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CLOSED CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY BUFORT COUNTY.
IF YOU DON'T, THERE'S, UH, THEY'RE ON A TABLE OVER THERE.
I AM GONNA GO OFF SCRIPT FOR A COUPLE MINUTES IF YOU, UH, HOPE YOU DON'T MIND.
UM, AS WE WILL SEE, THERE'S A, UH, CHILD CARE SUBCOMMITTEE UPDATE TODAY.
AND ONE OF THE GREAT THINGS THAT OUR SUBCOMMITTEE DID, THEY GOT TOGETHER WITH A SUBCOMMITTEE FROM GIC AND THEY COLLABORATED.
AND IT, UH, I THINK IT WAS, UH, VERY PROUD THAT YOU, YOU DID THAT.
I AM ALSO INVOLVED IN A COUPLE OF REGIONAL THINK TANKS, AND THERE IS, UM, A TASK FORCE THAT HAS BEEN PUT TOGETHER, UH, TO DEAL WITH A 20 YEAR PLAN FOR THE REGION.
UM, IT IS BEING HEADED BY OUR FORMER SECRETARY, SO LOCO SECRETARY, MR. TOM LENNOX.
AND I PUT THIS FIRST BECAUSE TOM HAS TO LEAVE.
UM, I'VE SPOKEN TO THOSE, UH, REPRESENTATIVES, AND I WOULD LIKE TO OFFER TO THE BOARD THAT WE ADOPT THAT TASK FORCE AS A SUBCOMMITTEE OR TASK FORCE OF SO LOCO.
AND THAT WOULD BE, WE WOULDN'T HAVE TO COMMIT ANY STAFF.
'CAUSE THEY ALREADY HAVE A GROUP TOGETHER, WHICH INCLUDES COUNCILMAN KEMP, UH, DAN WOOD FROM, UH, BLUFFTON, OF COURSE, TOM LENNOX, AND A FEW OTHERS.
AND THAT SUBCOMMITTEE WOULD DO, LIKE ALL THE OTHER SUBCOMMITTEES COME TO US, GIVE US REGULAR REPORTS, AND WHEN THEY'RE COMPLETE, THEIR TASK AND THEIR MISSION, THEY WOULD COME FORTH WITH RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ALL THE JURISDICTIONS.
SO, UM, WHAT I'D LIKE FOR THE BOARD TO DO IS ASK ANY QUESTIONS OF TOM LENNOX, WHO'S GONNA HEAD THAT TASK FORCE.
UM, AND THEN AFTER ALL QUESTIONS ARE DONE, HAVE A VOTE ON WHETHER OR NOT WE WANNA ADOPT THAT AS A SO LOCO SUBCOMMITTEE.
I'M SORRY, I DIDN'T PREP YOU FOR THIS.
THIS IS, UH, I HAVEN'T TALKED TO ANYBODY.
SO, UM, JUST DIDN'T HAVE TIME.
SO, ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS PROPOSAL FROM THE BOARD? FIRST YOU LET ME OFF EASY.
ARE YOU GOING TO, UM, HAVE HIM CLARIFY EXACTLY WHAT THE MISSION OF THE, THE TASK FORCE, JUST LIKE ANY OTHER, OTHER, UH, TASK FORCE THAT WE HAVE? SO, LOCO STEP ONE IS THEIR MISSION STATEMENT.
WHAT DO THEY WANT TO ACCOMPLISH? AND I'LL, I'LL ASK THEM TO, ONCE THEY HAVE THAT FORMED, THAT THEY COME TO SO LOCO AND, AND PRESENT THAT TO US.
AND THEN ANY REGULAR UPDATES THAT THEY MIGHT HAVE WHEN THEY'RE READY.
AND THEN JUST AGAIN, AS WE MAY HEAR FROM, UH, THE CHILDCARE WHEN THEY'RE DONE, THEY'LL COME TO US AND SAY, HERE'S WHAT WE THINK YOU AS JURISDICTIONS SHOULD DO.
AND THAT'S THE SAME THING WE DID WITH THE HOUSING TRUST, THE, THE STORMWATER ORDINANCE, EVERYTHING ELSE THAT, SO LOCO HAS, HAS DONE.
FOR THE RECORD, PATSY BRYSON, TOWN OF HILTON ED TOWN COUNCIL, THE MAYOR REGRETS.
HE COULDN'T BE HERE TODAY, BUT SOUNDS LIKE A GREAT IDEA.
I KNOW MR. LENNOX, I'M FAMILIAR WITH HIS WORK.
UM, AND I WOULD CERTAINLY, UH, SUPPORT MAKING THIS A SUBCOMMITTEE.
AND IF ANYBODY HAS ANY QUESTIONS FOR, FOR MR. LENNOX ABOUT WHAT THEY WANT TO ACCOMPLISH, HE, I, I ASKED HIM TO COME HERE TODAY.
I KNOW HE HAS ANOTHER APPOINTMENT.
SO IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT, UH, THIS TASK FORCE, UH, TOM'S HERE TO BEAT HIM UP IF YOU'D LIKE, COME LATER AND DO A PRESENTATION.
I, I, I THINK THAT'S A GOOD IDEA.
TOM, YOU GOOD WITH THAT? SAY AGAIN? WE, WE WOULD LIKE, UM, THE, THE BOARD WOULD LIKE YOU ONCE YOU GET ORGANIZED, IF YOU DON'T MIND TO COME HERE, UH, WHEN YOU'RE READY AND GIVE A PRESENTATION ON WHAT YOU WANNA ACCOMPLISH.
SO, UM, I, I'D LIKE TO ASK THE BOARD, WOULD YOU LIKE THIS TASK
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FORCE TO PROCEED, UH, AS A TASK FORCE OF SO LOKO, OR DO YOU WANNA WAIT TILL THAT PRESENTATION COMES FORWARD? EXCEPT THAT HE'S IN, IN FAVOR OF IT, BUT I THINK WE NEED TO, TO HEAR WHAT THEY'RE PLANNING ON DOING.ANYONE ELSE? UH, UM, I'M GETTING THE TYPE OF EXPERIENCE AND FRAMEWORK FROM A COUPLE OF GUYS THAT YOU JUST MENTIONED.
IS, IS GOOD ENOUGH FOR ME? I KNOW 'EM WELL ENOUGH TO
SO YES, TOM, IF YOU, I CAN GIVE YOU A, UH, AND COME FORWARD PLEASE.
32ND OUTLINE OF WHAT WE HOPE TO ACCOMPLISH.
THE MEMBERS OF THIS TASK FORCE ARE TRUIT RIBBON, DAN WOOD, ALAN WARD, JOHN KEMP, AND DEAN MOSS FROM BEAUFORD.
AND OUR GOAL IS TO, UM, CREATE AN OUTLINE TO BE USED BY SO LOCO, UH, OF WHAT A 20 YEAR PLAN PROCESS WOULD LOOK LIKE.
UH, GIVEN THE NINE OR 10 ELEMENTS REQUIRED BY THE STATE, UH, IN EACH LOCAL GOVERNMENT'S COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
INTEGRATE THAT INTO AN OUTLINE TO BE USED.
UH, THE OUTLINE WOULD INCLUDE THE ELEMENTS REQUIRED IN THE COMP PLAN, UH, PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT, UH, ENGAGEMENT OF THE DIFFERENT, UH, LOCAL GOVERNMENTS.
IT WOULD BE THE OUTLINE OF HOW TO DO THE PLAN, MORE OF A PROCESS.
SO I, I KNOW I, THIS IS, UM, NOT ON THE AGENDA AND I SURPRISED EVERYONE.
SO WHY DON'T WE, UM, WE, WE'LL TAKE A VOTE AT THE NEXT MEETING.
AND, AND THAT WAY, I DON'T WANT TO PUT ANYBODY ON THE SPOT.
I DIDN'T, I DIDN'T PREP YOU ALL.
SO, MAYOR WILLIAMS, I THINK THIS WILL, HOPEFULLY AFTER YOU HEAR ROB BERT'S PRESENTATION, IT MIGHT BE SOMETHING THAT WORKED IN PARALLEL, UM, TASK FORCE.
ROBERT'S GONNA PRESENT TODAY AND TO PRESENT IN MORE DETAIL AT ANOTHER MEETING.
RIGHT? SO, UM, REAL QUICK, MAYBE THIS IS CLARIFIED IN THE NEXT MEETING, UM, AS THE MISSION COMES TOGETHER, BUT I GUESS MY ONLY QUESTION JUST BASED ON THE 32ND SYNOPSIS WOULD BE HOW DOES THE PLAN FIT INTO SOME OF THE LOCAL MUNICIPALITIES OR JURISDICTIONS GETTING READY TO, UM, REVISIT THEIR COMPREHENSIVE PLANS? SO I KNOW WE'RE ABOUT A YEAR OUT FROM THAT, SO HOW WOULD THE PLAN FIT INTO THAT STRUCTURE? AND MAYBE THAT'S CLARIFIED LATER, BUT THAT'S THE ONLY QUESTION THAT CAME TO MY MIND IMMEDIATELY.
THE RECOMMENDATIONS COMING OUT OF ANY RECOMMENDATION TO MULTI-JURISDICTIONAL BODIES WOULD BE RIGID FLEXIBILITY.
I'M GONNA HAVE TO GOOGLE THAT, TOM, ANOTHER.
I, I THINK THERE'S ENOUGH QUESTIONS AND WHAT WE'LL DO IS EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS WHAT IT IS.
I'M SORRY TO SURPRISE EVERYONE.
LET'S, UH, LET'S NOT MAKE ANY DECISIONS.
WE'LL, I'LL, I'LL PUT IT ON THE AGENDA FOR A VOTE NEXT MONTH.
AND TOM, COULD YOU, UH, BE PREPARED TO, UH, SPEAK AGAIN OR SOMEONE FROM THE COMMITTEE? ARE YOU GONNA MEET BEFORE THEN? YES.
SO IF YOU COULD, UM, HAVE SOMEONE REPRESENT THE, THE TASK FORCE AND COME BEFORE THE BOARD, UM, AND THEN THE BOARD CAN MAKE A DECISION FROM THERE.
THANK YOU, UH, BOARD MEMBERS FOR, UM, TOLERATING MY LITTLE SURPRISE.
UM, SO LET'S GO ON TO THE AGENDA NOW.
THE FIRST ITEM IS THE UPDATE ON THE RESULTS OF THE PLASTIC BAG SURVEY.
UH, COUNCILWOMAN CHAIR ALICE HOWARD WILL GIVE US THAT.
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EXTENDED IT TILL APRIL 1ST.UH, WE NEEDED MORE RESPONSES FROM BUSINESSES.
I'VE BROUGHT, I DIDN'T BRING 'EM.
ROD MERCHANT BROUGHT CARDS HERE.
IF YOU KNOW OF A RESTAURANT OWNER, UM, IN BEAUFORT COUNTY,
I WAS IT OVER 3000 LAST TIME I HEARD.
SO THAT'S, THAT, THAT'S THE GREAT RESULTS.
UM, AND THEN ONCE WE GET THE RESULTS, WE'LL, UH, WE'RE GONNA SCHEDULE SOME PUBLIC MEETINGS AROUND THE COUNTY.
THE SUBCOMMITTEE THAT WAS FORMED FOR THIS HAD MEMBERS OF KEEP BEAUFORT BEAUTIFUL ON IT.
AND, UM, STAFF FROM, UH, ALL, ALL OVER THE COUNTY, UH, FROM THE PLANNING STAFF, PRIMARILY FROM MUNICIPALITIES AND, AND THE COUNTY THAT CAME UP WITH A SURVEY AND SOME VOLUNTEER GROUPS LIKE THE PORT ROYAL SOUND FOUNDATION.
AND, UH, SO AS SOON AS WE START GETTING THAT, WE'LL START POPULATING, UH, WHAT CAME OUTTA THE SURVEY AND GETTING RESPONSE IN PUBLIC MEETINGS TO SEE WHAT PEOPLE THINK, UH, BEYOND THE SURVEY.
AND COASTAL CONSERVATION LEAGUE DESERVES A LOT OF CREDIT TOO, FOR HELPING US WITH THIS.
SO IT'S STILL A WORK IN PROGRESS.
SO PLEASE PICK UP SOME OF THESE CARDS ON YOUR WAY OUT.
IF YOU, UM, KNOW A RESTAURANT OWNER OR BUSINESS THAT WOULD JUST FILL IT OUT, DIDN'T TAKE VERY LONG TO FILL OUT THE SURVEY.
UM, ALICE, WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE PUT ON APRIL'S AGENDA AFTER THAT SURVEY IS DONE? UM, I'M NOT SURE WE'LL BE READY YET.
UH, I THINK MORE IMPORTANT IS TO HAVE THE BROOKE BOUNDARIES AND SUBCOMMITTEE ON YOUR NEXT AGENDA.
SO AS FAR AS WHAT, YOU'LL LET ME KNOW WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU WANT TO GET ON THE AGENDA.
UM, SEE, YOU JUST SAVED THE, THE TIME THAT I TOOK UP ON THE EARLIER THING.
UM, NEXT WE HAVE THE BH BJ, HT, THE B BEAUFORT JA MILLER HOUSING TRUST, MR. CLAUDE HICKS.
MEMBERS OF SO LOCO, LET'S SEE.
SOMEBODY'S DOING SOMETHING RIGHT, NOT, WE WANTED TO SPEND JUST A FEW MOMENTS TODAY TO TALK ABOUT, UM, WHAT HAS HAPPENED BETWEEN THE LAST TIME THAT WE SPOKE BEFORE.
SO, LOCO, UH, AND NOW AND THERE, AS ALICE SAID, IT IS A WORK IN PROGRESS.
HOUSING IS ALWAYS A WORK IN PROGRESS.
THIS HAS GOT TAPE WRAPPED AROUND IT, SO THAT MIGHT NOT BE A GOOD SIGN.
OH, FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE NOT FAMILIAR, BEAUFORT, JASPER HOUSING TRUST, UH, IS CONSISTS OF NINE MEMBERS.
IT'S A REGIONAL ORGANIZATION IN THAT, UH, NINE REGIONAL MEMBERS, NINE REGIONAL MUNICIPALITIES, BOTH COUNTIES, UH, JOINED TOGETHER TO PRIMARILY DO ONE THING.
UH, THEY REALIZED THAT INDIVIDUALLY IT WAS GOING TO BE A VERY DIFFICULT TASK TO TRY AND BRING HOUSING TO THEIR INDIVIDUAL MUNICIPALITIES.
BUT TOGETHER IN A REGIONAL APPROACH, UH, THAT WORKS.
I WILL TELL YOU THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE WERE PERHAPS A LITTLE QUESTIONING WITH RESPECT TO WHETHER IT'S GONNA WORK.
I THINK IT'S WORKED, UH, WAY BETTER THAN ANYBODY EVER THOUGHT.
UH, IN DECEMBER OF LAST YEAR, WE GAVE OUT ALMOST $2 MILLION IN GRANTS, UH, AND DOLLARS THAT WENT TO GRANTEES AND PROJECTS TO GENERATE HOUSING.
THE, THE, UM, WE ARE A 5 0 1 C3 ORGANIZATION.
WE HAVE BEEN SINCE THE MIDDLE OF LAST YEAR, OR THE FIRST OF LAST YEAR.
THIS IS OUR LEADER WHEREVER WE TALK.
AND WE HAVE SPOKEN TO OVER A HUNDRED, UH, INDIVIDUALS AND ORGANIZATIONS ACROSS BEAUFORT AND JASPER COUNTIES.
UH, WE ARE CONSISTENTLY SAYING ECONOMIC GROWTH IS THE NUMBER ONE INITIATIVE.
WITHOUT HOUSING, THERE IS NO ECONOMIC GROWTH.
WITHOUT ECONOMIC GROWTH, THERE IS NO COMMUNITY WORKERS NEED PLACES TO LIVE.
CURRENTLY, THEY DON'T HAVE ANY PLACE TO LIVE.
UH, IN THIS AREA, WE ARE APPROACHING ON A THREE BEDROOM APARTMENT, $3,000 A MONTH IN RENT.
WE ARE APPROACHING ABOUT $2,500.
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AND ON A ONE BEDROOM, WE ARE APPROACHING $2,000.SO THOSE ARE ALL DOLLARS THAT WE EXPECT IN PRICING THAT WE EXPECT IS GOING TO OCCUR OVER THE NEXT SIX TO 12 MONTHS.
HOUSING AVAILABILITY AFFECTS QUALITY OF LIFE.
UH, THERE ARE A THOUSAND SURVEYS OUT THERE THAT HAVE DRAW A DIRECT LINE BETWEEN HOUSING AND THE QUALITY OF THAT HOUSING AND THE QUALITY OF THE LIFE OF THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN IT.
WHETHER IT'S THEIR EDUCATION, WHETHER IT IS THEIR NUTRITION, WHETHER IT IS THEIR SOCIALIZATION.
THERE'S A DIRECT LINE BETWEEN THE ABILITY TO HAVE SAFE AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND WHAT YOUR LIFE LOOKS LIKE.
AS I SAID BEFORE, THIS IS A REGIONAL COLLABORATION.
I WILL TELL YOU, I'VE BEEN DOING THIS FOR ALMOST 30 YEARS.
AND REGIONAL COLLABORATIONS WORK RARELY BECAUSE YOU HAVE A WHOLE BUNCH OF PEOPLE WITH OPINIONS AND THEY RARELY COME TOGETHER.
THIS IS AN OUTSTANDING EXAMPLE OF REGIONAL COLLABORATION.
SENATOR DAVIS USED THIS TO BRING US SOME STATE MONEY BY SAYING, THIS IS REGIONAL.
LOOK AT HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE SITTING AT THE TABLE.
AND HE WAS SUCCESSFUL IN DOING THAT.
UH, HERE'S SOME OF THE BAD NEWS.
WE HAVE FAILED TO GET BACK TO BUILDING PERMIT LEVEL THAT WE WERE AT BETWEEN 93 AND 2002.
UH, IT IS RISING SLOWLY, UH, AND WE EXPECT THAT WE MAY GET A LITTLE BIT OF INCREASE BY THE TIME WE GET TO 20 26, 20 27.
UM, BUT RIGHT NOW WE ARE HOLDING STEADY ON BUILDING PERMITS.
CLA DOES THIS, UH, DOES THIS INCLUDE MULTIFAMILY AND SINGLE FAMILY? YES.
THE HOUSING AVAILABILITY NATIONWIDE, RIGHT NOW WE ARE 8.2 MILLION UNITS SHORT ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
IT IS EXPECTED BY THE END OF 2035, IT WILL BE AT 10 MILLION UNITS SHORT.
THIS IS PARTICULARLY, I GUESS, AN ONEROUS, UM, STATISTIC IN THAT FOR THE FIRST TIME IN ABOUT 50 YEARS, WE HAVE CRESTED OVER THE DIVIDING LINE BETWEEN HOME OWNERSHIP AND RENTALS.
RENTALS ARE NOW A HIGHER PERCENTAGE OF OUR POPULATION THAN HOME OWNERSHIP.
SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT, I'VE GOT CHILDREN WHO ARE SUPPOSED TO BE OLD ENOUGH TO THINK, UH, AND THEY ALL ARE LOOKING AT PERHAPS A HOUSE, MAYBE BY THE TIME THEY'RE 40, UH, MAYBE DEPENDING ON WHAT THE ECONOMY LOOKS LIKE.
SO APARTMENTS AND MULTIFAMILY LIVING IS HERE.
IT IS GOING TO BE HERE FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE.
WE NEED TO DO WHAT WE CAN DO TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE MULTIFAMILY UNITS CAN REACH ALL OF THE, THE, UH, RESIDENTS THAT WE NEED TO HOUSE.
THIS IS THE SINGLE, UM, MOST TALKED ABOUT SLIDE.
LAURA ULRICH TO COME TO THE SYMPOSIUM LAST YEAR TO TALK ABOUT HOUSING.
SHE IS THE FEDERAL RESERVE'S LEADING EXPERT ON HOUSING.
AND THERE WERE A LOT OF VERY IMPORTANT PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM WHEN SHE POPPED THIS SLIDE UP.
WHAT THE FEDERAL RESERVE DOES OUT OF RICHMOND IS TO KEEP TRACK OF HOW MANY HOUSES IN ANY PARTICULAR AREA CAN BE ACCESSED ON A MEDIAN PRICE BY PEOPLE WHO DON'T GO OVER 30% OF THEIR INCOME TO PAY FOR RENT OR FOR HOUSING PAYMENT.
IN THE LAST 21 YEARS, THE TOTAL NUMBER OF HOUSES THAT MET THAT REQUIREMENT OR ZERO.
SO THERE HAS BEEN NO HOUSE SOLD WHERE THE PERSON BUYING IT PAID 30% OR UNDER OF THEIR TOTAL INCOME FOR THAT HOUSE.
WHAT THIS TELLS YOU IS THAT OBVIOUSLY THERE HAS BEEN GREAT SUCCESS AND GREAT, UM, CAPACITY ON THE HIGHER END.
GREAT COMMUNITIES, EVERYBODY WANTS TO LIVE HERE.
BUT WITH RESPECT TO AFFORDABILITY AND WITH RESPECT TO FAMILIES BEING ABLE TO LIVE IN A PLACE AND NOT SPEND MORE THAN 30% OF THEIR INCOME, THERE HASN'T BEEN A SINGLE HOUSE THAT THE FEDERAL RESERVIST KEPT TRACK OF.
THIS IS A DYNAMIC THAT HAS TO CHANGE.
WE CAN'T HAVE AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE YOUNG FAMILIES, YOUNG PROFESSIONALS, YOUNG TEACHERS, YOUNG POLICE OFFICERS, YOUNG NURSES, HAVE NOWHERE TO GO.
WHEN YOU GO ABOVE 30% OF YOUR INCOME, IT DIRECTLY AFFECTS YOUR ABILITY TO PUT FOOD ON THE TABLE.
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TO KEEP YOUR TRANSPORTATION UP, YOUR ABILITY TO SOCIALIZE, DO THE THINGS THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO DO.YOU ARE NOW TRAPPED IN A HOUSE WHERE YOU'RE PAYING 40 OR 50 OR 60% OF YOUR INCOME IN RENT OR MORTGAGE PAYMENT.
SO WE LOOKED AT, UH, WHO WAS COST BURDENED.
SO IF YOU TAKE A LOOK ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE, IN BEAUFORT AND JASPER COUNTY, 46.3% OF RENTERS ARE COST BURDENED.
THAT MEANS THEY SPEND MORE THAN 50% EXTREMELY COST BURDENED MEANS THEY'RE SPENDING OVER 50% OF THEIR INCOME ON HOUSING COSTS.
THIS IS A NUMBER THAT NEEDS TO COME DOWN.
WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO, TO FIGURE THIS OUT.
AND IT'S A, A VARIETY OF THINGS.
IT WON'T BE RESOLVED BY BUILDING HOUSING.
IT'LL BE RESOLVED BY HIGHER WAGE EMPLOYEES, NEW ECONOMIC AND REGIONAL BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT.
SO THIS IS WHAT WE LOOK LIKE RIGHT NOW.
UH, THE NEW HUD LIMITS ARE GOING TO COME OUT WITHIN THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS.
SO IF YOU LOOK AT MEDIAN FAMILY INCOME AT 80% IN BEAUFORT, THAT WOULD BE $80,700 PER FAMILY.
THEIR MONTHLY AFFORDABILITY WOULD BE ABOUT $2,000.
IF YOU LOOK AT THAT FAMILY IN THE 80%, AND THEY HAVE TWO PARENTS AND A COUPLE OF KIDS, THEY'RE LOOKING AT THAT THREE BEDROOM APARTMENT.
IT'S NOT 2018, IT'S CLOSER TO $3,000.
SO THEY'RE ALREADY IN THE HOLE.
WE EXPECT WHEN WE GET THE NEW HUD NUMBERS THAT THE INCOME IS GOING TO BE HIGHER, BUT THE AFFORDABILITY IS GONNA BE HIGHER AS WELL, BECAUSE COSTS HAVE GONE UP.
SO HERE'S SOMETHING THAT HAS HAPPENED HERE THAT HAS HAPPENED IN A LOT OF REGIONS AND A LOT OF MUNICIPALITIES.
YOU GUYS HAVE HEARD ABOUT THE MISSING MIDDLE.
IF YOU LOOK RIGHT AT THE A MI PERCENTAGE, YOU SEE 80 TO A HUNDRED PERCENT.
THOSE ARE PEOPLE WHO DON'T QUALIFY FOR A TAX CREDIT OR A SUBSIDIZED RENT, BUT THEY ALSO DON'T QUALIFY 'CAUSE THEY DON'T MAKE ENOUGH MONEY TO BUY A HOUSE.
SO THEY ARE STUCK IN THE MIDDLE.
THAT A MI PERCENTAGE, I WOULD BET YOU THAT IF I COME BACK HERE A YEAR FROM NOW, THAT PERCENTAGE IS GOING TO BE HIGHER BECAUSE YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE PEOPLE WHO ARE GETTING RAISES, WHO ARE EARNING GOOD SALARIES, BUT THEY CAN'T AFFORD TO BUY A HOUSE, NOR CAN THEY AFFORD, THEY MAKE TOO MUCH MONEY TO BE ABLE TO AFFORD TO LIVE IN ANY KIND OF TAX CREDIT HOUSING.
WE LOOKED AT WHAT CAN WE DO WITH THE STATE.
UH, THE STATE IS AS BUREAUCRATIC AS ANY OTHER STATE IN THE COUNTRY.
WE'RE WORKING TO HELP THEM, UM, REALLY FIGURE OUT HOW TO STREAMLINE THEIR PROCESSES.
BEFORD, JASPER HOUSING TRUST IS THE ONLY ENTITY IN BEAUFORT AND JASPER COUNTIES THAT PARTICIPATES AND IS QUALIFIED IN THE STATE HOME REPAIR PROGRAM, BOTH FROM A REPAIR PERSPECTIVE.
AND WE WENT AND GOT OUR ENVIRONMENTAL REMEDIATION EXPERT, OR, UM, CERTIFICATE RATHER, WHICH WAS ME AND JENNIFER SITTING IN A ROOM FOR EIGHT HOURS LISTENING TO LEAD-BASED PAINT.
UM, WE ARE LOOKING AT HOW THAT AFFECTS THIS PARTICULAR AREA.
THE BIGGEST EFFECT OF DOING BOTH OF THOSE THINGS IS THAT WE CAN NOW LOOK AT A HOUSE HOUSE THAT'S OLDER THAN 1978 AS ITS CONSTRUCTION DATE.
THAT APPLIES TO A LOT OF HOUSING IN THE ENTIRE, BOTH BEAUFORT AND JASPER COUNTIES.
WE WANT TO INCREASE AND CREATE GAP FUNDING RESOURCES WITH THE STATE.
WE WANNA PROVIDE LOW INTEREST MORTGAGE OPPORTUNITIES.
WE HAVE PROGRAMS FROM OUR GRANTEES FOR FIRST TIME HOME BUYERS.
WE CAN'T FIND A HOME THAT THEY CAN ACTUALLY AFFORD, EVEN IF WE GAVE 'EM THE MONEY.
HARDY IS THE BEST EXAMPLE OF WHAT WE DID RIGHT DOWN THE STREET THAT WORKED.
BUT IT WORKED BECAUSE THE MUNICIPALITY GAVE THE CON CONTRACTOR GAVE, THE DEVELOPER GAVE, AND THEN WE WERE ABLE TO FIND SOME OTHER RESOURCES.
THAT'S WHAT IT'S GONNA TAKE IN THE FUTURE TO REALLY HOUSE PEOPLE.
WE WANNA ENCOURAGE YOUR REVISION OF THE QUALIFIED ALLOCATION PLAN.
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN? THIS IS THE PLAN THAT THE STATE GOES BY ON AN ANNUAL BASIS TO DETERMINE HOW IT'S GOING TO GIVE OUT DOLLARS, HOW IT'S GOING TO GIVE OUT TAX CREDITS, HOW IT'S GOING TO GIVE OUT THOSE DOLLARS THAT CAN BE USED IN CONSTRUCTION OR DEVELOPMENT PROCESS.
WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT TO US? WHEN I GOT HERE, UH, WHICH WAS A YEAR AGO, THERE WAS A PROVISION IN THE QUALIFIED ALLOCATION PLAN THAT SAID,
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YOU MAY NOT GET POINTS FOR YOUR DEVELOPMENT UNLESS YOU HAVE 1000 JOBS WITHIN ONE MILE OF YOUR PROJECT.NOTHING IN BEAUFORT AND JASPER COUNTY APPLIED FOR THAT PARTICULAR ISSUE.
SO EVERYBODY THAT CAME TO LOOK AT US KNEW THEY WERE ALREADY 10 POINTS BEHIND.
10 POINTS IN THE LITE BUSINESSES.
DEADLY, YOU'RE NOT GETTING YOUR DEAL DONE.
AND FINALLY, WE WANT TO EXPAND FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES AND CREATE INCENTIVES FOR PRIVATE SECTOR DEVELOPMENT.
THERE'S A LOT OF MONEY IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR THAT IS LOOKING TO MAKE INVESTMENTS, BUT ALSO LOOKING TO DO GOOD THINGS.
AND WORKFORCE HOUSING IS ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT THEY LOVE TO TALK ABOUT.
THEY LOVE TO MAKE AN INVESTMENT IN BECAUSE THEY CAN ALSO LOOK AT THEIR SHAREHOLDERS AND SAY, SEE WHAT WE DID? WE DID SOMETHING GOOD.
WORKFORCE HOUSING AND EVERYBODY APPLAUDS AND ALL THE, EVERYBODY, ALL THE EXECUTIVES GET TO KEEP THEIR JOBS.
WHAT CAN WE DO LOCALLY? WE CAN PARTNER WITH LOCAL, UH, JURISDICTIONS TO DRIVE POLICY CHANGE.
WE HAVE TO FIGURE OUT HOW DO WE GET SOMETHING OUT OF THE GROUND IN A SHORTER PERIOD OF TIME AND A LESS COSTLY PROCESS THAN WE HAVE NOW.
WE NEED TO EXPAND OUR INFRASTRUCTURE ACCESS AND REDUCE OUR COSTS.
EVERYBODY IS LOOKING AT THE COST OF WATER AND SEWER AS A DEAL KILLER.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT, AT HOW FAST IT'S GOING UP AT WHAT THAT MEANS TO A PROJECT, IT FORCES A LOT OF PEOPLE JUST TO WALK AWAY AND SAY, WE CAN'T.
WE'D HAVE TO CHARGE RENTS OF $4,000 TO BE ABLE TO PAY.
WE NEED TO OVERCOME RESISTANCE AND BUILD PUBLIC SUPPORT.
THERE IS NOT IN MY BACKYARD MENTALITY EVERYWHERE IN THE UNITED STATES, EVERYWHERE.
WHAT WE HAVE TO DO TO COMBAT THIS IS TO EDUCATE PEOPLE ON WHAT IT IS, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, EDUCATE PEOPLE ON WHO'S GOING TO LIVE THERE.
THAT IS THE BIGGEST FEAR, IS WHO'S GOING TO LIVE THERE? WHAT'S IT GONNA LOOK LIKE IN FIVE YEARS? IS IT GONNA BE MANAGED PROPERLY? WHAT WILL IT DO TO OUR CONSTITUENTS WHO LIVE CLOSE TO IT OR NEXT TO IT? WE HAVE, UM, PUT TOGETHER A REGIONAL COOPERATION FACILITATION THROUGH A 2025 SOLUTIONS FORUM.
THIS IS GONNA BE IN SEPTEMBER.
WE, WE WILL SEND YOU ALL SAVE THE DATES.
ESSENTIALLY WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO IS WE'RE GOING TO PUT AROUND THE TABLE DEVELOPERS, GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVES, PLANNERS, HOME BUILDERS, HOME CONSTRUCTORS, AND THOSE PEOPLE WHO ARE INVOLVED IN THE HOUSING PROCESS TO TALK ABOUT WHAT IT IS THAT WE CAN DO TO TRY AND HELP GET THINGS OUT OF THE GROUND FASTER, LESS EXPENSIVELY, AND REALLY PUT THE PRODUCT IN THE, IN THE COMMUNITIES THAT EVERYBODY WANTS TO SEE.
SO YOU'LL BE SEEING MORE ABOUT THAT AS, AS WE GO UP, UH, CLOSER TO SEPTEMBER, THIS IS THE SAVE THE DAY THAT YOU'LL GET BLUEPRINT FOR CHANGE.
WE WANNA BRING EVERYBODY TO THE TABLE.
WE WANT TO HEAR WHAT THEY HAVE TO SAY.
WE WANT TO HEAR WHAT THE PROBLEMS ARE, AND THEN WE WANNA TRY AND FIGURE OUT HOW COLLECTIVELY WE CAN WORK TOGETHER TO PROVIDE SOLUTIONS.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE OPPORTUNITY.
WE LOOK FORWARD TO OUR NEXT MEETING.
ANY QUESTIONS THAT I CAN, A ANSWER FOR ANYONE? THANK YOU MR. HICKS.
UH, FIRST ANYONE FROM THE BOARD? UH, ANY QUESTIONS? AND THEN I'LL OPEN UP TO THE PUBLIC CHAIRMAN.
WE TALK ABOUT BEAUFORT, JASPER ALL THE TIME.
HOW DO YOU SEPARATE? WHEN WE WERE DEVELOPING THIS WAY BACK, WE ALWAYS HAD THAT PROBLEM THAT HILTON HAD, WOULD HAVE ONE SET OF FIGURES.
BUFORD, UH, WOULD HAVE ANOTHER FROM THE SOUTH TO THE NORTH.
THEN YOU HAVE JASPER, WHICH IS ANOTHER SET OF FIGURES.
HOW DO YOU SEPARATE THAT WHEN YOU DO A, UH, THING WHERE IT SAYS BEAUFORT AND JASPER'S INCLUDED, OR JASPER'S INCLUDED WITH BUFORD? I MEAN, SO, SO WHERE YOU, WHAT I'M TRYING TO GET AT, WHERE IS THE MONEY? IS THE MONEY, DO YOU LOOK AT WHEN THE MONEY IS SPENT AND HOW IT, WELL, IT'S SPENT, FOR EXAMPLE, A THOUSAND DOLLARS IN BUFORD WOULD DO ONE THING, BUT A THOUSAND DOLLARS IN JASPER WOULD DO A LOT MORE.
WE RECOGNIZE THAT FROM, UM, A HUD PERSPECTIVE.
THE NUMBERS THAT WE LOOK AT, THIS IS WHAT'S CALLED THE HILTON HEAD.
EVERYONE IN BOTH COUNTIES IS IN THAT MSA.
SO YOU GET A SKEWED KIND OF VISION OF WHAT IT'S REALLY LIKE.
YOU'RE LOOKING AT HILTON HEAD PRODUCT ALONG WITH JASPER COUNTY PRODUCT AND DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE FROM AN ECONOMIC PERSPECTIVE.
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KNOW THAT EVERYTHING IS MOVING TOWARDS JASPER BECAUSE OF LOWER COST OF LAND, LESS EXPENSIVE DEVELOPMENT COSTS.WE HAVE DEVELOPERS WHO ARE COMING IN ALL THE TIME ASKING, WHERE CAN I LOOK? WHERE'S GONNA BE THE NEXT MARKET? SO WE DO DIFFERENTIATE.
HUD DOESN'T DIFFERENTIATE AT ALL.
IT'S BLIND TO HILTON HEAD VERSUS JASPER.
IT'S BLIND TO HILTON HEAD VERSUS Y EMBASSY.
UM, BUT WHAT WE DO IS WE LOOK AT WHAT ARE THOSE NUMBERS REALLY SAYING? AND IF YOU LOOKED AT THE ONE SLIDE, WE DIVIDED IT BETWEEN BEAUFORT AND JASPER COUNTY.
WE KNOW THAT JASPER COUNTY IS GOING TO GROW SUBSTANTIALLY OVER THE NEXT FIVE TO 10 YEARS.
WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE WORKFORCE HOUSING IN THAT MIX.
UM, BUT IT'S, IT IS VERY DIFFICULT WHEN YOU TRY AND BLEND THE TWO TOGETHER.
'CAUSE IT, YOU ALMOST CAN'T, UH, THEY'RE SEPARATE AND DISTINCT MUNICIPALITIES.
THEY'RE SEPARATE AND DISTINCT COMMUNITIES.
AND SO DEVELOPERS KNOW WHEN THEY COME INTO THOSE COMMUNITIES, THEY'VE GOT TO ADAPT BASED ON WHERE THEY ARE.
THE WAY YOU DEVELOP IN HILTON HEAD IS SUBSTANTIALLY DIFFERENT THAN THE WAY YOU DEVELOP IN JASPER COUNTY.
AND THE FOLLOW UP ON THAT, WHEN YOU DID THE, UH, PROJECT IN HARDY V MM-HMM.
YOU HAD, I WOULD LIKE TO, COULD YOU EVER GIVE A PRESENTATION ON HOW THAT WORKS? SURE.
I MEAN, IT JUST, THAT PARTICULAR FRAMEWORK.
SO IF WE HAVE A OPPORTUNITY, WE KNOW THERE'S A FRAMEWORK THERE.
AND, UH, SO MAYOR WILLIAMS LED THE WAY IN GETTING THAT PROJECT DONE.
BUT A LOT OF PEOPLE HAD TO SAY YES IN ORDER TO GET THAT DONE.
HABITAT HAD TO SAY YES WITH RESPECT TO WHETHER IT WAS GOING TO DO SOMETHING IT WASN'T USED TO DOING, WHICH IS CREATE 10 UNITS.
UM, THE CONTRACTOR HAD TO SAY YES BECAUSE THEY WERE DOING IT ON A FIXED PRICE AND IT WAS SLIGHTLY BELOW MARKET, NOT GREATLY BELOW MARKET.
THE CITY HAD TO AGREE ON A WHOLE BUNCH OF THINGS IN ORDER TO MAKE THIS WORK.
AND THEN WE STEPPED UP WITH HOME, FIRST TIME HOME BUYER'S ASSISTANCE.
SO WE GAVE EACH OF THE RESIDENTS THERE ENOUGH MONEY TO PUT DOWN TO BE ABLE TO BUY THE HOUSE.
A LOT OF THINGS HAD TO HAPPEN.
UH, BUT I'M HAPPY TO COME BACK AND TALK ABOUT HOW THAT CAN HAPPEN IN YOUR COMMUNITIES AS WELL.
UM, ANYONE FROM THE PUBLIC LIKE TO ASK THE QUESTION? YES.
UM, MY NAME IS CARLTON DALLAS.
UM, I'LL BE HOPEFULLY SPEAKING ABOUT, PLEASE COME TO THE MICROPHONE.
SO, 'CAUSE WE'RE RECORDING YOU.
MY NAME IS CARLTON DALLAS AND MY BACKGROUND IS GLOBAL PETROLEUM.
34 YEARS, INCLUDING, UH, FIVE CONTINENTS.
THERE'S A LOT OF FOREIGN CAPITAL THAT WANTS TO COME INTO THE US.
ARE THERE PROGRAMS THAT MAKE THAT EASY FOR THEM TO INVEST IN HOUSING AS A MR THIS GENTLEMAN HAS JUST SPOKEN ABOUT.
MR. HICKS, YOU MIGHT WANNA GET HIS CARD.
UM, MOST OF THE TIME RIGHT NOW THE INVESTMENT IN HOUSING FROM INTERNATIONAL CORPORATIONS IS DONE THROUGH A SYNDICATOR.
UH, THEY WILL GIVE THAT MONEY, THEY WILL FORM A POOL, AND THEN A SYNDICATOR WILL DECIDE WHICH PROJECTS THEY'RE GOING TO SEND THAT MONEY TO.
UH, THE MOST PROLIFIC IS CENTAIR BANK.
WE DON'T HAVE ANY OF THOSE IN SOUTH CAROLINA.
THEY'RE A SPANISH BANK AND THEY, UH, ALONG WITH RBC FROM CANADA, HAVE INVESTED A HUGE AMOUNT OF MONEY, BUT THEY'RE INVESTING THEM IN EXCHANGE FOR GETTING TAX CREDITS.
SO THERE'S VERY LITTLE IN THE WAY OF INTERNATIONAL INVESTMENT.
STRAIGHT UP, WE'RE GONNA GO IN AND WE'RE GONNA EXPECT A CERTAIN ROI AND WE'RE GONNA MAKE THAT INVESTMENT.
UH, BUT THE INTEREST IN SOUTH CAROLINA WILL MEAN THAT THOSE INTERNATIONAL INVESTORS ARE GOING TO HEAD OUR WAY PRETTY QUICKLY.
SOUTH CAROLINA HAS BECOME A VERY, VERY HOT MARKET AND WILL CONTINUE TO BE PROBABLY OVER THE NEXT AT LEAST DECADE.
UH, WE'RE GONNA NOW GO ON TO THANK YOU MR. HICKS.
UM, AND ALSO, UM, JESS, YOU HAVE THAT, UH, COULD YOU MAKE SURE THAT, UH, THIS ENDS UP ON THE SO LOCO TAB ON HARDY AND BLUFFTON POLICE? YEAH, I CAN QUESTION.
UM, NEXT WE HAVE MR. ORLANDO LEWIS, WHO'S THE CHAIR OF OUR CHILDCARE SUBCOMMITTEE.
[00:35:02]
I'D LIKE TO SAY GOOD MORNING TO THE BOARD.AND ALSO MAYOR WILLIAMS. SO AGAIN, MY NAME IS ORLANDO LEWIS.
UM, YOU GUYS HAVE IDENTIFIED ME AS THE CHAIR FOR THE EARLY CHILD CARE SUBCOMMITTEE.
AND OUR SUBCOMMITTEE COMPRISES OF MEMBERS OF MS. JODY LEVITT, MR. MCGILL, UM, ALSO MR. TOM HINES.
AND WE HAVE A NEW MEMBER WHO HAVE JOINED US AND HE'S BEEN VERY INSTRUMENTAL.
UM, WE WANTED TO, UM, BRING A ACTION ITEM TO SO LOCO.
AND ONE OF OUR FIRST STRATEGIC RECOMMENDATIONS IS NUMBER ONE THAT, SO LOCO ACCEPTS THE TRY SHARE RESOLUTION TEMPLATE.
YOU ALL HAVE A COPY OF THAT PARTICULAR TEMPLATE.
TEMPLATE, UM, IN YOUR POSSESSION.
UH, NEXT WE WOULD LIKE TO RECOMMEND THAT.
SO LOCO DISTRIBUTES THIS RESOLUTION TO ALL MUNICIPALITIES TO SIGN UP ON THIS RESOLUTION.
AND THEN THIRD ACTION ITEM IS TO PRESENT THE SIGN RESOLUTION TO THE ERT AND JASPER COUNTY STATE DELEGATION AND CHAMPION THIS RESOLUTION IN COLUMBIA.
I KNOW WE'VE HAD PREVIOUS DISCUSSIONS ABOUT THE TRI SHARE MODEL.
I DON'T KNOW IF WE NEED TO DO A REFRESHER ON THIS PARTICULAR MODEL, UM, AS IT RELATES TO WHAT IS CURRENTLY TAKING PLACE, UM, REGARDING THE TRI SHARE MODEL.
JUST AS A RECAP, UM, THE TRI SHARE MODEL WAS FIRST INITIATED IN MICHIGAN, IS ALSO BEING USED IN NORTH CAROLINA AS WELL.
AND AS WE INDICATED DURING THE PREVIOUS MEETINGS, UM, THE TRI FAIR MODEL, UM, IS A MODEL THAT INCLUDES A 33%, UM, INVESTMENT BY THE GOVERNMENT, STATE GOVERNMENT THAT IS, UM, A 33% INVESTMENT BY THE EMPLOYER AND THEN ALSO A 30, 33% INVESTMENT FROM THE EMPLOYEE TO, UM, TO CONTRIBUTE TOWARD THE COST OF CHILDCARE.
AND OUR REQUEST IS THAT SHOULD THE TEMPLATE BE SIGNED AND CHAMPION, UM, IN COLUMBIA, THAT BEAUFORT AND JASPER COUNTY BE CONSIDERED AS THE PILOT LOCATION WAS A PARTICULAR MODEL TO KICK OFF IN THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA.
THIS IS A GREAT RECOMMENDATION.
UH, I SPEAK FOR MYSELF, OF COURSE.
UM, AND, UH, THE SO LOCO GROUP, ONE OF THE GREAT THINGS ABOUT, SO LOCO IN THE PAST, WE, WE HAVE, UM, GOTTEN TOGETHER AND LOBBIED THROUGH RESOLUTIONS ON CERTAIN ISSUES.
THE ONE THAT IMMEDIATELY COMES TO MIND WAS THE, UM, OUR SUPPORT OF, UH, THE BUSINESS LICENSE, UM, REFORMS THAT WERE DONE.
AND WE ALL GOT TOGETHER AND SUPPORTED THAT.
UH, TYPICALLY, AND THIS IS FOR THE SO LOCO BOARD, SINCE THIS BOARD HAS NO LEGISLATIVE POWER, UM, WHAT WE WOULD ASK THE SO LOCO MEMBERS IT TO TAKE THIS BACK AND PUT IT ON YOUR AGENDA TO, UH, HAVE YOUR COUNCIL'S DEBATE AND DECIDE WHETHER OR NOT THEY WOULD SUPPORT SOMETHING LIKE THIS.
UM, SO MR. LEWIS, THIS AND MR. SCO AND YOUR, ALL YOUR COMMITTEE MEMBERS, THANK YOU FOR THIS.
THIS IS EXACTLY THE KIND OF THING THAT WE LIKE TO SEE COME OUT OF SUBCOMMITTEES IS A SUGGESTED, UH, ACTION ITEM SUCH AS THIS.
UM, SO ANY QUESTIONS FIRST FROM THE BOARD? MR. LEWIS? UH, WHEN I BRING THIS TO MY COUNSEL, I WOULD LIKE TO INCLUDE THE SOURCE OF THE DATA THAT WE HAVE IN HERE AS WELL.
CAN YOU SEND THAT SEPARATELY IN AN EMAIL TO US? YES, WE CAN SEND THAT.
UM, ANYONE ELSE HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THIS? YES, SIR.
MR. MAYOR, UH, HAVE YOU HAD ANY PRELIMINARY CONVERSATIONS WITH REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE DELEGATION? AND IF SO, WHAT'S THE FEEDBACK THAT THEY'VE PROVIDED? WE HAVE NOT.
UM, WE JUST HAD OUR MEMBERS FROM OUR SUBCOMMITTEE TO, TO DO, UM, JUST SOME, SOME LEGWORK IN OTHER STATES TO SEE, YOU KNOW, HOW IT'S PROGRESSING IN THOSE STATES.
AND SO FAR IT'S VERY SUCCESSFUL.
UM, SO ONCE AGAIN, YOU KNOW, OUR GOAL IS TO, TO MAKE THAT MAKE US A PILOT, PILOT FOR THE USE OF THIS PARTICULAR MODEL.
BUT, BUT NO ONE, AS OF YET, I, I THINK THE ACTION PLAN WOULD BE THAT EACH OF THE JURISDICTIONS THAT ARE INVOLVED IN JU SO LOCO, THEY WOULD COME BACK AND SAY, OKAY, WE HAVE, WE SUPPORT THIS RESOLUTION AND THEN WE SEND IT UP TO THE STATE AS A, AS A GROUP.
WHETHER THAT GROUP IS A HUNDRED PERCENT, 80% WHATEVER EACH,
[00:40:01]
EACH JURISDICTION WOULD HAVE TO DECIDE WHETHER OR NOT THEY WOULD SUPPORT THIS.WHEN WE SEND IT UP TO THE STATE, I THINK THE, THAT WE, WE WILL NEED THE DATA THAT, BECAUSE THAT OUR LEGISLATORS WILL ASK FOR IT.
BUT FIRST STEP IS TO MAKE SURE THAT THE DATA IS GIVEN TO EACH JURISDICTION.
UM, AND WE, EACH JURISDICTION GO BACK AND IT'S UP TO EVERYBODY HERE WHETHER THEY WANNA DO THAT AND ASK THEIR COUNCILS TO SUPPORT THIS RESOLUTION, SIR, NO PROBLEM.
SO I WOULD, I WOULD SUGGEST THAT TO EACH MEMBER OF SO LOCO, AND IT'S NOT A REQUIREMENT, IT'S, IT'S WHAT, WHAT YOU EACH FEEL ABOUT THIS.
AND THEN WE WILL TAKE WHATEVER GROUP OF PEOPLE WE HAVE OR JURISDICTIONS THAT WE HAVE AND TAKE IT TO THE STATE.
ONE QUESTION, WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE FOR A PRESENTATION TO COUNSEL? YES.
WE, I PUT IT ON THE AGENDA, THEN WE'D BE MORE THAN HAPPY.
TALK TO COUNCIL AS A GROUP AND, UH, EXPRESS YOUR PLAN, BASICALLY.
SO ORLANDO OR, OR JODY, WHOEVER FROM YOUR SUBCOMMITTEE.
UM, OBVIOUSLY OUR COUNCILS ARE GOING TO, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE JUST NOT GONNA ACCEPT THIS.
THEY'RE GONNA ASK, WANNA KNOW, THEY WANNA KNOW ABOUT IT.
THEY'RE, THEY'RE GONNA WANNA DEBATE IT.
SO, UM, I WOULD SUGGEST TO EACH JURISDICTION WHO WANTS, UH, YOU OR ONE OF THE MEMBERS TO, UM, TO CONNECT TO HAVE YOU COME TO THEIR MEETING.
IS THAT ACCEPTABLE? NOT A PROBLEM.
ALL SHOULD HAVE OUR CONTACT INFORMATION.
I'LL MAKE SURE YOU GET AN EMAIL THAT WILL INDICATE THAT.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, THESE ARE THE, THE KINDS OF THINGS, THIS COORDINATION, AND I, I'M GONNA ADDRESS JOSH OR ANYONE ELSE, LIKE MR. WOOD, WHO, UM, WANT TO HEAD BE THE COORDINATOR.
UM, AND I DID SPEAK TO MR. WOOD ABOUT TAKING ON THAT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS CHILDCARE SUBCOMMITTEE.
SO THAT WOULD BE, IF, IF THEY, IF RATHER THAN EVERYTHING COME THROUGH ME, YES, SIR.
WOULD GO THROUGH THAT COORDINATOR TO MAKE SURE THEY WOULD MAKE SURE THAT IT GOT OUT TO WHOEVER.
AND SO, UM, THAT'S EXACT, YOU KNOW, I KNOW I'VE HAD SOME QUESTIONS FROM SOME OF MY RECRUITS AS TO WHAT THIS ROLE WOULD BE.
AND ALSO FYI FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC, WE DO HAVE COPIES OF THE RESOLUTION AVAILABLE FOR YOU ALL AS WELL.
E EVERYTHING SHOULD COME TO US ELECTRONICALLY SO WE CAN MAKE SURE EVERYBODY HAS IT.
ANYBODY FROM THE PUBLIC HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR MR. LEWIS OR ANY OF THE STAFF MEMBERS? I DO HAVE A QUESTION.
I THINK YOU'VE LIMIT YOUR RUN OUTS.
DID YOU KNOW KO IS, UH, IS WITH OUR GOVERNMENTS, RIGHT? HAVE YOU GONE TO THE SCHOOLS AND ASKED THE SAME THING? WE HAVE NOT, NO.
WOULD THAT BE PRUDENT FOR YOU TO DO THAT? I MEAN, AS A YOU JOINT? 'CAUSE THEY'RE ALWAYS, WHEN YOU GO TO THE SCHOOL BOARDS, THEY'RE ALWAYS TALKING ABOUT EARLY LEARNING AND ALL THAT, RIGHT? SO AS A JOINT, UH, JASPER TOTAL, OR BUFORD TOTAL, IT WOULD BE SCHOOL BOARD AND SOCO.
WELL, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE CURRENTLY DOING IS WE ARE ASSESSING WHO WOULD BE GREAT MEMBERS, UM, TO JOIN THE SO LOCO SUBCOMMITTEE SO WE CAN HAVE MORE DIALOGUE REGARDING, UM, WHAT, WHAT IS TAKING PLACE, BOOTS ON THE GROUND.
BUT BECAUSE THIS IS, THIS IS AN INITIATIVE THAT'S TARGETING CHILDCARE ENTITIES, YOU KNOW, WE FELT THAT WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT, SO LOKO WAS THE FIRST ENTITIES TO, TO BE, UM, TO BE ENGAGED IN THIS PARTICULAR DISCUSSION.
THANK YOU BEING THAT IT IS A PAID SERVICE FOR CHILDCARE ENTITIES.
OKAY, NEXT WE HAVE, UM, THIS IS, UH, THE GROWTH IES SUBCOMMITTEE, WHICH WE FORMED A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO.
UM, MR. ROB MERCHANT WAS, UM, GOOD ENOUGH TO HEAD UP THIS SUBCOMMITTEE.
GOOD MORNING, MEMBERS OF SOME GOOD MORNING, AND I PROMISE I WILL TRY TO RESPECT THAT, UH, ONE HOUR CUTOFF.
UM, SO, UM, AS, AS, UH, THE MAYOR MENTIONS, UM, SO LOCO PUT TOGETHER A COMMITTEE
[00:45:01]
TO LOOK AT GROWTH IN THE REGION, UM, AND LOOK AT GROWTH BOUNDARIES AND ALSO LOOK AT OUR COMPREHENSIVE PLANS AND SEE HOW THEY MESH TOGETHER.UM, IF WE CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
UM, SO THIS COMMITTEE PRIMARILY STARTED AS, UM, MUNICIPAL AND COUNTY PLANNERS MEETING TOGETHER.
AND, UM, WE REALIZED EARLY ON THAT THERE WERE SEVERAL LIMITATIONS TO THIS SIMPLY BEING A STAFF DRIVEN EFFORTS.
YOU KNOW, THAT, UM, WE DEFINITELY ALL HAVE OUR REGULAR JOBS.
UM, YEAH, I, AGAIN,
BUT, UM, WE STARTED AT THE UNI OR, YOU KNOW, LOCAL GOVERNMENT LEVEL, BUT, UM, WE REALIZED THE IMPORTANCE EARLY ON OF BRINGING IN SOME, UH, REGIONAL PARTNERS, YOU KNOW, SUCH AS THE COASTAL CONSERVATION LEAGUE, UM, OPEN LAND TRUSTS, UH, SOUTH CAROLINA, LOW COUNTRY SENTINEL LANDSCAPE, UH, BEAUFORT, JASPER WATER SEWER AUTHORITY, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THEY DEFINITELY HAVE A, THEY'RE SEEING THIS, YOU KNOW, THIS VISION FROM A REGIONAL LEVEL, AND THAT'S KIND OF WHAT, WHAT OUR CHARGE WAS.
BUT, UM, SO WE MET TOGETHER AND, UM, I'LL START OFF WITH THIS SLIDE.
YOU KNOW, WHEN WE TYPICALLY, YOU KNOW, WHEN I GIVE A PRESENTATION ABOUT COMPREHENSIVE PLANNING, I ALWAYS LIKE TO START WITH PHOTOGRAPHS.
AND, UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE ALWAYS SAY TO THE COMMUNITY IS THAT WE'RE VERY DIVERSE.
BUT IF WE LOOK AT WHAT WE VALUE MOST ABOUT THE LOW COUNTRY, WE PRETTY MUCH WOULD ALL AGREE ON THE SAME THINGS THAT WE LOVE THE NATURAL BEAUTY OF OUR AREA.
WE LOVE THE, THE LANDSCAPE, THE QUALITY OF LIFE, UH, THE HISTORY.
BUT WE RECOGNIZE THAT THOSE THINGS, YOU KNOW, THAT WE'RE TREASURING THESE THINGS IN A VERY DYNAMIC ENVIRONMENT, YOU KNOW, SO WE'RE GROWING VERY FAST IN, IN THE COASTAL COUNTY, YOU KNOW, AND NOW, YOU KNOW, FOR A LONG TIME IT WAS BEAUFORT, NOW IT'S JASPER COUNTY, IT'S THE FASTEST GROWING IN THE STATE, UM, AND THAT THIS GROWTH HAS CONSEQUENCES.
AND SO EACH OF US HAVE A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN THAT PROVIDES A ROADMAP OF HOW WE NAVIGATE THAT, HOW WE TRY, YOU KNOW, KEEP THOSE THINGS THAT WE TREASURE, BUT THEN WE HAVE TO BALANCE ALL THE INTERESTS.
AND I THINK THAT THE FIRST TWO PRESENTATIONS TODAY, KIND OF GIVE AN IDEA.
WE HAVE, WE HAVE THE ISSUES, YOU KNOW, NOT ONLY OF TRYING TO PRESERVE LAND AND, AND, AND GROWING SMART, BUT ALSO AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND, UM, CHILDCARE, ALL THESE ISSUES RELATED TO A FAST GROWING REGION.
SO REALLY WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING AND WHAT WE WANNA PRESENT THIS MORNING IS WHAT WE BELIEVE ARE SOME OF THE CONSIDERATIONS OR, OR, UH, CONCERNS ABOUT FAST GROWTH THAT WE THINK, UM, ARE GONNA HAVE GREATER CONSEQUENCE IF WE CONTINUE TO PLAN SEPARATELY.
AND, UM, I THINK THAT CAN BE, WE CAN BE IN A BETTER POSITION TO PLAN IF, IF WE HAVE A KIND OF A JOINT FUTURE LAND USE FRAMEWORK, A JOINT ROADMAP AMONG THE REGION.
AND I THINK THIS IS WHY SO LOCO IS PUT TOGETHER.
WE RECOGNIZE THAT, YOU KNOW, INDIVIDUALLY, WE CERTAINLY, UM, YOU KNOW, WE LOVE OUR LOCAL COMMUNITIES AND, AND, AND WE, UM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE PRESERVING QUALITY OF LIFE.
BUT, YOU KNOW, WE ALL WORK TOGETHER AS A REGION, YOU KNOW, AND, AND WHAT HAPPENS OVER THE BOUNDARY OF OUR OWN COMMUNITY.
UM, IT OFTEN WE, WE IMPACT EACH OTHER.
AND SO HAVING THE SHARED VISION IS IMPORTANT.
I'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE, AND I CAN'T REMEMBER, OH, TAYLOR LAD FROM BEAUFORT, JASPER WATER SEWER AUTHORITY.
WE'RE GONNA JUST RUN THROUGH A FEW SLIDES AND THEN WE'RE HOPING TO WRAP IT UP AND KIND OF GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF WHAT, WHAT WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE AS THE NEXT STEPS.
TAYLOR LAD OF, UM, PLANNING MANAGER WITH BEAUFORT JASPER WATER AND SEWER.
SO WE LOOKED AT SOME OF THE POPULATION AND POPULATION DATA IS A VERY POPULAR WAY TO LOOK AT GROWTH AND EVALUATE PROJECTIONS ON FUTURE GROWTH.
BUT WE REALLY KIND OF WANTED TO DRIVE A POINT HOME HERE IN LOOKING AT RESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMITS FROM 2023.
SO FIRST OF ALL, THIS REPRESENTS A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT BETWEEN ALL OF THE AGENCIES AND JURISDICTIONS WORKING TOGETHER ON THIS PROJECT, WHICH IN MY MIND IS A PRETTY AMAZING ACCOMPLISHMENT AND APPRECIATE THIS FORUM FOR PUTTING, PUTTING THAT TOGETHER AND DRIVING THIS EFFORT AND SUPPORTING IT.
UH, BUT RESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMITS IS SPEAKING VERY STRONGLY TO THE GROWTH HERE.
AND DEFINITELY WE'RE LOOKING AT COMPILING DATA FROM 2024.
AND I APPRECIATE MR. HICKS SHOWING HISTORIC DATA BEHIND BUILDING PERMITS.
UNFORTUNATELY, I DON'T KNOW WHAT PERCENTAGE OF THIS IS REPRESENTED BY OBTAINABLE HOUSING, BUT CERTAINLY WE CAN BEGIN TO SEE HOW THIS IS WORKING.
[00:50:01]
NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE WORKED ON AS A SUBCOMMITTEE, AND THIS HAS DEFINITELY, UM, MOSTLY BEEN HEADED UP BY, UM, ROB'S TEAM OVER AT BUFORT COUNTY, BUT WE'RE PUTTING TOGETHER THIS DIGITAL REPRESENTATION OF, UH, DEVELOPMENT DATA.
SO THIS REPRESENTS THE DEVELOPMENT, DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENTS, PLANNED UNIT DEVELOPMENTS, PLANNED DISTRICT DEVELOPMENTS, ALL, ALL OF OUR JURISDICTIONS KIND OF CALL 'EM A LITTLE BIT SOMETHING DIFFERENT, BUT MASTER PLANNED AREAS.
AND BASICALLY WHAT YOU CAN SEE HERE IS THE BALANCE OF WHAT UNITS.
SO EACH OF THESE MASTERPLAN AREAS ARE ENTITLED TO A CERTAIN NUMBER OF UNITS TO BUILD RESIDENTIAL COMMERCIAL.
AND THIS IS SHOWING THE BALANCE OF WHAT IS REMAINING.
SO DARKER PURPLE BASICALLY MEANS THERE ARE MORE UNITS AVAILABLE TO BUILD.
SO THIS IS ONE WAY THAT WE'RE WORKING TOGETHER TO UNDERSTAND THE DATA WE HAVE AND THE FUTURE THAT'S ANTICIPATED, BECAUSE SOME OF THESE AGREEMENTS HAVE BEEN IN PLACE FOR 20 YEARS AND ARE NOW COMING TO FRUITION, WHICH IS SOMETHING THAT WE'RE ALL, WE ALL UNDERSTAND AND ARE SEEING.
SO MY FAVORITE TOPIC, WATER AND SEWER, UH, WE'RE GONNA SPEND THE NEXT FEW SLIDES HERE ARE LOOKING AT A FEW MORE SPECIFIC TOPICS AND THE IMPACTS OF GROWTH ON OUR INFRASTRUCTURE AND ECONOMIC DRIVERS.
AND SPECIFIC TO WATER AND SEWER, I NEED TO FIRST ACKNOWLEDGE THAT WHILE, UH, BUFORT JASPER WATER AND SEWER HAS A VERY LARGE SERVICE AREA IN OUR COUNTIES, THERE'S ALSO WATER AND SEWER SERVICE BEING PROVIDED BY PUBLIC SERVICE DISTRICT.
AND HILTON HEAD TOWN OF RIDGELAND HAS ITS OWN WATER AND SEWER SYSTEM, AND UMSC, UM, HAS LOW COUNTRY WATER.
SO WE ARE A BULK OF THE TWO COUNTY SYSTEM, BUT THERE ARE OTHER PROVIDERS.
SO I CAN ONLY SPEAK TO WHAT IS IN OUR JURISDICTION, UM, IN OUR AREA.
SO WHAT IS ESSENTIALLY ON THE SLIDE HERE IS A REALLY QUICK BREAKDOWN OF FOUR PROJECTS.
THAT, AND $150 MILLION INVESTMENT IS ON THE LOW SIDE.
IT'S PROBABLY MORE LIKE 180 MILLION, BUT ACROSS FOUR PROJECTS THAT ARE RESPONDING TO GROWTH OUT OF OUR THREE YEAR CIP THAT'S CURRENTLY APPROVED AT THIS POINT IN TIME, THAT A $590 MILLION CAPITAL PROGRAM, 65% OF THAT IS PROJECTS RELATED TO GROWTH, WHICH IS REPRESENTED HERE.
SO WE HAVE UNDER CONSTRUCTION RIGHT NOW AT CHERRY POINT IN PERRYSBURG.
UM, YOU GUYS HAVE PROBABLY SEEN STORAGE TANK GOING UP IN BUCK WALTER, AND THEN, UM, LEFT IN AREA IMPROVEMENTS, WHICH WE'RE GRATEFUL TO HAVE, UM, SOME FUNDING FROM R FOR THAT.
UM, BUT THIS IS, THIS IS WHAT A LOT OF THE WORK IS GOING ON FOR US.
UM, IN ADDITION TO THE REST OF OUR MULTIMILLION DOLLAR CAPITAL PROGRAM, I JUST WANTED TO POINT OUT THAT WE ARE RESPONDING TO THE GROWTH.
WE'RE WORKING HARD TO BE, UM, PROACTIVE AND GRATEFUL TO, UH, SUCCESSFUL MASTER PLANNING THAT OUR ORGANIZATION THAT THE AUTHORITY HAS, HAS DONE TO ANTICIPATE THIS AND, AND PLAN FOR IT.
AND WE'RE CURRENTLY, UM, IN A NEW MASTER PLAN, UM, HAVE A NEW MASTER PLAN PROJECT GOING ON AND LOOKING FORWARD TO MORE PROJECTIONS AND FUTURE PLANNING FOR THAT.
UM, I'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE DANA BAUER.
I'M GONNA SPEAK ABOUT THE NEAR COUPLE SLIDES.
UH, SO I'M THE COORDINATOR FOR THE SOUTH CAROLINA LOW COUNTRY SENTINEL LANDSCAPE, UM, WHICH IS REALLY A, A PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM WORKING AT THE REGIONAL SCALE FOCUSED ON OUR, OUR BEAUFORT MILITARY INSTALLATIONS.
BUT WE WORK WITH FEDERAL, REGIONAL, STATE AND PRIVATE PARTNERS.
UM, AND SO THIS IS GONNA RUN THROUGH FROM 2001 TO 2025.
YOU CAN SEE IN BLACK ARE THE DEVELOPED AREAS.
GREEN ARE THE PROTECTED LANDS, YELLOW IS WHAT WAS PROTECTED IN THAT PARTICULAR YEAR, AND THIS IS GONNA KIND OF ROLL THROUGH.
UM, AND I THINK IT SPEAKS TO BOTH THE INCREDIBLE AMOUNT OF CONSERVATION WORK THAT IS BEING DONE IN THIS REGION TO PROTECT THOSE ENVIRONMENTALLY SIGNIFICANT AND SENSITIVE AREAS, BUT ALSO THE GROWTH OF OUR COMMUNITIES.
AND I THINK IT'S A LITTLE BIT HARDER TO SEE INCREMENTALLY FROM YEAR TO YEAR, BUT IF WE WERE TO KIND OF GO BACK AND LOOK AT 2001 COMPARED TO 2025, I THINK WE WOULD SEE WHAT WE'RE ALL SEEING, UM, THE AMOUNT OF POPULATION GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT THAT'S HAPPENING IN OUR TWO COUNTIES.
AND SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, THIS IS KIND OF A CRITICAL POINT FROM WHAT WE HEARD EARLIER ON, UM, THE WORK OF THE HOUSING TRUST AND ALSO LOOKING AT GROWTH WHERE THAT GROWTH IS, UM,
[00:55:01]
GOING TO CONTINUE OCCURRING AND WHAT ARE THE CONSTRAINTS.AND SO THAT'S SORT OF WHAT, YOU KNOW, THIS GROWTH SUBCOMMITTEE HAS BEEN FOCUSING ON UNDERSTANDING BETTER.
UM, I'M GONNA ROLL TO THE NEXT, NEXT SLIDE.
AND SO AGAIN, OBVIOUSLY I WORK, UM, CLOSELY WITH THE AIR STATION, PARIS ISLAND AND, AND THE NAVAL HOSPITAL THROUGH THE SENTINEL LANDSCAPE PARTNERSHIP.
AND SO IN A GROWTH CONTEXT, UM, RECOGNIZING THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS HAS A REGIONAL FOOTPRINT.
SO, YOU KNOW, OUR MILITARY INSTALLATIONS ARE IN BEAUFORT AND, AND PORT ROYAL AREA.
BUT, UM, BOTH FROM A A MILITARY TRAINING ASPECT, THERE'S A REGIONAL FOOTPRINT ACROSS THIS.
YOU CAN SEE THIS IS A VERY CLUTTERED MAP, BUT YOU CAN SEE, UM, THE AIRSPACE AND FLIGHT TRAINING CORRIDORS KIND OF IN, IN THE BLUE AND GREEN, UH, SNAKES ALL OVER THE MAP.
UM, SO THERE'S A REGIONAL TRAINING FOOTPRINT, BUT ALSO WHEN WE THINK ABOUT, UM, YOU KNOW, OUR REGION REALLY AS A MILITARY COMMUNITY, UM, BOTH FROM AN ECONOMIC STANDPOINT, YOU CAN SEE UP IN THE CORNER THERE, UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THE PRESENCE OF THE MILITARY IS REALLY A HUGE ECONOMIC DRIVER, UM, FOR THE COMMUNITY.
SO ACROSS THE THREE INSTALLATIONS, WE HAVE OVER TWO AND A HALF BILLION DOLLARS EACH YEAR THAT ARE GENERATED.
THAT'S THROUGH JOBS, CONTRACTS, SERVICES TO SUPPORT THAT POPULATION.
UM, AND WHEN WE TALK ABOUT GROWTH AND, AND RESIDENTIAL HOUSING, OBVIOUSLY THERE'S ACTIVE DUTY INDEPENDENCE THAT LIVE SOME OF THEM ON BASE, BUT A LOT OF THEM ARE OUT IN THE COMMUNITY IN ADDITION TO, YOU KNOW, RETIREES, VETERAN POPULATIONS.
UM, AND SO, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT, AT GROWTH AND REALLY WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, THE, WHAT ROB SPOKE TO IS PRESERVING QUALITY OF LIFE.
THAT'S ULTIMATELY WHAT WE'RE, WE'RE KIND OF TALKING ABOUT IS, UM, HOW CAN WE SUPPORT OUR COMMUNITY, SUPPORT LOCAL ECONOMY, BUT PRESERVE OUR LOW COUNTRY QUALITY OF LIFE.
AND, UM, JUST THROWING IN, SO FROM A MILITARY CONTEXT AS WELL, UM, WHEN WE LOOK AT PRESERVING KIND OF THE ECONOMIC DRIVER ASSOCIATED WITH OUR MILITARY, UM, QUALITY OF LIFE IS INCREASINGLY BECOMING MORE AND MORE OF A COMPONENT.
WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT FUTURE BASING DECISIONS AND, UM, NEW MISSIONS COMING TO INSTALLATIONS, UM, THEY'RE INCREASINGLY LOOKING AT COMMUNITY QUALITY OF LIFE FOR MILITARY.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS WE'VE BEEN LOOKING AT IS LOOKING AT THAT MILITARY COMMUNITY NEXUS WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT.
I THINK ROB'S GONNA COME BACK UP, MAKE ANOTHER APPEARANCE.
YEAH, AND I, SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, THERE, THERE'S QUITE A NUMBER OF ISSUES RELATED TO, TO RAPID GROWTH.
UM, SOME OTHER ISSUES, YOU KNOW, THINGS THAT MAYBE YOU DON'T THINK ABOUT AT FIRST IS, YOU KNOW, THE IMPACT ON MEDICAL CARE.
YOU KNOW, WE DO HAVE A MORE, UH, ELDERLY POPULATION, UH, IN THE LOW COUNTRY BECAUSE OF RETIREES.
AND THERE'S A REAL DEMAND, NOT JUST FOR NURSE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A, A STATEWIDE NURSING SHORTAGE, BUT EVEN, UM, SPECIALISTS, YOU KNOW, IN, IN OUR, UH, HOSPITAL FACILITIES.
YOU CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE AND WE'LL HAVE ALL THIS INFORMATION AVAILABLE.
AND THEN FINALLY, I DON'T REALLY KNOW IF I NEED TO SPEAK ON TRANSPORTATION, BUT THE, IN, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE MOST VISIBLE IMPACTS OF GROWTH IS, YOU KNOW, THE, OUR ABILITY TO GET AROUND AND, YOU KNOW, AS WE PROJECT INTO THE FUTURE, WE'RE LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, WITH, WITH, UM, NO ADDITIONAL IMPROVEMENTS, QUITE A BIT OF MORE FAILING INTERSECTIONS AND ROAD SECTIONS.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, AS A REGION, IT HAS BEEN A REAL CHALLENGE OVER THE LAST 20, 30 YEARS TO RAISE FUNDS FOR, FOR, UM, ROADS AND ROAD WIDENINGS NEW ROADS BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THE AMOUNT OF MONEY COMING FROM THE FEDERAL AND STATE GOVERNMENT IS NOT NEARLY ENOUGH TO PAY FOR THE IMPROVEMENTS THAT WE NEED LOCALLY TO, TO SHOULDER THE, THE GROWTH THAT WE HAVE.
UM, IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, UM, WE DO HAVE, IN THIS REGION, WE HAVE A HISTORY OF REGIONAL PLANNING.
YOU KNOW, KNOW THE NORTHERN AND SOUTHERN REGIONAL PLANS WERE EFFORTS THAT WE MADE ABOUT 15 YEARS AGO.
AND REALLY, SO LOCO IS KIND OF THE SECOND ITERATION OF A COMMITTEE THAT, YOU KNOW, IS LOOKING OVER ORIGINALLY AT THE SOUTHERN REGION.
NOW WE'RE, WE'RE REALLY COUNTYWIDE TO, UM, TRY TO COORDINATE GROWTH, UH, FOR, FOR THE COUNTY.
IN ADDITION, WE'VE DONE JOINT PLANNING EFFORTS FOR THE AIR STATION, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO PREVENT ENCROACHMENT, THE, THE STORMWATER DESIGN MANUAL, WHICH WAS ONE OF THE FIRST, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF THIS COMMITTEE.
SO WE DO HAVE THIS, THIS REAL HISTORY OF REGIONAL PLANNING THAT I DO BELIEVE THAT OUR APPETITE TO DO A FULL-BLOWN
[01:00:01]
PLANNING EFFORT AS A REGION, UM, YOU KNOW, WITH, WITH ALL THE CHAPTERS OF A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, I DON'T THINK NECESSARILY THAT IS WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING AS A COMMITTEE AS OUR BEST PATH FORWARD.AND IF WE GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE OTHER WAYS THAT, UM, THAT REGION CAN WORK TOGETHER, PRODUCE A PRODUCT, AND MAYBE BE MEMORIALIZED THROUGH LOCAL, UH, INTERGOVERNMENTAL AGREEMENTS THAT I THINK ARE MORE EFFECTIVE AND MIGHT BE MORE APPROPRIATE FOR SO LOCO.
AND AN INTERESTING, UM, YOU KNOW, WE HAD TALKED ABOUT THE REGIONAL PLANNING EFFORTS WE'VE HAD IN OUR COUNTY A COUPLE YEARS AGO.
I WAS INVITED TO WILLIAMSON COUNTY, TENNESSEE, WHICH IS THE COUNTY DIRECTLY SOUTH OF NASHVILLE.
IT'S ACTUALLY ONE OF THE WEALTHIEST COMMUNITIES IN THE COUNTRY.
I GUESS A LOT OF COUNTRY MUSIC SINGERS LIVE THERE.
BUT, UM, THEY HAD A SEVEN DIFFERENT, UH, JURISDICTIONS THAT THEY WERE TRYING TO MODIFY THEIR GROWTH BOUNDARIES, WHICH THEY HAVE TO DO, UH, SOMETHING THAT TENNESSEE REQUIRES.
BUT THEY, THEY HAD ASKED, UM, ME TO SPEAK ABOUT OUR REGIONAL PLANNING EFFORTS 'CAUSE THEY WERE VERY INTERESTED IN THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS WE MADE.
UM, BUT THEY DIDN'T DO A FULL BLOWN PLAN.
THEY DID SOMETHING IN THEIR COMMUNITY, THEY CALLED A SYMPOSIUM WHERE THEY, THEY INVITED DIFFERENT SPEAKERS AND KIND OF LOOKED AT WHAT, WHAT ARE THE NECESSARY STEPS, YOU KNOW, TO, TO ENGAGE IN A RE REGIONAL PLANNING EFFORT.
ANOTHER MODEL IS, UM, LAST FALL WE HAD A, WHAT, WHAT THEY CALLED A REGIONAL ACCELERATOR.
THIS WAS LOOKING SPECIFICALLY AT RESILIENCE PLANNING ISSUES, BUT WE HAD A, A ROOM FULL OF STAKEHOLDERS WITH SOME VERY, UM, GUIDED ACTIVITIES TO KIND OF LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, WORKING TOGETHER AS A GROUP AND, AND WORKING THROUGH SOME DIFFICULT QUESTIONS AND TRYING TO COME, COME TO CONSUM SOME CONSENSUS.
AND I ACTUALLY BELIEVE THAT THIS TYPE OF EFFORT, YOU KNOW, A WORKSHOP THAT WOULD BE A SINGLE OR MAYBE TWO DAY, YOU KNOW, TWO SEPARATE DAY EVENT IS THE BEST MODEL WHERE WE WOULD HAVE A, UM, AN INDEPENDENT FACILITATOR.
BECAUSE I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT WHEN WE'RE DEALING WITH SO MANY LOCAL JURISDICTIONS TO HAVE SOMEBODY MAYBE WHO IS A DISINTERESTED PARTY BUT IS VERY MUCH AWARE OF THE IMPORTANCE OF REGIONAL PLANNING AND MAYBE ASKING SOME TOUGH QUESTIONS.
AND WE ALSO BELIEVE THAT THIS SHOULD INVOLVE ELECTED OFFICIALS AND OTHER STAKEHOLDERS IN THE REGION THAT HAVING THE DECISION MAKERS AT THE TABLE ENGAGED IN THIS PROCESS, I THINK IS, IS GONNA BE MAKING SURE THAT IS MORE IN LINE WITH, WITH THE WISHES OF THE LOCAL JURISDICTIONS, BUT ALSO I THINK THAT WOULD MUCH, YOU KNOW, ENSURE MUCH GREATER CHANCE OF SUCCESS.
UM, AND WE THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, THE FINAL PRODUCT OUT OF THIS COULD BE SOME SORT OF ROADMAP.
WHETHER IT, MAYBE IT, IT, IT'S A COMBINATION OF, OF A MAP, SOME GENERAL AGREEMENTS ON LAND USE, UM, SOME POLICIES THAT WE ALL AGREE ON, MAYBE SHARING OF INFORMATION THAT IS IN A, IN SOME SORT OF, YOU KNOW, SHORT DOCUMENT THAT WE COULD ALL ADOPT BY RESOLUTION.
THAT'S KIND OF OUR VISION FOR WHERE WE THINK THE THE BEST PATH FORWARD.
AND I GUESS WHAT WE WOULD LIKE TO REQUEST OF, SO LOCO IS THAT, UM, OUR COMMITTEE, WE HAVE SOME THOUGHTS ABOUT WHAT THIS MIGHT MEAN IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, IF WE DID HIRE AN OUTSIDE FACILITATOR, WHAT IT MIGHT MEAN IN TERMS OF COST.
SO I GUESS MY QUESTION TO THE COMMITTEE IS IF IT'S, IF, IF THERE IS VALUE IN PURSUING THIS, WHAT WE WOULD LIKE TO DO IS COME BACK AT THE APRIL MEETING OR YOU KNOW, WHATEVER MEETING, NEXT MEETING, YOU CAN GET US ON THE AGENDA TO COME UP WITH SOME MORE SPECIFICS AND REALLY CHART HOW THAT WOULD, YOU KNOW, IF THERE'S, IF THE INTEREST OF THE COMMITTEE, HOW THAT WOULD THEN BE FORWARDED INTO AN ACTIONABLE, UH, ITEM.
SO WHAT, WHAT WE'VE DONE IN THE PAST, ROB, AND AGAIN, THE BEFORD, JASPER HOUSING TRUST WAS A GOOD EXAMPLE.
AND, AND THE STORMWATER ORDINANCE WAS THE SAME.
WHAT WHAT WE WOULD REQUEST OF YOU IS A ESTIMATE ON WHAT THIS WAS COST, THEN WHAT WOULD WOULD, AND BREAK IT DOWN BY POPULATION, WHAT IT WOULD COST EACH JURISDICTION TO HIRE THIS FACILITATOR.
AND THEN WE HAVE TO AGAIN, TAKE IT BACK TO OUR COUNCILORS, WHOEVER WANTS TO PARTICIPATE.
'CAUSE EACH ONE OF THESE THINGS ARE OPTIONAL.
SO COST TOTAL, HOW IT WOULD BREAK DOWN BY POPULATION FOR EACH JURISDICTION.
AND THEN WHEN YOU HAVE THAT COME BACK, TELL US AND THEN WE WILL TAKE IT TO OUR JURISDICTIONS
[01:05:01]
TO ASK EACH JURISDICTION IF THEY WANNA PARTICIPATE.THAT'S HOW WE'VE DONE IT IN THE PAST.
MAYOR WILLIAMS, I WANTED TO, IF EVERYONE ON THAT COMMITTEE WOULD STAND UP, I WANNA SAY A BIG THANK YOU TO EVERYONE THAT WAS ON IT.
THIS GROUP WAS SO MUCH WORK AND, AND SO, SO MANY GOOD DISCUSSIONS THAT WE HAD.
THIS IS JUST THE TIP OF THE ICEBERG OF THE WORK THAT THEY DID.
UM, I, I AGREE WITH YOU MAYOR WILLIAMS. I, I I THINK THEY'D BE READY PROBABLY BY THE APRIL MEETING TO DO THAT.
UM, AND WE WERE OFF, I'LL SAY IT, UM, WANTED TO GET IT TO THE JURISDICTIONS BEFORE BUDGET TIME TOO, SO PEOPLE CAN THINK ABOUT IT IN YOUR BUDGET.
APRIL WOULD BE APRIL WOULD BE IDEAL.
'CAUSE THEN WE HAVE TO TAKE IT, EACH ONE OF US HAS TO TAKE IT TO OUR COUNCILS AND TO SEE IF WE WANNA PARTICIPATE.
ROB, DO YOU, YOU ENVISION THIS BEING LIKE NORTH ABROAD, SOUTH ABROAD, TWO DIFFERENT EVENTS OR ONE BIG EVENT WHEN EVERYBODY'S TOGETHER? UM, I THINK OUR VISION IS IT COULD BE A SINGLE EVENT, BUT I THINK WE RECOGNIZE THAT IN NORTHERN PART OF THE COUNTY WE DO HAVE GROWTH BOUNDARIES.
SO THAT WOULD BE TAKING INTO ACCOUNT.
BUT YOU KNOW, THE QUESTIONS OF ARE THOSE WORKING FOR US? YOU KNOW, COULD BE, COULD BE PROUD OF.
UM, REAL QUICK, JUST A COMMENT AND FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU FOR PUTTING THE PRESENTATION TOGETHER.
THAT WAS A LOT DIGEST AND A LOT OF REALLY GOOD INFORMATION.
MY QUESTION WOULD BE, IS THE FOCUS GROWTH BOUNDARIES WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT THERE ARE GROWTH BOUNDARIES IN PLACE NORTH OF ABROAD AND OR DOES THAT INCLUDE THE DEVELOPMENT CODES IN PLACE? BECAUSE WHAT'S CONFUSING TO ME A LOT OF TIMES IS AS, AS A NEW NEWLY ELECTED OFFICIAL, UM, TRYING TO, YOU KNOW, GET A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF HOW THINGS ARE WORKING, THE DEVELOPMENT CODES ARE CONFUSING BECAUSE I'M LIKE, HERE WE HAVE GROWTH BOUNDARIES IN PLACE WITH IDENTIFIED GOALS TO SAY PRESERVE 60% OF THE LANDMASS OR WHATEVER THE IDENTIFIED INITIATIVE IS.
BUT THEN YOUR DEVELOPMENT CODE DOESN'T ENCOURAGE THAT.
IT ALMOST ENCOURAGES A COMPETITIVE SPIRIT BECAUSE A LOT OF THE DEVELOPMENT THAT'S ALLOWED IN, UH, SAY MUNICIPALITY IS ALSO ALLOWED IN THE COUNTY SO IF I WANTED TO BUILD A HOTEL WITH 25 ROOMS OR MORE, I COULD DO IT IN THE COUNTY OR I COULD DO IT IN THE CITY.
UM, IF I WANTED TO BUILD ON ONE SINGLE PARCEL AND I WANTED TO HAVE THREE RESIDENTS, I COULD DO IT IN THE COUNTY.
SO I'M NOT SURE THAT IT'S NECESSARILY A GROWTH BOUNDARY ISSUE.
IT MIGHT BE THAT THE DEVELOPMENT CODES DON'T COMPLIMENT EACH OTHER.
IN FACT, THEY, THEY COMPETE IN A LOT OF WAYS.
AND SO WOULD THE, THE, THE MISSION OF THIS, UH, CHARETTE BOTH DISCUSS GROWTH BOUNDARIES AND HOW THE DEVELOPMENT CODES COULD BETTER WORK IN CONJUNCTION TO PRESERVE PROPERTY AND THEN ENCOURAGE MORE DENSE DEVELOPMENT WHERE IT MAKES SENSE AND INFRASTRUCTURE ALREADY EXIST.
YEAH, I THINK IT COULD DO BOTH.
I THINK, YOU KNOW, IT COULD BE THAT MAYBE THE FIRST STEP IS AGREEING ON THE BOUNDARIES AND THEN THIS EFFORT COULD LEAD TO SOME FURTHER TASKS.
'CAUSE I THINK IF WE'RE GETTING DOWN TO, UH, ORDINANCE AMENDMENTS OR REALLY TAKING A LOOK AT ZONING ORDINANCES, THAT'S, THAT'S A MUCH LARGER TASK.
AND MAYBE THAT'S, YOU KNOW, AS WE LOOK FORWARD, YOU KNOW, IT COULD BE, YOU KNOW, INTERMEDIATE AND LONG-TERM GOALS.
BUT, UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DID IN THE NORTHERN PART OF THE COUNTY, 'CAUSE WE, WE RECOGNIZED THAT, IS THAT, UM, WE DREW THE BOUNDARIES, BUT WE DREW IN, UM, POLICIES THAT MADE THAT ENCOURAGED ANNEXATION, YOU KNOW, SO THAT, UH, IF SOMEBODY WAS, UM, CONSIDERING AN UPZONING IN A COUNTY, THAT THEY WERE FIRST, UH, GIVEN THE RIGHT OF FIRST REFUSAL TO CONSIDER ANNEXATION INTO A MUNICIPALITY.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE DID LOOK AT THAT IN, YOU KNOW, THROUGH A SERIES OF POLICIES BUILT INTO AN INTERGOVERNMENTAL AGREEMENT.
SO THERE ARE DIFFERENT STEPS THAT WE COULD TAKE, BUT I, I AGREE.
I MEAN, I THINK HAVING BETTER, UM, COORDINATED ZONING IS, IS, IS GONNA BE, YOU KNOW, CERTAINLY MAKE THE, THE JOB EASIER.
UH, ANYONE ELSE? SO, WILL, UM, BARING YOU TELL ME SOMETHING DIFFERENT? I'LL PUT YOU ON THE, UH, APRIL AGENDA AND YOU CAN COME BACK TO THE COMMITTEE WITH A COST.
AND, UH, WHAT IF YOU COULD OUTLINE EXACTLY WHAT WE'RE LOOKING TO ACCOMPLISH IN THAT CHARETTE SO EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS WHAT THEY'RE PAYING FOR AND WHAT WE PLAN TO GET OUT OF IT.
[01:10:01]
UM, MS. HOWARD? YES, SIR.UH, IN THAT ESTIMATE, COULD YOU GIVE US OPTIONS? MM-HMM
UH, IT ALWAYS SEEMS THAT WE GET ONE OPTION, YES OR NO.
AND I LIKE TO SEE MAYBE ONE CHARETTE OR MAYBE MULTIPLE CHARETTES TO SEE HOW MUCH THAT COST.
AND MAYBE IT'S BENEFICIAL BECAUSE YOU, WHERE YOU PUT IT IS GONNA BE DIFFICULT TO TELL YOU THE TRUTH.
'CAUSE YOU GOT JASPER, WHICH IS GONNA BE A FAR AWAY HOW MANY PEOPLE FROM JASPER GONNA COME TO BEAUFORT, OR HOW MANY PEOPLE FROM BEAUFORT ARE GONNA COME TO JASPER.
SO JUST MAYBE A, A A KIND OF A ESTIMATE OF EACH ONE SO WE HAVE AN IDEA WHICH IS BETTER.
AND IT COULD BE THAT, UM, SOMETIMES EVEN WHEN YOU, UH, DO AN RFQ OR RFP AND GET, UM, RESULTS FROM A CONSULTANT, THEY MIGHT HAVE LIKE, YOU KNOW, DO PHASE A AND THEN THERE'S AN OPTION TO DO PHASE B.
AND MAYBE THAT'S AN ADDITIONAL WORKSHOP OR SOMETHING.
SO WE COULD LOOK AT SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
AND TO ALL OUR, UH, SUBCOMMITTEES WHO HAVE WORKED REALLY HARD, UH, CHILDCARE, BEAUFORT, JASPER HOUSING TRUST, AND, AND OF COURSE THE GROWTH BOUNDARIES.
YOU'VE BEEN WORKING ON THIS, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR PUTTING IN THE TIME TO HELP MAKE OUR REGION A BETTER PLACE AND A BETTER PLANNED COMMUNITY.
SO THANK YOU ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD.
UM, JUST REAL BRIEFLY, WE HAVE A COUPLE OF ITEMS ALREADY FOR APRIL AGENDA, WE'LL ASK THE, UH, 20 YEAR PLAN TASK FORCE THAT, UH, IS BEING PLANNED TO COME FORWARD.
UM, WE'LL PUT THE, UM, GROWTH BOUNDARIES ON THE AGENDA AS WELL.
AND, UM, I THINK, UH, JOSH, YOU HAD RECOMMEND, UH, SOMEONE TO COME TALK ABOUT THE WETLANDS.
I BELIEVE MS. KIMMEL, THAT YOU SENT ME HER NAME, SO, UH, I'LL REACH OUT TO THEM.
'CAUSE WE TOLD THEM WE WOULD PUT THEM ON THE AGENDA.
THE BOARD, UH, PUT THAT AS ONE OF THE THINGS THEY WANTED TO HEAR ABOUT.
BUT I HAVEN'T REACHED OUT TO HER YET.
AND IF YOU NEED ANYTHING FROM ME ON THAT, JUST LEMME KNOW.
WILL, AND I THINK, UH, KATE SCHAFER, UH, WANTED TO BE PART OF THAT CONVERSATION AS WELL.
MR. CHAIRMAN, MAYBE, UM, DID BLUFFING JUST PASS AN ORDINANCE PROTECTING WETLANDS? ARE YOU, YES.
WELL, THEY, WERE YOU WILLING TO SPEAK TO A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW THAT CONVERSATION, THAT'S NOT A BAD IDEA.
YOU KNOW, UH, AND I HAD THIS CONVERSATION WITH OUR, UH, COUNCIL AS WELL, THAT, UM, THEY CHANGED THEIR, UH, BUFFERS TO WETLANDS RIGHT.
SO, MAYBE MR. CHAIRMAN, WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO JUST SPEAK REAL QUICK ON THAT? NO, NO.
WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO IS PUT YOU, I GUESS I JUST VOLUNTEERED MYSELF.
I'D LIKE TO PUT YOU ON THE APRIL AGENDA.
WE SHOULD HAVE KEPT MY MOUTH SHUT BECAUSE I, I'M ALREADY GUILTY OF MAKING THIS GO OVER AN HOUR.
I DON'T WANT TO, I DON'T WANT TO ADD TO MY GUILT RIDDEN CONSCIOUS TODAY.
SO, UM, WE'LL PUT DOWN THE BLUFF IN ORDINANCE AND MS. KIMMEL.
I THINK I GOT ENOUGH TO FILL AN HOUR.
I WON'T HEAR THE END OF THIS NOW.
UH, THANK YOU ALL FOR JOINING US.
I, I THINK IT'S SOME VERY PRODUCTIVE UPDATES.
AGAIN, THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO WORKED ON THIS.
LIVE, WORK, PLAY, JOE, GOOD TO SEE YOU, DALE.
UH, I WE'RE, WE'VE GOT A LOT TO TALK ABOUT, AND WE'RE GONNA TRY TO TALK ABOUT AND A ALL OF THIS IN A VERY SMALL KIND OF PRESENTATION TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC ABOUT WHAT WE WANT TO DO.
[01:15:01]
REMEMBER, UH, WE STARTED WORKING ON A NEW SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICER OPPORTUNITY LAST YEAR, UM, BECAUSE WE KNEW, AND WE HAVE KNOWN THAT TRYING TO RECRUIT LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS TO BE CLASS ONE CERTIFIED, WHICH IS WHAT THE STATE REQUIRED.UH, YOU KNOW, TO BE IN OUR SCHOOLS AS SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS, WHICH ARE, IS, IS A SPECIAL, I THINK WE ALL AGREE THAT THAT IS REALLY SPECIAL CANDIDATE, UH, THAT WE CONSIDER TO BE THAT CLOSE AN ASSOCIATION TO OUR KIDS.
UM, AND, BUT WE KNOW THE IMPORTANCE OF THE SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICER PROGRAM BECAUSE OF THE SAFETY FACTORS IT CREATES, NOT ONLY IN OUR SCHOOLS, BUT WHAT OUR WHAT WHAT OUR COMMUNITIES AS WELL, BECAUSE THE SCHOOL IS A MELTING POT OF THE COMMUNITIES THAT WE SERVE.
SO HAVING THAT RIGHT PERSON IN THAT JOB AND THAT ROLE TO PROVIDE SECURITY TO OUR KIDS LEADERSHIP, TO OUR KIDS, UH, AND GIVING THE CONFIDENCE TO THE STAFF TO WORK IN THE SCHOOLS.
I MEAN, IT'S IMPORTANT TO FIND THAT RIGHT PERSON.
SO IT'S DIFFICULT TO FIND A CLASS ONE OR THE CLASS ONE LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER, FOR THOSE THAT DON'T KNOW, IS ONE THAT GOES TO THE ACADEMY FOR 12 WEEKS, SPENDS 12 WEEKS FOR THE MOST PART IN COLUMBIA.
AND WE DO SOME OF THE TRAINING HERE LOCALLY.
BUT EVERYTHING ELSE, UH, HAS TO BE DONE IN COLUMBIA.
AND THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT WE'RE TRYING TO ATTRACT TO BE SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS THAT REALLY DON'T WANT TO GIVE UP THEIR LIFE AND THEIR FAMILY TO GO TO COLUMBIA AND GO THROUGH BOOTCAMP TO BE A CLASS ONE LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER.
SO I HAD OUR TRAINING STAFF PUT TOGETHER A TRAINING SYLLABUS FOR A, WHAT WE CALL A CLASS THREE.
UH, AND IT WAS A CLASS THREE DESIGNATION FOR SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICER.
WHAT THAT DID IS IT ALLOWED US TO CREATE A TRAINING SYLLABUS THAT WE COULD TAKE A PERSON, UM, YOU KNOW, OF, OF ANY AGE.
UM, AND THAT WE WOULD BRING THEM INTO LAW ENFORCEMENT ENVIRONMENT, YOU KNOW, WOULD BLUFFTON OR BEAUFORT OR PORT ROYAL OR THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE.
UH, AND WE WOULD TRAIN THEM HERE IN BEAUFORT COUNTY.
ALL OF THEIR TRAINING WOULD BE DONE RIGHT HERE.
UH, IT WOULD BE EIGHT WEEKS, MAYBE A LITTLE MORE THAN EIGHT WEEKS OF TRAINING.
UH, WE WOULD LIKE TO START THIS, UH, THE, OUR FIRST CLASS.
WE'D LIKE TO START IT IN JUNE.
UH, THAT WAY WE CAN GET 'EM THROUGH THE PROGRAM AND BE READY FOR DEPLOYMENT, UH, WHEN SCHOOL STARTS IN AUGUST.
UH, I, I THINK IT'S AN AWESOME PROGRAM.
WE, WE, WE SENT THE TRAINING SYLLABUS TO THE ACADEMY THAT TRAINS ALL OF OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT IN SOUTH CAROLINA.
THEY APPROVED IT, UH, WITH THE BLESSING OF THE SOUTH CAROLINA TRAINING COUNCIL.
SO WE ARE READY TO GET THIS THING MOVING AND GET IT STARTED.
AND I THINK FOR US, UH, WE JUST NEED TO KIND OF TELL OUR CITIZENS, YOU KNOW, WHO ARE WE LOOKING FOR? UH, THE ROLE IS SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICER.
IT'S A CLASS THREE LAW ENFORCEMENT DESIGNATION.
UH, THEY HAVE ARREST POWERS, UH, AND THEY HAVE ALL THE POWERS OF ANY OTHER LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER ON THE SCHOOL GROUNDS, UH, THAT THEY'RE ASSIGNED TO.
SO WHAT DO YOU THINK, JOE, SHERIFF? I THINK IT'S A GREAT IDEA, AND THANK YOU FOR TAKING LEAD ON THIS.
UM, WE HAVE FOUR ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS IN BLUFFTON THAT CURRENTLY ARE NOT STAFFED BY CLASS THREE OR HIGHER OFFICERS.
AND I THINK THAT THIS PROGRAM IS GONNA ATTRACT PEOPLE TO THESE POSITIONS, AND IT'S GONNA PROVIDE MORE OF A SECURITY BLANKET FOR OUR SCHOOLS TO INCLUDE OUR ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS.
SO WE'RE DEFINITELY EXCITED ABOUT IT.
WE'RE EXCITED TO BE PART OF IT.
WHO, WHO DO WE WANT TO ATTRACT? I THINK WE'VE GOT A, WE'VE GOT AN ENORMOUS NUMBER OF RETIRED MILITARY FOLKS HERE MM-HMM
THAT ARE ABLE TO RETIRE FAIRLY YOUNG AND MAY BE LOOKING FOR THAT JOB.
THEY MAY HAVE CHILDREN IN OUR SCHOOLS.
AND WITH THE, WITH THE PROGRAM THAT YOU WERE ABLE TO PUT TOGETHER.
UM, THEY'LL BE HOME WHEN THEIR CHILDREN ARE HOME, NOT IN SCHOOL.
AND, UM, AND I'VE ALWAYS SAID, YOU AND I HAVE HAD THIS CONVERSATION, SHERIFF, WE, WE NEED TO GET INTO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IF WE, IF WE WAITED UNTIL HIGH SCHOOLS WERE TOO LATE.
I'M, I'M GLAD THAT YOU TOOK THE LEAD ON IT.
UM, I'M EXCITED TO SEE IF WE CAN GET SOME PEOPLE IN, BUT I REALLY THINK THE YOUNG RETIRED MILITARY PEOPLE ARE, THEY'RE JUST MADE FOR THIS, YOU KNOW, AND WE'VE GONE THROUGHOUT OUR CAREERS, UH, IN THE COUNTY OF BEAUFORT, AND WE'VE HAD CONVERSATION AFTER CONVERSATION WITH DIFFERENT PEOPLE THAT SAY, YOU KNOW, I'M RETIRED, I'D LIKE TO FIND SOMETHING TO DO.
AND THEN YOU START TALKING TO 'EM, AND THEY'RE A RETIRED TEACHER, OR RETIRED LAW ENFORCEMENT, RETIRED FIRE DEPARTMENT, RETIRED MILITARY, RETIRED BANKERS, RETIRED, I MEAN, RETIRED, THIS, THAT, AND THE OTHER.
THEY'RE STILL, STILL AT AN AGE THAT THEY COULD, UM, THEY COULD DO THIS JOB WITH NO PROBLEM AT ALL OF ANY KIND.
UM, AND THOSE ARE THE ONES THAT, THAT I'D LIKE TO SEE.
I'D LIKE TO SEE, UH, THOSE THAT ARE STILL,
[01:20:01]
THAT STILL FEEL LIKE THEY CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE, THAT MAYBE HAVE ALWAYS LOOKED AT LAW ENFORCEMENT AS BEING A JOB, BUT BECAUSE OF THE PAY AND BECAUSE OF THE, YOU KNOW, THE WORKING CONDITIONS AND FAMILIES AND, AND ALL THAT, THEY JUST DIDN'T WANNA DO IT.BUT HERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY, UH, TO MAKE $45,000 A YEAR STARTING PAY TO WORK BASICALLY THE SCHEDULE OF THE TEACHING AND SUPPORT STAFF OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, WHICH IS A PRETTY GOOD SCHEDULE.
IT IS, UH, TO HAVE BENEFITS, UH, TO BE IN A RETIREMENT SYSTEM AND TO BE ABLE TO BRING THEIR MATURITY, UH, THEIR LIFE EXPERIENCE AND, AND, YOU KNOW, TO, TO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AGE KIDS WHO WILL BENEFIT GREATLY FROM JUST HAVING THAT OPPORTUNITY TO SOCIALIZE AND BE AROUND, UH, THESE FOLKS THAT BRING A LOT TO THE TABLE.
AND I, WE AND OUR COMMUNITIES.
YOU TAKE BLUFFTON AND BEAUFORT AND, AND IN THE COUNTY AND IN PORT ROYAL, THOSE PEOPLE ARE HERE.
AND THEY'RE LOOKING FOR THINGS TO DO.
AND I JUST THINK THIS IS AN AWESOME OPPORTUNITY FOR THEM TO, YOU KNOW WHAT, JUST DO IT KINDA LIKE NIKE.
UH, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S, THE TRAINING IS, I THINK THEY'LL ENJOY ITS TRAINING.
AGAIN, IT'S ALL DONE RIGHT HERE.
THEY, THEY'LL STAY AT HOME, THEY'LL SLEEP IN THEIR OWN BED, THEY'LL HAVE THEIR OWN PILLOW, AND THEN THEY CAN COME TO TRAINING.
AND ONCE THEY'RE CERTIFIED, UH, THEN THEY'LL START THE SCHOOL YEAR, UH, AUGUST OF THIS YEAR.
SO, I MEAN, I KNOW YOUR COMMUNITY REPRESENTS THAT OPPORTUNITY AS WELL.
YOU KNOW, SO WHAT ELSE, WHAT ELSE DO YOU THINK THIS, UM, THIS PROGRAM'S GONNA DO IN TOTALITY FOR WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH? I THINK, I THINK THIS PROGRAM, ONE WILL BE ABLE TO GET US OVER THE TOP.
I THINK WE'LL BE ABLE TO GET, WE'LL BE ABLE TO GET A POLICE OFFICER IN EVERY SCHOOL IN BEFOR COUNTY, WHICH IS IMPORTANT.
A POLICE OFFICER AND I, AND I, AND YOU KNOW, WE, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS.
THERE'S A LOT OF TRAINING THAT GOES ALONG WITH THIS JOB.
THERE IS, AND, YOU KNOW, THIS IS NOT A SECURITY OFFICER.
THIS IS A LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER, UH, THAT'S GONNA BE WELL TRAINED, UH, IN THIS.
AND I, I THINK THAT AT THE END OF THE DAY, THAT'S, IT'S EXTREMELY IMPORTANT.
AND I THINK WITH THE YOUNG CHILDREN TARGETING THE RETIREES MM-HMM
WHETHER THEY'RE RETIRED TEACHERS, RETIRED MILITARY IS IMPORTANT.
THEY'VE GOT THE LIFE EXPERIENCE FOR THE, FOR THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS.
AND, AND TO GET THAT STARTED OFF.
SO I THINK
POSSIBLY A THIRD COMING ON BOARD.
I'VE GOT NINE JOE, I HAVE FOUR.
SO, I MEAN, IN TOTAL, AND HERE'S THE THING.
IT, IT DOESN'T MATTER IF YOU WORK AT THE CITY OF BEAUFORT OR THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON, UH, OR PORT ROYAL OR FOR THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE.
YOU KNOW, WE WANT YOU TO COME TO WORK YES.
IN LAW ENFORCEMENT, TO BE A CLASS THREE SRO.
DOESN'T MATTER WHERE YOU GO, DOESN'T MATTER WHO YOU ARE EMPLOYED BY.
THE WORK ENVIRONMENT'S BASICALLY THE SAME.
THERE MAY BE A DIFFERENCE IN UNIFORM THAT YOU WEAR AT THE SCHOOL THAT YOU'RE ASSIGNED TO, UH, TO PAY.
I MEAN, EVERYTHING IS GOING TO BE BASICALLY THE SAME.
SO ALL WE WANT PEOPLE TO DO IS PUT THEIR APPLICATIONS IN, GIVE US THE OPPORTUNITY TO SIT DOWN AND EXPLAIN THE PROGRAM IN DETAIL.
AND IF YOU REALLY HAVE AN INTEREST IN IT, UH, THEN LET'S, LET'S, LET'S GET STARTED.
WHAT DO YOU THINK, JOE? YEAH, AND ONE THING THAT I WANT TO HIT ON IS THIS PROGRAM IS IMPORTANT, AND REASON BEING IS NONE OF OUR KIDS SHOULD FEEL AFRAID GOING TO SCHOOL.
UM, THEY SHOULD BE GOING TO SCHOOL TO LEARN AND NOT QUERYING ABOUT THEIR SAFETY.
UM, AND WHAT THIS DOES IS THIS PROVIDES ANOTHER LAYER OF SAFETY FOR ALL OF OUR SCHOOLS, ESPECIALLY THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS.
UM, IT ALSO PROVIDES PEOPLE WITH AN OPPORTUNITY TO MENTOR THESE YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN MM-HMM
UH, AS THEY'RE COMING UP THROUGH THE SCHOOL SYSTEM.
AND SO, LIKE THE SHERIFF SAID, IF YOU TRULY WANT TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE, UH, THIS IS A POSITION THAT YOU REALLY, REALLY WILL BE MAKING A DIFFERENCE.
I JUST HOPE THE APPLICATION START POURING IN.
AND IF YOU GET MORE THAN, THAN YOU NEED THEN AND, AND WE NEED TO GO TO BEAUFORT OR WE NEED TO GO TO, UH, THE, THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE OR, OR PORT ROYAL, WE JUST NEED, WE NEED TO PUT THESE PEOPLE TO WORK.
WE NEED TO FILL THESE VACANCIES, UH, AND LET'S MAKE OUR SCHOOLS IN BEAUFORT COUNTY AS SAFE AS THEY POSSIBLY CAN.
AND I THINK THE UNIQUENESS OF THIS PROGRAM, THESE OFFICERS WILL BE TRAINED BY PEOPLE THAT HAVE CHILDREN IN THESE SCHOOLS.
THEY HAVE THE SAME DESIRES, THE OUTCOMES THAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR.
SO I'M, I'M LOOKING FORWARD, LOOKING FORWARD TO IT.
WELL, I MEAN, THE GREAT THING ABOUT IT IS THAT WE ARE, WE WILL BE DOING THE TRAINING TOGETHER.
IF YOU GET, IF YOU GET, IF YOU HIRE ONE OR TWO AND YOU HIRE FOUR, AND YOU KNOW, AND I CAN FILL THE NINE THAT WE NEED, WE'RE ALL GONNA BE TRAINING TOGETHER.
SO THIS IS GONNA BE ONE TRAINING SYLLABUS TO BENEFIT, UH, THE SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICER PROGRAM.
I MEAN, THIS IS GOING TO BE, THIS, THIS PROGRAM IS FOR SOUTH CAROLINA AS A WHOLE.
THIS IS NOT JUST FOR BEAUFORT COUNTY.
[01:25:01]
EXCITED THAT WE'RE GOING TO START THIS AND INITIATE, YOU KNOW, THE SRO CLASS THREE POSITION HERE IN BEAUFORT COUNTY.AND WE'RE GONNA SHOW THE STATE IT WORKS.
AND THE GREAT THING ABOUT THE TRAINING TOGETHER, SHERIFF, IS YOU'RE CREATING A NETWORK BEFORE YOU EVEN GET STARTED.
SO YOU'RE GOING TO KNOW PEOPLE FROM DIFFERENT SCHOOLS WHERE IF YOU CAN RUN INTO A PROBLEM, YOU HAVE SOMEBODY ELSE THAT YOU CAN CALL AND GET SOME ADVICE OR TALK TO THEM ABOUT THINGS GOING ON IN THEIR SCHOOL AND THE CURRENT TRENDS THAT ARE HAPPENING IN THEIR SCHOOL.
SO IT'S A GREAT COLLABORATION OF ALL THREE DEPARTMENTS IN THE ENTIRE COUNTY GETTING TOGETHER, BECAUSE HAVING THAT NETWORK AND PEOPLE THAT YOU CAN RELY ON FOR ADDITIONAL ADVICE IS INVALUABLE.
WELL, I TELL YOU WHAT, I MEAN, I WANT, I WANT PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO, TO MAKE THOSE PHONE CALLS OR GO ONLINE AND RESEARCH, YOU KNOW, UH, JUST THE, THE, THE CLASS THREE SRO, UH, THROUGH ALL AGENCIES.
SO I THINK LINDSEY, IF WE CAN, I MEAN AT THIS POINT, I THINK IF WE PUT THAT INFORMATION ON THIS VIDEO FOR BLUFFTON, BEAUFORT, PORT ROYAL, AND THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE WEBPAGE AND PHONE NUMBERS, UH, I THINK WE'LL HOPEFULLY WE'LL START GETTING CALLS.
THAT SOUND GOOD TO Y'ALL? YES, SIR.
I'M MARIA WALLS, YOUR BEAUFORT COUNTY TREASURER.
IF YOU'VE EVER WONDERED WHAT'S E-BILLING OR MY BEAUFORT COUNTY, I'D LIKE TO GIVE YOU A SNEAK PEEK BECAUSE MY BEAUFORT COUNTY IS YOUR ONE-STOP LOCATION ONLINE TO MANAGE AND PAY YOUR BEAUFORT COUNTY PROPERTY TAX BILLS.
SIMPLY TYPE IN MY BEAUFORT COUNTY.COM OR DOWNLOAD THE APP IN THE APP STORE AND YOU'LL CONTINUE TO LOG IN.
SO HERE YOU HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO CONTINUE AS A GUEST.
IF YOU DON'T WANNA CREATE AN ACCOUNT OR IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO CREATE AN ACCOUNT, YOU HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SIGN UP FOR E-BILLING, STORE YOUR PAYMENT INFORMATION, AND MANAGE ALL OF YOUR TAX BILLS FROM A SIMPLE DASHBOARD SCREEN.
TO MANAGE YOUR PROPERTY ACCOUNTS IN YOUR DASHBOARD, SIMPLY CLICK LINK ACCOUNT AND TALK TO TAXBOT, WHO IS HAPPY TO ASSIST YOU IN SIGNING YOU UP.
YOU CAN SEARCH FOR A PROPERTY BY YOUR PIN, WHICH IS YOUR PARCEL IDENTIFICATION NUMBER, YOUR A IN, YOUR ALTERNATE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER, OR SIMPLY USING AN OWNER'S LAST NAME AND MAILING ZIP CODE.
ONCE YOU'VE SEARCHED, GO AHEAD AND SELECT THE PROPERTIES THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO ASSOCIATE WITH YOUR PROFILE.
YOU CAN EITHER CHOOSE TO KEEP GOING OR LET TAXBOT KNOW THAT YOU'RE FINISHED BY PAYING YOUR TAXES, FINDING ANOTHER PROPERTY, OR SIMPLY GOING BACK TO THE DASHBOARD.
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO ALSO SIGN UP FOR E-BILLING, YOU CAN DO THAT BY CLICKING MANAGE E-BILLING AND SIGN UP EACH PROPERTY TO RECEIVE YOUR BILL ELECTRONICALLY.
WANNA KNOW WHERE YOUR PAYMENT INFORMATION IS STORED OR YOUR RECEIPTS? GO AHEAD AND CLICK YOUR WALLET IN THE WALLET.
EACH RECEIPT YOU'VE PAID ONLINE IS AVAILABLE FOR OBSERVATION, DOWNLOAD AND PRINTING RIGHT HERE.
SIMPLY CLICK THE ICON IN THE TOP RIGHT HAND CORNER AND YOU CAN UPDATE YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION AND MANAGE YOUR PAYMENT METHODS.
AN ADDED BONUS, WHEN YOU USE AN ECHECK TO PAY ON BY BEFORD COUNTY, THERE'S NO ADDITIONAL COST.
YOU HAVE YOUR BILL AND YOUR ELECTRONIC RECEIPT ALL IN ONE LOCATION AND AT YOUR FINGERTIPS, WHATEVER YOU NEED IT.
IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT USING MY BEAUFORT COUNTY OR TAXES IN GENERAL, PLEASE CALL MY FRIENDLY STAFF AND I AT 8 4 3 2 5 5 2 6 0 0.
OR YOU CAN VISIT US@BEAUFORTCOUNTYTREASURE.COM.