* 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. [00:00:01] CLOSED CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY BEAUFORT COUNTY. THE TWO VERY IMPORTANT TOPICS, UM, THAT AFFECTING OUR ENTIRE REGION. AND, UM, WHAT IT HAS BEEN DISCUSSED OR SUGGESTED IS THAT WE, UH, WHAT WE'VE DONE IN THE PAST SUCCESSFULLY THIS. SO LOCO COMMITTEE IS FORM SUBCOMMITTEES TO FOLLOW UP ON THESE TOPICS. UM, THE TWO TOPICS THAT WE RECENTLY HEARD ABOUT WAS, UH, NUMBER ONE, CHILDCARE A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO. AND, UH, WE HAD REPRESENTATIVE, UH, SHANNON ERICKSON, UH, JOIN US AND SHARE THE DIFFICULTIES AND THE NEED FOR MORE CHILDCARE FACILITIES. UM, LAST MONTH WE HEARD ABOUT, UH, THE LITTER SITUATION IN, IN THE REGION. UM, I DID INVITE, UH, BEAUFORT COUNTY'S RE RECYCLING HEAD TO JOIN US TODAY. UM, SHE WAS UNABLE TO DO SO, SO WE'LL PUT HER ON THE AGENDA FOR NEXT, UH, MONTH. UM, SO WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IS, AND I'M GONNA ASK, UH, CHAIRMAN JOE PASSMAN TO, UH, HELP GUIDE US ALONG HERE ON THESE CONVERSATIONS, THE BOARD DISCUSSIONS, WHETHER OR NOT WE WANNA FORM A SUBCOMMITTEE. AND I'LL TAKE, UH, ONE ISSUE AT A TIME, AND WE'LL START WITH CHILDCARE. AND SOME OF THE, UH, POTENTIAL, UH, MISSIONS OF, OF THIS SUBCOMMITTEE WOULD BE TO DEVELOP LOCAL, COUNTY AND STATE STRATEGIES TO DEAL WITH THE SHORTAGE OF CHILDCARE, UM, EXPLORE LEGISLATIVE SOLUTIONS, WHAT THE KIND OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS WERE NECESSARY TO HELP FACILITATE A ADDITIONAL CHILDCARE AND FACILITATE SOME OF THE PROBLEMS THAT WE HEARD FROM REPRESENTATIVE, UH, ERICKSON, UM, TO GET THE, UM, OUR DELEGATION INVOLVED IN THE ISSUE. HOW DO WE DO THAT? BUT, UM, ALSO WE HAVE TWO VERY IMPORTANT RESOURCES. THE, UH, SOUTH CAROLINA ASSOCIATION OF COUNTIES AND THE MUNICIPAL SOUTH ASSOCIATION OF SOUTH CAROLINA. SO THE MUNICIPALITIES AND THE COUNTIES BOTH HAVE STATEWIDE ASSOCIATIONS THAT, UH, CAN HELP US IN THIS, IN THIS ISSUE. UM, AND THEN, UH, WHICH IS PARTICULARLY TO LITTER, UH, IS TO, UH, WHAT KIND OF EDUCATION CAMPAIGNS CAN WE PUT TOGETHER TO REDUCE LITTER AND INCREASE RECYCLING? AND I'VE ASKED, UH, MS. LYNN BOYLES FROM KEEP JASPER BEAUTIFUL. UH, SHE HANDLES, I CALL HER MS. GREEN 'CAUSE SHE HANDLES ALL THE LITTER IN, IN THE COUNTY. SO, UM, WE CAN CALL ON HER FOR ADVICE AS THE MEETING GOES ON. SO, UM, JOE, I'M GONNA ASK YOU TO TAKE FROM HERE, UM, I THINK THE FIRST QUESTION FOR THIS BOARD, UH, AND ALL THE BOARD MEMBERS KNOW WHO THEY ARE, DO WE WANT TO TACKLE THIS AS A REGIONAL ISSUE? UM, SO I'D LIKE TO GET, THIS IS A BOARD DISCUSSION, AND IT ALSO WE'LL INVITE THE, UH, THE PUBLIC TO, TO WEIGH IN ON IT AS WELL. UM, IS THIS SOMETHING THAT WE ALL WANT TO PITCH IN AND FORM SOME COMMITTEES TO, UM, LOOK FURTHER INTO THE, THESE ISSUES? SO, JOE, WHY DON'T YOU, UH, START US OFF? OKAY. UM, YES, I BELIEVE THAT THIS IS A, A TOPIC THAT, AND, UH, EXCUSE ME FOR EVERYBODY, PRESS THE BUTTON WHEN IT'S ON GREEN TALKING TO THE MICROPHONE. THAT WAY WE CAN HAVE A VIDEO RECORD OF THE MEETING. UM, CERTAINLY THIS IS A TOPIC OF URGENCY AND NECESSITY. UH, IT IS NOT JUST A BUFORT AND JASPER COUNTY PROBLEM, IT IS A STATEWIDE PROBLEM. UM, I AM FORTUNATE TO SIT ON THE SOUTH CAROLINA ASSOCIATION COUNTY BOARD OF DIRECTORS. WE HAVE A MEETING COMING IN SEPTEMBER. THE COMMITTEE I HAVE, UM, THAT I'M ACTUALLY CHAIRING, WE'LL TAKE THIS UP AS A STATEWIDE ISSUE. SO WE HAVE SUPPORT FROM THE SOUTH CAROLINA ASSOCIATION OF COUNTIES WHO WILL MEET WITH THE VARIOUS DELEGATIONS AROUND THE STATE TO MAKE THIS AN ISSUE THAT MAY REQUIRE [00:05:02] LEGISLATIVE, UM, INTERVENTION, IF YOU WILL. SO, UM, I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT. I THINK A SUBCOMMITTEE WILL, WILL HELP US TELL OUR DELEGATION AND TELL EVERYONE, WE CONSIDER THIS TO BE A SERIOUS PROBLEM, AND THIS IS HOW WE'D LIKE TO SEE IT GO. I'D LIKE TO OPEN IT UP TO THE BOARD. DOES ANYONE ELSE FEEL THAT? UM, OR DOES ANYONE ELSE HAVE ANY OPINIONS ON WHETHER OR NOT WE SHOULD TAKE THIS UP AS A SO LOCO, UM, AGENDA OR, OR SUBCOMMITTEE? ANY THOUGHTS FROM ANYONE? MAYOR PERRY? SO, I, I WOULD, I WOULD SAY YES BECAUSE, UM, THIS AFFECTS US AT HOME. AND IF THE STATE IS TAKING IT UP, I WANT US THE MUNICIPALITIES TO HAVE OUR VOICE IN HOW THAT LEGISLATION IS DONE. UM, WE'VE, WE'VE HAD THE CONVERSATIONS AB BORE, UH, BEFORE ABOUT, UM, YOU KNOW, TRASH TRUCKS LITTERING MORE THAN EVERYBODY ELSE. THERE ARE OTHER THINGS THAT NEED TO TAKE PLACE TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT WE CAN CONTROL CERTAIN ASPECTS OF IT. SO I THINK THAT, UM, FOR US TO COME TOGETHER AND HAVE A UNIFIED VOICE, ONE, IT DOES JUST THAT TWO, IT BUILDS, UH, RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN THE MUNICIPALITIES, WHICH IS SOMETHING THAT WE'RE ALL TRYING TO DO. AND WITH THE COUNTY, UM, MAYOR TO, I FEEL LIKE IT'S IT'S WAY PAST DUE TO DO SOMETHING. WE'VE GOTTA START IT SOMEWHERE. AND LIKE ALAN SAID, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S NOT JUST OUR PROBLEM OR LIKE JOE SAID, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S A STATEWIDE ISSUE. UM, AND I TOTALLY SUPPORT MOVING FORWARD WITH SOME TYPE OF ACTION INSTEAD OF JUST TALK. ANYONE ELSE FROM THE BOARD SUPPORT THE IDEA? MR. KEMP? I THINK THAT, UH, I AGREE WITH EVERYBODY, BUT I THINK ALSO THIS SHOULD BE NOT A STATEWIDE THING, BUT A LOCAL THING. UH, IN THE JASPER COUNTY, THE CHURCHES DO A LOT OF THIS CHILDCARE, BUT THEY'RE SEPARATE AND MAYBE WE CAN HELP THEM INCREASE THEIR ABILITY TO HAVE CHILDCARE. SO I THINK WE HAVE TO LOOK AT THIS AS A REGIONAL THING AS WELL AS A STATEWIDE, BECAUSE I THINK OTHER PLACES ARE GONNA BE DIFFERENT THAN HERE. AT LEAST IN JASPER COUNTY. THE CHURCHES ARE VERY IMPORTANT IN THIS. SO THAT'S MY DIRECTION, BRAD. SO WHAT WOULD BE THE PARAMETERS? HOW, HOW CAN WE AS MUNICIPALITIES FIRST, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE CONTROL. HOW CAN, WHAT, WHAT CAN WE OFFER OR WHAT WOULD WE LIKE TO BE, UM, DIRECTING? UM, IS IT FINANCIAL OR IS IT POLICIES? WHAT, WHAT, WHAT, WHAT WOULD BE OUR, OUR GOAL? I, I THINK WHAT, AGAIN, SO LOCO HAS DONE SUCCESSFULLY IS FORM A, A SUBCOMMITTEE TO ANSWER THOSE VERY QUESTIONS, YOU KNOW, AND TO SET THE PARAMETERS OF, OKAY, WHAT CAN WE DO AS A REGION TOGETHER IN ORDER TO, THIS IS, OKAY, HERE'S THE GOAL. AND THAT'S, WE, WE ALL SEEM, THERE'S MANY PEOPLE WHO SEEM THAT THAT'S A GOOD GOAL. NOW HOW DO WE GET TO THE GOAL? AND THAT'S WHERE THE SUBCOMMITTEE WOULD COME IN AND FORMULATE, UM, YOU KNOW, THE PARAMETERS OF, OF ACTUALLY WHAT WE CAN DO AS A REGION. OKAY. THAT'S THAT, SEE, THAT, THAT AGAIN GIVES ME PAUSE BECAUSE I WOULD HATE TO SEE A SUBCOMMITTEE TELL US WHAT TO DO. I THINK WE NEED TO GIVE THEM DIRECTIONS BEFORE WE FORM A SUBCOMMITTEE. GOOD, GOOD POINT. OKAY. AND, AND THAT THESE POTENTIAL MISSIONS WERE AN ATTEMPT TO DO THAT VERY THING, BUT WE CAN ADD TO THAT, FRED. UH, BUT I THINK ANY SUBCOMMITTEE, YOU'RE, YOU'RE A THOUSAND PERCENT RIGHT? WE NEED TO BE VERY CLEAR. OKAY, HERE'S WHAT WE WANT YOU TO ACCOMPLISH. THAT'S A GREAT POINT. ANYONE ELSE? I THINK THIS IS THE RIGHT BODY TO TAKE THIS ON. UH, IT'S A BIGGER ISSUE THAN JUST ONE MUNICIPALITY CAN HANDLE. NOT EVERYBODY WHO WORKS IN BEAUFORT LIVES IN BEAUFORT. NOT EVERYBODY WHO WORKS IN BLUFFTON LIVES IN BLUFFTON. WE ALL HAVE RESIDENTS WHO WORK IN EACH OTHER'S JURISDICTIONS. AND I THINK A BODY OF REGIONAL SIGNIFICANCE LIKE THIS ONE IS THE RIGHT BODY TO TAKE THAT ON, ALONG WITH HELP FROM THE COUNTY AND OUR STATE LEGISLATORS. GREAT. GREAT. LET ME THROW OUT ANOTHER QUESTION TO ALL THE SUPPORTERS. UM, IF WE FORM A SUBCOMMITTEE, UM, OBVIOUSLY WE, WE WOULD WANT [00:10:01] EVERY JURISDICTION REPRESENTED. UM, WHO AMONG OUR STAFFS DO YOU THINK WOULD, UH, ASK OR, OR SHOULD EACH MUNICIPALITY JUDGE THAT ON THEIR OWN? ANY THOUGHTS? ANY THOUGHTS THAT IT SHOULD, YOU KNOW, IT SHOULD BE LIMITED THAT EVERY, EVERY JURISDICTION, UH, SHOULD BE REPRESENTED. I, I THINK WE'LL NEED TO HAVE THE SCHOOL REPRESENTED BECAUSE OF THE PRE-K PROGRAMS. UH, YOU KNOW, THE PRE-K PROGRAMS ARE FULL. THEY'RE BUSTING AT THE SEAMS. SO SOMEONE FROM THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, DEFINITELY, IT'D BE GOOD TO HAVE SOMEBODY FROM BEFOR MEMORIAL WITH WHAT THEY'RE DOING AS WELL. AT THE PERSON FROM THE HOT BEAUFORT MEMORIAL. I THINK THE BEST PERSON WOULD BE ALLISON COPPI. SHE'S, SHE WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN GETTING THE, UM, CENTER AT THE HOSPITAL. DONE. ARE WE, QUESTION FOR YOU. ARE, ARE WE SPEAKING OF BOTH OF THESE INITIATIVES, UH, FOR ONE COMMITTEE? OR ARE WE SPEAKING OF A COMMITTEE TO LOOK AT CHILDCARE AND THEN ANOTHER COMMITTEE TO LOOK AT OUR LITTER? OH, I THINK TWO SEPARATE. I THINK THEY'RE TWO SEPARATE. TWO SEPARATE. THIS IS ONLY CHILDCARE. YEAH, WE WE'RE DOING, WE'RE TALKING CHILDCARE FIRST AND THEN, UH, WE'LL GO TO LITTER SECOND. UM, BECAUSE THE COMMITTEE MAY WANT TO TAKE ON ONE, BUT NOT TWO, ONE. SO LET'S TAKE EACH ISSUE, UH, SEPARATELY. GARY? YES. IN MY MIND, I HAVE THE FOLLOWING SEVEN MEMBER COMMITTEE. WE NEED A REPRESENTATIVE REPRESENTING THE COUNTIES OF BUFORD AND JASPER. THAT'S TWO PEOPLE. WE NEED SOMEONE FROM HILTON HEAD ISLAND, SOMEONE FROM BLUFFTON, SOMEONE FROM NORTHERN BEAUFORT COUNTY, WHETHER IT'S THE CITY OF BEAUFORT, PORT ROYAL, OR COMBINATION THEREOF. ONE PERSON REPRESENTING OUR SCHOOLS AND ONE PERSON REPRESENTING OUR HOSPITALS. THAT COMMITTEE THEN GETS THE CHARGE FROM US OF WHAT WE CONSIDER TO BE THE PROBLEM, WHAT WE CONSIDER TO BE THE RESOURCES THAT WE NEED. YOU KNOW, THOSE VARIOUS THINGS. LET THEM PUT TOGETHER THE PLAN THAT WE CAN TAKE TO OUR LEGISLATIVE DELEGATIONS THROUGH SOUTH CAROLINA ASSOCIATION OF COUNTIES AND THE MUNICIPAL ASSOCIATION OF SOUTH CAROLINA. BECAUSE THEY START LEGISLATION IN JANUARY. WE HAVE TO HAVE ALL OF WHAT WE WANT DONE BY THEN, SO IT GETS IN THIS LEGISLATIVE CYCLE. OKAY. ANY COMMENTS OR ANY, UH, THOUGHTS TO JOE'S, UM, MAKE UP OF THIS COMMITTEE? UM, SO YOU HAVE ONE REPRESENTATIVE NORTH OF THE BROAD AND SOUTH OF THE BROAD, YOU HAVE HILTON HEAD AND BLUFFTON, UH, AND BOTH COUNTIES. UM, SO ANY ANY THOUGHTS ON THAT? I WOULD SAY SINCE WE HAVE TWO MUNICIPALITIES NORTH OF BROAD, THERE'S NO NEED FOR US TO SHARE A REPRESENTATIVE. WE HAVE TO DO THAT ON SOME INSTANCES, BUT FOR THE MOST PART, I THINK IT WOULD BEHOOVE US TO HAVE OUR OWN REPRESENTATIVE, BECAUSE THEN WE BRING TO THE TABLE WHAT OUR PARTICULAR CITY CAN DO IN THAT EFFORT. SO IF WE DID THAT IN ORDER TO KEEP AN ODD NUMBER, WE COULD ADD SOMEONE FROM, UH, HARDY V AND THEN YOU HAVE NINE AND YOU, YOU HAD THE HOSPITAL. I MEAN, THE HOSPITAL. I HAVE, UH, THE HOSPITAL. MM-HMM. . AND WE, WE KNOW FROM PAST PRESENTATIONS HERE THAT, UH, IF YOU'RE FROM MEMORIAL IS WORKING ON, UH, FOR HOUSING, THAT WOULD INCLUDE CHILDCARE. SO THEY'RE CERTAINLY IMPORTANT. THEY HAVE A CHILDCARE CENTER ON, ON CAMPUS. RIGHT. AND, UH, THEN A SCHOOL REPRESENTATIVE, BOTH COUNTIES, HILTON, HEAD ISLAND, BLUFFTON, BEAUFORT, PORT ROYAL, AND HARDY, THAT THAT WOULD BE A NINE MEMBER COMMITTEE. JUST A QUESTION OFF THERE. UM, WOULD, WOULD WE NOT WANT TO INCLUDE, OR, OR SOMEHOW INCLUDE SOMEONE WHO IS FAMILIAR WITH THE PROGRAMS, THE ASSISTANT PROGRAMS THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, WITH THE VOUCHER PROGRAMS, UM, THAT EXISTS NOW SO THAT WE COULD GET THE INPUT OF THEIR OPINION AS TO WHAT'S BROKEN AND WHAT NEEDS TO BE FIXED SO THAT WE CAN ADDRESS THE ENTIRE THING? BECAUSE I'M QUITE CERTAIN IT WOULD STILL HAVE TO GO THROUGH A PROGRAM LIKE THAT, YOU KNOW, TO ASSIST CHILDREN OR THEIR PARENTS WITH THE, THE ACTUAL COST OF THE CHILDCARE. SO IT'S JUST, I'M JUST WONDERING, I DON'T KNOW HOW, UM, SO AT A, A CHILD CARE EXPERT OF, OF WHATEVER, YOU KNOW, TO USE A BROAD TERM, SOMEBODY WHO'S IN THE TRENCHES WITH, WITH THAT ON A DAILY BASIS, WHETHER IT BE A CHURCH REPRESENTATIVE [00:15:01] OR SOMEBODY WHO CAN BRING THE PERSPECTIVE OF THE OPERATOR, WHO HAS TO DEAL WITH ALL OF THAT, THOSE ARE THE RESOURCES THAT THIS COMMITTEE WOULD UTILIZE AND BRING THEM IN AS NEEDED. BECAUSE IF YOU, IF YOU SAY, I WANNA BRING THE CHURCHES IN, THEN YOU HAVE MAYBE A PRIVATE COMPANY THAT SAYS, WELL, I WANT TO BE HERE. AND THEN YOU START HAVING A COMMITTEE THAT BECOMES UNWIELDING. BRAD, I'M NOT, I CAN'T SPEAK FOR THEM, BUT I WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND, UM, BEAUFORD, UH, JASPER, EOC, AND WE HAVE TWO REPRESENTATIVES HERE TODAY FROM THAT ORGANIZATION. AND, AND WOULD THEY IDENTIFY THEMSELVES? YES. ORLANDO LEWIS, HEAD START, DIRECTOR FOR JASPER, EOC. THANK YOU, SIR. UH, VAN? YEAH, YOU, YOU'VE GOT, I'M, I'M SORRY. MISS LASHA GRANT, PUBLIC RELATIONS MANAGER FOR EOC. HI, MS. GRANT, NICE TO SEE YOU AGAIN. SAY YOU MISS VAN, YOU'VE GOT, YOU'VE GOT THREE ISSUES. ONE, FINDING EMPLOYEES THAT ARE WILLING TO WORK IN THAT INDUSTRY. I WAS IN IT. TWO, YOU CAN'T JUST ARBITRARILY ADD STUDENTS. YOU HAVE SQUARE FOOTAGE REQUIREMENTS, YOU HAVE STUDENT TEACHER RATIOS. SO ALL THOSE THINGS HAVE TO BE ADDRESSED IN ANY SORT OF SOLUTION. SO IF YOU HAVE A CAPACITY ISSUE, SOMEBODY HAS EITHER RENOVATE, BUY ANOTHER BUILDING. SO THE, THE INDUSTRY ITSELF IS VERY, VERY STRICTLY RELEVANT. SO YOU JUST CAN'T CREATE ADDITIONAL CAPACITY JUST LIKE THAT. SO, TO THE SUGGESTION THAT WE HAVE SOMEONE THAT'S A QUOTE EXPERT IN THE FIELD, YES. UM, IS, IS ONE THAT COULD BE VERY HELPFUL. BUT YOU HAVE THE LEGISLATOR WHO'S IN BUSINESS, UH, BUT HER TIME IS PROBABLY TOUGH. BUT, UM, WE HAVE WOULD THE EOC BE ABLE TO FI FILL THAT ROLE? YES. OKAY. SO THAT'S A POSSIBILITY IS TO HAVE, UM, I'M GONNA CALL YOU AN EXPERT. THANK YOU, REPRESENTATIVE. I APPRECIATE IT. . AGAIN, I'M NOT MAKING THE DECISIONS, I'M JUST WRITING DOWN THE POSSIBILITIES. MAY I HEAR FROM ANY BOARD MEMBERS, UH, THAT ARE IN, NOT UP AT THE DA THAT WANT, WANNA WEIGH IN? AND THEN I'LL, I'LL ASK THE PUBLIC. ANY, ANY OTHER COMMENTS UP HERE? THIS, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE, UM, TAKE A LOOK AT WHO IS BEING NOT INCLUDED INTO THIS, BECAUSE THERE ARE A LOT OF DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS, AND WE'RE OFF THE CUFF HANDPICKING SOME FOLKS RIGHT NOW. SO WE'VE GOTTA BE CERTAIN THAT WE'RE PULLING IN ALL THE RIGHT ORGANIZATIONS, EITHER ON THE COMMITTEE OR AS EXPERTS FOR THE COMMITTEE, BECAUSE THERE ARE A LOT OF DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS OUT THERE THAT ARE ADDRESSING THIS, THAT KNOW A HECK OF A LOT MORE THAN, THAN WE DO. SO WE, I WANNA MAKE CERTAIN THAT WE HAVE GOT A GREAT COVERAGE. UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT BEAUFORT MEMORIAL, GREAT. NOVANT HEALTH. THEY HAVEN'T COME OUT WITH THEIR ANNOUNCEMENTS YET, UM, AS TO WHAT THEIR PLANS ARE. SO WE CAN GOTTA MAKE CERTAIN THAT WE'RE NOT EXCLUDING THOSE ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE HEAVY HANDED INTO THIS. I JUST WANNA MAKE THAT CLEAR. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. SO THAT'S, THAT, THAT WOULD BE A TASK OF THE COMMITTEE TO MAKE SURE THAT THE ALL REPRESENT, AND SINCE THIS IS NOT A LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE BEING AN ODD NUMBER OR, YOU KNOW, I JOE'S SENSITIVE AND IT'S A GOOD POINT OF MAKING IT UNWIELDY. UH, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, AS WE ALL KNOW, IF WE DO HAVE STAFF OR OTHER PEOPLE, IF WE HAVE 10 PEOPLE, WE WON'T ALWAYS HAVE 10 PEOPLE SHOW UP FOR THE COMMITTEE. SO, UM, THAT'S A DECISION WE'LL HAVE TO MAKE HERE TODAY. ANYONE FROM THE, UH, PUBLIC HAVE ANY THOUGHTS ON THIS? WELL, UM, I'M GONNA GO, THE FIRST HAND I SAW WAS TOM. YEAH. UM, THE CHAMBER'S WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE GREATER ISLAND COUNCIL. WE HAVE A CHILDCARE TASK FORCE, AND WE'RE ACTIVELY WORKING WITH THE SOUTH CAROLINA CHAMBER, WHO'S REALLY CONNECTED WITH, UH, STATE GOVERNMENT AND ALSO WORKING WITH, UH, SHANNON ERICKSON AND JEFF BRADLEY. SO WE, WE, UH, WELCOME THE OPPORTUNITY TO, TO SERVE THIS SUBCOMMITTEE. GREAT. WE SEE WE HAD THE FIRST VOLUNTEER FOR THE SUBCOMMITTEE. THANK YOU, TOM, FOR JOINING THE SUBCOMMITTEE. UM, UH, DAN WAS THE NEXT, I WAS JUST GONNA SAY THAT, UH, WHEN WE STARTED [00:20:01] DOWN THIS ROAD, UM, WITH, UH, SHANNON AND THE CHILDREN'S CENTER ON HILTON HEAD, IT WAS EYEOPENING BECAUSE IT'S EXTREMELY COMPLICATED TOPIC. UM, YOU GET INTO PROFIT, YOU GET INTO NON-PROFIT, YOU GET INTO HYBRIDS, A PROFIT AND NONPROFIT. UM, LIKE THE MAYOR SAID, YOU GET INTO VOUCHERS, UH, YOU GET INTO, AS VAN SAID, SPACE TEACHER RATIOS. SO IT'S A VERY COM COMPLICATED COMBINATION OF A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS. UH, SO I THINK THE COMMITTEE AND I, AND I HEAR WHAT CHAIRMAN PASSMAN IS SAYING, YOU COULD GET HUGE IF YOU'RE NOT CAREFUL AND YOU COULDN'T MANAGE IT, BUT, UH, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO HAVE YOUR COMMITTEE GO OUT AND FIND THESE EXPERTS LIKE SHANNON. UM, AND THEN YOU JUST GOTTA IDENTIFY WHAT IT IS. I THINK, ARE YOU GONNA, ARE WE GONNA BE OPEN-MINDED TO ALL OF THESE ASSETS BEING PROFIT, NON-PROFIT AND HYBRIDS? I THINK WE HAVE TO LOOK AT EVERYTHING ACROSS THE BOARD. AND THEN OBVIOUSLY THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA IS ALREADY TARGETING THIS INDUSTRY AND GET A REAL GOOD VIEW OF WHAT THEY'RE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH ON THEIR SIDE. I KNOW IT'S A LEGISLATIVE ISSUE ALREADY. UM, SO THERE'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S COMPLICATED. IT IS COMPLICATED. AND I'M GONNA FOLLOW UP ON SOMETHING FRED SAID IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, FOCUSING IN, JUST LIKE THE HOUSING TRUST, WE ARE ONLY ONE PIECE OF SOLVING THE PROBLEM. AND MAYBE THIS SUBCOMMITTEE WILL JUST CONCENTRATE ON ONE ASPECT OF IT TO HELP SOLVE THE PROBLEM. AND, AND JUST, SO THAT'S, THAT'S A THOUGHT. AND, AND I THINK THAT'S WHERE FRED WAS HEADED WITH SAYING, OKAY, WHAT ARE ACTUALLY GOING TO BE DOING, UH, SIR, UH, AND AGAIN, PLEASE FORGIVE MY TERRIBLE, NO PROBLEM. USE OF NAMES. PLEASE, PLEASE STAND. SAY YOUR NAME AGAIN AND, UM, I KNOW YOU'VE FROM THE E ES EOC AND I KNOW MS. GRANT FOR, FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS. SO YES, SIR. MY NAME IS ORLANDO LEWIS. I'M THE HEAD START, EARLY HEAD START DIRECTOR FOR BUFORD, JASPER, EOC. UM, ONE RECOMMENDATION THAT I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE, UM, FOR THE SUB PARTICULAR SUBCOMMITTEE IS THAT A COMMUNITY ASSESSMENT BE COMPLETED. SO WE CAN TAKE A LOOK AT THE DATA, UM, THAT DETERMINES THE NEEDS SPECIFICALLY FOR THE COMMUNITIES THAT WE ARE LOOKING TO SERVE. UM, ALSO TAKE A LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, THE, THE VARIOUS POCKETS AND THE POPULATIONS IN TERMS OF WHO NEEDS WHAT TYPE OF SERVICE, BECAUSE THERE ARE, YOU KNOW, LAYERS OF CHILDCARE. UM, OF COURSE YOU MAY HAVE, FOR EXAMPLE, LIKE HEAD START. WE, WE SPECIFICALLY SERVE CHILDREN WHO ARE, WHO MEET A HUNDRED PERCENT ON THE FEDERAL POVERTY GUIDELINE. HOWEVER, THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, THAT'S NOT A REQUIRED REQUIREMENT FOR THEM. AND THEN THERE ARE FAMILIES WHO DON'T QUALIFY FOR HEAD START, WHO CAN'T GET INTO THE SCHOOL DISTRICT. SO THERE'S THAT GRAY AREA THERE. SO I THINK IF WE WERE TO COLLECT THE DATA, LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT THE COMMUNITY NEEDS, THEN WE CAN TARGET EACH TYPE OF CHILDCARE TO MAKE SURE THAT CHILDREN ARE SERVED THROUGHOUT ALL SPECTRUMS. MM-HMM. . WELL, UM, I, I SEE WE HAVE THE FIRST CANDIDATE TO BE THE CHAIR OF THE NEW SUBCOMMITTEE, . UM, THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR VOLUNTEERING. YEAH. FRED, BE ON ANOTHER COMMITTEE. UM, ANY OTHER THOUGHTS FROM, FROM THE PUBLIC? YES, SIR. I'M, UH, DOUG MCGILL. I'M FROM BLUFFTON. UM, AND THIS, THE, UH, EFFECTS OF PRO INFLATION ARE REALLY PERNICIOUS AND, UH, PARTICULARLY FOR OUR HOURLY WORKFORCE. A NUMBER OF STUDIES, AND I'M SORRY I CAN'T QUOTE ONE TO YOU, BUT THEY HAVE SHOWN THAT, UH, FOR OUR HOURLY WORKFORCE, THE TWO BIGGEST ISSUES FOR THEM RIGHT NOW ARE HOUSING AND CHILDCARE. AND SO, UM, THERE ARE A LOT OF, UH, DIFFERENT PLAYERS IN THIS SPACE. UH, CERTAINLY I KNOW THAT THE HILTON HEAD AND, UH, BLUFFTON ROTARY CLUBS ARE TALKING ABOUT CHILDCARE IS AN ISSUE. I KNOW THAT, UH, BEAUFORT MEMORIAL HAS BEEN TALKING ABOUT THAT AS AN ISSUE. UH, CERTAINLY THE SCHOOLS ARE CONCERNED ABOUT IT RELATIVE TO THEIR STAFF AS WELL AS THEIR, THEIR STUDENTS. AND SO, UM, IT REALLY IS THE PROPER ROLE OF GOVERNMENT, I THINK, TO KIND OF OVERSEE ALL OF THIS AND COORDINATE THIS, TO WORK WITH ALL OF THESE DIFFERENT GROUPS TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE NOT WORKING CROSS PURPOSES TO EACH OTHER AND WE'RE NOT WASTING THE FUNDING THAT'S AVAILABLE FOR US. SO I THINK THE SUBCOMMITTEE IS A, A REALLY GOOD IDEA. I I HAD A THOUGHT THAT, YOU KNOW, THE, FOR THE BOARD TO CONSIDER, WE HAVE TRADITIONALLY IN OUR SUBCOMMITTEES, UM, PUT REPRESENTATIVES FROM OUR, OUR STAFFS TO REPRESENT THE TOWN. MAYBE THAT'S NOT SO IMPORTANT. IF WE WANT TO KEEP THE GOAL TO KEEP, YOU KNOW, A WORKABLE GROUP. [00:25:01] MAYBE, MAYBE THIS SUBCOMMITTEE IS NOT STAFF. IT'S ALL THESE OTHER ORGANIZATIONS. ANYBODY HAVE ANY THOUGHT ABOUT THAT? I AGREE. I HEAR THAT TOO. AND SO THE, THE SUBCOMMITTEE COULD HAVE A REPRESENTATIVE FROM, FROM STAFF, UM, BUT IF WE HAD, AS I'M HEARING SUGGESTIONS, A SCHOOL REPRESENTATIVE, AND YOU COULD, YOU COULD MAKE THAT, UH, A REPRESENTATIVE FROM BOTH COUNTIES, UM, THE HOSPITALS, AND THAT COULD BE BOTH GROUPS. UM, THEN WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, OUR CHAIR, MR. ORLANDO LEWIS, UM, AND OUR VICE CHAIR, MR. TOM, TOM HEINZ FROM HUNTING, SORRY, TOM, TOM FROM THE CHAMBER. UM, SO, UM, THAT WOULD, UH, AND THEN WE COULD FILL IN WITH OTHER REPRESENTATIVES FROM STAFF AS NEED BE. YEAH, I THINK DOUG WAS SERIOUS. DOUG. DOUG, HE CERTAINLY LOOKS LIKE, UH, THAT LOOKED LIKE A, A SPEECH FROM HE REPRESENTS BLUFFTON. VERY GOOD. THANK YOU FOR VOLUNTEERING. , JOHN. THANKS, LARRY. I THINK THAT MAYBE WE SHOULD HAVE A SUBCOMMITTEE TO GIVE US AN, A REPORT ON WHO THEY SHOULD BE THERE RATHER THAN US STAY HERE TODAY AND JUST DO, YOU KNOW, SPITBALLING, LET'S GET A, A COMMITTEE TOGETHER TO SAY, THIS IS THE PEOPLE WE SHOULD BE ON THIS COMMITTEE. THIS IS VERY GOOD, BECAUSE NOW WE'VE GONE FROM SEVEN TO NINE TO HOW MANY WE'RE GOING TO, AND WE'RE JUST DON'T KNOW WHO'S GONNA BE THERE. I MEAN, THEY VOLUNTEERED HERE, BUT THAT'S THREE. SO I'M SAYING A COMMITTEE AND MAYBE THOSE THREE SAYING, OKAY, THIS IS WHAT WE WANT AND THIS IS WHERE WE'RE GONNA GO. THAT'S A GOOD IDEA. AND, YOU KNOW, AND LISTEN, THIS SUBCOMMITTEE, REGARDLESS OF WHO'S ON IT, WE'LL COME BACK TO THIS BOARD AND MAKE, MAKE A RE RECOMMENDATION. UM, SO, UH, I'M GONNA PUT SOMETHING OUT SO WE CAN FURTHER THE DISCUSSION. UM, IF WE ASK THE GROUP, AND, AND MR. LEWIS, MAY I FORMALLY ASK YOU TO BE THE CHAIR? SURE. YES, SIR. OKAY. SO, UH, THE, THE, WE HAVE FOR THIS BOARD TO APPROVE, WE HAVE MR. ORLANDO LEWIS, THE EOC, WE HAVE TOM FROM THE CHAMBER, AND YOU'LL GIMME A LESSON ON HOW TO SAY YOUR LAST NAME. TOM. AND I'VE ONLY KNOWN YOU FOR EIGHT YEARS. . YEAH. UM, YOU KNOW, AFTER EIGHT YEARS, IT'S TIME I LEARNED. UM, THEN WE HAVE, UM, DOUG, WHAT'S YOUR LAST NAME? M-A-G-I-L-L. AM I REALLY GONNA DO THIS? I WORK, I WORK WITH, UH, FRED ON THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING COMMITTEE FOR THE CITY OF BLUFF. OKAY, GOOD. MEET A GUY. SO YOU, YOU, YOUR REFERENCES HAVE BEEN OFFICIALLY DEAD. SUPPORT. UM, THEN WE WOULD, WE'D WANT TO ASK, UM, THE HOSPITALS TO PUT FORTH SOMEONE. THEY, THEY'RE NOT HERE. MAYOR, IF I, IF I MIGHT LET, LET'S GO BACK A COUPLE OF MONTHS AND REMEMBER THAT WE HAD JODY AND, AND SHANNON COME IN RIGHT. PRESENTATION WITH A LOT OF INFORMATION FOR US. UM, THAT NEEDS TO BE A BIG, THEY NEED TO BE A PART OF IT. I KNOW SHANNON'S PROBABLY A LITTLE TIED UP, BUT, YOU KNOW, HAVING THAT, THAT KNOWLEDGE AND THAT DATA RIGHT OFF THE GET GO IS SO LET'S NOT FORGET. OKAY. SO, WE'LL, WE PUT THEM IN THERE. SO I HAVE, UH, FOUR SO FAR, UM, NOT COUNTING THE HOSPITALS OR THE SCHOOLS, ANY, ANY THOUGHTS. AND THEN IT, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT'S FOUR PEOPLE RIGHT THERE THAT THEN THEY CAN COME BACK IF THERE'S, AND SAY, HEY, WE NEED THIS, THIS, OR THAT. AS, AS JOHN SUGGESTED, DO, DO, AND I, AND I QUESTION THIS, DO THE, DO THE HOSPITALS NEED TO BE A PART OF IT OR DO THEY JUST NEED TO BE RESOURCED FOR INFORMATION? UM, GOOD QUESTION, BECAUSE I THINK, I THINK THAT, UM, HAVING A, THE COMMITTEE BEING ABLE TO REACH OUT AND EXPLORE EVERYTHING THAT THEY'RE DOING, THEY CAN HELP MAKE SUGGESTIONS, RECOMMENDATIONS, WITHOUT [00:30:01] NECESSARILY THEM HAVING ON THE BOARD, BECAUSE IT MIGHT CREATE SOME COMPETITION BETWEEN THE TWO. BUT, BUT IT'S ALL ABOUT TRYING TO FIND A MODEL THAT WORKS, UM, WELL, THAT, THAT WE CAN ALL STAND BEHIND AND SUPPORT AND WHATEVER LEGISLATIVE CHANGES THERE MAY NEED TO BE OR WE CAN PUSH FOR. UM, BUT THAT'S WHERE I THINK THAT COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION MAY NOT NEED, UM, YOU KNOW, BOTH THE HOSPITALS OR ALL THE, THE MEDICAL SIDE. UM, YOU KNOW, DOES THE SCHOOL DISTRICT NEED TO BE AT THE TABLE OR THEY JUST NEED TO BE A VOICE THROUGH THE COMMITTEE? SO I, I, I AGREE WITH YOU ABOUT THE HOSPITALS. ALISON COP IS THE HOSPITAL ATTORNEY, AND SHE, UM, BRINGS, SHE COULD BRING A LOT TO THE COMMITTEE AS A CASE STUDY ON WHAT THEY WENT THROUGH TO GET TO WHERE THEY ARE. BUT I, I, I DON'T KNOW THAT SHE NEEDS TO BE A MEMBER OF THE COMMITTEE, BUT I THINK SHE COULD SHARE HER KNOWLEDGE ON ALL THE, UM, DIFFERENT OBSTACLES THAT THEY HAD TO OVERCOME TO BUILD A FACILITY AND WHY THEY NEEDED IT. BUT I DO THINK THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, IF THEY, IF, BECAUSE OF THE PRE-K PROGRAM AND, AND AT LEAST BEAUFORT COUNTY, I'M NOT SURE ABOUT JASPER COUNTY'S PRE-K PROGRAM. UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, THERE'S NOT ENOUGH SEATS FOR THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS. SO I ALSO, UM, AGREE WITH, UM, THE MAYOR, UH, ALAN, WE, BUT I ALSO THINK THAT ERIC, SHANNON ERICKSON IS ALSO JUST SHOULD BE A PLACE OF RESOURCE, RIGHT? INSTEAD ON THE BOARD. RIGHT? MM-HMM. . EXACTLY. MM-HMM. . YEAH. BUT HOW ABOUT, UH, FRED? UM, REMEMBER WE HEARD FROM JODY WHO, SAME THING. SAME THING, YEAH. SAME THING. MM-HMM. . OKAY. AND VAN WILLIS IS A RESOURCE. HE'S BEEN, HE'S RUN THAT BUSINESS. SO, UM, AS A RESOURCE, HARRY, I THINK IF, IF, UM, ORLANDO, TOM AND DOUG SAT IN A ROOM, TOOK A LOOK AT THE PRESENTATION THAT, UH, SHANNON, UM, DID IT, IT'S A BLUEPRINT. AND FROM THERE THEY CAN SET UP THE REMAINING PEOPLE THAT THEY NEED TO DISCUSS, EVALUATE, AND MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS. I, I LIKE THAT DIRECTION. O OKAY. UM, NOW GENTLEMEN, YOU ALL MAY NOT KNOW EACH OTHER. UM, SO I, UM, THAT SEEMS TO BE THE DIRECTION. AND, AND BASICALLY WHAT WE'LL BE ASKING YOU, YOU KNOW, WE PUT ON THE AGENDA, YOU'LL SEE SOME POTENTIAL MISSIONS. BUT I GUESS WHAT I'M HEARING FROM THE BOARD IS WE'RE ASKING YOU THREE TO GET TOGETHER AND COME BACK AND KIND OF TELL US WHAT DIRECTION YOUR RECOMMENDATION, YOU KNOW, LIKE ANY SUBCOMMITTEE, IF YOU FORM A, YOU KNOW, A MISSION STATEMENT AND YOU KNOW, WHAT YOU THINK SHOULD OR WHO YOU THINK SHOULD BE ON THE BOARD, WHAT REPRESENTATIVES, AND THEN COME BACK TO US AND SAY, HERE'S WHAT, HERE'S WHAT WE'RE RECOMMENDING THAT WE DO, AND WHAT WE AS A REGIONAL GROUP CAN HELP YOU TO ACCOMPLISH THE MISSION STATEMENT THAT YOU DEVELOP. QUESTION. UM, YES, TERRY AND I, I'M GONNA TRY TO BREAK IN THIS OUT, RIGHT, WITHOUT, ARE WE, IS OUR GOAL TO ONLY, UM, ASSIST A CERTAIN LEVEL OF LMI OR IS THIS A MISSION WHERE WE ARE WANTING TO HELP EVERYONE, YOU KNOW, WITH THE CHILDCARE? YOU KNOW, WHAT I'M SAYING IS, IS IF YOU'RE, IF YOU'VE GOT A DECENT JOB, ARE YOU, ARE WE GONNA BE HELPING THERE, THERE ARE A LOT OF PROGRAMS OUT THERE NOW, YOU KNOW, THAT IF YOU QUALIFY, YOU CAN GET HELP, BUT IT'S THOSE ONES IN THE MIDDLE, YOU KNOW, THAT JUST DON'T QUITE QUALIFY THAT ARE BEING, UH, PUT IN A, IN A BAD SITUATION. AND THEY'RE AFFECTING OUR WORKFORCE. AND THEY'RE, THEY'RE THE ONES THAT, UM, NOT EXCLUDING ANYONE, BUT I, I THINK, I THINK THAT'S UP FOR DISCUSSION AMONGST THIS GROUP. UM, ARE WE JUST GOING TO ADD ON TO THE, THE STUFF OR FIGHT TO ADD ON TO THE AVAILABILITY THAT'S SOMEWHAT THERE NOW? OR ARE WE GOING TO TAKE ON A BIGGER ELEPHANT AND TRY TO HELP MAKE THIS, UM, AVAILABLE FOR MORE WALKS OF LIFE INSTEAD OF JUST THE ONES THAT ARE QUALIFYING? NOW YOU TAKE A STAB AT THAT. OKAY. THERE IS, THERE IS [00:35:01] NOT ENOUGH FUNDING TO HELP EVEN LOW TO MODERATE INCOME FAMILIES. SO THE FUNDING IS NOT AVAILABLE FOR US TO, TO EVEN THINK THAT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN MEASURE, UM, AS A, AS A SUCCESS. SO I THINK WHEN THIS CONVERSATION FIRST CAME TO PLAY, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE, WHEN WE LOOK AT THE, THE NUMBERS THAT SHANNON, UH, AND JODY SHOWED US THIS IS A, A PROBLEM THAT START FROM ZERO TO A HUNDRED, AND WE WERE, AND I THOUGHT THAT'S WHAT WE WERE LOOKING AT, HOW TO MAKE, UM, ALL, UM, SPECTRUM HAVE THE ABILITY TO HAVE AFFORDABLE CHILDCARE OR ASSISTANCE IN CHILDCARE. SO I'M HOPING TO, WE HELP EVERYBODY. SO, OKAY. THAT'S, AND I JUST WANTED TO ASK IT BECAUSE IF, IF WE DON'T TALK ABOUT IT, YOU KNOW, WE CAN SAY, WELL, OH, THAT'S NOT WHAT I UNDERSTOOD. BUT, UM, THAT'S WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE HAPPEN PERSONALLY. BUT I'M ON FOR ANYTHING WE CAN DO FOR THE, TO HELP THE CAUSE TIME. YEAH. JUST AGAIN, SOMETHING ELSE, UH, FOR YOU, MAYBE THINK ABOUT, 'CAUSE WE'RE A LITTLE BIT DOWN THE ROAD ON THIS, IS IT'S, THERE ARE TWO MAIN ISSUES THAT, THAT WE SEE THAT WHERE YOU CAN GET A LOT OF PARTICIPATION. ONE IS, UM, WORKFORCE PARTICIPATION. SOUTH CAROLINA IS LIKE THE FOURTH LOWEST IN THE NATION FOR WORKFORCE PARTICIPATION. ONE OF THE MAIN REASONS IS A LACK OF, UM, AVAILABLE QUALITY, AFFORDABLE CHILDCARE. SO, SO THEN YOU MIGHT LOOK AT IT FROM A, A ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STANDPOINT. THE SECOND MAIN THING IS CHILD READINESS FOR KINDERGARTEN. UM, THE FIRST FIVE YEARS ARE THE MOST CRITICAL. THAT'S WHEN THE BRAIN'S DEVELOPING THE FASTEST. AND, AND READINESS FOR KINDERGARTEN IS A HUGE MARKER FOR HOW YOU'RE GONNA DO THROUGHOUT SCHOOL AND LIFE. SO, UM, THE SECOND THING THEN IS IT'S A CHILD READINESS, UM, INITIATIVE. FOR EXAMPLE, UM, SOUTH CAROLINA, I THINK, DON'T QUOTE ME ON THIS. I THINK ABOUT 35% OF THE CHILDREN ENTERING SCHOOL ARE NOT READY FOR SCHOOL. UM, CHILDREN COMING OUT OF THE CHILDREN'S CENTER, UH, JODY LEVITT'S CENTER ON HILTON HEAD ISLAND, THAT'S 98% OF THOSE CHILDREN ARE READY FOR, FOR SCHOOL. SO, SO MAYBE IT'S, IT'S, IT'S, UM, MAYBE THAT'S OUR FOCUS IS CHILD READINESS AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT. SOMETHING THAT THE SUBCOMMITTEE, YOU KNOW, YEAH. WE CAN TALK ABOUT A LOT OF ISSUES IN, IN SCHOOLS. UH, UNFORTUNATELY, SOUTH CAROLINA DOES NOT MANDATE KINDERGARTEN. THAT'S A PROBLEM. YOU TALK ABOUT READINESS FOR SCHOOL. SO THERE ARE A WHOLE BUNCH OF ISSUES THERE. I MEAN, THERE ARE TWO MAIN ISSUES THAT THIS SUBCOMMITTEE IS GONNA TAKE A LOOK AT. WHAT IS THE PROBLEM? IS IT LOCATION, A, B, C, D? THAT'S GOING TO BE WHAT YOU ARE GONNA COME UP WITH. AND POTENTIAL SOLUTIONS, SOME OF THEM ARE GONNA HAVE TO BE LEGISLATIVE SOLUTIONS BECAUSE THE STATE HAS CERTAIN RULES AND REGULATIONS. CAN WE CHANGE THEM? WHAT ARE THE LOCAL RULES AND REGULATIONS FOR SETTING UP DAYCARE CENTERS? THOSE KINDS OF THINGS. UM, A AGAIN, YOU HAVE TO TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT SHANNON PRESENTED. THAT'S A NICE BLUEPRINT OF SHE LAID OUT WHAT THE PROBLEMS ARE, WHAT THE IMPEDIMENTS ARE THAT SHE HAS, AND SHE'S IN THE INDUSTRY AND SHE IS A LEGISLATOR. MR. MAYOR. YES. I'D LIKE TO JUST SAY, LET'S LET THE COMMITTEE OF FOUR WORK. THEY CAN CONTACT EACH INDIVIDUAL AND GET THEIR INPUT OF WHAT THEY WANT AND BRING IT BACK TO US. MM-HMM. RIGHT NOW WE'RE DEBATING SOMETHING THAT LET THE, THE COMMITTEE DO IT AND THEN THEY CAN CONTACT EACH ONE OF US AND SAY, THIS IS WHAT, WHAT WE WANT. ASK WHAT WE WANT. I THINK MORE PRODUCTIVE THAT WAY THAN JUST TO DEBATE IT HERE. YEAH. I DON'T THINK WE'RE READY TO DEBATE IT HERE. AND THAT'S THE REASON FOR A SUBCOMMITTEE FOR THEM TO COME BACK AND SAY, BECAUSE WE HEARD THAT THE PROBLEM IS COMPLICATED. THERE'S MANY DIFFERENT AREAS. AND LARRY JUST BROUGHT UP A POINT, WELL, IS IT GONNA BE FOCUSED TO SUCH AND SUCH AN AREA? UM, I THINK THE SUBCOMMITTEE, ONE OF THE THINGS YOU WANT TO ACCOMPLISH IN A MISSION STATEMENT IS WHAT ASPECT [00:40:01] CAN WE, AS A COMBINED GROUP OF REGIONAL, UH, THINKERS HERE, HOW CAN WE HELP? WE CAN'T, WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO GET INTO EVERY ASPECT, BUT WHERE CAN WE AS A GROUP START TO FOCUS? AND, AND I THINK THAT'S WHY WE, WE NEED THIS SUBCOMMITTEE TO KIND OF FOCUS US INTO A SPECIFIC AREA OR AREAS. I THINK INPUT FROM DR. RODRIGUEZ TOO WOULD BE, UM, THE OFFICIAL TO YOU GUYS, YOU KNOW, TO THE COMMITTEE TO TRY TO FIND, GET HIS OPINION ON WHAT HE'S SEEING AS FAR AS WHEN THE FIRST GRADERS START, OR SECOND GRADERS OR WHATEVER, WHERE HE SEES THE DEFICIENCY. AND, UM, I THINK IT WOULD BE A, HIS OPINION WOULD BE IMPORTANT. IN MY OPINION. I THINK WE HAD WAY MORE DISCUSSION THAN WE NEED RIGHT NOW. , WE THANK YOU, FRED. WE MIGHT HAVE, WE MIGHT HAVE THE NEW CHAIRMAN OF, SO, LOKO , UH, CONGRATULATIONS. CONGRATULATIONS. MAYBE IN ORDER. UM, I, I AGREE. SO WHAT, WHAT WE'LL DO, UM, ON, ON THAT VERY IMPORTANT NOTE SO WE CAN GO INTO THE NEXT TOPIC. UM, ORLANDO, DOUG, TOM, PLEASE EXCHANGE INFORMATION AND WRITE A MISSION STATEMENT. COME BACK TO US WHEN YOU'RE READY. YOU LET ME KNOW, UH, WHEN YOU'RE READY AND, UM, PRESENT SOMETHING, UH, YOU KNOW, ON HOW WE SHOULD GO FORWARD, UH, AS A REGIONAL GROUP IN, IN, IN TERMS OF, UH, THIS ISSUE. OKAY. BOARD. EVERYBODY COOL WITH THAT? YES, SIR. OKAY. UM, THE NEXT GROUP, UM, WE, WE TALKED ABOUT FROM LAST MONTH, WE HEARD FROM THE COASTAL CONSERVATION LEAGUE AND THAT, THAT WENT INTO THE ISSUE OF LITTER. AND OF COURSE, PART OF LITTER IS RECYCLING, WHICH I MENTIONED EARLIER. UM, DO WE WANT TO GET A COMMITTEE TOGETHER THAT WILL, UH, DEVISE EDUCATIONAL CAMPAIGNS TO REDUCE LITTER? AND I'VE ASKED, UH, ACTUALLY COUNCILMAN KEMP ASKED MS. GREEN TO JOIN US, UH, MS. LYNN BOYLES. UM, SO, UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK SHE'D BE AN EXCELLENT CHAIRPERSON OF THIS COMMITTEE. AND, UM, I KNOW SHE'D BE QUITE EAGER TO DO SO, RIGHT. LYNN . OH, CERTAINLY. MAYOR, ANYTHING, YOU KNOW, JUST PUT ME ON ANOTHER COMMITTEE AND BOARD. YEAH. . UM, BUT THE, THE QUESTION TO THE BOARD IS, IS THIS SOMETHING THAT WE WANT TO UNDERTAKE AS A REGIONAL GROUP TO TRY TO HAVE, UH, A COMMITTEE COME UP AND DEVISE SOME SORT OF CAMPAIGN THAT WOULD, UM, REDUCE THE LITTER IN THE REGION? UM, YES, MR. CHAIRMAN, MR. MAYOR, UM, BEAUFORT COUNTY, I'D GO TO THE KEEP BEAUFORT BEFOR COUNTY BOARD MEETINGS AND, UM, HAVE BEEN ACTIVE WITH IT FOR A LONG TIME. BUT A LOT OF THINGS ARE GOING ON IN BOTH COUNTIES. I THINK IF WE WANTED TO HAVE A SMALL COMMITTEE TO KINDA TALK BACK AND FORTH TO EACH OTHER, THAT MIGHT BE GREAT. UH, BEAUFORT COUNTY IS WORKING ON REVISING THEIR PLASTIC BAG ORDINANCE AND KEEP BEAUFORT BEAUTIFUL, HAS BEEN PART OF THAT. AND OUR, UM, PLANNING DEPARTMENT IS HELPING US WITH EXAMPLES FROM OTHER COUNTIES ON WHAT THEY'RE DOING AS, AS FAR AS THAT GOES TOO. SO IT'S, UM, SEVERAL DIFFERENT ISSUES. IT'S LITTER, RECYCLING AND EDUCATION. UM, THE COUNTY, BEAUFORT COUNTY GOT A GRANT FOR, UH, TO INCREASE EDUCATION ABOUT COMPOSTING. SO MAYBE JUST, UM, ONE REP FROM THE COUNTY AND ONE FROM JASPER COUNTY MIGHT, UM, BE ENOUGH FOR A COMMITTEE TO KIND OF FEED BACK INFORMATION OF ALL THE THINGS THAT ARE ALREADY GOING ON. JUST A THOUGHT. THANK YOU, MAYOR PERRY. DID YOU HAVE A THOUGHT? WELL, IT, IT, IT'S, UM, YEAH, I, I DO, UM, DITTO TO EVERYTHING WE TALKED ABOUT WITH CHILDCARE. UM, THIS IS BECOMING A BIGGER AND LARGER ISSUE WITHIN THE WHOLE REGION. AND I THINK, NO OFFENSE, BUT I THINK WE NEED TO HAVE MORE THAN A REP FROM THE COUNTY AND A REP FROM, FROM BOTH COUNTIES. UM, THE MUNICIPALITIES HAVE GOT TO, TO BE INVOLVED WITH THIS. UM, WHERE ARE WE GOING? WHAT ARE WE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH? HOW DO WE GET THERE? WHEN DO WE GET THERE? UM, NOT TO OVERSTEP WHAT THE COUNTIES ARE DOING, BUT I'M NOT HEARING A LOT OF CONVERSATIONS COMING BACK TO THE MUNICIPALITIES AS TO WHAT THE [00:45:01] COUNTIES ARE DOING. UM, SO FOR US, AGAIN, TO HAVE THAT VOICE, UM, TO RELAY THAT TO THOSE TWO COUNTY REPRESENTATIVES, I THINK IS IMPORTANT. WELL, WELL PERHAPS JUST ONE FROM EACH MUNICIPALITY. THAT'S FINE. YEAH. AND THEN ONE FROM THE COUNTY BEING EITHER, UM, OUR RECYCLE SLASH LITTER CONTROL REPRESENTATIVE, AND, UM, IT'D BE STAFF, BUT OUR CHAIRMAN OF OUR KEEP BEAUFORT BEAUTIFUL COMMITTEE WOULD I'M SURE WANNA BE A RESOURCE TOO. ABSOLUTELY. YEAH. UM, IF I MAY, I, I THINK WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TWO DIFFERENT, EVEN THOUGH IT'S THE SAME ISSUE, WE HAVE TWO SEPARATE ISSUES HERE. ONE IS ENFORCING LAWS THAT ARE ALREADY ON THE BOOKS AS FAR AS I'M GONNA REFER TO AS TRASH HAULERS, COMMERCIAL LICENSE HAULERS. THAT'S PART OF OUR PROBLEM. AND IN MY OPINION, THE BIGGEST PART OF OUR PROBLEM, WE'LL ALWAYS HAVE TO EDUCATE PEOPLE ABOUT THROWING OUT A, OUT A STYROFOAM CUP OR A BEER CAN, OR WHATEVER THEY MAY HAVE IN THEIR, IN THEIR VEHICLES ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. BUT I STILL CONTEND THAT OUR TRASH HAULERS WHO ARE DOING BUSINESS HERE, JUST LIKE THE REST OF US, NEED TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THEIR ACTIONS. AND THEY NEED IT. IT NEEDS, WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING TO MAKE, TO CORRECT THAT PROBLEM BEFORE WE TRY TO CORRECT EVERYBODY. YOU KNOW, IT IS TWO DIFFERENT FISH TO FRY, IF YOU WANT TO HEAR IT THAT WAY. YOU KNOW, THE BIG ONE IS THE COMMERCIAL SIDE OF IT. AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE THE OTHER SIDE, WHICH IS THE PUBLIC SIDE OF IT. BUT I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW HOW BOTH AT THE SAME TIME WOULD WORK. VAN, I CAN TELL YOU, I'VE, I'VE CHASED ONE FROM, UM, SNAKE ROAD ALL THE WAY TO LADIES ISLAND. AND WHEN WE PULLED THEM OVER, WE WROTE HIM TICKETS. YOU, WHEN YOU, YOU CAN'T WRITE THE TICKETS TO THE HAULER, THE, THE COMPANY, THE TICKETS GET WRITTEN THROUGH THE DRIVER AND IT IMPACTS THEIR CDL. SO RIGHT NOW, THE WAY THE LAWS ARE WRITTEN, YOU CAN'T DO MUCH WITH THE HAULER ITSELF. SO YOU GOTTA FIGURE OUT THAT PROBLEM. THEIRS IS TECHNOLOGY OUT THERE THAT WILL ADDRESS, I MEAN, LOOK AT HOW THEY'RE COVERING THESE LOADS. IT'S PATHETIC. AND THAT'S THE THE BIGGEST PROBLEM THAT WE HAVE. YOU CAN GET OUT ON ONE 70 ALL DAY LONG AND JUST FOLLOW THOSE TRUCKS AND JUST WATCH ALL THE CRAP FLY OUT. AND IT HAPPENED AGAIN TODAY WHEN, ON MY WAY OVER HERE. SO YOU'VE GOTTA ADDRESS THE LAWS RELATIVE TO THE HAULERS. 'CAUSE RIGHT NOW ALL YOU'RE DOING IS WRITING TICKETS TO THE DRIVERS, AND THAT IMPACTS THE CDLS. AND THEY'RE, THEY'RE GETTING IN THE TRUCK. MAYBE THEY'RE THE ONES SECURING THE LOAD, MAYBE THEY'RE JUST BACKING UP. BUT IT'S, IT'S, THAT'S YOUR, THAT'S A HUGE PROBLEM. WE ALSO HAVE AN ISSUE WITH, UM, LACK OF PICKUP AND WEEKS GO BY. AND SOME OF THE, WHICH WE EXPERIENCED ON HILTON HEAD IS THE SHORT TERM RENTALS HAVE TRASH BUILT UP. AND YES, IT'S A MUNICIPALITY THAT NEEDS TO ENFORCE THAT, BUT WE HAVE GOT TO FIGURE OUT A WAY TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT THE SERVICES ARE EFFECTIVE, UM, AND THEN THE ENFORCEMENT IS IN EFFECTIVE. SO, GOTTA DO SOMETHING. LYNN. UM, I'D LIKE TO, DO YOU TALK TO YOUR, YOUR BUFORT COUNTERPART AT THIS POINT? DO YOU HAVE, UH, ANY, UM, JOINT INITIATIVES, MY COUNTERPARTS, AS FAR AS WHAT YOU DO IN BUFORT COUNTY? YES. LET ME TELL Y'ALL ABOUT MY PROGRAM REALLY QUICKLY. JASPER COUNTY HAS DONE EXCELLENT. I, UM, I'M THE DIRECTOR OF TWO NON-PROFITS. I'M A PART-TIME, UH, LITTER PREVENTION, KEEP JASPER COUNTY BEAUTIFUL DIRECTOR. I SPEND 85% OF MY WEEK ON LITTER. WE FOCUS ON PICKUPS. WE HAVE A LITTER CREW THAT JASPER COUNTY, UH, APPROPRIATED TO OUR PROGRAM THAT I OVERSEE. WE HAVE ADOPT A HIGHWAYS. WE, UH, WE HAVE 32 ADOPT A HIGHWAY GROUPS. WE PICKED UP OVER 69 TONS LAST YEAR JUST WITH VOLUNTEERS. BUT WE ARE A VOLUNTEER PROGRAM. AND I, I DO NOT WORK FOR JASPER COUNTY. I WORK FOR THE JASPER SO, AND WATER CONSERVATION DISTRICT. OUR COUNTY HAS BEEN SO FORTHCOMING IN, UM, HELPING ME, I WOULD SAY THE VOLUNTEERS HAVE, AND TO ECHO ALL OF Y'ALL, THE CONSTRUCTION AND THESE TRUCKS ARE OUT OF CONTROL. THEY'RE OUTTA CONTROL. I MEAN, YOU KNOW, OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT LAST YEAR, WE, UH, WE FIND WE TOOK IN $10,400 WORTH OF FINES. THAT'S WHAT WE TOOK IN AND SENT TO THE STATE. AND, UM, OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT, [00:50:01] I WILL SAY DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES, THOSE GAME WARDENS ARE OUT THERE WRITING TICKETS. HARDY V IS OUT THERE WRITING TICKETS. I KNOW THAT SOMETIMES LAW ENFORCEMENT FEELS LIKE LITTER IS NOT A CRIME, Y'ALL, IT'S OUTTA HAND. AND OUR, OUR, UH, INTERNATIONAL PEOPLE THAT ARE MOVING IN, UM, I FOCUSED ON THAT BECAUSE, UH, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO, THEY NEED TO KNOW THE LAWS HERE. AND, UM, I WOULD SAY THAT THAT'S A MAJOR PROBLEM. NOW WE HAVE A MAJOR PROBLEM WITH PEOPLE JUST DUMPING THEIR TRASH BAGS ALL ALONG THE ROADS. SO WHAT HAPPENS THERE IS I HAVE TO CALL LAW ENFORCEMENT. I GO THROUGH THESE BAGS. I DON'T USUALLY DRESS LIKE THIS , I USUALLY HAVE ON MY SNAKE BOOTS AND MY PANTS AND MY HUNTING GEAR TO GET OUT IN THE WOODS. BUT I GO THROUGH THE BAGS AND THEN I HAVE TO CALL LAW ENFORCEMENT. AND THANK GOODNESS THEY COME FORTH FOR ME AND THEY FIND 'EM. BUT WE, WE ARE OUT THERE EVERY DAY. WE ARE, UM, WE'RE TRYING TO STAY ON TOP OF IT. AND, AND LET ME SAY THIS TOO, LAST YEAR WAS A BANNER YEAR FOR JASPER COUNTY WITH, WITH COLLECTING LIT, BECAUSE S-C-D-O-T, AND I'M SURE Y'ALL ALL KNOW THIS, THEY GOT $89,000 FROM THE STATE TO HAVE A LITTER CREW THAT HELPED US TREMENDOUSLY. WELL, GUESS WHAT? THIS YEAR THEY DIDN'T GIVE IT TO 'EM. THEY DIDN'T GIVE IT TO DOT. SO WE'VE LOST THAT HELP. AND YOU KNOW, WITH THE $25,000 THAT THE COUNTY GIVES US FOR LITTER CREWS, WE PICK UP ABOUT TWO TONS A MONTH. WE GOT 152 MILES OF COUNTY ROADS THAT WE PICK UP AT, YOU KNOW, FOR THE YEAR. AND THAT'S HELPED TREMENDOUSLY. BUT WITH ME, I THINK PEOPLE ARE POWER. AND WITH THIS GROUP, MAYBE, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE ARE POWER. WE COULD, WE KNOW WE, WE COULD TAKE ALL OF US TO GO TO THE LEGISLATURE OR TO OUR DELEGATION AND PUSH FOR THIS. WE'RE ONE OF THE FASTEST GROWING COUNTIES IN THE STATE OR IN THE NATION. WE CAN'T KEEP UP. WE DON'T HAVE THE, WE DON'T HAVE THE EMPLOYEES. SO, UM, AND Y'ALL CAN TELL I'M SO PASSIONATE ABOUT IT. YEAH, I CAN TELL YOU LAST YEAR, AND I HOPE THE MAYOR AND THE COUNCILMAN WILL, WILL BACK ME UP. WE HAD A GREAT YEAR, BUT I CAN SEE IT. IT'S DIFFERENT THIS YEAR BECAUSE WE JUST DON'T HAVE, WE DON'T HAVE THE MANPOWER OUT THERE AND YOU CAN'T DEPEND ON VOLUNTEERS. I THINK THAT FOR EVERYTHING. THANK YOU. LENNON. I THINK WHAT, WHAT THIS SUBCOMMITTEE IS TO, UH, WHAT WE'RE ASKING FOR IS HOW DO WE PREVENT THIS? IT'S GREAT THAT PEOPLE LIKE YOU AND AND JASPER COUNTY ARE PICKING IT UP. I THINK THE TASK OF THE SUBCOMMITTEE IS TO HOW DO WE PREVENT IT GETTING ON THE GROUND IN THE FIRST PLACE? AND WELL EDUCATION IN WHICH WE DO THAT. BUT, SO, UM, WHAT I'D, UM, BECAUSE WE'RE, WE'RE WINDING DOWN. SO, UM, IS THIS, UH, I'VE HEARD THAT WE WANT TO GET THE JURISDICTIONS INVOLVED AS WELL. IS THIS SOMETHING THAT THE, UH, BOARD WANTS TO PURSUE? I'M GONNA SAY YES, BECAUSE I THINK WE NEED TO SHOW A UNIFIED STANCE THAT WE'RE, WE'RE, WE ARE GOING TO FIGHT BACK AGAINST THOSE THAT DO THIS. AND BY THE MUNICIPALITIES DOING THAT, IT SUPPORTS BOTH COUNTIES AND THEIR EFFORTS. AND WE HAVE GOTTA PUT OUR FOOTS DOWN. I MEAN, MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND, WE HAD 1.5 TONS OF TRASH OFF THE BEACH. OFF THE BEACH. WOW. THAT IS OUR NAT. THAT IS OUR RESOURCE. THAT IS OUR INDUSTRY. OKAY. UM, VAN, JUST ONE OTHER THING WORTH MISSING. ALL OF US HAVE CONTRACTS WITH THOSE HOLLERS, SO THERE'S MAYBE THINGS THAT WE CAN INSERT IN OUR CONTRACTS AND MAKE THEM ADDRESS HOW THEY'RE SECURING THEIR LOADS. JUST A THOUGHT. GREAT. GREAT. AND AGAIN, I THINK THAT THAT'S WHAT THESE SUBCOMMITTEES ARE FOR, TO TELL THIS GROUP, OKAY, HERE'S WHAT WE NEED FROM THE COLLECTIVE BODY OF THE REGION IN ORDER TO TACKLE THIS PROBLEM. SO IF WE GET, UM, A REPRESENTATIVE FROM EVERY JURISDICTION, UM, THEN, YOU KNOW, I'LL PUT OUT A NOTE ASKING EACH JURISDICTION TO COME FORWARD WITH A REPRESENTATIVE. AND I THINK, UM, JOHN AND, UH, ALICE, THAT REPRESENTATIVE COULD BE LIKE, UH, LYNN VOLUNTEERED TO BE JASPER COUNTY, AND, AND WE COULD HAVE THE BUFORT COUNTY, SO THAT COULD BE THE REPRESENTATIVE AS OPPOSED TO, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE STAFFS FROM THE JURISDICTION. OKAY. LIKE BAND SUGGESTION, IF WE CAME UP WITH A BOILER PLATE, UM, FOR EVERYBODY'S CONTRACTS, FOR VIOLATIONS, [00:55:02] WHATEVER. UM, JUST THINKING OUT LOUD. OKAY. SO I'LL SEND OUT A NOTE TO, TO THE BOARD ASKING THEM TO, UH, LOOK FOR AN APPOINTEE FROM EACH JURISDICTION AND WE'LL GET AS MANY AS WE CAN. AND, UM, I MIGHT SUGGEST THAT, THAT, THAT REPRESENTATIVE BE A STAFF MEMBER. MM-HMM. BECAUSE THEY'VE GOT THE ENDS, THE OUTS, THE WORKINGS OF THE, OF THE CONTRACTS. UM, RIGHT, RIGHT. YEAH. GREAT IDEA. OKAY. STAFF MEMBER EACH JURISDICTION. ACTION. ALRIGHT, I'LL SEND A NOTE TO EVERYBODY SO, UH, WE CAN FOLLOW UP AND GET THIS, GET THIS TOGETHER. UM, MAYOR? YES. THIS IS JUST FOR LITTER, NOT FOR RECYCLING. THIS IS, THIS IS FOR LITTER. EXCUSE ME. LITTER. LITTER ONLY. OKAY. UM, I THINK RECYCLING IS A WHOLE DIFFERENT PROBLEM THAT REALLY, REALLY IMPACTS EVERYBODY BECAUSE EVENTUALLY IF WE USE RECYCLING, WE'RE GONNA RE HAVE CHEAPER GARBAGE, BELIEVE IT OR NOT. RIGHT. AND WE'VE, THAT SHOULD BE A SEPARATE ITEM THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT COMING UP, WE WILL HAVE A REPRESENTATIVE FROM BEAUFORT COUNTY, UH, HERE TO TALK ABOUT RECYCLING AND BECAUSE THEY HAD SOME RECENT CHANGES. AND, UM, JOHN, WHY DON'T YOU, UH, SEE IF THERE IS A COUNTERPART, UH, WHO HANDLES RECYCLING IN JASPER COUNTY. PERHAPS THEY COULD JOIN US. OKAY. UM, WHICH LEADS US INTO THE NEXT CONVERSATION, UH, BRIEFLY BEFORE WE ADJOURN. UM, ARE THERE ANY OTHER SUGGESTIONS? THE, THE RECYCLING, UH, AGENDA WILL BE SHORT, BUT ARE THERE ANY OTHER SUGGESTIONS FOR AN AGENDA ITEM FOR NEXT MONTH? I, I WOULD SUGGEST THAT WE, SINCE WE ARE ON A SHORT TIME SCHEDULE, UH, FOR JANUARY, THAT WE HAVE AN UPDATE FROM THE CHILDCARE ACTION COMMITTEE AND ALSO AN UPDATE FROM THE LEADER SIDE AS TO WHAT'S TRANSPIRED AND WHAT DIRECTIONS THEY'RE GOING. OR AT LEAST HAVE THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS ALL SOMEHOW RIGHT. FOR THE LITTLE ONE. OKAY. GOOD IDEA. ALRIGHT. UM, ANY LAST COMMENTS FOR FROM THE BOARD OR WE'LL DO THE BOARD FIRST AND THEN THEN THE PUBLIC. OH MAN. HERE'S THE MAYOR. LITTERING OUR DAY HERE. UH, WE NEED THAT SUBCOMMITTEE GOING AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. ENFORCEMENT. . HEY, THAT'S MY SEAT. THAT'S, YEAH. SO WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU SIT IN WATER THE NEXT TIME TOMORROW AT OUR MEETING, YOU KNOW WHO TO BLAME, . I'LL HAVE TO WAIT THAT, THAT'S OKAY. NOW I'LL OFFER THE PUBLIC. WAS THERE ANY FINAL COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC BEFORE WE ADJOURN? SEEING OH, YES, SIR. MR. LEWIS, MR. CHAIRMAN. UM, I I DO HAVE ONE RECOMMENDATION. I KNOW, UM, ON THE FED SIDE, UH, ANYTIME THERE'S A VIOLATION OF POLICY, UM, THE ENTITY WHO'S IN VIOLATION OF HAVE TO PROVIDE A CORRECTIVE ACTION PLAN. I KNOW THIS GENTLEMAN STATED THAT THEY OFTENTIMES HAVE TO CITE THE, OR PROVIDE A CITATION TO THE, THE DRIVER. BUT WHAT IF THE DRIVER WHO'S ASSOCIATED WITH THE BUSINESS, WE WERE TO COLLECT DATA ON THAT BUSINESS WHO'S HAVE MULTIPLE VIOLATIONS AND THE BUSINESS HAS TO PROVIDE THE MUNICIPALITY WITH THE CORRECTIVE ACTION PLAN IN TERMS OF HOW THEY'RE GONNA HOLD THEMSELVES ACCOUNTABLE AND CORRECT THE MATTER END OF THE CONTRACT. MAYBE WE HAVE A CHAIRMAN FOR THE OTHER COMMITTEE TOO. , MR. LEWIS WILL NEVER SHOW UP AGAIN. . MR. LEWIS, IF YOU WOULD, DO ME A FAVOR, UM, AND TAKE A COUPLE OF MINUTES AND SEND ME AN EMAIL TO THAT EFFECT. YES SIR. COULD YOU, COULD YOU PLEASE, UH, 'CAUSE I COULDN'T WRITE THAT FAST. UM, BUT THANK YOU. THAT'S A GOOD SUGGESTION. AND, AND VAN, IF, IF YOU COULD DO THE SAME. YEAH. AND I'LL, I'LL PASS IT ON TO AS SOON AS THE COMMITTEE GETS FORMED, I'LL PASS THOSE COMMENTS ON TO THEM. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR JOINING US. BY THE WAY, BEFORE YOU LEAVE, I JUST WANNA MAKE A SPECIAL NOTE, UH, AND BECAUSE I'M VERY PROUD TO BE PART OF THIS COMMITTEE, AND THIS IS OUR SEVENTH BIRTHDAY OF SO LOKO . SO HAPPY BIRTHDAY EVERYBODY. * 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.