* 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. [00:00:11] TO THE REPUBLIC. REPUBLIC, WHICH IT STANDS. IT STANDS ONE NATION. ONE NATION, LIBERTY JUSTICE. FOR ALL. FOR ALL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OH, THAT OUT, THAT OFF. THANK YOU, SIR. AND, UM, MS. CUSHING, HAS THE MEDIA BEEN NOTIFIED? YES. OKAY. UH, ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS? NO, SIR. OKAY. IS THERE A MOTION FOR APPROVAL OF THE DECEMBER 5TH, 2023 COMMITTEE, COMMITTEE MEETING? MINUTES. ANY OF THE BOARD MEMBERS WANT TO MAKE A MOTION? SO MOVED BY MS. GORDON. OKAY. SECOND. I SECOND. GOOD. MOTION. SECOND BY PASTOR GORDON. ALRIGHT. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. AYE. UH, ON BOARD. MS. BOATRIGHT, DO YOU VOTE IN FAVOR? AYE. OKAY. THANK YOU MA'AM. AND WELCOME. OKAY, SO, UM, WANT TO WELCOME EVERYBODY OH, TO THE FIRST LEGISLATIVE MEETING OF 2025. AND THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING WILLING TO, UH, PUT IN EFFORT. UH, YOU'LL NOTICE UNDER THE POSITION STATEMENT, WE ARE LOOKING AT POTENTIALLY, NOT POTENTIALLY, BUT ACTUALLY HAVING A MORE ASSERTIVE, OUTWARD LOOKING LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE ACTION. SO THAT WE NOT ONLY RESPOND TO THINGS THAT COME TO US, BUT WE ALSO SOLICIT FROM THE BOARD, FROM THE ADMINISTRATION. AND AS WE MIGRATE THROUGH THE COMMUNITY, FINDING THINGS THAT PEOPLE BELIEVE MIGHT BENEFIT THE DISTRICT AND OUR EDUCATIONAL PROCESS, BRING THOSE IN HERE. SO WHAT WE DID WAS WE CAME UP WITH FOUR DIFFERENT POINTS WE'D LIKE TO OPERATE AMONG OURSELVES, SPINE. AND THOSE FOUR, I ALWAYS LIKE TO GIVE A SHORT SNAPPY ACRONYM WHERE POSSIBLE. SO I, I SORT OF CALL THIS ONE S3 D, AND YOU'LL SEE THE S AND THREE CAPITAL DS THERE. SO THE FIRST ONE IS WE WANT ALL OF OUR MEMBERS TO ACTIVELY SEARCH AND UNDER THE CHAIRMAN'S, UH, REQUEST THAT WE BECOME INVOLVED IN THE COMMUNITY. THAT AS YOU GO THROUGH THE COMMUNITY, WE LISTEN ATTENTIVELY TO WHAT THEY'RE SAYING, BUT ALSO WHAT THEY BELIEVE SOME NEEDS ARE. SO NOT ONLY SHOULD COMMUNICATION FLOW FROM THE COMMUNITY INTO THE COMMITTEE, RIGHT? WE, AND, AND WE SHOULD BE FLOWING BACK WHAT WE ARE LEARNING IN THESE SESSIONS SO THAT WE ARE INFORMING THEM. THEY MAY HAVE QUESTIONS. SO THAT'S THE FIRST ONE, WHICH IS PROACTIVE. UH, SEARCH THE SEC. THE FIRST D IS FOR, AS WE SEARCH, WE SHOULD DISCOVER AND SHARE TRANSACTIONS, LEGISLATIONS, ET ET CETERA, WITH THE COMMITTEE. COMMITTEE SO THAT WE ARE CONSTANTLY LEARNING WHERE OPPORTUNITIES LIE. AND WE WANT TO BE THE PREEMINENT SCHOOL DISTRICT IN SOUTH CAROLINA AS OUR BOARD AND OUR CHAIR AND OTHERS ARE LEADING US TO, TO SORT OF TARGET. AND THAT SORT OF IMPLIES THAT WE NEED TO BRING IT BEST PRACTICES IN. AND SO THAT'S THE SECOND D IN THE FIRST D IN TERMS OF DISCOVER. THE NEXT ONE IS DISCUSS. WE REALLY WANT CANDID CONVERSATION. UH, WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT METHODOLOGIES. SO MORE PEOPLE HAVE MORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR INPUT, UH, WHERE WE RECOGNIZE INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE RAISING THEIR HANDS AND WE'RE MAKING SURE EVERYONE GETS A, A CHANCE TO SPEAK. WE WILL INTENTIONALLY LOOK TO HAVE EVERYONE SPEAK FIRST BEFORE RECOGNIZING A PERSON A SECOND TIME. AND WE WOULD ASK THAT WE NOT GO BACK AND FORTH THAT TYPE OF COMMUNICATION BECAUSE WE WANT AS MANY IDEAS PUT INTO THE POT, SO TO SPEAK AS POSSIBLE. CANDID CONVERSATION. THE LAST BULLET YOU SEE ON YOUR AGENDA THERE, UH, THAT'S A CLOVER. LISA, MAYBE IT'S NOT A BULLET. BUT THE LAST ONE IS WHERE IT SAYS EXECUTE WOULD LIKE FOR YOU TO CHANGE, EXECUTE TO DEVELOP NEXT STEPS COMPLIANT WITH BOARD GUIDE, WHICH MEANS SOME OF THE THINGS WE WILL REVIEW, WE'LL RECOMMEND SOME, WE WILL SEND BACK AND ASK FOR FURTHER WORK BE CONDUCTED. BUT WE WON'T ALWAYS MIGRATE AND PROGRESS TO WHERE WE ARE SAYING THIS HAS COME IN. HERE'S OUR DECISION OR RECOMMENDATION AS A COMMITTEE. SO LET ME STOP THERE. JUST SAY, UH, AND OPEN IT UP FOR CONVERSATIONS OR FEEDBACK. YOU, MR. GORDON. I'M GOOD, MS. GORDON. OKAY. I'M, I'M TAKING IT ALL IN. YEAH, NO PROBLEM. UM, THAT AS A COMMITTEE [00:05:01] AND THIS ACRONYM THAT YOU CAME UP WITH, UM, THIS IS WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR THE COMMITTEE TO DO? YES. OKAY. JUST REALLY A BEHAVIORAL PROTOCOL. YOU'RE TRYING TO ESTABLISH HOW WE'RE GOING TO DO IT, SO, SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE, WE, LET ME REPHRASE IT. WE WANTED AS MANY PEOPLE TO HAVE INPUT INTO OUR DECISIONS AS POSSIBLE. IT'S NORMALLY, UM, I THINK THAT MY FIRST YEAR ON THE LEGISLATIVE MM-HMM . IS A BLUR. . YEAH. I CAN, IT IT'S A BLUR. OKAY. I'LL BE HONEST. UM, AND I DO SEE THE, THE SHOTS THAT COME ON MY PHONE, YOU KNOW, FROM THE STATE. UH, BUT YOU'RE RIGHT, WE NEED TO, UH, REALLY LOOK AT THOSE, UM, LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS THAT ARE ABOUT EDUCATION, ESPECIALLY IN SOUTH CAROLINA AND HOW'S, HOW IT'S GONNA AFFECT US. UM, SO, OKAY. I, I'M, I'M, I THINK I'M GETTING WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT US DOING AND BRINGING BACK HERE AS A COMMITTEE SO THAT WE CAN GO FORWARD WITH IT AS OKAY. AS A COMMITTEE. ABSOLUTELY. WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS WITHIN THE 90 MINUTES THAT THE ADMINISTRATION SIDE OF, OF THE DISTRICT HAS SAID, WE WANT A PROTOCOL EXECUTIVE SUMMARY, THE DOCUMENT QUESTIONS SO THAT WE CAN, UH, DISCOVER AS, DISCUSS AS MANY POINTS AS POSSIBLE. BUT NOTHING HAS CHANGED IN TERMS OF, IN OUR, NOTHING HAS CHANGED IN TERMS OF US WANTING TO SPREAD THE NET WIDELY. AND SO THAT WE'RE NOT SURPRISED. WE GET EARLY WARNING FROM OUR MEMBERS AND THE BOARD AND THE ADMINISTRATION AS TO WHAT ARE KEY ISSUES THAT POTENTIALLY COULD AFFECT US, EITHER POSITIVELY OR NEGATIVE. JUST TRYING TO BE VERY METHODICAL ABOUT IT. DOES SOMEONE HAVE, UM, JUST TO LET YOU KNOW, THOSE WEEKLY OR MONTHLY UPDATES THAT YOU WERE GETTING MM-HMM . YOU WON'T BE GETTING THOSE ANY LONGER BECAUSE THE LOBBYIST WAS PROVIDING THOSE. SO THOSE WON'T BE COMING TO YOU ALL. YOU WON'T, YOU WON'T BE GETTING THOSE ANY LONGER. THANK YOU FOR SHARING THAT. IF, IF I MAY SPEAK TO THAT AS WELL. THE SCHOOL BOARD ASSOCIATION PUTS OUT, UM, INFORMATION THAT WE WANT TO SHARE WITH THE COMMITTEE AND THE BROADER BOARD AS WELL. UH, SO THEY HAVE SOME THINGS ABOUT THE NUMBER OF, UM, DEALS THAT ARE IN FRONT OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY THAT WERE PRE-FILED. AND WE NEED TO KNOW WHO PRE-FILED 'EM THAT'S STATED. WE NEED TO KNOW WHAT THE GENERAL TOPIC OF THE BILL IS. THAT TOO IS STATED. AND SO I'LL MAKE SURE WE SHARE THOSE. OKAY. ALRIGHT. AND SO WE CAN DISCUSS THEM AND WE CAN COME UP WITH WHAT DOES THIS GROUP FEEL, THIS COMMITTEE FIELD, AND THEN TAKE IT TO THE BOARD UNDER THE CHAIR'S JURISDICTION AND THE BOARD'S JURISDICTION, AND MAKE SURE WE COME TO SOME THE CURRENT OUTCOME ON IT. DOES THAT EVERYBODY COMFORTABLE? YEAH. UH, MS. BOATRIGHT? YES. MS. BOATRIGHT. MS. BOATRIGHT, ARE YOU OKAY WITH, WE'VE DISCUSSED SO FAR, MA'AM? SURE. OUTSTANDING. ANY OTHER COMMENTS, COLONEL? YEAH. I WANNA TALK ABOUT THE SYMPTOMS MM-HMM . THAT WE HAVE. FIRST SYMPTOM IS WHEN YOU LOOK AT DEVELOPMENT IN BLUFFTON, THE DEVELOPMENT IN BLUFFTON HAS BEEN GOING ON NOW FOR 30, 40 YEARS. WE WERE NOT A PART AND PARCEL OF THAT DEVELOPMENT. AND IT'S EVIDENT BY THE LOCATION OF THE SCHOOLS IN THE BLUFFTON AREA. WE HAVE THREE MIDDLE SCHOOLS, INCLUDING ONE K THROUGH EIGHT WITHIN A FIVE MILE RADIUS IN THE MIDDLE OF BLUFFTON. SO WE HAVE, IF YOU WOULD TAKE A LOOK AT THE BUS ROUTES THAT GO THROUGH BLUFFTON, YOU'LL SEE BUSES CROSSING ONE ANOTHER. AND WE HAVE CHILDREN THAT ARE NOT ATTENDING THE CLOSEST SCHOOL. THEY'RE ATTENDING A SCHOOL THAT HAD TO PICK THEM UP LATER ON AS THEY WERE BUILT SO THAT THE EXPANSION WAS NOT COORDINATED WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICT. THAT'S NUMBER ONE. NUMBER TWO, WE TRIED TO GET IMPACT FEES. IMPACT FEES ARE TRADITIONALLY PAID BY DEVELOPERS WHEN THEY COME IN AND DEVELOP A LARGE, UH, [00:10:04] STRUCTURE. A LARGE GROUP, YOU KNOW, SUBURBIAN GROUP FOR ROADS OR SEWAGE OR POWER OR TRAFFIC LIGHTS OR FIRE DEPARTMENT OR POLICE AND SCHOOLS. WELL, THE, AND SCHOOLS HAS NOT BEEN DONE HERE. SO THE DEVELOPERS HAVE NOT SPENT A DIME TO PROVIDE THE DISTRICT WITH THE MEANS TO BUILD SCHOOL. SO WHO HAS BUILT THOSE SCHOOLS? WELL, THE COUNTY AS A WHOLE HAS BUILT THOSE SCHOOLS. NOW, THEY PERDU THEY PRODUCE SOME OF IT IN THEIR, UH, VALOR, TAXES THAT THEY PAID, BUT THE REST OF US PAID THE MAJORITY OF IT, OR THEIR SCHOOLS IMPACT FEES. RISE RAISED THE COST OF A LOT, 5,000, $10,000. AND THAT PAYS FOR ALL THESE THINGS I TALKED ABOUT, BUT NOT SCHOOLS. SO RIGHT NOW WE ARE BUILDING HILTON HEAD HIGH SCHOOL. WE ARE BUILDING A NEW SCHOOL AT, UH, MAIN RIVER. WE ARE BUILDING AN ADDITION TO MAY RIVER. AND PEOPLE WHO DON'T, WON'T USE THOSE SCHOOLS, ARE PAYING FOR IT. THAT'S NOT FAIR. WHAT'S HAPPENED WAS THAT DEVELOPERS, THEY DIDN'T WANT THIS. THEY WANTED TO KEEP THE PRICE OF THE LOSS DOWN. I JUST TOLD THEIR LOCAL GROUPS, THE CITIES OF BEAUFORT, THE COUNTY, THAT BY KEEPING THE PRICE DOWN, WE HAVE BETTER GROWTH. WELL, FORT MILL, WHICH AS YOU KNOW, IS UP NORTH AND IS A SUBURB OF CHARLOTTE, HAD SCHOOL IMPACT FEES SINCE THEY BEGAN, AND THEIR GROWTH HAS NOT STOPPED AT ALL. AND THEIR SCHOOLS HAVE BEEN DEVELOPED IN A MORE EQUITABLE WAY. WE TRIED IN THE LAST SESSION TO GET THE IMPACT FEES DONE, AND THIS WAS TWO, FOUR YEARS AGO. AND WE HAD IT, AND THE COUNTY WAS, WAS CHARGING IMPACT FEES OR COUNTY DEVELOPMENT, BUT THE CITIES SAID, NO, WE DON'T THINK WE WANNA DO THAT, ESPECIALLY THE CITY OF BLUFFTON. SO WHAT HAPPENED WAS A DEVELOPER FROM THE COUNTY SUED THE COUNTY SAYING, WHY ARE WE PAYING IMPACT FEES WHEN THE CITIES, WHICH IS A STONE THROW AWAY, WAS NOT PAYING IMPACT FEES. WHEN IT CAME TO A DISCUSSION AT COUNTY COUNCIL, THE STATEMENT WAS MADE BY COUNTY COUNCIL. THE SCHOOL DISTRICT DOESN'T WANT IMPACT FEES ABSOLUTELY WRONG. I WAS NOT ABLE TO ATTEND THAT COUNCIL MEETING. I, I GAVE, I HAVE A WRITTEN DOCUMENT THAT I ASKED TO BE READ IN PUBLIC COMMENTS SAYING, WE WANT IMPACT FEES BECAUSE THAT REDUCES THE SIZE OF SUBSEQUENT REFERENDUMS THAT THE WHOLE COUNTY HAS TO PAY. I ASKED THE CHAIRMAN, PLEASE READ THAT DURING THIS DISCUSSION. IT WAS NOT READ. IT WAS NOT READ. HAD WE BEEN THERE AT THAT COUNTY COUNCIL MEETING AND, AND, AND I HAD A SCHEDULING CONFLICT, I COULDN'T GO. BUT HAD WE BEEN AT A, ON A RECURRING BASIS, BEEN AT THOSE COUNTY COUNCIL MEETINGS, WE COULD HAVE MADE THAT POINT, BUT WE DIDN'T. AND FOR TOO LONG, THE DISTRICT IS SERVED AS AN IS ISLAND AND, AND WE TAKE CARE OF OUR STUFF AND WE DON'T. WE, WE ACT TO THE COUNTY AND THE CITIES, AND WE'RE DOING IT TO THE DETRIMENT OF OUR CONSTITUENTS, OUR TAXPAYERS. THAT IS, THAT IS WHY [00:15:01] WE HAVE TO INCREASE OUR PRESENCE. WE HAVE TO LET, WE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY'RE DOING. AND OH, BY THE WAY, AND THE NEXT 10 YEARS, BURTON WILL BECOME THE NEW BLUFFTON. IT'S A MATTER OF TIME. AND NOW IS THE TIME TO GET INVOLVED AND SAY, WAIT A MINUTE, WE'RE GONNA NEED NEW SCHOOLS. HERE'S SOME PLACES WE CAN PUT 'EM SO THE KIDS CAN WALK TO THESE SCHOOLS. UH, THERE'S A, THE CITY OF BUFORT IS HAVING A STRATEGIC PLANNING MEETING NEXT, A WEEK AFTER NEXT. I PLAN TO BE THERE. I'M, I'M NOT GONNA PRODUCE ANYTHING. I'M JUST GONNA LISTEN. AND I MIGHT SAY, WHAT ABOUT SCHOOLS? THAT'S WHY WE, WE HAVE TO HAVE A PRESENCE OR WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA FIND OURSELVES BACK ON THIS ISLAND. AND RESPONDING TO THE GROWTH. UH, THE OTHER WAY YOU FIND OUT THINGS NOT ONLY BY GOING TO CITY COUNCIL AND COUNTY COUNCIL MEETINGS, AND FOR EXAMPLE, WE WENT TO A, WE WENT TO A JOINT CITY COUNCIL OF FORT ROYAL AND BUFORD, AND THEY HAD A JOINT MEETING. AND, AND I SHOWED UP AND I LEARNED SOME THINGS ABOUT HOUSING THAT I DIDN'T KNOW. I LEARNED SOME THINGS ABOUT, UH, A NEW INDUSTRY COMING IN ON TRUST PARKWAY THAT DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT. AND SO I TOOK THAT AWAY AND I GAVE THE SUPERINTENDENT SUPERINTENDENTS REACHING OUT TO THE PEOPLE THAT, TO, TO WORK ON THOSE. BUT IF NOBODY HAD BEEN THERE, NOBODY WOULD'VE HEARD IT WASN'T IN THE PAPER. THE OTHER THING THAT WERE, WHERE YOU HEAR ABOUT PROJECTS ARE IN THESE SERVICE CLUBS, ROTARY CLUBS, THE KIWANIS CLUBS, TOWNSHIP COUNCILS AND SO ON. WE SHOULD HAVE A BOARD MEMBER IN EVERY ONE OF THOSE BECAUSE WE MAKE CONNECTIONS. I WOULD AND ABSOLUTELY FLABBERGASTED AND THE LACK OF, OF KNOWLEDGE, ESPECIALLY IN THE PEOPLE WHO COME HERE, THEY DO NOT KNOW WHAT WE HAVE IN OUR SCHOOLS. AND IF YOU ASK THEM, THEY WILL SAY, WELL, THAT OLD SOUTHERN SCHOOLHOUSE, YEAH, IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT HIGH TECH OR ANYTHING. I'M, I'M FROM NEW YORK. I'M FROM UP NORTH. WE HAVE ALL THIS STUFF. I HAVE TAKEN PEOPLE INTO OUR SCHOOLS AND SHOWN THEM. SO JUST COME LOOK AT WHAT WE'VE GOT. THEY ARE ABSOLUTELY GOBSMACKED TO SEE WHAT WE HAVE. AND, AND WE, WE, WE NEED TO DO THAT. WE, WE NEED TO EDUCATE OUR FOLKS. AND SO I, I'M LOOKING AT COMMUNITY. I'M LOOKING AT LOCAL GOVERNMENT. I'LL, I'LL BE HONEST TO GOD WITH YOU, AS FAR AS STATE GOVERNMENT IS CONCERNED, UH, YOU KNOW, WE SAY THAT WE HAVE A LOT OF POWER BECAUSE WE HAVE EDUCATION CHAIRS AND EVERYTHING. AND THE, BUT WE ARE A SMALL, WE ARE A SMALL COUNTY. WE ARE THE SECOND RICHEST COUNTY AND THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA CHARLESTON'S NUMBER ONE, WE'RE NUMBER TWO. THERE ARE 70 SOME OTHER DISTRICTS, THEY ARE NOT RICH. THERE'S SOME MEDIUM ONES THEY FOCUS ON. THEY'RE REPRESENTATIVE BY MORE COUNCILMEN AND SENATORS THAN WE ARE. THEY HAVE MORE POLITICAL POWER THAN WE DO. SO WORKING AT THE STATE LEVEL, WE HAVE TO WORK AT A DIFFERENT KIND OF, UH, STRATEGY. AND [00:20:01] IT SEEMS TO ME THAT WE HAVE HIRED A LOBBYIST. AND THAT LOBBYIST WAS NOTHING MORE THAN A PERSON WHO SENT US MEETING REPORTS AND SO ON. THAT PERSON DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT A BILL TO CONSOLIDATE JASPER COLTON AND BEAUFORT COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICTS, WHICH WOULD'VE BEEN A DISASTER FOR US. 'CAUSE WE, WE, THE RICH FOLKS WOULD'VE HAD TO HAVE EQUAL AMOUNTS OF EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES, UH, FACILITIES, INFRASTRUCTURE. AND SO WHO WOULD BE PAYING FOR THAT? IT WOULD BE HILTON HEAD AND SO ON. THAT, THAT'S SOMETHING IF YOU'RE GONNA CONSOLIDATE POOR COUNTIES, YOU CONSOLIDATE ALL POOR COUNTIES. YOU DON'T CONSOLIDATE ONE RICH COUNTY AND A FEW SMALL COUNTIES TO HAVE THAT RICH COUNTY SUBSIDIZE IT. THAT'S JUST NOT THE WAY IT WORKS. THAT BOTHERED ME. AND I THOUGHT, WHO DO WE HAVE AS A CONSULTANT, AS A LOBBYIST, TO GO IN AND TELL PEOPLE THE TRUTH, THE POLITICAL TRUTH. HAVE THE GRAVITAS TO GO IN TO THE, NOT JUST TO THE COUNTERPARTS, BUT FOR THE MAIN BUREAUCRATS, THE PEOPLE THAT REALLY DONE ALL THE WORK AND SAY, WHAT ABOUT BEAUFORT? WHAT DO YOU, WHAT ARE YOU DOING FOR BEAUFORT? IT TAKES THE TYPE OF PERSON THAT TAKES IT, TAKES A RETIRED, UH, POLITICIAN AND TAKES A NIKKI HAGER, THAT'S A LOBBYIST. BUT WHO WE HAD WAS NOT A LOBBYIST. SHE WAS A CLERK. SHE GATHERED INFORMATION, BUT SHE HAD NO WAY TO GO IN AND TRY TO CONVINCE IF, IF BARBARA NIELSEN WOULD STILL BE ALIVE. BARBARA NIELSEN WOULD BE A FANTASTIC LOBBYIST. BUT UNFORTUNATELY SHE PASSED. SO HOW DO YOU GET A GOOD LOBBYIST? WELL, WE PAID $40,000 A YEAR FOR A CLERK AND WE GOT ALL THE THINGS. DID I READ 'EM? NO, I DID NOT. I DIDN'T READ ONE OF THEM. I, SO-AND-SO WAS HAVING A MEETING. OKAY, I DON'T HAVE TIME TO GO TO A MEETING. IF WE WERE TO GO, WE HAVE THREE COUNTIES THAT HAVE THE RICH COUNTIES, HORRY COUNTY AND MYRTLE BEACH, CHARLESTON COUNTY AND BEAUFORT COUNTY. THREE RICH COUNTIES, THREE COUNTIES ON THE COAST, WHICH HAVE, HAVE THE SAME KIND OF ISSUES THAT WE DO FOR HURRICANES AND, AND YOU KNOW, SALT AIR AND ALL THAT THAT'S ENTAILS. PLUS ALL THREE COUNTIES ARE WIDELY DEMOGRAPHIC, WIDE DEMOGRAPHIC AND RICH FOLKS. WE GOT POOR FOLKS. LOOK AT THE OTHER DISTRICTS. THEY'RE ALL POOR FOLKS. THEY'RE ALL POOR FOLKS. OR THEY GOT MANUFACTURING UP IN GREENSVILLE, UH, GREENVILLE, GREENSVILLE AND SPARTANBURG AND SO ON. AND SO THEY'RE MIDDLE, MIDDLE CLASS FOLKS. WE'VE GOT A BIGGER CHALLENGE BECAUSE WE GOT RURAL POVERTY AND WE GOT MIDDLE CLASS PEOPLE THAT SUPPORT THE RICH FOLKS THAT COME IN TO LIVE ON THE COAST. BUT THE THREE OF US, IF WE COULD COME TOGETHER, POOL OUR RESOURCES AND GET SOMEBODY WHO WAS GONNA LOOK OUT FOR US IN THE LEGISLATURE, WE'D MAKE SOME MONEY. BUT WHAT WE HAVE NOW, IT DOESN'T. SO THERE'S, THERE'S THREE PHASES REALLY. HERE. THERE'S, THERE'S THE COMMUNITY OUTREACH, THERE'S THE LOCAL LEGISLATIVE BODIES, THAT'S COUNTY COUNCIL, AND THERE'S THE STATE THAT'S THREE DISTINCTLY DIFFERENT THINGS THAT WE HAD. AND THE LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE LOCAL FOLKS, THAT'S STILL VOTES, [00:25:01] THAT'S GRASSROOTS VOTES. THAT'S THE PEOPLE, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT COMMUNITY PART. THEY'RE THE PEOPLE THAT PUT OUT THE SIGN SAYING, VOTE FOR THE REFERENDUM. 'CAUSE WE COULDN'T PUT IT OUT. COUNTY COUNCIL DIDN'T PUT IT OUT. THAT COMMUNITY PUT THOSE OUT FOR US, AND THAT MADE A DIFFERENCE. SO THOSE ARE THE THREE THINGS THAT THIS LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE NEEDS TO PUT THEIR ARMS ON. IT'S A MUCH BIGGER THING THAN JUST WORRYING ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON IN COLUMBIA MUCH BIGGER. AND SO WE HAVE TO INCENTIVIZE IT. AND THAT'S, THAT'S WHY WE PASSED IT, THAT, UH, FOLKS GET A COPY OF THE PAPER SO THAT EVERY EVERY BOARD, UH, MEMBER CAN READ THE LOCAL PAPER, READ THE LOCAL OP-ED THINGS. THAT'S WHY WE GIVE YOU A STIPEND TO GO TO COUNTY COUNCIL, A CITY COUNCIL MEETING AND REPORT BACK WHAT'S GOING ON. AND THEN WE HAVE TO LOOK AT BUILDING A PARTNERSHIP. AND IT WAS ALREADY STARTED. WE HAD A GREAT MEETING WITH CHARLESTON. WE, WE SHOULD BE IN BED WITH CHARLESTON. WE SHOULD BE IN BED WITH, OR ORRY COUNTY, BECAUSE THEIR PROBLEMS ARE OUR PROBLEMS. THEY GOT A LITTLE EXTRA PROBLEMS . BUT HORRY COUNTY'S GOTTEN PARTISAN PROBLEMS. I DIDN'T REALIZE THAT THEY HAD PARTISAN, UH, ELECTIONS. BUT THE PROBLEMS ARE THE SAME. THE ISSUES ARE THE SAME. AND, AND THEY'RE DOING SOME THINGS. THEY HAVE A CHARLESTON, FOR EXAMPLE, HAS A LOT OF CHARTER SCHOOLS, AND YET THEY'RE, THEY'RE DOING WELL WITH THEM. WE'RE GETTING A BUNCH OF CHARTER SCHOOLS AND MAYBE WE KNOW WE COULD LEARN SOMETHING OR HOW THEY INTERACT WITH THESE CHARTER SCHOOLS. SO THAT, THAT'S KIND OF WHAT I, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT IS WHAT WE COULD DO TO MAKE THE LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE. THAT'S WHY IT'S BIGGER THAN IT WAS BEFORE. AND HOPEFULLY YOU'VE GOT THE FOCUS WIDER THAN IT WAS BEFORE. AND WE, WE COULD REALLY MAKE SOME MONEY IF WE CAN GET THIS THING GOING AND GET A LOT OF FOLKS WORKING ON THINGS. SO THAT'S KIND OF A, MY SOAPBOX ON IT. BUT, UH, WHAT DO YOU, WHAT DO YOU THINK, WHAT DO YOU THINK, CHLOE? I'M THINKING ABOUT THE MONEY . I'M, I'M THINKING ABOUT, UM, HOW WE CAN MAKE MONEY, UH, HOW WE CAN GET WHAT CHARLESTON AND ORIE COUNTY'S ONE MORE. RIGHT. UM, CHARLES NOR CHARLESTON. CHARLESTON NOR COUNTY, UM, AND, YOU KNOW, HAD THIS CONVERSATION, HAVE OUR DUCKS IN THE ROOM WHEN WE TALKED TO THEM. UM, BUT YOU KNOW, I REMEMBER, I THINK ROBIN DOES TOO. UM, THE SCHOOL BOARD DID HAVE A, A SAY SO ABOUT WHERE THESE SCHOOLS WENT BECAUSE WHEN, UH, THE SUPERINTENDENT WENT OUT, HE WENT OUT WITH THE BLESSING OF BOARD MEMBERS. AND I REMEMBER GOING OUT WITH THEM TO PICK THE SCHOOLS AND THE, THE PROPERTY IN, UH, LUTON. UH, AND, YOU KNOW, HE WAS SAYING, WE BUILD IT, THEY'LL COME, YOU KNOW, BASICALLY. AND SO HE, HE WAS OUT THERE WITH A REALTOR AND, AND, AND SOME BOARD MEMBERS AND MYSELF, AND LOOKING AT THE PROPERTIES AND, AND, AND WHERE TO BUILD IT. SO, UM, AND OF COURSE OTHER PROPERTIES, YOU KNOW, AS WELL, BECAUSE BACK THEN WE, WE DIDN'T HAVE, UM, BLUFFTON HIGH SCHOOL AND, AND ALL, AND ALL THESE SCHOOLS. BUT ONCE, ONCE HE DID BUILD, HE, HE WAS RIGHT. THE DEVELOPERS CAME AND I REMEMBER A CONVERSATION THAT THEY WERE HAVING ABOUT IMPACT FEES BACK THEN. AND TRYING TO GET, UM, DEVELOPERS TO SAY, OKAY, WE WILL PAY A SUCH PERCENTAGE OF MONEY TO BUILD, YOU KNOW, A SCHOOL IN THIS AREA. 'CAUSE WE'RE BUILDING THE HOUSES. THE PEOPLE ARE COMING. KIDS NEED TO BE EDUCATED. AND THE TAKE AT THAT TIME WAS, WELL, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE DOING THAT IN VIRGINIA, MARYLAND, YOU KNOW, THE DEVELOPER COMES IN AND YOU KNOW THIS, THEY HAVE TO PAY IMPACT FEES. UM, SO NOW HERE WE ARE, 30 YEARS LATER. 30 YEARS LATER, AND THE DEVELOPERS ARE [00:30:01] NOT PAYING IMPACT CARDS. AND NOW TO ME, I'M NOT SAYING IT'S CRIMINAL, BUT IT IS, IT, IT HURTS. IT HURTS BECAUSE THESE NEIGHBORHOODS ARE COMING UP AND THEY'RE PAYING, YOU KNOW, TWO, THREE, $400,000 TO LIVE IN THESE NEIGHBORHOODS. BUT YET WE'RE BUILDING THE SCHOOLS AND WE'RE TAXING THE PEOPLE. AND THE DEVELOPER COMES IN AND THEY GET THEIR MONEY AND THEY GO. UM, THAT'S THE OTHER THING. I I, I LIKE THAT CONVERSATION, BUT I THINK IT SHOULD BE MORE THAN THE CONVERSATION NEEDS TO BE DONE. AND, AND THEY NEED TO KNOW THAT WE ARE, THAT WE MEAN BUSINESS. AND, UH, WE NEED TO LET OUR COUNTY COUNCIL, CITY COUNCIL KNOW THAT WHEN THEY COME IN TO GET PERMITS, THAT ALONG WITH THEIR PERMIT, IS THAT IMPACT FEE AND LOCATION OF SCHOOLS. AND THAT'S THE COST OF, AND THEY CAN AFFORD IT GUYS, THEY CAN AFFORD THIS. WE ARE PAYING, YOU KNOW, 30 MILLION, 40 MILLION, 60, A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS FOR SCHOOL. AND THEY HAVEN'T GIVEN US A PENNY, UH, TO DO THAT. AND, AND, UH, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT MAY RIVER. AND, UH, I THINK LOOKING AT HOW WE'RE GONNA DO THE ROADS AND WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN, AND THAT SHOULDN'T BE ON US. NOT ENTIRELY, YOU KNOW, BUT WE SHOULD HAVE SOME HELP IN MAKING THOSE DECISIONS. SO I, YOU KNOW, I AGREE. AND WHEN LEG LEGISLATION COME IN AND WE'RE LOOKING AT THE THINGS THAT THEY'VE COME, THEY'VE TALKED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, UH, NO BLACK HISTORY IN THE SCHOOLS. AND I'VE, I'VE SEEN THAT BOOK COME ACROSS, YOU KNOW, BUT AS A BOARD, AND WE'RE BUILDING SCHOOLS AND WE'RE ASKING THE TAX TAXPAYERS TO PASS THE SO WE CAN DO THAT. BUT THE BUILDER OR DEVELOPERS OF THOSE HOMES GET AWAY SCOT FREE. SO I, I THINK THAT'S A, A VERY, UH, SALIENT POINT AND, UH, THAT WE NEED TO, TO, TO LOOK AT. BUT THIS TIME WE NEED TO DO ACTION. UH, IT'S BEEN, I KNOW IT'S BEEN 30 YEARS SINCE WE LOOKED AT IT. UM, UH, ONE FORMER, A SUPERINTENDENT AND, UH, GET FRUSTRATED WHEN YOU CAN'T GET PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND THAT, UH, YOU'RE NOT, YOU'RE NOT GETTING THE MONEY FROM THEIR HOMES, BUT DEVELOPERS GOTTA PAY 'CAUSE THEY'VE ALREADY OVERCHARGED YOU FOR A HOUSE. RIGHT? UH, SOME OF IT SHOULD COME TO BUILDINGS. OKAY. UM, GO AHEAD. WHAT, WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS? YEAH, UM, YOU KNOW, THE PROPERTY THAT I LIVE ON NOW IS MY FAMILY PROPERTY. BEEN THERE FOR YEARS, YOU KNOW, A HUNDRED YEARS OR SO. AND WHEN THEY STARTED, EVERYBODY PAY IMPACT FEES. SO WHEN THEY STARTED, UM, FAMILY MEMBERS STARTED COMING HOME AND, AND, AND COMING ON THE HOUSE SPOT, AT FIRST THEY SAY, OH, IF YOU'RE CONNECTED TO IT, OR THOSE THAT ARE ALREADY THERE, YOUR GRANDFATHER DIDN'T GONNA HAVE TO PAY IMPACT. BUT THAT HAS CHANGED. SO FAMILY MEMBERS THAT COME HOME NOW AND THEY WANNA PUT A HOUSE OR A MOBILE HOME, THEY PAY IMPACT FEES. YOU KNOW, IT USED TO BE, I THINK $1,200. AND NOW IT SEEMS LIKE IT DEPENDS ON THE SIZE OF, UM, THE LOT YOU'RE GONNA GET, BASICALLY THE IMPACT FEE. BUT NO, EVERYBODY PAYS IT. IT'S 2000 SOME DOLLARS. COLONEL, COLONEL, COLONEL, WAIT A MINUTE. LET ME, UH, WE GOT SOMEBODY ONLINE. PLEASE. LET ME, LET ME, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO. OKAY. GET WHOEVER'S ON. JUST YOU, YOU RAISE YOUR HANDS ON LINE. I THOUGHT YOU RAISED SOME. OKAY, GO AHEAD, CARL. THOSE IMPACT FEES DON'T INCLUDE SCHOOL FEES. MM, SURE. DON'T. WOW. THEY ARE NOT IN, NOT INCLUDED. THE COUNTY TOOK 'EM OUT 'CAUSE THE CITIES SUED THEM, OR THE COUNTY, ACTUALLY, THE COUNTY DEVELOPERS SUED THE CITIES BECAUSE THE CITIES WEREN'T COLLECTING THEM. AND SO THEY HAD AN UNFAIR ADVANTAGE. SO THOSE PEOPLE THAT COME IN ARE NOT, ARE PAYING IMPACT FEES, BUT NOT SCHOOLS, SCHOOLS. MY SCHOOLS ARE NOT INCLUDED IN THOSE IMPACT FEES. SO IF I UNDERSTAND THE CONVERSATION, RIGHT, SO WHO STANDS IN BETWEEN? YOU HAVE TO HAVE A STUDY, WHICH WE DID. WE PAID FOR A STUDY THAT SAID THIS IS HOW MUCH A PROPERTY OWNER SHOULD HAVE TO PAY IN IMPACT FEES FOR SCHOOLS AND HOW MUCH FOR FIRE OR HOW MUCH FOR POLICE AND SO ON. AND IT WAS ACCEPTED. AND IT WAS ACCEPTED BY THE COUNTY. IT WAS NOT ACCEPTED BY THE CITIES, AND IT WAS A BUREAUCRATIC BACK AND FORTH. AND THE COUNTY DIDN'T PRESS IT HARD ENOUGH. AND THE, AND THE SCHOOL DISTRICT DIDN'T PRESS IT HARD ENOUGH. MM-HMM. AND THE PUBLIC DIDN'T PRESS IT HARD ENOUGH. [00:35:01] AND, AND IT DIED. AND SO THE, THE SCHOOL PARTS OF THE IMPACT FEES WERE DROPPED OFF, THE REST OF THE IMPACT FEES, FIRE AND SO ON, AND ROADS THAT STAYED IN THERE. BUT THAT'S WHY THAT JUST INDICATES TO US OUR LACK OF POLITICAL POWER, OUR LACK OF POLITICAL INFLUENCE, BECAUSE WE WEREN'T THERE TELLING THE PUBLIC AND THE PRESS WHAT WAS GOING ON. COLONEL, LET ME INTERJECT SOMETHING. HEY, COME ON IN. LET ME INTERJECT SOMETHING. WELCOME, MS. UH, HARLEY. THANK YOU. I JUST CAME FROM . NOT PROBLEM. NOT A PROBLEM. SO THE COLONEL AND I HAD A BRIEFING YESTERDAY AND I UPDATED HIM ON WHAT WE ARE GOING TO COVER TODAY. OKAY. AND WHAT HE'S SHARING NOW IS WHAT I'VE ALREADY AGREED TO. SO THIS IS A CONVERSATION TO ACTUALLY, AS I LEAD IN SAYING WE WANT A MUCH MORE ASSERTIVE LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE. PERSONALLY, WE WERE SURPRISED TOO MANY TIMES IN TWO YEARS I'VE BEEN ON, AND THAT YOU'LL NOTICE THE LAST MEETING THAT YOU HAVE IS FROM DECEMBER 5TH, 2023. SO THAT RIGHT THERE INDICATES THE LETHARGY THAT THAT COMMITTEE HAD, THIS COMMITTEE IS NOT GOING TO BE THAT WAY. IS THAT FAIR ENOUGH? YEAH. MM-HMM . SO HE AND I ARE CAUGHT CALIBRATED. SO WHEN YOU HEAR ME TALKING ABOUT WITH WHAT S3 D, RIGHT? SO THAT'S WHERE WE HAVE TO GO OUT. AND AS HE'S JUST GIVING US INFORMATION AS TO WHAT THE ISSUES ARE, WE THEN COME BACK AND WE GOTTA MAKE SURE WE ARE DEVELOPING A BI BIDIRECTIONAL COMMUNICATION IS COMING INTO US. WE CALIBRATE THE CURRENT, THE BOARD, AND THEN WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE WE ARE DEVELOPING STRATEGIES AND ACTION PLANS. IT'S NOT DISCUSSION. RIGHT. WE ARE NOT, I'M NOT DISCUSSION ORIENTED ACTIONS AND OUTCOMES. SO JUST WANNA TEE THAT UP. THAT'S HOW WE'RE LOOKING TO MOVE THINGS FORWARD. BECAUSE TO HIS POINT, WE GOT, WHAT, ALMOST 3,200 EMPLOYEES, 1800 TEACHER. AND EVERY ONE OF US, OUR DISTRICT COVERS THE, WHEN YOU PUT ALL 11 DISTRICTS TOGETHER, THEY COVER THE ENTIRE COUNTY. SO WHILE ARE WE SO IMPOTENT WHEN IT COMES TO POLITICAL ISSUES, THAT'S THE REALITY. AND THEN WE GET UPSET BECAUSE WE DON'T GET IMPACT FEES THAT'S BEEN GOING ON. RIGHT? BUT THIS IS THE TYPE OF THING, COLONEL POWER AND I HAVE AGREED, WE, THIS COMMITTEE HAS TO FOCUS ON DEVELOPING PLANS, SEARCH, DISCOVER, RIGHT? AND, UM, DISCUSS AND THEN DEVELOP NEXT STEP. SO WE APPRECIATE THE ENGAGEMENT, BUT AS TO HIS POINT, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THOSE THINGS THAT COME OUT, THEY WERE COMING OUT SO FREQUENTLY YOU CAN'T KEEP UP WITH. BUT WE ARE GOING TO DISTILL THOSE THINGS FOR THE ONES, THE LEGISLATIVE ITEMS THAT AFFECT THE SCHOOL DISTRICT. AND THEN WE ARE GONNA MOBILIZE AND SAY TO HIS POINTER, HE'S ALREADY TEED UP AND HE'S MENTIONED IT IN A BOARD MEETING, WHO'S JOINING WHAT MEMBERSHIP? WHO'S OBTAINING MEMBERSHIP IN ALL THESE COMMITTEES? THAT'S AN INFLUENTIAL, I GET ELECTED OFFICIALS AND ALL OF YOU DO CALLING YOU SAYING, WHAT DO YOU THINK? THAT'S BECAUSE YOU SHOW UP AND YOU EXPRESS AN OPINION. SO JUST WANNA MAKE SURE I'M REITERATING AND REINFORCING WHAT COLONEL GUY IS SAYING. THAT'S THE, THAT'S THE METHODOLOGY AND THE PERSONA WE WANT THIS LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE TO HAVE GOING FORWARD. IS THAT ACCURATE? AND I'D LIKE TO ADD SOMETHING. WE ARE IN COMPETITION FOR EDUCATION. WE ARE IN COMPETITION CHARTER SCHOOLS AND PRIVATE SCHOOLS. WE HAVE A LEGISLATIVE ISSUE. THE LEGISLATIVE ISSUE IS THAT THESE PRIVATE SCHOOLS THAT ARE MAYBE GETTING STATE MONEY VOUCHERS DO NOT TAKE THE SAME TESTS THAT OUR SCHOOLS TAKE. AND THAT HAS AN EFFECT ON COMPETITION BECAUSE WHEN SOMEBODY MOVES INTO THE COMMUNITY, WHO'S GOT THE BEST SCHOOLS? BUT YOU DON'T WANNA GO TO LADIES ISLAND MIDDLE SCHOOL BECAUSE THEIR TEST SCORES ARE DOWN. MM. BUT BE BEAUFORT ACADEMY. OH, THAT'S, THAT'S A PRIVATE SCHOOL. AND, AND, AND AND THEY'RE MUCH BETTER. NO, THEY'RE NOT. LADIES ISLAND MIDDLE SCHOOL [00:40:01] KICKS BEFORD ACADEMY SCHOOL OUT THE DOOR AND ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT. BUT THEY'RE NOT TESTED. SO YOU CAN'T I KNOW THAT BECAUSE MY KIDS WENT TO THOSE SCHOOLS. I KNOW THAT. I KNOW THAT OUR, OUR KIDS GO TO BETTER SCHOOLS THAN BEAUFORT ACADEMY'S. KIDS GO TO, THEY GO TO BETTER SCHOOLS THAN TRINITY SCHOOL KIDS GO TO. THAT'S PARTLY OUR PROBLEM. AND NOT WHEN YOU'RE LOSING MARKET SHARE, WE ARE LOSING MARKET SHARE IN STUDENTS. DR. RODRIGUEZ TOLD ME WE LOST 400 STUDENTS THIS YEAR. 400 STUDENTS. THEY WENT TO A PRIVATE OR SOME, AND I'M SAYING, WE GOTTA UP OUR MARKETING UP OUR LEGISLATIVE THING, GET, GET US ON IT, COMPETING ON A LEVEL PLAYING FIELD. AND WE NEED TO PUT OUT LIKE THIS DOCUMENT PUT OUT. THIS IS WHERE OUR KIDS GO TO COLLEGE. AND NONE OF THE PRIVATE SCHOOLS CAN MATCH THAT. NONE OF THEM CAN, NONE OF THEM CAN MATCH THE PROGRAMS THAT WE HAVE. BUT WE, WE DON'T TELL ANYBODY. THIS SHOULD BE IN EVERY REAL ESTATE OFFICE. IT SHOULD BE A, IT SHOULD BE SOMETHING THAT'S TALKED ABOUT IN THE COMMUNITY. YOU, YOU MOVE IN. WHAT, WHAT ARE YOU GONNA SEND YOUR KIDS? OH, SEND 'EM TO BEFORD ACADEMY. UH, SEND, SEND 'EM BEFORD HIGH SCHOOL. CAN I INTERACT THERE? CONCURRENCE TO SUPPORT SOMETHING YOU SAID, ONE OF THE THINGS WE'VE DONE IN THE TWO YEARS, WE'VE ARRANGED MEETINGS WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICT PERSONNEL, THE SUPERINTENDENT OPERATIONS, UM, UH, STRATUS, DR. STRATUS. AND FOR EXAMPLE, ON HILTON HEAD, WE ACTUALLY ARRANGED A MEETING WITH THE HILTON HEAD, BLUFFTON REALTORS ASSOCIATION. WE BROUGHT, UM, THOSE, THOSE COMMUNITY REPORTS. WE DISTRIBUTED 50 OF THEM AT THE MEETING ITSELF. REALTORS, LEADERS IN THE, IN THE AREA. AND THEN THEY ASK FOR 50 MORE SO THAT WHEN THEY PEOPLE COME IN TO THE COLONEL'S POINT, WE ACTUALLY ARE GIVING THOSE OUT. NOW WE'VE GONE BACK AND WE'VE ASKED FOR 300 MORE. WE WENT TO A MLK EVENT AT HILTON HEAD, AND WE'VE TRIED TO GO TO ONE IN BLOCKMAN AT HILTON HEAD. WE GAVE AWAY ANOTHER 55. AND YOU HAVE TO BE WILLING TO BE A MARKETER AND A SALESPERSON. AND SO I STOOD AT THE INTEREST DOOR, THEY GAVE 'EM A LITTLE TABLE, STOOD AT INTEREST DOOR, HAD A, UH, OUR COMMUNITY REPORT. AND I HANDED THEM OUT. IT'S HARD FOR A PERSON WHO KNOW YOU OR SEE YOU IN A POSITION OF AUTHORITY TO SAY NO TO YOU ON THE SPOT. MM-HMM . THAT'S THE PSYCHOLOGY OF SELLER. SO YOU WANNA MAKE IT TOUGH FOR THEM TO SAY, NO, I DON'T, SOME PEOPLE WON'T DO IT, DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT. RIGHT. BUT THAT MEANS WE GOT 50 OF THOSE BROCHURES SEATED INTO THE MARKET, AND NOW WE JUST CONTINUOUSLY WORK TO SCHEDULE. SO WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IS, IS HAPPENING. AND WE WANT THIS GROUP TO BE VERY COMFORTABLE CONTINUING TO DO THAT IN ADDITION TO THE THINGS THAT THE COLONEL IS, IS REFERRING TO. SO DON'T, DON'T, YOU KNOW, CERTAIN POSITIONS, BOY, YOU HAVE A WIDE, WIDE, WIDE NET TO CAPTURE. BUT IT'S A GOOD STORY. PEOPLE DON'T KNOW IT. HE'S ABSOLUTELY A THOUSAND PERCENT CORRECT. PEOPLE DON'T KNOW IT. SO JUST WANNA SUPPORT WHAT YOU'RE SAYING. WHAT I DID BEFORE THE LAST SUIT REFERENDUM, WE HAD A SERIES OF TOWN COUNCIL, OR CITY, CITY HALLS, TOWN HALLS ABOUT THE LAST REFERENDUM MM-HMM . AND I WOULD SEE PEOPLE THAT WERE SKEPTICAL ABOUT WHY WERE WE SPENDING SO MUCH MONEY? WHAT DID WE NEED THAT MONEY FOR? WHY DID YOU DO THIS? AND I SAID, COME WITH ME. AND I TOOK THEM DOWN TO OUR SCHOOLS AND I SHOWED THEM WHAT WE'VE GOT. I HAD A WOMAN THAT SAID, YOU SHOULDN'T GET ANOTHER DIME BECAUSE YOU BUILT THIS BEAUTIFUL BRICK WALL ALL AROUND, UH, BEAUFORT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. WHY DID YOU BUILD, YOU COULD HAVE BUILT A CHAIN LINK FENCE. SAID, COME WITH ME. SEE THAT NEIGHBORHOOD OVER THERE? MM-HMM . THAT'S A SHOOTING GALLERY. SEE THESE BRICK WALLS? THAT STOPS BULLETS. THAT'S WHY THAT'S THERE. YEAH. AND LET ME SHOW YOU THE INSIDE AND LET ME TALK. HAVE YOU TALKED TO TEACHERS THAT NOW FEEL SAFE LEAVING EVERY EVENING? YOU SEE, THEY DON'T, THEY, THEY SEE THESE THINGS AND THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND. THEY SAY, WELL, WHY ARE YOU BUYING NEW FURNITURE? YOU, YOU'RE [00:45:01] BUILDING THESE NEW PLACES AND YOU PUT NEW FURNITURE. LET ME SHOW YOU THE FURNITURE. RIGHT. LET ME SHOW YOU THE OLD FURNITURE. AND ONCE YOU SHOW THEM THAT LIGHT BULBS GO ON. RIGHT. BUT THAT'S A SALES JOB THAT WE HAVE TO DO. AND SO IS IT LEGISLATIVE? YES. 'CAUSE NOW THAT LADY VOTED FOR OUR GIRLFRIEND. RIGHT? RIGHT. AND THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO. OUR OUR SCHOOLS ARE, WE HAVE SUCH A GREAT STORY TO TELL. AND, AND WE, WE, WE JUST DON'T DO IT. AND IT'S REALLY THE BOARD. IT'S NOT, YOU KNOW, DR. RODRIGUEZ DOES A GREAT JOB. HE'S, HE'S FANTASTIC. BUT ACTUALLY WE HAVE MORE, UM, INFLUENCE IN OUR COMMUNITIES, IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD. AND DR. RODRIGUEZ DOES, BUT ONLY IF WE'RE OUT THERE, AND THAT'S WHY WE'VE LOOKED AT IT BIGGER OR ENERGIZED. GET OUT AND PREPARE OURSELVES FOR THE FUTURE. 'CAUSE THE FUTURE'S COMING. AND IF WE SIT BACK, IT'S GONNA OVERWHELM US. LEFT IS ABOUT BUILT OUT. MEANING THERE, THERE'S SOME MORE THAT CAN BE BUILT THROUGH, BUT IT'S SQUEEZING IT IN. YOU GO TO BURTON, UM, BROAD RIVER, ALL THE WAY UP TO THE WHALE BRANCH THERE. THERE'S A, THERE'S A SLOT OF THE AIR STATION THAT GOES IN AND OUT ABOUT A MILE WIDE. BUT ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THAT, YOU'RE HIGH GROUND. YOU'VE GOT JASPER WATER AND SEWERS IN THERE. MM-HMM . AND THAT'S GOING TO GROW. AND IF WE'RE NOT AHEAD OF IT, WE'RE GONNA BE CHASING IT. GOOD POINT. EVERYBODY. MS. BOATRIGHT, ANY, UH, COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS, MA'AM? OKAY. THEN I'LL MOVE ON TO THE NEXT AREA, WHICH YOU HAVE. COLONEL HAS TEED UP. YES, SIR. CAN I SAY SOMETHING? OH, I KNOW WE HAD TALKED ABOUT IT BEFORE ABOUT, UM, HORRY COUNTY. CHARLESTON AND, AND US TEAMING UP AS, UM, UM, THE, THE, UM HUH. GETTING A LOBBYIST. YES. GETTING A LOBBYIST. WE TALKED ABOUT IT EARLIER. SO WHERE, WHERE, WHERE DO WE START AT WITH THAT? WE'VE ALREADY STARTED. OKAY. WE HAD A MEETING TODAY, WHICH I FACILITATED AND PULLED TOGETHER. HOW MANY PEOPLE WERE THERE? COLONEL? MAYBE EIGHT, EIGHT OR NINE TOP PLUS KNOWN AS PEER TO PEER. SO YOU START WITH PEER TO PEER BECAUSE YOU WANT PEOPLE WHO CAN ACTION IDEAS THAT COME OUT OF THAT MEETING. SO WE HAD THE TWO SUPERINTENDENTS, WE HAD THE TWO CFOS. WE HAD, UH, MS. UH, ATTORNEY CARTILAGE WAS THERE, HER TWO PEERS ON THE CHARLESTON, UH, SCHOOL DISTRICT SIDE. OKAY. WE HAD THE CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER FOR CHARLESTON. AND, UH, MS. CROSBY WAS THERE. UH, MS. WALTON AND THEIR CHIEF HR PERSON WERE THERE AS WELL. SO THAT STARTED YESTERDAY. UH, THAT ALSO WE'VE BEEN IN CONTACT WITH CONWAY, UH, RY COUNTY. AND SO THAT'S ALREADY TEED UP AS WELL. SO WE ALLUDED TO MY COUNTERPART IN RY COUNTY YESTERDAY AFTERNOON, WHAT WE DID IN CHARLOTTE, SO THAT THEY KNOW THIS IS AN EFFORT. SO WE ARE ALREADY WORKING ON HIS GUIDANCE TO LINK THREE COUNTIES TOGETHER. BUT YOU'RE GOING TO SEE SOME TANGIBLE ACTIONS OUT OF THAT. THAT'S THE POINT HE'S MAKING. THIS IS NOT JUST A CONVERSATION TYPE EXERCISE. WE WANT TO SEE DISCRETE ACTIONS THAT EACH BOARD MEMBER, YOU BECOME VERY PROMINENT IN YOUR DISTRICT. PEOPLE KNOW YOU AS AN ELECTED OFFICIAL. RIGHT NOW. THEY DON'T. AND, AND YOU KNOW, YOU'RE GONNA BE GOING TO THE, UH, CONVENTION IN BURLE BEACH. YOU KNOW IT NICE TO MEET PEOPLE FROM JASPER COUNTY AND PELTON COUNTY AND SO ON. BUT GO OUTTA YOUR WAY TO MEET PEOPLE FROM CHARLESTON COUNTY IN OREGON. MM-HMM. YOU, YOU'RE HORRY COUNTY, YOU GOT, GOT THE SAME KIND OF ISSUES THAT WE DO. THAT THAT'S, THAT'S WHERE WE GOTTA PUT OUR FOCUS. MM-HMM . ONE OF THE PROBLEMS WE HAVE IN THOSE KIND, THOSE CONVENTIONS IS WE GO TO DIFFERENT GROUP AND, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE STAY BY GROUPS AND YOU SEE 'EM AT THE BAR AND YOU SEE HIM SOCIALIZING AND OH, YOU'RE FROM MM-HMM . SUCH AND SUCH. ABBYVILLE, YOU'RE FROM . Y'ALL ARE TOO DIFFERENT. Y'ALL ARE TOO DIFFERENT. THAT'S WHY YOU HEARD [00:50:01] JUST THE OTHER DAY IN THE OPERATIONS COMMITTEE MEETING ABOUT BRINGING MAINTENANCE IN TO THE DISTRICT. THAT MAKES GREAT SENSE IN SMALL DISTRICTS AND SMALL DISTRICTS DO THAT. BUT YOU TALK TO THE LARGE DISTRICTS AND THEY CONTRACT THOSE DIS THEY CONTRACT THAT MAINTENANCE. BUT IF, IF, IF YOU JUST SPEND TIME WITH HIM, YOU SAY, WELL, WELL OBVIOUSLY BRINGING THEM IN HOUSE IS THE WAY TO GO. YEAH. IT IS. WHEN YOU GOT FOUR SCHOOLS, FIVE SCHOOLS, SIX SCHOOLS. RIGHT, RIGHT, RIGHT. SO YOU, YOU MIX WITH, YOU MIX WITH THE BIG BOYS 'CAUSE YOU'RE A BIG BOY. SO MOVING ON FROM THAT, IF I MAY, UM, BECAUSE WE WANT TO TURN THIS INTO ACTION ITEMS. YOU'LL NOTICE ON THE, ON YOUR AGENDA WHERE IT SAYS, DISCUSS POTENTIAL AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY FOR COMMITTEE MEMBERS. WE'D LIKE FOR EACH OF YOU TO IDENTIFY THE GROUPS, THE COUNCIL, THE TOWNS, THE COUNTY COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT ARE IN YOUR DISTRICT. UM, ANY OTHER, UH, ELECTED OFFICIALS, KEY BUSINESS LEADERS, CHAMBERS, ALL OF THAT. CHURCHES, CHURCHES AS AN INSTITUTION IN AMERICA HAVE BEEN ONE OF THE MOST INFLUENTIAL AGENTS OF CHANGE. AND WE GOTTA CHANGE WHAT THE MENTALITY IS RELATIVE TO UNDERSTANDING, UH, HOW IMPORTANT PUBLIC SCHOOLS ARE. WE ARE ALSO LOOKING AT, UH, ANALYSIS THAT SHOWS THAT THE, UM, ABILITY AND THE OUTPUT OF YOUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS HAS A REAL DIRECT LINK TO REAL ESTATE VALUES. SO IF YOU HAVE GOOD PUBLIC SCHOOLS, BECAUSE THEY EDUCATE EVERYBODY, PRIVATE SCHOOLS CAN BE GREAT, BUT IT IS GOING TO BE A MUCH SMALLER SL SECTOR OF THE DEMOGRAPHIC. SO WE CAN SUPPORT AND PROVE THAT HAVING A BETTER PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM IMPROVES LIST THE WHOLE BOOK. RIGHT. SO THAT'S THE TYPE OF THING WHEN WE TALK ABOUT, UH, EQUIPPING YOU WITH DATA AND INFORMATION TO TAKE OUT INTO THE PUBLIC, THE COMMUNITY REPORTS ONE, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO HAVE, UM, PART OF WHAT YOU'LL SEE UP HERE, WE'RE GOING TO SCHEDULE ANOTHER MEETING FOR FEBRUARY 26TH SO WE CAN DRILL DOWN AND GO INTO DETAILS. BUT RIGHT NOW, THE ACTION REQUEST IS FOR YOU TO COME BACK INTO THE NEXT MEETING AND IDENTIFY WHICH ENTITIES IN YOUR DISTRICT, THE GEO GEOGRAPHY. AND THERE'S A MAP IN MS. CUSHING BEAR'S OFFICE THAT SHOWS THE BORDERS OF YOUR DISTRICT. MAKE SURE YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT'S IN THERE AND WHAT'S TAKING PLACE. AND WE CAN START GETTING THE STAIN MOVED. IS THAT OKAY? YEAH. FOR EXAMPLE, YOU GET TWO NEW HOUSING AREAS RIGHT BY . JUST KNOCK ON THE DOOR. THEY GOT TO HAVE A, UH, HOMEOWNER'S ASSOCIATION THINK INTO THAT. HOW CAN I TALK TO THAT HOMEOWNER'S ASSOCIATION? WHEN DID YOU HAVE HOMEOWNER'S ASSOCIATIONS MEETING? THEY WOULD BE ABSOLUTELY AMAZED THAT YOU COME AND WOULD TALK TO THEM ABOUT THE SCHOOL THEY CAN WALK TO. YOU KNOW, THEY DON'T, NOBODY DOES THAT. YOU'VE GOT AU AND, AND DOTA REACHES OUT TO ST. HELEN ELEMENTARY, BUT MAYBE NOT AS MUCH TO LADIES ISLAND ELEMENTARY OR AU OR, OR LAYS ISLAND MIDDLE SCHOOL. UM, AND YOU GOT, YOU GOT NEW, UH, THERE'S A NEW SUBDIVISION THAT WENT IN OFF OF BRICK, BRICK YARD, BRICK. YOU KNOW WHO'S THE HOA THERE? OUR HOA MY, MY HOA MEETS, UH, AT LEAST MONTHLY. AND THEY HAVE AN OPEN SESSION. AND JUST TO INTRODUCE YOURSELF, I'M YOUR SCHOOL BOARD REP. YOU GOT ANY PROBLEMS WITH THE SCHOOL BOARD? HEY, HERE'S MY CAR. YOU KNOW, AND THEY WILL COME TO YOU. THEY, THEY, YOU KNOW THIS MM-HMM . THEY WILL COME TO YOU. SOMETIMES THEY COME TO YOU WITH COMPLAINTS. MM-HMM . BUT WHEN YOU DEAL WITH THOSE COMPLAINTS AND THEY SAY, HEY, YOU KNOW, IF GUY GETS THINGS DONE, THEN THEY'LL COME BACK AND SAY, HEY, HAVE YOU THOUGHT ABOUT MM-HMM . AND THAT'S WHERE WE MAKE THE MONEY. HAVE YOU THOUGHT ABOUT THIS? I JUST DROVE. I JUST DROVE BY SHE POINT FARM COMING BACK MM-HMM. FROM . THAT'S A HUGE DEVELOPMENT THERE. LOTS OF HOUSES. ALL NEW, ALL NEW AND FAMILIES ALL NEW. MM-HMM. SO EVERYBODY COMFORTABLE WITH, UH, WHAT WE'RE REQUESTING UNDER THIS NEXT TO LAST BULLET, AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY. WE TALK ABOUT YOUR GEOGRAPHY AND BECOMING VERY PROMINENT, UH, IN TERMS OF YOUR, YOUR HOA OR POA, UM, [00:55:01] RUN FOR OFFICE THERE. RUN FOR OFFICE. YOU'LL BE SURPRISED BECAUSE BEING AN ELECTED OFFICIAL ON THE SCHOOL BOARD, YOU HAVE SO MUCH AWARENESS THAT YOU WON'T EVEN RECOGNIZE. AND SO I ACTUALLY RAN FOR THREE DIFFERENT OFFICES. OUR POA IS 10,000 PEOPLE OUT OF, OUT OF 20, UH, OUT OF 38,000. SO WE ARE 28% BASICALLY OF THE, UM, RESIDENTS OF, UH, HILTON HEAD RIGHT AT ONE P AWAY. AND I WAS ELECTED AS SECRETARY, VICE PRESIDENT, AND THEN PRESIDENT. NOW I'M GETTING READY TO ROTATE OFF. BUT ALL OF A SUDDEN THAT THAT BUILDING, THAT SCHOOL THAT'S GOING UP ON HILTON HEAD NOW, PEOPLE COME AND THEY SHOW APPRECIATION TO US, RIGHT? THEY SAID, THANK YOU, CAN YOU DO THIS? AND CAN WE USE IT? ALL TYPES OF THINGS. SO THERE'S SO MUCH MORE ENERGY AND YOU CAN EXPLAIN IT. AND THEY TOO INVITED THE, UM, SUPERINTENDENT AND, AND THE TEAM, WHICH I INTRODUCED TO SAY, HEY, HERE'S WHAT'S HAPPENING BECAUSE PEOPLE GET ALL THIS, THIS ENERGY ABOUT WHAT THE HECK IS HAPPENING. MS. BOATRIGHT DOING SIMILARLY ON HILTON HEAD, AND I KNOW MS. HAY HAS HER NETWORK AS WELL. SO YOUR NETWORK IS VERY, VERY POWERFUL. IS THAT OKAY? EVERYBODY COMFORTABLE DOING THAT BY THE 26TH? YEAH. MS. GORDON? UH, MS. BOATWRIGHT, YOU OKAY WITH THAT? IT'LL BE CAPTURED IN HER NOTES. RIGHT. OKAY. ALRIGHT. EXCELLENT. ANY, ANYTHING ELSE? UH, SOLICITATION OF ITEMS FOR NEXT LEGISLATIVE MEETING ON FEBRUARY 26TH. WE'VE ALREADY GOT, I GOT THE NOTES THAT, UH, THE COLONEL HAS GOTTEN, BUT HE'S BEEN CONSISTENT IN TALKING TO THE BOARD MEMBERS ABOUT THIS AND THANK GOD HE'S GOING AROUND. SO IT HELPS REINFORCE IT FOR US COMMITTEE CHAIRS. UH, SO THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT. WHAT ELSE DO YOU THINK WE SHOULD BE TALKING ABOUT? WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE ROBIN AND I TO DO AS BEING YOUR STAFF? SEARCH FOR, FOR ME? SEARCH FOR DATA COMMITTEE? YEAH. SEARCH FOR DATA. OKAY. SO THAT WE CAN IMPORT DATA IN, IN THESE AREAS SUCH, UH, OH, WHAT DID I DO? NO, YOU DIDN'T DO IT. OKAY. I SAID MS. WENDY WOULD BE ABLE TO SEARCH FOR . APPRECIATE THAT. BECAUSE WE NEED TO REMEMBER THAT MS. BERRY IS SHORTER PERSON. YES, VERY MUCH SO. YES. THAT WAS MISS WENDY. I'M GONNA PERSON, BUT SOMEONE'S GONNA COMING YES. GONNA BE COMING NEXT MONDAY. AND SO THAT'S, UM, DEALING WITH, BUT THE PRESENT THINGS THAT SHE HAS TO DEAL WITH, I THINK WE NEED TO BE COGNIZANT OF THE FACT THAT RIGHT. NEW THINGS WOULD PROBABLY BE PUT SOMEWHERE THERE UNTIL SHE CAN GET STABILIZED. YEAH. YOU KNOW, I HATE TO OVER OVERLOAD HER, UH RIGHT. THE THINGS BUT WHEN YOU SAY DATA, YOU MEAN, WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO LOOK? UH, NEW DEVELOPMENTS OR IN GENERAL? YESTERDAY HE MENTIONED THAT CASE, THAT COURT CASE. OKAY. MM-HMM . RIGHT. SO, OKAY. WE, AND IT'S FROM 1968 I THINK, RIGHT? NO, 1973. 73. 73. HOME RULE, HOME RULE. AND IT REPEALS ARTICLE EIGHT OF THAT, UM, LEGISLATION THAT WAS PASSED IN 1968. SO I'D LIKE TO READ THAT SO WE COULD DIGEST IT AND MAKE SURE EVERY PERSON NOTED, BECAUSE YOU BECOME A VOICE FOR THE SCHOOL DISTRICT WHEN YOU'RE OUT THERE, WANT TO GIVE YOU ACCURATE INFORMATION AND CONCISELY. SO DATA, UM, THAT PARTICULAR DOCUMENT AND, AND THEN YOU ARE COMING BACK AND SAYING WHO ARE THE GROUPS AND ENTITIES WITHIN YOUR DISTRICT THAT YOU CAN REACH OUT TO. ANY, ANY QUESTIONS? COMMENT? UH, MR. SMITH HAS JOINED, SO I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANNA OKAY. UH, IS HE UP THERE? YES. HE'S, HE HAS JOINED. OKAY. OKAY. SO MS. MR. SMITH, ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS, SIR, BEFORE WE CLOSE? NO. NO. NOT AT, NOT AT ALL. OKAY. THANK YOU SIR. ALRIGHT, COLONEL, ANY OTHER GUIDANCE? THANKS FOR COMING AND HAVING YOUR PRESENCE HERE AND YOUR GUIDANCE AND YOUR INNOVATIVE APPROACH TO HOW WE CAN MOVE THE LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE FORWARD. MUCH APPRECIATED. ALRIGHT. ANY, ANY OTHER ITEMS? WOW. NOW FOR THE GOOD OF THE ORDER BY UNANIMOUS CONSENT. THANK YOU. AND WE'LL SEE YOU ON THE 26TH. * 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.