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CLOSED CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY BUFORT COUNTY.
BEING HERE TODAY FOR THE TOWN COUNCIL BUDGET WORKSHOP, TUESDAY, MAY 14TH, 2024.
WE HAVE AN ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA.
MOVE TO ADOPT THE AGENDA AS SUBMITTED.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR PLEASE SIGNIFY BY RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND.
WORKSHOP, DISCUSSION, REVIEW AND DISCUSSION.
CONSOLIDATED BUDGET, MR. ORLANDO.
NOW, COUNCIL MEMBERS, I HAVE A FEW, UM, ITEMS ON MY DESK.
AS, AS YOU CAN SEE TODAY IN THE PRESENTATION THAT KIM IS PULLING UP, I'LL PROVIDE AN OVERVIEW OF OUR VARIOUS FUNDS RIGHT AS THE FIRST READING WAS INTRODUCED, SOME ECHO HERE.
AS THE FIRST READING WAS INTRODUCED, I INDICATED THAT TODAY WOULD BE ALL FUNDS WITH THE EXCEPTION OF CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM.
AND THURSDAY, THIS THURSDAY AT THE SAME TIME, SAME PLACE.
UM, THAT WILL BE AN OVERVIEW OF OUR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT, UH, PROGRAM.
SO TODAY I'LL REVIEW GENERAL FUND, WHICH IS, AS WE KNOW, MORE OR LESS OUR OPERATING BUDGET, OUR STORM WATER UTILITY FUND, OUR DEBT FUND, OR WHICH, WHICH ENCOMPASSES OUR LONG TERM DEBT PAYMENTS, OUR GULLAH, GEECHEE, HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOODS COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION FUND, AND OUR HOUSING FUND.
UM, AS SOON AS THIS MEETING IS OVER, OUR ACCOUNT CLERK WILL PUT THIS PRESENTATION ONLINE.
FOR THE MOST PART, IT'S EXACTLY THE SAME AS FIRST READING, WITH THE EXCEPTION THAT IT DOESN'T INCLUDE CAPITAL PROJECTS.
AND ON THURSDAY, THERE'LL BE A DIFFERENT PRESENTATION.
THOSE PRESENT THE PRESENTATION TODAY AND THURSDAY, MUCH LIKE THE FIRST READING WILL BE ONLINE RIGHT AFTER THIS, IN ADDITION TO THE PRESENTATION THAT I'LL, THAT I'LL GET THROUGH YOU, YOU'VE SEEN IT BEFORE.
YOU'VE SEEN IT AT FIRST READING, BUT I GOT THROUGH IT IN ABOUT AN HOUR.
I JUST WANNA SLOW DOWN AND GO THROUGH SOME OF THOSE, UM, ELEMENTS A LITTLE SLOWER.
BUT ALSO I WANT TO DISCUSS WITH YOU THOSE ITEMS THAT YOU ASKED ABOUT AT FIRST READING.
UM, I WAS ASKED AT FIRST READING RIGHT BEFORE FIRST READING, AND THE LAST COUPLE DAYS TO REVIEW THE INCREASE OR DECREASE IN THE GENERAL FUND ACCOUNTS BY DEPARTMENT THAT ARE LISTED IN THE STAFF REPORT.
UM, TALK A LITTLE MORE ABOUT REVENUE PROJECTIONS AND THE CONSOLIDATED SCHEDULE.
UM, A LOT OF THOSE ARE SELF-EXPLANATORY, BUT I JUST WANT TO SEE IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS ABOVE AND BEYOND SOME OBVIOUS ISSUES, UM, WITH OUR PROJECTIONS BEING LESS THIS YEAR THAN, THAN THAN LAST PAST YEARS AND CURRENT YEAR STAFFING LEVELS.
I'VE TALKED ABOUT THAT TOPIC MORE THAN I THINK I'VE TALKED ABOUT ANY.
SO I KNOW THAT THIS YEAR I'VE PROPOSED AN ELIMINATION OF SOME POSITIONS, BUT THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF QUESTION ASKED, UM, OR A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF QUESTIONS ASKED ABOUT HOW STAFF GREW, WHY STAFF GREW, WHAT'S THE PLAN FOR THE FUTURE.
WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT, ABOUT THAT A LITTLE BIT TODAY.
OUR BUDGET ORDINANCE, YOU TALKED TO ME ABOUT YOUR FEEDBACK ON THE FUND EXPENDITURE, THE ABILITY TO TRANSFER AMONGST THE POLICY, UH, LANGUAGE IN, IN THE BUDGET WAS SECTION FIVE.
AND SO I WANT TO TALK A LITTLE FURTHER ABOUT THAT, THE REAL PURPOSE AND INTENT AND SEE IF, SEE IF I HEARD YOU AND, UH, IF I'M RESPONDING WELL TO THAT.
UM, THERE WAS SOME DISCUSSION FROM, FROM YOU ABOUT TOWN COUNCIL COMPENSATION, SO WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT.
I WAS ASKED SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT OUR CURRENT STORMWATER AGREEMENTS, EXISTING PLUS THOSE THAT ARE APPLIED FOR AND PROVIDE SOME CLARITY ON THAT.
AND THEN BEACH RENOURISHMENT, WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT ON THURSDAY.
BUT THERE HAVE BEEN SOME QUESTIONS.
I I RECEIVED A PHONE CALL TODAY ABOUT OUR BEACH STREET NOURISHMENT, JUST THE SCOPE OF WORK, THE SCHEDULE, THE FUNDING PLAN, AND WHAT THAT REALLY MEANS TO OUR COMMUNITY.
SO WE'LL DIVE IN DEEPER WITH SEAN ABOUT THAT ONE ON THURSDAY.
SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, I'LL, I'LL JUST JUMP IN AND, UM, HOWEVER YOU WANT.
IF YOU WANT ME TO STOP ALONG THE WAY AND ANSWER QUESTIONS, I THINK THAT THAT MIGHT BE EASIER AS THEY COME UP.
YEAH, I, I THINK AS, AS WE GO THROUGH EACH SECTION, IF THERE'S SPECIFIC QUESTIONS TO THAT SECTION, GO AHEAD AND ADJUST IT AT THAT POINT IN TIME.
WELL, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC, THIS IS THE SAME PRESENTATION AS THE OTHER DAY.
I DO WANT TO SLOW DOWN AND SH AND TALK THROUGH OUR ECONOMIC FACTORS, OUR BUDGET GOALS, THE OVERVIEW OF THE BUDGET, AND THEN, AND THEN THE BUDGET IMPROVEMENT SCHEDULE.
SO I THINK YEAR OVER YEAR, THESE SLIDES WILL BECOME, UM, EASIER FOR US TO REALLY COMPREHEND AND MEASURE, RIGHT? SO WE'RE 54 SQUARE MILES.
OUR POPULATION REMAINS AT ABOUT 37, YOU KNOW, THREE SEVEN.
YOU SEE THE NUMBER UP THERE, 37,000
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SIX HUNDRED SIXTY ONE, ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY FOUR NEW BUSINESSES OPEN IN 2023.ALL WE'RE INVITED TO ABOVE THAT MANY RIBBON CUTTINGS, $66,000 PER CAPITA INCOME OF A MEDIAN AGE, JUST UNDER 60, A MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME, JUST UNDER A HUNDRED, ACTUALLY JUST UNDER 95,000 AND A MEDIUM HOME SALES PRICE OF $524,500.
I MEANT TO TAKE A LOOK TODAY, UM, TO SEE HOW MANY HOMES IN THAT PRICE RANGE ARE AVAILABLE FOR SALE RIGHT NOW.
I DON'T THINK THERE'S VERY MANY.
WE KNOW THAT MEASURED BY OUR DESTINATION MARKETING ORGANIZATION AND OUR CHAMBER, THAT WE HAVE MORE OR LESS 3 MILLION VISITORS A YEAR AND 2.98 MILLION ARRIVED HERE TO VISIT IN 2023 WITH A $3.61 BILLION OF AN ECONOMIC IMPACT BASED UPON THE TOURISM INDUSTRY.
CAN YOU SEE THAT OVER, OVER TIME FROM 19 TO 20 TO 21, THAT THAT RETURN, THAT ECONOMIC IMPACT AT HAS INCREASED.
THERE'S MORE PEOPLE HERE THAT'S INCREASED.
WE HAVE A VERY STRONG FINANCIAL POSITION, AAA BOND RATING FROM MOODY'S AA PLUS RATING FROM STANDARD AND POORS, UM, AND FITCH, OUR, OUR RECENT MOODY'S REPORT WAS VERY FAVORABLE WHEN IT, IT REALLY TOOK A LOOK AT OUR CURRENT DEBT, OUR CURRENT FINANCIAL POSITION, AND SIMPLY REIT REITERATED WHAT WE ALREADY KNEW AND HEARD.
WE HAVE GROWING AND DIVERSE NON-PROPERTY TAX REVENUES.
WE ARE VERY PRUDENT WITH OUR FISCAL MANAGEMENT AND RARELY A VERY, UH, ROBUST FINANCIAL POSITION AND MODEST DEBT AND PENSION BURDEN.
WE SAW THE DEBT, AS WE TALKED ABOUT THAT PAY DOWN OF THAT DEBT OVER TIME IS DEFINITELY A, A, A, A LARGE, BIG POSITIVE FOR OUR, OUR INVESTOR RATING, UH, CREDIT POSITION IN 2023.
RIGHT? SO AS WE TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT STAFFING IN A MINUTE, THESE NUMBERS ARE IMPORTANT.
IN 2023, 9,560 RESPONSES CALLS FOR SERVICE, WE ISSUED MORE THAN 14,000 BUSINESS LICENSES.
IT GENERATED MORE THAN $8 MILLION OF REVENUE.
WE HAVE A FEW HUNDRED SHORT TERM RENTAL COMPLAINTS, AND I THINK THAT THAT'S JUST STARTING TO FIND TRACTION THROUGH OUR GOV OS SYSTEM.
WE HAD CLOSE TO 2000 ISSUES REPORTED THROUGH CCL FIX, AND THOSE ARE EXTERNALLY AS WELL AS INTERNALLY REPORTED.
THEY, SOME ARE ME LOTS ARE SHOWN US MANY OF MORE ARE FROM OUR COMMUNITY, AND WE DON'T ONLY RECEIVE THOSE, WE RESPOND AND WE REPORT BACK THAT IT WAS FIXED OR, OR, OR, OR GETTING BETTER INFORMATION THAN JUST THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST IN INPUT.
WE HAD 539 BUILDING AND LAND MANAGEMENT ORDINANCE, SITE CHECKS.
SO THROUGH OUR COMMUNITY CODE ENFORCEMENT PROGRAM, ABOVE AND BEYOND OUR PLANNING TEAM, ABOVE AND BEYOND OUR BUILDING INSPECTORS, BOB AND HIS TEAM ARE OUT IN ADDITION TO THE GROUP I JUST SAID, TAKING A LOOK, DAILY, WEEKLY, MONTHLY, DEPENDING ON WHAT TYPE OF JOB, WHAT TYPE OF PROJECT, UM, WE'RE PUTTING OUR EYES.
AND, UH, IN YEARS OUT THERE, WE ISSUED MORE THAN 4,600 PERMITS, SUBDIVISIONS, BUILDING PERMITS, POOLS, WHATNOT.
CODE ENFORCEMENT, UH, ISSUED CLOSE TO 12,000 VIOLATIONS ON OUR BEACH.
DOESN'T MEAN 12,000 CITATIONS.
THAT'S A NOTICE OF VIOLATION FOR CLOSE TO 12,000 PEOPLE DRINKING GLASS BOTTLES, WHATEVER, NOT ABIDING BY THE EXPECTED RULES OF CONDUCT ON OUR BEACHES.
AND SO I REALLY APPRECIATE OUR CODE FOR COMMUNITY CODE ENFORCEMENT TEAM LED BY, LED BY BOB BROMAGE ON THAT.
WE ALSO HAVE APPROVED CLOSE TO 7,000, REALLY SIX BY, BY THIS COUNT, 6,712 SHORT TERM RENTAL PERMITS.
APRIL WILL TEXT ME OR EMAIL ME ABOUT FIVE O'CLOCK TO TELL ME THAT NUMBER'S OUT OF DATE.
WE, WE ALSO HAVE ABOUT A THOUSAND AND IT FLUCTUATES ABOUT A THOUSAND THAT ARE NOT IN COMPLIANT.
AND SO TO FIND THE ONES THAT ARE NOT IN COMPLIANT, WE ARE, WE ARE MINING THE INTERNET RIGHT THROUGH WS, THROUGH OUR OWN INVESTIGATIONS, THROUGH OUR OWN WORK SITE VISITS AS WELL AS ONLINE.
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THAT EXTRA THOUSAND OR SO IN IN CHECK OUR BUDGET GOALS.UM, THEY'VE, FOR THE MOST PART SINCE MY TIME WITH YOU, THEY'VE, THEY'VE PRETTY MUCH REMAINED CONSISTENT.
I WANT YOU THROUGH THIS BUDGET, SHOW YOU THAT WE ARE FOCUSED AS A, AS A BASE DOCUMENT, OUR PLAN THAT DRIVES THE STRATEGIC ACTION PLAN, UM, HERE TOGETHER.
MOST JANUARY'S THIS YEAR, IT WAS MARCH, BUT WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE THE STRATEGIC ACTION PLAN WORKSHOP AND THAT, THAT WORKSHOP, UM, I HEAR FROM YOU AND ALSO COMMIT TO YOU THAT I WILL WORK TO USE THE BUDGET TO IMPLEMENT THE STRATEGIC PLAN.
AND THEN WE ALSO KNOW THAT WE TALK TOGETHER AND KNOW THAT THE BUDGET IS ALSO INFLUENCING THE STRATEGIC PLAN.
SO AKA, WE CAN'T, WE CAN'T ACCOMPLISH THOSE THINGS THAT WE DON'T HAVE FUNDING FOR, AND THERE'S NO REASON TO PRETEND THAT THEY'RE IN THE STRATEGIC PLAN IF I DIDN'T FUND THEM.
I'VE ALSO COMMITTED EARLY ON, AND I THINK IT'S A, A GREAT PRACTICE, UM, THAT THAT IS, IS ONGOING HERE, THAT WE AREN'T PUTTING ELEMENTS IN THE BUDGET THAT ARE IN THE STRATEGIC PLAN SOMEHOW, SOME WAY SOMEPLACE.
AND THEN ONCE THAT BUDGET IS ADOPTED, IT EMPOWERS ME AS A TOWN MANAGER TO WORK WITH MY AMAZING TEAM AND WORK WITH YOU THROUGH YOUR BOARDS, COMMISSION COMMITTEES, AND THROUGH TOWN COUNCIL TO APPROVE VARIOUS PROJECTS AND POLICIES.
SO WHAT I SAID IS, WE WOULD DELIVER THE TOWN COUNCIL'S STRATEGIC ACTION PLAN PRIORITIES TO YOU.
WE KNOW WHAT THEY ARE FOR TODAY'S SAKE.
AND WE WOULD PROVIDE WORLD CLASS SERVICE FACILITIES, LEISURE, AND RECREATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR REC RESIDENTS AND GUESTS.
WE WOULD PROVIDE SERVICES IN THE MOST COST EFFECTIVE MANNER.
SO THAT DOESN'T MEAN EVERYTHING'S IN-HOUSE, AND IT DOESN'T MEAN EVERYTHING'S OUTSOURCED.
THERE'S GOTTA BE A, A, A FINE LINE AND A, A GOOD BALANCE BETWEEN WHAT WE WANT AND WHAT WE CAN AFFORD AND WHAT'S THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAY TO ACCOMPLISH IT.
BUT HIGH QUALITY SERVICE IS OUR MOTTO.
I DO THINK THAT YEAR, OVER YEAR, OVER YEAR, UM, OUR SERVICE LEVELS HAVE INCREASED, WHETHER YOU'RE IN CUSTOMER SERVICE, WALKING IN OR KNOWING WHEN YOUR PERMIT'S GOING TO BE APPROVED, OR KNOWING THAT YOUR PERMIT MIGHT NOT BE APPROVED, AND WE STILL NEED A FEW MORE DAYS THE WAY WE'RE CUTTING GRASS AND PICKING UP TRASH AND MANAGING AND MAINTAINING THE BATHROOMS AT THE PARKS.
WE, WE, THROUGH THIS BUDGET, ARE PROVIDING AN ENHANCED CUSTOMER SERVICE AND EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT.
AND, AND, AND OF ALONG THE WAY, WE'LL CONTINUE TO INVEST IN IMPACTFUL CAPITAL PROJECTS AND COMMUNITY INFRASTRUCTURE THAT WILL PROVIDE A COMMUNITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL VITALITY TO PRESERVE THE TOWN'S CHARACTER WHILE PROMOTING A SENSE OF PRIDE FOR OUR CITIZENS.
AND, AND UP THERE YOU CAN LIST THEM ALL, CITIZENS, BUSINESSES, VISITORS, UM, AND EVERYBODY IN BETWEEN.
AND, AND AS ALWAYS, I BELIEVE THAT THE BUDGET SHOULD BE A CATALYST TO IMPLEMENT CHANGE AND IMPROVEMENT.
NOT TO GROW, BUT TO IMPROVE OUR QUALITY OF LIFE AND ALSO ACCOMMODATE THOSE GROWTH PRESSURES AND, AND VISITOR PRESSURES THAT, THAT, THAT WE'RE FEELING.
THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA REQUIRES THE BUDGET TO BE ADOPTED AS A BALANCED BUDGET PRIOR TO JULY ONE.
AND THE ANNUAL BUDGET IS ADOPTED IN CONJUNCTION WITH FEEDBACK FROM COUNCIL, DEPARTMENT HEADS PLANNING COMMISSION AND CITIZENS.
SO THE, WE WORKED ON MAY 7TH FOR FIRST READING TODAY AS A WORKSHOP, SO NO VOTES WILL BE TAKEN, BUT TODAY I'D LIKE TO HEAR A LOT FROM YOU SO THAT EITHER I, I UNDERSTAND AND HAVE CONFIDENCE THAT YOU ARE IN AGREEMENT WITH THE PROPOSAL THAT WE MAKE ANY REFINEMENTS, AND THAT BY THE TIME WE GET THROUGH THURSDAY'S WORKSHOP ON CAPITAL PROJECTS, OUR NEXT TIME TOGETHER IS, IS ASKING FOR TOWN COUNCIL TO SUPPORT AND APPROVE, UH, THE BUDGET BY SECOND AND FINAL READING ON JUNE 4TH BY STATE LAW, WHICH IS KIND OF IRRELEVANT, BUT, BUT IMPORTANT TO A DEGREE.
IT REQUIRES US TO HAVE ONE PUBLIC HEARING.
WE ARE HAVING SEVERAL, WE ARE HAVING, UM, DEFINITELY TWO ADVERTISED FORMAL PUBLIC HEARINGS AND THEN ALSO TWO WORKSHOPS.
THE BUDGET I PROPOSED TO YOU IS WHERE ARE YOU TO $166,936,866.
IT'S TO KNOW THAT AS OUR BUDGET INCREASED FROM 1.4 OR 147 MILLION TO 1 66, 16 MILLION OF THAT IS OUR
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V SHRED NOURISHMENT PROJECT.I HAD A CALL TODAY ABOUT V SHRED NOURISHMENT AND WHAT'S THE PLAN? SO CLOSE TO $17 MILLION OF THE INCREASE IN OUR CONSOLIDATED BUDGET IS ABSOLUTELY AND DIRECTLY TIED TO OUR BEACH NOURISHMENT PROJECT THAT WHILE WE DON'T START CONSTRUCTION IN FY 25, WE ARE INTENDING AND, AND, AND NEEDED TO BE FULLY PERMITTED AND, AND BID AND MOBILIZED IN FY 25.
SO A, A TOTAL OVERAGE OF 19.9 MILLION UP AND AGAIN, 16 AND A HALF OF THAT IS EACH AND THE REST OF IT, MORE OR LESS A MILLION DOLLARS IN GENERAL FUND.
AND YOU SEE THE DIFFERENCES THERE.
UM, ABOUT 19 MORE IN CAPITAL PROJECTS, ONE 26 MILLION ADDITIONAL FROM FROM CURRENT FISCAL 24 FOR STORMWATER ALLAH GEECHEE A REDUCTION.
AND OUR HOUSING FUND AN INCREASE OF 650,000 IN MOST OF THAT IS DUE TO A BUDGET CARRIED FORWARD.
MAJORITY OF OUR BUDGET ARE THOSE, THOSE FUNDS THAT ARE REALLY NOT FUND BALANCE, NOT PROPERTY TAX, NOT BUSINESS LICENSE, NOT STORM WATER, NOT LOCAL AT TAX, NOT EMS REV, NOT PERMANENT FEES, NOT INTERGOVERNMENTAL, WHICH IS STATE TRANSFERS, GRANTS, LEASES, INVESTMENT IN MISCELLANEOUS, UH, VARIOUS INCOMES.
MO MOST OF THE TRANSFERS IN RIGHT, MORE THAN 52% OF OUR BUDGET IS MADE UP OF FUNDS FROM HOSPITALITY TAX.
EACH FEES TIP, STATE TAX, REAL ESTATE TRANSFER, STORM WATER ROAD ELECTRIC FRANCHISE, AND SHORT TERM RENTAL FEES.
WHAT I THINK IS IMPORTANT TO SHOW YOU TODAY, UH, WENT OVER THIS PRETTY, PRETTY CAREFULLY, I BELIEVE, UM, AT FIRST READING.
AND YOU CAN SEE THAT OUR REVENUE PROJECTIONS IN MOST LINES, MOST MOST LINE ITEMS ARE REDUCED BY, BY THE DOLLARS SHOWN IN, IN THE NEGATIVE DOLLARS SHOWN IN THE PARENTHESES OR THE PERCENTAGES SHOWN IN THE NEGATIVE ON THE SIDE WITH A COUPLE EXCEPTIONS, PROPERTY TAXES, BUSINESS LICENSE, THAT'S JUST NORMAL NATURAL GROWTH, RIGHT? FOR, FOR A LOT OF OBVIOUS REASONS.
AND THEN IN ADDITION, TRANSFERS IN, RIGHT? SO WE'RE SAYING THAT THIS YEAR WE'RE TRANSFERRING IN A LITTLE MORE THAN $19 MILLION AND WE'RE USING PRIOR YEAR FUNDS OF 8.1 MILLION.
YOU'LL SEE THAT, I'M SORRY, YOU'LL SEE THAT OF THAT $19 MILLION TRANSFERRED IN, YOU'LL SEE THAT 14 INTO GENERAL DEBT CIP HOUSING FOR A TOTAL OF $88 MILLION.
AND THAT'S TRANSFERRING OF A TOTAL OF $88 MILLION.
UM, ALLOWS US TO DO A LOT MORE THAN WHAT A TRADITIONAL BUDGET WOULD LOOK LIKE WITH SIMPLY PROPERTY TAXES, BUSINESS LICENSE, AND A FEW OF THOSE, UM, LOCAL REVENUE STREAMS. QUESTIONS ON THIS BEFORE I GO FURTHER? ANY QUESTIONS, MS. JAMES? I DIDN'T SEE IT HERE.
UH, WHEN WE HAD OUR FIRST MEETING ON THE BUDGET, I GUESS IT WAS A TWO AND TWO MEETING NOTED THAT THE APPARENT INCREASE WITHOUT EXPLANATION MIGHT BE MISINTERPRETED BY YOU.
THE, UM, I, I DO THINK THAT IF WE ARE GOING TO HAVE A COMPOSITE OR CONSOLIDATED BUDGET THERE THAT SHOWS 166 MILLION ALMOST 1 6 7, THAT IN THAT SLIDE IN PARTICULAR, THERE OUGHT TO BE AN ASTERISK SIGNS THAT'S IN THE BLACK AND BLACK AREA.
PARDON ME FOR MY, UH, INABILITY TO READ CAREFULLY.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR INCLUDING THAT MR. TOWN.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS? PRICE? YES, THERE YOU GO.
UM, THE, UH, INCREASE IN PROPERTY TAX.
WE, UH, THIS YEAR'S BUDGET IS REV.
WE TRIED TO BE REVENUE NEUTRAL.
UM, SO THAT SHOWS ADDITIONAL REVENUE, BUT I THINK A LOT OF THAT HAS TO DO WITH THE INCREASE IN THE, ON THE SALES PRICES HERE, AS YOU SAID, UH, SOME PART OF IT'S NATURAL GROWTH, PERHAPS THERE WERE, UH, MORE DWELLINGS, UM, MORE PROPERTY ON HIGHER PROPERTY VALUES FOR SOME CASES.
SO I, I THINK MAYBE A BRIEF EXPLANATION JUST RIGHT NOW ABOUT THAT INCREASE, TRY TO BE REVENUE NEUTRAL, RIGHT? SO, UM,
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A 6.7% INCREASE, REALLY $1.5 MILLION OVERALL FROM A TOTAL OF 23, ALMOST $24 MILLION THAT THAT GROWTH IS, IS EXACTLY THAT.IT'S IT'S PRICE ESCALATION, IT'S POTENTIALLY RIGHT, SOME CONVERSION FROM 4% TO 6%, SOME CONVERSION OF PRIMARY HOME OR, OR THAT 4% HOME INTO A SHORT TERM RENTAL.
UM, I THINK THE, UH, THE, THE PROPERTY TAX REASSESSMENT IS A REVENUE NEUTRAL PLAN AND IT SOME GO UP, SOME GO DOWN.
AND I JUST THINK OVERALL THAT THE LITTLE TINY INCREASES BASED ON, ON THAT NATURAL GROWTH AND POTENTIALLY SOME CONVERSION.
WE'RE WATCHING THAT, YOU KNOW, AT THE END OF THE DAY WE HAVE SOME MORE COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES THAT ARE ONLINE.
UM, MORE RESIDENTIAL, DIFFERENT PRICE POINTS OF RESIDENTIAL THAT'S GONE UP.
AND THEN SOME CONVERSION FROM SIX TO FOUR.
AM I MISSING ANYTHING? NO, I THINK THREE.
NO, I THINK YOU'RE EXACTLY RIGHT.
I THINK, UM, IT HAS TO DO WITH THE, THE PROPERTY TRANSFERS.
'CAUSE THERE IS NORMALLY THE, THE CAP OF WHAT, 15% IT COULD GO UP AND IF THERE'S A PROPERTY TRANSFER, THEN THAT WILL, THAT'S, YOU KNOW, THE ACCESSIBLE TRANSFERS OF INTEREST BECAUSE IT'S EVERY FIVE YEARS.
IF THERE'S A SALE THAT OCCURS IN BETWEEN THERE, IT AUTOMATICALLY CATCHES UP TO THE THEN FAIR MARKET VALUE CONTRIBUTED TO THAT.
AND AT, AT THE TIME WE REDUCED THE MILLAGE LAST YEAR, WHICH WE DID TO BE AS REVENUE NEUTRAL AS POSSIBLE.
WE USED THE BEST POSSIBLE DATA AT THE TIME TO DO THAT.
THE COMMENTS, MS. BECKER, I JUST HAVE A QUESTION BECAUSE IT WAS BOILED UP AND I THINK IT WOULD BE AN INTERESTING STATISTIC.
SO, UM, JUST WANNA KNOW IF WE'RE CAPTURING IT AND IF NOT, UM, HOW WE DO THAT.
UM, I SUGGEST THAT WE DO THAT THE, THE CHANGE BETWEEN FOUR AND SIX AND SIX AND FOUR AND WEPEC BE ATTRIBUTE WORLD TWO, UM, IN REGARDS TO SHORT TERM RENTALS OR IF SOMEONE HAS JUST, UM, MADE A DIFFERENT PLAN, BUT SPECIFICALLY FOR SHORT TERM RENTALS SO THAT WE ENGAGE THE MOVEMENT IN THAT PARTICULAR, UH, UM, SEGMENT OF OUR HOUSING.
I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF GOOD REASONS TO, TO SEE THAT PICTURE.
WE'LL MAKE THAT REQUEST REALLY WE'LL LOOK WITHIN OUR OWN DATA, BUT ALSO LOOK TO BE FOR COUNTY TO HELP US WITH THAT.
WE'LL GO BACK THREE TO FIVE YEARS AND SHOW THAT FOUR AND SIX AND PERCENTAGE THAT WE LOOKING FOR.
YEAH, I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF, YOU KNOW, I KNOW WHERE TO PUSH.
UM, I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF GOOD INFORMATION IN THERE.
UM, SO AS SPECIFIC AS ATE, OKAY.
UM, EVEN FROM A NEWLY PERMITTED SINGLE FAMILY.
AND THEN HOW IT ULTIMATELY GETS, UH, REGISTERED, WHETHER IT INDEED COMES A SINGLE FAMILY, UH, 4% OR WHETHER IT'S QUICKLY MOVING INTO THE SHORT TERM RENTAL MARKET.
SO JOSH, I SEE YOU TAKING A NOTE.
MAKE SURE YOU TAKE A NOTE TO COMPARE THAT ALSO WITH OUR NEW SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL STRUCTURE.
THANK YOU, MR. YOU MENTIONED NEW SINGLE FAMILY STRUCTURES.
I SEE THE BUILDING PERMIT THAT'S BEEN BEEN ISSUED.
DO WE KNOW HOW MANY OF THOSE WERE ACTUAL NEW HOMES RATHER THAN REBUILDS OR RETROFITS OR WHATEVER? UH, NOT RIGHT HERE, BUT I CAN GET YOU THAT INFORMATION.
YOU KNOW, WE TALK ABOUT THE, THE TOWN BEING ISLAND OF ESSENTIALLY BEING BUILT OUT.
THAT WOULD BE A STATISTIC THAT WOULD SHOW US, UH, IN FACT THAT WE ARE NEARING BUILT OUT.
SO THAT WOULD BE GOOD INFORMATION.
GOING BACK TO MRS. BECKER'S COMMENT.
UM, WHEN YOU DO THAT ANALYSIS, MAKE CERTAIN YOU'RE DOING A CROSS, CROSS REFERENCE TO SHORT TERM RENTALS BECAUSE JUST BECAUSE IT'S A 6% DOESN'T MEAN THAT IT'S A SHORT TERM RENTAL.
AND THEN THERE'S ALSO THE COMMERCIAL STRUCTURES WHICH ALSO COME IN, ALSO COME IN AT 6%.
SO JUST TO ABSOLUTELY FOR THAT, FOR THAT BREAKDOWN.
YEAH, COMPLETELY, COMPLETELY TRACKING WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
UM, WE'VE BEEN COLLECTING THIS INFORMATION FOR A WHILE, SO WE'LL JUST START ADDING IT ALL TOGETHER.
WE TALKED ABOUT PRIOR YEAR FUNDS, AND I THINK THAT THIS SLIDE IS IMPORTANT JUST TO PAUSE ON FOR A MINUTE TO SIMPLY EXPLAIN THAT PRIOR YEAR, 3.4 MILLION WAS PRIOR YEAR BUDGET.
AND YOU'LL SEE THAT ONE TIME PROJECTS LAST YEAR IN GENERAL FUND A STORM WATER FUND, ONE TIME PROJECT.
I ALWAYS LIKE TO SEE STORMWATER FUND ONE TIME PROJECTS.
THAT MEANS THEY'RE KEEPING UP WITH MAINTENANCE.
THEY'RE BUILDING PROJECTS FROM THE PROJECT LIST THEY HAVE IN THE CIP AND THEN THEY'RE SAYING, YOU KNOW WHAT, SEAN AND MARK AND COUNCIL, WE ALSO WANT TO DO MORE THEN THE FUNDS WE CURRENTLY HAVE ON THE REVENUE STREAM.
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WE WANT TO DIP INTO OUR 10 TO $11 MILLION FUND BALANCE AND TRY TO BUILD EVEN FURTHER.AND SO LAST YEAR YOU SEE THAT THAT WAS 290,000.
YOU SEE THAT CIP STORMWATER TRANSFERS IN OF NINE 80 AND CIP FUND, PRIOR YEAR PROCEEDS ON PROCEEDS.
IT, IT IS, FOR THE MOST PART IT WAS A REDUCTION IN GENERAL FUND TRANSFER.
SO PRIOR YEAR WOULD BE THIS YEAR, UNSPENT LAST YEAR UNSPENT IS, IS, IS LESS.
SO $1.2 MILLION, ASK A STORM WATER FUND ONE TIME PROJECT, ONE TIME PROJECTS, PLURAL, 2.1 MILLION.
AND THEN WE KNOW THAT WE HAVEN'T SPENT THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, THE GULLAH GEECHEE HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOOD CDC STATE GRANT, THE, UH, FUNDS FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE.
AND WE, WE ONLY DREW DOWN SOME ON THE PRIOR YEAR, BUFORT COUNTY GRANT, THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN FUNDS.
AND SO AS YOU LINE THOSE UP AND ALSO TRANSFER FORWARD THE 2 MILLION AND THE 1 MILLION THAT ARE CURRENTLY IN HOUSING, BUT REMAIN UN SPENT, THAT $11.6 MILLION ESCALATES THAT THAT PRIOR YEAR.
SO I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE SEE THAT, THAT THAT PRIOR YEAR ISN'T ALL COMING OUT OF SOME FUND BALANCE, TRYING TO BALANCE OUR BUDGET, OUR OPERATING BUDGET WITH, WITH, WITH OUR, WITH OUR BANK ACCOUNT, RIGHT, WITH OUR, WITH OUR SAVINGS, WITH OUR FUND BALANCES.
THAT IS ABSOLUTELY NOT WHAT WE'RE DOING.
AND IN FACT, THIS YEAR WE'RE WHERE I'M LOOKING TO DO LESS PROJECTS, RIGHT? AND, AND THOSE PROJECTS, YOU KNOW, INSTEAD FINISHING OFF THE LAND MANAGEMENT ORDINANCE, IT'S FINISHING OFF SOME DISTRICTS, IT'S FINISHING OFF A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN IN THE FUTURE LAND USE AMENDMENT AND A FEW ONE TIME THINGS THAT ARE MORE MAINTENANCE RELATED THAT, THAT WE NEED FROM, YOU KNOW, SOME TOWN HALL FACILITY WORK OR SOME THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO I'M GOING TO PAUSE ON THIS A LITTLE BIT BECAUSE A LOT OF THIS IS BETTER EXPLAINED IN EACH FUND, BUT YOU CAN SEE THAT PERSONNEL AND BENEFITS OVERALL, AND THAT IS GENERAL FUND AND STORM WATER ARE, ARE UP, OPERATING IS UP AND, AND THE, AND THE MOST OF THAT 19, MOST OF THAT $20 MILLION YOU CAN SEE THAT WE'VE PLACED IN AS YOU START GETTING INTO BEACH PROJECTS THERE BEGINS OUR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM, UH, $16,756,000 MORE IN, IN OUR BEACH PROGRAM THIS YEAR THAN LAST FOR, FOR BEACH RENOURISHMENT PATHWAYS, $82,000 MORE, BUT A $5.5 MILLION FUND ROADWAYS A LITTLE MORE THAN 10 MILLION IN PARKS, CLOSE TO $20 MILLION FOR PARKS THIS YEAR.
WE'VE APPROVED A LOT OF PARKS.
THOSE DOLLARS ARE, ARE FUND BALANCES.
THEIR CURRENT REVENUES COMING, UM, AND PAST REVENUES, UH, THAT HAVE ACCRUED, YOU'LL SEE THAT THAT $19 MILLION HERE, IT, IT GREATLY MAKES UP FOR THE CIP PROGRAM THAT WE INTEND TO DO.
SO I PROPOSED A BUDGET TO YOU AGAIN.
UM, I'M PROUD TO SAY I'VE NEVER PROPOSED A BUDGET IN MY CAREER THAT HAS INCREASED PROPERTY TAXES AND IN FACT, BEEN MANY TIMES I'VE BEEN A PART OF A, A GREAT TEAM WHERE PROPERTY TAX IS REDUCED.
WE, WE HAD A NATURAL ABILITY TO REDUCE PROPERTY TAX MILLAGE RATE IN 2023, UM, FROM THE REAPPRAISAL.
AND THEN IN 2022 WHEN THE HURRICANE MATTHEW DEBT WAS PAID OFF, OUR MILL VALUE CONTINUES TO CLIMB CREDIBLE, MIGHT BE THE STRONGEST MILL VALUE IN THE STATE FROM SOUTH CAROLINA.
AND WE KNOW THAT AS YOU CALCULATE A PROPERTY TAX BILL AND IN THIS, AND IN THIS CASE SCENARIO 4% PROPERTY TAX ASSESSMENT ON A $750,000 HOME.
AND AGAIN, I'M NOT SURE IF WE FIND TOO MANY OF THOSE, BUT WE COULD USE 500 AND DOUBLE IT.
BUT, YOU KNOW, SOMEWHERE BETWEEN A 500 AND $750,000 HOME, THE TOWN OF HILTON HEAD ISLAND IS RECEIVING A LITTLE MORE THAN $420 CLOSE TO FOUR 30 OR CLOSER TO $600 ALL IN FROM A PROPERTY TAX BILL.
THE OTHER PROP, THE OTHER TAXES THAT ARE GENERATED, OF COURSE ARE VERY HEALTHY.
UM, AND FROM THOSE REVENUE STREAMS I SHARED WITH YOU ON THIS, JUST FOR CLARITY, YOU SEE THE SCHOOL OPERATIONS IS ALMOST HALF OF OUR PROPERTY TAX BILL.
WHAT IS NOT LISTED IS THE HILTON HEAD ISLAND POLICE
[00:30:01]
FEE.THAT'S HOW IT'S LISTED ON THE BUFORT COUNTY PROPERTY TAX BILL, AS WELL AS STORMWATER, UH, ANY STORMWATER FEES HERE WE'VE SHARED WITH YOU THAT OVER TIME THE COLLECTION OF ACCOMMODATION TAXES AND THE DISTRIBUTION OF ACCOMMODATION, SOUTH CAROLINA STATE ACCOMMODATION TAXES HAVE INCREASED IN REVENUE AND INCREASED IN DISTRIBUTION.
HOWEVER, YOU WILL SEE THAT WE STARTED TO PEAK IN 23 INTO 24 AND THIS YEAR, JUST BASED UPON PROJECTIONS, A LOT OF FEEDBACK, PHONE CALLS TO PATEL'S CHAMBER FOLKS, WE KNOW WE ARE STARTING TO COMPRESS IN THOSE SOUTH CAROLINA REALLY ALL, ALL, ALL TRANSFER IN TYPE, UM, REVENUE.
BUT YOU'LL SEE THIS YEAR THAT, THAT THE DMO SUPPLEMENTAL, AND YOU TALKED ABOUT IT AT FIRST READING, THERE WAS NOT AN ASK THIS YEAR THAT THE, THE DMO 30% AS CALLED FOR IN THE, IN THE STATE CODE IS, IS LISTED.
AND THEN THE FURTHER DISTRIBUTION IS CAPITAL PROJECTS TO OUR A TAX GRANT RECIPIENTS THERE, OUR A TAX COMMITTEE AND THROUGH TOWN COUNCIL'S APPROVAL WILL MORE THAN $4 MILLION, $4.2 MILLION.
AND YOU'LL SEE THAT THAT ESCALATED, UM, OVER THE YEARS, YOU KNOW, BACK IN 20 19, 2 $0.4 MILLION, THE TOWN GENERAL FUND TRANSFERS IN OF 3.5 MILLION.
AND THEN HOUSING, I PROPOSED THIS YEAR TO UTILIZE $1 MILLION OF SOUTH CAROLINA APAC TO ADD TO THE FUND.
AS TOWN COUNCIL HAS DIRECTED ME IN THE PAST, UM, TO CONTINUE TO ADD FUNDS INTO THAT HOUSING PROGRAM.
UH, I DO BELIEVE THAT THE PROPOSAL HERE WITH AAX IS WELL DISTRIBUTED.
I DO BELIEVE THAT IF, IF THIS GOES CONTINUES TO DECREASE OR INCREASE INSTEAD OF GUESSING YEAR OVER YEAR THAT I, THAT I WORK WITH FINANCE ADMINISTRATIVE COMMITTEE, BUT ULTIMATELY TOWN COUNCIL, UM, IN OUR, IN OUR FINANCE TEAM TO BRING FORWARD AN AAX DISTRIBUTION POLICY, AT LEAST FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION IN THE COMING MONTHS.
AND MARK THOSE AAX DOLLARS ARE CALCULATED OFF OF REVENUE FROM A CALENDAR YEAR OR A FISCAL YEAR.
UH, A LITTLE BIT OF BOTH, BUT RIGHT HERE WE'RE CONVERTING THAT TO OUR, OUR FISCAL YEAR.
APAX IS DISTRIBUTED OUTWARD CALENDAR.
UM, BUT WE USE IT FISCAL, SO IT'S, IT'S LIKE PATTING YOUR HEAD AND RUBBING YOUR STOMACHING AT THE EXACT SAME TIME.
UM, WHILE WE TRY TO FIGURE THAT OUT, WE SHOW EVEN WITH OUR DISTRIBUTIONS THIS YEAR, A FUND BALANCE OF $3.5 MILLION.
I WILL SAY THAT THIS TIME NEXT YEAR, I THINK THIS CONVERSATION NEEDS TO BE A LITTLE DIFFERENT PROBABLY FROM A CAPITAL PROJECT STANDPOINT, UM, AND A DISTRIBUTION STANDPOINT, NOT THAT I AM ADVOCATING TO REDUCE $4.2 MILLION.
I WILL SAY THAT I THINK THAT'S THE ROLE OF THE ACCOMMODATIONS TAX COMMITTEE.
I THINK THAT'S THE ROLE OF HOW COUNCIL TO WEIGH IN.
BUT, BUT I'M MONITORING THIS, WE CANNOT CONTINUE TO INVEST THESE TYPES OF AT TAX DOLLARS AND CONTINUE TO SUPPORT EXTERNALLY AT THAT LEVEL IF THE REVENUES ARE DECREASED.
WE SEE THAT AS, AS I MENTIONED, 3.5 MILLION INTO THE GENERAL FUND.
FIRST AND FOREMOST, OUR CALLS FOR SERVICE HAVE GONE UP, BUT I KNOW WE HAVE NOT BROUGHT FORWARD A BUDGET THAT ASKED FOR ANY PROPERTY TAX INCREASE, ANY CHANGE IN, IN BUSINESS LICENSE RATE.
WE SIMPLY HAVE CAPTURED STATE ACCOMMODATIONS, TAXES, ESCALATION, AND USED THAT FOR MORE OPERATING INTO OUR GENERAL FUND BUDGET.
DIFFERENT THIS YEAR THAN A FEW YEARS AGO.
AND YOU CAN SEE I WON'T LIST THEM ALL, BUT DEFINITELY UNDER ADMIN, LITTLE BIT OF CODE ENFORCEMENT.
MOST OF CODE ENFORCEMENT IS FUNDED THROUGH SHORT TERM RENTALS, BUT THEY DO MORE THAN SHORT TERM RENTAL WORK.
SO WE HAVE TO, WE HAVE TO ALIGN THE, THE AVAILABLE FUNDS IN THAT WAY.
POLICE SPEECH AND, AND AND FINANCE TEAM FACILITIES AS WELL AS COMMUNITY EVENTS.
OUR MILTON HEAD, ISLAND JAM, SONGWRITERS FESTIVAL, OUR HOLIDAY EVENT, ALL OF THAT IS FUNDED AS AN OPERATING BUDGET LINE ITEM, RIGHT? INCREASE OBVIOUSLY, BUT THROUGH APEX ZERO PROPERTY TAX DOLLARS ZERO FROM ANYWHERE ELSE.
I HESITATE TO EVEN OPEN MY MOUTH AFTER THE LAST TIME.
UM, I THINK THIS IS ONE WAY OF PORTRAYING THE INFORMATION AND THE BENEFIT TO THE COMMUNITY.
OBVIOUSLY INCREASING NUMBERS OF VISITORS HAS AN IMPACT ON OUR QUALITY OF LIFE AND OUR PERCEPTION OF WHAT WE WANT TO BE.
SO I THINK A, AN IDEA WOULD BE TO PORTRAY THIS
[00:35:01]
IN A DIFFERENT WAY AND SUBMIT IT TO THE COMMUNITY FOR A BETTER, PERHAPS BETTER UNDERSTANDING.WE ARE MOWING, BLOWING AND MAINTAINING.
WE ARE IMPROVING OUR BEACH PARKS.
IF YOU'VE BEEN A FOLLY FIELD, BEACH PARK, IF YOU'VE, IF YOU'VE RODE YOUR BIKE OR WALKED ON OUR NEW PATHWAY THAT WE JUST PUT IN UP IN SHELTER COVE, SO ON SO FORTH, ALL OF THOSE DOLLARS ARE EITHER USED TO BUILD OR MAINTAIN OR ENJOY OUR COMMUNITY THROUGH ENGAGEMENT.
ALL RIGHT, SO THAT'S CONSOLIDATED.
AND, AND NOW THAT I GET THROUGH THAT, I THINK THAT THE, THE DISCUSSION OF GENERAL STORMWATER CA, UH, DEBT ALLAH, GEECHEE AND HOUSING IS, IS, IS A LITTLE, UH, LESS DETAILED.
UM, IF YOU'D LIKE ME TO REVIEW EVERY FUND, IF YOU'VE HEARD IT BEFORE, I I'VE MENTIONED IT.
A GENERAL FUND IS OUR BASIC OPERATING ACCOUNT.
IT INCLUDES PUBLIC SAFETY, INTERAGENCY FUNDING, UM, PRIMARY SOURCES OF REVENUE, UM, I I SHARE WITH YOU RIGHT HERE.
MOSTLY PREDOMINANTLY PROPERTY TAXES, LOCAL ACCOMMODATIONS, TAXES, BUSINESS LICENSING, AND THEN A FULL MENU OF THE TRANSFERS.
FRANCHISE FEES, PERMIT FEES, INTERGOVERNMENTAL BEACH SERVICES AND PARKING, PUBLIC SAFETY, WHICH IS EMS, INCOME AND REVENUE, BEACH PRESERVATION FEES, HOSPITALITY AND YOUR FUNDS AMONGST A FEW OTHERS PROPOSED A GENERAL FUND BUDGET OF $60,924,000 IN CHANGE IN REVENUES.
YOU SEE THAT THE PROPERTY TAXES ALLOCATED A GENERAL FUND INCREASED BY 6.7% FOR THE MOST PART.
ALL OTHER, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF BUSINESS LICENSE, JUST LIKE THE CONSOLIDATED HAVE BEEN, HAVE BEEN COMPRESSED.
WE ARE PROJECTING, UH, COMMUNITY THAT, UM, I THINK WE'RE JUST AS BUSY.
I THINK PEOPLE HAVE SPENT LESS AND WE'RE PERMITTING LESS.
AND WE ARE JUST COMPRESSING OUR, OUR, OUR FUNDS A BIT, OUR REVENUES, WE'VE ALWAYS CELEBRATED THE FACT THAT WE ARE VERY CONSERVATIVE IN OUR REVENUE PROJECTIONS.
WE ARE NOT TRYING TO BUDGET FOR THINGS THAT WE'RE NOT INTENDING TO ACCOMPLISH AND WE ARE NOT UNDER PROJECTING ON PURPOSE.
WE ARE JUST VERY CONSERVATIVE AND THAT HAS, THAT HAS PAID DIVIDENDS, UM, SO TO SPEAK OVER TIME.
LET ME ASK YOU ABOUT REVENUE PROJECTIONS.
UM, I HAD A QUESTION FROM A CITIZEN THIS MORNING ASKING HOW FAR OUT INTO THE FUTURE WE LOOK AND MAKE PROJECTIONS.
MY EXPERIENCE, IT LOOKED LIKE WE'RE JUST LOOKING OUT ONE FISCAL YEAR AHEAD.
WE DO ANY EFFORT AT LOOKING AT THREE TO FIVE YEARS IN THAT SORT OF THING.
WE, WE LOOK OUT, UM, QUITE A WAYS.
IN, IN SOME AREAS IT'S HARD TO PROJECT AT TAX NEXT YEAR, DEPENDING ON THE WEATHER, DEPENDING ON ANY SIGNIFICANT EVENTS WE ARE PROJECTING.
WE HAVE SOME, SOME BETTER CONFIDENCE WITH PROPERTY TAXES, BUSINESS LICENSE, SHORT TERM RENTALS BECAUSE WE HAVE THE, THE ACTUAL DATA IN IN HOUSE THAT WE KNOW WE CAN COUNT ON AND WE CAN PROJECT ON DIFFERENT SCALES AND, AND DIFFERENT MECHANISMS THAT WAY WE LOOK OUT ONE, ONE TO THREE YEARS AND WE'RE ALWAYS MONITORING IT.
I KNOW THAT, UM, IN THE, IN THE NEAR FUTURE, I WOULD LIKE TO COME AND WORK WITH TOWN COUNCIL TO SHOW YOU THAT INFORMATION.
I THINK THAT IF WE'RE, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT BORROWING FOR PEACH STREET NOURISHMENT OR BORROWING FOR FIRE TRUCKS, IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE GET OUR OPERATING BUDGET RIGHT OVER THE NEXT THREE YEARS AND NOT JUST THINK THAT WE HAVE ALL THIS GREAT FUNDS FOR, FOR DEBT, FOR NEW DEBT, OR WE SHOULD ALSO REALIZE THAT EVEN WITH SOME ESCALATION OF REVENUES AND, AND EXPENDITURE USE, WE DO HAVE FUNDS FOR NEW DEBT.
WE'LL, WE'LL GO THROUGH THAT EXERCISE WITH YOU.
BUT TO AN THE SHORT VERSION IS YES SIR, IT'S MUCH FURTHER THAN A YEAR.
AND IN A SEPARATE QUESTION, UM, I THINK AS WE SPEND TAKING OUT THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT SECTION THAT HAS TO DO WITH
SO WITH THAT FORECAST, THERE'S GONNA BE MAINTENANCE AND PERSONNEL COSTS THAT FOLLOW UP WITH THAT.
SO I THINK THAT'S PART OF THE PROJECTION.
WE NEED TO SEE ABSOLUTELY ALL THOSE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS, HOW ARE WE GONNA MAINTAIN 'EM, GIVE THEM OVER TIME, RIGHT? AND OVER TIME YOU WILL, YOU, YOU WILL, WE WILL BUILD AND YOU, WE WILL NOT BUILD AS MUCH AS WE START TO MAINTAIN.
[00:40:01]
THERE'S LESS MAINTENANCE AND THEN MORE MAINTENANCE ONCE YOU BUILD AND YOU START FINDING THAT SWEET SPOT OF THAT PEAK, UM, AND AT CERTAIN POINT WE WILL BUILD LESS AND MAINTAIN MORE.SO RIGHT NOW CAPITAL MIGHT GO DOWN, BUT OPERATING WOULD GO UP, GENERALLY GO UP.
THE OTHER QUESTION I HAD WAS THE LINE ABOUT INVESTMENT INCOME.
IT'S QUITE THE INCREASE FROM ONE YEAR TO THE OTHER AND WE ALL KNOW, WELL WE EXPERIENCE IN THOSE INCREASING INTEREST RATES, UM, BUT IT TALKS ABOUT INVESTMENT INCOME.
SO HOW MUCH OF THAT IS INTEREST AND HOW MUCH OF THAT IS SOME OTHER TYPE OF INVESTMENT IN, IN WHAT BASIS DO WE PROJECT 156.4% INCREASE? YES, IT'S ALL INTEREST INCOME.
UM, EVEN THOUGH IT SAYS INVESTMENT INCOME, IT'S ALL INTEREST INCOME AND WE WERE CONSERVATIVE.
WE AT THIS POINT WE'RE ALREADY AT 1.7 MILLION FOR THE FIRST 10 MONTHS OF THE YEAR FOR THE, FOR THE GENERAL FUND.
SO WE ARE CONSERVATIVE ANTICIPATING THAT'S, SO WE'RE ALREADY WELL ABOVE ALMOST DOUBLE THE 585,000 FOR BY 24.
SO SOME HIGHLIGHTS FROM FROM FROM THAT.
SO I CAN SIMPLY EXPLAIN, UM, AFTER TWO YEARS OF RECORD HIGH COLLECTIONS, I MENTIONED LIMITED REVENUE ESCALATIONS, THE NO CHANGE IN GENERAL FUND MILLAGE, A REDUCTION IN 24.
FROM 17.2 TO 1529, PROPERTY TAX REVENUE IS INCREASING.
UH, ALMOST, YOU KNOW, $1.1 MILLION.
UH, TOTAL REVENUE IS 18, ONE LOCAL LATE TAX REVENUE, 6.9 MILLION, A DECREASE OF ABOUT 153,000, UH, BUSINESS LICENSE REVENUE AT 12.7 MILLION.
AND FOR, FOR, FOR CLARITY, OUR BUSINESS LICENSE REVENUE, I ALWAYS LIKE TO DRAW THE LINE FROM OUR BUSINESS LICENSE REVENUE TO OUR BUSINESS SUPPORT.
AND THAT COULD BE THROUGH OUR BUILT ENVIRONMENT, IT COULD BE THROUGH OUR OPERATING AND PERSONNEL COSTS, WEBSITE ENHANCEMENTS AND SUPPORT, ONLINE PORTAL PAYMENTS, OFFICE OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS, AND THEN GENERAL MAINTENANCE, RIGHT? THOSE MAINTENANCE DOLLARS OF ISLAND PATHWAYS, OPEN SPACE AND ROADWAYS.
UH, WE'VE, WE'VE GOT SOME MORE WORK TO DO AND I'VE, I'VE FORGOT TO EXPLAIN SOME THINGS AS WELL, BUT STATE A TAX FUNDING AT 3.5 MILLION INTO OUR GENERAL FUND, SHORT-TERM RENTAL PERMIT FEES, 1.8 MILLION.
WE'RE STARTING TO REALLY UNDERSTAND WHAT OUR NATURAL ANNUAL SHORT-TERM RENTALS ARE, BARRING ANY ISSUES IN THE ECONOMY, ANY, ANY MAJOR DISRUPTORS THAT WOULD CHANGE, CHANGE THAT.
BUT OUR ACCOUNTS ARE SHOWING A $1.8 MILLION REVENUE.
WE USE A LITTLE MORE THAN 200 TO HOST THE SOFTWARE.
LITTLE MORE THAN 600,000, TWO MORE, A LITTLE MORE THAN 200,000, I SHOULD SAY A LITTLE MORE THAN 600,000 FOR OUR CODE ENFORCEMENT TEAM.
FIRE INSPECTIONS AND LEGAL SUPPORT, $154,000.
IT SUPPORT, FINANCE SUPPORT 290,000.
SOME OF THOSE ARE PERSONNEL, RIGHT? SO SHORT TERM RENTAL PERSONNEL, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT FACILITIES AND MARKETING.
AND YOU HAVE ASKED AS YOU ADOPTED, TOWN COUNCIL ADOPTED THE SHORT TERM RENTAL PERMIT FEE THAT I ALWAYS BRING BACK, REALLY A, A BALANCED EQUATION TO SHOW WHERE WE'RE USING THOSE DOLLARS.
OUR GOALS HAVE NEVER BEEN TO CHARGE SO MUCH FOR SHORT TERM RENTALS AND SPEND SO LITTLE AND BUILD AN ACCOUNT.
WE ARE SUPPOSED TO BE REINVESTING AND USING THE DOLLARS FOR SHORT TERM RENTAL BY $250 PER PERMIT.
UM, TO SUPPORT THE SHORT TERM RENTAL PROGRAM, THE 360 DEGREES OF IT EMS REVENUE IS $2 MILLION.
IT'S A SMALL DECREASE OF CLOSE TO 3.8%.
AND, AND WE JUST TALKED ABOUT OUR INTEREST IN INVESTMENT INCOME.
HOSPITALITY TAX FUNDING IN THE GENERAL FUND IN THE OPERATING IS 6.3 MILLION THAT IS USED FOR LEASE PAYMENTS FOR NEW FIRE TRUCKS, ENHANCED FIRE RESCUE OPERATIONS AND OUR BEACH PARKING PROGRAM.
WE TALKED AT FIRST READING BRIEFLY, I INFORMED YOU THAT IN ORDER TO PROCEED, AT LEAST FOR THE FIRST SEVERAL MONTHS WITH OUR BEACH PARKING PROGRAM, KNOWING THAT BEACH PARKING IS ON THE COMMUNITY SERVICE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE AND THERE'S BEEN SOME DISCUSSION AND, AND SOME MORE HOMEWORK FOR JOSH AND I AND TEAM, I'VE TAKEN $1 MILLION OF HOSPITALITY TAX FUND BALANCE AND PUT IT IN THE HOSPITALITY TAX FUNDING FOR THIS YEAR'S BUDGET.
[00:45:01]
START PAYING FOR THIS BEACH PARKING PROGRAM.I INTEND TO WORK WITH YOU WELL IN ADVANCE OF 11 AND A HALF MONTHS FROM NOW TO DETERMINE WHERE YOU'D LIKE TO BE ON THIS POLICY AND ON THIS ULTIMATE PROGRAM PRIOR YOUR FUNDS, I MENTIONED THAT IN THE GENERAL FUND BALANCE LAST YEAR RIGHT FROM FY 22 INTO 23, INCREASED $3.2 MILLION.
WE UNDERSPENT, WE UNDER PROJECT IT.
AND AGAIN, THE UNDERSPEND, UM, SHOULD BE EXPLAINED.
WE, WE HAD SOME DOLLARS IN THERE THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH TIME AND ABILITY TO ACHIEVE.
SOME OF IT WAS LEFT IN A LANDSCAPING ACCOUNT, UM, THROUGH SOME TREE PLANTING.
UH, SOME OF IT WAS IN LANDSCAPING FOR JUST GENERAL MAINTENANCE AND SOME IMPROVEMENTS TO BEACH PARKS.
UH, AND, AND SOME MORE OF IT WAS IN OUR CONSULTING COSTS, RIGHT? AND THAT'S WHY WE TRANSFERRED SOME OVER.
WE JUST TRANSFERRED $350,000 AS AN EXAMPLE, INTO THIS CURRENT YEAR BUDGET FOR LAND MANAGEMENT ORDINANCE.
WE, WE WERE WORKING ON THE, THE QUICK FIXES AND NOT THE LONG-TERM FIX AND WE LEFT.
SO THOSE DOLLARS UNSPENT, WHICH IS FINE, IT'S JUST A MATTER OF FULL DISCLOSURE.
AND TO LET YOU KNOW WHY THOSE DOLLARS WERE UNDERSPENT.
WE HAVE PAST TOWN COUNCIL QUESTION PLEASE MA'AM.
UM, JUST PICKING UP ON THE, UM, CONSULTANT PIECE THAT YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT.
UM, OVERALL, HOW MUCH OF OUR BUDGET GOES TO THE VARIOUS CONSULTANTS AND THAT ARE ON REGULAR PIECES? WELL, IT, IT'S, IT'S LAID OUT IN A FEW DIFFERENT ACCOUNTS.
ONE, I'LL JUST TACKLE THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM.
I THINK THAT'S THE OBVIOUS ONE WHERE EACH, EACH LINE ITEM IN THE PROGRAM AS AN EXAMPLE, ISLANDERS BEACH PARK, THERE'S SOFT COSTS AND HARD COSTS BUILT INTO THE OVERALL BUDGET.
SO THOSE ARE ALWAYS CONSULTING DOLLARS FOR DESIGN, FOR PERMITTING, FOR ENGINEERING.
THERE'S ALSO CONSULTING DOLLARS BUILT INTO OUR TRANSPORTATION PROGRAM.
SO FORGIVE ME FOR NOT KNOWING THE EXACT NUMBER.
WE HAVE DOLLARS IN THERE FOR THE STONY CORRIDOR PLANNING, THE WILLIAM HILTON PARKWAY GATEWAY CORRIDOR AND THE STONY NEIGHBORHOOD.
WE HAVE CONSULTING DOLLARS IN OUR BUDGET, UM, A SMALL AMOUNT FOR DISTRICT PLANNING.
MOST OF THAT DISTRICT PLANNING WORK IS BEING DONE IN-HOUSE.
NOW THAT WE HAVE SOME GREAT STAFF MEMBERS AND MISSY IS STABILIZED OR DEPARTMENT, WE'RE DOING A LOT OF THAT WORK IN HOUSE AND WE HAVE ABOUT $850,000 EARMARKED FOR THE LAND MANAGEMENT ORDINANCE.
ABOUT 700,000 OF THAT IS JUST OVERALL AND ANOTHER $50,000 TO A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR LEGAL AND SOME EXTRA, UH, AND SOME EXTRA UH, ANALYSIS FROM THAT LEGAL STANDPOINT.
OKAY, SO I, I GUESS, I GUESS THE QUESTION, UM, IS GENERALLY HOW MANY CONSULTANTS DO WE HAVE WHO ARE KIND OF ON, ON CALL ALWAYS READY A, UM, AND WHAT THOSE LINE ITEMS, WHAT THAT TOTAL IS THROUGHOUT THE BUDGET.
UM, AND I'LL PROVIDE THAT, YOU'LL HAVE TO GIVE ME THAT ANSWER NOW, BUT I WOULD BE CURIOUS.
AND WE ALSO HAVE SOME DOLLARS IN OUR HOUSING FUND THAT I'LL EXPLAIN TO YOU FOR SOME, FOR SOME CONSULTING DOLLARS AS WELL, SOME EXPERTISE DIFFERENT THAN, UM, THAN
CROWN COUNSEL RAISED THEIR GENERAL FUND POLICY LIMITS IN 18, AGAIN IN 2023.
THIS IS A GRAY SLIDE WHERE, WHERE IT SHOWS THAT THE CEILING IS A 55% POLICY ON THE LOWER IS A 40%.
AND THAT OUR ACTUAL, YOU SEE OUR ACTUAL DIP IN 2017 STARTED TO CLIMB AGAIN IN 2019.
AND WE REALIZED THAT RATHER THAN HAVE THIS FUND BALANCE THAT WAS WELL ABOVE THE 40% CEILING, LET'S RAISE THE CEILING TO 55%.
I THINK IN SOME TIME, PERHAPS I'LL EVEN CHALLENGE MY OWN TEAM AND COME BACK TO YOU AND SEE IF WE CAN INCREASE THAT 55%.
I, I DON'T WANT TO BRING YOU A FALSE, JUST FEEL GOOD NUMBER BECAUSE LET'S MAKE IT 75% NEVER ACHIEVE IT.
IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE MEASURING, MONITORING, TRYING TO IMPROVE TIME.
I'LL SAY ALSO WHILE WE'RE TRYING TO BUILD PROJECTS.
SO I JUST WANTED TO TO POINT OUT AND CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, BUT THE RAISING OF OUR, UH, RESERVE POLICY THAT LIMIT,
[00:50:01]
UM, ENHANCED OUR RATINGS AND IS A, IS A REALLY GOOD STEP THAT WE'VE TAKEN FINANCIALLY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE, UM, A VERY, VERY STABLE, UM, COMMUNITY FINANCIALLY.SO, UM, I WANTED TO THANK THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT.
WE'RE ALWAYS BRINGING TO US, UM, WHATEVER THEY CAN TO HELP PUT US INTO THAT, THAT POSITION.
OUR GENERAL FUND IS, IS MOSTLY SALARY AND BENEFITS.
UM, IT'S OUR OPERATING ACCOUNT, 28% OPERATING OUR CONTRACTED PUBLIC SAFETY, OUR EXTERNAL DISTRIBUTION TO AFFILIATED AGENCIES.
AND THE REMAINDER 63% 22, IT'S 3.2% OF THE SALARY BENEFITS YOU SEE AN INCREASE INTO SALARY AND BENEFITS 3.5 MILLION FOR A TOTAL OF, SO OUR PAYROLL AND BENEFITS IS CLOSE TO $40 MILLION IS 38.4 MILLION.
OUR OPERATING ACCOUNT, ALL OF THOSE CONTRACTS FOR PUBLIC SAFETY, FOR HEALTH, PUBLIC SAFETY, THE 2.6 MILLION OUTSIDE OF THAT BUT ARE OPERATING FOR COMMUNITY CODE ENFORCEMENT, FOR MAINTENANCE, FOR FACILITY MAINTENANCE, ALL THAT IN THE OPERATING ACCOUNT, 17.255.
AND THEN THE DISTRIBUTION RECOMMENDATION STRAIGHT FROM FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE FEE 2.55.
SO A GENERAL FUND OF $60.9 MILLION.
THAT'S AN INCREASE THIS YEAR OF 1.9 MILLION.
AND, UH, A PERCENT CHANGE IN 1.8.
YOU'LL NOTICE THAT, THAT THIS, THE, THE DIFFERENTIAL HERE IS SOME OF A REDUCTION OUT TO HOUSING AND, AND OUT TO CURRENT PERSONNEL.
WE HAVE 281 FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES.
AS OF THIS BUDGET, YOU'LL SEE 17 PART-TIME AS WELL.
MANY OF THOSE PART-TIMERS WERE APPROVED IN LAST YEAR'S BUDGET.
SO YOU'LL SEE THAT A TOTAL COUNT OF FULL-TIME AND PART-TIME BY EACH DEPARTMENT.
NO DO FULL-TIME EQUIVALENT OR PART-TIME EQUIVALENT POSITIONS HAVE BEEN PROPOSED THIS FISCAL YEAR.
I THINK THAT OUR TEAM HAS DONE A GREAT JOB.
WE'VE SCRUBBED OUR BUDGETS, WE'VE REFINED OUR PROCESSES AND I TRULY THINK THAT WE HAVE GREAT LEADERS IN PLACE AT ALL LEVELS.
UM, AND IT'S ALLOWED ME TO REALLY ASSESS TO MAKE SURE THAT ONE, I'M NOT JUST OVERWHELMING AND OVERBURDENING PEOPLE TO GO FIGURE IT OUT AT ALL COSTS.
UM, BUT A REAL BALANCED WAY THAT WE ARE DOING BUSINESS.
BUT ALSO REALIZING THAT A FEW POSITIONS, THREE FULL-TIME AND ONE PART-TIME.
I'VE REMAINED OPEN FOR A WHILE AND AS I ASSESSED IT REALLY WITH THE DEPARTMENT HEADS AND ASSISTANT ACCOUNT MANAGERS, I FEEL THAT PROGRAMS ARE, ARE, ARE DOING WELL.
SO I'VE RETIRED, NOT PUT ON HOLD, BUT RETIRED IN THIS BUDGET PROPOSAL CLOSE TO $400,000 OF SALARY AND BENEFITS.
SO THE POSITION COUNTS FOR FY 25 ARE THAT 2 81 AND THE, THE INCREASE IN GENERAL FUND SALARY AND BENEFITS INCLUDES A FEW THINGS.
IT INCLUDES A 4% PERFORM UP TO A 4% PERFORMANCE BASED INCREASE.
THERE HAVE BEEN YEARS IN THE PAST WHERE IT WAS 2%, SOMETIMES 3% AND I'M TRYING TO REMAIN CURRENT AND COMPETITIVE AT 4% THIS YEAR AND THERE'S MANY OTHER MUNICIPALITIES DOING THE SAME.
SO WE'VE, WE'VE WORKED WITH FUNDS TO TRY TO FIGURE THAT OUT.
IT COVERS THE SOUTH CAROLINA NON-FUNDED, MANDATED MEDICAL INSURANCE EMPLOYER PREMIUM INCREASE OF CLOSE TO A HALF A MILLION DOLLARS.
IT PROVIDES FOR 12 PAID HOLIDAYS AND TWO FLOATING HOLIDAYS.
SO THERE'S SOME COST TO THAT FOR THOSE FOLKS THAT ARE AT WORK DURING THOSE TIMES.
DEFINITELY FRONTLINE FIRE RESCUE ALLOWS EMPLOYEES THAT PAID TIME OFF BUYBACK OF 37 AND A HALF HOURS.
IT SUPPORTS THE TOWN'S 401K CONTRIBUTION TO EMPLOYEES, WHICH I SAY THANK YOU TO TOWN COUNCIL FOR THAT 401K UM, LEVEL TO MATCH THE STAFF'S CONTRIBUTION.
IT SUPPORTS THE SOUTH CAROLINA MANDATED POLICE OFFICER'S RETIREMENT FUND.
I MENTIONED THAT FIRST READING, THAT'S THE FIRE RESCUE RETIREMENT.
BUT THEY ARE IN THAT, THAT POLICE OFFICER'S FOUR SE FOUR'S RETIREMENT SYSTEM.
IT SUPPORTS SUCCESSION PLANNING.
SO IN THOSE DOLLARS, THERE'S SEVERAL POSITIONS MAINLY IN FIRE RESCUE, SOME IN OTHER AREAS WHERE THERE'S PLANNED PROMOTIONS AND THERE'S PLANNED
[00:55:01]
OVERTIME IN FIRE RESCUE.IN THE PAST WE HAVE TRIAGED SOME OVERTIME IN FIRE RESCUE AND THIS YEAR WE'RE PLANNING FOR IT A LOT BETTER.
IT'S IN A, IT'S IN A SOFTWARE, IT'S MANAGED PROACTIVELY AT THE END OF THE DAY.
WE DO HAVE OVERTIME AT A COST OF CLOSE TO WHAT CHIEF THE WHOLE $0.5 MILLION IN THIS YEAR'S BUDGET PLAN FOR.
SO THE BENEFIT WITH THAT IS WHILE THE SALARY AND BENEFITS ESCALATE A LITTLE BIT, WE'RE PLANNING FOR IT.
SO IT'S NOT SURPRISING US SUPPORTS SEASONAL EMPLOYEES, INCLUDING OUR BEACH AMBASSADORS.
MAINTENANCE INDEFINITELY, OUR HIGH SEASON SHORT TERM RENTAL PERMITS.
AT THE END OF THE DAY WE'RE PROCESSING 7,000 PERMITS THROUGH A SMALL WINDOW HERE AT TOWN HALL AND THEN SOME PART-TIME STUDENTS I BELIEVE IN IN SUMMER INTERNS.
UH, I KNOW CHIEF WOULDN'T BE HERE WITHOUT AN INTERN PROGRAM EITHER, WOULD I? AND SO I'M GONNA CONTINUE TO PROPOSE THAT IN THE BUDGET AND SUPPORT IT.
AND ABOVE THAT WE ALWAYS ARE LOOKING FOR PART-TIME STUDENTS MOTTO IS PUBLICS DON'T GO TO PARKER'S TOWN HALL.
SO, UM, AND THEN YOUR TOWN COUNCIL COMPENSATION INCREASE.
WE TALKED ABOUT IT AT FIRST READING AND ASK OF 15%.
COME BACK TO A COUPLE OF THOSE.
PROVIDE FOR PUBLIC MEETING BROADCASTS FOR 110 MEETINGS A YEAR.
THAT'S A BIT ESCALATED FROM LAST YEAR.
BUT KNOW THAT IT COVERS TOWN COUNCIL AND TOWN COUNCIL COMMITTEES.
IT COVERS PLANNING COMMISSION, IT COVERS OUR GULLAH GEECHEE LAND AND CULTURAL PRESERVATION TASK FORCE.
IT COVERS OUR GULLAH GEECHEE HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOOD, CDCA, TAX ADVISORY WILLIAM HILTON PARKWAY GATEWAY CORRIDOR COMMITTEE AND OUR HOUSING ACTION COMMITTEE.
SO THESE ARE PROJECTIONS FOR WHAT START DATE BECAUSE I, ONE THAT I'VE BEEN ASKING FOR IS INCLUDED IN THIS LIST AND THANK YOU.
UM, BUT WHEN, WHEN IS IT ANTICIPATED TO BEGIN? THE HOUSING ACTION COMMITTEE STARTED OR WILL START ON JULY ONE.
SOME, SOME OF IT, I'LL DO IT TODAY.
PLEASE KNOW THIS, THIS IS OUTSOURCED TO BEAUFORT COUNTY AND IT'S THEIR AVAILABILITY.
WE, WE HAVE FOUND OURSELF IN A, IN A, IN A PRECARIOUS SITUATION SOMETIMES WE HAD AN ISSUE AT THE, AND IF YOU LOOK BEHIND, YOU ALL HANDS ARE ON DECK RIGHT THERE, MAKING SURE THAT THIS MEETING IS COVERED.
UM, BEAUFORT COUNTY IS AMAZING, BUT BUFORT COUNTY, THE HEAD PERSON THERE THAT WHEN THEY'RE HERE, WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF PROBLEMS. THERE'S NO ISSUES WITH THE SWITCH AS I TEASE TOM ABOUT.
BUT THAT FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE COMMITTEE RECENTLY, THE BROADCAST WENT DARK, IT WENT OUT AND THEN THE SNAP, CRACKLE POP TRYING TO RESET THE SYSTEM IN HERE, SIR, WHILE YOU'RE TRYING TO HOLD A MEETING, BECAME PROBLEM, PROBLEM SOLVING.
SO AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE ARE RELYING ON BUFORT COUNTY TO DO THAT OURSELF.
THIS $48,000 COST TO DO THAT OURSELF WITH AN EMPLOYEE.
THAT WOULD BE IN MANY, MANY MEETINGS.
KEEP IN MIND THAT $48,000 PROVIDES MORE THAN ONE AND A HALF TO TWO TO THREE EMPLOYEES AT BEAUFORT COUNTY AND SOME EXPERTISE THAT WE DON'T CURRENTLY TRAIN FOR AND HAVE IN HOUSE.
SO WE'RE SAVING COSTS, BUT WE'RE, WE'RE TRYING TO INCREASE OUR LEVEL OF SERVICE AND SAVE COSTS AT THE SAME TIME.
SO JULY ONE, I'D LIKE TO DO IT SOONER, BUT IT'S, IT'S REALLY AT THE CALL OF BEAUFORT COUNTY 'CAUSE THEY HAVE TO PLAN FOR THEIR AVAILABILITY AND THEY'VE INDICATED THAT THEY'LL BE READY JULY ONE.
MARK, IF YOU WOULD GO BACK TO THE PREVIOUS SLIDE, IT CONFUSES ME WHERE YOU SAY 401K CONTRIBUTION OF UP TO 12%.
12% OR IS IT SOME SOMEHOW DISCRETIONARY? WELL, AN EMPLOYEE CONTRIBUTES, 8% WILL MATCH 12.
I DIDN'T TURN IT OFF FOR FULL DISCLOSURE.
CAN WE SET THIS WHERE IT DOESN'T AUTOMATICALLY TURN OFF? OR DID KIM TURN IT OFF ON ME TO LAUGH? ALRIGHT, THANK HIM.
IT'S IS UP TO 12 BECAUSE IF AN EMPLOYEE MATCHES THE MAX, WE'LL MATCH THE MAX.
DEPENDS ON WHAT THE EMPLOYEE COMES.
I WANT TO ADDRESS A COUPLE THINGS HERE.
I HAVE BEEN ASKED TO ADDRESS STAFFING LEVELS SINCE I STARTED MY JOB HERE AS A TOWN MANAGER.
SO I ALWAYS REMEMBER THE FIRST MEETING I WENT TO, IT WAS AT HILTON, HAD PLANTATION.
IT WAS A ROOM FILLED WITH PEOPLE.
EVEN JACKIE WAS SITTING IN THE ROOM AND I WAS ASKED A QUESTION AT THE END OF THIS PRESENTATION WHERE I SAID, HEY, WE'RE GOING TO IMPROVE OUR ROADS, WE'RE GOING TO IMPROVE OUR
[01:00:01]
PATHWAYS, WE'RE GOING TO TAKE THE LEGACY OF OUR PARKS AND REC PROGRAM AND, AND CONTINUE TO INVEST.AND I WAS REALLY EXCITED ABOUT IT.
UM, I SHARED A LOT ABOUT WHAT I WAS TRYING TO HELP TOWN COUNCIL AND OUR STAFF TO DO WHEN 180 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE BEFORE ME RETIRED OR REALLY PLUS SCOTT'S UNTIMELY PASSING.
I HAD A GOOD PRESENTATION AS, AS YOU KNOW, ME FOR, AND, AND I WAS REALLY READY TO GO AND, AND GROUND RUNNING AND SOMEBODY RAISED THEIR HAND AND ASK ME A QUESTION.
WHAT ARE YOU GONNA DO ABOUT ALL THE TRASH ON THE BEACH? I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO SAY.
YOU KNOW WHAT I SAID, I'M GONNA PICK IT UP.
AND AT THE TIME WE KNOW THAT COVID FOUND US, RIGHT? NOT TO GO BACKWARDS AND AND REMIND US ABOUT COVID, BUT I THINK THAT HILTON HEAD ISLAND BECAME A RETREAT FROM A LOT OF DIFFERENT PLACES.
AND FOR A MINUTE WE WERE OVERWHELMED.
ON MY FIRST DAY, WE HAD MORE THAN FOUR MONTHS OF PERMITS SITTING OUTSIDE WITH DOORS LOCKED WITH POLLEN ALL OVER THE PERMITS.
AND I HAD EMPLOYEES HERE THAT WERE STARTING TO BURN OUT BY TRYING TO KEEP UP.
WE HAD A PIZZA PARTY, RIGHT? UM, WE HELPED PEOPLE, WE BROUGHT IN SOME TEMPS.
SO OVER TIME I CAME BACK TO TOWN COUNCIL AND SHARED WITH THEM MY OBSERVATIONS.
ONE, IF WE WANT TO INCREASE OUR SERVICE LEVELS, WE MIGHT NEED MORE PEOPLE.
SO AS AN EXAMPLE, CODE ENFORCEMENT AT THE TIME WHERE TWO PEOPLE AND THEY REPORTED TO OUR DEPUTY TOWN MANAGER WHO HAD OVERSIGHT OF A BUNCH OF THINGS AND CODE ENFORCEMENT WAS, WAS A SIDE HUSTLE.
UM, WE WENT HOME FROM A CODE ENFORCEMENT STANDPOINT AT FOUR 30 MONDAY TO FRIDAY.
WE DIDN'T COME BACK TILL MONDAY.
WE TOWED CARS FROM THE BEACH FOR CASH ONLY.
EVEN IF PEOPLE PARKED WHERE I THINK A SIGN MIGHT HAVE BEEN OR MIGHT NOT HAVE BEEN IN THE PINES TRIAL, WHERE FRANKLY I'VE PARKED FOR 15 YEARS.
I ALWAYS LIKED GOING TO THE BEACH AND FINDING A SPACE IN BETWEEN THE TREES WHERE THERE WAS SHAPE.
WE WERE TOWING PEOPLE AND WE WERE ASKING FOR A HUNDRED BUCKS CASH TO LET ME OFF THE TOW AND 200 CASH TO GET MY CAR BACK IF I TOW.
WE DIDN'T HAVE PEOPLE THERE, WE DIDN'T HAVE PARKING ATTENDANTS, WE DIDN'T HAVE BOB, WE DIDN'T HAVE LANDSCAPE MAINTENANCE ABOVE AND BEYOND A BLOW GO AND, AND MOW.
WE DIDN'T HAVE ISLAND WIDE TRASH PICKUP AND FRANKLY WE WEREN'T MAINTAINING RESTROOMS AT PARKS.
OUR JANITORS WERE OUTSOURCED AND WE JUST SIMPLY RELIED ON THEM.
SO OVER TIME I WORKED WITH TOWN COUNCIL TO PUT THOSE POSITIONS IN PLACE.
OUR CALLS FOR SERVICE WERE THROUGH THE ROOF IN FIRE.
RESCUE CHIEF DIDN'T COME TO ME AND SAY, I NEED MORE PEOPLE.
HE CAME TO ME AND SAID, WE ARE HAVING AT TIMES A MASS EXODUS OF PEOPLE GOING SOMEWHERE WHERE THEY WERE LESS STRESSED, LESS CALLS AND THEY DIDN'T HAVE TO BE ON AN AMBULANCE AND OR FIRETRUCK AND THEY WERE GOING TO WORK OFF ISLAND WHERE THEY ALREADY LIVED.
SO, SO WHAT I'VE DONE IS I'VE PREPARED A LITTLE BIT OF, OF A, OF A, OF A BACKTRACK AND I HAVEN'T TYPICALLY DONE THIS RIGHT? 'CAUSE I'M ALWAYS TRYING TO MOVE FORWARD, BUT A LITTLE BACKTRACK.
32 EMPLOYEES SINCE 2021, REDUCTION OF THREE THIS FISCAL YEAR.
SO THAT'S A TOTAL OF 29 EMPLOYEES.
11 WERE COMPLETELY PUT INTO FIRE RESCUE, RIGHT? BJ AND LEE AS CAPTAINS AS WE GOT THEM OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY TO RECRUIT AND WORK WITH HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS, COLLEGE STUDENTS, THE COMMUNITY, THAT NETWORK, WE HAD TO BACKFILL THOSE POSITIONS AMONGST TWO, WE WEREN'T COMMUNICATING.
AND, AND I THINK THE, THE, THE WEEKEND VIBE OF, OF EVENTS AND FESTIVALS AND FIRE RESCUE, AGAIN, WE'RE HOPEFUL IN AN ASK AND WE SHOW UP IN OUR AMBULANCES AND BE PRESENT AT THE FESTIVAL.
SO 11 PEOPLE WERE PUT IN FIRE RESCUE, FOUR OF 'EM WERE PUT IN FOUR FTES IN FINANCE.
TWO OF THOSE ARE DIRECTLY IN THE SHORT TERM RENTAL PROGRAM, RIGHT? SO REVENUES FROM SHORT TERM RENTAL CREATED AT LEAST TWO PEOPLE IN FINANCE THAT ARE REVIEWING PERMITS.
THE ASSISTANT FINANCE DIRECTOR IN AN ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT, RIGHT? THIS, THIS, THIS MONTH WE HAVE 14 PUBLIC MEETINGS, FINANCE, ADMINISTRATIVE, DIFFERENT THINGS.
SO AN ADMIN, COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR, AND A FEW PEOPLE ON THE COMMUNICATIONS TEAM.
WHEN I ARRIVED, I THINK WE HAD TWO AND A HALF, RIGHT? WE HAD TWO FULL TIMES AND A, AND AN INTERN IN COMMUNICATIONS.
AND SO I BROUGHT ON BOARD A COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR.
I TALKED A LOT WITH TOWN COUNCIL ABOUT THAT ONE PERSON IN STORMWATER.
WE DID NOT HAVE A CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM AS WE HAVE ONE TODAY.
WE HAD SCOTT AND WE HAD JEFF AND WE HAD A BUDGET THAT DID NOT SHOW YOU PROJECTED REVENUES, EXPENDITURES AND VARIOUS, UM, SOURCES
[01:05:01]
OF FUNDS TO PAY FOR THAT.BUT NOBODY IN PUBLIC SAFETY ACCEPTED TWO.
SO WE'VE CREATED FIVE NEW POSITIONS.
IT'S GOOD TO KNOW THAT WE'RE, THEY'RE THERE.
THEY'RE HERE EVERY DAY, SEVEN DAYS A WEEK TILL 9:00 PM UM, TRANSPORTATION, TWO FOLKS, AND I ALWAYS LAUGH.
WE HAD DARREN AND HE WAS OUT AT 3:00 AM IN THE RAIN FIXING A SIGNAL AND BACK AT IT IN THE MORNING TRYING TO COUNT TRAFFIC AND RUN HIS REPORT ON CRASH TEST DATA TO SHOW US WHERE THE HOTSPOTS WERE.
CREATED A POSITION AND FACILITIES AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR IN THE GULLAH GEECHEE HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOOD COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORP, A CHIEF HOUSING OFFICER, AND NOT INCLUDED IN THAT AS THE CHIEF ENVIRONMENTAL OFFICER, BECAUSE I FROZE A HIGH LEVEL PLANNER POSITION AND REALIZED WE NEED PERHAPS SOME LESS PLANNERS AND SOMEBODY REALLY FOCUSED EVERY DAY, ALL DAY ON OUR ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY PROGRAM.
UM, NONE OF THAT WAS PROVIDED TO YOU, UM, ONE WITHOUT YOUR INPUT, TWO WITHOUT YOUR VOTE.
UM, SOME EVEN FEEDBACK FROM COUNCIL OF CREATING THOSE POSITIONS.
BUT THE, THE ACHIEVEMENT IS NOT ONE BIT OF THAT EXCEPT A LITTLE TINY BIT OF PROPERTY TAXES MOSTLY IS A $1.8 MILLION REVENUE.
SHORT TERM RENTALS, SOUTH CAROLINA AND LOCAL, A TAX INCREASES, HOSPITALITY, BEACH FEES, BUSINESS LICENSE INCREASE, AND PERMIT FEES.
SO TO ANSWER THE FIRST QUESTION, WE, WE ARE PICKING UP THE TRASH.
I THINK YOU'RE, I'M PROUD OF THAT.
I THINK WE'RE MAINTAINING AND WE'RE BUILDING AND WE'RE JUST GETTING GOING.
AND IT, IT CAUSED US TO INCREASE, IT CAUSED ME TO BE, UM, CONFIDENT OR, UH, KNOW THAT WITH THE CHANGES IN TIME, WITH THE, THE CONVERSION OF OUR 4% TO 6% OF THE CONVERSION, OF THE MAJORITY OF, JUST AS AN EXAMPLE, SEA PINES WENT PRIMARILY FROM A PRIMARY HOME OR A SECOND OR THIRD HOME TO MOST OF MAJORITY, I SHOULD SAY, MORE THAN 50% TO A SHORT-TERM RENTAL MARKET.
DITTO WITH PALMETTO DUNES, EVEN OUT AN ESCALATED.
SO I THINK THAT WE'RE ADDRESSING THE COMMUNITY NEEDS AND THE CHALLENGES THAT ARE FACED WITH 3 MILLION VISITORS.
UM, I DON'T NEED TO BRING MORE PEOPLE FORWARD.
I DON'T THINK MORE PEOPLE IS THE SOLUTION, BUT I WANT US TO BE MINDFUL THAT I, I'VE ASKED TO CREATE CLOSE TO 30 POSITIONS NOW IN FOUR YEARS.
AND THEN IF YOU LOOK AT OUR BUDGET, AND I ENCOURAGE ALL OF US TO DO THAT AND COMPARE OURSELVES TO OTHER COMMUNITIES WITH A GENERAL FUND, SIMILAR WITH A POPULATION, SIMILAR WITH A CAPITAL PROGRAM, LESS, WE ARE GREATLY UNDERSTAFFED COMPARED TO AT LEAST OUR OTHER COMMUNITIES THAT DON'T HAVE 3 MILLION VISITORS.
SO I, I FEEL CONFIDENT THAT WE BROUGHT THOSE FORWARD, AND I KNOW THAT I'VE BEEN ASKED SEVERAL TIMES TO ASK AND TALK ABOUT THAT AND SIMPLY WANTED TO OUTLINE THAT FOR YOU.
I DIDN'T WANT TO PUT THAT IN A SLIDE AND TRY TO PRESENT THAT TO YOU.
I SIMPLY WANNA TALK THROUGH IT.
UM, SO I'M GONNA MAKE A COUPLE OF GENERAL COMMENTS.
ONE, UM, I APPRECIATE AND RESPECT AND, UM, AM PLEASED TO SEE THAT WHEN THE SITUATION WAS PRESENTED, WHERE THERE COULD BE A REDUCTION WHEN YOU MADE THAT, UM, OBSERVATION AND JUDGE MCCALL, THAT YOU MOVED ON THAT.
UM, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT AS WE TALKED THROUGH THESE ISSUES, AND WE DO HAVE A LOT OF CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THIS, UM, YOU HAVE ALWAYS ASSURED ME THAT YOUR EYES ARE WIDE OPEN AND THAT YOU ARE NOT JUST LOOKING TO INCREASE, BUT THAT YOU'RE ALSO LOOKING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE NOT, UM, OVERSTAFFED WHERE WE DON'T NEED TO BE.
SO KUDOS TO YOU, AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR LISTENING ABOUT THAT, AND I CAN, UM, HAVE FAITH AND CONFIDENCE THAT THAT WILL CONTINUE.
UM, A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT I THINK ARE REALLY IMPORTANT FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC TO KNOW IS, UM, THE CODE ENFORCEMENT IS AVAILABLE MORE THAN THE TWO, AND THEY'RE NOW AVAILABLE SEVEN DAYS A WEEK TILL 9:00 PM AT NIGHT.
I THINK IT'S SO IMPORTANT, UM, THAT HAS BEEN A CONCERN AND AN ONGOING CONVERSATION THAT WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH RESPONSE FOR ISSUES AS THEY'VE COME UP.
AND, AND THANK YOU FOR DOING THAT.
AND IF I KNOW I'VE EXPRESSED, UM, TO DEBA IT, HE HAS MY SUPPORT AND YOUR TO, IF HE NEEDS MORE IN TERMS OF THAT, IS THAT IS OUR PUBLIC SAFETY, UM, DEPARTMENT ON THE ISLAND, UM, UH, SHORT OF HAVING ANY DISCUSSION ABOUT A POLICE COURSE.
SO, UM, SO THANK YOU FOR ALL OF THOSE THINGS, UM, AS WE'RE MOVING FORWARD.
AND I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, I GAVE CREDIT WHEN CREDIT WAS DUE AND UNDERSTAND
[01:10:01]
THAT YOU, YOUR EYES ARE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR THOSE REDUCTIONS AND, AND IMPROVEMENTS IN OUR, IN THAT CASE WITH THE EMPLOYEES AND THAT CODE ENFORCEMENT, UM, IS VERY, VERY IMPORTANT.PUBLIC SAFETY IS VERY, VERY IMPORTANT, INCREASINGLY IMPORTANT, UM, TO THE RESIDENTS ON THIS ISLAND.
SO, UH, THANK YOU FOR THE IMPROVEMENT AS WELL.
AND, AND I'LL GIVE A, A PLUG TO BOB, YOU KNOW, I SAY NINE O'CLOCK, BUT THEY'RE ALWAYS, THEY'RE ALSO OUT TIL AT MIDNIGHT WITH SPECIAL INVESTIGATIONS, LOUD OF MUSIC, SHORT TERM RENTAL ISSUES BEHIND THE GATE SOMEWHERE.
ALSO SAY TOO, I'M EXCITED ABOUT THIS.
I'M, I'M HAPPY TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO REMIND MYSELF AND ALL OF YOU WHERE THOSE PHYSICIANS STRIKE 11, FIRE RESCUE FIVE IN COMMUNITY CODE ENFORCEMENT, ONE IN STORMWATER, ONE IN FACILITIES, ONE AT CDC, YOU KNOW HOW THAT CLIMB, I WOULD SAY FOR WHATEVER REASON BE BEFORD COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE COUNTY, HILTON, HEAD ISLAND, THERE WERE NOT, THERE WAS NOT A LOT OF PRESENCE ON OUR BEACH THREE-ISH YEARS AGO.
MAYBE NOT JUST AN ISSUE WITH TRASH, BUT THERE WAS NO ONE IN AN A TV CHECKING TO MAKE SURE EVERYBODY WAS HAPPY, HEALTHY, AND CONDUCTING THEMSELVES PROPERLY ON MILTON ISLAND.
SO I THINK THAT WE SHOULD ALL BE MINDFUL THAT OUR LEVEL OF SERVICE HAS INCREASED IMMENSELY, AND IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH BUDGET AND HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE STRATEGY ON A PIECE OF PAPER.
I THINK IT HAS A LOT TO DO WITH ALMOST EVERYTHING TO DO WITH THE GREAT PEOPLE THAT WE'VE RECRUITED AND THAT WORK HERE.
SPEAKING OF, SPEAKING OF GREAT PEOPLE,
I RECALL THAT'S THE SAME IN THE CURRENT YEAR BUDGET, CURRENT FISCAL YEAR BUDGET.
SO WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME OUR EMPLOYEES HAD A COST OF LIVING INCREASE AND WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME WE DID A PAY SCALE REVIEW? THE LAST PAY SCALE REVIEW WAS FOUR YEARS AGO, LISA.
SO HOW OFTEN SHOULD WE HAVE ONE? WHAT'S THE STANDARD? WE'RE WE'RE GOING TO DO A HOMEGROWN ONE, LISA AND I AND, AND SOME OTHERS THIS COMING YEAR, RIGHT? AND SO IT'S A MATTER OF, NOW THAT WE HAVE THAT GOOD BASELINE, IT'S JUST SIMPLY GOING AND UPDATING IT FROM A SALARY COMPETITIVE BASE ON SALARY THAT IT'S EASY TO DO.
UM, WE'VE BEEN, WE'VE BEEN KEEPING UP OUR PAY GRADES AND OUR POSITION DESCRIPTIONS BECAUSE OF LISA AND HER AMAZING TEAM REALLY WELL OVER TIME.
SO I DON'T THINK THAT WE HAVE TO GO DIG TOO FAR AND RETHINK AND REVAMP ALL OF THAT.
WE ARE, WE'RE ALWAYS STAYING FRESH ON IT.
UM, ASKED ABOUT THE COST OF LIVING.
COST OF LIVING IS BASED IN THE PERFORMANCE BASE PAY, RIGHT? SO RATHER THAN HAVE A 2% COST OF LIVING AND A 2% PERFORMANCE, IT'S ALL IN A PERFORMANCE BASE.
I WILL SHARE WITH YOU MY PHILOSOPHY AS THE LEADER AND THE TOWN MANAGER HERE.
UM, I THINK THAT WE HAVE TO HAVE A PERFORMANCE BASED, UH, PAY INCREASE.
AND I THINK THE 4% IS, IS GREAT AND OUR EMPLOYEES APPRECIATE THAT.
UM, SEE, THE AVERAGE THAT WE FIND FOR EMPLOYEES IN, IN UP TO 4%, 3.9
IF YOU'RE AT A 3.9 AND FOUR, YOU KNOW, WE, WE ARE EXCITED WE'RE, WE CELEBRATE, UH, THAT THAT 4% FOR WHATEVER REASON, IF, IF, IF SOMEBODY IS, IS HAVING SOME DIFFICULTIES AT WORK, I'LL SAY, LISA IS OUR, IS OUR PERSONNEL.
AND, AND, AND SHE TAKES CARE OF PEOPLE BETTER THAN, THAN ANYBODY.
AS AN HR DIRECTOR THAT I'VE WORKED WITH, MOST PEOPLE ARE RECEIVING THAT 4%.
AND IF THEY DON'T, THEY'RE NOT SURPRISED.
YEAH, YOUR 2%, YOU'RE JUST BARELY HANGING ON.
UM, AND I KNOW THE MUNICIPAL ASSOCIATION OF SOUTH CAROLINA HAS JUST PUBLISHED THEIR 2024, UM, SALARIES FOR VARIOUS POSITIONS, INCLUDING, UM, COUNCIL MEMBERS AND MAYORS.
IT'S INTERESTING TO TAKE A LOOK AT, I'M SURE THAT'S WHAT Y'ALL ARE FOLLOWING ALL THE TIME AND, AND CON SHOULD I SAW HILTON HAD IN THERE, MOSTLY COMPARABLE WITH FLORENCE AND NOT, OKAY, THAT'S GOOD.
TALK ABOUT, UH, COUNCIL COMPENSATION.
SO, YES, SO WHEN WE WERE TALKING ONE AND TWO AT A TIME AS WE WERE PREPARING FOR BUDGET, UM, I REPORTED TO TOWN COUNCIL THAT HAS BEEN SINCE 2012.
[01:15:02]
THAT TOWN COUNCIL WAS THE LAST TIME THE TOWN COUNCIL AND THE MAYOR REVISED OR CHANGED SALARY.AND IT WASN'T IN LAST, IN 2016 WHEN THE MEETING STIPENDS WENT FROM 40 TO 50.
IN 2012, THE AMENDMENT CHANGED TO CURRENT DAY.
SO HOW MANY YEARS IS THAT? 12.
CURRENT BASE SALARY FOR THE MAYOR IS 25,000.
CURRENT MEETING STIPEND IS $7,500.
THE THE 32,500 TIMES 15% EQUATES TO 37,375.
SO A LITTLE LESS THAN $5,000 CHANGE.
PROPOSED TOWN COUNCIL BASED SALARY.
CURRENTLY SALARY IS 12,800 WITH A CURRENT MEETING MAXIMUM REIMBURSEMENT SITE.
A TOTAL ANNUAL COMPENSATION THERE FOR YOU ALL.
IF YOU MAX OUT, YOUR $50 PER MEETING IS 20,300.
A 15% INCREASE IS NOW $3,000 MORE.
UM, AS I LOOKED AT THIS, I I SIMPLY POINTED OUT TO TOWN COUNCIL THAT THE LAST TIME IT WAS CHANGED WAS 2012 FOR SALARY IN 2016 FOR MEETINGS.
I DO KNOW THAT TOWN COUNCILS ACROSS THE STATE AND COUNTRY ADJUST OVER TIME.
YOU'RE ALWAYS IN A, THEY'RE ALWAYS IN A SPOT OF HAVING TO MAKE A DECISION PRIOR TO AN ELECTION AND THEN BASED UPON STATE LAW, IT DOESN'T TAKE EFFECT UNTIL AFTER PROCEEDING THE ELECTION, A LOCAL ELECTION.
SO I JUST SUGGEST YOU LOOK AT IT, REVISIT IT OVER TIME.
THE LITTLE BIT ON BACKGROUND ECONOMIC FACTORS SINCE 2012, RIGHT? OVER 12 YEARS.
CONSUMER PRICE INDEX RAISED CLOSE TO, WELL, 30.9% ANNUAL RATE OF INFLATION, 34.9% IN THE SOCIAL INSURANCE COST OF LIVING AN INCREASE OF 27 TO 25%.
SO I THINK IT'S JUST, I THINK IT'S, IT'S IMPORTANT, AT LEAST MY RESPONSIBILITY IS TO TALK TO YOU AS WE TALK ABOUT BUDGETS AND ALIGNMENT AND COST AND, AND INCREASES AND, AND WHATNOT THAT YOU'RE AWARE OF.
THE CONSUMER PRICE, THE ANNUAL RATE, THE COST OF LIVING CHANGE, CHANGE OVER TIME OVER THOSE 12 YEARS AT A MINIMUM.
AND THAT YOU HAVE ASKED, PUT IN THE BUDGET, THE MAYOR'S SALARY INCREASE OF ABOUT $5,000 AND THE TOWN COUNCIL INCREASE OF ABOUT 3000.
WHAT, WHAT THIS DOES DO, REGARDLESS OF 15% OR NOT, I WOULD LIKE TO PUT THIS WHERE THE MEETING STIPENDS, UM, ARE SIMPLY ALIGNED AND INCORPORATED IN THE SALARY.
'CAUSE IT IS, WELL, YOU MAY BE REIMBURSED 75 TOTAL EACH TIME.
WE ARE PROCESSING THAT AT $50 PER AS A PROCESSING COST TO STAFF FROM AN EFFICIENCY LEVEL AND EFFECTIVENESS LEVEL.
I WOULD APPRECIATE IT IF WE CAN PIVOT AT LEAST TO ADJUST ALL THE SALARY AND ELIMINATE A MINIMUM, THE MEDIUM CYCLES, WHEREVER THAT COMES OUT.
I WOULD SUGGEST THAT WE ROUTE IT TO THE NEAREST A HUNDRED DOLLARS OR SO.
I'M GETTING DOWN TO PENNIES ALMOST.
ALRIGHT, IS THAT HELPFUL TO JUST TEE THAT UP AND TALK TO, I DO NEED SOME DIRECTION ON THIS AS IT MOVES INTO THE BUDGET.
JEFF, DO YOU HAVE TOTAL COSTS? HOW IT COMPARES TO MY CALCULATION? 2001 45 AT 15 SEVEN POSITIONS.
SO THE TOTAL WOULD BE $177,445.
CURRENTLY THEY WERE DOING THE MAXIMUM WOULD BE 154,300.
FACEBOOK, LIKE 23, ABOUT $23,000 OVERALL INCREASE.
ALRIGHT, SO I KNOW I STARTED THE CONVERSATION AT FIRST READING, SO I'M HAPPY TO SECOND PERSON IN ON THE CONVERSATION TODAY.
[01:20:02]
I JUST HAVE A MAJOR PROBLEM WITH VOTING ON A 15% INCREASE ON THE TOWN COUNCIL SALARY, UH, WHEN EMPLOYEES ARE DOING A 4% PERFORMANCE BASE AND NOT A COST OF LIVING.AND, AND WHEN A LOT OF FOLKS IN THE COMMUNITY ARE NOT GETTING COST OF LIVING RAISES.
UM, MEANWHILE THE COST OF LIVING IS INCREASING.
UM, SO IS A COMPROMISE 3%, WHICH IS ABOUT THE AVERAGE.
IF YOU LOOK AT SOCIAL SECURITY ANNUAL INCREASE, I THINK IT WAS 2.7%, UH, IT WAS THE LAST ONE.
UM, SO, UH, IF YOU LOOK AT A 3% INCREASE, UM, THEN, UM, AND I'M MINDFUL OF, UH, MR. ALFRED'S REQUEST TO GO TO ALL NUMBERS, AT LEAST IN HUNDREDS.
UM, SO A 3% INCREASE, UM, FOR THE MAYOR'S SALARY WOULD GO FROM 32 5 TO THREE 3000, 4 75, A 3% INCREASE FOR TOWN COUNCIL MEMBERS.
I SUPPORT COMBINING SALARY AND STIPEND MAKES A LOT OF SENSE ADMINISTRATIVELY AND FOR EVERYONE TRYING TO KEEP UP WITH THE MONTHLY REPORTS.
UM, SO ANYHOW, COMBINING THE TWO 3% INCREASE FOR TOWN COUNCIL MEMBERS WOULD MOVE FROM 20,300 TO 20,909.
UM, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN ROUND IT OFF TO 33 5 AND 21,000, UM, THAT WOULD BE A 3% INCREASE.
UM, SO THAT, THAT WAS STILL MY PROPOSAL.
IT FAILED AT FIRST READING, BUT I WANT US TO AT LEAST START THERE.
UM, YOU KNOW, THE OTHER OPTIONS, I'VE GOT NUMBERS AT 5%, UM, AND 6%, UM, AND THEN, UM, A FLAT AMOUNT OF CERTAIN AMOUNTS THAT COME TO A ROUND FIGURE.
SO THERE'S SOME DIFFERENT OPTIONS I'D LIKE FOR US TO TALK ABOUT, BUT I, I JUST CAN'T SUPPORT A 15% INCREASE QUESTION.
MR. UH, I COULDN'T QUITE HEAR WHAT YOU SAID BEFORE, BUT DID YOU CALCULATE THE, UH, VALUE OF NOT HAVING AS MUCH EMPLOYEE TIME SPENT ON TABULATING ALL THOSE MEETING PARTICIPANTS? WE DID NOT.
BUT IF, BUT IF MR. ORLANDO IS RIGHT, IT WOULD BE A CONSIDERABLE TIME TAKE.
WHO PROCESSES IT RIGHT NOW? HOW DOES IT WORK? SO RIGHT NOW, THE MEETING STIPENDS ARE GIVEN TO I'M POSITIVE EXECUTIVE.
IT'S GIVEN TO KIM, GIVEN TO THE EXECUTIVE TEAM, CLERK COUNSELOR, COUNCIL CLERK TO C COUNSELOR, THEN GIVES IT TO THE, UH, KIM MCGEE, WHO PROCESSES OUR PAYROLL.
SO SHE PUTS IT INTO THE PAYROLL ONCE, YOU KNOW, ONCE A MONTH.
AND THEN ONCE IT'S, UM, PAID, THEN IT IS, UH, REVIEWED AND CHECKED BY ANOTHER PERSON, THE FINANCE TEAM, JUST TO MAKE SURE WHAT WAS INPUT WAS DONE CORRECTLY.
SO, BUT I KNOW KIM ALSO SENDS OUT AN EMAIL EVERY MONTH TO MIKE KIM, KIM MCGEE AND FINANCE SENT AN EMAIL OUT TO KIM AND SENDA, UH, JUST SAYING WHERE THE STATUS IS, ARE EACH ONE OF YOU AS FAR AS YOUR MEETING STIPENDS, AND ACTUALLY ASKING IF YOU COULD THEN GO AHEAD AND SUBMIT YOUR MEETING STIPENDS FOR THE NEXT MONTH.
SO THERE IS A LOT OF BACK AND FORTH OBJECTION.
THIS IS A MATTER OF CURIOSITY.
UH, I'M WONDERING WHAT THE SAVINGS IN STAFF TIME WOULD SUPPORT IN THE WAY OF INCREASED COUNCIL OF MAYOR.
SORRY, THE LAST PART YOU SAID, I DIDN'T GET YOUR LAST PART.
YOU SAID YOU CALCULATE THE SAVINGS IN EMPLOYEE TIME DEVOTED TO TRACKING MEDIAN EXPENSES, SO FORTH.
HOW WOULD THAT AMOUNT OF SAVINGS TRANSLATE INCREASES FOR COUNCIL MAYOR SO MANY DOLLARS THAT WERE JUST MENTIONED, ROUGHLY FIVE AND THREE NOT TO SOMETHING ELSE? WELL, I'LL JUST SAY I'LL, JEFF OKAY, SITTING IN THE ROOM RIGHT HERE, WE CAN PROVIDE YOU A GUESSTIMATE, BUT I DON'T WANT TO DO THAT.
WE, WE, WE CAN ASK SOMEONE TO KEEP A TIME SHEET AND SEE WHAT THE DIFFERENTIAL IS, BUT IT IS, IT'S, IT'S NOT JUST NOT SMALL MINUTES PER MONTH.
THERE, THERE'S, THERE'S A LOT THAT GOES INTO IT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE NOT MAKING ANY MISTAKES.
IT'S ALL YOUR, IT'S ALSO YOUR TIME.
IT'S MORE TIME ON OUR END PROCESS.
I, I, I CAN CALCULATE THAT, BUT I'M NOT SITTING IN HERE.
AND I APPRECIATE THAT QUESTION, UM, UH, MR. ALFRED.
BUT I, I THINK YOU ALSO HAVE TO FACTOR IN THAT NOT EVERYONE MAXES OUT THE MEETING STIPEND.
SO YOU'D HAVE TO LOOK AT WHAT WAS ACTUALLY PAID FOR COUNCIL FOR TOWN COUNCIL MEMBER, INCLUDING THE MAYOR FOR SALARY PLUS MEETING STIPEND, AND COMPARE
[01:25:01]
THAT TO COMBINING THE TWO AND LOOK AT THE NUMBER TO ADD ON.SO THERE'S A COUPLE OF TWEAKS IN THERE THAT I THINK WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT.
I APPRECIATE THAT COMPARISON, BUT I'M NOT SURE IT CAN BE DONE TO ADD TO THAT, MAYOR, TO ADD TO THAT.
UM, I KNOW AT LEAST HISTORICALLY, UM, MAYBE IT'S, IT CERTAINLY IS INDIVIDUAL TO EACH, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER, HOW THEY MANAGE THEIR CONSTITUENTS AND HOW INVOLVED THEY ARE.
BUT, UM, FOR ME AND FOR THE PAST SIX YEARS, I'M MORE THAN EXCEED THE 150 THAT WERE ALLOTTED.
UM, AND SO THERE'S, AND, AND I'M NOT SAYING THAT EVERY MINUTE OF TIME NEEDS TO BE COMPENSATED FOR, IT IS A PUBLIC SERVICE JOB AND ACKNOWLEDGE THAT, BUT, UM, I THINK THAT'S MORE THE CASE THAN NOT THAT WE, UM, MEET OR EXCEED 150, UM, MEETINGS ALLOTTED TO US.
SO, UM, I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S A BIT OF INFORMATION THAT'S CONSISTENT, UM, ACROSS EACH COUNCIL MEMBER'S EXPERIENCE.
AND, AND THEN JUST ONE OTHER THING, AND I CAN'T, I DON'T KNOW WHERE ABOUT IT.
UM, BUT THERE WAS A CHANGE, I SEE ON PAGE 38, BUT THIS ISN'T WHERE I READ IT.
THERE WAS A DIFFERENT CHANGE IN, IN THE ORDINANCE WHERE THERE WAS A LOT, UH, THAT WAS STRUCK OUT.
BUT, AND PART OF THAT WAS A REIMBURSEMENT FOR, UM, TRAVEL, UH, MILEAGE OFF ISLAND, NOT ON ISLAND, SHOOTING AROUND THE ISLAND IS, IT WASN'T EVER PART OF IT.
BUT THAT OFF ISLAND, THAT'S SUPPOSED TO BE, I COULD FIND IT, I COULD POINT TO IT.
SO I DON'T IN THE DRAFT, YEAH, IN THE DRAFT PERHAPS THAT'S WHERE I READ IT WOULD'VE BEEN.
AND I DON'T KNOW WHERE, I DON'T THINK I HAVE THE DOCUMENT WITH ME.
IF, IF IT WAS STRIKED OUT, IT WOULD'VE BEEN IN THE DRAFT FORM.
UM, BUT I DON'T, I DON'T THINK IT WAS STRIKED OUT.
WELL, I DON'T KNOW, BUT THAT'S WHAT I RECALL.
SO I, YOU KNOW, I, I READ THIS SO MUCH, I COULD HAVE DREAMT IT, UM, IN, BUT CONFIRMATION WOULD BE, UM, SO THE VERY LAST SENTENCE, AND IT FOLLOWS A LONG STRIKEOUT.
IT DOES, BUT IT'S NOT STRIKE, BUT THAT LAST SENTENCE OF THAT WHOLE PARAGRAPH IS NOT STRUCK OUT.
SO THE MILEAGE REIMBURSEMENT OFF FILE AND TRAVEL IS STILL, YEAH, IT SAYS EXPENSE MEMBERS MAY ALSO BE REIMBURSED FOR ACTUAL EXPENSES OCCURRED IN CONDUCT OF THEIR OFFICIAL DUTIES.
AND I SEE THAT HERE ON PAGE 38, AND THAT'S WHAT HE WAS JUST TALKING ABOUT.
VERIFIED THEN, BUT THAT REMAIN IN THERE, IT JUST GETS RELABELED TO FOLLOW.
UM, I, I'LL START WITH SAYING THAT I AM PLEASED THAT THIS COUNCIL IS BOLD ENOUGH TO HAVE THIS CONVERSATION OUT LOUD.
UM, IT'S BEEN 12 YEARS SINCE WE'VE HAD, UH, THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE ANY TYPE OF ADJUSTMENT.
AND I THINK, UH, MR. ORLANDO FOR BRINGING SOME ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AS FAR AS VALUE AND INFLATION AND WHATNOT.
UM, I, FOR ONE, SUPPORT THE COMBINING OF THE BASE PAY AND THE MEETINGS ALWAYS SORT OF FELT THAT THE SUPPORTING OF MEETINGS IS SORT OF SUBJECTIVE, BECAUSE SOME OF US MAY REPORT SOMETHING THAT OTHERS DO NOT.
UM, SO SORT OF BRINGING SOME CONSISTENCY TO THAT IS DEFINITELY IMPORTANT.
UM, I GUESS MY, MY FIRST QUESTION IS, IS THERE ANYTHING I NOT ALLOWING US TO BRING FORTH AN ORDINANCE THAT ALLOWS FOR SOME TYPE OF INCREASE YEAR OVER YEAR, MUCH THE SAME WAY? SO YES, WE, WE COULD DO THAT IN, IN MUCH THE SAME WAY THAT THIS READS, THAT A A PERCENT INCREASE FOR STAFF IS INCLUDED IN THE BUDGET.
WE COULD, RIGHT? BECAUSE YOU SET THE BUDGET ANNUALLY.
AT THE END OF THE DAY, UM, YOU CAN STATE YOUR GOAL FOR THE FUTURE, BUT YOU DO STATE IT PURPOSEFULLY, ANNUALLY, WE COULD, WHAT THAT INTENDED PERCENTAGE IS, ANTICIPATE IT AND RIGHT INTO THE, INTO THE NARRATIVE THAT YOU WILL EXPLORE IT EVERY YEAR, BUT YOU CAN'T SET IT FOR SEVERAL, SEVERAL YEARS OUT.
I JUST PROPOSED THAT TO COUNCIL SO THAT IT DOESN'T BECOME A POLITICAL ITEM EVERY SO OFTEN.
UM, I THINK THAT WE DO NEED TO HAVE SOME CONSISTENCY AROUND THIS TOPIC.
UM, SO I'M, I'M OPEN TO EIGHT PERCENTAGE
[01:30:04]
OTHER, UM, SORT OF FORMALIZE IT SO THAT MORE QUALIFIED DISCUSSION YEAH.AFTER YEAR VERSUS A POLITICAL ONE.
WELL, I, I AGREE WITH THAT, ALEX.
YOU KNOW, UM, TAKING, WHETHER IT'S US OR THOSE THAT ARE LEAVING, RIGHT? I MEAN, WHATEVER IT IS, IT, IT DOESN'T NEED TO HAPPEN ON A CONTINUAL BASIS.
IT NEEDS TO BE SOMETHING, A POLICY THAT'S IN PLACE THAT, THAT GETS REVIEWED ON A, ON A ANNUAL OR BIANNUAL BASIS, HOWEVER IT WORKS OUT.
UM, NOT, NOT DETERMINING WHAT THAT PERCENTAGE WOULD BE, BUT THAT, BUT TO FORCE THE CONVERSATION, RIGHT? SO JUST SO, SO THAT IT'S OUT THERE.
SO I, I WOULD AGREE WITH THAT AND, AND I THINK WE CAN MAYBE HAVE SOME MOTIONS IN PLACE, UH, AT THE FINAL READING.
I'LL JUST ADD TO THAT CONVERSATION.
UM, I, I DON'T THINK I'M AS COMFORTABLE WITH HAVING AN EXPECTATION THAT YEAR AFTER YEAR THERE IS A PERCENTAGE INCREASE, UM, BECAUSE THAT COULD, UM, QUITE QUICKLY BECOME SOMETHING IN A REALM OF, WOULD MAKE ME PERSONALLY UNCOMFORTABLE.
UM, SO SHOULD IT BE 12 YEARS THAT WE WAIT TO HAVE THIS CONVERSATION OUT LOUD, UM, IS THAT'S PROBABLY TOO MUCH, RIGHT? WHAT I WAS SAYING WAS THAT FORCES THE CONVERSATION EVERY TWO YEARS.
NO, I'M JUST SAYING NOT A PERCENTAGE, BUT, BUT TO FORCE THE CONVERSATION SO THAT IT IS SOMETHING THAT IS ADDRESSED SO THAT IT DOESN'T GO 12 YEARS WITHOUT BEING DISCUSSED.
AND IN, IN FAIRNESS, I THINK THERE HAVE BEEN DISCUSSIONS, THEY JUST HAVE ALWAYS BEEN
SO THAT PIECE OF IT, THAT'S AN IMPORTANT PART.
YOU THE VOTE WAS LAST YEAR, AND I, I SHOULD HAVE SAID THAT YOU DID VOTE LAST YEAR TO COMBINE THEM 'CAUSE OF THE ELECTION.
OUR FINANCE DIRECTOR DIDN'T THEN PRECISELY ORDINANCE THAT WAY, KNOWING WE WOULD ADDRESS IT THIS YEAR FOR, FOR, FOR VARIOUS REASONS.
SO WE'RE RIGHT BACK HERE AT LEAST ADDRESSING THAT ONE.
I THINK THAT WE CAN GET PAST THAT TO COMBINE THEM WITH DIRECTION ON INTO THE ORDINANCE THAT YOU'LL LOOK AT IT IN THE FUTURE.
SO IT'S CLEAR, I I THINK IT TAKES SOME OF THAT, THAT, UM, PRESSURE OFF OF FUTURE COUNCILS TO HAVE THAT, THE CONVERSATION ON A MORE REGULAR BASIS, WHETHER, YOU KNOW, IF IT'S EVERY TWO YEARS INSTEAD OF EVERY 12 YEARS.
UM, BECAUSE IT, IT DOESN'T, YOU KNOW, IT HAS A WEIRD FEELING, RIGHT? TALKING ABOUT GIVING YOURSELF RAISES, BUT, UM, YEAH.
I'M COMFORTABLE WITH A RECOMMENDED 15% COUNTED TO THE DEAREST HUNDRED.
THE QUESTION ON THAT WOULD GO BACK TO WHAT WAS VOTED ON AT THE, AT THE FIRST READING.
SO 15 WAS WHAT, WHAT WAS VOTED ON? AND THAT WAS A, A FIVE TO TWO VOTE, I BELIEVE.
UM, UH, I
I WOULD URGE MY COLLEAGUES TO THINK AGAIN ABOUT THIS.
UM, LET'S LOOK AT SOMEWHERE, UM, BETWEEN THREE AND 15%.
UM, THERE ARE TWO SEPARATE PROVISIONS AT PLAY HERE.
ONE IS THE BUDGET COORDINATES ITSELF, THE OTHER ONE IS A SEPARATE MUNICIPAL CODE PROVISION.
UM, TAKE IT OUT OF THE BUDGET ORDINANCE AMENDMENT.
AND FOR THOSE WHO WANNA PROPOSE, PARDON ME, A 15% INCREASE COULD PUT IT IN THE AMENDED LANGUAGE IN THE MUNICIPAL CODE THAT WE HAVE, AND NOT PUT IT IN THE BUDGET ORDINANCE AMENDMENT, BECAUSE THAT'S THE GENERAL WAY THAT YOU DO IT, AND YOU DON'T PUT THE TWO OF THEM TOGETHER FOR THOSE WHO, UH, DON'T KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT.
UM, WE HAVE A LAND MANAGEMENT CODE, WHICH IS SEPARATE FROM A MUNICIPAL CODE.
UM, AND THEN WE HAVE A BUDGET, UH, ORDINANCES ANNUALLY.
NORMALLY YOU DON'T CHANGE THE MUNICIPAL CODE AND THE BUDGET ORDINANCE, THAT'S WHAT'S PROPOSED THIS YEAR.
SO MY REQUEST WOULD BE TO PULL OUT THAT SO WE CAN VOTE SEPARATELY ON THE SALARY, UM, AMOUNT.
I, I'D ASK COUNCILMAN BRYSON, IS IT, BUT BETWEEN THREE AND 15 THAT SHE'S COMFORTABLE WITH, WE ARE
[01:35:01]
VOTING ON $166 MILLION BUDGET, NOT EIGHT FOR OF OUR COLLEAGUES TO BE VOTING AGAINST IT BASED ON A $20,000 DIFFERENCE.UH, SO I, I WOULD JUST ASK IF THERE'S ANOTHER NUMBER POSSIBLE.
IT'S, I WAS ALWAYS TAUGHT NOT TO COMPROMISE AGAINST YOURSELF,
UM, SO I'M LOOKING FOR SOMEONE TO RESPOND, BUT I THINK BY SPLITTING THE TWO OUT WOULD TAKE CARE OF THAT.
UM, AND ALL WE HAVE TO DO IS, UM, HAVE FIRST READING ON THE MUNICIPAL CODE AT THE JUNE 7TH MEETING AND THE SECOND MEETING ON THE MUNICIPAL CODE PROVISION, AND, AND YOU CAN BAKE INTO THE BUDGET OF 15%.
UM, BUT IF WE DON'T APPROVE THAT, THEN GUESS WHAT? WE REMOVE IT FROM ONE FUND TO ANOTHER.
I'LL TALK TO CURTIS, UH, THROUGH THAT A LITTLE BIT AND, AND TRY, UH, COUNTERPART OVER HERE.
I'VE SEE HIM TAKING NOTES AND DO SOME RESEARCH.
I'LL LOOK AT THAT AND I'LL, I'LL SHARE, I'M NOT QUITE TRACKING IT.
AT THE END OF THE DAY, YOU'RE GOING, UH, BUDGET FOR THE ACTUAL SALARY ADJUSTMENT, WHETHER IT'S IN THE MUNICIPAL CODE OR NOT, NOT IT'S STILL AT 15% OR LESS OTHER.
SO HOW WE GET THERE, YEAH, IT'S AN AMOUNT SITTING THERE IN THE BUDGET, BUT IF WE DON'T AMEND THE MUNICIPAL CODE TO CHANGE THE SALARY, TO PUT SALARY AND SI TOGETHER AND TO CHANGE THE TOTAL AMOUNT, OR IF IT'S A LESSER AMOUNT, THEN UM, YOU JUST HAVE A LITTLE BIT EXTRA LEFT IN THAT LINE ITEM THAT YOU'RE NOT SPENDING TRACKING YOUR, WE'RE SEPARATE.
YOU'RE SEPARATING YOUR VOTE IN YOUR PLACEHOLDER, PLACEHOLDER FOR THE AMOUNT, AND THEN YOU ARE TO SEE A MEETING OR TWO LATER TO KNOW IF THAT'S WHAT SHE'LL, SO AGAIN, IT'S YOUR PREROGATIVE, MAYOR.
I'LL TALK TO YOU ABOUT THE AGENDA, HOW THAT WORKS OUT, BUT I WANNA TALK, TALK WITH CURTIS A LITTLE BIT AND GET SOME FEEDBACK NORMAL WAY.
THAT'S THE ONLY WAY WE COULD DO IT, IS THE NORMAL WAY IS TO HAVE TWO SEPARATE ACTIONS AS OPPOSED TO COMBINING.
WHAT IT ACTUALLY DOES IS KICK, AND THIS IS MY HONEST REACTION AS I'M SITTING HERE, UM, IT KICKS THE CALENDAR DOWN THE ROAD AGAIN FOR ANOTHER DISCUSSION ON SOMETHING THAT WE'RE RIGHT NOW HAVING A DISCUSSION ON THAT I DON'T THINK SEVEN PEOPLE ARE, AREN'T ABLE TO, TO HONESTLY HAVE AMONGST OURSELVES AFTER 12 YEARS.
AND, AND I HEAR YOUR, AND HERE'S THE THING WHY I'M COMFORTABLE SAYING THIS.
I KNOW HOW MUCH I PUT INTO MY JOB.
I KNOW HOW MUCH I PUT INTO MY CONSTITUENTS AND I'M NOT, UH, AND I BELIEVE THEY KNOW TOO.
AND I DON'T THINK, UM, THAT I'M RISKING TOO MUCH BY SUGGESTING THAT AFTER 12 YEARS, THE SUGGESTIONS THAT HAVE BEEN BROUGHT FORWARD AFTER ALL THE TWO ON TWO CONVERSATIONS, THIS DIDN'T COME OUT OF THIN AIR, UM, IS IT, AND THEN WAS PUT INTO THE BUDGET AS A, UM, SOMETHING THAT WE ALL HAVE, UM, AGREED TO ON SOME LEVEL.
SO HAVING SAID THAT, UM, I WILL SUPPORT THE 15%, UM, IF YOU SPLIT THAT OUT OVER 15 YEARS.
PERHAPS, UM, IN THE LAST YEAR, MAYBE IN THE LAST THREE YEARS, PEOPLE HAVEN'T GOTTEN AN, UM, A, UM, COST OF LIVING, UM, RAISE THEMSELVES, UM, OVER THE LAST 12 YEARS.
SO, UM, AND THIS IS STILL A FRACTION OF WHAT THAT WOULD'VE BOTH OTHERWISE BEEN.
SO, UM, AND, AND, AND, AND I'LL, I'LL CHIME IN ON THIS, IS, UM, YOU KNOW, I'VE SAID IT TO, TO THE OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS BEFORE, UM, THERE IS A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF TIME THAT GOES INTO ALL OF OUR POSITIONS IN, IN ITSELF.
WELL, IT'S SELF SOUGHT, NOT SELF CHOSEN
AND, AND THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT I LOOK AT.
UM, I, I'VE TOLD YOU ALL HOW MANY MEETINGS I HAD IN THE 12 MONTH TIMEFRAME, WELL OVER 485.
UM, BUT I, AGAIN, I DON'T DO IT FOR THE MONEY, BUT I ALSO LOOK AT WHAT IS THE OPPORTUNITY TO BRING IN SOME ADDITIONAL YOUNGER COUNCIL INDIVIDUALS IN THE FUTURE.
AND IF THAT PLAYS A PART OR NOT, I CAN'T ANSWER THAT, BUT I WOULD HATE FOR IT TO PLAY A NEGATIVE PART YOUNGER THAN YOU OR YOUNGER THAN ME,
YOUNGER THAN ME,
BUT I WOULD, I WOULD SAY THAT'S ABSOLUTELY TRUE, MAYOR, IN
[01:40:01]
TERMS OF TRYING TO ENCOURAGE YOUNGER PEOPLE WHO ARE TRYING TO SUPPORT THEIR FAMILIES.BUT I WOULD ALSO ACKNOWLEDGE THE FACT THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE OUR AGE, RIGHT, WHO ARE ALSO, UM, UH, WHO ARE ALSO STILL SUPPORTING FAMILIES AND HAVE EXPENSES.
AND, AND IF WE EVEN WANT PEOPLE OUR AGE WHO ARE IN THAT CATEGORY, IT'S A GOOD MOVE TO APPRECIATE THEIR TIME AND VALUE TO THE COMMUNITY.
SO, UM, OTHERWISE YOU SIMPLY RELY ON PEOPLE WHO'VE MADE A LOT OF MONEY, WHO HAVE RETIRED, WHO, UM, HAVE AN INCREDIBLE AMOUNT OF DEDICATION TO PUBLIC SERVICE.
UM, SO I THINK IT EVENS THE
AND, AND THE, MAYBE THE LAST THING I'LL SAY ON THIS IS THAT AT THE FIRST READING, THE MOTION WAS MADE, WHICH, WHICH FAILED.
AND THAT'S WHAT I'M HANGING MY HAT ON.
I'M HOPEFUL THAT FOLKS HAVE HAD SOME TIME TO CONTEMPLATE SINCE THEN.
I SAID I DON'T NEGOTIATE AGAINST MYSELF, BUT, UM, I DID, UH, LOOK AT TWO OTHER THINGS.
UM, I DID LOOK AT THE MUNICIPAL ASSOCIATION, SOUTH CAROLINA'S, UM, COMPENSATION REPORT IN FLORENCE, SOUTH CAROLINA HAS A POPULATION OF 39,899 TOTAL FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES, FOUR 70 ANNUAL BUDGET OF JUST UNDER $106 MILLION.
COUNCIL MEMBER SALARY IS 15,810.
AND WE CAN ARGUE WHICH IS A BETTER PLACE TO LIVE,
BUT, YOU KNOW, ONE OTHER OPTION TO CONSIDER IS, INSTEAD OF A PERCENTAGE INCREASE IS TO GO WITH A FLAT AMOUNT.
UM, AND INSTEAD OF A 3% INCREASE AT JUST UNDER 33 5, I COULD GO, UM, TO A FLAT $2,000 INCREASE FOR THE MAYOR AT 34 5 AND A FLAT AMOUNT, $1,200 INCREASE FOR TOWN COUNCIL MEMBERS TO 21 5 THAT AMOUNT, NOT A PERCENTAGE INCREASE.
COMMENTS ON THAT? I, I THINK, I THINK THAT WAS, I'D GIVE YOU A LOT OF OPTIONS.
I CAN GO AS FAST OR SLOW AS YOU WANT ME.
UM, WE STILL HAVE FOUR MORE FUNDS TO GET THROUGH, BUT ONCE WE'RE THROUGH THE OPERATING, ONCE WE'RE THROUGH THE ARE BUDGET AND I, I'M, I'M EXCITED, UH, ABOUT THIS BUDGET PROPOSAL.
WE LINE ITEMS, RIGHT? WE'VE REDUCED SUNDAY THE TABLE.
TOM, HOW MUCH HAVE YOU REDUCED THE SOFTWARE COSTS BY JUSTICE FISCAL YEAR, MORE THAN 3000? WE ELIMINATE REDUNDANCY, HAVE SHOW THAT TO YOU IN GENERAL FUND, WE INCREASED GENERAL FUND BY 1.8%.
WE'VE SUPPORTED EVERY, EVERY DEPARTMENT UP HERE.
SO FIRE, RESCUE, PUBLIC SAFETY, FINANCE, HUMAN RESOURCES, TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION FACILITIES AND MANAGEMENT THAT SOME OF THESE ARE ON THE PAGE.
ENTIRE PAGE OF FACILITIES FIGHTING SOLID WASTE RECYCLING.
I WAS SHOCKED BY A COUPLE POSITIVE COMMENTS ON SOCIAL MEDIA TELLING SEAN ISLAND RESIDENT FOR MORE THAN 30 YEARS, REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THE IMPROVEMENTS IN
WE SUPPORT BEACH PARK AND BEACH PARK ENHANCEMENTS, WAVE FINDING BIKE RACKS, TRASH RIGHT AWAY.
MAINTENANCE INCLUDING SAFETY
UM, AND THEN ON AND ON AND ON, RIGHT? LITTER PATROL, TOWN WIDE BEACH SERVICES.
AND THE FRANCHISE AGREEMENT THAT I KNOW WE'LL TALK ABOUT EITHER AT THE NEXT MEETING OR THE FIRST MEETING IN JUNE, SUPPORTS SOME IMPLEMENTATION OF OUR ISLAND SOLID WASTE RECYCLING FINDINGS.
WE WILL, THROUGH THIS BUDGET, PUT THOSE BIG BELLY TRASH COMPACTORS, THE, THE SOLAR POWERED TRASH AND RECYCLING, UH, PIECES EQUIPMENT AT, AT ALL OF OUR BEACH PARKS AMONGST, UH, SOME OTHER INVESTMENTS.
IT SUPPORTS YOUR RECENT APPROVAL OF, OF THE RBC HERITAGE CONTRACT.
BUT, BUT EVEN ABOVE AND BEYOND THAT, THE HERITAGE PREP, THE BANNERS, THE LANDSCAPING GENERAL CLEANUP SUPPORTS PLANNING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, RIGHT?
[01:45:01]
WE TALKED ABOUT LMO AND DISTRICT PLANS AND SUPPORTS.OUR TRANSPORTATION TEAM, OUR MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS, OUR OFFICE OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS TOWN WIDE, TOWN WIDE IS A FUND THAT ALLOWS ME TO MANAGE DIRECTLY THAT TOWN WIDE FUND.
THERE'S $550 A MONTH STIPEND FOR OUR 20 BEAUFORT COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICERS THAT LIVE ON THE ISLAND.
AND THEN IT CONTINUES TO ACCRUE THE $2 MILLION PER YEAR, RIGHT IN FUND BALANCE, I BELIEVE THIS YEAR.
UM, THERE'S SOME SIGNIFICANT SAVINGS AND, AND WE INTEND TO GET THROUGH THAT LITIGATION SOONER THAN LATER.
TIME BEING, IT STILL COVERS THE $2 MILLION EXPENDITURE I WAS ASKED TO EXPLAIN THE, THE DIFFERENTIAL ALSO SUPPORTS BRAND NEW MICROPHONES
UM, BUT I WAS EXPLAIN, I WAS ASKED TO EXPLAIN THE DIFFERENCE IN THE GENERAL FUND INCREASE FOR SALARY BENEFITS AND OPERATING.
SO IN A, IN A GRAND SCHEME, IT'S A MILLION, APPROXIMATELY A MILLION DOLLARS EXTRA FOR THE 4% PERFORMANCE BASE, MORE THAN $500,000 FOR MEDICAL PREMIUMS AS WELL AS DENTAL BASIC LIFE, UM, PLANNED PROMOTIONS IN FIRE RESCUE.
WE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE, THE, THE CLASS AND COMP, THE CHANGE OF GRADE, THE CHANGE IN IN IN RATE OF PAY IN IN YOUR POSITION.
THERE'S SOME, THERE'S SOME PLANNED ADJUSTMENT THERE.
IT, IT FUNDS THE FIRST FULL YEAR OF SOME FTES AND SESSION UP FROM LAST YEAR, RIGHT? WE STARTED SOME IN JANUARY, SO IT CAPTURES THAT NOW FULL YEAR AND THE PLANNED PROMOTIONS AS WELL AS THE PLANNED FIRE RESCUE OVER TIME.
SO I THINK THAT THAT DOES A, A GOOD JOB.
I WAS ALSO ASKED TO EXPLAIN IN THE, IN THE STAFF REPORT, IF YOU LOOK AT THE STAFF REPORT IN GENERAL FUND, YOU'LL SEE SOME NEW DEPARTMENTS.
AND SO WITH THAT JUST, AND, AND I CAN DIVE IN AS, AS FAR AS YOU WANT ME TO, BUT HR CHANGED FROM SIX 91,000 TO EIGHT 62,000.
THAT WAS SIMPLY MOVING SOME TOWN WIDE TRAINING FROM TOWN WIDE TO HR.
IT WAS, IT WAS AN ADJUSTMENT OF WHERE OUR DOLLARS ARE.
IT WENT FROM ZERO TO THREE 40 SIMPLY BECAUSE ANGIE AND THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TEAM ARE NOW NO LONGER SHOWING IN TOWN MANAGER ACCOUNTS THAT I MANAGE THROUGH WHERE ANGIE IS.
UM, ON THOSE SALARIES, BENEFITS AND OPERATING EXPENSES.
MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS CHANGED FROM 4 46 TO 8 93.
UM, ALL OF THAT WAS PRE, SOME OF THAT WAS PREVIOUSLY IN THE TOWN MANAGER BUDGET, SOME IN LEGAL ADMIN.
AND I WOULD SAY EVERY YEAR I'VE BEEN ABLE TO UNDERSTAND
AND SO A LOT OF THAT CHANGE IS IN HERE.
THE, THE, THE REAL CHANGE IS THE 1.5% OVERAGE IN GENERAL FUND.
AND I EXPLAINED THE SALARY BENEFITS AND OPERATING PUBLIC SERVICE WENT FROM ZERO TO 4 MILLION, $226,000.
'CAUSE I WANTED TO PULL OUT THE LANDSCAPE MAINTENANCE CONTRACTS, THE LITTER, PEST JANITORIAL, AND NOT HAVE THEM ALL JUST EMBEDDED IN ONE FINANCE DEPARTMENT WHERE I HAVE TO GO LOOK FOR IT.
THAT HELPS ME MANAGE THE FUNDS BETTER BECAUSE IT'S NOT JUST GROUPED IN AND IT'S SOME UNKNOWNS MOVING FORWARD.
PUBLIC SERVICES DID A WORKFORCE HOUSING WENT FROM ZERO TO $200,000 BECAUSE OF OUR CHIEF HOUSING OFFICERS SALARY AND BENEFITS AND OPERATING ACCOUNTS TOWN WIDE INCREASED ABOUT $800,000 IN THE STAFF REPORT.
BUT AGAIN, IF YOU ADD IT ALL UP, IT'S A 1.8% INCREASE, UM, IN GENERAL FUND.
BUT TOWN WIDE WE, WE PUT IN THEIR SHORE BEACH SERVICES FROM PUBLIC SAFETY.
SO WE PULLED THAT OUT FROM PUBLIC SAFETY, PUBLIC SAFETY, DECREASED AND TOWN WIDE INCREASED SIMPLY BECAUSE I WANT TO, I WANT TO MANAGE THAT ACCOUNT A LOT DIFFERENTLY THAN WITH JOSH AND NOT HAVE IT, UH, IN THE PUBLIC SAFETY DEPARTMENT WANT AND TOWN WIDE COMMUNITY EVENTS.
I WANTED TO HAVE SOME FULL DISCLOSURE FROM, FROM MY OWN KNOWLEDGE, THE COMMUNITY'S KNOWLEDGE, YOUR KNOWLEDGE WHERE FY 24 SHOWED ZERO, WE STILL SPENT DOLLARS.
IT WAS IN GENERAL FUND OPERATING, IT WAS CLEAR IT WAS IN LINE ITEMS, BUT I GROUPED IT NOW IN TOWN WIDE COMMUNITY EVENTS SO THAT WE CAN TRACK CHRISTMAS, HOLIDAY LIGHTS, HILTON HEAD ISLAND JAMS, CELEBRATION, PARK TREE
[01:50:01]
LIGHTING, THE HOLIDAY KICKOFF, THE MENORAH.UH, AND ANGIE HAS A FEW OTHER THINGS, SO TO SPEAK.
YEAR SHE'S ASKED FOR SOME ADDITIONAL DOLLARS FOR NATIONAL NIGHT OUT FOR EARTH DAY AND SOME POUND FOR POUND IT CHANGED 1 8, 1 0.8%.
BUT YOU WILL SEE SOME FLUCTUATION IN A HUNDRED, IN A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS RANGES UP AND DOWN IN IN THOSE ACCOUNTS.
UM, MARK, UM, I THINK THERE'S BEEN A SIGNIFICANT CHANGE THE WAY WE APPROACH COMMUNITY SINCE YOU'VE BEEN HIRED.
THE EXTENT TO WHICH IT HAS CHANGED DOES BEG A QUESTION, ALMOST A POLICY DECISION THAT COUNCIL PERHAPS SHOULD HAVE BEEN ASKED.
IS THIS THE DIRECTION WE SUPPORT? I DO PERSONALLY, A HUNDRED PERCENT, BUT IT IS A SIGNIFICANT CHANGE FROM WHERE WE WERE FOUR YEARS AGO.
I DON'T WANNA MAKE THIS MEETING HAPPEN.
I'M HEADING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
I DON'T WANNA MAKE THIS MEETING ANY LONGER THAN IT NEEDS TO BE.
BUT A LOT OF THOSE QUESTIONS, UM, WE, WE ASKED AND THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO SPELL THAT OUT BECAUSE TO ME IT ALSO MAKES SENSE THAT FAR MORE CLEAR THANK YOU FOR, AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I LOVE ABOUT THE DIRECTION YOU JUST BROUGHT UP IS THAT THIS IS FAR MORE RESIDENT FOCUSED IN TERMS OF BRINGING US ALL ISLAND WIDE COMMUNITY.
AND I THINK THAT'S A GOOD, A GOOD DECISION, UM, FOR ALL OF US WHO CALL HILTON HEAD HOME.
IT'S NOT FOCUSED SOLELY ON TOUR.
AND I'LL JUST JUST ADD ON, ON THE CHANGING OF THE FORMAT OF THE BUDGET.
BY SEPARATING THESE THINGS OUT DOES BRING MORE TRANSPARENCY NOT ONLY TO US, BUT TO THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY TO SEE HOW THINGS ARE FLOWING AND MOVING FORWARD AS WE GO THROUGH A MID-YEAR BUDGET ANALYSIS.
WE'RE ALMOST DOWNHILL AFFILIATED AGENCIES.
YOU HAVE, UH, RECOMMENDED 2.55 MILLION, UM, FOR AFFILIATED AGENCIES.
FY 24 PROPOSED REVISED DIFFERENTIAL IN FY 25 ARE ALL AGENCIES WITH THE EXCEPTION OF HABITAT AND CCDC WHO HAVE NOT APPLIED AT THIS AT THIS TIME.
UM, BUT YOU SEE THAT ISLAND REC OUR BUDGET FULL DISCLOSURE OR FOR, FOR CLARITY, UH, $1.1 MILLION.
COASTAL DISCOVERY 107, AND I'M JUST ROUNDING DOWN A LITTLE BIT IN SOME CHANGE.
MITCHELLVILLE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 105,000 USCB EVENT MANAGEMENT, THE OUR ISLAND AMBASSADOR PROGRAM, 235,000 LRTA PALMETTO BREEZE 253, OUR 14TH CIRCUIT SOLICITOR, BOTH FROM A MULTIDISCIPLINARY AND CAREER CRIMINAL PROGRAM, 168,000, UH, TOTAL FER COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORP, $40,000 HERITAGE CLASSIC 400,000 AND SEA TURTLE PATROL OF HILTON HEAD ISLAND 73,480.
SO THAT'S A TOTAL OF $2.55641 MILLION.
IT CAME FROM AN APPLICATION THAT WENT LIVE IN JANUARY.
IT WENT THROUGH FINANCE, ADMINISTRATIVE COMMITTEE, FINANCE ADMINISTRATIVE COMMITTEE VOTED AND PUSHED THAT FORWARD TO ME.
UM, I'M SIMPLY PUT IN THE BUDGET EXACTLY AS ASKED.
IF YOU GO BACK REAL QUICK, UM, THERE WAS A DISCUSSION ABOUT THE FIR 14TH, UH, CIRCUIT SOLICITOR ABOUT WORKING WITH THE COUNTY TO GET ADDITIONAL FUNDING FROM THEM TO MAKE UP THE DIFFERENCE THAT THEY'RE NOT FUNDED AS EQUITABLY AS OTHER, UH, CIRCUIT COURTS.
UM, AND THAT THAT WILL BE SOMETHING THAT WILL BE GOING FORWARD TO SEE IF, HOW THAT CAN BE ADDRESSED.
SO THEY GET THEIR FULL FUNDING REALLY FROM THE COUNTY OUT.
WE TALKED ABOUT IT A COUPLE DAYS AGO.
ALRIGHT, REAL QUICK TOO, UM, I HAD SOME FEEDBACK.
SO WE ARE THROUGH GENERAL FUND, UM, GET THROUGH THE OTHER FEW ACCOUNTS, BUT, BUT BEFORE WE DO, I WANNA TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE BUDGET ORDINANCE.
[01:55:01]
SHARED WITH YOU THE, THE RATIONALE BEHIND AMENDING IN OUR BUDGET ORDINANCE SECTION SECTION FIVE, TRANSFER OF FUNDS.THE WAY OUR CURRENT BUDGET ORDINANCE READS IN THE TRANSFER OF FUNDS, IT, IT SHARES THAT GENERAL FUND IS ADOPTED AT THE DEPARTMENT LEVEL.
SO THAT MEANS TOWN COUNCIL, THE COUNCIL MANAGER, MANAGER, FINANCE, FINANCE, HR, HR, THE DEBT SERVICE FUND ADOPTED AT THE FUND LEVEL.
SO ALL IN, SO PERSONNEL OR AT, AT THE, AT THE FUND LEVEL, SORRY.
STORMWATER IS ADOPTED AT THE SPECIFIC LEVELS.
PERSONNEL, BENEFITS, DEBT OPERATIONS, MAINTENANCE TRANSFERS, THE GENERAL FUND.
SO THERE'S SOME SPECIFICITY IN STORM WATER DIFFERENT THAN DEBT, DIFFERENT AND MORE SPECIFIC THAN GENERAL.
AND THEN CAPITAL PROJECTS ARE ADOPTED AT THE PROJECT LEVEL.
SO ISLANDERS BEACH PARK, THAT'S THE PROJECT LEVEL, J BEACH PARK, THAT'S THE PROJECT LEVEL.
UM, AND THAT THE TOWN MANAGER IS AUTHORIZED, REGARDLESS OF HOW THAT READS, THIS IS LANGUAGE THAT I INHERITED.
I'M AUTHORIZED TO TRANSFER AMOUNTS UP TO A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS LARGER TRANSFERS REQUIRED TOWN COUNCIL APPROVAL.
SO AS I WOULD TAKE COMMUNICATIONS FROM ITS CURRENT PLACE, UM, AND, AND HAVE IT ALIGNED DIRECTLY WITH ME ON THE, ON THE, SORRY FOR DRAWING IT ON THE STAFF REPORT IN GENERAL FUND, DO YOU SEE COMMUNICATION PROBABLY UNDER A DIFFERENT DEPARTMENT RIGHT NOW THAN EXECUTIVE, BUT IF I MAKE THAT CHANGE, THAT'S MORE THAN A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS TRANSFER TO ME.
ALL I'M ASKING YOU TO DO IS SAY SAME AS LAST YEAR, WITH THE EXCEPTION THAT I CAN TRANSFER PEOPLE AND WITH THE PEOPLE IF THERE'S SOME TRAVEL TRAINING OR WHATEVER WITH THAT.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO BE ABLE TO STRUCTURE AS I NEED TO MOVE THAT.
I WOULD ALSO ASK THAT THE EVERYTHING ELSE REMAIN AS IS WITH THAT SPECIFICITY.
WITH ONE EXCEPTION THAT CAPITAL PROJECTS ARE FUNDED OR ALLOWED TO TRANSFER AT THE PROGRAM LEVEL.
MAY, MAY I MOVE PEOPLE AND WITH PEOPLE COME THEIR SALARY AND THOSE DOLLARS AND, AND I I DIDN'T JUST PROPOSE YOU THE LANGUAGE, I I TOOK A LOOK.
'CAUSE WE LOOK AT MUNICIPAL ASSOCIATION, WE COMPARE OUR, OUR PARTNERS AND BEST PRACTICES.
I LOOKED AT ROCK HILL, GREENVILLE, MOUNT PLEASANT, I LOOKED AT AIKEN, I LOOKED AT SPARTANBURG, I LOOKED AT WHERE I USED TO, WHERE I USED TO LIVE AND WORK BEFORE HERE.
AND, AND I'M SIMPLY JUST ASKING FOR SOME FLEXIBILITY IN THOSE TWO LINES.
SO I'D LIKE AT LEAST SOME, SOME, SOME FEEDBACK ON THAT OR, OR A DIFFERENT PROPOSAL, COMMENTS OR ACCEPTANCE FROM COUNSEL, GENERAL COMMENTS, QUESTIONS.
UM, I'LL, I'LL TAKE IT IN, IN TWO PARTS.
UM, ONE AS FAR AS THE EMPLOYMENT MOVEMENT, UM, ALPHA ONE, I'M OKAY WITH HIM HAVING THAT FLEXIBILITY.
UM, HE'S OUR ONLY EMPLOYEE, SO WE DON'T NEED TO GET INVOLVED IN THAT ANYWAY.
SO I, I WOULD, UH, PREFER HE HAVE THE ABILITY TO DO THAT.
AND AS FAR AS THE CIP PROGRAM IS CONCERNED, I'M, I'M UNDERSTANDING THAT YOU WOULD BE ABLE TO MOVE AT THE PROGRAM LEVEL, BUT ARE YOU STILL AT THAT A HUNDRED K THRESHOLD THRESHOLDS, WHAT YOU'RE PROPOSING? I I'M NOT PROPOSING TO TAKE A DOLLAR OUT OF PARKS AND PUT IT IN ROADS.
I, I WANT THAT THRESHOLD TO BE ZERO UNLESS YOU APPROVE THAT.
BECAUSE I, I FEEL STRONGLY THAT BY ADOPTING YOUR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM, YOU'RE ADOPTING THE POLICY OF ROADS A LITTLE DIFFERENT THAN THE POLICY OF BEACHES.
SO IF BEACHES IS 17 MILLION, IT WILL STAY AT 17 MILLION UNLESS YOU VOTE OTHERWISE.
UM, MARK, THIS CAME UP BECAUSE IN THE STAFF MEMO, UH, SAYS THAT THE TOWN MANAGER IS AUTHORIZED TO TRANSFER TO ANY SUM.
UM, AND SO WHAT WE'RE DOING IS WE'RE CORRECTING THAT BACK TO THE CURRENT LEVEL AT A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS, PROVIDED THAT, UH, PERSONNEL MATTERS CAN BE FREELY TRANSFERRED.
PLUS PLUS CIP IS AT THE FUND LEVEL, NOT THE PROJECT LEVEL.
I I HAVE NO OBJECTION TO THAT QUESTION.
I'M, I'M TRYING TO MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND ON THE CAPITAL, I NO, NO QUESTION ABOUT THE PERSONNEL EMPLOYMENT MATTER.
I'M FINE WITH THAT ECHO WHAT MR. BROWN SAID ABOUT THAT.
UM, BUT FOR THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS, AS I UNDERSTAND IT, YOU ARE TALKING
[02:00:01]
ABOUT THAT YOU, YOU COULD DO IT AT THE PROGRAM LEVEL, BUT NOT PROJECT LEVEL IF I UNDERSTAND THAT.SO THERE ARE DIFFERENT PROGRAMS OR PROGRAMS YOU MENTIONED ROADWAY VERSUS PARKS.
SO AT THE PROGRAM LEVEL, YOU COULD DO IT WITHIN THE PARKS PROGRAM.
SO FOR INSTANCE, IF PARK A OVER HERE, UM, IS, IS BID, UH, ABOVE THE, UH, ESTIMATED AMOUNT ABOVE THE BUDGETED AMOUNT, UM, AND EVEN ABOVE CONTINGENCY, WHICH WOULD BE INCLUDED WITHIN THAT AMOUNT.
UM, SO IF IT'S A $10 MILLION PROJECT AND IT'S 1 MILLION OVER, YOU CAN ROB, EXCUSE ME, I SHOULDN'T SAY YOU CAN MOVE.
YOU CAN, GOSH, FREUD MUST BE IN MY HEAD.
UM, ANYHOW, YOU, YOU CAN MOVE A MILLION DOLLARS FROM PARK B INTO PARK A.
THAT BOTHERS ME TO DO IT AT THAT LEVEL.
UM, YOU KNOW, AND I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU FIX THAT OTHER THAN YOU GO DOWN A LITTLE BIT DEEPER THAN THAT AS FAR AS DESCRIPTION.
UM, AND THE ONLY OTHER WAY IS TO SAY UP TO A CERTAIN PERC, YOU KNOW, A CERTAIN PERCENTAGE, MOST CONTINGENCIES ARE IN WHAT, 10 TO 15%, SO MAYBE ANOTHER 10% WITH A CAP ON IT.
SO YOU COULD DO UP TO 10%, YOU COULD TRANSFER AT LEAST RIGHT FOR THAT TIME TRANSFER, UM, 10%.
UM, BUT NO GREATER THAN WHATEVER'S APPRO WHATEVER NUMBER IS APPROPRIATE.
UM, IT SEEMS LIKE IT NEEDS TO BE A LITTLE BIT DEEPER THAN THAT FOR AUTHORITY, JUST BECAUSE OF THE AMOUNT OF THOSE PROJECTS.
THAT'S, THANK YOU MAYOR COUNCIL EVALUATES THE TOWN MANAGER ANNUALLY, BUT NOT ON LINE ITEMS. SO I'M COMPLETELY AGREEMENT.
UH, CIP, UM, I THINK WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO AVOID IS OPERATIONAL BACKLOG OR, UH, PROBLEMS AND SCHEDULING AND SO ON.
UM, SO I'M, I'M IN SUPPORT OF GIVING YOU THAT FREEDOM, BUT ANOTHER WAY OF LOOKING AT IT, THAT THERE'S A LINE ITEM FOR THE ENTIRE PROGRAM CONTINGENCY COULD INCREASE THE CONTINGENCY TO ALLOW MORE FLEXIBILITY.
BUT I'M NOT GONNA PUSH THAT POINT BECAUSE I THINK YOU NEED, AND THE TOWN NEEDS YOU BE TO BE ABLE TO MOVE EXPEDITIOUSLY TO GET THINGS DONE.
CLEARLY WE HAVE A LOT OF PASS THROUGHS THAT MAYBE THIS WOULD HELP.
I THINK THE, UH, CHANGES THAT THE MANAGER PROPOSES ARE FINE LOOKING TO HEAR FROM EACH OF US.
UM, I AM FINE WITH THE CHANGES THAT HAVE BEEN PROPOSED THE WAY, UM, THEY ARE HERE.
GOING BACK TO MRS. BRYSON'S COMMENT, UM, IF A PROJECT WAS TO COME IN EXPONENTIALLY OVER, WOULDN'T IT HAVE TO COME BACK TO COUNCIL AS IT HAS EXCEEDED WHAT WAS ALLOCATED? DEPENDS, RIGHT? IT'S NOT AN EASY ANSWER.
IF SOMETHING COMES IN OVER 400 AND SOMETHING COMES IN UNDER 300, I CAN GET THEM BOTH DONE.
THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT I THINK I'M, YOU KNOW, IF YOU COULD GO TO THAT EXPLANATION, IS, IS, ARE YOU, I ALMOST USED YOUR WORD FOR A SECOND, UM, TAKING FROM ONE PROJECT, WHICH WOULD CREATE A DEFICIENCY TO COMPLETE THAT PROJECT, TO FINISH ANOTHER PROJECT.
RIGHT? AND, AND I PRIDE MYSELF AND I BELIEVE I'M, I'M, I'M HERE, UH, WITH YOU AND IN THIS COMMUNITY BECAUSE, UH, OF MY ABILITY TO COMMUNICATE ANY ISSUES THAT ARE COMING UP WITH YOU.
SO WHAT I WOULD DO IS OBVIOUSLY, AND, AND ABSOLUTELY BRING ANY OF THOSE ISSUES TO FNA AND REALLY TO TOWN COUNCIL THROUGH A BUDGET AMENDMENT, RIGHT? SO ALL OF THIS, NO MATTER WHAT WOULD HAPPEN, WE WOULD'VE, WE WOULD REPORT IT OUT IN, IN, IN OUR MONTHLY REPORTS, QUARTERLY REPORTS TO F AND A.
WOULD WE, WE WOULD REPORT THAT.
UM, WE'LL ALSO WORK WITH TOWN COUNCIL.
IF ISLANDERS BEACH PARK COMES IN $500,000 OVER, I'M NOT GOING TO LEAD OR ROB OR BORROW FROM A DIFFERENT ACCOUNT AND PRETEND I CAN GET IT ALL DONE.
I'M GOING TO BRING YOU THE PROBLEM THAT EITHER WE HAVE TO CHANGE OUR EXPECTATIONS AND VALUE ENGINEER AND GET RID OF THE TREE HOUSE AND USE CONCRETE INSTEAD OF PAVERS.
THAT'S, THAT'S MY JOB TO FIGURE OUT.
[02:05:01]
BUT IF I CAN'T, I HAVE TO BRING YOU THE, THE PROBLEM WITH THE SOLUTION.AND, AND THAT'S WHERE I WAS GETTING WITH THAT.
SO, SO I'M IN SUPPORT OF THAT AS OF, OF YOUR RECOMMENDATION AS WELL.
JOSH, DID YOU GET ALL OF THAT? ALRIGHT, STORM WATER.
STORM WATER FUND IS FOR OBVIOUSLY THE STORM WATER RELATED EXPENDITURES INCLUDING STAFF OPERATIONS, INVENTORY MODELING, THOSE ROUTINE MAINTENANCE AS WELL AS THE CAPITAL PROJECTS.
IN PAST YEARS, WE HAVE TRANSFERRED FROM STORMWATER RE RIGHT REVENUE FROM STORMWATER STRAIGHT INTO THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM SO THAT OUR CIP AS WE LIST IT IS ALL INCLUSIVE.
MAJORITY OF OUR REVENUES ARE FROM STORMWATER UTILITY FEES THIS YEAR, 29% FROM PRIOR YEAR FUNDS, SOME INVESTMENT INCOME AND SOME PLAN REVIEW FEES.
STORMWATER BUDGET PROPOSED A $7.5 MILLION FEE.
UM, IT'S MADE UP MAJORITY OF $5 MILLION OF STORMWATER UTILITY FEES.
OUR RATE IS THE HIGHEST IN THE REGION BY FAR.
WE ARE ACCOMPLISHING MORE POUND FOR POUND RATE FOR RATE, DOLLAR FOR DOLLAR IN THAT I MENTIONED TO YOU, UM, IN THE PAST, SOON AFTER BUDGET ADOPTION, DEFINITELY BY END OF YEAR I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE AND, AND, AND HAVE JEFF INGER AT THE TABLE TO HAVE A, A DEEP DIVE INTO OUR STORM WATER UTILITY PROGRAM.
IT'S, IT'S FASCINATING, BUT I THINK WE CAN DO MORE.
UM, AND I, AND WE NEED ON OVERALL OF THESE HIGHLIGHTS, UM, I WON'T DIVE INTO THEM TODAY UNLESS YOU'D LIKE ME TO.
ROUTINE MAINTENANCE, TRANSPARENCY AND PROJECT DEVELOPMENT THROUGH THOSE WORKSHOPS, WE HAVE A DO HAVE A LEAN OPERATING BUDGET AND OPERATIONS COVER SALARY AND BENEFITS FOR SEVEN STORMWATER STAFF MEMBERS.
I VISITED WITH THEM LAST FRIDAY AND IT WAS A RAINY DAY.
SEAN AND I WERE IN THE CONFERENCE ROOM TALKING AND IT WAS LIKE THE MOST EXCITED I'VE EVER SEEN PEOPLE IN MY LIFE EXCITED THAT IT WAS RAINING BECAUSE THEY RIGHT, THEY MAKE SUNSHINE OR THEY MAKE HAY WHEN THE SUN SHINES.
ISN'T THAT WHAT THE WORD IS? THEY FIGURE OUT THE PROBLEMS WHEN IT'S RAINING.
THEY ARE, THEY ARE A COMMITTED, UM, AND, AND VERY TALENTED GROUP.
IF, IF I COULD, IT IS JUST A, A THOUGHT THAT POPPED IN MY BRAIN.
UM, WHILE WE DON'T CONTROL ALL OF THE DRAINAGE ON THE ISLAND, CORRECT? UM, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THAT, WHICH WE DO.
AND I THINK IT, IT'LL BE IMPORTANT FOR FUTURES TO MAKE IT CLEAR AS TO WHAT WE DON'T CONTROL AND HOW WE HAVE TO WORK WITH DOT AND THE COUNTY AND EVERYBODY ELSE FOR THAT.
YEAH, I THINK AT THE WORKSHOP I SEE SEAN TAKING A NOTE.
WE'RE GONNA SHOW WHAT WE CONTROL AND WHAT WE DON'T CONTROL BECAUSE THAT, THAT'S EVEN A QUESTION OF MINE AND IT'S A QUESTION FROM, FROM ALL OF YOU.
HEY, WHAT ABOUT THIS DRAINAGE BASIN? IT'S BEHIND THE GATE.
THIS IS OUTSIDE THE GATE THAT, THAT NEEDS TO BE, UM, ASSESSED AND IMPROVED.
IF, IF WE CAN, SOON AS YOU APPROVE THE SECOND AND FINAL READING OF BUDGET, I CAN JUST THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THAT UP, MAYOR, BECAUSE, UM, THERE ARE AREAS OF CONCERN WITH REGARD TO, UM, STORM WATER AND WHEN IT RAINS, SOME OF US AREN'T MAKING HAY.
WE ARE FINDING OUR RAIN BOOTS SO WE CAN SLUSH THROUGH AND DOWN, UM, OUR NEIGHBORHOODS.
AND, AND THAT'S NOT BECAUSE THE TOWN HAS DONE ANYTHING INSUFFICIENT.
THE TOWN IS GREAT WITH WHAT THEY'RE DOING, BUT THOSE AREAS THAT ARE CONTROLLED BY THE COUNTY, UM, ARE PROBLEMATIC.
AND, AND SO THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THAT UP.
'CAUSE THERE HAS TO BE A SOLUTION TO THAT TO BE FAIRNESS TO ALL THE RESIDENTS ON THE ISLAND.
BUT SECONDLY, ON THAT FIRST SLIDE, THAT WAS PART OF THE STORM WATER, UM, TOPIC BEING BROUGHT UP, UM, HAD TO DO WITH RESILIENCY, RIGHT? WITHIN THE TOWN, ISLAND AND ISLAND RESILIENCY.
SO ALL OF THIS, WE CANNOT PROVIDE ISLAND RESILIENCY IF WE ARE NOT MANAGING THE STORM WATER FOR ALL THE COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE ISLAND.
AND, UM, AND SO FOR WHAT WE DO, WE DO GREAT FOR WHAT ISN'T UNDER OUR CONTROL, ANOTHER MATTER, BUT NOT WITHOUT HAVING THAT PIECE INCLUDED IN WHAT THE TOWN DOES, ISLAND RESILIENCY IS NOT HAPPENING IN MY MIND.
SO SOMEONE CAN CORRECT ME IF THEY SEE IT DIFFERENTLY, BUT, UM, YOU, YOU CAN'T HAVE A WHOLE WITH
[02:10:01]
DIFFERING PARTS.TH THIS WILL BE ONE OF THE NEXT THINGS THAT WE WILL BE TACKLING.
AND TO TEE IT UP, THERE'S FED THE FEDERAL SYSTEM, RIGHT? THE, THE STATE SYSTEM, THE COUNTY SYSTEM, THE TOWN SYSTEM, THE PRIVATE SYSTEM, RIGHT? THE PRIVATE BEING PRIVATE PROPERTY OWNER, LET ALONE THE PLANNED UNIT DEVELOPMENT MASTER PLANNED COMMUNITY SYSTEM.
AND THEN THERE'S THE UNKNOWN, RIGHT? THERE'S THE, THAT'S NOT MY DITCH, THAT'S YOUR DITCH.
THAT'S, THAT'S A DITCH THAT TRAVELS OVER PROPERTY LINES.
AND SO I THINK FROM A, FROM AN ASSESSMENT, I THINK THE FACT THAT WE ARE BUILDING THIS RESILIENCE PLAN, WE TALKED A LOT ABOUT IT.
AT THE END OF THE DAY, THAT PROJECT, THE RESILIENCE PLAN SHOULD ASSESS EVERYTHING YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT AND POINT US TO THE FUTURE FOR THE LITTLE THINGS THAT I DON'T THINK WE'RE DOING WELL AND MORE OF THE BIG THINGS THAT WE DO WELL, RIGHT? WHAT, WHAT'S A, WHAT'S A MAJOR LIFT FOR ISLAND RESILIENCY? BEACH REN NOURISHMENT, WHAT'S A MAJOR LIFT FOR ISLAND RESILIENCY? THE PUMP STATIONS AND THE LAWTON CANAL, I, THE WEXFORD PUMP STATION, WE DO THOSE THINGS WELL.
UM, BUT WHAT WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO DO IS, I, I I IT'S BLOCKING AND TACKLING, CLEAN THE DITCHES, LOOK AT THE PARKING LOTS THAT ARE FLOODING AND MAKE SURE HOMES AREN'T FLOODING, UM, UP, UP AND DOWNSTREAM REALLY.
SO I THINK THAT STORM WATER WILL PAY DIVIDENDS, BUT WE'RE GONNA KNOW A LOT MORE WITH THAT RESILIENCE PLANT.
IF I COULD JUMP IN, I, I, I'M GLAD WE'RE, WE'VE GOT SOMEBODY ON BOARD TO BEGIN THE RESILIENCE PLAN.
UM, BUT, UH, ALSO I KNOW WE'RE GONNA BE DOING A RATE STUDY, UM, WHICH WOULD BE TIED TO WHATEVER THE RESILIENCE PLAN NEEDS ARE AS WELL.
UH, AND, AND WHILE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT DITCHES, I, I HAVE TO MAKE A REQUEST FROM A CONSTITUENT WHO SAID
SO SOMEONE COULD JUST MAKE A NOTE ABOUT THAT.
I DON'T KNOW WHO OWNS THOSE
WELL, FOR CLARITY, SEAN IS TAKING THAT NOTE.
HE'S THE ASSISTANT TOWN MANAGER THAT HAS OVERSIGHT OF OUR ENGINEERING AND, AND, AND PUBLIC WORKS AREA AND STORM WATER FALLS WITHIN THAT.
AND I WOULD ECHO THE FACT THAT I'VE SEEN A LOT MORE, UH, A LOT CLEANER DRAINAGE DITCHES IN THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS.
SO THANKS TO THE TOWN STAFF, THE CURRENT TOWN STAFF, I'LL SAY FOR DOING THAT, AN IMPROVEMENT SALARIES AND BENEFITS, UH, AT 842,000, AN INCREASE OF 11.5%.
RIGHT? SO JUST THE OPERATING OF SALARIES AND BENEFITS IS GOING UP.
IT'S A LITTLE LOWER WHEN YOU LOOK AT GENERAL FUND, UM, BUT IT AVERAGED OUT OPERATING DOWN 10,000, BUT STILL CLOSE TO 200,000.
MONITORING 194 INVENTORY MODELING AND ANALYSIS CLOSE TO 700,000 POA SYSTEMS, CORRECTIVE MAINTENANCE, RIGHT? THOSE MAINTENANCE AND CAPITAL PROJECTS, 1.1 MILLION.
PUBLIC SYSTEM MAINTENANCE, THREE 20 ROUTINE MAINTENANCE, 101.2 MILLION, AND CHANGE PUMP STATION MAINTENANCE CLOSE TO 400.
AND THEN PRINCIPAL INTEREST AND FEES, 1.2 MILLION TRANSFERS OUT TO GENERAL FUND FOR OPERATING IN THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT AND OTHER, OTHER AREAS THAT ARE STORMWATER SUPPORTED OR THAT SUPPORT STORMWATER.
AND THEN A $1.1 MILLION TRANSFER OUT TO CIP QUESTION.
I SEE THERE'S, UH, NO ENTRY UNDER STORMWATER SPECIAL OBLIGATION BOND.
IS THAT BECAUSE IT'S UNDER THE DEBT SERVICE FUND NOW? THANK YOU.
SO, OUR SERVICE DELIVERY, RIGHT? WE, SOME YEARS AGO HAD THE ANOTHER FUND, STATE MANDATED UNFUNDED PERMIT.
OUR MS FOUR PERMIT IS A SPECIAL STATE PERMIT THAT WE HAVE TO, UH,
THERE'S FOUR NEW APPLICANTS, BUT OUR STORMWATER AGREEMENTS ARE STANDARD.
UM, THERE'S BEEN NO CHANGES TO THE AGREEMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN PUT IN PLACE HERE RECENTLY.
UH, YOU CAN SEE THE FOUR LISTED HERE, T VICTORIA SQUARE, JARVIS CREEK, BROAD CREEK LANDING, REVO ISLAND, OR APPLICANTS THAT ARE CURRENTLY, UM, HAVE APPROACHED THE ACCOUNT NUMBER OF AGREEMENTS WAS UPDATED SINCE MY LAST SLIDE, SO FORGIVE ME.
[02:15:01]
JEFF ON FRIDAY WITH SEAN, PAIRED 'EM ALL OUT.FOUR HAVE APPLIED AND PROCESS THOSE ACCORDINGLY.
CORRECTIVE AND ROUTINE MAINTENANCE.
OUT OF THAT TOTAL BUDGET, $2.7 MILLION FOR CORRECTIVE AND ROUTINE MAINTENANCE IN THESE AREAS.
NEW ORLEANS, DALLION, NORTHRIDGE, NORTH FOREST, AND TANGLEWOOD, UH, $1.1 MILLION INTO THE POA SYSTEMS AND PD, SEA PINES, HHP, CHINA BERRY AND PALMETTO HALL.
AND IN ADDITION TO THE PUBLIC SYSTEM MAINTENANCE OR THE ROUTINE, CORRECTIVE AND ROUTINE MAINTENANCE, ADDITIONAL ROUTINE MAINTENANCE ON POND MANAGEMENT, STREET SWEEPING, RIGHT? WE WEEKLY STREET SWEEP STREETS, ALL OUR PUB, A LOT OF THE PUBLIC ROADS AND PARKING LOTS.
UM, I SAW A CLUMP OF PINE STRAW TODAY.
MY FAVORITE LAYING ON A SEWER INLET IN THE ENTIRE ROAD WAS FLOODING BECAUSE A CLUMP OF PINE STRAW WAS LAYING ON THE SEWER, MY FAMILY CAR AND MOVE IT AWAY.
BUT I'VE SEEN HOMES FLOOD OVER THAT, THAT STREET SWEEPING, UM, HELPS WITH THAT.
THREE ROADS, RIGHT? CLOSE TO 35 MILES OF, OF ROADS, FOUR BRIDGES AND, AND ALL OF OUR PARKING LOTS, ESPECIALLY OUR BEACH AREA, PARKING LOTS, CHANNEL MAINTENANCE, 52 SITES TWICE A YEAR.
AND THEN ADDITIONAL SITES OR ADDITIONAL SERVICES WILL HAVE 53 SITES OR 54 SITES AFTER YOU ADD MS. BRYSON'S
MAINTENANCE WERE TO PRICE GROSS AGGREGATE VALUE OF STORM WATER SYSTEM, UH, OVER THAT.
BUT THE MAINTENANCE COSTS WE HAVE, THERE WOULD BE A PERCENTAGE THAT I THINK OVER TIME WE OUGHT TO BE TRACKING.
THAT'S A BIG ONE FOR STORMWATER.
DON'T LIKE GOING BACKWARDS AROUND, IS SITTING HERE WATCHING THE SCREEN SAYING, WHY ARE YOU GOING BACKWARDS? YOU'RE CONFUSING ME, MARK.
UM, BUT 30 YOUR 0.3 THIS, WE'RE SPENDING OUR, OUR, OUR, OUR DOLLARS ON A $7.5 MILLION ACCOUNT, RIGHT? WHICH WE'RE USING, WE'RE, WE'RE USING SOME, SOME PAST YEAR, YEAR DOLLARS, RIGHT? WE'RE USING PRIOR YEAR FUNDS, ONE POINT OR $2.1 MILLION.
AND YOU'LL SEE HERE THE MAINTENANCE, WHILE IT'S 1.2, 390 IN THE PUBLIC SYSTEM, THREE 20 AND 1.1 FOR A BARRIER ISLAND, WE ARE ONLY MAINTAINING OUR ISLAND AT THAT LEVEL OF COST WITH ONLY SEVEN PEOPLE.
THE REASON THAT THIS ISN'T MORE RIGHT, WE COULD, I COULD TRIPLE THAT, BUT I ALWAYS DON'T HAVE THE PEOPLE GETTING OUT THERE RIGHT IN THEIR BOOTS AND IN THE WOODS.
AND, AND WITH THAT INSPECTION MINDSET, UM, THAT THAT RATE, THAT RATE'S IMPORTANT, I DON'T WANNA JUST INCREASE THE RATE TO INCREASE IT.
I, I WANT TO KNOW AND GIVE YOU SOME CONFIDENCE OF WHAT WE'RE GOING TO ACTUALLY ACCOMPLISH IF THAT RATE CHANGES.
AND I HATE TO ASK YOU TO GO BACK.
BUT YOU CAN COME FORWARD THIS WAY TOWARDS, YEAH.
SO IN 25 POA SYSTEM MAINTENANCE, AND I SEE, UM, FIVE LISTED THERE.
I, AS LONG AS WE'RE MAKING REQUESTS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE OF US IN THIS SETTING, I'M CURIOUS.
IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT, UM, INDIGO RUN HAS SOMETHING THAT THEY'VE BEEN TRYING TO GET ATTENDED TO NOW FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS.
UM, AND I DON'T SEE IT ON THE LIST, AND I'M NOT SURE IF THIS ISN'T THE PLACE TO ANSWER ME, AND I APPRECIATE THAT.
BUT IF I CAN FIGURE OUT, UM, HOW WE GET INDIGO RUNS ISSUES, UM, SOLVED, I'D LIKE TO DO THAT.
YOU DO IT AND PROVIDE A RESPONSE TO YOU WITH COPIED ALL OF COUNSEL WITHIN.
TOMORROW, BY THE END OF THE WEEK IS WONDERFUL.
OUR RESILIENCE PLAN, I MENTIONED, WE, WE FIRST STARTED OFF SAYING WE NEED A SWOT ANALYSIS OF OUR ISLAND RESILIENCE, AND THAT, THAT, THAT PARLAYED ITSELF INTO A REAL PLAN.
[02:20:01]
AND PROJECT BASED CAPITAL PROJECTS.UH, SEVEN, SEVEN PROJECTS THEY'RE LISTED.
GUMTREE ROAD, JARVIS CREEK, OUTFALL MOONS, SHELL ROAD DITCH, WEXFORD DEBRIS SYSTEM, MAIN STREET, DRAINAGE, PALMETTO HALL, OUTFALL, AND HOWELL TRACK ACCESS CONTROL.
I'LL INVITE ANY OF YOU WHO YOU'D LIKE TO ATTEND AND TRAVEL AND TOUR WITH BRIAN MWE SOME OF SOME OF THESE PROJECTS, SOME OF THESE SYSTEMS. AND I'LL ALWAYS, ALWAYS SAID, I DIDN'T REALIZE BRIAN'S IN THE ROOM.
WE HAVE TWO OF THE VERY BEST IN THE BUSINESS ON OUR STAFF.
I ENCOURAGE YOU TO GO OUT AND SEE THE WORK THEY'RE DOING THROUGH PUMP STATIONS AND SOME OF THESE PROJECTS.
OUR DEBT SERVICE FUND IS FOR OUR LONG-TERM DEBT.
UM, PRIMARILY FUNDED THROUGH BEACH PRESERVATION AND INTEREST INCOME, PROPERTY TAX, REAL ESTATE TRANSFER FEES, TIFF AND HOSPITALITY FEES FOR DEBT THAT HAS BEEN PLEDGED SOME YEARS AGO, UM, FOR VARIOUS GEO BONDS, STORM WATER, LAND ACQUISITION, FIFTH DISTRICT AND, AND WHATNOT.
THE, THE, THE LIST IS A, IS A LONG LAUNDRY LIST.
OUR DEBT REVENUES ARE $16.7 MILLION.
UH, DIFFERENTIAL YEAR OVER YEAR IS, IS, IS 17 THREE, ALMOST 17 4, 17 0.4 MILLION LAST YEAR, 16 SEVEN THIS YEAR.
WE ARE USING AT A $14,000 OF INVESTMENT INCOME, $338,000 OF INVESTMENT INCOME THIS YEAR.
75% OF THOSE REVENUES ARE PAYING THE PRINCIPAL, 75% AT $12.6 MILLION OF PRINCIPAL.
AND THE ANTICIPATED DEBT FOR FUTURE TIFF IS PLEDGED HERE.
A TIFF IS A PROCESS, RIGHT? UH, THERE NEEDS TO BE A REDEVELOPMENT PLAN ATTACHED TO IT.
UM, THE TOWN HAS AN ISLAND AMONGST OTHERS, BUT HILTON HAD ISLAND CURRENT TIFF, UH, ON THAT MAP RIGHT THERE, RIGHT? THE 1, 2, 3, 4 COLORS ARE VARIOUS INITIATIVE AREAS, BUT ALL OF THOSE COLORS MAKE UP ONE TIFF CELEBRATION PARK, USCB, BUNCH OF OTHER PROJECTS IN EXCESS OF A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS OF CAPITAL PROJECTS AND INVESTMENT THROUGH THAT TIFF.
SO POTENTIALLY LOOKING AT MID ISLAND TIFF AND POTENTIALLY LOOKING AT THE STONY AREA, TIFF, I SIMPLY PUT SOME DOLLARS IN HERE FOR US TO LOOK AT IT.
AS I LOOK AT THAT, IT'S THE REASON I MENTIONED TO MR. STANFORD THAT OPERATING BUDGET AND HOW ALL OF THAT BALANCE IS OUT.
$102 MILLION OF DEBT HAS BEEN PAID DOWN AND REDUCED SINCE 2018.
THAT'S THROUGH 2024, AND WE WILL PAY DOWN AN ADDITIONAL 12.6 MILLION THIS FISCAL YEAR.
OUR DEBT SERVICE MILLAGE REDUCED FROM 5.9 TO FIVE FIVE AND 24 FOR THE REASSESSMENT.
UH, MILLAGE PROPOSED REMAINS THE SAME AND FLAT AT FIVE FIVE HERE.
BONDS ISSUED AFTER HURRICANE MATTHEW HAVE BEEN PAID FULLY.
THE TOWN GREAT FINANCIAL POSITION.
I, I KICKED OUR, OUR DISCUSSION OFF EARLIER TODAY, UM, SAYING THE SAME THING.
OUR STORMWATER BONDS ARE PAID THROUGH STORMWATER FUNDS, SO WE'RE NOT TAKING ALL OF THOSE OTHER FUNDS OR REVENUES AND PAYING STORMWATER.
THAT'S SOLELY THROUGH AND FOR STORMWATER.
AND I, ME, YOU'LL SEE HERE THAT A LOT OF OUR TIFF IS STARTING TO EXPIRE, 25, 25, 25 AND 26 FOR VARIOUS GEO SPECIAL OBLIGATION BONDS AND, AND SW DEBT.
I JUST, THAT, THAT THE CHART FOR A SECOND.
UM, BUT WE HAVE RECRE DECREASED DEBT IN EACH OF OUR LAST SIX YEARS, EG.
GEECHEE, HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOOD COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION IS OF COURSE OUR NEWER NONPROFIT, MR. BOXLEYS AT THE TABLE.
THE SOURCES OF REVENUE HERE ARE STATE AND COUNTY GRANTS AND BUDGET PROPOSED, WAS PREPARED BY THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS, PLACED BY TOWN COUNCIL AND, AND OXLEY OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR.
SO THANKS THOMAS FOR BEING HERE.
UM, NINE, MOST, MOST OF THE REVENUES COME FROM THAT PRIOR YEAR GRANT, RIGHT? SO WE RECEIVED A GRANT FOR $5 MILLION TO START UP AND $343,185 FROM BUFORT COUNTY.
THOSE $5 MILLION HAVE BEEN UNSPENT.
THEY REMAIN IN THE BUDGET, UH, AND, AND LEYS SALARY AND OPERATING HAS BEEN, BEEN REDUCED.
THE INITIAL ARPA FUND DOWN TO TWO 16 THIS YEAR.
[02:25:01]
REVENUE OF, OF 1, 2 5.SO GRANTS AND INCENTIVES AND LOANS ARE, OR I SHOULDN'T REALLY SAY LOANS, IT'S JUST GRANTS, 44% EXPENDITURES.
'CAUSE HERE, THIS, THIS IS A NEW, SO THE PROPOSED BUDGET SHOWS A $200,000 PERSONNEL AND BENEFIT, UH, COST OPERATING AT 65 PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AT THREE 10 GRANTS AND INCENTIVE LOANS AT 1.5 CAP OUTLAY AND LAND ACQUISITION AT ONE TWO, AND PROJECT EXPENSES AND CONTINGENCY FOR A TOTAL EXPENDITURE OF THREE FOUR IN A PLANNED ENDING FUND BALANCE, WHICH, WHICH ISN'T FAIR, BUT IT'S NOT FORMALLY IN FUND BALANCE YET PLANNED FOR CLOSE TO $2 MILLION FUND BALANCE.
UM, THIS FISCAL YEAR STARTED IN 2023.
THOMAS FOUND US, WE FOUND HIM IN NOVEMBER OF 23, AND THE BOARD APPROVED THE BUDGET FORWARD IN MARCH OF 2024 FOR PERSONNEL.
THOSE OPERATING EXPENSES, PROFESSIONAL SERVICES THEY HAVE AS A BOARD, UH, PROGRAM THAT THEY'RE INTENDING TO LAUNCH IS A SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM, AND AS WELL AS A BUSINESS ATTRACTION, RETENTION AND INVESTMENT PROGRAM.
AND TO PROVIDE SOME OF THAT $5 MILLION FOR LOANS FOR NEIGHBORHOOD AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES.
I THINK NEIGHBORHOOD SCALE AND A PROPERTY SCALE, RIGHT? CAPITAL OUTLAY POTENTIALLY FOR EITHER LAND OR INFRASTRUCTURE.
AND THEN VARIOUS MISCELLANEOUS PROJECT EXPENSES, LEGAL SUPPORT, PROPERTY OWNERS IMPACTED BY WILLIAM MILTON PARKWAY EXPANSION, VERY ROBUST PROGRAM, UH, A BUDGET THAT'S BEEN WELL THOUGHT OUT AND PUT TOGETHER FROM A PROGRAMMING STANDPOINT.
I'VE TALKED TO THOMAS YESTERDAY AND SAID, THIS IS GREAT.
I'M NERVOUS FOR WHEN IT ALL GETS STARTED BECAUSE, UM, HE'S HERE.
UM, WE ARE REALLY ALIGNING WITH THE PLANNING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT WITH THE HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOOD PLANNER, SEND OUR ASSISTANT TOWN CLERK SUPPORTS THOMAS.
AND I THINK OUR, OUR WORK THROUGH THE CDC IS JUST REALLY GETTING STARTED.
AM I MISSING ANYTHING YOU WANT TO ADD, SIR? UH, NO, THAT'S A VERY, VERY ACCURATE DESCRIPTION.
UM, YES, WE ARE JUST REALLY, UH, GETTING STARTED.
A MAJORITY OF, OF OUR WORK HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN, IN SOME PRE-PLANNING, AS WELL AS JUMPING RIGHT INTO, UH, ONE OF THE EMERGENT, UM, ISSUES, WHICH IS OUR, UH, WILLIAM HILTON PARKWAY EXPANSION.
UM, WE ARE EXCITED ABOUT, UM, ALSO PROVIDING, YOU KNOW, AS THAT PROJECT BEGINS TO, UM, COME TO COME TO A HEAD AND COME TO A CLOSE, ET CETERA, THAT, UM, THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO SUPPORT, UM, SOME OF THE RESIDENTS AND PROPERTY OWNERS IN THE STONY COMMUNITY WITH, UM, SHOULD THEY NEED SUPPORT IN LEGAL SERVICES AS, AS, UM, RIGHT OF WAY ACQUISITION BECOMES, UH, COMES TO THE TABLE AS WELL AS LOOKING AT HOW WE CAN HELP, UM, SUPPORT BUSINESS GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT AND, AND PROPERTY OWNERS IN THE, IN THE CORRIDOR.
SO THOSE ARE SOME OF OUR MAJOR INITIATIVES FOR THE NEXT CALENDAR YEAR.
SO, UM, SLIDE, WELL, ANYWAY, MAYBE IT WASN'T ON THERE.
BUT IN ANY CASE, THAT ONE, WHOOPS, SORRY.
THAT ONE, UM, ADRIANA NEXT TO THE BOTTOM,
SO CAPITAL OUTLAY FOR LAND EASEMENT ACQUISITION AND PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE.
THE ONLY PIECE OF THAT THAT I DON'T UNDERSTAND IS LAND ACQUISITION.
AND I DO UNDERSTAND LAND ACQUISITION, BUT ONCE LAND IS ACQUIRED, WHO DOES THAT LAND BELONG TO? THE NONPROFIT OR THE TOWN, OR WOULD, UM, BE THE PROPERTY OF THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION? AND IT WOULD FIT WITHIN OUR MISSION OF ACTUALLY PRESERVING GULLAH LANDS FOR FUTURE UTILIZATION BY GULLAH PEOPLE.
UM, AS WE BEGIN TO BUILD OUT THE INFRASTRUCTURE NECESSARY FOR, UM, FOR GULLAH PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THOSE 3 MILLION VISITORS AND THAT, UH, THAT $3.6 BILLION, UH, ECONOMIC IMPACT, WE LOVE TO BE ABLE TO CREATE, UH,
[02:30:01]
BUSINESSES IN THE HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOODS THAT CAN SUPPORT THE TOURISM INDUSTRY.LAND PRESERVATION, LAND PRESERVATION.
THERE MAY BE TWO INTERPRETATIONS OF WHAT PRESERVATION MEANS, NOT LOOKING AT NECESSARILY PRESERVING IT AS GREEN OPEN SPACE, BECAUSE IT COULD CONCEIVABLY BE PART OF A BUSINESS PLAN FOR THE COMMUNITY.
AND AS YOU KNOW, ADDITIONAL PARCELS BECOME AVAILABLE IN THE HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOODS.
WE WOULD LOVE TO BE ABLE TO ACQUIRE THOSE PARCELS WITH THE INTENT OF RESALE REDISTRIBUTION TO NATIVE ISLANDERS TO DEVELOP PEOPLE, UM, YOU KNOW, AS IT BECOMES AVAILABLE OR AS THEY BECOME READY TO BE PROPERTY OWNERS.
SO WE LOVE TO BE ABLE TO SET THOSE PROGRAMS IN MOTION IN THIS UPCOMING FISCAL YEAR.
AND, UM, AS, AS, UH, MR. ORLANDO MENTIONED, UH, YOU KNOW, MAYBE AT SOME POINT IN THE FUTURE, THE CONSIDERATION OF THE TIFF DISTRICT THAT WOULD HELP TO SUPPORT THE LONG TERM, UH, SUSTAINABILITY OF SUCH A PROGRAM WOULD BE WOULD BE WONDERFUL, UM, FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE.
UM, AND THANK YOU AND THANK YOU, DAVID, FOR THE DISTINCTION.
UM, SO I CAN SEE THE RATIONALE FOR THE PURCHASE OF THE LAND TO BENEFIT THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, UM, OF BUSINESS IN THAT, IN THAT AREA.
SO, UM, WHAT I HAS, SO A BIG QUESTION ABOUT AND WONDER ABOUT HOW TOWN COUNCIL'S INVOLVEMENT IN IT IS THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT THAT WOULD COME FROM THAT AND, UH, AND
AND, UM, I'LL BE EXCITED AND INTERESTED, UM, ALONG THE WAY.
AND ALSO KEEPING THAT GREEN SPACE AS PART OF ALL OF THAT IS, UM, WE, WE ARE WORKING VERY CLOSELY WITH THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, UH, WITH SEAN, HIS TEAM, MISSY, MISSY AND THE TEAM.
EVERYBODY IS, HAS LEANED IN AND IS ON BOARD, AND WE ARE ACTUALLY WORKING ON A COUPLE OF PROJECTS, UM, ON BEHALF OF SOME, UH, SOME OF THE NATIVE ISLAND GULLAH COMMUNITY, UM, AS WE SPEAK.
SO, UM, THERE'S A, A, A GREAT SYNERGY GOING ON AT THIS PARTICULAR POINT IN TIME.
MS. BRYSON, UH, QUICK, I'M REALLY GLAD YOU'RE HERE, MR. BOXLEY, AND, AND GLAD TO SEE THIS GETTING OFF THE GROUND.
UM, I KNOW YOU'VE ALREADY DONE A LOT OF GREAT WORK WITH THE, WITH THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS, AND I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT THE BOARD HAS COME TO US AND, AND BOARD'S, UM, BUDGET THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT.
UM, AND, AND THE ONLY NOTE THAT I WOULD HAVE, I'M GLAD YOU MENTIONED, UH, SOME SORT OF FUTURE FUNDING, UH, WHETHER IT BE A TIFF OR SOME OTHER WAY, UH, BECAUSE LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, THE BALANCE REMAINING, IF IT'S ALL SPENT IN THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR, WE, WE NEED TO FIND SOME MORE FUNDING SOURCE.
ANOTHER PART OF OUR FUTURE PROJECTIONS, UM, IS, IS HOW DO WE PROJECT FOR THE FUTURE FOR THIS PARTICULAR FUND AND, AND THE DEVELOPMENT CORPORATIONS.
THANK YOU, THANK YOU FOR THAT SUPPORT AS WELL.
WE WILL BE, UM, WE HAVE A 5 0 1 C3 APPLICATION PENDING.
I, I'LL BE BRIEF
AND SO ONCE WE, UH, ONCE WE RECEIVE THAT STATUS, WE CAN ALSO BEGIN TO FUNDRAISE IN DIFFERENT WAYS.
JUST FOR THE RECORD, ALL AM'S, HURRY AND ME
THANK YOU FOR PREPARING THE BUDGET.
I WOULD LIKE TO SAY A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO OUR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS, RIGHT? CHAIR, PEACHES PETERSON, AND THE BOARD.
COLLECTIVELY, I KNOW COUNCILMAN BROWN, COUNCILMAN AMES ON THE BOARD, BUT SEVERAL OTHERS THAT HELPED PREPARE THE, THE, THE BUDGET, BUT ALSO THINKING THROUGH THE PROGRAMS TO ALIGN THE BUDGET, NOT JUST COMING THIS YEAR, LIKE LAST WITH SOME PLACES.
MY LENS, I HAVE SOME CONFIDENCE TO KNOW HOW THOSE DOLLARS ARE GONNA BE PLEDGED AND REALLY WHAT I NEED TO DO TO SUPPORT MR. BOXLEY AS THE EXEC DIRECTOR INTERNALLY, AND THEN THE WHOLE ORGANIZATION.
IT'S DEFINITELY A TEAM EFFORT AND A TEAM SPORT HERE.
SO THANKS TO THE BOARD FOR BRINGING US SOMETHING THAT, THAT IS, THAT WE UNDERSTAND AND IS ALIGNED WITH THE DOLLARS THAT ARE AVAILABLE.
SO OUR HOUSING FUND ACCOUNTS FOR AND REPORTS THE COST ASSOCIATED WITH DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION AND DELIVERY OF THOSE STRATEGIES AND TACTICS IDENTIFIED BY YOU AT YOUR RECENT STRATEGIC PLANNING WORKSHOP SAID
[02:35:01]
THAT 50% OF THE FUNDS COME FROM PRIOR YEAR, RIGHT? THOSE UNSPENT FUNDS A TRANSFER OF A MILLION DOLLARS, 5% FOR AT TAX.SO ALL INCLUSIVE RIGHT? IS $4 MILLION A MILLION FROM STATE AT TAX UNLIKE LAST YEAR.
AND PUTTING THOSE DOLLARS AT LEAST PROPOSING TO PUT THEM IN THIS BUCKET, THIS FUND FROM STRAIGHT FROM AT TAX THAT WE USE THE ARPA FUNDS THAT ARE ALREADY PLEDGED FOR NORTH POINT AS A REVENUE STREAM, AND THAT PRIOR YEAR HOUSING FUNDS THAT YOU PUT AS A COUNCIL AND VOTED LAST YEAR, JUST MOVE THEM.
WE HAVE NOT SPENT ALL OUR DOLLARS THIS YEAR, NOR DID I BELIEVE WE COULD, BUT I THINK THE EXERCISE LAST YEAR WAS TO ESTABLISH A HOUSING FUND.
WE TRANSFERRED LAST YEAR, 2 MILLION FROM GENERAL FUND, A MILLION FROM ARPA, RIGHT? THE ARPA IS THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN, THE FEDERAL STIMULUS DOLLARS, COVID STIMULUS.
WE PLEDGED IT EVERYWHERE, UM, FROM HOME REPAIR TO LATERAL SEWER, UM, TO A MILLION PLUS TO COMMUNITY FOUNDATIONAL LOW COUNTRY.
BUT WE ALSO KEPT A MILLION DOLLARS FOR OUR NORTH POINT PARTNERSHIP TRANSFER FROM CAPITAL PROJECTS.
SO LAST YEAR THERE WAS AN ACCOUNT OR IN A FUND OF 3.35 APPROVED.
THIS YEAR, I'M PROPOSING A BUDGET INCREASE OF 4 MILLION, OR TOTAL BUDGET OF $4 MILLION TRANSFER FROM STATE A TAX.
THOSE ARE NEW DOLLARS PRIOR YEAR HOUSING FUNDS LAST YEAR, DOLLARS AND PRIOR YEAR.
SO ARGUABLY WE HAVE A $4 MILLION FUND REVENUE, UH, PROPOSED, AND A MILLION OF THAT IS NEW MONEY.
WE HAVE SAID THAT THE MAJORITY OF THE FUNDS, THERE ARE, I SHOULD SAY 37.5% OF THOSE ARE FOR THE MUDDY CREEK NEIGHBORHOOD, STABILIZATION, CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS, ROAD WATER, SEWER, STORM WATER, THOSE PHYSICAL IMPROVEMENTS THAT WILL IMPROVE QUALITY OF LIFE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND AT THE, AND AT THE, THE, THE RESIDENTIAL PERSON PEOPLE SCALE NORTH POINT A A MILLION DOLLARS INTO OUR PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT.
THERE'S 10% EARMARKED FOR SOFT COSTS.
THERE'S 0.2% HELD FOR OUR BUFORT JASPER HOUSING TRUST DUES.
I HAVE ASKED, WELL, MAYOR PERRY HAS ASKED ME, AND I'VE ASKED YOU FOR JASPER HOUSING TRUST TO HAVE THEIR, THEIR BOARD CHAIR AND OR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR COME TO TOWN COUNCIL SOON TO PROVIDE YOU AN UPDATE AND ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE.
AND THEN ALSO A MILLION DOLLARS PLANNED FOR BRYANT ROAD.
AND, AND AGAIN, YOU COULD APPROVE ANY, ANY WORK HERE, BUT I'M PLEDGING THE DOLLARS, A POTENTIAL PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP ON THE TOWN LAND THAT WAS ACQUIRED THIS PAST YEAR, THE SEVEN ACRES, THE OLD RO ROLLERS MOBILE HOME PARK, AS, AS PEOPLE TELL ME IT WAS CALLED.
SEE THOSE DOLLARS LAID OUT RIGHT THERE.
THE, THE MILLION DOLLARS, THE 1.5 FOR, FOR CIP SOFT AND INFRASTRUCTURE, A PARTNERSHIP FUND, HOUSING TRUSTEES, AND WORKFORCE HOUSING.
SOFT COSTS ARE BROKEN DOWN INTO LEGAL AND MARKET STUDIES AND DUE DILIGENCE, RIGHT? WE SPENT SOME SOFT COST DOLLARS ON NORTH POINT.
WE HAVE TO DO A FAIR HOUSING STUDY.
WE SPEND DOLLARS ON LEGAL WORK AND DOLLARS ON ASSESSMENT AND ARCHITECTURE AND AND WHATNOT.
UM, WE HAVE SOME FUNDING IN THERE FOR SOME HOUSING CONSULTING, UH, USE SPARINGLY IF WE NEED SOME HELP, HAVE A CHIEF HOUSING OFFICER.
I EXPECT THE CONSULTING TO GO WAY DOWN AND THE QUINCY TO BE READY TO MOBILIZE.
AND HE IS DOING A FABULOUS JOB, UM, UH, FOR US.
WE ALSO HAVE SOME PRINT MEDIA AND VIDEOS.
I, I WILL SHARE THAT, UH, TO ANTICIPATE FOR, UM, AND ON NORTH POINT IN THE FUTURE, I THINK THAT THAT BEGS A LITTLE MORE THAN JUST A PRESS RELEASE AND A FACEBOOK POST THAT A, THAT A VIDEO BE PUT TOGETHER TO FULLY EXPLAIN THE PROJECT, UM, TO OUR COMMUNITY AND POTENTIALLY FUTURE, FUTURE RESIDENT.
A LOT OF PEOPLE WILL BE WATCHING THIS PROJECT DEVELOPMENT OF A HOUSING DATA AND METRICS DASHBOARD.
UM, MOST OF THAT WORK WILL BE DONE IN HOUSE.
A LITTLE BIT OF THAT WORK NEEDS TO BE FOUND THROUGH SOME, SOME DATA ANALYSIS AND THEN SUPPORT PARTNERSHIP, BEAUFORT HOUSING TRUST.
SO A TOTAL BUDGET, WRAPPING IT BACK UP, $166,936,866, PROPOSED BUDGET.
[02:40:01]
TO MR. AMES POINT, THE INCREASE OF 19.9 YEAR OVER YEAR, A ADDITIONAL THIS YEAR, 16.5 OF THAT IS, IS PLUGGED INTO OUR BEACH RENOURISHMENT, UM, LINE ITEM ACCOUNT IN OUR CIP BUDGET HERE AT THE WORKSHOP.IF I DON'T STOP TALKING, WE CAN START THURSDAY'S WORKSHOP.
SO, SO WITH THAT SAID BEFORE, BEFORE I GO, BEFORE WE GO TO PUBLIC, UH, MY APPEARANCE BY CITIZENS, ANY FINAL COMMENTS FROM COUNCIL OR SORRY, ONE QUICK QUESTION ON, UM, REVENUE SIDE.
UM, THE HOSPITALITY FEE, UM, 2023, IT WAS A LITTLE OVER 3.2 MILLION THIS YEAR.
5.1 NEXT YEAR, SIX POINT, ALMOST 6.3, UM, YOU KNOW WHY THERE WAS A DIP IN 2023? PARDON ME? DO WE KNOW WHY THERE WAS A DIP IN THE HOSPITALITY FEE IN 2023? AND NOW BACK UP.
OBJECTION WAS USE PROTECTION, BUT OUR ACTUAL OKAY, THIS YEAR IS A MILLION MORE THAN LAST, UM, FOR THIS REASON, MILLION DOLLARS IN BALANCE FOR HOSPITALITY TO BACKFILL POTENTIAL REVENUE, UM, FOR A PARKING PROGRAM.
SO A COVID HANGOVER, IF YOU WILL, AS OPPOSED TO, I DIDN'T KNOW WHETHER THERE WAS SOME OTHER ABERRATION GOING ON.
AND, AND THANK YOU TO MR. ORLANDO FOR THE FINE JOB OF PRESENTING AND WORKING THROUGH COUNCIL TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR PRIORITIES ARE ALIGNING WITH OUR FINANCES.
UM, WE, WE ARE, UH, EXPERIENCED THE INFLUX IN OUR BOTTOM LINE OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS AND JUST TODAY THAT SORT OF, HE, ITS WAY INTO MORE INVESTMENT INTO OUR PROGRAMS, REALLY IN A LEVEL OF, OF SERVICE, RIGHT? WHICH EQUATES IN MY MIND TO QUALITY OF LIFE AS WELL.
I WANT TO CONTINUE TO REMIND US THAT 52% OF OUR BUDGET IS TRANSFERRED IN
A LOT OF THOSE REVENUE SOURCES, SOMETIMES ARGUABLY THE NUANCES, PROBLEMS, AND SO ON.
OKAY? UM, SO, UM, I THINK WE NEED TO ALWAYS BE MINDFUL OF THAT, THAT OUR PROPERTY TAX COLLECTION DOESN EVEN SUPPORT OUR FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES.
OKAY? SO, UM, WE'VE GOTTA BE RELIANT OF A, OF A STRONG ECONOMY HERE WHEN IT COMES TO A BUSINESS STANDPOINT AND EVEN A TOURISM STANDPOINT.
UM, SO WHAT I'M GOING TO CHALLENGE THE TOWN MANAGER WITH IS AS WE ARE REPORTING THROUGH FNA, WE MADE SOME ASSUMPTIONS, PARTICULARLY IN SOME OF THESE LINE ITEMS OF REVENUE THAT ARE MAYBE STARTING TO, TO DIP A LITTLE BIT.
UM, WE BE AWARE AS TO WHICH LINE ITEMS ARE DIPPING AND WHY THEY ARE DIPPING SO THAT WE ARE NOT MAKING DECISIONS THAT ARE MAYBE AFFECTING THOSE DIPS, RIGHT? SO I JUST ASK THAT OUR REPORTING BE, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT IN THAT, IN THAT, IN THAT MINDSET, UH, SO THAT WE CAN BE REPORTING BACK TO FULL COUNCIL AS TO WHERE AND WHEN WE NEED TO MAKE ADJUSTMENTS, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, OUR POLICY DECISIONS MAY BE AFFECTING SOME OF THAT UNDERSTAND? YES, SIR.
UH, MARK, UM, I REALLY DO HAVE TO RECOGNIZE AND THANK YOU FOR, I CONSIDER TO BE A THOROUGH AND VERY PRODUCTIVE SOURCING OF REVENUES BEYOND PROPERTY TAXES.
I MEAN, IF YOU GO OVER OUR, UH, THE PRESENTATION LINE ITEM BY LINE ITEM, THE NUMBER OF DIFFERENT SOURCES THAT YOU ARE UTILIZING TO KEEP PROPERTY TAXES DOWN IS REALLY SIGNIFICANT.
NOW, WE'RE FORTUNATE AS A COMMUNITY TO HAVE ALL OF THOSE, AND THAT'S WHERE WE GET INTO THE BALANCE THAT BROWN WAS JUST REFERENCING.
AND THAT IS HAVE A GOLDEN GOOSE IN THE NUMBER OF REVENUES THAT COME FROM TOURISM, BUT IT IS PLAYING HAVOC ON OUR CAPACITY TO MAINTAIN A QUALITY OF LIFE AND QUALITY OF EXPERIENCE.
SO I SEE THAT AS THE SIGNIFICANT CHALLENGE GOING FORWARD
[02:45:01]
FOR THIS, THIS COMMUNITY.BUT AGAIN, I THINK THAT THE BUDGET THAT YOU HAVE PREPARED, I SUPPORT, I'M VERY ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT WE CAN INVEST IN IMPROVING FACILITIES THAT WILL MATERIALLY CHANGE THE WAY WE CAN BEHAVE AND ENJOY THE COMMUNITY AND THE WAY VISITORS AND ENJOY MS. BECKER.
I DON'T HAVE MUCH MORE TO SAY OTHER THAN WHAT I'VE SAID ALREADY, UM, AND TO THE CONVERSATION THAT'S BEEN STARTED AS IT'S COME AROUND TO ME.
UM, I'LL JUST GO BACK AND REITERATE, UM, HOW PLEASED I AM THAT WHEN LOOKING AT THE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY AND THE, UM, TOWN, UH, MANAGEMENT OF STAFF, ET CETERA, THAT YOU HAVE A WATCHFUL EYE AND THAT WE'RE NOT SPENDING MORE THAN WE TAKE IN, AND THAT WE'RE COGNIZANT OF THE FACT THAT IT FLUCTUATES AND THAT COVID WAS A, UM, BIT OF A SPIKE.
AND MAYBE WE'VE, UM, ENJOYED THAT AND BEEN ABLE TO DO A FEW EXTRA THINGS, BUT NORMALCY ALWAYS COMES BACK, UM, TO US.
AND SO I TRUST, UM, YOU AND I APPRECIATE THE MANY CONVERSATIONS THAT WE HAVE WHEN I HAVE ALL OF MY QUESTIONS, SIMPLE QUESTIONS, SOME THAT YOU HELP ME THROUGH.
SO, UM, CONTINUE TO WATCH SO THAT THAT BALANCE IS THERE.
WE CAN ONLY AFFORD WHAT WE CAN AFFORD.
AND, UM, AND I APPRECIATE YOU.
FIRST I WANNA SAY I APPRECIATE HOW MUCH EFFORT YOU AND MR. HERRIMAN AND OTHERS HAVE PUT INTO PUTTING, PUTTING THIS HUGE DOCUMENT TOGETHER.
IT'S AMAZINGLY COMPLEX AND BOTH SEEM TO BE VERY MUCH ON TOP OF IT.
I, I AM PARTICULARLY PLEASED WITH THE AMOUNT OF TRANSPARENCY WITH WHICH YOU DEAL WITH, WITH THE COUNCIL.
UH, I HAVE OBSERVED FROM PRIOR EXPERIENCE, IT IS VERY EASY FOR FINANCE DIRECTORS TO WANNA PROTECT THE TOWN OF THE CITY AGAINST, UH, NEW EXPENDITURES BY THE COUNCIL.
THEY, THEY CREATE FUNDS FOR THE MONEY IS CAPTAIN, THE COUNCIL DOESN'T KNOW ABOUT IT.
UH, SO IT'S
I CALL THAT OLD SCHOOL DOESN'T HAPPEN HERE,
AND ANOTHER EASY THING THAT, THAT FINANCE DIRECTORS CAN DO, UH, IS, UH, GET TO A POINT WHERE YOU WANNA EXPEND X LEVEL OF DOLLARS, UH, DON'T HAVE THE REVENUES AGAINST IT, YOU JUST INCREASE THE ESTIMATED REVENUES.
UH, HAVING OBSERVED THOSE OVER THE YEARS, I, IT'S ANOTHER REASON I'M VERY COMFORTABLE WITH WHAT WE HAVE HERE WITH OUR FINANCE DEPARTMENT AND OUR TOWN MANAGER IN BEING FORWARD AND CONFIDING IN US AS TO WHAT'S WITH MR. STANFORD.
I THINK THIS IS THE SIXTH EPISODE OF THE TOWN BUDGET THAT I'VE EXPERIENCED.
EACH YEAR THEY'VE GOTTEN BETTER.
YOU GIVE US A THOROUGH EXPLANATION.
I HAVE NO IDEA HOW YOU KEEP IT ALL IN YOUR MIND AT THE SAME TIME, BUT YOU DO.
AND YOU'RE ABLE TO ANSWER THE QUESTIONS STRAIGHT AWAY WITH NUMBERS.
AND THAT IS REALLY FILLS A LOT OF CONFIDENCE IN THE STAFF AND ME, UH, IN TERMS OF WHAT YOUR LEADERSHIP PROVIDING TO US.
I DON'T THINK WE MENTIONED DISASTER FUND.
VERY IMPORTANT FOR US TO KEEP THE DISASTER FUND, UM, AT A LEVEL, UH, WHERE WE ARE PREDICTING, UH, WHERE WE COULD EXPERIENCE A STORM DAMAGE.
WE DON'T NEED THAT TODAY, BUT IF WE COULD GET A REPORT ON THAT, UH, AND HOW THAT HAS INCREASED AND APPRECIATED, UM, OVER THE YEARS SINCE MATTHEW DID THE PREVIOUS GREAT JOB.
SO I, I, I JUST REITERATE WHAT EVERYBODY HAS SAID.
UM, UNBELIEVABLE JOB BY, BY EVERYONE THAT, THAT BROUGHT THEIR BUDGETS FORTH, UM, FOR PRESENTATION.
UH, BUT NOW IS THE CHALLENGE OF EXECUTION, UH, OF THE, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE GO OVER THE CIP IN A COUPLE DAYS AND, AND GETTING THAT MOVING FORWARD.
BUT IT ALSO IS THE CHALLENGE OF UNDERSTANDING WHERE OUR REVENUES ARE GONNA GO.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE'VE RECENTLY HAD A CONVERSATION ABOUT WHAT IF, WHAT IF SO IN FOR THE COMMUNITY TO UNDERSTAND THAT THOSE CONVERSATIONS HAVE ALREADY STARTED.
YOU KNOW, IF REVENUES DO START DROPPING, HOW IS THAT EFFECT GOING TO AFFECT THE BUDGET? AND SO WE'RE LOOKING AT THAT AND, AND MOST LIKELY, WE ARE GONNA SEE A DROP IN REVENUES, UM, FROM THE, FROM THE HOSPITALITY AND ACCOMMODATIONS TAX
[02:50:01]
SIDE.UM, SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, JUST KNOW THAT THOSE CONVERSATIONS DO NEED TO COME THROUGH F AND A ON A REGULAR BASIS SO THAT WE'RE WELL AWARE AS TO WHERE THE TRENDS ARE HEADING.
UM, AND, AND WHAT DO WE MIGHT, WHAT, WHAT DO WE MIGHT NEED TO, TO ADDRESS OR DO, UM, BECAUSE OF THAT.
SO, UM, GOING FORWARD WHILE THERE'S, YOU KNOW, UNBELIEVABLE BUDGET, GREAT THINGS ARE COMING, WE'RE FINALLY TAKING CARE OF PROJECTS IN FISCAL YEAR 25 THAT HAVE BEEN ON THE BOOKS FOR A LONG TIME, HAVE BEEN DISCUSSED FOR A LONG TIME, FINALLY GONNA COME TO FRUITION.
THAT'LL BE GREAT, BUT WE ALSO HAVE TO LOOK BEYOND THAT AND MAKE CERTAIN THAT THAT'S A FOCUS.
UM, SO WITH THAT SAID, WE'LL OPEN IT UP TO, UH, OR YOU WANNA HAVE ANY CLOSING COMMENTS? YOU'VE SAID A LOT THANK YOU TO EVERY SINGLE STAFF MEMBER SITTING IN THIS ROOM.
I'M, I'M, I'M DONE TALKING AND I KNOW THAT
I HAD A GREAT PARTNER IN JEFF THIS YEAR.
JEFF STOOD IN, I TRULY CAN SAY NOW, I DON'T THINK JEFF KNEW WHAT HE WAS SIGNING UP FOR.
UM, BUT JEFF ROSE TO THE OCCASION.
WE DO HAVE A, A FINANCE DIRECTOR, A, A, A GREAT FINANCE DIRECTOR, AND A GREAT LEADER THAT WILL SOON JOIN US IN EARLY JUNE.
I THINK THAT, UM, WE'LL, WE'LL HAVE A BETTER YEAR NEXT YEAR WITHOUT THE BUDGET, SO THANK YOU.
OKAY, SO PUBLIC, UH, BY CITIZENS UP.
OKAY, DO WE MAKE SOME COMMENTS? TODAY? YOU ARE WATCHING BC TV LIVE, WORK, PLAY.
TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSES ARE A RARE, ASTRONOMICAL EVENT, AND IT IS A SPECIAL TREAT IF YOU HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO OBSERVE ONE.
SOLAR ECLIPSES OCCUR ABOUT TWO TO THREE TIMES PER YEAR.
BUT TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSES ONLY OCCUR ABOUT EVERY 18 MONTHS.
AND SINCE THEY'RE ONLY VISIBLE FROM A SMALL AREA ON THE EARTH, THE FREQUENCY OF SOLAR ECLIPSES AT ANY GIVEN PLACE IS QUITE RARE.
ON AVERAGE, A PARTICULAR LOCATION WILL EXPERIENCE A TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE ABOUT ONCE EVERY FOUR CENTURIES.
THE PREVIOUS TIME ANY PART OF THE CONTINENTAL UNITED STATES EXPERIENCED A TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE WAS IN 1979, AND THE PREVIOUS TIME A TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE SWEPT ACROSS THE ENTIRE COUNTRY WAS 1918.
THAT'S WHY THE TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE OF 2017 IS CALLED THE GREAT AMERICAN ECLIPSE.
EVERY SINGLE PERSON IN THE CONTINENTAL UNITED STATES EXPERIENCES AT LEAST A PARTIAL ECLIPSE, AND MOST OF THE COUNTRY IS WITHIN A DAY'S DRIVE OF THE PATH OF TOTALITY.
LUCKY FOR US HERE IN THE LOW COUNTRY, THE TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE IS RIGHT HERE IN OUR OWN BACKYARD.
THE FACT THAT SOLAR ECLIPSES EVEN OCCUR AT ALL IS SOMEWHAT SERENDIPITOUS.
IT TURNS OUT THAT ALTHOUGH THE SUN IS ABOUT 400 TIMES LARGER THAN THE MOON, THE SUN IS ALSO ABOUT 400 TIMES FURTHER AWAY FROM EARTH.
SO THE SUN AND MOON APPEAR TO BE JUST ABOUT THE SAME SIZE IN THE SKY WHEN CONDITIONS ARE RIGHT.
THIS ALLOWS THE MOON TO JUST COVER UP THE SUN AND CAST A SHADOW ON THE EARTH.
AND ECLIPSES WON'T HAPPEN HERE FOREVER.
THE MOON IS ACTUALLY MOVING JUST A FEW CENTIMETERS AWAY FROM THE EARTH EVERY YEAR.
SO AT SOME POINT IN THE DISTANT FUTURE, IT'LL BE TOO FAR AWAY FROM US TO APPEAR TO COVER UP THE SUN.
AND TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSES WILL CEASE TO OCCUR.
[02:55:02]
SOLAR ECLIPSES OCCUR WHEN THE MOON IS IN THE NEW PHASE AND WHEN THE EARTH, MOON AND SUN LINE UP JUST RIGHT SO THAT THE SHADOW OF THE MOON FALLS ON THE FACE OF THE EARTH.SO LET'S MODEL HOW THIS HAPPENS.
THIS FALL IS GOING TO REPRESENT THE EARTH.
IT'S ABOUT ONE INCH IN DIAMETER, AND THE EARTH IS ABOUT FOUR MOON DIAMETERS.
SO ON OUR SCALE, THE MOON IS ABOUT ONE QUARTER INCH.
YOU CAN FIT 30 EARTHS IN BETWEEN THE EARTH AND THE MOON.
SO IF THE EARTH IS ONE INCH, THAT MEANS THAT THE MOON AND THE EARTH ARE GOING TO BE 30 INCHES APART.
SO WHEN WE LINE THEM UP JUST RIGHT, YOU'LL NOTICE THAT THE MOON IS IN THE NEW PHASE.
SO THE SUN IS SHINING ON THE MOON, BUT WE ARE SEEING THE DARK SIDE FROM THE EARTH OVER HERE.
WHEN WE LINE UP JUST RIGHT, THE SHADOW OF THE MOON FALLS ON THE FACE OF THE EARTH, AND THE PEOPLE IN THAT LITTLE BIT OF SHADOW ARE SEEING A SOLAR ECLIPSE.
THEY LOOK, THEY'RE YELLOW, BUT THESE ARE THE MOON.
WHAT IS HAPPENING FOR THE PEOPLE RIGHT IN THERE UNDER THAT SHADOW SNOW? IT'S NIGHT IN THE WATER.
HEY GUYS, ECLIPSE SOUTH AMERICA.
SO IF WE HAVE A NEW MOON EVERY MONTH, WHY DON'T WE HAVE AN ECLIPSE EVERY SINGLE MONTH? AND WE'RE GONNA USE THIS DEMONSTRATION TO SHOW WHY THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN.
UH, THE BEACH BALL IS THE SUN, AND THE STRING IS THE PLANE OF THE EARTH'S REVOLUTION AROUND THE SUN.
THE EARTH'S REVOLUTION AROUND THE SUN IS AT A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT ANGLE THAN THE PLANE OF THE MOON'S REVOLUTION AROUND THE EARTH.
SO IF THE EARTH IS GOING AROUND ON THE STRING, THE HULA HOOP IS ABOUT FIVE DEGREES DIFFERENT.
AND SO ONLY ON OCCASION DO THE TWO PLANES INTERSECT, AND WE HAVE AN ECLIPSE DURING THE NEW MOON.
A SOLAR ECLIPSE GOES THROUGH STAGES STARTING WITH FIRST CONTACT.
THE FIRST TIME THE EDGE OF THE MOON'S DISC BEGINS TO CROSS IN FRONT OF THE SUN.
AS THE ECLIPSE PROCEEDS, MORE OF THE SUN'S DISC IS OBSCURED.
AND JUST BEFORE TOTALITY, BRIGHT RAYS OF LIGHT CALLED BAILEY'S BEADS APPEAR TO SHOOT OUT FROM THE EDGES OF THE MOON SHADOW.
THE VERY LAST FLASH OF LIGHT BEFORE THE SUN'S DISC IS TOTALLY OBSCURED.
IT'S CALLED THE DIAMOND RING FLASH.
DURING TOTALITY, THERE'S A DRAMATIC CHANGE IN THE ENVIRONMENT.
THE SKY GOES DARK AS IF IT IS NIGHTTIME STARS AND PLANETS BECOME VISIBLE ALONG WITH THE SUN'S OUTER ATMOSPHERE, WHICH IS CALLED THE CORONA.
THE AIR TEMPERATURE DROPS, AND EVEN ANIMAL BEHAVIOR CHANGES.
AS ANIMALS BECOME CONFUSED, THAT NIGHT HAS FALLEN.
IF YOU GUYS ARE GONNA LOOK AT THE ECLIPSE, YOU HAVE TO USE THESE SPECIAL GLASSES, PUT THEM OVER YOUR EYES, TURN AND LOOK AT THE SUN.
ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT CONSIDERATIONS FOR WATCHING A SOLAR ECLIPSE IS EYE SAFETY.
THE ONLY PART OF THE ECLIPSE THAT IS SAFE TO VIEW WITHOUT SPECIAL EYE PROTECTION IS TOTALITY.
DURING THE PARTIAL PHASES, YOU MUST USE SPECIAL ECLIPSE GLASSES, WHICH ARE CERTIFIED FOR SAFE DIRECT VIEWING OF THE SUN.
OR YOU CAN PROJECT AN IMAGE OF THE SUN ONTO A SURFACE USING A PINHOLE VIEWER LIKE THIS ONE.
ANY OPTICS SUCH AS BINOCULARS, TELESCOPES, OR CAMERAS MUST BE FITTED WITH SPECIAL SOLAR FILTERS ON THE APERTURE.
DO NOT LOOK THROUGH ANY DEVICE THAT IS NOT FITTED WITH A FILTER.
EVEN IF YOU'RE WEARING YOUR ECLIPSE GLASSES, A SOLAR ECLIPSE IS A RARE AND SPECIAL EVENT.
SO BE SURE TO BE PREPARED IF YOU HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO OBSERVE.
I AM WAYNE ELLI, PRESIDENT OF THE HUMANE SOCIETY OF THE UNITED STATES.
WE'RE OFFERING A $5,000 REWARD FOR INFORMATION LEADING TO THE ARREST OF ANY PERSON INVOLVED IN ANIMAL FIGHTING.
CONTACT US@HUMANESOCIETY.ORG TO HELP LAW ENFORCEMENT CRACK DOWN ON THIS CRIME.
THIS MESSAGE IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY BEAUFORT COUNTY ANIMAL CONTROL.