* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.
          [00:00:01]
          CLOSED CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY BUFORT COUNTY. 
          ALRIGHT, YOU'D LIKE TO CALL THIS MEETING TO ORDER. 
          UH, WE'RE GONNA DO AN INVOCATION. 
          UM, REPRESENTATIVE RIVERS, WOULD YOU MIND GIVE US AN INVOCATION, PLEASE? YES, THAT IS PRAY. 
          HEAVENLY FATHER, WE THANK YOU FOR THIS DAY. 
          WE THANK FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY. 
          WE THANK YOU FOR THIS SEASON. 
          WE THANK YOU WITH THE COMMITMENT TO COME AND DO THE THINGS THAT ARE, WHICH ARE RIGHT BASED ON THE PEOPLE WHO WE ARE ALL WORKING FOR. 
          FATHER, WE JUST THANK YOU NOW FOR YOUR GRACE, YOUR MERCY, YOUR LOVE, AND YOUR DIRECTION, AND THE NAME AND NATURE OF JESUS CHRIST. 
          AMEN. 
          AMEN. 
          REPRESENTATIVE BRADLEY, WOULD YOU LEAD US PLEDGE OF ABSOLUTELY PLEDGE OF TO FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, AN INDIVIDUAL WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. 
          UH, THE FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS IS GONNA BE THE APPROVAL OF THE MEETINGS FROM THE SEPTEMBER 18TH MEETING. 
          DO I HAVE A MOTION ON THAT? SO MOVE SECOND. 
          ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. 
          AYE. 
          OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES. 
          UH, WE'RE JUST GONNA TAKE A, UH, UH, A SHORTCUT ON HERE AND WE'VE GOT A JUDGE CANDIDATE HERE THAT WE'D LIKE TO HAVE HIM COME ON UP FRONT. 
          WE'LL INTRODUCE YOURSELF. 
          THESE GUYS HAVE TO, UH, UH, ACTUALLY CAMPAIGN AND BE UP IN COLUMBIA FOR TAKING AND AWAY FROM THEIR PRACTICES FOR A LONG TIME. 
          AND I KNOW IT'S A CUT AND PAY FOR A LOT OF YOU GUYS. 
          SO, UH, SO WE APPRECIATE WHAT YOU DO. 
          SO PLEASE JUST TELL US A LITTLE BIT, AND THESE FOLKS HERE YOU MAY BE. 
          YEAH. 
          UM, MY NAME IS THOMAS. 
          UH, I'M RUNNING FOR THE NICER CIRCUIT SEAT TEAM. 
          THANK YOU FOR, I'M PRESIDENT FIRM THURMAN KERNER. 
          AND TIM, I'VE BEEN PRACTICING, UH, CIVIL LITIGATION, THANKFUL FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE HERE, AND I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS, BUT NOW THE SCREEN. 
          SEE YOU SOON. 
          , WE'LL SEE. 
          LOTS OF YOU. 
          ANY QUESTIONS FOR MR. ROAD? NO. 
          THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. 
          THANK YOU, MR. THANK YOU. 
          OKAY, WE'RE GONNA GO INTO THE, UH, DISCUSSION AND, UH, PROCESS OF PROCEDURE FOR BEAUFORT COUNTY LEGISLATIVE DELEGATION APPOINTED POSITIONS. 
          AND MAYBE WE SHOULD HEAR FROM THESE PEOPLE FOR, UNLESS YOU WANT TO POSITION. 
          YEAH, I'LL JUST, I'LL MAKE SOME, UM, SOME INTRODUCTORY OR COMMENTS, I GUESS. 
          UM, AT THE LAST MEETING, UM, THAT I HAD TO LEAVE EARLY, UH, THERE WAS TAKEN A VOTE IN REGARD TO, I BELIEVE, TWO OR THREE NEW APPOINTMENTS TO THE BEAUFORT, JASPER WATER AND SEWER AUTHORITY. 
          AND THEN SUBSEQUENT, AND I'D GIVEN MY PROXY ON THAT, UM, AND VOTED ALONG WITH EVERYBODY ELSE IN FAVOR OF, UM, THE THREE INDIVIDUALS WHO WERE, UM, NOMINATED. 
          UM, SUBSEQUENT TO THAT, I, I RECEIVED PHONE CALLS FROM, UM, I BELIEVE MR. PASSMAN IN BUFORT COUNTY, AND ALSO, UM, MAYOR KROMER FROM THE CITY OF BEAUFORT, UM, EXPRESSING CONSTERNATION THAT THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS, UM, WEREN'T GIVEN OR WEREN'T, WEREN'T, WEREN'T, WEREN'T TAKEN. 
          AND, UM, AND, AND JUST IN GENERAL, I DON'T THINK MR. CHAIRMAN, THAT ANYBODY WAS AT THE LAST MEETING, NEITHER THE, THE NEW PROPOSED, UM, BOARD MEMBERS OR THE EXISTING BOARD MEMBERS, THERE WAS NO TESTIMONY OR NO, NO INFORMATION GIVEN AT THE LAST MEETING. 
          IS THAT CORRECT? OR WAS THERE I THINK THERE WERE CANDIDATES THERE, THERE WERE CANDIDATES THERE, BUT NO, NO, THERE WAS NO, NO PUBLIC COMMENT FROM THEM. 
          YEAH. 
          AND, UM, AND, AND, AND THANKS TO THE CHAIRMAN, WHEN I EXPRESSED THAT TO HIM, HE SAID THAT THE BEST WAY FOR US TO PROCEED WAS TO, TO RECONVENE FOR THE EXPRESS PURPOSE OF HAVING A FULLER DISCUSSION IN REGARD TO THOSE, UH, NOMINEES. 
          AND I, AND I THANK YOU FOR THAT. 
          I THINK THAT WAS THE RIGHT THING TO DO. 
          UM, I DON'T KNOW IF WE HAVE CANDIDATES OUT THERE IN THE AUDIENCE TODAY, UM, OR IF THERE ARE INDIVIDUALS INTERESTED IN SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF OR AGAINST ANY OF THE CANDIDATES. 
          BUT MR. CHAIRMAN, I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT WE HEAR FROM WHOMEVER WANTS TO BE HEARD AND THAT WE SEE WHETHER OR NOT THERE'S ANY MOTION IN ORDER IN REGARD TO RECONSIDERING THE VOTE OR WHETHER OR NOT THE SENTIMENT OF THE DELEGATION IS TO STAND BY THE EARLIER VOTE. 
          SO LET'S, LET'S KIND OF HEAR WHAT, WHAT INDIVIDUALS HAVE TO SAY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANKS, SENATOR. 
          ANYBODY? UM, FROM MY POINT OF VIEW, I, I PERSONALLY THINK THAT WE SHOULD, UM, STRONGLY, STRONGLY, UM, TAKE HEED TO WHAT THE COUNTY AND WHAT THE CITY, UM, RECOMMENDED CONSIDERING HOME RULE AND THE THINGS THAT THAT REPRESENTS. 
          AND, UH, AND PERSONALLY, UM, I THINK THAT MR. THOMAS, MIKE 
          [00:05:01]
HAS PROVEN HIMSELF AND, UM, I THINK THE COUNTY HAS AGREED TO THAT. 
          SO WE DIDN'T HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE A DISCUSSION, UM, ON THE 18TH OF SEPTEMBER. 
          SO HOPEFULLY WE CAN RECTIFY WHATEVER WE, UM, MIGHT NOT HAVE DONE IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE COUNTY OF BEAUFORT COUNTY AND THE CITY OF BEAUFORT. 
          SO THAT'S WHY I STAND ON WHERE WE ARE TODAY, AND HOPEFULLY WE CAN HAVE A FRUITFUL AND PRODUCTIVE CONVERSATION AND, YOU KNOW, RECONSIDER WHAT, WHAT, WHAT HAPPENED ON SEPTEMBER 18TH. 
          THANKS. 
          THANK YOU, MR. RIVERS. 
          ANYBODY ELSE? OKAY, WE'LL JUST GO TO THE, UM, WE'LL GO TO THE SIGN IN SHEET. 
          PUBLIC COMMENT. 
          MR. KINGHORN, WELCOME, SIR. 
          I'M, UH, I'M AMY KINGHORN. 
          I'M ONE OF THE CANDIDATES FOR FUTURE TASK WATER AND SEWER AUTHORITY BOARD. 
          UH, I HAD THE, I WON'T TAKE LONG. 
          UM, I'M A , ALL OF IT RELATED TO WATER AND WASTEWATER TREATMENT. 
          UM, I FEEL LIKE MY ABILITY AND THE CONFIDENCE OF THE OTHER BOARD MEMBERS, UH, I I, IN THAT TIME, IT BEEN TWO YEARS THAT I'VE BEEN CHAIRMAN OF THE CAPITAL COMMITTEE AND I'M VICE CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD. 
          AND WE WERE ABLE TO WORK ALL THOSE THROUGH, THROUGH PUBLIC MEETINGS, A ABLE TO WORK THROUGH ALL OF THOSE, THROUGH PUBLIC MEETINGS. 
          UH, AND I THINK FOR THE MOST PART, WE RESOLVED THE ISSUES THAT THE DEVELOPERS HAD WITH US ABOUT THAT PARTICULAR DOCUMENT. 
          UH, I, I'VE, I'VE GOT TO GIVE CREDIT TO THE STAFF OF BEAUFORT JASPER, THOUGH. 
          UH, THEY DID A WONDERFUL JOB IN CHANGING THE ATTITUDES OF THE FOLKS THAT WERE INVOLVED IN THE ORIGINAL DPPM. 
          UH, AND, UH, AND WITH, WITH WHAT WE CAME UP WITH. 
          I THINK THERE WAS, THERE WAS GENERAL SATISFACTION AMONG THE DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY FOR WHAT WE HAD DONE THERE. 
          IT'S MORE TO DO. 
          UH, BUT, UH, WE, WE HEARD THE ISSUES THAT HAD BEEN BROUGHT UP AT THAT POINT IN TIME. 
          UH, I, YOU KNOW, I I, I HATE MAKING A CAMPAIGN TYPE SPEECH, AND I DON'T WANNA TAKE MUCH OF YOUR TIME, BUT I FEEL LIKE MY BACKGROUND AND MY, UH, TECHNICAL QUALIFICATIONS, UH, AND THEN THE PERFORMANCE THAT I'VE HAD ON THE BOARD FOR THE LAST FOUR OR FIVE YEARS, UM, HOPEFULLY YOU WOULD CONSIDER THAT, UH, WORTHWHILE TO HAVE TO, UM, GIVE ME ANOTHER TERM ON THE, ON THE BOARD. 
          ANY QUESTIONS? YES, SIR. 
          I'LL YIELD TOO. 
          UH, GO AHEAD. 
          TO, UM, SANDY, YOU'VE BEEN ON FOR FOUR OR FIVE YEARS. 
          HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN ON, WHAT WOULD YOU SAY ARE SOME OF THE REALLY GOOD THINGS THAT THE WATER AUTHORITY AND HAS DONE DURING THAT TIME? AND WHAT THINGS DO YOU THINK THEY COULD HAVE DONE BETTER? UM, IN, IN TERMS OF PAST PERFORMANCE? I'M GONNA ASK YOU ABOUT THE FUTURE. 
          WELL, WE HAD A, A CHANGE IN MANAGEMENT, UH, ABOUT, UH, MAY OF, UH, YEAR BEFORE LAST, UH, WITH A NEW GENERAL MANAGER THAT CAME IN. 
          AND WE HAD REALLY GOTTEN BEHIND ON THE, UM, THE CAPITAL PROJECTS THAT WERE NECESSARY IN ORDER TO, UH, SATISFY THE DEMAND IN THE TWO COUNTIES THAT WE SERVE. 
          THE GROWTH IN JASPER COUNTY HAS JUST BEEN OVERWHELMING. 
          AND WHEN YOU COMBINE THAT WITH, UH, THE ISSUES THAT WE'VE HAD WITH, UH, SUPPLY CHAINS CAUSING AN INCREASE IN CONSTRUCTION COSTS, UM, THE, THE, THE, THE, THE, THE MANY MORE DEMANDS FOR, WITH THE GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT THAT WE HAD, THOSE, THOSE ARE THINGS THAT WE'VE HAD TO REALLY STRUGGLE WITH. 
          AND TO, TO BE ABLE TO CATCH UP WITH THE NEW, UH, GROUP OF FOLKS, UM, WITH VERNA ARNETT. 
          AND, UH, PAUL VINCENT, WHO'S THE CHIEF, THE CHIEF ENGINEER AT THIS POINT, REDID OUR CAPITAL PROJECTS PLAN, UM, UH, FIXED SOME THINGS WHERE THERE WERE SOME ESTIMATES THAT WE HAD THAT WERE PROBABLY INSUFFICIENT. 
          UH, AND WE, WE GOT A SERIOUS LOOK, LOOK AT SERIOUS LOOK AT HOW, UM, UH, HOW WE NEEDED TO FUND ALL THOSE KINDS OF THINGS. 
          WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF GOING, UH, STARTING OUT WITH ABOUT ABOUT A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS BOND TO BE ABLE TO PAY FOR SOME OF THESE THINGS THAT ARE COMING. 
          BUT THERE ARE A LOT OF THINGS THAT WE'RE FACING RIGHT NOW, PARTICULARLY IN THE JASPER COUNTY AREA, UH, IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE WATER SUPPLY AND WASTEWATER TREATMENT. 
          UM, THERE, THERE ARE NEW PLANTS THAT HAVE GOTTA BE BUILT, AND ALL OF THOSE ARE GONNA BE TREMENDOUSLY EXPENSIVE THAT WE'VE BEEN DEALING WITH. 
          AND SO THOSE ARE THE, THE PRIMARY THINGS THAT I THINK WE'VE BEEN DEALING WITH. 
          SO WAS IT ESSENTIALLY A, WAS IT A CASH FLOW PROBLEM 
          [00:10:01]
IN, IN TERMS OF FALLING BEHIND ON THE CAPITAL PROJECTS? YOU DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH RECURRING REVENUES TO, TO FINANCE? OR WAS IT ALL PROCESS RELATED IN REGARD TO HOW YOU WENT ABOUT IDENTIFYING AND DOING, GETTING ESTIMATES AND SORT OF THE PROCEDURAL THINGS? I THINK THE, THE, THE RE-ESTIMATE THAT WE DID ON SOME OF THE ESSENTIAL PROJECTS THAT WE WERE, WERE FOCUSED ON, UH, SHOWED THAT WE HAD REALLY UNDER UNDERESTIMATED A LOT OF THOSE PROJECTS. 
          AND THEN AS WE WERE REVISED ALL OF THAT, UH, WE CAME UP, WE CAME UP WITH THE REALIZATION THAT WE WERE WAY SHORT ON THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT WE NEEDED IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO DO THE THINGS THAT WERE GONNA BE NECESSARY. 
          SO, UH, WE'VE BEEN, UH, WE'VE BEEN DEALING REALLY HARD WITH THAT. 
          THOSE HAVE BEEN THE, THE, THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS. 
          UH, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THE GOOD THINGS THAT WE'VE DONE, UH, WE HAVE HAD A MONUMENTAL CHANGE IN OUR STAFF OVER THE LAST 12 MONTHS. 
          UM, A LOT OF FOLKS FROM THE OLD ADMINISTRATION LEFT, UH, AND WE HAVE REPLACED 'EM. 
          AND WE HAVE AN EXTREMELY QUALIFIED STAFF AT THIS POINT IN TIME THAT I HAVE TREMENDOUS CONFIDENCE IN. 
          AND THAT, UH, I BELIEVE WE'RE ON THE RIGHT TRACK IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO GET, UH, GET A HANDLE ON ALL OF THOSE THINGS THAT WE'RE DEALING WITH, UM, UH, IN THE NEXT TWO TO THREE YEARS THAT WE'RE, WE'RE STRUGGLING WITH LONG, A LONG TIME AGO, UM, MAYBE 20 YEARS AGO, I SERVED ON THE WATER AUTHORITY BOARD. 
          AND I WOULD LIKE TO THINK THAT AT THAT POINT IN TIME, WE HAD STAFF THAT WAS JUST EXCELLENT. 
          BAR NONE. 
          YOU HAD, YOU HAD DEAN MOSS AT THE HELM, YOU HAD TERRY MURRAY D**E, SPENCER, ED SAXON, UM, YOU HAD A WHOLE REALLY GOOD, GOOD STRONG MANAGEMENT TEAM. 
          AND THEN THAT KIND OF, I DON'T WANNA SAY DISINTEGRATED 'CAUSE DEAN RETIRED, AND THEN I GUESS TERRY RETIRED AND, AND D**E TOOK ANOTHER JOB. 
          AND IT'S BEEN MY IMPRESSION THAT OVER THE YEARS THERE'S BEEN A CHALLENGE OR OR TO GET THAT KIND OF LEADERSHIP TEAM BACK IN PLACE. 
          NOW, DO YOU FEEL AS IF THE CURRENT LEADERSHIP TEAM AT THE WATER AUTHORITY, UM, IS, IS OF THAT DEGREE OF COMPETENCE THAT, THAT I TALKED ABOUT? I DO, I DO WITHOUT RESERVATION. 
          I THINK THERE WERE, QUITE HONESTLY, THERE WERE SOME MISTAKES THAT WERE MADE, PARTICULARLY ON THE GENERAL MANAGER SIDE. 
          OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS. 
          I, I FINISHED 30 YEARS AS A ENGINEERING CONSULTANT IN GREENVILLE. 
          UM, AND WHEN I MOVED BACK TO BEAUFORT, UH, I, I WASN'T QUITE READY FOR RETIREMENT. 
          AND, UH, I HAD DONE SOME WORK WITH BEAUFORT JASPER AS A CONSULTANT OUTTA GREENVILLE, AND I CALLED, UH, DEAN MOSS AND, UH, ASKED HIM IF THERE'S SOMETHING I COULD DO TO HELP HIM. 
          SO I ACTUALLY WORKED FOR FIVE YEARS, UH, WITH, WHEN DEAN WAS GENERAL MANAGER. 
          UM, AND DURING THAT TIME WE DID THE, UM, PORT ROYAL ISLAND WATER RECLAMATION FACILITY AND THE CHERRY POINT WATER RECLAMATION FACILITY. 
          BUT I WAS THERE, UM, WHEN, WHEN DEAN RAN THINGS AND WHEN TERRY MURRAY AND ED SAXON AND ALL THOSE WERE THERE. 
          UM, AND, AND I CAN TELL YOU, I THINK THAT, UM, I'D SAY THAT, UH, THAT THE STAFF WE'VE GOT RIGHT NOW IS MAYBE EVEN BETTER THAN WHAT, UH, WHAT, WHAT WAS THERE WHEN DEAN WAS THERE. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          MAKE SURE DEAN KNOWS THAT SCOTT, WHEN, WHEN WE TALK TO HIM NEXT . 
          UM, TALK TO ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT IMPACT FEES AND, AND HOW YOU GO ABOUT AND WHAT YOU'VE DONE RECENTLY IN REGARD TO, UM, DETERMINING WHAT THOSE IMPACT FEES SHOULD BE, WHETHER THOSE IMPACT FEES ARE SUFFICIENT IN REGARD, UH, FOR DEVELOPERS PAYING FOR THE INFRASTRUCTURE, UH, CAPACITY THAT'S NEEDED BECAUSE OF THE GROWTH. 
          TALK TO ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT AND THE DECISION MAKING PROCESS, THE WATER AUTHORITY WENT THROUGH RECENTLY ABOUT THAT. 
          YEAH. 
          THAT, THAT HAS BEEN SOMETHING WE'VE BEEN DEALING WITH, UH, FOR THE LAST FEW MONTHS PRETTY AGGRESSIVELY. 
          UM, WE, WE RECOGNIZE, WELL, FIRST OF ALL, WE FEEL LIKE, UM, DEVELOPMENT SHOULD PAY FOR DEVELOPMENT. 
          WE DON'T THINK THAT DEVELOPMENT OUGHT TO BE ON THE, ON THE RATE PAYERS THAT HAVE THE NORMAL, UH, YOU KNOW, NORMAL WATER AND SEWER CHARGES. 
          UM, SO WE, UH, ONCE WE HAD REVISED THE ESTIMATES OF A LOT OF THE THINGS THAT WE WERE DOING, WE, WE REALIZED THAT WE WERE BEHIND AND THAT WERE A LOT OF, A LOT OF THINGS THAT WERE NE GONNA BE NECESSARY THAT WE WERE GONNA HAVE TO DO OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS. 
          UH, AND THE CAPACITY FEES THAT WE HAD AT THAT POINT IN TIME WERE JUST NOT SUFFICIENT TO COVER WHAT THE NEEDS WERE GONNA BE. 
          UM, SO IN PREPARATION FOR THAT, WE, UH, WE HAD, UM, UM, SESSIONS WHERE WE INVITED DEVELOPERS AND THE ENGINEERS THAT SERVE THE DEVELOPERS, UH, IN THE COMMUNITY TO COME IN AND, AND WE, AND WE MADE PRESENTATIONS SHOWING THEM WHAT WE WERE FACING FINANCIALLY WITH THE THINGS THAT WERE GONNA BE NECESSARY OUT THERE. 
          UM, WE THEN, UM, WE THEN EVEN FLOATED SOME IDEAS ABOUT, UH, HOW TO HANDLE THE IMPACT FEES. 
          UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT CAME OUT OF THOSE MEETINGS WAS THAT, UH, WE HAD, PRIOR TO THEN WE HAD BEEN, UH, CHARGING THE IMPACT FEES UP AT THE VERY BEGINNING OF A PROJECT, WHICH, UH, WHICH ADDED THE TOTAL PROJECT COST. 
          RIGHT AT THE VERY BEGINNING, UH, THERE WAS A, A, A REQUEST THAT WE, UH, SPREAD THAT OUT OVER THE LIFE OF THE PROJECT, WHICH WE HAVE DONE. 
          UH, WE HAD, UM, UH, MEETINGS WHERE THE DEVELOPERS AND THE ENGINEERS WERE INVITED IN, AND WE TALKED ABOUT THE CAPACITY FEES AND WHAT THE AMOUNTS WOULD BE. 
          WE THEN HIRED A CONSULTANT, UH, AFTER WE HAD GATHERED A LOT OF THAT INFORMATION IN TERMS OF WHAT WAS GONNA BE NECESSARY, UH, WHO, AND, AND WE, WE ASKED THEM WHAT, WHAT, WHAT WOULD BE A REASONABLE AMOUNT TO CHARGE FOR CAPACITY FEES, UH, GIVEN WHAT WE WERE FACING IN TERMS OF THE DEVELOPMENT THAT WE HAD. 
          [00:15:01]
AND THEY CAME BACK WITH RECOMMENDATIONS ON IT. 
          WE, UH, WE REALLY, WE STRUGGLED. 
          UH, THERE WERE, THERE WAS A LOT OF DISCUSSION ABOUT IT. 
          'CAUSE WE REALIZED THAT, UH, UM, THERE WAS GONNA BE A PRETTY BIG IMPACT, NOT ONLY ON DEVELOPERS AT THE SAME TIME, WE WERE FACING RATE INCREASES FOR GENERAL WATER AND SEWER CHARGES AS WELL. 
          AND WE WERE VERY, UH, SYMPATHETIC TO THE FACT THAT, UH, THERE'S GONNA BE A BURDEN PLACED ON OUR POPULATION FOR, FOR, UH, YOU KNOW, HAVING THE WATER AND SEWER SERVICE THAT WE NEEDED TO HAVE. 
          BUT WE, WE, UH, WE CAME UP WITH A, UH, AN AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT WE, UM, AFTER A LOT OF DEBATE CAME UP WITH THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT WE WERE GONNA CHARGE FOR CAPACITY FEES. 
          AND THAT WAS THEN VOTED ON BY THE BOARD AT, UH, EVEN THE LAST MEETING OF THE MEETING BEFORE. 
          OKAY. 
          AND THE, UM, I THINK THIS PAST SUMMER THERE WERE SOME, UM, SUGGESTIONS THAT, THAT INDIVIDUALS LIMIT THEIR IRRIGATION OR RESTRICT THEIR IRRIGATION. 
          IS THAT AN A, A, AN ISSUE THAT WILL GO AWAY ONCE THE NEW BURG PLANT COMES ONLINE, THE TREATMENT PLANT? OR IS THAT SOMETHING THAT YOU ENVISION IS GONNA BE ONGOING INTO, INTO THE FUTURE? IT, IT'S GONNA BE ONGOING. 
          THE, THE BURG PLANT WHEN IT COMES ONLINE, PROBABLY NEXT MAY WILL, UM, I THINK WE WILL, WILL INITIALLY SOLVE THE DEMAND PROBLEM THAT WE HAD BACK IN THE SUMMER WHEN WE HAD, UM, SEVERE DROUGHT. 
          UM, WE WERE, WE WERE EXCEEDING PRODUCTION CAPACITY AT THE PERRYSBURG PLANT AND AT THE, THE, THE SHEL CHELSEA PLANT ON SNAKE ROAD, UM, A COUPLE OF MONTHS LATER WHEN WE HAD HELENE OR WHATEVER THE STORM WAS THAT CAME THROUGH AND THERE WAS PLENTY OF WATER AND THERE WASN'T IRRIGATION GOING ON, INSTEAD OF A 35 MILLION GALLON A DAY, A DAY DEMAND THAT WE WERE, WE WERE SEEING DURING THE DROUGHT, IT WAS 18 MILLION GALLONS A DAY WHEN, WHEN THERE WAS NO IRRIGATION GOING ON. 
          AND SO WHAT WHAT WE KIND OF REALIZED WAS THAT, UM, UH, OUR, OUR EXPANSION OF THE BURG PLANT TO GET US UP TO 50 MILLION GALLONS A DAY THERE AT, AT A COST OF APPROACHING A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS, WAS TO SOME EXTENT, TO HELP TO ENABLE PEOPLE TO PUT WATER ON THE GROUND, ON THE GRASS AND WHATNOT. 
          AND, UH, AND, AND YOU KNOW, THAT THAT'S NOT A REAL GOOD USE OF PUBLIC MONEY IN A LOT OF WAYS, BUT THAT'S KIND OF WHERE WE ARE. 
          WE, WE CHANGED THE, THE WAY THE BILLING WENT FROM, UH, UP TO 7,000 GALLONS, UH, OF, OF USAGE WOULD HAVE BOTH THE WATER AND A SEWER CHARGE. 
          AND THAT WENT FROM 7,000 TO 10,000 TO, TO HELP COVER THE COST OF REALLY SOME OF THE PEOPLE THAT WERE DOING A LOT OF IRRIGATION. 
          THEY, THEY NEEDED TO PAY A LITTLE BIT MORE IN ORDER TO COVER THE COSTS THAT THEY HAD. 
          SO, UM, THAT, THAT, THAT'S WHAT, THAT'S WHAT WE DEALT WITH IN TERMS OF THE INCREASES IN RATES AND FEES. 
          TALK TO ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE, THE PROCESS YOU DESCRIBED WHERE WHEN YOU PROPOSED AN INCREASE IN IMPACT FEES AND YOU PROVIDED A, I GUESS, A PUBLIC HEARING OF SORTS TO BE HEARD. 
          ARE THOSE INTERNAL THINGS THAT YOU DO, OR ARE THERE STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS THAT YOU RECEIVE PUBLIC INPUT AND HAVE A HEARING BEFORE YOU MAKE DECISIONS? WE DIDN'T DO, UH, PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENTS OF A HEARING, BUT WE PASSED THE WORD AROUND THE DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY. 
          UH, WE HAD, UM, WE HAD WE CALL HUDDLE SESSIONS WHERE, UH, ANYBODY COULD COME IN AND COULD TALK TO OUR ENGINEERING STAFF AND FIND OUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT WAS GOING ON. 
          BUT, UM, WE, WHEN WE WOULD HAVE THE MEETINGS ABOUT THE, THE FUNDING FOR THE CAPACITY FEES OR IMPACT FEES, WHATEVER, HOW YOU WANT EVER YOU WANNA CALL 'EM, UM, IT WAS WIDELY DISTRIBUTED THAT WE WERE HAVING THESE OPEN MEETINGS ANYBODY COULD ATTEND THAT WANTED TO ATTEND. 
          AND, UH, AND WE DID, WE HAD, WE HAD QUITE A FEW PEOPLE THAT WOULD SHOW UP, UH, AND WE'D PROVIDE INPUT TO US, AND WE WOULD CONSIDER THE INPUT AND WOULD, UH, WOULD ACT ON IT WHEN IT, WHEN IT REALLY WAS FEASIBLE AND WAS IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE AUTHORITY. 
          MENTION IN YOUR, YOUR THOUGHTS ON THIS WHOLE PUBLIC SERVICE DISTRICT MODEL THAT WE HAVE NOW, AND, AND, AND RIGHT NOW I'VE BEEN INVOLVED IN, FOR INSTANCE, UH, ENERGY REFORM AND BRINGING NEW GENERATION ONLINE. 
          AND AS YOU KNOW, UTILITIES ARE GIVEN THE SERVICE AREAS, MUCH LIKE BEAUFORT, JASPER IS GIVEN A SERVICE AREA, BUT WHEN THEY WANNA BUILD A CAPITAL PROJECT AND WHEN THEY WANNA RAISE RATES OR THEY WANNA, YOU KNOW, HAVE IMPACT FEES AND THINGS, THEY HAVE TO GO AHEAD AND FILE WITH THE PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION. 
          AND THERE'S ALMOST LIKE A ADJUDICATORY PROCEEDING WHERE, WHERE TESTIMONY IS RECEIVED, AND THEN ULTIMATELY THERE'S A DECISION MADE WITH THE RIGHT TO APPEAL THAT DECISION TO THE ADMINISTRATIVE LAW COURT. 
          DO YOU FEEL LIKE THE PUBLIC SERVICE DISTRICT MODEL, AND THIS DOESN'T HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH YOU OR BEAUFORT JASPER, BUT JUST IN GENERAL, THAT THAT PSD MODEL IS OUTDATED AND WE OUGHT TO MOVE TOWARD A, UM, A SYSTEM WHERE INPUT FROM INDIVIDUALS AND AFFECTED PARTIES IS MORE FORMAL AND THERE IS AN APPEAL OR AN APPELLATE WAY TO CHALLENGE DECISIONS? OR DO YOU THINK THAT THE MODEL OF THE PSD RIGHT NOW IS WORKING JUST FINE? I THINK WHAT WE'RE DOING RIGHT NOW WILL WORK AND, UH, WE, WE, WE'VE UNDERSTOOD THE FACT THAT WE'RE NOT PART OF THE PUBLIC SERVICE DISTRICT, AND THAT, AND THAT WAY THE POWER COMPANIES AND ALL HAVE TO DO THAT. 
          UM, WE, UH, WE WOULD LIKE TO LEAVE IT THE WAY IT IS. 
          UM, GRANTED, YOU KNOW, THERE'S NOT THE FOLLOW UP THAT THE LEGISLATURE WOULD HAVE. 
          THE LEGISLATURE OF COURSE, COULD CHANGE IT TO WHERE WE WOULD HAVE TO DO THAT. 
          BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, OUR POSITION WOULD BE THAT WE WOULD, WE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THE, THE PRIVILEGE, IF YOU WOULD SAY YOU, YOU WILL OF, UH, OF DECIDING WHAT IS NECESSARY AND WHAT WE'RE GONNA NEED IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO MEET THE NEEDS 
          [00:20:01]
OF THE TWO COUNTIES THAT WE SERVE. 
          BECAUSE RIGHT NOW, THE ONLY REALLY, THE ONLY REMEDY WHEN PEOPLE CALL ME LIKE THEY DO, YOU KNOW, OVER THE SUMMER AND FALL ABOUT RATE INCREASES OR RESTRICTED WATER USE OR WHATEVER IT IS, I'VE, I MEAN, I'VE GOT NO AUTHORITY IN JURISDICTION OVER Y'ALL. 
          THE ONLY TIME IT COMES BEFORE ME IS WHEN BOARD MEMBERS ARE BEING ASKED TO BE REPLACED AND, AND, AND, AND RENOMINATED OR WHATEVER. 
          SO IT'S, IT'S KIND OF A BLUNT INSTRUMENT. 
          AND, AND I'M JUST WONDERING IF THERE'S SOMETHING OTHER THAN THE DRACONIAN WAY OF JUST PUTTING NEW MEMBERS ON THE BOARD, IF THERE'S ANOTHER WAY FOR US TO KIND OF ADDRESS SOME OF THESE ISSUES. 
          AND I, I'M JUST SPEAKING OUT LOUD NOW. 
          YOU DON'T NEED TO RESPOND TO THAT. 
          I JUST, I, I WONDER IF THE PSD MODEL, UM, IS ONE THAT WAS USEFUL AT A POINT IN TIME, BUT WHETHER OR NOT IT, IT STILL IS A USEFUL MODEL AND I JUST OFFER THAT OUT FOR CONSIDERATION. 
          WELL, I, I, I WOULD, I WOULD SAY THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE, WE LIKE THE, THE PRIVILEGE THAT WE HAVE OF DEALING WITH IT ON OUR OWN. 
          IF, UH, IF THE LEGISLATURE CHANGED WHAT WE WOULD DO, WE WOULD OBVIOUSLY, UH, GO THAT WAY ON IT. 
          BUT, UH, WE'RE, WE'RE TRYING TO BE REASONABLE IN TERMS OF WHAT WE DO, AND WE'RE TRYING TO BE SENSITIVE TO THE IMPACT THAT, THAT OUR, OUR SERVICES PROVIDE ON THE CITIZENS OF BEAUFORT AND JASPER COUNTY. 
          SO, UM, THAT'S ATE RECOGNI NATURE. 
          I APPRECIATE THE TIME AND EFFORT YOU PUT INTO IT. 
          I KNOW THAT THE, WHATEVER TINY STIPEND YOU GET DOESN'T BEGIN TO COVER THE TIME YOU PUT INTO IT. 
          SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE, AMY. 
          WELL, THIS IS PUBLIC SERVICE AND WE APPRECIATE IT. 
          OKAY. 
          I YIELD BACK, MR. CHAIRMAN, UH, PRESIDENT BRADLEY. 
          THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN. 
          UH, SENATOR DAVIS COVERED SEVERAL THINGS THAT I WAS INTERESTED IN, BUT I AM INTERESTED IN TWO THINGS IS IN ONE IS YOUR THOUGHT OR, OR YOUR IDEA ON HOW YOU MAKE THE DECISION ON THE AMOUNT OF MONEY YOU'RE GONNA SPEND FOR THE INFRASTRUCTURE WITH ALL THE VAST DEVELOPMENT. 
          UM, WELL, IT KINDA DEPENDS ON WHAT THE DEMAND LOOKS LIKE. 
          IT'S GONNA BE WHERE THE GROWTH IS GONNA BE OCCURRING, WHERE WE'VE GOT, UM, MAINTENANCE ISSUES THAT, UH, LET ME, LET ME JUMP FORWARD FOR JUST A SECOND. 
          REALLY WHAT I'M LOOKING AT IS HOW DO WE KNOW THAT YOU'RE THINKING, UH, ENOUGH TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU HAVE ENOUGH MONEY FROM THE DEVELOPER IMPACT FEES? THAT'S REALLY WHERE I'M TRYING TO GO. 
          UM, WELL, LIKE I SAID A LITTLE BIT EARLIER, AS WE WERE, AS WE WERE LOOKING AT WHAT THE DEMANDS WERE GONNA BE WITH AN UPDATED CAPITAL PROJECTS LIST THAT WE HAD, UM, WE HIRED A, AN ENGINEERING CONSULTANT WITH EXPERIENCE WITH, UH, THAT KINDA THING TO TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT OUR COSTS WERE, WHAT, YOU KNOW, WHAT THE EXPECTATIONS WERE OF THE PROJECTS THAT WE HAD COMING BEFORE US. 
          AND TO COME BACK AND MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TO US ON WHAT THEY THOUGHT WOULD BE REASONABLE FEES THAT WOULD BOTH MEET OUR FINANCIAL NEEDS AND WOULD, UM, WOULD NOT BE UNFAIR TO THE PEOPLE THAT WERE HAVING TO PAY THE CHARGES THEMSELVES. 
          SO, UH, WE HAD THAT, AND THEN, THEN WE HAD, UH, WE HAD PUBLIC MEETINGS, UM, THAT, THAT ANYBODY WAS AVAILABLE TO ATTEND. 
          WE SPREAD THE WORD AROUND THROUGH THE DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY AND THROUGH THE ENGINEERING COMMUNITY, AND HAD HAD FOLKS THAT SHOWED UP AND THEY HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE INPUT IN TERMS OF WHAT THEY THOUGHT WAS THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF MONEY AND WHATNOT. 
          UH, ULTIMATELY, UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THE BOARD, WHEN WE WRESTLED WITH THAT TOPIC, UH, THERE, IT WASN'T UNANIMOUS. 
          UH, THERE, THERE WAS SOME DESCENDING VOTES THAT OCCURRED AS WE, WE WENT THROUGH ON THAT, BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY, UH, MADE THE DECISION IN TERMS OF WHAT THEY THOUGHT WAS THE RIGHT THING TO DO AND THE RIGHT WAY TO, TO MEET THE NEEDS OF WHAT THE AUTHORITY WAS GONNA HAVE. 
          UM, YOU KNOW, OUR, OUR OBLIGATION IS TO PROVIDE WATER AND SEWER SERVICES AND, UM, UH, WE DON'T WANNA BE CAUGHT SHORT WITH NOT ENOUGH MONEY IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO DO IT, NOR DO WE WANT TO BE, UM, UM, ON THE WRONG SIDE OF WHAT THE PUBLIC HAS TO PAY FOR ALL THOSE SERVICES. 
          WELL, I GUESS THERE COULD BE INSTANCES WHERE YOU LOWERED THE RATES IF YOU OVERCHARGED AND DIDN'T DO THE, THE CONSTRUCT, THE INFRASTRUCTURE CONS, UH, DEVELOPMENT. 
          SO, SO FAR WE'RE, WE'RE NOT SEEING WHERE WHATEVER WE'VE DONE IS, IS CREATING A, A SURPLUS, UH, YEAH. 
          WELL, THAT'S, THAT, THAT'S PART OF MY CONCERN NOW. 
          UH, THANK YOU. 
          WELL, IN, IN ADDITION TO ALL THE DEVELOPMENT THAT GOES ON, WE, WE INHERITED, UH, SYSTEMS FROM BEAUFORT AND PORT ROYAL AND, AND OTHER PLACES THAT ARE 50, 60 YEARS OLD. 
          SO THERE'S A LOT OF MAINTENANCE THAT'S HAVING TO BE DONE. 
          YOU KNOW, WE, AND WE HAD THE, THE SPILL OUT ON THE HIGHWAY, UH, JUST THE LAST COUPLE OF DAYS OF 60,000 GALLONS OF RAW SEWAGE CAME OUT OF A FORCE, MAINE. 
          UM, AND, YOU KNOW, SO WE'RE ALWAYS DEALING WITH, UH, HOW DO WE GO BACK IN AND, AND REESTABLISH INTEGRITY IN THE SYSTEMS THAT WE ALREADY HAVE. 
          UH, SO THAT'S, THAT'S PART OF WHAT WE HAVE TO COVER AS WELL WITH OUR, WITH OUR COST STRUCTURE. 
          THE OTHER THING I WANTED TO ASK YOU ABOUT IS YOUR TAKE ON THE POTENTIAL SHORTAGE OF WATER TO BE ABLE TO, TO DELIVER TO HILTON HEAD. 
          UM, I'VE BEEN APPROACHED BY FOLKS OVER THERE THAT ARE CONCERNED THAT YOU GUYS ARE GOING TO, UH, BACK OFF FROM A, AN OBLIGATION THAT YOU'D MADE TO THEM TO, TO DELIVER WATER. 
          AND I WAS JUST, CAN I GET YOUR SIDE OF THE STORY? WE ARE, SINCE YOU'RE HERE. 
          WE ARE, WE'RE, WE'RE TALKING, UH, WITH HILTON HEAD ABOUT ALL OF THAT. 
          THERE, THERE WERE, THERE 
          [00:25:01]
WAS SOME AGREEMENTS THAT WERE MADE BACK, UH, 30 OR 35 YEARS AGO THAT, UM, HAVE US PROVIDING A CERTAIN VOLUME OF WATER TO HILTON HEAD AT RATES THAT WERE 1995 RATES. 
          AND, UM, PRETTY GOOD TO ME. 
          YEAH. 
          AND, AND THAT'S WHERE HILTON HEAD FELT ABOUT IT. 
          AND, UH, SO WE'RE, WE'RE TRYING TO TALK TO THEM ABOUT, UM, YOU KNOW, LET'S BE FAIR ABOUT THE SITUATION. 
          THEIR, THEIR AGREEMENTS WERE IN PLACE, BUT, UH, WE'RE TRYING, WE'RE WE'RE FINDING THAT, UM, THEIR, THEIR UNDERSTANDING AND ARE WILLING TO KIND OF TALK ABOUT IT AND FIGURE OUT HOW WE HANDLE THAT IN THE BEST WAY, BUT, UH, UH, TO, WITH THE, THE COST OF, UH, OF TREATING WATER THAT WE PROVIDE OUT THERE. 
          UH, AND IF WE HAVE TO DO IT AT 1995 RATES, THEN, THEN BASICALLY, UM, HILTON HEAD WILL BE SUBSIDIZING THE REST OF THE SYSTEM THAT WE HAVE, BECAUSE THEY'LL NOT BE PAYING NEAR THEIR FAIR SHARE FOR THAT AMOUNT OF WATER, CURRENT AND CURRENT COSTS. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          I, I'VE GOT A COUPLE QUESTIONS AND, UH, THANK YOU AGAIN FOR YOUR SERVICE. 
          AND LEMME JUST GO ON RECORD AND UP FRONT OF SAYING, I'M THE ONE THAT SPEARHEADED THE, THE, UH, CHANGE IN THE, UH, BOARD. 
          AND I'LL ASK YOU A FEW QUESTIONS, AND I THINK YOU'LL UNDERSTAND WHY I DID IT. 
          I MEAN, BECAUSE I, I SERVED 45,000 PEOPLE HERE IN BEAUFORT COUNTY OR IN, IN BLUFFTON, AND WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE CULTURE OF THAT AND THE CULTURE. 
          I, I THINK WE CAN AGREE THE CULTURE SINCE DEAN MOSS WAS HERE, AND THEN DEAN WAS A GREAT FRIEND. 
          I MEAN, HE WOULD CALL WHENEVER SOMETHING WAS ON, AND, AND THE CULTURE'S GONE DOWNHILL. 
          AND THE FORMER, UM, AND, AND BY THE WAY, I THINK YOUR NEW GENERAL MANAGER WAS FANTASTIC, BUT THE FORMER GENERAL MANAGER, DID HE RETIRE OR WERE YOU, WAS HE ASKED TO RETIRE? UM, HE RETIRED. 
          SO IN FIVE YEARS OR SIX YEARS, WHATEVER, HE WAS HERE AND THINGS ARE GOING DOWNHILL. 
          WHAT ARE YOU GUYS DOING ABOUT IT? I MEAN, YOU'RE HEARING THE SAME COMPLAINTS. 
          WE ARE, IN FACT, PROBABLY MORE. 
          WHAT, WHAT, WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH THAT? YOU KNOW, PART OF IT WAS THAT THE, THE GROUP THAT WE HAD HANDLING THE ENGINEERING, UH, FOR THE SYSTEM, UM, DIDN'T HAVE A HANDLE ON ON WHAT THE REALITY WAS. 
          AND, UH, AND, YOU KNOW, BOARD MEMBERS CAN'T DIG TOO DEEP INTO THE INTERNAL WORKINGS. 
          AND SO TO GET INTO TO HOW THE ENGINEERING STAFF WAS DOING THEIR ESTIMATES AND WHATNOT, YOU KNOW, WE, WE, WE, IN SOME CASES, WE ONLY KNOW WHAT ARE, WE'RE TOLD ON THE ONCE A MONTH BOARD MEETINGS. 
          SO, UH, UH, THERE WERE REPORTS THAT WOULD COME IN THAT WOULD, UH, INDICATE THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, WE WERE ON TRACK, BUT WE WEREN'T. 
          AND WE WERE BEGINNING TO REALIZE THAT, UH, TOWARD THE END, ACTUALLY, THE, WHAT, WHAT PROBABLY CAUSED THE RETIREMENT OF THAT LAST GENERAL MANAGER WERE SOME CHANGES THAT WERE MADE ON OUR BOARD, UM, WITH, UH, A DEVELOP WITH, WITH A PERSON, WITH A REAL SERIOUS DEVELOPMENT, UH, EXPERTISE. 
          AND, UH, IT HAD BEEN PART OF THE JEFF ACKERMAN IS WHO I'M TALKING ABOUT. 
          AND, YOU KNOW, WE SPEARHEADED THAT, THAT'S WHY SPEARHEADED THAT AS WELL. 
          I KNOW THAT YOU SEE THAT. 
          AND, UH, AND JEFF, UM, THE, THE GENERAL MANAGER, YOU, YOU SHOULD HAVE SEEN HIS REACTION WHEN HE HEARD WHO WAS GONNA BE FILLING THAT BOARD SEAT BECAUSE THEY HAD NOT GOTTEN ALONG. 
          THERE'D BEEN CONFLICT BETWEEN THE TWO OF 'EM AT THAT POINT IN TIME. 
          AND, UM, I THINK HE, UM, HE JUST DECIDED HE WAS OF AN AGE WHERE HE COULD RETIRE. 
          AND, UM, HE DID. 
          AND, UM, WE GAVE HIM A FAREWELL AND, UM, WISHED HIM WELL, AND I'M TRYING NOT TO BE CRITICAL ON THIS BECAUSE I, I MEAN, ARMCHAIR QUARTERBACKS ARE PROBABLY THE WORST QUARTERBACKS IN THE WORLD, BUT, UM, BUT IN ALL THOSE YEARS, I MEAN, IN, IN THE FIVE YEARS OR WHATEVER, I MEAN, IF YOU DON'T, IF THE BOARD DOESN'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THESE, WITH THIS, THESE PEOPLE WHO DOES, THE CONSTITUENTS SURE DO. 
          I CAN TELL YOU THAT, WELL, WE WOULD GET, WE WOULD GET REPORTS ON A MONTHLY BASIS. 
          UM, BUT THE, THE FACT OF THE MATTER WAS THAT THE ENGINEERING EXPERTISE THAT, UH, THAT THEY HAD WAS NOT AS GOOD AS WHAT WE HAVE NOW. 
          AND, UH, UM, WE, WE WE'RE GETTING BETTER INFORMATION. 
          UH, I, I HAVE CONFIDENCE IN WHAT WE'RE GETTING AT THIS POINT IN TIME. 
          WE, WE, WE HAD A, WE HAVE, UH, WORKSHOPS IN ADDITION TO THE, THE MONTHLY MEETINGS THAT WE HAD JUST HAD ONE LAST WEEK, UH, UH, TALKING ABOUT, UM, SOME JASPER COUNTY ISSUES ON EXIT EIGHT. 
          UH, AND THERE WERE ALMOST A QUORUM OF BOARD MEMBERS. 
          WE DIDN'T HAVE A QUORUM, THANK GOODNESS, 'CAUSE WE HADN'T ANNOUNCED IT. 
          BUT, UH, WE HAD A, A LONG DISCUSSION ON, YOU KNOW, HOW WE HANDLE THE, THE DEMANDS OF HARDY V AND DEMANDS OF, UH, CHERRYPOINT, ALL THAT. 
          SO ALL OF THOSE KINDS OF THINGS, IT TAKES TIME. 
          AND, UH, WE, WE HAVE SOME BOARD MEETINGS THAT START AT EIGHT O'CLOCK IN, IN THE MORNING AND AREN'T OVER UNTIL NOONTIME. 
          UH, BUT, UM, BUT MAYBE YOU COULD AGREE ON THIS. 
          MAYBE WE COULD ALL AGREE ON THIS, IF WE WOULD'VE KEPT THE SAME PEOPLE IN THERE, WE'D BE GETTING THE SAME RESULTS, RIGHT? UH, YEAH, PROBABLY. 
          AND, AND PROBABLY, AND THAT'S, THAT'S WHY TO ME, IT WAS, YOU KNOW, IT WAS, THAT'S MY, TO TO ME, WE NEEDED A CHANGE. 
          SO LET'S SHIFT GEARS A LITTLE BIT, AND CAN I, WOULD YOU MIND IF I CHARACTERIZED THE MANUAL THAT THEY WERE PUTTING OUT? AND YOU CAN TELL ME IF I'M WRONG, AND IF I'M WRONG, I'LL, I'LL, YOU KNOW, I'LL, I'LL ADMIT IT AND I'LL LET TOM PUNCH ME, OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. 
          BUT THE MANUAL THEY WERE PUTTING OUT TO THE ENGINEERS WEREN'T PUBLISHED TO THE ENGINEERS. 
          SO YOU HAD A MANUAL THAT THE ENGINEERS FROM 
          [00:30:01]
BEAUFORT, JASPER WATER KEPT TO THEMSELVES. 
          TOM AS AN ENG ENGINEER, WOULD'VE TO BRING IN A PLAN, AND THEY SAY, NO, THAT DOESN'T FIT OUR MANUAL. 
          WELL, WHERE IS YOUR MANUAL? WELL, WE CAN'T SHOW IT TO YOU. 
          ISN'T THAT ABOUT THE WAY IT WAS? I, I DON'T RECALL THAT WE WOULD, WE WOULD NOT SHOW THEM THE MANUAL. 
          I DON'T RECALL THAT THAT WAS THE CASE CASE. 
          AND THEY DIDN'T PUBLISH IT FOR ANY OF THE ENGINEERS OUT HERE IS, I MEAN, I COULD, I CAN TELL YOU THAT FOR PRETTY MUCH A FACT. 
          WELL, MY, MY UNDERSTANDING, UM, WAS THAT IT WAS AVAILABLE IF SOMEBODY WANTED IT, BUT WHEN THEY, WHEN THEY SAW IT, THEY DIDN'T LIKE IT. 
          AND THERE WERE A LOT OF, A LOT OF EXTRA THINGS THAT WERE REQUIRED THAT WERE UNNECESSARY AND TURNED OUT TO BE UNNECESSARY. 
          I THINK THERE, WHEN WE WENT, WHEN THE AD HOC COMMITTEE WENT OVER, UM, UH, THE WHOLE THING, UH, AND WE SUBMITTED, UH, ASKED FOR INPUT, THERE WERE LIKE 120 ITEMS IN THAT MANUAL THAT, UH, THEY HAD ISSUES WITH. 
          AND OUR COMMITTEE TOOK A LOOK AT IT, AND, UH, ABOUT 90% OF 'EM WERE VALID. 
          AND IT, IT WAS JUST THAT, UH, THE, THE ATTITUDE OF THE, THE STAFF AT THAT POINT WAS THAT THEY WERE NOT GONNA COOPERATE. 
          THE DEVELOPERS WERE NOT THE FRIENDS. 
          THEY WERE NOT FRIENDS. 
          THEY WERE THE OPPOSITION. 
          AND I TRIED, IN SOME MEETINGS, I TRIED, I SAID, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ALL AFTER THE SAME THING. 
          YOU KNOW, WE GOTTA WORK TOGETHER ON ALL THIS. 
          AND THE STAFF, THAT PARTICULAR STAFF DID NOT RESPOND TO THAT VERY WELL. 
          SO, AGAIN, I'M JUST GONNA REITERATE WHAT I SAID. 
          THE, THE FACT THAT THE CULTURE WAS SO BAD WOULD'VE NEVER BEEN CHANGED UNLESS WE STARTED TO CHANGE THE BOARD. 
          AND IT'S, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, YOU GET IT. 
          SOMETIMES BOARDS ARE MEANT TO BE CHANGED A LITTLE BIT. 
          I MEAN, WE NEED SOME FRESH BLOOD IN IT. 
          UM, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE, UH, TWO THINGS. 
          UM, OKAY. 
          AREN'T WE IN THE, AREN'T YOU ALL IN THE MIDDLE OF WHAT'S PROBABLY GONNA BE THE LARGEST BOND ISSUE? AND I MEAN, AND FOR GOOD, AND, AND I'M, THANK, I'M THANKFUL THAT YOU ALL ARE DOING THAT, BUT DID ANY OF THE MUNICIPALITIES OR COUNTIES WHEN THEY CALLED ABOUT, OR, UH, DID THEY EVEN, DID THEY EVEN CALL YOU AND ASK YOU FOR WHAT TYPE OF BOARD MEMBER YOU WANT IN THERE? WHAT, WHAT EXPERTISE OR SPECIALTY YOU NEED ON THAT? NO, UM, YOU KNOW, MY, MY SEAT IS ASSOCIATED WITH THE CITY OF BEAUFORT. 
          AND, UM, WHAT I TRY A GOOD CALL, BY THE WAY, WHAT, WHAT, WHAT I TRY TO DO IS, UH, KEEP THEM ADVISED OF THINGS THAT AFFECT PARTICULARLY THE CITY OF BEAUFORT. 
          AND, UH, SO PERIODICALLY, I, I ATTEND A COUNCIL MEETING OR A WORK SESSION AND, UH, AND, UH, ANSWER QUESTIONS AND PROVIDE, UPDATE WITH WHERE WE ARE ON THINGS. 
          UM, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, I, I THINK MOST OF THE BOARD MEMBERS DO THAT, THAT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH THE MUNICIPALITY, WITH THE COUNTY ITSELF. 
          IN YOUR PERSONAL ASSESSMENT OF THAT, DO YOU THINK THE COUNTIES AND MUNICIPALITIES SHOULD KNOW THAT MAYBE THERE'S A, UH, THEY SHOULD KNOW THERE'S A BIG, I MEAN, I KNOW THERE'S A BOND ISSUE COMING UP. 
          THE BIG, PROBABLY THE LARGEST EVER, IS THAT RIGHT? YEP. 
          LARGEST EVER BOND ISSUE. 
          AND I KNOW WE HAVE A GREAT FINANCE GUY ON THERE, BUT I, BUT I THINK WE ALSO ARE MISSING A GOOD FINANCE PERSON WHEN AL AND, UH, MRS. ALTMAN LEFT. 
          I, I AGREE WITH YOU. 
          SO THERE'S NO COMMUNICATION IN THERE. 
          HEY, MAYBE WE NEED ANOTHER FINANCE PERSON ON HERE, MAYBE WITH THE BIGGEST BOND ISSUE WE GOT COMING UP, NONE AT ALL. 
          IS THAT A FAIR CHARACTERIZATION ON THAT? THAT'S FAIR. 
          THAT'S FAIR. 
          DON DONNA ALTMAN WAS A REAL ASSET ON THE BOARD. 
          FABULOUS. 
          SHE WAS ABSOLUTE FACT. 
          THERE'S NO DOUBT ABOUT THAT. 
          AND, AND THAT'S THE ISSUE THAT I HAVE WITH THE COUNTIES AND THE, I MEAN, IT, IT'S MORE NEPOTISM OR MORE, HEY, HE'S, HE APPLIED, LET'S LET 'EM DO IT RATHER THAN GETTING SOME, I MEAN, GETTING SOMETHING AT A CRITICAL JUNCTURE IN BEAUFORT, JASPER WATER, PUTTING SOMEONE ON THERE THAT CAN ACTUALLY DO, CAN ACTUALLY HELP WITH THAT. 
          I MEAN, AND THAT'S NOT ON YOU, BUT I THINK THE POSSIBLY IT IS ON THE BOARD. 
          MAYBE THEY COULD SAY, HEY, LOOK, HERE'S WHAT WE GOT COMING UP AND HERE'S WHAT WE REALLY NEED, YOU KNOW? UH, AND THAT'S, THAT'S KIND OF WHERE WE SAW IT, MR. KING HORN. 
          AND I, UH, I MEAN, THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S FAIR. 
          UM, I, I'VE GOT THREE OTHER BOARD MEMBERS IN THIS ROOM. 
          YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M, I'M, UH, I'M ALL THE QUESTIONS ON YOU. 
          IF SOME OF THEM WANT TO WANT TO ADDRESS SOME OF THE ISSUES, ISSUES THAT YOU HAD, ABSOLUTELY. 
          THEY, THEY'D BE WELCOME TO COME UP HERE AND DO THAT. 
          UH, MS. KING, AGAIN, I THANK YOU FOR ALL THIS, ALL THAT YOU'VE DONE. 
          AND I'M NOT TRYING TO LAY THIS ON YOU, IT'S JUST THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE RESPONSIBLE TO, TO A LOT OF PEOPLE TOO. 
          IT, UM, THE, UH, I'LL ONE MORE QUESTION THEN I'LL LET YOU LET YOU ROLL IF YOU WANT. 
          UH, OKAY. 
          IN THE, UH, IT WAS TWO SUMMERS AGO WHEN THE MAGS WAS IN THE, IN THE WATER, THEY HAD AN ISSUE WITH THE MAGNIS, THE, UH, DISCOLORATION. 
          WAS THERE ANY PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS OR ANYTHING ON THAT? BECAUSE I HAD MORE, THERE WERE, I MEAN, I HAD MORE CALLS ABOUT THAT. 
          UH, THAT, I MEAN, THAT, THAT'S ANOTHER SITUATION WHERE I THINK WE'VE DONE A LOT BETTER OVER THE LAST SIX MONTHS THAN WE DID PRIOR TO THAT WITH JEFF LARUE, UH, WITH THE PUBLIC RELATIONS AND WITH CHARLIE STONE, UH, MEETING WITH ALL OF THE, THE ELECTED ORGANIZATIONS THAT WE HAVE AROUND HERE, AND KIND OF KEEPING THEM APPRISED ON THINGS. 
          WE HAD ISSUES WITH, UH, WITH MANGANESE, UH, FAIRLY RECENTLY. 
          UH, AND, AND OUR, OUR TREATMENT PROCESSES DON'T NECESSARILY DEAL WITH THAT VERY EASILY. 
          UM, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, THAT I HADN'T MENTIONED WAS, UH, WE HAVE A LOT OF UNFUNDED MANDATES THAT COME OUR WAY AS WELL. 
          AND THIS, UM, THIS PFAS, UH, THING THAT YOU HEAR ABOUT, UM, OUR ESTIMATE RIGHT NOW IS WITH WHAT WE'VE GOTTA DO 
          [00:35:01]
TO THE BURG PLANT AND TO THE, UM, THE, THE CHERRY POINT PLANT AND NOT CHERRY POINT, THE CHELSEA PLANT IS PROBABLY GONNA COST A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS OF CAPITAL IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT. 
          AND IT'S GOTTA BE IN PLACE BY 20, BY 2029. 
          UH, AND THEN IN ADDITION TO THAT, CAPITAL COSTS, WE'RE ESTIMATING THAT THE OPERATING COST OF THAT SYSTEM IS GONNA BE PROBABLY SIX OR $7 MILLION A YEAR. 
          SO, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE KIND LOOKING AT, UH, IN THE FUTURE WITH WHERE WE ARE WITH ALL OF THOSE KINDS OF THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH. 
          AND, UM, THAT UNFUNDED MANDATE, WAS THAT FROM THE FEDS OR WAS THAT FROM THE, FROM THE EPA STATE SENATE? YEAH, FROM THE EPA. 
          A OKAY. 
          UM, UM, AGAIN, I JUST, I'M JUST GONNA FOLLOW BACK ON WHAT, WHAT YOU JUST SAID ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE PAST SIX MONTHS HAVE BEEN GREAT, BUT WOULD IT WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN IF WE DIDN'T CHANGE THAT AND WELL, I, I'LL TELL YOU, UM, JEFF ACKERMAN HAS BEEN AN ASSET ON THE BOARD, AND, UH, AND, UM, HE, HE, HE WASN'T, UH, UNI UNIVERSALLY WELCOME TO WRITE IT FIRST, BUT, UH, HE HAS SHOWN HIS WORTH. 
          AND, UM, WELL, I, I DO KNOW THAT THE, UH, THE CULTURE OVER THERE WAS BAD FOR JUST EVEN FOR THE CITIZENS CALLING, YOU KNOW, AND, AND IT'S, AND LOOK, IT'S IMPROVED A THOUSAND PERCENT. 
          AND, UM, AND THANK YOU FOR, AGAIN, FOR WHAT YOU'RE DOING, AND THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE QUESTIONS BECAUSE I KNOW IT'S NOT, THIS ISN'T AN EASY THING FOR ANY, WELL, OUR CHAIRMAN'S SITTING HERE, WE GOT ROB MCPHEE HERE AS WELL, AND, UM, UM, THERE'S SEVERAL FOLKS. 
          YEAH, YEAH. 
          I'D LIKE TO ASK YOU A QUESTION OR I GET YOUR OPINION ON SOMETHING. 
          AND AS I LISTENED TO THE DISCUSSION IN REFERENCE TO THE CULTURE, UH, THAT WAS ESTABLISHED UNDER MR. SAXON AND DURING THAT TIMEFRAME, UM, I, I GUESS MY THING IS, UH, UM, AND YOU SAID IT, PEOPLE SAID THAT THE CULTURE'S GOING DOWNHILL OR HAS BEEN GOING DOWNHILL. 
          I'VE HEARD THAT TODAY. 
          SO MY QUESTION IS THIS, UH, WHAT WOULD BE THE ADVANTAGE OR THE BENEFITS OF BOARD MEMBERS THAT MAY HAVE INSTITUTIONAL KNOWLEDGE AS WELL AS BEING THAT BRIDGE, UH, BETWEEN, UH, MR. SAXON AND MR. MOSS, UM, DO YOU THINK BOARD MEMBERS SHOULD HAVE BOTH, UH, THE INSTITUTIONAL KNOWLEDGE AS WELL AS THE CONTINUITY OF SUCCESS WOULD BE A BENEFIT TO WHAT YOU'RE DOING RIGHT NOW? WELL, I, I, I'D, I'D LIKE TO COMMENT AND SAY THAT I DON'T THINK THE CULTURE IS CONTINUING TO GO DOWN. 
          I MEAN, I'VE HEARD THAT SEVERAL TIMES. 
          I THINK THAT HAS BEEN ARRESTED WITH THE NEW STAFF THAT WE'VE GOT. 
          AND, UH, WE'RE, WE'RE IN MUCH BETTER SHAPE THAN WE HAD PRIOR TO THAT. 
          UM, IN TERMS OF, UM, OF DEAN MOSS'S, UH, OF AVAILABILITY AND WILLINGNESS TO CONSULT WITH, UM, VERNA ARNETT, THE NEW GENERAL MANAGER, THAT'S TAKEN PLACE A NUMBER OF TIMES. 
          AND SO, UH, WE'RE TRYING TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT. 
          DON'T, WE DON'T SEE AS MUCH OF ED SAXON AS, UH, AS WE DO OF, UH, OF DEAN. 
          BUT, UM, UH, ALL OF THEM ARE WILLING TO HELP. 
          AND THEY WERE NOT ASKED IN YEARS PAST, BUT THERE IS, UM, COLLABORATION THAT'S GOING ON RIGHT NOW BETWEEN THEM AND, UH, AND THE EXISTENCE. 
          WHAT, WHAT ABOUT THE BENEFITS OF PEOPLE WHO WERE A PART OF THAT SAME ADMINISTRATION OR THAT TIMEFRAME OR THAT SEASON BEING ADDED TO THE BOARD NOW? WHAT, WHAT DO YOU SEE THAT AS HAVING COULD BE BENEFICIAL? I, I THINK IT WOULD BE BENEFICIAL TO HAVE FINANCIAL EXPERTISE TO COME ONTO THE BOARD IN ADDITION TO FINANCIAL EXPERTISE, BUT ENGINEERING BACKGROUND, UM, WELL, YOU KNOW, SO LEMME ASK YOU ANOTHER ONE. 
          SO FINANCIAL EXPERTISE IS THE ONLY AREA THAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR. 
          UM, THERE, THERE ARE TWO OR THREE OF US THAT ARE ENGINEERS THAT ARE ON THE BOARD. 
          SO I THINK WE GOT THAT FAIRLY WELL COVERED, AND WE GOT SOME THAT HAVE JUST BEEN IN GENERAL BUSINESS THAT THEY DEALT WITH. 
          BUT, BUT WHAT DONNA ALTMAN BROUGHT TO US IN TERMS OF FINANCIAL EXPERTISE, I WORKED WITH THIS ALTMAN WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICT PLAY 18 YEARS. 
          SARAH LINKER IS HERE. 
          YOU KNOW, SARAH, SARAH HANDLED A LOT OF THE FINANCIAL THINGS THAT WE'VE BEEN DEALING WITH, UH, FOR A LONG TIME. 
          BUT, UH, UH, WE ARE IN SO MUCH BETTER SHAPE RIGHT NOW THAN WE WERE A YEAR AGO. 
          YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DEALT WITH, COVID HAD AN IMPACT ON US AS WELL. 
          AND, UH, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THE COST OF THINGS WENT UP PRETTY DRAMATICALLY WITH ALL OF THAT. 
          SO THAT, THOSE ARE THE KINDS OF THINGS. 
          LEMME ME, ONE FINAL QUESTION. 
          BEING THAT YOU REPRESENT THE CITY, WHAT DO YOU THINK THE VALUE OF THE RECOMMENDATION FROM THE CITY AND THE COUNTY COUNCIL IN REFERENCE TO, TO, UH, THE BOARD AND BEAUFORT JASPER, CONSIDERING WITH HOME RULE AND WE ALL WORK FOR THE SAME PEOPLE, AND WHAT DO YOU THINK THE VALUE OF COUNTY COUNCIL'S RECOMMENDATION IN THE CITY OF BEFORD RECOMMENDATION? DO YOU THINK IT'D HAVE ANY, ANY, ANY CREDIBILITY OR VALUE? WELL, I THINK, I THINK IT DOES, IF THERE IS INTERACTION AND CONNECTION BETWEEN THE BOARD MEMBER AND THE MUNICIPALITY THAT THEY'RE DEALING WITH. 
          AND LIKE I SAID EARLIER, I TRY TO, UH, KEEP THE CITY BEAUFORT UP TO DATE ON THINGS THAT AFFECT THEM IN PARTICULAR, AND THINGS THAT GENERALLY, UH, ARE AFFECTING THE WHOLE SYSTEM, BUT THEY'RE PART OF IT. 
          UH, SO, UM, YOU KNOW, WE, SO YOU, SO YOU, SO YOU THINK THAT WE SHOULD LISTEN TO WHAT THE CITY AND THE COUNTY RECOMMEND TO US? YEAH. 
          YEAH. 
          OKAY. 
          THANKS. 
          I MEAN, THEY'RE, THEY'RE THANKS. 
          YOU THINK. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          [00:40:01]
UM, GREG PAGET. 
          MR. PAGET, SIR , WELCOME. 
          THANK YOU, SIR. 
          I'M GREG PAGET, UH, CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD THIS CYCLE, AND I'M PLEASED TO BE HERE AND I AM SO THANKFUL THAT YOU CALLED MY VICE CHAIRMAN AHEAD OF ME BECAUSE I ASKED ANDY, I APOLOGIZE. 
          I ASKED ANDY TO BE OUR VICE CHAIRMAN WHENEVER I WAS VOTED TO BE CHAIRMAN. 
          AND UH, HE DOES, LEMME TELL YOU SOMETHING, ANDY KINGHORN, I'M SPEAK UP FOR HIM RIGHT NOW BECAUSE HE WAS SCHEDULED TO COME OFF. 
          ANDY HAS THE TEMPERAMENT THAT WE NEED ON THAT BOARD. 
          HE HAS THE KNOWLEDGE, THE BACKGROUND, THE EXPERIENCE. 
          UM, HE WAS GETTING READY TO GET OFF THE BOARD BACK IN THE SPRING AND I TOLD HIM, I SAID, ANDY, WE NEED YOU ON THE BOARD. 
          PLEASE DON'T STEP OFF. 
          AND SO HE VOLUNTEERED TO GO BACK ON WITH THE CITY. 
          SO I AM THANKFUL THAT HE'S WILLING TO STAY ON BECAUSE HE IS AN ASSET TO THE BOARD. 
          UH, I'VE BEEN ON THE BOARD SINCE 2017. 
          I WAS THERE WHEN, UM, UM, BEFORE JOE MANTU CAME ON BOARD AND, AND WHEN WE HIRED HIM, THE CULTURE STARTED GOING DOWN. 
          BUT AT THE SAME TIME, WHEN WE HIRED HIM, WE DID RUN INTO COVID. 
          AND AT THAT POINT WE DIDN'T HAVE BOARD MEETINGS. 
          WE HAD MEETINGS AT HOME, WE GOT TELEVISION AND, AND VIDEO AND PHONE CALLS AND STUFF LIKE THAT, BUT THERE WAS NO COLLECTIVE MEETINGS AT THE AUTHORITY BECAUSE OF THE VIRUS, SO TO SPEAK. 
          AND, UH, SO WE WENT, WE STARTED GOING DOWNHILL. 
          THE GENERAL MANAGER AT THE TIME KIND OF LAID BACK AND DIDN'T GET INVOLVED IN THINGS, DIDN'T GET INVOLVED IN THE COMMUNITY AND SUCH. 
          AND, UH, JIMMY BAKKER, YOU KNOW, HE TALKED TO YOU FROM TIME TO TIME. 
          UM, HE AND I HAD CALLS EVERY DAY FROM THE CUSTOMERS AND FROM THE STAFF AND FROM, FROM A VARIETY OF PEOPLE. 
          AND, UH, WE COULDN'T GO ON VACATION WITHOUT PHONE CALLS. 
          IT WAS, IT WAS BAD FOR ABOUT TWO YEARS. 
          UM, 20 19, 20 20 WAS TERRIBLE. 
          AND THE VIRUS MADE IT EVEN WORSE BECAUSE WE HAD EMPLOYEES THAT WERE STAYING AT HOME AND WE HARDLY EVER SAW 'EM. 
          AND, UH, SO DURING THAT TIME, THINGS WENT DOWN BIG TIME AND COSTS WENT UP. 
          I MEAN, WE COULDN'T EVEN GET SUPPLIES AT SOME POINTS. 
          UM, THEY WERE BEING HELD IN PORTS. 
          SO WE HAD A DIFFICULT TIME DURING THAT VIRUS. 
          AND AS THE PEOPLE MOVED INTO THE AREA, IT WAS ALMOST OVERWHELMING. 
          AND, UH, WE, WE DID HAVE SCHEDULE FOR PI BIRD TO COME ONLINE. 
          WE HAD A, WE HAD A BO UM, A BOND REFERENDUM THAT PASSED IN 2017 THAT NEVER GOT IMPLEMENTED IN 2020 UNTIL 2023 BECAUSE THE LAG IN THE VIRUS AND BECAUSE THE ENGINEERING STAFF THAT WE HAD AT THE TIME WAS NOT PUSHING, THEY WERE, WE HAD COMPLAINTS FROM DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES, DHC AT THE TIME, ABOUT, UM, THE PLANS THAT THEY HAD DEVELOPED FOR PBURG SAID IT WASN'T ADEQUATE AND OUR STAFF KICKED BACK AND KEPT TRYING TO GET IT THROUGH AND GET IT THROUGH. 
          I MADE A TRIP TO RIDGELAND TO TALK TO THE UM, UM, LADY UP THERE THAT'S IN CHARGE OF THEIR, UM, PLANNING. 
          AND SHE TOLD US IT WAS BEFORE BLANK. 
          OUR STAFF IS HOLDING EVERYTHING UP FOR FOUR YEARS. 
          THAT PLANT DIDN'T GET STARTED ON UNTIL WE GOT NEW STAFF. 
          AND, AND SO WE ARE ON THE RIGHT ROAD. 
          WE'VE GOT GREAT PEOPLE WORKING THERE NOW. 
          VERN ARNETT CAME ON IN MAY OF 23. 
          WE HAVE TURNED THINGS AROUND. 
          ANDY HAS BEEN A, A BIG HELP. 
          ROB'S BEEN A BIG HELP. 
          JEFF HAS BEEN A BIG, DAVE STRANGE HAS BEEN A BIG HELP. 
          MICHAEL BELL. 
          ALL OF THESE FOLKS ARE DEDICATED WORKERS ON THE BOARD. 
          WE MEET MORE TIMES THAN WE NEED TO. 
          I I MEAN, WE, WE SHOULD, WE'RE HIGHLY INVOLVED NOW WHERE IN THE PAST WE WERE NOT INVITED TO MEETINGS. 
          WE WERE NOT INCLUDED FOR A LOT OF THINGS. 
          UM, WHEN WE, I WAS CHAIRMAN OF THE COMMITTEE THAT THAT SELECTED VERNA AND WE HAD A SIT DOWN CONFERENCE WITH HER AND TOLD HER WHAT WE DIDN'T LIKE, LIKE WHAT WAS HAPPENING AND WHAT WE WANT TO SEE, WHAT'S HAPPENING. 
          AND SHE HAS BEEN A GEM. 
          SHE, UH, SHE'S ON VACATION NOW OR SHE'D BE HERE. 
          SO, UM, SHE PLANNED THIS BACK IN JUNE, SO I'M NOT BLAMING HER FOR NOT BEING HERE, BUT SHE IS MAGNIFICENT. 
          SHE CAME FROM OHIO AS A DEPUTY GENERAL MANAGER THERE AND ACTING GENERAL MANAGER CALLS. 
          HER GENERAL MANAGER WAS, UH, TASKED TO WASHINGTON TO WORK ON THAT PFAS, UH, SITUATION. 
          SO 
          [00:45:01]
WE, WE WERE GREAT AND LUCKY TO GET HER. 
          AND, UH, SHE'S GOT HIRED A STAFF THAT IS VERY, UM, VERY GOOD STAFF. 
          THEY ARE KNOWLEDGEABLE, WELL TRAINED, WELL VERSED IN WHAT THEY'RE DOING, AND THEY ARE WANTING TO GET IT DONE IN A HURRY. 
          UH, WE, THEY KNOW THAT WE'RE BEHIND. 
          AND, UH, WITH ALL THE DEVELOPMENT THAT'S GOING ON IN THE AREA, NOBODY'S BEEN UNDER STRAIN ANYMORE THAN BEAUFORT JASPER WATER AUTHORITY. 
          UM, AND IT'S STILL COMING. 
          I MEAN, EVERYWHERE YOU GO YOU SEE THE, THE BUILDING AND THE GROWTH AND YES, THAT PLANT, UH, THE BURG PLANT WAS ABOUT TO MEET ITS LIMITS AND THE WATER PURIFICATION PLANT. 
          SO WE EXPANDED IT AND LIKE ANDY SAID, COMING THIS, THIS SUMMER COMING UP, IT SHOULD BE IN, IN IN FULL FORCE AND IT'LL BE UP TO 30 MILLION GALLONS A DAY ITSELF. 
          SO THAT SHOULD HELP US OUT WITH THE MESSAGES GOING OUT TO THE COMMUNITY ABOUT WATER USAGE AND STUFF. 
          UH, 'CAUSE WE DID HIT RIGHT CLOSE TO OUR LIMIT THIS PAST SUMMER, HONESTLY DID. 
          AND UH, IF WE DIDN'T ASK FOR PEOPLE TO BACK OFF ON THEIR IRRIGATION, UH, WE MIGHT WOULD'VE BEEN MORE, A LOT MORE OF THAT BROWN WATER YOU'D HAVE SEEN. 
          BUT, UH, 'CAUSE WHEN THE WATER SLOWS DOWN IN THE SYSTEM, IT STIRS UP THE RESIDUE AND WE'RE WORKING HARD ON GETTING, UM, RID OF THE OLD GALVANIZED PIPES. 
          HARDY BILL IS ALMOST CLEANED UP. 
          THERE'S SOME AREAS STILL AROUND BEAUFORT THAT NEEDS TO BE, UH, YOU KNOW, REPLACED. 
          BUT, UH, WE'RE WORKING HARD. 
          THE AUTHORITY IS WORKING VERY HARD TO GET EVERYTHING GOING. 
          AND THE CULTURE, AS YOU'VE MENTIONED BEFORE, HAS CHANGED. 
          UM, THERE WAS PEOPLE WHO DID NOT WANT TO COME TO WORK AND NOW IT'S, IT'S A LOT BETTER THERE BECAUSE IT'S A DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENT. 
          AND I HAVE TWO RELATIVES THAT WORK THERE TOO, SO THEY KEEP ME UP TO DATE ON WHAT'S GOING ON. 
          SO SENATOR DAVIS, UM, THANK YOU MR. PAGET. 
          WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT YOUR REACHING THE LIMIT, UM, ARE THE CONSTRAINTS, THE AMOUNT OF POTABLE WATER THAT YOU CAN TREAT AND MAKE AVAILABLE ARE THE CONSTRAINTS, THE AMOUNT OF WATER IN THE SAVANNAH RIVER? I MEAN, DO YOU ANTICIPATE A POINT IN TIME WHERE THE AVAILABILITY OF WATER COMING DRAWN FROM THE SAVANNAH RIVER, THAT THAT OUR ABILITY TO WITHDRAW THAT OR PERMIT TO WITHDRAW THAT IS GONNA CONSTRAIN OR BUMP UP AGAINST THE LIMITS OF GROWTH IN YOUR SERVICE AREA? I, I, I'M NOT WORRIED ABOUT THE VOLUME OF WATER. 
          I AM WORRIED ABOUT THE QUALITY OF WATER BECAUSE IT TAKES A LOT MORE TREATMENT. 
          WHENEVER, FOR EXAMPLE, WE HAD A LOT OF RAIN, UH, DURING THIS STORM. 
          WE HAD BACK IN THIS, UH, EARLY WINTER BACK IN SEPTEMBER I GUESS IT WAS. 
          AND, UH, IT HAD AN EFFECT ON THE RIVER WATER AND IT TOOK A LOT MORE CHEMICALS TO, A LOT MORE TREATMENT HAS HAS TO BE DONE WHEN YOU'VE GOT RAINFALL. 
          EXACTLY. 
          BECAUSE IT FLUSHES FROM UPPER STATE INTO THE RIVER AND IT COMES DOWN OUR WAY. 
          AND SO IT TAKES A LOT MORE TREATMENT, BUT THERE'S A VOLUME OF WATER THERE. 
          I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANY CONCERN. 
          SO IN TERMS OF BURG WITH THE UPGRADES, HOW LONG DO YOU THINK THOSE UPGRADES ARE GOING TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR ANTICIPATED GROWTH NEEDS? SHOULD BE A LONG TIME. 
          WE WE'RE, WE'VE DOUBLING THE SIZE OF THE PLANT AND WE'RE ALSO INCREASING, UH, THE, UH, CHELSEA PLANT AS WELL. 
          SO WE SHOULD, WE SHOULD HAVE, WE, WE SHOULD HAVE ADEQUATE SUPPLY, UM, FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS. 
          I CAN'T GIVE YOU A, A DATE, BUT, AND THEN I GUESS THE LAST VARIABLE WOULD BE THE, THE, THE PIPES AND THE LINES TO GET TO THE WA THE WATER, I MEAN, WHAT'S THE STATUS OF THAT IN PROVIDING, UM, WATER AND SEWER SERVICE INTO OTHER AREAS OF YOUR SERVICE JURISDICTION? OKAY. 
          MOST OF THE AREAS THAT'S NOT SERVICED, THAT'S GONNA BE SERVICED BY DEVELOPMENT IS BEING TAKEN CARE OF BY THAT DEVELOPMENT. 
          THE, THE DEVELOPMENT FEES, LIKE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IMPACT FEES THAT ARE BEING CHARGED, IMPACT FEES AND ALL THAT, THAT'S GONNA BE IN PLAY THERE. 
          BUT I, I DON'T SEE ANY PROBLEM WITH GETTING WATER TO THE CUSTOMERS IN OUR, IN OUR AREA THAT'S FINANCED THROUGH THE IMPACT FEES THAT ARE ASSESSED MOSTLY. 
          OKAY. 
          MOSTLY YES. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU MS. PATRICK. 
          I'VE GOT, I'VE GOT SOME, UH, PATRICK, THANK YOU. 
          AND THANK YOU AGAIN FOR YOUR SEARCH. 
          WELL I APPRECIATE Y'ALL HEARING US AND YEAH. 
          AND UNDERSTANDING BECAUSE WE DO HAVE SOME GOOD BOARD MEMBERS SERVING RIGHT NOW AND, AND I JUST HATE, AND THE KNOWLEDGE THAT WE HAVE THERE, YOU MENTIONED IT A WHILE AGO, THE INSTITUTIONAL KNOWLEDGE THAT WE HAVE IS IF WE LOSE THREE BOARD MEMBERS ALL AT ONE TIME, THAT'S A LOT OF KNOWLEDGE THAT'S GOING OUT. 
          WELL, LEMME JUST SAY THIS, UH, UH, MR. KINGHORN OR YOU HAD SAID THAT MR. KING HORNE HAD TALKED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, GETTING OUT OF, PROBABLY GETTING OUTTA WHAT HE COULD, YOU KNOW, BUT UH, AND THAT'S WHAT WE HAD HEARD TOO. 
          THAT'S WHAT I'D HEARD MR. KINGHORN TOO. 
          SO I I, AND I DIDN'T WANT TO SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, OUTTA TURN, BUT SINCE IT WAS BROUGHT UP, I, YOU KNOW, BUT, UM, YOU GO BACK TO SOMETHING YOU SAID ON THE, UM, THAT YOU WERE NOT INCLUDED IN THE, IN THE MEETINGS WITH BUFORD JASPER. 
          HOW LONG WAS THAT? HOW LONG DID THAT GO ON FOR? LEMME JUST SAY THIS. 
          THEY DID, THEY HAD STAFF MEETINGS AND INTERNAL MEETINGS. 
          THAT BOARD DIDN'T USUALLY ATTEND AND WE WEREN'T INVITED TO ATTEND. 
          BUT GIVING AN EXAMPLE, WE JUST HAD A WORKSHOP A LITTLE OVER A WEEK AGO WHERE THEY IN ASKED THE 
          [00:50:01]
BOARD MEMBERS ALL THAT WANTED TO COME TO BE THERE. 
          AND THERE WAS FOUR OF US THERE THAT WE WERE INVOLVED IN, IN THE FUTURE PLANNING OF WHAT THEY'RE GONNA BE DOING. 
          AND WE LOOK AT THE CAPITAL PLAN A WHOLE LOT MORE IN DETAIL THAN WERE ALLOWED TO IN THE PAST. 
          UH, WE THOUGHT WHEN, WHEN WE HIRED JOE MANTU ON, WE THOUGHT WE HAD A, A GREAT GUY AND WE THOUGHT IT WAS GONNA BE FINE. 
          HE WAS GONNA STRAIGHTEN EVERYTHING OUT AND HELP US GO INTO THE FUTURE. 
          AND WHEN THE VIRUS HIT, IT WAS ALMOST LIKE WHEN I CAME OUT OF THERE, IT WAS A DIFFERENT ORGANIZATION. 
          AND, UH, WE STILL HAVE PEOPLE THAT'S SERVING AT HOME. 
          I MEAN DOING TELEWORK BECAUSE WE'RE RUNNING OUTTA SPACE AT THE OFFICE NOW FOR 'EM TO SELL. 
          'CAUSE WE HIRED, WHEN I WENT ON THE BOARD IN 2017, WE HAD ABOUT 150 WORKERS. 
          WE HAVE ALMOST 250 NOW. 
          SO WE'VE HAD TO INCREASE IN SIZE BECAUSE OF THE GROWTH AROUND HERE. 
          SO, LIKE I SAID, WE'VE BEEN REALLY FEELING THE, THE PRESSURE OF THE GROWTH. 
          THANK Y'ALL. 
          YOU KNOW, AND I GUESS I'LL GET BACK TO SAME QUESTION I ASKED, UH, MR. KINGHORN WAS WHEN THE COUNTIES OR THE MUNICIPALITIES CALL YOU WITH THEIR, OR DO THEY DON'T CALL YOU? DO THEY CALL YOU FOR A RECOMMENDATION? YOU AS THE CHAIRMAN, DID THEY CALL YOU FOR A RECOMMENDATION OR TELL YOU WHO THEY'RE GONNA PUT OUT? NO, THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT REALLY TROUBLED ME BECAUSE NOBODY HAS CALLED ME ABOUT ANY OF THE RECOMMENDED INDIVIDUALS. 
          AND UH, WHEN I WENT TO THE LAST MEETING IN SEPTEMBER AND WHEN I HEARD THAT TWO MEMBERS WERE BEING REPLACED BY TWO OTHER PEOPLE, IT ASTOUNDED ME BECAUSE NOBODY HAD CALLED ME. 
          NO, I HAD NO EMAILS, NO INFORMATION. 
          AND, AND I WENT UP AND I SPOKE TO YOU AND I TOLD YOU, I SAID, THESE GUYS ARE ENGINEERS AND WE NEED THEM. 
          AND YOU JUST LOOKED AT ME AND JUST SHOOK YOUR HEAD AND DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING. 
          'CAUSE YOU DIDN'T HAVE ANYTHING COULD SAY AT THE TIME. 
          BUT, BUT STILL, I COULDN'T ARGUE. 
          THEY WEREN'T ENGINEERS. 
          SO, BUT, BUT THEY, I SAID THEY'RE ASSETS TO THE BOARD AND THEY ARE, BUT I'M JUST GONNA BRING THIS BACK, BRING THIS BACK. 
          WE HAD FIVE YEARS OF, OF DECLINING, UH, SERVICE CULTURE THAT THIS THING NEEDED TO BE CAUGHT IN THE FIRST OR SECOND YEAR, THIRD YEAR LATEST, BUT I MEAN, FIVE YEARS LATER, AND AS MR. KINGHORN SAID, IF WE KEPT THE SAME PEOPLE ON, WE'D BE GETTING, I MEAN, YOU CAN'T KEEP THE SAME PEOPLE ON EXPECT DIFFERENT, EXPECT DIFFERENT RESULTS. 
          AND WE HAVE DIFFERENT RESULTS NOW THAT WE'VE BEEN CHANGED. 
          YOU KNOW, IT'S BEEN A CHANGE UP AND THERE HAS BEEN A CHANGE IN STAFF, AND ESPECIALLY AT THE TOP IN AN ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT. 
          AND WE'VE ALWAYS DONE WELL FINANCIALLY. 
          WE'VE GOT SARAH LINKER HERE, SHE'S A DEPUTY MANAGER FOR FINANCE AND, AND SERVICES, AND SHE'S ALWAYS DONE A GOOD JOB IN FINANCE. 
          WE'VE NEVER HAD A PROBLEM WITH THE ISSUES ON FINANCE. 
          OUR AUDITS EVERY YEAR COME OUT FINE. 
          THERE'S NEVER ANY WRITE-UPS. 
          SO WE DIDN'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THAT PART OF IT. 
          WHAT WE HAD TO WORRY ABOUT WAS THE ENGINEERING COMMUNITY AND, AND THE, THE CAPITAL PROJECTS THAT WE HAVE TO WORK ON AND HAVE TO TACKLE. 
          THAT WAS ALL KEPT KIND OF TO THE SIDE. 
          WE, AND EVERY TIME WE HAD A BOARD MEETING, THE, THE MANAGER SAID EVERYTHING WAS FINE. 
          YOU KNOW, THIS. 
          HE GAVE US ALL THE GOOD NEWS AND THE PEOPLE THAT CALLED YOU CALLED JIMMY BAKKER AND ME AND OTHERS, AND, AND WE GOT IT. 
          AND, AND YOU ASKED HIM ABOUT WAS MANTU A FIRED OR DID HE RESIGN? HE HAD TO RESIGN. 
          NOBODY TOLD HIM HE HAD TO, BUT HE FELT THE PRESSURE THAT HE HAD TO RESIGN. 
          YEAH. 
          AND SO JIMMY BAKKER AND I MET WITH HIM AND HAD SOME SERIOUS TALKS WITH HIM, AND ONE DAY ON OUR MEETING HE ANNOUNCED HE WAS RE RESIGNING AND JIMMY AND I LOOKED AT EACH OTHER AND SAID, YES, AND THAT WOULD GIVE US A CLEAR 'CAUSE HE'S THE ONLY GUY WE COULD HIRE, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY ELSE STAFF WORKS WITH THE GENERAL MANAGER. 
          RIGHT. 
          HE WAS THE ONLY GUY THAT WE COULD, WE COULD DO ANYTHING WITH. 
          SO THE CULTURE STARTED THERE, BUT, BUT IF HE HADN'T RESIGNED, WHAT WOULD HAPPEN? WHAT WOULD'VE HAPPENED? HE WOULD, HE WOULD'VE BEEN LET GO. 
          WE, JIMMY AND I HAD ALREADY TALKED ABOUT IT, AND WE TALKED TO SOME OF THE BOARD MEMBERS. 
          AND SO HE, HE WAS NOT WORKING THE WAY WE WANTED HIM TO WORK. 
          SO AGAIN, I WAS CHAIRMAN OF THE COMMITTEE AND WE LOOKED AT A LOT OF PEOPLE ALL AROUND THIS COUNTRY, AND I THINK WE CHOSE THE BEST, WORST PERSON WE COULD HAVE NO ARGUMENT THERE. 
          UM, LET'S SEE. 
          OKAY, THEN I GUESS, I GUESS MY NEXT LINE IN THE, UH, CONSTRUCTION AND CAPITAL NEEDS, WHY, AND, AND AGAIN, ARMCHAIR QUARTERING RIGHT HERE, BUT I'M IN THE DEVELOPMENT BUSINESS. 
          THERE YOU ARE. 
          AND, UH, WHY NOT EIGHT YEARS AGO START THE, UH, START THE INCREASE IN THE, UH, IN THE FEES OR INCREASE EVEN IN THE, UH, THAT'S ANOTHER GOOD QUESTION. 
          PASS THING. 
          I MEAN, UM, AND THEN, AND THEN NOT WAIT, I MEAN, I, I KNOW HINDSIGHT'S 2020 AND THE, UH, AND THE MATERIAL TO, UH, TO EXPAND HAS GONE UP 200 TO 250, MAYBE, MAYBE MORE THAN THAT. 
          300% A BIT, YES. 
          BUT HAD, HAD IT BEEN STARTED BACK THEN, IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN, UH, AGAIN, THE BOARD KINDA LISTENED TO THE STAFF AND THERE WAS A NUMBER OF YEARS THAT WE'D HAD NO INCREASES IN RATES, UM, DURING THE 
          [00:55:01]
TIME THAT, UH, ED WAS THERE AND, AND, AND MR. MOSS, WAS THERE MINIMAL RATE INCREASES? DOES THAT INCLUDE IMPACT FEES? DID YOU SAY RATE INCREASES? WE DIDN'T HAVE VERY MUCH GROWTH IN THOSE YEARS IN 2008, 2010, 2012. 
          SO DURING THOSE YEARS, THERE WAS ALMOST NO RATE INCREASES, NO DEVELOPMENT INCREASES. 
          BUT WHEN THE GROWTH STARTED HAPPENING, IT LAGGED BEHIND AS WELL BECAUSE COSTS WENT UP. 
          AND WE DIDN'T WANT TO BURDEN THE DEVELOPERS. 
          WE DIDN'T WANT TO DIVERT THE BURDEN THE, THE CONTRACTORS WHO WERE DOING ALL THE WORK. 
          SO THE RATES STAY LOW. 
          IT WASN'T OUR CHOICE. 
          UM, IT WAS HAPPENING BEFORE I EVEN CAME ON THE BOARD. 
          AND, UM, AND SO IN 20 19, 20 20, WE STARTED MOVING UP SOME OF THE RATES, BUT THE DEVELOPMENT, IT DIDN'T REALLY GET ADJUSTED PROPERLY UNTIL HERE RECENTLY. 
          YEAH, SURE. 
          WHEN YOU SAY IT WASN'T YOUR CHOICE, WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY THAT? IT WASN'T YOUR CHOICE. 
          UM, IT WASN'T OUR CHOICE FOR KEEPING THE RATES DOWN. 
          IT WAS MORE THE STAFF THAT, THAT WANTED TO KEEP THE RATES DOWN. 
          IT DOESN'T THE BOARD MAKE THE DECISION. 
          YES. 
          IN WE, IN REGARD TO THAT, THE BOARD DOES. 
          AND LIKE I SAID, I, I WASN'T ON THE BOARD DURING THOSE YEARS. 
          I CAME ON IN 17, BUT AT 17 WE STARTED LOOKING MORE AT RATE INCREASES AND WE HAD A FEW MINOR RATE INCREASES, BUT NOTHING TO KEEP UP WITH THE COSTS. 
          THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN. 
          LOOK, I DON'T, I I, I KINDA LIKE THE JOB THAT WE DO. 
          IT, IT, WE DON'T DO IT FOR THE MONEY, AND WE DO IT BECAUSE WE'RE TRYING TO DO A GOOD JOB FOR THE COMMUNITY. 
          AND, AND THIS IS GONNA SOUND LIKE I'M FUSSING AT YOU AND I'M REALLY NOT. 
          I UNDERSTAND, BUT I'M GONNA SAY IT ANYWAY. 
          AND I, I'M APOLOGIZING UPFRONT. 
          BUT WHEN WE PUT YOU GUYS IN THESE BOARD POSITIONS, WE, WE NEED YOU TO PRESS WHEN YOU SEE THINGS THAT ARE NOT RIGHT, AND PLEASE ADOPT THAT PHILOSOPHY GOING FORWARD. 
          WE, WE NEED YOU TO DO THAT'LL. 
          AND THAT'S WHAT OUR EXPECTATIONS ARE. 
          AND I, I DON'T MEAN TO SPEAK FOR THE OTHER PEOPLE, BUT THAT WOULD BE, THOSE WOULD BE MY EXPECTATIONS IN THAT ROLE. 
          AND I SEE YOUR POINT, AND I, I APPRECIATE THAT. 
          'CAUSE WE ARE STARTING TO DO THAT MORE. 
          WE'RE QUESTIONING THINGS MORE. 
          WE ARE MORE INVOLVED IN THE, IN THE PLANNING AND THE PROCEDURES THAT ARE GOING ON. 
          AND SO, YEAH. 
          I I THINK WE'RE ON THE RIGHT ROAD NOW. 
          UH, WHEREAS ABOUT FOUR OR FIVE YEARS THERE, WE WERE KIND OF, I'M TOO DAMN NICE. 
          . 
          WELL, AND THIS ISN'T A TRICK QUESTION, BUT AGAIN, WITHOUT THE NEW MEMBERS, WE WOULD'VE NEVER HAD THIS CHANGE. 
          WOULDN'T, CAN YOU AGREE WITHOUT THE NEW MEMBERS OF THE BOARD? UH, I MEAN, WE HAD SOMETHING THAT REALLY PUSHED HARD. 
          YOU'RE RIGHT WITH, I AM GOING TO FOLLOW UP WITH WHAT JEFF SAID. 
          WE, WITH DAVID STRANGE AND, AND JEFF ACKERMAN COMING ON BOARD AND THOSE GUYS THAT QUESTIONED THE NUTS AND BOLTS OF EVERYTHING, UH, IT'S HELPED US A LOT. 
          YES. 
          AND, UM, AND ROB AND I WOULD LIKE YOU TO BE EMPOWERED TO DO THAT. 
          I REALLY WOULD. 
          WELL, WE FEEL LIKE WE ARE MORE SO NOW. 
          UM, SO IT MAKES YOU FEEL ANY BETTER. 
          WE FEEL LIKE WE ARE TOO WITH THIS NEW MANAGEMENT. 
          WE, I MEAN, WE'RE GETTING ANSWERS FROM ON, ON. 
          UH, AND SEE THAT'S ANOTHER THING. 
          WE'VE ASKED THEM TO BE MORE INVOLVED IN THE POLITICAL PARTS WE'VE ASKED, WE HIRED CHARLIE STONE AND, AND HE'S DOING A GREAT JOB, UH, GOING, I THINK HE'S BEEN TO LIKE 60 LOCAL MEETINGS OF VARIOUS KINDS, WORKING ON ALL JOY DOWN IN YOUR AREA AND TRYING TO GET THAT SETTLED, WORKING ON THE, UM, YOU KNOW, THE ROSE DEW, UH, TRAILER PARK AREA IN THERE. 
          UH, ALL THOSE THAT HAVE NEEDED ATTENTION OVER THE YEARS, THEY'VE JUST BEEN PUSHED ASIDE. 
          AND, AND NOW WE'RE WORKING WITH BLUFFTON, WE'RE WORKING WITH BEAUFORT COUNTY TO TRY TO GET THOSE PLACES, UH, UP, WE'RE GETTING READY TO GO INTO LEVY DOWN IN JASPER COUNTY TO TRY TO WORK WITH THEM AND, AND BRING UP THEIR, THEIR SITUATION DOWN THERE. 
          SO, EXCUSE ME, SIR, WHO IS MR. CHARLIE STONE? WHO, WHAT IS HE? CHARLIE STONE, WE HIRED AS OUR GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS REPRESENTATIVE, AND HE DEALS WITH, UM, HE'S ALREADY GOT US A COUPLE OF, OF, UM, AWARDS, UM, UM, I CAN'T THINK OF THE TERM RIGHT NOW, BUT CON YOU KNOW, MONEY FOR GRANTS, HE'S APPLIED FOR GRANTS. 
          WE, I THINK IT'S THE RURAL INFRASTRUCTURE AUTHORITY. 
          HE GOT MONEY FROM EXACTLY RURAL AND, UH, AND SO HE'S WORKING HARD. 
          HE'S DOING A GOOD JOB. 
          CHARLIE'S CHARLIE'S A HARD WORKER. 
          JEFF LARUE IS OUR SPOKESMAN NOW. 
          HE'S, HE'S PUTTING OUT MESSAGES FOR EVERYBODY. 
          HE LETS PEOPLE KNOW WHEN WE'RE HAVING MEETINGS SO THAT WE CAN HAVE PUBLIC ATTEND. 
          WE'RE, WE'RE TRYING TO BE MORE OPEN, ESPECIALLY TO THE DEVELOPERS AND DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY. 
          YEAH, I KNOW THE ENGINEER CHANGE HAS BEEN REALLY A, A REALLY GOOD THING TOO. 
          SO, YEAH. 
          JEFF, UH, OTHER QUESTIONS? NO, THANK YOU, MR. PATRICK. 
          MR. 
          [01:00:01]
TRAGIC, THANK YOU SO MUCH. 
          THANK YOU. 
          YES, SIR. 
          GOOD AFTERNOON. 
          MY NAME IS ROB MCPHEE AND I AM THE, UH, COUNTY OF BEAUFORT NOMINEE FOR, UH, BEAUFORT JA BOARD OR SEWER AUTHORITY BOARD. 
          UH, LIKE ANDY, UH, WAS APPOINTED INITIALLY TO SERVE A UNEXPIRED TERM, A GENTLEMAN WHO HAD HEALTH ISSUES. 
          UM, BEEN ON THE BOARD, UH, SINCE 2021. 
          AND, UM, THE, UM, MY ENGINEERING BACKGROUND BEGINS, UM, IN THAT IN THE EIGHTIES. 
          I'M A REGISTERED ENGINEER LIKE ANDY. 
          AND, UM, MY LAST, UM, I WAS IN 33 YEARS OF PUBLIC SERVICE. 
          MY LAST, UH, ASSIGNMENT WAS WITH BEAUFORT COUNTY AS DIRECTOR OF ENGINEERING AND INFRASTRUCTURE. 
          UM, AND AFTER 33 YEARS OF PUBLIC SERVICE, I WENT INTO THE CONSULTING WORLD AND SPENT A NUMBER OF YEARS IN THE CONSULTING WORLD. 
          I'M FULLY RETIRED AT THIS POINT. 
          UM, THE MANY OF THE THINGS THAT Y'ALL HAVE BROUGHT UP, IN FACT IS ALMOST EVERY ONE OF 'EM IS SPOT ON. 
          THIS, THIS, THIS. 
          VERY TRUE, UH, THE BOARD, UH, BECAME VERY DISENGAGED AND DID NOT PRESS IN AS THEY SHOULD HAVE. 
          I HAVE NOT BEEN, UH, GUILTY OF THAT. 
          I'VE PRESSED VERY HARD SINCE I'VE BEEN ON. 
          BUT Y'ALL KNOW, IT TAKES A WHILE TO CHANGE THE COURSE OF AN ORGANIZATION, ESPECIALLY ONE THAT, UM, HAS DECIDED THAT IT'S GOTTEN VERY COMFORTABLE AND THE ORGANIZATION HAD GOTTEN VERY COMFORTABLE AND IT WAS HIDEOUSLY UNRESPONSIVE TO THE PARTNERS THAT WE HAVE, WHETHER THEY'RE MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT OR WHETHER THEY WERE THE DEVELOPERS WHO WERE COMING AND SAYING, HEY, WE WANT TO DO THIS. 
          WE NEED WATER AND SEWER. 
          HOW DO WE GET THAT DONE? IT WAS VERY, VERY, IT WAS, IT WAS, IT WAS GOVERNMENT AT ITS WORST. 
          IT REALLY WAS. 
          AND I, I SPENT 33 YEARS IN GOVERNMENT SO I CAN KIND OF KNOW THAT I'VE GOT A MASTER'S IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION. 
          I, I GET IT. 
          IT WAS BAD GOVERNMENT. 
          UM, IT'S GOTTEN A LOT BETTER. 
          UM, I LIKE TO THINK, YOU KNOW, THAT I WAS PART OF THAT AND I'D LIKE TO CONTINUE. 
          BUT, UM, AT THE SAME TIME, YOU KNOW, I, I DON'T WANT TO, I DON'T WANNA DWELL TOO MUCH ON THE PAST. 
          I WANNA FOCUS VERY MUCH ON THE FUTURE AND SOME OF THE THINGS THAT Y'ALL HAVE BROUGHT UP AS IT RELATES TO WATER CAPACITY, UM, BEING ABLE TO, TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE ENOUGH PORTABLE WATER TO, TO, TO, TO MAINTAIN OUR TEMPO, WHATEVER THAT TEMPO IS. 
          WE DON'T SET THE TEMPO, THE MUNICIPALITIES THROUGH THEIR ZONING AND ANNEXATION, SET THE TEMPO AND, AND THEIR LAND USE PLANS. 
          AND THAT IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST THINGS THAT I THINK WE'VE IMPROVED ON, IS WE HAVE HIRED A NUMBER OF REORGANIZED. 
          WE DID NOT, WE HIRED VERNA AND TOLD VERNA WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE SOME THINGS CHANGE. 
          AND SHE HAS DONE A VERY GOOD JOB AT DOING THAT. 
          ONE OF THE THINGS WE NEEDED TO CHANGE IS THINKING FURTHER AHEAD THAN THE END OF OUR NOSE AS IT REGARDS TO HOW ARE WE GOING TO GET SERVICE TO THESE PLACES AND IT MAKE ECONOMIC SENSE SO THAT WE DO NOT SUBSIDIZE AN, UH, A PARTICULAR SECTOR, UM, WHETHER IT'S THE HILTON HEAD, PSD AND 1995 WATER RATES, OR, UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THE FOLKS OVER ON, UM, IN TI COMMUNITY OF ST. 
          HELENA AND LADIES ISLAND, MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE FAIR AND EQUITABLE TO ALL THE CAMPS ACROSS THE BOARD, TWO COUNTIES. 
          UM, AND THAT IS SOMETHING THAT, UM, WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON VERY HARD TO TRY TO MAINTAIN AND, AND TO GET OUR SYSTEMS IN A BETTER PLACE SO THAT WHEN WE GO THROUGH THE MANUAL AND WE GO THROUGH WHATEVER INTERNAL PROCESSES THAT WE HAVE, THAT THOSE IN, THAT THE RESULT OF THOSE INTERNAL PROCESSES RESULT IN A, IN, IN A, YOU KNOW, NOT ONLY FAIR AND EQUITABLE, BUT A A WELL ENGINEERED, ELEGANT SYSTEM THAT IS RESILIENT, RELIABLE, AND A GOOD INVESTMENT FOR MANY, MANY YEARS. 
          SO AGAIN, I APPRECIATE Y'ALL'S OPPORTUNITY. 
          I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK WITH YOU, AND I APPRECIATE, YOU KNOW, Y'ALL KNOW BETTER THAN ANYBODY HOW DEMANDING PUBLIC SERVICE IS, AND I APPRECIATE WHAT Y'ALL DO AS WELL. 
          SO, QUESTIONS MR. MCPHEE, IF Y'ALL HAVE ANY REALLY EASY QUESTIONS, THAT WOULD BE, BUT, BUT I MEAN, AND ANDY AND AND GRAY, THAT'S, THEY, THEY DID A WONDERFUL JOB OF, OF TAKING SOME HEAVY HITS AND, AND ANSWERED IT FAR BETTER THAN I COULD HAVE. 
          BUT, BUT AGAIN, I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK. 
          YEAH. 
          AND I THINK THE SAME QUESTIONS ASKED THREE TIMES IS PROBABLY NOT, BUT, UH, AND BUT YOU UNDERSTAND FROM WHERE WE, OUR STANDPOINT. 
          ABSOLUTELY. 
          ABSOLUTELY. 
          YET, AND, AND IT'S NOT INAPPROPRIATE TO EXPECT TO EXPECT A DIFFERENT 
          [01:05:01]
RESULT WITH THE SAME HORSES. 
          IS, IS, IS FOOLISHNESS. 
          AND I JUST WANNA SAY THAT AT, AT LEAST FOR MYSELF, I'M, I'M NOT, I'M NOT ONE OF THOSE HORSES. 
          I WAS, YOU KNOW, UM, AND I, I JUST APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY IF I GET IT TO BE REAPPOINTED. 
          BUT AGAIN, AS I SAY THAT IS, YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHERE I'M AT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. 
          YES, SIR. 
          THANKS ROB. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          UM, COUNCILMAN GLOVER. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UM, I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE HERE. 
          YES, SIR. 
          UM, JUST, JUST WANTED TO EXPRESS MY, UM, FIRST OF ALL, I AM THE LIAISON COUNCIL MEMBER FROM BEAUFORT COUNTY ON THE BEAUFORD JAS WATER AND SEWER AUTHORITY. 
          UM, SO I'VE BEEN ATTENDING THEIR MEETINGS ON A REGULAR BASE, UM, ESPECIALLY DURING COVID. 
          WE WERE DOING IT BY VIRTUAL, BUT I TRY TO BE THERE AS MANY AS OFTEN AS I CAN. 
          UM, ONE OF THE BIGGEST PROBLEMS I HAVE RIGHT NOW IS THAT I GOTTA GET UP TO GET OVER THERE 'CAUSE THEY MEET ON TIME AT EIGHT O'CLOCK. 
          UM, BUT, UM, THERE'S, UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'VE OBSERVED SINCE I'VE BEEN THERE, ED SAXON WAS, UH, ON THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR WHEN I GOT THERE. 
          AND NOW VERNON IS THERE, IS THAT IN BETWEEN ED AND VERNON? UM, UM, LEADERSHIP WAS NOT THERE AND I CAN ATTEST TO THAT. 
          AND WHAT HAS HAPPENED, UH, IN THAT PERIOD OF TIME OF ABOUT FIVE YEARS OR SO, UM, BEAUTIFUL JAS WATER AUTHORITY BASICALLY PUT THEIR HEADS, UH, UNDER THE PILLOW AND DID NOT ADDRESS THE PROBLEM. 
          UM, NOW THEY ARE TRYING TO CATCH UP WITH INFRASTRUCTURE AND GROWTH AND, AND IN DOING SO, UH, FINANCES MAJOR IS A MAJOR PROBLEM. 
          AND, UM, WHAT THEY HAVE TO DO IS REPAIR, MAINTAIN WHAT THEY HAVE, AND THEN THEY ALSO HAVE TO MEET THE DEMAND THAT THE PUBLIC IS ASKING THEM TO DO. 
          THAT'S A BALANCING ACT THAT THEY WILL HAVE TO DO. 
          I CAN TELL YOU THAT I HAVE A LOT OF FAITH AND CONFIDENCE IN THE MEMBERS THAT WERE, THAT ARE ON THE BOARD AT THIS TIME, MR. KINGHORN, MR. MCPHEE. 
          UM, AND I'VE SEEN THEM ENGAGE IN A BOARD MEETING IN DIALOGUE, UH, BACK AND FORTH, AND I'VE SEEN THEM STRUGGLE WITH MAKING THOSE TOUGH DECISIONS. 
          RATE INCREASE WAS SOMETHING THAT THEY STRUGGLE WITH FOR OVER EIGHT MONTHS, AND THEY FINALLY CAME OUT WITH A PROPOSAL THAT WAS PROBABLY NOT LIKED BY ANYBODY WHO'S PAYING A FEE, BUT THEY ARE ADDRESSING THE PROBLEM AND THEY REALIZE THAT FINANCE IS THE KEY AND THEY'RE TRYING TO DO THAT AT THIS TIME. 
          UM, I WOULD TELL YOU THAT, UM, THEY'RE AT A POINT NOW WHERE WATER CAPACITY IS AT THE PEAK AND THEY HAVE TO INVEST IN PUMPING STATION AND THEY'RE DOING THAT. 
          AND SO, UM, BY THE END OF THIS, BY NEXT YEAR, JUNE, THEY SHOULD HAVE THE ABILITY TO PUMP MORE WATER FOR THEIR CUSTOMERS. 
          YOU SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN IN THE AUTHORITY AND ALLOW THAT TO HAPPEN, BUT IT DID. 
          AND NOW THEY'RE TRYING TO CATCH UP. 
          SO, UM, I RESPECT, UM, BOTH MR. KING HALL AND MR. MCPHEE BECAUSE I SEEN HIM ENGAGE IN THEIR DISCUSSION AT THE COUNCIL LEVEL. 
          AND I REALLY ASK THAT YOU, UM, UH, ADHERE TO HOME RULE. 
          UM, YOU ASK US TO MAKE A RECOMMENDATION, WE HAVE DONE THAT. 
          AND I WOULD SAY TO YOU THAT THE COMMUNICATION DOES WORK BOTH WAYS. 
          UM, THE ONLY PERSON, THE ONLY COMMENT I'VE MADE ABOUT A BOARD MEMBER THUS FAR AS FAR AS BEING ON THE BEFORD JASPER WATER AUTHORITY BOARD IS THAT THEY NEED MORE FEMALES. 
          THAT'S THE ONLY INPUT I'VE GOTTEN. 
          UM, BUT YOU KNOW, IF YOU HAVE A PROBLEM WITH SOME OF OUR NOMINEES, I THINK YOU NEED TO COMMUNICATE WITH OUR CHAIRMAN TO SAY, HEY, WE WOULD LIKE CERTAIN KINDS OF PEOPLE ON THE BOARD, AND WE DO THE APPLICATION PROCESS, AND HE CAN TALK MORE ABOUT THAT THAN I CAN THE WHOLE ENTIRE PROCESS. 
          I JUST WANT TO COME HERE TO SUPPORT THEM. 
          AND ALSO, MR. UH, MIKE LEE, UH, THAT WE ARE BASICALLY RECOMMENDING, I DON'T KNOW HIM SERVING ON THE BOARD, UH, IN THAT CAPACITY, BUT I HAVE SEEN THE WORK OF ANDY KINGHORN AND ALSO ROB MCPHEE. 
          THANK YOU. 
          WELL ASK A COUPLE QUESTIONS. 
          ANY QUESTIONS ON, 
          [01:10:01]
LET ME, UH, LEMME JUST GO BACK TO A COUPLE THINGS THAT YOU SAID. 
          UH, SO YOU'RE BEING THE LIAISON. 
          UM, WERE YOU MADE AWARE OF THE FACT THAT THIS IS THE LARGEST EVER BOND ISSUE FOR BEAUFORD JASPER WATER? YES. 
          OKAY. 
          SO IN YOUR RECOMMENDATION FOR, UH, FOR THE BEAUFORT COUNTY MEMBER, DID IT EVER OCCUR TO YOU THAT THE CRITICAL NEED WAS A FINANCE PERSON THAT WAS NOT, UH, A CONSIDERATION? NO. 
          WHY NOT? I, I CAN'T ANSWER THAT AT THIS TIME. 
          IT WAS NOT A CONSIDERATION BECAUSE WE, UM, I KNOW THAT DONALD LEFT AND I THINK BASICALLY DONNA WAS REALLY A KEY PERSON TO THAT. 
          SO, UH, YES SIR, THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN SOME CONSIDERATION FOR A FINANCE PERSON MOVING FORWARD. 
          RIGHT. 
          AND, AND THAT'S BASICALLY WHAT WE DID. 
          WE BASED OURS, OUR DECISION ON UP HERE WAS, UH, WAS TO MOVE A FINANCE PERSON INTO THAT. 
          UM, AND AT THE SAME TIME, THEY, THEY ALSO HAVE STAFF AND THEY HAVE ALSO CONSULTANTS THAT THEY CAN ACTUALLY GET THAT INFORMATION. 
          THAT'S WHAT THEY DID WHEN THEY LOOKED AT THE, UM, FEE SCHEDULE. 
          UH, THEY BROUGHT IN A CONSULTANT TO LOOK AT THAT AND MAKE RECOMMENDATION TO MOVE THEM FORWARD. 
          BUT YOU WOULD AGREE, THE REGULATION OF THAT STAFF IS DONE BY THE, UH, IS DONE BY THE BOARD. 
          SURE. 
          OKAY. 
          SO, I MEAN, THEY CAN HAVE ALL THE STAFF IN THE WORLD, BUT IF THE BOARD ISN'T IN TUNE WITH, WITH FINANCIAL NEEDS ON THAT, WHERE ARE WE? I'M, I'M A BOARD MEMBER. 
          UH, I'M A COUNCIL MEMBER. 
          AND, UM, UM, AS AN ELECTED BODY, WE DON'T NECESSARILY ELECT BASED ON THE NEEDS. 
          WE MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE A GOOD LEADER IN, IN BRINGING IN THE NECESSARY RESOURCES THAT IS NECESSARY. 
          THAT'S WHAT SHE HAS DONE. 
          AS A COUNCILMAN, AS A COUNCIL MEMBER, I LOOK TO MY ADMINISTRATOR TO BRING IN THE KINDS OF EXPERTISE WE NEED FOR OUR ORGANIZATION. 
          YOU STILL NEED OVERSIGHT. 
          WELL, I UNDERSTAND THAT TOO. 
          YES, SIR. 
          YES, SIR. 
          UM, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THE STAFF, IN THIS CASE HERE, BEAUFORD JASPER, UH, UH, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR HAD BROUGHT IN KEY PERSONNELS AND STUFF, AND ALSO CONSULTANTS. 
          SO YOU CAN'T GET IT ALL IN THE, UH, BECAUSE WE SET POLICY, UM, AND WE, WE, WE ADMINISTER, UM, WE OVERSEE. 
          BUT, UM, THE ADMINISTRATOR IS THE KEY. 
          OKAY. 
          AND LET'S GO BACK TO SOMETHING ELSE YOU SAID MM-HMM . 
          AND I APPRECIATE YOU SAYING IT. 
          SO THE, I GUESS YOU SAID HEAD IN THE SAND OR HEAD UNDER THE PILLOW OR SOMETHING? YES. 
          WAS THAT THE BOARD, THE MANAGEMENT OR BOTH? I THINK THE MANAGEMENT. 
          OKAY. 
          I THINK THE MANAGEMENT, AND I THINK THE, AS A BOARD MEMBER, YOU LOOK TO THE MANAGER TO KIND OF GUIDE YOU AND MOVE YOU IN THAT DIRECTION. 
          BUT, UM, UM, AND IF YOU DON'T HAVE THE RIGHT PERSON IN PLACE, YOU REALLY NEED TO GO AHEAD AND START LOOKING AT FINDING A NEW, UM, MANAGER OR BOARD, UH, UH, AN ADMINISTRATOR. 
          I THINK THAT'S WHAT THEY HAVE DONE, UM, THE RETIREMENT HAPPENED, UM, AND ALSO THEY BROUGHT IN SOMEBODY I THINK HAS THE CAPABILITY AND THE CAPACITY TO LEAD THE ORGANIZATION. 
          OKAY. 
          AND I THINK YOU WOULD AGREE ON THIS, THAT THE WORD RECOMMENDATION IS RECOMMENDATION UNDER THE STATUTE SOUTH CAROLINA STATUTE YOU RECOMMEND, BUT IT'S THE, IT'S THE DELEGATION THAT ACTUALLY DOES IT HAS THE ULTIMATE DECISION ON THAT, RIGHT? RIGHT. 
          AND, UH, THE RECOMMENDED. 
          YEAH. 
          YEAH. 
          AND, AND I, I THINK AT THE SAME TIME, IF THERE'S, THERE'S SOME FOS IN OUR RECOMMENDATION, OR YOU THINK OUR RECOMMENDATION IS NOT ADEQUATE, I THINK YOU SHOULD COMMUNICATE BACK TO SAY, HEY, I THINK WE NEED TO LOOK AT MOST, UH, SOME AREA OF FINANCING ON THE BOARD. 
          I AGREE WITH YOU. 
          YOU'RE A HUNDRED PERCENT RIGHT ON THAT. 
          YEAH. 
          OKAY. 
          ANY OTHER QUESTION? THANK YOU QUESTIONS. 
          UM, AND I DO BELIEVE THAT, YOU KNOW, BY MAKING SURE THAT YOU SCRUTINIZE EVERYTHING APPROPRIATELY, YOU GET A BETTER DECISION. 
          UM, MS. ALTMAN, I WORK WITH HER, BUT NOT HAVING A FINANCE PERSON AS A BOARD MEMBER DOES NOT PRECLUDE THE BOARD FROM BEING EFFICIENT, DOES IT? NO. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          YEAH, THANK YOU. 
          I MEAN, I'M JUST NINE MEMBERS ON THE WATER AUTHORITY WORK. 
          11. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, THANK YOU. 
          UH, COUNCILMAN GLOVER. 
          UM, SCOTT, WELCOME. 
          THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN. 
          CHAIRMAN, I'M KIND OF COMING HERE WITH TWO HATS. 
          I I WRITE FOR THE ISLAND NEWS AND I'M GOING TO, UH, I'M GONNA DO AN OPINION PIECE ON THIS, ON THIS, UH, MEETING KIND OF UPFRONT. 
          BUT I, I'M GONNA TAKE OFF THAT HAT FOR JUST A MOMENT. 
          AND I KNOW THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR A WHILE. 
          I'M GONNA TAKE OFF THAT HAT AND SAY THIS THING, LISTENING TO MR. CHAIRMAN AND LISTENING TO THE BOARD, I HEAR THE PRIMARY WORRY IS NOT HAVING A FINANCE PERSON LOOKING 
          [01:15:01]
AT A $300 MILLION COLLECTIVE BOND COMING DOWN THE ROAD. 
          UM, I WANT TO TELL YOU, I, I'VE WRITTEN THREE PIECES ON THIS, ON THIS CRISIS, AND I SPENT SEVERAL HOURS WITH DAVE STRANGE OVER THERE. 
          HE'S A FINANCE GUY. 
          HE, HE'S A FINANCE, HE REALLY KNOWS. 
          AND I WOULD, I WOULD URGE YOU IF YOU HAVE, AND YOU OBVIOUSLY DO RESERVATIONS ABOUT THE MONEY, TALK TO DAVE STRANGE. 
          I THINK, I THINK IT'LL MAKE YOU FEEL BETTER. 
          I I REALLY DO THINK IT'LL MAKE YOU FEEL BETTER. 
          THE OTHER THING I WANNA SAY IS THAT IF THE REPLACEMENTS FOR PEOPLE LIKE ANDY KENNEDY INCLUDED A BOND ATTORNEY OR SOMEBODY VERSED IN FINANCE, I WOULD SAY, GREAT. 
          YOU'RE, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE ON THE RIGHT TRACK. 
          YOU, YOU, YOU'RE BRINGING IN PEOPLE. 
          BUT THE PROBLEM IS, I DON'T THINK, I MAY BE WRONG HERE, I DON'T THINK THE REPLACEMENT PEOPLE PUT IN PLACE BY, UH, THE, THE, THE, UH, DELEGATION ARE NECESSARILY OR ARE IN ANY WAY REALLY FINANCE PEOPLE. 
          YOU, YOU, YOU, YOU'VE TAKEN OFF KIND OF THE BEST GUY IN, IN, IN THE, IN THE BUSINESS WHO SITS THERE AND YOU, AND YOU'VE REPLACED IT WITH PEOPLE WHO DON'T HAVE WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR. 
          UM, AND ANYWAY, THAT'S AGAIN, I, I REALIZE THIS IS ALMOST KIND OF A CONFLICT OF INTEREST HERE, BUT I JUST WANTED  I WANTED TO, WANTED TO SAY THAT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. 
          NO, I, I, I, I THINK MY ONLY STATEMENT ON THAT WOULD BE IS THE FINANCE, UH, THE FINANCE, THE BANKING, UM, PERSONNEL THAT WE HAD ON THERE WOULD BE REPLACING WAS A NEW, WOULD BE A NEW APPOINTEE. 
          THAT'S WHO, WHAT OUR IDEA WAS INSTEAD OF THE NEW APPOINTEE FROM THE COUNTY. 
          MM-HMM . 
          WAS THAT REPLACEMENT WITH THAT. 
          AND, UH, AND IN SAYING THAT, AND, AND I DON'T KNOW, MR. STRANGE, YOU, YOU MAY BE ABLE TO SPEAK TO THIS, WE WERE UNDER THE UNDERSTANDING THAT THERE WAS A, UH, A HUGE CASH BALANCE THAT WAS IN A, UM, NON-INTEREST BEARING ACCOUNT. 
          AND, UM, I, I WOULD LOVE FOR YOU TO SPEAK TO MR. STRANGE ABOUT THAT. 
          AND, AND THAT AGAIN, WHAT YOU HEAR, YOU KNOW, AND YOU CAN RESERVE THAT IF YOU WANT. 
          THAT THAT IS INCORRECT. 
          THAT IS A RUMOR THAT HAS BEEN, UH, THAT HAS GONE JOIN US, UH, IN ORDER TO EXPLAIN IN. 
          GREAT. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU, MAN. 
          THEY'RE GONNA, THEY'RE ASKING YOU TO GO TO THE MICROPHONE. 
          WE'RE GOOD. 
          AND WE'RE GOOD. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. 
          ANDY, I HAVE YOU DOWN TWICE. 
          . 
          YOU'RE DONE. 
          OKAY. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          UM, NEXT ORDER OF BUSINESS IS THE DISCUSSION CHAIRMAN. 
          YES, SIR. 
          ONE QUICK MS. FROM THE COUNTY. 
          I, I WAS CURIOUS, I SAW YOUR LETTER. 
          UM, WHEN DID YOU GUYS INITIALLY, UH, COMMUNICATE TO ANY ONE OF US ABOUT THE RECOMMENDATIONS? WAS IT PRIOR TO SEPTEMBER 18TH OR AFTER SEPTEMBER 18TH? UM, RECOMMENDATION FROM CITY AND I WOULD, MY ASSUMPTION WAS THAT, OKAY. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          AND YOU SIR? YES. 
          WHAT WE WELCOME MR. PASSMAN. 
          WHAT WE DID WAS, UM, MR. HERB KERMAN ASKED ME, DID WE HAVE A RECOMMENDATION BECAUSE YOU WERE GOING TO MEET AS A BODY? AND I SAID, YES. 
          WE WENT THROUGH THAT PROCESS. 
          AND THIS IS WHEN? NOW, OH GOSH. 
          BEFORE THE SEPTEMBER MEETING. 
          OKAY. 
          BEFORE SEPTEMBER. 
          OKAY. 
          THAT WAS ISSUED, UH, BY US. 
          OKAY. 
          BEFORE YOU TOOK YOUR ACTION. 
          ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. 
          UH, LET ME ASK SOMETHING THOUGH, WHILE YOU'RE UP THERE, MS. PETMAN, BUT IN THE SUBSEQUENT PHONE CALL I HAD, DIDN'T WE TALK ABOUT THE FINANCE PERSON, THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN YOUR RECOMMENDATION AND THE FINANCE PERSON? UM, AND IN FACT, TWO PHONE CALLS WE DID. 
          YEAH, WE PROBABLY DID. 
          UM, BUT THE RECOMMENDATION WE HAD WAS THESE, THE INDIVIDUALS THAT CAME TO US WERE WELL QUALIFIED. 
          WELL, OKAY. 
          AND, AND I DO UNDERSTAND THE IDEA OF TRYING TO GET A, YOU KNOW, A FINANCE PERSON. 
          NOT ALWAYS WILL THE FINANCE PERSON OR THE INDIVIDUAL HAVE THE PARTICULAR KNOWLEDGE YOU'RE LOOKING FOR IN THAT AREA. 
          UNLESS THEY WERE WELL QUALIFIED IN THAT AREA. 
          JUST HAVING A FINANCE PERSON, JUST HAVING SOMEBODY FROM EDUCATION ON A, A, A COUNCIL OR SOMEONE WHO IS IN BUSINESS. 
          YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU WANT TO HAVE A BROAD SPECTRUM 
          [01:20:01]
OF INDIVIDUALS. 
          AND I UNDERSTAND THAT IT IS THE WHEREWITHAL AND THE IDEAS THAT COME FROM THE ADMINISTRATION TO THE BODY THAT MAKES THE MOST SENSE. 
          EVEN ON COUNTY COUNCIL. 
          WE RELY UPON THE EXPERTISE OF OUR COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR AND HIS STAFF TO BRING FORWARD TO US RECOMMENDATIONS FOR WHATEVER. 
          AND I THINK THIS IS THE SAME SITUATION. 
          WELL, I THINK WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO JUST HOLISTICALLY DISAGREE ON THAT. 
          WELL, YEAH, OF COURSE. 
          UM, THAT'S THE FUN PART. 
          YEAH. 
          BUT THANKS. 
          THANK YOU. 
          ANY QUESTIONS, CHAIRMAN, BEFORE WE MOVE TO THE, TO THE NEXT ONE OF BUSINESS? UM, I WANT TO, I WANT TO TRY SOMETHING HERE. 
          I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S GONNA WORK, BUT, UM, HAVING VOTED ON THE PREVAILING SIDE LAST TIME WHERE THE SLATE OF MR. BRIGHT, MR. KILPATRICK AND MR. WOODS WAS APPROVED, I WOULD MOVE THAT WE RECONSIDER THAT VOTE SO THAT WE HAVE BEFORE US A CLEAN SLATE AND WE CAN HAVE A DISCUSSION IN REGARD TO WHERE WE WANNA GO FROM HERE. 
          IS THERE, THERE A SECOND ON THAT? IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION ON THIS? WE, ARE WE DOING THAT RIGHT NOW? IT'S A DISCUSSION RIGHT NOW. 
          THAT'S JUST DISCUSSION. 
          DISCUSSION. 
          ALL A MOTION AND A SECOND MOTION. 
          WE GOT A MOTION AND A SECOND. 
          ANY DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR OF THAT MOTION SIGNIFY BY RAISE YOUR HAND. 
          I, I AND ALSO VOTE AYE FOR SHANNON ERICKSON, I HAVE HER PROXY. 
          OKAY. 
          AND, UM, DO YOU VOTE I NOT DO IT? YOU GOTTA MAKE THE TOUGH, UH, DO YOU WHAT? HUH? AND, AND ALL, ALL OPPOSED. 
          AND I'VE GOT THE, UH, PROXY FOR, UH, UH, WESTON NEWTON. 
          SO THE MOTION FOUR TO THREE CARRIES. 
          OKAY. 
          SO WE'RE DISCUSSING, OKAY. 
          SO, UM, I'VE LISTENED TO WHAT MR. UM, KINGHORN HAS HAD TO SAY, WHAT MR. PAGEANT HAS HAD TO SAY, WHAT YOU HAVE HAD TO SAY. 
          I THINK YOU MAKE EXCELLENT POINTS IN REGARD TO A NEED FOR, UM, ANOTHER FINANCING MIND ON THE BOARD. 
          AND I'M THANKFUL THAT YOU ARE THE PRIMARY MOVER BEHIND GETTING MR. STRANGE ON THERE AND MR. ACKERMAN ON THERE. 
          AND SO I, I WANNA COMPLIMENT YOU ON MAKING THOSE BOARD CHANGES, BUT IN KIND OF ASSESSING THESE THREE SPOTS THAT WE HAVE, UM, I GUESS IN MY MIND THE MIX SHOULD BE THE ENGINEERING EXPERTISE THAT MR. KINGHORN AND MR. MCPHEE HAS AND THE FINANCIAL EXPERTISE THAT MR. KILPATRICK HAS. 
          IT, IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING, AND MAYBE YOU CAN SPEAK TO THAT BETTER, BUT IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT MR. KILPATRICK ALSO HAS EXPERIENCE IN, IN FINANCE AND, AND SO, UM, YOU KNOW, JUST I WILL PUT OUT THERE THAT, THAT AT SOME POINT IN TIME, BASED ON WHAT I'VE HEARD, I'D LIKE TO PUT FORWARD AS A SLATE. 
          UM, MR. MCPHEE, MR. KINGHORN AND MR. KILPATRICK TO SERVE THE THREE SPOTS, UM, BASED ON WHAT I'VE HEARD. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, IS THAT MR. RIVERS? YEAH. 
          MY THING IS THIS, AND, AND I THINK WE, FROM MY POINT OF VIEW, WE, WE ARE TRYING TO MAKE SOMETHING COMPLICATED AS KIND OF SIMPLE. 
          IF, UM, THE PROCESS ALLOWS AND ASK, UM, THE CITY AND THE COUNTY FOR RECOMMENDATIONS, UM, WE SHOULD GO ALONG AND HONOR THAT. 
          UM, SO I THINK QUITE FRANKLY, UM, EVERYONE THAT WAS ON THIS AS FAR AS MR. KILPATRICK, MR. BRIGHT AND MR. WOODS, UM, BASED ON THE FACT THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE, UM, ACCESS TO ALL OF THE INFORMATION THAT WE NOW ARE HEARING, THESE THREE PEOPLE SHOULD BE, UH, BYE-BYE BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT THE PROCESS CIRCUMVENTED THE LEGITIMACY OF THE CITY AND THE COUNTY. 
          SO I THINK IF WE WANT TO BE AUTHENTIC, WE SHOULD, UH, ACCEPT THE CITY AND THE COUNTY RECOMMENDATIONS AND MOVE FORWARD AND ACCEPT THE FACT THAT WE MADE A MISTAKE. 
          THAT'S MY POINT OF VIEW. 
          MR. CHAIRMAN PARLIAMENTARY INQUIRY? YES, SIR. 
          UM, IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT WE ARE RECONSIDERING THE VOTE NOW THAT'S BEFORE US. 
          AND THAT I HAVE PUT FORWARD A MOTION FOR A SLATE THAT INVOLVES MR. MCPHEE AND MR. KINGHORN AND MR. KILPATRICK, I'VE MADE THAT MOTION. 
          UM, HAS NOT YET BEEN SECONDED, BUT THAT'S THE MOTION I MAKE. 
          OKAY. 
          IS THERE A SECOND ON THIS? I'LL SECOND. 
          OKAY, NOW WE'RE IN DISCUSSION. 
          DO YOU HAVE ANY MORE DISCUSSION ON THAT? NO, I'LL JUST REITERATE THE FACT THAT I THINK, UM, BASED ON THE PRECEDENT OF HOME RULE AND OUTTA RESPECT FOR THE, THE CITY AND THE COUNTY, UM, WHO MADE RECOMMENDATIONS AND, UM, GAVE THEM TO US, UM, AND IT WAS DONE PRIOR TO THE SEPTEMBER 18TH MEETING AND WE NEVER KNEW ABOUT IT. 
          UM, WE CAN SQUASH ALL THIS CONVERSATION AND RESPECT THE VIEWS OF THE CITY AND THE COUNTY AND WE CAN GO HOME. 
          OKAY. 
          ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? 
          [01:25:01]
IF NOT, WE'VE GOT A, UH, MOTION ON THE TABLE AND THE MOTION AS PROPOSED. 
          IS IT? AND THERE WAS A SECOND MOTION. 
          SECOND. 
          ALL IN FAVOR OF THAT MOTION? AYE. 
          WHAT ABOUT THE, WHAT ABOUT YOUR, UH, AND, UH, SHANNON ERICKSON VOTES IN THE AFFIRMATIVE ON THAT MOTION? I DISAGREE ON THAT BASED ON, UM, I ADAMANTLY BELIEVE, I UNDERSTAND HOW WE ARE TRYING TO RECONFIGURE THIS, BUT I THINK TO, UM, CIRCUMVENT AND JUST IGNORE WHAT THE CITY AND THE COUNTY, MR. RIVERS, AND I'M JUST SAYING MY POINT OF VIEW, I'M, BECAUSE I'M VOTING NO, BUT OKAY. 
          UM, ON THIS PARTICULAR, YEAH, SO THAT'S, AND THOSE ARE JUST MY REASONS FOR DOING IT. 
          OKAY. 
          SO IT'S FOUR FOUR IN FAVOR. 
          OPPOSED? OKAY. 
          FOUR, FOUR TO TWO. 
          THE MOTION CARRIES. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, GOING TO JUST A DISCUSSION ON THE IMPLEMENTING OF A HEARING SUBCOMMITTEE. 
          AND THIS HEARING SUBCOMMITTEE COULD BE THE FULL COMMITTEE, UH, FULL, THE FULL LEGISLATIVE, UH, DELEGATION FOR ISSUES THAT WE HAD THAT POP UP LIKE THIS. 
          SO, UM, THAT MAYBE WE CAN TALK ABOUT THESE THINGS AHEAD OF TIME BEFORE WE, UH, BEFORE WE HAVE TO TAKE, TAKE ANY ACTION ON IT. 
          BECAUSE AS MR. RIVERS, I'M CURIOUS, I MEAN, UH, WHEN WAS THIS SUBMITTED AND WHEN DID WE GET THE INFORMATION FROM THE COUNTY AND THE CITY IN REFERENCE TO THESE RECOMMENDATIONS? MR. RIVERS, THAT WAS SENT TO ALL LEGISLATORS? ALL THE, THE WHOLE ALLEGATIONS. 
          I KNOW SOMETIMES YOU, YOU KNOW, I GET SELECTIVE AMNESIA AND SOMETIMES I FORGET, YOU KNOW, AND I JUST WANT TO BE REFRESHED 'CAUSE I'M QUITE SURE IT'S DOCUMENTED SOMEWHERE. 
          I, I THINK THE IS A LETTER. 
          SURE, SURE. 
          IT'S DOCUMENTED SOMEWHERE. 
          UM, MS. MAXEY, WAS THERE A LETTER THAT'S, UH, DATED FOR THE ORIGINAL LETTER? I DON'T HAVE IT WITH ME, BUT I DO HAVE ONE. 
          I KNOW IT WAS IN THE SUMMER THOUGH. 
          KNOW WE GOT YOUR RECOMMENDATION IN THE SUMMER, JOE. 
          THAT'S THE FIRST TIME I CALLED IT, I GUESS WHAT I'M GETTING AT. 
          IF IT WAS IN THE SUMMER AND WE MET IN SEPTEMBER, I DON'T THINK THAT WAS IN OUR PACKET. 
          I DON'T REMEMBER SEEING IT. 
          YES, IT WAS IN THE PACKET. 
          IT WAS, YEAH. 
          FROM THE CITY AND THE, FROM THE CITY AND THE IN THE, YEP. 
          OKAY. 
          YEAH. 
          YEAH. 
          UM, OKAY, SO THAT MOTION PASSED THE, UH, THE, I'D LIKE TO GET A COPY OF THAT AGAIN. 
          DISCUSSION. 
          OKAY. 
          DISCUSSION ON IMPLEMENTING AND HEARING A SUBCOMMITTEE FOR PURPOSES LIKE THIS THAT WE CAN TAKE BACK TO THE DE TAKE BACK TO THE DELEGATION FOR A VOTE. 
          A REVOTE OR JUST A, UH, JUST IN GENERAL. 
          UM, IT WOULD BE A SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE, BUT NOT EVERYBODY WOULD HAVE TO, BUT NOT EVERYBODY WOULD'VE TO GO. 
          IT WOULD JUST BE A RECOMMENDATION. 
          UM, WOULD YOU REQUIRE A QUORUM? REQUIRE A QUORUM ON THAT? UM, CAN I GET A, UH, SECOND MOTION ON IT? OKAY. 
          AND YOU WANT A MOTION OR SECOND MOTION? YEAH, I'LL, I'LL SECOND. 
          OKAY. 
          ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. 
          OPPOSED? AYE. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, IN PUBLIC COMMENT, BUT I THINK THAT WAS IT. 
          IS THERE ANYBODY OUT THERE THAT'S NOT MAD AT US YET? . 
          ALRIGHT, SO WE WILL, UH, IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE FOR THE GOOD OF THE, THE DELEGATION OR GOOD OF THE PEOPLE OF THE DELEGATION? NO, I, I GUESS FROM, EVERYTHING'S A LEARNING OPPORTUNITY AND EVERYTHING GIVES YOU AN OPPORTUNITY TO REFLECT, INSPECT INCORRECT, RIGHT. 
          AND I THINK WE SEE NOW THAT THERE'S SOME THINGS THAT WE NEED TO, UM, REFLECT. 
          INSPECT INCORRECT BECAUSE IT IS WHAT IT IS. 
          ALRIGHT, THEN WE STAND EVEN THOUGH, EVEN THOUGH YOU WEREN'T LISTENING. 
          THANKS FOR WATCHING BC TV. 
          GETTING THE FLU IS NOT FUN FOR ANYONE. 
          FLU PREVENTION AND RESPONSE IS EASY AS 1, 2, 3. 
          YOU CAN PRACTICE PREVENTION BY WASHING YOUR HANDS AND KEEPING YOUR HOME CLEAN, KEEPING YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM STRONG BY EATING HEALTHY AND BEING ACTIVE AND STAYING AWAY FROM PEOPLE WHO ARE SICK. 
          IF YOU DO GET THE FLU OR GET SICK, THEN GO TO THE DOCTOR. 
          STAY HOME FROM SCHOOL OR WORK, STAY HYDRATED TO STRENGTHEN YOUR BODY, TO FIGHT THE VIRUS. 
          REMEMBER, FLU PREVENTION AND RESPONSE IS EASY AS THAT. 
          1, 2, 3.
* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.