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CLOSED CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY BUFORT COUNTY
[I. CALL TO ORDER]
BUDGET WORKSHOP TO ORDER, STARTING WITH PUBLIC COMMENT[II. PUBLIC COMMENT]
PERTAINING TO AGENDA ITEMS ONLY.MARSHA, DO WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS? NO PUBLIC COMMENTS.
[III. WORKSHOP ITEMS:]
MOVE RIGHT ON TO WORKSHOP ITEMS. AND THAT WOULD BE THE GENERAL FUND,[1. General Fund]
THAT THREE MINUTE TIMER, MARK.GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
OR AFTERNOON, EARLY EVENING, WHICHEVER WE ARE AT.
UM, AS YOU KNOW, THIS IS OUR, UM, FIRST BUDGET WORKSHOP.
WE HAD THE FIRST READING OF THE BUDGET TUESDAY.
AND, UM, SO THIS IS OUR WORKSHOP THAT WE GO THROUGH, GENERAL FUND AS WELL AS, UM, SOME OF THE OTHER FUNDS.
AND THEN WE'LL DO CIP AT THE BUDGET WORKSHOP ON MAY 30TH.
AND THAT'S WHEN WE USUALLY ALSO HAVE SOME OF OUR PARTNERS HERE TO ADDRESS, UM, LIKE, UH, LUPTON, UM, BRE, THE PAM OF BREEZE, AS WELL AS, UM, MIND JUST CHAMBER.
THE, THE DMO TO TALK ABOUT THEIR PLAN FOR, UH, NEXT YEAR.
AND, UM, SO WE'LL HAVE THOSE AT MAY 30TH.
AND THEN WE HAVE SECOND READING SCHEDULED FOR JUNE 11TH AS WELL AS THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR THAT NIGHT.
SO SOME OF THIS IS GONNA LOOK FAMILIAR FROM THE OTHER NIGHT, SO I'M NOT GONNA SPEND TOO MUCH TIME ON IT.
'CAUSE IF YOU, IF ANYBODY'S NOT PRESENT, WOULD LIKE TO SEE, THEY CAN GO BACK TO THE, UM, PRESENTATION THAT I GAVE, UM, TUESDAY, UH, TO SEE THE, UH, DISCUSSION RELATED TO THAT.
SO, AGAIN, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT SOME OF THE ECONOMIC FACTORS.
UM, THE ONE THING I WOULD ADD THAT WE UPDATED, I THINK SINCE TUESDAY IS WE PUT IN THE NEW AREA MEETING INCOME FOR BEAVER COUNTY FOR 2024.
SO FOR YOUR REFERENCE, THAT HAS INCREASED FOR A INDIVIDUAL TO JUST, UH, TO JUST SHORT OF 74,500.
LAST YEAR IT WAS ABOUT 66 AND CHANGE ALMOST 67,000.
SO SINCE JUST 2024, THE AREA MEDIAN INCOME HAS GONE UP TO 47 OR TO 74, 480 FOR AN INDIVIDUAL PER, FOR ONE INDIVIDUAL.
FOR A FAMILY OF FOUR, IT'S LIKE 104,000.
BUT THAT'S THAT BOTTOM NUMBER RIGHT THERE.
I, WE, WE JUST GOT THAT NUMBER THIS WEEK.
SO WE UPDATED IT WITHIN THE PRESENTATION.
SO I WANTED TO MAKE SURE, JUST KIND OF POINT THAT OUT.
WE TALKED ABOUT ECONOMIC DRIVERS ON TUESDAY AND THEN SOME OF OUR OTHER ECONOMIC FACTORS, OUR BOND RATING, OUR CREDIT.
AND THEN WE ALSO TALKED ABOUT HOW THE GOAL OF THE BUDGET IS TO WORK TO DELIVER COUNCIL STRATEGIC PLAN PRIORITIES.
UM, AS WE DO STRATEGIC PLANNING, THE GOAL OF THAT IS TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE PRIORITIES FROM COUNCIL THAT ARE SHARED BY STAFF THAT WE MAKE SURE THAT WE PUT INTO THE BUDGET PROCESS TO WORK TO ACCOMPLISH.
SO AS YOU CAN SEE, WE'RE FOCUSING, UM, ON NUMEROUS THINGS THAT ARE IN STRATEGIC PLANNING, INCLUDING CAPITAL PROJECTS, AFFORDABLE HOUSING, UM, WATERSHED AND PARTNERS TO PROTECT, PARTNERSHIPS TO PROTECT, UM, OUR RIVER.
I'M GONNA GO THROUGH THE PROPOSED BUDGET.
UM, UH, SEVERAL DIFFERENT FUNDS.
WHAT'S THE, I DON'T KNOW, I WAS JUST LOOKING SPACING OFF.
SO IT'S TRYING TO, ANYWAY, I APOLOGIZE.
SOME OF THE SLIDES HAVE NOT LINED UP THE WAY WE HAD HOPED.
SO WE KNOW WHAT THEY ARE GONNA GO THROUGH.
THE GENERAL FUND SPECIAL REVENUE FUND, STORM WATER, UH, DEBT TONIGHT.
AND THEN, WE'LL, LIKE I SAID, WE'LL DO CAPITAL PROJECTS, UM, THE NEXT WEEK.
SO WE'RE GONNA GO THROUGH, UM, THE PROPOSED CONSOLIDATED BUDGET.
SO THIS IS ALL OF OUR FUNDS TOGETHER THAT WE'RE GONNA FOR THE OVERALL, UM, BUDGET, YOU CAN SEE THE GENERAL FUND SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS, STORM WATER, CAPITAL, AND DEBT.
UM, AS YOU CAN SEE OVERALL WE'RE ABOUT 1.8 MILLION BELOW.
MOST OF THAT IS IN THE REDUCTION FOR OUR CIP LIKE WE TALKED ABOUT.
I WILL MAKE A NOTE THAT THAT NUMBER HAS CHANGED, UM, SINCE TUESDAY BECAUSE WE, WE'VE, UH, FOUND OUT THAT WE'RE PRE-APPROVED FOR THAT 140 OR SHOULD BE APPROVED AT THE NEXT MEETING WITH THE REGIONAL HOUSING TRUST FUND FOR THAT 144,000 GRANT TO ASSIST WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSISTANCE PROGRAM WITH HOME
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RENOVATIONS.SO WE WENT AHEAD AND WE'VE UPDATED THAT NUMBER TO INCLUDE THAT POTENTIAL GRANT COMING IN.
SO THAT ADJUSTED OUR, UH, INCOME ON THE GENERAL FUND SIDE SLIGHTLY AND, UM, REDUCE THE AMOUNT THAT THE DECREASE WAS FROM TUESDAY.
SO, BUT IT IS, UH, EXACTLY A 2% DECREASE FROM THE CURRENT FISCAL YEAR AND YOU CAN SEE WHERE THAT'S COMING FROM.
SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS ARE DOWN, STORM WATER'S UP, UH, AND CIP IS DOWN.
AND THEN DEBT SERVICES UP SLIGHTLY TO LEAD TO WHERE WE ARE.
SO AGAIN, SOME OF OUR HIGHLIGHTS, THIS RECOGNIZES A LITTLE BIT OF SLOWDOWN IN THE GROWTH THAT WE'VE SEEN OVER THE LAST YEAR.
IT ALSO MAINTAINS OUR PROPERTY TAX MILLAGE THE SAME AS IT IS FOR OUR CURRENT FISCAL YEAR AT 36 MILLS.
AND AS WE TALKED ABOUT, THE GOAL IS TO FOCUS ON TOWN COUNCIL PRIORITY PROGRAMS AND THOSE ARE, SOME OF THOSE ARE OUTLINED THERE.
IT ALSO WORKS TO MAKE SURE WE STAY COMPETITIVE IN OUR PAY FOR OUR EMPLOYEES.
AS YOU'LL HEAR ME TALK ABOUT IT, YOU KNOW, WHEN IT, WHEN IT COMES TO OUR ORGANIZATION, HAVING QUALITY EMPLOYEES AND RECRUITING AND RETAINING THEM IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS WE DO TO BE ABLE TO DELIVER SERVICES TO OUR CITIZENS.
IT TAKES OUR EMPLOYEES AS WELL AS OUR EQUIPMENT AND FACILITIES TO BE ABLE TO DO SO.
SO MAKING SURE WE HAVE QUALITY IN ALL OF THOSE IS IMPORTANT.
AND THEN IT ALSO INVESTS IN OUR PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE.
THESE ARE WHERE MOST OF OUR CIP PROJECTS ARE THAT WE'LL TALK ABOUT, UM, IN A COUPLE WEEKS.
BUT IT'S A PUBLIC SEWER, STREET SCAPES, PARKS, AS WELL AS OTHER CAPITAL PROJECTS THROUGHOUT THE TOWN.
UM, WILL YOU GO SEE IF YOU CAN FIND THE, THE OLDER PRESENTATION? I, WE CAN RUN IT DIRECTLY FROM DMS OKAY.
'CAUSE IT'S GONNA DRIVE ME CRAZY THAT THIS IS OFF AS WE GO THROUGH.
UM, I'LL KEEP TALKING AND SHE PULLS THAT UP.
WELL, NO I WON'T, SHE, WELL WE GOT OUR BOOK RIGHT HERE.
IF YOU COULD TELL US, IF YOU COULD TELL US WHAT PAGE TO GO TO, WE COULD FOLLOW ALONG OR NO, YOU DON'T HAVE THE PRESENTATION DO YOU? NOAM? SO, UM, GIVE US JUST A MINUTE BECAUSE IT DOES HAVE SOME BUDGET NUMBERS IN HERE THAT AS WE GET IN TO THE, UM, MEAT OF THE GENERAL FUND, WE START TALKING ABOUT SOME OF THE OBLIGATIONS AND BUDGET NUMBERS THAT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH THAT.
AND I'D RATHER Y'ALL BE ABLE TO SEE THOSE.
STEVEN, YOU MENTIONED PALM DEBRIS A MINUTE AGO.
DID YOU SAY THEY WERE COMING IN TO SPEAK TO US? WE INVITE THEM TO COME IN AND SPEAK AT THE SECOND ONE 'CAUSE WE, WE CAN CERTAINLY USE THAT UPDATE.
AND, UH, ONE THING I'M CURIOUS ABOUT, I DON'T KNOW WHETHER THEIR PATH HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED, IT'S BEEN ENOUGH TIME, BUT THEY HAD TALKED ABOUT BUILDING THOSE LITTLE, UM, BUS STOPS.
MM-HMM
TRACY, CAN I SAY THAT TO THE P OR SOMETHING? IF YOU WANT YEAH, WE CAN GIVE IT.
SEE IF IT'S, I'M JUST SAVING IT RIGHT IN THE P DRIVE.
MAYBE IF YOU SORT BY DATE MODIFIED, HOPEFULLY IT'S POPPING AT THE TOP.
THANK Y'ALL FOR YOUR PATIENCE.
SO EVERYTHING IS ALIGNED THERE NOW.
UM, AS WE GET INTO OUR INNER AGENCY PARTNERSHIPS.
AS YOU WERE ASKING ABOUT PALMETTO BREEZE, WE WANTED TO HAVE THE NUMBERS UP HERE SO YOU CAN SEE WHAT THOSE PARTNERSHIPS REPRESENT WITHIN THE BUDGET AND THE UM, WHAT'S BEING ALLOCATED ASSOCIATED WITH THAT.
SO AS YOU CAN SEE, PALMETTO BREEZE IS JUST ABOUT A HUNDRED SHORT, JUST SHORT OF ABOUT $150,000 FOR OUR AREA LOCAL MATCH.
AND THAT'S BASED ON, UH, OUR CALCULATION OF POPULATION THAT IS SERVED BY THE, UM, SERVICE.
SO THAT'S WHERE OUR NUMBER COMES FROM.
AND IT IS THE SAME AS IT WAS THE YEAR BEFORE, UH, PUBLIC DEFENDER CONTRACT.
UM, WE'RE RECOMMENDING TO EXTEND THAT AGAIN FOR NEXT YEAR.
UM, AND THEN WORKING WITH THE TOWN, UM, WITH USCB FOR, UM, THEIR LAB AND, AND MICROBIAL TESTING.
WE HAVE A AGREEMENT WITH THOSE, UH, AUTHORIZED LAST YEAR TO UPDATE THE AMOUNTS AND FOLLOW ALONG
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WHAT THAT COST IS.THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON AMBASSADOR PROGRAM, THAT'S TO CONTINUE THAT FROM PREVIOUS YEARS.
AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE OUR PARTNERSHIPS WITH BEAUFORT COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND, UM, THE ONE PRIVATE SCHOOL TO PROVIDE SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS.
SO THAT GIVES YOU THE BREAKDOWN OF WHAT THAT IS.
AND THEN DON RYAN CENTER FOR INNOVATION.
AND THEN A NOTE FOR OUR ACCOMMODATIONS TAX, AS WE'VE TALKED ABOUT, WE ARE GONNA BEGIN RECOMMENDING TO USE THE 15% THAT THE STATE AMENDED THE LAW TO ALLOW US TO USE, UM, FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
WHAT WAS BEING RECOMMENDED IS FOR 15% THAT IT WE'RE ALLOWED TO TAKE WITHIN THE STATE TO GO TO OUR CIP PROJECTS, WHICH WOULD BE LIKE OUR, UM, THE PROJECT AT 10 95 MAY RIVER ROAD THAT WE'RE GETTING READY TO, UH, GROUND BREAK ON THE 30TH.
THAT WOULD BE FUNDS THAT COULD BE USED TO SUPPORT PROGRAMS LIKE, OR PROJECTS LIKE THAT.
AND THE OTHER 15% WITH THE LOCAL AID TAX WOULD GO TO OUR GENERAL FUND TO SUPPORT PROGRAMS LIKE OUR NEIGHBORHOOD ASSISTANCE PROGRAM, OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH THE REGIONAL HOUSING TRUST AND OTHER TYPE OF, UH, PARTNERSHIP PROGRAMS. AND AGAIN, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ON ANYTHING AS I GO THROUGH, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO STOP AND I'LL BE MORE THAN GLAD TO GO AND TO, UM, ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
SO AS WE DO EVERY YEAR WE REVIEW OUR MASTER FEE SCHEDULE.
THERE ARE, UM, A COUPLE FEES THAT WE'RE LOOKING TO ADDRESS.
ONE IS ADDING A USB THUMB DRIVE COST.
UM, USED TO BE YOU COULD PUT EVERYTHING ON A CD DRIVE.
SO IF IT STARTS GETTING TO A POINT WHERE WE NEED TO GET LIKE A FOUR GIG OR EIGHT GIG THUMB DRIVE, THERE'S A COST FOR, UM, TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THAT TO SOMEBODY IF THEY COME IN AND ASK FOR A TON OF DOCUMENTS THAT ENDS UP PUSHING BEYOND WHAT WE CAN GET ON A CD DRIVE.
UM, SO THE REQUEST FOR THAT IS TO, UH, PUT IT IN THERE FOR $20 TO COVER THE COST FOR US TO BEING ABLE TO MAKE, TO KEEP THOSE AND ALSO PROVIDE THAT TO THEM TO KEEP.
UM, UNDER GROWTH MANAGEMENT FEES, THERE'S A, UM, AN AMENDMENT TO THE BUILDING SAFETY FEES AND THAT'S TO JUST ADD ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE TO ABOUT THE FOURTH COPY OF BUILDING PLANS FOR RECHECKING AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
AND KEVIN'S HERE IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ON EXACTLY WHAT THAT ENTAILS.
UM, I HAD TO LOOK FOR A SECOND BECAUSE HE WAS COOKING TODAY FOR RICHARD'S RETIREMENT PARTY, SO I DID NOT RECOGNIZE HIM WITH HIS HAT ON IN THE MEETING.
UM, AND THEN, UM, THE PLAN CHECKING FEES FOR DOING REMARKING RECHECKING OF RESIDENTIAL PLANS, RECOMMENDING THAT IT GO FROM 50 TO A HUNDRED TO BE CONSISTENT WITH OTHER FEES THAT WE CHARGE, UM, WITHIN PERMITTING FEES.
DOES EACH TIME YOU CHECK THAT'S ANOTHER A HUNDRED? YES.
SO THAT'S, UM, SO DO WE, WE NORMALLY HAVE FOUR RECHECKS OR THREE OR WHEN, WHEN, UH, WHAT, WHAT, WHAT THEY LOSE PLANS IF SOMEONE LOSES A PLAN AND THEN THEY COME IN AND THEN THEY WANT TO GET A, ANOTHER STAMPED COPY OF IT.
WE THEN HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT THE PLAN THAT THEY ARE BRINGING IN MATCHES WHAT WAS ACTUALLY APPROVED TO THEN BE ABLE TO STAMP THAT.
AND IT'S, IT IS VERY TIME CONSUMING TO MAKE SURE, 'CAUSE YOU HAVE TO RE YOU HAVE TO LOOK THROUGH THE ENTIRE SET OF PLANS AND THAT MIGHT BE 30 OR 40 PAGES WORTH OF INFORMATION TO MAKE SURE THAT IT IS CONSISTENT WITH WITH WHAT, WITH WHAT WAS APPROVED.
SO THE ONLY OTHER WAY YOU COULD DO IT IS JUST PRINT THE ENTIRE RIGHT PLAN AND STAMP IT BECAUSE YOU KNOW YOU'D BE PRINTING THE SAME THING THAT YOU GOT EARLIER.
BUT YOU WOULD STILL HAVE THE TIME AND THE EXPENSE OF YES.
PRINTING SET OF PLANS ON PLOTTER AND THAT COST WOULD PROBABLY BE SIMILAR.
ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS FOR KEVIN OR MIKE? AND THEN, UH, THE OTHER ONE WE HAD IN HERE WAS THE STORM WATER MANAGEMENT FEE.
AND WE, UH, DISCUSSED THIS WHEN WE UM, WENT THROUGH THE INITIAL BUDGET.
UM, AND TARGET, MOST OF IT IS ADDING A REINSPECTION RESULTING FROM A STOP WORK ORDER.
UM, SO IF WE DO A STOP WORK ORDER AND THEY HAVE TO GO OUT AND DO A REINSPECTION BEFORE THEY CAN START WORK UP AGAIN, THAT'S PART OF THAT STOP WORK ORDER, THERE WOULD BE AN ADDITIONAL FEE FOR THEM TO COME OUT AND DO THAT.
REINSPECTION, IT'S PART OF THAT, UM, DISCOURAGING PEOPLE FROM GETTING TO A POINT WHERE WE HAVE TO ISSUE A STOP WORK ORDER, BUT ALSO THE FACT THAT STAFF HAS TO GO OUT AND ACTUALLY INSPECT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'VE GOT EVERYTHING IN PLACE BEFORE WE CAN RELEASE THEM BACK OUT TO WORK.
ANY QUESTIONS ON THAT? HOW MANY OF THOSE DO YOU HAVE A YEAR NOTICE OF VIOLATIONS? IT'S IN THE, OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, I DO NOT KNOW SIR.
IT'S IN THE MONTHLY UPDATE THOUGH FROM THE DEPARTMENT AND WATERSHED KEEPS A RUNNING TALLY OF
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STOP WORK ORDERS AS WELL AS NOTICES OF VIOLATION AND A BAR CHART THAT'S PRESENTED.I CAN LOOK THAT UP AND SEND YOU EMAIL, BUT I JUST DON'T KNOW OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD.
YOU DON'T KNOW WHETHER IT'S A LARGE NUMBER OR A SMALL NUMBER OR STOP WORK ORDERS RELATIVELY FREQUENT.
BUT WOULD YOU SAY STOP WORK ORDERS IS ONCE A WEEK? YEAH, I ONCE EVERY COUPLE OF WEEKS.
SO NOTICE OF VIOLATION IS WHEN YOU ACTUALLY FIND THEM POTENTIALLY, YES SIR.
BUT BASICALLY YOU'RE GIVING THEM A NOTICE OF VIOLATION WHENEVER YOU TELL 'EM TO STOP DOING WHAT THEY'RE DOING.
THEY, YOU ARE GETTING INTO LEGAL AND I'M GONNA LOOK AT RICHARDSON AND I'M GONNA LOOK TO YOU, MY COURT LADY.
I DON'T DEAL WITH THE LEGAL SIDE OF STORM WATER.
SO I, IN THE ENFORCEMENT AND RESPONSE PLAN, YES THERE ARE THE INSPECTIONS.
YOU ARE FOUND NOT TO BE COMPLIANT.
YOU CAN BE GIVEN A NOTICE OF VIOLATION AND A REINSPECTION IF YOU FOUND NOT TO BE A COMPLIANT.
AGAIN, IT CAN GO TO A CITATION, WHICH THEN WOULD COME INTO THE COURT, UM, DEPENDING UPON, THAT'S REALLY, THESE ARE THE ILLICIT DISCHARGE DETECTION, RIGHT? THESE ARE PEOPLE DISCHARGING FROM RVS SEWAGE ONTO THE GROUND.
UM, AND WHEN WE GET TO THOSE CASES, FIRST OFF WORK ORDERS, THIS IS TYPICALLY NON-COMPLIANCE FOR SEDIMENT AND EROSION CONTROL ISSUES.
SO FOR EXAMPLE, LIKE STOCK WORK ORDER, WE FOUND SOMEBODY WHO, UM, OR DE DIRT SOMEWHERE.
UH, FOR, FOR EXAMPLE, WE HAVE ONE ON I THINK BUCK ON SIMMONS OR SIMMONS WHERE THEY WERE MOVING DIRT, UM, UP NEAR, UM, WHERE BRIDGET LIVES, THEY WERE ACTUALLY WENT OUT AND WERE GRADING AND THEY HAD PULLED UP SOME, ACTUALLY THE COVERS OFF OF SEPTIC TANKS, PUT A STOP WORK ORDER, TOLD 'EM TO COME IN.
SO BEFORE THEY'D BE ABLE TO DO ANYTHING, THERE'D BE A FEE AND, AND ALL THAT FOR US TO GO BACK OUT AND MAKE SURE THEY HAD EVERYTHING IN PLACE BEFORE THEY COULD START BACK UP.
SO AGAIN, IT'S KIND OF A, UM, A PENALTY FOR OPERATING WITHOUT DOING THINGS PROPERLY.
THAT'S JUST LIKE WHEN THE GUYS WERE CUTTING THOSE TREES DOWN AND STUFF ON MCC ISLAND.
RIGHT? IT WAS FROM EAGLES FIELD WHEN I CALLED YOU THAT DAY.
AND YES, THEY DIDN'T HAVE THEIR PERMITS SO YEAH.
AND THEN, THEN WE PUT A STOP WORK ORDER OUT THERE 'CAUSE THEY DIDN'T HAVE THEIR SEAL FIN SO THEY DIDN'T HAVE ANYTHING IN PLACE.
SO WHEN STORMWATER HAS TO GO OUT AND ACTUALLY INSPECT BEFORE THEY CAN START BACK, THAT'S WHAT THAT FEE IS FOR.
WOULD YOU LIKE THE NUMBERS? OH, THANK YOU HEATHER.
WOULD YOU, THIS IS FOR THE YEAR.
SO FOR 2024 YEAR TO DATE FOR A LEAGUE, UM, NOTES OF VIOLATIONS WE'VE HAD 14 AND THEN, UH, CITATIONS WE'VE ISSUED 15.
SO THAT MEANS THAT MORE THAN LIKELY WE'VE HAD TO A COUPLE THAT HAD TO GET A COUPLE CITATIONS BEFORE THEY CAME INTO COMPLIANCE.
AND THEN WE'VE HAD 30, UH, ILLEGAL DISCHARGE INVESTIGATIONS THAT WE'VE DONE THAT LED TO 14 NOTICE OF VIOLATIONS AND 15 CITATIONS.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON US? ALRIGHT, SO WE'RE GONNA GET INTO THE GENERAL FUND NOW, UM, AGAIN, THIS IS WHERE THE TOWN'S PRIMARY OPERATING FUND, WHERE WE OPERATE DAY TO DAY OUT OF.
TALKED ABOUT A VALUE OF OUR MILL ON TUESDAY AND HOW IT HAS INCREASED ABOUT, UM, ABOUT, UM, $90,000 OVER THE PREVIOUS FISCAL YEAR FROM THE GROWTH AND THE, UH, VALUE OF PROPERTY GOING UP.
AS YOU CAN SEE, AGAIN, WE'RE PROPOSING TO KEEP OUR MILLAGE THE SAME AT 36 MILLS.
AND THEN 1.7 FOR OUR DEBT SERVICE MILLAGE RATE.
SO WHERE DO THE REVENUES COME FROM? THIS PIE.
DOING THE PIE CHART FIRST, THEN WE'LL GO INTO THE NUMBERS.
UH, AS YOU CAN SEE, PROPERTY TAXES, LICENSE AND PERMITS ARE OUR TWO BIGGEST.
UM, DO HAVE A SLIDE IN HERE TO SHOW OUR GRANTS AND ENTITLEMENTS.
'CAUSE AS WE MENTIONED, THAT NUMBER ACTUALLY WENT UP FROM LAST TIME BECAUSE WE HAVE A POTENTIAL NEW GRANT.
SO WE'LL GO THROUGH KIND OF WHAT WE'VE GOTTEN GRANTS FOR TO, UM, SHOW WHERE THAT NUMBER IS MORE THAN DOUBLED WHERE IT WAS THE PREVIOUS YEAR.
YOU SEEM TO DO ALL THE, UH, PROPERTY TAXES GO INTO THE GENERAL FUND.
EXCEPT FOR THE TIF GOES INTO THE TIF FUND.
UM, BUT ANYTHING ELSE THAT IS PROPERTY TAXES GO DIRECTLY INTO THE PROPERTY TAXES.
SO TIF FUND TAXES GO TO PAY THE TIFF.
SO THAT GOES INTO A WHOLE DIFFERENT FUND SET OF PROPERTY TAXES.
AND THE TIFF GO TO THE DEBT SERVICE FUND, RIGHT? FUND DEBT SERVICE AND PROJECTS THAT ARE WITHIN THE TIF.
AND THE OTHER 50% OF TIF REVENUE GOES DIRECTLY TO GENERAL FUND.
AND THEN WHEN THE EXPIRES, ALL OF THAT REVENUE WILL,
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WILL START GOING DIRECTLY TO THE GENERAL FUND.SO WHAT I'M, WHAT I'M, AND I'LL JUST NEED CLARIFICATION, I KNOW Y'ALL SMART.
SO ON THE CONSOLIDATED BUDGET YOU HAVE, UM, A PROPOSED PROPERTY TAXES OF 15,000,159, AND THEN ON THE GENERAL FUND YOU HAVE A PROPOSAL OF 10 MILLION.
SO WHERE DOES THAT, I'M TRYING TO FIGURE WHERE DOES THAT OTHER 5 MILLION GOER, SORRY, SAY THAT AGAIN.
ON THE, ON OUR PROPERTY TAX COLUMN, ON, ON THE GENERAL FUND BUDGET, ON PAGE 66 TO PROPOSE BUDGET FOR PROPERTY TAXES AS 10 MILLION FOR THIS YEAR FOR 25, UM, 24 WAS NINE TWO.
BUT IF YOU LOOK AT THE CONSOLIDATED BUDGET, THE 24 REVISED BUDGET WAS 12,000,873.
THE PROPOSED 25 BUDGET THERE IS 15,000,159.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT IS GOING TO THE DEBT SERVICE FUND.
THAT'S YOUR 5 MILLION, THAT'S YOUR TAXES.
I WASN'T THINKING IT WOULD NUMBER, THAT'S WHAT IT'S 4.7.
SO IF YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT THE NUMBERS, HERE'S THE NUMBERS ON THE REVENUE SIDE, AND THAT'S WHERE YOU'RE REFERRING TO WITH THE PROPERTY TAX AT 10 MILLION, THAT'S ABOUT A SEVEN, ABOUT 8% INCREASE OVER WHERE IT WAS PREVIOUS YEAR.
UM, TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE MUNICIPAL MUNICIPAL ASSOCIATION INSURANCE TAX.
UM, THAT'S WHAT THEY COLLECT AND DISTURB, UH, DISTRIBUTE BACK TO US GOING UP ABOUT, UM, 18%.
SEE AGAIN, BUILDING PERMITS GOING DOWN ABOUT 30% BASED ON WHAT OUR TRENDS ARE FOR WHAT WE'VE SEEN WITH GROWTH PERMITTING AND MAKING SURE THAT WE STAY, UM, REALISTIC ON OUR EXPECTATIONS OF THEIR, UM, BASED ON AS WE MOVE FORWARD IN THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR.
AND THEN GRANTS AND ENTITLEMENTS, LIKE I MENTIONED EARLIER, THAT'S UP ALMOST A HUNDRED PERCENT.
AND, UM, THE VAST MAJORITY OF THAT IS IN A POLICE GRANT THAT WE RECEIVED.
AND I WILL, WE HAVE A SLIDE IN HERE TO GO THROUGH THAT A LITTLE MORE IN DETAIL.
SO THE GRANTS AND ENTITLEMENTS, AS YOU CAN SEE, IT'S A LITTLE SHORT OF $3 MILLION FOR THIS YEAR.
UM, AND THAT'S ABOUT, AGAIN, DOUBLE OF WHAT IT WAS LAST YEAR.
MOST OF THAT IS LOCAL GOVERNMENT FUND.
WE RECEIVED THAT FROM THE STATE IS GOING UP.
AS THEY INCREASE THEIR BUDGET, THEY'RE REQUIRED TO, AS THEIR BUDGET INCREASES, THEY'RE REQUIRED TO INCREASE THEIR CONTRIBUTION UP TO 5% DEPENDING ON THE BUDGET.
UM, THE FEDERAL GRANT WE RECEIVED FROM, UH, SENATOR GRAHAM'S OFFICE THROUGH, UM, WORKING ON THAT, WE WERE GETTING, UH, 1.348 MILLION FOR POLICE EQUIPMENT UPGRADES.
THAT'S GOING FOR PORTABLE RADIOS, TASERS, CAR CAMERAS, BODY CAMERAS, UM, PORTABLE FINGER FINGERPRINT MACHINE AND SO FORTH.
IN PARENTHESES IT SAYS TAKE PLACE A POLYGRAPH TEST.
SO YES, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? UM, SO WHAT A LOT OF AGENTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY ARE DOING IS THEY'RE GOING TO A VOICE DRESS ANALYZER, WHICH IS PROVEN TO BE MORE ACCURATE THAN A POLYGRAPH.
AND ANY OFFICER COULD GET DRAINED IN IT.
AND THEY USE THESE, THEY ACTUALLY MEASURES THE STRESS IN YOUR, IN YOUR VOICE WHEN YOU'RE ASKING THE SAME QUESTIONS AS YOU WOULD ON A POLYGRAPH.
UH, RIGHT NOW WE PAY OUR POLY FOR $400 EVERY TIME HE COMES IN.
AND SO WE WOULD HAVE OUR OWN OFFICERS BE ABLE TO DO THAT.
NOW
PART OF OUR HIRING PROCESS IS WE DO A POLYGRAPH FOR EVERY OFFICER THAT, UH, THAT EVERYBODY THAT'S IN THE HIRING PROCESS, THEY DON'T GET TO THAT POINT UNTIL THEY GET THROUGH SOME OF THE OTHER STEPS.
BUT THEY ARE, BUT WE DO A POLYGRAPH FOR EVERY POTENTIAL CANDIDATE THAT THIS WILL ALSO, THIS WILL ALSO SPEED UP THE PROCESS AS WELL BECAUSE IT, FOR EXAMPLE, WE HAVE TWO PEOPLE SCHEDULED FOR POLYGRAPH DOWN.
HE CAN'T SEE 'EM FOR ANOTHER TWO WEEKS.
AND SO THIS WILL SPEED UP THE PROCESS.
IT'S MORE ACCURATE, IT'S PROVEN ACCURATE, AND IT'S DOWN THE LINE.
IT'S GONNA BE LESS, MORE, MORE EFFICIENT FOR US.
CAN IT BE USED IN A COURT OF LAW? YES, IT CAN.
WELL AS EVIDENCE OR I DON'T THINK IT'S RECOGNIZABLE CRIMINAL COURT CASES, BUT NEITHER IS POLYGRAPH.
SO YOU GONNA GET RID OF ALL YOUR TASERS? UM, CAN I HAVE THE OLD ONE
SO THE FIRST ONE ON THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT FUND, IS THAT A PASS THROUGH LOW COG OR DOES THAT PASS DIRECTLY TO THE, IT PASSES TO THE MUNICIPALITIES
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FROM THE MUNICIPAL ASSOCIATION OR, OR THROUGH THE, FROM THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA.AND REGARDING THE 1.3, ALMOST $1.4 MILLION GRANT FROM THE FEDERAL, UH, GOVERNMENT.
SO DID WE REQUEST THIS PARTICULAR DOLLAR AMOUNT OR OR IS THIS SOMETHING HE JUST FELT THAT HE COULD GET FOR US OR WE REQUESTED A PARTICULAR DOLLAR AMOUNT.
UM, WE HAD EQUIPMENT THAT WAS COMING UP FOR REPLACEMENT MOSTLY, UM, RADIOS, UM, THE TASERS, UM, THE RADIOS IS THE BIG ONE.
THEY'RE HAVING TO UPDATE OUR RADIOS TO MEET REQUIREMENTS BY 2025 OR 26 26.
SO WE WERE ACTUALLY LOOKING AT A THREE YEAR REPLACEMENT CYCLE WHERE IT TOTALS SEVERAL HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS EACH YEAR.
AND SO WE REACHED OUT TO SENATOR GRAHAM'S OFFICE AND SAID, WE KNOW WE HAVE THIS COST, IS THERE ANY WAY WE CAN GET A GRANT TO OFFSET THAT? AND WE ADDED THAT OUR MO OUR UM, UH, MIDDLE MOBILE DATA COMPUTERS, WHAT THEY KEEP IN THE CARS AND SO FORTH, THINGS THAT WE KNEW WE WERE COMING UP ON REPLACEMENT AND ASKED.
AND THAT'S WHAT THE TOTAL ENDED UP COMING UP TO BE.
AND SENATOR GRAHAM WAS WILLING TO PUT THAT IN HIS EARMARKS AND IT PASSED THE BUDGET.
SO WE WERE, HE WE ASKED AND HE PROVIDED.
WHAT, JUST ON THAT SAME THING, IS THERE A NUMBER OF ASSOCIATED TO, TO THIS? LIKE, ARE WE GETTING 20, ARE WE GETTING 40? ARE WE GETTING 10 OR RELATED TO LIKE THE RADIOS OR THE WELL, YEAH, ALL, EVERYTHING THAT WE'RE GETTING.
EVERYTHING THAT THIS MONEY CAN BE USED FOR, BASICALLY, YOU KNOW, THE DATA COMPUTERS DOWN OF WHAT WE REQUESTED.
I MEAN IT'S A PRETTY MUCH WE'RE REPLACING EVERY RADIO AND BASE STATION WITHIN ALL THE RADIOS WILL BE FOR THE RADIOS WILL EVERYBODY WILL GET A NEW RADIO HAND TASERS AND YES, SIR.
SO WE'RE NOT JUST REPLACING A PART, WE'RE REPLACING.
I WAS JUST WONDERING HOW MANY WE CAN GET THE BREAK DOWN OF WHAT THE REQUEST AND TELL YOU LIKE WHAT ALL IT'S NOT.
I MEAN, IF THAT'S WHAT IT IS, I'M FINE WITH THAT.
I DIDN'T KNOW IF WE'RE GETTING 10 OF EACH OR WE'RE GETTING ENOUGH TO OUT THIS.
WE'RE LIKE WITH THESE, WE KNEW WE WERE GETTING TO THE POINT WHERE WE HAD TO REPLACE ALL OF THEM.
SO INSTEAD OF TRYING TO FIGURE THIS OUT AND BUDGET LIKE A THIRD, A THIRD, A THIRD AND DO THIS EVERY THREE YEARS, WE, WE ASKED SENATOR GRAHAM AND JUST TRIED TO KNOCK IT OUT ALL AT ONCE.
AND I'LL HAVE TO THANK UM, FELICIA.
UM, I, I SENT IT TO HER AND CHRIS AND SAID, HEY, IS THIS SOMETHING WE THINK WE CAN GET IN ON? AND SHE HAD LITERALLY LIKE, WHAT, LIKE 30 HOURS TO SUBMIT IT, PULLED IT TOGETHER AND WE ENDED UP GETTING IT.
UM, SO FOR THE SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS, THOSE ARE STATE GRANTS THAT GO TO THE SCHOOL DISTRICT AND THEN THEY FUND THOSE TO US AND THEY PAY FOR 75% OF THE OFFICERS.
UH, SO OUR SWORN OFFICERS ARE CLASS ONES.
AND THEN FOR OUR NEW SRO CLASS THREE, IT'S A HUNDRED PERCENT THEY PAY FOR AND THEY OPERATE OFF OF THE SAME SCHEDULE AS THE LINK TEACHERS DO.
UM, AND THEN A LOCAL GRANT, AGAIN, WE ADDED THIS IN WHERE WE PRE HAVE PRE-APPROVAL FOR FUNDING, UM, FOR $144,000 GRANT.
AND THAT'S UP TO $9,000 PER HOME TO ADD TO OUR NEIGHBORHOOD ASSISTANCE PROGRAM AND BE ABLE TO ALLOW IT TO GO FURTHER AND HELP MORE PEOPLE NEXT.
AND JUST TO NOTE, WE'RE NOT REPLACING ANY FUNDING THAT WE PUT IN PLACE WITH THIS.
WE'RE ACTUALLY SUPPLEMENTING THE FUNDING THAT WE ORIGINALLY, SO YOU'LL SEE WHEN WE GET TO THERE, UM, THE ORIGINAL WE HAD PUT IN THERE WAS $400,000 FOR THAT PROGRAM.
SO WHERE DO THOSE FUNDS GO? IN THE GENERAL FUND, AGAIN, TALKED ABOUT HOW WE LIKE TO TAKE CARE OF OUR PEOPLE.
A LITTLE OVER HALF GOES FOR SALARIES AND BENEFITS.
ABOUT A THIRD GOES TO OUR OPERATING, UH, A LITTLE OVER 3% TO CAPITAL OUTLAY AND THEN A LITTLE OVER 3% GOES TO CAPITAL FUNDS FOR PROJECTS OR CIP FOR PROJECTS.
AND I HATE TO ASK THIS AGAIN 'CAUSE YOU TOLD ME LAST TIME CAPITAL O OUTLAY IS ANYTHING THAT WE'RE PURCHASING OVER THOUSANDS.
SO HERE'S THE NUMERICAL BREAKDOWN OF THAT.
AND THEN ONE OF THE THINGS I WANTED TO HIT IS BECAUSE YOU CAN SEE THE OPERATING INCREASING SIGNIFICANTLY OVER LAST YEAR IS WHAT IS MAKING UP THAT.
SO IT'S UP ABOUT TWO AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS.
UM, SOME OF THAT IS THE OPERATIONS OF THE, THE NEW WELCOME CENTER THAT WE'RE OPENING.
THERE'S A COST TO OPERATE THAT AND EXPAND OUR CIVIC EVENT PROGRAMS, THAT'S CONCERT MOVIE SERIES AND SO FORTH.
UM, DOING A A PARKS MASTER PLAN STUDY, WE'RE DOING A LOT OF, UM, WE'RE WRAPPING UP A LOT OF IMPROVEMENTS ON OUR PARKS.
WE'RE GETTING TO THE POINT WHERE I WANT TO DO A STUDY OF THE PARKS.
WE HAVE LIKE, UM, THE ONES WHERE WE'RE ACQUIRING LAND AND SEE WHAT OUR NEXT PROPOSED, WHAT WE'RE MISSING, WHAT GAPS WE HAVE.
SO WE CAN BRING THAT BACK TO COUNCIL DURING
[00:30:01]
STRATEGIC PLANNING AND, AND WORK AND SAY, OKAY, HERE'S, HERE'S WHAT WE OFFER HERE, HERE'S WHAT WE OFFER THERE, HERE.'CAUSE WE'VE GOT OTHER PARKS THROUGHOUT THE TOWN WE HAVEN'T REALLY PROGRAMMED YET.
'CAUSE WE HAVE LAND OUT NEAR NEW RIVERSIDE.
WE HAVE THE LAND THAT WE'VE BOUGHT ON BUCK WALTER, OR SORRY, NOT BUCK WALTER, BUCK ISLAND.
AND TRY TO LOOK AND SEE WHAT WE WANT TO DO AND WHAT MAY BE RECOMMENDED TO BRING BACK TO COUNCIL FOR THAT.
SO, SO ALL OF THOSE, THOSE TWO, STEVEN, ARE TOTALLY OUTSIDE OF A, OF NOT INCLUDED IN THE ACTUAL CIP CORRECT.
BECAUSE IT'S A STUDY, NOT A ACTUAL, WHAT IT WILL DO IS GENERATE CIP OR, OR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS FOR FUTURE YEARS.
SO WE WOULD DO THE STUDY FOR NEXT YEAR AND THEN IT WILL GENERATE THE PROJECTS FOR FUTURE YEARS, UM, AND REALLY GIVE US WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR AS LIKE A FIVE, 10 YEAR PROJECT LIST TO BRING TO COUNCIL SO THAT WE CAN START PROGRAMMING AND PLANNING AND BUDGETING FOR THOSE THINGS.
I ALWAYS ASK AND YOU ALWAYS ANSWER MC RILEY, ANY, ANY WORD FROM THE COUNTY? THE LAST I HEARD FROM THE COUNTY IS THEY ARE WE, WE GAVE THEM AN IDEA OF SOME IMPROVEMENTS THAT WOULD BE BENEFICIAL OUT THERE.
THEY'RE KIND OF REDOING THE BASEBALL FIELDS.
THEY SEEM INTERESTED IN MOVING FORWARD WITH THAT.
YOU TOLD THEM YOU SEEM INTERESTED IN MOVING FORWARD WITH DOING IMPROVEMENTS TO MC RILEY? NO IDEA.
WHEN I HAVE NOT RECEIVED ANY UPDATE ON WHEN THAT TIMEFRAME MAY BE.
I'VE ALSO TOLD THEM THAT SHOULD THEY NOT WANT TO MAKE IMPROVEMENTS ON THAT AND IT'S A PARK, THEY, THAT THE TOWN MAY BE INTERESTED IN TAKING THAT PARK OVER.
BUT AS OF NOW, UM, THEY SEEM INTERESTED.
THEY HAVE A NEW PARKS DIRECT DIRECTOR.
UM, THEY'RE WAITING TO SEE WHO THEIR NEW ADMINISTRATOR'S GONNA BE.
BUT THAT IS SOMETHING I THINK THAT THEY HAVE AS AN INTEREST IS TO MOVE FORWARD WITH DOING SOME RENOVATIONS OUT THERE.
BUT UNTIL THEY GET PERMANENT LEADER WITHIN THE COUNTY, I WON'T KNOW WHETHER THAT'S GONNA BE SOMETHING THAT'S A PRIORITY OR WHAT THE TIMEFRAME MAY BE.
UM, I HIT ON THESE A LITTLE BIT, UH, UH, ON TUESDAY, A COUPLE NEW PROGRAMS THAT ARE, UM, RECOMMENDED FOR OUR EMPLOYEES.
ONE IS THE HOME BUYER ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.
THE OTHER IS, UM, AN EMPLOYEE WELLNESS CLINIC WHERE THEY WOULD BE HERE, UM, A FEW, UM, SEVERAL HOURS THROUGHOUT THE WEEK.
UM, WE HAVE THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSISTANCE PROGRAM IN THERE, LIKE I SAID THAT WITH THE GRANT, THAT'S 144,000 THAT WOULD BE INCREASED TO THAT AS WELL AS WE'RE LOOKING TO, UM, FUND IT AT A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS HIGHER THAN WHAT WE DID IN THE CURRENT FISCAL YEAR.
AND THEN AGAIN, THE BIG ONE IS THE POLICE.
THE, THE FUNDING WE'RE GETTING FROM THE GRANT, THE 1.3 MILLION THAT'S MAKING UP OVER HALF OF WHAT THAT INCREASE IS IN THE OPERATING.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS I WANTED TO KIND OF SHOW ON THERE IS WITH THE STUDY, UM, THE TEMPORARY, LIKE THE GRANT THAT WE'RE GETTING FROM THE, FOR THE EMPLOYEE, THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSISTANCE PROGRAM AND THE, AND THE EQUIPMENT FOR THE PD, ALMOST, UM, LIKE 70% OF WHAT WE HAVE, THAT'S THAT INCREASE IN OPERATING IS ONE TIME FUNDS THAT ARE SHOWING THAT REVENUE, THAT EXPENSE GOING UP.
UM, LIKE I SAID, 1.3 MILLION OF IT'S THE GRANT FOR THE POLICE AND THAT'S DONE THAT REVENUE WILL DISAPPEAR OFF OR EXPENSE WILL DISAPPEAR OFF THE BOOKS.
SO SOME OF THE OTHER EXPENDITURE HIGHLIGHTS TALKING ABOUT, UM, 2%, UH, COLA FOR EMPLOYEES, AGAIN, LIKE TO SHOW WHAT THAT ACCOUNTS TO WHEN WE LOOK IN THE BUDGET.
SO DOING A 2% INCREASE FOR PAY FOR ALL OF OUR EMPLOYEES IS ABOUT $278,000.
MERIT INCREASE IS 140, UH, $4,000.
WE HAVE BOTH OF THOSE WITHIN THE BUDGET ALSO INCLUDES THE PTO UH, BUYOUT PAYOUT OPTION FOR 25 HOURS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
UM, YOU CAN SEE THE INCREASE TO OUR EMPLOYEE HEALTH INSURANCE AT 11.8% IS OVER $200,000.
AND THEN THE NEW POSITIONS THAT ARE, ANY QUESTIONS ON THOSE NUMBERS OR WHAT THOSE ARE? UM, I JUST, I ALWAYS LIKE Y'ALL TO UNDERSTAND LIKE WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT DOING A 2% KOHL OR 2% MERIT, WHAT THAT ACTUALLY I LIKE IT RELATES TO IN THE BUDGET.
UM, AND THEN THE NEW POSITIONS PROPOSED, UM, FOR THE WELCOME CENTER, LIKE I TALKED ABOUT ON TUESDAY, WE PROPOSE A FULL-TIME AND PART-TIME POSITION TO, TO RUN THAT, THAT POSITION.
THOSE TWO POSITIONS ARE REPORT TO LINDY AND UNDERNEATH DEBBIE'S TEAM.
UM, AND COMMUNICATIONS AND COMMUNITY OUTREACH, UH, AND THE POLICE, I MENTIONED THE FULL-TIME COMMUNITY RELATIONS MANAGER.
AND THEN, UM, THERE'S ONE ADDITIONAL PART-TIME POSITION TO INCREASE CROSSING GUARDS TO EIGHT.
THAT'S THE ONE I MENTIONED AT MAY RIVER THAT AGAIN, THAT WILL BE GRANT COVER.
THAT WILL BE PART OF OUR AGREEMENT WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.
SO THAT'S AT NO ADDITIONAL COST TO
[00:35:01]
THE TOWN.AND THEN PUBLIC SERVICES, WE ARE RECOMMENDING THREE PUBLIC SERVICE WORKER POSITIONS.
SO ALL OF THOSE, I MEAN ALL THAT'S BASICALLY REVENUE NEUTRAL.
SO FOR THE THE THINGS LIKE THAT, THE, THE CROSSING GUARDS AND DIFFERENT THINGS THAT WE ARE BEING REIMBURSED FOR.
THE ONLY ONES THAT NOT ARE NOT REVENUE NEUTRAL ARE THE COMMUNITY RELATIONS MANAGER FOR THE POLICE AND THE PUBLIC SERVICE WORKERS.
UM, RIGHT, THE CROSSING GUARD.
THE, THE PEOPLE, UH, THE, THE PART-TIME AND FULL-TIME AT THE, OUT, OUT AT THE WELCOME CENTER, THOSE WILL BE FUNDED BY ACCOMMODATIONS, HOSPITALITY TAXES, THINGS THAT WE CAN TRANSFER IN BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT THOSE FUNDS ARE AVAILABLE FOR IS TO OPERATE THOSE KIND OF PROGRAMS. SO WE'LL BE COVERING THEM UNDERNEATH THOSE FUNDS.
BUT WITHIN THE GENERAL FUND, THE ONLY TWO, THE ONLY POSITIONS THAT WILL BE TRUE NEW EXPENSES WITHOUT FUNDS TRANSFERRING IN TO COVER THEM ARE, UM, THE COMMUNITY RELATIONS MANAGER AND THE THREE PUBLIC SERVICE WORKERS.
SO I'VE STARTED, I STARTED ADDING THIS IN LAST YEAR.
'CAUSE ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE ALWAYS TALK ABOUT IS MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE WORKING TO GET OUR PAY UP FOR OUR EMPLOYEES.
UM, RIGHT NOW OUR MINIMUM HOURLY RATE IS 2040 AN HOUR.
AS WE WORK TO INCREASE COLA, THAT NUMBER WILL CONTINUE TO GO UP.
BUT WE'VE MADE IT, UM, AN EFFORT OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS WITH THE PUSH FROM COUNCIL TO GET OUR MINIMUM PAY UP TO $20 AN HOUR.
SO THAT WILL CONTINUE TO CLIMB.
UM, AND WE DO HAVE THE CLASS AND COMPENSATION STUDY INCREASE IN HERE AS WELL.
SO BETWEEN THE MERIT AND THE CLASS AND COMP, EVERYBODY WILL BE ELIGIBLE FOR BETWEEN TWO TO 7% INCREASE BASED ON THE CLASS AND COMP STUDY.
AND THE GOAL IS TO IMPLEMENT THAT CLASS AND COMP STUDY OVER THIS YEAR, THIS NEXT FISCAL YEAR BUDGET 24 25, AS WELL AS A 25 26 BUDGET.
UM, AND THE GOAL WOULD BE THAT ANYBODY WHO IS AT, UM, 14% BELOW THEIR MARKET RATE, THEY WOULD GET 7% THIS YEAR AND 7% NEXT YEAR.
IF YOU ARE SAY 10% BELOW MARKET RATE, YOU WOULD DO YOUR 7% THIS YEAR AND THEN YOU WOULD GET THE 3% NEXT YEAR.
SO WE DIDN'T HAVE THE FUNDS TO KIND OF TAKE THAT BIG BITE OF THE APPLE ALL AT ONCE.
SO WE WANTED TO DO SOME THIS YEAR AND LOOK AT DOING SOME NEXT YEAR SO WE CAN TAKE CARE OF OUR EMPLOYEES, BUT IMPLEMENT IT YEAR OVER YEAR.
UM, THE ONE THING I WOULD MENTION WITH THAT IS THE CLASS AND COMP DID NOT INCLUDE OUR OFFICERS.
IF YOU REMEMBER BACK IN, I THINK IT WAS OCTOBER, UM, WHEN WE ADJUST, UM, DID ADJUSTMENT TO MILLAGE RIGHTS, UM, FOR, UM, ASSESSMENT.
UM, WE ADJUSTED COUNT, WE ADJUSTED POLICE OFFICER PAY AT THAT TIME.
UM, WHAT THE GOAL WOULD BE IS, AND AND CHIEF AND I HAVE TALKED ABOUT THIS IS LATER THIS CALENDAR YEAR FOR HIM TO DO A STUDY OF SEEING WHERE HE IS IN COMPARISON TO HIS RELATED DEPARTMENTS AND BRING ANY PROPOSED CHANGE HE MAY HAVE FOR THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR WHEN WE'RE LOOKING TO DO THE SECOND YEAR IMPLEMENTATION FOR THE, THE CLASS AND COMP IS TO GET THE RE THE SECOND STEP OF CLASS AND COMP AND ANY INCREASE THAT MAY NEED TO INCLUDE THE POLICE AS WELL.
SO THAT WOULD BE AS PART OF THE 25, 26 BUDGET.
OF COURSE YOU SAID THAT, UM, YOU'RE STILL WORKING TO GET MINIMUM WAGE, I MEAN THE $20, UM, MINIMUM TO ALL EMPLOYEES.
WE, WE WERE, I I SAID WE, WE, AND WITH Y'ALL'S INPUT, WE WORKED TO GET IT TO THERE.
OKAY, SO THIS YEAR WHEN WE DID OUR COLA IT WAS 2%.
SO WHEN WE DO OUR COLA AGAIN THIS YEAR, WE'LL GET UP RIGHT AT $21 AN HOUR.
UM, WHAT I LIKE TO SHARE WITH THIS IS YOU CAN SEE LIKE WE HAVE 25, CURRENTLY 25 EMPLOYEES THAT ARE WITHIN THE BOTTOM BRACKET.
AS YOU CAN SEE THEY START MOVING UP.
SO WE'RE GETTING PEOPLE UP WITHIN THEIR, THEIR THEIR COMPENSATION UP.
UM, THAT'S KIND OF REPRESENTED HERE.
SO I SHOWED THIS LAST YEAR AS WELL, SO I WANTED TO SHOW IT AGAIN THIS YEAR.
SO IN THE CURRENT FISCAL YEAR WHEN WE STARTED, OUR AVERAGE WAGE THAT EMPLOYEES GOT WERE $72,000.
AND THEN AFTER OUR COLA AND OUR MID-YEAR MERIT INCREASE, WE'RE CURRENTLY SITTING WHERE THE AVERAGE PERSON, THE AVERAGE SALARY IS JUST SHORT OF $75,000.
AND OUR MEDIAN SALARY IS JUST, UH, OVER $68,000 WITH WHAT'S PROPOSED WITH CLASS AND COMP AS WELL AS OUR MIDYEAR 2% MERIT.
WE'LL BE PUSHING WHERE OUR AVERAGE, UH, WAGE IS JUST SHORT OF JUST RIGHT AT $80,000 AND OUR MEDIAN IS JUST SHORT OF 72.5.
SO THAT GIVES YOU AN IDEA OF JUST SINCE THE START OF THIS CURRENT FISCAL YEAR TO WHERE WE'LL BE AT NEXT FISCAL YEAR, WE'RE LOOKING AT A, UM,
[00:40:01]
A ALMOST A $7,500 INCREASE, WHICH IS MORE THAN 10% INCREASE FOR OUR AVERAGE RATE OVER THE LAST, UM, THAT'D BE ALMOST 18 MONTHS.SO AGAIN, OUR GOAL WITH, WE KNOW WITH, UH, INFLATION, WITH THE COST OF LIVING HERE HOMES AND ALL THAT, WE'RE WORKING TO CONTINUE TO GET OUR AVERAGE PAY UP AND OUR MEDIUM PAY UP FOR OUR EMPLOYEES TO, TO, UM, TO STAY WITH OUR, OUR MARKET WITHIN THIS AREA OUTSIDE OF WORKING TO GET OUR, UM, THE, THE PAY ADDRESSED.
WE ALSO WANNA MAKE SURE OUR EMPLOYEES ARE SUPPORTED.
SO THIS INCLUDES OUR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND STAFF CERTIFICATIONS THAT WE WORK TO KEEP FOR ALL OF OUR EMPLOYEES.
UM, ALSO WORKS TO KEEP OUR GARBAGE SERVICE FOR OUR EMPLOYEE, FOR OUR EMPLOYEES, FOR, WELL SOME OF THEM THAT LIVE IN THE TOWN
IT ALSO, UM, RECOGNIZES THE INCREASE THAT, UM, OUR ESTIMATED INCREASE BASED ON OUR CONTRACT WHERE IT'S CAPPED OUT.
SO WE GO AHEAD AND KIND OF, WE ASSUME IT'S GONNA INCREASE AT THE MAX AND MAKE SURE WE'RE ADDRESSED FOR THAT.
WELL, WE, WE DID THAT AT THE TIME OF REASSESSMENT AS WELL.
WE ALLOCATED, WELL WE DID, BUT THEN EVERY YEAR THEY HAVE IN THEIR CONTRACT AND THEY HAVE A CPI THAT THEY CAN GO UP AND IT'S CAPPED, I THINK AT 3%.
SO THEY CAN GO UP CPI, BUT IT'S CAPPED AT 3%.
SO WE RECOGNIZE THAT IT'S PROBABLY GONNA GO UP THE MAX.
SO WE GO AHEAD AND BUDGET, BUT WHEN THEY WENT UP ON US LAST YEAR, THEY, THEY GO UP THAT WAS SO THAT WAS MORE THAN 3% THAT THEY WENT UP? YEAH, SO THEY DID A, A MID-YEAR NEGOTIATION REGARDING, UM, RECYCLING.
SO THE RECYCLING RATE WENT UP AND I DON'T REMEMBER THE EXACT NUMBER, BUT SO THAT THE RECYCLING RATE IS NOT ON THE SAME IN THE CONTRACT 3%.
IT'S, AND THAT'S WHERE THEY CAME TO US AND THEY SAID WITH THE, BECAUSE THE RECYCLING MARKET IS NOT WHAT IT USED TO BE.
AND THEY GAVE US SOME, SOME, SOME, UH, BACKUP TO SHOW THAT IT'S COSTING MORE THAN WHAT, YOU KNOW, PRETTY MUCH THEY WERE GONNA HAVE TO TELL US THEY HAVE TO EITHER STOP RECYCLING OR WE WOULD HAVE TO ADJUST RATES.
SO, UM, WHAT WE DID IS WE WORKED TO GET WITH THEM TO GET THE RATE UP FOR RECYCLING, BUT WITHIN THEIR CONTRACT, WHEN WE GET TO THE RENEWAL PERIOD, THEY DO HAVE THE ABILITY AS LONG AS CPI CALLS FOR IT, BUT WITH INFLATION THE WAY IT IS, WE'RE ASSUMING THAT THAT 3% CAP WILL BE REACHED IF IT DOESN'T BONUS.
BUT WE WANNA MAKE THAT ASSUMPTION AGAIN GOING IN SO WE DON'T END UP UNDERESTIMATING THAT COST.
WE ALSO BUILD IN A LITTLE BIT BECAUSE WE HAVE, AS GROWTH GOES UP, I THINK WE, KEVIN GIVES US A LIST EVERY WEEK YOU WALKED OUT.
IT GIVES US A LIST EVERY WEEK OF HOW MANY CEOS THEY ISSUE AND EVERY WEEK IT SEEMS TO BE BETWEEN ABOUT 10 AND 15 COS SO WE KNOW EVERY WEEK WE HAVE 10, 15 NEW CANS THAT ARE BEING DELIVERED THAT WE'VE GOTTA PAY FOR.
SO WE GO AHEAD AND PUT SOME ESTIMATED COST IN THERE TO COVER THAT FOR THE, FOR THE LIFE FOR THE ENTIRE YEAR.
UM, AGAIN, TALKING ABOUT SUPPORTING OUR, UH, PD, RECRUITMENT RETENTION, OUR MENTAL HEALTH PROGRAMS, HISTORIC PRESERVATION, AND THEN DON RYAN CENTER.
UM, SO AGAIN, HIGHLIGHTS THAT WE JUST SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE PRIORITIZE THROUGHOUT THE BUDGET AND THEN AGAIN, MAINTAIN OUR CURRENT LEVEL OF SUPPORT FOR OUR DRUG TASK FORCE INVESTIGATIONS, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, OUR STAY SAFE BLUFFTON PROGRAM, WHICH WE WILL BE GIVING OUR FOURTH SCHOLARSHIPS.
I THINK THAT'S ON THE CALENDAR FOR MAYOR TO HAVE THE PHOTO OP FOR THAT I THINK NEXT WEEK.
UM, WHICH ONE? THE STAY SAFE BLUFFTON.
YEAH, JUST SHOW UP WHEN IT, WHEN IT PINGS WE'LL HAVE YOU, WE'LL DO THE PHOTO OP AND THEN, UH, AND ALSO OUR CROSSING GUARDS.
WHAT'S THE VALUE OF THOSE SCHOLARSHIPS? UH, THEY'RE A THOUSAND DOLLARS AND, UM, WE ARE ABLE TO GIVE FOUR THIS YEAR AND THAT'S MONEY THAT'S GENERATED FROM THE 5K AND ALSO WE'VE GOTTEN, UM, WITH OUR CHRISTMAS PARADE WHEN PEOPLE REGISTER FOR THE CHRISTMAS PARADE, WE DON'T HAVE A FEE.
WE JUST SAY IF THEY WOULD LIKE TO DONATE TO OUR SCHOLARSHIP STAY SAFE BLUFFTON SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM THAT THEY CAN DONATE TO THAT.
AND ACTUALLY IT IS GENERATED VERY, UH, ENOUGH TO ALLOW US TO DO ADDITIONAL SCHOLARSHIP BY OPENING THAT UP FOR DONATIONS DURING THE CHRISTMAS PARADE.
I DIDN'T KNOW PEOPLE, I DIDN'T KNOW WE, WE HAD THAT GOING ON.
WELL, WE STARTED LOOKING AT DOING A FEE A COUPLE YEARS AGO, UM, BECAUSE WE WANTED TO TRY TO KEEP THE NUMBER MANAGEABLE, RIGHT? AND THEN WE HAD SOME PEOPLE SAY LIKE, INSTEAD OF A FEE, LET'S LOOK AT DOING THIS.
AND SO WE PUT THAT OUT THERE AND IT'S ACTUALLY GENERATED A LOT MORE MONEY THAN WHEN WE TRIED THE FEE FOR THE FIRST TIME.
SO, UM, AGAIN, IT'S ALLOWED US TO ACTUALLY GIVE AN ADDITIONAL SCHOLARSHIP THAN WE DID PREVIOUS YEARS.
UM, WE TALKED ABOUT THE LEASE VEHICLE LEASE PROGRAM THE OTHER NIGHT.
[00:45:01]
EMPLOYEE PROGRAMS THAT I MENTIONED EARLIER, THIS KIND OF GIVES YOU THE BREAKDOWN OF WHAT THOSE FISCAL COSTS ARE.UM, WE HAVE 30,000 IN THERE FOR THE ONSITE EMPLOYEE WELLNESS CLINIC, WHETHER AGAIN, LIKE THAT'S ONSITE OR WHETHER IT'S A BUS LIKE THROUGH BEAUFORT MEMORIAL WHERE THEY DO THE, UM, UM, ONSITE, UM, MEDICAL OR IF WE, AND, AND THE EMPLOYEE HOME BUYING PROGRAM.
SO THAT'S CALLING FOR A HALF YEAR.
UM, I CAN TELL YOU WHERE I DID IT PREVIOUSLY, IT WAS LESS, BUT AGAIN, THINGS WERE A LOT LESS FIVE YEARS AGO THAN, OR THREE YEARS AGO THAN THEY ARE NOW.
SO WE'RE, UM, GIVING A LITTLE, UM, OVERESTIMATION THERE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN PICK UP WHATEVER THE MARKET, UM, SHOWS.
UM, ON THE EMPLOYEE HOME BUYING ASSISTANCE PROGRAM, WE HAVE IT BUDGETED FOR THE FIRST YEAR AT 46,000.
THAT KIND OF ALLOWS US TO GIVE ONE AT EACH FUNDING LEVEL THAT WE'RE PROPOSING.
LIKE I MENTIONED LAST TIME, OUR GOAL IS SHOULD THIS CONTINUE THROUGH THE BUDGET IS TO GO TO THE, UM, AFFORDABLE HOUSING COMMITTEE IN JUNE, GO THROUGH THE PROGRAM THAT WE'RE LOOKING TO PROPOSE AND THEN BRING THAT TO COUNCIL FOR ADOPTION IN JULY, GET ANY INPUT THEY MAY HAVE AND THEN BRING THAT TO COUNCIL TO ADOPT THE REGULATIONS FOR IT IN JULY AND THEN START OFFERING IT TO OUR EMPLOYEES.
ANY QUESTIONS ON ANY OF THAT? I'M JUST CURIOUS.
UM, I I WONDER IF THERE'S A WAY TO ENCOURAGE THE LARGER CORPORATIONS MAYBE.
YOU KNOW, I I, I DON'T KNOW WHETHER THEY STILL DO IT OR NOT.
JOE LEY FOR EXAMPLE, WAS DOING THAT PROGRAM IN, IN SAVANNAH.
NOW WHETHER THEY DOING IT IN BLUFFTON OR NOT, I DO NOT HAVE A CLUE ABOUT THE HOME BUYING ASSISTANCE.
THEY WOULD MAKE A MORTGAGE DOWN PAYMENT, THEY'D GIVE 'EM, YOU KNOW, THE EMPLOYEE AS LONG AS THE EMPLOYEES STAYED THERE FOR FIVE YEARS OR WHATEVER, THEN THAT MONEY, THAT MONEY WENT AWAY.
BUT I WAS JUST CURIOUS IF WE CANNOT AT SOME POINT ENCOURAGE SOME OF OUR LARGER CORPORATIONS TO CONSIDER IT.
I MEAN, YOU HAVE THE SURGE GROUP RAISING $15 MILLION TO GO OUT AND BUY HOUSES, YOU KNOW, SO WELL, AND I'LL TELL YOU THAT ONE OF THE PEOPLE WE'RE USING AS A, UM, GUIDE FOR THIS IS BEAUFORT MEMORIAL HOSPITAL.
THEY, UM, DO THAT FOR AND ALSO, UM, THE CITY OF GOOSE CITY OR TOWN OF GOOSE CREEK DOES THIS FOR THEIR EMPLOYEES AS WELL.
SO WE'VE USED THEM AS GUIDES FOR PUTTING THIS PROGRAM IN PLACE.
HOW, WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT THE LARGER EMPLOYEES, THAT IS SOMETHING WE COULD LOOK TO ENCOURAGE.
JOSEPH BROKE GROUND HERE, YOU AND I WERE BOTH THERE TO BUILD A NEW FACILITY.
UM, THEY SAID THAT THEY LOOK FORWARD TO DOING THAT IN BLUFFTON HEALTHY HOUSING, HELPING AFFORDABLE HOUSING WITH BLUFFTON.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF WE NEED TO SOMEBODY FOLLOW UP WITH THEM, WHETHER IT'S ME OR YOU OR SOMEBODY, MAYBE FRED.
WE HAVE A AFFORDABLE HOUSING PERSON, WHICH IS VICKY.
AND UM, ASK HER TO SEE WHAT SHE CAN JUST REMIND THEM THAT WHEN THEY WERE, UM, SO HAPPY ABOUT COMING TO BLUFFTON, THEY DID SAY THAT THEY WERE GONNA DO THAT
I THINK YOU COULD ADVERTISE IT TOO.
IF YOU GET, IF YOU GET A HANDFUL OF COMPANIES THAT MAY BE POTENTIALLY ALREADY DOING IT, WE COULD SEND A MESSAGE OUT THERE AND HOPEFULLY ATTRACT NEW PEOPLE.
I WANT TO ASK IF YOU GOT ANY MORE QUESTIONS AGAIN THAN THAT
IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS, YOU'RE GONNA ASK 'EM WHETHER I PAUSE.
IF FRED HADN'T SAID A WORD, I, HEY, WE MADE SURE WE SEARCHED EVERYTHING FOR IF SOMETHING WORKFORCE SHOWS UP IN HERE, THAT'S BECAUSE YOU'RE GETTING TOO MUCH MONEY, YOU'RE NOT COMPLAINING.
WELL, IT JUST PROVES HOW BIG OF A PRIORITY IT IS.
SO, AND WE TAKE THAT AS A PRIORITY.
UM, SO WE'RE GONNA GO DEPARTMENT HERE.
THIS IS WHERE WE GET INTO JUST A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL OF EACH DEPARTMENT WITHIN THE TOWN AND WE'LL GO THROUGH EACH ONE OF THESE INDIVIDUALLY AND TALK ABOUT THE CHANGES THAT ARE TAKING PLACE YEAR OVER YEAR AND JUST WHAT'S KIND OF MAKING UP THAT AND ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU ASKED ME AS I CONTINUE FORWARD.
UM, SO JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THIS SHOWS YOU WHO MAKES UP THE BIGGEST PERCENT OF THE BUDGET AS WE KNOW.
THE POLICE DEPARTMENT MAKES UP ABOUT 37% OF THE OVERALL BUDGET.
THE NEXT TWO BIGGEST ARE, UM, GROWTH MANAGEMENT AND PUBLIC SERVICES.
AND THEN AS YOU CAN SEE, TOWN WIDE IS A LARGE PERCENT OF THE BUDGET.
THAT'S WHERE WE PAY FOR THINGS LIKE STREET LIGHTS, TRASH COLLECTION AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
WHERE'S JOE ON HERE? I DON'T EVEN SEE JOE ON HERE.
YEAH, HE'S THE ONLY ONE WITH A DOUBLE, WITH TWO NUMBERS IN FRONT OF THAT COMMA.
SO, UM, AS YOU CAN SEE, THAT MAKES UP, UM, ABOUT 96% OF OUR BUDGET.
THE OTHER THREE AND A HALF GO TO TRANSFER INTO THE CIP FOR FUNDING PROJECTS THAT'LL GO OVER THAT, UM, IN A COUPLE WEEKS AND TALK ABOUT WHERE DOES THAT FUNDS COME FROM AND
[00:50:01]
THE DIFFERENT CIP PROJECTS.WE'RE SO LITTLE WE DON'T EVEN GET MENTIONED.
YOU JUST DON'T HAVE A ONE IN FRONT OF YOUR NUMBER YET.
SO AGAIN, THIS IS PROPOSED PERSONNEL.
UM, THESE ARE THE DIFFERENT POSITIONS WITHIN THE TOWN.
SO YOU HAVE THE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS ON THE LEFT.
THE CURRENT IS THE FISCAL YEAR 24 BUDGET.
AND IF YOU GO TO THE FAR RIGHT, YOU CAN SEE THE PROPOSED CHANGE.
THIS MIRRORS WHAT WAS SHOWN IN THE PRESENTATION THAT I WENT THROUGH EARLIER WHERE YOU HAVE THE COMMUNICATIONS, THE ONE FULL-TIME, ONE PART-TIME, THAT'S THE WELCOME CENTER.
UM, YOU'LL SEE THE TWO IN THE EXECUTIVE OFFICE.
IF YOU, THAT'S TWO THAT TRANSFERRED IN.
THAT'S MARK THAT MOVED IN THIS YEAR.
AND THEN THE PART-TIME POSITION, UM, AMANDA, UH, AMANDA FULL TIME? NO, THE ASSISTANT TIME.
CARRIE WHERE WE MADE, UH, UM, MELINDA'S POSITION FULL TIME AND MOVE CARRIE FROM GROWTH MANAGEMENT AND THEN FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION.
THAT'S THE OVER, OVER HIRING THAT WE DID THIS START YEAR KNOWING THAT WE HAD A RETIREMENT.
THAT POSITION'S NOW GOING BACK AWAY.
AND THEN IN THE POLICE YOU CAN SEE THE CIVILIAN POSITIONS THAT IS, UM, ONE CROSSING GUARD AND THEN THE, UM, COMMUNITY OUTREACH POSITION.
IT'S A TOTAL OF SIX FULL-TIME.
SO STEVEN WENT LIKE, MARK THAT MOVED OUT OF GROWTH MANAGEMENT.
SO ARE WE GETTING, I'M LOOKING AT 24 AND I'M LOOKING AT 25.
OH, WELL YOU GOT THE SAME AMOUNT THERE FOR 25 AS YOU HAD IN 24.
SO IF YOU LOOK AND YOU GOT TWO MORE, UM, EXECUTIVE THAN YOU HAD LAST YEAR.
SO TAKE ONE FROM ONE DEPARTMENT TO OTHER.
SO IF YOU LOOK UNDER PROJECT MANAGEMENT DIVISION, THERE'S A NEGATIVE ONE.
AND THEN THE NEGATIVE ONE PART-TIME IS AMANDA, WHICH IS OUR, UH, ACQUISITIONS.
THE ONE THAT'S HELPING WITH ALL THE GHOST ROADS AND ACQUISITIONS FOR PROJECTS FOR LAND ACQUISITION.
AND THEN THE TWO, THAT'S AN EXECUTIVE.
AND THEN THE OTHER IS CARRIE, WHERE WE MOVED HER.
SO, AND YOU CAN WE'LL SHOW THESE 'CAUSE WE, WHEN WE DO THE DEPARTMENTAL BUDGETS, WE SHOW THE BUDGET AND WE SHOW THE NUMBER OF POSITIONS AS WELL.
SO WE WILL GO THROUGH DEPARTMENT BY DEPARTMENT AND UM, KIND OF HIGHLIGHT A COUPLE, UH, NOTES ON THE BOTTOM FOR EACH OF THEM.
SO THIS GIVES YOU THE SALARY BENEFITS AND OPERATING.
UH, THIS IS COMMUNICATIONS AND COMMUNITY OUTREACH.
UH, AGAIN, YOU'LL SEE AN INCREASE HERE.
IF YOU GO DOWN INTO THE STAFFING LEVELS, YOU'LL SEE THAT, UM, ONE PART-TIME, ONE FULL-TIME.
THIS IS WHERE THE WELCOME CENTER IS GONNA BE UNDER.
SO THAT'S WHERE THEIR INCREASE IS COMING FROM IN THERE AS WELL AS THE TWO NEW POSITIONS.
UM, ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING IS THERE'S A INCREASED BUDGET FOR EVENTS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR FOR NEXT YEAR.
IF YOU LOOK AT OUR SIL, THE ESTABLISHED STATE IS 1825.
SO 2025 IS OUR BICENTENNIAL OF OUR ESTABLISHMENT DATE.
SO WE ARE PLANNING TO DO ADDITIONAL EVENTS OR UPGRADE SOME OF OUR EVENTS IN 2025 AS PART OF OUR BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION FOR THE TOWN.
SO WE'RE PLANNING FOR THAT NOW.
NOW THAT'S NOT OUR CHARTER DATE, BUT IT'S ON OUR SILL IS OUR ESTABLISHED DATE.
IT'S KIND OF LIKE FRED'S BIRTHDAY.
YOU CELEBRATE IT ALL MONTH LONG.
WE'RE GONNA CELEBRATE ALL YEAR LONG.
COUNCILMAN HAMILTON'S BIRTHDAY.
AS YOU CAN SEE, THEIR BUDGET'S, UM, A LITTLE LESS THAN IT WAS PREVIOUS YEAR.
IT'S JUST A REDUCTION IN SOME OPERATING.
UM, IT DOES, UM, OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INCENTIVE PROGRAM THAT WE'RE PUT THAT, UM, CHRIS' WORK TO GET IN PLACE, DRCI IS THE DEPARTMENT THAT REALLY HANDLES THAT.
SO THEY'RE REALLY, THEY'RE WORKING ON PUTTING A WEBSITE TO MARKET THAT AND THEY'RE GONNA BE THE ONES THAT ARE OUT THERE PUSHING FOR ANY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
AS WITH THE ONE THAT WE'RE DOING ON, UH, OUR PROJECT ON BUCK WALTER, WHEN THAT BUILDING IS TURNED BACK OVER TO THE TOWN AS A LANDING PAD AND, AND GROWTH SPOT, DRCI WILL BE THE ONES THAT MANAGES THE BUILDING AND AS WELL AS THE, UH, OCCUPANTS THAT GO WITHIN THERE AND RENT THE SPACES.
SO, UM, CONTINUING TO MAKE THAT, UH, PRIORITY OF THEM BEING THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ARM FOR THE TOWN.
SO THE EXECUTIVE, UM, THIS IS WHERE, LIKE I SAID, YOU CAN SEE IT ADDS A CIP PROJECT AND
[00:55:01]
ACQUISITION MANAGER PART-TIME AS WELL.UM, WE ARE ADDING IN, UM, A NEW PROGRAM.
IT'S CALLED, UM, CLEAR PLAN PLANS.
AND WHAT WE'RE DOING IS WITH OUR STRATEGIC PLANNING, IT'S GONNA BE A WAY FOR US TO GET OUR STRATEGIC PLANNING ON OUR WEB, UM, MORE PRESENT.
IT'S ACTUALLY THE SAME PROGRAM THAT WE'RE USING FOR OUR BUDGET AND CIP AND THEY WILL ALL TIE TOGETHER.
SO IT IS LIKE BUDGET UPDATES ON HOW C ON A C ON AN EXPENSE FOR A CIP PROJECT.
IT'LL UPDATE THE PERCENT SPEND ON THE CIP, THE, THE COMPLETION AND ALL OF THAT CAN BE UPDATED WITHIN OUR STRATEGIC PLANNING DOCUMENTS TO SHOW UPDATES IS THERE.
SO THE GOAL IS TO TRY TO GET MORE INFORMATION OUT TO THE PUBLIC AND MAKE IT EASIER AND AND CLEARER TO, UH, TO ACCESS, EASIER TO ACCESS AND CLEARER TO SEE.
UM, AND UM, IT IS ALSO WE DID A COMMUNITY SURVEY LAST YEAR.
UM, WE HAD MENTIONED WHEN WE DID THAT, THAT IN TWO YEARS WE WANTED TO DO AN UPDATE TO THAT AND THEN DO A COMPARISON OF WHERE WE WERE LAST YEAR TO NEXT YEAR.
IT DOES RE REMOVE OUR ELECTION EXPENSE THAT WE HAD THIS YEAR, BUT OUR SURVEY IS MORE EXPENSIVE THAN THAT.
SO THERE'S A LITTLE INCREASE FOR THAT, ABOUT 10, $15,000.
BUT ALL THAT'S REFLECTED IN THE INCREASE THAT YOU SEE THERE, AS WELL AS THE PARKS AND REC MASTER PLAN IS WITHIN OUR BUDGET.
SO THE FINANCE, THEY'RE PRETTY MUCH HOLDING STEADY.
IT'S A 0.2% INCREASE AND THEN YOU CAN SEE FOR THEM THERE'S A STAFFING LEVEL DECREASE OF ONE POSITION.
THAT WAS THE OVER HIRING THAT WE DID FOR THE RETIREMENT OF CINDY.
AND THAT POSITION IS GOING AWAY SINCE IT'S BEEN FILLED AND WE NO LONGER, UH, AS WE SAID LAST YEAR, WHEN WE PUT THAT POSITION IN THERE, IT WOULD GO AWAY AFTER WE GOT, UH, GOT THROUGH THE FISCAL YEAR.
SO GROWTH MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT, THEIR OPERATIONS IS UP A GOOD BIT.
A GOOD PORTION OF THAT IS THE INCREASE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.
AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, WE ARE RECOMMENDING THAT IT BE INCREASED, UM, A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS OVER WHAT WE BUDGETED THIS CURRENT YEAR.
AND THEN WITH $144,000 GRANT, THAT MEANS THAT IT WILL BE GOING UP $244,000, WHICH IS THE VAST MAJORITY OF THE OPERATING EXPENSE INCREASE THAT YOU SEE THERE.
UM, PART OF THAT INCREASE IS AGAIN, SOFTWARE THAT WE ARE LOOKING TO DO, UM, FOR OUR UDO.
UM, ONCE IT IS IMPLEMENTED, IT'LL MAKE OUR UDO SEARCHABLE.
IT WILL, UM, MAKE IT A WHOLE LOT EASIER TO ACCESS.
SO WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT GETTING THAT DONE AND THAT WILL, ONCE THE BUDGET'S APPROVED, THAT WILL BE DONE ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS IN THE FISCAL YEAR.
SO I MENTIONED THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.
I WANTED TO JUST KIND OF HIGHLIGHT WHAT HAS BEEN THE PROPOSED BREAKDOWN FOR THE BUDGET FOR THIS YEAR.
SO YOU CAN SEE WHERE WE WERE, UM, IN 2024 FOR, UM, HOME REPAIR.
WE HAD $269,000 BUDGETED FOR FISCAL YEAR 25.
THAT'S PROPOSED TO BE $494,000 WITH THE GRANT.
UM, I THINK IF WE GAVE VICKI A BLANK CHECKBOOK, SHE COULD SPEND MORE THAN THAT THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
BUT THAT IS CONTINUING TO, UM, KEEP THAT PROGRAM FUNDED WHERE IT MATCHES THE DEMAND IN THE COMMUNITY.
SO AS YOU CAN SEE, THAT TOTAL PROPOSED BUDGET WAS $290,000 IN FISCAL, IN THE CURRENT FISCAL YEAR.
IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE $544,000 IN NEXT FISCAL YEAR'S BUDGETS.
SO ON THE PROPOSED BUDGET, ARE WE OPEN UP THE TREE MITIGATION? UM, THE D YES.
NO, BUT WE CAN MOVE MONEY AROUND IF YOU NEED TO.
WELL, IT, IT IS SHOWING A SLIGHT INCREASE FROM TEN FIVE TO 15.
BUT AGAIN, THAT MONEY CAN MOVE.
I WAS JUST SAYING THAT'S ONE OF THE FUNDS WHERE IT'S HIT AND MISS.
WE MAY SPEND IT SOME, IF NOT, WE CAN MOVE IT AROUND FOR OTHER PROGRAMS AS WE NEED THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
YOU CAN SEE THEY'RE PRETTY MUCH HOLDING STEADY.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS I DID WANT TO HIGHLIGHT IN HERE, THERE'S, UM, TWO ITEMS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT FOR, UM, NEXT FISCAL YEAR THAT ARE NEW.
UM, A COUPLE OF THESE WOULD, WILL COME NEXT MONTH AS WE LOOK TO MAKE SOME PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO OUR EMPLOYEE, UH, PERSONNEL.
ONE IS THE STATE JUST ADOPTED A PAID MATERNAL LEAVE OR PARENTAL LEAVE, UM, AND WE WANT TO MIRROR WHAT THE STATE ADOPTED FOR THEIR EMPLOYEES, WHICH THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA, THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA DID THAT.
THEIR BUDGET WITH THEIR BUDGET, UM, THIS YEAR.
SO THEY OFFER, UH, SIX WEEKS FOR THE PRIMARY CAREGIVER, WHICH IS USUALLY THE
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ONE GIVING BIRTH, AND THEN TWO WEEKS FOR, UH, THE SUPPORTING CAREGIVER, WHICH IS USUALLY THE, THE SPOUSE.YOU GOT THAT ALL FIGURED OUT, EH.
SO, UM, AGAIN, I I, WHEN I TALK ABOUT THINGS LIKE THIS, I LIKE TO SAY WE BUDGET A HUNDRED PERCENT OF OUR EMPLOYEES SALARIES.
WHETHER IT COMES OUTTA PTO, WHETHER IT COMES OUT OF, UM, PAID MATERNAL OR PATERNAL LEAVE, OR WHETHER IT COMES OUTTA HOLIDAYS OR WHETHER IT COMES OUT OF THEM ACTUALLY WORKING, A HUNDRED PERCENT OF THEIR SALARY IS ALWAYS BUDGETED.
AND THAT'S WHAT ALL THEY'RE GONNA BE PAID THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, REGARDLESS OF WHETHER THEY'RE TAKING IT FOR MATERNAL LEAVE.
THEY TAKE IT FMLA, THEY TAKE IT AS PTO.
WE ALWAYS HAVE THAT A HUNDRED PERCENT BUDGETED THAT THEY'RE GONNA GET PAID THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
SO WHAT THIS IS, IT JUST RECOGNIZES A BENEFIT THAT SAYS THAT WHEN YOU HAVE A, A CHILD OR YOU ADOPT A CHILD, THAT THERE'S A DEMAND FOR THAT PERSON TO BE WITH THAT CHILD WHEN THEY'RE FIR WHEN YOU'RE FIRST BORN AND NOT HAVE TO TAKE ALL YOUR PTO AS PART OF THAT.
ALSO, ADOPTION IS, EVEN ADOPTION ALLOWS TWO WEEKS.
SO, AND AGAIN, THIS MIRRORS WHAT THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA IMPLEMENTED FOR ALL OF THEIR EMPLOYEES THIS YEAR.
SO WE WOULD LIKE TO IMPLEMENT IT AS WELL.
UM, WHAT DID WE DO BEFORE? NOTHING.
YOU JUST TOOK YOUR PTO AND FMLA.
UM, YOU GOT, YOU TOOK FMLA, WHICH ALLOWS YOU 12 WEEKS OF LEAVE, BUT YOU WOULD HAVE TO TAKE YOUR PTO WHILE YOU WERE OUT.
THIS WOULD ALLOW YOU PAID LEAVE WITHOUT HAVING TO TAKE YOUR PTO.
BUT WHAT IF YOU DIDN'T HAVE THAT MUCH PTO, THEN YOU TOOK IT UNPAID.
THE OTHER THING THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO ADD IN IS PRESIDENT'S DAY AS A TOWN HOLIDAY.
UM, WE'RE THE ONLY, UM, GOVERNMENT WITHIN THE COUNTY DOES NOT CELEBRATE PRESIDENT'S DAY.
SO, UM, IF IT'S SOMETHING THAT COUNCIL IS GOOD WITH, OUR HOLIDAYS ARE WITHIN OUR PERSONNEL MANUAL THAT COUNCIL HAS ADOPTED BY RESOLUTION.
WHAT WE WOULD DO IS WE WOULD LOOK TO AMEND THAT TO SHOW THAT AS A TOWN HOLIDAY.
AND WHEN WE BRING THAT IN JUNE FOR COUNCIL TO, UM, LOOK AT SOME UPDATES, THEN WE WOULD HAVE THAT AS AN UPDATE THAT COUNCIL COULD HAVE VOTE ON.
SO WE CAN DISCUSS THAT FURTHER IN JUNE.
BUT THAT'S JUST A COUPLE THINGS THAT ARE, UM, I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT IN HERE THAT YOU WOULD BE SEEING AGAIN, BUT IF YOU ASK WHAT THE COST IS, ULTIMATELY IT DOESN'T CHANGE HOW MUCH IS BUDGETED.
IT JUST CHANGES WHICH FUND WE PAY, WHICH LINE OUT, LIKE WHICH ACCOUNTING CODE THEY GET PAID OUT OF WHENEVER WE PAY 'EM.
BUT IT DOESN'T CHANGE ANYTHING WITHIN THE BUDGET TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THAT PROGRAM OR THAT SERVICE OR THAT, UH, BENEFIT.
DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? HOW ABOUT A PRESIDENT? THE PRESIDENT TODAY? IT'S ALWAYS A MONDAY, RIGHT? YES.
I WAS THINKING IF WE HIT ON YOU CAN, WHAT YOU DO THEN WHEN YOU'RE NOT WORKING ANYWAY, TAKE MONDAY.
SO YOU JUST WANNA RAISE MORE MONEY FOR EVERYBODY AND ONE MORE DAY OFF.
IT'S AGAIN, IT'S UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT AGAIN, WE WANT TO ASK, WE CAN DISCUSS MORE IN JUNE WHEN WE GET INTO THE, UH, PROPOSED AMENDMENTS.
THE THING IS, WE, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE KEEP UP WITH WHAT'S BEING OFFERED AROUND US AND WHAT'S BEING OFFERED BY THE STATE AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS.
BECAUSE AS WE KNOW, IT'S A COMPETITIVE MARKET TO HIRE AND RETAIN EMPLOYEES IN.
AND WE WANT MAKE SURE THAT WE, AND WE HAVE SOMEBODY HERE THAT THEY FEEL LIKE THEY'RE TAKEN CARE OF AND THAT THEY DON'T WANT TO, TO LEAVE FOR ANY, UH, PARTICULAR REASON.
SO LONG AS THEY'RE COACHING IN BEAUFORT COUNTY HAS BEEN PROFOUND IN THE LAST YEAR, COUPLE YEARS.
SO GIVE IT, ALRIGHT, I, IT DEPARTMENT, THIS IS DOWN SLIGHTLY, UM, BUT IT DOES INCLUDE THE, UM, CONTINUING OUR AGREEMENT WITH BEAU BEAUFORT COUNTY TO BROADCAST ALL OF OUR COUNCIL MEETINGS AND COMMITTEE MEETINGS, SO LOCO AND SO FORTH.
UM, WE CONTINUES WITH OUR 25% OF OUR, UM, REPLACEMENT OF EQUIPMENT FOR OUR LAPTOPS AND PCS.
UM, WE HAVE THEM ON A FOUR YEAR ROTATION CYCLE.
SO EVERY YEAR WE REPLACE 4-YEAR-OLD ONES AND KEEP OUR INVENTORY UP TO DATE.
AND AGAIN, IT RENEWS OUR SOFTWARE THROUGHOUT.
THEY MANAGE, UM, ALL THE SOFTWARE RENEWALS FOR OUR DEPARTMENTAL SOFTWARE AND OUR OPERATING SOFTWARE THROUGHOUT THE TOWN.
SO A LARGE PART OF THEIR EXPENSE AND THEIR OPERATING EXPENSE IS ALL THOSE SOFTWARE TOOLS, OUR MICROSOFT, OUR DATABASES AND ALL.
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THIS IS THE LEGISLATIVE DEPARTMENT.THE BIGGEST REASON WHY IS THERE'S NO ELECTION THIS YEAR.
SO WE DON'T HAVE AN ELECTION EXPENSE WITHIN THE BUDGET.
UM, I WILL SAY I'M GRATEFUL THERE'S NO ELECTION, UM, BUT WE HAVE ONE NEXT YEAR.
SO IN FISCAL YEAR 25, 26, WE'LL BE REBUDGETING THAT FOR ELECTIONS.
BUT THAT'S WHERE YOUR DECREASE IS FOR THIS YEAR IS IN ELECTION.
UM, IT DOES CONTINUE THE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR OUR STAFF AS WELL AS THE JUDGE TO GO TO ANY TRAININGS THAT HE WOULD LIKE TO.
UM, WE DO, IT DOES CONTINUE TO SUPPORT FOR OUR TWO JUDGES AND OUR JUDICIAL SERVICES WITH THE DETENTION CENTER AS WELL AS CONTINUING OUR CONTRACT WITH THE 14TH CIRCUIT FOR, UH, PUBLIC DEFENDERS FOR DEFENSE, UH, POLICE DEPARTMENT.
THIS ONE, AS YOU CAN SEE IS UP ABOUT 1.6 MILLION.
THEY GOT A 1.3 MILLION FROM THE FEDS FOR EQUIPMENT.
SO OUT OF THAT 1.65, 1.3 OF THAT IS THE EQUIPMENT REPLACEMENT THAT WE'RE GETTING THE, UM, FUNDS FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT FOR.
I'M CURIOUS, UM, IT'S NOT A TOWN EXPENSE BUT THE UM, BUFORT COUNTY, HAVE THEY GOT ANY PLANS TO EXPAND, I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO CALL IT, FOR LACK OF A BETTER TERM, A JAIL SIZE OF IT.
MY UNDERSTANDING IS THEY'RE ACTUALLY LOOKING WITH, IS IT JASPER AND HAMPTON TO DO A REGIONAL FACILITY? I BELIEVE THEY PURCHASED LAND OVER BY OLDFIELD, UH, FOR A PROJECTED BUILD OUT OF A WHOLE NEW FACILITY TO INCLUDE A PORTION OF THAT BEING A JUVENILE DETENTION AREA WHERE WE DON'T NO LONGER WILL HAVE TO TRANSPORT UP TO COLUMBIA.
THAT IS I THINK FIVE TO SEVEN YEARS OUT THOUGH.
THEY'RE ALSO LOOKING TO, I THINK MOVE THE SHERIFF'S, THE WHOLE SHERIFF'S OFFICE FACILITY AND EVERYTHING THERE AS WELL.
IT'S LIKE A HUNDRED PLUS ACRES, BUT I KNOW CHAIRMAN PASSMAN HAS MENTIONED IT, SO LOCO AND SOME OTHER PLACES THAT HE'S TALKING TO THE AREA, UM, THE OTHER COUNTIES AROUND ABOUT MAKING IT A REGIONAL FACILITY INSTEAD OF US HAVING ONE HAMPTON HAVING ONE JASPER HAVING ONE.
JUST MAYBE LOOKING AT, ESPECIALLY FOR THE JUVENILE SIDE OF IT, I WOULD THINK THAT THEY PROBABLY HAVE A COURTHOUSE THERE AS WELL, WOULDN'T YOU? I DON'T KNOW.
I SPOKEN BRIEFLY WITH THE SHERIFF.
I DON'T KNOW EVERYTHING THAT IT ENTAILS YET.
UH, MAYOR, BUT I, I CAN FIND OUT.
I DON'T KNOW IF IT MAKES SENSE TO CENTRALLY LOCATED AS WELL AS A COURTHOUSE SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO, SOMEBODY'S GOTTA GO TO COURT.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO DRIVE 'EM 30 MILES A AWAY OR 20 MILES AWAY AND I, I THINK THEY'VE CONTRACTED FOR DESIGN, BUT WE, I'VE NOT SEEN ANYTHING YET.
THE PROJECTS AND WATERSHED RESILIENCY, THIS ONE'S, UH, DOWN A LITTLE BIT AND THE REASON BEING IS REMEMBER WE TALKED ABOUT, WE MOVED MARK IN THE PART-TIME POSITION OVER TO UM, EXECUTIVES.
SO THAT REDUCED THE SALARIES, BENEFITS AND OPERATIONAL THERE.
UM, A GOOD BID TO OFFSET THAT PUBLIC SERVICES DEPARTMENT.
AS YOU CAN SEE, THIS ONE IS ACTUALLY UP QUITE SIGNIFICANTLY.
THAT HAS TO DO WITH THREE NEW POSITIONS THAT ARE PROPOSED AS WELL AS UM, LOOKING TO REPLACE SEVERAL PIECES OF EQUIPMENT, UM, AND ALSO PURCHASING NEW EQUIPMENT TO MAINTAIN LIKE THE NEW RIVERSIDE BARN, SOME TRACTORS, TRUCKS, TRAILER EQUIPMENT TO BE ABLE TO OPERATE AND HAVE A CREW TO MANAGE ALL UH, AND EQUIPMENT TO MANAGE, UM, OUR NEW FACILITIES THAT ARE COMING ONLINE.
AS WE TALKED ABOUT EARLIER, THIS RECOGNIZES POTENTIAL INCREASE FOR RESIDENTIAL GARBAGE AND RECYCLING.
UM, IT ALSO ALLOCATES FOR CYBERSECURITY INSURANCE, WHICH IS, WHICH IS NEW.
IT'S UH, SOMETHING THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON PRICING UH, THIS YEAR.
BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT LOCAL GOVERNMENTS AND OTHER ENTITIES ARE AT RISK AT IS CYBER ATTACKS.
SO WE'RE WORKING TO GET SOME CYBERSECURITY INSURANCE THAT WILL HELP COVER ANY COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH RECOVERING FROM THAT, WHETHER IT'S LOSING SERVERS OR THE TIME AND ENERGY THAT IT TAKES TO GET BACK UP AND RUNNING.
SO WE'RE WORKING THROUGH, THERE'S ACTUALLY A STATE CONTRACT FOR THAT THAT WE'RE WORKING THROUGH TO GET PRICING ON RIGHT NOW AND HAVE THAT INCLUDED IN THE BUDGET FOR NEXT FISCAL YEAR.
UM, DO WE HAVE PARALLEL SERVERS OR DO WE HAVE ANYTHING THAT'S SEPARATE BUT AND SAFE, YOU KNOW, LIKE YOU DO ALL YOUR BACKUPS AND EVERYTHING OR, OR IF WE GOT HIT WITH A CYBER ATTACK
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IT WOULD CROSS OVER FROM ONE TO THE OTHER.NO, EVERYTHING IS SEPARATE AND SAFE.
EVERYTHING IS WHAT EFFORT INSIGHT.
SO WE HAVE THINGS WE BACK UP AND IF SOMETHING HAPPENED WE CAN RESTORE FROM WHERE WE WERE THE PREVIOUS DAY PRETTY QUICKLY.
STEVEN ON THE TOP UP HERE IN THE BLUE WHERE IT SAYS, UM, ON THE FAR TWO RIGHT COLUMNS WHERE IT SAYS DIFFERENCE FROM PHYSICAL YEAR 23 BUDGET.
IS THAT SUPPOSED TO BE FROM 24? YES.
I GOT ONE SURPRISE FOR FINDING THE ONE TYPO
I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW I'M PAYING ATTENTION ON IT.
ALRIGHT, SO THAT'S THE GENERAL FUND.
UM, LIKE I SAID, WENT THROUGH DEPARTMENT BY DEPARTMENT AND TALKED ABOUT SOME NEW THINGS AS WELL AS SOME CHANGES AND INCREASES DECREASES THROUGHOUT, UM, AS JUST FOR YEAR 24, NOT 23, UM, IN MOST PLACES.
AND SO NOW WE'RE GONNA GO INTO OUR SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS.
THESE ARE OUR HOSPITALITY TAX AND OUR LOCAL ACCOMMODATIONS TAX FUNDS.
THESE ARE NOT NEARLY AS DETAILED AS THE GENERAL FUND, SO I DON'T ANTICIPATE, ANTICIPATE THIS TO, I WISH THAT CRAB WAS RED.
I SAY YEAH, IF IT WAS RED IT WOULD BE READY TO EAT.
AS YOU CAN SEE, UM, IT IS PROPOSED TO BE ABOUT UM, ABOUT $340,000 MORE THAN CURRENT FISCAL YEAR.
THIS HAS TO DO WITH THE GROWTH THAT WE SEE IN THE, UM, NOT JUST BUSINESSES BUT ALSO THE PEOPLE AND THE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE THAT ARE EATING OUT AND BUYING PREPARED FOOD AND BEVERAGE.
UM, THAT IS CONTINUING TO INCREASE.
IT'S ABOUT 10% OVER WHERE IT WAS OR WHERE IT'S, UH, WHERE WE'RE ANTICIPATED TO END UP THIS CURRENT FISCAL YEAR.
UM, WHERE YOU CAN SEE IN THE BOTTOM THE EXPENDITURES THEY GO TO PLACES.
THE BIGGEST IS TO CIP FUND TO FUND, UH, CAPITAL PROJECTS AND THE OTHERS TO THE GENERAL FUND TO OFFSET EXPENSES RELATED TO PARK MAINTENANCE.
TALK ABOUT SOME OF THAT IN JUST A MINUTE.
SO THIS SHOWS YOU THE PIE CHART VERSION OF THAT.
AND THEN THIS GOES OVER, UM, SPECIFICS OF WHERE WE TRANSFER THE FUNDS OUT TO.
SO AS YOU CAN SEE, ABOUT 5 MILLION TRANSFER OUT TO CAPITAL PROJECTS AND THESE ARE THE DIFFERENT PROJECTS THAT ARE BEING FUNDED BY THE HOSPITALITY FUNDS.
I'LL PAUSE AND LET Y'ALL READ.
AND AS YOU CAN SEE, MOST OF THEM ARE RELATED TO PARKS AND TOURISM RELATED ACTIVITIES, WHICH IS THE PRIMARY PURPOSE OF THESE FUNDS.
THEN WE TRANSFER INTO THE GENERAL FUND.
THE, AGAIN, THE PRI PRIMARY PURPOSE IS FOR TOURISM AND PARKS AND UH, MAINTENANCE.
SO YOU WILL SEE A LOT OF IT HAS TO DO WITH PUBLIC SERVICES OFFSETTING A GOOD PORTION OF THEIR, UM, SALARIES FOR PARK MAINTENANCE THAT THEY DO THROUGHOUT THE TOWN.
UM, THE CIVIC EVENTS THEY SUPPORT, UM, ROADS, PARKS, LANDSCAPE MAINTENANCE AND THE ROTARY CENTER OPERATIONS THAT WE HAVE FOR POWER UTILITIES AND EVERYTHING FOR THAT BEING RENTED OUT SQUIRE POPE CARRIAGE HOUSE.
AND IT ALSO PAYS FOR OUR STREET LIGHTING AND OUR, AND THIS IS WHERE OUR PARTNERSHIP FOR UM, THE REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION PARTNER, UM, WE TAKE FUNDING FROM HERE TO SUPPORT THAT BECAUSE IT HELPS MOVE PEOPLE AROUND THAT ARE HERE TO VISIT FOR TOURISM RELATED ACTIVITIES.
SO IN THE FUTURE, STEVEN, COULDN'T WE USE A LOT MORE OF THIS FOR THE SQUARE POPE ONCE IT BECOMES OUR WELCOME CENTER? YES SIR.
AND IF YOU LOOK UP UNDERNEATH THERE, YOU'LL SEE WITH THIS THAT PERSONNEL COST IS AT 235.
A LOT OF THAT IS GOING TO SUPPORT THE POSITIONS FOR THE WELCOME CENTER.
SO THE LOCAL ACCOMMODATIONS TAX FUND, THIS IS GENERATED ON 3% OF THE GROSS PROCEEDS FROM UM, PEOPLE STAYING IN HOTELS OR AIRBNBS OR VRBO OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
OVERNIGHT STATES, UM, LOCAL AT TAX FUNDS COME DIRECTLY TO US FROM THOSE ENTITIES.
STATE A TAX FUNDS GO TO THE STATE AND THEN GET DISTRIBUTED DOWN TO US.
UH, MOSTLY BETWEEN THE TWO AND THE STATE'S 2% LOCAL IS 3%.
WHY IS, UM, WHY IS IT SO MUCH LOWER THIS YEAR? WHAT SO, UM, WE KIND OF HIT ON THAT A LITTLE BIT TUESDAY, BUT WHAT WE'RE SEEING IS THAT'S A TREND.
WE'RE SEEING LESS PEOPLE, UH, LOWER NUMBERS, UM, WITHIN THE HOTELS AND THE, THE REVENUE THAT'S COMING IN RIGHT NOW IS SLOWLY DECREASING.
I KNEW, I KNEW HILTON HAD PROJECTIONS AND STUFF, BUT WE ARE SEEING THAT.
WE'RE SEEING THAT AS WELL IN OUR OWN.
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WE TALKED ABOUT EARLIER, WE LIKE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ESTIMATE AND USE NUMBERS THAT ARE REALISTIC ON WHAT WE'RE SAYING.SO WE DON'T END UP IN A SITUATION WHERE WE'RE OVERESTIMATING REVENUES AND OBLIGATING.
'CAUSE AGAIN, A LOT OF THESE TRANSFER OUT TO EITHER CAPITAL PROJECTS OR TO THE GENERAL FUND.
IF WE END UP OVERESTIMATING THAT, THEN WE END UP HURTING OTHER FUNDS WITHIN THE, THE BUDGET THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO GO BACK AND FIX.
SO WE LIKE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE USING GOOD ESTIMATES AND BEING, UM, PREPARED FOR ANY FLUCTUATIONS THAT LOOK GOOD.
SO WITH THE LOCAL ACCOMMODATIONS, UM, TWO THIRD, THREE QUARTERS OF IT GOES OUT TO CAPITAL PROJECTS AND THEN ABOUT A QUARTER OF IT GOES TO THE GENERAL FUND.
SO THESE ARE THE CAPITAL PROJECTS THAT WE SUPPORT WITH THE LOCAL ACCOMMODATIONS TAX.
AGAIN, YOU CAN SEE THE SQUIRE POPE CARRIAGE HOUSE PARK IMPROVEMENTS, OUR PAR UH, BAR, PARK IMPROVEMENTS, PEDESTRIAN SAFETY AND SO FORTH.
AND THEN WE ALSO TRANSFER INTO THE GENERAL FUND TO OFFSET AGAIN, YOU'LL SEE WITH THE COMMUNICATIONS AND COMMUNITY OUTREACH PERSONNEL COSTS THERE.
PART OF THAT MAY, UH, WOULD BE TO COVER THE WELCOME CENTER AS WELL AS OUR EVENTS AND TOURISM ACTIVITIES THAT WE PUT ON THAT PEOPLE MAY COME AND VISIT.
UM, THIS IS WHERE OUR BLUFFTON AMBASSADOR PROGRAM IS COVERED.
UM, IF YOU REMEMBER LAST YEAR WE USED TO CHARGE, UH, COSTS FOR SPECIAL EVENTS FOR THE POLICE TO BE OUT THERE.
WHAT THEY WOULD DO IS THEY WOULD ADD THAT AS PART OF THE REQUEST THEY WERE MAKING IN THEIR STATE AID TAX FUNDS, WE SAID INSTEAD OF THEM ASKING TO FOR MONEY JUST TO REIMBURSE US WHAT THE POLICE ARE COSTING, LET'S JUST COVER THE COST FOR THE POLICE BEING OUT THERE.
JUST REMOVE THAT FROM REQUESTS THEY HAVE TO MAKE.
SO ANYTHING THAT RECEIVES ACCOMMODATIONS, TAX FUNDING, THE POLICE PROVIDE PROTECTION AND WE COVER THAT COST THROUGH TRANSFER ENDS FROM THE LOCAL AND STATE AAX FUND.
IT JUST, AGAIN, ALL WE WERE DOING WAS ASKING THEM TO GIVE THEM A GRANT SO THEY CAN TURN AROUND AND THEN PAY US BACK FOR THE POLICE BEING OUT THERE.
UM, I KNOW IT MADE MARY O'NEILL HAPPY, IT DID.
SO IF WE CAN MAKE MARY HAPPY MAKES ME HAPPY.
THEN UM, THE NEW THING, AGAIN, THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING HIT ON THAT A LITTLE BIT.
TUESDAY WE'RE ALLOWED TO USE 15% UNDER STATE LAW TO NOW SUPPORT AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
THAT FUNDING COMES OFF THE TOP OF OUR AT TAX.
THE FIRST 15% BASED ON THE WAY THE LAW WAS WRITTEN GOES YOU CAN TAKE OFF FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
SO, UM, I SAW THE CHANGE
SO NOW WE GO INTO STORMWATER FUND.
SO THE, THESE FUNDS COME FROM THE UTILITY FEES AS WELL AS THE, UH, FEES THAT, THAT THEY CHARGE TO DO INSPECTIONS.
THIS GIVES YOU A COMPARISON OF WHERE WE ARE AROUND THE COUNTY.
AS YOU CAN SEE WE'RE $115 ANNUALLY THAT GET GOES ON TAX BILL AND WE'RE A LITTLE HIGHER THAN BUFORT COUNTY, BUT WE'RE LOWER THAN TOWN OF HILTON HEAD TOWN OF FORT ROYAL.
SO WE'RE KIND OF RIGHT AT ABOUT THE AVERAGE OF WHAT'S BEING CHARGED THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY.
STEVEN, UH, WHEN I WAS LOOKING THROUGH ONE OF THESE GRAPHS OR PAGES I SAW, YOU KNOW, THE EXAMPLE OF OUR TAX BILLS? YES SIR.
YOU KNOW, ON THE, WHAT WAS IT, A 400 SOMETHING THOUSAND DOLLARS HOUSE.
I DIDN'T REALIZE THAT WE PAY BEAUFORT COUNTY STORM WATER UTILITY FEES, STORMWATER FEES.
THAT'S A COUNTYWIDE INFRASTRUCTURE FEE, SIR, THAT THEY CHARGE.
AND THE COUNTYWIDE INFRASTRUCTURE FEE IS FOR BEAVER COUNTY TO COLLECT FROM OUR RESIDENTS WHO PAY STORMWATER UTILITY FEES TO TOWN.
BUT THEY COLLECT IT FROM TOWN OF BLUFFTON RESIDENCE TO MAINTAIN BEAUFORT COUNTY STORMWATER INFRASTRUCTURE WITHIN OUR JURISDICTIONAL BOUNDARIES, IF YOU WILL.
BIGGEST EXPENSES BUCKWALTER PARKWAY AND BLUFFTON PARKWAY FOR ALL THE STORM DRAIN INLETS AND WHAT HAVE YOU.
SO THAT, THAT'S THE CWI FEE THAT YOU SEE ON THERE AND THAT'S WHAT IT IS.
IT WASN'T A VERY LARGE 49 CENTS.
YEAH, BUT I JUST, I DON'T EVER RECALL THAT'S SEEING THAT IT'S BEEN THERE FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH ZEROS ON IT FOR ME TO CATCH MINE.
WELL IF IT, IF IT WAS, IF IT WAS A TRUE STORMWATER FEE, IT WOULD BE THE A HUNDRED DOLLARS THERE THAT THEY, I MEAN I KNOW WE HAVE OUR STORMWATER RIGHT, BUT I,
[01:20:01]
BUT THAT'S WHAT THAT IS.I'M LOOKING AT IT THAT PAYING THEM AND US AND WE'RE ALL IN BEAUFORT COUNTY.
SO THIS SHOWS YOU WHERE THE REVENUES ARE GENERATED FROM.
THEN WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE IS DOLLARS.
SO YOU CAN SEE ABOUT 2 MILLION IS GENERATED FROM OUR STORM UTILITY, UH, STORMWATER UTILITY FEE.
UM, ABOUT 385,000 IS GENERATED FROM LICENSE AND PERMITS OR TOTAL OF 2.46.
AND THAT'S A LITTLE BIT OF A DECREASE OVER THE PREVIOUS YEAR.
UM, AGAIN, JUST IN, IN LIKE WE SHOWED WITH BUILDING PERMITS WHERE WE'RE SEEING THOSE CONTINUING TO KIND OF SLOW OVER WHERE WE WERE A COUPLE YEARS AGO, WE'RE ANTICIPATING THAT TO CONTINUE TO STAY A LITTLE LOWER FROM WHERE WE WERE, UM, FOR THEM DOING PERMIT AND INSPECTIONS.
WHAT DO WE DO WITH A DOCK FEE? THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.
WHY THAT? WELL, THERE THERE'S NOT MUCH THERE TO DO WITH IT.
UM, YEAH,
I GUESS POTENTIALLY IT'S NOT RIGHT THERE.
WE COULD PROBABLY USE IT FOR OUR MAINTENANCE OF THE DOCK THAT WE STAIN IT A COUPLE TIMES A YEAR IF WE HAD TO DO SOME WORK, MAYBE POTENTIALLY WE COULD.
WE CAN, WE CAN FIND OUT HOW MUCH IS SITTING IN THERE AND LET YOU KNOW.
'CAUSE I DON'T, OH, IT'S NOT A BIG NUMBER LIKE THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS THEN I'M NOT WORRIED ABOUT IT.
OH, IT'S THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS.
I DON'T THINK IT'S TENS OF THOUSANDS, BUT IT'S THOUSANDS THAN USE.
DID YOU USE ANY OF THAT ON KHAN STREET? WE MAY HAVE PROBABLY BECAUSE I, NO, IT WAS UP THERE PRETTY GOOD AT ONE POINT.
UM, JUST ONE, ONE QUESTION ON THE STORMWATER UTILITY FEE.
I ONLY SEE, UM, WHICH ONE ARE YOU ON THE SAME SITE I WAS LOOKING AT? YEAH.
OKAY, SO NINE IS THAT $90,000, 9,000 INCREASE FOR THE STORMWATER UTILITY FEE.
BUT YEAH, SO IF WE, WE ONLY HAD 190 HOUSES, OR NOT EVEN 70 HOUSES COME ONLINE.
YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING? IT, IT'S, YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING FROM LAST YEAR, YOU GO AHEAD.
IT'S THE INCREASE IN THE ADMIN FEE THAT THE COUNTY HAS IS GONNA ASSESS US FOR NEXT FISCAL YEAR.
SO THEY COLLECT AN ADMINISTRATIVE FEE AND IT'S INCREASING.
SO OTHERWISE IT WOULD'VE BEEN A LOT MORE OF THE BUDGET CHANGE.
SO THEY'RE CHARGING US MORE THAN THEY USED TO.
SO THEY CHARGE US JUST LIKE PROPERTY TAXES.
THEY CHARGE US TO ACTUALLY BILL EVERYBODY ON IVY.
IT WAS, IT WAS ONE AND A HALF OR 2% OR SOMETHING.
AND I KNOW WE WENT THROUGH IT WHEN WE, WHEN WE CHANGED THE STORMWATER FEE, WE DO A CONCURRENCE LETTER EACH YEAR TO THE STORMWATER UTILITY FOR THE ADMINISTRATION OF GATHERING OUR FUNDS BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE THE MECHANISM TO COUNT TO CAPTURE THOSE FUNDS AS STORMWATER UTILITY FEES.
SO THEY OBVIOUSLY PUT IT ON THE BILLING, THEY GET THE FUNDS AND THEN THEY CUT US THE CHECK FOR IT.
SO IT'S, IT'S FOR THE ADMINISTRATION OF COLLECTING THE FEES AND THEN PAYING IT BACK.
WE DO HAVE SOME COST SHARING EFFORTS THAT WE PARTICIPATE IN AS WELL.
MOSTLY TO KEEP MSS FOUR COMPLIANCE WITH THE CLEMSON EXTENSION.
UM, LOW COUNTRY STORM WATER PARTNERS FOR CAROLINA CLEAR FOR OUTREACH AND EDUCATION.
SO WE JUST CAUSE SHARE THAT AMONGST ALL THE MUNICIPALITIES IT'S IN HERE.
BEFORE WE MADE IT A, A SET AMOUNT, REMEMBER THEY HAD TO COMPUTE SIZE OF THE LOT AND EVERYBODY'S BILL, THERE ARE TWO DIFFERENT FEES.
SO WHEN YOU WERE LOOKING AT THE SPO FEES THAT WE ARE COMPARISON TO A HUNDRED AND 30TH THE COUNTY AND WE'RE 115, THOSE ARE ACTUALLY OUR STORMWATER UTILITY FEES THAT WE COLLECT AND THAT THEY COLLECT FROM BUFORT COUNTY RESIDENTS.
IN ADDITION TO THE STORMWATER UTILITY FEES, WE ALSO PAY A STORMWATER UTILITY ADMINISTRATION COST.
THIS IS THEIR STAFFING COST FOR PEOPLE SUCH AS NATALIE WORKING THE MAGIC WITH THE NUMBERS FOR GENERATING THAT.
WE'RE GONNA GET ROUGHLY $2 MILLION IN SUITE OF FEES, SENDING THOSE, THOSE TAXES OUT, COLLECTING OUR FEES, GETTING THEM IN IT.
IT IS JUST THE ADMIN FEE, IT'S STAFFING.
SO TO RUN THE, TO RUN THE UTILITY, WELL THEY, THEY CHARGE US $4 AND 10 CENTS PER BILLING PER ACCOUNT THAT THEY BILL.
SO THAT COMES UP TO $67,000 A YEAR.
SO IT WAS UP ABOUT A COUPLE DOLLARS.
SO THAT ATE UP ABOUT 34, 30,000 PLUS OF THE AND PARTICIPATE ANTICIP REVENUE WE WOULD'VE HAD INCREASE OVER THE GROWTH.
SO WE DON'T HAVE, WE DON'T HAVE THE OPTION TO COUNTER OFFER THEM WHEN THEY, WHEN THEY MAKE IT BECAUSE THEIR, THEIR OPTION
[01:25:01]
WOULD BE YOU EITHER PAY IT OR YOU BILL IT YOURSELF AND UM, IT WOULD COST US MORE.AND ACTUALLY WE'RE CHEAPER THAN OTHERS.
THEY CHARGE PORT ROYAL AND CITY OF BEAUFORT 5 67 PER ACCOUNT AND THEN THEY CHARGE TO BILL UNINCORPORATED BEAUFORT COUNTY THEIR OWN THAT THEY'RE BILLING THEIR OWN PEOPLE IS $19 PER BILL.
SO AGAIN, WE WENT BACK TO THEM, THEY COULD SAY THIS IS WHAT WE CHARGED, COLLECTED OR COLLECT IT YOURSELF AND IT WOULD COST US A LOT MORE TO DO THAT.
AND WE'VE SIGNED A LONG TERM AGREEMENT AS WELL IN OUR GOVERNMENTAL AGREEMENT ON THE STORMWATER UTILITY.
THAT'S NOT UP FOR RENEWAL FOR SEVERAL MORE YEARS YET.
WE SIGNED THAT A LONG TIME AGO AND WE'VE RENEWED IT SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE.
WE'VE RENEWED IT TWICE I THINK THAT SAYS HOW LONG I'VE BEEN HERE.
THANK Y'ALL FOR HELPING PULL THAT OUT.
SO WHERE DOES THE EXPENDITURES GO? ABOUT A QUARTER TO SALARIES, QUARTER TO OPERATING, UH, ABOUT A THIRD TO CAPITAL PROJECTS AND THEN ABOUT 11% TRANSFERS TO THE GENERAL FUND AND THAT HELPS OFFSET, UH, CAMP STAFF, UM, OVER IN STORMWATER.
AND THEN WE TRANSFER OUT TO PAY THE DEBT SERVICE.
THIS IS WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE NUMERICALLY THEN AS WE'VE BEEN BEEN SHOWING, YOU CAN SEE THE TRANSFER OUT THERE TO CIP FUND.
UM, ALL OF THOSE ARE GOING TOWARDS AND UM, I WOULD SAY FOR A SECOND, UM, WE COULD DO THE SPREADSHEET LIKE WE DID WITH CIP HAVE THAT IN HERE.
YEAH, SO, UM, BECAUSE YOU CAN SEE AGAIN THESE ARE ALL GO FOR SEWER AND DRAINAGE PROJECTS AND THEN TO THE GENERAL FUND, THE OFFSET KIM STAFF AND STORMWATER AND THEN DEBT SERVICE TO PAY THE DEBT, THE GENERAL OBLIGATION BOND, THEN WE WILL GO INTO THE DEBT SERVICE FUND.
SO WE DO HAVE A LEGAL DEBT MARGIN THAT WE ARE ALLOWED TO GO BEFORE WE HAVE TO GO TO A BOND REFERENDUM IS 8% OF OUR ASSESSED VALUE AS ASSESSED VALUE INCREASE FROM 328 MILLION TO 415 MILLION THIS YEAR.
THAT DEBT LIMIT INCREASED BY ABOUT $7 MILLION THAT WE COULD LEGALLY BORROW WITHOUT GOING, UM, OUT TO A REFERENDUM.
CURRENTLY OUR WHAT WE HAVE, UM, OUT FOR DEBT IS A LITTLE OVER 7 MILLION FOR GENERAL OBLIGATION DEBT.
UM, AND THEN WHAT WE HAVE LEFT IS ABOUT 26 MILLION THAT WE COULD, UH, BORROW AGAINST IF WE WANTED TO WITHOUT A REFERENDUM, WHICH MEANS THAT WE'RE ONLY ABOUT 21% LEVERAGED ON OUR DEBT LIMIT FOR GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS.
THIS THIS SEVEN, IS THAT WHAT WE STILL OWE ON THE POLICE? YES SIR.
THE GENERAL OBLIGATION ONE IS THE STORMWATER CAPITAL PROJECTS THAT WE DID IN 2020 AND THEN THE OTHER ONE IS THE LAW ENFORCEMENT CENTER FOR 2010.
OH, SO THOSE TWO, THOSE TWO ARE BOTH GENERAL OBLIGATIONS, THAT'S ALL.
IF YOU LOOK NOT INCLUDING THE TIP.
SO IF YOU LOOK OVER ON THE RIGHT, THE ONES THAT ARE HIGHLIGHTED IN BLUE ARE GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS.
YOU CAN SEE AT THE END OF THIS FISCAL YEAR WE'LL HAVE 3.625 OUTSTANDING FOR THE ORDER ONE AND A THREE AND A HALF LEFT FOR THE, FOR THE LAW ENFORCEMENT CENTER.
AND THEN THOSE SHOW YOU OUR PRINCIPAL AND INTEREST PAYMENTS FOR NEXT YEAR.
THE OTHER BONDS THAT WE HAVE ARE SPECIAL REVENUE BONDS.
THESE DO NOT COUNT AGAINST OUR DEBT LIMIT BECAUSE THEY'RE BASED ON THIS PARTICULAR REVENUE SOURCE THAT IS OUR TIF FUNDS.
AND AGAIN, ONCE OUR TIFF, ALL OF OUR FUNDS HERE ARE SET UP TO, OUR BONDS ARE SET TO EXPIRE WHEN OUR TIF EXPIRES AND WHEN THAT HAPPENS, ALL OF OUR TIF REVENUES WILL THEN MOVE INTO OUR GENERAL FUND OR TWO CAPITAL PROJECTS, WHICHEVER WAY WE, UH, WANT TO WANT TO USE THEM AT THAT TIME.
UM, SO WE HAVE UM, THE ONE THAT WAS ISSUED IN 2006 AND THEN WE HAVE THE ONE THAT WE ISSUED IN 2023 THAT WAS A 10 MILLION FOR UH, NEW RIVERSIDE.
UH, SO THE GO BONDS EX EXPIRE WHEN, UH, SO THE STORMWATER ONE IS 2040, THE POLICE ARE 2034.
AND THEN THE TIP ONES, THEY'RE ALL SET TO EXPIRE IN 2033 OR 34 DEPENDING ON THE TIMING OF THE 10 YEAR REPAYMENT, WHICH FISCAL WHAT YEAR THAT THAT.
BUT OUR RETURN IS, WE COULD DO 'EM FASTER THAN
[01:30:01]
THAT IF WE WANTED TO.I MEAN IF WE COULD, BUT WE, WHERE WE, HOW DO I TELL WHERE WHAT WE'RE USING OUT OF THAT TO RETURN TO PAY ON IT THAT MADE ANY SENSE.
YEAH, THAT'S NO, I MEAN WE'RE PAYING IT DOWN.
WHY WE'RE USING, WE'RE RECEIVING MORE THAN WHAT WE'RE APPLYING.
SO YEAH, I MEAN OUR, WE DON'T HAVE THE TIFF AS A SPECIAL FUND SO YOU CAN, RIGHT, SO THE TIFF REVENUE IS PROJECTED FOR 4.7 MILLION NEXT YEAR.
AND SO THE TOTAL DEBT SERVICE IS 640.
SO THAT MEANS ABOUT 4.1 MILLION IN TIF REVENUE CAN BE TRANSFERRED TO CIP FOR CAPITAL PROJECTS.
SO IF WE WEREN'T USING IT FOR CAPITAL PROJECTS, WE COULD USE IT TO PAY DOWN THE DEBT SOONER.
AGAIN, THE WAY IT'S SET UP THOUGH IS OUR, OUR TIFF IS EXTENDED THROUGH THE LIFE OF THE BONDS SO THAT THEY EXPIRE AT THE SAME TIME.
BUT OUR PRINCIPLE, JUST LIKE ON A HOME MORTGAGE, WILL CONTINUE TO OFFSET.
I MEAN, YOU KNOW, YOUR EQUITY, WHATEVER YOU WANNA CALL IT WILL GROW.
SO I MEAN I, THAT WAS THE THING THAT CAUGHT MY EYE THE OTHER NIGHT IS WE'RE WE'RE NOT UPSIDE DOWN ON INTEREST CORRECT PART.
WELL, AND EVERY YEAR THAT 4.1 WILL GROW.
I MEAN IF THAT'S WHAT IT IS THIS YEAR RIGHT.
CONTINUE DEVELOP WHATSOEVER, THEN THAT'LL CONTINUE TO GET AND WE'LL BECOME MORE AND MORE OF A REVENUE SOURCE TO OPERATE THE TOWN OR CIPS OR WHATEVER.
LIKE HAVING MONEY IN THE BANK.
SO THIS TELLS YOU WHERE THE DEBT SERVICE REVENUES COME FROM.
AS YOU CAN SEE, 49% OF 'EM ARE PROPERTY TAXES.
THAT'S YOUR TIFF AND GENERAL FUND.
UM, AND THEN WE HAVE THE TRANSFER IN FROM THE PRIOR YEAR FUND BALANCE AS WELL AS TRANSFER IN A STORMWATER FUND NUMERICALLY THIS REPRESENTED HERE.
SO WHEN THAT SHOWS PROPERTY TAXES, AGAIN THAT'S MOSTLY LIKE CHRIS WAS TALKING ABOUT, THE TRANSFER IN FROM THE TIF AS WELL AS WHAT WE'RE TRANSFERRING IN FROM THE GENERAL FUND TO COVER, UH, THE DEBT AND THEN LICENSE AND PERMITS AS WELL AS THE STORM TRANSFER IN FROM THE STORMWATER FUND AND TRANSFER IN FROM PRIOR YEAR FUND BALANCE.
WHERE DOES IT, WHAT'S IT BEING USED FOR? AS WE TALKED ABOUT CAPITAL PROJECTS, 78% OF IT IS GOING FOR CAPITAL PROJECTS.
THE BIGGEST BEING THE TIFF FUND, WHICH IS GOING TO SUPPORT THE NEW RIVERSIDE BARN FOR NEXT YEAR.
UM, THE REST OF IT IS GOING TO PAY OFF THE DEBT THAT WE SEE FOR THE GO BONDS AND THE TIFF BONDS.
WHERE ARE WE ON THE, UM, THE BUCK WALTER AT THE MULTI-JURISDICTIONAL PARK? IS THAT INTERESTING QUESTION YOU WANNA TALK ABOUT? YOU'RE ON THAT USUALLY DOING STUDY? YEAH, SO WE, WE HAVE COMPILED EVERYTHING AND PROVIDED IT TO LEGAL AND THEY'RE IN THE PROCESS OF WRITING UP A LEGAL MEMO TO PROVIDE THE COUNTY, UM, ON WHERE WE STAND WITH THE MCIP REVENUES AND WHAT WE THINK IS STILL OWED TO US AND THAT IT SHOULD, UM, BE TERMINATED.
THE CURRENT EXPIRATION DATE, I CAN'T REMEMBER OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD.
26TH? 26TH I THINK IT IS 26TH.
OUR RESERVE SHOWS THAT WE BELIEVE THAT THE FINE WHAT THE OBLIGATIONS OF REVENUE GENERATION HAS BEEN MET TO COVER THE, UM, THE, THE, UM, TCL TCL CULINARY, UM, THE CULINARY INSTITUTE.
SO WE'VE, WE ARE SHOWING THAT'S BEEN MET.
SO OUR OUR OUR ARGUMENT IS IT SHOULD BE EXPIRED, SO WE SHOULD BE RECEIVING OUR SHARE OF THOSE FUNDS NOW THAT THAT IS OUR STANCE.
UM, WE STILL HAVE TO COMMUNICATE THAT BUT AND SEE WHAT THEIR POSITION IS.
THIS HAS BEEN A, IT'S IT'S BEEN A VERY CONFUSING OH, ARE WE TALKING, HOW MUCH MONEY ARE WE TALKING ABOUT? UM, ROUGHLY THAT'S OWED TO US.
WHAT WAS IT LIKE? YES, SOMETHING 200,000, LIKE TWO 300,000 I THINK OUR ESTIMATION AND THAT'S THROUGH THE CURRENT AND THEN THAT WOULD COMPLETE THIS PROCESS AND THAT THAT AGREEMENT IS VOID AND NO, THAT WOULD BE OUR ARGUMENT.
OUR, THAT'S WHAT OUR ARGUMENT IS, IS THAT THE FINANCE, THE EVERYTHING THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE GENERATED TO COVER THE COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE INFRASTRUCTURE HAS BEEN MET.
AND AT THIS POINT IN TIME WE FEEL THAT EV EVERYTHING'S BEEN UM, SHOULD, SHOULD EXPIRE AND THE REVENUE SHOULD JUST RETURN COSTS 'CAUSE THE COUNTY'S BEEN OUT.
SO THE ONLY PERSON LEFT WAS THE, WASN'T THE SCHOOL STILL INVOLVED IN THIS SOMEHOW OR JUST US? THEY, THEY DO HAVE AN OBLIGATION, PART OF THE AGREEMENT.
UM, I DON'T KNOW WHERE THEY STAND ON THEIR SIDE OF IT THOUGH.
AND PART OF OUR REQUEST THAT WE'RE GONNA SEND FROM LEGAL TO LEGAL IS FOR THEM TO SHOW US THEIR FI IS TO GIVE US,
[01:35:01]
SHOW THE FINANCES THEY HAVE COMPARED TO WHAT WE ARE SHOWING.'CAUSE WE FEEL CONFIDENT IN OUR NUMBERS, WE WANT TO SEE WHAT THEY'RE SHOWING.
'CAUSE THERE'S NOTHING ELSE TO BUILD.
EXCEPT THAT ROAD BETWEEN WHAT WASHINGTON SQUARE AND THAT'S NOT PART OF IT
AND SO ONE OF THE STARTING TO WRAP UP HERE, UH, FUND BALANCE.
THIS GIVES YOU AN ESTIMATE OF WHERE WE, UH, WERE FOR FISCAL 23 ACTUAL WHERE WE'RE ESTIMATING TO BE AT THE END OF THIS CURRENT FISCAL YEAR.
AND THEN WHERE WE'RE PROJECTED FOR FISCAL YEAR 25.
AND AS YOU CAN SEE, A LOT OF THAT IS COMING OFF OF THE CIP.
UM, WE'RE AND IN 23 WE'RE AT 21 MILLION THAT WE WERE CARRYING FORWARD.
UM, 24 WE'RE ANTICIPATING TO BE 15 MILLION AND NEXT YEAR IF WE CONTINUE TO COMPLETE PROJECTS AT THE RATE THAT WE'RE GOING, WE WILL HAVE IT DOWN TO JUST A COUPLE MILLION DOLLARS.
SO THAT, UM, GOES AS KUDOS CAME OVER THERE FOR CONTINUING TO PUSH OUR PROJECTS FORWARD AND GETTING 'EM MOVE AND GETTING 'EM CONSTRUCTED.
SO TO SUMMARIZE, THIS IS AGAIN THE PROPOSED CONSOLIDATED BUDGET.
IT SHOWS EVERYTHING THAT WE HAD TALKED ABOUT TONIGHT EXCEPT FOR THE CIP, WHICH WE'LL GO OVER IN A COUPLE WEEKS AND SUMMARIZES THAT.
WE ARE LOOKING AT A TOTAL FUND, UH, TOTAL BUDGET OF A LITTLE OVER 90,620,000, WHICH IS A 2% DECREASE OVERALL FROM THE PREVIOUS YEAR.
UH, IT DOES SHOW A 2.4% INCREASE FOR GENERAL FUND AND THEN ALL SOME OF THAT IS OFFSET FROM OTHER PROGRAM.
OTHER, UM, FUNDS DECREASING FROM PREVIOUS BUDGET YEAR.
I THINK I SAW SOMEWHERE IN HERE, I GUESS OUR BUDGET'S DOUBLED IN FOUR YEARS BASICALLY.
IS THAT WHAT I INTERPRETED? NO, FOUR YEARS.
SO TO SUMMARIZE, 34.5 OR SOMETHING, UM, I WANNA SAY I, I APPLIED, WE WERE AT 65,000,003, THREE YEARS.
PART THE ADDITIONAL FUNDS THAT WE'RE BUDGETING AS WELL.
YEAH, BECAUSE IF YOU REMEMBER LAST YEAR WAS THE FIRST YEAR WE SHOWED LOCAL AT TAX AND HOSPITALITY AS FUNDS.
SO THAT ADDED IT WAS SIX, $7 MILLION LAST YEAR.
WELL AND THAT BOND ADDED $10 MILLION.
SO WE HAD A COUPLE BOND ISSUANCES.
WE HAD 5 MILLION FOR GEO AND THEN 10 MILLION FOR, AND THEN THERE'S ABOUT A YEAR, YEAR AND A HALF WHERE KIND OF CAPITAL PROJECTS SLOWED DOWN.
SO AS REVENUE BUILT UP FOR CAPITAL PROJECTS, THE WEREN'T SPENDING AS MUCH BEFORE COVID.
SO YEAH, THE BIGGEST PART OF THAT FIVE AND, AND UM,
SO TO SUMMARIZE, THE DAY IS THE 16TH.
WE'RE HERE ON THE TOWN COUNCIL OF BUDGET WORKSHOP ONE.
WE'VE GONE THROUGH EVERYTHING EXCEPT FOR CAPITAL PROJECTS.
WE'LL COME BACK MAY 30TH AND WE WILL, UH, WORKSHOP CAPITAL PROJECTS BETWEEN TONIGHT THE QUESTIONS THAT WERE ASKED, ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE THAT WE DIDN'T GO THROUGH TONIGHT THAT YOU HAVE AS YOU GO THROUGH THE BUDGET OR ANYTHING, UM, OVER THE NEXT WEEK OR TWO, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO LET US KNOW.
WE'LL BE MORE THAN GLAD TO RESEARCH AND BRING ANYTHING BACK, UM, AT THE SECOND WORKSHOP SO THAT WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT WE GET ALL OF COUNCIL'S QUESTIONS ANSWERED.
GET YOU SOMEWHERE WHERE YOU FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH HOW WE'RE MOVING FORWARD AND GET READY FOR SECOND READING IN THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR JUNE 11TH.
WITH THAT, ANY MORE QUESTIONS FROM ANYONE?
YOU SAID YOU HAVE ANY QUESTION, COME AND SEE YOU TOMORROW.
AND HURRICANE SEASON RUNS THROUGH NOVEMBER 30TH.
WE ARE PREPARED FOR YOU HAVE AN EVACUATION PLAN AND
[01:40:01]
PRACTICE IT WITH EVERYONE IN YOUR FAMILY.HAVE A FIRST AID KIT, EMERGENCY SUPPLIES AND MEDICINES PACKED AND READY TO GO.
AND MAKE SURE TO HAVE ENOUGH TO LAST FOUR TO FIVE DAYS.
REMEMBER TO INCLUDE YOUR PETS.
DON'T LEAVE THEM BEHIND TIED UP OR LOOSE.
COUNTY ORDINANCE CONSIDERS THAT ABANDONMENT.
DOWNLOAD THE SOUTH CAROLINA HURRICANE GUIDE FROM THE BEAUFORT COUNTY WEBSITE AND SIGN UP FOR EMERGENCY ALERTS@NICKEL.COM AND BEAUFORT COUNTY SC.GOV.
SUMMER IN THE LOW COUNTRY MEANS HOT HUMID DAYS WITH AFTERNOON THUNDERSTORMS COMING IN ACROSS THE WATER AND LOTS OF DAYLIGHT.
MANY CREATURES BECOME INACTIVE DURING THE HOTTEST PART OF THE DAY AND INSTEAD RESTRICT ACTIVITY TO MORNINGS AND EVENINGS OR EVEN BECOME SOMEWHAT NOCTURNAL.
WHEN THE DAYS BECOME SO LONG YOU HAVE TO STAY UP PRETTY LATE IN ORDER TO CHECK OUT THE CONSTELLATIONS.
BUT IF YOU DO, YOU'LL BE REWARDED WITH A RELATIVELY EASY SET OF CONSTELLATIONS TO FIND THAT MAKE UP THE SUMMER TRIANGLE.
THE SUMMER TRIANGLE IS MARKED BY THREE OF THE BRIGHTEST STARS IN THE SKY FOUND IN THE CONSTELLATIONS LIRA, THE HARP OCULAR THE EAGLE AND NUS THE SWAN.
LET'S LEARN TO LOCATE THESE CONSTELLATIONS AND TALK ABOUT THEIR STAR STORIES.
ONE OF THE STARS MARKING A CORNER OF THE TRIANGLE IS VEGA.
VEGA IS BRIGHT BLUE, WHITE AND IS THE FIFTH BRIGHTEST STAR IN THE SKY.
THIS IS THE FIRST STAR SEEN IN THE SKY ON A SUMMER EVENING AFTER THE SUNSETS.
VEGA IS ONLY 25 LIGHT YEARS AWAY, WHICH IN ASTRONOMICAL TERMS IS RATHER CLOSE.
LIRA IS A SMALL CONSTELLATION REPRESENTING A HARP.
THE CONSTELLATION WAS SAID IN ROMAN MYTHOLOGY TO BE A TRIBUTE TO THE INVENTOR OF THE HARP MERCURY WHO WAS THE MESSENGER OF THE GODS.
THERE ARE A COUPLE OF INTERESTING ASTRONOMICAL FEATURES WITHIN LIRA.
ONE OF ITS STARS CALLED EPSILON.
LIRE IS NOT ACTUALLY A SINGLE STAR.
IF YOU LOOK AT IT THROUGH BINOCULARS, YOU SEE TWO STARS RATHER THAN ONE, BUT THROUGH A TELESCOPE, EACH OF THOSE STARS APPEARS AS TWO AS WELL.
ALSO WITHIN THE REGION OF LIRA IS THE RING NEBULA.
THE RING NEBULA IS THE REMNANT OUTER LAYERS OF A DYING RED GIANT STAR, WHICH BECAME A WHITE DWARF.
YOU WOULD NEED A TELESCOPE TO SEE IT.
THE EAGLE MARKS THE SECOND CORNER OF THE TRIANGLE.
ALTAIRE IS AT THE HEAD OF THE EAGLE AND DIMMER STARS MARK THE OUTSTRETCHED WINGS, BODY AND TAIL IN AN X PATTERN.
THE EAGLE WAS THE SERVANT OF THE GREEK SKY GOD, AND WAS SENT TO EARTH TO RETRIEVE LIGHTNING BOLTS THAT WERE MADE BY CYCLOPS AND FLUNG TO EARTH BY THE SKY.
THE LAST STAR IN THE SUMMER TRIANGLE IS CALLED DENE AND MARKS THE TAIL OF S.
IN ARABIC, THE STARS THAT MAKE UP THE BODY OF THE SWAN FORM A ROUGH CROSS SHAPE, AN ASTM THAT IS CALLED THE NORTHERN CROSS.
THE HEAD END OF THE CONSTELLATION IS VERY ELONGATED, AS ARE THE WINGS.
ZOOS DISGUISED HIMSELF AS A SWAN TO ABDUCT LITA, WHO THEN BECAME MOTHER TO HELEN OF TROY AND THE GEMINI TWINS.
CIGNAS FALLS ALONG THE PLANE OF THE MILKY WAY, THE FAINT GLOWING BAND THAT RUNS ACROSS THE NIGHT.
SKY IS THE DENSEST PART OF OUR OWN GALAXY AND IS BEST SEEN DURING THE SUMMER FROM A VERY DARK LOCATION.
THIS IS BECAUSE OUR GALAXY IS NOT ROUND, IT IS FLAT AND DISC SHAPED.
WE ARE LOOKING AT THE MILKY WAY FROM WITHIN IT.
AND DURING THE SUMMER, DUE TO THE ANGLE OF THE EARTH, WE LOOK INTO THE PLANE OF OUR GALAXY WHERE THERE ARE THE MOST STARS AND IT IS HIGH OVERHEAD.
THE GLOW FROM THOSE BILLIONS OF STARS FORMS A MILKY BAND THAT OUR EYE DOES NOT SEE AS MANY INDIVIDUAL STARS.
AFTER SPENDING THE DAY AT THE BEACH OR ON THE WATER SEEKING RELIEF FROM THE HOT SUMMER SUN, STAY UP LATE AND TAKE THE TIME TO LOOK FOR THE SHAPE OF THE SUMMER TRIANGLE AND THE BAND OF THE MILKY WAY GALAXY.
THOUGH THE ARE SHORTER AND OFTEN CLOUDY DUE TO STORMY WEATHER, THE SUMMER TRIANGLE WILL BECOME AN EASY TO SPOT FEATURE OF THE SUMMER.
[01:45:01]
EXPLORE AND UNWIND.AMIDST THE NATURAL BEAUTY AND RICH HISTORY OF BEAUFORT COUNTY, OUR PASSIVE PARKS PROVIDE OVER 13,000 ACRES OF PROTECTED LAND AND 15 NATURE-BASED PASSIVE RECREATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES.
OPEN TO THE PUBLIC, NAVIGATE SCENIC, HIKING TRAILS, EXPLORE HISTORIC FORTS, DISCOVER NATIVE BIRDS AND WILDLIFE PICNIC, KAYAK, AND RECONNECT WITH NATURE IN BEAUTIFUL COASTAL SOUTH CAROLINA.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT BEAUFORT COUNTY SC.GOV.
DID YOU GET A CALL OR MESSAGE THAT MENTIONED SOCIAL SECURITY THAT MADE YOU FEEL THREATENED OR SCARED? THAT IS NOT THE SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION.
SOCIAL SECURITY WILL NOT THREATEN YOU.
PRESS YOU FOR PERSONAL INFORMATION OR DEMAND INSTANT PAYMENT.
SOCIAL SECURITY DOES NOT ACCEPT PAYMENTS BY GIFT CARD, PREPAID DEBIT CARD, INTERNET CURRENCY, OR BY MAILING CASH CRIMINALS.
USE THESE FORMS OF PAYMENT BECAUSE THEY'RE HARD TO TRACE.
REPORT THIS CRIMINAL ACTIVITY TO OIG.SSA.GOV.
PRODUCE AT US TAXPAYER EXPENSE.
I'M MARIA WALLS, YOUR BEAUFORT COUNTY TREASURER.
IF YOU'VE EVER WONDERED WHAT'S E-BILLING OR MY BEAUFORT COUNTY, I'D LIKE TO GIVE YOU A SNEAK PEEK BECAUSE MY BEAUFORT COUNTY IS YOUR ONE STOP LOCATION ONLINE TO MANAGE AND PAY YOUR BEAUFORT COUNTY PROPERTY TAX BILLS.
SIMPLY TYPE IN MY BEFORD COUNTY.COM OR DOWNLOAD THE APP IN THE APP STORE AND YOU'LL CONTINUE TO LOG IN.
SO HERE YOU HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO CONTINUE AS A GUEST.
IF YOU DON'T WANNA CREATE AN ACCOUNT OR IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO CREATE AN ACCOUNT, YOU HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SIGN UP FOR E-BILLING, STORE YOUR PAYMENT INFORMATION, AND MANAGE ALL OF YOUR TAX BILLS FROM A SIMPLE DASHBOARD SCREEN.
TO MANAGE YOUR PROPERTY ACCOUNTS IN YOUR DASHBOARD, SIMPLY CLICK LINK ACCOUNT AND TALK TO TAXBOT WHO IS HAPPY TO ASSIST YOU IN SIGNING YOU UP.
YOU CAN SEARCH FOR A PROPERTY BY YOUR PIN, WHICH IS YOUR PARCEL IDENTIFICATION NUMBER, YOUR A IN, YOUR ALTERNATE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER, OR SIMPLY USING AN OWNER'S LAST NAME AND MAILING ZIP CODE.
ONCE YOU'VE SEARCHED, GO AHEAD AND SELECT THE PROPERTIES THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO ASSOCIATE WITH YOUR PROFILE.
YOU CAN EITHER CHOOSE TO KEEP GOING OR LET TAXBOT KNOW THAT YOU'RE FINISHED BY PAYING YOUR TAXES, FINDING ANOTHER PROPERTY, OR SIMPLY GOING BACK TO THE DASHBOARD.
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO ALSO SIGN UP FOR E-BILLING, YOU CAN DO THAT BY CLICKING MANAGE E-BILLING AND SIGN UP EACH PROPERTY TO RECEIVE YOUR BILL ELECTRONICALLY.
WANNA KNOW WHERE YOUR PAYMENT INFORMATION IS STORED OR YOUR RECEIPTS? GO AHEAD AND CLICK YOUR WALLET IN THE WALLET.
EACH RECEIPT YOU'VE PAID ONLINE IS AVAILABLE FOR OBSERVATION, DOWNLOAD AND PRINTING RIGHT HERE.
NEED TO UPDATE YOUR PROFILE, NO PROBLEM.
SIMPLY CLICK THE ICON IN THE TOP RIGHT HAND CORNER AND YOU CAN UPDATE YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION AND MANAGE YOUR PAYMENT METHODS.
AN ADDED BONUS WHEN YOU USE AN ECHECK TO PAY ON MIGHT BEFORD COUNTY, THERE'S NO ADDITIONAL COSTS.
YOU HAVE YOUR BILL AND YOUR ELECTRONIC RECEIPT ALL IN ONE LOCATION AND AT YOUR FINGERTIPS, WHATEVER YOU NEED IT.
IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT USING MY BEAUFORT COUNTY OR TAXES IN GENERAL, PLEASE CALL MY FRIENDLY STAFF AND I AT 8 4 3 2 5 5 2 6 0 0 OR YOU CAN VISIT US@BEAUFORTCOUNTYTREASURE.COM.
HELLO, MY NAME IS EBONY SANDERS.
I AM THE BEAUFORT COUNTY ASSESSOR.
OUR GOAL AT THE BEAUFORT COUNTY ASSESSOR'S OFFICE IS TO EDUCATE THE PUBLIC IN THE AREAS OF REAL PROPERTY TAXATION.
IN AN EFFORT TO MEET THAT GOAL.
WE ARE HERE TODAY TO SHOW YOU A SERIES OF VIDEOS.
STARTING WITH THIS ONE CONCERNING THE BEAUFORT COUNTY ASSESSOR'S OFFICE WAGE.
START BY GOING TO THE BEAUFORT COUNTY WEBSITE, WWW.BEAUFORTCOUNTYSC.GOV, AND YOU CAN GO THERE TO LOCATE OUR WEBPAGE.
TO BEGIN, WHEN YOU'RE AT THE WEBPAGE, YOU'LL START BY GOING TO THE GOVERNMENT TAB ON YOUR PAGE.
THEN YOU WILL FIND DEPARTMENTS AND UNDER ASSESSOR.
WHEN YOU SELECT ASSESSOR, THE PAGE WILL DIRECT YOU TO OUR WEBPAGE.
ON THE ASSESSOR'S WEBPAGE, YOU WILL FIND A HOST OF INFORMATION, INFORMATION THAT YOU CAN DO RESEARCH ON.
YOU CAN FIND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR PARTICULAR PROPERTY, BUT YOU CAN ALSO ACTUALLY ON FIND ONLINE APPLICATIONS WHERE YOU CAN APPLY FOR LEGAL RESIDENCY APPLICATIONS AS WELL AS AG USE.
SO LET'S LOOK AT THE LEGAL RESIDENCY
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APPLICATIONS.YOU'LL SEE THERE'S A LINK THAT YOU CAN APPLY FOR THE LEGAL RESIDENCY APPLICATION.
YOU SELECT OUR LINK AND HERE THE APPLICATION IS PROVIDED FOR YOU.
MY SUGGESTION WOULD BE TO READ THE ENTIRE APPLICATION THOROUGHLY BEFORE YOU BEGIN, AS YOU WILL NEED CERTAIN DOCUMENTS TO SUBMIT WITH YOUR APPLICATION.
IF YOU CHOOSE NOT TO APPLY ONLINE, YOU CAN ALSO APPLY IN PAPER FORM.
GO BACK TO THE ASSESSOR'S OFFICE WEBPAGE, GO TO FORMS, AND HERE YOU'LL SEE A LIST OF ALL THE FORMS AT OUR OFFICE, SUB SUPPLY, OUR TAXPAYERS.
YOU CAN ACTUALLY DOWNLOAD THESE FORMS AND PRINT THEM OFF AND SUBMIT THEM IN WRITING.
YOUR APPLICATION CAN BE MAILED INTO OUR OFFICE AS WELL.
YOU CAN MAIL THEM BY USING OUR MAILING ADDRESS, WHICH IS LOCATED IN OUR CONTACT INFORMATION ON OUR WEBPAGE.
YOU CAN ALSO FAX YOUR APPLICATION IN ALONG WITH YOUR DOCUMENTS TO THE FAX NUMBER THAT'S LISTED ON OUR WEBPAGE.
AGAIN, THE FORM SECTION OF OUR WEBPAGE DOES HAVE A LOT OF INFORMATION THERE.
YOU CAN BROWSE, YOU CAN NAVIGATE THROUGH THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF APPLICATIONS AND SELECT THE ONE THAT'S MOST APPROPRIATE FOR YOUR SITUATION.
ADDITIONALLY, ON OUR WEBPAGE YOU'LL FIND INFORMATION ABOUT WHO WE ARE AND WHAT WE DO.
THERE'S A SHORT VIDEO BLAINE'S ASSESSOR'S OFFICE ROLE IN THE TAXATION PROCESS.
ANOTHER PART OF OUR ONLINE WEBPAGE THAT WOULD BE VERY INTERESTING, MAYBE BENEFICIAL, IS TO DOWNLOAD THE 2018 REASSESSMENT GUIDE BY SELECTING THE REASSESSMENT GUIDE.
YOU CAN ACTUALLY DOWNLOAD THIS PARTICULAR BROCHURE AND READ IT AT YOUR CONVENIENCE OR READ IT WHILE YOU'RE ONLINE.
IT WILL GIVE YOU MORE DETAILED INFORMATION ABOUT OUR OFFICE AND WHAT WE DO AND HOW WE CAN HELP YOU AS A TAXPAYER WITH REGARDS TO YOUR REAL PROPERTY, UM, VALUATION.
RETURNING TO THE ASSESSOR'S OFFICE WEBPAGE, YOU WILL SEE THAT YOU CAN CONTACT US BY REACHING US AT 8 4 3 2 5 5 2 4 0 0.
OUR LOCATION IS LISTED ON OUR WEBPAGE AS WELL.
WE HAVE THREE DIFFERENT OFFICES.
WE HAVE TWO SATELLITE OFFICES, ONE LOCATED IN BLUFFTON, ONE LOCATED IN HILTON HEAD, AND OUR MAIN CAMPUS IS HERE IN BEAUFORT, SOUTH CAROLINA.
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO KNOW THE ADDRESSES FOR THOSE LOCATIONS AND FIND THE ONES CLOSEST NEAR TO YOU, YOU CAN GO GO BACK TO OUR PAGE TO RESOURCES, SELECT OFFICE LOCATION.
AND THE ADDRESSES TO OUR BUILDINGS ARE LOCATIONS ARE LISTED THERE.
ADDITIONALLY, WHAT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL TO A LOT OF OUR TAXPAYERS, THEY WOULD LIKE TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THEIR PROPERTY VALUE OR PROPERTIES IN THEIR SURROUNDING AREAS.
YOU CAN USE OUR PROPERTY MAX FEATURE UNDER RESOURCES TO SEARCH FOR REAL PROPERTY BY YOUR PERSONAL PIN NUMBER.
YOUR A IN NUMBER OR YOUR NAME AND YOUR SITE ADDRESS IS HELPFUL TO HAVE AS WELL.
IF YOU WANT TO SEARCH FOR A PARTICULAR ONE BY YOUR SIDE ADDRESS.
IN THE NEAR FUTURE, WE'RE GONNA DO SERIES OF VIDEOS THAT WILL GIVE YOU MORE DETAILED INFORMATION ON THE PROPERTY MAX PORTION OF OUR WEBSITE.
ANOTHER FEATURE THAT YOU MAY FIND VERY, VERY INTERESTING CAN FOLLOW US ON TWITTER.
OUR TWITTER ADDRESS IS LOCATED HERE ON OUR WEBPAGE AND YOU CAN ACTUALLY LINK TO OUR TWITTER ACCOUNT AND YOU CAN ACTUALLY SEE ANY NEW UPDATED EVENTS THAT ARE OCCURRING WITH THE ASSESSOR'S OFFICE THAT'S IMPORTANT TO YOU AS A TAXPAYER OR JUST INFORMATION THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO SHARE.
THANK YOU FOR JOINING US AND ALLOWING ME TO INTRODUCE MYSELF.
YOU CAN GAIN ADDITIONAL INFORMATION BY GOING TO WWW.BEAUFORTCOUNTYSC.GOV.
YOU CAN CONTACT US BY CALLING US AT 8 4 3 2 5 5 2 4 0 0 AND YOU CAN ALWAYS SEND A MESSAGE TO US USING OUR CITIZEN THAT'S LISTED ON OUR WEBPAGE.
AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.
UM, THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME OUT HERE AND, AND CELEBRATE, UM, DR.
DAJA JACKSON, SHE WAS WITH US IN THE ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT AND UM, WE JUST THOUGHT THAT THIS WOULD BE A, A REALLY GREAT TIME FOR JUST TO SHOW A LITTLE BIT OF APPRECIATION OF WHO SHE WAS AND AND WHAT SHE MEANT TO US AT THE COUNTY.
SO I THOUGHT ABOUT RATHER THAN WAITING UNTIL THE VERY END TO SHOW THE SIGN THAT, LET'S GO AHEAD AND SHOW THE SIGN NOW AND THEN WE CAN TALK ABOUT IT AND APPRECIATE IT WHILE WE'RE ALL OUT HERE.
SO WE DIDN'T GET TO KNOW DASIA AS LONG AS WE HAD HOPED.
UH, SHE STARTED WITH US BACK IN MAY AND ACTUALLY SHE STARTED TWO WEEKS BEFORE I DID.
UM, BUT I BEAT HER TO THE OFFICE 'CAUSE SHE HAD TO QUARANTINE FOR TWO WEEKS BEFORE SHE STARTED.
UH, BUT DEJA AND I, SHE WAS FULL OF SPUNK, READY TO GO, VERY ENERGETIC, UM, JUST YOUNG, ENERGETIC, EVERYTHING YOU WANT IN A YOUNG PERSON, IN A YOUNG PROFESSIONAL.
AND SHE AND I SHARED AN OFFICE AND BEFORE WE GOT THERE, IT WAS ONE LARGE OFFICE, UH, BUT THEY HAD SUBDIVIDED AND PUT
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A, A WALL THERE AND IT WAS PAPER THINSO SHE HEARD EVERYTHING THAT I TALKED ABOUT, GOOD OR BAD.
BUT A LOT OF TIMES I WAS TALKING TO FOLKS ON THE PHONE ABOUT, UM, THE PROGRAM AND STUFF WE WERE WORKING ON AND TELLING 'EM ABOUT DEJA AND MYSELF.
AND I WOULD SAY IT WRONG EVERY TIME.
OUR DEPARTMENT WAS THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANS TRAFFIC AND TRANSPORTATION ENGINEERING, AND I WAS THE DIRECTOR AND DEJA WAS THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR.
AND I DON'T KNOW FOR THE LIFE OF ME WHY I COULDN'T SAY THOSE WORDS ALTOGETHER.
UM, BUT EVERY TIME I GOT OFF THE PHONE AND I HAD SAID ASSISTANT OR PROJECT MANAGER, DEJA WAS RIGHT THERE TO SAY DEPUTY DIRECTOR.
SO SHE KEPT ME IN LINE ON ALL THE, ALL, ALL THE TIME.
UM, BUT ONE THING, PROBABLY THE BIGGEST STRUGGLE THAT I HAD AS THAT DASIA SUPERVISOR IS, UH, KEEPING HER BUSY.
SHE WAS JUST, EVERY TIME I GAVE HER A TASK, SHE'D JUST KNOCK IT OUT.
SHE DID SUCH A GREAT JOB IN DEPTH, THOROUGH, AND I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND THAT I, I WAS THAT SAME WAY WHEN I GOT STARTED IN MY FIRST JOB AND DIDN'T UNDERSTAND MY SUPERVISOR NOT BEING ABLE TO GIVE ME ENOUGH WORK.
AND NOW HERE I AM THE SUPERVISOR AND HAVING SOMEBODY AS TALENTED AS DEJA AND NOT BEING ABLE TO KEEP HER BUSY
SO IT WAS, IT WAS A TOUGH TASK AND A GOOD PROBLEM TO HAVE.
BUT LATER WE GOT INVOLVED, OUR BIG PART IN THE ENGINEERING DIVISION WAS TO TRAFFIC, UH, THE 2018 SALES TAX PROGRAM.
SO THAT'S REALLY WHAT WE WERE WORKING ON.
AND DASIA, UH, WE HAD DONE A LOT OF WORK, BUT WE HADN'T GOT ANYTHING OUT THE BID.
SO DASIA AND I WERE CHARGED TO REALLY VAMPING UP WHERE WE WERE IN THE PROGRAM.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS WE DECIDED TO DO FIRST WAS HIRE A MARKETING CONSULTANT TO HELP US TELL THE PUBLIC WHERE WE ARE IN THE PROGRAM.
SO, UH, WE KIND OF, I GAVE THAT AS DEJAS KIND OF TOP PRIORITY.
SO SHE WAS WORKING WITH THE CONSULTANT.
UM, PART OF THEIR RESPONSIBILITY WAS TO DEVELOP SIGNAGE.
UM, SO THEY CAME UP WITH THREE OR FOUR DIFFERENT SIGNS AND DEJA WAS LIKE, THIS IS NOT GOOD.
SHE DIDN'T LIKE ANY OF 'EM AND I AGREE, THEY, THEY PROBABLY WEREN'T THE BEST.
SO DEJA SAID, I THINK I CAN DO SOMETHING.
AND SO SHE STARTED TOOLING AROUND AND WITHIN 10 MINUTES, 15 MINUTES, SHE CAME UP WITH PRETTY MUCH WHAT WE SEE HERE TODAY.
WE MODIFIED IT A LITTLE BIT HERE AND THERE, BUT I THINK WHAT SHE CAME UP WITH WAS PERFECT.
IT, IT EASILY IS IT, IT CREATED THE BRAND FOR OUR PROGRAM.
THIS IS SOMETHING WE'RE GONNA HAVE UP AT EVERY PROJECT THAT WE DO AND IT CLEARLY DELINEATES WHAT WE'RE DOING.
WE'RE DOING PATHWAYS, WE'RE DOING A BRIDGE AND WE'RE DOING ROADWAY PROJECTS.
AND I THINK THAT'S COMPLETELY EXEMPLIFIED.
SO, UH, IT'S MY HOPE THAT AS WE, UH, BUILD OUR PROGRAM AND WE DEVELOP OUR PROJECTS, THAT EVERY TIME YOU SEE THIS PROJECT SIGN THAT THAT'S JUST ONE REASON WE CAN THINK BACK A DEJA AND CELEBRATE THE LIFE THAT SHE LIVED.
WE, WE CAN ALL HAVE A BETTER APPRECIATION OF THAT.
WE DON'T KNOW HOW MANY DAYS WE DO HAVE, BUT IF WE USE DEJA AS OUR EXAMPLE TO BE CONFIDENT IN WHAT WE DO AND JUST TACKLE THE WORLD, I THINK THE WHOLE WORLD'S GONNA BE A BETTER PLACE.
IT MEANS I'M SEEING SOMETHING THAT DAJA WANTED TO DO, COME TO FRUITION.
UH, SHE WAS VERY HONORED TO BE WITH THE COUNTY AND AS THE ENGINEER AND BEING A LOCAL 'CAUSE SHE WAS BORN HERE.
AND ONE OF HER THINGS THAT SHE REALLY WANTED TO DO IS, WAS IMPROVE THE COMMUNITY.
AND I RECALL WHEN THE BRIDGE INCIDENT HAPPENED, SHE WAS, UH, STILL IN, UH, EITHER HIGH SCHOOL OR IN ELEMENT IN, IN MIDDLE SCHOOL.
AND SHE MENTIONED IN ONE OF HER PAPERS THAT SHE DONE THAT BECAUSE OF THAT BRIDGE THAT INSPIRED HER TO GET INTO THE TRACTOR TRANSPORTATION FIELD OF ENGINEERING, STUFF LIKE THAT.
AND LIKE I SAID, THIS IS JUST A, A DREAM COME TRUE.
THIS MEAN A LOT TO ME, THAT MEAN A LOT TO MY FAMILY.
AND I KNOW DASIA SOMEWHERE JUST SMILING RIGHT NOW, JUST SMILING DOWN ON US.