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CLOSED CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY BUFORT COUNTY.
[I. CALL TO ORDER]
JUNE 6TH, VICTORIA SMALL'S BIRTHDAY.THE ADMINISTRATIVE, I MEAN THE,
[III. ADOPTION OF MINUTES]
THE MINUTES THAT WAS SENT OUT FOR MAY 2ND.UH, CAN I GET AN APPROVAL FOR THOSE MINUTES PLEASE? I MOVE THAT WE ACCEPT AND APPROVE.
UM, WE ALSO, IT'S NOT ON HERE, BUT WE ALSO DON'T WANT TO ADOPT THE AGENDA FOR TODAY.
SO JUST LET ME INTERJECT RIGHT QUICK.
MUNICIPAL ASSOCIATION OF SOUTH CAROLINA HAS CHANGED THE RULES SO WE NO LONGER HAVE TO ADOPT THE AGENDA.
ALRIGHT, UH, OLD AND NEW BUSINESS, MS. SMALLS,
[V.1. FY2024 Neighborhood Assistance Budget Update]
PLEASE.GOOD MORNING COMMITTEE AND WELCOME TO THE MONTH OF JUNE.
THE BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2024 NEIGHBORHOOD ASSISTANCE PROGRAM WAS ADOPTED AT 290,000.
AS OF FEBRUARY 14TH, THE ADOPTED BUDGET IS OR WAS $304,000 TO DATE, 17 HOMES HAVE BEEN SERVICED FOR HOME REPAIRS SUCH AS ROOFING AND INTERIOR REPAIRS.
TOTALING 259,000 402 22 HOMES HAVE BEEN SERVICED FOR SEPTIC PUMP OUTS TOTALING 8,757 AND FOUR HOMES FOR TREE SERVICE TOTALING 7,780.
AS OF MAY 30TH, WHEN THIS REPORT WAS SUBMITTED, 43 HOMES HAVE BEEN SERVICED THROUGH THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSISTANCE PROGRAM FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 2024.
COLLECTIVELY, COLLECTIVELY THE PROGRAM IS, HAS A CURRENT BALANCE OF 14,061.
AND AGAIN, AS ALWAYS STATED, THIS IS OUR MEMO AND I'LL SCROLL DOWN TO OUR EXCEL SHEET SO YOU CAN SEE EXACTLY WHERE THINGS HAVE BEEN EARMARKED AND WHERE WE ARE WITH CURRENT FUNDS.
AS YOU ALL MAY OR MAY NOT KNOW, UM, OUR FISCAL YEAR ENDS JUNE 30TH AND WE WILL PICK UP AGAIN IN JULY.
SO WE HAVE APPLICATIONS THAT HAVE ABOUT SEVEN OR EIGHT APPLICATIONS SITTING ON MY DESK IN CALLS EVERY DAY FOR MORE HOME REPAIRS THAT NEED TO BE DONE.
I KEEP GETTING THAT QUESTION ASKED.
WELL, YOU'VE HELPED EVERYBODY SO FAR, BUT A LOT OF PEOPLE STILL DON'T KNOW ABOUT IT.
SO WE SHOULD BE GOOD TO GO FOR JULY.
ONCE JULY FISCAL YEAR STARTS 2025.
SO WE ARE HOLDING 14,000, UH, 61.
AND AGAIN, THAT'S FOR ANY EMERGENCY THAT MIGHT COME UP.
UM, WE DID HAVE AN APPLICATION THAT I SHOWED, UM, KEVIN LAST WEEK AND IT, IT WASN'T REALLY AN EMERGENCY, WE DIDN'T WANNA JUMP ON THAT ONE JUST BECAUSE SOMETHING PERTINENT MIGHT COME UP AND THAT FAMILY DIDN'T NEED THESE FUNDS THAT ARE HOLDING ON.
WE ARE STILL DOING SEPTIC PUMP OUT BECAUSE THAT IS SOMETHING THAT, AS YOU ALL KNOW, IS AN ENVIRONMENTAL SANITATION ISSUE.
SO WE ARE DOING SEPTIC PUMP OUTS.
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE WILL CONTINUE TO DO YEAR ROUND.
UM, DON'T WANNA SAY TO TAKE US IN THE RED, BUT WE WILL MOVE FUNDS WITHIN OUR BUDGET TO GET THINGS DONE THERE.
ANY QUESTIONS? ARE THERE ANY REQUESTS FOR SEPTIC PUMP OUT STILL IN THE BUCK ISLAND COMMITTEE? YES.
THAT'S MOSTLY WHERE THEY'RE COMING FROM.
WE, THEY NOT FINISHED WITH THE SOIL THERE YET.
DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHEN THAT'S GOING TO BE COMPLETED? I DO NOT.
I CAN ASK ENGINEERING, BUT I AM NOT SURE.
I HAVEN'T HEARD ANYTHING THERE.
SO I CAN ASK ENGINEERING AND SEND AN EMAIL OUT.
BUT THAT IS IT FOR OUR EXCEL, UH, WORKSHEET AND OUR NEIGHBORHOOD ASSISTANCE BUDGET UPDATE.
I DO WANT TO SAY KUDOS TO THE TEAM AND STAFF.
WE DID, UM, WE WERE APPROVED FOR THE BEAUFORT JASPER HOUSING TRUST FUND GRANT, WHERE WE'LL BE AWARDED 144,000 TO GO TOWARDS OUR 2025 BUDGET.
WE LOOK TO DO ABOUT 10 HOMES WITH THAT 144,000 THAT WILL BE ADDED TO NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET.
SO PAT ON THE BACK, YOU KNOW MY PHRASE IS TEAMWORK IS NEVER AN I IN ANYTHING.
SO THERE'S TEAMWORK ALL AROUND THE BOARD.
SO WE WILL GET THAT PACKET OUT TODAY AND THEN, LIKE I SAID, THEY WILL PASS IT OUT TO DO FOR THE 2025 FISCAL YEAR.
SO PRESS RELEASE AND EVERYTHING HAS BEEN DONE WITH THAT.
SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, ANY QUESTIONS I DO? MM-HMM,
SO THE 144,000, IS THAT GOING TO BE IN ADDITION TO OUR, LET'S SAY OUR BUDGET IS THREE FOUR? YES.
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IT'S GONNA GO INTO WHAT'S HERE FOR 2025 WHEN WE MEET AGAIN IN JULY, WE'LL ADD IT TO OUR JULY LINE ITEMS. YEAH.SO THAT'S, BUT YOU ALREADY HAVE LIKE 10 HOMES EARMARKED FOR THOSE FUNDS? YES, MA'AM.
THAT WON'T HAVE TO COME OUTTA OUR CURRENT BUDGET.
I I'M NOT SURE I UNDERSTOOD HER QUESTION OR YOUR ANSWER.
SHE SAID YOU HAVE 10 HOMES EARMARKED.
WELL NOT EARMARKED, BUT THE EIGHT APPLICATIONS THAT I HAVE, THAT 1 44 CAN GO TOWARDS THOSE EIGHT APPLICATIONS.
WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING LIKE A, A SPECIAL ADDRESS TO GO TO THE 1 44.
YEAH, JUST THE EIGHT APPLICATIONS.
AND I DO HAVE, I REACHED OUT TO, WELL THEY REACHED OUT TO US.
GOLDEN LINE REMODELING AND DESIGN IS A NEW CONTRACTOR THAT WE'VE GOT A VENDOR NUMBER AND HAVE THEM ALL SET UP SO WE CAN START WORKING WITH THEM IN JULY.
THEY ARE BASED OUT OF HILTON HEAD AND THEIR NAME IS GOLDEN LINE REMODELING AND DESIGN.
SO THEY'LL JUMP ON BOARD WITH OUR HOME REPAIR PROGRAMS. RIGHT.
GOLDEN LINE REMODELING, GOLDEN LINE REMODELING AND DESIGN OUT OF HILTON HEAD.
AND THEY KNOW THE KIND OF HOMES THAT YES, SHE CAME IN AND, AND SAT AND TALKED AND I TOLD HER THESE ARE NOT, WE'RE NOT IN BE FAIR, WE'RE NOT, YOU KNOW, DOING MILLION DOLLAR HOMES, BUT HER TEAM IS WILLING TO GIVE BACK.
SO SHE'S READY TO SEE WHAT'S GOING ON.
SO I'VE GIVEN HER ADDRESSES OF THE EIGHT AND SHE'S ALREADY GONE OUT AND SENT INTO ESTIMATES.
I'M JUST WAITING FOR JULY
I KNOW YOU SAID, I KNOW YOU SAID THAT.
I'M SORRY YOU WERE SAYING THAT.
IT'S, IT'S TEAMWORK AND, AND IT IS, BUT WE JUST REALLY APPRECIATE THE EFFORT AND ALL THE HARD WORK THAT YOU PUT INTO IT, VICTORIA.
SO KUDOS TO YOU AND HAPPY BIRTHDAY.
I JUST REACHED OUT TO KIM JONES TO ASK HER ABOUT THAT UPDATE.
SO, UH, PHASE FIVE IS, IT'S IN THE CLOSEOUT PROCESS RIGHT NOW.
UH, HOOKUPS, UH, HOPEFULLY WILL BE COMPLETED BY JULY.
ALRIGHT, SO CHAIRMAN, I'LL PASS IT BACK OVER TO YOU.
UM, IS THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FROM ANY COMMITTEE? AND WE WILL GO INTO DISCUSSIONS,
[VI.1. Palmetto Community Developers, Joseph Dukes, Founder & Chief]
PASS IT BACK OVER TO YOU.HIS NAME IS MR. JOSEPH DUKES, FOUNDER AND CHIEF OF PALMETTO COMMUNITY DEVELOPERS.
HE WAS, UM, BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION BY OUR CHAIRMAN, CHAIRMAN MEMBER, EXCUSE ME, COMMITTEE MEMBER GWEN CHAMBERS.
SO WELCOME MR. JOSEPH AND WE WILL LET YOU HAVE THE MIC.
DID YOU BRING ANY, UM, MAYONNAISE WITH YOU? NO.
SUPPLY CHAINS IS ALL MESSED UP, RIGHT? I CAN'T DO ANYTHING, BUT IT'S COMING.
WHEN THEY RECOGNIZE WHO I AM, I'LL GIVE YOU SOME BACK.
UM, THANK YOU ALL FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SEE YOU THIS MORNING.
THANK YOU FOR MAKING THE, UH, REFERRAL FOR ME.
UM, I'M GOING TO START BY THIS GIMME A LITTLE BIT OF, UM, BACKGROUND.
UH, FIRST JUST TO KIND OF HELP YOU UNDERSTAND HOW I ENDED UP ON YOUR WEIRD JOURNEY.
HAS ANYONE EVER HEARD OF LANE, SOUTH CAROLINA? DON'T ALL, DON'T YOU ALL RAISE YOUR HAND AT ONCE.
UM, MY MOM, MY MOM INHERITED LAND FROM HER GRANDDAD.
I GREW UP ON THE SAME LINE SHE GREW UP ON.
AND OVER TIME, AS YOU KNOW, PEOPLE GOT OLDER, YOU KNOW, AND, AND PEOPLE PASSED ON.
I REALIZED THAT FAMILIES OFTENTIMES DON'T HAVE, HAVE LIKE A PLAN FOR WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN TO THE LAND.
AND IT ENDS UP BEING KIND OF BITTER AND ANGRY.
AND WHAT INEVITABLY HAPPENS IS THE BURDEN FALLS ON ONE PERSON.
THAT ONE PERSON ENDED UP BEING MY MOM.
UM, AND DEALING WITH THESE INTERACTIONS IN MY FAMILY, KIND OF, IT, IT SPARKED THE IDEA FOR ME.
LIKE, UM, THE FAMILIES I GREW UP AROUND, THE AREA I GREW UP IN AS A FARMING COMMUNITY.
ALL THE FAMILIES OWNED SIGNIFICANT CHUNKS OF LAND, BUT NONE OF THEM HAD A PLAN.
IT WAS JUST SITTING THERE, LIKE WE'D GO HUNT ON IT, THEY'D GO FISH ON IT, THEY'D GO RIGHT FOUR WHEELERS THROUGH IT.
BUT THERE WAS NO REAL PLAN FOR WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN WHEN THE, WHEN LIKE MY GENERATION IS COMING UP.
AND IT MADE ME FEARFUL BECAUSE WATER AND SEWER JUST BEING BROUGHT OUT THERE.
I HEARD YOU ALREADY TALK ABOUT SEPTIC PARTS AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
IT'S LIKE WHEN YOU BRING WATER AND SEWER OUTTA RURAL PLACES, GROWTH IS COMING AND THEN THERE'S, IF YOU DON'T HAVE A PLAN FOR GROWTH, THEN THE GROWTH KIND OF DRIVES YOU MORE THAN YOU DRIVING THE GROWTH.
THAT'S A LONG WAY OF SAYING THAT.
WHILE I WAS ON THIS JOURNEY, IT SPARKED THE IDEA.
UM, MY PREVIOUS JOB, I WAS A SENIOR LENDER FOR CDFI, STATEWIDE, CDFI.
AND I MEET FAMILIES, MUNICIPALITIES WHO HAD ALL HAD A RE RECURRING PROBLEM.
HOW DO WE ADDRESS HOUSING? I LIVE IN CHARLESTON.
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THE, THE COST AND LAND THERE IS ABSURD.SO FOR YOU TO BE ABLE TO DO A AFFORD HOUSING, MAKE IT PENCIL TYPICALLY DOESN'T WORK.
I WAS LIKE, WELL I THINK THERE'S A BUSINESS IDEA HERE.
SO I FORMED A BUSINESS THINKING I COULD HELP FAMILIES, MUNICIPALITIES, NONPROFITS, DEVELOP AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
SO THIS IS THE OVERVIEW OF SERVICES WE OFFER.
UM, KIND OF JUST IT MATCHES UP WITH MY, UH, BACKGROUND AS A LENDER, UH, THE TYPE OF LENDER.
I DID QUITE A LOT OF TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.
SO LIKE IF GWEN REFERRED SOMEBODY TO ME, OFTENTIMES THEY DIDN'T HAVE LIKE A BUSINESS PLAN OR THEY MIGHT HAVE HAD A KERNEL IDEA.
AND MY JOB WAS TO KIND OF GUIDE 'EM THROUGH THE PROCESS.
HAVE FIGURED IT OUT MORE OR LESS.
DURING THAT TIME, I WAS ABLE TO BUILD A NETWORK AND REALLY LEARNED A LOT BEFORE I STARTED THE BUSINESS.
AND BEFORE I BECAME ME, LINDA, I WORKED FOR THE CITY OF COLUMBIA WHERE I LEARNED A TON ABOUT LIKE DEVELOPING AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
BUT COLUMBIA WAS IN A GROWTH PERIOD.
THEY WERE TRYING TO GET THEIR ARMS AROUND HOUSING FOR THE HOUSING, UM, BECAME IN CRISIS MODE.
AND WE DID SEVERAL CREATIVE PROGRAMS TO REALLY, UH, GIVE PEOPLE A CHANCE TO LIVE WHERE THEY WORKED.
THE MOST COMMON COMPLAINT I'VE HEARD IN MY TIME IN CHARLESTON IS THAT WHEN PEOPLE DON'T LIVE TO WORK, THERE WAS A POLICE OFFICER I MET WHEN, UM, MAYBE ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF AGO.
AND HE WAS DRIVING FROM MOUNT CORNER TO NORTH CHARLESTON EVERY DAY.
AND WITH NO TRAFFIC, IT'S ABOUT 35, 45 MINUTE DRIVE.
AS YOU ALL KNOW, THERE'S NO SUCH THING AS GO TRAFFIC.
SO HE WAS DRIVING OVER AN HOUR EVERY DAY.
AND THE MAIN REASON BECAUSE THE AVERAGE HOME COST WENT FROM WHEN I BOUGHT MY HOME, I WAS TELLING I BOUGHT MY HOME IS ABOUT $300,000.
THE AVERAGE HOME COST IN CHARLESTON COUNTY RIGHT NOW IS 6 75.
THE AREA OF MEDIAN INCOME FOR SOMEONE AT 80% IS $84,000.
NOW THOSE NUMBERS ARE SKEWED BECAUSE AS YOU ALL PROBABLY CAN GUESS, MOST PEOPLE AREN'T MAKING ANYWHERE CLOSE TO 84,000.
SO YOU HAVE THESE ISSUES THAT ARE REALLY SYSTEMIC AND THE ONLY WAY YOU REALLY CAN ADDRESS THEM IS VIA LIKE SOME FORM OF PRIVATE PUBLIC PARTNERSHIP.
WHICH DOVETAILS IN MY NEXT SLIDE.
SEE, I SEE WHAT I DID RIGHT THERE.
SO I'M CURRENTLY WORKING ON A PROJECT IN FLORENCE WHERE THE CITY OF FLORENCE IS WORKING WITH A DEVELOPER.
AND THE CITY OF FLORENCE IS VERY CREATIVE AND OPEN TO IDEAS.
WHAT THEY WERE WILLING TO DO WAS THAT THEY HAD LAND BANK, SOME LAND, UM, THEY BROUGHT IN A DEVELOPER TO DEVELOP THE LAND.
THE DEVELOPER INHERENTLY TAKES A RISK.
SO HE HAS TO GO GET FINANCING TO DEVELOP THE LAND, BUT THE CITY ESSENTIALLY CONVEYS THE LAND TO HELP HIM SECURE FINANCING.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, THEY ALSO OFFERED HIM A, WHAT THEY CALL A DEVELOPER SUBS OR DEVELOPER SUBSIDY, WHICH WAS LIKE YOU CAN WALK IN MAKE, SAY I GOT SOME EQUITY.
'CAUSE THE NUMBERS REALLY DON'T WORK FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
IT'S VERY HARD TO MAKE THE NUMBERS RIGHT.
AND THAT'S WHAT IT ALL DEPENDS.
THEY WANNA SEE WHAT YOUR DEBT COVERAGE RATIO IS ON ALL THESE DEALS.
AND WITH THAT RATIO BEING HEALTHY, IT ALLOWED THEM TO DEVELOP MORE AFFORDABLE HOUSING, KIND OF RESCALE THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROGRAM WHERE THEY CAN DO UNITS.
SO LIKE NOW THEY'RE LIKE ENTERING PHASE TWO.
THE FIRST PHASE WAS LIKE 12 HOMES.
THIS PHASE GONNA BE ANOTHER 10 TOWN HOMES WITH THE IDEA THAT THEY BANK SO MUCH LAND THAT THE PROGRAM'S GONNA KEEP GOING, GOING AND GOING.
'CAUSE THEY'VE BEEN REALLY EXPERIENCED A TON OF GROWTH.
AND WHAT IT HAS HELPED THEM IS IT HELPED THEM REALLY CONTROL THE HOUSING COSTS.
HAVING PEOPLE BE ABLE TO LIVE WHERE THEY WORK AND INCREASE YOUR TAX BASE.
IT HELPS THEIR FORMS A THRIVING COMMUNITY.
BUT IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT SOME OF THE OLDER HOMES THAT JUST SITTING THERE LIKE YOU HAVE PEOPLE PASSED ON, MOVE AWAY TO HOMES, JUST SITTING THERE AND FAMILIES DON'T REALLY KNOW WHAT TO DO TO HOUSE.
IT'S AGAIN, SOMETIMES IT BECOMES A BURDEN TO THE FAMILIES.
AND WE'RE DISCUSSING ABOUT HOW WE CAN START A LENDING PROGRAM AND HELP THEM DO THEIR REPAIRS.
KIND OF SIMILAR, WHICH I DO REPAIRS PROGRAM HERE.
UM, BUT MORE SO GEAR TO LIKE ENCOURAGE FAMILIES THAT THERE'S OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU TO DEVELOP THIS PROPERTY, CREATE AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
AND AGAIN, YOU LIKE MR, WE TALKING ABOUT COVENANT.
SO YOU PUT A COVENANT IN A HOUSE, YOU CONTROL THE STOCK, PEOPLE CAN STILL LIVE WHERE THEY WORK.
IT'S NOT ONLY PEOPLE GO AFFORD TO BE THERE AS EVERYONE, IT'S LIKE IN ORDER FOR YOU TO HAVE REALLY A HEALTHY, THRIVING COMMUNITY, IN MY OPINION, YOU HAVE TO HAVE DIVERSITY OF THOUGHT AND DIVERSITY INCOMES.
YOU HAVE PEOPLE WHO HAVE THE SAME INCOMES.
YOU REALLY DON'T GET ANY, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE A COUPLE DO-GOODERS AND A BUNCH.
BUT FOR THE MOST PART THEN YOU KIND OF END UP LIKE PEOPLE HAVE THE SAME IDEAS AND THE CITY KIND OF BECOMES HAVES AND HAVES, NOTS.
UM, I'VE, UH, I WON'T WANNA SAY I'VE CREATED THE INTERVIEWS, SO LIKE NOTHING'S NEW.
UM, BUT LIKE SOME OF I ENCOURAGE IS LIKE THE CITIES ARE DOING LIKE DEVELOP UH, DEVELOPING CENTERS INCENTIVES.
THE BIGGEST ANOTHER BURDEN TO THE ANY DEVELOPER COMING TO A CITY IS TIME.
UM, SO WHEN THEY APPLY FOR PERMITTING, THEY'RE THE CO OUT TO RUN ON HOW MUCH THEY CAN HAUL AND AWAY, HOW MANY PEOPLE THEY GOTTA PAY AND SO ON AND SO ON.
WITH CHARLESTON COUNTY, WHAT THEY'VE DONE IS THEY, THEY BUMPED ANY PERSON WHO'S WILLING DO AFFORDABLE HOUSING, THEY GO TO LIKE THE FRONT OF A LINE WITH GETTING PERMITTING, WHICH AGAIN TAKES AWAY THE TIME ALREADY FROM A DEVELOPER SAYING, WELL, IT'S GONNA TAKE ME FIVE TO GET PERMIT MINUTE.
I CAN'T AFFORD, I CAN'T MAKE THE NUMBERS WORK.
BUT IF YOU GIVE THE DEVELOPERS PRIORITY, IT'S AN INCENTIVE FOR THEM TO ACTUALLY COME IN AND CONSIDER DOING AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND MAKING, UH, MAKING A CONCERTED EFFORT TO KEEPING, UH, NOT ONLY DOING MARKET BASED HOUSING 'CAUSE LIKE WHAT CHARLES HAS EXPERIENCED AT THE HOUSING STOCK.
SOME OF THE HOMES ARE VERY SMALL, BUT
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YOU HAVE WEALTHY PEOPLE WHO MOVE OR COME INTO THE CITY AND THEY'RE PAYING MONEY FOR HOMES THAT AREN'T NECESSARILY WORTH WHAT THEY'RE PAYING FOR.AND IT DRIVES UP THE COST OF ALL HOMES AND IT JUST PRICE EVERYONE IS OUT.
UM, AS YOU, IF YOU EVER LOOK AT LIKE, UH, THE TRI-COUNTY AREA IN GENERAL, EVERYONE WHO'S MAKING LIKE, I GUESS INCOMES RELATIVE WHAT ALL US ARE MAKING IN THE ROOM.
THEY'RE BEING FORCED OUT INTO THE NORTHERN SOUTHERN PARTS OF THE AREA.
ADDING TO THE COMMUTE TIME, ADDING TO THE TRAFFIC, AND JUST CREATING A CRISIS POINT.
'CAUSE LIKE A LOT OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE HAS NOT KEPT UP WITH THE GROWTH.
SO WHEN PEOPLE TALK TRAFFIC, TYPICALLY IT'S RELATED TO A HOUSING PROBLEM.
IF THEY DON'T HAVE ANYWHERE TO LIVE, SAY DRIVE FURTHER OUT, THEY'RE DRIVING TO THE CITY, IT CAUSES THE CONGESTION.
BUT WHEN CITIES ARE PROACTIVE ABOUT ADDRESSING HOUSING, IT GIVES THE DEVELOPERS, IT TAKES EXCUSES OFF THE TABLE ONCE DEVELOPMENT, WELL THE NUMBERS DON'T WORK, UM, IT'S GONNA TAKE ME TOO LONG, IT'S GONNA TAKE ME THE SAME TIME TO DO AN AFFORDABLE HOUSING VERSUS MARKET HOUSE.
WHY WOULD I NOT TRY TO MAXIMIZE MY PROFITS FOR DOING THIS? I'M SORRY.
UM, WHEN YOU HAVE, WHEN YOU, WHEN CITIES OR MUNICIPALITIES ARE REALLY CREATIVE ABOUT TALKING THROUGH HOW IT REALLY HELPS ALL KIND OF TIE RAISE, HOW RAISE ALL BOAT, UH, THE, THE FASTEST WAY TO DEVELOP A AFFORD HOUSING MOUNT HUMBLED OPINION IS THAT YOU HAVE TO HAVE PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP.
AND FOR THAT TO HAPPEN, YOU HAVE TO HAVE A CITY WHO'S WILLING TO BE OPEN TO CREATIVE IDEAS.
YOU HAVE TO HAVE, UM, PEOPLE WHO LIVE HERE AND THINK THEY HAVE ASSETS TO CAN BE ENCOURAGED BY LIKE, I CAN DO SOMETHING WITH ASSETS JUST SITTING HERE AND CREATING SOME FORM OF HOUSING FOR IT.
IT REALLY LOWERS THE BURDEN ON THE CITY.
UM, IT HELPS WORKFORCE 'CAUSE YOUR TURN RATE OFTENTIMES GOES DOWN WHEN YOU HAVE PEOPLE ABLE TO LIVE WHERE THEY WORK.
I WAS COMING TO SAY EARLIER, LIKE SOME OF THE SCHOOLS IN CHARLESTOWN HAVE 45% TURNOVER YEAR TO YEAR TEACHERS.
AND YOU'RE, AND WHAT IT IS ALL DRIVEN BECAUSE OF HOUSING COSTS.
IT'S NOT, THERE'S NOTHING, IT'S NOT ABOUT WHERE THEY WORK.
MOST OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS ARE PRETTY, SCHOOL DISTRICTS ARE PRETTY GOOD IN THE AREA.
IT'S ALL DRIVEN BY HOUSING COSTS.
IF YOU HAVE PLACES FOR PEOPLE TO LIVE, YOU HAVE A HEALTHY, THRIVING COMMUNITY AND YOU HAVE A COMMUNITY THAT'S DIVERSE AND HEALTHY FOR THOSE AND THOSE WHO STAND TO INHERIT.
BUT TO ME THE KEY COMPONENT IS LIKE YOU HAVE TO HAVE SOME SORT OF PUBLIC PARTNER PART, PRIVATE PUBLIC PARTNERSHIP TO KIND OF THREAD IT EITHER TO MAKE IT ALL HAPPEN, TO MAKE IT MAKE SENSE FOR ANYONE TO COME DO IT AND BE ABLE TO SUSTAIN YOURSELF.
UM, I'LL START RIGHT THERE AND SEE IF Y'ALL HAVE ANY QUESTIONS TO MY RIGHT.
MS.
I REALLY WANTED TO COME AND KIND OF EXPLAIN THE, AND Y'ALL ARE ALL, ANYONE IN THE ROOM PROBABLY IS KIND OF FAMILIAR WITH LIKE WHY THIS HAPPEN? LIKE WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN? MM-HMM.
UM, SOMETIMES I LIKE TO KIND OF TALK THROUGH IT AND LIKE SEE WHAT THE CITY NEEDS ARE TO BETTER UNDERSTAND IF I WAS TO COME WORK WITH YOU ALL, HOW CAN I HELP? OKAY.
NOW YOU SAID YOU WERE WORKING IN, UH, FLORENCE, YOU'VE GOT SOMETHING GOING THERE.
COULD YOU GIVE US JUST A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT HOW THAT'S WORKING AND WHAT ARE YOU DOING? YEAH.
ARE YOU DOING SO I, I DON'T WANT TAKE ALL THE CREDIT, BUT A GENTLEMAN OUT OF ATLANTA, MR. JESSE WILES, UM, I MET ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO AND I DID A LOAN FOR HIM ABOUT $3 MILLION.
AND DURING THAT TIME HE WAS LIKE, NUMBERS DIDN'T WORK.
I WAS, I'M UNDERWRITING A LOAN.
I WAS LIKE, EH, THE NUMBERS DON'T WORK.
UM, SO I WAS LIKE, WELL YOU, YOU KNOW WHAT MR. WISE, YOU THINK YOU CAN GET THE CITY TO COME IN AND OFFER YOU SOME SORT OF LIKE DEVELOPER SUBSIDY.
THE CITY OF FLORENCE, WHAT THEY DID WAS THEY OFFERED HIM AND JUST CURRENT DID, THEY GAVE OFFERING HIM $250,000 IN THE DEVELOPER FEE, WHICH WAS LIKE 10 HOMES, $25,000 PER HOME.
ON TOP OF THAT, THEY WERE WILLING TO UH, DO A, WHAT DO THEY CALL IT? A BUYBACK CLAUSE.
SO THE HOME SYSTEM'S IN THE MARKET FOR A YEAR.
THE HOUSE IS NEVER GONNA SIT IN THE MARKET FOR A YEAR 'CAUSE THE DEMAND IS THERE.
BUT WHAT IT DOES FOR BANKERS AND UNDERWRITERS BY ME, IT GIVES US COMFORT LIKE, OH, WE GET TO HAVE A HOUSE NO MATTER WHAT.
WE'RE GONNA GET PAID AND TO HELP THEM DO, MAKE THE NUMBERS WORK AND GET OVER THE HUMPED FOR A BANKER.
SO WHEN I PRESENTED MY LOAN COMMITTEE, I SAID, WELL THE WORST CASE SCENARIO, HE SAID, THE CITY'S GONNA BUY THE HOUSE BACK FROM US.
AND IT, IT GAVE THEM NO REASON TO SAY NO, THERE WAS NO WAY FOR THEM TO MOVE AND THAT HE WAS, MR. WILDES WAS STILL TAKING A RISK BECAUSE HE HAD TO COME IN AND MAKE THE DEBT SERVICE PAYMENTS ON LOAN PAYMENTS IN THE INTERIM.
BUT THE BANK WAS COMFORT BY THE FACT THAT IN THE WORST, THE WORST COMES THERE'S A OUT.
AND THAT'S THE TYPE OF PARTNERSHIP YOU REALLY NEED TO BE ABLE TO REALLY SCALE AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
YOU COULD DO A LOT OF ONE-OFFS LIKE REPAIR PROGRAMS AND THE CITY OF COLUMBIA HAS A LOAN PROGRAM WHERE THEY LEND PEOPLE IN THE CITY TO UH, IMPROVE THEIR HOUSING AND ALL THOSE THINGS HELP.
BUT LIKE IF YOU WANT TO SCALE IT AND HAVE DEVELOPED A WILLING TO DO IT, YOU HAVE TO REALLY INCENTIVIZE THEM.
'CAUSE PEOPLE DON'T DO THINGS BELOW WHAT THEY COULD MAKE OUTTA THE GOODNESS OF THEIR HEART.
LIKE I'M DIFFERENT NOT TO BRAGGING MYSELF, I REALLY WANNA DO THIS FOR LIKE THE RIGHT PEOPLE TO HELP PEOPLE.
BUT MOST DEVELOPERS, THEY COME IN, THEY WANNA MAXIMIZE PROFIT.
AND WHEN YOU DON'T, YOU GIVE 'EM A REASON TO NOT
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AT LEAST CONSIDER NOT DOING IT AT THE TOP OF THE MARKET.SOME OF THEM WILL BE OPEN TO, BECAUSE I IF YOU MOVE TO THE FRONT OF THE LINE, EXCUSE ME, THEY SAY, WELL I SAVE TIME.
SO I HAVE SOME SORT OF PRIVATE PUBLIC PARTNERSHIP WHERE I CAN GO TO A BANK, GET FAVORABLE TERMS WHEN THEY'RE NOT TAXING ME ON THE, THE RISK THAT THEY'RE TAKING.
AND IT MAKES IT MORE SUSTAINABLE FOR EVERYONE TO DO, MAKE FOR DEVELOPERS TO DO THE HOUSING THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE SPEC SPECIFICALLY IN GROWTH AREAS.
LIKE I'VE ONLY BEEN TO BLUFFING TWO OR THREE TIMES, BUT THE LAST TIME VERSUS THE LAST TIME I HAD MAYBE ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF AGO VERSUS NOW, IT'S WAY DIFFERENT.
AND I SAW IT THROUGH DRIVING THROUGH BEAUFORT, YOU KNOW, ALL THESE CITIES THAT HAVING THE SAME GROWING PAINTING.
'CAUSE PEOPLE LIKE, WELL CHARLESTON'S CROWDED, SO THEY COME YWE.
MATTER OF FACT I WAS COME YWE, I WAS LIKE THIS, I CAN PITCH THIS TO MY WIFE
BUT THAT, THAT'S KIND OF WHAT DRIVES UP ALL THE HOUSING COSTS.
UM, LIKE I'LL GIVE YOU ANOTHER STORY.
RANDOMLY I COACHED MY DAUGHTER'S SOFTBALL TEAM.
UM, IT'S 13 GIRLS AND MY DAUGHTER, I WAS THE ONLY PERSON WHO WAS BORN AND RAISED IN SOUTH CAROLINA.
AIR WARNER WAS FROM SOMEWHERE ELSE.
BUT LIKE IT REALLY DAWNED ON ME LIKE WHEN PEOPLE SAY, WHEN OTHER PEOPLE SAY THERE'S THE COME YEARS AND BE YEARS, THERE WAS NO BE YEARS.
THAT'S WHY Y'ALL WANT THESE PEOPLE TO LEAVE, BUT THEY'RE NOT LEAVING, THEY'RE COMING 'CAUSE IT'S A FAVORABLE PLACE TO LIVE.
AND BOTH IS GOING TO HAVE, SO YOU CAN'T HAVE THE GROWTH DRIVING YOUR POINT AT THEIR PLAN TO KIND OF CURTAIL OR MANAGE THE GROWTH IF YOU'LL, SO DOES YOUR COMPANY BRING THE FINANCING OR THE DEVELOPING OR DO YOU MANAGE ALL OF THAT? WELL IT DEPENDS ON WHAT THE MUNICIPALITY WANTS TO BE HONEST WITH YOU.
UM, IF YOU WANT SOMEONE TO KIND OF LIKE HELP YOU OR IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE SMALL SIDE HELP DEVELOP A GROW WHAT Y'ALL ARE DOING HERE, THAT'S SOMETHING I COULD HELP WITH.
IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR SOMEONE TO KIND OF COME IN AND SEE WHAT, I KNOW Y'ALL BANKED SOME LAND AND KIND OF HELP YOU FIGURE OUT A PLAN FOR THE LAND BANK, I COULD DO THAT.
BUT IT'S REALLY, I'M ABOUT LIKE, HOW CAN I BEST SERVE THE CITY? LIKE MY BUSINESS IS DRIVEN BY SERVICE MORE SO THAN WHAT I WANT TO GET OUT OF IT.
SO I TRY TO HEAR PROBLEMS AND UNDERSTAND AND SEE IF I CAN COME FROM LIKE MY DAUGHTER GAVE ME THE, THE TITLE, UH, CHIEF SOLUTIONS.
I LIKE HEARING PROBLEMS, BUT SEE IF I CAN KIND OF FIGURE OUT WHAT'S THE BEST PATH FORWARD.
I, I'M VERY F FAMILIAR WITH, UM, MR. DUKES AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING AND SHARING THIS INFORMATION.
AND THIS IS, UM, YOU STARTED OUT SAYING YOU DID SOMETHING WITH YOUR FAMILY LAND.
UM, BUT I DIDN'T, I MIGHT HAVE BEEN ZONED OUT.
I DIDN'T HEAR WHAT YOU, WHAT YOU DID.
UM, THE LAND IS, I, AS I MENTIONED, IT'S ABOUT 12 ACRES.
SO WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT TO DO FOR IT.
SO THE FIRST THING WE HAD TO DO, WE HAD TO FORM A TRUST BECAUSE YOU KNOW, MY MOM LIKE THING WAS LIKE, DON'T EVER SELL THIS LAND ON EVERYTHING.
IT'S LIKE THE, THE BLACK VERSION OF YELLOWSTONE.
DON'T SELL EVER SELL THE LAND.
UM, AND I WAS LIKE, WELL MOM, WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT A WAY TO PROTECT IT.
'CAUSE LIKE, YOU KNOW, GOD, GOD FORBID SOMETHING HAPPENS AND SOMEONE COMES IN, WANTS TO DO SOMETHING ELSE.
SO THE FIRST THING WE DID WAS PUT IN A TRUST.
THE SECOND THING WE ARE, UM, STARTING TO DO IS THAT, WELL WE CAN PROBABLY PUT SOME HOUSING THERE 'CAUSE LIKE BURG COUNTY IS ACTUALLY GOING AT A VERY, VERY SLOW RATE.
AND I SAID, YOU KNOW, WE CAN KIND OF CARVE OUT AN ACRE OR TWO JUST TO PUT SOME HOUSING HERE.
THEY KIND OF, YOU KNOW, DRIVE SOME REVENUE FOR THE, FOR OUR LAND AND NOT HAVE THE LAND BECOME A BURDEN.
'CAUSE A LOT OF PEOPLE I MET ON THE HOUSING OR LIKE FAMILY SIDE, I HAVE COINED PHRASE LAND RICH FOR CASH POOR.
I'LL COME TO 'EM AND SAY, WELL YOU CAN DO THIS WITH YOUR LAND.
AND I SAY, WELL MY BALANCE SHEET IS I HAVE 600,000 IN REAL ESTATE, MY ASSETS FOR CASH THAT I GOT $2,000 IN THE BANK.
AND THE BIGGEST BARRIER TO ENTRY IS CASH ON HAND FOR A LOT OF THESE FAMILIES BECAUSE THE PRE-DEVELOPMENT COSTS, YOU REALLY, IF YOU START A BUSINESS, YOU HAVE TO EAT MOST OF THAT UNLESS YOU TAKE LIKE A HELOC OUTTA YOUR HOUSE OR YOU GET SOME HARD MONEY FOR SOMEONE ELSE AND IT CAN GET REALLY PRICEY.
UM, WHILE WORKING WITH MY FAMILY, MY I, THE NETWORK OF PEOPLE I HAVE IS LIKE I HAVE AN ARCHITECT, A CIVIL ENGINEER, ALL THESE PEOPLE KIND OF LIKE WITHIN OUR NETWORK, WE ALL KIND OF HELP ONE ANOTHER SO WE CAN KEEP THE RACE DOWN OR PRICE DOWN FOR FOLKS BECAUSE WE ALL KIND OF CAME FROM THE SAME WALK LIFE WHERE WE KNOW THE BIGGEST BARRIER INTERVAL FLIGHT ON THE FAMILY SIDE IS JUST HAVING CASH ON HAND TO DO, DO PRE-DEVELOPMENT BEFORE YOU MAKE ANY MONEY.
SO IF YOU DO PRE-DEVELOPMENT, YOU ABOUT A YEAR OUT AT LEAST BEFORE MAKING ANY MONEY OFF YOUR LAND.
AND A LOT OF FAMILIES I RUN INTO SPECIFICALLY LIKE IN THE SETTLEMENT COMMUNITIES IN MOUNT PLEASANT, THEY DON'T HAVE THE CASH ON.
THEY GOT THE LAND, THE TAXES ARE KILLING THEM, BUT THEY DON'T HAVE THE CASH TO KIND OF START.
SO WHAT I WANTED TO DO WAS REALLY LIKE REDUCE LOWER, LOWER THE BARRIER TO ENTRY TO BEING ABLE TO DEVELOP HOUSING FOR YOURSELF.
SO TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, THAT'S KIND OF WHERE WE ARE IN OUR, OUR JOURNEY.
LIKE WE ARE TRYING TO NOT DIVVY UP THE LAND TOO MUCH, BUT WE WANT TO KEEP IT LIKE WHOLE.
BUT WE ALSO KNOW WE NEED TO HAVE A PLAN FOR REVENUE.
I I CAN GIVE ANOTHER EXAMPLE Y'ALL WANNA HEAR WHEN THERE'S A FAMILY IN MO CORNER, I'M WORKING WITH, EXCUSE ME, AND THEY ON ABOUT 30 ACRES OF LAND, REALLY SIGNIFICANT ON THE LAND.
AND WHAT THEY WANT TO DO IS THAT THEY RECOGNIZE THAT MO CORNER DIDN'T HAVE LIKE A BRAND NEW COMMUNITY CENTER PLACE FOR FOLKS TO AMERICA.
SO, BUT I TOLD THEM, I SAID THE FIRST KEY COMPONENT, IF YOU WANNA MAKE MONEY STUFF, YOU NEED TO PUT SOME HOUSING UP.
[00:25:01]
HOUSING CAN PAY FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU DO SUBSEQUENTLY TO GIVE YOU A WAY OUT IF, GOD FORBID, OTHER STUFF DOESN'T WORK.UM, SO WHAT THEY'RE DOING IS THEY'RE GONNA DO ABOUT 20, 25, 30 UNITS OF RENTAL HOUSING AMONGST CORNER THAT'S GONNA LEAD TO THEM BUILDING A COMMUNITY CENTER AND WHICH IS ALSO GONNA LEAD FOR THEM TO BUILD LIKE A COMMUNITY FRESH MARKET TYPE THING.
BUT THEY'RE GONNA TAKE THE WHOLE 30 ACRES AND REALLY MAKE IT LIKE, UH, TRY TO KEEP IT AS RURAL AND MAKE IT AS INCLUSIVE AS AS THEY, WHEN THEY WERE GROWING UP.
EVERYONE KIND OF DEPEND ON WHEN IT CAME TO FRESH MARKET SHARE PRODUCE AND THAT'S THE SPIRIT THEY WANT TO KEEP IT IN.
SO IT'S, I LISTENED TO THE FAMILIES AND I FIGURE OUT LIKE WHAT'S THE BEST PATH FOR IT BEFORE YOU BE ABLE TO NOT LOSE YOUR SHIRT BECAUSE EVERYTHING YOU DO IS A RISK.
LIKE IF YOU JUST, IF YOU'RE NOT WILLING TO RISK SOMETHING, YOU CAN'T GAIN ANYTHING.
I HAVE TO TELL PARENTS THAT THERE IS A RISK HERE, BUT LIKE MY JOB IS KIND TO HELP YOU MITIGATE THE RISK.
YOU'RE LOAN, UH, YOUR FINANCE FOR DEVELOPERS OR IS IT FOR INDIVIDUALS AS WELL? UM, I'M SORRY, FINANCING.
SO BEING THAT I DID LENDING FOR ALMOST FIVE YEARS, I HAVE A LOT OF CONNECTIONS, UM, INSIDE SPECIFICALLY SOUTH CAROLINA WITH DIFFERENT BANKS AND CDFIS.
UM, I, I TELL PEOPLE WHAT I DO IS IF YOU ARE A PERSON YOU WANT TO DO SOME HOME, I'LL DO INITIAL UNDERWRITING.
YOU HIRE ME, I'LL DO INITIAL UNDERWRITING, TELL YOU WHAT YOUR WEAK SPOTS ARE BEFORE I TAKE YOU TO THE BANK.
'CAUSE MY THING, I DON'T WANNA WASTE YOUR TIME AND I DON'T WANNA WASTE YOUR MONEY.
UM, FROM THERE I'LL SAY, I'LL MAKE A REFERRAL.
SAY THESE ARE YOUR BEST OPTIONS FOR FINANCING.
I KIND OF WALK THEM THROUGH THE PROCESS OR BE WITH THEM SIDE BY SIDE.
BUT I'M NOT SAYING YES OR NO ALONE ANYMORE.
I'M JUST KIND OF LIKE TELLING, TAKING YOU TO PEOPLE I TRUST TO DO THE FINANCES GONNA BE STRAIGHT UP WITH YOU AND BUT BEFORE YOU EVEN GO TO THEM, I'M KIND OF LIKE SAYING YOU'RE NOT READY AT ALL.
YOU ARE READY BY JUST KIND OF GOING THROUGH THE PERSON'S FINANCIALS, DOING LIKE AN INITIAL UNDERWRITING.
'CAUSE ALL BANKS ALL HAVE A BOX.
SO LIKE I UNDERSTAND THE BOX SO I CAN SAVE PEOPLE TIME FOLLOW UP QUESTION ON THE SAME THING.
SO YOUR COMPANY HAS TO, YOU KIND OF PREQUALIFY AS UP TO DO.
UM, I WON'T SAY PREQUALIFY PROBABLY IS THE RIGHT TERM, BUT I, I GUESS I'M GONNA BE UH, GIVE 'EM A BROADER TERM.
UM, SOMEONE LIKE IF THEY HAVE AN IDEA AND YOU SAY, MISS YOU COME TO ME, YOUR IDEA AND I'M GONNA LISTEN TO THE IDEA AND INVITE.
IF I SEE THERE'S A WHOLE OR SOMETHING YOU'RE NOT THINKING ABOUT, I'LL BRING IT TO YOUR ATTENTION.
I WANT TO HELP REFINE AND MAKE YOUR IDEA THE BEST VERSION OF WHAT YOU WANT IT TO BE.
UM, FROM THERE, UM, I'LL SAY, WELL WE GOT THE IDEA NOW.
CAN YOU AFFORD THIS IDEA? AND THEN I SAY, WELL I NEED TO SEE YOUR FINANCIALS.
IT'S BASICALLY A PERSONAL FINANCIAL STATEMENT FOR THE MOST PART.
AND ACTUALLY GO PULL THE CREDIT REPORT AND JUST KIND OF GO THROUGH IT AND SEE WHAT YOU GET IN CONVERSATION AND WHAT THE NUMBERS LOOK LIKE FOR YOU AND SEE IF YOU CAN ACTUALLY GO FORWARD THE IDEA IF YOU CAN'T, NO IT'S NOT, IT'S, I SEE IT'S NOT YET AND I TRY TO TELL YOU WHAT YOU NEED TO DO TO KIND OF BEFORE I FEEL LIKE YOU'RE READY.
'CAUSE WHEN, IF YOU GO WHEN YOU'RE NOT READY, LIKE THAT'S WHEN BANKS OR IT'S JUST REALLY CAN KIND OF TAKE ADVANTAGE OF YOU.
UM, AGAIN 'CAUSE LIKE YOU GONNA BE PAYING ON THIS AND THE INTEREST RATE.
IF YOUR DEBT SERVICE INTEREST ONLY PAYMENTS ARE HIGH, IT MAKES A PROJECT THE SAME.
WHEN YOU SEE HOUSES THAT DON'T GET FINISHED, IT'S BECAUSE THEY CAN'T AFFORD WHAT IT GOT INTO.
ARE YOU OPEN TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS FROM THE PUBLIC? ABSOLUTELY.
DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? UM, YOU TALKED ABOUT INCENTIVES, TAX ABATEMENT, FINANCIAL SUBSIDIES AND DENSITY BONUSES.
A LOT OF THE MUNICIPALITIES OR FOLKS IN THE REGION AND TRIBE, YOU FOUND THAT, UM, INFRASTRUCTURES WHAT'S NEEDED ON TOP OF IT? ARE YOU FINDING THAT OR ARE YOU ACTUALLY BEING SUCCESSFUL WITH JUST NO, I'M DEFINITELY FINDING INFRASTRUCTURE'S A PROBLEM.
BUT SOUTH CAROLINA AS A WHOLE HAS AN INFRASTRUCTURE PROBLEM.
UM, LIKE I LIVE IN CHARLESTON, LIKE THEY'RE TRYING TO DO THIS, UM, 5 26 EXPANSION.
IT'S BEEN ALMOST 20 YEARS IN THE WORKS.
I MEAN INFRASTRUCTURE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT PROJECT ITSELF.
LIKE THAT'S WHERE THE PRIVATE PUBLIC PARTNERSHIP COMES INTO PART.
UM, SORRY I MISUNDERSTOOD YOUR QUESTION.
LIKE YOU DON'T, IF YOU ARE ON A SEPTIC TANK OR YOU NEED SEPTIC OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, THAT DRIVES ALL THE COSTS UP AGAIN.
AND REALLY IT, IT'S BETTER IF A CITY OR PAC CAN RUN SEW AND WATER, BUT THAT'S ALSO COST IN THE CITY, UM, TO DO.
SO THAT'S LIKE ANOTHER BARRIER ENTRY.
BUT LIKE TYPICALLY WHEN I RUN INTO LIKE INFRASTRUCTURE PROBLEMS IS TYPICALLY WITH RURAL FAMILIES.
UM, I USE MY FAMILY AS EXAMPLE, LIKE BEFORE WE STARTED THINKING ABOUT DEVELOPING MY LAND, IT WASN'T DOABLE 'CAUSE WE DIDN'T HAVE, WE WEREN'T A SEWER OR WELL SEPTIC, BUT WHEN THEY RAN WATER AND SEWER, I, IT BECAME LIKE IT REMOVED A HUGE BARRIER FOR US TO BE ABLE TO DO IT.
AND FOR, TO KIND OF REDUCE THE BARRIER ENTRY.
IF YOU GOTTA PUT SEPTIC DOWN ON WATER AND SEWER, IT BECOMES, FOR MOST PEOPLE IT IS NOT TENABLE FOR THEM TO BE ABLE TO DO A PROJECT AND BE PERFECTLY FRAME FOR YOU.
UM, AND THAT'S LIKE ANOTHER BARRIER.
SO THAT'S WHY YOU REALLY NEED THE PUBLIC HALF TO KIND OF, UM, TO MAKE THE PRIVATE SIDE WORK.
YOU HAVE TO REDUCE THE BARRIERS TO ENTRY FOR FOLKS.
DID THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION? MM-HMM.
YOU HAVE A HORRIBLE HOUSING PROJECT IN FLORENCE.
[00:30:01]
US SOME NUMBERS FOR THAT? HOW MANY ARE, DO YOU HAVE? ARE THERE APARTMENTS? ARE THERE HOUSES? WELL, THE CURRENT ITERATION ABOUT, IT'S GONNA BE TOWN, IT'S GONNA BE 10, 10 TOWN HOMES THAT WE, THE FIRST ITERATION WAS UM, SINGLE FAMILY HOME.UM, THAT'S GOING ON THE MARKET I THINK WITHIN THE NEXT MONTH OR SO.
UM, THIS AREA GONNA 10 TOWN HOMES.
BUT WE UNDERSTAND THAT THE CITY'S BANK OTHER LAND IN SAME AREA AND IT IS LIKE WE JUST KIND OF GRADUALLY BUILDING OUT A SIDE OF S NEAR UH, HOSPITAL.
IS THAT OWNERSHIP OR RENTAL? UM, THE TOWN HOMES IS GONNA BE RENTAL.
THE PREVIOUS THE TOWN WAS OWNERSHIP.
I THAT'S WHAT THE RENT IS ON THOSE.
UM, IT'S AREA, I THINK IT'S LIKE 9 85 OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
SOMETIMES LIKE $1,200 OR $1,300.
WHAT ONE BEDROOM? BIG DIFFERENCE.
LIKE WHAT'S OUR AREA OF MEDIA INCOME HERE? MAY I ASK? UH, FOR OUR FAMILY OF 406, ONE PERSON'S LIKE SEVEN.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S REALLY WHAT YOU COULD ADD IT HONESTLY, IF PEOPLE JUST DON'T, SOME PEOPLE LIKE DON'T MAKE ENOUGH, THEN WHAT HAPPENS? YOU HAVE WEALTHY PEOPLE COME TO PLACES LIKE THAT.
THEY DRIVE UP THE VERY MEDIA INCOME BUT MOST PEOPLE AREN'T MAKING ANYWHERE NEAR THAT.
AND THEN THE HOUSING MARKET FOLLOW SUIT AND THEN EVERYONE'S MOVING SOMEWHERE ELSE.
I DON'T KNOW WHERE PEOPLE MOVE FROM BLUFFING TO WHATEVER THE NEXT ORIGINALLY
LIKE UM, HOLLY HILL, WHICH IS UH, DUE WEST OF CHARLESTON IS EXPERIENCED A BOOM RIGHT NOW.
'CAUSE NO ONE CAN AFFORD TO LIVE IN CHARLESTON.
YOU HAD A VOLVO PLANT WHICH IS MAYBE FIVE MILES DOWN FROM HOLLY HILL.
SO NOW YOU KNOW, HOLLY HILL'S GETTING EXPENSIVE.
SO I WAS LIKE ORANGEBURG NEXT.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? MR. DO WE APPRECIATE YOUR TIME AND ALSO WE APPRECIATE WHAT YOU, YOUR SERVICE YOU'RE GIVING BACK AND TRYING TO FIND A SOLUTION TO A VERY BIG PROBLEM IN OUR STATE ACTUALLY IN OUR COUNTRY.
SO YOUR WORK IS, IS IS SOMETHING THAT'S, WE HAVE TO TAKE OUR HATS OFF TOO AND AND APPRECIATE THANK YOU.
NO, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME.
THANK YOU ALL FOR WHAT YOU DO.
'CAUSE YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO IT AND UH, YOU KNOW, I KNOW AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS ARE TOUGH IN MOST TOWNS.
I'LL SHARE ONE LAST STORY BEFORE I GET OUTTA YI WAS IN A COUNTY MEETING IN MOUNT PLEASANT WHERE THEY WANT TO DO AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
IT'S BEEN A, A MORATORIUM FOR LIKE ALMOST 10 YEARS.
YOU KNOW, MORATORIUM SUPPOSED TO BE SHORT.
UM, AND ONE OF THE COUNCIL FOLKS GOT UP IN A MEETING AND SAID THAT MORE OR LESS IF THEY CAN'T AFFORD TO BE HERE, THEY SHOULDN'T BE HERE.
AND JUST IN FRONT OF PEOPLE LIKE THIS WAS NOT, THIS WAS NOT SOMETHING THAT WAS LIKE SAID IN THE BACK OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
PEOPLE ARE COMBATING TRYING TO DO AFFORDABLE HOUSING 'CAUSE THEY DON'T, ONE, IT BECOMES A NEGATIVE CONNOTATION BUT LIKE AFFORDABLE HOUSING JUST FOR YOUR POLICE OFFICER, YOUR TEACHER, YOUR FIREMEN, ALL THOSE FOLKS.
PEOPLE WORK FOR THIS TOWN OR CITY RESTAURANT WORKERS AND HOTELS AND THAT.
AND WHAT HAPPENS, THEY TRY TO MAKE IT MORE POLARIZED THAN WHAT IT IS.
BUT IT'S JUST THE ABILITY OF SOMEONE TO BE ABLE TO LIVE WHERE THEY WERE.
AND I, I PERSONALLY THINK I WANT TO HAVE THAT ABILITY TO LIVE WHERE THEY WORK SO THEY DON'T HAVE TO DO LONG PERIOD OF TIME.
THEY CAN SPEND MORE TIME IN THEIR FAMILY AND LESS TIME ON OUR ROAD.
SO THAT'S THE END OF MY TED TALK.
SO THAT WAS A TON OF INFORMATION.
SOME OF IT WE ALREADY KNEW BUT YOU KNOW, PIGGYBACK OUR NUMBERS ARE ARE OUT OF THE ROOF.
IT'S, IT'S A LITTLE SCARY BUT WE GONNA GET THROUGH IT.
[VI.2. Town of Bluffton Employee Homebuyers Assistance, Stephen Steese, Town Manager]
TOWN OF LUPTON EMPLOYEE HOMER HOME BUYER'S ASSISTANT FROM OUR TOWN MANAGER, STEVEN C WAIT, THROW YOUR FINGER UP.DID YOU NEED TO SAY SOMETHING BEFORE I COME UP? I'M, I'M, I'M, UM, I WAS A HIT OF HER SO I'M GOOD.
AND ON MY WAY UP I'LL JUST SAY THAT GREAT TRANSITION 'CAUSE HE TALKED ABOUT EVERYBODY SHOULD HAVE THE ABILITY TO LIVE WHERE THEY WORK AND THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT WE'RE DOING TO TALK ABOUT.
UM, SO ONE OF THE THINGS, AND I THINK YOU HAVE UM, THE MEMO THAT WAS IN THAT WAS IN YOUR PACKET.
I'LL JUST KIND OF GO THROUGH SOME OF THE DETAILS ON THAT.
SO A A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT OVER THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS, UM, INTERNALLY WITHIN, WITHIN THE TOWN IS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WE, WE KNOW HOME PRICES ARE UP.
WE KNOW AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS NOT BEING BUILT AS FAST AS IT SHOULD BE.
WE WE'RE WORKING ON THAT AND DIFFERENT MANNERS, BUT AT THE SAME TIME WE ALSO KNOW THAT WE HAVE TO STILL FIND PEOPLE TO WORK HERE AT THE TOWN.
SO WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO FIGURE OUT, UH, HOW CAN, WHEN WE TRY TO HIRE PEOPLE, THAT'S ONE OF THE BIGGEST HURDLES THAT HAS TO BE OVERCOME IS THEM TRYING TO FIGURE OUT SOME PLACE TO LIVE AND AGAIN, LIVE WHERE THEY WORK.
UM, SO WE WANTED TO PUT TOGETHER A PROGRAM AS WE GO INTO THE BUDGET FOR NEXT FISCAL YEAR.
WE'VE ACTUALLY HAVE SOME FUNDING IN THE BUDGET FOR NEXT FISCAL YEAR TO IMPLEMENT THIS PROGRAM.
I WANTED TO COME TO THE COMMITTEE TO GET Y'ALL'S INPUT TO MAKE SURE THAT SOME OF THE
[00:35:01]
GUIDELINES THAT WE'VE PUT IN PLACE, I WANTED TO GET SOME, UM, INPUT FROM Y'ALL BEFORE WE TAKE IT TO COUNCIL TO ADOPT THE PROGRAM IN JULY.UM, THE ONE THING I DO WANT TO JUST KIND OF REITERATE IS I IS AGAIN, THIS IS A WAY TO HELP OUR EMPLOYEES GET HOME OWNERSHIP.
IT'S NOT NECESSARILY A HUNDRED PERCENT GEARED JUST FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING, IT'S MORE JUST FOR HOME OWNERSHIP IN GENERAL AND LIVE WHERE YOU WORK.
UM, BUT WE ARE USING A MI AS A GUIDE TO HELP US DETERMINE HOW WE SET UP THE BENEFITS THAT OUR EMPLOYEES CAN GET.
'CAUSE WE DO WANNA MAKE SURE THOSE THAT ARE IN LOWER A MI LEVELS HAVE THE GET THE SUPPORT THEY NEED TO BE ABLE TO, UM, TO OWN PROPERTY AS WELL AS MAKING SURE THAT ALL OF OUR EMPLOYEES HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO OWN, UH, THEIR HOME WHERE THEY WORK.
UM, SO WHAT THE GOAL IS RIGHT NOW IS WE WOULD LOOK AT 120% A MI OR LESS.
AND JUST TO GIVE SOME GUIDELINES, WE'RE ONLY LOOKING AT THE INDIVIDUAL A MI OF THE EMPLOYEE.
'CAUSE WE DON'T WANT TO, AGAIN, THIS IS AN AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROGRAM, SO WE DON'T WANNA SEND THEM OFF TO BEAUFORT HOUSING AUTHORITY TO LOOK AT ALL THEIR FAMILY INCOME AND ALL THAT KIND OF STUFF.
WE REALLY WANT TO FOCUS ON, THEY'RE AN EMPLOYEE OF THE TOWN, HERE'S WHAT THEY'RE BEING COMPENSATED AS FOR THE TOWN AND HERE'S A LEVEL OF SUPPORT THEY WOULD GET BASED ON THAT, THAT KIND OF LEVEL.
UM, SO WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IS FOR 120% A MI AND BELOW, WE WOULD PROVIDE $20,000 OF ASSISTANCE.
THAT'S 5% OF OUR AVERAGE HOME VALUE OF $400,000.
UM, SO THE AVERAGE HOME SALE IN THE TOWN LAST YEAR WAS ACTUALLY HIGHER THAN THAT.
BUT THE ACTUAL, UM, UH, ASSESS VALUE ON HOMES FOR THE LAST TAX YEAR WAS JUST SHORT.
IT WAS LIKE 390,000 AND CHANGE.
SO THAT'S, THAT WOULD BE A 5% DOWN PAYMENT ON A HOME.
THAT WOULD BE 2% TO HELP BUY DOWN INTEREST AND 3% DOWN PAYMENT ON A HOME.
SO JUST TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF WHEN WE TALK ABOUT $20,000 SOUNDS LIKE A LOT OF MONEY, BUT IN THE GRAND SCHEME OF PURCHASING A HOME THAT'S INSIDE OF BLUFFTON, IT MAY NOT BE THAT MUCH MONEY.
JUST LIKE WE WERE TALKING ABOUT RENT IN FLORENCE VERSUS RENT HERE.
THOSE NUMBERS ARE COMPLETELY DIFFERENT.
UM, SO THE OTHER PART WE WERE LOOKING AT IS ONCE YOU GET ABOVE 120 IS 120 TO 140 TO DO 15,000.
AND THEN ANYBODY ABOVE 141% WOULD BE AT 10,000.
UM, THIS IS NOT A UNIQUE PROGRAM.
WE WOULD BE LOOKING TO PARTNER WITH COMMUNITY WORKS, WHICH IS A-C-D-F-I THAT OPERATES THROUGHOUT THE STATE.
THEY ACTUALLY HAVE THIS PROGRAM IN PLACE WITH SEVERAL OTHER ENTITIES.
THEY DO IT WITH CITY OF BEAUFORT, CITY OF GOOSE CREEK.
THEY DO IT WITH, THEY'RE THE ONES THAT MANAGE THE ONE FOR BEAUFORT MEMORIAL HOU, UH, BEAUFORT MEMORIAL HOSPITAL.
UM, AND THEY DO A COUPLE OTHER ONES THROUGHOUT THE STATE.
I THINK SPARTANBURG AND A COUPLE, THEY DO ABOUT SEVEN TOTAL.
UM, THE DIFFERENCE WITH THIS ONE IS, IS MOST OF THE OTHER ONES THEY ARE BETWEEN FIVE AND $10,000 IS WHAT THEY PROVIDE THEIR EMPLOYEES.
WHEN, UM, ANNIE AND HR WENT THROUGH AND TALKED TO A BUNCH OF THEM, I THINK THE MOST WE HAD HEARD THAT HAD BEEN USED WAS FOUR WITH ONE ORGANIZATION.
BECAUSE IF YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT GETTING $5,000, THIS, THE WAY IT WORKS IS WE'RE YOU'RE GETTING THIS MONEY UP FRONT, BUT IT GOES AS LIKE A A FIVE YEAR LIEN AGAINST THE PROPERTY THAT'S FORGIVEN OVER THOSE FIVE YEARS.
SO WE DON'T WANNA GIVE SOMEBODY A $20,000 TOWARDS OUR HOUSE AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN THEY LEAVE THE TOWN A MONTH LATER AND WE HAVE NO REPERCUSSION, NO UM, WAY TO HOLD, YOU KNOW, HOLD THAT LIEN NOW LONG AS THEY CONTINUE TO WORK FOR THE TOWN, IT'S FORGIVEN.
THERE'S NO INTEREST, BUT IT'S A, IT'S A FIVE YEAR LIEN ON THE PROPERTY THAT'S FORGIVEN.
UM, SO FOR SOMEBODY TO BE WILLING TO TAKE THAT ON, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THE VALUE IS ENOUGH TO MAKE IT WORTH LOOKING AT.
AND THAT'S BEEN PART OF THE ISSUE 'CAUSE THAT'S THE SAME WITH EVERY OTHER PROGRAM WE COMPARED TO IS IF YOU'RE GETTING $5,000 TO HELP YOU BUY A $400,000 HOME IS A FIVE YEAR LIEN WORTH DEALING WITH THAT OR THAT RISK THAT'S ASSOCIATED WITH IT.
SO WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT IT WAS, THE VALUE WAS ENOUGH TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO USE IT.
UM, WE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE A MIA MINUTE AGO.
SO A HUNDRED PERCENT A MI RIGHT NOW FOR THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON FOR 24 IS 74, 480 FOR AN INDIVIDUAL 140% A MI WOULD BE 104 AND CHANGE.
UM, IF YOU LOOK AT OUR EMPLOYEES, IF YOU DID THE 120% A MI WE HAVE 116 OF OUR EMPLOYEES OR 73% OF OUR EMPLOYEES WOULD QUALIFY FOR 120% OR BELOW, THEN UM, YOU WOULD HAVE ABOUT 10%, UH, GIVE OR TAKE.
UM, AND EACH OF THE OTHER CATEGORIES.
SO YOU WOULD HAVE 16 EMPLOYEES BETWEEN 1 21 AND ONE 40 AND 16 EMPLOYEES AT ONE 40 AND ABOVE.
SO THE VAST MAJORITY OF OUR EMPLOYEES WOULD STILL FALL WITHIN THE HIGHEST ABILITY.
[00:40:01]
THE HIGHEST AMOUNT THEY WOULD QUALIFY FOR THE FULL $20,000.UM, AND AGAIN, WE WANT THEM TO HAVE MORE BECAUSE LIVING HERE, BASED ON THAT INCOME LEVEL IS GONNA BE TOUGHER THAN IT CAN BE ON THOSE OTHER LEVELS.
SO THE GOAL IS, UM, WE HAVE SET SOME FUNDS ASIDE IN THE BUDGET FOR NEXT YEAR.
WE WANTED TO COME TO Y'ALL TO GET SOME INPUT AND MAKE SURE THAT WHAT WE'RE LOOKING TO PUT IN PLACE, UM, JUST TO HEAR ANY COMMENTS THAT Y'ALL MAY HAVE IN INCORPORATE THOSE AS WE GET READY TO PRESENT THIS TO COUNCIL FOR ADOPTION, UM, AND LOOK TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS BASED ON UM, WHAT WE'VE KIND OF PUT IT, WHAT WE'VE OUTLINED HERE AND THEN IN COMPARISON WITH SOME OF THE OTHER ORGANIZATIONS THAT WE ARE, UM, THAT HAVE KIND OF THESE PROGRAMS IN PLACE TO MAKE SURE WE CAN BE SUCCESSFUL ONE IF WE DO PUT IT IN PLACE.
SO WITH THAT, I'LL BE MORE THAN GLAD TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
IF, IF THERE'S ANYTHING I DIDN'T COVER, I'LL BE MORE THAN GLAD TO EXPOUND ON THAT.
I DON'T HAVE, I REMEMBER A LONG TIME AGO, UM, AND I CAN'T REMEMBER IF IT WAS BLUFFTON OR HILTON HEAD, THEY HAD AN EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM WHERE YOU GO THROUGH, YOU TOOK PEOPLE THROUGH THIS, THIS EDUCATIONAL PIECE.
THAT'S FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING PERSON.
THAT'S NOT TOO MANY PEOPLE THAT REALLY NEED AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
AND I'M TALKING AFFORDABLE HOUSING, NOT BLUFFTON STYLE.
'CAUSE BLUFFTON STYLE AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS NOT AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
UM, BUT, BUT UM, SO I THINK 120 FOR MY PALLET IS HIGH, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU'RE DEALING WITH AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
UM, AND THEN THE NEXT QUESTION WOULD BE, UM, IF WE ARE DOING 120, WE HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT'S, THAT WOULD BE IN ANOTHER CATEGORY THAT WOULD NOT BENEFIT FROM IT.
SO THE WAY IT'S SET UP IS EVERY EMPLOYEE IN THE TOWN WOULD HAVE IT AS AN OPTION.
THE MORE INCOME YOU MAKE, THE LESS YOUR BENEFIT BECOMES.
SO ONCE YOU GET BETWEEN 120 TO 140 INSTEAD OF BEING ABLE TO GET 20,000, YOU WOULD GET 15 AND THEN ABOVE 140 WOULD BE 10.
SO IT IS OPEN, AGAIN, IT'S A HOME OWNERSHIP PROGRAM FOR ALL TOWN EMPLOYEES.
UM, SO WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE ENCOURAGE, AS GENTLEMAN SAID, THAT YOU CAN LIVE WHERE YOU WORK REGARDLESS OF WHERE YOU ARE.
SO WHAT HAPPENS? SO WE WANTED THE BIGGEST THING TO GO TO LOWER INCOME.
WHAT HAPPENS WITH THE PEOPLE THAT, JUST TO MAKE, HELP ME UNDERSTAND WHAT HAPPENS WITH THE PEOPLE WHO MAKE LIKE 60,000, THEY JUST WON'T BE ABLE TO REALLY AFFORD SOMETHING IN BLUFFTON.
WELL THEY, UM, WELL THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO AFFORD WHAT THEY CAN.
RIGHT NOW WHAT WE WOULD BE DOING THIS IS A PROGRAM IS JUST TO HELP THEM IN HOME OWNERSHIP.
SO JUST LIKE WE'RE BUILDING THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING ON 10 95, THERE'S GONNA BE 60, 80 AND A HUNDRED MM-HMM
THEY CAN USE IT TO BUY DOWN THEIR INTEREST RATE, THEY CAN USE IT FOR THEIR DOWN PAYMENT, REDUCE THEIR OVERALL COST.
UM, BUT IT'S UP TO THE PERSON TO FIND WHERE THEY ARE GONNA BUY.
THIS WOULD JUST BE A PROGRAM TO HELP THEM BE ABLE TO GET INTO THE HOME AND AFFORD MAYBE THE DOWN PAYMENT AND MORE TO GET THE, TO REDUCE THE PAYMENT UPFRONT.
'CAUSE AGAIN, IF YOU CAN BUY YOUR INTEREST RATE TWO POINTS DOWN, THAT'LL REDUCE YOUR MONTHLY PAYMENT A WHOLE LOT.
THAT MAY REDUCE THAT, THAT WILL CLEAR THAT BURDEN TO HOME OWNERSHIP FOR SOME EASIER THAN JUST BEING ABLE TO PUT AN EXTRA $5,000 DOWN PAYMENT.
SO THEN WHAT I'M UNDERSTANDING IS THE 120 WOULD JUST OPEN THE DOOR FOR PEOPLE THAT MAKE MORE MONEY TO GET THIS ASSISTANCE.
SO IT WOULD BE FOR ALL EMPLOYEES AT 120% OR BELOW WOULD ALL QUALIFY FOR THE SAME AMOUNT FOR 20,000.
UM, AND THEN AS YOU MAKE MORE MONEY, YOU, YOU GET LESS MONEY TO USE TOWARDS YOUR HOME OWNERSHIP TOWARDS, TOWARDS THE PROGRAM.
SO THE GOAL WAS, SO JUST TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA, AND I KNOW YOU WORK IN THIS WORLD, SO YOU, BUT 30% OF YOUR A MI 30% OF YOUR INCOME IS WHAT YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO PUT TOWARDS HOME OWNERSHIP.
SO YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT IF YOU'RE 120%, THAT'S $30,000.
UM, WHEN YOU BREAK THAT UP OVER 12 MONTHS, IT'S 2250.
OUR AVERAGE RENT FOR A TWO BEDROOM APARTMENT RIGHT NOW IS HIGHER THAN THAT.
SO IF YOU CAN'T, OUR GOAL IS TO TRY TO HELP THEM UP TO THAT LEVEL, UM, TO BE ABLE
[00:45:01]
TO BUY INTEREST, TO PUT A TWO 3% DOWN TO HELP REDUCE THEIR OVERALL COST AND 'CAUSE SOME, UM, AT THAT LEVEL MAY NOT HAVE THE UPFRONT MONEY TO EVEN PUT THE DOWN PAYMENT.'CAUSE DEPENDING ON WHAT LOAN YOU'RE GETTING, YOU MAY NEED TO PUT A 5% DOWN PAYMENT.
WELL THAT WOULD HELP COVER THAT AS WELL.
SO AGAIN, THE GOAL OF IT IS TO HELP CLEAR THE HURDLES TO HOME OWNERSHIP, UM, AND WHERE THEY FIND THE HOUSING WITHIN THE COMMUNITY.
THAT'S ALL I WAS TRYING TO UNDERSTAND.
AND, AND AGAIN, WHEN WE START TALKING ABOUT AFFORDABLE HOUSING WITH WHAT WE USE FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING, WE TRY TO FOCUS A HUNDRED PERCENT AND BELOW.
UM, AND, BUT I WANTED TO BRING IT TO Y'ALL TO GET THE INPUT FOR THAT REASON BECAUSE I KNOW I'VE HEARD SOME OF THOSE COMMENTS FROM COUNCIL AS WELL IS WE WANNA MAKE SURE THE PROGRAM WE'RE PUTTING IN PLACE IS HELPING AS MUCH FOR THE PEOPLE WHO NEED IT.
UM, BUT AT THE SAME TIME WE DO WANT ALL TO HAVE ACCESS TO HOME OWNERSHIP REGARDLESS TO, TO LIVE WHERE THEY WORK.
AND THAT'S WHAT THE GOAL OF THE PROGRAM IS.
WHEN WE TALK ABOUT AFFORDABLE HOUSING, 120 IS ABOVE WHAT WE NORMALLY THE THRESHOLD WE NORMALLY GO FOR.
YOU KNOW WHAT, UH, STEVEN, I I DON'T UNDERSTAND THE, THE A MI IF OR, OR HOW THIS OR YOU KNOW, THE ENTRY IF IT'S A HUNDRED, IF OUR, I THINK I HEARD, HEARD YOU SAY THAT THE AVERAGE A MI IS 74 4 80.
BUT THAT, THAT'S A HUNDRED PERCENT.
SO THEY WOULD HAVE TO EARN $90,000 120 TIMES.
WHAT WHAT WE DID IS WE SET TIERS WITHIN THE PROGRAM.
SO IF YOU MAKE 120% OF A MI OR BELOW YOU QUALIFY FOR MORE MONEY.
SO IF YOU MAKE MORE, LESS THAN 90,000 BUCKS.
EVERYBODY WHO'S 120% A MI AND AGAIN, WE USED A MI JUST BECAUSE IT, THAT NUMBER FLUCTUATES AND IT GIVES US AN AREA IMMEDIATE INCOME TO COMPARE OURSELVES.
AGAIN, WE COULD HAVE SET THE PROGRAM UP TO SAY IF YOU'RE MAKING $75,000 OR LESS, OR IF YOU'RE GETTING PAID A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS OR LESS.
BUT WE WANTED TO USE A MI BECAUSE ANNUALLY THAT NUMBER IS SET TO TELL YOU WHERE WE COMPARE TO THE MEDIAN INCOME WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY.
SO WE CAN ADJUST IT ANNUALLY TO MAKE SURE THAT IF THAT NUMBER GOES DOWN OR IT GOES UP, THAT WE'RE, WE'RE MAKING OUR PROGRAM MATCH WHAT THE AREA IS SHOWING.
'CAUSE JUST FROM LAST YEAR TO THIS YEAR, A MI HAS GONE UP FIVE, $6,000.
SO IF WE HAD TO SET A DOLLAR FIGURE BASED ON SAY LIKE OUR AVERAGE PAY FOR OUR EMPLOYEES, THAT MAY NOT MOVE AS FAST AS A MI DOES.
WHAT ABOUT, UH, CAN THEY HAVE MORE THAN ONE INCENTIVE? SO WE GET THE $20,000 AND THE BANK IS OFFERING $7,000 AND SOMEBODY ELSE'S, YOU KNOW, THEIR DIFFERENT INCENTIVES FROM DIFFERENT BANKS.
ARE THEY ALLOWED TO DO THAT OR IS THIS WE WOULD HAVE NO ISSUE WITH THAT.
OURS WOULD, OURS IS, AGAIN, JUST TO HELP CLEAR THE HURDLE OF HOME OWNERSHIP.
IF THEY GO THROUGH A DIFFERENT PROGRAM AND THEY SAY, HEY, IF YOU GO THROUGH OUR PROGRAM, LIKE, UH, DANIS WAS SAYING, IF YOU DO THE, THE EDUCATION, WE'LL HELP, WE'LL CONTRIBUTE $5,000 TOWARDS YOUR, YOUR HOME PURCHASE PRICE.
AGAIN, OUR GOAL IS TO MAKE THAT HOME AS AFFORDABLE AS POSSIBLE SO THEY CAN LIVE WHERE THEY WORK WITHIN THE COMMUNITY.
AND IF THEY GET OTHER PROGRAMS OR OTHER, UM, UM, YOU KNOW, HOME BUYERS ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS OR FIRST TIME BUYER PROGRAMS, WE, WE WANT TO, THIS IS JUST ANOTHER, ANOTHER, UM, BENEFIT TO HELP GET THEM IN THE HOME.
THEN ONE THING I NOTICED, PROPERTY ELIGIBLE PROPERTY PROPERTY MUST BE IN GOOD CONDITION AND READY FOR OCCUPANCY WITHIN 90 DAYS OF CLOSING.
SO IF THE HOUSE NEEDS REPAIRS, WHEN DID WE GET THE MONEY? UM, THEY WOULD HAVE TO HAVE WE GET THE $20,000? WELL, THEY, THEY WOULD GET IT AT CLOSING, BUT AS PART IF, IF THEY ARE GETTING READY TO CLOSE ON A PROPERTY, IF THEY HAVE TO GO AFTER A LOAN, THAT THEY'RE GONNA HAVE TO QUALIFY FOR THAT AS WELL.
WE JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT IF WE'RE PUTTING IT IN, UH, UH, WORKING WITH THEM ON A HOME, THAT IT'S GONNA BE IN GOOD CONDITION.
AND WE HAVE PROGRAMS THROUGH MS. VICKY AND THROUGH Y'ALL THAT CAN HELP GET THOSE REPAIRS MADE IF NEEDED.
YOU, I WAS GONNA SAY I'M WORKING WITH USCA WHEN WITH ONE OF OUR EMPLOYEES ON A-U-S-C-A LOAN, AND THERE SEEMS TO BE MORE PUTS AND TAKES AND WE DO THIS, AND THEN THERE'S ANOTHER HURDLE.
SO I WAS JUST WONDERING IF THIS THINK WE HAD AN EMPLOYEE WHO JUST WENT THROUGH THAT.
AND I KNOW THERE WAS SOME HEADACHE WITH IT.
YEAH, IT'S STILL, STILL, YEAH.
UM, SO MY QUESTION IS, SO IT'S 120 A MI AND I, AND I REALIZE THAT ANYBODY UNDER THAT 60 80, BUT 120 80 A MI IS ESSENTIALLY OVER A HUNDRED THOU A PERSON MAKING OVER A HUNDRED THOUSAND CAN GET 20,000
[00:50:01]
IN DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE.89,000 IS 120% A MI FOR THIS YEAR.
CAN GET 20,000 IN DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE.
AND YOU SAID 73% OF THE TOWN EMPLOYEES MAKE 88 80 9,000, MEET THAT PERCENT.
UM, SO IS THERE ANY WAY THAT YOU, TO MS. UM, STAPLES POINT CAN CREATE MORE INCENTIVES FOR THE INDIVIDUALS WHO MAKE WAY LESS THAN THAT ONE 20% A MI? UM, THAT'S A, THAT'S A SUGGESTION THAT WE CAN TAKE BACK AND HAVE WHEN COUNCIL WE TAKE IT TO COUNCIL.
WE CAN OFFER SOME ALTERNATIVES.
I MEAN, WE COULD ALWAYS SAY, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE 60% AND BELOW THAT, YOU MAY QUALIFY FOR 25,000, OR WE COULD DROP THE 20,000 TO A HUNDRED PERCENT AND THEN DO, THEN DECREASE IT AT, AT HIGHER LEVEL AT THE LEVELS ABOVE THAT.
I THINK THAT WOULD BE MORE ADVANTAGEOUS, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT RELATES TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING, BECAUSE, UM, RIGHT NOW THE MARKET DOES NOT HAVE $300,000 HOUSING.
UM, AND IT IS VERY LIMITED WHEN IT COMES TO 400,000.
AND I DON'T KNOW ABOUT THE EMPLOYEES FOR THE TOWN, BUT I KNOW I'M, I KNOW THAT THERE IS, IT'S A STRUGGLE TO, TO MEET THAT, UM, THAT, THAT HOUSING PRICE.
WELL, AND I WOULD SAY THAT'S WHY WE LOOKED AT GETTING IT ABOVE THE A HUNDRED, BECAUSE IT'S EVEN A STRUGGLE WITH THAT AVERAGE HOME VALUE FOR THOSE THAT ARE MAKING $90,000 A YEAR.
AND THAT'S WHY WE WANTED TO SET IT, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, WE WANTED TO SET IT FOR, BASED ON OUR MARKET, BECAUSE AGAIN, IF THEY'RE BUYING A HOME IN RIDGELAND OR EMY OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, THEN THIS WOULD NOT QUALIFY BECAUSE THE MARKET MAY BE CHEAPER THERE.
THIS IS THING, THIS IS SO THAT PEOPLE, AGAIN, BECAUSE OF THE MARKET IN BLUFFTON, WHEN YOU START TALKING ABOUT 20, YOU KNOW, SOMEBODY AT $90,000, WHICH IS THE 120% A MI BEING ABLE TO AFFORD 30% OF THEIR PAY TO GO TOWARDS A HOME THAT'S 22 THOU, $2,200 A MONTH, YOU'RE NOT GETTING A $400,000 HOME FOR THAT.
SO THAT'S WHY WE WANTED TO GET IT A, YOU KNOW, A LITTLE HIGHER, UH, OR AT LEAST THE PROGRAM I AM PRESENTING IS A LITTLE HIGHER BECAUSE EVEN AT $90,000, YOU'RE STRUGGLING TO BUY A HOME IN BLUFFTON.
UM, SO WE WANTED TO, NOW, LIKE I SAID, IF WE WANT TO LOOK AND SAY IF YOU'RE AT EVEN LOWER, WE WANT TO GIVE A BETTER INCENTIVE.
I THINK THAT WOULD BE DEFINITELY, WE COULD ALWAYS LOOK AND SAY, IF YOU'RE 80% OR BELOW, THEN MAYBE YOU DO GET 25,000 AND THEN START BRINGING IT DOWN FROM THERE.
UM, BUT WITH THE MARKET THAT WE HAVE EVEN AT 90 OR A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS A YEAR, IT'S, IT'S A STRUGGLE TO, TO AFFORD.
AND THEN THE INVESTMENT MINIMUM.
SO IS IT, COULD IT BE A HIGHER THAN A THOUSAND THAT THE EMPLOYEE INVESTS? UM, I THINK IF WE'RE, WITH WHAT WE JUST TALKED ABOUT, IF YOU'RE TRYING TO TARGET MORE, A BETTER INCENTIVE FOR THOSE THAT ARE IN THE LOWER A MI, I WOULD SAY I WOULDN'T WANNA MAKE IT MUCH HIGHER.
BUT WE COULD ALWAYS HAVE THAT INVESTMENT FROM THE HIGHER YOU GO UP IN THE A MI MAYBE HAVE IT GO FROM A THOUSAND TO 2000 TO THREE OR SO ON LIKE THAT AND HAVE IT INCREASE AS WE GO UP.
BUT AGAIN, I HATE TO MAKE THAT NUMBER ANY HIGHER FOR SOMEBODY WHO MAY BE IN THE 80% A MI RANGE.
'CAUSE THAT MAY BE ONE OF THEIR BURDENS TO CLEAR TO EVEN GET TO HOME OWNERSHIP IS BEING ABLE TO HAVE THAT DOWN PAYMENT.
AND THEN WHO'S DOING THE ORIENTATION AND EDUCATIONAL WORKSHOP? I THINK IT'S THROUGH THE C COMMUNITY WORKS.
COMMUNITY WORKS BECAUSE COMMUNITY WORKS ACTUALLY MANAGE THE PROGRAM FOR US.
UM, SO THEY WOULD BE DOING THE EDUCATION PROGRAM.
THAT IT, I I WOULD LIKE TO SEE A 25,000 FOR 60 TO 80% OR LIKE 80% BELOW.
I, I, AND, AND I THINK THAT'S A, I, LIKE I SAID, I, THAT'S WHY I WANTED TO HEAR, 'CAUSE I WANTED TO, BEFORE I BRING IT TO COUNCIL, IS TO SAY, LOOK, WE TALKED TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
I NUMBERS SEEM REASONABLE OR WHATEVER, BUT ONE OF THE COMMENTS THEY HAD WAS, WE NEED TO DO MORE FOR THOSE IN THE LOWER A MI BRACKET.
WHAT WOULD THAT LOOK LIKE? AND I THINK WE NEED, AND THEN YOU PRESENT ON JUNE 11TH, RIGHT? THIS IS GONNA BE PRESENTED NEXT WEEK.
JULY, BUT IT'S IN THE BUDGET FOR SECOND.
IT'S IN THE BUDGET THAT WILL BE APPROVED AT THE COUNCIL MEETING.
WE'VE GOT FUNDS THAT, UM, RIGHT NOW IT'S JUST ONE AT EACH LEVEL.
BUT, UM, WE CAN ALWAYS, UM, PUT ADDITIONAL FUNDING IN THROUGHOUT THE YEAR IF WE NEED TO DURING CARRY FORWARD BUDGET AMENDMENT OR A BUDGET AMENDMENT, IF WE SEE THAT THE PROGRAM IS, IS BEING, BEING USED.
UM, AND THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS WE WANNA SET IT UP SO THAT IT WILL BE USED.
WE DON'T WANT TO PUT A PROGRAM TOGETHER THAT'S JUST SAYING, HEY, WE'RE TRYING TO ENCOURAGE IT, BUT IT'S NOT SUFFICIENT ENOUGH OR GOOD ENOUGH, OR BE THAT SOMEBODY'S ACTUALLY GONNA TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IT.
I PUT A PROGRAM IN PLACE, IT'S JUST THERE TO LOOK LIKE WE'RE TRYING TO DO SOMETHING.
YOU KNOW? UM, HOW MUCH MONEY WOULD BE SET ASIDE IF, IF EVERYBODY WAS ABLE TO BENEFIT FROM
[00:55:01]
IT? WHAT Y'ALL LOOKING AT FOR THAT NUMBER? UH, SO WHAT WE'RE DOING IS, RIGHT NOW WITHIN THE BUDGET, WE HAVE ONE AT EACH LEVEL.SO WE HAVE ONE AT THE 20, ONE AT 15, AND ONE AT 10.
SO WE'VE GOT THAT FUNDING SET ASIDE FOR THAT.
UM, IF WE END UP SEEING MORE COMING IN, THEN WE, AGAIN, WE CAN ALWAYS AMEND, BUT WE MAY HAVE TWO COME IN AT THE MIDDLE LEVEL AND THAT WOULD LEAVE, YOU KNOW, EXTRA FUNDING THAT COULD GO TOWARDS SOMETHING ELSE.
RIGHT NOW THAT'S ALL WE HAVE IS JUST ONE, BECAUSE WE DON'T KNOW HOW WELL THE PROGRAM'S GONNA BE USED, BUT WE WANTED TO AT LEAST HAVE THE FUNDING SO WE COULD START IT AND BEGIN IT.
WHAT I DO LIKE ABOUT THE PROGRAM, IT PUTS US IN A, IN A LEADERSHIP PLACE FOR OUR REGION TO SAY MAYBE OTHER, UM, EITHER C OR OTHER, UM, WORKFORCE, UM, COULD ADOPT A PROGRAM SIMILAR TO THIS.
SO I THINK THIS IS SOMETHING WE SHOULD PROBABLY, UM, CHAMPION AND SHARE AS MUCH AS WE CAN IN THE MEDIA.
UM, I'M STILL STR STRUGGLING WITH 120% AND I PERSONALLY THINK PEOPLE THAT MAKE 120% CAN'T AFFORD TO LIVE AND BLOCK HIM PERSONALLY.
UM, AND, AND I THINK WE ALREADY BUILDING THOSE HOMES AND SO, BUT IF I'M STRUGGLING WITH THAT, BUT I'M, I'M NOT LOCKED DOWN YET.
I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE I, THOSE WHO WE REPRESENT AS AFFORDABLE HOUSING, UM, GETS THE, THEY, THEY, THEY, THEY STILL REMAIN OUR FOCUS.
UM, SO, AND, BUT HOWEVER, OUR EMPLOYEES IS SOMETHING THAT I THINK IS ALSO OUR FOCUS.
I WANNA MAKE SURE THEY'RE ALSO OUR FOCUS.
SO, SO LET'S, UM, LET'S, LET'S AT LEAST, UM, CONTINUE TO, TO CHAMPION THE, THE CONCEPT BECAUSE THIS COULD ACTUALLY ROLL OVER INTO THE SCHOOL DISTRICT COULD ROLL OVER INTO MANY OTHER, UH, EMPLOYEE EMPLOYMENTS, UM, OPPORTUNITIES OUT THERE FOR OTHERS TO SEE THAT LIVING AND LIVING LIVE WORK AND PLAY IN A, IN A COMMUNITY MAKES THE COMMUNITY, YOU KNOW, THOSE THAT LIVE WHERE THEY WORK ARE MORE INVESTED.
UM, AND I WILL JUST, TO YOUR POINT, THE CITY OF BEAUFORT I KNOW HAS A PROGRAM IN PLACE RIGHT NOW, BUT IT HAS NOT BEEN USED, UM, WHEN WE REACHED OUT.
BUT THEY DO UP, THEIR, THEIR INCOME LEVEL IS 200, 200% AND BELOW A MI AND THEY DO UP TO $10,000, BUT THEY HAVE HAD NOBODY TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IT WHEN WE REACHED OUT.
BEAUFORT MEMORIAL ALSO HAS A PROGRAM.
ALL THIS IS, AGAIN, THEY'RE WORKING WITH THE SAME PEOPLE.
WE WOULD THROUGH COMMUNITY WORKS.
DO YOU KNOW IF BEAUFORT MEMORIAL HAS HAD ANYBODY? THEY'VE HAD 11 PEOPLE.
SO THOSE, AND THEY DO UP TO $10,000.
SO THEY DO 10,000 FOR A HUNDRED PERCENT A MI AND BELOW AND 5,000 BETWEEN 100, 200%.
SO AGAIN, OUR PERCENTAGES ARE LOWER THAN SOME OF THE OTHERS.
BUT AGAIN, I THINK WE HAVE, BASED ON THE COMMENTS I HEARD, THERE'S THE OPPORTUNITY TO LOOK TO BE BETTER, MORE BENEFICIAL TO EVEN LOWER A MI.
UM, BUT I, I AGREE A HUNDRED PERCENT WITH WHAT ALL OF Y'ALL HAVE INPUT AND, AND I APPRECIATE Y'ALL, UH, GIVING INPUT, UM, AND UNDERSTANDING WHERE WE'RE TRYING TO GET TO.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS I CAN DO AHEAD OF THE COUNCIL MEETING IS I'D BE MORE THAN GLAD TO PULL TOGETHER, UM, SAVE SOMEBODY WHO'S AT THE 120% A MI AND LOOK AT WHAT THE HOME, SOME HOMES THAT ARE FOR SALE IN BLUFFTON RIGHT NOW, AND SHOW YOU WHAT A MORTGAGE MAY LOOK LIKE FOR THAT, AND SHOW WHAT OURS WOULD HELP OFFSET WITHIN THAT TO PUT THAT TOGETHER AS KIND OF A STUDY AT THE DIFFERENT LEVELS WITHIN THE PROGRAM.
'CAUSE I, I, I KNOW, UH, EVERY TIME I LOOK FOR WHAT MAY BE ON THE MARKET IN THE TOWN, IT'S ALWAYS SURPRISING TO ME TO SEE WHAT HOMES ARE SELLING AT.
SO
BUT THIS DOESN'T COVER RENT, BUT I MEAN, THE RENT VALUES HAVE DONE THE SAME.
I I APPRECIATE THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT THIS, THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S, IT THAT, IT'S ON THE TABLE FOR THE COUNCIL BECAUSE I'M OUT THERE EVERY DAY.
JUST IF, IF THERE ISN'T AN AFFORDABLE HOUSE, YOU'VE GOTTA RUN AND GET IT, YOU KNOW, WITHIN ONE DAY.
SO, OR, YOU KNOW, RUN AND HAVE AN OFFER.
AND IF YOU'VE GOT SOMETHING THAT SAYS YOU'VE GOT THIS MONEY, YOU KNOW, THAT'S SOME, A WAY TO GET THE
[01:00:01]
MONEY IN ADDITION TO JUST GETTING THE MORTGAGE.I THINK THAT'S VERY ATTRACTIVE.
I KNOW YOU LIKE TO KEEP YOUR MEATS TO THE POINT, SO I WON'T DELAY ANYMORE.
WE HAVE GOTTEN AN EARFUL IN OUR HOUR, SO WE HAVE HEARD A LOT, LEARNED A LOT, TALKED ABOUT A LOT.
UH, WE DO HAVE SOME PUBLIC IN THE AUDIENCE.
I'M GONNA JUST ACKNOWLEDGE IF ANYONE WANTS TO SPEAK.
WE DO HAVE TOWN EMPLOYEES BECAUSE THEY ARE, THEY SAW THE AGENDA AND THEY ARE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT'S GOING ON.
SO WE NEED TO KEEP, UM, OUR TODD EMPLOYEES IN MIND, LIKE WHAT WE JUST SAID.
WHEN, UM, STEVEN COMES BACK TO THE TABLE WITH THE PROJECT, UM, THEY ARE LOOKING FOR, THEY WANNA BE OUR 12 AND OUR IN THE MAY PROJECT
SO WE, UM, AS SOON AS WE GET SOME INFORMATION FOR THE MAY PROJECT, WE GONNA PUSH IT OUT.
I'M TELLING THE PUBLIC TO JUST, UH, CALL ME ONCE A MONTH, CALL ME TWICE A MONTH.
WE DON'T HAVE ANY PAPERWORK YET, BUT IT IS IN THE MAKING.
I I DON'T WANNA PUT IT OUT THERE.
I HEARD 2025, BUT THAT'S A BIG PUSH.
SO JUST STAY, STAY ON THE LOOKOUT AND KEEP YOUR EARS OPEN FOR THAT.
UM, WITH THAT BEING SAID, WE DO HAVE MADISON AT NEW RIVERSIDE, WHO WAS ALWAYS WITH US, WHO WAS PART OF OUR RENTAL PROGRAM.
UM, AS OF LAST WEEK, SHE HAD FOUR AVAILABLE AND WE HAVE NONE NOW.
SO THOSE ARE THE RENTAL UNITS.
THOSE ARE THE RENTAL UNITS THAT WE WHAT SIZE ARE THEY AT NOW? THEY'RE AT 1299.
AND THAT'S, UM, THE ONE BEDROOMS AT MADISON AT NEW RIVERSIDE.
SO THEY'RE FLYING, UM, CROWN AT ONE 70 HAD NONE AVAILABLE.
I TRY TO CHECK IN TO SEE WHAT THEY'RE GOING AT AND THEIR PRICES IS A LITTLE HIGHER CROWN AT ONE 70.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE'RE DOING OUR LITTLE BIT OF PARTS TO GET IT DONE, BUT WITH THAT BEING SAID, IT'S A STRUGGLE AND WE'RE ALL WORKING TOGETHER FOR THE BIGGER PICTURE.
ANYONE WANTS TO COME UP AND MAKE THE ANNOUNCEMENTS.
UM, ANY COMMENTS, QUESTIONS, OR CONCERNS? THE TEAM PROJECT, WE'LL GET IT DONE.
ALL 12 TOWN HOMES WILL BE OWNED BY TOWN EMPLOYEES,
SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, CHAIRMAN, I WILL GIVE IT BACK TO YOU.
WELL, WE WANT TO THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING.
THIS IS OUR BIGGEST CROWD EVER,
AND, UM, BUT IT WAS A GOOD MEETING.
WE APOLOGIZE THAT WE STARTED LATE.
UM, MR. DUKES, NO MAYONNAISE, BUT WE THANK YOU.
I PROMISE YOU NEXT TIME, MAN, MAYBE BOX YOURSELF,
ALRIGHT, MEETING IS NOW ADJOURNED.
FORT FREMONT CLOSES OUT A 350 YEAR LEGACY OF COASTAL FORTIFICATIONS IN PORT ROYAL SOUND, BEGINNING IN THE MID 16TH CENTURY.
IT ALSO REPRESENTS THE CLOSING CHAPTER OF AMERICA'S COASTAL DEFENSE SYSTEM BEFORE THE DAWN OF AIR POWER.
PORT FREMONT IS AN EXAMPLE OF THE MOST ADVANCED MILITARY TECHNOLOGY OF ITS TIME.
IT WOULD PARALLEL THE B 17 AND AIRCRAFT CARRIER OF WORLD WAR II, THE F 35 OF TODAY.
FORT FREMONT WAS AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE BUFORD CULTURE, VERY SIMILAR TO PARIS ISLAND AND THE MARINE CORPS AIR BASE.
TODAY IN 1525, THE SPANIARDS NAMED THIS SOUND AND THIS HARBOR, SANTA ELENA, THEY CALLED THE NAVIGATIONAL POINT, LA PUNTA DESENA, THE POINT OF SANTA ELENA.
AND WHAT THE SPANISH EXPLORERS DISCOVERED IS THAT PORT ROYAL SOUND IS A UNIQUE PIECE OF GEOGRAPHY.
IT'S THE DEEPEST NATURAL HARBOR SOUTH OF THE CHESAPEAKE BAY, POSSIBLY SOUTH OF NEW YORK, THE CHANNEL INTO PORT ROYAL SOUND.
THIS I FIND A REMARKABLE GEOLOGICAL FACT.
THE CHANNEL HA, UH, HAS NOT CHANGED FOR 500 YEARS.
THERE'S NO INLET ON THE SOUTHERN COAST THAT HASN'T SHIFTED ENTIRELY IN 500 YEARS EXCEPT PORT ROYAL SOUTH.
THERE'S SOMETHING GEOLOGICALLY DIFFERENT, OR ONE MIGHT SAY MAGICAL ABOUT PORT ROYAL SOUTH.
SO SPANISH SAILORS BEING THE BEST IN THE WORLD IN THEIR TIME, FOUND THIS PLACE VERY EARLY, KNEW THAT FOR THE SPANISH EXPLORATIONS, THE AMERICAN SOUTHEAST, THIS WOULD BE THE ENTRADA, THE ENTRANCE.
AND SO THEY BUILT A CITY ACROSS THE RIVER, UH, ACROSS THE SOUND FROM WHERE WE ARE ON PARIS ISLAND THAT BECAME THE
[01:05:01]
FIRST CAPITAL OF FLORIDA.AND THEY EXPLORED THE BACK COUNTRY FROM THIS LOCATION FOR, UH, MORE THAN A CENTURY, WITH THE OBJECT OF BUILDING A HIGHWAY FROM THIS MAGNIFICENT HARBOR TO MEXICO CITY.
SO THE SOUND WAS KNOWN TO THE SPANIARDS, IT WAS KNOWN TO THE FRENCH WHO ACTUALLY GOT HERE FIRST AND FOLLOWED AND CREATED THE FIRST PROTESTANT COLONY IN THE NEW WORLD ON PARIS ISLAND OVER MY SHOULDER.
UM, AND THAT COLONY WAS A FAILURE.
IT WAS PART OF SPANISH, FLORIDA WHEN THE ENGLISH ARRIVED 150 YEARS LATER.
AND THIS WAS BECAME, AS A CONSEQUENCE, A BATTLEGROUND IN THE 18TH CENTURY BETWEEN SPANISH INTERESTS IN FLORIDA AND ST.
AUGUSTINE AND THE ENGLISH COLONY IN CAROLINA AND IN CHARLESTON AND BACK AND FORTH.
THESE WARS WENT, MANY OF THEM NAVAL WARS, MANY OF THEM EMPLOYING AS ALL THE SAILORS KNEW BY THEN, THE MAGIC OF PORT ROYAL SOUND.
WHEN THE CIVIL WAR CAME, CONFEDERATES DEFENDED THE, UH, HARBOR, BUT IT WAS BASICALLY INDEFENSIBLE AGAINST, UH, LARGE NAVAL FORCES.
SO THE US NAVY MADE IT THEIR PRINCIPLE TARGET DURING THE BE BEGINNING OF THE CIVIL WAR, AND SENT THE LARGEST FLOTILLA OF SHIPS, UM, ASSEMBLED BY THE UNITED STATES NAVY IN THE 19TH CENTURY INTO PORT ROYAL SOUND.
ON NOVEMBER, NOVEMBER 7TH, 1861.
IN A FOUR HOUR CANON AID, WHICH WOULD'VE BEEN DEAFENING FROM WHERE WE'RE SITTING, WAS HEARD FROM MILES FROM SAVANNAH, NEARLY TO CHARLESTON.
IT WAS CALLED THE DAY OF THE BIG GUN SHOOT.
DURING THE CIVIL WAR, THIS HARBOR THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT WAS FILLED WITH SHIPS.
THERE WOULD BE HUNDREDS OF SHIPS IN THIS HARBOR.
THERE WAS A THOUSAND FOOT, UH, DOCK WITH A RAILROAD ON TOP OFF OF HILTON HEAD.
UM, THE MILITARY INSTALLATION WAS MAMMOTH.
THERE WERE 13,000 US SOLDIERS ON HILTON HEAD, WHICH WE'RE LOOKING AT THE LARGEST POPULATION ON HILTON HEAD UNTIL 1974.
SO THIS WAS A MAJOR US GOVERNMENT INSTALLATION IN THE HEART OF THE SOUTH.
IT WAS THE HEADQUARTERS OF THE US ARMY DEPARTMENT OF THE SOUTH, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, IT WAS THE HEADQUARTERS OF THE UNITED STATES NAVY, SOUTH ATLANTIC BLOCKADING SQUADRON.
SO THE BIGGEST SHIPS IN THE NAVY WERE HERE.
AND, UM, SO IT, IT BECAME, AND, AND THAT'S REALLY WHERE THE STORY OF FREIGHT.
FORT FREMONT STARTS WITH THAT HUGE CIVIL WAR MILITARY, UH, OPERATIONS AND INSTALLATIONS, UM, ON HILTON HEAD, ON ST.
HELENA ISLAND, ON PARIS ISLAND.
AND IN BEAU, AFTER THE CIVIL WAR, WE'RE GONNA SEE A MASSIVE CHANGE IN TECHNOLOGY THAT'S GONNA REVOLUTIONIZE THE MILITARY.
DURING THE CIVIL WAR, WE HAD IRONCLAD SHIPS, WE HAD RIFLE CANNONS, BUT THEY WERE ALL MADE OUT OF IRON, AND THEY WERE NOT TERRIBLY EFFECTIVE.
BUT ITS TECHNOLOGY'S GONNA CHANGE.
AFTER THE CIVIL WAR, WE'RE GONNA SEE STEEL PRODUCED, AND STEEL IS MUCH HARDER.
SO NOW WE HAVE A NEW MATERIAL TO MAKE ARMOR OUT OF FOR SHIPS.
SO WE CAN HAVE THESE ARMORED SHIPS MADE WITH STEEL AT A MUCH MORE RESISTANCE TO A SHOT.
BECAUSE I HAVE STEEL, I CAN MAKE, UH, STRONGER BARRELS FOR MY GUNS.
UH, I CAN RIFLE AND MACHINE THESE MUCH BETTER.
AND THE RIFLING IS THE SPIRALS THAT ARE CUTTING THE BARREL THAT ALLOWS IT TO SHOOT FURTHER WITH MORE ACCURACY.
AND WE CAN ALSO NOW HAVE BREACH LOADING GUNS THAT CAN LOCK FROM BEHIND.
SO I CAN LOAD MY GUN FROM BEHIND.
I DON'T HAVE TO GO HAVE THE OLD BLACK POWDER MUZZLE LOADING CANNON, UH, HEAD BEFORE NOW.
IF I COMPARE THE GUN OF, UH, 1890 TO THE GUNS OF 1860, UH, FOR THE SAME CALIBER, THE SAME DIAMETER GUN, UH, THE 1890 GUN WILL BE ABLE TO FIRE PROJECTILE AS FOUR TIMES HEAVIER, CAN SHOOT IT THREE TIMES FURTHER, CAN PUT IT INTO WITH GREATER PRECISION, AND CAN PUT IT THROUGH MUCH MORE ARMOR THAN ANYTHING.
WE HAD IN 1860S WORLD DIFFERENCE.
A MILITARY HISTORIAN, ER LEWIS, WOULD SAY THAT THE CHANGE BETWEEN THE CIVIL WAR AND 1890 AND ARTILLERY TECHNOLOGY WAS THE GREATEST THAT WOULD BE SEEN SINCE INVENTION OF ARTILLERY IN THE 14TH CENTURY TO THE INTRODUCTION OF THE NUCLEAR PROJECTILE IN THE 1950S.
SO THERE'S BEEN A HUGE CHANGE IN GUN TECHNOLOGY AT THE SAME TIME.
IT'S NOT JUST THE STEEL, BUT ALSO THE POWDER THAT FIRES THESE GUNS IS DIFFERENT.
WE'RE HAVING NEW CHEMICAL MAKEUP.
AND SO, LIKE CORDITE IS INVENTED NOW, AND IT'S STILL A WIDELY USED MILITARY EXPLOSIVE.
SMOKELESS POWDER IS INVENTED DURING THIS PERIOD OF TIME, AND IT'S NOT JUST CHEMICAL COMPOSITION, BUT IT'S THE DETAILS OF HOW YOU MAKE THE GRAIN, HOW FAST THEY BURN.
SO MUCH LIKE THE SKILL OF FIRING A SOLID ROCKET, UM, SOLID FUEL, UM, ROCKET.
IT'S THAT SAME KIND OF TECHNOLOGY THAT'S BEEN DEVELOPED IN THESE, UH, GUNPOWDER, IN THIS NEW POWDER.
SO OUR WEAPONS OF THIS DAY ARE, ARE MUCH, MUCH GREATER.
UM, THEY WOULD BE THE GREAT KILLING MACHINES IN WORLD WAR I.
MOST OF THE CASUALTIES ON THE BATTLEFIELDS WORLD WAR I WOULD COME
[01:10:01]
FROM ARTILLERY.SO THE WORLD HAS SEEN A HUGE CHANGE IN ARTILLERY, AND THAT'S TIED INTO CHANGES IN SHIPS.
WE NOW HAVE STEEL ARMORED SHIPS.
THEY'RE ALL, UH, STEAM POWERED.
THEY ARE NOW EQUIPPED WITH THESE FINE LONG RANGE GUNS, AND THEY NOW BECOME THE DOMINANT THREAT OF THE LATE 19TH, EARLY 20TH CENTURY.
THE FRENCH AND ENGLISH WOULD BOMBARD CITIES LIKE CAIRO AND REDUCE THEM TO RUBBLE BECAUSE THEY WERE UNABLE TO DEFEND THEM.
SO THIS IS HOW THE WORLD WAS SEEING THE THREAT FROM THIS NEW TECHNOLOGY.
BIG BATTLESHIPS ARE THE THREAT OF THE ERA, AND NEW GUNS AND FORTIFICATIONS ON, UH, THE GROUND ARE WHAT YOU HAVE TO HAVE TO DEFEND AGAINST THEM.
ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT AND FIRST THINGS THAT HAPPENED AFTER THE CIVIL WAR IS THEY BUILT A RAILROAD TO PORT ROYAL SOUND, WHICH DIDN'T EXIST.
IT WAS THE FIRST CONNECTION OF THE SEA ISLANDS TO THE MAINLAND.
AND THE ADVANTAGE OF THAT RAILROAD IS IT BROUGHT COAL TO PORT, ROYAL SOUND.
SO WHEN THE COAL WAS DELIVERED, THE NAVY FOLLOWED IN 1872, ROBERT SMALLS WAS IN THE SOUTH CAROLINA LEGISLATURE, AND HE PUSHED THROUGH A RESOLUTION TO THE SECRETARY OF WAR CALLING FOR THEM TO PUT A NAVY STATION ON PARIS ISLAND.
AND EVENTUALLY HE WOULD GO ON TO CONGRESS WHERE HE WOULD CONTINUE HIS SUPPORT FOR A NAVY STATION HERE IN THE BEAUFORT PORT ROYAL AREA.
THEY EVENTUALLY OPENED A NAVY STATION HERE AND A COALING STATION THEY CREATED IN THE 1890S ON PARIS ISLAND, THE LARGEST DRY DOCK IN THE UNITED STATES.
THIS IS THE PERIOD WHEN THE US NAVY WAS SWITCHING FROM SAIL TO STEAM.
ALL THE NAVIES OF THE WORLD NEED COALING STATION.
THIS WAS THE PRINCIPLE COALING STATION BECAUSE THE RAILROAD FOR THE CARIBBEAN AND SOUTH AMERICAN US FLEES, THIS WOULD BE THE BIGGEST DRY DOCK SOUTH OF NORFOLK.
IN FACT, IT IS THE ONLY DRY DOCK SOUTH OF NORFOLK, VIRGINIA, THAT'S CAPABLE OF TAKING THESE NEW MODERN BATTLESHIPS AND THESE NEW MODERN ARMORED CRUISERS.
SO THIS BECOMES, AT THIS POINT, A STRATEGIC NAVY BASIN, THAT IT PROVIDES COAL AND IT PROVIDES, UH, TOP LINE SUPPORT TO THE SHIPS, AND THEY CAN REPAIR THE HULLS OF EVEN THE BIGGEST SHIPS IN THE US NAVY.
FOLLOWING THE CIVIL WAR, NATIONAL STRATEGY AND EMPHASIS IN THE UNITED STATES SHIFTED FROM TO RECOVERY FROM WAR, AND ALL OF OUR COASTAL FORTIFICATIONS WENT INTO NEGLECT.
THE MILITARY WAS BUSY TAMING THE WEST, AND COASTAL DEFENSES, UH, BECAME SOMETHING THAT WAS NO LONGER IMPORTANT.
AND THE REST OF THE WORLD, TECHNOLOGY IS MOVING FORWARD, AND THEY'RE DEVELOPING THESE BATTLESHIPS.
THEY'RE DEVELOPING NEW, UH, HIGH QUALITY ARTILLERY, AND THIS IS GOING ON, UH, WORLDWIDE.
AND IN 1885, PRESIDENT GROVER CLEVELAND APPOINTED ENDICOTT BOARD, THIS WAS SEC HEADED BY SECRETARY WAR ENDICOTT, WILLIAM ENDICOTT.
AND THE BOARD WOULD MEET AND ISSUE A REPORT IN 1886.
AND IT SAID, THE CONDITIONS OF OUR COASTAL DEFENSES WERE JUST UNBEARABLE.
THEY CANNOT BE ALLOWED TO STAY LIKE THAT.
AND THEY MADE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FORTIFICATION AND IMPROVEMENTS.
IDENTIFIED 29 PLACES THAT NEEDED FORTIFICATIONS, AND 11 OF WHICH WERE CRITICAL.
AND THAT LIST OF 29 SAVANNAH AND CHARLESTON ON THE LIST.
BUT BEAUFORT IS NOT ON THE LIST.
IT'LL TAKE INTERNATIONAL EVENTS TO BRING BUFORT INTO THE PLAY OF, OF MODERN FORT TECHNOLOGY.
SO THE USS MAINE WAS HERE ON PATROL AND IN THE HARBOR, AND WHILE THEY WERE IN THE HARBOR, SEVERAL TIMES, THEY ENTERTAINED THE LOCAL POPULATION.
SO THE MERCHANTS AND THE SOCIAL LEADERS AND THE POLITICAL LEADERS OF BEAUFORT WERE INVITED TO COME HAVE LUNCH WITH THE CAPTAIN OF THE SHIP, CAPTAIN SIGS B.
AND THE OFFICERS GOT TO KNOW THE PEOPLE, THE PEOPLE GET, GOT TO KNOW THE OFFICERS.
THE CREW, WHICH WAS LARGE, WOULD GO ASHORE ON PAYDAY AND MAKE FRIENDS WITH EVERYBODY IN TOWN.
SO IT WAS A VERY SOCIAL, UM, ARRANGEMENT BETWEEN THE TOWNS, PORT ROYAL AND BEAUFORD AND THE SHIP.
SO THE MAIN LEFT HERE, IT WENT AND REPROVISION, IT REFUELED IN KEY WEST, AND THEN WENT THE 90 MILES ACROSS TO HAVANA INTO THE HARBOR AND BLEW UP THIS INFLAMED.
THE ALREADY, UH, HOT PASSIONS BOTH IN CUBA AND HERE IN THE UNITED STATES.
AT THAT POINT, SOMEBODY IN THE WAR DEPARTMENT REALIZED THAT WE HAD THIS BIG DRY DOCK, THE ONLY DRY DOCK IN THE SOUTH THAT COULD TAKE ON AND REPAIR THESE BIG CAPITAL SHIPS THAT WERE IN OUR NAVY.
WE WERE GOING TO START OPERATIONS AGAINST A POWER IN THE CARIBBEAN.
AND THIS FORT WAS TOTALLY UNDEFENDED, AND THAT'S WHAT PUT FORT FREMONT ON THE MAP.
WE HAD TO HAVE A FORT HERE TO DEFEND THE COALING STATION,
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AND ESPECIALLY THIS BIG DRY DOCK, AS WELL AS THIS FINE HARBOR THAT'S HERE.AND OF COURSE, THAT EVENT, WHICH KILLED 300 OR MORE SAILORS ON THE SHIP, UM, WAS VERY MUCH FOLLOWED BY THE LOCAL NEWS MEDIA AND VERY MUCH LAMENTED BY THE MANY FRIENDS THAT THE CREW HAD MADE HERE.
THE DESTRUCTION OF THE USS MAINE WAS A PERSONAL MATTER TO BEAUFORT AND TO PORT ROYAL SOUND.
UM, AND OF COURSE, IT WAS THE SPANISH AMERICAN WAR AND THE ATTEMPT TO DEFEND THIS HARBOR AGAIN, WHICH LED TO THE, THE CREATION OF FORT FREEMAN.
THE UNITED STATES DECLARED WAR ON SPAIN IN, IN APRIL, 1898.
AND BY EARLY MAY, WE HAD TEMPORARY BATTERIES IN PLACE HERE, SUBMARINE MINES WERE IN PLACE, AND IN THE SUMMER, THEY WOULD ACTUALLY PLACE THE MINES ACROSS THE BEAUFORT RIVER.
THE TEMPORARY BATTERIES WERE A TEMPORARY EXPEDIENT.
THEY WERE LOCATED TO MY LEFT ABOUT A THOUSAND YARDS.
THEY IMMEDIATELY BEGAN CONSTRUCTION OF WHAT WOULD BECOME FORT FREMONT, THE LARGE BATTERIES WITH HOUSE OF LARGE GUNS, BATTERY FOR N THE RAPID FIRE GUNS.
THE SMALLER BATTERY WAS COMPLETED BY JUNE OF 1898.
IN THE 1898, EVERYBODY IN TOWN WENT TO WAR.
UM, THEY HAD A NAVAL MILITIA UNIT, SOUTH GONE NAVAL MILITIA UNIT, AND THEY WERE ABSORBED BY THE NAVY.
UH, MANY OF THEM RAN TUGBOATS FROM HERE TO NEW YORK TO KEY WEST, WHICH WAS THE PRINCIPAL SUPPORT BASE, TAMPA AND KEY WEST FOR THE US ARMY OPERATIONS IN CUBA.
PEACE WAS DECLARED BY THE END OF 1898, AND THE, UH, REMAINDER OF FORT FREMONT WOULD NOT BE FINISHED UNTIL EARLY 1899, AND THE FIRST SOLDIERS WOULD ARRIVE FROM THE REGULAR ARMY AT THAT POINT IN MARCH, 1899.
WELL, FORT FREMONT WAS NAMED FOR, UH, MAJOR GENERAL JOHN FREMONT.
UH, HE WAS ACTUALLY A LOCAL BOY, SO TO SPEAK.
UH, HE WAS BORN AND GREW UP IN, UH, SAVANNAH, GEORGIA, JUST, UH, SOUTH OF US.
AND, UH, WENT TO, UH, COLLEGE IN THE COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON, UH, UP JUST NORTH OF US IN CHARLESTON.
HE SERVED IN THE ARMY AND, UH, PRIMARILY INITIALLY AS A, UM, EXPLORER, AS ARMY FORTS WERE GENERALLY NAMED FOR ARMY OFFICERS.
UH, AND HE WAS, UH, CONNECTED LOCALLY.
UH, THIS IS, UH, MORE THAN LIKELY WHY THE FORT WAS NAMED FOR HIM.
THE FORT WAS CONSTRUCTED ON A SITE, UH, DIRECTLY ACROSS THE RIVER FROM, UH, THE PARIS ISLAND, UH, UH, NAVAL STATION.
AND THE SITE SELECTED WAS 170 ACRES, WHICH INCLUDED THE TWO, UH, ARTILLERY, UH, BA BATTERIES, UH, FORT, UH, FOR FREMONT, OF COURSE, HAD BATTERY FOREIGNNESS AND BATTERY JESSUP.
UH, BUT THEN ADJACENT TO THE BATTERY SITE WAS AN ADMINISTRATIVE QUAD WRANGLE, VERY TYPICAL MILITARY TYPE, UH, ADMINISTRATIVE SQUARE.
UH, WE ARE SITTING IN THE NUMBER THREE GUN POSITION OF A THREE GUN BATTERY BATTERY JESSUP, WHICH HAD THREE 10 INCH DISAPPEARING CARRIAGE, LARGE CALIBER GUNS BREACH LOADING GUNS.
THEIR PURPOSE WAS TO, UH, ENGAGE THE WARSHIPS THAT MIGHT, UH, BE ENTERING THE HARBOR, UH, AND PORT ROYAL SOUND.
WE'RE HERE NOW AT THE SECOND BATTERY, UH, THAT WAS PART OF FORT FREMONT.
THIS IS BATTERY FOR NANCE, UH, WAS NAMED FOR A ARMY OFFICER, UH, THAT WAS ACTUALLY KILLED DURING THE SPANISH AMERICAN WAR.
UH, DURING THE BATTLE OF SAN JUAN HILL, UH, BATTERY FOR NANCE MOUNTED TWO, UH, BRITISH MADE 4.72 INCH ARMSTRONG QUICKFIRE GUNS.
UH, THEY WERE CALLED QUICKFIRE BECAUSE THEY LOADED, UH, WERE LOADED WITH A COMPLETE CARTRIDGE, AND IT, UH, IN TIME OF ACTION, THEY COULD FIRE FOUR TO SIX ROUNDS PER MINUTE.
THE PURPOSE OF BATTERY FOR NANCE WAS TO DEFEND THE MINEFIELD, WHICH WAS THE OTHER COMPONENT OF THE ENDICOTT COAST ARTILLERY OR OR COAST DEFENSE SYSTEM.
UH, A MINEFIELD, UH, WITH CONTROLLED MINES.
CONTROLLED MEANING THAT THEY WERE CONNECTED ELECTRICALLY TO SHORE AND COULD BE FIRED ON COMMAND FROM SHORE.
THAT, UH, CONTROL STATION WOULD'VE BEEN, UH, PROBABLY SHARED WITH THE PLOTTING ROOM.
AND IN ORDER TO PROTECT THE MINEFIELD, OBVIOUSLY AN ENEMY WOULD WANT TO INTERFERE WITH THAT.
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MIGHT SEND VESSELS, UH, SMALL SHIPS IN HERE AT NIGHT TO TRY TO INTERFERE.AND THIS BATTERY WOULD TAKE THOSE VESSELS UNDER FIRE IF THERE WAS SOME.
UH, THERE WERE SUSPECTED THAT, UH, UH, THEY WERE DOING SOMETHING TO INTERFERE WITH THE MINES, SUCH AS, UH, PULLING UP THE CABLES AND CUTTING THOSE.
ERA OF FORT WAS A FORMIDABLE TECHNOLOGY.
IT REPRESENTED STATE-OF-THE-ART TECHNOLOGY, DEFENSE TECHNOLOGY OF ITS TIME AGAINST THE STATE-OF-THE-ART THREAT, WHICH WOULD BE THE BATTLESHIP.
THE LIFE FOR THE SOLDIERS AT FORT FREMONT WAS DISCIPLINED AND REGIMENTED.
THEY EVEN HAD MEALTIMES WERE SPECIFIED LENGTHS OF TIME, 15 MINUTES FOR LUNCH, 15 MINUTES AT BREAKFAST, 20 MINUTES AT SUPPER.
THEY HAD TO PRACTICE THEIR SKILLS.
THEY WERE TRAINING AND DOING MAINTENANCE CONSTANTLY, IF YOU CAN IMAGINE WITH THESE BIG GUNS.
THEY HAD TO HAVE SKILLS IN AND PRACTICE THE SKILLS IN ARTILLERY MIND LAYING SIGNALING, WHICH INVOLVED IN OUR CASE AT FORT FREMONT, THE USE OF THE FIRE CONTROL TOWER, WHICH WAS A PRETTY SOPHISTICATED AND, UM, ADVANCED SIGNALING TECHNIQUE.
THEN THEY ALSO HAD TO, UM, PRACTICE THE TYPICAL MILITARY SKILLS, MARCHING AND DRILLING, SMALL ARMS, FIRE, FIRST AID, AND SO FORTH.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, THEY ALSO, UM, HAD PARTICIPATED IN ATHLETICS.
THEY HAD PHYSICAL TRAINING, PT, AND THEY ALSO HAD SPORTS TEAMS. SO THIS WAS TO KEEP THEM PHYSICALLY FIT SO THAT THEY COULD CONTINUE THEIR, THEIR DUTIES, BECAUSE THEY WERE, IT WAS PRETTY RIGOROUS AT FORT FREEMAN WHEN EVENTUALLY THE DECISION WAS MADE TO MOVE A DRY DOCK AND THE COALING STATION IN THE NAVY STATION UP TO CHARLESTON, THEN THIS FORT NO LONGER BECAME SIGNIFICANT.
THERE WAS NOTHING LEFT HERE THAT WAS TO BE PROTECTED.
AND AT THAT POINT, 1911, THE LAST TROOPS WERE TRANSFERRED OUT, AND FORT WAS CLOSED IN 1901, THE MAYOR OF CHARLESTON AND THE UNITED STATES SENATOR PITCHFORK, BEN TILLMAN FROM SOUTH CAROLINA, WANTED THIS TO MOVE FROM BEAUFORT COUNTY TO CHARLESTON COUNTY 'CAUSE THERE ARE MORE VOTES IN CHARLESTON COUNTY.
AND THE MAYOR WANTED THE US CORPS OF ENGINEERS IN, IN THE NAVY TO DREDGE THE HARBOR IN CHARLESTON.
'CAUSE BATTLESHIPS IN THOSE DAYS REQUIRED 26 FEET OF WATER.
CHARLESTON'S NATURAL HARBOR IS 15 FEET OF WATER.
PORT ROYAL IS 30 FEET OF WATER.
IN ORDER FOR CHARLESTON TO SUSTAIN ITS PORT, ITS COMMERCIAL PORT, IT HAD TO DREDGE THE HARBOR.
WELL, IF THEY COULD GET THE NAVY UP THERE, THEY GET THE CORPS OF ENGINEERS TO DREDGE THE HARBOR.
AND THE, UH, THE PLAY FOR PITCHFORK, BEN TILLMAN, THE US SENATOR IN 1900 WAS THAT HE'D GET A WHOLE LOT MORE VOTES FROM VOTES FROM THE LARGEST CITY IN SOUTH CAROLINA.
SO IT WAS A POLITICAL COMMERCIAL OPERATION, AND THEY MOVED THE NATION AND IT WAS DONE, BOOM, LIKE THAT.
THE FORT DID ITS JOB, THE DETERRENT FOR ANYBODY THAT WISHED TO ATTACK THESE.
IN FACT, THE WHOLE INDICO SYSTEM, ALTHOUGH NEVER CHALLENGED IN, UH, THIS ERA HERE IN THE UNITED STATES, PROVIDED SOME 300 MAJOR GUNS, COASTAL GUNS, TO PRO, UH, PROTECT MAJOR AREAS, AND LEFT THE UNITED STATES AT THE BEGINNING OF THE 20TH CENTURY WITH AS WELL DEFENDED, UH, COASTLINE AS ANY PLACE IN, IN THE WORLD.
BUT I, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SAY THAT IT'S A MAGNIFICENT ARTIFACT OF AN ERA, AND IT'S AN ERA THAT HAS BEEN NEGLECTED, UH, THE TURN OF THE 20TH CENTURY, UM, THE NAVAL STATION ACROSS THE RIVER HERE.
AND, UM, SO IT'S A, IT'S A PIECE OF HISTORY THAT'S DISAPPEARING AND THE FRIENDS OF FORT FREMONT AND BEAUFORT COUNTY HAVE PRESERVED IT FOR THE USE OF THE PUBLIC.
AND, UH, AS A MEMORIAL TO THAT MOMENT IN HISTORY, FORT FREMONT CLOSES A 350 YEAR STORY OF HOMELAND SECURITY ADDRESSING EUROPEAN IMPERIALISM IN THE 19TH CENTURY.
IT'S A TALE OF HOW GEOGRAPHY, TECHNOLOGY, AND NATIONAL SECURITY CREATES A TRANSITION FOR AMERICA TO BECOME A GLOBAL POWER.
IT'S ALSO A WONDERFUL SNAPSHOT OF AMERICA.
IN THE BEGINNING OF THE 20TH CENTURY, THE FRIENDS OF FORT FREMONT AND BEAUFORT COUNTY HAVE A VALUED PARTNERSHIP WORKING IN TANDEM TO PRESERVE THE FORT'S INTEGRITY AND PROMOTE THE HISTORICAL, NATURAL AND CULTURAL ASPECTS OF THE FORK.
MOST IMPORTANT, WE'RE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR CREATIVE WAYS TO ENHANCE THE VISITOR EXPERIENCE.
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HERE'S WHAT'S HAPPENING IN BEAUFORT COUNTY.A NEW TRAFFIC LIGHT NOW HANGS ABOVE A BUSY BEAUFORT COUNTY ROADWAY, BUT IT HAS A BIRD'S EYE FOR SAFETY.
THE HAWK SIGNAL IS INSTALLED ON ROBERTS MALLS PARKWAY IN BEAUFORT BETWEEN NEAL ROAD AND SALEM ROAD.
IT'S PART OF THE LATEST SECTION OF THE SPANISH MALLS TRAIL AND SOMETHING THE COUNTY'S TRANSPORTATION ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT SAYS WAS NEEDED.
THIS IS A SIGNAL DESIGNED SPECIFICALLY FOR PEDESTRIAN AND BICYCLE CROSSINGS.
IT'S IN A LOCATION WHERE WE'VE GOT HEAVY EXPECTED PEDESTRIANS AND CYCLISTS THAT NEED TO GET ACROSS A BUSY ROAD.
HAWK STANDS FOR HIGH INTENSITY ACTIVATED CROSSWALK.
THE BEACON SIGNAL IS DESIGNED SPECIFICALLY FOR PEDESTRIAN CROSSWALKS.
WHEN WE KNEW WE WERE GOING TO BE CROSSING THIS, THE SPANISH CROSS TRAIL ACT GRADE, YOU KNOW, ACROSS ROBERT SMALLS PARKWAY, WE REALIZED THAT WE NEEDED TO DO SOMETHING TO ENSURE THE SAFETY OF THE PEDESTRIANS.
THE CONCEPT FIRST CAME ABOUT IN 2000 IN ARIZONA, AND UNTIL LATE 2009 WAS AN EXPERIMENTAL DEVICE.
IT'S THE FIRST OF ITS KIND IN BEAUFORT COUNTY AND ONLY THE SECOND IN THE ENTIRE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA.
THEY ARE DESIGNED FOR MORE OF A MID-BLOCK LOCATION, WHERE YOU HAVE HIGH PEDESTRIANS, BUT DON'T HAVE A, AN ADJACENT TRAFFIC SIGNAL FROM WITH NORMAL ROADWAY TRAFFIC, WE'VE GOT A VERY BUSY HIGHWAY AND WE'VE GOT A TRAIL CROSSING IT.
YOU KNOW, A LOT OF PEDESTRIANS, A LOT OF CYCLISTS ARE USING IT, AND WE NOW HAD TO FIGURE OUT A WAY FOR THEM TO SAFELY GET ACROSS.
THE HAWK DOES NOT OPERATE LIKE A NORMAL TRAFFIC LIGHT.
A PEDESTRIAN OR CYCLIST ON SPANISH MOSS TRAIL PRESSES THE BUTTON AT THE INTERSECTION, TRIGGERING A SERIES OF RED AND YELLOW LIGHTS FOR DRIVERS.
FIRST IS THE FLASHING YELLOW, THEN SOLID YELLOW, LETTING DRIVERS KNOW TO SLOW DOWN SOLID RED, AS DOES ANY OTHER TRAFFIC.
LIGHT MEANS STOP THE PEDESTRIAN SIGNAL INITIALLY SHOWS A SOLID RED HAND, AND ONCE TRAFFIC IS STOPPED, WE'LL DISPLAY THE USUAL WALK SIGN.
AFTER SEVERAL SECONDS, IT CHANGES TO A BLINKING HAND AND DRIVER'S SEE A FLASHING RED LIGHT.
WHEN THE LIGHT IS FLASHING RED, YOU HAVE TO COME TO A COMPLETE STOP, BUT THEN IF IT'S CLEAR, THEN YOU CAN MOVE ON.
WHEN IT'S SOLID RED, YOU HAVE TO COME TO A STOP AND WAIT.
BUT WITH FLASHING RED, COME TO A COMPLETE STOP, AND IF IT'S CLEAR, THEN YOU CAN MOVE ON.
AND FOR ANYONE LOOKING FOR ANY EXTRA INFORMATION, IF YOU WANT TO LEARN MORE ON THE PROPER METHOD FOR CYCLISTS OR PEDESTRIANS ACROSS OR FOR, UH, WHAT MOTORISTS CAN EXPECT, YOU CAN GO TO THE BEAUFORT COUNTY WEBSITE, WHICH IS BC GOV.NET.
AND THERE'S A BROCHURE AVAILABLE ON THAT WEBSITE FOR THE COUNTY CHANNEL.
I'M STEPHANIE FRENCH, AND THAT'S WHAT'S HAPPENING IN BEAUFORT COUNTY.