* 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. HEY, WELCOME EVERYBODY TO THE, UM, BEAUFORT COUNTY LEGISLATIVE DE UH, DELEGATION MEETING. IT'S BEEN A WHILE SINCE WE'VE HAD ONE. SO, UM, THIS ONE MIGHT TAKE A LITTLE BIT OF TIME. UM, WE WOULD'VE STARTED ON TIME, BUT WE HAVE ONE GUY THAT GOT LOST IN THE BIG TOWN, BIG METROPOLIS OF BLUFFTON . SO ANYHOW, WE'RE GONNA START WITH, UH, THE INVOCATION BY REPRESENTATIVE RIVERS AND MAYBE THE RIGHT AFTER, UH, THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE BY SENATOR DAVIS. SO, IF YOU ALL WOULD JOIN ME IN STATE, PLEASE, I THANK YOU FOR THIS DAY THAT AS A GIFT, PROBABLY THANK THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE. THANK YOU THAT THE THINGS THAT WE DO TODAY WILL BENEFIT ALL PEOPLE AND ALL THE PEOPLE OF NEW COUNTY IN THE NAME AND NATURE OF JESUS TO CHRIST. AMEN. AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE. STRONG. THANK YOU GENTLEMEN. I DO WANT TO THANK THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON, UM, HEATHER, STEPHEN, UM, EVERYBODY FOR, UH, ALLOWING US TO DO THIS HERE AND MAKING IT SO, MAKING US SO COMFORTABLE. CHIEF, THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU'RE DOING OUT THERE. AND WE WILL, UH, START OUT BY WELCOMING THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR AND MR. MICHAEL MOORE. MOORE, COME ON OUT. WELCOME, SIR. GOOD AFTERNOON. THANK YOU, SIR. UM, APPRECIATE BEING HERE TODAY. UM, I'VE MET SOME OF YOU ALL. LOOKING FORWARD TO MEETING MORE OF YOU. UM, I'VE BEEN ON THE JOB FOR ABOUT, UH, WELL TWO AND A HALF MONTHS NOW, LEARNING A LOT, UM, TRYING TO GET OUT IN THE COUNTY AND, AND, UM, AND GET WITH, MEET WITH THE MUNICIPALITIES AND MEET WITH THE CITIZENS AND HEAR THEIR CONCERNS. SO, UM, REALLY EXCITED TO BE HERE. MY FAMILY IS HERE, MY WIFE IS HERE. BOTH MY GROWN SONS ARE OUTTA THE HOUSE, BUT THEY, UH, THEY LOOK FORWARD TO COME VISITING. SO, UH, REALLY EXCITED TO MEET EACH OF YOU ALL AND, UM, HAPPY TO COME OUT AND LOOK AT ANY AREAS IN PARTICULAR Y'ALL WOULD LIKE, UM, THE COUNTY TO, TO, TO SEE, OR THINGS YOU'D LIKE ME TO SEE AND LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH EACH AND, AND EVERY ONE OF YOU ALL. SO, THANK YOU. ANY QUESTIONS FOR MR. WELCOME. WE'LL PROBABLY HAVE YOU ON SPEED DIAL, SIR. OKAY. OKAY. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. YES, YOU WILL. UM, WE, AT SOME POINT, WILL YOU GIVE, SHOOT ME AN EMAIL AND GIMME AN UPDATE ON WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH THE ROY BOAT LANDING. OKAY. UM, YOU KNOW, WE GOT THE $1.2 MILLION IN THE STATE BUDGET. YOU, YOU I'LL DO THAT, SIR. YES. DON'T HAVE THE MONEY YET, BUT IT'S THERE. I'M JUST CURIOUS AS TO WHAT THE, WHERE, WHERE YOU ALL ARE. ABSOLUTELY. OKAY, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. YES, SIR. THANK YOU. WELCOME. THANK YOU. THANKS SIR. UH, NEXT WE'RE GONNA, UM, HAVE THE, UM, JUDICIAL CANDIDATES COME UP AND GIVE US JUST A, A HELLO AND A, AND A BRIEF, UH, BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF WHO THEY ARE AND WHAT THEY'RE DOING. SO WE'RE GONNA START OUT BY THE, UH, SIGNUP SHEET. UH, GRANT GIBBONS. WOW, MAN. ALL ONE. WELCOME. YOU GUYS. WERE LETTING ME COME UP HERE. UM, I'M ORIGINALLY FROM AIKEN. I SAW A LOT OF Y'ALL LAST YEAR. HOPE YOU DON'T HAVE PTD. SO I, ME HERE AGAIN, UM, I'M RUNNING FOR THAT SEAT NUMBER SEVEN, UH, WHICH IS JUDGE MADDOX. HE'S RETIRING AND I LOOK FORWARD TO TALKING TO YOU IF YOU FURTHER ANY CHANCE THAT YOU DEEM APPROPRIATE. UM, I'VE BEEN PRACTICING FOR 33 YEARS, THINK 16 YEARS AS A PROSECUTOR. I'VE NOW BEEN THE CIRCUIT PUBLIC DEFENDER FOR 17 YEARS. AND, UH, THANK, LOOKING FORWARD AGAIN TO SPEAKING TO YOU FURTHER. THANK YOU. YES, I LIKE THAT. JUST A QUICK, WELL, NO WAY. NOT PRESIDENT . UM, CAN I ASK HIM A QUICK QUESTION? ABSOLUTELY. UM, GRANT, UM, THOSE AT LARGE SEATS ARE USUALLY COMPETITIVE. HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE IN THAT RACE? I HAVEN'T LOOKED AT THE LIST. EIGHT. EIGHT. OOH. OKAY. JUST SO WE CAN BE PREPARED LONG, WE'RE HERE TODAY, . THAT'S FINE. NO, I WOULDN'T LET THEM TO. OKAY. THANK YOU GRANT. UM, MICHAEL EMER. MICHAEL, WELCOME. HELLO. THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME. UM, MY NAME IS MICHAEL EMER. UH, I'M AN ATTORNEY. I'M RUNNING FOR THE 11TH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT, WHICH IS LEXINGTON, SALUDA, MCCORMICK, AND EDGEFIELD COUNTIES. UM, I CURRENTLY PRACTICE PRIVATELY. I HAVE A SOLO PRACTICE IN AIKEN. UM, I ALSO AM THE TOWN MUNICIPAL JUDGE FOR BATESBURG LEESVILLE. UM, I'M A VERY BUSY MAN. I HAVE TWO SMALL CHILDREN. ONE JUST STARTED KINDERGARTEN, AND IN ADDITION, I'M THE CHIEF MUNICIPAL JUDGE FOR BATESBURG. UH, AS A SOLO PRACTITIONER, I BASICALLY DO EVERYTHING. [00:05:01] I JUST STARTED MY PRACTICE ABOUT THREE MONTHS AGO. I JUST LEFT A PERSONAL INJURY FIRM, SMALL TOWN PRACTICE AS WELL. WORKED THERE FOR ABOUT FOUR AND A HALF YEARS. PRIOR TO THAT, I WAS AN ASSISTANT SOLICITOR FOR ABOUT FOUR AND A HALF YEARS DOWN IN THE SECOND JUDICIAL CIRCUIT. SO I APPRECIATE, I'LL OPEN IT UP TO ANY QUESTIONS Y'ALL WANNA HAVE FOR ME, MICHAEL? THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANKS FOR COMING TO BLUFFTON. LET'S SEE, SEAN, GRAHAM. SEAN, WELCOME. THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY. INTRODUCE MYSELF TO YOU ALL. MY NAME IS SEAN GRAHAM. I'M ALSO, UM, WITH MICHAEL. I'M A CANDIDATE FOR THE 11TH CIRCUIT, UM, SEAT ONE, THAT'S JUDGE KILEY'S SEAT. HE'LL BE RETIRING AT THE END OF 2025. I THINK HE'LL HAVE HELD THAT POSITION FOR OVER 30 YEARS. UM, SO THERE'LL BE A, A NEW FACE IN LEXINGTON, EDGEFIELD, SALUDA, AND MCCORMICK. I HAVE BEEN AN ATTORNEY FOR ABOUT 28 YEARS. I RETIRED AS A DEPUTY SOLICITOR OUT IN THE 11TH CIRCUIT AFTER 25 AND A HALF YEARS AS A TRIAL ATTORNEY. UM, I HANDLED AT THE, PROBABLY I HAD 70 JURY TRIALS THAT ACTUALLY MADE IT TO VERDICT. ABOUT 30 OF THOSE WERE HOMICIDE CASES. SO THE LAST 12 YEARS PROBABLY OF MY CAREER THERE I WAS, UM, HANDLING HIGH PROFILE SERIOUS CASES. SO I DO HAVE THE TRIAL EXPERIENCE. SINCE THAT TIME, I'VE OPENED MY OWN LAW FIRM AS WELL, DOING A LITTLE BIT, DOING THE COURT A LITTLE BIT IN PROBATE COURT, UM, AND PERSONAL INJURY WORK MYSELF. I'M ALSO AN ASSOCIATE JUDGE FOR THE TOWN OF LEXINGTON, AND THE SOLICITOR HAS, UM, ASKED ME TO HELP JUDGE MCLEOD AS AN ASSISTING DRUG COURT JUDGE. AND I LOOK FORWARD, HOPEFULLY, IF YOU ALL WILL ALLOW ME, I WOULD LOVE TO COME BACK AND, AND MEET EACH ONE, EACH ONE OF YOU INDIVIDUALLY. THANK YOU BOTH. ALL. THANK YOU. SEAN. TOM, DO YOU HAVE A QUESTION? NO. OKAY. UM, BRUCE WALLACE. BRUCE, WELCOME. THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO APPEAR BEFORE Y'ALL. UH, MY NAME IS BRUCE WALLACE. I'M FROM CHARLESTON. I'M RUNNING FOR THE NINTH CIRCUIT, UM, SEAT TWO, WHICH WAS, UH, FORMERLY HELD BY BENTLEY PRICE. UM, I'M A CHARLESTON NATIVE. I GREW UP IN CHARLESTON, RAISED MY KIDS THERE. I'M AN EMPTY NESTER, SO I'VE NOW GOT THE TIME AND THE ENERGY TO DO THIS JOB. CREDIBLY . UM, I'VE BEEN PRACTICING LAW FOR 28 YEARS. UM, I'VE GOT CIVIL AND CRIMINAL EXPERIENCE. UM, MY CIVIL EXPERIENCE IS FAIRLY BROAD AS WELL. IT'S, UM, LEGAL MALPRACTICE INSURANCE, UM, REAL ESTATE BUSINESS LITIGATION, A LITTLE BIT OF PROBATE LITIGATION, WHICH IS ALWAYS AN INTERESTING MIX. UM, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO MEETING EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU AS THIS RACE PROGRESSES. THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY. THANK YOU. AMANDA WHITTLE. HI, AMANDA. WELCOME CHAIRMAN HERB KERMAN AND MEMBERS OF THE DELEGATION. MY NAME'S AMANDA WHITTLE AND I'M A CANDIDATE FOR FAMILY COURT JUDGE, SECOND JUDICIAL CIRCUIT SEAT ONE. THIS IS THE SEAT THAT'S CURRENTLY HELD BY MY FORMER LAW PARTNER, VICKI SNELLGROVE, WHO PLANS TO RETIRE EARLY. UM, I'M CURRENTLY SERVING AS THE STATE CHILD ADVOCATE AND THE DIRECTOR OF THE DEPARTMENT OF CHILDREN'S ADVOCACY. MY, MY TERM FOR THAT ENDS IN JUNE. SO HER ANNOUNCEMENT THAT SHE WILL RETIRE WAS THE PERFECT TIMING. AND, UM, AND SO IT'S AN HONOR AND A PRIVILEGE TO BE HERE. I'VE BEEN PRACTICING LAW FOR 29 YEARS. I WAS IN PRIVATE PRACTICE FOR 10 YEARS WHERE I HAD A FAMILY COURT PRACTICE. I APPEARED IN PROBATE COURT. I CLOSED SOME LOANS AND DID, TRIED TO DO A LITTLE CIVIL LITIGATION. BUT FAMILY COURT WAS MY HEART. I LEFT PRIVATE PRACTICE AFTER 10 YEARS AND WENT TO WORK FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES. I WAS A COUNTY ATTORNEY IN MY CIRCUIT, AIKEN BARNWELL AND BAMBERG. BUT, UM, AS FOLKS NEEDED ME, I TRAVELED THE STATE I WENT TO, DROVE BY SEVERAL COURTHOUSES ON THE WAY HERE OF PLACES WHERE I'VE BEEN IN COURT AND, UM, AND ARGUED CASES IN, IN ALLENDALE. AND I ALSO HAVE BEEN, UM, AT THE OFFICE OF GENERAL COUNSEL, WHERE I HANDLED A GREAT MANY ADOPTIONS. I WAS, UH, IN, INVOLVED IN THE MICHELLE H LITIGATION. SO IT'S AN, AN HONOR AND A PRIVILEGE TO BE HERE WITH YOU. I LOOK FORWARD TO MEETING WITH YOU AT THE APPROPRIATE TIME. I ALSO WANNA SHARE THAT I'M A MOTHER OF THREE. UM, THERE ARE 29, 26, AND 23. THEY'RE COLLEGE GRADUATES AND PAYING THEIR OWN BILLS, WHICH IS SO EXCITING. SO, UM, THAT MAKES MY HUSBAND AND I VERY HAPPY. WE'VE BEEN MARRIED A LITTLE OVER 30 YEARS. WE'RE EMPTY NESTERS AND ARE ENJOYING BEING ABLE TO EAT WHATEVER WE WANT FOR SUPPER AND NOT HAVING TO COORDINATE WITH EVERYBODY'S, UM, BASKETBALL, BALLET, AND SOCCER PRACTICES. SO THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING US THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK WITH YOU REPRESENTATIVE. DOES SOMETHING HAPPEN AT 28 YEARS IN THE LOST LAW BUSINESS? 'CAUSE THEY'RE ALL ABOUT 28 OR 29 YEARS. OH, YOU'RE JUST GETTING STARTED. THANK YOU. YEAH, THANK YOU. AND, AND JUST SO THE PUBLIC KNOWS, THESE FOLKS PUT A LOT OF TIME INTO THE, INTO RUNNING FOR, UH, THE, THE JUDGES ARE PICKED BY THE LEGISLATURE, SO THEY HAVE TO SPEND A LOT OF TIME GETTING TO KNOW EVERYBODY AROUND THE STATE, NOT JUST IN THEIR OWN, [00:10:01] IN THEIR OWN DISTRICTS. AND SO IT'S A, IT'S JUST AN INCREDIBLE, UH, INCREDIBLE JOB TO DO TO GET THERE. AND THAT'S WHY I THINK THEY, UH, THAT'S WHY I THINK WE PICKED THE BEST JUDGES TOO. IT'S BECAUSE OF, UH, BECAUSE OF THE PROCESS. SO THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE. SO YOU HAVE TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, IT'S THE PROSPECT OF A 28TH OR 29TH YEAR THAT CAUSES EVERYBODY 29 MORE. THAT'S RIGHT. YEAH. AND, AND THAT'S SPEAKING FROM EXPERIENCE. WE DO HAVE OTHER, UM, WE DO HAVE OTHER, UH, FOLKS WHO HAVE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK, BUT WE'RE GOING, UH, TAKE THAT IN PUBLIC COMMENT IN THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD. UNLESS, DID I MISS ANYBODY? ANY OF THE JUDGES? OH, COME ON. I, I MISSED THE SIGNUP SHEET, WHICH I, OH, OOPS. PLEASE COME, COME ON UP. I'M SORRY. WELCOME. GOOD AFTERNOON. UH, MY NAME IS JESS MANGA. I'M RUNNING FOR THE FIFTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT. SEAT ONE, UH, WAS MOST RECENTLY HELD BY DEANDRE BENJAMIN, WHO I ACTUALLY CLERKED FOR. I'M A SECOND CAREER ATTORNEY. I WAS A SCHOOL TEACHER FOR, UM, MANY YEARS BEFORE I WENT TO LAW SCHOOL. ACTUALLY, MY LAST TEACHING ASSIGNMENTS WERE AT LADIES ISLAND AND THEN HILTON HAD, UM, HIGH SCHOOL. AND THEN I WENT TO LAW SCHOOL AND HAVE BEEN IN COLUMBIA EVER SINCE. UM, BUT I'VE DONE A LOT OF THINGS. I WAS A POLICE ADVISOR, A PROSECUTOR. I'VE DONE, UM, CIVIL AND PLAINTIFF'S, UH, I'M SORRY, PLAINTIFF'S AND DEFENSE CIVIL WORK. AND MOST RECENTLY I'VE BEEN THE CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE JUDGE FOR THE CITY OF COLUMBIA MUNICIPAL COURT FOR THE LAST FOUR YEARS. SO THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME AND ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK. THANK YOU. UH, AS I SAID, WE'LL TAKE THE, UH, THE, THE REMAINDER UP, UH, IN THE, UM, PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD. SO NOW WE'LL MOVE TO, UH, APPROVAL OF THE, UH, APPROVAL OF THE MEETING. MAND THIS'S FROM MARCH 13TH, 2024. SO MOVED. SO MOVED. SECOND. A SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. AYE. OPPOSED? THE MINUTES ARE APPROVED. WE'RE GONNA MOVE TO PRESENTATION AND, AND WE'RE GONNA MOVE KIND OF QUICKLY IN HERE. SO JUST BECAUSE WE'VE GOT SUCH A, UM, SUCH A BIG AGENDA RIGHT HERE. SO, PRESENTATION, UH, FIRST OF ALL, WE'RE GONNA HEAR FROM THE COASTAL COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, ALAN WOLFE. ALAN, WELCOME. THANKS FOR FIRST YEAH. BREWING COMPANY, THANK YOU. UP TWO FOOTBALL PRACTICES ACROSS COUNTRY AND PIANO TWO FIVE TODAY. SO I'M GONNA MOVE QUICK. HE WORKS TIME IN HIS DAY. , OUR MEMBERS OF THE DELEGATION. THANKS FOR GIVING ME A FEW MINUTES. I'LL GAVE YOU A BRIEF ONE PAGER, WHICH IS ORIGINALLY DESIGNED FOR SENATOR DAVIS SOME SIX MONTHS AGO WHEN HE MADE THE IMPORTANT POINT THAT FOR THE CCDC TO FULFILL ITS MISSION OF SOLVING THE WORKFORCE HOUSING CHALLENGE, WE HAVE TO GET TO SC HOUSING. AND OBVIOUSLY YOU ALL HAVE A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO HELP US GET TO THAT LEVEL. SO I WANTED TO BRING YOU UP TO SPEED ON JUST WHO WE ARE, WHAT WE'RE DOING, AND HOW YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO ASSIST. OH, THANKS. FEEL FREE TO JUMP IN WITH QUESTIONS AT ANY TIME. PLEASE. UH, HERE'S A LOOK AT THE HISTORY. YOU KNOW, WE FORMED BACK IN JANUARY OF 2023 AND GOT NONPROFIT STATUS IN MAY OF 2023. SO JUST OVER A YEAR AGO TODAY, WHAT WE TARGETING TO SERVE RENTS OF AREA MEDIA INCOMES, HOUSEHOLDS BETWEEN 50% AND 120% ACROSS BEFORD AND JASPER COUNTIES. WE'RE IMPLEMENTING NINE NINE YEAR DEED RESTRICTION TO ENSURE THAT THESE UNITS REMAIN AFFORDABLE FOR THE LONG TERM. UH, WE HAVE DONE A LOT OF RESEARCH AND WHAT ASPEN FACED AFTER 25 YEARS OF DEED RESTRICTIONS, THEY WORE OFF THE HOUSES, FLIPPED TO FULL MARKET PRICE, AND THEY LOST THE WORKFORCE HOUSING THEY CREATED IN ASPEN, COLORADO. SO WE JUST LIKE ASPEN, MANY OTHER VACATION AREAS HAVE A UNIQUE CHALLENGE WITH THE ATLANTIC OCEAN, OUR TOURISM BASE. SO WE'RE LOOKING TO SOLVE THIS FOR THE LONG RUN. WE ALSO HAVE AN APPLICATION PROCESS THAT ALLOWS US TO ENSURE THAT WORKERS WHO HAVE A JOB IN THE COMMUNITY, WHERE THE UNITS THAT WE PURCHASE ARE LOCATED HAVE THE HIGHEST PRIORITY TO LIVE THERE SO THEY CAN LIVE WHERE THEY WORK. SO THAT'S ONE OF THE PIECES THAT WE'VE IMPLEMENTED AS WELL. AND THEN THERE'S NO, NO SHORT-TERM RENTALS. SO FOR HILTON HEAD ISLAND AREAS OF BEFORD COUNTY, THAT'S A BIG DEAL TO MAKE SURE THAT THESE ARE BRINGING LONG-TERM RENTALS BACK TO THE MARKET AND NOT JUST SEEING, UH, THE CONSTANT FLUSHING OUT TO THE SHORT-TERM MARKET. WE HAVE A PHASED APPROACH. WE'RE CURRENTLY WORKING IN PHASE ONE. PRETTY SIMPLE. THERE'S A LOT OF HOUSING FOR SALE BETWEEN 200 TO $400,000 ACROSS BEFORD COUNTY BY THOSE UNITS FROM THE MLS LIST. WE'RE NOT BIDDING UP THE PRICES. UM, IF WE END UP CLOSING ON ONE TO DATE, WE HAVE 11 UNITS SO FAR, WE THEN PUT THEM UP FOR A RENT THAT IS MARKET OR BELOW MARKET TO THE 50 TO 120% AMIS. AND THE GOOD NEWS IS, 10 YEARS FROM NOW, OUR TAX BASIS IS JUST AS LOW. SO THIS BECOMES MORE AFFORDABLE OVER TIME, OVER THAT PERIOD. WE ARE LOOKING FOR REDEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES WHERE AND WHEN WE CAN BE FOR HOUSING AUTHORITY, UM, WITH DIFFERENT PARTNERS AND THEN OF COURSE, NEW DEVELOPMENT IF THOSE OPPORTUNITIES ARISE. BUT RIGHT NOW WE'RE BUILDING THE [00:15:01] BALANCE SHEET. WE LEARNED FROM THE GREENVILLE, UH, HOUSING FUND, WHO IS 25 YEARS AHEAD OF US, THAT THIS IS A METHOD THAT THEY USE TO GET THEIR BALANCE SHEET TO 25 MILLION. AND THEY HAVE 15 UNIT, 1500 UNITS UNDER THEIR MANAGEMENT AT THIS POINT. SO WE WERE ABLE TO KIND OF STEAL SOME OF THE PLAYBOOK IN, IN SOUTH CAROLINA, AND THAT'S HOW WE GOT TO WHERE WE ARE TODAY. ESSENTIALLY WHAT WE'RE DOING IS BENDING THE COST CURVE TO MAKE THESE RENTS AS AFFORDABLE AS WE CAN. THE BIG PIECE OF THIS BEING THAT LOW COST CAPITAL BUCKET, WE'VE GONE OUT AND SOURCED WHAT'S CALLED CONSCIOUS CAPITAL OR ALTRUISTIC INVESTMENT. WE'VE SECURED 10 YEAR PROMISSORY NOTES FROM MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY AND BUSINESSES, WHICH THEN ONLY, UH, RETURN A 3% INTEREST ANNUALLY. SO THAT'S A BELOW MARKET, CERTAINLY TO WHAT THE BANKS ARE OFFERING TODAY. AND THEN WE'VE ALSO GOTTEN IN THE GRANTS AND DONATIONS BUCKETS AND SOME TREMENDOUS SUPPORT THERE THAT I'LL SHOW YOU, WHICH AGAIN, JUST ALLOWS US TO DELIVER THE LOWEST RENTS POSSIBLE FOR OUR WORKERS IN THE COMMUNITY WHEN WE BUY THE UNITS. I'LL JUST GO THROUGH THIS VERY QUICKLY. UM, IF I CAN GO BACK TO, SORRY ABOUT THAT. WE, UH, MORTGAGE ROUGHLY 60% OF THE PURCHASE PRICE OF ANY ONE UNIT, WHETHER IT'S A CONDO, SINGLE FAMILY HOME, AND THEN WE PAY 40% WITH DOWN PAYMENT USING THAT CONSCIOUS CAPITAL OR DONATION CAPITAL THAT WE HAVE, HAVE AMASSED. AND THAT NEXT SLIDE REALLY GIVES YOU A RUNDOWN, WHICH I PUT ON THE BACK OF YOUR PAGE TWO IN THAT HANDOUT. JUST SO YOU CAN SEE THE PROGRESS WE'VE MADE SINCE OUR 5 0 1 C3 WAS GRANTED IN MAY OF 2023. YOU SEE THAT WE WENT TO THE LONG COVE COMMUNITY AND WE'RE ABLE TO GENERATE OVER A MILLION DOLLARS OF CAPITAL FROM THE COMMUNITY THERE. UH, SO IT CERTAINLY STARTED TO RESONATE ON THE ISLAND WITH, WITH THE CHALLENGE WE FACE. AND THEN ANOTHER $2 MILLION IN ALTRUISTIC CAPITAL COMMIT CAME THROUGH LAST WEEK FROM TWO, UH, GIANT PLAYERS, THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF LOW COUNTRY. AND THE BREAKING NEWS IS NOVANT HEALTH AS THE OTHER MILLION DOLLARS THAT COMMITTED INTO THAT ALTRUISTIC CAPITAL COMMITMENT. YOU CAN SEE THE MUNICIPAL GRANTS FROM BEAUFORT COUNTY AND THE TOWN OF HILTON HEAD, WHICH WE'RE PREPARING TO DEPLOY. WE USE NO MORE THAN 20% OF THE PURCHASE PRICE FROM THOSE GRANTS FROM THE COUNTY OR THE, OR THE, UH, TOWN OF HILTON HEAD. AND THEN LASTLY, YOU CAN SEE WE HAVE GOT BANK MORTGAGE COMMITMENTS IN EXCESS OF 2.3 MILLION BETWEEN COASTAL STATES AND SOUTH STATE BANK, THANKFULLY. AND LASTLY, UH, PRIVATE MORTGAGES. SO WHAT WE'VE DONE IS ASSEMBLED A TREMENDOUS WAY TO BUILD A CAPITAL STACK, UM, FOR JUST THE REASON OF SUSTAINABLE WORKFORCE HOUSING PLAY FOR BEFORD COUNTY. AND THE NEXT STEP WOULD BE, OF COURSE, TO GET LEVERAGE THIS WITH SOUTH CAROLINA HOUSING. UM, I'VE LISTENED A FEW OF THE CHALLENGES WE'VE FACED. I DON'T WANNA FLUSH ANY OF YOUR, YOUR TIME OUT, SO I'LL MOVE QUICKLY IF YOU LIKE, UM, AS WELL AS SOME OF THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE FACE GOING FORWARD AND WHAT WE REALLY WOULD HOPE TO SEE WITH ALL OF YOU. AND THAT'S TO LOOK AT OUR SE HOUSING WHERE THEY WERE REPORTEDLY UNDERSTAFFED AND NEVER WORKED. OKAY. WE'VE ALL HEARD THAT BEFORE, BUT WE HAVE AN APPLICATION THAT'S BEEN UNDER REVIEW SINCE JUNE, AND WE HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH THE STAFF THERE TO GET THAT APPLICATION THROUGH. WE MAY NOT APPLY FOR THE MYRIAD OF GRANTS THAT THEY HAVE UNTIL WE'RE AN APPROVED NONPROFIT. SO STEP ONE, I'VE GOTTA GET APPROVED AS A NONPROFIT, WHATEVER ATTENTION WE NEED, UH, SENATOR DAVIS PUT US IN TOUCH WITH INTERIM DIRECTOR HUDU. YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW WHO THE NEW LEADERSHIP THERE IS, BUT WE STAND AT THE READY TO WORK WITH ANYBODY UP THERE THAT YOU CAN PUT US IN TOUCH WITH TO ADVANCE THAT. THE SECOND PIECE BEING THAT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING GRANT, THE DETAILS ARE ON YOUR PAPER. IT IS A NON-COMPETITIVE GRANT WHERE YOU CAN BUY 12 UNITS TO SERVE 50% AREA MEDIAN INCOME HOUSEHOLDS UP TO $300,000 PER UNIT IN PURCHASE PRICE. THAT'S INCREDIBLE. BUYING POWER THAT'S AVAILABLE AT THE STATE, NOT REALLY BEING TAPPED INTO THAT THE CCDC COULD QUALIFY FOR. AND I TOLD SENATOR, UH, EXCUSE ME, REPRESENTATIVE BRADLEY, THAT IF WE HAVE THAT, WE'LL SOLVE A PROBLEM FOR BEFORD COUNTY BECAUSE IT'S THERE. UH, AS SENATOR DAVIS POINTED OUT, THAT BUCKET OF MONEY AT SE HOUSING THAT'S BEEN UNTAPPED IS GIGANTIC. SO IT'S IMPORTANT TO BE FOR COUNTY START TO, I DUNNO IF YOU KNEW, BUT, UM, A PORTION OF DOCUMENTARY STAMPS ON DEEDS, THERE'S A TRANCHE OF THAT MONEY THAT GOES INTO SOUTH CAROLINA HOUSING ON A RECURRING BASIS. SO THEY DON'T NEED APPROPRIATIONS, THEY JUST GET MONEY COMING IN ON, ON THE RE. SO, UM, THERE'S A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF MONEY THERE, BUT THEY HAVEN'T, THEY HAVEN'T REALLY FAINTED OUT. BUT WOULD I BE CORRECT IN SAYING TOO THAT THEY, THEY, UH, PUT ALMOST ZERO IN THE BUCKET FOR MULTIFAMILY ON THAT? UM, I DON'T KNOW HOW THEY BREAK THAT DOWN ON THE MULTIFAMILY. I CAN'T SAY MAYBE ON THE BOND CAPACITY. UH, I'M NOT REALLY SURE EXACTLY WHERE THAT IS. I'M PRETTY SURE THAT'S PRETTY, I MEAN, THAT'S SOMETHING TO BE AWARE OF AND I THINK WE CAN CHANGE THAT THIS YEAR AS WELL. UNDERSTOOD. YEAH. YOU KNOW, OUR ONE-OFF APPROACH TO BUY EXISTING UNITS IS FINE AND DANDY. UM, IT'S, IT'S CHALLENGING. PEOPLE THINK WE'RE CRAZY. THERE'S ALSO 10 TOWN HOMES FOR SALE IN BLUFFTON RIGHT NOW AND ONE FELL SWOOP. SO OF COURSE WE'RE SORTING THOSE OUT. WHETHER THAT WOULD FALL IN THE MULTIFAMILY, I'M NOT TOTALLY SURE. AND THEN THE NEXT STEP UP IS THAT SMALL RENTAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM GRANT THAT'S UP TO 30 UNITS THAT CAN BE, UH, FUNDED WITH LOW COST, UH, DEBT FROM SE HOUSING. SO IT'S NOT A GRANT NECESSARILY, BUT IT IS A COMPETITIVE GRANT THAT COMES OUT IN THE SPRING. AGAIN, WE CANNOT APPLY FOR IT IN IN MARCH AND APRIL IF WE'RE NOT APPROVED AS A NONPROFIT. SO WE'RE LOOKING TO JUST HAVE A ALLEGATION, KNOW THAT YOU'VE GOT A PARTNER HERE AND BE FOR KIND, IT'S READY TO WORK, AND ANY WAY WE CAN JOIN YOU UP IN COLUMBIA, YOU KNOW, TO GET THIS MESSAGE OUT TO ACCESS THOSE FUNDS WOULD BE HELPFUL. EXCUSE ME, SIR. YES, SIR. UM, HOW DOES THIS WORK IN THE UNINCORPORATED AREAS OR THERE AVENUES FOR THAT TO BE ABSOLUTELY THERE AS WELL? YEAH, SO THE QUESTION IS GREAT. UH, THE BEAUFORD COUNTY GRANT CAME FROM ARPA FUNDS THAT WERE GOING TO EXPIRE $600,000. [00:20:01] THE STIPULATION IS IT HAD TO BE USED IN UNINCORPORATED BEAUFORT COUNTY. SO WE LOOK AT THE MAP, WE KNOW THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON MAP VERY HARD TO FOLLOW, BUT WE MAKE SURE THAT WE DON'T SOURCE OUT A UNIT IN THERE. IN FACT, WE CAN'T AFFORD ANY IN THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON, UNFORTUNATELY ALREADY. UM, WE HAVE ALREADY FOCUSED HILTON HEADS SEPARATELY. IT WOULD NOT BE PART OF THE UNINCORPORATED FUNDS. SO WE JUST TARGET NORTH OF THE BROAD SOUTH OF, IN THE UNINCORPORATED AREAS WHEN WE TARGET THOSE, THOSE LEMME BE MORE SPECIFIC. HOW WOULD THIS WORK ON ST. HENA ISLAND? OH, IT WOULD WORK, ABSOLUTELY. OKAY. THE SAME. YEP. THANK YOU. YEAH, NO QUESTION. I'D SAY, UH, BECAUSE OF OUR 50 TO 120% SPREAD, THE BENEFIT OF THE MODEL IS FOR EVERY 120% MAX A MI UNIT, WHICH IS MARKET RENT, TYPICALLY IT HELPS FUND THIS, THE 50% UNIT AT THE SAME TIME. AND THEN THE 80% ARE PRETTY MUCH CASH FLOW, UH, CAPABLE RIGHT ON THEIR OWN BECAUSE OF THE COST CURVE BENDS THAT WE HAVE. OKAY, SIR. THANK YOU. YOU, UH, MR. CHAIRMAN ALLEN, HOW LONG HAS YOUR NONPROFIT APPLICATION BEEN UNDER? UH, SINCE JUNE. SINCE JUNE? YEAH. JUST THREE MONTHS. YEP. JUST ANY, ANY ANY, ANY RESPONSE FROM, UM, JUST LAST WEEK WE GOT A RESPONSE. I THINK I PUT THE, THE YOUNG WOMAN'S NAME WHO RESPONDED AND SHE SAID THAT SHE HAD IDENTIFIED A COUPLE THINGS THAT SHE NEEDED THAT WAS THE FIRST FOLLOW THROUGH THAT WE'D GOTTEN SO HAPPY TO HAVE THAT. AND I'D LIKE TO, YOU KNOW, KEEP Y'ALL POSTED ON, ON THE PROGRESS AS WE GO THROUGH THAT. AND, AND, AND HAVE YOU ALL, UM, SENT BACK WHATEVER THEY NEED. WE'RE IN THE PROCESS AT LITERALLY AS OF YESTERDAY AND TODAY. THAT'S CORRECT. AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S ON THEIR LIST IS THEY WANT 10 YEARS OF HISTORY. WE'VE BEEN AROUND SINCE MAY OF 2023. SO, YOU KNOW, THAT'S NOT GOING TO BE POSSIBLE, BUT WE KNOW THAT THAT'S A HURDLE THAT CAN BE CROSSED 'CAUSE OTHER ORGANIZATIONS HAVE DONE IT AS WELL. SO IF I GET MYSELF CAUGHT UP IN BACK AND FORTH, I JUST WANNA HELP CLEAR THE PATH TO GET THAT ANSWER THROUGH. GOT IT. THANK YOU. UM, IF YOU HADN'T HEARD FROM THEM IN THE NEAR TERM, I'M ABOUT TO SHARE SOMETHING WITH MS. MAXEY, UM, TO SHARE WITH ALL OF US. I, I HAVE SOME LEVEL OF EXPERIENCE WITH SC HOUSING WHEN I WAS CHAIRMAN OF OVERSIGHT. UM, AND, UM, I DON'T WANT YOUR THIS APPLICATION TO FIND ITSELF IN THE FILE CABINET A YEAR FROM NOW, BECAUSE THAT'D BE GREAT. THEY'RE HEADING STILL SORTED OUT THEIR OWN ISSUES. VERY GOOD. I'VE BEEN ON, I'VE BEEN ON THE COMMITTEE THERE FOR 11 YEARS. I'VE NEVER BEEN INVITED TO A MEETING YET, SO TO FIX ALL THAT, BUT, UH, UNDERSTOOD. PRESIDENT BRADLEY. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. ALAN, AS I UNDERSTAND IT, YOU WANT US TO HELP YOU GET THROUGH THAT PROCESS TO BE RECOGNIZED AS AN APPROVED NONPROFIT WITH THE SE HOUSING, AND THEN YOU WANT ACCESS TO THAT MONEY. IS THAT BORROWED MONEY OR IS THAT GRANT MONEY OR? UH, IN THE CASE OF THE SUPPORTIVE HOUSING GRANT, IT IS A GRANT FUNDED THROUGH THE TAX, THE DEED STAMPS THAT SENATOR DAVIS REFERRED TO. UM, AND HAS LARGELY BEEN UNTAPPED. THERE'S VERY FEW ORGANIZATIONS ACROSS STATE TAPPING. SO IT'S A, IT'S A DEEP WELL, AND MY FEAR WOULD BE THAT WE HAVE AN APPLICATION GOING AND WE END UP IN THE SAME CYCLE OF NON-RESPONSIVENESS. SO ONCE THAT APPLICATION'S FILED, I WILL ABSOLUTELY LET, UH, MRS. MAXEY KNOW SO THAT YOU ALL KNOW THAT THERE'S A, A PENDING APPLICATION WE WANT TO JUST HELP. YEAH, MAYBE WE COULD HELP YOU. NO PRESSURE TO PUSH THAT. WE'D BE HAPPY TO HELP YOU WITH THAT MUG ON TOP OF SOMEBODY'S DESK. THANK YOU. UM, REPRESENTATIVE ERICKSON. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BRINGING THIS TO OUR ATTENTION. UM, HAVING HAD THE HOUSING OFFICE UNDER MY BUDGET COMMITTEE WHEN I SERVED ON WAYS MEANS, SADLY, THIS IS NOT A NEW COMMENT. UM, PLEASE BE DILIGENT ABOUT LETTING US KNOW BECAUSE THEY KNOW ME. I'VE BEEN THERE ONCE OR TWICE. THANK YOU. UM, SO PLEASE KEEP US ABREAST OF WHAT'S GOING ON OUT OF YOUR PROPERTIES. UM, OBVIOUSLY NOT ASKING FOR ADDRESSES, BECAUSE THE BEAUTIFUL THING IS JUST THAT IT'S INTEGRATED IN THE COMMUNITY. YEAH. SO THE, UH, THE IMPACT IS NEGLIGIBLE, RIGHT? THERE'S ALREADY A FLUSH OF A TOILET AND A BED THAT'S THAT'S THERE, SO WE DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT DENSITY AND OVERCROWDING. UM, SO YEAH, THAT FITS VERY WELL WITH GROWTH MANAGEMENT. UM, THAT'S ONE OF THE, THE STRONG POINTS WE FEEL LIKE THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO START IN THAT AREA. GOOD. AND FAMILIES ARE INCORPORATED INTO OTHER NEIGHBORHOODS AND THEY'RE NOT, UM, DESIGNATED IN ANY WAY. THAT'S A GREAT POINT. BEING A CITIZEN THAT CAN'T OWN THEIR HOME RIGHT NOW. THAT'S RIGHT. IT'S NOT ONE WHOLE ENTIRE NEIGHBORHOOD THAT IS SET UP FOR AFFORDABLE RESTRICTIONS THAT'S, THAT'S SO GOOD FOR OUR COMMUNITIES. SO THANK YOU FOR THAT. I'D JUST BE COGNIZANT OF MAKING SURE THAT WE SPREAD AROUND FROM NORTH ABROAD, SOUTH BROAD. ABSOLUTELY. AND, AND JUST MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE LOOKING AT ALL OF THOSE POPULATIONS AS YOU GROW. I'M EXCITED TO SEE IT MOVE. ABSOLUTELY. BUT, UM, PLEASE MAKE US PARTNERS THANK YOU IN WHATEVER WE CAN DO TO HELP. LIKEWISE, THANK YOU. UM, ALAN, JUST A COUPLE QUESTIONS. IS, ARE THESE ALL RENTALS OR THEY ARE, SOME OF THESE GONNA BE, HAVE OWNERSHIP TO EACH ONE OF THE UNITS WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR SALE AS WELL. SO ONE OF THE CHALLENGES, OF COURSE, IS A GREAT PROBLEM IS IF SOMEONE EARNS OUT OF THE AREA AND MEDIAN INCOME RESTRICTION THAT'S ASSOCIATED WITH THAT UNIT, SOMEBODY WHO'S AT 80 OR 120% STARTS EARNING 150%, THAT'S GREAT. WE THEN START THEM ON A PATH WHERE THEY CAN BUY ONE OF THE UNITS OR THE UNIT THAT THEY'RE IN CURRENTLY. UM, OR THEY HAVE A PERIOD OF TIME THAT THEY CAN GET INTO, GO OUT AND RUN A MARKET RATE UNIT. UM, SO THAT HOME PROCESS OF BUYING OUR MODEL ONLY DEPENDS ON A 5% ANNUAL APPRECIATION, YOU KNOW, OVER THE LAST 20 YEARS AND SPEND SOMETHING ALONG THE STANDPOINT OF 50% AROUND HERE. SO WHAT WE CAN DO IS WE CAN SELL THE UNIT AT [00:25:01] OUR BASE COST OF JUST 5% ANNUAL, AND THAT CREATES SOME PHANTOM EQUITY FOR THE BUYER AS TIME GOES. I MEAN, IT'S NO SECRET THIS IS AN ACUTE PROBLEM IN THIS AREA RIGHT HERE. AND I THINK THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON HAS DONE A YEOMAN'S JOB ON THAT. I MEAN, YOU GOT HEATHER, CHRIS AND STEVEN HAVE REALLY GONE OUTTA THEIR WAY TO MAKE THE, UH, WORKFORCE HOUSING TO, YOU KNOW, YOU'VE SEEN GROUNDBREAKINGS AND, AND IT'S JUST A, UH, I MEAN WE'RE FINALLY HAVING SOLUTIONS TO THESE PROBLEMS. I MEAN, I DON'T THINK WE'LL EVER SOLVE THE WHOLE PROBLEM, BUT WE'RE GONNA GET THERE. SO I AGREE. AND I THINK THE, UH, VALUE OF THAT HOME INCREASING STILL IN OUR MODEL ALLOWS THE OWNER TO STILL SEE GROWING EQUITY AND NOT CAPPED EQUITY NECESSARILY. AND THAT TAKES AWAY SOME OF THE FEAR OF THE 99 YEAR DEED RESTRICTION, WHICH WE ARE ALL ABOUT SELLING THAT UNIT TO THE EMPLOYEE AS FAST AS POSSIBLE. 'CAUSE THEN WE CAN RECYCLE THE CAPITAL, BUT WITHOUT THAT DEED RESTRICTION, WE'LL HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. ASKEDED, WE'LL JUST BE, YOU KNOW, RECREATING THE PROBLEM. THANK YOU. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? THANKS, ALAN. THANK YOU. THANK YOU ALL. THANKS. YOU'RE GONNA HEAR ABOUT THE CIRCLE PROGRAM, SANDY GILLIS DEEP. WELL, HEY SANDY, WELCOME. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE HERE WITH YOU TODAY. UM, AND I'M, I'M PLEASED TO FOLLOW ALAN WHO'S TRYING TO, TO SHOULDER SOME HEAVY LIFTING WITH, WITH AFFORDABLE HOUSING. AND I HAVE ANOTHER PROGRAM HERE THAT I'D LIKE TO TELL YOU ABOUT AND WE COULD REALLY USE YOUR HELP. UM, DEEP WELL PROJECT, WHICH IS THE PARENT COMPANY FOR CIRCLES, IS ONE OF HILTON HU'S OLDEST, UH, CHARITIES. WE'VE BEEN AROUND FOR 50 YEARS. WE WERE ORIGINALLY FORMED 50 YEARS AGO, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, JUST TO LITERALLY DRILL DEEP WELLS. SO PEOPLE WHO LIVED ON HILTON HEAD COULD HAVE ACCESS TO SAFE DRINKING WATER. THAT WAS BACK IN A TIME WHEN HILTON HEAD WAS UNINCORPORATED BEAUFORT COUNTY. THERE WERE NO RESTAURANTS, THERE WERE NO BANKS, THERE WERE NO GOLF COURSES. SO FAST FORWARD 50 YEARS AND DEEP WELLS CORE SERVICES INCLUDE A FIVE DAY A WEEK FOOD PANTRY. SADLY, WE ARE CURRENTLY SERVING EIGHT TO 900 PEOPLE A MONTH IN THAT FOOD PANTRY. WE HAVE A HOME REPAIR PROGRAM TO KEEP LOCAL HOMES SAFE AND LIVABLE, AND AN ARRAY OF EMERGENCY FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS TO HELP LOW INCOME FAMILIES JUST GET THROUGH BUMPS IN THE ROAD HELPING WITH THINGS LIKE RENT, MORTGAGE, AND UTILITIES. CAN I GET OUT OF ALAN'S? HOW DO I GET OUT OF ALAN'S ? SORRY. THAT'S OKAY TO SEE. MY SLIDES ARE SO MUCH SIMPLER THAN HIS. IT REALLY PROMISE YOU . YOU KNOW WHAT, , THANK YOU SO MUCH. SORRY. YEAH, YOU ARE WELCOME. THANK YOU SO MUCH. UM, THE PRESENTATION, THERE'S JUST FOUR OR FIVE SLIDES AND YOU DO HAVE A HARD COPY OF THAT IN YOUR PACKET. I THINK. UM, MS. MAXEY PASSED THAT A LOT. LOOKS LOCAL. PERFECT. UM, SO, SO THAT'S OUR HISTORY. WHERE DEEP WELL IS FROM AND WHY WE DECIDED TO, UM, GET INVOLVED WITH CIRCLES IS PRETTY SIMPLE AND STRAIGHTFORWARD. I DO WANNA NOTE THIS COVER PAGE HAS A QR CODE THAT YOU CAN SCAN TO GET A LOT MORE INFORMATION ABOUT CIRCLES THAN I CAN GIVE YOU IN THE, I PROMISE, FIVE MINUTES I'M GOING TO SPEND HERE WITH YOU. THERE'S ALSO A VERY COOL VIDEO ON THERE THAT IS, YOU CAN HEAR STRAIGHT FROM THE HORSE'S MOUTH WHAT THE PARTICIPANTS IN THIS PROGRAM ARE LEARNING, HOW IT'S CHANGING THEIR LIVES, AND HOW THE 80 PLUS VOLUNTEERS WHO ARE HELPING US DO THIS PROGRAM FEEL ABOUT IT. SO I ENCOURAGE YOU TO VISIT, UH, THE, THE WEBSITE TO SEE A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT IT. SO BACK TO THAT QUESTION OF WHY IS DEEP, WELL, WHO'S GOT 50 YEARS OF HISTORY HELPING PEOPLE WITH EMERGENCIES DECIDED THIS IS SOMETHING WE NEED TO DO. AND THE REASON IS BECAUSE WE GOT REALLY TIRED OF SEEING THE SAME FAMILIES OVER AND OVER, AND SOMETIMES THE SECOND GENERATION OF THAT SAME FAMILY ALWAYS NEEDING HELP, NEVER BEING ABLE TO BREAK THIS CYCLE OF DEPENDENCY. AND THAT'S WHY WE DECIDED WE NEED TO DO MORE THAN JUST HELP 'EM WITH THE A QUICK BANDAID. THIS NEEDS TO BE A LONG-TERM APPROACH TO GET PEOPLE OUT OF POVERTY. SO, UM, WE WENT OUT TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW ARE WE GONNA DO THIS? STOPPING POVERTY. THAT'S A PRETTY LOFTY GOAL. AND WHEN WE WERE DOING OUR RESEARCH, WE FOUND THIS PROGRAM CIRCLES. IT'S A NATIONAL ORGANIZATION. THERE ARE, UM, 64 DIFFERENT CHAPTERS ACROSS THE UNITED STATES AND 25 DIFFERENT STATES AND IMPORTANT FOR YOU GUYS TO KNOW, UM, THE HILTON HAD CHAPTER IS ONE OF JUST FOUR IN [00:30:01] OUR STATE. UM, GREENVILLE HAS ONE CHAPTER THAT'S BEEN CHUGGING RIGHT ALONG FOR OVER A DECADE. IT'S BEEN SO SUCCESSFUL IN THE UPSTATE CIRCLES, IS NOW FORMING A SECOND CHAPTER THERE IN GREENVILLE. THERE ARE ALSO CHAPTERS IN LEXINGTON AND ANDERSON. UM, BUT GREENVILLE REALLY HAS THE LONGEST TRACK RECORD, SO HATS OFF TO WHAT THEY'VE BEEN DOING. SO ONCE WE DECIDED, OKAY, THIS IS A GREAT PROGRAM. WE'VE GOT 25 YEARS OF TRACK RECORD, WE'VE GOT 64 DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES WHERE THIS PROGRAM IS WORKING. UM, BUT I GUESS YOU'RE PROBABLY WONDERING WHAT THE HECK IS THIS PROGRAM? SO IT'S VERY SIMPLE. CIRCLE'S GOAL IS, UH, IS AT THE MICRO LEVEL. WE WANT TO HELP LOCAL FAMILIES GET OUT OF POVERTY. WE DO THAT BY MEETING WITH THEM WEEKLY, ANY KIND OF INTERVENTION PROGRAM, WHAT DO THEY DO? YOU MEET WEEKLY AND YOU HAVE SUPPORTERS AND CHEERLEADERS IN YOUR WHEELHOUSE. AND THAT'S WHAT WE DO EVERY WEDNESDAY NIGHT ON HILTON HEAD. WE'RE PROVIDING BUDGETING AND FINANCIAL TRAINING, EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES, AND HELPING THESE FOLKS UNDERSTAND HOW CAN REALLY MAXIMIZE THEIR EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES. SO THAT'S WHAT WE DO AT THAT MICRO LEVEL. THE SECOND GOAL OF CIRCLES IS MORE AT THE MACRO LEVEL. AND THAT'S WHY I'M SO HAPPY TO HAVE A CHANCE TO TALK WITH YOU TODAY BECAUSE THIS IS REALLY WHERE YOU CAN HELP. UM, AT THE MACRO LEVEL, WE REALLY WANNA WORK WITH COMMUNITY LEADERS TO HELP YOU UNDERSTAND SOME OF THE CHALLENGES THAT ARE KEEPING PEOPLE IN POVERTY AND HELP US MAKE CHANGES FOR THE BETTER. UM, THE REALLY COOL THING, WHEN YOU ONLY HAVE TWO RABBITS TO CHASE, YOU CAN CATCH A LOT OF RABBITS. SO CIRCLES I'M HAPPY TO TELL YOU, IS WORKING. UM, THIS IS A SLIDE FROM THE NATIONAL CHAPTER. UM, IN THE CIRCLES PROGRAM, WE SEE INCOMES OF THESE FAMILIES RISING AT 12 MONTHS. THE NATIONAL AVERAGE IS 47% INCOME GROWTH. BUT I WOULD LIKE TO HAPPILY REPORT THE HILTON HEAD CHAPTER IS BEATEN THOSE NUMBERS. WE ARE AT 61% INCOME GROWTH WITH OUR FIRST CHAPTER OF FAMILIES THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH FOR A YEAR. THE OTHER THING, UH, WHILE INCOME IS A VERY TANGIBLE METRIC, THINGS LIKE EMPLOYMENT OPTIONS ARE GOING UP, EDUCATION AND NEW SKILLS ARE INCREASING. WE ARE NOW SEEING FOLKS WHO HAVE RELIABLE TRANSPORTATION, HOME OWNERSHIP RATES ARE RISING. AND PROBABLY THE COOLEST THING IS ALL IS THOSE 80 VOLUNTEERS WHO WERE MEETING WITH THESE FAMILIES EVERY WEEK. IT'S CREATING THESE INTENTIONAL FRIENDSHIPS ACROSS SOCIOECONOMIC BOUNDARIES. PEOPLE WHO WOULD NEVER HAVE MET IN THE NORMAL WORLD ARE SUDDENLY BECOMING FRIENDS AND BECOMING ALLIES. WHEN YOU GROW UP IN POVERTY AND YOU'RE COMING FROM GENERATIONS OF IT, NO PUN INTENDED, YOU RUN IN THE SAME CIRCLES AND YOU KNOW THE SAME THINGS AND YOU KNOW THE SAME PEOPLE. SO THE ONLY WAY TO BREAK THAT CYCLE IS TO INTRODUCE THESE PEOPLE TO NEW WAYS OF THINKING, NEW WAYS, UH, OF UNDERSTANDING HOW THEY CAN LEAD THEIR FAMILIES OUT OF POVERTY. THEY CAN BE THE CYCLE BREAKER. SO, UH, AGAIN, CREDIBLE RESULTS IN OUR FIRST YEAR AND A HALF ON HILTON HEAD. IT IS DEFINITELY WORKING AT THE MICRO LEVEL. THE TRICK IS, UM, WE CAN REALLY INCREASE THE RATE OF FOLKS WHO ARE IMPROVING THEIR SELF-SUFFICIENCY LEVELS. IF WE CAN TACKLE THINGS AT THE MACRO LEVEL, AND AGAIN, THAT'S WHERE YOUR TEAM COMES INTO PLAY, UM, AT THE MACRO LEVEL, HOW TO REMOVE CHALLENGES THAT ARE INSTITUTIONALIZED IN OUR COMMUNITIES TO HELP THESE PEOPLE OUT OF POVERTY IS A LOT HARDER. IT'S A LOT SLOWER. AND AGAIN, IT'S WHERE WE REALLY NEED YOUR HELP. THE BIGGEST, IF WE COULD FIX ONE THING AND WAVE THE MAGIC WAND AS FAR AS WHAT'S KEEPING PEOPLE IN POVERTY IN OUR TOWNS, IT IS THIS THING CALLED THE CLIFF EFFECT. IF YOU HAVEN'T HEARD OF IT, DON'T FEEL BAD. BUT I WILL TELL YOU, IT WAS IMPORTANT ENOUGH THAT LAST YEAR, THE UNITED STATES CHAMBER OF COMMERCE COMMISSIONED A STUDY ABOUT THE CLIFF EFFECT TO GET A BETTER HANDLE ON WHAT THIS IS AND HOW IT AFFECTS PEOPLE IN OUR AREAS. THE HEADLINE IS THE CLIFF EFFECT IS ESSENTIALLY WHEN A LOW INCOME PERSON SUDDENLY LOSES THEIR BENEFITS, LIKE FOOD STAMPS, SUBSIDIZED HOUSING, SUBSIDIZED DAYCARE, BECAUSE THEIR INCOME IS RISING. SO THINK ABOUT THAT FOR A MINUTE HERE. THESE FAMILIES ARE, THEY'RE WORKING HARD, THEY'RE GETTING SOME MOMENTUM, THEY'RE WORKING MORE HOURS, THEY'VE GOTTEN A PAY HIKE, THEY HAVE LEARNED SOME NEW SKILLS, SO THEY'RE NOW QUALIFIED FOR A [00:35:01] BETTER JOB. BUT AS SOON AS THAT INCOME STARTS GOING UP, THEY LOSE KEY PIECES OF THE PUZZLE THAT HELPED GET 'EM ON THAT GOOD PATH IN THE FIRST PLACE. LIKE US HELP WITH DAYCARE OR HELP WITH HOUSING. SO FINDING A WAY TO HELP THESE PEOPLE MORE GRADUALLY EASE OFF THOSE BENEFITS IS REALLY THE SECRET TO SUCCESS HERE. UH, YOU KNOW, I KEEP THINKING, I'VE GOT A GREAT FRIEND WHO'S A PHYSICIAN, AND MY HUSBAND'S HAD SOME ISSUES LATELY. HE HAD TO GO ON PREDNISONE LAST WEEK. WELL, HAVE YOU EVER BEEN ON STEROIDS OR PREDNISONE? WHAT DO THEY DO? THEY START YOU OUT WITH ALL THIS STUFF. AND THEN WHAT DO YOU DO? YOU GRADUALLY STEP DOWN, HOPEFULLY TO GOOD HEALTH. AND THAT'S REALLY AT ITS MOST BASIC, UM, CORE, WHAT THE CLIFF EFFECT IS ALL ABOUT. UM, THERE IS A QR CODE ATTACHED TO YOUR, UH, PAMPHLET. SO YOU CAN SEE THIS US CHAMBER OF COMMERCE STUDY ABOUT IT. I THINK IT WILL BE VERY EYE-OPENING. UM, AND REALLY MY ONLY ASK TODAY IS PLEASE BE AWARE OF THIS PROGRAM. THIS IS NOT A HILTON HEAD CHALLENGE OR A BLUFFTON CHALLENGE OR LIN CHALLENGE. THIS IS A CHALLENGE ACROSS OUR STATE AND ACROSS OUR COUNTRY. THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU TO FORM SOME GREAT COLLABORATIONS WITH SOME OF YOUR PEERS IN THESE OTHER MARKETS THAT HAVE A CIRCLES PROGRAM THAT ARE PREACHING THIS, THIS SAME MESSAGE, UM, IN THOSE AREAS. SO I DO HOPE YOU WILL TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT OPPORTUNITY TO BAND TOGETHER WITH YOUR PEERS SO WE CAN GET THIS DONE. YOU KNOW, AT THE END OF THE DAY, ALL OF US WANT TO SEE THAT RISING TIDE TO LIFT ALL BOATS. WE ALL WANT THAT, BUT FINDING A WAY TO MITIGATE THIS CLIFF EFFECT IN OUR LOCAL COMMUNITIES AND HELP STRUGGLING FAMILIES IS A VERY POWERFUL FIRST STEP. AND I THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. ANY QUESTIONS? QUESTIONS? A THANK QUESTION? YEAH. HI SANDY. HOW ARE YOU? HI, JEFF. UM, THIS LOSS OF BENEFITS ON THE, UH, CLIFF EFFECT, IS THAT PREDOMINANTLY A FEDERAL ISSUE OR IS, ARE THE, ARE WE RESPONSIBLE FOR SOME OF THAT AS WELL? IT, IT'S, MOST OF THESE PROGRAMS ARE FEDERAL IN NATURE, HOW THEY'RE IMPLEMENTED AT THE STATE LEVEL, THOUGH, I'M WONDERING, DO WE HAVE SOME OPPORTUNITIES WHERE WE COULD LOOK FOR WAYS TO MITIGATE THESE FACTORS? WE'RE NOT GOING TO CHANGE FOOD STAMPS, WE'RE NOT GOING TO CHANGE SOME. BUT WHEN YOU HAVE POLICIES OR LEGISLATION COME ACROSS YOUR DESK THAT CAN EITHER MITIGATE THE SITUATION OR IS GOING TO FURTHER EXACERBATE IT, I WOULD JUST ENCOURAGE YOU TO TAKE A LOOK AT THAT AND SAY, DO WE THINK THIS IS REALLY HELPING? OR COULD THIS POTENTIALLY MAKE IT WORSE? WELL, I'M GONNA TURN THAT AROUND ON YOU AND ASK YOU IF YOU WOULD LOOK INTO THAT AND LET US KNOW, GET BACK TO US AND SAY, HERE ARE A HANDFUL OF STATE PROGRAMS, THE CLIFF EFFECT EFFECTS, AND LET US KNOW, AND THEN MAYBE WE CAN, UM, EFFECT SOME CHANGE THERE. SO THAT IS ABSOLUTE. THERE ARE, THERE ARE SEVERAL CHAPTERS. THEY'RE MOSTLY IN THE MIDWEST AND OUT WEST WHO HAVE MADE SOME SUBSTANTIVE STEPS IN THAT WAY. AND SO THERE MAY BE A GREAT ROADMAP OUT THERE ON HOW TO DO THAT. SO I WILL, I WILL BE HAPPY TO FOLLOW UP ON THAT AND GET THAT TO YOU. APPRECIATE IT. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? UH, A ERICKSON, THANK YOU. SO GREAT TO SEE YOU AND THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU DO. UM, TO ANSWER MR. BRADLEY'S QUESTION, MR. BRADLEY, THERE IS, UH, UM, SOME FUNDS THAT WE GET FROM THE FEDS THAT OFFER, UH, CHILDCARE VOUCHERS FOR OUR FAMILIES. SOUTH CAROLINA DSS SETS THE PARAMETERS FOR WHAT THOSE VOUCHERS CAN DO AND, AND THE, UH, ABILITY FOR PEOPLE TO USE THEM IN THE INCOME LEVELS. AND IT COULD BE A DOLLAR OVER THAT INCOME LEVEL AND THEY HIT THAT CLIFF, RIGHT. AND THAT SORT OF THING. THEY CAN GO BACK. MARGIE'S LISTENING TOO. I'M LOOKING AT IT. HELP ME OUT WITH THIS. 'CAUSE THEY CAN GO BACK AND TELL THE FEDS, THIS IS OUR NEW PLAN AND WE'RE GONNA GIVE A A, A BRIDGE OR A LEEWAY OR A SLOPE OR SOMETHING. I KNOW THEY'RE WORKING ON THAT, SO IF THEY HEAR FROM US THAT WE'D LIKE 'EM TO KEEP WORKING ON THAT, I THINK THAT WOULD BE A, A BIG PIECE FOR OUR WORKFORCE TO HAVE AVAILABLE TO THEM. BECAUSE I KNOW THAT WHEN THE FAMILY LOSES THAT BENEFIT, IT AFFECTS A LOT MORE. WELL, AND IT'S PARTICULARLY TIMELY, AND I'M SO GLAD YOU BROUGHT THAT UP. THE NUMBER ONE CRISIS THAT A LOT OF THE BUSINESSES HERE HAVE IS FINDING A TRAINED AND QUALIFIED WORKFORCE. WELL, IF YOU DO NOT HAVE DAYCARE FOR YOUR TODDLER OR YOUR INFANT, YOU CAN'T EVEN PARTICIPATE IN THAT. SO IT WOULD BE AWAY FROM A BUSINESS AND ECONOMIC STANDPOINT TO OFFER ASSISTANCE TO, AGAIN, THAT MICRO MACRO [00:40:01] COMBINATION. MR. CHAIR, MS. BRIGHT, UM, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. UM, MY EARS PERKED OF COURSE ON THE LOSS OF BENEFITS BECAUSE WE OFTEN SEE THE WORKING POOR AND WE HEAR IT ALL THE TIME. AND I DO, UM, A LOT OF WORK WITH FOLKS WHO MIGHT HAVE BEEN IN A WRECK OR WORKERS' COMP INJURY OR SOMETHING ALONG THE LINE AND, AND HAVE SOME TYPE OF TRAGEDY AND THEY'RE WORKING, BUT BECAUSE THEY'RE WORKING, THEY LOSE THEIR BENEFITS. THEY LOSE, UM, BENEFITS THAT IF, UM, THEY WOULD'VE GOTTEN LIKE MEDICARE OR THINGS OF THAT NATURE. MEDICAID, AND I'D LIKE YOU TO CHECK ON THIS. MEDICAID IS ADMINISTERED BY THE STATE, UM, OF SOUTH CAROLINA. MEDICAID IS DIFFERENT FROM MEDICARE. I'M WONDERING, IS THERE ANYTHING WE COULD DO TO ADDRESS THAT AS IT RELATES TO THAT? AND THE OTHER ONE IS, AS IT RELATES TO, UM, AND, AND, UM, SCHOOL LUNCHES FOR CHILDREN, THE, THESE FAMILIES THAT ARE FINALLY GETTING TO A PLACE, ARE THEY HAVING TO, UM, BECAUSE OF A HARD AND FAST CUTOFF NUMBER, HAVING TO PAY FOR LUNCH JUST TO, FOR THEIR CHILDREN TO EAT? YEAH, I'LL BE HAPPY TO FOLLOW UP ON THOSE. AND IT IS REALLY HEARTBREAKING WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT THE AMERICAN DREAM THAT WE'VE ALL GROWN UP HERE AND IF YOU WORK HARD AND GET AHEAD, BUT FOR SOME OF THESE FAMILIES, THEY ARE WORKING HARD. THEY'RE TRYING TO CHANGE THIS TRAJECTORY, BUT, BUT THERE'S A SMACKDOWN SOMETIMES THAT THEY'RE JUST NOT EXPECTING. IT'S VERY, VERY, UM, IT'S CONCERNING TO ME BECAUSE IT, IT FORCES PEOPLE NOT TO WORK AT ALL. BECAUSE IF THEY WORK, THEN THEY LOSE BENEFITS. SO I GET THAT. IT IT'S A VICIOUS CYCLE AND WE'VE JUST GOTTA BREAK IT. AND I KNOW WE ARE SMART PLACE COMMUNITY AND WE COULD BREAK THIS CYCLE. THANK YOU. AND JUST SO YOU KNOW, UH, GOING ON WHAT SENATOR MATTHEWS WAS SAYING, UM, I WROTE THE BUDGET FOR, UM, MEDICAID, MEDICAID FOR THE PAST 10 YEARS. AND WE'VE TRIED TO DO A STEP DOWN ON THAT WHERE IF YOU LOSE, YOU KNOW, YOU LOSE A LITTLE BIT OF YOUR BENEFITS OR YOU PAY INTO THOSE BENEFITS, BUT YOU DON'T LOSE 'EM ALL. THE PROBLEM WE HAD WAS THE, UH, THE FEDERAL MATCHING DOLLARS WOULDN'T ALIGN WITH THAT. AND SO WE TRIED TO GET THE WAIVERS ON THAT, AND WE'RE STILL TRYING TO GET WAIVERS ON THAT. SO THAT'S IN, IT'S, IT'S IN MOTION, BUT IT'S JUST NOT MOVING VERY FAST, I CAN TELL YOU THAT. SO ANYHOW, THAT'S, IT'S A GOOD OBSERVATION. I THINK IT'S SOMETHING WE COULD DO A LITTLE BIT BETTER ON. YEAH. THANK YOU. WELL, YOUR BIGGEST CHEERLEADER, . THANK YOU. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. UH, WE ARE GONNA HEAR FROM DR. PAU, UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA BUFORT, WHO'S THIS GUY? DR. PAN? I'VE NEVER SEEN HIM. WELCOME DR. PAU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. CHAIRMAN. HAR UZMAN, AN HONORABLE SENATORS AND REPRESENTATIVE. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO, UM, SPEAK WITH YOU. MY, MY GOAL IS TO FOLD REALLY. ONE IS TO THANK YOU, TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR INCREDIBLE SUPPORT, AND I'LL HAVE MORE TO SAY ABOUT THAT IN JUST A SECOND. BUT ALSO TO UPDATE YOU ABOUT WHERE WE ARE, THE OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES THAT WE WILL BE FACING AHEAD. SO AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR INCREDIBLE SUPPORT. LAST YEAR WE WERE ABLE TO GET $1.3 MILLION IN RECURRING FUNDING AND 11.5 MILLION TOWARD THE CONVOCATION. AS YOU KNOW, THE CONVOCATION, UH, UNFORTUNATELY THE PRICE TARGET HAS BEEN GOING UP OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS, BUT IT IS, UM, IT IS NOW AT A STAGE WHERE WE HAVE ACCUMULATED FROM THE STATE LEVEL 37 MILLION TOWARDS THAT PARTICULAR PROJECT. AND NOW WE, IN CONVERSATIONS WITH COUNTY, BECAUSE AS YOU KNOW, IT WAS A JOINT, UH, PROPOSAL FROM, UH, THE BEGINNING. AND I, WE'LL KEEP YOU POSTED AS WE HAVE, UM, PROGRESS WITH THOSE, THOSE CONVERSATIONS. AND SO WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF OUR USCB EDUCATION FOUNDATION, WE ENGAGE IN IN CONVERSATIONS AND WE THINK THAT WE'RE MAKING GOOD PROGRESS AND WE'LL, WE'LL FILL YOU AND, UM, IT'S, WE PROGRESS ON THAT. I WANTED TO ALSO UPDATE YOU ON THIS YEAR'S IS MARKING THE 20TH YEAR SINCE YOU SV WAS APPROVED TO BECOME A FOUR YEAR DEGREE GRANTING INSTITUTION. AND WE WANT TO USE THIS AS AN OCCASION TO REFLECT OVER THE PAST AND TO ALSO ENVISION THE FUTURE BY WAY OF FIRST CELEBRATING NOT ONLY [00:45:01] THE VISION OF OUR OUTGOING CHANCELLOR, MY, MY, MY PREDECESSOR, UH, DR. ABHA, BUT THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY BECAUSE IT WAS AN EFFORT THAT, UH, CAME ABOUT BECAUSE THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY RALLIED AROUND THIS VISION OF AN EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION RIGHT HERE IN OUR REGION THAT WOULD SERVICE THE NEEDS FOR A FOUR YEAR DEGREE, UM, HIGHER EDUCATION AND CONTRIBUTE TO THE WORKFORCE OF THIS PARTICULAR REGION. I THINK IT'S REALLY, UH, EXCITING AS WE REFLECT OVER THIS PAST 20 YEARS TO SEE HOW THE VISION THAT WAS IN PLAY THAT BROUGHT ABOUT THIS 20, UH, THIS FOUR YEAR DEGREE GRUNTING INSTITUTION HAS PANNED OUT SO FAR. AND WE WANT TO USE THIS AS OCCASION TO NOT ONLY CELEBRATE, UM, THE PEOPLE, PARTICULARLY THE COMMUNITY AND THE LEADERSHIP AND, AND, UM, AND CHANCELLOR ABHA, BUT ALSO THE MANY CHAMPIONS, YOUR SPECIAL ROLE AS LEGISLATORS. THAT THAT HAS BEEN AN IMPORTANT PART OF THAT JOURNEY, UM, REPRESENTING US FROM, FROM THIS REGION. WE WANT TO CELEBRATE FACULTY AND STAFF AND STUDENTS WHO BOUGHT INTO THIS. AND REALLY, WE ARE NOW LOOKING BACK AND SEEING THE REMARKABLE WORK THAT HAS BEEN ACCOMPLISHED. WE WANT TO CELEBRATE STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT AND STUDENT SUCCESS AND THE RATE AT WHICH THEY ARE NOW HELPING US WHEREVER WE'RE TALKING ABOUT NURSES OR, OR TEACHERS OR OTHER PROFESSIONAL SCIENTISTS IN THE AREA, HOSPITALITY MANAGERS, UM, WE, WE HAVE A CHANCE TO BE ABLE TO REFLECT ON SOME OF THAT. THE ECONOMIC, THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF USCB IS SOMETHING THAT WE ALSO WANT TO BE ABLE TO CELEBRATE BECAUSE HE WAS PART OF THAT PARTICULAR VISION. WE WANNA CELEBRATE OUR PARTNERSHIPS WITH THE MANY ORGANIZATIONS THAT HELP US AS AN INSTITUTION TO FOCUS ON PROBLEM SOLVING IN OUR AREA, TO FOCUS ON STEWARDSHIP OF THE RESOURCES THAT MAKE THIS REGION, UM, WHAT IT IS. YOU SHOULD HAVE ALREADY RECEIVED INVITATIONS AND, UH, WANT TO AGAIN, ACKNOWLEDGE, UM, THAT AND, AND, UM, INVITE YOU, WE'LL, WE'LL BE LOOKING AT SEVERAL SESSIONS OVER THE COURSE OF THE YEAR, BUT THE FIRST ONE IS OCTOBER 1ST. SO PLEASE IF YOU CAN MARK YOUR CALENDAR AND MAKE IT THERE. WE, WE WOULD LOVE TO, UM, TO SEE YOU. USCB CONTINUES TO GROW. WE HAVE THE HIGHEST ENROLLMENT TO DATE IN THE HISTORY OF THE INSTITUTION. WE HAVE THE HIGHEST CLASS OF FIRST YEAR STUDENTS THAT WE'VE EVER HAD. OUR HOUSING IS FULL. WE'VE HAD ACTUALLY TO DOUBLE UP SOME STUDENTS IN HOUSING IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO ACCOMMODATE THE STUDENTS THERE. THE STUDENT EXPERIENCE IS BEING EN ENHANCED. WE NEED, UH, ADVISORS, COACHES, UM, ATHLETIC OPPORTUNITIES, UM, ARE, ARE JUST ALL PART OF THE THINGS THAT HAVE ELEVATED, UH, THE STUDENT EXPERIENCE. AND IT MAKES IT SO MUCH POSSIBLE FOR US TO COMPETE. AND AS YOU KNOW, WE ARE IN A COMPETITION, UM, THROUGHOUT NOT ONLY STATES, BUT UH, BEYOND. WE HAVE, UM, STUDENTS WHO ARE ACHIEVING AT A VERY HIGH LEVEL IN TERMS OF DAYDREAMS, WHEREVER IT IS THE JOB OFFERS THAT THEY'RE GETTING WHEN THEY GRADUATE FROM US OR WHEREVER IT IS, THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR GRADUATE PROGRAMS AT INSTITUTIONS OF DAY CHOOSING. AND WE ARE VERY PROUD OF THAT. AND WE BELIEVE THAT THAT'S PART OF HAVING A STRONG AND HIGHLY RECOGNIZED AND AWARDED FACULTY. WE ARE VERY PROUD OF, OF THAT. UH, WITHIN OUR CAROLINA SYSTEM, WE HAVE SOME OF THE HIGHEST NUMBERS OF CAROLINA TRUSTEE PROFESSORSHIP AND FULBRIGHT SCHOLARS, ET CETERA. SO WE, WE REALLY ARE EXCITED ABOUT THOSE PARTICULAR GROWTH. PART OF OUR OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGE WILL INCLUDE [00:50:01] THE NEED TO ADD NEW PROGRAMS AS A YOUNG INSTITUTION AMONGST THE COMPREHENSIVE SECTOR THAT HAS ONLY BEEN AROUND FOR 20 YEARS. WHEN WE COMPARE THE NUMBER OF MAJORS THAT WE OFFER TO THOSE WHO ARE PEERS, WE ARE LAGGING WAY BEHIND. AND THAT MEANS VERY OFTEN THAT OUR STUDENTS WHO WANT TO BE HERE, WHO COULD HAVE A GREAT EXPERIENCE HERE, WILL LEAVE US AT SOME POINT BECAUSE WE ARE NOT OFFERING THE MAJORS THAT THEY, THEY ARE IN NEED AND DEMAND OF. SO THIS IS GOING TO BE VERY CRITICAL. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE TARGETING AND OUR REQUEST THIS TIME YEAR IS TO BEGIN TO GET SOME FUNDING TO HELP US MOUNT THE IN ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING PROGRAM. AND IT REALLY DOVETAILS WELL WITH WHAT WE ARE ALREADY DOING WITH MARINE SCIENCE PROGRAMMING, UM, HERE AND COMPUTER SCIENCE AS WELL. I A QUESTION. YES. UM, DR. WILL, UH, WILL THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA, THE PARENT UNIVERSITY, WILL THEY SUPPORT AND APPEAR IN COMMITTEES TO SUPPORT THAT RECURRING APPROPRIATION REQUEST? OR IS THIS SOMETHING THAT WE WILL BE DOING SWIMMING AGAINST THE TIDE A LITTLE BIT IN TERMS OF WHAT THEY RECOMMEND? THAT'S A VERY GOOD QUESTION. I THINK WE DO HAVE THE SUPPORT OF PRESIDENT MARIUS. UM, WE'VE SPOKEN, AND AT THIS POINT WITH TRUSTEES IN THE CONTEXT OF THE BOARD TO INDICATE WHAT WE ARE GOING FOR. BUT WE HAVE NOT YET ENGAGED IN A FORMAL PROCESS BECAUSE PART OF IT IS, IS, IS FUNDING CONDITION. MR. CHAIRMAN, ONE OF THE THINGS WE MIGHT WANT TO CONSIDER DOING IS, IS WEIGHING IN, UM, RELATIVELY EARLY TO MAYBE HAVE IT INCLUDED IN THE EXECUTIVE BUDGET THAT THE GOVERNOR PREPARES, WHICH THEN SERVES AS BLUEPRINT FOR WHEN WAYS AND MEANS STARTS THE PROCESS BECAUSE IT'S, IT IS A, A LOT EASIER AND, AND WE'VE GOTTEN IT DONE IN THE PAST. AS YOU KNOW, WE USED TO BE FUNDED AT 38% OF THE, OF THE STATEWIDE AVERAGE AND WE WEREN'T GETTING ANY HELP. AND, AND THE DELEGATION, YOU KNOW, BUMPED THAT UP TO A HUNDRED. BUT TO HAVE, UM, THE DELEGATION CONTACT THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE TO MAKE THE CASE TO PUT IN THE EXECUTIVE BUDGET OR TO CONTACT THE TRUSTEES AT THE, AT THE BOARD, THAT WOULD BE VERY, VERY HELPFUL AND I THINK TIMELY FOR US TO DO. YES, SIR. NOW DO YOU KNOW WHAT THE, UH, THE COST OF THAT'S GONNA BE THE FIRST YEAR COST AND NOW OUR CURRENT REQUEST, WE HAVE ABOUT 900, UM, THOUSAND THAT IS EARMARKED TOWARD THAT PROGRAM AND A COUPLE OF MORE. OKAY. THAT'S THE, WHAT'S THE NEW RECURRING APPROPRIATION REQUEST FOR THIS PARTICULAR THAT WE ARE MOVING FORWARD? WE HAVE A 3 MILLION RE ON A RECURRING REQUEST. AND, UM, I WANNA MENTION SOMETHING. WE ARE ABSOLUTELY THRILLED ABOUT THE WORK THAT YOU ALL HAVE DONE TO CATCH US UP IN TERMS OF, UM, UM, PARITY. A FEW THINGS HAVE ALSO MOVED UP A LITTLE BIT AND, UM, WE COMPARE OURSELVES SAY TO AIKEN AND, UM, AND I THINK AS WE DO THAT AND MAKE THOSE PROJECTIONS, WE, WE, WE ARE IN PART JUSTIFYING THAT PARTICULAR REQUEST. THE OTHER PIECE TO THAT REQUEST IS, UM, UNLIKE MANY OTHER INSTITUTIONS IN, EVEN IN A SYSTEM, WE HAVE THREE SEPARATE CAMPUSES. AND IT BRINGS SPECIAL CHALLENGES IN THE OPERATION THAT WE, THAT WE, THAT THEY WOULD NOT NORMALLY, UH, DO IN TERMS OF STUDENT POPULATION. WE CLOSEST TO CITADEL AND THAT'S PROBABLY A GOOD BENCHMARK TO BE ABLE TO SEE WHAT, UH, RECURRING, UM, DOLLARS AND, AND HOW FAR BELOW WE MAY BE, UH, IN. BUT WE ARE LOOKING AT 3 MILLION AND HOUSING IS ALSO GOING TO BE SOMETHING OF A DRIVER FOR CONTINUED GROWTH FOR US. AND WE'RE WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP AS YOU KNOW, WITH THE COMMUNITY AND MUNICIPALITIES TO TRY TO, UM, TO WORK ON THAT, PARTICULARLY ON OUR HILTON HEAD CAMPUS. AND WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO BE COMPETITIVE IN ATTRACTING FACULTY IN OUR, IN OUR AREA. AND AS YOU KNOW, THE COST OF LIVING IN OUR REGION IS A LITTLE BIT HIGHER THAN IT IS ELSEWHERE. SO IT'S ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL. AND THIS IS IN PART ONE OF THE REASONS ALSO FOR RECURRING DOLLARS THAT COULD BE A LITTLE BIT HIGHER. DR. NOW WOULD YOU TAKE A QUESTION FROM REPRESENTATIVE HAGER? YES, I, UH, BACK TO THE ENGINEERING IT, UH, YOU SAY ENGINEERING AND MY [00:55:01] EARS PERK UP OF COURSE. AND, UH, ARE THERE ANY OTHER SATELLITE CAMPUSES OTHER THAN THE MAIN CAMPUS IN COLUMBIA HAVE AN ENGINEERING PROGRAM? UH, YEAH, BY THE WAY, WE OFTEN SAY, DON'T YOU SATELLITE, I, I HATE TO USE THE WORD, BUT I DIDN'T KNOW . THAT'S OKAY. BUT AIKEN HAS ENGINEERING PROGRAM. OKAY. I WASN'T SURE. AND UH, UPSTATE IS ALSO REQUESTING ENGINEERING PROGRAM. WELL, ITS MUCH NEEDED. AND THUS THEY'RE LOOKING AT INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING AT UPSTATE. YEAH. WELL, IT'S MUCH NEEDED. MUCH, MUCH NEEDED. YES, SIR. SENATOR DAVIS, IT'S APPROPRIATE. I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION IF I COULD, UM, TO HAVE DR. PANNU SUBMIT TO US IN THE NEXT WEEK OR TWO IF POSSIBLE. UM, BOTH YOUR ONE TIME, UM, APPROPRIATION REQUESTS AND YOUR RECURRING APPROPRIATION REQUESTS ALONG WITH THE SUPPORT FOR THAT. AND THAT WE AS A DELEGATION CONSIDER, UM, LENDING OUR SUPPORT TO THAT FOR THE PURPOSES OF REMITTING IT TO, UH, THE TRUSTEES AND TO THE, UH, THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNIVERSITY AND ALSO TO THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE TO TRY TO GET THIS INTO THE PROCESS EARLY. SO I WOULD, I WOULD PHRASE THAT IN THE FORM OF A MOTION IF IT'S, IF IT'S SPECIFIC ENOUGH. SECOND. OKAY. SO THE MOTION THEN SECOND IS FOR, UH, THE DELEGATION TO, UM, IN THE FORM OF A RESOLUTION TO ARTICULATE WHAT DR. PANNU IS ASKING FOR. DID I HEAR ANY, ANY DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. AYE. OPPOSED? SO THANK YOU. AND UM, LASTLY, UH, AGAIN, THIS IS JUST TO BRIEF YOU ON SOME OF THE CHALLENGES THAT WE'LL BE, UH, PACING AS WE MOVE FORWARD IS, UM, THE MAINTENANCE OF OUR, UH, BEAUFORT CAMPUS, THE CFA IS AN INCREDIBLE CENTER OF LIFE AND ACTIVITY IN BEAUFORT, NOT ONLY FOR OUR ACADEMIC PROGRAMMING, BUT ALSO ALL THE OTHER PROGRAMMINGS THAT ARE, ARE REALLY TARGETING THE COMMUNITY. AND IT'S A FACILITY THAT, UM, IS NOW AT A PHASE WHERE WE NEED TO GIVE IT SOME TLC PARTICULARLY, UM, WE WILL NEED A WHOLE NEW ROOFING. WILL, WILL, UH, NEED SOME CHANGES IN THE CODE BASED ON WHAT YOU DISCUSSED BACK THEN. AND, UM, SO YES, MR. B THANK YOU MR. CHAIRMAN. UH, DR. PNU. THANK YOU. I JUST WANT TO ASK YOU BRIEFLY, YOU SAID EARLIER YOU HAD A RECORD NUMBER OF GRADUATES AND A RECORD NUMBER OF INCOMING CLASS. JUST THE QUESTION IS, WHAT ARE THOSE TWO NUMBERS? YEAH, SO WE HAVE OUR TOTAL ENROLLMENT AS IT STANDS TODAY IS AT 2188. OKAY. AND THIS IS THE HIGHEST NUMBER THAT WE'VE HAD. AND THE ENTERING CLASS, THE FRESHMAN CLASS IS A 550 PLUS 53 OR SOME NUMBER LIKE THAT. AND AGAIN, ONE OF THE HIGHEST NUMBERS THAT WE'VE EVER HAD FOR THE ENTERING CLASS. OKAY. IS THAT ON CAMP? ALL THEY LIVE ON CAMPUS. GOT IT. JUST TOTAL FOR ALL. HOW, HOW MANY ARE LIVING ON CAMPUS? UH, WE HAVE CLOSE TO 1100 THAT ARE IN HOUSING, BOTH BETWEEN THE BLUFFTON AND, AND, UM, THE BUFORD CAMPUS. ISN'T THAT WONDERFUL? UM, OKAY. THAT'S A FTE NUMBER. I MEAN, THAT'S THE FULL TIME. YEAH, THAT'S, THOSE WAS THE HEAD COUNT. ONE PART-TIME. 11 21 88 IS THE, IS THE HEAD COUNT, BUT WE ALSO AT THE HIGHEST FTE THAT WE'VE EVER HAD. AND WHICH IS ALSO EVEN MORE EXCITING IN SOME WAYS BECAUSE THE FT E AS YOU KNOW, REALLY TRULY REFLECTS THE, THE DELIVERY THAT AND HOW BIG IS IT? WHAT'S THAT NUMBER? THE NUMBER FOR FTE, UH, IS A LITTLE BIT OVER 1900, BUT I DON'T KNOW, I CAN'T GIVE YOU THE EXACT, UH, NUMBER AFTER THAT. OKAY. I'LL HAVE THANK YOU. IT UP GIVE YOU ARE DR. PUNE? YES. I, I JUST, I HAD A COUPLE GO AHEAD AND FINISH. NOW I WILL. YEAH. SO, SO THANK YOU. THESE, THESE ARE JUST THE, SOME OF THE UPDATE THAT I WANTED TO GIVE TO YOU. UM, WE, UH, WE, WE BELIEVE THAT, UM, THAT, UM, THE VISION THAT WAS LAID OUT FOR THIS INSTITUTION IS COMING TO FRUITION, AND WE DO THINK THAT THERE'S A PATHWAY FOR, UH, EVEN A MORE EXCITING FUTURE. BUT I, AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT. IT'S BEEN, UM, THAT FAST. THANK YOU, RESIDENT ERICKSON. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN. DR. PNU, IT'S ALWAYS GOOD TO SEE YOU. AND I, I NEED TO THANK YOU FOR MY TOUR. UM, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR LETTING ME WALK AROUND WITH YOU AND, AND THE OTHER MEMBERS OF YOUR TEAM, UM, AND SEE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT [01:00:01] YOU'VE MENTIONED TODAY. UM, I WOULD ADD TO, UH, SENATOR DAVIS'S, UM, MOTION OF, OF A, JUST A SUGGESTION THAT WE KEEP IN MIND THE CFA. UM, IT IS A HISTORIC BUILDING. IT NEEDS ATTENTION. IT IS HAVING SOME, SOME, UH, WEATHER DAMAGE AND, UM, WILL NEED SOMETHING TO BE DONE. I ALSO MENTIONED, AND YOU KNOW, I'M GONNA SAY THIS, THE MARINE SCIENCE BUILDING YES. IS VERY NEAR TO MY HEART, EVEN THOUGH IT WAS, IT FEELS LIKE YOU STEPPED BACK INTO 1969. UM, AND WE NEED NEW SCIENCE LABS THERE, AND I'M GONNA LOOK AT MICHAEL PAUL AND SAY, AND WE NEED A JOINT DOCK BEHIND THAT FACILITY THAT'S CORRECT. TO WORK ON WATER QUALITY WITH YOU GUYS AND THOSE MARINE SCIENCE STUDENTS. SO THERE IS A LOT TO BE DONE TO BRING OUR CAMPUS, UM, EVEN MORE VITALLY, UH, LOW COUNTRY CENTRIC. YES. AND BRING IN THOSE STUDENTS. I MET TWO STUDENTS IN THE GROCERY STORE THE OTHER DAY WHO WERE LIVING IN OUR HOUSING NORTH OF ABROAD, AND THEY WERE BUYING GROCERIES AND HAVING A GREAT TIME. ONE, UM, HERE ON MARINE SCIENCE. SO THANK YOU FOR THAT MAJOR AND IT IS WORKING, AND WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE BACK YOU UP ON THE RENOVATIONS THAT YOU'RE GONNA NEED FOR THOSE HISTORIC STRUCTURES AS WELL. YEAH, IT'S, IT'S, THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THAT UP. OUR MARINE SCIENCE PROGRAM IS ONE OF THE FASTEST PROGRAMS THAT WE HAVE AND OUR ENGAGEMENT WITH PRID ISLAND AND, UM, AND, UM, AND THE PORT ROYAL SOUND FOUNDATION AND, AND SOME OF THE, THE PEARL AND OTHER PROJECTS ARE, ARE JUST POSITIONING US ESSENTIALLY TO BE PROBABLY COMPETITIVE TO COASTAL CAROLINA AT SOME POINT. UH, IF WE ARE, WE REMAIN ON THAT TRAJECTORY. SO THAT'S, THAT'S HUGE. OKAY. SENATOR MATTHEWS, JUST QUICKLY, UM, THANK YOU. TWO QUESTIONS. CAN YOU PLEASE UPDATE, UM, THE REST OF THE DELEGATION ON THE CHANGE IN, UM, SPORTS AS IT RELATES TO THE LEAGUE WE ARE NOW PLACED IN AND WHAT IMPACT THAT WILL HAVE ON FUTURE ENROLLMENT AND WHY WE NEED TO PLAN FOR THE FUTURE? YES. UH, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BRINGING THAT UP. AS YOU KNOW, ABOUT THREE THREE, A LITTLE OVER TWO YEARS AGO, WE ENGAGED IN TRANSITIONING FROM NAIA WHERE WE WERE PART OF, TO NCAA DIVISION TWO. AND, AND SEVERAL REASONS PUSHED US IN THAT DIRECTION. ONE IS MANY OF OUR PEERS ARE IN THAT CATEGORY, AND ALSO AS PART OF OUR NAIA, WHICH SERVED US WELL AS A YOUNG SIGHTING OUT INSTITUTION. WE STILL HAD OUR ATHLETES TRAVELING ALL THE WAY TO MIAMI DADE IN ORDER TO, TO COMPETE, AND THEY WOULD LOSE TIME. SO WE UNDERSTOOD THAT STRATEGICALLY WE NEEDED TO MAKE THAT TRANSITION. AND AS PART OF THAT, WE ALSO NEEDED TO ADD NEW SPORTS THAT WOULD'VE BEEN NECESSARY, WHETHER WE HAD REMAINED WITH NAIA OR WHETHER WE WERE GOING TO BE TRANSITIONING TO NCAA DIVISION TWO. AND ONE OF THOSE, UH, TWO OF THOSE ARE MEN AND WOMEN BASKETBALL PROGRAM THIS PAST, UH, NOVEMBER, WE LAUNCHED THAT PROGRAM. AND, UM, IT, ITS SUCCESS EXCEEDED OUR OWN EXPECTATIONS BECAUSE THE COMMUNITY TRULY RALLIED AROUND THAT. THE STUDENTS TRULY RALLIED AROUND THAT. AND, AND WHAT WAS EXCITING, I REMEMBER SPEAKING WITH THE, OUR SGA PRESIDENT, EMMA OMAN, SHE SAID TO ME, WE'VE NEVER HAD THE SCHOOL SPIRIT THIS HIGH. AND THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT AS, YOU KNOW, FOR STUDENTS TO COME TO AN INSTITUTION FOR THEIR EXPERIENCE TO ALSO BE SUCH THAT THEY WILL BE RETAINED THERE, UM, AT THAT INSTITUTION. SO THESE HAVE PLAYED SOME SIGNIFICANT ROLE. IN THE FUTURE, WE WILL BE CHALLENGED WITH, UH, TITLE IX, UM, AND, AND THE ADDITION OF SPORTS TO ENSURE THAT WE ARE IN COMPLIANCE WITH TITLE IX. AND, UM, WE WOULD BE LOOKING AT, AT THINGS LIKE VOLLEYBALL, UM, TO, TO ENSURE THAT WE HAVE, UM, THE, THE, THE, THE, THE SIMILAR RATIO THAT WE NEED. WELL, THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE IT. YOU KNOW, VOLLEYBALL'S DEAR TO MY HEART, BUT I THINK BECAUSE WE'RE ON THE COAST AND I SEE A FUTURE FOR US IN COMPETITION WITH PLACES LIKE COASTAL, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE US HAVE A VAST FISHING TEAM. , [01:05:01] YOU KNOW, THE REASON WHY I'M SAYING I THINK IT WOULD BE TRANSFORMATIONAL, UM, FOR THE UNIVERSITY, ESPECIALLY FOR MY GRANDSON, . THANK YOU. I WILL BE PUSHING FOR THAT BECAUSE I THINK IT WOULD GO HAND IN HAND IN ALL SERIOUSNESS WITH THE, UH, MARINE SCIENCES PROGRAM THAT YOU HAVE. I DO. THANK YOU. REPRESENTATIVE NEWTON. UM, JUST WHERE ARE YOU WHEN THE NEGOTIATIONS, DISCUSSIONS WITH THE COUNTY, UM, FOR THE REMAINING , CAN I POSTPONE THAT? IS THAT OKAY? IF I COULD, BUT WHERE WE ARE IS WE HAVING, UH, REALLY, REALLY GOOD MEETINGS, VERY MUCH INSPIRE FROM THE KINDS OF MEETINGS YOU HAD DURING YOUR TIME? I COULD TELL YOU THAT MUCH. WE'RE VERY EXCITED. WELL, IT JUST, I, I DON'T KNOW IF THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR IS STILL HERE. UM, BUT YOU KNOW, I, I MEAN WE STARTED THE CONVERSATION BY SAYING 20 YEARS, THAT WAS $40 MILLION BY BEAUFORT COUNTY TO GET THE THING, UH, GOING. WE JUST TALKED ABOUT $37 MILLION THAT THE STATE GOT FOR THE CONVOCATION CENTER, AND THE 1.3 RECURRING 11 FIVE WAS IN THIS YEAR'S NUMBER TOWARD THAT 37. THAT THE, YOU KNOW, THE, THE BIG QUESTION MARK THAT I DON'T THINK WE HERE IS WHERE'S THE COUNTY IN THIS CONVERSATION AND WHAT IS IT THAT THEY'RE ABLE AND WILLING TO DO TO HELP MAKE THE CONVOCATION CENTER A REALITY? YES. SO WE ARE TRULY PROCESSING THOSE NUMBERS AND AS WE SPEAK, BUT, BUT THERE IS OBVIOUSLY ENGAGEMENT OF CONSULTANT AND ET CETERA. SO WE, WE ARE NOT READY TO TALK ABOUT IT, BUT SURE. YOU WERE HAVING REALLY GOOD CONVERSATIONS. GOOD. CAN YOU GIVE US A, UH, JUST A TIMELINE ON THAT? WHAT DO YOU, WHAT'S YOUR PROJECTED TIME FOR COMPLETION OF THAT CONVOCATION CENTER? SO, SO WE WOULD LIKE TO BE ABLE TO, UM, COME BACK WITH YOU BY THE END OF THIS YEAR WITH, UM, WITH SOME VERY SPECIFIC NUMBERS AND PLANS FOR WHAT CAN BE AUTHORIZED TO BE DONE. OKAY. UM, LEMME SAY THIS, I'D BE REMISS IN NOT SAYING THIS, I'M PROBABLY GONNA GET KICKED IN A MINUTE ON THIS ONE, BUT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S AN UNSUNG HERO IN THIS FOUR YEAR, UH, IN THIS FOUR YEAR INSTITUTION, AND THAT'S WESTON NEWTON. WHEN HE WAS CHAIRMAN, I WAS, IT WAS MY, I WAS IN MY SECOND YEAR UP IN THE HOUSE, AND HE TOOK THIS THING FROM ZERO TO 90 MILES AN HOUR. AND, YOU KNOW, I JUST, IT'S JUST A, UH, HE'S NEVER, NEVER SAID ANYTHING ABOUT IT, BUT HE IS, HE'S THE UN UNSUNG HERO IN THIS THING. AND HE TOOK THE COUNTY COUNSEL AND, UH, PRETTY MUCH FORCE FED A LOT OF THIS BECAUSE HE SAW THE VISION IN IT. SO IF YOU WANNA TALK ABOUT A VISION, THAT'S THE VISIONARY. SO WES AND I, WE APPRECIATE ALL THAT YOU'VE DONE ON THIS. THANK YOU. I I COULDN'T ECHO THAT MORE. AND, AND, UM, I THINK YOU'LL COME TO THE 20TH CELEBRATIONS. OKAY. A SPECIAL CAKE FOR HIM. . AND THEN LAST, LAST, UH, STATEMENT OR REQUEST IS, IS, UH, DON'T YOU THINK THAT YOU HAVE AN EXTRA, EXTRA ORDINARY HONORARY DOCTOR'S PROGRAM WHERE YOU PULL FROM THE, THE BEST AND THE BRIGHTEST, NOT ONLY IN THE STATE, BUT IN THE NATION FOR YOUR HONORARY DOCTOR'S PROGRAM? WE DO EVERY SINGLE, UM, UM, PROGRAMMING IS ABSOLUTELY MOST DESERVED. AND I CAN ASSURE YOU THAT BECAUSE WE BENCHMARK AGAINST CRITERIA THAT SHOULD BE UTILIZED WHEN CONSIDERING, UM, THE, THE, I THINK A ROLE GUYS WOULD'VE BEEN BETTER . THANKS. THANK YOU, DR. PNE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. LEMME JUST SAY THAT THE, UH, JUDICIAL CANDIDATES, YOU ALL DON'T HAVE TO STAY. I MEAN, YOU'RE NOT GONNA LOSE ANY POINTS ON THIS ONE, SO, BUT YOU'RE WELCOME TO . I DON'T BLAME YOU ON THIS, BUT, UH, DR. PNE, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. OKAY, WE'RE GONNA GO MOVE TO THE DISCUSSION OF BOARD OF, UH, VOTER REGISTRATIONS AND ELECTIONS. UM, MARIA SMALLS , YOU'RE LOOKING FOR ANOTHER ONE. WELCOME. GOOD AFTERNOON, EVERYONE. WELCOME. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. I'D LOVE TO STOP BY THANKING ALL OF YOU FOR WHAT YOU HAVE DONE FOR THE BOARD OF VOTER REGISTRATION AND ELECTIONS, ESPECIALLY IN OUR APPLIED FOR ADDITIONAL EQUIPMENT. MAKE SURE WE HAVE WHAT WE NEED IN THE NOVEMBER ELECTION. UM, WE WILL HAVE A PRESENTATION BY OUR VICE CHAIR, UM, MR. MATT SWEENEY, UM, AND HE WILL SHARE SOME INFORMATION WITH YOU AND SOME OF OUR CONCERNS. SO IF, IF YOU WOULD, MR. SWEENEY, AND THANK YOU AGAIN. I REALLY APPRECIATE EVERYTHING THAT YOU ALL HAVE DONE. YEAH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. I, I JUST DO HAVE SOME QUESTIONS. I DON'T KNOW IF I, WHO, WHO I WOULD ADDRESS ON THIS ON, UH, JUST CONSTITUENT QUESTIONS ON THIS. THE, UM, THE SMALL, UH, AND THE LAST ELECTION. [01:10:01] HOW, WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO ABOUT THE LONG LINES? I KNOW WE HAVE NEW VOTER MACHINES COMING, BUT THAT WAS, THAT WAS THE BIGGEST COMPLAINT THAT I HAD WAS THE LONG LINES AND THE, UM, WELL, THE LONG LINES, FIRST OF ALL, THEN WHAT COULD WE DO ON THIS? ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT THE 2022 ELECTIONS? MM-HMM. , UM, WE, AGAIN, IT WAS NOT NECESSARILY ANYTHING THAT WAS DONE THAT WAS NOT, UM, PLANNED. UM, THE, THE LINES WERE CREATED BECAUSE WE HAD MORE PEOPLE COMING IN. WE MAY HAVE HAD A SHORTAGE OF EQUIPMENT IN A FEW PLACES. UH, WE HAD INSTITUTED SOME NEW EQUIPMENT. FOLKS WERE STILL GETTING USED TO THOSE EQUIPMENT. WE'RE GONNA HAVE SOME OF THE SAME THINGS WHEN IT COMES DOWN TO, UM, UM, THE NOVEMBER ELECTION. WE WILL HAVE NEW EQUIPMENT THAT OUR POLL WORKERS ARE DEALING WITH AND EVERYBODY WILL BE TRAINED. SO, BUT THE LINES, OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, AFTER THAT PARTICULAR ELECTION, I THINK WE HAD THREE POLLING LOCATIONS THAT CLOSED WAY BEYOND, UM, SEVEN O'CLOCK. AND SO OUR GOAL WAS TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE ENOUGH EQUIPMENT, UM, DEPLOYED TO THE ALL OF OUR LOCATIONS TO ENSURE THAT, UM, WE HAVE ENOUGH POLL WORKERS AND EQUIPMENT FOR FOLKS TO MINIMIZE THE LINE. AND I'M GONNA SAY MINIMIZE, I'M NOT GONNA SAY WE'RE GONNA ELIMINATE THE LINES BECAUSE WE DO HAVE TO PROCESS PEOPLE IN THERE. THAT'S A PROCESS. SO YOU DON'T JUST COME IN AND GO AND VOTE. YOU HAVE TO GET PROCESSED. YOU HAVE TO GET VERIFIED AND CERTIFIED THAT YOU ARE ELIGIBLE VOTER IN OUR COUNTY TO CAST A BALLOT. AND SO, UM, AGAIN, THE WHOLE, FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS, THAT'S WHAT THE BOARD GOALS WERE, WAS WORKING ON ADDING ADDITIONAL EQUIPMENT, WHICH, AND NEW POLL WORKERS SO THAT WE WILL HAVE MORE THAN ENOUGH FOLKS TO DEAL WITH THE GROWTH IN OUR COUNTY. SURE. UM, SENATOR DAVIS, TO THAT POINT, MS. MOS, DO WE HAVE ENOUGH POLL WORKERS AT THIS POINT? WELL, WE ARE STILL ACTIVELY RECRUITING. OKAY. 'CAUSE I, I TALKED TO SOMEBODY THE OTHER DAY THAT SAID THAT HE WAS INTERESTED IN BECOMING A, A POLL WORKER, BUT THAT THERE WAS NO FURTHER TRAINING SESSIONS BEING PROVIDED. OH, YES. TO QUALIFY THEM. THERE ARE ADDITIONAL TRAINING SESSIONS. OKAY. OKAY. MATTER OF FACT, WE HAVE TWO ADDITIONAL SESSIONS. THIS, UM, MONTH ONE IS ON THE 21ST AND ONE IS ON THE 23RD. UM, MY TRAINING AND COORDINATOR IS SITTING RIGHT BEHIND ME. AND RIGHT NOW WE HAVE ABOUT 50 50 OKAY. 50 PEOPLE THAT ARE SIGNED UP TO BE TRAINED. UM, AND GOOD WORK ON THAT. AND WE STILL HAVE FOLKS YEAH. GOOD WORK ON THAT. THAT'S ON THE ROLL. THAT IS, YOU KNOW, CHANGING THEIR MIND COMING INTO WORK. RIGHT. GOOD WORK ON THAT. AND THEN THE OTHER QUESTION I HAVE, AND THIS AGAIN, COMING FROM THE CON ABSOLUTELY. FROM CONSTITUENTS ON THIS, IS WHAT CAN WE DO NOT TO BE LAST IN THE TABULATIONS? I MEAN, IT TAKES FOREVER TO GET OUR INFORMATION AND IT, IT'S, SOME OF THE COUNTIES HAVE REPORTED OUR, YOU KNOW, EIGHT HOURS BEFORE WE CAN GET OURS IN. AND I KNOW WE HAVE SOME OUTLINE LIKE DUSKY AND ALL THAT, WHICH UNDERSTANDABLE. I KNOW WE, WE'VE ADDRESSED THIS, UM, ISSUE IN THE LAST, MAYBE TWO SESSIONS AGO WITH YOU ALL. YEAH. UM, WE HAVE OUR REAL ESTATE, LET'S SAY LIKE THAT. WE ARE NOT CLOSE TO ANYTHING. RIGHT. WE ARE NOT ALLOWED TO, UM, TRANSFER ELECTIONS RESULTS OVER, UM, A MODEM OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT. SO EVERYTHING HAS TO BE DONE BY COMING FROM WHEREVER THE FARTHEST POINT IS TO THE BUFORT CENTER. WE HAVE THREE, UM, ELECTION, UM, I GUESS COLLECTION SITES, ONE ON HILTON HEAD, ONE IN BLACKTON, AND ONE IN BUFORT. BEAUFORT, OF COURSE, IS ALWAYS QUICKER EASY BECAUSE IT'S CLOSER TO IT'S ELECTION CENTRAL, WHICH IS IN BEAUFORT. BUT WE HAVE, UM, BLUFFTON, UM, AND DUSKY REPORTS TO BLUFFTON. DUSKY IS USUALLY THE LAST POLLING LOCATION IN, BECAUSE OF COURSE, WE WORK WITH THE PFA COUNTY SHERIFF DEPARTMENT TO GET OUR RESULTS TO AND FRONT OF. SO IT'S GOTTA BE BROUGHT BY BOAT AND THEN IT GETS TO BLUFFTON. SO BLUFFTON CAN'T SEND THEIRS IN UNTIL IT GETS TOKY. IS THAT THE NO, WHAT WE DO, WHAT WE HAVE BEEN DOING IS, LIKE I SAID, WE, WE HAVE A PARTIAL REVOL, UM, RESULTS FROM BLUFFTON, AND THEN WE HAVE PARTIAL RESULTS FROM HILTON HEAD BECAUSE WE DISPATCH, UH, UH, CARRIER TO GO FETCH SOME OF THOSE. WE DON'T WAIT UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE, BUT BECAUSE, JUST TAKE FOR EXAMPLE, LAST NIGHT WE HAD A SPECIAL ELECTION IN BLUFF. IT WAS NINE 30 BEFORE WE GOT THE, BEFORE WE GOT ALL OF THE INFORMATION INTO ELECTION CENTRAL. IT'S NOT, UH, WE WISH THAT WE COULD GET THE RESULTS EARLIER, [01:15:01] BUT BECAUSE OF THE DISTRICT, IT'S A MATTER OF TRANSPORT, NOT TABULATION. IS THAT RIGHT? IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH TABULATION. OKAY. WELL, THERE'S A PORTION OF IT THAT DOES, UM, I KNOW SOME PEOPLE WANT THE FIRST RESULTS EARLY, BUT WHEN WE ARE WORKING WITH, WE CANNOT CLOSE THE POLL UNTIL SEVEN O'CLOCK. SO WHEN YOU HAVE EARLY VOTING RESULTS THAT'S SITTING ON THE MACHINE, THAT WE CAN'T EVEN PUSH THE BUTTON TO TABULATE, UM, BY THE TIME THAT TAPES, YOU KNOW, PROCESS AND EVERYTHING, IT'S ALMOST EIGHT 30, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, BECAUSE WE CAN'T CLOSE THE POLL UNTIL SEVEN O'CLOCK. AND WHEN YOU HAVE TWO AND 3000 PEOPLE, UM, UH, THINK IN BLUFFING, WHICH IS OUR BIGGEST SITE, BLUFFTON HAVE, UM, THE BIGGEST TURNOUT FOR EARLY VOTING. NOW OUR NEW EQUIPMENT IS SUPPOSED TO HELP SPEED UP THE PROCESS. THAT'S WHAT WE ARE TOLD. THAT'S ONE OF THE MAIN GOALS FOR THE NEW EQUIPMENT TO HELP SPEED UP THE PROCESS AND TABULATING. BUT EARLY VOTING, ABSENTEE VOTING, U CAVO VOTERS, THOSE RESULTS ARE THE FIRST USUALLY IN, BECAUSE THEY ARE IN THE OFFICE, BUT THE ONES COMING FROM THE OUTLINE AREAS, UH, IT'S GOING TO TAKE A LITTLE BIT LONGER. AND SO WE'VE BEEN AVERAGING 10 O'CLOCK BEFORE THE DISPATCH EVEN LEAVE BLUFFTON AND HILTON HEAD TO GET TO BUFORD. WELL, SEE, THAT'S A MESSAGE WE COULD TAKE BACK TO OUR CONSTITUENTS WHO ARE ASKING, I MEAN MM-HMM, , THAT'S A MESSAGE WE CAN TAKE BACK TO ARKANSAS. THAT'S NOT A WINNING MESSAGE. YEAH, IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT A WINNING MESSAGE. BUT NO, IN TODAY'S DAY, WE CAN DO BETTER THAN THAT. AND WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO DO BETTER AT THAT. I MEAN, MARIE, I UNDERSTAND, BUT IT ALSO, IF WE'VE GOT A, A POOL P-O-O-L-E-D LOCATION THAT CAN'T CLOSE UNTIL 10 O'CLOCK BECAUSE THERE'S STILL PEOPLE WAITING IN LINE, THEN WE NEED MORE MACHINES AND MORE POLL WORKERS THERE SO THAT BY SEVEN OR SEVEN 15 THAT THEY'RE BEGINNING TO PUSH THE BUTTONS AND PEOPLE ARE DONE VOTING AND THEY'RE STARTING TO TABULATE. I MEAN, IT, IT, IT'S EMBARRASSING GANG, WHEN, WHEN THE LAST TWO SPEAKERS I'VE BEEN IN COLUMBIA, UH, ARE AT DIFFERENT THINGS ON, OR EITHER GOT THE CALL FROM THE SPEAKER SAYING, I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU PEOPLE ARE DOING, BUT IT AIN'T RIGHT THAT WE, THE REST OF THE STATE'S GOTTA WAIT ON Y'ALL. SO I'M NOT FUSSING AT YOU. I'M JUST, AND I KNOW MATT'S BEEN WORKING ON THIS AND YOU'VE BEEN WORKING ON THAT. SO I LOOK, LOOK FORWARD TO THE DISCUSSION ABOUT DO WE HAVE THE RIGHT MACHINES IN THE RIGHT PLACES SO THAT SHORTLY AFTER SEVEN O'CLOCK WE ARE SHUTTING THE DOOR AND WE'RE STARTING TO LOAD THE THING UP BECAUSE WE'VE HAD EFFICIENT NUMBER OF MACHINES WORKING THE WHOLE DAY. YEAH. AND, AND, AND AGAIN, A PART OF THAT SOLUTION IS MORE POLLING LOCATIONS SO THAT WE WON'T HAVE SO MANY PEOPLE REPORTING TO ONE LOCATION. AND THAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THAT FOR, FOR MANY, MANY YEARS. WAY BEFORE, UM, SOME OF YOU WERE ON, ON ON THE DELEGATION, BUT, UM, WE ARE LIMITED IN THAT ASPECT. 'CAUSE WE, WE ARE AT THE MERCY OF THE COMMUNITIES TO ALLOW US AN OPPORTUNITY TO USE THEIR FACILITY AS POLLING LOCATIONS. SOME WILL, SOME WON'T. UM, AND, UM, SO WE RECOGNIZED IF WE COULD SEPARATE THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE GOING TO ANY ONE PARTICULAR LOCATION THAT WE COULD POSSIBLY GET DONE EARLIER. BUT I CAN TELL YOU THAT NONE OF, UM, OUR, UH, PROCESSES AND PROCEDURES ARE HOLDING UP THE ELECTION. WE LISTEN, WE WANNA GO HOME AS EARLY AS YOU CAN. UH, YOU KNOW, AND WE WANT TO PROVIDE THE RESULTS AS QUICK AS WE CAN, BUT AGAIN, IT'S NOT, UM, AT THE POINT WHERE WE CAN JUST SHUT DOWN AT SEVEN O'CLOCK. IT'S NOT THAT EASY. I KNOW. YOU THINK IT'S JUST PUSHING UP? NO, NO. I DON'T THINK, BUT, BUT IF THERE'S STILL PEOPLE WAITING IN LINE TO VOTE AT NINE BECAUSE WE GOT TOO MANY PEOPLE AND NOT ENOUGH MACHINES IN A LOCATION, IT'S NOT HARD TO FIGURE OUT WHY, UM, THAT THE TAKES SO LONG TO PRODUCE THE RESULTS. I MEAN, WE'RE NOT GONNA CHANGE GEOGRAPHY AND WE'RE NOT GONNA CHANGE THAT. PEOPLE ARE GONNA TRANSMIT OVER THE INTERNET. BUT IF WE ARE STILL WAITING TO BE ABLE TO, TO CLOSE A MACHINE AT NINE O'CLOCK AND THEN WE'VE GOT THE TABULATION AND THEN EVERYTHING ELSE, THEN MAYBE WE NEED TO MAKE ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN WE GOTTA ENOUGH MACHINES, ENOUGH PEOPLE ON ENOUGH PRECINCTS AND LOCATIONS FOR PEOPLE TO VOTE. AND, AND I THINK THAT WAS PART OF THE PROBLEM THE LAST GO ROUND THAT WE DIDN'T, UH, BECAUSE I GOT CALLS FROM PEOPLE SAYING I'M STILL WAITING IN LINE TO VOTE. UH, AND IT WAS WELL PAST SEVEN O'CLOCK. I WELL, I DON'T RECALL THAT ANY, THE LAST ELECTION WE HAD PEOPLE STANDING IN LINE WAS IN 2022. CORRECT. OKAY. THAT'S THE ONE I'M TALKING ABOUT WHEN WE HAVE BROUGHT HOW NAP DOWN TALKED 22, WE'VE HAD SEVERAL THE ELECTIONS SINCE THEN. MM-HMM. AND WE'VE NOT HAD THAT PROBLEM. BUT I, BUT I'M STILL CHALLENGED BY YOU TELLING ME THAT LAST NIGHT, IT WASN'T UNTIL NINE 30 THAT Y'ALL GOT FOR A SIMPLE LITTLE SPECIAL ELECTION IN BLUFFTON. OH YEAH. BECAUSE I KNOW YOU THINK THAT IT'S JUST THAT EASY. WE HAVE TO WAIT FOR THE POLL WORKERS TO PACK UP ALL THE, ALL ALL THEIR [01:20:01] SUPPLIES, PUT IT IN A BOX, AND OF COURSE WE HAVE OUR CHAIN OF CUSTODY WHEN THEY COME AND DROP OFF. WE GOTTA VERIFY THAT THEY HAVE ALL THE INFORMATION. MM-HMM. , I KNOW IF WE COULD JUST MAKE IT QUICKER, IT WOULD BE BETTER FOR ALL OF US. OKAY. AND IF I WOULD INVITE ALL OF YOU TO GO TO ONE OF OUR POLLING SITES OR GO TO ONE OF OUR, UM, DROP OFF SITE ON HILTON HEAD BEAUFORT OR IN BLUFFTON SO THAT YOU CAN SEE FOR YOURSELF HOW IT WORKS. I KNOW IT SOUNDS LIKE IT'S A LONG TIME, BUT I DON'T RECALL ANYBODY VOTING AFTER, UM, AT, YOU KNOW, AFTER NINE O'CLOCK SINCE 2022. AND I DON'T EVEN THINK WE HAD ANYBODY IN 2022. I THINK THE LATEST TIME WE HAD SOMEBODY VOTING WAS AT EIGHT 15 OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. BUT AGAIN, SINCE THEN, THAT PROBLEM HAS GONE AWAY. WELL, WE HADN'T HAD A BIG ELECTION SINCE THEN EITHER. UM, WE'VE HAD COUNTYWIDE ELECTION AND IT'S THE SAME PROCESS. AND LIKE I SAID, EVEN WITH LAST NIGHT WITH THE, UH, NOT ALL THE PRECINCTS WE'RE IN, WE STILL HAD PEOPLE AT THE PRE, NOT VOTERS, BUT JUST COLLECTING MY MATERIAL, MAKING SURE MACHINES ARE CLOSED AND IT TAKES TIME. THE CLOSEST WE CAN GET TO SEVEN 30 WOULD BE A PRECINCT IN BERET. AND NONE, NONE. EVEN THE PRECINCT IN BERET CAN GET TO US BY SEVEN 30 BECAUSE IT, IT IS NOT JUST SEVEN O'CLOCK. WE PUSH THE BUTTON. IT DOESN'T WORK LIKE THAT. NO, I UNDERSTAND. I I, AND I'M FAMILIAR WITH WHAT IT TAKES. I, BUT PLEASE ACCEPT MY INVITATION TO COME TO ONE OF OUR DROP OFF SITES ON ELECTION DAY OR HAD EITHER COME TO THE ELECTION CENTRAL SO YOU CAN SEE THE PROCESS FOR YOURSELF SO THAT YOU WILL KNOW IT'S NOT ANYTHING THAT, UM, THE PROCESS IS HOLDING UP. UM, OTHER THAN THE TIME IT TAKES TO CLOSE OUT THE EQUIPMENT. UM, MAKE SURE THE VOTES ARE TALLIED RECONCILIATIONS THAT WE HAVE TO DO BECAUSE WE ARE MANDATED BY THE STATE THAT CERTAIN FORMS GOTTA BE FILLED OUT BEFORE THOSE POLL WORKERS, BEFORE THOSE POLL WORKERS LEAVE THE, THE PRECINCT. AND THAT TAKES TIME. WE HAD ONE PRECINCT LAST NIGHT THAT COULD NOT RECONCILE BECAUSE THEY WERE MISSING ONE, UM, VOTE. BUT I SAY MISSING ONE VOTE, WHAT THEY HAD SHOWING UP ON OUR ELECTRONIC POLL BOOK AND WHAT THEY WERE SHOWING ON THEIR, UM, SIGN IN WAS ONE OFF. AND IT TOOK THEM ALMOST 30 MINUTES TO FIGURE IT OUT. WHAT HAPPENED. THEY HAD A PROVISIONAL BALLOT, SO THAT'S WHERE THEIR ONE OFF WAS. SO AGAIN, THAT PERSON WAS DE YOU KNOW, DELAYED TRYING TO GET IN. IT DOES HOLD UP EVERYBODY ELSE. SO WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH OUR POLL MANAGERS, TRYING TO KEEP THEM UP TO SPEED. WE TRAIN, WE RETRAIN, AND WE HAVE PEOPLE OUT THERE IN THE, UM, FIELD TO HELP THEM. WE HAVE BOARD MEMBERS THAT ARE HELPING THEM, MAKING SURE THAT THEY KNOW WHAT THE PROCESS IS AND WHAT TO DO. BUT AGAIN, I REALLY WOULD LIKE FOR YOU ALL TO COME AND SEE BECAUSE I DON'T THINK YOU, YOU UNDERSTAND HOW THE PROCESS WORKS. PLEASE, MR. CHAIRMAN, ONE LAST QUESTION. THAT, THAT, UH, UM, AND IS THE, UH, YOU MENTIONED, I MEAN, SO THE, THE, AND I'VE NOT BEEN THERE A CLOSING PROCESS, I'VE BEEN DESCRIBED TO ME LOTS OF TIMES OVER THE YEARS, BUT YOU JUST MENTIONED THAT THEY HAVE TO PACK UP EVERYTHING, SO DO IT BEFORE THE RESULTS ARE ACTUALLY, UH, PUT IN A VEHICLE AND, AND PHYSICALLY DRIVEN TO BUFORT. THE WHOLE PLACE HAS TO PACK UP ALL SUPPLIES AND EVERYTHING. YEAH. YOU HAVE TO REMEMBER, WE HAVE BORROWED PLACES, SO I UNDERSTAND I GOT THAT. BUT I MEAN, IS IS THERE A LAW THAT REQUIRES THAT, I MEAN, ONCE YOU'VE COMPLETED THE RECONCILIATION PROCESS AND THAT YOU KNOW THAT THE, THOSE RESULTS ARE, ARE GOOD, YOU STILL HAVE TO WAIT TILL ALL THE OTHER STUFF GETS PACKED UP. I MEAN, CAN, CAN YOU NOT HAVE TWO DIFFERENT CARS AND ONE TAKES THE RESULTS AND ONE STAYS AROUND AND THEN PACKS UP ALL THE EQUIPMENT AND BRINGS IT, BUT PRETTY MUCH THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED WHILE THE PERSON, WHILE THE REST OF THE POLL WORKERS ARE PACKING UP, THE RESULTS ARE BEING RAN AND RECONCILED. OKAY. BUT AGAIN, IT ONCE, IT TAKES A WHILE FOR THAT MACHINE TO PROCESS. NO, I UNDERSTAND. OKAY. I I'M JUST, I THOUGHT YOU SAID UNTIL THEY'VE PACKED EVERYTHING UP, THEY DON'T, BY, BY THE TIME EVERYBODY GETS VOTING, ALMOST EVERYTHING IS PACKED UP, SIGNS OUTSIDE, SO PULLED IN, SIGNS THAT ARE LAID OUT IN THE PRECINCTS ARE TAKEN DOWN AND, UM, YOU KNOW, IT, IT IS JUST NOT AS SIMPLE AS IT'S SEVEN O'CLOCK, LET'S GO. WE CAN'T JUST PULL THE PLUG AND SAY, LET'S GO. SO I, I DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE YOU YOU WANT ME TO SAY? WE ARE TRYING TO GET THE RESULTS AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. YES. AND IT IS MANDATED [01:25:01] BY THE STATE THAT WE LEAVE NOTHING IN THOSE PRE MUCH. I WAS MR. DAVIS. I'M DONE. MS. BRIAN MATHS, JUST A COUPLE OF QUICK QUESTIONS. UM, YOU TALKED ABOUT, UM, FINDINGS, PLACES TO HAVE PRECINCTS FOR THE PRESIDENTIAL RACE. UM, SINCE THIS WE KNOW EVERYBODY'S ON THE BALLOT, DO WE HAVE, HAS THE BOARD TALKED ABOUT, UM, UTILIZING THE SCHOOLS THAT WILL BE, THAT WILL BE OUT, UM, WILL NOT BE HAVING SCHOOL ON THAT DAY FOR, UM, PRECINCTS, UM, SO THAT WE COULD HAVE EXPANDED ACCESS TO PRECINCTS? HAS THE BOARD, UM, UTILIZED THAT? YES. YES SIR. YES, MA'AM. OKAY. UM, THE OTHER THING IS FOR EARLY VOTING, I, I SUSPECT THAT WE WILL HAVE A LOT OF EARLY VOTING. UM, HAS THE, AND SINCE THIS IS A PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION, HAS THE BO BOARD EXPANDED THE LOCATIONS FOR EARLY VOTING? SEE, BECAUSE I THINK, UH, WE HAVE THE BLUFFTON, RIGHT, FOR EARLY VOTING, THEN WE HAVE BEAUFORT. DO WE, ARE THERE, HOW MANY SITES ARE THERE? WE HAVE FOUR SITES IN BEAUFORT. OKAY. WHERE ARE THEY? WE HAVE A SAN HELENA SITE, WHICH IS AT THE HELENA LIBRARY. WE HAVE THE MAIN OFFICE, WHICH IS OF COURSE HAVE TO BE ASIDE REGARDLESS. AND WE HAVE THE BLUFFTON, WE ARE USING THE GYMNASIUM. WE ARE NOT USING THE LITTLE SMALL AREA THAT USED TO BE THE SENIOR CENTER. WE ARE USING THE GYMNASIUM, WHICH WILL GIVE US MORE SPACE. BUT BLUFFTON IS THE, IS THE, THE BIGGEST AREA. AND NOW WE HAVE HILTON HEAD AND WE ARE UTILIZING USCB, UM, UTILIZING A CLASSROOM OVER AT USCB, WHICH WILL GIVE US MORE OPPORTUNITIES TO, UM, BECAUSE OF THE COMPLAINTS AND CONCERNS REGARDING THE, UM, THE LONG LINES AND THE LATE RETURNS. UM, IS IT STATE LAW, THE TIMES FOR EARLY VOTING, OR IS THAT SOMETHING THAT EACH BOARD CAN CHANGE TO ACCOMMODATE IT'S BY STATE LAW. YES, MA'AM. IT'S STATE LAW, THE TIME WE OPEN AND, UM, IT'S, RIGHT NOW IT'S MANDATED THAT TWO WEEKS PRIOR TO THE ELECTION. I GOT IT. AND THEN, AND THE HOURS FROM BEG BEGINNING TO END THE HOURS, BUT THE STATE LAW DOESN'T MANDATE HOW MANY CENTERS YOU COULD HAVE. WE CAN HAVE UP TO SEVEN. UP TO SEVEN. OKAY. SO, UM, I'M, I'M JUST WONDERING IF THAT WOULD BE AFFIXED TO IT AND SOMETHING THAT WE AS A BOARD WOULDN'T HAVE TO HAVE ANY PART IN, BUT Y'ALL WOULD BE, UH, RESPONSIBLE FOR IT, OR HAS NOTICE ALREADY GONE OUT ON THAT? WELL, UM, WITH EARLY VOTING, THAT'S NOT, SEE, EARLY VOTING IS DONE THE FRIDAY BEFORE THE ELECTION. SO WE HAVE ALL OF THOSE RESULTS IN THE OFFICE. NO, I'M TALKING ABOUT THE TWO WEEKS BEFORE THE ELECTION, UM, THE TWO WEEKS BEFORE THE ELECTION. THAT'S A PART OF THE LAW. AS, AS WRITTEN. NOW, TWO WEEKS BEFORE, BEFORE A GENERAL ELECTION, WE ARE OPEN FROM MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAYS FROM EIGHT 30 TO SIX O'CLOCK. NO, I'M JUST SAYING WE CAN GET UP TO SEVEN SEVEN, UM, LOCATIONS. I'M WONDERING IF WE UTILIZE THAT TIME TO TRY TO LESSEN THE LINES ON ELECTION DAY. SO IF, IF THAT WOULD HELP AT LEAST DOING A PRESIDENTIAL RAISE IF YOUR BOARD WOULD CONSIDER THAT. WELL, I, I'M, WE ARE ANTICIPATING THAT EARLY VOTING WILL BE VERY BUSY. THAT'S WHY I'M SAYING WE MIGHT NEED TO EXPAND THE NUMBER OF EARLY VOTING SITES. THE LAST QUESTION I HAVE IS, AS IT, I'VE BEEN A PART OF, UM, I'VE SAT LITERALLY TO HELP BECAUSE WE'VE HAD SNAFUS IN COLTON. UM, AND WE HAVE THE SAME ISSUE WITH EDISTO BEACH AND WAITING TO GET THE RESULTS AND THINGS LIKE THAT. UM, MY QUESTION IS, I SAW WHEN I VOTED IN THE PRIMARY THAT NOW THERE'S AN EXTRA STEP. UM, WHAT YOU'VE GOTTA GET THE LONG SHEETS AND PUT THOSE IN THE MACHINE AND, AND FOR IT TO BE RECORDED, WHEREAS BEFORE IT WAS MORE, IT SEEMED MORE DIGITAL. UM, IS THE, THE USE OF THAT NEW PROCESS, THE NEW MACHINES WITH THE NEW MACHINES, DOES THAT SLOW IT UP? NO. UM, I'M NOT QUITE SURE IF I UNDERSTAND WHAT THE PROCESS THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT. THEY GIVE YOU A LITTLE, YOU GO TO, YOU SIGN IN AND THEN THEY GIVE YOU ONE OF THOSE CARDS, THE LONG CARDS. THAT'S ABOUT THE SIZE OF, OF THIS. THAT'S THE BALLOT CARD. THE BALLOT CARD. BEFORE IT WASN'T VALID CARD. YOU WENT TO THE MACHINE AND YOU PRESSED THE MACHINE. YEAH. AND THEN AT THE END OF THE NIGHT, THEY, UM, THE POLL MANAGER SPECIFICALLY WOULD PRESS THE TALLY BUTTON. AND, UM, THE, AND I WAS TRYING TO GET TO A RESOLUTION TO, UM, REPRESENTATIVE NEWTON'S PROBLEM. IF A POLL MANAGER HAS THE ABILITY, UM, TO PRESS THE TALLY BUTTON [01:30:01] SAYING DUSKY, WOULD HE, IS THERE A MEANS FOR HIM TO PROVIDE TO CENTRAL POLL OFFICE, YOUR OFFICE, THE RESULTS OF THAT TALLY BUTTON? IS THAT, IS THERE A, WE'RE IN 2024. IT'S SO HARD TO BELIEVE THAT EVERYTHING HAS TO WORK LIKE THE PONY EXPRESS AND YOU HAVE TO TRUCK IT IN. WELL, IT, I CAN'T SEE WHY HE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO DIGITALLY TRANSMIT THE RESULTS TO THE, TO THE MAIN OFFICE. JUST LIKE THE PEOPLE IN ESCO, ESTO BEACH HAS TO DIGITALLY, UH, THEY HAVE TO DRIVE IT IN RATHER THAN, YEAH. WE, IF YOU CAN RECALL, UM, PROBABLY BACK UP UNTIL 2019, WE MODE 'EM OUR RESULTS IN BY VIA TELEPHONE LINES. THAT'S AGAINST THE LAW. NOW WE CAN'T, WE CAN'T DO THAT. SO IF, IF IT, AND SO THAT'S WHY OUR PROCESSES ARE SLOWED DOWN. SO LIKE, UM, IF WESTON'S RUNNING, UM, AND, AND, AND DEF HE WANTED DUSKY NUMBERS. HE CAN'T GET DUSKY NUMBERS UNTIL THEY GET TO YOUR OFFICE. WELL, WE CAN PHYSICALLY TELL HIM THE NUMBERS, BUT, BUT IT, IT WON'T BE OFFICIAL UNTIL WE GET IT IN THE SYSTEM TO ADD TO EVERYBODY ELSE. I MEAN, THEY ALL, I DON'T KNOW. I'M NOT SURE HOW TO EXPLAIN THAT. BUT WE POST ALL OF OUR ELECTIONS RESULTS, EVERY ELECTION AT EVERY LOCATION. SO ANYBODY WHO WANTS TO SEE THE RESULTS CAN SEE THE RESULTS FROM THAT PARTICULAR LOCATION. YOU JUST WON'T BE ABLE TO SEE THE CUMULATIVE RESULTS. CUMULATIVE ONE. OKAY. UM, RESULTS UNTIL EVERYTHING IS, UM, PROCESSED. BUT, UM, THE STATE ELECTION COMMISSION, UM, WE WORK CLOSELY WITH THEM AND POLICIES AND THINGS THAT WE IMPLEMENT, ESPECIALLY THE RECONCILIATION FORM IS SOMETHING NEW BECAUSE, UH, WE HAVE TO VERIFY THAT EVERY VOTE HAS BEEN COUNTED AND EVERYBODY IS ACCOUNTABLE FOR EVERY BALLOT THAT'S BEEN ISSUED TO THEM. SO WE CAN'T LEAVE ELECTION NIGHT EVEN ONCE THE POLL WORKERS COME IN AND THEY JUST CAN'T FIGURE IT OUT. WE HAVE TO JUSTIFY WHY THAT NUMBER DOESN'T ADD UP. AND THAT'S JUST A PART OF THE PROCESS. BUT, UM, I DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE. I CAN TELL YOU ALL THAT. WE HAVE IMPLEMENTED LOTS OF CHANGES SINCE THE, UM, 2022 ELECTIONS. AND I, I'M SURE YOU'VE BEEN UPDATED ON THOSE CHANGES. 'CAUSE I KNOW YOU SPEAK TO SOME OF OUR BOARD MEMBERS ON A REGULAR BASIS, SO YOU, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE ANSWERS. AND WE AS A BOARD, WE ARE WORKING ON TRYING TO ADDRESS THAT ISSUE. UM, ALMOST DAILY. REPRESENTATIVE RIVERS ARE, THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN. UM, MS. SMALLS, I GUESS MINE IS MORE OF A REFLECTION FROM HAVING WORKED AS A POLL MANAGER. AND I REMEMBER THE DAYS WHEN IT WAS EVEN LONGER BACK WITH THE LITTLE CARDS AND ALL THAT KINDA STUFF. BUT I THINK THE GOAL OF MAKING SURE THAT IT'S EFFECTIVE AND EFFICIENT AND THAT IT CAN BE TRUSTED BY THE PUBLIC. I, I, I DO BELIEVE THAT'S YOUR GOAL AND, AND YOUR STAFF, UM, THEY'VE, THEY'VE BEEN DOING A PRETTY GOOD JOB CONSIDERING THE PROCESS THAT THEY CAN'T ALLEVIATE. BECAUSE IF THEY DID THAT, THEN PEOPLE WILL BE CONCERNED ABOUT, UM, WHETHER IT'S, UH, FAIR OR NOT. SO I THINK TIME HAS ITS BENEFIT, WHEREAS HAYES HAS WASTE. SO I THINK YOU GUYS ARE DOING A GOOD JOB. WELL, THANK YOU AGAIN. WE WILL DO OUR BEST TO TRY AND GET OUR RESULTS IN QUICKER. AGAIN, THERE'S VERY LITTLE I CAN DO. WHEN WE ARE WAITING ON EQUIPMENT FROM BLUFFTON AND HILTON HEAD, AND ESPECIALLY THE FUSS, UM, I, I WE, OH, ONE THING THAT YOU ALL CAN DO, I CAN MAKE THE, UH, RECOMMENDATION IS ALLOW US AN OPPORTUNITY TO VOTE, TO COUNT, UH, OR TO TABULATE EARLY VOTING AND ABSENTEE BALLOTS EARLY. IT'S NOT GONNA HAPPEN. RIGHT? AND SO WE HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL SEVEN O'CLOCK, NOT BECAUSE OF YOU, JUST BECAUSE OF WE HAVE TO WAIT NOW UNTIL SEVEN O'CLOCK. AND I CAN TELL YOU THIS, THE MORE VOTES THAT ARE IN ON THOSE TABULATORS, THE LONGER IT TAKES TO PROCESS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MARIA. SO, I'M SORRY, THAT'S, THAT'S NOT YOUR, MATT, DID YOU WANNA ADD TO THIS? WE'RE SAVING SOME BULLETS FOR YOU TOO, MAN. OKAY. UH, THANK YOU. UH, I'LL TRY TO BE BRIEF. UM, THANKS. UH, ON THE, ON THE EQUIPMENT, THE VOTING EQUIPMENT, I'D JUST LIKE TO MAKE A COMMENT. THANKS TO YOUR EFFORTS TO HELP US GET NEW EQUIPMENT IN 31 NEW PRECINCTS, WE NOW HAVE ABOUT 50% MORE EQUIPMENT THAN WE HAD IN 2022, AND ONLY ABOUT 10% MORE VOTERS. SO WE SHOULD BE IN BETTER SHAPE. I'D LIKE TO ADDRESS, UH, VOTING PRECINCTS AND POLLING LOCATIONS. SO WITH THE [01:35:01] LEGISLATIVE SESSION STARTING SOON, I'D LIKE TO REFRESH A REQUEST FROM OUR BOARD FOR AN AMENDMENT TO LEGISLATION REGARDING BEAUFORT COUNTY VOTING PRECINCTS. AND AS A PILOT, PROVIDE A REPORT ON WHERE WE STAND WITH RESPECT TO POLLING LOCATIONS. OUR CHAIRWOMAN MITCHELL, IN A LETTER DATED JULY 26TH, 2023, TO THEN CHAIR OF THE LEGISLATIVE DELEGATION, REPRESENTATIVE NEWTON REQUESTED ASSISTANCE TO HELP OUR BOARD FULLY COMPLY WITH SE CODE OF LAWS 7 7 9 10, WHICH STATES THAT ELECTOR SHALL VOTE AT A DESIGNATED POLLING PLACE WITHIN THEIR PRECINCT OF RESIDENCE. THE CHAIR WOMAN'S LETTER REQUESTED AN AN AMENDMENT TO 7 7 1 10, WHICH IS LOCAL LEGISLATION FOR BEAUFORT COUNTY VOTING PRECINCTS, WHICH IS SUBJECT TO APPROVAL BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY. THE REQUESTED AMENDMENT WOULD ADD A PARAGRAPH WHEREIN OUR BOARD WOULD SEEK APPROVAL FROM THE LEGISLATIVE DELEGATION TO CO-LOCATE ONE OR MORE PRECINCTS WHEN THERE ARE NO SUITABLE LOCATIONS AVAILABLE IN A PRECINCT. NOW THE BOARD IS NOT LOOKING FOR RELIEF OR A PASS ON OUR OBLIGATION TO MAKE BEST EFFORTS TO COMPLY WITH THE CODE. SO THIS IS A PILOT REPORT ON WHAT A REQUEST TO RE TO CO-LOCATE PRECINCTS MIGHT LOOK LIKE. UM, YOU ALL HAVE A HANDOUT, AND I WON'T GO THROUGH ALL OF IT, BUT THE FIRST PAGE OF THIS HANDOUT IS A SUMMARY. UH, IT'S A SUMMARY OF VOTING PRECINCTS AND POLLING LOCATIONS FOR THE NOVEMBER 5TH GENERAL ELECTION. UH, WE'LL HAVE 83 POLLING LOCATIONS FOR OUR 126 PRECINCTS, AND THAT INCLUDES 51 SINGLE PRECINCT LOCATIONS. AND JUST FOR COMPARISON, IN 2022, WE HAD A TOTAL OF 55 POLLING LOCATIONS OVERALL. SO FOR NOVEMBER 51, SINGLE PRECINCT LOCATIONS WILL HAVE 25 2 PRECINCT LOCATIONS. ALL BUT TWO OF THOSE ARE IMMEDIATELY ADJACENT PRECINCTS TO EACH OTHER, AND MANY OF THEM ARE A RESULT OF, UH, SPLITTING PRECINCTS IN 2024, FOR EXAMPLE, INDIGO RUN, ROSE HILL AND BELL FAIR, THEY USED TO BE ONE PRECINCT, THEY WERE SPLIT IN HALF, BUT THOSE COMMUNITIES STILL VOTE AT THE SAME LOCATION WITHIN THE COMMUNITY. WE HAVE FIVE THREE PRECINCT LOCATIONS, AND THREE OF THOSE FIVE ARE, UH, VOTING LOCATIONS WITHIN THE SAME COMMUNITY. HILTON HEAD PLANTATION AND SEA PINES. AND FINALLY, WE HAVE TWO FIVE PRECINCT LOCATIONS. NOW, I KNOW THIS SOUNDS LIKE A LOT, BUT THOSE TWO FIVE PRECINCT LOCATIONS ARE BOTH IN SUN CITY. SUN CITY IS A HIGH RESIDENTIAL DENSITY. UH, WE'RE IN PINNEY HALL AND MAGNOLIA HALL, WHICH ARE TWO BIG COMMUNITY CENTER AREAS, AND THEY'RE REALLY NO ALTERNATIVES IN SUN CITY. UM, SO WE KNOW OF THREE OPPORTUNITIES FOR NEW POLLING LOCATIONS NEXT YEAR, BUT FOR THE REST OF BEAUFORT COUNTY, WE BELIEVE THAT THE BEST REASONABLE EFFORTS HAVE BEEN MADE TO FIND SUITABLE POLLING LOCATIONS IN EVERY PRECINCT. SO THIS IS THE TYPE OF REPORT THAT WE WOULD EXPECT TO MAKE IN THE FUTURE PRIOR TO REQUESTING APPROVAL FROM THE DELEGATION TO CO-LOCATE PRECINCTS. NOW, FOR REFERENCE, I DID A QUICK REVIEW OF THE, ABOUT 2000 POLLING LOCATIONS IN THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA. SO IN 46 COUNTIES, 34 OF THE COUNTIES ARE POOLING POLLING LOCATIONS. SO WE'RE NOT UNIQUE, UH, IN OUR SITUATION. UM, OUR CHAIR WILL LIKELY PROVIDE AN UPDATED REQUEST FOR AN AMENDMENT TO SECTION 7 7 1 10, AND WE WOULD APPRECIATE YOUR CONSIDERATION. I GOT A QUICK ONE. MATT. THANK YOU FOR ALL THE WORK YOU'VE DONE. NOW, I'VE SEEN YOU ON POLLING DAY, UH, IN A MANIC STATE RUNNING AROUND FROM SPOT TO SPOT. AND I'VE ALSO SEEN, I'M NOT SO SURE IT'S THE NUMBER OF MACHINES THAT'S THE BOTTLENECK AS MUCH AS IT IS TRYING TO PROCESS THE PEOPLE THROUGH. COULD YOU VERIFY THAT FOR ME OR CAN, WOULD YOU, AM I WRONG THAT WE'RE SHORT OF MACHINES OR DOES THE PROCESS SLOW THE, THE VOTING DOWN? WHAT WE BELIEVE THAT IN 2022, WE WERE SHORT OF THE BALLOT MARKING DEVICES. AND AGAIN, WITH YOUR HELP, WE'VE GOTTEN ABOUT 50% MORE EQUIPMENT. UM, THE 2022 BALLOT AND THE 2024 GENERAL ELECTION BALLOT ARE NOT THAT DIFFERENT UNLESS IN THAT WE HAVE, UH, REFERENDUM QUESTIONS. AND THOSE ARE VERY TIME CONSUMING FOR VOTERS, PARTICULARLY IF THEY'RE NOT PREPARED. SO THE BOTTLENECK IN THE PAST HAS BEEN GETTING THROUGHPUT OF VOTERS THROUGH THOSE BALLOT MARKING DEVICES. THE CHECK-IN AND THE SCANNING AT THE END GOES QUICKLY. I HAVE SEEN THEM TAKE COPIES OF THE REFERENDUM AND PASS IT AROUND TO THE, TO THE FOLKS BEFORE THEY VOTE. IS THAT A COMMON PRACTICE? THAT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE TRIED IN 2022 AND PERHAPS BEFORE MY TIME? I THINK THAT'S A GREAT IDEA AND WE, WE WILL DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT. WE'LL CERTAINLY BE POSTING ALL THE QUESTIONS AT EVERY VOTING LOCATION. OKAY, GOOD. THANK YOU. [01:40:02] THANK YOU. THANKS FOR WHAT YOU DO. SERIOUS. OKAY. UH, NEXT WE'RE GONNA GO WITH THE HARD FUNDS. UH, EXCUSE AMANDA. THANK YOU. THERE AN APPROVAL SHEET IN THERE? I DON'T THINK SO. UH, WHAT'S THAT PAGE LOOK LIKE? UH, NO, WE DON'T HAVE ANY. I DON'T BELIEVE WE HAVE ANY REQUESTS. OKAY. NO PART FUNDS, NO PART. IT WAS JUST INFORMATION ON MR. CHAIRMAN. I KNOW WE GOT THE CDNR. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN. DELEGATION MEMBERS. I'LL TRY TO BE BRIEF AS WELL. UM, I THINK MS. MAXEY PROBABLY PROVIDED Y'ALL A REQUEST, UH, A COPY OF OUR REQUEST FOR THIS YEAR'S, UM, WATER WRECK AND GAME AND FISH FUNDS, UM, OUT OF GAME AND FISH LAW ENFORCEMENT HAS THREE REQUESTS. ONE WILL BE A POLARIS A TV FOR THE UNIT HERE IN BUFORT. CURRENTLY THEY HAVE TWO FOUR-WHEELERS WITH ONE OF 'EM BEING 11 YEARS OLD. SO WE'D LIKE TO UPDATE THAT. UM, THESE FOUR-WHEELERS ARE USED OBVIOUSLY IN ENFORCEMENT, BUT THEY'RE ALSO USED IN SEARCH AND RESCUES. YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE HELP OUT MANY MUNICIPALITIES AND, UH, THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE WITH ANY KIND OF SEARCH AND RESCUE. THE VESSEL IS A 19 FOOT WAR EAGLE JOHN BOAT THAT WE USE IN SHELLFISH ENFORCEMENT. UM, SOME OF OUR SMALLER CREEKS, EVERYBODY'S AWARE OF HOW MANY WATER WEIGHT WE HAVE IN BUFORT. UM, SO THIS BOAT ALSO PROVIDES A PLATFORM, A SAFE PLATFORM FOR OUR OFFICERS TO WORK, YOU KNOW, OUR FRESHWATER RIVERS AND THE TIDAL CREEKS. UM, MRD, OUR MARINE RESOURCES DIVISION HAS TWO REQUESTS. ONE IS FOR AN OYSTER SHELL PURCHASE THAT'S THE PURCHASE SHELL OUT OF FLORIDA OR ALABAMA. IT USUALLY COMES OUTTA ONE OF THOSE TWO PLACES. AND IT'S TO REPLACE, UH, 15 BUSHELS, UH, 15,000 BUSHELS OF OYSTER MATERIAL ON THE BANKS AND FOUR STATE SHELLFISH BEDS. ONE BEING CHEE RIVER, THE SECOND BEING BROAD RIVER EAST AND WEST OF THE BRIDGE. THE THIRD BEING AT TRUNKER, UM, UP INTO STATION CREEK. AND THE FOURTH BEING AT COFFIN POINT, UM, OUT NEAR ST. HE THE SOUND. SO THE, THE MONEY THERE WOULD PAY FOR THE SHELL AND THE SHIPPING OF THE SHELL UP HERE, AND TO GET THE SHELL DEPLOYED OUT ON THOSE FOUR STATE GROUND AREAS AND STATE GROUNDS ARE USED BY BOTH COMMERCIAL FISHERMEN AND RECREATIONAL FOLKS, UM, THROUGHOUT THE YEAR WHEN, WHEN IT'S OPEN. UM, AND THEN THE SECOND REQUEST IS FOR A, UM, HAPPEN PROGRAM. IT'S TO UPDATE THE MAP. SO THERE WOULD BE AN INTERACTIVE MAP. UM, IT IS A 70 30 AGREEMENT WITH NOAH. UM, AND WHAT IT DOES, IT'LL BE A VERY PRECISE OVER, OVER FLIGHT FROM NOAH, UM, OF ALL THE SHELLFISH BEDS IN SOUTH CAROLINA. SO WHAT MRD ADVISED ME, THEY DID, THEY TOOK THE SHORELINE OF BEAUFORT COUNTY, AND THAT'S ONLY THE PORTION OF BEAUFORT COUNTY THAT WE'RE REQUESTING, YOU KNOW, OUT OF THE BEAUFORT WATER REC FUNDS, WATER REC FUNDS. IT IS JUST FOR THE TIDAL CREEKS IN BEAUFORT, CHARLESTON, GEORGETOWN. THEY'LL DO THEIR PORTION, YOU KNOW, WHERE THE REQUESTS COME FROM AS WELL. BUT AS FOR A REALLY DETAILED MAP, THIS HADN'T BEEN DONE SINCE 2005. SO IT WOULD SHOW ALL THE SHELLFISH BEDS AND THAT, THAT'S ALL THE REQUESTS THAT WE HAVE THIS YEAR. UM, ANY QUESTIONS, BRANDON? THANK YOU MR. CHAIRMAN. I, I DO HAVE A QUESTION. I, THE, UH, OUTSIDE FOUNDATION AND WHAT THEY'RE TRYING TO DO WITH OYSTER RECLAMATION, DO THEY, ARE THEY PART OF THIS AT ALL, OR THE, I MEAN, THE SHELL PURCHASE OF $131,000, WHERE DOES, WHERE DO YOU GET THE SHELLS? SO MOST OF THE SHELL, I'M INFORMED IT COMES OUT OF FLORIDA AND ALABAMA. UM, SO THEY HAVE TO GET THE SHELL DELIVERED UP HERE. AND THEN WE DO DNR DOES USE THEIR BARGES AND THEIR, THEIR FOLKS TO DEPLOY. AND THEY ALSO GO OUT AND, YOU KNOW, MONITOR THE SITES AND SEE WHICH, WHICH PARTICULAR SHELLFISH BED ACTUALLY NEED. YOU KNOW, THE SHELL, UM, YOU KNOW, THE MOST FOR THE WHOLE, WELL, LEMME TELL YOU THE REASON I WAS ASKING, BECAUSE OUTSIDE THE OUTSIDE FOUNDATION IS TRYING TO KICK OFF, OR THEY HAVE KICKED OFF A OYSTER SHELL RECLAMATION PROGRAM. AND I WOULD THINK THAT IF WE COULD KEEP SOME OF THAT MONEY IN BEAUFORT COUNTY SUPPORTING THEIR PROGRAM VERSUS PAYING SOMEBODY IN ALABAMA TO, FOR THEIR OYSTER SHELLS, UH, I'M NOT FAMILIAR WITH OUTSIDE FOUNDATION THAT THAT MISCOMMUNICATION WAS ON MY PART, BUT I CAN FIND, I CAN GET THAT ANSWER AND GET IT TO YOU FOR SURE. UM, WELL, I, I, IT'S NOT SO MUCH THAT I NEED THE ANSWER, BUT AS MUCH AS IF WE HAVE SOMETHING THAT WE'RE DOING IN BEAUFORT COUNTY TO RECLAIM OYSTER SHELLS AND WE'RE TRYING TO SPREAD THIS PROGRAM ACROSS THE STATE SO THAT THEY'RE RECLAIMING OYSTER SHELLS [01:45:01] FROM RESTAURANTS ALL OVER THE STATE, AND WE NEED OYSTER SHELLS FOR YOUR WORK, I WOULD LIKE TO TIE THOSE TWO TOGETHER SOMEHOW SO THAT THIS $130,000 GOES TO A LOCAL ORGANIZATION VERSUS GOING TO, UM, ALABAMA. RIGHT. THAT'S, AND, AND JUST TO FOLLOW UP ON, I KNOW WE HAVE OUR SCORE PROGRAM, WHICH IS WHERE WE DO HAVE COLLECTION OR, YOU KNOW, MRD DOES HAVE COLLECTION SITES UP AND DOWN THE COAST, YOU KNOW, FOR THE PUBLIC TO COME AND DUMP THE SHELLS. THERE'S ONE AT FORT JOHNSON, BUT THEY ARE SCATTERED THROUGHOUT, THROUGHOUT THE COASTAL COUNTIES ALONG THE COAST. AND, UM, IT ALLOWS RESTAURANTS, WHOEVER, YOU KNOW, CHOOSES TO DUMP THE SHELL. IT'S JUST THAT THAT DOESN'T KEEP UP WITH THE NEED FOR THE AMOUNT THAT NEED TO BE. WELL, SO, SO, SO LET ME ASK YOU, WOULD YOU BE WILLING TO WORK WITH ME TO MAKE AN INTRODUCTION TO THE OUTSIDE FOUNDATION? OH, ABSOLUTELY. AND SEE, UM, IF WE COULD CAUSE SOME OF THIS MONEY TO REMAIN IN BEAUFORT COUNTY IF POSSIBLE. I MEAN, I'M NOT, I'M NOT TRYING TO STOP WHAT YOU'RE DOING IN ANY WAY, SHAPE, OR FORM. I'D JUST LIKE TO RECYCLE MONEY MORE IN THE LOCAL MARKET IF WE COULD. OKAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. DID YOU HAVE A QUESTION? RESIDENT ERICKSON, DID YOU HAVE A QUESTION FOR, I WAS JUST GONNA MAKE A COMMENT. MR. CHAIRMAN, THANK YOU FOR THE MAPS. UM, MICHAEL PAUL, APPRECIATE THE MAPS OF WHERE THE OYSTERING IS GOING. UM, SORRY I HAD TO HAPPEN. YEAH, WELL, WHATEVER. I REALLY APPRECIATE SEEING WHERE THEY ARE AND, UH, AND TAKING CARE OF THOSE WILD BEDS. THANK YOU. I, UM, SO ON THE FUND REQUEST, I THINK WE'RE GONNA NEED TO VOTE ON THIS OR JUST SIGN THE SIGN SHEET. IS THAT RIGHT? WE JUST SIGNED, WE JUST SIGN THE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT SHEET. MAKE A MOTION. I WOULD THE MOTION YOU MADE THE MOTION. YEAH, I WOULD SECOND IT. OKAY. MOTION HAS BEEN MADE. AND SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR. OPPOSED? THANK YOU ALL. IN THE MEANTIME, BEFORE SHE LEAVES, I WANTED TO THANK YOU FOR, UM, DNR ASSISTING IN, UM, THE FISHING RODEOS THAT WE'VE BEEN HAVING. UM, I'VE HAD A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF, JUST FOR THE REST OF THE LEGISLATE, UM, LEGISLATORS UP HERE. UM, THEY COME OUT AND THEY DO A FANTASTIC JOB WITH BRINGING IN YOUNG YOUTHS AND SHOWING THEM TO HOW TO APPRECIATE FISHING. AND SO IF YOU EVER REACH OUT TO THEM, THEY'LL BE GLAD TO SPONSOR IT IN YOUR AREA. RIGHT. THAT WAS A GREAT SUCCESS. YES MA'AM. IT WAS. RIGHT. UM, THANK YOU. UH, ARE YOU GONNA DO THE, UH, DNR HERITAGE TRUST PROGRAM? SIR? YOU DO. THE SC DNR HERITAGE TRUST PROGRAM, THE PROPERTY ACQUISITION OR THAT? I THINK THEY HAD REACHED OUT TO MS. MAXEY AND I DON'T HAVE ANYBODY. I DID REACH OUT TO THEM, BUT THEY SAID IT WAS, THEY SAID IT WAS EASY. THEY'RE PUTTING IT ALL ON ME, BUT I, OKAY. LEMME, CAN I MAKE ONE WHEN YOU HAVE TWO PIECES OF PAPER, ONE IS THE MAP OF THE PROPERTY AND I'VE GOT THE SIDE SHEET WHEN WE GET READY TO GET TO IT. OKAY. DON'T HAVE, YEAH, THERE YOU GO. ALRIGHT, WE'RE GONNA MOVE TO THE, UH, TAIL END OF THIS, WHICH MIGHT TAKE A LITTLE TIME. SO WE'RE GONNA DO THE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS. NOT ALRIGHT, WELL, WHO'S, THEY'RE NOT PRESENTING. I JUST TOLD YOU YOU HAVE THE MAP. OKAY. AND I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE. OKAY. MOTION. WE CAN HEAR A MOTION ON THE, UH, I MAKE A MOTION. WE APPROVE THE REQUEST FOR THE HERITAGE TRUST PROGRAM. THE MOTION'S BEEN MADE TO APPROVE. WILL YOU HERE TO SPEAK ON THAT? I CAN'T AGREE. I DON'T KNOW. IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S GOING PRETTY GOOD RIGHT NOW. , EVEN BETTER. OKAY. MOTION'S BEEN MADE. SECOND AND ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. AYE. OPPOSED? AS HAVE YOU DID A NICE JOB. , YOU CAN LET EVERYONE KNOW ACQUISITION OF 122 ACRES IN BEAUFORT COUNTY. YEAH. YEAH. THIS IS GREAT. THAT'S A GREAT PROGRAM. AU ISLAND, UH, DUCK POND CREEK, MORGAN RIVER, ST. THOMAS. GOOD. YEP. VERY GOOD. I APOLOGIZE FOR THAT. I THOUGHT WE WERE JUST, THAT'S ALL RIGHT. OKAY. ALRIGHT. SO BOARDS, WE'LL MOVE TO BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS RIGHT NOW. YEP. UH, ON THE, UH, BUFORT JASPER, UH, HIGHER EDUCATION, UH, WE'VE GOT, UM, FOUR EXPIRED TERMS. FIVE APPLICANTS RECEIVED. WE HAVE A MOTION I WAY NO, NO. MAKE IT BECAUSE I NEED YOU TO PAPERWORK. WHICH ONE ARE WE DOING? WE'VE GOT FOUR EXPIRED TERMS. UM, MR. CHAIRMAN, IF I MAY. YES, SIR. UH, AND FOR REAPPOINTMENT, JANE KAISER, UM, DR. BRENDA LITCHFIELD, DR. LARRY RO AND JOHN FRAZIER. THEY'RE ALL CURRENTLY SERVING IN ALL, UH, IT LOOKS LIKE ARE, UM, SEEKING [01:50:01] REAPPOINTMENTS. I CONCUR. SO I, I'M, I'M, I'M HAPPY TO MAKE A MOTION THAT WE REAPPOINT JANE KAISER, DR. BRENDA LITCHFIELD, DR. LARRY ROLAND AND JOHN FRASER. A SECOND. YOU FOR JASPER HIGHER EDUCATION COMMISSION. GOT A SECOND? SECOND. ALL ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. AYE. OPPOSED? OKAY. IT'S DONE. MS. MAXIE, IF WE GET WE AHEAD OF YOU, LET ME KNOW. I NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THE RECORD REFLECTS THAT I HAVE TO AB STAY ON DR. ROLAND, BUT OTHER THAN THAT, I'M OKAY. SENATOR, THERE'LL BE A, A SHEET COMING AROUND AND YOU CAN MAKE A MARK ON, JUST WANTED TO GOT YOU. YOU'RE GONNA DO IT. I GOT IT. GOT IT. OKAY. NEXT UP IS THE BUFORT JASPER WATER AND SEWER AUTHORITY. CAN YOU SIT THAT FOR JUST A SECOND? OKAY. WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA PASS OVER THAT I GOT, OKAY. UH, BUFORD JASPER WATER SEWER AUTHORITY. UM, YEAH, I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION THAT WE ACCEPT THE SLATE OF CARL KIRKPATRICK GREATER WOODS AND ROGER BRIGHT TO FILL THE ONE EXPIRING BOARD SEAT AND FILL THE TWO EXPIRED SEAT. OKAY. ANY, I'LL SECOND. OKAY, GO SECOND. THANK YOU MR. HAGER. UH, ANY DISCUSSION? OKAY, I, I DO HAVE SOME A QUESTION. SO THE TWO, ANDY KING HORN AND ROB MCFEE, UM, THAT'S A COUNTY COUNCIL NOMINEE AND THEY WERE SEEKING REAPPOINTMENT. SO THESE ARE NEW APPOINTEES? YES, MA'AM. OKAY. OKAY. ALL IN FAVOR OPPOSED MOTION IF WE'LL PASS IT WITH THE, UH, SIGNATURE SHEETS. OKAY. THE, UH, BOARD OF VOTER REGISTRATION AND ELECTIONS OF BEAVER COUNTY. MR. CHAIRMAN, THANK YOU. WE GOT ONE VACANCY AND THREE EXPIRING, UM, TERMS EXPIRING AT THE END OF THE YEAR. UM, SO I WOULD MOVE THE, UM, REAPPOINTMENT OF JAMES BACKER, DON COOPER AND ELIZABETH JOHNSON. UM, THOSE ARE THE THREE REAPPOINTMENTS TERMS EXPIRING AT THE END OF THE YEAR AND THE APPOINTMENT OF MICHAEL SOKI. UH, I DON'T KNOW IF I GOT THAT RIGHT. SUE WICKY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I APOLOGIZE. UM, TO, UH, FILL THE VACANT SPOT, UM, MR. CHAIR, SENATOR MATTHEWS A LITTLE BIT MORE CLARIFICATION, IF YOU DON'T MIND. UM, WE HAVE ONE, TECHNICALLY ONE VAC SEAT AND WE HAVE THREE PEOPLE SEEKING REAPPOINTMENT. THAT'S CORRECT. OKAY. AND WHICH ONES WERE, UM, WERE YOU, UH, THE ONLY NEW APPOINTMENT WOULD BE MR. I'M NOT EVEN GOING TO MRS. SW. YEAH, SO THAT SPOT HAD BEEN HELD BY SOMEBODY FROM HILTON HEAD, BUT WHO WORKED IN THE PRECINCTS IN THE NORTHERN PART OF THE COUNTY. UM, UH, MR. SUKI, BUT I, I THINK I STILL GOT IT RIGHT, IS, UH, LIVES IN BURTON AND THE, HIS AREA OF, OF, AS THE WAY THE BOARD DIVIDES IT UP WOULD BE IN THE NORTHERN PORTION OF THE COUNTY. HE IS IN THE NORTHERN PORTION OF THE COUNTY AND HE'S IN BURTON TWO CI BELIEVE. I WAS LOOKING AT THAT. I DO HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT OUR QUESTIONNAIRES BECAUSE THIS IS THE BOARD OF ELECTIONS, UM, MR. CHAIR. UM, ISN'T THERE A REQUIREMENT THAT WE GOT FROM THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE THAT WE HAVE TO ASK HOW THEY AFFILIATE THEMSELF AS EITHER? I'M JUST SAYING WHAT HAPPENED IN COL COUNTY, SINCE I WAS DELEGATION CHAIR FOR THE LAST EIGHT YEARS, UM, THEY SENT, UH, UH, SOMETHING TO US ASKING US TO DEC DECLARE, HAVE THOSE APPLYING FOR THOSE FOR THE ELECTIONS COMMITTEE, UM, WHETHER OR NOT THEY WERE REPUBLICAN, DEMOCRAT, OR INDEPENDENT, JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT PARTICULAR BOARD IS REPRESENTED BY, UM, BECAUSE IN COL WE HAD THE ISSUE WHERE, BECAUSE IT WAS PRIMARILY DEMOCRAT FOR A LONG TIME, THEY WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT REPUBLICANS WERE ALSO ON THE BOARD. SO I'M DON'T LOOK , BUT, AND I, AND I THINK THAT'S ALL FAIR. SO I WANNA KNOW, UM, NO, I GET, I WE CAN, THAT WAY YOU'RE MORE, MORE THAN WELCOME TO ASK FOR IT. BUT LET ME, LET ME JUST SO I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER IT. GO AHEAD. I, I'M HAPPY. IF YOU LOOK AT THE MATERIALS THAT WE HAVE, WHAT THE, WHAT THE STATUTE SAYS 7 5, 10 AT LEAST ONE APPOINTEE SHALL BE A MEMBER OF THE MAJORITY POLITICAL PARTY. AND ONE APPOINTEE IS THE MINORITY PARTY, THE ROSTER OF MEMBERS THAT WE HAVE. NOW, MS. DOR IS THE DESIGNEE FROM THE MINORITY PARTY. JAMES WEDGWORTH IS THE DESIGNEE FROM THE MAJORITY PARTY. WHERE DO YOU SEE THE ROSTER? WELL, I WAS IN THIS MATERIAL. I, I'VE LOOKED IN THE MATERIAL AND IT WAS RIGHT HERE BEHIND IT'S PAGE THREE, OR IT'S A THIRD IN MY STACK. OKAY. AND, AND MARGIE, IF YOU JUST GOT, IT'S THE TOP TWO AT THE PAGE, UM, THAT, THAT [01:55:01] YOU GOT SENATOR, IF YOU LOOK, SO IF YOU PULL BACK AND DON'T SEE, CLICK IT ALL THE WAY UP. IT'S HARD TO SEE IT. I DID NOT SEE IT INITIALLY, BUT I WANTED TO. SO IT'S YOUR POSITION THAT IT'S JUST ONE OF EACH AND NOT PROPORTIONATE. YEP. OKAY. AND AND LEMME SAY TOO THAT I THINK THE, UH, CHAIR OF THAT IS, I THINK IT'S A DEMOCRAT AS WELL. SO, I MEAN, I THINK, I MEAN, I THINK WE'RE, WE'RE PRETTY FAIR OVER HERE. I, I GET IT. I DUNNO HOW YOU GUYS DO IT OVER THERE. NO, NO, NO. AND I'M THE ONE WHO SPEARHEADED, LET'S MAKE SURE WE HAVE DIVERSITY OF PARTIES ON OUR BOARD. AND I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE WERE CONSIDERING THAT HERE. OKAY. THANK YOU. AND FOR THE RECORD, IT LOOKS, UM, THE BOARD LOOKS ABOUT A, ALMOST LIKE THE DELEGATION TWO DEMOCRATS AND THE REST REPUBLICANS YOUR PROBLEM. NOT A PROBLEM'S. PROBABLY NOT IES, WE'LL CHANGE IT. ALRIGHT. UM, SO WE GOT THE SIGNUP SHEET ALL IN FAVOR? THEY'RE COMING. YES, YES. FOR A SECOND. I SECONDED. YES. OKAY. GARY'S, UM, NEXT ONE IS THE BROAD CREEK, UH, PUBLIC SERVICE DISTRICTS. NOW YOU WANT ME, WE'VE GOT, UH, TOTAL OF FIVE MEMBERS. THERE ARE, UM, ZERO VACANT POSITIONS, THREE EXPIRED TERMS, TWO APPLICATIONS RECEIVED CONSIDERATION FOR, UH, REAPPOINTMENT ARE GLEN FRANKEL AND JOHN JOSEPH. YES, SIR. I'M HAPPY TO MAKE THAT, UM, HAPPY TO MAKE THAT MOTION. SECOND. ALL RIGHT. WE GOT, UH, MOTION A SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. AYE. OPPOSED? SO I DO, ENGINEERS, DO YOU KNOW, I MEAN, THAT LEAVES ONE EXPIRING TERM THAT EXPIRED WITH NOBODY FOR THAT POSITION. IS THAT, IS THAT, WELL, MR. R RIGHT? HE, I SPOKE WITH HIM AND HE TOLD HE WAS GONNA GET THE APPLICATION IN, BUT I HAVE NOT RECEIVED IT. SO I KNOW THAT HE STILL WANTS TO, BUT FOR SOME REASON I DID NOT. I MEAN, YEAH, YOU CAN LOOK AND SEE THAT HE'S BEEN ON THE BOARD SINCE TWO, 2015. UM, WA WAS A REAPPOINTMENT. UM, YOU HAVE NO OTHER APPLICATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN RECEIVED OTHER THAN FRANKL AND JOSEPH. IT WAS ADVERTISED IN THE NEWSPAPER APPROPRIATELY. YES. ALSO HAD THE RECOMMENDATION FROM, UH, THE GROUP TO READ, UH, MR. RU. YES, MR. MR. CHAIR. ACTUALLY, WE OUGHT TO JUST DO IT. I WOULD MOVE THAT WE, UM, APPOINT MR. JOSEPH, UM, FROM THE FLOOR WITHOUT THE NECESSITY OF AN APPLICATION. JAMES L. ROWE. YES. JAMES ROWE. OKAY. IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? A OPPOSED MOTION TO CARRY. OKAY. NEXT IS THE LOW COUNTRY, UH, AND RESORTS ISLAND TOURISM BOARD, JUDGE, THREE MEMBERS TWO EXPIRED TERMS OR APPLICATIONS RECEIVED. RIGHT. UM, ANYBODY HAD ANY CONVERSATION? I HAD TO HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH, UH, SPEAK ON THAT, MR. CHAIRMAN, I A LITTLE BACKLOG HERE. CAN YOU? YEAH. YEAH. OKAY. I'LL TELL YOU WHAT, LET'S JUST, LET'S JUST HOLD, LET'S, CAN YOU HOLD OFF FOR ONE MINUTE? YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. THIS IS THREE. OKAY, GOT IT. WHILE WE'RE WAITING, THERE WAS A, UM, A, UH, LADY THAT HAD CALLED EARLIER FROM, UM, PALM BLUFF, I BELIEVE, TO TALK WITH DNR. IS SHE, SHE IN HERE? UH HUH OKAY. CONTACT INFO AND CAN GET IT TO ME. I'LL [02:00:01] TAKE CARE OF THAT. I'LL CALL THEN I'LL UPDATE, I'LL UPDATE YOU. OKAY. ABOUT THE BOATS? YEAH, IT'S ABOUT THE, ABOUT THE DERELICT BOATS AND THE, AND WE'RE HAVING, WE HAD A CONVERSATION A MINUTE AGO. BEFORE WE START, I'LL, I'LL HAPPY TO REACH OUT DIRECTLY THEM. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, SIR. MR. CHAIR. UM, WE HAVE TO CONSIDER, UM, WELL, I WOULD ASK THAT WE REAPPOINT I WOULD MOVE THAT WE REAPPOINT ROBERT WELLS, UM, AND ARIANA PERISE AND NEW APPOINTMENT. AMANDA JONES. UH, OKAY. TOTAL, THERE'S ONLY, THAT WOULD BE RE IT SAID IT'S TOTAL THREE EXPIRED TERMS. TWO. TWO. SO WE ONLY NEED TWO. WE ONLY NEED TWO. SO YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT AMANDA JONES AND ROBERT PERNA. ROBERT WALES. EXCUSE ME. SECOND PAGE. ONE SECOND. ALRIGHT, LET'S SEE. ARIANA. HUH? ALL RIGHT, I'M CAUGHT UP, MR. CHAIRMAN. OKAY. OKAY, WE THANK YOU. WE'VE GOT A MOTION ON THE FLOOR FROM SENATOR MATTHEWS TO, UH, REAPPOINT ARIANNA BERNICE AND ROBERT WELLS. TO THE, MY MOTION WAS TO, UM, REAPPOINT ROBERT WELLS. OKAY. THERE ARE ONLY TWO SEATS OPEN, CORRECT? ROBERT WELLS. OKAY. THERE'S TWO SEAT EVIDENCE, CORRECT? AND AMANDA JONES. AND AMANDA JONES. SCRATCH AFTERNOON STATUTE. I THINK IT HAS TO BE, HAS TO BE FROM THE CHAMBER. SO MS. BERNICE IS WITH THE CHAMBER. OKAY. MS. BERNICE IS WITH THE, DID YOU HEAR THAT? CONSIDERING THAT, UM, SO WHAT DO WE HAVE THOSE OTHER APPLICANTS? UM, THE OTHER APPLICANT IS, UH, MANAGING FOR THE THIRD SPOT. YEAH, . OKAY. COMMUNITY. WELL THEN I WOULD, UM, I'M JUST TRYING TO GET THIS DONE QUICKLY. I WOULD MOVE THAT WE, UM, APPOINT ARIANA PERISE AND ROBERT WELLS. THE MOTION IN FAVOR? IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. OPPOSED? MR. CARRIES. OKAY, NOW WE'VE GOT THE COASTAL EMPIRE MENTAL HEALTH BOARD, AND WE'VE GOT, THIS IS GONNA BE A LITTLE BIT CONFUSING HERE. WE'VE GOT, UH, WE'VE GOT A TOTAL OF 10 MEMBERS. WE HAVE SEVEN VACANCIES, AND WE REALLY, REALLY NEED PEOPLE ON THIS. SO WE'VE GOT TWO GREAT APPLICANTS RIGHT HERE. UH, ONE IS, UM, HAZEL RICKENBACKER THAT HAS THE EXPERIENCE, UH, HAS THE EXPERIENCE IN ORANGEBURG OF DOING THIS WITH, UH, UM, WITH THE MENTAL HEALTH CENTER BOARD UP IN ORANGEBURG. AND THE OTHER ONE IS, UM, I HAVE IT HERE SOMEWHERE. THAT'S WHAT, NO, I JUST THREW RIGHT THERE. SORRY. THE OTHER ONE IS THE RIGHT NAME. ALRIGHT. HELLO, IT'S CHARLES HOFF, HOF. AND I I HAVE THE, UH, IT'S LIKE, SEE THE, IT SHOULD BE IN YOUR PACKET, BUT WE HAVE TWO THAT HAVE APPLIED FOR THIS OUTTA SEVEN. UM, CAN I GET A MOTION ON THOSE TWO? MOTION SEVEN ONLY HAVE, HAVE APPLICATION, UH, MENTAL HEALTH. I IN. OKAY, SO GOT A MOTION A SECOND. ANY DISCUSSION, SHANNON, ANY DISCUSSION ON THE MENTAL HEALTH? UM, I'M SORRY, MR. CHAIRMAN, I ONLY HAVE ONE APPLICATION, SO I NEED THE NAME SO THAT I CAN DO OUR PAPERWORK, PLEASE. OKAY. IT'S, UH, YEAH, I GOT CINDY, HIM A LITTLE BIT. WHAT IS THE NAME OF THE OTHER PERSON? IT'S HO. HOFF. AND CINDY HAD GIVEN ME IT'S, THAT IS, THIS IS TOTALLY MY FAULT. CINDY HAD GIVEN ME THE RESUME ON THE WAY IN, AND I, I THINK I JUST DIDN'T, UH, [02:05:02] YOU ALL, IS THIS A FLOOR NOMINATED? UH, NO, THIS SEAT PUT IN AN APPLICATION STILL. WHAT? THIS, THIS ONE FIRST ONE? YES, YOUR HONOR. OKAY, WE GOING, LET US CATCH UP FOR A MINUTE HERE. I LOOKED AT IT. OKAY, HERE'S, UH, SORRY. BACK THEN. WATCH WHAT? CAN HE PASS IT AWAY? YOU I'LL TAKE A LOOK AT IT AT THE MATTER. WHAT IS IT? THAT'S THE OTHER APPLICANT. OTHER APPLICANT. IS THERE ANOTHER PAGE TO THIS OR IS HIS QUALIFICATIONS? YEAH, THAT'S HIS, THAT'S HIS RESUME. WHAT'S THE NAME? OH, SHOOT. DIFFERENT. WE JUST HAVE PAGE INFORMATION. TWO AND THREE. OKAY. YOU TALKING ABOUT THIS RIGHT HERE? YEAH. DO YOU HAVE ANOTHER FRONT PAGE IN THERE? NO, BUT I'M JUST DELIGHTED THAT WE GOT SEVEN VACANCIES AND WE GOT SOMEBODY WHO HAS AN I'LL EXTENSIVE GET TO YOU IN, IN A SECOND BACKGROUND WHO'S WILLING TO PARTICIPATE? YOU KNOW, AT THIS ONE, THE MOST IMPORTANT ISSUES FACING US, AND IT'S A SHAME THAT WE STRUGGLE TO FIND PEOPLE THAT ARE WILLING TO SERVE. YEAH, I KNOW. AND IF, AND IF WE CAN JUST PUT THAT OUT THERE TOO. I MEAN, I THINK THERE'S, IT'S NO SECRET WE'RE HAVING A MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS IN THIS STATE, IN THIS AREA, BUT IF WE CAN JUST PUT IT OUT THERE WHERE, UH, THIS IS A GOOD RESUME. THANK YOU, MR. IT'S A VERY GOOD RESUME. YEAH. UH, IF WE CAN PUT IT OUT THERE TO GET MORE MEMBERS ON THIS BOARD, WE CERTAINLY NEED 'EM. DO YOU NEED, YOU GOT A MOTION? UM, SOMEONE LIKE TO MAKE THE MOTION, I WOULD MOVE THAT WE WOULD ACCEPT HAZEL AND CHARLES W HOFF FOR, UM, THE MENTAL HEALTH BOARD. I SECOND. SECOND. ANY DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. MOTION CARRIES. NOW, LET'S SEE, WE HAVE, UH, THE, UH, SOUTH CAROLINA COMMISSION FOR PILOTAGE AND LOWER COASTAL AREAS. MOVE DAVID CHERRY SECOND ON THAT SECOND. ANY DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR? OPPOSED? MR. CARRIED BU COUNTY FIRST STEPS PARTNERSHIP BOARD. THIS IS A LOT. MR. CHAIRMAN'S. LOADING. WELL, LET'S, HEY, LET'S, UM, LET'S JUST SLOW THIS ONE DOWN JUST FOR A MINUTE. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME WE'VE DONE THAT ONE, MR. CHAIRMAN. THIS BOARD, IT'S THE FIRST TIME WE HAVE PUT MEMBERS ON IT BECAUSE WE, UH, REAUTHORIZED FIRST STEPS AND MADE THEM A PERMANENT AGENCY, AND THE DELEGATIONS ARE NOW IN CHARGE OF RECEIVING THEIR BOARD MEMBERS OF EACH COUNTY. OKAY. YEAH, WE DID. COMING BACK TO IT. SHERRY, I'M SORRY, WHAT? DID I MESS SOMETHING UP? NO. UHUH, YOU GOOD? I THOUGHT YOU ASKED ONE. THAT'S WHAT I WAS ASKING YOU PITCH. SO ELSE I MISSED. LET ME KNOW. SHE CAUGHT UP. I WONDER IF WE WANT TO SIGN. WHY DON'T YOU DO THIS? UH, YEAH, WE'RE GONNA, LET'S JUST CATCH UP ON THIS. I'LL GO TO FIRST STEPS. HEY JOE, JUST A SLIGHT, WE HAVE ALL OF THE TERMINATION ON. YEAH, SURE. THE FIRST STEPS SINCE THERE, THERE'RE ONLY SEVEN. YEAH. AND THERE ARE SEVEN NAMES SUBMITTED. YEAH. YOU GUYS WANNA GO THROUGH THIS NEXT ONE WHILE WE'RE SIGNING? WHAT I, MY MOTION, MR. CHAIRMAN, IS THAT WE APPROVE THE SLATE OF THE SEVEN, UH, NOMINEES FOR THE FIRST STEPS FORWARD. AND SINCE THERE ARE SEVEN VACANCIES IN, THERE ARE SEVEN MEMBERS, UH, NOMINATED. OKAY. THE MOTION IS TO ACCEPT [02:10:01] THE, UH, SEVEN MEMBERS WHO HAVE COMPLIED BECAUSE WE, WE MATCH THE SEVEN VACANCIES ON THEIR, THE SEVEN NEW VACANCIES ON THAT. YES SIR. AND THEY ALL MEET THE CRITERIA THAT THEY NEED TO MEET FOR THE NEW LEGISLATION. OKAY. ALRIGHT. AND, UH, IS THERE A SECOND ON THAT? SECOND? ALL RIGHT. ANY DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES. UH, YES, CHAIRMAN, I'M HAPPY TO IF YOU OKAY. SOUTH ISLAND PUBLIC SERVICE DISTRICT. YES, SIR. WE HAVE, UM, ONE VACANCY, UM, AND SIX REAPPOINTMENTS. UM, THERE ARE FOUR THAT HAVE APPLIED FOR THE ONE, UM, UH, THAT HAVE APPLIED AND WITH ONE VACANCY. SO I WOULD MOVE, UM, THE REAPPOINTMENT OF THE SIX CURRENT MEMBERS. THAT'S DEMENT, GAINER JACKSON, MARTIN LAN, AND RICHARDSON. UM, AND, UH, ALONG WITH THAT SLATE WOULD BE THE NEW APPOINTMENT. DAVID ELLIS. THAT WOULD BE SEVEN INDIVIDUALS FOR THE SEVEN SPOTS. OKAY. THE MOTION'S BEEN MADE. IS THERE A SECOND? SO JUST A QUICK QUESTION. SURE. ARE THERE ANY WOMEN ON THE BOARD AS IT SITS? IF YOU'LL GIVE ME A MINUTE JUST TO LOOK AND SEE? YES, THERE IS. I SEE ONE. OKAY. THANK YOU. YOU'RE WELCOME. UM, IS THERE A SECOND ON THAT? SECOND? ALL, ANY DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. AYE. OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES. AND THEN THE FINAL ONE IS THE, UH, IS THE, UH, TECHNICAL COLLEGE OF LOW COUNTRY, THE L AREA COMMISSION. TCL AREA COMMISSION. WE STILL HAVEN'T DONE THIS COMMISSION ON PILOTS, HAVE WE? OKAY. IT JUST, YOU PROBABLY HAVEN'T GOTTEN IT YET. OKAY. I DON'T. ALRIGHT. TCL, UH, QUESTION. YOU WANNA DO THAT ONE? OH, LORD. UH, WE'VE GOT ONE OPENING, UM, AND ONE, WELL, WE ONLY HAVE ONE. WE PUT MS. RICKEN ON SOMETHING A MINUTE AGO, AND WE'VE GOT MR. DOMINIC, AND SO IT LOOKS LIKE THAT'S GOING FOR A REAPPOINTMENT. UM, AND THAT LOOKS LIKE WE WILL STILL HAVE, UM, WE'LL STILL HAVE ONE MORE THAT WE NEED ONE VACANCY, UH, TO MAKE. ALSO, JUST NOTE, WHEN I LOOK, IT LOOKS LIKE, UM, MR. ER'S TERM EXPIRED ON IN 2022. IS THAT RIGHT? THAT'S WHAT I'M SHOWING HERE AS WELL. SO, I MEAN, MY MOTION IS TO REAPPOINT. RANDY DO SAYS NOMINATED TO. IT DOES, THERE'S A NOTE BELOW. NOMINATED GOVERNOR 4 10 23. OKAY. SO I THINK WE'VE DONE IT AND GOVERNOR STILL HADN'T DONE IT, BUT IT, IT, IT'S, IT MIGHT MAKE SENSE TO FOLLOW UP OR SOMETHING. OKAY. WELL, THE MOTION IS TO REAPPOINT, UM, RANDY DOLNIK. SECOND, IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION ON THIS? AND THEN TO NOTE THAT WE HAVE ONE OUTSTANDING, OUTSTANDING, OUTSTANDING. UM, I THINK WE'RE GETTING, I THINK WE CAN EXPECT SOME JUST RECENTLY. OKAY. SHE JUST TOLD ME LIKE THREE WEEKS AGO, SO OKAY. TO GET ADVERTISED. BUT I THINK WHAT WE MIGHT DO, SINCE WE'RE NOT GETTING ANY, IF WE CAN TALK, IF WE CAN GET SOMEONE TO COME IN ON THAT, WE WILL, UM, UH, MAYBE JUST CIRCULATE THAT TO ALL THE MEMBERS WITHOUT A MEETING ON THAT. IF THAT'S, IF, IF, UNLESS ANYBODY HAS AN ISSUE WITH THAT. YEP, THAT'S FINE. MR. CAMERON, THE AGENDA? I DO. THERE'S NOTHING SHORT TO DO. OH, OKAY. [02:15:07] UM, YEAH, LET'S GET, LET'S CATCH UP ON THIS AND WE CAN DO THAT. THAT WILL BE THE, I'VE ONLY GOT A COUPLE OTHER ISSUES. COLLEGE OF THE WORKING. AND YOU HAVE, I FOUND ALL THEM. THAT'S GOOD. Y'ALL BEAR WITH US FOR A MINUTE HERE. IT'S A LOT OF PAPERWORK THERE. YES, SIR. YOU KNOW THE ONE THAT YOU MARKED UP? OH, IT WAS, UH, PUBLIC SERVICE AND YOU MARKED IT UP, CHANGED IT, RIGHT? YES, SIR. I THINK THE LAST, THE LAST PAGE HAS MADE IT DOWN TO YOU. NICE. THAT'S NOT, MR. CHAIRMAN, WHILE YOU'RE FINISHING UP PAPERWORK, COULD I MAKE A COMMENT ON THE, UH, VETERANS AFFAIRS OFFICE REPORT? YES, MA'AM. PLEASE DO. THANK YOU. UM, MEMBERS, YOU HAVE THE COUNTY VETERANS AFFAIRS OFFICE REPORT IN YOUR PACKET, AND, UH, YOU WILL REMEMBER THAT WE HAVE A NEW VETERANS AFFAIRS OFFICE, UM, DR. CAROLINE FURMAN, AND THE NUMBER OF THE INTERACTIONS, VISITS, AND CASELOAD FOR THIS OFFICE HAS INCREASED DRAMATICALLY. IN FACT, THE REGIONAL VA DIRECTOR FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WAS HERE A FEW WEEKS AGO AND COMMENDED, UM, DR. FERMAN ON HER WORK AND A NUMBER OF VETERANS WHO HAVE BEEN SEEN AND CASELOADS THAT WE ARE ASSISTING WITH. SO I JUST WOULD MAKE SURE THAT YOU SEE THE PERFORMANCE NUMBERS ARE GOING UP STEADILY. AND WE WANT TO THANK DR. FURMAN FOR HER WORK IN THAT OFFICE AND HER TEAM. REALLY EXCELLENT WORK GOING ON. AND I HAVE TO, I HAVE TO SAY THAT, UH, YOUR BEAUFORD COUNTY VA OFFICE HAS STOLEN MY HAMPTON COUNTY VA DIRECTOR, SO I'M LOOKING FOR ONE UP THERE NOW TOO. I AGREE WITH, UH, REPRESENTATIVE HAGAR . HE DIDN'T REPORT THAT NUMBER . I, I, I WAS NOT AWARE OF THAT BEING OUR NEW STAFFER, BUT I SURE AM REALLY IN FAVOR OF OUR TEAM. THEY STOOD [02:20:01] UP A, UM, A DAY FOR, UM, HOMELESS VETERANS IN BEAUFORT COUNTY, AND WERE AT THE VFW NORTH OF ABROAD. AND IT WAS QUITE AN EXPERIENCE. I SPENT THE DAY THERE AND, UH, THAT WORK WAS EXCELLENT AND MANY PEOPLE RECEIVED CLOTHING, FOOD, UM, THERE WERE HAIRCUTS, THERE WERE ALL KINDS OF THINGS GOING ON THERE FOR THOSE HOMELESS VETERANS. SO IT WAS VERY HEARTWARMING AND WE'LL STAND UP ANOTHER ONE, ANOTHER PLACE IN THE COUNTY NEXT TIME. THANK YOU REPRESENTATIVE ERICKSON FOR THE REPORT. UH, WE'VE GOT A COUPLE THINGS LEFT. ONE IS, UH, PUBLIC COMMENT, AND I'VE GOT THREE PEOPLE FOR PUBLIC COMMENT. I DON'T KNOW IF THEY ARE FOUR PEOPLE. UM, MR. WICKY, DID YOU WANT TO SAY ANYTHING IN PUBLIC COMMENT? YOU'RE JUST, YOU'RE DOWN ON THE LIST. OKAY. UM, MS. ESTRADA, DID YOU? YES. OH, MR. ESTRADA. I'M SORRY. I'VE HAD PLENTY OF EXPERIENCE AFTER BEING GOVERNOR FOR 28 YEARS. AGAIN, NUMBER. YEAH, THAT'S A BIG NUMBER. THAT'S A BIG NUMBER. WE APPRECIATE YOU DOING THAT THOUGH, SIR KEVIN. AND THEN, UH, UM, UH, WE HAVE KEVIN HENLEY, CHARLIE STONE, AND CHRIS FORSTER. UH, IS CHRIS STILL IN HERE? KEVIN, WELCOME. I TO COMMENT FIRST JUST SITTING THERE. FIRST OFF, I, I JUST WANT SAY THANKS TO ALL THE MEMBERS OF THE DELEGATION FOR ALL THAT YOU DO. MY NAME IS KEVIN HENLEY, I LIVE IN BLUFFTON. FULL DISCLOSURE, I'M THE CHAIRMAN OF BUFORT COUNTY REPUBLICAN PARTY. UM, WHEN I LOOK AT WHAT YOU GUYS DO AND REALIZE THAT MY LANDSCAPER MAKES MORE MONEY THAN YOU DO, UM, IT'S, UH, I APPRECIATE EVERYTHING YOU GUYS DO. UM, SAW A COUPLE OF PRESENTATIONS HERE TODAY. I'M A LITTLE BIT PUZZLED WHY CDC WAS ON THE AGENDA. THIS ONE WASN'T, BECAUSE THIS IS THE ONE THAT REALLY, UM, UH, TO ME IS FAR MORE IMPORTANT. UM, I THINK WE WOULD LIVE IN A WONDERFUL WORLD IF WE COULD HAVE GOVERNMENT SUBSIDIZED HOUSING FOR PEOPLE EARNING BETWEEN 50 AND 130%. THAT WOULD BE A GREAT WORLD. UNFORTUNATELY, THAT'S NOT THE WORLD WE LIVE IN. AND WHEN I LOOK AT WORKFORCE HOUSING, THAT'S THE GROUP WHERE THE FOCUS SHOULD BE BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT THOSE PEOPLE FALLING OFF THE CLIFF. WE WANT 'EM RISING UP AND WE WANT 'EM TO STAY IN THE WORKFORCE, ET CETERA, ET CETERA. WE'VE ALL KNOWN PEOPLE IN THAT SITUATION. AND THE OTHER GROUP THAT I DIDN'T HEAR MENTION IN THAT PRESENTATION WAS FIREFIGHTERS, FIRST RESPONDERS, THE NURSES, SCHOOL TEACHERS, THESE FOLKS WE NEED LIVING HERE. WE DON'T WANNA HAVE EMERGENCIES WHERE WE GOTTA, YOU KNOW, JOE HAS TO WAIT AN HOUR AND A HALF FOR SOMEBODY TO COME IN BECAUSE HE CAN'T AFFORD TO LIVE HERE AND THEY'RE ALL LIVING OUT IN SOME OTHER COUNTY SOMEWHERE. SO, UM, I REALLY BELIEVE IF WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT THIS WHOLE WORKFORCE HOUSING THING, AND I DON'T PROFESS TO BE AN EXPERT AT ALL, BUT I THINK WE WANT TO FOCUS ON THIS. I THINK WE WANT TO F FOCUS ON, UH, FIRST RESPONDERS AND PEOPLE WHO WE NEED TO LIVE HERE. WE WANT TO ATTRACT BETTER FOLKS HERE. I I, I DON'T WANNA PUT JOE ON THE SPOT, BUT I'M SURE THAT COMES UP IN A LOT OF YOUR HIRING INTERVIEWS IS THE COST OF, UH, THE COST OF HOUSING. BUT TO THINK THAT WE ARE GOING TO SUBSIDIZE THE GUY MAKING THE MARTINIS AND NOT SUBSIDIZE THE DISHWASHER, YOU KNOW, I, I JUST THINK THERE'S, THERE'S SOME SOMETHING WRONG IN THAT, IN THAT MESSAGE. GREAT. THAT THIS, PEOPLE WANT TO DONATE A LOT OF MONEY FOR CDDC, GREAT. GO DO IT. JUST KEEP GOVERNMENT OUT OF IT. I DON'T THINK THAT WE SHOULD BE INVOLVED WITH THEM. I THINK THAT WE SHOULD HELP THOSE FOLKS, FIRST RESPONDERS, ET CETERA, ET CETERA, BUT NOT SUBSIDIZED PEOPLE MAKING 120% OF A GI, I JUST THINK IT'S TOO HIGH. THANKS, MR. HANDLING. THANK YOU, KEVIN. THANK YOU. UM, CHARLIE, UH, MR. CHAIRMAN, I, I GOTTA ADMIT I DIDN'T SIGNED UP, BUDDY. I READ THE FINE PRINT AND I THOUGHT I WAS SIGNING AN ATTENDANCE SHEET, NOT SHEET. SO I'M GONNA ASK YOU TO LET ME OFF. ANYBODY ELSE HERE FROM YOU FOR JASPER WATER? WHO CAN TEACH GUY I SAW RNA. YOU SAW THAT, RIGHT? OKAY. ALL RIGHT, CHARLIE, THANK YOU. THANKS FOR BEING HERE, THOUGH. THANK YOU. APPRECIATE WHAT YOU'RE DOING. APPRECIATE THE HELP. YOU'RE, UH, YOU'RE GIVING, UH, IN THIS IN THE COMMUNITY AS WELL. YES, SIR. UM, IS CHRIS, CHRIS STILL HERE? CHRIS FOREST STILL HERE? NO. AND TELL HIM WE'RE FINING HIM. CHIEF, YOU WANT TO TAKE CHRIS'S SPOT ON? I'LL TAKE CARE OF THAT. OKAY. . ALRIGHT, WELL, I THINK THAT'S, UH, UNLESS THERE'S ANYTHING ELSE FOR THE GOOD OF THE GOOD OF THE BODY OR GOOD OF THE GOOD OF THE COUNTIES, GOOD. FIRST MEETING, MR. CHAIRMAN. OH, THANK YOU. BACK. YOU'RE WELCOME. FIRST BACK. YEAH, BACK. THAT WAS A LONG MEETING, MR. CHAIRMAN, YOU GOTTA SHORTEN THESE UP A LITTLE BIT. OKAY. THANK YOU. I, I DO WANT THANK OH, CHARLENE, SHUT IN. SHUT IN. I [02:25:01] SHUT IN. I DID KNOW CDC WAS ON THE AGENDA, SO I DIDN'T SIGN UP TO SPEAK. IS THAT TOO LATE? JUST TO MAKE A COUPLE COMMENTS. COME ON. TAKE MY PAUSE. YEAH, IT'S JUST TO FOLLOW UP. UH, MY NAME IS LEE. I LIVE ON HILTON HEAD ISLAND. UM, I HAVE BEEN WORKING OR OR STUDY THE CCDC MODEL FOR QUITE ALMOST, UH, SIX OR OR 10 MONTHS. SO THAT'S MY OBSERVATION. THAT'S THE FIRST ONE IS, UH, WHEN CCDC PRESENTED THE SLIDES, UH, THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT MILLIONS OF DOLLARS, UH, 11 UNITS, BUT ALTOGETHER WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HELPING 48 WORKERS. SO EVEN THOUGH THE SOUNDBITES SOUNDED REALLY GOOD, BUT AFTER MILLIONS OF DOLLARS SPENT, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT 48 WORKERS. AND THEN IN TERMS OF THE HOUSING NEEDS, UH, IN HILTON HEAD OR BLUFFTON, I BELIEVE IT'S A FAR MORE THAN 48 PEOPLE. AND THEN WITH THAT MUCH MONEY, I DON'T THINK IT'S A REALLY GOOD SOLUTION. THE SECOND THING IS, UM, I STUDIED THEIR FINANCIAL MODEL, THE FORECAST I HAD, UH, TRYING TO, I HAVE BEEN TRYING TO FIND OPPORTUNITY TO UNDERSTAND HOW THEIR FORECAST MODEL WORKED. UH, ONE BIG HOLE IS WHEN THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT 50 TO 120% A MI, WE'RE TALKING NOT ONLY SUBSIDIZING PEOPLE MAKING $130,000, BUT ALSO IN ORDER FOR THEM TO COMPENSATE FOR THE 50% A MI, THEY'RE CHARGING RENTS THAT THE RENTAL, UH, COST ACTUALLY IS HIGHER THAN MARKET. SO THAT'S HOW THEIR FINANCIAL MODEL WOULD WORK. I DON'T THINK IN REALITY PEOPLE WILL PAY FOR GOVERNMENT SUBSIDIZED HOUSING ACTUALLY COSTS MORE THAN THE MARKET RATE. SO THAT'S FUNDAMENTALLY THE ISSUE WITH THEIR FINANCIAL, UH, FORECAST. AND THIRD THING IS, UH, BASED ON THE WORKING HOUSE, WORKING FORCE, WORKFORCE HOUSING BILLS THAT PASSED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY, I THINK YOU WANT TO TARGET BOTH RENTAL AS WELL AS HOME OWNERSHIP. CCDC ESSENTIALLY IS GONNA BUY UP AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR WORKING FAMILIES IN THOSE WORKING FAMILY UNITS AND TURN INTO A 99 YEAR DEEP RESTRICTED RENTAL UNITS. I DON'T THINK IT WILL SATISFY THE SPIRIT OF PEOPLE WANTING TO LIVE AND WORK IN THE LOCATION. UH, THEY'RE GOING TO RENT OR BUY. SO I THINK IT IS NOT, UH, IT DOESN'T FIT THE SPIRIT OF YOUR WORKFORCE HOUSING BILL THAT ESSENTIALLY YOU SQUEEZED OUT WORKING FAMILIES OR, UM, FIRST, UH, RESPONDENT PEOPLE THAT THEY SHOULD BE ABLE TO BUY INSTEAD OF BEING, UH, SQUEEZED OUT BY GOVERNMENT SUBSIDIZED, UM, WHATEVER YOU CALL IT, UH, UH, NONPROFIT. AND THEN, UM, LASTLY, THEY ARE TARGETING NEIGHBORHOODS LIKE ON HILTON HEADS, MARSH, UH, MARSH SIDE, THEY HAVE WOOD LAKES. THOSE, AGAIN, A WORKING FAMILY NEIGHBORHOODS. AND PEOPLE IN HILTON HAD IN THOSE NEIGHBORHOOD HAD ALREADY RAISED OBJECTIONS TO CCDC, TAKING OVER A FEW CONDOS HERE AND THERE AND TURNING INTO A 99 YEAR DEED RESTRICTED, UH, RENTAL UNITS WITHOUT, UM, ANSWERING THE QUESTION, HOW ARE YOU GONNA SOLVE PARKING ISSUE? BECAUSE WHAT THEY'RE TRYING TO DO IS ALMOST LIKE A DORMITORY STYLE, UM, HOUSING OR RENTAL UNITS FOR TRANSITING OR ESPECIALLY SERVICE TYPE OF WORKERS. AND THEN HOW ARE YOU GOING TO, UM, FIND PARKING SPACE IN THOSE, THOSE UNITS. SO I DON'T THINK THE COMMUNITIES THAT THEY'RE TARGETING ARE HAPPY WITH THIS. I JUST WANNA MENTION THIS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OKAY. UH, MR. EGGER, I JUST WANT, I WANNA SAY, UM, WE WERE WORKING IN HAMPTON COUNTY WITH SEVERAL DEVELOPERS TRYING TO DEVELOP SOME WORKFORCE HOUSING. AND IN THE YAAY AREA, IT'S KIND OF CENTRAL TO ALL OUR DISTRICT, ALL OUR AREA. AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S WITHIN DRIVING DISTANCE OF BEAUFORT AND, AND RIDGELAND AND CARVILLE. SO WE HAVE SEVERAL DEVELOPERS UP THAT WAY THAT ARE TRYING TO DO SOMETHING, UH, WITH WORKFORCE HOUSING TO HELP OUR WHOLE REGION. SO THERE'S SOME REAL INTEREST. WE GOT PLENTY OF LAND ON THAT IN THAT COUNTY AND, AND LOWER COSTS. SO, UH, WE'RE LOOKING AT OUR FIREFIGHTERS AND OUR TEACHERS TO, AND, AND IT'S WITHIN DRIVING DISTANCE. NOW, IT DOESN'T HELP HILTON HEAD VERY MUCH, BUT IT HELPED, UH, SOME OF THE REST OF THE DISTRICT AREAS. SO I'LL TELL YOU ANECDOTALLY, I I DO WORKFORCE HOUSING, DEVELOP THAT, AND WE'VE HAD A LOT OF CALLS FROM OUTTA STATE OF PEOPLE WANTING TO KNOW WHAT'S WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT SO THEY CAN MOVE DOWN HERE. BUT THAT THE, AND THAT'S AN ISSUE IN ITSELF. I MEAN, THE, THE, I THINK THE REASON BEHIND ALL THIS WAS TO HAVE THE WORKFORCE THAT'S ALREADY HERE BEING ABLE TO AFFORD TO BE HERE. SO, [02:30:01] UM, I GUESS WE'LL CROSS ALL THAT WHEN WE GET TO IT. BUT ANYHOW, ANY, ANY OTHER COMMENTS BEFORE WE BRIAN MATTHEW? IT'S MORE OF A QUESTION. UM, I UNDERSTAND WE WILL HAVE A, UM, A DECISION TO MAKE AS A DELEGATION REGARDING, UM, FILLING OR MAKING A RECOMMENDATION FOR, UM, THE MASTER INEQUITY, UM, POSITION THAT HAS BEEN VACATED. AND I JUST WANT TO KNOW THE PROCEDURE. I, I'M NOT SURE, UM, OF IT, AND I THINK WE PROBABLY NEED TO START THINKING ABOUT IT. I'VE RECEIVED LETTERS FROM AT LEAST ONE, I'M NOT SURE. OR MAYBE INQUIRY FROM SOMEONE ELSE. I'M NOT SURE. SO THERE'S A-J-M-S-C PROCESS THAT WILL GO THROUGH FOR THE MASTER. I UNDERSTAND THERE'S A-J-M-S-C, BUT I UNDERSTAND WE HAVE TO MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TO JMSE. THAT'S NOT IT. NO, J-J-M-S-E MAKES THE SAME QUALIFICATION, SAME, ANY OF THAT REPORT, WE CAN'T COMMIT JUST LIKE EVERY OTHER JUDGE UNTIL THAT REPORT COMES OUT, STILL SUBJECT TO THE OLD RULES. AND WHEN THAT COMES OUT, THEN THE DELEGATION FROM THE CANDIDATES THAT ARE, UM, NOMINATED OR, AND RECOMMENDED OR RECOMMENDED, WHATEVER THE, THE TWO CATEGORIES ARE IN THE REPORT, WE THEN WOULD HAVE A, HAVE A DECISION TO MAKE. DO YOU HAVE ANY INSIGHT ON WHEN, UM, THEY WOULD, UM, BE APPLYING OR IS THAT THEY'RE IN THAT, THAT SAME, UH, GROUP THAT'S GOING THROUGH RIGHT NOW. OKAY. THE SCREENING PROCESS. SO IT WOULD BE JANUARY. OKAY. JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE. OKAY. ANYBODY ELSE, ELSE FOR THE GO TO THE, UH, DISTRICTS, IF NOT, MOTION FOR ADJOURNMENT. SECOND. YOU STAND ADJOURNED. YOU ARE WATCHING C TV. PORT FREMONT CLOSES OUT A 350 YEAR LEGACY OF COASTAL FORTIFICATIONS IN PORT ROYAL SOUND BEGINNING IN THE MID 16TH CENTURY. IT ALSO REPRESENTS THE CLOSING CHAPTER OF AMERICA'S COASTAL DEFENSE SYSTEM BEFORE THE DAWN OF AIR POWER. PORT FREMONT IS AN EXAMPLE OF THE MOST ADVANCED MILITARY TECHNOLOGY OF ITS TIME. IT WOULD PARALLEL THE B 17 AND AIRCRAFT CARRIER OF WORLD WAR II, THE F 35 OF TODAY. FORT FREMONT WAS AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE BEAUFORT CULTURE, VERY SIMILAR TO PARIS ISLAND AND THE MARINE CORPS AIR BASE TODAY IN 1525, THE SPANIARDS NAMED THIS SOUND AND THIS HARBOR, SANTA ELENA, THEY CALLED THE NAVIGATIONAL POINT, LA PUNTE DE SANTA ELENA, THE POINT OF SANTA ELENA. AND WHAT THE SPANISH EXPLORERS DISCOVERED IS THAT PORT ROYAL SOUND IS A UNIQUE PIECE OF GEOGRAPHY. IT'S THE DEEPEST NATURAL HARBOR SOUTH OF THE CHESAPEAKE BAY, POSSIBLY SOUTH OF NEW YORK, THE CHANNEL INTO PORT ROYAL SOUND. THIS I FIND A REMARKABLE GEOLOGICAL FACT. THE CHANNEL HA UH, HAS NOT CHANGED FOR 500 YEARS. THERE'S NO INLET ON THE SOUTHERN COAST THAT HASN'T SHIFTED ENTIRELY IN 500 YEARS EXCEPT PORT ROYAL SOUTH. THERE'S SOMETHING GEOLOGICALLY DIFFERENT, OR ONE MIGHT SAY MAGICAL ABOUT PORT ROYAL SOUTH. SO SPANISH SAILORS BEING THE BEST IN THE WORLD IN THEIR TIME, FOUND THIS PLACE VERY EARLY, KNEW THAT FOR THE SPANISH EXPLORATIONS OF THE AMERICAN SOUTHEAST, THIS WOULD BE THE ENTRADA, THE ENTRANCE. AND SO THEY BUILT A CITY ACROSS THE RIVER, UH, ACROSS THE SOUND FROM WHERE WE ARE ON PARIS ISLAND THAT BECAME THE FIRST CAPITAL OF FLORIDA. AND THEY EXPLORED THE BACK COUNTRY FROM THIS LOCATION FOR, UH, MORE THAN A CENTURY WITH THE OBJECT OF BUILDING A HIGHWAY FROM THIS MAGNIFICENT HARBOR TO MEXICO CITY. SO THE SOUND WAS KNOWN TO THE SPANIARDS, IT WAS KNOWN TO THE FRENCH WHO ACTUALLY GOT HERE FIRST AND FOLLOWED AND CREATED THE FIRST PROTESTANT COLONY IN THE NEW WORLD ON PARIS ISLAND OVER MY SHOULDER. UM, AND THAT COLONY WAS A FAILURE. THE SPANIARDS REPLACED THEM. IT WAS PART OF SPANISH, FLORIDA WHEN THE ENGLISH ARRIVED 150 YEARS LATER. AND THIS WAS BECAME, AS A CONSEQUENCE, A BATTLEGROUND [02:35:01] IN THE 18TH CENTURY BETWEEN SPANISH INTERESTS IN FLORIDA AND ST. AUGUSTINE AND THE ENGLISH COLONY IN CAROLINA AND IN CHARLESTON AND BACK AND FORTH. THESE WARS WENT, MANY OF THEM NAVAL WARS, MANY OF THEM EMPLOYING AS ALL THE SAILORS KNEW BY THEN THE MAGIC OF PORT ROYAL SOUND. WHEN THE CIVIL WAR CAME, CONFEDERATES DEFENDED THE, UH, HARBOR, BUT IT WAS BASICALLY INDEFENSIBLE AGAINST, UH, LARGE NAVAL FORCES. SO THE US NAVY MADE IT THEIR PRINCIPLE TARGET DURING THE BE BEGINNING OF THE CIVIL WAR AND SENT THE LARGEST FLOTILLA OF SHIPS, UM, ASSEMBLED BY THE UNITED STATES NAVY IN THE 19TH CENTURY INTO PORT ROYAL SOUND. ON NOVEMBER, NOVEMBER 7TH, 1861. IN A FOUR HOUR CANON AID, WHICH WOULD'VE BEEN DEAFENING FROM WHERE WE'RE SITTING, WAS HEARD FROM MILES FROM SAVANNAH, NEARLY TO CHARLESTON. IT WAS CALLED THE DAY OF THE BIG GUN SHOOT. DURING THE CIVIL WAR. THIS HARBOR THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT WAS FILLED WITH SHIPS. IT WOULD BE HUNDREDS OF SHIPS IN THIS HARBOR. THERE WAS A THOUSAND FOOT, UH, DOCK WITH A RAILROAD ON TOP OFF OF HILTON HEAD. UM, THE MILITARY INSTALLATION WAS MAMMOTH. THERE WERE 13,000 US SOLDIERS ON HILTON HEAD, WHICH WE'RE LOOKING AT THE LARGEST POPULATION ON HILTON HEAD UNTIL 1974. SO THIS WAS A MAJOR US GOVERNMENT INSTALLATION IN THE HEART OF THE SOUTH. IT WAS THE HEADQUARTERS OF THE US ARMY DEPARTMENT OF THE SOUTH, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, IT WAS THE HEADQUARTERS OF THE UNITED STATES NAVY, SOUTH ATLANTIC BLOCKADING SQUADRON. SO THE BIGGEST SHIPS IN THE NAVY WERE HERE. AND, UM, SO IT, IT BECAME, AND, AND THAT'S REALLY WHERE THE STORY OF FREIGHT. FORT FREMONT STARTS WITH THAT HUGE CIVIL WAR MILITARY, UH, OPERATIONS AND INSTALLATIONS, UM, ON HILTON HEAD, ON ST. HELENA ISLAND, ON PARIS ISLAND. AND IN BEAUTIFUL AFTER THE CIVIL WAR, WE'RE GONNA SEE A MASSIVE CHANGE IN TECHNOLOGY THAT'S GONNA REVOLUTIONIZE THE MILITARY. DURING THE CIVIL WAR, WE HAD IRONCLAD SHIPS, WE HAD RIFLE CANNONS, BUT THEY WERE ALL MADE OUT OF IRON AND THEY WERE NOT TERRIBLY EFFECTIVE. BUT ITS TECHNOLOGY IS GONNA CHANGE. AFTER THE CIVIL WAR, WE'RE GONNA SEE STEEL PRODUCED, AND STEEL IS MUCH HARDER. SO NOW WE HAVE A NEW MATERIAL, UH, TO MAKE ARMOR OUT OF FOR SHIPS. SO WE CAN HAVE THESE ARMORED SHIPS MADE WITH STEEL AND A MUCH MORE RESISTANCE A SHOT, BECAUSE I HAVE STEEL, I CAN MAKE, UH, STRONGER BARRELS FOR MY GUNS. UH, I CAN RIFLE AND MACHINE THESE MUCH BETTER. AND THE RIFLING IS THE SPIRALS THAT ARE CUT IN THE BARREL THAT ALLOWS IT TO SHOOT FURTHER WITH MORE ACCURACY. AND WE CAN ALSO NOW HAVE BREACH LOADING GUNS THAT CAN LOCK FROM BEHIND. SO I CAN LOAD MY GUN FROM BEHIND. I DON'T HAVE TO GO HAVE THE OLD BLACK POWDER MUZZLE LOADING CANNON AHEAD BEFORE NOW. I CAN FIRE A MUCH MORE RAPIDLY. IF I COMPARE THE GUN OF, UH, 1890 TO THE GUNS OF 1860, UH, FOR THE SAME CALIBER, THE SAME DIAMETER GUN, UH, THE 1890 GUN WILL BE ABLE TO FIRE PROJECTILE AS FOUR TIMES HEAVIER, CAN SHOOT IT THREE TIMES FURTHER, CAN PUT IT IN WITH GREATER PRECISION, AND CAN PUT IT THROUGH MUCH MORE ARMOR THAN ANYTHING. WE HAD IN 1860S WORLD DIFFERENCE. A MILITARY HISTORIAN, ER LEWIS WOULD SAY THAT THE CHANGE BETWEEN THE CIVIL WAR AND 1890 IN ARTILLERY TECHNOLOGY WAS THE GREATEST THAT WOULD BE SEEN SINCE INVENTION OF ARTILLERY IN THE 14TH CENTURY TO THE INTRODUCTION OF THE NUCLEAR PROJECTILE IN THE 1950S. SO THERE'S BEEN A HUGE CHANGE IN GUN TECHNOLOGY AT THE SAME TIME. IT'S NOT JUST THE STEEL, BUT ALSO THE POWDER THAT FIRES THESE GUNS IS DIFFERENT. WE'RE HAVING NEW CHEMICAL MAKEUP. AND SO, LIKE CORDITE IS INVENTED NOW, AND IT'S STILL A WIDELY USED MILITARY EXPLOSIVE. EVEN TODAY. SMOKELESS POWDER IS INVENTED DURING THIS PERIOD OF TIME. AND IT'S NOT JUST CHEMICAL COMPOSITION, BUT IT'S THE DETAILS OF HOW YOU MAKE THE GRAIN, HOW FAST THEY BURN. SO MUCH LIKE THE SKILL OF FIRING A SOLID ROCKET, UM, SOLID FUEL, UM, ROCKET, THAT SAME KIND OF TECHNOLOGY THAT'S BEEN DEVELOPED IN THESE, UH, GUNPOWDER, IN THIS NEW POWDER. SO OUR WEAPONS OF THIS DAY ARE, ARE MUCH, MUCH GREATER. UM, THEY WOULD BE THE GREAT KILLING MACHINES IN WORLD WAR I. MOST OF THE CASUALTIES ON THE BATTLEFIELDS WORLD WAR I WOULD COME FROM ARTILLERY. SO THE WORLD HAS SEEN A HUGE CHANGE IN ARTILLERY, AND THAT'S TIED INTO CHANGES IN SHIPS. WE NOW HAVE STEEL ARMORED SHIPS. THEY'RE ALL, UH, STEAM POWERED. THEY ARE NOW EQUIPPED WITH THESE FINE LONG RANGE GUNS, AND THEY NOW BECOME THE DOMINANT THREAT OF THE LATE 19TH, EARLY 20TH CENTURY. THIS IS THE THREAT. THE FRENCH AND ENGLISH WOULD BOMBARD CITIES LIKE CAIRO AND REDUCE THEM TO RUBBLE BECAUSE THEY WERE UNABLE TO DEFEND THEM. SO THIS IS HOW THE WORLD WAS SEEING THE THREAT FROM THIS NEW TECHNOLOGY. BIG BATTLESHIPS ARE THE THREAT OF THE ERA, AND NEW GUNS AND FORTIFICATIONS ON, UH, THE GROUND ARE WHAT YOU HAVE TO [02:40:01] HAVE TO DEFEND AGAINST THEM. ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT AND FIRST THINGS THAT HAPPENED AFTER THE CIVIL WAR IS THEY BUILT A RAILROAD TO PORT ROYAL SOUND, WHICH DIDN'T EXIST. IT WAS THE FIRST CONNECTION OF THE SEA ISLANDS TO THE MAINLAND. AND THE ADVANTAGE OF THAT RAILROAD IS IT BROUGHT COAL TO PORT ROYAL SOUND. SO WHEN THE COAL WAS DELIVERED, THE NAVY FOLLOWED IN 1872, ROBERT SMALLS WAS IN THE SOUTH CAROLINA LEGISLATURE, AND HE PUSHED THROUGH A RESOLUTION TO THE SECRETARY OF WAR CALLING FOR THEM TO PUT A NAVY STATION ON PARIS ISLAND. AND EVENTUALLY HE WOULD GO ON TO CONGRESS WHERE HE WOULD CONTINUE HIS SUPPORT FOR A NAVY STATION HERE IN THE BEAUFORT PORT OIL AREA. THEY EVENTUALLY OPENED A NAVY STATION HERE AND A COALING STATION THEY CREATED IN THE 1890S ON PARAS ISLAND, THE LARGEST DRY DOCK IN THE UNITED STATES. THIS IS THE PERIOD WHEN THE US NAVY WAS SWITCHING FROM SAIL TO STEAM. ALL THE NAVIES OF THE WORLD NEED COALING STATION. THIS WAS THE PRINCIPLE COALING STATION BECAUSE THE RAILROAD FOR THE CARIBBEAN AND SOUTH AMERICAN US FLEETS, THIS WOULD BE THE BIGGEST DRY DOCK SOUTH OF NORFOLK. IN FACT, IT IS THE ONLY DRY DOCK SOUTH OF NORFOLK, VIRGINIA THAT'S CAPABLE OF TAKING THESE NEW MODERN BATTLESHIPS AND THESE NEW MODERN ARMORED CRUISERS. SO THIS BECOMES, AT THIS POINT, A STRATEGIC NAVY BASIN THAT IT PROVIDES COAL AND IT PROVIDES, UH, TOP LINE SUPPORT TO THE SHIPS, AND THEY CAN REPAIR THE HULLS OF EVEN THE BIGGEST SHIPS IN THE US NAVY. FOLLOWING THE CIVIL WAR, NATIONAL STRATEGY AND EMPHASIS IN THE UNITED STATES SHIFTED FROM TO RECOVERY FROM WAR, AND ALL OF OUR COASTAL FORTIFICATIONS WENT INTO NEGLECT. THE MILITARY WAS BUSY TAMING THE WEST, AND COASTAL DEFENSES, UH, BECAME SOMETHING THAT WAS NO LONGER IMPORTANT. AND THE REST OF THE WORLD, TECHNOLOGY IS MOVING FORWARD AND THEY'RE DEVELOPING THESE BATTLESHIPS. THEY'RE DEVELOPING NEW, UH, HIGH QUALITY ARTILLERY. AND THIS IS GOING ON, UH, WORLDWIDE. AND IN 1885, PRESIDENT GROVER CLEVELAND APPOINTED ENDICOTT BOARD, THIS WAS SEC HEADED BY SECRETARY WAR ENDICOTT, WILLIAM ENDICOTT. AND THE BOARD WOULD MEET AND ISSUE A REPORT IN 1886. AND THEY SAID THE CONDITIONS OF OUR COASTAL DEFENSES WERE JUST UNBEARABLE. THEY CANNOT BE ALLOWED TO STAY LIKE THAT. AND THEY MADE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FORTIFICATION AND IMPROVEMENTS. IDENTIFIED 29 PLACES THAT NEEDED FORTIFICATIONS AND 11 OF WHICH WERE CRITICAL. AND THAT LIST OF 29 SAVANNAH AND CHARLESTON ON THE LIST. BUT BEAUFORT IS NOT ON THE LIST. IT'LL TAKE INTERNATIONAL EVENTS TO BRING BUFORT INTO THE PLAY OF, OF MODERN FORT TECHNOLOGY. SO THE USS MAINE WAS HERE ON PATROL AND IN THE HARBOR, AND WHILE THEY WERE IN THE HARBOR, SEVERAL TIMES THEY ENTERTAINED THE LOCAL POPULATION. SO THE MERCHANTS AND THE SOCIAL LEADERS AND THE POLITICAL LEADERS OF BEAUFORT WERE INVITED TO COME HAVE LUNCH WITH THE CAPTAIN OF THE SHIP, CAPTAIN SBY. AND THE OFFICERS GOT TO KNOW THE PEOPLE. THE PEOPLE GOT TO KNOW THE OFFICERS, THE CREW WHICH WAS LARGE, WOULD GO ASHORE ON PAYDAY AND MAKE FRIENDS WITH EVERYBODY IN TOWN. SO IT WAS A VERY SOCIAL, UM, ARRANGEMENT BETWEEN THE TOWNS, PORT ROYAL AND BEAUFORT AND THE SHIP. SO THE MAIN LEFT HERE, IT WENT AND REPROVISION, IT REFUELED IN KEY WEST AND THEN WENT TO 90 MILES ACROSS TO HAVANA INTO THE HARBOR AND BLEW UP THIS INFLAMED. THE ALREADY, UH, HOT PASSIONS BOTH IN CUBA AND HERE IN THE UNITED STATES. AT THAT POINT, SOMEBODY IN THE WAR DEPARTMENT REALIZED THAT WE HAD THIS BIG DRY DOCK, THE ONLY DRY DOCK IN THE SOUTH THAT COULD TAKE ON AND REPAIR THESE BIG CAPITAL SHIPS THAT WERE IN OUR NAVY. WE WERE GOING TO START OPERATIONS AGAINST A POWER IN THE CARIBBEAN. AND THIS FORT WAS TOTALLY UNDEFENDED, AND THAT'S WHAT PUT FORT FREMONT ON THE MAP. WE HAD TO HAVE A FORT HERE TO DEFEND THE COALING STATION, AND ESPECIALLY THIS BIG DRY DOCK, AS WELL AS THIS FLYING HARBOR THAT'S HERE. AND OF COURSE, THAT EVENT, WHICH KILLED 300 OR MORE SAILORS ON THE SHIP, UM, WAS VERY MUCH FOLLOWED BY THE LOCAL NEWS MEDIA AND VERY MUCH LAMENTED BY THE MANY FRIENDS THAT THE CREW HAD MADE HERE. THE DESTRUCTION OF THE USS MAINE WAS A PERSONAL MATTER TO BEAUFORT AND TO PORT ROYAL SOUND. UM, AND OF COURSE IT WAS THE SPANISH AMERICAN WAR AND THE ATTEMPT TO DEFEND THIS HARBOR AGAIN, WHICH LED TO THE, THE CREATION OF FORT FREMONT. THE UNITED STATES DECLARED WAR ON SPAIN IN, IN APRIL, 1898. AND BY EARLY [02:45:01] MAY, WE HAD TEMPORARY BATTERIES IN PLACE HERE, SUBMARINE MINES WERE IN PLACE, AND IN THE SUMMER, THEY WOULD ACTUALLY PLACE THE MINES ACROSS THE BEAUFORT RIVER. BEHIND ME. THE TEMPORARY BATTERIES WERE A TEMPORARY EXPEDIENT. THEY WERE LOCATED TO MY LEFT ABOUT A THOUSAND YARDS. THEY IMMEDIATELY BEGAN CONSTRUCTION OF WHAT WOULD BECOME FORT FREMONT. THE LARGE BATTERIES WOULD HOUSE THE LARGE GUNS BATTERY FOR THE RAPID FIRE GUNS. THE SMALLER BATTERY WAS COMPLETED BY JUNE OF 1898. IN 1898, EVERYBODY IN TOWN WENT TO WAR. UM, THEY HAD A NAVAL MILITIA UNIT, SOUTH GO NAVAL MILITIA UNIT, AND THEY WERE ABSORBED BY THE NAVY. UH, MANY OF THEM RAN TUGBOATS FROM HERE TO NEW YORK TO KEY WEST, WHICH WAS THE PRINCIPAL SUPPORT BASE, TAMPA AND KEY WEST FOR THE US ARMY OPERATIONS IN CUBA. PEACE WAS DECLARED BY THE END OF 1898, AND THE, UH, REMAINDER OF FORT FREMONT WOULD NOT BE FINISHED UNTIL EARLY 1899, AND THE FIRST SOLDIERS WOULD ARRIVE FROM THE REGULAR ARMY AT THAT POINT IN MARCH, 1899. WELL, FORT FREMONT WAS NAMED FOR, UH, MAJOR GENERAL JOHN FREMONT. UH, HE WAS ACTUALLY A LOCAL BOY, SO TO SPEAK. UH, HE WAS BORN AND GREW UP IN, UH, SAVANNAH, GEORGIA, JUST, UH, SOUTH OF US. AND, UH, WENT TO, UH, COLLEGE IN THE COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON, UH, UP JUST NORTH OF US IN CHARLESTON. HE SERVED IN THE ARMY AND, UH, PRIMARILY INITIALLY AS A, UH, EXPLORER, AS ARMY FORTS WERE GENERALLY NAMED FOR ARMY OFFICERS. UH, AND HE WAS, UH, CONNECTED LOCALLY. UH, THIS WAS, UH, MORE THAN LIKELY WHY THE FORT WAS NAMED FOR HIM. THE FORT WAS CONSTRUCTED ON A SITE, UH, DIRECTLY ACROSS THE RIVER FROM, UH, THE PARIS ISLAND, UH, UH, NAVAL STATION. AND THE SITE SELECTED WAS 170 ACRES, WHICH INCLUDED THE TWO, UH, ARTILLERY, UH, BATTERIES. UH, FORT, UH, FOR FREMONT, OF COURSE HAD BATTERY FOREIGNNESS AND BATTERY JESSUP. UH, BUT THEN ADJACENT TO THE BATTERY SITE WAS AN ADMINISTRATIVE QUADRANGLE, VERY TYPICAL MILITARY TYPE, UH, ADMINISTRATIVE SQUARE. UH, WE ARE SITTING IN THE NUMBER THREE GUN POSITION OF A THREE GUN BATTERY BATTERY JESSUP, WHICH HAD THREE 10 INCH DISAPPEARING CARRIAGE, LARGE CALIBER GUNS BREACH LOADING GUNS. THEIR PURPOSE WAS TO, UH, ENGAGE THE WARSHIPS THAT MIGHT, UH, BE ENTERING THE HARBOR, UH, AND FORT ROYAL SOUND. WE'RE HERE NOW AT THE SECOND BATTERY, UH, THAT WAS PART OF FORT FREMONT. THIS IS BATTERY FOR NANCE, UH, WAS NAMED FOR A ARMY OFFICER, UH, THAT WAS ACTUALLY KILLED DURING THE SPANISH AMERICAN WAR. UH, DURING THE BATTLE OF SAN JUAN HILL, UH, BATTERY FOR NANCE MOUNTED TWO, UH, BRITISH MADE 4.72 INCH ARMSTRONG QUICKFIRE GUNS. UH, THEY WERE CALLED QUICKFIRE BECAUSE THEY LOADED, UH, WERE LOADED WITH A COMPLETE CARTRIDGE. AND IT, UH, IN TIME OF ACTION, THEY COULD FIRE FOUR TO SIX ROUNDS PER MINUTE. THE PURPOSE OF BATTERY FOR NANCE WAS TO DEFEND THE MINEFIELD, WHICH WAS THE OTHER COMPONENT OF THE ENDICOTT COAST ARTILLERY OR OR COAST DEFENSE SYSTEM. UH, A MINEFIELD, UH, WITH CONTROLLED MINES. CONTROLLED MEANING THAT THEY WERE CONNECTED ELECTRICALLY TO SHORE AND COULD BE FIRED ON COMMAND FROM SHORE. THAT, UH, CONTROL STATION WOULD'VE BEEN, UH, PROBABLY SHARED WITH THE PLOTTING ROOM. AND IN ORDER TO PROTECT THE MINE FIELD, OBVIOUSLY AN ENEMY WOULD WANT TO INTERFERE WITH THAT. MIGHT SEND VESSELS, UH, SMALL SHIPS IN HERE AT NIGHT TO TRY TO INTERFERE. AND THIS BATTERY WOULD TAKE THOSE VESSELS UNDER FIRE IF THERE WAS SOME, UH, THERE WAS SUSPECTED THAT, UH, UH, THEY WERE DOING SOMETHING TO INTERFERE WITH THE MINES, SUCH AS, UH, PULLING UP THE CABLES AND CUTTING THOSE. THE INDEGO ERA ERA OF FORT WAS A FORMIDABLE TECHNOLOGY. IT REPRESENTED STATE-OF-THE-ART TECHNOLOGY, DEFENSE TECHNOLOGY OF ITS TIME AGAINST THE STATE-OF-THE-ART THREAT, WHICH WOULD BE THE BATTLESHIP. THE LIFE FOR THE SOLDIERS AT FORT FREMONT WAS DISCIPLINED [02:50:01] AND REGIMENTED. THEY EVEN HAD MEALTIMES WERE SPECIFIED LENGTHS OF TIME, 15 MINUTES FOR LUNCH, 15 MINUTES AT BREAKFAST, 20 MINUTES OF SUPPER. THEY HAD TO PRACTICE THEIR SKILLS. THEY WERE TRAINING AND DOING MAINTENANCE CONSTANTLY, IF YOU CAN IMAGINE WITH THESE BIG GUNS. THEY HAD TO HAVE SKILLS IN AND PRACTICE THE SKILLS IN ARTILLERY MIND LAYING SIGNALING, WHICH INVOLVED IN OUR CASE AT FORT FREMONT, THE USE OF THE FIRE CONTROL TOWER, WHICH WAS A PRETTY SOPHISTICATED AND, UM, ADVANCED SIGNALING TECHNIQUE. THEN THEY ALSO HAD TO, UM, PRACTICE THE TYPICAL MILITARY SKILLS, MARCHING AND, UH, DRILLING SMALL ARMS, FIRE, FIRST AID AND SO FORTH. IN ADDITION TO THAT, THEY ALSO, UM, HAD PARTICIPATED IN ATHLETICS. THEY HAD PHYSICAL TRAINING, PT, AND THEY ALSO HAD SPORTS TEAMS. SO THIS WAS TO KEEP THEM PHYSICALLY FIT SO THAT THEY COULD CONTINUE THEIR, THEIR DUTIES. 'CAUSE THEY WERE, IT WAS PRETTY RIGOROUS AT FORT FREMONT. WHEN EVENTUALLY THE DECISION WAS MADE TO MOVE A DRY DOCK AND THE COALING STATION IN THE NAVY STATION UP TO CHARLESTON, THEN THIS FORT NO LONGER BECAME SIGNIFICANT. THERE WAS NOTHING LEFT HERE THAT WAS TO BE PROTECTED. AND AT THAT POINT, 1911, THE LAST TROOPS WERE TRANSFERRED OUT. AND FORT WAS CLOSED IN 1901, THE MAYOR OF CHARLESTON AND THE UNITED STATES SENATOR PITCHFORK, BEN TILLMAN FROM SOUTH CAROLINA, WANTED THIS TO MOVE FROM BEAUFORT COUNTY TO CHARLESTON COUNTY 'CAUSE THERE ARE MORE VOTES IN CHARLESTON COUNTY. AND THE MAYOR WANTED THE US CORPS OF ENGINEERS IN THE, IN THE NAVY TO DREDGE THE HARBOR IN CHARLESTON. 'CAUSE BATTLESHIPS IN THOSE DAYS REQUIRED 26 FEET OF WATER. CHARLESTON'S NATURAL HARBOR IS 15 FEET OF WATER. PORT ROYAL IS 30 FEET OF, IN ORDER FOR CHARLESTON TO SUSTAIN ITS PORT, ITS COMMERCIAL PORT, IT HAD TO DREDGE THE HARBOR. WELL, IF THEY COULD GET THE NAVY UP THERE, THEY GET THE CORPS OF ENGINEERS TO DREDGE THE HARBOR. THAT WAS THE PLAY. AND THE, UH, THE PLAY FOR PITCHFORK, BEN TILLMAN, THE US SENATOR IN 1900 WAS THAT HE'D GET A WHOLE LOT MORE VOTES FROM VOTES FROM THE LARGEST CITY IN SOUTH CAROLINA. SO IT WAS A POLITICAL COMMERCIAL OPERATION, AND THEY MOVED THE NATION AND IT WAS DONE, BOOM, LIKE THAT. THE FORT DID ITS JOB, THE DETERRENT FOR ANYBODY THAT WISHED TO ATTACK THESE. IT PROVIDED PROTECTION. IN FACT, THE WHOLE INDICO SYSTEM, ALTHOUGH NEVER CHALLENGED IN, UH, THIS ERA HERE IN THE UNITED STATES, PROVIDED SOME 300 MAJOR GUNS, COASTAL GUNS, TO PRO, UH, PROTECT MAJOR AREAS AND LEFT THE UNITED STATES AT THE BEGINNING OF THE 20TH CENTURY WITH AS WELL DEFENDED, UH, COASTLINE AS ANY PLACE IN, IN THE WORLD. BUT I, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SAY THAT IT'S A MAGNIFICENT ARTIFACT OF AN ERA, AND IT'S AN ERA THAT HAS BEEN NEGLECTED. UH, THE TURN OF THE 20TH CENTURY, UM, THE NAVAL STATION ACROSS THE RIVER HERE. AND, UM, SO IT'S A, IT'S A PIECE OF HISTORY THAT'S DISAPPEARING AND THE FRIENDS OF FORT FREMONT AND BEAUFORT COUNTY HAVE PRESERVED IT FOR THE USE OF THE PUBLIC. AND, UH, AS A MEMORIAL TO THAT MOMENT IN HISTORY, FORT FREMONT CLOSES A 350 YEAR STORY OF HOMELAND SECURITY ADDRESSING EUROPEAN IMPERIALISM IN THE 19TH CENTURY. IT'S A TALE OF HOW GEOGRAPHY, TECHNOLOGY, AND NATIONAL SECURITY CREATES A TRANSITION FOR AMERICA TO BECOME A GLOBAL POWER. IT'S ALSO A WONDERFUL SNAPSHOT OF AMERICA. IN THE BEGINNING OF THE 20TH CENTURY, THE FRIENDS OF FORT FREMONT AND BEAUFORT COUNTY HAVE A VALUED PARTNERSHIP WORKING IN TANDEM TO PRESERVE THE FORT'S INTEGRITY AND PROMOTE THE HISTORICAL, NATURAL AND CULTURAL ASPECTS OF THE FORK. MOST IMPORTANT, WE'RE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR CREATIVE WAYS TO ENHANCE THE VISITOR EXPERIENCE. [02:55:37] HUNDREDS OF YEARS AGO, THE FREE FLOWING WATERS OF MANY SOUTH CAROLINA RIVERS BECAME PATHWAYS, PATHWAYS FOR TAKING PEOPLE WHERE THEY WANTED TO GO. THESE WATERS CARRIED INTREPID EXPLORERS TO OPPORTUNITIES ALONG AND ACROSS THE ATLANTIC OCEAN. NOW THE PEOPLE OF THE GREAT RIVERS HAVE A NEW PATHWAY TO TAKE THEM FARTHER THAN THEY EVER DREAMED POSSIBLE, AND AN EDUCATIONAL INITIATIVE CALLED PERSONAL PATHWAYS TO SUCCESS. THIS INNOVATIVE PROGRAM CREATED BY SOUTH CAROLINA'S EDUCATION AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ACT OF 2005 CONNECTS ACADEMIC STUDIES WITH PREPARATION FOR ENTERING COLLEGE OR THE WORKFORCE. IT GIVES ALL OF US SPECIFIC WAYS TO POUR OUR TALENTS AND ENERGIES INTO EDUCATION. IT GIVES STUDENTS NEW TOOLS FOR FOCUSING THEIR ASPIRATIONS AND MAKES PARENTS PARTNERS IN THE PROCESS. IT OFFERS ADULTS NEW CONNECTIONS TO EDUCATION, INSPIRES EMPLOYERS AND HELPS BUSINESSES PROMOTE THEIR COMPANIES AND INDUSTRIES AND GROW THE STATE'S ECONOMY. HOW DOES PERSONAL PATHWAY SUCCESS GUIDE STUDENTS LIKE ME? STUDENTS BEGIN EXPLORING CAREERS IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, CREATE INDIVIDUAL GRADUATION PLANS IN MIDDLE SCHOOL, AND UPDATE THEIR PLANS YEARLY TO GUIDE THEM TOWARD FULFILLING JOBS AND CAREERS. ALONG THE WAY, THEY CAN SEE EXACTLY HOW SCHOOLWORK IS RELEVANT TO THEIR CAREER GOALS. WHY IS INVOLVEMENT BY PARENTS SO IMPORTANT? BECAUSE PARENTS ARE SO ESSENTIAL TO HELPING KIDS PLAN FOR THE FUTURE. PARENTS CAN TALK TO THEIR CHILDREN ABOUT THEIR INTERESTS, HELP THEM FILL OUT THEIR INDIVIDUAL GRADUATION PLANS WITH GUIDANCE PROFESSIONALS AT SCHOOL, AND ASSIST THEM IN FINDING HANDS-ON TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES. HOW DOES THE PROGRAM HELP EDUCATORS AND GUIDANCE PROFESSIONALS? BY ADDING ADDITIONAL RESOURCES AND PUTTING MORE GUIDANCE PROFESSIONALS IN SCHOOLS TO HELP STUDENTS CHOOSE EDUCATIONAL PATHWAYS THAT ARE RIGHT FOR THEM. HOW DOES IT HELP ADULTS ALREADY IN THE WORKFORCE? BOTH STUDENTS AND ADULT LEARNERS CAN CONNECT WITH THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY AT THE ONLINE REGIONAL EDUCATION CENTERS, WHERE 12 VIRTUAL CENTERS ARE DESIGNED TO SUPPORT THE PERSONAL PATHWAYS TO SUCCESS INITIATIVE, THE CENTER WORKS WITH BUSINESSES IN THE COMMUNITY TO ORGANIZE OPPORTUNITIES SUCH AS INTERNSHIPS, JOB SHADOWING, COMPANY EVENTS, AND INTERVIEWS WITH BUSINESS LEADERS. WHY SHOULD BUSINESSES AND THEIR EMPLOYEES GET INVOLVED? BECAUSE THE PROGRAM SUPPORTS WHAT BUSINESSES NEED MOST. A MORE SKILLED AND MOTIVATED WORKFORCE THAT IS EASIER TO TRAIN, RECRUIT, AND RETAIN LONG-TERM PERSONAL PATHWAYS TO SUCCESS WILL ALSO HELP PREPARE OUR FUTURE WORKFORCE, INCREASE PRODUCTIVITY, RAISE PER CAPITA INCOME, AND HELP OUR STUDENTS COMPETE GLOBALLY. IF YOU ARE A STUDENT, LEARN MORE. IF YOU ARE A PARENT, TALK TO YOUR CHILD. IF YOU ARE AN EDUCATOR, ASK QUESTIONS. IF YOU ARE AN ADULT, TAKE THE NEXT STEP. IF YOU ARE A BUSINESS OR COMMUNITY LEADER, GET INVOLVED. YOUR TIME AND EFFORT WILL HELP US CREATE AN ECONOMY OF PEOPLE WHO CAN COMPETE FOR JOBS. BRINGING NEW BUSINESSES TO THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA WITH YOUR ENTHUSIASM AND SUPPORT FOR EDUCATION. THE SOUTH CAROLINA RIVERS, WE'LL CONTINUE TO REPRESENT PATHWAYS FOR TAKING PEOPLE EXACTLY WHERE THEY WANT TO GO. * 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.