASKING YOU FOR A BLANK CHECK NOW, IT WAS ASKED LAST TIME I SPOKE TO YOU, WHY WOULD ECONOMIC
[01:15:01]
DEVELOPMENT BUY PROPERTY? AND, UH, IN, UH, COINCIDENTALLY, THERE WAS A, UH, A YOUNG, UH, UH, UH, KNOWLEDGEABLE SITE SELECTOR AT THIS CONFERENCE I WAS AT IN ATLANTA.AND SHE POINTED OUT SPECIFICALLY THAT IF YOU HAD A SITE SERVED WITH INDUSTRIAL POWER, AND IF YOU HAD A SITE THAT HAD, COULD HAVE RAIL SIDING, IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATIONS GET IN PLACE TO MAINTAIN THAT OPPORTUNITY.
BUT YOU ALSO WANNA MAXIMIZE THE USE OF PROPERTY, AS YOU CAN SEE, UH, THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY.
AND AS I DRIVE ACROSS ONE 70, YOU CAN SEE WHAT, UH, WHAT THE INVESTMENT COMMUNITY THINKS IS HIGHEST AND BEST VALUE.
AND, AND OBVIOUSLY WE NEED, UH, UH, I DON'T KNOW, YOU MAY NEED AN ULTA, YOU MAY NEED A, UH, TJ MAXX OR WHATEVER'S COMING IN.
UH, BUT PEOPLE NEED GOOD PAYING JOBS TOO.
AND SO THAT'S, THAT'S WHY WE FOCUS ON WHAT WE DO.
UM, ALSO, IF WE OWN THE PROPERTY, IF AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OWNS THE PROPERTY, AND I JUST RATTLED OFF, UH, JUST SHY OF $5 MILLION IN LEVERAGED FUNDS, WE CAN IDENTIFY TO AUGMENT WHAT THE COUNTY'S DOING.
YOU CAN'T GET UTILITY TAX, UH, RECEIVE UTILITY TAX CREDITS ON PRIVATELY HELD LAND.
IT HAS TO BE OWNED BY A MUNICIPALITY OR A COUNTY OR THE STATE.
SO THERE WOULD BE INFRASTRUCTURE GRANTS AND, UM, UH, AS, UH, COUNCILMAN DAWSON WOULD UNDERSTAND OUT IN, UH, HIS, HIS DISTRICT, THERE IS OPPORTUNITY, BUT IT'S GOTTA BE GAUGED WITH WHAT THE PEOPLE WANT OUT THERE, AND THEN THE INFRASTRUCTURE IN PLACE TO SERVE THE PROJECT.
SO THAT'S WHY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTS GET INVOLVED.
ALSO, THEY GET INVOLVED TO CATALYZE AN UNDERUTILIZED AREA, CREATE A BALANCE WITH THE ENVIRONMENT, WHICH WILL BE THE REALLY NEAT THING.
I THINK THAT SOME OF THE PROJECTS WE DO WILL BE NATIONAL BEST PRACTICES IN TERMS OF BALANCING, UH, UH, SMART GROWTH, UH, WHERE YOU COULD HAVE, UH, HIGH PAYING JOBS NEXT TO WORKFORCE HOUSING AND DO IT IN A WAY THAT, UH, OUR ENVIRONMENTAL FRIENDS SAY, HEY, THEY'RE ON THE MARK AND THEY WANT TO STAND NEXT TO US BECAUSE WE'RE IN BALANCE.
AND I THINK THAT MATTERS TO PEOPLE IN BEAUFORT COUNTY.
AND THEN LASTLY, WHAT YOU WANT TO DO IS YOU ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATIONS GET INVOLVED, UH, SO THAT THEY CAN PRESERVE LAND THAT CAN BE USED IN A WAY THAT GENERATES THE MOST, UH, GRAND LISC GROWTH, UH, DIVERSIFIES THE ECONOMY, AND AGAIN, PROVIDES REALLY GREAT OPPORTUNITIES FOR MEN AND WOMEN TO PROVIDE FOR THEIR FAMILY.
AND DENISE CAN EXPLAIN WHERE SHE'S GETTING IT FROM, AND LIKE A FIRE CHIEF, I CAN SAY, AND IT WOULD CAUSE NO TAX INCREASE.
SHE'S WORKED SOME REAL MAGIC WITH THIS.
WELL, I, I CAN'T SAY IT ENOUGH.
UH, UH, DENISE IS A DELIGHT TO WORK WITH.
IT'S VERY PROFESSIONAL AND STRAIGHTFORWARD.
ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FOR MR. O'TOOLE? I DO.
I HAVE SOME QUESTIONS ON, YOU HAD MENTIONED, JUST MENTIONED A FIRM IN SWEDEN.
IS THAT THE RESULTS FROM, UH, REPU TOOK INTERNATIONALLY LAST YEAR? NO, NO.
I WENT TO SWEDEN AND WE WERE FOCUSED ON FISH AND TOMATOES.
SO, UM, UH, THE, THE, UH, SWEDISH ONE IS REALLY AN OUTGROWTH OF THE, UH, SOUTH COAST, UH, CYBER SUMMIT THAT WARREN PARKER RUNS.
UH, ONE OF THE WOMEN ON THE PANEL, UH, UH, IS A, UH, ECONOMIC DEVELOPER OUT CHARLESTON, BUT SHE KNOWS ABOUT THIS FIRM THAT'S, UH, WANTS TO ESTABLISH A US PRESENCE, AND SHE KNOWS THE ENERGY THAT OUR COLLEGES ARE CREATING AND, AND THE ABILITY TO TEST THE MARKET FROM THE LANDING PAD THAT WE HAVE AT 500 CARTER STREET.
WHAT'S THAT? THIS IS IN ADDITION TO YOUR TRIP? YES.
AFTER LOOKING AT YOUR WEBSITE, I SAW THE AGENDAS POSTED FOR 2021 AND 2022, BUT I DIDN'T SEE ANY MINUTES.
HAVE YOU NOT POSTED THEM YET? NO, THEY SHOULD BE POSTED WITH THE COUNTY.
I THINK EVERYONE'S POSTED OUR VERY DILIGENT CHARLIE, UH, JOHN STONE.
BEFORE HE LEFT, MADE SURE EVERYTHING WAS IN, IN, I'LL GO BACK AND LOOK AT THIS AND I'LL CALL HIM AS I LEAVE HERE.
I, I, SORRY, BUT I, I COULDN'T FIND IT.
BEAUFORT COMMERCE PARK, CAN YOU EXPLAIN, UM, SO YOU BUILT LIKE A BUILDING, RIGHT? YOU BUILT A BUILDING AND THEN DIFFERENT COMPANIES COME IN AND THEY BUY SPACE IN THE BUILDING.
IS THAT STANDING? THEY ACTUALLY LEASED IT, YES.
OH, THEY LEASE IT? YEAH, THEY DON'T BUY SPACE.
THEY LEASE, THEY LEASED IT FROM THE DEVELOPER.
AND WITH THE SPACE LEASED WITHIN 368 DAYS, FULLY LEASED TWO TENANTS, UH, WITHIN 368 DAYS OF
[01:20:01]
THE SHOVEL GOING IN THE GROUND.AND BEFORE THE CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY WAS GRANTED.
AND THEN THE DEVELOPER WAS ABLE TO SELL THAT BUILDING, UH, WITHIN A YEAR.
SO IT, IT, IT IS PROVED TWICE OVER ITS GREAT MARKET.
OH, IS IT? SO IS IT FULL OF YES, IT'S FULL, YES.
SO NOW WE WERE GONNA BUILD ANOTHER ONE.
THAT'S, UH, 72,000 SQUARE FEET.
BUT MYRTLE PARK, UM, WE HAD A CONVERSATION ABOUT THIS LAST TIME YOU'RE HERE, AND I WENT OVER THERE AND I CHECKED OUT ALL THE COMPANIES THAT ARE IN MYRTLE PARK.
AND YOU HAD MENTIONED THERE'S 85, THE DEVELOPER WAS SUPPOSED TO CREATE 85 JOBS FOR THAT.
IS IT FOR THE TOTAL PARK? MM-HMM.
IT'S DOWN FOR EACH INDIVIDUAL THERE.
NO, NO, THAT WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE.
THAT WOULD BE A FIRE HAZARD IF, UH, OH, I WAS GONNA, IF ALL THOSE PEOPLE WORK IN EACH OKAY.
YEAH, I WAS GONNA SAY, BECAUSE THERE'S NO WAY THAT COULD HAPPEN.
SO, UM, YOU SAID CERAMIC COMPANY, WHAT DO THEY DO? THEY MAKE SMALL CERAMIC PIECES USED IN INDUSTRIAL PURPOSE, THAT KIND OF THING? YEAH.
THEY'RE OUT OF, UH, THEY'VE BEEN IN BEAUFORT A LONG TIME.
UH, THEY'RE RENTING SPACE AS THEY'RE GETTING MOVED OUT OF THE SPACE THEY'VE BEEN IN FOR ABOUT EIGHT YEARS.
AND IN TWO YEARS, THEY'RE GONNA BUILD A BUILDING.
SO, UH, WE'RE WORKING THROUGH AN ENGINEERING FIRM RIGHT NOW ON, UH, TWO PARCELS OUT THERE TO FIGURE OUT WHICH ONE WOULD BE THE BEST FOR THEIR PLAN TO BUILD EITHER 15,000 SQUARE FEET OR 30,000 SQUARE FEET.
SO BEAUFORT, COME COMMERCE PARK IS FULL.
THAT BUILDING? NO, NO, IT'S NOT FULL.
OH, IT'S NOT FULL, BUT IT'S, IT'S MOVING TOWARDS FULL.
AND IF YOU DON'T, IF WE DON'T START SOME OTHER, OTHER PARCELS, YOU KNOW, I ALWAYS TELL PEOPLE THAT RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, EVERYONE'S HEARD ABOUT IT.
IT TOOK 50 YEARS TO GET AS HOT AS IT IS TODAY.
SO, UH, I, I'VE SAID IT IN FRONT OF THE COUNCIL THAT WISE MEN PLANT TREES WHO SHADE THEIR LIVER SIT UNDER.
IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE GET THAT NEXT PART STARTED SO THAT, UH, FUTURE GENERATIONS WILL HAVE A PLACE OKAY.
TO LOCATE WHATEVER THAT, UH, OKAY.
SO THIS CONFIDENTIAL PRO PRODUCT REPORT PREVIOUSLY SHARED WITH COUNCIL, YOU CAN'T SHARE WHAT THAT IS.
WHAT'S THAT? THE CON IT SAYS ITEM BACKGROUND, CONFIDENTIAL PRODUCT REPORT PREVIOUSLY SHARED WITH COUNCIL.
I THINK EVERYONE ON COUNCIL GOT A COPY OF THAT REPORT.
I, I GAVE IT OUT IN THE EXECUTIVE CONFERENCE ROOM.
UH, AND IT'S A DYNAMIC REPORT, BUT IF, UH, UH, IF YOU'D, ANYONE WOULD LIKE TO GO OVER WHAT OUR THINKING IS, UH, AND, AND AS COUNCIL MEMBERS KNOW, WHEN WE GO OVER THAT IN OUR BOARD MEETING, WE ALWAYS LET COUNTY COUNCIL MEMBERS IN.
UH, I THINK IT'S GREAT THAT EVERYONE KNOWS, UH, WHAT WE'RE DOING.
THE IMPORTANT THING THOUGH IS, IS THAT IF WE ARE, ARE WORKING ON A, A TRACK OF LAND, THAT WE'RE NOT SO COMMUNICATIVE, THAT WE'RE RUNNING OUR, WE'RE DRIVING THE PRICE UP AND WE'RE WORKING AT ODDS WITH OUR, WITH OUR INTEREST AND THE RESIDENT'S INTEREST TO USE TAX DOLLARS WISELY.
SO I UNDERSTAND EVERYTHING YOU SAID, BUT MY CONSTITUENTS, THEY'RE CONCERNED THAT, OKAY, SO WE'RE GONNA GIVE $8.1 MILLION OUT, BUT WE CAN'T TELL THEM WHAT IT'S FOR.
SO DON'T YOU, SO THEY FEEL THEY, AS MY CONSTITUENTS AND TAXPAYERS, THEY HAVE THE RIGHT TO KNOW WHAT THIS IS FOR.
I KNOW YOU'VE COME TO COUNTY COUNCIL AND TOLD US, BUT SINCE THIS IS PUBLIC MONEY, THEY WANNA KNOW WHAT THE USES ARE GONNA BE FOR THIS, ALL THIS MONEY.
MY CONSTITUENTS I'D, I'D BE HAPPY TO HAVE A TOWN HALL MEETING WITH YOUR CONSTITUENTS.
AND ANSWER AS MANY DIFFICULT QUESTIONS AS THEY'D LIKE TO THROW AT ME ALL.
AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT MY CONSTITUENTS.
I'M TALKING ABOUT BELL FAIR AND, UM, ROSE HILL.
YOU CAN PUBLISH IT EVERYWHERE AND WE CAN GET A BIG VENUE.
I'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER QUESTIONS ON MOST OF, AND, AND, UH, COUNCILMAN BROWN OR COUNCIL PERSON? BROWN? I'M SORRY.
I, WHAT'S THAT? PAULA, YOU CALL ME WHILE I OH, THANK YOU.
UH, WE HAVE, WE HAVE ERRED ON THE SIDE OF DISCLOSING EVERYTHING.
WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON THIS CONFIDENTIAL PROJECT ON HILTON AT A $23 MILLION, UH, INVESTMENT.
BUT WHEN THE COMMUNITY WAS CONCERNED ABOUT IT, WE TOLD THEM RIGHT FROM THE BEGINNING, IT'S A LOAN MOUNTAIN.
WE JUST, SOMETIMES WE HAVE TO BE CAREFUL, OH, JUST ON, JUST ON GET IT THE PRICE OF LAND.
AND WHEN IT COMES TO COMPANIES THAT MIGHT BE RELOCATING, YOU DON'T WANT TO UPSET EMPLOYEES' LIVES.
IF ULTIMATELY A COMPANY'S JUST EXPLORING AN OPTION AND, AND DOESN'T MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT OPTION, YOU DON'T REALLY WANT TOO MUCH OUT THERE.
BUT, UH, I, I SAY IT ALL THE TIME.
[01:25:01]
BEAUFORT COUNTY, ANY ABSENCE OF GOOD INFORMATION, PEOPLE MAKE UP THEIR OWN, AND IT'S WORSE THAN THE TRUTH.SO I TRY TO TELL EVERYBODY EVERYTHING WE'RE WORKING ON, AND I'D BE HAPPY TO DO THAT AT ANY COMMUNITY MEETING.
JUST SO YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE TARGETS WE'VE BEEN LOOKING AT, WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THE LIKO CHEMICAL PLANT.
WE'VE BEEN TALKING TO CHILTON ABOUT A 500 ACRE TRACK UP IN YAAY, AND THERE'S ANOTHER, UH, PARCEL JUST SOUTH OF THE WHALE BRANCH THAT COULD BE A, A 70, A 70 ACRE OPPORTUNITY.
SO I, I DON'T MEAN TO, UH, I I JUST ON IN SOME INSTANCES, I JUST, YEAH, I, WE WE'LL MOVE AND, AND WHEN WE'RE GETTING CLOSE TO MOVING FORWARD, BUT THIS ISN'T DISSIMILAR TO WHAT I'VE SEEN COUNCIL DO WITH RURAL AND CRITICAL LANDS IN THE PAST, THEY'VE SET $25 MILLION ASIDE AND SAID THAT WOULD BE AVAILABLE TO YOU.
BUT BEFORE COUNCIL MOVES WITH THE ACTUAL PURCHASE, IT COMES TO COUNCIL IN EXECUTIVE SESSION, AND THEN IT GOES THROUGH YOUR READING PROCESS WHERE THE PUBLIC CAN COMMENT ON IT.
AND I JUST HAVE ONE MORE COMMENT.
YOU MENTIONED CXX, THE RAILROAD IN YI.
DOES THAT CAUSE MR. PASAMA HAS A PLAN OF ALL THE CS, AND IS IT THE, IT'S GONNA BE IN YI, IT'S NOT GONNA BE LIKE MAYBE AT THE VERY END OF 2 78 A STATION THERE OR SOMETHING LIKE, NO, NO, NO.
THAT, THAT'S HARDY V UH, OKAY.
WE, WE ARE, WE HAVE TALKED TO, UH, ANDY OLGE IN JASPER ABOUT, UH, UH, POTENTIAL MULTI-COUNTY INDUSTRIAL PARKS.
WHO IS THAT? THAT, THAT ANDY? HE'S THE, UH, UH, UH, NO, IT'S NOT JOHN'S COUNTERPART IN CHESTER COUNTY.
IF I MIGHT, IF I MIGHT, UM, GO AHEAD FOR THE NEW MEMBERS ON COUNCIL, JUST SO THAT YOU HAVE AN IDEA, UM, WHERE WE, HOW WE GOT STARTED WITH E UM, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN BEAUFORT COUNTY.
UH, ABOUT 12, 16 YEARS AGO, UM, THE FORMER COUNCIL, UH, REALIZED THAT WE NEEDED, UM, UH, UH, FUNDING, UH, SOURCE FOR MORE THAN JUST TOURISM AND, UH, PROPERTY TAXES AS FAR AS GENERATING, UH, TAXES TO OPERATE THE COUNTY.
AND SO THEREIN BIRTH THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, UM, CORPORATION, UM, THAT CORPORATION WAS PUT TOGETHER.
THEY, UH, HAD A BOARD AND JOHN AS THE DIRECTOR OF THAT, UH, UH, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION.
AND OVER THE 12, 16 YEARS, THEY, THEY HAVE DONE A LOT.
NOW WE'RE NOT WHERE WE ACTUALLY WANT TO BE, BUT, BUT THEY'RE PROGRESSING.
UM, AT, AT THE INCEPTION OF SETTING UP THE, THE CORPORATION AND THE BOARD, UH, DICK STEWART WAS ONE OF OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS AT THE TIME.
AND THE WHOLE EMPHASIS WAS DIVERSIFYING OUR ECONOMY, DIVERSIFYING OUR ECONOMY, AND SO TO, UH, TO HAVE THE COUNTY IN A POSITION WHERE WE WANT TO RELY SOLELY ON TOURISM AND, UH, PROPERTY TAXES FOR, UH, UH, OPERATION.
WE HAVE ANOTHER LEG OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
AND SO, UM, OVER THE YEARS, JOHN HAS BROUGHT, UH, JOBS INTO THE COUNTY.
AND, AND LIKE I SAID, I, I'M, I'M SUPPORTIVE OF THE, OF THE CORPORATION AND THE JOB THAT THEY'RE DOING.
AND I, AND I HOPE THE REST OF COUNCIL WILL, UH, CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THEM AS WELL.
UH, AS JOHN MENTIONED, WE'RE CURRENTLY, UH, LOOKING AT DOING SOME STUFF IN THE LUCO INDUSTRIAL SITE, UH, IN THE LUCO AREA THERE.
WE HAVE THE YY SITE THAT HE JUST MENTIONED.
THOSE ARE, THOSE ARE TWO SITES THAT ARE, UH, UH, UP FOR GRABS.
AND, AND WE, WE NEED TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF ACTUALLY SECURING THOSE SITES AND MOVING FORWARD WITH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FOR BEAUFORD COUNTY.
UM, JOHN IS COMING BEFORE US AND HE'S ASKING FOR A ONE MILL INCREASE, UH, FOR A THREE YEAR PERIOD, UH, TO GIVE THEM $8.1 MILLION.
DENISE IS SAYING THAT, UM, UH, IS DOABLE.
SO I WOULD ENCOURAGE US TO, UM, UH, APPROVE THIS AND MOVE IT FORWARD.
AND LET'S, LET'S, UH, LET'S GET IT GOING.
SO WOULD YOU LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO THAT EFFECT? MM-HMM.
OH, YOU WANT TO BE SPECIFIC FOR MS. BROCK? OKAY.
BECAUSE IN HERE IT SAYS THREE OR FOUR YEARS.
AND THAT'S WHERE I WAS GONNA REMIND YOU OF A BOOK I USED TO READ MY KIDS.
IF YOU GIVE HIM MOOSE A MUFFIN AND HE ALWAYS WANTS MORE, UM, UH, IF WE COULD HAVE IT LONGER, WE COULD BORROW MORE AND COVER MORE OF THE OPPORTUNITY.
SO IF, IF THERE WAS A POTENTIAL TO DO IT FOR THREE TO FIVE, THAT WOULD BE DESIRABLE.
I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR FROM DENISE.
'CAUSE SHE CAN EXPLAIN IT TERMS. I SECOND.
WELL, HE HASN'T MADE THIS SPECIFIC.
HE HAS TO MAKE A SPECIFIC MOTION.
[01:30:01]
NEED TO KNOW WHETHER DENISE IS GOING TO TELL US TO GO TO 3 0 4 OR FIVE.SO YOU GUYS SET THE MILLAGE IN THE FALL.
AND SO THIS WOULD COME WHEN YOU SET THE MILLAGE, THAT'S WHEN THE VOTE REALLY NEEDS TO HAPPEN, IS WHEN YOU SET MILLAGE AND WHEN WE PASS, WHEN WE ADOPT OUR BUDGET ORDINANCE.
SO WE'LL SPELL OUT IN THE BUDGET ORDINANCE SPECIFICS.
AND AT THAT TIME, WHEN YOU HAVE FIRST, SECOND, THIRD READINGS, THAT'S WHEN YOU COULD APPROVE HIS REQUEST, TOM.
SO IF YOU LOOK AT, UM, THE FY 25 BUDGET MM-HMM.
AND IT'S IN YOUR BACKUP MATERIAL TOO.
YOU'LL SEE THAT COUNCIL HAD STARTED YEARS AGO ALLOCATING A 1.1 MIL, UH, FOR USCB AND 1.1 MIL FOR TCL.
SO IT'S, IT'S RECITED IN THERE.
AND SO IF COUNSEL CHOOSES TO DO THAT, YOU WOULD MAKE IT PART OF YOUR BUDGET, OR YOU MAY WANNA MAKE IT AS A SEPARATE BUDGET, BUT EITHER WAY, THAT'S HOW YOU WOULD HANDLE IT.
BUT HOW MUCH IS IT GONNA RAISE? OKAY.
SO THE, WHAT MR. O'TOOLE WAS TALKING ABOUT WITH THE MILL, WE WITH NO IMPACT, WE CAN TRANSFER A MILL FROM ANOTHER FUND.
AND I'LL BE PRESENTING THAT SHORTLY IN MY PRESENTATION.
TO TALK ABOUT MILLAGE AND HOW WE CAN MOVE SOME THINGS AROUND THAT MAKES MORE SENSE FOR US GOING FORWARD.
I JUST GOT MY TAX BILL FOR MY VEHICLE.
I JUST BOUGHT A NEW VEHICLE AND ON THERE IT SAYS, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT 56 CENTS.
OH, WELL THANKS FOR CONTRIBUTING.
SO COUNCILMAN, WE'RE STILL LOOKING FOR A MOTION.
COUNCILMAN CUNNINGHAM, IF YOU WANT TO MAKE A MOTION LIKE YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT DOING, YOU MAY WANNA REFERENCE THE RESOLUTION.
THE COUNCIL, JUST, UH, THAT THIS COMMITTEE JUST RECOMMENDED TO COUNCIL THE RESOLUTION WITH REGARD TO THE TCL MM-HMM.
SO, MR. DAWSON, DID YOU WANNA MAKE A MOTION? YEAH.
I'M TRYING TO FIND THE RESOLUTION TO MOVE TO FULL COUNSEL.
I DON'T THINK WE HAD A RESOLUTION IN THE BACKUP.
WE WERE JUST, WE WERE, WAS THERE A RESOLUTION FOR HIM? THE ONE, THERE WAS ONE FOR TCL L BUT NOT FOR HIM SPECIFICALLY.
WE SUBSTITUTE USCB AND SUBSTITUTE YOUR CORRECT.
I THINK TODAY WE WERE JUST LOOKING FOR APPROVAL TO, TO BUILD A BUDGET BASED ON THIS INFORMATION.
THANK YOU FOR PURPOSE FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOP.
I WOULD REALLY APPRECIATE IF YOU WOULD CONSIDER FIVE YEARS AT LEAST THEY CAN PLAN OUT FOUR, FIVE YEARS FROM NOW.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS ON THAT? MR. BERT? WHAT DO YOU WANT TO SAY THAT YEAH, I, I, I WAS GONNA SUGGEST A FIVE YEAR, GIVE YOU SOME BREATHING ROOM TO, TO GET IT DONE.
SO IT WOULD BE A RESOLUTION SIMILAR TO WHAT'S IN FRONT OF US, JUST SUBSTITUTING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION.
AND IT WOULD SAY TO INCREASE THE CURRENT 0.3 MILLS FOR FIVE YEARS.
THAT WHERE WE'RE GOING FOR A FIVE YEAR PERIOD.
SO IT'S ONE, ONE MIL PER YEAR FOR A FIVE YEAR PERIOD.
IS THAT RIGHT? THAT'S WHAT THE RESOLUTION WOULD SAY.
ANY OTHER COMMENT OR DISCUSSION? SO IT'S MOVING TO COUNTY COUNCIL, RIGHT? THEY'LL MOVE TO COUNTY COUNCIL, RIGHT? FOR, UH, AN ADDITIONAL ONE MILL RIGHT.
FOR A FIVE YEAR PERIOD OF TIME, RIGHT? AS LONG AS EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS, YEAH.
AN ADDITIONAL ONE MIL, WHICH MAKES 1.3 MILS.
'CAUSE I ALREADY GET 0.3, RIGHT.
THAT'S GONNA BE A PROPOSED RESOLUTION TO COUNCIL.
MS. BROCK, WOULD YOU CALL THE ROLL PLEASE? SINCE THIS IS MONEY HERE.
COUNCIL MEMBER BARTHOLOMEW? YES.
COMMITTEE, VICE CHAIR KAEPERNICK? YES.
[01:35:01]
ALL RIGHT.[8. FISCAL YEAR 2025 BUDGET PRESENTATIONS FROM FIRE DISTRICTS AND UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA BEAUFORT (FISCAL IMPACT: NA until Budget Ordinance is approved) (Part 2 of 2)]
ONE MORE PRESENTATION.14TH CIRCUIT SOLICITOR'S OFFICE.
MY APPRECIATION TOO, UH, FOR, UH, ACCOMMODATING MY SCHEDULE.
I REALIZE I HAD DOUBLE BOOKED MYSELF TODAY.
WELL, WE APPRECIATE YOU COMING.
UH, I'M THE ADMINISTRATIVE CHIEF OF STAFF, UH, FOR THE SOLICITOR'S OFFICE.
UM, UH, MOST OF YOU FOLKS ARE, ARE FAMILIAR, BUT I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU A, A BRIEF INTRODUCTION JUST TO THE THINGS THAT I DO, BECAUSE I THINK IT'S A GOOD OPPORTUNITY TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF A, AN OVERVIEW OF SOME OF THE, UH, PROGRAMS AND, UH, UH, THAT WE ADMINISTER AT, UH, AT THE SOLICITOR'S OFFICE.
UH, ALSO WILL GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF INSIGHT INTO WHY I AM HERE GIVING THIS PRESENTATION TODAY AND NOT THE SOLICITOR HIMSELF.
UM, SO, UH, I WAS HIRED AT THE SOLICITOR'S OFFICE, UH, BEGAN IN DEC OR, UH, FEBRUARY RATHER OF 2017.
I WAS BROUGHT ON AS THE COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR.
UM, I DID THE THINGS THAT THE COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTORS TYPICALLY DO.
I DEAL WITH, UH, NEWS MEDIA, UH, INTERNAL PUBLICATIONS, OUR WEBSITE, THAT SORT OF THING.
UH, THE OTHER THING THAT, UH, WAS PART OF, PART AND PARCEL OF MY JOB, THOUGH, WAS ALSO GOVERNMENT RELATIONS.
IN FACT, ONE OF THE FIRST TASKS THAT THE SOLICITOR ASSIGNED ME TO WHEN I BEGAN WORKING FOR THE SOLICITOR'S OFFICE WAS WRITING, UH, BUDGET JUSTIFICATIONS AND REQUESTS TO THE VARIOUS GOVERNMENTS THAT, UH, THAT FUNDED US IN 2020.
UH, HE CHANGED MY JOB TITLE TO, UH, ADMINISTRATIVE CHIEF OF STAFF, AND, UH, EXPANDED MY JOB RESPONSIBILITIES AS WELL.
SO NOW, UNDER MY PURVIEW, UH, INCLUDES DIVERSIONARY PROGRAMS. UH, PRETRIAL INTERVENTION IS PROBABLY ONE THAT, UH, MOST PEOPLE WOULD BE MOST FAMILIAR WITH.
UH, WE ALSO OPERATE, UH, A MULTIDISCIPLINARY TREATMENT COURT, UH, MORE COLLOQUIALLY KNOWN AS A DRUG COURT.
UH, AND THAT PROGRAM IS SOMETHING THAT, UH, THAT WE'RE REALLY QUITE PROUD OF, UH, HAVE GOOD, UH, RECIDIVISM RATES, GRADUATION RATES.
UH, THE CONCEPT THERE IS TO BRING NONVIOLENT OFFENDERS, UH, WHOSE CRIMINAL ACTIVITY IS, IS, UH, KIND OF UNDERPINNED BY SUBSTANCE ABUSE DISORDERS, UH, AND GIVE THEM AN ALTERNATIVE TO PRISON.
AND THAT ALTERNATIVE IS VERY CLOSE SUPERVISION BY OUR STAFF AND OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS, AS WELL AS TREATMENT, UH, THAT, UH, THAT SUPERVISION, BY THE WAY, UH, INCLUDES, UH, REGULAR DRUG TESTING.
AND WHEN I SAY REGULAR, USUALLY ABOUT THREE TIMES A WEEK.
UH, SO THEY'RE, THEY'RE CLOSELY, UH, THEY'RE, THEY'RE CLOSELY LOOKED AFTER, UH, AND, AND WITH THE HOPE OF RESTORING THEM, UH, TO HEALTH AND TO ALSO BEING PRODUCTIVE CITIZENS.
AGAIN, UM, AS I SAID, WE'VE, WE'VE, WE'VE HAD QUITE A BIT OF SUCCESS WITH THAT PROGRAM.
IN FACT, OUR DIRECTOR, THERESA P, UH, AND OUR BEAUFORT COUNTY MULTIDISCIPLINARY COURT JUDGE AARON DEAN, WHO IS A, A PRIVATE ATTORNEY, UH, WHO, WHO PRESIDES OVER, UH, OUR DRUG COURT, ARE ACTUALLY IN COLUMBIA TODAY SPEAKING AT THE, UH, GOVERNOR'S, UH, OPIOID, UH, SUMMIT MEETING.
THEY'RE, THEY'RE GIVEN A PRESENTATION THERE.
UM, ANOTHER THING THAT'S PROBABLY PARTICULARLY PERTINENT TO THE FOLKS, UH, IN BEAUFORT COUNTY TO KNOW IS THAT THE MDC PROGRAM INCLUDES A VETERANS TRACT.
UM, SO, UH, THE SERVICE MEMBERS WHO, UH, SERVE US AND PROTECT OUR FREEDOMS OVERSEAS, IF THEY BRING HOME, UH, YOU KNOW, AN ADDICTION PROBLEM OR PTSD, UH, SOMETHING THAT, UH, THAT LEADS THEM KIND OF OFF THE PATH.
SOLICITOR STONE, UH, BELIEVES VERY FIRMLY IN GIVING THEM AN OPPORTUNITY, UH, TO, TO MAKE GOOD AND TO GET THEM THE TREATMENT AND HELP THAT THEY NEED.
UH, AGAIN, AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO PRISON, UH, ANOTHER PROGRAM THAT'S UNDER MY PURVIEW IS THE 14TH CIRCUIT VICTIM SERVICES CENTER.
UM, THIS IS LOCATED IN OUR HEADQUARTERS IN OTTE, UH, AND IT IS RIGHT DOWN THE HALL FROM OUR SPECIAL VICTIMS PROSECUTION UNIT.
UH, THIS ENTAILS A NUMBER OF COMMUNITY PARTNERS, UH, AMONG THEM, UH, HOPEFUL HORIZONS, UH, LOW COUNTRY LEGAL VOLUNTEERS WHO I KNOW MR. BARAL, YOU YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH.
'CAUSE I THINK I SAW YOU JUST SIGNED ON AS A VOLUNTEER WITH THEM.
UH, ANN KAYWOOD, HER FOLKS ARE JUST, THEY'RE GREAT PARTNERS AND WE, WE LOVE HAVING 'EM IN OUR CENTER.
UH, KAPPA IS ANOTHER, UH, PARTNER WITH THIS, UH, BIKERS AGAINST CHILD ABUSE IS, IS ANOTHER ONE OF THE, UH, THE PARTNERS IN THAT CENTER.
THE CONCEPT THERE IS TO BRING TOGETHER UNDER A SINGLE ROOF, UH, THE SERVICE PROVIDERS FOR THE, UH, SECURITY AND THE CONVENIENCE OF VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, SEXUAL ASSAULT, CHILD ABUSE, UH, OTHER CRIMES OF THAT NATURE AGAINST, UH, VULNERABLE POPULATIONS.
UM, WE ALSO HAVE A, A COMPONENT THAT INCLUDES, UH, WE, WE PROVIDE SERVICES TO LOCAL HOSPITALS.
AND I SAY LOCAL BEAUFORT COUNTY AND JASPER COUNTY, UH, WHERE WE WILL SEND, UH, SEXUAL
[01:40:01]
ASSAULT NURSE EXAMINERS, UH, INTO THEIR ERS.UH, IF THEY HAVE SOMEBODY THERE, A PATIENT THAT PRESENTS WITH A REPORT OF A SEXUAL ASSAULT, ONE OF THE BENEFITS OF THAT IS ONE TO THE HOSPITAL.
UH, THEY DON'T HAVE TO PULL AN ER, UH, NURSE OFF OF THE FLOOR.
UH, THESE, UH, EXAMS ARE, CAN BE QUITE LENGTHY.
USUALLY IT'S ABOUT A FOUR HOUR PROCESS, AND WE'RE COLLECTING FORENSIC EVIDENCE AS WELL AS TENDING TO THE, UH, TO THE, TO THE VICTIM.
UM, IT ALSO PUTS THOSE PATIENTS IN THE CARE OF SOMEBODY WHO HAS SPECIAL TRAINING, UH, TO DO THOSE EXAMINATIONS.
AND SOMEBODY WHO, UH, WOULD TESTIFY IN COURT IF IT, UH, IF IT CAME TO THAT.
UH, SO AGAIN, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THE, THE HOSPITALS SEEM TO APPRECIATE.
UH, AND IT'S, UH, WE'RE CONTINUALLY WORKING TO TRY TO IMPROVE THE NUMBER OF, THERE'S A TEACHING COMPONENT OF THAT PROGRAM, UH, AND TO BRING MORE, UH, SEXUAL ASSAULT NURSE EXAMINERS ONLINE, PARTICULARLY IN THE PEDIATRIC AREA.
THERE'S A, A TREMENDOUS SHORTAGE OF THOSE, UH, NURSES WITH THOSE CAPABILITIES IN THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA.
AND WE'RE, WE'RE WORKING TO, TO COMBAT THAT.
UH, ONE OTHER THING THAT'S PARTICULARLY RELEVANT WITH, UH, OUR VICTIM SERVICES CENTER.
ABOUT A YEAR AGO, WE EARNED, UH, A DESIGNATION AS A FAMILY JUSTICE CENTER.
UH, THIS IS BY THE, UH, UH, UH, ACCREDITATION THAT IS BESTOWED BY THE, UH, THE ALLIANCE FOR, UH, ALLIANCE FOR HOPE.
UH, THERE ARE A COUPLE OF HUNDRED OF THOSE FAMILY JUSTICE CENTERS AROUND THE GLOBE.
THERE'S ONLY ONE IN SOUTH CAROLINA, AND IT'S HERE IN BEAUFORT COUNTY, UH, IN, IN OUR OFFICE.
UM, THOSE, THAT'S KIND OF A LIST, A, A RATHER LONG LIST OF THE THINGS THAT ARE UNDER MY PURVIEW.
UH, AS ADMINISTRATIVE CHIEF OF STAFF, UH, THERE SHOULD BE SOMETHING THAT IS, UH, CONSPICUOUSLY ABSENT FROM THAT LIST, UH, THAT IS, HAVEN'T SAID ANYTHING ABOUT OUR ATTORNEYS OR OUR INVESTIGATORS, UH, THE PROSECUTION SIDE, I'M NOT AN ATTORNEY.
I DO NOT PARTICIPATE IN, UH, PROSECUTORIAL DECISIONS.
UH, AS I SAID, UH, THIS, UH, INTRODUCTION ALSO KIND OF EXPLAINS WHY SOLICITOR STONE IS NOT HERE GIVEN THIS, UH, THIS PRESENTATION, UH, BECAUSE I DON'T PARTICIPATE IN THOSE DECISIONS.
HE HAD SOME MISGIVINGS ABOUT APPEARING BEFORE A BODY, UH, THAT IS UNDER A SLED INVESTIGATION THAT HE CALLED FOR.
SO THAT'S WHY HE, UH, HE SENT ME, UH, IN HIS STEAD.
UM, GOING BACK, AS I SAID, UH, 2017, UM, WHEN I FIRST STARTED HERE, UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I DID WAS BEGIN WRITING, UH, BUDGET, UH, JUSTIFICATIONS AND PRESENTATIONS.
UH, UNFORTUNATELY, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT I WROTE ABOUT THERE, UH, AND SOME OF THE, THE CONCERNS THAT WE HAVE STILL HAVE NOT REALLY BEEN ADEQUATELY ADDRESSED BY BEAUFORT COUNTY.
UM, IF YOU LOOK AT THE STATE AVERAGE PER CAPITA FUNDING, YOU TAKE BEAUFORT COUNTY OUT OF THE EQUATION AND LOOK AT THE OTHER 45 COUNTIES AROUND THE STATE.
THEY'RE FUNDING THEIR SOLICITOR'S OFFICES AT A RATE OF ABOUT 1382.
UH, BEAUFORT COUNTY PROVIDES US WITH FUNDING OF ABOUT $8 AND 66 CENTS PER CAPITA.
UM, THAT WOULD BE FINE IF YOU'RE, UH, ALLENDALE COUNTY OR IF YOU'RE HAMPTON COUNTY, UH, COUNTY THAT HAS WHERE THERE'S PERSISTENT POVERTY.
UH, BUT YOU'RE NOT ALLENDALE COUNTY.
UH, IN FACT, DEPENDING ON, UH, REALLY PRETTY MUCH REGARDLESS OF THE METRIC THAT YOU, UH, LOOK AT IN TERMS OF, UH, COUNTY AFFLUENCE, UH, YOU'RE IN THE TOP QUARTILE.
IN FACT, YOU'RE USUALLY IN THE TOP HALF OF THE TOP QUARTILE.
UM, SO LOOKING AT SIMILARLY SITUATED COUNTIES, UH, AROUND THE STATE, IF YOU LOOK FOR EXAMPLE, UH, OF, UH, A LIST OF THE TOP COUNTIES IN, UH, MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME, UH, AGAIN, WE'RE AT 8 66 PER CAPITA.
UM, THE OTHER FIVE COUNTIES THAT ARE AT THE TOP OF THAT LIST ARE FUNDED AT A RATE OF ABOUT $17 AND 23 CENTS PER CAPITA.
SO ESSENTIALLY ABOUT HALF, YOU'RE GIVING US ABOUT HALF THE FUNDING THAT OTHER SIMILARLY SITUATED COUNTIES ARE GIVING.
UH, THE DISPARITY GROWS EVEN MORE STARK.
IF YOU LOOK AT, UH, COUNTIES THAT ARE SIMILARLY LOCATED AND HAVE SIMILAR, UH, ECONOMIES, SPECIFICALLY I'M TALKING ABOUT THOSE COASTAL COUNTIES, CHARLESTON, UH, ORI, UH, GEORGETOWN, UH, BERKELEY, THAT HAVE, UH, A SIGNIFICANT, UH, TOURISM ELEMENT TO THEIR, UH, TO THEIR ECONOMY.
UH, AND A LOT OF, IN A LOT OF COASTLINE.
UH, AGAIN, UH, THOSE, IF YOU TAKE US OUT OF THOSE, UH, OUT OF THAT LIST OF, OF COUNTIES 1846, UH, PER CAPITA IS THE, UH, IS THE FUNDING RATE THAT THOSE COUNTIES PROVIDED THEIR SOLICITOR'S OFFICES.
AND AGAIN, WE GET $8 AND 66 CENTS PER CAPITA.
THAT'S ABOUT 46% BY MY MATH, 46% OF THE, OF THE FUNDING THAT THEY RECEIVE.
SO, LOOKING BACK OVER TIME, 2020, UH, FISCAL YEAR, I THINK WE RECEIVED, UH, $1.6 MILLION APPROPRIATION FROM BEAUFORT COUNTY, UM,
[01:45:01]
FOR THIS FISCAL YEAR.SO THAT'S ABOUT A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS INCREASE OVER A FOUR YEAR PERIOD.
UH, AGAIN, I, I THINK MY MATH IS CORRECT ON THIS AS ABOUT SIX, SIX AND A QUARTER PERCENT, UH, INCREASE.
BUT OF COURSE, THAT'S BEEN LAED BY INFLATION ABOUT THREE TIMES OVER, OVER THAT, UH, OVER THAT TIME PERIOD.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T HAVE A, WE DID NOT MAKE A SPECIFIC REQUEST, ALTHOUGH I THINK THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, GETTING US BACK CLOSER TO THAT, UH, $13 AND 32 CENTS PER CAPITA FUNDING, UH, WOULD BE A GOOD START.
UM, BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, UM, THAT'S REALLY, THAT'S REALLY THE PROPOSAL.
I KNOW A LOT OF TIMES YOU'D LIKE TO HAVE A SPECIFIC PROJECT, UH, BUT WE HAVE BEEN PROVIDING THOSE SPECIFIC PROJECTS.
I GAVE YOU A LONG LIST, THE MDC COURT, THE, UH, VICTIM SERVICES CENTER, AND UNFORTUNATELY, UH, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO BRING A LOT OF THAT STUFF TO FRUITION ALL DURING MY TENURE AT, AT, UH, UH, AT THE SOLICITOR'S OFFICE.
AND UNFORTUNATELY, UH, I'D LIKE TO BE ABLE TO SAY THAT WE'VE DONE THAT WITH BEAUFORT COUNTY'S HELP, BUT FRANKLY, SOMETIMES WE'VE DONE IT IN SPITE OF BEAUFORT COUNTY.
UM, SO, UM, WITH THAT, UM, UH, I WILL TRY TO ANSWER ANY, ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU, THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE.
IN ALL MY YEARS ON COUNTY COUNCIL, WE'VE ASKED IT TO BE BROKEN DOWN SPECIFIC FOR BEAUFORT COUNTY, AND AGAIN, THIS YEAR UNDER YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS, ALTHOUGH THEY'RE GREAT, I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW, UM, OF YOUR VICTIM SERVICE CENTER SERVING OVER 2000 VICTIMS. HOW MANY ARE FROM BUFORT COUNTY? APPROXIMATELY 75%.
SORRY, DIDN'T MEAN TO INTERRUPT YOU.
PRACTICALLY 75% SPECIFIC NUMBERS, AND I, I HOPE THAT YOU DO TRACK THE SPECIFIC NUMBERS BY COUNTY.
UM, AND ALSO THE SEXUAL ASSAULT EXAMS. HOW MANY OF THE VICTIMS WERE, THOSE ARE ALMOST EXCLUSIVELY BEAUFORT COUNTY, BECAUSE THAT'S A SERVICE WE PROVIDE, UH, IN, IN BEAUFORT COUNTY.
WHAT DO THE OTHER COUNTIES DO INT COUNTY HOSPITALS? WHAT DO THE OTHER FOUR COUNTIES DO? THEY USE TO, UH, THEY WILL, IT DEPENDS ON WHETHER IT'S AN ADULT, UH, CASE OR IF IT, OR IF IT'S A JUVENILE CASE THAT IS REPORTED.
JUVENILES UNFORTUNATELY HAVE TO BE TAKEN TO, UH, THE MEDICAL UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA IN CHARLESTON.
SO, UH, FOR THOSE EXAMS FROM HAMPTON COUNTY WOULD GO TO MUSC? YES, MA'AM.
BUT I, WELL, I MEAN, THEY COULD CONCEIVABLY SHOW UP AT LIKE, AS AN EMERGENCY ROOM, UH, PATIENT, BUT, UH, TYPICALLY IF THEY REPORTED TO HAMPTON HOSPITAL THIS, THEY WOULD SEND THEM ELSEWHERE.
THIS HAS BEEN A QUESTION THAT COUNTY COUNCIL HAS HAD, BECAUSE WE KNOW THERE'S FOUR OTHER COUNTIES, BUT THE SOLICITOR'S OFFICE GIVES US TOTALS RATHER THAN BROKEN DOWN BY COUNTY.
WELL, BUT, AND, AND, BUT, UM, ALSO, DO YOU USE OUR DRUG AND ALCOHOL SERVICES FOR, UM, OUR OWN COUNTY SERVICES THAT WE HAVE OR DO YOU PROVIDE WE DO TO THE EXTENT THAT WE CAN.
I'M SORRY, I KEEP INTERRUPTING YOU.
I DON'T MEAN TO TALK OVER YOU
I KNOW, I MEAN, WE KNOW EACH OTHER.
BUT I WOULD LIKE TO FINISH MY QUESTION OF SURE.
HOW DO YOU, THIS CENTER WAS STOOD UP AND, AND I'VE TAKEN A TOUR OF IT AND IT'S GREAT.
IT, AND IT WAS DONE WITH SOLICITORS, UM, INITIATIVE.
UM, BUT IS THERE SOME OVERLAP, LIKE WITH OUR DRUG AND ALCOHOL PROGRAM, UM, AND YOUR ALCOHOL COUNSELING FOR YOUR, YOUR, YOUR PEOPLE WHO COME THROUGH THIS? I'M JUST ASKING, UH, I'M, I'M SORRY.
I'M, I'M, I'M A LITTLE CONFUSED BY THE QUESTION THAT OVERLAP BETWEEN BEAUFORT COUNTY'S PROGRAM AND YOUR CENTER'S PROGRAM FOR ALCOHOL, UH, THAT THAT CENTER IS THERE TO SERVICE THE, THE VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, SEXUAL ASSAULT, THE KIND OF COUNSELING THEY'RE RECEIVING IS TYPICALLY THROUGH, BUT YOU DO LIST WHAT YOU DO AT THE CENTER, IF I'M READING IT CORRECTLY.
UM, YOU, YOU MIGHT BE CONFLATING WITH THE, OR WITH OUR MULTIDISCIPLINARY COURT, RIGHT.
THIS, THIS FOLKS AND, AND OUR MDC FOLKS ARE, ARE HOUSED, UM, IN THE, IN THE COURTHOUSE ACROSS THE WAY HERE.
UM, YES, WE USED BEAUFORT COUNTY DRUG AND ALCOHOL.
UH, ALTHOUGH NOT ALL OF THE COUNSELING.
IN FACT, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAD TO DO A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, UH, IS WRITE A, WE WROTE A FEDERAL GRANT OSTENSIBLY TO KIND OF GET US, UH, A FOOT IN THE DOOR IN JASPER AND, UH, AND COLLETON COUNTY.
WE'RE FORTUNATE THAT IN BEAUFORT COUNTY, UH, HAS HAD A MDC PROGRAM OPERATING SINCE, I THINK, WELL, ACTUALLY BEFORE 2009.
WE TOOK IT OVER IN 2009 OR 2010.
AND, UM, BUT WE'VE BEEN THE ONLY COUNTY IN THE CIRCUIT THAT'S REALLY KIND OF HAD THE OTHER AGENCY SUPPORT THAT IS NECESSARY TO PROVIDE THEM THE SERVICES THEY NEED TO DO IT EFFECTIVELY.
UH, WHAT WE DID IN 2020 IS WROTE A FEDERAL GRANT THAT GOT US IN, THAT ALLOWED US TO EXPAND INTO JASPER AND COLLETON COUNTY.
[01:50:01]
DID THAT BY HIRING ON STAFF COUNSELORS.UH, BUT WHAT THAT HAS DONE, AND ONE OF THEM IS A, A SUBSTANCE ABUSE COUNSELOR.
AND THE OTHER IS A MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELOR.
THE MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELOR WAS PARTICULARLY KEY BECAUSE WHAT WAS HAPPENING IN OUR, UH, IN OUR MDC PROGRAM BEFORE, UH, THIS COUNSELOR WAS BROUGHT ON BOARD.
WE DON'T HAVE A MENTAL HEALTH COURT COMPONENT, BUT THERE, UH, THE CO-OCCURRING INCIDENTS OF SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER AND MENTAL HEALTH, UH, PROBLEMS. THERE'S A HIGH, UH, CO-OCCURRENCE OF THOSE, OF THOSE PROBLEMS. I THINK WE ALL UNDERSTAND THAT.
SO WE'VE, WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO REFER TO COASTAL EMPIRE.
HOWEVER, UH, AT THE TIME WE WROTE THE GRANT, THEY WERE ONLY ABLE TO ACCOMMODATE TWO OR THREE OF OUR PEOPLE AT A TIME AT ANY GIVEN TIME.
AT THAT POINT, WE HAD ABOUT 23 TO 30 BEAUFORT COUNTY PARTICIPANTS IN THAT COURT.
AND WHAT ABOUT THE SHERIFF HAS A MENTAL HEALTH, UM, PERSON TOO THAT THROUGH A GRANT, SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT DOES.
I'M NOT SURE OF THE PURPOSE OF THAT.
THEY DO, UH, WE HAVE A COUNSELOR WHO'S, UH, WHO'S, WHO IS PROVIDING, UM, SERVICES THAT COASTAL EMPIRE HAS BEEN UNABLE, UH, TO, UH, UH, TO PROVIDE.
AND THE POINT I WANNA MAKE ABOUT THAT IS THAT WE GOT THAT GRANT AGAIN.
I SAID, AND THE REASON I MENTIONED THE FACT THAT WE WERE OSTENSIBLY TRYING TO GET IN AND WE WERE TRYING TO GET INTO JASPER AND COLTON COUNTIES, BUT I WROTE THE GRANT IN SUCH A WAY THAT ALLOWED THAT THE PERSONNEL THAT WAS USED TO BE USED IN BEAUFORT COUNTY AS WELL, THAT'S A GRANT THAT PROBABLY BEAUFORT COUNTY WOULD NOT HAVE GOTTEN ON ITS OWN BECAUSE WE GOT PRIORITY CONSIDERATION, UH, BECAUSE, UH, BECAUSE OF PERSISTENT POVERTY IN THE AREAS WHERE WE'RE LOOKING TO EXPAND INTO.
SO WE'RE VERY, THAT THAT'S ONE THING THAT THE, THE SOLICITOR'S OFFICE IN GENERAL HAS BEEN VERY GOOD AT DOING, IS TRYING TO STRETCH THOSE RESOURCES AS FAR AS WE CAN.
WE GOT SOMETHING FOR BEAUFORT COUNTY WHILE WE WERE TRYING TO GET INTO JASPER AND CARLTON IS KIND OF, IS KIND OF THE POINT OF THAT.
UM, YOUR GRAPHS ARE GOOD COMPARING THE, UM, HOUSEHOLD INCOME.
UM, BUT THE POVERTY RATE ONE, YOU DON'T, YOU DON'T GIVE US THE POVERTY RATE FOR EACH OF THOSE COUNTIES ON THAT PARTICULAR GRAPH.
SO I'M NOT SURE WHAT YOU'RE COMPARING.
UH, THAT WOULD BE THE UPPER END.
SO, OR ACTUALLY YOU WOULD, IT'S THE INVERSION OF THE, UH, MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME.
I GUESS IN A SENSE IT WOULD BE THE BOTTOM OF THE LIST.
BUT THE COUNTIES WITH THE LOW AVERAGE, AVERAGE, BASICALLY THE COAST WITH THE LOWEST, LOWEST PERCENTAGE OF PEOPLE LIVING IN POVERTY.
AND I BELIEVE BEAUFORT COUNTY'S AT LIKE 10.7, 10.3, SOMEWHERE AROUND THERE.
THE AVERAGE MEETING INCOME IS, UH, OR WHAT? NO, NO.
I DON'T KNOW YOUR SOURCE OF NUMBERS.
THESE ARE, THESE ARE CENSUS BUREAU STATISTICS.
TO ME, THIS, THE POVERTY RATE WITHOUT MORE NUMBERS DOESN'T TELL ME ANYTHING.
AND, YOU KNOW, I LOVE STATISTICS, I LOVE CENSUS DATA, BUT I NEED MORE INFORMATION THAN WHAT YOU HAVE THERE FOR ME TO UNDERSTAND THAT PARTICULAR ONE.
IF IT'S THE AVERAGE MEDIAN INCOME, UM, AS SET EVERY YEAR, FINE.
BUT I, I DON'T KNOW YOUR REFERENCE POINT, BUT JUST POINTING THAT OUT, THE OTHER INFORMATION, UM, IS GOOD.
I WOULD'VE LIKED TO SEEN THE OTHER COUNTIES IN OUR DISTRICT THE SAME DATA FOR THEM, UM, TO BE A FAIR COMPARISON.
'CAUSE I KNOW WE HAVE SOME OF THE POOR COUNTIES.
I MEAN, WE HAVE ALLENDALE AND WE HAVE TO ALLENDALE IS THE POOREST.
MR. BERT, I HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS FOR YOU.
UM, DO YOU KNOW APPROXIMATELY WHAT THE TOTAL NUMBER OF CASES IS IN THE 14TH CIRCUIT? UM, AS WELL AS BUFORT COUNTY'S PORTION OF THAT? UM, IN TERMS OF NEW CASES EACH BY YEAR OR THAT ARE PENDING? YEAH, PENDING RIGHT NOW.
CURRENT CASES, UH, PENDING RIGHT NOW.
WELL, I CAN GIVE YOU, ACTUALLY, I CAN TELL YOU THAT WE HAD 2000, UH, 2017, UH, CHARGES IN BEAUFORT COUNTY IN THE LAST FULL CALENDAR YEAR.
UM, AND, UH, 2036 THE YEAR BEFORE.
SO THAT'S ALMOST, UH, ALMOST FLAT THERE.
UH, THE CASELOAD, UH, BEAUFORT COUNTY IS ABOUT 60% OF THE, UH, OF THE, UH, CIRCUIT POPULATION, BUT ABOUT 50% OF THE CASELOAD, THERE'S A LOWER CRIME RATE IN, IN, IN, UH, BEAUFORT COUNTY.
UH, IN TERMS OF OUR, UH, IN TERMS OF OUR NUMBER OF PENDING CASES, AND THIS IS WHERE I KIND OF, THE NUMBERS KIND OF SWITCH A LITTLE BIT HERE BECAUSE WHEN WE TALK ABOUT OUR, WHAT MOST PEOPLE WOULD CALL A BACKLOG, IT'S NOT REALLY TECHNICALLY A BACKLOG UNTIL IT GETS BEYOND A CERTAIN DATE OR WHATEVER.
BUT, UM, THAT'S A NUMBER ACTUALLY THAT I CALCULATED THIS MORNING.
'CAUSE I DO A, A MONTHLY UPDATE ON THAT ON OUR WEBSITE THAT, THAT'S POSTED ON THE DATA CENTER OF OUR WEBSITE.
UH, WE ARE AT, UH, JUST A HAIR OVER 5,000.
[01:55:01]
WE'VE BROUGHT THAT, WE'VE KNOCKED DOWN THAT, UH, CASELOAD BY ABOUT 700 CASES SINCE THE START OF THIS CALENDAR YEAR.WE'VE DONE, WE'VE DONE REALLY WELL.
I DO NOT HAVE THE COUNTY BY COUNTY BREAKDOWN FOR THOSE NUMBERS.
UH, AND OUR CONCERN, WHAT WE CALL A CASE, IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT FROM WHAT COURT ADMINISTRATION, UH, COURT ADMINISTRATION COUNTS CHARGES, WE COUNT, UH, DEF WE COUNT DEFENDANTS.
UH, BECAUSE IT'S A LITTLE BIT MORE ACCURATE, UH, REPRESENTATION OF OUR, OF OUR CASE LETTER.
ARE THOSE, UH, PRE OR POST INDICTMENT NUMBERS? UH, IT'S A, IT'S A MIX OF BOTH.
I MEAN, THERE ARE SOME AWAITING TRIAL THAT HAVE BEEN INDICTED AND SOME THAT WE'RE STILL, UH, YEAH, WE'RE, WE'RE STILL EXAMINING THE CASES THAT HAVE BEEN FORWARDED TO US FROM LAW ENFORCEMENT.
AND, UM, WHAT'S THE, WHAT'S THE TOTAL, TOTAL NUMBER OF SOLICITORS IN BEAUFORT COUNTY THAT ARE, THAT ARE FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES? WELL, AND THIS IN A WAY KIND OF GOES BACK TO MS. HOWARD'S QUESTION EARLIER, IS THAT WE DO HAVE, WE HAVE COMMUNITY, UH, UH, ATTORNEYS THAT ARE ASSIGNED TO A, A GEOGRAPHIC AREA.
WE HAVE OTHER ATTORNEYS WHO MIGHT, UH, PROSECUTE ANYWHERE IN THE, UH, IN THE CIRCUIT.
UH, THERE ARE EIGHT OF THOSE, UH, ATTORNEYS ASSIGNED TO, UH, BEAUFORT COUNTY RIGHT NOW.
AND AGAIN, THAT DOESN'T INCLUDE, FOR INSTANCE, HUNTER SWANSON.
HE'S THE LEADER OF OUR, UH, UH, SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT.
SHE DOES CASES ALL OVER THE, ALL OVER THE CIRCUIT.
UM, THAT ALSO DOESN'T INCLUDE, LIKE MARY JONES, WHO IS A CAREER CRIMINAL PROSECUTOR.
SHE ACTUALLY IS, DOES ALMOST EXCLUSIVELY, UM, UM, BEAUFORT COUNTY CASES.
SO THAT WOULD BE A, A NINTH ATTORNEY.
UM, UH, DO, DO Y'ALL HAVE A HIGH RATE OF TURNOVER THERE? UM, WELL WHAT IT, IT SEEMS LIKE OUR, OUR TURNOVER TENDS TO HAPPEN AMONG OUR YOUNGER, UH, OUR YOUNGER ATTORNEYS.
WE HAVE A VERY, UH, PRETTY STABLE, UH, SENIOR STAFF.
UH, UH, IN FACT, I'M TRYING TO THINK, I WAS COUNTING ON MY HAND THE OTHER DAY.
I THINK I CAN ONLY THINK OF MAYBE THREE ATTORNEYS IN THE TIME THAT I'VE LEFT THAT HAD BEEN THERE MORE THAN 10 YEARS, THAT HAD LEFT WHILE I WAS THERE.
AND I'VE BEEN THERE SEVEN YEARS.
UH, SO OUR SENIOR ATTORNEYS TEND TO STAY, UH, SOLICITOR STONE'S DONE A GOOD JOB OF KIND OF CARVING OUT A CAREER PATH FOR THOSE, FOR THOSE FOLKS AND GIVING THEM A WAGE THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY CAN SUPPORT A FAMILY AND, AND AFFORD THE COST OF LIVING IN, IN BEAUFORT COUNTY.
UM, BUT SOME OF OUR YOUNGER FOLKS, YOU KNOW, WE TEND TO, UM, UH, HIRE FOLKS THAT ARE OUT OF LAW SCHOOL.
UH, WE TRY TO GET THE CREAM OF THE CROP OF THE FOLKS THAT ARE GETTING OUTTA LAW SCHOOL, BUT A LOT OF THEM THAT DO IT FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS AND THEN DECIDE, UH, ANOTHER AREA OF THE LAW IS, IS WHAT I WANT TO DO.
SO THERE IS SOME, THERE IS SOME TURNOVER THERE.
UH, AND FRANKLY, HAVING, YOU KNOW, UH, AN INCREASED FUNDING WOULD HELP US, UH, IN THE RE IN RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S WHERE I WAS GOING WITH YES.
I KNOW THAT'S AN ISSUE WITH THE PUBLIC DEFENDER'S OFFICE.
AND I, AND I'LL TELL YOU, UM, LIKE A SOLICITOR STONE, I MEAN, WE KNOW WHAT OUR FIRST AND FOREMOST OUR, OUR MISSION IS THE PROSECUTION OF THOSE CASES.
WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE MINISTERS OF JUSTICE.
A LOT OF THE THINGS THAT ARE UNDER MY PURVIEW ARE ALL GOOD.
SOME OF THEM ARE EVEN MANDATED THAT WE DO BY THE STATE, BUT I CAN ASSURE YOU THAT THE FOCUS IN THAT OFFICE IS ABOUT THE PROPER PROSECUTION, UH, OF THOSE CRIMINAL CASES.
SO HE'S DONE A VERY GOOD JOB OF, OF, OF CREATING A SALARY STRUCTURE FOR THOSE FOLKS.
UM, BUT HE, BUT SOMETHING HAS TO GIVE, AND WE HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO DO IT.
FOR EXAMPLE, FOR, UH, SUPPORT STAFF, FOR PEOPLE LIKE ME, FOR EXAMPLE,
UM, AND SO I KNOW WE'RE THE ADMINISTRATIVE COUNTY FOR, FOR THE PUBLIC DEFENDER'S OFFICE, IS COLTON COUNTY Y'ALL'S ADMINISTRATOR? THEY ARE.
THEY, WELL, IN TERMS OF, IN, IN TERMS OF REVENUES, YES.
IT'S, IT'S, IT'S ALL, UH, TRACKED AND KEPT SEPARATELY.
UH, WE HAVE ACCOUNTING DEPARTMENTS, UH, OR, UH, CATEGORIES RATHER, UH, THAT, UH, WHERE WE CAN IDENTIFY A SPECIFIC COUNTY FUNCTION.
THEY'RE TRACKED IN THAT MANNER.
UH, BUT WE ALSO HAVE THINGS LIKE IN MY SALARY, FOR EXAMPLE, BECAUSE I DO, MOST OF MY WORK DOES CONCERN, BEAUFORT COUNTY, BEAUFORT COUNTY CASES ARE INTERACTING WITH FOLKS IN BEAUFORT COUNTY.
UH, BUT I DO WORK ALL OVER THE, ALL OVER THE CIRCUIT.
SO FROM AN ACCOUNTING STANDPOINT, MY S MY SALARY IS, UH, THERE'S BASICALLY A, A, A CATEGORY FOR CIRCUIT WIDE OPERATIONS, AND THAT'S WHERE THAT WOULD FALL.
AND THAT'S WHERE, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, WE'RE KIND OF NEITHER FISH NOR FOUL WHEN IT COMES TO GOVERNMENT, BECAUSE WE'RE NOT A COUNTY AGENCY.
WE'RE NOT A STATE AGENCY EITHER.
UH, AND SO WE'VE DONE, UH, WE'VE TRIED OUR BEST AND ONE OF THE WAYS WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO DO THINGS LIKE HAVE THE VICTIM SERVICES CENTER AND TRY TO EXPAND OUR MULTIDISCIPLINARY COURT PROGRAM IS TO TRY TO TAKE, UH, ADVANTAGE OF SOME SYNERGIES WHEREVER WE CAN FIND IT.
UH, AND TRY HARD NOT TO BUILD FIVE SEPARATE SILOS, UH, AND TRY TO, TO PULL RESOURCES NOT ONLY WITHIN
[02:00:01]
OUR OFFICE, BUT ALSO WE, WE DO THAT A FAIR BIT WITH, UH, WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT, WITH OUR INTELLIGENCE UNIT.NOW, I, AND I PROMISE Y'ALL, I'M ALMOST DONE.
I JUST HAVE A FEW MORE, FEW MORE QUESTIONS FOR YOU.
UM, SO Y'ALL HAVE YOUR OWN INTELLIGENCE AND INVESTIGATING DIVISION, CORRECT? CORRECT.
SEPARATE FROM THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT? YES, SIR.
UM, SO WE'RE, WE'RE FUNDING THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT'S INVESTIGATING SIDE OF THINGS.
AND THEN WE'RE ALSO FUNDING THE SOLICITOR SIDE OF INTELLIGENCE AND INVESTIGATION SIDE.
IS THERE ANY POOLING OF MONEY THERE, OR ARE THOSE COMPLETELY SEPARATE? THOSE ARE, THOSE ARE SEPARATE IN THE, AND THE, AND REALLY THE ROLES OF THE INVESTIGATORS ARE, ARE QUITE A BIT DIFFERENT.
OUR INVESTIGATORS, FIRST, OUR INVESTIGATORS WEAR SEVERAL DIFFERENT HATS.
UH, THEY'RE ALL DULY TRAINED LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS.
UH, THEY'RE CERTIFIED THROUGH THE, THROUGH THE ACADEMY.
UH, BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, DYLAN HIGHTOWER, FOR EXAMPLE, FOR WHO IS THE HEAD OF IT, ALSO IS OUR FLEET MANAGER.
THEY ALL DO, THEY ALL DO JOB B AS WELL.
BUT IN TERMS OF THEIR, UH, INVESTIGATIONS, THEIR ROLE IS TO, UH, YOU KNOW, LAW ENFORCEMENT HANDS OFF CASES TO US.
AND AS YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE A, A, A, THEY HAVE A PROBABLE CAUSE BURDEN OF PROOF THAT THEY HAVE TO MEET OUR ATTORNEYS DO NOT.
THEY HAVE TO BE, UH, PROVE THEIR CASES BEYOND A REASONABLE DOUBT.
AND SO, WHILE WE CONTINUE TO ENGAGE WITH THE INVESTIGATORS ON THE LAW ENFORCEMENT SIDE, UH, OUR INVESTIGATORS ARE THERE TO TRY TO CONTINUE THE INVESTIGATION AND TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE REACHING THAT, UH, MEETING THAT, THAT BURDEN.
UH, WE'RE ALSO A RESOURCE FOR A LOT OF OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE BLESSED IN THIS COUNTY TO HAVE BEAUFORT COUNTY, WHICH HAS, UH, QUITE A BIT OF ACUMEN AND, AND WHEREWITHAL.
UM, BUT, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE, UH, SMALLER AGENCIES, UH, EVEN WITHIN BUFORT COUNTY, BLUFFTON OR PORT ROYAL, UH, BEAUFORT, WE'RE AVAILABLE TO DO THINGS LIKE CELL PHONE EXTRACTIONS.
UH, WE PARTICIPATE, UH, PRETTY REGULARLY IN, UH, IN, IN SURVEILLANCE AND, UH, THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
THE OTHER, THE OTHER THING THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT, I THINK, WHERE THERE'S A REAL SYNERGY WITH THE, UM, INTELLIGENCE UNIT IS THAT IN OUR POSITION, WE'RE IN A POSITION TO SHARE WHAT WE KNOW AND TO FACILITATE THE COMMUNICATION BETWEEN ALL THE LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES IN OUR CIRCUIT.
UM, AND AGAIN, THIS IS, YOU KNOW, CRIMINALS DON'T CARE WHERE THEY COMMIT AN ACT, THEY'LL GO, YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD, YOU KNOW, BLUFFTON PARKWAY SHOOTING THAT, UM, THAT SOLICITORS STONE HAS PROSECUTED.
UM, THE GUY, THE, THE, THE VICTIMS IN THAT WERE BLUFFTON HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS, THE, UH, OFFENDERS IN THAT WERE JASPER COUNTY RESIDENTS.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS, WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO WITH THE INTELLIGENCE UNIT, FOR EXAMPLE, EVERY MORNING WE'RE, WE'RE POURING OVER THE, UH, UH, THE, THE DETENTION CENTER DETAINEE LIST AND LOOKING AT NEW ARRESTS.
WE'RE RUNNING CRIMINAL BACKGROUND CHECKS.
AND THEN WE'RE ALSO SENDING THAT OUT NOT ONLY TO OUR OWN ATTORNEYS AND OUR OWN INVESTIGATORS, BUT WE'RE SENDING IT OUT TO LAW ENFORCEMENT ACROSS THE CIRCUIT.
UH, AND THAT REALLY HELPS 'EM, 'CAUSE YOU MIGHT HAVE SOMEBODY THAT THEY'RE LOOKING FOR THAT'S, UH, MAYBE A POTENTIAL WITNESS OR A SUSPECT IN ANOTHER CASE, THIS IS HELPFUL, FOR EXAMPLE, FOR LETTING 'EM KNOW, HEY, WE'VE GOT YOUR, WE'VE GOT YOUR GUY HERE.
UH, AND, AND IN ANOTHER, A NUMBER OF OTHER WAYS AS WELL.
UM, I THINK YOU SAID THAT WE'RE FUNDING PER CAPITA EIGHT $8 AND 66 CENTS PER CAPITA, CORRECT? CORRECT.
UH, AND I KNOW YOU'D MENTIONED THAT THERE WAS NOT A SPECIFIC DOLLAR AMOUNT, BUT I, I SWEAR I SAW SOMEWHERE THAT IT WAS $2.6 MILLION THAT Y'ALL ARE ASKING.
WELL, I, I THINK WHAT I, THE, THE NUMBER I PROVIDED WAS THAT IF YOU WERE TO BRING OUR, OUR FUNDING UP TO THE STATE PER CAPITA OF $13 AND 32 CENTS, UH, BY MY CALCULATIONS, DOUBLE CHECK MY MATH.
I WAS A TRAINED JOURNALIST, NOT AN ACCOUNTANT.
UH, IT WOULD, UH, I, I BELIEVE IT WOULD BE TWO POINT, UH, 2.6 AND SOME CHANGE.
AND THAT, I MEAN, THAT'S A 53% INCREASE FROM LAST YEAR, RIGHT? MM-HMM,
SO, I MEAN, THAT, THAT'S A, THAT'S A PRETTY BIG ASK, UH, WHICH IS WHY I'M ASKING SOME OF THESE QUESTIONS.
I JUST WANNA UNDERSTAND BETTER HOW, HOW IT'S UTILIZED AND, AND WHERE, WHERE IT'S, YOU KNOW, WHERE IT'S GOING.
UM, UH, YOU ALSO MENTIONED A, A BUDGET PROVISO 60.5.
CAN, CAN YOU EXPLAIN, AND IT SAYS THAT WE'RE NOT ALLOWED TO, TO REDUCE YOUR BUDGET? YEAH.
MY MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT, UH, ANY APPROPRIATION THAT YOU MAKE TO US, AND I, AND I'M NOT SURE EXACTLY WHY THIS IS THE CASE.
I THINK IT'S BECAUSE IT'S AN ELECTIVE OFFICE, UM, THAT IF YOU WERE TO REDUCE OUR FUNDING, UH, AND IT WAS NOT LIKE AN ACROSS THE BOARD COUNTY CUT OF THE BUDGET, UH, THAT, UH, YOU'RE, WELL, YOU COULD DO IT, BUT THEN THE STATE WOULD REDUCE YOUR, UH, YOUR AID TO COUNTIES BY A, A COMMENSURATE AMOUNT.
SO THAT IT WOULD BE A WASH FOR YOU TO, TO CUT OUR BUDGET.
AND THAT THAT WOULD HAVE TO GO TO THE CHAIRMAN OF THE FINANCE, UH, SENATE FINANCE COMMITTEE.
OR THE CHAIRMAN OF HOUSE WEIGHS A MEANS.
I'LL BE HONEST WITH YOU, I'M NOT, I'M NOT SURE ABOUT THE, UH, ABOUT THE, THE MECHANISM, BUT
[02:05:01]
I, I THINK YOU'RE CORRECT.NOW, WOULD THAT BE A, YOU KNOW, THIS IS A, A BUDGET PROPOSAL THAT'S USED AT $2.6 MILLION.
SO YOU'RE SAYING, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE WE'RE ON THE SAME PAGE.
ARE YOU SAYING WE CAN'T REDUCE YOUR REQUEST OR CAN'T REDUCE THE BUDGET OF LAST YEAR? YOU CAN REDUCE OUR REQUEST.
I MEAN, IT, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE I'M UNDERSTANDING.
I'M TRYING TO BE SNARKY, BUT THAT HAPPENS, THAT'S HAPPENED PRETTY CONSISTENTLY OVER THE SEVEN YEARS I'VE BEEN HERE.
NOW, YOU COULDN'T RE REDUCE THE FROM LAST YEAR'S APPROPRIATION.
I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE I UNDERSTOOD THAT.
AND THERE ARE SOME, YOU KNOW, THERE, THERE ARE SOME, NOT TO OVERTHINK IT OR OVER EXPLAIN IT, BUT THERE ARE, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE SOME CAVEATS TO THAT.
ONE OF THE THINGS, FOR EXAMPLE, UH, THAT JASPER COUNTY DOES, WE HAVE A SEPARATE MOU WITH THEM BECAUSE THEIR MUNICIPALITIES WERE PROVIDING US SOME FUNDING FOR, UH, OUR CAREER CRIMINAL UNIT.
UH, AT SOME POINT THEY DECIDED IT WAS MORE EFFICIENT AND, AND I, I, THIS ALL KIND OF TRANSPIRED BEFORE I WAS THERE.
I DON'T KNOW THE MECHANICS OF IT, BUT MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT, UM, THE, THEY WERE GIVING US THIS FUNDING AND IN RETURN THE COUNTY WAS NOT CHARGING THEM FOR, OR AT LEAST NOT FOR FULL USE OF THE DETENTION CENTER FOR THEIR MUNICIPAL POLICE FORCES.
AND THEN SOMEWHERE, I THINK A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, THEY DECIDED JUST TO MAKE IT PART OF THE MOUI, PRESUMABLY THEY'RE CHARGING THOSE MUNICIPALITIES AGAIN, UH, AND JUST GIVING US THE MONEY DIRECTLY INSTEAD OF CUTTING IT THROUGH THE, THE MUNICIPALITIES COFFERS.
UH, HOW MUCH STATE FUNDING DO Y'ALL RECEIVE? UH, IT IS ABOUT 45% OF OUR TOTAL BUDGET.
UM, BECAUSE I, I DON'T THINK I SAW THAT IN THE, NO, WE DIDN'T SEE, AND I'M SORRY, I DON'T THINK I PUT THAT DOWN ON THE, ON THE, UM, DIDN'T WRITE THAT DOWN ON MY NOTES EITHER.
I KNOW IT'S 48, IT'S 40% OF OUR TOTAL BUDGET AND 48% OF ALL GOVERNMENT FUNDING TO OUR, TO OUR OFFICE.
IT'S, I THINK SARAH'S GOT A STATE REPORT THAT SHE CAN SHARE WITH HER.
AND IT'LL, IT'LL SEPARATE ALL THE FUNDING.
AND IT LOOKS LIKE MR. COUNTY ACTUALLY, UM, PROVIDES 72% OF YOUR COUNTY FUNDING, UM, WHICH IS, WHICH THE STATED ON YOUR ANNUAL REPORT, THE STATE.
SO IT LOOKS LIKE COUNTY'S KITCHEN IN 72% OF THE TOTAL COUNTY APPROPRIATION OF ALL THE COUNTIES.
THAT, THAT'S ACCORDING TO THAT COULD BE, THAT COULD BE ACCURATE.
ONE THING I WANT TO, UH, ONE THING I WANT TO POINT OUT THOUGH, AND THIS GOES BACK, THIS IS A, THIS IS A CASE WE'VE BEEN MAKING FOR SEVERAL YEARS.
UH, AND IT, AND LIKE I SAID, IT STILL HAS NOT BEEN ADDRESSED.
UM, IF YOU LOOK AT THE EMPLOYEES, JUST THE EMPLOYEES WHO WORK EXCLUSIVELY IN BEAUFORT COUNTY DO LITTLE TO NO WORK OUTSIDE OF THE COUNTY AND LOOK AT THE COST OF THEIR SALARY AND BENEFITS, THE CONTRIBUTION THAT, UH, THAT BEAUFORT COUNTY MAKES WITH US DOESN'T COVER THAT EXPENSE.
BEAUFORT COUNTY COMES CLOSER TO COVERING THAT EXPENSE THAN ANY OTHER, UH, COUNTY IN THE CIRCUIT, BUT NOBODY'S PAYING THAT FREIGHT.
AND WHAT WE HADN'T EVEN TALKED ABOUT AT THAT POINT THEN IS, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, UH, SALARY PEOPLE LIKE ME WHO DO THINGS OVER THE ENTIRE, UH, OVER THE ENTIRE, UH, CIRCUIT, DOESN'T TALK ABOUT THE LIGHT BILL, DOESN'T TALK ABOUT MANAGING THE FLEET OR, OR, YOU KNOW, PAYING, UH, PAYING MORTGAGE ON, UH, ON HER BUILDING.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THE ISSUE HERE, IF YOU WANT TO MAKE A COMPARISON TO, YOU KNOW, UH, COUNTIES THAT, UM, DON'T HAVE THE FINANCIAL WHEREWITHAL MAKE THE COMPARISON TO OTHER COUNTIES IN THE CIRCUIT THAT DON'T HAVE THE FINANCIAL WHEREWITHAL.
WHAT WHAT WE'RE SAYING IS, IS THAT, YOU KNOW, EXCUSE A BAD PUN, CAN'T GET BLOOD FROM A STONE.
WE'VE DONE A VERY GOOD JOB, I THINK, OF, OF STRETCHING AND GIVING, UH, GIVING VALUE ON THE DOLLAR FOR THE FUNDING THAT WE'VE RECEIVED.
WE'VE, WE'VE HAD, UH, VERY, UM, CREATIVE WAYS OF GOING AND, AND GETTING THE FUNDING WE NEED TO FULFILL SOME OF THESE PROJECTS AND BEEN OF BENEFIT.
ONE OF THEM, I'LL NOTE, FOR EXAMPLE, IS, IS GOING TO, GOING TO THOSE MUNICIPALITIES, UM, HILTON HEAD, THE TOWN OF HILTON HEAD HAS FUNDED OUR CAREER CRIMINAL PROGRAM AND OUR MDC PROGRAM, I'M NOT SURE HOW LONG, BUT IT PREDATES MY ARRIVAL AT THE, AT THE, UH, SOLICITOR'S OFFICE.
UM, WHEN WE GO, WE JUST, A COUPLE MONTHS AGO, WE TALKED BEFORE THEIR FINANCE COMMITTEE, UM, THEY LIKE THE THINGS THAT WE DO.
THEY SEE THE VALUE IN THE PROGRAMS. BUT THE OTHER QUESTION IS, THIS SOUNDS A LOT LIKE SOMETHING THAT BEAUFORT COUNTY OUGHT TO BE FUNDING.
WHY AREN'T THEY MADAM CHAIR? WE DON'T, OH, ARE YOU DONE? YEAH.
TODAY, I DON'T FEEL LIKE WE'VE GOTTEN ALL THE INFORMATION WE NEED, UM, FROM BOTH COUNCILMAN ROMY'S QUESTIONS AND MY QUESTIONS.
I'M NOT SURE WHAT ACTION WE CAN ACTUALLY TAKE TODAY.
WE'RE NOT GOING, IT'S PRESENTATION.
BUT I WOULD LIKE FOR SOME OF OUR QUESTIONS TO BE ADDRESSED.
UM, THAT'S GREAT THAT HILTON HEAD'S DOING THAT.
I REALIZE WE'RE THE RICHEST COUNTY IN THE, IN THE CIRCUIT, BUT, AND WE DO HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY FOR THESE OTHER COUNTIES WHO HAVE NO RESOURCES, BUT I DON'T THINK WE
[02:10:01]
HAVE ALL THE INFORMATION.AND I HOPE YOU TOOK NOTE OF SOME OF OUR QUESTIONS TODAY AND, UM, CAN HELP US WITH THAT.
I WANNA ASK ONE THING, MR. UM, KIDD, I'M GONNA PIGGYBACK ON MR. BARTHOLOMEW.
WHEN IT SAID, UM, PROVISION 60.5 DOES NOT ALLOW FOR A REDUCTION.
SO IN THE PAST, HAVE YOU ASKED FOR AN INCREASE? I DON'T KNOW.
UM, THERE HAVE BEEN TIMES WHEN WE'VE COME TO THE COUNCIL TO ASK, UH, FOR, FOR INCREASES IN FUNDING, UM, SOMETIMES ATTACHED TO, WE'VE, WE'VE MADE THE ARGUMENT VERY SIMILAR TO THE ONE I MADE TODAY, JUST POINTING OUT THAT IN TERMS OF, IN PER CAPITA TERMS, UH, REALLY FAR, FAR BEHIND WHAT OTHER COUNTIES ARE DOING FOR THEIR SOLICITOR'S OFFICES.
IN OTHER INSTANCES, WE'VE HAD SPECIFIC PROJECTS THAT WE'VE ASKED FOR.
THE BUILDING, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT WE'RE IN RIGHT NOW, IT'S AN OFFICE PARK, UH, IN, IN OKT, WE PREVIOUSLY WERE RENTING SPACE IN SHERIDAN OFFICE PARK.
UM, WE COULD NOT ACCOMMODATE A VICTIM SERVICES CENTER THAT WE WANTED TO, THAT, THAT WE HAD BEEN WORKING ON AND HAD A VISION TO BUILD.
WE CAME TO COUNTY GOVERNMENT ASKING FOR ASSISTANCE IN IT.
UM, WE WENT, WE, WE FOUND A, A WAY TO FINANCE IT PRIVATELY.
SO NOW WE HAVE A, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A, A NEW BUILDING THAT ACCOMMODATES A GROWING STAFF.
UH, AND THAT STAFF INCLUDES COMMUNITY PARTNERS IN THE VICTIM SERVICES CENTER.
UH, THAT, THAT WE GOT, AGAIN, LIKE I SAID, I'D LIKE TO SAY THAT BEAUFORT COUNTY HELPED BRING IT ALONG, BUT THEY REALLY DIDN'T.
UM, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE HAD TO BE CREATIVE AND, AND GO FIND FOR.
THERE HAVE BEEN OTHER INSTANCES.
I I THINK THERE HAVE BEEN YEARS WHERE WE HAVEN'T, WE HAVE NOT ASKED FOR AN INCREASE SIMPLY BECAUSE THE SOLICITOR, UH, HAS FOUND IT ACTUALLY HAD MORE SUCCESS.
YOU KNOW, HE'S THE, HE'S THE CHAIRMAN OF THE SOUTH CAROLINA COMMISSION ON PROSECUTION COORDINATION.
UH, THAT ORGANIZATION IS SORT OF THE, UH, IT DOES SEVERAL THINGS, BUT AMONG THEM AS THEY SERVE AS THE LIAISON BETWEEN THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY AND THE SOLICITORS, COLLECTIVELY, HE'S BEEN MORE SUCCESSFUL LOBBYING THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY, UH, FOR MONEY ON BEHALF OF ALL THE, THE SOLICITORS THAN HE HAS WITH BEAUFORT COUNTY AND, AND, AND GOT MORE OF IT.
SO HE'S, HE'S REALLY FOCUSED A LOT OF HIS ENERGIES IN SOME YEARS ON, ON MAKING ARGUMENTS TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.
AND WE HAVEN'T COME ASKING FOR, UH, FOR AN INCREASE.
I THINK I SAID I'VE BEEN HERE SEVEN YEARS, I GUESS THIS IS LIKE MY EIGHTH BUDGET CYCLE.
I WOULD SAY PROBABLY IN HALF OF 'EM WE HAVEN'T REQUESTED AN INCREASE.
AND I ASK THAT BECAUSE YOU'RE ASKING FOR LITERALLY 54% INCREASE, WHICH IS GIANT MR. BAR SAID, WHAT WE'RE ASKING FOR IS FOR THE, IS FOR THE COUNTY TO DO BETTER.
I KNOW, I SEE THAT, BUT IT'S 54%.
AND CAN I JUST ASK, WHAT DOES DO BETTER MEAN? DOES THAT TELLING US TO DO BETTER FOR MR. STONE? UH, I BELIEVE IT IS.
AND I'LL, AND I'LL EXPLAIN THAT
I PREPARED THE FORM, THAT'S MY SIGNATURE, UH, SOLICITOR STONE, BUT I DON'T SUBMIT ANYTHING TO YOU UNTIL SOLICITOR STONES LOOKED AT IT.
HE ASKED TO HAVE THAT, HE ASKED TO HAVE THAT COVER SHEET BACK.
HE SAID, UH, TAKE THE, TAKE THE REQUEST NUMBER OUT OF THERE.
AND, UM, I MEAN, A LITTLE SNARKY, BUT, UH, I GUESS, BUT, UH, I, I THINK IT'S KIND OF INDICATIVE OF, OF SOME LONG RUNNING FRUSTRATION WE'VE HAD IN TRYING TO, TO GET FUNDING WHERE WE THINK IT NEEDS TO BE.
I WASN'T SURE IF HE WAS TELLING US TO DO BETTER OR THAT'S YOUR MOTTO THAT YOU'RE ALWAYS GONNA DO BETTER.
WELL, THAT'S OUR MOTTO TOO, BUT, OKAY.
I, I THINK, UH, I THINK THAT WAS DIRECTED AT YOU.
YOU DIDN'T PRESENT LAST YEAR, DID YOU? NO, I DON'T KNOW.
I'M NOT SURE IF SOLICITORS STONE DID OR NOT.
YEAH, I DON'T THINK ANYBODY EVEN SHOWED UP NO.
I MEAN, COULD SOMETIMES IF YOU DON'T ASK, YOU KNOW.
WELL, WE DIDN'T SEEK AN INCREASE LAST YEAR.
BUT WE APPRECIATE YOU COMING TODAY.
CHAIRMAN, CAN I ASK A QUICK QUESTION? YES, MR. GLOVER, GO AHEAD.
UM, THE, THE LEVEL OF SERVICE, UM, WITH STATE LAB VERSUS THE COUNTY LAB, DO Y'ALL UTILIZE ANY OF THE COUNTY RESOURCES WHEN IT COMES TO LAB WORK, AUTOPSY, UH, CRIMINAL LAB WORK FOR THE SHERIFF? OR DO YOU RELY PRIMARILY ON THE STATE LABS? UH, ARE YOU REFERRING IN IN BEAUFORT COUNTY CASES, OR, OR OVERALL? I'M NOT SURE I HAVE A SPECIFIC ANSWER TO THE, THE QUESTION REGARDLESS.
UM, THE SHERIFF ACTUALLY, UM, WE FUNDED A LAB FOR THE SHERIFF ABOUT THREE, FOUR YEARS AGO.
AND THEN WE ALSO, IN THE CORONER'S OFFICE, WE FUNDED, UH, LAB WORK THERE.
I WAS JUST WONDERING WHETHER YOU UTILIZING ANY OF THOSE SERVICES FROM YOUR, FROM THE SOLICITOR SIDE? UM, FROM THE, FROM THE, UH, LAB SIDE? YES, ABSOLUTELY.
THE D THE DNA LAB THAT, UH, THE, THAT THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE RUNS, THEY RUN A VERY GOOD LAB AS A MATTER OF FACT.
UH, THEY'RE VERY PROFESSIONAL, VERY HELPFUL,
[02:15:01]
UH, AS ARE THEIR, UH, INVESTIGATORS.UM, SO YEAH, WE ARE, WE ARE UTILIZING THAT, UM, PRIMARILY FOR DNA.
THERE'S STILL THINGS THAT WE NEED TO SEND TO SLED.
UH, A LOT OF, UH, FORENSICS, UH, UH, BALLISTIC TESTS RATHER, UH, WE'LL STILL GO THROUGH, UH, SLED.
UH, WE HAVE OUR OWN CAPABILITIES FOR CELL PHONE RECORDS AND CELL PHONE DATA EXTRACTIONS.
WE CAN ACTUALLY DO THOSE IN HOUSE OURSELVES.
DOES THAT, DOES THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION? YES, SIR.
ANYTHING FROM YOU? OH, HE WENT OUT OKAY, MS. CHRISTMAS.
WHAT ARE THE OTHER COUNTY'S CONTRIBUTIONS? UH, I DON'T KNOW 'EM OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD.
THEY WERE, THEY SHOULD HAVE BEEN.
WERE THEY NOT IN THE, WE TALKED ABOUT THAT.
AND THEN THIS, UM, SHEET THAT YOU PREPARED.
ACTUALLY, I CAN GIVE YOU THOSE RIGHT NOW.
THANK, UM, ALLENDALE $2 AND 64 CENTS, UH, HAMPTON $4 AND 83 CENTS.
ONE CAVEAT WITH COLTON IS THAT THEY ALSO SERVE AS OUR HOME COUNTY, AND WE DO NOT HAVE FINANCE PEOPLE WITHIN OUR OFFICE.
THEY WORK, UH, THEY, THEY ANSWER TO, TO, UH, JOHN CARPENTER IN, UM, UH, IN, IN COLLETON.
SO, AND ALSO THEY GIVE US HR SUPPORT.
SO HUMAN RESOURCES IS SOMETHING THAT THEY, UH, THEY PROVIDE FOR US.
I'M SORRY, MR. KID, WHAT DID YOU SAY? HAMPTON COUNTY WAS, UH, $4 AND 83 CENTS IN COTON.
THE MUNICIPALITIES CONTINUE AS WELL.
UH, BLUFFTON HAS IN THE PAST, THEY HAVE, THEY DID NOT FUND US IN THE CURRENT FISCAL YEAR.
UH, HILTON HEAD IS FUNDING US.
I DON'T WANNA GIVE YOU THE WRONG NUMBER.
I WANNA SAY IT'S 180,000 A YEAR.
AND THAT IS SPECIFICALLY IN SUPPORT OF OUR CAREER CRIMINAL PROGRAM AND OUR MULTIDISCIPLINARY COURT PROGRAM.
AND THAT SUPPORTS ONLY ACTIV, UH, ONLY THOSE PROGRAMS IN BUFORT COUNTY.
THEY DON'T GET SPENT OUTSIDE OF THE, OUTSIDE OF THE COUNTY.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? JASPER COUNTY? YEAH, JASPER.
MORE THAN C**N, WHICH IS MORE THAN C**N.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR MR. KID? ALL RIGHT.
THANK YOU FOR COMING AND TELL MR. MR. STONE DULY NOTED.
ALRIGHT, THAT'S OUR LIST OF PRESENTERS.
[10. FY 2025 BONDING PRESENTATION - David Cheatwood, First Tryon Advisors ]
PRESENTATION BY DAVID CHEATWOOD.OH, I DON'T KNOW ABOUT THAT NAME.
DAVID CHEATWOOD, UH, MEMBERS AND EVERYBODY HAS THE HANDOUT.
UH, IS THAT ON THE SCREEN TOO, OR AM I ABLE TO PULL THAT UP ON THE SCREEN? BE, AND THEN YOU.
THANKS VERY MUCH FOR HAVING ME HERE TODAY.
UM, MY NAME IS DAVID CHEATWOOD.
I WORK AT A FIRM CALLED FIRST TRY ON ADVISORS.
WE SERVE AS THE COUNTY'S FINANCIAL ADVISOR, SO WE HELP YOU WITH LONG-TERM FINANCIAL PLANNING AND, UH, THE DEBT ISSUANCE PROCESS.
UM, SO DENISE INVITED ME HERE TODAY JUST TO TALK THROUGH SOME UPCOMING PROJECTS THAT THE COUNTY'S CONSIDERING AND YOUR ABILITY TO FUND THOSE PROJECTS WITH DEBT.
UM, BEFORE WE GET INTO THAT, I WANTED JUST TO GIVE YOU A SNAPSHOT OF THE COUNTY'S CURRENT DEBT POSITION, AND THEN WE CAN GET INTO, UM, THE, THE FUTURE PROJECTS HERE.
SO STARTING ON THIS PAGE, AS OF THE END OF THIS FIX, UH, FISCAL YEAR, SO IN TWO MONTHS, AS OF JUNE 30TH, 2024, THE COUNTY WILL HAVE APPROXIMATELY $144 MILLION OF GENERAL OBLIGATION BOND DEBT OUTSTANDING.
UH, PLEASE NOTE THAT EXCLUDES THE DEBT YOU'VE ISSUED ON BEHALF OF SOME OF YOUR FIRE DISTRICTS OVER TIME.
THIS IS JUST COUNTY SPECIFIC DEBT COUNTYWIDE DEBT.
UM, OF THAT 144 MILLION, APPROXIMATELY 86.7 MILLION WAS, UH, APPROVED BY REFERENDUM VOTER APPROVED DEBT.
AND THE BALANCE OF 57.3 MILLION WAS ISSUED UNDER YOUR CONSTITUTIONAL 8% DEBT LIMIT.
UH, QUICK REMINDER ON THAT, I'LL REFERENCE THAT AGAIN HERE AS WE GO THROUGH IT.
BUT, UH, UNDER STATE CONSTITUTION, YOU ALL ARE ALLOWED TO ISSUE GENERAL OBLIGATION BOND DEBT WITHOUT VOTER APPROVAL, UP TO AN AMOUNT OF 8% OF TOTAL ASSESSED VALUE IN THE COUNTY.
SO YOU'VE GOT REFERENDUM DEBT, THERE'S NO LIMIT ON THAT, HOW MUCH YOU CAN ISSUE 8% DEBT.
YOU'VE GOT A LIMIT BASED ON 8% OF YOUR TOTAL ASSESSED VALUE.
[02:20:02]
UM, YOU PAY FOR THAT DEBT FROM A VARIETY OF MILLAGES.THE, THE BULK OF IT, UH, YOU'LL SEE THAT FIRST GROUPING THERE, OR ACTUALLY IT'S NOT THE BULK, BUT A, A, A GOOD AMOUNT, $65 MILLION YOU PAY FROM YOUR DEBT SERVICE.
MILLAGE LEVEE, THAT'S 3.4 MILLS IN FISCAL 24, THE COUNTY LEVIED.
UM, IN TERMS OF DEBT SERVICE TO REPAY THAT FIRST GROUPING OF DEBT, THE MIDDLE GROUP THERE IS REPAID FROM A SEPARATE, UH, MILLAGE, YOUR REAL PROPERTY, UM, PURCHASE MILLAGE RATE, UH, THAT IS LEVIED THAT, UM, FINANCES APPROXIMATELY $72 MILLION OF THAT OUTSTANDING GEO DEBT.
AND THEN YOU HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF SOME OF THE OUTSTANDING SERIES THAT'S PAID FROM SOME SEPARATE REVENUES THAT COME FROM, UM, BLUFFTON PARKWAY TAXES, ADMISSIONS TAXES.
I BELIEVE IT'S A SMALL PORTION OF SOME OF THOSE, UH, TWO OF THOSE SERIES OF BONDS THAT TOTAL US ABOUT SIX AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS.
WHEN WE LOOK AT IT, UH, WHAT I JUST WENT THROUGH IS TOTAL PRINCIPLE AMOUNT OF THE DEBT OUTSTANDING.
WHEN WE LOOK AT, UH, PRINCIPLE PLUS INTEREST OR DEBT SERVICE, THIS IS THE PICTURE OF EACH OF THOSE THREE DIFFERENT BUCKETS.
AND TODAY I'M GONNA FOCUS MAINLY ON THAT, UH, PRIMARILY ON THAT TOP LEFT BUCKET.
THAT IS YOUR DEBT SERVICE MILLAGE.
THAT'S THE 3.4 MILLS YOU LEVY CURRENTLY.
AND SO YOU'LL SEE FROM A DEBT SERVICE PERSPECTIVE PRINCIPLE PLUS INTEREST IN FISCAL YEAR, UH, 2025 COMING UP, UH, YOU ALL WILL PAY A LITTLE OVER $9 MILLION IN DEBT SERVICE.
UH, YOU DO HAVE A DECLINE IN THAT OVERALL STRUCTURE, A DROP OFF IN THAT STRUCTURE.
AND THAT'S NATURALLY GONNA CREATE SOME CAPACITY TO ISSUE NEW DEBT, WHICH WE'LL BE TALKING ABOUT HERE IN A COUPLE SLIDES.
UH, AND MITIGATING THE IMPACT ON YOUR MILLAGE RATE THERE.
SO THAT'S THE CURRENT SNAPSHOT OF YOUR OUTSTANDING DEBT AND YOUR DEBT SERVICE STRUCTURE.
SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT ABILITY TO ISSUE DEBT, THERE'S TWO DIFFERENT, UH, WAYS WE LOOK AT THAT.
THE FIRST IS, WHAT IS YOUR LEGAL ABILITY TO ISSUE DEBT? TO ISSUE DEBT? AND THAT'S YOUR 8% CAPACITY.
AND SO, AGAIN, LOOKING AT YOUR, UM, TOTAL ASSESSED VALUE FOR FISCAL 24, IT WAS APPROXIMATELY 2.65 BILLION.
THAT MAKES YOUR CONSTITUTIONAL DEBT LIMIT $212 MILLION.
UH, REFERENCING BACK TO ONE OF THE PRIOR SLIDES, YOUR TOTAL 8% DEBT OUTSTANDING IS 57 MILLION.
SO CURRENTLY YOU HAVE CAPACITY, UM, LEGAL CAPACITY TO ISSUE 105 $55 MILLION OF GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS WITHOUT SEEKING ADDITIONAL VOTER OR SEEKING VOTER APPROVAL.
AND WE'VE GOT A BAR CHART THERE.
UM, ASSUMING YOUR ASSESSED VALUE GROWS OVER TIME, WHICH IT HAS BEEN AS YOU PAY DOWN DEBT, THAT CAPACITY GROWS.
OF COURSE, IF YOU ISSUE NEW DEBT UNDER THAT LIMIT, IT'LL EAT INTO SOME OF THAT CAPACITY, AND WE'LL SHOW YOU WHAT THE PICTURE LOOKS LIKE WITH SOME DIFFERENT ASSUMPTIONS HERE.
UM, SO WORKING WITH, UH, DENISE HERE, WE'VE GOT A LIST OF POTENTIAL PROJECTS THAT THE COUNTY'S CONSIDERING TO FUND.
AND WE'VE GROUPED THESE INTO A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT BUCKETS.
UH, THE FIRST IS JUST COUNTY SPECIFIC PROJECTS.
THE MAIN, UH, OR ANCHOR PROJECT IS A NEW PUBLIC PUBLIC WORKS BUILDING.
AGAIN, I BELIEVE THESE ARE ALL JUST ESTIMATED AMOUNTS OF 45 MILLION.
UH, YOU'LL SEE AN EMS STATION, TAX SOFTWARE, EQUIPMENT, VEHICLES, FERRY, EMBARKATION, I THINK IS HOW YOU PRONOUNCE IT, EMBARKATION POINTS.
AND THIS, UH, CATCH OFF FOR SOME MISCELLANEOUS SMALLER PROJECTS THERE.
THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF THOSE COUNTY PROJECTS FOR PURPOSES OF TODAY'S DISCUSSION IN THE ANALYSIS YOU'LL SEE IS 68.3 MILLION.
IN ADDITION, AND I KNOW SOME OF THE PRIOR PRESENTATIONS TODAY REFERENCE THESE, THERE'S, UH, OTHER ENTITIES IN THE COUNTY THAT ARE REQUESTING FUNDING FROM, UH, THE COUNTY.
AND SO WE HAVE FOR PURPOSES OF THIS ANALYSIS, UM, $6 MILLION FOR NEW CONVOCATION CENTER FOR USCB, $6 MILLION FOR A NEW WORKFORCE FACILITY FOR TCL.
AND THEN, UH, $10 MILLION IN THE AGGREGATE FOR TWO PROJECTS FOR THE HOSPITAL.
UM, AND SO WITH THESE CAPITAL PROJECTS IN MIND, I WANT TO GO THROUGH KIND OF THE SECOND AVENUE OF YOU HAVE, YOU HAVE THE CAPACITY TO ISSUE THE DEBT, THE LEGAL CAPACITY.
LET'S TALK ABOUT THE REPAYMENT SOURCES BEHIND THAT.
DO YOU HAVE THE EXISTING RESOURCES TO REPAY THAT DEBT OR DO YOU, DO YOU NEED TO LOOK AT OTHER, UH, ADDITIONAL RESOURCES HERE? SO, UM, AGAIN, GOING SPECIFICALLY TO THE COUNTY, FIRST YOU ALL, AS I MENTIONED, YOU LEVY 3.4 MILLS, OR YOU DID IN FISCAL 24.
YOUR VALUE OF A MILL IS APPROXIMATELY $2.65 MILLION.
AND SO BASED ON THAT IN FISCAL 24, YOU'LL BRING IN ABOUT $9.19 MILLION THAT HAS TO GO TO PAY DEBT SERVICE ON GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS, ASSUMING AGAIN, THE GROWTH IN THE VALUE OF A MILL LIKE YOU'VE SEEN OVER TIME, WE'VE ASSUMED A CONSERVATIVE GROWTH RATE OF 2% IN THE UPCOMING FISCAL YEAR.
IF YOU KEPT YOUR MILLAGE, UM, LEVY LEVEL AT 3.4 MILLS, YOU WOULD GENERATE $9.37 MILLION THAT COULD GO TO PAY DEBT SERVICE ON YOUR EXISTING IN ANY PROPOSED GEO BONDS.
UH, IN ADDITION, ONE THING TO NOTE THAT THIRD BULLET THERE UNDER, UNDER THE COUNTY, UH, YOU ALL HAVE A DEBT SERVICE FUND BALANCE.
[02:25:01]
ALMOST ALL COUNTIES AND, AND CITIES AS WELL THAT LEVY DEBT SERVICE MILLAGE TYPICALLY CARRY A BALANCE IN THAT DEBT SERVICE FUND.IT'S GOOD TO DO THAT JUST IN CASE, AGAIN, THE, UH, PROPERTY TAX REVENUES DON'T COME IN QUITE AS BUDGETED.
YOU HAVE A LITTLE BUFFER THERE.
UH, YOUR BUFFER HAS GROWN TO ABOUT $18 MILLION.
AND SO ONE THING WE CAN LOOK AT IN ISSUING NEW DEBT IS TO BASICALLY UPSIZE AN INITIAL PRINCIPAL PAYMENT TO BRING THAT DEBT SERVICE FUND BALANCE MORE IN LINE WITH, UH, A MORE REASONABLE CUSHION THERE.
AND SO THAT'S SOMETHING, AGAIN, WE CAN LOOK AT WHEN WE GET TO STRUCTURING THE, THE DEBT ITSELF.
BUT THAT IS AN AVAILABLE REVENUE SOURCE TO PAY FOR GENERAL OBLIGATION BOND DEBT SERVICE.
UH, LOOKING AT, UH, THE, THE HOSPITAL HERE, UM, CURRENTLY LEVY, UH, 0.4 MILLS ON BEHALF OF THE HOSPITAL.
AND SO BASED AGAIN ON VALUE, THE SAME VALUE OF MILL 2.65 MILLION, THAT GENERATES ABOUT A LITTLE OVER A MILLION DOLLARS IN PROPERTY TAX REVENUES WITH THE REASSESSMENT THAT BECAME EFFECTIVE IN FISCAL 24.
THIS GENERATES ABOUT $200,000 OF ADDITIONAL REVENUE, UM, PER YEAR THAT YOU COULD APPLY, UM, TO PAY DEBT SERVICE ON.
UM, THAT THIR, UH, $10 MILLION BORROWING GOING FORWARD.
AND YOU'LL SEE SOME NUMBERS BEHIND THAT AS WELL.
FOR TCL AND USCB, YOU HAVE A HIGHER EDUCATION MILLAGE LEVY OF 2.2 MILLS.
IT'S SPLIT EQUALLY BETWEEN THE TWO 1.1 FOR EACH.
AND SO SIMILAR TO THE, THE HOSPITAL THERE, THAT IS GENERATING ABOUT $400,000 OF EXCESS REVENUES ABOVE AND BEYOND WHAT THEY'VE GOTTEN IN PRIOR YEARS WITH THE REASSESSMENT.
AND SO IF YOU SPLIT THAT UP EVENLY, AGAIN, YOU'VE GOT ABOUT $200,000 THAT YOU COULD APPLY TOWARDS DEBT SERVICE ON THEIR PROJECTS WITHOUT CHANGING IN ANY OF THE MILLAGE RATES.
AND DENISE IS GONNA FOLLOW ME UP HERE WITH SOME SUGGESTED TWEAKS ON THE MILLAGE RATE, UM, REALLOCATION OF SOME OF THESE MILLAGES HERE MILLAGE RATES.
SO BEAR WITH ME ON THIS NEXT SLIDE.
I'VE GOT A CHART ON THE NEXT PAGE THAT'S A LOT EASIER TO SEE, BUT I WANT TO AT LEAST WALK YOU THROUGH HOW WE'RE DOING THIS ANALYSIS SPECIFIC TO THE COUNTY'S BORROWING.
AND SO THIS IS THE $68.3 MILLION OF PROJECTS THAT HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED HERE.
SO TAKING THIS CHART LEFT TO RIGHT, UH, WE'VE HAD THE YEAR THAT YOU LEVIED THE TAX.
SO FALL OF, UH, 2024, THAT MONEY THAT YOU BRING IN, YOU KNOW, BY JANUARY OF 25, IS GONNA BE USED TO PAY THE DEBT SERVICE THAT COMES DUE IN 2025.
AND SO IF YOU KEEP YOUR DEBT SERVICE MILLAGE LE LEVY LEVEL AT 3.4 MILLS AND YOUR VALUE OF A MILL GROWS BY 2% TO $2.7 MILLION, YOU WILL COLLECT, UH, APPROXIMATELY $9,374,000 BASED ON THESE ASSUMPTIONS HERE.
IN ADDITION, BECAUSE BAKED INTO THIS ANALYSIS, YOU HAVE THOSE, UH, TWO PORTIONS OF THE TWO GEO BONDS TO USE SOME, UM, UH, BLUFFTON PARKWAY RELATED EMISSION TAXES AND FEES FOR, WE HAVE THAT COLUMN THERE.
YOU'LL SEE THAT ACTUALLY ROLLS OFF IN A COUPLE YEARS BECAUSE THAT, UH, RELATED DEBT, UH, MATURES IN A COUPLE YEARS.
BUT YOU HAVE THAT COMING IN AS A REVENUE STREAM.
SO WHAT WE'RE COMPARING IS THE MILLAGE COLLECTIONS AND THOSE OTHER REVENUES COMING IN VERSUS YOUR OUTFLOWS, WHICH ARE GONNA BE YOUR DEBT SERVICE, YOUR EXISTING DEBT SERVICE THERE, WHICH WE'VE NOTED.
UM, UM, IF YOU LOOK IN DEBT SERVICE PAID IN 2025, IT'LL BE ABOUT $12.3 MILLION AND THEN IT DROPS TO 8.6 AND DROPS A LITTLE BIT THEREAFTER.
SO AGAIN, YOU'VE GOT CAPACITY GOING BACK TO ONE OF THOSE EARLIER SLIDES, A DROP OFF IN YOUR EXISTING DEBT SERVICE.
IF YOU ALL BORROWED $68.3 MILLION, REPAID IT OVER A 25 YEAR TERM WITH LEVEL PAYMENTS PER YEAR, SIMILAR TO MORTGAGE STYLE, REPAYMENT LEVEL PRINCIPAL, AND INTEREST PAYMENTS AT A INTEREST RATE OF 4%.
UM, IF YOU ISSUE DEBT TODAY IN TODAY'S MARKET, YOU'D BE AROUND A 3.75%.
SO A LITTLE BIT OF CUSHION IN THERE.
THINKING AGAIN, IF YOU LOOK AT BORROWING THIS FALL, DIDN'T WANT TO ADD TOO MUCH CUSHION IN, BUT A 4% INTEREST RATE, YOUR ANNUAL DEBT SERVICE WOULD BE $4.33 MILLION PER YEAR.
SO WE'RE ADDING THE EXISTING AND THE PROPOSED THAT GETS US TO OUR TOTAL DEBT SERVICE, AND WE'RE COMPARING OUR TOTAL REVENUES TO OUR TOTAL DEBT SERVICE.
YOU'LL NOTICE IN THE SURPLUS ANNUAL SURPLUS DEFICIT COLUMN, THERE ARE SOME DEFICITS.
BUT THAT'S INTENTIONAL BECAUSE IF YOU LOOK AT THE FAR RIGHT COLUMN, GOING BACK TO THAT FUND BALANCE THAT YOU WOULD HAVE IN THE DEBT SERVICE FUND, WE CAN UTILIZE SOME OF THOSE FUNDS TO, UH, TO COVER THOSE, UH, SHORTFALLS IN THOSE YEARS.
ALTERNATIVELY, WE CAN, UH, UPSIZE THE FIRST PAYMENT MORE, BRING THAT FUND BALANCE DOWN IMMEDIATELY, AND THEN NOT HAVE ANY SHORTFALLS IN THE FUTURE YEARS.
THERE'S DIFFERENT WAYS TO DO IT.
UH, IT'LL GET TO APPROXIMATELY THE SAME RESULT THERE.
BUT THE, THE PUNCHLINE OF THIS CHART, AND AGAIN, THE VISUAL'S A LITTLE BIT EASIER TO SEE WITH THE, UM, ON THIS NEXT SLIDE HERE, THE GREEN LINE ARE YOUR REVENUES COMING IN.
THAT'S YOUR DEBT SERVICE MILLAGE PLUS THOSE, UH, ADMISSIONS TAXES AND FEES, WHICH IS WHY IT DROPS A LITTLE BIT FROM 26 TO 27.
AND THEN THE BARS ARE YOUR EXISTING AND PROPOSED DEBT SERVICE.
[02:30:01]
TABLE IN CONJUNCTION WITH YOUR DEBT SERVICE FUND BALANCE TABLE BELOW, AGAIN, THE GOAL IS TO MAKE SURE YOU HAVE ENOUGH MONEY IN YOUR DEBT SERVICE FUND TO PAY THE DEBT SERVICE, WHICH YOU DO, SO YOU STAY POSITIVE.SO THE PUNCHLINE, UH, COMING OUT OF THIS PORTION OF THE PRESENTATION IS THE COUNTY CAN FUND $68.3 MILLION WORTH OF PROJECTS WITH NO IMPACT ON YOUR DEBT SERVICE MILLAGE LEVY.
NOW ONE THING, DENISE, I'M GONNA STEAL YOUR THUNDER FOR A SECOND.
YOU MAY SAY, HEY, LET'S MOVE A LITTLE BIT FROM THE 3.4 MILLS TO SERVICE SOME OF THIS OTHER, UM, SOME OF THESE OTHER PROJECTS.
AND I WON'T STEAL IT ANYMORE THAN THAT.
AND SO, UM, WHAT SHE PROPOSES WILL NOT IMPACT THIS.
YOU STILL HAVE, WHETHER IT'S 3.4, 3.2 FOR A YEAR, Y'ALL HAVE THE ABILITY TO FUND THAT.
SO CHECKING THOSE TWO BOXES, YOU HAVE THE, UM, CONSTITUTIONAL, UH, CAPACITY TO ISSUE 68.3 MILLION, AND YOU HAVE THE REVENUES, EXISTING REVENUES TO REPAY IT.
SO ALL GOOD NEWS ON, ON THAT FRONT.
SO I WANT TO TAKE YOU THROUGH THOSE OTHER THREE ENTITIES THERE.
UM, AGAIN, IF WE ASSUME THAT YOU BORROW ON THEIR BEHALF FOR, OR PROVIDE THEM WITH $10 MILLION, YOU COULD ISSUE THAT AND AS A PART OF THE SAME GENERAL OBLIGATION BOND UNDER YOUR 8% CAPACITY, IF YOU KEPT THAT SAME REPAYMENT TERM OF 25 YEARS, THAT SAME INTEREST RATE OF 4%, IF YOU LOOK IN THE CHART, YOU'LL SEE PROPOSED THAT'S PROPOSED DEBT SERVICE $635,000 APPROXIMATELY PER YEAR.
HOWEVER, GOING BACK TO THE EARLIER, UH, NOTE, WITH THE EXCESS REVENUES AVAILABLE $200,000, WE ARE SHORT ABOUT $433,000 IN ORDER TO FUND $10 MILLION OF PAYMENTS.
AND SO DENISE MAY ADDRESS THAT HERE AFTER THE PRESENTATION AS WELL.
SO GOING BACK TO SOME OF THOSE, UH, THOSE TWO KEY AREAS, YOU HAVE THE CAPACITY.
'CAUSE EVEN IF YOU LAYERED IN AN ADDITIONAL $10 MILLION CHART ON THE RIGHT, YOU STILL HAVE ENOUGH 8% DEBT LIMIT TO COVER THAT.
BUT FROM A REPAYMENT PERSPECTIVE, YOU WOULD NEED TO COME UP WITH SOME OTHER FUNDS IN ADDITION TO JUST THAT 200,000 THAT COMES FROM THE EXISTING LEVY.
UM, USCB AND TCL WILL HAVE A VERY SIMILAR STORY.
SO I'LL GO THROUGH USCB FIRST.
METHOD, UM, $6 MILLION IS WHAT WE HAD IN THERE, UH, BEING FUNDED.
I KNOW THE EARLIER PRESENTATION TALKED ABOUT A SEVEN AND A HALF MILLION DOLLAR PROJECT, AND THEN DENISE STOOD UP AND SAID, 6 MILLION FROM BOND, A MILLION AND A HALF FROM OTHER SOURCES THERE.
BUT YOU'LL SEE, JUST LOOKING AT THE 1.1 MILS ALLOCATED TO, UH, USCB FROM THAT HIGHER EDUCATION FUND, UM, $6 MILLION OVER 25 YEARS IS 380,000.
BUT AGAIN, I THINK, UH, DENISE WILL ADDRESS THAT SHORTFALL IN A SLIGHT REALLOCATION OF SOME OF YOUR OTHER MILLS WOULD BE ABLE TO COVER THAT 6 MILLION.
SO BETWEEN THE EXISTING, UH, MILLAGE AND A REALLOCATION, YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO FUND $6 MILLION.
FOR USCB, YOU STILL STAY WITHIN YOUR DEBT LIMIT.
AGAIN, WE'VE GOT AMPLE DEBT LIMIT THERE, EVEN INCLUDING THAT YOU'RE DOWN TO 70 MILLION OF CAPACITY.
SAME EXACT ANALYSIS FOR TCL BECAUSE IT'S SIX, $6 MILLION AS WELL AS THE ASSUMPTION IN HERE, THE SAME MILLAGE RATE.
AND AGAIN, THE, UH, TO ADDRESS THE SHORTFALL, A REALLOCATION OF AN ADDITIONAL 0.1 MIL WILL BE SUFFICIENT TO COVER THAT.
AND IF YOU DID EVERYTHING THEN, SO THE CHART ON THE RIGHT, YOUR 68.5 MILLION, 10 MILLION FOR THE HOSPITAL, 6 MILLION FOR USCB 6 MILLION FOR TCL, THAT LEAVES YOU WITH, UH, AN 8% REMAINING 8%, UH, CAPACITY OF JUST OVER $64 MILLION.
UH, YOU DON'T WANT TO TAKE THAT ALL THE WAY DOWN BARE BONES, 64 MILLION'S, A GOOD CUSHION.
Y'ALL HAVE THE ABILITY TO REACT IF OTHER PROJECTS COME UP AND ISSUE DEBT.
AND SO THAT STILL REMAINS, UH, A GOOD, UH, A GOOD LEVEL OF CAPACITY THERE.
I KNOW I WENT THROUGH A LOT OF NUMBERS.
HAPPY TO GO BACK ON ANY OF THOSE PROJECTS OR ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE.
AND AGAIN, DENISE WILL FOLLOW UP WITH SOME OF THE MILLAGE ADJUSTMENTS, REALLOCATION HERE.
ANYONE HAVE A QUESTION FOR MR JUST MAYBE WHEN DENISE COMES FORWARD? UH, WE, WE DID LIVE THROUGH A HURRICANE.
UM, AND I KNOW, I MEAN, THIS, THIS TAKES INTO ACCOUNT WE'RE NOT EXCEEDING OUR DEBT CAPACITY, SO WE HAVE A BUFFER.
UM, I'M, I FEEL COMFORTABLE, VERY COMFORTABLE WITH YOUR PRESENTATION, EVEN IF WE HAD, HOPEFULLY NEVER AGAIN, BUT IF WE HAD SOME DISASTER HAPPEN.
WHAT, UM, WHAT PERCENTAGE, UM, OF DEBT DO MOST COUNTIES CARRY? UH, THAT IS A GOOD QUESTION THAT I DON'T, UM, I, I'M SURE IT VARIES, BUT I JUST KIND OF ON AVERAGE, I DIDN'T KNOW IF THERE'S, IT DOES, UM, UH, GOOD QUE I CAN, I CAN DEFINITELY COME BACK TO YOU ON THAT.
I WOULD SAY LOOKING AT YOUR DEBT PROFILE, JUST OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, YOU ARE NOT OUTSIZED FROM A DEBT PERSPECTIVE.
AND TO ME, IT REALLY GETS BACK, UM,
[02:35:01]
YOU KNOW, GIVEN THAT YOU LEVY A SEPARATE MILLAGE TO PAY FOR THE DEBT, IF YOU HAVE THE REVENUES TO SUPPORT IT, NOT THAT ANY DEBT AMOUNT IS FINE, BUT IF YOU HAVE THE REVENUES THERE TO SUPPORT IT, THE ACTUAL AMOUNT OF DEBT THAT YOU CARRY IS, IS OF LESS IMPORTANCE IF YOU HAVE THE REVENUES TO PAY IT.NOW, I SAW THAT REVENUE CHART, YOU KNOW, WITH THE GREEN LINE GOING UP, WHAT HAPPENS IF THINGS GO DOWN
AND I'LL GO BACK TO THAT SLIDE THERE.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, REALLY FOR THE NEXT, WHAT THIS DOES, ASSUMING A 2% GROWTH IN THE VALUE OF A MILL THERE, YOUR, UM, 3.4 MILLS SHOULD BE SUFFICIENT AND, AND COVER YOU FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE.
THE TWO OPTIONS ARE, ONE, INCREASE THE DEBT SERVICE MILLAGE FROM 3.4 TO WHATEVER LEVEL IS NECESSARY TO DO THAT.
UM, AGAIN, THIS COULD LIMIT FU I SAID THERE'S TWO, THAT'S THE, THAT'S THE MAIN WAY TO ADDRESS THAT.
IF, IF IT'S NOT GROWING BY 2% OR IF IT ACTUALLY GOES DOWN ONCE YOU ISSUE THE DEBT, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO PAY IT BACK.
AND SO YOU WOULD INCREASE THE MILLAGE TO DO THAT REALLOCATE MILLAGE, UH, FROM ELSEWHERE.
UM, BUT WHAT THIS WOULD DO IS ASSUMING NO FURTHER INCREASES, YOU KNOW, FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL YEARS, ABSENT GROWTH ABOVE AND BEYOND THAT 2%, WHICH AGAIN IS CONSERVATIVE, YOU SHOULD GET A HIGHER LEVEL OF GROWTH BASED ON YOUR HISTORY THERE.
BUT IT WILL, UM, EAT INTO MOST OF YOUR CAPACITY FROM A REPAYMENT SOURCE IN TERMS OF ADDITIONAL DEBT.
SO IF YOU COME BACK A YEAR FROM NOW AND SAY, WE'VE GOT ANOTHER $50 MILLION PROJECT, I WOULD TELL YOU, WELL, I CAN'T FIT IT INTO THE 3.4 MILS, YOU'RE GONNA NEED ADDITIONAL REVENUES TO PAY FOR THAT.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? I, WHAT IF THE STOCK MARKET CRASH LIKE 1929, THEN WHAT WOULD HAPPEN? UM, WELL, YOU KNOW, WE SAW, UH, NOT QUITE TO THAT LEVEL, BUT WITH THE GREAT RECESSION, YOU KNOW, WE SAW, UM, REVENUES ACROSS THE BOARD, DROP PROPERTY TAX, UH, REVENUES DECLINED.
UM, YOU SAW THAT WITH THAT YOU'RE GONNA EXPERIENCE THAT TYPICALLY WITH A REASSESSMENT OR, YOU KNOW, DEVELOPMENT THAT'S PENDING MAY NOT HAPPEN.
AND SO AGAIN, GOES BACK TO THE EARLIER QUESTION ON THE, ONCE YOU ISSUE THE DEBT, YOU HAVE TO REPAY THAT.
SO IF YOU SEE A, A, A BIG RECESSION, PROPERTY TAX VALUES DROP, THEN YOU WOULD NEED TO INCREASE THE MILLAGE TO, TO PAY FOR THAT, UM, OH, UH, FOR THAT DEBT.
SO AGAIN, KIND OF LOOKING AT WHERE YOU ARE FROM A DEBT SERVICE FUND, AND AT LEAST IN THE, YOU KNOW, BASED ON RECENT HISTORY, YOUR 2% GROWTH IS CONSERVATIVE, GIVEN HOW MUCH YOU'VE GROWN OVER THE YEARS.
BUT THAT WOULD BE THE, UM, UM, THE REMEDY THERE IS TO INCREASE THE, THE PROPERTY TAX RATE TO COVER IT.
AND ANYONE ELSE? ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
[11. REVIEW OF COUNTY-WIDE BUDGETS FOR FY 25- Valerie Althoff, Budget Manager and Denise Christmas, CFO]
TURN TO OUR FINANCE DEPARTMENT, MS. CHRISTMAS AND MS. ALTOFF, AND THEY WILL GIVE US A FIRST LOOK AT FISCAL 25 BUDGET.UM, DO YOU HAVE THE NOT, OH,
IT SHOULD BE A, WELL, THEY HAVE THIS I HAND.
I WANNA START OFF WITH A RECAP.
IT'S JUST FOUR SLIDES REAL, IT'LL BE REAL QUICK.
UM, BEFORE WE GET INTO ALL THAT, I, YOU KNOW, I STARTED ASSISTING WITH THE BUDGET LAST YEAR AND THEN THIS YEAR, AND THEN JUST ONE PERSON, JUST ONE DEPARTMENT HEAD, I WANT TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO THEM.
NOT THAT I LOVE ALL OF THE DEPARTMENT HEADS, BUT ONE OF 'EM, SHE IS SO FRUGAL AND CONSERVATIVE AND CAUTIOUS WITH HER BUDGET.
SHE NEVER, YOU KNOW, ASKED FOR ANYTHING EVER.
AND, YOU KNOW, UH, ANYWAY, I JUST WAS THINKING ABOUT HER EARLIER, SO I WAS TRYING TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO HER.
THANK YOU FOR BEING CAUTIOUS AND, YOU KNOW, WITH TAXPAYER MONEY.
UM, DO YOU HAVE IT, BRENDA? OKAY.
SO I THINK I HANDED THIS TO, TO ALL OF YOU, JUST TO RECAP AND TO HIGHLIGHT THE, SPECIFICALLY THE FUNDS THAT HAVE MILLAGE ATTACHED TO 'EM, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THOSE, THOSE ARE THE ONES THAT, THAT WE'RE GONNA BE TALKING ABOUT WHEN WE SET THE MILLAGE IN THE FALL.
SO THE GENERAL FUND, UM, BUDGET THIS YEAR, THE, THE IMPACTS FOR THE GENERAL FUND BUDGET ARE THE COMP AND CLASS STUDY, AS YOU'VE HEARD FROM, UH, OUR HR DIRECTOR EARLIER.
UH, THE CHART OF ACCOUNTS CONVERSION THAT, THAT WE DID BACK IN THE FALL HAD
[02:40:01]
HAD AN EFFECT.OF COURSE, AS YOU KNOW, ON OUR GENERAL FUND BUDGET, WHEN WE HAD TO DO THAT BUDGET AMENDMENT, YOU KNOW, TO INCREASE OUR, OUR BUDGET, UH, WE MERGED SOME FUNDS THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN CLASSIFIED AS GENERAL FUND FUNDS INTO THERE.
SO WE ALSO DISCOVERED, AND CHRISTINE DID, UM, IN HER INTERNAL AUDITING THAT OVER TIME OUR PREDECESSORS FOR AT LEAST OVER 10 YEARS, THAT WE COULD GO BACK, WE'VE BEEN CLASSIFYING REVENUE INCORRECTLY.
AND, UM, WE'VE BEEN RECEIVING CHECKS FOR REIMBURSEMENTS OF CERTAIN ITEMS AND PUTTING THOSE DEPOSITS, WE'RE CREDITING OUR EXPENDITURE ACCOUNTS INSTEAD OF PUTTING THEM IN A REVENUE ACCOUNT.
SO IF YOU LOOK AT OUR FINANCIAL STATEMENTS, YOU WOULD SEE, YOU WOULDN'T SEE AS MUCH REVENUE, AND YOU WOULDN'T SEE AS MUCH EXPENDITURES EITHER.
SO IT LOOKS LIKE, YOU KNOW, IT, THEY WERE, IT WAS A MISSTATEMENT DEFINITELY OF OUR, OF OUR FUNDS AND OUR FINANCIAL STATEMENTS.
SO WE'VE CORRECTED THAT, AND THAT HAS CAUSED AN INCREASE IN CERTAIN, AN INCREASE IN CERTAIN LINE ITEMS IN THESE BUDGETS.
BUT THE INCREASE IN THE EXPENDITURE IS OFFSET BY THE INCREASE IN THE REVENUE.
SO NO, NO ALARM, UH, THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT FUND, UH, THE TOPICS ARE GEO BOND ISSUANCE IS WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT THIS YEAR.
AND WE ALSO, UM, HANG ON A SECOND.
I, I, I DON'T REALLY UNDERSTAND THE THING YOU JUST SAID.
SO WHAT HAPPENED? OKAY, SO IF WE BILL FOR SERVICES THAT WE PROVIDED, AND WE RECEIVED A CHECK IN THE MAIL FROM THE PERSON WE BILLED, WE'VE ALREADY DEBITED OUR EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT FOR THAT SERVICE.
WE'VE BILLED THEM, THEY GAVE US A CHECK IN THE MAIL, AND WE HAVE BEEN CREDITING THAT SAME EXPENDITURE LINE ITEM TO WHERE IT WOULD ALMOST ZERO IT OUT, WHERE IT WOULD SHOW NO EXPENDITURE EVEN HAPPENED.
SO INSTEAD OF DOING IT THAT WAY, FROM NOW ON, WE'VE CREATED THE APPROPRIATE REVENUE ACCOUNT TO RECORD THAT REVENUE COMING IN.
SO THE EXPENDITURE STAYS AS A DEBIT IN THE EXPENDITURE LINE ITEM, AND THEN THE CREDIT IS TO THE REVENUE.
SO THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT FUND, UH, THE BOND ISSUANCE IS WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT TO AFFECT THAT FUND THIS YEAR.
THE BOND PROCEEDS WILL GO INTO THAT FUND, SHOULD YOU VOTE ON THAT BOND ISSUANCE.
THE, AND ALSO WE CHANGED THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT FUND FROM THE ORIGINAL 10 40 TO WHAT'S NOW A 4,000.
IT'LL BE 4,000 WILL BE THE FUND NUMBER.
WE HAD TO DO THAT IN ORDER TO ESTABLISH A MULTI-YEAR FUND, BECAUSE PROJECTS ARE DEFINITELY MULTI-YEAR.
WE'RE NOT COMPLETING PROJECTS WITHIN 12 MONTHS.
SO THIS ALLOWS FOR THE FUNDS, THE BUDGET TO ROLL OVER AS WELL AS THE ENCUMBRANCES OR THE PURCHASE ORDERS WILL ROLL OVER AUTOMATICALLY.
NOW, SINCE WE CHECKED THAT BOX AS A MULTI-YEAR FUND.
SO BALANCES IN THOSE PROJECTS WILL ROLL OVER THE ENCUMBRANCES, POS WILL ROLL OVER WITH IT.
IT'LL, IT SHOULD BE SMOOTH, SOLVE A LOT OF, A LOT OF HEADACHES AT THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR.
UM, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FUND, WE TALKED ABOUT THAT EARLIER WITH MR. O'TOOLE, UH, LAND ACQUISITION FOR COMMERCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL SITE DEVELOPMENT, POSSIBLY.
UM, SO THE IMPACT THERE WOULD BE, UH, A MILL HIGHER EDUCATION FUNDS, TCL AND USCB FOR WORKFORCE TRAINING.
AND THE COMMUNICATION CENTER, UH, BEAUFORT MEMORIAL HOSPITAL, THEY ORIGINALLY ASKED FOR 13 MILLION FOR WORKFORCE HOUSING, 3 MILLION FOR THAT, AND THEN 10 MILLION FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF A NEW HOSPITAL.
AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT MILLAGE AND GEO BONDS, UM, AND TALK ABOUT THE TRANSFER OF MILLS TO SUPPORT THESE PROJECTS IN THE BONDS.
THE GENERAL FUND HAS DEPARTMENTS THAT HAVE INCREASES, WHICH I JUST DISCUSSED, UM, DUE TO THE CHART OF ACCOUNTS CONVERSION.
UH, A COUPLE OF THE DEPARTMENTS, THE MAIN ONES, UM, THAT ARE IMPACTED ARE THE SHERIFF'S, THE COUNTY ATTORNEY, AND RISK MANAGEMENT.
SO WE'VE, WE'VE MADE CORRECTIONS THERE AND THEY'VE INCREASED THEIR BUDGETS, UM, ACCORDINGLY.
CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT FUND, UH, JUST TALKED ABOUT THAT.
UM, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FUND, WELL, I'VE TALKED ABOUT ALL THIS, HAVEN'T I? WE WERE JUST GONNA SKIP RIGHT
[02:45:01]
OVER THISSO HERE IS, HERE'S THE MAIN THING I WANNA DISCUSS TODAY.
AND YOU GUYS, WE DON'T SET MILLAGE UNTIL THE FALL, BUT OUR BUDGETS ARE BASED UPON MILLAGE.
UM, SO WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT THIS NOW.
SO, COUNTY OPERATIONS, I'M PROPOSING IN THE BLUE AND WHITE CHART TO THE LEFT THERE.
UH, THESE ARE THE FUNDS WITH MILLAGE.
YOU'LL SEE OUR CURRENT MILLAGE TOTAL IS AT 59.5 MILLS.
I KNOW IT'S THREE TENTHS OF A MILL INCREASE, BUT, BUT THAT'S JUST TENTATIVELY I THINK WE CAN REMAIN FLAT.
I'M WATCHING OUR REVENUES COME IN, THEY'RE COMING IN STRONG, AND WE, WE MIGHT CAN FINAGLE SOME OF THESE TO WHERE THEY, TO WHERE WE CAN KEEP OUR MILLAGE FLAT.
AND THAT'S WHAT I KNOW YOU, YOU PROBABLY ALL WANT.
SO I'M GONNA TRY REAL HARD TO, TO WATCH OUR REVENUE COMING IN SO WE CAN COME UP WITH A GOOD, A GOOD PLAN AND A SOLID BUDGET.
UM, WHERE ARE THE OUTSIDE AGENCIES, UH, THAT HAVE ALL COME IN REQUESTING FUNDING? DOES THAT COME OUT OF THE COUNTY OPERATIONS OR WHERE THAT NO, IT DOES NOT.
SO THE OUTSIDE AGENCIES WHO'VE REQUESTED FUNDING, OH, WAIT A MINUTE.
WHICH OUTSIDE AGENCIES? LIKE, JUST, JUST ALL THE ONES THAT COME OUT? NOT TCL AND USCB? NO, ALL THE REST OF THEM.
SO YES, THEY DO COME OUT OF THE GENERAL FUND.
THE ONLY ONES THAT DO NOT ARE THE ONES LISTED HERE.
UH, I NOTICED THE DEBT SERVICE, IS THAT REDUCED BECAUSE WE'RE REDUCING OUR DEBT SERVICE? IT GOES FROM 3.4 TO 3.2 OR YES AND NO.
WE'RE GONNA BE ADDING TO OUR DEBT SERVICE, BUT, UH, DAVID, YOU CAN BUY US A YEAR, RIGHT? A YEAR WITHOUT PAYMENT, RIGHT? UH, YES.
WE CAN, WE CAN, IF WE ISSUE DEBT IN THE FALL, WE MAY HAVE TO PAY AN INTEREST PAYMENT IN MAY, BUT IN PRINCIPLE WON'T BE DUE TILL FALL OR WILL THE WHOLE PAYMENT ONLY THING WE CAN STRUCTURE HOWEVER YOU LIKE.
EVEN IF YOU, HONESTLY, YOU CAN STILL AFFORD TO PAY SOME PRINCIPAL IN SPRING, EVEN IF YOU WENT DOWN TO 3.2, WHETHER YOUR 3.2 OR FOUR.
SO THOSE ARE, THAT'S MY PROPOSAL RIGHT NOW.
I'M HOPING TO GET IT BACK DOWN TO 59.5.
SO WE DON'T HAVE A, A TAX INCREASE.
UM, BUT THOSE, THAT'S THE REVENUE THAT'S, UH, PROJECTED TO BE GENERATED THIS YEAR AND FISCAL YEAR 24 PROJECTED REVENUE, AND THEN THE FISCAL YEAR 25 PROJECTED REVENUE, YOU CAN SEE THE INCREASES.
NOW I HAVE NOTICED THAT WHEN WE, UH, SET THE MILLAGE LAST FALL AND SENT OUT OUR TAX NOTICES AFTER REASSESSMENT AND WHATNOT, UM, THE VALUE OF THE MILL WAS ESTIMATED TO BE AT 2,650,000.
WHAT I'M SEEING RIGHT NOW COME IN, IT'S PROJECTED, IT IS PROJECTING AT $2,704,000 AND IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S, IT'S GONNA BE RISING.
SO THAT'S POSITIVE AND THAT'S GOOD INFORMATION TO HAVE WHEN WE, WHEN WE FINALIZE THESE BUDGETS.
SO, SO THE COUNTY OPERATIONS, GOING BACK TO MR. BERT INCLUDES THESE OUTSIDE REQUESTS.
SOME OF THEM WERE 30%, SOME 112% WHATEVER.
AND SO WE HAVE A FILE WITH WHAT I WOULD RECOMMEND YOU FUNDING THEM AT.
UM, BRENDA, ARE WE FINISHED WITH THIS ONE? HOLD ON.
I THINK THAT'S, YOU GOT ONE MORE SLIDE.
SO I KNOW CAROLYN WALLACE AND ERIC LARSON, UM, THEY'VE FINISHED THEIR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN AND I'VE PUT THE LINK UP HERE.
I CAN EMAIL YOU, OR BRENDA CAN EMAIL YOU ALL THIS.
SO YOU CAN JUST CLICK ON THAT LINK SO YOU CAN HAVE THAT CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN IF YOU DON'T ALREADY HAVE IT.
UM, THAT, I'M JUST LETTING YOU KNOW THAT BECAUSE THAT'S IMPORTANT AS WE MOVE FORWARD AND DISCUSS THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT FUND.
SO YOUR QUESTION WAS, SO MY QUESTION WAS WERE THE YES, THIS IS ASSUMING WE'RE GIVING THEM EVERYTHING THEY ASKED.
SO BRENDA, DO YOU HAVE THE, UH, VALERIE, WHICH ONE IS IT WITH THE SUMMARY? YEAH, THE OUTSIDE AGENT, THE RECOMMENDED, RECOMMENDED FUNDING.
YEAH, THAT'S THE GENERAL FUND.
IT SHOULD BE THE GENERAL FUND TAB.
AND, AND WHILE SHE'S LOOKING FOR THAT, I WANNA GO BACK A LITTLE BIT TO THE MILLAGE.
SO WHEN MR. CHEEKWOOD GOT UP HERE AND, AND GAVE HIS PRESENTATION ON THE BOND ISSUANCE, AND I KNOW WE PUT 6 MILLION OUT THERE FOR USCB, BUT THEY, THEY NEVER TOLD ME A DOLLAR AMOUNT.
SO I JUST, YOU KNOW, MATCHED THEM WITH TCL TO BE FAIR FOR HIGHER EDUCATION.
SO, UM, WE DON'T, ONCE WE TALK TO THEM MORE, I GUESS WE'LL KNOW IF THEY'RE ACTUALLY ASKING FOR FUNDS.
[02:50:01]
REQUEST, LIKE YOU SAID, THERE IS A LITTLE GAP THERE, UM, IN THEIR DEBT SERVICE PAYMENTS, YOU KNOW, VERSUS WHAT WE'RE GENERATING IN REVENUE ON THAT FUND WITH THEIR EXISTING MILLAGE.AND THAT'S WHY I PROPOSE TO INCREASE THE HOSPITAL'S FUND BY 0.2 TO COVER THAT DEBT SERVICE.
THE SAME WITH TCL, UH, WITH A 0.1 MIL INCREASE TO COVER THAT GAP.
AND WE, YOU SEE, WE CAN'T AFFORD TO MOVE SOME MILLAGE AROUND.
SO I THINK THAT'S VERY DOABLE.
OKAY, SO THIS SLIDE HERE IS OUR OUTSIDE AGENCY SLIDE, THE REQUESTED FUNDING, WHICH IT COMES FROM THE GENERAL FUND.
SO YOU HAVE COLUMN C, THEIR REQUESTS, COLUMN D, THE RECOMMENDATION, DISREGARD THE HIGHLIGHT.
I THINK I UPDATED AND DID NOT SEND Y'ALL A, A, A NEWER VERSION.
SO THAT HIGHLIGHT JUST GOES BACK TO THE ORIGINAL 4 95, 400, 90 5,000.
UM, SO THOSE ARE MY RECOMMENDATIONS.
UH, WE HAVE TO THINK ABOUT, WE HAVE TO THINK ABOUT THE COUNTY AND WHAT THE COUNTY'S NEEDS ARE, WHAT ARE OUR NEEDS, WHAT ARE OUR CITIZENS', UM, NEEDS AND, AND KEEP THAT IN MIND.
I BELIEVE FIRST BEFORE WE, BEFORE WE GRANT ALL THE REQUESTS FROM THE OUTSIDE AGENCIES, I THINK WE NEED TO BE MINDFUL OF OUR OWN AND WHAT WE WANT AND ENVISION.
IF THERE ARE ANY SPECIFICALLY YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT, WE CAN TALK ABOUT 'EM.
NO, YOU'RE GONNA SEND THIS TO EVERYBODY SHE SENT AND I HAVE, YEAH.
AND I HAVE, YOU KNOW WHAT MIGHT BE EASY, MS. CHRISTMAS IS IF YOU PUT ALL THESE DOCUMENTS IN A DROPBOX OKAY.
INSTEAD OF EVERYBODY OPENING FIVE DIFFERENT EMAILS, EMAILS, THAT'D BE GREAT.
MAYBE THROW 'EM IN ONE DROPBOX AND WE CAN DO THAT.
I JUST THINK IT WOULD BE EASIER FOR EVERY, 'CAUSE WE'VE GOT LIKE FIVE EMAILS AND I, AND I THINK I ACTUALLY ACCIDENTALLY RESPONDED TO ALICE TODAY, BUT I, I WOULD LIKE A PRINTED COPY.
SO WE'LL, WE'LL PRINT BUDGET BOOKS UP FOR WHOEVER WANTS A PRINTED COPY TOO.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF NOW'S THE TIME TO DO THIS, OR IF YOU WANT US TO JUST COLLECTIVELY PUT ALL THESE FILES IN A DROPBOX FOR YOU TO LOOK AT BETWEEN NOW AND FIRST READING, OR DO YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT EVERYTHING RIGHT NOW? NOW I, I THINK IT'S, IT'S ESSENTIAL THAT EACH OF US WHO WANT TO GO THROUGH THE DOCUMENTS, BECAUSE WE MAY HAVE SPECIFIC QUESTIONS ABOUT WHY DID YOU RECOMMEND THIS? OKAY.
OR WHAT IS THIS? I DON'T UNDERSTAND THE ACCOUNT DESCRIPTION BECAUSE IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE.
YOU KNOW WHAT, MAYBE A NEW AS CALF THIS YEAR, NEXT YEAR, AND THEN CAPPING IT 5%.
AND I MEAN, EVERYONE ON HERE KNOWS I SAY THE SAME THING.
WE NEED, WE HAVE NEEDS IN THIS COUNTY, WE JUST GOT DROPPED A $13 MILLION P ON OUR HEAD, BUT WE HAVE NEEDS, AND WE CAN'T KEEP GIVING ALL OUR MONEY AWAY UNLESS WE WANNA RAISE MILLAGE.
BUT SIX AND ONE HALF A DOZEN THE OTHER, THAT'S OUR CHOICE.
AND THIS WOULD, THIS WOULD CAUSE A RAISE IN MILLAGE.
YOU COULD THINK ABOUT IT THAT WAY.
IF WE FULLY FUNDED WHAT EVERYONE ASKS FOR, UM, I DON'T THINK THAT'S GOOD PRACTICE.
I AGREE, YOU KNOW, WHEN IT COMES TO THINGS LIKE THAT.
BUT WE, YOU KNOW, TO BE FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE, WE NEED TO, TO BE MINDFUL AND TO THINK ABOUT WHAT OUR PRIORITIES ARE THAT'S FAIR.
UM, DO YOU HAVE ANY SENSE OF WHAT OTHER COUNTIES DO AS FAR AS ALL THESE DIRECT SUBSIDIES? DO THEY JUST GIVE THEM WHAT THEY WANT? IT DEPENDS ON, ON THEIR GENERAL FUND REVENUE.
IN ANY GIVEN YEAR, IN THE MANY YEARS I'VE BEEN DOING THIS, WE, YOU KNOW, WE LOOK AT 'EM AND WE LOOK AT, WE ASK THEM FOR THEIR ANNUAL REPORT TO SEE WHAT THEY ACTUALLY SPENT THE MONEY ON.
AND THEN WE MAKE THAT DETERMINATION BASED ON, OKAY, WHAT, WHAT YOU'RE SPENDING MONEY, WHAT YOU'RE SPENDING OUR MONEY, THE TAXPAYER'S MONEY ON? DOES IT MAKE SENSE? IS IT GIVING BACK TO THE COUNTY? IS IT, IS IT DOING GOOD, YOU KNOW, FOR, FOR CITIZENSHIP AND WHATNOT? AND THEN, UH, THERE ARE TIMES WHERE WE KEPT THEIR FUNDING FLAT FOR MANY YEARS AND, YOU KNOW, INCREASED IT AS WE SAW FIT CASE BY CASE BASIS TOO.
DIDN'T NEVER TREAT ALL OF THEM THE SAME.
AND THEN THERE WERE SOME YEARS WHERE WE TREATED THEM ALL THE SAME.
MAYBE GAVE THEM ALL A 1% OR A 2% INCREASE.
OR IF WE HAD CUTS LIKE BACK IN 2008 AND 2009 WHEN THERE WERE FURLOUGHS, YOU KNOW, THOSE OUTSIDE AGENCIES DID NOT GET FUNDING IN THAT PARTICULAR YEAR OR THOSE PARTICULAR YEARS.
ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? IT'S A LOT TO TAKE IN.
ANYBODY ELSE? I'D JUST LIKE TO MAKE A COMMENT.
UM, I REMEMBER WHEN WE DIDN'T FUND, UM, TCL AND, AND USCB BECAUSE OF THE 2000.
I MEAN, I WASN'T ON COUNCIL THEN.
UM, GERALD DAWSON MIGHT REMEMBER.
WE WEREN'T FUNDING THEM AT ANYTHING AND THAT'S WHEN WE CAME
[02:55:01]
UP WITH THE MILL WHEN WE GOT HEALTHY AGAIN.OTHERWISE, IF WE HAVE NOTHING ELSE, WE ARE ADJOURNED AT 5 0 7 AND I DON'T HAVE TO DL YOU DOWN THERE.
YOU'RE, THANK YOU FOR MEETING WITH, I WILL TELL YOU THIS.
SO THE GENERAL FUND HAS, WE'RE NOT BALANCED WITH THE GENERAL FUND.
IT HAS ABOUT 4.3 OR $5 MILLION IN REVENUE.
BUT WE WERE WAITING ON THE COMP CLASS STUDY SO THAT MONEY COULD GO TOWARD PART OF THAT.
SO, BUT WE'LL, WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT LATER.
WELL, AND WE ALSO HAVE ATEX ONE AND WE HAVE THAT TOO.
HANDWASHING IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT WAYS YOU CAN KEEP FROM GETTING SICK AND SPREADING GERMS TO OTHERS.
THIS HANDWASHING DEMONSTRATION WILL SHOW YOU HOW HANDWASHING CAN GET RID OF GERMS AND CHEMICALS THAT GET ON OUR HANDS EVERY DAY.
THIS GEL IS LIKE THE GERMS AND CHEMICALS THAT WE GET FROM THINGS WE TOUCH THROUGHOUT THE DAY, LIKE OUR TOYS AND PETS.
IF WE THEN RUB OUR EYES, NOSE, OR MOUTH, OR PICK UP SOMETHING TO EAT, THE GERMS OR CHEMICALS CAN GET INTO OUR BODIES AND MAKE US SICK.
STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT PEOPLE TOUCH THEIR EYES, NOSE AND MOUTH ABOUT 25 TIMES EVERY HOUR WITHOUT EVEN REALIZING IT.
TO GET RID OF THESE GERMS AND CHEMICALS, CDC RECOMMENDS YOU FOLLOW THESE EASY STEPS EVERY TIME YOU WASH YOUR HANDS.
WET, LATHER, SCRUB, RINSE, AND DRY.
WE'RE GOING TO SHOW YOU THE RIGHT WAY TO DO EACH STEP.
FIRST, WET YOUR HANDS WITH CLEAN RUNNING WATER.
TURN OFF THE TAP AND APPLY SOAP.
THEN LATHER YOUR HANDS BY RUBBING THEM TOGETHER WITH THE SOAP.
BE SURE TO LATHER THE BACKS OF YOUR HANDS, BETWEEN YOUR FINGERS AND UNDER YOUR NAILS.
SCRUB YOUR HANDS FOR AT LEAST 20 SECONDS.
IF YOU DON'T HAVE A CLOCK NEARBY, KEEP SCRUBBING UNTIL YOU'VE SUNG THE HAPPY BIRTHDAY SONG TWICE.
RINSE YOUR HANDS WELL UNDER CLEAN RUNNING WATER.
DRY YOUR HANDS USING A CLEAN TOWEL, ELECTRIC HAND, DRYER, OR AIR.
WASHING YOUR HANDS USING THE STEPS WE JUST DEMONSTRATED IS VERY IMPORTANT TO GET HANDS COMPLETELY CLEAN.
LET'S SEE HOW WELL WE GOT RID OF THE GERMS AND CHEMICALS.
WHY IS THIS SO IMPORTANT? GERMS AND CHEMICALS FROM UNWASHED HANDS CAN GET INTO OUR FOODS AND DRINKS WHEN THEY'RE BEING PREPARED OR WHEN WE'RE EATING OR DRINKING THEM, WHICH CAN MAKE US SICK.
ALSO, GERMS AND CHEMICALS FROM UNWASHED HANDS CAN BE TRANSFERRED TO OTHER OBJECTS LIKE CELL PHONES, TABLETOPS, OR TOYS, AND THEN TRANSFER TO OTHER PEOPLE'S HANDS.
THAT'S WHY IT'S SO IMPORTANT TO WASH YOUR HANDS FOLLOWING THESE STEPS, WET, LATHER, SCRUB, RINSE, AND DRY SO YOU CAN STAY HEALTHY AND HELP KEEP THOSE AROUND YOU HEALTHY.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT CDC.GOV/HANDWASHING.