* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.
          [1. Call to Order]
          [00:00:02]
          AUGUST 5TH, 2024. 
          I'M GOING TO GO AHEAD AND CALL THE MEETING TO ORDER. 
          UM, WE 
          [2. Adoption of the Agenda]
DO HAVE AN AGENDA. 
          UM, AND THE QUESTION WAS WE MIGHT TAKE POSSIBLE I HAVE THAT, BUT I SEE MR. BOXLEY IN THE ROOM. 
          I THOUGHT HE MIGHT HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY TO US OR AT SOME TIME. 
          I MEAN, NOT NECESSARILY RIGHT NOW. 
          HUH? RIGHT NOW. 
          NOT RIGHT NOW. 
          I'M JUST SAYING DO WE NEED TO DO THAT AS AN AGENDA ITEM, OR CAN YOU DO THAT IN SOME OTHER PART OF THE AGENDA? SOME OTHER QUESTION. 
          OKAY. 
          SO WE DO HAVE AN AGENDA. 
          IF THERE'S NO OTHER, UH, CHANGES, UM, I WILL ASK FOR A MOTION TO APPROVE THE REVISED AGENDA. 
          SO, MOVE, UH, MR. SIMMONS HAS MOVED. 
          IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND. 
          SECOND. 
          OKAY. 
          UH, I THINK I HEARD MS. WRIGHT FIRST. 
          SO, JOYCE WRIGHT HAS SECONDED. 
          ALL THOSE IN FAVOR. 
          JUST RAISE YOUR HAND. 
          THAT'S UNANIMOUS. 
          OKAY. 
          [3. Approval of the Minutes]
WE HAVE, UH, SOME MINUTES FROM MAY 6TH, UM, AND JULY 1ST. 
          HOPEFULLY YOU ALL HAD A CHANCE TO READ BACK THROUGH THOSE. 
          YOU HAVE ANY CORRECTIONS OR QUESTIONS? NOT  LIKE TO GO AHEAD AND ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES FROM MAY 6TH, 2024 AND JULY 1ST, 2024. 
          A MOTION TO APPROVE. 
          IS THAT JOYCE AGAIN? YES. 
          THANK YOU, JOYCE. 
          UM, IS THERE A SECOND? I SECOND. 
          MR. CAMPBELL HAS SECOND. 
          ALL THOSE IN FAVOR JUST BY RAISING YOUR HANDS. 
          THAT'S UNANIMOUS. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, JOYCE, I'M GLAD YOU'RE WITH US. 
          THANK YOU FOR MAKING THE EFFORT TO BE ONLINE AND STAYING SAFE. 
          'CAUSE I KNOW YOU HAD TO TRAVEL A LITTLE BIT. 
          AND FOR THOSE, THE REST OF US WHO'VE HAD TO COME THOSE FOUR OR FIVE MILES, THANK YOU FOR BEING SO BRAVE. 
          ALL RIGHT. 
          THE NEXT ITEM WE 
          [4. Staff Report]
HAVE ON OUR AGENDA IS, UH, THE STAFF REPORTS, GENERAL STAFF UPDATES, HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOOD PERMITTING AND DESIGN STUDIO, HOME SAFETY AND REPAIR PROGRAM, AND THE SEWER CONNECTION PROGRAM. 
          AND I'M ASSUMING THAT THIS MIGHT BE THE SECTION AT THE END WHERE WE CAN ASK MR. BOXLEY TO GIVE US A LITTLE UPDATE. 
          OKAY. 
          WE'LL START WITH THE GENERAL STAFF UPDATES. 
          ELEMENT O DISTRICTS. 
          UH, IS THAT WHO WE'RE WAITING FOR? NO. 
          YES, SIR. 
          OH, OKAY. 
          WE CAN GO TO ANOTHER ITEM. 
          OH, YOU WANT TO, YOU CAN TAKE CARE OF IT. 
          OH, IS THIS OKAY? PERFECT. 
          WELL, GOOD AFTERNOON. 
          UM, WE ARE VERY EXCITED TO BE HERE WITH YOU. 
          UM, THANK YOU FOR COMING OUT AND BRAVING THE WEATHER. 
          UM, EVEN MORE EXCITED ABOUT SHARING UPDATES ON THE, UM, LMO AND DISTRICTS PROJECT. 
          I'M SHA FERRA, A PRINCIPAL PLANNER IN THE COMMUNITY PLANNING DIVISION. 
          AND I'LL ASK ALEXIS, UH, MCOE IF SHE WANTS TO COME UP AND JOIN ME. 
          UM, WHERE WE HAVE UPDATES NOW FOR YOU ON THE DISTRICTS AS WELL AS THE LMO PROJECTS. 
          UM, A LOT OF WORK HAS BEEN TAKING PLACE BEHIND THE SCENES, AND WE ARE GETTING READY TO BRING THAT WORK FORWARD PUBLICLY. 
          SO WE'RE VERY EXCITED, UM, TO GET TO THAT POINT AND TO BRING YOU UPDATES MOVING FORWARD, UM, AT EACH OF YOUR MEETINGS, UM, AS THE PROJECT CONTINUES, UM, TO EVOLVE. 
          UM, I'LL HAND IT OVER TO ALEXIS TO, UM, PRESENT UPDATES ON THE LMO PROJECT, WHICH IS REALLY, THE DISTRICT FEEDS INTO THAT. 
          SO I'LL LET HER TAKE THE LEAD. 
          ALL RIGHT. 
          GOOD AFTERNOON. 
          GOOD AFTERNOON, ALEXIS. 
          NICE TO SEE YOU. 
          GOOD TO SEE YOU. 
          SPEND A MINUTE. 
          UM, PRINCIPAL PLANNER FOR THE RECORD. 
          UH, UPDATE ON THE LMO PROJECT. 
          WE HAVE TWO LMO INITIATIVES HAPPENING SIDE BY SIDE. 
          SO WE HAVE THE LMO PRIORITY AMENDMENTS, WHICH IS A SET OF 12 DIFFERENT AMENDMENTS THAT YOU'RE GONNA SEE COMING FORWARD. 
          THESE ARE PRIORITY CHANGES TO ADDRESS THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN LINGERING IN THE LMO IN FRONT OF THE OVERHAUL. 
          UM, AND THEN WE HAVE THE LMO OVERHAUL, WHICH IS LOOKING AT, OF COURSE, THE ENTIRE LMO, UM, IN EVERY SINGLE CHAPTER. 
          AND LOOKING AT, UM, ALL OF OUR, UH, ORDINANCES, THAT PROJECT KICKED OFF, REALLY KICKED OFF, UM, AT THE BEGINNING OF JUNE. 
          AND RIGHT NOW WE ARE WORKING WITH THE CONSULTING TEAM ON AN ENGAGEMENT PLAN, THE DETAILS OF AN ENGAGEMENT PLAN. 
          SO THE DETAILS OF THAT WILL INCLUDE BRINGING INFORMATION IN FRONT OF OUR PUBLIC BOARDS AND PUBLIC COMMITTEES. 
          SO YOU GUYS ARE ONE OF THOSE PUBLIC COMMITTEES THAT WE WILL BE COMING IN FRONT OF. 
          AND PROBABLY ALSO SCHEDULING SOME STAKEHOLDER COMMITTEES FOR CERTAIN CHAPTERS OF THE LMO, UM, THAT WILL HAVE SPECIFIC, UH, TOPICS, WHETHER IT'S, YOU KNOW, SHORT TERM RENTALS OR FAMILY COMPOUNDS, 
          [00:05:01]
SPECIFIC SUBJECT AREAS. 
          WE'LL PROBABLY HAVE STAKEHOLDER COMMITTEES FOR THAT AS WELL. 
          BUT THAT'S WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW WITH THE LMO. 
          UM, IF YOU WANT TO JUMP INTO DISTRICTS. 
          YEAH. 
          SO THE DISTRICTS PROJECT HAS REALLY BEEN STREAMLINED TO ALIGN WITH THE LMO OVERHAUL, IN PARTICULAR. 
          UM, IT WILL FEED RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE SEVEN ADDITIONAL DISTRICTS. 
          IF YOU RECALL, BACK IN 2022, A MID ISLAND DISTRICT PLAN WAS ADOPTED BY COUNCIL. 
          AND THE REMAINING DISTRICTS ARE, THE AREAS THAT ARE OUTSIDE OF OUR PLANNED DEVELOPMENTS ARE WHAT THE DISTRICT PLANS WILL FOCUS ON. 
          UM, THE PROJECT WILL INVOLVE THE PREPARATION OF SEVEN DISTRICT AREA PLANS THAT WILL MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR LAND USE, ZONING CONNECTIVITY, UM, AND OTHER POLICY INITIATIVES THAT COULD TAKE PLACE TO IMPROVE THE DISTRICTS. 
          UM, THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THOSE WILL BE HEAVILY TIED TO THE LMO PROJECT, UM, THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS PROGRAM, AND SOME OTHER POLICY INITIATIVES FOR BOTH OF OUR PROJECTS. 
          WE HAVE A TOWN COUNCIL WORKSHOP THAT'S BEEN SCHEDULED FOR SEPTEMBER, WHERE WE'LL BRING THOSE FORWARD. 
          AND, UM, THAT WILL BE FOLLOWED BY PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT ON THE DISTRICT'S PROJECT AS WELL. 
          UM, ENGAGEMENT WITH THE GULLAH GEECHEE TASK FORCE, THE PLANNING COMMISSION, AND THE HOUSING ACTION COMMITTEE. 
          WE WILL HAVE STAKEHOLDER INTERVIEWS AS WELL AS PUBLIC SURVEYS AS A FOLLOW UP TO HELP REFINE THE DRAFT PLANS AND THE FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS THAT ARE INCLUDED IN THOSE. 
          SO WE LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR INPUT AND YOUR ENGAGEMENT IN THAT PROCESS. 
          AND IF YOU HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, I'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER. 
          OKAY, THANK YOU. 
          UM, QUESTIONS? YES, SIR. 
          WILL, WILL THESE WORKSHOPS INCLUDE US OR WILL THIS TASK FORCE HAVE SEPARATE, UM, MEETINGS TO DISCUSS THESE, THESE ITEMS? WELL, I'M IN THE SAME STAGE AS ALEXIS RELATIVE TO THE ENGAGEMENT PLAN. 
          WE'RE WORKING THROUGH OUTLINING THAT PROCESS NOW. 
          UM, WE ARE SENDING OUT UPDATES TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND OTHER COMMITTEES FOR, UM, WHEN THIS WORKSHOP WILL OCCUR WITH TOWN COUNCIL. 
          SO I WOULD SUGGEST THAT'S THE FIRST, UM, MEETING TO PLAN TO WATCH OR ATTEND, UM, FOR THAT KICKOFF, WHICH WILL THEN FEED INTO THE PLANNING COMMISSION, UM, AND THESE OTHER COMMITTEES FOR ENGAGEMENT. 
          SO WE'LL HAVE MORE TO COME, UM, AT YOUR NEXT MEETING WITH SPECIFICS ON THOSE OPPORTUNITIES. 
          YEAH. 
          IF I CAN ADD ONTO THAT, I WOULD EARMARK SEPTEMBER 16TH. 
          THAT'S A MONDAY. 
          THE WORKSHOP WILL BE THAT DAY. 
          AND WE'LL GO OVER THE PRIORITY AMENDMENTS IN DETAIL, WHICH IS GOOD TO KNOW JUST WHAT IS COMING IN FRONT OF THE LMO OVERHAUL. 
          WE'LL GO OVER THE LMO OVERHAUL SCHEDULE. 
          WE'RE NOT GONNA GET INTO AS MUCH DETAIL IN THE OVERHAUL IN THAT WORKSHOP. 
          UM, AND THEN DISTRICTS WILL ALSO BE DISCUSSED AT THAT WORKSHOP AS WELL. 
          SO I THINK IT WILL BE A LONGER WORKSHOP, BUT PLEASE ATTEND AT LEAST VIRTUALLY IF YOU CAN. 
          UM, 'CAUSE THAT'S GONNA BE REALLY THE FIRST, I THINK, PUBLIC FACING VIEWING WORKSHOP OF, OF THIS WORK. 
          YES, SIR. 
          AS SOON AS I THINK YOU HAVE THE FLOOR, UH, THE TASK. 
          THANK YOU LADIES, LEE. 
          WORK, UM, THE TASK FORCE, I KNOW HAD SEVERAL RECOMMENDATIONS COMING, UH, FOR ALAMO CHANGES. 
          YEP. 
          UM, ACTUALLY, I THINK QUITE A FEW OF THEM. 
          SO CAN YOU TELL ME HOW MANY OF THOSE, OR HOW, UM, HOW MANY HAVE BEEN CONSIDERED YEAH. 
          FOR THE CHANGES THAT YOU'RE GOING THROUGH? YEP. 
          SO, SO GREAT QUESTION. 
          ONE OF OUR PRIORITY AMENDMENTS DOES ADDRESS, UH, FAMILY COMPOUNDS AND FAMILY SUBDIVISIONS, WHICH WILL BE IN FRONT OF THE ALAMO OVERHAUL. 
          AND THEN THE ENTIRE FAMILY COMPOUND AND FAMILY SUBDIVISION PROCESS WILL BE RECONSIDERED AND RE-REVIEWED, UM, DURING THE OVERHAUL PHASE. 
          AND CURRENTLY, UM, WE'RE IN OUR ZONING DISTRICT REVIEW. 
          UM, RIGHT NOW IT'S THE HIGH LEVEL REVIEW OF WHAT'S WORKING IN OUR ZONING DISTRICTS, WHAT NEEDS TO CHANGE, WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED, WHAT'S BEST PRACTICE, RIGHT? LIKE OUR CONSULTANT IS WORKING WITH US FOR WHAT WORKS FOR HILTON HEAD. 
          UM, SO EVERYTHING IS ON THE TABLE AND BEING CONSIDERED RIGHT NOW, UH, WHAT WE ARE NOT, UM, BRINGING ANYTHING FORWARD AT THE MOMENT CURRENTLY YET. 
          NOT TILL THE WORKSHOP. 
          I APOLOGIZE FOR BEING LATE. 
          TURN MIC. 
          I WANTED TO ASK, DID I, DID I JUST THINK, UM, MY POTENTIAL TIMELINE THAT THE, THE, THE DISTRICTS AND THE LMO PROJECT WILL BE COMPLETE? WE THERE YET, DO WE HAVE ANY PROJECTIONS TO WHEN 
          [00:10:01]
THOSE, UM, NEW DISTRICT WILL BE IN PLACE? YEAH. 
          DO YOU WANNA GO AHEAD AND WITH DISTRICT? YEAH. 
          THE, THE GOAL IS TO HAVE THE DISTRICT PROJECT, UM, NEARING COMPLETION AT LEAST, UM, ACCEPTED DRAFTS OF EACH OF THE DISTRICT PLANS IN ORDER TO HELP INFORM THE LMO OVERHAUL PROJECT. 
          SO YOU'LL SEE, UM, US WORKING REALLY, UM, DILIGENTLY, UM, FROM THIS POINT MOVING FORWARD IN ORDER TO TAKE THOSE OUT TO THE COMMUNITY. 
          UM, AT THAT POINT, WE WILL NEED TO INCORPORATE THE FEEDBACK THAT WE RECEIVE FROM THE COMMUNITY AS WELL AS FROM COUNCIL AND ANTICIPATE, UM, THAT WE WOULD BEGIN WORKING THROUGH ADOPTION EARLY QUARTER, ONE NEXT YEAR, UM, IN ADVANCE OF WHEN THE, UM, LMO PROJECT WOULD BE, UM, ALIGNING WITH, WITH THE DISTRICTS. 
          I THINK OF THESE INITIATIVES AS THREE BIG PROJECTS HAPPENING AT ONE TIME. 
          SO THE PRIORITY AMENDMENTS, WHICH ARE A HANDFUL OF TEXT CHANGES TO THE LMO, WILL BE COMING THROUGH VERY SIMILARLY TO DISTRICTS KIND OF THROUGHOUT THIS WINTER, UM, TO BE ADOPTED AND APPROVED, UM, IN JANUARY, FEBRUARY. 
          THAT'S OUR PROJECTION BASED ON GOING TO PUBLIC MEETINGS, THEN GOING TO TOWN COUNCIL, FIRST READING, SECOND READING. 
          SO PRIORITY AMENDMENTS IS LIKE NUMBER ONE, DISTRICTS IS NUMBER TWO. 
          NOT THAT THEY'RE IN ANY SORT OF LIKE, PRIORITY OF IMPORTANCE, BUT, UM, THOSE TWO ARE HAPPENING IN A VERY SIMILAR TIMEFRAME. 
          AND THEN THE LMO OVERHAUL FOLLOWS THOSE, AS SHEA SAID, AS THE THIRD PROJECT. 
          AND THAT IS MORE SO THIS SPRING, AND IT'LL GO TO ADOPTION MOST LIKELY NEXT FALL, BECAUSE WE'RE GONNA HAVE A BIG PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT ONCE WE HAVE OUR ARMS AROUND REALLY THE DRAFT OF THE, THE TEXT CHANGES AND WHERE WE'RE GOING WITH PROBABLY RIGHT AROUND BEING AUGUST NOW. 
          YEAH, I'D SAY AUGUST, SEPTEMBER NEXT YEAR IS THE ADOPTION PERIOD. 
          YES. 
          OTHER QUESTIONS? YES, SIR. 
          I, I GUESS MY CONCERN IS ALWAYS THE WORK THAT THE TASK FORCE HAS DONE, AND I WOULD IMAGINE THE FAMILY COMPOUND IN THE FAMILY SUBDIVISION ON MAJOR PORTION OF THAT, BUT THEY WERE ALSO CHANGES, STEP BACKS, BUFFERS, UH, THOSE THINGS, THOSE THINGS THAT DIRECTLY AFFECT, YOU KNOW, UH, OPPORTUNITIES IN THE HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOODS. 
          SO, AS A QUESTION, UH, AS THOSE KINDS OF CHANGES ARE ALSO BEING, UM, GONE THROUGH IN THE, IN THE, IN THE REWRITE. 
          IN THE REWRITE, YES. 
          YES. 
          OKAY. 
          I KNOW WE SPENT QUITE A BIT OF TIME, YOU KNOW, YES. 
          UH, ON THOSE PARTICULAR ITEMS BECAUSE THEY SO VERY, UM, MUCH EFFECT, YOU KNOW, THE HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOODS WHEN WE, UH, ATTEMPTING TO DO, UM, RESIDENTIAL STUFF OR WHATEVER. 
          SO JUST WANT TO ASK THAT QUESTION ABOUT THOSE PARTICULAR ITEMS AS WELL. 
          YEP. 
          GREAT QUESTION. 
          AND SO WE'LL HAVE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE INPUT ON THOSE ITEMS, RIGHT? YES, YES. 
          LIKE I SAY, SOMETIMES THEY'RE ODD PIECES AND CHALLENGING TO FIGURE OUT. 
          YES. 
          YEAH. 
          THE, UM, THIS FIRST, THE LMO OVERHAUL PROJECT IS BROKEN UP INTO MODULES. 
          THIS FIRST MODULE LOOKS AT THREE OR FOUR CHAPTERS OF THE LMO, AND IN THOSE CHAPTERS LIVES, UM, A LOT OF YOUR DESIGN STANDARDS AND USE STANDARDS LIKE THE SETBACKS AND BUFFERS YOU MENTIONED. 
          SO IN THE UPCOMING MONTHS, WE'LL BE DIVING INTO ALL OF THAT AGAIN AND RESURFACING ALL OF THE GREAT WORK THAT WAS DONE. 
          AND, UH, THE CONSULTANT AND, AND THE TEAM WE'RE GONNA HAVE THAT ENGAGEMENT SCHEDULE THAT INCLUDES EVERY BOARD AND THEN ALSO IF WE NEED PARTICULAR STAKEHOLDER COMMITTEES. 
          SO, AND NOT TO BE REDUNDANT, BUT THIS IS ALSO PART OF THE DISCUSSION ABOUT DENSITY AND, AND THOSE, THOSE TYPES OF THINGS TOO. 
          YES. 
          ALL OF THOSE THINGS 'CAUSE THOSE, AS MR. SIMMONS SAID, UH, QUESTIONS I KNOW WE HAD, UH, WITH SOME OF OUR GULLAH NEIGHBORHOODS AND I, OUR PROPERTIES A LOT OF TIMES ARE VERY UNIQUE AND MAY NOT FALL INTO THE COOKIE CUTTER, YOU KNOW, TRADITIONAL WAY OF LOOKING AT IT. 
          SO I GUESS WE JUST ALL WANNA MAKE SURE THAT STAFF IS LOOKING AT IT WITH A PARTICULAR EYE. 
          CERTAINLY FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE, I KNOW YOU WORK WITH OTHER GROUPS TOO, BUT WE'RE ALL ANXIOUS AND EXCITED ABOUT, UH, BEING ABLE TO HAVE SOME INPUT AND MAKING SURE THAT, UH, THE WORK THAT WE'VE DONE IN THE TASK FORCE, AS MRS. SIMMONS SAID, IS, UH, YOU KNOW, BEING REMEMBERED AND HEARD. 
          YEP. 
          YES. 
          YES, SIR. 
          YES. 
          YOU CAN ALSO ECHO THAT, UM, THAT WORK HAS BEEN INCLUDED IN THE DISTRICT'S PROJECT AS WELL. 
          UM, ALTHOUGH IT'S NOT, UM, AS FIRM AS THE LMO, WE'RE FEEDING RECOMMENDATIONS INTO THE LMO. 
          SO JUST AS WE DID WITH THE MID ISLAND, WE'RE LOOKING AT THE HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOODS AND THE PRESENCE OF THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS AS PART OF THE DISTRICT'S, AND INTEGRAL TO, UM, THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THOSE PLANS. 
          SO YOU WILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY FOR FEEDBACK, NOT ONLY 
          [00:15:01]
WITH THE LMO PROJECT, BUT WITH DISTRICTS AS WELL. 
          AND THAT, UM, INFORMATION HAS BEEN, UM, FED THROUGH TO OUR CONSULTANT FOR LMO AND THEY'RE VERY AWARE OF PAST WORK. 
          UM, THE, THE GOAL BEING ONLY IMPROVEMENTS, UM, WOULD BE MADE TO, UM, ANY OF THOSE EXISTING LAMO. 
          AND CAN YOU REMIND US WHO THE CONSULTING COMPANY IS? THE FIRM THAT WE'VE ENGAGED? SO FOR MY PROJECT, IT IS CODE STUDIO. 
          THEY'RE THE MAIN LEAD CONSULTANT FOR THE CODE REWRITE. 
          UM, AND THEN, WELL, FOR US IT'S STAFF. 
          IT'S STAFF, YEAH. 
          FOR DISTRICTS IT'S PRETTY MUCH STAFF. 
          YEAH. 
          STAFF. 
          YEAH. 
          INTERNAL STAFF PROJECT. 
          ALL THE QUESTIONS. 
          ALL RIGHT. 
          SORRY. 
          UM, ANY MORE QUESTIONS FROM MY COLLEAGUES? ANYONE IN THE PUBLIC HAVE QUESTIONS ON THIS PARTICULAR ITEM? OKAY. 
          SEEING THANK, THANK YOU LADIES FOR YOUR, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, VERY MUCH. 
          AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU AGAIN. 
          THANK YOU. 
          OKAY. 
          UH, NEXT WE'LL HAVE, I'LL HAVE, UM, A STAFF REPORT ON THE HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOOD PERMITTING AND DESIGN STUDIO BY MS. VERONICA GAVIN. 
          YAY. 
          GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYONE. 
          VERONICA GAVIN, PRINCIPAL PLANNER FOR HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOODS. 
          ALL RIGHTY. 
          SO THIS HAS BEEN MY FIRST MONTH KIND OF LEADING ON OUR HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOODS PERMITTING AND DESIGN STUDIO. 
          AND IT HAS BEEN GREAT THUS FAR. 
          I WILL TELL YOU ALL JUST SOME UPDATES REGARDING ADVERTISEMENT FOR, UM, THE PERMITTING AND DESIGN STUDIO. 
          WE HAVE HAD SOME LOCAL TELEVISION COVERAGE JUST TO KIND OF PROMOTE THIS PROGRAM AS WELL AS SOME PRINT MATERIAL TO ENSURE AS WHEN WE ARE IN THE COMMUNITY, WE CAN SHARE THE MESSAGE OF WHAT THIS PROGRAM PROVIDES, AS WELL AS, UM, IN THE TOWN HALL'S LOBBY, UM, MOST OF OUR STAFF MEMBERS HAVE BEEN PROVIDING ME WITH CITIZENS WHO WALK THROUGH THE DOOR, UM, JUST TO KIND OF MAKE SURE THAT THEY CAN TOUCH BASES WITH ME AND I CAN HELP AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. 
          SO, SO FAR, SO GOOD. 
          UM, SO THE REPORTING TERM FOR THE HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOOD PERMITTING AND DESIGN STUDIO IS FROM OCTOBER, 2021 INTO JULY OF 2024. 
          UM, THERE HAS BEEN A TOTAL OF 86 REQUESTS FOR THIS PROGRAM WITH 65 OF THOSE COMPLETED. 
          UM, THERE ARE 16 THAT STILL REMAIN ACTIVE. 
          UM, SO I DO HAVE COMMUNICATION WITH THEM, EIGHT OF WHICH ARE ON HOLD. 
          UM, I DO WANT TO JUST TOUCH BASES ON THE ON HOLD. 
          UM, THAT IS NOT THE TOWN HAVING THEIR PROJECTS OR THEIR REQUESTS ON HOLD, IT'S THEM AS THE APPLICANT THEMSELVES. 
          UM, THERE ARE EIGHT THAT ARE CURRENTLY IN PROGRESS. 
          UM, ACTIVE COULD BE UNDER REVIEW OR ME PERSONALLY WORKING, WORKING WITH THOSE APPLICANTS. 
          UM, ONE THING I DO, UH, STRESS TO INDIVIDUALS WHO COME IN WITH REQUESTS IS THAT WE ARE GONNA TALK ON A WEEK TO WEEK BASIS AS MUCH AS THEY NEED ME. 
          HOWEVER, IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT THEY ARE REQUESTING FROM US, THEY WILL NOT WAIT ANY LONGER THAN FIVE BUSINESS DAYS. 
          THAT'S MY PROMISE. 
          WE HAVE FIVE THAT HAVE BEEN WITHDRAWN, UM, AND OR INACTIVE AT THIS TIME. 
          SO, UH, ONE QUESTION. 
          UM, HOW LONG DO WE HOLD AN APPLICATION BEFORE WE DEEM IT INACTIVE? IF WE ARE HAVING CONTINUOUS COMMUNICATION, THEN I AM GOING TO LEAVE THEM OPEN. 
          UM, SOME OF THEM JUST FEEL LIKE THIS IS NOT THE TIME TO MOVE FORWARD. 
          THE ONES THAT HAVE BEEN WITHDRAWN AND OR INACTIVE, I WAS NOT A PART OF. 
          SO I DON'T KNOW THAT TIMEFRAME. 
          HOWEVER, I CAN LOOK BACK THROUGH THAT SPREADSHEET AND PROVIDE YOU WITH A VALID ANSWER. 
          SO WE'RE, WE'RE CHECKING THEM CONSTANTLY, YOU KNOW, TO SEE IF THEY'RE STILL ENGAGED OR IF THEY WANNA WITHDRAW OR WHATEVER. 
          THAT'S ONE OF MY BIGGEST PROMISES. 
          UM, I DON'T CARE IF IT'S A QUICK PHONE CALL OR A QUICK EMAIL TO THEM, UM, JUST TO KIND OF SEE WHERE THEY STAND. 
          MAYBE THEY HAVE NEW QUESTIONS, UM, SO THAT I, EVEN IF I CAN ANSWER THEM, I CAN FIND THE ANSWER FOR THEM. 
          YEP. 
          I HAVE WORKED CLOSELY ALSO WITH, UM, LOW COUNTRY GULLAH AND THE HERITAGE LIBRARY IN ORDER TO KIND OF ASSIST WITH SOME OF THESE DESIGN STUDIOS. 
          UM, WE DO COME ACROSS SOME HEIRS PROPERTY. 
          UM, SO I JUST ALWAYS ENSURE THAT WE'RE PROVIDING THEM WITH THE CORRECT AND ACCURATE INFORMATION SO THAT THEY CAN MOVE ON THE CORRECT STUFF. 
          ARE THE COURSES AT THIS TIME, YOURS WAS, IT'S NOT WORKING EITHER. 
          UM, 
          [00:20:01]
MY QUESTION IS IF IT'S ON OR THEY ACTIVE MM-HMM, , UM, DO THEY START OVER? OR HOW DO THEY, CAN THEY BECOME ACTIVE AGAIN JUST FROM THEIR INFORMATION BEING ALREADY IN THE PROCESS? ABSOLUTELY. 
          UM, ONE OF THE BIGGEST THINGS FOR THIS PROGRAM IS ENSURING THAT WE ARE, UM, ELIMINATING THOSE ROADBLOCKS FOR THOSE WHO UTILIZE THE PROGRAM. 
          SO IF IT WAS KIND OF INACTIVE, I CAN PICK UP EXACTLY ON THE DOCUMENTS, UM, WHERE THE LAST COMMUNICATION STOOD, AND WE CAN GET THAT BACK INTO AN ACTIVE STATUS. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UM, SERRANO, THANK, THANK YOU ONCE AGAIN FOR YOUR WORK. 
          UH, I KNOW THAT, UH, A LOT OF THE PROJECTS THAT I'VE HAD, UM, OPPORTUNITY TO LEAST, UM, TALK ABOUT OR HEAR ABOUT SOME OF THE PROJECTS THAT HAVE BEEN MORE THAN THE, UH, LIMIT OF MONEY THAT THEY CAN APPLY FOR ANY ONE TIME. 
          SO, HAVE YOU ALL FOUND A WAY TO DO, HAVE A CONTINGENCY OR THE REAPPLY, OR HOW, UM, HOW DO YOU HANDLE THAT? BECAUSE I KNOW SOME OF THESE PROJECTS THAT I'VE HEARD ABOUT HAVE BEEN INVOLVED WITH, YOU KNOW, $15,000 USUALLY, WHICH I THINK IS THE, IS STILL THE MINIMUM AWARD. 
          MAXIMUM AWARD. 
          YEAH. 
          I THINK YOU'RE REFERENCING HOME SAFETY REPAIR, RIGHT? YEAH. 
          UM, OKAY. 
          WELL, HOME SAFETY REPAIR, YES. 
          THE, UM, THE AMOUNT OF FUNDING AWARDED TO EACH APPLICANT IS 15,000. 
          OKAY. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          AND I, AND I GUESS ALL OF YOUR DESIGN STUDIO APPLICATIONS MAY NOT NECESSARILY HOME SAFETY REPAIR, SO MAYBE I'M GETTING A LITTLE AHEAD OF MY HEAD OF MY, MY MYSELF. 
          THAT'S ALL RIGHT ON THAT. 
          BUT, UM, UH, BUT THESE, UH, PROJECTS I KNOW ARE VARIED OTHERWISE. 
          SO I JUST THOUGHT, UM, I JUST TO BE A BIT AHEAD OF MYSELF, I THOUGHT I WOULD ASK THAT. 
          OKAY. 
          ABSOLUTELY. 
          I WAS LOOKING AT YOUR NUMBER. 
          IT SAYS EIGHT SIX TOTAL JOHN STUDIO REQUEST 65 COMPLETED CASES. 
          NOW, I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW THIS LAST, LAST TIME, THE GO GEECHEE LAND. 
          I MEAN, WE MET TO NOW, WERE THERE ANY NEW APPLICANTS? ABSOLUTELY. 
          I HAVE SEEN AN AVERAGE OF ABOUT, LIKE TWO NEW CASES THAT TRY TO COME UP. 
          SOME OF THEM ARE KIND OF LIKE MISS SCREEN SPOKE OF WHERE THEY MAY HAVE BEEN LIKE IN A DIFFERENT STATUS. 
          HOWEVER, I'LL GO AHEAD AND JUST OPEN THEM BACK UP. 
          BUT THERE IS ABOUT AN AVERAGE OF ABOUT TWO A MONTH. 
          TWO, TWO A MONTH, SORRY. 
          MM-HMM,  ABOUT TWO A MONTH. 
          AND FOR THE MOST OF THEM, JUST TO BE TRANSPARENT, UM, THEY ARE NOT AN OPEN AND SHUT CASE. 
          FOR THE MOST OF THEM. 
          THEY TAKE TIME. 
          UM, WHEN I FIRST STARTED BACK IN MARCH, WE HAD SOME CASES THAT I BELIEVE STARTED IN APRIL. 
          SOME OF THOSE ARE THE ONES THAT YOU CURRENTLY STILL SEE IN PROGRESS. 
          YEAH. 
          YEAH. 
          AND SO FOR THE ONES THAT ARE ACTIVE THAT YOU'RE WORKING WITH, IF YOU COME UP WITH A A, A PLAN OR A DESIGN, AND IF IT'S SOMETHING THAT THEY DON'T LIKE, UH, THEY HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME BACK AND ABSOLUTELY REWORK IT OR ASK THE QUESTION AGAIN. 
          MM-HMM. 
          , YES, THEY SURE CAN. 
          UM, CONCEPTUAL SITE DESIGN IS ONE OF THE KEY FEATURES OF THE PROGRAM. 
          UM, THOSE ARE THE MAJORITY OF SOME OF THE APPLICATIONS THAT I HAVE SEEN. 
          WE ALWAYS WORK WITH THEM. 
          ONE OF MY, UM, ONE OF MY GOALS IS TO ALWAYS PROVIDE AT LEAST THREE DIFFERENT PLANS FOR THEM, AND THEY CAN DETERMINE WHICH ONE THEY LIKE. 
          HOWEVER, GIVING THEM THOSE DIGITAL ASSETS SO THAT THEY CAN REFERENCE THEM IN THE END. 
          'CAUSE SOME OF THE PROJECTS DON'T JUST, UM, THEY'RE NOT READY TO MOVE FORWARD. 
          HOWEVER, THEY WANT AN IDEA OF WHAT THEY CAN TRULY DO WITH THEIR LAND. 
          AND YOU'RE EIGHT THAT'S ON HOLD. 
          WHY ARE THEY, YEAH, NOW WE'RE , YOU'RE ON HOLD. 
          WHY, WHY ARE THEY THERE? THEY WILL BE ON HOLD BASED ON THE APPLICANT THEMSELVES. 
          UM, HOWEVER, WE'LL KEEP, WE KEEP THEM KIND OF IN AN ACTIVE STATE. 
          UM, HOWEVER, THEY ARE JUST DETERMINING HOW THEY WOULD LIKE TO MOVE FORWARD. 
          OKAY. 
          BECAUSE OFTENTIMES, UM, SOME OF THE CASES KIND OF REFERENCING CONCEPTUAL SITE DESIGN, THIS ISN'T ONE INDIVIDUAL, THIS IS A FAMILY. 
          UM, THIS IS MULTIPLE INDIVIDUALS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT EXACTLY HOW THEY WANT TO MOVE FORWARD. 
          , OTHER QUESTIONS? YEAH. 
          JUST TO GET MYSELF BACK ON TRACK, BACK INTO, I KNOW, UH, LOTS OF TIMES SOME OF THESE APPLICATIONS, THEY REQUIRE A, A STREET NAME. 
          MM-HMM. 
           REQUIRE STREET NAME IN THE STREET. 
          AND, UH, I, I DID IT GO, THERE WE GO. 
          UH, I, I KNOW SOME OF THE APPLICATIONS DO REQUIRE A STREET NAME OR RENAMING OF A STREET, AND I SUGGESTED TO ONE FAMILY, UH, THEY GOT A STREET NAME THAT DIDN'T REPRESENT A FAMILY MEMBER OR A HANDS, I GUESS SOME OF THE OLDER MEMBERS OF THE FAMILY 
          [00:25:01]
COULD HAVE USED THE NAME OF THE FAMILY VERSUS A RANDOM NAME THAT THEY USE. 
          AND I SUGGESTED TO THE ONE FAMILY, WHY DIDN'T YOU USE YOUR GRANDFATHER'S NAME? OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT TO KEEP THE, THE NAMES IN OUR COMMUNITY ALIVE. 
          SO THAT WAS ONE SUGGESTION I WANTED TO, TO BRING. 
          WHEN YOU COME TO THESE STREET NAMES, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY COME WITH NAMES THAT ARE FROM SOMEWHERE ELSE IN THE WORLD WHEN, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE FAMILY MEMBERS SURROUNDING MOST OF OUR NEIGHBORHOODS WHERE A FAMILY MEMBER'S NAME, UM, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER THE NAME MAY BE, YOU KNOW, THAT THEY COULD USE A, UM, UM, ONE OF THE ELDERS FROM THE NEIGHBORHOOD TO THAT. 
          VERY UNIQUE, BECAUSE MOST OF OUR NEIGHBORHOODS, YOU'RE NOT GONNA FIND THOSE NAMES ANYWHERE ELSE. 
          SO, AS A MATTER OF STREET NAMES, YOU KNOW, CONSIDER THE, THE ANCESTORS, WALL STREET NAMES, KEEP SOME OF THE, THE NEIGHBORHOODS ALIVE WITH THE PEOPLE THAT LIVED IN THOSE AREAS. 
          ABSOLUTELY. 
          I AGREE. 
          SO ADDRESSING IS ANOTHER, UM, PORTION OF THE HISTORIC, UM, NEIGHBORHOOD PERMITTING AND DESIGN STUDIO. 
          UM, THEY DO HAVE THE OPTION OF DETERMINING WHAT THEY WANT TO NAME THE ROADS. 
          UM, HOWEVER, I WOULD DEFINITELY KEEP THAT IN MIND, ESPECIALLY AS I TALK TO THE FAMILY. 
          YEAH. 
          AND THE THOUGHTS SOMETIMES GOT LOST ABOUT THAT, BECAUSE THERE STILL SEEM TO BE QUITE A BIT OF STEPS TO EVEN GETTING, UH, UM, FOR EXAMPLE, A MOBILE HOME PLACEMENT IS STILL ONE OF THE, UM, MORE, UH, FEASIBLE WAY FOR FAMILIES TO PROVIDE, YOU KNOW, DECENT LIVING, UH, FOR THEMSELVES. 
          BUT, AND THAT PROCESS SEEMS TO STILL BE QUITE A FEW STEPS. 
          AND I KNOW DURING THAT PROCESS, MOST OF THE TIME THERE'S BEEN, UH, A LOT OF TIMES THERE'S BEEN A, A, UM, RENAMING OF A STREET OR A NAMING OF A STREET. 
          SO JUST WANNA THROW THAT OUT. 
          ABSOLUTELY. 
          ABSOLUTELY. 
          UM, ONE OF MY, UM, WHEN I MEET WITH THE FAMILIES IN OUR INITIAL, UM, JUST, UM, INTAKE MEETING, I DO ENSURE ONCE THEY DETERMINE EXACTLY WHAT THEY WANT TO DO, WHAT THEY'RE LOOKING TO DO, I PROVIDE THEM WITH PRETTY MUCH A LAYOUT OF WHAT, WHAT IS THIS PROCESS GOING TO LOOK LIKE? I DON'T WANT THEM TO BE BLINDSIDED DOWN THE ROAD. 
          I WANT THEM TO HAVE JUST UPFRONT KNOWLEDGE OF WHAT'S TO COME. 
          SO, AS YOU STATED, SOME, OFTENTIMES SOME OF THEM DO NEED ADDRESSING, UM, AND STREET NAMING. 
          SO ENSURING THAT THEY KNOW THAT UPFRONT AND WITH REALISTIC TIMEFRAMES, BECAUSE I DON'T WANT ANYONE COMING THROUGH THE DOOR AND THINKING, WE'RE GONNA TURN THIS AROUND WITHIN 30 DAYS. 
          THAT MAY NOT BE REALISTIC. 
          SO I TRY TO ENSURE THE INFORMATION UPFRONT. 
          MAY I ASK A QUESTION? I KNOW, YOU KNOW, AT THIS POSITION FOR YOURSELF, BUT, UM, WOULD THE POTENTIAL, UM, INCREASED DENSITIES FOR SOME OF THE GENERAL PROPERTIES, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT YOU'RE HAVING IN YOUR MIND WHEN YOU SIT DOWN AND TALK TO SOMEONE ABOUT DESIGNING A PROPERTY? THEN PERHAPS YOU COULD SUGGEST THAT IF THEY, ONCE THEY INCREASE DENSITY, IS PROVIDED, THAT THAT WILL OPEN MORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE, FOR THE UTILIZATION OF THAT SAME POLICY. 
          SO IS THAT SOMETHING THAT YOU WOULD, WOULD WANT ON THE TABLE AS WELL AS A PART OF THE CONVERSATION? ABSOLUTELY. 
          UM, JUST TO PAY, YOU KNOW, RESPECT TO THE PRIVACY OF THE INDIVIDUALS WHO UTILIZE THE PROGRAM. 
          I DON'T WANNA SAY TOO MUCH. 
          HOWEVER, UM, OFTENTIMES INDIVIDUALS DO COME IN AND MAYBE THEY HAVE A PARCEL THAT IS LARGE ENOUGH FOR MULTIPLE HOMES ON THEIR SITE, UM, AND MAYBE THEY ONLY WANT TO PLACE ONE. 
          ONE THING I DO MAKE SURE THEY KNOW IS WHAT THE POSSIBILITY OF WHAT CAN TRULY BE THERE, AND KEEPING IN MIND WHAT COULD HAPPEN WITH, UM, AN INCREASED DENSITY OR CHANGES TO DENSITY HERE WITHIN THE TOWN, I WILL ENSURE THAT ALL OF THEM ARE AWARE OF THAT AS WELL. 
          NO QUESTIONS FROM MS. GAVIN. 
          ANYONE IN THIS PUBLIC HAVE A QUESTION FROM THIS DESIGN STUDIO? MS. WRIGHT? YOU OKAY? OH, SHE SAID TO HER COMMUNICATION CONNECTION IS A LITTLE SKETCHY, SO I HOPE WE DON'T LOSE HER. 
          BUT I JUST WANT TRY TO REMEMBER TO, TO, UH, THAT YOU'RE HERE WITH US. 
          UH, I, I'M STILL HERE. 
          I CAN, IT'S JUST GOING. 
          THE SOUND IS GOING IN AND OUT. 
          YEAH. 
          OKAY. 
          ALL RIGHT. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          IF THERE'S NOTHING ELSE, THANK YOU MS. GAVIN, FOR YOUR GOOD WORK. 
          AND IT'S GOOD TO SEE YOU IN FRONT OF US, IF YOU WILL. 
          THANKS. 
          UM, THE NEXT ITEM IS THE HOME AND SAFETY REPAIR PROGRAM, . 
          AND IT IS VERONICA GAVIN . 
          IT IS, IT IS. 
          SO HOME SAFETY AND REPAIR. 
          THE LAST TIME WE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY 
          [00:30:01]
TO GIVE YOU ALL AN UPDATE, THE PROGRAM WAS GOING THROUGH A COMPLETE RESTRUCTURE. 
          UM, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO LEAD ON AND HAD SOME KEY PLAYERS WITHIN THE TOWN STAFF WHO KIND OF ASSISTED AND HELPED AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. 
          UM, WITH THIS RESTRUCTURE, WE HAVE IDENTIFIED KEY INDIVIDUALS TO ENSURE THAT THE PROGRAM'S PROCESSES MOVE FORWARD, UM, WITHOUT ANY DELAYS. 
          ONE OF THE BIGGEST THINGS WERE, UM, JUST ADMIN AND REPORTING, KEEPING EVERYTHING ALL TOGETHER AS WELL AS COMMUNICATION. 
          UM, THAT WAS ONE OF THE BIGGEST THINGS WHEN I CAME ONTO THE TOWN. 
          INDIVIDUALS WE'RE CALLING DAILY ASKING, WHERE DO I STAND IN THIS PROCESS? UM, I WOULD LIKE ALL OF YOU ALL TO KNOW EVERY INDIVIDUAL WHO HAS BEEN APPROVED FOR THIS PROGRAM AND IS CURRENTLY, UM, MAYBE THEY'RE ONE OF THE 63, UM, AWAITING TOWN VISITS. 
          UM, THEY HAVE BEEN INFORMED OF A SCHEDULED DATE FOR US TO COME OUT THERE AND SEE THEM. 
          UM, OUTSIDE OF HAVING KEY INDIVIDUALS AND ADMIN AND COMMUNICATION SUCH AS MYSELF, WE ALSO HAVE A CLEAR INSPECTIONS TEAM AND, UM, A CONTRACT REVIEW TEAM TO ENSURE THAT EVERYTHING JUST CONSTANTLY WORKS ON A DECENT CYCLE AND NOTHING IS BECOMING DELAYED. 
          UM, SO WITH THE REPORTING FOR THE HOME SAFETY AND REPAIR PROGRAM, REPORTING WAS FROM JULY, 2022 TO JULY OF 2024. 
          UM, TO DATE, WE HAVE RECEIVED ABOUT 140 APPLICATIONS WITH THESE APPLICATIONS. 
          WE ARE SEEING ON AVERAGE, MAYBE ABOUT ONE A MONTH, WHICH IS QUITE INTERESTING. 
          UM, WE HAVE ABOUT 105 THAT HAVE BEEN COMPLETED, AND RIGHT NOW, UM, WE HAVE 38 THAT HAVE BEEN, UM, EXCUSE ME, 105 COMPLETED APPLICATIONS HAVE BEEN RECEIVED. 
          WE HAVE 38 THAT HAVE BEEN COMPLETED. 
          UM, WE HAVE FOUR THAT ARE CURRENTLY PERMANENT JOBS THAT ARE UNDER CONTRACT, AND THEN WE HAVE 63 THAT ARE CURRENTLY AWAITING TOWN VISITS. 
          UM, TO DATE, I WILL TELL YOU WE HAVE ALREADY, UM, JUST BECAUSE THE REPORTING IS A LITTLE, UH, AHEAD OF THE DATE OF OUR MEETINGS, WE HAVE ALREADY INITIATED SOME OF THOSE TOWN SITE VISITS. 
          UM, SO WE'RE GETTING BACK IN THOSE HOMES. 
          UM, AND WE'RE UTILIZING THIS NEW PROCESS THAT WE HAVE PUT IN PLACE, UM, A COUPLE, LIKE A MONTH BACK, AND IT'S BEEN FLOWING WELL. 
          UM, ONE THING OUR TEAM IS DOING AND ENSURING THAT WE STAY ON TOP OF, IF, IF SOMETHING IS NOT WORKING, WE ARE CHANGING IT TO ENSURE THAT WE ARE PROPERLY SERVING OUR HOMEOWNERS AS WELL AS OUR CONTRACTORS AND OUR TOWN STAFF HERE TO KEEP EVERYTHING MOVING AND IN FLOW. 
          QUESTIONS FOR MS. GAVIN? SIR, MR. HINTS CAN, CAN YOU REMIND US AGAIN, YOU TOLD US THE LAST MEETING, SO I, I APOLOGIZE, BUT CAN YOU REMIND US THE SOURCE OF THESE FUNDINGS? YES. 
          THESE ARE ACTUALLY APA FUNDS. 
          UM, AND THE BIGGEST THING, UM, IN MAY, WE WERE AWARDED ABOUT $899,000. 
          UM, AND THAT'S AN APPROXIMATE, AND SOME OF THAT FUNDING WAS PROVIDED TO HOME SAFETY REPAIR. 
          THE OTHER WAS PROVIDED TO THE LATERAL SEWER CONNECTION PROGRAM. 
          UM, THE THING ABOUT THE FUNDING THAT HAS BEEN PROVIDED AT THIS TIME FOR THE HOME SAFETY AND REPAIR PROGRAM IS THAT IT DOESN'T GO TOO FAR. 
          WE ARE GOING TO BE ABLE TO ADDRESS ABOUT 60 TO 65, UM, HOMEOWNERS THROUGH THIS PROGRAM. 
          BUT PLEASE KEEP IN MIND THERE HAVE BEEN HOMEOWNERS, UM, WHO APPLICANTS WHO HAVE APPLIED FOR THIS PROGRAM WHO, UM, HAVE BEEN WAITING. 
          SO THEY'RE IN THAT 63 THAT WE CAN ADDRESS US. 
          OTHER QUESTIONS FROM MS. GADEN? ANYONE IN OUR PUBLIC HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THIS PROGRAM? ALL RIGHT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          I'LL SHARE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT SEWER CONNECTION. 
          UM, THAT PROGRAM IS, WE'RE UTILIZING, UM, THE RESTRUCTURE AS WELL. 
          WE DO HAVE AN ADMIN WHO'S OVERSEEING, UM, THE SEWER CONNECTION PROGRAM. 
          SHE HAS KIND OF, SHE'S SERVING AS THE LEAD. 
          HOWEVER, I AM STILL, UM, THAT INDIVIDUAL AS THE CITIZENS, UM, LIAISON TO ENSURE THAT WHENEVER THEY'RE LOOKING TO APPLY OR HAVE QUESTIONS, THEY CAN ALWAYS REFERENCE ME AT ANY GIVEN TIME. 
          VERY GOOD. 
          THANK YOU. 
          ANYONE ELSE HAVE QUESTIONS IN THAT TIME OF THE YEAR WHERE I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE OUT OF PLACE, AND, UH, HOPEFULLY STAFF HAS HAD SOME TIME TO KINDA BREATHE A LITTLE BIT. 
          SO WE APPRECIATE YOUR GOOD WORK, AND I KNOW YOU STILL GET YOUR FEET ON THE GROUND, SO ABSOLUTELY. 
          THANK YOU FOR YOUR REPORTING. 
          THANK YOU. 
          MM-HMM, . 
          OKAY. 
          NEXT ON OUR AGENDA, WE HAVE A DISCUSSION ITEM. 
          UH, I'M SORRY. 
          LET ME GO TO MR. BOXLEY. 
          UH, WITH THE CDC, HE HAS MAYBE AN UPDATE OR A REPORT FOR US. 
          I KNOW HE, HE WASN'T, 
          [00:35:01]
UH, I'M KIND OF PUTTING HIM ON THE SPOT, BUT EVERY TIME HE WALKS IN THE ROOM, I, I WANT TO HEAR WHAT HE HAS TO SAY. 
          GOOD AFTERNOON. 
          AFTERNOON. 
          WELL, THANK YOU FOR PROVIDING AN OPPORTUNITY. 
          UH, UH, CHAIRMAN, UH, YES, SIR, FOR A BIT OF A UPDATE. 
          I'LL BE VERY BRIEF. 
          UM, IT'S, IT'S KIND OF TIMELY. 
          WHAT I LIKE TO, UH, TO UPDATE YOU ON, UM, GIVEN THE, THE NATURE OF MR. HOLLIS'S, UH, PRESENTATION TODAY REGARDING FEMA. 
          I JUST WANTED TO, UH, PROVIDE A BIT OF A UPDATE REGARDING THE TOWN'S EFFORTS THUS FAR. 
          THE EMERGENCY OPERATIONS COMMAND WAS ACTIVATED THIS MORNING AT 6:00 AM AND AS A RESULT OF THE IMPENDING STORM, WANTED TO MAKE SURE AND, UM, UPDATE YOU ALL ON, ON WHERE WE STAND WITH THAT AND SOME OF THE EFFORTS THAT WE HAVE BEEN TAKING ON. 
          AND WE LIKE TO ENCOURAGE, UM, THE GENERAL PUBLIC TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU, UM, THAT THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS, IS PREPARED AND IS, YOU KNOW, STORM READY. 
          SO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY, UM, HAS A PLAN IN PLACE FOR SHOULD, SHOULD THEY NEED TO EVACUATE. 
          OR MAKING SURE THAT, UH, BEFORE THE FLOODING GETS TOO EXTREME OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS, WHICH IS ANTICIPATED BASED ON THE AMOUNT OF RAIN THAT IS BEING PRE PREDICTED TO FALL, THAT, UH, PEOPLE HAVE ENOUGH, UH, WATER FOR FIVE DAYS, YOU KNOW, ENOUGH NON-PERISHABLE FOOD ITEMS, UH, FOR FIVE DAYS. 
          AS WELL AS MAKING SURE THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, SHOULD, SHOULD, AGAIN, SHOULD THEY NEED TO EVACUATE, THAT THEY'RE MONITORING TRUSTED SOURCES OF INFORMATION, UH, FOR UPDATES, UH, TRUSTED SOURCES OF INFORMATION BEING, YOU KNOW, YOUR LOCAL NEWS CHANNELS OR EVEN TAPPING INTO THE, UM, INTO THE TOWN'S WEBSITE. 
          UH, WE CAN FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK AS WELL FOR ACCURATE INFORMATION, AS WELL AS THE COUNTY'S WEBSITE FOR UPDATES REGARDING, UM, THE STORM SITUATION. 
          UM, THERE IS ONE SHELTER THAT IS OPENING TODAY OVER IN, UH, JASPER COUNTY. 
          I WANNA SAY, UM, AT THE, LEMME SEE, THE LOCATION IS TWO 50 JAGUAR TRAIL IN RIDGELAND IN JASPER COUNTY, AND THAT WILL BE OPEN AT 4:00 PM TODAY IN CASE INDIVIDUALS ARE IN NEED OF SHELTER. 
          UM, BUT WE ALSO WANT TO ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO, YOU KNOW, IF YOU CAN STAY HOME, STAY HOME AND STAY SAFE, AS WE KNOW WITH A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF RAINFALL LIKE THIS AND THE GROUND GETS SATURATED, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE WILL BE, THERE'S THE POTENTIAL FOR DOWN TREES. 
          AND SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE ARE STAYING SAFE, STAYING OFF THE ROADS AND OUT OF HARM'S WAY. 
          UM, ANOTHER PIECE THAT I WOULD UPDATE, UH, THE TASK FORCE ON IS THAT THROUGH THE CDC LAST MONTH, WE BEGAN THE PROCESS OF, OR BEGAN A SERIES OF SEMINARS, UH, FOR, UM, LENDING SMALL BUSINESS AND REAL ESTATE LENDING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH TD BANK. 
          AND IT'S THE FIRST IN A FIVE PART SERIES THAT WILL TAKE PLACE, UH, MONTHLY. 
          OUR NEXT SESSION IS ON AUGUST THE 13TH. 
          ALL OF OUR SESSIONS WILL BE HOSTED AT THE ISLAND REC CENTER, SO WE'RE PROUD OF THAT PARTNERSHIP AS WELL. 
          BUT WE WANTED TO BEGIN TO, UH, TO CONNECT THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY, THE GULLAH BUSINESS COMMUNITY HERE WITH THE POSSIBLE, UH, LENDING INSTITUTION. 
          AND, UH, THE FIRST OF WHICH IS A RELATIONSHIP THAT WE'RE BUILDING WITH TD BANK. 
          SO, UH, IF YOU NEED ANY FURTHER INFORMATION ON THAT, PLEASE REACH OUT TO ME. 
          THANK YOU FOR BEING THERE, UH, MR. CAMPBELL IN ATTENDANCE. 
          AND, UH, YEAH, PLEASE INFORM THE GENERAL PUBLIC AS WE, AS WE WORK TO CONNECT PEOPLE TO FINANCIAL RESOURCES AS WELL. 
          I'M EXCITED ABOUT THAT. 
          THAT'S THE PIECE THAT I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR. 
          YES, SIR. 
          UH, SO WHEN PEOPLE COME TO THE DESIGN STUDIO, WHEREVER THEY COME AND THEY WANNA START A PROJECT, UH, WHAT I'VE OBSERVED IS THE, ONE OF THE STUMBLING BLOCKS IS THAT WE DON'T HAVE THE RESOURCES TO DO EVEN SOME OF THE PRE-PLANNING STUFF THAT HAS TO GO IN THERE. 
          SO, UM, IS THAT TYPE OF RELATIONSHIP WITH THE FINANCIAL INSTITUTION GONNA BE SOMETHING THAT THEY CAN USE THOSE TYPES OF FUNDS WITH? OR IS IT TIED ONLY TO THE REAL ESTATE? NO, I THINK THAT THERE WILL BE A BROAD UTILIZATION, UM, FOR THE FUNDS, THE FUNDING SOURCES, AND THE DIFFERENT STREAMS THAT THE, UH, THE FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS ARE OPEN TO PROVIDING, WHETHER THAT IS, YOU KNOW, REAL ESTATE PROGRAMS FOR FIRST TIME HOME BUYERS, WHETHER THAT IS INVESTMENT PROPERTIES, WHETHER THAT IS EVEN FOR, YOU KNOW, LINES OF CREDIT FOR SMALL BUSINESSES. 
          UM, THE NEXT SESSION, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, THE NEXT SESSION IS ABOUT DAY-TO-DAY BUSINESS OPERATIONS. 
          SO THEY'RE COVERING A BROAD RANGE OF TOPICS FOR THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY. 
          UM, 
          [00:40:01]
AND YEAH, SO I THINK THAT THERE ARE SEVERAL OPPORTUNITIES OUT THERE. 
          YEP. 
          UM, WAS HELD ON THURSDAY. 
          IT WAS, UM, LET ME SEE. 
          IT WAS, WAS IT, IT WAS ON A ? NO, I THINK IT WAS A THURSDAY. 
          I THINK IT WAS A THURSDAY. 
          I KNOW THIS NEXT SESSION IS ON THE, ON THE 13TH. 
          I THINK THAT'S A TUESDAY. 
          AND IT SEEMS LIKE THE, THE REMAINING OF THE, I'LL GET YOU A COPY OF THE FLYER THOUGH, BEFORE WE ALL LEAVE HERE TODAY. 
          I THINK I SAW THAT REASON. 
          I, UH, I THINK IT WAS A THURSDAY. 
          'CAUSE I NOW WAS NOT AVAILABLE. 
          IT'S NOT THE BEST DAY FOR ME, BUT, UM, WAS IT WELL ATTENDED? IT WAS WELL ATTENDED. 
          WE HAD, UH, ON THE FIRST, FOR THE FIRST SESSION, WE HAD ABOUT 20 MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY OUT. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, PARTICIPATING. 
          IT WAS, IT WAS ACTUALLY A RAINY DAY. 
          SO WE WERE GLAD TO HAVE THAT, UH, THAT LEVEL OF PARTICIPATION. 
          BUT, UM, I THINK THAT IT'LL GROW. 
          WE ARE, WE'RE ACTUALLY MARKETING IT THROUGH, THROUGH OUR COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT, UM, FACEBOOK AND SOCIAL MEDIA, ET CETERA. 
          SO I THINK THAT WE'LL CONTINUE TO GROW IT AS WE MOVE FORWARD. 
          SOME PEOPLE IN THE DESIGN STUDIO ARE APPLICANTS. 
          THEY KNOW ABOUT IT, RIGHT? YES, WE DEFINITELY HAVE BEEN WORKING THROUGH, UM, AND VERONICA WAS IN ATTENDANCE. 
          MS. GAVIN WAS IN ATTENDANCE TO, UH, TO, YOU KNOW, MAKE SURE THAT SHE'S AWARE OF WHAT WE'RE DOING. 
          UM, AND SHE AND I HAVE BEEN, BEEN TAG TEAMING A LOT OF THESE, THESE THINGS AND, YOU KNOW, MEETING WITH DIFFERENT MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY AND, YOU KNOW, I'VE, I'VE BEEN RECEIVING SOME CALLS THAT I'VE REFERRED TO HER, UH, RELATED TO DESIGN STUDIO AS WELL. 
          SO, SO WE'RE, WE'RE BUILDING A A, A WONDERFUL WORKING RELATIONSHIP. 
          THAT'S GREAT. 
          THAT'S GREAT. 
          OTHER QUESTIONS? SO, MR. BOXLEY? YES, MR. BOXY, THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK, SIR. 
          MY PLEASURE. 
          UM, MY QUESTION WOULD BE, UH, REGARDING, UH, GRANTS AND POTENTIAL GRANT WRITING KIND OF INFORMATION FOR POTENTIAL BONDS, OR NOT, NOT BONDS, BUT GRANTEES MM-HMM. 
          . 
          IS THERE ANY, IS THERE ANY, UM, THOUGHT IN YOUR, IN YOUR PROGRESSION TO INCLUDE GRANT GRANTS AND GRANT WRITING IN THAT, IN YOUR WORK SPECIFICALLY, ARE YOU, ARE YOU ASKING SPECIFICALLY GRANT WRITING AS A MEANS BY WHICH, UM, THE CDC RAISES FUNDS OR GRANTS FOR, UH, COMMUNITY MEMBERS? FOR COMMUNITY MEMBERS? OKAY. 
          GREAT QUESTION. 
          AND YES, THE ANSWER SHORT ANSWER IS YES. 
          WE HAVE SOME, WE HAVE MORE INFORMATION COMING ON THAT LATER IN THE YEAR, BUT WE DO HAVE A SMALL BUSINESS LENDING AND, UH, REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM THAT WE'RE WORKING ON. 
          AND, AND IT'S MORE ALONG THE LINES OF A, OF A LENDING PROGRAM THAN IT IS A GRANT PROGRAM. 
          AND THE REASON WHY WE WE'RE OPERATING IT AS SUCH IS BECAUSE WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE A REVENUE STREAM THAT'S SUSTAINABLE, BECAUSE WHAT WE DON'T WANT TO DO IS EVENTUALLY RUN OUT OF FUNDS, UM, THROUGH THE CDC, UH, SO THAT WE'LL BE CONTINUALLY ABLE TO SUPPORT BUSINESSES AS THEY, AS THEY GROW AND DEVELOP AND MATRICULATE THROUGH A PROCESS AND A CYCLE. 
          OKAY. 
          BUT I MEAN, I GUESS WHAT I'M, I'M SITTING IN, I'M THINKING THAT IF, IF I JUST, I TOOK, I DON'T KNOW, TO DEVELOP MY BUSINESS MM-HMM. 
          . 
          RIGHT, RIGHT. 
          AND IT WAS ALSO AN AVENUE WHERE I CAN GET A GRANT, I RECEIVE A GRANT, AND GRANT COULD POTENTIALLY ALLOW ME TO PAY OFF MY LOAN TO YOU. 
          MM-HMM. 
          , I'M JUST TRYING TO SEE IF THERE'S A WAY THAT WE CAN KIND OF BRING THOSE TWO TOGETHER IN A WAY THAT BENEFITS, UH, YOU KNOW, BOTH PARTIES. 
          ABSOLUTELY. 
          YEAH. 
          SO, SO LOOKING AT MEANS BY WHICH WE CAN SUPPORT BUSINESSES, ESPECIALLY IN THOSE STARTUP PHASES, WE'RE DEFINITELY LOOKING AT WAYS THAT WE CAN DO THAT AS WELL. 
          YEAH. 
          YEAH. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          MM-HMM, , OTHER QUESTIONS VERY QUICK. 
          ANYONE IN THE PUBLIC? ONE QUICK QUESTION. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, THE PARTNERSHIP WITH BANK, AND YOU MENTIONED HAVING STEADY STREAM OF MONEY. 
          I MEAN, HAVE YOU ALL DISCUSSED WHAT THEY'LL BE WILLING TO FUND? HOW MUCH, WELL, I GUESS THE QUESTION IS HOW MUCH THEY'LL BE WILLING TO FUND, OR IS IT BASEBALL OR APPLICANT THAT MAY COME TO THEM? YEAH, THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION. 
          WE HAVE NOT GOTTEN THAT FAR DOWN THE ROAD WITH FUNDING AVAILABILITY, FUNDING LIMITS, ET CETERA. 
          MY GOAL THROUGH THE, THE, THE PROGRAM WITH TD BANK WAS BECAUSE THEY ARE A NATIONAL BRAND THAT THEY WOULD, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT THEY WOULD HAVE ACCESS TO A HIGHER LEVEL OF RESOURCES THAN SOME OF OUR, YOU KNOW, UH, LOCAL COMMUNITY-BASED BANKS. 
          AND I WANTED TO START AT THAT LEVEL TO BEGIN TO, YOU KNOW, TO POSSIBLY HAVE A HIGHER FUNDING STREAM. 
          UH, BUT I'M ALSO LOOKING AT SOME OF THE LOCAL LENDERS AS WELL. 
          BUT THE SHORT ANSWER IS I DO NOT HAVE A FUNDING CEILING OR FLOOR ESTABLISHED WITH THEM AT THIS PARTICULAR POINT. 
          ALSO, YOU KNOW, UM, THE CONVENTIONAL 
          [00:45:01]
LENDING, UM, TOOLS IN MOST BANKS HAVE ALSO BEEN, YOU KNOW, QUITE A BIG HURDLE FOR A LOT OF SMALL BUSINESSES. 
          RIGHT. 
          YOU KNOW, UM, CONVENTIONAL LENDING CAN REQUIREMENTS, RIGHT. 
          SO I THINK IF THEY, YOU KNOW, START, START TO SPEAK WITH THEM AND TRY TO GET AROUND SOME OF THE CONVENTIONAL, UH, LENDING REQUIREMENTS, THAT'S GONNA BE A BIG HURDLE AS WELL. 
          YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY'S NOT GONNA HAVE A THREE OR FOUR YEAR FINANCIAL STATEMENT OR AN AUDITED STATEMENT OR, YOU KNOW, THESE KIND OF THINGS THAT A LOT OF THE CONVENTIONAL LENDING PROCESSES REQUIRE, RIGHT. 
          SO THEY'RE GONNA, YOU KNOW, TRY TO ASSIST. 
          THEY'RE GONNA HAVE TO BE ABLE TO BE FLEXIBLE, UM, FROM THE CONVENTIONAL, UH, LENDING PRACTICES. 
          I THINK THAT WE ARE ON A GOOD PATHWAY FOR THAT. 
          AND YOU'RE RIGHT, UH, TRADITIONALLY LENDING PRACTICES, UH, ESPECIALLY FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS, LARGE FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS HAVE BEEN EXCLUSIONARY, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO, UM, YOU KNOW, TO AFRICAN AMERICAN BUSINESSES. 
          YOU KNOW, HISTORICALLY THIS, THIS IS TRUE. 
          UM, WHAT WE DID DISCUSS, UM, AND, AND THE PRESENTER FROM TD BANK EVEN MENTIONED THIS IN OUR LAST SESSION WAS, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT, YOU KNOW, NOW THAT THEY, THEY HAVE SOME FLEXIBILITY AND ARE OPEN TO LOOKING AT, UH, YOU KNOW, NEW MEANS BY WHICH TO DETERMINE CREDIT WORTHINESS. 
          THAT COULD BE, YOU KNOW, AN INDIVIDUAL THAT HAS, UH, THAT HAS BEEN LEASING FOR A YEAR AND THAT, YOU KNOW, THEIR LANDLORD IS, IS OPEN TO, UH, YOU KNOW, PROVIDING DOCUMENTATION OF, YOU KNOW, THAT INDIVIDUAL'S PAYMENT HISTORY AS WELL AS EVEN, YOU KNOW, TAKING BILLS INTO CONSIDERATION THAT AN INDIVIDUAL HAS MADE PAYMENTS ON AS PART OF THAT, AS PART OF THAT CREDIT BILL, IF YOU WILL. 
          SO I THINK SHORT ANSWER IS I DO BELIEVE THAT, THAT WE'RE IN A DIFFERENT SPACE. 
          UM, AND THOSE ARE THE CONVERSATIONS THAT I'M HAVING AT THE REGIONAL LEVEL WITH TD BANK AS WELL. 
          UM, THE, THERE WAS A GENTLEMAN PRESENT, UH, FROM THE, THE, UM, GREENVILLE OFFICE OF TD BANK, UH, THAT'S, UM, IN THE REGIONAL, UM, THE REGIONAL OFFICE THERE RELATED TO COMMUNITY REINVESTMENT. 
          AND SO HE AND I WERE HAVING SOME OFFLINE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THAT AS WELL. 
          SO I THINK THAT WE'RE IN A GOOD SPACE, SHORT ANSWER. 
          RIGHT. 
          AND I, I WAS JUST ABOUT TO CALL OR MENTION TO, YOU KNOW, THE, THE BANKS HAVE HAD TO SORT OF ADHERE TO THAT COMMUNITY REINVESTMENT ACT. 
          I THINK THAT'S STILL A VALID, UM, UH, OPTION FOR BANKS THAT, THAT, UH, THAT REQUIREMENT IS ACTUALLY STILL OUT THERE. 
          UM, WOULD ALSO OPEN, UM, DOORS FOR, FOR SMALL LENDERS, UH, SMALL BORROWERS OR SMALL BUSINESSES. 
          RIGHT. 
          UH, COMMUNITY REINVESTMENT ACT WAS ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT HAS PASSED SOME TIME AGO THAT A LOT OF BANKS HAVE NOT, STILL HAVE NOT ADHERED TO IN THEIR PRACTICES. 
          SO, AND JUST AS ANOTHER POINT TO, UH, FOR SMALL BUSINESSES TO LOOK INTO A BANKS TO USE A TOOL THAT THEY ALREADY HAVE IN PLACE. 
          YES. 
          YOU, YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT. 
          SO THIS WILL HOPEFULLY HELP SOME OF THE OTHER INSTITUTIONS THAT YOU'RE IN TOUCH WITH. 
          FOLLOW. 
          OH, YEAH. 
          I'VE ALREADY, UM, I'VE ALREADY HAD SOME CONVERSATIONS WITH SOME, WITH SOME OTHER LENDING INSTITUTIONS, AND I'M KIND OF LOOKING FORWARD TO CREATING A SIMILAR SERIES OF SEMINARS IN, UH, THE BEGINNING OF 2025. 
          SO BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THAT AS WELL. 
          THANK YOU, MR. BOXLEY, YOU HAVE THE QUESTIONS FOR I RELEASE HIM. 
          I WANNA TRY TO MOVE THE AGENDA. 
          THANK YOU FOR THAT. 
          MY PLEASURE. 
          MY PLEASURE. 
          IMPROMPTU, AND WE APPRECIATE YOUR GOOD WORK. 
          THANK YOU. 
          OKAY. 
          UH, NEXT 
          [5. Discussion Items]
ON OUR AGENDA, ON OUR AGENDA IS THE DISCUSSION ITEM, HURRICANE PREP, PREPARATION FOR GULLAH COMMUNITIES. 
          WE HAVE A PRESENTATION FROM MEL HOLLIS, PREVIOUS FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY ASSOCIATE. 
          GOOD AFTERNOON, SIR. 
          GOOD AFTERNOON. 
          UM, GOOD AFTERNOON. 
          I'M GONNA SEE IF I CAN GET THIS TO WORK. 
          UH, ONE SECOND. 
          YEAH, WE HAVE IT HERE, BUT IT'S NOT ON THE THANK YOU SO MUCH. 
          OKAY. 
          GOOD AFTERNOON. 
          UH, MY NAME IS MELVIN HOLLIS. 
          I SIT ON THE BOARD OF THE GULER, UM, MUSEUM, UM, HILTON HEAD, AND OF COURSE, THE GULER MUSEUM HAS AS ITS MAIN PURPOSE, THE PRESERVATION OF GULLAH CULTURE, UH, AND HISTORY ON THIS ISLAND. 
          SO TO THAT DEGREE, WE SHARE, UH, THE SAME OBJECTIVE. 
          UM, I'M GONNA TALK THIS MORNING ABOUT, UH, CLIMATE CHANGE AND ITS THREAT TO GULLAH COMMUNITIES, NOT JUST HERE, BUT ALONG, 
          [00:50:01]
ALONG WITH THE, UM, THE, UM, THIS, THE ATLANTIC SEABOARD. 
          UH, I HAVE SPENT, UH, I AM NOT REPRESENTING FEMA. 
          I WANNA MAKE THAT CLEAR. 
          I NO LONGER WORK FOR THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, BUT FOR THE LAST FIVE YEARS OF MY ACTIVE PROFESSIONAL LIFE, I WAS A PROFESSOR WHO TAUGHT EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT IN THE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PROGRAM AT, UH, AT SAVANNAH STATE COLLEGE AS A UNIVERSITY. 
          AS A MATTER OF FACT, IT HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH ESTABLISHING THAT PROGRAM. 
          AND UNTIL A YEAR AGO, I TAUGHT AT THE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE, UH, WHICH IS FAMOUS TRAINING ACADEMY FOR EMERGENCY MANAGERS. 
          AND THE LAST, UH, SIX MONTHS, I HAVE BETA PRESENTATION ON THE IMPACT OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITIES AT A NATIONAL CONFERENCE IN WASHINGTON, DC AND I MADE A PRESENTATION ON THE IMPACT OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON GULLAH COMMUNITIES AT THE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE. 
          UM, ABOUT TWO, THREE OR FOUR YEARS AGO, I WAS COMMISSIONED TO DO A STUDY TO TAKE A LOOK AT WHY THE GULLAH DO NOT, UH, EVACUATE. 
          THERE'S SOME INTERESTING FINDINGS IN THAT, AND AT LEAST AT THE, AT EMI, THEY'RE TAKING A LOOK AT THAT AND USING THAT AS TRAINING MATERIAL. 
          UM, MY OWN FAMILY GOES BACK TO ABOUT 1740 IN SOUTH CAROLINA, IN ST. 
          PHILIPS, UM, UH, IN ST. 
          PHILIP PARISH NORTH OF CHARLESTON. 
          UM, SINCE THAT FAMILY HA, UH, WORKED IN THE RICE PATTIES OF THE RICE PLANTATIONS, UH, AROUND MCCLELLANVILLE AND AT THE HAMPTON, UH, PLANTATION, YOU CAN FIND THE NAMES OF SOME OF MY ANCESTORS ON THE WALL, AS THEY HAVE AT THE HAMPTON PLANTATION, WHERE THEY LIST THE NAMES OF THE ENSLAVED PEOPLE WHO WORK THERE. 
          LOOKING AT THE ISSUE OF THREATS TO GULLAH COMMUNITIES, THERE ARE THREE OF THEM, UM, WHICH I HAVE WORKED ON, IDENTIFIED AND WRITTEN ABOUT, BUT ONE OF THEM I WANT TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT TODAY. 
          ONE OF THOSE IS AGING DEMOGRAPHICS. 
          THE FACT THAT THE GULLAH COMMUNITY AS COMMUNITIES, UH, SEEMS TO BE GROWING OLDER, THE YOUNGER PEOPLE ARE FINDING ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY OUTSIDE OF THEIR COMMUNITIES. 
          AND AS THEY BECOME MORE EDUCATED AND WELL-TRAINED SINCE, UH, THE ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES DO NOT SEEM TO BE AVAILABLE TO THEM IN THEIR OWN COMMUNITIES, THEY'RE DOING WHAT AFRICAN AMERICANS HAVE DONE TRADITIONALLY, WHICH HAS MOVED TO OTHER PLACES FOR ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES. 
          SO, UM, COMMUNITIES THAT I WORK WITH, I FIND THAT I'M WORKING WITH AN AGING DEMOGRAPHIC, AND UNLESS THERE'S SOME REPLENISHMENT OF THAT COMMUNITY, UH, THE CULTURE IS BEGINNING TO SHRINK BECAUSE SO MANY YOUNG PEOPLE ARE LEAVING MIGRATION AND DISPLACEMENT, UH, DUE TO WHAT IS CALLED ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, THOSE PRESSURES ON THE COMMUNITIES. 
          UM, THE IRONY HERE IS AS GULLAH GEECHEE CULTURE BECOMES MORE POPULAR, UM, THE, THERE ARE PRESSURES THAT ARE CAUSING THAT POPULATION TO DWINDLE. 
          AND SO, UM, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IS PUSHING, UH, UH, AS IT IS CALLED, UH, WORKS, WORKS IN OPPOSITION TO TOURISM ATTRACTION. 
          THERE'S THE TOURISM ATTRACTION, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, THE FORCES THAT WILL SUSTAIN THE, UM, GULLAH COMMUNITY, UM, THE DEVELOPMENT SEEMS TO BE PUSHING, UM, THE COMMUNITIES, UM, INTO SMALLER AND SMALLER ENCLAVES. 
          I WANT TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE. 
          UM, AND I WILL START, UH, WITH, UM, THE FACT, UH, THE, THE THREE THINGS I WANNA LEAVE YOU WITH IS THE INCREASED AND PRESENT AND ANTICIPATED CLIMATE ACTIVITY IN THIS AREA WITH DISTINCT IMPACT ON THE GULLAH COMMUNITY. 
          UM, SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN FEDERAL DISASTER POLICY, WHICH NEED TO BE COMMUNICATED TO THE GULLAH COMMUNITY, SPECIFIC TO THE GULLAH COMMUNITY, POLICY CHANGES HAVE BEEN MADE SPECIFICALLY TO ADDRESS THE NEEDS AND THE INTEREST OF, UH, GULLAH COMMUNITIES. 
          AND FINALLY, THE AVAILABILITY OF ASSISTANCE TO FAITH-BASED AND COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS. 
          THAT IS, IT IS PROBABLY NOT WELL KNOWN THAT TO THE DEGREE THAT CHURCHES AND LOCAL, UM, COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS GET INVOLVED IN PROVIDING SUPPORT, UH, FOR RECOVERY, UH, THOSE ARE REIMBURSABLE EXPENSES. 
          AND THOSE ORGANIZATIONS WE'RE GOING TO ENCOURAGE TO GET INVOLVED. 
          UM, UH, THE FIRST, UM, PANEL I WANNA SHOW YOU, UH, OF PROBABLY PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT IN THIS BUSINESS, UH, DID NOT SHOW A WHOLE BUNCH OF MAKE, MAKE A BIG NOTE OF THIS STUDY THAT CAME OUT IN 2020. 
          THERE ARE 3,142 COUNTIES IN THE UNITED STATES, AND BECAUSE OF WHAT WE CAN DO WITH DATA 
          [00:55:01]
NOW, UH, THOSE PEOPLE WHO STUDY NATURAL DISASTERS HAVE PULLED TOGETHER VARIOUS CHARACTERISTICS, PUT THEM TOGETHER, AND THEN STR AND THEN, UM, PRODUCED A STUDY ON THE VULNERABILITY OF COMMUNITIES TO NATURAL DISASTERS. 
          AS I SAID BEFORE, THERE'S 3,142 COUNTIES, AND SO THIS INFORMATION WAS PUT TOGETHER BY A WAY OF COUNTIES. 
          I WANT YOU TO TAKE A LOOK AT LINE ONE, BECAUSE LINE ONE IS THE COUNTY THAT WAS FOUND TO BE MOST SUSCEPTIBLE TO NATURAL DISASTERS IN THE UNITED STATES. 
          UH, THAT'S BEAUFORT COUNTY. 
          UM, COTON COUNTY, UM, IS LISTED AS NUMBER FOUR. 
          I STOPPED AT NUMBER 12 BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE I LIVE, UH, JASPER COUNTY. 
          BUT I AM SURE THAT THE VULNERABILITY THAT YOU SEE FOR JASPER COUNTY AND CARLETON COUNTIES, BECAUSE THEY'RE LOCATED NEXT TO BEAUFORT COUNTY. 
          SO I HOPE, UH, WE HAVE YOUR ATTENTION. 
          THIS IS NOT MY OPINION. 
          THIS IS A STUDY THAT IS AVAILABLE TO YOU ON, UM, BEEN, THAT'S BEEN PUBLISHED IN 2020, BUT IT SUGGESTS THAT OVER YEAR, OVER THE NEXT 10 TO 20 YEARS, THE COUNTY THAT IS MORE SUSCEPTIBLE, UH, TO NATURAL DISASTERS, UM, IS BEAUFORT COUNTY, SOUTH CAROLINA. 
          THE REASON I WANTED TO SPEAK TO YOU IS BECAUSE, UH, THE INFORMATION THAT I'VE COME, UH, COME INTO, UH, AT THE VARIOUS CONFERENCES THAT I WORKED AT, UH, BEING AN EX EMERGENCY MANAGER IS KIND OF LIKE BEING AN OLD FIREFIGHTER. 
          UH, YOU MAY BE SITTING AT THE TABLE, BUT YOU HEAR THE SIREN GO BY, UH, YOU SORT OF OUGHT TO GET UP AND GO TO THE DOOR. 
          I'VE BEEN DOING THIS FOR A WHILE. 
          AND SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I DO, EVEN NOW, BECAUSE I STILL AM ACTIVE ENOUGH TO BE INVITED TO CONFERENCES AND MAKE PRESENTATIONS, IS TO TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT THE WEATHER LOOKS LIKE, UM, IS THOSE WHO KNOW ME KNOW THAT THEY GET A NOTE FROM ME FOUR OR FIVE DAYS BEFORE THE, BEFORE THE HURRICANE STARTS, THEY GET A NOTE FROM ME ABOUT THE WIND AND THE WEATHER, AND TO TAKE, TAKE THIS DOWN AND TAKE THIS OUTTA YOUR YARD. 
          UH, I STARTED IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD AN EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, UM, AN EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, UM, UH, ORGANIZATION THAT IS IN CHARGE OF LOOKING AT OUR NEIGHBORHOOD AND MAKING SURE OUR NEIGHBORHOOD IS SAFE. 
          AND I RECENTLY, UM, MADE A PRESENTATION AT, UH, OUR HURRICANE, UM, EXPO, UM, AND JASPER COUNTY. 
          AND IT PULLS TOGETHER ALL OF THE RESPONDERS AND BRING INVITES ALL OF THE NEW NEIGHBORS HERE WHO MOVED HERE FROM OHIO AND WISCONSIN AND NEW JERSEY TO TALK ABOUT WHAT, WHAT REALLY HAPPENS WHEN HURRICANES TAKE PLACE. 
          UM, IF YOU'LL TAKE A LOOK AT THE PANEL ABOVE YOU, EVERYBODY WHO IS IN THIS BUSINESS, THE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT BUSINESS, THINKS THIS IS GONNA BE A YEAR LIKE NONE THAT YOU HAVE SEEN IN THE PAST. 
          AND IF I TELL YOU, BARREL CAME TO US TWO MONTHS EARLY, IT STARTED AS A FIVE AND LANDED IN HOUSTON AS A ONE, BUT IT LEFT PEOPLE WITHOUT ELECTRICITY FOR FIVE OR SIX DAYS. 
          UH, THAT'S NOT A FUN THING IN HOUSTON, ESPECIALLY WHEN THE HEAT INDEX IS 105 AND 106. 
          I HAVE RELATIVES WHO I TALKED TO, AND THEY DID NOT HAVE KIND THINGS TO SAY ABOUT THE IMPACT OF BARRELL. 
          NOW, BARRELL STARTED AS A FIVE, TWO MONTHS EARLIER, BEFORE TWO MONTHS EARLIER THAN WE'VE EVER SEEN A CATEGORY FIVE COME OUT OF THE CARIBBEAN. 
          UM, AND THEY ARE STILL, UM, THEY'RE STILL WORKING ON THE RECOVERY FROM THE FLOODING, UH, IN THE HOUSTON AREA. 
          UM, IF YOU WILL SEE NAMED STORMS, UM, THIS YEAR, UH, COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY, AND THEY WORK WITH NOAH AND OTHER AND, UM, ONE OTHER, UM, THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER. 
          NORMALLY WE WOULD SEE 14 NAMED STORMS. THIS YEAR IT IS PREDICTED WE WOULD SEE 25, UH, ONE OF THEM WAS NAMED DEBBIE STARTED AS A NAMED STORM. 
          IT CAME ASHORE IN FLORIDA. 
          UM, THIS MORNING AS A CATEGORY ONE, IT WILL ARRIVE HERE IN TWO DAYS, AND THE EXPECTED RENT WILL BE SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 12 INCHES AND 30 INCHES. 
          UH, THAT IS A THOUSAND IS A THOUSAND YEAR EVENT. 
          THOSE OF YOU WHO REMEMBER THE LAST THOUSAND YEAR RAIN EVENT, REMEMBER, UH, THERE WERE SECTIONS OF HIGHWAY 95 THAT WERE UNDERWATER SECTIONS OF 17 THAT ARE UNDERWATER. 
          AND FOR THOSE FOLKS WHO HAVE FLOODED FLOODING PROBLEMS, THAT IS WATER THAT COMES UP TO THE EDGE OF THE YARD. 
          WHEN YOU GET FIVE OR SIX INCHES, I'M TELLING YOU, YOU NEED TO BUCKLE IN FOR WHAT YOU'RE ABOUT TO EXPERIENCE OVER THE NEXT FOUR OR FIVE DAYS. 
          IT IS EXPECTED THAT THIS, THAT THE RAIN CLOUDS WILL HANG OVER THIS AREA FOR THREE TO FOUR DAYS. 
          WE WON'T SEE THE END OF THIS UNTIL THURSDAY. 
          UM, MORE IMPORTANTLY, 
          [01:00:01]
I WANT YOU TO TAKE A LOOK AT THE HURRICANE LIST. 
          UM, IT IS PREDICTED THAT WE WILL HAVE 12 HURRICANES, UH, THIS YEAR. 
          NORMALLY THERE ARE ABOUT SEVEN, BUT THEN LET'S GO DOWN TO MAJOR HURRICANES. 
          UM, WE'RE LOOKING AT SIX. 
          NORMALLY THERE ARE ABOUT THREE. 
          UM, BASED ON WHAT OUR PROGNOSTICATORS ARE TELLING US, YOU CAN EXPECT TWO MAJOR HURRICANES ALONG THE ATLANTIC COAST. 
          AND WHEN I SAY MAJOR HURRICANES, I'M TALKING ABOUT A CATEGORY THREE OR ABOVE. 
          UM, WHAT WE'LL BE GOING THROUGH OVER THE NEXT THREE DAYS IS NOT EVEN A HURRICANE, IT'S A TROPICAL STORM. 
          UM, AND SO IT'S MILDER THAN WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT TO HAPPEN OVER THE REST OF THESE, UH, OVER THE REST OF THIS PERIOD. 
          THE REASON REALLY THAT I WANT TO TALK TO YOU IS BECAUSE WHAT THE GULLAH COMMUNITY NEEDS TO KNOW IS THAT THERE HAS BEEN A MAJOR CHANGE IN FEDERAL POLICY WITH RESPECT TO, UH, DISASTER RESPONSE. 
          ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WRESTLED WITH WHILE I WORKED FOR FEMA WAS THE FACT THAT THERE WERE DIFFERENT, UM, RATES OF RECOVERY AFTER HURRICANE. 
          MINORITY COMMUNITIES SEEMED TO RECOVER MORE SLOWLY AND LESS WEALTH THAN OTHER, UH, OTHER, UH, SEGMENTS OF THE COMMUNITIES WHERE DISASTERS TOOK PLACE. 
          WE HAVE NOW, UH, DOCUMENTED THAT THE MORE MONEY FEMA PUMPED INTO A DISASTER AREA, THE, THE LARGER THE WEALTH GAP BETWEEN BLACK AND WHITE COMMUNITIES GREW. 
          THAT IS THE BLACK COMMUNITY ACTUALLY LOST MONEY WHILE THE WHITE COMMUNITY GAINED IN WEALTH. 
          AS A RESULT OF THE PROCESS, THE FEDERAL PROCESS FACED WITH THIS COMMUNITY THING FIRST CAME BACK WITH WE DO NOT DISCRIMINATE ON A RACIAL BASIS. 
          UM, BUT GUESS WHAT WAS AT, AT THE BASE OF THIS? WHAT WAS AT THE BASE OF THIS WAS WHAT SOMETHING THAT SEEMED TO MAKE A LOT OF SENSE AFTER, UH, KATRINA AND I DID WORK ON THE KATRINA TASK FORCE. 
          THERE WAS SO MUCH, UM, FRAUD IN THE REAL ESTATE, FIVE AND SIX PEOPLE CLAIMING THE SAME BUILDING COMING IN AND FILING DOCUMENTS SAYING, THIS IS MY PLACE, OR THIS IS MY PLACE. 
          OR RENTING, UM, SAYING THAT THEY NEEDED A TRAILER, AND WHEN THE TRAILER CAME IN, THEY WOULD PUT IT IN THE YARD AND RENT IT TO SOMEBODY ELSE. 
          WHEN WE WENT TO, UH, CONGRESS TO TALK ABOUT HOW MUCH MONEY WE'D SPENT, CONGRESS SAID, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO DO BETTER THAN THIS. 
          UH, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE, HAVE TO ASK PEOPLE FOR A DEED OR A WILL OR SOMETHING, UH, BEFORE YOU START HANDING THEM OUR MONEY. 
          AND SO AFTER KATRINA, IT BECAME FEMA POLICY THAT IN ORDER TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR FEMA ASSISTANCE, UH, FOR RECOVERY, YOU HAD TO PRODUCE A DEED OR, UM, OR WILL. 
          AND SO YOU CAN, I'M SURE YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT THE IMPACT WAS. 
          UM, FOR AT LEAST A THIRD OF THE AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY IN THE SOUTH, OF COURSE, UH, OUR PROPERTY WAS TRANSFERRED INFORMALLY. 
          AND SO THERE WAS NO DEED, UH, THERE WAS NO WILL. 
          AND SO ONE THIRD OF THE AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY AND, UM, WAS NOT ELIGIBLE FOR FEMA SUPPORT. 
          UH, NOW, UH, FEMA HAS CHANGED THAT POLICY. 
          THEY CHANGED IT IN SEPTEMBER OF 2001. 
          UH, IT BECAME EFFECTIVE IN AUGUST OF 2001. 
          IF YOU CAN SHOW, UH, THAT YOU'RE PAYING THE TAX BILL ON THAT PROPERTY, OR YOU CAN SHOW THAT YOU LIVED THERE, AND THE WAY YOU PROVE IT'S BY SHOWING IF IMPROVEMENTS WERE MADE, YOU PAID FOR THOSE IMPROVEMENTS. 
          OR IF YOU CAN GET A GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL TO VERIFY IN A LETTER THAT YOU IN FACT LIVE THERE AND RESPONSIBLE FOR THE UPKEEP, YOU WILL NOW WILL BE ELIGIBLE, UH, FOR THE FEMA RESOURCES. 
          NOW, THAT'S $42,500 TO MOST FOLKS IN TERMS OF MOVING TOWARD, UM, UM, MAKING THEIR HOMES HABITABLE. 
          BUT IT IS WORTH MILLIONS. 
          IT'S WORTH HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS NOW THAT PEOPLE CAN ACTUALLY GO IN AND CLAIM, UM, UH, CLAIM, UH, ELIGIBILITY, FEMA RESPONSE, AND NATURAL AND MANMADE DISASTERS. 
          UM, THERE IS A PROBLEM. 
          YOU CAN SEE HURRICANES, BUT RIGHT NOW, IT, UH, WHAT, UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S NOT LISTED THERE, BUT NOW NEEDS TO BE LISTED IS HEAT. 
          UM, AT THE LAST, UM, CONFERENCE I WENT TO IN WASHINGTON, DC, UH, IT WAS PRETTY WARM. 
          AND, UM, WE WERE TALKING TO, UM, THE DEPUTY OF EPA AND SHE SAID, YOU THINK THIS IS WARM. 
          GENTLEMEN, I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT THIS IS THE COOLEST SUMMER YOU'RE GONNA SEE OVER THE NEXT 10 YEARS. 
          IT DOES. 
          IT ONLY GETS HOTTER FROM HERE. 
          IT DOESN'T GET COOLER. 
          AND WHEN WE TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT THE HEAT IMPACT IS GOING TO BE, IT HAS A CLEAR IMPACT ON AREAS LIKE THIS, PARTICULARLY FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE TO WORK IN THE OUTSIDE. 
          BUT MORE THAN THAT, THIS IS HAPPENING AT THE SAME TIME. 
          ELECTRICITY COSTS WILL BE GOING UP. 
          AND FOR THOSE PEOPLE WHO ARE BURDENED WITH 
          [01:05:01]
HIGH COST OF ELECTRICITY, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE REALLY, UH, NEED TO TAKE A LOOK AT. 
          IT'S GOOD. 
          UM, SO, UM, HEAT OR SOMETHING. 
          ALSO, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT IS NOT TALKED ABOUT, BUT NEEDS TO BE CONSIDERED IS GIVEN THE AMOUNT OF RAIN AND THE AMOUNT OF MOISTURE THAT YOU WILL SEE, GROUND LEVEL WATER IS BEGINNING TO RISE. 
          THAT HAS A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON PEOPLE WHO, UM, UH, IT HAS A SIGNIFICANT, UH, UH, IMPACT ON PEOPLE WHO RELY ON SEPTIC TANKS. 
          UH, YOU CAN EXPECT A LOT OF PRESSURE ON SEPTIC TANKS AND SUED SYSTEMS, UH, THROUGHOUT THIS AREA. 
          THERE WILL BE AN INCREASED COST OF FLOOD INSURANCE AND HOU AND HOME INSURANCE. 
          UH, THERE WILL BE LOST DAYS, UH, TO HEAT. 
          SO THOSE ARE THINGS I WANTED TO BRING TO YOUR ATTENTION AND YOU SHOULD BE THINKING ABOUT. 
          I WANT TO SPEND A MINUTE TALKING ABOUT FEMA AND HOW FEMA OPERATES. 
          HAVING TOLD YOU THAT I NO LONGER WORK FOR FEMA, I DO JUST WANT TO TALK ABOUT HOW IT WORKS, BECAUSE PEOPLE THINK THAT, UH, ONCE THERE'S A STORM, FEMA SHOWS UP AND, UH, AND YOU JUST, UH, APPLY FOR BENEFIT AND YOU GET YOUR MONEY. 
          THAT'S NOT THE WAY IT WORKS. 
          THERE'S SOMETHING CALLED THE STAFFORD STAFFORD ACT. 
          FEMA CANNOT ENTER A STATE UNLESS THE GOVERNOR DECLARES AN EMERGENCY. 
          AND THEN THE GOVERNOR, GOVERNOR REPORTS TO THE REGIONAL DIRECTOR, UH, AND PRESI, AND PROVIDES THE DOCUMENTATION THAT THEY ARE EXPENSES THAT EXCEED THE NORMAL EXPENSES IN THE STATE. 
          THE PRESIDENT THEN CAN DECLARE A MAJOR DISASTER. 
          ONCE HE DOES THAT, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT BECOMES RESPONSIBLE FOR A MINIMUM OF 75% OF THE RECOVERY COSTS. 
          THOSE, THE PROGRAMS THAT GET KICKED INTO, UH, INTO ACTION OR, OR INDIVIDUAL ASSISTANCE, PUBLIC ASSISTANCE, AND A MITIGATION PROGRAM. 
          THE INDIVIDUAL ASSISTANCE MEANS THAT AN INDIVIDUAL CAN GO ONLINE OR CAN GO INTO AN OPERATION CENTER AND APPLY FOR BENEFITS, AND THE ELIGIBILITY WILL BE DETERMINED. 
          AND DEPENDING ON WHAT YOU'RE ELIGIBLE FOR, UP TO $42,500 CAN BE PROVIDED. 
          FEMA DOES NOT PUT YOU IN THE POSITION YOU WERE IN, BUT IT PUTS YOU IN THE POSITION TO GO BACK TO WORK AND TO MAKE YOUR HOME HABITABLE. 
          AND THERE ARE SOME INSTANCES IN WHICH, UH, THE $42,000 OR UP TO $42,000 IS AWARDED OVER AND ABOVE. 
          UH, YOUR INSURANCE FEMA'S REALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR UNINSURED DAMAGES. 
          UH, IF YOU ARE UNINSURED, THAT'S ONE THING. 
          UM, BUT IF YOU'RE UNDERINSURED, THE NEW POLICY AT FEMA, THE OLD POLICY WAS, LET'S JUST SAY $42,500 WAS THE AMOUNT THAT YOU WERE ELIGIBLE FOR. 
          IF THE INSURANCE COMPANY GAVE YOU $42,500, FEMA WOULD GIVE YOU NOTHING. 
          THEY WOULD SAY, YOU'RE COVERED. 
          BUT NOW THE CHANGE IS IF THERE'S EXCESS DAMAGE OVER AND ABOVE YOUR INSURE YOUR INSURED DAMAGE, YOU CAN STILL PARTICIPATE UP TO THAT $42,500. 
          AND THAT'S A SIGNIFICANT CHANGE. 
          YES, SIR. 
          YES. 
          UH, BEFORE YOU GOT TOO FAR AWAY FROM THAT, UM, I SAW ALSO, TOO, CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, UH, THE PROCESS? YOU SAID THAT THEY DON'T HAVE TO DOCUMENT WHETHER IT'S HEIRS PROPERTY OR IF IT'S OWNERSHIP OR, UH, ON HE'S PROPERTY. 
          UM, THERE HAS BEEN A SPECIFIC CHANGE IN THAT. 
          LET ME JUST SEE IF I DO GO INTO IT A LITTLE BIT MORE. 
          PANEL IN MIND. 
          PANEL, UM, OKAY, I'LL TALK ABOUT IT HERE. 
          UM, WHEN THERE WAS DAMAGE TO THE HOUSE, IF THE HOUSE BECAME UNINHABITABLE, OR IF THERE WAS DAMAGE AND YOU WERE LOOKING FOR, UH, REIMBURSEMENT FOR SOME OF THE DAMAGES IN THE PAST, YOU WOULD HAVE TO, YOU WOULD HAVE TO PROVIDE TO FEMA PROOF OF OWNERSHIP, BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE RENTERS SOMETIMES, AND THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, IF YOU ARE A RENTER, YOU'RE NOT ELIGIBLE FOR THE MONEY TO RE, UH, TO, UH, REPAIR SOMEBODY ELSE'S HOUSE. 
          SOME PEOPLE GET THAT. 
          THEY GET THAT. 
          SO, UM, UM, MIXED UP. 
          THEY ARE ELIGIBLE FOR DAMAGE TO THEIR PERSONAL PROPERTY, BUT NOT TO THE HOME THAT BELONGS TO SOMEBODY ELSE. 
          SO YOU HAD TO PROVIDE TO FEMA DOCUMENTATION SHOWING THAT YOU OWNED THE HOUSE, YOU HAD A DEED TO THE HOUSE, OR THAT THERE WAS YOURS BY INHERITANCE AS AN HEIR. 
          UH, YOU HAD TO HAVE AN INSURABLE INTEREST, BASICALLY. 
          UH, NOW, AND BECAUSE IT BECAME CLEAR, UH, THAT THAT WAS EXCLUDING BLACK PEOPLE WHO LIVED AND WHO LIVED, UH, AND WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR PROPERTY, THEY HAVE BASICALLY JUST CHANGED THAT, THAT, THAT, UM, POLICY. 
          UH, IF YOU CAN, AS I SAID BEFORE, IF YOU CAN COME IN AND SHOW THAT YOU LIVE THERE, IF YOU'VE PAID TAXES ON THE, ON THE PLACE, UM, IF YOU HAVE MADE MAJOR IMPROVEMENTS TO THE PLACE, OR YOU CAN GET SOMEONE TO DOCUMENT THE FACT THAT YOU HAVE LIVED THERE OVER A CERTAIN PERIOD OF TIME AND YOU'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR IT, THEN FEMA WILL ACCEPT THAT AS DOCUMENTATION, AND YOU WILL BE ELIGIBLE FOR THE SAME BENEFITS THAT A PROPERTY OWNER WOULD BE ENTITLED TO IF THEY BROUGHT, UH, IF 
          [01:10:01]
THEY, IF THEY BROUGHT, UM, UH, THE DEED TO THE HOUSE, UM, THAT SHOULD NOT BE MISTAKEN FOR THE RENTER HAVING A RIGHT TO BE PAID FOR DAMAGES TO THE, TO, TO SOMEONE ELSE'S PROPERTY. 
          BUT IF THE RENTER HAS DAMAGE TO PERSONAL PROPERTY, THEY ARE ELIGIBLE FOR REIMBURSEMENT, UH, AND SUPPORT. 
          UM, SO, UM, AND DID I ANSWER, DID I ANSWER YOUR QUESTION SUFFICIENTLY? YEAH. 
          I JUST WANTED, IF YOU TO KIND OF REEMPHASIZE THAT, UH, AND I JUST WANNA TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE REFORMS, UH, THAT FEMA HAS MADE. 
          THEY'VE ESTABLISHED, UH, A NEW PROGRAM. 
          UM, THE PROBLEM WITH EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT POLICY IN THE PAST, IT'S BEEN THE PERSON SITTING THERE WRITING THAT POLICY IS TYPICALLY A PERSON WHO HAS A COLLEGE DEGREE AND HAS A CREDIT CARD IN THEIR BACK POCKET. 
          AND SO THEY CAN SAY TO YOU, UH, WHAT YOU NEED TO DO IS SET ASIDE ENOUGH FOOD FOR THREE OR FOUR DAYS, UM, GET IN THE, OR GET IN THE CAR, DRIVE TO A HOTEL, PLOP DOWN THE CREDIT CARD, AND, UM, WE'LL BE THERE IN A COUPLE OF, WE'LL BE THERE IN A MONTH, AND WE'LL GET YOU REIMBURSED. 
          WELL, UM, THE PEOPLE WHO ARE WRITING THOSE POLICIES NEED TO STAND IN LINE AT WALMART, UH, JUST BEFORE HURRICANE, AND THEY'LL FIND OUT THAT THEY'RE NOT THREE OR FOUR, THREE OR FOUR DAYS WORTH OF NON-PERISHABLE FOODS IN THE, UH, IN THE PANTRY. 
          AND IN, AND PARTICULARLY IF THAT HURRICANE IS COMING TOWARD END OF THE MONTH, THERE'S HARDLY ANYTHING, UH, IN THE PANTRY. 
          SO, UH, THERE ARE PEOPLE WITHOUT CREDIT CARDS AND WITHOUT, UH, UH, WITHOUT DEBIT CARDS AND CAN'T PLOP 'EM DOWN AT THE LOCAL HOTEL. 
          SO, WHEN I DID MY FIRST STUDY ON WHY THE, UM, WHY THE GULET DO NOT , UH, EVACUATE, I REMEMBER ASKING A, A LADY WHO'S A LITTLE OLDER THAT I AM, UH, WHY SHE DIDN'T EVACUATE. 
          SHE SAID, SIR, WHERE AM I GONNA GO? AND I THOUGHT ABOUT THAT FOR A MINUTE, AND I DID NOT HAVE AN ANSWER. 
          AS A MATTER OF FACT, UNTIL, UH, LAST YEAR, BEAUFORT COUNTY DID NOT HAVE A GOVERNMENT SPONSORED PLACE FOR YOU TO EVACUATE. 
          TWO, UH, THEY JUST ENTERED INTO A CONTRACT WITH JASPER COUNTY SO THAT YOU NOW HAVE A PLACE TO, UM, EVACUATE TWO. 
          AND SO, UH, THE ASSUMPTION THAT YOU HAVE A CAR, UH, THAT'S WORKING AND WALK, WORKING ORDER, ALL YOU GOTTA DO IS LOAD FOLKS UP AND DRIVE UP TO, UH, DRIVE UP TO, UM, A HOTEL. 
          NOW, I DO KNOW, BECAUSE I'VE BEEN HERE FOR AT LEAST ONE HURRICANE, THAT IN THE SECOND DAY OF THE HURRICANE WARNING, EVERYTHING BETWEEN HERE AND TENNESSEE IS RENTED, AND YOU CAN'T JUST JUMP IN THE CAR AND DRIVE. 
          WELL, THIS NEW PROGRAM THAT, UH, FEMA HAS PUT IN PLACE, UM, ESTABLISHING SERIOUS NEEDS ASSISTANCE, IF YOU CAN ESTABLISH, UH, ACCURATELY YOUR RESIDENCE, UM, YOU CAN, AND, AND YOUR STATE PARTICIPATES IN THIS PROGRAM, FEMA WILL JUST SEND YOU $750 TO GET YOU STARTED. 
          NOW, THAT GETS PAST A BARRIER THAT FOLKS HAVE HAD IN THE PAST. 
          UH, THERE'S SOMETHING THAT'S CALLED ESTABLISHING DISPLACEMENT ASSISTANCE. 
          UH, THE WAY THIS WORKS IS IF YOU CAN ESTABLISH THE FACT THAT YOUR HOUSE IS NOT HABITABLE, AND FEMA HAS WAYS OF CHECKING ON IT, ONCE YOU GIVE THEM YOUR, THE DETAILS OF WHERE YOU LIVE, UM, OR THAT YOUR UTILITIES HAVE BEEN OUT OVER A CERTAIN PERIOD OF TIME, YOU ARE ELIGIBLE FOR FEMA. 
          WHAT FEMA WILL DO IN MOST CASES, UH, IS THEY WILL PULL UP A SCREEN AND SAY, OKAY, THIS IS WHERE YOU LIVE. 
          I'M GONNA GIVE YOU A LIST OF HOTELS THAT WE HAVE AGREEMENTS WITH. 
          UH, HOW MANY ROOMS DO YOU NEED? IF YOU GET THERE, THEY WILL HAVE A VOUCHER, UM, AND THEY WILL BE PAID, UH, FOR YOUR, UH, FOR THE TIME THAT YOU ARE, UH, IN THE, IN THE HOTEL. 
          UH, ONE OF THE REASONS PEOPLE HAVE PROBLEMS APPLYING FOR THESE BENEFITS, AM I, UH, IS THERE TIME PRESSURE? I JUST NEED TO KNOW, UH, UH, TIME PRESSURE. 
          OH, CAN I, GOING THROUGH THIS? OH, UM, I THINK, I THINK YOU'RE FINE. 
          RIGHT NOW. 
          WHEN PEOPLE DID THEIR LOAN APPLICATIONS IN THE PAST, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HAPPENED WITH THE FEMA APPLICATION WAS YOU'VE GOTTA SOMETHING THAT SAYS YOU HAVE TO, YOU HAVE TO APPLY TO, UH, UH, THE, THE BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION, UH, AND FOR A LOAN. 
          AND PEOPLE WOULD LOOK AT THIS AND SAY, NOT ONLY DO I NOT WANT A LOAN, I CAN'T AFFORD A LOAN, AND I DON'T KNOW WHY I'M GOING THROUGH THIS. 
          THAT REQUIREMENT HAS BEEN ELIMINATED. 
          YOU NO LONGER HAVE TO APPLY TO SBA, UH, BEFORE YOU'RE ELIGIBLE, UM, FOR A, A LOAN. 
          UH, THE UNDERINSURED SURVIVORS, AS I SAID BEFORE, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S HAPPENING NOW IS THAT IF YOU ARE UNDERINSURED, ONCE YOU'VE BEEN PAID, UH, PAID FOR YOUR INSURANCE, YOU, THE HOME IS STILL UNINHABITABLE, OR THERE'S STILL NEEDS, YOU CAN STILL DIP INTO THAT, THAT 42 5, UH, THAT'S AVAILABLE, UH, ENTREPRENEURS. 
          SO ONE OF THE ISSUES THAT HAS ARISEN MORE RECENTLY IS MANY PEOPLE ARE WORKING FROM HOME. 
          AND SO THERE'S A DIFFICULTY IN SEPARATING OUT WHAT IS A BUSINESS EXPENSE AND WHAT IS A HOME EXPENSE. 
          NOW, FEMA WILL TAKE A LOOK AT THE REPLACING THE COMPUTER OR WHATEVER IT IS THAT'S IN THE HOUSE, AND TAKE IT AS, UH, SO THAT YOU CAN DO THE, THE, THE, THE, THE HOME BUSINESS EXPENSE. 
          [01:15:01]
UM, EXPANDING THE HABITABILITY CRITERIA. 
          THIS IS IMPORTANT. 
          UM, UM, IF YOU HAD PROBLEMS WITH YOUR HOMES, THERE'S A HOLE IN THE ROOF BEFORE THE STORM, UH, AND THE INSPECTOR SHOWED UP AND, AND THE INSPECTOR SAID, YOU KNOW, IT LOOKS LIKE THAT HOLE WAS THERE BEFORE THE STORM. 
          UM, WE CAN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT THAT. 
          THE CRITERIA NOW IS WHATEVER'S NECESSARY TO MAKE THE HOME HABITABLE. 
          UM, THE, IT DOESN'T MATTER WHEN THE DAMAGE WAS DONE, UM, THAT, UM, IT CAN BE INCLUDED IN, IN THE, THE REIMBURSEMENT OR THE COMPENSATION ACCESSIBILITY IMPROVEMENTS IF YOU HAVE A HANDICAP THAT CAN BE RECOGNIZED OR DOCUMENTED, AND IN ORDER TO MAKE THE HOUSE MORE HABITABLE AS YOU DO YOUR REPAIRS, YOU WANT TO ADD SOME, YOU WANT, MAYBE YOU NEED TO ADD A RAMP, A RAMP, OR YOU NEED TO WIDEN THE DOOR, OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, THAT CAN BE WORKED INTO THE APPLICATION AND WILL BE TAKING, UH, CARE OF. 
          UM, THERE HAVE, I WORKED IN ONE OF THESE CENTERS THAT TOOK THESE CALLS, SO I'M SPEAKING A LITTLE BIT FROM EXPERIENCE. 
          UH, WE ASKED PEOPLE FOR DOCUMENTATION. 
          PEOPLE SAY, HOW DO YOU, WHAT DO YOU WANT DOCUMENTATION ABOUT HOUSES UNDERWATER? UM, AND I WILL NOT HAVE THE DOCUMENTS UNTIL, AS A MATTER OF FACT, UH, THE DOCUMENTS MAY HAVE WASHED AWAY, SO IT'S GONNA TAKE A LITTLE TIME TO PUT IT TOGETHER. 
          THAT HAS ALWAYS BEEN A PROBLEM FOR LATE APPLICATIONS. 
          UH, THE, UH, FEMA WEBSITE SAYS, NOW THEY ARE REMOVING THOSE BARRIERS. 
          UH, WHAT, HOW THEY'RE, HOW THEY ARE REMOVING IT. 
          UM, UH, I, I DON'T KNOW, BECAUSE I DON'T WORK, I DON'T WORK THERE ANYMORE. 
          BUT I HAVE GONE THROUGH, UH, SOME IMPORTANT IMPROVEMENTS, UH, IN THE WAY THAT, UM, UM, FEMA NOW OPERATES. 
          THEY'VE IMPROVED THEIR, UH, THEIR WEBSITE. 
          UM, AND LET'S SEE. 
          THEY'VE IMPROVED THEIR WEBSITE. 
          THEY SAY THEY'RE MAKING IT EASIER. 
          UM, IN THE END, I WANNA MAKE A, A DISTINCTION BETWEEN INDIVIDUAL ASSISTANCE, PUBLIC ASSISTANCE, AND MITIGATION. 
          IT'S THREE DIFFERENT PROGRAMS THAT FEMA RUNS. 
          THE INDIVIDUAL ASSISTANCE, OF COURSE, IS, IS WHAT YOU AND YOUR FAMILY ARE ELIGIBLE FOR, AND YOU GO DIRECTLY TO FEMA. 
          PUBLIC ASSISTANCE IS THE LIBRARY, UH, THE ROAD, THE COURTHOUSE. 
          IF DAMAGE WAS DONE THERE, THEN THE, THE GOVERNMENT SPECIFICALLY APPLIES TO FEMA FOR REIMBURSEMENT. 
          UH, AND THAT'S NOT SOMETHING ON AN INDIVIDUAL BASIS. 
          AND FINALLY, THERE'S SOMETHING CALLED MITIGATION. 
          FEMA ALSO GIVES GRANTS TO TOWNS, UH, COUNTIES. 
          UH, IF YOU CAN POINT TO, UH, A VULNERABILITY AND YOU SAY, UM, OUR BRIDGE, UM, OUR BRIDGE WAS, UM, WAS DAMAGED, BUT WE CAN FIND A WAY TO IMPROVE, UM, THE STRENGTH OF THAT BRIDGE, OR IF WE CAN MAKE, WE CAN PUT IN SOME IMPROVEMENTS THAT WOULD LIMIT THE DAMAGE OF, OF FLOODING IN THIS AREA. 
          UH, THAT'S MITIGATION. 
          AND FEMA ALSO HAS GRANTS THAT THE COUNTY CAN APPLY FOR, OR THE TOWN CAN APPLY FOR. 
          THAT HAS TO DO WITH MITIGATION, WHICH IS PREVENTING, UM, IT LOOKS LIKE IF, IF YOU, IF WE SPEND SOME MONEY ON IT NOW, IT'LL SAVE US MONEY IN THE LONG TERM, THEN THAT KIND OF, OF, UH, SUPPORT IS AVAILABLE. 
          UM, THE, THE LAST POINT, WELL, THE, THE, THE LAST OF TWO POINTS THAT I WANT TO MAKE IS THAT, UM, THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY HAS A FAITH-BASED AND NEIGHBORHOOD PARTNERSHIPS OFFICE. 
          UH, AND THE PURPOSE OF THAT OFFICE IS TO WORK DIRECTLY WITH FAITH, FAITH-BASED ORGANIZATIONS AND COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS, UH, TO HELP THEM BECOME PART OF A DISASTER RECOVERY, UH, NETWORK. 
          UM, IF THOSE ORGANIZATIONS, FOR INSTANCE, ARE KEEPING FOOD OR PROVIDING SHELTER, UM, OR EVEN EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS, UM, THEN THIS OFFICE IS, THIS OFFICE WORKS DIRECTLY WITH THOSE, WITH THOSE ORGANIZATIONS, UH, TO MAKE SURE THEY'RE REIMBURSED AND TO HELP THEM UNDERSTAND HOW THEY CAN WORK WITH THE COMMUNITY, UH, TO SPEED UP RECOVERY. 
          THE, THE, THE, THE HEAD OF THE ORGANIZATION, THE HEAD OF THAT PARTICULAR OFFICE, MARCUS COLEMAN, IS SOMEONE WHO I'VE KNOWN NOW FOR ABOUT 15 YEARS. 
          AND I'VE THOUGHT ABOUT ASKING MARCUS TO COME TO THIS AREA, TO SPEAK TO THE CHURCH, TO SPEAK TO OUR RELIGIOUS COMMUNITY. 
          UH, IT HAS BEEN SUGGESTED TO ME THAT IF WE WANT TO DO THAT, WE SHOULD HOLD THE, UH, MEETING. 
          AND, UM, IN WILMINGTON AND CHARLESTON AND SAVANNAH OR JACKSONVILLE, I HAVE CONTACTED THE HEAD OF THE GULLAH GEECHEE, UM, THE GULLAH GEECHEE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE TO SEE IF WE CAN GO AHEAD AND PUT THAT TOGETHER. 
          BUT, UH, THE DIRECT THAT, THAT, THAT 
          [01:20:01]
OFFICE, UH, HAS AN EIGHT HOUR PROGRAM FOR THOSE, UH, FAITH-BASED COMMUNITY OR FAITH-BASED, OR COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE INTERESTED IN KNOWING HOW TO BE MORE INVOLVED, UH, AND TO GET INVOLVED IN THAT, IN THAT EFFORT. 
          THIS IS JUST A SHEET ON HOW TO APPLY FOR FEMA ASSISTANCE. 
          ACTUALLY, YOU CAN HAVE A FEMA, UH, APP IF YOU WANT TO, OR YOUR PHONE, UH, BUT YOU CAN APPLY BY PHONE, BY PERSON, BY MAIL, OR BY FAX. 
          I CAN TELL YOU THAT MOST PEOPLE PICK UP THE PHONE AND CALL, AND THEY GET THEIR ACCOUNT SET UP, AND THAT'S HOW THE, AND THEN THEY WORK WITH SOMEONE ON THE END OF THAT PHONE, UH, FOR, UH, UM, FOR THEIR ASSISTANCE. 
          UM, I HAVE NOT SPOKEN TO WHAT IS THE BIGGEST ISSUE, I THINK IN, UM, THE GULLAH COMMUNITY AND THE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT. 
          THE BIGGEST ISSUE I FOUND WAS THE ABSENCE OF CULTURALLY APPROPRIATE COMMUNICATIONS. 
          AND WHAT I MEAN BY THAT IS HOW DO YOU ACTUALLY GET THEM, GET THE INFORMATION TO PEOPLE WHO NEED IT? I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT THE HEAD OF ORGANIZATIONS. 
          I'M TALKING ABOUT PEOPLE WHO DO NOT TRUST THE GOVERNMENT AND WHO DO NOT TRUST THE GOVERNMENT FOR A REASON. 
          UH, AND THEY ALL WILL. 
          UH, FIRST OF ALL, THERE'S A COMMUNICATIONS NETWORK THAT THEY'RE NOT PART OF. 
          THEY'RE NOT WATCHING CNN ON A REGULAR BASIS. 
          UM, AND YOU CAN SHOW UP, AND IT DOESN'T MATTER THE COLOR OF YOUR SKIN, I WILL TELL YOU NOW, BUT IF YOU SAY, I'M HERE FROM THE GOVERNMENT AND I'M HERE TO HELP YOU, THAT'S THE END OF THE CONVERSATION AS FAR AS THEY'RE CONCERNED. 
          AND SO THE INFORMATION HAS TO BE CULTURALLY APPROPRIATE AND HAS TO COME TO THE COMMUNITY THROUGH THOSE PERSONS WHO THEY TRUST. 
          UM, AND THAT IS A PROBLEM I HAVE, UH, I HAVE MANY SCARS ON MY BACK FROM TRYING TO, UH, EXPLAIN THAT, UH, TO FEMA. 
          UH, FEMA HAS NOW, UM, PRETTY MUCH MOVED TOWARD UNDERSTANDING THAT. 
          AND I WILL TELL YOU THAT AS A RESULT OF SOME OF THE EFFORTS THAT WE HAD, THE, UH, HEAD OF REGION FOUR DESIGNATED A PERSON SPECIFICALLY IN ATLANTA, WHOSE RESPONSIBILITY IS TO RESPOND TO ANY PARTICULAR ISSUES THAT I RAISED OR OTHERS RAISED THAT HAVE TO DO WITH THE GULLAH COMMUNITY, UH, LAST SPOKE TO HER, UM, LAST WEEK. 
          UH, AND I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT IF WE CAN IDENTIFY ISSUES SPECIFIC TO THE GULLAH COMMUNITY THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE ADDRESSED, AT LEAST WE HAVE SOMEONE WE CAN CALL, UH, WHO IS IN THE OFFICE OF THE REGIONAL ADMINISTRATOR, WHO WILL, UM, WHO WILL HELP US MARSH FOR RESOURCES AND WHO'S ANXIOUS TO BE HELPFUL, IF AT ALL POSSIBLE. 
          SO, UM, THAT, UM, THAT, UH, IT CAN, UH, THAT IS, UM, MY PRESENTATION. 
          IF THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS I MIGHT ASK, I'LL GO AHEAD AND TAKE THOSE QUESTIONS. 
          OTHERWISE, I'LL SIT BACK. 
          QUESTIONS FOR MR. HOLLIS? YES, MR. HINTS THAT IT WAS AN EXCELLENT PRESENTATION, AND THANK YOU. 
          AND, UM, WONDERFUL SOURCE OF RESOURCES. 
          UM, WHAT WOULD, WHAT WOULD, WOULD, KNOWING THAT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE HERE FOR THE GULLAH GEECHEE COMMUNITY, WHAT WOULD YOUR ADVICE BE FOR, FOR US AND OUR STAFF TO, TO BE BETTER PREPARED ON THE COMMUNICATION ASPECT? UM, IF, IF AND WHEN WE HAVE A DISASTER? UH, THERE ARE A COUPLE THINGS THAT OCCURRED TO ME. 
          UH, ONE IS YOU, LIKE MOST TOWNS AND COUNTIES WILL HAVE SOMEBODY WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR FLOOD, FLOOD PLAIN MANAGEMENT. 
          UM, AND I CAN TELL YOU THAT THIS YEAR IS GONNA BE A HELL OF A YEAR FOR FOLKS WHO ARE LOCATED IN FLOODPLAINS HERE. 
          I'LL SAY TO YOU NOW, IF YOU SAW THE WATER COME UP TO THE EDGE OF YOUR YARD LAST YEAR, YOU'RE GONNA SEE IT COME UP TO YOUR DOOR AND INTO THE HOUSE THIS YEAR. 
          UNLESS THERE HAVE BEEN IMPROVEMENTS, UH, THIS IS NOT FUNNY, BUT I WAS TALKING TO SOMEONE WHO WORKS FOR FEMA WHO LIVES IN THIS AREA, , AND I WAS, UH, WE NOW HAVE MAPS THAT YOU CAN PUT INNER DATA INTO, AND WE, WE WILL BE ABLE TO PREDICT HOW CLOSE THE WATER WILL COME TO YOUR HOUSE WITHIN 30 FEET. 
          OKAY? SO WE HAVE THOSE MAPS IN PLACE, AND I WAS DISCUSSING JUST THIS MORNING WITH SOMEONE, UM, WHO, UH, SAID, I, I'M JUST GONNA TELL YOU, WE'RE LOOKING FOR 12 TO 30 INCHES, UH, AND THAT IS A THOUSAND YEAR EVENT. 
          AND SHE GOT OFF THE PHONE AND TRIED TO CALL HER BACK LATER, AND SHE DIDN'T ANSWER THE PHONE. 
          AND WHEN SHE FINALLY COME BACK, I SAID, UH, I TRIED TO GET YOU BACK. 
          SHE SAYS, I, I WAS OUT IN THE YARD CLEARING SOME THINGS AND DIGGING SOME DITCHES BECAUSE I WANT THIS WATER TO RUN THROUGH MY YARD OR TO MY NEIGHBOR'S YARD. 
          MM-HMM. 
          UH, I, IF I GAVE YOU ALL THE NAME, YOU KNOW WHO I'M TALKING ABOUT. 
          BUT SHE WENT OUT TO MAKE SURE THAT WHEN THIS FLOODING STARTS OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS, IT'S NOT GOING TO END UP IN HER HOUSE. 
          IT'S GONNA, UH, IT'S, SHE'S DIGGING TRENCHES TO MAKE 
          [01:25:01]
SURE RUNS ON THROUGH HER YARD. 
          BUT SOME PEOPLE ARE GONNA BE FACING THAT. 
          I'M SORRY. 
          UH, UH, AND SO ONE OF THE ISSUES THAT IS IMPORTANT IS YOU'VE GOT, UH, YOU'VE GOT THE COMMUNITIES IDENTIFY. 
          ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WOULD HOPE ONE COULD DO IS TO SIT DOWN WITH YOUR FLOODPLAIN MANAGER TO SEE THE DEGREE TO WHICH THE FLOODPLAIN LEVELS ARE IMPORTANT IN YOUR COMMUNITY. 
          BECAUSE I CAN TELL YOU FLOODING IS GONNA BE A BIG, BIG ISSUE THIS YEAR. 
          UH, AND YOU CAN, UH, YOU CAN PUT TOGETHER A MITIGATION GRANT. 
          UM, THERE ARE TWO PLACES WHERE YOU CAN GO TO GET THE MONEY. 
          THE TOWN CAN GET THE MONEY, UM, BOTH. 
          ONE IS AN EPA, UH, WHERE THERE'S AN ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE GROUP THAT LOOKS AT WHERE, WHERE THE, UH, IMPACT IS ON LOW INCOME OR QUOTE, VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES. 
          THEY HAVE A GRANT THERE. 
          THEY ALSO HAVE THE GRANTS AT FEMA, IF YOU HAVE A LONG TERM PLAN FOR ADDRESSING THE PARTICULAR PROBLEMS. UH, AND JUST AS AN ASIDE, UM, WITHIN THE GULLAH COMMUNITY, ONE OF THE ISSUES HAS BEEN PRIVATE ROADS, THE ROADS THAT COME OFF THE MAIN ROAD, BUT IT'S PRIVATE PROPERTY. 
          AND IN THE PAST, FEMA WOULD NOT SUPPORT THAT BECAUSE THAT'S PRIVATE PROPERTY, UH, OR THEY COULDN'T DETERMINE WHO'S RESPONSIBLE FOR IT. 
          THE NEW GUIDELINES SUGGESTS THAT EVEN IF, UH, ADDRESSING THE ROADS, THE PRIVATE PROPERTY, ROADS, IF IT IS SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED TO MAKE THE HOUSE HABITABLE OR ACCESSIBLE, AS THEY WILL LOOK AT THAT AND REIMBURSEMENT WOULD BE AVAILABLE, THIS, UH, WHICH I THINK IS A BIG IMPROVEMENT, AND I'M JUST GONNA TELL YOU, ALL OF THIS CAME OUT OF CONVERSATIONS WITH FEMA SAYING, YOUR POLICIES ARE GOOD, BUT THEY'RE NOT ADDRESSING A SEGMENT OF THE COMMUNITY THAT REALLY NEEDS YOUR SUPPORT. 
          AND THE RE UH, YOU'RE TRYING TO DO THE RIGHT THING. 
          AND THEN THEY GOT AN EXECUTIVE ORDER FROM THIS PRESIDENT SAYING, YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO FOCUS ON VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES. 
          AND SO WE'VE, WE'VE MADE SOME REAL PROGRESS DOWN, ERIC, THAT DID, DID I ANSWER? UM, BUT ONE, ONE OF THE ISSUES IS YOU GOTTA LOOK AT YOUR FLOOD PLAN MANAGEMENT, AND TO THE DEGREE THAT PEOPLE ARE GONNA BE VULNERABLE TO SEA RISE, UM, THAT NEEDS TO BE PART OF THE CONVERSATION. 
          SO PEOPLE ARE MAKING, UH, MAKING INTELLIGENT DECISIONS. 
          AND I'LL TELL YOU WHY. 
          THAT'S PROBLEM. 
          ONE OF THE THINGS THAT YOU WILL HEAR IN GULLAH COMMUNITIES IS YOU NEED TO HOLD ONTO THE LAND. 
          YOU NEED TO KEEP THE LAND, YOU NEED TO KEEP THE LAND AND THE FAMILY. 
          UH, I SAY THAT IS AN HONORABLE OBJECTIVE. 
          HOWEVER, IT NEEDS TO BE PUT INTO CONTEXT OF WHETHER OR NOT CLIMATE CHANGE IS GONNA MAKE SIGNIFICANT CHANGES TO THE ENVIRONMENT. 
          UH, THAT GOES TO CRABBING, THAT GOES TO FISHING, THAT GOES TO WHETHER OR NOT YOUR YARD IS GONNA DISAPPEAR OVER THE NEXT FIVE TO 10 YEARS. 
          UH, AND THAT NEEDS TO BE PART OF THE CONVERSATION. 
          PEOPLE NEED TO BE INFORMED OF WHAT THE POSSIBLE, WHAT THE POSSIBLE IMPLICATIONS ARE GOING FORWARD, SO THAT WHEN THEY MAKE THESE DECISIONS, UH, THEY'RE MAKING 'EM WITH A FULL AMOUNT OF INFORMATION THAT'S AVAILABLE, AND THAT INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE TO YOUR FLOODPLAIN MANAGER AND TO FOLKS WHO WANT TO DO THE RESEARCH. 
          WE CAN TAKE YOU TO WEBSITES, AS I SAID BEFORE, THEY CAN LOOK AT THE FLOODPLAINS AND TELL YOU WHERE THE WATER'S GONNA RISE, WHAT ITS IMPACTS IS GONNA BE. 
          ONE OF THE PROBLEMS THAT WE IDENTIFIED, OR AT LEAST I'VE IDENTIFIED WHEN I LOOK AT THIS, IS WHEN TOWNS APPLY FUNDS TO MITIGATE FLOOD DAMAGE OR OTHER DAMAGES, WHAT THEY'RE LOOKING AT IS, WHEN I SAY HISTORICAL, THEY'RE LOOKING AT DOWNTOWN. 
          THEY'RE LOOKING AT THE PLANTATIONS, THEY'RE LOOKING AT THE HIGH COST REAL ESTATE. 
          THEY'RE REALLY NOT TRYING TO TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT, UH, WHAT MITIGATION IS NECESSARY FOR LOW INCOME COMMUNITIES. 
          AND THAT IS, UH, SOMETHING I HOPE A GROUP LIKE YOU WOULD BE ABLE TO ADDRESS, TAKE A LOOK AT THESE COMMUNITIES, SPECIFICALLY THE GULLAH COMMUNITIES, TO SEE WHAT THE IMPACT WILL BE ON THEM, SO THAT THERE'S A VOICE IN THIS MITIGATION PLANNING AND APPLICATION PROCESS THAT GOES DIRECTLY TO THAT ISSUE. 
          NOT JUST TALKING ABOUT, UH, WHAT I WOULD CALL, UH, I'LL GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE. 
          UM, I'VE LOOKED AT AN APPLICATION OUT OF BEAUFORT, AND THEY'RE ALL TALKING ABOUT THE, UH, THAT HISTORICAL, UH, AREA ALONG, UM, THE MAIN STREET IN BEAUFORT, AND NOTHING, NOTHING WHATSOEVER ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON ON, ON SAINT ELS ISLAND, WHERE THAT'S WHERE THE REAL DAMAGE IS. 
          AND SO PEOPLE HAVE THIS IDEA THAT WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, UH, HISTORICAL PRESERVATION OR MITIGATION OF THESE, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE HIGH COST REAL ESTATE INSTEAD OF THE REAL ESTATE WHERE, WHERE GULLAH FOLKS ARE LOCATED. 
          UM, AND SO THAT, THAT'S MY, THAT'S MY SENTIMENT ABOUT THAT. 
          UM, BUT ON THE OTHER THING, MOST IMPORTANT THING IS HOW DO YOU AND OTHERS WHO HAVE AN INTEREST, UH, IN THE GULLAH COMMUNITY, SHAPE AN INSTRUMENT THAT 
          [01:30:01]
COMMUNICATES TO THE GULLAH COMMUNITY SO THAT WHEN THIS INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE, IT GOES WHERE IT CAN BE USED? UH, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF ISSUES YOU HAVE TO GET AROUND. 
          UM, UH, SOMEONE FROM FEMA ONCE TOLD ME, WELL, WE'LL PUT IT ON TELEPHONES, AND THEN THEY CAN JUST PULL IT UP. 
          AND I'M SAYING, I DON'T KNOW, A 76-YEAR-OLD, UH, WHO'S GONNA GO TO THE PHONES TO FIND THIS INFORMATION? WE NEED TO FIND A WAY TO MAKE SURE THAT INFORMATION WILL GET INTO THAT HOUSE. 
          IT'S ISOLATED. 
          UM, ONE OF THE MOST, ONE OF THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAYS I KNOW IS THE CHURCHES AND, AND THE COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATIONS THAT ACTUALLY KNOW WHO LIVES WHERE. 
          UM, AND, UM, THE, THE OTHER THING THAT I LEARNED IN MY RESEARCH IS YOU GOT TO GET THE GRANDMOTHERS IN A ROOM. 
          I'LL TELL YOU, IT WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS VERY INTERESTING WHEN I WAS TRYING TO FIND OUT WHY PEOPLE DON'T, UH, UH, DON'T EVACUATE. 
          THE ANSWER CAME DOWN TO, IF GRANDMA'S NOT GOING, I'M NOT GOING, RATHER THAN, UH, LEAVE GRANDMA. 
          PEOPLE ALL WENT TO GRANDMA'S HOUSE AND STAYED THERE DURING THE STORM. 
          UM, AND SO WE'VE GOT TO INFLUENCE GRANDMOTHERS. 
          UH, WE'VE GOT TO INFLUENCE THE FOLKS WHO ACTUALLY MAKE THE DECISIONS AND THE COMMUNITY, UH, AND WE'VE GOT TO REACH OUT TO THEM. 
          UM, THERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES, I THINK, UM, TO GET, UH, PEOPLE INTO THE CHURCHES OR TO GET THEM TO A COMMUNITY BASED MEETING, TO GET THEM TO A SCHOOL IN THE AFTERNOON TO SAY, WE NEED, WE HAVE INFORMATION THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT ABOUT, UM, FLOODING, ABOUT SEPTIC TANKS, ABOUT THESE OTHER THINGS THAT ARE GOING TO AFFECT YOU. 
          AND THEN THE INFORMATION HAS TO BE, UH, PUT OUT TO THEM BY PEOPLE WHO THEY TRUST AND WHO ARE AUTHENTIC COMMUNICATORS IN THEIR COMMUNITY. 
          I, I WILL NOT BE, I'LL NOT GIVE YOU SPECIFIC NAMES OF PEOPLE, YOU HAVE TO FIGURE THAT OUT FOR YOURSELF. 
          BUT UNLESS, AND UNTIL WE DO THAT, THIS VERY IMPORTANT INFORMATION WILL CONTINUE TO GO AROUND THE PLACES WHERE IT'S MOST NEEDED. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, SIR, YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT, THIS IS AWFULLY, UH, YEAH, I'M FINE. 
          YEAH. 
          A LOT OF GOOD INFORMATION. 
          UH, THANK YOU, MR. HOL. 
          BUT YOU KNOW, IT'S IMPORTANT THAT YOU SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, UM, THE PEOPLE WHO WON'T LEAVE, UH, YOU KNOW, IN OUR COMMUNITY, SAY, IF GRANDMA'S NOT GOING, I'M NOT LEAVING. 
          BUT THERE HAVE BEEN A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO, WHO HAVE STAYED, UH, DURING PREVIOUS STORMS. AND I THINK IF YOU SOMEHOW FIND THOSE PEOPLE WHO STAYED MM-HMM, , YOU'LL HAVE A, YOU'LL HAVE A MUCH EASIER TIME TO VISIT PEOPLE. 
          THEY NEED TO LEAVE, RIGHT? SO, YOU KNOW, THERE, SO, UH, BUT HISTORY TELLS US, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE GONNA STAY BECAUSE THEY FEEL THEY'RE GONNA PROTECT THE LANDLORD THEMSELVES BY BEING HERE TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS, WHICH IS, AS, YOU KNOW, PROBABLY THE WORST MISTAKE YOU COULD EVER MAKE, RIGHT? BUT IN THIS COMMUNITY, THERE HAVE BEEN PEOPLE WHO HAVE STAYED, UM, WHO WANNA STAY AGAIN, YOU KNOW? AND NO DOUBT, THE CHURCHES, UH, IS, IS STILL THE, THE, THE, THE GRASSROOTS FOR OUR COMMUNITY. 
          UM, AND WE HAVE OTHER ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE NOW TAKING A STRONGHOLD, UH, LIKE LOUISE IN THE BACK. 
          I MEAN, THE GULLAH MUSEUM, WHICH YOU SAY YOU'RE PART OF AS WELL, WHO ARE TAKING A VERY STRONGHOLD IN OUR COMMUNITY, CAN STILL BE THE BE, UM, THE VOICE, THE SOURCE OF INFORMATION. 
          AND, AND, AND THE NO DOUBT, TRUST IS STILL A MAJOR FACTOR IN ALL OF THIS, RIGHT? YOU KNOW, UH, WE TALK ABOUT THAT ON ALMOST ON A REGULAR BASIS WHEN IT COMES FROM THE TOWN, OR IT COMES FROM FEMA. 
          YOU KNOW, TRUST IS NO DOUBT GONNA BE A KEY INGREDIENT, UM, IN GETTING PEOPLE THE INFORMATION AND, AND WHO'S BRINGING THAT INFORMATION. 
          SO THANK YOU FOR, FOR A LOT OF, A LOT OF GOOD INFORMATION. 
          UH, IF I, UM, LIKE, LIKE, TO MAKE TWO POINTS, UM, WHERE I THOUGHT I WAS GONNA MAKE TWO POINTS THERE, TWO POINTS GOT AWAY FROM, BUT WHAT YOU WOULD SAYING STIMULATED, UH, HOPE IT COMES BACK TO ME. 
          UM, WELL, IF I REMEMBER IT, I'LL SEND YOU AN EMAIL. 
           . 
          THANK YOU, SIR. 
          OKAY, MR. HOLS, UH, I'M SORRY. 
          MAY, MAY I ASK, DO YOU HAVE A QUESTION? YES, SIR. 
          UM, UH, THIS ONE MY QUESTIONS WOULD BE, UM, FROM YOUR HISTORY, WHAT IS THE TURNAROUND TIME THAT FEMALE PRETTY MUCH RESPONDS TO A, TO A, YOU KNOW, AN APPLICANT OR A PERSON WHO IN NEED? THAT'S ONE QUESTION. 
          THE SECOND QUESTION, WITH THE RISE IN INSURANCE COSTS TO INDIVIDUALS, IS THERE ANY TALK ABOUT PAYMENT FUNDS BEING AVAILABLE TO ASSIST HOMEOWNERS WITH PROVIDING OR HELPING TO PAY FOR FLOOD INSURANCE? THANK YOU FOR RAISING TWO ISSUES. 
          ONE IS, ONE OF THE GRANTS THAT'S AVAILABLE IS IF LOW INCOME COMMUNITIES WANT TO COME TOGETHER WITH A JOINT POLICY THAT PROTECTS THE WHOLE COMMUNITY, AND THAT BRINGS DOWN THE COST OF FEMA WAS SUBSIDIZED, THE FORMATION OF THAT KIND OF COMMUNITY-BASED, UH, FLOOD, FLOOD INSURANCE, UH, GRANT, UM, 
          [01:35:01]
THE OTHER THING THAT I SHOULD JUST SAY, BECAUSE IT'S ON MY MIND, IS, UM, HOME INSURANCE HAS NOT COVERED WATER DAMAGE. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, AND WHAT FEMA HAS DONE RECENTLY, AND IT, I GUESS PEOPLE WOULD SAY IT'S APPROPRIATE, IS IT HAS STOPPED A FLAT, UM, A FLAT ASSESSMENT FOR EVERYBODY ACROSS THE COUNTRY, BECAUSE PEOPLE IN MONTANA SAYING, WHY THE HELL AM I PAYING FOR, UH, UM, SEABORNE FLOOD INSURANCE TO SEA, UH, WATER SURGE, BUT THAT'S GOT NOTHING TO DO WITH ME. 
          AND NOW THEY'VE BEGAN TO USE A MODEL THAT PUSHES THE EXPENSE, UH, TO WHERE THE DANGER IS. 
          AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT YOU WILL KNOW NOW, OR YOU'LL FIND NOW, IS, AND IF YOU DON'T KNOW IN FLORIDA, IT COSTS AS MUCH FOR THE INSURANCE AS IT DOES FOR THE MORTGAGE. 
          AND THAT IS PUSHING THE EXPENSE TO WHERE THE DANGER AND THE EXPOSURE IS. 
          AND THAT IS INCREASINGLY GONNA BECOME A BURDEN ON PEOPLE WHO LIVE ON THE SHORE. 
          THE PRICE, THE RISK, UH, IS GOING TO THE, THE, THE PRICE IS GONNA BE ALLOCATED MORE ALONG RISK LINES. 
          AND FOR LOW INCOME FOLKS WHO ARE LIVING ON THAT PRIME PROPERTY, UH, ALONG THE WATER, UM, THE INSURANCE COSTS ARE GONNA BECOME UNBEARABLE VERY SOON IF IT'S NOT ALREADY UNBEARABLE. 
          SO PART OF THE QUESTION, I THINK YOU SAID WAS HOW LONG IT TAKES. 
          OH, YES. 
          RESPOND. 
          IF SOMEONE HAS AN APPLICATION, UM, AFTER THE DISA, WELL, THERE, THERE ARE TWO THINGS. 
          A, UM, A PRESIDENT CAN ALLOCATE $5 MILLION TO THE STATE BEFORE, UM, BEFORE THE DISASTER ARRIVES. 
          AND THEN THE STATE CAN USE THAT HOWEVER THEY WANT TO USE. 
          AND THEY NORMALLY USE THAT TO GET THE, GET THE, UM, UH, THE NATIONAL GARDEN OF THE FOLKS ORGANIZED. 
          BUT IN ORDER TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR FUNDING FROM FEMA, FIRST OF ALL, THE, AS I SAID BEFORE, THE GOVERNOR HAS TO APPLY FOR THE PRESIDENTIAL DECLARATION. 
          THAT IS NORMALLY IT CAN BE DONE. 
          UH, LET, LET ME JUST PUT IT THIS WAY. 
          IF THE STATE AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ARE WORKING TOGETHER, YOU KNOW SOMETHING'S GONNA HAPPEN THREE OR FOUR DAYS BEFORE IT HAPPENS, THEN YOU CAN GET THAT, THE STATE CAN PROCESS THAT APPLICATION, GET IT TO WASHINGTON IN A DAY, AND YOU CAN GET A DEDICATION THE NEXT DAY. 
          NOW, IF SOME PEOPLE ARE NOT VERY ACTIVE IN GETTING AND PUTTING THAT FORMULATION TOGETHER, IT MAY TAKE FOUR OR FIVE DAYS BEFORE FEMA DECLARES THE NATIONAL, THE, THE DISASTER. 
          ONCE THAT IS DECLARED, WHEN YOU GET ON THE PHONE, YOU'RE ELIGIBLE. 
          OKAY? AND DEPENDING ON WHETHER OR NOT YOU WOULD, YOU'RE WORKING WITH THE, UH, THE OWNER PROGRAM, OTHER, OTHER NEEDS ASSESSMENT, THAT $750 IS AVAILABLE AT THE END OF THE, UH, INTERVIEW ON THE PHONE. 
          UH, THIS IS A NEW APPROACH. 
          NOW, I WORKED, UH, I WORKED KATRINA, AND SOME PEOPLE DID NOT HAVE A, A BANK ACCOUNT TO SEND THE MONEY TO. 
          THAT WAS ONE OF THE THINGS YOU HAD TO DEAL WITH. 
          AND FOLKS NEEDED A, NEEDED A WANTED YOU TO SEND IT BY CHECK, AND THEY COULDN'T GO HOME. 
          SO IT WASN'T EVEN THEIR, THEIR MAILING ADDRESS. 
          AND I ENTERTAINED MANY A CALL WHEN SOMEBODY SAID, I WENT AND GOT MY CHECK, AND SOMEBODY HELD ME UP BEFORE I COULD GET ACROSS THE STREET. 
          I SAID, MA'AM, I, YOU KNOW, UM, I, THERE'S NOTHING I CAN DO ABOUT THAT. 
          BUT AS SOON AS, UH, YOU GET ON THE PHONE AND YOU'RE VERIFIED BY, YOU'RE VERIFIED OVER THE PHONE, UM, YOUR, YOUR ADDRESS IS VERIFIED, UM, UH, THE, THE FUNDS CAN START FLOWING IMMEDIATELY. 
          BUT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT A PROCESS THAT TAKES AT MINIMUM A WEEK BECAUSE YOU'VE GOT THREE OR FOUR DAYS BEFORE THE DECLARATION. 
          AND THEN WHAT WILL POP UP ON THE, UH, FEMA WEBSITE IS THESE COUNTIES, AND THIS IS SOMETHING IMPORTANT. 
          THE DECLARATION IS BY COUNTY, IT'S NOW BY STATE, OKAY? SO THAT YOU CAN DECLARE BEAUFORT COUNTY, UH, AS HAVING A DISASTER AND NOT DECLARE JASPER COUNTY AND SOMEBODY IN JASPER COUNTY HAS JUST AS MUCH DAMAGE AND AS LOOKING ACROSS THE STREET. 
          UH, BUT BECAUSE THAT COUNTY DOES NOT QUALIFY, THERE'S NO SUPPORT COMING TO THAT COUNTY. 
          YOU GOTTA BE IN A COUNTY WHERE THE DECLARATION IS TAKING PLACE. 
          BEAUFORT COUNTY, THE ENTIRE COUNTY IS AN ISLAND. 
          UH, AND SO WHEN YOU GET YOUR EVACUATION ORDERS, IT NORMALLY APPLIES TO THE ENTIRE COUNTY. 
          THERE ARE NO EXCEPTIONS. 
          UM, AND SO THE ENTIRE COUNTY IS EXPECTED, UM, TO EVACUATE. 
          OF COURSE IT DOESN'T. 
          BUT, UH, I, I, BECAUSE THE GULLAH HAVE LIVED ON THESE SEA ISLANDS FOR 300 YEARS, THEY HAVE DEVELOPED THEIR OWN SENSE OF THEIR OWN DEFENSIVE MECHANISMS, AND THEY HAVE A GREAT DEAL OF CONFIDENCE IN THOSE, IN THOSE MECHANISMS. UM, AND THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO JUST CANNOT TRAVEL. 
          THAT'S THE OTHER THING. 
          UM, EITHER BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE CARS, BECAUSE THEY HAVE MEDICAL PROBLEMS, UM, AND OUR COMMUNITY NEED, AND THE GULLAH 
          [01:40:01]
COMMUNITY IS DEVELOPED MECHANISMS FOR DEALING WITH THAT, AND FOR SOME, SO THEY FEEL FAIRLY COMFORTABLE IN MANY CASES. 
          AND DON'T, DON'T EVACUATE. 
          BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WANT TO MAKE CLEAR IS THAT BECAUSE OF THE PAST HISTORY OF THEM NOT BEING ELIGIBLE, THERE IS AN ATTITUDE IN THE GOVERNOR COMMUNITY OF WHY SHOULD I EVEN BOTHER? FEMA DOESN'T REALLY PAY ANYBODY. 
          AND THAT WOULD'VE BEEN TRUE OVER THE LAST 10 OR 12 YEARS. 
          AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO UNDERCUT IS TO MAKE PEOPLE UNDERSTAND NOW THAT WHAT WAS TRUE FOR THE LAST 10 OR 12 YEARS IS NO LONGER TRUE. 
          YOU ARE NOW ELIGIBLE FOR, UH, FOR THESE BENEFITS, AND YOU SHOULD TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THEM. 
          AND THAT'S THE DIFFICULTY FINDING THE MECHANISMS FOR, UH, GETTING THAT, COMMUNICATING THAT TO A COMMUNITY THAT HAS IN THE PAST NOT BEEN ELIGIBLE AND HAS SOME DISTRUST FOR MESSENGERS. 
          OKAY, MR. HOLLIS, THAT'S A LOT OF GOOD INFORMATION AND THERE'S A LOT OF GOOD WORK. 
          WE REALLY APPRECIATE THAT. 
          THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME. 
          YOU KNOW, ALL THE QUESTIONS FOR MR. HOLLIS. 
          NO QUESTIONS. 
          ANYONE IN THE PUBLIC? OH, THERE IS A PUBLIC, PUBLIC IS THREE PEOPLE, SIR. 
          OKAY. 
          WELL, THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU, MR. HOLLIS. 
          UM, ANYONE HERE WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A, A PUBLIC COMMENT THAT ON THE NON AGENDA ITEMS, MR. BARNWELL? YES, SIR. 
          GOOD EVENING TO EACH OF YOU WHO HAVE GIVEN UP YOUR VALUABLE TIME TO VOLUNTEER TO DO ALL THIS FANTASTIC WORK FOR THE COMMUNITY. 
          THANK TO EACH OF THE STAFF PERSONS WHO SPEND EXTRA TIME PREPARING TO GIVE SUCH FANTASTIC REPORTS TO YOU. 
          THANKS TO THE TOWN COUNCIL, AS WELL AS ALL THE OTHER COMMITTEES. 
          AND SPECIAL THANKS MR. HOLS, PROFESSOR DOCTOR  FOR SUCH A FANTASTIC, INTERESTING REPORT AT SUCH A NECESSARY MOMENT. 
          MY NAME IS THOMAS BARNWELL JR. 
          I LIVE AT 36. 
          I HAVE PROPERTY, I'M SORRY, AT 36, BEN WHITE DRIVE IS WHY ONE OF THE REASONS I'M STANDING HERE. 
          I LIVE AT 51 KATY MILLER DRIVE ON HILTON HEAD. 
          I'VE BEEN HERE FOR ONLY 89 YEARS. 
          AND THE REASON I'M STANDING HERE IS TO THANK YOU FOR ALL THE HARD WORK THAT YOU ARE DOING AND YOU STILL PLAN TO DO IN THE FUTURE. 
          NOW, MR. HALLS, JUST GIVE US AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC A VERY EYE-OPENING MEANINGFUL REPORT. 
          AND I WOULD LIKE TO ASK EACH OF YOU AS A MEMBER OF THIS FANTASTIC GROUP, I'VE ALREADY THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK, BUT I'D LIKE TO ASK YOU HOW MUCH OF THE BUDGET OF THE TOWN HAVE THIS GROUP ASKED THE TOWN TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS YEAR'S BUDGET, AS WELL AS NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET, WILL BE ADDRESSING DRAINAGE, DRAINAGE IN EVERY COMMUNITY THAT EACH OF YOU REPRESENT. 
          PLEASE. 
          NOW, THE STAFF GIVE A FANTASTIC REPORT OF ALL THE THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON. 
          AND I'M NOT  A METEOROLOGIST, I'M NOT CLOSE TO THAT AREA, BUT THEY'RE PREDICTING HEAVY RAIN WATER TO COME TO THE AREA IN THE NEXT FEW DAYS. 
          AND I KNOW THAT IN THE PAST YEAR AND A HALF, THERE'S BEEN SOME DRAINAGE ON THE ISLAND. 
          EVEN THIS WEEK ON OFF SQUIRE POPE ROAD, THERE'S BEEN SOME 
          [01:45:01]
DRAINAGE DONE BY THE COUNTY OFF MARSHLAND ROAD WHERE THERE ARE NEW DEVELOPMENTS. 
          THERE'S BEEN SOME DRAINAGE IN THAT AREA, BUT WE HAVE MANY AREAS IN GRASSLAND, IN SPANISH, WELL, SQUARE, POPE CHAPLAIN, WE HAVE, WE'VE HAD NO DRAINAGE IN THOSE AREAS FOR MANY YEARS. 
          AM ASKING YOU, PLEASE, AMONG ALL OF YOU, TRY TO RAISE THIS QUESTION BECAUSE THE STAFF CAN WORK ON MANY NEIGHBORHOOD DESIGN PROJECT AND THE DESIGN STUDIO. 
          THAT'S A FANTASTIC PROGRAM. 
          ALL THESE PROGRAMS ARE GREAT, BUT THE DESIGN STUDIO'S NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO HELP THE GULLAH COMMUNITY IF THEY DON'T HAVE DRAINAGE. 
          AND I ASK YOU, PLEASE LOOK INTO THAT FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE TOTAL MINORITY NATIVE COMMUNITY RESIDENTS. 
          THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. 
          THANK YOU, MR. BARNWELL. 
          THE POINT IS WELL TAKEN. 
          I'M SURE MS. GAVIN IS MAKING SOME, SOME GOOD NOTES ON THAT PARTICULAR ITEM THAT I KNOW HAS BEEN VERY NEAR AND DEAR TO THE HEART OF MR. BARNWELL AND SO MANY OTHERS, NOT JUST MR. BARNWELL, BUT THAT IS AN ISSUE THAT WE'VE HEARD, AND WE'VE CERTAINLY DEVELOPED IT FROM THIS TASK FORCE. 
          UH, AND ASK THAT QUESTION AGAIN. 
          SO I'M JUST ASKING MS. GAVIN TO MAKE NOTE OF THAT, AND I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT MAYBE SOME STRATEGY OR WHAT THE TOWN IS DOING. 
          AND SO WHEN WE HAVE THAT QUESTION, WE CAN HAVE A BETTER ANSWER FOR OUR CONSTITUENTS. 
          I BELIEVE THAT MS. UH, LOUISE HAD HER HAND UP FIRST. 
          DR. 
          HOLLIS, IF YOU DON'T MIND, WELL, GOOD TO KNOW. 
          GOOD EVENING, EVERYBODY. 
          UM, I AM LOUISE MILLER COHEN. 
          AND, UM, I, I REALLY JUST GOT UP HERE TO SAY THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU TO THE TOWN OF HILTON HEAD ISLAND FOR SEEING THE NECESSITY IN THE COMMUNITY. 
          THANK ALL OF YOU WHO ARE A PART OF THE GULLAH GEECHEE LAND AND CULTURAL PRESERVATION TASK FORCE. 
          THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME, AND THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU HAVE DONE OVER THE YEARS. 
          YOU, YOU, YOU HAVEN'T JUST GOT STARTED, BUT OVER THE YEARS. 
          AND, UM, AND I JUST WANT Y'ALL TO KNOW THAT YOU'RE DOING A GREAT JOB, AND I WANT TO THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH FOR THAT. 
          THANK YOU TO MR. BARNWELL FOR COMING UP AND SAYING ALL THAT. 
          HE SAID, I DON'T HAVE TO ECHO WHAT HE SAID, BECAUSE IT IS SO NECESSARY THAT WE HAVE THE SERVICE IN OUR COMMUNITY. 
          I AM ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE WHO ARE AFFECTED BY DRAINAGE. 
          AND AT THE GULLAH MUSEUM SITE WHERE WATER, I THINK THERE WAS MENTIONED DONE DURING MR. HOLLIS'S, UM, PRESENTATION WHERE THE WATER WAS DRAINED FROM ONE NEIGHBOR OVER ON THE OTHER. 
          THAT HAPPENED TO ME WHERE THE WATER FROM CHINABERRY ACTUALLY WERE DRAINED OVER ON THE GULLAH MUSEUM SITE AND CAUSING THAT, UM, THAT, THAT, UM, SITE TO THE FLOOD. 
          SO THERE IS A GREAT NEED FOR DRAINAGE ON HILTON HEAD ISLAND AND, AND ESPECIALLY IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD, SOME OF US WHO ARE AFFECTED BY IT. 
          BUT, UM, AGAIN, I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU AND THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING THE PEOPLE AT HOME TO BE ABLE TO, TO WATCH. 
          IF THEY'RE NOT HERE, THEY CAN, YOU CAN SEE, UM, WHAT'S GOING ON. 
          I, I WAS HOME DRESSED FOR THE MEETING AND SKEPTICAL ABOUT COMING OUT BECAUSE I DIDN'T KNOW WHETHER THIS MEETING WAS CANCELED OR NOT. 
          BUT I WENT ONLINE, I COULDN'T SEE THAT IT WAS CANCELED. 
          SO ANYWAY, WHEN THE MEETING  WHEN ACTUALLY CAME ON, I SAW MR. RO SITTING HERE, AND I SAID, WELL, TOM IS THERE. 
          I WAS DRESSED OKAY. 
          SO I SAID, BUT MY GRANDDAUGHTER SAID, YOU GONNA GO? I SAID, WELL, YEAH. 
          I SAID, TOM WAS OUT THERE. 
          THEY DIDN'T SHOW THE SIDE. 
          I SAID, BUT YEAH, TOM IS OUT THERE. 
          HE'S BY HIMSELF. 
          YEAH, I'M GONNA GO. 
          BUT, UM, BUT THANK YOU SO VERY, VERY MUCH FOR MAKING THINGS POSSIBLE. 
          UM, THE DESIGN STUDIO, ALL THESE NEEDS THAT WE HAVE IN THE COMMUNITY, I THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH FOR ADDRESSING THAT ALL OF YOU. 
          I'M NOT GONNA START CALLING 
          [01:50:01]
NAMES BECAUSE THEN Y'ALL WILL SAY, OH, MS. COHEN, CALL THAT NAME . 
          SO, BUT THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH, AND, UM, AND THANK YOU MR. HOLLIS FOR TRAVELING ALL THIS WAY TO BRING ALL THIS GOOD INFORMATION TO US. 
          AND, UM, AND I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO ALL OF US BECAUSE WE WILL BE ABLE TO PASS THIS INFORMATION ON TO, UM, TO WHERE IT'S NEEDED AND THE CHURCHES AND, AND, AND, AND OTHERWISE WE CAN POINT PEOPLE IN THE DIRECTION WHERE THEY NEED TO GO. 
          SO KEEP ON DOING WHAT YOU'RE DOING THIS WORK. 
          I KNOW IT IS. 
          'CAUSE I'M WORKING TOO. 
          OKAY, THANKS. 
          THANK YOU, DR. COHEN. 
          YES, SIR. 
          HONEST, UH, THIS COMMENT DOESN'T HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT. 
          I WORK WITH DR. COHEN, UH, OR AT THE MUSEUM. 
          AND THERE WAS A CONVERSATION THIS MORNING ABOUT THE LMO. 
          UH, I'D LIKE TO ASK YOU TO TAKE A LOOK AT A PARTICULAR ISSUE. 
          THE LMO ADDRESSES COMMERCIAL, IT ADDRESSES RESIDENTIAL AT OUR SITE. 
          WE ARE TRYING TO BASICALLY DO HISTORICAL RESTORATION. 
          UH, AND TO THAT DEGREE, WE'RE LOOKING AT GULLAH, UH, ARTIFACTS AND GUTTER GULLAH BUILDINGS THAT WOULD'VE BEEN BUILT ON THIS ISLAND BEFORE THERE WAS ELECTRICITY OR BEFORE, UH, THERE WAS PLUMBING. 
          UH, AND WE'RE FINDING THAT AS WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE DECISIONS ON HOW TO REPLICATE AND DO HISTORICAL RESTORATION, YOU CAN'T FIND DIRECTION FOR HISTORICAL RESTORATION IN THE LMO. 
          YOU CAN FIND RESIDENTIAL, YOU CAN FIND COMMERCIAL. 
          OUR POSITION IS THAT WE NEED THE RESIDENTIAL AND NOT COMMERCIAL. 
          WE THINK THERE OUGHT TO BE SOME PLACE IN THE LMO WHERE YOU ADDRESS HISTORICAL RESTORATION, CULTURAL AND EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS BECAUSE WE BELIEVE THERE'S A DIFFERENT SET OF CONSIDERATIONS TO PUT TOGETHER. 
          NOW THAT THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT WE WANNA BUILD WITHOUT RAMPS SO THAT PEOPLE CAN GET INTO THE HOMES, BUT THE CONSIDERATIONS THAT YOU LOOK AT WHEN YOU'RE TRYING TO BE HISTORICALLY ACCURATE, BUMP UP AGAINST SOME OF THE, THE NEW, UH, REGULATIONS. 
          THOSE REGULATIONS WERE IN FACT PUT IN PLACE TO GET RID OF BUILDINGS LIKE THE ONES THAT WE'RE TRYING TO PUT TOGETHER. 
          SO WE'RE ASKING THOSE FOLKS WHO ARE AT THIS POINT, LOOKING AT THE LMO TO THINK ABOUT WHAT ONE DOES OR HOW ONE REGULATES CULTURAL, UH, EDUCATIONAL AND HISTORICAL ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE NOT MEANT TO FOR, FOR PEOPLE'S RESIDENTS AND ARE NOT, UH, MEANT AS, AS, AS, UH, COMMERCIAL, UH, COMMERCIAL, UH, COMMERCIAL ACTIVITIES. 
          THANK YOU. 
          IF YOU GIVE THAT SOME ATTENTION, IT'D BE VERY HELPFUL TO US. 
          GREAT COMMENT. 
          MR. HOLLIS. 
          THANK YOU SO MUCH, MUCH FOR, UH, JUST SAYING THAT FOR THE RECORD. 
          AND, UH, AGAIN, I KNOW STAFF IS PAYING ATTENTION, SO, UH, THIS IS DEFINITELY THE RIGHT TIME TO, TO SPEAK UP, UM, AS WE GO THROUGH THESE DISTRICT AND LMO, UH, RE WRITE AND PLANNING. 
          SO WE'LL KEEP THAT IN FRONT OF US. 
          OKAY. 
          ANYONE ELSE, MR. CHAIRMAN? YES, SIR. 
          REGARDING, UM, MR. MR. BARNWELLS, UH, REQUEST MM-HMM, , UH, WOULD IT BE APPROPRIATE FOR US TO SUBMIT A LETTER FROM US TO TOWN COUNCIL SPECIFICALLY REQUESTING, UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT, WHAT THAT BUDGET NUMBER COULD POTENTIALLY BE FOR DRAINAGE OF OUR NEIGHBORHOODS? AND SO IN SUPPORT OF WHAT THE STAFF IS GONNA DO? YEAH, I WANNA HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH MS. GAVIN FIRST AND WE CAN TALK ABOUT THE STRATEGY OR THE APPROACH. 
          OKAY. 
          AND I THINK IT ALSO, UH, I, I ALWAYS LIKE TO KNOW EXACTLY WHAT IT IS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT. 
          SO IF THERE'S SOME DATA THAT EXISTS OR SOME SPECIFIC INFORMATION, MOST OF US KNOW THE AREAS WHERE THE FLOODING IS, BUT I'M THINKING THAT HOPEFULLY THE TOWN DOES TOO, AND WE NEED TO SEE WHERE THEY ARE. 
          MM-HMM. 
           WITH RECOGNIZING THAT. 
          YEAH. 
          YES, SIR. 
          AND THEN ADDRESSING THOSE AREAS, SEE HOW MUCH MONEY IS APPLIED TO IT. 
          BUT I'D LIKE TO START THAT CONVERSATION THROUGH MS. GAVIN. 
          AND AGAIN, I'M NOT, I'M NOT TRYING TO CIRCUMVENT WHAT MS. GAVIN'S GONNA DO. 
          I'M JUST SUGGESTING THAT PERHAPS IF THERE WAS A POSITION THAT WE TOOK AS A, AS A, AS A, AS A, YOU KNOW, AS A, AS I'M SITTING BOARD, THEN KNOW WHAT IT WILL, IT WILL ENHANCE HER POSITION WHEN SHE GOES AND MAKE THOSE INQUIRIES. 
          YES. 
          THANK YOU FOR THAT. 
          I THINK TO THAT POINT, THE TOWN, THE TOWN DOES HAVE A CURRENT DRAINAGE PLAN. 
          OKAY. 
          I'M, SO, SO I THINK WE, WE SEE WHERE WE ARE. 
          YEAH. 
          IF WE PIGGYBACK ON THAT, THEN WE'LL KNOW EXACTLY WHAT WE NEED TO INQUIRE ABOUT. 
          BUT THERE IS A, THERE IS ONE, LIKE YOU SAID, LIKE I SAID, I'D LIKE TO BE EDUCATED SO I CAN ASK AN EDUCATED QUESTION. 
          SO, OKAY. 
          IF THERE IS NOTHING FURTHER FROM MY COLLEAGUES, I WANNA THANK YOU ALL FOR TAKING YOUR TIME. 
          AS SO MANY HAVE SAID, WE ACTUALLY HAD, UH, A FULL HOUSE TODAY, BUT OF COURSE JOYCE WRIGHT JOINING US 
          [01:55:01]
VIRTUALLY. 
          AND JUST TO ECHO WHAT'S ALREADY BEEN SAID TO THE STAFF, TO MS. GAVIN, UH, IT'S GOOD TO SEE YOU IN MAKING A PRESENTATION TODAY. 
          AND, UH, WE CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING AND, UH, I WOULD LIKE TO GET TOGETHER AND HAVE LUNCH FOR BREAKFAST AND HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT QUITE A FEW OF THESE ITEMS. OKAY? ALL RIGHT. 
          AND IF THERE IS NOTHING FURTHER, I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO BE ADJOURNED. 
          SO WE ARE FINDING OURSELVES ADJOURNED. 
          THANK YOU SO MUCH TO OUR PUBLIC. 
          AS ALWAYS, GOD BLESS YOU. 
          STAY SAFE OUT THERE. 
          HAVE A GOOD DAY.
* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.