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CLOSED CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY BUFORT COUNTY.
[I. CALL TO ORDER]
DECEMBER IS DECEMBER 5TH, 2024, 10:00 AM WE ARE NOW IN SESSION FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING COMMITTEE MEETING.CALL TO ORDER CHAIRMAN FRED HAMILTON.
COUNCILWOMAN EMILY BURDEN HERE.
[III. ADOPTION OF MINUTES]
HAVE THE, UH, NOVEMBER THE SEVENTH MINUTES.IS THERE MOTION TO ACCEPT? SO MOVE SECOND.
NO ONE RIGHT NOW IN OUR AUDIENCE.
WE DO HAVE A GUEST, BUT WE WILL BRING HIM ON WHEN WE GET TO THAT PART OF OUR AGENDA.
SO NO OLD BUSINESS AT THIS TIME.
[VI.1. FY2025 Neighborhood Assistance Program Budget Update]
TO OUR NEW BUSINESS.AS ALWAYS, WE'LL START WITH OUR MEMO FIRST.
UM, THE TOP PARAGRAPH IS ALWAYS A REPEAT, JUST SO YOU'LL KNOW WHERE WE STARTED.
THE BUDGET FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSISTANCE PROGRAM FOR FISCAL YEAR 2025 WAS APPROVED AT 400,000 BY TOWN COUNCIL.
AN ADDITIONAL 1 44 WAS ADDED TO THE BUDGET BY A GRANT AWARDED TO THE PROGRAM BY BE FOR JASPER HOUSING TRUST ON AUGUST 22ND.
THAT BRINGS OUR TOTAL FOR THE FISCAL YEAR OF 2025 TO 544,000.
AS OF LAST WEEK WHEN OUR, UH, PACKET WAS SUBMITTED, 19 HOMES HAVE RECEIVED HOME REPAIRS AT A TOTAL OF 138,946.
HOMES HAVE BEEN SERVICED FOR SEPTIC PUMP OUTS OR PLUMBING SERVICES AT A TOTAL OF 3002 24 AND ONE HOME SERVICE FOR TREE AT 201 HOME IS CURRENTLY BEING SERVICED FOR REPAIRS.
TOWN BUILDING SAFETY AND MYSELF INSPECTED FOUR HOMES THIS WEEK AND WE ARE WAITING FOR ESTIMATES TO COME IN.
UH, JUST TO LET FOR THE RECORD, MEG JAMES JOINED US.
SO AGAIN, UH, JUST TO KIND OF GO BACK TO THE TOP OF OUR PARAGRAPH, THE AWARD FROM BUFORD, JASPER HOUSING IS GONNA COME IN IN CHUNKS.
SO WE HAVE ALREADY RECEIVED OUR FIRST 50,000 BECAUSE WE HAVE, UM, THEY WANNA DO IT QUARTERLY.
SO WE HAVE RECEIVED THE FIRST 50,000.
THE SECOND 50,000 WILL COME IN, UH, JANUARY ONCE WE, UM, TURN IN OUR SECOND PACKAGE OF WORK THAT HAS BEEN DONE WITH FUNDS.
UM, GO BACK DOWN TO OUR LAST PARAGRAPH.
I WENT OUT WITH ROB THIS WEEK TO FOUR HOMES.
SO WE ARE WAITING FOR THOSE ESTIMATES TO COME IN.
AND WE HAVE ALSO PUT IN SEVERAL OTHER INVOICES THAT CAME IN SINCE OUR LAST REPORT WAS, UH, PUT IN.
SO WE'LL HAVE A PRETTY GOOD JUMP FOR OUR JANUARY MEMO.
'CAUSE WE ARE, WE'VE BEEN BUSY THE LAST COUPLE WEEKS, SO WE'LL HAVE A PRETTY BIG JUMP IN, UM, PRICING AND PRICE TAGS FOR OUR JANUARY REPORT.
WHO DOES THE, UH, UH, ESTIMATING FOR THESE? SO THAT WOULD BE THE VENDORS, THE CONTRACTORS THAT I REACH OUT TO.
SO YOU REACH OUT TO MULTIPLE CONTRACTORS? YES.
UH, RIGHT NOW I HAVE ABOUT TWO OR THREE THAT GO OUT AND WE GO WITH THE, AND I ALWAYS SAY NOT THE LOWEST BID, BUT THE BID THAT COVERS THE MOST WORK AND QUALITY WORK FOR THE PRICE TAG.
SO IT'S NOT GONNA ALWAYS BE THE CHEAPEST BID 'CAUSE YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT YOU'RE GETTING WITH CHEAP.
SO, UM, IT JUST KIND OF DEPENDS ON THE LAYOUT AND HOW THE INVOICE, THE ESTIMATE IS SUBMITTED.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON THE MEMO? NOPE.
SO I'LL SCROLL DOWN TO OUR EXCEL SHEET.
EVERY TIME, EVERY MONTH I GIVE YOU A BREAKDOWN OF WHERE FUNDS, HOW ARE, WHERE WE'RE SITTING.
SO YOU CAN SEE WHERE EVERYTHING HAS BEEN ALLOCATED.
SO ALTOGETHER, 26 HOMES HAVE BEEN SERVICED AS THUS FAR, EXCUSE ME, AS OF 2025 FISCAL YEAR.
SO 26 HOMES AND WE ARE STILL HOLDING $400,000, BUT THAT WILL BE A LITTLE BIT OF A DECREASE WHEN WE COME BACK IN JANUARY.
BUT WE'RE STILL LOOKING GOOD, SO WE'RE NOT LOOKING TO PULL FROM ANYTHING.
AND IF ANYONE KNOWS OF FAMILIES THAT NEED SERVICE REPAIRS, I CANNOT GO KNOCKING ON DOORS.
BUT YOU, YOU KNOW, THE COMMUNITY SEES FIRSTHAND AND THAT'S WHERE WE HAVE OUR DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES, COMMITTEES AND DIFFERENT THINGS TO SAY, WELL THIS FAMILY MAY OR LEMME REFER YOU TO SOMEONE.
SO IT'S NOT A KNOCK ON DOOR PROGRAM, BUT WORD OF MOUTH.
ANY QUESTIONS THERE? QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, CONCERNS? WHERE YOUR MONEY IS GOING? WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING BEHIND THE SCENE WORKS.
I'LL PASS IT BACK TO CHAIRMAN.
UM, ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS AT ALL FROM THE COMMITTEE BEFORE WE, UM, BRING IN OUR GUESTS?
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WE DO HAVE SEVERAL PRESENTERS AND THEY ALL HERE.[IV. PUBLIC COMMENT]
PUBLIC COMMENT RIGHT QUICK.DO YOU GUYS WANNA WANT MIKE I SOMETHING? OKAY.
JUST STATE YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD AND YOU ARE WELCOME TO SPEAK.
TOWN OF BLUFFTON EMPLOYEE AND, UM, REGULAR ATTENDER OF YOUR MEETINGS, IMPORTANT MEETINGS.
UM, SO GOOD MORNING, UM, TO MY ESTEEMED, UH, AFFORDABLE HOUSING COMMITTEE MEMBERS, CHAIRMAN HAMILTON, GRACE STAPLES ESPECIALLY.
UM, I JUST, I THINK YOU ALL, EXCEPT FOR MS. EMILY, UM, YOU'VE BEEN, UH, WITH ME THROUGH THIS ONE YEAR JOURNEY, ONE YEAR PLUS JOURNEY THAT, UH, SINCE I CAME TO YOUR FIRST, MY FIRST MEETING WITH Y'ALL, UH, JANUARY, 2023.
AND, UH, INFORMED YOU OF MY PLEA TO FIND AFFORDABLE APART AN AFFORDABLE APARTMENT IN BLUFFTON SINCE I WAS A NEW EMPLOYEE OF THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON.
UM, AND THEN FAST FORWARD TO TODAY, AND TODAY MARKS THE PAYMENT, MY SECOND PAYMENT OF MY MORTGAGE
AND, UM, THE, THAT JOURNEY HAS ALL BEEN POSSIBLE BECAUSE OF, UH, YOUR INSTRUMENTAL SUPPORT AND ENCOURAGEMENT AND, UM, ALL, ALL, ALL THE GOOD BLESSINGS AND EVERYTHING.
UM, I JUST CAN'T SAY THANK YOU ENOUGH.
UM, OH, AND SO I PAY MY MORTGAGE TODAY.
IT'S A LOT, IT'S A LOT OF MONEY,
UM, BUT I PAY IT READILY BECAUSE OF THE SATISFACTION AND THRILL IT GIVES ME TO, UM, TO SAY THAT IT'S IT'S FOR MY HOME.
AND, UM, THAT FEELING IS JUST, IT'S PALPABLE WHEN I DRIVE HOME EVERY DAY AND I GET TO DRIVE INTO MY GARAGE.
UM, I HAVEN'T HAD A GARAGE IN LIKE 20 YEARS, SO IT'S, IT'S A COOL THING.
SO I JUST HAVE TO SAY THANK YOU TO ALL OF YOU.
AND, UM, THE, THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON, UM, MY SUPERVISORS, UM, MY DEPARTMENT, THE, UM, THE WONDERFUL PROGRAM THAT HR AND THE TOWN AGREED TO, AND YOU WERE INSTRUMENTAL IN APPROVING THE HOME OWNERSHIP, THE HOMEOWNER BUYER, UM, ASSISTANCE PROGRAM, ALL OF THAT.
THE LUCK AND THE TIMING COULDN'T HAVE WORKED OUT BETTER FOR ME.
AND I JUST, I'M BEYOND APPRECIATIVE, SO I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU AND KIND OF CLOSED THE LOOP ON MY STORY AND HOPEFULLY THERE WILL BE MORE STORIES, UM, LIKE MINE TO COME OR HAVE, HAVE, HAVE ALREADY HAPPENED.
SO WHERE, WHERE IS YOUR HOUSE? I AM IN SUN CITY.
WHAT YOU DOING? I, UM, I AM ON A, UH, CUL-DE-SAC CALLED ANDOVER PLACE.
IT'S ONE OF THE LITTLE COMMUNITIES THAT WAS BUILT RIGHT? I THINK AT THE BEGINNING OF SUN CITY.
WELL TELL 'EM WHERE YOU LIVE, THEY'LL COME SEE YOU
I'LL HAVE, I WILL HAVE A HOME, A HOUSE, A A HOUSEWARMING PARTY AT SOME POINT.
UM, SKIP THROUGH THE HOLIDAYS AND UNTIL A LITTLE, AND SHARON HAMILTON WILL PAY FOR ALL OF THIS.
IS THERE SOMEBODY WITHIN THE, THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON THAT HAS, UH, DESIGNATED RESPONSIBILITY TO HELP EMPLOYEES WITH HOUSING ISSUES? IS THERE NO, THERE'S NO ONE PERSON.
UM, LUCKILY THE EIGHT BETWEEN, I DON'T KNOW WHERE THE IDEA CAME FROM.
I DON'T KNOW THE ORIGINATION OF IT, BUT THE HOME BUYER ASSISTANCE PROGRAM, UM, WHICH HAS JUST BEEN PUT IN PLACE IN THIS CURRENT FISCAL YEAR, UM, HAS ALREADY HELPED.
I KNOW FOR SURE ONE PERSON BEFORE ME AND THEN I WAS THE SECOND PERSON.
UM, THEY'RE KEEPING IT CONFIDENTIAL, UM, WHICH IS APPROPRIATE.
UM, BUT, UH, THAT IS AVAILABLE AND HAS BEEN PUBLISHED AND PRONOUNCED TO EVERY MEMBER OF, OR EMPLOYEE OF THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON.
SO IT'S NOW SOMETHING THAT'S KNOWN AND CAN BE, UH, REQUESTED.
UM, WHO ADMINISTERS THAT? WELL, I'D SAY HR BECAUSE THEY'RE THE ONES WHO, UM, WORK IN TANDEM WITH THE COMMUNITY WORKS, WHICH IS THE PROGRAM THAT, UM,
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DOES THE, DOES THE LOGISTICAL STUFF.OKAY, SO THAT IS IT FOR OUR PUBLIC COMMENT SESSION.
[VII.1. Forino Construction, Roger Bright, Director of Business Development]
MR. ROGER BRIGHT FROM FARINO CONSTRUCTION, WHO'S DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT.I, UH, I WORK WITH THE FREE ORGANIZATION.
UM, I'M FROM LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY.
I WAS A REAL ESTATE DEVELOPER AND BUILDER IN LOUISVILLE FOR 50 YEARS.
UM, MY WIFE PASSED AWAY AND I GOT ON ONE OF THESE PHILOSOPHICAL JOURNEYS AND I BOUGHT A 42 FOOT FIFTH WHEEL AND A BIG ASS TRUCK.
AND I TOOK OFF AROUND THE COUNTRY FOR THREE YEARS.
UM, WHAT A WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE THAT WAS, BY THE WAY, JUST TRAVELING OUR COUNTRY.
UM, AFTER ABOUT THREE YEARS OF PULLING THIS 42 FOOT FIFTH WHEEL AROUND THE COUNTRY, I DECIDED I WANTED TO STOP.
AND WHERE DID I WANNA STOP? UH, I COULD HAVE PICKED ANY PLACE IN THE UNITED STATES TO HAVE STOPPED, UH, BECAUSE THIS IS WHERE I'M GONNA JUST CALM MYSELF NOW AND THEN.
WE CHOSE, UH, UH, SAVANNAH CHARLESTON HILTON HAD BUFORD BLUFFTON AREA.
UH, ONE TIME WE CAME THROUGH THIS AREA ON ONE OF OUR TRAVELS DOWN THE EAST COAST.
AND, UM, MY WIFE WITHOUT A LICENSE, MISS JOANNE, HAD SOME FRIENDS WHO LIVED IN SUN CITY.
AND SHE SAID, LET'S STOP AND HAVE LUNCH WITH THEM.
AND WE WENT TO THIS PLACE CALLED THE COTTAGE CAFE.
AND SOON AS WE PULLED INTO THAT AREA, JOANNE SAID, THIS IS WHERE I WANNA LIVE.
SO I REMEMBER SO WELL PULLING INTO BLUFFTON AND WHY THAT WAS A DRAW OF WHY WE DECIDED TO COME HERE FIVE YEARS AGO.
UM, AS LONG AS I WAS MOVING AND I WAS PULLING THAT FIFTH WHEEL AROUND THE COUNTRY AND BEING A FULL-TIME TOURIST, I WAS FINE WITH STAYING BUSY WHEN I STOPPED AND I SAID, STILL, AND ALL I COULD DO EVERY DAY WAS WATCH THE GRASS GROW.
I DIDN'T DO VERY WELL AT THAT AND DECIDED THAT WHAT MADE ME THE MOST HAPPY IN MY LIFE WAS WORK.
I DON'T PLAY GOLF, I DON'T HUNT, I DON'T FISH.
I WORK, I BUILT A MULTI MULTIMILLION DOLLAR A YEAR CORPORATION.
AND, UH, I WORKED MOST OF MY LIFE
SO ANYWAY, UM, I CAME OUTTA RETIREMENT AND, AND NOT FOR ANY OTHER REASON OTHER THAN I LOVE THE REAL ESTATE BUSINESS.
AND, AND I HAPPENED TO BE PRETTY GOOD AT IT.
AND, UH, WHEN I HIT TOWN, BY THE WAY, THIS YOUNG LADY HERE WAS MY, MY GREETER, MS. MEGAN JAMES.
'CAUSE I'M A PAST PRESIDENT OF THE HOME BUILDERS ASSOCIATION OF LOUISVILLE.
SO WHEN I GOT HERE, OOH, I GOTTA CALL THE HOME BUILDERS GROUP
AND I MET MEGAN JAMES AND, UH, AND A GOOD FRIEND AND SHE INTRODUCED ME TO HER FAMILY AND TO THE ASSOCIATION.
AND I'LL NEVER FORGET HOW WELCOMING YOU WERE.
UM, AS I GOT WITH THE FARINO ORGANIZATION, I WAS PUT IN CHARGE OF THE COMMERCIAL MULTIFAMILY DIVISION OF WHATEVER FARINO WAS GONNA DO.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS JOHN SMITH, THE PRESIDENT OF FARINO ASKED ME TO DO WAS TO GET WITH HARRY WILLIAMS AND BRENDA DOOLEY OF HABITAT BECAUSE THEY WANTED TO DO A PROJECT IN HARVILLE.
WELL, THE REASON JOHN ASKED ME TO DO THAT IS JOHN KNOWS THAT I'VE GOT ABOUT 20 YEAR HISTORY OF DEVELOPING AND BUILDING AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
UM, I DID A LOT OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
UM, THE MAYOR OF LOUISVILLE PUT ME ON THE HOUSING TRUST FUND BOARD, UH, BECAUSE OF MY EXPERIENCE IN THE, IN THE HOUSING, AFFORDABLE HOUSING MARKET.
UM, I GET HERE AND I MEET WITH HARRY, AND I MEET WITH BRENDA AND WE, AND I WANT TO START WITH HOW DID THIS ALL COME ABOUT WHEN YOU'RE SITTING THERE AT THE FIRST MEETING AND YOU'RE SAYING HABITAT WANTS TO BUILD SOME AFFORDABLE HOUSING? UM, WELL, WHEN WE JUST FINISHED THEM LAST MONTH, THE APPRAISER CALLED ME ONE DAY AND SAID, MR. BRIGHT, I'M WITH THE BANK.
I'D LIKE TO TALK TO YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE VALUE OF THESE HOMES AND, AND, UM, WHAT THE PRICE VALUE OF THEM WOULD BE.
SO YOU WANT ME TO DO YOUR JOB FOR YOU? YES, SIR.
WOULD YOU? AND I SAID, WELL, LEMME SAY THIS TO YOU.
THAT SAME IDENTICAL UNIT, THAT SAME IDENTICAL TOWN HOME, I'M DEVELOPING AND BUILDING A MILE AND A HALF AWAY ON
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A NEW DEVELOPED SITE, NEW INFRASTRUCTURE, REAL ESTATE COMMISSIONS, PROFIT MARGINS, THAT SHOULD BE THERE.THESE UNITS THAT HABITAT JUST BOUGHT WERE $225,000.
BUT WHERE'D THAT A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS DIFFERENCE COME FROM? UM, AND I REMEMBER JUST THINKING ABOUT COMING HERE TODAY, WHAT I LEARNED THE MOST ABOUT AFFORDABLE HOUSING WAS ENCAPSULATED IN ONE WORD.
AND, AND, AND I WANTED TO MAKE SURE I SPELLED IT RIGHT.
SO I SAID TO MY PHONE, SUBSIDY, SUBSIDY, SUBSIDY, THAT'S WHAT AFFORDABLE HOUSING REALLY GETS DOWN TO.
UM, I WANTED TO READ TO YOU WHAT, WHEN I, WHEN I SAID, WHAT ARE YOU GONNA SAY TO THE GROUP ABOUT AFFORDABLE HOUSING? WELL, SUBSIDY IS, IS THE BIGGEST WORD IN THE WHOLE PROCESS.
AND I READ THE DESCRIPTION OF, OF SUBSIDY, AND IT SAYS, A SUM OF MONEY GRANTED BY THE GOVERNMENT OR PUBLIC BODY TO ASSIST AN INDUSTRY OR BUSINESS SO THAT THE PRICE OF THE COMMODITY OR SERVICE MAY REMAIN LOW OR, OR, AND, OR COMPETITIVE.
I GUESS THAT'S, THAT'S PRETTY FAIR ANALYSIS OF WHAT SUBSIDY IS ALL ABOUT.
UM, MANY YEARS AGO, WELL, 1980, THE MAYOR OF LOUISVILLE ASKED ME IF MY COMPANY, WE WERE DEVELOPING PRETTY MUCH OUT ON THE OUTSKIRTS OF TOWN, AND HE STARTED ASKING ME AS THE PRESIDENT OF THE HOME BUILDERS, COULD WE NOT GET THE HOME BUILDERS GROUP INVOLVED IN THE INNER CITY AFFORDABLE HOUSING EFFORT OF THE MAYOR? NO, WE COULDN'T.
MOST OF THE BUILDERS DON'T WANT TO DEAL WITH AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND FOR NUMEROUS REASONS, ESPECIALLY IF YOU HAVE GOVERNMENT FUNDING INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS, BECAUSE NOW A WHOLE NOTHER SET OF RULES COME WITH THIS GAME CALLED HOUSING.
AND I'M GONNA JUST BE ARBITRARY AND SAY, IF I'M OUT IN THE SUBURBS BUILDING A DEVELOPMENT, I'M GONNA MAKE 15, 18%.
I, I GOTTA MAKE THAT TO STAY IN BUSINESS AND COVER MY OVERHEAD.
I GOTTA MAKE 18% OR SOMETHING IN, IN THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
NOBODY EVER WANTS TO HEAR THAT KIND OF A NUMBER.
SO THE FIRST THING THAT HAPPENS TO A BUILDER THAT'S GONNA DO THIS, BECAUSE EVERYBODY'S SUBSIDIZING, EVERYBODY'S GIVING.
SO ONE THING NOBODY REALLY WANTS TO SEE IS THIS BUILDER MAKE A LOT OF MONEY.
SO MY POINT IS, IT'S NOT A LUCRATIVE REVENUE GENERATOR FOR BUILDERS TO BUILD AFFORDABLE HOUSING ONLY BECAUSE THE WHOLE PROCESS IS A MATTER OF KEEPING COSTS DOWN.
SO IF YOU PUT SOME KIND OF A NUMBER, LIKE 15 OR 18%, EVERYBODY THAT'S INVOLVED IN THAT PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP DOESN'T THINK THAT'S FAIR.
HAVING DONE THAT, I BUILT, I DEVELOPED, BUILT AND OWNED 750 AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNITS IN DOWNTOWN LOUISVILLE.
ONCE I DID THE FIRST ONE, I HAD IT FIGURED OUT.
THEN THE SECOND ONE, IT WAS EVEN EASIER.
THE THIRD ONE AND THE FOURTH ONE FOR 12 YEARS, I SPENT IN DOWNTOWN LOUISVILLE AGO DOING AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
AND, AND, AND I REMEMBER WHY I DID THAT, BECAUSE NOBODY ELSE WANTED TO DO IT.
NOBODY WANTED TO DEAL WITH THE GOVERNMENT, NOBODY WANTED TO DEAL WITH THE BUREAUCRACY.
NOBODY WANTED TO DEAL WITH THE MARGINAL OPPORTUNITY, BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY, ALL THE POLICIES AND ALL, ALL THE STUFF THAT COMES WITH AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
UM, I LOOKED AT IT AS AN ENTREPRENEUR SAYING, WELL, IF THERE'S NOBODY IN LINE, ROGER, WHY DON'T YOU JUST GO SIT DOWN WITH THE MAYOR AND FIGURE THIS OUT? AND THE MAYOR SAID TO ME, ROGER, WHAT WOULD IT TAKE FOR YOU TO COME DOWNTOWN? MAKE ME A LIST.
I REMEMBER GOING BACK HOME ONE NIGHT AND, AND SITTING THERE IN MY OFFICE GOING, OKAY, JERRY ASKED JERRY ABRAMSON WAS THE MAYOR OF LOUISVILLE AT THE TIME.
JERRY ASKED ME WHAT I WANT TO COME DOWN HERE.
AND I JUST STARTED, I WANT FREE LAND.
I WANT YOU TO DO THE SIDEWALKS.
I WANT YOU TO PUT ALL THE OVERHEAD LINES UNDERGROUND.
I JUST STARTED MAKING A LIST OF THE THINGS THAT I THOUGHT IT WOULD TAKE TO MAKE THE 16 BLOCKS OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING A REALITY.
UM, THEN WE THEN I LEARNED ABOUT BLOCK GRANT FUNDS.
THEN I LEARNED ABOUT, UH, LOW INCOME TAX CREDITS.
THEN I LEARNED A WHOLE LOT ABOUT HOW YOU REALLY FORMULATE THE PROCESS OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT.
UM, IT WAS QUITE INTERESTING, QUITE CHALLENGING.
I TOLD THE MAYOR, I SAID, IF YOU WANT ME TO DO THIS, YOU GOTTA GIVE ME SOMEBODY
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WITH A STRING AND A SIGN ON THE FRONT OF HIM THAT SAYS, DON'T MESS WITH ROGER.BECAUSE IF I GET STOPPED WITH INTIMATE DOMAIN, OOH, THAT'S AN INTERESTING PROCESS THAT YOU HAVE TO GO THROUGH WHEN YOU WANT TO TAKE PEOPLE'S PROPERTY.
'CAUSE YOU WANT TO REDEVELOP AN AREA.
UM, HAVING SAID ALL OF THAT, PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS ARE A REALITY.
IT USUALLY TAKES AN INTERTWINING OF, OF PRIVATE AND PUBLIC TO MAKE THESE THINGS HAPPEN.
WHEN I MET WITH HARRY WILLIAMS AND BRENDA, I SAID, HERE'S HOW WE START HARRY.
AND I LOOKED AT THE MAYOR, I SAID, NO FEES.
AND I DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING ELSE.
I THOUGHT, LET'S SEE WHAT HE SAYS ABOUT THAT.
OH, OKAY, WE'RE OFF AND RUNNING HERE PRE LAMBED.
WELL, I'LL TELL YOU WHAT, BECAUSE FARINO HAS A LOT OF INVOLVEMENT IN THE HARVILLE AREA.
WE HAVE A MOTIVATING FACTOR THAT'S IMPORTANT CALLED GIVING BACK TO THE COMMUNITY.
WE DIDN'T LOOK AT HARVEY PLACE AS BEING AN INCOME GENERATOR.
WE LOOKED AT HARVEY PLACE BEING SOMETHING THAT WE COULD CONTRIBUTE BACK TO THE COMMUNITY THAT'S BEEN GOOD TO US.
SO WE DIDN'T PUT, WE DIDN'T PUT ANY PROFIT ON IT.
UM, IT TOOK TWO ENGINEERING FIRMS, $75,000.
SO I STARTED THE WHOLE PROCESS OF HE WANTS 75 WILLIE, YOU NEED TO DO IT FOR 30.
OKAY, ROGER, I'LL DO IT FOR 30.
THESE ARE AND SUPPLIERS THAT WORK FOR US IN THE OTHER ARMS. SO WE WERE ABLE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF OUR RELATIONSHIP AND THE VOLUME OF BUILDING FROM A LOT OF OUR SUBS.
IF YOU DON'T GO TO BFS AND SAY, I NEED 2002 BY FOURS, I NEED YOU TO DONATE THEM.
MY POINT, NOT BEING TOO SPECIFIC, IT JUST TAKES SUCH A, A, A, A HUGE EFFORT TO MAKE THE ECONOMICS WORK.
'CAUSE IN ESSENCE, WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO DO IS TAKE A $2,000 RENTAL INCOME UNIT AND FIGURE OUT HOW YOU'RE GONNA RENT IT FOR $750 A MONTH.
HOW DO YOU DO THAT? LOTS AND LOTS AND LOTS OF DIFFERENT WAYS.
UM, FINANCING WAYS ARE ALWAYS A KEY.
UH, THE LOW INCOME TAX CREDIT IS A GOOD ONE.
AND, UM, BY THE WAY, BEFORE I FORGET, I DON'T WANNA MISS THIS.
WHEN I WAS DOING MY FIRST ONE, I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY SAID WHEN THEY SAID, ROGER, THIS, THIS LAND IS IN THE ENTERPRISE ZONE.
WHAT'S THAT MEAN? WELL, THE GOVERNMENT IDENTIFIES, AND BY THE WAY, THEY, THEY'VE DONE THAT AROUND HERE TOO, BY THE WAY.
BUT IN FACT, IN MY TIME IT WAS CALLED THE ENTERPRISE ZONE.
AND IF YOU DEVELOPED IN THE ENTERPRISE ZONE, YOU DIDN'T PAY ANY SALES TAX.
WELL, MY DEVELOPMENT WAS $26 MILLION BACK IN 1980.
THAT WAS A MILLION AND A HALF DOLLARS OF, OF A SAVINGS JUST BECAUSE IT WAS IN THE ENTERPRISE ZONE.
AND I DIDN'T HAVE TO PAY SALES TAX ON ALL THE MATERIAL.
I THOUGHT THAT WAS PRETTY SIGNIFICANT.
UM, THOSE ARE THE KIND OF THINGS I GUESS THAT, THAT I SAY THAT IT TAKES TO DO AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
HOW DO YOU GET A $2,000 RETAIL UNIT DOWN TO A $750 A MONTH RENTAL INCOME? UM, AND I, IT TAKES A LOT OF CREATIVITY.
IT TAKES A LOT OF COMMITMENT FROM A LOT OF PEOPLE LIKE YOURSELVES WHO CARE ABOUT AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
UH, I, I WAS MENTIONING BEFORE I STARTED SPEAKING TO FRED THAT THE FEELING THAT SATURDAY WHEN WE MOVED THOSE 10 PEOPLE INTO HARVEY PLACE WAS PHENOMENAL.
JUST TO WATCH THESE FAMILIES AND HOW MUCH THEY APPRECIATED THIS OPPORTUNITY TO OWN A HOME FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THEIR LIVES.
UM, SO IT WAS, IT'S A, IT WAS A GOOD FEELING.
IT KIND OF COMES WITH AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROCESS.
WHY A LOT OF BUILDERS DON'T WANT TO DO IT BECAUSE THERE'S NOT A LOT OF MONEY TO BE MADE IN IT.
AND IT'S DIFFICULT BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF BUREAUCRACY AND A LOT OF RULES THAT COME WITH IT.
IF YOU START USING FEDERAL FUNDING OF ANY NATURE, UM, IT'S A VERY DIFFICULT PROCESS.
AND I'M NOT, I DID IT FOR 15 YEARS AND ONE RIGHT AFTER ANOTHER.
WHEN THEY, WHEN THEY FIRST STARTED AND SAID, MR. BRIGHT, YOU HAVE TO DO, YOU HAVE TO USE THIS PERCENTAGE OF MINORITIES, YOU HAVE TO USE ALL THESE RULES STARTED COMING AT ME AND I'M GOING, I DON'T KNOW ABOUT ALL OF THAT.
UM, ONCE I FIGURED IT OUT, IT, IT, IT WASN'T DIFFICULT TO DO IT ALL, BUT AFFORDABLE.
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WAS THAT DID BIG DEVELOPMENTS.WE, WE KNEW HOW TO MAKE ALL OF THAT HAPPEN.
THE LITTLE GUY, IT'S TOUGH TO DO BECAUSE HE DOESN'T HAVE THE RESOURCES AND THE TIME TO DO A SMALL PROJECT.
THEY'RE, THEY'RE, THEY'RE DIFFICULT TO DO.
UM, THERE'S BIG CORPORATIONS AROUND THE COUNTRY THAT THAT'S ALL THEY DO.
THEIR NICHE IS AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
UM, I KNOW MOST OF THEM, I'VE MET MOST OF THEM.
AND, AND THE GENTLEMAN BEFORE HIM, DANA, I, DICK STEWART'S ASKED ME TO SERVE ON THE, UH, HOUSING TRUST FUND BOARD.
UH, I HAVEN'T ACCEPTED TO DATE, BUT I PROBABLY WILL AT SOME POINT.
I REMEMBER GOING TO ALL OF THESE AFFORDABLE HOUSING, UH, SYMPOSIUMS AND SITTING THERE THINKING TO MYSELF, THERE WERE 45 PEOPLE IN THE ROOM.
AND I'M SITTING THERE, I DON'T KNOW MOST OF THEM, BUT I'M JUST LISTENING TO WHAT'S GOING ON FOR THE DAY.
IT'S ALL ABOUT AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
AND I REMEMBER SITTING THERE, SO, SO WELL, I WANTED TO GET UP AND STAND IN FRONT OF EVERYBODY AND SAY, YOU KNOW WHAT, THIS IS THE SAME CONVERSATION TODAY, 45 YEARS LATER THAT I REMEMBER I WENT TO, WHEN I FIRST STARTED LOOKING INTO THIS DEFINITION OF WHAT IS AFFORDABLE HOUSING? WHAT IS THAT, WHAT'S THAT MEAN? 45 YEARS LATER, I'M SITTING IN THIS MEETING AND THESE PEOPLE ARE TALKING ABOUT THE SAME ISSUES, SAME POINTS, SAME DIFFICULTIES, SAME HURDLES.
UM, SO WHAT DO YOU SAY, ROGER, ABOUT AFFORDABLE HOUSING? LET ME ALSO SAY THAT I SERVE ON THE BUFORD REGIONAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE BOARD.
AND ON THAT BOARD, ONE OF MY COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS IS I'M ON THE PUBLIC POLICY COMMITTEE.
WE STRUCTURE UP WHAT THE CHAMBER REPRESENTS AND WE SUBMIT THAT TO STATE, LOCAL, AND FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
I'VE BEEN ON THAT COMMITTEE FOR THREE YEARS.
TODAY, THIS AFTERNOON, FOUR O'CLOCK, WE'RE GONNA FINISH IT IN FINAL, UM, OUR 2025 PUBLIC POLICY AGENDA, BECAUSE I GOT THAT LATER TO DO TODAY.
I WAS LOOKING AT IT LAST NIGHT AND I THOUGHT, HOLY SMOKES, LOOK AT THIS.
ROGER, WHY DON'T YOU SAY TO THIS COMMITTEE TODAY, I'M LOOKING AT THE FINAL DRAFT HERE.
IT SAYS, STATE LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES, NUMBER ONE, WORKFORCE AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
INCREASE THE STATE'S LOW INCOME HOUSING TAX CREDIT PROGRAM AND SUPPORT ADMINISTRATIVE CHANGES NECESSARY IN BEAUFORT AREA.
PROJECTS TO COMPLETE SUCCESSFULLY FOR CREDITS.
EXPAND THE SOUTH CAROLINA HOUSING TRUST FUND FOR HOME REPAIRS, FUND PRIORITIES FOR SOUTH CAROLINA HOUSING AUTHORITY.
UPDATE REGULATORY AND ALLOW EMPLOYER HOUSING.
HERE'S THE, HERE'S THE CHAMBER.
NUMBER ONE ISSUE WITH THE STATE IS WORKFORCE AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING ISSUES.
IF I TURN THE PAGE AND I GET TO THE LOCAL REGIONAL PRIORITIES, NUMBER ONE, WORKFORCE AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
HERE IT IS, SUPPORT PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS TO CREATE MORE WORKFORCE AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
UM, COULDN'T SAY IT ANY BETTER.
ADVOCATE FOR POLICIES AND ZONING THAT PROMOTE DIVERSITY FOR HOUSING TYPES AND PRICE POINTS.
REMOVE MORATORIUMS, UM, ON MULTIFAMILY HOUSING AND CREATE EXCEPTIONS FOR AFFORDABLE AND WORKFORCE HOUSING.
REDUCE AND EXEMPT LAND ENTITLEMENT AND FEE STRUCTURES.
AND THEN I GET TO FEDERAL AND GUESS WHAT'S NUMBER ONE ON THE FEDERAL PRIORITY LIST? AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
SO TO THE LOCAL, TO THE STATE, TO THE FEDERAL POLITICIANS.
WE SUBMIT THE BUFORD'S PUBLIC POLICY, WHAT WE'RE ALL ABOUT AND ALL THREE OF 'EM.
AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS THE NUMBER ONE ISSUE.
I'VE BEEN A PART OF ALL THOSE CONVERSATIONS AND WRITING THOSE.
UM, I MIGHT ALSO ADD THAT I AM A RECENTLY APPOINTED MEMBER OF THE BUFORT JASPER WATER AND SEWER BOARD.
AND SINCE I WENT ON THAT BOARD, I SAT DOWN WITH VERNA, UH, AND PAUL, THE TWO NEW MANAGERS AND SAID, WHAT IS BEAUFORT JASPER NOW I'M A NEW BOARD MEMBER.
AND SO I JUST STARTED AND I TEXTED VERNA, WHAT ARE WE DOING TO HELP AFFORDABLE HOUSING? CAN'T, CAN'T BUFORD JASPER, WHO'S RAISING ALL THESE FEES, CAN'T THEY PLAY A ROLE IN AFFORDABLE HOUSING? VERNA, WE NEED TO, MAYBE WE WAIVE THE TAP FEES.
MAYBE WE, YOU NEED TO TAKE A ROLE ON TALKING TO VERNA AND PAUL.
YOU NEED TO TAKE A ROLE IN THIS COMMUNITY THAT YOU'RE COLLECTING ALL
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THIS MONEY FROM AND GIVE BACK TO THE COMMUNITY.SO I'M ADVOCATING IN INVOLVEMENT OF BUFORT JASPER WATER IN THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING ISSUE.
UH, PROBABLY I'M GONNA WORK WITH THE STEWARD ON THE, UH, HOUSING TRUST FUND.
AND TUESDAY THE 17TH, I'M MEETING WITH HARRY AND BRENDA.
'CAUSE WE'RE GONNA DO ANOTHER HARVEY PLACE TOGETHER.
I GUESS, UM, WHEN I, WHEN I THINK ABOUT ALL OF THE ELEMENTS OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING, OFTEN I FIND THAT THE POLITICAL LEADERSHIP HAS GOTTA BE THE DOMINANT PLAYER.
SOMEBODY AT THE TOP, THE MAYOR, I WANT DO AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
WHEN DID THEY PUT THEIR MONEY UP? WHEN I STARTED THE HOUSING TRUST FUND IN LOUISVILLE IN 2015, I GUESS IT WAS THE COUNTY AND THE CITY GAVE THAT BOARD $7 MILLION.
TOOK FOREVER TO GET 'EM TO FUND IT.
$7 MILLION WE'RE NINE YEARS LATER.
AND I TALKED TO MARJORIE YESTERDAY IN LOUISVILLE, SO I KNOW THIS MARJORIE, WHAT'S THE COUNTY AND THE CITY FUNDING NOW? 22 MILLION.
SO THEY'VE GONE FROM $7 MILLION OF FUNDING THIS HOUSING TRUST FUND TO $22 MILLION IN EIGHT OR NINE YEARS.
IT MUST HAVE BEEN BECAUSE IT WAS PRODUCTIVE AND, AND PEOPLE SAW BENEFIT OF IT AND THE POLITICIANS WANTED TO CONTINUE THE INVOLVEMENT.
SO WHAT DO I SEE ABOUT AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS IT'S GOTTA START WITH SOME KIND OF LEADERSHIP.
AND WHEN HARRY ASKED ME THE OTHER DAY, HOW CAN WE DO THIS AGAIN? I SAID, FIND A SITE WHERE ALL THE INFRASTRUCTURE'S ALREADY IN PLACE.
DON'T MAKE ME RUN SEWERS AND WATER LINES AND UTILITIES.
FIND A PARCEL OF LAND WHERE ALL THE UTILITIES ARE CONNECTABLE.
AND THEN BY THE WAY, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO GIVE IT, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO BUY IT OR WHATEVER YOU'RE GONNA DO.
AND YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO BE COMMITTED TO PUT IT IN THE DEAL.
UM, AND THEN I'LL DO IT WITH NO COMMISSIONS, NO PROFIT.
WHERE IN THE HELL DOES THE BRENDA GO GET $2,250,000? BOOM.
SHE CLOSES, THEY BOUGHT THOSE 10 UNITS FROM
NOW, I DON'T KNOW, I DIDN'T ASK BRENDA WHERE SHE GOT THE $2,250,000.
WHEN SHE ASKED ME HOW MUCH THEY WOULD COST.
I SAID, BRENDA, I'LL BUILD 'EM FOR YOU FOR $225,000 A PIECE.
AND SHE SAID, THAT WOULD BE WONDERFUL.
BRENDA'S PRETTY SMART, BY THE WAY.
WE HAD A MEMORANDUM AND, AND OFF WE WENT.
THEY DIDN'T HAVE TO PUT ANY MONEY IN UP FRONT.
WHEN IT COME TIME TO CLOSE, THEY WROTE A CHECK FOR $2,250,000.
AND BY THE WAY, I COME, COME TO FIND OUT THE DICK STEWART'S HOUSING TRUST FUND COMMITTED A LITTLE $90,000, $9,000 A UNIT TO THE HOMEOWNERS.
I DON'T KNOW HOW THAT WAS USED.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT ROLE THE THE TRUST FUND PLAYED WITH BRENDA, BUT THEY FUNDED, UH, GRANTED, GAVE $90,000 TO, UM, HABITAT FOR HUMANITY.
NOW MY POINT OF ALL OF THAT IS THERE WAS A SELLER, THERE WAS A, A PERSON WHO WANTED THESE UNITS.
I BEAT UP ALL MY SUBS AND SUPPLIERS THE BEST I COULD TO GET AS MANY COSTS DOWN FOR THIS PROJECT.
THERE'S 10 PEOPLE IN IT AND, AND THEY'RE IN THE UNIT PROBABLY A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS LESS THAN IT SHOULD BE OR IS ON THE MARKET TODAY.
UM, WHAT HAVE I LEARNED OVER ALL OF MY YEARS OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING? THAT COMMITMENT HAS TO BE HUGE FROM THE MAYOR, FROM, FROM THE LEADERSHIP AND THE FINANCIAL SUPPORT HAS GOT TO BE BEHIND IT.
THOSE ARE TWO ESSENTIAL INGREDIENTS TO EVEN GET THE GAME GOING.
UM, I I, I WROTE CREATIVITY THAT, THAT WAS ANOTHER ONE OF MY WORDS BECAUSE EVERY TIME I GOT INTO ANOTHER PROJECT IT WAS, HOW CREATIVE COULD WE BE? HOW CREATIVE COULD WE BE ABOUT THE DESIGN? HOW CREATIVE COULD WE BE ABOUT THE COST? HOW CREATIVE COULD WE BE AT ANY PART OF IT AS IT RELATES TO THE ECONOMICS? 'CAUSE IT'S ALL ABOUT AFFORDABILITY.
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WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU PUT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IN, IN THE PROCESS, IT CHANGES THE RULES QUITE A BIT AND IT MAKES IT VERY DIFFICULT FOR SMALLER BUILDERS, BUILDERS WHO ARE NOT TYPICALLY FAMILIAR WITH AFFORDABLE HOUSING, UM, TO MAKE ANY MONEY AT IT.UM, SO I THINK IT TAKES EITHER, YOU KNOW, WHEN I SAID TO THE MAYOR, I NEED YOU TO PUT ALL THE OVERHEAD LINES UNDERGROUND, I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT I WAS SAYING OTHER THAN YOU WANT ME TO CHANGE THIS AREA OF YOUR INNER CITY FROM A SEMI-COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT AREA, A DETERIORATED AREA TO A RESIDENTIAL AREA WITH ALL THESE DAMN OVERHEAD LINES.
SO I JUST THOUGHT, WELL, OVERHEAD LINES DOWN HAD THE OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO BE ABLE TO ASK YOU SOME QUESTIONS.
I WANNA MAKE SURE BEFORE OUR TIME RIGHT OUT THE A BOARD GET TO ASK YOU SOME QUESTIONS.
IS THAT, ARE YOU ALMOST AT THAT POINT, I'M VERY SORRY.
I'M HAVING A VERY DIFFICULT TIME UNDERSTANDING YOU AND HEARING YOU.
ARE YOU ALMOST AT A POINT WHERE WE COULD ASK YOU SOME QUESTIONS? YES SIR.
UM, WE WANNA MAKE SURE BEFORE SPEAK UP, PLEASE.
WE WANNA MAKE SURE WE CAN GET SOME QUESTION IN BEFORE I PASS.
I'M, I'M HERE AS LONG AS YOU NEED ME TO BE HERE, SIR.
YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR MR? NOT RIGHT NOW.
IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU'RE WILLING TO DO IT AGAIN.
IT SOUNDS LIKE MR. HARRY WILLIAMS HAS A REQUEST FOR ANOTHER ONE.
WOULD YOU GUYS BE WILLING TO COME TO BLUFFTON AND IF SO, I MEAN, IT SOUNDS I GET IT.
AND IF BLUFFTON HAS AN OPPORTUNITY, I GUESS TO INCENTIVIZE FARINO TO PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP, WOULD YOU GUYS BE OPEN TO THAT HERE? YES, WE WOULD.
I'M NOT GONNA PUT ANY REST OF IT.
UM, FARINO DOESN'T KNOW HOW TO DO FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
ROGER BRIGHT KNOWS HOW TO DO THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
SO IF I CHOOSE TO DO IT, FREEDA WILL SAY.
SO, UM, AND IT WORKED PRETTY NICE THE FIRST TIME, SO WE'RE GONNA TRY IT AGAIN.
BUT YES, UH, IT, IT TAKES A LOT OF, A LOT OF ELEMENTS TO MAKE IT HAPPEN.
BUT, UM, YOU ANSWERED OTHER QUESTIONS THAT I HAD WHILE YOU WERE TALKING.
UM, WHO BY THE WAY, WHEN MEGAN HAD TO DO, HAD TO GO SPEAK ON A AFFORDABLE HOUSING, SHE CALLED ME FOR ANY TUTORING SHE COULD GET.
WITH, WITH THE HARDY BILL PROJECT.
WHO PAID FOR THE INFRASTRUCTURE AND SITE WORK COST? I'M SORRY.
I'M NOT AS LOUD WITH THE HARDY V PROJECT.
WHO PAID FOR THE INFRASTRUCTURE AND SITE WORK COST? WE DID.
YOU KNOW, THE SEWERS WERE THERE, THE WATER WAS THERE, BUT ALL THE SITE PREP, Y'ALL PAY FOR ALL OF THAT? YEAH, WE, WE PUT THE $250,000 WORTH OF SITE COSTS VERSUS $2 MILLION WORTH OF SITE COSTS.
AND HOW MANY SQUARE FEET WERE THOSE UNITS OUT THERE? THOSE WERE 1,650 SQUARE FEET.
IS IT THREE, THREE BEDROOM, TWO BEDROOMS UP AND A BATH.
YOU HAD TO GO SEE 'EM BECAUSE THEY'RE NEAT IN HELL.
WELL, I SEEN 'EM FROM THE OUTSIDE.
YOU GO UP THE STAIRS, THERE'S A LOFT THAT LOOKS DOWN IN ONTO THE LIVING AREA UPSTAIRS.
THERE'S TWO BEDROOMS AND A BATH IN THE MIDDLE.
THE MASTER BEDROOM IS DOWNSTAIRS.
AND THEN IS THERE A MINIMUM SIZE PROJECT? I KNOW OUT THERE YOU DID 10.
I MEAN, IS THERE A MINIMUM SIZE THAT YOU WOULD NEED TO DO IT? YEAH, I, I SUSPECT THAT THERE IS, I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS, BUT, UM, I, I GUESS EMILY, TO BE VERY CANDID WITH YOU, IT DEPENDS ON WHAT THE MOTIVATING FACTOR IS FROM THE RENO ORGANIZATION.
I MEAN, IT, WHAT I DO KNOW ABOUT AFFORDABLE HOUSING, IT IS NOT AN EXTREMELY PROFITABLE BUSINESS.
SO THERE'S GOTTA BE ANOTHER MOTIVATION FOR US TO DO IT.
BESIDES MAKING MONEY, OUR MOTIVATION IN HARVILLE IS THAT HARVILLE'S BEEN VERY GOOD TO THE RENO ORGANIZATION FOR THE LAST 15 YEARS.
WE'VE BEEN HERE FOR, SINCE 2007.
UM, AND, AND WE, WE FELT THIS NEED TO GIVE BACK.
I DON'T KNOW THAT THE FINO ORGANIZATION STANDS AS A WHOLE, AS AN AFFORDABLE HOUSING BUILDER.
I REMEMBER AS I CONTINUED TO GO TO THESE FORUMS, I DRIVE BACK TO THE OFFICE THINKING, WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS, ROGER? WHY DO YOU KEEP GOING TO THESE RENO'S NOT AN AFFORDABLE HOUSING? WELL, BECAUSE IT WAS A COMFORT ZONE FOR ME.
'CAUSE I KNEW WHAT EVERYBODY WAS TALKING ABOUT.
UM, WOULD WE DO IT AGAIN? WE'RE GONNA DO IT AGAIN AT HARVILLE, I THINK.
AND WOULD WE DO IT IN BLUFFTON IF THE, IF THE SITUATION
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WAS RIGHT? SURE.UM, WHERE'S SERENO HEADQUARTERED? WE ARE HEADQUARTERED IN PENNSYLVANIA, IN SOUTH CAROLINA AND GEORGIA.
WE HAVE THREE HEADQUARTERS HERE IN SOUTH CAROLINA.
WE HAVE, EXCUSE ME, THERE'S HEADQUARTERS HERE IN SOUTH CAROLINA.
UH, THAT'S WHERE MY OFFICE IS.
WE HAVE AN OFFICE PROJECT GOING ON DOWN AT JUN BOULEVARD.
UM, DO YOU HAVE A LEGISLATIVE LIAISON, UH, IN COLUMBIA? NO, I DON'T.
UM, WHEN YOU MET WITH THE MAYOR OF LOUISVILLE, YOU SAID YOU HAD A LIST OF THINGS THAT WERE NECESSARY FOR YOU TO DO AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
HAS THAT LIST CHANGED IN THE LAST FEW YEARS? NO, PROBABLY NOT.
IT WOULD DEFINITELY, BECAUSE ALL OF THOSE THOUGHTS THAT CAME OUTTA MY MIND WERE THINGS THAT I THOUGHT THE CITY COULD PAY FOR THAT I THOUGHT JERRY COULD FIGURE OUT HOW TO PAY FOR ALL THE NEW SIDEWALKS AND ALL THE NEW ROADS AND I CLOSED STREETS.
UM, SO I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT, IF THEY'RE THE SAME THING OR NOT.
UM, ALL I REMEMBER WAS EVERYTHING THAT I COULD GET THE CITY TO DO.
WAS SOMETHING THE LESS THAT HAD TO GO ON THE COST SHEET.
WOULD THAT LIST BE THE SAME FOR JUST ABOUT EVERY DEVELOPMENT? IT DOES.
IS THAT SOMETHING YOU COULD SHARE WITH US? WELL, I, I THINK IT VARIES.
I, I THINK WHAT SOMEBODY CAN CONTRIBUTE, SO WHAT ROLE PEOPLE PLAY, WHAT ECONOMIC ROLE THEY PLAY IS VERY, A LOT OF VARIABLES.
MY, IF YOU ALL ASK ME TODAY, WOULD YOU DO IT? I'D SAY, WHERE'S YOUR MONEY? WHERE'S THE FINANCIAL RESOURCES THAT ARE GONNA MOTIVATE AND INSTIGATE THIS TO BECOME A REALITY? WELL, IT WOULD, IT WOULD HELP IF WE HAD A FRAMEWORK OF WHAT, UH, THAT LOOKS LIKE.
UH, I KNOW THAT WE'VE DONE A LOT OF THESE THINGS, BUT, UH, THAT BEING SAID, IT WOULD BE USEFUL TO HAVE A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE ON THAT.
SO IF YOU COULD DO THAT, THAT WOULD BE APPRECIATED.
ANOTHER THING I WANTED TO DO, YOU HAVE OTHER PROJECTS GOING ON RIGHT NOW IN BLUFFTON.
I KNOW YOU HAVE ONE GOING ON UP BY HAND TO MIKE.
DO YOU HAVE PEOPLE THAT HAVE DONE THIS BEFORE? DO YOU HAVE BUILDERS THAT ARE KNOWLEDGEABLE? I'M, I'M PROBABLY LOOKING AT MEG WHEN I'M ASKING THIS.
ARE THERE PEOPLE IN THE HOUSING HOME BUILDERS ASSOCIATION THAT DO AFFORDABLE HOUSING? TOM BARNWELL.
BUT HE'S ONLY BEEN, THAT'S WHY I WANT TO USE THE WORD.
AND IT'S HARD SOMETIMES FOR NON PLAYERS TO UNDERSTAND WHY THERE'S A DIFFERENCE.
UM, IT'S A PHILOSOPHICAL DIFFERENCE AND IT'S AN ECONOMIC DIFFERENCE.
IT'S, IT'S, IT'S NOTHING STANDARD ABOUT IT AT ALL.
THINK STEWART CAME TO ME AND SAID, ROGER, WILL YOU BRING HARVEY PLACE UP TO BUFORD AND TOWN PARK? DICK STEWART OWNS TOWN PARK.
HE ASKED ME TO BRING HARDY PLACE UP TO BUFORD AND SET IT DOWN ON HIS DEVELOPMENT.
AND WHEN I GOT DONE AND I SAID, DICK, IF I RUN THAT PRODUCT THAT I'M DOING IN HARVILLE, UP TO BUFORD BY ALL YOUR CODE AND REGULATIONS, IT'S GONNA ADD 35,000 TO $40,000 WORTH OF WORTH OF COST.
WHY? WELL, BECAUSE THEY WANT HARDY PLANK.
THEY WANT A THREE FOOT ABOVE THE ROAD ELEVATION.
WHY DO YOU WANT YOUR FOUNDATIONS THREE FOOT ABOVE YOUR CURVE? WELL, ROGER, THAT'S JUST OUR CODE HERE.
WE DON'T WANT PEOPLE LOOKING RIGHT OUT INTO THEIR WINDOWS.
SO WE WANT EVERYBODY TO RAISE THEIR HOUSES UP THREE FOOT.
DO YOU KNOW WHAT THAT COSTS? YES SIR.
NUMBER TWO, YOU WANT HARDY PLANKS ON THE HOLE OUTSIDE OF THIS.
WHEN I WENT TO HARRY WILLIAMS TO TALK TO HIM ABOUT WHAT HE NEEDED TO DO, I SAID, DO YOU HAVE A VARIANCE COMMITTEE ON YOUR COUNCIL, MAYOR? NO, BUT I CAN GET ONE.
AND I SAID, WELL, WE NEED SOME VARIANCES.
I NEED TO BE ABLE TO USE VINYL SIDING.
AND BY THE WAY, THEY MAKE VINYL SIDING PRETTY DAMN NICE THESE DAYS.
IT'S NOT WHAT WE ALL GREW UP WITH.
BUT IT'S NOT ANYWHERE NEAR AS EXPENSIVE AS HARDY PLANK.
SO, CARRIE, WILL YOU LET ME USE VINYL SIDING? WILL YOU LET ME POUR THE SLAB ON GRADE? I DON'T HAVE TO RAISE IT UP THREE FOOT.
I DON'T HAVE TO USE, UH, HARDY PLANK.
I DON'T HAVE TO HAVE A 10 FOOT CEILING.
WHAT THE HELL? UM, SO ONE MORE QUESTION SIR.
COURTNEY AND DICK ARE DOING EVERYTHING THEY CAN.
YOU GOTTA GET ONE MORE QUESTION
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IN FROM THE COMMITTEE THEN WE OKAY.UM, ROGER, WE COMMEND YOU ON YOUR EXPERIENCE AND EXPERTISE, ESPECIALLY AT HARVEY PLACE.
BUT, UH, AND ALL YOU DID IN LOUISVILLE, WHEN PEOPLE COME TO OUR, THE MEETINGS, UM, AND MAKE A PRESENTATION, THEY GENERALLY HAVE, UM, THEY, THEY WANT SOMETHING FROM US.
THEY'RE EITHER TRYING TO PRESENT TO US OR THEY'RE SELLING US ON OUR BUSINESS.
WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THE OVERALL PURPOSE OF, UH, YOUR PRESENTATION TODAY WITH US? I HAVE NO PURPOSE HERE OTHER THAN SOMEBODY ASKED ME TO COME SPEAK.
THIS LADY SENT ME EMAIL, SAID, WILL YOU COME TALK TO US? 'CAUSE I GUESS BRENDA WAS HERE AND MENTIONED MY NAME AND WELL, THE THING ABOUT IT IS, I, I DON'T HAVE IT ALL.
I'M, I'M A SALESPERSON SO I'M ALWAYS WAITING ON THE HOOK.
BUT UM, I'VE BEEN SEEING YOUR SIGNS, UH, ESPECIALLY IN HARVILLE ON MAIN STREET AND I WAS WONDERING IF ANYTHING, YOU KNOW, IF THERE WAS A SECOND PROJECT AFTER HARVEY THAT WAS GOING UP.
HARRY GOT SO EXCITED THE MAYOR GOT SO EXCITED OVER THAT THING.
HE WANTS TO DO ANOTHER ONE AND WE'RE GONNA SEE IF WE CAN DO ANOTHER ONE.
UH, BUT NO, I HAVE NO MO MOTIVATION.
WELL WE I WAS WAITING ON THE HOOK
WELL, UM, I JUST KNOW WHILE I'M STANDING HERE IN FRONT OF YOU THAT THERE IS PROBABLY NOBODY THAT'S STRETCHING IT, THAT KNOWS AS MUCH ABOUT HOW YOU PUT AFFORDABLE HOUSING TOGETHER AS ROGER BRIGHT DOES, BECAUSE IT BECAME MY, MY EXPERTISE.
AND I DID IT FOR 15 YEARS OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
EVERY ONE OF 'EM WERE DIFFERENT.
EVERY ONE OF 'EM TOOK DIFFERENT PIECES TO MAKE THE PUZZLE COME TO REALITY.
IT, IT JUST, SO WHEN VICTORIA ASKED ME TO COME SPEAK, THIS IS SOMETHING EASY FOR ME TO SPEAK ABOUT.
YOU KNOW, IT JUST, IT TAKES AN AWFUL LOT OF DEDICATION.
IT TAKES A LOT OF HARD WORK FROM ALL THESE, ALL THESE NONPROFITS.
I FEEL SO SORRY FOR 'EM SOMETIMES BECAUSE IT'S SO HARD TO DO WHAT THEY'RE TRYING TO DO.
UM, SO IF HE CALLED ON YOU, UM, TO GIVE US SOME OF THAT KNOWHOW, DON'T SELL US.
PROBABLY PUT IT ON A CONSULTING CONTRACT OR SOMETHING.
WELL YOUR PRESENTATION HAS BEEN VERY, VERY ENLIGHTENING AND INFORMATIVE AND WE, WE REALLY APPRECI IF I CAN HELP, I'LL BE GLAD TO HELP.
WE APPRECIATE YOUR TIME AND, UM, AND SHARING WITH US.
UM, WELL, I I JUST WANT YOU ALL TO KNOW THAT THERE'S A LOT OF OTHER PEOPLE THAT ARE DEALING WITH THIS.
THE CHAMBER IS, IS NUMBER ONE ISSUE EVERYWHERE.
BEAUFORD, JASPER WATER BOARD'S GONNA GET MORE INVOLVED IN IT.
NOW THAT I'VE OTHER BOARD, YES.
WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO DO WHAT WE CAN DO TO HELP AFFORDABLE HOUSING FED.
YOU DIDN'T EVEN HAVE PAPER PENCIL UP HERE.
NEXT ON OUR AGENDA IS NOT ON OUR AGENDA, BUT NEXT THAT WE DO, OH, WHAT IS THE PASSWORD THING?
WE DON'T HAVE IT ON OUR AGENDA, BUT WE DO HAVE A PROJECT, AN AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECT THAT IS COMING INTO THE TOWN.
UM, SO I'M GONNA BRING UP AMANDA FROM P SCOTT ARCHITECT AND SHE IS GOING TO INTRODUCE THAT PROJECT TO YOU AND LET YOU KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON THERE.
SO IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR HER, SIT BACK AND LISTEN TO WHAT SHE HAS AND WE WILL GO FROM THERE.
NOW FRED'S THE ONE THAT GOT ME TO COME IN.
I DON'T REALLY HAVE A LONG PRESENTATION, BUT, UM, JUST KIND OF GIVING YOU GUYS AN UPDATE ON WHAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON OVER THE LAST YEAR, UM, WITH A PRIVATE INDIVIDUAL.
UM, SO WE ARE, I BELIEVE WE'RE THE FIRST AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECT AND WE'VE BEEN WORKING THROUGH THE, WITH THE TOWN THROUGH.
UM, SO I JUST KIND OF WANNA GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF HOW THAT WORKED WITH US AND THE PROCESS.
SO, UM, PEOPLE WON'T BE AFRAID TO DO IT 'CAUSE IT'S, THE PROCESS HAS BEEN FAIRLY SMOOTH, I THINK, UM, FROM PRIVATE TO PUBLIC, UH, RELATIONSHIPS.
UM, THIS PROJECT'S GONNA BE ON GOTHE ROAD, 97 GOTHE ROAD.
IT IS A VERY TINY, TINY SLIVER OF A LOT.
AND I WAS CHALLENGED TO PUT, UM, AS MANY UNITS ON IT
[00:50:01]
AS I COULD.AND I ORIGINALLY HAD FOUR UNITS ON IT.
UM, BUT BECAUSE OF A POWER LINE THAT WE COULDN'T FIGURE OUT HOW MUCH DISTANCE WE COULD WORK WITHIN, UM, WE ENDED UP ONLY BEING ABLE TO DO THREE UNITS.
AND WE WERE ABLE TO DO THREE UNITS BECAUSE, UM, IN THE UDO SECTION 6.5 GIVES YOU, UM, AFFORDABLE HOUSING, UM, INCENTIVES.
SO THINGS LIKE DENSITY, BONUS AND APPLICATION AND FEES AND DIFFERENT THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO THESE PARTICULAR, UH, UNITS, SINCE IT IS A LONG SLIVER, WE WERE ONLY ABLE TO, UM, WE COULD SUBDIVIDE IT IN HALF.
SO ONE PROPERTY HAS, UH, TWO UNITS ON IT, A MAIN HOUSE AND AN ACCESSORY STRUCTURE.
UM, AND THEN THE OTHER LOT, UH, THE, THIS IS THE EASTERN PORTION HAS A STRUCTURE ON IT AS WELL.
AND YOU CAN SEE THIS IS WHERE THE POWER LINE EASEMENT IS.
UM, EACH PLAN IS FAIRLY SIMPLE, UH, BOX BECAUSE THAT IS THE MOST EFFICIENT WAY TO BUILD.
AND WE HAVE THREE BEDROOMS, TWO AND A HALF BATHROOMS. UM, FAIRLY SIMPLE, EASY LIVING, 1500 SQUARE FEET.
UM, EACH GETS A NICE LITTLE PORCH OR A STOOP.
SO THIS IS THE ELEVATION OF WHAT IT WOULD LOOK LIKE ON GOTHE ROAD.
THIS IS THE, THE STREET FACING ONE.
FAIRLY SIMPLE USING MATERIALS.
UM, I DON'T HAVE ALL THE ECONOMICS BECAUSE I'M NOT THAT PART OF THIS PROJECT, BUT JUST TRYING TO BE SIMPLE IN THE MATERIALS AND THE SHAPES THAT YOU USE TO BUILD.
UM, THE ACCESSORY BUILDING HAS TWO BEDROOMS AND TWO BATHROOMS AND THAT'S ANOTHER 760 SQUARE FEET.
AND THIS IS WHAT THIS ONE LOOKS LIKE.
JUST A SIMPLE LITTLE STRUCTURE.
AND THEN THE BACK PORTION IS UH, ANOTHER BUILDING.
UM, THIS ONE WE HAD TO CHANGE UP HOW THE FRONT LOOKED BECAUSE GO THE ROAD IS HERE ON THE WEST SIDE, WE HAD TO CREATE A DRIVEWAY THAT THEY COULD ALL ACCESS THE PROPERTY.
AND SO THE FRONT OF THE BUILDING IS ACTUALLY THE GOTHE ROAD SIDE SO THAT WE COULD HAVE OUR PROPER SETBACKS.
UM, BUT SINCE YOU ARE ENTERING ON THE SIDE, WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WAS APPROPRIATE AS WELL.
AND THAT GAVE US A NICE OUTDOOR LIVING SPACE, UM, TOWARDS THE REAR OF THE PROPERTY.
I'M NOT SHOWING IT, BUT IS WHERE YOU COULD DO EXTRA PARKING, UM, UNDER THE POWER LINE EASEMENT.
UM, SO THIS IS THE SAME KIND OF LAYOUT JUST SWITCHED UP A LITTLE BIT JUST DEPENDING ON HOW THE DOORS AND EVERYTHING ENTRY HAD TO TO BE DONE.
SO, UM, THIS WOULD BE YOUR FRONT ELEVATION AND THEN THIS WOULD BE THAT SIDE ELEVATION THAT YOU WOULD COME DOWN THE DRIVEWAY.
UM, SO LIKE I SAID, THIS PROPERTY WAS SMALL, IT WAS 0.28 ACRES, SO WE HAVE DIVIDED THAT IN HALF ALMOST.
UM, AND NORMALLY FOR UM, THE DENSITY IS FOUR UNITS AN ACRE, SO OBVIOUSLY WE WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO VERY MUCH.
BUT BECAUSE IT IS AFFORDABLE HOUSING, WE WERE ABLE TO HAVE THAT.
SECOND, WE WERE ABLE TO SUBDIVIDE AND HAVE THE UM, TWO ON ONE PARCEL AND ONE ON THE OTHER.
WE WISH WE COULD HAVE DONE THE FOURTH, BUT THAT'S NOT HOW IT WORKED OUT.
UM, AS FAR AS PROCESS, I THINK IT WAS PRETTY SMOOTH BETWEEN PRIVATE AND THE TOWN.
UM, WE STARTED THIS PROJECT PROBABLY BACK IN OCTOBER, NOVEMBER OF LAST YEAR.
I WAS DONE WITH THE DRAWINGS LIKE JANUARY, FEBRUARY.
I WAS PRETTY EXCITED TO GET IT GOING.
I LOVE PROJECTS LIKE THIS, SMALL LITTLE PROJECTS AND UM, THE HOLDUP WAS THE POWER LINE EASEMENT.
SO IT TOOK US SEVERAL MONTHS IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE POWER LINE AND THE TOWN AND GOING BACK AND FORTH AND WHO OWNS WHAT AND LOOKING UP DEEDS AND DIFFERENT THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO, UM, THAT IS A NO FAULT OF ANYONE.
IF IT WAS JUST A EASIER LOT, IT WOULD'VE GONE A LOT QUICKER.
BUT, UM, WE JUST GAVE THEM THE PERMIT SET THIS PAST OCTOBER.
SO IT WAS A YEAR, BUT IT COULD HAVE BEEN QUICKER DEPENDING ON YOUR LOT.
UM, AND I JUST WANNA SAY THAT IT'S BEEN REALLY EASY TO WORK WITH THE TOWN.
I KNOW THIS WAS OUR FIRST PROJECT SO WE WERE KIND OF HELPING EACH OTHER BACK AND FORTH, BUT UM, IT, I THOUGHT THAT IT RAN PRETTY SMOOTHLY.
UM, ANYTIME I ASKED A QUESTION, THEY HAD SOME ANSWERS OR THEY FOUND AN ANSWER.
UM, AND I THINK IT'S GONNA BE A NICE CUTE LITTLE PROJECT SO THAT I CAN ANSWER.
IF NOT, FRED MIGHT KNOW SOME ANSWER
YEAH, I'M GOING GIVE THEM A CHANCE FIRST.
I KNOW THIS IS, WELL, I MEAN THIS LOOKS GREAT.
DO YOU KNOW, ARE THEY GONNA SELL THESE OR THEY'RE GONNA RENT THEM? THEY'RE GONNA RENT, YEAH.
AND THAT WAS PART OF THE, UM, THE APPLICATION IS YOU HAVE TO LET THEM KNOW LIKE, IS IT GONNA BE RENT? IS IT GONNA BE
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OWNER OCCUPIED? UM, AND THE OWNER, HE FILLED OUT THE NARRATIVE AND APPLICATION.I DID THE DRAWINGS AND PUT IT TOGETHER.
UM, SO WE ALL HELPED EACH OTHER.
ARE THEY, DO YOU KNOW IF THEY'RE HIRING A BUILDER, IF THEY'RE JUST GONNA GC IT THEMSELVES? HE HAS A BUILDER THAT I'M, YES, THE FACT THE GENERAL CONTRACT IS SUBMITTED AN APPLICATION TODAY.
TALKING ABOUT THAT POWER LINE EASEMENT.
YOU, UM, 'CAUSE I KNOW PARKING IS A BIG DEAL.
YOU ARE, YOU ALLOWED TO PARK UNDER IT.
YOU JUST CAN'T BUILD ANYTHING BUT YOU CAN PARK UNDER IT.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT CAME UP WAS THE VARIANCE COMMITTEE.
IS THAT SOMETHING THAT YOU HAD TO GO THROUGH WITH THE TOWN THEN TO GET NO.
A LOT OF THE QUESTIONS ANSWERED.
WELL THIS, IT WAS VERY TRICKY BECAUSE THIS IS AN OLD PROPERTY AND THERE WEREN'T ANY DOCUMENTATION FROM LONG TIME AGO.
SO THERE WAS MISINFORMATION AND CERTAIN DEEDS AND WHAT EVERYBODY HAD.
AND SO JUST TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THE TRUTH WAS AND WHO OWNED WHAT AND WHAT THE EASEMENTS WERE, IT JUST TOOK A WHILE.
JUST 'CAUSE YOU'RE DEALING WITH A WHOLE BUNCH OF DIFFERENT ENTITIES.
SO IF WE WERE ON A DIFFERENT PARCEL, DIDN'T HAVE THIS POWER LINE IN THE BACK, IT WOULD BE A NO.
I WAS JUST GONNA SAY, I LOVE, UM, YOUR WORK AND UM, I HAVE ACADEMIC QUESTIONS, BUT I'LL ASK THEM LATER.
WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT IT AND I HOPE THAT THERE'S OTHER PEOPLE THAT'LL WANT TO DO IT.
AND KNOWING THAT LIKE EVEN IF YOU HAVE A HARD SITUATION AND, AND LOT CONSTRAINTS, SOMETHING CAN BE DONE.
UM, JUST HAVE TO HAVE A LITTLE IMAGINATION.
SO IMAGINATION AND SOME HELP FROM THE TOWN.
ANY OTHER, IF, IF PEOPLE JUST FOLLOW THE RULES, IT'S NOT A HARD THING TO DO.
SO NOW WE WILL MOVE BACK INTO STAFF AGAIN, IT'S NOT ON THE AGENDA, BUT WE UM, CHAIRMAN CALLED AND WE HAVE TO DO WHAT CHAIRMAN SAYS.
SO I'M NOW GONNA PASS THE NIGHT TO YOU, MISS HEATHER, OUR ASSISTANT MANAGER.
THE POINT HERE, ALL I WILL BE FAIRLY QUICK AND WE'VE ALL BEEN HERE WHILE I SEEN THIS ALREADY.
SO, UM, WHAT WE HAVE PUT TOGETHER IS, UM, AS A FOLLOW UP TO OUR STRATEGIC PLAN THAT WE DO ON AN ANNUAL BASIS, WHICH IT USED TO BE A STATIC DOCUMENT THAT YOU COULD FIND ONLINE, BUT TO GET UPDATES YOU WOULD HAVE TO CONTACT STAFF OR WE'D HAVE TO REPRINT IT, READJUST.
SO WE WORKED WITH, UM, A, UH, COMPUTER, UH, COMPANY OR WHATEVER, HOWEVER YOU WANNA CALL IT, UH, FOR, EXCUSE ME, AN APPLICATION CALLED CLEAR GOV.
AND WHAT THIS DOES IS AS STAFF PUTS IN THEIR UPDATES ON THE STRATEGIC PLAN ITEMS THAT TOWN COUNCIL HAS APPROVED US, BASICALLY OUR WORK PLAN FOR THE YEAR.
YOU CAN GO THROUGH AND YOU CAN SEE WHAT WE'RE DOING.
UM, YOU CAN LOOK AT THE DOCUMENTS, YOU CAN, UM, FIND PLANS, UH, WHO'S WORKING ON IT, HOW FAR ARE WE ALONG ALL THAT GOOD STUFF.
WE ARE GETTING READY TO PUT THIS OUT ON OUR WEBSITE, UM, JANUARY ONE ISH.
SO AGAIN, YOU CAN CLICK ON IT AND LOOK ALL THROUGH IT.
WHAT I WANTED TO DO IS JUST SHOW YOU SOME THINGS JUST RELATED TO THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING STRATEGIC FOCUS AREA, UM, JUST SO YOU CAN KIND OF SEE AND THAT IF YOU WANNA POKE AROUND, UM, YOU KNOW, TAKE A LOOK AT THAT.
SO THIS IS JUST A PREVIEW AND MY PERMISSIONS ARE GONNA BE A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT.
SO IT WON'T LOOK EXACTLY LIKE THIS, UM, WHEN YOU LOOK AT IT.
BUT BASICALLY YOU'LL BE ABLE TO SEE THAT STRATEGIC FOCUS AREA.
SO THERE'S AFFORDABLE AND WORKFORCE HOUSING, THE OVERALL PRO, THE OVERALL PROGRESS.
SO YOU MAY SAY, WELL, YOU'RE ONLY HALFWAY DONE.
WE, WE STILL HAVE ANOTHER YEAR AND A HALF.
SO HERE'S JUST KIND OF AN OVERALL, UH, SUMMARY OF WHERE, AGAIN, ALL THOSE DIFFERENT ACTION ITEMS. SO YOU GO THROUGH A LITTLE BIT BIT WITH A STRATEGIC PLAN.
THEN WE, UM, GET A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAILED WITH GUIDING PRINCIPLES.
SO THESE GUIDING PRINCIPLES WERE ALL APPROVED BY COUNCIL.
UM, AND THEN THE STRATEGIC INITIATIVE.
SO THAT'S THE ACTUAL ACTION ITEMS. SO WHAT ARE WE ACTUALLY GOING TO DO TO, FOR EXAMPLE, FOSTER PRIVATE SECTOR PARTNERS TO DESIGN AND DEVELOP DIVERSE HOUSING OPTIONS.
SO YOU CAN SEE THAT IS ABOUT 50% COMPLETE.
UM, IT'S ON TRACK, YOU'LL SEE WITH THAT GREEN, UM, THERE'S A COMPLETE DIFFERENT SHADE OF GREEN FOR ON TRACK, MINOR DISRUPTIONS, MAJOR DISRUPTIONS, UM, AND THEN JUST FUTURE.
SO SOME THINGS THAT WE'RE, WE KNOW WE STILL ARE WORKING ON, AGAIN, ANYTIME SIMILAR TO ANY OTHER WEBSITE HYPERLINKED, YOU CAN CLICK
[01:00:01]
ON IT.SO THAT'S THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING, PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP.
AND AGAIN, YOU CAN KIND OF KEEP CLICKING THROUGH.
SO THIS IS THE 10 95 MAY RIVER, THE MAY, UM, MAY RIVER DEVELOPMENT PROJECT.
SO THIS, YOU CAN SEE THE NOTES AND THE PROGRESS UPDATES.
SO RIGHT NOW, UM, WE ARE WAITING ON APPROVAL FROM DOMINION ON SOME LIGHTING ISSUES AND SOME HOW, HOW WE'RE GONNA ACTUALLY GET THE POWER TO ALL THOSE HOMES.
AND YOU CAN SEE ALL THE ATTACHMENTS.
SO IF YOU WANNA SEE WHAT THE SITE PLAN IS, THE BUILDING SET.
SO WE, WELL, THEN IT GETS A LITTLE BIT, UM, A LITTLE BIT COMPLICATED 'CAUSE THEN YOU DO HAVE TO CLICK ON THAT DOWNLOAD.
SO WE TRY TO PUT AS MUCH INFORMATION AS WE POSSIBLY CAN WITHOUT INFORMATION OVERLOAD.
BUT, SO YOU CAN SEE, OKAY, WHAT, WHAT IS THIS? WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE? SO AGAIN, JUST KIND OF GOING THROUGH, HERE'S ALL, ALL THE DIFFERENT ATTACHMENTS, AGAIN, THOSE NOTES.
AND YOU CAN DRILL DOWN AS MUCH AS, AS MUCH AS YOU'RE INTERESTED IN, UM, FOR ALL THE DIFFERENT OPTIONS.
BUT JUST WANTED TO GO THROUGH AND JUST SHOW YOU THAT THAT TOOL IS AVAILABLE.
AS ALWAYS, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, WE'RE HAPPY TO ANSWER THEM.
UM, AND IF YOU HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, ANYTHING ELSE YOU WANTED TO SHOW ME OR ANYTHING ELSE YOU WANTED ME TO SHOW CHAIRMAN OR, UM, LIKE I SAID, I'M GONNA DO GO THROUGH SPECIFIC ITEMS. IT'S CLEAR, IT IS CLEAR GOV, UM, A PROGRAM THAT WE CAN MANIPULATE FOR OUR USE OR THERE'S SOMETHING THAT'S WE CAN, WELL, WE CAN, SO WHAT WE CAN DO, AND ACTUALLY WE'VE STARTED DOING THAT, EXPANDING IT.
SO CLEAR GOV, WHAT CLEAR GOV DOES IS YOU PUT IN YOUR, PUT IN YOUR PLANNING DOCUMENTS AND THEN YOUR STRATEGIC PLANS, UM, AND THEN TURN THEM INTO DOCUMENTS.
SO ACTUALLY THE, UM, FOR EXAMPLE, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, THEY ARE USING IT FOR THEIR STRATEGIC PLAN.
SO, UM, WE'VE PUT THAT IN THERE.
SO, AND WE CAN, YES, WE CAN EXPAND THIS AND, UM, TO MY LIMITED CAPABILITIES WITH TECHNOLOGY
AND, AND I KNOW HOW TO USE THAT HELP DESK, HELP DESK OPTION VERY WELL.
BUT YES, WE CAN, WE CAN EXPAND THIS IF THERE'S, UM, OTHER TOOLS OR, UH, THINGS THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR THE COMMITTEE, WE CERTAINLY CAN.
MY, MY ONLY REASON FOR ASKING IS SO MANY BUTTONS THAT YOU HAD TO GO TO, JUST SO TRYING TO MAKE IT A LITTLE BIT MORE SIMPLE FOR, FOR SOMEBODY LIKE EMILY TO USE.
IF, IF YOU, UM, WERE TO LET US KNOW WHAT EXACTLY YOU WANTED TO SEE, WE COULD CERTAINLY FIGURE OUT A WAY TO BUILD JUST THAT OR JUST, YOU KNOW, KIND OF LIKE TAKE YOU THROUGH THAT PATH.
SO, LIKE I SAID, IT'S, THERE'S SO MUCH INFORMATION AND WE WANNA BE TRANSPARENT AND, YOU KNOW, JUST PRESENT EVERYTHING TO THE PUBLIC AND TO YOU ALL.
BUT AGAIN, YEAH, THAT GETS INFORMATION OVERLOAD AND IT'S LIKE HOW MANY CLICKS AND HOW MUCH INFORMATION.
SO, SO YES, IF YOU LET US KNOW WHAT YOU WANT US TO FOCUS ON, WE CAN, WE'LL FIGURE OUT HOW TO DO THAT.
AND BACK TO 10 95, YOU SAID WE ARE WAITING ON DOMINION TO APPROVE LIGHTING.
AND IT'S EASEMENTS UNDERGROUND HOW THEY'RE GOING TO GET THERE.
SO CONFIDENT THERE'S A WAY, BUT IT'S JUST, AGAIN, DIFFERENT ENTITIES.
THEY'RE DONE, DRAWINGS ARE DONE, THE PLANS ARE SUBMITTED.
SO IT'S NOT HOLDING US UP, SO TO SPEAK.
IT IS A CHALLENGE THAT WE'RE JUST NEED TO FIGURE OUT THE, WE DOMINION FIGURE OUT THIS JUNE OF THIS YEAR.
WE'VE PARDON? DOING THAT? PARDON? OR IS THAT RECENT? OH, IT'S NOT NECESSARILY RECENT.
IS THERE SOMEONE WE CAN TALK TO?
IT'S, IT'S EASEMENT ACQUISITION AND LEGAL THINGS THAT WE NEED TO, UM, GET PASSED.
I DON'T, I DON'T REALLY HAVE A GREAT ANSWER FOR YOU ON THAT.
WE'RE, WE'RE TRYING TO PUSH, IS IT UNIQUE TO THE PROPERTY? 'CAUSE I KNOW, LIKE WE JUST HEARD.
SO POSSIBLE THIS WOULDN'T BE A FUTURE ISSUE FOR THE OTHER PROBLEMS. YES.
OR HOW DO WE FIGURE OUT IF IT IS GONNA, I THINK WE NEED TO, YEAH, IF IT IS, WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT AHEAD OF TIME.
BUT WE NEED TO HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS.
SO IF IT WAS WITH NEIGHBORS, WAS THERE, WAS THERE TRANSPARENCY IN TALKING ABOUT WHAT WAS GOING IN BEFOREHAND? YES.
IT'S JUST ONCE THEY GOT TO THE VERY DE ONCE THEY GOT TO THE MORE DETAILED PLANS OF GETTING THE POWER TO THE HOMES AND DOING THE ENGINEERING BEHIND THAT, AND PLEASE, I'M SAYING SOMETHING WRONG, IT WAS, WELL NOW DOMINION REQUIRED EASEMENTS OVER OTHER PROPERTIES TO GET THERE.
AND THAT'S JUST PROVING TO BE A LITTLE BIT OF A CHALLENGE BECAUSE AT THE VERY BEGINNING YOU JUST GET THE, YOU KNOW, STATEMENT.
[01:05:01]
YES, WE CAN SERVE, WE WILL SERVE.BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT THEY HAVE TO DO AND THAT'S THEIR ROLE.
IT'S JUST A MATTER OF HOW AND THE TECHNICAL PART OF IT, WHICH, UM, THAT DIDN'T, THAT DIDN'T COME TO LIGHT TILL LATER, UNFORTUNATELY.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? WHEN IS IT GONNA BE, WELL, WE'RE GONNA HAVE SOMETHING.
BUT WE'VE SAID, LISTEN, LET'S, LET'S NOT STALL IT.
LET'S KIND OF MOVE AHEAD WITH WHAT WE CAN.
SO WE DO, WE DO HAVE THAT IN HAND.
DO WE HAVE A HOPE THAT THIS WILL BE READY IN 2025? YES.
I THINK THIS IS THE FIRST TIME WE ACTUALLY WENT OVER AN HOUR.
WE HAD A LOT OF INFORMATION
WE'VE GOT A LOT OF INFORMATION SHARED AND I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING ELSE FOR YOU GUYS.
I WILL BE SENDING OUT YOUR CALENDAR INVITES FOR 2025 THIS AFTERNOON.
SO YOU CAN GO AHEAD AND LOCK IN AND PUT IT IN.
I KNOW WE VOTED AND WE APPROVED, BUT I'M GONNA SEND YOU, UM, HOLD IT.
UH, PLEASE HOLD IT ON YOUR CALENDAR.
UH, 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.
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 BUT 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.
AND 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, WHAT WE CALL A CLASS THREE.
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 THEM INTO LAW ENFORCEMENT ENVIRONMENT, YOU KNOW, WITH 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.
[01:10:01]
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, 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.
WHO, WHO DO WE WANT TO ATTRACT? I THINK WE'VE GOT A, WE'VE GOT AN ENORMOUS NUMBER OF RETIRED MILITARY FOLKS HERE MM-HMM
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 NEED TO GET INTO THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IF WE, IF WE WAITED UNTIL HIGH SCHOOLS WERE TOO LATE.
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 BANKER IS 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.
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, AND ALL THAT, THEY JUST DIDN'T WANNA DO IT.
BUT HERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY, UH, 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 AND OUR COMMUNITIES.
YOU TAKE BLUFFTON AND BEAUFORT AND, AND IN THE COUNTY AND THEN IN PORT ROYAL, THOSE PEOPLE ARE HERE.
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.
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.
SO WHAT ELSE, WHAT ELSE 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.
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 THE, 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.
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 WITH THE YOUNG CHILDREN TARGETING THE RETIREES MM-HMM
WHETHER THEY'RE RETIRED TEACHERS, RETIRED
[01:15:01]
MILITARY IS IMPORTANT.THEY'VE GOT THE LIFE EXPERIENCE FOR THE, FOR THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS.
AND, AND TO GET THAT STARTED OFF.
SO I THINK 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 TO 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 AND DETAIL.
AND IF YOU REALLY HAVE AN INTEREST IN IT, UH, THEN LET'S, LET'S, LET'S GET STARTED.
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 MM-HMM
UH, 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 REALLY, REALLY WILL BE MAKING A DIFFERENCE.
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 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 TO 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'LL 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.
DOES THAT SOUND GOOD TO Y'ALL? YES, SIR.
HERE'S WHAT'S HAPPENING IN BEAUFORT COUNTY.
A FEW MILES FROM BEAUFORT, SOUTH CAROLINA.
IN THE TOWN OF PORT ROYAL STANDS A PROPERTY OF NATIONAL IMPORTANCE.
IN FACT, IT'S LISTED IN THE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES.
FOR MORE THAN A DECADE, THE ONLY PUBLIC ACCESS TO THE PROPERTY HAS BEEN BY WATER.
SOUTH CAROLINA'S DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES IS WORKING TO PROVIDE
[01:20:01]
ACCESS FOR ALL.A CULTURAL RESOURCES, INVENTORY, OR ARCHEOLOGY MUST BE DONE BUILT FROM TABBY, A MIXTURE OF OYSTER SHELLS, LIME, SAND, AND WATER.
SIMILAR IN MANY WAYS TO CONCRETE.
FORT FREDERICK'S CONSTRUCTION WAS ORDERED IN 1726 BY THE BRITISH COLONIAL GOVERNMENT TO GUARD PORT, ROYAL SOUND, AND THE TOWN OF BEAUFORT FROM APPROACHED BY SPANISH WARSHIPS.
AN ESTIMATED 50,000 BUSHELS OF OYSTERS WERE NEEDED FOR THE FIVE FOOT HIGH, FIVE FOOT THICK TABBY WALLS.
IT IS THE OLDEST TABBY STRUCTURE IN SOUTH CAROLINA.
THE ADJACENT PROPERTY IS THE UNITED STATES NAVAL HOSPITAL.
ON THIS PROPERTY WAS THE 19TH CENTURY SMITH PLANTATION, WHICH BECAME THE UNION ARMY'S CAMP SAXTON DURING THE CIVIL WAR AND HOME OF THE FIRST REGIMENT COMPRISED OF FREED SLAVES.
THE OBJECT IS TO EXTRACT AS MUCH INFORMATION AS POSSIBLE IN A GIVEN AMOUNT OF TIME.
THERE IS A CERTAIN METHODOLOGY USED IN AN INVESTIGATION LIKE THIS COME ALONG AND SEE HOW IT'S DONE.
THE INITIAL SHOVEL TESTS DUG RANDOMLY AROUND THE SITE, EXAMINE THE DENSITY OF ARTIFACTS AND THE PERIOD OF OCCUPATION AT FORT FREDERICK.
ARTIFACTS INCLUDED 19TH CENTURY, 18TH CENTURY, AND PREHISTORIC OBJECTS.
THIS IS A FLAKE, A STONE TOOL, FLAKE.
IT'S A PIECE OF CHURCH FROM ALLENDALE COPPER SITE, TOP OF THAT AREA.
IT'S PRETTY, IT KIND OF TELLS YOU HOW RICH IT IS OUT HERE.
WITH THESE INITIAL TESTS, ARCHEOLOGISTS DETERMINE THE DEPTH REQUIRED OF THE SHOVEL TESTS IN THE NEXT PHASE.
THAT DEPTH IS WHEN THEY REACH A STERILE SOIL LAYER WHERE THEY NO LONGER SEE CULTURAL MATERIAL.
FOR PHASE ONE OF THIS PROJECT, A GRID IS LAID OVER THE SITE MAP.
THE SCOPE OF WORK HERE CALLS FOR SHOVEL TEST PROBES EVERY 10 METERS ACROSS THE ENTIRE THREE ACRES, RIGHT? OH.
USING A SURVEYING INSTRUMENT CALLED A TOTAL STATION PIN FLAGS ARE PLACED TO MATCH THE GRID MAP.
EACH FLAG IS IDENTIFIED BY ITS EXACT LOCATION.
A FIELD TEAM FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA'S INSTITUTE OF ARCHEOLOGY AND ANTHROPOLOGY IS CONTRACTED TO CONDUCT THE FIELD WORK.
THE DATA COLLECTED FROM THESE SHOVEL TESTS WILL GUIDE THE UPCOMING MONTH LONG EXCAVATION, AS WELL AS ANY THAT MAY BE UNDERTAKEN IN YEARS TO COME.
ALL THE SOILS ARE SCREENED THROUGH A QUARTER INCH MESH.
ALL ARTIFACTS ARE BAGGED ACCORDING TO THEIR EXACT LOCATION AND DEPTH FOR LATER ANALYSIS FOR THE NEXT PHASE.
UNITS OF TWO METERS IN DIAMETER ARE LAID OUT IN THE AREAS CONFIRMED BY THE SHOVEL TESTS.
TO HAVE THE HIGHEST DENSITY OF ARTIFACTS, THE FIELD TEAM REMOVES SOIL LAYER BY LAYER.
SO HOW DEEP IS EACH LEVEL? SOMETIMES A STANDARD DEPTH OF 10 CENTIMETERS IS USED AT FORT FREDERICK.
THEY'LL EXCAVATE LAYERS ACCORDING TO CHANGES IN SOIL COLOR.
AGAIN, ALL THE DIRT IS SCREENED AND THE ARTIFACTS BAGGED.
THIS INFORMATION WILL ACCOMPANY THE ARTIFACTS THROUGHOUT THE CURATION PROCESS.
THESE UNITS SHOW AN OCCUPATION FROM THE FIRST HALF OF THE 19TH CENTURY.
THIS IS STONE AMERICAN STONE WEAR WITH ONLY FOUR WEEKS BUDGETED FOR THE PROJECT.
THE FIELD TEAM MUST BE METICULOUS AND QUICK AT THE SAME TIME.
MOTORIZED SCREENERS HELP SPEED SIFTING THROUGH LARGE VOLUMES OF SOIL.
WHILE SOME TASKS REQUIRE A MORE DELICATE TOUCH LOOKING CLOSELY, SOME AREAS SHOW A COLOR CHANGE IN THE SOIL CALLED FEATURES.
THESE AREAS WERE LIKELY DISTURBED BY HUMANS IN THE PAST WERE THESE POST HOLES FOR A STRUCTURE OR HOLES WHERE ITEMS OFTEN TRASH WERE BURIED.
THESE FEATURES ARE EXCAVATED FURTHER AS THEY OFTEN YIELD ARTIFACTS, AND THESE FEATURES MUST BE EXCAVATED TO THEIR STERILE SOIL LAYER.
WORK IN THIS AREA OF THE SITE IS PLANNED FOR TWO WEEKS.
FOR THE SECOND HALF OF THIS PROJECT, THE TEAM MOVES TO THE FORT ITSELF.
THE DECISION IS MADE TO LAY OUT CONTIGUOUS TWO METER UNITS THAT SPAN THE FORT'S INTERIOR WALL TO WALL.
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THE DEPTH REQUIRED, THERE IS A LOT OF DIRT TO BE MOVED NEAR THE EAST WALL.THE TEAM ENCOUNTERS A RUBBLE FILLED FEATURE.
THIS FEATURE IS EXCAVATED AND THE CONTENTS BAGGED FOR THE TRIP TO THE LAB.
EVERY CONCEIVABLE DATA POINT, STRATIGRAPHY SOIL COLORS, DEPTHS, AND FEATURES IS COLLECTED FOR LATER ANALYSIS.
THE EXCAVATION OF THE FORT'S INTERIOR HAS EXPOSED THE FULL DEPTH OF THE WALLS, YIELDING ARTIFACTS FROM PREHISTORIC TIMES THROUGH THE 19TH CENTURY.
NOW, LAB ANALYSIS WILL BEGIN TO PIECE TOGETHER UNKNOWN FACTS ABOUT THE SITE'S LONG OCCUPATION.
BUT FIRST, BEFORE LEAVING THE SITE, THE UNITS ARE BACKFILLED TO PRESERVE THEIR INTEGRITY AND ENSURE THE SAFETY OF THE PUBLIC.
WHEN THE SITE IS REOPENED, UH, WE'VE BEEN REFERRING TO IT AS THE RUBBLE SCATTER.
AFTER MANY MONTHS IN THE PLANNING STAGES, A WEEK OF SHOVEL TEST PROBES, A MONTH OF UNIT EXCAVATIONS WITH MOUNTAINS OF SOIL MOVED, PLUS WEEKLY ENGAGEMENT WITH THE PUBLIC.
ARCHEOLOGY AT THIS SITE IS DONE FOR NOW.
IT IS HERE THAT THE SIGNIFICANCE OF WHAT THEY FOUND WILL BE ASSESSED AND ADDED TO OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THOSE WHO OCCUPIED THE FORT FREDERICK HERITAGE PRESERVE.
AND THAT'S WHAT'S HAPPENING IN BEAUFORT COUNTY.
GETTING THE FLU IS NOT FUN FOR ANYONE.
FLU PREVENTION AND RESPONSE IS AS EASY AS 1, 2, 3.
SOME WAYS YOU COULD PRACTICE PREVENTION IS BY ONE, WASHING YOUR HANDS AND KEEPING YOUR HOME CLEAN.
TWO, KEEPING YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM STRONG BY EATING HEALTHY AND BEING ACTIVE.
AND THREE, STAYING AWAY FROM PEOPLE WHO ARE SICK.
NOW, IF YOU DO GET THE FLU OR GET SICK, THEN ONE, GO TO THE DOCTOR.
TWO, STAY HOME FROM SCHOOL OR WORK.
AND THREE, STAY HYDRATED TO STRENGTHEN YOUR BODY, TO FIGHT THE VIRUS.
SO REMEMBER, FLU PREVENTION IN RESPONSE IS AS EASY AS THAT.