Nov 20, 2024 Town of Hilton Head Gullah Geechee Historic Neighborhoods CDC

AND IS IT JUST UNTIL IT'S FINISHED? SO IT'S FROM MIDDLE OF DECEMBER UNTIL UNTIL FEBRUARY.

UNTIL FEBRUARY, OKAY.

UM, AND THE, YEAH, SO MIDDLE, MIDDLE OF DECEMBER THROUGH FEBRUARY, IT'S, IT'S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR THEM TO, UH, YOU KNOW, FOR SOME YOUNG PEOPLE TO GET THEIR FEET WET AND, YOU KNOW, THEY MAY NOT HAVE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO WORK ON SUCH A PROJECT.

THERE'LL ALSO, UM, BE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR A YOUNG PERSON TO ALSO PARTICIPATE IN, UH, THE INTERVIEW PROCESS, UH, OF, OF ELDERS AND, AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS AS WELL.

AND SO YOU'VE POSTED THESE FLYERS FOR THE INTERVIEWS FOR THE STUDENTS WHERE I HAVE THEM POSTED AT THE ISLAND REC CENTER, AND I ALSO HAVE A COUPLE OF CONTACTS IN THE SCHOOL, IN THE HIGH SCHOOL THAT, UM, THAT ARE DISTRIBUTING THOSE AS WELL.

UM, SO YEAH, IT'S, IT'S A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT ACCESS POINTS.

AND I'LL SEND IT TO THE, UH, PERSON THAT DOES LIKE THE JOBS AND LIKE VOLUNTEER WORK, WORK STUFF FOR HILTON NET PREP.

I'LL DO THAT AFTER THIS.

YOU MENTIONED HISTORICAL ASSETS.

I ALSO HAVE, UM, OUR COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT HAS IT AS WELL, AND IT IS, UM, IT WILL BE DISTRIBUTED AMONGST THE, UM, MOUNT CALVARY, UH, E BULLETIN AS WELL.

UH, SO IT'S, IT'S, IT'S BEING DISTRIBUTED THIS WEEK.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? YES.

UH, DID, UH, THE SITE VISIT INCLUDE GOING TO ANY OF THE HISTORIC GULLAH CEMETERIES? ABSOLUTELY.

UM, UH, COUNCILMAN BROWN WAS, WAS GRACIOUS ENOUGH TO, UH, TO GIVE US THE TOUR.

AND, UH, WE ACTUALLY VISITED THE HISTORIC CEMETERIES FROM TWO PERSPECTIVES.

WE VISITED, UM, TALBERT INSIDE HILTON HEAD PLANTATION, AND THEN WE ALSO VISITED AMELIA, UM, OUTSIDE OF, OF THE PUD, SO THAT THE, UH, THE TEAM COULD GET A FEEL FOR, YOU KNOW, WHAT THE CHALLENGES ARE.

AND THEN JUST, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT ALSO, YOU KNOW, THE, THE TODDLER CEMETERY IS IN A, IS A BEAUTIFUL LOCATION, AND IT WAS, UH, IT WAS, UH, IT WAS QUITE AN EXPERIENCE FOR THEM AS WELL.

DO YOU HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL COMMENTS ABOUT THAT? WELL, AS USUAL, COUNCILMAN AMES AND I SORT OF THINKING MAKE SOME COMMENTS ON THE CEMETERY, BECAUSE I THINK THAT WAS ONE OF THE, UH, PROFOUND MOMENTS FOR THE, THE TEAM.

UM, TWO THINGS.

ONE WAS, UH, OBVIOUSLY HILTON HEAD PLANTATION WHERE TALBERT IS LOCATED, UH, SORT OF STRUCK THE TEAM A BIT BECAUSE OF READING THE, THE SIGNAGE THERE.

UM, BUT ONCE THEY ARRIVED, IT WAS, UM, IT, IT WAS SORT OF THIS FEELING OF HIS HISTORY RIGHT IN FRONT OF US.

BECAUSE SOME OF THE HEADSTONES OBVIOUSLY GO BACK, YOU KNOW, 18 HUNDREDS RIGHT.

, AND TO, TO SORT OF SEE THAT TO CURRENT, IT REALLY OPENED THEIR EYES, UM, AS TO HOW HILTON HEAD IS SO UNIQUE.

UM, THERE ARE NOT MANY PLACES OUTSIDE OF THE GULLAH GEECHEE CORRIDOR THAT YOU CAN FIND THAT TYPE OF GENERATIONAL BURIAL.

AND OBVIOUSLY THERE'S PROBABLY A STORY WITH EACH ONE OF THOSE BURIALS, RIGHT? SO, UM, I, I FELT AT THAT MOMENT THAT THEY, YOU KNOW, SORT OF GOT IT, OKAY, THIS IS WHY WE ARE HERE.

UM, AND, YOU KNOW, I, I FELT A EAGERNESS TO, TO GET THIS PROJECT GOING BASED ON THEIR EXPERIENCE AT, AT THE CEMETERY.

TO WHAT EXTENT ARE THEY GOING TO DEVELOP THE STORIES WITH THE CEMETERIES IN THIS EFFORT? THIS, THAT IS, UH, DEFINITELY SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE HAD DISCUSSION ABOUT.

I'VE ALWAYS ENVISIONED THIS BEING A,

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A TWO PHASE PROJECT.

UM, AND ONE THING THAT I, I KNOW THAT WE NEED TO, TO HONOR IS, YOU KNOW, THOSE, THE ANCESTORS.

SO I DEFINITELY THINK THAT WHEN YOU ASK TO WHAT EXTENT, MY VISION IN THAT, FOR THAT PARTICULAR ASPECT OF THIS PROGRAM IS TO TIE THE CEMETERIES THAT ARE MANAGED BY THE CHURCHES TO TIE THEM TOGETHER SO THAT IT'S KIND OF A SEAMLESS EXPERIENCE, IF YOU WILL.

UM, SO THAT AS AN INDIVIDUAL IS, UM, IS ACCESSING, YOU KNOW, THE TECHNOLOGY AS SAY ONE OF THE, THE LOCAL, UH, CHURCHES, THAT THEY ALSO HAVE INFORMATION THAT POPS UP ABOUT THE CEMETERIES THAT ARE IN THE CARE OF THOSE INSTITUTIONS.

YOU MAY HAVE ALREADY CONCEPTUALIZED THIS, BUT I'M IMAGINING THAT A VISITOR TO THE ISLAND CAN BE GUIDED TO A GULLAH CEMETERY AND WALK THROUGH THE CEMETERY LOOKING AT HEADSTONES AND BE TOLD A STORY OF WHAT THAT HEADSTONE REPRESENTS IN TERMS OF FAMILY AND HISTORY.

UH, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT IS A PART OR THE CAP IS A PART OF WHAT THIS CONSULTANT CAN DO, BUT IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THAT MAY BE THE RICHEST STORY TO TELL, UH, FOR A VISITOR.

UH, AND SO I'M VERY INTERESTED IN SUPPORTING THAT EFFORT GOING FORWARD.

THERE, THERE ARE ALWAYS, I FEEL LIKE EVERY TIME DURING THE DAY I DRIVE BY UNION CEMETERY, THERE'S RANDOM CARS AND RANDOM PEOPLE IN THE CEMETERY ON BIKES.

RIGHT? YEAH.

SO TO YOUR POINT, LIKE, IF THEY COULD GET, I, I I, THIS IS VISCERAL.

I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU CONNECT THE PAST TO THE PRESENT BETTER THAN UNDERSTANDING WHAT A TOMBSTONE REPRESENTS.

, WHAT'S THAT? YOU KNOW, ANDRE, I THINK IN A LOT OF CASES, I'M MAKING AN ASSUMPTION HERE THAT, UM, THE, THE KEY WORD IN THE SEARCH FOR CEMETERY IS THE UNION PIECE OF IT.

I THINK A LOT OF FOLKS THAT ARE SORT OF WANDERING THROUGH THAT CEMETERY ARE LOOKING FOR SOME UNIONS SOLDIERS, RIGHT? AND, YOU KNOW, JUST IN THAT, THAT IN ITSELF IS, IS A, A TEACHING MOMENT, YOU KNOW, THAT THERE ARE NO LONGER ANY UNION SOLDIERS THERE, BUT HOWEVER, RIGHT.

UM, IT JUST SORT OF LEADS INTO, UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT HILTON HAD IS ALL ABOUT FROM A HISTORICAL STANDPOINT.

SO, ARE YOU CONTINUING, I, I WAS DONE ON THAT ITEM, UNLESS ANYBODY ELSE HAS ANY QUESTIONS? WELL, I I, I HAVE A STRONG, UH, DESIRE TO SUPPORT THE CEMETERY IDEA, AND SO I'M QUESTIONING WHETHER OR NOT IT IS A-C-D-C-C-D-C INITIATIVE OR A CHURCH'S INITIATIVE OR MITCHELLVILLE OR WHO, WHO PUSHES FORWARD THAT IDEA? WELL, WITH US BEING THE, UH, THE DEVELOPER SLASH OWNER OF THIS TECHNOLOGY AS IT'S BEING DEVELOPED, UM, IT WOULD DEFINITELY FALL, UM, UNDER OUR PURVIEW.

I THINK THAT IT WOULD ALSO REQUIRE, UM, SOME LEVEL OF COOPERATION, UM, DEPENDING ON HOW DEEP WE GO DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE WITH THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, SOME LEVEL OF COOPERATION WITH THE, WITH THE RELIGIOUS INSTITUTIONS, WITH THE CHURCHES.

SO, UM, I MEAN, THAT'S DEFINITELY SOMETHING THAT WE CAN EXPLORE.

UM, JUST TO ECHO WHERE MS. HAYES IS GOING, I, I SORT OF, UM, FEEL LIKE, UM, HE'S LOOKING FOR DIRECTION FROM THE BOARD.

I KNOW THAT MR. BOXLEY HAS TAKEN THIS SORT OF PHASE ONE IN DEALING WITH SOME CULTURAL HISTORIC ASSETS THAT HAVE SORT OF BEEN DEFINED OUTSIDE OF THE CHURCH SLASH CEMETERY EXPERIENCE, AND WE'VE ALREADY ALLOTTED, UH, BUDGETARY RESOURCES TO DO SO.

UM, SO IF IT'S A PLEASURE OF THE GROUP OF MADAM CHAIR , IF WE WANT TO GIVE DIRECTION TO MR. BOXLEY FOR PHASE TWO TO BE FOCUSED ON THE RELIGIOUS INSTITUTIONS AND THAT CONNECTION WITH THE CEMETERIES, I WOULD BE MORE THAN WILLING TO HELP MOVE THAT ALONG FROM A BOARD PERSPECTIVE.

WHEN YOU SAY MOVE IT ALONG, ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT FUNDING OR THE IDEA ITSELF? BOTH.

FORWARD WITH A PHASE TWO OF THE WAY FINDING EXERCISE TO INCLUDE RELIGIOUS INSTITUTIONS AND CEMETERIES.

COULD YOU GIVE ME THAT IN THE FORM OF A MOTION, PLEASE? NONE.

, WHAT'S THE MOTION? I, I MOVE THAT WE, UH, GIVE MR. BOXLEY DIRECTION TO MOVE

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SECOND.

ALL IN FAVOR? SECOND FIVE.

AYE.

ANY OPPOSED? MR. B? THANK YOU.

MR. B, PLEASE.

DOES THIS GIVE YOU THE INFORMATION YOU NEED? YES, ABSOLUTELY.

MR. BOXLEY CONTINUING, UH, WITH THE STONY YES.

AND AGAIN, THAT'S, THAT'S DEFINITELY SOMETHING THAT, UH, THAT I'VE ENVISIONED, UH, BEING A PART OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF THIS, OF THIS APPLICATION.

SO, UH, WE'LL GET IT MOVING.

WE'RE GOING DOWN TO NEW BUSINESS.

UH,

[5.a. Discussion of the Stoney Neighborhood Revitalization Grant Program - Thomas Boxley, Executive Director for the Gullah Geechee Historic Neighborhoods Community Development Corporation ]

VIOLATION.

SO, UM, STONY NEIGHBORHOOD REVITALIZATION, UH, GRANT PROGRAM, THIS IS A, A PROGRAM THAT, UM, WE FOR ONE APPROVED, UH, BUDGETARILY, UM, IN OUR, UH, FY 2025 BUDGET.

BUT THIS PROGRAM WILL SEEK TO PROVIDE RELIEF AND SUPPORT TO THE PROPERTY OWNERS IN THE STONY COMMUNITY THAT HAVE BEEN ADVERSELY AND DISPROPORTIONATELY IMPACTED BY THE ONGOING DEVELOPMENT OF HIGHWAY 2 78, WILLIAM HILTON PARKWAY.

UM, ELIGIBLE FUND USES, AGAIN, THIS WILL BE, UH, BY APPLICATION, UM, ELIGIBLE FUND USES WILL INCLUDE, UM, SOUND, UM, SOUND AND AIR POLLUTION MITIGATION TO INCLUDE WEATHER STRIPPING, WINDOW REPLACEMENT, DOOR REPLACEMENT, UM, ALSO THE, UM, UH, LAND VALUATION FOR FAMILIES AND PROPERTY OWNERS THAT ARE INTERESTED IN PURSUING, UM, ADDITIONAL, UM, UH, DENSITY AND DEVELOPMENT ON THEIR PROPERTY.

UM, DRAINAGE MITIGATION, DRIVEWAY REPLACEMENT, AND, UM, REPAIRS TO THE INTERIOR AS NECESSARY.

POTENTIALLY THE DEMOLITION OF UNSAFE STRUCTURES AS IDENTIFIED BY PROPERTY OWNERS.

UM, ELIGIBILITY WILL BE BASED, UM, IN OWNER'S PROOF OF CONTINUOUS OWNERSHIP, UM, AS A MEANS BY WHICH TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE, UM, TARGETING THE APPROPRIATE, UM, UH, THE APPROPRIATE RESIDENT.

UM, AND WE'LL ALSO, UM, WE'LL HAVE SUPPORT TO IMPLEMENT THIS PROCESS THROUGH OUR TOWN FINANCE TEAM.

SO I'LL STOP THERE AND, UH, ASK IF ANYONE HAS ANY, ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS.

NOT A QUESTION, MADAM CHAIR.

JUST A COMMENT.

UM, WITH ONE OF THE, UH, REQUIREMENTS BEING PROOF OF OWNERSHIP, UM, WE HAVE TO REALIZE THAT WITHIN OUR HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOODS, THERE'S ALWAYS GOING TO BE, UH, A POTENTIAL OF AS PROPERTY.

UH, WE DEALT WITH THIS AT THE COUNCIL LEVEL WHEN WE WERE HAVING A DISCUSSION AROUND, UH, PROOF OF OWNERSHIP FOR, UH, BEACH PASSES.

THAT'S AN EXCELLENT SUGGESTION.

UM, SO I JUST, UH, RECOMMEND MR. BOXING THAT AS OUR LEGAL DEPARTMENT IS LOOKING AT THIS, THAT THEY JUST SORT OF COPY AND PASTE FROM THAT PARTICULAR, UH, SECTION, UM, BECAUSE IT REALLY OPENS UP THE OPPORTUNITY FOR THOSE THAT ARE IN OWNERSHIP OF AS PROPERTY TO PARTICIPATE.

AND I'M, UM, I'M ASSUMING WE MAY RUN INTO THAT AS WE GO DOWN THE ROAD WITH THIS AS WELL.

THANK YOU FOR THAT COMMENT.

WE DIDN'T THINK ABOUT THAT.

IS THAT, IS THAT SIMILAR TO THE PROGRAM THAT IS ALREADY OFFERED FOR, UM, GULLAH GEECHEE FAMILIES? SO YOU'RE SPEAKING OF THE HOME SAFETY AND REPAIR PROGRAM? YEAH, IT, IT IS, IT IS SIMILAR BUT YET DIFFERENT BECAUSE THIS, THIS PROGRAM WILL, WILL TARGET MORE OF THE FAMILIES THAT HAVE BEEN IMPACTED IN THE HIGHWAY CORRIDOR.

SO DOES THAT, SO THEN, IS IT, IS PART OF THE BUDGET FOR IT COME FROM THE HIGHWAY CORRIDOR PROJECT? NO.

NO.

THE UH, BUT SHOULD, BUT SHOULD IT, SOME OF IT, RIGHT? ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU TALK OF LIKE, YOU KNOW, POLLUTION AND, AND WINDOW MITIGATION STRATEGIES, ISN'T THAT PART OF LIKE, WHEN TOWN COUNCIL SENT OVER THEIR APPROVAL AND THEY'RE EXPECTING CERTAIN MITIGATIONS, SO SHOULDN'T THERE BE A CARVE OUT FROM THAT BUDGET? SO LEMME HELP YOU WITH THIS ONE.

UM, SO YES, MR. UM, WAIT.

UM, THE, THE TOWN COUNCIL, UH, DID SEND OVER A MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING TO BEAUFORT COUNTY WITHIN THAT THERE WAS A, AN ASK FOR RESOURCES TO DEAL WITH STONY, UH, STABILIZATION, SO TO SPEAK.

UH, WE ARE STILL AWAITING A RESPONSE ON THAT.

MOU.

FAMILIES IN THAT AREA, UM, YOU KNOW, QUICKLY REALIZED THAT THERE ARE SIGNIFICANT IMPACTS THAT HAVE HAPPENED OVER TIME TO DATE.

UM, AS WE WERE HAVING DISCUSSIONS WITH THE

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NOT TO EVEN TAKE INTO ACCOUNT WHAT WILL HAPPEN WITH FURTHER EXPANSION.

SO THIS PROGRAM IS REALLY FOCUSED ON WHAT HAS HAPPENED IN THE PAST AND HOW WE CAN MAKE SOME REPAIRS, UM, BECAUSE OF THOSE IMPACTS.

YEP.

SO SORT OF TWO SEPARATE DEALS.

UM, AGAIN, WE'RE WAITING FOR MORE DISCUSSION WITH THE COUNTY AS FAR AS FUTURE IMPROVEMENTS IN THE AREA.

IT, I MEAN, IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S THE, IT'S THE SAME POPULATION, RIGHT? SO IF YOU'VE ALREADY BUILDING THE TRACK RECORD WITH THEM, UM, AND I'M ASSUMING SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WOULD COME OUT OF THAT.

SO AGAIN, JUST TRYING TO, AS WE'VE TALKED ABOUT, LIKE LONG-TERM FINANCING BEING INDEPENDENT, IT SEEMED LIKE, YOU KNOW, TO LEVERAGE THAT AS WELL AS A SOURCE TO, SO IT WAS MORE, IT WAS MORE FROM THAT, UM, STANDPOINT THAT I WAS THINKING ABOUT IT.

NO, NO, I, I GET YOUR POINT.

UM, OUR GOAL, UH, THROUGH, THROUGH THIS PARTICULAR PROGRAM IS TO, IS TO NOT WAIT ON, YOU KNOW, THE COLLECTION OF FUNDS, BUT DUE TO THE FACT THAT WE HAVE FUNDS IN HOUSE IN HAND NOW TO DO SOMETHING TANGIBLE FOR THE MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY THAT HAVE BEEN NEGATIVELY IMPACTED FOR ALL THIS TIME.

SO THAT'S THE GOAL.

AND JUST TO ADD TO THAT, I THINK IT'S INCUMBENT UPON US NOT TO WAIT FOR THE TOWN OR THE MOU, BUT TO SHOW GOOD FAITH EFFORTS WITH THESE PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN SUFFERING FOR A LONG TIME.

I THINK THERE'S ANOTHER ASPECT OF THAT.

AND, UM, THE CDC WAS CHALLENGED FROM THE VERY OUTSET AS TO WHETHER OR NOT THE NATIVE ISLANDER POPULATION COLOR POPULATION COULD TRUST IT.

AND WHAT WE ARE DEMONSTRATING IN THIS IS CREDIBILITY AND PERFORMANCE.

IS THERE, HAS THERE, JUST CURIOUS, HAS THERE BEEN, WHAT'S THE, I MEAN, THE RESPONSE BEEN WITH THE RESIDENTS THAT YOU'VE TALKED TO ABOUT IT? OUR PROPERTY OWNERS THUS FAR? UH, THEY, THEY'RE THE POPULATION, THE, THE COMMUNITY IS, IS PATIENTLY WAITING.

UM, YES, THEY ARE PATIENTLY WAITING.

AND, UM, AND I, AND I REALLY, REALLY APPRECIATE, UM, OUR, OUR COMMUNITY FOR, FOR THE PATIENTS THAT THEY ARE EXHIBITING AS WE WORK THROUGH THE PROCESS AND, AND, YOU KNOW, POTENTIAL, UH, LEGAL RAMIFICATIONS, MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE ALL OF THE I'S DOTTED AND T'S CROSSED BEFORE WE, YOU KNOW, UH, LAUNCH THIS PROGRAM.

SO, UM, IT'S SOMETHING THAT I COMMUNICATE, UH, TO THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS, YOU KNOW, ON A CONSISTENT BASIS, UM, THAT THIS IS COMING, THIS IS COMING AND, UM, UM, IT'S, IT'S A, IT'S A LEVEL OF, UM, OF EXCITEMENT OUT THERE.

SO I, I THINK WE'RE, WE'RE ON THE RIGHT TRACK.

AND THEN, OH, I LOST MY THOUGHT.

DANG IT.

OH, YEAH.

OH, YES.

IS IT GONNA BE SIMILAR WITH, IN TERMS OF THE CONTRACTORS THAT PERFORM THE WORK? THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.

UM, WE WILL, WE WILL UTILIZE SOME OF THE CONTRACTORS, BUT I, I, I CAN'T TELL YOU THAT, UH, THAT WE WILL BE WORKING TO IDENTIFY NEW CONTRACTORS AS WELL.

AND ALSO THROUGH SOME OF THE OTHER PROGRAMS THAT WE'LL DISCUSS LATER, UH, WE'LL BE WORKING TO, UH, ESTABLISH NEW BUSINESSES AS WE MOVE FORWARD.

SO THAT'S, YOU KNOW, ALL OF THESE PIECES, I THINK ARE, ARE, ARE MARRYING TOGETHER AT THIS PARTICULAR TIME IN, IN A VERY, VERY, VERY SUCCINCT WAY.

SO, UM, YES, WE WILL UTILIZE CONTRACTORS THAT ARE CURRENTLY, UM, UM, WORKING THROUGH THE HOME SAFETY AND REPAIR PROGRAM, BUT WE ARE, WE ARE CONSISTENTLY SEEKING TO DEVELOP NEW BUSINESSES, NEW CONTRACTORS, UM, THAT CAN PARTICIPATE, YOU KNOW, NOT ONLY IN THIS PROGRAM, BUT YOU KNOW, TOWN WIDE AND EVEN REGIONWIDE AS WE GROW BUSINESSES HERE ON THE ISLAND.

GOT IT.

WE ACTUALLY, UM, A, A, A CAVEAT, WE'VE, UH, THROUGH THE, THE PROGRAM THAT WE JUST WRAPPED UP, OUR FINANCIAL EDUCATION PROGRAM, UH, WE DID A FIVE WEEK, UH, OR A FIVE, NOT FIVE WEEK, BUT, UH, A FIVE COURSE SERIES FROM AUGUST TO NOVEMBER THAT WRAPPED UP NOVEMBER THE 12TH.

WE HAD A, A NEW BUSINESS THAT, UM, THAT ORIGINATED OUT OF THAT EFFORT.

SO, UM, AND, AND, AND A COUPLE OF MORE THAT, THAT ARE, ARE SEEKING, UH, LOANS AS WELL.

SO WE'RE, WE'RE EXPERIENCING SOME SUCCESSES IN THE SMALL BUSINESS COMMUNITY.

SO AS WE CONTINUE DOWN THIS PATHWAY, I THINK THAT, UH, THAT WE'LL CONTINUE

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TO GROW BUSINESSES.

PRETTY EXCITING.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? JUST A COMMENT.

I HAD A CON, UH, OPPORTUNITY TO ATTEND ONE OF THOSE FORUMS FOR THE FINANCES, AND IT WAS VERY WELL ATTENDED.

THE QUESTIONS WERE VERY PERTINENT AND THERE WAS SOME EXCITEMENT IN THE ROOM, UM, WITH THE NATIVE POPULATION THAT WAS THERE.

SO IT, IT, I THINK IT WENT VERY WELL.

WHAT OTHER QUESTIONS DO WE HAVE FROM BOARD MEMBERS? AND MR. BOXY, CAN YOU MOVE TO B ? ARE THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT AT THIS TIME ON THIS ITEM? THEN WE'LL MOVE TO B.

[5.b. Discussion of the Small Business Loan Program - Thomas Boxley, Executive Director for the Gullah Geechee Historic Neighborhoods Community Development Corporation ]

SO, UM, OUR SMALL BUSINESS, SMALL BUSINESS LOAN PROGRAM, UM, THIS PROGRAM WILL KIND OF TIE INTO SOME OF THE WORK THAT WE ENGAGED IN, UH, BEGINNING IN AUGUST, UM, IN THE SUPPORT OF THE GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF SMALL BUSINESSES, UM, THAT HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO AC ACCESS, YOU KNOW, TRADITIONAL FINANCING, UM, IE BANK LOANS AND LINES OF CREDIT.

SO THE WAY THAT WE'LL OPERATE THIS, AGAIN, WE'LL HAVE, UM, SUPPORT FROM OUR FINANCE TEAM HERE AT THE TOWN.

UM, SOME OF THE, UH, REQUIREMENTS WILL BE THAT, UM, FOR EVERY $50,000 BORROWED, UM, THE BUSINESS OWNER WILL NEED TO SUPPORT ONE LOCAL JOB.

UM, AND THAT BUSINESSES MUST, UM, YOU KNOW, ANY, ANY LOAN MUST SUPPORT A BUSINESS THAT EXISTS HERE IN THE HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOODS, OR IS GULLAH OWNED.

UM, AGAIN, WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF, UM, PUTTING ALL OF THE, THE PARAMETERS TOGETHER FOR REVIEW BY LEGAL, BUT THIS PROGRAM, AGAIN, IT WILL SEEK TO SUPPORT BUSINESSES THAT HAVE HAD, UM, ISSUES WITH ACCESS TO FINANCING, UH, SPECIFICALLY THOSE THAT, UM, THAT HAVE BEEN, YOU KNOW, TURNED DOWN FOR TRADITIONAL, UM, BANK LOANS OR LINES OF CREDIT PRIMARILY.

THAT'S NOT NECESSARILY AN EXCLUSIONARY FACTOR, BUT THOSE ARE THE BUSINESSES THAT WE REALLY, REALLY WANT TO TARGET.

WHAT QUESTIONS DO WE HAVE? UH, WHAT'S THE PROPOSED INTEREST RATE ON IT? SO THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE CAN, WE CAN DEFINITELY, UH, VISIT ABOUT.

I, I'M, MY THOUGHT IS THAT WE KEEP THE INTEREST RATE AT, YOU KNOW, AT A, UM, YOU KNOW, AT A, AT A LOWER LEVEL, UM, YOU KNOW, DEFINITELY NOT TO EXCEED.

UH, YOU KNOW, I DON'T, I DON'T, I DON'T THINK THAT IT WOULD, I THINK IT WOULD BE PRETTY PROHIBITIVE TO GO ABOVE, YOU KNOW, LIKE SAY 5%, YOU KNOW? SO I'M THINKING THAT THE LOWER, YOU KNOW, IF WE CAN KEEP IT AT A LOWER RATE, UH, WE CAN GET ADEQUATE PARTICIPATION.

UM, AND I DON'T, I DON'T WANT TO, UH, TO CREATE A FINANCIAL BURDEN ON A, ON A SMALL BUSINESS OWNER.

THE GOAL IS, IS TO, IS TO GET THE CAPITAL OUT AND, UM, AND RECIRCULATE IT AS, AS A BUSINESS BECOMES SUCCESSFUL.

SO, UM, SO YEAH, I, I DON'T, I'M, I'M OPEN FOR, YOU KNOW, SUGGESTIONS REGARDING INTEREST RATES, BUT I DEFINITELY DON'T WANT, WANT THEM HIGH.

I, I WOULD, UH, JUST TO BUILD ON THE CONVERSATION HERE, UM, I WOULD, I WOULD ENCOURAGE US TO CONSIDER, UM, NOT JUST LOW, BUT NO INTEREST DEPENDING ON THE TERM OF THE LOAN.

IF WE ARE SETTING THE STAGE WHERE THERE ARE EXPERTISE TO HELP THEM GET THEMSELVES IN LINE TO BE SUCCESSFUL, THEN LET'S NOT MAKE THE FINANCIAL PIECE OF IT, UH, A HINDRANCE OR BURDEN FAIR.

UM, I MEAN, LET'S FACE IT, UH, PARTICULARLY IN THE, UH, GULLAH SLASH AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY, THERE'S GOING TO BE SOME CAUTION, SOME APPREHENSIVENESS WHEN IT COMES TO RISK, RIGHT? UM, UH, SO I THINK IF WE ARE, IF WE ARE LOOKING TO ENCOURAGE, UH, STARTUPS, PARTICULARLY IN AREAS THAT CREATE DIFFERENT OFFERINGS FOR HILTON HEAD AS FAR AS DIVERSITY IN OUR ECONOMY, UM, THEN I THINK WE HAVE TO BE AGGRESSIVE IN THIS, UM, IN THIS EFFORT.

UM, SO, UH, I HEAR WHAT MR. BOXER IS SAYING AS FAR AS LOW, UM, I'M, I'M TRYING TO GET REAL LOW.

UM, JUST UNDERSTANDING THE ENVIRONMENT, RIGHT? UM, THERE ARE A LOT OF, UH, YOUNG FOLKS THAT ARE LOOKING TO BECOME ENTREPRENEURS, AND

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MY MY SUGGESTION WOULD BE THAT MR. BOXLEY COME BACK AT OUR NEXT MEETING WITH A PROPOSAL, AND I THINK, UH, MR. BROWN IS CORRECT.

UH, IT DEPENDS ON THE TERM OF THE LOAN.

UH, THERE MAY BE A WAY TO PROVIDE ZERO INTEREST FOR A PERIOD OF TIME WITH SOME ESCALATION IF IT'S NOT, UM, PAID BACK DURING THAT TIME.

SO, I, I DON'T KNOW.

I'M NOT SURE THAT WE'RE GONNA COME TO A DECISION TODAY.

I JUST SUGGEST THAT HE COME BACK TO THE BOARD AND THAT'S ABSOLUTELY THE PLAN.

WE DEFINITELY WEREN'T COMING TO A CONCLUSION TODAY.

THE MODELS THAT I HAVE SEEN THOUGH DO, UM, THERE ARE SOME PROVISIONS FOR, UM, THE TERM BEING, YOU KNOW, THE, THE GUIDING, THE GUIDEPOST, IF YOU WILL, RELATED TO THE INTEREST RATE.

UM, SO THAT, THAT'S A MODEL THAT I'VE SEEN.

UM, AGAIN, ALL OF THESE WILL NEED TO BE VETTED AND REVIEWED BY, UM, BY LEGAL AND, UM, BUT THAT IS ABSOLUTELY THE, UH, THE MODEL THAT I'VE SEEN TO KIND OF, UH, GUIDE SOME OF THE WORK THAT I'VE, UH, IN, IN DEVELOP IN THIS PROGRAM.

MR. BOXY, AS YOU HAVE LEGAL REVIEW THE PROCESS, I THINK IT WOULD BE ADVANTAGEOUS FOR YOU TO COME UP WITH A RECOMMENDATION HEARING MR. COUNCILMAN AMES, UH, COMMENT, A RECOMMENDATION THAT THIS BODY CAN LOOK AT AND SAY, THIS IS WHAT I'M RECOMMENDING.

IT'S BEEN VETTED THROUGH THE LEGAL PROCESS AT THE TOWN AT OUR NEXT MEETING.

THAT'S FORMER COUNCILMAN AMES.

BY OUR NEXT MEETING.

GET IT RIGHT? NOT YET.

NOT YET.

OH, REALLY? NOT YET.

YOU HAVE SOME DAYS YOU'S MR. BOX THERE? ANY, ARE THERE ANY, ARE THERE ANY CAMP CAMPING IN THE WORKSHOP ON THAT RIDE RIGHT NOW? NOW THE, THIS PROGRAM, I KIND OF MISSED THAT, TERRY, WE MISSED IT.

TERRY, THE, UM, ARE YOU, ARE YOU, ARE YOU AWARE, AWARE OF ANY, ANY BUSINESS CANDIDATES THAT ARE AWAITING WEEDING? ANY, ANY BUSINESS CANDIDATES? UM, YES.

I HAVE HAD SOME CONVERSATIONS, UH, THROUGH OUR, UM, THE FINANCIAL EDUCATION WORKSHOPS THAT WE WERE HOSTING.

UM, I HAVE RUN ACROSS A FEW THAT ARE INTERESTED IN AND IN NEED OF, UM, SOME FUNDING AND SUPPORT.

SO THIS WILL BE A, A VERY WELCOME COMPONENT TO OUR OFFERINGS AS A COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION.

OH, IT WAS JUST THE, THE ELIGIBILITY PIECE.

WHAT OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS DO WE HAVE FROM MEMBERS OF THIS COUNCIL? JUST ONE ADDITIONAL COMMENT.

UM, AS I WAS READING THROUGH THE BACKUP MATERIAL, UM, THERE WAS, UH, THERE WAS VERBIAGE IN THERE ABOUT, UH, I GUESS LAND DEVELOPMENT, WHICH, YOU KNOW, QUALIFIES UNDER THIS, UH, SMALL BUSINESS, UH, LENDING OPPORTUNITY.

AND, UM, THERE, THERE WAS A MENTION OF, UH, YOU KNOW, US SORT OF ENCOURAGING, UM, TO GO TO EITHER A MODULAR MODEL, UM, UM, OR A STICK-BUILT MODEL WHEN IT COMES TO HOUSING.

HE ON HILTON HEAD.

AND I AGREE WITH THAT WHOLEHEARTEDLY, JUST FOR GENERATIONAL, UM, REASONS.

UM, BUT WHAT I WOULD ASK MR. BOXLEY AS HE'S DOING HIS RESEARCH, THE, THE BUFORT JASPER HOUSING TRUST FUND IS, UM, YET AGAIN ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY TO POTENTIALLY PULL DOWN FUNDING TO HELP WITH HOUSING.

UM, AGAIN, I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO, UH, QUALIFY THIS COMMENT, BUT WHEN IT COMES TO, UM, HOUSING THAT FOLKS CAN AFFORD HERE ON HILTON HEAD, UH, THE GULLAH GEECHEE POPULATION HAS REALLY PROVIDED IN THAT AREA.

AND IF WE'RE LOOKING TO EXPAND, UH, WITH THOSE THAT HAVE LAND THAT ARE IN RESIDENTIAL AREAS, UM, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, THERE'S GOING TO BE A COST THERE WHEN IT COMES TO LAND PREP INFRASTRUCTURE AND SO ON.

UM, IF THERE ARE WAYS TO BRING IN ADDITIONAL FUNDING ON TOP OF WHAT WE HAVE TO OFFER, I THINK THIS WILL MAKE THIS PROGRAM THAT MUCH BETTER.

VERY INTERESTING SEGUE.

COUNCILMAN BROWN.

SO, UM, IF THERE, IF THERE ARE NO FURTHER QUESTIONS RELATED TO SMALL BUSINESS, I ACTUALLY HAVE THEM BROKEN OUT INTO DIFFERENT CATEGORIES, BUT, UH, THANK YOU FOR THAT SEGUE.

UM, IT'S LIKE YOU READING MY MIND THIS MORNING.

[00:35:01]

DOES IT, I GUESS SIMILAR TO THE, THE NEIGHBORHOOD IMPROVEMENT GRANT PROGRAM, THEY HAVE TO PROVE THAT THEY'RE A GULLAH GEECHEE RESIDENT.

WE DEFINITELY WANT TO TAKE, UM, SOME INFORMATION RELATED TO, UM, UM, BUILDING THEIR BUSINESS, YOU KNOW, WHO THEY ARE, BUT IT'S NOT PROHIBITIVE OF, OF, OF, OF ANYONE OF THE, THE BIGGEST, THE BIGGEST COMPONENT FOR OUR BUSINESS LOAN PROGRAM IS THAT THAT BUSINESS OPERATE IN THE HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOOD, OR IT IS OWNED BY, SO IT'S A EITHER, YOU KNOW, KIND OF AN AND OR, OR EITHER OR, BUT IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT PROHIBITIVE BASED ON JUST, UH, GULLAH HERITAGE PER SE.

WE DEFINITELY WANNA STIMULATE THE TAX BASE WITHIN THE 13, UH, HISTORIC GULLAH NEIGHBORHOODS.

THOUGH, BEFORE YOU LEAVE THAT ITEM, I AM GOING TO RECOGNIZE ONE COMMENT.

HEATHER, YOU HAD A QUESTION? YEAH, I DID HAVE A SIGN UP THAT I ADVANCE.

IS THAT OKAY? YES, YES.

SO, , I HI HEATHER WRATH FOR THE RECORD.

UM, I ACTUALLY CAME IN JUST FOR THIS, THIS PROGRAM, UM, TO COMMENT ON IT OR TO ASK QUESTIONS ON IT JUST BECAUSE, UM, I HAVE FRIENDS IN THE GULLAH GEECHEE COMMUNITY THAT HAVE BEEN AFFECTED BY NOT BEING ABLE TO ACCESS CAPITAL IN ORDER TO GO FROM POPUP TO STOREFRONT.

AND SO MY QUESTION AROUND THIS IS, I KNOW WE AS A BOARD, OR YOU ALL AS A BOARDER, WE AS A COMMUNITY HAVE SET UP THE CDC TO ENGAGE IN HISTORICALLY HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOODS ON HILTON HEAD.

HOWEVER, THE MAJORITY OF THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY IN THE SHOPPING CENTERS ARE NOT IN THAT.

SO I JUST WANTED TO UNDERSTAND A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT TRANSITION IF THIS PROGRAM DOES GO INTO PLACE, BECAUSE THAT SEEMS TO BE THE HURDLE THAT I'M SEEING WITH MY GIRLFRIENDS WHO ARE HAIRDRESSERS OR, UM, RETAILERS OR, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER THEY'RE DOING TO GO FROM THAT, YOU KNOW, OH, I HAVE THIS SMALL, UM, HOME-BASED HAIR BUSINESS, UM, IN COOLER BECAUSE I NO LONGER LIVE ON HILTON HEAD.

I WANT RETURN TO HILTON HEAD, BUT I CAN'T GET INTO ANY OF THE SHOPPING CENTERS BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO THE CAPITAL.

YOU KNOW, AND J JUST TRY AND THREAD THAT NEEDLE THROUGH AND REALLY UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT WOULD LOOK LIKE.

ANOTHER EXAMPLE, A GREAT RETAILER WHO IS ONLY DOING POPUPS BECAUSE THERE'S NO ACCESS TO CAPITAL AND THE ACCESS TO CAPITAL IS NOT IN A HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOOD.

SO I JUST LIKE REALLY WANNA UNDERSTAND THAT AND THINK THAT THROUGH, UM, AS WE'RE GOING INTO THIS LOAN PROGRAM.

'CAUSE I LOVE THE LOAN PROGRAM AND IT'S SO DESPERATELY NEEDED.

AM I MAKING SENSE? SO YOUR QUESTION IS JUST FOR CLARIFICATION, ARE THERE LOANS, WILL THERE BE LOANS AVAILABLE OUTSIDE OF THE YEAH.

SO I WANNA MAKE SURE, LIKE WHAT I'M SAYING IS, WOULD, WOULD THESE, WOULD THIS ACCESS TO FUNDING YES.

BE ABLE TO APPLY ISLAND WIDE? RIGHT? I SEE.

WOULD THIS ACCESS TO FUNDING BE ABLE TO BE UTILIZED FOR KIND OF RETAIL ESTABLISHMENTS OUTSIDE OF GULLAH GEECHEE NEIGHBORHOODS? I SEE WHAT, RIGHT.

LIKE, I'M JUST TRYING TO GET A, A, A LARGER GRASP ON IT, AND MAYBE WE'RE NOT THERE YET, BUT I'M JUST TELLING YOU THESE ARE REAL THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING IN OUR COMMUNITY WHERE MY GIRLFRIEND, WHO IS FIVE GENERATIONS HILTON HEAD IS NOW LIVING IN POOLER, WANTS TO COME BACK TO THE ISLAND, HAS A GREAT BUSINESS.

BUT AGAIN, YOU KNOW, BETWEEN THE HOUSING AND THE CAPITAL FOR HER BUSINESS, IT'S JUST EASIER TO STAY IN POLAR.

MAKE SENSE? UNDERSTOOD.

THANK YOU FOR THAT COMMENT, HEATHER AND I, AND I THINK THAT WE DEFINITELY HAVE CAPACITY TO, UM, TO VISIT THESE ON AN INDIVIDUAL BUSINESS BASIS.

AND THAT'S, YEAH.

I, YEAH, MAYBE THAT'S THE BETTER MM-HMM.

OUTCOME OF IT IS THAT THE BOARD UNDERSTANDS THESE ARE UNIQUE SITUATIONS.

AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT COMMENT.

THANK YOU, HEATHER.

ANY OTHER COMMENTS? AND WE'RE GONNA

[5.c. Discussion of the Real-Estate Loan Program - Thomas Boxley, Executive Director for the Gullah Geechee Historic Neighborhoods Community Development Corporation ]

MOVE TO THE REAL ESTATE.

AND KIND OF MOVE AWAY FROM THE MANUFACTURED, UM, HOUSING THAT EXISTS.

SO DOVETAIL IN OFF OF, UH, THE, THE PERFECT, UH, SEGUE THAT COUNCILMAN BROWN PROVIDED FOR US, UM, THE REAL ESTATE LOAN PROGRAM.

AGAIN, WE'LL, WE'LL, UH, SEEK TO, UH, SUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT OF, UH, REAL ESTATE PROJECTS IN OUR HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOODS.

UM, AND AS, AS COUNCILMAN BROWN MENTIONED, UM, OUR GOAL IS TO DEVELOP HOUSING THAT HAS THE ABILITY TO APPRECIATE AND TO GENERATE, UM, UH, OR TO CREATE GENERATIONAL WEALTH OPPORTUNITIES

[00:40:01]

UM, THIS IS GOING TO, UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT A ONE SIZE FIT, ALL FITS ALL BY ANY STRETCH OF THE IMAGINATION.

BUT, UH, WHAT WE WANT TO DO, UM, OR MY GOAL THROUGH THIS IS, IS TO SEEK TO STIMULATE ECONOMIC GROWTH IN THE FORM OF REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT.

UM, THAT CREATES MORE OF AN INSURABLE ASSET FOR FAMILIES AS WELL.

SO, UM, AND PROPERTY OWNERS.

UM, SO AS WE MOVE FORWARD, UM, TO YOUR POINT, I HAVE BEEN VISITING WITH SOME MODULAR, UH, WITH SOME MODULAR BUILDERS, UM, AND BEEN STUDYING, YOU KNOW, AND LEARNING MORE ABOUT THAT PROCESS.

IT SEEMS TO BE, UM, AT FIRST GLANCE A MORE AFFORDABLE OPTION THAN TRADITIONAL STICK BUILD HERE ON HILTON HEAD ISLAND.

UM, I MEAN, OF COURSE THERE ARE, YOU KNOW, SOME CAVEATS TO THE MODULAR STYLE OF CONSTRUCTION, BUT IT SEEMS TO BE A QUICKER, A QUICKER PROCESS, EVEN ACCOUNTING FOR THE SHIPPING THAT IS, UH, THAT IS REQUIRED TO MOVE THOSE MODULES ON SITE.

UM, I HAVE ACTUALLY VISITED SOME MODULAR HOUSING THAT'S BEING DEVELOPED HERE ON THE ISLAND, AND, UM, AND IT, IT, YOU REALLY CAN'T TELL THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THAT AND TRADITIONAL STICK BUILT ONCE IT'S, UH, SET IN PLACE.

UM, SO THOSE ARE SOME OF THE, THE PIECES THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO ACCOMPLISH, UM, IN OUR HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOODS, UM, AS, AS WE MOVE FORWARD.

AND I THINK THAT THIS REPRESENTS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR PEOPLE TO ALSO DEVELOP, UH, TO DEVELOP SOME HOUSING THAT CAN GENERATE THAT, THAT WEALTH.

ANDRE LOOK LIKE YOU'RE THINKING OH, YEAH, I, I, I WAS WONDERING, LIKE, SO WHO'S THE APPLICANT? LIKE, IS THE APPLICANT THE LANDOWNER OR IS THE APPLICANT THE PARTNERSHIP? LIKE IF THEY'RE DOING IT ON THEIR OWN, LIKE WHO'S THAT? LIKE YEAH.

AND SO THAT COULD INCLUDE JUST TO PARTICIPATE IN THE DEAL, NOT JUST TO FACILITATE THE SALE.

NO, NO, I'M THE DEAL.

I'M NOT, I'M NOT ENCOURAGING SALE IN, IN ANY CAPACITY.

I'M, I'M, AS I'M HAVING THESE CONVERSATIONS WITH VARIOUS LANDOWNERS, IT'S, IT'S ALWAYS MAINTAIN OWNERSHIP AND FIGURE OUT, UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT A DEVELOPMENT DEAL LOOKS LIKE IF THEY ARE NOT ABLE TO OR WILLING TO SUPPORT THAT DEVELOPMENT AS A DEVELOPER THEMSELVES.

SO THERE ARE, I, I'M SURE THAT THERE WILL BE SITUATIONS WHERE WE AS THE CDC CAN PARTICIPATE AS A PARTNER OR EVEN, YOU KNOW, POTENTIALLY FACILITATE A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN A LANDOWNER AND ANOTHER DEVELOPER.

BUT I'M DEFINITELY HAVING CONVERSATIONS ABOUT MAINTAINING OWNERSHIP BECAUSE AS, AS WE MOVE FORWARD, UM, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T WANT TO LOSE ANY NATIVE OWNED LAND.

WE, WE'VE HAD A SIGNIFICANT SLIDE IN NATIVE LAND OWNERSHIP.

AND SO THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS I'M DEFINITELY PROMOTING.

DO THE, LIKE THE LE LIKE THE LEGAL RESEARCH.

SHOULD, I WONDER IF THE LOAN COULD BE LIKE A CONVERTIBLE, UM, INVESTMENT VEHICLE WHERE IT STARTS OFF AS A LOAN, BUT IF, IF, IF THAT CAPITAL'S NEEDED TO BE PART OF THE DEAL, RIGHT.

THEN WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT THE CDC PARTICIPATING IN OWNERSHIP, THEN THAT'S HOW IT CAN PARTICIPATE, RIGHT? SO IT'S LIKE, OKAY, THEY'VE BORROWED 50,000 AND THAT 50,000 CAN BE CONSIDERED A STAKE IN THE DEAL IF IT'S IF IT'S NEEDED, RIGHT.

SO IT CAN RIGHT.

MORE A CONVERTIBLE INSTRUMENT THAN JUST STRAIGHT LOAN.

AND SO THEN OVER A PERIOD OF TIME, THE CDC IS A PARTNER UNTIL WE ARE TAKEN OUT OF THE DEAL.

THAT'S EXACTLY THE THOUGHT PROCESS.

BUT I KNOW THAT IT'S GONNA LOOK DIFFERENT FOR EACH, YOU KNOW, IT'LL LOOK DIFFERENT FOR EACH DEAL.

I'VE HAD TWO CONVERSATIONS WITH LANDOWNERS AND BOTH OF THOSE SITUATIONS LOOK COMPLETELY DIFFERENT.

THE EXPERTISE OF, OF DAVID AS WELL AS YOU ANDRE, UH, YOU KNOW, AS WE BEGIN TO PUT THESE PIECES TOGETHER.

SO IT'S, IT, IT WILL BE VERY, VERY INDIVIDUALISTIC WHEN WE MOVE DOWN THAT PATHWAY.

I MEAN, I KNOW IT'S CAN BE HARD FOR, ESPECIALLY IF SOMEONE'S LIKE A FIRST TIME OR HAS NEVER DONE A DEAL.

UM, AND, YOU KNOW, PARTNERSHIP IS PROBABLY ENCOURAGED ON THE FIRST ONES.

UM, BUT TO THE, SO, OKAY, I GET IT.

AND I WILL, I WILL LEAN INTO, AS WE MOVE FURTHER DOWN THIS PATHWAY, I'M, I'M GOING TO BE LEANING INTO

[00:45:01]

BUT YOU'RE NOT RETIRED YET, DAVE? COUNCILMAN NAMES.

I THINK THERE'S THREE SIGNIFICANT HURDLES.

UH, ONE IS THE, UH, HEIRS PROPERTY SITUATION AND HOW THAT MIGHT IMPACT THE ZONING AND OTHER ASPECTS.

UH, SECONDLY, UM, EXPERTISE.

AND WE'RE TOUCHING ON THAT WITH, YOU KNOW, HOW DO, HOW DO YOU PUT A DEAL TOGETHER IF YOU DON'T KNOW HOW TO PUT THE DEAL TOGETHER? AND I THINK THE CDC MAY HAVE A ROLE TO PLAY THERE, EITHER DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, BUT I THINK WE HAVE TO CREATE THAT EXPERTISE AS A GIVEN SO THAT THE NATIVE ISLANDER WHO IS INTERESTED IN PURSUING THIS OPPORTUNITY HAS A CONFIDENCE LEVEL THAT THEY'RE GOING TO BE REPRESENTED BY PEOPLE WHO, UH, THEY CAN TRUST.

AND THEN THE THIRD ONE IS, UH, THE FLOOD ELEVATION REQUIREMENTS.

THE REASON, UM, MODULAR WORKS ON THE ISLAND IS THAT, UH, THEY ROLL IN ON WHEELS AND THEY DON'T HAVE TO BE AT 14 FEET OR WHATEVER.

SO AS SOON AS YOU GO TOWARDS STICK BUILT, YOU HAVE A FOUNDATION COST THAT SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASES, UH, THE OVERALL COST OF THE PROJECT.

AND SO THERE MAY BE A ROLE FOR THE CDC TO PLAY IN THAT AREA WHERE FOUNDATIONS ARE SOMEHOW A PART OF THE CDC INVESTMENT INTO THIS.

THANK YOU FOR THAT COMMENT.

I, I, SO WITH WITH, YOU KNOW, TD BANK, YOU KNOW, STEPPING UP WITH ALL OF THOSE, YOU KNOW, THEIR, YOU KNOW, THE COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND, YOU KNOW, COMMUNITY FINANCING OPPORTUNITIES, HAS THERE BEEN A DISCUSSION ABOUT, SO SPEAKING TO THE EXPERIENCE, LIKE, SO IF THERE'S DEBT THAT'S NEEDED, LIKE CONSTRUCTION RELATED DEBT AND YOU KNOW, AND THE PERSON HAS, YOU KNOW, NO EXPERIENCE, IT'S, IT IS NEXT TO IMPOSSIBLE TO GET A CONSTRUCTION LOAN.

RIGHT? SO, SO IN YOUR, IF YOU HAVEN'T HAD IT, LIKE, I MEAN, MAYBE TD BANK COULD BE A SPONSORED, YOU KNOW, BANK ALONGSIDE FOR PROVIDING, YOU KNOW, CONSTRUCTION FINANCING.

'CAUSE I THINK THAT'S GONNA BE CRITICAL, UM, TO HAVE, RIGHT, RIGHT.

IT'S, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S, NO, IT'S VERY HARD TO GET A CONSTRUCTION LOAN WHEN YOU DON'T HAVE ANY EXPERIENCE.

YOU ABSOLUTELY.

EVEN IF YOU OWN, EVEN IF YOU OWN THE LAND.

UM, FINANCING COUNSELING.

YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.

AND, UM, THAT WAS PART OF MY GOAL AND APPROACHING TD BANK AND UNDERSTANDING SOME OF THEIR, UM, THEIR OUTREACH EFFORTS THAT, UH, THAT THEY'RE EMBARKING UPON OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS.

I WANTED TO BE FIRST IN LINE TO, TO KIND OF TAKE ADVANTAGE OF SOME OF THOSE, BUT I'VE ALSO BEEN DEVELOPING RELATIONSHIPS WITH OTHER FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS AS WELL THAT, UH, THAT WILL BE BENEFICIAL AS WE MOVE THROUGH THIS.

UM, I, I ACTUALLY HAVE ANOTHER FINANCIAL INSTITUTION THAT'S, THAT'S READY TO PULL THE TRIGGER ON SOME OF THIS AS WELL.

AND, UM, AND SO I'M, I'M ALSO REACHING OUT TO A THIRD FINANCIAL INSTITUTION SO THAT WE HAVE, SO THAT WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, MULTIPLE REVENUE STREAMS, IF YOU WILL, TO PARTICIPATE IN DIFFERENT DEALS.

SO, YEAH.

I AGREE.

I AGREE A HUNDRED PERCENT.

UM, ANDRE, THAT FINANCING IS GOING TO BE THE MOST CRITICAL COMPONENT OF THIS AS WE BEGIN TO DEVELOP EXPERTISE TO, UH, DAVIS POINT.

SO, YEAH.

AS WE HAVE THIS DISCUSSION, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US AS A BOARD TO REALIZE THE ON THE GROUND CONDITIONS.

UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK THE EXPERTISE PIECE IS GONNA BE CRITICAL IN THIS.

UM, I'M TRYING TO MAKE THIS AS SIMPLE AS POSSIBLE.

IF, IF I OWN SOME RAW LAND ON HILTON HEAD AND MY NEIGHBORS ARE IN THE LAND LEASE BUSINESS WHERE SOMEBODY JUST PULLS THEIR MOBILE HOME ONTO THEIR PROPERTY AND THEY, AFTER THEY PAID FOR THE WATER AND SEWER HOOKUP AND SO ON, ALMOST AUTOMATICALLY THERE'S A PROFIT THERE THAT, THAT'S AN EXPERIENCE AND AN EXPERTISE THAT I MAY LEAN TOWARDS BECAUSE IT'S A MODEL IN FRONT OF ME, , RIGHT.

UM, BUT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IS GOING IN A TOTALLY DIFFERENT DIRECTION.

AS FAR AS WHAT THIS LOOKS LIKE AND HOW YOU CAN GET IT DONE.

SO I THINK THE, THE SOONER THAT WE HAVE A MODEL IN PLACE, THE BETTER OFF WE'LL BE IF WE'RE GOING TO CHANGE THIS MINDSET, RIGHT? UM, SO IT IS GOING TO TAKE, UH, SOME TIME FROM, YOU KNOW, OUR EXPERTISE.

BUT AGAIN, I THINK WE NEED TO TRY TO MAKE THE PICTURE AS SIMPLE AS POSSIBLE

[00:50:01]

UM, BECAUSE WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE IN COMPETITION WITH ANOTHER MARKET DEAL, AND THAT'S WHAT, AND THAT, AND THAT'S WHAT LIKE US DOING THE DEAL, RIGHT? NOT, UM, THE DEAL BEING DONE IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.

BECAUSE I THINK IN EVERY NEIGHBORHOOD THERE'S EXAMPLES OF, WELL, OUR MODEL THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT NOW, LIKE OF SOMEONE COMING IN, YOU KNOW, BUYING YOUR FAMILY MEMBER'S LAND AND THEY BUILD HOUSES, RIGHT? SO, SO THEY, WE HAVE THAT MODEL, BUT IT'S JUST NOT US PERFORMING THAT.

SO YOU MEAN WE ARE PERFORMING THAT, THAT DEMONSTRATE TO, YOU KNOW, OTHERS IN THE COMMUNITY THAT THAT MODEL IS POSSIBLE.

RIGHT? RIGHT.

AND WHAT THAT MEANS, I THINK, IS THAT WE'VE ANSWERED ALL THE QUESTIONS INTERNALLY THAT A PERSON MIGHT HAVE GOING INTO THIS, AND THAT WE ADDRESS EVERY SITUATION BEFORE WE ADVANCE IT ONTO THE COMMUNITY.

CORRECT.

I THINK TOO, THAT, UM, THE, THE STRENGTH IN DEVELOPING A MODEL LIKE THAT ALSO, UH, GIVES US, UH, AN OPPORTUNITY TO, TO CREATE, UM, BOTH RENTAL AND FOR SALE HOUSING THAT THAT BECOMES, YOU KNOW, A REVENUE STREAM FOR THE CDC AS WE MOVE FORWARD.

SO THAT'S, THAT'S DEFINITELY A, UM, A POSITIVE PIECE OF, OF CREATING THAT MODEL.

MADAM CHAIR, MIGHT THE NEXT STEP THEN BE, UH, FOR MR. BOXLEY TO COME BACK TO THE BOARD WITH, CALL IT WHAT YOU LIKE A WHITE PAPER OR A OUTLINE OF A PROGRAM SO THAT WE CAN APPROVE IT? COUNCILMAN, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THAT, MR. BOXLEY AND I, BUT I DO RECOMMEND THAT HE COME TO THE FULL BOARD WITH THAT.

MR. BOXLEY? YES, WE CAN.

UM, JANUARY, UM, IN OUR JANUARY MEETING.

FINE.

ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS BEFORE WE MOVE ON? I HAVE ONE RELATED QUESTION, COMMENT.

UM, I KNOW THAT TARGET TO ALEX AND DAVID, THAT COUNCIL IS, AND, YOU KNOW, PLANNING STAFF IS MOVING FORWARD WITH KIND OF THE DISTRICTING RE OVERHAUL OF THE CODE.

UM, IS THERE, CAN YOU, I'M, I'M NOT, I'M NOT UP TO WHAT THE STATUS OF THAT IS OR HOW THAT'S MOVING FORWARD.

'CAUSE I THINK THAT HAS AN IMPACT TOO, BECAUSE I BELIEVE THERE'LL BE INCREASED INCENTIVES, UM, SORT OF WITH HOUSING AND OR KIND OF LIVE WORK OR WORK.

UM, WONDER WHAT, WHAT DO YOU GUYS THINK THE TIMELINE ON ON THAT BEING PASSED? LOOK AT DAVID.

LOOK AT DAVID PITCHING .

UM, LEMME GET MY CRYSTAL BALL OUT HERE.

OKAY, MR. WHITE.

UH, NO, OBVIOUSLY WE'VE HAD A LOT OF DISCUSSION AROUND, UH, DISTRICT PLANNING.

UM, WE HAD A WORKSHOP, UM, SEVERAL WEEKS AGO, UH, WHERE THE STAFF HAS SORT OF ROLLED OUT ALL EIGHT DISTRICTS, RIGHT? UM, AND THERE'S GONNA BE A PERIOD OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, WHICH IS PROBABLY THE, THE BIGGEST LIFT IN THIS, RIGHT.

UM, UH, THAT'S GONNA HAPPEN, UM, IN 2025.

UM, AND THEN FROM THERE, IT IS OFF TO THE RACES AS FAR AS REESTABLISHING OUR LMO, RIGHT? AND, UM, WITH CONVERSATIONS WITH THE TOWN MANAGER, I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE'S GOING TO BE, UM, POTENTIALLY IF WE CAN GET COUNCIL IN AGREEANCE ON THIS, THAT THERE WILL BE SORT OF A HOUSING COMPONENT OR SECTION OF THAT LMO THAT DEALS WITH INCENTIVES, CONCESSIONS, AND SO ON.

WE HAVE NO PUBLIC COMMENT ITEMS. OKAY.

AND I THINK THAT'S CRITICAL FOR US TO, AS A CDC, UM, CONTINUE TO BE A PART OF THAT CONVERSATION.

UM, BECAUSE IF THE, IF THE ORDINANCE DON'T SUPPORT THE EFFORT, THEN IT'S ALL IN VAIN, RIGHT? RIGHT.

SO, WHAT OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS DO WE HAVE FROM THE COUNCIL? NOW? I'M GONNA MOVE ON TO PUBLIC COMMENT.

[6. Public Comment - Non Agenda Items ]

[Additional Item]

OH, NO, I JUST HAD A, SOMETHING I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT, BUT THAT'S, IT'S NOT ON THE AGENDA.

IT'S NOT, IS IT A YEAH, IT'S, IT'S POSITIVE.

SO, UM, GOOD.

, THAT'S GOOD.

IT'S NICE TO KNOW.

UM, UH, YOU KNOW, AS, AS SOME OF YOU MAY KNOW, LIKE, YOU KNOW, I GREW UP HERE, BUT I WAS A PRODUCT OF THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

UM, YOU KNOW, AND I MOVED AWAY AND CAME BACK TWO YEARS AGO, BUT MY CHILDREN ARE PRODUCTS OF PRIVATE SCHOOL.

IN THE GULLAH GEECHEE COMMUNITY.

SO THEY ARE, THEY ATTEND HILTON AT PREP.

UM, AND I'VE BEEN HAVING CONVERSATIONS, MY WIFE AND I WITH THE LEADERSHIP THERE AS TO, YOU KNOW, THEY WANT, THEY WANT TO INVEST

[00:55:01]

UM, THEY WANT MORE STUDENTS, THEY WANT FAMILIES TO HAVE THAT OPTION, UM, AND MEET FAMILIES WHERE THEY ARE.

UM, AND I, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT AS PLUGGED IN ON THE COMMUNITY IN THE DAY-TO-DAY, 'CAUSE YOU KNOW, I WORK REMOTELY.

UM, SO I WAS JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT, JUST PUTTING OUT THERE FOR, YOU KNOW, THOMAS TO THINK ABOUT LIKE, HOW DO WE GET, YOU KNOW, HOW DO WE HAVE HILTON HEAD PREP BE, UH, UH, BE AT THE TABLE FOR, YOU KNOW, I, I SUGGESTED LIKE, YOU KNOW, HAVE TABLES AT OUR EVENTS, RIGHT? LIKE WHEN WE HAVE OUR, YOU KNOW, COME OUT TO, YOU KNOW, MLK DAY PARADE, HAVE A HILTON NET PREP PRESENCE, YOU KNOW, THE, YOU KNOW, FEBRUARY WHEN HAVE OUR EVENTS AND THERE'S TABLES, HILTON NET PREP TO HAVE A TABLE.

THAT'S SORT OF WHAT I THOUGHT OF, BUT I'M SURE THERE'S PROBABLY MORE WAYS, UH, TO GET, I KNOW THERE WERE A FEW, UH, YOU KNOW, PUBLIC MEETINGS AROUND OUR HISTORY AND SOME OF THEIR LEADERSHIP.

I'M ENCOURAGING THEM WHEN I GET THOSE, I SEND IT TO THEM.

LIKE, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE TO START HAVING A PRESENCE, YOU KNOW, LEADERSHIP AT OUR EVENTS, AND THEN FAMILIES WILL START SEEING YOU.

COMMUNITY WILL START SEEING YOU.

THAT CAN BE A, A, A TRUST ESTABLISHED.

AND, YOU KNOW, MAYBE THAT LEADS TO ONE OR TWO FAMILIES WILLING TO, YOU KNOW, TRY, YOU KNOW, FROM THE LOWER SCHOOL ALL THE WAY THROUGH HIGH SCHOOL.

SO I JUST WANTED TO, YOU KNOW, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT LIKE ALL THE ALLIANCES, YOU KNOW, LIKE THE HERITAGE, LIKE HOW, HOW ARE THESE GROUPS GONNA, YOU KNOW, INVEST THROUGH THE CDC AND SORT OF HAVE, YOU KNOW, MORE DIRECT OUTREACH TO OUR FAMILIES.

SO THIS IS ONE THAT A COMMUNITY THAT I'M IN, THAT I'VE BEEN, YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN HAVING THE CONVERSATION TO TRY TO DO THAT.

SO NOW I WANT TO TRY TO BRING THAT BRIDGE TOGETHER, UH, FOR YOU AS YOU NEED TO SORT OF HAVE THEM AS A, AS A PARTNER, UM, ON THE EDUCATIONAL SIDE.

LET ME ADD SOMETHING TO THAT.

IT STRIKES ME THAT ONE OF, UH, THE ROLES OF THE CDC IS TO TRY TO GET THE INFORMATION AND STORIES OUT TO THE BROADER COMMUNITY.

AND I'M GONNA MAKE A HORRIBLE GENERALIZATION HERE THAT MANY OF THE FAMILIES WHO ARE PUTTING THEIR KIDS THROUGH PREP, UM, MAY NOT HAVE THE CONNECTIONS TO THE GULLAH STORIES.

AND THAT THIS MAY BE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE INFORMATION AND STORIES TO BE TOLD TO A GROUP THAT MAY NOT OTHERWISE HEAR IT.

, THAT WILL BE THE BEAUTY OF ALSO THIS WAYFINDING APPLICATION.

UM, THAT'LL BE AN ACCESS POINT THAT, UM, THAT ANY VISITOR, ANY RESIDENT WILL BE ABLE TO ACCESS AND, AND IMMEDIATELY LEARN THROUGH THEIR DEVICE.

SO, UM, THAT, THAT JUST KIND OF BRINGS THIS CONVERSATION FULL CIRCLE BACK TO, UM, BACK TO THE WAY FINDING PIECE AND, AND HOW SIGNIFICANT THAT'S GONNA BE AS IT COMES ONLINE AND AS IT'S GOING OUT TO HOTELS AND OTHER KIND OF VENUES.

IT COULD ALSO BE GOING OUT TO SCHOOLS LIKE PREP.

THROUGH, UM, THE EFFORTS OF THE CDC.

AND IT WOULD BE UPON THE TEACHERS TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT.

AND THEY, THEY, I JUST, I FORGOT TO MENTION, THEY'RE EVEN OPEN TO THE IDEA OF, YOU KNOW, TEACHERS AND SORT OF, YOU KNOW, BRINGING, YOU KNOW, GOV, YOU KNOW, FOLKS BACK TO THE ISLAND TO BE PROFESSIONALS THERE AS WELL.

SO IT'S NOT JUST THE, THE EDUCATIONAL PIECE FOR THE STUDENTS AND FAMILIES.

IT'S ALSO, UM, EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES AS WELL.

THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THAT TO THE LIGHT.

YES, SIR.

UH, YES, CAPTAIN CHAIR, UM, MR. WHITE, UH, THE GULLAH GEECHEE TASK FORCE, UH, WITHIN ITS, UH, BOOK OF WORK HAS, UH, PUT TOGETHER A, UH, TRAINING PROGRAM, UH, THAT THE TOWN STAFF HAS BEEN PARTICIPATING IN.

UM, AND LUA GRAY SELLERS IS THE FACILITATOR OF THAT.

SO I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT YOU MAYBE HOOK HER UP WITH LEADERSHIP AT PREP SO THAT SHE CAN TAKE THAT SHOW ON THE ROAD.

UM, I WANNA TAKE A MOMENT, MADAM CHAIR, IF I COULD, TO I TO WELCOME OUR, UM, TOWN COUNCILWOMAN ELECT MELINDA TONER TO THE CONVERSATION.

UM, IF THOSE OF YOU THAT ARE ON THE BOARD DO NOT KNOW, SHE'S NOW REPRESENTING WARD SIX, UM, WHICH IS YOUR WARD, MR. WHITE.

AND OBVIOUSLY, UM, THE, THE WARD, WHICH, UH, MITCHELLVILLE SITS.

UM, AND ALSO WARD SIX IS ONE OF THE FEW PLACES ON HILTON HEAD THAT ARE A OPPORTUNITY ZONE ON HILTON HEAD, FEDERALLY DESIGNATED OPPORTUNITY ZONE.

UM, SO, UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK THE BIG ALL AND MITCHELLVILLE AREA ARE OBVIOUSLY GOING TO BE, UM, AREAS THAT WE WILL BE FOCUSING ON AS WE MOVE FORWARD WITH COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

[01:00:01]

UH, SO AGAIN, JUST WANTED TO WELCOME HER TO THE CONVERSATION.

I ENCOURAGE, UM, ALL OF YOU, UM, TO GET TO KNOW HER A LITTLE BIT BETTER AND VICE VERSA FOR HER TO GET TO KNOW THE BOARD A BIT BETTER AS WE MOVE FORWARD.

WELCOME.

UH, ON BEHALF OF THE CDC, I'M ALSO A, A MEMBER OF THE MITCHELLVILLE BOARD, SO WELCOME ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD AS WELL, AND YOU WILL BE HEARING FROM ME.

IS THAT ME? IS THAT, IS, IS SHE REPLACING DAVID ON THIS PART? NO, NO, NO.

OH, OKAY.

NO, I DIDN'T.

I DIDN'T KNOW IF I MISSED THAT.

NO.

BEFORE, UH, WE GET TO, UM, OUR LAST POINT, UH, ON THE AGENDA.

I DO, AND I WAS GOING TO RECOGNIZE MR. BOXLEY.

MR. BOXLEY HAS BEEN HERE A YEAR NOW, AND MR. BOXLEY HAS WORKED DILIGENTLY, CONSISTENTLY, UH, TIRELESSLY, UM, FOR THE CDC.

AND, UH, WE OWE HIM A DEBT OF GRATITUDE THAT I THINK NEEDS TO PUT BE PUT ON THE RECORD BECAUSE THE INROADS THAT HE HAS MADE IN THE SHORT TIME THAT HE HAS BEEN HERE WITH THE NATIVE COMMUNITY HAS JUST BEEN OUTSTANDING.

UH, WHEN I TALK TO HIM, WHICH IS WEEKLY, MOSTLY , UH, HE IS, MINE IS IS ON TASK, HIS MIND IS, WHAT CAN I DO TO MAKE THE EXPERIENCE OF THE NATIVE COMMUNITY CAN BETTER, CAN, WHAT CAN WE DO TO, UM, AMEND THE THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN DONE IN THE PAST, WHAT WE CAN, WHAT CAN WE DO TO MOVE FORWARD? AND I CERTAINLY APPRECIATE HIS EFFORTS, UH, AND I'LL OPEN IT UP FOR THOSE ON THE COUNCIL TO TELL THEM THEIR PERSONAL EXPERIENCE.

BUT MR. BOXLEY, UM, YOU WERE A WONDERFUL ADDITION OR HAVE BEEN A WONDERFUL ADDITION, AND WE COULD NOT HAVE DONE WHAT WE HAVE DONE TO THIS POINT WITHOUT YOU, SO I APPRECIATE IT.

HERE, HERE, I'LL, I'LL, I'LL ADD .

UM, I'M, I'M ALWAYS, UH, USING MY OWN LITTLE MEASURING, UH, STICK.

UM, SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, THAT I'M REALIZING IS FOLKS, UH, NO LONGER SAYING, WELL, WHAT'S THAT GUY'S NAME DOWN AT THE TOWN? , BUT INSTEAD CALLING HIM THOMAS.

UH, SO YES, I, I THINK HE HAS DONE A, A, A TREMENDOUS JOB IN A VERY SHORT PERIOD OF TIME WITH FAMILIARIZING HIMSELF WITH THE COMMUNITY AND HAVING COMMUNITY MEMBERS BE COMFORTABLE WITH, WITH HIM.

SO, I, I, I TOO, UH, COMMEND YOU ON THAT.

AND I WANT TO ALSO SAY THAT HE DOES A GOOD JOB WITH, UH, ALSO SORT OF, UM, MOVING US ALONG IN A PACE MM-HMM.

WHERE WE CAN SEE MOVEMENT.

I KNOW I, FOR ONE, UM, A VERY ANXIOUS TO GET THINGS DONE BECAUSE, UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S BEEN A LONG TIME COMING.

UM, SO, UM, I'M PLEASED TO SEE THE AGENDAS MOVING ALONG WHERE WE DO HAVE STUFF THAT WE CAN START TO ACTUALLY IMPLEMENT.

UM, AND I WISH IT WOULD'VE BEEN DONE 20 YEARS AGO.

BUT THAT'S NOT ON THOMAS.

SO JUST PUTTING IT IN PERSPECTIVE OF A YEAR'S WORTH OF WORK.

I THINK WE ARE GOING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.

SO I ENCOURAGE MR. BOXLEY TO, TO CONTINUE IN HIS EFFORTS AND WHATEVER SUPPORT HE NEEDS, UM, I WANT HIM THERE TO, TO HELP YOU ALONG, SIR.

YEAH, I, I HEARD THAT, UM, I MEAN, THOMAS HAS BEEN GREAT GETTING TO KNOW YOU OVER THE PAST YEAR.

UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU CALL, UM, I'M THERE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS AND COLLABORATE, AND I'VE ENJOYED THAT.

AND THEN, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT IN THE DAY-TO-DAY TRENCHES WITH YOU, BUT TO COME TO, YOU KNOW, MEETINGS OR JUST EVENTS AND TO SEE THE PROGRESS ACTUALLY HAPPEN, UM, TO SEE, YOU KNOW, FOLKS TRUSTING YOU IN, IN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME, UM, I THINK WE ALL REALIZE THAT YOU ARE INVESTED HERE.

I THINK THAT MAKES A TREMENDOUS DIFFERENCE, UH, AS A BOARD MEMBER WORKING ON IN AN ORGANIZATION.

I KNOW IT, IT CAN BE CHALLENGING WITH, YOU KNOW, YOUR FAMILY IS NOT HERE.

UM, BUT I KNOW, AND I'M AROUND YOU.

I, I FEEL THAT YOU'RE INVESTED HERE AND WE'RE SEEING THE, THE FRUITS OF THAT.

SO COME IN YOU ON THAT AND, YOU KNOW, LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUE TO COLLABORATE AS WE MOVE ON TO YEAR TWO.

UM, THANK YOU.

THANK YOU, THOMAS.

UM, I GREATLY APPRECIATE OUR ABILITY TO TALK OPENLY, UH, BACK AND FORTH.

I FEEL THAT THERE AREN'T BARRIERS THERE, AND

[01:05:01]

UH, WHEN I THINK BACK ON THE LAST YEAR, THERE ARE TWO THINGS THAT COME TO MIND THAT STAND OUT.

ONE IS THAT YOU, BY YOUR PERSEVERANCE, HAVE CREATED A LEVEL OF TRUST BETWEEN NATIVE ISLANDERS OR THE ISLAND GULLAH, THAT I DON'T THINK HAS BEEN THERE BEFORE.

AND NOW THAT'S MY OBSERVATION AS A NON-NATIVE ISLANDER.

BUT I SENSE THAT THAT IS A TREMENDOUS CONTRIBUTION THAT YOU HAVE MADE.

SECONDARILY, AND PERHAPS AS IMPORTANT OR A PART OF THE SAME, UH, DISCUSSION IS WHAT YOU HAVE ACCOMPLISHED REGARDING THE STONY MITIGATION EFFORTS.

AND THE ROLE THAT YOU PLAYED OVER A 120 DAY CHARETTE OR SPRINT, UH, WAS, WAS ALMOST MIRACULOUS, UH, FROM MY STANDPOINT.

UM, WHEN, WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT WHERE WE STARTED IN THE CONVERSATIONS WITH THE RESIDENTS OF STONY AND WHERE WE ENDED UP, I THINK TO A VERY LARGE DEGREE, THAT'S TO YOUR CREDIT, AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR MAKING THAT CONTRIBUTION.

WILL YOU JOIN ME, PLEASE? WHERE? JUST FOLLOW ME DOWN HERE, .

IT'S TOTALLY MY PLEASURE.

AND, AND, YOU KNOW, IN RESPONSE, UM, YOU KNOW, AS, AS I MENTIONED, UH, BEFORE WE, WE STARTED WITH OUR AGENDA, I'M DEEPLY APPRECIATIVE OF EACH OF YOU POURING INTO ME.

UM, 'CAUSE I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT I DIDN'T KNOW UPON ARRIVAL.

AND, UM, IT'S A CONTINUAL LEARNING PROCESS FOR ME AS I CONTINUE TO, TO ENGAGE AT A DEEPER LEVEL WITH THE COMMUNITY HERE ON HILTON HEAD ISLAND.

BUT, UM, I'M, I'M THANKFUL TO HAVE, YOU KNOW, A GROUP OF, OF SEASONED AND STRONG INDIVIDUALS THAT I CAN LEAN ON, UM, UM, ANYTIME I NEED IT, WHETHER THAT IS, UM, YOU KNOW, DAVID'S COUNCIL OR, YOU KNOW, UM, CALLING UP ANDRE OR CALLING UP TERRY TO SUPPORT, UH, TO SUPPORT ME IN SOME OF THE INITIATIVES THAT, THAT WE'RE WORKING ON WITH YOUTH.

AND, YOU KNOW, ALEX, UH, CALLING ME IF HE'S MADE SOME, SOME HOPPING, JOHN AND SOME JERK CHICKEN OR SOMETHING.

AND, UH, AND PEACHES, UM, YOU KNOW, HELPING PEACHES DECORATE THE CHRISTMAS TREE.

AND, UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT IS, AND, AND SEND, YOU KNOW, UM, SEND AND HANNAH, UM, YOU KNOW, IT IS, IT IS JUST BEEN A WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE.

UM, YOU KNOW, GETTING TO KNOW THE FAMILIES HERE, GETTING TO KNOW THE COMMUNITY.

UM, MRS. STEWART, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT AS WELL, MRS. STEWART, UM, OUR PRINCIPAL PLANNER IN THE HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOODS, BUT, UM, I LOOK FORWARD TO A VERY, VERY PRODUCTIVE YEAR.

TWO, WE HAVE A LOT OF INITIATIVES, UM, ON DECK AND, AND I'M VERY EXCITED TO, TO GET SOME CAPITAL OUT HERE INTO THE HANDS OF THE COMMUNITY AND SEEING WHAT ALL WE CAN, WHAT ALL WE CAN BUILD TOGETHER.

SO, SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND, UH, I LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUED SUCCESS.

YOU'RE HERE.

WITH THAT BEING ANY BETTER, BETTER ELABORATE, ELABORATE.

BUT TERRY, YOU'RE ECHOING.

TERRY, YOU'RE ECHOING.

BUT THAT SEGUE IS NICE SEGUE.

MR. COUNCILMAN AMES,

[7. Presentation and Recognitions]

DON'T GET DEFENSIVE NOW.

, DON'T GIMME A HARD TIME NOW.

SO COUNCILMAN AMES.

THERE IS MUCH THAT CAN BE SAID ABOUT YOU, BUT I'M GONNA SPEAK PERSONALLY AND SOMEWHAT PROFESSIONAL WOMEN.

UH, MY HUSBAND AND I FIRST CAME TO IOWA, ONE OF THE MENTOR, ONE OF THE PEOPLE THAT I LOOKED TO FOR, AND I DID THAT BECAUSE, UM, MY SENSE WAS YOU WERE A MAN OF INTEGRITY.

YOU SAID WHAT YOU MEANT KNEW WHAT YOU SAID, AND YOU HAD AN INSIGHT TO THE NATIVE COMMUNITY THAT I DOUBT.

UM, AND SO I ALWAYS LOOK TO YOU.

FROM THE INCEPTION OF THE CDC, I REMEMBER WHEN WE WERE WRITING, ALEX AND I WERE WRITING BYLAWS WHEN HE WROTE ME INTO WRITING THESE BYLAWS.

I ALWAYS LOOK TO YOU, UM, FOR ADVICE AND COUNSEL AS I JOINED ORGANIZATIONS AND SAT ON VARIOUS BOARDS BECAUSE YOU WERE, YOU WERE A STRAIGHT SHOOTER.

AND SO YOUR TIME, UH,

[01:10:01]

WE LOOK TO YOU AGAIN FOR COUNSEL AND INPUT, AND YOU WERE WORKING VERY DILIGENTLY WITH US IN ESTABLISHMENT OF THE CDC.

AND SINCE IT HAS COME THROUGH FRUITION, YOUR VOICE IS A STRONG ONE.

YOU THINK OF THINGS THAT MAYBE WE JUST HADN'T THOUGHT ABOUT IN THAT WAY.

UM, YOU BE, YOU ARE AN ADVOCATE FOR THE NATIVE COMMUNITY AND YOU'RE AN ADVOCATE FOR THE ENTIRE HILTON HEAD COMMUNITY, WHICH SOMETIMES YOU GET ONE OR THE OTHER, BUT NOT BOTH.

YOU OR BOTH.

UM, WE APPRECIATE EVERYTHING THAT YOU'VE DONE AS YOU'VE MOVED ON, UM, BEING OFF THE COUNCIL.

BUT YOU WILL NOT LEAVE THE CDC.

OKAY? I'M JUST SAYING THAT TO YOU PERSONALLY.

SO WE WANNA PRESENT YOU ON BEHALF OF THE CDC OH, THAT'S FANTASTIC.

WITH A GIFT THAT WE KNOW THAT YOU WOULD APPRECIATE.

OH MY GOSH.

AND I'M GONNA ALLOW YOU TO SAY A FEW WORDS IF YOU AND I'LL HOLD NO, I, I, I, I REALLY APPRECIATE WHAT YOU JUST SAID.

UM, THE CDC IS IMPORTANT TO THE COMMUNITY, AND I THINK THAT'S ONE REASON WHY I'M A PART OF IT.

AND YOU'LL CONTINUE TO, YES.

WE, UM, WE DID THE, THE POSTER FOR 2024 REPRESENTING OUR INAUGURAL YEAR.

AND, UH, WE, WE THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR SERVICE AND CONTINUED SERVICE.

'CAUSE WE ARE NOT LETTING YOU LEAVE AS, UM, AS CHAIR CHAIRWOMAN PETERSON MENTIONED.

WE, YOU'RE STUCK WITH US.

YOU'RE COMING OFF THE COUNCIL, BUT NOT OFF OF THIS BOARD.

WE ARE A VALUED MEMBER.

WELL, I, I WILL CONTINUE TO SERVE.

IT'S IF YOUR, IF IT'S YOUR PLEASURE IT IS, BUT NOT INDEFINITELY.

, WE CAN TALK ABOUT THAT OFFLINE.

IS THERE ANY OTHER, WE'RE AT THE END OF OUR AGENDA.

UH, AND I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO ADJOURN.

MOVE TO ADJOURN.

ANY OPPOSED? THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

THANK YOU, TERRY.

JOE, GOOD TO SEE YOU, DALE.

GOOD TO SEE YOU, SIR.

UH, I WE'RE, WE'VE GOT A LOT TO TALK ABOUT AND WE'RE GONNA TRY TO TALK ABOUT IN A, ALL OF THIS IN A VERY SMALL KIND OF PRESENTATION TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC ABOUT WHAT WE WANT TO DO.

UH, IF Y'ALL REMEMBER, UH, WE STARTED WORKING ON A NEW SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICER OPPORTUNITY LAST YEAR.

UM, BECAUSE WE KNEW, AND WE HAVE KNOWN THAT TRYING TO RECRUIT LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS TO BE CLASS ONE CERTIFIED, WHICH IS WHAT THE STATE REQUIRED, UH, YOU KNOW, TO BE IN OUR SCHOOLS AS SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS, WHICH ARE, IS, IS A SPECIAL, I THINK WE ALL AGREE THAT THAT IS REALLY A SPECIAL CANDIDATE, UH, THAT WE CONSIDER TO BE THAT CLOSE IN ASSOCIATION TO OUR KIDS.

WHAT WE CALL A CLASS THREE.

UM, AND, BUT WE KNOW THE IMPORTANCE OF THE SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICER PROGRAM BECAUSE OF THE SAFETY FACTORS IT CREATES, NOT ONLY IN OUR SCHOOLS, BUT WHAT OUR, WHAT OUR COMMUNITIES AS WELL, BECAUSE THE SCHOOL IS A MELTING POT OF THE COMMUNITIES THAT WE SERVE.

SO HAVING THAT RIGHT PERSON IN THAT JOB AND THAT ROLE TO PROVIDE SECURITY TO OUR KIDS LEADERSHIP, TO OUR KIDS, UH, AND GIVING THE CONFIDENCE TO THE STAFF TO WORK IN THE SCHOOLS.

I MEAN, IT'S IMPORTANT TO FIND THAT RIGHT PERSON.

SO IT'S DIFFICULT TO FIND A CLASS ONE OR A CLASS ONE LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER, FOR THOSE THAT DON'T KNOW, IS ONE THAT GOES TO THE ACADEMY FOR 12 WEEKS, SPENDS 12 WEEKS FOR THE MOST PART IN COLUMBIA.

WE DO SOME OF THE TRAINING HERE LOCALLY, BUT EVERYTHING ELSE, UH, HAS TO BE DONE IN COLUMBIA.

AND THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT WE'RE TRYING TO ATTRACT TO BE SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS THAT REALLY DON'T WANT TO GIVE UP THEIR LIFE AND THEIR FAMILY TO GO TO COLUMBIA AND GO THROUGH BOOTCAMP TO BE A CLASS ONE LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER.

SO I HAD OUR TRAINING STAFF PUT TOGETHER A TRAINING SYLLABUS FOR A,

[01:15:01]

UH, AND IT WAS A CLASS THREE DESIGNATION FOR SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICER.

WHAT THAT DID IS IT ALLOWED US TO CREATE A TRAINING SYLLABUS THAT WE COULD TAKE A PERSON, UM, YOU KNOW, OF, OF ANY AGE.

UM, AND THAT WE WOULD BRING 'EM INTO LAW ENFORCEMENT ENVIRONMENT, YOU KNOW, WOOD BLUFFTON OR BEAUFORT OR PORT ROYAL OR THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE.

UH, AND WE WOULD TRAIN THEM HERE IN BEAUFORT COUNTY.

ALL OF THEIR TRAINING WOULD BE DONE RIGHT HERE.

UH, IT WOULD BE EIGHT WEEKS, MAYBE A LITTLE MORE THAN EIGHT WEEKS OF TRAINING.

UH, WE WOULD LIKE TO START THIS, UH, THE, OUR FIRST CLASS.

WE'D LIKE TO START IT IN JUNE.

UH, THAT WAY WE CAN GET 'EM THROUGH THE PROGRAM AND BE READY FOR DEPLOYMENT, UH, WHEN SCHOOL STARTS IN AUGUST.

UH, I, I THINK IT'S AN AWESOME PROGRAM.

WE, WE, WE SENT THE TRAINING SYLLABUS TO THE ACADEMY THAT TRAINS ALL OF OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT IN SOUTH CAROLINA.

THEY APPROVED IT, UH, WITH THE BLESSING OF THE SOUTH CAROLINA TRAINING COUNCIL.

SO WE ARE READY TO GET THIS THING MOVING AND GET IT STARTED.

AND I THINK FOR US, UH, WE JUST NEED TO KIND OF TELL OUR CITIZENS, YOU KNOW, WHO ARE WE LOOKING FOR? UH, THE ROLE IS SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICER.

IT'S A CLASS THREE LAW ENFORCEMENT DESIGNATION.

UH, IT'S A UNIFORM POSITION.

IT'S AN ARMED POSITION.

UH, THEY HAVE ARREST POWERS, UH, AND THEY HAVE ALL THE POWERS OF ANY OTHER LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER ON THE SCHOOL GROUNDS, UH, THAT THEY'RE ASSIGNED TO.

SO WHAT DO YOU THINK, JOE, SHERIFF? I THINK IT'S A GREAT IDEA, AND THANK YOU FOR TAKING LEAD ON THIS.

UM, WE HAVE FOUR ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS IN BLUFFTON THAT CURRENTLY ARE NOT STAFFED BY CLASS THREE OR HIGHER OFFICERS.

AND I THINK THAT THIS PROGRAM IS GONNA ATTRACT PEOPLE TO THESE POSITIONS AND IT'S GONNA PROVIDE MORE OF A SECURITY BLANKET FOR OUR SCHOOLS TO INCLUDE OUR ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS.

SO WE'RE DEFINITELY EXCITED ABOUT IT.

WE'RE EXCITED TO BE PART OF IT.

SO THANK YOU.

DALE.

WHO, WHO DO WE WANT TO ATTRACT? I THINK WE'VE GOT A, WE'VE GOT AN ENORMOUS NUMBER OF RETIRED MILITARY FOLKS HERE.

THAT ARE ABLE TO RETIRE FAIRLY YOUNG AND MAY BE LOOKING FOR THAT JOB.

THEY MAY HAVE CHILDREN IN OUR SCHOOLS AND WITH THE, WITH THE PROGRAM THAT YOU WERE ABLE TO PUT TOGETHER.

UM, THEY'LL BE HOME WHEN THEIR CHILDREN ARE HOME, NOT IN SCHOOL.

AND, UM, AND I'VE ALWAYS SAID, YOU AND I HAVE HAD THIS CONVERSATION, SHERIFF, WE, WE NEED TO GET INTO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.

OH YEAH.

IF WE, IF WE WAITED UNTIL HIGH SCHOOLS WERE TOO LATE.

SO I, IT'S A GREAT PROGRAM.

I'M, I'M GLAD THAT YOU TOOK THE LEAD ON IT.

UM, I'M EXCITED TO SEE IF WE CAN GET SOME PEOPLE IN, BUT I REALLY THINK THE YOUNG RETIRED MILITARY PEOPLE ARE, THEY'RE JUST MADE FOR THIS, YOU KNOW, AND WE'VE GONE THROUGHOUT OUR CAREERS, UH, IN THE COUNTY OF BEAUFORT AND WE'VE HAD CONVERSATION AFTER CONVERSATION WITH DIFFERENT PEOPLE THAT SAY, YOU KNOW, I'M RETIRED, I'D LIKE TO FIND SOMETHING TO DO.

AND THEN YOU START TALKING TO 'EM AND THEY'RE RETIRED TEACHER OR RETIRED LAW ENFORCEMENT, RETIRED FIRE DEPARTMENT, RETIRED MILITARY, RETIRED BANKERS, RETIRED, I MEAN, RETIRED, THIS, THAT, AND THE OTHER ARE STILL, STILL AT AN AGE THAT THEY COULD, UM, THEY COULD DO THIS JOB WITH NO PROBLEM AT ALL OF ANY KIND.

UM, AND THOSE ARE THE ONES THAT, THAT I'D LIKE TO SEE.

YES, I'D LIKE TO SEE, UH, THOSE THAT ARE STILL, THAT STILL FEEL LIKE THEY CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE, THAT MAYBE HAVE ALWAYS LOOKED AT LAW ENFORCEMENT AS BEING A JOB, BUT BECAUSE OF THE PAY AND BECAUSE OF THE, YOU KNOW, THE WORKING CONDITIONS AND FAMILIES AND ALL THAT, THEY JUST DIDN'T WANNA DO IT.

BUT HERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE $45,000 A YEAR STARTING PAY TO WORK.

BASICALLY THE SCHEDULE OF THE TEACHING AND SUPPORT STAFF OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, WHICH IS A PRETTY GOOD SCHEDULE.

IT IS, UH, TO HAVE BENEFITS, UH, TO BE IN THE RETIREMENT SYSTEM AND TO BE ABLE TO BRING THEIR MATURITY, UH, THEIR LIFE EXPERIENCE AND, AND YOU KNOW, TO TO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AGE KIDS WHO WILL BENEFIT GREATLY FROM JUST HAVING THAT OPPORTUNITY TO SOCIALIZE AND BE AROUND, UH, THESE FOLKS THAT BRING A LOT TO THE TABLE.

AND I, WE, IN OUR COMMUNITIES, YOU TAKE BLUFFTON AND BEAUFORT AND, AND IN THE COUNTY AND THEN IN PORT ROYAL, THOSE PEOPLE ARE HERE.

THEY ARE.

AND THEY'RE LOOKING FOR THINGS TO DO.

AND I JUST THINK THIS IS AN AWESOME OPPORTUNITY FOR THEM TO, YOU KNOW WHAT, JUST DO IT KINDA LIKE NIKE.

LET'S JUST DO IT.

UH, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S, THE TRAINING IS, I THINK THEY'LL ENJOY THE TRAINING.

AGAIN, IT'S ALL DONE RIGHT HERE.

THEY, THEY'LL STAY AT HOME, THEY'LL SLEEP IN THEIR OWN BED, THEY'LL HAVE THEIR OWN PILLOW, AND THEN THEY CAN COME TO TRAINING.

AND ONCE THEY'RE CERTIFIED, UH, THEN THEY'LL START THE SCHOOL YEAR, UH, AUGUST OF THIS YEAR.

SO, I MEAN, I KNOW YOUR COMMUNITY REPRESENTS THAT OPPORTUNITY AS WELL.

WHAT ELSE, WHAT ELSE DO YOU THINK THIS, UM, THIS PROGRAM'S GONNA DO IN TOTALITY FOR WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH? I THINK, I THINK THIS PROGRAM, ONE WILL BE ABLE TO GET US OVER THE TOP.

YOU KNOW, SO

[01:20:01]

I THINK WE'LL BE ABLE TO GET, WE'LL BE ABLE TO GET A POLICE OFFICER IN EVERY SCHOOL IN BEAUFORT COUNTY, WHICH IS IMPORTANT.

A POLICE OFFICER AND I, AND I, AND YOU KNOW, WE, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS.

THERE'S A LOT OF TRAINING THAT GOES ALONG WITH THIS JOB.

THERE IS, AND YOU KNOW, THIS IS NOT A SECURITY OFFICER.

NO.

THIS IS A LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER, UH, THAT'S GONNA BE WELL TRAINED, UH, IN THIS.

AND I, I THINK THAT AT THE END OF THE DAY, THAT'S, IT'S EXTREMELY IMPORTANT.

AND I THINK WHAT THE YOUNG CHILDREN TARGETING THE RETIREES MM-HMM.

, WHETHER THEY'RE RETIRED TEACHERS, RETIRED MILITARY IS IMPORTANT.

THEY'VE GOT THE LIFE EXPERIENCE FOR THE, FOR THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS.

AND, AND TO GET THAT STARTED OFF, SO HOW, HOW MANY, HOW MANY OPENINGS DO YOU HAVE FOR THIS PROGRAM? FOR THIS PROGRAM? WE, WE ONLY HAVE TWO CURRENTLY.

POSSIBLY A THIRD COMING ON BOARD.

I'VE GOT NINE JOE, I HAVE FOUR.

SO I MEAN, IN TOTAL, AND HERE'S THE THING.

IT, IT DOESN'T MATTER IF YOU WORK AT THE CITY OF BEAUFORT OR THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON, UH, OR PORT ROYAL OR FOR THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE, YOU KNOW, WE WANT YOU TO COME TO WORK.

AND LAW ENFORCEMENT TO BE A CLASS THREE SRO, DOESN'T MATTER WHERE YOU GO, DOESN'T MATTER WHO YOU ARE EMPLOYED BY.

THE PAY IS GONNA BE THE SAME.

THE WORK ENVIRONMENT'S BASICALLY THE SAME.

THERE MAY BE A DIFFERENCE IN UNIFORM THAT YOU WEAR AT THE SCHOOL THAT YOU'RE ASSIGNED TO, UH, THE PAY.

I MEAN, EVERYTHING IS GOING TO BE BASICALLY THE SAME.

SO ALL WE WANT PEOPLE TO DO IS PUT THEIR APPLICATIONS IN, GIVE US THE OPPORTUNITY TO SIT DOWN AND EXPLAIN THE PROGRAM IN DETAIL.

AND IF YOU REALLY HAVE AN INTEREST IN IT, UH, THEN LET'S, LET'S, LET'S GET STARTED.

WHAT DO YOU THINK, JOE? YEAH.

AND, AND ONE THING THAT I WANT TO HIT ON IS THIS PROGRAM IS IMPORTANT AND, AND REASON BEING IS NONE OF OUR KIDS SHOULD FEEL AFRAID GOING TO SCHOOL.

UM, THEY SHOULD BE GOING TO SCHOOL TO LEARN AND NOT WORRYING ABOUT THEIR SAFETY.

UM, AND WHAT THIS DOES IS THIS PROVIDES ANOTHER LAYER OF SAFETY FOR ALL OF OUR SCHOOLS, ESPECIALLY THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS.

UM, IT ALSO PROVIDES PEOPLE WITH AN OPPORTUNITY TO MENTOR THESE YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN.

AS THEY'RE COMING UP THROUGH THE SCHOOL SYSTEM.

AND SO, LIKE THE SHERIFF SAID, IF YOU TRULY WANT TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE, UH, THIS IS A POSITION THAT YOU WILL REALLY WILL BE MAKING A DIFFERENCE.

I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO IT.

I JUST HOPE THE APPLICATION START POURING IN.

AND IF YOU GET MORE THAN, THAN YOU NEED THEN AND, AND WE NEED TO GO TO BEAUFORT OR WE NEED TO GO TO THE, THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE OR, OR PORT ROYAL, WE JUST NEED, WE NEED TO PUT THESE PEOPLE TO WORK.

WE NEED TO FILL THESE VACANCIES, UH, AND LET'S MAKE OUR SCHOOLS IN BEAUFORT COUNTY AS SAFE AS THEY POSSIBLY CAN.

AND I THINK THE UNIQUENESS OF THIS PROGRAM, THESE OFFICERS WILL BE TRAINED BY PEOPLE THAT HAVE CHILDREN IN THESE SCHOOLS.

THEY HAVE THE SAME DESIRES, THE OUTCOMES THAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR.

SO I'M, I'M LOOKING FORWARD, LOOKING FORWARD TO IT.

WELL, I MEAN, THE GREAT THING ABOUT IT IS THAT WE ARE, WE WILL BE DOING THE TRAINING TOGETHER.

IF YOU GET, IF YOU GET, IF YOU HIRE ONE OR TWO AND YOU HIRE FOUR AND YOU KNOW, AND I CAN FILL THE NINE THAT WE NEED, WE'RE ALL GONNA BE TRAINING TOGETHER.

SO THIS IS GONNA BE ONE TRAINING SYLLABUS TO BENEFIT, UH, THE SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICER PROGRAM.

I MEAN, THIS IS GOING TO BE, THIS, THIS PROGRAM IS FOR SOUTH CAROLINA AS A WHOLE.

THIS IS NOT JUST FOR BEAUFORT COUNTY.

BUT I'M EXCITED THAT WE'RE GOING TO START THIS AND INITIATE, YOU KNOW, THE SRO CLASS THREE POSITION HERE IN BEAUFORT COUNTY.

AND WE'RE GONNA SHOW THE STATE IT WORKS.

AND THE GREAT THING ABOUT THE TRAINING TOGETHER, SHERIFF, IS YOU'RE CREATING A NETWORK BEFORE YOU EVEN GET STARTED.

SO YOU'RE GOING TO KNOW PEOPLE FROM DIFFERENT SCHOOLS WHERE IF YOU CAN RUN INTO A PROBLEM, YOU HAVE SOMEBODY ELSE THAT YOU CAN CALL AND GET SOME ADVICE OR TALK TO THEM ABOUT THINGS GOING ON IN THEIR SCHOOL AND CURRENT TRENDS THAT ARE HAPPENING IN THEIR SCHOOL.

SO IT'S A GREAT COLLABORATION OF ALL THREE DEPARTMENTS IN THE ENTIRE COUNTY GETTING TOGETHER, BECAUSE HAVING THAT NETWORK AND PEOPLE THAT YOU CAN RELY ON FOR ADDITIONAL ADVICE IS INVALUABLE.

WELL, I TELL YOU WHAT I MEAN, I WANT, I WANT PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO, TO MAKE THOSE PHONE CALLS OR GO ONLINE AND RESEARCH, YOU KNOW, UH, JUST THE, THE, THE CLASS THREE SRO, UH, THROUGH ALL AGENCIES.

SO I THINK LINDSEY, IF WE CAN, I MEAN AT THIS POINT, I THINK IF WE PUT THAT INFORMATION ON THIS VIDEO FOR BLUFFTON, BEAUFORT, PORT ROYAL AND THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE WEBPAGE AND PHONE NUMBERS, UH, I THINK WE'LL HOPEFULLY WE'LL START GETTING CALLS.