* 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. SEE, WE DON'T HAVE A QUORUM, SO THERE'S [1. CALL TO ORDER] NO NEED TO, UM, CALL IT TO ORDER. WE CAN'T APPROVE THE AGENDA OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT. SO, UM, WE'LL GO IN AND SLIDE RIGHT ON INTO THE NEXT PAGE. MS. SALLY, NO PUBLIC COMMENT, NO VOTE. COMMENT. OKAY, SO INTRODUCTIONS, VICTORIA HOFFMAN [4. INTRODUCTIONS] WITH SOLID WASTE AND RECYCLING SOLID CLOUD SOLID WASTE RECYCLING. BRENDA, ERIC, TYPE FOUR WORKS. MARK FEINBERG, AN INCORPORATED DISTRICT NINE REPRESENTATIVE BRIAN DURANCE. UH, DISTRICT ONE REPRESENTATIVE, EX OFFICIO. AWESOME. THANK YOU, ALRIGHTYY. SO WE CAN GO RIGHT INTO, UM, MY [6. SWR REPORT] REPORT. UM, THE LAST MEETING I MENTIONED THAT WE DID CREATE, UH, VISION, MISSION AND GOALS FOR THE SOLID WASTE AND RECYCLING DEPARTMENT. UM, AND HERE, UM, THEY ARE, UM, ALL THE DEPARTMENTS UNDER THE PUBLIC WORKS DIVISION WERE ASKED TO DO THIS. UM, JUST BIG PICTURE ITEMS. UM, AND SO THIS IS WHAT WE CREATED. AND THEN BASED OFF OUR GOALS, UH, THAT IS WHAT WE AIM TOWARDS, UM, ACHIEVING, UM, EACH YEAR. ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THOSE? ALRIGHTY. RIGHTY. AND THEN, APOLOGIES IF IT'S SMALL. UM, YOU ALL RECEIVED A PACKET? I USE MINE EASIER FOR ME TO SEE. UM, THIS IS OUR QUARTER TWO. UM, LEMME GET TO WHERE I NEED TO BE. OUR QUARTER TWO REPORT. UM, SOME OF THE FIGURES ON THE NEXT PAGES. UM, I WAS STILL WAITING ON DATA, UM, BUT THIS IS KIND OF WHERE WE ARE. WE ARE, UM, COMPARING IT TO FISCAL YEAR 24, AND WE'RE HALFWAY THROUGH FISCAL YEAR, UH, 25. SO AS YOU CAN SEE, UM, RIGHT ON BUDGET, UH, A LITTLE BIT OVER FOR DISPOSAL COSTS. UM, BUT CONSIDERING WE HAD A MAJOR STORM EVENT THIS YEAR. AND THEN ALSO, UM, A, INCLUDING OUR, UM, POPULATION GROWTH, IT IS, UM, EXPLAINED THROUGH THOSE TWO SCENARIOS AS TO WHY WE HAVE A BIT MORE IN COST FOR DISPOSAL. AND THEN YOU CAN SEE KIND OF WHERE IT'S GOTTEN AN UPTICK THIS YEAR. ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS? OKAY. SO ONTO THE NEXT PAGE. UM, THIS IS OUR, UM, CONVENIENCE CENTER TRAFFIC. UH, SO WE TRACK, UM, THROUGH TUBE COUNTS HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE ENTERING OUR CENTERS, UM, BASED OFF EACH CENTER. AND YOU CAN SEE THE ASTERISK THAT'S JUST INDICATING, UM, THAT WE, UM, HAD TUBE COUNTERS DOWN THROUGHOUT SOME OF THOSE MONTHS. SO SOMETIMES THEY BREAK, WE HAVE TO REPAIR THEM. AND SO, UH, WE MAY OR MAY NOT GETTING, UH, BE GETTING THE PRECISE NUMBERS THERE. UM, AND YOU CAN SEE, UM, FROM QUARTER TWO IN FISCAL YEAR 24, WE HAD A BIT LESS, UM, OF RESIDENTS USING THE CENTERS. UH, THAT COULD BE EITHER THE TUBE COUNTERS BEING DOWN, UM, OR ORIGINALLY WHEN WE ISSUED THE DECAL PROGRAM, WE SAW A BIG DECREASE IN THOSE USING THE CENTERS. UM, THAT HAS SINCE STEADIED OUT WITH THE POPULATION INCREASE. SO WE CAN GO AHEAD TO THE NEXT PAGE IF YOU DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT. UM, AND THIS IS OUR DISPOSAL, UM, BROKEN INTO THE THREE CLASSES OF WASTE. AND THEN WE ARE COMPARING WHAT WE'RE, UH, RECEIVING AT THE CONVENIENCE CENTERS AND THEN WHAT WE'RE RECEIVING CURBSIDE. UM, AND THE CURBSIDE DATA IS DEPENDENT UPON, UH, THOSE HAULERS SUBMITTING REPORTS IN A TIMELY MANNER. I BELIEVE I HAD MOST OF THE REPORTS, UH, FOR QUARTER TWO. THERE MAY BE A COUPLE OF DISCREPANCIES I MAY NOT HAVE RECEIVED. UM, I THINK TOWN OF BLUFFTON LOOKED A LITTLE LOWER, OR MAYBE IT WAS CITY OF BEFORD, ONE OF THE MUNICIPALITIES. WE WERE STILL WAITING ON A MONTH OF THE REPORT, BUT WHEN I ORIGINALLY CREATED THIS, UM, THEIR TIMELINE HAD NOT LAPSED YET. SO THEY GIVE THEIR, WE GIVE THEM, UH, UNTIL THE 15TH OF THE MONTH TO SUBMIT THEIR MONTHLY REPORT. UM, AND WHEN THIS WAS QUEUED UP FOR YOU, SO WE COULD SHOW IT TO YOU SOONER RATHER THAN LATER. 'CAUSE THE NEXT TIME WE MEET IS MARCH AND IT'S GONNA BE CLOSER TO QUARTER THREE. UM, BEING ENDED, I WANTED [00:05:01] TO GET YOU THE FIGURES, UM, AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. UM, SO AS YOU CAN SEE, UM, BASED OFF THE CENTERS, OBVIOUSLY CURBSIDE, WE RECEIVE A LOT MORE OF OUR MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE, WHICH IS BASICALLY YOUR HOUSEHOLD TRASH. AND THEN THE CENTERS, UM, SEE A LOT MORE OF THE C AND D WASTE AND, UM, THE YARD WASTE. AND WE THINK THAT YARD WASTE, UM, INCREASE HAS DUE TO, UH, THE STORM EVENT THAT WE SAW THIS YEAR. QUESTION? YES, SIR. CLASS TWO C AND D WASTE MM-HMM . UH, THAT THAT IS WHAT EXACTLY? CONSTRUCTION AND DEMOLITION. SO WE'RE SEEING THE CENTERS RECEIVE, I GUESS CURBSIDE, THEY PROBABLY DON'T PICK UP MUCH IN THAT. YEAH. THAT SENSE IS THAT, IS THAT CONTRACTORS OR HOUSEHOLD OR IS THAT A COMBINATION? SO CONTRACTORS ARE NOT ALLOWED TO USE OUR CENTERS. THAT'S WHY WE, ONE OF THE, UH, REASONS WE ISSUED THE DECAL PROGRAM, RIGHT? SO IF THEY'RE USING OUR CENTERS, IT SHOULD NOT BE A CONTRACTOR THAT SHOULD ONLY BE, UH, RESIDENTIAL, COMMERCIAL AND DEMOLITION WASTE. UM, SO IF YOU'RE RENOVATING YOUR BATHROOM OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, YOU'RE ABLE TO BRING, UH, C AND D WASTE AND C AND D WASTE. UM, WE LABEL IT AS CONSTRUCTION DEMOLITION DEBRIS BECAUSE IT DOESN'T NEED TO GO TO THE HICKORY HILL LANDFILL. IT CAN GO TO OAKWOOD. UM, SO IT'S A LESS OF A TIPPING FEE WHENEVER IT MAY NOT HAVE HAZARDOUS WASTE OR CREATE LEACHATE. SO THE C AND D WASTE IS YOUR WOODY WASTE, UM, BASED OFF YOUR, UM, LIKE LUMBER OR IF YOU HAVE, I DON'T KNOW, SHINGLES TILES, OLD TOILETS. OLD TOILETS. YEAH, EXACTLY. NO, DON'T GET ME WRONG. WE STILL HAVE CONTRACTORS THAT DON'T HAVE, YOU KNOW, NOT ADVERTISED AND THEY STILL SLIP IN OUR CONVENIENCE. THEY, THEY'LL, THEY'LL TRY TO TALK TO 'EM AND STOP THEM, BUT THEY'LL PULL RIGHT IN THERE. AND WE STILL FIGHT THAT. IT'S NOT A HUGE PROBLEM, BUT IT IS A PROBLEM. MM-HMM . YEAH. WE DO OUR BEST TO DETER THEM. OUR, I I GO TWICE A WEEK AND I, AND I SEE WHAT'S PROBABLY COMMERCIAL, UNSIGNED COMMERCIAL TRUCKS AND VANS UNLOADING. I MEAN, YEAH, IT, IT'S A DIFFERENT PROBLEM, I WOULD ASSUME. ABSOLUTELY. WE HAVE SIGNS UP. UH, WE HAVE IMPLEMENTED THE DECAL PROGRAM, UH, THE CENTER ATTENDANCE. UM, WE DON'T ENCOURAGE THEM TO ENGAGE IN WITH INDIVIDUALS, YOU KNOW, IF THEY TELL THEM, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE TO TURN AROUND, YOU'RE A CONTRACTOR, BUT WE DON'T EXPECT THEM TO, UH, FIGHT OR ARGUE. UM, THAT'S NOT THEIR JOB TO DO. UH, WE ARE WORKING WITH CODE ENFORCEMENT AND LOOKING INTO WAYS THAT WE CAN, UM, KIND OF MAKE SURE THOSE CODES ARE ENFORCED. UH, BUT IT DEFINITELY IS DIFFICULT UNDERSTAND, UH, UNDERSTAND WITH THE AMOUNT OF CENTERS THAT WE HAVE. I UNDERSTAND MEAN IT'S HARD, HARD TO DISTINGUISH BETWEEN A HOMEOWNER'S EXACTLY. REFUGE REFUSE AND, AND, AND, UH, EXACTLY. A COMMERCIAL SINGLE GUY AND HIS HELPER. EXACTLY. AND THAT'S IT, WHAT YOU HEAR IF YOU HAVE A DETAIL AND IT'S LIKE, NO, THIS IS FROM MY HOUSE. SO, EXACTLY. YEAH, IT IS JUST A, HE SAID, SHE SAID TYPE OF SCENARIO, BUT WE DID GET A LOT OF DECREASE, UH, WITH THE DECAL PROGRAM BEING INITIATED, UM, TO DETTER UH, THE CONTRACTORS. SO IS THAT TYPICAL? I MEAN, YOU, YOU SHOW THREE, TWO AND A HALF TIMES AS MUCH GOING TO THE CENTERS AS CURBSIDE FOR CLASS TWO WASTE. IS THAT, IS IS THIS A TYPICAL NUMBER? YEAH, SO CURBSIDE WASTE, UM, THAT WOULD MOST LIKELY BE A SPECIAL PICKUP. SO WHENEVER YOU HAVE CURBSIDE, I'M NOT SURE IF YOU TAKE YOUR MATERIALS TO THE CENTER, BUT I HAVE CURBSIDE WASTE. AND IF I HAD LARGE DEBRIS LIKE THAT, I WOULD HAVE TO CONTACT MY HAULER AND REQUEST FOR THEM TO HAVE A SPECIAL PICKUP IF IT WERE DEBRIS SUCH AS THAT. OR WHAT WE REALLY DO IS LOAD IT IN MY HUSBAND'S TRUCK AND TAKE IT TO THE CENTER. SO THAT'S PROBABLY WHY, UM, YOU GET THE UPTICK AT THE CENTERS, UM, JUST BECAUSE IT'S A BIT EASIER THAN, YOU KNOW. GOTCHA. LAYING IT ON THE CURB AND MM-HMM . UM, HAVING YOUR PROVIDER PICK IT UP. ALL RIGHT. MOVING ON. MY FAVORITE PART, RECYCLING. UM, THIS IS, UM, SEPARATED OUT BY CONVENIENCE CENTERS. SO WE DO ONLY CURRENTLY ACCEPT RECYCLING OUR FOUR LARGE CENTERS. WE ARE LOOKING INTO BRINGING IT TO THE SMALLER CENTERS. UM, I HAVE TO WORK WITH OUR VENDOR TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE DOING IT IN A WAY THAT, UM, DOESN'T IMPEDE HIS PROCESS. UM, AND THEN YOUR RESIDENTIAL ROUTE TONNAGE, THAT'S YOUR CURBSIDE SERVICES. AND THEN WE HAVE THE OVERALL, UM, AND YOU CAN SEE THAT, UM, RESIDENTIAL ROUTE ACTUALLY DOES RECEIVE A BIT MORE TONNAGE THAN THE CONVENIENCE CENTERS. I THINK MAYBE JUST THE EASE AND THE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE THAT HAVE GOTTEN CURBSIDE [00:10:01] SERVICES. UM, THERE WAS A LARGE UPTICK IN RESIDENTIAL UNITS, UM, GETTING INTO CONTRACT WITH CURBSIDE HAULERS WHEN THE DECAL PROGRAM WAS INITIATED. UM, AND THAT'S DEFINITELY SOMETHING WE'D LIKE TO SEE MORE MUNICIPALITIES ENGAGE IN. UH, SO WE CAN DECREASE THE USE AT THE CENTERS, ESPECIALLY IN THOSE HIGH POPULATED AREAS. DO, DO YOU BELIEVE QUESTION THAT, UH, FOR RECYCLING, BECAUSE MOST OF THE, UH, MANY OF THE HAULERS DON'T SEGREGATE MATERIALS OF PEOPLE WHO ARE INTERESTED IN SAVING THE ENVIRONMENT BY RECYCLING PLASTICS VERSUS CANS VERSUS BOTTLES VERSUS NEWSPAPER WASTE. GO TO THE CENTERS BECAUSE IT'S A RECYCLING EFFORT THAT THE HAULERS JUST THROW IT ALL IN THE BACK OF THE, UM, I, I MEAN, I CAN ONLY REALLY SPEAK FOR MYSELF MM-HMM . AND I'M PASSIONATE ABOUT RECYCLING AND I RECYCLE AT HOME AND IT'S A SINGLE STREAM PROCESS THAT I HAVE MY CURBSIDE HAULER PICKUP. SO I DON'T USE THE CENTERS FOR RECYCLING JUST 'CAUSE WE RECYCLE SO MUCH. SO I'M, I REALLY CAN'T SPEAK ON BEHALF OF OTHER PEOPLE WHETHER OR NOT THEY CHOOSE TO USE A CURBSIDE SERVICE OR THE CONVENIENCE CENTERS. OR MAYBE, I DON'T UNDERSTAND YOUR QUESTION, BUT I KNOW FOR ME, I JUST USE CURBSIDE SERVICES WHERE I LIVE. WE HAVE AN OPTIONAL CURBSIDE SERVICE. I GO TO THE CONVENIENCE CENTER BECAUSE THE CURBSIDE SERVICE DOES NOT SEGREGATE ALL THOSE MATERIALS. THEY JUST PUT IT IN ONE BIG CONTAINER AND DUMP IT IN THE BACK OF THE HAULER TRUCK. MM-HMM . SO SOME OF THOSE, DEPENDING ON WHO IT IS, LIKE WASTE MANAGEMENT, IT'S WASTE MANAGEMENT, THEY DO HAVE ARF. SO THEY DO TAKE ALL THAT MATERIAL BEFORE, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, THEY DO TAKE ALL THEIR MATERIAL, THEY DUMP IT IN A BIG OPEN THING AND THEY SEPARATE IT. UM, SO IF IT'S, THEY KNOW WHAT THE, WHO THE HAULER IS. YEAH. DEPENDING ON WHO THE HAULER, MOST LIKELY PEOPLE USE THE WASTE MANAGEMENT SITE. AND THEY DO HAVE, IT WAS A MUR RF, BUT NOW IT'S MORE OF A TIPPING FLOOR AND A TRANSFER STATION FOR RECYCLABLE MATERIALS. SO IF YOU HAVE A CURBSIDE HAULER, THEY'RE MOST LIKELY PAYING WASTE MANAGEMENT TO TIP AT THEIR FACILITY. AND THEN WASTE MANAGEMENT THEN STILL COMBINES ALL THE MATERIALS. THEY DON'T SEPARATE ANYTHING IN BUFORT. UM, AND THEY HAUL THE SINGLE STREAM IS WHAT YOU'RE REFERRING TO. SO WE HAVE SOURCE SEPARATED, WHICH IS WHAT WE DO AT THE CENTERS, WHICH YOU'RE SEPARATING YOUR SOURCE MATERIALS, AND THEN YOU HAVE YOUR SHINGLE SINGLE STREAM RECYCLING, WHICH IS WHAT IS PICKED UP CURBSIDE. AND SO THAT SINGLE STREAM RECYCLING MOST LIKELY GOES TO WASTE MANAGEMENT. AND THEN WASTE MANAGEMENT HAULS A LARGE SEMI TO CHARLESTON WHERE THEY HAVE A REALLY LARGE MN ARE ABLE TO SORT THAT MATERIAL THROUGH THEIR EQUIPMENT. SO YOU'RE BY USING THE CONVENIENCE CENTER VERSUS CURBSIDE PICKUP SOMEWHERE DOWNSTREAM, SOMEBODY'S GOING, YES, IT'S A MATERIAL, IT'S GONNA GET SORTED. YES. DOWNSTREAM. YES. IT'S A MATERIAL RECOVERY FACILITY, IS WHAT A MURPH IS. RIGHT. AND THAT IS WHAT WILL SORT YOUR MATERIALS AND THE MURPH THAT WASTE MANAGEMENT HAULS THE SINGLE STREAM MATERIALS DO. 'CAUSE I BELIEVE CITY OF BLUFFTON OR TOWN OF BLUFFTON HAS A SINGLE STREAM PICKUP THROUGH WASTE MANAGEMENT. THEY HAUL IT TO A MURPH, WHICH IS A REALLY LARGE FACILITY, AND IT SEP SOURCE SEPARATES IT. SO THEY HAVE VERY HIGH TECH EQUIPMENT THAT ALLOWS IT TO SEPARATE IT BY THAT COMMODITY. SO YOU'RE SEPARATING IT OUT, YOUR PLASTICS, YOUR PAPER, YOUR CARDBOARD, AND THEN EVEN WHEN WE HAVE SOURCE SEPARATED MATERIAL THAT WE TAKE TO THE MURPH WITH I TWO, THAT MATERIAL IS HAND SORTED. SO, BUT THE MATERIALS WE'RE TAKING, VICTORIA IS MORE, IT'S WITHOUT THE WAY WE, IF WE TAKE OUR CENTERS, IT'S MOSTLY SEPARATED ALREADY. YEAH. MM-HMM . SO THEY HAVE LESS WORK TO DO WHEN IT GETS TO CORRECT. WHEN IT GETS TO THE MURPH, YEAH. IT'S ABLE TO BE HAND SORTED. SO THERE'S A LOT OF TECHNOLOGY, UM, IN THESE MURPHS THAT SOURCE THAT SEPARATE IT. IF YOU LOOK AT LARGE CITIES, THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE HAVE SINGLE STREAM BECAUSE IT'S MORE CONVENIENT AND THEN IT'S SEPARATED A MERF MURPH SOMEWHERE ELSE. CORRECT. YEAH. NOTHING'S EVER GOING TO BE BAILED AS ONE LUMP. LIKE IT HAS TO BE SEPARATED INTO THE COMMODITY, THE OLD WAYS OF, OF JUST DUMPING IT ALL INTO A LANDFILL. YEAH. IN THE OLD DAYS MM-HMM . SO AS YOU CAN SEE, UH, WE'RE RIGHT ON THE MONEY WITH, UH, BEING AN FISCAL YEAR, UH, QUARTER TO A FISCAL YEAR, 2025. UM, WE HAVE EXPENDED 50% OF OUR BUDGET FOR RECYCLING SERVICES. UM, THERE WERE A COUPLE OF DISCREPANCIES, UM, WHEN WE WERE, UM, COMPARING WITH FY 24 TO FY 25, UM, WE DISCONTINUED SERVICES WITH OUR LAST VENDOR AND NOW HAVE SERVICES, UH, WITH I TWO AS OUR VENDOR. UM, AND THE WAY THAT THINGS WERE CALCULATED [00:15:01] PREVIOUSLY DIDN'T ENCOMPASS ALL OF RECYCLING COSTS. AND SO WITH THIS SHEET, I'VE BROKEN DOWN, UM, WHAT IT ACTUALLY COSTS TO PROCESS THE ACTUAL MATERIALS, RIGHT? SO PROCESSING AS IN SEPARATING OUT BY COMMODITY AND THEN BAILING THAT COMMODITY AND THEN ACTUALLY HAULING IT. SO YOU HAVE DIFFERENT COSTS WHENEVER YOU'RE SPEAKING ABOUT RECYCLING. SO WE'VE GOT THAT PROCESSING COST, UM, AND THEN WE'VE GOT THAT HAULING COST, AND WE'RE COMPARING IT TO THE REBATE THAT WE ARE RECEIVING FROM THOSE MATERIALS. AND THEN OUR NET RECYCLING COST IS THAT, UM, LAST LINE IN RED. AND WHEN I CREATED THE PORT, WE DID NOT HAVE THE REBATE BEFORE DECEMBER. UM, BUT I HAVE SINCE RECEIVED THAT. UM, IN DECEMBER WE RECEIVED $8,819 AND 29 CENTS FROM, UH, THE SELLING OF OUR COMMODITIES. AND SO THAT WAS A NET COST FOR THE MONTH OF DECEMBER, $86,164. SO IT WOULD CHANGE JUST A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OF OUR TOTAL COST WITH ALL REVENUES. AND THEN THE OTHER REVENUES THAT YOU SEE ON THE LEFT SIDE ARE FROM MATERIALS THAT WE, UH, SELL THROUGH OUR VENDORS. SO WE HAVE BEAUFORT METAL AND HARDY VIEW METAL. IT'S ONE IN THE SAME COMPANY. UH, BUT THEY DO SEPARATE THOSE MATERIALS OUT. SO EVERYTHING THAT IS BEING RECEIVED AT BEAUFORT METAL, WHICH IS LOCATED OFF OF LAUREL BAY, IS COMING FROM OUR TWO BIG CENTERS ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE BROAD RIVER. SO THAT'S ST. HELENA AND SHANKLIN. SO THAT'S ALL OF LIKE OUR BULKY METALS, UH, WHAT PEOPLE LIKE TO REFER TO AS WHITE GOODS. UM, THAT'S OUR REVENUE THAT WE ARE RECEIVING FROM THOSE TWO CENTERS. AND THEN HARDY V METAL HAS, IS RECEIVING OUR BULKY GOODS FROM OUR TWO MAIN CENTERS THAT WE RECYCLE AT ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE BROAD, WHICH IS BLUFFTON AND HILTON HEAD. SO THAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THOSE. AND THEN UNIVERSAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL, THEY COLLECT OUR USED OIL AND RECYCLE IT, AND WE RECEIVE REVENUE FROM THAT. SUNOCO, WE USED TO RECEIVE MORE FROM THEM, BUT WE HAVE DISCONTINUED BAILING OUR OWN CARDBOARD. UM, SO NOW THEY COME AND PICK UP, UH, LOOSE PAPER UNVEILED, AND THEN ALSO BOOKS THAT ARE RECYCLED AT THE LIBRARIES, UM, THAT WE PACK AND THEY COME AND SHIP. AND THEN OUR DOR TIRE FUND, UH, DOR AS IN DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE, UH, THE TIRE FUND THAT WE RECEIVE IS FROM TAXES THAT ARE COLLECTED THROUGH THE SALE OF TIRES. AND SO WE RECEIVE THIS REVENUE FROM THEM TO HELP, UM, KIND OF COMPENSATE FOR WHAT OUR TIRE COST IS. UH, CURRENTLY, WE, OUR PURCHASE ORDER TWO RECYCLED TIRES IS AROUND A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS A YEAR. UM, SO OUR DOR OUR TIRE FUNDS, IT'S A LITTLE BIT LESS THAN WHAT IT'S COSTING US, BUT I DO KNOW THAT THE STATE IS LOOKING INTO THOSE TAXES TO SEE WHAT THEY CAN DO TO ENSURE THAT COUNTIES DO HAVE THE FUNDS TO BE ABLE TO CONTINUE, UH, THAT ENDEAVOR OF RECYCLING THE TIRES. SO WHERE IT SAYS $30,000 IN SEPTEMBER, WHERE ARE WE LOOKING AT OVER RETIRE FUND? YES. SO THAT WAS THE QUARTER ONE REFUND THAT WE RECEIVED FROM DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE. SO THEY'RE A LITTLE BIT LATE IN GETTING US OUR REFUND SOMETIMES, BUT THAT WOULD BE OUR QUARTER ONE, SO WE DON'T RECEIVE THAT MONTHLY, RECEIVE IT QUARTERLY. GOTCHA. SO ARE, ARE WE SAYING THAT, THAT WE DO NOT NOW RECEIVE ANY REBATES FOR CARDBOARD RECYCLING? WE DO. WE RECEIVE IT THROUGH I TWO, SO WHENEVER YOU'RE LOOKING AT THE RIGHT SIDE OF IT. OKAY. THROUGH OUR I TWO RECYCLING ALL OF OUR REBATES. SO THE RIGHT SIDE, IF YOU LOOK ON THE SECOND PORT PORTION OF IT, RECYCLING COSTS VERSUS REVENUE. MM-HMM . ARE, WE GO THROUGH I TWO. OH, I, SO THEY CHARGE US, I'M SORRY, I DIDN'T SEE I TWO WAS SO SMALL UP THERE. I DIDN'T SEE I TWO. YEAH. THEY CHARGE US THE PROCESSING FEE AND THE HAULING COST, AND THEN THOSE ARE THE REBATES THAT WE RECEIVE. AND THAT'S ALL COMMODITIES COMBINED. GOTCHA. I DON'T, AND THIS REPORT HAVE, UM, THE REBATE FOR EACH DIFFERENT COMMODITY. THAT'S OKAY. BUT HE DOES SEGREGATE IT OUT. IT JUST, UM, IT'S NOT ON HERE LISTED AS THAT IN, IN THAT WAY. AND IT IS BASED OFF OF MARKET PRICES FOR CARDBOARD AND ALL OF THE, MY, OUR OTHER COMMODITIES. AND THEN OUR PROCESSING COSTS, UM, HAVE DIFFERENT, UM, PRICES FOR EACH COMMODITY. SO WE ACTUALLY SAVE A LITTLE BIT OF MONEY, UM, HAVING OUR SOURCE SEPARATED AT THE CENTERS, UH, BECAUSE A SINGLE STREAM WOULD BE A HIGHER PROCESSING COST SINCE IT'S MORE WORK. IS IS, IS THERE, HAS THERE BEEN A STUDY ON, OR DO YOU HAVE THE NUMBERS? [00:20:02] IS THERE A TIPPING POINT WHERE IF WE CLOSED ALL THE CENTERS AND EVERYBODY, WE WENT TO COUNTYWIDE PICKUP THE COST TO RUN THE CENTERS WITH EMPLOYEES, ET CETERA, BENEFITS? RIGHT. AND LAND VERSUS UNIVERSAL CURBSIDE PICKUP IN THE COUNTY, WHICH WAS LOOKED AT SEVERAL YEARS AGO MM-HMM . VOTED DOWN BY THE COUNCIL. BUT DO, DO YOU, DO YOU, IS IS THAT A, A SNAPSHOT YOU LOOK AT EVERY YEAR? UM, NO, BASED OFF OF OUR RURAL AREAS IN OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS IN THAT DISTRICT, I DON'T BELIEVE IT'S SOMETHING THAT THEY ARE WANTING TO SEE. WE HAVE LOOKED INTO CLOSING SOME OF OUR CONVENIENCE CENTERS, UH, BUT FIRST AND FOREMOST, WE WANT THE RECYCLING AND WASTE MANAGEMENT, UH, TO NOT ONLY BE AFFORDABLE, BUT ALSO CONVENIENT FOR INDIVIDUALS. AND A LARGE RECYCLING TRUCK OR A WASTE TRUCK WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO MAKE IT DOWN SOME OF OUR MORE RURAL AND DIRT ROADS. UM, I KNOW MR. HARRIET CAN PROBABLY QUOTE HOW MANY ROADS WE DO HAVE IN BEAUFORT COUNTY THAT ARE DIRT OR GRAVEL, THAT THOSE TRUCKS WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO GO DOWN. UH, NOT TO MENTION PRIVATE RESIDENTS WHO MAYBE JUST DON'T WANT A COMMERCIAL TRUCK DOWN THERE. UM, BUT I DO KNOW THAT IT'S BEEN LOOKED AT IN THE PAST AND WE'VE HAD OUR CONSULTANT, UM, REVIEW IT BEFORE. UM, BUT AS FAR AS DISCONTINUING ALL OF THE CONVENIENCE CENTERS, I DON'T THINK THAT THAT IS A LIKELY OPTION. YEAH. WE HAVE TOO MUCH RURAL AREAS, I THINK IN YOUR, IN, LIKE IN YOUR MUNICIPALITIES. ABSOLUTELY. IT, YOU KNOW, IT'S DOABLE. BUT I THINK IN THE RURAL PARTS OF THE COUNTY, WHICH WE HAVE A LOT, WHICH CONCLUDES THE , IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT, PARTS OF KY WHERE THEY ROLLING, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A CONVENIENCE CENTER OVER THERE. WE HAVE ONE, A COUPLE IN ST. HENA, A COUPLE OUT IN, IN THE DALE BIGGEST AREAS. I, I, I'M NOT, I'M NOT ADVOCATING THAT, THAT OH, YEAH, NO, I'M SAYING IT WAS, I THINK THE COST FOR THAT PROBABLY WOULD BE WAY MORE THAN WHAT IT WOULD COST TO OUR CONVENIENCE CENTERS. MM-HMM . I THINK, I MEAN, JUST, JUST BE OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, I THINK ORDER TO HAVE, IF YOU HAVE, IF YOU SWING THE COUNTYWIDE, CURBSIDE, THAT COST WOULD PROBABLY BE, I DUNNO WHAT IT WOULD BE, BE VERY EXPENSIVE. MM-HMM . BECAUSE THE COST ARE IN OUR CENTERS IS, I MEAN, WE'RE GONNA END UP PAYING THE, THE TIPPING FEE REGARDLESS OF WHERE IT IS. WE'RE STILL GONNA INCUR THAT, THAT DUMP AT THE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GONNA INCUR THAT FEE, THE DUMP, REGARDLESS OF WHEN WE PICK IT UP AT THE CONVENIENCE CENTER OR A CURBSIDE, WE'RE STILL GONNA INCUR THAT MM-HMM . COST. UM, AND I THINK WE GET A BETTER PRO. I, ME PERSONALLY, I THINK WE GET A BETTER PRODUCT, GET OUR CONVENIENCE CENTERS. MM-HMM . WE DO WE AGREE. I DON'T DISAGREE. I, I, I BELIEVE THAT, THAT OUR CONVENIENCE CENTERS, ESPECIALLY IN THE RURAL AREAS, PREVENT ILLEGAL DUMPING. ABSOLUTELY. I MEAN, I, I, I AM FULLY, YEAH. BUT I THINK IT CALLS WISE, I THINK CALLS WISE, I REALLY, IT WOULD, I THINK IT WOULD BE, I'D BE MORE EXPENSIVE PROBABLY. THAT'S JUST, YEAH. AND MANY OF OUR ATTENDANCE, MOST OF OUR ATTENDANCE AT THE CONVENIENCE CENTERS ARE PART-TIME EMPLOYEES. SO WE ARE NOT PLAYING A LOT, UH, PAYING A LOT OF THOSE EMPLOYEE BENEFITS BECAUSE OF THAT. SO MANY OF OUR AT ATTENDANTS OR RETIREES DON'T WANNA WORK MORE THAN 20 HOURS. UM, SO I DON'T FORESEE THAT. AND THEN ALSO THAT'S AROUND, UM, 40 INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE EMPLOYED AT THE CONVENIENCE CENTERS. UM, SO WHEN MAKING THAT DECISION, YOU WOULD ALSO, UM, TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE MANY JOBS THAT YOU WOULD BE DISCONTINUING, UH, FOR THE CONVENIENCE CENTER ATTENDANCE, UH, UH, UNDERSTAND, UH, UH, AGAIN, I'M JUST LOOKING FOR THE NUMBERS MM-HMM . BECAUSE I'VE GOT CONSTITUENTS WHO SAY, WHY DON'T WE CLOSE THEM? AND I SAY, MY, MY CONCERN IS, IS, IS IS RURAL DUMPING THAT WE HAD LOTS OF IN THE PAST. AND THE CONVENIENCE CENTERS, I BELIEVE IS, IS A GREAT DETERRENT. MM-HMM . FOR ILLEGAL DUMPING. WE DEFINITELY LOVE TO SEE MUNICIPALITIES. CITY OF BEAUFORT IS REALLY GREAT. THEY HAVE THAT CURBSIDE SERVICE, UM, FOR RESIDENTS OF BEAUFORT. AND THAT'S WHERE I RESIDE AT CITY OF BEAUFORT. UH, SO IT'S DEFINITELY SOMETHING THAT I COMMEND, UM, PORT ROYAL, CITY OF BEAUFORT, TOWN OF BLUFFTON, WE'VE JUST GOT ONE MORE MUNICIPALITY WHO WE WOULD REALLY LIKE TO ENCOURAGE, UH, TO GET CURBSIDE SERVICES. UM, IT DEFINITELY HELPS AND ASSISTS AND ALLEVIATES A LOT OF THE PRESSURE FROM THE CENTERS AND ONE OF THE BUSIEST CENTERS. UM, I KNOW WE'VE ATTEMPTED TO DO CURBSIDE SERVICES IN THE PAST, UM, AND THERE'S A BIT OF AN ISSUE WITH THE BACKDOOR SERVICE NEEDING. UM, IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD DEFINITELY LOOK INTO. WE HAVE LOOKED INTO, UM, BUT THE FEASIBILITY OF IT FOR EACH CENTER, BECAUSE, UM, EACH LOCATION IS DIFFERENT. THEY HAVE THEIR UNIQUE NEEDS. UM, SO IT'S SOMETHING WE HAVE LOOKED INTO. UM, I'M NOT SURE WHAT DATA YOU'RE WANTING TO DO, COMPARE CLOSING ALL THE CENTERS, WHAT THE CENTERS COST TO RUN, AND THEN WHAT THAT CONTRACT WOULD BE A COST COMPARISON. MM-HMM . JUST SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT IN THE FUTURE. MM-HMM . BECAUSE IT HAS BEEN BROUGHT UP IN THE PAST. MM-HMM . UH, THERE WAS A MEMBER OF THIS BOARD WHO WAS VERY KEEN ON CLOSING MM-HMM . CONVENIENCE CENTERS. SO I THINK THAT I, I THINK IT'D BEHOOVES THAT THE, YOUR DEPARTMENT [00:25:01] TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU HAVE THE NECESSARY INFORMATION IF IT COMES UP AGAIN, OF COURSE, WE KEEP DATA ON EVERYTHING THAT YOU CAN THINK OF. UH, SO IF THAT DATA WERE NEEDED, WE WOULD BE ABLE TO PULL IT. UM, AND EVEN YOUR LARGEST CENTERS, OR EVEN YOUR LARGEST CITIES ARE GOING TO HAVE SOME AREA FOR RESIDENTS TO BE ABLE TO DROP OFF MATERIALS. I'VE LIVED, LIVED IN MUCH LARGER CITIES WHERE WE DO HAVE CURBSIDE SERVICE THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY, AND THAT'S CONTRACTED. AND I KNOW PEOPLE DON'T REALLY LIKE THAT SOMETIMES BECAUSE YOU DO KICK OUT YOUR SMALLER BUSINESSES. UH, WE HAVE SEVERAL HAULERS IN BEAUFORT COUNTY WHO DO OFFER CURBSIDE SERVICES FOR RESIDENTS. UM, AND GETTING THAT UNDER A CONTRACT WOULD MEAN ANOTHER, UM, BUSINESS, MAYBE GOING UNDER A, A LOCAL SMALL BUSINESS WHO, UM, ISSUE THAT. SO YOU HAVE TO KIND OF CONSIDER THAT AS WELL. UH, BUT BACK TO MY POINT IS, EVEN IN A LARGE CITY SUCH AS LAS VEGAS WHO HAVE, HAS MILLIONS OF PEOPLE LIVING AND RESIDING IN THAT CITY AND HAVE CURBSIDE SERVICES, YOU ARE STILL GOING TO NEED A DROP OFF POINT JUST FOR, UM, RESIDENTIAL EASE AND ACCESS. UH, BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE YOU DO GET THE ILLEGAL DUMPING. IF IT'S NOT EASY ENOUGH FOR RESIDENTS, UH, TO TAKE THEIR MATERIALS TO A LOCATION, WHAT ARE THEY GONNA DO WITH IT? UM, SO EVEN IF WE WERE TO DISCONTINUE SOME OF THE CENTERS, WE WOULD STILL NEED SOME CENTERS TO REMAIN OPEN JUST FOR THAT EASE AND ACCESS. I MEAN, I KNOW MYSELF, I HAVE CURBSIDE SERVICES AND I STILL USE THE CENTERS, UH, TO DISCARD, UH, LARGER MATERIALS. OKAY. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. ANY MORE QUESTIONS WITH OUR RECYCLING AND REVENUE? ALL RIGHT. SO IT IS BUDGET SEASON, AND THIS IS OUR CURRENT DRAFT, UM, OF WHAT WE WOULD LIKE TO REQUEST FROM COUNTY COUNCIL, UH, FOR THE SOLID WASTE AND RECYCLING DEPARTMENT. UM, THE TOP PORTIONS, UH, HR DOES ALL OF THOSE. SO OUR SAL SALARIES, WAGES, ALL THE WAY TO THE EMPLOYER LIABILITY. UM, BUT SOME OF THE OTHER ITEMS THAT WE HAVE ARE ALL LISTED OUT BASED OFF THE ACCOUNT. UM, WHENEVER WE'VE CREATED THIS BUDGET, WE TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION WHERE WE ARE CURRENTLY, WHAT WE STILL HAVE PLANNED FOR THE REMAINING OF THIS FISCAL YEAR, AND THEN ALSO NEW ENDEAVORS THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO APPROACH BASED OFF OF OUR VISION, MISSION, AND GOALS, UH, FOR THE DEPARTMENT. WE ALSO INCLUDE A 10% CPI INCREASE JUST TO ENSURE IF ANY OF OUR VENDORS COME THROUGH AND SAY THAT THEY DO NEED TO INCREASE THAT, UH, THAT'S WHAT WE LIKE TO CALL OUR CUSHION OR A LITTLE BIT OF WIGGLE ROOM, UH, TO ACCOUNT FOR ANY DISCREPANCIES THAT MIGHT COME ALONG. UM, SOME, SOME YOU CAN PLAN ALL YOU WANT, UM, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, THERE'S MOST LIKELY GOING TO BE SOMETHING THAT YOU DIDN'T ACCOUNT FOR. UH, SO WE DO LIKE TO ADD THAT BIT OF A CUSHION. SO, UH, REGARDLESS OF WHERE WE ARE, WHAT WE'VE ASKED FOR, WE DO INCREASE EACH LINE ITEM JUST TO ACCOUNT FOR THAT, UH, VEHICLE PURCHASE. THAT LINE. YES. VEHICLE PURCHASES, UH, THAT IS US EQUIPPING, UM, NOT ONLY, UM, VEHICLES. SO WHENEVER, UM, OUR SOLID WASTE VEHICLES ARE APPROACHING, MOST ALL OF THEM HAVE ARE WERE APPROACHING AND ARE APPROACHING THEIR LIFETIME SPAN OF IT. UM, SO SOMETHING THAT'S RAN EVERY DAY, UH, TYPICALLY YOU REPLACE THAT ASSET MORE OFTEN THAN YOU WOULD REPLACE YOUR PERSONAL VEHICLE. UM, SO MANY OF THESE VEHICLES ARE CLOSE TO 10 TO 15 YEARS OLD, UM, AND REQUIRE REPAIRS OFTEN. UH, SO WE ARE WORKING TO REPLACE OUR SOLID WASTE AND RECYCLING VEHICLES. AND THEN ALSO, UH, COUPLED WITHIN THIS LINE ITEM, OUR, OUR, OUR CAPITAL EQUIPMENT PURCHASES. SO YOU'RE NOT LOOKING AT 800,000 OF JUST VEHICLES. UH, THIS IS A SKID STEER BACKHOE, PACKER TRUCK, AND ONE OTHER TRUCK. DO YOU REMEMBER MR. HARRIET? A PACKER TRUCK AND, UM, TIRE TRUCK? I SAW A BIG BACKHOE AND LEFT THEM THE OTHER DAY. MM-HMM . I WISH I, I I WISH IT WAS, THEY WERE FILLING IN SOME OF THE POTHOLES WITH IT, BUT YEAH, I'M NOT SURE WHICH DEPARTMENT THAT BELONGED TO, IF IT WERE SOLID WASTE. PUBLIC WORKS IS A REALLY LARGE, UH, DEPARTMENT, SO THE BACKHOE COULD BE SOLID WASTE, PUBLIC WORKS ROAD AND DRAINAGE, UM, STORM WATER, BUT EACH ASSET IS TYPICALLY ASSIGNED TO A DEPARTMENT. I CAN TELL YOU IT WASN'T STORMWATER. YEAH. WELL, TYPICALLY THEY JUST HAVE A BEAUFORT COUNTY LOGO ON THE SIDE. UM, BUT DEPENDING ON, UH, WHAT THAT IS, BUT, UM, WHERE WAS IT THAT YOU WERE NEEDING HOLES FILLED? I'M SORRY? WHERE WAS IT? YOU WERE SAYING THAT HOLES NEED TO BE FILLED? UH, IN, IN THE BLUFFTON. OKAY. WELL, THAT'S A ROADS AND DRAINAGE, UM, CONCERN. SO IF YOU DO HAVE ANYTHING THAT ABOUT THE CONVENIENCE CENTER OH, AT THE CONVENIENCE CENTER INSIDE THE CONVENIENCE. OH, INSIDE THE CONVENIENCE CENTER, IT NEEDS TO BE REGRADED YEAH. [00:30:01] IN SPOTS. YEAH. YEAH. WE'RE, WE'VE ACTUALLY GOT THAT IN OUR BUDGET TO SHARE, READ THROUGH SOME OF THE, SOME OF THE YEP. WE'RE CURRENTLY EVALUATING OUR, UH, QUOTES THAT WE'VE JUST RECEIVED FROM, UM, PAVING COMPANIES. SO WE HAVE IT IN OUR CAPITAL PROJECTS THIS YEAR, UH, TO RESURFACE SOME OF THOSE CENTERS. SO IT IS SOMETHING THAT WE'RE AWARE OF AND WORKING TOWARDS, UM, DILIGENTLY. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR THAT? MM-HMM. OKAY. SO OUR [7. STAFF REPORTS] LETTER SUPERVISOR IS NOT HERE TODAY TO GIVE, UM, AN UPDATED REPORT, UH, JUST BECAUSE EVERYBODY'S, UM, SCHEDULES KIND OF REARRANGED, UH, IN THE PACKET. HE DID INCLUDE SOME INFORMATION EVERY YEAR HE HAS TO REPORT, UH, TO PALMETTO PRIDE, UH, WHO OVERSEES THE ADOPT A HIGHWAY PROGRAM. AND THIS IS, UM, A STATE AGENCY, UM, WHO ASSIST US IN GETTING, UM, INDIVIDUALS THE MATERIALS THAT THEY NEED TO COLLECT, UM, ROADSIDE LITTER AND TRASH. AND SO THAT IS HIS REPORT THAT HE'S, UM, SENDING TO THEM FOR THE CALENDAR YEAR OF 2024. AND THEN HERE ARE SOME STATISTICS THAT HE, UH, ACQUIRED THROUGH THE DATA THAT HE RECEIVES FROM THE ADOPT A HIGHWAY GROUPS. AND HE IS CURRENTLY IN THE PLA PROCESS OF PLANNING, UH, THE ANNUAL ADOPT A HIGHWAY TRAINING AND AWARD CEREMONY. IT IS ALREADY PLANNED. IT IS ALREADY, THE ANNOUNCEMENT IS OUT. RECEIVED THE ANNOUNCEMENT OUT. HE'S STILL PLANNING RECEIVED. WE'RE STILL PLANNING. I RECEIVED IT. YEAH. YOU RECEIVED A, A SAVE THE DATE AND, UM, A REGISTRATION. UH, BUT WE ARE STILL IN THE PROCESS OF MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE TYING UP ALL LOOSE ENDS FOR THAT EVENT. AND VALENTINA IS UNABLE TO BE HERE TODAY BECAUSE SHE IS OUT DOING THE MOST IN OUR COMMUNITY. SHE'S ACTUALLY AT A SCHOOL RIGHT NOW GIVING A VERESE COMPOSTING PRESENTATION WHERE SHE'S TEACHING CHILDREN, UM, THE BENEFITS OF COMPOSTING, AND THEN ALSO PROVIDING THEM WITH A VERESE COMPOSTING BIN AND WORMS TO ASSIST IN THEIR FOOD WASTE DIVERSION, UH, VIA COMPOSTING. UH, SHE IS ALSO, UM, IN THE MIDST OF PLANNING OUR ANNUAL EARTH DAY EVENT. UM, AND SHE ALSO HAS, UH, HAD AN ONGOING SERIES, UH, AT THE COUNTY LIBRARIES FOR BOTH STORMWATER, WELL, BOTH STORMWATER AND SOLID WASTE DEPARTMENTS. UH, THE TOPICS OF CONVERSATION IN JANUARY WERE STORMWATER 1 0 1. SHE RECEIVED A GREAT TURNOUT AT BOTH LIBRARIES. UM, IN FEBRUARY, SHE'LL BE TALKING TO RESIDENTS ABOUT COMPOSTING, AND THEN IN MARCH, SHE'LL BE TALKING TO RESIDENTS ABOUT RECYCLING 1 0 1. SO WE'RE REALLY EXCITED FOR THAT. AND I BELIEVE WE, UM, SENT YOU GUYS HER FLYER IF YOU WANT ANY MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THAT. OUR BUSINESS MANAGER HAS, UM, MOVED ON TO ANOTHER POSITION WITHIN PUBLIC WORKS. UH, WE'LL BE, UM, GETTING AN OUR BUSINESS MANAGER ON BOARD SHORTLY. UM, HAVING A COUPLE OF CHANGES INTERNALLY. UH, BUT BASICALLY THIS IS WHERE WE WERE AT THE END OF QUARTER TWO. A LOT OF THESE FIGURES WERE ALSO, UH, REFLECTED IN THE QUARTER TWO REPORT, UH, THOSE LONG SPREADSHEETS. BUT THIS IS A SNAPSHOT. UM, A COUPLE OF THE PERCENTAGES HAVE INCREASED A LITTLE BIT, AS YOU SAW IN THE OTHER REPORT. UH, DISPOSAL IS A LITTLE BIT MORE, UM, THAN THAT 48% NOW, UH, BUT RIGHT ON TRACK TO WHERE WE WOULD ANTICIPATE WE WOULD BE, UM, AT THE END OF QUARTER TWO CURRENTLY. AND ANOTHER THING VALENTINA IS WORKING ON, UM, IS, UM, MURF TOURS AT THE I TWO RECYCLING CENTER. UM, THIS IS A TENTATIVE DATE. I'M NOT SURE. IT MAY CHANGE BECAUSE IT'S THE SAME DATE, UM, THAT JESUS IS PLANNING FOR OUR PALMETTO PRIDE. UM, OR, UM, YEAH, PALMETTO PRIDE ADOPT A HIGHWAY, UM, LUNCHEON. BUT THERE WILL BE, UM, SESSIONS TO BE ABLE TO TOUR, UH, THE CENTER. UM, AND IF SHE HASN'T ALREADY SENT THE EMAIL OUT, UH, SHE WILL, THAT WILL BE FORTHCOMING. BUT IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU TO SEE WHERE THE RECYCLING GOES FROM BEAUFORT COUNTY CONVENIENCE CENTERS, UM, AND HOW THAT PROCESS WORKS. ANY PUBLIC COMMENT, UH, BEFORE YOU GO TO PUBLIC COMMENT IN NEW BUSINESS? UM, I DO NOT HAVE NEW BUSINESS. I DO. OKAY. I I, I, I WOULD LIKE FOR THE RECORD THAT, THAT, UH, OUR NEW LIAISON, MR. ORTHO, YOU BE PRESENTED WITH, UH, UH, THE STATUS OF ALL OPEN POSITIONS ON THIS BOARD MM-HMM . SO HE CAN BRING IT TO THE ENTIRE COUNCIL SO THEY HAVE AN IDEA OF WHAT WE'RE MISSING MM-HMM . [00:35:01] AND THEN MAYBE THAT WILL LIGHT A FIRE TO THEM TO GO OUT AND SOLICIT PEOPLE FOR THIS BOARD SO THE BOARD CAN MEET WITH A QUORUM AND CONDUCT BUSINESS. YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. YEAH. I KNOW BOARDS AND COMMISSION IS AWARE OF THE STATUS OF THE BOARD, AND, UM, WELL, MRS. BROCK I UNDERSTAND RUNS THAT YES. PART OF IT, BUT COUNSEL PERSONS HAVE AN OBLIGATION BECAUSE THEY HAVE REPRESENTATIVES, ALTHOUGH THE REPRESENTATIVE DOES NOT HAVE TO LIVE IN THAT PARTICULAR MM-HMM . JURISDICTION, BUT USUALLY THEY DO. AND, UH, THE COUNCIL, PEOPLE THAT I KNOW, UH, ARE ACTIVE ENOUGH WITHIN THEIR JURISDICTIONS TO FIND PEOPLE, AND THEY MAY NOT BE AWARE MM-HMM . UH, OF THE OPENINGS THAT EXIST. YEAH. I DID ACTUALLY HAVE A LIST, UM, FOR THE COUNCIL DISTRICTS. WE HAVE SEATS OPEN IN, UH, SO CURRENTLY IN DISTRICT EIGHT, WE HAVE A VACANCY. UM, AND UNLESS THINGS HAVE CHANGED, UH, MY NOTES ARE A BIT, UM, DATED WHEN I WROTE ALL THIS DOWN. BUT THAT IS, UH, WAS CURRENTLY PAULA BROWN, AND THEN IN DISTRICT SIX, PORT ROYAL, UH, WOULD BE TABER NECK, UM, AND THEN DISTRICT FIVE AND THE SHELDON AREA, UH, MR. PASSMAN. WELL, I, I THINK I SAID, AND I MUST HAVE MISSPOKE. UH, I AM PAUL BROWN'S REPRESENTATIVE OF DISTRICT MM-HMM . EIGHT, BUT STORMWATER DISTRICT NINE THAT WE HAVE DIFFERENT DISTRICT. YEAH. AND THERE ARE DIFFERENT DISTRICTS FOR SOLID WASTE AS WELL, THOUGH. SO I, I'M NOT SO THE SOLID WASTE, I'M NOT SURE. I'M NOT SURE WHICH ONE I AM EIGHT OR NINE, BUT I REPRESENT PAUL BROWN. WELL, THE, THE SOLID WASTE DISTRICTS ARE DIFFERENT FROM COUNTY COUNCIL DISTRICTS. RIGHT. SO, UM, IT'S A BIT CONFUSING WHEN YOU LOOK AT THAT. I KIND OF HAVE TO CROSS REFERENCE THE DIFFERENT MAPS FOR THAT. UM, SO WHAT YOU REPRESENT AND THEN WHAT THE SOLID WASTE DISTRICT IS, UM, IT'S JUST A BIT DIFFERENT. NOT SURE WHY THERE ARE DIFFERENT DISTRICTS FOR THE TWO, BUT NOT TELL YOU THAT WE DO STORM WATER IS THE SAME THING. YEAH. IT'S A LITTLE CONFUSING. UM, BUT YEAH, WE ARE UNABLE TO SPEAK OUT TO COUNTY COUNCIL MEMBERS OUTSIDE OF MEETINGS. UM, SO THAT'S DEFINITELY SOMETHING THAT YOU ALL CAN DO AS, UM, IF YOU WISH MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, IF YOU WOULD. AND THEN WE ALSO REITERATE IT TO BOARDS AND COMMISSION. UH, THEY'RE WELL AWARE OF OUR OPEN POSITIONS, AND WE WILL DEFINITELY REITERATE THAT MESSAGE TO BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS TO RELAY THE MESSAGE TO COUNTY COUNCIL MEMBERS. WOULD YOU, SINCE, SINCE YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED SINCE THEN. YEAH. WELL, THERE'S, THERE'S GOOD REASON FOR IT. I, I, I UNDERSTAND CHAIN OF COMMAND AND PROTOCOLS. I UNDERSTAND MR. MOORE LIKE TO FOLLOW THE RULES, BELIEVES CHAIN OF COMMAND. YEAH. VERY IMPORTANT. I OUTRANK THEM, BUT THAT'S OKAY. NO, DON'T CALL US. NO. YOU'LL GET US ALL IN TROUBLE. UH, UH OH, ARE YOU OUTRANK HIM? WERE YOU A MILITARY MEMBER AS WELL? YES. OH, OKAY. I'M RETIRED OF SIX. OKAY. OH, BECAUSE I'M SURE, I'M SURE I'M MUCH OLDER THAN HIM, SO I TIME, TIME AND GRADE. YEAH. BUT HE'S GOT THE POSITION NOW. SO HE OUTRANKED YOU IN HIS CURRENT POSITION, RIGHT? THAT'S HOW IT WORKS. NO, I'M A VOLUNTEER. HE'S A PAID, UH, BUT, UH, IF YOU COULD SEND ME THOSE OPENINGS BY DISTRICT, OF COURSE, AND ASSOCIATED COUNCIL PERSON MM-HMM . I WILL TRY TO REACH OUT TO THOSE COUNCIL PEOPLE. YEAH. WE WOULD APPRECIATE IT. UH, WE DEFINITELY WANT TO SEE THIS BOARD, UH, GET REVIVED AFTER THE HIATUS THAT WE'VE TAKEN. WE SHOULD BE ACTIVE. ABSOLUTELY. I AGREE. ALL RIGHTY. I HAD A BUNCH OF NOTES TO SPEAK TO YOU ABOUT, BUT I WANNA SAY THAT I'VE ALREADY SPOKEN ABOUT ALL OF IT, BUT IF THERE ARE ANY, UM, QUESTIONS LINGERING, BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO, UM, ANSWER THEM BEFORE WE THANK MS. SALLY FOR PUTTING PRESENTATION TOGETHER. YEAH, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR MS. SALLY. BEFORE, UH, SHE WAS WITH US, I WAS DEFINITELY A LOST LITTLE DUCK IN THE POND, SO IT'S VERY NICE FOR HER TO COORDINATE EVERYTHING. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR GETTING THE MEETING SCHEDULED THIS WEEK. SO WE'RE NOT, UH, YOU KNOW, NEXT TIME WE MEET FOUR MONTHS BEHIND. UM, BUT THE NEXT TIME WE DO MEET, UH, WE'LL BE IN MARCH. UM, AND THEN HOPEFULLY BY THEN WE'LL HAVE SOME NEW MEMBERS AND, UH, BEEF UP THIS BOARD A BIT. ALL RIGHT. WE CAN'T OFFICIALLY ADJOURN, BUT WE OFFICIALLY MET, WE ADJOURN. YEAH. , YOU'RE WATCHING BC TV. [00:40:18] THE OLD TOWN MASTER PLAN WAS DEVISED IN PROBABLY OR 2006, RIGHT AROUND THERE. WE WERE STARTING TO SEE THE GROWTH AFFECT OUR SMALL TOWN COMING WEST OFF OF HILTON HEAD AND MOVING ITS WAY INTO BLUFFTON. AND BLUFFTON WAS JUST THIS SMALL, SOMEWHAT OF A SQUARE MILE, BUT GROWING. SO WE DECIDED TO PUT SOME MONEY AND A LOT OF OUR EFFORTS INTO WHAT IS CALLED THE OLD TOWN MASTER PLAN. IT WAS ADOPTED IN 2006, AND IT REALLY IS A BLUEPRINT FOR ALL OF OUR POLICIES, IMPROVEMENTS, AND IMPROVEMENTS IN OUR HISTORIC DISTRICT. SO THE GARVIN HOUSE IS BEHIND US. IT IS A HISTORICAL STRUCTURE. IT'S THE, PROBABLY THE LAST FRIEDMAN'S COTTAGE THAT'S ON THE RIVER. SO YOU LOOK AT IT AND PEOPLE THINK, TEAR IT DOWN. WELL, AGAIN, IF YOU GO BACK TO THIS OLD TOWN MASTER PLAN, IT WOULD TELL YOU ENHANCE YOUR STRUCTURES, PUT YOUR TIME AND EFFORT AND YOUR MONEY INTO PLACES THAT CAN'T BE DUPLICATED. MY WIFE AND I LIVE HERE IN BLUFFTON. AND, UM, THIS HAS BEEN A, A, A PIECE OF PROPERTY THAT WE'VE LOOKED AT SINCE ABOUT 2008 AND, UH, BEFORE THE RESTORATION AND RENOVATION STARTED. AND, UH, SOMETHING THAT WE'VE BEEN INTERESTED IN SEEING PROGRESS OVER TIME. WELL, IT'S, IT'S VERY INTERESTING. UM, THE, THE HAR THE HOUSE HAS BEEN CALLED, CALLED THE GARVIN HOUSE FOR JUST KIND OF FOLKLORE VERNACULAR. AND AS, UH, MELANIE MARKS MY WIFE, WENT THROUGH THE, THE GENEALOGY, IT BECAME CLEAR THAT HIS REAL NAME WAS CYRUS GARVEY. BUT THROUGH TRANSFER OF DEEDS AND OTHER, OTHER, THE WAY PEOPLE WROTE THINGS THAT HIS NAME IS ACTUALLY CYRUS GARVEY. BUT IT TOOK ON GARVIN. AND AT TIMES YOU SEE GARVIN, AT TIMES YOU SEE GARVEY, BUT HIS REAL NAME AS YOU TRACK BACK HIS FAMILY AND SO FORTH, IS, IS TRULY CYRUS GARVEY. YOU KNOW, THE HISTORY SAYS THAT HE BUILT THE HOUSE IN 1870, SHORTLY AFTER, UM, YOU KNOW, HIS FREEDOM, UH, ON PROPERTY THAT BELONGED TO JOSEPH BAYNARD, WHO WAS A PLANTATION OWNER. HIS SUMMER HOME WAS HERE ON THIS PROPERTY. BUT HIS PLANTATION WAS NEAR OR POSSIBLY IN THE BOUNDS OF PALMETTO BLUFF, THE DEVELOPMENT. AND, UH, SOMEHOW CYRUS WAS ABLE TO WORK THIS LAND, BUILD HIS HOUSE IN 1870, BUT DIDN'T GET DEEDED THE PROPERTY UNTIL 1880 BY JOSEPH VAYNER. UH, WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT THIS HOUSE AND HE WAS LIVING HERE, AND THE VIEW THAT HE HAD, IT'S, IT'S AMAZING. MY WIFE AND I GOT TOGETHER AND WE SAID, WE HAVE TO BECOME PART OF THIS. SOMEHOW WE HAVE TO COME TO COME DOWN HERE AND SPEND TIME HERE AND TRY AND FACILITATE AND BRING MORE AWARENESS TO THE FACT THAT THIS IS IMPORTANT, THIS IS HISTORY, AND HOW COULD WE HELP? WELL, WHAT BRINGS US TO BLUFFTON IS THIS MAGNIFICENT HOUSE HERE, THE GARVIN HOUSE. UH, WE'VE BEEN WORKING AS, AS DIRECTOR OF THE PALMETTO TRUST. I'M ALL OVER THE STATE WORKING WITH MUNICIPALITIES AND, AND UH, COMMUNITIES. AND THIS HAS BEEN ON OUR RADAR EVER SINCE I CAME ON IN 2007. AND THIS WAS AN AMAZING STORY OF THIS FAMILY AFTER FREEDOM, WERE ABLE TO BUILD THEIR OWN LIVES HERE IN THEIR OWN PROPERTY. UH, THIS IS KIND OF A UNIQUE SITUATION 'CAUSE MOST OF THE PROPERTIES WE WORK WITH DO GET TURNED INTO PRIVATE HOMES. THIS IS ONE WHERE IT REALLY IS GONNA BE LIKE A MUSEUM, UH, SITUATION WHERE THE PLACE IS SAVED AND THE COMMUNITY CAN PARTICIPATE IN LEARNING ABOUT IT AND THE TOWN CAN LEVERAGE IT AS PART OF THEIR HISTORIC CHARACTER THAT IS SO KNOWN IN BLUFFED. SO, WELL, BASICALLY WHEN WE TOOK OVER THIS PROJECT, THERE WAS A STABILIZATION PROJECT, WHICH BASICALLY MEANS WHERE THESE SIX BY SIXES, CRIBBING CARRIES A STEEL BEAM THAT PRETTY MUCH RUNS THROUGH THE LENGTH OF THE HOUSE. SO YOU'VE GOT ONE HERE AND YOU'VE GOT ONE PRETTY MUCH THAT RUNS DOWN THE CENTER. AND THIS WAS BASICALLY TO GIVE SUPPORT BECAUSE YOU CAN SEE THE STRUCTURE GOT TO THE POINT OF WHERE IT REALLY COULDN'T STAND BY ITSELF. NOW THIS IS NEW PRODUCT, BUT WHAT WE'VE DONE IS WE WERE ABLE TO SALVAGE ALL OF THE, UH, ORIGINAL FLOORING. SO WE BASICALLY REMOVED IT FROM THE HOUSE, WRAPPED IT UP, DOCUMENTED IT, AND NUMBERED IT SO THAT IT CAN GO BACK DOWN IN THE SAME PLACE. AND WHAT WE'LL END UP DOING IS PAINTING THE PLYWOOD FLOOR BLACK SO THAT YOU CAN'T SEE DOWN THROUGH THE CRACKS. AND IT GIVES THE ILLUSION OF WHAT IT USED TO LOOK LIKE. WE'LL INSTALL AS MUCH OF THE ORIGINAL STUFF AS POSSIBLE. SAME THING WITH THE SIDING. SO YOU CAN SEE IT'S NOT TOO HARD TO PULL DOWN. IT'S ALMOST COMPLETELY OFF. BUT WE'LL TAKE THIS DOWN, PHOTOGRAPH IT, DOCUMENT IT, AND WE PUT IT BACK IN THE SAME PLACE. THIS IS SOME OF THE ORIGINAL OLD BEAM, AND BASICALLY IT'S ANYWHERE FROM SIX INCHES TO SIX AND A HALF INCHES. 'CAUSE IT'S ALL ROUGH HU IT WAS ALL DONE BY AX AND BASICALLY, OR HAND SAW. SO IT'S NOT PERFECT. SO IT'S GOT A LITTLE BIT OF A STA OR A LITTLE BIT OF A WAVE HERE AND [00:45:01] THERE. SO WE'VE INTERLOCKED AND TIED IT IN. WHEN WE DUG THE FOOTING, WE CAME ACROSS A LOT OF INTERESTING THINGS. SO JUST VARIOUS BOTTLES, LITTLE BABY PERFUME BOTTLES AND THINGS LIKE THAT. JUST, YOU KNOW, THAT WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, PRECIOUS TO THEM BACK IN THE DAY. AND THESE ARE SOME OF THE OLD ORIGINAL LIDS FROM THE CANNERY, FROM THE, UH, OYSTER FACTORY. I KIND OF ALWAYS ENJOYED THE CHALLENGE OF LOOKING AT SOMETHING AND TRYING TO LOOK AT, OKAY, WHY DID THEY DO THIS? OR HOW DID IT DEVELOP INTO THIS? AND HOW IT PROGRESSED AND CHANGED. AND JUST EVEN STANDING HERE, YOU NOTICE THAT THIS IS EXTERIOR SIDING. SO THE ORIGINAL STRUCTURE USED TO END HERE. THAT WAS THE ORIGINAL BACK DOOR. HAD A FRONT PORCH ON THE FRONT SIDE. SO AS TIME PROGRESSED, THEY NEEDED MORE ROOM. THEY BASICALLY JUST NOTCHED IN, ADDED TO THE FOUNDATION, BROUGHT A NEW ROOF OUT. AND NOW THIS BECAME BASICALLY ANOTHER ROOM, BEDROOM, LIVING ROOM AREA, KIND OF A KITCHEN AREA HERE. AND OBVIOUSLY YOU'RE NOT RUNNING DOWN TO HOME DEPOT AND LOWE'S, YOU CAN SEE THEY ACTUALLY JUST WENT DOWN TO THE BEACH, GOT SAND, AND BASICALLY MIXED A SAND MORTAR. AND YOU CAN SEE SOME OF THE OYSTER SHELL PIECES IN IT AND THINGS LIKE THAT. JUST, THAT'S AMAZING. WHAT THEY WOULD DO IS BASICALLY BECAUSE OF THE FACT WE'VE GOT A HEAVY DUTY FOUNDATION LIKE WE HAVE NOW, AND THIS USED TO BE, BASICALLY WHAT THEY WOULD DO IS TAKE A CYPRESS STUMP, HOPEFULLY CYPRESS BECAUSE IT WOULD LAST LONGER AND THIS IS 1870. BUT THEY WOULD BURY THIS INTO THE GROUND, AND THEN THEY WOULD START ALL OF THEIR HEAVY BEAM AND FRAMING AND BASICALLY SIT ON TOP OF THIS. YOU HAVE MILESTONES EVERY DAY. AND YOU THINK AFTER, YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN DOING IT FOR CLOSE TO 30 YEARS THAT YOU KNOW IT, IT'S DIFFERENT EVERY DAY. AND IT'S A CHALLENGE. SO WE HAVE A STAIRCASE THAT WAS INTACT, SO INSTEAD OF HAVING TO REMOVE IT, WE KIND OF KEPT IT IN PLACE. WE WORKED UNDER IT, AROUND IT, IN IT. AND I, WE TEMPORARILY SECURED THIS THING EIGHT DIFFERENT TIMES WHILE WE PUT THE FLOOR SYSTEM UNDER IT. THIS BASICALLY IS OUR RACKS. SO WHEN WE ACTUALLY PHYSICALLY TAKE SOMETHING OFF THE STRUCTURE, WE WANT TO KNOW WHERE IT IS AND WHAT IT WENT. SO WHAT WE WOULD DO IS WE WOULD PHYSICALLY REMOVE IT, PHOTOGRAPH, AND THEN WE WOULD GO AHEAD AND JUST LABEL THIS PIECE, WHAT SIDE OF THE HOUSE IT WAS ON, WHERE IT WAS AT. AND IT BASICALLY GIVES US A GUIDE TO PUT THIS GIANT PUZZLE, YOU KNOW, BACK TOGETHER AGAIN, THIS IS A RESTORATION. MOST OF THE TYPE OF THINGS THAT ARE DONE, A RENOVATION, A REHABILITATION THAT ALLOWS THEM TO BE MODERN USE. WE DO HAVE MODERN CODES THAT HAD TO BE IMPLEMENTED HERE BECAUSE OF ITS PUBLIC ACCESS. UH, BUT EVERY EFFORT WAS MADE TO TRY TO ENSURE IT COMMUNICATED WHAT THESE PEOPLE HAD TO BUILD. SO WE DIDN'T PUT IN THESE BIG BRICK PIERS UNDERNEATH. THAT WOULD'VE BEEN NORMAL. WE JUST USING WOODEN STUMPS. THIS IS WHAT WHAT THEY HAD. UH, BUT EVERYTHING HAS WORKED TO GIVE THE AESTHETIC LOOK OF THE TYPE OF HOUSE THIS THING WOULD'VE BEEN WHEN IT WAS BUILT TO CAPTURE A POINT IN TIME TO CAPTURE WHAT IT WOULD'VE BEEN LIKE. AGAIN, THIS IS A PIECE OF A BROADER PICTURE TO CAPTURE WHAT A FAMILY, CYRUS GARVEY WAS LIVING IN HERE WITH HIS WIFE AND CHILDREN IN THESE RECLAIMED WOOD AT THE TIME IT WAS RECLAIMED. IT COULD HAVE BEEN TAKEN FROM HOUSES THAT WERE BURNED AFTER THE WAR ENDED AND PUT THIS TOGETHER WHERE HE LIVED. AND THEN THAT'S WHY THE GENEALOGY AND THE HISTORY OF HIM AND HIS FAMILY IS SO IMPORTANT. 'CAUSE IT ISN'T JUST A BUILDING, IT'S A MAN AND HIS FAMILY IN A TIME OF OUR HISTORY WITH A BUILDING AND A COMMUNITY AT A TIME OF MOVEMENT. AND SO YOU WANNA MAKE IT AS REAL AS POSSIBLE. IT COMMUNICATES A TIME AND PLACE THAT NOT MANY PLACES DO ANYMORE. YOU KNOW, WHEN, WHEN, UM, IN THE LOW COUNTRY WHERE YOU HAVE SUCH DEVELOPMENT PRESSURES, USUALLY LITTLE WOODEN BOXES LIKE THIS GET DESTROYED AND LOST. AND SO THIS COMMUNICATES SOMETHING, UH, POST-CIVIL WAR, UM, POST ENSLAVEMENT, YOU KNOW, IT, IT'S ABOUT, IT'S ABOUT THESE PEOPLE SURVIVING AND OVERCOMING ENSLAVEMENT INTO A PLACE OF FREEDOM AND THEIR NICHE IN PROPERTY AND THEIR OWN HOUSE. AND, AND THAT TRANSITIONAL STORY IS NOT TOLD ENOUGH IN THE STATE, AND WE'RE SO GLAD IT COULD BE DONE HERE. THE THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE AGAIN, AS YOU KNOW, IS WORKING IN ALL OF THE OLD LUMBERS AND THINGS LIKE THAT. WE'RE TO THE EXCITING PART OF IT NOW, WE'RE, WE'RE BASICALLY DONE WITH THE FRAMING. NOW WE'RE KIND OF PUTTING THE PUZZLE BACK TOGETHER. YOU GET A FEEL FOR WHEN THEY ACTUALLY PUT IT TOGETHER. AND YOU CAN SEE THEIR FRUSTRATIONS WHEN THEY RAN OUT OF A PARTICULAR SPECIES OF LUMBER OR SOMETHING TO USE. AND THEY JUST CHANGED IT UP AND, AND STILL KEPT GOING AND PUSHED FORWARD. I KNEW THE HOUSE WOULD BE HERE WHEN WE GET BACK. JUST THE, THE METHODICAL WAY THAT WE PUT IT BACK TOGETHER. MY BIGGEST CONCERN WAS THESE BEAUTIFUL OAK TREES THAT HAVE SURROUNDED THIS. THAT WAS THE SCARY PART. 'CAUSE I DID COME DOWN HERE THREE DAYS AFTER THE STORM AND THERE WAS TREES AND POWER [00:50:01] LINES DOWN. I COULDN'T EVEN SEE THE HOUSE. I, I GOT DOWN THE ROAD AS FAR AS I COULD AND LOOKED AT THE HOUSE AND I WAS LIKE, OH MY GOSH. IT JUST BLEW ME AWAY THAT THE THING WAS STILL HERE, HIGH AND DRY, NO LEAKS, NO NOTHING, NO DAMAGE. AND THAT WAS JUST, YOU KNOW, LUCKY, VERY LUCKY. IN NOVEMBER OF THIS YEAR, I PRESENTED THE TOWN WITH OUR FINISHED REPORT. UM, AND I KNOW THE TOWN IS PLANNING ON USING THAT MATERIAL TO PROMOTE THE, THE HISTORY OF THE, THE HOUSE THROUGH BROCHURES, THROUGH, YOU KNOW, SIGNAGE TO MAKE IT A TRUE DESTINATION FOR TOURISTS. I THINK, I THINK WE HAVE TO APPLY THE BLUFFTON PRESERVATION SOCIETY FOR KNOWING THE VALUE AND, UH, OF THE HISTORIC INTEGRITY OF THIS HOUSE. FOR THE TOWN IN THIS COMMUNITY AND IN THIS COUNTRY THESE DAYS IS A VERY IMPORTANT THING BECAUSE THERE'S SO MUCH STRIFE AND THERE'S SO MUCH CONFLICT AND FRICTION TO ACTUALLY HAVE A COMMUNITY LIKE THIS SAY, THIS IS IMPORTANT. IT'S IMPORTANT TO PUT OUR MONEY HERE. AND IT'S IMPORTANT TO SHOW HOW PEOPLE OVER TIME DID WORK TOGETHER AND RESPECT EACH OTHER. AND WERE RESURRECTING NOT ONLY A HOUSE, BUT REALLY A, A LEGACY FOR AN INDIVIDUAL THAT ROSE ABOVE A BIG CHALLENGING TIME. THE BOARD OF VOTER REGISTRATION AND ELECTIONS ARE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR WAYS TO INCREASE VOTER REGISTRATION AND INCREASE VOTER TURNOUT. AND IN OUR COMMUNITY, UH, WE HAVE PARTNERED WITH SOME OF OUR CIVIC ORGANIZATION AND SOME OF OUR SOCIAL ORGANIZATION TO HELP US EDUCATE OUR VOTERS ON THE IMPORTANCE OF VOTING. WE PARTNERED WITH THE BEAUFORT COUNTY BOARD OF REGISTRATION AND ELECTION IN THIS PROJECT. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE OBSERVED IN SOUTH CAROLINA IS THAT, LIKE IN OTHER PARTS OF THE COUNTRY, NOT AS MANY PEOPLE WHO SHOULD BE, ARE REGISTERED TO VOTE AND INVOLVED IN THE, UM, IN THE ELECTION PROCESS. SO WE TOOK A LOOK AT YOUNG PEOPLE IN PARTICULAR AND HOW DID THEY GET INVOLVED WITH VOTING AND DECIDED WE'D START THERE RATHER THAN TO START VOTER REGISTRATION WITH OLDER ADULTS. SO WE STARTED WORKING WITH YOUNG PEOPLE, PARTICULARLY THOSE AGES 16 AND ABOVE, AND EDUCATE THEM ABOUT THE VOTING PROCESS AND WHAT IT MEANS TO VOTE AND HOW VOTING IMPACTS YOUR LIFE. AND IN DOING THAT, WE PARTNERED WITH THE BEAUFORT COUNTY BOARD OF REGISTRATION AND ELECTIONS. YOU KNOW, IS THIS SOMETHING THAT WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE? IT'S IMPORTANT TO US TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN OUR COMMUNITY. THERE ARE A LOT OF PROBLEMS OUT THERE, AND WE WANNA DO OUR FAIR SHARE OF MAKING A DIFFERENCE. THAT'S THE MAIN THING THAT WE WANT TO DO AS THIS ORGANIZATION. AND WE WENT INTO TWO MIDDLE SCHOOLS THIS YEAR, AND, UH, WE WENT THROUGH THE WHOLE PROCESS OF VOTING FROM REGISTERING TO VOTE, UM, WITH A VOTER REGISTRATION DEADLINE, ISSUING VOTER REGISTRATION CARDS. AND THIS WAS ALL DONE WITH THE SCHOOL GUIDANCE COUNSELOR. SO AS SCHOOL COUNSELOR, I'M ALSO THE, UM, ADVISOR FOR THE LEADERSHIP GROUPS AND FOR STUDENT GOVERNMENT. THIS SCHOOL YEAR, I WANTED TO INVOLVE THE WHOLE SCHOOL AND GIVE A REAL LIFE EXPERIENCE ABOUT VOTING. YOU KNOW, VOTING IS LIKE A DEMOCRACY IN ACTION. THAT'S HOW WE, EVEN THE PLAYING FIELD, A LEVEL OF PLAYING FIELD HERE IN AMERICA. SO THAT'S YOUR ONE VOICE, BUT BRINGING MANY VOICES TOGETHER, YOU HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BRING CHANGE. SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE OUR STUDENTS HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO SEE HOW THAT ACTUALLY ALL WORKS. THE STUDENTS, THEY REALLY GOT INVOLVED. UM, MOST OF THEM WERE NERVOUS AND SOME OF 'EM, WE ACTUALLY RAN A REGISTRATION PROCESS. SO WE SET UP IN OUR CAFETERIA MAYBE FOR ABOUT TWO WEEKS, AND THE STUDENTS WERE ABLE TO COME OVER AND VISIT THE TABLE AND ACTUALLY FILL OUT A VOTER REGISTRATION CARD, IS WHAT WE CALLED IT. THIS IS A, AN ENLARGED VERSION OF THE VOTER REGISTRATION APPLICATION. UM, AT THE TOP IT SAYS, ARE YOU A STUDENT AT ROBERT SMALLS INTERNATIONAL ACADEMY? THE STUDENT WOULD CHECK YES OR NO. IF YES, WILL YOU BE BETWEEN FOURTH AND EIGHTH GRADE ON ELECTION DAY? AND AT THE BOTTOM, THEY WILL NEED TO REVIEW ALL THE INFORMATION THAT THEY FILLED OUT, AND IF IT WERE TRUE TO THE BEST OF THEIR KNOWLEDGE, THEY WOULD SIGN IT. THEY BROUGHT IN FOUR MACHINES AND, AND THEY SET UP IN, UH, CLASSROOM C ONE. STUDENTS WERE ABLE TO FILTER THROUGH C ONE WITH THEIR REGISTRATION CARD AND WITH THEIR REGISTRATION CARD, THEY WERE ABLE TO WALK TO THE TABLE, SIGNED IN, AND THEN WALK OVER TO THE VOTING MACHINES TO VOTE FOR PRESIDENT, VICE PRESIDENT, SECRETARY, OR TREASURER. THE KIDS WERE ECSTATIC ABOUT DOING THIS BECAUSE THEY REALIZED AT THAT MOMENT HOW IMPORTANT IT WAS. THE, THE [00:55:01] CANDIDATES WERE CAMPAIGNING, THEY MADE POSTERS, UM, CAMPAIGN POSTERS, AND THEY WERE GOING OUT GIVING SPEECHES. HELLO, MY NAME IS NATHAN TEE AND I'M RUNNING FOR STUDENT COUNCIL PRESIDENT. STUDENTS WERE ALLOWED TO CAMPAIGN. SO WE RECORDED SOME CAMPAIGN ADS FOR OUR MORNING TELEVISION NEWS SHOW, RSIA TODAY. UM, THOSE ADS, UH, ROTATED AND AIRED DAILY JUST AS IF IT WOULD'VE BEEN FOR, FOR THE NOVEMBER ELECTIONS. WE ACTUALLY GOT THE TICKET FROM THE, UH, BOARD OF REGISTRATIONS. THEY PRINT A TICKET WITH ALL THE RESULTS FROM THE POLLS. SO WE GOT THE POLL REPORT AND THEN, UH, AND THEN WE CREATED THAT AND TURNED THAT INTO A GRAPHIC AND, UH, SHARED THE RESULTS OF THE ELECTION THAT WAY. THE VOTES ARE IN, I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S MAYBE NOT SURPRISING, IT KIND OF REINFORCED THE REASON WHY WE'RE DOING THIS IS HOW MANY PEOPLE THERE ARE THAT ARE NOT ENGAGED IN THE PROCESS BECAUSE THEY'VE EITHER LOST FAITH IN THE SYSTEM OR THEY DON'T BELIEVE THAT THEIR VOTE COUNTS AND THEY PASS THAT ON TO YOUNG PEOPLE SUCH THAT YOUNG PEOPLE NOW FEEL AS THOUGH WHAT DIFFERENCE DOES IT MAKE IF I VOTE OR NOT VOTE? AND THAT'S WHO WE'RE TRYING TO WORK WITH. SO WE CAN CHANGE THAT KIND OF THINKING AND PERHAPS EVEN GET THEM TO REENGAGE THEIR CAREGIVER OR THEIR PARENTS OR OTHER ADULTS IN THE WHOLE PROCESS. I WANTED TO RUN FOR PRESIDENT BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE I WOULD'VE BEEN A GOOD CANDIDATE FOR PRESIDENT. SO I RAN AND I HAD TO DO A SPEECH FOR, UM, TO GO ON OUR DAILY NEWS. AND SO AFTER I DID THE SPEECH, I WAITED ABOUT A WEEK OR TWO, AND THEN WE VOTED AND I GOT THE PAPER LIKE EVERYONE ELSE DID, AND I HAD TO DO THE PAPER, AND I GOT MY CARD AND WE WENT TO GO VOTE. AND OBVIOUSLY I VOTED FOR MYSELF. SO I USUALLY SEE, LIKE, MY PARENTS USUALLY TELL ME, OH, I'M GONNA GO VOTE. AND I ALWAYS WONDER LIKE, WHAT IS IT LIKE? SO TO ACTUALLY GET THE EXPERIENCE AND ACTUALLY USE IT, IT FELT, IT FELT REAL DURING THE PROJECT. UM, THE STUDENTS WHERE I WAS KIND OF HELPING OUT AT, AT THE BOOTH, THEY KIND OF CAME OVER AND ASKED, UM, WAS IT THE POLL THAT THEIR PARENT ACTUALLY USED? SO IT KIND OF GAVE THEM THAT REAL LIFE EXPERIENCE OF WHAT MOM AND DAD DO DURING THE VOTING, VOTING TIME. IN THE PAST, WHAT WE HAVE DONE IS WORK WITH, UM, OUR AGING POPULATION. WE WENT OUT TO, UM, NURSING AND ASSISTED LIVING HOMES, REGISTERING PEOPLE, EDUCATING THE RESIDENTS THERE ON, UM, VOTING REGISTER, UH, IN OUR COUNTY, AND, UM, MAKING SURE THAT THEY WERE ALL READY FOR MAJOR ELECTIONS. AND WE'VE BEEN DOING THAT FOR SEVERAL YEARS NOW, AND IT'S BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL. AND WE ARE ALSO PLANNING TO DO IT, UH, CONTINUE TO DO IT FOR OUR, UH, CITIZENS IN THE HIGH SCHOOL, DOING GENERAL ELECTION YEARS. WE GO OUT TO THE HIGH SCHOOL, 16 AND 17 YEAR OLDS, AND WE TRAIN THEM ON BECOMING POLL MANAGERS AND THEY PARTICIPATE WITH US DURING OUR GENERAL ELECTIONS, WORKING THE PRECINCT AS A POLL MANAGER. AND THESE ARE SOME OF THE BRIGHTEST KIDS, UM, THAT WE HAVE WORKING AT THOSE PRECINCTS, WORKING WITH OUR CITIZENS. BUT THE PART THAT WAS MOST, I THINK, IMPORTANT FOR THE YOUNG PEOPLE WAS TO ACTUALLY HAVE THEM VOTE. MANY OF THEM HAD NEVER SEEN A VOTING MACHINE. THEY OBVIOUSLY, BECAUSE OF THEIR AGES HAD NOT VOTED. SO WENDELL WAS VERY ACCOMMODATING. AND COMING IN AND DOING A TUTORIAL WITH THOSE YOUNG PEOPLE AND EXPLAINING THE PROCESS, THE STAFF, UH, THEY WERE JUST EXCITED. THE STUDENTS, UM, THE SOCIAL STUDIES TEACHERS HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO TEACH SOME OF THE LESSONS. UM, AND JUST TO SHOW WHERE THINGS WERE IN THE FIFTIES AND SIXTIES AND HOW VOTER VOTER REGISTRATION DRIVES CAME ABOUT. UM, IT TAKES EVERY, EVERY VOTE THAT'S OUT THERE VERSUS JUST ME SAYING, YOU KNOW WHAT, I'M NOT GONNA VOTE TODAY. SO WITH US INSTILLING, UM, THIS AUTHENTIC LESSON IN LIFE OF BEING ABLE TO VOTE, UM, WE HOPE THAT IT RESONATES THROUGHOUT THEIR LIVES SO THAT WHEN IT'S TIME FOR THEM TO VOTE AT 18, THEY MAKE IT AS MEANINGFUL AS POSSIBLE AND TAKE IT SERIOUSLY SO THAT THEY CAN DO WHAT'S BEST FOR THEM AND FOR THE COUNTRY. * 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.